In China, mass production of face masks to try to stop the spread of coronavirus. The Government has been pushing manufacturers to increase production due to rising demand. And the number they can make in one factory alone is staggering. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) A 50-YEAR-OLD MASK FACTORY WORKER, WANG XIAOMING, SAYING: "I work on 25,000 masks for one shift. It's kind of tiring but we have no choice when facing epidemic situation. We must produce more masks." It's not hard to see why they're making so many. On Friday, long queues snaked around pharmacies in neighbouring Hong Kong - residents desperate to get hold of one. But confusion is now spreading over whether people should wear a mask in the first place. Friday's edition of Singapore's main newspaper told readers not to wear one if you are well. And Australia and Taiwan have said healthy people don't need one. But Australia has also released one million masks from the national medical stockpile. And Taiwan has imposed a ban on exporting masks - and its railway administration said if the virus continues to spread, it will refuse passengers who aren't wearing one. In Hong Kong, a lawmaker who chairs the city's government health services panel was criticised after she shared a video showing people how to steam and re-use disposable face masks. There's been unusual advice in India, where the government suggested a traditional concoction that includes ginger and holy basil as protection. And in Myanmar, a minister was rebuked for sharing a Facebook post that advised people to eat more onions. Back in China, the mask production line continues apace. Official guidance from the World Health Organization makes no mention of wearing a face mask to protect against the virus - but its website doesn't specifically advise against them. Nefertiti Nero has made herself, her family, her school and country proud. Nefertiti Nero of the St. Vincent Girls High School and a Bequia native literally wrote herself into a place of pride in the history of this country, when she qualified as a Gold Award Finalist in the 2019 Queens Commonwealth Essay Competition. She was chosen as one of 140 finalists from a total of 11, 000 entries, becoming the first Vincentian to have ever made the final crop in any of the two categories (senior and junior) of the Competition. A Pan-Commonwealth body of more than 100 volunteer judges, drawn from 40 different countries, assessed entries across every region of the Commonwealth. And while she was not among the winners recently announced, Nefertiti said, "I felt happy about my first time entering the Competition. And as to where she found support, her response was, "I am thankful to my mom who encouraged me to do my best and have faith in my creative piece. Nefertitit is encouraging young people to enter this year (2020), saying, "It is really fun when you put your passion into your writing about a chosen topic of interest. This years competition, on the theme A Connected Commonwealth, asked entrants to consider how they can work to use cultural, technological and environmental connections for positive change across the Commonwealth. Topics invited young people to consider the potential of the Commonwealth in strengthening the vast and varied links between citizens. The 2020 theme, Climate Action in the Commonwealth, encourages young people aged 18 and under, from across the globe, to explore this critical environmental issue. It aims to challenge young peoples thinking and means by which they express themselves, using creative forms of writing, including stories, poems, scripts or essays. The winners of this years competition as announced by the Royal Commonwealth Society are: Senior Winner: Catherine Wang, Canada; Senior Runner-up: Nnemdi Ozoemena, Nigeria; Junior Winner: Veronica Shen, Singapore; Junior Runner-up: Elise Jensen, Ghana. Among the past winners of the Competition was Lee Hsien Loong, the Prime Minister of Singapore. The Minority of the Health Committee of Parliament has inspected abandoned mobile clinic vans procured under former President John Mahamas regime. Following the inauguration of over 300 ambulances meant for emergency healthcare delivery at all the 27 constituencies across the country by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NDC MPs visited Korle-Bu hospital to inspect the abandoned vehicles. Ranking Member on Parliament's Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has therefore charged the government to immediately deploy the mobile clinic vans. "These vans were brought into the country six years ago and they were deployed to the 'hard-to-reach' areas to provide services but unfortunately for more than 3 years, these vans have been packed here and its rotting away. "We need them in the hinterlands. We entered one of the vans and the interior was chilled, it means the air conditioner is working, so why are they packed here," he asked. Contrary to the Minoritys claims, the Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Mame Yaa Aboagye says the vans are not in good shape for use by hospitals. ...they are not in motorable conditions and have not been motorable since they were grounded. The company that supplied these vans to the then administration is untraceable to assist the Health Ministry to repair them and use same...if not why would anybody park these vans if they were in good shape or could be repaired? It stands to reason that the vans were purchased from some wayside vendors who might not still be in business, hence the failure of the Health Ministry to locate them, she said. The NDC is pained by the fulfillment of the One Constituency, One Ambulance promise and seeks to obfuscate that colourful event with a story not fit for the airwaves, she added. The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 28th January, 2020, commissioned and presented three hundred and seven (307) new, state-of-the-art ambulances to the National Ambulance Service in fulfillment of his 2016 campaign pledge. According to President Akufo-Addo, the ambulances are fitted with advanced life support equipment and tracking devices, to be distributed to 275 constituencies, i.e. 1-Constituency-1-Ambulance, to be managed by the National Ambulance Service, and the remainder of thirty-two (32) ambulances to the headquarters of the Service. Presenting the ambulances, at a ceremony at the Independence Square, the President noted that, when he took office in January 2017, the National Ambulance Service had 130 stations, 10 regional control rooms across the country, and only 55 semi-functioning ambulances. In December 2015, two hundred (200) ambulances were supposedly purchased by the Mahama government, out of which only thirty (30) arrived in the country. As though this was not enough, the thirty (30) were declared not fit for purpose because they had cardinal defects and did not come with any medical equipment. This was completely unacceptable, and my government was determined to rectify this unhappy state of affairs, he said. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020 LIVE updates, Delhi Assembly Polls: Check constituency-wise poll-results, candidates, winners, losers The 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly was not just a milestone moment for Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but also for the Indian National Congress. While AAP secured a resounding mandate winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats the Congress failed to win any. Even though it was riding on a Narendra Modi wave, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had managed to win just the three remaining seats. This was for the first time that the Congress had failed to open its account in Delhi. The state-level polls in Delhi for the last two decades had been a two-party contest between the Congress and the BJP. But, AAPs entry into the picture changed the political landscape in Delhi as it largely ate into Congress vote share. Now, Congress is hoping for a revival. Remember, while it has lost footing at the Centre, it has managed to clinch certain state-level contests in the last few years. It won Punjab and emerged as the single-largest party in Manipur and Goa in 2017. It snatched Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan from the BJP in 2018. It made a sudden and unexpected rise in Haryana, it was able to form the government in Maharashtra with ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and rival Shiv Sena. Congress hope for revival is not only based on the saying: Once you have hit rock bottom and lived, there is only one place you can go, and that is up. The party, perhaps, has also drawn optimism from the 2019 Lok Sabha election. Congress had benefitted from the fact that voters did not see AAP as a pan-India opposition force. Congress secured the second highest vote share in the general election (in Delhi) ahead of AAP. Also read: Key factors that will impact the capital contest At the same time, BJP continues to bank on PM Modis popularity and often campaigns talking about its decisive central leadership. It also hopes that the PM Modis popularity and its performance in the Lok Sabha polls would rub-off during the Delhi election. While the BJP won all seven parliamentary seats in Delhi, Congress finished second in five of them. AAP finished second in the remaining two. BJP secured 56.6 percent votes in the national capital. This was significantly more than 46.4 percent it won in 2014. Congress vote share stood at 22.5 percent, significantly more than 15.1 percent in 2014. On the other hand, AAPs vote share plummeted from 32.9 percent in 2014 to 18.1 percent. The pattern However, in what may be a cause of dismay for the Congress and the BJP, a clear pattern has emerged in the way people have voted at the central level and at the state level. Three states headed for state elections after the 2019 general election concluded. These were Haryana and Maharashtra in October 2019 and Jharkhand in December 2019. Haryana: BJP won all of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana and secured a 58.02 percent vote share. Congress vote share was 28.4 percent. In the assembly election, BJP failed to win a majority on its own. The saffron party won 40 of the total 90 seats in the House. Congress won 31 seats. BJP secured 36.5 percent votes to finish ahead of Congress 28.1 percent. Maharashtra: The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance had won 41 of the 48 seats (about 85 percent seats). Together their vote share was over 50 percent. However, in the assembly election held six months later, it fell to around 42 percent. In terms of the seats, the BJP-Sena pre-poll alliance had secured 169 of the 288 seats (about 58 percent seats). Jharkhand: The BJP had won 11 of the 14 parliamentary seats in the state. Its ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) had won one seat. The Congress-Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) combination won the remaining two. BJPs vote share itself was about 50.9 percent. However, in the assembly election, BJP managed to win just 25 of the total 80 seats. Its vote share plummeted to 33.4 percent. On the other hand, the Congress and JMM alliance bagged 46 seats. Their vote share jumped to 32.5 percent votes from a combined vote share of 27.4 percent. It is to be noted that BJP was fighting as an incumbent in all three states mentioned above. In retrospect, election results in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan also fit into this pattern. BJP had lost Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in December 2018. But it still won 9/11 seats in Chhattisgarh, 28/29 in Madhya Pradesh and 24/25 in Rajasthan. The remaining one seat in Rajasthan was in fact won by its ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP). The crux is that peoples voting choices seem to be changing depending on the local issues and factors such as who is on the ballot. Voters are also drawing a clear distinction between state and central politics and voting accordingly. If this pattern holds on February 11, it would not only lead to disappointment in the Congress and BJP camps. MANILA President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered all members of his Cabinet not to travel to the United States after Washington blacklisted his former national police chief over the governments drug war, which has left thousands dead, a top aide said Thursday. The order comes as Duterte has ratcheted up his threats against the U.S., the Philippines longtime military ally, including with warnings of reduced cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries. Last night, the president issued a directive for Cabinet members not to travel to the U.S., Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano told an annual breakfast forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines. We will abide with the instruction of the president. He said that Duterte had issued the directive after his former national police chief, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, recently learned from the U.S. State Department that his visa was revoked. Dela Rosa said he had not been told the reason for the denial, although he suspected that it was because of his part in carrying out the drug war under Dutertes direction. That campaign has resulted in the deaths of nearly 6,000 suspected addicts and drug dealers, and, rights groups say, some innocent civilians. Dela Rosa subsequently retired but was among several Duterte allies who won a seat in the Philippine Senate last year. The brutality and brazenness of the killings has shocked many in this largely Catholic country, with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch leading a campaign to help families of the victims take their case to the International Criminal Court. But Duterte last year moved to undo a treaty that recognized that courts jurisdiction and insisted that he would not be tried by a foreign court. Washington has for decades been one of the Philippines most reliable partners. The two are bound by a 1951 mutual defense treaty that calls on each to come to the others defense in the face of foreign aggression. But Duterte has recently warned the United States that he would abrogate a defense agreement, the Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows for large-scale U.S. military exercises in the Philippines, unless Washington corrected its visa denial of dela Rosa. Jason Gutierrez is a New York Times writer. 31.01.2020 LISTEN The government has hit back at the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama for criticising the distribution of 307 ambulances in the country. Addressing a press conference on Friday, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, questioned Mr. Mahamas motives and accused him of only seeking political points. President Nana Akufo-Addo inaugurated 307 ambulances for distribution nationwide on national TV this past Tuesday. During an interaction with selected media personnel on Thursday, Mr. Mahama chided the Akufo-Addo government for distributing ambulances without resourcing health facilities in the country. He felt the ambulances may not be able to serve their purpose because most of the country's hospitals and clinics are not capable of handling emergency cases. But the Minister recounted that when Mr. Mahama was President, he oversaw the procurement of ambulances at a time when not all hospital projects across the country had been completed. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah also noted that members of the NDC were also pushing for the early distribution of the ambulances at the time they were parked at the State House. Is the former President suggesting that when his party was demanding that the ambulances be distributed now, they had no faint idea of where they would take people to when they are distributed? So it was just [an empty] demand that distributed the ambulances now? It was just an attempt to create some disaffection and embarrassment? To begin to change even your own position, from, bringing about 600 ambulances out of which just about 130 came is actually even laughable, the Minister added. He reiterated the benefits of this endeavor and urged Mr. Mahama to instead offer constructive remarks on the matter. How do we ensure that they are maintained, how do we ensure that they are paid for, how do we ensure that prank calls are reduced, how do we ensure that emergency healthcare is improved, not try to score cheap political points with it, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said. citinewsroom Instead of having an adult conversation with the population about the virus and putting in place reasonable policies that have been used effectively elsewhere, the Chinese state has gone into full lockdown mode. This demonstrates one of those truisms from political science: Authoritarian governments are like people who dont have any fingers but do possess two thumbs. They can take forceful actions but cant fine-tune the levers of government. Actually, Im not being fair. When the Chinese Communist Party has time, it can come up with and use sophisticated policies witness its co-opting of traditional faiths to fill a spiritual vacuum in society. But when faced with a crisis, the party cant seem to avoid grand gestures: building hospitals from scratch in two weeks, locking down tens of millions of people, banning millions more from traveling to big cities and so on. In some ways, a moment like this one is a technocrats dream: When Western health care experts say that this sort of lockdown wont work, they basically mean its never been tried on this scale with this kind of uberefficient government. Now that its being tried, not just in Beijing but also across the country, the effects are kind of thrilling to watch. Apartment compounds like mine are being fumigated. (With what? Who cares!) People are walking around with loudspeakers blaring out warnings against the virus. Villages are closing their gates as if bandits were on the prowl. And going to a restaurant or a bar is almost an act of treason or, at best, foolish selfishness. The most interesting question is why the party feels the need to carry on like this. I think it knows the people dont trust it in these cases and assume there has been a cover-up. Hence one of the most popular figures in the crisis: Zhong Nanshan, the hero of the 2002-3 SARS outbreak, now 83, who is back in action, treating patients and warning citizens about the need for hygiene. He has been adopted as the incorruptible official a familiar trope in Chinese history, the Confucian official who stands tall despite pressures to bend. And so we read endless profiles of Dr. Zhong in Chinese social media, discussing his family background, upbringing, successes and apolitical pursuit of science-based truth. The clear implication is that he is that rare official capable of such principled conduct. Behind all this lies the feeling that most other people in the party cant quite be trusted. This has been reinforced over the past few days by reports that at least eight people who were detained in Wuhan in early January on charges of spreading rumors are in fact medical doctors, not fear-mongering neer-do-wells. This startling fact is now leaking out in online reports that are sometimes, but not always, being blocked. At some point, the government will have to admit to a partial cover-up. By Trend Azerbaijan evaluates the recommendations of the Council of Europe and always tries to act in the interests of both parties, said Nagif Hamzayev at the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg on January 28 at a hearing in the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on the issue of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Trend reports. However, there are times when our thoughts do not intersect, Hamzayev said. Nagif Hamzayev noted that the information provided by political prisoners in Azerbaijan is incorrect. He said that I am disappointed with the unjust and unreasonable attitude towards my country. Hamzayev noted that reforms have been carried out in Azerbaijan in all areas, in particular, the electronicization of the justice system and the existence of a legislative framework that reflects the basic principles of the European legal system. By a decree of President Ilham Aliyev, in March 431 people were pardoned, and 399 of them were released from the rest of the prison. Later, Nagif Hamzayev spoke about a terrorist act committed against the people of Azerbaijan under the leadership of Armenia, especially Sargsyan: More than 1 million Azerbaijanis cannot visit their homeland. Not to mention the physical and spiritual damage to the well-being of our state, anti-Azerbaijani forces are still trying to undermine the image of our country and create chaos in our relations with the Council of Europe. For many years, as a result of the joint efforts of anti-Azerbaijani forces, Azerbaijan was subjected to prejudice and discrimination against political prisoners. We believe that a favorable policy will be created to conduct a policy based on the principles of mutual understanding and respect. " --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Klein begins by explaining that polarization is actually nothing new. Americans have been divided for a long time. The policy differences in the 1950s and 1960s between Southern segregationists and Northern liberals, or between free-market purists and Great Society advocates, were greater than those between most Republicans and Democrats today. But back then, each party contained a variety of political views, which meant these differences had to be navigated and negotiated. Liberal Democrats had to temper their zeal because their political power in the Senate depended on the segregationist Southern wing of the party. Since 1964, when the Democrats broke with the segregationists (obviously a good thing), the parties have sorted ideologically, and policy differences have become weaponized. ST. LOUIS and LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is pleased to announce that its European subsidiary, Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited (Stifel Europe), was ranked among the top investment banks in UK equity capital markets for activity in 2019. Stifel Europe successfully executed a total of 26 ECM deals last year across the London markets, representing a near 10% market share. According to data from ECM Insight, Stifel Europe ranked second among all investment banks, as measured by volume of UK deals, up from No. 4 in 2018. Stifel Europe raised more than 1.3 billion pounds for clients in 2019. Notable transactions include a secondary share placing for Diversified Gas & Oil PLC (AIM: DGOC), which ranked as the years third largest fundraise on the AIM market and the initial public offering of DWF Group PLC (LON: DWF), the largest UK law firm to ever go public. The fact that we were able to gain share during an incredibly challenging market environment is a testament to our strategy of focusing on key verticals and bringing a high level of focus and expertise to every client assignment, said Eithne OLeary, President of Stifel Europe. In its chosen sectors, Stifel Europe offers advice across the capital structure, connecting growing companies with investors who are willing and able to support their expansion. The firm has now participated in 176 transactions that have raised more than 33 billion pounds for clients in Europe since entering the London market in mid-2014. Stifel Company Information Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifels broker-dealer clients are served in the United States through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, including its Eaton Partners business division, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., Century Securities Associates, Inc., Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC and MainFirst Securities US Inc., each of which is a broker-dealer registered with the SEC and members of FINRA. Stifel Financial Corp. has the following non-U.S. subsidiaries. In the United Kingdom, Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited is authorized and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) (FRN 190412) and is a member of the London Stock Exchange and also trades under the name Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Europe. In Germany, MainFirst Bank AG is regulated by the German Federal Financial Services Authority (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht, or BaFin), as well as MainFirst Schweiz AG, which is regulated by the Eidgenossische Finanzmarktaufsicht (FINMA). MainFirst Bank AGs London branch is authorized by BaFin and supervised by the Financial Conduct Authority for the conduct of UK business, its Milan branch is authorized and regulated by BaFin and supervised by CONSOB/Bank of Italy, and its Paris branch is authorized and regulated by BaFin and supervised by AMP/Autorite de Controle Prudentiel. In Geneva, Stifel maintains Stifel Europe Geneva S.A. In Canada, Stifel Nicolaus Canada, Incorporated is authorized and regulated by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and also trades under the names Stifel GMP and Stifel First Energy. The Companys broker-dealer affiliates provide securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank and Stifel Bank & Trust offer a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. Stifel Trust Company, N.A. and Stifel Trust Company Delaware, N.A. offer trust and related services. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the Companys website at www.stifel.com . Media Contact Neil Shapiro, +1 212-271-3447 shapiron@stifel.com White Island has erupted many times in recent history, with very frequent eruptions from 1976-2000. A major eruption formed a new crater in 2000, and small eruptions occurred in 2012, 2013 and 2016. The volcano had been showing signs of unrest for several weeks before the Dec. 9 explosion. In October, seismic tremors and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emission rates were at their highest levels since 2016, indicating an increased likelihood of an eruption. On Nov. 18, GeoNet raised the Volcanic Alert Level to 2, indicating "moderate to heightened volcanic unrest." White Island is privately owned, and private tour operators set policies on whether to visit the island. Although the elevated GeoNet alert level indicated there was a heightened potential for eruption hazards, the island remained open for visitation. This is sadly not the only example of a recent fatal hydrothermal blast. In 2014, over 60 hikers were killed when Japan's Mount Ontake experienced a small hydrothermal explosion. These hazardous events are challenging to forecast because they occur due to subtle changes in a volcano's hydrothermal system. The processes preceding the explosions are typically localized in areas that are much smaller than the spacing between monitoring instruments. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) If Texas is going to be competitive in 2020, the first race wasn't. Democrats went all-in on a legislative runoff in the booming Houston suburbs, drumming up endorsements from Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren and putting $1 million on the ground. Still, a Republican real estate developer who had lost seven previous tries for office cruised to a double-digit victory. It was a high-profile defeat for Democrats who supercharged a sleepy statehouse special election in a bid to make an early 2020 strike on the GOP's biggest turf. On Wednesday, Republicans called it a lesson. They made a big mistake by nationalizing," said Republican strategist Karl Rove, the former adviser to President George W. Bush. In final unofficial results, Republican Gary Gates polled 58% of the vote to 42% for Democrat Eliz Markowitz. But despite the unusual attention on the race, the outcome is no surefire predictor of what's in store for Texas. Turnout for the race was more than 30,000 far better than typical statehouse runoffs in Texas but still a fraction of how many are expected to vote in fast-growing Fort Bend County come November. And Democrats, who need to flip nine legislative seats to claim a majority in the Texas House for the fist time since 2001, have more favorable targets than state House District 28. But before Tuesday's blowout, Democrats said there was reason to believe. President Donald Trump carried the district by 10 points in 2016, but two years later, Beto O'Rourke got within 3 points in his failed U.S. Senate run. In the final stretch, the race drew support from Biden, who said it could set the tone for the entire general election in 2020." Democrats sought to downplay the loss, and outside groups that amplified the race said it wouldn't cause them to retreat in Texas. That really isn't going to change," said Ross Morales Rocketto, co-founder of Run for Something, which recruits Democratic candidates nationwide. But I think one thing a lot of Democratic and progressive donors need to really think hard about is what is going to be required to invest in the state of Texas, in order for us to get the outcomes that we want?" Texas' fast-growing suburbs that carried the GOP for a generation are quickly changing, and Democrats are counting on voters there turning away from Trump to make gains. Last summer, Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, a Republican, was caught confiding to a conservative activist in a secretly recorded meeting that Trump was killing us in urban and suburban districts. Dave Carney, an adviser to Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who helped Gates' campaign, said Trump wasn't a factor. The president really wasn't an issue other than the motivation for these national Democrats to come down here and talk," Carney said. ___ Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber Romney, Collins Say Theyll Vote in Favor of Impeachment Witnesses Moderate GOP Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) will vote in favor of calling up at least one additional witness in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. For those asking: As [Romney] has said, he wants to hear from Ambassador Bolton, and he will vote in favor of the motion today to consider witnesses, Romney spokeswoman Liz Johnson said in a statement on Friday morning. She is referring to former national security advisor John Bolton, who left the administration last year. Earlier this week, the New York Times reported on a forthcoming book from Bolton, where he claimed that he was told by Trump about a linkage between military aid to Ukraine and politically advantageous investigations. Trump has categorically denied the claims in the report and noted that timing of the article, which was published before Trumps legal team presented their arguments in the trial, was suspicious. Romney, a freshman senator, previously suggested to media outlets that he wanted to hear from Bolton in the trial before his spokeswoman confirmed his intentions. And Collins, who is up for reelection in November, announced Thursday that she would vote in favor of witnesses. We have heard the cases argued and the questions answered. In keeping with the model used for the impeachment trial of President Clinton, at this point, Senators are able to make an informed judgment about what is in dispute and what is important to the underlying issues, she said in a late-night statement. As a result, Collins explained that hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) is surrounded by reporters as she heads to vote at the Capitol in Washington on Nov. 6, 2019. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo) Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed, her statement added. But another possible swing-voter, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), confirmed that he will not vote for witnesses. Alexander is retiring from office this year. It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation, Alexander wrote a series of Twitter posts on Thursday. The Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate, Alexander wrote. The other GOP senator who may vote to compel witnesses, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has not signaled how she will vote. Im going to go back to my office, Im going to put some eye drops so that I can keep reading, and Ive been forming a lot of thoughts and so thats going to be my job now at almost 11 oclock, she told reporters on Thursday. But Alexanders decision is a devastating blow to the House impeachment managers prosecuting Trump, essentially ensuring that witnesses will not be called. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to move to vote on two articles of impeachment, possibly as soon as Friday afternoon. Democrats have said they require four Republican senators to join them in their quest for witness testimony. Democratic House managers for days have argued that in light of the NY Times report, Bolton and other witnesses should be called, while some have said that a trial without any witnesses wouldnt be a trial at all. The Senate is expected re-convene at 1 p.m. on Friday to hear the closing arguments from Trumps legal defense team and the House managers. Republicans have a 53-vote majority in the Senate. Removing Trump would take 67-vote supermajority, meaning that about 20 Republicans would have to break ranks with their party to join Democrats. Michael Balanoff is president/CEO of the Jewish Federation of Central New York. He also is a member of InterFaith Works of CNYs Round Table of Faith Leaders, to whom he delivered these remarks in January. By Michael Balanoff | Special to Syracuse.com Anti-Semitism is the worlds oldest hate. At the same time, anti-Semitism is a reliable bellwether of the moral health of a nation. When anti-Semitism appears and spreads, it signals that something is very wrong. Currently, in the United States of America, according to the Anti-Defamation League, assault, harassment and vandalism against Jews are at near-historic levels. The danger of anti-Semitism, for those who are not Jews, is that it endangers everyone. The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. Hitler killed 6 million Jews, but he also killed 6 million other people: Catholics, Roma, the disabled, Slavs, Ukrainians, Russians, Afro-Germans, Freemasons; the list goes on and on. German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller, who initially supported Hitler, turned against him when he experienced the Nazification of German Protestant churches. He captured the dangers of not opposing anti-Semitism in a confessional prose poem: First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for meAnd there was no one left to speak for me. This is why we need to stand together, speak out together, fight hatred together. Jews cannot fight anti-Semitism alone. The victim cannot cure the crime. We need and appreciate friends who will stand with us and help lead the fight. As the faith leaders of our community, it is essential that you affirm the belief that all humankind is made in Gods image. We may have different theological positions, different metaphysical views, different understandings of the pathways to enlightenment, but we all share basic ethical commitments, including compassion and concern for and connection with other people. Thus our faiths compel us to speak up, to defend truth, to celebrate both our diversity and our common humanity, to be a voice for those in need and to seek the common good. All major world religions share a belief in community, because community provides group cohesion and identity, as well as a way for rituals and traditions to be passed down from generation to generation. Today, in our Central New York community, whatever our faith tradition, we must act to preserve the ability of all people to live in freedom in their communities, to maintain their identity, to observe their faith, and to be safe and secure in their homes, schools, places of work and places of worship, whatever their beliefs. People of faith must act together to promote religious and cultural understanding and eliminate religious and racial prejudice through education, dialogue and social action. I urge you with the utmost passion and urgency to help put an end to the hatred of the other. People look to their faith leaders to provide moral guidance. This is perhaps your most unique and critical role. As the faith leaders of our community, it falls to you to inspire people unequivocally and conspicuously to act to eradicate anti-Semitism from society, along with all other forms of religious, ethnic and racial hatred. I, therefore, call upon you our faith leaders, people of God, exemplars of morality, of values and ethics to remember, there is no them. There is only us. Let us teach what is right, condemn what is wrong, and speak out for justice and decency. Also in Opinion: 5 reasons to be concerned about Second Amendment sanctuaries (Commentary) TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cardinal Resources Limited (ASX: CDV; TSX: CDV) (Cardinal or the Company) a Ghana gold focused exploration and development company, is pleased to present its Quarterly activities report for the period ended December 31, 2019. HIGHLIGHTS On October 3, 2019 the Company announced that it successfully raised $17.6M through exercise of the Companys Listed Options (ASX: CDVOA). A total of 117,398,958 Listed Options were exercised, being 99.84% of the Listed Options on issue, only 188,081 Listed Options expired unexercised. On October 15, 2019 the Company announced its annual Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources statement. On October 28, 2019 the Company released its Feasibility Study confirming the Namdini Project as a tier one gold project. On November 28, 2019 Cardinal released its Feasibility Study NI 43-101 Technical Report. OUTLOOK The principal activity of the Company is gold exploration and mine development in Ghana. The Company holds tenements prospective for gold mineralisation in Ghana in two granite-greenstone belts: the Bolgatanga Project and the Namdini Gold Project (Namdini Gold Project or Namdini), which are, respectively, located within the Greenstone Belts in northeast Ghana and the Subranum Project, which is located within the Sefwi Greenstone Belt in southwest Ghana. The main focus of activity is the Namdini Gold Project which has a gold Ore Reserve of 5.1Moz (138.6Mt @ 1.13g/t Au; 0.5g/t Au cut-off) inclusive of 0.4 Moz Proved (7.4Mt @ 1.31g/t Au; 0.5 g/t Au cut-off) and 4.7Moz Probable (131.2Mt @ 1.12 g/t Au; 0.5g/t Au cut-off). Figure 1: Cardinal Resources Tenements in Ghana: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/727a3a6b-6c26-48f3-8883-37683783ea08 THE NAMDINI GOLD PROJECT Property Title / Mining Lease A Large-Scale Mining License covering the Namdini Mining Lease was granted to Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (Cardinal Namdini), a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal, by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources under the Ghanaian Minerals and Mining Act 2006 (Act 703) in December 2017. The Large-Scale Mining License covers 19.54 km2 in the Dakoto area of the Talensi District Assembly in Upper East Region of Ghana evidenced by a Mining Lease for an initial period of 15 years and is renewable. Project Development and Finance Update Cardinals Board has approved this Feasibility Study and recommends progressing the Project to construction pending successful completion of financing activities. The Company in conjunction with appointed financial advisers, Cutfield Freeman & Co, (ASX/TSX - Press Release dated 3 April 2019) have received a number of term sheets from banks and financiers. With the release of the Feasibility Study and accompanying NI43-101 Technical Report (ASX/TSX Press Release dated 28 November 2019) additional banks, financiers and corporates have shown interest in Project Finance participation and have subsequently been granted access to the data room. In addition, the Company is concurrently evaluating strategic alternatives to bring the Namdini Project into production with a view to maximising economic outcomes for Cardinal shareholders. In the meantime, the Company remains in a strong financial position with cash reserves of approximately A$20 million. Project Development Partners: Table 1: Study Team COMPANY ROLE Lycopodium Feasibility Study Managers. Process plant and associated infrastructure. Capital and Process Operating cost estimation. Golder Associates Mine design, planning, optimisation and scheduling. Geotechnical, Hydrology and Hydrogeological engineering. Mine operational costs. Orway Minerals Consultants Comminution data analysis, crushing and grinding option studies. ALS Laboratory (Perth) Metallurgical testwork to support the process design criteria. Knight Piesold Consulting Tailings Storage Facility and selected infrastructure design. Independent Metallurgical Operations Metallurgical testwork management, analysis and process flowsheet development. MPR Geological Consultants Mineral Resource modelling of the Namdini Deposit. Orefind Geology and deposit structural genesis. Sebbag Group International Mine Design Management and Review. NEMAS Consult & Geoscience Consulting Environmental Impact Assessment Study. Whittle Consulting Enterprise Optimisation of the Namdini Project. Alastri Software Tactical Scheduling, Haulage Modelling and Reserving Software. Maelgwyn Mineral Services Africa AachenTM process metallurgical optimisation. BDO Advisory Financial Model Integrity & Reviewer (PEA, PFS and FS). MKM Social Socio-Economic Study and Resettlement Action Plan. In conjunction with moving the Project toward a financial investment decision, work continues on further project optimisation with our Project Partners (Table 1) and regional exploration utilising Cardinals strong cash at bank of approximately A$20 million. Cardinals ~900 km of prospective exploration tenure within hauling distance of the proposed Namdini gold production plant remains a short-term opportunity for project enhancement. Exploration activities, including drilling, will recommence shortly with the stated aim of identifying shallow, high grade deposits that can augment existing Namdini ore to further enhance the current project economics. Recent positive results from exploration activities, for example at Ndongo East, provide encouragement that higher grade gold systems may exist in the region within trucking distance to the Namdini deposit. Project Metallurgical Update Feasibility study testwork was completed at Maelgwyn Mineral Services Africa (MMSA) laboratory in South Africa on the Aachen technology and was reported in September 2019. The testwork demonstrated improved project economics by allowing a coarser re-grind whilst maintaining similar recovery figures than reported in Cardinals PFS. The MMSA testwork indicated that a P90 (90% Passing) 9m regrind particle size showed the best technical and economic return value. In conclusion, the MMSA testwork supports the inclusion of the Aachen technology within the process design of the Namdini Gold Project, which is now fully reflected in the flowsheet and estimates as reported in the issued Feasibility Study Report. The ALS laboratory testwork for defining the process design criteria for the Feasibility Study was completed in September 2019 and all results were incorporated into the Feasibility Study engineering and process design. Qualitative testwork for elemental characterisation of leach residues is continuing at ALS. This testwork is informative work with no influence on the Feasibility Study results. This testwork will be complete early 2020. Feasibility Study Update The Company announced completion of the Feasibility Study (FS), which was released October 28, 2019. The technical report on the Feasibility Study, prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, was issued on SEDAR at www.sedar.com on November 28, 2019. Key Technical and Financial Outcomes The key technical and financial outcomes from the Feasibility Study on a 100% basis are summarised in Table 2, Table 3, Table 4 and Figure 2 following. Table 2: Financial Summary for 9.5 Mtpa throughput (based upon a gold price of US$1,350/oz) KEY ECONOMIC RESULTS UNIT FEASIBILITY STUDY Capital cost (including US$40Mcontingency) US$ M 390 All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC)1 Starter Pit US$/oz US$/oz 585 Life of Mine 895 Total Project payback Months 21 Pre-Tax NPV US$ (5% discount rate) US$ M 914 Post-Tax NPV US$ (5% discount rate) US$ M 590 Pre-Tax IRR % 43 Post-Tax IRR % 33 Table Notes: 1 Cash Costs + Royalties + Levies + Life of Mine Sustaining Capital Costs (World Gold Council Standard). Royalties calculated at a rate of 5.5% and a corporate tax rate of 32.5%; both subject to negotiation, and expected to be finalised over coming months. Table 3: Starter Pit Production Summary KEY ESTIMATED PRODUCTION RESULTS UNIT FEASIBILITY STUDY Gold price US$/oz 1,350 Gold produced (average for full production years) (koz/yr) 361 Gold head grade (Starter Pit, Ore Reserve) g/t Au 1.41 Gold recovery (Starter Pit) % 85 Strip ratio (Starter Pit) W:O 0.9 :1 Ore mined (0.5 g/t cut-off grade) Tonnes (Mt) 47 Waste mined Tonnes (Mt) 43 Starter Pit life (including ramp-up) Months 27 Total Project payback Months 21 Table 4: LOM Production Summary (including Starter Pit) KEY ESTIMATED PRODUCTION RESULTS UNIT FEASIBILITY STUDY Gold price US$/oz 1,350 Gold produced (average for LOM full production years) (koz/yr) 287 Gold produced (LOM) (Moz) 4.2 Gold head grade (LOM, Ore Reserve) g/t Au 1.13 Gold recovery (LOM) % 83 Strip ratio (LOM) W:O 1.9 : 1 Ore mined (0.5 g/t cut-off grade) Tonnes (Mt) 138.6 Waste mined Tonnes (Mt) 263 Mine life (Including ramp-up and mine closure) years 15 Capital cost (including 11% contingency) US$ M 390 Total Project payback Months 21 Figure 2: Production Profile and LOM AISC: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b1c91f2e-ff58-4aad-84c3-bb6de793a157 Feasibility Study Conclusions Overall The Namdini Gold Project is a significant gold deposit with highly attractive economics, which enjoys both regional and national support, strongly reinforcing the decision to proceed with development of the Project. The Project is located in a socially and economically stable region of the world. The climate is moderate and local infrastructure is available and has the required capacity to support the project. Cardinal has a long standing and robust relationship with the regions Development Committee, Talensi Traditional Council, regional communities, Chiefs and Elders. There is strong support nationally and regionally for the Project to be developed in a sustainable way to provide an uplift in an area that has not realized local investment and development opportunities. The social benefits are expected to be similar to those experienced in southern parts of Ghana where gold mines operate. The region is not densely populated and relocation requirements are not onerous. Community engagement with Cardinals Relocation Action Plan (RAP) consultants shows support for the Project. Vegetation is sparse and the tenement area is flat thereby allowing for low cost and relatively easy bulk earthwork and transportation access requirements and activities. The project site is approximately 25km from the N10 highway which is the main transportation route from Tema, Accra, and into Burkina Faso in the north. The White Volta river is approximately 7km away allowing for a sustainable raw water source for the Project. Testing by ALS laboratory in Perth indicates that this water is suitable for process operations including flotation. A stable 161kV HV grid powerline is approximately 25km due west of the Project. Testing at the Bolgatanga substation close to the Project has shown that the power supply is stable and authorities have assured Cardinal that sufficient capacity from the current grid exists for the Project. Ghana is currently in an HV oversupply situation currently, which further de-risks this aspect of the Project infrastructure. Cardinal has a 15-year renewable Mining Lease. The environmental permitting is well advanced with the Ghanaian EPA and other regulatory authorities. Based on the positive FS outcome, the Cardinal Board has approved initiatives which will further de-risk the project. These include immediate advancement of the Namdini Gold Project to the FEED and Early Works Construction stages, plus advancement of the RAP subject to final project finance. The positive results of this FS of the Namdini Gold Project have confirmed that progression of the Project to the development and construction stage is warranted. Cardinal's exploration and resource drilling activities have defined a substantial Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource. Inferred Mineral Resources, which represent a small proportion of model estimates within the RPEEE pit shell, are generally at depths below 250m. Mineral Resource Estimation Based on an external review, Golder concluded that the additional drilling has not materially changed the tonnes and grade in the Mineral Resource. The most significant change is to the reclassification of 7Mt from Indicated to Measured Resource. The 2019 recoverable Mineral Resource estimate is supported as an appropriate input to mining studies at the FS level and is a reasonable development from the previously reviewed 2017 and 2018 recoverable Mineral Resource estimates. Metallurgy The Transition material at Namdini is only partially weathered (oxidised) and behaves in metallurgical test work similar to the Fresh material, with similar recoveries. The Transition material is to be processed with the Fresh material as part of the mill feed and thus these are combined in all the mine and mill schedules. The metallurgical work carried out to date indicates that gold can be recovered from Namdini Transition and Fresh ore feed using conventional flotation, regrind and Carbon In Leach (CIL) cyanidation techniques, and from Oxide ore feed using conventional CIL cyanidation techniques. The work is considered sufficient to define a technically and economically viable gold mining project. A substantial amount of drill core sample has been tested which adequately covers the entire deposit and rock types for the life of the operation. The sample representativity is considered by Cardinal to be appropriate. No unproven technologies are planned for the Project. Many process plants of this size have been constructed on time and within budget. Mine Planning The Namdini Project has been evaluated by Golder based upon a conventional hard rock mining equipment fleet. There are no indicated requirements for untested or novel mining techniques. The Namdini Project is only moderately sensitive to both capital and mining costs, and relatively insensitive to the overall geotechnical slope angle of the pit as a result of the relatively low stripping ratio for a pit of this size. The adoption of a tactical level scheduling tool for the FS of the Namdini Project is a key driver in identifying operational cost benefit areas and minimising mining spend to maximise project value. The change of support adjustment in the recoverable Mineral Resource estimate assumed a moderately selective mining unit (SMU) of 5m by 10m by 2.5m, which has been applied to the low-grade large-tonnage disseminated Namdini deposit. The chosen mining equipment is of medium scale (134t trucks and 400t face-shovels) and so less amenable to selective mining. A short-term model estimate based exclusively on RC grade control pattern of 10m by 15m with 1.5m sampling confirmed the MIK recoverable Mineral Resource estimate. The 10m by 15m grade control pattern is deemed a suitable grid for defining the ore zones at the mining scale anticipated. The Namdini deposit presents as a largely diffuse ore zone with limited high-grade selectivity options. The area of highest-grade potential has been chosen to commence the Starter Pit, given the positive results at very low gold prices. The degree of mining selectivity is however markedly less than one would normally see in similar massive gold deposits. In Golder's view, the proposed 10m full-bench bulk mining would not be supported by the current selectivity in the recoverable Mineral Resource model. Ore Reserve Estimation Based on the information presented in the Feasibility Study, the Ore Reserve estimation process has converted approximately 80% of the combined Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources to Proved and Probable Ore Reserves. The proposed mine plan is technically achievable. All technical proposals made for the operational phase involve the application of conventional technology that is widely used in the gold industry. Financial modelling completed as part of the FS shows that the Project is economically viable under current assumptions. Material Modifying Factors (mining, processing, infrastructure, environmental, legal, social and commercial) were considered during the Ore Reserve estimation process. A site wide water balance was completed to ensure that adequate storage is available for both the mill process and other water requirements. Results indicate that the raw water demands for the mill process can be met for the proposed production rate. Infrastructure Approximately 260Mt (95 Mm3) of waste will be generated from the Life of Mine open pit development. The waste dump will be located directly to the west and northwest of the open pit. The process plant and mine services area will be located on relatively flat terrain to the north-northwest of the open pit and directly to the northeast of the waste dump. The TSF designs have been further optimised using locations defined in the PFS and incorporating more recent topography for the site area with the updated design parameters. The designs are based on downstream raise construction methods. A hydrogeological fieldwork programme was undertaken comprising a hydrocensus of surrounding properties to identify groundwater users. Characterisation of groundwater quality by sampling and laboratory analysis, groundwater monitoring and hydraulic testing were completed. Development of a conceptual model for assessment of pit inflows, and assessment of the potential impacts of mine dewatering on groundwater and surface water systems, have been completed in support of the mine design. A hydrology programme including the development of a stormwater plan and overall site water balance has also been completed. Environmental and other Permitting Requirements As part of the EIA Study and to support the EIS, Cardinal identified approximately 29 key stakeholders for the Project, including Government regulatory agencies, Government institutions, traditional and political authorities, Project communities and leaders, and non-Government authorities. Extensive social consultations and stakeholder engagement meetings have been held with key stakeholders. All key stakeholders consulted expressed their support for the Project. Stakeholders advised Cardinal to operate an open door policy based on mutual respect. The process plant is designed to comply with the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI, 2016) for the manufacture, transport, and use of cyanide in the production of gold. Construction, operational and post-closure monitoring has been planned and estimated for in the Feasibility Study to ensure regulatory and permitting compliance. Overall Outcome Based on the positive Feasibility Study outcome, the Cardinal Board has approved initiatives which will further de-risk the project. These include immediate advancement of the Namdini Gold Project to the FEED and Early Works Construction stages, plus advancement of the Relocation Action Plan subject to final Project finance. The positive results of this FS of the Namdini Gold Project have confirmed that progression of the Project to the development and construction stage is warranted. Environmental and Social Update Developing a successful and sustainable gold mine continues to be a key focus for Cardinal. Progress on the environmental permitting is as follows: Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the TSF will be submitted to the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval in January 2020. Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the mine is awaiting approval from the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is subject to the approval of the TSF ESIA. Ghana based company, MKM Social have issued the Relocation Action Plan (RAP) and Socio-Economic and Health Baseline Study Report for Cardinals review. The study outlines the framework to meet Ghanas Environmental Protection Agency permit requirement and international best practice such as the Equator Principles, the International Finance Corporations (IFC) Performance Standards on Social and Environmental Sustainability. Namdini Project Opportunities The FS demonstrates a viable, globally significant, long-life gold project at Namdini. Potential remains for further improvements in Project economics which will form the basis of ongoing evaluation work, including: FEED and PEP programmes incorporating Whittle Consultings mine and schedule optimisation plan. OPEX savings by evaluating a flotation cleaner circuit; potential to reduce required regrind power. Additional Mineral Resources that are not part of the current Ore Reserves which represent lateral strike and depth extensions to the current LOM pit design at US$1,235/oz. Subject to the outcome of additional drilling beyond the current pit design, any economic discovery not in the current mine plan may extend the life of the current mine plan which may also include a new underground mine plan. The Regional land package may also have potential to define satellite pits with close proximity to Namdini. Recent results from drilling completed within the Ndongo Project, located approximately 24km north of Namdini are within hauling distance. Drill testing new zones of high-grade gold mineralisation to define satellite pits will recommence soon. Project Development Timeline The Company released its FS on October 28, 2019, having received the awaited Maelgwyn (AachenTM) laboratory results. Table 5: Proposed Project development schedule (Subject to Financing*). Milestone Target timeline Commence Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) Q4 2019 Advance Relocation Action Plan to completion H1 2020 Target production commencement H2 2022 *The Companys proposed project development schedule assumes that the Company is fully funded to proceed throughout and beyond the FEED process, into early works and full construction. Whilst the Company is currently engaged in the financing process as described in this release, the actual development schedule will depend upon the manner and timing of the Companys financing plans. Dates are therefore indicative only. Namdini Project Drilling Namdini Infrastructure Sterilisation Drilling The Company continued with sterilisation drilling of the proposed infrastructure area within the Namdini Mining License. To date, approximately 34,727m of drilling has been completed, comprising of 355 RC holes for approximately 34,092m and 2 diamond drill holes for approximately 635m (Figure 3). During the Quarter, 22 RC holes were completed for a total of 2,117m with 2,327 samples, including QAQC controls, that have been submitted to the laboratory for gold analysis using Fire Assay analytical technique (Table 6). This sterilisation drilling is ongoing and is aimed at ensuring that no major infrastructure developments are sited on areas of significant mineralisation (Figure 3). Sterilisation drilling to date has returned no significant mineralisation. Table 6: Namdini sterilisation drilling Programme No. Holes RC (m) DD (m) Total (m) No. Samples No. Duplicates No. Blanks No. Stds Total Samples Sterilisation Drilling 22 2,117 - 2,117 569 104 54 52 2,327 Figure 3: Namdini Project Drill Locations Showing the Proposed Infrastructure and the Designed Pit: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7ed8273-90ba-4a52-be54-9f63e538eb5b REGIONAL EXPLORATION UPDATE The Company has two exploration projects: The Bolgatanga Project which includes Bongo, Kungongo and Ndongo Prospecting License Areas (Figure 4) in the northeast of Ghana and the Subranum Project located in southwest Ghana (Figure 4). The main focus of the Companys regional exploration programme during the Quarter was completing multielement analysis and assessment of geochemical data and building on the initial structural review based on detailed geophysical and gold-only geochemical data at Ndongo East on its highly prospective areas along the Nangodi Shear Zone, within the Ndongo Prospecting License. Figure 4: Namdini Mining License and Bolgatanga Project Tenements: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4a314efc-26af-4246-9f40-f80fcc94ae4b *7.4Mt @ 1.31g/t Au for 0.4Moz Au Proved and 131.2Mt @ 1.12g/t Au for 4.7Moz Au Probable; 0.5g/t Au cut-off BOLGATANGA PROJECT Ndongo License Area The Company has continued to concentrate its exploration focus this Quarter on the Ndongo License which covers an area of 325km2 (Figure 4). Exploration has defined seven prospects (Figure 5) totalling approximately 70km in strike length within approximately 15-25km north of the Namdini Gold Project. The Nangodi Shear Zone which lies within the Ndongo tenement is spatially related to no fewer than four major gold discoveries, including the Companys Namdini Gold Project, the Shaanxi Mine, the historic Nangodi Gold Mine and the Youga Gold Mine in Burkina Faso, adjacent to the Ghana border (Figure 4). In addition, there are numerous historic shallow artisanal workings along many parts of this shear zone. Figure 5: Ndongo Prospecting License showing Local Prospects: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eb00ce36-b307-427a-beca-84a31448c370 Ndongo East Prospect During the Quarter, the Company commissioned CSA Global to undertake additional review of drill targets through a detailed assessment of auger geochemical data using 1,306 auger soil samples analysed for gold and multielement results from 4-Acid Digest with ICPMS finish for 48 elements. The aim was to identify multielement signatures in the data related to orogenic gold mineralisation to further enhance targeting at Ndongo. The study initially indicates the following: Orogenic gold mineralisation at Ndongo is reflected in the auger data by a Gold-Molybdenum-Tungsten-Antimony-Copper-Arsenic-Silver multielement association. Multielement association is more robust for identifying priority drill targets as the gold can be dispersed in the regolith, away from source forming gold-only anomalies, which are likely not reflective of the underlying bedrock mineralisation. The main area of sampling, which encapsulates the initial Ndongo East discovery zone, has a linear Arsenic-Antimony-Gold anomaly interpreted as being a low-priority target relative to the Gold-Molybdenum-Tungsten-Antimony-Copper-Arsenic-Silver anomalies identified in the southern part (Target Zone 2 and Target Zone 3), as shown in Figure 6. The results from the processing of geophysical data by Southern Geoscience and geochemical data by CSA Global continue to encourage further carefully measured investment into establishing viable shallow highgrade mineralised zones, which could develop into possible satellite pits for the Namdini Gold Project located approximately 24km south. The Company aims at executing a drill programme through Q1 2020 to test drill these high-priority targets. Figure 6: Ndongo East Targets over Auger Points and Gold Grade Contours: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c9c5da91-601b-409c-986c-a9337e4f8777 Kungongo Licence Area The Kungongo License is located in northeast Ghana some 45km west of the Companys Namdini Gold Project. The License covers an area of approximately 120.12km2 and is a renewable Exploration License (Figure 4). No exploration activity was undertaken at Kungongo during the Quarter. A programme of works has been submitted to the Forest Commission of Ghana to undertake a Gradient Array IP survey over the extended tenements across the Bole-Bolgatanga Shear. The programme of works is expected to be approved by the Forest Commission to allow this planned non-destructive survey to be undertaken during Q1 2020. Bongo Licence Area The Bongo Licence covers an area of approximately 465 km2 adjacent to the regional Bole-Bolgatanga Shear and is dominated by three major intrusive complexes, predominantly granitoids of intermediate to foliated felsic basin types intercalated with mafic volcanic flows. During the Quarter results were received for the auger sampling programme completed during Q3 2019 in the north east corner of the tenement along the Bole-Bolgatanga Shear. This programme was an extension to the original 400m by 50m auger programme completed immediately to the SW within this licence area. The programme consisted of 779 holes totalling 3,106m on a grid of 200m by 50m spacing. A total of 857 samples, including QAQC samples, were submitted for BLEG analyses. Results are being reviewed. A Gradient Array Induced Polarization (GAIP) survey in the north east corner of the tenement along the Bole-Bolgatanga Shear was completed during the quarter on a 100m (line spacing) by 25m (station spacing) grid. A total of 202.5-line kilometres was completed. Final interpretations from Southern Geoscience Consultants were received and are being reviewed. SUBRANUM PROJECT No exploration activities were undertaken on this tenement during this Quarter due to the wet season in southern Ghana. The Subranum Project covers an area of 69km located in southwest Ghana. The license straddles the eastern margin of the Sefwi Gold Belt which is bounded by the regional Bibiani Shear Zone (BSZ) stretching about 200km across southwestern Ghana. There is 9km of the BSZ developed within the Subranum license trending NE to SW. The BSZ forms a very prospective, sheared contact between Birimian phyllites and greywackes to the southeast and mafic to intermediate volcanics and volcaniclastics to the northwest. Granitoid stocks of the Dixcove suite intrude this shear zone. The portion of the Bibiani Shear Zone occurring within the Subranum tenement is 9km long, trending SW to NE. Previous extensive exploration has outlined a 5km long gold target, extending from the SW tenement boundary towards the NE, with the remaining 4km of the 9km strike length remaining relatively unexplored. Only a very small portion of this 5km long gold target was diamond drilled during drilling programmes in 2018. CORPORATE $17.6M Raised Through the Exercise of Listed Options On October 3, 2019 the Company advised that the Listed Options trading under the ticker code CDVOA expired on 30 September 2019 (Listed Options). A total of 117,398,958 of the Listed Options were exercised, being 99.84% of the Listed Options on issue, raising approximately $17.6 million in cash proceeds. Only 188,081 Listed Options expired unexercised. The Company further noted that Directors of the Company being Archie Koimtsidis, Malik Easah and Kevin Tomlinson had exercised all their Listed Options in the Company, totalling approximately $1.67m. TENEMENT SCHEDULE - ASX LISTING RULE 5.3.3 The following mining tenement information is provided pursuant to ASX Listing Rule 5.3.3. No tenements in part or whole were relinquished, surrendered or otherwise divested during the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Tenement License Status Ref Interest Acquired During Quarter Interest Divested During Quarter Interest Held at End of Quarter Ghana Bolgatanga Project Ndongo Prospecting PL9/13, PL9/19, PL9/22 & PL936 - - 100% Kungongo Prospecting RL9/28 - - 100% Bongo Prospecting PL9/29, PL9/37 & PL9/38 - - 100% Namdini Project Namdini Mining License LVB14619/09 - - 100% Subranum Project Subranum Prospecting PL/309 - - 100% CAPITAL STRUCTURE As at December 31, 2019 the Company had the following capital structure; Capital Structure Listed Unlisted Total Fully Paid Ordinary Shares (CDV) 494,024,522 - 494,024,522 Unlisted Options Ex. $0.22 on or before 18 Mar 2020 - 6,000,000 6,000,000 Unlisted Options Ex. $0.75 on or before 21 Dec 2022 - 1,000,000 1,000,000 Milestone Options Ex. $0.50 on or before 12 Apr 2022 - 18,500,000 18,500,000 Milestone Options Ex. $0.965 on or before 21 Dec 2022 - 2,018,100 2,018,100 Milestone Options Ex. $0.679 on or before 21 Dec 2022 - 2,180,049 2,180,049 Milestone Options Ex. $0.59 on or before 21 Dec 2022 - 2,180,049 2,180,049 Unlisted Options Ex. $1.00 on or before 21 Dec 2022 - 1,867,817 1,867,817 Unlisted Milestone Options Ex on or before 10 Dec 2024 - 6,369,557 6,369,557 Unlisted Milestone Options Ex on or before 10 Dec 2024 - 6,276,530 6,276,530 Class C Performance Shares - 60 60 Cash Balance The Companys cash balance at December 31, 2019 was approximately AU$20 million. ABOUT CARDINAL Cardinal Resources Limited (ASX/TSX: CDV) is a West African goldfocused exploration and development Company that holds interests in tenements within Ghana, West Africa. The Company is focused on the development of the Namdini Project, for which the Company has published a gold Ore Reserve of 5.1Moz (138.6 Mt @ 1.13 g/t Au; 0.5 g/t cut-off), inclusive of 0.4Moz Proved (7.4 Mt @ 1.31 g/t Au; 0.5 g/t cut-off) and 4.7Moz Probable (131.2 Mt @ 1.12 g/t Au; 0.5 g/t cut-off). Exploration programmes are also underway at the Companys Bolgatanga (Northern Ghana) and Subranum (Southern Ghana) Projects. Cardinal confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in its announcement of the Ore Reserve of April 3, 2019. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning this estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. For further information contact: Archie Koimtsidis Alec Rowlands CEO / MD IR / Corp Dev Cardinal Resources Limited Cardinal Resources Limited P: +61 8 6558 0573 P: +1 647 256 1922 Andrew Rowell Peta Baldwin Cannings Purple Cannings Purple E: arowell@canningspurple.com.au E: pbaldwin@canningspurple.com.au P: +61 400 466 226 P: +61 455 081 008 Competent / Qualified Person Statement The scientific and technical information in this Quarterly report that relates to Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves at the Namdini Gold Project has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Richard Bray, a Registered Professional Geologist with the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and Mr. Ekow Taylor, a Chartered Professional Geologist with the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Mr. Bray and Mr. Taylor have more than five years experience relevant to the styles of mineralisation and type of deposits under consideration and to the activity which is being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person, as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and as a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI43-101. Mr. Bray and Mr. Taylor are full-time employees of Cardinal and hold equity securities in the Company. The scientific and technical information in this Quarterly report that relates to Exploration Results at the Bolgatanga Project and Subranum Project is based on information prepared by Mr. Paul Abbott, a full-time employee of Cardinal Resources Limited, who is a Member of the Geological Society of South Africa. Mr. Abbott has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person, as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves. Cardinal confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in its announcement Ore Reserve of 03 April 2019. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning this estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. ASX Listing Rule 5.23.2 This report contains information extracted from the following reports which are available for viewing on the Companys website www.cardinalresources.com.au : 28 Nov 2019 Cardinal Files Feasibility Study NI 43-101 Technical Report 31 Oct 2019 Sep 2019 Quarterly Activities and Cashflow Report 28 Oct 2019 Feasibility Study Confirms Namdini as Tier One Gold Project 15 Oct 2019 Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve Statement 30 Sept 2019 Feasibility Study Update 16 July 2019 Cardinals Starter Pit Infill Drilling Results 10 July 2019 Cardinal Reports Further Shallow High-Grade Gold 04 June 2019 Positive Metallurgical Update on the Namdini Project 18 April 2019 Addendum to Namdini Ore Reserve Press Release 03 April 2019 Cardinals Namdini Ore Reserve Now 5.1 Moz 27 March 2019 Cardinal Intercepts HighGrade Shallow Gold at Ndongo East 23 Jan 2019 Cardinal Hits More High-Grade Shallow Gold at Ndongo East 28 Nov 2018 New Drill Season hits high-grade shallow gold at Ndongo East 18 Sept 2018 Cardinal Namdini Pre-Feasibility Study 4.76Moz Ore Reserve 29 Aug 2018 Cardinal Extends Ndongo East Discovery Strike Length 31 July 2018 Cardinal Executes U$5 Million Term Sheet with Sprott 16 July 2018 Cardinal Makes New Gold Discovery at Ndongo East 28 May 2018 Encouraging First Pass Gold Results at Ndongo 19 April 2018 Technical Report on Namdini Gold Project Filed on SEDAR 04 April 2018 First Pass Regional Exploration Drilling Underway 05 Mar 2018 Cardinal Upgrades Indicated Mineral Resource to 6.5Moz 05 Feb 2018 Namdini Gold Project Preliminary Economic Assessment 12 Dec 2017 Cardinal Grade Control Drill Results Returned The Company confirms it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in this report relating to exploration activities and all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the exploration activities in those market announcements continue to apply and have not been changed. The Company confirms that the form and context in which the Competent Persons findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcements. Cardinal is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in its announcement of the Ore Reserve of 3 April 2019. All material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning this estimate continue to apply and have not materially changed. Disclaimer This ASX / TSX press release has been prepared by Cardinal Resources Limited (ABN: 56 147 325 620) (Cardinal or the Company). Neither the ASX or the TSX, nor their regulation service providers accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains summary information about Cardinal, its subsidiaries and their activities, which is current as at the date of this press release. The information in this press release is of a general nature and does not purport to be complete nor does it contain all the information, which a prospective investor may require in evaluating a possible investment in Cardinal. By its very nature exploration for minerals is a highrisk business and is not suitable for certain investors. Cardinals securities are speculative. Potential investors should consult their stockbroker or financial advisor. There are a number of risks, both specific to Cardinal and of a general nature which may affect the future operating and financial performance of Cardinal and the value of an investment in Cardinal including but not limited to economic conditions, stock market fluctuations, gold price movements, regional infrastructure constraints, timing of approvals from relevant authorities, regulatory risks, operational risks and reliance on key personnel and foreign currency fluctuations. Except for statutory liability which cannot be excluded and subject to applicable law, each of Cardinals officers, employees and advisors expressly disclaim any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the material contained in this press release and excludes all liability whatsoever (including in negligence) for any loss or damage which may be suffered by any person as a consequence of any information in this Announcement or any error or omission here from. Except as required by applicable law, the Company is under no obligation to update any person regarding any inaccuracy, omission or change in information in this press release or any other information made available to a person nor any obligation to furnish the person with any further information. Recipients of this press release should make their own independent assessment and determination as to the Companys prospects, its business, assets and liabilities as well as the matters covered in this press release. Forwardlooking statements Certain statements contained in this press release, including information as to the future financial or operating performance of Cardinal and its projects may also include statements which are forwardlooking statements that may include, amongst other things, statements regarding targets, anticipated timing of the feasibility study (FS) on the Namdini project, estimates and assumptions in respect of Mineral Resources and anticipated grades and recovery rates, production and prices, recovery costs and results, capital expenditures and are or may be based on assumptions and estimates related to future technical, economic, market, political, social and other conditions. These forward looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Cardinal, are inherently subject to significant technical, business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results reflected in such forwardlooking statements. Cardinal disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or release any revisions to any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, circumstances or results or otherwise after todays date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, other than required by the Corporations Act and ASX and TSX Listing Rules. The words believe, expect, anticipate, indicate, contemplate, target, plan, intends, continue, budget, estimate, may, will, schedule and similar expressions identify forwardlooking statements. All forwardlooking statements made in this press release are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Investors are cautioned that forwardlooking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forwardlooking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/719dc3a6-2543-4b5a-9f39-809d57cca65f Delegates from over 60 countries including China, Russia, the UK and South Korea will participate in the upcoming DefExpo, India's mega defence exhibition, which is being held in Lucknow from February 5-9. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said arrangements have been made for screening of overseas participants, particularly from China, in view of the fast spreading coronavirus in various countries. He said defence ministers from around 40 countries including 14 from the African continent have confirmed their participation in the biennial event. The focus of the DefExpo in Lucknow will be to forge deeper military cooperation with African countries, considering its strategic importance for India, he said. Kumar said over 1,000 companies, including 165 from abroad, will participate in the "biggest ever DefExpo". Various areas of possible cooperation will be extensively deliberated upon at an India-Africa conclave on February 6 at the DefExpo, he added. The government is trying to project the 11th edition of the event to transform India into a hub of military manufacturing. A substantial number of agreements are expected to be inked during the expo which will pave the way for forging of new business collaborations, Kumar said. The theme of the expo is 'India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub'. The aim is to bring the leading technologies in the defence sector under one roof and provide a myriad of opportunities for the government, private manufactures and startups, another official said. "The event will cover the entire spectrum of the country's aerospace, defence and security interests," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Frontier Resources Corporation (IFR or the Company) (TSXV: IFR) (OTCQB: IFRTF), today announced it has signed a two year Cooperation Agreement with leading oilfield service provider SIMMONS EDECO (SIMMONS). Through this strategic alliance, IFR and SIMMONS will work together to pursue oil and gas opportunities in the Mexican market primarily focused on upstream oil and gas, as well as midstream and service contract opportunities. We are very proud and excited to be working in collaboration with SIMMONS, a leading driller in the Mexican oil and gas services sector, stated Tony Kinnon Chairman of IFR. We are especially pleased with SIMMONS confidence in the IFR and Tonalli team and our business plan based on a strategy to bring technology and capital, combined with local expertise, to Mexico to continue building a portfolio of cash flowing energy assets. SIMMONS is excited to work together with a partner such as IFR/Tonalli to pursue opportunities in Mexico, said Niels Versfeld CEO of SIMMONS. This is a concrete example of our commitment to provide innovative solutions through partnerships that create value for customers, the communities where we operate and shareholders. As part of the Cooperation Agreement, SIMMONS may provide investment capital, drilling rigs and oil field services to new joint opportunities. Specifically, within the Cooperation Agreement SIMMONS has agreed that it may provide: Access to Simmons drilling services which includes a fleet of fully equipped rigs, as well as other services already operating in Mexico with planned expansions. Simmons would take economic risk in exchange for providing these services. Capital contributions, ideally between $2-$5 million, towards acquisition and development of assets in exchange for beneficial rights from the asset. Support in the negotiation and execution of contracts to secure assets and implementation of projects. Secure operational bases and local staff based in Villahermosa and Poza Rica, Mexico. As part of the Cooperation Agreement, IFR agrees that it may provide: Status as one of the few qualified operators in Mexico. Lead representation in the negotiation execution of contracts to secure assets and implementation of projects. Technical and operational expertise and staff in order to evaluate, develop and operate assets. Capital contributions either directly or through additional partnerships. SIMMONS previously provided drilling services to IFRs Mexican joint venture Tonalli Energia and has been providing onshore drilling services in Mexico since 2015. As a qualified operator, IFR has a proven track record and established oil and gas business in Mexico, and is focused on expanding its opportunities in the upstream and midstream oil and gas sector. About SIMMONS EDECO With headquarters in Calgary, Alberta Canada, and celebrating its 57th anniversary in business, SIMMONS EDECO is a privately-owned oilfield service company providing services to an international customer base of major oil companies and large independent producers around the world. SIMMONS EDECO is currently focused on onshore drilling, workover and completion services. About International Frontier Resources International Frontier Resources Corporation (IFR) is a Canadian publicly traded company with a demonstrated track record of advancing oil and gas projects. Through its Mexican subsidiary, Petro Frontera S.A.P.I de CV and strategic joint ventures, it is advancing the development of petroleum and natural gas assets in Mexico. The Company also has projects in Canada and the United States, including the Northwest Territories, and Montana. The Companys shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, trading under the symbol IFR and on the OTCQB under the symbol IFRTF. For additional information please visit www.internationalfrontier.com . For further information Steve Hanson President and CEO or Tony Kinnon Chairman (403) 215-2780 (403) 215-2780 shanson@internationalfrontier.com tkinnon@internationalfrontier.com Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding: the Offering and the potential use of proceeds. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects IFRs current beliefs and is based on information currently available to IFR and on assumptions IFR believes are reasonable. These assumptions include, but are not limited to: the underlying value of IFR and its Common Shares, TSX Venture Exchange final approval of the Offering, IFRs current and initial understanding and analysis of its projects and the exploration required for such projects; the costs of exploration and drilling on IFRs projects; IFR's general and administrative costs remaining constant; and the market acceptance of IFR's business strategy. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of IFR to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Such risks and other factors may include, but are not limited to: volatility in market prices for oil and natural gas; liabilities inherent in oil and natural gas operations; uncertainties associated with estimating oil and natural gas reserves; geological, technical, drilling and processing problems; general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; general capital market conditions and market prices for securities; delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals; the actual results of future operations; competition; changes in legislation, including environmental legislation, affecting IFR; the timing and availability of external financing on acceptable terms; and lack of qualified, skilled labour or loss of key individuals. A description of additional risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking information can be found in IFRs disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. Although IFR has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Readers are further cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are placed will occur. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of IFR as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. However, IFR expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities law. 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 or accuracy of this release. The Company seeks Safe Harbor. Cabinet Minister Michael Gove has admitted the Government cannot guarantee "frictionless" trade with the EU post-Brexit. His comments came just hours before the UK was due to leave the EU at 11pm on Friday, beginning a 12-month transition period during which the PM hopes to conclude a free trade agreement with the bloc. EU leaders have repeatedly warned that the UK must adhere to EU standards in order secure a sought after free-trade agreement. However, Boris Johnson will declare in a speech next week that "sovereignty is more important than frictionless trade". Read More Less convergence between UK and EU standards, however, will increase the likelihood of checks on goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Gove - a prominent figure in the 2016 leave campaign - was asked if he could guarantee frictionless trade after Brexit. He replied: No. We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear, you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules, if you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures. Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Brexit gallery: From referendum to departure, how Belfast Telegraph reported three torturous years / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp "We voted to be independent. Now, we want to have as close as possible relationship with the EU and the approach that we want to take is built on the relationship that they have with Canada. "That means that we want to have a relationship where there are ultimately no tariffs, no quotas on our trade but there will be some regulations that will differ in Britain, we will do things in a way which is better for our economy. "That may mean that when it comes to trading with Europe there are some bureaucratic processes there that arent there now," he said. Less than 10 days ago, Boris Johnson stood up in the Commons and "emphatically" promised "unfettered access" for goods moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, following requests of assurances by the DUP. Stephen Kelly of Manufacturing NI questioned such a promise, stating the entire business and political community in Northern Ireland "remains puzzled" by the suggestion that the UK can "deliver what is clearly undeliverable at this point". Both [Boris Johnson] and his Chancellor of the Exchequer have said there will not be any alignment, any customs agreement or any single market participation from the UK in a new trade deal, so there are direct contradictions between the stated position of government policy and the Prime Ministers words, he said. Read More The now-ratified Brexit withdrawal agreement stipulates that Northern Ireland will remain in the UK customs union, but will be subject to EU customs rules. In order to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, Northern Ireland will have to retain regulatory alignment with the EU - creating a de facto trade border down the Irish Sea. Michael Gove said the Government will do "everything possible" to minimise friction in the interests of the UK economy. "Critically, as we leave the EU we will be able to set the rules in the interests of the British economy and that means that we will see all sorts of procedures, all sorts of bureaucracy that in the past have held British business back, that can go," he added. A Ghanaian national, Baba Amadu has been assaulted by some Chinese nationals at Awutu Bosom Abena in the Central Region. According to 40-year-old Baba Amadu who works as a tipper driver at J.F Stone Quarry belonging to some Chinese Nationals in the Awutu Senya West District, the incident happened when he mistakenly offloaded quarry stones into a wrong machine incurring the wrath of his bosses. There was a little damage to the machine I was offloading the stones into and I didnt know my boss was working on the machines so I offloaded the stones into the machine and my boss got angry, Baba Amadu told Citi News. According to him, he was sacked from work but was told to return later in the evening for his salary only to be beaten by the Chinese nationals. After my boss fired me he asked me to come back later in the evening for my salary so when I got to his house there were six Chinese Nationals in the room, they locked me up in their room, handcuffed me and the six of them lashed me for making such a mistake at work, Baba Amadu added. He said that he suffered severe pain as a result of the beatings inflicted by the Chinese nationals. When I cough, it is full of blood and I have visited the hospital many times but it is still persisting, Baba Amadu said. Kwaku Dartey a friend of Baba Amadu told Citi News the Chinese nationals have been maltreating them as a result of their colour thus calling on the Police to intervene in the matter. It is time the Police intervene in the matter so these Chinese people are taught a lesson Kwaku Dartey explained. citinewsroom 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. An American national who punched his heavily pregnant ex girlfriend in the stomach is one of 5,000 migrants kicked out of Australia in the past five years. Figures from the Department of Home Affairs show that of those deported 452 were child sex offenders, 220 were rapists, and 93 were murderers. The deportation figures show that visa cancellations have grown to almost three a day since changes were introduced five years ago, according to the Australian. People who have had their visas cancelled are housed in the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre before being thrown out of Australia Changes to the character test under Section 501 in 2014 mean that immigrants sentenced to 12 months of jail have their visas cancelled automatically. The strict cancellation also applied to anyone convicted of child sex offences. Among those kicked out was a New Zealand national convicted of torturing and assaulting his children. Another was a Palestinian who held broken glass against a woman and violently sexually assaulted her while threatening to kill her. Visa changes in 2014 mean that anyone sentenced to 12 months of jail will have their visas cancelled automatically (stock image) The policy changes in 2014 mean the number of visa cancellations under the Morrison government are higher than any other period. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton told The Australian the government is taking a hard line approach to non citizens convicted of violent crimes. 'My first priority is to keep our community safe from those who seek to do us harm,' he said. 'If you have committed a crime, especially against a woman or a child, you are not welcome in Australia. I make no apologies for taking away your right to stay in this country.' Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the government is taking a hard line approach to non citizens convicted of violent crimes The coalition is trying to push through further changes to the Migration Act to make it easier to cancel visas. New laws are seeking to lower the sentencing threshold of 12 months to any crime capable of carrying a 12 month sentence. The Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Home Affairs for comment. The Narendra Modi government has given the security forces a free hand in taking the strongest action against those indulging in terrorism, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday. Addressing the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind also said there has been decrease in violence perpetrated by the militants in Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast and the Naxals. "My government has given the security forces a free hand in taking the strongest measures against those indulging in terrorism," he said during his hour-long speech. Kovind said the central government is working with full strength and determination to free the country from the scourge of terrorism. "In view of the changing nature of terrorism, alertness on the part of the citizens is extremely helpful. The decrease in terrorist activities in Jammu Kashmir demonstrates that public cooperation can be effective in the fight against terrorism," he said. The President said the security situation in the Northeast has also improved significantly due to the concerted efforts of the government and the geographical spread of Naxalism is also steadily shrinking. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The hostage crisis in Farrukhabad ended shortly after midnight on Friday after the 23 children who were held captive for about eight hours were rescued by the police and the captor was shot dead, while his wife was lynched by angry locals. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village on Thursday evening when Subhash Batham, who is a murder accused, invited the children, aged between six months and 15 years, to his daughter's birthday party. "The accused had invited the children for the birthday party of his daughter and held them hostage. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh said, adding that in the entire operation they had tried to "engage" the accused and were successful. He said the accused had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. Police said Batham, who seemed mentally unstable, handed over the girl to his neighbour from a balcony. The accused fired from inside the house on those who tried to speak to him, the police said, adding that a man and two policemen suffered a bullet injury. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am. His wife died in a hospital on Thursday night. She had tried to escape from the spot when Batham opened fire, but was caught by angry locals who thrashed her and pelted stones at her, IG Kanpur Mohit Agarwal. She sustained a head injury in the attack, but the exact cause of death would be known after post-mortem, he said. "The man held the children hostage in the basement of the house and he fired six shots from inside the building," the IG said. He said Batham fired on those who attempted to speak to him. Batham wanted to talk to the local MLA, but he refused to speak to the leader when he arrived, Agarwal said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The CM as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. "It is laudable that all the children who were held hostage in Farrukhabad were freed through the efficient strategy and planning of police," Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, congratulating the chief minister and UP police. Earlier, a team of NSG (National Security Guard) commandos had taken a special aircraft to reach Farrukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Meanwhile, Adityanath announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the UP Police team that successfully carried out the rescue operation. "All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," said UP Additional Chief Secretary Awanish K Awasthi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region 1 of 2 Bill Gates's daughter Jennifer engaged to boyfriend Nayel Nassar Bill Gates' daughter Jennifer Gates has announced her engagement to boyfriend Nayel Nassar after years of dating. Jennifer Gates took to Instagram on Thursday to announce the engagement, sharing a picture that shows her with the Egyptian millionaire with whom she attended Stanford University "Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind," wrote the eldest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, sharing the picture that shows the couple sitting in snow, wearing ski gear. "Absolutely swept me off my feet this past weekend, surprising me in the most meaningful location over one of our many shared passions." "Yes a million times over," she added, sharing a diamond ring emoji at the end. Jennifer Gates' Instagram post has been 'liked' over 46,000 times and collected congratulatory messages from hundreds of people. Her father Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, was among those who commented on the announcement. "I am completely thrilled! Congratulations," he wrote. Read More... Saqib Bhatti is MP for Meriden. Tonight marks a new future for the UK, as we fulfill the promise every Conservative MP made in the election campaign to leave the European Union. This milestone allows us to look ahead and fully focus on the opportunities that Brexit will bring: strengthening ties with partners around the world and investing in future growth. As someone who has run a business, and also led the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, I wholeheartedly support the Prime Ministers commitment to level up the UK to ensure that every corner of the country benefits from economic growth post-Brexit. And this message of levelling up need not be constrained to the UK Brexit will allow Britain to look beyond Europe to build and establish new trading relationships across the globe. The first and foremost opportunity ahead of us is that offered by the Commonwealth an important institution for our future free trade agreements which boasts thriving markets. Three of the five fastest growing economies in the world are members of the Commonwealth, meaning more potential customers, suppliers and partners for UK business. We should be confident that there are huge opportunities outside the borders of the EU which the UK is well-placed to take advantage of, thanks to its status as a world-leading regulator and market creator. For investors, open, transparent and stable trading environments are the building blocks of leading financial markets, which is why the UK has continued to receive votes of confidence and inward investment since the referendum. Innovation in regulation and governance has been led by Britain, creating an environment where businesses and investors thrive. Remember, we were told that Brexit would prompt an exodus of jobs from the UK to European capitals such as Paris, with estimates ranging from 30,000 to 75,000. These claims have proven to be completely unfounded, with EY calculating that only a thousand banking jobs have moved to the continent since the vote to leave the EU. Whilst much of the UKs attractiveness is due to our pro-business environment and competitive tax system, it is also because Britains regulatory regime is seen as far more predictable and trustworthy by international firms compared to those on the continent. Take the AMF the French financial markets regulator which is often seen as imposing protectionist policies, and unwelcoming to not only investors but even journalists who cover them. Last year, it fined Bloomberg News 5 million for publishing an article about French company Vinci based on an incorrect press release an article retracted within half an hour of publication. Bloomberg argued that the fine was unprecedented, disproportionate and risked seriously undermining the liberty of the press. But such actions by the AMF are not a one-off. The regulator led a four-year investigation into investment firm Muddy Waters for daring to question the accounting practices of French retailer Casino. These charges were eventually dropped, leaving Muddy Waters to criticise France as an unwelcoming place for investors who are also whistle-blowers. Looking forward, the French Government is about to introduce new regulations which will make it more difficult for overseas firms to invest in what it deems to be sectors of strategic importance such as Artificial Intelligence. This unpredictable behaviour from regulators sends alarm bells ringing in those firms considering operations in France. There has been much talk from Paris about overtaking London as Europes financial centre, but such a hostile approach to market activity from the AMF only weakens this ambition. Indeed, its no wonder that UN trade data shows the UK has retained its position as the top destination in Europe for FDI, with inward investment into Britain by the end of 2018 worth $1.89 trillion (1.48 trillion), more than Germany ($939 billion) and France ($825 billion) combined. So if we are to attract investment from our Commonwealth partners and forge new trading links, the UK must maintain our pro-enterprise agenda to cement our status as being a place where both businesses and investors can thrive. This will set ourselves apart from regulatory regimes on the continent that are becoming more insular by placing greater burdens and restrictions on businesses, and which could well influence the future direction of EU-wide regulations. Falling into the trap of becoming too interventionist, like the AMF, will only serve to do more harm than good in the long run. By becoming a champion of free trade and a reliable friend to business, this Conservative Government can harness Brexit to truly unleash Britains potential. The unexpected has become expected when it comes to Kanye West. Hes well known for shocking choices, whether hes making a dramatic career change or interrupting Taylor Swifts VMA acceptance speech. Of course, West has been open about the fact that he has struggled with his mental health. So its always hard to know when his outrageous behavior is a symptom and when hes just being himself maybe a little narcissistic. Recently West raised eyebrows again when he tracked down an actor to ask if hed be interested in playing the part of West in a movie about his life. The problem with that? This actor is white. Kanye West has a history of peculiar behavior Kanye West | Oliver Contreras Pool/Getty Images This isnt the first time West has done something unusual. People werent happy when he interrupted Swifts acceptance speech, something he now attributes to the fact that he was drinking at the time. He famously deleted his social media accounts after he made went on a rant supporting President Trump on Saturday Night Live. He also tweeted a suggestion that the 13th Amendment, which outlawed slavery should be abolished. In response to the backlash, he left Twitter and Instagram. Wests recent political leanings have puzzled a lot of people. Hes not only a big Trump fan, but hes also talked about running for President in 2024. Of course, he had talked in the past about running in 2020, so perhaps that should be taken with a grain of salt. But whether all of this is just West being himself, or if its a symptom of mental health problems, his latest move has managed to surprise people again. Kanye West asked Danny McBride to play him in his biopic In an unusual casting choice, West recently spoke to The Righteous Gemstones actor Danny McBride about playing him in a movie about his life. This wasnt just casual chit-chat at a party, either. West tracked down McBrides phone number and called to ask if hed consider the role. He suggested they get together to talk about the idea, and when McBride explained that he lived in South Carolina, he flew there to talk about it in person. McBride told the story of his unusual meeting with West on a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. West apparently came to his house to discuss his plans for the biopic. McBride said it was a great visit, and West even took the time to watch his son play Fortnite. Is Danny McBride going to play Kanye West? Having a white actor play the part of West is more than an unusual choice. Hollywood has a controversial history of casting white people to play the parts of people of color. Its called whitewashing and it keeps minorities from being seen in prominent films, as well as denying hard-to-get roles to them. For a white man to play the part of such a famous black man seems like classic whitewashing, leaving people wondering what West is thinking. McBride said he thought the idea was brilliant and hed consider it if they can work out the timing. Its not clear if he actually meant that or if he was joking. He may not have been taking the idea seriously at all, because in the same interview McBride laughingly agreed with Kimmels suggestion that he could play Kim Kardashian, calling it a good move. Among Wests many eccentric ideas, this one is pretty out there. Its not clear how McBride could convincingly play West, and it would potentially be offensive to many people of color and their allies. Whether or not it will happen remains to be seen. One thing is certain: West has never let anyone elses feelings stop him. Walking into Mary Engelbreits studio is like stepping into one of her storybooks a whimsical, bright space brimming with preciousness and a sprinkle of sass. Eight decorative birdhouses are perched on top of a short wall by the entry. Theres a nook with a checker-print sofa and images of Scottish terriers on the throw pillows. A cheerful quilt hangs on the wall above the sofa, and a cacophony of dolls, figurines and stuffed animals are crammed on the shelves nearby. The artist who created this licensing empire, with more than 13,000 pieces of usable art including calendars, books, tea sets, ribbons and fabrics, is a 67-year-old St. Louisan calling out her own sheltered world of cuteness. Engelbreit enters her 2,800-square-foot Central West End workspace wearing a printed floral scarf and red framed glasses, appearing every bit the Midwestern grandmother you might expect. That is, until the conversation gets political. Now Im focused on how many senators are willing to sell their souls to cover up for this moron, she says during a recent visit. If theres any doubt about who shes referring to, a scroll through her Instagram feed makes the subject of her ire crystal clear. This is WAY more than Democrat/Republican, she wrote in response to a follower upset by one of her recent posts. This is moral/immoral. You can be a Republican and not support Trump. But if you do support him, you are supporting a white supremacist, uneducated, lying, grifting, racist, narcissistic, evil sexual predator, and all of your Cant we all just love one another?' is meaningless and insulting to all the people Trump seeks to disenfranchise. But tell us how you really feel, Mary. By the time Engelbreit sits down at her desk, she knows what shes going to draw. An idea has been percolating, and shes ready to get into her flow. She starts sketching in pencil, erasing and adjusting as she draws, usually on 8-by-10-inch paper. She uses colored pencils to make the drawing pop and does all the shading and details by hand. Youre constantly making decisions, she says. It definitely changes as it goes. Once she has the sketch down, she goes over the pencil lines in pen and ink. Then, she adds the flat colors with markers. Lastly, she shades the entire image with colored pencils. Her desk is surrounded with containers filled with hundreds of pencils and markers grouped by color. It might take five to six hours for a single drawing longer if its for a calendar. Her artwork changed forever the day police fatally shot African American teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson. The morning she heard about the shooting, in August 2014, she felt compelled to draw. Years earlier, her son Evan had died when he was near Browns age. She and her husband adopted his biracial daughter as their own. Browns death triggered those painful emotions and her anger. The image that emerged that day was unlike the lighthearted drawings for which shes known. A black mother held a black child in her arms, a tear falling from her eye. She looks at a newspaper that reads: "Hands up! Dont shoot!" Engelbreit wrote a stark caption: "No one should have to teach their children this in the USA." She didnt tell anyone in her family-run company about the image and posted it on the companys Facebook page. She was 62 at the time and until then she had never faced any serious criticism of her work. That was about to change. Her son Will Delano, the president of the company, said they lost 11,000 followers that day. Our key demographic is middle-aged to upper-middle-aged women who may not have ever had negative issues with the police, he says. Im ashamed to say I was very scared when she spoke out." He fielded threatening messages from enraged callers and for a week or two tried to talk his mother into toning down her comments. Engelbreit was shocked at the ugliness of the comments directed at her. She worried about the impact it could have on her employees and her family. She wondered if she had destroyed a 40-year career with a single drawing. But at the end of the day, that fear wasnt enough to deter her from saying what she had to say. After decades of drawing cute, she needed to speak her mind. I didnt care if I lost or gained followers, she says. These things were important to me. These were the things I was going to draw. Sales from that print ended up raising $40,000 for the Michael Brown Jr. Memorial Fund. People who have known and worked with Engelbreit since the early years of her career arent surprised by how outspoken shes become in her art or on social media in recent years. Shes always cared about social justice issues, shared her opinions and had a sharp sense of humor. A lot of times she says things the rest of us are not brave enough to say, says Charlotte Lyons, who worked with her on several books and the lifestyle magazine Mary Engelbreits Home Companion. Barbara Elliot Martin, another longtime friend who also worked on the magazine, remembers getting a few angry letters in the late 1990s when they profiled a gay artist and pictured him at home with his partner. Martin showed Engelbreit a few of readers' letters threatening to cancel their subscriptions. Engelbreit was completely unbothered. Too bad; dont renew, she said. The same sentiment prevails to this day. In 2015, she launched an edgier Engeldark line of cards with black-and-white prints that capture the snarkier side of her personality. I was a little uncomfortable with that reputation of being a sweet, nice person, Engelbreit says. Its nice to be able to have it all out there. Shes surprised by how well received those cards have been. Friends who have known the artist for decades describe her as generous and genuine. But shes well aware that the world can be far from a bowl of cherries or a chair of bowlies, as she famously coined early in her career. It can be jarring to see these worlds collide on her Instagram page. Pictures of her adorable 7-month-old granddaughter appear next to inspirational quotes and colorful drawings, alongside an archival black-and-white photo of children behind barbed wire. Engelbreit posted that photo on International Holocaust Remembrance Day. With it, she wrote a message that draws parallels to the current administrations policies at the southern border: Children ripped from their families, kept in cages, dying of neglect sound familiar? Her view toward Trump supporters who voice their offense to her views is that they are free to leave her page if they are troubled by her opinions. If you support him, go, because these drawings just arent meant for you, she says. She feels its important to use the platforms shes built to speak out against injustice. Engelbreit's son keeps a close eye on her social media accounts. Of the thousands of critical comments about his mother and the business hes read since she started speaking out, he can recall three instances in which people actually changed their minds after interacting with her online. That makes him insanely proud of her, he says. Theyve more than recouped the number of lost followers. On his moms Instagram, theres a photo of his baby girl smirking and wearing a onesie that says Cant nap. Woke AF. Her grandma Mimi posted it with laughing emojis. Some of her less savvy followers asked, Mary, what does that mean? Do you have teenagers? Engelbreit replied. Theyll know. She knows shes not someone who is going to march in protests on the street. But shes found a different way to make her voice heard. When Engelbreits husband realized she was doing an interview with the Post-Dispatch, he warned her: Youre going to hear from people. She replied defiantly, sporting her black orthopedic shoes and a newly replaced right knee. Yeah, I know, she said. Bring em on. Im ready. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues, former Portage Police Department Assistant Chief Keith Klafke took the mantle of the department while focusing on the team and its future. Noting other speakers points about family and support, Klafke pointed to his immediate family in the audience, thanking them for their support during hard times. Then he noted officers he spends time with are people he cares about nearly as much. Together in partnerships with city officials and county law enforcement, he said, they could make a great department even better. I want to take care of them and I want us to have the best department in the state of Wisconsin, Klafke said. Why just stop at Columbia County, right? That doesnt happen by me, that happens by all of you. You guys are really the backbone. Im proud to be here. More than 50 people packed into the Portage Common Council chambers Thursday morning, eager to see Klafke receive his new uniform embellishments. After taking the oath administered by City Clerk Marie Moe, his father, Ken, affixed chief pins to his dress shirt. Klafkes wife, Nancy, pinned a badge to his uniform while she received her own, smaller Chiefs Wife badge. Hadi Mizban / Associated Press BAGHDAD Iraqs most powerful religious figure Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reiterated Friday his condemnation of the use of force against antigovernment protesters as the mass movement enters a critical juncture and political blocs spar over naming a new premier. Meanwhile, influential and radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for his followers to return to the street, one week after he withdrew support for antigovernment demonstrators camped out in Baghdads Tahrir Square. The move comes one day before a deadline set by Iraqs president to select the next prime minister runs out. A day after firing incident at Jamia Milia Islamia which left one student injured, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi while participating in a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NRC and NPR asked: "who paid Jamia shooter". During the ongoing Budget Session at the Parliament, Opposition leaders including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi staged a protest in front of Gandhi statue inside Parliament premises. As per party sources, the Congress MPs have decided that while sitting for the President's address in Central Hall they will wear black bands at the joint session. Live TV Meanwhile, Indian National Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter criticising the Narendra Modi-led BJP government at the Centre. She wrote: "All this is possible when the ministers and leaders of the BJP government will incite people to shoot, give provocative speeches. The Prime Minister should answer what kind of Delhi he wants to build? Do they stand with violence or non-violence? Do they stand with development or with chaos?" On Thursday, a gunman publicly brandished his weapon in the presence of police and fired towards the students who were marching towards Raj Ghat on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary leaving one student injured. A case has been registered under section 307 IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act at New Friends Colony, police said. An acid attack survivor is left horrified after visiting a farm in Mexico which produces an 'ethical' beauty product ingredient where workers handle dangerous chemicals without any protection. Resham Khan, from Manchester, suffered devastating face and neck injuries after she and her cousin Jameel Muhktar were doused with corrosive liquid on her 21st birthday in June 2017 in Beckton, east London. Speaking on new BBC Three documentary Beauty Laid Bare, she revealed make-up is now her 'life-line' and she wears it like a 'protective shield'. For the programme, she and three other twenty-somethings with different attitudes towards cosmetics spend two weeks in America investigating the secrets of the multi-billion dollar beauty industry. Acid attack survivor Resham Khan, from Manchester, was left horrified after visiting a farm in Mexico which produces an 'ethical' beauty product ingredient where workers handle dangerous chemicals without any protection Resham wears a lot of make-up to cover scarring and discolouration on her skin following the random attack. 'After being burnt I felt like a lot of my appearance was taken away from me, but with the use of make-up I was able to bring that back and become me again,' she explains. 'The way I used make-up changed quite significantly. I went from following trends, whereas now it's about how can I make myself look as normal and natural as possible.' Ethically conscious consumer Resham partners up with Casey, from Cheltenham, who is on the show because he believes there's a lack of male representation in the beauty sector. Resham suffered devastating face and neck injuries after she and her cousin Jameel Muhktar were doused with corrosive liquid on her 21st birthday in June 2017 in Beckton, East London She now wears a lot of make-up to cover scarring and discolouration on her skin following the random attack In the second episode, the pair travel to rural Mexico to investigate how candelilla wax is produced. The plant-based ingredient, used in many cosmetics including lip balm, is often marketed as a vegan and ethical alternative to beeswax. But their visit to a farm raises alarming concerns about the supply chain and exploitation issues in the beauty industry. The wax is derived from the leaves of the small candelilla shrub, native to northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. Farmer Victor claims the company who provides them with the sulphuric acid have visited twice in 30 years to inspect the process, but has not provided them with anything to protect them The plant-based ingredient, used in many cosmetics including lip balm, is often marketed as a vegan and an ethical alternative to beeswax Resham and Casey are shocked to hear the farmers who cut down the plant - an arduous and time-consuming task - are paid just $15 for producing three bunches of crop. They're then appalled to see the minimum wage workers producing the wax by handling sulphuric acid with no safety equipment, in a dirty, uncontrolled environment. They speak to farmer Victor, who explains how they collect water from a pump which is heated to boiling point in a pot with the candelilla. 'All of this, somehow, will make a product for our face or body, yet there's dogs, there's dust, there's soil, nothing got washed, no hands were cleaned, no protective material, nothing whatsoever,' Resham observes. What beauty products contain candelilla wax? Candelilla wax is a hard, light-yellow wax that can be easily shattered due to its brittleness. it has traditionally been used for products such as inks, paints, crayons, polishing waxes, candles and varnishes, as well as pharmaceuticals, chewing gum and sweets. It is also added to face, hand and foot creams, lotion bars, depilatory waxes (to remove body hair), soaps, ointments, lip products, stick foundations and some mascaras. Advertisement 'We've not even finished the process yet and I wouldn't put that on my face.' The next stop involves adding sulphuric acid - brought to the farmers by the companies who purchase the end product - to prevent the wax and water from forming an emulsion, which Victor concedes is 'very dangerous'. Resham and Casey watch in horror as Victor pours the acid, scooped from a larger vat into an old fizzy drink bottle, over the concoction with no safety goggles, overalls or acid-proof gloves. Visibly horrified, Resham says: 'I know just how dangerous this chemical can be. 'That's sulphuric acid in a Coke bottle. The safety here is non-existent. I feel as though they're providing these chemicals, but they're not providing any safety measures or equipment whatsoever. It's just irresponsible and really cruel. 'I don't feel comfortable having beauty companies or the beauty industry thriving off billions of pounds of profit when they're exploiting people like this.' To watch the process whereby the wax is skimmed off to purify it and remove the acid, Resham and Casey are ordered to wear protective masks and clothing, despite being several metres away from where it's taking place. 'I feel a bit of a fraud, they're right up there dealing with the acid and they've got no protection whatsoever,' Casey says. 'I actually can't believe that you get an acid out of a tub with a Coke bottle and that kid is just right next to it. Ethically conscious consumer Resham partners up with Casey, from Cheltenham, who is on the show because he believes there's a lack of male representation in the beauty sector 'Can you hear the noise? And he's got no gloves, no nothing. That is absolutely crazy it's splashing everywhere. How they don't get seriously hurt I don't know.' Journalist Hector Lopez, who joined the pair for the visit, said it takes 15 to 20 years for damage to your health to show from this sort of work. 'It's a very slow process that damages your lungs,' he explains. Resham observed the irony of the fact she uses products containing candelilla work, derived from sulphuric acid, to cover burns on her face directly caused by the toxic substance. 'I think that's really ironic, in a very sick and twisted way,' she said. Resham, pictured before and after the attack, previously said how her injuries had left her too scared to go out, although she was 'thankful' that her face was 'mainly intact' Resham observed the irony of the fact she uses products containing candelilla work, derived from sulphuric acid, to cover burns on her face directly caused by the toxic substance. Pictured: one of her defiant tweets after the attack Victor claims the company who provides them with the sulphuric acid have visited twice in 30 years to inspect the process, but has not provided them with anything to protect them. He admitted he does worry for his own safety and recalls how he's witnessed people sustain injuries. 'When you put the candelilla there your foot can slip inside and it gets burnt. It's dangerous, you have to be very careful,' he says. Resham concludes: 'Mexico has shown me that the beauty industry works insanely hard in sugar-coating everything that they do.' Beauty Laid Bare will be available to watch on the BBC iPlayer from 6am on February 2. Iran-linked APT34 group has targeted a U . S . -based research company that provides services to businesses and government organizations. Security experts from Intezer observed targeted attacks on a US-based research company that provides services to businesses and government organizations. Our researchers Paul Litvak and Michael Kajilolti have discovered a new campaign conducted by APT34 employing an updated toolset . Based on uncovered p hishing documents, we believe this Iranian actor is targeting Westat employees, or United States organizations hiring Westat services. reads the analysis p ublished by Intezer. The experts believe that the attacker was launched by the cyber-espionage group APT34 (aka OilRig or Helix Kitten). APT34 is an Iran-linked APT group that has been around since at least 2014, it mainly targeted organizations in the financial, government, energy, telecoms and chemical sectors in the United States and Middle Eastern countries. The recent campaign appears similar to the one observed by FireEye in July 2019 when hackers were posing as a researcher from Cambridge to infect victims with three new malware. According to Intezer, the attackers used a phishing document masquerading as an employee satisfaction survey for employees at the US government contractor Westat. The survey distributed via email as Excel spreadsheets. Once the macros inside the were enabled, the malicious code downloaded and installed the TONEDEAF backdoor and the VALUEVAULT password stealer. The embedded VBA code unpacks a zip file into a temporary folder, extracts a Client update.exe executable file and installs it to C:UsersvalsClient update.exe. continues the analysis. Client update.exe is actually a highly modified version of the TONEDEAF malware, which we named TONEDEAF 2.0. Finally, the crtt function creates a scheduled task CheckUpdate that runs the unpacked executable five minutes after being infected by it, as well as on future log-ons. Both malware used in this campaign (tracked as TONEDEAF 2.0 and VALUEVAULT 2.0) were also employed in the campaign observed in July 2019, but they include major updates that changes were developed for this specific attack. The C2 domain (manygoodnews[.]com) is still active and was created 4 months ago, experts added that a certificate was issued for the website just a month ago, a circumstance that suggests the campaign is still ongoing. The TONEDEAF backdoor communicates with its C&C via HTTP, but version 2.0 uses a revamped communication protocol. The new variant of the malware only implements shell execution capabilities. TONEDEAF 2.0 was improved to evade detection and implements dynamic importing, string decoding, and a new technique to deceive its victims into believing it is a legitimate, broken app. TONEDEAF 2.0 used HTTP for C2 communication, but experts noticed it is using a custom encoding and handshake mechanisms. The experts believe that attackers also employed VALUEVAULT implant in this campaign, they noticed that a user from L ebanon uploaded to VirusTotal versions of the bait document leading to VALUEVAULT and TONEDEAF 2.0. This VALUEVAULT takes a more minimalistic approach than its predecessor. Many functionalities and strings were stripped from the new binary in order to lower its noise. Only Chrome password dumping is now supported, although interestingly the use of the file fsociety.dat as a password data store under the AppData\Roaming directory stayed the same. states the experts. Another evidence collected by the researchers is that the document authors version of Microsoft Excel has Arabic installed as the preferred language. The technical analysis of the new malware variants shows the group has been investing substantial effort in upgrading their tools in an attempt to stay undetected after being exposed, and it seems that effort is generally off, concludes Intezer. Pierluigi Paganini (SecurityAffairs APT34, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On ST-SAUVEUR, Que. - Quebec cabinet ministers are speaking out about a deluge of hateful comments posted to the premier's Facebook page after he published a message in support of the province's Muslim community. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ST-SAUVEUR, Que. - Quebec cabinet ministers are speaking out about a deluge of hateful comments posted to the premier's Facebook page after he published a message in support of the province's Muslim community. Premier Francois Legault attended a ceremony Wednesday on the third anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting that left six men dead. Quebec Premier Francois Legault speaks at a community dinner marking the commemoration of the mosque shooting Wednesday, January 29, 2020 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot Later that evening, a message was posted to Legault's official Facebook page stating that Quebec is not immune to hatred, but its people stand in solidarity with Muslims in the province. Since then, the premier's page has been flooded with hateful comments targeting the community. Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel, Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon and International Relations Minister Nadine Girault all condemned the comments Friday at their party's caucus retreat north of Montreal. Bonnardel says some people in the province need to be better educated. "There is some pedagogy that needs to be done," he told reporters in St-Sauveur, Que. "There is a problem with certain people who dare to think that, who dare to write that." Fitzgibbon said Quebecers "need to accept diversity." Legault sent a written statement to Montreal's La Presse, saying, "hate and intolerance do not have their place in Quebec." In November, Legault cited positive comments on his Facebook page to justify his government's controversial immigration reforms, but in his statement to La Presse he noted that "the best and the worst of human nature" are on display on social media. "There is a small minority of people who systematically use social media as a megaphone to propagate their hatred," he said. "We have to denounce them. They do not represent Quebec." The premier's staff worked to remove the offensive posts, but as of Friday morning new ones were still appearing. About 300 people, including politicians, survivors and gun control activists, gathered in a Quebec City church Wednesday to remember the victims of the 2017 shooting. The gunman pleaded guilty to the killings and last year was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for 40 years. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 31, 2020. 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. Valtteri Bottas' former long-time sponsor says rumours Mercedes could quit Formula 1 have been circulating in the paddock for "a couple of years". The big story in F1 this week is that Daimler - Mercedes' parent - may choose to withdraw its works support beyond 2020 at a board meeting on February 12. The German marque has denied it, but the rumours suggest Mercedes' Brackley operation could be taken over by Toto Wolff and Lawrence Stroll, and re-branded as Aston Martin. "This is not a new thing. This possible withdrawal has been the subject of talks behind the scenes for the last couple of years," Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, boss of the Finnish conglomerate Wihuri, told Ilta Sanomat newspaper. "It's hard to say what the facts are right now, but in my opinion, Mercedes departing is not impossible," added Aarnio-Wihuri, who backed Bottas financially throughout his career until recently. "It's been said that they won't build a car for the new rules, but they could still deliver engines," the Finnish billionaire added. But Aarnio-Wihuru admits losing the Mercedes team, for whom Bottas currently drives, would be a major blow to Formula 1. "The exit of such an iconic name would be a tough loss for the sport, but it's still premature to declare too much in either direction," he said. (GMM) United Nations The UN Security Council on Thursday called for an "immediate cessation" of hostilities in Yemen, which it said were threatening a political process aimed at ending the war. "The Members of the Security Council expressed their serious concern at the significant escalation of violence in Nehm and Al Jawf and its impact on civilians, thousands of whom had been displaced in recent days," the council said in a unanimously passed declaration. The text said it was necessary to maintain a ceasefire in the western city of Hodeida, as per a landmark agreement signed in Sweden in December 2018 and hailed as Yemen's best chance so far to end the fighting. The Council members also called for the "immediate stop to all intimidation of humanitarian workers" and "safe and unhindered access" in the north of the country. The declaration came after an emergency Council meeting held Tuesday at Britain's request. The war, which began in 2015, pits Iranian-backed Huthi rebels against government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians, according to non-governmental groups. The UN has classified the Yemen war as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood (PG) Verdict: A sprinkling of whimsy Rating: A couple of years ago, a documentary called Wont You Be My Neighbor? told the story of childrens TV presenter Fred Rogers, a household name in the U.S. as the host of a long-running show called Mister Rogers Neighborhood. It ran from 1968 until 2001, and had the same kind of influence on generations of American children as Blue Peter did here. More so, really, because Rogers, an ordained minister who died in 2003, used songs and simple puppetry to offer his young viewers moral and philosophical guidance. Shows such as Sesame Street also played a powerful role in educating kids. But they were loud, frenzied, madcap. In contrast, Mister Rogers Neighborhood was calm, gentle, understated its tone set by the comfy cardigan into which its host ritually changed, after removing his blazer, at the start of the episode. Tom Hanks plays Rogers Americas most beloved actor playing its most beloved childrens TV presenter, writes BRIAN VINER The documentary sank without trace on this side of the Atlantic, where Rogers is unknown. That was a shame, because it included a mesmerising clip from a 1969 U.S. Senate sub-committee hearing (I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but bear with me) at which Rogers testified in favour of $20 million worth of funding for Americas fledgling public television service. The sub-committees unyielding chairman, Senator John Pastore, was entirely hostile to the idea until Rogers demonstrated the value of his show by reciting the words of one of his songs, designed to teach children patience and restraint. Pastores brittle resistance promptly crumbled like a cookie. You can find the exchange on YouTube. It is delightful. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood doesnt tell that story; its set nearly three decades later in 1998. But director Marielle Heller and writers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue have doubtless used it to inform their semi-fictionalised account of the relationship between the beatific Rogers and an abrasive reporter assigned to profile him for Esquire magazine. In the end, the journalists cynicism, like Pastores before him, is no match for Rogers benevolence, which seems soft and malleable but has a core of steel. The casting is no less cherishable for being entirely obvious. Tom Hanks plays Rogers Americas most beloved actor playing its most beloved childrens TV presenter. He does so charmingly, and by all accounts with terrific accuracy, nailing the deliberate way Rogers enunciated his words. Kindness and decency radiate from him. Indeed, he seems too good to be true. In the end, the journalists cynicism, like Pastores before him, is no match for Rogers benevolence, which seems soft and malleable but has a core of steel, writes BRIAN VINER A British audience, all too familiar with shattering revelations about childhood TV idols, might wonder whether he is. After all, Hellers last film, 2018s excellent Can You Ever Forgive Me?, was all about fakery. Yet Rogers virtues are real, not feigned. Hanks has an Academy Award nomination to show for his performance but as Best Supporting Actor. The lead here is Matthew Rhys, playing hard-hitting investigative reporter Lloyd Vogel, who resents his brief to write about a secular saint. Vogel is a chippy, unlikeable man, estranged from his even less likeable father Jerry (Chris Cooper). At a family wedding, they get into a fight. Vogel ends up with facial injuries, which Rogers asks him about, and he is duly saddened by what he hears. He begins to include Vogel and his family in his prayers the last place Vogel wants to be and becomes more therapist than profile subject, as the narrative continues to follow an entirely predictable course towards father-son reconciliation. Thats hardly a spoiler. It has been flagged from the films opening moments, when Rogers explains that forgiving those you love is the hardest forgiveness of all. In less assured hands than Hellers, all this could be twee beyond endurance. And hats off to her for daring to render every grown-up bus and plane journey in pre-school model form a sprinkling of whimsy that she just about pulls off. I didnt love the film unconditionally. There is a deeply contrived symmetry in Vogels status as a new father who is learning how to be a good parent, and his dysfunctional relationship with his own dad. But on the whole its sweetness is irresistible. When Vogels wife (Susan Kelechi Watson) hears that he is about to interview Mr Rogers, she says: Please, dont ruin my childhood. I expect U.S. audiences will sit down with the same throb of concern. We Brits, at least, dont have to worry about that. Richard Jewell (15) Verdict: Sad but true Rating: Clint Eastwoods new film Richard Jewell is another all-American tale, about another decent man, but with the worst of humanity at its core, not the best. Jewell (brilliantly played by Paul Walter Hauser) was the security guard at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics who spotted a rucksack containing a bomb. He helped to evacuate the area before it exploded, killing two people. But were it not for his vigilance, the death toll would have been much higher. Eastwood turns 90 this year, but theres no evidence that he ever nods off in the directors chair. This is a pretty powerful film, with a theme he has explored in other recent pictures based on real events, such as 2016s Sully: ordinary people performing acts of heroism. As in Sully, though, our hero is put through the wringer in this instance, at the hands of two institutions one senses Eastwood hasnt much respect for: the FBI and the media. Clint Eastwoods new film Richard Jewell is another all-American tale, about another decent man, but with the worst of humanity at its core, not the best, writes BRIAN VINER. Pictured: Rockwell and Hauser in Richard Jewell At first, Richard is lionised, until an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) decides he is not the harmless nerd he seems, but a classic sociopath who only discovered the bomb because he planted it himself. A tenacious reporter (Olivia Wilde) uses her sexual allure to get the story, and so the hero becomes the hunted. Richard, an overweight, slightly odd guy who still lives with his mother (the Oscar-nominated Kathy Bates) and owns a collection of guns, fits the criminal profile tailored exactly for him. Only his mum and his lawyer (Sam Rockwell) believe in his innocence. Its a sad story, all the more disturbing for being true, and it is well told, without frills. Old Clint doesnt do frills. Long may he soldier on. Online date that turns into a new Bonnie and Clyde Queen & Slim (15) Verdict: Sexy, pacy thriller Rating: The acclaimed satirical horror film Get Out (2017) featured British actor Daniel Kaluuyaas an African-American subjected to intense racism. Theres more of the same in Queen & Slim, but this time its set in a pacy, sexy, sporadically comedic thriller, about the titular Slim (Kaluuya) and Queen (Peterborough-born Jodie Turner-Smith, in the first of what will surely be many lead roles). Following a nervy Tinder date, they find themselves in an altercation with a hostile cop. When the cop dies, the pair go on the run through the Deep South, getting to know each other better in decidedly unusual circumstances, while being cheered on and occasionally abetted by supportive black people and sympathetic whites. The references to a certain 1967 masterpiece are unambiguous, but Bonnie and Clyde were calculating criminals and these two arent. There are echoes of 1991s Thelma & Louise, too, but Queen & Slim is still very much an original, with the visual flair and cool soundtrack you might expect from a first-time cinema feature by Grammy-winning music-video director Melina Matsoukas. I enjoyed it immensely. The Rhythm Section (15) Verdict: Stylish yet daft Rating: The Rhythm Section has all the veneer of a good thriller but, unlike Queen & Slim, little of the depth. The director is Reed Morano but, perhaps more relevantly, the co-producer is Barbara Broccoli, who runs the James Bond franchise. She keeps reiterating that she will not cast a woman as 007 but would rather create strong female characters from scratch.Admirably enough, thats what shes trying to do here, in a story written by Mark Burnell. It is based on his own novel about a middle-class young English woman called Stephanie, who goes to pieces (and how, becoming a crack-addicted prostitute) when the rest of her family die in a passenger plane that is brought down by a bomb. Blake Lively gives a committed performance as Stephanie, who finds an incentive to pull her life back together when she is handed a chance to kill the men responsible for the bombing. For reasons not entirely explained, she winds up in the Scottish Highlands, receiving a crash course in killing techniques from an ex-MI6 man cheesily played by Jude Law. The films title refers to his tip to keep her heart as the drums and her breathing as the bass in tense situations. And what a teacher he is. Before long shes swimming across a freezing loch and shooting wooden targets to pieces although nothing is more full of holes than the plot, as dishevelled, degraded Stephanie turns into a glamorous international assassin, with a set of disguises entirely reliant on wigs. It looks great but, really, could hardly be sillier. An ill wind buffets this grim tale in a lighthouse The Lighthouse (15) Verdict: Relentlessly bleak Rating: Anyone who saw The Vanishing, an absorbing 2018 thriller set in 1900 on a remote Hebridean island, and based on a true story about three Scottish lighthouse-keepers who disappeared, will be powerfully reminded of it by Robert Eggers psychological horror film The Lighthouse. This one is a two-hander, shot in black-and-white and set off the coast of New England, but the period is about the same, and the storylines coalesce to a striking degree. Anyone who saw The Vanishing, an absorbing 2018 thriller set in 1900 on a remote Hebridean island, and based on a true story about three Scottish lighthouse-keepers who disappeared, will be powerfully reminded of it by Robert Eggers psychological horror film The Lighthouse, writes BRIAN VINER. Pictured: Pattinson and Dafoe Peter Mullans bad-tempered keeper in The Vanishing and Willem Dafoes here are cut from exactly the same cloth. Both films even make the most of the venerable maritime superstition about dead seagulls bringing curses. That all said, I admired The Vanishing yet found The Lighthouse nigh-on unwatchable. It has had extravagant critical praise after showing at various film festivals, and theres no doubt that Eggers is a highly talented writer-director; his 2015 debut The Witch was unforgettably scary. But this film, lots of comedy flatulence notwithstanding, is just unrelentingly grim. A lavishly bearded Dafoe plays the senior keeper, Thomas, a miserable (and very windy) old sea dog who thinks nothing of bullying his younger colleague Ephraim, played by Robert Pattinson. The narrative is fuelled entirely by their claustrophobic, see-sawing relationship, as resentment and hallucinatory stir-craziness build. But despite the superb performances from both actors, cinematography that makes almost every frame look like an exquisitely lit monochrome photo, and conspicuous nods to Alfred Hitchcock, I didnt enjoy a single minute of their company. Nearly four years after a woman was found shot to death in Boaz, a suspect has been captured in Mexico and flown back to Alabama to face a murder charge. Edgar Almanza-Zarazua is indicted in the slaying of 24-year-old Gloria Palomec, according to court records and the Marshall County sheriffs office. Palomec, who had been dating Almanza-Zarazua, was killed on Casey Lane in the small town of Boaz in June of 2016, sheriffs officials said. After the killing, investigators searched for Almanza-Zarazua, according to media reports from that time. But the man fled to Mexico, said Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims in a press release today. Almanza-Zarazua was found to be housed in a Mexican jail in connection with another killing, the authorities said. He was extradited from Mexico to the U.S. earlier this week. U.S. Marshals flew Almanza-Zarazua to Birmingham, where he was picked up for transport to Marshall County on Wednesday. In October of 2016, just months after the slaying, a Marshall County grand jury charged Almanza-Zarazua with intentional murder and attempted murder, according to court records made public today. The indictments remained sealed until Almanza-Zarazua was arrested this week. The attempted murder charge stems from a shooting that injured another person in Boaz in June of 2016, according to officials and court records. Almanza-Zarazua is held in the Marshall County jail without bail. Laredos median household income has increased 20% over the last five years, from $39,408 in 2014 to $47,478 in 2019, Mayor Pete Saenz announced Thursday at his annual State of the City address. READ MORE: Laredo's $17.5M Texas Lotto jackpot winner claims prize Economically, last year was a banner year in the Gateway City, he said. Thats a substantial increase! Its better than McAllen at $45,000 and almost on par with San Antonio at $49,000, the mayor said. However, we are still below Texas median household income of $60,000. With the addition of 7,000 jobs in Laredo during the same five years, these are good indicators of a strong and healthy economy, Saenz said. Last year alone, 2,500 jobs were added to Laredos workforce, and unemployment is at 3.5%. According to the American Community Survey, poverty in Laredo is decreasing, from 30.6% to 25.9% in 2018. Weve broken the 30s! Saenz said, while noting that 66,000 people still live in poverty here, which he called unacceptable. Laredos positive outlook rests squarely on improving trade and commerce through the newly-signed USMCA free-trade agreement, Saenz said. Which means further improving our strong relationship with Mexico, our neighbor, he said. The city anticipates the passage of the agreement, which could make its way through Canadas Congress this summer, will increase jobs, facilitate infrastructure and create specialization in Laredo. On the other hand of federal issues, the city remains staunch in its opposition to the border wall, as it has for years, Saenz said. The actions by the federal government undermines the long and cherished social and economic ties that bind U.S. and Mexico border communities, which are so intertwined in so many ways, he said. Before Saenz began his speech, a video played that touted Laredos port, livability and decreasing crime rates. In the last 10 years, overall crime has decreased 41% and crime against property has decreased 54%, Saenz noted. This year, the State of the City, rather than ending after the address, concluded with the mayor and Economic Development Director Teclo Garcia in a fireside chat, where they discussed Laredos four-week stint as the No. 1 port in the country, infrastructure investment and community engagement, among other topics. READ MORE: Participating restaurants announced for Taste of Laredo 2020 To wrap it all up, the city played a video of various citizens, business owners and community advocates talking about why they love Laredo, part of the Celebrate Laredo civic pride campaign the city is undertaking this year. The video ended with a group of children, arms around each other, saying in unison: We love Laredo because Laredo is home! Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com Transportation is about more than getting from point A to point B. Its about sustainability. Since first being elected to the Northside Independent School District board in 1990, managing growth has been a primary focus of mine. Ive been a part of numerous initiatives aimed at protecting and cleaning the two greatest resources for sustaining a large and growing population: air and water. Transportation is not only about alleviating the traffic we experience to and from our daily tasks, but its also about the impact mass congestion has on our air quality. In 2016, the city of San Antonio found that nearly 40 percent of its annual carbon emissions were from cars. The assurance of air and water quality are critical to keep San Antonio moving forward, especially as we add 1 million residents over the next two decades. The status quo virtually guarantees more time stuck in traffic with larger amounts of exhaust floating above our city. San Antonio has already made great progress in the protection of our regional water source, the Edwards Aquifer, but we have lagged behind other Texas cities in building a transportation system that also curbs its negative impact on air quality. The San Antonio City Council recently adopted its Climate Action and Adaptation Plan by a 10-1 margin. The goals in the CAAP are achievable, but we cannot get there without investing in a more robust public transportation network. The pollution that comes from tailpipes and combustible engines damages human health, especially of our most vulnerable residents, and eventually falls back to earth and is transported into runoff that pollutes our water supply. We have never provided VIA Metropolitan Transit, our bus system, with the funding it needs to grow, modernize and prosper. Comparisons to our peer cities can be illustrative. While VIA is primarily supported by a half-cent sales tax, our sister Texas cities of Houston, Dallas and Austin all make use of a full penny to fund their transit systems. This half-cent difference may seem trivial, but over the decades that amounts to billions of dollars for public transit that San Antonio has forfeited. Fortunately, San Antonio residents will soon have an opportunity to make an initial investment to build a new system that will make us a cleaner and more competitive metropolis. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff are proposing to use an expiring 1/8-cent sales tax to make investments in VIA that will support the existing system and expand it in ways the city has never seen. This funding would provide close to $40 million annually for VIA to realize its long-term vision, VIA Reimagined, which is based on extensive community outreach. A network of high-capacity vehicles technically buses, but ones that look and feel like trains running in dedicated lanes would bypass traffic. The 1/8-cent sales tax would be redirected from Edwards Aquifer protection currently used for land acquisition, and creek and linear greenway expansion. We have seen significant progress from past investments in VIA. In 2017, the City Council voted to increase funding to VIA to support improvements in service on its most highly used routes. This modest investment has shown real, on-the-ground improvements: Some routes have seen up to a 30 percent increase in ridership. With increased ridership and VIAs imminent use of electric vehicles, the benefit to our air quality becomes palpable. Im also keenly aware that ensuring the protection of our water supply is critical to San Antonios future. The Edwards Aquifer must always be properly protected. San Antonio voters first passed legislation to fund aquifer protection in 2000, and it was renewed in 2005, 2010 and 2015. As a San Antonio council member, I was proud to co-author the reauthorizing legislation in 2015, along with then-council member Nirenberg. Over the duration, the sales tax has raised approximately $268 million and protected some 157,541 acres from development, which, to provide some comparison, is larger than the city of Chicago. Now that this protection is a diminishing cost, the city of San Antonio and San Antonio Water System have arranged a plan where SAWS will assume responsibility of land acquisition for Edwards Aquifer protection and the San Antonio Parks Department will absorb the responsibility for creek and linear greenway expansions. San Antonio has a proud history of conservation, and I am grateful to Nirenberg for continuing to seek alternative funding sources for aquifer protection. If necessary, I am ready to champion for state support in the Texas Legislature. San Antonio has talked about improving its public transportation system for decades. We now have a plan and a ready-to-go funding source. We need to stop noting the problem and move to build the solution. Ray Lopez is the state representative for District 125 and a former city councilman for District 6. 3 1 of 3 Contributed Photo / Westport Fire Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Contributed Photo / Westport Fire Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WESTPORT One person was evaluated by medics after crashing a vehicle into a utility pole, prompting a lane closure for about half an hour Friday, officials said. Fire officials said Engine 4 responded to the area of 246 Saugatuck Avenue shortly after 3:30 p.m. for a report of wires down and a utility pole broken in multiple locations. Nowadays, its easier than ever to power your home with clean energy, and yet, many Americans dont know how to make the switch. Luckily, you dont have to install expensive solar panels or switch utility companies to support a cleaner, sustainable future. If youre interested in supporting clean energy and saving money on your power bill, consider Arcadia. Arcadia is a platform that makes it easy for homeowners and renters to choose clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. You can visit Arcadias website and input your ZIP code to see how clean energy compares to traditional sources in your area. To power your home with clean energy, all you have to do is connect your utility bill, and you can choose between wind and community solar farms in your area, or you can use Arcadias Smart Rate to find the lowest price available. In fact, youll even save money on your power bill if clean energy is cheaper in your area. You shouldnt have to make major strides to switch to clean energy sources. Sign up with Arcadia and make the switch today. Learn more here, and get a $20 Amazon gift card or 4 standard LED bulbs just by signing up. [Read our 5 takeaways from John Boltons book.] WASHINGTON More than two months before he asked Ukraines president to investigate his political opponents, President Trump directed John R. Bolton, then his national security adviser, to help with his pressure campaign to extract damaging information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton. Mr. Trump gave the instruction, Mr. Bolton wrote, during an Oval Office conversation in early May that included the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, the presidents personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, who is now leading the presidents impeachment defense. Mr. Trump told Mr. Bolton to call Volodymyr Zelensky, who had recently won election as president of Ukraine, to ensure Mr. Zelensky would meet with Mr. Giuliani, who was planning a trip to Ukraine to discuss the investigations that the president sought, in Mr. Boltons account. Mr. Bolton never made the call, he wrote. The previously undisclosed directive that Mr. Bolton describes would be the earliest known instance of Mr. Trump seeking to harness the power of the United States government to advance his pressure campaign against Ukraine, as he later did on the July call with Mr. Zelensky that triggered a whistle-blower complaint and impeachment proceedings. House Democrats have accused him of abusing his authority and are arguing their case before senators in the impeachment trial of Mr. Trump, whose lawyers have said he did nothing wrong. A masked man walks next to a sign saying "All type of mask sold out" at a pharmacy in Siam square, Bangkok. Like many places, Bangkok is facing shortage of protective surgical masks due to the outbreak of a new coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Patipat Janthong | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images Epidemiologists and infectious diseases experts have cautioned against panic as the number of cases linked to the new coronavirus in China continues to rise. Some warn that the widespread scramble for face masks is unwarranted. In fact, they cautioned that hoarding behavior by those who do not exhibit respiratory symptoms have sparked concerns in medical circles that there could be a possible shortage of personal protective equipment in the coming weeks. "Panic purchases of face masks in low-risk countries like the U.S. is not warranted. People who are well should refrain from hoarding masks 'just in case' they need it, as this may lead to a lack of masks in settings that really need it," said Annelies Wilder-Smith, a professor of emerging infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. "While we should take the outbreak seriously, we mustn't panic and behave in a manner that is disproportionate to the threat we are confronted with," said Wilder-Smith, who was a front-line clinician at Singapore's Tan Tock Seng Hospital during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003. In the United States and Canada halfway around the world from the novel coronavirus' epicenter in central China major retailers and medical supply stores have been reporting medical mask shortages since the start of this week. It comes even as the number of confirmed cases in both countries remain relatively low six in the U.S. and three in Canada. In Singapore, where the number of cases rose to 13 in the past week, the shortage of face masks prompted hundreds of online sellers to jack up prices some by up to 20 times. This week, the government cracked down on retailers trying to profit from the shortage, as the country's leaders urged sellers not to take advantage of the situation and raise prices unreasonably. Since the first cases were reported in December in Wuhan, a major transport hub and the capital city of China's Hubei province, about 9,800 cases have been confirmed across the world. As of Friday, China reported that 213 people have died from the virus. There have been no reported deaths outside China. Scramble for masks The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a global health emergency. As countries around the world guard against the viral outbreak, the scramble for face masks as a form of psychological aid is "completely understandable," said William Schaffner, an infectious diseases expert at the Vanderbilt University's Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. "For many of us, influenza is a familiar fiend. In contrast, this coronavirus is new and somewhat mysterious," he said. "Even experts say they don't know much about it. People want to find some way to bring some control to the situation, thus the scramble for face masks." Preliminary information suggests that the new coronavirus can lead to pneumonia and even death, especially among the elderly and those with preexisting health problems. However, the various ways of transmission have yet to be definitively determined. Many characteristics of the virus and its impact also remain unclear. People are panicking and buying a mask is a way of taking charge and doing something. But the situation could spiral, and stores running out of masks may make others panic even more. Amesh Adalja scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security However, Schaffner warned that if masks and other medical equipment continue to be swept off the shelves at such pace, health workers who need them will be the ones most at risk. "My colleagues in infection control around the United States have voiced concerns that we may experience shortages of some sort of protective equipment like masks, gowns and gloves, maybe in a week or two," he said. Panic begets panic Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, recalled a similar phenomenon during the Ebola outbreak in 2014, when the general public scrambled to purchase body suits, which led to supply constraints. "People are panicking and buying a mask is a way of taking charge and doing something. But the situation could spiral, and stores running out of masks may make others panic even more," he said. A lady seen in her mask as hundreds of people wait in a queue to buy surgical masks at a Bonjour Cosmetics store. Keith Tsuji | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images DES MOINES, Iowa Democratic presidential candidates seeking victory in next weeks Iowa caucuses are navigating a field that is so jumbled that voters second choice could matter almost as much as their first, adding fresh uncertainty and confusion to the final days of the race. Lower-polling candidates including Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer have been approached by multiple campaigns in recent days eager to form an alliance that could reshape Monday's election. Joe Biden's team has been in communication with lower-polling rivals, according to several people familiar with the conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy. The former vice president's campaign dismisses such reports of potential deal-making as dramatized accounts of business as usual. But the delicate overtures are a test of the leading campaigns' ability to assemble a winning coalition and the capacity of second-tier candidates to stay relevant. And it could be decisive in determining who leaves Iowa with the momentum that will be needed to sustain a long campaign ahead. The second-place phenomenon, at least in Iowa, is not a bad thing at all," said Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, who supports Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In contrast to a traditional election, the caucus system works like this: Voters gather at dozens of caucus locations across the state and start the night by pledging support for their preferred candidate. After the initial vote count is taken, voters backing candidates who earn less than 15% are free to shift to other candidates or go home. While a dozen Democrats are still running for president, just four Biden, Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg have consistently polled above the 15% threshold in Iowa. Still, any of the four could see their support fall short, depending on who shows up to caucus. As is the case with Biden and others, Warren sees an opportunity to draw significant support from Klobuchar, who has not reached the 15% threshold in polls to date, even as the Minnesota senators standing appears to have improved in recent weeks. It's certainly no secret that Sen. Warren ... has the highest favorables of anybody in the field within Democratic primary voters, Wahls said. I can tell you anecdotally that she is the second choice of a lot of Klobuchar supporters. Klobuchar's team, aware that she's viewed as a source of second-choice votes from several campaigns, downplayed the possibility of a potential deal when asked about conversations with rival campaigns. We've got no plans to cut any deals with anybody because we're going to be viable, Klobuchar campaign manager Justin Buoen told reporters on Thursday. Weve got no plans to tell our supporters what to do. Klobuchar's Iowa adviser Norm Sterzenbach said the campaign was more focused on trying to win over supporters of other campaigns. Caucusgoers are going to go to their second choice because that's who they like, not because of anything we tell them to do, he said. I just think it's a waste of energy for us to focus our time on trying to make deals. To say the situation is fluid would be an understatement. Just four days before the Iowa contest, polling suggests that more than half of the state's likely Democratic voters are open to changing their minds. Forty-five percent of all likely Democratic caucusgoers named a first choice but said they could be persuaded to support another candidate, and 13% did not indicate a first choice, according to the CNN/Des Moines Register poll conducted earlier this month. At the same time, history holds few examples of final-days deals between rival campaigns that had a significant effect. One may be in 2004, when North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich struck a deal to support each other. While Edwards was already surging at the time, the pact was more aimed at hurting former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. In the end, Edwards finished a strong second behind Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Kucinich finished a distant fifth. Dean finished a disappointing third. Should history repeat itself in 2020, top-tier campaigns see major opportunity in Klobuchar, who appears to be on the rise yet has struggled to hit the viability threshold. They're also eyeing Tulsi Gabbard, Steyer and Yang, who have been mired in the single digits for months. Yang acknowledged this week that multiple campaigns have reached out to his team about potential alliances. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said hes not planning to urge his supporters to head to a specific second choice if he doesnt make it past the first round of voting. Right now we have no guidance for our caucusgoers who dont find us to be viable," he said, downplaying his ability to direct his voters toward any specific candidate, even if he wanted to. The people that support my campaign are very diverse in their leanings," he added. I frankly think Id have a hard time getting them to do anything that they werent naturally inclined to do." Yang conceded that Sanders, if anyone, might be best-positioned to inherit his support. And there was anecdotal evidence suggesting Yang was right. Victor Cornejo, a 45-year-old engineer who attended a Sanders campaign event in Iowa City, said he was still deciding between businessman Yang and Sanders. He guessed he may get the chance to caucus for both if the proceedings go multiple rounds. I like Andrew Yang because he has a different approach, and he sees an economic approach to the future. I like the fact that hes an outsider, Cornejo said. Bernie has been around for a while, and theres some stability in that. And that actually brings some of the trust. A Biden aide, meanwhile, privately acknowledged regular conversations with other campaigns, but downplayed reports that Biden was actively trying to cut any deals. The aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal strategy, expressed confidence in Biden's ability to pull from other candidates and pointed to polls suggesting some overlap with Klobuchar and Buttigieg. While Biden would not confirm his own campaign had conferred with the Yang or Klobuchar teams, he acknowledged that horse-trading is routine in the caucus process. Everybodys looking and says, OK, if your guy doesn't win or your person doesnt win, who are you gonna go with? Biden said in Iowa on Thursday. Sanders' state director Misty Rebik also de-emphasized efforts to woo rival campaigns. We are a movement of vote your conscience. We dont have a strategy of telling people to Go here. Go there,'" Rebik said. And, in the off chance that that doesnt work out for us, we expect our voters to do what they do, trust their gut and go for their second choice." Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Washington and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 01:40:13|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- China is fully capable of ensuring daily necessities supply, and laying a solid foundation for winning the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic, according to the country's top economic planner Friday. The supply of grain, edible oil, vegetables and other everyday necessities in both Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, and elsewhere across China is adequate to meet the normal demand of the public, said Zhao Chenxin, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). With grain and oil inventories at historic highs and a well-run vegetable reserve mechanism, the country has adequate stockpiles of everyday necessities, Zhao said, adding Chinese families need not hoard life essentials. Stockpiled vegetables, for instance, would be timely delivered if supply gap appeared in end markets such as supermarkets or wet markets in communities. At the request of the NDRC, some leading companies have resumed the production of some much-needed daily necessities during the Spring Festival holiday. A major problem the NDRC must tackle, however, is to ensure sustainable and reliable delivery of daily necessities while preventing the further spread of the virus. The NDRC has activated an emergency mechanism to track price changes on a daily basis, and will take targeted measures to meet consumers' demand in different cities and forcefully crack down on price rigging and price inflating to maintain market order, the official said. YEREVAN. Today we learned that there are already real steps in connection with the Nairit plant. The Islamic Republic of Iran is quite interested in the Nairit plant, they were in the plant a week ago, and it is envisaged that the Iranian company shall conduct a technical and financial audit at the plant. Former Nairit director Karen Israelyan said this in a conversation with journalists today, during the shut-down Nairits workers protest in front of the government of Armenia. According to Israelyan, the main demand for their demonstration outside the government building not only to re-launch Nairit, but also that they are concerned that steps are being taken that may hinder the Iranian side. "There are incidents taking place at the plant that are very likely to hinder this investment program, the Iranian side's negotiations," he added. Today the plant owes about 100 million drams, 80 million of which are national debts. If the state can cede its debt in connection with the investment, it cannot [cede] the people's wage debt; it must be paid. It has to be paid by either the state or the investor." And according to Vahagn Chakhalyan, coordinator of the Kamq initiative, one of their main demands is that nothing more be sold from the plant. In his words, they will gather in front of the government building on the last Friday of each month, and will voice their concerns until the government takes appropriate action. White House counsel Pat Cipollone departs at the end of the day as the impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues in Washington, U.S., January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Reuters Pat Cipollone, the president's lead attorney in the impeachment trial, could also be a witness, John Bolton's unpublished book says, according to The New York Times. The White House counsel was reportedly at a meeting in which President Donald Trump asked Bolton to help with his effort to pressure Ukraine into helping him dig up dirt on his political rivals. The report raises ethical questions, and House impeachment managers have demanded that Cipollone disclose any firsthand evidence. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The lead attorney in President Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial has firsthand knowledge of the effort to pressure Ukraine into digging up dirt on Trump's political rivals, the former national security adviser John Bolton's forthcoming book says, according to The New York Times. The Times' report, which cites Bolton's unpublished manuscript, raised the possibility that White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who has been leading Trump's defense team, could also be a potential witness. The manuscript said Trump directly asked Bolton to help with the effort to pressure Ukraine in a meeting more than two months before the president's July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The call sparked a whistleblower complaint that spiraled into an impeachment inquiry and ultimately led Trump to become the third president in US history to be impeached. During this meeting, Trump reportedly asked Bolton to call Zelensky to ensure he would meet with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who has been at the center of the impeachment saga and engineered the campaign to urge Ukraine to launch investigations. Bolton did not make the call, the manuscript said, according to The Times. Cipollone was at this meeting, the manuscript said, suggesting he witnessed Trump order a top adviser to get involved in the coordinated effort to pressure Ukraine. This raises ethical questions about whether it was appropriate for Cipollone to lead Trump's defense in a trial pertaining to matters he's said to have firsthand knowledge of. Story continues Giuliani and Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, were also reportedly at the meeting. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Trump and Giuliani both denied that the meeting happened when questioned by The Times. "I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, to meet with President Zelensky," Trump said. "That meeting never happened." Giuliani told The Times that Cipollone and Mulvaney were never involved in meetings on Ukraine, though impeachment witnesses have explicitly linked Mulvaney to the efforts to pressure Kyiv. "It is absolutely, categorically untrue," Giuliani said. 'A material witness to the charges against President Trump' House impeachment managers have demanded that Cipollone disclose any firsthand evidence. "You may be a material witness to the charges against President Trump, even though you are also his advocate," they wrote in a letter to Cipollone, Politico reported. The Times reported over the weekend that Bolton said in his book that there was an explicit quid pro quo linking roughly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine to the investigations Trump wanted. Friday's report added to this, amid congressional Democrats' mounting calls for Bolton to be called as a witness in Trump's impeachment trial. Republicans have pushed back on calling witnesses and as of Friday afternoon appeared poised to block Democratic efforts to include them in the trial. On Friday, another Republican who was considered to be on the fence about witnesses Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced that she planned to vote against calling any. "Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate," the Alaska Republican said in a statement. "I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything." She added, "It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed." All 15 Senate impeachment trials in US history, including those for the two other presidents who were impeached, have called witnesses. In the July 25 call, Trump urged Zelensky to launch inquiries into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine, not Russia, interfered in the 2016 US election. The request for an inquiry into the Bidens was linked to Hunter Biden's work for a Ukrainian natural-gas company, Burisma Holdings. There's no evidence of wrongdoing by either of the Bidens. Trump's defense team has focused on Hunter Biden and Burisma throughout the trial, pushing out a slew of disinformation in the process. Schiff: 'Yet another reason why we ought to hear from witnesses' Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager, zeroed in on The Times' report and Cipollone as the trial resumed on Friday, reiterating his calls for witnesses. Schiff quoted The Times' report: "More than two months before he asked Ukraine's president to investigate his political opponents, President Trump directed John R. Bolton, then his national security adviser, to help with his pressure campaign to extract damaging information on Democrats from Ukrainian officials, according to an unpublished manuscript by Mr. Bolton. Mr. Trump gave the instruction, Mr. Bolton wrote, during an Oval Office conversation in early May that included the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, the president's personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, who is now leading the president's impeachment defense." "You will recall Mr. Cipollone suggesting that the House managers were concealing facts from this body. He said, 'All the facts should come out,'" Schiff added. "Well, there's a new fact, which indicates that Mr. Cipollone was among those who were in the loop. Yet another reason why we ought to hear from witnesses." Read the original article on Business Insider Even in our era of politics without precedent, few things are as inexplicable as the Democratic Partys decision to take increasingly extreme positions on abortion while so much of the country moves in a different direction. The March for Life, held annually in Washington, D.C., around the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, is one visible example of the countrys mood on the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. The number of participants in the march continues to grow each year. Last weeks March for Life was notable not only for its size (no official numbers are available, but video footage suggests well over 100,000 people) but because Donald Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to address the march, drawing additional national (and international) attention to the event. Commentators have observed that fully half of the marchers are college-aged or younger. (We are the pro-life generation is a popular sign seen at the march.) This may well suggest a generational shift in perspective, which poses interesting electoral consequences for the future. The number of abortions has dropped dramatically over the past 30 years. The Guttmacher Institute released a report in September of last year stating that the number of abortions had dropped 19 percent between 2011 (1,058,000 abortions) and 2017 (862,000 abortions), and the abortion rate (number of abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44) dropped by 20 percent during the same time period. This is part of a steady downward trend from the all-time high of over 1,420,000 abortions in 1990. Guttmachers policy stance is pro-abortion, and the reports authors take pains to state that abortion restrictions passed by 32 states in recent years are not responsible for the decline in abortions. Given that this trend started years earlier, that conclusion seems reasonable. However, they cannot definitively identify any other specific cause(s) for the decline. Perhaps it is the advent of modern medical technology, which has pushed fetal viability back to 22 weeks. (A handful of children born at 21 weeks have survived.) Fetal surgery has become a growing specialty, and surgeons can now repair heart defects and hernias, correct spina bifida and remove tumors while the child is still growing and developing in the womb. Even those whose babies are not dealing with medical emergencies in utero or born prematurely can see the humanity of the unborn child in traditional ultrasound (which did not exist when Roe v. Wade was decided) or the more advanced 4D ultrasound. Further, research on fetal neurological development suggests that the unborn child can feel pain at around 20 weeks; this revelation has prompted a number of legislative initiatives to severely limit abortions after that gestational age. The most recent work conducted by a Planned Parenthood consulting physician puts the fetal pain threshold even earlier, at 13 weeks. Much better scientific knowledge about fetal development, therefore, might well be driving down the abortion rate. So, too, might widespread shock and revulsion at some of the abortion industrys horror stories exposed in recent years. The corpses of over 2,000 dead fetuses were found in the home and car of former Illinois and Indiana abortion doctor Ulrich Klopfer after he passed away last year. In 2015, undercover journalist David Daleiden released a series of videos in which Planned Parenthood physicians and staff members appeared to be discussing the sale of fetal body parts, performing abortions so as to best preserve the organs of unborn children for sale and other ghastly practices. In 2013, Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell was convicted of three counts of murder (among other crimes) in the deaths of babies born alive after abortion attempts, who Gosnell subsequently killed by cutting their spinal cords with scissors. Gosnells trial exposed not only the grossly unsanitary conditions of his clinic, the illegal abortions performed by untrained staff members and the grisly trophies he kept in jars and boxes, but also most disturbingly the complete failure of government oversight. Is it any wonder that a majority of Americans favor reasonable regulations on abortions, such as mandatory medical disclosures and ultrasounds, brief waiting periods, hospital admitting privileges for physicians performing abortions and parental notification laws for minor girls seeking abortions? So where is the Democratic Party on abortion? Last year, the Democratic-controlled New York legislature passed the Reproductive Health Act, which permits abortion at any time until birth. The law removed the restriction requiring abortions to be performed by a physician. And it removed any references to an unborn child from New Yorks penal code meaning that someone who attacks a pregnant woman and kills her child in utero cannot be prosecuted for the death of that child. It also removes any requirement to provide medical care for a baby that survives abortion. California and Illinois both states controlled by Democrats have also passed laws expanding abortion. California now requires all private health insurers to cover abortion. Illinois 2019 law removed its prior ban of partial-birth abortion and states that no fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under Illinois law. Virginias legislature, controlled by Democrats since the 2018 midterm elections, is removing previous regulations including the requirement that abortions be performed by a physician, mandatory counseling and a 24-hour waiting period. This years Democratic presidential candidates are just as strident. At a town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, last Sunday, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked by voter Kristen Day if the Democratic Party still has room for pro-life Democrats. Day, the executive director of Democrats for Life of America, stated that this amounts to 21 million voters. Buttigieg punted. In later interviews, Day concluded that there is no longer any place for pro-life Democrats in her party. If leading Democrats arent interested in the views of a majority of Americans, or millions of their own voters, just who are they trying to please? Laura Hollis is an attorney and educator. She resides in Indiana with her husband and children. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Tihar jail authorities on Friday challenged before a Delhi court the maintainability of the application filed by three death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, seeking stay of their execution on February 1. The prison authorities opposed the plea, in its status report, filed before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana. The court had on Thursday issued notice to the jail authorities seeking their response on the plea of the death row convicts in the case, seeking stay on their executions scheduled for February 1. Advocate A P Singh, representing three death row convicts -- Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar -- urged the court to adjourn the executions "sine die" as legal remedies of some of the convicts are yet to be availed. The trial court on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay (26) and Akshay (31) -- in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. Earlier, on January 7, the court had fixed January 22 as the hanging date. As of now, only Mukesh has exhausted all his legal remedies including the clemency plea which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17 and the appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Their victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless), was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But his focus on the Democratic field in front of him appeared to be divided by his political enemies of the past and his foils in Congress. The president reminisced about the 2016 election, expressing a longing for the former Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and rehashing a four-year-old campaign gaffe where she described some of his supporters as deplorables. Maybe we take another crack at Crazy Hillary, Mr. Trump said. She was so easy. And he broke up his re-election pitch with invective aimed at Representative Adam B. Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager, whom the president referred to as a sick puppy, and a diatribe against Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whom he accused of letting her district in San Francisco fall into decay. Were having probably the best years weve ever had, and I just got impeached. Can you believe these people? Mr. Trump said. But he claimed it was still a happy period because we call it impeachment light. This is not easy, he said, you got maniacs doing a number on you for three years. Mr. Trump spoke as the Senate waited on Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee and a close friend of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, to announce his decision on whether to support hearing from witnesses during the impeachment trial. A couple of hours after Mr. Trump left the stage, Mr. Alexander said he was a no on hearing from more witnesses. His is a critical vote, and his decision will help determine whether Mr. Trump receives a swift acquittal as soon as Friday. Trump officials said the caucus on Monday, even if it was not competitive, would be an important milestone for a campaign that has essentially been going on since Mr. Trumps famous escalator ride in Trump Tower in 2015. This will be the first time his supporters are able to take part in the process that begins his re-election, said Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesman. Before the rally on Thursday night at Drake University, Mr. Trump made a brief stop in Warren, Mich., where he spoke to manufacturing workers the day after he signed the revised North American Free Trade Agreement into law. Dr Tim Moore, a developmental psychologist at the Royal Childrens Hospital Melbourne and the lead author of The First Thousands Days paper (which looks at the period of development from conception to age two) says your lifestyle and personal circumstances before you conceive a child contribute to the life course of your child. Being in a stable relationship, eating healthily, exercising, not binge drinking and taking drugs all of that matters, he says. Loading What the mother experiences during pregnancy high levels of stress, mental health problems and more is absorbed by the foetus, which uses cues provided by their mothers physical and mental states to predict the kind of world they will be born into, and adapts accordingly. Yet now we know that all that carries through to the foetus, and that even experiences become biologically embedded. The foetus senses from the signals of the mother what environment theyre going to be born into, and if its a stressful environment, then the foetus changes its reactivity levels to become more vigilant. If the father is overweight, smokes, or works in a toxic environment, that will affect the integrity of the sperm and therefore shape the foetus, he says. Career As someone who has grown up being told women can do anything, being on the precipice of starting a family while knowing the risks involved for my career is the most frightening part. Emma Walsh, founder and CEO of Parents At Work, an organisation which providers work and family education and policy advice to workplaces and individuals, advocates for women to do serious career forward-planning before having their first baby. Ms Walsh who had twins at the age of 31, and a third child a few years later was already planning her future in her late 20s. I started future-proofing my career early, thinking about issues such as: what will be the impact of me taking time out? What kind of flexibility will I need? Will my employer be adaptable to that? What's likely to happen based on what I see role-modelled around me in the workplace? she says. A 2016 Danish study found that women of all ages take a dramatic short-term hit to their earnings after having their first child. But it also showed that women who had their first child at age 31 or older earned more over their careers than women who had children at a younger age or women who did not have children at all. Being on the precipice of starting a family while knowing the risks involved for my career is the most frightening part. The gains were especially significant for university-educated women who had children between the ages of 31 and 34; they earned, on average, 13 per cent more over the course of their life than university-educated women who did not have children. It seems that the younger the mother is, the more she has to forgo in terms of opportunity to accumulate experience and human capital in the labour market,'' the researchers point out. To compound the disadvantage, younger mothers may also self-select into occupations seen as more mother-friendly, such as public sector roles, childcare and teaching, which tend to pay less. According to Anne Hollonds, a vital choice for women planning children and a career is to team up with a partner who wants to be part of a true parenting team. Partner choice is the key factor in balancing work and family unless theyre prepared to be part of your team to make it work, youre going to be in big trouble, she says. Emma Walsh agrees: The earlier the father gets involved and takes parental leave, the more positive impact on maternal wages," she says. Economics Having a baby is a life-altering event, and one which will ultimately affect your finances. Millennials are said to become the first generation poorer than the one before them, and Daniel Woodman, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Melbourne and an expert young peoples lives, says they are hitting life milestones including parenthood later. "Overall, my research shows that your average young person is actually taking longer to reach the markers of job security and success than ever before, he says. Apart from being able to take the hit to your household budget associated with adding a baby, people considering taking the plunge should also factor in the cost of childcare (Australians pay some of the highest prices for it in the world). Loading Curious to know how much child care would cost in inner-suburban Melbourne, I looked up my local council-run centres to find rates of $129.50 per day. Multiply that by five days a week for a full-time worker, and youre looking at $647.50. The Australian minimum wage is in Australia is $740.80 (gross). While there is no optimum salary a mother or couple must earn before they have a child, Dr Moore says there are certain elements that are needed in order for a child to grow up feeling safe and well-adjusted. What you need is secure housing, good social support, to be free of any food insecurity, a healthy environment, access to early childhood services, green parklands, environments free from toxins and access to affordable, nutritious foods," he says. And savings aren't a bad idea. [The stream is slated to start at 3:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] The White House is expected to address the widening outbreak of the coronavirus Friday afternoon. The briefing comes hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantined 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, which has become the epicenter for the spread of the virus. "While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a conference call with reporters Friday. The virus, which first emerged about one month ago, has infected nearly 10,000 people, Chinese authorities said. There have been at least 213 deaths. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency on Thursday. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. How Books and Buckets program in Long Beach aims to keep kids away from gang violence China has recently got into an ugly spar with Denmark after a Danish newspaper posted a coronavirus cartoon on social media. The cartoon showed the stars in the Chinese flag replaced by viruses. This comes amid a tense situation wherein the epidemic has killed nearly 213 and infected 9,800 people in China. Virus replaced stars in the flag On Monday, a Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten carried a satirical cartoon which showed a distorted Chinese flag with coronavirus icons replacing the five stars. The illustration did not go well with the Chinese government which already has its hands full after the virus first broke out in December last year. Read: Dutch Court Throws Out Case Against Israeli Military Chiefs Following the publication, the Chinese authorities demanded an apology from the Dutch. The Chinese embassy in Copenhagen expressed its strong indignation and said that the cartoon is an insult to China. It added that the drawing has crossed the bottom line of civilised society and the ethical boundary of free speech and offends human conscience. However, the Dutch have refused to cow down to such pressure tactics. Jyllands-Postens Chief Editor Jacob Nyboe said that in the cartoon, what appears to be virus instead of stars does not intend to mock or ridicule China. He added that the publication can not apologise for something that they think is not wrong before saying that he can see two types of cultural understandings in the case. Read: Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Gunawardena Offers Prayers At Buddhist Temple In New Delhi Defending the newspaper, the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen claimed that freedom of expression in Denmark includes cartoons. While speaking to international media reporters, The Danish Prime Minister said that Denmark has a very strong tradition not only for freedom of expression but also for satirical drawings and that they will have that in the future as well. She also said that they will not change their position in the issue. Read: China: Dead Body Found On Empty Street Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak Read: Five Wonderful Facts About Living In Sweden That You Would Like To Know (With Agency Inputs) On Thursday, MLB Networks Jon Heyman reported former Yankees outfielder Cameron Maybin could sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates for the 2020 season. In an interesting twist, Heyman also reported Thursday that Maybin changed agents. Agent news: Free agent OF Cameron Maybin has hired Gene Mato to represent him Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 30, 2020 It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Per Yardbarker: Maybin is in his third straight winter of an extended trip through free agency. It took the veteran until past mid-February in each of the last two offseasons to land contracts an MLB contract with the Marlins in February 2018 and then a minors pact with the Giants in February 2019. That latter deal gave way to another minor league deal with the Indians after San Francisco released Maybin near the end of spring training, and Cleveland then traded Maybin to the Yankees in April. Maybin was expecting more options in free agency this winter following a successful run with the Yankees in 2019. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acquired Maybin from the Indians for just $25,000 on April 25. Maybins production in the Bronx helped the Yankees survive a wave of injuries in the outfield, with Aaron Hicks, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge all being shut down at some point last season. Maybin ended up playing 82 regular-season games for the Yankees, hitting .285 with 11 home runs. But with the outfield getting healthy for the 2019 playoffs, the 32-year-old Maybin only got seven post-season at-bats. While Hicks will miss the start of the 2020 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, if Maybin is to return to the Yankees, it would be in a reserve role, not withstanding any injuries to Judge, Stanton and Brett Gardner. I think everybody here knows how I feel about this organization, Maybin said in September, just how much respect for how they carry themselves and the expectations that they put out, that they put on their players, the fans expectations, how invested the fans are, how invested the group is, the character of the group. Yeah, I think its a no-brainer that this is somewhere that I would want to be in the future. But Ive been around this game long enough to know how it works. Youve got prospects, youve got other free agent moves. Again, Ive done it for a while. I dont really put any expectations going forward on free agency. But do I think this this is by far the best organization Ive ever been a part of? Absolutely. Without question. Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport However with Mike Tauchman and Clint Frazier on the 40-man roster, its very possible the Yankees and Maybin are destined to go their separate ways. (NJ Advance Medias Brendan Kuty contributed to this report.) Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Kerala reports first confirmed case of coronavirus in India The union ministry of health and family welfare today said one case of the novel coronavirus infection has been reported from Kerala where a student, back home for holidays, has been tested positive. "One positive case of Novel Coronavirus a student studying in Wuhan University has been reported from Kerala," said a statement released by the health ministry. The patient is kept in isolation in a hospital. "The patient is stable and is being closely monitored," said the ministry statement. In Kerala, the health authorities have called for an emergency meeting of top officials amidst concerns of more such cases. Several hospitals where suspected cases are being treated are awaiting report from the National Institute of Virology in Pune where samples of over 800 suspected cases have been sent from the state alone. "We were waiting for the test results of six samples and we received the result of five which were negative," said the official who did not wish to be identified. According to the figures put out on Wednesday night by Kerala health authorities, around 800 people are under observation with 10 in hospitals and the rest at their homes. Wuhan city of China witnessed an outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus last month. Since then the death toll in China from the new coronavirus has risen to 170 with 7,711 confirmed cases, as repatriation flights for foreign nationals continued. Outside China, Hong Kong and Macau, other countries with confirmed cases include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada, the United States, United Arab Emirates, Australia (two new cases reported on Thursday), France and Germany. Finland reported its first case on Wednesday. Several cases in Taiwan were also included in the national count. The World Health Organisation (WHO) is meeting today to discuss whether the virus constitutes a global health emergency. "In the last few days the progress of the virus, especially in some countries, especially human-to-human transmission, worries us," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday, pointing to Germany, Vietnam and Japan. "Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak." President Donald Trump's economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Wednesday that officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were going to China to help with the coronavirus outbreak at China's invitation. India, meanwhile, is yet to bring back the 200-odd students currently trapped in Chinas Wuhan province after authorities locked down the area to prevent spread of the virus. The union ministry of health and family welfare today issued an advice for travellers returning from China on the need to protect themselves and their families. An outbreak of Novel Coronavirus is on-going in China and exported cases have been reported from other countries internationally. Coronaviruses cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)-CoV and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), the ministry stated in its advisory. Further, the ministry said the common symptoms are fever, cough, difficulty in breathing. In case of travellers coming back to India from China (within last 14 days) or had possible contact with an nCoVinfected person, the ministry has advised them to: Stay in home isolation for 14 days after return; Sleep in a separate room; Limit contact with other family members and avoid visitors; Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing; and Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu like symptoms (maintain a distance of at least 1 meter from any individual); For family members, the ministry has advised everyone at home to maintain hand hygiene at all times and wash hands: After sneezing or coughing When caring for sick Before, during and after preparing food Before eating After toilet use When hands are dirty After handling animals or animal waste In case one develops fever, cough or difficulty in breathing anytime within 28 days of return from China: National Youth Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B has asked the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to boycott the elections if they are not happy with the EC 's decision to compile a new voters' register. He said since the opposition party has decided not to go to court, they can ask their members to boycott the registration exercise as well as the presidential and parliamentary elections they can go to courtimmediately the EC starts to do its work, no political party or civil society organization will be allowed to interfere in the affairs of the ECbut anytime you mention the law court to the NDC they dont want to hear itthey can also boycott the elections if they wish. We have been in opposition beforewhen we were advocating for a new register in 2016, we never threatened bloodshed Nana B said while contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM morning show Kokrokoo. Listen to him in the video below 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 PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 16:29:00 Press Information Published by ACN Newswire +65 6304 8926 e-mail https://www.acnnewswire.com/ # 459 Words ACN Newswire+65 6304 8926 DAVOS, SWITZERLAND, Jan 31, 2020 - Platform Capital, Platinum Sponsor of the night, Ubuntu Tribe together with Africa10 hosted the inaugural Davos-Africa Night complete with an Afrobeat party at the Davos World Economic Forum 50th year anniversary.The business programme centred on accelerating Africa's development through digital transformation, with Tara Nathan, Executive Vice President, Public-Private Partnerships, Mastercard; Lacina Kone, CEO, Smart Africa Secretariat; Carole Wainaina, COO, Africa 50 Fund; Jorge Sebastiao, CTO, Huawei; Emmanuel Aidoo, Head of Distributed Ledger Strategy, Credit Suisse Group; and David Ellington, Founder & Chairman, Silicon Valley Blockchain Society: "Making Wakanda a Reality: How to Accelerate Africa's Sustainable Growth Through Digital Transformation"Special attention was given to the presentation of the Kakuma Refugee Project by Young Global Leaders, by filmmaker Joseph Okello.Elsie Kanza, Head of Africa at World Economic Forum; Ozwald Boateng, Founder, Ozwald Boateng; Dr. Akintoye Akindele, Chairman, Platform Capital; Richelieu Dennis, Founder, Sundial Group; Kojo Annan, Founder, Africa10; and Cherie Blair, Founder, The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women who stressed the role of African women saying, "The greatest thing about investing in Africa is the African woman. She is the heart of the society, the reliable part of the society, the supporter of the society and the leader of the society; and that's the most important thing." The event closed on a high note with arrival of celebrity star, Wesley Snipes, joining a barefoot-dancing executive crowd to the sound of Afrobeat music led by delegations from Ghana, Mali, and Ukraine.Sponsors of the event were the Kenya-based Kakuma Refugee Camp Initiative, Vlisco, Smart Africa, Africa 50 and OR ADDICT.Dr. Akintoye Akindele of Platform Capital with Kojo Annan of Africa10 and Mamadou Kwidjim Toure of Ubuntu Tribe stated: "Africa has the best suited soil to embrace the Stakeholders Capitalism model proposed by Professor Schwab in his Davos Manifesto launched this year, because African culture is structured around community and collective consciousness inspired from the Ubuntu philosophy "I am because we are".The Davos success has prompted Platform Capital, Ubuntu Tribe and Africa10 to initiate a bigger African movement at the WEF next year and launch: the "Africa House".About Platform CapitalPlatform Capital is a growth markets focused, sector agnostic, principal investment and advisory firm with 5 global offices. https://www.theplatformcapital.com/ About Ubuntu TribeThe Ubuntu tribe is a passionate group of diverse people determined to contribute to financial inclusion and wealth creation. It is one of the world's most innovative digital asset companies. https://www.ubuntucoin.io/ About Africa 10Africa 10 aims to identify, inspire, mentor, educate and empower the next generation of African leaders. https://www.africa10.com/ Media Contact: Ms. A. Serebrennikova, +79167334952, Sacha@ ubuntucoin.io Platform Capital, contact: Ponmile Osibo, +234-9065201862, p.osibo@ theplatformcapital.com Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday publicly refused to read a question from Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky during the Senate impeachment trial that named the alleged Ukraine whistleblower. "The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted," Roberts said after receiving the question card. Paul had expressed frustration with Republican leadership during the trial Wednesday night after it was made clear Roberts would not read his question that named the alleged Ukraine whistleblower, sources with knowledge of the situation said. The development brought Roberts into an unusual position in the trial, where he has served in large part to guide the proceedings, not to decide or make any rulings on how they progress. But prior to the 16-hour question-and-answer period for the trial on Wednesday, Roberts made clear that he would not read the alleged name of the whistleblower, nor would he consider questions that would move to clearly identify the individual, the sources said. Roberts, in his role, reads each question submitted by senators. He was able to review questions from senators who submitted them prior to the start of Wednesday's proceedings, according to two sources. Paul's question, which sources said was revised several times but explicitly would have named the alleged whistleblower, ran afoul of the line Roberts drew on the matter. Paul, for his part, could be seen and overheard expressing his frustration on the Senate floor during a break in the proceedings. "If I have to fight for recognition, I will," he was heard telling a Republican staffer. The dispute created a behind-the-scenes issue that Republican leaders were attempting to resolve, though no solution had been reached by Wednesday evening. Paul said during a break during Wednesday night's proceedings that "it's still an ongoing process" and the question "may happen tomorrow." There have been several other whistleblower questions, some that even included identifying information, which Roberts has read. It's the alleged name itself that is his red line, sources said. The disputed question -- an unprecedented situation -- comes on the first day senators have had a chance to be heard in the impeachment trial by submitting questions to be read aloud by Roberts directed at one or both of the legal teams. While several Republicans have called for the whistleblower's identity to be revealed in the past, Paul's attempted question on the Senate floor marks the most notable escalation to date. The question falls in line with President Donald Trump's own repeated calls for news organizations to identify the whistleblower. "There have been stories written about a certain individual, a male, and they say he's the whistleblower," Trump said in November, referring to reports in conservative media outlets purporting to identify the author. "If he's the whistleblower, he has no credibility. Because he's a Brennan guy, he's a Susan Rice guy, he's an Obama guy. And he hates Trump." Days after the whistleblower complaint had been released publicly last September, Trump tweeted that he deserved to "meet my accuser." "Like every American, I deserve to meet my accuser, especially when this accuser, the so-called 'Whistleblower,' represented a perfect conversation with a foreign leader in a totally inaccurate and fraudulent way," he said. Roberts' refusal to read Paul's question also marks a rare moment of meaningful authority as he presides over the trial -- a position that is highly public but has largely seen him recite procedural rules, keep the clock and read aloud vote tallies. The chief justice has long been known for his extensive preparation and an ability to foresee what's ahead, which some colleagues have likened to three-dimensional chess. This story has been updated with additional developments Thursday. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Theres good and bad news for two men busted 14 months ago on drug and gun charges in a raid of their Richmond Valley home. For Joseph Ruggerio, 42, the good news is hell avoid jail under a plea agreement, although he will have to forfeit $6,684 in assets. For Thomas Curry, 31, the bad news is his plea agreement comes with a four-year prison sentence. The defendants were busted on Nov. 29, 2018, when cops executed a search warrant at their Murray Street home. Police found three loaded handguns in a book bag in the living room area, including a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson, a .357 Ruger and a .45-caliber semiautomatic Springfield Armory, said a criminal complaint. Officers discovered ammunition for the Ruger on a night table in Currys bedroom, the complaint said. Cops also confiscated an imitation gun and cash, said the complaint. Drugs, including heroin, the opioid addiction treatment drug buprenorphine and the anxiety medication alprazolam, were seized from various parts of the house, including the kitchen, living room and bedrooms, said the criminal complaint. Marijuana also allegedly was found in Currys bedroom. The 123rd Precinct posted on its Twitter feed photos of contraband police said was seized during the raid. The defendants were charged with various counts of criminal weapon possession, criminal firearm possession and criminal drug possession. On Wednesday, Ruggerio pleaded guilty in state Supreme Court, St. George, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, to resolve his case. He admitted to possessing buprenorphine. In exchange, hell be sentenced Feb. 4 to a conditional discharge but must forfeit $6,684 in cash, which cops seized. Ruggerios sentence was predicated on Currys plea. Curry pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree criminal weapon possession to satisfy all charges against him. He admitted to attempting to possess the .357 Ruger. He will be sentenced on March 26 to four years behind bars and five years post-release supervision. In addition, he must forfeit assets of $118. Curry has two prior convictions, according to statements made in court. He was convicted of grand larceny in Westchester County and sentenced in February 2017 to five years probation. In November 2017, he was convicted of a misdemeanor drug charge and sentenced to a conditional discharge. Outside court, Matthew Zuntag, Ruggerios lawyer, said, We are happy that the D.A recognized that he was not the target of this investigation, and he can move on with his life and continue to contribute to Staten Islands construction economy as hes done for many years before. Leo V. Duval, Currys lawyer, could not immediately be reached for comment. Assistant District Attorney Kate Malloy is prosecuting the case. Ndayishimiye was chosen Sunday after a- three-day party congress that took place in the political capital Gitega. News of his choice has galvanized members of the ruling party who say that he is the right candidate to take the helm after President Pierre Nkurunziza leaves office. But his pick has disappointed government opponents who say that if elected, Ndayishimiye would be a continuation of what they call failed policies by Nkurunziza. Ambassador Isidore Mbayahaga, an Uprona party member who is close to the ruling party, said that Burundians should rejoice at the pick of Ndayishimiye. He said Ndayishimiye has all it takes to carry on his predecessors legacy of uniting Burundians and fostering the countrys interest: All Burundians, irrespective of their party affiliations should be happy that the election of Nkurunzizas potential replacement has been carried out peacefully and this cannot be taken for granted in a country that has been characterized by internal political feuds and killings, he said. However law expert and former head of the Burundi Bar Association, Isidore Rufyikiri, sees no bright future for the country. He said that if elected president, Ndayishimiye would not be capable of bringing about profound changes that are necessary to reverse the situation in Burundi. Although Burundians should celebrate that President Nkurunziza is no longer going to seek another term, they cannot be optimistic about the future of the country, for nothing guaranties elections are going to be fair and transparent, he said. First of all, the elections will take place while President Nkurunziza will still be at the helm of the country and second, they will be overseen by an election commission that was appointed by President Nkurunziza, he said. Rufyikiri also said that the country would likely continue to experience human rights abuses because Ndayishimiye will not be able to dismantle the youth ruling party Imbonerakure whom he alleged are creating mayhem across the country. Political analyst Innocent Bano said Burundians have to stop demonizing each other in order to build a country that fosters unity, tolerance and development. The term Imbonerakure has been used as a political tool to smear a group of youth of the ruling party, and politicians should get rid of that divisive rhetoric. What really matters for Burundians is for them to come together and support democratic changes initiated by the ruling party, he said. Bano also said the increasing number of presidential candidates for elections slated for 2020 is a vivid testimony that democratic institutions are getting stronger and stronger. If General Ndayishimiye is elected come this May, it will be the first time in Burundian history that an outgoing president has picked his successor peacefully. President Nkurunziza and Ndayishimiye are close allies who are among the founders of the ruling party CNDD-FDD. They are both former rebel leaders who signed a peace agreement with then Burundi President Pierre Buyoya in 2003. Ndayishimiye has held other important posts including Interior and Security minister, director of the Military Cabinet to President Nkurunziza and is currently Secretary-General of the ruling party CNDD-FDD. He was picked over several other prominent CNDD-FDD political leaders including second Vice President Joseph Butore, current chairperson of Burundi parliament, Pascal Nyabenda and Gabriel Nizigama, executive director in the office of President NkurNkurunziza. Budget Session 2020 began with a speech by President Ram Nath Kovind. The President delivered this speech in the Central Hall of Parliament at 11 am and spoke about a host of issues. He lauded the people of India for their acceptance of the Ram Janmabhoomi verdict. The President also spoke about the achievements of the government and urged citizens to refrain from violent protests. FULL COVERAGE:Union Budget 2020 "Our constitution expects from this Parliament and every member present in this House to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen and make necessary laws for them, keeping national interest paramount," said President Kovind. The President also lauded the way people reacted to the decision of the Ram Janmabhoomi. "My government is clearly of the view that mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy further. At the same time, any kind of violence in the name of protest weakens the society and the country," he said. President Kovind also spoke about the abrogation of Article 370. "The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution through two-thirds majority by both the Houses of Parliament is not only historic but it has also paved the way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh," he said. The President said that the government built the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in record time, and dedicated it to the nation on the occasion of 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. President Kovind said that 8 crore people were given free gas connections, 2 crore people were given free houses, and 38 crore people were helped with bank accounts. Also read: Economic Survey 2020 Live Updates: KV Subramanian to present report card on govt's economic policies today "On the special request of my government, Saudi Arabia increased Haj quota unprecedentedly, due to which a record 2 lakh Indian Muslims performed Haj this time. India is the first country where the entire process of Haj was done digitally and online," he said. President Kovind also spoke about the Citizenship Amendment Act. "I am happy that the wish of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi has been fulfilled through the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act by both the Houses of Parliament," he said. There was a brief uproar after his mention of CAA. Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy V Subramanian will release the Economic Survey for the ongoing fiscal today. Economic Survey is a detailled lowdown on the economic performance throughout the year. It also highlights the basic details of the main developmental schemes initiated by the government. The document also focuses on how these developmental schemes have fared and their effect. The Union Budget 2020-21 will be presented on Saturday, February 1. The first phase of the Budget session will end on February 11. The second phase of the Budget session is scheduled to begin on March 2 and end on April 3. Also read: Budget 2020: Date, time, expectations from Modi govt, where to watch Also read: 'Exemplary commitment': Veteran FinMin staff stays on Budget duty despite father's death Special DG, Central Reserve Police Force, Zulfiqar Hassan on Friday said that a major incident has been averted with the killing of three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in an encounter on Jammu-Srinagar Highway. Hassan visited Bann Toll Plaza and told media, "Three terrorists were killed. A major incident has been averted. It seems they were fidayeen. The terrorists were going towards Srinagar". The encounter had broken out between the security forces and terrorists earlier on Friday during the checking of vehicles near the Bann toll plaza. Director-General of Police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbagh Singh said that the three terrorists killed in the encounter which broke out in the morning on Friday, belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). "The truck was stopped by our personnel for checking. As our personnel were about to enter the truck, the terrorists opened fire and our jawans also retaliated. One of our jawans got injured in his arm due to a bullet, a terrorist was killed on the spot," Singh told reporters. He further said, "An operation was carried out with the support of CRPF and Army. During this, two more terrorists have been killed. As per preliminary reports, they all appear to be Pakistani terrorists and belonged to JeM, this group had crossed the International Border (IB) from Dayalachak area last evening and they were on the way to Srinagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kryemadhi and the delegation, which included her Chief of Staff Eriol Braimllari and Deputy Chair Petrit Vasili, toured the citys Museum of 120 Years of Struggle for Freedom in Iran and met with visited thousands of members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (PMOI/MEK). Kryemadhi said: What I saw, was shocking. But I felt privileged to have been given the opportunity to visit the museum and sensed the strength of women and men in your movement in the way they fought for democracy in Iran. I learned a lot from my visit. She continued: In your museum and in the book of martyrs, I found the force and motivation of the Iranian Resistance to fight for freedom and democracy. This is the same force that enabled the people of Albania to achieve freedom and democracy. She said, I now understand why the regime in Iran is so afraid of you because you have the mindset and the mentality to bring democracy to your country, something which is reflected in your Ten-point Plan. Rajavi expressed her gratitude to the delegation over the hospitality of the Albanian people, noting that she was delighted that the Iranian Resistance enjoys cross-party support in Albania. She then explained that the Iranian people are at a turning point thanks to the November 2019 and January 2020 uprisings, which demonstrated that Iranians are determined to end the religious dictatorship. She said: To achieve freedom, they are willing to pay whatever price. I have no doubt that Iran will be free very soon. Rajavi then praised Albanias expulsion of the Iranian regimes ambassador and three other diplomats, explaining that this vigilance and decisiveness is a sign of Albanias commitment to humanitarian values. She said: It also made it abundantly clear that the religious, terrorist dictatorship ruling our nation can neither change its nature nor its behavior. Rajavi also said that Albanias actions regarding the Iranian regime should be an example for all countries, especially in Europe. She said: The policy of appeasing the regime, which paved the way for terrorism, must be abandoned. It is time to adopt a decisive policy towards the godfather of terrorism and fundamentalism. Any investment in this moribund regime is doomed to failure. Albania wont turn its back on MEK Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed on Wednesday that his country would not turn its back on Iranian opposition group, the Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), during a press conference with Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels. Rama said: Albania has accepted to give shelter to several thousands of people, the life of whom has been threatened by the regime of Tehran. It is part of what we are, of our tradition. We have done also this thing as a humanitarian operation. We will not change our tradition and approach towards these people. As for the wrongdoing activities in Albania, we have expelled the diplomats and other people that are outside the regular activity of the diplomatic part. Rama also spoke, as hinted in his last line, about the recent expulsion of two Iranian diplomats Mohammad Ali Arz Peimanemati and Seyed Ahmad Hosseini Alast for activity incompatible with their diplomatic status, a phrase often used to talk about espionage. Albania previously expelled Iranian ambassador Gholamhossein Mohammad Nia and the Ministry of Intelligence agent Mostafa Roudaki in December 2018. Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, had said that Albanias expulsion of the two diplomats was courageous and admirable, saying other countries should learn from Albania that representative offices of the Iranian regime are centers of espionage and terrorism. Albania agreed to host roughly 3,000 MEK members, who were previously living in Camp Liberty, Iraq, where they were subjected to numerous attacks by the mullahs and their proxies, as well as an inhumane medical siege. The MEK arrived at Camp Liberty in 2013, after spending 30 years at Camp Ashraf, but when the US withdrew its forces from Iraq in 2009 and handed over the MEKs protection to the Iran-backed Iraqi government. On the orders of Iran, the Iraqi government imposed a medical blockade on Ashraf and attacked them several times, even though they had protected person status under the 4th Geneva Convention. Then, the Iraqi government forced the MEK to move to Camp Liberty, which was smaller and much easier to attack with missiles. The Iranian regime wanted to massacre the MEK in Iraq or force them to succumb to the mullahs. But they failed because of the strength of the MEK, the international campaign led by Mrs. Rajavi, the support by international personalities, and the kindness shown by Albania. New Delhi, [India)], Jan 31 (ANI): The family of a murdered merchant navy captain has appealed to Interpol (India) in Delhi for the extradition of the accused from Abu Dhabi, UAE. The case dates back to 2006 when a retired merchant navy captain, Manmohan Virdi, was murdered in Lonavala in Maharashtra at his bungalow allegedly by a person named Hussain and two others who later fled from the country to United Arab Emirates (UAE). Virdi's family have argued that the accused, who are Indian nationals, have applied for renewal of their passport. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director is the head of Interpol's India operations. ANI has accessed a copy of the letter written by the victim's family, which narrates their ordeal. "My brother was brutally murdered at our Lonavla bungalow. The Poona (Rural) police had registered FIR against Hussain Shattaf and two others accused who are involved in the murder case. I am urging to Interpol (India) to launch an investigation to extradite or deport accused murderer," the letter said. "An FIR was registered against Lonavala based Hussain and two others in the killing of merchant navy captain but the police failed to arrest the accused who managed to escape from the country," the family of the deceased alleged. A CBI official said, "The complaint of the said incident has been received and the agency will reply accordingly." The victim's family further said, "Hussain and his accomplices are now in UAE (Abu Dhabi) and have applied for passport renewal at India's embassy." "We want the help of Foreign Ministry and Interpol (India) so that he can be brought back and justice is delivered," Manmohan's brother Majeet said. The victim's family has written to the embassy of UAE in Delhi and requested them to help the Indian authorities in the investigation of the case. As per the medical report, Manmohan was murdered by a sharp weapon leading to skull injury and haemorrhage, according to his death certificate. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bank of Ghana (BoG) on Wednesday called on the Police Service to help it to identify hidden and unlicensed financial institutions that might be operating secretly and possibly taking advantage of vulnerable customers. Mrs Elsie Addo Awadzi, the Second Deputy Governor of the BoG, who made the call, said although the BoG embarked on a clean-up of the Financial Sector, there could be some institutions that were not identified. She was speaking when a delegation she led from her office organized a sensitization programme to enlighten the Police Service on their rights and responsibilities as consumers of financial products and services. The programme was also used to seek the support of the Service to restore confidence and trust in the financial services sector. She said the Police played a key role in helping BoG to conduct enforcement actions against financial institutions that violated the laws. However, it was necessary to reengage them after the cleanup exercise to ensure surveillance and weed out all unlawful behaviours in the sector. Financial services, she explained, required the BoG license to operate, therefore it was only prudent for the Police to report any institution it found operating without license and taking money from the public or promising unassured loans to the public to the BoG for appropriate measures to be taken to control their operations. We also have a different approach to deal with licensed financial institutions who defraud customers or treat them unfairly, she added. Mrs Awadzi said one key problem identified with the cleanup exercise was the misunderstanding and loss of confidence among members of the public. Weve seen too many fingers burnt in the recent past in Ghana. Weve seen too many people lose money, and its our definite hope that, that doesnt happen anymore. We are doing all we can to engage key stakeholders like the Police to enforce the laws strictly, she noted. As part of efforts to reduce the risks consumers go through, she said, the BoG was conducting a nationwide sensitization programme to educate them on their rights and responsibilities and the available protocols within the BoG. Mrs Awazi advised financial institutions to respect customers and deal with them in truth and transparency. They tell you the interest of the loan is just five per cent, but they dont tell you it is five per cent every day. Speaking on the steps taken by the Law Enforcement Agencies to arrest Mr Mike Nyinaku and Mr Prince Kofi Amoabeng, the Chief Executive Officers of the Beige Bank and UT Bank respectively, she said the action was in line with what the authorities might have found to be a conduct that needed thorough investigation. After the cleanup exercise, we passed all relevant information to the law enforcement agencies and we expect them to conduct their own investigations and proceed to do the needful if they found any behavior to have had criminal implications, she said. Deputy Commissioner of Police Frederick Adu Anim, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, expressed gratitude to the BoG for recognizing the pivotal role the Service in cleaning up the financial sector. He pledged the preparedness of the Service to join forces with the BoG to unveil the operations of unlicensed financial institutions. To sensitise a larger number of the Police, he encouraged service members who attended the sensitization programme to pass on knowledge acquired to all members in their various stations. 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 Proper structures must be instituted to ... Bank employees from across the country on Friday participated in the two-day nationwide bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), seeking early wage revision settlement and other demands. Several states including West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu are witnessing the protests. Employees have joined the strike as the early wage revision settlement has been due since November 1, 2017. In Patna, protesters were seen carrying placards that read, 'At the call of UFBU, All India Bank Strike' and a banner that said, 'Today the bank is on strike'. The protesters in Patna said that their contribution to the country's economy is never considered and the government policies have failed to address their problems. "The contribution of a bank employee is never considered in the country's economic growth. The income is not efficient enough. We had demanded an increment of 20 per cent in the salary but there has been only a 12 per cent increase in the salary. We do not see any development from the government," a protester bank employee in Patna told ANI. "We never want to hurt the people and disturb the functioning but the policies of the government have compelled us to come down on the streets," he added. Meanwhile, the protesting employees in Kolkata believe that the impact of the strike will last for long in the state. "All the nationalised banks even the private banks are supporting us. The impact can be seen here as the ATMs are also shut. North Bengal has been facing a huge impact," a protestor Sanjay Das, General Secretary All India Bank Officers Confederation, West Bengal. Similarly, bank employees in Chennai and Mumbai have also staged a protest and services at several bank branches and ATMs have been affected due to the strike. The two-day strike coincides with the Budget Session of the Parliament, which commences today. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on Saturday. Banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13. Also, an indefinite strike will be held from April 1. There are several demands to hold the strike including the merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The big beautiful monster Phase One trade deal between the United States and China may end up being truly beautiful for U.S. exports on paper onlyat least as far as energy is concerned. Analysts have largely concurred that the Chinese promise to buy additional US$52.4 billion worth of U.S. energy products in 2020 and 2021 on top of the 2017 levels of Chinese energy imports is most likely unachievable, even if China intends to fulfill all its pledges in the deal. Just read the fine print in the phase-one deal, which could undermine the promise of a U.S. energy export boom to China. The Parties acknowledge that purchases will be made at market prices based on commercial considerations and that market conditions, particularly in the case of agricultural goods, may dictate the timing of purchases within any given year, the trade deal reads. At the signing of the deal, Chinese Vice Premier Liu He also explicitly said that Chinas purchases will be based on the market demand in China, in line with market terms. In other words, China says its purchases will be driven by market conditions. If this turns out to be the case, China will not rush into buying huge volumes of crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), due to both governmental and market circumstances in energy trade, at least right now. Chinese tariffs on some U.S. energy products are still in place, market demand this year is becoming increasingly difficult to quantify with the coronavirus outbreak, and even the ongoing refinery capacity expansion in China is not geared toward processing Americas light U.S. oil. Chinas Tariffs on U.S. Energy Weigh on Market The problem with the market-driven imports of U.S. energy products is that Chinadespite signing the phase one trade dealhas not yet removed its tariffs on U.S. energy imports. Nor has it hinted after the signing of the deal that removal of those tariffs is imminent. China still has a 5-percent import tariff on U.S. crude oil, and another, much steeper, 25-percent tariff on imports of LNG. And the Chinese have not signaled yet they would consider removing those tariffs, which essentially make oil and natural gas imports in China uneconomical for many companies. Related: Tesla Shares Race, But How Long Will The Rally Last? While state-owned major oil corporations could be directed by the Chinese government to buy U.S. crude and swallow weak refining margins due to the higher price of imports with the tariff, Chinas independent refinersthe so-called teapotsare likely to continue to shun U.S. oil, according to Alan Gelder, vice president, refining, at Wood Mackenzie. The 5-percent tariff, if its not removed, would weigh on refining margins at a time when China promises to buy so much more U.S. oil, Gelder said last week. This would discourage the countrys independent refiners from processing large volumes of US crude, he noted. The national oil companies (NOCs) in China, on the other hand, have more wiggle room to stomach weaker refining margins from importing U.S. oil plus the 5-percent tariff in their large and complex operations, according to Gelder. Growing Chinese Refining Capacity Not Geared to Process US Light Oil Another market-driven consideration in Chinas promise to significantly boost its imports of U.S. crude oil is the fact that although China continues to expand its refining capacity, most new refineries that have come online over the past two years are configured to process medium high-sulfur crude grades, typically imported from the Middle East, rather than light low-sulfur crudes from the United States. Baseloads for the new refineries are mainly Middle Eastern grades so U.S. flows will likely push out West African or North Sea oil [of similar quality], Michal Meidan, director of the China energy programme at the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies (OIES), told Reuters, commenting on Chinas new refinery additions and oil trade flows in the U.S.-China trade deal. Now, political fiat will have to defy market fundamentalsas China has yet to lift tariffs on US energy goods or grant exemptions to buyersto ensure enough crude, LNG, LPG, ethanol and coal flow from the US to China, Meidan wrote in OIESs China: Key themes for 2020 report earlier this month. Still, total U.S. energy flows to China are set to increase from the current very low levels, Meidan and other analysts concurthey just dont see China meeting its ambitious pledges in the phase-one trade deal. Sliding Oil Prices and Coronavirus Outbreak At current WTI prices, to meet targets, China would need to buy about 1.1 million b/d of US crude per year in 2020 and 2021, equal to an additional $24 billion per annum, Gavin Thompson, Vice Chairman, Energy Asia Pacific at Wood Mackenzie, wrote in an opinion post last week. To compare, the record for U.S. oil exports to China was set in March 2018, when the U.S. shipped 469,000 bpd of oil to China. Related: U.S. To Become Net Oil Exporter This Year: EIA Moreover, at the time when WoodMacs Thompson quantified ten days ago the volumes necessary for China to reach its target, the current WTI Crude prices were still comfortably trading at around $58 a barrel. After the coronavirus outbreakwhich threw the markets in panic over expected weakening of already weak oil demand growthWTI Crude traded at around $52 a barrel early on Thursday. The low oil prices may lead to demand creation in nations heavily dependent on imports, especially the worlds largest oil importer, China. But the lower the price of oil, the more volumes China needs to buy to reach the target in the deal, which is set in US dollars, not in barrels per day. Sure, China could significantly boost imports of U.S. LNG to meet the US dollar target of energy purchases, but the current 25-percent tariff is utterly prohibitive for importers, especially at a time when LNG spot prices are at a decade low. Until China removes tariffs on its energy imports from the United States, there is little room for a U.S. oil and gas export boom on the Chinese market. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The United States on Friday named a special envoy to seek progress in the crisis in South Sudan, whose rival leaders have repeatedly missed deadlines to end their devastating conflict. The State Department said that Stuart Symington, a retired ambassador with long experience in Africa, "will lead US efforts to support the peace process and a successful political transition in South Sudan." The United States has been a major supporter of the impoverished, majority-Christian nation that won independence from Sudan in 2011, contributing around $1 billion a year in food and other humanitarian aid. A fallout soon after independence between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar has triggered brutal violence that has left almost 400,000 people dead and displaced four million more. African mediators have twice given the two leaders extensions in an agreement to form a unity government, with the latest deadline looming in mid-February. The United States has voiced anger at the bickering duo's failure to resolve differences and has imposed sanctions on two sitting ministers, accusing them of obstructing peace efforts. Search Keywords: Short link: ...If we look back 50 years from now on what we did on this problem well see that we did the research to lower the cost of zero-carbon technologies to the point we can afford it not only in our country but in the rest of the world, Foster said. The single biggest thing that we have to fix is transportation. Within the next couple of years, electric cars are going to be cheaper than gas cars." New Delhi: The pilot of the IndiGo Mumbai-Lucknow flight in which standup comedian Kunal Kamra allegedly heckled journalist Arnab Goswami on Tuesday has written to his airline objecting to the ban on Kamra, saying that at no point was he unruly and had obeyed the instructions of the pilot. The aircraft captain added that Kamra had never endangered safety or disobeyed any instructions, leading to questions about the way IndiGo had banned him, without any formal inquiry. Under the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), only a temporary 30-day ban can be imposed on passengers pending an inquiry by a committee. For offensive behaviour designed to provoke and create a disturbance, also seen as disruptive behaviour, a passenger can be banned for a maximum of three months, while physically abusive behaviour and endangering the aircraft and passengers carry bans of six months and two years respectively. IndiGo announced a ban of six months while other airlines Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir did not give any timeframe for the ban. Vistara has said that its internal committee is examining matters. Capt. Rohit Mateti is learnt to have written to IndiGos management, saying: I was disheartened to learn that my airline has taken action in this case solely on the basis of social media posts with no consultation whatsoever with pilot-in-command. This is somewhat unprecedented in my nine years of airline flying. Moving forward, am I to understand that the bar for interpretation of a disruptive passenger is lower/different when it comes to a high-profile case? I would like a clarification from the airline as it leaves a lot of room for ambiguity. Capt. Mateti has in his letter also given out details of the flight and the incident, saying that while Kamras behaviour was unacceptable and verbally abusive, at no point of time he did not comply with crew instructions. He added Kamra went back to his seat every time an announcement was made and he had later apologised to him about his conduct. He added that Arnab Goswami had been asked if he wanted to lodge any complaint. Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Star Wars actor Alan Harris has passed away at the age of 81 Star Wars actor Alan Harris has passed away at the age of 81. Harris played several differed roles in the original trilogy films, most notably Bossk in The Empire Strikes Back. He also portrayed a Stormtrooper in all three films. The British actor from Middlesex passed away on Saturday morning after battling with ill health. Imperial Signings confirmed his death on their Facebook page, saying: 'Very sad news has just come in that Alan Harris sadly passed away this morning.' The post added: 'Alan was a true gent and a fan favourite. 'Alan had battled health issues for a number of years yet still fought through pain to attend shows and meet fans. 'Alan will be sadly missed by fans around the world. 'RIP Alan Harris.' Harris was born on May 28, 1938 in Enfield, Middlesex, London. He worked as a male model before embarking on a career in acting. The British actor from Middlesex passed away on Saturday morning after battling with ill health In a 2014 interview, Harris said: 'I have no regrets whatsoever at leaving my modeling and theatre career behind.' Video game director and writer Cory Barlog paid tribute to the actor on Twitter, saying: 'This is sad. Bossk is one of my favorite characters. One of the few Star Wars action figures I had as a kid. RIP Alan Harris.' British producer Jonathan Sothcott said: RIP veteran actor Alan Harris who appeared in different roles in all 3 original #StarWars films most notably as everyones second favourite bounty hunter Bossk.' Beirut: Iraq said on Thursday that its military has resumed operations with the US-led coalition against the Islamic State, after their joint mission was suspended amid calls for foreign troops to leave. A statement from the office of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said the missions have resumed in an attempt to maximise progress against the regrouping jihadists ahead of a new US-Iraqi agreement that could lead to a significant reduction of the US-led coalition's troops. A US Marine carries a sand bag during the reinforcement of the US embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, in January. Credit:AP "In view of the continued activity of ISIS terrorist gangs in many regions of Iraq and for the purpose of exploiting the remaining time for the international alliance," Abdul Mahdi's office said, "it was decided to undertake joint actions that provide facilities for our forces." The joint operations and training missions were suspended after President Donald Trump ordered the killing in Baghdad of a renowned Iranian military commander, Major General Qassem Soleimani, and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Unilateral and unannounced, the US drone strike inflamed anti-American sentiment in Iraq, empowering Shiite political factions in parliament to urge the troops' expulsion. Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency, Samuel Nartey George says the ambulances procured by government and distributed to the 275 constituencies will not survive the roads in Ghana. According to him, the roads in various constituencies will destroy the ambulances. Sam George made this comment on TV3s Wednesday edition of New Day while discussing the distribution of ambulances by the government on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The Deputy Communications Director of the NPP, Mame Yaa Aboagye has slammed Sam George for being cynical. To her, the NDC delights themselves only in negativity. Sam George is saying the nature of our roads in the various constituencies will destroy the ambulances...Were they not the same people that captured in their green book that they have completed most of the major road infrastructure in the country or should it be assumed as Mahama's roads captured only in their green book and not on the ground?, she questioned. She urged Ghanaians to ignore the NDC but focus on the good works by President Akufo-Addo. Mame Yaa Aboagye further noted that President Akufo-Addo should be commended for delivering over 300 ambulances across the nation. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Eastern Washington University Gallery of Art is presenting Waveforms: On Rising and Falling, an exhibition of lens-based works by Joshua Hobson, currently on display through Feb 20. Hobson is an artist based in Spokane and is currently a lecturer in photography at EWU. He studied photography at the University of Florida and received a bachelor of fine arts in creative photography in 2007 and a masters of fine arts in 2017. Hobsons work is engaged with an analysis of, and experimentation with, the fundamental attributes of the medium. His practice incorporates tabletop studio photography,... Slovak government approves defense treaty with US US senators unveil bill to impose sanctions against Russia EU wants to help Lebanon avoid economic collapse CSTO to approve Kazakhstan peacekeepers withdrawal order German president calls for thorough discussion on mandatory vaccination Andranik Hovhannisyan elected UN Human Rights Council vice-president Aliyev: Peace treaty with Armenia not a guarantee for avoiding war Russian Foreign Ministry: Further NATO enlargement involves risks Aliyev not to let OSCE deal with the Karabakh conflict Ex-Mayor of Yerevan invited to police Boris Johnson apologizes for attending party during lockdown Global COVID-19 cases rise by 55% percent, deaths stable Thailand introduces $9 tourist fee Erdogan vows to tame Turkish inflation as scepticism grows Turkey's Turkic world ambitions face reality check in Kazakhstan Teacher in Baku beats student NEWS.am daily digest: 12.01.22 Turkish FM expresses concerns to Chinese counterpart OSCE Chairman-in-Office speaks on situation along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Iran cancels travel ban on common borders CSTO defense ministers council special session to be held Thursday Dollar loses value in Armenia Which NGOs, extra-parliamentary forces to be included in Armenia Constitutional Reform Council? 4,391 foreign nationals visit Artsakh in 2021 China calls on US to immediately close Guantanamo prison State Department says more progress must be made to salvage nuclear deal Measure ensuring implementation of law on addendum to law on Armenia state border is approved Davit Minasyan is sworn in as new mayor of Armenias Parakar enlarged community World Bank: Armenia economic growth expected to be 4.8% in 2022 and 5.4% in 2023 Azerbaijani Defense Minister receives new commander of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh Biden names Kamala Harris as US president during Atlanta speech Ombudsman: Azerbaijan is launching provocations in Armenia territories where it earlier invaded Russia-NATO Council meeting kicks off in Brussels Serdar Kilic is appointed Turkey special representative for Armenia Armenia ambassador to Georgia informs Switzerland envoy about Azerbaijan's gross ceasefire violation Economy minister: Armenia government was guided by political considerations when lifting sanctions on Turkey goods Turkey defense minister expresses support for Azerbaijan in another military aggression against Armenia Pashinyan, Putin discuss Karabakh, Kazakhstan Toivo Klaar: Deeply worried by reports of renewed incidents and casualties on Armenia-Azerbaijan Germany: A record 80,430 COVID-19 cases detected per day 3 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh Criminal case launched into 3 Armenia soldiers killing by Azerbaijan shootings Copper rises in price One of main tasks of Armenia peacekeepers in Kazakhstans Almaty is to prevent water supply system poisoning About 80 Americans cannot fly from Afghanistan Turkey parliament ex-deputy speaker: Armenia must fulfill 4 preconditions Border situation in Armenias Gegharkunik Province was calm at night French FM says talks on Iranian nuclear deal are progressing slowly 289 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Gold slightly rises in price North Korea says it successfully tested another hypersonic missile OSCE calls on Azerbaijan, Armenia to refrain from the use of force Oil is trading without a single dynamic US State Department welcomes announcement on CSTO forces withdrawal from Kazakhstan Newspaper: Ex-ministers are summoned to Hayastan All Armenian Fund parliamentary inquiry committee MOD: Armenia soldiers dead body found at midnight after Azerbaijan provocation Newspaper: Casualties of Armenia PM Pashinyan's 'era of peace' US concerned about EastMed natural gas pipeline project Giant fish sold at auction for over 16 million yen German Marshall Fund: It Is not too early to think about political change in Turkey Armenian Foreign Ministry: We call on Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from provocations Armenia's Geghamasar community head: The situation is stable now Queen Elizabeth II's favorite fast food revealed Human Rights Defender: Azerbaijani troops open fire on Armenian sovereign territory World Economic Forum: Cybersecurity and space pose new risks to the global economy Defense Ministry confirms Armenian side has 2 victims Satanovsky on sending Armenian servicemen to Kazakhstan Unofficial data: 2 servicemen killed as a result of Azerbaijan provocation CSTO and Kazakh Defense Ministry developing plan WHO thinks it's too early to consider COVID-19 pandemic European Commission to require Poland to pay fine of nearly EUR 70 million White House announces $308 million humanitarian aid for Afghanistan Erdogan angry at minister after efforts to strengthen lira failed Armenian FM has phone call with US Assistant Secretary of State India imposes one-week quarantine even for vaccinated tourists Armenian ex-president expresses condolences on poet Razmik Davoyan's death Traction Programme to showcase 8 startups during the Digital Demo Day Azerbaijan uses artillery and UAVs, 3 Armenian soldiers wounded NEWS.am daily digest: 11.01.22 Austrian Chancellor confirms plan for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination in February Armen Sarkissian and Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discuss situation in Kazakhstan Gulf, Iran and Turkey FMs to visit China 20 pregnant women with COVID-19 die in Azerbaijan in year Armenia hands over wanted US citizen to United States Economy ministry: Organizing of accommodation and public catering increased by 61.1% in Armenia Armenia parliament speaker expresses condolences on European Parliament President death Azerbaijan opens fire toward Armenia village sector, one soldier wounded Shoigu: CSTO peacekeepers deployed in Kazakhstan thanks to Syrian and Karabakh experience Azerbaijan official pledges to remove Armenian toponyms from Google Maps UN offers two plans to help Afghans totaling $ 5 billion in 2022 Armenia attorney general travels to Moscow on working visit Azerbaijan MOD blames Armenian side for soldiers death Dollar drops in Armenia Shirak Province captives families hold protest outside Armenia government building Rolls-Royce sales rise to record high in 2021 Ombudsman: Azerbaijanis directed gun at Armenia residents car in which his wife, 3-year-old child were ANCA urges President Biden and Congress to hold Azerbaijan and Turkey accountable for war crimes Serbia's Orthodox Patriarch tests positive for COVID-19 Brothers, sisters of 2020 Artsakh war military casualties to get compensation in lieu of their deceased parents Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Congress MPs sat on the fifth and sixth rows and refused to sit in their designated front row seats. New Delhi: Amid unprecedented Opposition protests, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday praised the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act as a historic step and a fulfillment of Mahatma Gandhis wishes. In his 70-minute address to a joint session of Parliament before the beginning of the Budget Session, Mr Kovind touched upon a number of issues ranging from facilities for Muslim students, the Ram temple in Ayodhya and the need to improve the economy. However, when he referred to the CAA, it was drowned in the crescendo of shame, shame from the Opposition. As soon as the President began praising the contentious CAA, which has unleashed massive prot-ests across the country, members of the ruling BJP began to thump their desks and very soon the Opposition Congress and other MPs were seen shouting shame, shame. Congress MPs, including senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, sat on the fifth and sixth rows and refused to sit in their designated front row seats. The Congress MPs also wore black armbands. At around 11.45 am, as the President was still speaking on the CAA, Trinamul Congress MPs got up and silently stood, some wearing white shirts with No NRC written on them, and other brandishing cloth placards with No CAA, No NRC and No NPR written on them. Not only did the President hail the new citizenship law, he also criticised any kind of violence, saying it would weaken society and the nation, without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests across the country, some of which have seen violence. The issue of atrocities against the minorities in Pakistan was also brought up by the President. He pointed out that mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy and also called for making this decade Indias decade and this century Indias century. It is our responsibility to honour this wish of the founding fathers of our nation. I am happy that both the Houses of Parliament have fulfilled this wish, by enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act. At a time when the country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, all of you have given paramount consideration to this sentiment, Mr Kovind said. On economic issues, Mr Kovind asked the people to use locally manufactured products for a better tomorrow, as he reiterated the governments commitment to make India a $5 trillion economy. He mentioned the Supreme Courts Ayodhya judgment, on the setting up of a Ram temple, saying that the faith reposed by the people of India in democratic institutions strengthens the foundation of our democracy. He also spoke on the abrogation of Article 370, saying there is happiness among the people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got their rights at par with the rest of the country. Today, after seven decades, the whole country is happy that the dream of crores of freedom fighters, including Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, has come true and the people of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, dalits and women from that area have also got the same rights as people in the rest of the country. The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution by a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament is not only historic but has also paved the way for the equitable development of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh. In that setting, the simplicity of the choreography is like cool water. It is challenging technique-wise, but instead of showmanship the dancers display calm control and unhurried musicality, even in the most devilish passages. Emma Hawes, in the Principal Fairy variation of the prologue, was in full command of time and gravity as she tossed her leg high, over and over, in a series of slow, sustained Italian fouette turns with no exertion, only floating buoyancy. (Bloomberg) -- Mark Zuckerberg used to want everyone to like Facebook Inc. Now, he doesnt care anymore. Zuckerberg, Facebooks chief executive officer, warned that this year he will take strong, controversial positions on issues facing his company. He is making the change after being told that for the last decade, Facebook didnt communicate its plans clearly because its management was too worried about offending people. This led to some positive but shallow sentiment towards us, and then towards the company, Zuckerberg said on an earnings call on Wednesday. And my goal for this next decade isnt to be liked, but to be understood. Because in order to be trusted, people need to know what you stand for. Over the last decade, Facebook has invested heavily in monitoring whether the company and its executive team were liked and respected, or considered innovative. It was an exercise that seemed to fit a tech giant that created the iconic Like button, and made strides in monetizing users interests. The company has regularly polled users on what they think about Facebook, and asked if they believe it is making a positive impact on the world. Zuckerberg hired speechwriters and consultants with political experience. In 2017, Zuckerberg went on a multistate tour to factories and farms and diners, professional photographer in tow -- a charm offensive that was likened to a presidential campaign. The strategy hasnt worked. Zuckerberg has become a favorite punching bag for politicians, regulators and even celebrities. The company has come under fire from all sides, simultaneously facing criticism that it allows damaging misinformation to spread too quickly, and attacks that its moderation of users posts amounts to censorship. Some note that Facebooks business model relies on a frightening level of surveillance of its users, while others push against the companys plans for encrypting the data on its messaging apps, saying that move would create a haven for predators and criminals. Story continues Zuckerberg says its time for him to take sides. He will push for encryption, he said, against those who say that privacy mostly helps bad people. He will also aim to limit Facebooks control over what people say and how they organize on the social network. And he will defend Facebooks advertising-based business model, which though it relies on user data, he said equates to standing up for serving every person in the world, not just those who could afford to pay a subscription fee.These positions arent always going to be popular, but I think its important for us to take these debates head-on, Zuckerberg said. So expect more of that this year. These matters public debate arent foremost on the minds of investors. On the earnings call Wednesday, they pushed Facebook to disclose more about its latest growth initiatives, beyond advertising in the social networks news feed. The companys shares fell 6.1% Thursday on concerns that its growth will slow and become more expensive. To contact the reporter on this story: Sarah Frier in San Francisco at sfrier1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jillian Ward at jward56@bloomberg.net, Anne VanderMey, Andrew Pollack For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. By PTI MORBI: A court in Gujarat's Morbi district on Friday issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress leader Hardik Patel for skipping a hearing in a 2017 case where he is accused of holding a rally without police permission. Judicial Magistrate S N Punjani at the court in Tankara town also issued non-bailable warrants against Congress MLA Lalit Vasoya, Amit Thummar and Manoj Kalaria. Of the 34 accused named in the FIR, one is dead, while 29 others, including another Congress MLA Lalit Kagathara, remained present in the court on Friday. The magistrate issued warrants against Hardik, Vasoya and the other two for not remaining present despite a bailable warrant issued earlier, and adjourned the hearing to March 27. While Vasoya represents Dhoraji seat in Rajkot district, Kagathara represents Tankara constituency. Before being elected on Congress ticket in December 2017 Assembly polls, both were part of Hardik Patel-led Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti which had launched an agitation for quota for the Patidar community during 2015 to 2017. A case under section 135 of Gujarat Police Act, which deals with `punishment for disobeying police order', was registered against Hardik and others for organizing a public gathering at Tankara in April 2017 without police's permission. Of the 33 accused, bailable warrants had been issued earlier by the court against seven persons. Among them, Hardik Patel, Vasoya and two others did not turn up even on Friday, while three others remained present. Hardik Patel, after spending seven days behind bars, was granted bail last week by two courts in different towns of Gujarat. Both the cases were about holding rallies without police permission. Irish MEP Deirdre Clune said she will miss her UK colleagues and pledged to represent Northern Irelands interests (Fine Gael/PA) Two Irish MEPs, who will finally be able to take their seats in Brussels when the UK leaves the EU, have sought to reassure people in Northern Ireland they will work to ensure their interests are still represented. Deirdre Clune, a Fine Gael MEP for the Ireland South constituency, and Barry Andrews, for Fianna Fail in Dublin, were elected last year, but could not take their places in the European Parliament due to the Brexit impasse. The pair were elected to two extra seats allocated to Ireland as a result of the departure of the UKs MEPs. Expand Close Barry Andrews said he is eager to start as an MEP and added he would try to provide representation for the people of Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Barry Andrews said he is eager to start as an MEP and added he would try to provide representation for the people of Northern Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) While Northern Ireland has lost its three MEPs, both Mr Andrews and Ms Clune pledged that it will not be left without representation. Ms Clune, who had previously been a sitting MEP, told the PA news agency: Whilst they dont have a directly-elected representative from Northern Ireland, well certainly be mindful of the fact that we need to keep the all-Ireland economy going, keep it strong because theres so much interplay between both sides of the island. Its in the interests of the people in the south that the economy (in Northern Ireland) continues to prosper there because its so interconnected. Mr Andrews said he had argued for observer status for Northern Ireland MEPs during the transition period, but that idea appeared to have fallen on deaf ears. He said failing that he is looking into taking a few days a year in Northern Ireland to speak to representative groups there about issues concerning them. Its not optimum, its nowhere near what it should be, but it might be something and it might be some consolation, he said. I'm not too happy that the UK won't be there and that those members will be goneIrish MEP Deirdre Clune As the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to back Boris Johnsons Brexit deal on Wednesday, MEPs linked hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. Ms Clune, who plans to travel to Brussels next week, said while she is anxious to get back, it had been an emotional time this week seeing the British and Northern Ireland MEPs say goodbye to the EU. Im looking forward to getting back to work myself and becoming involved again but overall Im not too happy that the UK wont be there and that those members will be gone, she said. It was a pretty emotional day really seeing the images on television and reading about it. Mr Andrews said while he will be relieved to start work, his first-time win was muted, given the circumstances. He said: Its mixed emotions because nobody in Ireland thinks its a good idea to have Brexit but Ill just get on with it. I wont be celebrating, it will be kind of muted. He added: Ive been anxious to get started. I suppose there is probably a need for additional representation as the British departure puts Ireland under pressure in terms of influence in the EU so theres plenty of work to be done and Im looking forward to getting started. Yesterday was an emotional day in Parliament. British friends, know that you will be missed. pic.twitter.com/HaRWsvnItE David Sassoli (@EP_President) January 30, 2020 Ms Clune described the UK members as good colleagues, and said their support on issues of common interest will be missed. I think they were very similar to our own outlook in many ways free markets, competition, an outward-looking trading nation. So thats similar to Ireland, we had a lot in common, she said. Theyd have been like-minded when it came to voting on committees and voting on issues. You could work with them. Looking ahead to the negotiations on a trade deal, she said while shes confident one can be reached, the timeframe in which to do it is really, really short. I hope that goes well for all sides really. At the end of the day were all neighbours so weve got to get along, she said. During 2019, Keith Dvorchik, CEO of The Roth Family JCC and executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando, and Aaron Weil, executive director and CEO of Central Florida Hillel, stepped out of their comfort zones and participated in an Encounter trip to the West Bank (Judea and Samaria). This was Weil's second trip, first as a participant in 2017 and this time as a facilitator. As Encounter explains on its website, this program is an intensive experience in which Jewish leaders are invited "to expand their view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and to be a positive force for communal change." Its mission statement says: "Encounter seeks to grow the Jewish community's capacity to contribute to a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in which all parties live with respect, recognition, and rights." Dvorchik and Weil shared their experience with an audience of about 75 people at The Roth Family JCC earlier this month. "It was an incredibly challenging experience," said Dvorchik in an article he wrote for Heritage. In the meeting he shared his trepidations of going on this trip. "I'm a passionate Zionist and Israel is a big part of family life," he said. The Encounter trip was his 17th trip to Israel, although the first of this kind. In fact, years ago when he was in Seattle, he was invited on this trip and he thought, "that's crazy! I'd never want to do this!" This time, Dvorchik rethought the invite. He wanted to hear what they were saying and see with his own eyes what was going on from the Palestinian perspective. He wondered, "is there any hope?" Having already been a participant on a previous trip. Weil said he was excited to have the opportunity to return as a facilitator to help others achieve the same balance of perspective and empathy that he gained from his previous trip. As an American-Israeli who lived in Israel for 11 years and the father of three young adults who live in Israel, he said that he felt that committing to the process of listening to the various Palestinian voices involved in the conflict was an important step in coexistence. The program is not designed to show the differences between the Israelis and Palestinians. The attendees were there to listen and learn, not push their own agenda. Dvorchik and Weil learned how the West Bank is divided: Areas A, B and C. Area A is under the Palestinian Authority's full control and includes all Palestinian cities and surrounding areas with no civilian Israeli presence; Area B is under the Palestinian Authority's civil control and Israel's security control and includes areas of dense Palestinian population with no; Area C is under full Israeli control, except over Palestinian civilians. This area includes all Judea and Samaria Jewish communities and their immediate vicinity as well as strategic areas dubbed "security zones." The Area divisions are not clear-cut borders but are scattered pell-mell throughout the West Bank, creating a Swiss cheese effect, making it impossible to form a Palestinian state without moving Israelis or Palestinians out of any of the Areas. Depending on where a Palestinian lives determines how much freedom to travel he has. If he lives in East Jerusalem (not under any of the Areas), he can travel anywhere throughout Israel and the territories. If he lives in the other areas, his movement may be limited by various restrictions. If he is a Christian Palestinian (1.5 percent of the population), he has a much easier chance of getting a visa than his Muslim counterparts who are not accepted in many other countries. Travel for most Palestinians is very time consuming. Often, to get from one place to another can't be accomplished in a straight line. For those who work in Israel, getting to a check point and crossing through can add hours to the commute. A 30-minute drive from one Palestinian village to another can take a few hours because they must travel around the many Israeli towns (called settlements by the Palestinians) springing up throughout the West Bank. Water is another problem. Israel controls the water that runs underground throughout the West Bank and for various reasons- including political -Palestinian communities experience uneven access to these water resources, resulting in real challenges for them. In order to build, a permit is required (in Area C) and it can take years to get a permit. Dvorchik and Weil saw an elementary school the Palestinians built in Area C without a permit. It is still functioning. However it may be just a matter of time before it is torn down, only because they did not have a permit to build. (So far, as told to Dvorchik, the Israelis have looked the other way). The tour group also visited Aida, a refugee camp that was established in 1948. It was originally a tent city, but now the residents are housed in buildings. While the residents of Aida have free healthcare, education and food benefits, the United Nations and the European Union seem to hold them hostage. If a Palestinian moves out of the camp, he can't return and gives up all the benefits to live in an area that allows him more freedom. Dvorchik stated that the Palestinians have to be part of the solution, the U.N. has to go. There is a vast chasm in the perceptions of the Israelis and the Palestinians. For example, Weil showed a sign that warned of entering an area controlled by the PA. In order to protect Israeli citizens, it is against the law for Israelis to travel to these areas without permission from the military. The sign is offensive to Palestinians because they feel it makes them out to be like dangerous animals. When the security fence was built, 84 percent of Israelis supported its construction because of its effectiveness in saving lives. Palestinians see it as an Israeli attempt to take their land as it cuts through their communities, interrupting their economy and society. It also cuts them off from some sites that are special to both Palestinians and Israelis. The Palestinians have erected a sign near Rachel's Tomb that says "The Wall here encloses Rachel's Tomb, a holy place, illegally annexed to Israel." Packed into the four-day trip the men met several Palestinians who shared what their lives were like. They met Alma, who has launched a nonprofit for Autistic children in the Aida Refugee camp; Osama is a "joyous person" even though he had served time in Israeli prisons. He sees the way to the future is not through hate. He has engaged with many Jewish people and learned "they aren't evil." He keeps a kippah in his pocket because he said he never knows when he will get invited to a Shabbat dinner and has even davened with them; Suzanne is an artist who wants to work with Israelis. They also met Sam-a very intelligent man, very politically connected, very wealthy, charming and scary-whom Dvorchik and Weil expressed a shared sense of trepidation over his calls for a civil rights campaign to be used as a hammer against Israel on the international stage. Dvorchik shared honestly that he felt that some of the Palestinians they met were so filled with hate that they would have shot and killed them given the chance. However, one of the highlights of the trip, and a ray of hope, Dvorchik said, was meeting Ali Abu Awwad. He is the founder of Taghyeer, a Palestinian nonviolence movement that encourages Palestinians to take responsibility for their future. Awwad gave Dvorchik hope that peace can be achieved between the Palestinians and the Israelis. At the conclusion of the JCC meeting, Dvorchik and Weil shared their take-aways from the Encounter trip. "It's a messy situation," Weil said. "It's complex because there are multiple narratives of truth and myth. One of my main takeaways is that just as we are committed to the land, the Palestinians also have an unshakeable connection to the land, and thus it is vital to our combined futures to reach out and better understand one another." Aaron Weil with an Encounter security guard. Dvorchik noted that before the Oslo Accords, signed in 1993, there was more cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians. "Oslo altered their lives," he said. However, Dvorchik shared his hope in the nonviolent movement co-founded by Awwad, who told the Encounter group that the Palestinians must accept responsibility for their own situation. "We've made them (Israelis) afraid," Awwad told them, "until we deal with our own anger." Dvorchik also shared what Awwad stated he believes are three truths Israelis and Palestinians have in common: "We both have: 1. No place to go; 2. Both histories are connected to the land; and 3. No one else wants us." "How do we get the Israelis and Palestinians to agree when there are six different opinions coming from each side?" Dvorchik quiered. "It is a challenge." Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:58:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close PARIS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron, in a televised address on Friday, called Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) a "historic warning signal" that must be heard across Europe in order to reform in-depth the bloc and better defend its interests. Hours before Britain leaves the EU at 2300 GMT on Friday, ending its 47-year membership of the world's biggest trading bloc, Macron recognized the "sovereign decision" of the British they had expressed in 2016 referendum, but said "this departure is a shock". The French president called for continued in-depth reform to rebuild a clear project, "in which the desire to leave won't be the answer to the difficulties". As to post-Brexit, Macron vowed to maintain close relationship with Britain. However, he said that it could not expect to be treated the same way as when it was part of the EU. "You can't be in and out. The British people chose to leave the European Union. It won't have the same obligations, so it will no longer have the same rights," he said. Macron also pledged to defend the interests of French fishermen, farmers and workers in the upcoming negotiations on the future relationship between Britain and the EU. "In this negotiation, we will remain united, all 27 of us," said the French president. As part of the EU-UK exit deal, an 11-month transition period begins on Feb. 1 to allow London and Brussels to strike an accord on their future relationship. That meant nothing will change in terms of people mobility and trade until Dec. 31, 2020. However, by 2300 GMT, Britain will lose its vote in the EU meetings which define the bloc's economic and financial policies. UPPER DARBY- A teenager is still missing after she allegedly ran off with her infant daughter from her foster mothers house in Upper Darby over the weekend, authorities said. Township police put out a notice on social media over the weekend inquiring about the whereabouts of Camiya Watson, who took her 4-month-old daughter without permission of her custodial guardian. Upper Darby Acting Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt confirmed Monday that the infant is safe and has been in the care of the foster mother for a period of time over the weekend, but Watson is still missing. Bernhardt said Watson is only allowed to have visitation with the child when the foster mother is home. Watson allegedly took her baby from the foster mothers home Friday and went to the Kensington section of Philadelphia. She called the foster mom on Saturday asking her to meet in Yeadon so she could pick up the baby. The baby was handed over to the foster mom on Sunday and then Watson left again. The foster mom called police saying she had the baby and the baby was safe. Bernhardt said Watson is on probation in the city and had cut off her ankle monitor. Upper Darby police have had no criminal involvement with Watson previously, but charges are now pending for being in violation of the custody order. Police are working with the District Attorneys office to investigate the visitation order to see if criminal action will be taken. The countys Department of Human Services and Office of Children and Youth Services are handling the custody issue, according to Bernhardt. If there were a playbook for how to be a successful, trendy Bay Area craft brewery in 2020, Fort Point Beer Co. would be breaking all its rules. The breweries who wrote todays playbook, the Cellarmakers and Fieldworks and Rare Barrels, are churning out hazy IPAs, pastry stouts, fruited sours the bolder the flavors, the better. They brew a new beer almost every week, available in limited quantities. To get it, you have to go to the taproom. The flagship beer at Fort Point, meanwhile, is its mild, light-bodied KSA, a Kolsch-style ale, which, like the rest of the Fort Point core portfolio, is brewed year-round and available in cans at your local bodega. In fact, until a few months ago, Fort Point didnt even have a proper taproom. Through a certain lens, then, Fort Point looks like the anti-San Francisco craft brewery. And yet it has arguably become the San Francisco craft brewery: our ubiquitous, hometown beer. Whats more, its design scheme perfectly transmits our citys aesthetic, with Bay Area landmarks like Sutro Tower and the Dutch Windmill represented through bright colors and bold lines. The San Francisco brewery is exactly what brothers Justin and Tyler Catalana had in mind when they co-founded Fort Point in 2014. There was a desire for a new craft beer here, Justin Catalana says. It had been three years since Fritz Maytag had sold the citys landmark brewery, Anchor, to two Skyy Vodka executives, who would soon flip it again. Anchor was in decline, he continues. We said, Lets set out to create the next Anchor. The next San Francisco brewery. Saturation was their priority. We wanted to set up a production brewery, Catalana says, not just a taproom. We wanted to be behind bars, in peoples fridges. Seven years later, Fort Point is producing 40,000 barrels of beer a year, putting them among the largest manufacturers in the city limits. The five-year plan is to reach 100,000 annual barrels. It distributes only throughout Northern California, but locally, saturation has been achieved not only in bars and peoples fridges, but at Safeway and in Dolores Park. It is attracting Silicon Valley venture capital of the sort typically reserved for tech startups, not breweries, raising $3 million from Circle Up in 2019. Now the company is in the midst of a new sort of transition. On the heels of opening its first real taproom on San Franciscos Valencia Street last fall, it will open two new locations this year, one in the Haight and one in Oakland. Its working backwards in the typical craft-brewery trajectory, opening taprooms after reaching scale. And that growth puts Fort Point in a funny position, because in the logic of craft beer, smaller is better. Scale is the antithesis of craft, Catalana admits. His company is still tiny relative to the industrial beer producers of the world. But everyone thinks were much bigger than we are. Does that work against them? Is the dream of becoming the San Francisco brewery at odds with what San Francisco beer drinkers want? The predecessor to Fort Point is Mill Valley Beerworks, the modest brew pub that the Catalana brothers opened in 2010. After college, Justin Catalana had moved back home to Marin County, armed with a yeast microbiology degree and few job prospects during the recession. For fun, he and his brother began home brewing. Then we decided to open a tiny beer cafe, he says. When the storefront next door became available, the brothers leased it, too. Their landlord gave them a $50,000 allowance to upgrade the space, says Catalana, and they posted a sign on the door asking community members for investment. We raised $170,000 from local people, in $5,000 to $10,000 increments, he says. That allowed them to build a small brewhouse. Mill Valley Beerworks was a success still is, though the brothers no longer make beer under the Mill Valley label and now stock the restaurant with Fort Point beers. But within a few years they were ready for a new challenge. We exhausted ourselves running a restaurant, Catalana says, and we were ready to do the opposite. That is, produce beers at scale. They crossed the bridge in 2013. They found a space to brew in Crissy Field. They re-packaged some of their most successful Mill Valley Beerworks beers. Drinking in the Park, an easy-drinking pale ale, became simply Park. Sweetwater Kolsch became KSA. For its first couple of years, Fort Point produced only kegged beer. (Given the current ubiquity of their cans, it might be hard to believe that they didnt begin canning until 2015.) To develop Fort Point into a full-fledged brand, they brought on Dina Dobkin, who is now married to Justin Catalana, as creative director. Trained as a landscape architect, Dobkin brought on Dogpatch studio Manual Creative to design Fort Points distinctive, eye-catching, geometric logo. Initially, it was mainly used for their tap handles. But the look, likely as much as the quality of the beers themselves, would play an invaluable role in Fort Points meteoric rise. Very quickly, we were on draft in 100 bars and restaurants in San Francisco, Catalana says. When they began canning, it looked like a risky move; cans werent in vogue yet. The only craft beer you saw in cans back then was Dales Pale Ale, says Dobkin. Fort Point helped change that. In fact, they saw the form as poised for innovation. We wanted to recontextualize what beer cans can be, Dobkin says, by creating a can that doesnt look like a typical beer can. With the help of Manual, she took the line-art drawings that had adorned Fort Points tap handles and expanded them in beautiful, explosive colors tangerine Animal IPA, cerulean Villager IPA, fog-gray Westfalia red ale on the shiny aluminum cylinders. She believes that the catchy design helped broaden the audience for Fort Point and for craft beer in general. People reach for the can in the grocery store not knowing that they like beer, she says. Then they discover that they like our beer. Meanwhile, a new generation of San Francisco craft beer grew up around Fort Point. As of 2019, California is home to more than 1,000 breweries, more than triple the number in 2012. In San Francisco alone, 22 new breweries opened between 2012 and 2017, on top of 13 existing ones. These new players collectively redefined a craft brewerys business objectives. For many of these new Bay Area players, success meant staying small. Frustrated by a wholesale market that favored industrial breweries, they self-distributed or didnt distribute outside their own taprooms at all. Inspired by the limited-edition hype of craft beer pioneers like Russian River Brewing Co., they began releasing one-off beers to generate taproom buzz. But most importantly, Bay Area breweries started making big, loud, aggressively flavored beers especially the current darling, the hazy IPA. Those beers steal all the limelight, Catalana says. But its an extremely vocal beer minority. Hazy IPAs, pastry stouts theyre not sweeping the nation, or even sweeping San Francisco. Lagers and lighter styles, like Kolsch, are what most people are drinking, Catalana says. And doubling down on these sessionable styles as light and easy-drinking as the macro-lagers, but with full flavor and craft ethos is what has helped Fort Point reach new craft beer drinkers, rather than catering to existing craft beer drinkers. What about the demand for all the one-off beers? Catalana says his team, including director of brewing Mike Schnebeck, finds the idea of brewing a new beer recipe every week impractical. We like the idea of making something better and better, he says. Once we have a beer, we want to build a brand around it. They launch new beers with occasions in mind: Park is an IPA for sipping on a sunny afternoon in Dolores; Villager is an IPA to drink with food; Animal is an IPA for standalone drinking. If Fort Point is trying to be the new Anchor, then KSA is its Steam. Last year it sold 166,000 cases of KSA in California, more than 10 times the next best-selling Kolsch in the state, according to IRI data. The next major beer launch is an Italian-style pilsner, called Sfizio (which means a treat in Italian, plus has SF built into it), slated for April. But, Catalana admits, were jealous of all the people making hazy IPAs. So theyre making some under the Black Sands brand, an S.F. brewery they bought in January 2019. Two new Black Sands hazys, developed entirely by Schnebecks team, are now on draft at the Valencia taproom. And Catalana says theyre considering resurrecting the original Mill Valley Beerworks label too, possibly to focus on botanical-inspired brews. More brands will follow, he promises. Its all a way to satisfy the companys appetite for experimentation without diluting Fort Points core message about clean, classic, keeping-it-simple beers. In that same spirit, the Fort Point taprooms will all look very different from each other. Fort Point Valencia, which opened in October (after theyd abandoned their original plan to open on Shotwell Street), is the antithesis of the utilitarian Bay Area taproom prototype. The room looks like a Fort Point can come to life, with brightly colored walls and neon displays of the line-art logos. My big question was: Does a brewery have to be dark? Does it have to look like a warehouse? says Dobkin, who worked for the architecture firm Lundberg Design before joining Fort Point. The Oakland location (formerly Trappist Provisions) is expected to open in March or April, and it will be a fully realized version of the hot dog kiosk that Fort Point has run in the Ferry Building since 2016. They hope to open Fort Point Lower Haight, in the former location of Black Sands, in the fall. With a full liquor license, it will be more of a bar scene, with more traditional table service and a more complete kitchen than the taproom on Valencia. Eric Ehler, the chef at Valencia, will be in charge of the menu. And there will be serious cocktails. Its a lot of growth, very quickly, and Catalana knows thats a complicated position. While Fort Point is saturating the Bay Area, and maybe eventually Northern California, it has no interest in global beer domination, he says. People see us everywhere, he says, but the truth is were only everywhere around here. For Fort Point to get it right, to cement its status as the San Francisco brewery, it will have to remain rooted in place not just in terms of its distribution footprint but in terms of its character. That character is in flux. Then again, so is San Franciscos. And Fort Point, like Anchor before it, is managing to draw on the citys own idiosyncrasies. To scale, but keep those roots: Will Fort Point be the brewery to figure out how to have it both ways? Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob With approvals being held up in New Jersey, PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC announced plans Thursday for construction terminating in the Lehigh Valley for now. The consortium of natural gas companies behind the proposal has been working since August 2014 to get permits for a 120-mile, 36-inch-diameter underground line. It would originate near Pennsylvanias Marcellus Shale gas-producing region in Dallas, Luzerne County, and end at Transcos pipeline interconnection near Pennington, Mercer County, in New Jersey. PennEast now says it is looking for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval to break the project into two phases. Phase One would consist of 68 miles of 36-inch pipe, constructed entirely within Pennsylvania and ready to carry natural gas by November 2021. Phase Two would complete the route through Northampton County and New Jersey, with a targeted completion of 2023. FERC on Jan. 18, 2018, gave PennEast two years to build the pipeline. The company earlier this month asked the agency for a two-year extension on that approval into 2022. The pipeline is planned to serve exclusively domestic customers, rather than for export, PennEast has maintained. Under the phased approach, PennEast says it would have three delivery points within Pennsylvania, tying in to UGI Utilities Inc.'s system to serve the Blue Mountain Ski Resort and new interconnections with Columbia Gas and Adelphia Gateway. There are no new private property owners impacted by Phase One of the project, which would terminate in Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, PennEast says. The new interconnections planned south of Route 22 and west of Route 33 would be constructed on property the company already owns. "Today's announcement is a big step forward for families and businesses in eastern Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region who will finally benefit from greater access to low-cost natural gas, by separating the certificated PennEast route into two phases," Anthony Cox, chairman of PennEast's board of managers, said in a statement Thursday. "In the years since the initial announcement of the Project, demand for natural gas has continued to grow, yet the benefits of new job creation, economic development, air quality, and lower energy bills have been denied to all customers by short-sighted political interests. Building the project in phases allows PennEast to meet the clear public need in the short term in Pennsylvania, and in the long term in New Jersey by affording sufficient time for permit and legal issues to be resolved." PennEast continues to pursue permits under the National Historic Preservation Act in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as Clean Water Act approval still needed in New Jersey. The Delaware River Basin Commission also continues to review the application for the project. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has held up PennEast's Clean Water Act permit, deeming the application incomplete. That is based on a federal appeals court ruling last year blocking PennEast from using eminent domain to acquire state land needed for the pipeline route. PennEast says it anticipates filing a petition due March 4 with the U.S. Supreme Court, appealing the September ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. As of August 26th, 2021 Yahoo India will no longer be publishing content. Your Yahoo Account Mail and Search experiences will not be affected in any way and will operate as usual. We thank you for your support and readership. For more information on Yahoo India, please visit the FAQ Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The African Union high level committee on Libya announced at its meeting hosted in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, Thursday that Algeria had offered to host a national reconciliation conference between the two parties in conflict in Libya Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 07:13:28|Editor: Liu Video Player Close LISBON, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said on Thursday that he hopes there will be unity among the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) in the negotiations of the future relationship with the United Kingdom (UK). Rebelo de Sousa told reporters, according to Lusa News Agency, that "it is in everyone's interest" to maintain a bridge between the UK and EU after Brexit. The president said he's moderately optimistic about the possibility of a reasonable agreement between the EU and the UK, but called for unity within the EU in the negotiations. "(If) there is no unity of the 27 (EU member states), there is no capacity to jointly negotiate an agreement," he warned. "This is an important moment for the survival and success of the European project," said the president. Regarding Portugal's relationship with the UK, the president said that they are "allies as always". On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to approve the Withdrawal Agreement between the EU and the UK. As of Feb. 1, the UK will no longer be an EU member state, although it will continue to apply EU law until the transition period ends at the end of 2020. Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, and the government formally notified the EU of its intention to leave in March 2017. Amys a mean boss. Elizabeth checked Native American on an application. Petes got problems with African Americans. Joe voted for a war. Bernies a socialist. No candidate is perfect. And each of the problems listed above is far more complicated and nuanced than it appears. For example If Sen. Klobuchar was a man, her management style would be common, expectedand unremarkable. But because shes a woman, shes viewed as nasty, and hard to work with. This country still has a massive gender problem, as is evidenced by the number of intelligent, thoughtful, and otherwise well-informed persons who still believe that a woman cant win. (Narrator: A woman can win if you vote for her.) Should Sen. Warren have identified as Native American on law school and job applications over the years? Perhaps not, although plenty of Americans have been told similar stories of distant relatives with Native American ancestry, and these stories have become a part of family lore for many of us. Did doing so give Warren a leg up, or any sort of advantage in the job market, or with admission to universities? The answer here is much more clear: No. The Boston Globe conducted an exhaustive examination of public records and spoke with every one of Warrens colleagues in her previous academic positions, and the verdict was clear. At every step of her journey Warren was seen as a white woman by those in positions to hire her, and at no point was her supposed Native American heritage perceived as giving her an advantage in the hiring process. While Pete Buttigieg has not attracted much in the way of support from African American voters, its not for lack of trying. His campaign has made serious attempts to build a diverse staff, and while their efforts have not been without missteps, their intentions appear to be sincere. In the last month, Buttigieg has picked up endorsements from prominent African American elected officials in Maryland and Iowa, exhibiting some progress, while acknowledging that skepticism still remains among some in the African American community regarding his candidacy. In October of 2002, Sen. Joe Biden was one of 77 US Senators who voted to authorize President George W. Bushs use of force in Iraq. He was joined by 28 other Democrats, including current senators Chuck Schumer and Diane Feinstein. By 2005, Sen. Biden was calling that vote a mistake, as evidence mounted that the push for war was based on faulty or misleading intelligence. Was Biden wrong to vote for the Iraq war? In hindsight, of course. But if Biden was wrong, so was a good percentage of the US public, terrified in the wake of 9/11, and misled by conflicting and inaccurate intelligence. Were going to defeat the radical socialist Democrats who are right down the streetThe Democrats will lose because America will never be a socialist country. These are quotes from president Trump at his rally last night in Iowa, abandoning his usual dog whistles for air raid sirens as his impeachment trial in the Senate appears headed for a quick and tidy conclusion, thanks to a complicit GOP and a chief justice unwilling to intervene in the proceedings. To be clear, Sen. Sanders identifies as a democratic socialist, not a socialist. But this is a difference without a distinction for an astute political scientist like Mr. Trump, who knows that his base cant be bothered with such subtleties. The irony here is especially rich given that the real socialism happening in this country at present is in the form of massive tax cuts for big corporations and the uber wealthy. So Now What? In the face of an explosion of memes and bots, deep fake videos, and a social media landscape thats become a toxic wasteland of anger and hatred, what are concerned citizens to do? In the spirit of positivity, here are a few suggestions for navigating the choppy waters of this turbulent political moment: Support your candidate with enthusiasm. Raise legitimate points about all of them. A vigorous public vetting process and primary will result in a stronger eventual nominee for the general election, so have at it. Just dont be a jerk when doing so. No personal attacks. No ad hominem nonsense. Respect that others may have different priorities for choosing a candidate, and that their intentions are as valid as your own. Listen to all points of view, and be intellectually honest and consistent. If you discover that your candidate has said or done something you disagree with, say so. It doesnt mean you no longer support that personit means that you value honesty and transparency. No candidate is perfect. Be vigilant in making sure your arguments are fact based, and dont share articles, memes, or other information that hasnt been confirmed and fact-checked. Be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. And most importantly, please remember that none of these candidates put kids in cages, mocked a reporter with a disability, banned Muslims from entering our country, or withheld military aid from an ally while they were at war to get dirt on their opponent. Any of the Democratic candidates above would be light years better than what we have now. Voting is both a moral and strategic act. Choosing ones candidate involves a process through which we determine who best aligns with and supports our core principles. Casting ones vote involves a process in which we make the best strategic choice between our final options. No candidate is perfect. Dont let the perfect become the enemy of the good. The stakes are simply too high. [CC Vote Badge image credit: BadgeMonkey | Flickr]. A man who enjoys free business class flights around the world after earning 10 millions frequent flyer points has shared his ingenious travelling hacks. Matthews Tyson, from Tasmania, has been a member of frequent flyer programmes for more than 40 years, and travels nationally and internationally at least once a month. He even bagged a free business class return flight with Etihad from Launceston all the way to London, which cost 280,000 points. Mr Tyson enjoys several business class flights every year thanks to a few savvy hacks to gain more frequent flyer miles (stock image) Matthews Tyson (pictured) shared his top tips for making the most from your frequent flyer miles The travel pro has now risen to the lofty ranks of Virgin Australia's Velocity programme, and even has Platinum status. The 64-year-old travel is a music examiner and founder of the St Cecilia School of Music in Launceston. He explained that while he gets most points from flying, taking advantage of loyalty promotions and bonus offers from the likes of Flybuys is the key to earning points. Flybuys points can be used in Velocity, meaning everyday spending at supermarkets can make all the difference. With Virgin's Velocity programme, travellers are upgraded to business class four times a year for free. But despite finding Virgin's offering the most useful, Mr Tyson explained budding travellers should use numerous schemes at the same time to maximise benefits. 'You cant spread too thinly across the schemes or you wont get many benefits, Tyson told Business Insider Australia. 'Ideally, you want to have one or two frequent flyer programs but three would be the maximum.' His other top tip is to use a points-earning card for any day-to-day outgoing, as then you won't be spending extra money purely to earn points. 'Put your expenses on a points-earning credit card as youre essentially earning "free" points on things youre already paying for,' he said. He also recommended signing up to specialist newsletters, such as Point Hacks, which gives up-to-date information on all upcoming offers. Matthews Tyson explained he was a particular fan of Virgin's loyalty programme, Velocity, which offers loads of attractive benefits (stock image) HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR MILES Focussing on two or three programmes allows you to maximise your earning potential Take advantage of short-term offers and promotions Sign up to a specialist newsletter, such as Point Hacks Pool your pool with family members through Velocity's Family Points Pooling scheme Make a points-earning card your go to for day-to-day spending Get a Flybuys card and keep an eye out for shopping promotions - as the points can be converted into Velocity points Advertisement The pro also takes advantage of Virgin Velocity's Family Points Pooling, which lets all family members living at the same address pool their points and credits. This means that even if you're not the one flying, you can still earn the points. With a Platinum membership at Virgin, travellers can even gift a Gold membership to a loved one. Mr Tyson also recommended Qantas, with whom he has a Lifetime Silver membership, allowing him an extra checked bag for free. He is also a Gold level member with Air New Zealand Airports, which gifts customers free vouchers for hotels and rental cars. The travel pro has also been a member ding Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), talks to the media after the WHO's Emergency Committee meeting on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), during a press conference, at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, Jan. 30, 2020. The WHO has declared an global public health emergency over the outbreak of the Coronavirus. EPA The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was declaring the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 170 people in China a global emergency, as cases spread to at least 18 countries. The vast majority of the more than 7,800 cases detected globally, according to the latest WHO data, have been in China, where the virus originated in an illegal wildlife market in the city of Wuhan. But nearly 100 cases have emerged in other countries, spurring cuts to travel, outbreaks of anti-China sentiment in some places and a surge in demand for protective face masks. In Hubei province - of which Wuhan is the capital - some 60 million people are living under virtual lockdown as China seeks to contain the epidemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, praised China's response in a news conference in Geneva but said the WHO was concerned about the virus spreading to countries that did not have the resources to deal with it. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," he said. The move will trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines to all countries, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence it can beat the "devil" virus. Experts are particularly concerned about person-to-person transmission cases outside China, which suggest greater potential for the virus to spread further. The United States became the fourth country to report such a case on Thursday. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the flu-like virus was confirmed in a man in Illinois, bringing the total number of U.S. cases to six. The man's wife, who was also infected, had previously travelled to China, but he had not. Korea confirms four new coronavirus cases, total now at 11 Airlines suspend China flights over coronavirus China reports new cases of virus, death toll rises to 213 "The vast majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to Wuhan or history of contact with someone with a travel history to Wuhan," said Teros. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the WHO decision was "absolutely right." "Declaration of an international emergency will undoubtedly sharpen governments' focus on protecting citizens," Farrar said. The needed public health measures would be a "challenge" for all countries, but would be especially difficult for lower-income countries, he added. The virus has spread quickly since the WHO's Emergency Committee last met a week ago. But there has been no death reported outside China and neither has the virus emerged in Africa. Italy became the latest country to declare confirmed cases on Thursday. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said two cases had been detected. ECONOMIC IMPACT Tedros said the WHO "doesn't recommend - and actually opposes" restrictions on travel or trade with China. Nonetheless, foreign governments have been flying home their citizens from Hubei and holding them in quarantine, while airlines including Air France, American Airlines and British Airways have stopped flying to mainland China. Economists fear the impact could be bigger than the 2002-2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which killed about 800 people and cost the global economy an estimated $33 billion. China now accounts for a larger share of the world economy and markets have been spooked since news of the virus emerged earlier this month. Companies have also been rattled. Alphabet Inc's Google and Sweden's IKEA were the latest big names to close China operations. China dominated U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's news conference on Wednesday. In China, thousands of factory workers on Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week due to travel restrictions, while in Hubei itself locals and visitors are living a new reality. "Most of the shops are closed. We cannot go out and buy food," Si Thu Tun, one of 60 students from Myanmar trapped in Wuhan, told online news outlet the Democratic Voice of Burma. ONE of the biggest protests on overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick in over three years is set to take place in the city centre this weekend. Organised by the Mid-West Hospitals Campaign, the march will commence outside St Johns Hospital this Saturday at 1pm, where a number of figures will speak. The protest is in response to high levels of overcrowding over the past three months, including in January when UHL set a new record for highest level of overcrowding with 92 patients on trolleys. Speaking on behalf of the campaign, Noeleen Moran said that a big demonstration is necessary to show massive support in the region for reopening EDs in Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns. Its scandalous that the leaders debate on Tuesday made no comment on the public health crisis, its time we made health a big issue for the last week of the general election. This will be a regional demonstration with people coming from Ennis and Nenagh, so we want a big turnout from Limerick. We will be marching in our county colours, so try to wear green. Speakers on the day will include Melanie Cleary from Corbally whose daughter Eve died tragically after being discharged from UHL, and Una Quish O Donnell who has led a campaign for her son Noah who is suffering from scoliosis. Ms Moran has not ruled out further action, she said, which could include a march in Dublin similar to the beef farmers protest. Whatever else, the politicians will know after this weekend that we are not going anywhere, she said in a statement this week. It is with great regret that we see our British friends leave the European Union, Ms. Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, said in a statement. We will work hard to ensure Brexit causes as little disruption as possible for the citizens, employers and financial markets in the euro area and the rest of the E.U. The European Central Bank and the Bank of England have already set up a system to swap pounds and euros to ensure that banks dont run short of either currency. Bank regulators on both sides have agreed to continue sharing information. And the European Central Bank has already issued licenses for 25 banks relocating from Britain to the euro currency zone. Britain was never a member of the eurozone. But as a member of the European Union it contributed about 58 million euros, or $64 million, to the European Central Banks capital. It will now get that money back. But fears that Brexit could hurt the European economy may already be proving justified. The eurozone grew only 0.1 percent during the last three months of 2019 compared with the previous quarter, according to official statistics published on Friday. That was a significant slowdown from previous quarters and meant that the 19 countries in the eurozone grew only 1.2 percent during last year, according to a preliminary estimate. The specter of recession is back, Christoph Weil, an economist at Commerzbank in Frankfurt, said in a note to investors on Friday. Eurostat, the official statistics agency, didnt give a reason for the slowdown. But one factor was probably the uncertainty caused by Brexit, which has made businesses hesitant to hire or to invest in expansion. Trade between the European Union and Britain has also shrunk since the country voted to leave. Rehabilitation of town roads in Wenchi in the Bono Region has resumed after it was abandoned in 2015. Work has been progressing steadily and the construction firm working on the 10-km project, PMC Construction Limited, has indicated that about 60 per cent of the work has been completed. According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Alhaji Abdallah Ahmed-Abdallah, at least 80 per cent of the road would have bituminous surface by April, this year, Besides the bitumen, the construction of culverts on the Wenchi-Techiman road will start. The CEO gave an assurance when the Minister of Planning, Professor George Gyan-Baffour, inspected the work on Monday. The minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Wenchi, was accompanied by officials of the Ghana Highway Authority (GHA) and the Wenchi Municipal Assembly. Award of contract The contract for the project was awarded by the immediate past government in 2014 but non-payment of completed works led to the contractor abandoning the site after about 30 per cent of the work was done. Work resumed about three months ago when the current government released some money to the contractor . Government commendation Briefing the minister, Alhaji Ahmed-Abdallah said the work being done was of the highest quality. He assured the minister that the company would not disappoint the government and the people of Wenchi and commended the government for reviving the project. Alhaji Ahmed-Abdallah also praised the minister for his intervention which got the government to release funds for work to resume. Assurance Prof. Gyan-Baffour said the resumption of work on the Wenchi town roads was a testament to the importance the government attached to roads development in the country. He said Wenchi was getting its fair share of the national cake and urged the people to continue to support the government to do more for the area. Source: Daily Graphic 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 former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan handed over to Muhammadu Buhari on May 29, 2015, but the Nigerian Embassy in China is filled with outdated informations. In fact, Nigerias embassy website in Beijing still recognizes Goodluck Jonathan as Nigerian president, five years after he was voted out of the office. Also, Aminu Wali still appears as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He occupied that position between 2014 and 2015. This is despite the fact Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari has visited the Asian country twice since he emerged as the president since 2015. Although the embassy was without an ambassador for more than three years, Buhari in August 2017 appointed Ambassador Baba Ahmad Jidda, OFR, as the head of the embassy. Three years after his appointment, Jiddas name is conspicuously missing. A search of the website did not return any result for him. With very old updates on the website, it is unsurprising that Jidda nor his office has not made any public announcement or release a press statement since the outbreak of the dreaded coronavirus to Nigerians in China. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has asked Nigerians to avoid travelling to China for now because of the coronavirus disease spreading across the Asian country. The FG also advised all passengers from China to stay in isolation for two weeks before reuniting with their families. Elsa Pataky has been doing her part to support Australian bushfire relief efforts. The wife of Chris Hemsworth took to Instagram on Friday to share an adorable photo of a baby kangaroo she had rescued. 'Rescue joey. Such a cutie!!' the 43-year-old model and actress captioned the image. 'Such a cutie': Elsa Pataky, 43, shared an adorable photo with her new rescue joey to Instagram on Friday, as she continues to support Australian bushfire relief efforts In the photo, Elsa stood in front of a brick fireplace and cradled the joey in her arms. Her blonde locks were tied back in an effortless style and she beamed at the camera. A day prior, Elsa told Instagram fans that she has joined the 'Koala Comeback Campaign'. By purchasing a powerful image by photographer David Yarrow, 50 per cent of funds will go towards Earth Alliance's Australia Wildfire Fund. Worthy cause: Elsa has also joined the 'Koala Comeback Campaign'. By purchasing a powerful image by photographer David Yarrow, 50 per cent of funds will go towards Earth Alliance's Australia Wildfire Fund, and the remainder to local wildlife organisations Remaining donations will support local organisations working on wildlife rehabilitation and habitat restoration. Elsa and husband Chris' other bushfire relief efforts include auctioning off a personal training session and donating $1million to firefighters and residents affected. The 36-year-old actor, who is best known for playing Thor in the Marvel Universe franchise, announced his donation on Instagram earlier this month. 'As you're well aware, the bushfires in Australia have caused massive devastation. They continue to burn, there's warmer weather on its way, we're really still in the thick of it here and there's plenty of challenging times ahead,' he began. Thor to the rescue! Elsa's husband Chris (pictured) pledged $1million towards helping firefighters and residents affected by the Australian bushfires earlier this month 'What we need is your support and your donations. I'm going to put forward a million dollars and was hoping that all of you could contribute in any way, shape or form. 'Every dollar counts. That money goes directly to the firefighters, the people on the frontline, the people who have suffered, the communities that have taken a hit and who are in desperate need of our support.' He added: 'I want to say a huge "thank you" to everyone who's sent all their well-wishes and donations already. It's greatly appreciated here in Australia.' Important message: 'The bushfires in Australia have caused massive devastation. They continue to burn, there's warmer weather on its way, we're really still in the thick of it here and there's plenty of challenging times ahead,' said Chris Australia's bushfire season arrived early in October 2019. So far, a total of 34 people have died in the horror blazes, and more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed. It's been estimated that over a billion animals have died across the country. With $4 million in matching funds from the National Institutes of Health, the University of Washington has created a new integrated center to match biomedical discoveries with the resources needed to bring innovative products to the public and improve health. The University of Washington and regional partner institutions produce some of the most exciting biomedical discoveries and technologies in the world, but we always find it challenging to support their product development as they move into the early commercialization phases." Rodney Ho, professor in the UW School of Pharmacy, new center's executive director With well over a billion dollars in research funding annually, the University of Washington is an engine of discovery and generates more than $15 billion in the state's economy. UW's newly funded Washington Entrepreneurial Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (WE-REACH), with an annual budget boosted to $1.4 million by contributions from other partners, is organized to mentor and support biomedical entrepreneurs as well as provide project funding to fuel four to six biomedical startups a year with up to $200,000 each. Those projects will include innovative disease treatments, new drugs, diagnostics, genetic testing and health technologies. Ho said the center will support innovation steps not typically supported by research grants, such as human clinical trials or the development of and access to products. In addition to the NIH, WE-REACH partners include the UW Institute of Translational Health Sciences, UW CoMotion, the Institute for Protein Design and the School of Pharmacy. Innovators will receive guidance from multiple academic departments and regional institutions. Those institutions include the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute, Seattle Children's and other universities in the five states that make up the WWAMI region. "We are delighted to welcome WE-REACH as a partner," said Tong Sun, executive director of the Institute of Translational Health Sciences. "At ITHS we are committed to accelerating the translation of discoveries to the clinic. WE-REACH investigators will be able to leverage ITHS programs and resources, so they can help us in our mission to improve health in our communities. This is a very exciting area of translation that we are happy to support." WE-REACH is one of five national commercialization hubs selected for funding by the NIH in 2019. "The journey of biomedical discoveries to products that improve people's health is expensive and risky. The process requires strategic investment of know-how as well as financial support from public-private partnerships," said Ho. "Spinning life science innovations out of research institutions requires expertise and funding that is hard to source in the academic environment," adds Fiona Wills, assistant vice president, innovation development at CoMotion, UW's collaborative innovation hub. "WE-REACH builds on the infrastructure CoMotion has developed, including our gap fund and training, to provide critical resources needed to de-risk promising technologies into preclinical and clinical development." The new center will be located in the South Campus Center on the University of Washington's Seattle campus and at the Institute of Translational Health Sciences in UW Medicine South Lake Union. It will be staffed by Professor Rodney Ho, Executive Director; Terri Butler, Associate Director of Outreach and Partnerships; Matthew Hartman, Coordinator; Christine Jonsson, Administrator; and new hires in project management and technology management roles. For information on the new center and how to submit a grant proposal, please contact Matthew Hartman at [email protected] or 561-339-0676. The next round of grant funding requires a declaration of intent by Feb. 7 and complete submission by May 1. Gumps is turning its temporary holiday store into a semipermanent home on Post Street, a block from where the famed San Francisco retailer shut its doors amid bankruptcy in late 2018. San Francisco still has a great many challenges, and we do feel the condition of the city diminished our companys sales at Christmas, said John Chachas of New York, whose family purchased the Gumps business after the bankruptcy filing. But our reception by devoted Bay Area residents convinced us to keep trying. Since 1861, Gumps has been a destination for San Franciscans seeking unique and beautiful gifts, including jewelry, finely crafted ornaments, apparel and furniture. The Chachas family set up the 2,000-square-foot temporary shop in Union Square over the holidays and said sales would determine whether that stay would be extended. Revenue was not mind blowing, Chachas said, but San Francisco had something other cities didnt long-standing and loyal customers and employees who are deeply familiar with the stores products. Still, Gumps is hardly immune to the factors that are hurting other San Francisco retailers, including online shopping and high rents. Chachas said his staff he hired employees from the old Gumps took products to customers instead of waiting for people to walk into the store. We took fine jewelry to a handful of customers outside the city, he said. This is the reality of retail, and San Francisco is no picnic. Chachas said he has signed a lease for two years, to the end of 2021, after which he has options to renew. He declined to give holidays sales figures and or say how much he is paying for rent. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Chachas did say that he is considering a second Gumps location. It could be in the Bay Area, maybe in Palo Alto, he said. Or Florida or Texas, but I can assure it wont be in San Francisco. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika Chinese travellers were returning back to Wuhan from Thailand on Friday, amid growing worldwide restrictions on flights in and out of the city at the epicenter of a new deadly virus outbreak. Earlier on Friday, Thailand said a taxi driver became its first case of person-to-person spread. The Southeast Asian country, a popular travel destination for Chinese, has counted 19 cases in all. Officials said over 20,000 tourists arrived in Thailand from Wuhan, around 10,000 still remain in the country. Several major airlines this week announced suspensions of their flights to China. Wuhan has been under tight lockdown as Chinese authorities seek to contain further spread of the virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 21:25:47|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on Friday said that releasing radioactive water from the disaster-hit Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean would be a preferable option than releasing it into the atmosphere. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc., the operator of the crippled nuclear plant that underwent core meltdowns after being pummeled by a devastating earthquake-triggered tsunami in 2011, has said that it is running out of storage tanks to hold water used to cool the melted-down cores. The government has been looking into ways to dispose of more than 1 million tons of water used to cool the cores, with the plant struggling to store the water, the amount of which is rising by around 150 tons per day. After cooling the melted-down cores, the radioactive water is treated before being stored in the tanks by an Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS). This process, however, does not remove tritium and some other radioactive materials. METI has said that among other options, including injecting the toxic water deep into the ground, releasing it into the atmosphere after extracting hydrogen, or making it into a solid state and burying it underground, dumping it into the Pacific Ocean or vaporizing it and releasing it into the atmosphere remain the best options. Both are "realistic options," METI told a government subcommittee on Friday. The industry ministry also said that releasing the radioactive water into the ocean would make it easier to monitor radiation levels. Previously, however, subcommittee members have voiced their concerns over how different factors could affect the impact of the release of the contaminated water into the ocean, such as the weather and the currents of the ocean. In addition, concerns have been voiced over the actual amount of radiation that humans could be internally exposed to when factoring in their consumption of contaminated fish and seaweed. The ministry said that gaining the understanding of local residents would be important before a final decision is made, although there has already been strong resistance to the idea from local fisherman whose livelihoods would be threatened if not wreaked. They have said that their businesses could be wiped out as consumers would be too scared to eat the seafood from Japan's northeastern Fukushima Prefecture in the event radioactive water was to be dumped into the ocean where they operate. Some neighboring countries have also voiced their opposition to the idea of discharging the water into the ocean or atmosphere, citing environmental concerns. Nothing tickles the human imagination like the possible existence of a character shrouded in mist and legend from times long past. The notorious Queen of Sheeba or Bilqis in Arabic (or Makeda as she is referred to in Ethiopia), fits this description like a glove - which is why we are still talking about this elusive woman today. The first mention of Queen of Sheba can be traced to the Bible and the Quran, which makes the story even more compelling. Regardless of evidence supporting (or not) her existence, it is widely thought that she hailed from todays Ethiopia, and they certainly hold her in high regard to this day. In fact, for Ethiopian people, she is the emblem that defines their identity as a nation. They believe she is the founder of the Solomonic Dynasty, which ended with the death of Haile Selassie in 1975. The Queen of Sheeba in the Bible and the Quran In both stories, the Queen of Sheba is a powerful, wise, and clever woman who ruled northwest Africa. Unsurprisingly, these two stories continue in much the same way since both describe that the Queen of Sheeba visited the famous King Solomon. Also, in both these narratives, she comes bearing tremendous gifts of gold, exotic spices, and precious stones. She had come to the Holy City because she had heard of King Solomons great wisdom, and she wanted to test it with some riddles. King Solomon meets the Queen of Sheba. Credit: Kenneth Sponsler / Shutterstock.com Additionally, since her people worshiped the Sun, Kind Soloman set out to turn her into a believer. Apparently, since Soloman was able to answer all her questions, she indeed renounces her pagan ways and embraces God/Allah/Yahweh. Ultimately, when she goes back to her kingdom, her people also embrace the new faith. Of course, it must be mentioned that King Solomon lived before Judaism, Christianity, and Islam split, which accounts for the similarity in these stories. The Twist in Kebra Nagast However, while the Bible simply states that the Queen of Sheba returned to her people bringing with her the faith, in Kebra Nagast, which is Ethiopian foundation story and national epic, she returned pregnant with King Solomons son. She gave birth to the boy, and he was called Menilek and thus started the Solomonic dynasty, which ended in 1975 when Haile Selassie died. The story states that Menilek returned to see his father many years later, and even though King Solomon asked him to stay and rule with him, Menilek returned home and took with him the Ark of the Covenant. He took the Ark back to Aksum where is still kept today, in St Marys Church, in a specially built treasury. What Does Archaeology Say? Sadly, very little. While some argue that the land of Sheba or Saba (the Arabic version of the Hebrew word Sheba) designates the Saben kingdom, which is in present-day Yemen, which makes the existence of this woman possible, conclusive evidence is missing. And while many believe the numerous stories must be based on something, to this day, nobody can say for certain that the mysterious Queen of Sheba truly existed. However, archaeologists and historians are still trying to unearth evidence. However, to this day, the tales continue and hold the interest of many across the world. New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday (January 31) has detained student protesters of Jamia Milia Islamia who were sitting outside the police headquarters at ITO. The demonstrations began last night condemning the firing incident near Jamia which left one student injured. The protesters voiced their anguish at yesterday's incident. A gunman brandished his weapon at the public in the presence of police and fired towards the marching students. In wake of the sit-in protest, Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory saying: "Traffic movement is closed from A-Point towards PHQ-Vikas Marg due to protest/demonstration by students at old PHQ building." Yesterday, students of Jamia Milia Islamia university were holding a march towards Raj Ghat on the occasion of the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, when the gun-totting man moved towards the students and threatened them. He identified himself as "Ram Bhakt" and fired one round, injuring a student. Live TV A statement issued by the Delhi Police on the incident read: "At around 1:30 pm, while the gathering was moving, one person suddenly came out of it brandishing a small firearm like object and within a split second before anyone could assess or react to what he was doing, the man suddenly fired towards the marching students. The police staff immediately rushed towards the person and overpowered him. As the barricades were tied with each other to deal with the proposed march, the injured was immediately taken to the nearest hospital -- Holy Family by lifting him from behind the barricades in order to save precious time," Delhi Police said in a statement. A case has been registered under section 307 IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act at New Friends Colony police station the statement said. WASHINGTON An end to President Trumps impeachment trial appeared closer late Thursday when one influential Republican senator said he would not support a call for more witnesses. Earlier, one of Trumps attorneys tried to explain his controversial defense. Meanwhile, another Republican senator was dramatically thwarted in his questioning by Chief Justice John Roberts. Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexanders announcement late Thursday that he will oppose calling more witnesses all but dashed Democratic efforts to hear more testimony. Another key Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, said she would vote for more witnesses, but it would take four GOP senators to break with the majority and join with Democrats to tip the outcome. There is no need for more evidence, Alexander said in his statement. While he said it was inappropriate for the president to ask Ukraine to investigate a political rival, he said the House charges, even if true, do not meet the Constitutions treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors standard for an impeachable offense. Collins said she wanted the House Democrats prosecuting the case and the presidents defense attorneys to agree on a limited and equal number of witnesses for each side. A vote on witnesses, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end of the trial with the expected acquittal. Alan Dershowitz, one of Trumps lawyers and a renowned Harvard professor, delivered a stunning defense of Trump Wednesday night that essentially would make it impossible to impeach a president for anything he might do to boost his re-election prospects. The argument was quickly and forcefully denounced by legal scholars, historians and editorial boards who said there are clear limits on presidential authority. Dershowitz seemed to backtrack Thursday, saying his remarks have been misinterpreted. But Democrats seized on them as they pressed their case for Trumps removal from office for tying the release of military aid to Ukraine to an investigation of his political rivals. I never said a president could do anything to get re-elected, Dershowitz said on Twitter. A president seeking re-election cannot do anything he wants. He is not above the law. But Democrats said that is exactly what Dershowitz claimed Wednesday: If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment, he said on the Senate floor. Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead Democratic prosecutor called Dershowitzs argument a descent into constitutional madness. Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky roiled the trial briefly Thursday as he tried to ask about the intelligence community whistle-blower whose complaint led to the investigation that resulted in impeachment. Paul has said he believes the whistle-blower may have conspired with House staff aides in writing the August complaint. Roberts, who has told senators the whistle-blowers identity should be protected, refused to read the question aloud. He did not say what was on the card. In a rare show of bipartisanship, two Democrats Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and West Virginias Joe Manchin joined with two Republicans, Alaskan Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins of Maine, to ask a question. The lawmakers wanted to be assured by the president that private citizens would not conduct foreign policy unless theyve been specifically designated by the State Department to do so. The question referred to Trumps personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who played a key role in the Ukraine investigation. White House lawyer Patrick Philbin said Giuliani was merely a source of information for Trump on Ukraine and was not conducting foreign policy. Even George Washington relied on trusted confidants, Philbin noted. Matthew Daily is an Associated Press writer. Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Launch Tech (HKG:2488) share price has dived 43% in the last thirty days. Given the 63% drop over the last year, some shareholders might be worried that they have become bagholders. What is a bagholder? It is a shareholder who has suffered a bad loss, but continues to hold indefinitely, without questioning their reasons for holding, even as the losses grow greater. Assuming nothing else has changed, a lower share price makes a stock more attractive to potential buyers. In the long term, share prices tend to follow earnings per share, but in the short term prices bounce around in response to short term factors (which are not always obvious). So, on certain occasions, long term focussed investors try to take advantage of pessimistic expectations to buy shares at a better price. Perhaps the simplest way to get a read on investors' expectations of a business is to look at its Price to Earnings Ratio (PE Ratio). A high P/E ratio means that investors have a high expectation about future growth, while a low P/E ratio means they have low expectations about future growth. View our latest analysis for Launch Tech How Does Launch Tech's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers? Launch Tech has a P/E ratio of 9.25. As you can see below Launch Tech has a P/E ratio that is fairly close for the average for the auto components industry, which is 9.9. SEHK:2488 Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 30th 2020 Launch Tech's P/E tells us that market participants think its prospects are roughly in line with its industry. If the company has better than average prospects, then the market might be underestimating it. Further research into factors such as insider buying and selling, could help you form your own view on whether that is likely. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios Probably the most important factor in determining what P/E a company trades on is the earnings growth. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. And in that case, the P/E ratio itself will drop rather quickly. So while a stock may look expensive based on past earnings, it could be cheap based on future earnings. Story continues In the last year, Launch Tech grew EPS like Taylor Swift grew her fan base back in 2010; the 107% gain was both fast and well deserved. The cherry on top is that the five year growth rate was an impressive 46% per year. So I'd be surprised if the P/E ratio was not above average. A Limitation: P/E Ratios Ignore Debt and Cash In The Bank The 'Price' in P/E reflects the market capitalization of the company. So it won't reflect the advantage of cash, or disadvantage of debt. Theoretically, a business can improve its earnings (and produce a lower P/E in the future) by investing in growth. That means taking on debt (or spending its cash). Such spending might be good or bad, overall, but the key point here is that you need to look at debt to understand the P/E ratio in context. Is Debt Impacting Launch Tech's P/E? The extra options and safety that comes with Launch Tech's CN46m net cash position means that it deserves a higher P/E than it would if it had a lot of net debt. The Verdict On Launch Tech's P/E Ratio Launch Tech's P/E is 9.2 which is about average (10.0) in the HK market. The excess cash it carries is the gravy on top its fast EPS growth. So at a glance we're a bit surprised that Launch Tech does not have a higher P/E ratio. What can be absolutely certain is that the market has become more pessimistic about Launch Tech over the last month, with the P/E ratio falling from 16.3 back then to 9.2 today. For those who prefer invest in growth, this stock apparently offers limited promise, but the deep value investors may find the pessimism around this stock enticing. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If the reality for a company is not as bad as the P/E ratio indicates, then the share price should increase as the market realizes this. Although we don't have analyst forecasts you could get a better understanding of its growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with modest (or no) debt, trading on a P/E below 20. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. A woman accused of decapitating her mother with kitchen knives and throwing her head on to a neighbour's lawn has recovered from the injuries she suffered on the evening of the alleged attack. Jessica Camilleri was charged with murder after the body of Rita Camilleri, 57, was found at a St Clair home, in Sydney's western suburbs, on July 21 last year. The 25-year-old was seen without a cast on her right arm when she appeared via audiovisual link in Penrith Local Court from Silverwater Prison on Friday. Jessica Camilleri (pictured) is accused of decapitating her mother with kitchen knives In the wake of the alleged attack, Camilleri had sported the protective shield, which was placed there by doctors, The Daily Telegraph reported. Magistrate Geoffrey Hiatt told the court there would be a case conference in March where Camilleri's lawyer Amanda Coultas could discuss the case and potential pleas with prosecutors. If Camilleri pleads guilty she could receive a discounted sentence, Mr Hiatt said. 'The amount of discount depends on when you plead guilty,' he said. 'The court's been advised that a case conference has been arranged for March 12. Camilleri was charged with murder after the body of Rita Camilleri (pictured), 57, was found at a St Clair home, in Sydney's western suburbs, on July 21 last year '[I will] adjourn to March 27 for a case conference certificate mention on that day.' A guilty plea would take Camilleri's court to the Supreme Court for sentencing, while a not guilty plea would mean the 25-year-old would face a trial in the same court. Camilleri - who has broken down in previous court appearances - was calm on Friday and thanked the magistrate. Camilleri did not apply for bail. A former Harris County Precinct 3 Constables Office captain is facing two felony charges after a woman told police he sexually abused her for nearly a decade in the 1980s, records show. Jack Hagee, 74, is facing charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child, according to court records. Hagee worked for the constable's office for decades and is the brother of John Hagee, pastor of San Antonio's Cornerstone Church. The woman told Baytown police officers that Hagee started sexually abusing her when she was five years old in 1989. She said she was abused three times a week for nearly 10 years, according to court records. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Charges upgraded for driver after Good Samaritan declared brain dead John Hagee told police he called his brother to confront him about the allegations, according to court records. During that phone call, Jack Hagee allegedly admitted to the abuse. "Oh my God, Jack," the pastor reportedly said over the phone, according to court records. He went on to tell his retired-cop brother that he was unwelcome in his home in light of the news, John Hagee's wife told police. A spokesperson for John Hagee offered the following statement on behalf of the megachurch pastor: "Since Pastor Hagee was made aware of this situation, he and his wife have offered and given their full and unconditional support to the victim, including respecting their decision when to go to law enforcement and also speaking to law enforcement on the victim's behalf." When police tried to interview Jack Hagee by phone, he refused to answer questions, according to court records. He was arrested Wednesday on the two felony charges. He is facing a prison sentence anywhere between five and 99 years. Jack Hagee worked two stints with the Harris County Precinct 3 Constable's Office between 1980 and 2015, separated only by a brief hiatus in 2012, according to spokesperson with the constable's office. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com STAY INFORMED: Subscribe to the Houston Chronicle for complete local news coverage. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:07:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIGALI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Vincent Biruta on Friday met with Rao Hongwei, Chinese ambassador to Rwanda, to express solidarity with the Chinese people and government on dealing with the novel coronavirus outbreak. Rwanda commended China for its response to coronavirus and support extended to foreign nationals including Rwandans, according to a statement by the Rwandan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "We have expressed our appreciation to China on their handling of the coronavirus outbreak and their support to foreign nationals including Rwandans living in Hubei Province. We remain confident in China's ability to manage this outbreak and contribution to a coordinated global mechanism," it said. The minister also thanked the Ambassador for support and provision of food and basic necessities given to the 155 Rwandans living in Hubei Province, by the local authorities in collaboration with the Embassy of Rwanda in Beijing, according to the statement. Rwanda continues to monitor the outbreak in partnership with China, the World Health Organization, and other stakeholders, it added. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Thursday that the novel coronavirus outbreak had become a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). 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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 Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) extended its heartfelt sympathy to those affected by the novel coronavirus in China, which began on the detection of the first case on December 31, when China alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) of several flu-like cases in Wuhan, the capital city of Central Chinas Hubei province with population of 11 million. To support local relief efforts, Toyota is donating a hefty CNY 10 million (approx. PHP 73.5 million) to assist the Chinese people in combatting the outbreak of the Coronavirus. The beleaguered nation has implemented an unprecedented quarantine since January 23, as it attempts to contain the virus which has so far taken the life of 170 people and infected almost 8,000 worldwide. In an open letter dated January 29, Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda expressed his condolences and sympathies to all those who lost their lives and to those who have been affected by the outbreak of Coronavirus. pressroom.toyota.com In his letter, Toyoda said that the top Japanese car company has decided to donate 10 million CHY through the Red Cross Society of China to assist in the purchase costs of medical supplies such as masks, glasses, protective clothing, etc. Below is Toyodas letter in full. I offer my condolences to all those who lost their lives, as well as my sympathy to those who have been affected by the outbreak of Coronavirus. At the same time, I would like to express my sincere respect to the healthcare professionals and government officials who are on the front lines day and night. Toyota has a number of team members that work and live in China. I may not be able to understand the true feelings of the local people, but from our desire to help, Toyota has decided to donate 10 million CHY through the Red Cross Society of China to assist in the purchase costs of medical supplies such as masks, glasses, protective clothing, etc. We, Toyota, will continue to monitor the situation and be mindful of the feelings of those in the midst of this outbreak, and focus on safety and security as the highest priority. Story continues Jan. 29, 2020 Akio Toyoda, President Toyota Motor Corporation Aside from the sizeable donation, Toyota is also halting operations in China as the new coronavirus continues to spread. The company has also implemented travel restrictions to the affected province, although travel to other areas of the Peoples Republic is permitted. Toyota adds itself to the growing number of global companies that have significantly reduced their activities in the Southeast Asian nation. pressroom.toyota.com Also read: The post Toyota Sends Aid, Stops Production in China over Coronavirus Outbreak appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. New Delhi: Actress Ileana D'Cruz has set the internet on fire after she posted a stunning picture of herself soaking up some 'vitamin sea' on Instagram. The picture appears to be taken for a photoshoot and has been shot by Mumbai-based photographer Colston Julian. Ileana captioned the post as, "Need me some vitamin sea", adding some emojis. The actress looks gorgeous in a black bikini as she flaunts her washboard abs. Take a look at the photo here. What's the word? Stunning, na? No wonder the picture has got crazy viral on social media. Comments such as "just aqua woman things" and "gorgeous" have been posted. The netizens have mostly dropped fire emoticons on Ileana's post. On the work front, Ileana was last seen in the 2019's 'Pagalpanti', which also starred John Abraham, Anil Kapoor, Urvashi Rautela, Arshad Warsi, Pulkit Samrat and Kriti Kharbanda. 'Barfi!', 'Phata Poster Nikla Hero', 'Rustom', 'Happy Ending' and 'Raid' are some of the films on her resume. 'The Big Bull' with Abhishek Bachchan is Ileana's forthcoming film. 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If worries about coronavirus makes someone take their health more seriously or get a flu shot, thats a positive effect, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine professor Peter Zimmerman said. This public health event is reminding everybody to take whatever kinds of precautionary steps to protect yourself wherever youre going," Zimmerman said. The United States had five confirmed cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. U.S. government officials view the threat as low risk, and only if someone has recently traveled to China or come into contact with someone who did would flu symptoms seem suspicious. Two Miami University students are being quarantined in Oxford, while the CDC tests respiratory serum samples for possible coronavirus. The test can take days. Symptoms of coronavirus -- including fever, cough and shortness of breath -- may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure, according to the CDC. Chinese officials say there is evidence of the virus being spread before symptoms show; if that is true, it would make the disease harder to contain. But while theres no vaccine for coronavirus, there is for the flu, which has caused at least 15 million cases and killed at least 8,200 people so far this season, according to the CDC. The flu shot is highly recommended by doctors and is particularly helpful for at-risk populations like the elderly and children. Taking care of your health is always a great idea, said Jane Timmons-Mitchell, a associate professor in Case Western Reserve Universitys psychiatry department, but dont let concerns stop you from going to the grocery store or to work. The flu shot wont protect you from coronavirus. But if you get your flu shot, you may be less worried if you start sneezing. Its not too late; flu season can last through May. If you do get the flu despite having gotten the vaccine, studies show that severe illness is less likely. NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania - Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said. Police later determined the gathering was a birthday party but the men remain in custody with no trial date set yet. Mauritania practices strict Islamic law known as Shariah and homosexuality is criminalized. If convicted, the men could face the death penalty though executions have not been carried out in more than a decade, according to Amnesty International. It is a serious attack on the individual and collective freedom of these young people who have the right to display their difference and intimate preferences, said Brahim Bilal, the president of a human rights organization in Mauritania. Video of the festive ceremony prompted an outcry to what was suspected of being the first gay marriage in Mauritania. The Nouakchott public prosecutors office then opened an investigation, and the police arrested the 10 young men. The case marks a rare enforcement of Islamic law: In 2018 Human Rights Watch said there were no known cases of people being jailed or sentenced to death for homosexual acts in Mauritania. Same-sex acts are illegal in more than 33 African countries and can lead to death sentences in parts of at least four, including Mauritania, Sudan, northern Nigeria and southern Somalia, according to Amnesty International. The city has enjoyed an employment boom that would be the envy of most while suffering from a government-wrought housing bust that turns a blessing into a curse. Proposition E offers a classically San Francisco solution: Rather than add housing, it would subtract jobs. Under what became Proposition M, San Francisco imposed the nations first annual limit on office development in the 1980s. Prop. E contrives to double down on the inscrutable achievements of this policy by further choking the citys growth. Sponsored by John Elberling of the affordable-housing management company Todco and appearing on the March primary ballot, Prop. E purports to link the existing office space allocation to affordable housing production. After grandfathering in several large commercial developments already in the works, it would lower the office limit proportionate to the citys failure to reach an affordable-housing target that is nearly triple the citys typical pace. The superficially appealing notion is that this would somehow increase the number of affordable homes in San Francisco relative to the number of jobs. The trouble is that there is no evidence that the initiative would create housing, which it does not fund or facilitate. More likely, much as Prop. M has begun to do three decades later, the initiative would restrict office and employment growth many years hence, when the economic conditions are unforeseeable. That would in turn limit tax revenue, development fees and the public services and programs they fund including subsidized housing. A city controllers analysis assuming the past decades trends estimates that over the next 20 years, Prop. E. would rob San Francisco of more than 10 million square feet of office space, 47,000 jobs, $114 million in public programs and services, and 8.6 percentage points in economic growth, the equivalent of $23 billion. Vote no on Prop. E: The right response to San Franciscos housing shortage is more housing, not fewer jobs. This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters. 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The bureau is recruiting to fill hundreds of thousands of temporary positions across the country. Right now were at 47% for Washtenaw County for hiring, and so we need to hire approximately another 2,000 jobs, so thats what were recruiting for, said Charmine Yates, a Census Bureau spokeswoman for Michigan. Pay for census-taker jobs in Michigan can vary from $14 to $25 an hour, depending on the county, and in Washtenaw County, its $23 an hour, according to 2020census.gov. The bureau recently increased pay rates for census takers in Michigan. The census is coming upon us quickly, said City Council Member Zachary Ackerman, who said the recruitment manager for the Ann Arbor area informed him hiring was behind schedule. See county-by-county pay rates. Volunteers from the League of Women Voters in Ann Arbor were at Washtenaw Community College on Jan. 30, 2020, encouraging people to apply to become census takers, noting the rate of pay has increased from $15 to $23 an hour.Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, encourages residents to apply and help make a difference in their community, as the census is a pretty critical need and impacts all our lives. Census counts are used to determine representation in Congress and inform how billions of federal dollars are distributed for hospitals, schools, roads and more. Learn more about census jobs and apply online. According to 2020census.gov, wages are paid weekly and authorized expenses such as mileage are reimbursed. With flexible hours, the temporary jobs are a perfect fit for anyone looking to earn extra money, even if they already have other commitments, the Census Bureau website states, encouraging people to be a part of history. The United States has undertaken a census count every 10 years since 1790. The 2010 census put Ann Arbors population at just under 114,000. As the city has grown, most notably the downtown area, it was estimated at just under 122,000 in July 2018. The Census Bureau opened more than 200 local offices across the country in 2019 to support and manage census takers, who worked into the fall canvassing areas that have experienced a lot of change and growth to ensure address lists are up to date. The bureau has five local census offices in Michigan in Detroit, Lansing, Traverse City, Macomb County and Oakland County. Yates, based in Detroit, said several thousand census jobs are still available across the state. See county-by-county recruitment rates. A minimum of 6,571 and a maximum of 19,714 census takers are needed for Michigan, plus 329 to 924 field supervisors, according to a chart provided by the bureau. The actual number of census workers needed will depend on the self-response rate from residents, said Dan Velez, a Census Bureau national spokesman. If theres a high self-response rate, fewer census workers will be needed. Weve made some good progress recently toward achieving our recruiting target, he said, adding recent steps taken to raise awareness of 2020 census job opportunities have resulted in accelerated rates of application submissions. As of Jan. 27, 2.5 million people had applied nationally, Velez said, expressing confidence in the Census Bureaus ability to hire the needed workforce for the massive undertaking. According to the census schedule, households will begin receiving census mail March 12-20, with details on how to respond online, by phone or by mail. The bureau plans to count people experiencing homelessness March 30 through April 1. That includes counting people at shelters, soup kitchens, tent encampments and elsewhere. Census Day will be observed nationally April 1. By that date, every home should have received an invitation to participate and tell the bureau where they live as of April 1. In April, census takers will begin visiting college students who live on campuses, people living in senior centers and others who live among large groups of people. Census takers also will begin conducting quality-check interviews to help ensure an accurate count. In May, June and July, census takers will visit homes that haven't responded to the census to help make sure everyone is counted. In December, the bureau will deliver apportionment counts to the president and Congress. By March 31, 2021, the bureau will send counts to states to redraw legislative districts based on population changes. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: See inside new upscale condos near downtown Ann Arbor Ann Arbors small-town look fading as downtown reaches toward sky Timeline: Ann Arbors downtown housing boom and whats to come Vintage photos showcase downtown Ann Arbors historical charm The high life: Inside Ann Arbors newest luxury apartment high-rise COLUMBUS, Ohio The state Attorney Generals Office has rejected summary language for a proposed ballot measure seeking to expand Ohios ballot access laws. In letter to Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections, the group backing the amendment, Attorney General Dave Yost said the groups proposed ballot language wasnt an accurate summary of their amendment. The group had submitted their proposed amendment, which they hope to place on the November ballot, to the state on Jan. 22. Specifically, Yost said his office rejected the summary for two reasons. One, because the summary language was longer than the amendment itself. And two, the summary included a paragraph describing acceptable forms of ID that a voter could present at a polling place that wasnt included in the amendment. For these reasons, I am unable to certify the proposal, said in the letter rejecting the petition. Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections now will have to modify their summary language and re-submit it to Yosts office. They also will have to collect a new batch of 1,000 signatures from registered Ohio voters. In a statement, J. Bennett Guess, Executive Director for the ACLU of Ohio, said the campaign will re-submit ballot language before the deadline to make the November ballot. This is standard practice in Ohio on the path to qualify for the ballot. We remain committed to protecting and ensuring the right to vote for all eligible Ohioans, and we will be refiling the initiative before the deadline," he said. If and when the measure is approved, Ohioans for Secure and Fair Elections would have to collect hundreds of thousands of signatures from registered voters around the state. The amendment would automatically register to vote or update the voter registration of anyone visiting the BMV for a drivers license or other state-issued ID. It also would allow people to cast a ballot the same day they register to vote during a mandated early-voting period beginning 28 days before any election. The issue campaign is backed by the ACLU. This week, the group announced the NAACP and the Philip A. Randolph Institute, a voter-rights advocacy group, had endorsed the measure. The proposed Ohio measure is similar to a constitutional amendment, also backed by the ACLU, that was overwhelmingly approved by Michigan voters in 2018. Read other recent Ohio state news DeWine administration releases updated Lake Erie phosphorus reduction plan Ohio health officials stand ready as they await coronavirus testing results Ohio lawmakers pursuing pension oversight bills In letter to Republican leaders, Ohio GOP chair defends DeWine decision to accept refugees Ohios road-safety laws rank among countrys worst in new survey Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit take part in a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border (Niall Carson/PA) Hundreds of anti-Brexit campaigners have taken part in a number of demonstrations along the Irish border in opposition to Brexit. The anti-Brexit protests organised by the Border Communities Against Brexit group and Sinn Fein were held to mark the UK leaving the European Union. Protesters gathered at six locations along the border in counties Louth, Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Donegal on Friday night. Around 200 people gathered a few miles from Newry to voice their opposition to Brexit. Standing yards from the Irish border, Co Armagh sheep farmer Seamus McDonnell said that communities have been left in limbo by the uncertainty following the split. We are out of Europe and I think in a few months time it will totally take effectSeamus McDonnell The anti-Brexit campaigner, who farms on both sides of the border, said many people in local communities were against Brexit. He said: We will be left in limbo here for the next 11 months because we dont know if there will be a hard border, soft border or no deal. No one knows. I dont think Boris Johnson knows yet. We are out of Europe and I think in a few months time it will totally take effect. We may have a free-flowing border now but it (the end of the transition period) will make a big change. You have a big dread and we dont know if we will be able to continue what were doing. Also attending Fridays nights protest was Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy. Expand Close Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit (Niall Carson/PA) This part of Ireland did not consent to Brexit, we voted significantly to remain within the EU and we are being taken out of the EU without consent, the Sinn Fein representative said. People are very fearful of all the consequences of this, we know we werent in any way in consideration by the British Government or the people in Britain when they voted for Brexit. There are a lot of concerns from people as to how this will unfold. People in the government in the south (Republic of Ireland) need to be very vigilant that the protocols that have been agreed by the British Government are followed. We do not want to see a hardening of the border. The anti-Brexit campaigners also demanded for Northern Ireland to continue to have a voice in the EU after the UK leaves. In an earlier protest, Border Communities Against Brexit activists unveiled a new billboard declaring the fight goes on. They urged the Irish Government and the restored Stormont Executive to push for some form of continued representation in EU structures. It comes as the regions three MEPs leave the European Parliament ahead of Brexit. Border Communities Against Brexit expressed relief that a hard border with security check points appeared to have been avoided but warned the process was not over and there remained the risk of a damaging no-deal on trade. Speaking on the Northern Ireland side of the border, campaigner Declan Fearon said: Today we meet all the parties at Stormont and one of things we would like to impress upon them is the urgent need for both the Executive in Stormont and the Irish Government to address the issue of representation for communities. We are entitled to be represented in Europe, we are still part of the single market, we should have that representation at the table, even in an advisory role. We have actually spoken to Mr Verhofstadt (former Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt) and members of the European Union on that issue and he said they had absolutely no problem whatsoever in allowing that to happen. Its up to the Irish Government especially and indeed to the new Executive at Stormont to make sure that they push for that to happen. Expand Close Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeiil attends the unveiling of a Border Communities Against Brexit poster in Carrickcarnon (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeiil attends the unveiling of a Border Communities Against Brexit poster in Carrickcarnon (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Fearon said people living in Northern Ireland would be poorer as a result of lost EU funding and their children would be denied opportunities enjoyed by young people living in the Irish Republic, such as the ability to study in the EU. We are concerned for the people who live here and the difference there will be in the rights people will have from 50 yards on the other side of the border to where we stand now, he said. The campaigners were joined by senior Sinn Fein figures on Friday morning on the Armagh/Lough border, among them party president Mary Lou McDonald, her predecessor Gerry Adams and vice-president Michelle ONeill. Ms McDonald said: Today is a very sad day. People in the North did not consent to Brexit. This is not something that people on the island of Ireland want, bar a small minority. She praised the work done to avoid the return of a hard border but added: The job isnt done. Brexit is a game-changer, its not a one-off event, it completely recasts and reshapes the political and economic conversation across the island, between the island of Ireland and Britain, and right across the continent. So this isnt an end point, this is very much a beginning. Royal Air Maroc decided on Thursday to suspend temporarily all its direct flights to and from the Chinese capital starting Jan.31 as the new deadly coronavirus continues to spread in China and worldwide. The Moroccan airline said it decided a one-month suspension of the Casablanca-Beijing flights after a sharp drop in demand and bookings. RAM has just launched mid-January three weekly direct flights between Casablanca and Beijing. Though there is no suspected or confirmed coronavirus case in Morocco, the authorities stepped up precautionary measures and screening of inbound travelers at airports and ports. King Mohammed VI has ordered the repatriation of about 100 Moroccans, mostly students from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. The Moroccans, who were trapped in the lockdown enforced by Chinese authorities, will be airlifted by RAM on Feb. 2, according a local news outlets. Several American, Asian and European airlines have also stopped flights to China, while foreign governments around the world are busy working to fly their citizens from Wuhan. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the fast-spreading coronavirus, that has infected more than 8,200 across the world, a global health emergency. In China, the virus has so far killed 171 people and sickened over 7,700, surpassing the number of those who were infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, nearly two decades ago. The new coronavirus, which has now spread to at least 18 countries in the world, produces a range of symptoms, with patients developing severe illnesses, including pneumonia and respiratory failure. It is transmitted through human contact, in droplets through sneezing or through touching germs left on inanimate objects. A Delhi court on Friday stayed till further orders the execution of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts and observed that the court cannot discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of their legal remedies. "The Courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning Nelson's eye towards him," said the Additional Sessions judge Dharmender Rana. "As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the considered opinion that the execution of warrants issued by this Court vide order dated 17.01.2020 deserves to be postponed till further orders," he further added. The execution of the convicts in the case was scheduled to take place on February 1. During the hearing today, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said that convict Mukesh has no legal remedies available and the sentence on Mukesh should be executed. Advocate AP Singh, appearing on behalf of the convicts, submitted that some legal remedies are still available for the convicts adding that Mukesh has been sincerely pursuing all legal remedies without delay. On the other hand, Ahmad argued that the application moved by Vinay and Akshay is non-maintainable as per the Delhi Prison Rules but said that the execution of Vinay can be postponed. Recently, Vinay Sharma had filed a mercy petition in the matter.Advocate Seema Kushwaha, representing the victim's side, said that the convicts herein are adopting delay tactics to thwart the speed of justice. Earlier today, Tihar jail authorities filed a status report in the matter and informed the court that the convicts can be hanged separately adding that convict Mukesh Singh has exhausted all the legal remedies available to him. A Delhi court had earlier issued death warrants for the four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- for their execution on February 1. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On New Years Eve, my phone rang as I was grading the final exams from the financial regulation course I taught last term. The caller said that she was from one of the Big Five banks, calling about some unusual activity in my account. When I asked her for details about the specific activity, she responded that she couldnt tell me anything else until she authenticated me. Wait a minute, I replied, youre the one who called me. How do I authenticate you? She repeated Im sorry, I cant tell you anything until I authenticate you. Well, this is a problem, I replied, because Im not telling you anything until I authenticate you. After much to-ing and fro-ing, she told me that I could go into my bank branch and sort it out in person. Last year, more than $25 million was stolen from Canadians in phone scams, which take many forms. In one common version, the phone rings and the voice on the line poses as a representative of a government agency, financial institution or other entity. The caller then tricks the victim into revealing important private information or into transferring funds directly to the scammers. In my case, it turned out the call wasnt a scam the bank really was trying to get a hold of me. But when I went into the branch that afternoon, they were clearly not equipped to deal with this issue. Neither the teller nor the branch manager could validate my identity for the banks internal system, despite the fact that I was standing in front of them with my bank card and a wallet full of ID cards. The banks protocols clearly relied on the assumption that Canadians would be willing to put their faith in a voice on the phone claiming to be from the bank. Its antifraud system, in other words, assumes that Canadians will put themselves at risk of fraud. This is wrong. Not only is it a bad practice, every time the phone rings and it really is the bank calling, it puts another Canadian at risk of fraud next time, the person purporting to be from their bank might be a scammer. Rather than reinforcing the idea that you should be skeptical about the voice on the other end of the line, this practice actually makes Canadians more vulnerable to fraudsters. The good news is that there are several simple and low-cost solutions for banks that are consistent with the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centres advice, which is to hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, or on the company or government agencys website to verify the authenticity of the request. Rather than calling clients and expecting to deal with the problem right there and then, a bank employee could call, advise the client that there is an issue, and then give her one of four options: log into her online banking account; call the number on the back of her debit card; call her branch directly or go to her nearest branch. What the bank employee should not do is deal with the issue on that initial call. Instead, the employee should reinforce the message that it is never prudent to trust a voice calling from the bank, and insist that under no circumstances will an employee of the bank ever call and expect to address an issue directly. Im grateful that my bank takes fraud seriously, and that it alerted me in a timely manner to unusual activity on my account. But it should do so in ways that dont make Canadians more susceptible to fraudsters. La Embajada del Peru en China y los Consulados en ese pais se mantienen en contacto y permanente alerta con nuestros connacionales. ?https://t.co/XPCcj59x5N pic.twitter.com/5Mogfp54fr Nepal's Hindu right-wing and royalist political outfit Rastriya Prajatantra Party has criticised the government for failing to adopt sound economic policies and expressed concern over the spread of Christianity in the country. Presenting a performance report at the party's central body meeting on Thursday, party chief Kamal Thapa said, "The government has become a total failure." Thapa said the government has failed to adopt sound economic policies and create an enabling environment for bringing foreign investment. Thapa also said, "The rapid growth of Christianity is a serious threat to the country." "The government's attempt to censor social media and mass media shows that it wants to impose totalitarianism in the country," the report states. Thapa, in his report, also pointed out that corruption is thriving due to strong nexus between politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen and groups with vested interest. "The government has failed to promote investment, create employment opportunities, control corruption, minimise trade deficit and develop educational and health sectors," he said in the document. Nepal was declared a secular state in 2008 after the success of the people's movement of 2006 that saw the abolition of monarchy. Gyanendra Shah was Nepal's last king, ruling from 2001 to 2008. He is often called the world's last Hindu king. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) African sojourns to western countries are being curtailed for fear of overwhelming their hosts with the "disease" of explosive population since many countries overstayed their visa and took advantage of birth tourism. We must learn from the hysteria to ostracize Africans with Ebola and how easily Coronavirus from China can be used like AIDS to stigmatize. This existential threat to rich African politicians and their cronies that make up about 10% of their population can be turned to a blessing in disguise and improvise. Necessity is the mother of invention. No one will allow others to mess up their countries the way you have messed up yours. Encourage good alternatives at home, improvise locally and develop your young people as your mirrors and future. Visa denial to foreign places, schools, especially hospitals must not be your death sentence if you change! Those Africans that think what happened to the Jews, Japanese, Spanish, Arabs and other legal citizens or immigrants outside countries of origin cannot happen to them will be caught unprepared out of complacency. Wishful thinking, the way it is written, myths, village people and Voodoo will not deliver Africa. But African mentality to just make excessive profit and apply for forex to blow abroad stifle local demand. We should not be satisfied to live outside our countries because of the fear of starving to death at home. People become more desperate when they are hungry. Patriotism to a country they cannot survive in, is the last thing on their mind. It is not about freedom or democracy. Abi, shey na democracy we go chop? Unfortunately, after 60 years of craving foreign Investments and getting poorer, African elites/politicians see the salvation of their economies in the magnanimity and sympathy of the same Investments more than in self-Investment, reliance and discipline. They believe, as conditioned, that they are totally helpless. Miracle hands will appear from outsiders, not from within. Only God can save Africa. Guess who trained us that way. It is political malpractice not to anticipate the end of legitimate visa to countries that have rejected your citizens, even after invading your own countries. True, we are there because they were here. But today, we crave to fly by 707 planes, wiggle through seas and deserts to get out. If you have the means to send your children to school and pay for medical treatment overseas, you can establish the same at home with the same money for more people. The greatest amount of money should be spent on the greatest number of people, not on a few that have access to the national treasury. The richest top Ten-Percent of African population make enough to pull the rest of Africa out of humiliation, stigma, indignity and poverty if their expensive tastes are closer to the local population they serve; as those they aspire to be serve their people. The purchasing power of the top ten percent makes them more attractively susceptible to foreign indoctrination, influence and adverts than most Africans that lack the means, even if they so desire. If these top ten percent only invested at home, more talented young people would stay rather than subject themselves to the risks and ignobility faced overseas, right from the airports. Unfortunately, those Africans inability to provide three square meals a day for a family or infatuation contributed to deserting a country. No continent would allow African population of 1.216 billion to overwhelm them. But when Africa is divided into countries, foreign investors have the choice to focus on those with the highest purchasing power. How can average Africans spread purchasing power to pull one another out of poverty? The real demand comes from the people, as consumers. If Africans used that power to patronize local products, at reasonable prices it would create higher demand. The more buying power they have for local products, the more people are employed to satisfy high demand and less poverty in the land. Your demand is my job, my demand is your job. What and who are the "educated consumers" right now? They are culturally western trained Africans, with the same desire as middle to upper classes, reflected in addiction for exotic tastes, gadgets, toys and travels. They create markets for Western goods and services in African countries. Since they can be exploited at home, there is no reason to welcome them overseas. African Governments can only incentivize local production but this demand is temporary. It is highly exemplary for most to lead by actions not words. The population density in each country does not mean there are more ten-percenters. Even if only the rich ten percent of the population have the purchasing power needed to buy foreign goods and services. This is why they focus on Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Congo and Ghana as the countries with enough "educated consumers" to be courted since they think and act like foreigners. Nothing drains the spending power of Africans more than foreign goods and services. So, folks wonder where poor Nigerians get the money to buy these exorbitant goods and services as the poverty capital of the world. It was Uncle Bola Ige that reminded us years ago that the GSM mobile phones that became the expensive pride of the elites in Nigeria were commonly used at Cotonou markets by sale-ladies. If Nigeria is the world Poverty Capital, how can they afford so much foreign luxuries? Their top Ten-Percent are 20million of Nigeria's population. They are more than many nations. Look at the population and the percentage of their nouveau riche of about 20m with more elites than the population of some European and African countries. Even locally made products with little foreign contents are more expensive in Nigeria than in neighboring countries. Regardless of cheap local labor. Most businessmen make more profit in Nigeria than anywhere else based on the demand of the top 20% or 40m folks. Though the cost of establishing their business or plant are greater in other African countries because of worse enabling environment. Nevertheless, they raise their prices higher in Nigeria because of 40m demands. Even when cassava was added to wheat, the price of their acquired daily bread went up. What is next after acquired foreign daily rice at the expense of local rice, the poor would not be able to afford garri? Their intention has always been to raise prices because they can, since there are enough people to pay. So, we have locally made products selling at a higher price than foreign imports, encouraging more illegal imports. New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday released its election manifesto for the February 8 assembly polls in the city and promised better education and clean air, along with several other things for a better Delhi. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari were present at the Delhi BJP office to release the 'Sankalp Patra' titled 'Desh Badla, Ab Delhi Badlo' (the country has changed, now change Delhi). Tiwari said the party will form a colony development board for the development of the new authorised colonies in the national capital. The party promised it will formulate a scheme to encourage and provide financial assistance to the cycle rickshaw pullers to switch to e-rickshaws. 'House for all by 2022' and better connectivity are also BJP's promise to the city. "An 'Economic Backward Classes Commission' will be set up for the development of the economically backward people (EWS) in the general class," said the BJP manifesto. It promised 10,000 green buses, a Green Industry Corridor to check air pollution. It also promised Delhi Yamuna Development Board for cleaning the Yamuna. On the education front, the manifesto promises 10 new colleges, a cycle for EWS girls in Class 9 and 12 and an e-scooty and helmet for EWS girls under the 'Beti Bacho, Beti Padhao' scheme. The party promised piped drinking water for all by 2024 along with the implementation of Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas schemes in the city. The people from the EWS category will get wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg, if the BJP came to power, says the manifesto. The 56-page document in Hindi has a large picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- the face for BJP for the Delhi Assembly elections. The cover page also has the picture of BJP President J.P. Nadda and city chief Manoj Tiwari. Delhi goes to the polls on February 8. CEPI funds CureVac's development of a vaccine against coronavirus nCoV-2019 Aim of the partnering agreement is to rapidly advance a vaccine candidate into clinical testing TUBINGEN, Germany and BOSTON and OSLO, Norway, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CureVac AG, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the field of mRNA-based drugs, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a public-private partnership set up to accelerate development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases, today announced a collaboration to develop a vaccine against the new coronavirus nCoV-2019. The aim of the cooperation is to safely advance vaccine candidates into clinical testing as quickly as possible. The agreement will build on the existing partnership between CureVac and CEPI to develop a rapid-response vaccine platform and includes additional initial funding of up to $8.3 million by CEPI for accelerated vaccine development, manufacturing and clinical tests. "CureVac's technology and mRNA platform are especially suitable to rapidly provide a response to a viral outbreak situation like this," said Dr. Mariola Fotin-Mleczek, Chief Technology Officer of CureVac. "Thanks to the funding by CEPI, we will be able to support the fight against this health emergency in an expedited manner. Currently, we are in the process of developing a vaccine that, after successful preclinical tests, could be tested rapidly in humans in a clinical study." Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: "In view of the rapid spread of the coronavirus, CEPI has moved quickly to expand our collaboration with CureVac, so that we can apply their mRNA vaccine development platform to this disease. Our aspiration is to bring the pathogen's gene sequence to a vaccine candidate for clinical testing within a few months - which is significantly shorter than where we are now. This is an extremely ambitious timeline and even if we are successful-and there can be no guarantee-there will be further challenges to navigate before we can make vaccines widely available." In addition, CureVac is working on the development of The RNA Printer. This is a mobile, automated production unit for rapid mRNA supply. In February, 2019, CEPI agreed to provide up to $34 million in support of this technology. This innovative platform will provide a rapid supply of lipid-nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated mRNA vaccine candidates that can target known pathogens (including Lassa Fever, Yellow Fever, and Rabies) and prepare for rapid response to new and previously unknown pathogens. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is one of the founding members of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and has committed a total of 90 million euro to its work. CEPI brings together a range of diverse stakeholders to develop much-needed vaccines for the prevention of future pandemics. Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister of Education and Research, said: "The Coronavirus is currently the source of concern for many people. The development of a vaccine is an extremely important element in the effort to combat this viral infection. It is encouraging to see that this process now has the support of the international CEPI alliance, which is also making use of German research and development expertise. I hope that good results can soon be achieved for which so many people are waiting at this time." About CureVac's platform CureVac's platform aims to optimize the properties of mRNA therapeutics and vaccines. The technology can be tailored to induce varying degrees of immune responses against antigens of choice, potentially providing potent prophylactic vaccines for the prevention of infectious diseases, such as rabies, as well as immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. The technology can also be adapted to avoid such immune activation for purposes of molecular therapies, thereby providing potential new therapeutic modalities for patients suffering from rare diseases. About the novel coronavirus Coronavirusesare a family of viruses that can lead to respiratory illness, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. Coronaviruses are transmitted between animals and people and can evolve into strains not previously identified in humans. On January 7, 2020, a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Hubei Province of China, and additional cases have since then been found in a growing number of countries worldwide. CEPI's work on the novel coronavirus, nCoV-2019 The rapid global spread and unique epidemiological characteristics of the novel coronavirus is deeply concerning. CEPI has moved with great urgency and in coordination with WHO, who is leading the development of a coordinated international response. We have initiated several partnerships to improve our understanding and to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus. The programmes will leverage rapid response platforms already supported by CEPI as well as new partnerships. The aim is to advance nCoV-2019 vaccine candidates into clinical testing as quickly as possible. Follow our news page for the latest updates. About CureVac AG CureVac is a leading clinical stage biotechnology company in the field of messenger RNA (mRNA) technology with 20 years of expertise in developing and optimizing this versatile molecule for medical purposes. The principle of CureVac's proprietary technology is the use of mRNA as a data carrier to instruct the human body to produce its own proteins capable of fighting a wide range of diseases. The company applies its technologies for the development of cancer therapies, antibody therapies, the treatment of rare diseases, and prophylactic vaccines. CureVac has received significant investments, amongst others from dievini Hopp BioTech holding and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. CureVac has also entered into collaborations with multinational corporations and organizations, including Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly & Co, Genmab, CRISPR Therapeutics, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others. CureVac is headquartered in Tubingen, Germany with sites in Frankfurt and Boston, USA. For more information, please visit www.curevac.com or follow us on Twitter at @CureVacAG . About CEPI CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil organisations, launched at Davos in 2017, to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics. CEPI has reached over US$750 million of its $1 billion funding target. CEPI's priority diseases include Ebola virus, Lassa virus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus, Nipah virus, Rift Valley Fever and Chikungunya virus. CEPI also invests in platform technologies that can be used for rapid vaccine and immunoprophylactic development against unknown pathogens (ie, Disease X). To date, CEPI has committed to investing over $475 million in vaccine and platform development. Learn more at www.cepi.net . Follow us at @CEPIvaccines . CureVac Media Contact Thorsten Schuller, Corporate Communications CureVac AG, Tubingen, Germany T: +49 7071 9883-1577 thorsten.schueller@curevac.com CEPI Media Contacts Rachel Grant, Director of Communications and Advocacy, CEPI Tel: +44 Mario Christodoulou, Communications and Advocacy Manager, CEPI Tel: +44 Jodie Rogers, Communications Officer, CEPI Tel: +44(0)79 793 57 459 Email: jodie.rogers@cepi.net By Craig Murray January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - A persistent American lawyer has uncovered the undeniable fact that the FBI has been continuously lying, including giving false testimony in court, in response to Freedom of Information requests for its records on Seth Rich. The FBI has previously given affidavits that it has no records regarding Seth Rich. A Freedom of Information request to the FBI which did not mention Seth Rich, but asked for all email correspondence between FBI Head of Counterterrorism Peter Strzok, who headed the investigation into the DNC leaks and Wikileaks, and FBI attorney Lisa Page, has revealed two pages of emails which do not merely mention Seth Rich but have Seth Rich as their heading. The emails were provided in, to say the least, heavily redacted form. Before I analyse these particular emails, I should make plain that they are not the major point. The major point is that the FBI claimed it had no records mentioning Seth Rich, and these have come to light in response to a different FOIA request that was not about him. What other falsely denied documents does the FBI hold about Rich, that were not fortuitously picked up by a search for correspondence between two named individuals? Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter To look at the documents themselves, they have to be read from the bottom up, and they consist of a series of emails between members of the Washington Field Office of the FBI (WF in the telegrams) into which Strzok was copied in, and which he ultimately forwarded on to the lawyer Lisa Page. The opening email, at the bottom, dated 10 August 2016 at 10.32am, precisely just one month after the murder of Seth Rich, is from the media handling department of the Washington Field Office. It references Wikileaks offer of a reward for information on the murder of Seth Rich, and that Assange seemed to imply Rich was the source of the DNC leaks. The media handlers are asking the operations side of the FBI field office for any information on the case. The unredacted part of the reply fits with the official narrative. The redacted individual officer is not aware of any specific involvement by the FBI in the Seth Rich case. But his next sentence is completely redacted. Why? It appears that adding references a new person added in to the list. This appears to have not worked, and probably the same person (precisely same length of deleted name) then tries again, with adding for real and blames the technology stupid Samsung. The interesting point here is that the person added appears not to be in the FBI a new redacted addressee does indeed appear, and unlike all the others does not have an FBI suffix after their deleted email address. So who are they? (This section on adding was updated after commenters offered a better explanation than my original one. See first comments below). The fourth email, at 1pm on Wednesday August 10, 2016, is much the most interesting. It is ostensibly also from the Washington Field Office, but it is from somebody using a different classified email system with a very different time and date format than the others. It is apparently from somebody more senior, as the reply to it is will do. And every single word of this instruction has been blanked. The final email, saying that I squashed this with .., is from a new person again, with the shortest name. That phrase may only have meant I denied this to a journalist, or it may have been reporting an operational command given. As the final act in this drama, Strzok then sent the whole thread on to the lawyer, which is why we now have it. Why? It is perfectly possible to fill in the blanks with a conversation that completely fits the official narrative. The deletions could say this was a waste of time and the FBI was not looking at the Rich case. But in that case, the FBI would have been delighted to publish it unredacted. (The small numbers in the right hand margins supposedly detail the exception to the FOIA under which deletion was made. In almost every case they are one or other category of invasion of privacy). And if it just all said Assange is talking nonsense. Seth Rich is nothing to do with the FBI then why would that have to be sent on by Strzok to the FBI lawyer? It is of course fortunate that Strzok did forward this one email thread on to the lawyer, because that is the only reason we have seen it, as a result of an FOI(A) request for the correspondence between those two. Finally, and perhaps this is the most important point, the FBI was at this time supposed to be in the early stages of an investigation into how the DNC emails were leaked to Wikileaks. The FBI here believed Wikileaks to be indicating the material had been leaked by Seth Rich who had then been murdered. Surely in any legitimate investigation, the investigators would have been absolutely compelled to check out the truth of this possibility, rather than treat it as a media issue? We are asked to believe that not one of these emails says well if the publisher of the emails says Seth Rich was the source, we had better check that out, especially as he was murdered with no sign of a suspect. If the FBI really did not look at that, why on earth not? If the FBI genuinely, as they claim, did not even look at the murder of Seth Rich, that would surely be the most damning fact of all and reveal their investigation was entirely agenda driven from the start. In June 2016 a vast cache of the DNC emails were leaked to Wikileaks. On 10 July 2016 an employee from the location of the leak was murdered without obvious motive, in an alleged street robbery in which nothing at all was stolen. Not to investigate the possibility of a link between the two incidents would be grossly negligent. It is worth adding that, contrary to a propaganda barrage, Bloomingdale where Rich was murdered is a very pleasant area of Washington DC and by no means a murder hotspot. It is also worth noting that not only is there no suspect in Seth Richs murder, there has never been any semblance of a serious effort to find the killer. Washington police appear perfectly happy simply to write this case off. I anticipate two responses to this article in terms of irrelevant and illogical whataboutery: Firstly, it is very often the case that family members are extremely resistant to the notion that the murder of a relative may have wider political implications. This is perfectly natural. The appalling grief of losing a loved one to murder is extraordinary; to reject the cognitive dissonance of having your political worldview shattered at the same time is very natural. In the case of David Kelly, of Seth Rich, and of Wille Macrae, we see families reacting with emotional hostility to the notion that the death raises wider questions. Occasionally the motive may be still more mixed, with the prior relationship between the family and the deceased subject to other strains (I am not referencing the Rich case here). You do occasionally get particularly stout hearted family who take the opposite tack and are prepared to take on the authorities in the search for justice, of which Commander Robert Green, son of Hilda Murrell, is a worthy example. (As an interesting aside, I just checked his name in the Wikipedia article on Hilda, which I discovered describes Tam Dalyell hounding Margaret Thatcher over the Belgrano and the fact that ship was steaming away from the Falklands when destroyed with massive loss of life as a second conspiracy theory, the first of course being the murder of Hilda Murrell. Wikipedia really has become a cesspool.) We have powerful cultural taboos that reinforce the notion that if the family do not want the question of the death of their loved one disturbed, nobody else should bring it up. Seth Richs parents, David Kellys wife, Willie Macraes brother have all been deployed by the media and the powers behind them to this effect, among many other examples. This is an emotionally powerful but logically weak method of restricting enquiry. Secondly, I do not know and I deliberately have not inquired what are the views on other subjects of either Mr Ty Clevenger, who brought his evidence and blog to my attention, or Judicial Watch, who made the FOIA request that revealed these documents. I am interested in the evidence presented both that the FBI lied, and in the documents themselves. Those who obtained the documents may, for all I know, be dedicated otter baiters or believe in stealing ice cream from children. I am referencing the evidence they have obtained in this particular case, not endorsing or condemning anything else in their lives or work. I really have had enough of illogical detraction by association as a way of avoiding logical argument by an absurd extension of ad hominem argument to third parties. Craig Murray is an author, broadcaster and human rights activist. He was British Ambassador to Uzbekistan from August 2002 to October 2004 and Rector of the University of Dundee from 2007 to 2010. https://www.craigmurray.org.uk Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Clear Leisure Plc - Holding(s) in Company 31 January 2020 Clear Leisure Plc ("Clear Leisure" or "the Company") Holdings in the Company The Board of Clear Leisure (AIM: CLP) announces that on 29 January 2020 it was advised by Forcrowd Srl ("Forcrowd") that, having sold 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares of 0.25 pence each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") on 18 December 2019 and 1,000,000 Ordinary Shares on 19 December 2019, Forcrowd, held, as at 19 December 2019, 52,218,847 Ordinary Shares representing 7.88% of the Company's issued share capital. Having sold further Ordinary Shares since 19thDecember 2019, Forcrowd has confirmed to the Company that as at 29 January 2020 it holds 40,718,847 Ordinary Shares representing 6.15% of the Company's issued share capital. Forcrowd has now entered in a lock-in period, in which it won't be able to sell Company's shares until 28 November 2020. -ends- For further information please contact: Clear Leisure Plc +39 335 296573 Francesco Gardin, CEO and Executive Chairman SP Angel Corporate Finance (Nominated Adviser & Broker) +44 (0)20 3470 0470 Jeff Keating / John Mackay Leander (Financial PR) +44 (0) 7795 168 157 Christian Taylor-Wilkinson About Clear Leisure Plc Clear Leisure plc (AIM: CLP) is an AIM listed investment company which has recently realigned its strategic focus to technology related investments, with special regard to interactive media, blockchain and AI sectors. The Company also owns shareholdings in a number of historic investments primarily in the Italian real estate companies, which it is currently seeking compensation through court action. For further information, please visit, www.clearleisure.co.uk The Union Budget is a virtual smorgasbord of numbers, but heres what some top economists will be looking at (and why) when the finance minister presents the finance bill on Saturday. The ones most pick: disinvestment target; tax revenue; government expenditure (especially capital expenditure); and the primary deficit. Maitreesh Ghatak, Professor, London School of Economics Tax collection: First, I would look out for the actual numbers on tax collection, especially given the reports of shortfalls, as that is an important measure of state capacity to do anything. Government expenditure: From this, If I have to mention one number, that would be if the allocation for welfare schemes has gone up or at least maintained, as slowing consumption demand from the masses is a leading cause behind the economy slowdown. Besides that, these schemes affect the poorer and more vulnerable sections. Capital expenditure on infrastructure would be another number I would watch out for, because of its dual role in enhancing demand and boosting productive capacity. Disinvestment: To get a sense of the longer-term policy direction of the government, I would watch out for the number on disinvestments to see if the government is serious about reforms. I would be equally curious to see whether and how much import tariffs go up, or whether the pattern of changes in tax rates favour the well-off. Vidhya Soundararajan, Assistant Professor (Economics), Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Government schemes: To improve spending, a revision of income tax slabs is expected. But with a large majority engaged in casual work, a boost to infrastructure, employment, and welfare program allocation is imperative to increase cash in hand. Specific details of the pre-announced National Infrastructure Pipeline and other schemes are to be watched out for. The government should not miss rural inclusion in these projects. Tax measures: Disinvestment targets remain unmet, and tax revenues have been slowing; these are exacerbated by, and will in turn hurt, the slowing economy. Will the rumoured increase in Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates solve problems or hurt even further? Should we instead focus on improving tax compliance, and sharing the compensation cess with states? Steps taken here would be crucial. MSME boost: MSMEs contribute to 29% of the GDP. Encouraging this sector can raise entrepreneurial spirits, foster employment growth, and spur rural/semi-urban economic activity during this downturn. While the MSME ministry has requested a 70% jump in the sectors funding in FY20-21, government action is awaited. Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist, HSBC Disinvestment target: The government will have to strike a balance between being ambitious and being realistic. We expect a doubling in disinvestment revenues from an expected Rs 65,000 crore in FY20 to Rs 1.3 lakh crore in FY21. This, in our view, will be critical for any fiscal consolidation in FY21. Tax buoyancy. This is basically the ratio between growth in taxes and growth in GDP. The tax buoyancy is likely to have fallen to 0.5 in FY20. But efforts to improve the GST compliance regime could push it back up to 1-1.2 in FY21. Import tariffs: The third think to look at is the number of items for which the import tariffs are raised. The government has been raising import tariffs on a number of items in each of the last three budgets. Our research shows that an import tariff can act like an export tax. It can come in the way of India integrating into global supply chains. Pranab Sen, Economist, Former Chief Statistician of India Fiscal Deficit: This is a measure of the governments intention to boost the economy. If it is less than 4%, then we should worry since it means continuing contraction on governments part. Between 4 and 5%, it is at best status quo. Only if it is above 5% do we have any hope of a genuine turnaround. Tax revenue: This has been a particularly weak area in the last two budgets, where there has been gross overestimation. Realistically, this years BE (budget estimate) should not be more than last years BE. If it is much higher, then again we should worry since it will mean continuing tax terrorism. Disinvestment: There have been many statements of intent but little to show. Public-sector undertakings (PSUs) have been hollowed out by various means to show performance on this. There is little left to squeeze out. This time, therefore, a disinvestment target could mean what it says. Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Research Director and Senior Fellow, IDFC Institute Primary deficit: A lot of public attention will quite rightly be focused on the fiscal deficit. However, the primary deficit numbers give us a good sense of the fiscal direction an economy is taking. It is especially useful to identify turning points. The primary deficit excludes interest payments of the government, which is the cost of past borrowing. It is hence a good indicator of the current state of public finances. The primary deficit has come down from 2.8% of the GDP in 2011-12 to 0.2% of the GDP in 2018-19. It is expected to shoot up this year. The size of the increase will determine a fiscal turning point. Also, a large primary deficit is a worry when nominal economic growth is lower than the rate of government borrowing. India is close to that situation right now. That has serious implications for the sustainability of public debt. Tax buoyancy: The July 2019 budget unrealistically assumed a tax buoyancy of 1.6, or that the government would collect Rs 1.60 of extra taxes for every Re 1 of extra GDP. That number is among several unrealistic assumptions in the previous budget. The tax collections both direct and indirect through the current fiscal year suggest that the actual tax buoyancy will be far lower. In fact, tax buoyancy has been less than 1 in six out of the previous 10 years. In other words, tax collections have lagged economic growth. This has two implications. First, it tells whether tax reforms are delivering in terms of higher revenues. Two, it gives us an idea whether there will be enough fiscal capacity to meet the various security, public goods, and welfare commitments of the government. For context, the highest tax buoyancy in recent times was 2.4 in the fiscal year ended March 2003. Spending trends: The broad consensus among economists right now is that the government has to increase spending to support the economy till private sector demand revives. The question is, how? There are two choices welfare spending or capital spending. The advantage of capital spending is that it provides more bang for the buck in the long term, or what economists call a higher multiplier. The disadvantage is that it takes very long for new projects to get off the ground in India. Welfare spending does not have the problem of delayed impact because it puts money directly into the hands of the poorest. But its impact fizzles out very quickly. The spending strategy in the budget will thus be important at a time when the economy is limping. Of course, the finance minister may eventually decide to fire up confidence in the urban middle-class through an income tax cut. Ajit Ranade, Chief Economist, Aditya Birla Group Primary deficit: This is the fiscal deficit without the cost of servicing past debt. If this number is zero, it means that the deficit in the previous year is on account of servicing past debts and the government has done well in managing its current spending. If this number is significant, then I will look at the quality of spending. Revenue vs Capital spending: Capital spending by definition is aimed at financing investments which contribute to future growth. Although it technically includes only physical capital I would like to include spending health and education in the capital spending bracket too, as they augment our human capital. Revenue projections: Because the nominal GDP growth for 2019-20 is at a four-decade low, it is difficult to see the next fiscal years growth numbers crossing 10-11%. This will have an adverse impact on revenue collections too. If the tax projections in the budget are too optimistic, then it will only hurt the credibility of the budget numbers. There are two main certifications of Portuguese language proficiency. One awarded by CAPLE - Centre for Evaluation of Portuguese Language (Centro de Avaliacao de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira) in Portugal and one by the Brazilian authorities, the CELPE-BRAS. The CELPE-BRAS is the only Portuguese as a foreign language proficiency test recognised by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. European Portuguese The official tests and certificates for Portuguese language are delivered and accredited by a tri-partite collaboration in Portugal between the Department for Education, the University of Lisbon and the Camoes Institute which administers the exam procedures on behalf of the Foreign office. There are five diplomas of Portuguese as a Foreign Language, each of them representing a different level of proficiency: CIPLE Certificado Inicial de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira DEPLE Diploma Elementar de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira DIPLE Diploma Intermedio de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira DAPLE Diploma Avancado de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira DUPLE Diploma Universitario de Portugues Lingua Estrangeira Just like the tests of French and Spanish you do not get a score. The highest level of diplomas you obtain will determine your proficiency level. If you are applying to study in Portugal or in other Portuguese-speaking countries, you are most likely to require a DAPLE or DUPLE. These levels are also within the CEFRL so check the table below to get an idea of the equivalences in other languages. You will be tested in the main four linguistic skills which are divided into: Reading Written expression Syntaxic competence Oral comprehension Oral expression The DIPLE takes three hours 35 minutes while the DAPLE exam lasts four hours 30 minutes. Exams are hosted three times a year in May, July and November. Brazilian Portuguese CELPE-Bras (Certificado de Proficiencia em Lingua Portuguesa para Estrangeiros or Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese for Foreigners) is the official certificate of proficiency in Brazilian Portuguese developed and awarded by the Brazilian Ministry of Education. In Brazil, the certificate is mandatory when applying for programs of study in Brazilian Universities. Private sector organisations in Brazil also recognise it. The exam takes place twice a year in April and October and you can register online. The registration fee is currently around 90 but it will vary according to the test centre and its location. Unlike the CAPLE system (see above), the test is more aligned with the IELTS or TOEFL system in that only one exam is taken and it determines your proficiency level: intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced, and upper advanced. The exam consists of two parts: (Newser) Goop says it is transparent about topics "unsupported by science" in its Netflix TV series. Netflix says The Goop Lab is "designed to entertain, not provide medical advice," per the BBC. But that's exactly what it does, according to the UK's medical boss, who thinks the series should come with a health warning. Gwyneth Paltrow's luxury lifestyle brand "peddles psychic vampire repellent, says chemical sunscreen is a bad idea, and promotes colonic irrigation and DIY coffee enema machines, despite them carrying considerable risks to health," National Health Service CEO Simon Stevens said Thursday, per the BBC. NHS notes there's no evidence of health benefits associated with colonic irrigationthe removal of waste through a tube inserted into the bowelwhich is linked to adverse effects like punctured bowels and kidney failure. story continues below "People's natural concern for their health, and particularly about that of their loved ones, makes this particularly fertile ground for quacks, charlatans and cranks," Stevens added, suggesting the series was spreading "misinformation." He noted Goop team members "back a body worker, who claims to cure both acute psychological trauma and side-effects by simply moving his hands two inches above a customer's body" in the fifth episode of the six-part series. In episode one, viewers are advised to try psychedelics only in a controlled environment under therapist supervision, yet "there is not a doctor present while the goopers drink mushroom tea in Jamaica," per the Sun. Still, Paltrow says she's learned from earlier mistakes, like Goop's claim that jade and rose quartz eggs inserted into the vagina could balance hormones and regulate a menstrual cycle. (Read more Goop stories.) 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. The retail sector still saw strong growth in 2019, especially in second-class cities, but it cooled down in large cities. A report showed that the total retail turnover of goods in the first 10 months of the year was VND3.083 trillion, an increase of 12.8 percent compared with the same period last year. The major driving force came from cultural, education, food and household products. First- and second-class cities had high growth rates in 2019 (more than 15 percent), higher than that of the economic centers of Hanoi, Da Nang and HCM City (12 percent). Modern trade (MT) saw a 19 percent increase in value, which was higher than general trade (MT) with 5 percent. 2019 was a very eventful year of the retail sector with a series of M&A deals made. Vingroup took over Vien Thong A, Fivimart, GM Vietnam, Shop&Go and Queensland, but later unexpectedly transferred its retail division to Masan Group. 2019 was a very eventful year of the retail sector with a series of M&A deals made. Vingroup took over Vien Thong A, Fivimart, GM Vietnam, Shop&Go and Queensland, but later unexpectedly transferred its retail division to Masan Group. In June 2019, Saigon Co-op took over Auchan, a deal which, as commented by analysts, showed that Vietnamese retailers, with good knowledge about local customers, have advantages over foreign retailers in the supermarket/convenience store segment. There are many factors that support the development of Vietnams retail industry, according to VCB Securities. The consumer confidence index (CCI) has increased rapidly in recent years, reaching its peak in March 2019. Average income saw the second highest increase in the region, which prompted Vietnamese to spend more money on goods and services. General goods and refrigerators were the products with the highest turnover. Consumers are shifting to use higher-end products and becoming choosier about quality. The "golden population" period is over and Vietnam is entering the aging period. Therefore, the demand for healthcare and organic products is on the rise in large urban areas. The middle class, which is on the rise, buy goods at convenience stores or shop online because of their limited free time. The high internet penetration is also changing consumer behavior. The development of smartphones and convenient consumer trend also leads to the increasingly high popularity of online shopping. Therefore, e-commerce websites have become better known to consumers. The most popular websites include Shopee (75 percent), Lazada (70 percent), Tiki (58 percent), Facebook (54 percent), Sendo (44 percent) and Adayroi (25 percent). The expansion of urbanization and the income increase are the premise for retail companies to scale up their business in second-class cities. VCB Securities predicted that urbanization would increase, reaching 49 percent in 2025-2030. At present, the biggest turnover comes from large cities and key economic zones. However, VCB Securities believes that in the future, second-class cities will be important for retailers. Duy Anh Vietnams retail pie sweet but hard to get: JLL As one of the most dynamic economies in the region, Vietnams young retail market has great potential as it is increasingly more competitive and attractive to foreign investors. NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Klarna's move into the direct to consumer retail space with the launch of the Klarna shopping app is fueling its rapid global growth with a very strong uptake of consumers in the US in the last months and when launched this week in Australia. As consumers are looking for a smarter and more streamlined way to shop and pay, the Klarna US shopping app has proven extremely popular since launch in May 2019. The number of monthly active users of the app has increased 4x and monthly transactions have grown by 10x since launch. The Klarna shopping app is by far the most downloaded shopping app in the US compared to direct competitors, exceeding other apps by more than 200,000 monthly downloads. Within the first two months of launching in the US, Klarna's app was downloaded more than half a million times and in October became the number 1 trending shopping app on the US Google Play Store. Over the past six months, two million wish list items have been created by Klarna users. On the back of the success Klarna has seen in the US, the company has this week launched a similar offering to Australian consumers. Within the first day of launch, the app was in the top two shopping apps in Australia, outperforming all local competitors. The app which officially launched with the CommonWealth Bank of Australia on Thursday, January 30, was met with strong enthusiasm, with thousands of Australians downloading the app within the first few hours of being available. The app provides an elevated one-stop shopping experience allowing consumers to shop and pay at any online retailer from the convenience of their smartphone, increasing control, transparency and flexibility in the way they pay for items online. Consumers can browse top brands, create universal and curated wishlists, receive price drop notifications, and have access to shopping inspiration, exclusive deals and discounts from retailers, all in one place. This unique customer-centric provides consumers a healthier, simpler and smarter alternative to credit cards. "The response to our launch from Australian shoppers this week has been phenomenal and echoes the reaction of US consumers over the last months, that they're demanding a more seamless, intuitive and transparent online shopping services that better meet their daily needs. Consumers love the flexibility and convenience of being able to shop at any online store through their smartphone, a factor which has proven to build strong consumer preference. We're convinced that our focus on superior consumer shopping experiences will continue to drive our global trajectory and growth," says Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO of Klarna. Founded in 2005 in Stockholm, Klarna offers a wide range of products within payments, shopping and personal finances to make it easier for people to shop on and offline, including buy now pay later services, in-store payment solutions and a new direct-to-consumer shopping app. Today more than 85m consumers use Klarna, and the company partners with over 205,000 merchants in North America, the UK and Europe including H&M, Michael Kors, Wayfair, Adidas, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, Microsoft, ASOS, Peloton, Boohoo, Sonos, RayBan, Levi's, Ticketmaster, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Nike. As part of the company's recent $460M equity raise, Klarna was confirmed as the largest private fintech in Europe and as one of the largest private fintechs globally. Media: Additional information and imagery can be found in our Press kit . Klarna [email protected] About Klarna We make shopping smoooth. With Klarna consumers can buy now and pay later, so they can get what they love today. Klarna's offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Over 205,000 merchants, including H&M, Adidas, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress have enabled Klarna's innovative shopping experience online and in-store. Klarna is the most highly valued fintech in Europe with a valuation of $US5.5bn and one of the largest private fintechs globally. Klarna was founded in 2005, has over 2,700 employees and is active in 17 countries. For more information, visit klarna.com . SOURCE Klarna Related Links https://www.klarna.com/us/ Meyer Burger mostly vindicated in SIX Swiss Exchange sanction proceedings: Board of Arbitration rectifies ruling by SIX Sanctions Commission Posted by Publisher Internet Meyer Burger Technology AG (SIX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) reported the effects of the closure of former subsidiary Diamond Materials Tech Inc. (DMT) in accordance with the relevant provisions of Swiss GAAP FER in the appropriate period in the 2016 consolidated financial statement.This was decided by the Board of Arbitration of SIX Swiss Exchange in its ruling dated January 20, 2020 (delivered on 28 January 2020), which rectifies the corresponding decision by the Sanctions Commission of SIX Swiss Exchange AG dated October 8, 2018, which had come to the opposite conclusion. Furthermore, the Board of Arbitration ruled that the booking of the effects of the closure of DMT should have been reported in the ordinary result and not in the extraordinary result of the 2016 annual financial statement, and imposed a penalty of CHF 10\-\-000 representing a sizable reduction compared to the sanction decision of CHF 100\-\-000 on the company for this deficiency. SIX Swiss Exchange AG had filed a sanction request against Meyer Burger in June 2018 (cf. media release from SIX Exchange Regulation dated June 13, 2018), accusing the company of contrary to the provisions of Swiss GAAP FER not reporting the effects of the closure of DMT (cf. media release from Meyer Burger dated March 1, 2017) in the appropriate period, i.e. already in the 2016 consolidated financial statements rather than in the 2017 annual financial statements, and of incorrectly presenting these effects as an extraordinary result. These accusations were disputed by Meyer Burger. Further deficiencies that had originally been alleged by SIX Swiss Exchange in its media release dated June 13, 2018 to exist in the company\-\-s 2016 annual financial statements and 2017 half-year financial statements were not further pursued in the proceedings. The Board of Arbitration stated that the relevant Swiss GAAP FER provisions for the recognition of the consequences of closing DMT in the ordinary or extraordinary result were vaguely formulated and may cause a certain degree of confusion. With the arbitration ruling, the majority of the costs of the sanction and arbitration proceedings were imposed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. Meyer Burger is examining whether and in what way the ruling of the arbitration court should be taken into account in the 2019 annual financial statements. THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT BEING ISSUED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND SHOULD NOT BE DISTRIBUTED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY TO U.S. PERSONS OR PUBLICATIONS WITH A GENERAL CIRCULATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR INVITATION TO SUBSCRIBE FOR, EXCHANGE OR PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES. IN ADDITION, THE SECURITIES OF MEYER BURGER TECHNOLOGY LTD HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE ?SECURITIES ACT?), OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR DELIVERED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS ABSENT REGISTRATION UNDER OR AN APPLICABLE EXEMPTION FROM THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SECURITIES LAWS. ? This media release may contain statements referring to the future, such as expectations, plans, intentions or strategies concerning the future. Such statements involve uncertainties and risks. Readers must therefore be aware that such statements can diverge from actual future occurrences. All statements concerning the future in this media release are based on data which were available to Meyer Burger Technology AG at the time of publishing this media release. The company does not undertake to update future-oriented statements made in this media release at a later date on the basis of new information, future events or suchlike. ? Meyer Burger is a leading technology company with a global presence, specializing in innovative systems and production equipment for the photovoltaic (solar), semiconductor and optoelectronics industries. As an internationally renowned premium brand, Meyer Burger offers its customers in the PV industry dependable precision products and innovative solutions for the manufacture of high-efficiency solar cells and solar modules. The comprehensive product range is complemented by a worldwide service network with spare and wearing parts, consumables, process know-how, maintenance and after-sales service, training courses and additional services. Meyer Burger is represented in the respective key markets in Europe, Asia and North America and has subsidiaries and its own service centers in China, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Singapore, Taiwan and the USA. At the same time, the company is also intensively developing the new PV markets in South America, Africa and the Arab region. The registered shares in Meyer Burger Technology AG are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker: MBTN). 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. 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 Northern Ireland must now build a new relationship with Europe and pursue major global trade ambitions, business figures have claimed. As the UK enters an 11-month transition period following its exit from the EU, CBI NI director Angela McGowan said the region's future prosperity remained connected to the bloc. And she said advances had been made, despite the tumult since the 2016 referendum result. "Despite the challenges of the last three years, together we have made progress. No deal has been avoided and a year of status quo gives time to shape a new relationship," she said. "Now the real work begins. With Stormont restored, local politicians now have the opportunity to build strong trade links, attract investment and provide an economic environment that is conducive to creating jobs and raising local living standards." She said the time had come for a "new relationship with Europe". "This can reflect our shared values and mutual interest and support bold global trade ambitions." Economist John Simpson said the withdrawal agreement, which grants Northern Ireland a special status to trade with the Republic and the EU while remaining part of the UK customs union, had simply "set the scene" for what is to come. "A wide range of policies must now be reviewed and the specific context for Northern Ireland will include many variations affecting Northern Ireland in ways which differ from detailed decisions for GB," he said. "During the next few months the agenda must cope with decisions on regulatory alignment of standards for goods and services and the impact of potential customs tariff differences between UK and EU." And while nothing will change in the short-term, "life with Brexit will become a lot more complicated in 2021". Paul MacFlynn, a senior economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (Neri), said the next phase of Brexit negotiations could bring "consensus" to the relationship between political parties here. "The withdrawal agreement sets out what Northern Ireland's economic relationship and its land border with the EU will look like after the transition period," he said. "That was the area which saw the most political disagreement among Northern Ireland's political parties. That deal is done," the economist added. By Kathy Feist It was 1968. A young bank clerk stood on the corner of 75th and Wornall greeting customers as they entered the bank. Sometimes he would take the time to encourage certain customers to buy the business for sale just a few doors down. Ashok allegedly said anti-CAA protestors should go to the neighbouring country. He allegedly used derogatory words against Mahatma Gandhi. He said that except Islam no other religion has fanaticism. Hyderabad: Pressure is mounting on the police to take disciplinary action against Karimnagar ACP P. Ashok, who had told an anti-CAA protester to go to the neighbouring country. The cop allegedly stated that Islam has excessive fanaticism and terrorism. The video pertaining to the counselling M.A. Mujeeb during counselling, when the exchange occurred, went viral on social media. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has already sought a report from the DGP on the complaint of harassment, but no action has been taken so far. A case was registered against Mr Mujeeb against whom a case was registered for participating in a protest against the CAA on December 22. He received a call from a cop, who identified himself as an inspector with Special Branch, who allegedly used filthy language. The following day, Mr Mujeeb was asked to present himself before Karimnagar commissioner of police V. B. Kamlasan Reddy. He complained about the telephonic conversation with the cop, but no action was taken. Later, he was asked to appear before Karimnagar I Town police for counselling. During the counselling, Mr Ashok joined and started a conversation with the complainant. Mr Ashok allegedly said anti-CAA protestors should go to the neighbouring country. He allegedly used derogatory words against Mahatma Gandhi. He said that except Islam no other religion has fanaticism. Secretary of Mehr Organisation Affan Quadri asked the DGP to initiate a departmental inquiry against the official by placing him under suspension. Mr Quadri urged Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to open de-radicalisation camps for some elite police officers. Social activist Mohammed Farooq maintained that police personnel should always be neutral and devoid of any ideological bias. A six-year-old boy has dubbed himself the Shirley Temple King for his brutally honest reviews of drinks at restaurants, and fans can't get enough. Leo Kelly from Connecticut first made a start as the Shirley Temple King in August when sharing his first review of a non-alcoholic Shirley Temple drink on Instagram after visiting a restaurant. For the youngster, what goes into his rating for each drink includes the amount of maraschino cherries in the cup, ratio of grenadine to ginger ale, and if there is a significant number of bubbles to satisfy. One to watch: Leo Kelly from Connecticut first made a start as a Shirley Temple reviewer when he shared his first review on Instagram in August Know his name: He's nicknamed himself the Shirley Temple King for his expert reviews According to People, Leo only had about 300 followers on Instagram earlier this week after months of posting brutally honest reviews at different restaurants. But then his review of Longhorn Steakhouse's Shirley Temple took off, and he now has 166,000 followers online. A video shows Leo sitting in a booth at the popular chain restaurant with a large Shirley Temple placed in front of him. The drink was wrong from the start, though, because there was not a single cherry in the glass. 'First of all, this is the biggest Shirley Temple Ive ever seen in my life,' Leo stated to the camera, adding: 'So, thats good news. The bad news is to say, no there are cherries.' Leo then gave the drink a score of five, one of his lowest, after taking a sip. His brutally honest review went viral and encouraged people to watch other videos from the young kid. Longhorn Steakhouse revealed in a tweet they later 'made it up to the King' following his lackluster review of the Shirley Temple drink. Harsh critic: The child went viral after his lackluster review of LongHorn Steakhouse's drink, which included no cherries Thumbs up: His ideal Shirley Temple includes three or four ice cubes, a glass cup, using a can of ginger ale, the right ratio of grenadine, and three cherries Another review from Leo came from when he visited visited Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The drink was his highest review to date, a 9.5/10, due to the Shirley Temple boasting three cherries in the cup and two on the lid. Leo also appreciated the added American flag on the cup. People's food editor Shay Spence helped inform people about the Shirley Temple King, writing on Twitter: 'Just found this Instagram account thats a kid who calls himself the Shirley Temple King and goes to restaurants and gives brutally honest reviews of their shirley temples. its so pure and I love him so much.' This encouraged Chrissy Teigen to comment on the young star and his niche content. 'He bout to get paiiiiid,' she wrote. Starting a movement: People's food writer Shay Spence helped inform the public about the six-year-old critic when he tweeted one of Leo's reviews Facts: Chrissy Teigen chimed in saying she thought the kid would soon make money Fans: Other people online commented on how Leo 'must be protected at all costs' and joked how restaurants will now be afraid once he comes in Other commenters thought the child 'needed to be protected at all costs'. Another Twitter user joked: 'Imagine being the bartender and seeing this small fry come in... And knowing what was about to happen.' Since Leo is only six years old, the Instagram account showing all of his Shirley Temple reviews is run by his parents, Tom and Lisa Kelly. They told People the idea for Leo to review Shirley Temples at each restaurant came from the child and his love for the drink. 'Hes been ordering Shirley Temples from the age of 3 and always commented on them,' Tom said. 'We were on vacation at Gurneys in Newport, Rhode Island, when Leo ordered a Shirley Temple at the pool and said "Dad I think I have an idea"and the rest is history.' Leo's ideal Shirley Temple includes 'three to four ice cubes, glass cup, a whole can of ginger ale, just enough grenadine, three cherries and an extra-long straw.' James Franco stepped out with friends on Wednesday night, ahead of news he is requesting his involvement in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal dispute be kept private. The actor/director is asking for his deposition be sealed, according to documents obtained by The Blast. Not only is he asking for his answers to be kept private, but he was also hoping to keep his participation in the case from the public, period. Private matters: James Franco stepped out with friends on Wednesday, ahead of news he was requesting his involvement in Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's legal dispute be kept private Franco's lawyers reportedly sent Depp's legal team a letter asking for these protections prior to agreeing to the deposition. The letter reads: 'I am checking with Mr. Franco regarding his availability during the weeks of January 20 or February 10. Please let me know if any dates during those weeks do not work for you. Please also provide me with an estimate regarding the time that each side will need to question him.' 'Prior to agreeing to appear, we request that a Protective Order re Confidentiality be entered by the Court that contains, among other provisions, the following: the transcript will not be used for any purpose other than the litigation; if any portion of the transcript is submitted to the Court, it be submitted under seal; no party can discuss the fact that Mr. Francos deposition is being or has been taken with any third party or anyone else including the press; no party can discuss Mr. Francos testimony and/or the transcript with (or show any portion of the transcript to) a third party or anyone else including the press; and if any party violates the confidentiality provisions, that party is responsible for liquidated damages (in an amount we can discuss).' Sealing the deal: The actor/director is asking for his deposition be sealed, according to documents obtained by The Blast On tape: Depp was subpoenaed for the case last summer after surveillance footage emerged of the actor snuggling up to Heard inside an elevator at Depp's Los Angeles apartment building Franco was subpoenaed for the case last summer after surveillance footage emerged of the actor snuggling up to Heard inside an elevator at Depp's Los Angeles apartment building. Depp and his lawyers want to Franco testify about his visit to Heard on May 21, 2016 and state whether or not the actress had any visible injuries on her face or body. It was just one day prior when Depp left Heard bloodied and bruised in an altercation that resulted in their decision to terminate their 15-month marriage, according to claims she made in multiple court documents. Depp has denied this allegation, and wants Franco to be questioned under oath about what he saw that day when he met with Heard according to his attorney Adam Waldman. Accusations of abuse: Depp left Heard bloodied and bruised in an altercation that resulted in their decision to terminate their 15-month marriage, according to claims she made in multiple court documents. She's seen with a bruise on her cheek May 27 2016 above Jealous streak: Depp's jealousy of Franco led to a physical altercation in 2014, according to Heard. He and Heard are seen in 2016 together above 'We are interested in James Franco and Elon Musk as fact witnesses because we have evidence they are men who saw Amber Heard's face in the days and nights between when she claimed Mr. Depp smashed her in the face on May 21 and when she went to court with painted on 'bruises' to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order on May 27,' Waldman told The Blast back in July. Depp's jealousy of Franco led to a physical altercation in 2014, according to Heard. Franco's testimony is part of Depp's ongoing defamation lawsuit against Heard, and the video was submitted as evidence last June. Heard meanwhile is asking a judge to dismiss the $50million suit filed by Depp in response to an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post. That piece never once mentioned Depp by name but did reference Heard's tumultuous split from the actor, with the actress writing: 'I spoke up against sexual violence - and faced our culture's wrath.' At odds: Franco's testimony is part of Depp's ongoing defamation lawsuit against Heard, over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post describing her experience with abuse. It did not mention Depp by name. Depp and Heard are seen in 2015 above Depp and his legal team claim that Heard caused further damage to his already declining career, which he accuses his ex-wife of derailing when she she first accused him of abuse in her 2016 divorce filing. Heard's lawyer states however that she is the victim in the case. 'Johnny Depp physically and verbally abused Amber Heard. Since their divorce, Mr. Depp has continued to publicly harass Ms. Heard, and attempted to gaslight the world by denying his abuse,' said Heard's lawyer Eric George in a statement on Thursday. 'It is long past time for Mr. Depps despicable conduct to end. Today, we presented to the court irrefutable evidence of Mr. Depps abuse.' The partner at Browne George Ross LLP continued: 'It is regrettable that it will take a judge to finally end the persistent harassment of Ms. Heard by Mr. Depp, but Ms. Heard will take whatever action is necessary to vindicate the truth.' Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Karnataka school headmistress, parent arrested for "abuse" of PM Modi in drama India oi-PTI Bengaluru, Jan 31: Days after a sedition case was slapped against a school in Karnataka, its headmistress and a student's mother have been arrested for alleged involvement in staging of a drama portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light over the CAA and NRC, police said on Friday. The police action came after they questioned the two women, a few staff members of the Shaheen School in the district headquarters town of Bidar and students on Thursday. They were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody, police said adding further investigation was on. The drama was staged by students of fourth, fifth and sixth standard on January 21. A sedition case was booked by police on January 26 against the school, along with some other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on January 26, based on a complaint from social worker Neelesh Rakshyal. Bidar school faces sedition charge for 'portraying PM Modi in poor light' The play uploaded on social media had gone viral. Officials said, the utterances against the Prime Minister were not part of the original script, but the mother of a class six student allegedly incorporated them during the practice and the teacher allowed it to be part of the drama. The complainant has alleged the school authorities 'used' the students to perform a drama where they "abused" Modi in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. The management tried to create 'fear' among the Muslims that they would have to leave the country if the CAA and NRC were implemented, Rakshyal had charged. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, January 31, 2020, 16:28 [IST] Farrukhabad: Local residents claim there was a method to the madness of Subhash Batham, the man who held 23 children hostage for hours before the episode ended with police shooting him down and a mob lynching his wife. Villagers said the hostage-taking appeared to have been planned. Batham, who was out on bail for a year and a half in a 2001 murder case, had invited the children for his daughter's birthday party. Kanpur Inspector General Mohit Agarwal, who led the police team in the rescue operation, said Batham had accumulated some weapons and country-made bombs and may have planned to blow up the house. The hostage drama started before 6 pm on Thursday and ended well past midnight. Batham apparently kept the children confined to the basement of his home till police and local residents barged in. As local people and policemen laid siege to the house in Kasaria village, the 40-year-old initially demanded that the cases against him be dropped. "Batham was demanding withdrawal of a murder case and we assured that we will talk about it. When we told him that he would be provided a government house, his wife Ruby shouted back,`give Rs 1 crore for each child and only then they will be released'," Agarwal said. During the siege, Batham also sent out a letter addressed to the district magistrate, local people said. In the letter, he reportedly complained that he was not allowed to make use of government schemes for housing and building toilets at home. He also alleged that he was being troubled by the Special Operation Group of police. In 2001, he had allegedly stabbed another villager, Meghnad, to death in a dispute over a drain. He was also accused in three robbery cases. According to local people, Batham had sold off his four-bigha piece of land and had no regular income. Though they accepted the invitation to the birthday party for their children, the villagers described Batham as mentally unstable and claimed that people generally kept away from him. Around 1 am, police barged into Batham's house. Villagers claimed that they too went in around the same time. While Batham was shot dead by police, local people caught hold of his wife, thrashing her and pelting stones at her, police said. Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Misra said she was initially rushed to a local hospital and later referred to Lohia hospital. She succumbed to her injuries there. All children, aged between 6 months and 15 years, were rescued safely from the basement, police said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: While the negotiations between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan were held in Geneva, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijani political analyst Shabnam Hasanova told Trend. Of course, this step not only overshadows the negotiation process, but it is also at odds with efforts which are made to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a whole, the political analyst said. These Pashinyans actions are nothing more than an attempt to divert attention in a different direction through various maneuvers, Hasanova said. Pashinyan has always resorted to this trick. His authority among the Armenian citizens is undermined, and he is trying to attract attention by any means, including populist statements and maneuvers." "On the eve of the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Bratislava in December 2019, Pashinyan used a similar method. This is evidenced by his visit to Nagorno Karabakh and a meeting with separatists, as well as by the statement of the press secretary of the "leader" of so-called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" David Babayan about the impossibility of a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities," the political analyst said. Shabnam Hasanova emphasized that the format of negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group is unchanged, Azerbaijan and Armenia are the only parties to the negotiations, and Pashinyan's dream of setting Karabakh separatists at the negotiating table is doomed to collapse, like his other aspirations and maneuvers. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met in Geneva on Jan. 29. On the eve of the meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Nagorno Karabakh, where he met with separatist leader Bako Sahakyan and took part in presenting service quarters to Armenian soldiers. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. [January 31, 2020] FCF CO., LTD., Largest Tuna Supplier in Western Pacific, acquires Bumble Bee Foods FCF CO., LTD. (FCF), one of the world's largest integrated marine industry supply-chain service providers, announced today that it has acquired Bumble Bee Foods (Bumble Bee), a 120-year-old beloved marketer of seafood and specialty protein products sold in the U.S., Canada, and throughout the world. There are no anticipated changes to the current Bumble Bee headquarters located in San Diego, California. "We are confident that Bumble Bee, under the thoughtful leadership of its President and CEO, Jan Tharp, will continue to build on its storied history of delivering innovative, high quality, and sustainable seafood products to customers," said FCF president Max Chou. "The company is poised for future growth and profitably, and we anticipate strong collaboration and interaction between FCF and Bumble Bee for the long-term." According to Chou, the partnership is a natural one, as the two companies have enjoyed a productive supplier-purchaser relationship for more than 30 years and share a commitment to sustainability and global fisheries conservation. Specifically, to achieve the most up-to-date and internationally recognized Marine Stewardship Council (MSC (News - Alert)) standards, the companies have been working together on Fisheries Improvement Projects ( "FIPs") for tuna longline fisheries in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Both FCF and Bumble Bee will continue their active participation in the Seafood Task Force (STF), and remain committed to implementing a new "FCF Social Responsibility Program" at various locations, including Taiwan, Mauritius, and Fiji. "This is just the beginning of the journey," Chou said. "FCF's acquisition of Bumble Bee strengthens our best-in-class sustainability and social responsibility efforts, and puts us in an advantageous position for sustained growth and leadership throughout the tuna and seafood industries." FCF wishes to thank Moelis & Company LLC, serving as exclusive financial advisor and investment banker to FCF in the transaction, as well as The Giannuzzi Group, LLP, serving as U.S. M&A counsel; Rosen & Associates, P.C., serving as U.S. bankruptcy counsel; Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, serving as Canadian counsel; Baker and Miller, PLLC, serving as antitrust counsel; and, Parks & Solar, LLP, serving as industry counsel. About FCF CO., LTD. FCF CO, LTD. (FCF), a Taiwanese company, is one of the world's largest integrated supply-chain service providers for the marine products industry. With 40-plus years of experience in the trading and marketing of tuna products, FCF has established more than 30 subsidiaries, fishing bases and shipping agents throughout the world to serve its customers. As an industry leader in sustainability, traceability, and social responsibility, FCF works closely with governments and non-governmental organizations to ensure the environmental sustainability of tuna stock and marine life around the globe. FCF is ranked #11 out of 30 companies in the 2019 Seafood Stewardship Index by World Benchmarking Alliance (founded by Aviva, Index Initiative and the UN Foundation). On the web at http://www.fcf.com.tw/. About Bumble Bee Foods Bumble Bee is on a mission to create a new generation of seafood lovers by delivering delicious, healthy and sustainable seafood options in innovative ways. As an industry leader in sustainability, Bumble Bee works to protect the health of our oceans, marine life and the fishing community through multiple efforts, including the development of dolphin-safe fishing practices, partnerships with organizations like World Wildlife Fund, the Marine Stewardship Council, the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, and as a founder of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF), a global partnership of scientists, tuna processors. Bumble Bee's full line of seafood and specialty protein products are marketed in the U.S., Canada and over 50 markets globally under leading brands including Bumble Bee, Brunswick, Clover Leaf, Snow's, Wild Selections?and Beach Cliff. For more information visit?www.BumbleBee.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005533/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] It is not as far-fetched an idea as it may sound. In fact, there is already a template for how to do it. Remaining in the European Union is no longer an option for the United Kingdom. Boris Johnson finally made Brexit happen by steering the EU Withdrawal Agreement Act through parliament on the back of his December electoral triumph. The rear-guard Remain campaign, which convulsed British politics for three years following the 2016 EU membership referendum, is no more. Instead of playing the blame game or indulging in self-pity, so-called Remainers should think more seriously about the option of rejoining the EU. This scenario may sound far-fetched at present, but so was Brexit itself prior to 2016. In fact, there already is a template for why and how the UK might rejoin. It is to be found in the process by which David Camerons government came to hold that fateful referendum. All sides in the Brexit debate agree that leaving the EU constitutes a paradigm shift in UK foreign policy. But although the referendum result was a surprise, the decision to hold one came on the back of an identifiable process of policy evolution. Thus, by retracing the steps that led to the referendum gamble, we can understand the process that leads to policy change of this magnitude. A prelude to 2016 The prelude to the referendum, from 2004 onwards, was a cycle of what political scientists would call policy anomalies followed by policy experiments. The UKs approach to the EU stumbled because of unexpected consequences anomalies in the sense of a mismatch between expectations and reality. The handling of the 2004 EU enlargement is a case in point Alone among the larger member states, the UK did not impose temporary restrictions on the free movement of citizens from the eight Eastern and Central European countries that joined in 2004. Tony Blairs government dramatically underestimated the resulting migratory flows. The original prediction of a yearly net total of up to 13,000 extra migrants per annum was wrong by a factor of nearly 10 by 2007. The diplomatic and economic benefits of this liberal immigration policy were offset by the political cost of associating EU membership with uncontrolled migration. Another anomaly came in the wake of the global financial crash and subsequent Eurozone debt crisis. Successive British governments promoted the EU single market as a means to support the growth of financial services, the UKs major global industry. EU policymakers decided that regulating global finance was part of the solution for saving the euro. This put the UK on the defensive and at a loss for allies. Failed experiments Wrong-footed by these developments, Prime Minister Cameron resorted to experimentation. In 2011, he introduced legislation stating that any EU treaty conferring new powers to Brussels would automatically be the subject of a referendum. The following year he threatened to veto a deal for stabilising the euro if the UK did not obtain safeguards against unwanted EU financial regulation. This strategy was a failure. It did not stop parliamentary rebellions by Eurosceptic MPs, while EU leaders found a way to sign the treaty despite the UK veto. Well-organised and well-funded anti-EU groups made hay with this combination of anomalies and failures. Here was the evidence that could be used to generate a seductive message about EU inflexibility and the need to take back control. Camerons response was one last throw of the dice. He gambled on a renegotiated form of membership that would convince soft Eurosceptics to vote to remain in the EU. Unable to obtain restrictions on migration, the renegotiation failed to convince Tory Eurosceptic Boris Johnson, whose heavyweight support galvanised the anti-EU side. Lessons for the future Seen in the light of recent EU-UK relations, the UKs pursuit of Brexit cannot be taken for granted as a stable outcome. This is because EU withdrawal inevitably sets the UK on course for another round of policy experimentation and probable failure. Rejoiners need to be like the pre-2016 Eurosceptics who spotted the resulting opportunity to shift government policy and public opinion dramatically. Phase one of Brexit provided abundant examples of the mismatch between populist-pleasing government rhetoric and negotiating reality. Bluster about reneging on payments to settle outstanding liabilities came to naught as did the threat that no deal is better than a bad one. Phase two will exacerbate this tension because Prime Minister Johnson has made so many promises about the upsides to life after EU withdrawal. So what rejoiners ought to be on the lookout for is a new cycle of policy anomalies and failed experiments. An obvious banana skin is the free trade agreement the EU and UK want to have in place after transition arrangements end at the beginning of 2021. Brussels is adamant that any such deal include measures to limit the UKs capacity to lower environmental standards or workers rights. If no deal is agreed, the European Commission has warned that UK companies with subsidiaries in Northern Ireland will remain subject to EU competition rules. Another anomaly is the very real possibility of a unilateral secession referendum in Scotland. Johnson has staked a lot of political capital on new policy measures made possible by Brexit. But what if no trade deal with the US materialises or the UK backtracks and grants fishing rights to EU skippers? The more this pattern of policy anomalies and failures becomes apparent, the greater the momentum for a new paradigm shift. What the pro-EU movement needs to do is weave together policy disappointments and broken promises into a coherent narrative justifying a new referendum on membership, for the other lesson of 2016 is that a policy change of this magnitude requires a public vote. A government can flounder in its EU policy and still not change course. At some points prior to 2019, it looked as if parliament would not allow Brexit to happen. Yet only a second referendum could have taken EU withdrawal off the table, as MPs were uncomfortable defying the 52 percent who voted to leave. The default setting, non-membership of the EU, is now the reverse of what it was in 2016. Rejoining will thus be a test of political agency the ability of pro-EU groups to organise and persuade against the status quo. Future UK governments can rightly claim that opt-outs on Schengen and the Euro cannot be regained and in this way perhaps contain the likely public disappointment with life outside the EU. But if the public gets to decide again, all bets are off. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Delta and American Airlines announced on Friday they would suspend all flights between the U.S. and China, following the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus that has infected almost 8,000 people in various cities across the globe. American is suspending its operations to and from the Chinese mainland beginning today [January 31] through March 27. Our teams are contacting affected customers directly to accommodate their needs, read a statement on the American Airliness website. Delta has decided to temporarily suspend all U.S. to China flying beginning Feb. 6 through April 30 due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus, Delta Airlines said in a similar statement. Between now and Feb. 5, Delta will continue to operate flights to ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so. The announcements come as major European carriers Air France, British Airways, and Scandinavian Airlines, as well as Israels El Al, have also suspended all flights to and from China. Earlier on Friday the State Department issued its highest level travel advisory for China, warning citizens not to make the journey to the country. Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, the advisory read. Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. Senators Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Josh Hawley (R., Mo.), both China hawks, had previously called on the Trump administration to institute a ban on travel to China from the U.S. Cotton has also asserted that the epidemic in China, where most cases of the virus are concentrated, is much worse than Communist Party officials are willing to admit. On Thursday the World Health Organization declared the epidemic a global health emergency. More from National Review A newly released study by the Economic Policy Institute reaches a devastating but not surprising conclusion: globalization has screwed American workers. However, putting numbers on how much sustained trade deficits with China translate into lost American jobs, and those numbers turning out to be large, gives free trade cheerleaders a lot less wriggle room. EPI estimates that American sacrificed 3.7 million jobs as a result of US-China trade deficits since China joined the WTO in 2001, with 3/4 of the losses taking place in manufacturing positions. They also point out that job losses to China have increased since Trump took office. The EPI estimates are consistent with earlier studies. From a 2017 Wall Street Journal article, How the China Shock, Deep and Swift, Spurred the Rise of Trump: What happened with Chinese imports is an example of how much of the conventional wisdom about economics that held sway in the late 1990s, including the role of trade, technology and central banking, has since slowly unraveled. Both presidential candidates aimed much of their criticism at 1994s North American Free Trade Agreement, which boosted imports from Mexico. Even then, though, the real culprit was China, economists now say. Many U.S. factories that moved to Mexico did so to match prices from China. Some of the new Mexican factories helped support U.S. jobs. For example, fabrics made in the U.S. are turned into clothing in Mexico for sale globally by U.S. companies. A group of economists that includes Messrs. Hanson and Autor estimates that Chinese competition was responsible for 2.4 million jobs lost in the U.S. between 1999 and 2011. Total U.S. employment rose 2.1 million to 132.9 million in the same period. Recall that the much-touted NAFTA was supposed to deliver one million American jobs, but instead resulted in job destruction, with studies estimating anywhere from nearly 800,000 jobs to over a million. Now to the executive summary of the EPI report: U.S. jobs lost are spread throughout the country but are concentrated in manufacturing, including in industries in which the United States has traditionally held a competitive advantage. The growth of the U.S. trade deficit with China between 2001 and 2018 was responsible for the loss of 3.7 million U.S. jobs, including 1.7 million jobs lost since 2008 (the first full year of the Great Recession, which technically began at the end of 2007). Three-fourths (75.4%) of the jobs lost between 2001 and 2018 were in manufacturing (2.8 million manufacturing jobs lost due to the growth in the trade deficit with China). including 1.7 million jobs lost since 2008 (the first full year of the Great Recession, which technically began at the end of 2007). Three-fourths (75.4%) of the jobs lost between 2001 and 2018 were in manufacturing (2.8 million manufacturing jobs lost due to the growth in the trade deficit with China). Trade deficits with China and resulting jobs losses continued to grow during the first two years of the Trump administration despite the administrations heated rhetoric and imposition of tariffs. The U.S. trade deficit with China rose from $347 billion in 2016 to $420 billion in 2018, an increase of 21.0%. U.S. jobs displaced by China trade deficits increased from nearly 3.0 million in 2016 to 3.7 million in 2018,a total of more than 700,000 jobs lost or displaced in the first two years of the Trump administration. despite the administrations heated rhetoric and imposition of tariffs. The U.S. trade deficit with China rose from $347 billion in 2016 to $420 billion in 2018, an increase of 21.0%. U.S. jobs displaced by China trade deficits increased from nearly 3.0 million in 2016 to 3.7 million in 2018,a total of more than 700,000 jobs lost or displaced in the first two years of the Trump administration. The growing trade deficit with China has cost jobs in all 50 states and in every congressional district in the United States. The 10 hardest-hit states, when looking at job loss as a share of total state employment, were New Hampshire, Oregon, California, North Carolina, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Indiana, and Idaho. Job losses in these states ranged from 2.82% (in Idaho) to 3.66% (in New Hampshire) of total state employment. The five hardest-hit states based on total jobs lost were California (654,100 jobs lost), Texas (334,800), New York (185,100), Illinois (162,400), and Florida (150,700). The 10 hardest-hit states, when looking at job loss as a share of total state employment, were New Hampshire, Oregon, California, North Carolina, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Indiana, and Idaho. Job losses in these states ranged from 2.82% (in Idaho) to 3.66% (in New Hampshire) of total state employment. The five hardest-hit states based on total jobs lost were California (654,100 jobs lost), Texas (334,800), New York (185,100), Illinois (162,400), and Florida (150,700). The trade deficit in the computer and electronic parts industry grew the most, and that is reflected in job losses: 1,340,600 jobs were lost in that industry, accounting for 36.2% of the 20012018 total jobs lost. Not surprisingly, the hardest-hit congressional districts (those ranking in the top 20 districts in terms of jobs lost as a share of all jobs in the district) included districts in California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas, where jobs in that industry are concentrated. One district in Georgia and two others in North Carolina were also especially hard hit by trade-related job displacement in a variety of manufacturing industries, including computer and electronic parts, textiles and apparel, and furniture. 1,340,600 jobs were lost in that industry, accounting for 36.2% of the 20012018 total jobs lost. Not surprisingly, the hardest-hit congressional districts (those ranking in the top 20 districts in terms of jobs lost as a share of all jobs in the district) included districts in California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Texas, where jobs in that industry are concentrated. One district in Georgia and two others in North Carolina were also especially hard hit by trade-related job displacement in a variety of manufacturing industries, including computer and electronic parts, textiles and apparel, and furniture. Surging imports of steel, aluminum, and other capital-intensive products threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs in key industries such as primary metals, machinery, and fabricated metal products as well. These three sectors, alone, have already lost 372,700 jobs due to growing trade deficits with China between 2001 and 2018. in key industries such as primary metals, machinery, and fabricated metal products as well. These three sectors, alone, have already lost 372,700 jobs due to growing trade deficits with China between 2001 and 2018. Global trade in advanced technology productsoften discussed as a source of comparative advantage for the United Statesis instead dominated by China. This broad category of high-end technology products includes the more advanced elements of the computer and electronic parts industry as well as other sectors such as biotechnology, life sciences, aerospace, and nuclear technology. In 2018, the United States had a $134.6 billion trade deficit in advanced technology products with China, and this deficit was responsible for 32.1% of the total U.S.China goods trade deficit that year. In contrast, the United States had a $6.5 billion trade surplus in advanced technology products with the rest of the world in 2018. The U.S. balance of trade in advanced technology products declined by $132.7 billion between 2001 and 2018. This broad category of high-end technology products includes the more advanced elements of the computer and electronic parts industry as well as other sectors such as biotechnology, life sciences, aerospace, and nuclear technology. In 2018, the United States had a $134.6 billion trade deficit in advanced technology products with China, and this deficit was responsible for 32.1% of the total U.S.China goods trade deficit that year. In contrast, the United States had a $6.5 billion trade surplus in advanced technology products with the rest of the world in 2018. The U.S. balance of trade in advanced technology products declined by $132.7 billion between 2001 and 2018. China is exporting goods to the U.S. through other countries. Although the bilateral trade deficit with China has declined in 2019 (through November), the overall U.S. trade deficit in non-oil goods, which is dominated by trade in manufactured and farm products, has continued to increase, as has Chinas overall balance of trade with the rest of the world, suggesting that trade diversion (Chinese goods, and parts and materials being used in products, that the U.S. imports from other countries) has grown in importance. This is an important topic for future research. Growing trade deficits are also associated with wage losses not just for manufacturing workers but for all workers economywide who dont have a college degree. Between 2001 and 2011 alone, growing trade deficits with China reduced the incomes of directly impacted workers by $37 billion per year, and in 2011 alone, growing competition with imports from China and other low wage-countries reduced the wages of all U.S. noncollege graduates by a total of $180 billion. Most of that income was redistributed to corporations in the form of higher profits and to workers with college degrees at the very top of the income distribution through higher wages. Mind you, this outcome should have been and was likely expected. From a 2018 post; forgive the length of this section, but its important to understand that economists knew full well that blue-collar workers would be likely to take a hit from globalization: And in an Institute of New Economic Thinking panel last October, Berkeley economics professor Brad DeLong explained how the Ricardian fairy tale that is drummed into those who have some contact with economics is unrealistic and a more accurate view of liberalized trade shows it favors the rich: In that case, we cannot escape the conclusion that comparative advantage is the ideology of a market system that works for the interest of the wealthy. For comparative advantage is the market economy on the international scale, and the market economy is, via the Negishi weights that it assigns to the social welfare function that it actually maximizes, is a collective human device for satisfying the wants of the well off, and the well off are those who control the scarce resources that are useful for producing things for which the rich of the world have a serious jones. Pia Malaney is Co-Founder and Director of The Center for Innovation, Growth and Society (CIGS) and Senior Economist at the Institute for New Economic Thinking, pointed out that Serious Economists understood the costs of more open trade even though they pretended not to: Specifically, as most of you probably know, the Samuelson-Stopler theorem would give you good reason to expect that less educated workers in the US would take a hit with more open trade. As Harvard economics professor Dani Rodrik wrote in 2008: The Stolper-Samuelson theorem is a remarkable theorem: it says that in a world with two goods and two factors of production, where specialization remains incomplete (plus a few more technical assumptions), one of the two factorsthe one that is scarcemust end up worse off as a result of opening up to international trade. Not in relative terms, but in absolute terms. But the theorem is also quite limited in its applicability. It applies only to a case with two goods and two factors, and so its real world relevance is always in question. But there is a version of the theorem that is remarkably general and powerful. It says that regardless of the number of goods and factors, at least one factor of production must experience a decline in real income from trade as long as trade induces the relative price of some domestically produced good(s) to fall (and as long as the productivity benefits from trade are restricted to the traditional, inter-sectoral allocative efficiency improvements, about which more later). All that this result requires is a very mild assumption, namely that goods be produced with varying factor intensities (i.e., use different combination of factors). The stark implication is that someone will lose, even if the nation as a whole becomes richer The theorem does not identify who exactly will lose out. The loser in question could be the wealthiest group in the land. But if the good in question is highly intensive in unskilled labor, there is a strong presumption that it is unskilled workers who will be worse off. And before you curse economic theory, note that this is really accountingnot economics at all. Rodrik goes on to argue that this might not be as absolute as it seems, since if manufacturers could increase total factor productivity in response to import competition, they could afford to preserve or even increase worker wages even if the prices for their products fell. But Rodrik pointed out that analysis of firm-level efficiency was pretty dodgy, and you could see the same results by the virtue of the least efficient firms going out of business, which would still hurt overall employment. Moreover, as we pointed out back then, companies were crimping on worker pay even before the crisis. The early 2000s recovery saw labor get a markedly lower share of total income growth than in any post-WWII expansion. And the proportion going to profits versus compensation got even worse after the crisis. So the bigger point is economists had very good reason to anticipate that more open trade would hurt the US working classes, but they either pointed chose to ignore that or rationalized it in various ways. At worst, theyd take a short-term hit and would get a new job and might have to acquire some skills.as if that were all that easy if you are supporting a family, and/or older, and employers wont give you credit for training in later life. Back to the current post. In other words, the remedy to less-skilled workers getting shafted has been various Let them eat training handwaves, of which the latest flavor has been, Why dont they learn to code? But there is a bona fide problem. Even though globalization was a losing proposition for American labor, those eggs were broken quite a while ago. Its not clear how we unscramble that omelet, particularly since the US pretends to be allergic to industrial policy. In reality, we have it in spades via certain sectors getting lots of subsidies, tax breaks, and/or Federal spending, such as defense, real estate, Big Pharma and health care, and higher education. With the natives becoming more restless, as epitomized by Sanders rise in the polls, the officialdom might finally be cluing in to the need to make more concessions to workers, particularly as the coronavirus is throwing sand in the gears of Chinese supply chains. Weve pointed out for years that outsourcing and offshoring often dont improve profits but instead represent a transfer from factory-level labor to middle managers and top executivesand on top of that, increases the fragility of the business. If some critical products like drugs come to be scarce, the US may finally have its long-overdue big think on the dangers of depending on the kindness of foreigners. It has long been clear to anyone paying attention that there is no discernible daylight to be found between Donald Trumps immediate feelings as a person and the actions he takes in the role of president. When he is angry, he rage-tweets; when he doesnt like a federal program, he summarily cancels it; when he is mad at Iran, he kills a guy; and when he wants to intimidate a witness midtestimony, he threatens her. Its not just that he cannot disentangle his own interests from those of the office of the president or the greater interests of the country; its that we are all at the constant mercy of his feelings and his responses to those feelings. Thats all policy really is anymore: things he does in response to stuff he feels. His lawyers spend the bulk of their time trying to find legal doctrine to support his spontaneous claims that he can fire anyone he hates, build anything he wants, assassinate anyone who pisses him off, withhold any of the congressionally appropriated aid he likes, and recall any foreign ambassadors, even for corrupt reasons. The rest of us simply white-knuckle our way along the careening roller coaster of his tantrums, vendettas, and lies. What we have experienced over the past three years has been nothing more and nothing less than what it is like to be ruled by one mans self-obsessed, mercurial feelings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The implications for future presidents are breathtaking. That means that we also now occupy a constitutional regime in which the entire sweep and scope of Article 2 power is reconfigured to allow for thisto permit him, as he famously put it, to do whatever I want as president. What weve watched during this impeachment trial is the constitutionalization of this behavior. And because the presidents lawyers can no longer defend against the facts of his behavior, they have again attempted to reconfigure the law to allow it. Thats why Alan Dershowitzs chilling defense of the presidents actions was so arresting on Wednesday, when he offered up twin claims about the presidents state of mind in corruptly seeking to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless the country helped him damage a political rival in advance of the 2020 election. Much attention has been paid to the frankly terrifying assertion that a president cannot be impeached for doing anything to advance his electoral fortunes, since he must rightly believe that this is in the best interest of the country. (Dershowitz now claims that his comments have been distorted, but he has offered no correction to the record. Additionally, Patrick Philbin, another Trump lawyer, made the same point.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest, he said, in the English language, on the Senate floor. And if a president does something, which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment, said the beclowned criminal law expert. Constitutional law experts across the spectrum quickly reacted in horror. What Dershowitz is suggesting is that the president can investigate rivals, close polling places, start wars, invite foreign election interference, extort anyone, dangle pardons, and essentially do absolutely anything else he believes will win him an election, and that none of this can be impeachable. As Aaron Rupar correctly observed, in a week, the Trump defense torqued from no quid pro quo to he did it, so what. Indeed, that will be the basis for the argument that we need no more witnesses. John Bolton, if called, will merely confirm that the Ukraine scheme happened. But so what? If the president does it in a quest for reelection, its fine. The implications for future presidents are breathtaking. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But the second part of Dershowitzs defense is almost as terrifying as his Letat, cest moi claim about limitless power to get oneself reelected. That was his related assertion that the presidents mental state is so vastly and multifariously unknowable that nobody on the Senate floor dare attempt to comprehend the complexity of the Ukraine scheme. To explain this, Dershowitz described Abraham Lincolns mindset during the Civil War: Advertisement Advertisement The president a) believed it was in the national interest, but b) he believed his own election was essential to victory in the Civil War. Every president believes that. That is why it is so dangerous to try to psychoanalyze a president, to try to get into the intricacies of the human mind. Everybody has mixed motives, and for there to be a constitutional impeachment based on mixed motives would permit almost any president to be impeached. Advertisement Advertisement To be precise, Dershowitz is not just claiming that anything a president does to get reelected is in the national interest; hes also claiming that its impossible to separate out a presidents mixed motivation. Thus, given the great ineffable wonder that is Donald Trumps reasoning process and unknowable mind, he cannot be impeached even if he was 99 percent extorting Ukraine for electoral goals and only 1 percent doing so for the national interest. As long as that 1 percent is there, its fine. But also unknowable. Professor Randall D. Eliason pointed out in Thursdays Washington Post that Dershowitzs who can know the vagaries of the human mind defense is almost as insane as the claim that presidents can do whatever they like to win an election because they believe its in the national interest. Virtually all of criminal law turns on probing mens rea, or mental state. As Eliason notes, its usually the key issue in white-collar offenses such as bribery or obstruction of justice, which are embodied in the text of the articles of impeachment. In such cases, proof of what was in the defendants mind is usually what distinguishes an otherwise lawful act from a criminal offense. Claims that we cannot determine Trumps motivation because we cannot trust the presidents statements, tweets, and reports of his behavior to illuminate why he was refusing to give aid to Ukraine are absurd. As Eliason puts it, proof of state of mind is not only commonplace, its indispensable. Its how the law works. Dershowitzs argument essentially boils down to well, this president is above mens rea. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But claims that Trumps byzantine state of mind dare not be probed by mere jurists is old hat now. Trumps defenders made the same absurd psychologizing claims in the travel ban cases, in order to urge courts to disaggregate the presidents open boasts that his travel ban was born of anti-Muslim animus from the overtly anti-Muslim executive order he eventually signed. Dont engage in amateur psychology of this valorous institution that is the presidency is a party trick deployed to cleanse Trumps bad acts in court, no matter the act and no matter the court. Lindsey Graham previewed this argument before Dershowitz made it cool when he insisted last week that whatever Trump was doing around Ukraine, bribery, and Joe Biden was fine because from the presidents point of view, he did nothing wrong in his mind. Its not just that if the president does it to get reelected, its lawful; its also that if the president believed it was lawful, theres nothing left for jurors to probe. Advertisement Republicans in the Senate dont have to accept Dershowitzs laughable claims about the presidents mental state being too complicated to parse. There is a simple recourse available to them, which is to call witnesses who spoke to Trump about the acts in question. That they have instead allowed themselves to be led through the looking glass into we believe he believes it was legal is nothing less than the constitutionalization of one mans boundless narcissism. Advertisement Advertisement Let this serve, at minimum, as a reminder that in all the ways we have degraded and demolished constitutional norms in this era, the most egregious move might have come with this defense. The combination of Letat, cest moi with Who among us dares probe what that moi is thinking is not just fatal to what is left of constitutional checks and balances, but also to the rule of law. Whatever authoritarianism means, it has to encompass the idea that the executive can do whatever he wants, for whatever reason, and cannot be second-guessed. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Weve grown so accustomed to this fact: that the presidents moods and whims and fleeting fancies are what rule us, that we now assume his moods and whims are the law. They are also now presumed exculpatory in the courts and are what make him somehow immune to any and all oversight in the impeachment process or by the judicial branch. Somehow, weve forgotten that the Framers of the Constitution stupidly believed that they were creating a government that transcended the individual moods and passions of the moment, and that the original architecture they laid out was about more than just a shrine to one mans belief that he is the law, and also above the law. Big C Waffles | Photo: Juyoung S./Yelp Looking to try the best food trucks in town? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top food trucks in Durham, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to satisfy your cravings. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1. Only Burger Photo: Nishant A./Yelp First on the list is Only Burger. Located at 3710 Shannon Road, Suite 118, the food truck and traditional American spot, which offers burgers and more, is the highest-rated food truck in Durham, boasting four stars out of 310 reviews on Yelp. 2. Big C Waffles Photo: Danielle H./Yelp Next up is Big C Waffles, situated at 2110 Allendown Drive. With 4.5 stars out of 78 reviews on Yelp, the food truck and traditional American spot, serving waffles and more, has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Gussy's Place Photo: Lana L./Yelp Gussy's Place, located at 2945 S. Miami Blvd., Suite 122, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the food truck and Greek and breakfast/brunch spot 4.5 stars out of 55 reviews. 4. Sho Nuff Seafood Photo: Sho Nuff Seafood/Yelp Check out Sho Nuff Seafood, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 30 reviews on Yelp. You can find the food truck, which offers seafood and more, at 1058 W. Club Blvd., Suite 528. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Milledgeville, Georgia, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Georgia College alumna Erin Noblesthe mother working to pass Gracies Law into state legislation in Georgia, granting children with disabilities access to organ transplantswill speak to university nursing students at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 3, in the Health Sciences Building. Gracie was born in March 2019 with Down syndrome and spent 17 days in neonatal intensive care. A month later, she showed signs of congestive heart failure and developed serious kidney problems. At 3-months-old, Gracie underwent surgery to repair a hole in her heart. It was successful. But, if she had required a heart transplant, Gracie couldve been denied due to her disabilities. Georgia doesnt have discrimination prevention laws to protect the disabled and ensure equal access to organ transplants. Even states with discrimination laws often leave people and children with disabilities off organ transplant lists. We are excited that Erin Nobles will be speaking to our senior nursing students, said Carol Sapp, associate professor of nursing. As both a nurse and mother, Erin will be able to share with expertise how important it is to be an advocate for individuals with disabilities. Nobles received her undergraduate nursing degree in 2006 and her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a focus in Family Nurse Practitioner in 2013 from Georgia College. She works part-time at Jefferson Hospital in Louisville, Georgia. Nobles was in Atlanta this week with her husband David, whos also a Georgia College alumnus with a bachelors degree in criminal justice. The Warthen, Georgia, couple attended the state general assembly Wednesday, Feb. 29, as State Reps. Rick Williams (R-Milledgeville) and Mack Jackson (D-Sandersville) formally introduced Gracies Law to the Georgia House of Representatives. They hope the bill will pass during the 2020 legislative season. The Nobles also told their story to a crowd of about 100 people Wednesday, as part of Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Day in Atlanta. Yesterday was lifechanging. It was amazing, Nobles said. Two Georgia College doctoral nursing students, Angie Childre and Kimberly Griffin, were also in Atlanta Wednesday to support Nobles cause. The three women have worked together as nurses in the past. Griffin and Childre helped educate legislative officials on the basic rights of all individuals to have access to care. I have a passion for access to healthcare for all populations, especially vulnerable populations, Griffin said. Individuals with special needs can give organs in the state of Georgia but not receive them in some cases. This is fundamentally wrong. On Monday, Nobles will address 54 nursing students in the senior Leadership and Management class. Shell also present a WebEx to 12 DNP (Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner) students in the Healthcare Policy, Ethics and Politics class. Students will hear Ms. Nobles first-hand account of how she used her professional nursing expertise, power and her love for her daughter to advocate, collaborate and influence legislators to enact policy change, Sapp said. Hearing this first-person account of how a professional nurse has strategized and exercised leadership to maximize patient-centered carenot only for her daughter but for others with disabilitiescan make a powerful impact on students as they transition to their new role of professional nurse, where they can make a difference in the lives of others locally, nationally and globally, she said. For additional information and scheduling interviews, please call: 478-445-8668 / 478-508-2599. Or email: cindy.odonnell@gcsu.edu. Attachments STAMFORD A 32-year-old Long Island man has died after choking on a piece of steak at a downtown restaurant Thursday night, police said. Downtown Capt. Diedrich Hohn said officers were dispatched to Blackstones Steakhouse shortly before 9 p.m. on the report of a man choking. Officers Jonathan Gale, Eric Soderholm and Matt Romano started CPR on the man. The officers continued giving the man CPR even after the fire department showed up at 8:55 p.m. and turned the man over to arriving medics a couple of minutes later, Hohn said. Medics continued to work on the man for another 35 minutes in the restaurant and extracted a large slice of steak from the mans throat, police said. Police assisted with onlookers and identified witnesses to the incident. The Blackstones family extends their deepest sympathies to this family for their loss. This is a tragic accident and all of us are saddened by what happened. We are cooperating fully with the police investigation and will continue to do so, the restaurant said in a statement. Medics were able to recover a pulse and the man was rushed to Stamford Hospital. There, he went into cardiac arrest and was treated again, police said. After regaining a pulse it was unfortunately short lived and the emergency room staff did everything they could to save the victim however he did not make it, the police report said. Police detectives showed up to assist in finding the mans next of kin. The mans identity has not yet been confirmed by police. The Emergency Medical Services captain commended Gale and Soderholm for their efforts and said their actions being first on scene were flawless. The three were recognized for showing their true professionalism and heroic actions under tremendous stress, according to the report. Hohn said just this week the three officers attended a refresher course he was teaching on CPR, how to use a defibrillator and other trauma care. The medics said the three performed flawlessly and they kept the man alive until medics arrived. They should be congratulated, Hohn said. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com As it is dated May 18, 1945, she may have been writing to a GI in Europe as World War II was ending. She sent him news of the literary scene: Richard Wrights new book, probably Black Boy," was earning a good reception, but not by the communists who denounced Wright as a turncoat. (Like other writers in the lean years of the Great Depression, Wright was attracted by the Communist Partys promise, only to be disillusioned by its reality.) We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. On the other hand, we'd be remiss not to mention that insider sales have been known to precede tough periods for a business. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Centrica plc (LON:CNA). What Is Insider Buying? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, such insiders must disclose their trading activities, and not trade on inside information. Insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing. But equally, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. Check out our latest analysis for Centrica The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Centrica In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Group CEO & Executive Director Iain Conn bought UK123k worth of shares at a price of UK1.23 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of UK0.87. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Centrica insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Story continues LSE:CNA Recent Insider Trading, January 31st 2020 Centrica is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Have Centrica Insiders Traded Recently? There was some insider buying at Centrica over the last quarter. insider Chris O'Shea purchased UK5.0k worth of shares in that period. It's good to see the insider buying, as well as the lack of recent sellers. But in this case the amount purchased means the recent transaction may not be very meaningful on its own. Insider Ownership of Centrica Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. I reckon it's a good sign if insiders own a significant number of shares in the company. Based on our data, Centrica insiders have about 0.06% of the stock, worth approximately UK3.3m. We consider this fairly low insider ownership. So What Does This Data Suggest About Centrica Insiders? Our data shows a little insider buying, but no selling, in the last three months. Overall the buying isn't worth writing home about. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Centrica insiders bought more shares in the company. Therefore, you should should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Centrica. If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. ATHENS - Greece's government has been heavily criticized by human rights groups such as Amnesty International as well as opposition party SYRIZA for their plans to build a floating sea wall to stop refugees and migrants getting to the Greek islands on boats from the Turkish coast. This week, Greece's Defense Ministry announced that it had launched a tender for private contractors to bid on building and supplying a 2.7-kilometer (1.7-mile) long floating fence within three months. The plan would be for the netted barrier to rise some 50 centimeters (20 inches) above water level and be designed to hold flashing lights. The announcement came as part of Greece's New Democracy-lead government's plans to tighten border security amid the continuing refugee crisis. Over 80% of migrant arrivals in 2019 came from the sea, with the North East Aegean islands of Lesvos, Chios and Samos shoulding the largest burden. And as expected, the project has attracted widespread disdain, with Amnesty International and SYRIZA leading the chorus of criticism. "The plan raises serious issues about rescuers' ability to continue providing life-saving assistance to people who are attempting the dangerous sea crossing to Lesvos," said Amnesty's research director for Europe, Massimo Moratti. He added: "This proposal marks a worrying escalation in the current efforts of the Greek government to make it as difficult as possible for asylum seekers and refugees to reach its shores, and it will lead to greater risks for those desperately seeking security. The government must urgently clarify the operational details and necessary safeguards to ensure that this system does not cost further lives." Having already ridiculed the government for shutting down and then opening up once more a Migration Ministry recently, opposition party SYRIZA stated that the government's latest idea was "an insult to humanitarian values and in violation of European and international regulations". SYRIZA said that installing any such floating fence or wall would provide a major navigational hazard. "It is an absurd, unenforceable and dangerous plan," said the party in a statement. New Democracy, Greece's center-right government, has only been in power for six months but is struggling to cope with the migration crisis. One of the key pledges of Kyriakos Mitsotakis' election manifesto was about taking a tougher line on the refugee issue, but it seems that they are facing the same issues as the former SYRIZA-led government of Alexis Tsipras. While Mitsotakis' New Democracy have brought in several measures to combat the ongoing issues, such as those to speed up asylum application processes, transfers of people from the islands to the mainland, as well as tougher legislative measures and border security with the help of Frontex, the Greek state is still struggling under the weight of the problem. Mitsotakis' government did introduce stricter legislation on migration in December with the aim of limiting new arrivals as much as possible, increase deportations of failed asylum seekers, and announcing a plan to establish more restrictive "closed" holding centers. However, the effect has hardly been felt, especially on the islands, where local authorities and business owners went on strike on Lesvos, Chios and Samos last week for two days in a demonstration to protest the situation. In 2019 alone, a total of 60,000 people arrived in Greece by sea, almost double the number of sea arrivals compared to 2018. Between January and October, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) also recorded 66 deaths on the eastern Mediterranean sea route. (ANSAmed). Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2020 KINGSVILLE (January 30, 2020) The Texas A&M University-Kingsville College of Business Administration will host their 10th Annual Community Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Thursday, March 5, in the ballrooms of the Memorial Student Union Building. The event is co-hosted by the Kingsville Chamber of Commerce, and sponsored by IBC Bank. This event is geared toward providing an additional dimension to fiscal awareness and responsibility to students and residents of Kingsville and the surrounding communities. Tickets are $10 per person or $80 for a table of eight. Online registration is required by Thursday, Feb. 27, and no tickets will be available at the door. This years speaker is Jennifer Kushell, CEO and founder of Young & Successful Media and YSN.com. Her presentation will be Attract, Recruit and Retain the Next Generation of Talent. Technological innovation continues to disrupt industries on a massive scale with no signs of slowing down, join the community to learn why it is increasingly important to change the way we attract and retain the next generation of talent. For more information about the Community Breakfast or to purchase tickets, visit www.tamuk.edu/cba. For more information, call 361-593-3301. About Jennifer Kushell Jennifer Kushell, CEO and founder of Young & Successful Media and YSN.com, has been on a mission to impact the lives and futures of young people globally for the past two decades. She sculpts ground breaking campaigns around youth empowerment, employment and entrepreneurship, bringing educational, government and corporate stakeholders together to impact millions. Such programs have included piloting the first coding and entrepreneurship boot camps for Job Corps/U.S. Department of Labor; building Exploring Your Potential, a mobile-friendly online career planning course with Bloomberg; creating the first virtual work curriculum in the Middle East for Education for Employment; producing the 100 country Subway Global Challenge; and the International Franchise Associations NextGen in Franchising campaign to incubate young entrepreneurs with scalable business concepts. The author of the New York Times Bestseller Secrets of the Young & Successful, Kushell has been called the Career Doctor by Cosmopolitan and a guru by U.S. News and World Report. She is an advisor to leading global youth organizations, a delegate of several State Department-led entrepreneurship missions and Youth Advisor for the United Nations Sustainable Development Committee. A relentless advocate for ambitious young people everywhere, in 1993, at 19, her Young Entrepreneurs Network was one of the first online communities in CompuServe. In her 20s, Kushell was instrumental in spearheading the young entrepreneur movement in America, garnering 300 million media impressions about the new trend. In her 30s, YSN.com was launched as the first professional social network for young people engaging 25,000 from 160 countries. Today, YSN is deploying game-changing education through online learning to dramatically change the way young people engage with the new world of work and global opportunity. -TAMUK- The former girlfriend of Ted Bundy is speaking out about her relationship with the infamous serial killer for the first time in decades. Liz Kendall (also known as Liz Kloepfer), who dated Bundy for several years in the early 1970s, sat down for an interview with 20/20s Amy Robach where she discusses her life with the killer. The candid conversation airs Friday, Jan. 31 on ABC. She also appears in the new Amazon docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer. Liz Kendall and her daughter Molly discuss their relationship with Ted Bundy WATCH: Ted Bundy | Now finally, his long-time girlfriend & her daughter reveal their haunting story. @ARobachs stunning new interview and 20/20 Event Special airs TOMORROW at 9|8c on ABC. pic.twitter.com/sGVq2vXnqP 20/20 (@ABC2020) January 30, 2020 Kendall met Bundy in 1969, shortly after she moved to Seattle from Utah. The single mom quickly fell for the charming, good-looking young man, and they ended up dating for five years before ending their relationship in 1974. By the time they broke up, Bundy had already begun murdering women, unbeknownst to Kendall. He would ultimately confess to killing 30 people, though there may have been many more victims. While Bundys killing spree began while he was dating Kendall, the face he presented to her was very different. During their time together, he even became a surrogate father to Kendalls daughter Molly. [He] put a lot of energy into making us happy, doing fun things he always seemed to embrace us as a family unit, she told Robach. Kendall still has photos of her time with Bundy. But what should be happy memories have been tainted by his actions explained Molly Kendall, who is also interviewed in the 20/20 episode. Thats my childhood, she said. Unfortunately, the memories that are attached to those pictures have lost their original emotional content and become something different. Kendall eventually grew suspicious of Bundy Ted Bundy | Bettmann / Contributor Kendall whose relationship with Bundy was depicted in the 2019 Netflix film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile eventually grew suspicious of her boyfriend. By 1974, a number of young women in Washington had disappeared. A composite drawing of the suspect (who one witness said called himself Ted) resembled Bundy. The man police were looking for also drove a Volkswagon Beetle, just like Kendalls boyfriend. There were all these coincidences, Kendall says in a trailer for the Amazon series. I couldnt let it go. Eventually, Kendall contacted police about her suspicions (as did several other people who knew Bundy). But they didnt act on those tips. He was finally apprehended in 1975 in Utah, but later escaped and went on to murder several more women in Florida before being caught for good. Bundy was executed in 1989. Several other women who encountered Bundy are interviewed in the Amazon series Amazons five-part docuseries looks at Bundys killings in the context of the 1970s, when the womens rights movement was in full swing in the U.S. In addition to Kendall, a number of other women connected to Bundy are interviewed, including reporter Barbara Grossman, detective Kathleen McChesney, and Polly Nelson, one of Bundys post-conviction lawyers. Karen Sparks, one of Bundys surviving victims, as well as friends and family of the women he killed, are also featured. This story has been told many times by men, Kendall says in the trailer. Now is the time to talk about our own story from beginning to end, because we lived, and so many people didnt. The 2-hour 20/20 episode featuring Kendall airs Friday, Jan. 31 at 9/8c on ABC. The docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer is streaming on Amazon Prime from Jan. 31. UPDATE, 9 a.m. Friday: Bank officials say the branch will remain open with reduced hours, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal. The branch will be open Mondays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. A new story has been posted >> SPRINGFIELD TD Bank will close forever its branch office in Springfields Mason Square at 3 p.m. Friday despite pleas from the community and from lawmakers to keep it open. Employees at the branch, 958 State St., near American International College, confirmed the closure Thursday. Executives have said TD Bank will continue to have an ATM at the site after the bank itself closes. But neighbors and their elected representatives protested, saying the loss of the bank will leave large swaths of Springfield without a full-service bank. Bank of America has closed nearby branches in recent years and Peoples United Bank plans to close its office in Monarch Place, a branch it inherited when it took over United Bank last year. The TD Bank office has been there for 40 years or more, first as a Springfield Institution for Savings and then under various brand names. State Rep. Bud L. Williams and state Sen. James T. Welch said theyve heard from Mason Square residents who need a place to cash a check in person, open an account, get change or deposit cash for a small business, or apply for a mortgage. Older residents might be reluctant or unable to bank online, the lawmakers said. On Thursday, Williams said he and others were still waiting to hear what the next steps might be. U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with u.s. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, all called on the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for help. The comptroller is the primary regulator of interstate banks like TD Bank. A spokesman for the comptroller said earlier in January that the agency doesnt comment on specific banks and branches. But in general, the office cannot stop a bank from closing a branch. Any letters or comments the comptroller receives regarding a branch closure go into the official record. In a statement issued in December, TD Bank said: We understand that our decision to close the TD Bank store at 958 State Street on January 31 is a change for our State Street customers and Mason Square residents, but they can expect outstanding customer service from TD Bank employees at our other Springfield locations, where we look forward to meeting their banking needs. Contrary to stereotypes of immigrants as lazy moochers, the foreign-born actually use fewer benefits than Americans born here. As a result, immigrants are net contributors to the U.S. economy: They pay more in federal taxes than they receive in services. Their children are also among the strongest economic and fiscal contributors in the U.S. population, contributing more in taxes than either their parents or the rest of the native-born population, according to a 2017 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. All life insurance and takaful operators in Malaysia will be providing hospitalisation and treatment coverage to policyholders for cases of the Wuhan coronavirus, said the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia (LIAM) in an official statement today. LIAM and the Malaysian Takaful Association (MTA) said that coverage will be provided despite the exclusion clause on communicable diseases requiring quarantine by law. This follows on as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has just declared the outbreak of the coronavirus as a global health emergency. Even though a majority of the medical policies/certificates carry an exclusion on communicable diseases requiring quarantine by law, the Malaysian life insurers and takaful operators are responding to an immediate need of the nation by waiving the exclusion on quarantine by law in light of the increasing number of people who have been affected, said Mark ODell, CEO of LIAM. Policyholders/certificate holders are advised to check with their respective insurance companies/takaful operators for the benefits and terms and conditions of their health insurance policy/takaful certificate, added ODell. The 16 insurers who are member companies of LIAM are: Meanwhile, the member companies of the MTA are: Over the past week, major insurance companies including Prudential, Great Eastern, Tokio Marine, Zurich, and Etiqa have posted statements confirming the extension of medical coverage for cases relating to the coronavirus. With todays official statement from LIAM and MTA, all 16 member companies are affirming coverage related to the outbreak. As advised by LIAM and the insurers themselves, always check directly with your insurance company if you wish to find out more about your insurance or takaful coverage. (Source: LIAM) 0 0 votes Article Rating SHARE A Myanmar government spokesman on Friday shrugged off the Jan. 23 ruling by the U.N.s top court ordering the Southeast Asian country to implement measures to protect Rohingya Muslims from genocide and to preserve evidence of atrocities allegedly committed against the minority group during a military-led crackdown. The Muslim-majority West African nation Gambia filed a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in November on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, accusing Myanmar of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention during the alleged expulsion of Rohingya to Bangladesh amid the violence targeting the minority community in Rakhine state in 2017. Thousands of Rohingya perished as a result of the 2017 violence, which included indiscriminate killings, mass rape, torture, and village burnings. More than 740,000 others fled to safety in neighboring Bangladesh where they live in massive displacement camps. Gambia asked the court to issue provisional measures to ensure that atrocities against the countrys Rohingya Muslim minority would not continue, and the ICJ ruling in The Hague supported the request. In response to the order, Zaw Htay, spokesman for the Myanmar Presidents Office, told reporters at a news briefing in Naypyidaw that no genocide had occurred in Rakhine state, citing the findings of the government-appointed Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) that probed military operations during the crackdown. The commission found that war crimes and serious human rights violations had occurred but did not have genocidal intent. We have repeatedly said that there is no genocide in the country and never will be, Zaw Htay said, echoing a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Jan. 23, the day of the ICJs decision. We have stated this in parliament ever since we signed the Genocide Convention, he added. We will stick to that. He cited Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention, which Myanmar signed in December 1949, saying that the country has already ratified them. Article 1 states that parties to the Convention confirm that genocide committed in times of peace or war is a crime under international law which they undertake to prevent and to punish, while Article 2 defines the acts that constitute genocide against a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The ruling is based on these two articles, so we dont need to take any special action based on the ruling, Zaw Htay said. Activist Nickey Diamond from Southeast Asia-based NGO Fortify Rights said Myanmar needs to determine if it has the laws to comply with the Genocide Convention. Some critics say we already have laws to protect the evidence of a crime, but we dont find any confirmation that the existing laws comply with the Genocide Convention, he told RFA. Myanmar will definitely win Zaw Htay also said the government will take action against perpetrators of atrocities based on recommendations in the ICOE report. Human rights groups have denounced the report as the latest in a series of efforts to whitewash atrocities against Rohingya in the wake of attacks on Myanmar border police by Rohingya militants. Nevertheless, Zaw Htay expressed confidence that Myanmar will prevail in the genocide case which could likely take years before the ICJ issues a final ruling. The ICJ on Tuesday gave Gambia until July 23 to submit its initial plea, while Myanmar has until Jan. 25, 2021, to reply. When they issue the final ruling based on merit, Myanmar will definitely win, he said. In the meantime, the ICJs legally binding order requires that Myanmar prevent the killing or serious injury of the Rohingya, ensure that the military does not harm the Rohingya or conspire to commit genocide, preserve evidence related to the allegations, and report on its compliance with the measures until the court issues a final decision on the case. The first report is due in four months, with follow-up reports due every six months. We have made a statement on submitting a report per the provisional measures order in four months, but we will not reveal anything about how we will respond to the issue, Zaw Htay said, adding that Myanmar needs to consult its legal team, specifically international law professors William Schabas and Andreas Zimmerman, who are helping to defend the country against the genocide charges. Genocide is too extreme At the three-day hearing on the provisional measures, Gambia cited the findings of a report by a U.N.-mandated fact-finding mission that concluded the attacks on the Rohingya were carried out with genocidal intent and warned that the roughly 600,000 Rohingya still living in Myanmar face a serious risk of genocide. Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, the countrys de factor leader, led the defense team at the hearing in December, arguing that there was no genocidal intent behind the armys behavior. When the state counselor clarified this at the ICJ hearing, she explicitly stated that labeling it as genocide was too extreme, Zaw Htay said. The spokesman also noted that Myanmar formed a Committee on Criminal Investigation and Prosecution on Jan. 24 to prosecute those responsible for war crimes. Myanmar faces separate legal action at the International Criminal Court and in an Argentine court, cases for which the ICJs order to preserve evidence is crucial. Reported by Thiha Tun, Thet Su Aung, and Kyaw Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Britain leaves the European Union on Friday, ending more than four decades of economic, political and legal integration with its closest neighbours. But things will feel the same for many months, owing to a transition period intended to allow both sides time to agree the terms of their future partnership. Three Brexit deadlines came and went before the British parliament finally ratified the divorce agreement. Britain is to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday, 43 months after the country voted in a June 2016 referendum to leave the EU. Nothing will change for most people in Britain thanks to the transition period, which preserves the status quo until at least December 31, 2020. But Britain will lose its representation and voting rights in the EU institutions. This includes having no British members of the European Parliament. Britain says it is ready to start trade talks on February 1, but EU members states are still discussing what they want from the negotiations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to flesh out his ideas for a free trade agreement along the lines of a recent EU deal with Canada, in a speech in early February. The EU mandate could be approved by national ministers on February 25, officials in Brussels suggest, which would mean talks could begin around March 1. Britain is hoping to open trade talks with the United States and other non-EU countries around the same time. Trade is not the only issue that must be resolved with Brussels, however. Britain and the EU closely cooperate on security and law enforcement, education and energy among many other issues. The transition period is scheduled to last until December 31, 2020. Britain can ask to extend this for one or two years, but must inform the EU of its request by July 1. Johnson insists he will not do this, saying that Britain must be free of EU rules and regulations as soon as possible. Without an extension or a trade agreement, relations between Britain and the EU will be severed at the end of 2020. A new deal would allow the two sides to embark on a new partnership. Failure to agree would see cross-Channel trade, transportation and a multitude of other ties severely disrupted overnight. A is for Article 50. Also the "exit clause" framing procedures for countries to leave the EU. Few thought it would ever be used when it was shoehorned into the 2009 EU Lisbon Treaty. Then, on Friday morning June 24, 2016, we woke up to Brexit. B is for Budget The EU's budget is relatively small, around 166bn per year for 500 million people compared with Ireland's annual 60bn budget for 4.8 million. But the EU budget and its spending caused 40 years of London-Brussels rows. C is for CAP The Common Agriculture Policy framed in 1962 after post-World War II famine. Ireland and others support it, but it was a big part of 40 years of EU-UK budget rows. D is for DUP The Democratic Unionist Party held the balance of power after Theresa May's ill-starred June 2017 UK snap general election. It demanded Northern Ireland gets the same EU exit terms as the rest of the UK. It wrecked a good Brexit compromise. A new election, a new PM and the DUP was dropped. E is for Eurosceptics A term from the late 1980s rejecting overarching EU structures and pooling sovereignty. Margaret Thatcher, an EU fan in her early years, summed up Euroscepticism in a 1988 speech in Bruges. The Brexit seeds were sown. F is for Future Relations Those words will dominate 2020 as the EU and UK try to forge a new relationship on trade and a host of other issues like security, education, fisheries and the environment. Detail is long - time is short. G is for Greenland The only other country to have exited the EU. It's bigger than the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy combined, but has only 50,000 people - compared to the UK's 66 million. It has home-rule status within Denmark and still gets EU grants, though it left in 1986. Read More H is for Hogan Phil Hogan is the new EU Trade Commissioner, the man in the gap in EU-UK trade talks. He must negotiate for all EU countries but he truly understands Irish concerns. I is for Ireland The country most vulnerable to Brexit economic shocks. The result is good so far with the Irish Border protected. Now it gets complex. Many other states have a direct interest in how the new EU-UK relationship pans out. J is for Johnson Known universally as just 'Boris'. Once an EU supporter he led the Leave campaign. Boris has very strong views which are lightly held. Let's hope he does another U-turn before he leads this process to another cliff-edge. K is for Kerr John Kerr was a UK diplomat who wrote the original Article 50 or exit clause. He never dreamed his own country would use it. "I don't feel guilty about inventing the mechanism. I feel very sad about the UK using it," he said in 2017. L is for Language The EU uniquely gives all member states' languages official status and spends hugely on translation. Other multinational bodies have only a few "big country" languages. English will remain an official EU language via Ireland and Malta after the UK departs. English is widely spoken in the EU. M is for May Theresa May did a deal she could not sell to the UK because she lacked parliamentary numbers. She was a weak advocate for Remain. She then fixed impossible "red lines" of leaving the tariff-free customs union and border-free single market. N is for Negotiations These have dragged on over three years. Next month EU governments will finalise ground rules for upcoming talks. Formal EU-UK negotiations must end by December 31 - an impossible deadline. Read More O is for Opt-Outs Member states had many official opt-outs from EU policies. The UK opted out of the EU single currency back in 1992. That was a big UK-Ireland fork in the EU road as Ireland chose the euro. Now we reach the definitive UK opt-out. P is for Permanent Representation The official title for Ireland's EU embassy in Brussels which manages complex relations with the different institutions. An extra busy place in recent years, it will be even busier in 2020. Q is for QMV Short for Qualified Majority Voting. It's a system to speed up some EU decisions via less unanimous votes. EU opponents in the UK argued that this system too often over-ruled the UK. Closer scrutiny cast doubt upon that. R is for Referendum In June 1975, two years after the UK joined, it voted Remain by 2:1 in an EU membership referendum. Spool on to June 2016 and it voted Leave by 52pc to 48pc. Ireland has voted in nine EU referendums. But that's for another A to Z. S is for Single Market Created in 1992 it has been gradually building into a single border-free bloc which guarantees free movement of people, services, goods and capital. For Ireland it brought the bonus of disappearing border customs posts. The UK is now leaving, raising the spectre of tariffs on UK-Irish trade. T is for Transition Period Nothing changes after the UK formally leaves. A transition or grace period extends until December 31. There is scope to extend this by up to two more years. But Boris Johnson insists not - arguing new arrangements can be put together within months. Few others believe that. Another cliff-edge beckons. U is for Ursula The new EU Commission president is Ursula von der Leyen, the ex-German defence minister. She has taken over from the genial Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg. V is for Veto The EU's forerunners took all decisions unanimously. But as trust built, the "veto culture" waned and qualified majority voting became more widespread. The veto remains for 75 specific sensitive areas including taxation - something of keen interest to Ireland. W is for Withdrawal The original Withdrawal Agreement was agreed by Theresa May on November 25, 2018. But she could never get it ratified by MPs. A revised version was agreed in December and it kicks in today. X is for Xenophobia The posh Greek word for the dislike of outsiders was a big motivator in the referendum. But leaving the EU will not help the UK's migrant issues. Y is for Yes Answer to the question about whether the UK will rejoin the EU. It's an issue for the next generation at very least. Z is for Zurich One of Winston Churchill's big post-World War II speeches in Zurich in September 1946 called for "a kind of United States of Europe". Seven decades later the UK's stop-start relationship with Europe struggles on. - Nyoro was sworn in by High Court Judge John Onyiego on Friday, January 31 - The ceremony took place at the Kiambu county headquarters and was witnessed by residents and political leaders - Nyoro's swearing-in emanated from the impeachment of Ferdinand Waititu who was the county boss - Waititu was ousted by the Senate after finding him guilty of gross violation of the constitution, corruption and abuse of office among other charges - He became the first governor to be impeached under the 2010 constitution James Njoro has taken oath of office to become the county's third governor following the ouster of Ferdinand Waititu. Nyoro was sworn in at Kiambu county headquarters on Friday, January 31, in a ceremony that was presided over by High Court Judge John Onyiego. READ ALSO: Polisi mkarimu anunua chakula na kumlisha jamaa wa ombaomba mitaani James Nyoro has been sworn in as Kiambu's third governor. Photo: Citizen TV Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenyan woman arrested over murder of German lover in lodging Nyoro was supposed to take oath of office on Thursday, January 30, but the event was cancelled due to a legal hitch. The function was rescheduled for Friday after county secretary issued a gazette notice as it had been required by presiding judge Onyiego. Nyoro's swearing-in has now rendered Waititu the county's immediate former governor and the first county boss to be successfully impeached under the 2010 constitution. Waititu was ousted by the Senate on Wednesday, January 29, after more than 24 senators voted for his removal on each of the three counts he had been accused of. He was found guilty of gross violation of the Constitution 2010, County Government Act 2012, Public Finance Management Act 2012 and the Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2012. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. Behind the scenes in Babu Owino's Day in court | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke What just happened? A Japanese billionaire has canceled plans to find a girlfriend to take into space on a private SpaceX flight. Yusaku Maezawa, who is estimated to have a $2 billion fortune and is the 22nd richest person in Japan, was to choose a life partner in a matchmaking documentary called "Full Moon Lovers." Back in 2018, Maezawa, who founded Japanese online clothing retailer Zozotown, had been named as the first passenger on Elon Musks SpaceX rocket flight around the moon, which is scheduled to take place in 2023. His original idea was to take several artists on the journey. They will be asked to create something after they return to Earth. These masterpieces will inspire the dreamer within all of us, he said, but later changed his plans. Maezawa had sent out an online invite asking single women over the age of 20 to apply for a match-making event. It attracted almost 28,000 applicants, but theyll be disappointed to learn that the search is now off. The 44-year-old has blamed personal reasons for the cancelation of the show. Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation. Yusaku Maezawa (MZ) (@yousuck2020) January 30, 2020 Despite my genuine and honest determination toward the show, there was a part of me that still had mixed feelings about my participation, he tweeted. To think that 27,722 women, with earnest intentions and courage, had used their precious time to apply makes me feel extremely remorseful to conclude and inform everyone with this selfish decision of mine. Last year, Maezawa used his fortune to gain the worlds most retweeted post. He achieved the feat by promising to give 1 million yen (around $9,180) to 100 randomly selected people who retweeted him. The message ended up being retweeted over 4.6 million times. The bagels are coming, and the schmeer is near. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The bagels are coming, and the schmeer is near. A local entrepreneur is gearing up to open Bagelsmith, a shop doling out Montreal-style bagels to hungry downtown Winnipeg workers and denizens, this spring, with pop-ups being planned as early as next month. The location is still being finalized, said owner Philip Klein, a former government employee who decided to ditch the office for a life of cream cheese and lox. But once the shop opens, he hopes it will help fill a bagel-sized hole in the city's appetite at an outpost not far from TrueNorth Square. "Time is of the essence for people downtown," he said. Bagels just made sense. Klein, 35, said he was sitting on his couch with his wife watching the Food Network last year when the crazy idea of opening an authentic bagel shop in Winnipeg came up. She said he should, and so he set out to do it. Thus began Klein's search for the best location and the best recipe. He'd worked in pizzerias growing up, but the bagel is a different beast entirely, he said. And the Montreal bagel hallowed for its sweetness in comparison to its New York relative is something Klein didn't want to mess up. So he embarked in a lot of trial and error, or making lots of bagels and tasting them, getting opinions from family and friends. Ultimately, Klein arrived at a recipe that he felt echoed the prototypical Montreal bagel boiled in honey water and baked, but not in a wood-burning oven, avoiding emissions. It's a bit of a departure from tradition, but one steeped in eco-consciousness. "The plan to start is to do the classics plain, poppyseed, sesame, and everything bagels," he said, along with some adventurous cream cheeses. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We're going to have a large selection of schmeers," he said. Those will likely include smoked, caramelized onion, and pizza-flavoured, along with the more traditional spreads. The shop will also import smoked meat straight from Montreal. As for the name, Klein said it was originally conceived when the shop might have found a spot near Smith Street. But the name still carried the artisanal heft that Montreal bagel-making demands, so it stayed. While the lease is still being finalized for Bagelsmith's retail space, Klein said he's also in the process of getting approval for an upcoming pop-up shop, the details of which will be released soon. He said updates will be posted on the shop's social media accounts, @bagelsmith_wpg on Twitter and @bagelsmith_winnipeg on Instagram. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca Avast's shares slumped for a third day after it said it will close the division at the centre of a data privacy scandal. The antivirus software provider allegedly collected sensitive data on what its users did online and passed it on to a subsidiary called Jumpshot, which then sold it on to firms such as Intel and Tripadvisor. An investigation by technology publications PC Mag and Motherboard claimed some of the data could identify users and that customers were not always aware this data was being passed on. Antivirus software provider Avast allegedly collected data on what its users did online and passed it on to a subsidiary, which then sold it on to firms such as Intel and Tripadvisor Yesterday Avast said it would shut down Jumpshot and immediately stop any further customer data being shared between the two. Avast's stock fell by 13.3 per cent, or 60.4p, to 395p last night. This means around 1.5billion has been wiped off the company's value this week, with shares losing more than a quarter of their worth. The company said it did not believe it had breached any privacy regulations but was closing Jumpshot down to eliminate any 'perceived conflict of interest' with being a business focused on computer security. Pilots have demanded that all flights to China are suspended as health officials declare a global emergency and countries advise against all but essential travel. American Airlines pilots have even filed a lawsuit stating they should not be forced to fly to the country as the outbreak is 'serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by coronavirus'. A US flight attendant on a plane from a major Chinese city has said they feel as though they are on '14-day countdown', the gestation period of the virus, and that everyone onboard was wearing face-masks. The US has issued a category four warning for China, advising against all travel, but direct flights to and from the virus-stricken country are still available today according to flight sales website Skyscanner. Pilots for American Airlines have filed a lawsuit against the company stating they should not be forced to fly to virus-stricken China (file photo) American Airlines pilots filed the lawsuit in Texas, where the company is based, stating that they should not be forced to fly to the outbreak-hit country. Their union, the Allied Pilots Asociation (APA), has also told pilots to refuse jobs involving flights to and from China. In a statement, the American Airlines' flight attendants union said they supported the pilots' lawsuit and called on the company and the U.S. government to 'err on the side of caution and halt all flights to and from China'. American Airlines said it had no comment today, but on Wednesday announced the cancellation of flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai next month. It still has flights to China scheduled from Dallas. Pilots at United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China, concerned for their safety will be allowed to drop their trip without pay, according to a Wednesday memo from their union to members. Airlines across the world have been cutting flights to China. United Airlines said yesterday it would cancel 332 US-China flights The World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency over the coronavirus outbreak due to fears of the impact it could have in developing countries United announced on Thursday another 332 US-China flight cancellations between February and March 28, though it will continue operating roundtrip flights from San Francisco to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The American Airlines pilot lawsuit came as an increasing number of airlines stopped their flights to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. Direct flights to China are still available from the US for 200 today, although there are none from Britain, according to flight sales website Skyscanner. There are direct flights from China to several major US cities today including Boston, Chicago and Dallas, but there are no direct flights from China to the UK. A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern is catching the virus and spreading it to families, or getting quarantined while on a layover. 'I didn't understand the gravity of the situation until I went there,' she said on condition of anonymity, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. 'Now I feel like I'm on a 14-day countdown.' Delta Flights has also said it will offer fewer flights alongside British Airways (file photo) Thai Airways is hosing its cabins with disinfectant spray between China flights and allowing crew to wear masks and gloves. Delta Air Lines is also operating fewer flights and offering food deliveries so crew can stay in their hotels. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines are sending additional crew to fly each plane straight back, avoiding overnight stays. The South Korean carrier also said it was loading hazmat suits for flight attendants who might need to take care of suspected coronavirus cases in the air. Airlines in Asia are seeing a big drop in bookings along with forced cancellations because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd said, adding the impact could last for some months. The outbreak poses the biggest epidemic threat to the airline industry since the 2003 SARS crisis, which led to a 45 per cent plunge in passenger demand in Asia at its peak in April of that year, analysts said. Air France, which maintained China flights throughout the SARS epidemic, suspended its Beijing and Shanghai flights on Thursday after cabin crews demanded an immediate halt. 'When the staff see that other airlines have stopped flying there, their reaction is 'Why are we still going?',' said Flore Arrighi, president of UNAC, one of the airline's four main flight attendants' unions. First quarter guacamole con frutas? Second quarter fried chicken? Halftime ice cream sandwiches? You get the picture. We have dozens and dozens of recipes for the Super Bowl. Amid them, I hope you will find your bliss. (Pizza!) Of course, we have a lot more than dude food on NYT Cooking. Yotam Ottolenghis recipe for a pistachio and rosewater semolina cake suggests as much. Yewande Komolafes recipe for fish pepper soup proves it plain. Yes, you need a subscription to access the site. But well give you a lot in return: the recipes, naturally, and the ability to save and organize them, to send yourself grocery lists, to learn how to make souffle. Come visit us on Facebook as long as youre online. You can find us on Instagram and Twitter, too. And look whos back on YouTube with a brand-new video recipe! Its Alison Roman cooking a spicy white bean stew with broccoli rabe. Were calling that recipe #thestewpoint0. Please write if you run into trouble with your cooking or our technology. We are standing by the inbox always: cookingcare@nytimes.com. Someone will get back to you, I promise. Now, its nothing to do with plums or oregano, but heres Mike Mariani in T, writing about a new generation of intentional communities communes, basically. You should read that. Des Moines, Iowa: Four Democratic presidential candidates hoping for breakout performances in the Iowa caucuses next week spent Thursday in Washington listening to testimony in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. But the president himself headed to Des Moines for a rally to fire up his supporters before the caucuses on Monday. It was his second rally in three nights this week; he spoke Tuesday in Wildwood, New Jersey. Unlike the Democrats, Trump does not face a competitive contest in Iowa, where his two Republican challengers Joe Walsh, a former Illinois congressman, and Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts have failed to make any dent in Trump's support. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Drake University in Iowa. Credit:AP But the Trump campaign views a show of force before the caucuses as an opportunity to try to slow any momentum the winning Democrat hopes to gain from the close race. And Monday will be the first chance voters have to show their support for Trump since the 2016 election. Shes one of Torontos great heroes. Nearly every day during the height of the SARS outbreak in 2003, Dr. Sheela Basrur, Torontos then medical officer of health, led a news conference that told the city what was being done and what people could do. It was broadcast on multiple channels and it was not uncommon to find people gathered around TV screens in public watching, as if it was the moon landing, though the collective interest was motivated by fear rather than wonder. One thing people could do themselves was not panic, and Basrur was the epitome of fact-based calm. She was the one who kept Toronto together during an extremely difficult time. The effects of SARS on the city cant be underestimated, and went well beyond the emergency measures at area hospitals. Retail was hurt. Tourism dried up. Hot Docs, the documentary film festival, had to scramble to fill places on discussion panels because people opted not to make the journey to Toronto. The World Health Organization even issued a non-essential travel warning for Toronto, prompting one of then-mayor Mel Lastmans infamous quotes. Who is the WHO? he said on CNN. They dont know what theyre talking about. I dont know who this group is. I never heard of them before. Id never seen them before. There was additional fallout. A 2004 report titled Yellow Peril Revisited: Impact of SARS on the Chinese and Southeast Asian Canadian Communities by researcher Carrianne Leung looked at the social crisis that came along with the health crisis. This included alienation, discrimination and harassment of Chinese and Asian Canadians as well as economic impacts on their businesses and job prospects. The crisis also took a mental, psychological and emotional toll on members of these communities. Sadly, history seems to be repeating itself with the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Basrur would go on to be chief medical officer for Ontario but died in 2008 at age 51 from cancer. There ought to be a major memorial for her in this city. Right now, a tree planted near the northeast corner of Queens Park Crescent and Grosvenor Street has a small plaque dedicated to her, but Id donate money for a fitting, bigger and more prominent memorial. It wouldnt just represent her calm heroism, but also the role public health has in our lives. Lastman wasnt the only one who overlooked it as its one of those municipal functions that most people dont notice until they need it, but one thats been indispensable to how cities have developed and has often been the reason for massive infrastructure projects, especially around water and sewage treatment. In Toronto, the beautiful art deco R.C. Harris Palace of Purification water filtration plant near the eastern end of Queen Street is one such monument to public health. Harris was Torontos public works commissioner for 33 years until his death in 1945 and, along with the plant, he built other grand structures such as the Prince Edward Viaduct. In 2006, after deeply researching Harriss life, Toronto writer John Lorinc found that the 1906 death of his six-month-old son, Emerson, from the water-borne infection erysipelas turned him into a public health champion. Young Emerson was just one statistic in a public health catastrophe afflicting the citys residents. Lorinc noted that in 1910 Torontos infant mortality was a staggering 140 deaths per thousand live births, an indictment of the citys failure to provide sanitary conditions for its residents. The task of cleaning up Torontos water supply became the defining work of his career, a passion that convinced, though not without enormous effort, a city council as parsimonious then as it is now to invest in proper public works. As with Harriss long struggle, the advocate for public health isnt always listened to at the time. Recall in 2012 when former medical officer of health Dr. David McKeown suggested a reduction of speed limits to save lives. Then-mayor Rob Ford said it was nuts nuts nuts and he and brother Doug said his salary was an embarrassment on their radio program. Since then, council and even the current mayor have moved to lower limits. Indeed, the very design of the city can contribute to the overall health of its residents, as detailed in a new book, Fit Cities by Edmonton doctor Karen Lee. As a health detective she investigated how urban design contributes to obesity, heart disease, strokes, cancers, diabetes and premature death, and how active design that encourages walking and healthy eating can mitigate these problems. If there is any blessing that came with SARS its that this city is exceptionally well-prepared for outbreaks like the coronavirus. The current response is just the tip of a public health iceberg though, a service that sometimes deserves memorials, but also deserves more public attention during calmer times. Shawn Micallef is a Toronto-based writer and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @shawnmicallef Dallas, Texas, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Image Editing Software Market 2020-2025 The global Image Editing Software market size is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025, with a CAGR of 6.4% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 and will expected to reach USD 1116.5 million by 2025, from USD 870.7 million in 2019. Request a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/4150280 The major players covered in Global Image Editing Software Market are: Adobe, DxO Optics, Cyberlink, Serif, Corel, PhaseOne, Zoner, ON1, MacPhun, ACDSee Ultimate, Magix, etc. Among other players domestic and global, Image Editing Software market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America separately. Global Info Research analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately. Essentially, image editing is a computational system to attain visual excellence in images via various altering practices used across traditional, digital images as well as illustrations. A standard image editing software comprises various editing tools such as 3D modelers and vector graphic editors that result in captivating image quality. Soaring commercial needs for professional photography for excellent finish has been driving the image editing software market to new heights. Additionally, as social media platforms are becoming ubiquitous, consumers are increasingly banking upon image editing software to upload rich images for maximum visibility. Aforementioned factors etched in the report are poised to trigger massive growth in global image editing software market in the coming years. Fast paced advances in travelling is likely to kindle reliance on image editing software to further enhance visual quality of travel photographs. As consumers take up to occasional as well as professional travel blogging, scope for greater adoption of image editing software remains favorable. This holistic report on image editing software market is guided to enhance readers' comprehension on subtle and tangible market developments that render palpable advances in market growth. Besides harping on details comprising market definition, dynamics and the like, this holistic review on global image editing software unravels intricate market details concerning market segments, regional overview as well as competitive landscape that render tremendous growth in global photo editing software market. By segmentation global image editing software market is diversified into type and application. In terms of type, global image editing software market is fragmented into non raw and raw editing variants. By virtue of application, entry, enthusiast, individual, professional, school, and commercial comprise major segments. Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-image-editing-software-market-2020-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025 By Type, Image Editing Software market has been segmented into RAW Editing Software, Non-RAW Editing Software, etc. By Application, Image Editing Software has been segmented into Entry, Enthusiast, Professional, Individual, School, Commercial, etc. Regions and Countries Level Analysis Regional analysis is another highly comprehensive part of the research and analysis study of the global Image Editing Software market presented in the report. This section sheds light on the sales growth of different regional and country-level Image Editing Software markets. For the historical and forecast period 2015 to 2025, it provides detailed and accurate country-wise volume analysis and region-wise market size analysis of the global Image Editing Software market. Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/4150280 Competitive Landscape and Image Editing Software Market Share Analysis Image Editing Software competitive landscape provides details by vendors, including company overview, company total revenue (financials), market potential, global presence, Image Editing Software sales and revenue generated, market share, price, production sites and facilities, SWOT analysis, product launch. For the period 2015-2020, this study provides the Image Editing Software sales, revenue and market share for each player covered in this report. Table of Contents 1 Image Editing Software Market Overview 2 Company Profiles 3 Market Competitions, by Players 4 Market Size by Regions 5 North America Image Editing Software Revenue by CountriesContinued Part-2 Global Photo Editing Software Market 2020-2025 Market Overview The global Photo Editing Software market size is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025, with a CAGR of 4.7% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 and will expected to reach USD 1042.9 million by 2025, from USD 868.2 million in 2019. Request a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/4146464 The Photo Editing Software market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations. The major players covered in Global Photo Editing Software Market are: Adobe, Serif, Corel, DxO Optics, PhaseOne, CyberLink, ACDSee Ultimate, MacPhun, ON1, Zoner, Magix, GIMP, PhotoScape, Pixlr, Meitu, etc. Among other players domestic and global, Photo Editing Software market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America separately. Global Info Research analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately. Besides individual consumers representing millennial and next generation population, commercial adoption of photo editing software across verticals such as fashion brands has been influencing enormous growth. Besides commercial consumption, photo editing software market is strongly influenced by technological advances such as artificial photographic improvisation that ensure uniform editing in terms of special effects. Advances in smartphones and high end cameras further reinforce greater reliance on advanced editing tactics to comply with consumer aspirations and industry standards, thereby fueling enormous growth in global photo editing market. Editing skills are varied and constantly evolving to pace up with real time situational alterations. Thus advanced cropping features to juxtapose images and altering backgrounds are mediated via excellent editing platforms, thereby pushing growth in global photo editing software market. Market segmentation Photo Editing Software market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2015-2025,the growth among segments provide accurate calculations and forecasts for sales by Type and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets. By Type, Photo Editing Software market has been segmented into RAW Editing Software, Non-RAW Editing Software, etc. By Application, Photo Editing Software has been segmented into Individual, School, Commercial, Other, etc. Advances such as wedding photography and food photography are paving new opportunities for global photo editing software market as consumers incessantly demand for visually appealing photos capturing moments during festivities and occasions. Emerging countries such as Asian countries who boast of elaborate wedding rituals stimulate greater reliance on professional photo editing software. The competitive landscape of photo editing software market is rather concentrated with leading stance of veterans and established players. Each of the leading players has been duly assessed and evaluated to garner optimum understanding Each of the mentioned profiles has been meticulously assessed and deep analytical study of portfolio diversification and company overview are tagged in the trailing sections of the report to encourage high revenue models in global photo editing software market. Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/4146464 Table of Contents 1 Photo Editing Software Market Overview 2 Company Profiles 3 Market Competitions, by Players 4 Market Size by Regions...Continued About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. It would be nice to think of San Antonio strictly on its own terms as a 302-year-old city, home of the Alamo, witness to Texas independence, birthplace of the puffy taco. Its the nations seventh largest city, but has the easygoing feel of one in the 80th to 90th range. Brag-worthy assets include University of Texas and Texas A&M campuses, four military bases, a burgeoning cybersecurity industry and, frequently, the Spurs. And theres always Jims Restaurants. But when you look around at other cities and other parts of the country specifically, the West and East coasts, where national economic power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of innovative companies its clear that San Antonio is falling behind. Even more than most other big cities. In addition to Silicon Valley, the Seattle, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., metros are like monster vacuum cleaners sucking up capital and the brightest technical workers. A new report by the Brookings Institution chillingly notes that one-third of innovation jobs in tech, aerospace, the biomedical industry, chemicals and a few others are located in a total of 16 counties around the country, largely on the coasts. The reports authors identify the 20 metros with the most intense clustering of such jobs as superstar cities. Among the few that arent next door to the Pacific or Atlantic oceans: Austin, Dallas and Houston. Some San Antonians will take the citys absence from the list almost as a point of pride. Those other cities, theyll say, can keep their insanely spiraling home prices and resulting housing crises, ever-increasing homeless populations, cultural identities wiped out by gentrification and gridlocked traffic. No thanks. Which is legitimate. Who wants any of that stuff? Still, in todays winner-take-all economy, cities that arent in the innovation mix will be worse off in the long run than the superstars. Wages will fall behind or stay behind, in San Antonios case and companies will struggle even more to find the talent they need. These cities will stagnate. The over-concentration of tech talent is bad for the country, not just for the places left out. These patterns are hurting the countrys innovation-based competitiveness, the Brookings report says, since the skyrocketing costs of the most successful tech hubs mean that tech investment is often made in other places but not in other parts of America, given the shortage of vibrant lower-cost hubs. Shanghai and Vancouver are among the big winners here. Brookings, a Washington, D.C.-based policy think tank, describes the predicament most U.S. metros are in as spatial inequality, a fancy term for economic disparities between geographic areas. The reports authors have a few ideas on how to spread out the growth of innovation industries namely, by identifying metros with promise and targeting their innovators with federal tax breaks and grants. Maybe youre thinking about San Antonios roster of cybersecurity companies in combination with Port San Antonio, Security Hill at Lackland AFB, the local National Security Agency installation and UTSAs cyber programs. Or maybe youre considering the attractive mix of UT Health, the military medicine behemoth that is Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston and the Texas Biomedical Research Institute. Maybe San Antonio companies and institutions do have the potential to compete nationally in cybersecurity and the biosciences. But dont turn to the Brookings report for a way to go, tiger. Its authors developed a list of potential growth centers. They took into account metro areas university R&D spending in the sciences, the percentage of residents with bachelors degrees and doctorates, and the number of patents awarded, as well as existing innovation jobs. Topping the list was Madison, Wisc. Nowhere on the list was San Antonio. Is that deserved? Yes, if the Brookings people took their criteria seriously. San Antonio needs help with its homework. A little less than 26 percent of its adults (age 25 and up) earned bachelors degrees or higher, trailing the Texas average of 29.3 percent, according to the U.S. Census. Although high school graduations rates continue to inch up and more teens were deemed college-ready in 2018, according to the nonprofit SA2020s latest numbers, college enrollment was flat. So was the percentage of children considered very ready for kindergarten. Educational shortcomings have plagued the city for generations, feeding its national reputation as a low-wage, low cost-of-living town. Without significant gains in higher learning, the national economy more cut-throat and tech-driven, its profits shared by fewer and fewer threatens to overwhelm San Antonio, not just pass it by. greg.jefferson@express-news.net Infrastructure has been seen as one of the barriers to Africa's growth, but new investment in Airports is changing that. Aviation Africa will be looking at the plans to develop international and regional hubs that could see Africa competing with the Gulf carriers. Addis has already overtaken Dubai as the leading gateway to Sub-Saharan Africa from the rest of the world, according to the travel intelligence agency ForwardKeys and Ethiopia is now investing $5billion in a new airport to cope with a growth in passenger numbers that could tip 40%. The current Bole Airport is within three years of reaching its capacity and as the country's flag carrier and Africa's most profitable airline, Ethiopian Airlines continues its reach across the continent and beyond, the rush is on to finance, build and equip the new super hub. Rwanda now with investment from Qatar Airways is also pushing ahead with a new airport outside of the capital Kigali to support the outstanding growth of its national carrier RwandAir. Aviation Africa 2020 Summit, held at the Skylight Hotel close to Bole International Airport, will be looking at the challenges and opportunities being embraced by African airport companies. "You only have to look at cities around the world with hub airports and their economic success to understand that the two go hand-in hand," said Chloe Greenbank, editor of Regional Gateway magazine and the moderator of the airport segment of the Summit. "Take London, New York, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Dubai or Doha, they are all flourishing cities with strong economies and major air transport hubs. And now you can add the likes of Addis Ababa and Casablanca to that list." Greenbank will be joined on stage by Eskinder Alemu, acting CEO of Ethiopian Airports and Lt-Col Firmin Karambizi, managing director of Rwanda Airports Company to look at how the shift for hub dominance in Africa could be moving from the South when Johannesburg has led and from the west where Dubai has been leading for many years, to the new airports. Putting this into international context will be key speakers from the leading airport companies with Olivier Baric, director Africa for Egis and Frederic Thenevin, senior business consultant Aeroport de Paris Ingenerie (ADPI). Technology will also play a large part in the development and SITA's Georges Touma will be sharing how technological infrastructure will boost passenger numbers for those expanding African airport operators. "This is an important segment for the aviation industry in Africa," said summit chairman Alan Peaford. "We are seeing phenomenal development in West Africa with Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal having major growth with new airports. It is an exciting time. Anybody with an interest in the whole airport and airline future needs to be in Addis to meet the major players and understand where the strategy to bring passenger hubs home to Africa is going." The co-located exhibition in 2020 will feature over 100 global companies. KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, recently welcomed 72 new fellows of the society, including the Air Force Research Laboratorys Wellesley Pereira and Christopher Wilcox. They are being recognized for their significant scientific and technical achievements, as well as for their service to the optics community and to SPIE. Pereira began working at the AFRL Space Vehicles Directorate in 2011. He received his Ph.D. in Physics from Michigan Technological University in 2003. Wilcox joined AFRL in 2018, where he is an electrical engineer with the Directed Energy Directorate. His research areas include optics, adaptive optics, aero-optics, mathematical modeling, and hardware interfacing and control, which involves the use of computers or electronic systems to interface with devices to collect data. This is a tremendous honor and Im very humbled by it, Pereira said. Being recognized by SPIE for my accomplishments means that all my years of dedicated hard work with research and publications in both open and closed literature, service to SPIE and the community, a volunteer science fair judge, SPIE session chair, or journal associate editor, have been acknowledged by a Society that values technical and service contributions. This award encourages me to continue to pursue science and technology for both military and civilian applications. Being recognized as a Fellow of SPIE is the culmination of the past 16 years of work, ever since I finished my undergraduate degree, started grad school, and began working in the field of optics, Wilcox added. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to publish dozens of papers as first author, been co-author on nearly 100 papers and have two government patents to my name. Pereira said the biggest highlight of his career was seeing my project fly in space. Watching it finally shoot to orbit (on an Atlas V rocket) was an exhilarating experience, but knowing that it eventually worked as designed was a tremendous sigh of relief that made it all worth the years of rigor that included proposal-writing, benchtop and field testing, building and calibrating, data analysis, and presentations, he said. Wilcox, who received his bachelors degree at New Mexico Tech, and a masters and Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico, also worked at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and has 15 years of federal service with the Naval Research Laboratory. Despite pressure, US renews exemptions for Iran nuclear deal Washington, Jan 30 (AFP) Jan 30, 2020 The United States on Thursday extended exemptions to let an internationally backed nuclear deal with Iran go forward, even as it announced new sanctions to step up pressure. President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, sending tensions soaring with Iran and leading Tehran to curb compliance, but European powers still back the deal. Brian Hook, the US pointman on Iran, said that the United States would for another 60 days issue exemptions in its sweeping sanctions to let Russian and other companies implement it without fear of punishment by Washington. The extension will "permit the continuation of nonproliferation projects that constrain Iran's nuclear activities," Hook told reporters. "We will closely monitor all developments in Iran's nuclear program, and Secretary (Mike) Pompeo can end these projects as developments warrant," he said. The exemptions affect the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Arak heavy water reactor, with the nations in the accord working to ensure they are not put to military use. The Trump administration has repeatedly extended the waivers but stopped doing so in November for another site, Fordo, in retaliation for Iran's lifting its level of uranium enrichment. Iran's step, which still leaves its uranium well below weapons-grade, aimed to pressure Europeans to show tangible benefits of the nuclear deal despite the US imposition of sanctions. Just as it extended waivers, the United States announced new sanctions on the head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi. The nuclear chief "personally inaugurated the installation of new, advanced centrifuges to expand its uranium enrichment capacity," Hook said. The new sanctions freeze any US assets Salehi may have -- a move with little practical effect as Iran is already under severe sanctions. Hook also announced the first transaction with Iran under a new financial channel aimed at easing humanitarian trade, with the sale to the country of cancer and transplant drugs. Since Trump imposed sanctions on Iran, the United States has insisted that humanitarian goods are exempt. But with the United States vowing to end virtually all trade with Iran, many companies have been hesitant, fearing they could get caught up in US sanctions. The United States announced the humanitarian channel in a joint initiative with Switzerland last year. Critics voiced skepticism over the move as the United States was seeking exhaustive paperwork for each transaction and warning that it could use the documentation to impose sanctions if it finds wrongdoing. Trump, a close ally of Iran's rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel, has vowed to fight Iran's regional role and earlier this month ordered the killing of Iran's most powerful general. This date in the calendar could forever be known as B-Day, if that word didn't have unfortunate connotations. Whatever it ends up being called by future generations, January 31st will go down as an historic shift. Unless something happens between now and 11pm - and let's not forget the giddy rumours that Remainers are even now secretly squirrelled away somewhere, preparing a last-minute legal challenge -Britain will be out of the EU by the time everyone goes to bed tonight. It's strange then that it doesn't feel more momentous. There has been so much talk about Brexit in the last three years, along with dramatic elections and missed deadlines, that the thought of actually leaving the EU has become almost commonplace, its real radical significance diluted by familiarity. It's the biggest constitutional change in nearly 50 years. Whatever happens next, Britain will never be the same. It just hasn't sunk in yet. As of 11pm tonight, we'll be in a kind of limbo. Everything will have changed, but nothing will have changed. The withdrawal agreement has created a buffer zone between two states of being, in which those minded to predict that Brexit will bring about the end of the world as we know it can simply defer the date on which catastrophe will finally strike. And if the walls don't come crashing down at the end of this year either, no worries. Just move the prophesied day of reckoning further down the line. Whatever happened to rational optimism? Diehard Remainers may wake on Saturday morning with sadness at no longer being at the heart of European policy making - though its always been debatable how much influence our MEPs had in Brussels anyway - but the main emotion on both sides in Northern Ireland will surely be one of relief. The risk that trouble might have broken out here if a last-minute deal hadn't been done in the autumn was always cynically exaggerated for political advantage, but avoiding the return of even a slightly harder border is no small matter. Chances are that the dire cries of betrayal from loyalist rabble-rousers because of some short-term, minor regulatory divergence from the rest of the UK are equally overblown. If a free trade deal can be done by the end of the year, there will be no need for checks anywhere and, since the EU claims only to have Northern Ireland's interests at heart, there's no reason for them not to sign up to one, right? Admittedly, it does seem unlikely that such a deal can be done by the end of the year, unless Britain agrees to everything the EU demands, and Boris Johnson is hardly likely to make that mistake after his thumping election victory. But a December deadline is what the EU agreed to in the withdrawal agreement, so it seems churlish of them to suddenly declare it's not possible. The wrangling has already started. Phil Hogan, Ireland's EU chief trade negotiator, says the time is nearing when Britain will have to think about extending the end of year deadline. Surely they're not starting all that nonsense again? It wouldn't be a surprise if they did. Hogan is Fine Gael to his core, and his party leader, Leo Varadkar, decided from the start that Brit-bashing during talks would be to Ireland's advantage. For the Taoiseach himself, prospects don't look so rosy. Homelessness and a crumbling health service are proving his downfall as next weekend's Irish election fast approaches. Unless the opinion polls are spectacularly wrong, Varadkar will soon be gone, and he'll be taking his belligerent Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, with him. The next Taoiseach looks set to be Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin, who's taken a much more measured stance on Brexit throughout, not from any great love for euroscepticism, but because he put relations with Unionists before tribal drum-beating. That alone should mark a fresh approach. Of course, that depends on who he brings in as coalition partners. Martin has ruled out Sinn Fein, and whilst the promises of politicians have always been a debased currency, there's no reason not to believe he's a man of his word in this regard. Any involvement of Sinn Fein would certainly be disastrous for a smooth Brexit, because their instinct is invariably to put ancient enmity before the Republic's economic self-interest and Northern Ireland's need for stability. The Executive remains untested. Power-sharing doesn't need another Brexit crisis to poison the well of goodwill. The best thing that can happen now is absolutely nothing, and, in a way, that's what the country's low-key exit from the EU later this evening appears to offer. Things will continue as before for the foreseeable future, allowing Brexiteers and Remainers alike to come to terms with being out. Neither side really knows how they'll feel about that until it's real. Those opposed to Brexit are convinced that the prospect of being an independent, free trading nation again is an illusion, bringing with it more pain than gain. Perhaps they're right. Perhaps nothing will change at all. But being outside the EU is, in itself, bound to alter the country's sense of itself, whether that's in Birmingham, Ballymena or Brigadoon. Brexit could be a spur to a whole new political energisation, or it could be a damp squib. After squabbling about it for years, now we're going to find out who's right, though not for a while. The transition period will act as a psychological, as well as economic, space for adjustment. Unionists especially need this breathing space, where nothing particularly dramatic happens, in order to settle on the next step. There has been much excitable talk in recent years about pro-EU unionists losing their enthusiasm for the Union. Much of it was wishful thinking from nationalists. In the short-term, Brexit is more likely to cement unionists' attachment to the UK, and, if everything works out, they'd have no reason to upset the apple cart by implausibly embracing Irish unity. And why wouldn't everyone want Brexit to be a success? Sadly, the worst part of today is not the giddy triumphalism or hysterical tears from competing camps. It's the way many of those who want to stay in the EU are using it to salivate over the economic catastrophe they're certain is coming. Why not just hope things go well? Is getting back in the EU really so important that they'd wish ruination on their own country in the meantime? It seems it is, confirming again that Brexit was, on both sides, less about differing visions of the EU and more about rival identities. That's something we know all about in Northern Ireland. It's rarely a pretty sight. Social conservatives are definitely falling out of fashion with Conservatives, who worry that theyve become a drag on the partys chances for winning the next election. But is pushing them to the margins going to turn into another, bigger problem for politics at large in Canada? Are Conservatives creating a whole new breed of deplorables Canadian-style? A lively debate is under way in the Conservative leadership contest about whether candidates opposed to same-sex marriage, abortion and so on should be allowed to run. I am very, very tired, beyond tired, of my party being hijacked by this type of bigotry, MP Michelle Rempel Garner complained after one potential candidate, Richard Decarie, called homosexuality a choice. Similar outrage ensued when another possible contender, MP Derek Sloan, also went on TV and muddled his way through an explanation of the complicated science of homosexuality. In one week, Sloan and Decarie have become poster boys for the kind of conservatism that many in the party are eager to reject swiftly and summarily. You might call it an intolerance for intolerance. But this might not end well. Its an age-old rule in politics: insult your opponent, if you must, but dont insult his or her supporters. Hillary Clintons defeat to Donald Trump was built in part, she conceded later, by her description of his supporters as a basket of deplorables. In the deeply divided United States of 2016 and today, being deplorable is now a badge of honour for many. Just this week, Trumps Republicans cranked out a new ad to capitalize on mockery from a CNN panel that labelled the presidents base as credulous rubes. Populism thrives on what political elites reject. Make no mistake: homophobia is deplorable, as is sexism, racism, xenophobia, and all the other prejudices that fuel the political fringe. None of them should have a place in a modern political party, especially one with a real chance of forming government. But its worth remembering that openness to same-sex marriage is a rather recent development in Canadian politics. Liberals who made it legal, like prime ministers Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, initially apologized their way into that new reality of the early 2000s, saying the courts had forced them to do it. Martin even had to backtrack on his own vote in favour of traditional marriage in 2001 to back his own same-sex marriage legislation four years later. Marching in Pride parades is not an age-old tradition either for political leaders. Justin Trudeau is the first sitting prime minister to have done so, in July 2016. Thats not even four years ago. So while were tempted to see Canadian openness to LGBT rights as a steady, progressive evolution in this country, it was actually more like a revolution, which may have left some people behind. It wasnt too long ago when many of us were having arguments around the dinner table with recalcitrant (mostly older) relatives, when coming-out declarations could find people banished from jobs, families and certainly political ambitions. This isnt ancient history in Canada. In 2005, a newly elected MP named Andrew Scheer stood up in the House of Commons and described same-sex marriage as unnatural, like trying to rename a dog tail as a dog leg. It was jarring when the Liberals released the tape of it this year, but it wasnt in 2005, causing not a ripple nor a news story that I can recall. Opponents of same-sex marriage werent exactly rare 15 years ago in the Commons. They existed in every party. As Conservative leader, Scheer missed an opportunity in the last election by failing to tell Canadians how his views had, as he put it, evolved since then. The story of that evolution in thinking could actually be many Canadians story the ordinary, everyday Canadians with whom the Conservative leader was trying to connect. More than laws and social norms have changed over two decades in Canada with respect to LGBT rights individuals have changed their minds and their views too. How did that happen? It wasnt by shouting people down or banning any talk about the issue, as some are suggesting now. People wrestled with equality rights by talking them out, by seeing LGBT people in their midst, maybe even at their own family dinner table. Something like that conversation is likely needed in Conservative circles right now. Homophobia is probably not a treatable condition, but resistance to social change is witness the revolution in Canadian politics over just the first two decades of this century. What doesnt work is to cast all the change-resistant people to the fringes or ban them from participation in a mainstream political party unless weve decided that Canada needs its own proud band of deplorables. Susan Delacourt is a columnist covering national politics based in Ottawa. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Read more about: The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a plea seeking removal of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly "openly desecrating" the office and the Constitution in suggesting that a "foreign entity" was required to ascertain neutrality on the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, however, granted the petitioner permission to withdraw the plea with liberty to approach the Calcutta High Court on the issue. "We understand the issue is important but it will be appropriate if you approach the high court," said the bench, also comprising Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant, after counsel appearing for the petitioner said that the issue is important and the apex court should consider it. The top court was hearing the plea filed by Varaaki, a journalist and President of "Indian Makkal Mandram" who had contended that a Chief Minister of a state takes an oath to uphold the sovereignty of India, and must not make any statements which go against the country's sovereignty and integrity. On December 19 last year, the Chief Minister had said, "Just because BJP has got the majority doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. If the BJP has guts, it should go for a United Nations-monitored referendum on the issue of Citizenship Amendment Act and the NRC." The plea claimed that it was "not acceptable" for any citizen to seek an intervention of an "outside body" to settle disputes inside the territory of India. "The Chief Minister of a State is not permitted to make such a statement and thirdly that it gives a very bad signal," the plea said. It claimed that the moment a constitutional authority sought a referendum in the Indian territory with the assistance and monitoring of an international/alien agency, the constitutional authority ceased to believe in the "sovereignty and integrity" of the country. "The moment the constitutional authority makes a statement that a foreign entity is required to ascertain neutrality, then the authority also doubts the institutions in India under the Indian Constitution and this includes the Judiciary as well and even from this perspective, the statement is worthy of being scrutinized in terms of the provisions of the Contempt of Courts Act 1971," the plea said. The petitioner sought issuance a writ of quo warranto (legal action requiring a person to show by what warrant an office or franchise is held) to the Governor of West Bengal as regards the continuance of Banerjee as the Chief Minister of the state. "That the plea as a quo warranto questioning the basis on which Mamata Banerjee continues in the office of the Chief Minister of West Bengal after she has openly desecrated the pristine Oath of Office and allegiance to the Constitution of India and thereby the trust with which the general public can trust her in so far as the Oath of Secrecy is concerned is lost permanently and irretrievably," it added. The plea stated that "Mamata Banerjee be divested of the duties of Chief Minister of West Bengal during the pendency of this writ petition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She hasn't been able to consummate her relationship with Ryan Gallagher since they were both kicked off I'm a Celebrity.... Get Me Out of Here! earlier this week. And Charlotte Crosby revealed on Thursday that the only person she has shared a bed with since leaving the jungle is her mother, Letitia, due to a yeast infexction. The ex-Geordie Shore star, 29, told Hughesy and Ed she is out of commission for a few days because she is suffering from thrush. 'I'm itchy and scratchy down there': Charlotte Crosby left little to the imagination on Thursday while discussing the symptoms that have stopped her from sleeping with Ryan Gallagher In a shocking admission, she stated that she is 'itchy and scratchy down there' before she told radio hosts Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes and Ed Kavalee 'I'll tell you a secret - I've got thrush!' The presenters said that wasn't necessarily a reason to avoid hooking up, before Hughesy suggested a bizarre home remedy. 'Just get a tub of yoghurt, some Yoplait,' he told her. Ed then joked that Charlotte would probably have yoghurt companies 'queuing up' to sponsor her if she followed Hughesy's advice. Health advice: After telling radio hosts Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes (left) and Ed Kavalee (right) she had thrush, Hughesy told Charlotte she should try easing the symptoms with yoghurt '[We] have two more nights to go,' Charlotte responded, confirming that she and Ryan, 31, will be doing the deed on Saturday. The symptoms of thrush include vaginal itching, a thick, white discharge, swelling of the vulva, pain or soreness during intercourse and the need to urinate more often than usual, while some women also complain of extreme fatigue, feelings of depression and irritability, skin rashes, digestive problems and headaches. Many cases of thrush are caused by the excessive growth of the Candida albicans fungus, a micro-organism that is commonly found on the skin and in the mouth, digestive tract and vagina, but whose numbers are normally kept at an undisruptive level by harmless bacteria. Here's to the weekend! '[We] have two more nights to go,' Charlotte said, confirming that she and Ryan (pictured) will be doing the deed on Saturday She also revealed she was planning to move to Australia to be closer to her new boyfriend. 'Ryan wouldn't fit in England, he'd be a fish out of water, so I'm going to move to Australia,' she said. After leaving the jungle earlier this week, Ryan insisted that his relationship with Charlotte was genuine and that they'd made plans to keep things going in the outside world. 'I'm happy to keep going. Obviously, I'd love it to keep going outside the show,' he said. 'That's for us to see what happens on the outside. I really do like her. Big plans ahead: She also told Hughesy and Ed that she was planning to move to Australia to be closer to her new boyfriend. Pictured: Charlotte and Ryan on I'm a Celebrity Ryan added: 'I don't do things for cameras. It's not a put on. It is what it is. I do genuinely like her.' The couple had instant chemistry on I'm a Celebrity, and fortunately haven't had to spend much time apart. Ryan was eliminated on Tuesday, with Charlotte getting the boot the following day. I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! continues Sunday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 The United States will likely lift sanctions within days on units of Chinese tanker company COSCO that Washington accused of transporting Iranian oil, two industry sources said. A source with a major Chinese oil company said they had received indications that COSCO had been taken off the U.S. sanctions list. The Chinese energy industry was waiting for official communications from Washington, the source said. Another energy industry source in London said that Washington had indicated it would soon lift the sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department declined comment. The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Zhang Zheng, a Shanghai-based investor relations manager at COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation Co Ltd , parent of COSCO Shipping Tanker Dalian, said the company has yet to be informed of any change in its sanctions status. "The company will make the necessary announcement as and when there are big developments," Zhang said. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump blacklisted the Dalian units of COSCO on Sept. 25 in a move that pushed global freight costs to record highs and disrupted shipping markets. The Dalian COSCO units only have about 40 tankers, but Washington's move led to confusion about whether sanctions applied to the parent company's fleet of more than 1,000 ships. The Treasury Department had twice issued waivers to allow companies to wind down dealings with the COSCO units, the latest of which is set to expire on Feb. 4, but shipping markets were still unnerved. The removal of sanctions will be bearish for tanker freight rates globally, with more than 25 very large crude carriers (VLCCs) owned by COSCO Dalian having been out of the market for the past three months, said Anoop Singh, head of tanker research in Asia at Braemar ACM Shipbroking. "Their absence was key to the soaring freight rates seen in Q4 and early January," he said. China is the lone major importer of Iranian oil despite Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran that includes cutting Iran's oil revenue to zero. Trump began re-imposing sanctions on Iran's vital oil exports after he unilaterally pulled the United States from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. It was unclear whether any lifting of the sanctions would mean that China or COSCO had agreed to the Trump administration's urgings to stop taking Iranian oil. Chinese customs data showed on Friday that China took in 14.77 million tonnes, or 295,400 barrels per day, of Iranian oil in 2019, about half the imports of 2018. Most of the oil likely went into Chinese government stockpiles, according to Refinitiv Research. Tensions between Washington and Beijing are thawing amid the signing of an initial trade deal this month, defusing an 18-month trade war that hurt global growth. A top Chinese official had raised the COSCO issue in the trade talks, said one source who advises COSCO and is familiar with the Chinese government's position. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News earlier in January that he met with Chinese officials to talk about purchases of Iranian oil. "They've cut off all of the state companies from buying oil, and we're working closely with them to make sure that they cease all additional oil activities," Mnuchin said. Mnuchin said last week he expects to begin negotiations on a so-called Phase 2 trade deal soon, with both countries on the same page. The complaint argued that this lack of access to the deaf and hard of hearing deprived individuals of benefits afforded to those without disabilities. It also added that Harvard University violated the obligation of universities receiving federal funding to "provide people with disabilities access to their programs and activities," which is under the 1973 United States Rehabilitation Act. When the settlement was reached, Harvard was ordered to take steps to improve the accessibility of content posted to its official website and associated media platforms. The university agreed to caption content it produced on or after Dec. 1, 2019, to Harvard websites and associated video websites. For selections of earlier material, the college now provides captions within five business days of a request for captions for that material. Harvard also offers captions to live streams of university events. In addition to its closed captioning efforts, Harvard was required to pay attorneys' fees for the plaintiffs in the case, which totaled more than $1.5 million. A spokesperson for the NAD said that closed captioning is a vital component of making sure that learning is accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing. They went on to add that through this lawsuit, universities around the country would be put on notice in making all aspects of their campuses, including the web, accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. A spokesperson for Harvard said that the settlement aligned with other digital accessibility initiatives at the university, precisely, captioning that was provided before for HarvardX online courses and the school's Digital Accessibility Policy that was introduced in April of 2019. The Digital Accessibility Policy addressed captioning specifically for content posted to Harvard websites. Harvard said that they were pleased to confirm the amicable resolution of the lawsuit brought by NAD regarding online captioning for video and audio content. They added that the settlement was grounded in the university's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. "Our websites provide a wealth of opportunities for our community members to communicate and to share ideas, and we want these websites to be available to everyone who wishes to access them," Harvard's spokesperson said. Legal Justice Advocates Legal Justice Advocates is a law firm that focuses on national issues, ensuring that its clients' others similarly situated are not being discriminated against. The law firm states that they regularly receive phone calls from frustrated defendants who need answers to their questions asking if they are being discriminated against and that they have a team of lawyers ready to answer those questions. The complicated answer is, it depends. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides for equal access for persons with disabilities in places of public accommodation. It has made the country far more accessible. The ADA protects individuals with a wide range of disabilities, defining disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a significant life activity. The law also covers health impairments that require special education or related services. Who Is Protected Under the ADA? The ADA protects individuals with a wide range of disabilities, defining disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a significant life activity. The law also covers health impairments that require special education or related services. Some of the most common disabilities and impairments include: Hearing impairments - A hearing impairment is any hearing loss that keeps someone from ultimately receiving sounds through their ears. When a hearing impairment limits your ability to perform a significant life activity, you are protected under ADA. Vision impairments - Vision impairment may be defined as a loss of visual acuity or a loss of visual field. For people with vision impairments, small objects and standard written materials may be difficult to see. Mobility impairments - Many types of conditions can impact mobility, including paralysis, stroke, muscular dystrophy, and spinal cord injury. Mobility impairments may require the use of walkers, wheelchairs, or canes, or limit the use of hands and upper extremities. Places of public accommodation may not discriminate against people with disabilities and may not deny full and equal enjoyment of the goods and services they offer. A substantial number of businesses still do not comply with the ADA. Because of this non-compliance, the legislature added a provision to the Civil Rights Act stating that any violation of the ADA shall constitute a violation of state law. A Plaintiff may now recover damages plus attorney's fees for a successful lawsuit under the Act. Legal Justice Advocates specializes in disability access lawsuits. They assert that they will fight to ensure that businesses no longer discriminate against the disabled. Attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates declare that they are committed to letting justice prevail. Given U.S. Congress' admirable efforts to provide equal protection to disabled persons, this country must remain vigilant in ensuring that these protections are afforded in the marketplace. Every government agency does not enforce these laws. As such, private law firms like Legal Justice Advocates are available so their clients can have equal access to the public accommodations and information that is afforded to non-disabled citizens, as Congress intended when drafting these complicated and specific laws. Federal courts in the United States are divided on the topic of whether Title III of the ADA's definition of "public discrimination" applies to websites or if it is limited to physical spaces. Courts in the First, Second, and Seventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals have issued rulings stating that a website can be a place of public accommodation regardless of any connection to a public space. However, the Third, Sixth, Ninth, and Eleventh Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals have issued rulings that places of public accommodation must be physical spaces. This would come with the caveat that goods and services are provided by a public accommodation (which could be included through a website) might fall within the law if they have a sufficient link to a physical location. Then, a website owner would be subject to liability. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are a set of technical standards developed through an open, collaborative process involving both individuals and organizations around the world. Its goal is to provide a single, shared standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments internationally. The WCAG 2.0 AA standards also have been incorporated into an ISO standard by the International Organization for Standardization. However, the ISO standard is not law at this time. Legal Justice Advocates says that they have a simple solution to website owners everywhere, which is to make their websites compliant to the standards of the ADA. Attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates maintain that they are committed to helping the disabled access the internet! Jerome Ramarsan has joined the firm in a recent announcement to partner up with the other attorneys at Legal Justice Advocates are advocating for the rights of the blind, deaf, and disabled throughout the United States with offices in South Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C. If you know of a way that they can make a difference, they urge you to drop them a line and let them know. SOURCE Legal Justice Advocates Related Links http://www.legaljusticeadvocates.com Magee university expansion has been delayed indefinitely after it emerged that its business case is out-of-date and new money must be found. Evidence provided by a senior departmental official to Stormont's Economy Committee revealed the full extent of difficulties facing Ulster University in the development of its Belfast campus. Heather Cousins from the Department for the Economy (DfE) was questioned about problems with the Belfast campus by MLAs on the committee. Ulster University (UU) has requested a loan of 126m from DfE to complete its Belfast campus. The NI Audit Office had previously said the final cost was expected to be 100m over budget. It emerged that overspend at the Belfast campus would now impact on commitments made in the New Decade New Approach document to expand UUs Magee campus to 10,000 students. Latest figures available show the campus has 4,313 students, 3,429 of which are full-time. Speaking at the meeting, SDLP MLA for Foyle, Sinead McLaughlin, said a business case for overall Magee expansion aimed at attracting 10,000 full-time students has been submitted but Ms Cousins informed her that it has expired and a new one is required. The meeting was told that UU was asked for it last year but its council was not in a position to provide it and Ms Cousins said the major capital project in Belfast will have to be delivered before anything else happens. In response, Mrs McLaughlin commented: Youre saying quite categorically that a new business case is required for the expansion of Magee because the business case is not fit for purpose nor do you have confidence in their ability to deliver it at this time. When told that summary was correct in the short-term, Mrs McLaughlin added: What is short-term to you? Because in Derry weve been waiting sixty years for this. Ms Cousins again stated that an updated business case must be submitted as the current one doesnt stack up. The very out-of-date case amounted to 300m in capital funding and 100m resource that we just do not have and unless theres new money its hard to see how that will happen because when there is new money it goes to health and schools. There is no skills balance in the country, the SDLP representative argued, as it is all centred around the East. We need all of NI to work, therefore our skills strategy and funding and resources need to be put to good use throughout NI. Stringent conditions Mrs McLaughlin also asked about the review of further and higher education and MaSN places. At present, NIs higher education systems capacity is managed through the maximum student number (MaSN) control mechanism, under which the number of full-time undergraduate students at each institution is restricted. The DfE official indicated that if there were full fees then a cap on student numbers would not be needed. Universities are given a total number of places and it is up to them how they are distributed. There are stringent conditions in place for Ulster University to pay back the public funds. The amount is so high because the university got into difficulties and assurances are needed that that it will manage its finances in future, Ms Cousins explained. As part of the business case put forward there was a report that showed the vulnerability of UUs finances in general. Ulster University Belfast is now running to a revised schedule of 2021 when it will be complete with a projected overspend of 126m that will be drawn down over two years. UU must then repay that loan. It will be under closer scrutiny but because universities are autonomous bodies they are responsible for the management of their projects. The measures that were putting in place now are because of the difficulties that theyve got in to which also impacts on their financial stability and as a department we are more concerned with their financial stability than anything else which is why we are recommending the additional loan and conditions attached to it, Ms Cousins said. She went on to say that UU has to demonstrate its financial sustainability and capability of its council and senior management. Oversight The meeting was told that the department was aware that things were going wrong in the past year. It was not receiving regular reports and the university council was not getting information. UU did not ask for assistance until recently when business cases were produced. DfE has confidence that an appropriate project director is in place but caveated that by saying it is not without risk because fit out and IT costs are still needed. Independent MLA Claire Sugden said there should have been better oversight to ensure the project didnt run so badly over-budget. Revealing it is unprecedented, Ms Cousins said there have been major capital projects at both universities and the department has never taken these steps before. In answer to another question from Ms Sugden, she said UU provided medical school business case but were required to provide an additional case on the medical workforce which is not yet completed. Until thats done the department of health cant make recommendations about the medical school. Sinn Fein MLA John ODowd also pointed out that it would now cost 380m rather than 370m which was the projected overall cost stated in committee members documents and questioned why the university had been given additional leeway. JERUSALEM (JTA)-Russian President Vladimir Putin's prime speaking slot at a Holocaust commemoration event here was generating controversy even before the longtime leader took the podium. His remarks Thursday at the event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz by the Red Army has done little to quell it. Speaking at the Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, Putin claimed that 40 percent of the Jews who died in the Holocaust were citizens of the Soviet Union. Historians called the claim absurd. "It's completely false," Jan Grabowski, a historian at the University of Ottawa, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an interview. Jelena Subotic, a professor of political science at Georgia State University and the author of "Yellow Star, Red Star: Holocaust Remembrance After Communism," called Putin's claim "ridiculous and not based on historical fact," noting that the "consensus" among historians is that about 1 million of the 6 million Jews murdered were from the Soviet Union. In recent months, Putin has engaged in a war of words over Holocaust complicity with Poland, whose president, Andrzej Duda, declined to attend the Jerusalem event this week because he was denied a speaking slot. Putin has accused Poland of cooperating with Germany in 1938, while Duda has charged Russia with downplaying its own role in invading the Eastern European nation in cooperation with the Nazis the following year. "I think this [40 percent] number could-and maybe should-be seen as part of the ongoing memory war between Poland and Russia," said Havi Dreifuss, a historian at Tel Aviv University. More than 40 foreign leaders attended Thursday's event, which was organized by Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, Yad Vashem and the Israeli Foreign Ministry in conjunction with European Jewish Congress head Moshe Kantor. Putin's invitation to speak, and Duda's lack of one, was seen by some as a sign that Israel was allowing itself to be dragged into the ongoing conflict in Eastern and Central Europe over the legacy of the war. (An Israeli official said Wednesday that Duda was offered "some kind of platform to speak" if he attended.) "This is realpolitik, it has unfortunately nothing to do with morality," Grabowski said. "The memory of the Holocaust has been used and abused by the Israeli government just as it is by the Polish or Hungarian governments." Experts say the increasingly vitriolic claims about the past are driven by the politics of the moment. Russia, facing crippling Western sanctions for its aggression against Ukraine and other international misdeeds, is said to be milking the moral capital it has as the liberator of Auschwitz to portray itself as being on the right side of history. Its neighbors, meanwhile, fearing a resurgent Russia and coping with their own newly assertive nationalist movements, are refusing to let Russia burnish its own history unchallenged. Many former communist countries, searching for unifying national identities after decades of communist rule, have also looked to the Holocaust period for legitimizing narratives, in the process often whitewashing their own histories and raising up nationalist figures who often collaborated with the Nazis as they resisted Soviet rule. Putin's remarks stood in stark contrast to Germany, whose president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, not only acknowledged the country's responsibility for Holocaust atrocities in his Yad Vashem speech but detailed the ways Germany is failing to heed the lessons of the past. "I stand before you, grateful for this miracle of reconciliation, and I wish I could say that our remembrance has made us immune to evil," Steinmeier said. "Yes, we Germans remember. But sometimes it seems as though we understand the past better than the present. The spirits of evil are emerging in a new guise, presenting their anti-Semitic, racist, authoritarian thinking as an answer for the future, a new solution to the problems of our age. "I wish I could say that we Germans have learned from history once and for all. But I cannot say that when hatred is spreading." Addressing the gathered world leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed gratitude for the Allied war to defeat Nazi Germany, even as he claimed the world had "largely" abandoned the Jews during the Holocaust. Noting that the lesson of Auschwitz was "always to take seriously the threats of those who seek our destruction," Netanyahu pointed to a current political concern he believes the world is failing to address. "I am concerned that we have yet to see a unified and resolute stance against the most anti-Semitic regime on the planet-a regime that openly seeks to develop nuclear weapons and annihilate the one and only Jewish state," Netanyahu said, referencing Iran. Netanyahu has railed for years against the efforts by the United States and other leading global powers to strike a deal with Iran over its nuclear weapons program. In 2018, President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear agreement signed three years earlier. "Israel salutes President Trump and Vice President Pence for confronting the tyrants of Tehran that subjugate their own people, and threaten the peace and security of the entire world," Netanyahu said. "They threaten the peace and security of everyone in the Middle East and everyone beyond. I call on all governments to join the vital effort of confronting Iran." Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 14:26:05|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KIGALI, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda is considering setting up a green investment bank to bridge the financing gap so as to meet the country's climate adaptation and mitigation needs, an official said here Thursday. "Rwanda has an ambitious climate action agenda to build resilience to climate change and foster green growth ... Having a green investment bank will no doubt bridge the financing gap in our market," said Rwandan Minister of Environment Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya while addressing a meeting on the new bank. Finance has become the center of climate action policies and strategies, the minister said, adding that a green investment bank will act as a force multiplier. The bank would mobilize private finance and strengthen climate finance in Rwanda by empowering the country to better access international non-grant finance, the minister noted. Activities that the bank would finance include mainstreaming climate in priority sub-sectors such as biomass replacement, green cities, sustainable transport, waste management and climate-smart agriculture, which are all critical for Rwanda's economic transformation, Mujawamariya said. According to Rwanda's Ministry of Environment, the country could lose 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) annually due to climate change-related losses by 2030 and an even greater proportion thereafter. Macy's is reportedly about to open a new kind of store, which could be a test with a larger rollout to come. The department store chain is opening a new space in Southlake, Texas, with a focus on selling apothecary beauty and hair-care items, and with a cafe inside, according to Women's Wear Daily, citing people familiar with the plans. The report said the project is being spearheaded by Story founder Rachel Shechtman. Macy's acquired Story in 2018 and has since added Story's themed, pop-up marketplaces in more than a dozen of its own stores. A spokesperson from Macy's declined to comment. A search for jobs, located in Southlake, on Macy's website reveals openings for cafe team members, beauty brand experts and sales associates for a "New Retail Concept at Macy's." There is no timing listed for when those positions would begin. The potential store in Southlake comes as Macy's is struggling to grow sales at its traditional department stores. The retailer faces a growing threat to its business as more brands pivot to sell directly to consumers, who are increasingly skipping trips to the mall. Macy's has, meantime, said it is looking at ways to downsize its real estate. Macy's also owns the beauty chain Bluemercury, which it bought in 2015 for $210 million. Beauty is believed by many retail analysts to be one of the strongest growing segments in the industry today, stronger than apparel, which Macy's has historically relied on to be a boon to its business. Companies like Ulta Beauty and LVMH-owned Sephora are still opening new stores. A pivot toward beauty could be one way Macy's is looking to get back to growth. Macy's in its latest quarter reported its first same-store sales decline in two years. Its holiday same-store sales were down 0.6%. Macy's is set to hold a meeting with investors in New York next Wednesday, where it could discuss this concept, WWD said. Macy's shares were down less than 1% Friday morning. The stock has fallen a little more than 34% over the past 12 months. Macy's has a market cap of about $5.2 billion. Here's the full story from WWD. A temporary mock Mars habitat made of interlocking tents, called the Mars Academy USA habitat, near the Mars Society's Mars Desert Research Station in Utah is a major component of the landmark dual-habitat Crew 220 mission. A new crew has arrived on "Mars," at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, for a rare dual-habitat simulation to see how two different teams tackle emergencies together on the Red Planet. The MDRS is located in the harsh desert of southern Utah and is the world's largest and longest-running Mars-analog program , which is used to simulate Mars missions for testing, training and educational outreach. The new, 12-member crew designated Crew 220 from Mars Academy USA (MAU) arrived at the station last week. At the facility, which is run by the Mars Society, a space advocacy organization, crews live and work like astronauts in a simulated Martian habitat environment. For this upcoming mission, one crew will work out of the MDRS while Crew 220 operates the MAU habitat, according to a statement from the Mars Society. Related: The 9 coolest mock space missions While some members of Crew 220 will stay at the MDRS facility, others will stay at the MAU habitat. The crews will switch from one habitat to the other halfway through the mission. That way, both teams can experience each habitat and simulate how astronauts will communicate from different locations during real Red Planet missions. The MAU habitat is a temporary second structure set up close to the MDRS habitat. It consists of a series of interlocking, geometric tents that house both crew quarters and a research area. Crew 220 consists of medical professionals who will test how to best collaborate on emergency medical procedures in a "Mars" setting. "We are excited and supportive of MAU's continued 'out-of-the-box' thinking in exploring how we will practice medicine as a spacefaring people," Shannon Rupert, the MDRS director, said in the statement. "This work should open up new ideas about how we will operate with more than a single isolated station on another planet." In addition to testing medical and communication procedures at the MDRS, other areas of research will focus on geology, engineering, robotics and microbiology. You can follow Crew 220 as they live on "Mars" over the next two weeks online thanks to updates from the Mars Society. Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13 . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . German-based real estate investment manager Union Investment has acquired 2 Grand Parade, Dublin, from Hines and Peterson Group. The building, which comprises of around 9,600 sq m of rental space, is currently being constructed and is scheduled for completion by end of 2022. The price paid for the acquisition has not been disclosed, however following the transaction Union Investment will hold seven commercial property assets in Dublin collectively worth around 770m. Martin Schellein, head of investment management Europe at Union Investment Real Estate, said: Dublins vibrant office market is currently attracting the interest of international investors. The influx of international companies and the expansion plans of office users already based in Dublin are creating excellent conditions for letting speculative developments and for achieving corresponding value growth. The company said it will continue to monitor the Dublin market for potential acquisitions this year. The development at 2 Grand Parade consists of two building sections. Around a third of the rental space is located in a historic existing building dating from 1964, known as the Carrolls Building because it was used by PJ Carrolls Tobacco for many years. This building is being extensively upgraded as part of the development. The remaining two thirds of the rental space is located in a new build linked to the existing building. Union Investment was commercially advised on the deal by HWBC and legally by A&L Goodbody. Founded by over a dozen co-operative and a number of private banks, Union Investment manages a 359bn fund. Its real estate assets under management currently stand at 46.6bn. In the wake of stepping down as a working member of the British royal family, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex is eager to get back to work. Prior to marrying Prince Harry in May 2018 the Los Angeles native was a working actress with a starring role on the hit USA drama series, Suits. In addition to her work in Hollywood Markle was also an activist, a writer/editor for her lifestyle blog, The Tig and an ambassador for several conscious brands. However, when she and the prince got engaged in November 2017 Markle closed the door on personal career. Now that the Sussexes have decided they want to become financially independent and work for themselves outside of the British royal family the duchess is eager to get back to work. This is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will do for work Markle has already signed a voiceover deal with Disney. However, that paycheck is expected to go to the Elephants Without Borders charity. Still, now that she and the duke are free agents media companies like Netflix and ABC are eager to get them into meetings. Though they are adamant about respecting the crown, the sky is the limit for what the Sussexes may want to do next with their Sussex Royal brand. We could easily compare them to any former presidents, Royal commentator and author Kristen Meinzer explained to Business Insider. My mind keeps going to Barack and Michelle Obama and how [they] make money. The reason I compare the two is that theyre already friends with each other and I would put them on the same level in terms of fame. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are worth $30 million Though they will no longer be supported by Queen Elizabeth II the Sussexes arent exactly leaving the U.K. without a dime to their name. Together, they have a combined net worth of $30 million. When Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot they decided to forgo a prenuptial agreement and simply combine their wealth. Prince Harry is worth $25 million, a combination of inheritance from Princess Diana and an annual allowance from Prince Charles. In contrast, Markle is worth $5 million from her past acting work and endorsements. Meghan Markle is actively looking for an agent and a manager It looks like Markle is thinking about returning to her acting roots. Meghan is actively looking for representation. She has begun outreach, a source tells Us Weekly. It can be a manager or an agent, but shes reaching out to people to find someone to represent her for future professional projects. Markle probably wont return to TV, but this is a way for her to seek out projects inlined with her and the dukes charitable effotts while earning a living. She doesnt come from millions, an insider told US Weekly. Shes worked hard to get to where she is today. Meghan loves the idea of being the breadwinner. She has no plans to do another show like Suits, but Harrys been encouraging her to do more voice-over work, writing, producing and directing in her free time. This image shows BOBCAT hardware used to demonstrate the successful transfer of cryogenic fluids into a dewar during a balloon demonstration in August 2019. The shot was taken when the balloon reached its float altitude of 133,000 feet. Credits: NASA NASA Scientist Al Kogut has found a way to do Hubble Space Telescope-class science from a relatively inexpensive scientific balloon and is well on the way to proving the concept. If he succeeds, the technology he's developing under the Balloon-borne Cryogenic Telescope Testbed (BOBCAT) effort could prove potentially revolutionary for cosmologists and other scientists who need to collect far-infrared light to observe the very distant universe and study the formation and evolution of the universe. At this wavelength, scientists can detect 98% of all photons emitted after the Big Bang. "Of course, it's best to go into space, but space observatories are expensive," said Kogut, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "With less-expensive balloons, you can go to the top of the atmosphere, which is nearly as good as what you would detect in space." With support from Goddard's Internal Research and Development program, Kogut is developing ultra-lightweight dewar technology to enable Great Observatory science from a balloon. Dewars are containers that keep telescopes very cold. "If you could put a cold telescope on a balloon, you could get rid of the foreground emissions and improve sensitivity by a factor of 100,000," said Kogut, who has developed balloon-borne telescope apertures measuring just 20 inches in diameter, considerably smaller than the desired 10- to 13-foot telescopes he would eventually like to fly. Tricky Business But obtaining far-infrared light, especially on a balloon with a telescope equipped with an 8-foot or larger light-collecting mirror, isn't as simple as it might seem. It's tricky. For one, these wavelengths are difficult to collect. Heat generated by the telescope and light emitted by the atmosphere overwhelm the weak far-infrared signal. Therefore, these observatories, including those flown in space, must be cooled to a frosty -442 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists achieve these super-cold temperatures by placing the telescope inside a dewar and cooling the container with cryogenic fluids, such as nitrogen and helium. However, conventional dewars capable of accommodating a large Hubble-style primary mirror would weigh about 11,000 pounds because their walls must be thick to withstand atmospheric pressure at sea level. As a result, the balloon and its payload would struggle to get off the ground. BOBCAT tackles those challenges. In August 2019, Kogut and his team demonstrated important BOBCAT technologies -- primarily that they could pump cryogenic fluids into the dewar once the balloon reached its observing altitude -- thereby proving his concept isn't as far-fetched as some might believe. During a balloon launch from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, the team loaded the balloon's gondola with electronics, a conventional test dewar, which launched warm, and lightweight storage containers holding the liquid nitrogen and helium. Shortly before the balloon reached its float altitude, the team pumped liquid nitrogen to pre-cool the test dewar. At the float altitude, the team remotely commanded the transfer of 30 liters of liquid helium to cool the container to the desired temperature. Because nitrogen flash freezes and helium becomes superfluid at certain pressures, which would adversely affect the dewar's ability to cool the desire temperatures, Kogut and his team also needed to show that the transfer could occur in a near-vacuum. "Full Success" "The flight achieved full success," Kogut said. "This represented the first remote transfer of either liquid nitrogen or liquid helium at float altitudes and demonstrated that potential problems related to the transfer at float altitudes can be mitigated." The successful transfer was critical to the concept, he added. "We can't fill an ultra-lightweight dewar on the ground since the thin vacuum walls can't withstand 15 pounds-per-square-inch atmospheric pressure at sea level." The successful demonstration paves the way for another test later this year, but this time, Kogut plans to transfer the cryogenic fluids into the ultra-lightweight test dewar now being built by Goddard engineers. According to Kogut, the dewar's stainless-steel walls are just slightly thicker than a beer can. The goal is to compare its performance to the standard, much heavier dewar flown in 2019. While BOBCAT can demonstrate ultra-lightweight dewars, Goddard engineers don't have the manufacturing facilities to fabricate a dewar large enough accommodate a large-aperture cold telescope. As a result, NASA has awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant to Quest Thermal Group LLC, a Colorado-based company specializing in the development of advanced thermal-insulation systems. The company's job is to develop manufacturing techniques for a 10-foot or larger dewar. "This effort eliminates the concerns about the technological maturity of flying large-aperture telescopes on a balloon," Kogut said. "BOBCAT technologies could be a game-changer." Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Thousands of Okada riders on Friday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the ban imposed on them by the State Governmen... Thousands of Okada riders on Friday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the ban imposed on them by the State Government in 15 councils, major highways and bridges across the State. The ban takes effect from February 1, 2020. The protesters, which comprise e-riders, Max riders and Gokada stormed the State House of Assembly in the afternoon, demanding for a reversal of the ban on them and tricycles by government. The riders, who had apparently mobilized themselves in large numbers, marched to the Governors Office in Alausa carrying placards with different inscriptions like Our Live Matter Too, Very Soon, Poverty Will Be a Crime in Lagos. Na all of us get Lagos, no be only the rich, Regulate us, not kill us, among others. Some of the protesters lamented the action taken by the state government, describing it as insensitive to the plight of the masses and called for regulations instead of outright ban. A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Bisi Yusuf, representing Alimosho 1 constituency later accepted a written petition from the protesters. While addressing them later, the lawmaker advised them to be law abiding and also comply with the ban first before their petition was considered. Stern looking policemen stationed at the Lagos State House of Assembly end of the State House prevented the protesters from getting to the main entrance of the Governors office. The Lagos State Government had on Monday banned okada and tricycle riders in six Local Governments and nine Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, of the state. The councils are: Apapa LG, Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Lagos Mainland LG , Yaba LCDA, Surulere LG, Itire-Ikate, LCDA, Coker-Aguda LCDAs, Ikeja LG, Onigbongbo LCDAs, Ojodu LCDAs, Eti-Osa LG, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Iru/Victoria Island LCDAs, Lagos Island LG and Lagos Island East LCDA. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said after a robust assessment of the debate on what has been widely referred to as the Motorcycle (Okada) and Tricycle (Keke) Menace, the Lagos State Government and the State Security Council had decided that the security and safety of lives of Lagosians were paramount. The figures are scary. From 2016 to 2019, there were over 10,000 accidents recorded at the General Hospitals alone. This number excludes unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals. The total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600 as at date. The rate of crimes aided by Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) keeps rising. Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) are also used as getaway means by criminals. Therefore, after consultations with stakeholders, the State Security Council, in compliance with the extant Transport Sector Reform Law 2018, has decided to commence enforcement of the law which bans the operation of Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in the following Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs): Apapa LG and Apapa Iganmu LCDA; Lagos Mainland LG and Yaba LCDA; Surulere LG, Itire-Ikate and Coker-Aguda LCDAs; Ikeja LG, Onigbongbo and Ojodu LCDAs; Eti-Osa LG, Ikoyi-Obalende and Iru/Victoria Island LCDAs; Lagos Island LG and Lagos Island East LCDA, he said. The commissioner said the full enforcement would begin on February 1, 2020, adding that this was the first stage of the State Governments plan to sanitize roads and protect Lagosians from the negative effects of these illegal modes of transportation. The Law is very clear. Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) are banned on all highways, bridges and the listed roads, he added. Also, Okada and tricycles have been banned from major highways and bridges: These include: 1. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway 2. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway 3. Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway 4. Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway 5. Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway 6. Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway 7. Lagos-Badagry Expressway 8. Funsho Williams Avenue 9. Agege Motor Road 10. Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road Bridges 1. Iyana- Ipaja Bridge Agege 2. Dopemu Bridge Agege 3. Airport/Ikeja Bridge 4. Agege Motor road/oshodi Loop, Oshodi 5. Mushin/Isolo Link Bridge 6. Dorman Long Bridge 7. Ojuelegba Bridge 8. National Stadium Flyover 9. Apapa-Iganmu Bridge 10. Apapa-Ijora Link Bridge 11. Liverpool Bridge, Apapa 12. Mile 2 Bridge-Loop, Amuwo-Odofin 13. Okota (cele)/Ijesha Link Bridge 14. Apakun/Apapa-Oshodi Bridge Network 15. Ikorodu Road/Anthony Clover leaf Bridge 16. Trade Fair Flyover Bridge 17. Festac/Amuwo-Odofin Link Bridge 18. 2 Flyover Bridges along Alhaji Masha Road 19. Ojota Clover leaf Bridge 20. Ogudu Bridge 21. 3rd Mainland Bridge 22. Maryland flyover 23. Ikeja General Hospital Flyover Bridge 24. Kodesoh Bridge, Oba Akran, Ikeja 25. Opebi Link Bridge 26. Sheraton-Opebi Bridge 27. Jibowu/Yaba flyover Bridge 28. Carter Bridge, Lagos 29. Bariga-Ifako Bridge 30. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Alapere Bridge 31. Bariga/Oworonsoki Bridge 32. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Gbagada U-Turn 33. Apapa-Oshodi Expressway 34. 3rd Mainland/Oworonsoki Bridge 35. Eko Bridge 36. Apongbon flyover Bridge 37. Cowry Bridge (Officers Mess) 38. Mcwen Bridge (Bonny Camp) 39. Marina/Ikoyi Bridge 40. Ikoyi/Obalende Bridge The commissioner said the law enforcement agents had been directed that with effect from February 1, 2020, there would be Zero Tolerance for Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in (on) the listed Local Governments, highways and bridges. Members of the public are hereby notified that all offenders and violators will be dealt with in accordance with the Law, he said. Judge Ukenas service has assisted and guided our circuit and the people of Lake County. His knowledge of the law, and experiences in both prosecution and defense made him a well-respected judge to the people of Lake County, attorneys, and his peers on the bench, Chief Judge Diane Winter said. He will be missed, but we wish him the best in his retirement. Abhijit Iyer-Mitra United States President Donald Trumps recently announced peace plan for Israel and Palestine has come in, as expected, for severe criticism. The problem is much of the criticism is not just misdirected, but also legally incorrect. This current plan has three major features: First, it reduces the size of the West Bank by about 30 per cent with Israel annexing the Jordan River valley that acted as the boundary between the West Bank and Jordan. This cuts off the West Banks access to Jordan, turning it into an island within Israel. Second, it significantly expands Gaza by adding two more enclaves, reducing the Israeli border with Egypt. Third, it connects all these disparate entities through a long tunnel. It is, however, premised on specific conditions that include the Palestinian Authority cracking down on terror groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad (hard to do given the Palestinian Authority controls the West Bank and Hamas controls Gaza with no connection between the two. Moreover, the Palestinians will have to stop rewarding the families of terrorists. Presumably this plan has come in for criticism on three issues: First, it does not recognise the Palestinian right of return; second, its apportioning of land is even less than the previous offer under former US President Bill Clinton; and, third, the Palestinian Authority has no way of enforcing the preconditions of cracking down on Hamas given the lack of contiguity. Much of this is just plain wrong. Population exchanges are an accepted principle in international law and are irreversible. Be it the expulsion of native Germans from Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and other parts of Eastern Europe after World War 2, the Greek-Turkish population exchanges after World War 1 and the India-Pakistan Partition. However, there is no such thing as the right to return. Given that the idea of a modern nation state is based on people, not territory, it is absurd that any country would let a majority of its population live in another country especially one seen as an enemy defeating the very idea of a nation state. Next is the issue of ever decreasing land. As the once foreign minister of Israel Abba Eban said the Palestinians never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Consequently, since 1948, the Palestinians have rejected every single offer of land and have seen the land offered to them shrink every single time. What is amazing is the Palestinian leadership feels it can actually get a better deal despite the absolute historical certainty that they cant. In fact that is what the Israeli strategy has been based on: accept whats offered now else the next offer will be worse. This time around, Palestine, it seems, has elicited no support with even all major Arab countries either supporting the deal or ignoring it. In short, the Palestinian negotiating position has never been weaker, and it will never get stronger. Third is that the lack of contiguity prevents the Palestinian Authority from dealing with Hamas in the West Bank. This is possibly the only valid criticism of the deal and remains to be seen what solutions Israel offers the Palestinian Authority to enact a regime change and the takeover of Gaza. The consequences for Palestine are threefold. First, should Trump win re-election (and he is likely to) this plan will be unilaterally implemented, where its consent will be irrelevant. Second, its ability to hide behind international laws that by virtue of being occupied doesnt require them to prevent attacks on Israel will end (though Israel doesnt take permission to retaliate). Finally their demographic plans of swamping Israel with an Arab majority will also end. This was the Plan B, where both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority encouraged more children so as to then claim Israeli nationality, but as a majority. This plan has had a ruinous effect on both Gaza and the West Bank with chronic overcrowding and now there will be no prize to be reaped. To sum up the deal may not satisfy some esoteric notion of fair play, but it is the best under the circumstances. If the Palestinians dont accept it, the next time what will be on offer will be even less. The issue remains how will this be sold to the Palestinians by their leaders? Thats the real crux given both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have substituted dreams of a non-existent tomorrow for governance failure. Leadership is about bringing daydreams crashing down to Earth. The problem is the Palestinians have never had real leaders to give them a reality check; just demagogues who parasitically and cruelly exploit them and theres nothing anyone can do about it, except the Palestinians themselves. The man charged in connection with the disappearance of Paighton Houston will be returned to Alabama to face the criminal charge. Fredrick Hampton, 50, appeared in court Friday morning in Ohio after he was captured by U.S. Marshals earlier this week. According to Cuyahoga County court records, Hampton was advised of his constitutional rights and waived extradition. He was ordered to be turned over to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office for transport back to the state. It wasnt immediately clear when he will be brought back to the Jefferson County Jail. Hampton, charged with abuse of corpse after Houstons body was found in a shallow Hueytown grave, was captured Wednesday night in Ohio after weeks on the run. The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force has been searching for the Brighton man since shortly after the warrant against him was issued earlier this month. The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force captured Hampton. He was taken into custody at 7:30 p.m. Hampton was arrested at a residence on Eastwood Boulevard in Garfield Heights. Authorities had to breach the door at which point they held their position and called for Hampton to exit. A short time later, Hampton gave up and was taken into custody. Authorities said he is also under investigation for possible federal violations but did not elaborate. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Thursday released the cause of Houstons death as morphine and methamphetamine toxicity. The manner of death is accidental. "This represents an overdose and is classified as a drug-opioid death,'' Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates wrote in his early-morning news release. Houston vanished Dec. 20. She was last seen at Tin Roof in the 2700 block of Seventh Avenue South in Birminghams Lakeview District. According to Birmingham police, she left the bar about 10:45 p.m. with two heavy-set black males. Sgt. Johnny Williams said it was reported that Houston left the location willingly with the two men. She had reportedly gone to the Birmingham bar with co-workers. Friends on Facebook said Houston didnt know the men and that the last text message from her to a coworker about two hours after she left Tin Roof - stated she didnt know where she was, and she felt she might be in trouble. She had sent multiple messages to her co-worker, the last one reading, Idk who im with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble. That text was sent at 12:15 a.m. Dec. 21 but not seen by her coworker until nearly two hours later. The body of the 29-year-old Houston was found Friday, Jan. 3, wrapped in sheets and buried in a shallow grave behind the house at 215 Chapel Drive. That house belongs to relatives of Hampton. Hampton is not charged in Houstons death, only with actions authorities say he took following her death, which in this case would be burying her. According to Alabama law, a person commits the crime of abuse of a corpse if he or she knowingly treats a human corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities. It is a Class C felony. We have evidence the victim and the offender were together the night of Dec. 20, 2019,'' said Sheriffs Office Deputy Chief David Agee in an earlier press conference. We have evidence the victim died the next day at a house on McClain Street in Brighton. We have evidence that after the victim died, her body was disposed of in a criminal manner by Fredrick Hampton. LONDON, Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the latest issue of World Finance, Elsworth Johnson, Minister of Financial Services, Trade, Industry and Immigration at The Bahamas Financial Services Board highlights the island nation's robust financial sector. For over 80 years The Bahamas has maintained a successful track record of competing for foreign direct investment and offering wealth management services. One of the key reasons for this success is The Bahamas' position as an internationally recognised centre for the provision of financial services. In the article, Johnson describes how The Bahamas has managed to outperform its larger rivals by delivering more effective products and services. However, this position is being challenged by a global consolidation of technological advancements, regional economic weaknesses, competition from other financial centres and global regulatory pressures that have strained national resources. "Current trends are pointing towards a more technology-driven financial sector that is increasingly knowledge-focused," Johnson writes. "As such, The Bahamas must be prepared to adapt its product and service offerings to these changes, while also leveraging its existing strengths to seize the opportunities being created by new and emerging developments." To maintain its success, The Bahamas has set out a new strategic vision for financial services looking ahead to 2025. This strategy includes a clear vision for The Bahamas as a recognised location of choice for specialist international financial services, building on the islands' strengths in terms of local talent, technological advancement, established infrastructure, friendly investment policies and solid, well-established regulations. Elsewhere in the piece, Johnson outlines the government's commitment to promoting The Bahamas as a responsible, well resourced, compliant international financial centre focused on real international business, transparency and cooperation. Positioning the country as a hub for legitimate financial services aligned with all necessary international standards is essential to ensuring that finance continues to be an essential part of the islands' economy. For more about The Bahamas and how its financial services sector is developing, check out the latest issue of World Finance, available in print, on tablet and online now. www.worldfinance.com World News Media, the parent company of World Finance, is a leading publisher of quality financial and business magazines, which enjoys a global distribution network that includes subscriber lists of prominent decision-makers around the world. Contact Information World News Media Barclay Ballard Editorial Department +44-(0)-20-7553-4177 barclay.ballard@wnmedia.com SOURCE World News Media By PTI NEW DELHI: Jamia Millia student Shahdab Farooq, who suffered injuries after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters outside the university, was discharged from AIIMS on Friday morning. Al-Ameen, a student of Jamia's Mass Communication department and Farooq's friend, said he was discharged from the hospital around 8 am. "His father reached Delhi on Thursday night, but Shahdab won't go back home in Kashmir. He will stay at the university," Al-Ameen said. Farooq underwent a surgery at the hospital, he said. Tension spiralled in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring mass communications student Farooq, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. Farooq, who received bullet wound on his left hand, was admitted to AIIMS. No injury to blood vessels or nerves were sustained, a doctor said. The accused juvenile has no remorse for what he did and was radicalised by viewing videos on social media, claimed Delhi Police on Friday. Police sources also said that the accused had procured the country-made pistol from his village and left for Delhi in a bus to take revenge for the death of Chandan Gupta. Gupta was killed in Kasganj violence on January 26. The accused brandished a gun despite heavy police force deployment and fired at the marching students on Thursday. ALSO READ | Jamia firing: Would turn Shaheen Bagh to Jallianwala Bagh, said shooter on Facebook Delhi police sources said that the accused has denied having any connection or links with any organisation. Before the incident, Delhi Police said sufficient police arrangements had been made for the march for which there was 'no permission'. Referring to the incident in which one student was injured, the Delhi Police issued a statement that read, "At around 1:30 pm, while the gathering was moving, one person suddenly came out of it brandishing a small firearm like object and within a split second, before anyone could assess or react to what he was doing, the man suddenly fired towards the marching students." "The police staff immediately rushed towards the person and overpowered him. As the barricades were tied with each other to deal with the proposed march, the injured was immediately taken to the nearest hospital -- Holy Family by lifting him from behind the barricades in order to save precious time," Delhi Police said in a statement. The police said DCP South-East also reached the hospital in no time, to ensure that proper medical treatment was extended to the injured, who has been identified as Shadaab Farooq, a student of Jamia University." A case under section 307 IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at PS New Friends Colony," it said. (With ANI Inputs) The Stewart men will close the doors to their business in late March. And for the first time in 60-odd years no one will be back the next day to reopen it. After wearing through at least seven carpets and refilling the jar of Mackintosh lollies countless times, they have decided it is finally time to retire. Its a shame to shut it down but there is no one to take it on, Don Stewart says. Thats the way it is with some things. Don, now 91, became interested in watchmaking very early in life. He was nine and fishing with his brother at the fishermans wharf on Dive Crescent when he slipped on some scales, causing him to fall in the water. My watch got wet and I ended up in Jack Fenns waiting for him to fix it, Don says. I kept on going back until I got given a broom. He worked at Fenns Jewellers on Wharf Street after school doing repairs until Fenn was called into the air force for the Second World War. Don finished his watchmaking apprenticeship in 1950 and moved around town a number of times before settling in the current shop in 1971. Dons passion for the industry is evidenced by his continued presence in the shop most days until early afternoon. Its a lifetime thing. Its something I just love doing. His sons Neville and Lawrence made the business a family one when they left school at 15 and completed their own apprenticeships. The three have worked together in the Picadilly Arcade shop for the last 50 years. Its been great, were like brothers, Don says. When asked why they chose to join their father in business, Neville says: well we had to do something when we left school! The brothers would spend their time after school and in the school holidays in their dads shop. You sat around in the workshop until Mum and Dad went home, Neville says. You ended up fiddling and fixing and shagging around with stuff. Why did we get into it? We just literally grew into it. Back in the early days, all watches were mechanical. Neville, Lawrence and another employee worked full-time on the watches while Don worked full-time on the clocks that came in. They would each service half a dozen units a day, five days a week. And you never caught up, Lawrence says. As technology advanced, the nature of their work changed. They now service a combination of mechanical and battery-operated products, and only about 10 a week. They have also witnessed a complete change in town. Neville and Lawrence recall some years ago when Devonport Road underwent a significant restructure, a particularly creative Mainstreet organisation manager (Phil Hunt) ran a promotion to encourage people to continue shopping in the CBD. He ran a fantastic promotion when the streets of Tauranga were just ripped up, Lawrence says. Shoppers received a stamp card and when they spent a certain amount at participating businesses they would get a stamp. When they filled their card they went into the draw to win a house. Thats what you call a decent bloody promotion properly run. They saw the CBD when everything from Mitre 10 to the greengrocer was within walking distance from their shop and have watched the progressive satelliting of shopping destinations in Tauranga. All those businesses have had to move away and all of a sudden you definitely need a motorcar and half a day to go and do anything, Neville says. Lawrence suggests that their business may have survived through the internet shopping boom, despite not having a website, because their trade is a little unusual. The shop offers watch repairs, jewellery repairs and they trade in second-hand goods. If you were just standing here trying to sell a pair of earrings out of that counter you would be struggling, Lawrence says. Neville reckons part of the reason the business has been successful is their care for customers. Youve got to give top service, try to upset as few people as often as possible. You want your customers as repeat customers. You cant please everybody all the time but you do your best and sometimes it pays off, Lawrence says. That goes for keeping their relationship strong, too. I can honestly say that Lawrence and I have worked together since we were kids and we have never, in 50-odd years, ever had an argument, Neville says. If somebody is ever irritable you just move to one side, Don adds. None of them know for certain what they will be doing in their retirement. Ive never done it before but Ill find out and Ill let you know in a year or two, Don says. They all have workshops at their homes and are certain to tinker, but for now were not retiring to work, were retiring to retire, Lawrence says. Weve had no problems getting on over the years, just walk away, take a deep breath and get going on something else, says Neville. By LISA MASCARO, ERIC TUCKER and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee will oppose calling more witnesses in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, all but dashing Democratic efforts to hear more testimony and boosting odds the Senate will vote imminently to acquit without new testimony, in a matter of days. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said late Thursday she would vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial, building momentum for the Democrats effort. But Alexander then said in a statement there was no need for more evidence, giving the Trump team the likelihood of a Senate vote in its direction. Collins, a centrist senator announced her decision after the Senate concluded a long question-and-answer session with the House Democrats prosecuting the charges and Trumps lawyers defending him. Alexander released his statement moments later. A vote on the witness question, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end of the trial with Trumps expected acquittal. Or it could bring days, if not weeks more argument as Democrats press to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton and others. It would take four GOP senators to break with the majority and join with Democrats to tip the outcome. Collins said in a statement, The most sensible way to proceed would be for the House Managers and the Presidents attorneys to attempt to agree on a limited and equal number of witnesses for each side. If they cant agree, then the Senate could choose the number of witnesses. But Alexander said that there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense. Collins, Alexander and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were playing an over-sized role in the final hours of debate with pointed questions ahead of crucial votes. Another Republican senator, Mitt Romney of Utah, has made clear he will vote for witnesses. Murkowski drew a reaction during the debate when she asked simply: Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton? Alexander of Tennessee captured attention just before the dinner break when he questioned partisanship in the proceedings thus far. In response to Alexander and others, Democrat Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a congressional staffer during Watergate and now a House prosecutor, told the senators that the Nixon impeachment also started as a partisan inquiry. A bipartisan consensus emerged only after Republicans including staunch Nixon supporters saw enough evidence to change their minds, she said. They couldnt turn away from the evidence that their president had committed abuse of power and they had to vote to impeach him,'' Lofgren said. Richard Nixon resigned before he was impeached. While disappointed that House Republicans did not join Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, she said the Senate "the greatest deliberative body on the planet'' has a new opportunity. Alexander, after his question Thursday night, consulted with a key staff aide to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. As the senators broke for dinner Alexander and Murkowski met privately. Trump was impeached by House last month on charges that he abused his power like no other president, jeopardizing Ukraine and U.S.-Ukraine relations. Democrats say Trump asked he vulnerable ally to investigate Joe Biden and debunked theories of 2016 election interference, temporarily halting American security aid to the country as it battled Russia at its border. The second article of impeachment says Trump then obstructed the House probe in a way that threatened the nations three-branch system of checks and balances. Thursdays testimony included soaring pleas to the senators-as-jurors who will decide Trumps fate, to either stop a president who Democrats say has tried to cheat in the upcoming election and will again, or to shut down impeachment proceedings that Republicans insist were never more than a partisan attack. Lets give the country a trial they can be proud of, said Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor for House Democrats. Americans, he said, know what it takes for a fair trial. He offered to take just one week for depositions of new witnesses, sparking new discussions. Trump attorney Eric Herschmann declared the Democrats are only prosecuting the president because they cant beat him in 2020. We trust the American people to decide who should be our president, Herschmann said. Enough is Enough. Stop all of this. McConnell was toiling to keep Fridays vote on schedule even as the trial was unearthing fresh evidence from Boltons new book and raising alarms among Democrats and some Republicans about a Trump attorneys controversial defense. In a day-after tweet, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz, complained about the portrayal of his Wednesday night testimony when he said a president is essentially immune from impeachment if he believes his actions to be in the national interest. That idea frustrated some inside the White House, who felt Dershowitzs claim was unnecessary and inflammatory irking senators with a controversial claim of vast executive powers. But those officials left it to Dershowitz to back away, wary that any public White House retreat would be viewed poorly by the president. I said nothing like that, the retired professor tweeted Thursday. His words Wednesday night: Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest. And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected is in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Asked about it as one of the first questions Thursday, Democrat Schiff, said, "Have we learned nothing in the last half century? Schiff drew on the lessons of the Nixon era to warn of a normalization of lawlessness in the Trump presidency. That argument - if the president says it it cant be illegal - failed when Richard Nixon was forced to resign," Schiff told the senators. But that argument may succeed here, now. This is not a banana republic, said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., rejecting the White House counsels suggestion there was nothing wrong with seeking foreign election interference. The president has argued repeatedly that his dealings with Ukraine have been perfect. Republicans Collins, Romney and Murkowski all have expressed interest in hearing from Bolton and the others. In a Senate split 53-47 with a Republican majority, at least four GOP senators must join all Democrats to reach the 51 votes required to call witnesses, decide whom to call or do nearly anything else in the trial. Chief Justice John Roberts, presiding over the chamber and fielding senators questions for the trial, could break a tie, but that seems unlikely. The chief justice did exercise authority Thursday with a stunning rebuttal to a question posed by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky designed to expose those familiar with the still anonymous whistleblower whose complaint about Trumps phone call with Ukraines new president led to the impeachment inquiry. Roberts had communicated through his staff to McConnells office that he did not want to read the whistleblowers name, according to a Republican unauthorized to discuss the private conversation and granted anonymity. The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted," he said. Senators have dispatched with more than 100 queries over two days. The questions came from the parties leaders, the senators running for the Democratic nomination against Trump and even bipartisan coalitions from both sides of the aisle. Trumps team says the Houses 28,000-page case against the president and the 17 witnesses current and former national security officials, ambassadors and others who testified in the House proceedings are sufficient. Instead, Trumps lawyers focused some of their time Thursday refloating allegations against Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice president. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., responding to one question said the Bidens have little to tell the Senate about Trumps efforts to shake down Ukraine for his own campaign. Democrats argued Boltons forthcoming book cannot be ignored. It contends he personally heard Trump say he wanted military aid withheld from Ukraine until it agreed to investigate the Bidens the abuse of power charge that is the first article of impeachment. Trump denies saying such a thing. The White House has blocked its officials from testifying in the proceedings and objected in a letter to Boltons attorney to significant amounts of classified information" in the manuscript, including at the top secret level. Bolton resigned last September Trump says he was fired and he and his attorney have insisted the book does not contain any classified information. ___ Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Matthew Daly, Laurie Kellman and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. Harbor Springs school board authorizes May bond proposal During Monday's meeting, the board unanimously adopted a resolution to authorize the bonding proposal, with the election scheduled for Tuesday, May 3. Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed deep concern over the BJP and the TRS not following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi of truth, peace and secularism. Speaking on the 72nd martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi at Gandhi Bhavan on Thursday, he said BJP has no moral right to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. He said that the BJP takes out Sankalp Yatra to express its love for Gandhi while on the other hand its leaders praise Nathuram Godse. He condemned the BJP for trying to extract political gains out of Mahatma Gandhi while ignoring his ideals and teachings. Mr Reddy alleged that the BJP and MIM were having understanding to gain political mileage by dividing people on communal lines. He said that the incidents of violence and the result of the Bhainsa municipality elections were a clear example of how these parties were making political gains by creating communal divide. He said that TRS was part of the secret alliance between BJP and MIM. The TRS is having an understanding with the BJP at the Centre while it is sailing with MIM in Telangana state. He said the TRS-BJP-MIM trio were cheating the people to extract political benefits. Paying rich tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, he said that the Congress was following his teachings to bring justice and equality. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Leading two-wheeler maker Bajaj Auto beat Street estimates on January 30 to report nearly 15 percent year-on-year (YoY) jump in net profit to Rs 1,262 crore in the December quarter. A CNBC-TV18 poll had estimated the number at Rs 1,191 crore. The companys revenue, however, fell short of the estimates, as revenue from operations inched up 3 percent YoY to Rs 7,640 crore against a CNBC-TV18 poll estimate of Rs 7,747 crore. The company reported a revenue of Rs 7,436 in the December quarter of FY19. EBITDA improved 13 percent YoY to Rs 1,406 crore in December quarter against Rs 1,239 crore in the previous year's same quarter. EBITDA margin climbed to 18.4 percent in Q3FY20 against 16.7 in Q3FY19, the company said in a BSE filing. Here are highlights of Bajaj Auto's earnings call, collated by Narnolia Financial Advisors: According to the Bajaj Auto management, the overall demand scenario has not picked up significantly though last week of January saw some uptick in sales, largely due to pre-buying. Demand will be impacted for a couple of quarters after implementation of BS-VI. The profitability of the BS-VI products will be same as BS-IV. The BS-VI variant of CT100 model is priced 15-18 percent higher than BS-IV models. The company will move all its products to BS-VI by middle of February. To eliminate cost the company will offer electronic injection technology with BS-VI in the entry segment motorcycles in place of fuel injection. The fuel injection technology is largely used in Pulsar and KTM brands, it said. For All Earnings Related News - Click Here Bajaj Auto witnessed strong growth in 125cc segment as compared to 150cc segment. The margin expansion is largely attributed to higher export contribution, product innovation and upgradation, the management said. On the export front, growth is driven by African markets. Bangladesh is facing some regulatory issues while Sri Lanka and Nepal continue to be in the negative zone. LATAM has grown by 37 percent YoY in Q3FY20 largely because of low base. On a full year basis, this market also seems flat. The management said the company has started exporting 3,000-4,000 3-wheelers to Egypt from January. The company created 16 new markets for 3-wheelers. The 3-wheeler cargo segment recorded a growth of 11 percent YoY as against a decline of 3 percent YoY for the industry and the market share stands at 26 percent. The 3-wheeler cargo segment will be the biggest beneficiary of BS-VI transition, as most of the smaller 4-wheeler products may go out of the system (sharp price increases). The company will expand the Chetak portfolio. Currently 17 dealerships are giving test rides across the country. Dealer inventory stands at five weeks. KTM volumes declined 15 percent YoY to 46,210 units in Q3FY20. Revenue declined by 10 percent YoY to Euro 323 million while PAT declined by 47 percent YoY to Euro 16 million in Q3FY20. The proportionate profit to Bajaj Auto Limited is Euro 7.7 million (Rs 61 crore) in Q3FY20, the management said. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. The Pantone colour of this year is Classic Blue (shade 19-4052) and weve taken this as our inspiration for a splash of summer on fingers and toes. Try any brightening shade of blue for an instant polish update. O.P.I Infinite Shine 2 in Dance Party Teal Dawn, $23. Credit:Jennifer Soo The lowdown My son announced he really needs a pedicure. Yay to that; we can go together and be propped up in pedi chairs next to each other. He has had one before, after he returned from a gap year in Europe looking like hed gone barefoot most of the time. Jonah sinks into the pedi chair and slides his feet into the warm water. His toenails are trimmed short with clippers then filed into shape while his cuticles are wrangled back into their rightful position. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Former Solicitor General and federal judge Kenneth Starr made a simple argument this week on behalf of President Donald Trumps impeachment defense. We are living in the age of impeachment, he said on Monday, urging the Senate to acquit Trump and return to norms that counsel against using impeachment as a political weapon. If Trump is removed from office, Starr was suggesting, every future president will be vulnerable, at least if the House of Representatives is controlled by the opposing political party, and if the Senate can be persuaded to go along. A president named Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren might well be exposed to a horrific impeachment battle, simply because of the Trump precedent. True, its bizarre to see this argument coming from Starr, whose 1998 report on President Bill Clintons liaisons with his White House aide Monica Lewinsky made its own contribution to altering impeachment norms. Nonetheless, his argument is a reasonable. It deserves an answer. If you think that Starr is wrong, you might consider an earlier episode in American history, when Republican warnings to the same effect were equally self-serving and mostly turned out to be right. The year was 1987. President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Robert Bork to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. No one could doubt Borks experience or competence. He had had an illustrious career. Borks opponents instead focused on what really concerned them, which were his likely votes. They argued that he was an extremist, out of the mainstream. In a defining speech, Senator Ted Kennedy put it this way: Robert Borks America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens doors on midnight raids, school children could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the government, and the door of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens. Story continues The attack on Bork eventually gave rise to a verb, to Bork, defined by Merriam-Webster as, to attack or defeat (a nominee or candidate for public office) unfairly through an organized campaign of harsh public criticism or vilification. At the time, Republicans made two general arguments against those who were seeking (successfully, as it turned out) to block Borks nomination. First, they said that if judicial nominees could be defeated because of their likely votes, the confirmation process would become far more politicized. Senators would feel emboldened to stop nominees for just one reason: They disagreed with them. Second, they argued that public vilification of judicial nominees would become common, and that constraints of civility and charity might be obliterated. They suggested that in that light, some people would refuse to be nominated; that the president would tend to select people without much of a written record; and that the confirmation process would get ugly. You could make a good argument that they were right. As a case in point, consider Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells disgraceful refusal to allow a confirmation hearing for Judge Merrick Garland, nominated to the Supreme Court by President Barack Obama in 2016. McConnells refusal is the culmination of a process of politicization that did not by any means start with Borks defeat, but that was certainly aggravated by it. Moreover, some opponents of Supreme Court nominees whether Republicans or Democrats have been willing and eager to attack them in ways that are grossly unfair and sometimes vicious. In this light, it isnt crazy to worry that in the current polarized political environment, presidential impeachment will be transformed into a political weapon and that Trumps impeachment and trial will create impeachment-happy future Republicans, seeking to unseat Democratic presidents. A less-than-ideal response to that worry would be to hope that the precedent would be set instead by the preposterous argument proffered by Starr and the retired criminal law professor Alan Dershowitz: that presidential wrongdoing is not impeachable unless it is also a statutory crime or other violation of law. That argument is a grotesque betrayal of the Constitution, because the key phrase of the impeachment clause (other high Crimes and Misdemeanors) was clearly understood to include egregious abuses of power, such as violations of civil liberties and misuse of the pardon power. A much better response is to insist that policy disagreements are never a legitimate basis for impeachment, to agree that the Constitution sets a very high bar, and to focus intently and specifically on the two articles now before the U.S. Senate, alleging gross abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Whether youre a Republican or a Democrat, its reasonable to fear a United States of Impeachment. (Corrects charge contained in second article of impeachment against President Donald Trump in second-to-last paragraph.) To contact the author of this story: Cass R. Sunstein at csunstein1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonathan Landman at jlandman4@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Cass R. Sunstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the author of The Cost-Benefit Revolution and a co-author of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidates seeking victory in next weeks Iowa caucuses are navigating a field that is so jumbled that voters second choice could matter almost as much as their first, adding fresh uncertainty and confusion to the final days of the race. Lower-polling candidates including Amy Klobuchar, Andrew Yang and Tom Steyer have been approached by multiple campaigns in recent days eager to form an alliance that could reshape Mondays election. Joe Bidens team has been in communication with lower-polling rivals, according to several people familiar with the conversations who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy. The former vice-presidents campaign dismisses such reports of potential deal-making as dramatized accounts of business as usual. But the delicate overtures are a test of the leading campaigns ability to assemble a winning coalition and the capacity of second-tier candidates to stay relevant. And it could be decisive in determining who leaves Iowa with the momentum that will be needed to sustain a long campaign ahead. The second-place phenomenon, at least in Iowa, is not a bad thing at all, said Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, who supports Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. In contrast to a traditional election, the caucus system works like this: Voters gather at dozens of caucus locations across the state and start the night by pledging support for their preferred candidate. After the initial vote count is taken, voters backing candidates who earn less than 15% are free to shift to other candidates or go home. While a dozen Democrats are still running for president, just four Biden, Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg have consistently polled above the 15% threshold in Iowa. Still, any of the four could see their support fall short, depending on who shows up to caucus. As is the case with Biden and others, Warren sees an opportunity to draw significant support from Klobuchar, who has not reached the 15% threshold in polls to date, even as the Minnesota senators standing appears to have improved in recent weeks. Its certainly no secret that Sen. Warren ... has the highest favourables of anybody in the field within Democratic primary voters, Wahls said. I can tell you anecdotally that she is the second choice of a lot of Klobuchar supporters. Klobuchars team, aware that shes viewed as a source of second-choice votes from several campaigns, downplayed the possibility of a potential deal when asked about conversations with rival campaigns. Weve got no plans to cut any deals with anybody because were going to be viable, Klobuchar campaign manager Justin Buoen told reporters on Thursday. Weve got no plans to tell our supporters what to do. Klobuchars Iowa adviser Norm Sterzenbach said the campaign was more focused on trying to win over supporters of other campaigns. Caucusgoers are going to go to their second choice because thats who they like, not because of anything we tell them to do, he said. I just think its a waste of energy for us to focus our time on trying to make deals. To say the situation is fluid would be an understatement. Just four days before the Iowa contest, polling suggests that more than half of the states likely Democratic voters are open to changing their minds. Forty-five per cent of all likely Democratic caucusgoers named a first choice but said they could be persuaded to support another candidate, and 13% did not indicate a first choice, according to the CNN/Des Moines Register poll conducted earlier this month. At the same time, history holds few examples of final-days deals between rival campaigns that had a significant effect. One may be in 2004, when North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich struck a deal to support each other. While Edwards was already surging at the time, the pact was more aimed at hurting former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. In the end, Edwards finished a strong second behind Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and Kucinich finished a distant fifth. Dean finished a disappointing third. Should history repeat itself in 2020, top-tier campaigns see major opportunity in Klobuchar, who appears to be on the rise yet has struggled to hit the viability threshold. Theyre also eyeing Tulsi Gabbard, Steyer and Yang, who have been mired in the single digits for months. Yang acknowledged this week that multiple campaigns have reached out to his team about potential alliances. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said hes not planning to urge his supporters to head to a specific second choice if he doesnt make it past the first round of voting. Right now we have no guidance for our caucusgoers who dont find us to be viable, he said, downplaying his ability to direct his voters toward any specific candidate, even if he wanted to. The people that support my campaign are very diverse in their leanings, he added. I frankly think Id have a hard time getting them to do anything that they werent naturally inclined to do. Yang conceded that Sanders, if anyone, might be best-positioned to inherit his support. And there was anecdotal evidence suggesting Yang was right. Victor Cornejo, a 45-year-old engineer who attended a Sanders campaign event in Iowa City, said he was still deciding between businessman Yang and Sanders. He guessed he may get the chance to caucus for both if the proceedings go multiple rounds. I like Andrew Yang because he has a different approach, and he sees an economic approach to the future. I like the fact that hes an outsider, Cornejo said. Bernie has been around for a while, and theres some stability in that. And that actually brings some of the trust. A Biden aide, meanwhile, privately acknowledged regular conversations with other campaigns, but downplayed reports that Biden was actively trying to cut any deals. The aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal strategy, expressed confidence in Bidens ability to pull from other candidates and pointed to polls suggesting some overlap with Klobuchar and Buttigieg. While Biden would not confirm his own campaign had conferred with the Yang or Klobuchar teams, he acknowledged that horse-trading is routine in the caucus process. Everybodys looking and says, OK, if your guy doesnt win or your person doesnt win, who are you gonna go with? Biden said in Iowa on Thursday. Sanders state director Misty Rebik also de-emphasized efforts to woo rival campaigns. We are a movement of vote your conscience. We dont have a strategy of telling people to Go here. Go there, Rebik said. And, in the off chance that that doesnt work out for us, we expect our voters to do what they do, trust their gut and go for their second choice. ___ Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Washington and Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 18:21:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Party organizations at all levels and Party members in the military must resolutely implement President Xi Jinping's order to win the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, according to a circular issued by the Central Military Commission. Party organizations at all levels should deeply study and understand the important instructions made by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the circular. The circular pointed out that the army's duty of epidemic prevention and control is a great trust of the Party and the people. Former Minister of Health under John Dramani Mahamas administration, Alexander Segbefia, has described as needless the flamboyant commissioning of ambulances by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in fulfillment of his 'One-constituency One-ambulance' promise. "I saw that it was political, and when it comes to the lives of our people you only needed to have say five or ten ambulances available and then you take pictures of them as they arrive at the port, but they should have been deployed from the moment they arrived . . . " he told Mc Jerry Osei Agyemang. He said in the case of the ambulances it is going to save lives so the government should have commissioned it with the few available and deploy them immediately they come to the country. The Akufo-Addo-led administration, as part of its promises has commissioned and distributed 307 ambulances to each of the 275 constituencies at the Black Stars Square on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. The ceremony which was well organized by the government to mark the distribution of the ambulances has been condemned and criticized by the opposition party as well as some Ghanaians who think it was needless and a drain on the public purse. Alexander Segbefia who was speaking on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie said the move was politically strategized. Listen to Alex Segbefia below Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 AFRICA Somalia Expected Council Action In February, the Security Council will have a briefing and consultations on the Secretary-Generals most recent report on the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) and the situation in Somalia. It will also receive a briefing in consultations from Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium), chair of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, on his recent visit to the region. The mandate of UNSOM expires on 31 March and the authorisation of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) expires on 31 May. The Security Council Somalia sanctions regime expires on 15 November 2020. Key Recent Developments The security situation in Somalia is fragile. According to the 1 November 2019 final report of the Panel of Experts of the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee, the terrorist group Al-Shabaab remains a potent threat to regional peace and security and is responsible for many attacks against civilians. The report said that Al-Shabaab has forcibly recruited and abducted hundreds of children; targeted government officials, parliamentarians and humanitarian workers during the reporting period; and employed improvised explosive devices to kill and injure civilians in internally displaced persons camps, restaurants, marketplaces, shopping centres, government offices and hotels. The Secretary-Generals 15 November 2019 report on UNSOM reached similar conclusions. The Council was last briefed on Somalia on 21 November 2019. James Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNSOM; Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of AMISOM; Halima Ismail Ibrahim, chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission of Somalia; and Osman Moallim, executive director of Somalia Youth Development Network, briefed. The meeting focused largely on the elections that may be held in late 2020 or early 2021. If successful, these would be Somalias first free and fair elections since 1969. Swan emphasised the critical importance of Parliament passing the electoral code and adopting amendments to the law on political parties before the end of December and that [a]ny delay in that timeline puts the 2020 electoral calendar at risk. Council members issued a press statement on 25 November calling on all stakeholders in Somalia to engage constructively to ensure that elections take place. On 28 December 2019, Somalias lower house of parliament passed the long-awaited electoral law. However, it will not go into effect until it has also been passed by the upper chamber and signed by the president. At press time, neither had occurred. Only after the law goes into effect can parties and candidates register for the elections. In December 2019, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2500 renewing the counter-piracy measures off the coast of Somalia. On 29 December, Council members issued a press statement condemning a deadly terrorist attack on 28 December at the Ex-control Afgooye Junction in Mogadishu. At the February meeting, the Council will consider the Secretary-Generals latest report, due by 9 February, which should include updates on UNSOMs progress towards achieving key political benchmarks and ongoing efforts to increase the capability of the Somali security forces. Sanctions-Related Developments The 751 Somalia Sanctions regime was renewed on 15 November 2019. It consolidated all the elements of the arms embargo and its partial lifting for Somali security forces, including exceptions and applicable humanitarian exemptions, into one text. Previously, elements had been spread across several resolutions. While 2019 was characterised by a tense relationship between Somalia and the UNduring its last mandate period, the Panel of Experts was unable to gain permission to make a formal visit to Somaliathe appointment of a new coordinator of the panel may help foster a new relationship. Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium), chair of the sanctions committee, visited Somalia in that capacity at the end of January. Key Issues and Options Council members immediate concern is likely to centre around the possible elections in late 2020 or early 2021 and preparatory efforts that have been made. The Council has been urging Somalia to act swiftly. Council members could decide to issue another press statement on the subject after the meeting, as was done in November 2019. Additionally, given the ongoing difficulties with the Somalia sanctions regime, Council members could decide during the meeting to reiterate previous calls for Somalia and other member states to meet their obligations in implementing the sanctions regime, particularly with respect to the arms embargo and charcoal ban. Another ongoing development is the withdrawal, reached through a compromise in resolution 2472, of 1,000 AMISOM troops by the end of February. It is unclear how that is proceeding, and member states are likely to ask for more information. With mandate renewals coming up in the next six months, member states will begin to assess the situation on the ground and want information on how the Council should proceed. Council and Wider Dynamics While the issue of Somalia has enjoyed general agreement from all Council members, there are some divisions on the best way to encourage change. In particular, differences remain about the arms embargo. Somalia maintains that the arms embargo should be amended to allow it to import heavy weapons without authorisation from the sanctions committee, and it takes issue with the composition of the Panel of Experts and some of its findings. France, Germany, the UK and the US criticised Somalia during a 25 October 2019 briefing for not allowing the panels visit. Others have taken a more conciliatory tone in the past and emphasised the need to respect Somali sovereignty. Council members also differ on the pace of troop withdrawal. The three African members of the Council in 2019 supported the AU position that an AMISOM drawdown was premature and that Somalia was not ready to take on greater security responsibilities. Their position was supported by China and Russia. Meanwhile, France, the UK and the US supported reductions by the end of 2019. Members are likely to reiterate their positions in this meeting, especially given the upcoming troop withdrawal deadline. The UK is the penholder on Somalia. Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) is Chair of the Sanctions Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia. UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA BAY CITY, MI Three people are accused of operating a drug house in Bay City. According to police reports contained in court files, officers with the Bay City Public Safety VIPER Unit, Michigan State Police troopers, and FBI special agents executed a search warrant on a house at 1902 S. Chilson St. in Bay City the evening of Monday, Jan. 27. The warrant stemmed from an investigation into allegations that 24-year-old Deonte T. Ross had been selling cocaine from the house. At the time, Ross had an outstanding warrant in Saginaw County and was on probation for 2018 drug convictions in that county. Officers spotted Ross leave the house and arrested him before executing their warrant. Inside the house they found sisters Alexsandra Doran, 26, and Felicia L. Doran, 29. Officers handcuffed the sisters as they searched the house, their records state. Officers found two bags containing suspected powder cocaine, empty drug baggies, items with apparent cocaine residue, and prescription pills, their records show. Alexsandra Doran agreed to speak with police after they read her Miranda rights. She said she and her sister bought the house on a land contract and that Ross is her boyfriend, having met him at church. She said Ross is unemployed and does odd jobs for money. She said she had no idea about any cocaine sales, but added people come over and use cocaine, the police report states. Alexsandra Doran told police she works for Wellspring Lutheran Services as a social worker, working to help unify families. Wellspring Lutheran Services provides a variety of services for families, children, and seniors, including adoption resources, parenting support, foster care, residential care, supportive housing, home care, hospice and grief support. Ross initially declined to speak with police but later changed his mind, according to police reports. He said he didnt want his girlfriend getting in trouble and that a digital scale officers found was his, saying he uses it to weigh cocaine, the reports state. He denied selling drugs, instead saying they just party at the house and people come over all the time to drink and do dope, police reports state. Felicia Doran also agreed to speak with police. She told officers she is a registered nurse at Covenant Hospital in Saginaw. She said Ross has lived at the house off and on over the years, but she has never seen him sell drugs, the report states. Asked about the drugs presence in the house, Felicia Doran initially said she didnt know where they came from, the police report states. She then said a man had come over the previous night and that she and he had each done a few lines of cocaine, the police report states. Ross and the Dorans on Jan. 28 appeared in Bay County District Court for arraignment, with all three charged with maintaining a drug house, a two-year high court misdemeanor. Each Doran was also charged with possessing less than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine, a five-year felony. Ross was also charged with second-offense delivering or manufacturing less than 50 grams of a narcotic or cocaine. That charge is a 40-year felony. The arraigning judge set Ross bond at $10,000 cash-surety and freed both Dorans on personal recognizance bonds. The trio is to appear for a preliminary examination at 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 11. Wellspring Lutheran Services could not confirm or refute that Alexsandra Doran works or has worked for them. Covenant Hospital likewise could not confirm or refute that Felicia Doran works or has worked for them, however the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs shows she has a valid nursing license. Hyundai Sonata and Palisade Win Chicago Athenaeum GOOD DESIGN Awards SEE ALSO: 2020 Hyundai Sonata Closeup SEE ALSO: 2020 Hyundai Palisade Closeup New-Generation Sonata and First-Ever Palisade Honored with Prestigious Design Honor The 2020 Sonata and Palisade Are The First Sedan and SUV to Adopt Hyundais New Sensuous Sportiness Design Philosophy The New Design Philosophy Will Be Further Revealed on Upcoming Models FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif., Jan. 31, 2020 Hyundais 2020 Sonata and 2020 Palisade have each earned 2019 GOOD DESIGN Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. The prestigious award honors the worlds of industrial, product and graphic design for immense creativity and attention to form, function and aesthetics. This marks the ninth consecutive year that Hyundais vehicles have received this honor and the third time Sonata has been recognized. The 2020 Sonata and Palisade are the first sedan and SUV, respectively, to adopt Hyundais new customer-centered design philosophy, Sensuous Sportiness, said SangYup Lee, Head of Hyundai Design Center. We are honored to be recognized for their design excellence with this prestigious award. Evolution in Hyundai design will be more clearly revealed through our upcoming cars and we will remain focused on developing our customer-centered design philosophy, rather than designing from a manufacturer perspective. 2020 Hyundai Sonata The new-generation Sonata is the first four-door sedan fully transformed by Hyundais new design philosophy to take on an agile and sexy coupe appearance. A parametric cascading grille spans the front of the new Sonata. A chrome line flows from the wing mirror, right around the side passenger windows and returns to the front of the car by running down the length of the hood and ending at a sharp right angle beneath each headlight. This chrome strip features graduated LED daytime running lights embedded with hidden lamps. The side panels are accentuated by the light architecture, connecting two chrome lines that seamlessly link the windows and daytime running lights. Through these character lines, the Sonata effuses a flowing and sporty character. At the rear, a wide horizontal line extends across the center of the trunk, stretching to the edges of the car, improving aerodynamic of the vehicle. This line is actually a long, thin LED strip that connects each brake light, creating a striking visual impression at night. Sonatas new interior conforms to a Beautifully Smart theme, aligned with the expectations of Hyundai customers seeking advanced technologies applied naturally and intuitively. The instrument panel is rich and modern. This shape presents a levitating effect and this aesthetic carries into the long armrests. Designers compressed the height of the dashboard and HVAC vents as much as possible to emphasize the lightweight feeling, while light fabric colors and supple leathers provide a fresh and inviting ambience for the driver. 2020 Hyundai Palisade The 2020 Hyundai Palisades styling conveys dignity with style in an understated theme that demonstrates clear differentiation worthy of a flagship SUV. A bold and wide cascading grille dominates the front, clearly representing a premium SUV. Separated composite headlamps and a vertically connected forward lighting signature create a strong and distinctive demeanor. A powerful, extended hood profile creates an impressive road presence, while bold C-pillars and a panoramic glass side graphic convey generous third-row spaciousness. Fender flares and full body sides accentuate Palisades muscularity. The rear view emphasizes a wide and stable stance via sinuous detailing and a vertical LED rear tail lamp design. Panoramic rear glass coupled with a cutaway roof provides a generous sense of spaciousness for rear passengers. Unlike the vertical rise suggested by the exterior design, the interior design emphasizes a horizontal layout that promotes a sense of relaxation and comfort, creating a lounge-like environment with eight-passenger seating as standard for family outings. Leather-equipped models offer premium, quilted Nappa leather, while on the instrument panel, smooth woodgrain trim in a wraparound design creates a harmonious and refined ambience. GOOD DESIGN Awards Founded in Chicago in 1950, the GOOD DESIGN Awards honor the yearly achievements of the best industrial and graphic designers and world manufacturers for their pursuit of extraordinary design excellence. GOOD DESIGN is the oldest and the most prestigious architecture and design awards program organized worldwide and strives to create a revived awareness about contemporary design. The awards honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have charted new directions and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. In November, juries met in New York and San Francisco and selected over 900 product designs and graphics from over 38 nations worthy of the GOOD DESIGN Award for their design excellence. Hyundai Motor America At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundais technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. A Delhi court on Friday issued a stay on the execution of four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. They were scheduled to be executed on February 1. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana issued the order after completion of the hearing of arguments of the Tihar jail authorities and the convicts' lawyer. bccl Saying only one convict's plea is pending and the others can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities challenged the application of three condemned prisoners in the case seeking a stay on their execution. The convicts' lawyer disagreed with the jail authorities and said rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. Advocate A P Singh, representing the convicts Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar -- urged the court to adjourn the executions "sine die" (with no appointed date for resumption). Vinay's mercy plea before the president is pending. bccl The fourth person sentenced to death in the case is Mukesh Kumar, whose mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The trial court on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. Earlier, on January 7, the court had fixed January 22 as the hanging date. The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has dismissed the plea filed by Pawan Gupta, seeking review of its order rejecting his juvenility claim. The review plea filed earlier in the day was taken up for consideration in-chamber by a bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and AS Bopanna. The Supreme Court had earlier rejected Pawan Gupta's plea of juvenility and had held that the issue has been decided on the basis of documents and cannot be re-exercised. bccl Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the president only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. South Dakota's chief justice seeks $5 million for courthouse security In Chief Justice Jensen's State of the Judiciary Address, he mentioned courthouse security, sexual harassment training and a lack of court reporters. A doctor and his driver died after a speeding truck crashed into their car on Bahjoi-Sambhal Road on Friday morning in Uttar Pradesh, police said. Manish Varshnay was travelling in his car with his driver Deepu when their vehicle was hit by the truck in Bahjoi police station area killing both men on the spot, they added. The truck driver fled the place after the accident, police said, adding that the bodies have been sent for post mortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday condemned the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan and called upon the world community to take cognisance of it and take necessary steps. In his address to the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament, the President referred to the recent incident of vandalism at the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan which was strongly condemned by India. He said there has been an increase in atrocities on minorities in Pakistan over time and there was a need to bring it to the notice of the global community. "We have all been witness to the increase in the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan over time. We have all seen what happened in Nankana Sahib recently. It is the responsibility of all of us to bring the atrocities being committed in Pakistan to the notice of the global community," he said. "While condemning the atrocities on the minorities in Pakistan, I urge the world community to take cognisance of it and take necessary steps in this regard," he added. The President made the remarks after mentioning the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He said the enactment of CAA was the fulfillment of Mahatma Gandhi's assurance that Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live in Pakistan, can come to India. His remarks concerning CAA were cheered by treasury benches with a long thumping of desks. However, some opposition members raised slogans. Kovind said India has always believed in the principle of equal respect for all faiths but at the time of partition, "this very belief of India and of its people came under the most severe attack". "In the environment prevailing in the aftermath of partition, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said: 'Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India. It is the duty of the Government of India to ensure a normal life for them.' Many leaders and political parties have from time to time supported this idea of Pujya Bapu and further propagated it," the President said. "It is our responsibility to honour this wish of the founding fathers of our nation. I am happy that both the Houses of Parliament have fulfilled this wish, by enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act. At a time when the country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, all of you have given paramount consideration to this sentiment. I congratulate both the Houses of Parliament and all the MPs for this," he added. The CAA enables non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to get Indian citizenship if they have arrived before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Border Patrol agents prevented a large human smuggling attempt at the I-35 checkpoint located north of Laredo. While Border Patrol Agents conducted immigration inspections on Sunday, January 26th a service canine alerted to a white trailer being hauled by a blue tractor. Agents inspected the trailer and discovered 83 individuals, all illegally present in the United States. The individuals were from the countries of Guatemala, Honduras, Spain, Mexico, and Ecuador. The large group included several family units and juveniles. Agents arrested the driver, a Mexican Citizen, and the individuals found in the trailer, who are pending investigation. The tractor and trailer were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol. The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations. To report suspicious activity such as alien and/or drug smuggling, contact the Laredo Sector Border Patrol toll free at 1-800-343-1994. HARTFORD After nearly eight hours of interviews, the Criminal Justice Commission chose Richard Colangelo to be Connecticuts next Chief States Attorney. Colangelo, the states attorney for the Stamford and Norwalk Judicial District, stressed his ability to lead and encourage staff to be problem solvers during his interview before Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonald and a body of five others including Superior Court Judge Melanie Cradle, former New Britain States Attorney Scott Murphy and three other lawyers. The commission is responsible for the appointment of all state prosecutors. Colangelo, who has served as states attorney for the Stamford and Norwalk Judicial District since July 2015, will begin serving as Chief States Attorney immediately to complete the term of former Chief States Attorney Kevin Kane who retired in November. Colangelo will then have to be re-appointed to another term. He recently gained statewide and national notoriety during the months-long investigation into the disappearance of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five embroiled in a bitter two year-divorce. He told the commission that he would reach out to communities throughout the state and to the 13 offices of the States Attorneys to get an understanding of their workloads and the problems faced by the communities they serve. I think we do a bad job of letting people know what we do, Colangelo said. He also said he often uses laughter to break up tension among his staff and had no problem changing policies to address community issues. When I was appointed I went to every police department, every school, every community group to ask what we were doing right and what we were doing wrong, Colangelo said. He also understood the ripple effect of his decisions on the families of those charged with a crime and on crime victims. Colangelo was one of four candidates for the job. Kevin Lawlor, who was appointed deputy chief states attorney of operations in July 2018, Erik Lohr, an associate attorney in the Office of the Attorney General and Maureen Platt, the states attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury, were also interviewed during a public session at the Legislative Office Building. Members of the Connecticut American Civil Liberties Unions Smart Justice Campaign were in the audience. The commission made their decision against the backdrop of increased calls for transparency and accountability for police and prosecutors after three fatal police shootings in less than three weeks this month and calls for reducing mass incarceration. A repeated theme throughout the interviews focused on how the prosecutors job has changed, with more of an emphasis on keeping people out of the system by offering services rather than jail time. We cannot do the job the way we did it 10 years ago, Platt said. I think we have a public relations problem. I think the years of incarceration has cost us the support of large segments of society.Platt went on to explain that in the 1980s and 1990s prosecutors routinely sentenced those charged with prostitution to 30 days in jail. Frankly that was something that was horrible, she said. Not only wasnt it compassionate, it was stupid as well. The sentences guaranteed that the person was out on the streets in 15 days with no support, Platt said. It was ridiculous, we created a revolving door of incarceration, she said. Lawlor said he met with the CT ACLU group at their request after he was appointed to his current position. He told the commission that he would seek community input and ask prosecutors to spend more time talking with those they prosecute. For the most part, we never really talk to someone we prosecute, Lawlor said. He then went on to say that his time as a young man driving a transport vehicle to the prison in Somers was very humbling as he could hear the other young men roughly his age talking as he was driving. He said hed like prosecutors to speak with defendants which would change their perceptions of folks and have prosecutors throughout the state take a more holistic approach when dealing with defendants. I think we need more warrior poets in this job, Lawlor said. Police shootings, which fall to the states attorneys to investigate, was a topic the public wanted the commission to address in making their decision. . Platt has been the States Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury since 2011. She led the controversial deadly use of force investigation into a Bridgeport officer who shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron in a stolen car in May 2017. Platt exonerated the officer. But she was the only candidate who told the CT ACLU that she would support legislation to change the justification for police shootings to make it clear that it would not be justified if the officer did not create a situation in which the use of deadly force was necessary. Negrons sister however asked the commission not to appoint Platt as Chief States Attorney and said that her advocacy for those who have died in police-involved incidents will continue. She called the most recent police shootings when three men were killed a state of emergency in Connecticut. We will continue to fight for all who have been taken at the hands of police, she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Krisna Gupta (The Jakarta Post) Canberra Fri, January 31, 2020 16:52 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e909e 3 Opinion omnibus-bill,job-creation,business,labor-rights,labor-issues Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo, has no shortage of problems to blame for the stagnant growth rate of about 5 percent over the last few years. However, there is one problem Jokowi seems to be excessively concerned about: investment. To be exact, the lack of competitiveness in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). He often complains about Indonesia's slow investment growth, as the country failed to attract 33 manufacturing firms that relocated from China to Southeast Asia amid the United States-China trade war. Indonesia's position in the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) saw a five-place drop last year to 50th out of 141 economies, even with the remarkably stable macroeconomic conditions. The trade wars, the slowdown in China, and the conflict in the Gulf have added to the mix to make the job seem nigh-on impossible. Despite Jokowis efforts to simplify them, complicated regulations seem to be one of the main laggards in Indonesias GCI rating. He has complained about a lack of inter-ministerial coordination and a lack of cooperation on the part of local administrations to attract investors. Two omnibus laws on job creation and taxation seem to be Jokowis new silver bullets to simplify Indonesias jungle of red tape. But are these laws the panaceas we have been looking for? There are two points I think very useful in considering about these two laws. Firstly, the laws may take a very long time to be completed. Drafting laws that vast will require the coordination of dozens of ministries and local governments. Note that some articles in these laws may potentially strip power from several ministries and local governments. Additionally, the job-creation omnibus bill has been facing strong opposition from the labor unions. This is not ideal, especially since the government is desperately trying to revise the Labor Law. On a positive note, however, the government controls a majority of seats in the House of Representatives. But past history reminds us how bad we are at enforcing laws. Inconsistency in enforcing over dimension overload (ODOL) for truckers, for example, allows delinquent companies a cost advantage at the expense of compliant firms and other road users in general. The same goes for enforcing environmental regulations. Moreover, attending to rules such as recommendation letters for imports often takes longer than stated in the regulation, even for firms locating in the free trade economic zones. It is possible the issue with the environmental impact analysis (AMDAL) regulation may actually be an enforcement problem rather than a regulation problem. A level playing field and certainty are very important for businessmen, mainly for those foreign to Indonesian red tape. In the end, a law can only be as good as the institutions enforcing it. The second problem can be mitigated in at least two ways. One way is, Jokowi should pick the best persons for the enforcing institutions. The two proposed laws possibly will concentrate power in a small number of institutions relative to the status quo. He will need to put highly competent persons in these institutions. If, for some political reason, that way is not feasible, then the laws should be designed to reduce the overall power of the government (by privatizing implementation), giving more control to private institutions. One example is to abolish quota restrictions or the recommendation letter requirement for imports altogether. Nadiem Makarim, the education minister, has done just this: the Kampus Merdeka (Free Campus) program is essentially decentralization, giving more control to schools and universities, making the ministry somewhat less powerful. There are good guesses about what the laws are going to look like. They are most likely going to provide fiscal incentives for firms, more centralized (and fewer) permits and less strict labor regulations. Personally, I would love to see fewer trade restrictions, and possibly some incentives for exporters. FDI itself needs to be complemented by increased exports in the medium to long run. For our firms to grow, they need to engage in the global value chain, and compete in the world market. If I am allowed to refer to Nadiem once again, competing with the world is a vision of his, and I think Jokowis economic staff need to listen to him. Alas, it is hard to say what to expect from the omnibus laws. While the President has no significant opposition in the House, the labor unions could potentially be hard to deal with. Moreover, Jokowi has made sure that the public knows he is in a hurry, although that could risk a half-baked drafting. Always hope for the best, but keep a healthy skepticism. *** PhD student at the Australian National University Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. T he US has said the special relationship with the UK will grow even stronger after Brexit . Washingtons ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson welcomed the formal exit from the EU as being long supported by President Donald Trump. The diplomat said the severing of the 47-year tie with the bloc will allow a transatlantic trade deal to be forged to increase prosperity and drive up jobs. In a statement shortly before the departure deadline of 11pm on Friday, Mr Johnson said the US shares your optimism and excitement. Washingtons ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson welcomed Britain leaving the EU / Getty Images On behalf of the United States government, I would like to wish the United Kingdom every success as you chart a new path outside of the European Union, he said. This is a special relationship which will endure, flourish and grow even stronger in this exciting new era which Britain is now beginning. With turbulent times expected on multiple fronts with the US, Mr Johnson acknowledged there will be occasional disagreements. US Ambassador to the UK Robert Wood said leaving the EU was an exciting time for Britain / Getty Images Now that the UK is back in control of its own trade policy, we look forward to achieving a broad free trade agreement that will increase prosperity and create jobs in both our countries, he said. There will no doubt be disagreements from time to time about the best solutions to the biggest problems that is to be expected, even among friends. But this is an alliance forged in our shared history and our common values. Diplomatic tensions between the two nations that boast the special relationship, however, have been strained. Prime Minister Boris Johnson rebelled from Mr Trumps demands for the UK to ban Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G network. Washington has also refused to extradite Anne Sacoolas, the US intelligence officials wife who fled the UK after the death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn in a crash in Northamptonshire. At 11 pm UK time (midday here) the United Kingdom has finally left the European Union and become a fully sovereign and independent country again. At the time of the referendum I was almost on the fence. There were both benefits and detriments to the UK being in the EU. The ability for people in the UK to visit, live or work anywhere in the EU was massive. The ability to have skilled EU citizens work in the UK was great for businesses. The free trade zone within the EU is hugely beneficial. But there were four big detriments. They were: The EU being able to pass laws and regulations that are binding on the UK. While regulatory consistency over the continent has advantages, the EU was regulation mad and many of their regulations were overkill. The EU itself is not a very democratic body. The EU Parliament has few powers. Appointed Commissioners have huge power. It was very difficult to reform the EU and make positive change as it was almost resistant to the popular vote. The inability to control your borders and have any say in how many people can migrate (or seek refuge in) the UK was huge. You can be very much pro immigration, but still want secure borders and the ability to do what NZ does and say you need to have certain skills to migrate here. The loss of sovereignty where EU judges could strike down laws passed by the UK Parliament and supported by the UK public. Overall due to No 4 especially, I would have been very mildly pro-Brexit if I was in the UK. That one trumps the considerable benefits of EU membership. Since the UK voted to leave though, I have been appalled by the antics of the remainers (or remoaners) who spent years trying to sabotage the referendum result by insisting Parliament had to approve the exit agreement and then voting down every possible combination of exit agreement. I went from mildly pro-Brexit to diehard Brexit must happen. I was worried it would never happen. But then Boris came along. And all credit to him. He got the EU to modify the exit agreement despite them spending years saying they wouldnt. And then as the remoaners blocked him in Parliament, he called their bluff, got an election and won a huge majority. So once again the United Kingdom is a sovereign and independent country that can make its own laws, and decide who can live there. There will be some negative impacts from exiting the EU, but they wont be as great as the doom mongers claimed in their scare campaign. Congratulations to my UK friends, especially Matthew Elliott, who were an essential part of the campaign for independence. Im sure you will be enjoying quite a few drinks tonight. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Xiaomi has patented a new design for a foldable smartphone, and this one could represent the rumored Mi MIX Fold handset. The design has popped up at CNIPA, a Chinese patent certification website. This design could represent the rumored Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold The phone that Xiaomi patented reminds us of the Huawei Mate X, kind of. As you can see in the provided sketches, it has a rather large display. This is a tablet-sized device, which folds into a smartphone size. The display area is highlighted in one of the two images, and as you can see, when unfolded, that display does not really make use of all that space. The section where cameras reside is not reserved for the display. Advertisement This handset will include a curved display, claims 91mobiles. One of the two images also shows the hinge on the back of the device. You also get to see the phone when its folded in some of the provided sketches. This is not the first foldable design that weve seen from Xiaomi, not even close. The company patented quite a few designs in the last year or so, so we dont know which one of those will be used. It may be this one, but on the other hand, it may not. Well just have to wait and see, as Xiaomi is rumored to deliver a foldable smartphone later this year. Advertisement The company still did not announce a foldable device, so when it finally comes, it will become Xiaomis very first foldable smartphone. Xiaomi demoed its foldable handset prototype last year Xiaomi did demo its foldable handset last year, but that prototype looked considerably different than this phone. The design of that prototype did get certified last year, though. It is even possible that Xioami is working on several foldable smartphones, of course. The company upcoming foldable will allegedly be called the Xiaomi Mi MIX Fold, but as already mentioned, its design is still a mystery. Advertisement Thats not the only part that is mysterious, as we dont really know the phones specs either. Xiaomi did not really share a lot of info, and we did not see that many rumors / leaks either. The companys very first foldable handset was actually expected to arrive in 2019, but that did not happen. Xiaomi did introduce the Mi MIX Alpha, which is a really interesting phone, but its not foldable. That being said, Xiaomi may share some additional info about its foldable handset at MWC 2020. Were only guessing, though, as the companys MWC 2020 press conference is probably reserved for the Mi 10 series of flagships. (Newser) American citizens should not go to China and those already there should consider getting out, the State Department said in a travel advisory issued Thursday night, hours after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed that the warning for China had been increased to the highest level, "Level 4: Do Not Travel," the New York Times reports. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice," the State Department advice states. "Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China." story continues below "Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means," the advice states. "The Department of State has requested that all non-essential US government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus." On Monday, the department issued a Level 3 warning for all of China and a Level 4 warning for Hubei province, where most cases have been reported. A flight evacuating Americans from Wuhan, Hubei's capital, landed in California Wednesday. Authorities in China say are now around 10,000 cases of the virus and 213 reported deaths. There have been at least 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no known deaths, the BBC report. (The first human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus in the US was confirmed Thursday.) SWIFT CURRENT, SASK.Human trafficking-related charges have been laid against four British Columbia residents following arrests in Saskatchewan. The four adults were taken into custody after an off-duty RCMP officer reported three vehicles, apparently in convoy, racing at more than 150 km/h on the Trans-Canada Highway toward Swift Current. Mounties pulled over the vehicles and while questioning a 36-year-old woman and 23-year-old man from Victoria, and 19-year-old twins from Nanaimo, officers discovered two young women travelling with them. Neither teen carried identification and Swift Current RCMP say there were indications of human trafficking. The four Vancouver Island residents have each been charged with five offences, including procuring a person to offer or provide sexual services, while the woman is also charged with possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. RCMP say the investigation continues while the suspects make their first appearances in provincial court in Swift Current. Read more about: Arnott Hope, deceased, remains at the centre of an ongoing inquiry into a surgical procedure carried out at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said that he has not seen any evidence of negligence that could have resulted in the death of a Pole Yard man while he was a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. He, however, announced that a medical review would be carried out in relation to the death. Arnott Hope, a fisherman from Pole Yard, was shot in the groin area at his home on December 27, 2019. He was taken to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) where he underwent surgery. He showed no adverse signs after the surgery, his family said, but he died a day later. Hopes family has since retained the services of Attorney Israel Bruce, since there was some indication that a pair of forceps (scissors-like instrument) was left in the mans body, and that it may have played a role in his death. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday 21st at Cabinet Room, the Prime Minister noted that there were some questions raised about the management of a patient at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital. However, when he inquired, there was no suggestion that there was any negligence in relation to the matter. Notwithstanding that preliminary finding, he asked the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Simone Keizer-Beache, to discuss the matter with professionals in the Ministry of Health. The service of a Professor of Surgery - Dr Vijay Naraynsingh from Trinidad - has been engaged to assist with a full review. "There is no suggestion of negligence by those in the medical system here .. but it is important, given what was said to me, that I asked for a full report . I raised the question as to whether or not this patient received the optimal care from the time the patient arrived to the moment of his demise, and the answers to those queries can only come through an independent review, said Gonsalves. "I know we had a big launch of the Patients Charter of Rights and Responsibilities.. well if this is the first case in which we are going to have a review, so be it, he commented. By PTI LONDON: The UK will officially become a non-member of the European Union (EU) from Friday night, a certainty welcomed by Indian businesses operating in the UK as well as British businesses keen to expand into the Indian market. The official transition period from Saturday until the end of December means status quo in terms of much of the trade and business operations vis-a-vis the UK and EU, but what does change is Britain's free hand to strike new deals and partnerships around the world. Leading trade organisations and Indian entrepreneurs see this as an exciting time for the India-UK trade and economic partnership to be taken to a new level. "There's no question that India will be a vital trading partner as the UK charts a new future outside the EU. The golden opportunities for British firms in India play to the best strengths of UK plc -from infrastructure to healthcare to FinTech," said Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and Vice-President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) - the key voice of British businesses in the UK. As someone who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU in the June 2016 Brexit referendum, the India-born entrepreneur is now focussed on ensuring that the opportunities unleashed by Brexit are fully capitalised and that is where comes a checklist for India. "To fully capitalise on these opportunities, British firms would like to see further progress in reducing corporate tax rates, data privacy and ease of doing business indicators. If these steps are taken, and the UK maintains an active strategy for engagement and interaction with the Indian economy at all levels, it will remain a significant partner in India's future growth story," notes Bilimoria, who has business interests both in the UK and India. The end of a 47-year relationship was never going to be easy and the long-drawn divorce process between the UK and EU took a toll on businesses, which operated on a kind of pause mode as Britain missed Brexit deadlines since 29 March last year. "There was a mess in the handling of the Brexit negotiations, and everyone will just be glad that the mess is over," said Lord Swraj Paul, who heads the London-headquartered Caparo Group with operations worldwide. "The UK has never been entirely happy with its EU membership. But I don't think Brexit would have a very major impact on the UK's working with Europe; that relationship remains even if people voted to leave. As far as India goes, it has a relationship with the UK and the EU and both will be strengthened further," he noted. Boris Johnson has repeatedly singled out India in the list of countries he wishes to strike an enhanced trade agreement with, ever since he pitched his tent in favour of Brexit. As Prime Minister now with a thumping majority in Parliament, he is seen to be in a position to action some of those promises. "Prime Minister Johnson will get along very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two will strike a good rapport. Trade, investment, climate change and immigration will be on top of the agenda for an expected India visit," said Mohan Kaul, President of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), who believes the technology, financial services and healthcare sectors particularly stand to benefit in a post-Brexit India-UK tie-up. GP Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, also hails the 'exciting time for relations between Britain and India' and the enormous scope for both countries to reach a free trade agreement, as he welcomed the 'energy and dynamism' already shown by Boris Johnson ahead of the 'historic' Brexit Day. "There are already positive moves like fast track visas to continue to attract top scientists and possible reforms to inheritance tax. Furthermore, the government should implement more investor-friendly policies to attract new and returning foreign investors and high net worth individuals (HNWI) who have departed over the past few years," said Hinduja, whose diversified group operates across various sectors and borders. According to fDi Markets data, between 2000 and 2016, the UK invested more than USD 24 billion into Indian industry and between January 2009 and October 2019, a total of 2.78 billion pounds was invested from Indian companies into London alone. This predominance of London is also expected to continue in a post-Brexit scenario. "In recent years we have seen a large number of Indian businesses choosing London for international expansion and in 2018 the UK capital attracted more investment projects from India than any other global city," said Allen Simpson, Managing Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at London & Partners- the Mayor of London's official promotional agency. "With our mutual strengths in technology and innovation, cities like London, Mumbai and Bengaluru are producing game-changing companies, and as India's economy goes from strength to strength we see lots of opportunities for collaboration between these two nations," he said. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands after a joint news conference in Kyiv, Ukraine on Jan. 31, 2020. (Gleb Garanich/Reuters) Pompeo Pledges Full Support for Ukraine, Meets with Zelensky Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured Ukraine that the United States supports the country in its quest for democracy as he met with officials including Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Today, I am here with a clear message. The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy, and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver, Pompeo said during a joint press conference after his meeting with Zelensky. The commitment starts with our strong support for his efforts to strengthen democratic institutions in this country. The final victory for the Revolution of Dignity is within reach. The United States has worked hard to help Ukraine develop a strong rule of law, a healthy investment climate, a reformed defense sector, and energy independence, and well continue to do so. Pompeo and Zelensky also discussed Ukraines relationship with Russia. Well maintain support for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in east Ukraine, and well maintain financial support for Ukraines security. We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraines control over its sovereign territory, Pompeo said, referring to Russias annexation of Crimea during the Obama administration. Zelensky said told Pompeo that he hopes the United States will be more actively engaged to the processes of peaceful settlement in the east of Ukraine and the occupation of Crimea and expressed gratitude for American efforts related to Ukraines attempt to join the North American Treaty Organization (NATO). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press conference at Zelenskys office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images) The United States have been and will remain our key ally in defending sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We dearly appreciate efforts of President Trump and his administration on this track. We are grateful for your personal, unflinching, and unwavering stance regarding the war in Donbas and the illegal annexation of Crimea, he said. Russia and Ukraine are fighting in Donbas, a region in eastern Ukraine. Before meeting with Zelensky, Pompeo met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko. Pompeo assured Ukraine of the full support of the United States in stopping Russias aggression and restoring Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity in full, Ukraine said in a statement after the meeting. Kateryna Zelenko, press secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the constructive meeting included Prystaiko and Pompeo discussing further deepening of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership, advancing military and economic cooperation, and strengthening bipartisan U.S. support to Ukraine. Grateful for the clear and powerful messages restated by Washington of the USAs unwavering support for Ukraine in: countering Russian aggression; upholding Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity; enhancing Ukraines defense capabilities and implementing critical reforms, she said in a statement. Pompeo shared pictures of himself in Ukraine and wrote that he had a good discussion with Prystaiko. The U.S. welcomes Ukraines efforts to bring peace to the Donbas. Russia must reciprocate. Our sanctions will remain in place until Ukraines territorial integrity and sovereignty is restored, he wrote in a statement. Before the meeting, he said that the U.S. support for Ukraine is unwavering, and Im intent on underscoring this as I meet with Ukrainian government leaders to discuss ways we can advance our strategic partnership and reinforce Ukraines position as a free and democratic state. Pompeo arrived in Ukraine on Jan. 30 and met with Prystaiko and Zelensky on Jan. 31. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, and Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, arrive to attend a ceremony at the memorial to Ukrainian soldiers, who were killed in a recent conflict in the countrys eastern regions, in central Kyiv, Ukraine, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters) The visit came amid the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Asked if the impeachment had spoiled bilateral ties, Zelensky said he knew he would be asked about the trial. It seems to me its the other way around. We have excellent relations between our countries, he told reporters. Asked if a White House visit for Zelensky was conditioned on Ukraine investigating Hunter Biden and Burisma, Pompeo also said no. No, theres no condition of the nature you described for President Zelensky to come to Washington and have that visit, Pompeo said in response to a question. Well find the right time. Well find the appropriate opportunity. Pompeo was the first member of Trumps cabinet to visit Ukraine since Zelensky was elected last year. Ukraine became the focus of Democrats after a person filed a complaint against Trump over his July 2019 phone call with Zelensky, during which the president asked his counterpart to look into corruption allegations against Hunter Biden, who worked for the Ukrainian-based Burisma, and Bidens father, the former vice president. Because Joe Biden is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, Democrats said Trumps request amounted to an attempt to get a foreign country to interfere with the 2020 election. House Democrats impeached Trump last month but Senate Republicans are widely expected to acquit the president in the coming days. Handout photo of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn meeting Alex Maskey MLA, Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly during a visit to Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Jeremy Corbyn has said sorting out the future trading relationship between the UK, Ireland and EU is more important than whether Brexit makes a united Ireland more likely. Speaking during a visit to Stormont today, the outgoing Labour leader said it was time for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to make up his mind about the kind of trading relationship he wanted with the EU- and the United States. Asked if he thought Brexit had brought a united Ireland any closer, Mr Corbyn said: Clearly the issue that is important at the moment is one of dealing with the immediacy of funding and trading arrangements. He highlighted that many major companies in Northern Ireland relied on European trade. They need to know they have a future and I think thats a more important priority than anything else, he said. The Prime Minister promised that there would be no border down the Irish Sea and then, as was revealed during the General Election debates, that its quite clear theres going to be some kind of tariff arrangement. The Prime Minister must clarify this. Expand Close Mr Corbyn meeting Assembly speaker Alex Maskey at Stormont (Michael Cooper/PA) PA Media / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mr Corbyn meeting Assembly speaker Alex Maskey at Stormont (Michael Cooper/PA) If he wants a trade agreement with Europe which he says he does then they are not going to allow a trade arrangement with Britain which automatically undercuts consumer and environmental rights compared to Europe, while at the same time he is trying to do a trade arrangement with Donald Trumps USA, who are moving in entirely the opposite direction. He added that the Prime Minister still does not have an answer to the many questions raised by businesses and workers in Northern Ireland about the future trading relationship with the Republic, Britain and the rest of Europe. Its time for Boris Johnson to make up his mind. Read More During his visit Mr Corbyn who has often been criticised for his sympathies with militant Irish republicanism met representatives of Assembly parties, describing the meetings as informative. There were, of course, no Labour MLAs for Mr Corbyn to meet during his visit to Stormont, as his party refuses to allow local members to stand for election under its banner. Asked whether he had any regrets about banning Labour members in Northern Ireland from contesting elections, Mr Corbyn said: As you know, our party is talking to Labour members in Northern Ireland, and our National Executive will be considering the issue again. Mr Corbyn said he had also met representatives of the trade unions Unison and Unite to hear about issues concerning them. The North London MP also demanded more public investment in Northern Ireland, branding health inequalities here appalling and disgraceful. Asked about Brexit Day today, Mr Corbyn said: Well, its going to be a day when many people will no doubt be concerned, because its unclear in the longer term what the process will be for sending goods from Northern Ireland to Britain. We will take back to Westminster a clear message from this visit: the assembly is up and running, the Executive is up and running and as the party which brought about the Good Friday Agreement, Labour is particularly pleased and proud of that. But that has to be followed up with the necessary resources to ensure resolution of the public sector pay issues, and it also has to bring clarity to the future trading relationship which will protect jobs and businesses across Northern Ireland. The Labour leader was accompanied by Tony Lloyd, the partys Northern Ireland spokesman . Mr Corbyn also signed the book of condolence for the late Seamus Mallon, the former SDLP Deputy First Minister. Northern Ireland's best-known supporter of Brexit from the world of business has said today is a day for reconciliation, not celebration, as the UK leaves the EU tonight. Irwin Armstrong, the head of Ballymena-based medical testing company Ciga Healthcare, has been a major supporter of the UK's exit from the EU since before the referendum of 2016. And he said he remained a strong supporter of Brexit, despite the fears among much of the business world of the impact on Northern Ireland of checks on goods coming from Great Britain, and the prospect of paperwork on goods travelling from Northern Ireland into GB. Yesterday, the Daily Telegraph reported that the Prime Minister will next week make a speech in which he will say that border checks will be accepted as a consequence of the UK regaining its own sovereignty and avoiding being a "rule taker". The Downing Street press office yesterday said it would not be commenting. Aodhan Connolly, the head of the NI Retail Consortium, said the apparent confirmation of border checks would mean the difference between "a brick wall and a paper wall" in the Irish Sea. Read More However, Mr Armstrong said he believed any border checks would be minimal and that discussions of the impact of checks had been overblown. And he said he did not expect his own business to be hit. "I don't expect that checks on goods coming into Northern Ireland will affect my business and the only material we bring in is some packaging." He said that a large percentage of imports into Northern Ireland from Great Britain were through supermarkets, which he claimed were likely to secure trusted trader status. He said he believed discussions over perceived problems around Brexit had been overblown since the referendum. "With Brexit, across the piece we have always had somebody trying to throw up an obstacle, but every time the obstacles didn't materialise. "We were expected to enter recession but we went in the opposite direction and added jobs." Mr Armstrong said he believed that Northern Ireland would be in an "enviable position" following Brexit, in a position to trade with the rest of the UK, and with the EU. But he said he would not be celebrating tonight, when the UK's departure from the EU takes place officially at 11pm. "I won't be having any celebrations. I think the time is here for reconciliation. We'll just smile calmly and say we got there. "I don't see the reason for celebration, as I think there's a lot of work to do. We need an awful lot more trade deals with Australia, New Zealand and the US, to name just a few." Read More Colm Shannon, the chief executive of Newry Chamber of Trade, said today "was a day we hoped would never happen, but it is happening". "We'll just have to face the consequences of that, and we'll be looking to UK government to sign up to commitments UK has made and that there won't be a hard border." Seamus Leheny, the NI manager of the Freight Transport Association, said the uncertainty which had dominated the years since 2016 had now gone. But he said the arrangements under the Brexit withdrawal agreement brought good and bad. "We retain access to EU for goods but not for services, so we've solved half the problem (of leaving the single market. The key thing is we avoided no-deal. "Business stood as one as we fought NI's corner so trade wouldn't be affected negatively. There is still a lot of uncertainty with the Irish Sea and trade with GB and unfettered access to what is an important market. "A lot of things have been answered, but a lot remained unanswered. "It's a very quick turnaround time and we have less than a year to prepare for fundamental changes in the way we do business." Read More Angus Wilson of potato processor Wilson's Country in Craigavon, said he was happier now with the prospect of Brexit. "I'm a lot happier than I was before, on the basis that as a smallish business, the all-island trade is very important to us and that now feels safe. I'm also happy that there's a fairly big majority in government, so any decisions can be a bit more central and reasonable. "The all-island economy feeling safe is a big positive and hopefully that lasts after negotiations, though I'm a bit worried about the east-west and how that will look, but overall, I'm glad a no-deal has been avoided now and I hope that there won't be one at the end of this year." The Senate debated a witness issue for hours before voting against hearing new testimony in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Follow along for live updates (all times Eastern). 8 p.m. The Senate votes 53-47 to approve Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's resolution which spells out how the rest of the impeachment trial will work. The resolution calls for closing statements on Monday, and a 4 p.m. ET vote on the articles on impeachment on Wednesday. The Senate now stands in recess until 11 a.m. on Monday. 7:15 p.m. The Senate is back in session following the vote against new witnesses in the trial. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lays out the next steps in the trial. The resolution spells out the following timeline: closing statements will begin on Monday, followed by a 4 p.m. ET vote on the articles on impeachment on Wednesday. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer then begins the introduction of four amendments: Amendment to subpoena acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former national security adviser John Bolton, Michael Duffey, associate director for National Security Programs at the Office of Management and Budget and White House aide Robert Blair. The amendment also includes a request for documents from the White House Budget Office, the Department of Defense and the State Department. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asks for a vote to table the amendment. The vote passes 53-47. Amendment to subpoena John Bolton. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asks for a vote to table the amendment. The vote passes 51-49. Amendment to subpoena Bolton; provided further that there be one day for a deposition presided over by Chief Justice John Roberts, and one day for live testimony before the Senate, both of which must occur within 5 days of adoption of the underlying resolution. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asks for a vote to table the amendment. The vote passes 51-49. Amendment to require the Chief Justice to rule on motions to subpoena witnesses and documents, and to rule on any assertion of privilege. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell asks for a vote to table the amendment. The vote passes 53-47. 6:23 p.m. A Senate vote on whether to acquit President Trump has been slated for Wednesday. 5:55 p.m. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has released a statement, following a key vote on witnesses in which the Senate voted against the measure 51-49. A majority of the U.S. Senate has determined that the numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers accusations and end this impeachment trial, he said in the statement. There is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as overwhelming and beyond any doubt. Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation. We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue. Senators will now confer among ourselves, with the House Managers, and with the presidents counsel to determine next steps as we prepare to conclude the trial in the coming days. 5:50 p.m. The Senate has voted 51-49 against a motion to call witnesses in the impeachment trial. 5:35 p.m. The Senate has resumed following an extended break after the debate on witnesses concluded. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer huddled on the floor with their staffs to discuss a path forward. Senators are now casting votes on the issue of witnesses. 4:41 p.m. The Senate has ended its current debate. 4:29 p.m. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the lead impeachment manager for the House, is responding to remarks by the presidents defense team. The Democrat said White House lawyer Jay Sekulows argument about impeachment unfolding in Congress involves the House investigating and the Senate deliberating. Schiff said that argument would rewrite our Constitution. Schiff also characterized a defense teams argument that the House should have worked harder to overcome the administrations stonewalling. White House lawyers have said the House should have done more work with issuing subpoenas and gathering witness testimony. Many U.S. officials defied congressional subpoenas for their testimony. 4:08 p.m. Jay Sekulow, a White House lawyer, went through the list of witnesses and repeatedly said that the defense team didnt have the chance to cross-examine each witness. He argued that taking the time to do so would be a lengthy process. Now they want you to do the work they failed to do, Sekulow said, adding that Democrats wanted an impeachment by Christmas and rushed to get that. 3:50 p.m. Patrick Philbin, a White House attorney, is making the case against getting more testimony from witnesses. He said the defense team has counted more than 190 video clips from 13 witnesses being replayed in the Senate's trial. Philbin also pointed to regular court procedures, repeating a White House argument that one cant show up to trial and ask a judge to subpoena new witnesses as part of discovery. To show up, not having done the work, and expect the work to be done in the Senate, by this body, has grave consequences for the institutional interests of this body and for the House, he said. 3:42 p.m. The trial has resumed. Senators had planned to have a 15-minute break. 3:15 p.m. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said theres no agreement between him and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Schumer said Democrats will use whatever power they have to prevent the process from being rushed through. 2:50 p.m. The Senate is taking a break in the trial. 2:38 p.m. Former White House chief of staff John Kelly told a news outlet Friday that, without witnesses in the impeachment trial, "it's a job only half done" and "shirks" senators' responsibilities. Kelly, a retired general, served in the White House from July 2017 to December 2018 and ended his time there by resigning. 1:57 p.m. Other senators are sharing Friday how they plan to vote on the issue of witnesses for the impeachment trial. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said Friday he didnt believe additional witnesses are needed. As part of his statement, he said some of the presidents actions, such as asking a foreign country to investigate a potential political opponent and the delay of Ukraine aid, were wrong and inappropriate but dont rise to the level of removing the president from office. In a lengthy statement about impeachment, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., remarked Friday on the issue of witnesses, saying House managers can't "argue that fairness demands we seek witnesses they did little to pursue." 1:35 p.m. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, said Friday she would oppose subpoenas for more witnesses. She said the House chose to send articles of impeachment that are "rushed and flawed." She described the impeachment as partisan and didn't believe continuing it would change anything. 1:29 p.m. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a House impeachment manager, made the case for calling witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial. According to an accompanying document presented by House managers, who are acting as prosecutors, the average witnesses per Senate trial has been 33 in related proceedings. The figure pertains to previously impeached officials, ranging from judges to President Andrew Johnson. 1:24 p.m. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., cited a New York Times article, titled Trump Told Bolton to Help His Ukraine Pressure Campaign, Book Says, published Friday just before the trial was set to resume. Schiff said White House attorney Pat Cipollone was in the loop, making another reason why there should be more witnesses. 12:46 p.m. Less than 15 minutes before the trial was set to resume, Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., a House impeachment manager, confirmed he would have to be at home with his wife, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. ___________________________________________________________________________ Original story: The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump continued Thursday with questions from senators as the divisive proceeding moved forward. A vote on allowing witnesses is expected as soon as Friday. The issue of whether to allow witnesses and, if so, how many, has underscored the impeachment trial in the Senate. House impeachment managers argue that a trial without witnesses isn't a real trial, while Trump's defense team argues against the relevancy of bringing in witnesses. Senators peppered Trump's defense and accusers with final questions at his impeachment trial Thursday night. Testimony included soaring pleas to the senators-as-jurors who will decide Trump's fate to either stop a president who Democrats say has tried to cheat in the upcoming election and will again, or to shut down impeachment proceedings that Republicans insist were never more than a partisan attack. The vote on witnesses could lead to an abrupt end of the trial with the expected acquittal. Or, less likely, it could bring days, if not weeks more argument as Democrats press to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton and others. In a Senate split 53-47 with a Republican majority, at least four GOP senators must join all Democrats to reach the 51 votes required to call witnesses, decide whom to call or do nearly anything else in the trial. Chief Justice John Roberts, presiding over the chamber and fielding senators' questions for the trial, could break a tie, but that seems unlikely. Trump was impeached by the House in December on charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress. The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report. Latest News Understanding the 'perfect storm' that was the Sydney property market in 2021 Leading expert reflects on the crazy year that brokers and buyers experienced and throws forward to the 12 months to come How to manage home buyer regret Tips for brokers on how they can keep their clients onside once they have bought A Melbourne-based finance group has predicted that supply chain finance will become the funding model of choice for the majority of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) over the next five years. However, Fifo Capital has emphasised it is crucial that the reverse factoring funding model is used responsibly as a stimulus for the SME sector rather than as a big business financing tool. Reverse factoring works at its best when the supplier uses it at chosen times to fund growth and invest, so the burden and benefit of liquidity can be shared throughout the supply chain, said Fifo Capital CEO Wayne Morris. Getting it right relies on the supplier being in control and maintaining flexibility its intended to create a virtuous circle not further reasons for payment dispute. Morris, who helped to establish supply chain finance and invoice finance fintech models in the UK for Jaguar, Land Rover and EDF Energy, believes the model can play a vital role in boosting Australias SME sector. Supply chain finance is a product of today, best used to [help] small businesses release liquidity and underwrite risk, he said. Financial products are developed because supply chains are becoming increasingly complex. Business doesnt stop at the factory gates anymore, rather its dependent on suppliers and partners to come together in a tight working collaboration. Fifo Capitals model depends on paying suppliers invoices early for a small discount fee. They currently have over 3,000 businesses on their books, with supply chain finance accounting for hundreds and a specialty in SMEs. Srinagar, Jan 31 : IPS officer Vidhi Kumar Birdi has been relieved by the Jammu and Kashmir government to take charge as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Birdi, a 2003 batch J&K cadre officer, will be joining the premier investigating agency on a deputation basis for five years. He was presently posted as DIG, CKR, Srinagar. An order issued by J&K's Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, said that IPS officer M. Suleman Choudhary, who is currently DIG, SKR, Baramulla, will hold charge of the post of DIG, Srinagar till further orders, in addition to his own duties. Her involvement in politics continued after her term as ambassador ended in 1981 with the arrival of the Reagan administration. During the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta she opened up her home for fund-raising. Her outspokenness caused a stir when she said that despite a strong race for the presidential nomination, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was not qualified to be on a national ticket. I think its too soon for us to have a black president, but even if it werent, I dont think he should be it, she told Vanity Fair. Hes sleazy. The nomination went to Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, who lost to Vice President George Bush. Some of her politicking was of the shoe-leather, door-to-door variety. In Mr. Carters 1976 campaign, she was part of the peanut brigade of volunteers that traveled to contested states. She did the same thing in later elections, including 2004, when she was 84, supporting Senator John Kerrys bid to unseat President George W. Bush. She opposed the tax breaks a substantial one in her case that Mr. Bush had given rich people like her. Its tainted money, she said. I dont want it. In a 2011 interview with Atlanta magazine, which noted that she had a cardboard cutout of President Barack Obama in her living room, she credited her father for her lifelong affiliation with the Democratic Party. I remember someone asked Daddy if he would ever think of voting for a Republican, she said, and he said, Sure I would, if I ever found one worth voting for. Anne Beau Cox was born on Dec. 1, 1919, in Dayton, Ohio. Her mother, Margaretta Parker (Blair) Cox, used the baby as a way to avoid talking about politics when appearing in New York the next year, during her husbands presidential campaign. (But please excuse me from talking politics, she would say. Anne is very well, thank you. Baby Anne was born last winter.) Anne attended Miss Porters School in Farmington, Conn., spent a year in Paris and graduated from Finch College in Manhattan, which closed in 1976. She liked to say that she first went to Atlanta to attend the premiere of Gone With the Wind, on Dec. 15, 1939, and never left. She married Louis G. Johnson six months after the premiere. That marriage ended in divorce, as did a second marriage, in 1955, to Robert William Chambers. English Lithuanian The content of the message has not changed. Attachment added. Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius AB (hereinafter the Company or ESO), identification code 304151376, registered office placed at Aguonu str. 24, Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania. The total number of registered ordinary shares issued by company is 894 630 333; ISIN code LT0000130023. The Company informs that its parent company UAB Ignitis grupe informs that after consultation with the Bank of Lithuania, it discloses information that official tender circular of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius was submitted to Bank of Lithuania. It is noteworthy that this circular and the specified prices in this circular are not approved by the Bank of Lithuania yet. In the official tender circular of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius which was submitted to the Bank of Lithuania by the voluntary tender offer of UAB Ignitis Grupe, it is specified that the price to be paid for one share of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius amounts to EUR 0.880. This price is equal to the 6-month weighted average, until the day of announcement about intention to delist shares from trading on a regulated market (from 9 May 2019 until 8 November 2019 inclusive), of the stock market price which is equal to EUR 0.703 and the bonus which is equal to EUR 0.177. This bonus is paid by taking into consideration that it is intended to initiate mandatory buyout of shares of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius after implementing the official tender and for smooth implementation of the official tender. In the official tender circular it is also specified that if at the General meeting of shareholders of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius in the year 2020 the decisions will be adopted to pay dividends for the shareholders of AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius for the year 2019, UAB Ignitis Grupe, the offeror of the non-competitive mandatory tender, will pay the additional bonus for those shareholders who would sell their shares at a time of official tender offer. This bonus will be paid by UAB Ignitis Grupe as a part of whole price, which is paid for shares. The amount of this additional bonus shall be equal to the amount of dividends that such shareholder would have received in proportion to the shares he held and sold to UAB Ignitis Grupe at the time of the official tender offer, if he had been a shareholder of AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius on the record date of the rights of shareholders. It should be noted that this obligation of the UAB Ignitis grupe regarding payment of the additional bonus is conditional and in no way is a promise or an obligation to propose or decide to pay dividends for the year of 2019 to the shareholders of AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius. Also this does not mean that the management board of AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius has already made decisions to propose dividends to the shareholders of this company for the year of 2019. Company decisions to offer to pay or not to pay dividends to their shareholders will be made in accordance with applicable dividend policy and other legal acts and following the audit of annual financial statements for the year of 2019 of the Company. The comparisons of the prices in the official tender circular with the trading data of the ESO are provided in the annexes to this announcement. As announced earlier, now legal proceedings are taken regarding the delisting of ESO. On 6 January 2020 AB Energijos skirstymo operatorius appealed to District Court of Vilnius City regarding the 31 December 2019 decision of the Court to apply temporary protection measures and suspend the 4 December 2019 resolutions of the Extraordinary General Meeting of this company. Arturas Ketlerius, Head of public relations, arturas.ketlerius@ignitis.lt Attachment Donald Trump's most famous and flamboyant lawyer vanished from his trial Thursday - turning up in Miami to fight back against a tidal wave of criticism for his extraordinary defense that anything a president does to get re-elected is unimpeachable. The Harvard professor surfaced in Florida as other academics and attorneys reacted with astonishment to his position, which he then said he had never actually said. On CNN he told Wolf Blitzer that he had a commitment in the state Thursday and it was difficult to change his flight because the Super Bowl is on this weekend in Miami. He also complained about how CNN had reported what he said, prompting Blitzer to say: 'We were playing what you said.' But his main thrust was a rearguard action against a legal theory which Trump's own defense spent time walking away from Thursday. Not in the Senate: Alan Dershowitz was notably absent from the Trump defense team - and then surfaced on CNN from Miami to defend his theory that asking for a quid pro quo to get re-elected is unimpeachable because he believes it is in the public interest No Dershowwitz: The president's defense table - which can only be seen on cameras controlled by the Senate - was missing its most famous member, who was present and answering questions on Wednesday He also said that he had not been benched and that Trump's team had 'begged' him to stay. The attorney who defended Jeffrey Epstein, OJ Simpson and Claus von Bulow's absence from the Senate floor came after the most extraordinary moment of the question session on Wednesday. Dershowitz delivered a stunning defense of President Donald Trump in the Senate that would essentially make it impossible to impeach a president for anything he might do to boost his reelection prospects. It was a contention quickly and forcefully denounced by a range of legal scholars and historians who said there were clear limits on presidential authority. Dershowitz said on Thursday that his remarks have been misinterpreted, but Democrats seized on them as they pressed their case for Trump's removal from office for tying the release of military aid to Ukraine to an investigation of his political rivals. His starting point was the benign assertion that every politician believes his election is in the public interest, but he pivoted abruptly to Ukraine, and began to frame an argument that would rewrite most conventional understanding of the scope of presidential power. As novel as it was, his premise in many ways tracked the views of Trump who has said he was not bound by some constitutional constraints that other presidents have readily accepted. And several Republican senators seemed to find merit in what Dershowitz said. The person in the chamber who in other settings might have a lot to say about the matter, Chief Justice John Roberts, was instead rendered essentially a spectator as he watched the arguments play out. 'If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment,' Dershowitz said Wednesday as senators put questions to Democratic House lawmakers who are prosecuting the case against Trump in the Senate and to Trump's defense team. Remember when? Alan Dershowitz was in full flight Wednesday, using his time on the Senate floor to outline a sweeping view of presidential power Robert Dallek, a presidential historian who has written books about five presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan, called Dershowitz's argument unique. 'Frankly I've never seen that before, that a presidents power extends to wherever his politics are,' Dallek said. 'There is a pretty well defined idea of what a president can do and cant do and when he seems to overstep his bounds, he runs into great difficulty with the Congress or the judiciary.' Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, said Dershowitz had it backwards in suggesting that the public interest is whatever serves the president's reelection campaign. 'What we hope is that they at least think in terms of the nation's interests and then align their personal interest with the public interest, the countrys interest,' Perry said. What's more, she said, Dershowitz's formulation could serve as a dangerous precedent for future presidents who might think they can do anything they want in the political arena, except for violation of a criminal statute. 'Then theres nothing to be done about a president who can make the case that I did it in my self-interest,' she said. She reached back to Richard Nixon's presidency and the 'dirty tricks' carried out to undermine the campaigns of Democratic rivals in 1972. 'Nixon was trying to get reelected. Every single thing that happened in Watergate, all of those things would not be impeachable?' Perry said. Both Perry and Dallek said the closest similar invocation of presidential power was Nixon's statement, made after he resigned the presidency: 'Well, when the president does it ... that means that it is not illegal,' Nixon told interviewer David Frost in 1977. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., alluded to Nixon in Thursday's Senate session. 'We are right back to where we were a half century ago, and I would argue that we may be in a worse place, because this time, this time, that argument may succeed,' Schiff said. For his part, Dershowitz, a retired college professor, complained on Twitter that his argument was being 'willfully distorted' by media outlets. 'They characterized my argument as if I had said that if a president believes that his re-election was in the national interest, he can do anything. I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest,' Dershowitz wrote in a series of tweets. 'Let me be clear once again (as I was in the senate): a president seeking re-election cannot do anything he wants. He is not above the law. He cannot commit crimes. He cannot commit impeachable conduct. 'But a lawful act- holding up funds, sending troops to vote, braking a promise about Syria - does not become unlawful or impeachable if done with a mixed motive of both promoting the public interest and helping his RE-election. Please respond to my argument, not a distortion of it,' Dershowitz wrote. (Natural News) A mountain of research is giving near-conclusive evidence to the idea that exposing yourself to nature improves your physical and mental health, and the effects go beyond just giving your mood a temporary boost. A study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggests that spending at least two hours a week immersing yourself in nature is enough to positively affect you. The study reports that both men and women are more likely to feel that their physical health and psychological well-being are in a good state if they spend at least 120 minutes in nature per week. The study used survey data from nearly 20,000 people in England. These surveys asked people about their weekly contact with nature. Their findings showed that it didnt matter if the participants spent two hours in nature in a single day or spread it out over a week over several visits. Reports state that spending as little as 17 minutes a day in nature may have a noticeable positive effect on a persons overall health. In a press release, Dr. Mathew P. White, lead author and environmental psychologist, notes that anything from a small wooded area to a beach can count as nature. However, he also said that the type of natural setting does matter, stating that theres really good evidence to suggest that the marine environment and mountains are the top hitters. But you shouldnt feel downcast if you live far from a hiking trail or a beach. White stated that the majority of nature visits recorded by the survey data took place within two miles of a persons home. Visiting a local urban green space, according to White, can still be a good thing. The park is better than walking down a busy street. Nature positively affects health In an interview, White detailed how he and the other researchers believe nature has a positive effect on mental and physical health. Firstly, he mentions that being in nature encourages more exercise. More importantly, White believes that for people living in cities, these urban environments are placing so many cognitive demands. He believes that spending time in a natural environment is downtime for the brain, giving it a chance to relax. To support his claims, White mentions a study done by Greg Bratman of the University of Washington on rumination. In Bratmans study, which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, he suggested that people with mild depression who spend time in nature are less likely to spend time nurturing negative thoughts. The more tranquil the setting the better, said White. Other studies also support Whites claims regarding natures positive effect on health. A Japanese study done by researchers from the Nippon Medical School suggested that forest bathing, or taking long walks in the woods, can lower your blood pressure and enhance the abilities of your bodys natural killer cells, or cells that may have anti-cancer properties. Theres even evidence suggesting that merely living in greener neighborhoods can have positive effects on your health, for instance by reducing your exposure to air pollution. (Related: Children raised in rural environments and surrounded by animals develop stronger immune systems.) Terry Hartig, co-author of the study, stated that their findings offer valuable support to health practitioners in making recommendations about spending time in nature to promote basic health and well-being, similar to guidelines for weekly physical. Sources include: MindBodyGreen.com Nature.com PsychologyToday.com EurekAlert.org PNAS.org Journals.SagePub.com Armenian ex-justice minister David Harutyunyan submitted a written statement to the Special Investigation Service, in which he reported information on the lease of territory by the Notary Chamber. His remarks came on air of 168 TV, referring to the criminal case against the head of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan. The ex-minister noted that the SIS proposed to provide information that he owns, but so far there is no response. He also noted that the presumption of innocence was violated on the air of Public TV. According to him, its just pressure on the judiciary. It seems that a final court verdict and a message are sent to the courts about what is expected of them, he concluded. Pension pots have taken a hit after two of the countrys largest fund managers slashed the value of their Irish commercial property funds. In recent days fund manager Aviva marked down the value of its Friends First commercial property fund by 9.1pc, while Irish Life has marked down its Irish Property fund by 6.1pc. It is understood this followed an unusually high level of withdrawals from the funds. It is believed this has been sparked by concerns that commercial property values have peaked after several years of strong growth. Market sources said the move was a warning to investors and advisers, who have been banking on the continuing strength of Irish commercial property. A significant number of pension holders are exposed to commercial property in Ireland. Aviva has warned that further withdrawals from the funds could lead to a sell-off of properties in the portfolios. It said the decision to reduce the pricing of its Friends First Commercial Property Fund was to protect the best interests of the policy holders who remain in the fund and follows recent outflows. However, it said that the property market remained strong and the fund had outperformed competitors. The value of the fund managed by Aviva went from 618m down to 563m following the markdown. Aviva added that it currently had no plans to sell any property in the portfolio due to liquidity concerns. There are two properties at various stages of the sales process, which were in train prior to the recent decision to switch the pricing basis, said the company in a statement. Suzie Nolan, senior property fund manager at Aviva Life & Pensions Ireland DAC, said: Our view is that the fundamentals of the Irish commercial property market remain strong. "The properties in the fund are actively managed by an in-house team, the Irish economy continues to perform well, unemployment is at a 13-year low of 4.8pc and the demand for good-quality commercial property remains strong from both occupiers and investors," she added. "This change in pricing is not as a result of deteriorating fund or market performance." However, Aviva said it moved the fund from "an acquisition to a disposal basis" with effect from Wednesday, which means it is prepared for the possible sale of properties should investors continue to cash out. All through last year both the Aviva and Irish Life funds edged upwards, delivering good returns on paper for investors. At the end of last year, an update from Aviva was largely positive toward commercial property but some warnings were sounded about industrial property. "The office market achieved a record-breaking year," said the commentary in December. "Technology occupiers continue to dominate accounting for almost 50pc of the Dublin office take up (Lisney). The Irish retail sector remains resilient, performing well compared to our UK counterparts. Footfall and turnover remain strong in most cases particularly in prime locations. Retail spending over the six-week period up to Christmas 2019 rose 3.5pc compared to the same period during 2018 (Retail Ireland). "Activity in the industrial sector slowed towards the second half of the year as supply constraints and Brexit uncertainty surrounding trade and tariffs impacted activity levels." Irish Life said in a statement: "The pricing basis of property funds can change from time to time and that can lead to once-off price movements as we have seen this week. "However, the Irish property investment market remains very strong with 7.2bn of transactions completing in 2019 with continued interest from international investors who accounted for over 70pc of investment volume in 2019 representing a strong endorsement of the Irish property market. "In our view the outlook for Irish property in 2020 remains positive as fundamental economic indicators remain stable and occupational demand for space continues. So while commercial property, like all investment assets, will rise and fall in value, we remain positive about the long-term growth potential of the commercial property market in Ireland." Market sources described the development as significant, however. The properties in both funds are some of the best commercial property assets in the country. In its first ever co-production in Spain, Viacom International Studios (VIS) is to work with Endemol Shine Iberias fiction production company Diagonal TV on the development of scripted TV series La Novia Gitana (The Gypsy Bride). The series is based on the bestseller by Carmen Mola which has sold more than 100,000 copies and has become a best-seller distributed in seven countries. Mola, pseudonym for a mysterious writer, narrates the criminal investigation around gipsy bride Susana Macayas death. Educated in a non-gypsy environment, Macaya disappears after her bachelorette party.When her body turns up, Elena Blanco, the inspector in charge of the case, discovers that Susana was brutally tortured and that her sister Lara, also soon to be married, was murdered in the same manner seven years before. Inspector Elena Blanco has to raise every fold of the Gypsy Brides veil to get to the truth, but with Laras killer in prison, there are only two options left: there is either a copycat around or an innocent man in jail.It is really exciting to be part of a project based on such a successful story, and working with Diagonal TV and Endemol Shine Iberia makes it even more promising, affirmed Laura Abril, SVP editorial multi-brand ViacomCBS Networks Iberia and head of the VIS hub in Madrid. This is a high quality production with a great international potential, a perfect fit for our strategy and vision: investing in content with both local resonance and global reach.Diagonal TV CEO Jaume Banacolocha added: We at Diagonal TV are thrilled to confirm this partnership with ViacomCBS on such an exciting project. We look forward to working together for many years to come and are excited for what the future holds for this collaboration.Both companies have already started working on the project. SPRINGFIELD TD Bank has reversed a decision to close its State Street branch in Mason Square after an outcry from customers and local officials. The branch which the bank had previously said would close Friday will remain open with reduced hours. We are notifying our customers that the TD Bank store at 958 State Street in Springfield will remain open after January 31," the bank said in a prepared statement. It is important to TD Bank that we provide to our customers a variety of convenient options to serve their banking needs. The branch will be open Mondays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The new hours take effect Monday, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, praised the decision, saying it provides a reasonable path forward. When local elected officials asked for my assistance last year, I agreed to contact TB Bank and discuss how we could keep the Mason Square branch viable," Neal said in a statement. I personally spoke with the TD Bank CEO and urged him to reconsider his decision to close the bank. Neighbors and their elected representatives protested the threatened closure, saying it would create an inconvenience for large numbers of residents without a full-service bank. "After 40 years of providing financial services in the same location, the bank will remain open, Neal said Friday. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said he was pleased to hear the news from TD Bank executives. He thanked Neal and especially Regional Vice President Frank Crinella, a Springfield native,, who worked with the mayor closedly to facilitate a plausible solution to continue full banking services for our Mason Square residents and businesses. Also, in my discussions with TD Bank officials, they have assured me that they will continue their philanthropic efforts for the betterment of our Springfield community, Sarno said. State Rep. Bud L. Williams, D-Sprngfield, said he is excited and happy that the bank was convinced to keep the branch open. Its only twp days a week but thats a tremendous start from a situation where the bank was going to be totally closed, Williams said. The community and officials will now work with Neal and the bank on keeping the bank open, he said. TD Bank said it has seven locations in Springfield, including three that are less than two miles from the State Street branch. It also offers online services. The State Street store will continue to provide 24-hour access to its on-site ATM, which customers can use for deposits, withdrawals and other transactions, TD Banks statement said. "We reached this decision based on feedback from the community. As part of our normal business practices, we regularly evaluate the viability of existing TD Bank stores and new locations. We will continue this practice for all of our stores, including our Springfield locations. "Forest" is a medical romance drama. It is about a man who is blessed with everything but a heart, and a woman who has lost everything but still has her heart. They met each other and discovered themselves and the secret behind a mysterious forest. The main characters of the drama "Forest" shared some stories behind the casting of the characters, the filming and how they prepared for this drama. This 29th of January there was a press conference that actor Park Hae Jin, actress Jo Bo Ah, producing director (PD) Oh Jung Rok attended. It was held at the Ramada by Wyndham Seoul Sindorim hotel. The drama director Oh Jung Rok shared with the press that it was an honor for him that the project he worked hard to create last year is being aired on KBS. He continued on describing the drama that it says in the title but what we can think of the forest is as the third lead. He said that this is a healing drama with a story to tell about how the main characters having their own pain heal each other and also themselves while living together in a forest. The main cast of the drama shared their opinions behind joining this particular drama. Actor Park Hae Jin announced that for him it was not easy choosing this project. The scenes are being taken in the mountains so he has to film away from the city of Seoul, South Korea. He has always wondered if he can be able to bring the story to life. Then he gave thanks to the National Fire Agency that they were able to film the drama well. He then added that when he heard that the filming will take place in Gangwon Province, he paused and briefly thought if he should not do it. Thinking about travel time alone will take at least five hours a day. Since the staff members are well organized when it comes to the schedule, the filming went smoothly despite his concerns. Meanwhile, actress Jo Bo Ah accepted this project as her first doctor role. We will see a different side of her from her performance in "Baek Jong Won's Alley Restaurant." She shared that she thinks he showed her same usual self in the variety show, but since in this drama she will be portrayed as a doctor she approached it with professionalism. She even met with plenty of doctors to ask for some advice regarding her role and worked very hard to become more serious. Lastly, the director of the drama, PD Oh Kwang Rok explained the story behind the casting of actors. On Park Hae Jin, he stated that when he met the actor for casting, he was surprised by his charms. He added that the actor also experienced some painful moments like the character that he will be portraying in the drama. He then continued that he doesn't have an idea of Jo Bo Ah's spectrum is innate or if she was born in a happy family but as he can see her spectrum is wide. We will experience her charms when we watch the drama. KBS' drama "Forest" has already premiered last January 29 and is already available on Viki! Members of Youth United For a Change lead chants during their rally outside of the School Distict of Philadelphias building on Jan. 30, 2020. The School District has delayed mental health materials that were supposed to be distributed at the beginning of the school year. Their rally was in respone to that. Read more Mental health advocates rallied outside a meeting of the Philadelphia Board of Education on Thursday, protesting what they see as a broken promise to help students find mental health resources. The nonprofit organizations involved Youth United for Change and the National Womens Law Center expressed frustration with the lack of action from the School District, which they said verbally committed to a multiplatform rollout of a list of existing mental health resources for students on the first day of school during a meeting in June. The conversation followed months of meetings with district officials, school board members, and city councilmembers. The demand for more action came after the National Womens Law Center published a report in April about the mental health of Latina students in Philadelphia, titled We Are Not Invisible, in which they found that one in seven Latina girls in Philly has attempted suicide. The report recommended establishing peer support circles and creating mental health screenings. At the rally, students in red T-shirts emblazoned with United for Change" led a chant as they displayed the posters that they had prepared for the demonstration. What do we want? Transparency! When do we want it? Now! We were very clear we wanted there to be physical materials, like posters or pamphlets, said Nick Ospa, the citywide organizer for Youth United for Change, a student-led organization fighting for educational rights for low-income youth of color. The printed materials were one part of a more extensive mental health recommendation summary from the students, which includes measures like a quarterly survey that students use to report stressors. Ospa said that he reached out to the School District multiple times over the summer to check on the status of the rollout of materials on mental health resources but didnt get a response. In August, representatives from the National Womens Law Center met with School District officials and Councilmember Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who is the new chair of the education committee, to discuss the report. We raised some things that were pretty easy to implement before the school year began, like disseminating materials to make sure students knew where to find resources, said Adaku Onyeka-Crawford, the director of educational equity and senior counsel at the National Womens Law Center. Angela Calderon, who coauthored the report as a senior at El Centro de Estudiantes last year, said that it was really discouraging that more progress wasnt made with Sanchez. The materials were not available to students on the first day of school, so Youth United for Change students testified at the school board meeting in September on the lack of progress. Then in November, School District officials told both organizations through email that they would refrain from making commitments to students until they had consulted Sanchez on requests pertaining to mental health. Sanchez disputed this. I have a real interest in this issue, absolutely, but all discussions are very much public, very much transparent, she said. On Jan. 23, School District officials sent an email to all high school students identifying mental health resources in different areas of the city, but Ospa said that feedback to the materials that were recommended by Youth United for Change students, such as including names of mental health staff and Title IX coordinators at each school, was not included. We were kind of confused because it was earlier in the year when [the School District] asked for our feedback on certain things, said Aniya Timberlake, a senior at Bodine High School working with Youth United for Change. And then [they] basically didnt take our feedback. At Thursdays school board meeting, Rebecca Baret, a freshman at Central High School, testified about how shocked and disappointed she was when she saw the email. Although it had some resources, it was very confusing to read and overall unclear on how to access some of the alternatives they were providing, said Baret. How do you expect teens to get help if you dont give them the tools they need? Karyn Lynch, the School Districts chief of student support services, said the districts position was that Sanchez made it clear that she had a model on making changes to mental health in schools during the meeting in August. Sanchez said in a statement Thursday that she strongly encouraged the School District to meet with stakeholders to work through concerns. She also said that she believed the district was moving in the right direction. But Ospa disagrees. Theres been no accountability to these students who have been very diligent, thinking very hard about the issue of mental health in schools, he said. Were not just random students who are off the cuff, spitballing here. We actually represent the voices of students across the district." A bank robber got away with an undetermined amount of cash in a Thursday afternoon bank robbery in Orangeburg. No one was hurt during the ordeal. Capt. Victor Cordon of the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety said that at 3:07 p.m., a black male entered First Citizens Bank, located at 791 Broughton St., wearing a black hoodie, gray sweatpants and a dust mask on his face. He said the man stands approximately 5-foot-10 and weighs between 212 to 220 pounds. Cordon said the man approached a teller and demanded cash, but didnt present a weapon. I think he repeated himself a couple of times and once the teller understood exactly what he was asking, she provided cash, an undetermined amount at this time, Cordon said. The man left and made a right as he exited the bank. Cordon said police received a call from the bank at 3:13 p.m. and officers were on the scene by 3:16 p.m. From there, we set up a perimeter, Cordon said. ODPS also requested the assistance of the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Offices K-9 unit in trying to track the suspected bank robber. Around 3:45 p.m., an OCSO K-9 unit arrived and tracked an area on nearby Lindale Street. At one point, deputies looked in an abandoned home less than a half block from First Citizens Bank. Cordon said its possible that the suspected bank robber had a car waiting nearby. The robbery came a day after a man got away with cash at the First Citizens Bank on Parler Avenue in St. George. The robbery occurred about 1 p.m., according to WCSC-TV in Charleston. On Thursday afternoon, Cordon said, Were not sure if thats going to be related or not to the First Citizens Bank robbery in Orangeburg. WCSC also reported on Thursday afternoon that the St. George Police Department identified Sean Saxby of Walterboro as the suspect in Wednesdays bank robbery. In that bank robbery, police believe Saxby was wearing a gray hoodie shirt, knitted cap, a dust mask covering his face and sunglasses, according to WCSC. They also reported that the robber told tellers, This is a bank robbery, give me the money, no dye packs. He didnt present a weapon or show a note, WCSC reported. They also said Saxby is believed to be driving a gray 2016 Honda HR-V with a license plate of MKM 652. Federal records show Saxby has a history of bank robberies. On Dec. 13, 2010, he pleaded guilty to four bank robberies from June of that year: June 25, 2010, at the First Citizens Bank, 129 Parler Avenue, St. George, taking $1,011 in cash June 26, 2010 an attempted bank robbery at Bank of America, 1806 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, Charleston, and Wachovia Bank, 1305 Sam Rittenberg Boulevard, Charleston, taking $465.99 June 29, 2010 at Carolina First Bank, 852 Orleans Road, Charleston, taking $400 A U.S District Judge sentenced him to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release on April 13, 2011, according to federal court records. He also was ordered to pay the banks the money he stole. Then on Oct. 21, 2015, Saxby pleaded guilty to bank robbery of a First Citizens Bank in North Charleston. Saxby robbed that bank on April 20, 2015, and a U.S. District Judge ordered him to pay $5,050 in restitution to the bank. The judge also sentenced him to 46 months in prison and revoked his supervised release from his previous four bank robberies. The court recommended that Saxby be placed in a comprehensive drug-treatment program and mental health treatment program, for which he qualified. The court also recommended that he not serve time at the Federal Correctional Institute in Estill, court documents say. As part of Saxbys federal terms of release, hes not allowed to possess any firearm. If anyone knows Saxbys whereabouts, they are asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC. Contact the writer: mbrown@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5545. Follow on Twitter: @MRBrownTandD. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 2 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Friday hit out at Union minister Harsh Vardhan for calling him an "outsider", saying the people from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana settled here can be outsiders for the saffron party but the city has "adopted" them. Kejriwal was responding to Vardhan's tweet in which the BJP leader questioned the chief minister for calling himself "Delhi's son". The Union minister said while Kejriwal was born in Hisar in Haryana, he was settled in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. "How can he be Delhi's son?" Vardhan asked. "Doctor Sahib, you hate me. You can abuse me. How can you call all those born in UP and Haryana and settled in Delhi outsiders? They may be outsiders to the BJP. But they are part of our Delhi family. We Delhiites adopted them all, made them our family," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet, Kejriwal responded to the recent "sting" of the BJP on mohalla clinics, saying the party has again "mocked" the people of Delhi by issuing "fake" videos. "The BJP once again mocked the people of Delhi by issuing fake videos. Delhiites worked hard to build 450 World Class mohalla clinics. Mohalla clinics have brightened the name of Delhi all over the world. Today, BJP's lie was caught in media investigation. People of Delhi are very happy with mohalla clinic," he said, tagging a report. F ormer Prime Minister David Cameron said that the UK will make a "success" of Brexit as it's revealed he's made more than 1.6m since quitting after the referendum. Mr Cameron netted a profit of 836,168 last year, according to new accounts filed with Companies House. The Office of David Cameron Limited, the official name of the business which manages his media and speaking appearances, shows that the organisation also had 538,075 cash in the bank and to hand. The accounts only cover the 12 months to April 30 last year and therefore exclude any profits made from his memoir For the Record, which was published in September. The PM resigned following the Brexit referendum / PA The previous years accounts show a profit of 790,274, meaning his total earnings are 1.63m since the Office of David Cameron Limited was established. Mr Cameron, who presided over the referendum while in Number 10, appeared on Sky News on Friday to discuss the UK's future as it prepares to leave the European Union at 11pm. "It's obviously a very big day for our country", he said. "Obviously I led the campaign to stay in but I always accepted the referendum result and knew this day would come. "As I said at the time of the referendum, we're one of the biggest economies in the world, perhaps the sixth biggest economy in the world. "We can make a success of the choice that we make and I'm sure that's exactly what we will do and I wish the government well in all their endeavours to make sure that happens." Mr Cameron's memoir was a bestseller / Getty Images Mr Cameron's business, which is based in North Lincolnshire near Samantha Camerons hometown, also employed seven staff, up from five in 2018. There are hints on how the year ahead could go for the former politicians post-Westminster career, with 220,319 owed to the company versus 174,549 due to creditors. Mr Cameron is not a director of the business, according to Companies House, although he is listed as the owner. Former political secretary Laurence Mann is the only director. It also made a property investment into a building worth 128,190, accounts said. Since resigning as PM following the Brexit referendum and standing down as an MP shortly after, Mr Cameron has taken several positions in the private and charity sectors. These include chairman of the advisory board of US artificial intelligence business Afiniti, president of Alzheimers Research UK and chairman of the National Citizen Services Board of Patrons. Maybe 10 years ago, my husband made me a Velleman MK101 Flashing LED Sweetheart. It was meant to be a small token, but now its the only thing I remember about that Valentines Day (and its a standout among the 16 weve had together). This has become one of my most treasured possessions. I dont even know if it works anymore (I dont keep a battery in it because it blinks without an on/off switch), but it sits on a shelf in my office where I can see it all the time. My husbands a computer engineer, and hes not too sentimental, so knowing that he assembled all the lights onto the little circuit board in this kit for me feels like his own kind of love letter. If you need a soldering iron to complete it, you could grab our Vaster budget pick and still stay under $25. Jackie Reeve, staff writer Charlottesville, Virginia: Judy Daniel felt like she was travelling through Arnhem Land, but she hadn't left the United States. It was a Saturday afternoon when Daniel, a professional musician from Washington, DC, visited the University of Virginia's Fralin Museum of Art for a tour of its new exhibition. Curator Henry Skerritt was guiding visitors through The Inside World, a collection of 112 Aboriginal memorial poles painted by 55 artists from the Northern Territory. Works by Barbara Moore currently being exhibited at the Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Credit:Tom Cogill It was the opening day of the exhibition and the tour group had to be split in half: organisers expected 50 people to attend, but 150 turned up. Jakarta: Medical experts have raised concerns about Indonesia's ability to detect novel coronavirus, potentially leaving a number of undiagnosed cases on Australia's doorstep. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age can reveal that Indonesian medical laboratories lack the testing kits needed to rapidly detect the Wuhan coronavirus, according to one of the country's leading molecular biologists, and the virus may already be present in the country despite government claims of no infections. The specific reagents chemicals used in testing kits to help analyse and identify the Wuhan or novel coronavirus are not yet available in the country. These required reagents are only due to arrive in Indonesia in the next few days. In the interim, the country's labs have only been able to detect the presence of the coronavirus family in a potentially infected person. This family of viruses also includes the common cold, and the MERS and now-extinct SARS viruses. The country is yet to positively confirm a single case of the novel coronavirus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 01:24:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close People take part in a protest against the announced U.S. Middle East peace plan in Amman, Jordan, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Photo by Mohammad Abu Ghosh/Xinhua) AMMAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Jordanians gathered in several parts of the capital Amman to protest the new Middle East peace plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. During a rally in downtown Amman on Friday, thousands of Jordanian activists and members of political parties came together to slam the U.S. plan. Chanting slogans against the U.S. and Israel, they called on the government to take action and urged Arab states to take a unified stance in the face of the deal. "We are here to reject the deal that gives Israel the green light to occupy more Palestinian lands," Salma Ali, a teacher, told Xinhua. Also on Friday, hundreds of Jordanians staged a sit-in near the U.S. embassy in Amman, calling for an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The protesters emphasized Jordan's role in preserving the holy sites in Jerusalem and condemned America's bias towards Israel. Actor Sushanth, who was seen in a small role in Ala Vaikuntapuramlo, has started working on his new film, Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu. The film, which has Meenakshi as the female lead and will be directed by debutant Darshan, was officially launched at Annapurna Studios on Thursday morning. Sushanths mother Naga Suseela attended the launch along with producers Ravi Shankar Shastri and Harish. (Ravi Shankar, by the way, is related to yesteryears popular actress, Bhanumathi). A unit source tells us that the films story is based on real-life incidents, with some cinematic liberties added to them. Sushanth last did a lead role in the 2018-film Chi La Sow, directed by Rahul Ravindan. Russian prosecutors have dramatically dropped murder charges against three teenage sisters who killed their 'rapist' father while he slept. Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan - aged 19, 18 and 17 when they killed Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57 - claimed they suffered years of 'torture and sexual abuse' from their 'controlling paedophile father'. Russia's Prosecutor General's office has now ordered the case to be reclassified as 'self defence' after a high profile campaign, the sister's lawyer Alexei Parshin said. It means they no longer face the threat of jail. The decision follows a public outcry and more than 350,000 people signed a petition demanding the sisters should not face murder charges. Mikhail Khachaturyan, 57, was killed by his daughters Krestina, Angelina and Maria after subjecting them to years of physical and sexual abuse Maria Khachaturyan, left, and Angelina Khachaturyan, right, killed their father with their sister Krestina as he slept in a chair after years of abuse but murder charges have now been dropped Deputy general prosecutor of Russia, Viktor Grin, dropped the murder charges against the sisters after a public outcry accusing the authorities of ignoring the abuse they suffered The change was made in a statement from deputy General Prosecutor of Russia Viktor Grin, according to reports today. Evidence reported from the investigation revealed the father told one of his 'terrified' daughters: 'You will take the place of your mother. 'I will marry you and you will give birth to my baby.' An experts' report said: 'He ordered them to get undressed in front of him, saying that he wanted to 'check' them. 'Then ordered them to masturbate him, saying that he had problems with his prostate and it would be a cure.' He 'abused and humiliated' them 'with various weapons'. The three sisters acted in self defence when they killed their dad Mikhail Khachaturyan (pictured here with two of the girls when they were younger) after years of 'sexual abuse' Angelina Khachaturyan pictured in court after the girls were charged with murder Mikhail Khachaturyan (left) was stabbed to death in Moscow by his three daughters, including Angelina (pictured right) Angelina had blood streaming from her face after one attack by her father who had links both to senior Russian officials and criminal bosses, say reports. The sisters admitted that Khachaturyan was sedated and sitting in an armchair and not directly threatening them when they took his life in 2018 with his hunting knife and a hammer. Initially Maria had claimed he was attacking them with a knife when they killed him. In a police video at the crime scene, their family flat, Maria said: 'He was sitting in this armchair, in that corner. 'Me and Angelina approached from the back, she had a hammer, I had a knife .' Angelina said she had been preparing food for their divorced father with whom they lived. 'Then we said - let's try, take a risk,' said Angelina. 'And we asked our eldest sister, so she helped us and sprayed pepper spray. 'I was on the left, Maria on the right. Mikhail Khachaturyan was killed as he slept by his daughters who suffered years of abuse Angelina (left) said she had been preparing food for their divorced father with whom they lived. In the leaked audio of the 999 call, Maria, 18, (right) had said that her father was 'under the influence of drugs' when he was killed Three teenage sisters, including Kristina Khachaturyan (pictured), 19, were charged with murder over claims they stabbed their sexually abusive mafia boss father to death following years of torture but have now had the charges dropped 'She first stabbed him with the knife. 'He woke up. 'Then I hit him with the hammer. Twice. ' Then he came round and pulled himself up asking: 'What's going on?' Maria said: 'We approached from the back and attacked. 'Simultaneously. I stabbed him in his neck from the back. 'From the side Angelina hit him with the hammer, several times on his head. 'It seems that I stabbed him twice in the neck and Angelina hit him twice with the hammer. 'He immediately stood up. Like jumped. 'He was saying something unclear, like 'I need to wash my face'.' Angelina said she had been preparing food for her father when they agreed to kill him Later he was found to have been stabbed through the heart with his hunting knife. The shocking case had transfixed Russians amid defence demands that the sisters has been tortured and raped by their father so they could not be held responsible for their actions. Some relatives claimed their father was not the ogre they described. Two of the three, Krestina and Angelina, had faced jail for between eight and 20 years. A court earlier ruled that Maria did not understand her actions when she was part of the alleged 'group' conspiracy kill their 'mafia boss' father. After the attack, Maria admitted:'We all were scared. 'It seems that Krestina checked his pulse. 'I called to the ambulance and police.' Prosecutors concluded the sisters' actions were 'carried out within the legal limits of the necessary self-defence,' said Parshin. Today's decision was seen as a landmark in Russia too recognise the devastating impact of domestic abuse. Before the prosecutor's change of heart Russian presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak had warned: 'If the Khachaturyan sisters are imprisoned (for murder)... it will be a disgrace to Russian justice.' The girls were the victims of a father with proven 'serious mental problems', she said. They acted in self-defence. 'The girls were fighting for their lives...they actually had no other choice,' she said. Firefighters tackle a bushfire near Batemans Bay in New South Wales on January 3, 2020. Australian officials declared a state of emergency for the capital city of Canberra and surrounding regions on Friday, as soaring temperatures and strong winds threatened to propel a large bushfire beyond the control of firefighters. Andrew Barr, Chief Minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), said the decision to declare the first state of emergency since fatal wildfires in 2003 indicated the potential danger over the weekend. Officials said an uncontrolled fire in the ACT's south, on the doorstep of Canberra, had grown to 185 sq km, almost 8% of the territory's land mass. "This fire may become very unpredictable. It may become uncontrollable," Barr told reporters in a televised briefing. "The combination of extreme heat, wind, and a dry landscape will place suburbs in Canberra's south at risk." Australia's federal parliament is located in Canberra, which is also home to several government and independent institutions as well as national museums. Four people died and almost 500 homes were destroyed in the 2003 Canberra fires. The state of emergency declared on Friday will run for 72 hours, giving authorities greater powers to order evacuations, close roads and take control of private property. Heatwave conditions are also expected to sweep through Victoria and New South Wales states over the weekend, where some 80 fires are burning. In neighboring New Zealand, where smoke from the Australian blazes has turned glaciers brown, firefighters were battling to contain around 25 fires that spread rapidly to cover around 100 hectares on the South Island. Heatwave conditions were also forecast for much of the country over the weekend. Australia has been battling bushfires across its east coast that have killed 33 people and an estimated 1 billion native animals since September. Around 2,500 homes have been destroyed as more than 11.7 million hectares (117,000 square km) have been razed. The reason Costco is so important to the whole redevelopment picture out there is theyre wonderful employers," said Christine Jeffries, president and CEO of the Naperville Development Partnership. "They have some of the highest paid retail employees. Theyre just a top-notch quality employer. ... Theyre so impactful on the areas they locate in theres a significant halo effect from the store. Costco will certainly affect other retailers there by bringing more consumers, more shoppers into the area. Ace Ghanaian Broadcast Journalist, Nana Aba Anamoah literally set twitter on fire, after she compared a Ghanaian filmmaker and a Hollywood filmmaker. The State of Affairs Presenter tweeted that she would choose award-winning Ghanaian female movie producer Shirley Frimpong-Manso's movie over that of American actor, writer, producer, comedian, and director Tyler Perry. This follows a conversation on twitter after the release of Tyler Perrys new movie, a 'Fall from Grace'. The movie pulled a lot of curiosity and excitement among film lovers especially after Mr. Perry boasted about filming the movie in just five days. Several people across the world have shared their opinions after watching the much publicised movie, some social media users expressed their disappointment whiles others gave a high score to their favourite movie producer. Ghanaian media personality, Nana Aba Anamoah also joined the conversation and according to her Ghanaian Filmmaker Shirley Frimpong-Manso is greater than Americas Tyler Perry. Nana Aba tweeted that she would choose award-winning Ghanaian female movie producer Shirley Frimpong-Manso over Tyler Perry any day. Shirley Frimpong Mansos movies > Tyler Perrys movies, she tweeted and this most people on twitter think is a wrong comparison. What do you think? Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/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 Like many, Im perplexed by the divide in the Christian community over President Trumpbut Im not surprised. The media is fueling lies, and the world is listening. This was demonstrated in a worship song by Daniel Deitrich (talk about the wrong place to express political views). Deitrichs song was written in response to the 81 percent of white evangelical Protestant voters who supported Donald Trump in 2016. Here are the lyrics: They started putting kids in cages. Ripping mothers from their babies. And I looked to you to speak on their behalf. This, of course, is in response to what is perceived to be happening at the border. I assume that Mr. Deitrich is sincere, and his heart truly wants to help people, but we must get our facts from reputable sources or first-hand experience. God willing, Im touring the border with other California pastors very soon and hope to gain that perspective personally (look for that op-ed in mid-February). Some say, How can you follow Jesus and Donald Trump? We are not following a man, we are shaping a movement. A better question to be asking, though, is What direction is the country heading? If a leader lacks Christian character but is pointing the nation back to God, is that a bad thing? If they are minimizing murdering babies and maximizing godly values, is that a bad thing? If they are being a terror to terrorists and making America secure, is that a bad thing? If they are honoring hard work and minimizing free handouts, is that a bad thing? God doesnt judge a nation based on the character of one man; He judges it based on the spiritual health of her people. Never forget that. I regularly say that we Christians love refugees and immigrants and are eager to help with food, lodging, and jobs. But at the national level, the president is to put the safety and provision of the American people first. When an airplane loses cabin pressure, parents put on their oxygen masks first to better assist their child. This isnt selfishness; its wisdom. Opening the borders parallels cabin pressure falling and a limited supply of masks. Our law enforcement officers could not sustain the load, nor could our nation. Lets streamline the process and welcome God-fearing immigrants and have them contribute to society so everyone benefits. The truth is, kids are not being put in cages and ripped from their mothers, as the song accuses. The majority of news outlets spin everything (yes, everything) to put President Trump in a bad light. Their hatred for him trumps the truth. Their agenda is simple and clear: remove him from office at any cost! And I hope you realize this: they are really coming after you, me, and our Christian values. The push toward open borders is more about votes than truly helping people. Open borders would be like me telling my kids to leave their windows open in case a stranger needs a warm nights sleep. That would be severe parental neglect because many harmful things could also enter through those open windows. Open borders would parallel that type of irresponsibility. Additionally, our financial system cannot support people flooding in who need assistance. How is that using wisdom? Its not a matter of if this type of financial irresponsibility causes damage but when and how much. Our California representatives in Sacramento need to wake up to this factand wake up quickly. There is a better way, but our leaders must repent and seek God for wisdom. Most critics dont care what the facts are. Their hatred for the president overshadows their desperate need for humility. Let this sink in: innocent children are being protected, godly counsel is surrounding President Trump, terror is being restrained, good judges are being selected, socialism is being resisted, families are being encouraged via employment (black employment is at an all-time high), prayer is being brought back in schools, Gods wisdom is being sought, and on and on it goes. So again, we are not following a man, we are revitalizing a movement a movement back to God. Im more concerned with our nations national character than I am with the president's personal character. An analogy that I often use will bring this point home. The head of a neighborhood watch program, who took the late-night watches, had previously had an affair. He was occasionally gruff and impulsive, and sometimes his words were crass and offensive, but he watched over the neighborhood diligently each night. Each week he invited church leaders into his home to pray for him and his family and to seek their advice. He often stood against others on the committee who wanted to enact policies harmful to the neighborhood and to the children, such as advocating an open-door policy where residents were required to allow anyone into their homes at all hours of the day for handouts. Is this not the kind of person you would want leading your neighborhood watch? Does his past or his demeanor matter more than the results he is accomplishing? If you are intellectually honest, the answer is not difficult. In the same way, the answer is simple for America. Again, we are not voting for people based on how godly they are; we are voting for the future direction of America: the right to life, the elevation of Gods Word back to its proper place, the appointment of conservative judges, securing America and her borders, creating jobs, and improving the quality of life for all Americans. As a personal observation, I have noticed that those who oppose President Trump typically embrace liberal theology. It makes one wonder what is truly leading them: worldly mandates or biblical principles. I will close with what I stated in a brief op-ed: we cant have our cake and eat it too there is no middle ground for Christians today. You can choose a president who will wear a Planned Parenthood scarf at her inauguration or one of the countless others who would seek to destroy the America we know and lead us down the primrose path of socialism or worse. Or you can choose to back President Trump. There is no Plan B. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Win McNamee/Staff Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Southern California and the WCF Radio Network. More can be found at ShaneIdleman.com, including free downloads of his eBooks. Visit him on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to his new podcast, Idleman Unplugged. You can also follow Pastor Shane on the new free speech platform Parler. A protester with 12 gold stars representing the European flag stars, as tears on her cheeks, takes part in a "Flag Mob" in Parliament Square in central London on February 20, 2017. JUSTIN TALLIS The U.K. finally left the EU on Friday evening after 47 years of membership, marking one of the biggest political and economic shifts in modern European history. Brexit brings about the end of a tumultuous three-and-a-half year departure process that has caused turmoil in the U.K.'s political establishment, economic uncertainty and heightened tensions between the U.K. and the EU its largest single trading partner as a bloc. The departure on January 31 also marks the start of a "transition period" in which the U.K. remains a member of the single market and customs union and begins negotiations with the EU to strike a free-trade deal. During the transition period, the U.K. will not have voting rights on EU matters but will still be bound by EU rules. The U.K. government has set an ambitious (and some say, unviable) deadline of the end of 2020 in which a deal must be reached, otherwise it will leave the single market with "no deal" and will have to revert to World Trade Organization rules. How did this happen? On June 23, 2016, the British people went to the polls in a vote on whether the U.K. should remain a member of the EU. To much of the country's shock even, it appeared, to politicians like current Prime Minister Boris Johnson who campaigned to leave 51.9% of Brits voted to leave the EU with 48.1% voting to remain in the economic and political union. Although the political earthquake was unexpected, euroskepticism was rife in the country in the decades and immediate years leading up to the referendum, fueled partly by an anti-EU tabloid press in the U.K. and the rise of the U.K. Independence Party led by Nigel Farage. A migration crisis in Europe in the run-up to the 2016 vote, fears over the possible accession of Turkey to the EU and a desire among many Brits to contain immigration also played a part. There were more intangible factors such as Britain being an island separated from its continental neighbors, and of somehow, someway, being "different." Reeling from the vote and the immediate resignation of then Prime Minister David Cameron, the government under Theresa May took until March 29, 2017, to trigger "Article 50," beginning what was meant to be a two-year countdown to the U.K. formally leaving. The EU and U.K. then struck a Brexit deal, or "Withdrawal Agreement," but it failed to win approval by a majority of the British Parliament in March, 2019, and May was forced to ask the EU to extend the deadline. With her Brexit deal being rejected by a total of three times by Parliament, May was all but forced to step down as party leader last summer. Many point to a misjudged election she called in 2017 as being behind her downfall when she lost her paramilitary majority. Her departure prompted a leadership race within the ruling Conservative Party and the ascension of Brexit-supporting Johnson in July. Johnson went back to Brussels and renegotiated parts of the Brexit deal. His plan was also rejected by lawmakers in Westminster but a snap election in December gave him the crucial majority he desired and needed. What happens next? The U.K. will now remain a member of the EU's single market but only during a "transition period" until the end of 2020. During that time, the U.K. and EU will try to strike a trade deal, although the short time frame is seen as ambitious and Brussels has warned London that the trading relationship will not be the same post-Brexit. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar suggested in an interview with the BBC Monday that the EU will be the "stronger team" in post-Brexit trade talks and that striking a deal would be "difficult." Johnson has dismissed pessimism, however, saying the U.K. can "wrap up" a deal by its self-imposed deadline. What's certain, and repeatedly reiterated by the EU side, is that the economic and political relationship will change and the U.K. might not enjoy the "frictionless trade" it has enjoyed as a member of the EU and a member of its single market. The single market seeks to guarantee the free movement of goods, capital, services, and labor the "four freedoms" within the EU. And with a collective population of over 500 million people and consumers, the value of single market membership and that unfettered movement of goods and services is a boon to businesses in the bloc. Mixed feelings Mrs Freda Prempeh, the Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection has inspected work on the construction of a major steel bridge on the Tano River at Baffokrom in the Tano North Municipality of the Ahafo Region. Mrs Prempeh, who is also the Member of Parliament for Tano North was impressed with the progress of work on the project which was awarded on contract around December last year. It is being constructed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways. The Ghana News Agency (GNA) has gathered that former President John Agyekum Kufuors government constructed the old wooden bridge in 2001, and since then no rehabilitation work was done on it. In view of that, the more than 7,000 settlers in farming communities such as Mankranho, Kootwi, Sukuumu, Adu Kwasi and Krofrom were always cut off from each other in the rainy season. They told the GNA it was difficult for them, particularly school children and women to cross the river because of the deplorable state of the old bridge. The old bridge was a death trap. Nobody could cross the river, especially during rainy seasons. School children could also not go to school because any attempt you make you will die, Nana Gyan Baffo II, the Chief of Baffokrom stated. He commended Mrs Prempeh for her support towards the reconstruction of the bridge and expressed appreciation of the people to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos government. Nana Baffo II appealed to the MP to provide the Baffokrom local M/A Primary School with computers and teachers quarters (residential accommodation). The Chief assured their readiness to support the government to achieve its vision for the nation. Mrs. Margret Osei, a farmer could not hide her joy and praised the MP for helping to alleviate the plight of women in the area. She observed the school feeding programme had relieved parents and guardians of huge economic burden and thanked the MP for that. Mrs Prempeh told the residents that the best appreciation they could demonstrate to President Akufo-Addo was to vote in the December polls to retain his government in power. The MP assured of remarkable improvement in their lives, if they vote to give the government an additional four years. 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 Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines said on Friday morning that they were suspending service between the United States and China drastically limiting service just hours before the Trump administration issued new travel restrictions of its own. American Airlines said it was suspending all flights to and from mainland China immediately through March 27. Delta and United said they would suspend service starting on Feb. 6 to accommodate customers and employees. United said it expected to resume operations on March 28. Delta said its suspension would last through April 30. American Airlines and United said they would still operate flights between the United States and Hong Kong. Delta does not fly to that city. Share prices in all three airlines were down for the day nearly 4 percent for United, more than 3 percent for American and nearly 2.5 percent for Delta as concerns about the virus led to a broad market decline. The S&P 500 was down nearly 2 percent. There were a large number of visitors at the Cairo International Book Fair on Friday, ahead of the events closing on 4 February. The book fair was opened by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on 22 January. The event features hundreds of events dedicated to culture, arts and children, as well as workshops on writing, theatre and fine art. There are 808 pavilions at the fair, and 900 Egyptian and foreign publishing houses represented. This years event honours Egyptian scholar and geographer Gamal Hamdan. This event is being held for the second time at the International Exhibition Center in New Cairo, having moved last year from its long-time venue at the Cairo International Fairgrounds in the northeastern district of Nasr City. The book fair, which began in 1969, is the longest-running such book fair in the Arab world. Search Keywords: Short link: LOWELL A Lowell girl hopes to help children during what could be their darkest times find some comfort at the bottom of a bag. Addison Brown started the Miles of Many Smiles organization to provide Smile Bags to police departments. When responding to an incident requiring law enforcement, officers can provide the bags to children there to help put them at ease. Addison, 11, said she started the program about two years ago after noticing a friend was upset at her former school in Greenfield, Indiana. She later learned the friend was being removed from her home and entering the foster care system. When I heard this, I couldnt imagine how hard it would be if my parents got taken away from me or if something happened to my parents, Addison said. She then started assembling the bags, which are available for children of different ages. They include a variety of items, such as books, toys, tissues, coloring books, crayons, dry erase boards and markers. I want to bring these bags to as much police departments as I can to help kids go through the toughest times of their life and maybe just put a little smile on their face, Addison said. Jennifer Williams, who worked for Mike Pence and testified in the House impeachment inquiry, is leaving the vice president's office and moving to a new position in Central Command. Williams listened to the July 25 phone call between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that sparked the impeachment inquiry. She will advise Central Command on Middle East policy issues, according to reports, and head to Tampa where CENTCOM is based. Jennifer Williams, who worked for Mike Pence and testified in the House impeachment inquiry, is leaving the vice president's office Williams testified on Vice President Mike Pence's relationship with Ukraine Her exit comes two months ahead of her planned departure at the end of March, a White House official told CNN. Williams was one of the few White House officials who listened to the July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that led to Trumps impeachment. In her testimony she called the president's effort to bring up political investigations were 'unusual and inappropriate'. Williams, a long-serving Foreign Service Officer, testified to investigators behind closed doors earlier this month, defying orders from the White House who warned her not to do so. She also testified about Pence's relationship with the Ukraine, including the decision not to send the vice president to Zelensky's inauguration and his meeting with the Ukrainian president in Poland. Williams said the first question Zelensky asked Pence was about the military aid that had been with held by the administration. She also submitted additional classified evidence to House investigators about a phone call between Pence and Zelensky, which the vice president's office declined to declassify. Williams was listening to Trump's July 25 phone call with Ukraine president Donald Trump bashed Mike Pence aide Jennifer Williams after it was revealed she called his phone call with the Ukrainian president was 'unusual and inappropriate' Trump attacked her as a 'never Trumper' working with Democrats to attack him. 'Tell Jennifer Williams, whoever that is, to read BOTH transcripts of the presidential calls, & see the just released ststement (sic) from Ukraine,' Trump posted to Twitter in November after she testified. 'Then she should meet with the other Never Trumpers, who I don't know & mostly never even heard of, & work out a better presidential attack!' Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in his dealings with the Ukraine and insisted there was no quid pro quo. Democrats insist that in the call Trump was making millions in military aid dependent on Ukraine investigating the Bidens. Opalesque Industry Update - CI Investments Inc., today announced that CI Liquid Alternatives are now available in an ETF structure and listed directly on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The ETFs mirror the strategies of CI's liquid alternative mutual funds, which were launched in November 2018 following the adoption of the Canadian Securities Administrators' "alternative mutual funds" proposals. The funds have been well received, attracting over $1.1 billion in assets under management (as of December 31, 2019 ). "Our liquid alts are sophisticated and innovative strategies that offer distinct benefits for investor portfolios, including the potential for enhanced returns, capital preservation and reduced correlation to traditional asset classes," said Kurt MacAlpine , Chief Executive Officer of CI Financial Corp., parent company of CI. "In launching these ETFs, we are making these unique mandates and our investment management expertise available to a wider range of investors, who can choose the investment structure they prefer." "At CI, we are very excited about the potential for alternative investments, and we intend to build on our leadership in liquid alts as we continue to enhance our product lineup and modernize our asset management business." CI Financial announced a new strategic direction in November 2019 in which the firm is focusing on three priorities: modernizing its asset management business; expanding its wealth management platform; and globalizing the firm. In addition to liquid alternatives, CI has recently launched an environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandate and a high-interest savings mandate, both in mutual fund and ETF structures. Liquid alternatives incorporate certain hedge fund investment strategies such as short-selling, leverage and derivatives. "Liquid" refers to the investment vehicle itself - a security that can be bought and sold on a daily basis, while "alternative" relates to non-traditional investment strategies. Portfolio managers and mandates CI Lawrence Park Alternative Investment Grade Credit ETF is managed by Lawrence Park Asset Management Ltd., which uses a disciplined investment approach focused on offering a consistent return profile and low correlation to traditional equity and fixed income markets. CRED maintains a high degree of liquidity by investing primarily in securities which are widely traded by multiple dealers and in investment-grade debt of corporations and financial institutions in the developed world. CI Marret Alternative Absolute Return Bond ETF is managed by Marret Asset Management Inc. using a combination of top-down macroeconomic analysis involving the assessment of economic, political and market trends, complemented by a bottom-up company and security-level analysis to assess a company's ability to generate cash and meet interest and principal payment obligations on its debt securities. The fund seeks to generate attractive risk-adjusted returns, regardless of stage in the economic cycle. CMAR invests primarily in debt instruments across the credit spectrum, including cash, government debt, investment-grade corporate debt, convertible bonds, high-yield debt, government agency securities, credit derivatives and other income-producing securities throughout the world. CI Munro Alternative Global Growth ETF is managed by Munro Partners and invests primarily in listed international equities, deploying a long/short equities strategy with a long bias. It seeks to generate strong risk-adjusted absolute returns through exposure to global growth equities over the medium to long term, while maintaining a capital preservation mindset. Munro focuses on identifying sustainable growth trends that are under-appreciated and mispriced by the market, and the resulting winning and losing stocks. A group of over 30 people held a brief protest in south Mumbai, seeking a fresh probe into the alleged suspicious death of special CBI judge B H Loya in 2014. The protest was held near the Gateway of India on Thursday, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Around 36 protesters, who were wearing T-shirts with 'Who killed Judge Loya?' written on it, took part in the protest that lasted for about 15 minutes. They also held a banner with the image of Mahatma Gandhi and 'Satyamev Jayate' written on it. "Justice Loya died under suspicious circumstances. Our demand is that the death case must be properly investigated and the government should file a case. A court trial should be held," one of protesters later said. "After the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of NCP-Shiv Sena and Congress came to power, our hopes about a fresh probe into the case have brightened," he said. When asked, police said that they had not been informed about the protest and no permission had been granted for it. Loya, who was hearing the high-profile Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case of Gujarat, had died of cardiac arrest in Nagpur on December 1, 2014, when he had gone to attend the wedding of a colleague's daughter. Earlier this month, a Maharashtra minister had said that the state government would consider investigation into the alleged suspicious death of Justice Loya if it gets any complaint with 'substantial evidence'. The Supreme Court had held that Loya had died of "natural causes", and had rejected PILs seeking an SIT probe into the death. The SC had held that petitions were moved by political rivals to settle scores which was a serious attempt to scandalise the judiciary and obstruct the course of justice through a "frontal attack" on its independence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British flag waves in front of the Elizabeth Tower at Houses of Parliament in 2017. The transformation of one of the states dirtiest power plants into a mixed-use development with 2,600 homes won unanimous approval Thursday from the San Francisco Planning Commission. With Pier 70 and Mission Bay to the north and India Basin and the Hunters Point Shipyard development to the south, the power plant is the latest of the colossal construction projects on the southern bayfront set to bring tens of thousands of new residents to the once mighty industrial waterfront. The power plant project, being developed by Associate Capital, is set to be built in six phases over 16 years. Of the 2,600 units, 30% would be affordable. The development would also include 1.5 million square feet of commercial space a mix of retail, office and research and development and a 250-room hotel. In addition, the development would yield nearly 7 acres of new public open space, including a Power Station Park, Stack Plaza and a waterfront park connected to the neighboring Pier 70 Shoreline Park and Bay Trail. There will also be a YMCA and two child care centers. The developer will pay $65 million in transit fees and also fund the extension of the 55-Dogpatch Muni bus into the power plant property. In total, the developer said the project includes $862 million of community benefits. Planning Commissioner Kathrin Moore said she was skeptical of the project at the onset but now is a believer. She said the development sets an incredibly high bar and called Associate Capital a developer who has risen to the challenge of an informed community voice. She singled out the plans for public transportation both Muni and a water taxi system and the developers commitment to set aside some housing units for a homeless prenatal care program. I call that allowing yourself to go deeper, she said. Ken Rich, director of development for Mayor London Breed, called the power plant development the last of the major development agreement type projects along this part of the San Francisco waterfront. Michael Macor / The Chronicle 2017 In total, the waterfront projects, which will also include Candlestick Point, will create 20,000 new housing units 6,700 of them affordable and enough commercial space to accommodate 38,000 jobs. Assuming the power plant wins approvals from the Board of Supervisors likely to happen in February all of the waterfront projects will have won approvals, though some have hit snags as many of the regions megaprojects grapple with high costs and complex environmental cleanup. It represents a milestone in terms of planning for a lot, a lot, a lot more housing, said Rich. We have to make sure we get these things built. The power plant was shut down in 2011 after residents beat back a plan to build a new energy facility there. Enrique Landa, who works for the developer, credited neighborhood activists with forcing the closure of the old power plant and laying the groundwork for a new mixed-use neighborhood. He said he tried to harness that energy in planning the propertys next chapter. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. It was the community that worked to close what was a polluting, underutilized power station and the community that demanded that it be redeveloped, he said after the vote. Our team took that mantle and really pushed for a community-driven process. Landa said the developer would be ready to start construction as soon as the approvals are secured. The first phase will include 350 homes, a 200,000-square-foot office building and several acres of waterfront parks. He hopes the restoration of the historic brick Station A building could be part of phase one as well. We are not trailblazing, said Landa, referring to the success of Mission Bay and booming Dogpatch. We are finishing the final chapter of the central waterfront story. Laura Foote, executive director of the pro-housing group YIMBY Action, expressed concerns that the project is so loaded with expensive community benefits affordable housing, historic preservation, open space and recreation that it may not work economically. Other megaprojects in the city including plans to increase density at Parkmerced, redevelop the Schlage Lock factory, and build 8,000 units on Treasure Island have stalled over the past decade. Every time we have a project like this, we raise expectations about what any one project can do, she said. We have expected them to solve every single problem that San Francisco has. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A patient in the state testing positive for novel coronavirus has brought back memories of the Nipah virus outbreak in 2018 which the state health department contained successfully with heightened surveillance and proactive intervention. In the case of nipah virus, the ground zero was Perambra in Kozhikode. The focus of the health department then was to contain the virus at ground zero itself and prevent it from spreading far and wide. For coronavirus, the outbreak occurred abroad and hence the focus is on increased surveillance at airports and seaports, which are points of entry from overseas into the state. According to a senior officer with the Health Department, surveillance of those with a history of travel to China as well as other overseas travellers poses a lesser challenge than in a case where the outbreak is from within the state. In the present case, we need to zero in on a particular group of suspected cases arriving from abroad and take precautionary measures. This is a comparatively easier task than in 2018 when Nipah was spreading quickly within the state during the initial stages of its outbreak, said the officer. However, it could pose a bit of a challenge if some travellers with coronavirus symptoms have arrived before the state stepped up its surveillance at airports and seaports. Approaching the nearest hospital at the slightest indication of symptoms is most advisable as doing so would help reduce spread of the virus, the health officer said. The worlds largest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia, significantly raised its crude sales to the worlds largest oil importer, China, in 2019, boosting its exports to China by 47 percent and beating Russia for the top Chinese supplier spot for the first time in four years, according to Chinese customs data as carried by Reuters on Friday. While Saudi Arabia restricts production under the OPEC+ deal, it has prioritized shipments to the most prized markets, China and Asia, at the expense of exports to markets such as the United States. In addition, Saudi oil giant Aramco has recently signed supply deals with at least two independent refiners, opening a new avenue for its oil sales in China, according to Reuters. Previously, Saudi Arabia exported oil to China only under long-term deals with the state-held corporations. So in 2019, Saudi Arabia exported a record volume of crude oil to China, 1.67 million bpd, according to Chinese customs data and Reuters calculations from tons into barrels. The 47-percent surge made Saudi Arabia the top crude oil supplier of China in 2019, ousting Russia from the top spot, which Russia had held for three consecutive years through 2018. In 2019, Russias sales on the Chinese market also jumped to a record, but not as much as the Saudi exports, apparently. Related: U.S. To Become Net Oil Exporter This Year: EIA According to the customs data crunched by Reuters, Russias crude oil exports to China averaged 1.55 million bpd in 2019, up by 9 percent annually, thanks to the ESPO crude grade which was in demand with independent Chinese refiners. Chinas imports of crude oil from the United States in 2019 slumped by nearly half compared to 2018 due to the trade war and the 5-percent tariff on U.S. crude oil China slapped in September. China didnt import any oil from the U.S. in December 2019, according to the customs data. Yet, analysts expect that China could resume buying U.S. oil now that it has promised to increase its energy imports from the U.S. by US$52.4 billion in 2020 and 2021 on top of the 2017 energy import levels. In 2019, China continued to import Iranian oil, in much lower volumes, but in defiance of the U.S. sanctions. China, however, avoided imports from Venezuela in December 2019for a third consecutive monthas the main customer China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) wants to steer clear of any potential secondary U.S. sanction if it imported Venezuelan oil. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: At least four Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China have been infected by the virus. Governments globally are grappling with the challenge of how to get their citizens out of Chinas Wuhan city, the epicentre of the outbreak. But Pakistan is not evacuating anyone, leaving hundreds of its foreign students in limbo. Al Jazeeras Nicola Gage reports. The New York Times on Friday reported that John Bolton, President Donald Trumps former national security adviser, claims in a forthcoming book that the president directed him to assist in a pressure campaign urging Ukraine to dig up dirt on political rivals. Boltons book says the request came in an Oval Office conversation about two months before Trump asked Ukraines president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, a Ukrainian energy company and alleged election meddling by Ukraine. According to Boltons manuscript, which already rocked the impeachment trial last week and prompted increased calls for witnesses, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, the presidents personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the White House counsel leading Trumps defense team, Pat Cipollone, were part of the conversation, the Times reported. Bolton claims that in the May conversation, Trump asked him to call the Ukrainian president to ensure that hed meet with Giuliani, who planned to travel to Ukraine to discuss the desired investigations. Bolton defied the presidents order and never made the call, he wrote. The Times report came about an hour before the U.S. Senate was prepared to vote on whether to hear more evidence in the impeachment trial, with Republicans confident earlier Friday morning that they could block witnesses and move forward with a swift acquittal. The House impeached Trump in December on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. Two Republicans, Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, have said they will vote to hear from witnesses, especially in light of previous revelations from Boltons book. The New York Times reported previously that Bolton claims the president told him directly that $391 million in military aid to Ukraine should be withheld until the country committed to the investigations pushed by Trump. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has said she might vote in favor of more witnesses, but Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said late Thursday night that There is no need for more evidence. In a statement, Alexander said the presidents actions were inappropriate but did not reach the high bar required for impeachment and removal from office. Earlier this week, Trump lashed out at Bolton, whos he argued is just trying to sell more books. He admonished his form national security adviser as someone who begged him for a job and couldnt get approved for anything since he couldnt get approved for a United Nations ambassadorship years ago. A Chinese artist performs during celebrations for the Chinese Lunar New Year in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan 19, 2020. [Xinhua] Since Jan 18, many African countries in conjunction with the Chinese embassies, Chinese communities, Confucius Institutes and local enterprises have organized several events to mark Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year. In South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana and Mauritius, among others, hundreds of local people attended events organized to mark the festivities, getting an opportunity to enjoy Chinese culture and traditions. In Kenya, Two Rivers Mall organized 5-day events and exhibitions, including a Chinese cultural center and costumes photo booth, kids' Zodiac center, Chinese cuisine, a Chinese wishing tree, Chinese art class, New Year's dragon and lion dances, attracting many local fans. Two Rivers Mall organized the events in conjunction with the Chinese embassy in Kenya, the Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi and the Erdemann Chinese Culture Centre. Janet Wayua, who attended the events on Saturday with her three children, could not hide her excitement. She also had an opportunity to enjoy the 50 percent discount offers on goods by the mall. "I love the Chinese culture, and this was a good opportunity to learn more with my children. I was happy to sample Chinese cuisine and learn the story behind dumplings," she said. Wayua expressed gratitude to the deepening relationship between China and Kenya that has exposed rich Chinese culture to the locals. She wished Kenya could take a page from China's book on developing local culture and traditions. In South Africa, several Chinese and locals gathered at Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg on Jan 19 to celebrate Chinese New Year. The attendees were entertained by dances, music, acrobatics, a Kung Fu show, a Chinese tea art show and Sichuan opera mask-changing. Lin Songtian, Chinese ambassador to South Africa, said the event was key in building the relationship between the two countries and also gave an opportunity to local people to learn about Chinese culture. On the previous day the Chinese embassy in Pretoria organized a similar event, bringing together hundreds of guests including senior government officials, political activists, academics and school children among others. Tanzanians joined their Chinese friends in celebrating the New Year on Jan 19 at the Chinese-built Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. George Simbachawene, the minister of state in the vice-president's office, commended China for pulling 700 million people out of poverty in the last 40 years. Simbachawene said Tanzania has many lessons to learn from China, not only on poverty eradication, but also in the fight against corruption. "In recent years mutual political trust between the two countries has deepened, and exchanges and cooperation between governments, political parties and legislatures have become closer," Simbachawene told Xinhua. Zhao Yanbo, the Chinese ambassador to Botswana, hosted guests and the Chinese community at a reception and art performance in the Gaborone International Convention Center on Jan 21 as part of the Spring Festival celebrations. Zhao commended China-Botswana relations, which he deemed as entering a new starting point carrying important opportunities for stronger growth. "Our two countries have enjoyed frequent mutual official visits, practical cooperation, smooth implementation of major projects, increasing people-to-people exchanges as well as close coordination and collaboration in the international arena, which has greatly contributed to our mutual trust and friendship," Zhao said. Dr. Unity Dow, the minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, said human development, poverty eradication and job creation remains the guiding objective of China-Botswana diplomatic relations. "Our wish for Botswana is to continue to enhance our capacity to trade with China. China's progressive reforms also offer major opportunities for economic development. For instance, China is keen to grow a digital economy and has companies with technologies that complement Botswana's vision to grow a knowledge-based economy," Dow said. Botlhe Dikobe in Gaborone, Botswana contributed to this story. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Advertisement A man in Santa Clara, California, has become the seventh American diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus sweeping the globe, local authorities announced Friday, nearly simultaneous with the White House's declaration that the outbreak that's sickened more than 11,000 and killed 258 people worldwide is a public health emergency in the US. While the outbreak is ongoing, President Trump has issued an order that will block all foreign nationals who have visited China in the prior two weeks - except for the immediate family citizens or permanent residents - from entering the US, beginning at 5pm ET on Sunday. At seven, the American case count remains low, but the virus has quickly spread in China and around the globe the Department of Health and Human Services and President Donald Trump are stepping up measures to contain the deadly new disease. Citizens returning to the US who have visited Hubei province - where Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is located - within two weeks of of coming back to the US will be under a mandatory 14 day quarantine. Those who have traveled elsewhere in mainland China will be subject to a 14-day self-imposed quarantine. To facilitate these measures, all flights returning to the US from anywhere in China will be funneled through seven airports: John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Seattle, San Francisco, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Daniel K Inouye International Airport in Honolulu and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). US officials earlier Friday issued an 'unprecedented' federal quarantine for all 195 passengers evacuated from Wuhan, and said that their test for the new coronavirus may come back negative if someone hasn't developed symptoms - but they could later become ill. Amid these concerning revelations about the test, Chicago officials said that the first American to catch the coronavirus from another without visiting China himself had also traveled to Cleveland before developing symptoms, triggering worry in the Ohio city - despite the state health department's assurances that the man was not infectious during his visit. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS On Wednesday, an evacuation flight with 195 Americans onboard landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California (pictured). Those passengers are all now under federal quarantine. Anyone returning to the US after visiting the Hubei province where Wuhan is located within the prior two weeks will also face a mandatory quarantine, starting Sunday During a Friday briefing, the White House's newly assembled task force for the ongoing coronavirus outbreak declared it a public health emergency in the US. HHS Secretary Alex Azar (center) announced that most foreign nationals will be barred from entry and citizens returning from China will face various grades of quarantines Even as the US takes unusually drastic steps to more efficiently identify cases of coronavirus and prevent its spread, officials continued to plead with Americans to remain calm. HHS Secretary Azar reminded the American public that similar restrictions on entry to the US were placed on travelers coming from West Africa. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Director of National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Dr Nancy Messonnier, also revealed that worldwide cases have increased by 26 percent in just 24 hours during a press briefing. It comes after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday. The US also advised against all travel to China and a quarantine was ordered for the 195 passengers evacuated from Wuhan after one attempted to flee March Reserve air base in Riverside County. It was the first time the CDC had mandated a quarantine in 50 years. A recent New England Journal of Medicine study documented the first case of coronavirus transmission from a patient who did not have symptoms to another person. This revelation is particularly concerning in light of Dr Messonnier's Friday disclosure that a person can still develop the illness later after testing negative for coronavirus while they were symptom-free. The stepped-up measures underscore the seriousness of the outbreak, which has now spread between humans in the US, but officials also reminded press that the disease is not spreading actively in US communities and any given individual's risk of infection is actually quite low. Officials in hazmat suits met passengers as they stepped off the plane and onto awaiting buses (left and right). All 195 passengers are now under a federally mandated 14-day quarantine There are now a total of seven confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, distributed across four states in addition to two cases in Canada. Cases are suspected in several additional US states On Thursday, the World Health Organization announced in a press conference (pictured) that it was declaring the deadly coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency 'If we take strong measures now, we may be able to blunt the impact of the virus here in the US,' said Dr Messonnier. There are still just six confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, but with an additional nearly 7,000 cases reported in the last week alone there's ample reason to believe that many more could occur in the US if containment measures - like the federal quarantine - aren't swift, and thorough. 'We understand that this may seem drastic,' said Dr Messonnier. 'But we would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting.' Additionally, Thursday was the first time officials confirmed case of person-to-person case transmission of coronavirus in the US after a man in Illinois was infected by his wife, who had previously traveled to China. 'The main reason for this declaration is not for what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries,' Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General, said at a press conference. 'Our greatest concern is for the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, which are ill prepared to deal with it.' He added that the declaration didn't mean a 'vote of no confidence in China' and, in fact, congratulated the Chinese government for taking 'extraordinary measures' to contain the outbreak. This marks the fifth time the WHO has made such a declaration since the rule to do was implemented in 2005: for the influenza pandemic of 2009, a resurgence of polio 2014, the Ebola crisis in 2014, the outbreak of Zika virus outbreak in 2016 and the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019. Such a declaration does not give the WHO more money, but officials can make recommendation on travel or trade was well as mobilize public and political action. The warning, officially known as a 'public health emergency of international concern', is the highest warning the WHO can give It's the first time an American has caught the case without having traveled to China. Pictured: Passengers arrive at O'Hare International Airport as they in Chicago, January 24 The wife, 60, had traveled to Wuhan - where the virus originated - in late December to take care of her elderly father. Pictured: Medical staff in protective suits treat a coronavirus patient at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan, January 28 She returned to Chicago on January 13, but did not show symptoms until several days later. Pictured: Medical staff in protective suits treat a coronavirus patient at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, January 27 More than 11,000 cases have been confirmed in 22 countries and territories around the world It comes on the heels of news of the sixth confirmed case in the US of a man whose wife had already been infected. The man's wife, who is in her 60s, became the second American after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. 'Given what we've seen in China and other countries with the novel coronavirus, CDC experts have expected some person-to-person spread in the US,' Dr Robert Redfield, director of the CDC told reporters in a media call on Thursday. 'We understand that this may be concerning, but based on what we know now, we still believe the immediate risk to the American public is low.' The couple, who have not been identified, are now both being isolated at St Alexius Hospital in Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago. According to officials from the Illinois Department of Health, the wife is 'doing well' and the husband is 'stable'. The wife traveled to Wuhan - where the virus originated - in late December to take care of her elderly father. The couple, who have not been identified, are now both being isolated at St Alexius Hospita (pictured) l in Hoffman Estates, a suburb of Chicago Several countries have advised against non-essential travel to the China. Pictured: Funeral workers disinfect themselves after handling a coronavirus victim in Wuhan on Thursday She arrived at O'Hare International Airport on January 13, but did not begin experiencing symptoms until several days later. CDC officials say they do not believe she infected her husband until she was symptomatic. The husband had some pre-existing medical conditions, similar to many infected patients, but health officials would not elaborate on what those conditions were. Health officials say that the man was not attending mass gatherings and they are monitoring close contacts. 'This person-to-person spread was between two very close contacts, a wife and husband,' said Ngozi Ezike, the director of the Illinois Department of Public Health in the media call on Thursday. 'It is not spreading in the wider community.' More than 8,300 people worldwide have been infected and 210 people have died. Pictured: A doctor attends to a patient in an isolation ward at a hospital in Wuhan on Thursday There have been cases of human-to-human transmission reported outside of China, including in Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Pictured: A doctor puts on a protective suit and goggles at a hospital in Wuhan on Thursday Medical workers in protective gear help a suspected coronavirus patient get out of an ambulance in Wuhan Previously, all confirmed US cases had been in patients who travel to Wuhan, where an outbreak has been ongoing since December 2019. However, there have been cases of human-to-human transmission reported outside of China, including in Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. The four other cases have been confirmed in Maricopa County, Arizona; Orange County and Los Angeles County California; and Snohomish County, Washington. Currently, 168 cases are under investigation in at least 26 states - 21 of those alone in Illinois. The CDC say it is likely that more cases of the virus, known as 2019-nCoV, will be reported in the next several days and weeks. Signs and symptoms of the illness include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, with 20 percent of cases becoming severe. Health officials say the best steps Americans can take to stay safe is to practice basic hygiene including washing hands with warm water and soap and coughing or sneezing into an elbow. Meanwhile in China, the coronavirus death toll has risen to 170 as of Thursday afternoon and several countries - including the US and UK - have advised against non-essential travel to the nation. More than 8,300 people have been sickened by the deadly strain in at least 22 countries and territories amid an international effort to stop the spread. US EVACUATES 195 AMERICANS FROM WUHAN AND PLANS SECOND RESCUE FLIGHT On Wednesday, an evacuation flight with 195 Americans onboard landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. They were greeted by in officials hazmat suits before being filed onto awaiting buses and taken to another building. The plane, which also carried six members, departed Wuhan before dawn on Wedneday before stopping to refuel in Anchorage, Alaska. Originally scheduled to fly to Ontario International Airport in Ontario, California, tje flight was diverted to the air base 25 miles away without explanation late on Tuesday night. Currently, the passengers are under a voluntary 72-hour quarantine as officials check for signs and symptoms. Prior to this, the passengers underwent four screenings: two before departure in Wuhan and another two during a refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. There are more than 1,000 Americans still in Wuhan, bu the US State Department announced on Thursday it was planning a second evacuation flight. WUHAN EVACUEE TRIES TO WALK OFF BASE AND IS PLACED UNDER MANDATORY QUARANTINE One of the passengers on the US evacuation flight from Wuhan allegedly tried to walk off the March Air Reserve Base (MARB) less than halfway through the 72-hour quarantine. The unidentified passenger was one of 195 who were asked and voluntarily agreed to remain on base for three days so they could be screened and monitored for any symptoms of coronavirus. However, on Wednesday night, the traveler tried to leave the base, the details of which are unclear, forcing Dr Cameron Kaiser of the Riverside County Public Health Department to issue a quarantine order. This means the passenger is required to stay on base for the entire 14-day incubation period or until authorities say he or she is free to leave. 'This action was taken as a result of the unknown risk to the public should someone leave MARB early without undergoing a full health evaluation,' Riverside County public health officials said in a written statement. Utility work at Oak Park Avenue is scheduled to take place in early 2020, while the streetscape and resurfacing from Harlem Avenue to Euclid Avenue is set for spring 2020. The final phase of resurfacing between Euclid Avenue and Austin Boulevard is set to take place next summer. Village officials hope to have a majority of construction wrapped up by November. The initiative, called "Pledge to the Planet," will reward attendees willing to bypass single-use plastic for the duration of the show with one free 32-ounce Nalgene reusable water bottle featuring Alternative Apparel's popular camo or animal print. Pledge-takers will also receive a stylish "Wear the Difference" Alternative T-shirt made from recycled bottles. "'Pledge to the Planet' was born from our companies' shared goal to raise awareness that simple choices we make every day can have a positive impact on our planet," says Elissa McGee, general manager, Nalgene Outdoor. "We are all about taking steps to make a positive impact on the environment we share," says Michael Johnson, director of marketing for Alternative Apparel. "Whether it's manufacturing our apparel both sustainably and responsibly as a company or choosing reusable bottles for hydration as individuals, we know our actions can make a difference. And we hope PROJECT Las Vegas attendees will join us in this effort." How to make a "Pledge to the Planet" To take the pledge and receive a free Nalgene bottle and Alternative T-shirt, attendees can visit Alternative's Booth #81534. Alternative will also sponsor a nearby water refill station so it easy for attendees to fill and refill their Nalgene bottles. Two Brands Deeply Rooted in Sustainability Both Nalgene Outdoor and Alternative Apparel are deeply rooted in sustainability. Approximately 1.8 million plastic bottles recycled annually are used in Alternative Eco Fabrics. In celebration of Alternative's 25th birthday, the brand is launching six new eco fabrics as a reflection of their continued investment in protecting the environment. By 2021, Alternative is working to replace all virgin polyester with 100% recycled polyester in its manufacturing. More information available at www.alternativeapparel.com/our-promise . Fabrics. In celebration of Alternative's 25th birthday, the brand is launching six new eco fabrics as a reflection of their continued investment in protecting the environment. By 2021, Alternative is working to replace all virgin polyester with 100% recycled polyester in its manufacturing. More information available at www.alternativeapparel.com/our-promise . More than 1,460 bottles are diverted from landfills annually if just one person drinks from a reusable bottle. To raise awareness for this simple behavior, Nalgene partners with Reverb on RocknRefill, a program at music festivals that has diverted 2.75 million single use bottles from landfills. Nalgene also launched The Nalgene Water Fund in 2019 to support access to clean water in communities across the USA. More information about the fund will be available at Alternative's booth or online at www.nalgene.com. Product samples and high-resolution photos of the Nalgene/Alternative products are available to members of the media upon request. About NALGENE Outdoor NALGENE Outdoor Products is based in Rochester, New York. Founded in 1949 as a manufacturer of the first plastic pipette holder, the company soon expanded its product line to include state-of-the-art polyethylene labware under the NALGENE brand. By the mid-1970s, outdoor enthusiasts had discovered the taste and odor-resistant, leak-proof and rugged properties of NALGENE's large selection of plastic containers. In response to this emerging demand, NALGENE Outdoor Products was formed and today the consumer-oriented business offers its customers a wide choice of safe, environmentally friendly, BPA- and BPS- free products that meet their lifestyle needs. For more information, contact NALGENE Consumer Products or visit www.nalgene.com. About ALTERNATIVE APPAREL Since 1995, Alternative Apparel has set out to re-create the soft, livedin look and feel of our favorite vintage tees. Rooted in sustainable and eco-friendly practices, the brand sources the finest fabrics for softness and durability incorporating organic and recycled materials wherever possible. Alternative Apparel is part of the HanesBrands family of apparel brands. For more information visit www.alternativeapparel.com. The Nalgene Water Fund The Nalgene Water Fund was created in August 2019 to raise funds and awareness for [domestic] U.S. communities struggling with access to clean water by supporting grass-roots nonprofits serving those communities. The Nalgene Water Fund is a donor advised fund administered by Reverb. The first set of donations will be distributed to a variety of U.S.-based organizations in early 2020. For more information visit www.nalgene.com/nalgene-water-fund/. Media Contact Information: Greer Bautz Gray Communications/Nalgene 617-694-0284 [email protected] SOURCE Nalgene Outdoor Related Links http://www.nalgene.com Jackalope Vessel Repaired, Finally Sails Again George Kaola, a teacher in the Solomon Islands, and a couple of children pose with the Jackalope, a small sailboat built by UW Lab School students. The boat washed ashore at Ontong-Java Atoll in August 2017. Kaola and some of his students repaired the vessel and launched it from the atoll out to sea Jan. 24. (George Kaola Photo) After nearly two and a half years dry-docked on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean, the Jackalope has finally set sail again. The small sailboat, originally put together by students in the University of Wyomings Lab School, was launched -- with a rebuilt sail, a fresh paint job and new GPS tracker -- from a tiny atoll in the Solomon Islands Jan. 24 at about 7:30 a.m. Solomon Islands time, which is 18 hours ahead of Laramies Mountain Standard Time. During the initial few hours of its new journey, the Jackalope passed an atoll known as Nukumanu, located just to the northwest. Nukumanu is the last place on the flight path of Amelia Earhart before she and her co-pilot, Fred Noonan, disappeared forever, says Michael Cheadle, a UW associate professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics. Lets hope it doesnt do an Amelia Earhart. In its first seven days after being relaunched at sea, the miniature craft has traveled much farther east than the famous aviator, having traveled about 300 miles, Cheadle says. Thats 43 miles a day. Thats pretty good for a little boat, he says. Slightly more than three years ago, Cheadle and his wife, fellow geology Professor Barbara John, first launched the Jackalope in the Pacific Ocean with the hope it would wash up on some distant shore and be discovered. Approximately 5 feet long and outfitted with a small sail and keel, the tiny vessel was built by UW Lab School students in Theresa Williams class. The Jackalope was one component of a multipronged community outreach effort related to the National Science Foundation-funded voyage of the U.S. Research Vessel Atlantis and two small submarines tasked to explore and sample the seafloor at Pito Deep in the Pacific Ocean in February 2017. The small craft traveled about 7,600 miles, which is equivalent to 30 percent of the way around the Earth, during its initial 190-day voyage. The sailboat eventually found its way to the shores of Ontong-Java Atoll -- one of the most remote atolls in the world -- Aug. 21, 2017. The atoll is located just north of the Solomon Islands and east of Papua New Guinea. Equipped with a GPS that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitored, the craft contained a time capsule of Laramie and writing in nearly 20 languages, including Cantonese, Chinese, English, French, Mandarin, Papua New Guinean, Portuguese and Spanish. The hope was that whoever found the Jackalope would correspond with UW Lab School students after discovering its contents. However, that scenario did not initially play out. Fishermen living on the atoll discovered the small craft washed ashore. Not knowing what it was, they stripped the vessel of its GPS system and left it dry-docked. However, in a stroke of luck, George Kaola, who had grown up on the atoll but now lives in the Solomon Islands, had been following the outreach efforts of the Jackalopes journey online. Kaola is a teacher at the Kukum Seventh-day Adventist Elementary School in Honiara, the capital city of the Solomon Islands. Kaola traveled to the atoll and collected the Jackalope during Christmas 2017. After its long journey, the boat was weather-beaten, but fairly intact, sans a broken brace on the mast and some paint chipped away from the hull, no doubt from frequent storms the small craft encountered on its long journey. John and Cheadle say they received further correspondence, in which Kaola indicated he and his students would rebuild the Jackalope provided John and Cheadle could send replacement parts, including a new GPS and sail. John purchased an Iridium GPS, meaning it can be tracked by satellite, and a new sail from Educational Passages, a company that sells the mini-boats and related equipment. The new GPS has solar cells, relying on the sun for power and its signal picking up more frequently than the prior GPS, which ran on batteries. Students at the Lab School painted the new sail, and they sent a number of trinkets and gifts with it to the Solomon Islands. The project received a boost when John contacted representatives of The Nature Conservancy in Australia, who said, if she and Cheadle mailed the parts to them, they would hand-deliver the equipment to Kaola and help him install the GPS. While it took some time, Kaola and his students eventually restored the Jackalope to its original luster. Cheadle notes that when the Jackalope landed on the atolls shores in summer 2017, it was traveling west. George looks like a smart guy. It looks like he launched the boat from the northeast part of the atoll, says Cheadle, tracking the recent launch of the Jackalope on his computer. He knows currents well enough that it will sail away as opposed to blowing back. Its now going east. While the currents and winds are constantly changing, Cheadle says there is nothing but open ocean heading east. Should the winds and currents remain stable, the Jackalope could eventually land on the shores of South America. On the flip side, Cheadle says, if the currents force the small craft back in a westerly direction, the trade winds may take the sailboat all the way to the Philippines if it manages to miss lots of little islands. There also are other potential obstacles. While Cheadle didnt think the small sailboat would end up in the belly of a whale, he says it is more likely a shark could take a chunk out of it, or it gets run over by a tanker or a freighter. However, Cheadle is much more optimistic. If it lands somewhere, hopefully it goes to a populated area, he says. Hopefully, schoolchildren find it and take out the little gifts, and they put in their own trinkets. Build a relationship between those children and pupils at the Lab School. And they launch it again, and it gets passed around the world. That would be ideal. The Kerala Assembly's business advisory committee on Friday dismissed the notice for resolution by opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, demanding a recall of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan. A recall is a procedure by which, one can remove an official before his/her tenure is ended. Chennithala had given the notice to move the resolution when the House convened on January 29 for the budget session. The ruling Left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan opposed the resolution. Chennithala on Wednesday accused Khan of weakening the federal system of the state and working in tandem with the central government while trying to weaken all non-BJP state governments."He is weakening the federal system and working as a tool of Home Minister Amit Shah and trying to weaken non-BJP state governments," Ramesh Chennithala had told reporters. Chennithala also accused the Governor of working as the state president of BJP."Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is ridiculing the Kerala assembly for passing a resolution requesting the central government to withdraw CAA. He is acting as the state president of BJP, as a tool in the hands of RSS and BJP," he said. Addressing the budget session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Khan read out a portion against the CAA in his policy address stating that he was doing so to "honour the wish" of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.Khan said although he disagreed with the state government over its resolution requesting the Centre to abrogate the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.Earlier, a controversy erupted after Khan said that the state government's decision to move the Supreme Court against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was "illegal" as it did not have his approval.After a resolution was passed in the State Assembly seeking withdrawal of the CAA, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has approached the apex court against the law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mauritanias defense ministry has officially denied hosting a military air base near the borders with Algeria. Rumors spread after a visit this month by a UAE military delegation with many news portals spreading fake news of a possible Emirati base near the Mauritanian borders with Algeria and Mali. The defense ministry underscores the brotherly ties with the UEA based on the principle of mutual interest and cooperation in all fields including military. In mid-2019, many regional news-outlets also reported about the setting up of an UAE military base in Niger near the border with Libya. The UAE has provided military and financial support for forces loyal to General Haftar who are trying to take the capital Tripoli from the UN-recognized government. Somalilands authorities have inked a deal with the United Arab Emirates for a $442 million port upgrade and the establishment of a new UAE naval base, offering the UAE a new launch point for its involvement in the Saudi-led war in Yemen and a way to strengthen its footing in the Horn of Africa. The UAE also has a naval and air base around the Eritrean port of Assab. STOCKHOLM - Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations on Friday made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. The Fridays For Future movement and activist Greta Thunberg held a news conference with the activists to spotlight the marginalization of African voices a week after The Associated Press cropped Nakate out of a photo at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Nakate, Makenna Muigai of Kenya, Ayakha Melithafa of South Africa and climate scientist Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa pointed out the various challenges both in combating climate change on the booming continent of some 1.2 billion people and in inspiring the worlds response. African activists are doing so much, Nakate said. It gets so frustrating when no one really cares about them. The AP has apologized and acknowledged mistakes in sending out the cropped photo on Jan. 24 and in how the news organization initially reacted. The AP has said that it will expand diversity training worldwide as a result. Nakate said Friday she was very sad the photo incident occurred but added that Im actually very optimistic about this as it has drawn global attention to climate activists in Africa and the various crises there. Muigai pointed to a recent locust outbreak that parts of East Africa have seen in 70 years, which threatens food security for millions of people in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and is moving toward South Sudan and Uganda. Challenges include everything from deforestation to bad energy policies, Muigai said. They also include changes in storm intensity that brought two devastating cyclones to Mozambique a year ago, Mcunu said. And they include the recent drought crisis in South Africas Cape Town region, Melithafa said. The narrative we have is Africans can adapt to this. That is actually not true, Mcunu said. The warnings have been stark for Africa. No continent will be struck more severely by climate change, the U.N. Environment Program has said. Africa has 15% of the worlds population, yet is likely to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, the African Development Bank has said, noting that seven of the 10 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change are in Africa: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. And yet to date, energy-related CO2 emissions in Africa represented around 2% of cumulative global emissions, the International Energy Agency said last year. In some cases it is difficult to persuade people to care more about climate change because there are so many other pressing everyday issues such as poverty, unemployment and gender-based violence, Melithafa said. Thats hard for the global north to understand. Instead people should work to hold more developed countries accountable for producing the bulk of emissions that contribute to global warming, the activists said. Every individual is needed in the fight against the climate crisis, Nakate said. Because climate change is not specific about the kinds of people it affects. For her part, Thunberg firmly returned the spotlight to the activists from African countries. Im not the reason why were here, she said, later adding: We are fighting for the exact same cause. And she noted that while whatever she says gets turned into a headline, that is not the case for many others. The African perspective is always so under-reported, Thunberg said. Nakate urged the audience to make 2020 the year of action on climate change after young activists in 2019 put the issue squarely at the centre of global discussions. It wont be easy, she noted: It is the uncomfortable things that will help to save our planet. ___ Anna reported from Johannesburg. BOSTON A Whitman resident who was caught in possession of more than 300 images and videos of child pornography while on pretrial release for separate charges of indecent assault and battery of a child and child pornography, pleaded guilty in federal court on Wednesday. Matthew Kulikowski, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for charges that date to September 2018. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2020, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. Kulikowski has been behind bars since his arrest, she said. During an investigation, law enforcement learned that someone in Kulikowskis home distributed child pornography using Kik messenger. Investigators searched the home and found a tablet in Kulikowskis bedroom that had a minimum of 300 images and videos of child pornography, including some that showed the sexual assault of girls between the ages of 4 and 8, DiLorio-Sterling said. At the time of the arrest, Kulikowski had an outstanding case charging him with possession of child pornography, disseminating obscene material to a minor and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He has since been convicted of the offenses, she said. If convicted, Kulikowski faces a minimum sentence of five years in prison, she said. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Boston with the assistance of the Massachusetts State Police, Whitman Police and the Plymouth District Attorneys office, she said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: The current level of friendly political relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine creates the basis for the successful development of economic ties, Azerbaijani Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov said. Shahbazov made the remark in Baku at the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Ukraine working group on cooperation in the energy sector, Trend reports. More than 1.9 million tons of Azerbaijani oil was transported to Ukraine over the past three years, the minister said. SOCAR Trading SA supplied crude oil, various oil products and gas to Ukraine during this period. "SOCAR Energy Ukraines investments worth more than $300 million and the large-scale activity of the company were mentioned as positive moments," the minister said. The signing ceremony of the "Memorandum of Understanding between the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy and the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Environmental Protection" will positively affect the further development of energy cooperation. "Ukraine has so far invested $25.4 million in Azerbaijans economy while Azerbaijan - $1.1 billion, the minister said. Todays meeting will contribute to a further increase in these indicators." Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection Orzhel Oleksiy spoke about the potential spheres of cooperation with Azerbaijan in the energy sector. "Ukraine is interested in Azerbaijani companies investments in the energy sector, the minister said. Azerbaijani oil and gas products may also be exported to the European markets through Ukraine." Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Vladyslav Kryklii stressed that dynamic cooperation in political and economic spheres is underway between Azerbaijan and Ukraine. Kryklii added that both countries are interested in implementing joint projects in the energy, industrial and agricultural sectors. "I think that Azerbaijan may use alternative ways of transporting oil and gas products through Ukraine, the minister said. Azerbaijani companies have great experience in building road infrastructure. Therefore, I urge Azerbaijani companies to take part in the reconstruction of Ukrainian roads." Following the meeting, a protocol was signed and a decision was made to hold another meeting of the working group in 2021 in Baku. A "Ukraine-Azerbaijan" round table and a meeting of the Azerbaijan-Ukraine working group on cooperation in the field of energy were held in Kiev on January 30. Guests at Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort & Spa. A person from China who is the first to test positive for the Wuhan virus in Singapore had stayed at the resort, said the Health Ministry. (Source: Strait Times) The local Strait Times newspaper reported that the 66-year old person who tested positive for the virus is a Chinese national and resident of the city of Wuhan, where there infection broke out. After the first confirmed case of the China-related virus, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on January 24th affirmed that his government is well-prepared to deal with the disease. The new coronavirus strain, first discovered in the central city of Wuhan, has caused an alarm because of its connection to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)./. HONOLULU - After three helicopter crashes, one of which killed three people, the chairman of a key Senate committee has asked for an investigation into misconduct allegations at the Federal Aviation Administrations Hawaii field office. A whistle blower alleges an inappropriately close relationship between an FAA manager and a helicopter tour company involved in three crashes during the past two years. Three people were killed in one of the crashes, which happened in April of last year. The allegations include managers directing that investigative reports be altered, and management retaliation against an employee who reported the problems, Transportation Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, a Republican from Mississippi, said in a letter dated Jan. 24 calling for the probe by the the Transportation Departments inspector general. He says a whistle blower reported the allegations to the committee staff. The committee says in a fact sheet on the case that its own investigation isnt complete, but it raises significant concerns about the efficacy of FAA oversight in Hawaii. The FAA said Friday that it has been investigating on its own and already is taking steps to address problems that have been substantiated. It pledged to co-operate with the office of Inspector General Calvin Scovel. In June 2019, an FAA employee alleged misconduct by managers in the flight standards district office in Honolulu, saying that managers too frequently overrode recommendations of inspectors, according to the fact sheet. A second employee contacted the committee in December, alleging misconduct at the same office. The employee, Joseph Monfort who the fact sheet said agreed to be publicly identified alleged some managers in the Hawaii FAA office have an inappropriately close relationship with Novictor Aviation, a helicopter tour operator in Hawaii. In November 2018, local FAA management revoked Novictors letter of authorization to operate under less restrictive regulations, citing the companys accident history and lack of verifiable safety measures. Monforts front line manager, Darett Kanayama, improperly granted check airman authority to Novictors owner and operator, Nicole Vandelaar, according to the fact sheet. In April, a Novictor tour helicopter crashed on a residential street outside Honolulu, killing all three on board. Mr. Monfort began an investigation into the crash, which revealed that Ms. Vandelaar had received her check airman certification from Mr. Kanayama improperly, the fact sheet said. According to Mr. Monfort, Ms. Vandelaar was improperly certified to administer check rides on behalf of the FAA, but subsequently gave a check ride to the pilot involved in the April 29th crash 10 days before the accident. Monfort revoked her authorization in May, and later that day was removed from the investigation, the fact sheet said. We were briefed about it and most of it is inaccurate, Kanayama said Friday. Thats not correct, he said when asked if he improperly granted Vandelaar the certification. Hes making up stories again. Kanayama later said he misspoke. Were going to do an investigation and find out if its correct or incorrect, he said. Vandelaar didnt immediately respond to phone and email messages Friday. In September and November 2019, Monfort asked to travel to the island of Kauai to inspect Safari Aviation, a helicopter tour operator, the fact sheet said, and the requests were denied, making it next to impossible for him to perform adequate oversight. On Dec. 26, a Safari Aviation tour helicopter crashed, killing all seven on board. Monfort, a retired warrant officer helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army who began his FAA career in 2009, has filed a whistle blower retaliation complaint with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. The probe isnt the first time the FAA has been accused of being too cozy with aviation companies that it regulates. Legislators have said the agency gave too much inspection authority to Boeing Co. when it certified the 737 Max passenger jet to be able to fly. The plane has since been grounded after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. ___ Krisher reported from Detroit. A dating app profile appearing to belong to a man who pleaded guilty to slapping his pregnant girlfriend while accidentally live-streaming the attack has used pictures from his court appearances for the social media page. Luke James Munday, 27, was filmed assaulting his partner Grace Campbell while live-streaming a Fortnite game at their Oran Park home, in Sydney's south-west, in December 2018. Now a dating app profile on Hinge appearing to belong to the network engineer is using a picture of himself taken during his court appearance in September. Two of the images on the profile appear to feature him wearing the dark blue jacket, checked shirt and dark tie he wore to Picton Local Court. Luke James Munday , 27, was filmed assaulting his partner Grace Campbell in December 2018 - and a profile appearing to belong to him is using a photo from his court appearance (pictured) Munday fronted Picton Local Court in September 2018 and avoided jail after admitting to the assault on his pregnant partner The images were circulated in media articles and broadcasts at the time. The profile appears to have also used images of Munday with his children, eating breakfast and attending music festivals. Hinge requires users to answer three prompts to fill out their profiles so potential matches can gauge more about a person. The account holder wrote he is looking for 'someone who is motivated, driven and dedicated to succeeding in your interests and life'. The person is also eager to hear about potential matches' biggest interests as 'learning new things is amazing'. The account holder also has included personal information such as he is open to children, sometimes drinks but doesn't smoke or do drugs. The profile also states: 'A random fact I love: Chlorine is actually odorless. Indoor pools have a distinct smell due to Trichloramine, a by product from urine and chlorine.' Munday, who goes by Mr Dead Moth online, was sentenced to a 14-month good behaviour bond in November 2019 after being convicted of domestic violence-related common assault. While the assault was not captured on video, numerous witnesses, who were watching via video streaming site Twitch, heard a loud slapping noise and reported it to police His lawyer Steven Mercael told Picton Local Court at the time the assault was 'just a slap'. 'He's a loving caring person with no history of domestic violence,' Mr Mercael said. 'On this day he just slapped his partner.' He withdrew his remarks after being rebuked by magistrate Mark Douglass. 'I would not in any way accept the submission this was just a slap in the face, the court rejects that submission,' Mr Douglass said. Munday had assaulted his girlfriend Grace Campbell (pictured left with Munday) after she asked him to come to dinner while he was playing the video game Fortnite Footage showed Ms Campbell asking him to come to dinner with their family, and after Munday repeatedly refused, she became frustrated and threw several objects at him. In response he stood up, slapped her on the left side of her face and pulled her to the ground. While the assault was not captured on video, numerous witnesses, who were watching via video streaming site Twitch, heard a loud slapping noise and reported it to police. Mr Douglass said he considered sending Munday to jail and that his offence was just below the mid-range of offending. The account holder wrote on the dating profile he is looking for 'someone who is motivated, driven and dedicated to succeeding in your interests and life'. Pictured outside court in December 2018 Mr Mercael told the court that Munday was minding his own business when he was provoked. He said that the police had been called to the home on 20 to 30 occasions, that he was the victim of domestic violence and had previously suffered scratches and a busted lip. The court heard that Munday had on several occasions lost his job due to widespread media coverage, had wept after the incident was publicised on gaming websites and he was abused via social media. Mr Douglass warned Munday, who was in 2011 convicted of common assault, that the offence carried a maximum jail term of two years. 'I suggest things being thrown is unacceptable but the response was inappropriate, unlawful and violent,' Mr Douglass said. 'The submissions made on your behalf, if they had not been made, I would have viewed the threshold may have been reached and perhaps considered some form of custodial sentence.' Landra Gould, widow of senator Harry M. Reid, pays respects at his casket at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll/Bloomberg News) The former Senate majority leader was remembered as a pragmatic dealmaker who became a political force across two presidencies. European leaders have warned Boris Johnson that Britain faces a more distant relationship with Brussels after Brexit if it insists on leaving the EU's regulatory orbit. As Brexiteers prepare to celebrate the UK's withdrawal at the stroke of 11pm on Friday, in European capitals there was sadness at the breaking of a bond dating back 47 years. But the expressions of regret were accompanied by warnings of a tough battle ahead as the two sides prepared to embark on talks on a free trade agreement. European Council president Charles Michel said Britain's stated determination not to align with EU rules meant it could not expect the same levels of market access. "The more the UK will diverge from the EU standards, the less access to the single market it will have," he told a news conference in Brussels. Expand Close New dawn: David Sassoli, Ursula von der Leyen, and Charles Michel. photo: EU/Etienne Ansotte / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp New dawn: David Sassoli, Ursula von der Leyen, and Charles Michel. photo: EU/Etienne Ansotte European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said relations with the UK would never be as close once it is outside the EU. "We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership," she said. Earlier, in a BBC interview, she made clear the EU would battle to protect the integrity of the single market in the negotiations. "Negotiations will be fair. But, of course, each side will fight for their interests," she said. Her comments reflect a determination to prevent the UK undermining EU rules and regulations through undercutting. UK cabinet minister Michael Gove however reaffirmed the Government's commitment to break with Brussels' regulatory regime. "We are moving further away from the orbit of EU rules and laws," he told the BBC. "For example, on migration, we can decide what the right policy is, who should come here and on what terms." Expand Close An Elvis impersonator sings and plays guitar on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Elvis impersonator sings and plays guitar on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls A No 10 spokesman added: "You can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept their rules. We have been clear we will not be doing so." In a symbolic move, Mr Johnson chaired a meeting of the UK cabinet in Sunderland, the city which was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum. And in what Number 10 billed as an "address to the nation" released an hour before the moment the UK leaves the EU, the Prime Minister will promise to heal the bitter divisions opened up by Brexit. He will say: "Our job as the Government - my job - is to bring this country together and take us forward." He will call Brexit "the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act". "It is a moment of real national renewal and change. "This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances - your family's life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in." The address was being filmed by Downing Street rather than one of the national broadcasters in the latest clash between Number 10 and the media. Traditionally, speeches by the UK PM in Number 10 have been recorded by a single broadcaster and then shared with other television networks, in what is known as a "pool" system. Mr Johnson will spend the evening in No 10 hosting a celebratory reception for senior ministers, officials, and supporters of the 2016 referendum campaign to leave the EU. On Parliament Square, Brexiteers will gather for a party led by Nigel Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show while a new commemorative 50p coin is entering circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. The Belgian capital has dressed its famous Manneken Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume, complete with Union flag waistcoat. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned. The Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations, and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit was staging a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. Former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri has vowed to be Deputy President William Rutos general to the end, days after launching his own party. Speaking in Kiambu at the funeral service of the late Mama Ruth Wanjiku Iraya on Wednesday, Kiunjuri said he would stand with the DP, whether he joins the Opposition or forms the next government. Deputy President, I can assure you that you will have one general to the end. If you end up in opposition we shall be together if you form the next government we shall be there, he said. At the same time, the ex CS who was sacked by Uhuru in a Cabinet reshuffle early this month appeared to accuse the president of preaching water but drinking wine. Wacha watu wazungumuze If Jesus had a conversation with a mad manwho are you not to have a conversation with other Kenyans? how can you tell us to build bridges and you want to demolish others. You are in the process demolishing one to build the other, he said, adding: Ya kupimaniwa hewa tuwache. Kiunjuri, however, said though he has no problem with the President, those around him are to blame. He said all Kenyans have a right to speak about the BBI. Those who are not against us are for us. Even if I decided to go start my own BBI campaigns in Laikipia it shall still be the same BBI we are talking about, he said. Kiunjuri added that President Uhuru should serve his term and leave. Jesus was born and ruled and left. Our colonisers were here and left leaving a lot of unaccomplished work. Founding father Jomo Kenyatta pushed what he could and did not finish. Moi took over the work, he did not finish and handed over to Mwai Kibaki who later handed to Uhuru Kenyatta. Let Uhuru serve his term and leave and that is why DP Ruto is preparing to take over the work. Let everyone serve their terms and go, and even if you were to serve 20 years you will not finish this work, Moi served for 24 years did he finish, our colonisers were here for over 100 years did they finish, stated Kiunjuri. Ousted broadcaster Alastair Stewart was reportedly warned by ITN bosses about his Twitter use prior to him stepping down from the corporation. ITN insiders have stressed that Mr Stewart, 67, was not sacked over just one offensive tweet but a series of inappropriate comments, directed to Martin Shapland, 34, and others, which violated editorial guidelines. Mr Shapland, a black Twitter user, accused the former ITV newsreader of calling him an 'angry ape', leading him to quit his high-profile job. Alastair Stewart, pictured in November 2018, stepped down from his presenting role at IT Martin Shapland (pictured) was in a debate with Mr Stewart on Twitter when the veteran newsreader quoted a passage from Shakespeare that included the words 'angry ape'. Mr Shapland described this as a 'disgrace' Stewart's decision to step down comes after a black Twitter user claimed he 'called him an angry ape' three weeks ago. Martin Shapland later branded Stewart a 'disgrace' Mr Stewart and Mr Shapland were debating the Royal Family's finances online when the news anchor cited a passage from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure that included the phrase 'angry ape'. Mr Stewart wrote: 'But man, proud man, Dress'd in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd His glassy essence like an angry ape.' Describing Stewart as a disgrace, Mr Shapland shared the tweet and said: 'Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape.' One ITN insider told the Mirror: 'Alastair was already drinking in the last chance saloon over his social media comments and this was simply the final straw. This is not about one Tweet that has become public, but multiple breaches. It's a real shame.' They added: 'This is not the first time he's been spoken to about the way he conducts himself on social media. The suggestion that he's lost his job over one Tweet is simply wrong.' Mr Stewart, who is married with four children, was the nation's longest-serving male newsreader. He started on Southern Television in 1976 and joined ITN in 1980. An OBE came in 2006 for services to broadcasting. Mr Stewart, who is married with four children, was the nation's longest-serving male newsreader. He started on Southern Television in 1976 and joined ITN in 1980. An OBE came in 2006 for services to broadcasting Good Morning Britain's Political Editor Ranvir Singh (left) and Alastair Stewart (right) He has since apologised for the tweet. In a statement, Mr Stewart said: 'It was a misjudgement which I regret, but it's been a privilege to bring the news to households throughout the UK for the past 40 years.' There has been some backlash among viewers and fellow broadcasters who have accused ITN bosses of 'forcing out' the long-standing newsreader. More than 16,000 people have signed a petition demanding Mr Stewart gets his job of more than 40 years back and that his accuser makes a public apology. The Change.org petition describes the race row as 'ridiculous' and comes after veteran BBC broadcaster Andrew Neil declared that 'the only explanation can be the ITN suits wanted him out - and seized their chance.' Mr Neil, 70, said his ITN peer is 'the only person to be fired for quoting Shakespeare accurately' after Mr Stewart posted a tweet that his bosses claim was a 'breach of social media policy and editorial guidelines'. He is one of several prominent journalists who have accused ITN officials of 'hanging him out to dry' in a 'public shaming' that even his colleagues have said was unfair. His accuser Mr Shapland, a lobbyist from east London, also defended him, saying 'an apology would have been enough' and he 'takes no pleasure' in his decision to stand down. Twitter account Socialist Voice, which has 70,000 followers, posted a series of old social media messages from Mr Shapland, saying he has 'issues with white people'. They added: 'Martin Shapland's Twitter feed is full of anti-white bigotry - he also compares white people to 'cheesecake' and refers to white privilege.' A woman dressed as Minnie Mouse has been filmed violently assaulting a Las Vegas security guard. Shocking video was posted to Instagram and shows a woman dressed up as the beloved Disney character getting into a brawl within seconds of the pair interacting with one another on the Sin City sidewalk. Minnie Mouse is seen to lose the head of her costume as she punches a red-headed woman who is seen to be wearing a black 'Security' jacket. A security guard, left, can be seen speaking with two people dressed as Mickey and Minnie Seconds later, the security guard and Minnie Mouse are involved in a huge brawl A woman dressed as Minnie Mouse on the Las Vegas Strip ended up beating up a security guard working at a shopping mall The performer had been yelling at the worker for a while before it came to blows but Minnie was the stronger of the two during the fight During the punch-up, Minnie accidentally punches a man in a Mickey costume who was attempting to pull the women apart. A third member of the group dressed in a Goofy costume simply watches while the fracas is in full swing. The speed at which Minnie's fists come flying out completely caught the security lady off her guard and she quickly ended up on the floor with Minnie towering above her. The woman appeared to be confused and bewildered by the beating. Her partner, dressed as Mickey, far left, but was also punched, while another friend dressed as Goofy, right, attempted to intervene The woman dressed as Minnie knocked the security guard to the ground and sat on top of her Eventually, Minnie is pulled off the woman, who by this time is lying on the ground. She picked up her yellow cartoon-style shoes and shouts, 'I ain't no b****, b****!' Surprised onlookers managed to take video of the melee with their cellphones. It's not known what fight was in relation to, however the Daily News reports that the two women had been shouting at one another for some time before the punches flew. As the fight finally ends, the man dressed as Mickey can be seen picking up both the Mickey and Minnie heads off the floor before walking off. A spokesman for Las Vegas Metropolitan Police told said: 'We are looking into the matter and trying to identify the suspect.' After it was all over, the Mickey and Minnie characters picked up their heads while the security guard can be seen clutching her head, far right One day after the Trump Administration unveiled whats being referred to as a new block grant system for Medicaid, Gov. Kay Ivey was asked whether the state might consider opting in. How you gonna pay for it? Ivey asked in response. Ivey had just finished speaking to the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabamas annual Albert Brewer Lunch at the Harbert Center in Birmingham. Arkansas and Oklahoma have expressed interest in the new Medicaid approach, which allows states to choose whether they receive fixed federal payments in return for greater control in structuring the healthcare program. Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, calls the plan Healthy Adult Opportunity, and it allows states to opt in to the program, which would not affect all Medicaid beneficiaries, but only adults under age 65 who are not disabled. Alabama remains one of 13 states declining to accept Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Advocates for expansion say that as a result of foregoing federal funds, 13 rural hospitals have closed since 2011. In addition 88 percent of rural hospitals in Alabama are operating in the red, meaning revenues received for patient care are not enough to cover the cost of providing it. Estimates last year pegged the states costs at $168 million to expand Medicaid to cover more than 300,000 uninsured Alabamians. Ivey said the state will certainly look at the plan" but offered no commitment. Its a difficult thing," she said. "Theres no use in saying what if and commenting on conjecture. During her speech at the PARCA meeting, Ivey said she is still going through a report given her yesterday by the Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, a panel she formed last year to look at topics related to Alabamas crowded and violent prison system. Ivey said she will take the reports recommendations to propose legislative remedies to make sure Alabamas prison system is fair and rehabilitative. Im so pleased with how thorough they were and the fact they were bipartisan, Ivey said of the group. They left politics at the front door, with no preconceived notions and dealt with the issues. On Wednesday, the Alabama Department of Corrections announced that William C. Holman Correctional Facility, a 51-year-old prison with a violent history, is partially closing because of deteriorating underground utilities. This required the transfer of more than 600 inmates, and has the state looking at the possible purchase of a vacant, private prison in Perry County because of an urgent need for prison beds. During her speech, Ivey said state officials cannot allow the dangerous conditions in our prisons to be remedied by federal courts or federal officials. We know that the issues are multi-faceted and long-standing, and my priority is to seek an Alabama solution, she said. We know the Department of Justice is there to step in and take over if we dont, and yall, maintaining the status quo is not an option. Mumbai: "Chhapaak", which is Deepika Padukone's first film as a producer, has been poorly voted on IMDb. The actress has given a twist to one of the most impactful dialogues from the film to respond to the trolls. "Unhone meri surat badli hai, mera mann nahi," is the actual dialogue from the film based on the life of acid attack survivor Laxmi Agarwal. The film has currently got a rating of 4.6 stars on IMDb. Now, a video of Deepika and the film's director Meghna Gulzar has surfaced online. She is seen reacting to the low ratings of the film. She says: "Unhone meri IMDb rating badli hai, mera mann nahi (They have changed my rating on IMDb, but not my mind)." Prior to the release of the film earlier this month, she did everything to promote it. But it was her visit to Jawaharlal Nehru University that was met with mixed reactions from people. She was there to lend her support to the protesting students there though many found it a publicity stunt. Forty thousand of the total 50,000 kanals of land have been identified in the Jammu region as against 10,000 in the Kashmir Valley. Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government has identified 6,000 acres of land across the Union territory for potential investors who will take part in the J&K Global Investors Summit in April, officials said on Wednesday. The land identified mostly falls in the districts of Samba and Kathua in Jammu region, and Pulwama and Anantnag districts in the Kashmir Valley. "The summit will be open for all the global investors and to local industrialists as well as those from other parts of the country who want to set up and expand their businesses in Jammu and Kashmir," Ravinder Kumar, MD, SIDCO told IANS. On January 20, Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Girish Chandra Murmu had said that the first ever Jammu and Kashmir Global Investors Summit will be held in J&K in April. Speaking a pre-investors global summit in Delhi, Murmu had said that sectoral seminars will be organised and the main events will be held in Srinagar. The government has started a campaign to bring Jammu and Kashmir on the industrial map of the country. "We will be organising road shows in other states and holding conclaves to attract investors to Jammu and Kashmir," Kumar said. He said it is going to be a three-day summit that would be held in Srinagar as well as Jammu. The government had planned to organise a global investors summit in October 2019 but it was postponed. The event will be the first major industrial activity in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. The investors can now also purchase the land which is made possible by the revocation of Article 370, and take the land on lease as well. "We have identified the land in different areas across Jammu and Kashmir, and it is going to be state land. However, land can also be procured from the private parties as well," Ravinder Kumar said. The government expects certain key areas to be the focus of the global investors summit like the health and education sectors. (Zaffar Iqbal can be contacted at zaffar25@gmail.com) Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Donald Trump has signed an order denying foreign nationals who recently visited mainland China from entering the US as the deadly coronavirus outbreak grows to an international emergency. Permanent residents and family members will be exempt from the order, which is effective 2 February. US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also said that US citizens who visited Hubei province the location of outbreak epicentre Wuhan within the past two weeks will be subjected to a mandatory quarantine for up to two weeks. The administration's latest move follows flight suspensions from American, Delta and United airlines after the outbreak has killed more than 200 people and sickened thousands of others. Earlier this week, a group of US citizens were airlifted from China on a government-commissioned flight to a military air base in California, where they were screen and held as part of a quarantine order. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 195 Americans are being quarantined following an evacuation from Wuhan. It's the first time in 50 years that such a drastic quarantine was ordered. On Sunday, all incoming flights from China into the US will be funnelled to seven airports for enhanced screening upon landing. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli announced that those flights will only come through Atlanta, Chicago's O'Hare, Honolulu, Los Angeles International Airport, New York's John F Kennedy International Airport, San Francisco and Seattle. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under 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hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing 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attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty Those passengers also could be subject to two weeks of monitoring and self-quarantine. On the heels of the World Health Organisation's declaration of a global health emergency, the US declared a national public health emergency on Friday as the outbreak spreads, impacting 10,000 people in more than a dozen countries. At a White House update from the coronavirus task force, CDC director Robert Redfield said that despite the high state of alert, the risk of infection among Americans remains low. Mr Azar said "we want to keep it that way". The agency has reported only six cases in the US, including one person who had contact with another person who was infected. All patients had recently visited Wuhan. The CDC reports that 191 people are under medical investigation. National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci said unlike the annual influenza outbreaks the US, which have killed 8,000 people this season, there typically is a "guarantee" that those illnesses will diminish in the spring. "This issue now with this is there's a lot of unknowns" with coronavirus as the number of cases have "steeply inclined" daily, he says. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Mr Trump "is taking measured and decisive action to protect the American people against" the virus. "The current risk to the American public is low. As the Task Force recommended, we are pausing travel activities to keep it that way." The search for a new leader at Willow Creek Community Church is back to the drawing board. Elders at the suburban Chicago megachurch announced Thursday that they have released the two finalists they were considering for the role of senior pastor from the search process. The elders also announced that acting senior pastor Steve Gillen will step down in March. The church has been without a permanent senior pastor since pastors Heather Larson and Steve Carter resigned in August 2018 as a result of the churchs mishandling of misconduct allegations against founding pastor Bill Hybels. Its previous elder board also resigned at that time. Earlier this week, Willow Creek was rocked by news that Hybels mentor Gilbert Bilezikianknown widely as Dr. Bhad been accused of misconduct between 1984 and 1988 by a longtime church member. Bilezikian denied those allegations to Religion News Service. Church elders, however, said they believe they are true. Gillen acknowledged the difficult news about one of our founders and someone whos had a huge impact on many of our lives before the midweek service Wednesday on Willow Creeks main campus in South Barrington, Illinois. Truthfully, I dont want to get into it, because in my sadness, I just want to focus on God. I want to sing songs to him, and I want to one more time in my life acknowledge he is the foundation of my life and he is the foundation of our church, he said. Elders had planned to announce a new senior pastor by the end of 2019. In their update Thursday, they wrote: While both candidates have strong qualities as pastors, we released both from candidacy. Our consensus was that neither candidate is the long-term leader of Willow Creek; therefore, the search process has continued. The elder board is working with Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen to continue its search for a new senior pastor and already has initial interviews with six strong candidates this week, it said. Our Willow church family and Christian family at large have prayed that God will give wisdom and guide this decision. We trust that God heard our prayers and that the Holy Spirit is at work in this determination, it said. Gillen has served at Willow Creek for 23 years, according to the elders update. He was lead pastor at the churchs North Shore campus before stepping in as acting senior pastor of Willow Creeks main campus 18 months ago. The churchs elders said that Gillens departure was prompted by the delay in finding a new senior pastor. This news is challenging given all that has taken place in the past couple of years, they said. The royal family has been facing its own Megxit crisis, but life post-Brexit for the Windsors will mean their roles as ambassadors, charged with maintaining and strengthening ties to Europe and beyond, will be more crucial than ever. Using their brand of soft diplomacy, the royals all important overseas tours, undertaken at the request of the Foreign Office, will be key opportunities to launch a charm offensive on behalf of the UK. And nothing quite matches the allure of a state visit to the UK, with pomp and ceremony, a stay in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, an opulent state banquet and the chance to spend some one-on-one time with the Queen, as a way of building bridges with foreign leaders. US President Donald Trump and the Queen during American leaders state visit to the UK (Dominic Lipinski/PA) With the Queen, 93, no longer carrying out overseas visits and the Duke of Edinburgh having retired, Brexit diplomacy trips fall to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Firm will no longer be able to call on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to share the burden of overseas tours. Harry and Meghan had pledged to focus on the Commonwealth in their royal duties, but now are quitting the monarchy for a life of personal and financial freedom, mostly in Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer be carrying out tours like their visit to South Africa (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Duke of York is also out of the picture following his disastrous Newsnight interview about the Epstein scandal. But the monarchs other children the Earl of Wessex, along with Edwards wife the Countess of Wessex, and the Princess Royal will continue their own less high profile overseas trips. In the run up to and following the triggering of Article 50 in March 2017, the start of the UKs formal withdrawal from the EU, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate carried out a string of official visits to the continent. William and Kate visited France, took their children to Germany and Poland, and also journeyed to Belgium, and the duke made a solo trip to Finland, followed by visits to Sweden and Norway with Kate in 2018. Story continues The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte on a five-day tour of Poland and Germany (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA) Heir to the throne Charles was on a nine-day tour to Austria, Italy and Romania when Article 50 was triggered. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said at the time: Royal visits play a very important role in the United Kingdoms bilateral diplomacy. The Royal Family are excellent and experienced ambassadors for the United Kingdom. The Prince of Wales meeting President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on the day Theresa May triggered the start of the UKs formal withdrawal from the EU (Chris Jackson/PA) Whilst every royal visit is unique, each visit is designed to support foreign policy objectives and promote closer ties across a range of areas, for example cultural, economic or political, between the UK and the host country. Incoming state visits to the UK in recent years have included King of Spain King Felipe VI, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and US President Donald Trump. In the spring, the Queen will welcome Emperor Naruhito of Japan to Windsor Castle for an official state visit. US President Donald Trump and the Prince of Wales inspect the Guard of Honour during the Ceremonial Welcome during the US state visit to the UK (Victoria Jones/PA) In her Christmas Day address, the monarch acknowledged the bumpy path her family and the country has faced during the past 12 months. Following a year of bitter debates in Parliament and the country over leaving the bloc, she said the Christmas message of peace and goodwill still had relevance and was a reminder of what can be achieved when people abandon their differences and come together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation. Political engagement can be difficult while balancing academics and can sometimes require personal sacrifices. Elise Bargman, anticipated 22, has taken a full academic year off from Grinnell College to continue her involvement with the Pete Buttigieg campaign. Bargman has an extensive history with the Buttigieg campaign. She worked as a volunteer over the summer and even turned down other plans because she felt so strongly about the work she was doing. I actually had other internship plans that I was going to do. I was going to be doing stuff at the Lesbian Herstory Archives in New York. I decided whether I got the internship [with the campaign] or not, I was going to volunteer full-time, said Bargman. Even while studying abroad with the Grinnell-in-London program, Bargman continued to volunteer. Her campaign work impacted her cultural immersion and academics, but to her, it was worth it. Its sort of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live up to my values and put my money where my mouth is. I dont want to come around to November and have lifelong regrets that I didnt do enough, Bargman said. Like Bargman, Mariyah Jahangiri 20 and Dylan Bremner 20 believe that their political work is a once-in-a -lifetime chance to be part of a political phenomenon. Additionally, all three students believe that their political work has introduced them to learning that extends beyond the classroom and furthers their academic experience. Jahangiri has been involved with politics throughout this academic year. Until November, she was a co-chair of the Students for Warren group on campus. After switching candidates, she decided to come back early and volunteers whenever she has spare time. I think the main way [my involvement] has impacted my academics is not in the sense [of a burden], she said. If anything, it has aided in my understanding of organizing and social movements and the way politics works in this country. Jahangiri feels that political engagement is a supplement to her studies. As a sociology major with a political science focus, this volunteer work directly relates to what she is passionate to learn about. Every time Im in class Im itching to not be in class. I want to be out canvassing, she said. Bremner has been involved with the campaign since early January. He is in a unique position, as he is technically spending his semester doing off-campus research and will leave in February to study social movements in New York. However, this volunteer work will set him back by a couple weeks in his research. Its a tough call to make because I will be behind in my plan, but it just felt worth it, he said. Many Grinnellians evenings will be affected by the caucuses next week. The caucuses will take place on Monday evening, and have the potential to impact homework, work, extracurriculars and potentially Monday night classes. There is no set College policy or procedures for extracurriculars or classes during the caucuses. As Anne Harris, Head of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College wrote over email to The S&B, Classroom attendance is the faculty members purview. According to Harris, professors can choose to not accommodate students for the caucuses, as per the Faculty Handbook. The handbook states: The individual faculty member determines the policy for class attendance in courses and shall inform students of that policy. Faculty members carefully craft their syllabi and course sessions for their classroom communities, and they have the final determination in classroom attendance, Harris wrote. Harris believes that civic engagement, even beyond the caucuses, is reflective of the Colleges mission of social activism. However, she acknowledges that academics may take priority. The Colleges primary value is Excellence in Education for Students in the Liberal Arts followed by a Diverse Community and Social Responsibility, she wrote. We may have an instance where those faculty members who will be holding class on Monday evening feel that the educational mission supersedes the civic engagement of social responsibility. Or that civic engagement can be met in other ways. Its worth a discussion! Professor Todd Armstrong, Russian, was faced with this issue. He teaches a Monday night class and cancelling the Feb. 3 session outright would mean losing a weeks worth of material. He chose to keep class on Monday and schedule a make-up session the next day for those wanting to participate in the caucuses. I didnt want to encounter a situation where students were going to suffer because of their sense of responsibility to participate in the democratic process. And I would have offered the same, no matter what caucus was taking place, Armstrong said. Since its one party, the College doesnt take a position on one candidate or another. We would not embrace a policy that would favor one side of the political spectrum or the other. There are two sides to this, whether you like one side or the other. There are conservative thinkers on campus, whether among faculty, staff or students. That can be a difficult position to be in because of that sense of [a] progressive [school], therefore we should all believe in the same thing. Twenty-three children aged between six months and 15 years, who had been taken hostage by a murder accused after inviting them to his daughter's birthday party, were rescued late on Thursday night after police killed their captor in a village here. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon and continued for about eight hours. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am. "The accused had invited the children for the birthday party of his daughter and held them hostage. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," Director General of Police (DGP) O P Singh said, adding that in the entire operation they had tried to "engage" the accused and were successful. He said the accused, identified as Subhash Batham, had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. As the accused opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot. In the exchange of fire, the captor's wife was injured, but none of the children suffered any injury. A man and two policemen also suffered bullet injuries. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The CM as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. Earlier, a team of NSG (National Security Guard) commandos had taken a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Police said Batham, a murder accused, seemed to be mentally unstable. Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, said, "The man called the children for a birthday party and held them hostage in the basement of the house. He fired six shots from inside the building." Batham initially wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived, Agarwal said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Matcha Cafe Maiko. | Photo: Jonathan H./Yelp In the short, dark days of January, there's nothing that brightens spirits quite like a sweet treat and SF has three new spots to satisfy your dessert cravings. Whether you're mad for matcha or go loco for Mexican treats, these three newcomers are sure to bring a little cheer to the chilliest months of the year. Matcha Cafe Maiko 754 Grant Ave., Chinatown Photo: Jonathan H./Yelp Hawaii-based franchise Matcha Cafe Maiko has opened a new location in Chinatown, serving up Japanese-inspired ice cream and tea drinks with ingredients imported from Uji, Japan. Popular menu items include matcha-flavored soft serve, frappes made with hojicha (roasted tea), black sesame lattes and more. Be sure to check out the house special sundae, topped with mochi balls and matcha cakes, and the Golden Sho-gun soft serve, decorated with gold leaf. Matcha Cafe Maiko currently holds 4.5 stars out of 20 reviews on Yelp, indicating good reviews. Yelper Lizzie S., who reviewed the cafe on Jan. 19, wrote, "Expect a crowd, but it will be worth it." Christopher G. noted, "Definitely coming back for more!" Matcha Cafe Maiko is open from 11 a.m.8 p.m. on Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. EA Cafe 729 Third St., SoMa Photo: Ea Cafe/Yelp Next up is EA Cafe, which serves up six kinds of soft serve ice cream from Korean company Milkcow. The company is best known for its signature Milky Cube soft serve, topped with real honeycomb. Other menu options include pastries, slushes and milkshakes, as well as a full selection of coffee, tea and espresso drinks. For guests looking for something savory, EA Cafe also offers build-your-own poke bowls. The eatery is off to a strong start, with a Yelp rating of five stars out of five reviews. Yelper Lillian T. noted, "The ice cream is super delicious. Would highly recommend, and glad to have them in the neighborhood!" EA Cafe is open from 8 a.m.7 p.m. on Monday-Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.) FiestaBowls 2290 Mission St., Mission Story continues Photo: Maria M./Yelp FiestaBowls is a Mexican dessert bar specializing in classic Mexican treats served in a bowl. Check out the mangonada (fresh mango, mango sorbet and chili lime salt) or the fresas con crema (strawberries with homemade whipped cream). The new spot also offers crepes, shakes and smoothies, as well as savory bowls with corn, pork rinds and other toppings. With a 4.5-star rating out of three reviews on Yelp, FiestaBowls has been getting positive attention. Yelper Denise G., who reviewed the new addition on Jan. 8, wrote, "Lots of tasty treats to choose from. Great customer service and staff. So happy to see this spot open up in the Mission!" FiestaBowls is open from 11 a.m.8 p.m. daily. Looking for the best of the best when it comes to satisfying your sweet tooth? Check out the most popular spots for dessert in San Francisco. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI A written bomb threat resulted in all students at a Muskegon area charter school being sent home Friday. The threat was found at Timberland Charter Academy and police were called around 11:20 a.m. Jan. 31, said Muskegon Township Police Chief Tim Thielbar. The school at 2574 McLaughlin Ave. was quickly evacuated and the decision was made to send students home, Thielbar said. As of 2:30 p.m., police were waiting for a bomb detection dog to arrive to do a sweep of the school, Thielbar said. The threat was found in a boys bathroom and was definitely a childs handwriting, Thielbar said. It was unclear how long it had been there as there were many other graffiti writings in the same area, he said. About 716 students attend pre-kindergarten through eighth grades, according to the schools website. The school is operated by National Heritage Academies. Kelsey Pardue, a spokeswoman for Timberland Charter Academy, issued the following statement to MLive/Muskegon Chronicle regarding the incident: We executed our emergency plan today after school leaders were made aware of a communication that threatened harm against others. School staff immediately followed school safety protocol and contacted local law enforcement. We are cooperating fully with the Muskegon (Township) Police Department as they investigate the matter, and are thankful that everyone is okay. More on MLive: Illness forces Muskegon area school district to cancel classes for 2 days Former staff member pleads to raping 12-year-old at Muskegon elementary Purchase of former Catholic church by Muskegon schools covers $39K in back taxes Floribama Shore's Nilsa Prowant was seen in a massive meltdown that led to her arrest last summer on the MTV series. In a clip from the show, the 26-year-old Panama City, Florida native was seen destroying the window of a vehicle amid a night of revelry in St. Petersburg, Florida. Prowant was seen giving people the finger and cursing in the clip from the series, which began airing on MTV in November in 2017. The latest: Floribama Shore's Nilsa Prowant, 26, was seen in a massive meltdown that led to her arrest last summer on Thursday's edition of the MTV series. She was arrested last July in connection with disorderly conduct and exposure of sexual organs in the incident Prowant, whose real name is Nilsa Anderson, was seen speaking with officers trying to determine if she was in trouble, and how much, if so, in the episode that aired last week. 'This is not good,' she said in a voice-over. 'I really f****d up.' She made a remark about her chest, saying, she 'didn't even know there was repercussions to showing some monuments like these.' She was later seen speaking with police while in the back of a vehicle, and began kicking out the back window, followed by her arrest. The footage came from her July 6 arrest in connection with disorderly conduct and exposure of sexual organs in the incident. Problem: Prowant, whose real name is Nilsa Anderson, was seen speaking with officers trying to determine if she was in trouble, and how much, if so Busy: The incident took place amid a night of revelry in St. Petersburg, Florida last summer Outburst: Prowant kicked out the back window, followed by her arrest Police said that at about 1:30 a.m., Prowant, who was drunk, flashed her breasts to a crowd of people standing underneath a balcony she was on at the bar @260 over the crowded street ahead First Avenue N during its First Friday election, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Authorities said they were set to let Prowant go until she began acting 'belligerent and erratic' as they led her to a vehicle. Once she was placed in the back of the vehicle, she kicked out the rear window on the driver's side, scattering broken glass onto the street. Trip to jail: Prowant was booked into Pinellas County Jail and bailed out hours later Defense: Prowant made a remark about her chest, saying, she 'didn't even know there was repercussions to showing some monuments like these' Prowant was subsequently booked into Pinellas County Jail and bailed out hours later, according to the outlet. The show last summer filmed in Tampa Bay for footage for its third season, the paper reported. Floribama Shore airs at 8/7c Thursdays on MTV. Three Vietnamese fined for spreading fake news on Wuhan coronavirus Financial penalties have been imposed on three Vietnamese who posted fake information about the novel coronavirus infection on social media. Ha Thi Le Nhan, 34, from Hue in central Vietnam, Tran Van Tung, 22, from southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, and Vu Thi Thanh, from the northern city of Hai Phong, had published Facebook posts about infected cases in their areas. None of the localities have reported any patients of the nCoV virus. Nhan was ordered to pay VND12.5 million ($540), Tung VND15 million, and Thanh VND10 million. Ha Thi Le Nhan signs a penalty report at Hue police department, January 30, 2020. Photo courtesy of Hue police. Nhan posted on her Facebook account on Wednesday morning that "Hue has detected one nCoV infection case. The patient, a Chinese national from Wuhan, is now quarantined at Hue Central Hospital." She also posted the same information on several Facebook groups. Nhan deleted all those posts in the afternoon of Wednesday but by then, the information had already caused confusion among many people. In the same move, Tung posted on Facebook on Monday: "Le Loi Hospital in Vung Tau Town [capital of Ba Ria-Vung Tau] is putting two Chinese in quarantine as they are suspected to have been infected with the new coronavirus." In 25 minutes, his post received 300 reactions, 400 comments and 600 shares. He only deleted the post after Le Loi Hospital denied the information and reported to the police. Tung admitted later that he heard the news from rumors. As for Thanh, she wrote on her own Facebook account on Sunday that: "One suspected Wuhan pneumonia infection case has been found in Hai Phong and the patient is now quarantined at Viet Tiep Hospital." Vu Thi Thanh (L) writes a penalty report at a police station in Hai Phong. Photo courtesy of Hai Phong Police. As of Friday, Vietnam has confirmed five cases of nCoV infection, two Chinese and three Vietnamese coming back from Wuhan. One of the Chinese had recovered. The nation had 97 suspected cases with symptoms like fever and cough, and is quarantining 32 pending test results. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Thursday. The virus has spread from mainland China to Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Canada, Vietnam, the UAE, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines. Chinese authorities said 213 people had died as of Friday morning out of more than 9,600 confirmed cases of the disease. COTTONDALE, Fla. The former principal of Cottondale High School has been charged with having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Kenyonis Ken Granger turned himself in at the Jackson County Correctional Facility after a warrant was issued for his arrest after a lengthy investigation. Granger also is running for supervisor of elections in Jackson County. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office received information Dec. 2 that the principal of Cottondale High School was having an inappropriate relationship with a student, Jackson County Sheriff Louis Roberts III said. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} An investigation into the matter revealed that Granger, former principal at Cottondale High School, had in fact been inappropriate with a 16-year-old student, Louis said. The investigation further revealed that Granger had been privately messaging the student since she was 14; however, it wasnt until a year ago that Granger became inappropriate. Copies of messages exchanged between Granger and the student were obtained, corroborating the students statement. Boards action For Australias indigenous people, Australia Day represents colonisation and dispossession of their land since 1788. Melbourne, Australia For many indigenous people in Australia, the countrys national day represents the brutal colonisation, including massacres, the removal of their children and dispossession of their land more than 200 years ago. Likened to Columbus Day in the United States, the day commemorates the landing of the first Europeans on the continent, now known as Australia, in 1788. But on Sunday, January 26, thousands of Aboriginal Australians and their allies rallied across the country to protest the annual Australia Day. Since 2015, protests have been growing every year, supported by many non-Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal activist Meriki Onus, who organises protests in Melbourne, said the day has always been quite a painful day for Aboriginal people. It represents the first day of invasion and subsequent dispossession of many [Indigenous] nations across the country. We protest that day now. Theres no element of [Australia Day] that Aboriginal people can relate to. As an alternate name to Australia Day, the protest organisers now refer to the event as Invasion Day. Onus said, Calling it Invasion Day is the most frank and honest way you could really describe that day. Abolish Australia Day Onus is one of the organisers of the Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance (WAR), a loose activist collective that operates across the country. One of the aims of WAR is to abolish Australia Day. While the recent Invasion Day rallies may be a new phenomenon for most Australians, Onus explains that her forebears had been protesting the date as far back as 1938 long before January 26 even became a national holiday. Aboriginal Australians have been protesting Australia Day as far back as 1938 long before January 26 even became a national holiday [Ali MC/Al Jazeera] At that time, Aboriginal activists referred to it as a Day of Mourning, and a similar protest, albeit much smaller, was held in Sydney. Onus believed that it is her direct family history that inspires her, in particular, the long line of strong women in her family. She said she learned about the long history of resistance of Aboriginal people from family members a history she said was never taught in schools. Im a product of the invasion thats happened here but Im also a product of 60,000 years of living in harmony with this country, and Im a product of 250 years of resistance. Aboriginal women at the forefront of protest Onus is proud of the role of Aboriginal women in activism and resistance, both past and present, and explained that the organising of this years protest in Melbourne was done solely by Aboriginal women. She said while there are challenges as a woman doing this work (no one likes to listen to women), Onus also said there are strengths when we are in numbers, and all together, we are unbreakable. We are fearless and unstoppable. I feel really confirmed when Im with these people, and I feel this is a source of strength not a source of weakness. Since 2015, protests have been growing every year, supported by many non-Indigenous Australians [Ali MC/Al Jazeera] Onus said she is hopeful for the future, and with attitudes slowly changing, the protests will grow bigger every year. In Melbourne, I feel proud to be part of the change in social response to the 26th January, she said. We are strong and we can get there. Aboriginal women in politics Onuss older sister Lidia Thorpe was also leading an Invasion Day event, a dawn service which commemorated the many killings of Aboriginal Australians. Thorpe is not only a social activist. In 2017, she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Victorian state politics. Thorpe agrees that her inspiration was also the line of strong matriarchs in the family. All I knew was standing up and taking on that leadership role standing up for my people [and] working for my people. Sisters Lidia Thorpe, left, and Meriki Onus have been the leading voice in the Aboriginal Australian community in Melbourne [Ali MC/Al Jazeera] Lidia said, when offered the position in the local Greens party to run for Parliament, it was a tough decision, as it compromised her activist ethics stepping into the colonisers realm, as she describes the government. There is even a part of me that felt I was giving up my sovereign right joining the colonisers oppressive structure. Yet Lidia explained how she consulted her family and got their support, eventually campaigning for justice for the Stolen Generations and the formation of a treaty between the government and indigenous groups. There were times in Parliament that were really difficult, Thorpe said. But most of the time, I felt well Im here, Im the only black voice in this place, so youre going to hear me, and Ive got a few things to say because this establishment has oppressed my people for 200 years. Voice in Parliament Generally speaking, she said, her voice was well received, and she spoke positively about her time in Parliament. Thorpe also said the experience demonstrated the effect of having Aboriginal people in Parliament, in a country which generally has very few Aboriginal representatives at either state or federal level. We need Aboriginal people with lived experience, we need Aboriginal people who understand our fight and our struggle, who understand the argument of sovereignty [in Parliament.] It really makes a difference, I believe, having Aboriginal people in Parliament. However, a year later, Thorpe did not win re-election and is now back to grassroots campaigning. Being a leader is something Thorpe said is a continuation of family tradition. Its not a choice that Ive made, its something I have to do. Its the responsibility I have as a sovereign woman, its a responsibility my mother had, my grandmother, and her mother. Thorpe said while she was proud to be the first Aboriginal woman in the states Parliament, Ill always be outspoken whether Ill be inside government or outside. The dawn service she organised, Thorpe said, was in order to bring back some of those old peoples wishes and the fights that they fought and died for. We have to take on that responsibility, we cant stop resisting, we have to continue the struggle weve been given. And try and make [Australia] a better place for our future generations. NEW YORK Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and China, making them the first U.S.-based airlines to do so and joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. American said it will stop flying to China starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers there leave the country, then stop the flights through April 30. United said its action would run until March 28. On Thursday, United had announced plans to suspend most of its China routes but continue a few. All three carriers said they were responding to a sharp drop in demand for the flights and Thursdays U.S. State Department advisory telling Americans not to travel to China because of the outbreak. International experts have labeled the coronavirus a global public-health emergency. American was under extra pressure after the union representing its pilots sued to halt the flights and told its members not to operate flights to China because of the health risks. The largest flight attendants union also urged the U.S. carriers to stop flying to China. Several major international airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines, had already suspended service to China. As the number of flights in and out of China dwindles, passengers on the planes that are still flying face an eerie scene. On a flight from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs. Flight attendants donned masks to serve drinks to passengers, who were also wearing masks. A woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York said she changed her white face mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. On a flight from Amsterdam to China, frightened passengers protested when they realized that a man from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, the man was allowed to fly. At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, passengers arriving from Beijing on Wednesday walked through thermal scanners to check for fevers. As their disembodied faces appeared on a nearby screen, most of their heads looked green, indicating a normal body temperature, but the machine beeped loudly when one mans forehead appeared red. He was shuttled to the side where a woman took his temperature with a device shaped like a bar code scanner. One hundred one degrees, she called out. Meanwhile, an airport worker pushed health cards into departing passengers hands urging them to contact health authorities if they have a fever within 14 days of arrival. The number of infected people in Beijing is relatively low over 100. But it is much higher in Wuhan, said Mohammed Raihan, a Bangladeshi student who attends Capital Medical University in Beijing. Thats why Ive come back. All the schools and universities have been shut down indefinitely. A similar scene played out in Kathmandu, Nepal, where masked passengers were greeted with large, illustrated signs imploring them to visit the health desk if they have symptoms including high fever, muscle pain, headaches or hemorrhaging. Health experts said Thursday theres significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and were concerned that in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some of which cause nothing worse than a cold. Flight cleaning crews are taking extra steps to protect themselves. Crews already fully disinfect arm rests, window shades and other hard surfaces after international flights on United Airlines. But if a plane carried a passenger with suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will don face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they clean with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. A plane would be taken out of service and fumigated if a passenger had a confirmed case of coronavirus, he said. John F. Kennedy International Airport resembled a hospital corridor where everyone from passengers to luggage handlers wore face masks. Helen Lewis, who pushes passengers in wheelchairs to their flights, began wearing gloves Sunday and asks coughing passengers to cover up their mouths. You dont know who youre carrying, said the 62-year-old New Yorker. Bill Chen, who arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai on Wednesday, said his temperature was quickly screened at the Shanghai airport before he departed. He also filled out a health questionnaire that asked if he had traveled to Wuhan or had any contact with someone who had been in the city. I feel a little bit sorry for people traveling on the plane, Chen said. People have to be nervous. During past outbreaks, including SARS in 2003, U.S. airlines reduced flights to China but did not stop them completely. That outbreak caused Asia-related revenue among U.S. carriers to fall by 20% to 40%, although the business recovered, according to an analysis by J.P. Morgan. Of the three biggest U.S. airlines, United is most exposed to a downturn in Asia traffic, with 12% of its revenue tied to the region, including Japan and Australia, the J.P. Morgan analysts calculated. About 6% of Deltas revenue and 4% of Americans comes from the region. These are not easy decisions to make, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. But if customer demand isnt there, and there is pressure from employees, they didnt have any choice but to suspend their flying. In early afternoon trading, shares of American and United were down 3% and Delta was down more than 2%. ___ Lerman reported from San Francisco. AP Writers Anne DInnocenzio in New York, Joeal Calupitan in Manila and Terry Chea in San Francisco contributed to this report. Juan Robleto, 46, works at the "Santa Francisca" farm where coffee rust led to the cutting and burning of coffee trees and where they are now growing other varieties of coffee and cocoa, as a result of the loss of land suitable for planting coffee in Nicaragua, in Las Nubes, El Crucero, 30 km from Managua, on October 16, 2017. (Photo credit should read INTI OCON/AFP via Getty Images) Many people cant imagine starting their day without at least one cup of coffee, but now a University of Guelph professor has published findings of a 16 year project, indicating that our morning cup of coffee could be in jeopardy - or at least could be more costly. People have said since this story came out, do I need to stockpile coffee, Stuart McCook told Yahoo Canada. No, I dont think you need to stockpile coffee but I think we have to understand that the global coffee industry rests, a lot of it, on very, very fragile ecological and economic foundation. Unless, not just the farmers themselves but the international community, start to take steps to strengthen those ecological and economic foundations, the global coffee industry could be in for some big challenges. In his book titled Coffee is Not Forever: A Global History of the Coffee Leaf Rust, McCook details his study of coffee leaf rust and how it has impacted the industry that so many people around the globe rely on. Things can happen quickly, McCook said. If you get a perfect storm of economic and ecological challenges, what you can see is farmers just deciding that its not worth cultivating coffee anymore and leaving. What is coffee leaf rust? Coffee leaf rust is a disease that causes coffee trees to lose all or some of its leaves, which leads to the plant not developing properly. In the current season, it causes the the fruit to develop badly, or sometimes not develop at all. The coffees taste can also be impacted, which is a particular concern in markets that produce specialty or high-end coffees. An impact on the taste can be very damaging to the profitability of the farm, McCook said. This rust also results in what plant pathologists call secondary losses. It prevents the plant tissue, particularly the branches, from developing as they normally would, which has an impact on the following years harvest, McCook added. Coffee leaf rust was first detected in 1869, which broke out in Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka). By the late 1800s, coffee planters in the region switched from coffee to tea, the most viable option for them. Story continues What causes coffee leaf rust to spread? According to McCook, the disease is very sensitive rainfall and temperature patterns, and is less likely to occur in high altitude environments, which tend to be cooler and drier areas of the tropics. In places where theres lots of...humid environments, where theres lots of water droplets on the leaves, that can trigger outbreaks, McCook said. Warmer temperatures tend to promote the development of the disease. One aspect of his research that was a real surprise to him is how climate change has impacted coffee leaf rust. Initially, McCook was told by farmers and scientists that the rust was around, but they knew how to manage it. When we think about the impact of climate change, we tend to think about the kind of geophysical stuff, McCook said. We think about the rainfall and the temperatures, and those are huge, but there are also these kind of more subtle impacts of climate change, like the change in distribution of diseases. Diseases that...our farmers used to be able to coexist with, that coexistence is becoming, in some cases, quite fragile. In 1989, the International Coffee Agreement of the 20th century broke down, where coffee producers agreed to a set of global production quotas, and coffee prices starting to boom and bust. The other thing that happened was with economic reforms, neoliberal economic reforms in the 1980s and 1990s, a lot of governments in the developing world had to slash public services including, in many places, public services to farmers, McCook said. What happened then was a lot of the smaller, poorer farmers stopped spraying their coffee quite so often and stopped doing the things that they needed to do to keep the rust under control, simply because they couldnt afford it. At this time, farmers didnt replant coffee trees often enough, meaning coffee farms had older plants, which are also more susceptible to the disease. The first of the recent outbreaks was in Colombia in 2007, which temporarily reduced coffee production in the country by about a third, according to McCook. Another one broke out in Central America, starting in about 2012, and there it reduced the regions overall production by about 15 per cent, but in some areas it was much, much more devastating than that, he said. Iced coffee (Getty Images) Is all coffee impacted? The recent outbreaks of coffee leaf rust in Colombia and Central America hit one of the heartlands of specialty coffee production, McCook explained. There are only a few places in the world that are adequate environments to produce the highest quality coffee - Central America, Peru, Ethiopia, a few places in Indonesia and Kenya. A lot of these coffees are based on kind of heirloom varieties of Arabica and the resistant varieties of Arabica...are often cross-bred with Robusta coffee, which is...a different species of coffee but, its highly resistant to the rust, McCook Said. But it has...a relatively poor cupping quality. Cupping is how the quality of coffee is measured. Coffee producers and buyers use the cupping technique to determine if the taste of the product is to their satisfaction. The Specialty Coffee Association of America has established particular protocols for cupping, including water temperature, ratio of coffee to water, grind size and equipment needed for proper cupping. The speciality industry has been, I would say, historically quite suspicious of these hybrid coffees but I would say in the last five or ten years or so, the breeders are starting to roll out varieties that kind of have matched some of the classic cultivars in cupping quality. In this photo taken Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015, coffee farmer Luka Kinyere shows plants infected with leaf rust, a fungal disease that coffee production experts there say has become more prevalent because of rising temperatures, in Kasese, in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains near the border with Congo, in western Uganda. (AP Photo/Stephen Wandera) How can farmers recover from coffee leaf rust? In order to recover from the rust, one strategy is to spray or replant the trees with rust resistant varieties, but this can be very costly to farmers. According to McCook it can cost thousands of dollars to replant and many farms dont have access to those funds. Recovery has gone well in places like Honduras, of all places, which has a very well-organized coffee industry, and in Colombia, McCook said. In other countries, like Mexico and El Salvador, are the ones that come to mind, the recovery has been much slower. Brazil, the worlds single largest coffee producer, has been significantly less impacted by the rust. The rust is there but the coffee industry tends to be fairly well organized, and also just the main producing areas still tend to be...relatively high and relatively cool, McCook said. He added that farmers and the coffee industry itself are doing all that they can to battle the rust. The specialty coffee industry in particular has recognized that it is a problem. World Coffee Research...is developing new rust resilient coffee varieties that are also meant to be economically and socially sustainable, McCook said. But then a lot of aid to the farmers often flows through states, and different states have different kinds of commitments to their coffee industries and also, frankly, different states have different abilities to support their farmers. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 01:57 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY On Thursday, detectives working undercover agreed to meet with 32-year-old Rick Anthony Freeze at a local business to purchase suspected stolen hunting equipment. Freeze reportedly arrived at the location with the stolen items in his vehicle and was taken into custody on an outstanding Graves County warrant for failure to appear on drug related charges. After searching his vehicle, detectives say they found methamphetamine and a smoking pipe. At that time Freeze was lodged at the McCracken County Jail, and released a short time later. Freeze is currently wanted on a warrant related to this case. He is a white male, 5 feet 7 inches tall, and weighs 160 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact the McCracken County Sheriff's Department at 270-444-4719, or your local law enforcement agency. A Mayfield man is facing theft and drug charges after an undercover investigation. Hey, how are you? she said to Mr. Fruman. Good to see you. A spokesman for the Republican National Committee dismissed the greeting as insignificant. On a given day, the chairwoman greets hundreds if not thousands of people at events across the country, the spokesman said. This is nothing more than that. It was at that event that Mr. Parnas met Mr. Sessions. The two men developed a relationship over the following weeks and months, records show. They would eventually discuss removing the United States ambassador to Ukraine at the time, Marie L. Yovanovitch, which became a focus of the impeachment trial. Mr. Parnass lawyer, Joseph A. Bondy, had released another recording on Saturday of the donor dinner held 10 days later in Washington, at which the president discussed Ms. Yovanovitch with Mr. Parnas, Mr. Fruman and other donors. Among those acknowledged at the April 20 meeting in Florida was Brian Ballard, an influential lobbyist who is a top fund-raiser for Mr. Trump and the Republican Party. Five days before the event, Mr. Ballard registered to lobby for a United States-based Syrian opposition group called Citizens for a Secure and Safe America, which paid his firm $350,000 in 2018 and 2019. He recommended that the groups leaders take their case against President Bashar al-Assad directly to Mr. Trump by paying to attend a fund-raising event, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal last year. Rim Al-Bezem, a Pennsylvania cardiologist who is the president of the Syrian opposition group, donated a total of $18,800 to the Republican National Committee and its Senate campaign arm. In an interview, she said she raised additional money from other Syrian-American activists. Karnataka to undertake Triaging: What does it mean and how do you pronounce it Congress leader Patil defends Mekedatu padayatra: Omicron variant not as dangerous as last one Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa to expand his cabinet in 3 days India oi-Mousumi Dash Bengaluru, Jan 31: The Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa looked to be heaving a sigh of relief now after his meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday evening in New Delhi. Soon after the meeting at Parliament House, The Karnataka CM announced that the BJP high command has given him permission to expand his six-month-old Cabinet. He also added that he would induct new ministers to take the Cabinet strength, including the Chief Minister. Yediyurappa, before returning to Bengaluru has said that his party high command has given the nod to his list and he will be expanding the Cabinet in the next three days. The Karnataka CM was under immense pressure, by former MLAs of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) who had turned into to the BJP to make him chief minister last July, to expand his Cabinet. Of the 17 rebel MLAs, only 13 were contested in the December by-polls. Out of whom only 11 won. Two seats were still vacant due to election petitions pending before courts. Karnataka Cabinet expansion likely to be further delayed with BSY still to meet Shah In the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, only 34 can become ministers, including the chief minister. The BSY government currently have only 18 ministers, with many holding more than one bigger portfolio. Now it is to see whether the Cabinet expansion will lead to more political instability or consolidate BSY's position. California Wedding Industry Turned On Top of Its Head by Freelancing Law TEMECULA, Calif.Temecula-based destination wedding and event planner Michelle Garibay has run her business for the past 14 years without employees. Garibay has appeared in some of the nations most prestigious bridal magazines, including Style Me Pretty, The Knot, and Southern California Bride. However, Assembly Bill 5 (AB5) has impeded her latest business operations, along with many others in her industry who use independent contractors. AB5 essentially prohibits freelance work, with a few exceptions; it mandates that businesses hire employees instead of paying contractors. This industry isnt well suited to having employees, because the work isnt steady, Garibay said. And the contractors I have working for me have their own businesses as well, and theyre moms with kidsthey left full-time employment to be able to have the freedom to work as a contractor. Wedding and event planner Michelle Garibay. (Leah Marie Photography) In effect since Jan. 1, AB5 was passed by lawmakers in September to clarify a 2018 case, Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Lawmakers intended for the bill to protect employees from companies that label them as independent contractors to avoid giving them the benefits due to employees. But the bill has had a collateral effect on small business owners and independent freelancers who have made this business model their livelihood. A lot of the businesses in the wedding industry are women-owned, Garibay said. This is a female-dominated industry, so it takes away our freedom. It really does negatively impact the women in the workforce who want the freedom to work at home and be with their families. The law was originally backed by unionized gig-economy workers, such as those working for ride-share companies Uber and Lyft. One of the main writers of the bill, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), has received both praise and criticism for the bill. Im sorry you feel that way. This is not a bad bill. Without it there would be no ability to freelancers to work under Dynamex. Also, thousands of workers would not have the protections they need. You want changes, that doesnt mean the bill is bad. Lorena (@LorenaSGonzalez) December 13, 2019 Due to the outcry and lawsuits from business owners and contractors in various industries, lawmakers are scrambling to write in exemptions. Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom allotted $20 million in his proposed 2020 budget to enforce AB5. Like many freelance-dominated industries, the wedding industry does not have a traditional work schedule. Owners of small-scale wedding businesses hire contractors based on each weddings specific needs, Garibay said. It depends on the scale of the event. Both Garibay and her freelance workers are uninterested in forging a permanent employment contract, since those workers also have their own businesses. When Garibay first heard about the bill, her reaction was to think about her team and how unwelcoming this news would be. They dont want to be employees, they left full time jobs to do what they do now, Garibay said. Regarding the business owners who will have to hire their contractors as employees, Garibay said, My heart goes out to those people who are going to be forced to bring in so much more [money] in order to pay the taxes that full employment requires. Small business owners in California already pay a lot of tax, and they will have to pay more to cover a portion of their employees taxes if they hire their freelancers. California imposes both business and personal income taxes on small business owners who establish limited liability companies (LLCs), creating a double taxation on pass-through net income and the business itself. Virtually all businesses in California are subject to at least one of three state income taxes on businesses: a corporate tax, a franchise tax, and an alternative minimum tax. Sometimes, small businesses are subject to all three. To pay all these taxes, plus the added costs of hiring freelancers as employees, small business owners would have to increase their prices, Garibay said. This state is not very small-business friendly, she said. This is our main source of income to put food on the table for our families. Its really cost-prohibitive when the state starts demanding that we now hire these people as employees because its going to completely throw this industry on top of its head. According to attorney Braden Drake, theres an exception for business-to-business relationships within AB5 and there will likely be more exceptions carved out in coming months. However, in the wedding business freelancers who own their own businesses would not be exempted; they are hired for one day by the couple getting married, rather than another business. Drake is working with small business owners to help them navigate the future of their businesses with AB5 in mind. Im trying to guide those business owners on how to meet those exceptions, Drake said. We dont know yet if they are going to enforce the law on California businesses who start hiring contractors outside of California, Drake said. What could happen is businesses could decide to relocate outside of California. Conversely, there are businesses in other states who are now refusing to work with freelancers in California, Drake said. Small business owner Carla Kayes, a wedding and event florist in Riverside Countywho has also been in the wedding industry for 14 yearsis concerned about the industrys future. Kayes has three part-time employees, but often hires freelance florists for high-end gigs, and said she was sick to her stomach when she first heard about the bill. AB5 is very unsustainable for my business, Kayes said. Its kind of wiped out a whole industry of people here, and now people are hiring from out of state to get around it. The people that are in the state arent working. Literally everyone I know who is in wedding and events, they have to use freelancers consistently. It affects everyone. The freelancers Kayes hires have their own floral businesses as well and fill in with work when they dont have their own client bookings, she said. She plans to convert one of her freelance workers into a full-time employee, but cant afford to convert more than one. Luxury wedding florists in Orange County, San Francisco, and more affluent cities who have to raise their prices to cover employee costs, presumably wont experience a major negative impact, Kayes said. But for someone like me, who lives in Temecula, people are going to look at my work and say, Oh, I cant afford that, she said. I think the lawmakers were completely unaware. I completely get the Dynamex case, and I think the employees winning that case were right, but I dont think the lawmakers even knew how many industries would be affected. Louis Nirenberg, a mathematician who explored the complexities of equations commonly used by physicists and engineers, and who shared the 2015 Abel Prize, a top math award modeled after the Nobels, died on Sunday in Manhattan. He was 94. His death, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, was announced by New York University, where Dr. Nirenberg spent his entire academic career. Its really hard to overstate how important Dr. Nirenberg was, Walter A. Strauss, an emeritus professor of mathematics and applied mathematics at Brown University, said in a phone interview. He was one of the great mathematicians of the 20th century. Dr. Nirenbergs work focused on partial differential equations, which describe the vibrating of strings and drums, the flow of heat, the movement of water and many other phenomena. Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Vietnam is a good destination for foreign investors as they relocate production bases out of China to reduce operation costs. VNDirect Securities says that the US-China trade war has spurred the wave of relocating factories from China to other countries. That was why the FDI capital from China and Hong Kong to Vietnam increased sharply in the first nine months of 2019. Besides, the China + 1 strategy pursued by multinational groups, which aims to minimize risks and reduce labor costs, has also accelerated the movement of businesses from China to ASEAN. This is a great opportunity for industrial zone developers to enjoy benefits from FDI capital in the next few years. If compared with regional countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, in terms of FDI attraction, Vietnam is a potential country for investment relocation thanks to the low operation costs. The land rent in industrial zones in Vietnam increased sharply in 2019, but the rent of $103.5 per square meter is still the second lowest among regional countries and is just higher than Myanmar. Regarding the labor cost, the wage for workers is just half of that in Thailand and Malaysia. Only Indonesia has electricity price lower than Vietnam. Meanwhile, the cost to build workshops in Vietnam is the lowest. In addition to low operation cost, Vietnam is also attractive thanks to the low corporate income tax, which has dropped from 22 percent to 20 percent, applied to both foreign and Vietnamese enterprises. In addition to low operation cost, Vietnam is also attractive thanks to the low corporate income tax, which has dropped from 22 percent to 20 percent, applied to both foreign and Vietnamese enterprises. The enterprises located in industrial zones can also enjoy many other preferences, including tax remission and visa waiver. The most common incentives include the corporate income tax exemption for 2-4 years, tax reduction for 3-15 years and import tax exemption. VNDirect said the the EU-Vietnam FTA will open the door more widely for capital to flow to Vietnam. As of October 2019, 12 FTAs have taken effect. As for the FTA with the EU, after the signing on June 30, 2019, the involved parties are experiencing internal procedures to bring the agreement to life. Vietnam is strengthening the exploitation of the advantages brought by FTA to promote economic growth. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), the value of exports under the impacts of preferential tariffs in FTAs reached $46.2 million in 2018, or 39 percent of total export value to markets that have FTAs with Vietnam. The tariffs for Vietnams exports to the EU will be reduced soon after EVFTA takes effect, and the process will last seven years. This is the highest commitment Vietnam can enjoy from FTAs. Thanh Lich VN stocks to head up in December, trade war concerns expected After having declined for four straight weeks, the Vietnamese market may rebound in December as analysts and securities companies expect that cheaper shares will attract hungry investors amid the worlds volatility. Billie Eilish would like her fans to "please stop" impersonating her, thank you very much. The 18-year-old "Bad Guy" hitmaker took to her Instagram Story on Thursday urge people to stop pranking others by pretending to be her in public, attempting to put a stop to the YouTube trend of doing so. Sharing several screenshots of YouTube videos in which creators dress up in her signature neon green-tinted style (green roots, green shots, oversized sunglasses, etc.), Eilish asked her followers to "please stop doing this s**t." Credit: Billie Eilish/Instagram "It is not safe for you and it is mean to the people who don't know any better," she continued. "You make me look bad." Credit: Billie Eilish/Instagram While she seemed pretty serious about her request, Eilish showed that she certainly hasn't lost her beloved sense of humor in another post, sharing a close-up of one of her YouTube impersonators' outfit choices and writing, "also soooo disrespectful that you'd go out pretending to be me wearing THIS," along with two crying laughing emojis. Credit: Billie Eilish/Instagram One of the YouTube stars whose video was seen in Eilish's Instagram Stories, Jordan Matter, took to his Instagram to clear the air on his stunt. "Hello everyone. Youve been commenting on the video shoot I did yesterday, and Id like to respond. I gathered a crowd and had an acrobat pretending to be Billie do a huge cheer flip, which revealed it was not Billie," he captioned a photo of the Billie impersonator being thrown up into the air by fake security guards. "I had absolutely no intention of disrespecting Billie. Im a big fan, like everyone else." "Ive never done a celebrity impersonation video before, but theyre pretty common so I thought it would be fun to add my own acrobatic twist," Matter went on. "I felt it was completely harmless since at no time in the video are we pretending that she is actually Billie. I have reached out directly to Billie and Maggie and apologized, and I will not post the video without their permission. I hope this clarifies everything." Eilish condemning the impersonations of her online comes less than a week after she became the youngest ever musical artist to sweep the top four categories at the Grammy Awards (record, song and album of the year, as well as best new artist) on Sunday. Starting next week, the number of weekly flights to China from San Francisco will drop from 90 to 55 due to the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus. This week, Southern China Airlines suspended its three weekly nonstop flights after Chinese authorities closed the airport in Wuhan, the outbreak's epicenter, according to San Francisco International Airport spokesman Doug Yakel. Next week, United Airlines will suspend all flights to China from SFO, with the exception of a single daily flight to Hong Kong, Yakel said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to conduct health screenings for international passengers arriving at SFO who had Wuhan in their travel itinerary, Yakel said. The screenings are conducted in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility inside a separate area from other international arriving passengers, he said. The virus has yet to affect the San Jose Mineta International Airport, which hosts three flights a week from Beijing on Hainan Airlines and one per day from Tokyo Narita Airport on All Nippon Airways, according to airport spokesman Scott Wintner. Oakland International Airport, which has no direct flights to or from China, is not affected. The spread of the virus has prompted airlines around the globe to curtail or cancel flights since it first came to international attention in December. Delta and American airlines both announced this week that they would suspend all flights to China, as have several international carriers, including Air France and British Airways. The U.S. State Department on Thursday issued a "Do Not Travel" alert for all of China and the World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency in an effort to combat the spread of the virus. On Friday, the CDC's website listed the number of positive cases in the U.S. at six, with 121 cases awaiting lab results. The coronavirus is a respiratory virus with a flu-like appearance that is thought to have jumped from animal to human, possibly at a large seafood and animal market in or near Wuhan, and is now being transmitted from person to person, according to the CDC. The total number of confirmed infections in China jumped to 9,692 with 213 deaths as of midnight Thursday, according to the National Health Commission of the People's Republic China's website. The Commission also reported 4,812 new suspected cases, bringing the total number of suspected infections to 15,238. The World Health Organization reported Thursday that there were 82 confirmed cases in 18 countries outside China. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The weather in northern Africa ought to be significantly bent out of shape if a swarm of locusts is undoubtedly a symbol of wrath. Kenya is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of desert locusts in 70 years, with a deadly disease so thick in some areas. Locals say they can slightly see via loads of hundreds of thousands of fluttering insects. The situation, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is "extraordinarily serious" and a "remarkable threat" to the food safety and livelihoods of those in the Horn of Africa. The locusts started out swarming late June in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia, before quickly developing into a critical infestation that location has experienced in 25 years. East Africa experienced one of the wettest years ever in 2019. Warm temperatures and heavy rainfall created a suitable environment for an outbreak. Now, more locusts slip over into Ethiopia every day, joining a mass of bugs so huge it has been compared to the City of Moscow. FAO claims its size and destructive capacity are like nothing we've got seen before. These voracious pests threaten to wreck pastures and crops, and apparently, even a small swarm can consume enough meals for 35,000 people in a single day. Further deterioration of food security could spell disaster after a year of El Nino-brought about drought. Approximately 70,000 hectares (700 sq. km) of land in Kenya is already infested. FAO says it doesn't see the issue abating until at the least June 2020. Communities in Eastern Africa, according to the agency's director-general Qu Dongyu, have already been impacted by extended droughts, which have eroded their capacities to grow meals and make a living. "We want to assist them to get back on their feet as soon as the locusts are gone," Dongyu said. Experts think this already big swarm should "swell exponentially and spillover" into other nations in East Africa if the rain maintains falling and the weather remains heat. These bugs, after all, are acknowledged to travel up to 150 kilometers (90 miles), a day - in this particular case, it's now not unfeasible that this bunch swells by nearly 500 fold. The dimensions of the plague already strain resources, that is so thick in Ethiopia, a plane needed to be diverted after locusts decreased visibility from the cockpit windows. Some swarms have already migrated to Iran to search for sparkling meals and warm, rainy conditions. Egypt, Eritrea, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen are susceptible to similar situations. A current FAO press release said the speed of the pest's unfolding, and the dimensions of the infestations are so far beyond the norm that they've stretched the capacities of the local and national government to the limit. To scale up pesticide spraying efforts, the United Nations humanitarian leader has released US$10 million, and the UN itself is searching for a further $70 million from worldwide donors, based on FAO estimates. "This devastating locust outbreak is starting to wreck plant life throughout East Africa with alarming speed and ferocity," stated UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock. (Newser) Connecticut murder suspect Fotis Dulos died Thursday, two days after he was hospitalized following a suicide attemptbut his attorney still wants a murder trial. Norm Pattis said family members want to clear the 52-year-old's name, NBC reports. "We have filed an unusual motion in the Connecticut courts asking to substitute an estate for Fotis Dulos for him as a defendant to force the state to show its hand in a trial filled with evidence, we think, that amounts to no more than innuendo and unsupported suspicion," said Pattis. Earlier this week, Pattis said Dulos attempted suicide following the "devastating news" that his bail might be revoked, sending him to jail until his trial on charges of murdering estranged wife Jennifer Farber Dulos. story continues below Jennifer Dulos, who was going through a bitter divorce from Dulos, has not been seen since she dropped their five children off at school on May 24. In his motion, Pattis said the children shouldn't face "a lifetime coping with the fictional reality that their father murdered their mother in cold blood." Experts say the motion is puzzling. "I've never heard anything like that," former Chief State's Attorney Christopher Morano tells the Hartford Courant. "The statute for murder says a person is to be tried and not an entity." In arrest warrants, police said they believed Dulos was lying in wait for Jennifer Dulos at her home the day she disappeared. The same night, he was seen on surveillance video dumping garbage bags containing items including her bloodied, cut-up clothes and paper towels with her blood on them. Sources tell the Courant that a police search of Dulos' home Thursday did not find any clues to where her body might be. (Read more Fotis Dulos stories.) BlueBox Storage Offers Portable and Self Storage Options Throughout Salem, Eugene and Portland, Oregon SALEM, OR / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / The founders of BlueBox Storage are proud to announce that they are now offering two new portable storage sizes to their valued customers. To learn more about the new storage options, please check out https://storebluebox.com/portable-storage/introducing-new-portable-storage-sizes/. As a company spokesperson noted, the founders understand that while their traditional 8' by 16' portable storage unit is a highly useful size for many tasks, smaller sizes are also great for smaller moves and/or renovation projects. This knowledge inspired the founders to add two new sizes to their portable storage solutions: 8' by 12' and 8' by 8'. As a bonus, the new sizes pair very well with the original 8' by 16' unit. "The 8' by 12' is great for a 500 to 800 square foot space, smaller moves or renovations. This size is comparable to a 10' by 10' storage unit or a 15' rental truck," the spokesperson noted, adding that since the box is smaller, they can fit it in more compact areas, which makes it more convenient for the customer to load it and to keep out of the way. "This box could be great for college students looking to store some things for the summer or a spring clean around the house." For people who are moving 500 square feet or less of their things, the 8' by 8' portable unit is a solid choice. The unit's size is comparable to a 10' foot rental truck and is ideal for people who do not have a lot of extra space at their home. No matter which size or sizes customers select from BlueBox Storage, they can rest assured that they are getting extremely sturdy and well-made storage units that will protect their possessions from the elements, critters and more. About BlueBox Storage: Imagine a storage container that conveniently appears in the driveway or right at the curb-one that is only there when it is needed. People can put their stuff in it and enjoy the peace of mind, convenience and flexibility they get with BlueBox Storage. After clients have placed their items in the portable storage unit, BlueBox Storage will pick it up and put it in their safe storage facility, ready for whenever their clients want it. People find that their services are more affordable than other storage solutions. For those who wish to use traditional self-storage, they offer that too. For more information, please visit https://storebluebox.com/. BlueBox Storage 4725 Turner Rd SE Salem, OR 97317 Contact: Chase Hiday chase@storebluebox.com 971-707-4830 SOURCE: BlueBox Storage View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/574796/New-Portable-Storage-Sizes-are-Now-Available-from-BlueBox-Storage A statement has been released this afternoon by Irish Water in relation to the Boil Water Notice in Tallanstown: "Irish Water in partnership with Louth County Council and following consultation with the Health Service Executive has lifted the Boil Water Notice for customers in Tallanstown with the exception of 16 properties located on Glyde road, between the junction of Glyde road and Tallanstown village to just beyond Rathbrist cottages. "It has been possible to lift the Boil Water Notice for the majority of customers following the success of ice-pigging carried out earlier this month. "Irish Waters drinking water and operational experts worked with Louth County Council on this issue to lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. "Irish Water, in partnership with Louth County Council carried out works at the plant and on the network which has made it possible for the Boil Water Notice to be lifted for almost all impacted customers. "Following extensive monitoring of the plant and network Irish Water can confirm that adequate chlorine levels are being maintained consistently at all locations with the exception of a specific section of the network located on Glyde road between the junction of Glyde road and Tallanstown village up to just beyond Rathbrist cottages. "It is necessary that chlorine is present in adequate levels in drinking water to ensure that the water remains disinfected until it gets to the taps in peoples homes and businesses. "Irish Water acknowledges the impact and inconvenience caused by the Boil Water Notice in the Tallanstown area. We wish to thank the community for their patience and cooperation while we worked to resolve the issue. For those 16 properties remaining on the Boil Water Notice we will continue our work to ensure the Boil Water Notice can be lifted on their supply as quickly as possible. "Irish Water and Louth County Council will deliver a notice to those remaining on the Boil Water Notice this evening. Should customers have any queries regarding this Boil Water Notice they should contact Irish Water directly on our customer care helpline. "Irish Waters priority is the provision of safe, clean drinking water and safeguarding that water supply for the future is a vital focus. "Updates are available on the Water Supply Updates section on our website, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline open 24/7 on 1850 278 278. "Further information on Boil Water Notices can be found on our website" 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: 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: 28: 29: ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25 /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:951 /var/cache/mason/obj/1784076917/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj:17 /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html:149 Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. 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"The mark-sheet is absolutely genuine, he passed the CBSE exam in 2018. His date of birth -- April 2002 -- is correct. He is a juvenile," Narendra Sharma, Manager of the school, told ANI. The Manager said that the accused was admitted to the school in 2013. "The school administration is shocked to know about the crime he has committed. It was absolutely wrong," Sharma said. The Manager said that the school remained closed on January 29 due to Basant Panchami and on January 30 they saw their student on television screen brandishing a gun at protestors near Jamia. Calling the incident a 'critical issue', he said the administration has to take steps to prevent such untoward incidents as one does not know how many students have such rage in their mind at present scenario in the country. "One has no idea how many students are there who have such rage in their mind. The system needs to think about that," Sharma said. Delhi Police Crime Branch will produce the Jamia area firing accused before the Juvenile Justice Board later today. He had on Friday brandished a gun in the presence of heavy police force deployment and fired towards the marching students on Thursday. One of the students sustained injuries on his left hand during the firing. After the incident, the police said the DCP South-East also reached the hospital in no time to ensure that proper medical treatment was extended to the injured, who has been identified as Shadaab Farooq, a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University. The Delhi Police had said that no permission was granted to students to carry out a march, however, sufficient police arrangements were made for it. "A case under Section 307 of IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at Police Station in New Friends Colony," said the police. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ms Ashley is now going through the first time the fingernails were DNA tested on April 9, 1997. She tested the following: AJM42, AJM43, AJM44, AJM45, AJM47, AJM49. While Ms Ashley has no independent memory, she has recalled the process that would have occurred in 1997. She said a swab would have been taken from each fingernail sample in a sequential order. The process would have occurred on a clean bench, on a piece of clean blotting paper, and she and Mr Webb - who was carrying out the process - would have been wearing lab coats and gloves. Each yellow top container with the individual fingernails in them would have been opened one at a time, and an individual moistened swab would have been rubbed against each nail and then placed into a sealed swab tube. A clean, disposable scalpel would then have been used to cut the entire swab head off and it would have been placed into a new, clean tube. The fingernail yellow top containers would then have been closed. Ms Barbagallo has asked if there were multiple cuttings from the same fingernail in a container, if all would be swabbed. "I can't recollect what I would have done, but we would be trying to maximise the amount of cellular material ... it's quite likely we would try and swab as many pieces as we could to try and lift as much as we could," Ms Ashley said. The collected extracts would then have progressed to the process of amplification, which separates DNA strands and replicates them if they are present. The amplification was carried out by Ms Ashley on April 10 and 11, 1997. The gel evaluation of AJM42 revealed there was not a "strong product" detected on the sample, but that there may have been something there. During its typing to determine its genotype, it gave a weak reading, but of what could be read, it matched with the genotype of a stronger sample taken from AJM45, and when compared to Ciara's DNA reference sample, was a match. This means the initial DNA testing undertaken on AJM42, Ciara's left middle finger, revealed one DNA profile belonging to Ciara. Federal authorities have a consumer warning for shoppers. Hidden skimming devices (commonly thought to be attached to gas station pumps and ATMs) have gone high-tech. "It's hard to put really definite numbers around it. But one thing we know for sure is that millions of credit card numbers have been stolen, even over the course of the past two years," Herb Stapleton, section chief for the FBI's cyber division told CNBC. This new type of skimming is called e-skimming or Magecart. Cybercriminals can gain access to your personal and credit card information in a number of ways. They can break into a web server directly or break into a common server that supports many online shopping websites to compromise them all and once a site has been compromised, the shopper can't spot the difference. "It's nearly impossible for a consumer to detect that this has happened to them before the actual occurrence. The site that they would look at, which is already infected, would look no different to a consumer," Stapleton said. Randy Pargman is the senior director for threat hunting and counterintelligence at Binary Defense, an Ohio-based cybersecurity company that monitors companies' computers for signs of attacks. The company won't disclose its clients but says many are in the retail sector. More from Invest in You: Meet the 'financial detective' who has saved NBA players from losing millions of dollars to fraud How to protect yourself from a security breach Sometimes it pays to have a credit card with an annual fee. Here's what to look for Victims of e-skimming include Macy's, Puma's Australian website, Ticketmaster's United Kingdom website and British Airways. The companies did not respond to requests for comment. Getty Images Where is the best cannabis in the legal industry? It's a contentious subject. Many cannabis industry folks in the U.S. say the best marijuana in the legal industry is grown in Oregon. Why? Oregon is lush, it's home to the Cultivation Classic, a highly-regarded cannabis cultivation competition, and it has over 600 licensees. The state is so abundant in cannabis that legislators passed the Oregon cannabis export bill last year in hopes that Oregon cannabis can be exported and enjoyed nation-wide. RELATED: 20 Bold Predictions for the Cannabis Industry in 2020 One highly-regarded Oregon brand to watch is Oregrown Industries. Founded in 2013, Oregrown is bringing a new retail storefront to Portland. To kick off opening day, progressive cannabis advocate U.S Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democratic congressman of the state's third district, will be cutting the ribbon. The event is open to the public and ribbon-cutting happens at 6 p.m. on January 23, 2020. Oregrown opened its Bend flagship dispensary in 2015. Its Portland store is the vertically integrated company's second storefront, located at 111 NE 12th Avenue, while stores in both Eugene and Cannon Beach will be coming online in 2020. The Oregrown cannabis store is a lifestyle brand and clothing shop intermingled with cannabis products. Its interior design is sleek, outdoorsy, down-to-earth, and very PNW. Echoing a Patagonia or a North Face, but it's a weed store. The interior of Oregrown's new Portland dispensary and lifestyle brand location. (Image Credit: Nick Grier/Oregrown) Chrissy Hadar, Oregrown's co-founder, President of Retail, and Chief Branding Officer, has sculpted the brand's ideology. Overseeing Oregrown Industries roster of 60 employees and expansion, Hadar fosters the organizations financial and operational growth while "shepherding" the brand from the shadows of prohibition. RELATED: Oregon Has So Much Extra Weed, It Wants To Export It To California Opening any retail store is difficult, and Hadar concedes that. "We easily recognized there would be unique challenges in opening our first Portland flagship," she says. But she has managed to flourish. Green Entrepreneur asked Hadar for advice that cannabis entrepreneurs need to know when it comes to entering and staying atop, especially in such a competitive marketplace. Cannabis on display at the new Portland location of Oregrown. (Image Credit: Nick Grier/Oregrown) Be Authentic "Our customers are our foundation, and Im particularly excited about this endeavor because I was born and raised in Portland," Hadar says. "I really wanted to showcase the best aspects of our maturing brand, our love of Oregon, and take the Oregrown experience to new markets, delivering our award-winning experience to customers throughout the state." Establish Trust With Customers "While many established dispensaries in Portland exist, we are the only well-known cannabis retail brand left in Oregon that is still owned and operated solely by family and friends," Hadar says. "Authenticity -- not having to dilute our vision by conforming to some corporate idea of what Oregrown should be -- empowers us to stay true to our roots." Consumers and employees in the new Oregrown dispensary space in Portland, Oregon. (Image Credit: Nick Grier/Oregrown) Build Team Cohesion Emphasis on employee loyalty is another aspect that sets a company apart in a sea of competition. Staying close-knit, remaining family and friend-owned, as Hadar says, "provides our teams the freedom to create and deliver unparalleled experiences for our customers." "My advice to entrepreneurs coming online in competitive markets: Whatever the endeavor, or whichever part of the industry you choose to enter, strong teams are paramount," says Hadar. "The winning combination involves communication, cohesion, and a vibrant, positive company culture that thrives on kindness." "Be brave and persistent -- the cannabis industry is not for the faint of heart. Oregrown's storefront in Portland, Oregon, opens January 23, 2020. (Image Credit: Nick Grier/Oregrown) Related: How To Stay Atop In A Crowded Retail Market Meet Three Women Who Are Disrupting the Canna-business The Woman Who Invented Cannabis Tracking Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Around half a dozen Chinese venture capital firms with active presence in India have postponed their trips to the subcontinent. The novel coronavirus fear has now spread to the start-up ecosystem in India. Around half a dozen Chinese venture capital (VC) firms with active presence in India have postponed their trips to the subcontinent. There is a complete lockdown for these VCs till February 11. They have been asked not to travel out of China, said a start-up founder who works closely with Chinese investors. This could lead to delay in the funding process, said industry insiders. Some of the top Chinese investors who have been frequently investing in India are CDH Investments, BAce, Qiming, Morningside, Hillhouse, GGV, and Shunwei. They have invested in over two dozen start-ups, including unicorns such as business-to-business e-commerce platform Udaan and food delivery platforms, Zomato and Swiggy. In fact, Beijing-headquartered CDH Investments, which has Cashify and XpressBees as some of its portfolio companies, had committed to deploy up to 90 per cent of its $200-million emerging markets fund in India starting March this year. The fund has set eyes on early-stage investments in consumer internet and fintech segments, according to reports. E-commerce giant Alibaba, along with its affiliate Ant Financial, has been the most successful Chinese investor in India, with investments in successful start-ups such as Paytm, Zomato, and Bigbasket. Ant Financial-backed BAce Capital is also planning to invest around $90 million in early-stage companies in India. Xiaomis investment unit Shunwei Capital has also made big bets in India, especially on vernacular platforms such as ShareChat, Pratilipi, and Vokal. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters Uruguay's new president wants to attract wealthy foreigners to the country by offering massive tax breaks if they buy property in the country. Luis Lacalle Pou says he wants to offer residency to up to 200,000 by slashing the minimum amount of property foreigners need to buy to qualify. The newly-elected leader, who officially takes office in March, wants to attract well-heeled foreigners to invest in property in Montevideo and coastal resorts like Punta del Este, known as a millionaire's playground. Foreigners currently have to spend more than 183 days a year in the country as well as purchasing real estate worth more than 1.3million or investing more than 4.1million in a business. Uruguay's new president Luis Lacalle Pou wants to attract wealthy foreigners to the country with tax breaks. He is pictured here being kissed by his wife Lorena Ponce de Leon after his election victory in November The newly-elected leader, who officially takes office in March, wants to attract well-heeled foreigners to invest in property in Montevideo and coastal resorts like Punta del Este (pictured), known as a millionaire's playground Destino Punta del Este, a nonprofit organisation that promotes tourism in the city, has asked the incoming president's team to change the rules to 90 days and 380,000. 'The idea is for it to be competitive,' said Juan Carlos Sorhobigarat, the group's chairman. 'Not many people are going to come way down here to a small country like Uruguay if it's not competitive.' Lacalle Pou hasn't given any figures yet, but business leaders are calling for levels as low as countries such as Portugal, where foreigners only need to invest 292,000 in property to qualify. Lacalle Pou's centre-right National Party won last November's election as part of a coalition to end 15 years of left-leaning policies. He said in a radio interview last week: 'It seems to me that it's generally accepted that Uruguay would benefit from 100,000 or 200,000 more people.' The nation's population is 3.5 million. Uruguay is one of South America's wealthiest nations with stunning beaches and countryside dotted with picturesque farms and vineyards. Wealthy visitors are already important to the tourist industry, which generated more than eight per cent of GDP in 2018. Its coastal resorts are already a magnet for millionaires from neighbouring Argentina. Luis Lacalle Pou, candidate for the National Party, stands with his wife Lorena Ponce de Leon as he addresses supporters at their headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay, last November Incoming Tourism Minister German Cardoso likens his county to an 'island of tranquility' in a continent beset by conflict. However, violent crime has been rising for years despite significant investments in policing. The stable but sputtering economy also needs all the help it can get, with growth averaging a meager 1.3 per cent in the last five years and unemployment above nine per cent. 'As people with high disposable income settle here that will have an immediate impact on the economy,' Cardoso said in an interview earlier this month. Ignacio Albanell, whose real estate firm Meikle focuses on posh Montevideo neighborhoods like Carrasco, said strict financial reporting requirements was putting foreigners off. 'Today, if a foreigner comes here to open a bank account, he's almost treated like a criminal,' Albanell said. But Argentine President Alberto Fernandez has recently warned Lacalle Pou to 'think twice' before making the country what he suggested would be a tax dodger's paradise. 'It cost Uruguay so much to escape its nickname as a fiscal paradise that to go back to that doesn't seem to me to be a good idea,' Fernandez said. An American couple have now both died from injuries sustained last month in a volcanic eruption in New Zealand, according to authorities. New Zealand police said Thursday that Pratap Singh, 49, died at Middlemore Hospital in Auckland from the burns he suffered in the volcanic eruption on New Zealands White Island on Dec. 9, 2019. He becomes the twenty-first person to have died due to the eruption, police said. Singhs wife, Mayuari, who was also injured in the eruption, died at the same hospital on Dec. 22. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department confirmed that another American citizen injured in the volcanic eruption had passed away but did not release the victims identity. We extend our sincerest condolences to the families of all those lost, the agency said in a statement to TIME. Police said in December that about 47 people were on the island at the time of the eruption. Of the 47 people, nine were American. At least two other Americans Berend Hollander, 16, and Matthew Hollander, 13 died in the eruption, along with their parents. The couple, who were from Atlanta, are survived by three children, including an 11-year-old son and 6-year-old twin daughters, according to a statement from their nephew, Vick Singh, released on behalf of the family. Pratap Singh suffered 55% body burns in the eruption, Singh said in his statement. Mayuari Singh, 42, who was admitted to the hospital with 72% body burns, died after a 13-day battle. Courtesy of New Zealand Police Vick Singh remembered Pratap, who was nicknamed Paul, as a dynamic leader, genuinely kind-hearted, very spiritual individual with a charismatic personality known in the metro-Atlanta community for his philanthropic and social service activities. My uncle Paul will be remembered as an invincible businessman, a passionate social worker/educator, a transparent decision maker, an event liaison and a celebrated member of the Indian-American community, he wrote. He was the best father, best guardian, best brother, best uncle, best volunteer and the best friend anyone could wish. The entire family grew and thrived under his leadership. Story continues Singh said Mayuari Singh was also a beloved member of the American-Indian community in Atlanta and a great cook. Im sure that anyone who enjoyed any of her meticulously prepared handmade meals (Indian, American, Italian or Mexican) can certainly vouch for her. She was one of a kind we love her, we miss her so much, he wrote. Singh also criticized White Island tour operators for not providing proper safety equipment, which he believes could have saved his relatives lives had it been available. I seriously request and encourage volcano tourism in NZ and around the world to charter proper safety equipment including appropriate heat resistant gear/clothing, safety glasses, helmets and face masks, he wrote. Tours should not be operated without comprehensive disclosure of risks associated, and a complete assessment of geothermal and seismic activity. , . - ... The Enforcement Directorate (ED) informed a Delhi court on Friday that fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya, currently facing extradition proceedings in London, last week spoke to Yasmin Kapoor, a close aide of aviation lobbyist Deepak Talwar, asking her to manage his case in the Enforcement Directorate. The agencys special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana made this stunning revelation before Special Central Bureau of Investigation judge Anurag Sain at Delhis Rouse Avenue Courts while opposing Kapoors anticipatory bail in a money laundering probe related to Talwars NGO Advantage India. It is alleged that the NGO received ~90.72 crore under the CSR scheme for carrying out social activities but diverted this for some other purpose, with Kapoor playing an important role in the laundering. She was earlier arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last September in the same case, after which ED also took her custody, but in connection with a separate case related to causing loss to Air India by favouring private airlines. However, after spending three months in jail, she was granted bail on December 13. ED now wants to arrest Kapoor in the Advantage India case as it believes she is a key link to unearthing a larger conspiracy in Talwars deals. It has been alleged that Kapoor was shareholder or director in several shell companies created or controlled by Talwar. Nitesh Rana, while showing the case files to the judge on Friday, informed the court that Vijay Mallya made a call from London to Yasmin Kapoor, asking her if she knew ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra and if she can help manage his case. To this, Kapoor told Mallya that she has no acquaintance with the ED director but she knows the number 2 in the agency. Her phone was put under surveillance by ED. Rana also showed to the court two-page transcripts of Yasmin Kapoors conversation with Mallya. A senior ED official, who didnt wish to be named, told HT it appears that Mallya was in touch with Kapoor on more than one occasion. A female associate of Mallya was also calling Yasmin Kapoor. Mallyas call from London to Kapoor is strong evidence against him as well. We will convey to the UK high court in February, when his appeal against extradition comes for hearing, that he is trying to influence the investigation in India, the officer added. The ED officer also claimed that Kapoors reference to knowing no 2 in agency was nothing but bragging. HT was present at the Rouse Avenue court. Mallya did not respond to HTs email and text queries. Queries sent to his lawyer in London, Anand Doobay (Partner at Boutique Law LLP) on email and WhatsApp remained unanswered till late evening. Asserting that Kapoor should not be granted anticipatory bail as she is capable of influencing witnesses and the investigation, Nitesh Rana argued: Yasmin Kapoors past conduct has also been questionable as she has tried to influence and destroy the evidence earlier as well. Since she came out on bail [in December], she has been trying to influence the probe, he added. Kapoors lawyer, senior advocate N Hariharan strongly objected to ED tapping her phone, saying it is unconstitutional. Rana replied that tapping was done after following due procedure and that if any evidence surfaces during the course of surveillance, it is my (EDs) duty to place it [before the court]. The court has listed the matter for Saturday to decide whether Kapoor will get the anticipatory bail or not. Questioning the admissibility of EDs phone taps, N Hariharan said: First of all, I dont understand what they are trying to prove. Just for the sake of prejudice, you create something and place it before the court. How can an unrelated matter (Mallya case) be a ground in another matter? When there is nothing against her in an unrelated case, is ED trying to say she cant talk to anybody? Hariharan added that ED has already questioned Yasmin Kapoor in the case. Why does it need her custody now? There is nothing in the case. Interestingly, during her bail hearing on December 13, 2019, Kapoors lawyers told the court: The applicant (Kapoor) is willing to give an undertaking that she will in no manner, whatsoever, interfere or attempt to interfere with the investigation or the process of administration of justice. ED claimed last year that it needs to interrogate Kapoor to unearth the larger conspiracy. In a charge sheet filed on November 30, 2019, in the aviation case against Kapoor, ED had alleged they established laundering worth ~144 crore. Deepak Talwar was deported from Dubai in January last year, after which he was arrested by ED; CBI took his custody in July. He is currently lodged in Tihar jail. He is accused of receiving payments to the tune of ~272 crore during 2008-09 from private international airlines in lieu of securing favourable traffic rights using his contacts, allegedly causing state-owned Air India huge losses. Both CBI and ED have claimed that he arranged kickbacks for the public servants to make Air India give up profit making routes in favour of private airlines. A charge sheet is yet to be filed in the Advantage India case. FILE PHOTO: HMD Global Product Officer Juho Sarvikas walks onto the stage during the presentation of the new Nokia 1 Plus during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona HELSINKI (Reuters) - The head of Finland's state investment firm Solidium criticised Nokia for poor communication on Thursday and said he had sent management some "feisty feedback" after its sudden profit warning in October. "We were very disappointed by the radical change in (Nokia's) guidance and above all in their communications about it," Solidium's Chief Executive Antti Makinen told Reuters in a sharp rebuke to the company from its biggest shareholder. On Oct. 24 Nokia slashed its 2019 and 2020 profit outlook and halted dividend payouts, saying the company would need to spend more to fend off rivals in the fast-growing 5G networks business. Makinen criticized what he called Nokia's passive approach towards its owners and investors, especially the fact that Nokia, unlike its rival Ericsson, has for years chosen not to hold capital market days to outline its strategy. "They have communicated their development to investors rather poorly and we gave them some feisty feedback for it," Makinen said. Solidium contributed 338 million euros ($375 million) to Finland's state budget last year but expects Nokia's dividend cut to reduce this in 2020. Its full-year 2019 return on equity holdings was 15% but for the last six months it fell into the red at -1.4%, burdened by a 33% drop over 12 months in its return from Nokia. Finland's Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) has started an investigation into Nokia's sharp profit warning in October which sent its shares more than 20% lower, Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported on Saturday. Solidium holds 3.85% of Nokia. It is a major shareholder in 13 listed Finnish companies, including Stora Enso, Outokumpu and Metso. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen; Editing by Mark Trevelyan) JACKSON COUNTY, Mississippi -- Looking for a back issue of a local paper? Libraries have often been your best bet, but now the eight branches of the Jackson-George Regional Library System, including seven in Jackson County, have expanded and improved their newspaper resources. Through a contract with News-Bank, library patrons can now access articles dating back to the early 1990s from The Mississippi Press, Mobile Press-Register and the Sun Herald. Access is available through the library system website at www.jgrls.org or on library computers. Only a library card is necessary to access the system, found by clicking on Electronic Services and then Americas News. Previously, only limited issues of the Mobile Press-Register were available. In addition to three local newspapers, the News-Bank service provides search access to over 3,000 newspapers across the U.S. Full text articles and newspaper web-based content can be found through searching keywords. News-Bank has been providing research resources for more than 40 years. Currently, through partnerships with publishers worldwide, News-Bank provides public libraries with web-based access to tens of millions of articles and video clips from local, state, regional, national and international news sources. The Jackson-George Regional Library System includes branches in Pascagoula, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, St. Martin, Vancleave, Gautier and Hurley, as well as a branch in Lucedale. For more information on the News-Bank system or the library, visit the website or the JGRLS Facebook page. CROMWELL An 85-year-old resident is suing Covenant Living of Cromwell, alleging it is trying to force him to move out after it revoked an agreement to provide him with life-long care. Phillip Lund contends he can no longer afford to pay to live there and has applied for benevolent care, a program through which Covenant Living would pay his fees. For its part, the Christian community previously known as Covenant Village, contends Lund has more than adequate funds to continue paying to live in the apartment that has been his home since early 2014, the suit says. A lawsuit on behalf of Lund was filed Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court. The 78-page suit was filed by New Britain attorney William J. Sweeney Jr. The suit alleges Covenant Living violated both state statutes as well as the Christian principles the church-owned facility operates under, in trying to force Lund to leave the complex. The suit seeks injunctive relief that would enable Lund to continue to live in the complex as well as unspecified money damages. Sweeney said he has applied for expedited hearing on his motion for an injunction to bar Lund from being forced to move. Sweeney said he believes Lund can remain in his apartment while the Cromwell Living begins an eviction process. The state online judicial system says a hearing has been scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at the court in Middletown. Its an outrageous situation, Sweeney said in a telephone interview. His wife has died, hes disabled, and he basically lives on Social Security. Hes given them all his financials on numerous occasions, and now they dont want to pay to support him. Its a little hypocritical when you advertise that you are being run on Christian principles and then they try and take advantage of Mr. Lund at this stage of his life, Sweeney added. Randy Eilts, the director of public relations and communications for Covenant Living issued a statement Wednesday. Our organization has been part of the Cromwell community for 56 years in providing quality housing and services for older adults, the statement said. Covenant Living of Cromwell is aware of the lawsuit filed in the Middletown Superior Court. Unfortunately given this litigation, we are not able to offer any comments or specifics in regards to the case. Lund and his wife Margaret moved into the complex in January, 2014, after re-locating to Cromwell from the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, according to the suit. According to documents contained in the lawsuit, the couple paid a $58,000 entrance fee. The Lunds also began paying a $2,150 monthly service fee as tenants, the suit says. During a December 2013, discussion with representatives of Covenant Living, (I)t was represented that Covenant Living would be their home til they died and if their funds ever ran out; they could get Benevolent Care, according to the lawsuit. Benevolent Care would begin if all funds have been exhausted and there is a fund set aside to cover what ever portion of Room and board can not be met, the suit quotes the two representatives allegedly telling the Lunds. Things continued apace after Margaret Lund died in August 2017, the suit maintains. From the date of Margaret Lunds death on August 20, 2017, the Plaintiff was advised by the Defendant its agents, servants or employees to liquidate his assets to pay bills which he did, Sweeney says in the lawsuit. However, beginning last year, things began to change, Sweeney said. Mr. Lund said he no longer had the money to pay his service fees and asked that he be provided with benevolent care paid by the Village. In response, Covenant Living began questioning Lunds finances, the suit claims. In late September 2019, Covenant Living officials sent Lund a letter that said in part, As we have discussed with you, there are numerous documents missing to determine eligibility for benevolence, the suit claims. In a Jan. 13, 2020, letter to Sweeney, Dan Stegbauer, Covenant Livings executive director, wrote, All told, there is well over $250,000 in cash and assets that the campus relied upon in approving the application and are not available for Phils care, the suit claims. As a consequence, The benevolent care application is denied because of these significant misrepresentations in the application, Stegbauer wrote, according to the suit. Sweeney responded with: a) They promised life-time care; b) They promised benevolent care if they ran out of money; c) Their actions violated their promise to operate in the spirit of Christian principles as stated in the Bible and believed and practiced in the Evangelical Covenant Churchs Christian principles as set forth in their Residency Agreement; d) They failed to have an or apply fair, just, and reasonable standard for benevolent care; e) They failed to provide any refund or the deposit that was originally given to the Defendant. Stegbauer was not available for comment Wednesday, according to Cromwell Living officials. In his suit, Sweeney is seeking actual damages and punitive damages that alleged violation. The BJP on Friday said it would develop the river front of the Yamuna as an eco-tourism hub on the lines of the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and the Ganga in Varanasi if voted to power in Delhi. In its 'Sanklap Patra' (manifesto) for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls, the party also promised a 'Yamuna Museum' on the river's bank, besides constituting a 'Delhi Yamuna Vikas Board' to ensure clean and uninterrupted flow of water in the river. The 'Sankalp Patra' was released in the presence of Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar and Harsh Vardhan. The party's Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari and MPs were also present. "We will set up a water taxi service between Wazirabad and Sonia Vihar, Jagatpur and Tronica City at affordable prices. This will be a non-polluting mode of transport which will also save time of travellers," the BJP said in its manifesto. The Yamuna banks will be developed as an eco-tourism hub on the lines of the work done along the banks of the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and the Ganga in Varanasi, it stated. "An annual festival - Yamuna Mahotsav - will be organised to highlight and celebrate the religious importance of the Yamuna. We will also deploy bio-remediation technology for cleaning up the river," the party said. The BJP also said that if it forms government in Delhi, it will implement biological treatment of industrial pollutants at source and expand the capacity of sewage treatment plants. "We will also build a network of ghats on the Yamuna to ensure proper facilities during Chhath Puja," it said, adding that the party is committed to taking all steps to free the river of pollution in a time-bound manner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Committee met on Thursday and declared the Coronavirus 2019-nCoV a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the Collective Prevention Services (CPS), a department from the Sint Maarten Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour (Ministry VSA), said on Thursday. What does this mean for Sint Maarten? Ministry VSA along with its stakeholders and other relevant government ministries will continue to make preparations for containment, including active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of 2019-nCoV infection. The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has stated that the Caribbean region has no confirmed cases or reports of the respiratory illness and that the region based on current information, and that the immediate health risk from this virus to the general public remains low. Travelers are requested to take the necessary actions to stay healthy and to also keep their family friends and community healthy by complying with the preventive measures. Persons are asked to practice general infection control measures, such as frequent hand washing with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer for at least 20 seconds and coughing and sneezing in tissues. The WHO Emergency Committee convened under the International Health Regulations (IHR) (2005), acknowledged that there are still many unknowns, cases have now been reported in five WHO regions in one month across the globe, and human-to-human transmission has occurred outside Wuhan, China and outside China. The WHO says: The Committee believes that it is still possible to interrupt virus spread, provided that countries put in place strong measures to detect disease early, isolate and treat cases, trace contacts, and promote social distancing measures commensurate with the risk. It is important to note that as the situation continues to evolve, so will the strategic goals and measures to prevent and reduce spread of the infection. The Committee agreed that the outbreak now meets the criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and proposed the following advice to be issued as Temporary Recommendations. The Committee emphasized that the declaration of a PHEIC should be seen in the spirit of support and appreciation for China, its people, and the actions China has taken on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and, it is to be hoped, with success. In line with the need for global solidarity, the committee felt that a global coordinated effort is needed to enhance preparedness in other regions of the world that may need additional support for that. The public are advised are once again reminded to check the Governments network for official and factual news and information about the coronavirus. The Department of Communication (DCOMM) Government public information network includes: SXMGOV Radio 107.9FM, Website: sintmaartengov.org, Facebook Page: Facebook.com/SXMGOV, YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/sxmgov, TV programming via Cable TV Channel 115, and the Government Information Page (GIP) published five-days of the week in the Daily Herald newspaper. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Ministry VSA and other relevant Government departments have been working closely with stakeholders and the ports of entry (Port St. Maarten, Princess Juliana International Airport) after consultation with the ministry are in the process of updating their protocols or are already in an advance stage of implementing preventive measures to ensure a collective response. All respective stakeholders have been placed on alert and working on adjusting their preparedness and response plans. Stakeholders are requested to be vigilant and be prepared to detect and stop the spread of the disease. Methods to deal with a suspected case and to take the necessary preventative measures to curtail the spread not only of the coronavirus but all infectious diseases such as the flu, and many others are being put in place. If you have respiratory symptoms and you think you have been exposed to a suspected or confirmed case of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, call your doctor so that the necessary steps can be taken. Local health care officials have been requested by Ministry VSA to reinforce surveillance measures. Physicians, labs, and the St. Maarten Medical Center, have been informed regarding the virus and have confirmed that plans are in place and are updated as to what steps need to be taken to deal with a potential imported case of the coronavirus. The Department of Communication (DCOMM) has also commenced with a public awareness information campaign via its DCOMM Network of radio, social and print media. Ministry VSA will continue to keep the public informed with respect to developments related to the Coronavirus 2019-nCoV as information becomes available from its regional and international partners, namely CARPHA, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). On an international level, the situation is constantly evolving. For more information, you can call CPS 542-1322, 1122, 1222, 1570 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Calls for disgraced Public Works Director Mohammed Nurus ouster from city government are intensifying amid the widening fallout from the public corruption scandal hes been accused of orchestrating. But despite the details the Justice Department laid out in its criminal complaint against Nuru this week, the expected end of his decades-long career as a public employee depends on the outcome of a meticulous personnel investigation now under way. That process will also provide the answer to another central question: Will Nuru get to keep his city pension, despite accusations of corruption and fraud? San Francisco supervisors have expressed outrage over the Justice Departments charges against Nuru and prominent restaurateur Nick Bovis. Several supervisors have held up the scandal as evidence of the dire need for greater transparency and accountability from city government. But theyve had to walk a fine line when it comes to voicing their opinions on Nurus future. Nuru declined to answer any questions from a reporter Thursday, including whether he plans to resign. Federal officials charged Nuru and Bovis with fraud on Tuesday, accusing the two men of concocting several schemes, including an attempt to bribe an airport commissioner, to give Bovis an edge in securing city contracts. Nuru has also been accused of accepting gifts from a billionaire Chinese developer in exchange for help with a development deal, lying to the FBI and receiving free and discounted building materials along with a John Deere tractor at his Stonyford (Colusa County) vacation home. Nuru and Bovis face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. But the allegations on their own arent enough to lead to Nurus firing. State law intended to protect workers rights forbids employers from firing someone because theyve been arrested. Nuru was placed on paid administrative leave on Monday while San Francisco officials conduct an internal investigation including a review of the criminal complaint and Nurus personnel file. The process also involves an interview with his boss City Administrator Naomi Kelly during which Nuru can defend himself. In the next few days, the citys human resources department and other agencies will recommend to Kelly whether or not Nuru should be terminated from the position, which paid him a $273,400 salary last year, not including benefits. The question of his pension rests with the board of the San Francisco Employees Retirement system, which could decide to rescind it. In general, city employees can lose their pension if theyre found to have engaged in unethical practices or deliberately misused city resources. Nuru could still lose his roughly $91,000 a year pension, even if he resigns. San Franciscos charter is clear about who has the power to terminate Nuru and who does not. It forbids supervisors from interfering with personnel decisions including the appointment, promotion or discipline of city employees. The law is meant to prevent elected officials from influencing hiring and firing decisions within city government. But on Wednesday, Supervisor Matt Haney among Nurus most reliable critics in recent months said Nuru should be fired. His calls for Nurus termination drew the attention of the Municipal Executives Association, which represents managers within San Francisco city government. Lawyers for the association wrote to Haney on Thursday, warning that while he can exercise free speech, calling for Nuru to be fired risked committing official misconduct. On Thursday, Haney retreated from his call to fire Nuru and demanded instead that the public works director resign. Now we know that the very time that the conditions on our streets worsened, Director Nuru is accused of spending his time lining his own pockets. This is infuriating, Haney said. For anyone who is in a situation like this, it seems clear that they should resign. At a news conference Thursday, Haney said the city attorneys office had also advised him that he cannot call directly for someone to be dismissed. But I very much hope that the mayor and the city administrator will do the right thing here. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Haney also said that he planned to lead the search for an independent investigator whod be tasked with a sweeping review of alleged corruption within public works, the airport commission and any other city departments that may have been wrapped up in Nurus alleged schemes. Haney made it clear that the special investigator would be looking into agencies overseen by the mayor. That investigation would apparently be done in parallel with another probe by the city attorneys office and the controller initiated by Mayor London Breed this week. But Haney said restoring the publics trust in city government, which has been corroded by Nurus alleged scandals, required an investigation conducted by someone independent from local politics. We absolutely cannot rely on the executive branch of government in the city and county of San Francisco to investigate itself. That does not work, said Supervisor Dean Preston, who joined Haney alongside Supervisor Gordon Mar. City Attorney Dennis Herrera is independently elected and his office does not fall under the executive branch. Asked about the separate probe, John Cote, a spokesman for the city attorneys office, said this offices track record of independence is unparalleled. We will follow the facts wherever they lead. With Nuru on paid leave, Alaric Degrafinried was appointed as the citys interim public works director on Wednesday. Degrafinried was previously the city purchaser, overseeing contracts for most city departments, but not public works. He has pledged to bring more openness and transparency to the troubled department, particularly around the contract-bidding process. He said the department will do more outreach to potential bidders and try to get more local businesses involved. Nurus boss, Kelly, who was in Glen Park with Degrafinried on Thursday, said the city is taking these allegations very seriously and described Degrafinried as an expert at contracting integrity. Chronicle staff writer Rachel Swan contributed to this report. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel is the greatest criminal threat to the United States despite its notorious leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman serving a life sentence behind bars, according to a new report. The Drug Enforcement Agency on Thursday released its 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment report and found that the criminal syndicate, founded in 1988, 'maintains the most expansive footprint in the United States'. The study found that El Chapo's old cartel is among the Mexican groups that pose 'the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States' and that there are no other organizations in the distance that are 'positioned to challenge them'. 'The Sinaloa Cartel maintains the most expansive footprint in the United States,' the report stated. 'While the Jalisco New Generation Cartel [Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion or CJNG] has become the second-most dominant domestic presence over the past few years.' SEE VIDEO BELOW Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in the United States, co-founded the Sinaloa Cartel in 1988. The Drug Enforcement Agency said this week that the cartel is the greatest criminal drug threat to the United States El Chapo's cartel remains a strong presence in the United States. His son Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and two of his brothers are responsible for keeping the organization as the U.S. top fentanyl smuggler The DEA's 2019 National Drug Threat Assessment report places the Sinaloa Cartel as one of the top smugglers of fentanyl (pictured) Known as one of the oldest trafficking organization in Mexico, the Sinaloa Cartel has still has the 'most expansive international footprint' compared to its rivals back home. The illegal sale of drugs in the U.S. generates tens of billions of dollars and the Sinaloa Cartel rakes at least $11 billion a year through its shipments of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, heroin and methamphetamine across the borders in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas before the drugs are diverted to its distribution centers in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta, and Chicago. El Chapo was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years in July 2019 and also ordered to pay the U.S. government $12.9 billion. With El Chapo no longer at the top of the command chain, the Sinaloa Cartel is now spearheaded by his sons, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman and Jesus Alfredo Guzman, who are known as 'Los Chapitos'. They are all wanted by U.S. authorities, along with Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada-Garcia, who helped the jailed drug lord establish the organization and is on the Federal Bureau of Investigation's [FBI] most wanted list. Even with El Chapo in prison, the cartel showed how much power it has in Mexico when it backed the government into a corner and forced it to release his son, Ovidio Guzman Lopez (pictured), during a war-like confrontation that left 13 dead A 2018 operation in Mexico led to dismantlement of a lab were 20,000 fentanyl pills and a pill press machine were confiscated. Pictured above are machines from a 2018 DEA drug bust in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Sinaloa Cartel's strength was evident in October when the Mexican government stopped short of processing an extradition request for Guzman Lopez after the group launched a war-like attack against security forces outside his home and the surrounding streets in Culiacan. Video footage of operation showed Guzman Lopez surrounded by soldiers with one telling him to call his brother, Ivan Archivaldo, to demand the group to call off the assault. 'Tell them to stop everything,' a soldier says as the sound of high-powered artillery rattles away in the background. 'Stop this, stop this. I already turned myself in,' Guzman Lopez can be heard telling his brother on the phone. Ivan Archivaldo responded 'no' and shouted threats against the soldiers and their families. The attacks continued and eight minutes later the first wounded soldiers were reported. Later that afternoon, police withdrew from the residence having released Guzman Lopez in exchange for a ceasefire. Thirteen people were killed in the bloodshed. Jesus Alfredo Guzman, one of El Chapo's three sons, is wanted by the United States Ovidio Guzman Lopez (pictured), the son of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, turns himself in during an October military operation in Mexico before he was let go On Wednesday, the cartel's chief financial officer, Victor Manuel 'El Vic' Felix Beltran, and fellow Sinaloa Cartel members Luis Fernando Meza and Yael Osuna escaped from a Mexico City jail on a prison van. The DEA's report shows that no other illicit drug has produced more overdose deaths than fentanyl, and the Sinaloa Cartel has been largely responsible for it by remaining at the top of the opiate business. Produced in secret laboratories in Mexico as well as China, it has become the leading drug in the opioid crisis in the U.S, causing widespread deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there was a 47 per cent increase in synthetic opioid-related deaths from 19,413 deaths in 2016 to 28,466 deaths in 2017. In trafficking fentanyl, the cartel borrowed a page from its competition by using fentanyl powders and pill press machines to create pills that resemble oxycodone and hydrocodone, the two most popular prescription opioids. Mexican security forces dismantled a Sinaloa Cartel lab in September 2018 where they confiscated 20,000 counterfeit carfentanil pills and a pill press machine. A Bulgarian biochemist and a Mexican national were arrested in the operation and accused of conspiring to distribute the pills in the the U.S. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 10:32:01 In the current telecoms climate where communications service providers (CSPs) are reportedly avoiding investments in value-added services (VAS), vendors specifically specialized in this area have all but disappeared. However, in 2019, ECT witnessed an upsurge in demand, realizing record order intake and extremely high growth. ECT Defies Market Trends, Making 2019 a Landmark Year Angel Sanchez communications@ect-telecoms.de ECT (European Computer Telecoms AG), Europes leading communications software company for the realization of value-added services, announces that the company again achieved record growth in 2019. The company experienced an annual order intake of over 23 million EUR. Although the companys audited, consolidated annual report has yet be completed, it is already clear that in 2019 ECT exceeded the 20% top-line growth achieved in the previous year, while the bottom line grew by over 30%. In addition, due to the high order backlog at the close of 2019 and maintenance contracts for 2020, ECT already has more than 12 million EUR on its books for this year and anticipates continued record growth. This landmark development is in line with the Boards long-term goal of maintaining at least 20% year-to-year revenue growth. As Marshall E. Kavesh, the CEO and cofounder of ECT, explains, after more than 20 years as a profitable, but midsized market player, we last year took on the ambitious goal of growing ECT from a 20 million Euro to a 100 million Euro company by no later than 2025. With the excellent results of the last two years we have made important steps in this direction. Our continued growth, profitability, customer relationships and innovations are the foundation for the long-term prosperity and independence of our company. This is a commitment we make to all the colleagues in our fantastic ECT team and especially to our much appreciated customers. Key highlights for 2019 include: Expanded Depth and Breadth of Customer Relationships - The vast majority of the orders were received from first-tier carriers which have been ECT customers for 10 years and longer, attesting to the deep satisfaction of the companys customer base. - In addition, the company, whose roots are in Europe, continued to expand its footprint in the Americas with new customer acquisitions and conducted direct sales worldwide. - With one of Finlands leading telecommunications operators, DNA, the company closed a three-year contract worth many millions of euros for the provision of, amongst other things, licenses for ECTs application for Virtual PBX / Unified Communications, a license for the Service Creation Environment of the companys Telephony Application Server (TAS) as well as the utilization of a Dedicated Agile Programming Squad. - In indirect sales via its partner Nokia Software, the company took part in tenders worldwide, e.g. closing yet another major multimillion deal. Major Investments in Cutting-Edge Telecoms Technology - The company founded a new R&D unit for NFVi architecture, implemented integration with Nokias CloudBand Application Manager (CBAM) and plans to continue certification with other major VNF Managers in 2020. Few competitors are capable of offering this important, cost-reducing technology. - All new solutions are implemented based on ECTs VNFs with the option of full integration with a third-party VNF Manager, providing Automated Lifecycle Management. - ECT implemented agile methodology throughout the company starting in January 2019 and also launched a program allowing CSPs to take under contract an ECT Dedicated Agile Programming Squad, enabling them to respond in extremely short cycles to the customizations and enhancements demanded by their major corporate and municipal customers. - Within the framework of ECTs Joint Agile Product Development, the companys Innovation Department successfully launched its cutting-edge application for unified communications and collaboration, ECT Workspace, with selected CSPs. Rapid Organization Growth - Although many other telecoms vendors are in retrenchment, ECT is accelerating the growth of its team: In 2019, the number of employees increased by ca. 25% compared to 2018 and is expected to grow by at least another 25% by the end of this year, the majority of the new positions being in R&D. About ECT (European Computer Telecoms AG): For more information about ECT, please visit our website: www.ect-telecoms.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005 Independent TD Carol Nolan has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, to conduct an immediate impact analysis on the effectiveness of the supports being offered to young farmers. Deputy Nolan was speaking after a number of farmers raised the issue with her during her ongoing general election campaign. In March of last year, I asked the Minister to outline his plans and incentives to encourage young persons to take up farming. "At that time, I received a list of the supports that are in place and that are apparently having some kind of impact. "The reality is however that for many young farmers there have been no measurable or improved outcomes despite the various commitments made under the CAP, the National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme. "In fact, the reality is such that the enormous challenges that I and others have been identifying and highlighting around generational renewal are still very much in place. "The last year alone has made it almost impossible for young beef farmers to continue. If that continues into this year then the exodus of young people from farming and the unwillingness of the next generation to take it up because of a lack of financial viability will only increase. "I am therefore calling on Minister Creed to conduct an impact analysis in order to see what is working and what is not working. "That will allow us to concentrate our focus and our resources more effectively, which is want many young farmers are crying out for, concluded Deputy Nolan. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) The Jakarta Post Fri, January 31, 2020 Activists are calling on President Joko Jokowi Widodo to withdraw troops from the conflict-prone Nduga, Papua, and take a humanitarian approach instead. The Indonesian Military (TNI) has maintained a strong presence in the regency since December 2018, following the killing of more than 30 workers of state-owned company Istaka Karya in the regency by an armed group linked to the Free Papua Movement (OPM). The construction workers were assigned to build a 275-kilometer section of road to connect Wamena and Mamugu as part of President Jokowi's flagship trans-Papua road project. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login HEFEI, China, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- iFLYTEK, Asia's leading artificial intelligence (AI) and speech technology company, has donated medical equipment, supplies, and education technology worth 10 million yuan (approximately $1.44 million) to help fight Wuhan's coronavirus epidemic. "iFLYTEK's intelligent medical and educational technologies provide unique help and assistance to the government and the public in this extremely complex and difficult period," said iFLYTEK Chief Financial Officer Mr. Dawei Duan. "We are also employing our smart online classroom technology to provide a way for students to keep learning when schools are temporarily suspended. iFLYTEK will continue to provide our world-leading AI expertise and tools to help those working to contain and defeat this virus as long as needed." In the medical space, iFLYTEK has deployed its intelligent medical assistants to 66 districts and counties to help physicians screen high-risk individuals and conduct patient follow up. These AI powered medical assistants analyze the patients' medical records and send an analysis to the province's Health Commission, aiding the decision-making process. Additionally, doctors and the Health Commission use iFLYTEK's intelligent external call system to distribute important information about the illness. Mr. Duan commented, "Since January 21st, we have dedicated 39 full-time personnel to the prevention and control of coronavirus-related pneumonia in Anhui and the whole country. By using smart medical assistant products and doctors' expertise, we have provided important tools to those fighting the virus such as online medical record analysis, screening of high-risk patients, and online Q&A with doctors." In addition to its AI technology, iFLYTEK has donated over 12,000 protective masks, 3,000 sets of protective suits, and more than 13,000 goggles to hospitals in the Hubei Province, including Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University and the Third People's Hospital of Wuhan City, to help alleviate the limited supply of medical materials and prevent further spread of the virus. While those in the affected area are unable to attend school, iFLYTEK has provided its smart online classroom to primary and secondary schools in Hubei province at no cost. The platform is a live, online teaching system that relies on an intelligent learning network to personalize learning and streamline teaching preparation. iFLYTEK's program allows students to maintain a sense of normalcy by preventing the disruption of studies until schools reopen. Today, the program is used in 16,000 schools nationwide helping more than 25 million teachers and students. SOURCE iFLYTEK An Alabama woman who was found dead and buried in a shallow grave two weeks after she disappeared died of an accidental overdoes. Paighton Houston, 29, died of morphine and methamphetamine toxicity, according to Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates. US marshals in Cleveland, Ohio, arrested convicted rapist Fredrick Hampton, 50, on Wednesday night in connection to Ms Houston's death. Paighton Houston, 29, (left) died of morphine and methamphetamine toxicity, according to Jefferson County Coroner Bill Yates. US marshals in Cleveland, Ohio, arrested convicted rapist Fredrick Hampton, 50, (right) on Wednesday night in connection to Ms Houston's death Ms Houston's remains were found earlier this month at the home of Hampton's relatives in Hueytown, Alabama Hampton has not been accused of killing Ms Houston but was charged with abuse of a corpse after her body was found, according to Lynneice Washington - district attorney for the Bessemer Cutoff District of Jefferson County. Ms Houston's remains were found earlier this month at the home of Hampton's relatives in Hueytown, Alabama. The 29-year-old was last seen on December 20 last year leaving a Birmingham bar with two men. Houston sent a text message to a friend just after midnight that said: 'I don't know who I'm with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble'. Houston sent a text message to a friend just after midnight that said: 'I don't know who I'm with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble' Her mother, Charlaine Houston, had previously described the text as 'very concerning'. Hampton will remain in Ohio until he can be extradited back to Alabama, the US Marshals Service said. He was previously convicted in 1992 on first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy charges, according to Jefferson County records. He served 20 years in prison before his release in 2012. Meghan McCain and Abby Huntsman had a fight before the latter quit The View. Their friendship gave the tabloids a lot of room to speculate about tension on the ABC talk show. After weeks of speculation, McCain broke her silence and acknowledged there was a rift with her former co-host. The political analyst is also revealing if she is still friends with Huntsman after she left the show. Abby Huntsman and Meghan McCain | Lorenzo Bevilaqua/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Feud rumors At the beginning of this year, there were rumors that the ladies of The View were icing out McCain. Fans of the morning show were skeptical as they know McCain and Huntsman have had a close bond. However, the report also added that the latter had recently fallen out with the conservative co-host. They arent speaking to each other. Its been about a month. None of the ladies talk to Meghan now, an inside source told Page Six. Abby was the last woman standing. Its bad. Meghans so rude. Abby Huntsman quits The View After the alleged turmoil on the show, Huntsman started off the next week announcing she was leaving. The reason for her departure was to join her fathers political efforts in her home state of Utah. Family has always been my number one priority, and is where I need to be focused at this time, she told People in a statement. We are incredibly close and are there to support and help each other when it matters. Its not often there is a political campaign that involves someone you love and believe in, but this is one of them. During Huntsman farewell speech, she made sure to dispell the rumors she was leaving mad at McCain. People go nuts with rumors on this show and this week has been no exception, Huntsman said during her farewell, I just want to be as clear as I possibly can, this has been a dream come true, this has been an incredible job, I do love everyone at this table. I just want to make it as clear as day, with everything that has been written about this place. I am leaving so thankful for all the new friends that I have here, for the friends I had before and still have and for the opportunity because this place has changed my life for the better, Huntsman ended. Meghan McCain confirms fight This week, McCain was a host on Bravos Watch What Happens Live. Andy Cohen is one to not shy away from asking controversial questions and he went there. The late-night host asked McCain if the rumors of feuds were true. We did get in a fight, which is a very small fight and a friend-fight, McCain confirmed. All friendships have ups and downs and it was bizarre for me to have the fact that we got into one fight to be put under dissection in the media. Despite their differences, McCain assured Cohen that shes still friends with Huntsman. Theres no animosity between them and McCain even acknowledged to speaking with her recently. Abby and I have been friends for over 10 years. Our parents were friends in politics, we worked at Fox together, part of the reason of why she came to The View is because we were friends. We are still very good friends. We are very close and I just talked to her yesterday morning, McCain explained. The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET and 10 a.m. PT/CT. Techstars Detroit, the accelerator that has funded 54 startups in the past five years, is shutting down, TechCrunch has learned. In an email to supporters, Techstars Detroit managing director Ted Serbinski said the accelerator was not able to secure enough funding for 2020. "It's clear the entire automotive mobility industry is tightening as sales slump and we hit the trough of disillusionment with autonomy," Serbinski wrote in the email. The sales and business development piece of the accelerator is working to build a new program in Detroit if "great corporates can be found," he added. Techstars isn't disappearing from Detroit altogether. The company has a presence through events like Startup Week and Startup Weekends. Serbinski will continue to support the 54 startups that have come out of the program. A number of these startups are working on Series A rounds. Serbinski will continue to work at Techstars, this time running an accelerator program focused on "quality of life" startups. An excerpt from Serbinksi's email: An experiment for Techstars, Detroit showed you could build a world-class program in an emerging market, in a hyper-competitive industry, that was going through a transformational change. More importantly, the program proved that wonderful and talented mentors from around the region and globe would graciously support the founders. Truly, an incredible community formed around this program and region. It's wonderful to see all the new activity as Detroit continues to grow in startup and VC activity. Techstars Detroit began in 2015 as Techstars Mobility, a mentorship-driven accelerator program that was supported by numerous corporate and auto-focused backers, including Ford, Honda, Lear and Nationwide, as well as global partners such as Amazon's AWS, Silicon Valley Bank and Microsoft for Startups. The intent was to bring attention and business into Detroit, a strategy that Serbinksi told TechCrunch was successful. Story continues "The Detroit program was an experiment from the start," Serbinski said in an interview Wednesday. "The experiment was, could TechStars run an accelerator with multiple corporate partners in an emerging market that had a lot of potential, but a significant amount of unknowns? Over the last five years, it became clear that you can work with multiple corporates, you can be in a hyper competitive auto industry, Detroit has momentum and Silicon Valley isn't waiting anymore. A lot of that proved out." Serbinksi's portfolio is diverse and global. For instance, the startups in the portfolio are from 11 different countries and 40% have female founders. Of the 54 startups Techstars Detroit invested in, just one is from Detroit and two are from Michigan. Serbinksi added that he was not tied to a single thesis that "autonomy is going to take over today" and instead focused on what would work "today and tomorrow." In other words, he didn't heavily weight the portfolio with startups focused on autonomous vehicle technology, which could take 10 to 15 years to turn into a product. The portfolio has had success, with less than 10% of startups shutting down. Some of the successful accelerator graduates include Cargo, Acerta and Wise. In 2019, Serbinski announced the name was changing to Techstars Detroit to diversify even more. The new broader aim was to look for startups "transforming the intersection of the physical and digital worlds that can leverage the strengths of Detroit to succeed." It could be more than just mobility. The word mobility was becoming too limiting," Serbinksi wrote in a blog post at the time. "We knew we needed to reach a broader audience of entrepreneurs who may not label themselves as mobility but are great candidates for the program. Even as the accelerator diversified, Serbinski said, it was becoming more difficult to attract investments from the automotive industry. "We were talking to a healthy amount of new partners for this year and all of those conversations went to zero," he said. "I'm seeing a tightening of innovation budgets around automotive and mobility because we're entering that trough of disillusionment for autonomy. And so, with less accessible money, it made it a lot harder for us to fill in that gap." Two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus, the chief medical officer for England has confirmed. The Department of Health declined to say where in England the patients were from, however a source said they were being treated at a hospital in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear. In a statement, chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, said: We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty The first cases of the virus to be diagnosed in the UK were announced as 83 Britons on an evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak were due to land in Britain. The British passengers on the evacuation flight - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - had to sign a contract agreeing to isolation before they could board the flight and underwent temperature checks. On arrival, they will be taken by bus to Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral for a quarantine period of 14 days, where they will be housed in an NHS staff accommodation block with access to the internet. Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital, which has a high-level infectious diseases unit. Chinese authorities announced the death toll had reached 213 by Friday morning as the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency. Additional reporting by Press Association. UM School of Medicine Experts Cite Urgent Need for Influenza Vaccinations for Detainees to Prevent Outbreaks Over the past year, at least seven children have died from diseases including influenza while being detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. Infectious disease experts at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) called for protections like influenza vaccinations to prevent serious outbreaks. Detention centers have become tinderboxes for infectious-disease outbreaks, warned Mark Travassos, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UMSOM and a pediatric infectious disease specialist in the UMSOM Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD). In a commentary published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Travassos and UMSOM Pediatrics-Internal Medicine Resident Carlo Foppiano Palacios, MD, said that it is not a surprise that thousands of detained migrants and asylum seekers have been quarantined because of influenza, mumps and chickenpox outbreaks. Children and adults are being held in crowded conditions without adequate sanitation or medical care, they wrote, adding that the physical and emotional stress and trauma that migrants and asylum seekers experience can also weaken their immune systems, thereby increasing their risk of systemic infection. The rise of outbreaks and deaths in these detention centers point to the urgent need for mandatory influenza immunization for migrant children and an opt-out vaccine policy for adults in CBP detention centers, Dr. Travassos and Dr. Foppiano Palacios warned. The logistics of vaccine administration are relatively straightforward. Influenza vaccine is simple to administer and carries a low risk of adverse effects. In the event that a detainee has previously been immunized, there is no drawback to receiving multiple vaccinations, they said. They also recommended that employees at these detention centers be held to similar vaccination standards as health care workers at U.S. hospitals during influenza season, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendation that all people who work in health care facilities receive annual influenza vaccines. Mandatory immunization of these workers is critical to limiting the spread of diseases such as influenza, they asserted. Infectious disease specialists at the CVD highlight the importance of the seasonal influenza vaccine. We know that influenza spreads easily, particularly among children and in crowded conditions, and we know that vaccines are an important tool to prevent outbreaks, said Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, the Myron M. Levine Professor in Vaccinology, Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics and Director of the CVD. For more than four decades, experts in the CVD have been developing and testing vaccines to protect against infectious diseases like seasonal influenza, as well as emerging strains of this virus. Physician-scientists are also researching ways to develop a longer-lasting seasonal influenza vaccine. Our infectious disease research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine has served as a critical tool in protecting even the most vulnerable populations, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, from complex and emerging diseases. Vaccines are an important tool in preventing serious illnesses such as influenza, measles, mumps and chickenpox, said UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who is also Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine. About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 students, trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System (University of Maryland Medicine) has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu By Trend Kazakhstan aims to continue working with Russian partners in order to follow the strategic course of relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin said, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Kazakh prime minister. Within the framework of the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Digital Almaty forum, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin met with Russias Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. During the meeting, Mamin noted that in order to maintain high positive dynamics in trade and economic cooperation, it is necessary to continue joint work to expand the trade of goods and services, establish direct contacts between the business circles, as well as promote goods to third-country markets. This important work is also being conducted within the Eurasian Economic Commission, Mamin said. In turn, Mishustin said that it is symbolic that his first visit as head of government was paid to Kazakhstan. We have long-standing friendship and partnership. Trade, economic and investment cooperation is developing dynamically, and regional ties are strengthening, Mishustin said. The parties discussed issues of further development of bilateral cooperation in the industrial, energy, military-technical, space, water and environmental spheres, as well as interaction within the Eurasian Economic Union and other integration associations. During the meeting, Mamin and Mishustin focused on the importance of preparation for the XVII Forum of Interregional Environmental Cooperation to be held in November 2020 in Kokshetau (Kazakhstan). The necessity of intensifying work on the implementation of the Program of joint actions on the functioning of checkpoints on the Kazakh-Russian border, signed at the last year's forum in Omsk, was also noted. Russia is the main trading partner of Kazakhstan. For 11 months of 2019, bilateral trade amounted to $17.2 billion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 07:45:30|Editor: Liu Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Thursday voiced serious concern over the significant escalation of violence in Nehm and Jawf, Yemen, and its impact on civilians, thousands of whom have been displaced in recent days. In a press statement, the council members underlined their disappointment at this return to violence, which threatens to undermine progress made during the recent period of de-escalation in Yemen. They called for an immediate cessation of these hostilities, which posed a threat to the political process, and for a return to de-escalation efforts. They reminded all parties to fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law, including in relation to ensuring the protection of civilians, in particular women and children, and their obligations under international human rights law, as applicable. The members of the Security Council called for an immediate stop to all intimidation of humanitarian workers, a cessation of the obstruction and diversion of humanitarian assistance, the conclusion of project agreements and their swift implementation without further delays, and the facilitation of safe and unhindered access for humanitarian personnel and flows of humanitarian supplies, in particular in the north of Yemen. The fighting in Nehm and Jawf escalated after a Houthi missile attack in adjacent Marib province killed more than 100 Yemeni government troops earlier this month. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of much of the country's north and forced the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of Sanaa. But none of this should promote the sentimental fantasy that courtliness still reigns. Along with large brass spittoons on the floor, the Senate has satellite dishes on the roof, and members regularly avail themselves of everything technology has to offer to excite and inflame passions. Just this past week, the nations newest senator, Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, lobbed a zinger via Twitter at fellow Republican Mitt Romney after the Utahn suggested he might support calling witnesses in the impeachment trial. The saucer designed to cool the coffee the role our nations founders are said to have ascribed to the Senate appears to have cracked, leaking boiling-hot liquid all over the body politic. National airline carrier Air India is set to rescue over 250 Indians from the locked-down city of Wuhan in China. The airlines Jumbo Boeing-747 will depart from Delhi airport at 12.30 pm, as per a senior airline official. The national carrier once again comes to the rescue - this time to evacuate Indians from Wuhan, the site of the outbreak of coronavirus. This mission begins today with a Jumbo 747 operating between Delhi and Wuhan. Jai Hind Ashwani Lohani (@AshwaniLohani) January 31, 2020 Air Indias national spokesperson Ashwani Lohani tweeted, The national carrier once again comes to the rescue - this time to evacuate Indians from Wuhan, the site of the outbreak of coronavirus. This mission begins today with a Jumbo 747 operating between Delhi and Wuhan. The Jumbo 747 is a 423-seater airplane that will fly to Wuhan from Delhi for evacuating Indian citizens. The evacuation comes a day after India confirmed its first case of Coronavirus in Kerala. An Indian student, who was studying at the Wuhan University, was found positive in Kerala, the health ministry noted. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had seemed permission for operating two flights to bring back Indian citizens from the virus-affected city in China. The MEA has also reached out to over 600 Indians living in the Hubei province. @EoIBeijing is working hard to ensure smooth evacuation of our citizens from Hubei Province. We are already in touch with many sections of Indian Community in Hubei, including our students. (1/2)@MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar @SecretaryCPVOIA India in China (@EOIBeijing) January 29, 2020 MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that there is not any report of any Indian being infected by the coronavirus in Hubei province or any other country. Kumar also confirmed that there is no restriction on Indians returning to India from China following the outbreak.As a precautionary measure, Air India and Indigo have suspended their commercial operations from India to China starting January 31; which will be in place until February 14. The FM recalled that the Soviet Union was among the first countries to recognise the Vietnamese State, laying the foundation for the friendship and close cooperation between the two countries in the following decades, which have stood the test of time and been constantly consolidated and promoted. The traditional solidarity and mutual support between Russia and Vietnam continue to be maintained in the new phase of history based on the bilateral treaty on principles for Russia-Vietnam friendship signed in 1994, according to Lavrov. He went on to say that the two countries lifted their ties to a strategic partnership in 2001 and a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2012. The two countries have maintained open and trustful political dialogue in various forms, the Russian FM noted, citing as examples the visit in September 2018 by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, the visits in November and December the same year by Russias Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin. Last year, Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also visited Russia in May and Chairwoman of the Vietnamese National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan visited Russia in December. Such close links are an important factor behind the development of Russia-Vietnam relations, facilitating the settlement of issues in bilateral and international agenda, Lavrov said. He expressed satisfaction at the dynamic progress of bilateral economic ties in both traditional areas and new potential ones. Bilateral trade turnover has increased, reaching US$6.1 billion in 2018, a record for the post-Soviet Union period. One of the pillars of Russia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership is energy cooperation, with the joint venture Vietsovpetro being the flagship. Collaboration in innovation also expanded, the FM said, pointing to the project to build a nuclear science and technology centre in Vietnam with support from Russias Rosatom group and the 30-year-old Russia-Vietnam tropical centre as typical examples. Furthermore, for the first time in the history of bilateral ties, the Russia-Vietnam and Vietnam-Russia Years are being held in 2019 and 2020 under agreements reached at the highest level. The years feature more than 100 events in a wide range of areas, from trade, economics, science-technology to military and inter-regional cooperation. FM Lavrov highlighted the traditional cooperation in education, with Vietnam among the countries having the most students in Russia. In 2020, the Russian Government grants 965 State scholarships to Vietnam, one of the largest numbers of scholarships to another country. In tourism, Vietnam has emerged as an attractive destination for Russian nationals. The number of Vietnamese travelling to Russia for vacations is also on the rise. Meanwhile, youth exchange has been expanding, with three youth forums jointly held during the past one and a half year by the youth unions of the two countries. The Russian FM also underlined the effective interaction between the two countries in the international arena, as demonstrated in the remarkable similarity in their viewpoints on urgent issues on regional and international agenda. The two countries have firm commitments to a fairer and more democratic multi-polar world based on international law, first of all the fundamental clauses of the Charter of the United Nations. According to Lavrov, Vietnams non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure and Chair of ASEAN in 2020 provide an opportunity for the two countries to enhance their coordination in external policies. In conclusion, the Russian FM stressed that Russia and Vietnam have accumulated many experiences on cooperation in various fields during the past 70 years, which he said should be utilised effectively to further promote the bilateral relationship. The important thing is that the friendship between the two nations and their mutual sincere sympathy has been preserved through many decades unaffected by changes in the world situation, he said, urging the two countries to maintain the unique heritage and pass it on to younger generations. John Delaney, the former Maryland congressman who announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination in July of 2017, pulled out of the 2020 race on Friday. Delaneys campaign said the decision was made after internal analyses showed support below 15% viability in several Iowa caucus precincts, but strong enough support to damage other moderate candidates in rural areas where Delaney has campaigned heavily. The latest polls show former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont leading in Iowa, where caucusgoers will pick their top candidates on Monday. It has been a privilege to campaign for the Democratic nomination for President, but it is clear that God has a different purpose for me at this moment in time," Delaney said in a statement. I leave this race with a profound sense of gratitude to the voters who shared with me their hopes and concerns for our magnificent country, in admiration for the other contenders for the nomination and proud of the work we did to change the debate. Delaney said he believes the Democrats should advance candidates with progressive values but who are committed to governing with pragmatic, fact-based, bipartisan solutions," saying that approach is what beats Trump. We need to provide workable solutions to the economic issues facing hardworking Americans, create opportunity for young people in all communities, restore a sense of unity and common purpose to our nation, and re-establish the United States as an engaged global leader, he said. Our economic, environmental and technological future is dependent upon the choices we make and the actions we take. For too long we have made bad choices and failed to act; we must change course. Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. casts himself as an experienced hand who can appeal to black voters nationwide and win in the Midwest. On the campaign trail, he rarely delivers the same stump speech verbatim he often goes on tangents and sometimes cuts himself off. But his core themes include rebuking President Trumps leadership and fighting for the middle class. Below is a speech he gave as tensions with Iran escalated. The speech focuses more on foreign policy than usual, but it offers a window into his message. It has been excerpted in places for clarity. Mr. Biden appeared with Representative Abby Finkenauer, Democrat of Iowa, who has endorsed him. I tell you what. Having, having the congresswoman from the First District go out of her way like she has for me has made a great deal of difference to me. Its one of the most coveted endorsements anybody looks for. Analysis Abby Finkenauer represents a congressional district that supported President Trump in 2016. Joe Biden has been endorsed by a number of House Democrats who represent competitive districts and he argues that he is best equipped to help candidates in down-ballot races. Hey man, how you doing? Good to see you guys. I tell you what, two great friends. Anyway. Analysis Mr. Biden sometimes interrupts his speech to greet or engage people in the audience. One of the most coveted endorsements anyone could have in this state. And, and shes been a great, great help to me and given me a lot of insight about not just the First District, but Iowa as well. You know we ... we have a similar background. Were only one or two years apart, you know. Analysis He appeared to be deadpanning. Ms. Finkenauer is 31; Mr. Biden is 77. We used to have a saying, I think we, our grandfathers must have been related, because after 10:30 Mass at St Pauls in Scranton, everybodyd go back to my grandpops house and sit around the kitchen table and argue politics and sports. Analysis This is a reference to his Catholic, blue-collar roots, starting in his childhood in Scranton, Pa. Ms. Finkenauer also tells stories about post-church family discussions about politics. And my grandpop was the one who convinced me and taught me, and I learned at his table, that every single, solitary person in the country, any, every person we knew, no one was better than me. But I was no better than anybody else. And the line that I learned from my dad, I'm not joking about this... The word most often used most often-used adjective was dignity. Everyone, everyone, is entitled to be treated with dignity, no matter where they come from, no matter what their background, what their race, religion or ethnicity. Analysis Mr. Biden often invokes wisdom from his father, who worked at an auto dealership and imbued in his son lessons about education and treating others with respect. Folks it is, its what Iowas about. As I travel, Ive been to all 99 counties over my career here campaigning, going back, campaigning for John Culver and others in the state over the years. Analysis John C. Culver, who died in 2018, was a congressman and senator from Iowa who served in the 1960s and 1970s, losing to Chuck Grassley, a Republican who remains in the Senate, in 1980. And Iowa is about basic, fundamental values. May sound corny but its true. Think about it. [Mr. Biden goes on to say that he has] met personally every major world leader in the last 40 years. They somehow think were kind of naive. We talk about fairness, we talk about decency, we talk about honesty. Analysis This is a key part of Mr. Bidens message: He has deep ties to other world leaders, and could restore relationships abroad that have grown strained in the Trump era. What is it that were missing these days? We dont spend a lot of time connecting to one another. We have a president who goes out of his way to try to divide us based on our race, based on our religion. Based on where we come from. You know, its just, to me, its something that is, is extremely, extremely worrisome. We found ourselves ... because Im looking forward to having questions, Im going to be particularly brief here but I ran for three reasons when I announced for the United States presidency, for the nomination. Analysis Audience members, be warned: Going back to his decades as a senator from Delaware, Mr. Biden has never had a reputation for brevity. Actually, the first reason was to restore the soul of the nation. You know, when you saw, when I saw I came out of the civil rights movement as a kid, in my state of Delaware, the eighth-largest African-American population in the country. And, and it was segregated when I moved from Scranton when there was no work, my dad had to go to, move to Delaware to find a job. Analysis Mr. Biden has built deep relationships with black voters and leaders and enjoys broad support among them. But he was elected to the Senate at 29, and his long record on issues like busing and criminal justice has led to scrutiny. He has also occasionally overstated his role in the civil rights movement. And, you know, its amazing. I never thought Id see the day again when we found ourselves, people coming out of the fields carrying torches in Charlottesville close your eyes and picture what you saw on television. Their veins, their veins literally bulging, screaming and shouting hate and bile carrying Nazi flags and making sure that they talked about white supremacy the Ku Klux Klan. Analysis Mr. Biden has cited his disgust at the 2017 outbreak of white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va., as a central part of the reason he is running for president. He suggests Mr. Trump enabled the attitudes on display there. David Duke, the head of the Klan, said, This is why we elected him. A young woman gets killed in the melee, and the president is asked, What do you think of that? And his response was a response no presidents ever given. He said there were very fine people on both sides. Very fine people on both sides. No one, with the possible exception of Andrew Jackson ever said anything remotely like that. And everything has been about dividing us, not uniting us. And so I wrote an article back then for The Atlantic magazine saying we have to restore the soul of America and that includes expanding the promise of America, to black and brown Americans. Analysis This is a variation on one of Mr. Bidens campaign slogans he often speaks about the need to restore the soul of the nation. Folks theres so much, so much we have to correct. But we can. I said the second reason I was running is to rebuild the middle class because its getting clobbered. I know the stock markets sky high, I get that. But I know the tax cut has helped very few people and helped them a great deal. Analysis Mr. Biden has been critical of the 2017 tax bill passed by Republicans. But what's happening? The middle class is getting clobbered. Theyre getting clobbered. The majority of people in the middle class today think their children will never have the same standard of living they had. First time in American history we're no longer, the last hundred years, we're no longer the wealthiest middle class in the world. We now are in a position where, studies show if a person received, if a middle class family received an unexpected bill for $400 in one month, theyd have to borrow the money ... to be able to make it. Theres not a whole lot of breathing room, not a whole lot of breathing room. We have to rebuild and this time bring everybody along. Whether youre handicapped, whether you have a problem, whatever your issue is, everybodys got to have a chance. Look, Wall Street didnt build America. The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. Analysis Mr. Biden often uses this line in a nod to the labor movement, a critical Democratic constituency. And, as was mentioned by the congresswoman, the third reason I ran is that we have to unite this country. Look, you know, thats what Ill do as your presidential nominee if Im your nominee. Unite the country. Because guess what. We cant do it any other way. The way our whole system is built on a consensus to be reached. We cant do it, without abusing power, without generating consensus. And we can do that. Analysis Throughout the campaign, Mr. Biden has insisted on the importance of making overtures to Republicans, an approach some Democrats have criticized because, they say, there are not credible partners on the other side. If we stop questioning peoples motives, we start to argue with them about the substance of our disagreement. If I turn around and say, Youre in the pocket of, or youre unethical, or youre this and say by the way, Lets figure out how to build more roads and airports for transportation and deal with global warming fat chance. But if I disagree with you on the substance of what you say, we argue like the devil. We can then reach an agreement, based on what we disagree on, as long as you dont go after each other in a mean way. I promise you, we can do it, Ive done it my whole career. Analysis Mr. Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and spent his career focused on legislative deal-making. He strenuously argues that such an approach is still possible even at a moment of hyperpartisanship. I would be remiss if I didnt speak just a few minutes, before we go to questions, about Iran. Analysis His remarks came shortly after a United States drone strike killed a top Iranian military commander, Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani. First, as we go forward, let me make it clear: President Trump has no authority to take us to military conflict with Iran, period. Informed consent. Informed consent of the American people ...The bottom line is, any further action against Iran requires congressional authorization, and I support the efforts by Congress to insist and assert their constitutional prerogative. He does not have the authority to take us to war, another war in the Middle East and theyll oppose him if he attempts to do so. The second point Ill make is, let's not forget how we got here And Im not the only one, but I predicted it six months ago, that this president, this president would in fact, when he canceled the nuclear deal which I and others in my, in our, administration helped put together, that was being enforced, remember what he said. He said what we're going to do is we're going to walk away from that commitment. Were going to act as America first. What did it do? It put us last. It stood up our allies. Analysis Mr. Biden is referring to the Iran nuclear deal from which Mr. Trump withdrew in 2018. He has made his international experience a centerpiece of his campaign, and here he is saying that Mr. Trumps policies have left America abandoned on the world stage. We find ourselves in a position where allies have worked against us. They no longer are prepared to support us because we have walked away and Iran has begun the process of trying to get a nuclear weapon, which there was no possibility of them getting without us knowing well two years in advance, of doing the most intrusive regime ever set forward It was predictable what would happen, making America first, in his view, put America alone. And so folks, it's not a surprise that this cycle, this cycle of violence began. And third. Suleimani, who headed up the Quds force, their, their special forces in Iran. He does have American blood on his hands, so dont mourn his passing. Analysis Mr. Biden, in contrast to Senator Bernie Sanders, made a point to repeatedly denounce the actions of General Suleimani. Mr. Sanders focused on asserting that the United States had assassinated the Iranian commander, a loaded term that Mr. Biden was more reluctant to invoke. But the administration has given us no confidence they have any plan or strategy in place, for what to do next. None. This president said hes made us safer. Yet theyre ordering the evacuation of American citizens from Iraq and around the entire region. He said he did this to stop a war. Its moved us precipitously close to an all-out war. Were sending a thousand more troops, combat troops into the area. And if, God forbid, war breaks out, we will send over 100,000 troops. And were not talking about a nation of six million people. Forty million people. Analysis Mr. Biden sometimes misstates facts in his speeches, as he appeared to do here. Iran is a nation of around 80 million people. Youre a veteran of Vietnam, I want to thank you for your service. And the last thing we need is another war in the Middle East. And folks My greatest worry is, does anyone have confidence that Donald Trump has thought through what the next steps are? Audience No! Think about it. I know, it almost sounds, you know, I spent my whole life doing national security and foreign policy. As chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and the reason why President Obama picked me, was because my background in national security and foreign policy ... Analysis Mr. Biden often invokes Barack Obama. Here he is saying that Mr. Obama selected Mr. Biden to serve as his running mate in part because of his deep experience in international affairs after serving as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. You dont do things this way. Theres no evidence, think whats happening. Our very NATO allies are chasing both us and Iran, at the same time saying, Neither one of you should do anything. Theyre our allies. No ones saying, If Americans attack, now, we're going to go to its defense. What's going on here? Has he thought through the second and third layers what happens? No one should engage in this kind of activity unless theyve thought through what the next steps are. All this just reinforces the stakes of this election in my view. Thats why its so important to elect someone whos already ready on Day One. And immediately, to be commander in chief of our armed forces. And get to work repairing our relationships around the world because our alliances are in jeopardy and therefore our security is in jeopardy. We need to have, provide a steady, stable, experienced leadership. With all due respect, I think Im best prepared, with all the difficulties we face. Analysis This has been a central part of his pitch: that in an uncertain and dangerous world, he is uniquely prepared to confront Americas challenges on the global stage a contrast that he makes, both explicitly and implicitly, with his Democratic rivals. When I got elected as a 29-year-old kid to the United States Senate, I wasn't even old enough to be sworn in. And I was characterized as a young, idealistic, optimistic young guy. I give you my word as a Biden, Im more optimistic about Americas chances of leading the world today than I have ever been in my entire career. Analysis A phrase Mr. Biden and his family often use. We have the greatest research universities in the world, we have more great research, great research universities here, than all the rest of the world combined. Every major change that could affect this beautiful young womans life, comes out of those research universities. Analysis Apparently another reference to an audience member. Mr. Biden is sensitive to the reception he receives at events when the crowds engaged, he grows more energized, and vice versa. It doesnt come from businesses its monetized by businesses, but it comes from the incredible intellectual capital we have. We lead the world by a long shot. Were the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. And if we invest in our people, we invest in our people, we can maintain our standing in the world, and provide an opportunity for people to succeed and us to be a benefit to the rest of the world at the same time. We have the most productive workers in the world. Workers in the United States are three times as productive as workers in Asia. Fact. Fact. Analysis Mr. Biden often makes this comparison. We find ourselves in a position where we are better positioned than any other nation in the world, compared to any other country. But we are so much better-positioned. China. China doesnt have enough water to make sure its people have enough to drink. Not a joke. Theyre talking about a multibillion-dollar project to turn around rivers, to be able to find water for the people. Im not happy about that. But they have a problem. They have a million Uighurs who are in concentration camps in the west, Muslims. You see whats happening in Hong Kong Analysis Mr. Biden often argues that the United States is in a stronger position than China. Theyre divided east and west. Thats not a good thing. But the idea that Chinas going to overtake the United States of America? If we invest in our people, we can help, we can help move the world in the right direction, without sending thousands of troops. Folks, were the most powerful military in the history of the world. Thats not hyperbole, its a fact. Analysis A favorite Bidenism a colorful phrase the former vice president uses frequently. Thats not the reason why we lead the world. We lead the world because, not the example of our power but the power of our example. Let me conclude by saying, this is the United States of America. There has never been a time, never, never, never, and it's not hyperbole, when weve set our mind to something weve been unable to accomplish it. So its time we get up, take back this country and take back the world. Analysis Some critics of Mr. Biden say his message is overly rooted in nostalgia. This is Mr. Bidens effort to end on an uplifting, forward-looking message. His voice, as it did here, often rises to a shout as he reaches the crescendo of the speech. Thank you all. Sonys Xperia 2020 battery capacity could put the currently unnamed flagship on the map. The source, AndroidNext, has leaked a spec sheet for the upcoming device. In it, we see that the device, curiously named Xperia 1 2020, features a 4,440mAh battery. If this report is true, the new Xperia flagship will have a serious battery upgrade over last years 3,300mAh battery. This is the kind of battery life that will please Xperia users. Xperia 2020 flagship specs Apart from the incredible battery increase, the upcoming device could have a 4K display and a 6.6-inch display. The new Xperia will need the new large battery to power such a massive device. 4K displays are battery guzzlers and the 4,440mAh battery capacity may simply maintain the battery life of last years Xperia 1. Theres no way of knowing until the phone arrives on the market, however. Advertisement The new Xperia will feature Qualcomms octa-core Snapdragon 865 SoC with 12GB of RAM, IP68 water and dust resistance, NFC, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Snapdragon 865 SoC is 5G-ready, so the Xperia 2020 flagship will also feature 5G cellular connectivity. As some of the earliest studies show, 5G cellular technology is also battery-guzzling and mandates a large battery. The Snapdragon 865 will also be responsible for maintaining the cool temperature of the device, since 5G causes overheating, too. Other specs include a Time of Flight camera sensor, 12MP Ultra-Wide-Angle camera, 12MP telephoto camera, and either a 48MP or 64MP main camera. An 8MP selfie camera adorns the front of the device above the display. Triple rear camera setups are becoming the standard flagship camera design in Android. Sony Xperia 2020 battery capacity emphasizes battery demand Android OEMs over the years add more and more to smartphones, believing that more is better. There are more cameras now than ever before. Displays are larger than ever. Devices are thinner to hold than ever. Processors are beefier and more intense for hard-core tasks than ever. It seems as though the one thing OEMs are holding out on is large battery capacity. Advertisement Most OEMs only add about 300mAh or 400mAh (max) to their battery capacities each year. Sure, Sonys 3,300mAh battery was small last year, but to see the company add 1,140mAh of additional juice to this years handset is commendable. It may not be the case that all OEMs can expand their batteries by this much, but there is some battery stinginess in Android that needs to improve. Its hard to justify buying a new flagship every year when the new one will only have 200mAh over the old one. No Qualcomm Snapdragon processor can compensate for small battery life, no matter how incredible the SoC may be. When will Sony unveil the new Xperia 2020 flagship? Sony could unveil the new 2020 flagship at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2020) next month. MWC is the first major global tech conference of the year. Its a good place for lesser-known OEMs to make a splash and cause some head-turning for profit. Sony makes excellent camera sensors but isnt so popular with its smartphones. The flagship series needs all the attention it can get. It doesnt get much better than MWC. Western Bay of Plenty residents are being urged to conserve water or restrictions will be enforced. One weeks notice is being given for residents before a decision is made on water restrictions by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Council's utilities manager Kelvin Hill remains optimistic that the districts residents will continue their efforts on conserving water use. But if restrictions are necessary in a weeks time it will be a total ban on all sprinklers and hand-held watering. Council has directly contacted users with larger connections asking them to urgently conserve use and is again urging all other users to do their utmost to use as little water as possible. If this scorching weather continues and our consumptions rates keep going up at the current level, we will have no option but to bring in a total ban on sprinklers and hand-held hosing, says Kelvin. Council has already reduced its own use of water sprinklers as much as possible over its community reserves. Councils systems are at capacity for pumping water and this pressure increases the risk of mains breaks, however Kelvin says he is hopeful the district will pull through without restrictions. He encourages people to contact council immediately if they notice any water running from leaks or main breaks. Residents in the central zone, Te Puna, Minden and Omokoroa areas, continue to be the highest users with reservoirs struggling to maintain a 50 per cent minimum level for daily demand for drinking water. Consumption in the Eastern Zone, Te Puke and Maketu, has also risen in recent days with reservoirs just above the 50 per cent minimum level. We appreciate that many of our residents are already doing their bit to conserve water, says Kelvin. Lets continue to do so but with even more focus on how we use every drop. Not since 2013 has the council been forced to introduce water restrictions. For more information on how to conserve water can be found here. SCHENEVUS, N.Y. The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) stopped by Schenevus Central School Wednesday with their Fund our Future bus, to push for more state funding at area schools. NYSUT says Schenevus is owed more than $700,000 in foundation aid. My big thing is, I understand education is expensive but we need to make our students globally competitive and be able to compete with other students when they go to college and out in the workforce, and we just aren't able to do that. The funding is not equitable. There are schools that are getting much more funding than they should be getting and there are schools like us that are not getting the funding that was allocated, said Theresa Carlin, superintendent of Schenevus Central School. The school has had to cut AP classes, increase class sizes and go without a librarian due to the lack of funds. The bus also made a stop in Elmira. The New York State Educational Conference Board is asking for a $2.1 billion increase in state aid in the 2020-2021 budget to help struggling districts. Mike Pompeo alongside UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab Getty US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells an event in London that the Trump administration will not end its intelligence-sharing relationship with the UK despite the country agreeing a deal with Huawei. President Trump's allies had warned the UK that allowing the Chinese telecoms company a role in developing the UK's 5G network would jeopardise the continuation of the Five Eyes partnership. However, Pompeo on Thursday said that the Five Eyes agreement would remain. Pompeo also rowed back from reported threats over the impact on a post-Brexit trade deal with the US, saying the UK would be "at the front of the line" for a US trade deal. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Donald Trump administration has abandoned its threat to cut intelligence ties with the United Kingdom after Prime Minister Boris Johnson defied the US President by allowing Huawei to develop the country's 5G network. Trump and his allies had warned the UK that the future of its intelligence-sharing relationship with the US would be at risk if it took the "momentous decision" to allow the Chinese telecoms company a role in the UK's communications infrastructure. A delegation of US government officials warned their counterparts in advance of Johnson's decision that "Donald Trump is watching closely." However, speaking at an event in London on Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the so-called Five Eyes relationship would remain, despite Johnson's decision to do a deal with Huawei. "That relationship is deep, it is strong, it will remain," he said, speaking alongside UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab. Pompeo said that while Chinese Communist Party remained "the central threat of our time," and the deal with the UK risked handing them a "front door" to Western communications, he said that the US would find a way to make the relationship work. "I am very confident that our two nations will find a way to work together to resolve this difference," Pompeo told the event, hosted by the UK think-tank Policy Exchange. Story continues Threats by Trump's allies that the Huawei deal might restrict the UK's chances of signing a post-Brexit deal with the US, were also rowed back by Pompeo, who told the event that Britain would be at "the front of the line" for a deal. 'The biggest strategic defeat for the United States since the early days of World War II' angela merkel boris johnson Getty Trump's decision to withdraw his threats to the UK paves the way for other European allies to give the green light to Huawei. Trump has previously warned his European allies that they must impose a blanket ban on Huawei's 5G involvement. Politico reported on Wednesday that European countries are set to follow a similar policy on Huawei to the UK. The European Union has drawn up recommendations for member states that stop short of banning Huawei. "The EU's approach was inspired by the UK one," an EU diplomat told Politico, adding that Trump's call for a blanket ban "won't be the preferred choice for most" European countries. Individual countries across the continent are likely to follow the UK's lead and allow Huawei a role in their future 5G networks, despite being on the end of intensive lobbying efforts from the Trump administration. Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands are leaning toward allowing Huawei a role in future telecoms networks, while the French government confirmed in November that it was "not following the position of the United States" and refused to exclude Huawei from bidding for its 5G network. Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the US House of Representatives, on Wednesday branded the development "the biggest strategic defeat for the United States since the early days of World War II." "I think people have got to wake up and understand this is a huge failure of our government bureaucracies to respond to a challenge we've seen coming," he told the BBC. Read the original article on Business Insider Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Waterloo library offers tech help WATERLOO The Waterloo Public Library will host a drop-in device advice technology class from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday and Feb. 5 in the second-floor training center. The drop-in session is being offered to help people answer specific questions regarding computers, email, smartphones or tablets. People must bring their current library cards with them. Quota Club sets volunteer dates WATERLOO Members of the Quota Club will volunteer at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, 1605 Lafayette St., from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Feb. 27. Everyone is welcome to participate. Ask for Marge when you arrive. For more information, go to waterlooquota.com. 506 Cafe to open WAVERLY The 506 Cafe will be serving lunch from 11:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Waverly Senior Center. The center is partnering with Waverly Friends of the Family Auxiliary. The February menu has a Mexican theme: taco (soft or hard shell) bar with all the fixings, chicken enchilada casserole, refried beans, Spanish rice, salsas and sherbert cups. The 506 Cafe is open to the public on the first Tuesday of the month at the Waverly Senior Center. Patrons may choose to dine in or carry out. For $10, one can enjoy a home-cooked meal including drinks and dessert, with all profits going to support the two local nonprofit organizations. Lunch reservations are not required but help in planning. Call 352-5678 for more information. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has challenged science and technology-oriented universities and research institutions to live up to their core mandate of using technology and introducing new methods to address key developmental challenges facing the country. He said it was disappointing that even though Ghana, five decades ago, set out on the path of using technology to advance its development, it was still grappling with challenges in the energy, sanitation, agricultural and other sectors of the economy. "We have had the Akosombo Dam for a very long time and one expected that by now we will be building our own dams, but that is not the case. We cannot be a sponge absorbing water all the time and not giving out anything," he said. The minister was speaking at a stakeholder workshop in Accra yesterday regarding the construction of a 400-kilowatt (KW) hybrid power plant at Atwima Nwabiagya in the Ashanti Region, the sod for which would be cut at Nkawie today. The W2E project The six-million euro enterprise, dubbed Waste-to-Energy (W2E), is a pilot project being funded by the German government, with a consortium of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) serving as implementors. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is the lead agency that signed the project contract with Ghana. The ministries are Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Local Government and Rural Development, Energy and Education, as well as the West African Science Service on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The other agencies are the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR). The W2E project is a major move towards creating sustainable access to energy by using solid waste as a resource. It is expected to be completed in four years. It is anticipated that the project will bring about improvement in sanitation, as it will convert the huge volumes of waste generated daily to energy for productive use. Good move Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the project was timely, particularly when Ghana faced a huge challenge managing the over 14,000 tonnes of waste generated daily. He described the W2E project as one that had a multiplier effect, since it would create sustainable access to energy, while helping to tackle sanitation challenges, as well as providing fertiliser for agricultural purposes. I expect our universities, research institutions and all stakeholders to take advantage of the project, since it is going to lay the foundation on which we can rely to build our own energy systems in a few years time, he said. Impact of project The German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Christoph Retzlaff, said the German government committed funds to the project because of the critical role it would play in addressing national developmental challenges. For instance, he said, 50 people would be employed during the pilot phase of the project, with the figure expected to hit 1,000 by the time 10 of such plants had been set up around the country, adding that it would also contribute to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are happy that this will be our contribution to clean air and waste-free streets in Ghana, supplying farmers with fertiliser and creating sustainable work spaces, considering that 1,000 jobs will be created and 800,000 tonnes of waste will be eliminated each year, he said. The Director-General of the CSIR, Prof. Victor Kwame Agyeman, said the consortium of MDAs was prepared to leverage the Ghana-Germany partnership to ensure that energy to every community that needed it was sustainable and accessible. He said the MDAs would work to make the project a success, since it was a key national development enterprise. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Janitors have been instructed to take away the British seat at E.U. meeting tables over the weekend, now that only 27 chairs will be needed. E.U. security staffers scrubbed their databases Friday so that British diplomats can no longer access internal E.U. documents or use their identification cards to enter E.U. buildings. On Thursday, an email was sent to E.U. staffers reminding them that they should no longer share documents with British officials. BATHURST, N.B.One man is dead and another is injured following a head-on snowmobile crash in northern New Brunswick. Police say a 55-year-old man from Bathurst was killed Thursday when two snowmobiles collided on a groomed trail in Sormany, N.B., a community northwest of Bathurst. RCMP responded to a call of a head-on collision between a snowmobile heading eastbound and one heading westbound. The male driver of the other snowmobile was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police say both men were wearing helmets. While the investigation is ongoing, RCMP say alcohol is not believed to be a contributing factor in the crash. Read more about: - Leah Sharibu has reportedly given birth to a baby boy - The abducted Dapchi school was reportedly married off to a top Boko Haram commander in Niger Republic where she gave birth - An anonymous source claimed that it was Leah's pregnancy that stopped the terrorists from releasing her few months ago Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Leah Sharibu, the schoolgirl abducted by Boko Haram insurgents in Dapchi, Yobe state, has reportedly given birth to a baby boy. Daily Trust reports that an anonymous source the young lady put to bed in the early hours of Saturday, January 25. Leah who was 14 years old when she was kidnapped in 2018 has been held hostage by the insurgents for allegedly refusing to renounce her Christian faith when her colleagues were released. READ ALSO: Ghana Policeman feeds poor man on the streets with food bought with own money (Video) Leah Sharibu reportedly gives birth to a baby boy for Boko Haram commander in Niger Republic. Photo credit: BBC Source: UGC The newspaper reported that Leah was married off to a top Boko Haram commander who lives outside the country. According to the report, Leah gave birth in Niger Republic. The source cited by the newspaper claimed that it was Leah's pregnancy that stopped the terrorists from releasing her a few months ago. Recall that Jennifer Ukambong Samuel, an aid worker recently rescued from Boko Haram's captivity, had recently said Leah was doing fine. READ ALSO: Ghanaian man starts business that can build roads & houses with 100% plastic Giving updates about her well being on Sunday, January 19, in Jos, Jennifer, who was attached to Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA), said though she did not see Leah, another woman held by the insurgents, identified as Alice, confirmed to her that she was doing fine. In other news, a gentleman has been captured on video raining lashes on his girlfriend after she pranked him of wearing her ex's boxer shorts in his house. In the video shared by Daily Feeds which was recorded by the girlfriend to keep a memory of how he would react if she pretended to be wearing the ex's boxers, the man did not take the issue lightly at all. Immediately he noticed that the girlfriend was wearing the strange pair of boxer shorts, his mood visibly changed as he was not comfortable at all with the observation. Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! This is what makes 4-year-old Nii Omanye aka Kwame Nkrumah the smartest child in Ghana| #Yencomgh Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh She returned all the way from the United States of America on Monday, January 27, 2020, and just as she was about to have a nap, she heard a loud voice knocking on the gates of her house. With her security personnel assigned a different task, Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, stepped out of her room, walked straight to find out who her visitor was. To her surprise, a group of party faithful, notably, polling station and constituency executives dressed in party colours and accompanied by a brass band, were waiting patiently for her. They had earlier picked the nomination form from the partys constituency office and walked from Haatso through to Dome, Taifa, St. Johns and Kwabenya before going to Hon. Adwoa Safos house. The group numbering over 600 had one simple message for their lawmaker: To represent the constituency for another term, since she has proven to be a good leader and mother for all and therefore, cannot risk wasting their votes. Astonished as she was, she quickly organized herself to welcome her guests. At this juncture, she had no option than to join the fanfare. Constituency Coordinator, Jessy Larbi, presenting the nomination forms to Hon. Adwoa Safo said We the constituency executives and all polling stations executives have resolved that you are the one we are going to vote for to represent our interest in Parliament that is why we made a contribution to buy the nomination form for you. If four more for Nana, then four more of Adwoa, he said. The constituency Youth Organizer, David Obiri-Yeboah, on his part said they are overwhelmed by the numerous projects Hon. Adwoa Safo is undertaking in the constituency and therefore cannot wait for her to represent their interest in Parliament a third time. You have been tried and tested and proven your mettle. We cannot at this juncture risk to waste our votes. As a result of this, we the polling stations and some constituency executives numbering over 600 have decided to contribute some money and pick the nomination forms for you. We have also decided to pay the filing of the nomination forms for you. Considering the sacrifices youve made for us, it is time for us to also show some gratitude, he noted while presenting the nomination forms to Hon. Adwoa Safo who is also the Deputy Majority Leader of the Parliament of Ghana. Receiving the nomination form, Hon. Adwoa Safo said she was completely overwhelmed by the gesture of the more than 600 delegates and affirmed to honour their request by contesting the parliamentary primaries once again. I am even loss of words. I never knew you were going to surprise me this way else I wouldnt have come out at all. What you have done today goes to demonstrate your commitment to the development of Dome-Kwabenya constituency, she noted. She urged the party faithful to remain united and work very hard to secure four more years for President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to enable him complete all the projects he has envisioned for Ghana. Hon. Adwoa Safo, who is also the Minister of State in-charge of Public Procurement said four more years for Nana will see massive infrastructure development after laying a solid foundation for the country to thrive on in his first term in office. Source: kasapa FM 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 Ruth Bader Ginsburg Criticizes Washington Dysfunction Amid Impeachment Trial Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg criticized the lack of cooperation between Democrats and Republicans in Washington, saying that it hasnt always been this way. Now weve seen the high degree of polarization in recent years, Ginsburg said at the LBJ Foundation event on Thursday. Yes, thats true. My hope is that someday there will be patriots on both sides of the aisle who are determined to stop the dysfunction we are now experiencing and will decide that their institutional government should work for the benefit of all of the people. Ginsburg, 86, was asked about whether she is fearful of any further partisan divide in the United States, to which she responded in the affirmative. That is the fear that this polarization will continue, and my greatest hope is that it will end. So you think back to how it was in [19]93, the person who was my biggest supporter on the Senate Judiciary Committee was not the then-chairman, although the chairman was certainly in my corner; it was then-Senator [Joe] Biden, she said, Fox News reported. But my greatest supporter was Orrin Hatch of Utah. And, Strom Thurmond gave me a supply of Strom Thurmond key chains, which has lasted until last year. Thurmond, a Republican, was a longtime senator before his death in 2003. Ginsburg noted there is still civility in the Supreme Court, despite the justices having differing opinions. It is the most collegial place I have ever worked. One symbol of it is every day before we sit to hear cases, and every day before we confer on cases, we go around the conference room, each justice shakes hands with every other, she said. And thats the way of saying Yes, you circulated a pretty spicy dissent yesterday but were all in this together and we know that the institution we serve is ever so much more important than our individual egos. So to make it work, we have to not just tolerate but genuinely appreciate each other. The longtime judge announced earlier this month that she no longer has cancer following several health scares in recent years. Ginsburg, 86, told CNN that 2020 started fine: Im cancer-free. Thats good. In recent years, namely, after President Trump took office, the associate justices health has been the subject of intense scrutiny. If she was to step down, Trump would be able to name a conservative judge to the Supreme Court. The move would tip the court further in favor of conservatives after he appointed Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch. Nigel Farage said Britain will never return to the EU (Picture: ITV) Nigel Farage has said that Brexit is an incredible victory for ordinary people against the establishment. As the UK prepares to leave the European Union later on Friday, the Brexit Party leader warned that Britain will never return to the EU after it leaves at 11pm tonight. Mr Farages comments came a day after he unveiled a portrait of himself to raise money for charity. In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Mr Farage said: There's lots of work to come, but think of this, what happens tonight at 11 o'clock, we pass the point of no return. He added: Once we're out, there's no way this country will ever rejoin. Happy Brexit Day! Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 31, 2020 I think this is the big moment in history. Mr Farage also praised prime minister Boris Johnson, whose landslide general election win in December finally paved the way for Brexit. Read more 'Our time has come': How the national newspapers reacted to Brexit day Nigel Farage unveils 'Mr Brexit' portrait a day before UK's withdrawal from EU The chart that shows how many Remainers are still refusing to accept Brexit As for the next phase, all I can say is right now, Boris Johnson is saying all the right things and if he delivers those things, we will be truly, genuinely independent, said Mr Farage. I have to be honest, I'm feeling really optimistic. Nigel Farage said he is optimistic about Britain's future (Picture: PA/Getty) Mr Farage also took to Twitter to express his mood. He tweeted: Happy Brexit Day! He also wrote: At last the day comes when we break free. A massive victory for the people against the establishment. At last the day comes when we break free. A massive victory for the people against the establishment. Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 31, 2020 As 11pm arrives, Big Ben will remain silent, despite a high-profile campaign fuelled by Mr Johnson for repair works to be halted to allow Parliament's bell to ring. Story continues But on Parliament Square, Brexiteers will gather for a party led by Mr Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show and a new 50p coin will enter circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. Storyful A church building collapsed in Asaba, Nigeria, trapping multiple people who were attending a service on January 11, according to local reports citing police.At least 18 people had been rescued as of January 12, reports said, while many were still trapped in the rubble.A local government official said the secretary to the state government and the commissioner of police for Delta state were assessing the damage at the scene on Tuesday night.Footage by local resident Eze Chibueze shows the partially collapsed building. Credit: Eze Chibueze via Storyful Utilties stocks were trading in the negative zone, with the S&P BSE Utilities index falling 35.58 points or 1.92% at 1817.57 at 13:48 IST. Among the components of the S&P BSE Utilities index, Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd (down 5.54%), Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (down 4.58%),NHPC Ltd (down 3.95%),Mahanagar Gas Ltd (down 3.91%),GE T&D India Ltd (down 2.6%), were the top losers. Among the other losers were SJVN Ltd (down 2.14%), Va Tech Wabag Ltd (down 2.13%), Tata Power Company Ltd (down 1.99%), GAIL (India) Ltd (down 1.91%), and Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (down 1.57%). On the other hand, Jaiprakash Power Ventures Ltd (up 4.95%), Gujarat Industries Power Co Ltd (up 1.65%), and Adani Transmission Ltd (up 0.67%) moved up. At 13:48 IST, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 8.17 or 0.02% at 40905.65. The Nifty 50 index was down 16.35 points or 0.14% at 12019.45. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 6.04 points or 0.04% at 14710. The S&P BSE 150 Midcap Index index was down 3.23 points or 0.06% at 5047.74. On BSE,923 shares were trading in green, 1305 were trading in red and 139 were unchanged. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- One might say that Jesus helped build the new Filled Cafe in Tompkinsville. Indeed, the church community is where Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir found inspiration to launch their Silog House" and Filipino bakery. Their mothers traditional recipes form the base of the business. We work hard. Were honoring our mothers because the recipes live on through us," said Alvir. Thats what we want people to feel home cooking and baking, no pretense." For now, in these early days at 400 Victory Blvd., the entrepreneurs sell a single savory item -- silog, a classic Filipino breakfast that is served all day. The dish features two eggs served sunnyside up or over easy with garlicky fried rice and Pampanga Longanisa, a fat, sweet pork sausage. Alvir explained the word Silog. It is a portmanteau of the words sinangag -- garlic fried rice -- and illog which means egg. Were the first Silog house in New York City," she declared. Other restaurants have Silog. Were the only ones who do purely Silog. Its available all day. Between a small Christian library and a few framed Bible quotes, Filled serves bubble teas, juice concoctions and traditional Filipino beverages like kalamansi juice (from a Filipino lime that is more sweet than tart) and nectars. But the real show-stoppers are the traditional desserts made by San Miguel and Alvir -- cassava cake, sweet potato pie, custards and tiny packages of fruit cake known as Food for the Gods" or panlasang panoy. That is melodic Tagalog, the Filipino language, for a square dessert made from dates, butter, flour and walnuts, a cuisine contribution from Spanish settlers to the Philippines. Ellen San Miguel, left, and Kats Alvi. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Also in the hand-crafted inventory at Filled are Sansrival, a four-layer wafer cake layered with crushed cashew meringue and rum buttercream. Desserts from Filled include sweet potato pie, tarts and banana bread. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Its crunchy and chewy at the same time, a toothsome confection with a deeply satisfying textural contrast. Alvir reported that Russian customers who have tasted this dessert at Filled liken it to a Kiev or Kievsky cake. Silvanas cookie version of the Sansrival only covered with cake crumbs and a creamier version of buttercream Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Similar in flavor profile to the Sansrival, yet with a softer sensation on the palate are Silvanas, delicious, finger-shaped pastries with cake crumbs and, compared to Sansrival, with a milkier version of buttercream. Little white puffs of Brazo de Mercedes patries are built from meringue and egg custard. These come as individual servings as well as a rolled cake. THE STORY FROM BAYONNE TO STATEN ISLAND San Miguel and Alvir are Bayonne transplants who now live in Silver Lake. Before the baking business, the pair sang professionally. One day at a store in New Jersey, a clerk recognized San Miguel from prior performances and asked if her group could be hired to sing at a Bayonne church as a gift to its pastor. Food for the Gods aka panlasang panoy. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri We normally dont do that kind of work but my heart said, Yeah, do it! recalled San Miguel. When they heard a fellow band playing during the service, the women said they were stunned. Food for the gods or panlasang panoy. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri We didnt know it was a worship band! All the songs ministered to us. We accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we kept coming back, said Alvir. And that also meant coming back to fellowship gatherings after church where the focus turned also to food. After the service we had potluck. You had to see the first cake we made! It was crazy." said Alvir. The pastors wife, Melinda Del Mar, encouraged them to keep baking. We started getting orders in 2010. We started researching and practicing until it became what it is now, recalled Alvir. Tres leches cake. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri I didnt even have a mixer back then, said San Miguel. Alivir hails from Quezon City and San Miguel from Laguna. Laguna cooking is Northern style, marinated foods that are saucy stews, said San Miguel. We prepare our table with banana leaves and we use our hands. Cassava cake Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri For now the ladies days are filled, so to speak, with a steady stream of customers who are liking their pastries and birthday cakes. They ponder closing on Sundays, a busy day at Calvary Assembly of God in Bulls Head with its food pantry and worship throughout the day. Well open on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as an experiment. But it s a little tough with our church schedule, said Alvir. For now, hours will be Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with extended hours for alternating acoustic nights on a small stage. Filled is located at 400 Victory Blvd., Tompkinsville; 347-857-6360. Brazo de Mercedes is a meringue with egg custard. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Brazo de Mercedes cake. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Powder for bubble teas. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Sonya Sokolin behind the bubble tea counter. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Drink menu. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Occasion cakes are house specialties. Filled Cakes and Confections in Tompkinsville opened in January with Ellen San Miguel and Kats Alvir. Pamela SilvestriPamela Silvestri Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations have made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. The Fridays For Future movement and activist Greta Thunberg held a news conference with the activists in Sweden to spotlight the marginalisation of African voices. Ms Nakate, Makenna Muigai of Kenya, Ayakha Melithafa of South Africa and climate scientist Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa pointed out the challenges in combating climate change on the booming continent of 1.2 billion people, and in inspiring the worlds response. African activists are doing so much, Ms Nakate said. It gets so frustrating when no one really cares about them. Greta Thunberg in front of a video link featuring figures including Makenna Muigai, Ndoni Mcunu Vanessa Nakate and Ayakha Melithafa (Pontus Lundahl/TT/AP) Ms Muigai pointed to a recent locust outbreak in parts of east Africa which threatens food security for millions of people in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and is moving towards South Sudan and Uganda. Challenges include everything from deforestation to bad energy policies, she said. They also include changes in storm intensity that brought two devastating cyclones to Mozambique a year ago, Ms Mcunu said, and a recent drought crisis in South Africas Cape Town region, highlighted by Ms Melithafa. The narrative we have is Africans can adapt to this. That is actually not true, Ms Mcunu said. The warnings have been stark for Africa. No continent will be struck more severely by climate change, the UN Environment Programme has said. Africa has 15% of the worlds population, yet is likely to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, the African Development Bank has said, noting that seven of the 10 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change are in Africa: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Story continues Energy-related CO2 emissions in Africa to date represent around 2% of cumulative global emissions, the International Energy Agency said last year. In some cases it is difficult to persuade people to care more about climate change because there are so many other pressing everyday issues such as poverty, unemployment and gender-based violence, Ms Melithafa said. Thats hard for the global north to understand. Instead people should work to hold more developed countries accountable for producing the bulk of emissions that contribute to global warming, the activists said. The photo that Vanessa Nakate was cropped out of (Markus Schreiber/AP) Ms Thunberg firmly kept the spotlight on the activists from African countries. Im not the reason why were here, she said, later adding: We are fighting for the exact same cause. The press conference came a week after the Associated Press cropped Ms Nakate out of a photo at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The AP has apologised and acknowledged mistakes in sending out the cropped photo on January 24 and in how the news organisation initially reacted. The AP has said it will expand diversity training worldwide as a result. Ms Nakate said she was sad the photo incident occurred but added she was very optimistic about this as it has drawn global attention to climate activists in Africa and the crises there. Reuters International Business Machines Corp Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will step down after eight years in the role and will be succeeded by the head of its cloud business Arvind Krishna in April. Rometty, who has been with the company for 40 years, will continue as executive chairman and will retire at the end of the year, the company said. Shares of the company were up nearly 4 percent in extended trading. Krishna, 57, who joined IBM in 1990, was the architect of the company's $34 billion (26 billion pounds) acquisition of Red Hat last year. "Arvind is the right CEO for the next era at IBM," Rometty, 62, said in a statement. Under Rometty's leadership, IBM has shifted focus to cloud business through a series of acquisitions and by selling some of its legacy units. Posing as customers, four armed miscreants looted 3 lakh from a wholesale grocery shop at the Gaushala road in Raikot on Thursday evening. The complainant, Pankaj Gupta of Mohalla Sechra of Raikot, said two of the accused came to the shop asking for cannisters of ghee for a wedding. The accused flashed sharp-edged weapons and threatened me to keep mum. They then called upon their two accomplices standing near the shop and then overpowered me, before taking 3 lakh from my bag and the cash box, Gupta said in his police complaint. Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Jarnail Singh, who is investigating the case, said an FIR under Sections 392 (robbery), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against the unidentified accused at the Raikot city police station. The accused were captured on the CCTV cameras installed near the shop. We are trying to identify them, the ASI said. Members of Parliament have called for immediate action by the appropriate security agencies to deal with those who engage in internet fraud in the country. According to the MPs, the use of fake Facebook and social media accounts in the names of public officers, especially Members of Parliament and other prominent people, is "very worrying". The MPs made the comment in their contribution to a statement in Parliament on Cyber Crime by the MP for South Tongu Hon Kobena Mensah Woyome. Hon Woyome said whilst the fraudsters are using various methods including the use of mobile money transfer to dupe many people, an investigation into such reported crimes is very slow. Commenting on the issue, the MP for North Tongu Hon Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said intensive public education on Cyber Crime must be carried out to save people who have not fallen victim to the fraudsters. Contributing to the statement, the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of Parliament and MP for Nsawam / Adoagyiri Hon Frank Annoh-Dompreh called for a review of the Criminal Code to deal with those who engage in internet fraud. Internet fraud is a type of fraud or deception which makes use of the Internet and could involve hiding of information or providing incorrect information for the purpose of tricking victims out of money, property, and inheritance. Internet fraud is not considered a single, distinctive crime but covers a range of illegal and illicit actions that are committed in cyberspace. It is, however, differentiated from theft since, in this case, the victim voluntarily and knowingly provides the information, money or property to the perpetrator. It is also distinguished by the way it involves temporally and spatially separated offenders. According to the FBI's 2017 Internet Crime Report, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received about 300,000 complaints. Victims lost over $1.4 billion in online fraud in 2017. According to a study conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and McAfee, cybercrime costs the global economy as much as $600 billion, which translates into 0.8% of total global GDP.[5] Online fraud appears in many forms. It ranges from email spam to online scams. Internet fraud can occur even if partly based on the use of Internet services and is mostly or completely based on the use of the Internet. Source: Emmanuel Akorli/Parliamentary Correspondent/Peace Fm 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 (JTA)As part of President Donald Trumps proposed plan for Middle East peace unveiled Tuesday, Israel says it will apply its laws to the Jordan Valley and Israeli settlements in the West Bank. At a news conference with Trump at the White House discussing the broad outlines of the plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel will otherwise maintain the status quo territorially for at least four years. Application of Israeli law to parts of the West Bank would signal a major change to the territory and the contours of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel has controlled the West Bank since capturing it in the 1967 Six-Day War and has established settlements there. But according to Israeli law, no part of the West Bank has ever been treated equivalently to the rest of the country. On this day, you became the first world leader to recognize Israeli sovereignty over areas of Judea and Samaria, Netanyahu said to Trump. And on this day, you too have charted a brilliant future. Speaking first, Trump said that under his plan, Jerusalem will remain Israels undivided capital but a Palestinian capital will be located in East Jerusalem. Benny Gantz, the former general who in March will compete against Netanyahu for a third time in less than a year to become prime minister, met with Trump on Monday. Trump said that Gantz pledged his full support for the peace plan. Trump aimed to frame the plan as a deal that would equally benefit both Israelis and Palestiniansfor Israelis, the codified territory recognition would bring increased security, and for Palestinians, the establishment of a state would bring prosperity, dignity and self-sufficiency. It is only reasonable that I have to do a lot for the Palestinians or it just wouldnt be fair, Trump said. The president said a copy of the plan, which was released in full on Tuesday, was sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. It contains detailed maps of its proposed state outlinesa feature not included in past diplomatic frameworks for negotiations. The Palestinian state would include the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. In a call with reporters following the address, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman highlighted some key points of the plan, which he said presented a realistic two-state solution. Friedman said the plan would also give Israel the overriding security responsibility and control over entire territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. He said Palestinians would have four years to accept the plan, meaning that Israel must keep open the territories that the plan allocates to the Palestinian state. The ambassador said the plan includes a high-speed rail connection between Gaza and the West Bank. The plan also would require a complete dismantling of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which are widely seen as terrorist groups. Friedman said the Palestinian Authority or a similar authority that would be acceptable to Israel would gain control over Gaza, which is currently ruled by Hamas. The Palestinian leadership would be required to end incitement toward Israelis in textbooks, as well as stop the practice of paying terrorists and their families. Certain news stories drive me to an unhealthy reliance on social media. With my infant daughter sleeping in a bassinet beside me, I watched a series of individually broadcast livestreams of the mayhem developing in Paris on November 13, 2015. I suppose the first step is admitting you have a problem. I doubt Im the only person who seems to find every discomfiting YouTube video or Twitter thread about developments out of Wuhan, China. Even just having your digital ear open for the chatter, you hear that Shanghai has been almost entirely shut down, with its residents driven to social-media boredom and rumormongering. You hear that Wuhan has been half-evacuated. I cant even begin to comprehend what it would look like to evacuate half of a city that is larger than New York or London. Or wonder what that might mean for the rest of China, absorbing a population of that size, when the coronavirus is contagious well before it shows symptoms. As in all tragedies, the alt-right-ish comedian Sam Hyde has been falsely and hilariously blamed for the spread of coronavirus. Earlier in the week there was a long Twitter thread by Matt Parlmer, urging people to look at the signs coming from China the massive shutdowns and travel restrictions that signaled a number of very likely events to anticipate, namely the disruption of global supply chains and international travel. This has now happened, and we are on the way to its being a global emergency. Firsthand accounts about how under-resourced Wuhan is for this outbreak are sprawling across YouTube. Heres a particularly vivid one, with rumors that the virus has been known about by cab drivers in Wuhan since mid-December. Today, a verified account on Twitter that Ive never seen claimed that Indian scientists had discovered traces of HIV in the coronavirus. For all I know this is a totally scientifically illiterate thing to say. But there the claim is, with uncertain authority, which bolsters the conspiracy theories that the coronavirus is the product of a Chinese biological-weapons facility located near Wuhan. Story continues Many goodhearted and decent people are on social media urging restraint. New contagious diseases are, of course, prone to induce panic. They warn us not to share any information that isnt from a reputable public-health organization. I wish the human mind could be reassured and calmed this way. Waiting for the official statements has actually worsened the pit in my stomach. For half the week there was speculation across unverified social media that the World Health Organization was dragging its feet because it didnt want to embarrass China or imply that such a large and important country was responding poorly. Finally, on Thursday this week, the World Health Organization declared an international emergency. And in its statement, it cringingly praised China: The Committee emphasized that the declaration of a PHEIC [Public Health Emergency of International Concern] should be seen in the spirit of support and appreciation for China, its people, and the actions China has taken on the frontlines of this outbreak, with transparency, and, it is to be hoped, with success. Even the unidiomatic English grammar somehow has me imagining a Chinese official with extremely specific instructions dictating to the WHO. The White House press briefing also contained statements emphasizing that the U.S. efforts to monitor and contain coronavirus are complementing Chinas efforts. Id rather have no comment appraising Chinas performance in this crisis rather than ones that seem so forced and emphasized. Maybe in the days to come, government authorities will get ahead of this public-health crisis and, like SARS, it will cause great anguish but not fundamentally disrupt the order of things. But our public officials need to think hard about how they communicate in a new world in which they are far from the only source of compelling information. Or perhaps the interruptions in the supply chain lead to major economic disruption worldwide and make everyone question the wisdom of placing so much critical industrial and commercial infrastructure in the middle of country that still contains hygiene practices known only amid extremely poverty, and a Communist government that regularly lies to the public, to itself, and to the world. Until then, Ill be nervously twitching through my phone and stocking up the pantry. More from National Review Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. A BURGLAR who was at large for eight years after taking a bench warrant for the theft of jewellery valued at over 60,000 has been jailed for two years. Michael Fagan (48), who continued to live in the same area and signed on weekly at his local post office, gave gardai his brother's name whenever he was stopped. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a picture on an entry on the garda PULSE system purporting to be Fagan's brother was actually of Michael Fagan. Michael Fagan has 62 previous convictions prior to 2012. The grandfather was identified by gardai after CCTV of the 2010 burglary was shown on Crimecall but took a bench warrant in the case in 2012 and has been "off the radar" since. His lawyers told the court Fagan instructed he was now clean of drugs and was a different person. "It appears the leopard has changed his spots," said Derek Cooney BL, defending. Fagan of Merchants Road, East Wall, Dublin and formerly of Rutland Avenue pleaded guilty to burglary at McCormack Jewellers, Grafton Street, on February 13, 2010. Judge Melanie Greally noted that the fact Fagan did not surface on the radar may have been due to using his brother name but the court was proceeding on the basis that he had no record of conviction since 2012. She said it was a serious incident of burglary with damage to the shop. She noted the jewellery taken had been sold on for a tiny fraction of what it was worth and the money quickly dissipated. Judge Greally said Fagan had managed to rid himself of addiction through his own efforts and did not seem to have come to any adverse attention. She imposed a four year sentence with the final two years suspended. Garda Aidan Larkin told John Quirke BL, prosecuting, that CCTV footage of a burglary at McCormack's jeweller in 2010 was shown on Crimecall and Fagan identified as a suspect. The court heard the stock taken in the burglary was valued at 64,000 but had a retail value of 140,000. There had also been damage to the store with items smashed and left on the floor. Gardai searched Fagan's home and recovered one watch taken in the burglary valued at about 700. Fagan told gardai that he and accomplice had gone to the area to break in somewhere to get money for crack cocaine. He said they had broken into the jewellery store from the next door premises. Fagan said they had sold the jewellery to a third party for 3,000. He apologised and said: "If I hadn't been on crack it would never have happened." Gda Larkin said Fagan had failed to appear for a court date in 2012. Fagan had been "off the radar" until the bench warrant was executed last December and he pleaded guilty to the offence. Derek Cooney BL, defending, said his client had been a "desperate man" at the time committing offences to fund his drug habit. He said since 2012 Fagan had "put his head down" and given clean urine tests to his doctor for eight years. Counsel said Fagan was no longer a person in a crack addicted state but had gone out and got his own treatment. He said Fagan had not accrued any convictions and he had been giving his brother name when stopped by gardai. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2018 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement TEHRAN, Iran, Jan.31 Trend: Iran Civil Aviation Organization Spokesman has announced possible urgent flights to bring back Iranian students from China and reduction of the number of flights from China. "The final decision depends on the Foreign Ministry; if it can reach an agreement with the Chinese government, the Civil Aviation Organization is ready to transfer the students back to Iran," said Reza Jafarzadeh, Trend reports citing IRNA. "There is a plan for urgent flights from China to Iran and there will be no problem in transferring the student as fast as possible," the spokesman said. "The inspection of coronavirus cases continues at Iran's international airports, especially at Imam Khomeini airport," Jafarzadeh added. Iran Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi indicated on Jan. 30 the measures to evacuate Iranian citizens from city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus. "Evacuating Iranian citizens including students from this city is our main target, but the operation depends on agreement with Chinese government and international health regulations to avoid virus spread," he said. The World Health Organization has upgraded coronavirus status from a regional to worldwide health emergency. Priyanka Chopra Jonas looked stunning at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards, where she was seen flaunting Ralph & Russo gown that plunged as low as Jennifer Lopez's Versace dress did in 2000. The star got candid about the iconic red carpet fashion moment including how she managed to avoid a wardrobe malfunction with a dress so low-cut. According to Us Weekly, the 37-year-old star revealed that the key was a piece of fabric that was practically invisible. The actor shared that whenever Ralph & Russo, make couture or custom outfits for her, "they always do them fitted to my body, keeping these things" -- wardrobe malfunctions -- "in mind." She continued: "So as much as people might think it would be hard to manage, they found this incredible tulle the same colour as my skin tone and sort of held the dress together with that. So you can't even see it in the pictures but there was no way it would have happened if they didn't have that. It was like a netting." The 'The Sky is Pink' actor also made it clear that she won't take a fashion risk for an awards show. She also stated that in fact, the dress needs to be glued to her body. The star explained that "When I decide to wear an outfit I'm not someone who's really nervous because when I walk out of the door, I'm very secure," explained Chopra. "I don't leave unless I'm super secure." The actor laughingly added, "I don't like wardrobe malfunction! Nobody does!" The other best thing about the awards season is that the internet is flooded with pictures of the entire Jonas family, including Priyanka's sisters-in-law Sophie and Danielle. The 'Baywatch' actor also gave the tit-bits of her group chat with her fellow Jonas wives and revealed that they text each other outfit details on awards show days. She stated that we send each other pictures of what we are going to be wearing before and this was not for comparison but they ask each other, "What do you think about this?" The star also shared that, "We're all as a family very individual in our choices and we're also women who don't let fashion dictate us, really, "So it's just for fun, we're all really tight and we're close." She also stated that it's just for fun and disclosed that "we're all really tight and we're close -- it's not stressful." Chopra will be hosting a European-style festival celebrating music, style, and food- the Stella Artois Port de Stella in Miami, which is one of her upcoming gigs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The largest export destination remains the United States of America (USA), followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, and Hong Kong, according to the Economic Survey 2019-20, which was tabled in Parliament by Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday. According to the Survey, India's merchandise trade balance improved from 2009-14 to 2014-19 on the back of a decline in crude prices. The merchandise exports-to-GDP ratio declined to 11.3 per cent, due to weakened global demand and heightened trade tensions over 2018-19 to H1 of 2019-20. "Petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL), precious stones, drug formulations and biologicals, gold and other precious metals continue to be the top exported commodities. The largest export destinations being the United States of America (USA), followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, and Hong Kong," adds the Survey. The merchandise imports-to-GDP ratio also declined, entailing a net positive impact on the BoP position. This is because of the large presence of crude oil in the import basket. Share of gold imports, another important component of import basket, has remained stable in spite of a rise in gold prices. India's imports continue to be the largest from China, followed by the US, the UAE and Saudi Arabia in that order. The Economic Survey 2019-20 further observes that non-POL-non-gold imports are understood to be positively correlated with GDP growth. However, non-POL-non-oil imports fell as a proportion to GDP from 2009-14 to 2014-19 when GDP growth accelerated. This may have happened because of consumption-driven growth while the investment rate declined. A continuous decline in investment rate decelerated GDP growth, weakened consumption, dampened the investment outlook, which further reduced GDP growth and along with it, non-POL-non-gold imports as a proportion of GDP from 2018-19 to H1 of 2019-20. In sync with an estimated 2.9 per cent growth in global output in 2019, global trade is estimated to grow at 1.0 per cent after having peaked in 2017 at 5.7 per cent. The slowdown in world trade reflects a confluence of factors, including a slowdown in investment, reduced spending on capital goods and a decline in trade of cars and car parts. The Survey adds that global trade is projected to recover to 2.9 per cent in 2020, with recovery in global economic activity, although the future is ridden with uncertainties over trade tensions and change in global value chain structures. Under trade facilitation, India has improved its ranking from 143 in 2016 to 68 in 2019 under the indicator - 'Trading across Borders' -- monitored by the World Bank in determining the overall ranking of around 190 countries in its Ease of Doing Business Report. In a recently released UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation 2019, India not only improved its overall trade facilitation score from 69 per cent to 80 per cent but also outperformed other countries in the Asia-Pacific and South and South-West Asia region. The logistics industry of India is a sunshine sector, currently estimated to be around US$ 160 billion and shortly expected to touch US$ 215 billion. According to the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, India ranks 44th in 2018 globally, up from 54th rank in 2014. The Economic Survey observed that driving down logistics cost from estimated current levels of 13-14 per cent of GDP to 10 per cent in line with global standards is the next step forward, for which interventions like Fast-tag, Bharatmala, Sagarmala and Dedicated Freight Corridors will be a huge boost. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has directed his anger on executives of the National Democratic Congress for failing to make meaningful impact in the series of demonstrations they have organized against the Electoral Commission of Ghana. Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako explains that he had expected the NDC to have proved to Ghanaians through their series of demonstrations that their party have the numbers to "shake the NPP as we prepare to vote in 2020". In an open address to the current executives of the NDC, the NPP Chairman popularly referred to Chairman Wontumi stated that "your demo numbers in Central Region was appalling. You have failed to send a strong message across through your demonstrations and I feel like lashing all NDC executives with a cane on their bum". He added that in all the regions where the NDC had organized a demonstration to protest against the EC's decision to compile a new register, there have been very low turnout. "They went to Tamale and I did a headcount there and they were less than 1,000. Then they came over to Ashanti region where I permitted them to carry out their democratic right, to my surprise, they were only 700 of them. I have followed them to the Central Region and only 650 people came to support them today." He added that " I am a very good person to lash Asiedu Nketia and Ofosu Ampofo for wasting our time. I wish I could could lay them on a table and sock their canes in kerosene before lashing them on their bare bum." The National Democratic Congress, together with some other political parties who sided with them recently petitioned the Asantehene following a demonstration against the Electoral Commissions decision to compile a new voters register ahead of the 2020 polls. The demonstrators walked through the principal streets of Kumasi to protest. An earlier protest was held to challenge plans of the new register at Tamale in the Northern region. The group insists a new register is a waste of taxpayers money and could also create tension since the election is close. The electoral commission, however, insists they will go ahead and create the register despite the disagreement by the parties and civil society organisations. 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 New Delhi : An IndiGo pilot-in-command has conveyed his anguish to the airline's management for not consulting him before announcing a six-month ban on comedian Kunal Kamra for heckling Republic TV chief Arnab Goswami on his flight, insisting that the incident was not 'reportable in any way'. In a letter to the IndiGo management, Rohit Mateti said he was 'disheartened' to learn that Kamra was banned from flying purely on the basis of social media posts and that though his behaviour was 'unsavoury', it was not qualifying of a level 1 unruly passenger. Kamra was banned by IndiGo for six months on Tuesday for harassing Goswami on the Mumbai-Lucknow flight. SpiceJet, GoAir and Air India too have imposed a similar ban on Kamra without specifying any period. 'As captain of 6E5317 Mumbai-Lucknow flight on January 28, I do not find...events reportable in any way. Mr Kamra's behaviour, while unsavoury, was not qualifying of a level 1 unruly passenger. Indeed, we pilots can all attest to incidents similar and/or worse in nature that were not deemed unruly,' he said in the letter. The pilot also called the action by the airline against Kamra as 'unprecedented'. 'This is somewhat unprecedented in my nine years of airline flying. Moving forward, am I to understand that the bar for interpretation of a disruptive passenger is lower/different when it comes to high profile cases? Perhaps the SEP (safety and emergency procedures) manual is to be amended to reflect this?' Mateti added. 'I would like a clarification from the airline as this leaves a lot of room for ambiguity,' he said. As per the 2017 rules of aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, if a passenger engages in any unruly behaviour, the pilot-in-command has to file a complaint and only then an internal committee of the airline can probe the matter and take punitive action based on findings of the investigation. The rules also stated that a passenger who is deemed as 'level 1' unruly passenger can be banned up to maximum of three months by the internal committee. DGCA had on Wednesday said that the action by the four carriers is in 'complete consonance' with its regulations. When asked about the pilot-in-command's email, IndiGo told PTI: 'We have received the relevant statements and the internal committee has initiated the investigation regarding this incident.' In an approximately 2-minute video clip posted by Kamra on his Twitter handle on Wednesday, he is seen asking Goswami if he is a 'coward or a journalist' but the Republic TV editor was not seen responding to it. After IndiGo announced its punitive action against the comedian, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said he took note of the incident and 'advised' other airlines to impose similar restrictions on Kamra, insisting that offensive behaviour aimed at creating disturbance inside an aircraft is absolutely unacceptable. In his email, Mateti told the IndiGo management, 'While Mr Kamra's behaviour was unacceptable and verbally abusive, at no point did he not comply with crew instructions. 'While he did briefly display 'level 1' traits for disruptive behaviour...he was also immediately compliant of crew instruction, was never issued a red warning card and hence cannot be classified as such.' 'Furthermore, in-line with the IndiGo SEP manual guidelines for disruptive behaviour, the situation was diffused, the passenger in question kept under observation and the cabin kept in lockdown for the duration of the flight,' he added. After Mateti's letter became public, Puri said on Thursday that airlines must ensure 'zero tolerance' for any activity that has the potential to jeopardise passengers' safety. 'I had expressed my views with regard to the unruly behaviour of a passenger on board IndiGo flight. I reiterate that airlines must ensure 'Zero Tolerance' for any activity which has the potential to jeopardize safety of passengers in an aircraft,' Puri said on Twitter. Four armed dacoits allegedly looted cash and ornaments worth nearly Rs two crore from a house at a village in Thane district of Maharashtra, police said on Friday. The incident occurred at Kalher village in Bhiwandi tehsil early on Thursday, they said. "The armed dacoits broke into the bungalow of former sarpanch (village head) around 6 am. They threatened the members of the house at gunpoint and looted cash and ornaments collectively worth Rs 1.86 crore," an official of Narpoli police station said. Based on a complaint, police registered an offence under IPC sections 392 (robbery), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 452 (house- trespass) and also under the Arms Act, police said. A manhunt has been launched to trace the accused. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ABC News After weeks of health experts urging Americans to upgrade their masks to protect against the omicron COVID-19 variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that it was planning to update its mask guidance to "best reflect the multiple options available to people and the different levels of protection they provide." The move by the CDC would be the first significant update to its mask guidance since last July when it urged all Americans to return to wearing masks, after the delta variant proved so transmissible that research found even vaccinated people could transmit the virus. While vaccinated people are considered infectious for a shorter period of time than someone who is unvaccinated, and they are considerably less likely to end up hospitalized, the CDC urged everyone to return to masking indoors to prevent community cases from rising. For enterprises built before or outside of the digital ecosystem, the pull of cloud computing can feel more like a shove. It neednt seem that way. The impact of the cloud According to the TCS 2020 CIO Study, cloud computing has had the biggest impact of any technology on business. Three-quarters of CIOs said clouds impact had been high or even extreme in the past decade. And more than two-thirds (68%) continue to characterize clouds expected impact as high or extreme over the coming decade, joined by such cloud-dependent, cloud-enabling, or cloud-friendly technologies as artificial intelligence (79%), machine learning (72%), and the Internet of Things (67%). Thus, the questions of just a few years ago why cloud? and when should we migrate? have been replaced by how? and how quickly? Yet while most leaders agree such migration is inevitable, there are skeptics whose doubts often are based in valid considerations or concerns. Advancements toward digitization and recent experiences of many enterprises with digital transformation provide ample evidence of the benefits and challenges corporations should be aware of when undergoing major technology migrations. While the transformational benefits that the cloud promises are realized through sound and informed approaches, the optimal path for an individual company or organizational unit may still seem hazy initially highlighting the importance of engaging early with a structured, efficient, and well-informed approach. Two types of enterprises There are cloud-native companies that were born on the cloud typically the most recent entrants to the marketplace who are often found in business news headlines for disrupting industries and rewriting rules. Questions about migration rarely apply to these companies, as all their application development has been and will continue to be cloud-based. However, for enterprises of longer standing those making the paradigm shift to cloud from years or decades of development based upon on-premise and hosted infrastructure whether and how to move legacy applications to a cloud environment, or for which purposes to develop new or completely redesigned processes built on cloud, often remain matters of internal debate and drive a constant refiguring of priorities. In the TCS 2020 CIO Study of companies with at least $500 million in annual revenues, nearly two-thirds (64%) are at varying stages of digitization, according to their lead technology officers. Over half (54%) have completed proof-of-concept pilots and can claim some degree of enterprise-wide digitization. Despite this digitization progress, 23% admit they still have a short-term focus and a lack of leadership when it comes to digitizing their operations, products, and services while another 31% have strong leadership in place with initiatives across multiple functions and lines of business, and 11% even have new businesses, products, services, business models, or operating models as a result of digitization. The opportunity offered by cloud for not-yet-cloud companies For these traditional enterprises, cloud computing the sheer availability of it combined with the benefits of increased agility, decreased ownership costs, and better positioning to compete and collaborate in the digital ecosystem presents an opportunity to simultaneously modernize operations and innovate new lines of business. All of these companies, even those with an as-yet-minimal cloud presence, have years or decades of experience undergoing various technology (r)evolutions: mainframe, client-server, 3-tier architectures, enterprise resource planning, analytics theyve employed each of these and more as needed and have proven capabilities to adapt with shifting technology and market demands to drive business outcomes. Corporate managers and boards know their firm needs to shed fat, be nimble, and always be adapting to maintain market leadership. They recognize generally the need to both modernize legacy resources and adopt cloud native at every opportunity, but often in conversations on these issues will become stuck looking at the macro-level view without supporting contextual details. This is after all what they are expected in their position to keep in mind: What is the balance to achieve between migrating legacy operations and adopting the cloud as the native computing environment? Whichever they choose, each step will require investment and to be rationalized by return on that investment Whichever they choose, each step will require investment and to be rationalized by return on that investment How best to optimize our operations? Every company knows this is a requirement but knowing which applications provide maximum value for the business can be a bit like reading tea leaves in the dark New breeds and older legacies Every established enterprise thats been in business for 10 years and hopes to be for another 10 likely has both running legacy systems which day-to-day operations and quarterly revenue depend upon, as well as new ideas for addressing opportunities and challenges that could lead to new growth and innovation. As a general rule, anything that can be developed cloud-native should be. Companies may think they are saving money and departments might be tempted by budget constraints to begin development on any available server/capacity, rationalizing that the small team making initial forays into a new project is enough resources to expend on untested ideas without committing to a cloud account/deployment, however nominal its initial charges. Such short-term thinking will only create technical debt when the time comes to port that initiative or any initiative to the cloud so that it can scale for the enterprise and its clients. Better instead would be to take advantage from the initial development stages of trends and advances in cloud computing such as serverless microservices with polyglots, in which individual scripts can perform the same operations across multiple programming languages and applications to leverage the digital ecosystem, and/or containers, vendor-neutral environments for cloud applications that are more lightweight and portable than the virtual machines replicating whole servers. TCS is today working with AWS which runs 80% of all cloud containers currently in use to harness the benefits of containers, microservices, and serverless technologies such as AWS Lambda for its clients. Technology is advancing at an exponentially increasing pace, and future changes are inevitable. Enterprises must change, and indeed must become nimble at changing, to adopt new capabilities in time to meet new market opportunities and challenges. Using the cloud as both the development and the runtime environment for new projects makes that kind of agility and flexibility possible. But what about the legacy systems that must be migrated or otherwise mitigated? A number of approaches should be considered as at least one of them will be the best choice for any particular application based on the business requirements and outcomes desired. Retainor retire (and replace or rebuild)? In all likelihood the decision to Retain an existing legacy system is a temporary one, deferring the decision of how to retire it to the future. When other concerns or priorities are more pressing or a specific horizon for deprecation or addressing the need is understood and planned, retainment may make the most sense. The need to completely Retire old applications either rebuild their current capabilities for a cloud environment or replace them entirely with a new cloud application for a new business environment is usually apparent to those most reliant on the inputs and outputs of a legacy system. The pain points of current operations will help a business determine symptoms, causes, and a cure. Rebuilding abandons the legacy system for a new cloud-based function or application that has been reimagined from the ground up. While the most initially complex and potentially expensive approach, for the parts of a business that themselves may need overhauling rebuilding/replacing may have a transformative effect as out-of-date and constraining systems are replaced with cloud native parallels that unlock the benefits of cloud. However, the seemingly limited choice of retain or retire are not the only options. Legacy migration is more of a spectrum of approaches than a typical binary decision. Repurchase, rehost, replatform, or refactor/rearchitect? Repurchasing (or, more commonly, relicensing) involves merely redirecting an existing application instance to use its cloud-based version, or retiring client-server on-premise/hosted software, in order to use a software-as-a-service version of a product instead. Rehosting may be the fastest way for legacy apps to join their cloud-native relatives. Sometimes called lift-and-shift, rehosting merely moves an application or service from one physical server environment to a cloud environment such as AWS. You gain the reliability, availability, and efficiency of the cloud environment and utility costing model, plus future platform and application changes will likely be much easier than if taking place in your own data center with traditional infrastructure and operational considerations and constraints. But given the past rate of change in technology, merely rehosting may very likely be forestalling the inevitable work of refactoring or even if too much more time passes and more technology iterations occur the expense of rebuilding your legacy instantiations. Despite this question, rehosting may be the more prudent choice for a particular organization especially if immediacy of availability is the primary consideration. Replatforming is sometimes referred to as lift, tinker, and shift: Its a variation on simple rehosting where a company takes advantage of the migration to cloud to modernize and implement new features in an application or perhaps swap proprietary components for open-source equivalents. Refactoring legacy apps for the cloud is often the most successful approach when it is feasible. In refactoring the current runtime application, the company depends on is retained, but with modifications to some parts of it to make it cloud friendly. By moving to the cloud, further and future development can then take place more easily: essentially performing a rearchitecting over time. Refactoring involves rehosting but more importantly, it lets you use the cloud as both a development platform platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and as a runtime environment (infrastructure as a service, or IaaS). Rearchitecting, as compared to rehosting or refactoring, is a more ambitious undertaking but it may offer the fastest ROI. The decision to rearchitect may be driven by an applications or services current incompatibility with the cloud, but it may also be undertaken to lose no momentum in a companys shift to ecosystem strategies. In a Rearchitecting, the interoperating components of applications first get divided up as separate applications and microservices and are then remodeled individually in a cloud environment, thus emerging as cloud native when deployed and thereafter useable by other enterprise apps and functions. Rearchitecting a legacy application instance could be seen as equivalent to remodeling a kitchen or even adding on a new wing while continuing to live in the house (compared to rebuilding, which is a complete start from the ground up). Mindset may be the greatest defining factor in success Technology and business are evolving quickly. Since the marriage of the two, this has always been true and, whenever it has been said it has never been truer than at that moment including today. The gap between any enterprises cloud-native operations and its legacy, physically hosted applications will only continue to grow more quickly as cloud features and functionality continue to grow. Moving both new development and legacy upgrades to cloud environments can help decrease the size of the gap and slow the pace of its spread. It is worth noting, however: This rapid evolution doesnt present only challenges for an enterprise the opportunities possible in a digital ecosystem are even more compelling for companies who choose to pursue them. With every service that an enterprise might make available in a cloud environment like AWS, there is the potential to monetize that service. Large, established companies are the creators and bearers of great oceans of information. The market for that information in aggregate, as outcomes and calculations, with the actual data protected and anonymized is one of the fastest growing areas of new business development today. Once a company is established in the digital ecosystem, many more efficiencies and advantages from leveraging the API economy to employing analytics to create new business opportunities and operational improvements, to many other features of the ecosystem become possible. Given the pace of technology change, hitching an enterprises growth to an established cloud platform and partner ecosystem can enable faster returns on investment, steadier revenue streams, and quicker times to market for customer-driven innovations. Whos already there? According to the TCS 2020 CIO Study, almost a fifth (19%) of companies today are already thinking in terms of digital ecosystems when preparing for future competitors and seeking new opportunities. Another third of companies CIOs say their board and top management while not yet fully aligned on the vision of a digital ecosystem upending industries and business models are still very open to new ideas about customers that could be served, products and services that could be created, and their data which could be a new source of revenue. Committing to parallel, but continuous, cloud migration paths may offer the greatest return from the smartest investment. New products, new services, new opportunities to sell existing data, even bigger opportunities to reveal through analytics new data and markets for that data: this is what the digital ecosystem enables. But a diversified growth strategy reflecting a mature organizations many stakeholders and dependencies should include both modernizing current operations and, by reimagining the enterprises core expertise and actual output in a cloud environment, new lines of revenue and profit. And the greater the growth of new businesses for a company, the more room to modernize existing operations, products, and services so that they too might more robustly contribute to the companys bottom line. Rethinking risks Where once a company might debate internally about digitizing a part or function of its business, whether to build or lease a data center, and how vertically integrated the company should become today many of those kinds of issues seem quaint considerations. One risk that has been largely taken off the table is the cost to deploy new hardware, switch to new operating systems, and provision more computing power, resources, and storage. These risks and undifferentiated heavy lifting of procurement and operations are borne by cloud providers like AWS, whose business model necessitates continuous evolution to stay on top of technology developments and ahead of security threats to provide enterprises the strongest platforms and features on which to run their businesses. The vast amount of business operations migration to cloud environments across every industry highlights the biggest risk for corporate leaders to consider: the high cost and risks of waiting longer to migrate legacy apps to and develop new business in the cloud. Connect with TCS to take the lead and explore the cloud. GETTY Canadas first Internet Code went into effect Friday, and industry experts say it will help consumers have more clarity and security when signing up for internet services. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced in July 2019 that the code will offer Canadians easy-to-understand contracts, documents, and policies around service calls, outages, security deposits, and disconnections. It will also help Canadians have a better understanding of prices, especially for bundles, promotions, and time-limited discounts. Internet service providers (ISPs) will have to offer bill-shock protection by providing notifications when customers approach and reach their data-usage limits, and will have to let customers cancel a contract within 45 days without paying early cancellation fees. This code applies only to large ISPs including Bell, Cogeco, Eastlink, Northwestel, Rogers Communications, Telus, SaskTel, Shaw Communications, Videotron, and Xplornet. Ben Klass, a telecom expert and PhD student at Carleton University, said in an interview with Yahoo Finance Canada that the new rules provide certainty across providers and make sure that for practices like signing people up for services, there are clear standards. In the heat of the moment, when youre signing up for a service, its often not really clear exactly what youre getting... and I wouldnt necessarily place the blame on the companies in all cases, and I also wouldnt place the blame on the consumer, Klass said. He said 45 days gives customers a buffer, allowing for their first bill to arrive and be reviewed before making any changes without incurring extra cancellation fees. When the code was announced, consumer advocacy group OpenMedia criticized the 45-day timeframe indicating that it was inherently punitive to the customers, who if theyve been given a different contract than they agreed to, are now forced to cancel and live without internet services on short notice. Story continues Klass said that this type of issue is something where its going to have to be a wait and see. If it becomes a real problem or we find out that there are a lot of people having problems with this, I would hope that the [CRTC] review it with an eye to revising it, he said. Customers who feel theyve been wronged will have to file complaints with the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS). Advocacy groups also criticized this, saying that it would require significant time and lots of documentation. Jacques Latour, chief technology officer of the Canadian Internet Registry Authority, said the only outlet customers had to complain is with their ISP, so it was important to have an outlet like the CCTS. Having a separate organization that will actually take the case on and works with the subscriber is a great thing. It should be part of the customer support, the ISP should be focusing on this to be more proactive, and if theyre not its a great job to have a mechanism that allows people to complain. Klass said the CCTS in this circumstance acts as a neutral third party to be able to resolve complaints. Klass main concern with the code is that it doesnt apply universally, but only the large players. Its a big question mark over my head as to why they would not just make it apply across the board, he said. Theres a reason for having these types of codes, it is to create certainty for people so that if you have a problem with your internet service, you have recourse. CRTC spokesperson Patricia Valladao said in an email that the CRTC excluded small business from the code because there are "significant differences between individual and small business contracts, such as the length of the contract, the required equipment, installations, and other associated costs." Valladao added that small business customers can still file complaints to the CCTS." NEW HAVEN City, state, Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital staff are checking in with each other daily as they await word on whether a student from China who attended a Yale event has the coronavirus, according to city Health Director Maritza Bond. The respiratory illness that has spread from Wuhan, China, to countries worldwide has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization. China has reported more than 7,800 cases and 170 deaths so far. The first person-to-person transmission in the United States was reported Thursday in Chicago. A man caught the disease from his wife, who had traveled to Wuhan in December. Were having daily calls and daily check-ins as we await the results of the testing that went out, Bond said. She said those keeping in touch with each other are Fire Chief John Alston Jr., Emergency Management Director Rick Fontana, Mayor Justin Elicker, state epidemiologist Matthew Cartter from the Department of Public Health and officials from Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital. The high school student who attended Yale Model United Nations over the weekend tested positive for flu and lab samples were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the only U.S. agency testing for the virus, known as the 2019 novel coronavirus. Bond said the reason results have not been released yet may be that the case is not as high a priority as others being sent to the CDC from across the country. Teenagers are not among the most vulnerable populations the elderly and small children are and, while he is from China, he is not from the Wuhan area, she said. She said preventative measures in place include signs in schools and community clinics, bringing in supplies of face masks and offering free pediatric flu shots to keep children from getting ill and more vulnerable to coronavirus. The virus has been confirmed in 18 countries, including six cases in the United States, none east of Illinois. The declaration of a global emergency by the WHO is rare but signals a need for a coordinated international response. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries, Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHOs director-general, said at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it. Bond and hospital officials said the same measures used to prevent the spread of flu apply to the coronavirus: wash hands frequently or use alcohol-based sanitizer; avoid contact with people who are sick; dont touch eyes, nose or mouth; stay home when sick; and cover coughs and sneezes. Weve always assumed that the coronavirus could be spread person to person. As such, theres been no need to change our protocols. We remain prepared to evaluate patients who experience symptoms similar to coronavirus, said Amanda Falcone, spokeswoman for Middlesex Hospital. Dr. Richard Martinello, medical director of infection prevention for Yale New Haven Health, said hes been impressed by the amount of scientific work that in very short order has been made publicly available. Yale New Have Health includes Yale New Haven, Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence and Memorial and Westerly hospitals and Northeast Medical Group. Martinello said its clear this virus is very capable of human-to-human transmission. What were anticipating is that this is something that is going to continue to spread and expand and that we will see additional cases in the United States. He said keeping hands away from the face is important because germs picked up by the hands can be transferred internally. Were frequently touching our eyes and touching our nose and we may not be conscious that we do it, he said. One behavior that we need to get better at is staying home when were sick, Martinello said. That really drives the transmission of flu and other respiratory viruses. He said wearing a mask is not recommended now unless a person really cant control keeping themselves away from other people who may be sick, such as on public transportation. The problem is that masks may irritate the skin. Sometimes people who wear masks may more frequently be touching their face, which may be counterproductive, he said. Martinello said screening for the coronavirus by adding questions in patients electronic health records is being expanded from Yale New Havens Emergency Departments to our office settings. We do anticipate that people who are sick with this may not show up in our emergency rooms but may make an appointment with their doctor. We want to be able to identify patients who may be sick with a communicable disease as quickly as possible. Anyone with an acute respiratory illness who has traveled to the Wuhan area within 14 days of getting sick would trigger an alert to the intake person. It reminds them to isolate the patient and to give our infection-prevention team a call. Were seeing lots of patients who have respiratory illnesses, but very, very few who have traveled to China, Martinello said. He said people who have been to Wuhan do not need to be assessed unless they have symptoms of the illness. And people who are ill who traveled to Wuhan more than two weeks before are not likely to have coronavirus, he said. We do think that the amount of time between being exposed to this virus and becoming sick with it is within a two-week period, Martinello said. We have not gotten any concerned calls from the public about the coronavirus, but what Hartford HealthCare has done is kept in touch through our very time-sensitive email system and our computer systems, so that we are up to date with the coronavirus, said Dr. Virginia Bieluch, chief of infectious diseases at the Hospital of Central Connecticut in New Britain, part of the Hartford HealthCare network that also includes Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. We have many talented people on multiple disciplines of health care in our system, who are all working on this issue, she said. We are monitoring every access point of our hospitals, so that when a person comes in they are carefully screened about why theyre there, and about their recent travel, Bieluch said. Once thats determined, we have alerts on what to do next. We also have infectious disease staff, emergency room staff, who are front-line workers, who know how to screen every patient to determine what they have. Bieluch also said social media is important to keep the public aware of the virus and what to do to protect themselves. For example, theres a warning for people not to travel to China, she said. Nonessential travel is just not a good idea right now. And if you or a friend or family member who just returned from China, and they have a cough, for example, its important for you to watch for the symptoms. Knowledge is so important. I think social media plays an important role. It makes people aware of whats going on. Emily Olson and the Associated Press contributed to this story. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 Asia Anti-Chinese Sentiment Spreads Abroad Along With Coronavirus A woman wearing a mask walks in the Chinatown district of downtown Toronto, Canada on Jan. 28, 2020. / Reuters JAKARTA/HANOIThe coronavirus outbreak has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring entry to Chinese tourists, online vitriol mocking the countrys exotic meat trade and surprise health checks on foreign workers. The virus, which originated in China, has spread to more than a dozen countries, many of them in Southeast Asia, which has sensitive relations with China amid concerns about Beijings vast infrastructure spending and political clout in the region and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. But as far away as France, a newspaper has come under fire for its Yellow Alert headline, echoing Yellow Peril, a historic Western racist term used to sow fear of Asian influence, while authorities and schools in Toronto, Canada, have warned against discrimination against Chinese Canadians. Orientalist assumptions plus political distrust plus health concerns are a pretty powerful combination, said Charlotte Setijadi, and anthropologist who teaches at Singapore Management University. Chinese authorities have said the virus emerged from a market selling illegally traded wildlife, giving rise to widespread social media mocking of Chinas demand for exotic delicacies and ingredients for traditional medicine. Stop eating bats, said one Twitter user in Thailand, the top destination for Chinese tourists. Not surprising that the Chinese are making new diseases, another Thai user posted alongside a video clip that showed a man eating raw meat. Chinas Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment. China has said the virus outbreak should not be politicized. Because your country is beginning [to] spread diseasewe do not accept to serve the guest from China, read a sign in English outside the Danang Riverside hotel in the central Vietnamese city of the same name. Authorities later told the hotel to remove the sign, its manager said in a Facebook post. Vietnam, which was under Chinese occupation centuries ago and contests Beijings sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea, has particularly fraught relations with China. But it is not alone in the region. Over 60 percent of respondents to a poll of Southeast Asian officials, academics and other professionals said in a survey this month that they distrusted China. Nearly 40 percent said they thought China was a revisionist power and intends to turn Southeast Asia into its sphere of influence. The survey did not mention the virus. Travel bans Many countries have imposed visa restrictions on travelers from Hubei provincethe epicenter of the viruswhile some airlines have suspended all direct flights to mainland China. But this is not enough for hundreds of thousands of people in South Korea and Malaysia who have signed online petitions urging authorities to ban Chinese from visiting their countries. In an unusual move, Samal Island in the southern Philippines on Thursday banned not just tourists from China but from all countries affected by the coronavirus to the popular beach spot. Chinas boom in outbound tourism has created a pattern of international travel unprecedented in human history and driven the growth of businesses to serve Chinese travelers around the world. From a trickle in the 1980s, Chinese tourist numbers grew to estimates of more than 160 million in 2019. But earlier this week, a group of Chinese tourists in Padang, in Indonesias West Sumatra, were met by locals holding a banner that read: We, the West Sumatran Communities, reject the visit of Chinese tourists. In Myanmar, officials launched surprise health checks on Chinese workers in the northwestern Sagaing region after a local lawmaker accused them of spreading the virus. Aung May Yee, a regional MP, posted on Facebook that five cars filled with Chinese workers had arrived at a copper mining project near Letpadaung town from across the border and it was her national duty to alert authorities. At first, I suspected that they are coming illegally and hiding in there because of the virus, she told Reuters by phone, adding that checks had found they were traveling on legitimate documentation and had no symptoms of illness. You may also like these stories: China Extends Holiday by Three Days in Bid to Battle Virus WHO Declares Global Emergency as China Virus Death Toll Reaches 170 China Nixes Myanmars Plan to Evacuate 60 Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan After three years of uncertainty, political acrimony and fractured opinions across a nation that found itself divided as never before, Brexit finally arrived on Friday night. At 11 p.m. midnight in Brussels Britain said farewell to the European Union, officially departing from the bloc after 47 years of membership and setting off on a new solo journey. While the moment was highly anticipated in the years since the countrys 2016 referendum, little will immediately change when the countdown is over. The commemorations have been notably subdued. Even the official government celebrations a victory lap for Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had pledged to see through Britains withdrawal from the European Union do or die were muted. British flags lined the square outside Parliament and the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace, and a light show was staged outside Mr. Johnsons official residence in Downing Street, a side road that is closed to the public. Elsewhere, those who supported remaining in the European Union staged protests and others wore mourning clothes to show their grief at the end of Britains membership. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak sparked by a new virus in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency Thursday after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," he said. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China," he said. On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and businesses including Starbucks and McDonald's temporarily closing hundreds of shops, Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. During my discussion with the president and other officials, they're willing to support countries with weaker health systems with whatever is possible, Tedros said. On Thursday, France confirmed that a doctor who was in contact with a patient with the new virus later became infected himself. The doctor is now being treated in an isolated room at a Paris hospital. Outbreak specialists worry that the spread of new viruses from patients to health workers can signal the virus is becoming adapted to human transmission. China raised the death toll to 170 on Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical tests and even isolation. Russia announced it was closing its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against a new viral outbreak. It had been de facto closed because of the Lunar New Year holiday, but Russian authorities said the closure would be extended until March 1. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea confirmed their first cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. The man in the US is married to a 60-year-old Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the epicenter of the outbreak. The case in South Korea was a 56-year-old man who had contact with a patient who was diagnosed with the new virus earlier. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus in Japan and Germany is worrying. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This absurd argument belongs in the legal hall of shame right alongside that of Nixon lawyer James St. Clair, who sounded a bit embarrassed when he told the US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit: "The President wants me to argue that he is as powerful a monarch as Louis XIV, only four years at a time, and is not subject to the processes of any court in the land except the court of impeachment." St. Clair's absurd defense at least made an exception for impeachment. Now Trump's legal team is taking it a step further -- by saying that he is effectively immune from a court of impeachment. This is the King Trump defense. And it is an insult to our Constitution and separation of powers. Anyone who professes to care about the Constitution should recognize the danger of this argument. And if Senators remain silent out of fealty or fear of a president from their party, they should not be allowed to forget it. History is watching and they will be establishing a new precedent that goes against their alleged principles. A "trusted member" of Patricia O'Connor's family accepted he went with her alleged murderer on a "shopping spree" for tools the day before her body was found dismembered in the Wicklow mountains. However, Keith Johnston told gardai he did not accept that the axes, saws and other items bought were "the exact tools you would need to cut up a body". The handyman believed they were to replace lost and damaged tools, saying: "I wasn't involved in any murder." Mr Johnston (43), the ex-partner of Ms O'Connor's daughter Louise, is alleged to have assisted murder accused Kieran Greene in the purchase of implements to conceal Patricia O'Connor's remains. Destroy The handyman is also accused of carrying out bathroom refurbishments at the house where she was allegedly killed to conceal or destroy evidence. Mr Johnston is one of four people on trial over the death of the grandmother-of-seven. Louise O'Connor's then-partner, Mr Greene (34), is charged with murder, while Mr Johnston, Louise (41) and their daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) are accused of impeding the investigation. The four have all pleaded not guilty. Patricia O'Connor (61) was allegedly murdered on May 29, 2017, at the house at Mountain View Park, Rathfarnham, she shared with family including Louise, Stephanie and Mr Greene. Her remains were found scattered in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14 that year. The jury heard that in interview Mr Johnston denied any knowledge of Mr Greene getting tools to "chop up the body". Asked where he thought Mr Greene got the tools, he said: "The shed, best guess." There was an electric saw with a small blade at the house, and Mr Johnston "used it to cut the new board for the step [in the bathroom]". He said he went shopping for tools with Mr Greene "plenty of times" to get stuff for the house. He was shown receipts from shops in which Mr Greene had bought tools and other items on June 9, the day before Ms O'Connor's remains were first found in Wicklow. Gardai asked Mr Johnston if he "associated this". "No I didn't put two and two together," he said. Two pairs of wellington boots were for fishing and two axes were for wood "for the fire", he said. Two saws were to replace one that was broken - Mr Greene had "bought one for himself". Mr Johnston spent that night at home, he said. Ms O'Connor was temporarily buried in a grave in Wexford, the jury heard. "Did you have to go down to help him?" gardai asked. "What, dig her up? Are you kidding? No," he said. He said Stephanie and Louise "wouldn't get involved in a murder" and he denied he became involved because of the clean-up operation. Dead Gardai asked when he really knew Patricia was dead. When Mr Greene handed himself in, he said. Gardai said they had taken a DNA sample and asked if his DNA would "turn up in Wexford". "No, not a hope in hell, no," Mr Johnston replied. He was asked "would it not have gone off like a light bulb" on June 12, when Mr Greene told them what had happened. "It should have but it didn't," he said. Doctor Anthony Hooper said marks on Mr Greene while in custody on June 14 were "consistent" with his account of having been hit with a hurley two weeks earlier. He agreed with Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, this could be consistent with "fending off something, a defensive gesture". The trial continues. Chennai, Jan 31 : A garments shop owner arrested by Tamil Nadu police on the charge of raping his son's girlfriend earlier this week has been remanded in judicial custody, police said on Friday. Police said that a couple who helped confine the woman at their home were also arrested along with prime accused Nithyanandam. They too were remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday. According to police, accused Nithyanandam did not approve of his son N. Mukesh Kannan's love affair with the young woman and wanted them to separate. Nithyanandam called the woman for a meeting on the pretext of discussing his son's proposed marriage with her. Once the woman arrived at his house in Sembodai in Nagapattinam district, he tied a 'mangalsutra' around her neck and raped her, police said. Nithyanandam also took away her mobile phone. Later, the woman was allegedly confined at his friend's house. After Kannan came to know of the developments, he rushed to Sembodai and rescued the woman, besides registering a police complaint. (Natural News) All eyes seem to be on Boeing these days as the legacy aircraft manufacturers reputation continues its slide into oblivion over the ongoing 737 Max debacle. But a former Boeing quality manager who worked at the company for 30 some-odd years recently came forward to confess that, unfortunately, the 737 Max isnt the only problematic aircraft that Boeing makes. According to John Barnett, when Boeing transferred some of its 787 Dreamliner manufacturing capacity to non-unionized South Carolina back in 2010, the exceptionally high safety standards that Boeing used to be known for basically went out the window. Much of the quality control that existed back in Washington was abandoned, he says, and it was almost as if Boeing became a completely different company almost overnight and not in a good way. They started pressuring us to not document defects, to work outside the procedures, to allow defective material to be installed without being corrected, Barnett says. They started bypassing procedures and not maintaining configurement control of airplanes, not maintaining control of non-conforming parts they just wanted to get the planes pushed out the door and make the cash register ring. Early on, it was mostly the administrative side of Boeings South Carolina operations that was impacted by these frightening changes. But eventually, the problems reached the production floor with all sorts of faulty parts being outfitted into Boeings Dreamliner planes like it was no big deal. Over time it got worse and worse, Barnett says. They began to ignore defective parts installed on the planes and basic issues related to aircraft safety. Barnett also recalls several defective bulkheads being installed without having been repaired. In one audit, it was discovered that a shocking 25 percent of the oxygen masks being installed into Boeings Dreamliner airplanes didnt even work. Even worse were the three-inch-long slivers of razor-sharp metal that routinely fell into areas of the planes with sensitive wiring and electronics during production. That surface below the floor board is where all of your flight control wires are, thats where all of your electronic equipment is, Barnett says about the metal slivers. It controls systems on the airplane, it controls the power of the airplane. All of your electronic equipment is down where all of these metal slivers are falling. For speaking out about these and other serious issues, Barnett was reassigned by Boeing South Carolina to a department that isolated him as punishment When Barnett tried to tell his superiors that these metal slivers were a serious problem, causing shorts and fires at the plant and posing risks in the air as they worked their way down into wire bundles, he was punished by being reassigned to a department that isolated him, according to reports. Every 787 out there has these slivers out there, Barnett warns. As far as the 787, I would change flights before I would fly a 787. Ive told my family please dont fly a 787. Fly something else. Try to get a different ticket. I want the people to know what they are riding on. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit has substantiated Barnetts claims, and the FAA has since told Boeing that no more Dreamliner planes with metal slivers can be delivered. However, this does not address the 800 Dreamliner planes that Boeing has already delivered, and that people are flying on at this very moment. Barnett has also filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), but thus far nothing has been done as the situation is still under investigation. So, best advice we can give is to avoid flying on Boeing planes if at all possible. The company was obviously run into the ground by Dennis Muilenburg, its former CEO who made out like a bandit with a $100 million golden parachute, by the way. And the transfer of some of the companys production to South Carolina where a lack of union workers apparently translates to inconsistent quality priorities has further meant that quality and safety are no longer Boeing values. In other words, if its a Boeing, I aint going. For more related news about Boeing, be sure to check out Corruption.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com As the UK leaves the European Union, British travellers to the EU will initially enjoy exactly the same privileges as they did before Brexit. But the government has now revealed more about the scale of changes that will take effect at the end of the implementation period. The transition can theoretically be extended by two years, but the government has said it will not take up this option. So starting from New Years Day 2021, travellers will face significantly tougher rules. These are the key changes. Passports Anyone getting a UK passport during 2020 will be able to use it for the full 10 years; before 1 January 2021 it will have the same power as a European Union passport. But in 2021 two stipulations will come into effect that could cause problems for travellers. Front pages mark Brexit Day Show all 13 1 /13 Front pages mark Brexit Day Front pages mark Brexit Day The Independent Front pages mark Brexit Day The Sun Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mail Front pages mark Brexit Day The Daily Telegraph Front pages mark Brexit Day The Guardian Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Express Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Star Front pages mark Brexit Day The Times Front pages mark Brexit Day Metro Front pages mark Brexit Day i Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mirror Front pages mark Brexit Day Financial Times Front pages mark Brexit Day The Scotsman The first is that the EU will regard British passports as expired once they have been valid for 10 years. This is a potential problem because for many years until 2018 the UK had an excellent tradition of allowing credit for unspent time when renewing a passport. If your travel document still had time to run when you replaced it, the new passport was extended accordingly up to a maximum of 10 years and nine months. That was fine while Britain remained part of the European Union. But from the start of 2021, your passport will be deemed by the EU to expire exactly a decade after it was issued. Secondly, the UK government says that British travellers to the EU from 2021 must have a minimum of six months validity remaining for travel to Europe. As a result of the two policies, some travellers will find that a passport with almost 15 months to run is not regarded as having sufficient time remaining before expiry. For example, a passport issued on 30 June 2011 could be valid to 30 March 2022. But the EU will regard it as expiring on 30 June 2021. That means someone trying to travel on 1 January 2021 would not have six months remaining and could be denied boarding a flight. From 2021, British travellers entering European Union countries will not be able to use the dedicated passport lanes for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. Frontier officials will be able to deny admission if they are not satisfied about the travellers financial resources. This does not apply for travel to and from the Republic of Ireland. The Common Travel Area involving the UK, Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands transcends European Union rules. Customs At present goods can be taken freely to and from the European Union. From 2021, the same customs rules that apply in the rest of the world will cover travel to and from the EU. That means duty-free shopping from EU countries will return, but there will be strict limits on the number of items that you can bring back from Europe without paying tax. Travellers from Ireland to the UK will be able to buy duty-free goods, unless they are travelling to Northern Ireland. Business travellers who take equipment or samples to the European Union will need to pay 326 for an ATA (Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission) carnet to cover the goods from 2021 onwards. Driving There is no certainty about whether UK driving licences will continue to be valid in Europe, or if one or more international driving permits (IDPs) will be required. But the government says motorists will need a green card a certificate extending their travel insurance to Europe. Allow one month to get this from your vehicle insurance company, is the official advice. Medical treatment Although the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) stays in effect until the end of the year, there is no clarity about whether some kind of reciprocal agreement on medical treatment will continue. Travel insurance premiums are likely to rise if there is no EHIC replacement. Mobile phones The guarantee of free mobile phone roaming throughout the EU will end, but some providers have said they will continue to offer the privilege. Pet travels The Pet Passport arrangements will be scrapped. Pet owners who wish to take their dog, cat or ferret to the EU are told: Pet travel: allow at least four months to arrange. From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to use the existing pet passport scheme. Instead youll need to follow a different process, which takes four months. So a pet owner hoping to travel on New Years Day 2021 would need to start planning on 1 August 2020. The first type of flu virus that people are exposed to in early childhood determines their ability to fight the infectious disease for the rest of their lives, according to a study which may lead to new understanding of how the human immune system fights influenza. According to the study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, early exposure to one of the two flu strains, HINI and H3N2, that generally circulate every year, imprints itself on our immunity, and disproportionately affects the body's lifelong response to the flu. The researchers, including those from McMaster University in Canada, said this phenomenon, called antigenic imprinting, could have important implications for pandemic and epidemic planning, allowing public health officials to assess who might be at greater risk in any given year. "People's prior immunity to viruses like flu, or even coronavirus, can have a tremendous impact on their risk of becoming ill during subsequent epidemics and pandemics," said Matthew Miller, a co-author on the study from McMaster University. "Understanding how their prior immunity either leaves them protected or susceptible is really important for helping us to identify the populations who are most at risk during seasonal epidemics and new outbreaks," Miller said. In the study, the researchers analysed data from the 2018-19 flu season in Canada, during which both strains of influenza dominated at different periods of time. They said, typically, only one strain dominates each flu season, accounting for almost all cases. People born when the flu strain H1N1 was dominant have a much lower susceptibility to influenza during seasons dominated by that virus than during seasons dominated by the H3N2 strain, the study noted. In turn, those born in a H3N2 year are less vulnerable to influenza during seasons dominated by H3N2, it added. "We already knew from our previous studies that susceptibility to specific influenza subtypes could be associated with year of birth. This new study goes much further in support of antigenic imprinting," explained Alain Gagno, study co-author from the University of Montreal in Canada. "Instead of just showing how specific age patterns are associated with one subtype or the other during a single influenza season, we took advantage of a unique 'natural experiment' to show how the change in subtype dominance during one season appears to lead, practically in real time, to a change in susceptibility by age," Gagno added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Montgomery Sentinels most famous reporter is Bob Woodward, who may be the most famous reporter in America, period. Woodward tried to get a job at The Washington Post when he got out of the Navy in 1970, but the paper rejected him after a two-week tryout. Fortunately for him, an editor, Harry Rosenfeld, saw something in Woodward and recommended him to Roger Farquhar, then the Sentinels editor. courtesy of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office A man has been jailed and is facing three felony charges, including one for murder, after he allegedly confessed to fatally shooting a 51-year-old Magnolia resident over an undisclosed debt. Melvin Yovani Ramirez-Russel, 38, of Magnolia, is being charged with murder, a first-degree felony, tampering with evidence to conceal a human corpse, a second-degree felony, and tampering with evidence to impair an investigation, a third-degree felony. LUCKNOW Farmers raised concerns over stray cattle menace, unexpected weather conditions, plant disease and low income at the Kisan Mela (farmers fair) held at Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Cimap) in Lucknow on Friday. Over 7,000 farmers from 23 states attended the daylong event where they interacted with experts and learnt various aspects of aromatic plants farming. We cultivate pulses and maize, which are eaten by blue bulls. The number of stray cattle has also increased over the years that causes excessive damage to crops, said Ratan Kumar Pal, a farmer from Chhattisgarh, while interacting with experts. Other farmers at the event pointed out to issues of excessive rains/ drought and low prices for farm produce. There has been very little increase in the rise of paddy over the years. This has reduced our earnings and made it difficult to continue farming, said Pushkar Saini, another farmer. Abdul Samad, acting director, Cimap said: Many farmers have benefitted by adopting farming of aromatic plants. Aromatic plants require a low amount of water, fertilisers and most of them are not consumed by stray cattle. The institute also invited farmers who have improved their living standards by cultivating aromatic plants. Vijay Kumar, a farmer of Jharkhand, while sharing his success story with experts, said: I started menthol and lemon grass farming around three years despite opposition of family members and other villagers. But I managed to increase my income and now helping other farmers adopt aromatic farming. Kumar was trained in aromatic farming under the Aroma Mission of the central government, which is being spearheaded by CIMAP in order to provide alternative source of income to farmers across the country. Products launched at Kisan Mela CIM-UNNATI This variety has the potential to produce 186-190 kg essential oil per hectare, about 15-20% higher yield compared to all commercial varieties of menthol mint. CIM MAHASHAKTI It is a carbon-rich material used to improve soil properties and ensure healthy plant growth. A girl detonated a bomb, killing three boys at an Islamic seminary in northeast Nigeria in an attack that bore the hallmarks of Boko Haram, a local militia and residents said Friday. The girl, aged around 12, detonated the device late Thursday when open-air classes were on in Muna Dalti, on the outskirts of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state. She walked up to the group of boys who were just ending their lessons and "blew herself up in their midst," Mohammed Bola, head of the anti-jihadist militia in the area, told AFP. "She killed three boys and injured four others," Bola said about the attack which happened around 1900 GMT. Moments earlier, another young girl stormed into a house in the area and detonated her explosives, injuring one person, said resident Salisu Mohammed. "The house was totally destroyed. Luckily, no one was killed as the occupants of the house were outside chatting with neighbours," he said. The two bombers sneaked into the area together but split to attack different targets, Bola said. The scene of the bombings, a popular night time venue for residents, has been repeatedly targeted by suicide attacks blamed on Boko Haram. The jihadist group is notorious for suicide attacks on civilian targets including schools, mosques and motor parks. In April, three people were killed and 33 injured in twin suicide blasts among a crowd in Muna Dalti which houses a sprawling camp for thousands displaced by the jihadist violence. Another faction affiliated to the Islamic State focuses on military targets, although it has recently been blamed for attacks on civilians. The decade-long violence has killed 35,000 people in northeast Nigeria and displaced around two million from their homes, creating a dire humanitarian crisis. The conflict has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military response to combat the jihadist groups. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shoppers wearing face masks pay for their groceries at a supermarket in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. Read more BEIJING Carrying permits demanding fast passage, truck drivers rushed a 560-ton shipment of disinfectant from eastern China to Wuhan, the locked-down city of 11 million people at the center of a vast effort to contain a new viral disease. Outside the metropolis in central China, the cargo was shifted to local trucks with drivers in masks and protective suits, part of a tightly controlled flow of food and other supplies through checkpoints that have blocked most access to Wuhan since Jan. 23. As global anxiety about the new virus rises, authorities have blocked 50 million people from leaving Wuhan and nearby cities at the center of the outbreak. That in turn requires a massive effort to keep them supplied with food and other necessities. Wuhan is not an isolated island, declared a state newspaper, the Yangtze Daily. Few governments could attempt such drastic restrictions on a population bigger than South Korea's or Australia's. They are made possible by the ruling Communist Party's extensive controls on society and experience combating the 2002-03 SARS epidemic. Some trucks are allowed to leave the 17 locked-down cities to collect food. Photos in state media show them lined up at checkpoints, their drivers wearing face masks. Police, shrouded in white protective suits, examine the drivers for the viruss telltale fever. Those without passes are turned back. Schools, cinemas and restaurants are closed in Wuhan, an industrial center with a population 1 1/2 times that of New York City. To keep people at home and reduce chances for infection, subway and bus services are shut down and private vehicle use is banned in downtown areas. The government of Hubei province, where all the cities are located, has promised adequate supplies of vegetables, rice, meat and medical supplies. It said authorities were working with retailers to bring food from as far away as Yunnan province in the southwest and Hainan island in the South China Sea. A crackdown on hoarding and price-gouging by merchants was announced after food costs spiked. Please do not panic, do not hoard, so as not to cause waste, said a government announcement. China on Friday reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. So far 213 have died. The shipment of disinfectant last Saturday was moved by drivers from two trucking companies in the eastern province of Jiangsu, according to the manager of one of the companies, Huai'an Hazardous Goods Transport Co. With official passes, the 18 teams of drivers cut the normal 20-hour travel time to 15 hours, according to the manager, Liu Hankang. "Enterprises must take on this responsibility, Liu said by phone. The government has released no details of how it is enforcing travel curbs on smaller roads and villages on the outskirts of the vast locked-down area. Residents contacted by phone said most supermarkets still have adequate food supplies. They can meet our needs for the time being, said a 40-year-old father of two in Wuhan who would give only his surname, Cai. Residents are wary of talking to reporters after authorities said eight doctors were punished in December for warning about the emergence of the virus. Authorities can draw on an extensive surveillance network involving thousands of video cameras, smartphone tracking, monitoring of social media and other technology developed with the help of Western tech companies to protect the party's monopoly on power. Hospitals are straining to cope with thousands of virus patients while doctors also treat other cases. State media say police in protective gear are stationed at hospitals to separate people arriving with fevers and other possible virus symptoms from other patients. Rui Zhong, a Wuhan native who lives in Washington, D.C., said that her mothers elderly cousin died in the city in the past 10 days after a delay in the arrival of an ambulance. A 73-year-old man with a lung problem, he died on the way to the hospital, Zhong said. Its hard to know for sure: could he have been saved?" said Zhong, who works at the Woodrow Wilson Center. But my family will always wonder. The cause of death was never determined. The doctors didnt look at it super-closely, she said. He was cremated. The city is racing to build a 1,000-bed hospital for virus patients. It is due to open Monday, 10 days after construction began. A second hospital with 1,500 beds is to open shortly after that. Parents contacted by phone say their children, forced to stay home, are doing homework and watching TV. A restaurant chef in Jingzhou, another Hubei city, said his 12-year-old son was getting restless. He wanted to go out, but I had to keep him home, said the chef, who would give only his surname, Nong. Police in Jingzhou were stopping pedestrians on empty streets to check their temperature and ask their addresses, Nong said. We grow our own vegetables, but the stocks can last only for another 10 days or so, said Nong. I guess the village committee will need to offer us supplies if we are still banned from going out. Liu Xiaoran, a Wuhan University journalism student, said she and her parents had Lunar New Year dinner, China's most important family event of the year, with relatives over WeChat, a popular messaging service. She said her grandparents refuse to leave home or receive visitors. Liu said one woman she knows begged for help online after four of her five family members were quarantined in three different hospitals. She asked for beds in the same hospital or else help traveling to the different facilities to look after them, a task made harder by Wuhan's closure of bus and subway service. When she goes out, I wear two layers of masks, try not to touch anywhere, keep a distance from others and disinfect with alcohol right after coming home, said Liu, 21. I feel nervous, especially when I go somewhere with a lot of people, such as drugstores or supermarkets. Other cities are imposing their own travel controls. Some apartment complexes in Beijing bar anyone but residents from entering. People in two villages on the Chinese capitals outskirts say they have set up their own barriers to prevent outsiders from entering. The government of Shanghai, a global business center of 25 million people, has extended the end of the Lunar New Year holiday by 10 days to Feb. 9 to encourage the public to stay home and avoid spreading infection. In Wuhan, public schools were ordered to start teaching online Feb. 10 after the new semester was postponed. Wuhan University is organizing online classes. For the healthy, its like what you call a snow day, staying inside," said a Wuhan University professor who asked not to be identified further for fear of retribution. For the people that are struggling, the hospitals are under strain. AP researchers Shanshan Wang and Yu Bing and video journalist Olivia Zhang in Beijing and writer Christina Larson in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story. GLOW actress Geena Davis and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan glammed up in cocktail dresses to attend the Casting Society of America's 35th Annual Artios Awards in Beverly Hills and New York City on Thursday. At the Beverly Hilton, Davis easily defied her 64 years in designer Romona Keveza's Jackson Pollock-inspired, spiderweb-style lace pencil dress and metallic kitten heels. Geena - who took home the Lynn Stalmaster Award for career achievement - side-parted her brunette bob for the bicoastal, casting director awards ceremony. Bicoastal event: GLOW actress Geena Davis (L) and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan (R) glammed up in cocktail dresses to attend the Casting Society of America's 35th Annual Artios Awards in Beverly Hills and New York City on Thursday Make-up artist Daniele Piersons defined the Massachusetts-born Mensa member's brows and eyelids as well as applying her glossy pink pout. Ahead of the Oscars, Davis received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for the Institute on Gender in Media she launched in 2007 during the 11th Annual Governors Awards on October 27. On the personal front, Geena (born Virginia) has been battling her estranged fourth 'husband' Dr. Reza Jarrahy for nearly two years, claiming their 16-year marriage was never 'legal.' The 49-year-old neurosurgeon is reportedly demanding $897K from the skilled 6ft archer and he's requested spousal support as well as joint custody of their daughter Alizeh, 17; and fraternal twin sons Kian & Kaiis, 15. Our Lynn Stalmaster Award goes to Geena Davis! pic.twitter.com/2w3vgvzU0W Casting Society of America (@CSAcasting) January 31, 2020 Spider web: At the Beverly Hilton, Davis easily defied her 64 years in designer Romona Keveza's Jackson Pollock-inspired lace pencil dress and metallic kitten heels Evergreen: Geena - who took home the Lynn Stalmaster Award for career achievement - side-parted her brunette bob for the bicoastal, casting director awards ceremony Pretty at the podium! Make-up artist Daniele Piersons defined the Massachusetts-born Mensa member's brows and eyelids as well as applying her glossy pink pout Meanwhile in Manhattan, 29-year-old Rachel looked elegant in a black midi-dress featuring a metallic-embroidered butterfly applique and silver-heeled black pumps selected by styling duo Jill Lincoln + Jordan Johnson. Make-up artist Lisa Aharon brought out Brosnahan's baby blues with orange eye shadow and she applied her pink cheeks and pout. The Wisconsin-born blonde was joined at Stage 48 in Hell's Kitchen by her Maisel castmates Tony Shalhoub and Luke Kirby, who play Abe Weissman and Lenny Bruce in the Amazon series. Rachel was supported there by her husband of three years, The Magicians star Jason Ralph. Her second Oscar: Davis received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for the Institute on Gender in Media she launched in 2007 during the Governors Awards on October 27 Messy divorce: Geena has been battling her estranged fourth 'husband' Dr. Reza Jarrahy for nearly two years, claiming their 16-year marriage was never 'legal' (pictured in 2017) The acting pair originally met on the 2014 set of Jon Goracy's rom-com I'm Obsessed with You. Brosnahan - who plays housewife-turned-comedian Miriam 'Midge' Maisel - and her SAG Award-winning castmates begin production on the fourth season of Maisel in 'late spring.' 'She's hit rock bottom, again, and she has no idea what's next,' the NYU Tisch grad told IndieWire last Friday. 'At this point it seems unfathomable, and I feel exactly the same. The next chapter of our story only exists in [creators] Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino's brilliant minds, and we're really excited to hear about what's next. They keep us on our toes. They keep surprising us.' Meanwhile in Manhattan! 29-year-old Rachel looked elegant in a black midi-dress featuring a metallic-embroidered butterfly applique selected by styling duo Jill Lincoln + Jordan Johnson Blonde bob: Make-up artist Lisa Aharon brought out Brosnahan's baby blues with orange eye shadow and she applied her pink cheeks and pout Reunited! The Wisconsin-born blonde was joined at Stage 48 in Hell's Kitchen by her Maisel castmates Tony Shalhoub (L) and Luke Kirby (R), who play Abe Weissman and Lenny Bruce in the Amazon series Real-life leading man: Rachel was supported there by her husband of three years, The Magicians star Jason Ralph Rachel added: 'We are taking a little bit of a break. We are in much need of a nap, and we'll be back soon.' Backstage, Oscar nominee Edward Norton prepared to present his Primal Fear and The Illusionist casting director Deborah Aquila with an Artios trophy. The 50-year-old Motherless Brooklyn actor later said onstage: 'Deb Aquila grabbed me by the hand and yanked me out of obscurity.' 'We are in much need of a nap': Brosnahan - who plays housewife-turned-comedian Miriam 'Midge' Maisel - and her SAG Award-winning castmates begin production on the fourth season of Maisel in 'late spring' (pictured January 19) The NYU Tisch grad told IndieWire last Friday: 'She's hit rock bottom, again, and she has no idea what's next. At this point it seems unfathomable, and I feel exactly the same' Also in California was American Horror Story actress Billie Lourd fanning out her b&w-pleated Proenza Schouler gown selected by stylist Jamie Mizrahi. Hairstylist Matthew Collins coiffed the 27-year-old daughter of Carrie Fisher's braided updo and make-up artist Elaine Offers Woulard made sure she was ready for her close-up. Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk kept it simple on the red carpet wearing a navy-blue blazer ands grey jeans. Skipped the red carpet: Backstage, Oscar nominee Edward Norton prepared to present his Primal Fear and The Illusionist casting director Deborah Aquila with an Artios trophy The 50-year-old Motherless Brooklyn actor later said onstage: 'Deb Aquila grabbed me by the hand and yanked me out of obscurity' Werrrrk! Also in California was American Horror Story actress Billie Lourd fanning out her b&w-pleated Proenza Schouler gown selected by stylist Jamie Mizrahi Smile! Hairstylist Matthew Collins coiffed the 27-year-old daughter of Carrie Fisher's braided updo and make-up artist Elaine Offers Woulard made sure she was ready for her close-up Skipped the red carpet! Lourd later met up with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood starlet Margaret Qualley to present an award Stumptown actress Camryn Manheim turned up in a black dotted pussy bow blouse and black pantsuit. Chernobyl star Jared Harris struck a romantic pose with his wife of six years, Allegra Riggio. This Is Us actors Eris Baker, Asante Blackk, and Lyric Ross all reunited at the casting soiree. Mr. Show alum: Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk kept it simple on the red carpet wearing a navy-blue blazer ands grey jeans Suited and booted: Stumptown actress Camryn Manheim turned up in a black dotted pussy bow blouse and black pantsuit Heels up! Chernobyl star Jared Harris struck a romantic pose with his wife of six years, Allegra Riggio Younger versions: This Is Us actors (from L-R) Eris Baker, Asante Blackk, and Lyric Ross all reunited at the casting soiree Cutie! The talented trio were at Artios to present a trophy alongside their littlest castmate, 11-year-old Faithe Herman, sparkling in a Joyfolie dress and plaited updo The talented trio were at Artios to present a trophy alongside their littlest castmate, 11-year-old Faithe Herman, sparkling in a Joyfolie dress and plaited updo. Speaking of which, This Is Us actor Michael Angarano looked dapper in a navy-blue suit while Titans star Esai Morales rocked an Hermes belt with his black pin-stripe suit. SAG-AFTRA Vice President of LA Clyde Kusatsu sported a polka-dot necktie with his suit for the casting festivities. GQ smooth: Speaking of which, This Is Us actor Michael Angarano (L) looked dapper in a navy-blue suit as Titans star Esai Morales (R) rocked an Hermes belt with his black pin-stripe suit Acting veteran: SAG-AFTRA Vice President of LA Clyde Kusatsu sported a polka-dot necktie with his suit for the casting festivities 'Honoring the truest unsung heroes!' Two ladies wearing a lovely navy-blue hue were Unbelievable actress Danielle Macdonald (L) and Better Call Saul's Audrey Moore (R) Back in black! While (from L-R) The Walking Dead's Thora Birch, Almost Family's Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Dead to Me's Linda Cardellini opted for not-so-basic LBDs Two ladies wearing a lovely navy-blue hue were Unbelievable actress Danielle Macdonald and Better Call Saul's Audrey Moore. While The Walking Dead's Thora Birch, Almost Family's Megalyn Echikunwoke, and Dead to Me's Linda Cardellini opted for not-so-basic LBDs. At the Big Apple event, 13 Reasons Why actress Kate Walsh struck a pose in beige-patterned co-ords. Cropped bolero: At the Big Apple event, 13 Reasons Why actress Kate Walsh struck a pose in beige-patterned co-ords Date night! Knives Out actor Michael Shannon brought his wife of nearly 18 years, Kate Arrington, to the East Coast ceremony Six-time Tony winner: The Good Fight star Audra McDonald wore a purple floral frock with matching pumps Lovely ladies: Unbelievable actress Annaleigh Ashford (L) sported a black pleather jumpsuit while Succession star Sarah Snook (R) joked she 'wore a disco ball as a jumper' Knives Out actor Michael Shannon brought his wife of nearly 18 years, Kate Arrington, to the Stage 48 ceremony. The Good Fight star Audra McDonald wore a purple floral frock with matching pumps at the East Coast festivities. Unbelievable actress Annaleigh Ashford sported a black pleather jumpsuit while Succession star Sarah Snook joked she 'wore a disco ball as a jumper.' The money at issue comes from two programs: one administered by the Pentagon, and the other by the State Department. The White House will propose keeping security assistance for Ukraine at current levels when it releases its upcoming budget, abandoning past attempts to slash State Department funding. Read alsoDanyliuk says Zelensky's team was shocked by U.S. decision to withhold Ukraine aid media The money at issue comes from two programs: one administered by the Pentagon, and the other by the State Department, according to The Washington Post. In its past two budget proposals, the Trump administration proposed cutting the State Department program for Ukraine to US$20 million. Each time, Congress rejected the cut and appropriated US$115 million for Ukraine from the program, called 'Foreign Military Financing.' As UNIAN reported earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump on December 20 enacted the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA, among other things, reauthorizes US$300 million of funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, to include lethal defensive items as well as new authorities for coastal defense cruise missiles, and anti-ship missiles. Fine Gael have rejected claims that they are politicising Brexit for electoral gain. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin branded his political rivals pathetic for organising a media photocall at Dublin Port on the day Britain is due to leave the EU. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, EU Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and MEP Mairead McGuinness met the media at the port at 5am on Friday, to tour the purpose-built Brexit facilities and to see the first ships of the day dock and unload. Speaking about the press event, Mr Martin called the move desperate stuff, and reiterated his party line that Fine Gael have been politicising Brexit in the last weeks of the General Election campaign. Asked about the criticism, Mr Coveney rejected the allegations and claimed that Fianna Fail did not want to talk about Brexit at all. First of all, I dont know why Micheal Martin doesnt want to talk about Brexit and his Brexit spokesperson (Lisa Chambers) doesnt want to speak about Brexit, he said. Brexit is going to dominate Irish politics for at least the next 12-18 months. I know the public are fed up talking about Brexit, but we dont have the luxury of not talking about Brexit, and preparing for it, because it could have such an impact on the Irish economy. All of the plans, all the manifestos debated and discussed in this election campaign, much of that is just aspirational if we dont maintain and protect a strong economy through the challenges of Brexit, and thats why it is important to talk about it. If we dont get it right, there will be consequences for many families and businesses, and that is why Fine Gael continue to talk honestly about the challenges of Brexit, and if Micheal Martin doesnt want to engage in that discussion, thats his choice. Theyre here. The first lorries arrive at Dublin Port from the 5:30am ferry on Brexit Day. pic.twitter.com/qE1MjrfY2N aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) January 31, 2020 Fine Gaels director of elections, Mr Donohoe, said: What we have is a political team who have been responsible for guiding Ireland through the consequences of decisions that have been made elsewhere. Brexit is going to dominate the politics and economics of Europe; the question we are asking the Irish public is Who is the team who has experience to guide Ireland through it?' Mr Martins attack on the photo-opportunity comes just days after he criticised Fine Gaels Phil Hogan, now the EUs chief trade negotiator, over comments he made about the perils of Brexit and the chance of a no-deal. Mr Martin said he felt Mr Hogan should stay out of domestic Irish politics for the next week. That to me was a coded partisan intervention, he said. People wear masks at a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan, on Jan. 28, 2020. According to the Taiwan Centers of Disease Control, the eighth case diagnosed with the novel coronavirus has been confirmed in Taiwan. (AP Photo/Chiang Ying-ying) No Need to Change Canadas Plans After WHO Declares Global Emergency: Officials Canada is already taking the right steps to control the spread of the novel coronavirus, so there is no need to change things now that the World Health Organization has declared a global emergency over the outbreak, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says. The World Health Organizations global emergency status is really about helping countries that do not have the same level of sophistication as Canada, or perhaps the United States, to protect their citizens if in fact they have a citizen who returns from China who is ill, or has been close to someone who has returned from China who is ill, Hajdu said in Ottawa on Jan. 30. You know this has been working very well in Canada, because we have actually been able to detect cases very quickly, support those people to get better and prevent the spread of disease. The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a co-ordinated response. Though many people experience only mild symptoms from the virus, China has reported more than 9,600 cases, including 213 deaths. Hajdu stressed the need and the responsibility to remain calm. I think that anything that we are doing as politicians or leaders or members of the media that will create a sense of anxiety or panic is actually a dangerous road to travel down, she said. Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer, reiterated Thursday that the chances of an outbreak in Canada remain low. Most cases and the spread of the novel coronavirus are occurring in affected areas in China with only three cases detected in Canada, Tam said. As well, all travel from China is now significantly diminished as a result of exit border measures by the Chinese government in the effort to contain the outbreak. Two confirmed cases are in Ontario and one is in British Columbia, which are all linked to recent travel in China. Tam said 101 people in Canada have been tested for the virus, with 58 testing negative for the respiratory illness. Tam also expressed concern about discrimination against Chinese-Canadians because of the virus. It is understandable that our fears increase during times of uncertainty, but when this fear leads some people to spread stigmatizing stereotypes and misinformation, it only does harm, she said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also warned against stigmatizing the Chinese-Canadian community. Weve seen too many instances of unreasonable fears being spread either on the internet or in other ways, Trudeau said in Brampton, Ont. We need to know this is a time for Canadiansall Canadians, including Canadians of Chinese originto pull together and to lean on each other. Meanwhile, Tam said the Public Health Agency of Canada is working closely with Global Affairs, which is preparing to fly Canadians out of the Hubei province at the centre of the outbreak in China. Tam would not comment on whether those people would be quarantined once they arrive in Canada, saying more information would be provided when its available. Earlier Thursday, Ontarios chief medical officer of health said the relatively low number of cases in the province is reassuring. Dr. David Williams said there are no new presumptive or confirmed cases in Ontario, adding that he would be much more concerned at this point if the province had already seen about seven to 10 cases. This is reassuring in a way, but not that were going to sit back and coast, he said. The system is working. Were investigating. Individuals of concern have self-reported, are coming forward and we havent seen ones that out of the blue show up already quite ill and infected. Were not seeing that yet, but its still early days. He said there are 27 cases under investigation in the province, and 38 people have already been tested and cleared. Williams said the coronavirus does not seem to be much different from regular influenza in terms of transmissibility, and evidence suggests it is not transmissible when a person is not feeling symptoms. In Quebec, there have been no confirmed cases of the virus, and the chances of its being transmitted to the community are considered low, the provinces director of public health said. Dr. Horacio Arruda warned the public against wearing masks, which he said do not constitute, by science, a useful tool for the general population in Quebec, even in the context of a coronavirus outbreak. Instead, he suggested people practice respiratory hygiene by washing their hands and covering their mouths when sneezing or coughing. If people have respiratory symptoms and have to go out in public, wearing a mask can help prevent transmission, Yaffe said, but it is not useful for the general population. Anybody whos feeling well, wearing a mask is not going to do anything, she said. In fact, it might give them a false sense of security. By Daniela Germano and Allison Jones OTTAWA - Outdated technology on two of the federal government's four Challenger jets means the executive aircraft will no longer be allowed to fly in many countries or even in Canada within a few years. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons, Wednesday, January 29, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Outdated technology on two of the federal government's four Challenger jets means the executive aircraft will no longer be allowed to fly in many countries or even in Canada within a few years. While the need to replace the Challengers was flagged to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a memo from officials following the election, making such a decision could be easier said than done given the controversy attached to the planes. Due to more congested airspace and the incorporation of newer digital technology such as GPS in air-traffic control, countries around the world are phasing in new standards requiring modern navigation systems on all aircraft. Two Challengers purchased by the federal government in the early 2000s are OK because they have relatively modern systems, Troy Crosbie, the Department of National Defence's head of procurement, said in an interview with The Canadian Press. However, for the two Challengers purchased in the 1980s, "the cockpit avionics, particularly related the navigation system in the aircraft, don't meet modern aviation standards for air navigation in crowded airspaces," he said. "And it would be economically unfeasible to take and replace all of the avionics in those two aircraft." Officials highlighted the problem with the Challengers, which are owned and operated by the Canadian Armed Forces, in a warning to Trudeau shortly after the Liberal government won re-election in the fall. "The Challenger fleet, which provides strategic transportation to the government and the Canadian Armed Forces, is nearing obsolescence and falls short of meeting its operational requirements," reads the memo, obtained by The Canadian Press through an access-to-information request. "Additional issues will soon curtail its sustainability and limit its operational effectiveness starting in 2020." Yet replacing them could be politically sensitive as governors general, prime ministers and cabinet ministers have been routinely accused in the past of using the small private jets as personal flying taxis. Arguments that the planes, which can carry nine passengers, are required for security purposes have done little to stop opposition parties from painting any use of the aircraft as inappropriate and wasteful. Stephen Harper's Conservative government, which was accused of excessive use of the Challengers, made a point of retiring two of the aircraft in 2014 as a cost-cutting measure. The Tories said at the time that the move would save $1.5 million per year. The aircraft are also used by the military to transport senior officers and troops in some circumstances, as well as for medical evacuations. The government bought itself some time when it inked an agreement in December that lets the two older aircraft continue to fly in the U.S., but other countries are starting to bring in the same technological standards. Canada itself will implement the standards between 2021 and 2023. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We're going to have to figure out how to move forward here," Crosbie said. "There's different options. ... In the meantime, (the Challengers) continue to fly. The fleet is still delivering." Challengers aside, the Canadian Armed Forces saw a spate of hard luck with its fleet of larger CC-150 Polaris VIP aircraft late last year. The 32-year-old Polaris normally used to transport the prime minister rolled into a wall while being towed into a hangar at 8 Wing Trenton in October, sustaining significant damage to its nose and right engine cowling. It is out of commission until August for repairs. And then the back-up Polaris that carried Trudeau to a NATO military alliance meeting in London in December ended up having to return to Canada early because of mechanical problems. The Royal Canadian Air Force commandeered another Polaris which was in Italy with Governor-General Julie Payette, who was on a European tour of her own to take Trudeau, his entourage and accompanying media back to Ottawa. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2020. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for travel to New Orleans, Louisiana from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 13, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis Reuters President Donald Trump tweeted that there were only five cases of Wuhan coronavirus in the United States, hours after there was a confirmed sixth case. Public health experts told the Associated Press that Trump's assessment of China's ability to contain the virus is optimistic. The risk of infection for Americans is still low, public health officials told NBC Chicago. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After claiming to be following the novel Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump tweeted that only five people were infected in the US on Thursday, hours after the US confirmed a sixth case in Chicago. "Working closely with China and others on Coronavirus outbreak," Trump tweeted. "Only 5 people in US, all in good recovery." The sixth case was also the first human-to-human transmission of the virus known as 2019-nCov in the US, as opposed to people who were already sick coming into the US. A woman in her 60's who travelled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, transmitted it to her husband, according to Insider. The infection of the husband has prompted Illinois health officials to investigate 21 more people for potential exposure to the virus, according to NBC Chicago. However, the CDC says there is not a high risk for the public. "This may be concerning, but based on what we know now, our assessment remains that the immediate risk to the American public is low," Robert Redfield with the CDC told NBC Chicago. The Trump administration announced a task force dedicated to the coronavirus. And according to the Associated Press, Trump (who has described himself as a "germaphobe") has called in the small number of cases in the US a "very little problem," and is optimistic that the US could keep the spread "under control." Other confirmed cases in the US were reported in Washington state, California, and Arizona. The virus has spread to 20 countries and infected over 9,700 people and killed more than 213 worldwide. Story continues Local officials in all six cases reported the patients were in isolation, but no report no official report has been given on their recovery status. The Center for Disease Control reported at least 165 people from 36 states have been or are waiting to be tested for the virus, and as of Wednesday 68 have turned up negative. The coronavirus is thought to have originated in Wuhan, China. Despite China's unprecedented quarantine of nearly 50 million citizens in 16 cities, the coronavirus has spread. While Trump has said he believes China is handling the outbreak, public health experts have disagreed. "China manifestly does not have this under control," Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University told the AP, citing how slowly decisions were made by Chinese officials, which allowed for thousands of people to leave Wuhan aiding the spread of the virus. On Thursday, The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a "public-health emergency of international concern." Read the original article on Business Insider Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken on a minister from Pakistan for targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meddling in Indias internal matter. The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who never shies away from attacking the ruling BJP at the Centre, launched the stinging attack on Pakistans federal minister for science and technology Ch Fawad Hussain. He was responding to a tweet by Hussain calling on people to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Delhi assembly elections to be held next month. Narendra Modi ji is the Prime Minister of India. He is my Prime Minister too. The elections in Delhi are an internal issue of India and we will not tolerate the intervention of the biggest sponsor of terrorism. Try as much as it can, Pakistan cannot assault the unity of this country, the Delhi chief minister tweeted in Hindi. , https://t.co/E2Rl65nWSK Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 31, 2020 Arvind Kejriwals tweet came hours after Hussain wrote that Prime Minister Modi has lost balance as he mentioned the Citizenship Amendment Act and abrogation of Article 370 among other things. Also Watch l Delhi will decide if Im their son or terrorist: CM Kejriwal hits back at BJP People of India must defeat #Modimadness ,Under pressure to lose another State Elections(Delhi on Feb 8th),he resorts to ridiculous claims and threats endangering Region,Mr Modi has lost balance after internal and external reaction to Kashmir,Citizenship laws and failing economy, Hussain had tweeted. People of India must defeat #Modimadness ,Under pressure to lose another State Elections(Delhi on Feb 8th),he resorts to ridiculous claims and threats endangering Region,Mr Modi has lost balance after internal and external reaction to Kashmir,Citizenship laws and failing economy https://t.co/bBIyOvf5Ee Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) January 30, 2020 Modi had only a few days ago said Pakistan has lost three wars against India, whose armed forces would need not more than a week to 10 days to defeat the neighbouring country in case of another war. Speaking at the National Cadet Corps rally in Delhi, he had referred to the targeted operations against terror camps in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK) in September 2016 and the Indian Air Forces airstrikes against terror bases in Pakistans Balakot last February. The Indian actions had come after Indian soldiers and paramilitary personnel were killed in suicide attacks in Kashmir. The AAP and BJP have indulged in a bitter war of words ahead of the assembly elections to be held in Delhi on February 8 and votes will be counted on February 11. A man jailed for raping two teenage boys in a republican safe house, and whose abuse allegedly led to an IRA-convened kangaroo court, is still seeking an extension of time in which to bring an appeal against his conviction. Seamus Marley was said to have used his standing in the republican movement, a movement well capable of clandestine killings, to silence his victims, according to the Central Criminal Court judge who jailed him. The 45-year-old, with an address at Belfield Court, Stillorgan Road, in Dublin, had pleaded not (NOT) guilty to sexually assaulting and anally raping the two boys in Co. Louth on dates in the early 1990s. He was unanimously found guilty on six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape by a Central Criminal Court jury, following a six-day trial, and was given concurrent seven year and six year sentences by Mr Justice Paul McDermott on May 2, 2019. The alleged IRA man has filed for an appeal against his conviction outside of the required 28-day period in which to lodge an appeal. His lawyers are seeking an extension of time in which to bring an appeal so the case can go to full hearing. However, before his application to extend time was heard in the Court of Appeal today (Friday), Marleys lawyers sought an adjournment. Counsel for Marley, Michael Bowman SC, said his client had recently changed solicitor and an issue had arisen which couldnt be addressed at this juncture. Mr Justice Brian McGovern, who sat with Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, put the case back two weeks when a new date for hearing is expected to be fixed. Marley was not in court for the adjournment application. Prosecuting counsel, Patrick Gageby SC, told the Central Criminal Court jury that Marleys victims lived in a large home owned by a dedicated republican and that it began to be used as a safe house. The jury heard that IRA volunteers would be brought to the house during the night and stay for a few days or weeks. Marley was one of these guests in the early 1990s and he was welcomed into the family, according to Detective Garda Seamus Nolan. The older of the two victims said that he awoke one night while on a camping trip to find Marley groping his genitals. He said that he woke up another night in the house to find Marley anally raping him. After the incident Marley warned him off telling anyone what had happened and said he could be found dead on a border road, the trial heard. The younger victim was given alcohol by Marley and was groped or masturbated by him on three or four occasions. On one occasion he awoke to find Marley sucking his penis, Mr Gageby told the court. Counsel said the victim was later anally raped by Marley in a tent nearby the house. In his victim impact statement, the younger survivor said they had quiet neighbours, dead ones because their house was beside a graveyard. It was not the dead we should be afraid of, but the living, he added. He said Marley preyed on me, groomed me, abused me and raped me. He said the life he had dreamed of was in tatters from the moment Marley entered the house. Marley was always lurking in the back of my mind, the man said. In the years subsequent to the abuse he suffered panic attacks and experienced a deep depression so black it was hard to put into words. He said he ended up in hospital and called Councillor Pearse McGeough of Sinn Fein to ask for help, but that after the call he knew he was on his own. He said it had taken longer to reach this point than it should have as people with power sought to protect their own interests. The man said that the fabrication of stories to discredit him made the trial so much harder. He said that if you are right and truthful and keep shouting then eventually someone would listen. The older victim said he had spent the previous 27 years living in despair and looking over his shoulder. He said he had finally reached the end of the tunnel and that his life now revolved around his wife and children. This is my life and I am taking it back, the man said. Marley had no previous convictions. The court heard he is from a large family in Belfast and that his father was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries. Gardai agreed with John Fitzgerald SC, defending, that they had no intelligence that the accused was involved in any paramilitary organisation until the complainants came forward with their allegations and that the accused had never been arrested for any alleged subversive activities. Mr Fitzgerald said that Marley has been in a relationship for 16 years and that his partner had been present in court throughout the trial. He handed in a letter from Marley's pastor which described him as being an excellent Christian who possessed a charitable spirit. (Newser) This is a "happy period" for Republicans because "we call this impeachment light," President Trump told an enthusiastic crowd at a rally in Iowa Thursday night, declaring that America is going through a golden age despite "deranged" congressional Democrats. "We're having probably the best years that weve ever had in our country, and I just got impeached!" Trump said at the Des Moines, Iowa, rally, per the Hill. "Can you believe these people? I got impeached. They impeached Trump," Trump said, speaking while his trial was still underway in the Senate. The president, addressing a capacity crowd at the Knapp Center on the Drake University campus, slammed the "lunacy and the madness of the totally sick left" and said he believes he will win all 50 states in November, the Des Moines Register reports. story continues below Trump, who predicted that Senate Republicans would treat him "very fairly," denounced House Democrats including "sick puppy" Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager. "They dont love our country. I swear they dont," Trump said. "We have to take back the House of Representatives. We have to." He also warned that under the Green New Deal, Democrats "want to kill our cows. That means you're next." As always, the president mocked Hillary Clinton, as well as more current political rivals, the Guardian reports. "Lets vote for Pocahontas, let's vote for Bernie, lets vote for Sleepy Joehe's fallen asleep," Trump said. The president also poked fun at Pete Buttigieg. "They call him Mayor Pete. You know why? Nobody can pronounce his name," Trump said. (Read more President Trump stories.) Steve 'Commando' Willis has encouraged his fans to 'embrace every moment'. In an Instagram post on Friday, the 43-year-old celebrity trainer shared a photo of himself working out in the gym alongside a motivational message. It comes after he revealed his battle with depression and split from long-term partner Michelle Bridges, who was caught allegedly drink driving on Australia Day. 'Embrace every moment': Steve 'Commando' Willis (pictured) shared an inspirational message with fans on Friday, after his split from long-term partner Michelle Bridges 'There's so much wonder, splendour and beauty to be experienced in this life,' Steve captioned a photo of himself stretching in a gym. 'Take off the blinkers, reach for the sky and embrace every moment,' he added. It comes after Steve revealed how he had overcome his 'crippling' depression before his split from Michelle, 49, was announced. Wisdom: 'There's so much wonder, splendour and beauty to be experienced in this life,' Steve wrote on Instagram. 'Take off the blinkers, reach for the sky and embrace every moment' He told WHO magazine on Wednesday that meditation and yoga had been crucial to his recovery. 'I find that accepting yourself in the present moment helps calm things down and provides space in your mind and within your body,' Steve said. 'It's the space in which we can express ourselves, so when everything is full you feel quite tense and uptight and that's where your anxiety and stresses build. 'What comes from this is a lot of joy and happiness in the moment.' Behind closed doors: It comes after Steve (left) revealed how he had overcome his 'crippling' depression before his split from Michelle (right) was announced The present moment: He told WHO magazine on Wednesday that meditation and yoga had been crucial to his recovery. Pictured with Michelle on October 16, 2019 in Sydney Steve had separated from Michelle before she was caught allegedly drink driving on Australia Day. According to police, she was over the limit with a child in the vehicle on New South Head Road, in the Sydney suburb of Bellevue Hill, about 11.25am on Sunday. 'A 49-year-old woman, driving a Range Rover SUV, was subjected to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result,' a NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia. Turn of events: Michelle was caught allegedly drink driving on Australia Day, returning a reading of 0.086. She told The Daily Telegraph on Monday that her actions were 'inexcusable' 'A five-year-old passenger was in the car at the time. 'The woman, from Potts Point, was arrested and taken to Waverley Police Station where she underwent a breath analysis which allegedly returned a reading of 0.086.' Michelle was issued with a Future Court Attendance Notice for mid-range PCA. She will face Waverley Local Court on Tuesday, February 18. She told The Daily Telegraph on Monday that her actions were 'inexcusable' but that she had been dealing with 'emotional turmoil' following her split from Steve, whom she met on The Biggest Loser. If you are struggling with mental health, please contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14. And the way they see it has much to do with their political team. The House managers nodded to this during their opening arguments last week when they played a 1999 video clip of Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and one of the presidents chief defenders, sharing his view of impeachable offenses during the Clinton impeachment trial: Whats a high crime? How about if an important person hurts somebody of low means. Its not very scholarly, but I think its the truth, Mr. Graham says in the clip. I think thats what they meant by high crimes. Doesnt have to be a crime. Its just when you start using your office and youre acting in a way that hurts people, youve committed a high crime. Needless to say, Mr. Graham no longer believes what he said although, to be fair its hard to know for certain what he believes. In the early stages of the Trump impeachment investigation, he said that evidence of a quid pro quo would be cause for concern. As that evidence has emerged, he has changed his tune. Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and John Kennedy of Louisiana have both suggested that proving a quid pro quo is not enough, and that the real test should be whether the presidents intentions were corrupt. They obviously do not agree that the House managers have made this case. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. Whats obstruction, anyway? Gail Mangham, Prescott, Ariz.: Im trying to square my view that the refusal of the Republicans to allow witnesses is a form of obstruction of justice with the Republican view that Trumps decision to disallow witnesses, like John Bolton and others, is not obstruction of justice. Need some help on this point. MC: You and me both. The defenses claim is all about process. They insist the House did such an unfair, slapdash job with its inquiry that the entire impeachment, including many of the subpoenas it issued, were illegitimate and, as such, the president would have been irresponsible to participate. Furthermore, they argue, if the Senate now validates the Houses shoddy work, it will set a terrible precedent, making it too easy for the House to impeach future presidents. Along with Collins, Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) is still viewed as the likeliest Republican contender to side with Democrats for more testimony, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) could join as well. She said late Thursday night that she is going to review her notes and reflect on the decision. Its unclear who would be the fourth vote Alexander was considered the most likely to join the other three before he said he was against subpoenaing witnesses. Sinn Fein General Election candidate Ruairi O Murchu participated in a demonstration being held by Border Communities Against Brexit at Carrickarnon this morning. Speaking from the event the Louth Councillor said: "At 11pm tonight the British state formally leaves the EU. "This means that citizens in the north of Ireland, despite the democratic will expressed by them, will lose the rights and entitlements afforded to members of the EU. "One way in which these rights can be restored is through Irish reunification. Sinn Fein has called on the Irish Government many times to begin the process of planning for Irish Unity. "At this point, it is only the Government which is not having this conversation. It is remiss of the Government not to plan for the future and this must be top of the agenda for the incoming government. Former Louth TD Gerry Adams added: "The Withdrawal Agreement and the Irish Protocol was the least worst option on the table when the EU parliament voted on Wednesday. However, we must not lose sight of the fact that the North is being forced out of the European Union against the will of the majority of its citizens. "Moreover, while there is agreement on no hard border on the island, essential funding from the EU which has been critical to the border region, agriculture and communities is now at risk. At the same time one part of this island is inside in the EU while the other will be outside of it. "There is now less than a year for the British government and the EU to negotiate a new trade agreement. There also remains uncertainty about the trade arrangements between the North and Britain with conflicting claims around checks and barriers. "Sinn Fein, and especially our MEPs, has been in the leadership of defending Irish interests throughout the Brexit debacle. We intend holding the Irish government, the British government and the EU to their commitments and responsibilities under the Withdrawal Treaty and to increase our efforts around preparing for and promoting Irish Unity." The United States has declared a public health emergency because of the coronavirus which has hit China and has spread to other nations. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also announced that President Donald Trump will temporarily bar entry to the US of foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus. The new restrictions will begin on Sunday afternoon. The risk of infection for Americans remains low and with these and our previous actions we are working to keep the risk low, Mr Azar said. At this time, the risk to Americans remains low, and we are working to keep it that way. We will continue our work to monitor, respond to, and mitigate the spread of the #coronavirus and ensure that Americans have the most accurate and up-to-date health and travel information. https://t.co/eb4YN1H7QN Alex Azar (@SecAzar) January 31, 2020 Americans returning from Hubei province, the centre of the outbreak, will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine. Others returning from elsewhere in China will be allowed to self-monitor their condition for a similar period. The US will also begin funnelling all flights from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for illness. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organisation to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. The announcement came hours after the State Department issued a level 4 Do Not Travel advisory, the highest grade of warning, and told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. Travellers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice, the advisory said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:54:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The newly-appointed Lebanese agriculture minister said on Friday that his first priority is to restore good ties with Syria in a bid to facilitate the export of Lebanese products to other Arab countries. "After the government gets a vote of confidence, I will be visiting Syria to build good ties with the neighboring country and facilitate the export of our produce to the rest of the Arab countries while asking the Syrian government to reduce fees for exporting through its territories," Abbas Mortada was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. He also vowed to take steps that aim at helping Lebanese farmers improve and export their produce while opening new markets to increase job opportunities. In the past few years, the Lebanese agriculture sector has been suffering from the war in neighboring Syria that disrupted the land export route through the country for Lebanese farmers who have to pay much higher fees to export their produce by sea. The Lebanese sector has also suffered from neglect by the government which failed to offer the needed support for farmers. ROME (AP) A maritime border agreement between Turkey and Libya's U.N.-backed government is unacceptable," violates international law and flouts the sovereign rights of other countries, the foreign ministers of Italy and Cyprus said Wednesday.. Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides said in a joint statement after talks in Rome that the deal cannot have any legal impact on other countries. Turkey says the deal grants its economic rights to a large swath of the east Mediterranean sea and prevents any energy-related projects from moving forward without Ankara's consent. One such project that Israel, Cyprus and Greece had agreed on earlier this month is an envisioned undersea pipeline ferrying natural gas discovered in the east Mediterranean to European markets. A feasibility study is being carried out on the project which has U.S. and European Union backing . Officials say it aims to lessen Europe's dependence on Russian gas. Cyprus, Greece and Egypt have denounced the Turkey-Libya deal as infringing on waters where they claim economic rights. Officials from Libya's rival government based in the east of the country have also rejected the agreement. Christodoulides and Di Maio also agreed that the E.U. should expedite sanctions against specific individuals and companies involved in Turkey's exploratory gas drilling inside Cyprus' economic zone. Turkey has dispatched warship-escorted vessels to drill for gas in waters off Cyprus, including in areas or blocks where energy companies Eni of Italy and France's Total have been licensed by the Cypriot government to carry out a hydrocarbons search. Cypriot officials say two energy companies, which hold licenses for seven of 13 blocks south of Cyprus, are scheduled to drill nine exploratory wells over the next 24 months. EU leaders have condemned Turkey's actions. Di Maio reiterated Italy's full solidarity with Cyprus against Turkey's drilling activities that are completely disregarding Cyprus' sovereignty and sovereign rights. Turkey says it's acting to protect its rights and those of breakaway Turkish Cypriots in ethnically divided Cyprus to the area's energy reserves. Turkey claims a large portion of Cyprus' economic zone as falling within its own continental shelf and is drilling at specific targets in line with separate agreements with Turkish Cypriots Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of uniting the island nation with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a self-styled Turkish Cypriot state in the island's northern third. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, but EU law applies only to the southern part where the internationally recognized government is seated. The Cyprus government said any future gas proceeds will be equitably shared with Turkish Cypriots after a deal reunifying the island is reached. Evgen_Prozhyrko/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Fotis Dulos, the Connecticut man charged with killing his estranged wife, has died by suicide, according to his lawyer. Dulos was found unresponsive in his garage after a suicide attempt on Tuesday. He had been in "dire" condition in a hospital in the Bronx, New York, for two days after being flown there by helicopter from UConn Health Center. "Fotis Dulos was declared dead tonight at 5:32," his lawyer, Norm Pattis, said at a press conference Thursday. "His family came in from Greece and decided today to donate his organs so that he will live on in some form -- in the assistance that he can provide to others in their own individual struggles." Pattis called it a "truly horrific day for the family." "As to those who contend that Mr. Dulos' death reflects a consciousness of guilt, we say 'no,' we say it was more a conscience overworn with the weight of a world that was too busy to listen and that wanted a story more than it wanted the truth. We're not bitter and we're not accusing anyone of having driven him to his death, we wonder why -- in the court of public opinion -- the presumption of innocence was so quickly satisfied." Dulos' estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, disappeared in May 2019 amid a contentious custody battle. Her body has never been found. The two have five children together. Authorities allege Jennifer Dulos was killed at her home on May 24, 2019 between 8:05 a.m. and 10:25 a.m -- after she returned from taking her children to school, according to an arrest warrant. Police claim he bound Jennifer Dulos with zip ties, put her inside her own car and cleaned the garage, according to an arrest warrant. His lawyer said he will continue the fight to clear Dulos' name. "The family is adamant that his name be cleared," Pattis continued. "As we are speaking we have filed an unusual motion in the Connecticut courts asking to substitute an estate for Fotis Dulos for him as a defendant to force the state to show its hand in a trial filled with evidence, we think amounts to no more than innuendo and unsupported suspicion. ... It will be a difficult challenge to persuade the state of Connecticut to go forth with a trial in the absence of a defendant, but having maligned the man for all time from coast to coast, and if not there, around the world, we're asking for the right to clear his name. We intend to proceed on as if he were alive to vindicate him, because we think he's wrongfully accused. No suicide note was found in the home of Fotis Dulos nor any other evidence of significance, law enforcement sources told ABC News. However, police did find a document in which Dulos reiterates his innocence, the sources said. Its unclear when that was written. "Upon information and belief, in the course of executing a search of Fotis Dulos's car, law enforcement officials recovered a note in which he declared his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the State has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it," a motion to preserve evidence filed Thursday in superior court said. The Connecticut State Police said Thursday they searched Dulos home as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Jennifer Dulos. CTSP declined to comment, citing the gag order imposed on the case. Pattis also released a statement to ABC News calling it an execution: "Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Now he has been executed. We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The kidnapped Chair of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has been executed by members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. Rev Lawan Andimi was abducted in Adamawa state on 2 January by terrorists wearing military fatigues after they ransacked Michika town and forced him into a vehicle. Nigerian investigative journalist and Boko Haram expert Ahmed Salkida tweeted on Tuesday that he had received a video of the beheadings of Rev Andimi and an unnamed soldier at 2.42pm. Mr Salkida wrote: "To break some news items can traumatize. I'm battling with one of such. Reverend Andimi, abducted by #BokoHaram was executed yesterday. Rev. Andimi was a church leader, a father to his children and the community he served. My condolences go to his family." In a video message released after his abduction, Rev Andimi had appealed to his colleagues at CAN and Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria (EYN Church of the Brethren in Nigeria) to petition the Adamawa state governor and other officials on his behalf to secure his release. He had spoken of his confidence at being reunited with his family and colleagues "by the grace of God" but also said that he was trusting God "because all conditions [in which one] finds himself is in the hands of God". "If the opportunity has not been granted, maybe it is the will of God," he said. He ended his message by comforting his loved ones and telling them to give thanks to God. "Don't cry, don't worry, but thank God for everything," he said. Mervyn Thomas, chief executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide condemned Rev Andimi's murder. "CSW condemns the brutal murder of Reverend Andimi in the strongest terms, and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and denomination," he said. "As Christians, knowing there is life after death, we nevertheless value the gift of this life, and we join in mourning an uncommonly courageous man, who despite knowing death was a very real prospect, maintained a calm and deep faith that will continue to inspire for generations." "The resurgence of both factions of Boko Haram is emblematic of the increasing insecurity in the country, and Nigerian civilians are bearing the brunt of it. In view of the multiplicity of armed non state actors currently operating in Nigeria, CSW reiterates that rising levels of insecurity throughout the country constitute a threat to sustainable investment and development. "Once again, we urge the Government of the United Kingdom to raise the alarming deterioration in security with President Buhari, impressing upon him the urgent need for a comprehensive and effective solution, and offering assistance if necessary." NANJING, China A barista in one of the few Starbucks in this city northwest of Shanghai that is still open had a stern message Friday for one customer: "Get out." The reason? The man was not wearing a mask. After a brief argument, the interloper finished eating and left. The barista sprayed down the immediate area with disinfectant and scrubbed the table, chair and floor for several minutes. Like many Chinese cities, as the deadly coronavirus sweeps the country, Nanjing has stepped up efforts to control its spread. This provincial capital of Jiangsu province, with a population of 8.3 million, is not one of the cities facing the most serious problems. It reports only 25 cases, unlike Wenzhou, a coastal city in neighboring Zhejiang province, which has 227. But the barista's reaction reflects the heightened state of anxiety and vigilance in many cities in eastern China and across the country. WHO declares coronavirus global emergency: State Department raises travel warning to highest level 'Im still wearing my mask': American evacuated from China still fears deadly coronavirus Since the virus erupted in December in Wuhan, a provincial capital of 11 million people in central China, it has spread quickly. It broke out just as Chinese citizens took to train stations and airports to return to their ancestral hometowns to celebrate Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year. In barely 10 days, the number of confirmed cases has jumped from fewer than 300 to nearly 10,000, claiming more than 200 lives. Customers, wary of the spreading coronavirus, wear face masks as they walk past empty shelves in a grocery store on January 31, 2020 in Hong Kong. Although people using public transportation and entering public spaces in Nanjing are, as in most cities, required to wear face masks, the protective gear is hard to come by. Most pharmacies and convenience stores are sold out. Even Jiangsu Province Peoples Provincial Hospital, in the city's Gulou district, issued a press release and called for donations. Chinese police wear protective masks as they stand guard on a main road on January 31, 2020 in Beijing, China. Some locals stored up masks ahead of time. Wang Xinyan, a local magazine editor, said she and her husband canceled a trip to Jinzhou, 140 miles west of Wuhan, to celebrate Spring Festival with her husbands family after hearing from friends and relatives in the province. Instead, they reserved 200 masks from pharmacies and offered their extra masks to friends. Story continues Tips: How to stay healthy on a plane as coronavirus, flu, colds raise travel concerns 'Everything now is experimental': Here's how doctors are treating coronavirus Others have relied on overseas buyers, called dai gou. Tan Chao, a hotel manager in Zhuzhou, a city of 3.9 million in Hunan province, 250 miles south of Wuhan, bought 50 masks from Japan for her employees. For now, most people are simply staying home. Although Zhu Fangfang, a resident of Wenzhou, only has a few masks left, she said, I dont go out often, so I dont use them very quickly. Not that there is much to do outside the house. Nanjing, which served as the capital during the Ming Dynasty and the Republic of China from 1927 to 1949, is full of museums and historic sites. All closed on Jan. 24, Lunar New Years eve. Shopping malls were also shuttered as they were elsewhere in China because of the health crisis. A sign on the locked doors of Huacai Tiandi mall in the Jianye district of southern Nanjing was succinct: In order to ensure your health, Huacai Tiandi will close all shops from January 30 through February 8, and will return to ordinary operations on February 9. Spring Festival is normally a quiet time in major cities, with everyday dumpling restaurants, mahjong parlors and other small businesses closed for the holiday. But now IST mall in Xuanwu district and 1912, a popular bar and restaurant street next to the former Presidential Palace, are also closed. Grocery stores, fresh fruit markets, pharmacies and some international chains remain open, but there are shortages of fruits and vegetables in the afternoons at some markets. People in Nanjing are trying to adjust. To shoot two birds with one arrow, as a Chinese phrase goes, Jinhuifu, a banquet restaurant in Xuanwu district, began selling its own unused food outside the front door. Li Youcun, a manager and chief, said the restaurant closed because people did not want to eat together due to the virus. We planned to prepare this food for our customers. Now we are selling it, Li said. A bright spot for Nanjing residents is the the Deji Plaza in Xinjiekou, one of the highest grossing luxury shopping malls in the country. But doors close at 6 p.m. and all shoppers must have their temperature checked before entering. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus in China: Face masks, fruits in short supply outside Wuhan Customers queue to buy groceries at a supermarket following a new coronavirus outbreak in Hong Kong, China, Jan. 29, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap By Chan Ho-him Hundreds of people queued up for face masks across Hong Kong on Wednesday amid a shortfall of protective gear in a city gripped by the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. At some outlets of Thai lifestyle chain AbouThai which has 14 stores citywide some buyers showed up as early as 7am five hours before new batches of masks arrived for retailers. Many accused the government of failing to assuage fears after Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor announced a partial border shutdown with the mainland, instead of a complete closure as suggested by lawmakers and health care workers' unions. Hong Kong recorded two more cases of infections after a two-day lull, bringing the local total to 10, while on the mainland, the number of cases has crossed 6,000, with more than 130 deaths. In a statement, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said it had met members of the retailing and business sectors over the availability of protective products on Wednesday, but did not give updates on the government's pledge to ramp up supply of surgical masks in the city. "The government will do everything possible, and through discussing and cooperating with the business sector, increase the supply of protective resources," it said. People line up to receive free face masks to protect themselves against the Wuhan coronavirus, at a pharmacy in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, China, Jan. 28, 2020. EPA-Yonhap The bureau added that importers who had problems with shipment clearance could provide information for follow-ups. University of Hong Kong microbiologist Dr Ho Pak-leung estimated that the city would consume about 300 million surgical masks monthly amid the outbreak. "For a person who needs to go outside they will use up to three disposable masks," Ho said. "If 1 million belong to this category, that's 3 million masks per day, 90 million per month." He also said health care workers in public hospitals used as many as 300,000 masks daily at the peak of the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic. Lam Wai-man, chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Pharmacy, said 80 per cent of surgical masks sold in the city were manufactured on the mainland. As the virus has spread to almost all provinces in China, he said the internal demand for masks was large and Hong Kong "will have to queue". "We've asked Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, who all said they have no stock," Lam added. He also said while the bureau had promised to help importers on matters of clearance, this depended on whether there were any shipments at all. People queue up waiting to purchase face masks outside a shop in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. AP-Yonhap At AbouThai's Tai Koo outlet, hundreds of people formed a massive queue, but only 300 boxes of masks were distributed, leaving many disappointed. Its outlets at Tai Po, Hang Hau and Diamond Hill were also crowded on Wednesday morning before opening hours. Each customer was limited to one box of 50 masks. A box cost HK$68, but prices varied depending on type and brand. Jeffrey Chen, 28, who works in the creative industry, said he was the 21st person in a line of 300 at Tai Koo. He started queuing at 8.30am and the first few before him had arrived at 7am. Chen, who lives with his family of five including his wife, who is pregnant, said he had been searching for masks nearly every morning over the past few days, but always left empty-handed. "They were all sold out, and it was not just masks, but also disinfection products such as alcohol and bleach," he said, adding that his family had avoided going out, and were down to three or four boxes of masks at home. Another man, in his 60s and who gave his surname as Sit, had queued up for more than four hours from 8am. "We don't know when the epidemic is going to end, and we also don't know whether there will be a continuous mask supply in future," he said. While the retail chain has given staff from the Hospital Authority, as well as health, immigration, and customs officers priority to buy masks, such government workers were also required to queue up at the Tai Koo outlet because of the surge in demand. A Mass Transit Railway official speaks on his radio while checking a passenger at the high speed train station in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. AP-Yonhap An immigration officer surnamed Ho, 25, said he felt saddened by the scenes, criticising the government for only closing six of 14 border checkpoints. "These measures are too late, although that's still better than nothing It's worrying especially for people like us who have to work at borders and come into contact with many people from the mainland," he said. A nurse, who identified herself as Mary Chan, said she worked at an isolation ward in a public hospital. Chan said the government should have done more to ensure a steady supply of masks for the public. "If the government can make such a promise, at least everyone won't be so worried, for instance, they could have followed in the footsteps of Taiwan, which stopped exporting masks, or act like Macau, which has officially imposed quotas on individual purchases." They could have followed in the footsteps of Taiwan, which stopped exporting masks, or act like Macau, which has officially imposed quotas on individual purchases May Chan, nurse Meanwhile, two distributors of surgical masks in Hong Kong said they were out of stock and unsure of when next shipments were due. In a message to private clinics, the Hong Kong office of medical supply firm Henry Schien said it was out of masks and alcohol hand sanitisers. "As to when we can restock and ship orders out, we do not know at this moment." A staff member said the company's local office had tried to get more stock globally, but in vain. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam wears a mask, following the outbreak of a new coronavirus, during a news conference, in Hong Kong, China, Jan. 28, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap Modeling can be a fun job. Olivia Culpo was glimpsed stepping out to go bar-hopping in Miami this Thursday evening as an Instagram plug for Bacardi. The 27-year-old brunette bombshell showed off her chiseled midriff in a glittering gold wrap skirt as she headed out for the night. Legging it: Olivia Culpo was glimpsed stepping out to go bar-hopping in Miami this Thursday evening as an Instagram plug for Bacardi Olivia slid her torso into a canary yellow crop top that was cut off high enough to reveal that she had no bra on underneath. Her ensemble allowed her to flash her knockout legs as she pounded the pavement in a sky-high pair of silver stilettos. Wearing her wavy brown hair down, the onetime Miss Universe accentuated her screen siren features with makeup for her night on the town. She accessorized with a glittering set of rings and added to the dazzle effect by carrying a sparkling clutch with her. When you got it: The 27-year-old brunette bombshell showed off her chiseled midriff in a glittering gold wrap skirt as she headed out for the night Details: Olivia slid her torso into a canary yellow crop top that was cut off high enough to reveal that she had no bra on underneath Star stature: Her ensemble allowed her to flash her knockout legs as she pounded the pavement in a sky-high pair of silver stilettos Beautiful: Wearing her wavy brown hair down, the onetime Miss Universe accentuated her screen siren features with makeup for her night on the town Olivia brought her assistant Kate Einspanier, who made sure to film her for Insta Stories as she enjoyed her escapades. At the first stop, Olivia struck up a conversation with a hunky bartender called Rubin in a bid to add 'matchmaker' to her list of careers. 'So, this is Rubin,' she told viewers. 'I'm trying to set him up with my assistant who's holding the camera. Did you know that?' 'No, I didn't,' said Kate, and Olivia wrote jokingly over the video: 'Surprise!!!!! Save the date, Rubin and Kate'. Company: Olivia brought her assistant Kate Einspanier, who made sure to film her for Insta Stories as she enjoyed her escapades 'I'm trying to set him up with my assistant': At the first stop, Olivia struck up a conversation with a hunky bartender called Rubin in a bid to add 'matchmaker' to her list of careers Olivia then asked Rubin his favorite drink, and when he answered: 'Mojitos, for sure, just like the one you're drinking,' she said excitedly: 'Kate, that's your favorite!' By the next video Olivia said: 'Guys, bad news, Rubin had a break, so he's no longer with us. Kate is without a man at the moment, so we're gonna go to the other bar.' The health-conscious supermodel could be glimpsed munching on a green apple as she walked from bar to bar during her night out. In one video of her walking and eating, she put out a poll for her followers: 'Is kate going to find love?' with the options: 'YES' and: 'PROBABLY NOT'. So sweet: Olivia then asked Rubin his favorite drink, and when he answered: 'Mojitos, for sure, just like the one you're drinking,' she said excitedly: 'Kate, that's your favorite!' 'Kate is without a man at the moment': By the next video Olivia said: 'Guys, bad news, Rubin had a break, so he's no longer with us So responsible: The health-conscious supermodel could be glimpsed munching on a green apple as she walked from bar to bar during her night out Once she got to the next location she found herself faced with another dreamboat bartender, this one named Sebastian. Olivia ordered a mojito with a playfully meaningful glance in the direction of Kate, who was obviously highly amused by the whole affair. The fashionista and restaurant owner was just as unsuccessful with Sebastian as she had been with Rubin and solicited 'suggestions for my assistant' from her followers. Vox pop: In one video of her walking and eating, she put out a poll for her followers: 'Is kate going to find love?' with the options: 'YES' and: 'PROBABLY NOT' SEOUL (Reuters) - Hyundai Motor said on Friday it planned to skip South Korean production of its Palisade sport utility vehicle this weekend to cope with a supply disruption caused by a virus outbreak, its spokesperson said on Friday. Its crosstown rival Ssangyong Motor also said it will idle its plant in the South Korean city of Pyeongtaek from Feb. 4 to Feb. 12, as China's factory suspension had disrupted parts supplies. The suspension illustrates that China's extended factory closures ripple through supply chains across China and beyond. A coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan, the capital of China's central province of Hubei, has spread to more than 9,320 people globally, killing over 200 people. Many firms scale back operations or close for long periods around the holidays, which began on Jan. 24 this year. This year, China's government extended the Lunar New Year holidays to limit the spread of the virus. Hyundai Motor is finding alternative suppliers in South Korea and other parts of China, after a supplier extended a factory closure to February 9 in the wake of the closure, a union spokesperson said. When people seek out GitLabs address, they wind up at a UPS store in downtown San Francisco where it has a mailbox. They come there thinking its our headquarters, and theyre pretty disappointed, said Sid Sijbrandij, GitLab CEO and co-founder. Although the maker of software development tools has more than 1,150 employees, has raised $426 million and is valued at $2.75 billion, it has no headquarters in fact, no physical location at all. GitLab ranks among the largest all-remote companies in the world. While letting employees telecommute is a growing trend and amid coronavirus fears, some companies are asking workers returning from China to work from home for weeks only a few organizations take it so far as to eschew any office space. GitLab believes it can help change that. Sijbrandij, who works out of his spacious Millennium Tower apartment where a giant video screen displays his employees locations in more than 60 countries, said the reasons for being all-remote are simple: recruitment and real estate. We have access to a much broader talent pool and can save on costs by not renting offices and by paying local salaries, rather than Silicon Valleys inflated wages, he said. We can spread job opportunities to other places, for people who dont want to move to San Francisco. Its an easy sell to potential employees. Working remotely accommodates the ebbs and flows of life. You can move home if your parents need you, Sijbrandij said. You get back the commute time of up to two hours a day. You have flexibility if your kids are sick. Some GitLab workers are military spouses who have to relocate every couple of years. GitLab gets thousands of applications a week from people all over the globe whod love to work from home, he said. Last year, GitLab tripled its workforce; this year it plans to double it. Theres no need to rent more space to keep up. And finding the people is easier because it can cast a worldwide net. We went from 350 people to more than 1,000 in one year, said Darren Murph, whose title at GitLab is head of remote. If we were co-located, we would have had to move offices three or four times. Kyle Doherty, a partner at General Catalyst, which has invested more than $30 million in GitLab, is sold on remote work. It is absolutely something wed consider an advantage for a company, both in cost and speed, said Doherty, who looks to fund companies that make tools to support all-remote organizations. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Other all-remote companies with more than 500 workers cited by Murph all in the tech sector include WordPress developer Automattic, talent network Toptal, software maker Elastic, digital product-design company InVision and app-automation maker Zapier. He maintains a list of several dozen other all-remote firms along with job sites catering to people who work from home. San Franciscos AngelList says it has the largest repository of remote job openings, with 9,000 startups offering them, including 3,000 that are all-remote companies, according to Andreas Klinger, head of remote. We are at a tipping point now, he said. Three or four years from now, we wont call it remote work. Well just call it work. Polling organization Gallup has found that 47% of U.S. employees worked remotely at least some of the time in 2018, up from 39% in 2012. The amount of time employees spent working remotely has also risen. But some companies have decided that remote work is counterproductive. IBM, which pioneered mass telecommuting with 40% of 386,000 employees working remotely in 2009, reversed course in 2017 and required all workers to come into an office. There is something about a team being more powerful, more impactful, more creative, and frankly, hopefully having more fun when they are shoulder to shoulder, said Michelle Peluso, IBM chief marketing officer, in a video message to employees, according to news reports. Bringing people together creates its own X factor. In December, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the communication penalty for remote work is so big that the gain in talent has to be very high to offset it. GitLab acknowledges that there are downsides. The biggest is the asymmetry of having people in different time zones. GitLab deals with that by scrupulously documenting every detail of every meeting and decision and making it fully available so workers dont have to wait for answers to questions. More Information Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the first name of Job van der Voort, one of GitLab's earliest employees, who left to co-found Remote.com. Also, an online photo caption misstated where people seek out GitLab's physical address; they look for a UPS Store. See More Collapse Then there are the complexities of meeting different countries tax regulations and workplace laws. GitLab has set up some overseas divisions and collaborated with local companies to handle that. Still, it lists 17 countries where it is unable to hire either contractors or employees, due to local laws. Some, such as North Korea, Cuba and Iran, are not surprising. Others include Argentina, Austria, Brazil, France, Italy, the Philippines, Spain and Sweden. Job van der Voort, one of GitLabs earliest employees, left a year ago to co-found Remote.com, which addresses the issue of complying with local laws when hiring people in other countries. Remote is setting up entities in various European countries, India and California to start, with a goal of being in 40 countries by year end. Its clients engage it to hire their workers locally and manage all their tax, payroll and labor-law compliance. It charges between 10% and 20% of the workers salaries. We are building a company that removes the complexity of hiring anyone in any country, he said. To me, the magic of remote work is great. The biggest question managers have is: How do they ensure remote workers dont slack off? GitLab said thats not an issue because of its openness about what employees must achieve. It publishes objectives, key results and performance indicators. Each team member is responsible for working to achieve those public goals, doing so in a way that suits them best, Murph said. GitLab relies on Google Docs for collaboration, Zoom for meetings and Slack for messaging. It uses its own software tools extensively and has developed an array of systems and strategies to help its far-flung organization function. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The biggest one is radical transparency. It documents everything about what its like to work at GitLab from health benefits to remote meetings in a 3,000-plus-page searchable online site that anyone can access. That document also details how compensation varies in different locations someone in North Carolina makes about three-quarters of what theyd earn for the same job in San Francisco, for instance. It supports various ways for employees to socialize face-to-face and online. Besides an annual weeklong company retreat in places such as New Orleans, Cancun, Mexico, and Amsterdam, it gives all employees $100 during the holidays to organize parties with other nearby workers. It helps subsidize workers visiting colleagues in other cities. It has in-person sales conferences and a conference for customers. For people who dont want to work at home, GitLab will rent co-working spaces. It encourages workers to meet up for video coffee chats; they can ask to be paired with a random colleague or pick someone. Online video mixers also allow workers to meet colleagues from afar. Senior managers can apply to spend two weeks shadowing Sijbrandij to learn about the CEOs job and to give him feedback. Last week, Dov Hershkovitch from Israel and Keanon OKeefe from Colorado, both senior product managers, were hunkered around Sijbrandijs dining table, diligently taking notes and looking up information that he needed. To be a fly on the wall for every meeting, call, job interview, investor discussion is an amazing experience, Hershkovitch said. Besides (satisfying) my curiosity about what does a day in the life of the CEO look like, I feel more related to the company now. GitLabs all-remote situation evolved naturally. Sijbrandij, a native of the Netherlands, and Dmitriy Zaporozhets, a native of Ukraine, co-founded it in 2013, working out of their homes. Initially, a couple of Dutch employees came to Sijbrandijs house to work, but soon stopped showing up. After GitLab graduated from Bay Area startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2015 and set up shop in the U.S., everyone said it had to have an office, so it got one, at Eighth and Howard streets above Mikes Bikes. The first person to work there came in a couple of days, then started working from home, Sijbrandij said. Thats been the pattern. The conclusion was: People dont particularly like commuting to an office. Down the road, Murph could see starting a professional services division to consult with other companies that want to go remote. Scott Berkun, who spent 18 months managing a remote team at WordPress developer Automattic before writing The Year Without Pants: WordPress.com and the Future of Work, said that plenty of people do remote-style work, even in the office, when they use email, Slack or other software tools to chat with colleagues. Theres a ton of fear about remote work, that somehow its totally different from what people are already doing but it isnt, he said. Berkun said all-remote companies tend to share cultural attributes of trusting and treating workers like adults, hiring self-starters who have excellent communication skills. No one checks how many hours you worked today, he said. The assumption is that you are a professional, self-motivated to work. GitLab is eyeing a public offering this November. It believes that would make it the first public large-scale remote company. By publishing its documentation on workplace culture openly on the web, it hopes to inspire others. We hope that will pave the way for other all-remote companies to proliferate, with us sharing learning and lessons, Murph said. Its part of our legacy. Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle 2020 Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid The Chiefs and traditional authorities of the Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly (AWMA) have expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of the Assembly, Mrs Sandra Owusu Ahinkorah for upgrading the sub-metro to municipal status. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, January 28, the spokesperson of the traditional authorities, Mr Joseph Ashie Dzanie said constant interaction between themselves and the MCE resulted in the success of the project which will accelerate development in the municipality. "We are thanking the President for upgrading our sub-metro to a Municipal Status. This we are well aware puts us in direct control of our resources to accelerate our development," Mr Dzanie said. "We are also thanking the MCE for her constant interaction, application of our advice and her involvement of Niimei and Naamei in every programme and project of the Assembly". Misconceptions The traditional authorities also denied misconceptions that an appeal for the Presiding Member of the Assembly to be a native of the Greater Accra region was borne out of ethnocentricism. "The request was not in any way borne out of ethnocentricism. We appreciate that Greater Accra is cosmopolitan and by extension Ayawaso West. As you are aware the traditional authorities have never objected or opposed any candidate either as a Member of Parliament or Municipal Chief Executive. We must say that Niimei have had a very cordial working relationship with all MPs of Ayawaso West from the Hon. Frema Osei-Opare who by dint of her hard work now occupies the enviable position as the first female Chief of Staff to Hon. Lydia S. Alhassan even though none of the is Ga. "We have equally enjoyed working with and will continue to enjoy working with Honourable Sandra Owusu-Ahinkorah for her respect and commitment to working with us yet she is not a Ga". They said the request was rather made out of the need for a regional balance and competence which will further aid interactions between the Assembly and the traditional authorities. Source: graphic.com.gh 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 former senator represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani has been released from custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after perfecting his bail conditions. KanyiDaily had reported that Shehu Sani was arrested on December 31, 2019, and he remained in custody of the EFCC since then. He was arraigned on two counts of bribery at a federal high court in Abuja, where he pleaded not guilty two days ago. The EFCC accused the former senator Senator of allegedly collecting the sum of $24,000 (N8.6million) from the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of ASD Motors, Alhaji Sani Dauda, under the guise of helping him resolve an ongoing case with the commission. Shehu Sani has since denied all the allegations preferred against him. Inyang Ekwo, the trial judge, granted a N10 million bail to Sani, ordering him to produce one surety who has landed property that is worth the bail sum. Following the perfection of his bail conditions, Shehu Sani was released on Friday evening after spending 30 days in EFCC custody. Meanwhile, Senator Shehu Sani had sued the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for unlawfully detaining him for four weeks. Turkeys hydrocarbon exploration drive in the eastern Mediterranean seems to be expanding to the far west of Cyprus toward the southeast of the Greek island of Crete and Libyas offshore waters after the November deal that Ankara struck with Libyas Tripoli-based government on delimiting maritime zones between the two countries. The exploration efforts have been coupled with fresh Turkish moves in the Libyan conflict since the signing of the deal. According to a navigational warning that Ankara issued Jan. 14, Turkish seismic research ship Oruc Reis will be conducting seismic surveys in an area about 200 miles to the west of Cyprus and some 90 miles to the east of Crete, accompanied by two logistic support vessels. The mission, scheduled to continue until April 10, is very close to the boundary zone outlined in the agreement with Libyas Government of National Accord (GNA). Never before has a Turkish research ship gone so close to Crete and Libya for exploratory work, intended to lay the ground for Turkeys demarcation and licensing of drilling zones in the eastern Mediterranean, where tensions are already running high between Ankara and a number of closely aligned littoral states, including Greece, the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot government of long-divided Cyprus, Israel and Egypt. One of Turkeys two deep-sea drill ships, the Fatih and the Yavuz, could join the Oruc Reis in the area in the coming months. As of Jan. 29, the Fatih is at the Tasucu port on Turkeys southern coast, awaiting its next mission after completing drilling operations at the Magusa-1 borehole off the Karpas peninsula in northeast Cyprus since early January. The Yavuz, meanwhile, continues drilling operations at the Lefkosa-1 borehole in Zone G to the south of Cyprus, which is close to Block 8, claimed by the Greek Cypriots, and Israels Leviathan gas field. Of note, Turkeys Barbaros seismic research ship conducted comprehensive, three-dimensional geophysical surveys in Zone G in October 2014, July 2017 and June 2019, but it failed to discover any sign of hydrocarbon reserves. Judging by President Recep Tayyip Erdogans adamant statements on Turkeys ambitions in the eastern Mediterranean, the dispatch of the Fatih or the Yavuz to the southeast of Crete, where the Oruc Reis is currently operating, will not be a surprise. As in previous instances, the drill ship is likely to be escorted by a naval task force comprised of at least one frigate, two or three gunboats, and a submarine. Meanwhile, Ankaras efforts to acquire a third drill ship continue, including talks with Norwegian companies. Speaking to reporters on a flight back from the Berlin conference on Libya Jan. 19, Erdogan said Ankara had the backing of GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj on drilling activities. Turkey and Libya will be working jointly at present, but we could take a third, a fourth and perhaps a fifth partner on board. We are in agreement with Sarraj on this, Erdogan said. He went on to reveal that Somalia had offered Turkey joint oil exploration in its waters. Ankara has declared 2020 Africa year and is seemingly eager to make use of its deep-sea drilling capabilities and experience as a foreign policy tool. So joint seismic research and drilling in the waters of African countries such as Somalia, which is on friendly terms with Turkey, should not come as a surprise. Meanwhile, the Turkish navys activities in the eastern Mediterranean remain in full swing, both as part of NATO missions and bilateral military ties. On Jan. 28, the appearance of two Turkish frigates off Tripoli caused a stir in the Libyan capital. There were claims on social media the frigates were bringing military aid, but the Turkish Defense Ministry clarified in a statement that the TCG Gaziantep and the TCG Gediz collected 30 illegal migrants from a dinghy in high seas and handed them over to the Libyan coast guard while taking part in NATOs Operation Sea Guardian in the region. The statement suggests the military ships were on their way to GNA-controlled Tripoli when they spotted the boat, whose passengers were likely headed to Europe. The statement comes across as a tacit message to European countries Germany in particular that with their support, the GNA and Turkey could be efficient in curbing the flow of illegal migrants from Libya to Europe. This could be a sign that Turkeys exploration efforts in the eastern Mediterranean, which have relied mostly on gunboat diplomacy and coercive tactics thus far, are shifting to a more diplomatic ground, where Ankara will seek collaboration and possibly the formation of a bloc with both European and regional actors such as Italy, Germany, Tunisia and Algeria, now that Turkeys relationship with Russia appears headed to major crises amid an escalating rift over Syrias rebel-held province of Idlib. Ankaras policies in the region over the past three years have led to a foreign policy trap that could be termed as risky loneliness. Will Ankara manage to extricate itself from this deadlock and win allies to its side? There are various factors at play, but the answer depends also on whether Erdogan will stop treating foreign policy as a privileged presidential domain and open the decision-making process to foreign policy professionals in the bureaucracy. Nevertheless, since the executive presidency system took effect in June 2018, foreign policy has become a crucial supplement nourishing Ankaras domestic political agenda, which Erdogan is unlikely to easily give up. Three Nigerian stowaways have reportedly landed in Ghana after they failed in their attempt to travel to Madrid, Spain to seek greener pastures. The trio, who are in police custody, got apprehended by authorities of Tema Port, Ghana. According to reports, the three men identified as Isaac Daniel, 32, Stephen Nuta, 28 and Kelvin Popoola, 26, sneaked into an MV Unity vessel from Apapa Port in Lagos with the hope that the ship was heading to Spain. The vessel, however, was heading towards Ghana to drop some goods at the Port of Tema where the suspects were eventually caught hiding in a small space behind the vessels fan. Read Also: After Spending 30 Days In EFCC Net, Shehu Sani Regains Freedom The men were able to outsmart workers at the dock in Lagos. Officers at the Tema Port also identified Isaac Daniels as a serial stowaway, who was arrested and deported in 2019. President Donald Trump's defense team, seeking a speedy acquittal at his Senate impeachment trial, resisted Democratic efforts on Wednesday to have former national security advisor John Bolton testify, arguing that it could prolong the divisive proceedings for months. Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter, saying his former aide was coming out with potentially damaging allegations in an upcoming "nasty & untrue book" because he was fired from his White House position. Bolton reportedly claims in the book that Trump told him military aid to Ukraine was tied to Kiev investigating his political rival Joe Biden -- the charge at the heart of the two articles of impeachment approved on December 18 by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. The fight over Bolton's testimony intensified as the senators who will decide Trump's fate began directly questioning Democratic prosecutors and White House lawyers. Taking turns by party, senators spent 10 hours submitting written questions, which were then read aloud to the chamber by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over just the third impeachment trial of a president in US history. The 100 members of the Senate will return at 1:00 pm (1800 GMT) on Thursday to pose further questions to the White House defense lawyers and the seven House prosecutors seeking Trump's removal from office for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said it may be an "uphill fight" to garner enough Republican support to issue a subpoena to Bolton, who has said he is ready to testify. Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat edge in the Senate and four Republicans would need to side with the Democrats to compel Bolton to appear. Trump called on Republicans to reject a push for witnesses when the issue comes up for a vote on Friday and blasted Bolton, whom he fired in September. "Frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now," Trump said. "(He) goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?" - 'Don't wait for the book'- Echoing the views of many of his Republican colleagues, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming came out against further witnesses and urged an early end to the trial. "America has heard enough," Barrasso said. "A majority of Americans are saying this is a waste of time because they know the president is not going to be removed." Opinion polls on whether Trump should be removed are actually evenly divided but a two-thirds majority -- 67 senators -- is needed to convict the president and Trump is virtually assured of being acquitted. Chief Democratic prosecutor Adam Schiff said Bolton's testimony was essential to a "fair trial." "Don't wait for the book," the California lawmaker told the senators sitting as trial jurors. "This case is overwhelmingly clear without John Bolton but if you have any question about it you can erase all doubt." White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin countered that the House had not subpoenaed Bolton and his appearance would present "grave security issues." "He has all of the nation's secrets," Philbin said. The White House, he added, would seek to prevent Bolton's testimony and the matter would end up in a lengthy legal battle in the courts. "This institution will be effectively paralyzed for months on end," he said. One of Trump's lawyers, Harvard professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, advanced an argument that Trump's actions were not impeachable because the president believed his re-election was in the public interest. "Every public official I know believes that his election is in the public interest," Dershowitz said. "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment." - 'Dangerous times' - Schiff dismissed Dershowitz' argument, saying it boils down to believing a president is above the law. "If it's good for him it's good for the state because he is the state," Schiff said. "If it helps his re-election it's good for America." Warning that these were "extraordinarily dangerous times," Dershowitz also said American voters should decide Trump's fate in the November election. "For a president of the United States to be removed today, it would pose existential dangers to our ability to live together as a people," he said. "The decision would not be accepted by many Americans." Schiff pushed back. "If you say you can't hold a president accountable in an election year where they are trying to cheat in that election then you are giving them carte blanche," he said. The National Security Council said meanwhile that a preliminary review of Bolton's book had found that it contained "significant amounts of classified information" and cannot be published in its current form. Before the explosive revelations about what Bolton knew, the White House had assumed the trial could be wrapped up with no witnesses and an acquittal by this weekend, in time for Trump's annual "State of the Union" address before Congress on Tuesday, February 4. NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Only the most beautiful properties in the world and the most bespoke luxury trips are invited to the Traveller Made network. Now BUCCARA, a private collection of exclusive villas and yachts, has also been listed, featuring Pezula Private Castle in Knysna, South Africa in the "Private Places" category. The addition of BUCCARA is an important endorsement and further confirmation of how special Pezula Private Castle is. Traveller Made is a network of luxury travel designers dedicated to providing unique and exclusive bespoke journeys to travelers looking for different and original experiences, requiring skilled and knowledgeable advisors who are committed to fully servicing their clients. Admission to Traveller Made is by-invitation-only. "The Traveller Made listing is an important milestone for us and a clear signal that down-to-earth luxury is valued by the market," said Kashif Arif, Managing Director of BUCCARA. On the southern coast of South Africa, nestled in an almost secret location, lies one of the most exclusive private villas in the world. Pezula Private Castle is a beachfront vacation home so special that out of more than four thousand entries, it was awarded "Best Property in South Africa" by CNBC. In 2008, Nelson Mandela made Pezula Private Castle his home for ten days of reflection and peaceful contemplation. Guests enjoy direct beach access, spacious luxurious suites with private terraces, and personal service from a dedicated team of staff, including an executive butler and private chef. The starting rate of Pezula Private Castle is 6,188 Euros per night, all-inclusive with private chef. www.buccara.com. About BUCCARA For more than a decade, BUCCARA has organized bespoke experiences at private residences in the most extraordinary places around the world. Through BUCCARA select few have access to impressive villas, penthouses, castles and yachts. "Secret Place" in Swahili, BUCCARA stands for relaxed luxury at the highest standard. Each property is chosen & equipped with a lot of love, built with natural materials & attention to detail. Services include helicopter transfers, private chefs, nannies and other offerings. BUCCARA is based in Germany. The company's portfolio currently includes 19 properties and 11 yachts in Austria, Spain, South Africa and in the Bahamas. www.buccara.com. SOURCE BUCCARA Related Links http://www.buccara.com A Delhi court on Friday reserved its order on an application of three death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case seeking a stay on their execution on February 1. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana reserved the order after completion of hearing of arguments of the Tihar jail authorities and the convicts' lawyer. Saying only one convict's plea is pending and the others can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities challenged the application of three condemned prisoners in the case seeking a stay on their execution. The convicts' lawyer disagreed with the jail authorities and said rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. Advocate A P Singh, representing the convicts -- Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar -- urged the court to adjourn the executions "sine die" (with no appointed date for resumption). Vinay's mercy plea before the president is pending. The fourth person sentenced to death in the case is Mukesh Kumar, whose mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The trial court on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. Earlier, on January 7, the court had fixed January 22 as the hanging date. The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the president only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite tremendous advances in treatment of CHD, first comprehensive estimate of prevalence and mortality finds major differences between high-income and low-income countries Washington (Jan. 31, 2020) - Even though mortality from congenital heart disease (CHD) has declined over the last three decades as diagnosis and treatments have advanced, the chances for a child to survive a CHD diagnosis significantly differs based on the country where he or she is born. This eye-opening finding is drawn from the first comprehensive study of congenital heart disease across 195 countries, prepared using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD), and recently published in The Lancet. "Previous congenital heart estimates came from few data sources, were geographically narrow and did not evaluate CHD throughout the life course," write the authors, known collectively as the 2017 GBD Congenital Heart Disease Collaborators. Co-lead author Meghan D. Zimmerman, M.D., worked on the study while completing her pediatric cardiology and American Heart Association Global Health Fellowships at Children's National Hospital, and two pediatric cardiologists from Children's National, Cardiology Associate Chief Craig Sable, M.D., and Gerard Martin, M.D., medical director of Global Services, provided leadership and oversight of this paper. The remaining collaborators are from more than 45 institutions around the world, spanning cardiology, public health and schools of medicine on every continent. This is the first time the GBD study data was used along with all available data sources and previous publications--making it the most comprehensive study on congenital heart disease burden to date. Key differences between this study and prior estimates include: Anatomic groupings of CHD by type, rather than simply categorized as moderate, severe or critical. Inclusion of new data sources, including data from screening programs, congenital registries, administrative data and data sources in mortality and survival. A control mechanism to account for cases of CHD that remit on their own to reduce the risk of overestimating prevalence. Inclusion of all cases of congenital heart disease, including those with chromosomal or genetic anomalies such as Trisomy 21 that often co-occur. This more comprehensive data set led to findings that showed lower predicted long-term survival, higher remission, and lower prevalence than previous studies that extrapolated evidence from studies of high-income countries. However, it also means these new estimates are a more accurate representation of the current global state of affairs. Overall, the study found: A 34.5% decline in deaths from congenital disease between 1990 to 2017. Nearly 70% of deaths caused by CHD in 2017 (180,624) were in infants less than one year old. Most CHD deaths occurred in countries within the low and low-middle socio-demographic index (SDI) quintiles. Mortality rates get lower as a country's SDI rises. Birth prevalence of CHD was not related to a country's socio-demographic status, but overall prevalence was much lower in the poorest countries of the world. This is because children in these countries do not have access to life saving surgical services. Nearly 12 million people are currently living with CHD globally, 18.7% more than in 1990. The burden of CHD is not fully realized by just looking at prevalence and mortality. The measure "Years of Life Lost" provides deeper insight into the staggering burden of CHD, taking into account both absolute mortality and age at death. "In high income countries like the United States, we diagnose some heart conditions prenatally during the 20-week ultrasound," says Dr. Martin, a pediatric cardiologist at Children's National Hospital who contributed to the study. "We catch others right after birth with a pulse oximetry screening for critical congenital heart disease. We can operate to correct a critical issue within the first week of life. And now our CHD kids are growing and thriving through adulthood and having families of their own." "For children born in middle- and low-income countries, these data draw stark attention to what we as cardiologists already knew from our own work in these countries--the lack of diagnostic and treatment tools leads to lower survival rates for children born with CHD," adds Dr. Sable. "This is one of the most significant publications I have been a part of as it highlights the substantial loss of life to CHD in infancy around the globe." The authors write, "The UN has prioritized reduction of premature deaths from heart disease, but to meet the target of 'ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age,' health policy makers will need to develop specific accountability measures that address barriers and improve access to care and treatment." The study also includes a 400-page appendix breaking down each area by type of congenital anomaly, world region and country. ### About Children's National Hospital Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., celebrates 150 years of pediatric care, research and commitment to community. Volunteers opened the hospital in 1870 with 12 beds to care for Civil War orphans. Today, 150 years stronger, it is the nation's No. 6 children's hospital. It is ranked No. 1 for newborn care for the third straight year and ranked in all specialties evaluated by "U.S. News & World Report." Children's National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. In 2020, it will open the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, the first in the nation dedicated to pediatric research. It has been designated twice as a Magnet hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C., metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Children's National is home to the Children's National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and is the nation's seventh-highest NIH-funded children's hospital. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Jammu, Jan 31 : The driver of the truck transporting three foreign militants which was intercepted by police at Nagrota on the outskirts of Jammu on Friday morning has been identified as Sameer Dar, a cousin of Pulwama attack suicide bomber Adil Dar. Three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed and a policeman sustained injuries in the encounter after the truck they were travelling in was intercepted by the police at a toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar national highway. Three over ground workers of militants including the driver and conductor were also arrested. The driver was identified as Sameer Ahmed Dar, a resident of Pulwama district of south Kashmir. He is the cousin of Adil Dar, ADG Dilbagh Singh told IANS. "The terrorists were headed to Kashmir, pobably as a replacement for top leadership of Jaish including its chief Qari Yasir killed by security forces last month," he said. "It was a group of militants that had recently infiltrated from the international border in Jammu." Sameer has reportedly done a Masters in Geology from Kashmir University. All the three arrested over ground workers are currently being interrogated. After the encounter was over a large quantity of arms and ammunition including wireless sets and US-made M4 carbines were recovered from the slain militants. KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Prosecutors have formally charged a man with killing his wife and three children at their Florida home near Walt Disney World. Four charges of second-degree murder were filed Wednesday against Anthony Todt, 44, in Osceola County court. A conviction could mean life in prison. Todt might still face the death penalty if the charges are increased to first-degree murder. Florida law requires a grand jury indictment for capital crimes. State Attorney Aramis Ayalas office said in a statement Thursday that the second-degree murder charges were filed to keep Todt in custody until a grand jury can be convened. Todt was arrested earlier this month after his wife, Megan, and their children, Alek, Tyler and Zoe, were found dead at the Celebration home. An autopsy found that the wife and sons had been stabbed. The familys dog was also killed. Officials believe they had been dead since late December. The bodies were found when federal agents and deputies went to the house to serve an arrest warrant. Todt was already being investigated by the FBI and agents with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for health care fraud, according to court documents unsealed earlier this month in Connecticut federal court. Authorities say he needed the money to pay off personal loans. Online records in New York state court showed Todt and his Colchester, Connecticut-based clinics were facing debts to creditors. According to agents, Todt and the clinics submitted claims to Medicaid and private insurers for physical therapy services that werent given to patients. About Donbas conflict Ukraines military serviceman Yevhen Shchurenko deceased in combat in Donbas. OSCE reported hundreds of explosions in Donetsk and Luhansk regions this week; on weekend alone, the overall number made 200 blasts. Ukrainian armed forces detained a wounded Russian mercenary who served as a member of black ops group. Main Directorate for Migration of Russias Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed that in 2019, 227,000 inhabitants of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions received Russian passports. Counterintelligence of Ukraine's State Security Service (SBU) conducted a special operation, which resulted in the detention of former "minister of the coal industry" of the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic." The press office of the SBU reported that on Wednesday. Operatives and investigators of the agency found out that the individual was actively involved in shaping the domestic policy of his ministry. He supervised the work of coal extraction enterprises and the distribution of energy resources in the temporarily occupied areas of the Donetsk region. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution recognizing Russia as a party to the Minsk agreements, European Pravda reported. The Assembly also applied a resolution on the state of the monitoring procedure with critical remarks against Russia, in which, in particular, it expressed concern about anti-democratic processes in the Russian Federation. About coronavirus As of Friday, January 31, according to Zelensky, no a single case of infection with coronavirus has been registered in Ukraine, there are no grounds for emergency measures. Evacuation of Ukrainians from China is underway.l Two first people with coronavirus infection were found in Russia. The World Health Organization believes that Ukraine might cope with the epidemic of coronavirus. Howeve, is Ukraine ready to take the challenge? Ukraine expects to get systems to detect coronavirus the next week. Meanwhile the virus shall be detected by a process of elimination About sanctions On January 28, EU ambassadors supported the decision to impose sanctions on seven people involved in organizing and holding the so-called Crimean elections in the fall of 2019. It was also reported that EU was preparing to lift sanctions from closest circle of Yanukovych. On January 30, Canada imposed new sanctions on Russians involved in Crimea elections. These are sanctions under the Special Economic Measures Act on six individuals involved in the illegitimate elections. U.S. also expanded sanctions against Russia in response to annexation of Crimea. The U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight individuals and one entity. About PACE and NATO The winter session of PACE has started on January 27. Firstly, the PACE lawmakers stopped the automatic confirmation of the authorities of the Russian delegation. However, PACE agreed upon the draft bill on the appeal against the authorities of the Russian delegation in the Assembly. Besides, the Assembly elected delegate from Russia Petr Tolstoy as the vice president in the second tour by the majority of the votes. And it adopted a resolution recognizing Russia as a party to the Minsk agreements. In its turn, Ukrainian delegation stated that it will continue work in PACE, abandoning the demarches amid the recent decisions of the Assembly. On January 30, NATO positively assessed the implementation of reforms in Ukraine, but insists on the need to pay special attention to the reform of the Security Service and the defense industry. About Milke Pompeo U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on January 25 accused an NPR reporter of lying about whether a conversation he initiated with her had been deemed off the record, a charge that NPR denied Also, Mike Pompeo arrived in Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. support for Ukraine is "unwavering". He also told what would be discussed with the Ukrainian government. Foreign Minister of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko and U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo held meeting on January 31, 2020 Pompeo assured the complete support of Ukraine by the U.S. in the stop of Russias aggression and restoration of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine in its entirety and it is confirmed by the imposing of the package of extra sanctions by the U.S. About anniversary of Kruty Battle About Handziuk case On Monday, the Prosecutor General's Office filed to Bulgaria the materials on the extradition to Ukraine of Oleksiy Levin (Moskalenko), the suspect in the organization of the attack on activist Kateryna Handziuk. It was noted that certain people do not want the extradition of Oleksiy Levin and provided him with the lawyers. On November 4, 2018, it became known that Kateryna Handziuk died at the age of 34. She was doused with sulphuric acid in July this year. According to preliminary information, her death was caused by blood clot's detachment. About sports Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Bukhov set a world and European junior swimming record. He managed to overcome the distance of 50 meters in butterfly style in 23.14 seconds. Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Yulia Levchenko got prize places at the Springer-Meeting high jumping tournament. Mahuchikh conquered 1.98 meters and won, while Levchenko placed second with the result of 1.96 meters. Viktor Postol will not be able to fight for WBC and WBO light welterweight world titles in February due to the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus in China. The fight will likely be rescheduled in the United States. SAYING ALL: National Security Minister Stuart Young at Wednesdays meeting of the Joint Select Committee on National Security at the Red House. Photo courtesy The Office of the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago : Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar on Friday asserted that there was no case of coronavirus in the state and said 242 people who returned from infection hit China were being monitored. A day after he said 78 people who had arrived from the dragon nation were under 'house quarantine,' he told reporters at Pudukottai that the number of returnees has climbed to 242. "As of today, 242 have arrived from China and the Public Health Department is in direct touch with all of them. They are all normal. There is no case of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu," he said. Such returnees were being monitored and were under home quarantine, he noted. As regards a techie who recently returned to his native place in Tiruvannamalai district from China, there was no manifestation of any cornavirus symptom in him, he said. Hence, there was no need as of now to take the software engineer's blood sample to check if he had contracted the infection and similar was the status of a student who has come back to Krishnagiri district, he pointed out. The minister asked people not to panic and wanted them to take precautions like washing their hands and ensuring personal hygiene since the pathogen may spread through airborne droplets. Besides, a woman has tested positive for the virus in neighbouring Kerala, he noted. The Dean, Madras Medical College and Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, R Jayanthi, told reporters in Chennai that a 40-year-old woman who returned from China last night has been admitted in the isolation ward for observation though she was found to be normal. The lady was referred to the RGGGH by a government facility in suburban Chennai after she had gone there with "very mild fever." Examination by a team of experts, however, found that she was very normal and did not exhibit any symptom of the virus. The top hospital authority said that the woman has been admitted for "only observation." To a question, she said the city would soon get a coronavirus testing facility. People were being sensitised through IEC (Information, Education and Communication) materials like flyers and brochures about the infection that originated from China and precautionary measures that were needed like hygiene,she said. Apart from isolation wards, full body masks, triple layer masks for covering the nostrils and mouth, goggles to protect the eyes for health care professionals and the people were in place in adequate numbers, she said. The RGGGH, commonly known as GH in Chennai, is one of the biggest and oldest state-run hospitals in the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The truth cannot be denied, not for long, and the facts will continue to come out as they did today, the seven Democratic managers said in a statement. Senators who opposed hearing from these witnesses, when their testimony would have better informed a judgment on the guilt or innocence of the President, will be hard pressed to explain why. Senators chose instead to set a dangerous precedent that will have long-lasting repercussions for the United States Congress, the balance of powers, and our democracy as a whole. He says in Ukraine there is a mistaken perception of integration with occupied Donbas. Russian political analyst and publicist Andrei Piontkovsky has said restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity means "the country's accession to occupied Donbas." He says in Ukraine there is a mistaken perception of integration with occupied Donbas. Read alsoPolitical scientist assesses Kozak's appointment as new Donbas supervisor "It is presented to Ukraine as the restoration of the country's territorial integrity. But this is a reunion with occupied Donbas with the full preservation of Russian 'proxies,' the full power of Russian troops, the two army corps. And if there is an accession, why are the Armed Forces of Ukraine standing along the contact line then? There is no dividing line! The military leave and open the way from occupied Donbas. And no one is hiding it! I repeat: the so-called 'constitution' of this 'Luhansk People's Republic' includes a provision that its borders are the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, i.e. the issue of seizing Mariupol, the entire coast of the Sea of Azov will be decided one day. But in fact, this is the incorporation of an alien structure, a military-terrorist bridgehead for the aggressor into the political body of Ukraine," the expert told the Ukrainian news outlet Apostrophe. Piontkovsky said a rally "in support of the Russian language" had been thwarted in the city of Kharkiv not long ago. According to him, the war in Donbas began in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk namely with such meetings in support of for the Russian language. After the reunion, one of the Russian army corps will appear in Kharkiv to help the "advocates for the Russian language." "This is a suicidal scenario. Such an act of provocation was not accidental similar attempts will begin in various southeastern cities. This is a viable action plan. 'Ukraine's virtual accession to occupied Donbas' is not my term. I quote it from an article by Alexei Chesnakov, [Russian President's aide] Vladislav Surkov's right hand," the political analyst added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agustinus Hari (The Jakarta Post) Manado Fri, January 31, 2020 10:14 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d9135 1 National building-permit,vandalism,North-Sulawesi,mosque-attack Free Local security personnel have asserted that a building vandalized in the predominantly Christian Agape housing complex in Tumaluntung village, North Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi, on Wednesday evening is not a mosque. It is not a place of worship, but a public meeting hall in the housing complex that was vandalized by a group of people on Wednesday evening, Bitung Military District Command commander Lt. Col. Kusnandar Hidayat said on Thursday. The incident went viral after Twitter user @MohCipto1 uploaded a video showing a group of people taking apart furniture and fixtures while wearing shoes and sandals inside the building. They appeared to be followed by onlookers who were recording the incident on their smartphones. The footage briefly shows a banner in front of the building, which reads, We residents of Tumaluntung village oppose the construction of this mushola/mosque in our area because 95 percent of the residents around the mosque are non-Muslims. We dont want loudspeakers to disrupt our everyday lives, and we dont want to be charged with blasphemy for complaining about the noise. The building, identified on Google as Al-Hidayah Mosque, has been the subject of controversy among local residents in recent years. Read also: Videos surface purportedly showing vandalization of N. Sulawesi 'mosque' Kusnandar said the incident broke out due to false information suggesting an unidentified individual dressed as a member of radical group Jamaah Tabligh came to the building. The information sparked a misunderstanding between local residents which led to the incident. Military and police personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. Everything is safe now, Kusnandar went on to say. As of Thursday evening, military and police personnel were still guarding the scene. North Minahasa Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Grace Krisna D. Rahakbau deplored the incident, saying that he thought residents of the regency were very kind-hearted. He added that police had arrested a resident after the incident. He did not mention the reason for the arrest. North Minahasa Regent Vonnie Panambunan said she had held a meeting with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) regarding the act. She agreed it was caused by a misunderstanding. We also agree that a mosque will be built on the land after the necessary documents are completed. All activities in the meeting hall are suspended for now, she said. (kuk) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Berlin Fri, January 31, 2020 10:07 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d8ee6 2 Environment panda,Berlin Free Two panda cubs born at Berlin Zoo last year charmed local media on Wednesday, a day before their debut in front of the general public. Five-month-old males Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, whose names mean "long-awaited dream" and "dream come true", were seen climbing over boulders as they explored their enclosure, watched by their mother Meng Meng and members of the press. The two cuddly cubs were the first pandas to be born in a German zoo, and have been nicknamed "Pit" and "Paule" by their carers. The births were particularly rare as it is notoriously hard to breed pandas. Read also: A life of a panda breeder is no walk in the park The zoo is expecting a surge in visitors when the pandas are put on public display for the first time on Thursday. Zoo directors are planning to open more ticket desks to avoid long queues, and have arranged for security personnel to guard the panda enclosure. Alongside their parents Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, the twins are the only pandas currently visible in Germany. On loan from China, the panda couple had arrived in Berlin in June 2017 to great fanfare. Famed for its "panda diplomacy", China has dispatched its national treasure to only about a dozen countries as a symbol of close relations. Berlin Zoo pays $15 million (13.4 million euros) for a 15-year contract to host the two adult pandas, with most of the money going towards a conservation and breeding research programme in China. While the cubs were born in Berlin, they remain Chinese and must be returned to China within four years after they have been weaned. Topics : panda Berlin The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern following the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus describing the event as an unprecedented outbreak that has been met with an unprecedented response. The announcement by the medical arm of the UN frees up additional finances to respond to the healthcare crisis, with officials citing the risk of the virus reaching a country with an underdeveloped healthcare system as the reason for the move. The body has faced criticism after holding off on the decision to announce an official international crisis however in a hastily arranged Thursday session of the bodys emergency committee officials were almost unanimously in favour of making the declaration. The WHOs director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who visited China to consider the states response to the spread of the disease from the Hubei province while meeting with president , said the nation must be congratulated. We would have seen many more cases outside China by now - and probably deaths if it were not for the governments efforts and the progress they have made to protect their own people and the people of the world. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty He added there were currently 98 confirmed cases in 18 countries outside of China, with eight cases of human-to-human spread in four countries Germany, Vietnam, Japan and the US. However, despite relatively low numbers worldwide compared to those in China where almost 8,000 people have been infected, he went on to call on countries to all act together now to limit further spread. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China, he said. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems. He added: Were all in this together. Shortly after the announcement, the UKs four chief medical officers upgraded the risk level in Britain from low to moderate and warned that confirmed cases were likely to occur. They said: In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK chief medical officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak. For that reason, we are advising an increase of the UK risk level from low to moderate. This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities. As we have previously said, it is likely there will be individual cases and we are confident in the ability of the NHS and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high quality care. Parineeti Chopra might be busy with her upcoming projects, but the actor does not miss any chance to give her fans a peek into her life. In a recent Instagram story, the actor posted an interesting picture made by fans, comparing the actor to FRIENDS girls. The picture had Parineeti being compared to Rachel, Phoebe, and Monica. Check out Parineeti Chopra as 'Friends' girls Also Read | Arjun Kapoor's "Mera Naam JOKER" Picture Makes Parineeti Chopra Troll The Actor The Instagram story won many hearts with many loving Parineeti Chopra's hysterical reaction. The popular Bollywood actor, who seems to have returned from her short vacation in the Maldives, amazed her fans with some stunning pictures from her recent vacation. Here are some pictures of Parineeti Chopra from her recent vacation. Parineeti Chopra's photos from her Maldives vacation: Also Read | Parineeti Chopra Trolls Nick Jonas' Tik Tok Video, Lauds His 'confidence' Also Read | Parineeti Chopra Gets A Caption Idea From Varun Dhawan But She 'can't Share It' On the professional front, Parineeti Chopra will be seen in a slew of movies this year. The actor's first release for the year will reportedly be the official remake of Hollywood film, The Girl on the Train. The movie, starring Parineeti Chopra, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Kriti Kulhari in the lead, will reportedly hit the silver screens on March 02, 2020. Also Read | Cost Of Parineeti Chopra's Gucci Swimsuit Can Buy You A Romantic Getaway To Bali; Read Besides the remake, Parineeti will also be stepping into the shoes of Saina Nehwal for her biopic. The movie, titled Saina, has been in the making for more than two years. Apart from the sports-drama, the actor also has Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, Abhishekh Dudhaiya's Bhuj: The Pride of India in her kitty. (Promo Image Courtesy: Parineeti Chopra Instagram) Get the latest entertainment news from India & around the world. Now follow your favourite television celebs and telly updates. Republic World is your one-stop destination for trending Bollywood news. Tune in today to stay updated with all the latest news and headlines from the world of entertainment. India's foreign reserves are comfortably placed at USD 461.2 billion as on January 10, 2020, says the Economic Survey 2019-20, tabled in Parliament on Friday by Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "External debt levels remained low at 20.1 per cent of GDP by the end of September 2019. India's external debt liabilities to GDP, including debt and equity components, has increased at the end of June 2019, primarily driven by an increase in FDI, portfolio flows and External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs)," adds the Survey. The Balance of Payments position improved to USD 433.7 billion by September 2019 from USD 412.9 billion of forex reserves in March 2019. This is on the back of Current Account Deficit (CAD) narrowing further to 1.5 per cent of GDP in the first half of 2019-20 from 2.1 per cent in 2018-19. Net FDI inflows remained buoyant attracting USD 24.4 billion in the first eight months of 2019-20, much higher than the corresponding period of 2018-19. Net overseas remittances in the first half of 2019-20 were more than 50 per cent of total receivables in 2018-19, standing at USD 38.4 billion. As per World Bank report of 2019, India's 17.5 million diaspora made it the top remittance-recipient country in 2018, informs the Survey. The Survey notes that India's merchandise trade balance improved from 2009-14 to 2014-19 on the back of a decline in crude prices. The merchandise Exports-to-GDP ratio declined to 11.3 per cent, due to weakened global demand and heightened trade tensions over 2018-19 to H1 of 2019-20. Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL), precious stones, drug formulations and biologicals, gold and other precious metals continue to be the top exported commodities; the largest export destinations being United States of America (USA), followed by United Arab Emirates (UAE), China and Hong Kong. The merchandise Imports-to-GDP ratio also declined, entailing a net positive impact on the BoP position. This is because of the large presence of crude oil in the import basket. Share of gold imports, another important component of import basket, has remained stable in spite of a rise in gold prices. Crude petroleum, gold, petroleum products, coal, coke and briquettes constitute top import items. India's imports continue to be largest from China, followed by USA, UAE and Saudi Arabia in that order. The Economic Survey 2019-20 further observes that non-POL-non-gold imports are understood to be positively correlated with GDP growth. However, non-POL-non-oil imports fell as a proportion to GDP from 2009-14 to 2014-19 when GDP growth accelerated. This may have happened because of consumption-driven growth while the investment rate declined. The continuous decline in investment rate decelerated GDP growth, weakened consumption, dampened the investment outlook; which further reduced GDP growth and along with it, non-POL-non-gold imports as a proportion of GDP from 2018-19 to H1 of 2019-20. In sync with an estimated 2.9 per cent growth in global output in 2019, global trade is estimated to grow at 1.0 per cent after having peaked in 2017 at 5.7 per cent. The slowdown in world trade reflects a confluence of factors, including a slowdown in investment, reduced spending on capital goods and a decline in trade of cars and car parts. The Survey adds that global trade is projected to recover to 2.9 per cent in 2020, with recovery in global economic activity, although the future is ridden with uncertainties over trade tensions and change in global value chain structures. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hyderabad, Jan 31 : The resignation of former CBI joint director V.V. Laksmi Narayana from the Jana Sena is the latest in a series of blows to the party since it was floated by popular actor Pawan Kalyan nearly six years ago. The former Indian Police Service (IPS) official cited Pawan's decision to return to films as the reason for his resignation. He said in his resignation letter that the Jana Sena chief's inconsistent words made him take this decision. The actor, however, defended his action saying he knows only acting to support his family and other dependents. Pawan recently started shooting for a Telugu re-make of Hindi movie 'Pink' and is reported to have signed another movie. Lakshmi Narayana, who had taken voluntary retirement in 2018 to enter politics and joined Jana Sena last year, contested unsuccessfully from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha seat. He was reportedly unhappy with Pawan for not consulting him while taking key decisions. Lakshmi Narayana as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) joint director headed probes into several high-profile cases, including disproportionate assets cases against present Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. "Lakshmi Narayana's resignation is a political setback for Jana Sena. He was among the top three leaders in the party and garnered maximum number of votes in the 2019 elections. This will have an adverse impact not just on the party, but also on the image of Pawan Kalyan as a leader," political analyst P. Raghavendra Reddy told IANS. This came at a time when Pawan was hoping to be back at the centre stage of Andhra Pradesh politics with the recently announced alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, the actor's move to join hands with the BJP once again came under criticism from various quarters, with many wondering how he can do this without the Centre according a special category status to the state, an issue on which he had severed ties with the BJP. "After losing the elections, and by forging an alliance with the BJP, Jana Sena Party and its supremo have clearly indicated they do not have the muscle and will to carry on and develop an independent identity. Today, Pawan Kalyan has turned into a BJP leader and people will look at him as one," said Raghavendra Reddy. The analyst believes that Jana Sena has gone the Praja Rajyam way and surrendered its political ambitions to a national party. Pawan Kalyan's electoral debut was more disastrous than his elder brother K. Chiranjeevi's. The superstar had floated the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) amid much fanfare a few months before the 2009 elections, hoping to recreate the magic of legendary actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao, who had created a record of sorts in the early 1980s by storming to power in nine months after taking the plunge into politics. Chiranjeevi's party came a cropper, securing 18 seats in the 294-member Assembly of the then united Andhra Pradesh. The actor was defeated from one of the constituencies he contested. Pawan Kalyan, who was with Chiranjeevi as the leader of the youth wing of the PRP, later fell out with him over his decision to merge the PRP with the Congress. Pawan floated the Jana Sena in March 2014 to 'question powers that be'. His ire was entirely targeted at the Congress on the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. A strong supporter of then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Pawan decided not to contest the elections and instead backed the TDP-BJP alliance. He shared the dais with Modi and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu at election rallies, calling upon people to reject both the Congress and the YSR Congress. Later, Pawan distanced himself from both the parties after the BJP-led NDA government, of which TDP was a part, decided not to accord special category status to Andhra Pradesh, a promise made by the alliance during the poll campaign. In the April 2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections, which Jana Sena fought in alliance with the Left parties and Bahujan Samaj Party, Pawan's party got just one seat in the 175-member House. Pawan himself was defeated from both the Assembly seats he contested. It was a huge blow for the 49-year-old, who was hoping to emerge as a kingmaker -- if not the king. What was more shocking for him was that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) came to power with a huge majority and Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister. Pawan always had a strong dislike for the YSRCP chief. Though enjoying a huge fan following, Pawan Kalyan failed to build the party at the grassroot level. The critics blame his mercurial nature and part time politician-like attitude. He is known for sudden bursts of activity followed by a long pause. On its surface, the plan appears to build on the peace plans of yore. It revives the moribund two-state solution, and it covers all the major issues Israels security, Jerusalem, the settlements, the right of return for Palestinian refugees and a $50 billion aid package for the Palestinians if they sign on, presumably financed by oil-rich Arabs recruited by Mr. Trump. And by calling it a vision rather than a road map or peace plan, Mr. Trump suggested, constructively, that it was open to the sort of bargaining at which he professes to be a genius. This could well be the last opportunity for their own state that the Palestinians will ever have, as Mr. Trump warned, or at least the makings of the best deal they can expect. Given the plight of the Palestinian people and their historic claims to land, that may not be a just outcome, but it is perhaps becoming the realistic one. Outmaneuvered by successive Israeli governments, depleted, divided, disastrously led and at risk of being shrugged aside by some longtime Arab allies, the Palestinians are running out of options. Yet this deal would be hard for even the most pragmatic and exhausted of Palestinians to accept. Mr. Trump may believe hes offering a deal they ultimately cant refuse, but, of course, they can, and it is hard to see how that outcome would benefit Israel, either, in the long term. It takes only a glance at the map of the proposed Palestinian state, and at some details of the plan, to see that it would not be much of a state at all. It would be a patchwork of ethnic islands, purportedly to be connected by bridges, roads and tunnels, all subject to security requirements, as defined by Israel. It would be, in other words, quite like what exists already. Mr. Trumps plan effectively grants Israel the right to annex nearly all Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley. How likely that element of the plan was to be subject to good-faith negotiation with the Palestinians was suggested when Mr. Netanyahu promptly said hed ask his cabinet to approve the annexations this weekend, although that move might be on hold. Under the terms of the plan, Israel is subject to a freeze on new settlement construction at least, outside the existing blocs for the next four years. Whether Israel abides by that constraint and if it doesnt, whether Mr. Trump attempts to enforce it will be one test of the seriousness of this effort. The Palestinians are allotted far less land in the Trump scheme than in any previous proposal. In exchange for the land it would annex, Israel would cede some land, including possibly transferring an area of central Israel where Arab citizens of Israel live. This is a step long favored by Israeli nationalists as a means of sharply reducing the number of Arab citizens of Israel. An Economic and Financial Crimes Commissions star witness, on Friday, alleged that a former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, transferred N3.1 billion into his account. An Abuja-based Bureau De Change (BDC) Operator, Abubakar Umar, told Justice Okon Abang at the Federal High Court, Abuja, that the money was transferred through a company, Elixir Investment, in bits into his companys account name, Fanffash Resources, at the Zenith Bank. He said the total amount of the money in dollars was $15.8 million at N197 per dollar at the time. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the EFCC had, in 2016, presented Mr Umar before Justice Ahmed Mohammed as 4th prosecution witness in Suswams matter. However, Mr Mohammed, on December 11, 2017, declared Mr Umar hostile to the EFCC in the trial of the former governor after the witness contradicted himself while testifying in the case on May 5, 2016. Although the trial could not continue before Mr Mohammed, who recused himself from the case due to a report by an online media of a bribery allegation against him, the matter was later assigned to Mr Abang by the courts authorities. Mr Abang had, on Thursday, adjourned the trial till January 31 at the instance of the defence. At the resumed trial on Friday, the EFCC lawyer, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, told the court that he was ready for the trial and that the 4th prosecution witness (PW4) was in court. My Lord, the witness cannot speak fluently so he will require an interpreter, he said. Giving his evidence-in-chief before the court, Mr Umar, who spoke through an interpreter, said his office is located at Zone 4 Plaza, Abuja. I buy and sell money. I buy and sell American dollars. I transact my business in Fanffash Resources, he said. He said in 2014, the former governor sent for him to meet him (Suswam) at his residence in Maitama District, Abuja. I came and met him in his house at Maitama near the mosque. I met him with a woman. He asked me to give him my account number. I now gave my account number to the woman. The governor now said I would see money in my account, he narrated. The PW4 said after two days, N413 million was transferred into his account on August 8, 2014, from Elixir Investment. The woman now called me if I have seen the money and I said yes, I have seen money in my account. I now called the former governor when the money entered my account. The first money she put was 413 million. The former governor said I should change it to dollars. After two to three days, I changed it to dollars and called him that what you asked me to do I have done it. He (Suswam) now said I should bring it. I called him again to clear the gate for me that I am bringing it to his house. I now took it to him, he said. Mr Umar said he took a taxi to deliver the money to Mr Suswam at his Maitama house. The witness also told the court that there were subsequent transfers made into his account. There were some subsequent payments from time to time. In all, the total money I received into my account, Fanffash Resources, is N3, 111, 000, 000, he said. Advertisements When asked by the EFCC how he usually delivered the money to Mr Suswam, he said: The way I gave him the first one is the way I gave him the remaining ones. That time, dollar was N197 to a dollar and the total in dollars is $15, 800, 000. He said he decided to use taxi drivers due to security reasons. Mr Jacobs asked Mr Umar that in his defence, the former governor said you did not give him any money? In his response, the witness said: If I didnt give him that money, I would have been dead since. I cannot eat government money and stay alive. Mr Umar confirmed that the Exhibit B, pages 21 and 66, contained his photograph, companys name, telephone number and account number. When asked if he knew what the ex-governor used the money for, the PW4 said: After I delivered the money, I dont know what the governor does with them. However, there was a drama when the EFCC counsel asked Mr Umar if he remembered that he had once given the evidence before Mr Mohammed that he (Umar) delivered the money to former governor Suswam at Government House and not at his house in Maitama. As soon as the witness affirmed what the prosecution lawyer said, Chinelo Ogbozor, counsel to Mr Suswam (1st defendant), objected to the question, citing relevant sections of the law. She urged Mr Abang not to allow the witness give such evidence without the prosecution producing the certified true copy (CTC) of the proceedings before Mr Mohammed. Michael Agara, counsel to the 2nd defendant, also adopted Ogbozors submission. After an argument that lasted for several minutes, Mr Abang, in his ruling, overruled the objection raised by the defence. Citing sections of the law, the judge said the witness has the right to give evidence regarding what transpired in previous proceedings before Mr Mohammed. Mr Abang, who said it was the defence counsel who ought to produce the CTC of previous proceedings before another court if they have any objection, adjourned the matter till February 3 for continuation of trial. Mr Suswam and the then Commissioner for Finance in his administration, Omadachi Oklobia, are being prosecuted before the court on N3.1 billion money laundering charges. They were accused by the EFCC of diverting the money which was said to be part of the proceeds of the sale of some shares of Benue State in a company. Mr Suswam, a senator, is presently representing Benue North-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly. (NAN) By PTI LONDON: The UK government on Friday confirmed the first two cases of the deadly coronavirus in the country and said the patients were members of the same family who were receiving specialist care. The UK's Department for Health stressed that the National Health Service (NHS) is "well-prepared" to deal with the virus, which originated in Wuhan in China and has claimed 213 lives there. "We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus," said Chris Whitty, the UK's Chief Medical Officer. ALSO READ | Many countries 'unprepared' for China's Coronavirus: Global Health Monitor "The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread," he said. ALSO READ | Coronavirus: With five doctors, Air India's B747 plane departs to Wuhan to evacuate Indians The CMO said that his team has been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and that there are "robust" infection control measures in place to respond immediately. "We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities," he added. The WHO has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency as at least 213 people in China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases across the country. There have been 98 cases of the virus in 18 countries, including in India. According to Zelenko, Prystaiko and Pompeo held a very constructive meeting. Press Secretary of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Kateryna Zelenko has said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko of support for Ukraine in countering Russian aggression. Read alsoWhite House to propose keeping Ukraine aid intact in new budget media "A very constructive meeting between Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko and Secretary [Mike] Pompeo in Kyiv. The counterparts discussed: further deepening of the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership; advancing military and economic cooperation; strengthening bipartisan U.S. support to Ukraine," she wrote on Twitter on January 31, 2020. "Grateful for the clear and powerful messages restated by Washington of the USA's unwavering support for Ukraine in: countering Russian aggression; upholding Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity; enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities and implementing critical reforms," Zelenko tweeted. Pompeo, in turn, said that the U.S. welcomes Ukraine's efforts to bring peace to Donbas. "Good discussion with [Vadym] Prystaiko.The U.S. welcomes Ukraine's efforts to bring peace to the Donbas. Russia must reciprocate. Our sanctions will remain in place until Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty is restored," he said on Twitter on January 31. Pompeo arrived in Ukraine on Thursday, January 30. He is scheduled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, January 31. The trip is the first leg of a four-country tour through the former Soviet Union for Pompeo that will also take him to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Imperial Valley News Center Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway, ONDCP Director Jim Carroll, and Assistant Secretary of Public Health ADM Brett Giroir Washington, DC - Briefing by Senior Counselor Kellyanne Conway, ONDCP Director Jim Carroll, and Assistant Secretary of Public Health ADM Brett Giroir: MS. CONWAY: Good morning. Thank you for being here. We come before you bearing good news. For the first time in four years, life expectancy in the United States of America has increased. And for the first time in 29 years, the number of drug overdose deaths has decreased. This has not happened through coincidence. Its happened through causation. Its owing in large part to a whole-of-government approach to treat the whole person, led by President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and really, the entire administration. Nearly 70,000 of our fellow Americans died from an overdose last year, and 48,000 of those involved opioids. About 70 percent of those deaths also involved some type of synthetic opioid, most prominently fentanyl, which could be an instant killer. A couple of tiny grains are a lethal dose. Weve met with first responders, parents who have lost children, people in recovery, people who are running recovery centers. Weve met with mothers whose babies were born chemically dependent. And we certainly have met with health professionals. All of them have shared stories of loss but, increasingly, of courage and recovery. This is a crisis that we call the crisis next door, because we want people to know, from the beginning, that the silence and stigma that it tends to many people, it prevents them from seeking out the kind of treatment and help that is available to them is a very big priority for us busting through that stigma and silence. We also want to make clear, in this crisis next door, that it is indiscriminate. It affects all races, socioeconomic status, gender, age, and certainly other affiliations. If the crisis is indiscriminate, then the response must be indiscriminate. And thats why, in addition to everything that the President and the First Lady and the administration have done, I wanted to share with you, as a reflection, what I consider to be the most robust and significant bipartisan accomplishment of the Presidents first term: H.R.6, the SUPPORT Act. The President signed it into law following overwhelmingly unanimous support from every Democrat who voted for it in the House and the Senate. This overwhelmingly bipartisan action has led to an increase in the money and awareness on the opioid and poly-drug crisis. Features of the SUPPORT Act include the CRIB Act, where there is more money and more action for those neonatal abstinence syndrome babies that I mentioned before. Medical professionals tell us its best to keep the mother its best for the mother and its best for the baby to keep them together. And, increasingly, that is happening. Also, the nearly $3.7 billion in new grants put forth by the administration have made a real difference in our municipalities. The STOP Act has helped us increase the number of seizures of fentanyl and other synthetic opiates coming through our mail. Its up to about 38 percent, and we have a goal, if not a mandate, of 100 percent. Let me go through a couple of the numbers: 4.1 percent overdose death decline overall in our nation. And that is the first time in 29 years nearly three decades. But in some of the hardest-hit states, were off a peak of over 20 percent: 19 percent in Pennsylvania, 22 percent decline over the peak high in Ohio, 11 percent in West Virginia, 14 percent in Minnesota, 7 percent in North Carolina just to highlight a few of them. Also, the Customs and Border Protection in the last fiscal year increased the seizures of fentanyl by 21 percent. We also launched a targeted ad campaign geared at youth that was seen by over 1.4 billion views and over 58 percent. In fact, the longer documentary type won an Emmy. Naloxone prescriptions have increased over 400 percent. Our Surgeon General, in April of 2018, issued the first advisory by a surgeon general in over a decade. And Dr. Adams said at the time: We need to have naloxone more available to our first responders, to our health professionals, to our school systems, libraries, YMCAs and the rest, but also to each and every one of us. The Surgeon General says, if each of us were to carry naloxone on our person, we too can be part of the solution, reversing these overdose deaths by administering this overdose-reversing medication. Last night, Congress passed a 15-month extension of the current emergency scheduling of fentanyl analogues. This is a critical tool for law enforcement because it allows them to continue to detect, analyze, and handle safely and effectively this very lethal drug. In our effort to focus on prevention education, treatment and recovery, law enforcement interdiction, Im also happy to report that we have record back-to-back-to-back-to-back collections on Take Back Day. And I do want to credit our partners, like Google, who have been incredibly helpful to us in raising awareness and action among the public in understanding how to safely and broadly dispose of your unused, unneeded expired drugs. In addition to Take Back Day, the prescriptions of high-dose opioids have fallen by over 32 percent since the President came into office. If you need the pain medication, it will be there. People are walking around with whats left from a bottle of 30, 40 pills, and thats where some of the peril begins. In addition, we launched FindTreatment.gov a completely overhauled tool for every American to access so that they can customize finding treatment for their needs. You can customize it by age, by geography, whether youre veteran, by LGBT, certainly by gender. And this promotes quality over quantity. When you type it in and you customize it, you can find treatment centers that are best for you. Maybe you need to be there for a short amount of time. Maybe you need to be there in-patient, out-patient. Maybe you need to be there a longer amount of time. You can customize that quite confidentially. From 1999 to 2015, the government reported a 20 percent reduction in our workforce due to opioid and other drug abuse and addiction. A 20 percent decline over 16 years. Im happy to report that because weve invested over $100 million in displaced worker grants across 17 states in the Cherokee Nation, those numbers are moving. We are trying to treat the whole person, not just check in person. We got you in drug court; we got you in drug treatment. Isnt that terrific. Its really terrific if we can them help them acquire employment, education, skills, training, and certainly housing, on the way to full recovery. There is so much more work to be done. Were very pleased that the overdose deaths have declined, but 68,000 of our fellow Americans died last year from drug overdose. Thats 68,000 too many. If you look at the Super Bowl this coming Sunday, that number could be represented by every single seat with 3,000 left over at the Super Bowl this coming Sunday just to give you the actual enormity of the problem. We will continue to fight this every single day, and we will continue to make the investments of money, of time, of education. And with that, Id love to turn this over to Director Jim Carroll of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and then Admiral Giroir, the Assistant Secretary for Health of the United States of America. Thank you very much. Jim? DIRECTOR CARROLL: Thank you, Kellyanne. A couple of years ago, when President Trump and I first talked about me taking the job as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy and serving as his drug czar, he instructed me to be relentless in our efforts to save lives. And thats exactly what weve done to tackle this drug problem here in the United States. The good news that were announcing today is a testament to the President and his leadership on this issue. Its an example of what can happen when we come together and apply that whole-of-government approach. The obstacles we face could not be greater, but through our efforts on prevention, treatment and recovery, and reducing availability, weve made real progress for the American people which we not only want to sustain, we want to accelerate. Kellyanne discussed how we got here and what these numbers mean. Admiral Giroir will discuss the incredible headway were making with getting people into treatment. But I want to highlight the progress that we have made with our international partners and our law enforcement who are critical in reducing the supply of these dangerous drugs. Back at the G20 Summit in 2018, President Trump raised the issue of fentanyl production with the head of China and demanded a solution. He made it clear that the United States would not tolerate the flow of fentanyl and other deadly synthetic drugs coming into our country. Because of this, in May 2019, China scheduled fentanyl and other similar analogues, such as controlled substances, which was a historic and significant event. Last night, the House of the Representatives passed a 15-month extension on the ban in scheduling of fentanyl, but a long-term solution is still needed. In September of 2019, I led a White House delegation to Beijing to ensure that China was keeping up with their commitment to President Trump. The Chinese government agreed to improve the legal framework, agreed to improve their standards for prosecution for fentanyl-related trafficking, and established law enforcement methods there that were not heard of before. In every meeting I had with the Chinese, my counterpart said they heard the President loud and clear: that the flow of fentanyl into the United States was not tolerated. Since then, the Chinese officials have invited our U.S. counterparts back there to watch the first-ever prosecutions of Chinese nationals for trafficking drugs into the United States. This progress, combined with President Trumps commitment to secure our southwest border which is critical to stopping the flow of drugs into our country brings together several lines of effort that will serve to keep Americans safe from the dangers of illicit drugs. A wall acts as a force multiplier for our Border Patrol agents, and is one of the many tools that we are using to counter drug traffickers. Taking the steps towards the humanitarian crisis at our southern border has also been critical to keeping those drugs out of the country. The more men and women we have in uniform, the more that we have on line, the more that are stopping these traffickers the greater chance we have of saving lives. The Department of Justice has played a critical role in this, as they have been cracking down in unprecedented numbers on drug traffickers. Under President Trump, the DOJ has ramped up trafficking prosecutions not only here domestically, but internationally. Under this administration, the U.S. Treasury Department has made more kingpin designations against operators of distributors in foreign countries. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas that we fund out of the White House here which provides assistance to federal, state, and local drug task forces has received unprecedented funding from this administration, and that is beginning to show and is part of the paradigm shift that were seeing. These HIDTA initiatives, for example, have dismantled 3,000 drug trafficking organizations, theyve removed $16.5 billion of illicit drugs off our streets, and they have made nearly 99,000 arrests of drug traffickers. In 2018, we even added, for the first time in 17 years, the first new HIDTA to make sure that were tackling this. The men and women of law enforcement, whether theyre in uniform or not, are playing this vital role and putting their lives on the line every day. What this shows is the Presidents efforts are working and we are saving lives. Before I turn this over to Admiral Giroir, I want to ask that when youre reporting on this issue, that when youre reporting on these numbers, that numbers are really just part of the story. Behind each of these numbers is a person, is a child, is a mom, a dad, someone whose loss has left a great mourning in a family. I was with three parents yesterday who had lost their child to an overdose. Today, we remember Jason, Amber, and Eddie, and all of the other people that we have lost. And we continue this fight in their honor to make sure that we fulfill the Presidents commitment to save American lives. And with that, Ill turn it over to my friend, Admiral Giroir. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Thank you very much, Director Carroll. Again, Im Brett Giroir. Im the Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services. Im also Secretary Azars principal advisor on opioid policy, and Ive been that for about two years. And Im honored to wear the uniform of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. What we see today is no accident. This is the result of an intentional whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to overuse to over- to opioid use disorders and other substance use disorders. First of all, we recognize this as the public health emergency as it is. And as such, we have focused on many different areas to yield these results. First, as Kellyanne said, the number of opioids that have been produced the total amount of opioids that have been prescribed since January 2017 is reduced by 30 percent nationally. And we have been able to do that while preserving and expanding options for pain control for those who truly are in chronic pain or have debilitating injuries. Secondly, weve approached this as a public health emergency, because addiction opioid use disorder is a chronic brain disease. We have unprecedented numbers of individuals who are now receiving treatment. Our estimates are over 1.3 million individuals are now on medication-assisted treatment, and theyre also getting the psycho-behavioral support and wrap-around services that they need. You heard about naloxone very, very important because everybody deserves a second chance at life. You have the power. I hope all of you in the media carry naloxone with you. Its very easy. You can save a life, give a person a second chance. This has resulted in, as you heard, a 4.1 percent decrease in the number of deaths and a 4.6 percent decrease in the actual overdose age-adjusted mortality rate. Very important. A couple comments on the overall longevity. I have been shocked. Everyone in the public health community has been shocked that over the three years, previously, our longevity has decreased. That really means that our children and grandchildren will live less long and less quality of lives than we have. This is shocking, and we have not seen this since the height of the AIDS epidemic in the 90s. This has been reversed. Were now on the trajectory of increasing years of longevity, and thats associated with a number of things. What does that mean? Its only one-tenth of a year, but thats 25 million person years we just gained by this increase in longevity. And the good news is the preliminary data from quarter one into quarter two of 2019 is our mortality rates continue to drop. Now, I want to talk about all the Health and Human Services issues like treatment, like prevention, but I do want to mention the social determinants of health that are very important. There was a nationwide study in December, published in JAMA, that highlighted what we all know: When an auto plant closes, opioid mortality rate among the young goes up 85 percent. We have to keep our eye on those socioeconomic issues and everything that were doing to increase employment, increase opportunity. These all directly affect the rates that we see and that we celebrate today. And the final thing is, we are not taking our foot off the gas. We understand that this is a dynamic issue opioid use disorder, other use disorders and its being fueled by transnational cartels. So we are going to keep working together. We work weekly, daily, together across the government to make sure we continue a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach. MS. CONWAY: Thank you. Any questions? Kristen? Q Kellyanne, a couple of questions. How should we think about this moment? Is this, in fact, a turning point? As you point out, the rate is still very high, but do you see this as a turning point? And I have a couple of other ones. MS. CONWAY: Sure. Ill have my colleagues speak to that as well, Kristen. Its a turning point and we hope it becomes a trend. So what were doing is working, and it is a multifaceted approach. So I cant say its just law enforcement and surveillance, or Customs and Border Protection; its just a new treatment locator; its just Take Back day and more education that that tiny little bottle that bears a label of the family doc and local pharmacy that was prescribed to help someone could, in fact, be very dangerous in the wrong hands, or even in your own hands, if youre the prescribe [sic], if you use it for purposes other than why it was prescribed. So we want to keep and redouble our efforts. We certainly hope that we can count on continued bipartisan action and agreement on this, because as I said earlier and Ill repeat here: H.R.6 had every single Democratic vote in the House and the Senate, including all the people in the House and the Senate running for President. So there is tremendous agreement and action on this issue because it affects every single district and state. So we want we want to see the trend line. We recognize that the mortality rate excuse me, that the life expectancy is increasing because of strides in the drug space. We still and cancer, frankly. We know that suicides and flu and flu combined with pneumonia are keeping that rate down among other Americans. But were going to continue, and we hope that we have we have what I call the horizontal and vertical government approach. Horizontally, its across state, federal, and local. And vertically I you know, I call it in terms of the federal government apparatus. To have 13 or 14 departments and agencies actively engaged on this ones you would expect, like HHS and FDA and NIH and CDC; SAMHSA certainly; but also Veterans Affairs, Veterans Administration; DHS; State Department has been very helpful; Department of Justice, obviously; but also Department of Labor and Department of Education; and Department of Interior to help with rural and tribal America. So theres much more work to be done. But we feel like we have a protocol thats helped us get to this point of progress. Q Let me ask you one if you want to weigh in on that one, I do have one on the coronavirus. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: It is it absolutely is a turning point, but we have to look at the complexity of the problem. Some states still have increasing rates of death. Most states have decreasing rates of death. We now know that prescription opioid overdoses that caused death are really down tremendously as a result of our work, down 13 percent in 2018, and they continue to decline. The newest data says cocaine is starting to level off, but we still have issues with fentanyl. It used to be up 30 to 40 percent year over year. Now its up under 10 percent, so were making progress. But were all worried about the next wave, which is evolving, and that is psychostimulants or methamphetamine. Those continue to increase across the nation. Theyre being driven all almost entirely by transnational Mexican cartels, and we have been on that problem for about a year right now. So, yes, were at a turning point but this is a dynamic, rapidly evolving crisis. DIRECTOR CARROLL: To follow up, I think one of the things that can make this a turning point is for this to give hope to those people that are suffering from an addiction, for them to be able to come forward and realize that there is, in fact, lifesaving measures that they can take and that we can help them to get on the path to recovery: the prevention programs that we fund, like through our drug-free community programs, the efforts that were making to get people the help that they need, and also while were striking hope in the minds of people who have an addiction, were striking fear in those who want to traffic, and will look to other legitimate opportunities instead of turning to selling drugs in our country. Q And just a quick question on the other big health news of the day: Has the White House ruled out stopping flights into and out of China? Can you update us on any conversations going on related to that? MS. CONWAY: So theres a new task force thats been created. Its being led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar. As you are probably aware, the President was briefed yesterday in the Situation Room. Ive been a part of those staff-level briefings, senior staff-level briefings, and I wont make an announcement about that right now. I will say that were all very relieved and happy and heartened to see what happened with the flight of the 201 or so Americans who landed in Anchorage and then California. So we will continue to monitor the situation, as you know. And I think that Secretary Azar had a few interviews just this morning, maybe addressed this as well as. Q Is there a second flight next week? MS. CONWAY: I dont want to comment on that. Q I just have sort of two I wanted to follow up on that one. Do you know whether the President has spoken to President Xi about this situation with the coronavirus? But I also have a follow-up on fentanyl and the overdose deaths. MS. CONWAY: Well, the President has tweeted about President Xi, I believe last week or maybe earlier this week. You can see that, obviously, weve offered assistance. And obviously, we are also monitoring the fact that other countries now have cases. And in this kind I think thats all Ill say right now. The CDC director and Dr. Fauci, theyre all very involved. And, Admiral Giroir, maybe you want to address that - ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: (Shakes head.) MS. CONWAY: or you dont. So we are monitoring the President is briefed daily on this, and yesterday in the Situation Room. So Im going to leave it at that. Q And my follow-up on the issue of overdose deaths: As you mentioned, fentanyl is up, and there are a number of other overdose areas involving drugs that are up as well. Im not asking for a silver bullet, but if you were to pick out two or three pieces of policy that might bring down those numbers, what would it be? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: So let me say that not only does it make common sense, but the academic community has proven that there is no such thing as a silver bullet to this issue, that there has to be multimodal approaches that span prevention, that span treatment. And again, Im a pediatric intensive care doctor. I use fentanyl every day on suffering children in the ICU in microgram quantities. This is coming into our country in hundreds of pounds thousands of pounds, potentially. So we have to have a law enforcement component. Overall, I would say we have to treat this as a public health emergency, which we do. Addiction Id rather use use disorders as a more appropriate term is a chronic brain disease. Once you have that chronic brain disease, it is very difficult but possible to treat, but it requires medication treatment and all the supporting services we have. So a combination of prevention, stop it before it happens, get people into treatment. And thats reduction of stigma across the board. This is a disease. You need treatment. And then, again, all the kinds of follow-ups that were doing on a national level. Q Kellyanne, can you speak to what the administration believes what more the administration believes needs to be done to address this crisis? Particularly, what should we expect to see in the Presidents forthcoming budget in terms of any additional programs? MS. CONWAY: Sure. Well, thank you, Zeke, for your interest in the issue. Were very happy that last night I mean, really at the eleventh hour, because it was set to expire February 6 but the Congress took action. Its disappointing that 86 Democrats, I think, voted against extending the fentanyl analogue scheduling that, honestly, is a no-brainer, especially when you consider that they were all on board with the larger compilation of dozens and dozens of bills that became H.R.6 that included several different focuses on fentanyl reduction, handling, analysis, and the like. So we hope that we can again, notwithstanding anything else thats happening count on everyone to belly up and help. I think we also need to to Admiral Giroirs point, were all obviously very concerned about what we consider to be the fourth wave now of the drug crisis, meth. And we hear from law enforcement routinely that whereas theyre whacking the moles of fentanyl more and more, up pops meth more and more, and I think, to some extent, heroin as well. One thing I would say is, in the states that have the Good Samaritan laws where if Im driving the car and my friend is overdosing, perhaps I have also used with that friend, in the past, I basically pull up to the emergency room, and the bluing friend starts rolling out the door and I pull away because Im afraid of being prosecuted. That doesnt happen in many of these states now where you wont be prosecuted. In fact, both people will go in and try to get some services. So I think so much of it is education. And I think the incomplete or underwhelming coverage of this issue is probably something I would want to solve with you, in that we talk about so many things that dont affect 72,000 lost lives, and then if you draw the concentric circles around those lost lives, the dozens and dozens, or hundreds of people who are affected beyond that one lost life. So I think its also making sure that law enforcement, which includes Customs and Border Protection; includes local law enforcement sheriffs; includes our ports of entry; and then, between our ports of entry where, increasingly last year, Customs and Border Protection did interdict these poisonous drug I think respecting the fact that making sure they have more respect and better resources. And also, I think for all the things that were teaching our kids in the formal curricula in school today and speaking as a mom of four school-aged children it would be terrific if, on a volunteer basis even, educational programs like this were more incorporated into the formal curricula and/or for after-school programs or with the local law enforcement or health professionals. This should absolutely be included because they are in theyre in the line of peril, all of them. This is indiscriminate. And so I think the treatment and recovery one thing Ill mention it didnt get mentioned today because theyre so much to talk about but one of the big things that has happened in this administration is, I believe, HHS or CMS has granted are we up to 22 or ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Twenty-seven. MS. CONWAY: Twenty-seven. I mean, its really remarkable. Was it four when we got here? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Yes. MS. CONWAY: Four states or so. Now were up to 27 states where this IMD 1115 exclusion has occurred. This is really helping people get into treatment because that was a ban on mental institutions keeping people too long. Its existed for 40 years, and it had a lot of merit for that reason. But it had a cruel the cruel irony, the cruel result of it was a long waiting list for treatment and empty beds, because if you filled that 17th bed, you would risk not getting Medicaid reimbursement. So we have granted twenty- we now, as a government, as a nation, 27. More than half the states have a waiver so that you can treat that 17th, to 50th, to 60th person in your facility and still count on Medicaid reimbursement. And Id also say something about the veterans. The President took action several months ago on veteran suicides. Hes always been very concerned about that. We are taking action, as a government also, on opioid and other drug misuse disorder among our veterans. I visited the Cleveland Veterans Administration, for example not the Cleveland Clinic, but for the veterans across the street from there and I was really struck by how there, and other places but by way of example, pain management may not mean pain medication. Theyre trying other protocols first. Theyre doing Reiki and swimming and yoga and other less addictive drugs to help our veterans. So I think looking at each and every department and asking them what theyre doing, its unusual for the Department of Education, Department of Labor to be so involved, but they are. I mean Labor has all these displaced worker grants, because we know and Dr. Giroir can speak about the factories, I think, for a moment we know that if you lose your job because of a substance use disorder, you lose your job because you tested positively for drugs, for many Americans, you also lose your hope of recovery. And I visited a great place called Belden B-E-L-D-E-N Industries just, again, by way of example with Second Lady Mrs. Karen Pence, and Dr. Adams, the Surgeon General, and then Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta in Indiana, where Beldens one of many examples now where, if you fail a drug test, instead of you losing your job immediately, they hold the job for you but you agree to go into immediate treatment. And they work with the local they work with the local hospital, they work with the local community college to make sure that you keep your skills and education up. And that job is waiting for you when you are ready to re-assimilate. Again, I think the government far too often pats itself on the back: Oh, look at all the numbers. And Director Carroll and Admiral Giroir said it beautifully and brilliantly that these arent just numbers, these are people. So you want to help these people re-assimilate into society. And if they qualify for skills education or employment opportunities, housing opportunities, we want to be able to connect them with that information. So thats a very lengthy answer because we have to I would I would never say just treatment recovery, which was the emphasis of the last administration; just, Oh, we can arrest and punish our way out of it. No, we cant. That would be a ridiculous idea, and thankfully, this President agrees with that. And we cant just say to people, Gee, dont start. What about all the people who are already there? Weijia and then Q Thank you so much. Q (Inaudible.) MS. CONWAY: Im sorry, well get to you. Weijia and then Andrew. Q Oh. Thank you, Kellyanne. Can you walk us through the life expectancy increase? What are the numbers? What factors do you think contributed to that? And also, how do Americans fare with other people in the world? And, Admiral, since youre going to take this, I have another question for you on corona. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Okay, so the life expectancy data again, this reverses a three- to four-year trend and a loss of life expectancy. You can look at this in many different ways. Some of the principal components that resulted in the increasing expectancy was a reduction in cancer mortality, a reduction in unintentional deaths and that really deals with overdoses primarily, but also things like car crashes. There was also, though, a reduction in cardiovascular mortality, a reduction in Alzheimers mortality. So it was very broad across many causes of death. There was also a 4.8 percent decrease in homicides in 2018. So these are all positive factors. The negative factors the only ones that were there were an increase in suicides, which the administration has been incredibly attentive to with many new programs rolling out, and also influenza. Again, we talk about coronavirus, and we need to talk about that. But remember, over 8,000 Americans have died this year of influenza. Theres still time to get your influenza vaccine. How do we rate? We still dont rate very well compared to the rest of the developed world, and certainly the last few years have lowered our ratings. But as I said, we continue our mortality rate in 2019 continues to really plummet. And I do want to make the case we talk about these outcomes as if its all medical care, and medical care is very important, but about 80 percent of health outcomes in the United States are due to social determinants of health and behavior. Its really the economy, its the jobs, its smoking, its alcohol and other use. So 80 percent of our outcomes are expected to be to come from those kinds of impacts. Q And what is the number? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Pardon me? Q What is the life expectancy number? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: The life expectancy is 78.6 years. And thats the life expectancy in the United States right now. Women live about five years longer than men, and thats been common across the board. So women, I think, are 81.2 if Im correct, and men are five years less than that. So again, it seems like a small increase an increase of a 10th of a year. But when you look at it, a 10th of a year across 300 million Americans, its really 25 million life years of increased life expectancy. And again, this is against three years of losses in life expectancy that we havent seen since the early 90s. Q And on coronavirus, how confident are you that it can be contained at this point? And what is the White Houses plan contingency plan in case it is not? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Well, I will say that this is an all-hands-on-deck effort. Theres tremendous leadership from the White House, Secretary Azar, and Director Redfield from the CDC, the Assistant Secretary Bob Kadlec. Again, resources have been put to airports. Were doing screenings. The Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service has been deployed to support the repatriation mission as well as the airport screening. And again, this is no cause for urgent panic in any way in the United States. This is currently under control. But, really, this is a dynamic, rapidly changing event. And, you know, the news can change at any given moment. But the resources are deployed, the government is mobilized, and we feel confident and we know the steps to take right now to contain it. And you know everything else: We have good diagnostics now by the CDC. The NIH already has candidate vaccines as well as many other individuals. That is a result of dozens of years of medical research to get us to the point of being rapid. Q And, Kellyanne, I know you wear so many hats, and were lucky to have you because you have an attorney cap as well. And I have to ask whether you agree with Alan Dershowitzs argument that every politician weaves their public their private interest in with public interest and theres absolutely nothing wrong with that. MS. CONWAY: I actually am not going to discuss politics from the podium. So I will tell you I was very struck by his argument that no one is above the law, including the Congress. But just generally speaking, I think well leave what else is going on on Capitol Hill to Capitol Hill today and our crack group of attorneys who are doing an amazing job of not preening for the cameras and not being partisan politicians, frankly, but lawyers effectively in a courtroom speaking to the jury and speaking to the American people. So Ill leave that there. But Im not going to address the political aspect of that from the podium. Q Thank you. Admiral, I have two questions. The first: Two weeks ago, the administration announced that it was repealing a number of rules that required social service providers that receive federal funding to that are religious in nature to refer people who might not be interested in faith-based approaches to secular outside organizations. Is that going has there been any discussion or study as to whether that will make it more difficult for some people religious minorities or other vulnerable groups to receive drug treatment? And the second: Last year, Attorney General Barr criticized prosecutors who, for instance, might decline to prosecute low-level drug possession crimes as social justice reformers who let criminals off the hook, and said theyre demoralizing to law enforcement and dangerous to public safety. Is that disdain for declining to prosecute low-level drug crimes in favor of steering people into treatment consistent with the scientific literature? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Do you want to take the prosecution question? DIRECTOR CARROLL: Sure. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: But Ill just Ill just say that I work on a regular basis with DOJ, with DEA. And at the leadership level, there is absolutely no distance between us and approaching this as a public health issue. It doesnt make sense to put a person with a use disorder, who has been using because of their addiction, into long-term incarceration without treatment. It makes absolute sense for me to get the people who are pushing tons of methamphetamine to our youth across the country, to get them behind bars as soon as possible. But Ill let Director Carroll, because he deals with the law enforcement. Ill come back to Ill come back to that. DIRECTOR CARROLL: What we know is that drug courts work for people that have an addiction. Were able to push people and hold their hand and get them into treatment if they are suffering from the disease of addiction. What is so disheartening is that when there are prosecutors or judges out there that dont take seriously the peoples whose addiction is to greed. The only thing that they care about is lining their pockets and preying on the victims who do have a substance use disorder. Those are the people that we need to target. Thats what the Department of Justice is doing. Thats what our top-notch prosecutors across the country are doing. And those are the people that need to be in jail. The people who have an addiction we support, with record funding from the White House, National Drug Court programs across the country, and putting them in federal courts as well to make sure that people who have an addiction are not the ones that are going to jail. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: And just to comment, I want I want to make it clear that this administration stands to treat all people who are in need. I have the privilege of running the ending the HIV epidemic presidential priority announced at the State of the Union last year. And we provide care to everyone regardless of who they are, where they are, what circumstances they are. And well continue to support that. That is the humane thing to do, and that is the position of the administration. Q But ending the referral requirement, wouldnt that make it more difficult for some people to seek treatment if they if the only treatment facility in the area is a faith-based one and they wont be referred to somewhere that they might be more comfortable? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: So we work with all we work with all communities. I think faith-based providers have an important component in this, particularly in wrap-around services. For opioid-use disorder, MAT is the standard of care. But MAT alone, if you dont have a job, if you dont have a place to live, if you dont have a welcoming community, is not going to be the entire solution. So all of those things are important. Well continue to study every policy and make sure there are no adverse events. But, again, we want everyone to be treated. Thats the core administration policy. Q And, Kellyanne, another follow-up question on the evacuations of MS. CONWAY: If I could just add just one quick thing to Andrew. I just, again, would point you to FindTreatment.govalso. We worked on that for years, and its the first overhaul. If you go back and look at it previously, we can show you the difference. It basically just generated quantity. If you put in your ZIP code and say, Look all of the look at the 400 facilities you can go to within 500 miles. And people would shut it down because, like, Well, how do I find the one right for me? You can customize it by any number of criteria, whether youre a veteran, male or female, LGBT, in-patient, out-patient, temporary, longer term, type of insurance if youre on Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, no insurance, for example. So I would also point you to that because that is a new tool for every American to access, and they are doing it. Yes, maam. Q Thank you so much. This is a question for the Admiral about coronavirus again. I want to know: How high, do you think, is the risk of coronavirus spreading in the U.S.? And do you think this could be a global emergency, since we just saw the number surpass the number from SARS in 2002, 2003? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Well, its really hard to take theoreticals because it really is a rapidly emerging and a rapidly changing environment. There has been, at least of this situation the sitrep, this morning, theres been no person-to -person transmission within the United States. There clearly has been person-to-person transmission in China, but there has been no person-to-person transmission. Theres extensive screening, appropriate quarantine and isolation that is currently going on, and we certainly hope that continues. But to sort of project whats going to happen over the next couple of weeks again, its a dynamic situation; all of the resources are in place. The situation rooms are in place, the operation centers are in place. We have CDC deployed. Were working with the World Health Organization. Again, my organization, the Public Health Service, is deploying in support of the repatriation missions as well as the airport screenings. And therell be updates, you know, on a regular basis from Secretary Azar, my boss, who is leading the leading the efforts. Q Sir, can I follow up on that coronavirus question, if you dont mind? Because youre talking about, obviously, the importance of combatting what could potentially become serious, although you dont want to get into hypotheticals. And one of the Presidents Cabinet members, this morning, referenced or suggested that perhaps coronavirus could be good for jobs in the United States. Im wondering if you find that kind of rhetoric or language helpful, and what you might suggest to public officials as they talk about this. And, Kellyanne, if you want to weigh in on that as well. ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: I dont have any knowledge of the comments this morning. MS. CONWAY: I didnt see that. Im sorry. Q A follow-up question on the repatriation efforts? Q Can I just ask really quickly: In terms of the evacuations of U.S. personnel, I know its already happened with respect to Wuhan, but will the U.S. government give diplomatic personnel throughout China the option of leaving their posts? MS. CONWAY: Id refer that to the State Department. Q Kellyanne, on the STOP Act you mentioned the STOP Act, some numbers. Can you give us an update on how far the Post Office has gotten in compliance? I think they have to screen all packages or refuse them by the end of the year. Are they anywhere close to getting there? MS. CONWAY: Yeah, so its gone basically from zero if any of you ever go to the JFK facility Im going to have Director Carroll address that if you ever want to take a field trip to JFK airport, youll see how few packages actually are screened coming in from China and elsewhere. But the STOP Act essentially means that foreign origin packages now must have sender recipient and contents listed on them. Our third-party carriers have been doing that for a long time your UPS, your FedEx, for example. And so, now, our own U.S. Postal Service needs to get on board with that. So the last numbers that I saw were somewhere in the 35th percentile. And were on our way to it needs to be 100 percent at some point. Were really pleased about 16 months since the STOP Act, maybe less, was signed into law that were already at 37 percent. But Jim can really amplify that. DIRECTOR CARROLL: Id love to lead a delegation if you want to go to the JFK Airport, or one of the other ones, and show you what Customs and Border Protection, as well as the USPS U.S. Postal Service are up against. What we need is additional capital, additional investments from Congress, to make sure that we have the technology. But what we have seen is actually the President attacking this at the core, at the countries where its coming from. And so we as I said at the beginning, we do have a dramatic reduction in the amount of fentanyl that is coming in the mail from China. And so that is helping at the outset, while we continue to develop the resources, technology, to tackle it actually at the facilities themself. Q It seems like theyre a long way off though. I mean, are they going to get there? The law says what the law says. Can they comply? DIRECTOR CARROLL: Thats our goal. MS. CONWAY: Thats our goal. Just quickly, none of us mentioned the first-of-their-kind fentanyl advisories, which we issued as an administration in August, and that included the Department of Treasury, the departments that are here right now, and others. Essentially, we are trying to show the private sector how easy it is to disrupt and divert their otherwise legitimate supply chain. So we gave first-of-their-kind advisories on the movement, the money, the manufacturing, and the marketing by these fentanyl traffickers who are very clever, because you could have a couple of blocks of fentanyl in your otherwise legitimate supply chain. And so were dealing with the private sector so theyre more aware of how they could be unwittingly helping us to come into the country. Q Do you have any on the coronavirus again: Do you have any evidence or information about Chinas use for these biological weapons for coronavirus? MS. CONWAY: I have no comment on that whatsoever. Q Secretary Azar said that U.S. officials should have more cooperation with China in order to get coronavirus under control. Is there any sign that China is wanting to have more cooperation? And how are those negotiations going? ASSISTANT SECRETARY GIROIR: Well, Id really refer you to Secretary Azar. But theres been, at least our perception, a high degree of cooperation with China. And there is ongoing request for assistance, and I would refer you to Dr. Redfield who runs the CDC for that. Q Kellyanne, one other question. Your former coworker, John Kelly, said he believes John Bolton. What do you make of John Kellys statements? And yeah, what do you make of John Kellys statement saying that he believes John Bolton? MS. CONWAY: Well, I respect General Kelly enormously, and like him, personally. I dont know what hes referring to, so I cant answer it. In other words, thats just a I believe John Bolton. I have not seen Q Do you believe that John Bolton MS. CONWAY: Well, I have not seen a manuscript. And I will tell you that Q had a conversation with President Trump where President Trump directly tied the aid to Ukraines MS. CONWAY: He didnt say that. Q investigation? Thats what John Bolton said. He said that he believes that. MS. CONWAY: Did John Bolton say that Q Yes. He said that he believes MS. CONWAY: or are we talking about an unpublished manuscript? Im sorry. Where did John Bolton say that? Q John Bolton said he believes MS. CONWAY: Where? Q John Kelly says he believes John Bolton. Are you now saying that he is confused? MS. CONWAY: Yamiche, where did John Bolton say that? Q He said that in front of a number of people. Its pretty clear that John MS. CONWAY: No, no, no. Q Its pretty clear that John MS. CONWAY: Where did Ambassador John Bolton say that? Q Kelly is saying that if John Bolton said that President Trump directly tied the aid MS. CONWAY: No, no, no. Back up. Yamiche, where did Ambassador John Bolton say that this week? Q It was in front of cameras. Everybody saw it. MS. CONWAY: John Bolton or John Kelly? Q John Kelly said that in front of cameras. MS. CONWAY: Okay, Yamiche, where did John what did Ambassador John Bolton say this week? Q So are you saying that John Kelly did not understand what he was saying when he said I believe John Bolton? MS. CONWAY: Im not saying that. But youre not answering my question. I cant answer your question unless I understand it. Q But its a very clear question. MS. CONWAY: Its not clear at all because Im asking you Q It is a very clear question. Q John Bolton said in his book that he had a conversation MS. CONWAY: Is that what youre talking about? An unpublished manuscript? Are you talking about a leak of an unpublished manuscript, as reported by the New York Times? Q John Kelly was talking about that manuscript. MS. CONWAY: No, Im asking you what he is referring to. Q Im talking about that, and John Kelly was talking about that as well. MS. CONWAY: Okay. Because I dont know that to be true and neither do you. In other words, I dont know what John Kelly was referring to. And Im asking you, what exactly did Ambassador John Bolton say this week, in advance of John General Kellys comments? What did he say? I didnt see him say anything. I hear about unpublished manuscripts that I, frankly, havent seen and I bet you havent either. Q Well, what do you make of John Kelly making that statement? MS. CONWAY: So you want me to you want me to answer a hypothetical wrapped up in a conundrum. Q Yes. Q Well, yeah. But why dont you just answer: What do you make of John Kelly commenting that, if the manuscript is true, that he believes John Bolton? MS. CONWAY: If the manuscript is true? You want me to Q Yeah. What do you make of John Kelly making that statement? MS. CONWAY: You want me to answer a hypothetical wrapped up in Q No, its not a hypothetical. MS. CONWAY: It is a hypothetical. Q John Kelly commented and said, I believe John Bolton. What do you make of John Kelly saying those words? MS. CONWAY: I dont make anything of it. I dont make anything of it. Q You dont make anything of it? MS. CONWAY: No. But I will tell you, particularly by NBC and MSNBC, you guys couldnt stop day after Q I work for PBS NewsHour. MS. CONWAY: I know where you work. Day after day you appear there plenty, and I think youre paid by them. But day after day after day day after day after day, you know what you talked about with John Kelly? That he was on his way out. He was going to be the next one to be fired. He was on his way out. He started doing that there was first, it was the Politico article in October of 2017, about six weeks after he took the job. That person has moved on to a different outlet now, but it was still a ridiculous article. So for a year and a half, while he was on the job, the main story about General Kelly was that he was going to be on his way out. Now you want me to answer a question I havent talked to General Kelly about this or Ambassador Bolton about this. And Im not going to comment, particularly from the podium, in the press briefing room, on a hypothetical on a leaked unpublished manuscript that I havent seen. I hope it doesnt I hope it doesnt include classified information. And I know theres always this rush to imbue credibility on whomever you think is against the President at that moment. If its not Michael Cohen, its Michael Avenatti. If its not them, its Lev Parnas who couldnt even get into the Senate chamber yesterday because hes wearing a tracking device because hes been charged with crimes. So thats not a hypothetical. Q But my question was about what do you think MS. CONWAY: Youre asking me to answer Q of John Kellys comments? MS .CONWAY: I already told you what I think of General Kelly. Q You dont make anything of that? MS. CONWAY: I respect him and I like him. And youre asking me to comment on he said, I believe John Bolton. I dont know what he is referring to when he says that and neither do you. Q Kellyanne, on the Presidents State of the Union Address next week, the President Q Can I follow up on a question about just this question now? MS. CONWAY: Probably not. Q Has the White House responded to Mr. Boltons attorneys urgent request that you at least review the chapter on Ukraine MS. CONWAY: It has nothing to do with me. Q so that he can use it, if hes called as soon as next week to give evidence? MS. CONWAY: Well, Ill tell you what the President of the United States is doing. In addition to eliminating from the face of the Earth dangerous terrorists; completing two trade deals; continuing to reshape the federal judiciary were close to 200 judges and well get there soon enough; keeping this unbelievable economy going and thats why his approval rating is at its highest point ever in his presidency, according to some polls including by your outlets, if not reported by your outlets; he is helping to bring the overdose death rate down and to improve the life expectancy. Hes focused on those types of things. He will go to Michigan today to and I believe an auto manufacturing plant, and then to do Moines, Iowa. Thats what hes doing. The idea that we should stop what were doing to review somebodys book strikes me as not a big priority, in my view, for the President. And so Q He could be a key witness in the trial if witnesses are called next week. MS. CONWAY: You would hope so, wouldnt you? But anyway, I again, if, if, if, if hypotheticals Im not answering that here. Heres what I know to be real: Sixty-eight thousand Americans died last year of a drug overdose. Thats why were here, and Im always happy to answer all of your questions as you full well know. But I got to stick to I got to stick to reality and not hypotheticals and frankly and, frankly, wishful thinking. Q Are you confident you have the votes, Kellyanne, to prevent witnesses? Are you confident you have the votes, Kellyanne? Q Admiral, can I ask you a question on a different health topic? The Pentagon announced this week that the number of victims U.S. service members with traumatic brain injuries went up to 50, from 34, from a dozen (inaudible) before that. The President said recently that he considers that to be not very serious injuries. You, as a health professional, do you agree with that assessment? DIRECTOR CARROLL: I really cant comment. I really do not know any of the details of the traumatic brain injuries on the DOD side. We know that traumatic brain injury can be from mild to very serious. It really depends. And I just dont know what the DOD injuries are. I have not seen those. MS. CONWAY: Last question? Q On the Presidents State of the Union address next week, obviously theres a big issue for you. You know, the issue of opioid abuse, opioid addiction, its a priority for the President. Will he make this a part of the State of Union address next week? MS. CONWAY: He will. And Id have to go back and check for sure, but I think thatll make it the third consecutive year that he has. Weve even had guests in the First Ladys box, like little baby Hope two years ago, who was adopted by a police officer and his wife in Arizona after said police officer saw this woman using drugs visibly pregnant. I think it was behind a shopping center. And he said to her, Youre hurting youre hurting yourself and youre hurting your baby. And he and his wife adopted baby Hope. They were in also, I would just remind you that this is a huge part of the First Ladys BE BEST initiative and the work that she does. I think she has single handedly helped raise awareness and funding for NAS babies, neonatal abstinence syndrome. And happy to report while were talking about a decline in overdose deaths, we also see a decline in some counties in the state of Maine and across Appalachia in the number of neonatal abstinence syndrome babies either being born or, in fact, getting into treatment right away. While were on the topic, I think what were talking about today is really part of the Presidents overall healthcare vision, because hes done things like improve kidney health initiative, surprise medical billing, transparency. Were also going to be doing maternal mortality, which is way up in this country; the highest one of the highest in developed countries, and increasing. Were working on rural care. I dont think the country wants to have another protracted conversation or argument about health insurance. I think healthcare we want to put the healthcare back in healthcare, which means improving health outcomes and preventing and curing disease. And that is precisely why were here before you today. Thank you. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday that he considered everyone as a family -- be it a Congress supporter or that of the BJP -- and that he never discriminated against people and always worked for their welfare. "I am Delhi's Chief Minister. While some people have voted for me, some had voted for the BJP and the Congress. I never discriminated and worked for everyone. All the people in Delhi are my family," he said while addressing a public meeting in Chandni Chowk. The AAP national convenor said that he was not asking people to switch party, but to vote for the AAP on February 8. "I make all of you my family. I know how to maintain relationships. I never treated you differently because you supported the BJP or the Congress," he said. Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal said he came daily for rallies and "insulted" the people of Delhi by making baseless remarks. "I want to tell Shah that abuse me as much as you want. But do not insult the students of the government schools. They are doing hardwork to bring fame to the city," Kejriwwal said. He also reminded the people that the BJP had called him a "terrorist". "Now you have to decide if I am a terrorist or your son. If you feel I am a terrorist, then press lotus (BJP's election symbol). If you feel I am your son, press broom (AAP's election symbol) on February 8," he said. The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to the polls on February 8, while the results will be declared on February 11. Plans to revitalise Limerick's main thoroughfare took a step forward this week. Limerick City and County Council has published contract tender documents for the 9m first phase of the upgrade to O'Connell Street. The project aims to breathe new life into the area for pedestrians and residents and redefine its role as a destination within Limerick City. The proposed works provide for the redistribution of space on a section of OConnell Street between Denmark Street and Cecil Street. The width of traffic lanes will be reduced to a maximum of three metres and one traffic lane will be converted to a bus lane. Thirty-eight car parking spaces are being removed to provide more space for pedestrians. "This space will be adapted to provide wider footpaths, a northbound cycle lane, and additional public realm areas to include street furniture such as seating areas, trees, planting, bicycle stands, lighting, and water installations, all of which will contribute to the sense of place and make O'Connell Street a destination in and of itself as well as a transport link in the city centre," the tender documents state. The second phase of the project encompasses the Georgian Core and will start at Cecil Street junction and stop at The Crescent. Maria Donoghue, Architect with Limerick City and County Council said the OConnell Street Revitalisation Project places pedestrians at the centre of their vision. "The street will be a designated pedestrian priority area whereby pedestrians can move with more ease through the street, parking will be removed and footpaths widened and the speed limit will be reduced to 30km/hour." "We want citizens, businesses and groups to take advantage of the enhanced public realm we are offering - OConnell Street will become a destination, not a thoroughfare." "With the wider footpaths, high-quality street furniture, reduced traffic volumes and enhanced landscaping, this will become a more comfortable environment for Limericks citizens and visitors to animate this new backdrop with the vibrancy we want it to facilitate, and participate in urban life such as on-street cafes and outdoor exhibitions or performances. Also this week Limerick city and county unveiled a major new branding campaign that will be used to market Limerick nationally and internationally. Limerick: Atlantic Edge, European Embrace was developed by global creative agency M&C Saatchi who worked on branding projects for New Zealand, Abu Dhabi, and Malaysia. Limerick Council is seeking responses to the contract tender by February 28. Two Tamil words spoken by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday, while concluding his translation in English of President Ram Nath Kovind's address to MPs, won him applause from a section of lawmakers from Tamil Nadu. After reading out a few paragraphs in English of the president's address at a joint session of the two houses, Naidu concluded with Tamil words Nandri Vanakkam" meaning Thank you all.' After the session was over, all the nine Rajya Sabha members of the AIADMK visited Naidu's office and thanked him for saying the Tamil words, the upper house secretariat said in a statement. President Kovind addressed the joint sitting on the first day of the Budget Session. "The AIADMK members of Rajya Sabha appreciated Naidu for his gesture of speaking in Tamil. They also thanked Naidu for tweeting a picture of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister EK Palaniswami working in the filed like an ordinary farmer," according to the statement. In a tweet last week, Naidu said the chief minister working in fields was an indication of his commitment to his roots and everyone should focus on making agriculture profitable and sustainable. After becoming the vice president, Naidu has been focussing on promoting the use of mother tongue and even ensured simultaneous interpretation facility for all the 22 scheduled languages for members of Rajya Sabha to speak in their respective languages, the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinas economy will be hit by the fall-out from the spread of the coronavirus in the first quarter of this year, the head of the International Monetary Fund said as she urged policymakers to ensure that taking swift action against crisis was in their bloodstream. Kristalina Georgieva, the IMFs managing director, said it was too early to say whether the impact of the virus would follow the same pattern as the SARS outbreak two decades ago when a slowdown was followed by a sharp rebound. Over the course of the whole year [growth] evened up. It is very hard to predict whether this would be the case now as this is a very different type of epidemic, she told the Center for Global Development in Washington. The immediate impact is obvious with travel, tourism and manufacturing in China and beyond that in Asia being impacted. For this quarter, very likely there would be some negative impact. What would happen beyond this quarter will have to assess. Her comments came as figures from the Chinese government showed that growth in Chinas factory activity ground to a halt in January as export orders fell even before the coronavirus took hold in the country. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty The Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) fell to 50.0 in January from 50.2 in December, Chinas National Bureau of Statistics said. The reading was in line with analysts forecasts that it would hit the neutral 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction. New export orders slipped back after rising for the first time in over a year in December. However, the survey was conducted before January 20, the day the world receiving reported numbers of cases of the virus. So this will be seen as largely meaningless, said Jim Reid, global head of credit research at Deutsche Bank. There have been 213 confirmed deaths (up from 170 on Thursday) while the number of confirmed cases stands at 9,692 (up from 7,783). The number of confirmed cases has now topped the official recordings of 8,096 cases in the SARS epidemic. Deutsches China economists believe the turning point is not far away, and that assuming the measures taken are effective at containing the outbreak, the peak of new cases outside Hubei province where Wuhan is located will likely happen at some point next week. There has been growing concern in financial markets that Beijing may have sought to conceal the start and full extent to the virus to contain the risk of panic. Georgieva said the world was facing more unpredictability whether from pandemics, climate shocks and geopolitical tensions. Preparedness, prevention and early action have to be in the bloodstream of policy makers, she said. According to research by ING bank, SARS knocked 1.0 per cent off Chinese GDP back in 2003, but the huge uncertainty around the spread of the coronavirus makes the macro impact very difficult to forecast. It said that a 1 per cent fall in Chinese growth would mainly hit the Asia-Pacific region with countries such as South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia losing 0.3 percentage points. The impact on the UK would be around just 0.02 per cent. It's the age of moral desolation with people confused about their needs, says Hollywood star Brian Cox who believes his role as the morally ambiguous tycoon Logan Roy in the HBO drama "Succession" mirrors the contradictions of the times. Cox, 73, who won his first Golden Globe this year for his performance, said his character is "despicable" yet "likable". "It's a great role. It's like one of those classical roles like King Lear or Hamlet. He is so despicable and yet so likable. He is full of these wonderful contrasts. And unlike Rupert Murdoch, Conrad Black or even someone like Donald Trump, the great thing about Logan is that he is a self-made man. He does not come from an inherited position," Cox told PTI in a telephonic interview from London. The Scottish actor is best known for his roles as King Agamemnon in "Troy", anti-mutant villain William Stryker in "X-Men" and Churchill in "Winston Churchill". When not in front of the camera, Cox spends time working towards the second Scottish independence referendum, an issue close to his heart. "It is going to be very hard. I believe one of the problems in the UK is that we still live in the state of the Empire. We still live with this memory of when we were this imperialist nation. We have got to get rid of that in order to move ahead because UK is so feudal," he said. Recalling his journey to India years ago, Cox said the best thing to happen to the British Empire was its discovery of India. "I remember years ago trying to book a train from Kolkata to Madras... the elaborate bureaucracy of India totally fits in with that kind of British mentality." Life, he said, is endlessly contradictory. "We live in the time of moral desolation, in a world where people are confused by their needs and their wants and their principles of being. The show touches upon that. People are like 'Why do I like this, these people are horrible?' Logan is an icon of these conflicting things," Cox said. "Succession", which has had two season run so far, revolves around a media mogul who keeps his four children on edge about who will inherit his empire. It is compelling watch with Logan not averse to sacrificing his children at the altar of his empire. "People are conflicted about Logan because he is kind of an enigma wrapped up in a mystery. They are shaken by his nakedness but at the same time, they want to know who is this man and how horrible he is," Cox said. Praising the writing of the show, where the drama mostly relies on dialogues rather than big flashy moments, the star said the series, which airs in India on Star World, highlights the battle between aspirations and principles. "It is writing which has its roots in comedy and satire. It's a critique of what guides us and how we are constantly defeated by our own avarice. Audiences love it and immediately identify with it," he said. Cox said he was initially confused by Logan's horrible treatment of his four children so much so that he asked writer-creator Jesse Armstrong whether he loves his children. To which Armstrong told him, "Of course, Logan loves his children very much." "But they (the children) are disappointing... It reflects the age we live in, which is the age of entitlement where we see Ivanka Trumps and Jared Kushners... People who have not earned the right to be in the position they are in. "This is very prevalent in our society, which is moving more and more towards the right wing and more conservative. We see that the UK with the election of a very right wing government, with (Donald) Trump in America, in Russia, Turkey and Hungary. We've got a lot of these strong right wing movements, so that's what the conditions we're in." Cox said he identified with his character to some extent. Like Logan, Cox, too, comes from poverty and is a self-made man but their similarities end there. "I've had great mentors in my life. I've had people who've given me strong moral and social ideas... It was not my fault that I suffered family tragedy, poverty. (But) As a young person, I always felt excluded. And I had to overcome my exclusion. So we have had similar trajectories." The third season of the show, which also feature Jeremy Strong, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, Hiam Abbass and Nicholas Braun, will delve into the open betrayal by his second son Kendall and how Logan deals with the public fallout. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 20 children, aged between six months and 15 years, were rescued after an armed man, a murder accused who took them, hostage, after inviting them for a birthday party at his house in a village in Farrukhabad. The wife of an armed Uttar Pradesh convict, who had taken 23 children hostage, has died after being thrashed by locals on, news agency ANI reported The wife of an armed convict, who had taken 23 children hostage in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad, has died in the course of the confrontation during hostage negotiations, news agency ANI reported. She was admitted to a local hospital in critical condition after shots were fired between the police and the hostage-taker. Reports also claimed that the woman was beaten up by the locals, although it is not clear what caused her the fatal injuries: A PTI report said she got hurt in cross-firing, while ANI reported that she died after an angry mob thrashed her. The man's wife died on Thursday night while trying to escape but was thrashed by the locals on the spot, IG Kanpur Mohit Agarwal told PTI. He said she was rushed to a hospital as she was bleeding from a wound on her head but she succumbed to injuries. Agarwal said the exact cause of her death would be known after post-mortem Twenty-three children aged between six months and 15 years, had been taken hostage by the man who was already in jail facing murder charges after he invited them to his home on the pretext of throwing a birthday party for his daughter. All children were safely rescued late on Thursday night after police killed their captor. The accused had been identified as Subhash Batham. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon and continued for about eight hours. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am. Farrukhabad Police: More than 15 children, and a few women, have been held hostage at a house by a man. Incident of firing has also taken place. Operation to rescue them is underway. Senior police officers are present at the spot. https://t.co/SFoEdEuq7g pic.twitter.com/PkPALZ4Z4Y ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 30, 2020 "The accused had invited the children for the birthday party of his daughter and held them hostage. It started about 5.45 pm on 30 January and continued for about eight hours," Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh said, adding that in the entire operation they had tried to "engage" the accused and were successful. He also said Batham had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. According to BBC News, the birthday party Batham had invited people for was fake and was arranged by him to hold the children, including his wife and one-year-old daughter as hostages. Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. As the accused opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot. In the exchange of fire, the captor's wife was injured, but none of the children suffered any injury. A man and two policemen also suffered bullet injuries. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The chief minister as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of the crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. Earlier, a team of NSG (National Security Guard) commandos had taken a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Police said Batham, a murder accused, seemed to be mentally unstable. According to India Today, Batham had earlier sent a letter to the local district magistrate, complaining about the lack of toilet facilities in his house, and saying he had been denied government housing. He said he was a labourer and had an ailing mother who had to defecate in the open. Inspector-General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, said, "The man called the children for a birthday party and held them hostage in the basement of the house. He fired six shots from inside the building." Batham initially wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived, Agarwal said. As Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa camps in Delhi for discussions with BJP leadership on cabinet expansion, a key leader among the 11 disqualified Congress-JDS MLAs who won bypolls on the ruling party ticket on Friday made it clear all of them should be made ministers. Gokak legislator Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had played a key role in bringing down the Congress-JDS coalition government paving the way for the BJP to come to power in July last year, also demanded Cabinet berth for two other defectors, who lost in the bypolls held in December. The former Congress leader, however, added the final call will be taken by the party's central leadership. "All the eleven should be given minister postwe continue to stress on it.regarding those who lost, it will not be decided today, but we urge that they should also be given," Jarkiholi said replying to a question from reporters here. He dubbed as media speculation reports that a few of the defectors would be denied miniterial berths in the six "Our demand is that all eleven of us should be made Ministers, as we have sacrificed by resigning as MLAs and have taken risk. Those lost should also be made Ministers, but we leave it to the high command," he said. Jarkiholi said BJP was not behind their resignation as legislators' from Congress-JD (S), and the J P Nadda-led party was treating them well. Shortly after Jarkiholi's media interaction, Yediyurappa got the green signal for the cabinet expansion from the central BJP leadership. Except for one or two, most of the disqualified JDS- Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, he said, adding there won't be any additional deputy chief ministers. In all 17 Congress and JD(S) legislators were disqualified by the assembly speaker last year after they revolted against the coalition government leading to its fall on July 13. Of them, as many as 13 had contested the bypolls held for 15 assembly seats and barring A H Vishwanath (Hunsur) and M T B Nagaraj (Hoskote) all others emerged triumphant as BJP candidates. Though Yediyurappa has made it clear that 11 who got re- elected in the bypolls on BJP ticket will be made ministers, according to sources, the central leadership is not keen on inducting all of them and wants to give opportunity to party loyalists also. Vishwanath and Nagaraj have been openly demanding Cabinet berth for them stating that Yediyurappa had given a word to them. Currently there are 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are still vacant. The cabinet expansion will not be an easy task for the Chief Minister as he will have to strike a balance by accommodating the victorious disqualified legislators as promised and also make place for the old guard, upset at being "neglected" in the first round of the induction exercise. He also has to give adequate representation to various castes and regions in his cabinet and also deal with allocation of key portfolios. Responding to a question about the delay in the Ministry expansion, Jarkiholi said, "let it be, even if it is delayed for a month, we are ready to wait. May be you (media) are upset." He said they had not put any condition or given any deadline while joining the BJP. "I request the media don't spread false news," he added. Also making it clear that he had never staked claim for Deputy Chief Minister post, Jarkiholi termed it as media creation. "I'm making it clear I have never asked for it. We will abide by high command decision and give full cooperation. We will move ahead under the Chief Ministership of Yediyurappa," he added. Yediyurappa, who already has three deputies, had recently ruled out creation of any more Deputy Chief Minister's post. Jarkiholi along with Health Minister Sriramulu had in the past made no secret of their ambition to become DCM. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COLUMBUS, Ohio - Republican sitting Ohio Supreme Court justices raised nearly 15 times more than their Democratic challengers, according to newly released campaign finance reports. Combined, Justices Sharon Kennedy and Judith French raised just over $1.1 million. Democrats John ODonnell and Jennifer Brunner raised together just under $76,000. The Ohio Supreme Court has seven justices. Two are Democrats. Democrats have a chance to gain a majority on the court, but they have to win both seats. At least based on the fundraising, they are lagging the Republicans. State Supreme Court races are generally lower profile. But the 2020 races are significant, since the high court could have a role in redistricting. Congressional and legislative district lines will be decided after the 2020 census, and there could be litigation over the lines if someone feels they were illegally gerrymandered. The Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken celebrated the financial advantage Friday. Now is not the time to rest on our laurels though," she said in a statement. "Democrats have made their playbook known: take over the majority in the Supreme Court, block any map drawn by the legislature, and get their liberal justices to draw the most gerrymandered map in Ohio history. Conservative justices are key to our democracy, and I know people across the state are fired up and ready to re-elect both justices in November. A political organization backed by former President Barack Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, plans to spend money in Ohio. However, it hasnt yet spent money on the Supreme Court races. None of the four candidates has a primary contender March 17, which means campaigning will likely pick up after then. Kennedy v. ODonnell Kennedy, a Republican sitting justice, significantly outraised ODonnell, a Democrat and a judge on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court: $662,838.86 to $15,935. Kennedy has $601,649.11 on hand after expenses. Among the 1,498 in contributions from individuals and groups, she received $7,000 each from the Ohio State Farm Agents and Associates PAC, the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters PCE, the campaign committee of Pat Tiberis, a former Ohio congressman, NiSource Inc. PAC, the Promoting our Republican Team PAC, and Bricker and Eckler. She received $6,000 from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC. ODonnell raised $15,935 but had $19,564.80, due to money is his campaign account that he hadnt spent from previous campaigns. He had 90 contributions, the largest being an individual contribution of $1,000. Bill DeMora, ODonnells campaign manager, said that he had a late start to fundraising. Hes also the only candidate of the four who is running a race with a full-time trial schedule, but will continue to fundraise, he said. I fully expect were going to have the resources needed to succeed, he said. French v. Brunner French, a Republican sitting justice, significantly outraised her Democratic opponent, former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner: $437,747.82 to $59,851.63. Frenchs campaign received $437,747.82 and now has $371,318.69 available after expenses. Among the largest of the 1,123 contributions, French received $7,000 each from NiSource Inc. PAC, a regional utility company that owns Columbia Gas of Ohio and subsidiaries in other states, Ohio State Farm Agents and Associates PAC, the Ohio State Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters PCE, the Promoting our Republican Team PAC, the Brickler and Eckler law firm, the Dworken & Bernstein law firm and Tiberis campaign committee. She received $6,000 from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce PAC. Brunners campaign received $59,851.63 from 158 groups or individuals, and now has $52,963.76 available. Among her largest contributions, Brunner received $7,000 each from the Ohio Association of Justice and the trial attorneys association, and the Becker Law Firm in Elyria. The latest commentary on the Trump impeachment Looking for more Trump impeachment coverage following the presidents acquittal? See Dana Milbanks Impeachment Diary: Find all the entries in our columnists feature. Get the latest: See complete Opinions coverage from columnists, editorial cartoonists and the Editorial Board. Read the most recent take from the Editorial Board: Its not over. Congress must continue to hold Trump accountable. The House impeachment managers weigh in in an op-ed: Trump wont be vindicated. The Senate wont be, either. Stay informed: Read the latest reporting and analysis on impeachment from the Post newsroom. Want even more? Sign up for the Opinions A.M. and P.M. newsletters, delivered to your inbox six days a week. Chloe Sevigny is enjoying her pregnancy. The Springfield, Massachusetts native, 45, took to Instagram Thursday with a shot of her baby bump as she wore a bikini on the shore of Turks and Caicos. The Oscar-nominated Boys Don't Cry actress captioned the shot, '#mocktailsandmoonbeam' and credited Mackovic, who's the director of New York City's Karma Art Gallery, with the shot. Beaming beauty: Chloe Sevigny, 45, took to Instagram Thursday with a shot of her baby bump as she wore a bikini on the shore of Turks and Caicos Sevigny wore a white bikini with blue highlights and blue straps, with a floppy straw hat and her wavy locks short and shaggy on top. The pregnancy for the Big Love actress was confirmed by People earlier this month. Sevigny, speaking with Who What Wear in 2018, said that she'd collected many mementos from her cinematic career she hoped a daughter would inherit someday. 'I have pieces that I wore over and over again in high school,' she said. 'My collection is vast and exhaustive and a little embarrassing. Just all the pieces that I hold and think about what was happening when I was wearing them. The sense memory of that.' Glamour girl: The beautiful actress was snapped last May in France at the Cannes Film Festival Parents-to-be: The pregnancy for the Big Love actress and Mackovic, who's the director of New York City's Karma Art Gallery, was confirmed by People earlier this month She noted two fashion artifacts she has from earlier work in her career with ex Harmony Korine. 'I still have the shirt I wore in the movie Kids,' she said. I have the bunny ears I made for Gummo.' She continued: 'I have all kinds of weird articles from different characters Ive played, photoshoots, events. My Oscar dress. Its embarrassing. I better have a daughter soon or I dont know whats gonna happen.' The Kids star told W Magazine in 2016 that she felt not having a child to that point had helped her look younger. 'I think its not having had a baby yet,' she said. 'Because I think the baby wear and tear and stress on your body is part of the reason why people say, "Why do you still look so young?"' she said. 'I really think that that unfortunately ages women, especially when they have children in their 30s, not in their 20s. So I think, first and foremost, its that and genetics.' Follow us on indian aviation taxied on runway of promises New Delhi: Many highs and lows marked the 2015 trajectory of domestic aviation space with three airlines taking off, one coming back after a near-collapse, a no-frills carrier getting listed and India again securing top safety ranking even as the draft aviation policy remained in limbo. All said and done, fliers might have to shell out more from next year with the government proposing two per cent levy on all tickets to fund regional connectivity plans even as the draft policy promises various tax sops for the sector. At the same time, Civil Aviation Ministry saw a change of Secretary while the two ministersAshok Gajapathi Raju and Mahesh Sharmafound themselves at different ends on various policy issues including on the idea of regulating airfares. Besides, M Sathiyavathy took over as the first woman head of regulatory body DGCA. Towards the end of the year, a freak accident that saw a service engineer being sucked by an Air India aircraft engine at Mumbai airport, once again brought to the fore safety and security issues at airports. In another unprecedented development, Chennai airport was shut for five days following heavy floods in early December. On the regulatory front, Competition Commission slapped a total penalty of Rs 258 crore on Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet for alleged cartelisation in fixing fuel surcharge on air cargo. The order is likely to be challenged by them. The disappointment of the year, however, is government's failure in finalising the re-drafted aviation policy, which will also decide the fate of existing norm for international operations by Indian carriers. This is despite junior minister Sharma providing tentative time lines for the implementation of the policy. 2015 took off with Vistara launching its first flight to Mumbai from Delhi on January 9. The Tata-SIA joint venture airline became the third domestic full service carrier after Air India and Jet Airways. However, what made it stand out from the rest two was its roll out of a new cabin classpremium economyin addition to conventional business and economy class on its aircraft. Two regional airlinesAir Paegasus and TruJettook wings with launch of services in the south. After being on the verge of closure, SpiceJet scripted a dramatic comeback by remaining profitable for three straight quarters till September under its new promoter Ajay Singh who took back the reins from the Marans. Marking the first airline IPO in nine years, InterGlobe Aviationthe parent of budget carrier IndiGoraised over Rs 3,000 crore from the capital market. Latest Business News Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Labels like Clean and Safe sound good. But dermatologist and author Dr Anjali Mahto has taken to Instagram to explain that theyre largely unfounded. There is no legal definition (or list) of what is a clean or safe ingredient or formulation. Similarly, No nasties means nothing. Honest ingredients is a gimmick (a coconut cant lie or cheat you). Cross-check these popular terms Theres nothing wrong with Natural, right? Except that theres no evidence that ingredients are safer, more effective or more environmentally responsible just because they come from the earth. Natural lavender oil, for instance, triggers more allergies than the synthetic version. Lab-formulated sunscreen has consistently proven to prevent skin cancer better. And by all means, choose Organic if youre going natural. Just check how much of it is in the jar, its often around 2%; enough to raise the price, not enough to make a difference. Essential oils, though natural, have been shown to trigger allergies over long-term use. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) If a product is Non-toxic, it only means that stuff declared harmful lead acetate, coal tar, formaldehyde and substances that cause hormone disruptions and cancer are not present. In the US, 30 substances are banned in cosmetics; in Europe, that figure is over 1,300. Indian regulations are lax. Fairness creams can contain mercury; lipsticks, high levels of nickel and the heavy metal, chromium. Pick a brand that lists all its ingredients on its labels or its website. Ignore useless catchphrases Do you pay more for a Dermatologically tested cream? It simply means that skin doctors examined it, as they do every cream licensed to be sold. Its not necessarily safer than a similar cream without that tag. Similarly, Hypoallergenic only means that it contains none of the most common irritants. There is no comprehensive list. Do you look for a Cruelty Free label on moisturiser or lip balm before you buy? Save yourself the hassle. India banned animal testing for cosmetics in 2013. Everything on the beauty shelf, local or imported, is cruelty-free by default. Watch out for the worst offenders Essential oils, though natural, have been shown to trigger allergies over long-term use. Alcohols dry out the skin, forcing you to moisturise more. Silicones are cheap, make skin look smooth but clog pores. Triclosan kills germs and fungus but weakens immune systems. Sulphates, which produce lather, strip skin of its protective oils. Chemical sunscreens contribute to coral reef damage when you wear it and swim in the sea. If a brand is cutting any of these out, theyll advertise it loud and clear. Laugh away the trendy terms In her podcast On Beauty, British journalist Sali Hughes advises you to steer clear of the term Chemical free. Why? All ingredients, from nature or a lab (even water or mothers milk) are ultimately chemical compounds. Sure, some chemicals are harmful. But a brand that outright lies is suspicious. As for Gluten free, unless you are allergic to gluten and were planning to drink your shampoo, disregard. Make up your mind about parabens Parabens kill fungus and bacteria. Without them, your beauty goods would need refrigeration and still go bad in a week. But a 2004 study showed that tumours in 20 breast cancer patients contained traces of cosmetic parabens. The study could not show that the parabens had caused the cancer, and was discredited. But the fear has stuck. You can choose paraben-free beauty. But theyre also in deodorants, toothpastes and 90% of grocery items. With inputs by Dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto and Dont Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON In an essay entitled Passions, Politics and the Removal of a President: Lessons Learned from the Impeachment of President Clinton, which appeared in Grove City Colleges Journal of Law & Public Policy, former Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty tried to share what he and other Republicans learned from President William Jefferson Clintons impeachment in the late 1990s. After we are done with President Donald John Trumps impeachment, perhaps McNulty will have a follow-up article on lessons not learned. In case he does not get to it, here is a short attempt. Before joining the Department of Justice and later becoming President of Grove City College, McNulty worked in the House of Representatives for ten years, including as Chief Counsel and Director of Legislative Operations for House Majority Leader Henry Hyde. He served as Chief Counsel and Director of Communications for the Clinton impeachment proceedings. Numerous scholars and pundits have argued that, ideally, presidential impeachments should not be partisan efforts. Nevertheless, just Henry Hyde decided to go ahead with the process against Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi decided to go forward with impeachment against Donald Trump despite near-unanimous opposition from President Trumps party. It is clear now that the main lesson McNulty wanted to teach in his article was not heeded: Congressional leaders should follow the example set by Henry Hyde and steadfastly avoid appearing to use impeachment to settle political scores or damage the presidents standing with the American public. For Henry Hyde, the question was Clintons lying under oath. As he said, Perjury and obstruction of justice cannot be reconciled with the office of the President of the United States. In Trumps case, the charges are abuse of power and obstruction of justice. I will not go into the case as readers of this publication have plenty of other writers and articles at their disposal. I will just note a few political and economic aspects. Given the political nature of the impeachment, both sides have been anxious to find any sign or trend in public opinion in order to maximize the political gains of their decisions. By contrast, there has not been a strong tide either way in public opinion. I follow Western newspapers and magazines, but given the widely held opinion that the end result would be acquittal, news about the impeachment did not garner much attention. Foreigners can recall the results of the Clinton impeachment so, therefore, the current impeachment does not affect most of them enough to warrant spending much time or thought on what, for them, is a non-topic. The subtitle of the latest Economist piece on impeachment (January 25, 2020) reads: In the fight between Donald Trump and impeachment, impeachment is coming off worse. Readers will note The Economist seldom has anything good to say about President Trump or his policies. This piece appeared in Forbes on January 31, 2020. Read the rest of the piece here. (Homepage photo credit: public domain.) In recent years, Sky has filled its evening schedule with conservative commentators: a strategy some critics predicted would fail. Instead, its weekly audience has grown to more than 1 million viewers, and its often the top-rating non-sports channel on Foxtel. There were plenty of views I disagreed with but thats not the reason I left, Speers says. The beauty of it is that we could have these arguments and thrash out an issue on air. Loading Better to challenge controversial claims than stifle them, he believes. But it really depends on the individual because its not always an easy judgment to make if were talking about unelected individuals that have expressed extreme views, you have to be very careful about giving them a platform. Politicians adherence to scripted messages, he says, is a growing problem: Real people dont talk to each other the way politicians talk to us with their constant self-promotion and denigration of their opponents. When people hear that, they just switch off. This isnt helped by media outlets that give more attention to a partys polling numbers than the impact of their policies on voters: Im not pretending that Insiders can fix the disengagement and disaffection with politics but I think [all media] can do more to make it relevant for those who shrug their shoulders and say politics isnt for them. Already accustomed to working long hours at Sky, Speers knew the 2016 federal election would demand even more of his time. But on the same day then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull set a date for the poll, Speers two-year-old daughter was rushed by helicopter to the Randwick Childrens Hospital in Sydney. A croup infection left her struggling to breathe and when her kidneys failed, she spent almost two weeks on life support. Speers dropped everything to camp out by her bedside. It was a terrible time and it certainly tested us but something like that makes you re-evaluate everything, he says. Shes 100 per cent now and were very grateful. The 45-year-old spent his childhood in Tamworth and teenage years in Sydney. Dinner-table debates with his parents his mother held a senior role at the NSW Board of Studies and his father ran cattle-breeding operations sparked his interest in journalism. A work experience placement led to a job at Geelong radio station K-Rock in the mid-1990s, followed by stints at Triple M, 2WS, 2GB and 2UE. When Speers joined Sky in 2000, the station was frequently confused with the unaffiliated Sky racing channel; two decades later, its influence extends well beyond its viewership and Speers is one of Australias pre-eminent political reporters. He'll contribute to major breaking news coverage on the ABC but his priority is Insiders, a rare example of a long-running program thats been growing its audience. Theres a lot of noise and clutter in news so a well-produced weekly digest like Insiders works in that environment, Speers says. Were experimenting with a few ideas like taking the show out of the [Melbourne studio] and into the regions on occasion to look at things like the drought. There wont be any radical changes though because its such a successful format and I dont want to wreck that. Insiders returns at 9am Sunday on the ABC. David Speers on Police raids on journalists: Its a worrying development not just for media but our democracy. If it scares off whistleblowers who want to bring information to the public, its a tragedy for all of us. The scarcity of Indigenous commentators on Insiders: Panellists are typically drawn from the Press Gallery and theres a lack of diversity in the Gallery but as part of the ABC charter were obligated to represent multicultural Australia and we want to address that. As much as we want Indigenous journalists to talk about Indigenous policy we also want their perspectives on all issues from China to the drought to education. John Howard: He was one of the early adopters of Sky and that was important for us because when we interviewed the prime minister, it showed other politicians we were a serious outfit. Traffic reporting for Triple M: I was in a two-seater Cessna plane and being a young man, I wasnt willing to admit my stomach was churning the entire time. I only lasted a few months. If you are currently a print subscriber but don't have an online account, select this option. You will need to use your 7 digit subscriber account number (with leading zeros) and your last name (in UPPERCASE). Uzbekistan, which is in dire need of electricity, will build two hydroelectric power stations in Tajikistan for its needs. Negotiations on the implementation of the project started in Tashkent. The working groups of the two countries discussed the technical and financial issues of the construction of the Yavan HPP on the Zarafshan River. The fact that Uzbekistan will take part in the construction of two hydroelectric power stations in Tajikistan became known two years ago. Presidents Shavkat Mirizeev and Emomali Rahmon during negotiations in Tashkent in August 2018 spoke in favor of expanding cooperation in all areas, including hydropower. Moreover, both countries are interested in implementing energy projects. Uzbekistan carries out economic reforms, develops production, and this requires additional electricity consumption. For Tajikistan, rich in hydropower resources, at the same time experiencing great problems with providing the population with electricity, the topic of hydropower development in recent years has been of particular importance. Tajikistan is building the Rogun Hydroelectric Power Station, which should satisfy not only the country's growing demand for electricity, but also export electricity to neighboring countries. But it is still far from complete completion of the construction of the hydroelectric station. Only two units are installed that operate in idle mode. At the same time, Dushanbe is looking for investors for further completion of the station. According to the project, the hydroelectric station should have four turbines. Uzbekistan when he was president of Islam Karimov was categorically against the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric station. However, with the advent of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the position of Uzbekistan has changed. Moreover, Tashkent announced the opportunity to participate in the construction of hydropower plants in Tajikistan, including Rogun. True, with the caveat that the construction will take into account compliance with international norms and standards necessary for the construction of such facilities, as well as improving legal mechanisms for the integrated and efficient use of transboundary water resources. However, Tashkent has no desire to invest in Rogun. In addition, Uzbekistan has always been a supporter of the construction of small and medium-sized hydroelectric power stations in the region. Therefore, the parties agreed that Uzbekistan will take part in the construction of two hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 320 MW on the Zarafshan River, not far from the Tajik-Uzbek border. On January 28-29 in Tashkent, the working groups of the two countries discussed issues of joint construction of hydropower plants. According to the press service of the Ministry of Energy of Uzbekistan, "the subject of discussion was the draft agreement between the Government of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the procedure and conditions for shared participation in the construction and operation of hydroelectric power stations." As part of the project, it is planned to build the Yavan hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 140 MW and an estimated cost of $ 282 million at the first stage. At the meeting, they talked about the technical characteristics of the future station, choosing the place where the facility will be built, and financing the project. "Despite the fact that we are talking about shared construction, Tashkent will finance it," a source in the government of Tajikistan told Vestnik Kavkaza, explaining that the republic does not have its own money, and it does not make sense to take another loan from China for this because electricity will go to Uzbekistan. After resolving these issues, the working groups will begin designing the station, although Dushanbe has completed projects that have already passed international technical expertise. At the next stage, the parties will consider the possibility of building a hydroelectric station on the Fandarya River with a capacity of 135 MW with an estimated cost of $ 270 million. The constructed hydroelectric power stations will generate up to 1.4 billion kWh of electricity exclusively for the needs of Uzbekistan. It is expected that the project will help support the peak capacity of the unified energy system of Central Asia, which, after the collapse, the countries of the region began to recover. Recall that when all countries were part of a single state of the USSR, the so-called Central Asian Energy Ring existed in the region, which was based on the competent distribution of the regions water resources. Water from large rivers was used to generate electricity at hydroelectric power stations and for agriculture. Thanks to the ring, all five republics did not experience problems with the supply of electricity and water for irrigating farmland all year round. Disagreements during the years of independence led to a breakdown of the energy system. But over time, it became clear that none of the countries could cope with the shortage of electricity on their own. After the change of power in Uzbekistan, a counter movement began in the region. In 2017, at a meeting in Dushanbe of the energy ministers of the five countries, it was decided to restore the energy system. The project is being financed by the Asian Development Bank. For these purposes, he approved a grant of $ 35 million. A year later, the first Regar-Gulcha power line was launched, which connected the power grids of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. After a long break, Tajikistan began to supply electricity to Uzbekistan in the summer. Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) were on Tuesday tasked to strike a delicate balance with their relationship with local and external parties particularly Chiefs and Members of Parliament (MPs) in order to succeed. MMDCEs must also improve their interaction with their communities for the delivery of public goods, a survey conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana has recommmended. The survey also identified irregular interaction between the MMDCEs in their communities as a worrying situation. Additionally, the acrimonies between MMDCEs and MPs for the delivery of public goods ought to be resolved to avert the stifling of sustainable local development. The survey also revealed that Party Constituency Chairpersons, were seen as the most influential on the MMDCEs with Chiefs having cordial relationship with MMDCEs. The research conducted in 2017 and 2019 saw 27,500 respondents answering questions in relation to the appointment of MMDCEs, MMDCEs and influential Actors, Members of Parliament, Communities and developmental projects, Performance of MMDCEs and 2020 Presidential Elections among others. The survey which conducted in 275 Constituencies was on the theme: Assessment of the Performance of MMDCEs from the Perspective of the Constituents. The survey which also sought to ascertain popular opinions of MMDCEs Nationwide was funded by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, a German-based political foundation. Mr. Kaakyire Frimpong, a Senior Lecturer of the Department and one of the Researchers noted that, as a representatives of the President, MMDCEs were expected to travel to their constituents in other to ease the problem of remoteness of the local people from the central government. Mr Frimpong who is also a Senior Lecturer said the proximity of MMDCEs to the people is one of the deliberate strategy to assuage the peoples fear that the center has not neglected them in terms of decision making. He recounted that MMDCEs regular visits to the communities were therefore meant to ease psychological and emotional burdens of the people in addition to see to their socio-economic welfare. The Senior Lecturer said the survey indicated that MMDCEs did not frequently visit their communities to obtain firsthand information and attend to their welfare matters or concerns. According to him, the survey revealed that 51.4 per cent of MMDCEs visit their community once a while, whiles 39.0 per cent of respondents indicated that their MMDCEs have never come to their communities. MMDCEs are the agents of central government who are to bring about the needed change and people looked up to them to stimulate local development. He said almost half of the respondents denounced their MMDCEs for their inability to bring development to their localities. According to him 15.5 per cent of the respondent indicated they did not know of the development projects the MMDCEs have undertaken in their localities Critical social infrastructure such as markets (4.3 per cent), roads (6.5 per cent) and schools (10.1 per cent) have received little attention. The picture of low development is a reflection of the poor performance of the MMDCEs, only 2.4 per cent rated their MMDCEs in the delivery of community development projects as excellent; 6.3 per cent very good and 24.6 per cent as good a cumulative score of 33.3 per cent. However, he said the question as to whether the performance of MMDCEs would affect the peoples choices in the 2020 Presidential poll, a little over half (51.0 per cent) said they would not link their choice of the president to the failures of the MMDCEs. But that should not give much comfort to the ruling party, given that a significant minority (39.9 per cent) said they would use the performance of the MMDCEs as proxy for the achievement of the President in the locality, he added. He explained that evidence from the survey showed that majority supported non-partisan choice of MMDCEs and assembly members. The responses to the election of assembly members on partisan lines were: Yes (24.0 per cent), No (69.4 per cent), dont know (6.6 per cent), the survey indicated. On the election of MMDCEs on partisan lines, Mr. Frimpong said 31.4 per cent responded Yes, 61.5 per cent responded No and 7.1 per cent said they did not know. He explained that the views expressed by the respondents in the study might have been influenced by the confusion that surrounded the referendum processes and the lack of education which led to the withdrawal of the Bills. Mr. Frimpong said it was a worrying development that after decades of practicing the current local government system in Ghana, less than a fifth of the respondents could not answer the basic issue of mode of appointment of the MMDCE correctly. He said similarly for several of the other questions in the survey, a large chunk of respondents, usually more than 40 per cent expressed lack of knowledge towards local governance which is closest to the people. There is the urgent need for the MMDAs, the NCCE, the media and other stakeholders to embark on intensive education to reverse this trend, he stressed. Professor Emmanuel Debrah, Director of Center for International Affairs and Diplomacy noted that the survey was not based on speculation but they are realities on the ground. Professor Debrah urged stakeholders to take note of the lessons drawn out of the survey seriously. Dr Maame Gyekye-Jandoh, Head of Political Science Department said the survey which threw more light on local administration was going to help local development and political participation of the people at the grassroots. 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 Over 100 MSME to benefit from strengths and capabilities, opportunities for collaborations The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has emerged as a dynamic sector of the Indian economy over a few years. It contributes significantly to the economic and social development of the country by encouraging entrepreneurship and generating large scale employment opportunities. As per an Industry Survey, the MSME sector in India has created 13.5 million to 14.9 million new jobs in the past four years (Source: CIIs Survey on Jobs Creation and Outlook in MSME Sector). Also, another industry report suggests that the contribution of the MSME sector to the Indian economy is around 29% of the GDP. With the growing prominence of the MSME sector in the Indian economy, The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India has partnered with the Government of Telangana for BioAsia 2020 again to help MSME organizations benefit from this global platform. Given that the MSMEs contribute to over 80% of the Indian Lifesciences industry and has been an important pillar for the job creation, the partnership is of extreme significance aimed at adding impetus to the growth of MSME sector in the country. BioAsia has evolved as a pre-eminent global meeting benefitting from its extraordinary participant history including Nobel Laureates, Lasker Awardees, Breakthrough Prize winners, established scientific and industry leaders, amongst others. Switzerland will be the partner country, while delegations from various countries like Germany, Spain, Australia, UK, USA, China, etc. will participate in the event. MSME companies will gain unparalleled access to explore new business opportunities with leaders representing about 50 Countries. Commenting on the rising sectors participation, Jayesh Ranjan IAS, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, and Information Technology, Government of Telangana said, Micro, Small and Medium enterprises are one of the most important pillars of the economic growth of the country and is rightly called as The engine of the growth. MSMEs have played a significant role in terms of creating employment opportunities along with innovation. BioAsia which has emerged as one of the highly regarded platforms in the life sciences sector will bring together the cutting-edge, innovative and technologically oriented MSMEs from the realm of life sciences and healthcare sectors. We are delighted to partner with Ministry of MSME for the second time for BioAsia and am confident that the platform will help MSMEs companies. Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations. In July, a Transit Windsor bus started running from Leamington, Ont. to Windsor. According to Transit Windsor executive director Pat Delmore, ridership on the route has exceeded expectations, with numbers sometimes double the original projection of ten riders per day. With six months of service under its wheels, I wanted to know more about the people using this regional transit service so I hopped aboard LTW's early morning Windsor to Leamington bus Thursday to find out. 5:15 a.m. The first person I encountered was driver Brandon Farrand, who has been behind the wheel with Transit Windsor for six years. He told me he really enjoys the LTW 42 with only four stops, each many kilometres apart, it's a nice change of pace from the constant stop-and-go of a city bus. Jonathan Pinto/CBC I was the only passenger on the bus during our ride toward Leamington, something I understand is not entirely unusual for the early morning run. As an occasional transit rider myself, the experience of riding a city bus on Highways 401 and 3 was a little surreal as was the eerie glow of the county greenhouses lighting up the night sky. Jonathan Pinto/CBC 6:25 a.m. As we pulled into the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, a number of passengers were already waiting. St. Clair College student Grace Tiessen was one of the first riders I spoke with. Before the LTW 42 service started, she used to have to catch a ride with a family member to campus. "Pretty much whoever was available would have to go work me into their schedule," she said. "Other than the fact that it's really early [in the morning] like REALLY early [LTW 42 has] actually been kind of a lifesaver." The majority of riders I met were St. Clair College students, but not all of them took the service because of a lack of a personal vehicle. Some simply took the bus because the service $15 for a single round trip, or $250 for a 30-day pass was cheaper than paying for gas and parking. Jonathan Pinto/CBC Roshana Edwards is an international student from Jamaica who started at St. Clair in January. The availability of the LTW 42 service meant she could find more affordable housing in the county. Story continues "I was going to live in Windsor, near the campus, where I could just walk or take a taxi," she told me. "But hearing about this bus, I made up my mind to [live] in Leamington." Jonathan Pinto/CBC One of the non-student passengers I chatted with was Rosa Ayala. She takes the LTW 42 once a week to shop, visit family and go to the doctor in Windsor. "[Before this service] I didn't go [to Windsor] very much," said Ayala, noting that a taxi ride from Leamington to the city would cost $50. "I'm happy with the bus." Jonathan Pinto/CBC When I asked Ayala what she'd change about the LTW 42, she mentioned that Sunday service would be nice, as would a direct connection to Devonshire Mall, which currently involves a transfer. Additional service was something the student riders mentioned as well, with some saying the mid-day bus leaves too early, meaning they have to wait a few hours until the evening ride. Municipality of Leamington 7:40 a.m. In total, 17 passengers, not including myself, hopped aboard the LTW 42 in Leamington, Kingsville and Essex. "When you implement a transit service, normally you're looking at an 18 month implementation to really get a true reflection of the impact," said Transit Windsor's Pat Delmore, who met with me when the bus arrived back at St. Clair College. Jonathan Pinto/CBC "Both municipalities are extremely pleased with the ridership numbers ... by having Essex and Kingsville included as well, it's really, truly, impacting the whole region," he said. LTW 42 is considered a pilot project. It's being funded by the Province of Ontario's Community Transportation Grant Program, which is providing $606,400, and Leamington, which is spending $125,000. Fare revenue will fund the rest of service. The total cost of LTW 42 is expected to be about $1 million until provincial funding ends in March 2023. Jonathan live-tweeted his ride on LTW 42. Check them out through this Twitter Moment. After another week of faltering oil prices as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spook the market, Baker Hughes reported that the number of oil and gas rigs in the US decreased this week, to 790a decrease of 4 rigs. The total oil and gas rig count is now 265 down from this time last year. The number of oil rigs decreased for the week, by 1 rigs, according to Baker Hughes data, bringing the total to 675a 172-rig loss year over year. The total number of active gas rigs in the United States fell by 3 according to the report, to 112. This compares to 198 a year ago. Meanwhile, oil production has hovered at 13 million bpd for three weeks now, according to data provided by the Energy Information Administrationa high for the United States. By basin, oil rigs have slumped the most over the last 52 weeks in the Mississippian and Granite Wash basins (-80%), followed by Cana Woodford (-69%). By sheer numbers, the Permian basin saw the most declines at 75 over that same period, but that figure represents only a 16% declinemaking the Permian one of the least affected basins over the last year. The WTI benchmark at 12:28pm was $51.65 (-0.94%) per barrelnearly $3 per barrel below last week levels as travel restrictions within, to, and from China threatens to dent oil demand. The Brent benchmark was trading at $56.71(-1.08%)more than $3 per barrel below last weeks levels. Canadas overall rig count increased by 3 rigs this week, to a total of 247 rigs. Oil and gas rigs in Canada are now up 4 year on year. At 8 minutes past the hour, WTI was trading at $51.30, while Brent was trading at $56.41. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The PM said the Government must keep digging on HS2 (Steve Parsons/PA) Boris Johnson has said the Government must keep digging on HS2, in an indication he could be about to give the controversial rail project the go-ahead. There have been calls from Conservative MPs to scrap the high-speed line linking London to the Midlands and the North after costs ballooned, with some predicting the final price tag could rise to more than 100 billion almost double what was initially budgeted. But in an interview with Sky News, the Prime Minister said that, while the project was a mess, ministers would have to keep digging. Its a colossal railway line. Now the truth is, the people who did it spent far too much money, they were profligate with the way they did it. They just wasted money, he told FYI, a news programme for children on Sky News. In a hole the size of HS2, the only thing to do is keep diggingPrime Minister Boris Johnson And the whole way it was managed was hopeless. So were in a hole, were in a mess. But weve got to get out of it. And we need a way forward, so were thinking about how to sort it out now. In a hole the size of HS2, the only thing to do is keep digging. It comes after Chancellor Sajid Javid threw his weight behind the high speed line, which advocates say would provide much-needed capacity on Britains railways. Mr Javid met with the PM and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday, with those close to the Chancellor suggesting he was minded to back the scheme. Expand Close Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously expressed scepticism about whether HS2 should be built (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously expressed scepticism about whether HS2 should be built (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The PA news agency understands that, having reviewed costs and alternatives, the Chancellor, who represents a Midlands constituency, was set to broadly back the high-speed line from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Speaking before the meeting, Downing Street declined to rule out that Mr Johnson could overrule Mr Javid on the infrastructure project. But Mr Johnson appears to be softening on his resolve following his most recent comments. A final decision is expected next month. Mr Johnson has emphasised levelling up the regions through upgrades in infrastructure and HS2 supporters, such as former chancellor George Osborne, have said it would be nuts to cancel Europes largest planned infrastructure project. Whitehalls spending watchdog said this month that HS2 is over budget and behind schedule because its complexity and risks were under-estimated. The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that it is impossible to estimate with certainty what the final cost could be, but the final bill is expected to well-exceed the 56 billion set-aside for the build in 2015. Expand Close Construction work has already started on Phase One of HS2, with diggers pictured at Old Oak Common, in west London (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Construction work has already started on Phase One of HS2, with diggers pictured at Old Oak Common, in west London (Aaron Chown/PA) Meanwhile, several environmental groups say it would cause huge damage to natural habitats and ancient woodland. Phase One between London and Birmingham was due to open in 2026, but full services are now forecast to start between 2031 and 2036. A spokesman for HS2 Limited, the company tasked with its construction, said there was a highly-skilled team in place ready to start work on realising the full-scale of the plans if the PM gives the go-ahead. Since his appointment as CEO of HS2 Ltd in 2017, Mark Thurston has made several significant changes and improvements to the organisation, its governance and processes, said the spokesman. As the recent NAO report recognises, this work along with a greater understanding of the ground conditions and build requirements means ministers have the most robust cost estimates for Phase One of the HS2 project that theyve ever had. If the Government decides to proceed, HS2 Ltd has a highly-skilled team in place ready to build Britains new state-of-the-art, low-carbon railway. (Drops third paragraph to remove mention of a delay to the P'nyang agreement) Jan 31 (Reuters) - Papua New Guinea has been unable to reach a mutually beneficial deal with Exxon Mobil regarding the P'nyang gas project, despite offering significant concessions, the prime minister said on Friday. PNG's new government is pushing to extract more benefits from the Pnyang project as part of a wider effort to reap more rewards from mineral and petroleum resources to lift the country out of poverty. (Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; editing by Jason Neely) Pilot of helicopter that crashed heralded for 'miracle' landing The crew of a Hagerstown-based helicopter and the juvenile patient they picked up in Chambersburg, Pa., are OK after a crash near Philadelphia. As word of Ambedkar's newspaper spread, Kolhapurs Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj himself visited Babsaheb in his chawl in Mumbai, offering a donation of Rs 2,500 to start Mooknayak. The first issue was printed on 31 January 1920 The year was 1920. Dr BR Ambedkar was working as a government servant, having returned to India a while ago, leaving a course midway in London after his Baroda State Scholarship ended. Babasaheb had already earned a Masters degree and a Doctorate in the US by that time, but he was anxious to return to the UK and complete his studies towards a second doctoral degree. Since his return in 1917, he had been trying to work and save enough money towards that end; it was an eventful time. Between 1918-19, the Southborough Committee had invited Babasaheb to testify before it, on behalf of untouchables. Alongside Ambedkar, Vitthal Ramji Shinde an upper caste social worker had also been asked to present his testimony. When the newspapers published the proceedings, Shindes testimony received significant space. Babsahebs despite his recommendations on reservations and a separate electorate did not. In January 1919, Babasaheb sent a letter to The Times of India, under the pseudonym Ek Mahar; the newspaper did not publish his letter. To Babasaheb, these were examples of the medias prejudiced views under the British Raj. Another notable incident was when he sent BG Tilaks Kesari a note for an advertisement along with a Rs 3 publishing fee. Tilak neglected to publish the note, and returned the fee. Babasaheb was by then convinced that the Brahmanical media would never consider the problems of untouchables as important, and of national significance. Babasaheb decided that he would start his own newspaper a weekly, devoted to the issues and challenges of untouchables. He named it Mooknayak (leader of the dumb). As word of the newspaper spread, Kolhapurs Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj himself visited Babsaheb in his chawl in Mumbai, offering a donation of Rs 2,500 to start Mooknayak. The first issue was printed on 31 January 1920 and included a scathing takedown of the Hindu caste structure and its despicable advocacy of inequality. Hindu society is like a building. And each caste is one floor in it. But the thing to be remembered is that this building has no stairs. And hence there is no way to go from one floor to another. Those who are born in their floor should die in their respective floors. If a person is from the floor below, no matter how eligible he is, he cannot go to the floor above. And a person from the floor above no matter how useless he may be no one has the wisdom/courage to bring him down, Babasaheb wrote. Apart from his editorial, the issue also carried couplets from 13th century poet-saint Tukarams abhanga. Today, 31 January 2020, marks 100 years of Mooknayak. Celebrations have been planned at Ambedkar Bhavan in Mumbai, for 1 February, to mark the occasion. The short-lived newspapers indelible impact may not be evident to those unaware of the history of the Dalit movement, and it would require paying heed to the words of writer and historian JV Pawar, or Ramesh Shinde a bibliophile who has all the editions of Babasahebs books, including the first and the only edition of his doctoral theses (published by a reputed London press in the 1920s). According to Pawar, it was because of Mooknayak [that] the atmosphere of fear among untouchables faded and because of Babasahebs initiative that they [untouchables], now Dalits, acquired a sense of dignity and self-respect as well as confidence. All of Mooknayaks editorials were written by Babasaheb himself, although they did not carry his byline since he was in government service at the time. Remarkably, Mooknayak was published in Marathi, and the weekly played an instrumental role in developing reading habits among Dalits. Those who could not read would ask others to read it aloud to them. And thus, Babasahebs thoughts were communicated to them, preparing them for the biggest battle of all the battle to reclaim human personality, lost under the cruel reign of untouchability. With Mooknayak, the silence of the untouchables was shattered. *** Yogesh Maitreya is a poet, translator and founder of Panther's Paw Publication, an anti-caste publishing house. He is pursuing a PhD at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. The National Identification Authority's Ghana Card registration exercise for the Central Region began yesterday with a lot of hiccups. Machines for the registration which were supposed to have arrived early for the exercise to take off by 7a.m. arrived around 10 a.m. at some centres. This delayed the start of the exercise at many centres. At 9a.m., there were no signs of officials at Nkanfoa Community Centre, the designated centre for Nkanfoa. Residents said they had not seen any sign of officials. Amissah-Arthur Centre At the Amissah-Arthur Language Centre at the University of Cape Coast, many people were seated in the auditorium waiting to go through the process. Officials were not forthcoming with answers to questions asked, saying they did not have the mandate to speak to the press. Irritation At the St Joseph's Catholic Church at Holy Child Intersection, some of the people the Daily Graphic spoke to said they were irritated by the frustrations of the exercise on the first day. "I came here at 6.30a.m., its now 2 p.m. They have taken our details but the machines for the picture taking is not working," one of them who gave her name as Vivian said. Many of them after waiting for hours were asked to go and return the next day. The Supervising Officer of the centre, Mr Appiah Sam, said the cameras were not working. I have reported the incident and I am waiting for a prompt from my supervisors that we can use the machines. At Ayikoo-Ayikoo Mosque Centre, some women said there was no set-up from the NIA. "We have been told the exercise would be done here in two weeks. At the Neighbourhood Centre near the Victoria Park, registration was ongoing. Some of the people, however, expressed worry at the delay in the start of the process. The Ghana Card registration exercise started in the Central Region yesterday and is expected to end on February 18, 2020. Source: Daily Graphic 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 If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here By Rasana Gasimova The railway administrations of Azerbaijan and Turkey will jointly operate freight rails cars. Representatives of Azerbaijan Railways and Turkish State Railways signed a document on the joint use of freight rail cars based on interchange, Azerbaijan Railways reported. The agreement reflects the rules of international transport, the rules for loading, operating tariffs and obligations. In addition, the agreement includes instructions on goods and compensations transported in wagons and reflects obligations to address claims in the event of total or partial loss of goods, their damage, and the rules for payment of damage. The parties also agreed on the provision of spare parts, instructions for the case of damage to wagons, and appropriate compensation for damaged and lost wagons. Note that Azerbaijan and Turkey cooperate in railway transportation through Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project. The BTK railway was put into operation on October 30, 2017. The total length of the railway constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement, is 826 km. The project implementation began in 2007 and construction began in 2008. The line is intended to transport one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of freight at the first stage. This capacity will then reach 3 million passengers and 17 million tons of cargo. The main purpose of the project was to improve economic relations between the three countries and attract foreign direct investment by connecting Europe and Asia. Providing the shortest rail link between Europe and Asia, BTK plays an important role in the implementation of China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy and International North-South Transport Corridor. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, a democratic presidential candidate, attends the U.S Conference of Mayors 88th Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C, January 22, 2020. The Democratic National Committee unveiled new debate rules on Friday that drop the requirement that candidates obtain a minimum number of campaign contributors, opening the door for former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg to take the debate stage. The new rules will apply to the ninth Democratic presidential debate, which is scheduled for Feb. 19 in Nevada. To qualify for the debate, candidates must either win a delegate during the first contests taking place in Iowa and New Hampshire next week or receive 10% or more in at least four DNC-approved polls released between Jan. 15 and Feb. 18. Candidates may also qualify by receiving 12% or more support in two state polls of Nevada or South Carolina, the third and fourth states to award delegates in the Democratic primary. Bloomberg, a billionaire who has spent more than $200 million to fund campaign advertisements so far, is not competing in the first four states and is not accepting campaign contributions. He is polling in fourth place in national surveys, earning approximately 8% support. "We are thrilled that voters could soon have the chance to see Mike Bloomberg on the debate stage, hear his vision for the country, and see why he is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country together," said Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey. The only candidates that are currently qualified for the Nevada debate are former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The next Democratic debate will take place Feb. 7 in New Hampshire. President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil is planning to allow the mining industry of the country to touch its indigenous reserves. However, there is a problem with the Mura indigenous community, a Brazil indigenous group, over the vast potash mine in a distant area in the Amazon rainforest. The president should probably consider this issue for the possible conflicts that may arise from his plans. Potassio do Brasil's Mining Plans The name of the mining company that plans to take on the project is Potassio do Brasil. It is a multinational Canadian company based in Forbes and Manhattan. Potash is a type of fertilizer that is abundantly used by the agriculture industry. In 2010, the company had discovered a large deposit of potash in the municipality of Autazes, Brazil. Upon the discovery, the company hurriedly announced to the public of its plans to operate a $2.5 billion potash mine. The potash reserve is situated near the Madeira River. It is the place where soya is being transported from Mato Grosso to ships bound for Europe and China. Mato Grosso is the biggest soya-providing state in Brazil. According to Guilherme Jacome, Potassio do Brasil's project development director, the potash mining project can allow the operations to be stacked with potash as it makes its way to the Madeira River. He said that this project would make the operations more cost-effective. The company had obtained its permit to conduct mining operations in Brazil in 2013. Invasion in Mura Indigenous Community's Ancestral Land The Mura indigenous community's leader Aldinelson Pavao said that the mining location is their ancestral land. He said that he was born and raised on their land, as were his parents and grandparents. He stands firm that he will not allow Potassio do Brasil to invade his ancestors' land. One of the major products produced by potash is salt. Potassio do Brasil claims that their mining activity can prevent salt from leaking to rivers and aquifers. However, the Brazil indigenous group is still concerned because of the region's heavy rains and high heat. The community is worried about their land's future. In 20 to 30 years, the operations will end. The children and grandchildren of the tribe will be the ones who will suffer from the operations. Temporary Project Halt In March 2017, the Mura indigenous tribe was represented by the public prosecutor's office in Brazil during a court meeting involving the mining operations of Potassio do Brasil in their land. It had temporarily stopped the project until a "free, prior and informed consultation" was made. The case won by the Mura indigenous tribe is the first case in Brazil that allowed a tribe to execute such consultation. The Brazil indigenous group had started the consultation procedure in November. They were given three choices: to give a 'yes' vote, a 'no' vote, or approval with a condition. It means that they agreed for the continuance of mining activities in their ancestral land in Brazil if certain conditions are accomplished. As of the moment, the Mura indigenous community is in the process of brainstorming on which option to choose. 7.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Completely ignoring the damage that his trade war has done, Trump warned Iowa farmers that if he isnt reelected their farms will go to hell. Trump said, And if we dont win, your farms are going to hell. I can tell you right now. Sell, sell. Theyll be saying sell. No, we love our farmers. Video: In Iowa, Trump threatens his fans that their farms will go to hell if he isnt re-elected. pic.twitter.com/SbDJ9h9P9Q Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 31, 2020 Trump loves farmers so much that farm bankruptcies jumped twenty percent last year, US farm bankruptcies were up 20% in 2019, despite the billions of dollars in aid President Donald Trump has paid to farmers hurt by the trade war with China. Thats the highest level since 2011, following the Great Recession, according to court data analyzed by the American Farm Bureau. There were 595 Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies, nearly 100 more than in 2018, the trade group said. Many farmers dont have to worry about their farms going to hell. Thanks to Donald Trump, their farms are already gone forever. Trump is trying to scare farmers into supporting him in 2020, and most of them will, even though he made them all suffer from a trade war that he lost. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Seasoned Journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has expressed skepticism of the reasons adduced by the country's Electoral Commission necessitating the compilation of a new voters register. The EC among the several reasons given justifying the need for a new voters register, also claimed the current electoral roll is bloated. But the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper consider the reasons as not tangible enough. I still dont understand this debate surrounding the new voters register. The EC claims the voters register is credible and if so why do we need to change it? Then they claim they are adding facial recognitionother views claim the facial recognition is inferior to fingerprints and so onanother reason is that the register is overbloated because it contains list of several deceased persons; but that is not a justifiable reason because people keep dying every timeits a bad and infantile argument," Kwesi Pratt, who was speaking on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo' said. To him, the brouhaha surrounding the voters register is as a result of the fact that the EC did not demonstrate neutrality in the process leading up to the announcement of its intention to do away with the current register. Meanwhile, the EC has set April 18th 2020 for new voter register compilation. Watch Kwesi Pratt's submission below: 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 In 1934, msgr. Ronald knoxs father, a former Anglican Bishop of Manchester, protested strongly against the omission from Crockfords Clerical Directory of clergy serving in the Church of England in South Africa. The names were quickly restored. In 1962, the first issue of the directory after Dr. Michael Ramsey went to Canterbury, they were omitted again. Justifying this, the anonymous author quoted extensively from Episcopi Vagantes by H. R. T. Brandreth, who was at that time chaplain to the British Embassy in Paris. This book gives a bizarre and distinctly unedifying account of a motley assortment of itinerant prelates. In the process, Brandreth made some misleading statements about the CESA and its senior bishop, the Right Rev. G. F. B. Morris, for which he was compelled to publish a complete apology. The offending edition was withdrawn from sale. As Crockford has not yet followed with an apology, a number of leading evangelicals in England and Australia have asked that their names also be omitted until those of the CESA clergy are restored. Behind all this is the anomaly that South Africa has two Anglican churches (see A House Divided, CHRISTIANITY TODAY, Editorials, February 14, 1964). The Church of the Province of South Africa has more than a million members, is predominantly Anglo-Catholic, and is recognized in Canterbury. The CESA has 25,000 members, adheres firmly to the Prayer Book and the Thirty-Nine Articles, and (like a large part of Christendom) is not regarded by Canterbury as being in communion. The CESA cannot be ignored, however, for at its head is a bishop whose episcopal credentials are indisputable: G. F. B. Morris was consecrated by Archbishop William ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State has expressed optimism that the Supreme Court would not reverse its judgment that sacked his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha, and declared him the winner of the March 19, 2019 governorship election. The apex court had, on January 14, removed Mr Ihedioha of the PDP on the ground that he did not score the lawful majority votes in the Imo governorship race. The court said it arrived at that decision after adding votes scored by Mr Uzodinma in 388 polling units, which showed that he won the race. It subsequently declared him the winner of the election and ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to give him a certificate of return as elected Imo governor. Mr Ihedioha has, however, vowed to return to the Supreme Court with a view to seeking a review of the judgment that removed him from office. Mr Uzodinma, who spoke with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in Abuja, said the matter was already a concluded case. I am not disturbed by the PDPs move to seek a review of the judgment. I am not concerned because I believe they are going back to the Supreme Court based on falsehood because the number of accredited votes outside the excluded votes is what they are talking about. But, if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about the number of accredited votes including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited votes inclusive of the excluded voters, the figures are correct. We went to court with an issue of exclusion; we didnt go to court complaining about election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case. My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo vs Onoh and Omoboriowo vs Ajasin It is the position of the Supreme Court that where an election has been announced at a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the results into the Form EC 8B. So, let INEC tell us what happened; Im a lawmaker and I participated in the amendment of the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed. As far as Im concerned, the 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has expired. Im not a lawyer but with my little knowledge of law making, I understand what is in the Electoral Act. The governor, who was accompanied by the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiohmole, during the visit, pledged to transform the living conditions of the inhabitants of the state. He particularly promised a better life for Imo workers, saying that he had already paid all outstanding salaries of civil servants in the state. For 12 years, no governor visited the civil service secretariat, I was there two days ago and water has not been available to the secretariat for the past nine years. Two days after my visit, water is running there now. They have been re-connected to electricity and the generators are being worked on now. So, my mandate is about the people and my government will just be about the people and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint their expectations. I am sure they will see good governance from a man with experience, working in consultations with political stakeholders in the state. I think we can do it differently and the narrative will be acceptable to the people, he said. Mr Oshiomhole, who also spoke to the correspondents, explained that they were in the presidential villa to introduce Mr Uzodinma as the governor of Imo to Mr Buhari. He said: The governor of Imo, Sen. Hope Uzodinma, is not a stranger to the president. He has been part of the APC family; he has played very decisive roles when it mattered in the affairs of the party. So, the purpose of todays meeting is just to introduce him as the new executive governor of Imo. President Buhari is very excited that we have established our foothold in the heart of the south east. And it coincides with the presidents vision of uniting the country. Now, we can truly say that we not only control the centre, we have governors in each of the six groups-political zones and I believe that is good for our party and for the government. Advertisements (NAN) Photo: CTV News The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018 One woman and three men are facing multiple charges of human trafficking after they were arrested in a convoy speeding across southern Saskatchewan. Mounties in Saskatchewan say an off-duty officer saw three vehicles with tinted windows speeding along the Trans-Canada Highway in close proximity Tuesday, reports CTV News Vancouver Island. Mounties were issuing tickets to the drivers for travelling more than 153 km/h when they noticed two young girls in the back seats of the vehicles. According to police, the girls are under 18, from B.C. and did not have identification. Victoria residents Shawn Alexander Kelly, 23, and Shermineh Sheri Zaiee, 36, were arrested, along with Nanaimo residents Seyed Kamran Miralinaghi, 19, and Seyed Kourosh Miralinaghi, 19. The charges include transporting a person under 18 for the purpose of exploitation; procuring a person to offer or provide sexual services; and knowingly advertising to provide sexual services. The RCMP says the two girls aren't related to the accused and their names will not be released. - With files from CTV News Vancouver Island First it was Coin, then Nerja and now Alhaurin el Grande. The Guardia Civil's Nature Protection Service (Seprona) has handed a court the third phase of 'Operacion Vastum' in which 24 officials or former officials from the three municipalities are being investigated for environmental offences. The investigation began in 2017 after the Ecologistas en Accion Andalucia group reported "serious irregularities" in waste treatment, with untreated sewage flowing into the sea, rivers or streams. The Environmental Prosecution Office claims that the three municipalities have acted continuously, intentionally and have not complied with requests from the Administration. In Alhaurin el Grande, Seprona is investigating the present mayor, Toni Ledesma, former mayor Juan Martin Seron and a further six people who have been councillors after 2007. Seprona ascertained that untreated sewage is flowing from the town centre, some outlying distances and La Rosa industrial estate into the Arroyo de la Villa stream, a tributary of the Fahala river. Protected area The matter becomes even more serious bearing in mind that this stream is in a protected natural area and is part of the special conservation area of the Guadalhorce, Pereila and Fahala rivers. According to the investigation, the stream and the Fahala river are "extremely contaminated" and so toxic that it is difficult for marine life to survive. This situation is not new. It has been the case for at least 18 years, which Seprona says is a continual contravention of regulations designed to protect the environment. According to EU legislation, a municipality like Alhaurin el Grande, with more than 15,000 inhabitants (it currently has 24,123) should have been treating its sewage since January 2001. In fact, in July 2018 the EU Justice Tribunal fined Spain 12 million euros plus an additional sum of of 10,950,000 for each six-month period of failure to comply, for the delay in meeting its obligations regarding sewage treatment. No sewage plants Of the nine towns with over 15,000 inhabitants to which this fine referred, three (Nerja, Alhaurin el Grande and Coin) had been expected to comply with the rules before the end of 2018, but none of them are yet treating their sewage. In the case of Coin, the plant has been built and is already treating the sewage from Alora and Pizarra, but bad weather in October 2018 broke the pipes in Coin and these are yet to be repaired. Sewage from Alhaurin el Grande will be treated at the future plant in Malaga, but this has not yet been finished. Seprona believes action should be taken against those who have held public office in Alhaurin el Grande in the past 18 years, claiming they were responsible for ensuring that the sewage was treated. However, the Foro por el Saneamiento Integral en la Costa del Sol, which is trying to ensure that Spain complies with the 'zero waste dumping' regulations, says the blame lies with the Junta de Andalucia and the government, because they, and not the councils, are responsible for building the treatment plants. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has decided to take part in a voter registration exercise should the Electoral Commission decide to go ahead with its decision to compile a new voters' register. However, there is a caveat. There will be something akin to a legal challenge should the NDC fail to regain power. The NDC is on record to have kicked against a new voters roll for this year's elections. Several renowned opposition party figures have made their voices heard on the matter. As if that is not enough, the NDC, rallied some other political parties together, and form a coalition dubbed Interparty Resistance Against New Voters Register. The coalition has so far held two demonstrations in Tamale and Kumasi, to press home their demand to maintain the current register. This has led many to believe that the biggest opposition party might likely boycott any registration exercise towards the compilation of a new voters register. A leading member of the party and one-time Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale, says they will take part in the exercise but will contest the election 2020 results should it not go in their favour. "Nkrumah (Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah) said never boycott any election and so we will take part in the election. We will write our names and take part in the election; if we win, fine but if we dont we will not accept it," he said while speaking during a panel discussion on the "Platform" programme on Peace FM hosted by Nana Yaw Kesseh. Watch video below Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Former Queensland under treasurer Jim Murphy has been appointed Annastacia Palaszczuks new chief of staff. Ms Palaszczuks former chief of staff, David Barbagallo, stood down from the role in September 2019, following revelations a company he part-owned had been awarded a $267,000 government grant. Since then, the Premiers Deputy Director-General Mark Cridland has been acting in the role, and he will return to the deputy position. Former Queensland under treasurer Jim Murphy has been appointed as the new chief of staff for the Premier. Credit:Dave Hunt/AAP Mr Murphy was highly respected in the role of under treasurer after being appointed in 2015, however he stood down in 2018, saying he wanted to move to Sydney to be closer to his family. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A drug crackdown has caused Queensland prisons to overflow while failing to stop people from using or supplying, the state's independent economic review body has found. The Productivity Commission was asked by Treasurer Jackie Trad to make recommendations to tackle the "serious and growing public policy concern" of prison overcrowding. A police sniffer dog checks revellers at a music festival. Credit:Paul Harris It found the main driver of overcrowding was illicit drug offences, making up 32 per cent of the growth since 2012. "Possession or use offences were the most common drug offences and contributed 22 per cent of the people imprisoned for drug offences in 2018," the commission wrote in its report. Queensland locks up twice as many people for drug use and possession as the rest of Australia combined, a development the commission found to be a policy choice rather than due to differences in drug usage. "Criminalisation has been in place for many decades, but it has proven ineffective at significantly reducing the consumption of illicit drugs, and it has not achieved sustained reductions in supply," it wrote. Advertisement "Even in those jurisdictions where supply has been legalised, most evidence suggests there has been no long-term increase in usage or drug-related harms," the commission wrote. The report found the use of alcohol and tobacco fell in Queensland between 2001 and 2016 while the use of illicit drugs increased over the same period, excluding cannabis. The 516-page report, made public on Friday, recommended MDMA and cannabis be removed from Queensland's criminal code. Labor said no. The LNP said no. The commission said fully legalising and regulating the supply of lower-harm drugs such as cannabis and MDMA would give the Queensland taxpayer a net benefit of $1.2 billion. It would also take about $4 billion out of illegal markets, money that could be funnelled into the health system. "Rather than money being channelled into profits from criminal activity, surpluses from production (profits) can be taxed and used for public good," it wrote. Advertisement Drug use in Queensland is common. About one in six people have recently used an illicit drug, and almost half of Queenslanders over the age of 18 have taken drugs during their lifetime. In the 19th century, Australia had a laissez-faire attitude with respect to drugs. Most drugs were legally available and regulation was minimal, the commission's report read. Cannabis, opium, heroin and MDMA were all legal products in the first half of the 20th century. Heroin was available on prescription until 1953 and was used widely as a painkiller and in cough mixtures. Cannabis, opium, heroin and MDMA were all legal products in the first half of the 20th century. Credit:Viki Yemettas Opposition justice spokesman David Janetzki said: "Going soft on the war on drugs is not the answer. Advertisement "While providing better treatment for those struggling with addiction is vital, we need tougher penalties to crack down and reduce supply." But the commission's report said all available evidence suggested criminalising drugs "has not been effective in restricting use and supply". "Despite this, the Queensland government spends around $500 million enforcing drug laws, and imprisons around 1840 people per year." A poll of more than 1000 Brisbane Times readers found 87 per cent agreed that illicit drug use should be removed from the criminal code. In its response, the government acknowledged that police officers with "long-standing experience" supported decriminalisation but it still had "no intention of altering any drug laws in Queensland". The government will instead consider expanding diversionary methods for minor drug offences. Ms Trad said people who commit serious crimes should go to jail. Advertisement "But given the cost of keeping prisoners in prison, we need to examine whether that is the best option for people who repeatedly fail to pay fines or are repeatedly arrested with small amounts of drugs for personal use," she said. "Thats especially true if that prison sentence pushes a small-time offender towards a life of more crime, rather than rehabilitation." Former federal police commissioner Mick Palmer said while criminal sanctions remain for personal drug use, it would be impossible to provide the necessary level of health and safety services to people with drug issues. Former AFP commissioner turned drug reform advocate Mick Palmer. Credit:Louie Douvis "Diversion and reducing penalties are harm-reduction measures that are important steps forward, but until we see more ambitious measures, including the removal of criminal sanctions for personal use, we will not be able to get drug deaths under control," said Mr Palmer, who is also a spokesman for the Take Control campaign. "Many of these deaths, which rock communities and devastate families, are young people who were simply too scared to get help. "Unless we get rid of criminal sanctions for personal use, there will always be a dangerous barrier to seeking help." Advertisement YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenian governmental inter-agency commission discussed the issue of limiting the visits of Chinese citizens to the country aimed at preventing the spread of new coronavirus detected in China. The final decision will be made in the upcoming 1-2 days, Healthcare Minister of Armenia Arsen Torosyan told reporters at a press conference. Just a while ago the session of the inter-agency commission for prevention of novel coronavirus, created by the decision of the PM, was held chaired by deputy PM Tigran Avinyan. During the session we discussed the current situation, the actions taken so far and the upcoming steps. We also discussed the issue of limiting the entry of Chinese citizens [to Armenia], and a respective decision will be made within the next 1-2 days, he said. The minister stated that this also supposes changes within the international commitments, and the foreign ministry of Armenia will come up with a respective statement. The commission also discussed issues relating to the Armenian citizens who are currently in China. All actions envisaged by the medical rules of the World Health Organization are being taken. These include border control, final diagnosis of patients, etc, he said. Minister Torosyan said they will just try to reduce the entry of citizens to Armenia who represent a potential danger. On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of an unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan v a large trade and industrial center in central China populated by 11 million people. On January 7, Chinese experts identified the infecting agent: coronavirus 2019-nCoV. According to latest reports, a total of 8,100 people were infected with the new coronavirus in China, and the death toll reached 171. Cases of the new coronavirus were also confirmed in 18 other countries, including Australia, Vietnam, India, Cambodia, Canada, Malaysia, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, Thailand, the Philippines, Finland, France, Germany, Sri Lanka and Japan. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan (Natural News) With the World Health Organization now having declare the coronavirus pandemic a global pandemic emergency, for the very first time a few Americans are starting to pay attention and wonder whats next. As one of the top science researchers in the independent media today, Ill share my honest assessment of where we are. No spin, no government lies, no exaggerations, nothing but cool-headed, honest analysis: Based on everything Im seeing so far, if President Trump doesnt halt flights from China in the next 72 hours, it is highly likely that the coronavirus pandemic will be unable to be contained in the United States. This means it would then become endemic in the USA and around the world, eventually. It would likely kill off between 5% 10% of the population, and the rest would survive with new immunity, living in the aftermath of what would essentially be an economic apocalypse. But humanity would recover. Its not the end of the world. However, if flights from China are restricted in the next three days (by Feb. 2), there is a good chance the pandemic can be contained in the United States, at least for the current wave. However, containment seems a lot less likely in other countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Korea and even China itself. And if this starts to spread into Africa, India or South America, then its basically so far out of containment that it will never be fully stopped. At that point, we would all just need to accept the fact that it will become endemic and perhaps 5% 10% of the world population will be killed by it (although that number might go higher or lower, depending on mutations). The truth is, we wont even know the full answer to all this for a few months, since this virus can experience explosive new pockets of outbreaks in secondary communities or nations where its not currently being recorded. Right now, there is a reasonable, realistic chance that the world might contain this outbreak, but that chance is slipping away by the hour. If this isnt dramatically curtailed very, very soon as in, the next week or so its probably beyond any reasonable expectation of long-term containment. In effect, EVERY country in the world has to make no mistakes and achieve full containment, or it eventually breaks out of containment and exposes everyone sooner or later. It only takes one country failing to respond in a perfect way for this virus to break containment and spread everywhere. I ask you: What are the odds that every major nation in the world will do a perfect job containing this virus? My guess is that the odds of that happening are approaching zero. The next 3 7 days will tell us a lot. If containment is working in China, we should start to see their numbers leveling off. But if numbers start to increase in other nations, then Chinas success at containment becomes irrelevant. My advice is to start preparing to be infected sooner or later, and prepare to survive that infection through the use of natural medicine, nutritional support and other health-enhancing strategies. Get the straight dope on all this in my red alert podcast, just released: Brighteon.com/bb1bc956-9796-44c0-b982-ee71abe42844 Rocket Lab just launched its first payload for the United States' spysat agency and took another big step toward rocket reusability in the process. One of Rocket Lab's two-stage Electron boosters lifted off from the company's New Zealand launch site today (Jan. 30) at 9:56 p.m. EST (0256 GMT and 3:56 p.m. local New Zealand time on Jan. 31), carrying the NROL-151 payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). The Electron successfully deployed NROL-151 as planned, Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck confirmed via Twitter about 70 minutes after liftoff. Related: Rocket Lab and its Electron booster (photos) The NRO operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites and tends to keep details about these spacecraft and their missions secret. NROL-151 is no exception; we know very little about the payload the Electron just toted to Earth orbit. The Kick Stage has deployed the @NatReconOfC's payload, confirming mission success for Birds of a Feather!January 31, 2020 See more For example, the mission timeline that Rocket Lab laid out in its press kit (which you can find here ) doesn't disclose NROL-151's exact orbital destination, just that the Electron's final predeployment engine burn was scheduled to take place about 50 minutes after liftoff. Today's launch was the 11th overall for the 57-foot-tall (17 meters) Electron, which can loft about 500 lbs. (227 kilograms) on each roughly $5 million mission. California-based Rocket Lab aims to greatly increase access to space via Electron, eventually launching satellites once per week or even more frequently. Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Rocket Lab) A Rocket Lab Electron booster launches the NROL-151 satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office into orbit from Mahia Peninsula on New Zealand's North Island on Jan. 31, 2020 local time (Jan. 31 EST). Image 2 of 2 (Image credit: Rocket Lab) A view from the second stage of a Rocket Lab Electron booster after launching the NROL-151 satellite into orbit for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office on Jan. 31, 2020 NZDT (Jan. 30 EST). This overall vision includes reusing the rocket's first stage, a goal that Rocket Lab is approaching in a stepwise fashion. For instance, on Electron's previous launch, which occurred in December , the company managed to guide the booster back down in a controlled descent. And Rocket Lab pulled off that important maneuver again today. The Electron oriented itself vertically, to better withstand the heat and pressure encountered during its fall back to Earth, and made it all the way down. "Other aspects designed to support recovery efforts on this mission include updated guidance and navigation systems, including S-band telemetry and onboard flight computer systems, to gather and transmit data throughout the first stage's descent," Rocket Lab wrote in the mission press kit. Stage 1 made it all the way in again!January 31, 2020 See more Once these various first-stage systems are sufficiently proven out, Rocket Lab plans to pluck descending boosters out of the sky with a helicopter , then inspect, refurbish and refly the rockets in short order. No dramatic aerial capture took place today, however; the Electron first stage hit the Pacific Ocean hard, at an estimated 370 mph (600 km/h). Rocket Lab has a habit of giving missions playful names; for example, the company called December's launch, the 10th for Electron, "Running Out of Fingers." The moniker given to today's liftoff was "Birds of a Feather," and the mission patch features a kiwi and an eagle avian representatives of New Zealand and the U.S., presumably watching a rocket take flight. "For more than six decades, the NRO has answered the hardest national security-related questions with bold, innovative technology, and NROL-151 stands firm in this tradition," Rocket Lab representatives wrote in the mission press kit. "The NROL-151 mission logo is a light-hearted way to wish NROL-151 good fortune and launch on its mission." Editor's note: This story was updated at 12:30 a.m. EST on Friday with news of NROL-151's successful deployment. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook . London: Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who is wanted by Indian authorities in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam appeared before a UK court on Thursday through videolink from his London prison and was further remanded in custody till February 27. Nirav Modi, who was arrested from Holborn here on March 19 and is fighting extradition proceedings since then was called for routine "call-over" hearing at Westminster Magistrates` Court which was presided over by Judge David Robinson, who told the businessman that his case is proceeding in accordance with the directions for a final hearing on May 11. His extradition trial is scheduled for five days starting May 11, with the case management hearings in the case set to begin once all the evidence has been handed in to the court for the trial. The fugitive diamantaire will remain in judicial custody pending a full extradition trial scheduled and must appear for call-over hearings until the case management for the trial starts from May. Live TV Nirav Modi was proclaimed by a special PMLA court as a `fugitive economic offender` on December 5 last year. Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi of the Geetanjali Group are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after the PNB alleged that they cheated it of Rs 13,500 crore with the involvement of some bank employees. The ED has filed a chargesheet against Choksi in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act Court in Mumbai. India is currently making efforts to extradite Nirav Modi from the UK and his uncle Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda where he is now a citizen, to come and face the law here. Tanaiste Simon Coveney has said that his overall feeling today with regard to Brexit is one of sadness. A lot of my mother's family are still English and live there - I've been to university in England, I've worked in Scotland, he told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk. In terms of the bigger picture. I think everybody loses here. I think Britain will lose, I think their standing in the world has been damaged and will be diminished without the solidarity that comes with EU membership. I think the EU will be weakened too - because Britain is a great country, it's a powerful country, it's a strong economy and it added a lot to the European Union. The European Union for Ireland will be quite different without the UK in it." He says while the transition period keeps the status quo in the short-term, a lot of work still has to be done. "Now our focus turns to the east-west relationship in terms of getting a trade deal- and a deal on whole range of other things," he said. There also will need to be deals on fisheries, on energy, on transport, on aviation, on law enforcement, on data protection. So anybody who thinks this is a question of just agreeing 'we're starting from the same position here, so let's just keep trading with each other' - that is just nonsense." What the UK would like to do is to turn this discussion into standards and a discussion around standards, but actually this isn't just about standards. If we're going to get a trade deal that doesn't have tariffs or quotas - which is really important for Ireland - the EU is going to insist on their being a level playing field between the UK and the EU in terms of how goods are produced. That is about standards but it's also about competition law, state aid rules and so on. If the UK decides that it wants to deregulate to create competitive advantage and then expects to be able to sell those products - having gained that competitive advantage - into an EU market in a way that disadvantages EU companies, there is no way that the EU is going to facilitate that. I think we need to be blunt about that. The truth is we're losing a very powerful friend here, a country that has very similar views to Ireland on most things. Ireland's going to have to work much harder in terms of building alliances and turning friendships into partnerships. The UK will formally leave the bloc at 11pm Irish time on Friday. A transition period for the UK will start on February 1, and is set to expire at the end of December 2020. Any agreement on the future EU-UK relationship will have to be fully concluded before that point if it is to come into force in January 2021. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 16:49:02 Aircraft sold to U.S.-based Fargo Jet Center, which will convert spacious interior into cutting-edge medevac suite Bombardiers newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty , delivers best-in-class speed and range and the smoothest ride at an exceptional value Learjet aircraft have a proud history of service in medevac configuration, with room for up to three stretchers and adherence to more stringent safety standards than other light jets U.S.-based Spectrum Aeromed will supply air medical equipment MONTREAL, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier is proud to announce the sale of two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to North Dakota-based Fargo Jet Center (FJC). The aircraft are to be converted to dedicated medevac configuration and delivered to air ambulance service provider Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR), based in Warsaw, Poland. Following an extensive international competitive tender, LPR selected the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with FJCs proposed medevac interior, to serve its expanding operations. Bombardier will enter its newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty, into service this year. This spacious and powerful light jet features a next-generation flight deck and optimized operating costs, with enough range to reach any European destination nonstop out of Warsaw.* The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with its best-in-class spaciousness, speed and range, is an excellent choice for medevac missions, said Stephane Leroy, Vice President, Sales, Bombardier Specialized Aircraft. Learjet aircraft have long been a trusted platform for all types of special missions, and the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft gives operators even more reasons to choose the worlds best light jet. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft adheres to more stringent safety standards than most light jets, meeting the same rigorous certification requirements as commercial aircraft, for the ultimate peace of mind on emergency medical service (EMS) missions. Fargo Jet Center has extensive experience converting aircraft interiors for medevac use. FJC is expected to take delivery of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft from Bombardier in late-2020, then deliver the converted EMS aircraft to LPR in Poland in 2021. Spectrum Aeromed, also based in Fargo, has been selected as the air medical equipment provider on the project. The Spectrum Aeromed team will contribute to a highly customized, state-of-the-art dedicated air ambulance interior for the two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft. It is a pleasure to be working with Bombardier, LPR and Spectrum Aeromed to develop one of the most capable light jet EMS aircraft in the world today, said Patrick Sweeney, CEO, Fargo Jet Center. Our team brings a unique skill set to this project through our extensive history in modifying aircraft for special missions. From initial conception to design, fabrication and installation, our experts will transform the interior of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to meet LPRs specifications. In operation since 2000, Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe provides 24/7 air ambulance services throughout Poland via a fleet of 27 rotary wing and two turboprop aircraft. The addition of the Learjet platform will mark the expansion of LPRs operations to include jet aircraft. The acquisition of the new Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft fits perfectly into our strategic plans for growth in Poland and will provide the necessary combination of speed and range to drive the expansion of our operational capabilities and EMS transport availability into international operations, said Wojciech Wozniczka, LPR Director of key project management. With a flat floor and the longest cabin in its class, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is ideal for EMS conversion. It has room to accommodate up to three stretchers and sophisticated medical equipment, as well as seating for medical staff. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft also has the smoothest ride among light jets, which on EMS missions adds to the comfort of patients receiving care. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft delivers superior performance at an exceptional value proposition, for the same operating costs as those of competitor aircraft that offer less. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is the fastest aircraft in the light jet segment with longer range than the competition. With its range of 2,080 nautical miles, out of Warsaw this aircraft can reach all of Europe, including Iceland, and beyond into Northern Africa, Russia and the Middle East. In civilian configuration, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft features a six-seat layout that gives light jet passengers unprecedented freedom to stretch out. A standard pocket door delivers a quiet flight, while retractable side tables and stowable ottomans ensure productivity and comfort. About Fargo Jet Center and associated companies Fargo Jet Center (FJC), headquartered in Fargo, ND (KFAR), subsidiary Premier Jet Center (PJC), based in Minneapolis, MN (KFCM), and aircraft sales division Exclusive Aircraft Sales, are recognized leaders in the provision of aviation services and have been ranked among the top aviation service companies in the world. With over 200 team members company-wide, Fargo Jet Center has delivered more than 100 special mission aircraft completions over the past 25 years. For more information, visit www.fargojet.com About Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR) is the only medical rescue and transportation service in Poland to offer helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS), with a current fleet of 27 helicopters and two turboprop aircraft, operating out of more than 20 locations across Poland to cover the countrys population of 37 million. In 2019, LPR carried out more than 16,000 medical rescue missions and transported nearly 10,000 patients, with its business growing by approximately 10 per cent year to year. LPRs fixed-wing aircraft base and four helicopter bases operate 24/7, 365 days a year. For more information, visit www.lpr.com.pl or https://www.facebook.com/latamybyratowac/. About Spectrum Aeromed Spectrum Aeromed is a leading global designer and manufacturer of custom air medical and air ambulance equipment for fixed and rotor wing aircraft. Spectrum Aeromeds modular and custom-built air medical equipment is used by all segments of the aviation industry, including charter services, private/VIP operators, royal families, emergency medical services (EMS) and search and rescue (SAR) operations, hospitals and corporations, as well as domestic and international military and government entities. The company is qualified to produce specialized life support solutions for air, ground and marine support applications. Spectrum Aeromed holds more than 90 Supplemental Type Certificates covering more than 450 models of aircraft. Spectrum Aeromed is headquartered in Fargo, ND, with a 17,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. For more information, visit www.spectrum-aeromed.com. About Bombardier With over 68,000 employees, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries as well as a broad portfolio of products and services for the business aviation, commercial aviation and rail transportation markets. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). In the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018, Bombardier posted revenues of $16.2 billion US. The company is recognized on the 2019 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World Index. News and information are available at bombardier.com or follow us on Twitter @Bombardier . Notes to Editors Visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website for more information on our industry-leading products and services. Follow @Bombardierjets on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Business Aircraft. To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section. Bombardier, Learjet and Learjet 75 Liberty are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. *Performance is based on the following assumptions: ISA+15C takeoff temperature, 4 passengers, 2 crew, long range cruise speed, 3% airways allowance, ISA conditions en route, 85% Boeing annual winds, NBAA IFR (100 NM) fuel reserve, standard configuration BOW. For Information Louise Solomita Bombardier Aviation Louise.Solomita@aero.bombardier.com + 1 514-855-5001, ext. 25148 Secretary Ben Carson made his first public comments about radon in public housing following a yearlong investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive, suggesting in one breath that its not a federal responsibility while in another pledging to take steps that could protect tenants from exposure to the radioactive gas. Carson made his statements in a television interview broadcast Thursday in Alabama, where Democratic U.S. Sen. Doug Jones one day earlier joined other federal lawmakers in pressing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to urgently address radon in response to the newsrooms investigation. In the interview, Carson initially implied that HUD had no role in safeguarding tenants from radon, suggesting that state laws are adequate. There are already state regulations in place to deal with radon across the nation, so what we want people to do is follow the state regulations, Carson said in response to a question from a reporter at the local FOX affiliate. That pretty much takes care of it. But Carson continued. He said HUD would ensure radon testing is completed by local housing authorities by making it part of the inspection process, known as REAC, or the Real Estate Assessment Center. We also are going to be adding something to the evaluation, the REAC scoring thats done, to make sure that at least its been done in a reasonable period of time, Carson said during an on-camera interview. Its unclear what precisely Carsons comments will mean for people who live in the nations roughly 1 million public housing units. HUD officials on Friday did not respond to questions from The Oregonian/OregonLive to clarify Carsons comments. Carson declined to be interviewed for the newsrooms Cancer Cloud investigation, which was published in November. Since then, 15 federal lawmakers have called for action or money to protect tenants from radon. Radon seeps into homes from the ground and is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, killing an estimated 21,000 Americans each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The only way to eliminate radon is to test for the radioactive gas and, if its found, to install a specialized removal system. HUD does not require testing despite a 1988 law by Congress requiring the agency to protect tenants from hazardous levels of exposure. Federal officials waited until 2013 to begin strongly encouraging testing. The Oregonian/OregonLives investigation surveyed 64 housing authorities nationwide and found that fewer than one in three could document testing for radon. The newsroom and reporters from its parent company, Advance Local, also tested public housing complexes for radon in six cities. Reporters found high levels of radon in units in three locations: Denver; Worcester, Massachusetts; and Huntsville, Alabama. Carsons comments Thursday matched and expanded on earlier statements made by HUD officials in response to the newsrooms investigation. Hours after The Oregonian/OregonLive published its investigation, Hunter Kurtz, the assistant secretary in charge of public housing, emailed a reminder to every housing authority in America. Kurtz scolded local agencies for their failure to test, asserting that a majority of you are legally obligated under state law to test for radon. But The Oregonian/OregonLive could find no state law requiring radon testing in public housing, except for in Maine, where landlords must test. The newsroom consulted with the National Conference of State Legislatures and representatives of the radon-testing industry. HUD at the time declined to provide any details to support the assertion which Carson has now adopted. In December, a HUD spokesman separately said the agency would be revamping its inspection protocols and radon would be weighed amongst other potential changes. Carson on Thursday seemed to confirm the agency would now incorporate radon testing in its inspection program. Its unclear when this would happen. -- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A team of researchers at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, in New South Wales, Australia, has established a technique for helping to improve transplant outcomes for patients with diabetes undergoing islet transplantation. Image Credit: Image Point Fr/Shutterstock.com The findings of their study, which they published in the scientific journal, PLOS ONE, last May, outlines how they developed a standardized method of taking measurements of the immune systems response to the transplanted cells, allowing medical professionals make more accurate predictions as to whether the cells will be rejected or not. What the team achieved may be significant in advancing transplant procedures, helping to improve the overall success rate. Developing a method of monitoring the immune system response The Australian team set out to address a significant problem facing islet transplantations. In appropriate cases, people with type 1 diabetes may be offered this kind of transplantation, which involves beta cells from the pancreas of a donor being transplanted into the recipient, restoring their ability to produce insulin. However, these transplant patients are vulnerable to suffering a rejection of the transplant, which occurs when the bodys immune system sees the implanted cells as foreign invaders that need to be destroyed. Current methods to prevent this from occurring include administering immunosuppressant medication to reduce the immune systems response. However, this method is not completely effective at eliminating rejections, and it carries serious potential side effects such as increased vulnerability to infections. The purpose of the work carried out by the team at Westmead was to develop a method to help improve transplant success by minimizing rejections. They looked to previous research as a starting point, back in 2013, an international team of researchers across institutions in Germany, France, and the US, discovered that particular profiling panels (sets of characteristics that are detected and measured) could be used with flow cytometers to observe immune cells involved with transplantation. The team, therefore, aimed to establish a standardized method of flow cytometry to measure the immune response following a transplant by monitoring the immune cells existing within blood samples. Developing a standard method of flow cytometry Previously described in the research conducted in 2013, the team used the profiling panels as a starting point and developed their consistent method of using flow cytometry to measure immune-cell-count and analyze subsets of immune cells found in the blood samples of transplant patients. To achieve this, the team had to standardize numerous factors, including developing a protocol for how the samples should be handled, and how the instruments must be set up. A reliable and effective method established The resultant method was tested, and researchers considered that it was easy to use and successful at producing consistent results across multiple blood samples. Further to this, the established method was of minimal invasiveness to patients, with just 1.5ml of blood required for viable samples. Testing showed that the protocols they developed were reliable, effective, and suitable to be used in clinical settings. Future directions Following islet transplants, most patients will find that in the short term they do not suffer from rejection. However, this can give false hope, as in the long term the risk of rejection increases. It is this unpredictability that the method established by the Australian team will help. With their method, medical professionals will be able to ascertain a clearer idea earlier on as to whether the patient is likely to suffer rejection or not. Armed with this knowledge they can take steps to prevent and prepare for potential rejection, limiting the overall number of transplants that end in rejection. Given that around 1.25 million Americans, both adults, and children, are currently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, this research has the potential to improve healthcare for a significant number of people. Donor islet transplants are becoming a more popular concept, partially because they are significantly cheaper than the alternative pancreas transplantation, costing under $100,000. The next move will be to conduct further studies to analyze the effectiveness of the flow cytometry method on a larger scale. Although researchers are already positive that the method will prove to be a significant breakthrough for the treatment of people with type 1 diabetes, helping to enhance their quality of life. Currently, doctors have no way of telling them whether a patient will reject a transplant or not, the method established by this research is unique in its ability to make these predictions to help medical staff treat patients as individually as possible. Sources: Bottino, R., Knoll, M., Knoll, C., Bertera, S., and Trucco, M. (2018). The Future of Islet Transplantation Is Now. Frontiers in Medicine, 5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6053495/#!po=68.6047 Jimenez Vera, E., Chew, Y., Nicholson, L., Burns, H., Anderson, P., Chen, H., Williams, L., Keung, K., Zanjani, N., Dervish, S., Patrick, E., Wang, X., Yi, S., Hawthorne, W., Alexander, S., OConnell, P. and Hu, M. (2019). Standardization of flow cytometry for whole blood immunophenotyping of islet transplant and transplant clinical trial recipients. PLOS ONE, 14(5), p.e0217163. journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0217163 Streitz, M., Miloud, T., Kapinsky, M., Reed, M., Magari, R., Geissler, E., Hutchinson, J., Vogt, K., Schlickeiser, S., Kverneland, A., Meisel, C., Volk, H. and Sawitzki, B. (2013). Standardization of whole blood immune phenotype monitoring for clinical trials: panels and methods from the ONE study. Transplantation Research, 2(1), p.17. transplantationresearch.biomedcentral.com/.../2047-1440-2-17 Further Reading Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 15:54:13|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Friday that the country will host the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Phnom Penh on Nov. 16-17. The summit will be held under the theme "Strengthening Multilateralism for Shared Growth," he said, adding that it is a very important forum for cooperation between Asia and Europe for mutual benefit. The prime minister said the biennial summit will bring together leaders from 51 countries. "The forthcoming 13th ASEM is the biggest diplomatic and historic event for Cambodia," Hun Sen said in a speech during the closing ceremony of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's annual conference. "It will be the best opportunity for Cambodia to express its highest-level commitment to strengthen multilateralism, to contribute to the world's efforts to tackle global challenges, and to contribute to seeking opportunities for the betterment of the global economy," he added. Cambodia will organize seven events on the sidelines of the summit, he said. Those will be the Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership Meeting, the Asia-Europe Economic and Business Forum, the ASEF (Asia-Europe Foundation) Young Leaders Summit, the ASEF Editors Roundtable, the Asia-Europe Labor Forum, the Asia-Europe People's Forum and the ASEM Cultural Festival. ASEM was founded in 1996 and Cambodia became its member in 2004. USS Monterey Awarded Prestigious Arizona Memorial Trophy Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200130-13 Release Date: 1/30/2020 4:11:00 PM By MC2 Jacob Milham, Naval Surface Force Atlantic Public Affairs NAVAL STATION NORFOLK (NNS) -- As selected by the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), the crew of USS Monterey (CG 61) was awarded the USS Arizona Memorial Trophy today during an onboard ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk. Representing the CNO and on hand to present the coveted trophy to the 2017-2018 winner was the newly-appointed Director, Navy Staff, Mr. Andrew Haeuptle. He said that Monterey has proven their operational value to the fleet time and time again. "If you have your back against the wall, you want the best and toughest there with you," said Haeuptle. "This ship and this crew are that and I cannot wait to see what the future of this crew is." Consistent with the mission of USS Arizona (BB 39), the trophy is awarded every two years to the best performing, combat-ready crew among ships of the surface force with primary missions in strike warfare, surface fire support, and anti-surface warfare. The CNO announced that the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser earned the award last May. "This award is only made possible by those on the deckplates," said Capt. Anthony Littmann, Monterey commanding officer. "Along with our other awards, this will be placed on the mess decks where it belongs. There it will be a reminder of what this crew has done right and will continue to do." Throughout 2017 and 2018, Monterey consistently demonstrated superb combat readiness in three specific warfare characteristics: operational readiness, operational performance, and miscellaneous achievements contributing to readiness. As the first ship ordered to surge deploy as part of the Optimized Fleet Readiness Program (OFRP), with less than 48 days' notice, Monterey executed and achieved mission success deploying to Fifth and Sixth Fleets from October 2017 to May 2018. Despite this high operational tempo, Monterey maintained operational readiness and received her fourth consecutive Retention Excellence Award in 2018, the Secretary of the Navy Energy Excellence Award for fiscal year 2018, and numerous command excellence awards in 2017. She executed more than 90 Tier-One Tomahawk Land Attack Missile strike scenarios and established herself as the premier firing unit in the Navy and during Operation Steadfast Protector, led coalition strike operations against chemical weapons research, production, and storage sites in Syria in the absence of a carrier strike group. "From returning after deployment to the maintenance and getting back on the waterfront, the crew has maintained its' initiative and integrity," said Lt. Cmdr. Zach Holliday, Monterey combat systems officer. "That is what I think will carry the team on to do more great things for the Navy." The fourth ship to be so named, Monterey is homeported in Norfolk, and commemorates the Mexican-American War battle of the same name. She is the 16th Aegis cruiser to join the fleet being commissioned June 16, 1990 in Mayport, Fla. Monterey is currently undergoing pierside modernization and maintenance. SURFLANT mans, trains and equips assigned surface forces and shore activities, ensuring a capable force for conducting prompt and sustained operations in support of United States national interests. More than 75 ships and 30 shore commands make up the SURFLANT Force. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address I completely share the view of the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for monitoring of Armenia. This is what deputy of the My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia and head of the delegation of the National Assembly of Armenia to the PACE Ruben Rubinyan wrote on his Facebook page. In particular, he said he completely shares the concern about the tension between the Constitutional Court Presidency and the Prime Ministers Office. He also shares the co-rapporteurs position that the Constitutional Court needs to be free of all types of political repressions from all sides. A vote to acquit Trump could come late on Friday or Saturday if Republicans block vote on calling additional witnesses. Washington, DC The United States Senate is gearing up for a climactic vote on Friday that could bring a swift end to the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Trumps expected acquittal looked more likely on Friday or early Saturday after Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced he would oppose calling new witnesses, all but crushing Democratic hopes for hearing from former and current White House aides, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton. There is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Alexander tweeted on Thursday after the conclusion of two days of questions posed by senators to both legal teams. A simple majority is needed for the Senate to call witnesses, but with Alexander siding with Republicans, it appeared the best the Democrats could hope for was a tie in the 100-member Senate. Two Republicans Mitt Romney and Susan Collins have said they will vote in favour of calling witnesses. That leaves one undecided senator, Lisa Murkowski, who said she will make her decision on Friday. Even if the Democrats muster up enough votes for a tie, their chances of calling new witnesses still appear to be slim. In the event of a tie, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could step in to break the impasse. But there is little precedent, and what would and could happen is still unclear. The Senate itself could override any decision that Roberts makes with a simple majority vote. If Roberts declines to break a tie, the vote would be a defeat for Democrats. Ugly detail Before a vote on witnesses, the Senate will hear four hours of debate on a general proposition about whether it is appropriate to seek interviews with witnesses or additional documents. Bolton has been of particular interest, Democrats say, because he would have first-hand knowledge of Trumps efforts to get Ukraine to announce investigations into the presidents political rival, Joe Biden. The former White House aide reportedly wrote in a forthcoming book that Trump told him directly he was withholding nearly $400m security aid from Ukraine until President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered political dirt on Biden. Lead manager House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff speaks from the Senate floor [Senate TV/Handout via Reuters] The House of Representatives impeached Trump in December for abuse of power relating to his dealings with Ukraine and obstruction of Congress for refusing to participate in the impeachment investigation. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. We know why they dont want John Bolton to testify, lead house manager Adam Schiff said on Thursday from the Senate floor. Its not that we dont really know whats happened here. They just dont want the American people to hear it in all of its ugly, graphic detail. Republicans have argued that the Senate has heard enough to vote on whether to acquit or remove the president and adding any potential witnesses could drag the impeachment trial out for weeks, if not longer. Swift end? The White House has said it is hoping for a swift end for the trial. Were interested in getting this to acquittal as quickly as possible, said Eric Ueland, White House director of legislative affairs. If the vote for witnesses fails, Republicans could move to end the trial swiftly on Friday or Saturday. It is unclear whether they will hold closed-door deliberations as was the case in the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton. Democrats may try to prolong the final votes on each article of impeachment, however, by introducing motions and amendments. But ultimately Democrats are not expected to garner the two-thirds majority needed to convict and remove the president. Trump greets people after signing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) trade deal at the White House [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] An acquittal would give Trump ammunition heading into the 2020 primary season, which kicks off with the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Trump would also likely use the acquittal as vindication as he prepares for his State of the Union address on Tuesday. From Iowa on Thursday night, Trump railed against the Democrats and repeated his assertion the impeachment has been a hoax. They want to nullify your ballots, poison our democracy and overthrow the entire system of government, Trump said. But he also said: This is a happy period for us. We call this Impeachment Light. Public opinion surveys show Americans are divided along partisan lines over whether Trump should be removed from office but majorities of 60 to 70 percent support calling witnesses. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Julian Millie (The Jakarta Post) Melbourne Fri, January 31, 2020 12:14 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062e276a 3 Opinion opinions,Education,Islam,religious-background,religious-issue Free Around 90 percent of Indonesias 260 million citizens are Muslim. Most of them support the idea that Islam should have a public rather than private presence in everyday life, and for that reason, Islamic authority is not just an abstract for Indonesians; it has practical effects. But just what kind of role should Islamic authority play in public life? This is a topic that has concerned Indonesian policymakers since before the country became independent in 1945, and this concern has shaped Indonesian Islamic society in distinctive ways. In 1945, when the founders of the Indonesian state were thrashing out the newly independent nations constitutional arrangements, a decision was made to establish a religious affairs ministry. Education was central to the ministrys brief, and for good reason: in the early days of Indonesian independence, Islamic education was falling behind the nonreligious educational system in its appeal to Muslim Indonesians. The rising appeal of modern education threatened the future of Islamic authority in the country. The ministry began fashioning an educational system that would maintain relevance beside the nonreligious education being offered through the Culture and Education Ministry. Looking back over the developments since 1945, two distinctive strategies appear as the most prominent. A major strategic goal has been the creation of an Islamic higher education system. This was achieved by revising the range of Islamic sciences and expanding it beyond the core sciences that had previously sustained Islamic education (Arabic grammar, law, Quranic interpretation, theology, etc.). In the present, Indonesias state Islamic universities and institutes of higher Islamic learning teach not only traditional Islamic subjects, but have also appropriated secular disciplines such as the social sciences, history, media and communications. The broad definition of Islamic study in these institutes has been supported by the equally broad range of qualifications of their staff. Some of them are trained in traditional centers of Islamic learning such as Cairos Al-Azhar mosque university, but many are graduates of social sciences departments in Europe, the United States and Australia. This educational innovation has had a pronounced effect on contemporary Islamic authority. Many of the staff of these institutions are prominent as public commentators, and their contributions to public debates frequently bring a broader, social perspective to issues that might otherwise be resolved in strictly religious deliberations. Further, their contributions have legitimacy as Islamic ones, for members of the public realize that these experts hold positions in educational institutions that are explicitly Islamic. As a result, in comparison with other Muslim-majority countries, Indonesia has a broader range of Islamic authorities bringing differing perspectives to public debate and policy. Without the institutional context created by the ministry, this might not have happened. A second innovation has been to bring traditional Islamic schools at primary and secondary levels into the orbit of contemporary education. In the pre-independence period, for many children in the Netherlands Indies, an Islamic education was the only form of education available. These students attended educational institutions managed and owned by people learned in the Islamic sciences or ulema. In recent decades, the Indonesian government has made it a priority to bring these institutions which are valuable to Indonesias social fabric because of their religious legitimacy and the sheer numbers of Indonesians they educate into the state-regulated system. This has not been an easy task due to many problems: a shortage of qualified staff and resources to pay them; the costs of constructing and maintaining infrastructure; the difficulty of expanding traditional curricula to embrace contemporary subjects; and a widely-felt concern that the core Islamic subjects would fall by the wayside in the process of assimilation. Nevertheless, great gains have been made. Most Islamic schools now offer religious subjects alongside nonreligious curriculums that enable graduates to continue to higher education and employment. These gains have benefited the sector: many parents prefer to send their children to Islamic schools. They not only have confidence in the discipline and values that are central to Islamic education but also feel assured that their children will receive an education that has contemporary relevance. The educational innovations of the Religious Affairs Ministry have made a difference in the present. Islamic education has remained a viable element of Indonesias educational system, and Islamic authority is spread over a wide range of actors with varying involvements in contemporary life. *** Associate professor of anthropology at the School of Social Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, with major projects focusing on an intercession ritual popular in West Java; Islamic preaching and everyday life; commemoration of subnational Islamic legacies; and the distinctive meanings of practice in times of rapid change Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. With disruptions from the new tram trip through central Sydney ongoing, the Berejiklian government has sought to reassure Parramatta residents and businesses that the impact of building a $2.4 billion light rail line there will be minimal. Marking the start of major construction of the line from Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta, acting Transport Minister Paul Toole conceded some disruption was unavoidable but insisted the project team was "working hard" to reduce it. A contruction worker walks along the old Carlingford rail line, which has been torn up to make way for the light rail line. Credit:Steven Siewert "You learn from previous projects and you get better. We're working with the local community to ensure that disruptions are kept to a minimum," he said. "We're confident to have this project ready by 2023." FILE PHOTO: Trucks are parked at a yard of the manufacturing plant of International brand commercial trucks, owned by Navistar, in Escobedo By Joseph White (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's Traton commercial truck unit said on Thursday it had offered $35 a share, or $2.9 billion, for the shares of U.S. truck maker Navistar International that it does not already own, and investors bet the bid will go higher. Navistar shares shot up by 50% to just over $36 a share in after-hours trading following Traton's proposal, suggesting investors expect a potential deal could be richer than Traton's opening offer. Traton said its offer was subject to Navistar and Traton reaching a merger agreement. Truck makers across the globe are struggling to stem the costs of developing next generation powertrains during an industry downturn, a step which is forcing the truck makers to seek new alliances to share costs. Navistar and VW in 2017 said they would collaborate on electric truck development. Traton shares were up 0.4% early on Friday, with Volkswagen trading 0.7% lower and underpeforming Germany's blue-chip DAX index, which was up 0.2% at 0806 GMT. Volkswagen has made its interest in buying the remainder of Navistar clear since acquiring an initial 16.6% stake in 2016, which has since grown to nearly 16.8%. Traton and Navistar have been collaborating on purchasing and certain technology developments, aiming to cut annual costs by $200 million a year. Traton will have to win over Navistar's largest shareholder, financier Carl Icahn, whose fund controls 16.9% of Navistar's shares. Icahn and two other activist funds, Mark Rachesky's MHR Fund Management and Gabelli Funds, together own 40% of Navistar's shares, according to Refinitiv data. Rachesky and another MHR executive, Raymond Miller, sit on Navistar's board, as does a representative of Icahn's interests. Traton Chief Executive Andreas Renschler and the German truck maker's chief financial officer, Christian Schulz, also have seats on Navistar's board. Navistar, based near Chicago, called Traton's offer unsolicited in a statement and said its board would "carefully review and evaluate the proposal in the context of Navistar's strategic plan for the company." Story continues The company has been restructuring its operations under Chairman and Chief Executive Troy Clarke since 2013, and last fall rolled out a new five-year plan called "Navistar 4.0" that aims to increase pre-tax profit margins to 12% by the end of 2024 from just under 8% for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31. Traton includes the European commercial truck brands MAN, Scania and Volkswagen trucks, but it has lacked a strong North American footprint to compete with Daimler AG's Freightliner operation, Paccar Inc, which owns the Peterbilt and Kenworth brands, or Volvo Group's Mack truck business. Volkswagen floated an 11.5% stake in Traton last June. The subsidiary's shares have trended down from the 27 euro offering price and are trading at 23.23 euros. The sector is also highly cyclical. Heavy-duty class 8 truck orders were down most of last year in North America compared to a year earlier, according to data from ACT Research. Before Traton's offer, Navistar shares had been on a downhill run, off nearly 17% since the start of 2020. The U.S. truck maker had told investors it expected overall industry demand for trucks and school buses in its core markets to fall by 20% this year. (Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Tom Brown, Richard Pullin, Kirsten Donovan) New Delhi : A Delhi court on Thursday sentenced two men to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for brutally raping a five-year-old girl and abandoning her in a house believing she was dead in Gandhi Nagar in 2013, just four months after the Nirbhaya incident. The court said it took into consideration the young age and economic background of the convicts -- Manoj Shah, 30, and Pradeep Kumar, 25 -- but, in the interest of justice, it deemed it appropriate to sentence them to 20 years rigorous imprisonment for the offence punishable under section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. On April 15, 2013, the convicts had shoved objects in the victim's private parts and leaving her in a house believing she was dead. The child was rescued 40 hours later on April 17 and had to undergo multiple surgeries at All India Institute of Medical Sciences hospital in Delhi. Coming after the Nirbhaya case -- another gruesome gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic student -- it had triggered a massive outrage as outraged students and women staged demonstrations at the India Gate, police headquarters and near the residences of then prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Additional Sessions Judge Naresh Kumar Malhotra granted a compensation of Rs 11 lakh to the victim, to be paid by the Delhi Legal Services Authority, out of which Rs 2 lakh is to be released to her immediately. 'I am of the view that the injuries suffered by the victim cannot be quantified in monetary terms. Taking into consideration the mental pressure or harassment which victim has suffered and her economic status, and that she was raped repeatedly and left to die, I deem it appropriate to grant a final compensation to the tune of Rs 11 lakh,' he said in the order. He also imposed a fine of Rs 31,500 on each of the two convicts. But senior advocate H S Phoolka, counsel of Bachpan Bachao Andolan, who represented the girl, said he will appeal against the order in the high court to seek life imprisonment for the convicts. "We will move to high court demanding life imprisonment for the remainder of life and a higher compensation to the survivor," he told mediapersons. The nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi-led Bachpan Bachao Andolan expressed disappointment over the verdict, saying the convicts deserved to be in jail till death. The BBA said the judge has shown leniency which has not done justice to the victim. 'BBA is deeply disappointed by Karkardooma POCSO court's sentence in the gang-rape case which was pivotal in bringing about change in child protection laws and which shook the conscience of the society,' it said in a statement. The additional public prosecutor, appearing for police, too had told the court during the hearing that the convicts do not deserve any leniency as the crime was of the most heinous nature. Phoolka said one of the convicts stalled the trial for three years by falsely claiming he was a minor at the time of the incident. "After their conviction, one of the convicts even slapped a journalist. There was no remorse in his conduct. They should not be given any chance for reformation," he said. Advocate R S Juneja, appearing for the convict Shah, however said strict punishment is not a deterrent to the crime against children. "After having stricter punishment, the crime against children has increased. After the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, this incident happened." To this, the public prosecutor said crimes have not increased, rather registration of crimes have increased due to stricter punishment. On January 18, the court convicted Shah and Kumar under sections 363 (kidnapping), 342 (wrongful confinement), 201 (disappearance of evidence), 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 376 (2) (gang rape), 377 (unnatural offence) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act. In an over 100-page judgment, the court said: 'In our society, minor girls are worshipped as a goddess on certain occasions, but in the present case, the victim child, who was aged about five years at the time of the incident, had experienced exceptional depravity and extreme brutality.' 'The crime against the victim was committed in a most grotesque and revolting manner and the collective conscience of the community was shaken,' it said. Cedar Pacific, a student accommodation provider, has expanded its footprint with a new 579-bed purpose-built student accommodation complex strategically located next to the University of Melbournes primary campus to help address a significant supply gap in the market. Lincoln House, on Bouverie Street in the northern inner-city suburb of Carlton, is a partnership with the University of Melbourne, and will help meet rising demand for student accommodation as domestic and international student enrolments continue to grow. It will be managed by UniLodge the largest student accommodation manager in Australia and New Zealand and opens its doors on February 10. Higher education enrolments in Australia have been increasing steadily over the past 10 years. which Cedar Pacific chief executive Bernie Armstrong says is being driven by a number of factors. "Our universities and associated accommodation are also generally located in capital cities, close to the CBD, which makes them more appealing to foreign students than those in competing offshore markets," Mr Armstrong said. Ifill, the first African American and first woman to moderate a major television news-analysis show, died at 61 in 2016, after a cancer diagnosis. She was the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week and senior political correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer before becoming co-anchor of the PBS NewsHour, part of the first all-female team to anchor a national nightly news program. Earlier in her career, she worked for newspapers including The Washington Post and the New York Times. FAIRFAX, Va. - A new prosecutor in Virginia says he is investigating the death of a motorist killed by U.S. Park Police after a chase. Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano met Thursday with lawyers for the family of Bjian Ghaisar, who was shot and killed in 2017 in Fairfax County. In November, federal prosecutors said they would not prosecute the officers who shot Ghaisar. The decision angered Ghaisars supporters, including public officials who faulted the FBI and Park Police for a lack of transparency during the two years they investigated the case. After meeting with Ghaisar family lawyers Thursday, Descano issued a statement saying he is evaluating whether to pursue state charges. Our investigation into this important case is now fully underway and were making progress, said Descano, who took office earlier this month. Weve been working tirelessly to comb through evidence and work towards a final determination on how to proceed. Park Police officers Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya fired approximately nine shots at Ghaisar after a chase on the George Washington Parkway in November 2017. Dashcam video released by Fairfax County Police, who played a supporting role in the pursuit, shows Ghaisar leading officers on a stop-and-go chase. Officers opened fire after Ghaisar stopped a third time and again began manoeuvring past officers who had drawn their weapons. The chase began after authorities say Ghaisar left the scene of a crash in which he had been rear-ended. Descano previously served as a member of a police civilian review panel in Fairfax County that was formed in response to accusations of excessive force by local police. He said he has heard from numerous community leaders concerned about the case, and promised to be transparent and communicative about his investigation. Its important to me that this family, like the family of any victim, knows we are doing what we can to carefully investigate this, follow the facts, and take appropriate action. Making this determination is a top priority for me, he said. Roy Austin, attorney for the Ghaisar family, said Descano issued the invitation to meet. Importantly and unlike past experience, Mr. Descano made it clear that he would keep us regularly informed and he would make sure to contact the family about any significant developments to ensure that they would not first learn what is happening from the media, Austin said in a statement. BETHALTO A man accused of killing three people in Bethalto told police he did so after trying to trade drugs and cash for a pickup truck, according to search warrant information obtained Thursday. Brady Witcher, 41, of Birmingham, Alabama, told police he went to the home in the 300 block of Mill Street in Bethalto to meet Andrew A.J. Brooks, according to the search warrant. Witcher told police he offered Brooks drugs and cash in exchange for Brooks pickup truck, but Brooks refused, according to an affidavit on filed in Madison County Circuit Court. Witcher is accused of shooting Brooks with a .45-caliber handgun. Witcher also allegedly chased two other people inside the home Brooks mother, Shari Yates, 59, and John McMillian, 32 and fatally shot them, according to the document. Details of the Dec. 19 crime were included as part of a sworn statement in request for a search warrant for clothing worn by Witcher and his co-defendant, Brittany McMillan, 28, also of Birmingham. The clothing was removed from the suspects when they were booked at the Madison County Jail. Witcher and McMillan are charged in the triple homicide and are being held without bond in the Madison County Jail. They also have been accused of a multi-state crime spree that also left a woman dead in Alabama. On Dec. 23 the two were charged with nine counts of murder in the execution-style killings of Brooks, Yates and McMillian. Witcher and McMillan also face charges of armed robbery and aggravated vehicular hijacking, both Class X felonies. Witcher also has been charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony. He originally requested a public defender but, according to court documents, the assistant public defender has asked to withdraw at Witchers request. The sworn statement says federal agents informed Bethalto Police on Dec. 19 that they had Witcher and McMillan in custody in connection with arrest warrants out of Clarksville, Tennessee, in connection with an alleged aggravated kidnapping and the theft of a white GMC pickup truck. Witcher and McMillan were arrested at a Hazelwood, Missouri, hotel where police found Yates Ford Fusion, leading them to the Bethalto home. According to court documents, on Dec. 20 Witcher told members of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis that, after committing the crimes in Tennessee, he and McMillan decided they needed another vehicle. Witcher told officers he and McMillan drove from Tennessee to Illinois to meet Brooks. Authorities have said McMillan is originally from Bethalto and knew the victims. A court document states surveillance video from a neighbors home in Bethalto shows a GMC truck that fit the description of the truck stolen in Clarksville, Tennessee. The document states Witcher told officers he shot all three victims after Brooks declined his offer. Witcher and McMillan then left Bethalto with Witcher in the truck from Tennessee and McMillan in Yates Ford Fusion, the affidavit states. They drove to a St. Louis parking garage where they abandoned the truck, leaving the garage together in the Ford Fusion and going to a Days Inn in Hazelwood, Missouri. Authorities located the truck on Dec. 20. Investigators recovered swabs of suspected blood from the trucks interior and exterior, as well as possible blood from the Fusion. They also collected fingerprints from inside the truck. Court documents state police also searched the Ford Fusion and obtained a pair of womens jeans which appeared to have blood on them. Details of the case were revealed Thursday when police filed a search warrant for a pair of shorts and a T-shirt belonging to McMillan, as well as a pair of socks, a pair of briefs and a blue shirt belonging to Witcher. The clothing had been removed from the suspects when they were booked into the Madison County Jail. In addition to the clothing, police found .45-caliber shell casings and a live bullet in the Bethalto home, according to court documents. Hazelwood Police also reported they recovered a .45-caliber pistol during the arrests of Witcher and McMillan. Authorities believe the duos alleged crime spree began in Birmingham, Alabama. Police received a 911 call from a woman at an apartment complex stating she was being held captive and that a woman had been murdered. Police arrived to find her bound and attempting to escape; she led police to the victims body. Police say Witcher and McMillan fled in a stolen vehicle to Clarksville, Tennessee, where they held a married couple hostage at their apartment before eventually fleeing in the couples vehicle. Police also have obtained surveillance footage of Witcher and McMillan in two different Walmart stores. During one incident, Witcher appears to flash a gun at an employee who allegedly suspected them of stealing items. On Dec. 23, Assistant Madison County States Attorney Crystal Uhe said police believe Witcher fatally shot the three victims in Bethalto and that McMillan was culpable in the killings. She said the Madison County States Attorneys Office will seek mandatory life sentences, the maximum penalty under Illinois law, for both. Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has requested the federal government accept the case, which could result in the death penalty. His request is currently under review. Russian activists sentence for repeated violations at rallies appealed in cassation TASS, Andrey Vasilyev 18:00 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) - A 4-year jail sentence given to activist Konstantin Kotov for repeated violations of a rally holding order has been appealed in cassation, his lawyer Maria Eismont has told RAPSI. According to the attorney, Kotov should be released as soon as possible. Moscows Tverskoy District Court convicted and sentenced Kotov in September. A month later, the Moscow City Court upheld the verdict. According to investigators, the man, who was repeatedly brought to administrative liability for breaking an order of public events in the last 180 days, recently took part in an unauthorized protest action ignoring police demands to stop illegal actions. Investigative authorities claimed that his actions had an intentional nature. Kotov pleaded not guilty. His defense insisted that there were no elements of a crime in his actions.Protest actions began in Moscow in mid-July after election commissions denied registration of certain opposition members as candidates for the Moscow City Duma elections reasoning that documents submitted by them contained numerous violations. The first unauthorized rally took place hear the Moscow City Election Commissions building on July 14 and looked like a provocation, according to law experts. Unauthorized rallies in support of candidates seeking to become lawmakers of the Moscow State Duma but refused registration by the Election Commission were also held on July 27 and August 3 in central Moscow. Over 1,000 people were arrested for various violations as a result. Following the 27 July rally, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case over mass riots. Investigators believe that the protest action was held with the use of force against representatives of authority. A former prison guard charged over the murder of three friends on an outback motorcycle adventure four decades ago has been granted bail. Some of the evidence against Bruce John Preston may have been exaggerated, a judge says. Bruce John Preston was granted bail in the Brisbane Supreme Court on Friday. Credit:ninevms The 64-year-old is accused of the 1978 murders of Karen Edwards, 23, Timothy Thomson, 31, and Gordon Twaddle, 21, near Mount Isa in North Queensland. Their bodies were found in scrub near Spear Creek, north of the mining town, less than a month after they set out on a cross-country adventure. 31.01.2020 LISTEN The Board of Trustee Chairman of All Nigeria Community Ghana Dr. Emma Okeson the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Citylights, West Africas biggest lighting company has taken up another initiative to restore the positive image of Nigeria in Ghana. The serial entrepreneur that is engaged in lots of economic activity in the West Africa region including farming and real estate has been repositioning his flagship brand Citylights via opening of branches in Abuja and Lekki in the last 3years but that has not stopped him from envisioning on how to ensure that Nigerian youths in Ghana remain in the news for the right reasons. For almost a decade now the philanthropist has been pivotal in ensuring that Nigerias unity, image and glory in Ghana is not tainted further than necessary and has dedicated his precious time, funds ,astute knowledge and wisdom via participating actively in steering the socio-cultural affairs of Nigerians in Ghana, though it has not been an easy challenge to him, for having to consider his resignation from affairs of Nigerian community in Ghana in recent time which the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana Amb. Femi Abikoye turned down and encouraged him to continue his role regardless of how busy he has got in recent times. A gesture that Dr. Emma Okeson has responded to as the Grand Patron of National Association of Nigerian Students Ghana with a grant of Ghc1000 for any Nigerian student with an exemplary academic records in Ghana, a prize that has been already awarded to Fatihah Oluabukola Ayinde who emerged overall best graduating student of 2018/2019 graduating set of the Islamic University College Ghana and James Olabode who emerged the best graduating student of the HRM Department Knutsford University Ghana. Before his latest foray in rewarding exemplary academic accomplishment of Nigerian Students in Ghana, Dr Emma Okeson was pivotal in securing a befitting secretariat for All Nigeria Community Ghana (ANC Ghana) the umbrella association of the about 2 million Nigerians resident in Ghana The ANC Ghana which was founded over 50 years ago is the unified mouthpiece of Nigerians in Ghana and executors of their general welfare, In issues of grave importance, the association serves as the interface between Nigerians in Ghana and other organizations, unions, or authorities in Ghana including the Ghana government, Nigerian High Commission Ghana and the government back home. The organization was headquartered in a one-room office somewhere in Adabraka (neighborhood of Accra) which was not befitting before he led the initiative that led to the organisation acquiring a secretariat almost 9 years ago. His company sponsored the first Miss Nigeria Ghana pageant in Ghana with a brand new Kia Picanto in 2012 an event endorsed by the Nigeria High Commission and is aimed at showcasing the diverse and rich cultural heritage of the Nigerian nation in Ghana with a pet project that is geared towards the appreciation of the kindness of Ghanaian people as good host to Nigerians resident in their nation, without Dr Emma Okeson the dream of a maiden edition of the unifying event that serves as an agent of integration for Nigerians and Ghanaians wouldnt have been realised. Dr Okeson has been a pillar of financial support to the various Nigeria Media brands in Ghana like Nigerian Eye Newspaper which was established in 2009 to discourage the conspiracy to isolate Nigeria and Nigerians globally with exaggerations and misinformation of the public on issues related to Nigeria, Nigerian times Newspaper that surfaced in 2010, he has been a regular guest and supporter of Loaded Mamas Naija Level Radio Program. Socio culturally, he has played the role of peace-broker and has consistently negotiated for peace in the issues that befell his kinsmen both in the Igbo Community and Ohaneze Ndi Igbo Ghana chapter hinged on an Eze Ndi Igbo Ghana kingship tussle that he as the Chief Patron of Igbo Community engineered the process of stopping the two competing kings from crowning themselves in 2012 with a stop order from court, an action that if not for the continuous followers of the two kings that made them relevant would have successfully averted the cultural challenge that has ensued from the kingship issue in those associations and Igbo community at large in Ghana till date. Dr Emma Okeson has been relentless in supporting any progressive cause that has to do with Nigeria and Nigerians in Ghana with his time, funds, presence, energy which has been successfully contributed in proffering solutions and devising strategies to advance the positive cause of Nigerians in Ghana. In July 2011 at the Nigerian High Commission Auditorium, the book 'The Diaspora Nigerians Making Impact In Ghana' with foreword written by then Nigeria High Commissioner to Ghana Senator Musiliu Obanikoro was dedicated to him for his sacrifice and almost a decade later he has not stopped in finding means and ways to face Nigeria forward and defend its glory in Ghana. When Hurricane Harvey arrived in late summer 2017, a project to enhance and beautify a two-mile stretch of FM 518 median in downtown Friendswood had been almost completed. Now, 2 years later, the project is set to restart. When the work is happening over the next several months, the inner lane next to the median along the work site will be closed to motorists from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. It will be open at other times to avoid disruption to work and school rush hour. The city is advising that motorists watch for lane closures and consider alternate routes. Natasha McAdoo with Keep Friendswood Beautiful, a volunteer group affiliated with the city, said the project was first launched via a $210,000 Governors Community Achievement Award grant from Keep Texas Beautiful in conjunction with the Texas Department of Transportation. The landscaping work was done in the median along the two-mile stretch of the road, also known as Friendswood Drive, from Pearland city limits to Stevenson Park. In 2016 we started the process, and we were nearly done, but then in 2017 Hurricane Harvey happened, McAdoo said. Following the storm, KFB contacted TxDOT to see about fixing the project, which was under warranty for one year. McAdoo said the agency was happy to help, but with so many other projects in the queue, it took time for the project to restart. However, it seems the wait may be well worth it as TxDOT has agreed to add bricks along the edges of the landscaping, punching up the aesthetic. Were very excited about the bricks that will be put there, McAdoo said. It will give the downtown area a lot of character, uniformity and distinction. Additionally, plants salvaged from the projects first go-round will be reused and placed throughout city parks. The median work is expected to last three months and is being conducted by TxDOTs contractor, Texas Wall and Landscape. For a year after the project is complete, TxDOT will handle the maintenance. At that point, it will be turned over to Friendswood. Kim Ramirez, assistant to Friendswoods Parks and Recreation Department director, said annual maintenance on Friendswood Drive from Pearland into League City will cost $27,738 per year. This includes 42 mowings and annual mulch application as well as twice-yearly fertilization of plants and grass. Like the citys Facebook page at FriendswoodCity or follow FriendswoodCity on Twitter for updated information about lane closures. 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. The officials discussed the progress of reforms in Ukraine and trade relations between two countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Kyiv has thanked the United States for the continuous support of Ukraine. "I would like to thank the United States of America, President Trump's Administration, you personally and the entire people of the United States for the continuous support of Ukraine our sovereignty and territorial integrity. It is very important to us," Zelensky said, according to his press service. Read alsoPompeo assures Ukraine of U.S. support in countering Russian aggression MFA The Ukrainian president also thanked the United States for helping Ukraine investigate the downing of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 in the Islamic Republic of Iran. He underscored Ukraine's interest in active cooperation with the United States in various spheres. In addition, Zelensky and Pompeo discussed the development of infrastructure in Ukraine, in particular, in Donbas. "We have great plans concerning the roads. Our first step is 25,000 kilometers of roads. We invite American businessmen to invest in Ukrainian infrastructure," Zelensky said. The officials also discussed the progress of reforms in Ukraine and trade relations between two countries. Pompeo, in turn, expressed support for Ukraine's cooperation with the International Monetary Fund. Burma Resistance Struggle Not Over Yet for Myanmars Karen, KNU Chief Says Soldiers from the Karen National Liberation Armys Brigade No. 5 march in Karen States Papun District in August 2018. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy CHIANG MAI, ThailandThe Karen revolutionary struggle is not over, as the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) and the political dialogue it calls for have yet to be implemented, Karen National Union chairman General Mutu Say Poe said in an address to his fellow Karen to commemorate the annual Karen Revolution Day. Friday marked the 71st anniversary of the beginning of the ethnic Karen revolutionary movement in 1949 following the central governments denunciation of the group as an unlawful organization after months of protests demanding equality for the Karen people. Currently, we are still in the mode of revolutionary resistance, the chairman said in his address on Friday, citing a lack of progress in the peace process. The Karen resistance movement has long demanded basic rights, equality and self-determination. The KNU is the most senior of Myanmars various ethnic armed groups, having resisted central government control for seven decades. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, the vice chairman of the KNU, said the group had waged a 63-year campaign of armed resistance because previous governments had ignored its call to resolve the Karen peoples political demands peacefully, through political dialogue. He said the previous governments and junta had only agreed to discuss a ceasefire, not to hold political dialogue Just eight years ago, the vice chairman told The Irrawaddy, the previous government acknowledged our endeavors and the KNU participated in the ceasefire, followed by political dialogue, with the aim of changing the countrys political system in order to establish a federal union guaranteeing equal rights and self-determination for all ethnic groups. On the 71st anniversary of the revolution, the KNUs political demand is to bring about changes in the Unions political, economic, human rights and security systems and policies so that they will be in agreement with the aspirations and interests of the Karen people, as well as of other indigenous groups and people throughout the entire country, the chairman said. The KNU, together with seven other ethnic revolutionary groups, signed the NCA in October 2015 and has been negotiating for a stronger ceasefire and political dialogue for four years. The group first participated in the peace negotiation process led by then-president U Thein Sein in late 2011, and signed a bilateral ceasefire with the government in 2012. However, the KNU chairman stressed that, despite four years having passed since the group joined the NCA, implementation cannot be carried out as initially intended by the ethnic nationalities and the citizens, and additionally, as the political dialogue for stabilization of the ceasefire [has not] been done fully in accordance with the terms of the agreement, delays have arisen. Whatever it may be, efforts must be continued for the implementation to be undertaken, in accordance with the terms of the NCA, he said. General Mutu Say Poe also urged the Karen people to make greater exertions, more preparation and further efforts, to achieve their political aspirations and the political objectives of the KNU. He urged Karen people to work together, and put aside political differences. Different political views and convictions and efforts for power and opportunities have led to factions among the Karen people, in addition to within the KNU, he said. The KNU, together with other ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) that have signed the NCA, recently resumed talks on political negotiations and ceasefire monitoring with the National League for Democracy government after a hiatus of more than a year. Despite the talks, tensions between the KNUs armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) continue, especially in areas controlled by the KNLAs brigades 2, 3 and 5, over the militarys rebuilding of a road linking Karen States Papun district with Bago Regions Kyauk Kyi. This week, the military accused the KNU of conducting a targeted mine attack to kill a Tatmadaw battalion commander who was leading a security patrol in the area of the road project. The KNU denied the allegation. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win also said the KNU would continue its efforts at political dialogue. Based on experience, we have concerns and doubts, and the challenges remain because the agreements are not implemented according to the agreed principles. Therefore, the chairman urges all Karen nationals, whether they are members of armed groups, politicians, civil society groups or the general public, to work harder and to work hand in hand, he said. You may also like these stories: KNU Leaders Call for Continued Struggle on 70th Anniversary KNU Urges All Karen to Participate in Political Process in New Year Message KNU Leaders Close to Naypyidaw Re-Elected ASIA DPRK (North Korea) Expected Council Action In February, the chair of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Christoph Heusgen (Germany), is expected to brief Council members in consultations on the 90-day report about the committees work. The mandate of the Panel of Experts expires on 24 April 2020. Key Recent Developments During the second half of 2019, the DPRK gradually resumed testing ballistic missiles and associated technologies. Since May 2019, the DPRK has conducted over a dozen ballistic missile tests in violation of Security Council resolutions. However, for more than two years, since it first started talks with the US, the DPRK has refrained from testing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The DPRK indicated that it would give the US until the end of 2019 to make concessions in negotiations; otherwise, it would resume ICBM tests and ditch further diplomatic engagement with the US. On 1 January, DPRK leader Kim Jong-un delivered his traditional New Years address. In it, he announced that the DPRK would no longer be constrained by the self-imposed moratorium on testing ICBMs and nuclear weapons. He said the DPRK would soon unveil a new strategic weapon. Kim did not completely abandon the diplomatic track but said that any future engagement will depend on the US approach to the DPRK. He did not provide further specifics. Following a US request, the Council held a meeting on 11 December 2019 to address non-proliferation issues on the Korean peninsula in light of the recent series of ballistic missile tests. Council members were united in their support for the resumption of the US-DPRK diplomatic talks and the need for the DPRK to halt missile tests. China and Russia, however, expressed criticism of the Councils approach towards sanctions on the DPRK. They emphasised the need to adjust the sanctions regime in order to facilitate diplomatic efforts. Most other Council members stressed the need to preserve sanctions until the DPRK takes concrete steps toward denuclearisation. On 16 December, China and Russia circulated to Council members a draft resolution that called for a partial lifting of sanctions on the DPRK. Subsequently, two rounds of expert-level negotiations were held on the draft in December, but it did not advance in light of the widespread view that any easing of sanctions would be premature. In other developments, the DPRKs foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, was relieved of his responsibilities, according to media reports. Ri played a notable role during the latest diplomatic outreach between the US and the DPRK as well as during the inter-Korean talks in 2018. Every December from 2014 to 2017, the Council held an annual meeting on the human rights situation in the DPRK. Each time, the proposed agenda item the situation in the DPRK required a procedural vote in order to be included in the programme of work. For the second year in a row, the proponents of this meeting could not gather nine members in 2019 to sign the letter requesting the meeting. (The veto does not apply to Council decisions of a procedural nature.) Human Rights-Related Developments The special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, Tomas Ojea Quintana, visited Japan from 2 to 4 December 2019. During the visit, he exchanged views on human rights issues in the DPRK with government officials, families of abduction victims, persons who went to the DPRK as part of a resettlement programme between the 1950s and 1984 and later returned to Japan, and members of civil society and the academic community. He will report his findings and recommendations to the Human Rights Council during its 43rd session in March. Key Issues and Options Over the past 14 years, the Council has maintained and gradually increased sanctions pressure on the DPRK. While there was a period of eased tensions, especially in 2018, the country has not significantly changed its behaviour: it has continued to test ballistic missiles and to violate the sanctions regime. The Council is primarily concerned about the recent proliferation of ballistic missile tests by the DPRK and the stalled diplomatic talks on denuclearisation. An ongoing issue for the Council is finding the right balance between applying pressure through sanctions and simultaneously encouraging the diplomatic track. An option is to explore ways to modify the sanctions on the DPRK to encourage further diplomatic engagement. Some Council members are concerned about the impact of sanctions on the humanitarian situation in the DPRK. The Council could seek more regular interaction with OCHA to obtain detailed information for its consideration of humanitarian exemptions. The ongoing dire human rights situation in the DPRK remains an issue. Given that, as noted previously, the December briefing on this subject has not been held for two years in a row, the Council could continue to explore the possibility of holding such a meeting. Council Dynamics The Council dynamics are shaped in large part by diverging views on the role of sanctions in addressing the nuclear threat posed by the DPRK. The US has been a strong proponent of maintaining the policy of maximum pressure until the DPRK takes concrete steps toward denuclearisation. The EU members of the Council are generally supportive of this approach. On the other hand, China and Russia have shown more interest in considering some form of sanctions relief, as was evident during the 11 December 2019 meeting on non-proliferation and when they circulated a draft resolution on partial sanctions relief for the DPRK. It appears that the proposal does not have sufficient support from other Council members. When the DPRK resumed testing ballistic missiles in the second half of 2019 after a self-imposed moratorium that lasted over a year, Germany, France, and the UK brought the issue to the Councils attention, initiating several meetings under any other business to address the DPRKs missile tests. Given its focus on diplomatic efforts, the US administration has generally downplayed recent missile tests. In December 2019, an interesting dynamic emerged over the issue of the human rights situation in the DPRK. The US, which held the December presidency and initially had signalled its plans to hold the human rights briefing, decided to drop the initiative. It appeared that eight members had signed a letter requesting the meeting, anticipating that the US would also lend its support to the initiative. Without US support, however, the issue would not pass the procedural vote threshold, and the idea was abandoned. Council members are more consistent in their support for the US-DPRK and inter-Korean diplomatic efforts. There is a shared concern among members that the resumption of ballistic missile tests and heightened rhetoric has the potential to disrupt the diplomatic efforts. Some members have shown interest in a new approach to the Councils relationship with the DPRKincluding responding to positive developments through Council outcomes and other means of showing support for a serious dialogue about the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsulabut there has been little movement in this direction. The US is the penholder on the DPRK, and Germany chairs the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON THE DPRK ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIAEthiopians are taking to the streets and to social media to protest their governments failure to find at least a dozen university students and five other people who were believed to have been kidnapped from a bus by masked men in December in the latest in a chain of ethnically driven conflicts. The students, most of whom are women who belong to the Amhara ethnic group, were studying at Dembi Dolo University in Oromia, a region populated by ethnic Oromos, officials said. The two ethnic groups, which have clashed in the past, account for about 60 per cent of the population of about 100 million in this nation in the Horn of Africa. The disappearance has stoked anger, resentment and frustration at the government, with thousands of protesters joining demonstrations in recent days to demand answers. Relatives and supporters began a campaign using the hashtags #BringBackOurGirls and #BringBackOurStudents, reminiscent of the efforts to rescue schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram in the northern Nigerian village of Chibok in 2014. The families are crying they are begging for help, said Dessalegn Chanie, chairman of the National Movement of Amhara, an opposition party. These are poor farmers who have invested a lot in their kids to send them to school. The case poses a danger to the governing party of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has introduced sweeping political reforms that have won him global praise and the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. Amid the growing criticism, Abiy met Thursday with eight parents of the kidnapped students, his office said. Officials said Wednesday that they had organized a group to investigate the kidnappings, and that federal and regional security forces were collaborating in the search. If authorities know the kidnappers identities, they have not said so. No group has claimed responsibility for the abduction. But Asmera Shime, a first-year student at Dembi Dolo University, said in a telephone interview Thursday that she was on the bus Dec. 4 when it was stopped by more than a dozen men armed with sticks. She said that the students had been fleeing violence between Amhara and Oromo students that had erupted on campus the day before. Shime said the men confiscated their phones and forced the group to walk in the jungle for about 40 minutes. She said the kidnappers were Oromo, but she did not know if they represented an organized group. When they began arguing with some of the students about why they were being kidnapped, she says she escaped. Shime said she had spent three days in the forest before encountering a farmer. He took me to his house and gave me his hoodie to keep me from being identified, she said in a telephone interview. He got me on the bus going back to Dembi Dolo. Billene Seyoum, a spokeswoman for Abiy, confirmed that Shime had related the account of her escape to a command post officer in the area of the kidnapping. A relative of Shime corroborated her account. The abduction of the students comes after a number of deadly clashes on Ethiopian campuses in recent months. In November, the government confirmed the death of three students two students at Woldia University in Amhara region and one at Dembi Dolo University. In December, the government deployed federal police to universities in an attempt to calm ethnic tensions. Abiy, who is expected to run in the general elections in August, has faced criticism for his handling of the abductions. There was nothing from the Ethiopian government there was no acknowledgment, said Tewodrose Tirfe, chairman of the Amhara Association of America, an advocacy group. When people began to question the details and information, they went silent, they went dead. Since coming to power in April 2018, Abiy has introduced economic, political and social reforms, including legalizing outlawed opposition groups, releasing political prisoners and pushing to resolve the decades-long border conflict with neighbouring Eritrea. Yet his tenure has also been dogged by eruptions of ethnic violence that have forced about three million people from their homes, according to the United Nations. In October, 86 people were killed after Jawar Mohammed, a prominent critic and media baron, accused police of plotting to attack him. Amnesty International said Monday that 75 opposition party supporters were detained last weekend in sweeping arrests that the group said risk undermining the rights to freedom of expression and association ahead of the 2020 elections. Violent clashes also broke out in universities last year, including at Dembi Dolo, pushing hundreds of students to flee campuses in fear for their safety. Despite the improved political atmosphere in the country, Abiy has been accused of following in the footsteps of his predecessors by arbitrarily detaining journalists and shutting down the internet. Authorities said on Jan. 11 that they had freed 21 of the kidnap victims, but families said they had seen no sign yet of their relatives. The prime ministers press secretary, Nigussu Tilahun, said at the briefing Wednesday that 17 people are still being held, 12 of them students from Dembi Dolo University but the families and their advocates question those numbers. Those protesting the students kidnappings have faced reprisals, according to Laetitia Bader, a senior researcher in the Africa division of Human Rights Watch. Three leaders of the Amhara Students Association, a national body representing ethnic Amharas, were detained this week in the capital, Addis Ababa, and questioned for several hours about their plans to protest, Bader said. The government should be allowing individuals to question and criticize its response to the situation of the Dembi Dolo students, and the situation in universities, not trying to silence them, she said. Ethiopian students should feel safe when they are at school and university, but they cant right now. The case has taken an ominous turn: Shime said that two weeks after the kidnapping, she received a text message from one of her abducted friends, using a kidnappers telephone. Shime said the friend wrote: We are in a jungle. We sleep on plastic makeshift beds. They move us to a new place every day. That was the last text I got from her, Shime said. It can make a sunset melancholy and a sunrise grim. February is when the battery quits, the snow shovel breaks on chunks of ice, the glove is lost, the galosh is ripped, the milk freezes, the dessert doesnt jell, the cat bites the cousin, the tires run square, the furnace becomes paranoid, the cat has nightmares, the fire smokes and the basement door blows open in the night, causing both the edgy cat and the paranoid furnace to run amok. There is no rational explanation for Februarys malevolence, but there is a partial explanation of why it seems to catch us unaware each year. We make the mistake of thinking of February as the second month of the year, a month that arrives when everyone still should feel fresh and hopeful. Actually, this is a quirk of the calendar. The true year, the human cycle, begins in September, when summer and vacations end and great undertakings are undertaken. September is when we have a sense of beginning. All right then. If September is the first month of the cycle, February is the sixth the low point of the cycle, before the windy change of March, the sunny promise of April, the glory of May and June. Kolkata, Jan 31 : A man lived with the corpse of his wife for three days in West Bengal's Nadia district before neighbours went to his house and found her decomposed body, police said on Friday. The starling incident in Chakdah came to light on Thursday after the recovery of the body of the woman -- Bharati Chanda -- who was in her 50s and suffering from liver ailments. According to the police, the condition of the body seemed to suggest the woman had died a few days back due to indisposition. The neighbours said the last time they saw Bharati was on Monday. They became suspicious on not seeing her for three days and questioned her husband Bacchhu Chanda on Thursday before going to his house. Police said Bacchhu's mental condition was being reviewed. Similar incidents had been reported from the city earlier also. Earlier this month, police had found the semi-decomposed body of an elderly man from a house at Behala in the city's southern outskirts where his son was living with the corpse for five days. In June 2015, a middle aged man -- Partha Dey -- was found living with the skeletons of his elder sister and two pet dogs for six months in south Kolkata's Robinson Street. In the weeks leading up to the opening of the Broadway revival of West Side Story, a small contingent of protesters and an online petition have called for the removal of a prominent cast member, Amar Ramasar, who was at one point fired from New York City Ballet after he shared sexually explicit photos of another dancer. On Friday, the woman depicted in those photos, who is Mr. Ramasars girlfriend, spoke out. And she made clear that she thought Mr. Ramasar was being unfairly targeted. I am not a victim in this, the dancer, Alexa Maxwell, said in a news release. She explained that Mr. Ramasar had expressed his regret over the situation and that she had forgiven him. Ms. Maxwell, 25, has previously tried to keep her name out of the public discussion, but said that the recent protests one of them held Friday night outside the theater where West Side Story is now in previews prompted her to release the statement. KCPD investigating life-threatening shooting KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- The Kansas City Police Department is investigating a life-threatening shooting that happened on Thursday afternoon. Police received the call about the shooting at 4 p.m. According to police, it happened at a home at 118th and N. Campbell. Here's the ongoing violent trend that locals don't like talking about because the growing frequency of local street crime scares working-class commuters. Check the latest reminder to drive carefully and realize that danger isn't so far away after all . . . Read more: The last few weeks have been tough at the hospitality start-up Oyo started by Ritesh Agarwal in 2013. Several reports have emerged that the company has slashed its workforce by 15-20 per cent in India and about 5 per cent in China - its two main markets out of the 80-odd countries where it operates. In a conversation with Business Today, Rohit Kapoor, CEO (India and South Asia) at Oyo Hotels & Homes confirms that about 2,000 people have been laid off in the Indian operations. In addition, the hotel chain has exited from nearly 200 cities in India, and is currently focussing on 400 cities. "Like any company, we often go back and look at how we are doing things... In 2019-end, we had a global leadership meeting in Delhi... We said that there are certain things that we need to calibrate as we think forward," says Kapoor who took over as CEO on January 1 this year after the earlier CEO Aditya Ghosh was moved to the Oyo board. "We have grown on the employee side. In India, for example, while the discussion is around restructuring, the fact is we have added 10,000 people in 18 months. We grew from almost 2,000 employees to 12,000 members in India and South Asia. So, the net employment addition has been 10,000 people in 18 months. During the calibration exercise, we felt that we need to become leaner. We have restructured 15-20 per cent of the workforce. So the net addition in employment is still 8,000," says Kapoor who joined Oyo about 13 months ago. Kapoor says that the idea to exit certain cities is a move towards profitability. "We have a defined path. [In] every business, certain actions will take [you] to the path to profitability. For businesses where we don't see that happening, take a portfolio decision, and exit right now. It could be a city; it could be a type of hotel. We have enough data points to know exactly what part of business is not profitable. We look at cohorts - cities, markets, products. Wherever it doesn't make sense, those calls we've taken. If you ask me, the restructuring is done," he says. Oyo claims that although it has slashed a significant workforce, there has been a lot of support that the start-up has given to the employees who have been asked to leave. For instance, the entire process was closely monitored by the senior team. Oyo claims that it has provided enough financial security to such employees. For instance, every employee - even if they were in probation - has been given notice period plus at least one month of compensation. Most people have got 3-8 months of monetary compensation. "We want to make sure that they feel there's enough liquidity in their bank accounts. On the financial side, I think we have run a fair process. Every conversation was handled by two people in person. Not a single untrained person was allowed to have this conversation. There have been some reports that people were fired on e-mail. It is completely wrong," says Kapoor. Oyo says that it has hired an outplacement agency, which is helping the retrenched employees with job opportunities, and paying them on a per-person basis. These employees can register, get their resumes made, and get guidance from the agency. "We are actually running a full office which is tasked with making sure that even if it takes six months, we will continue to provide help. I see a dashboard daily that how many got placed, how many are in conversation, what help can we do. It's not on guarantee basis. If required, I will keep them on this [project] for six months... I personally can feel that 99.9 per cent cases have been handled with absolute care. This is a large exercise, so in one or two cases, we could have made a mistake... We have taken care to make sure the impact is minimised to the extent possible," says Kapoor. Also Read: Why imported onions are rotting? Economic Survey 2020 has an answer Also Read: Economic Survey 2020: The thali, India's own Big Mac Index Also Read: Economic Survey 2020: How privatisation helps CPSEs unlock growth potential (Adds Tedros comments, Italy cases, local color) * WHO declaration triggers step up in international response * Virus death toll rises to 170, with more than 7,800 cases * First U.S. person-to-person case detected By Lusha Zhang and Stephanie Nebehay BEIJING/GENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was declaring the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 170 people in China a global emergency, as cases spread to at least 18 countries. The vast majority of the more than 7,800 cases detected globally, according to the latest WHO data, have been in China, where the virus originated in an illegal wildlife market in the city of Wuhan. But nearly 100 cases have emerged in other countries, spurring cuts to travel, outbreaks of anti-China sentiment in some places and a surge in demand for protective face masks. In Hubei province - of which Wuhan is the capital - some 60 million people are living under virtual lockdown as China seeks to contain the epidemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, praised China's response in a news conference in Geneva but said the WHO was concerned about the virus spreading to countries that did not have the resources to deal with it. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," he said. The move will trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines to all countries, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence it can beat the "devil" virus. Experts are particularly concerned about person-to-person transmission cases outside China, which suggest greater potential for the virus to spread further. The United States became the fourth country to report such a case on Thursday. Officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the flu-like virus was confirmed in a man in Illinois, bringing the total number of U.S. cases to six. The man's wife, who was also infected, had previously travelled to China, but he had not. Story continues "The vast majority of cases outside China have a history of travel to Wuhan or history of contact with someone with a travel history to Wuhan," said Teros. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said the WHO decision was "absolutely right." "Declaration of an international emergency will undoubtedly sharpen governments' focus on protecting citizens," Farrar said. The needed public health measures would be a "challenge" for all countries, but would be especially difficult for lower-income countries, he added. The virus has spread quickly since the WHO's Emergency Committee last met a week ago. But there has been no death reported outside China and neither has the virus emerged in Africa. Italy became the latest country to declare confirmed cases on Thursday. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said two cases had been detected. ECONOMIC IMPACT Tedros said the WHO "doesn't recommend - and actually opposes" restrictions on travel or trade with China. Nonetheless, foreign governments have been flying home their citizens from Hubei and holding them in quarantine, while airlines including Air France, American Airlines and British Airways have stopped flying to mainland China. Economists fear the impact could be bigger than the 2002-2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which killed about 800 people and cost the global economy an estimated $33 billion. China now accounts for a larger share of the world economy and markets have been spooked since news of the virus emerged earlier this month. Companies have also been rattled. Alphabet Inc's Google and Sweden's IKEA were the latest big names to close China operations. China dominated U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's news conference on Wednesday. In China, thousands of factory workers on Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week due to travel restrictions, while in Hubei itself locals and visitors are living a new reality. "Most of the shops are closed. We cannot go out and buy food," Si Thu Tun, one of 60 students from Myanmar trapped in Wuhan, told online news outlet the Democratic Voice of Burma. "Honestly, I have one big potato and three packs of instant noodles and some rice," he said. (Reporting by Pei Li, Gabriel Crossley, Cate Cadell, Kevin Yao and Muyu Xu in Beijing; Samuel Shen and David Stanway in Shanghai; Josh Smith, Sangmi Cha and Joyce Lee in Seoul, Chang-Ran Kim in Tokyo and Se Young Lee; Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva; Kate Kelland in London; Crispian Balmer in Rome; Thu Thu Aung in Yangon; Ben Blanchard in Taipei Writing by Alex Richardson and Rosalba O'Brien Editing by Frances Kerry and Lisa Shumaker) US Reports First Person-to-Person Transmission of Coronavirus By VOA News January 30, 2020 U.S. health officials said Thursday that they had confirmed the first person-to-person transmission of the deadly coronavirus in the United States. Robert Redfield of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said a Chicago man who contracted the virus had been in close contact with his wife, a recent traveler to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak that has killed 170 people. The new coronavirus infection was the nation's sixth. The other five involved people who returned to the U.S. after traveling to China. Earlier Thursday, the U.S. announced new flights to Wuhan to evacuate Americans still in the city, according to The Washington Post. The CDC said none of the 195 Americans evacuated Wednesday from Wuhan showed symptoms of coronavirus infection. They will remain at a U.S. military base in California at least through the end of the week. Several other countries have evacuated their nationals from Wuhan. International airlines have suspended direct flights to China. WHO decision The chief of the World Health Organization said it would decide Thursday whether to declare the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. The WHO said last week that the outbreak did not meet that threshold, but that was before the number of confirmed cases soared to 7,711, including more than 1,700 new cases on Wednesday. "The continued increase in cases and evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China are, of course, deeply concerning," Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at WHO headquarters in Geneva on Wednesday, a day after he visited Beijing. "Although the numbers outside China are relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak." Tedros said 99% of all confirmed cases were in China. Fifteen other countries have confirmed 68 cases. All but one of the 170 deaths have occurred in Wuhan and in Hubei province. The number of new coronavirus cases now exceeds those of the 2002-03 SARS epidemic that killed 800 people worldwide. Tedros praised Beijing for its response. "China's efforts to contain the outbreak at the epicenter have been essential for preventing the further spread of the virus," he said. "China identified the pathogen in record time and shared it immediately, which led to the rapid development of diagnostic tools." Trump briefed U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed on the outbreak by those he called the "great agencies" working with China. "We will continue to monitor the ongoing developments. We have the best experts anywhere in the world and they are on top of it 24/7," he tweeted late Wednesday. The White House has said it is considering further restrictions on U.S. airlines flying to China, in addition to the voluntary restrictions implemented by some air carriers. It has not yet decided whether to impose a travel ban. The CDC said the risk of infection to Americans was low and that it was working with the WHO to get a U.S. team to China as soon as possible. The CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said Wednesday that the symptoms of a cold or the flu and the coronavirus are the same, but the risk factor for the latter involves having visited China's Hubei province or having close contact with those who were there. On Thursday, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the virus could help create jobs in America. Ross said in an interview with Fox Business that the deadly virus was "very unfortunate" but that it and other viruses that originated in China constituted a "risk factor" that businesses must consider when deciding whether to begin operations in the country. Travel suspensions Britain announced Thursday that it would evacuate its citizens from Wuhan this week, following Australia, New Zealand, France, Russia and other nations. The WHO criticized Australian plans to quarantine its nationals flown out of Hubei on a remote island in the Indian Ocean. Britain's British Airways and Germany's Lufthansa said Wednesday that they were suspending all direct flights to and from mainland China. South Korea's Korean Air, Egypt Air and Scandinavian Airlines joined other airlines that have either suspended or cut service to China. Hong Kong stopped all high-speed rail and ferry services from the mainland, while the territory and Malaysia have banned entry to visitors from Wuhan. Kazakhstan, which shares a border with China, suspended all flights to China Wednesday and planned to cancel train service Thursday. Russia said Thursday that it was closing its border with China, following similar moves by Mongolia and North Korea. Authorities have imposed a virtual quarantine on Wuhan, banning people from traveling in and out of the city. Several other cities in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, faced heavy restrictions on movement. Wuhan is racing to complete two new field hospitals to treat the growing number of patients. The virus is believed to have emerged late last year at a local seafood market illegally selling wildlife. More evacuations, cases A chartered jet flew 206 Japanese nationals from Wuhan to Tokyo's Haneda airport earlier in the week. Japanese officials told reporters in Tokyo that 12 of the passengers were taken to a hospital after complaining of feeling ill, and at least three of them had tested positive for the virus. Medical personnel were on board the flight to screen the passengers before takeoff and again when the plane landed. Japan sent a second chartered flight Wednesday evening to evacuate more nationals and was planning to send a third. India and the Philippines announced their first confirmed cases Thursday, joining a growing list of nations that included Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. The virus hit China just as it was beginning Lunar New Year celebrations, resulting in the canceling or the scaling back of festivities for tens of millions of Chinese. VOA's Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address T he deadly coronavirus first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019 and has since spread to other parts of the world including Europe, Australasia and Asia. The flu-like strain is transmitted via droplets in coughs and sneezes and has so far killed 565 people with at least 28,000 people infected across 26 countries. Cases of coronavirus in the UK have been confirmed by Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty. Chinese authorities have put swathes of the country on lockdown and public transport has been stopped affecting 60 million. A plane of British nationals who were in Wuhan has flown back to the UK, and those returning to Britain have been placed in an isolation unit on the Wirral. What is coronavirus and what are the symptoms? Coronavirus comes from a family of viruses which give rise to a huge range of illnesses from the mild common cold to severe SARS and MERS. It is thought to have originated from animals and traces of the disease were found at a live animal market in Wuhan which also sold poultry and seafood. The contagious virus is airborne and spreads via droplets which can be transmitted via coughs and sneezes this has led to lots of people in the region wearing facemasks. Initial symptoms of the infection include fever, cough, tightness of the chest, runny nose, headache and shortness of breath. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like appearance / CDC/Dr Fred Murphy Later signs include chills and body aches. Coronaviruses are named after the spikes that protrude from their membranes, like the suns corona. Because SARS and MERS proved deadly, the emergence of a new coronavirus has been treated with caution. Which places have reported cases of coronavirus so far? Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP The infection has rippled out from the epicentre in Wuhan, China and spread around the globe. Confirmed cases of coronavirus have been identified in countries including Canada, France and Singapore. Australia: Fourteen cases have been confirmed in the country. Belgium: The western European country has one confirmed case of the deadly virus. Belgium's health authority said that a person flown back on Sunday February 2 from China was found to have the disease after testing at a military hospital. Cambodia: One case has been confirmed in the region. The Chinese patient travelled from Wuhan to the coastal city of Sihanoukville. Cambodia Health Minister, Mam Bunheng said the infected man came with his family earlier this month. Canada: Seven cases have been confirmed in Canada. Two of the infected people are a husband and wife in their 50s who recently travelled to Wuhan. China: The epicentre of the outbreak, there have been around 44,653 confirmed cases of the infection on the mainland and at least 1,113 people have died. The first person who contracted the illness - patient zero - is thought to have picked it up at a live animal food market in Wuhan. Virologists, medical doctors that oversee the diagnosis, management and prevention of infection, have identified that bats and snakes can carry the strain. Cambodia: There is one confirmed case of the virus in Cambodia. The country's leader, Prime Minister Hun Sen, said they would not be banning flights to China as it would hurt the Cambodian economy. France: The country has 11 confirmed cases, French health authorities have confirmed.. The sixth person infected is a doctor who had treated an ill patient - the first person to contract the virus in France. Finland: One person in Finland has been diagnosed with the coronavirus. She is believed to be a 32-year-old women from Wuhan. Germany: Fourteen cases have been identified in Germany, including two people who were evacuated from Wuhan. Hong Kong: Fourty-nine people have contracted the strain in the region, according to the latest figures, and ones has died. Medical workers in the region have gone on strike to demand the administration close the border with the mainland. India: There are three people in India who have the coronavirus. The first person who be diagnosed in the world's second most populous country was a student at Wuhan University who returned home to the state of Kerala. Italy: Italy has seen three cases of the virus. According to the Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, two of the infected people were Chinese tourists. Japan: The country has seen 203 cases. One of the patients had originally tested negative for the disease, but it was later confirmed that he was infected. Macau: Ten people in the worlds gambling capital of Macau had been infected with coronavirus. Travellers arriving in Macau who had been in Hubei in the last two weeks must have medical documentation proving they are not infected, or they will be denied entry, the government said. Malaysia: Malaysia confirmed 18 cases of the virus. A government minister said that 57 hospitals could be used to screen for the virus and 26 were prepared to treat the illness. Nepal: One case has been confirmed in the country. The patient was a Nepali student who had been studying in Wuhan. Philippines: The first recorded death from the coronavirus outside of mainland China occurred in the Philippines. Three people contracted the virus and one person died. Russia: There have been two cases of the virus in Russia. In response the country's government said that the massive border with China - which is more than 2,500 miles long - will be closed. Singapore: Singapore has 47 cases. Five of the infection carriers travelled from Wuhan for the Lunar New Year holidays. South Korea: There are 28 confirmed cases in the region. One of the patients, a 55-year-old man, showed no symptoms of infection when he was screened at an airport upon his return to Korea on January 20. But six days later he had a high fever and aching muscles and was diagnosed with the virus. Spain: Two confirmed case of the coronavirus has been announced. The Health Ministry said five people on La Gomera were put under observation after they came into contact with a German carrier of the virus. Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka confirmed its only case of the coronavirus so far on January 27. The patient was identified as a 43-year-old Chinese woman from Hubei who had arrived in Sri Lanka as a tourist. Sweden: There has been one case of the coronavirus diagnosed in the Scandinavian country. The head of the country's Public Health Agency said that the chance of the virus spreading was "very low". Taiwan: Taiwan has uncovered 18 cases including a woman who had visited Wuhan for work. The island's authorities have since advised against travel to the Hubei province and on January 24 said any arrivals from Wuhan would be rejected by immigration. All foreigners who have been to mainland China in the past 14 days will be banned from entering the country from Friday February 7. The territory has also banned the export of face masks for a month to ensure domestic supplies. Thailand: Thailand has detected 33 cases so far. Thai doctors have successfully treated severe cases of the coronavirus using a combination of flu medications and powerful antiviral drugs normally used to treat HIV. US: Thirteen cases have been confirmed. One plane-load of evacuees has already arrived back from China, and there another flight is expected to be chartered. United Arab Emirates: Eight cases have been confirmed, mainly in the city of Dubai. The Ministry of Health and Community Protection announced that they had been quarantined. Vietnam: Fifteen cases have been detected in the region. Vietnam declared a public health emergency on February 1, and said flights to and from mainland China will be stopped. Has it come to the UK? Eight people have been confirmed as having coronavirus in the UK. Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said: "Four further patients in England have tested positive for novel coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to eight. "The new cases are all known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case, and the virus was passed on in France. "Experts at Public Health England continue to work hard tracing patient contacts from the UK cases. They successfully identified these individuals and ensured the appropriate support was provided. On this day 67 years ago Larne man Mervyn McKay was first to react to a Mayday call that rang out as his boat took shelter in Bangor Bay in what became known as the 'Great Storm'. Hours later after his ship battled fierce gales across the Irish Sea he and the crew of the Pass of Drumochter would eventually arrive upon the wreckage of the troubled ship, the MV Princess Victoria, which sank off the Co Down coast. Her loss claimed 133 lives, the biggest maritime disaster since the Second World War, but the only saving grace amidst the unthinkable tragedy was that the death toll would have been greater but for the heroics of Mervyn and his crewmates. Not that he would consider himself a hero. In fact, so scarred was he by the horrors he witnessed in those violent waters that he did not talk about it for 25 years. Mervyn is now 88 years old and believes he is the only person still alive involved in the events that unfolded that fateful day. At 2.40pm today Mervyn will stand alone as the last survivor to pay his respects at the memorial in Larne. The council have a ceremony earlier in the day each year at 11am, but Mervyn holds his own at that later time, and every year since the tragedy he has put a wreath in the sea no matter where in the world he is on the day, in tribute to those who lost their lives and couldn't be saved. He was just 20 years old on the day of the disaster yet not without experience, having been at sea since the age of 13, but it was a twist of fate that he was even there at all as he was not an original member of the crew. Formerly a wine boat that travelled up and down the Danube, the Pass of Drumochter was one of a fleet bought by a Scottish firm and converted into an oil tanker. In January 1953 she was short of one crew member to enable her to sail. Mervyn was waiting until February to go for a second officer's qualification, but in the wake of Christmas and being offered the opportunity of 10 days' work, he accepted an approach to come aboard as a relief crew member. Expand Close Larne man Mervyn McKay (88), the last surviving crew member of the Pass of Drumochter, which came to the aid of Princess Victoria in 1953 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Larne man Mervyn McKay (88), the last surviving crew member of the Pass of Drumochter, which came to the aid of Princess Victoria in 1953 "I just joined her, didn't know anybody on board," he says. "I went and did my watch, got to know the first names of some of the guys that were working. I probably would have done the whole trip of 10 days never getting the full names of anybody, but I knew where some of them were from. "We left Belfast - Sydenham - and went down the river. I was not on the wheel, I was down on the deck waiting because at eight o'clock I was on watch. "My position was the 'farmer' - the farmer doesn't steer the ship on that watch, you look out. You go up the mast, bridge or bow, the skipper decides where you go. Expand Close Larne man Mervyn McKay as a young seaman in the 1950s / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Larne man Mervyn McKay as a young seaman in the 1950s "It would be on the bridge so he can keep contact with you. On a wee ship like that, you can't shout loud enough, there were no Tannoys or phones. "We were coming into Bangor Bay and that's where I took over as farmer up on the bridge. He said: 'Stand your watch up here, we're going down for breakfast'. "There was nothing happened up to that, nothing unusual, we were lying anchored in Bangor Bay. They went down for breakfast and I'm wandering up and down the bridge keeping an eye out that another ship isn't dragging anchor and that nothing isn't coming too close to us or anchoring too close to us, or then I'd want assistance to get them out or move our ship." But the innocuous start to his stint on duty was the calm before the storm. Mervyn recalls: "The radio starts blaring out: 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday'. I ran into the radio room. 'This is Port Patrick, the Princess Victoria is lying off Corsewall Point, she's lost her power and she's unable to move, we need ships to standby for her. Get some help'. "I had already blown the horn for the guys to get up. They came running up, they thought something was coming to hit us. I turned up the Mayday call full blast and the skipper said: 'Right, okay, Mervyn you're on the wheel, get the engines started as soon as possible, get the pump men to pump the waters into her to sink her to get ballast. Expand Close A survivor from the Princess Victoria is helped ashore / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A survivor from the Princess Victoria is helped ashore "At the same time we cast off and were heading towards Black Head towards the lighthouse cutting across that way, but to get the most out of it and pump the most water into the ship, we took that direction to gather water all the time then up the side of Whitehead towards Black Head. "When we hit Black Head, all hell broke loose - there were waves that you wouldn't believe. I'm going to tell you they were 70-foot waves and you wouldn't even have an idea of what that looks like. "But when you're standing at the wheel of a ship and a 70-foot wave hits you, you're looking at the bottom of the wave and the top of the wave is away up in the sky, that's what you're looking up at, as high as you can see and sometimes higher than you can see up in the monkey island (the ship's highest most accessible point). "And you're sure that's going to fall down on you, that's almost certain. The second mate, he comes over and he's looking at it and he puts his hand on the wheel and I jumped behind the wheel as soon as it hit, we went up into her and then we we broke through it and then the next wave was coming. And we did that all day long." Almost six hours later the Pass of Drumochter fought its way to the stricken vessel and was helped by an unsung hero of the rescue attempt, a ship called the Orchy. Mervyn says: "Remember we're going everywhere else as well, we were even turning broadside on to the waves, that's a tricky, tricky operation. She could overcome you and turn you right over the body, if she breaches you. "It was nearly nine o'clock from Black Head when we got away into the sea and it was 20 minutes to three in the afternoon before we spotted wreckage. "We already knew then that the Royal Navy was there but we couldn't contact her because we had RT (radio telephone) and the only other ship that had RT was a ship called the Orchy. "She was running light ship with ballast, and was so high in the water it was criminal to have her out in that. The sides were so far up he couldn't do a darn thing about it, but she kept beside us because it gave them a bigger target to find the area that we were in having two ships there. Expand Close John McKnight, one of the Princess Victoria survivors / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp John McKnight, one of the Princess Victoria survivors "She had RT and could tell what the Morse Code is coming from everywhere, including Port Patrick. And she was keeping us in touch with what was going on elsewhere. There's ships looking for us and their captain said: 'We're trying to stand fast beside you as near as we can but we're having terrible trouble balancing the ship'." Mervyn and crewmate Pat Black, who passed away three years ago, spotted a lifeboat from the Princess Victoria and worked together to bring it to safety through the merciless and deadly storm. As their ship came upon the wreckage, the captain instructed Mervyn to fire off rockets, but they were so soaked he was unable to do so, just before the rescue bid began in earnest. He says: "Mostly I was under water but I tied myself a rope and hung in there to get to the rail okay, but I was being lifted up and thrown down like you wouldn't believe. I could see the lifeboat away in the distance. We had to try and get a line to it and I went through the accommodation to the stern on my own and I lifted one of the lines out and I started throwing the line towards the lifeboat. "I was throwing the line 100 times, I'm not kidding you. And it was getting tangled up on the deck above me where our lifeboats were. I threw the line and, honest to God, that line was not thrown in the right direction." Then one lucky charge of the howling wind sent it looping over the 50-foot waves in the right direction and it landed on the lifeboat, a stroke of fortune that would spare lives - 35 were rescued in all. Expand Close The Princess Victoria / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Princess Victoria He explains: "It was thrown up in the air, because the minute it left my hand it just took off and went straight up in the air. I was watching it and was mesmerised by it and it went up and out over the stern in the wrong direction and then, all of a sudden, the wind whipped it and it fell across the boat. My thoughts at that time was God done that. You couldn't describe what those waves were like as they were crashing - it was like hell on Earth." Mervyn continues: "Once the rescue started we were down on the deck. That was in the centre of the storm before you hit the next bit. It takes a long time to get to the centre but then it's crowding up and there are 40 or 50-foot waves, that was what we were getting when the lifeboat came. "I threw the rope to the lifeboat. There wasn't a hope in hell of getting one to them but the line, every time I threw it, it landed behind me. I threw it up in the air and it went this way, that way, any way at all. "Once it went up in the air and I watched it coming down ready to pull it in, it went on and it went over the lifeboat and by the hand of God, really. It gave me a line then and I pulled that in and the captain then sent off for more help. "Gradually they sent me up one guy, Pat Black, and then they sent me up Hugo Seymour. I didn't know any of their names, I was only a relief guy on there. I shouldn't have even been there, and I wish I hadn't have been. "We got the lifeboat alongside of us, but they were all standing in the boat like zombies. Take my word for it, they were like zombies. We had to waken them up to get somebody to help John McKnight. "John tried to jump aboard our ship and was hanging on to the guard rail. When the ship goes into port there's a big rail that is wooden with a steel face on it, it's like a big bumper called the belt. "And I went down and went through and got the hold of his wrists to pull him up because he couldn't let go with his hands and there was blood all over, skin and blood. "And remember we're in a gale and screeching wind at the same time, and the sea's still rising up and down leaving him high and dry 20 or 30 feet off the water and I'm holding him. "And the lifeboat is coming and I can't drop him and I can't hold on to him, and I can't drop him because the lifeboat is in the way and he'd be crushed. "And I held on to him, and I said: 'Just a minute!' The boat, she was moving and the water hitting her and moving the lifeboat backwards on the way and I said 'now' and I dropped him and then we shouted at them to try and waken them up, he was in the water. "I went up to make a jump on to the lifeboat when she came up again and the captain was standing up in the poop deck, and he shouted at me: 'Don't jump on to that lifeboat'. "And he did it at the very second I needed to do the jump. You only get one second to do it if you're going to do it safely in a sea like that." The Pass of Dromochter stayed with the survivors until the RNLI lifeboat from Donaghadee came to take over, then they stayed searching the waters for more signs of life until 3am the next morning. Later, before finding his way back home to live in Larne, Mervyn lived an eventful life in Manchester for 25 years working in the crane industry, which saw him building a stand at Manchester United's Old Trafford for the legendary Sir Matt Busby, who offered him a season ticket as thanks for a job well done. He was also offered - and turned down - employment by a certain Joseph C Bamford, the inventor of the JCB, who had been impressed by his knowledge of cranes and has sought his advice on how they were made. But throughout that time Mervyn consigned the horrors of the Princess Victoria disaster to the back of his mind and did not speak about it until he was later encouraged not to keep it bottled up. He adds: "After it happened we went to Ellesmere Port and the captain told us people are coming to talk, but I didn't want to talk. It was 25 years before I would talk about it. Before that I lived a whole life without saying a word about it, as did the rest of them." Britain is just a few hours away from leaving half a century-old European Union membership and being identified as the third country. The historic move to leave the 27-nation bloc is scheduled for January 31 at 11:00 pm (2300 GMT) after joining the union in 1973. However, even though most changes in Britain will not be immediate, it is essential to know what will exactly differ for the UK once it moves out from under the EU's umbrella. The changes will occur in the transition period negotiated between London and Brussels which would reportedly allow both sides to nurture the future relationship. Changes after Brexit Lose Parliamentary representation in the EU Apart from Britain leaving the EU followed by Johnson's optimistic message, a lot of changes for Britain in theory and in practice. Immediately after leaving the bloc, UK will still be following EU law and its courts. However, Britain will lose 73 of its members of the parliament seats in the European parliament including Brexiteers like Nigel Farage. Furthermore, in future EU summits, Johnson would require a special invitation to participate in them. Britain will also initiate trade talks with the EU but they will only be applicable after the transition period gets over on December 31, 2020. Reportedly, travel firms have assured people that nothing would change with subject to the travels until the transition period ends. Read - Beyond Brexit: Reunited French, British Tunnelers Look Ahead Trade talks and other regulations Apart from the lack of representation of British MP's in EU, a trade agreement will be negotiated as the UK will leave the single market and customs union. With a free-trade accord, Britain will move around goods around the EU without extra checks or extra charges. However, if a deal is not negotiated, UK goods importing to the EU will be accompanied by tariffs along with other trade barriers. Johnson is currently pushing for a 'Canada-style' agreement, which is modelled on EU's arrangement with Ottawa. The deal is also known as CETA and it removes nearly 98 per cent of taxes on the traded goods, however, some restrictions still remain. However, the UK PM is hoping for an accord negotiated in 11 months which initially took seven years to be finalised. Therefore, a trade agreement even though is likely, it is still not certain. While trade is the main concern of most Brexit critics, other things that would also need negotiations to include law enforcement, aviation standards and safety, access to fishing waters, supplies of electricity and gas, licensing and regulation of medicines. Read - Johnson Hails UK's 'new Beginning' As Brexit Day Arrives Immigration In terms of immigration, only little will change on January 31 as Britain will still remain the part of Europe's single market until the end of the transition period. Therefore, the UK will keep its border open for EU citizens. According to international reports, there are chances of EU migration to drop significantly if the British government does not extend the transition period. What happens to North Ireland? The most disputed aspect of the entire process remained the 300-mile border UK will share with the Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic (in EU) since the morning of February 1. The borders will remain open for the next 11 months, but committees from both sides will resume meetings to derive a future settlement. The existing 'Northern Ireland Protocol' which prevents a hard border on the island of Ireland will be removed. Read - Coins Marking Brexit Go Into Circulation A Difficult time ahead According to international reports, the transition period will be more difficult than actual Brexit. In just 11 months, Britain is hoping to negotiate a trade deal with the European Union which could lead to adverse effects on the economy for both sides. Four years ago 52 per cent Britons backed the decision of Brexit while 48 per cent wanted to be a part of the union, Splitting the country between 'Leavers' and 'Remainers'. However, this political chaos in London came to an end with the snap December 12 general elections when UK PM Boris Johnson's Conservatives won a majority. Read - Jim Davidson Helps Unveil Portrait Of Nigel Farage Entitled Mr Brexit Ahead Of EU Exit (With Agency inputs) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:19:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described Brexit day Friday as a pivotal moment, saying Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) is "tinged with anger" among many Scottish people. In a keynote speech in the Scottish capital Edinburgh, Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), repeated her call for a new independence referendum in 2020. "As of 11 p.m. (2300GMT) tonight, the UK that Scotland voted to remain part of in 2014, a UK inside the EU, will no longer be a reality. The status quo that a majority voted for will no longer exist. There will be a material change in the circumstances that prevailed in 2014," said Sturgeon. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has resisted demands from Scotland for a second referendum, saying it had been agreed that the 2014 referendum was a "once in a generation" event. In the 2014 poll, majority of the Scottish voted in favor of remaining part of Britain. The SNP is hoping that if the party strengthens its grip at Holyrood, it will weaken Westminster's resistance to allowing a new referendum. Brexit "will be a moment of real and profound sadness for many of us across the UK. And here in Scotland, given that it is happening against the will of the vast majority of us, that sadness will be tinged with anger," said Sturgeon. In the 2016 EU referendum, people in Scotland voted by 62 percent to 38 percent in favour of sticking with the bloc. Across Britain as a whole, the vote was 52-48 in support of leaving. Nevertheless, Sturgeon accepted that any new independence vote may not come until after Scottish Parliament elections in 2021. She told supporters that any new independence referendum must be legal and legitimate, adding that the task now was to make the case for a new referendum with passion, patience and respect. "To achieve independence, a referendum, whenever it happens -- whether it is this year as I want, or after the next Scottish election -- must be legal and legitimate. That is a simple fact. It must demonstrate that there is majority support for independence. And its legality must be beyond doubt. Otherwise the outcome, even if successful, would not be recognised by other countries," Sturgeon said. "The best way to achieve that, even though it may not be ideal, is to reach agreement on a transfer of power to the Scottish Parliament, just as we did for 2014," she said. At a campaign event in Des Moines just days before the Iowa Caucuses, former Vice President Joe Biden flummoxed an environmental advocate by placing his hands on him and telling him to go vote for someone else. Ed Fallon, a Des Moines climate change activist, told KCCI that he was taken aback when he approached Biden for a photo and said hed support him in a general election but added that the United States must stop building and replacing pipelines. In a video filmed by a member of Fallons environmental group, Biden firmly patted Fallons chest and told him, You have to go vote for someone else, youre not going to vote for me in the primary. Im going to vote for you in the general if you treat me right, Fallon responded. Well, Im not, Biden said. Look, youre asking for a picture of me, youre coming up to tell me you dont support me. Fallon appeared surprised and said, No, no, no. Yeah, you did, Biden asserted. Im looking at the primary and a caucus. Thats what Im looking for, OK? Biden then challenged Fallon, asking if he believed Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont "can do something by 2030? Fallon said he was actually supporting billionaire environmental activist Tom Steyer. Biden also poked Fallon in the chest and grabbed his jacket at one point during the tense exchange, which the voter said was not appropriate. If I had done that to him, security would have been all over me. I did not expect to be told to leave, to go vote for somebody else, to be lectured, Fallon told the news station. He said he wasnt asking for an apology from Biden, but was mainly focused on finding the right candidate. I dont think he can beat Trump, he said. Actively telling people like me, Dont vote for me. Thats not helpful. Caucus Day in Iowa is on Monday. Recent polls show Biden and Sanders nearly tied atop crowded Democratic primary field. Over 1,000 people come together to form a human chain at Indira Park on Thursday (Photo: DEEPAK DESPANDE) Hyderabad: In a befitting tribute to the apostle of peace on his death anniversary, close to a thousand people came and joined hands to form a human chain by holding placards, with a long National Flag that spanned the entire length, as a demonstration of patriotism, late Thursday evening. The human chain, comprising people from all religions and faiths and of different age-groups, was organised by a group called Citizens against CAA-NRC-NPR, at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park. The organisers stated that as there were difficulties in getting permissions, they had not advertised the event properly. If given sufficient time, the gathering would have been larger as many were openly protesting the Centres move. The speakers said that they had chosen the day the Father of the Nation was assassinated because he achieved equality and social justice using non-violence as a potent weapon. They said that the right wing ideologists of those days never liked his ways and killed him in 1948. Social activist Kiran Vissa said the nation has promised its citizens freedom, justice and equality. Today, all three are under threat, with CAA. According to Meera Sangamithra, The hidden agenda of the Union government is now known to the people. The hate propaganda and the threats from the government cannot deter us. Every Gandhi and Ambedkar follower will fight the government which is promoting communalism. Dr Asma Zaher said Todays situation demands people to come into the open and protest against the government, which is promoting hatred through all mediums for their political gains. The country has to be reminded about the Mahatma and his spectacularly successful non-violence strategy. Ramana from Hyd Zindabad, said, there has always been a sense of brotherhood, togetherness and communal amity in the country. The present government is spreading religious hatred, which is hugely condemnable. If the government intends to develop the country, it has to work on unemployment Register. It looks stupid when the government says that the borders are weak and people from neighbouring nations are crossing the border into India. The protesters sang patriotic songs and raised anti-CAA and NRC slogans. The entire protest ended up peacefully. A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to lying about damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Deannajo White, 39, pleaded guilty in Jacksonville federal court Friday to one count of disaster assistance fraud, according to court records. She faces up to 30 years in prison, as well as paying restitution. White made an application for disaster assistance benefits to the Federal Emergency Management Agency over the internet in September 2017, according to court documents. She claimed that a tree fell through the roof of her Branford home during Hurricane Irma, forcing her to stay in a nearby rental property. White later reported that she had moved to a different rental property with a higher rent, adding receipts, leases and letters to her application. Law enforcement agents said White repeatedly lied to them during an August 2019 interview about her disaster assistance application. When confronted with evidence showing that she had lied, White admitted to making false statements and submitting false documents to FEMA, according to court records. Hurricane Irma struck Florida in September 2017, causing about $50 billion in damage throughout the state. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Fraud Hurricane New Delhi: In the centre of north Delhis Kamla Nagar market, Union home minister Amit Shah Friday urged residents of the Model Town assembly constituency to vote for desh ki suraksha (safety of the country). Assembly polls in the capital are scheduled for February 8. Shah said the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) may be afraid to take a stand against protesters of Shaheen Bagh because they are their vote bank, but the BJP and residents of Delhi were not. He asked voters to press the button (on the electronic voting machine) for the BJP so hard that the shock waves of their vote should reach those protesting in Shaheen Bagh. We dont want a vote bank that comes in the way of national security. Win or lose, we will not compromise with our country, Shah said. He added, You (voters) have a choice to make on February 8. On one hand, there is Rahul (Gandhi) and (Arvind) Kejriwal who support the protesters of Shaheen Bagh and, on the other, is a man with a 56 inch chest, who enters the enemys house and avenges the death of soldiers, Shah said. Campaigning for BJPs Model Town candidate Kapil Mishra, who was a former AAP MLA and Delhi government minister, Shah said at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), slogans of Bharat tere tukde honge were raised. He said, Abuse me, even my party or party men but if you abuse my country, we will put you behind bars. The home minister Friday also said for the lock of development to open in Delhi, voters will have to choose the BJP. He said just like a suitcase with a combination lock, unless the state governance is also given to the BJP, the case will not open. You chose us in the municipality, you chose us at the Centre, but in the state, you gave the power to Kejriwal. How will the case open? Promise me to choose BJP in the state as well, Shah said. BJPs candidate Mishra said he left the AAP and joined the BJP because he could not handle the corruption and anti-nationalism of the party. Anna, Anna karne wale jab Jinnah Jinnah karne lage, toh mere jaise desh bhakt chhod aaye, (When the people who supported Anna Hazare, started supporting the ideologies of Jinnah, nationalists like me left them), Mishra said. Shah also addressed a rally at the Tri Nagar constituency Friday where he accused the AAP government of not fulfilling any promises made to voters of Delhi in the past five years. Today I challenge Kejriwal, if you have done anything to clean river Yamuna, then take a dip in it or come to Prayagraj and look at Ganga, Shah said. He said the AAP had promised that installation of CCTV cameras and free Wi-Fi but all that voters of Delhi got was polluted water. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The 17-year-old youth who fired a shot at students of the Jamia Millia Islamia university during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest on Thursday, was sent to 14-day protective custody by a Delhi court on Friday. Earlier on Friday, the shooter was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, PTI reported. The 17-year-old youth who fired at students of the Jamia Millia Islamia university during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protest on Thursday, was sent to 14-day protective custody by a Delhi court on Friday. The youth was earlier produced before the Juvenile Justice Board, PTI reported. Delhi Police sources told NDTV the shooter showed "no remorse for his actions", that he had been influenced by social media, TV coverage and WhatsApp videos, and he wanted to create panic at Shaheen Bagh. "He did not know how to get to Shaheen Bagh. An auto driver dropped him off at Jamia and told him he could not go to Shaheen Bagh as the road is shut. He told him to walk it," a police officer told NDTV. On Thursday, protesters and police personnel faced off near the university after the youth fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student before walking away while waving the firearm over his head shouting "yeh lo aazadi". An FIR under Section 307, the charge of attempt to murder, was filed against the gunman and he was taken in for questioning, Devesh Shrivastava, Joint Commissioner of Police, said on Thursday. Shahdab Farooq, the injured student from Kashmir, was discharged from the AIIMS trauma centre on Friday morning after he underwent surgery for the injury to his left arm on Thursday night. "His father reached Delhi on Thursday night, but Shahdab won't go back home in Kashmir. He will stay at the university," Al-Ameen, a friend of Farooq's said. Farooq, who received bullet wound on his left hand, was earlier admitted to AIIMS. No injury to blood vessels or nerves were sustained, a doctor was quoted as saying by PTI. The incident caused outrage across society, with Opposition leaders, journalists, activists, and citizens accusing the Delhi Police of inaction after photos and videos emerged of the force standing some yards behind the youth. However, Praveer Ranjan, the Special Commissioner of the Delhi Police said that the incident happened in a "split second" which is why the police "couldn't react immediately". With inputs from agencies Union minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted that there was "no issue bigger than national security" and slammed the opposition parties, saying while the BJP was committed to this aim, the Congress and the AAP were indulging in "appeasement politics" to keep their vote bank intact. Addressing an election rally in support of the BJP candidate in the Shakur Basti seatconstituency, he also alleged that "Shaheen Bagh was the vote bank" of the Congress and the AAP. The Union home minister, in his address also reiterated that work will begun in four months on construction of a grand and sky-high Ram Temple in Ayodhya within the next four months. He also kept asking the crowd, who is the vote bank of the Congress and the AAP, to which they chanted, "Shaheen Bagh". The anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh, going on for nearly 50 days in south Delhi, has been thrusted by political parties as a poll issue, with the BJP using the issue vociferously in its campaigns. "People of Delhi, there is no issue bigger than national security. Delhi's future and India's security has to ascertained ('desh ki surakha se badkaa koi mudda nahin hai')," Shah said at the Shakur Basti rally. Attacking the previous dispensation at the Centre, he said, earlier Pakistan would attack Indian soldiers and mutilate their bodies, and the "silent PM" would not say anything. "But now the Prime Minister is Modi with a 56-inch chest and within few days of Uri and Pulwama attacks, surgical strike and airstrike were conducted and our soldiers gave a befitting reply to the terrorists. And the whole country felt a sense of pride," Shah said. He said, after these strikes, the Congress and the AAP were asking for proof, adding "these parties who indulge in appeasement sought evidence. The evidence could be on Pakistani channels, as people were wailing". Training his guns at the AAP and the Congress over Shaheen Bagh protests, he said "two camps" can clearly be seen in Delhi. "It is a battle of ideologies. On one side is a strong party and the Modi-led government which puts national security above everything else and committed to it, without worrying about any vote bank loss, and on the other hand, there is this Rahul and Co, and Kejriwal and Co, which are indulging in appeasement to keep their vote bank intact," Shah said. He again alleged that the opposition has been speaking the language of Pakistan and its Prime Minister Imran Khan on issues like abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35 A, surgical strikes, Ram Mandir and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Delhi polls are due on February 8 and in the rally Union minister Harsh Vardhan and Shakur Basti candidate S C Vats were also present. He urged the voters of the constituency to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai" so loud that it reaches the ears of anti-CAA protesters. "When you push the button on the polling day, the current should reach Shaheen Bagh. The AAP and the Congress say they are with Shaheen Bagh. I have to come to ask you people, are you with Shaheen Bagh," he said. Shah also attacked Kejriwal over other issues, including fleet of DTC buses, water quality and Yamuna cleansing. "I would like to tell Kejriwal from this public forum, if he can take a dip in the Yamuna river, I will believe that the river is cleansed. If you have to see cleaning of a river, you should have gone to Prayagraj (Allahabad) durig Kumbh and seen the cleaning of the Ganga done by Modiji and Yogiji," he said. "If voted to power, in one year, the BJP will ensure clean water for people of Delhi," he claimed. On abrogation of Article 370 provisions that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "Nehru had made the provision and for 70 years it laid so, but the Modi government came and removed it and Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of the country," he said. "We are not afraid of losing any vote bank, our entire focus is on keeping India safe," he added. Shah also said that he got anti-CAA activist Sharjeel Imam arrested after his controversial speech. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz is calling for the Trump administration to ban all travel to and from China as it deals with thes coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 200 people. Given the severity of the coronavirus in China and its rapid spread across the region, as well as the mounting public fear, its imperative that this disease is contained, Cruz, who chairs the Senates Aviation and Space Subcommittee, said in a statement. The administration should take every precaution in preventing additional cases from arriving in the United States, including temporarily halting flights to and from China and implementing additional screening at all U.S. airports. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox The U.S. on Thursday issued a do not travel warning about China, where nearly 10,000 people have been infected, but has yet to go to the lengths Cruz is urging. Major airlines, including American and United, have already canceled flights to China amid the outbreak. The World Health Organization has deemed the virus a public health emergency of international concern. There are at least six confirmed cases in the U.S. none yet in Texas and the Centers for Disease Control on Thursday confirmed the first U.S. case of the virus spreading person to person. For subscribers: Why Houston is uniquely situated to be better prepared for the coronavirus threat For context, the CDC estimates there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths from flu in the U.S. alone so far this flu season. "What we do have, and what should be front of peoples minds, is: We do have influenza, David Persse of the Houston Health Department said during a press conference about the coronavirus in Houston on Friday. That is the real and present danger we face today." Persse said the risk of someone in Houston getting coronavirus right now is "infinitesimally small." U.S. Rep. Al Green on Friday held a press conference in Houstons Chinatown, where the owner of a supermarket said a false rumor spread online about one of his employees having the virus had caused his business to drop by 50 percent. Orders from his restaurant were down by 70 percent, he said. Unfounded fear is a problem, Green said. We have no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. No confirmed cases in this area, in this county, in this state. ben.wermund@chron.com In theory, every citizen in the United States is equal under the law. In reality, far too often money has been able to buy rich people immunity from justice. We are all supposed to be considered innocent until proven guilty, but the way it usually works is that the accused are often judged guilty by the media before the trial ever starts. The President of the United States is responsible for enforcing laws passed by Congress. As such, he is considered the chief law enforcement officer in America. Should you or I ever be accused of breaking federal law, Donald Trump is at the very top of the food chain of people responsible for seeing justice is fairly adjudicated in a court of law. After he has been accused of wrongdoing and impeached, doesnt President Trump also have the right to a fair trial? He certainly didnt get one. In a civilized society, disagreements are supposed to be fairly and equitably resolved through debate, either in the public arena or a court of law. Never by violence. One of my all-time favorite movie quotes came from a relatively unknown movie called Time After Time, in the scene where H.G. Wells (Malcolm McDowell) realized his friend (played by David Warner) was Jack the Ripper and had escaped to our future, where his crimes would draw less attention because violence had become so much more commonplace. Jack insists that Wells can never stop him unless he abandons his nonviolent philosophy and Wells brilliantly replied, The first man to raise his fist is the man who has run out of ideas. That said, when the other guy is Jack the Ripper and hes coming your way with a long, sharp knife, youd better think fast. Just because I didnt like the review that Marshall University biology professor Herman Mays wrote about my book Counterargument for God, it didnt give me the right to drive to his home and punch him in the nose. When engaged in a battle of wits, use what God has given you. So instead of a violent response, I used my favorite, and only weapon of choice: my words. And just like our President, for whom my respect and love grows by the day, when somebody takes a sucker punch at me, I tend to punch back with my rhetoric twice as hard. Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Donald Trumps impeachment by the House of Representatives was a sick joke -- secret hearings in basements, exculpatory information withheld, it quickly degenerated into a sick partisan kangaroo court with the outcome of impeachment determined before the start. Lies were uttered and repeated until they became mantras, as if to prove the old adage about a lie told often enough becoming the truth, which is a dumb adage because lies never become true but they can be believed by a gullible-enough audience. However, we can all see the grotesque unfairness of this travesty of justice only the prosecution can be allowed witnesses, with none for the defense. Why would anyone believe that Trump would be worried about running against Joe Biden? Its doubtful that Biden would ever become the nominee. Besides, the entire Democratic field is a clown car Trump doesnt seem to be very worried about any of them, but the Democrats are worried sure as hell that they cant beat him in a fair election, which is why we have an impeachment with no crimes and for no legitimate reason. There are sixteen hours of questions and answers before a vote on witnesses. For the moment, we can only hope and pray that fifty-one patriots still serve in our Senate. Id gladly trade Mitt Romney for Joe Manchin in a straight-up deal. For crying out loud -- even Jeffrey Dahmer got a fair trial, and he ate people. President Trump hasnt even broken the law. His worst offense has been hurting the Democrats feelings. I will leave everyone on a positive note -- my wife of thirty years was slowly being drawn over to the Dark Side, and mostly because of Trumps tweets. Things were starting to get a little ugly here on the home front, but as I said in my article Cowardice In The Era Of Trump, this is no time for me to go wobbly on my support for President Trump, no matter the price. When she told me that she liked Pete Buttigieg (only because hes young and she worried the other Democrat candidates might die in office), I asked her if we could stop talking about politics at home. When I shared Clarice Feldmans hilarious article about Trump and Schrodingers cat, my own wife unfriended me on Facebook. Like John Belushis seven years of college, I was starting to worry that thirty years of marriage might be going down the drain. But then last night she admitted this impeachment process hasnt come close to resembling a fair trial, and its starting to change how she feels about President Trump and the Democrats. Hope springs eternal. Americans want the truth. We want justice, and fairness. Donald Trump is getting none of that. [January 31, 2020] Bonhill Group: Women in IT Awards London 2020 -- Winners Revealed LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 900 businesses and technology leaders gathered at the world's largest tech diversity event, the Women in IT Awards London, as award winners were crowned across 20 categories. The winners of the sixth annual Women in IT Awards London 2020 were revealed at a gala ceremony in London. The awards, organised by Bonhill Group and headline sponsored by Amazon Web Services, serve to showcase the achievements and innovation of women in technology and identify new role models in a sector where female representation stands at only 19% a level that is still alarmingly low. The awards were held at Grosvenor House Hotel on London's Park Lane and hosted by British television presenter Naga Munchetty, who revealed 20 winners chosen from over 500 nominations. Opening the awards, Lawrence Gosling editorial director at Bonhill Group plc said: "As we start a new chapter in the life of this country in so many ways, the importance of the IT sector to the well-being of society and the economy is irrefutable. To achieve the maximum positive outcome we have to continue to promote, recognise and develop the role of women. Tonight's event and the others we do around the world are modest contributors to that end. The industry has moved significantly since we started these awards, but there is no room for complacency." Now, the Women in IT Awards Series originating in London has become a global initiative. In 2019, the series continued the two US editions of the event in New York and San Francisco , while hosting the second awards prgramme in Dublin. With launches in Singapore, Berlin, Bucharest and Toronto. In addition, an inaugural Women in IT Summit in the UK is due to take place on the 30 June 2020 in London. Women in IT Awards London 2020 winners (in order of announcement): Data Leader of the Year , sponsored by Veritas Jackie Shears NHS Digital , sponsored by Veritas NHS Digital e-Skills Initiative of the Year , sponsored by Accenture Security Federica Romagnoli Yoox Net-A-Porter Group , sponsored by Accenture Security Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Global Leader of the Year , sponsored by Google Cloud Chandra Dhandapani CBRE , sponsored by Google Cloud CBRE Digital Leader of the Year , sponsored by DAZN Laura Hilliger We Are Open Co-op , sponsored by DAZN We Are Open Co-op Security Champion of the Year , sponsored by Lloyd's Banking Group Felicity March IBM , sponsored by Lloyd's Banking Group IBM Young Leader of the Year , sponsored by AlixPartners Josie Young Methods , sponsored by AlixPartners Methods Entrepreneur of the Year , sponsored by Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Christine Telyan UENI Lt , sponsored by Yoox Net-A-Porter Group UENI Lt Innovator of the Year , sponsored by Mastercard Lucy Mullins StepLadder , sponsored by Mastercard StepLadder Diversity Initiative of the Year , sponsored by J.P. Morgan Joanne Rewcastle DWP Digital , sponsored by J.P. Morgan DWP Digital Employer of the Year , sponsored by UiPath Avanade , sponsored by UiPath Avanade Rising Star of the Year , sponsored by New Relic Anna Zappone Google , sponsored by New Relic Google Business Leader of the Year , sponsored by BP Jenny Davies M247 , sponsored by BP M247 Transformation Leader of the Year , sponsored by Just Eat Karen Hopley G4S , sponsored by Just Eat G4S Advocate of the Year , sponsored by FireEye Carly Britton Vualto , sponsored by FireEye Vualto IT Team of the Year , sponsored by Rolls-Royce Juliette French Lloyds Banking Group , sponsored by Rolls-Royce Lloyds Banking Group Future CIO of the Year , sponsored by Frank Recruitment Mel Unsworth , Yoox Net-A-Porter Group , sponsored by Frank Recruitment , Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Business Role Model of the Year , sponsored by BMC Software Naya Giannakopoulou DMW , sponsored by BMC Software Naya Giannakopoulou DMW CTO of the Year , sponsored by Red Hat Niki Trigoni Navenio , sponsored by Red Hat Niki Trigoni Navenio CIO of the Year , sponsored by AWS Amanda Hamilton City & County Healthcare Group , sponsored by AWS City & County Healthcare Group Woman of the Year, sponsored by Salesforce Shaheen Sayed Accenture For more information about the Women in IT Summit and Awards Series, visit www.womeninitawards.com or contact [email protected]. About Bonhill Group Bonhill Group plc is a leading B2B media company providing Business Insight, Events and Data & Analytics propositions to international Technology, Financial Services and Diversity Business Communities. The portfolio includes iconic media brands 'Last Word Media', 'Information Age', 'Investment News' as well as the widely recognised events and award ceremonies, including 'The Women in Finance Summit and Awards Series, 'Data Leaders' and 'Tech Leaders' and 'Future Stars of Tech'. Contact Details: +44 (0)207-250-7010 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] India's privately-owned airline SpiceJet has denied the data breach reports of about a million passengers. The airline also said that there was no security lapse in its systems. "There was no data breach in any of SpiceJet's servers. At SpiceJet, safety and security of our fliers' data is sacrosanct. Our systems are fully capable and always up to date to secure the fliers' data which is a continuous process. We undertake every possible measure to safeguard and protect this data and ensure that the privacy is maintained at the highest and safest level," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. According to TechCrunch, a security researcher "gained access to one of SpiceJet's systems by brute-forcing the system's easily guessable password" and described their actions as ethical hacking. The database backup file on the system was unencrypted, allowing access to private information of more than 1.2 million passengers last month, the report said. The details allegedly included flight information and details of each passenger, including their name, phone number, email address, and date of birth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) European Union grudgingly let go of the United Kingdom with a final vote Wednesday at the EU's parliament that ended the Brexit divorce battle and set the scene for tough trade negotiations in the year ahead. Brussels: The European Union grudgingly let go of the United Kingdom with a final vote Wednesday at the EU's parliament that ended the Brexit divorce battle and set the scene for tough trade negotiations in the year ahead. In an emotion-charged session at the session in Brussels, lawmakers from all 28 EU countries expressed their love and sadness, while some, notably from Britain's Brexit Party, their joy. Some even cried and many held hands during a mournful rendition of the Auld Lang Syne farewell song that contrasted sharply with hard-headed exhortations that Britain won't find it easy in the talks that will follow the country's official departure on Friday. We will always love you and we will never be far," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Britain will leave the EU after 47 years of membership. It is the first country to leave the EU and for many in Europe its official departure at 11 pm London time on Friday, 31 January is a moment of enormous sadness and reduces the number in the bloc to 27. With just two days to go until Brexit day, the legislature overwhelmingly approved Britain's departure terms from the EU 621 to 49 in favour of the Brexit deal that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson negotiated with the other 27 EU leaders in the fall of last year. The deal's passage follows last week's backing by the UK's Parliament. The parliament's chief Brexit official, Guy Verhofstadt, said that this vote is not an adieu," adding that it is only an au revoir." Though the deal on Britain's divorce terms has cleared its hurdles, there are still huge uncertainties around the future relationship. After Britain's departure on Friday, a so-called transition period will begin during which the UK will remain within the EU's economic arrangements until the end of the year though it won't have a say in policy as it will not be a member of the EU anymore. That's it. It's all over," said Nigel Farage, who has campaigned for Brexit for two decades. On departing the scene, the man who arguably did more than anyone else in the country's decision to vote for Brexit in the June 2016 referendum, waved Britain's Union Flag. EU countries are preparing for the possibility that talks on a new trade deal with Britain could collapse by year's end, and no-deal contingency planning for a chaotic end to the transition period is necessary. Britain is seeking to thrash out a comprehensive trade deal within 11 months, a timetable viewed as ambitious by many observers of trade discussions, which can often drag on for years. We will not yield to any pressure nor any haste," French President Emmanuel Macron said in Paris. The priority is to define, in the short, medium and long term the interests of the European Union and to preserve them. The EU has said such a timespan is far too short and fears remain that a chaotic exit, averted this week, might still happen at the end of the year if the transition ends without any agreement in place. Von der Leyen said the precondition to granting the UK advantageous entry into its single market of almost half a billion consumers is that European and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field." We will certainly not expose our companies to unfair competition. And it's very clear the trade-off is simple. The more the United Kingdom does commit to upholding our standards for social protection and worker's rights, our guarantees for the environment and other standards and rules ensuring fair competition, the closer and better the access to the single market. Sticking to EU standards, however, is anathema to the Brexiteers who wanted to be free from any constraints imposed by Brussels. EDITORS NOTE: This story has been updated to correct two facts. One, the sentence is 10 months to seven years. Also, a line was added acknowledging the judge noted that the woman might need to be in a facility where she can get proper care. UPDATE: The Lebanon County District Attorneys Office argued in a statement that the sentence was justified given her criminal history. A 36-year-old woman diagnosed with advanced-stage ovarian cancer was sentenced by a Lebanon County Judge last week to serve up to seven years in jail. The sentence was handed down hours before the woman was scheduled for an oncology appointment, and the womans family says the jail has so far failed to provide the medical attention needed to address her dire prognosis. Last year, Ashley Via Menser pleaded guilty to shoplifting $109.63 worth of merchandise from a Weis Markets in 2018, court records show. On Jan. 22, Menser was in court for sentencing, hopeful that the fact she was being treated for ovarian and cervical cancer would persuade the judge to delay or defer sentencing. Menser and her family were so confident she would be allowed to leave the courtroom that they had scheduled an oncology appointment for later in the day where they expected Menser to be scheduled for a hysterectomy to remove the cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes. But Judge Samuel A. Kline proceeded with sentencing, handing down a prison term of 10 months to seven years. I sat there and sat there and was like, No, this cant happen, Steve Via, Mensers father, said. She must have this operation or shes going to die. A review of medical documents provided to PA Post shows that Menser was diagnosed with cancer in 2011 and was being actively treated. An appointment receipt confirms that she was due at the Hershey Medical Centers Cancer Institute later in the morning of Jan. 22. The records also show that Menser has a history of drug abuse and post traumatic stress disorder, for which she was taking medication. Prior to Jan. 22, Menser and her mother, Stephanie Bayshore, met with a doctor who explained to them that without treatment, Menser likely would be dead within a month. She has no choice, its life or death, Bayshore said. The doctors sat there and told us this. Though her lawyer, Scott Feeman, said he was disappointed and put off by the judges decision, he agreed it was well within the judges power to proceed with sentencing. He added that the judge was sympathetic but made his decision based on Mensers criminal history and not her current medical condition. Menser was convicted of theft in 2017 and also with drug possession and theft in early 2018. We gave the judge documents outlining our concerns with her confinement to a jail, and we had hoped that she would be able to stay home and get the treatment she needed for her cancer, he said. He added that he would file a motion for resentencing. Judge Kline, through his secretary, said he wouldnt comment on the ruling. Though sentencing guidelines allow judges to be more lenient or even divert certain defendants into treatment when they have a diagnosed mental illness, there has been little public attention and even less research on how judges handle sentencing when someone convicted of a crime is also terminally ill. In Lebanon County, Feeman said, its been done on a case-by-case basis. In the week since Menser was taken into custody, her parents say the corrections staff have neglected her cancer treatment. In a letter written by Menser on Wednesday night and obtained by PA Post Thursday morning, she stated her need for the surgery. I am weak and in pain, she wrote. Lebanon County Correctional Facility Warden Robert J. Karnes would not comment on Mensers condition, citing health care privacy laws. But court dockets show that Judge Kline urged she be moved to a state correctional facility promptly to address her health care needs. In an email, the countys Chief Clerk Jamie Wolgemuth said that any policy dealing with terminally ill inmates would be set by PrimeCare, the private company that provides medical care to the jails inmates. PA Post reached out to the companys Chief Operations Officer Todd Haskins, but he didnt respond to voicemails left at his work. In Lebanon County Correctional Facility, where Menser is currently held, inmates must go through a preliminary screening process to determine if they need medical care. A 2012 department memo explains that only inmates experiencing dizziness, vomiting or exhibiting an active medical condition would be given immediate medical assistance. But those policies changed after PrimeCare was brought in last year. Inmates can request to see a doctor, but the doctor is only available two days per week. The countys contract with PrimeCare outlines that inmates with pre-existing injuries or serious medical problems which cannot be treated appropriately in the facility environment may be diverted to an acute medical facility. The company landed a multi-million dollar contract with Lebanon within the last year. Previously, Lebanon staffed its own medical unit but switched to PrimeCare after the correctional facility paid out $5 million in a wrongful death settlement involving a teen-aged inmate who died of complications related to drug withdrawal. In 2016, the Bureau of Justice Statistics estimated that 22 percent of inmate deaths were cancer-related, but its unclear how many of those were pre-existing illnesses and not developed while in custody. In Pennsylvania, cancer is a leading cause of death for state prisoners. (Though, it should be noted that researchers point that cause to the prison populations increased age.) And though all prisoners are constitutionally guaranteed health care including cancer treatment by being wards of the state, it doesnt assuage Mensers parents fears that they might lose their child while shes in jail. Ashley said shes afraid shes going to die in there, Bayshore said. I just want to get her out and cared for. UPDATE: Since publishing, Pa. Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has called for Lebanon County Correctional Facility to release Menser for treatment. He said Judge Kline should err on the side of mercy. Thousands denounce US presidents Middle East plan and face-off with Israeli forces during Friday prayers at holy site. Jerusalem Tens of thousands of worshippers have descended on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound for the first Friday prayers after US President Donald Trump announced his Middle East plan to resolve the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Despite the cold weather made worse by rain and strong winds, men, women and children responded to the call for prayer from the 14-hectare (35-acre) compound in Jerusalem, where the Dome of the Rock and the adjacent silver-domed Al-Aqsa Mosque are located. People promised to show a strong presence at the holy site following Trumps announcement on Tuesday that the city, where the al-Haram al-Sharif or the Noble Sanctuary is located, would remain the undivided capital of Israel. The deal is humiliating and unacceptable. Trump wants to deny us access to our Al-Aqsa. This holy site is ours. We will never give it up, said Um Khaled al-Jawabri, who lives in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. Even if it requires sacrificing all our blood, Palestines capital will always be Jerusalem, he said. Under Trumps plan, the eighth-century site, regarded by Muslims as the third holiest site in Islam and important for all three Abrahamic faiths, would be under Israeli control. In 1947, the United Nations drew up a plan to divide Palestine between Jews and Palestinians, leading to the creation of Israel. Since then, the Al-Aqsa compound has been under UN administration. Palestinians decry the increasing Israeli encroachment over the site, which intensified after the 1967 war, which resulted in an Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, where the Old City and the Mosque are located. The 8th-century site is regarded by Muslims as Islams third holiest site and important for all three Abrahamic faiths [Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera] Trumps 181-page document says Jerusalems holy sites should remain open and available for peaceful worshippers and tourists of all faiths. People of every faith should be permitted to pray on the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif, in a manner that is fully respectful to their religion, taking into account the times of each religions prayers and holidays, as well as other religious factors, it said. Not an inch The document elicited strong reactions from Palestinian worshippers who said they were worried that if implemented, the deal would deny freedom of access to the compound and prayer rights. For Ahmad Hamad, a 25-year-old resident of the Old City and volunteer paramedic at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Trumps so-called Deal of the Century was an offensive plan to take away Al-Aqsa from us [Palestinians]. We reject this deal, especially since it impacts our right to Al-Aqsa, said Hamad. As Palestinians, we will never give up a single inch of this land, or of our holy sites whether its the al-Haram al-Sharif or the Church of Holy Sepulchre, he added. Hamad said a large crowd that gathered for the morning prayers at the Mosque was hurried away by Israeli security forces. Ten worshippers were injured after Israeli forces used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, he said. A statement by the Islamic Waqf organisation confirmed 11 people were wounded, without giving further details. Videos from the holy site on Friday showed a heavy Israeli security presence at the compound, with forces motioning worshippers to leave after the prayers. Hamad said the worshippers were not intimidated and said they would come for the Friday prayers in large numbers. We will keep coming in larger and stronger numbers, he said. If we are ever denied access to Al-Aqsa, there will be a war. Abdellatif said she could not take Trumps deal seriously after he referred to the site as Al-Aqua Mosque [Arwa Ibrahim/Al Jazeera] Trump cant pronounce Noor Abdellatif, a 20-year-old student in Jerusalem, told Al Jazeera she was angered by the announcement of the deal, but could not take it seriously after Trump referred to the holy site as Al-Aqua Mosque. Trump doesnt know what he is talking about. He doesnt understand what Al-Aqsa means to us. He couldnt even pronounce its name, she laughed. He doesnt realise we will all stand up for Al-Aqsa if he touches it, she said, before picking up her bag and heading inside the Dome of the Rock, from where Prophet Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. Zeinat Abusbeih, who heads security at the Al-Aqsa compound, told Al Jazeera that restrictions on access of Palestinian worshippers, which are already in place would only increase under Trumps plan. The deal wants to make our access to Al-Aqsa restricted the way it is at the Khalili Mosque in Hebron. We already face restrictions regarding access points and the age of worshippers allowed into the site at certain times, said Abusbeih. This [deal] would only make things much worse. More gates might be closed and people denied entry at more regular hours. Palestinian analyst Rasim Uaydat told Al Jazeera that Trumps deal would also challenge Jordans authority over the holy site. This deal aims to put Al-Aqsa and other holy sites under Israeli sovereignty, said Ubaydat. That means Jordanian authority over the holy site will be lifted. Since 1967, the Jordanian Islamic Waqf has been in charge of the holy site, while Israel oversees external security. Non-Muslims are only allowed to visit the compound during specified hours and are not allowed to pray there. Zeinat Abusbeih summed up the mood at the holy site when she said Palestinians will stand strong against Trumps deal. We will never allow them to take control of Al-Aqsa and dictate to us when and where we have access to it. WASHINGTON - Marijuana legalization campaigns will increasingly run through state capitols as Congress remains stalled, advocates say. A bill in the House to legalize marijuana faces an uncertain future, and the Senate has not moved legislation that would allow marijuana businesses to use the banking system. Meanwhile, opportunities to legalize marijuana through state ballot initiatives have winnowed; while nine other states and the District of Columbia approved commercial sales through ballot initiatives, just 23 states and the district allow such initiatives. The result is state legislatures will be the main arena for legalization debates. This year, commercial sales began in Illinois, the first state to approve them through legislation. Pro-marijuana advocates will have to adapt their strategy accordingly to persuade state lawmakers. Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a group that opposes legalization, views the movement toward statehouses and the lengthier legislative process as an advantage. "Our message takes some time to explain in this environment" of increasing popularity for marijuana legalization, said Kevin Sabet, president of SAM. ADVERTISEMENT Sabet said it can be difficult to defeat marijuana businesses and advocates in a messaging battle. "We like working with state legislatures. It's still not cheap, it still takes up a lot of time and it's a long-slog effort, but a contemplative body that we can have a discussion with is preferable to a ballot initiative and competing catchphrases," he said. Legalization advocates acknowledged that targeted lobbying can gum up action on marijuana bills but argued that growing interest in their cause will ultimately compel legislators. "It's interesting to hear the opposition acknowledge what they are doing flies in the face of public opinion," said Melissa Moore, deputy state director of the Drug Policy Alliance in New York. Nationally, 59% of people support both medical and recreational marijuana legalization, on top of another 32% who support its medicinal use alone, a 2019 Pew Research Center survey found. "We know that the perspectives of state legislators can lag behind public opinion. It's disheartening to think you can convince a relative handful of legislators, and through a few votes on a few committees the will of the people can be thwarted," said Karen O'Keefe, director of state policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. New Mexico, New York and Alabama could be states to watch on legalization issues in 2020. New York has sought out collaboration with three neighboring states, recognizing that interstate travel could render major policy differences irrelevant and cultivate black markets. New Mexico appears poised to legalize adult recreational use in a swift 30-day session that began Jan. 21. ADVERTISEMENT "The dialogue has shifted to not if, but when," said Emily Kaltenbach, an organizer with the Drug Policy Alliance advocacy group. Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham voiced support for legalized adult-use sales in her State of the State address - with caveats that the state's existing medical marijuana program be protected and law enforcement receive a funding boost. The push stalled last year in a Democrat-controlled Senate committee. "This bill is stronger than last year's bill," Kaltenbach said. "We're focused on individuals in the Senate in particular who were on the fence." The governor in June 2019 appointed a cannabis working group, whose members included both advocates like Kaltenbach and a county sheriff. The group issued a 16-page report detailing its recommendations. Democratic state Rep. Javier Martinez of Albuquerque, who introduced the bill last year, said in local interviews that he plans to introduce a bill that draws from the working group's recommendations. The bill would immediately expunge cannabis possession convictions. It also would direct some tax revenues to a so-called "Medicaid for marijuana" program to subsidize medical marijuana purchases for low-income patients. The bill would also seed small businesses, fund substance abuse treatment, and direct 35% of tax revenues to a new fund for public health programs, job training and housing subsidies. The New Mexico Sheriffs' Association has not announced opposition to the bill. The measure would create a new fund for state law enforcement underwritten by 16.5% of the revenue from taxes on cannabis sales. The bill also would direct 10% of the fees the state collects from licenses and penalties from life, general casualty and title insurance business to the police's new fund. ADVERTISEMENT New York Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo threw his weight behind a push for legal cannabis in his State of the State address coinciding with the legislative session's Jan. 8 start. Cuomo has said he wants legalization incorporated into fiscal 2021 budget negotiations in March. "We're heading into session in a different place," said Moore. Cuomo convened a summit of Northeastern governors on the issue last fall, so negotiations in New York will be closely watched, as they could set a standard for other states. "New York has an opportunity to set a national model that looks responsive to the tremendous harms of criminalization," Moore said, pointing to statistics showing that New York led the nation in marijuana-related arrests and incarcerations. Cuomo's speech was months in the making after a legalization effort dissolved last session. Proponents grumbled Cuomo didn't push hard enough. Competing stakeholder interests in part led to the clock running out on last year's bill, advocates say. Sabet concedes defeating legalization in New York "will be tough" this year, but he also said the defeat of last year's legislation gives the opposition momentum. The last session proved the assembly's Democratic majority does not guarantee passage. "We're closer to Democrats than Republicans in New York," Sabet said. For example, Assembly member Jaime Williams said at a news conference with SAM last year that more research on marijuana is needed, according to local reports. The governor's office said it wants to work in tandem with three nearby states: Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Advocates are also watching initiatives to end penalties for marijuana possession in New Hampshire and introduce commercial sales in Vermont, where homegrown plants are already legal. Republican supermajorities in both chambers will likely take up a bill to create a medical marijuana program in Alabama. Proponents head into the state's session on Feb. 4 armed with draft legislation by the Alabama Medical Cannabis Study Commission. Last month, a majority of the commission, made up of medical professionals, attorneys and farmers, concluded that "there is strong public interest for a medical cannabis program in Alabama." The commission grew out of an unsuccessful effort to pass medical marijuana last year. A House committee did not act on a Senate-approved bill. Republican state Sen. Tim Melson, the commission chairman, plans to introduce the bill next month. The tide toward medical marijuana was roiled earlier this month when Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, a Republican, announced his opposition, arguing it would conflict with federal law and drawing a parallel between marijuana and opioids. Annual congressional appropriations grant a legal safe harbor for state medical marijuana programs. Proponents of the Alabama bill said they would continue to support it when the session starts in February. "I don't think this is going to change that many minds because there is a lot of compelling evidence," Republican state Rep. Mike Ball said in a radio interview. "I do think the people that were opposed to it will remain opposed to it, and this will give them a little extra political cover." Alabama would join more than 30 states and the District of Columbia that have a medical marijuana program. Tennessee and Kentucky, which started their sessions this month, are also expected to weigh medical marijuana bills this year. --- (c)2020 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved Visit CQ Roll Call at www.rollcall.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Sir Frederick Ballantyne was born in the eastern coastal town of Layou, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on July 5, 1936. He passed away in his beloved homeland, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, on January 23, 2020. Sir Frederick was a former Governor General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, serving in that capacity Head of State from 2002 2019. He was an only child of Samuel and Olive Ballantyne, a prominent business couple in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The Ballantynes, among other business endeavours, owned and operated Olives Hotel, a small hotel in capital Kingstown. Little wonder, therefore, that Sir Frederick often referred to himself as "coming from a business family. Breaking the norm Sir Frederick was the first member of his family to attend high school. Having successfully completed his secondary education at the then Boys Grammar School, and matriculation for tertiary level studies, he was advised by an old friend to pursue his tertiary level studies in the USA. This was a break from the norm; Vincentian students more often than not chose to study in Britain and/or Canada. His mind set on a career in medicine, Sir Frederick chose the United States and completed an initial degree in chemistry at Howard University (in Washington, D.C.), and then went on to the SUNY Upstate Medical University (in Syracuse, New York) to study medicine. He was to find himself the sole black individual enrolled in that medical school, but that did not prevent him from impressing himself on his peers. He was soon elected to the student government, and would be for every year of his degree. To crown it, he was elected president of the student government in his final year. Sir Frederick interned at the Montreal General Hospital after graduation, from medical school, and then completed his residency in internal medicine in Rochester, New York, followed by a fellowship in cardiology. Impacting SVGs health scene The young man from Layou returned to his native St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1971, and was soon appointed Chief of Medicine at the newly constructed Kingstown General Hospital (now called the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital), the countrys primary health care institution. In this position, he lobbied for and oversaw the upgrades in the facilities of both the hospital and district health clinics. It was he who marshalled the expansion of the Hospitals immunisation programme. He also instituted the hospitals Visiting Specialist Programme, which recruited overseas medical specialists to volunteer in Saint Vincents hospitals, in exchange for free accommodation in the countrys resorts. This has blossomed to the extent that this country is now the hub for the World Paediatric Programme (WPP), a free tertiary level service to children here and in the rest of the OECS. Sir Frederick is also credited with working steadfastly to establish this country as a feasible location for Offshore Medical Schools and Colleges. There are currently four such institutions operating in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. In 1985, Sir Frederick was appointed St. Vincent and the Grenadines Chief Medical Officer. He served in that capacity, in addition to fulfilling his duties as a general practitioner and this countrys lone cardiologist, until 1992. But that was not the end of his contribution to the development of health services here. He remained active after his official retirement in a consulting role. More than medicine Outside of his career in the medical field, Sir Frederick had business interests in several other areas. Prior to being appointed Governor-General, he served as President of the Millennium Bank, an offshore bank registered in Saint Vincent, and also as President of Dimethaid International Inc., a pharmaceutical company registered in Barbados. He was also the founder of International Business Services Limited (IBS), a financial services provider now run by his son, Marcus. He was also the co-owner of the Young Island Resort. Appointed Governor-General Dr. Frederick Ballantyne was sworn in as Governor-General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines on 2 September 2002, having been nominated to the position by the countrys Prime Minister, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves. He replaced Dame Monica Dacon, who had been acting Governor-General since the death of Sir Charles Antrobus in June 2002. Later in the year 2002, in keeping with tradition as it relates to the position of Governor-General, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George by Queen Elizabeth II. In June 2009, His Excellency Sir Frederick Ballantyne was awarded a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree by the University of the West Indies (UWI), as one of sixteen regional figures being recognised for their contributions with honorary degrees. Sir Frederick fathered nine children. By PTI NEW DELHI: Death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya case on Thursday took another step, which may delay their scheduled February 1 hanging, by moving a trial court with a plea to adjourn the execution "sine die" saying they are yet to avail their remaining legal remedies even as the Supreme Court dismissed the third curative petition. Of the four convicts, Mukesh Kumar Singh has exhausted all his legal remedies, including the clemency plea which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17 and the appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the apex court on Wednesday. Convict Vinay Kumar Sharma had yesterday filed a mercy plea before the President and the apex court today rejected the curative petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, who is likely to file a clemency plea soon. Pawan Gupta is yet to file a curative petition in the top court. The day witnessed fast-paced development with the counsel for Vinay, Akshay and Pawan rushing to a trial court seeking stay on their executions saying legal remedies of some of them are yet to be availed. While Special Judge A K Jain posted the matter for hearing in the post-lunch session, a five-judge bench of the apex court in the afternoon rejected the curative plea of Akshay saying "no case is made out" and also declined to stay his execution. Hours after the apex court development, the trial judge issued notice to Tihar jail authorities seeking their response on the plea by three convicts, which the prosecution said was a "mockery of justice" and was only a "delaying tactic". ALSO READ | Nirbhaya convicts' hangman arrives at Tihar Jail despite uncertainty over execution While all eyes would be in the trial court on Friday when the matter would be taken up for hearing at 10 AM, the reports have already appeared that Pawan Jallad, a hangman from Meerut Prison has reached Tihar Jail two days ahead of the scheduled execution. According to Delhi Prison Rules, none of the four convicts in the same case can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options including the mercy plea. The apex court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President. The trial court on January 17 had issued black warrants for the second time for execution of all the four convicts -- Mukesh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay (26) and Akshay (31) -- in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. The court had earlier on January 7 fixed January 22 as the hanging date. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya', the fearless one, was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in south Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. One of the six accused in the case, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail in 2013. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board and was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term. The United States will remove the sanctions it imposed on Chinese tanker operator Cosco for violating the Iran oil sanctions, Reuters reports, citing sources in the know. One of the sources, from a large Chinese oil company, said Cosco had already been taken off the sanction list and only an official confirmation of the removal was pending. The other source said Washington had given indication it was about to lift the sanctions. Washington imposed sanctions on several Chinese tanker operators last September, alleging that they continued to transport Iranian oil in violation of the sanctions that the U.S. Department of Treasury imposed on Tehran earlier that year. We are imposing sanctions on certain Chinese firms for knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the transport of oil from Iran, including knowledge of sanctionable conduct, contrary to U.S. sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in September 2019, adding in a tweet that We will take action on any sanctionable Iranian oil transaction. As a result of the sanctions on the Chinese tanker operators, 25 Very large Crude Carriers operated by a regional unit of Cosco in Dalian went out of service, and shipping rates for oil cargoes around the world shot up. This ended up disrupting shipping markets because it remained unclear for a while whether the sanctions only concerned Coscos Dalian tanker unit, which operates some 40 vessels, according to Reuters, or the whole shipping company with a fleet of more than 1,000 vessels. Now, if the removal of the sanctions on Cosco is confirmed, this will lead to a plunge in freight rates, which makes it bad news for shipper but good news for the oil industry. In the meantime, China has continued to import Iranian oil, customs data has shown. The latest from the Chinese customs authority revealed the country imported close to 300,000 bpd of Iranian oil last year. Imports could actually be even higher, with the rest coming from ship-to-ship transfers at sea. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Madras High Court on Friday dismissedpetitions seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government to perform the consecration of Thanjavur Big temple in Tamil, saying it does not consider it appropriate to interfere with the shrine's religious functions. A division bench of Justices M Duraiswamy and T Ravindran made the observation and directed the authorities concerned to file a compliance report on the conduct of the consecration of the Brihadeeswara temple, as proposed by them in their affidavit, within four weeks. Thecourt said it was reluctant to interfere with the religious functions and ceremonies of temples, unless a strong case had been made out and established that religious practices wereviolative of the Constitution. It also observed that the arrangement made at the temple for the consecration showed that it was proposed to give Tamil language due prominence as per the 'Agama' principles and as done earlier. It also noted that the Sanskrit language has not been given special status, particularly, ignoring the Tamil language. "We do not find any sufficient cause to accede to the case projected by the petitioners... We do not deem it fit and appropriate to interfere with the religious functions and ceremonies of the temple in question by giving any direction qua the performance of the consecration ceremony on February 5," it said. Earlier, the state government had informed the court that the consecration ceremony of the temple would be conducted in both Sanskrit and Tamil languages. However, the petitioners have submitted that the temple was saivite and the consecration should be performed in Tamil language. The shrine, popularly known as the Big Temple, was being consecrated after 23 years and the ceremony is being held on February 5. The preliminary poojas commenced on January 27. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mr Ian Walker, British High Commissioner to Ghana, says widening of the tax net was one of the surest ways to achieve the Ghana beyond Aid Agenda. He said for Ghana to be self-sufficient, she has to broaden its tax base by extending the net from the formal to the informal sector to support ongoing projects such as the Free Senior High School and the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Commissioner gave the advice at a press conference held at the High Commission in Accra on Tuesday ahead of the first UK-Africa Investment Summit (AIS) in London on January 20. The interaction with the media was to elaborate on Britains quest to build long-term association and also deepen the existing relationship between the two countries through investments, trade and job creation. He said like Ghana, the United Kingdom was also facing challenges when it came to tax collection in the informal sector, but said a change could be achieved through public education to enhance understanding of the need for citizenry to pay their taxes. Asked whether the Brexit would not affect the relationship, Mr Walker said trade arrangements would be the same and there would be no barriers created between the private sectors of the two countries. The AIS would bring together respective leaders from the African region, including Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo to tell their own story by changing the narrative of negative stories relating to poverty, among others told about the region by other media. The High Commissioner said the Summit was also another way of realizing the Ghana Beyond Aid as it would help to access market opportunities that would improve Ghanas lot. He said Britain would expand its investments in areas such as aviation, health and commerce, including projects such as the Kumasi Airport extension, the upgrade of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, as well as the Phase II of the Kejetia Market development. This, he said, would help check the frequent fires and sanitation issues at the Market and also give employment to the local people. Other areas the UK would want to promote are the agricultural sector and textiles industry, he said and added that UK was a big market for Agricultural products. The High Commissioner was flanked by Madam Lindsey Gilbert-Crouch, Department of International Trade and Mr Colin Sykes, Regional Prosperity Director-West Africa. They said the AIS would be a forum for new partnership and a chance to showcase Ghana as well as serve as a spring board to take both countries to the next level. It would also help boost investments, they added. 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 Patrons at a popular Belfast watering hole were relieved to see Brexit arrive hours before the UK leaves the European Union. Revelers at Wetherspoon's Bridge House on Bedford Street told the Belfast Telegraph that there is more to life than Brexit. The pub is part of a chain owned by arch-Brexiteer Tim Martin, who was educated in Northern Ireland. At lunchtime on Friday punters were more relived to see the end of the long-running saga of how the UK would leave. Read More Views on Brexit differ starkly across Northern Ireland, which voted 56% in favour of remaining in the EU. DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said that the UK was "breaking free from the EU prison", while UUP leader Steve Aiken was adamant that "a border in the Irish Sea is nothing to celebrate". One of the bar patrons was Jamie Bark, in Belfast for his stag do, dressed in a baby's nappy and bonnet. He said that he didn't realise his stag would be clashing with Brexit day. "I'm a bit disappointed, I would prefer to remain and I think we are better off in the EU than leaving," he told the Belfast Telegraph. Expand Close Ben McFetridge / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ben McFetridge Local man Ben McFetridge said that with everything going on and the length of time Brexit had taken, he didn't think anybody was going to be interested in it in the short term. "It's going to happen, and a few people are protesting, but it's going to take at least a year to try and find out what sort of trade relationship they are going to have," he said. "There's more important things in this world, I think there's friendship and life goes on, family and friends are the most important thing, and your health." Read More Hugh Moore said that he didn't believe Brexit would have a direct effect on him. "The best thing I think about it is just let them get on with it," he said. However, Mr Moore said he would not be toasting Brexit at 11pm. "It's just another day," he said. Jim Hunter said he was "glad" to see Brexit over, as he's "sick to the back teeth of it". Brexit day celebrations are taking place across the UK with a large Leave Means Leave party, led by Nigel Farage, taking place in Parliament Square. Northern Ireland is also getting in on the act with a rally planned for Stormont. Pro-Brexit demonstrators, including DUP MLA Jim Wells, are set to gather at the gates of Parliament buildings at 10.30pm for the Brexit countdown. Expand Close DUP MP Sammy Wilson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DUP MP Sammy Wilson East Antrim MP Mr Wilson supported leaving the bloc and said the EU had "bound our economy, student our growth and restricted our economic freedom". "It is especially important for Northern Ireland that the concessions given to the EU in the Withdrawal Agreement do not leave us in the EU prison yard or acting as a part of the United Kingdom released only under licence," he said. Mr Wilson called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to reject any agreement that would give the EU control or influence over any part of the UK. He urged the Prime Minister to use his parliamentary majority "to properly break away from the malign influence of the European Union". "Today we can celebrate the first step in achieving what people voted for in the referendum to make Britain a free democracy again, Mr Wilson said. Expand Close Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken. Photo credit: Liam McBurney/PA Wire PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ulster Unionist Party leader Steve Aiken. Photo credit: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Mr Aiken, who voted to remain in the 2016 referendum, said the Withdrawal Agreement was a "woeful Brexit deal". "Great Britain will be moving on with Northern Ireland dumped into an EU-UK limbo land. The question is where do we go from here?," the South Antrim MLA asked. He said that unionism "can't afford any more strategic mistakes". "Northern Ireland and the Union itself have already sustained enough collateral damage in the pursuit of an ideologically pure Brexit," Mr Aiken said. "Instead we need to focus on how we go about curbing the worst excesses of Boris Johnson`s Withdrawal Agreement to protect our trading links with our biggest market in Great Britain, grow our economy in the future and strengthen the Union. "We have to sell our case within Northern Ireland and across the rest of the United Kingdom." The UUP leader called on the Government to clarify Northern Ireland's position following Brexit, due to "scant and contradictory information" coming from Westminster. Being employed as a public servant with the state of New Mexico is an honor. Our state employee family has the privilege of making a direct impact on our communities and contributes toward making the state of New Mexico a better place for everyone. State Police keep our highways safe, social workers help families access food and child care, and our economic and workforce departments are turning the states economy around. State employees receive a steady paycheck, great health care benefits and one of the best pension plans in the country. The last is why it is so important that the Legislature pass SB 72 to reform the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) plan this year. Why is this important? Currently, PERA is insolvent, which means there is more money going out of the fund than coming into it. If the unfunded portion of PERA isnt fixed, current and future employees wont be able to rely on the system for their retirement and it is not going to get better by ignoring the facts. There are no pots of gold at the end of the rainbow here; we must come together and find a way to correct the current trajectory. Most of us remember the financial crash of 2008; the Brookings Institution estimates that there is only a 15% chance that stock market investment growth will cover the increased costs of the PERA system. The Brookings research also categorizes PERA as one of the most vulnerable pension plans in the country in the bottom 25% for debt stabilization. In short, simply hoping for PERA to grow without changing our contribution strategies is not good public policy. What is proposed in the legislation is for the state to take a balanced, moderate approach to funding PERA, where the increased responsibility to keep PERA safe is shared by employers, current employees, and retirees. How? SB 72 asks public entities like the state, cities and counties to contribute more to the fund. The state would be the largest contributor, making a one-time cash infusion of $76 million into the system. Next, SB 72 asks current employees to put in another 0.5% of their paychecks per year for four years, the same exact amount that their employers would contribute. Sharing the burden for the increased costs is the most equitable approach. Lastly, it asks for most retirees to freeze their yearly cost of living compounding formula (COLA) for three years; they will still receive a flat 2% increase for those years. After that, COLA increases will reflect how well the fund does as a whole. That means the pension will pay for future increases, like on a debit card rather than a credit card in a responsible and clear-eyed manner. Low-income, disabled and elderly retirees are completely exempt, meaning those that can least afford to receive a reduced benefit will be free from the plans cost increases. This isnt a new problem, and it wont go away on its own. Both the PERA Board and the Legislatures Investment and Pensions Committee have looked at it extensively for three years. Continuing to kick the can down the road has its own risks. New Jersey and Illinois have worse problems than we do and have already started to lower benefits for new workers. Other states, such as West Virginia, Alaska and Michigan, have switched over to systems more like a 401(k) plan. Theyre cheaper, but force workers to rely completely on the stock market for payments rather than on a set amount, which decreases retirement security for government workers. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is committed to protecting and rewarding state employees who spend their lives making the communities we love better. SB 72 asks everyone to contribute a little more to keep one of the countrys best pension funds financially solvent. Acting this year will make life better for generations of state, city and county government employees, and the people they serve, for years to come. We can weather this financial storm by beginning PERA reform this year. [January 31, 2020] Yardi Supports Australia Fire Relief and Recovery Efforts SANTA BARBARA, California, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Australia continues to fight the worst fire season the country has ever seen, Yardi has donated to two organizations to support relief and recovery efforts. The California-based real estate technology leader, no stranger to the frequent wildfires that have taken place near its corporate headquarters, has offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The company has made a $250,000 donation, split evenly between two critical agencies in New South Wales and Victoria. To date, the two coastal southeastern states have suffered 16 million acres of land burned, 2,500 homes lost and 33 fatalities. It is also estimated that hundreds of millions of wild animals have either perished or lost critical habitat. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service is the largest volunteer firefighting organization in the world. Its volunteers provide fire and emergency services to approximately 95 percent of New South Wales (NSW). Over 2,000 volunteer brigades provide firefighting coverage for 108 local governments in NSW, and over than 1,000 firefighters are battling 0 ongoing fires. The Victorian Country Fire Authority Bushfire Appeal is a government-administered fund that will distribute 100 percent of donations directly to those affected by the fires. The intent is to provide practical support as impacted Victorians begin to rebuild their lives. "We've been shocked and saddened by the devastation caused to communities, wildlife and individuals that have lost their homes and lives in the fires in Australia," said Neal Gemassmer, vice president of international for Yardi. "Supporting our communities, and those effected by disasters has been an important part of Yardi's philosophy of giving back." Fire and disaster relief has been a longstanding part of Yardi's corporate philanthropic program. In recent years the company supported recovery efforts from the Thomas Fire in Southern California, the Fort McMurray wildfire in Canada, Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Harvey in Texas. The company also contributed to mobile disaster response command centers in its hometown of Santa Barbara. About Yardi Yardi develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. Established in 1984, Yardi is based in Santa Barbara, Calif., and serves clients worldwide. For more information on how Yardi is Energized for Tomorrow, visit yardi.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/737275/Yardi_Logo.jpg View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yardi-supports-australia-fire-relief-and-recovery-efforts-300996902.html SOURCE Yardi [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has disagreed with critics in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are speaking against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for demonstrating against the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register. He is often 'shocked' when he hears such comments because according to him, "President Akufo Addo is known to be the chief of demonstrations". He was speaking on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Tuesday. Listen to his full submission in the video below The NDC held two demonstrations against the decision to compile a new voters' register; one in Tamale and the other in Kumasi. 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 Boxes of masks seen at a pharmacy in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Minh. Hanoi pharmacies are running out of masks as fears of the new coronavirus epidemic have caused demand to surge. Hoa of Ung Hoa District on Thursday managed to buy two boxes of masks after queueing for over an hour. For each box of 5,000, she paid VND5 million ($216), double the price she paid two weeks ago. "I was willing to pay the price since it could climb even higher in the coming days and there might be no stocks left," she said. She retails them at the Hapulico Medicine Market in Thanh Xuan District, where masks are among the top-selling items now. The price of the N95 mask made by U.S. company 3M, which is said to have at least 95 percent filtration efficiency against certain non-oil based particles, has jumped almost five times from VND20,000 (86 cents) to VND90,000 ($3.88). Pharmacies in the capital are struggling to source more masks. Mai, a drugstore owner in Ha Dong District, said on Tuesday she did not have masks in stock. "I ordered 200 boxes [of 50 masks] on Thursday, but the manufacturer sent only 40." She said she had never had so much difficulty buying masks and hand sanitizers as now since manufacturers are unable to keep pace with demand. Mai sells only one box to a customer, explaining to them it is to make sure more people can protect themselves. Pharmacies in Thanh Xuan District have no masks in stock and some ask customers to return the next day and try their luck. Face masks in short supply as coronavirus threat grows Chen lan xo ay mua khau trang y te Residents rush to buy face masks at pharmacies in Thanh Xuan District, January 31, 2020. Not surprisingly, prices have shot up. Mai, a woman who lives in Cau Giay District, said she was surprised to see a local pharmacy hike the price of masks 2.5 times within just a few days to VND100,000 ($4.3). But she decided to buy anyway after the salespeople told her they would be out of stock within the day. At Coop Mart, VinMart and Big C outlets, mask shelves were empty on Thursday, the first working day after the seven-day national holiday for Tet though there had a lot of stock just the day before. "Each customer bought around three boxes [of 50 masks]," a salesperson at Coop Mart Ha Dong said. "We do not expect stocks to arrive until next week from Saigon." Mask prices are erratic on e-commerce websites. On Lazada, for instance, one seller lists 3M masks at VND40,000 ($1.73) and another at VND27,000 ($1.17). Many have run out of stock. The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that three Vietnamese have tested positive for the nCoV. One is being treated at the Thanh Hoa General Hospital in central Thanh Hoa Province and the others at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. They were among eight people working for Japans Nihon Plast Company Limited and sent to work in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the epidemic, two months ago. They returned to Vietnam on a Southern China Airlines flight on January 17. As of Thursday afternoon there were five confirmed cases of infection. Two Chinese nationals were confirmed on January 23 as Vietnam's first cases of nCoV infection, but one of them has since recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared a global health emergency as the death toll reached 213, all in China. (RNS) Karl Barth once famously remarked that a theologian should work with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. Its doubtful that Barth had Jack Van Impe in mind when he said it, but thats exactly what Van Impe did. For decades Van Impe, who died Jan. 18, and his wife, Rexella, would begin their weekly TV program, Jack Van Impe Presents, by scanning the headlines of the week. Jack Van Impe would then read these headlines through the lens of his dispensationalist theology, the approach to Bible prophecy that gave us the rapture. Van Impes reading of current events from the creation of the European Union to Western governments and various Christian leaders welcome to Islam gave Christian believers hope that there was a plan amid the chaos of the headlines. Dispensationalism originated in 19th century Britain and found its foremost proponent in a former Church of Ireland priest named John Nelson Darby, who believed a secret rapture of the church would take believers into heaven ahead of the coming great tribulation. Darbys views were popularized, especially in the United States, by C.I. Scofields Reference Edition of the Bible, which laid out how God worked with his people under different divine covenants at various specific periods of time, which he called dispensations. The current age was a great parenthesis brought about by the failure of Israel to respond to the message of Jesus and accept him as Messiah. The eschatological clock had stopped with the resurrection of Jesus; it would resume at the rapture, when the age of the church would end and the great tribulation would begin. The characters and plot of the tribulation have by now entered mainstream culture: a political leader, called the Beast in Revelation 13, will team up with a religious leader (the False Prophet) to produce a single world government and religious order. Van Impe predicted that this regime would promote a merged Christianity and Islam, Chrislam. His popularity, like that of other prophecy teachers, rested on his ability to tap into the anxiety of their faithful. Hard times are coming. The world is a dangerous place. But Jesus will rescue you from the worst of it. Van Impe resented being called a prophet of doom. He thought his was a message of hope but only, of course, for those who follow Jesus! There is a strain of apocalyptic doom in all of Christianity. Both Old and New Testaments encourage readers to pay attention to the world around them and to be alert for signs of divine activity, especially for the time of Gods coming judgment. The Apostle Paul warned that the Lord will come like a thief in the night and that Christians must be alert and sober. While expressly forbidding his disciples to wait on the end times, Jesus, in his great eschatological discourse in the Gospel of Mark, told his disciples: Be on guard. Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Throughout both Jewish and Christian history, reading the signs of the times and attempting to predict the coming (or second coming) of the Messiah has been a cottage industry. So-called prophetic texts, of course, lend themselves to a wide variety of interpretations, and generations of prophetic teachers have misread both the texts and their own times, seeing clear signs of the immediate consummation of Gods plan in their own times. Dispensationalists not only interpret history, but attempt to make it. William Blackstones immensely popular Jesus Is Coming, first published in 1878 and millions of copies later still available on Amazon, linked dispensationalism with the effort to restore the Jews to their ancient homeland. He worked tirelessly to encourage the Western powers to provide a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. Blackstone was convinced this would not only hasten the coming of Jesus but occasion the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. Throughout the 20th century prophecy teachers like Van Impe, Hal Lindsey and many others have seen the foundation of the state of Israel and the various conflicts associated with its continuing existence as signs that the rapture and tribulation are near. Christian Zionists have actively worked with the U.S. and Israeli governments to produce what they thought were conditions required for the second coming of Jesus. Somewhat contradictorily, these teachers have also warned of and worked against liberal preachers and politicians who, they imagine, are bringing about the new world order a turn they think is equally inevitable and instrumental. Van Impe was openly critical of President Barack Obama, Pope Francis and ministers like Rick Warren, Robert Schuller and Joel Osteen for this very reason. That the figure of the Antichrist and the time of the second coming have been consistently misidentified does not appear to depress the appetite of the faithful for new predictions and identifications. The elaborate exegetical house of cards that is dispensationalism seems impervious to collapse however many times with winds of reality blow. Many Christians will dearly miss Jack Van Impes weekly sorting of eschatological signs. But they can be comforted that his death will certainly not mean an end to his message of hope, and warning. READ THIS STORY AT RELIGIONNEWS.COM. Article originally published by Religion News Service. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: RNS/JVIM.com John E. Jay Phelan Jr. taught at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago for 25 years. He is the author of Essential Eschatology and co-author of the forthcoming Separated Siblings: An Evangelical Understanding of Jews and Judaism. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service. Iran: 21-year-old Christian convert who criticized regime's oppression of believers arrested, missing Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A 21-year-old Christian convert in Iran known for highlighting the plight of persecuted believers and criticizing the countrys repressive government remains missing nearly three weeks after her arrest. The website Article 18 reports that Fatemeh Mohammadi, also known as Mary, was among those arrested on Jan. 12 near Azadi Square. At the time of her arrest, protests were taking place in response to the Iranian governments admission of guilt in the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane hit by two missiles. Mohammadi was apprehended by police and transported to an unknown location. Nearly three weeks after her arrest no one has heard from the young woman. On the day of her arrest, she published a series of tweets in which she said the Iranian people were facing soft repression, exposed only to news that the regime wanted them to read. In her tweets, she used hashtags that, when translated, mean hard-pressed and suppression is the norm." She added that tackling soft repression is even harder than tackling the hard repression," accusing the government of institutionalizing false beliefs through selective coverage of the news," and lies that are bigger and more repetitive make them more believable. The Christian activist was previously arrested three other times and spent six months in prison on charges of "membership in proselytizing groups," "Christian activity," and "acting against national security through propaganda against the regime." Just before her arrest, she was kicked out of the university she was attending for no given reason. A week later, she was arrested again. It appears that my religious beliefs and having a prior conviction [because of Christian activities] on security-related charges, as well as my human rights activism, are the reasons for banning me from further education, she told Article 18 at the time. The denial of basic and fundamental rights, such as the right to education, certainly can act as a pressure mechanism and is used as a lever to apply pressure on religious minorities and human rights activists in the hope that individuals will halt their activities and abandon their beliefs. Depriving me of my education is certainly intended to exert pressure upon me, and silence me. Persecution watchdog group Open Doors notes that Mohammadi also boldly spoke about believers rights, including the cruel treatment she received in prison, and ran a campaign petitioning for all Christians, including converts, to be given the right to worship in a church. When asked whether she feared for her safety, she responded that she was ready to return to prison to fight for the rights of Christians in Iran. Earlier this year, she wrote an open letter to Irans Minister of Intelligence, accusing him of violating the Iranian Constitution by targeting Christians. In it, she questioned why Christians are prevented from talking about their beliefs with their peers, while Muslims can freely engage in propaganda at schools, universities, mosques and shrines. Iran is ranked No. 9 on Open Doors' 2020 World Watch List of worst countries to live as a Christian. Iranian society is governed by Islamic law, which means the rights of and professional possibilities for Christians are heavily restricted, Open Doors notes. Christians are forbidden from sharing their faith with non-Christians in Iran, and it is illegal to produce Christian literature. According to the charity, over the 2020 World Watch List reporting period, there were at least 169 arrests of Christians, 114 of them made in one single week at the end of 2018. Many Iranian believers (especially converts) have been prosecuted and sentenced to long terms in jail. Others are still awaiting trial. Their families face public humiliation during this time, Open Doors reports. Last week, a court in Iran sentenced a 65-year-old convert to Christianity to three years in prison for insulting Islamic sacred beliefs even as he is yet to be tried in the court for two other charges. In December, Irans Revolutionary Court sentenced nine Christians to a combined total of 45 years in prison for converting to Christianity. The converts were arrested in January and February 2019. Writings on the Wall In 1990, my wife Rose and I decided to take my three nephews on a vacation to Huntsville, Alabama, and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. They Read more Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, center, greets supporters at a campaign office, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in Scarborough, Maine. Read more DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Democratic National Committee has dropped grassroots fundraising qualifications for the partys Feb. 19 debate before the Nevada caucuses, opening the possibility that billionaire Michael Bloomberg could make his first appearance on stage. The party announced Friday three different ways for candidates to reach the debate stage that involve reaching certain polling thresholds or banking a convention delegate in the first two nominating contests held in Iowa and New Hampshire. All previous debates have included a fundraising element, and since September, candidates have had to reach both polling thresholds and grassroots fundraising marks. Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor, has not yet hit the polling marks, but he will have until Feb. 18, the day before the debate, to do so a prospect that pleases some rivals and incenses others. Under the DNC rules, candidates have multiple paths to the stage: reach 10% support in some combination of four national polls or early state polls from Nevada or South Carolina; reach 12% support in two polls from Nevada or South Carolina or both; or bank a convention delegate in Iowa or New Hampshire, which host the first two nominating votes in early February. Party Chairman Tom Perez and his aides have said for months that the DNC would likely shift to qualifying standards based on actual results once voting began. But the move is nonetheless significant given Bloomberg's unique presence in the race. The ultrabillionaire is self-funding his White House bid spending at least $188 million from the time he entered the race on Nov. 24 until the end of the year, according to disclosures filed Friday and thus never could have qualified had Perez continued to require debate participants to reach a certain number of donors. The Bloomberg campaign praised the DNC's decision to change the debate rules. "We are thrilled that voters could soon have the chance to see Mike Bloomberg on the debate stage, hear his vision for the country, and see why he is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country together," campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said in a statement. Bloomberg underscored recently that he had no intention of accepting contributions, even from small-dollar donors. "I don't even want the appearance of impropriety, and I hope party leaders change the rules," he said while campaigning in Texas, but "if they don't, so what? ... I'm going to take my message directly to the voters." Rival campaigns have complained for weeks that Bloomberg has been avoiding scrutiny as he spreads his personal fortune across Super Tuesday states, part of his unusual campaign that is skipping the first four states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Bloomberg donated more than $100,000 to the DNC just days before he entered the race; candidates typically make such contributions to get access to the party's national voter database. But how to treat him on the debate stage is a tricky proposition for the campaigns. Some candidates have argued he should be subjected to the same questioning they've endured for months, yet rival campaigns also are wary about validating Bloomberg as a legitimate threat. And they already privately acknowledge that his personal fortune makes him a variable they must consider, regardless of the debates, as they try to amass the nearly 2,000 delegates that will be necessary to win the nomination. Relaxing rules that govern debates almost certainly will leave some former candidates unhappy. Julian Castro and Cory Booker, in particular, have complained that the DNC's rules unfairly targeted minority candidates because even grassroots donor bases are whiter than the Democratic electorate. In response to the rules change, Booker's former campaign manager Addisu Demissie sent out a tweet with a GIF of Justin Timberlake looking incredulous. Asked for additional comment, Demissie pointed back to the tweet. Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser for Bernie Sanders, said it would be "wrong" to change rules that would "accommodate Mayor Bloomberg, who has raised no grassroots donations and is instead flooding the airwaves across the country funded by his billions of dollars of personal assets." "Now, at this late hour, to change the rules to accommodate a billionaire who wants to buy his way into the party would be unconscionable," Weaver said. "No one should be allowed to buy their way onto the debate stage or the nomination." Echoing the Sanders team, Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren said there shouldn't be a separate set of rules for billionaires. "The DNC didn't change the rules to ensure good, diverse candidates could remain on the debate stage. They shouldn't change the rules to let a billionaire on," Warren tweeted. Other Democrats have encouraged the DNC to allow Bloomberg's participation. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said this week that she'd be "fine" with Bloomberg being on the debate stage. "I think that instead of just putting your money out there, he's actually got to be on the stage and be able to go back-and-forth so voters can evaluate him in that way," she said on MSNBC. Associated Press writers Brian Slodysko in Des Moines, Iowa, and Kathleen Ronayne in Manchester, N.H., contributed to this report. Press Release 31 January 2020 Revenue management and the role of revenue managers has changed dramatically in the past 20 years. Introduced by hotel chains in the late 1980s, revenue management was used to make decisions on room prices and lengths of stay. According to the latest Phocuswright travel research report, Hotel Revenue Management Opportunities in a Dynamic and Challenging Landscape, the field of revenue management has since evolved to support an array of strategic decisions made by hotels, management companies and travel intermediaries aimed at optimizing profit and enhancing the overall value of the physical asset. Advertisements As a result, the role of revenue managers has expanded. They influence nearly every aspect of lodging organizations, from marketing and sales to operations. And as the role of revenue management changes, so do the demands and desires for an adequate technology-based solution that addresses the needs of today and the challenges of tomorrow. Phocuswright conducted an extensive, qualitative study on the evolution of revenue management across the hotel landscape through roundtable discussions and phone interviews with revenue management professionals. The focus of the study is on helping lodging organizations improve revenue performance and overall competitiveness by examining the challenges, changes and potential opportunities for growth. This white paper focuses on the challenges faced by the revenue management function and lodging organizations from the perspective of those who actually perform that task: the revenue managers. Participants in the study included revenue managers from chains, ownership/management companies and independent properties. Overview of Key Findings Information overload: In a digital travel environment characterized by multiple streams of data, many respondents reported their struggle to identify, access and analyze the data most important to optimizing revenue and profit. Lodging organizations particularly experience a challenge separating the signal from the noise. This challenge is most prevalent among smaller, independent hotels. Pulling together disparate systems: There remains a lack of systems integration across the different technology solutions utilized by lodging organizations today. These include channel management systems (CMS), revenue management systems (RMS), property management systems (PMS), central reservation systems (CRS) and customer relationship management systems (CRM), among others. As a result, revenue managers must gather information manually. This results in less time for strategy, data-driven decisions and a slower pace of actions. Dynamic and complex distribution landscape: A fast-evolving distribution landscape featuring numerous distribution channels, rapidly changing market segmentation and competitive sets makes it difficult to deliver effective personalized offers through the right channel to drive conversions. Filling the information gap: Travel intermediaries (such as online travel agencies, search engines, metasearch and social media sites) track a variety of data points related to hotel marketing, customer analytics and segmentation, destination demand and distribution. But revenue managers struggle to accurately analyze cost per acquisition versus revenue generation and incorporating demand data indicators into their day-to-day decision-making - creating an opportunity for intermediaries to close the information gap. Expanding role and impact of revenue managers: The role of the revenue manager is growing. It is shifting from rate and inventory management to total hotel revenue management. This places revenue managers in a unique leadership position at lodging organizations. In addition to an increased focus on optimizing profit, revenue managers often influence data-driven decisions across the entire organization (i.e., between revenue management, marketing, sales, distribution, loyalty and hotel operations). They are being asked to lead organizations' efforts to increase revenue (contribution) for owners. To read the entire whitepaper, with a further breakdown of all 5 key findings, download it here (for free). For more expert analysis and insights, with access to the entire Phocuswright research library for your entire company, subscribe to Open Access here. Passengers arriving at Changi Airport in Singapore. (PHOTO: Roslan Rahman/AFP via Getty Images) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Education (MOE) has strongly urged students and staff who were issued leaves of absence (LOA) during this Wuhan coronavirus outbreak period to be socially responsible and comply with the precautionary measure, even though the leave is not legally binding. In a media statement on Friday (31 January), the ministry said that as of Thursday, it has issued 14-day LOAs to 852 students and 115 staff across schools, polytechnics and institutes of technical education (ITEs). Those issued with LOAs are expected to: Remain contactable at all times Remain in their homes as much as possible Minimise visitors to their homes Minimise time spent in public places and contact with others Monitor their health and their temperature The LOAs which were implemented on Monday are issued to students and staff who are healthy, but have recently travelled to mainland China. They allow MOE to better mitigate the potential risks posed in schools and institutions, while enabling students to continue with their usual learning and other activities. According to MOE, there is one student and one MOE staffer who travelled to Hubei province, where the Wuhan virus outbreak is at its most serious. The others travelled to other parts of mainland China. INFOGRAPHIC: Ministry of Education Those serving their LOA may be issued with quarantine orders if they are at a higher risk. Students on LOA will be supported via a home-based learning plan. Teachers will assign work from the textbook and workbook to help the affected students keep up with their classmates. Students will also have access to the Singapore Student Learning Space, an online platform with a range of curriculum-aligned resources to support their learning. Home-based online learning support, such as online tutorials/lectures, are also available for students on LOA in the institutes of higher learning. Related stories: Wuhan virus: MOE implements leave for students, staff returning from mainland China Wuhan virus: 3 more confirmed cases in Singapore, total at 13 Story continues Wuhan virus: The Singaporeans who chose to remain in Hubei Wuhan virus: Pack of 4 face masks to be distributed to each of 1.3 million households Wuhan virus: 92 Singaporeans flown home from Wuhan Talks broke off late Friday after three days between the Ford government and elementary teachers union, with each side blaming the other. What was seen as a small step forward amid escalating tensions with teachers ended with the government saying it offered the union the full commitment to full-day kindergarten it had sought, but that compensation remained a key sticking point with educators seeking 2 per cent a year. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, however, told its 83,000 members in a late-night memo that the the government wants to reduce funding to support the learning needs of special education students, and it wants ETFO to agree to those cuts at the bargaining table. We cant do that, said president Sam Hammond, adding the province refused to address a number of key issues. The mediator called off the talks for now, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said in a statement. The government stands ready to meet at any time, to reach a deal that keeps students in class, he also said. While ETFO has no new dates for bargaining, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association will be in talks Monday a day before a scheduled province-wide walkout and the AEFO, representing French board teachers, will resume next Wednesday and Thursday. We look forward to the opportunity to negotiate to reach a settlement that keeps students in class and ends the union-led disruption that is affecting so many students across the province, Lecce said. We continue to ask the unions to come to the table with realistic proposals that prioritize student success. Our students deserve no less. AEFO president Remi Sabourin said all parties are committed to pursuing bargaining. The AEFO also sat down with the government and school board associations this week while its 12,000 members continued to work to rule. The province has no talks scheduled with the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation. We remain in the hands of the mediator and await an invitation to return to the bargaining table at a time she believes will be productive, said OSSTF president Harvey Bischof. All teacher unions are engaged in job action, ranging from not filling out report cards to one-day strikes. High school teachers plan to resume their rotating weekly walkouts on Tuesday, hitting the Halton, York and York Catholic boards. Liz Stuart, president of the Catholic teachers association, said as it stands now, their province-wide strike will go ahead. We are pleased to be getting back to negotiations. However, it remains to be seen how serious the discussions will be, Stuart said. We would like nothing more than to focus on reaching an agreement, but the government needs to understand that their proposed cuts simply cannot stay on the table. Without a deal by Friday, the ETFO will begin striking two days a week starting next week. On Thursday, Lecce had called discussions with the elementary union productive, adding he had given his negotiators the latitude to land a deal. That didnt happen. New Democrat MPP Marit Stiles, her partys education critic, credited the teachers unions and strong parent support for getting the government back to the table. RELATED STORIES Provincial Politics High school teachers to resume one-day strikes as talks continue between the Ford government and elementary teachers I hope the government does the right thing and reverse planned cuts, Stiles said. Bischof said his unions one-day strike could be averted if the Ford government agrees to return to, and maintain, the class-size ratios and staffing levels that were in place in Ontario schools just one year ago. The province plans to boost secondary class sizes from last years average of 22 students to 25, which would mean the loss of thousands of teaching positions and even fewer course options for teens. It also wants to introduce two mandatory online credits starting next fall. Neither move is popular with the public, and is opposed not only by the unions but also school boards and the principals association, as well as the Ontario Student Trustees Association, which advocates for the provinces two million students. Last week, Ford said he has limited patience for the teacher walkouts, and vowed the government will not budge on its offer of a one per cent annual wage increase. Teachers are seeking a raise equal to the cost of living, or about two per cent. The government has passed legislation capping public sector raises at one per cent a year. Read more about: International Business Machines Corp Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will hand over the reins to the head of the company's cloud business, as the pioneer tech company continues its efforts to rejuvenate itself. The company was a late entrant to the business of cloud services, a segment now dominated by Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp, and Rometty, a 40-year IBM veteran and one of the highest profile women in U.S. business, bet on acquisitions to cut the lead. During her eight years at the helm, the Big Blue completed 65 acquisitions, culminating in the $34 billion deal ... CAMBRIDGE, Md., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, will be opening a new retail store and donation center on Thursday February 6th at 9 a.m. An official Grand Opening Celebration will be held at 12 p.m. with special guests from the community. The store is located at 732 Cambridge Marketplace Boulevard, Cambridge, MD 21613. It is Goodwill's 33rd retail location in Central Maryland and the Eastern Shore. The Cambridge Goodwill store will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. This is the 4th retail store Goodwill has on the Eastern Shore and will create 18 jobs in Dorchester County. Area residents will also be able to donate unwanted clothing and household items at the location. In addition to 30 retail stores, Goodwill operates 3 outlets. Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. began operations in Maryland in 2019. The Baltimore Goodwill Industries was the seventh Goodwill in the U.S. In 1998, the organizations' name was changed to reflect the expansion of its service area with its first location in Salisbury, MD. The other locations on the Eastern Shore are in Easton, Denton and Salisbury. "We have wanted to open a store in Cambridge for a long time, and are very excited as we continue our expansion on the Eastern Shore," says Lisa Rusyniak, president and CEO for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. "Each store we open allows us to continue our mission of helping those with barriers to employment find jobs. The revenue from our retail stores fund our programs, and this is all made possible through the support of the community." To celebrate the opening, the new Goodwill store will have a ribbon cutting ceremony, a raffle (55" 4K Ultra HD TV) and will feature the everyday great prices and selection customers know. About Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake: Since 1919, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. has been serving Central Maryland and the Eastern Shore as a non-profit 501(c)(3) that provides job training, job placement and other human services for people who are unemployed or face other challenges to employment, including people with significant disabilities. Last year, Goodwill placed individuals into 1,784 jobs. Revenue generated from the sale of donated goods helps fund these programs. For more information on Goodwill, please visit www.goodwillches.org Media Contact: Jonathan Balog Vice President, Marketing & Communications Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. 410-837-1800 ext. 1175 [email protected] SOURCE Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. Related Links http://www.goodwillches.org NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown Rudnick LLP, an international law firm, is pleased to announce the promotion of six exceptional lawyers to partner. Thomas J. Braiden, Andrew M. Carty, Kyle R. Johnson, Jessica T. Lu, Joseph M. Mercadante, and Arnaud Moussatoff joined the partnership on February 1, 2020. This experienced group of attorneys will join five dominant practice groups, Bankruptcy & Restructuring; Litigation & Arbitration; Energy, Utilities & Environmental; IP Litigation; and Corporate. Brown Rudnick's 2020 partner class joins amid continued expansion of the firm, which has also welcomed 10 new lateral partners from outside its ranks since the start of 2019. "As we continue to expand Brown Rudnick's global reach, we're thrilled to have such a diverse group of attorneys bolster the firm's partnership ranks," said Bill Baldiga, Brown Rudnick's CEO. "We're committed to the strategic growth of the firm through both lateral hiring and development of top legal talent from within, and look forward to continuing to do so this year." The newly promoted partners are based in the firm's Boston, Hartford, London, New York and Paris offices. The firm's new partners include: Thomas J. Braiden: Corporate (London) Tom advises on a wide range of corporate matters in a number of different industries. He has extensive experience advising public and private companies, as well as family offices and other private investors, on IPOs and secondary fundraisings (both AIM and Official List), mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, commercial contracts, corporate governance issues, and other general corporate advice. Andrew M. Carty: Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring (New York) Andrew's practice focuses on providing effective and efficient solutions to complex corporate restructuring matters. With substantial experience representing secured and unsecured creditors, official and ad hoc committees, equity holders, strategic investors, and other stakeholders in complex reorganization proceedings, Andrew's practice spans a wide range of industries, and includes restructuring, finance, and bankruptcy litigation. Kyle R. Johnson: Energy, Utilities & Environmental (Hartford) Kyle focuses his practice on environmental issues in real estate and corporate transactions, including environmental due diligence, negotiation of liabilities, and drafting of contractual documents and indemnities, regulatory compliance and enforcement matters, remediation of contaminated properties, and general environmental counseling. Kyle is also experienced in energy and public utility law, including siting, permitting, administrative and appellate litigation, and real estate law. Jessica T. Lu: Litigation & Arbitration (Boston) Jessica represents clients in general commercial and intellectual property litigation, including patent, copyright, and trademark infringement, contract disputes, business torts, and employment issues. Her practice encompasses stages of litigation from initiation through trial and she also has experience with complex financial and restructuring-related disputes and SEC enforcement actions. Joseph M. Mercadante: IP Litigation (New York) Joseph is an experienced patent litigator with a focus on cases in the field of electronics, including computer hardware and software, automotive technologies, telecommunications, and networking and semiconductors. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of patent litigation matters, including pre-suit investigations, validity and infringement analyses, discovery, Markman proceedings, expert reports and depositions, motion practice, and trial. Arnaud Moussatoff: Bankruptcy & Corporate Restructuring (Paris) Arnaud represents clients in restructuring operations and distressed transactions relating to underperforming or insolvent companies. His practice also includes a wide variety of litigation matters, including French Insolvency Law and the issues arising from financial difficulties affecting businesses, such as complex M&A litigation and managers' liability. He offers a wide range of counseling to debtors, investors, purchasers, lenders and managers. SOURCE Brown Rudnick LLP Related Links http://www.brownrudnick.com Y our choice of mattress can affect your quality of sleep, how comfortable you are while you rest, and even your musculoskeletal health. Buying one that suits you perfectly could be one of the gifts-to-self of a lifetime. In this guide, we review the best mattresses available today. Weve included a mix of pocket sprung, memory foam and hybrid mattresses, so hopefully everyone will be able to find their ideal mattress here. How to choose the best mattress Choosing the best mattress is all about finding the option thats best suited to your body, your personal preferences and your budget. Arguably the most important question to ask, is what level of firmness do you prefer? There are some mattresses that you really sink into, others that hold you aloft, and plenty in-between. A key factor in mattress firmness is the materials used to support the body. Mattresses made of foams tend to be gentler and more yielding, while traditional sprung mattresses usually give the most support. Hybrid mattresses, which have both springs and memory foam, can offer a combination of support and softness that some would say offers the most sweetly balanced of sleeps. Another important point is the temperature regulating capabilities of the mattress. Some materials, such as certain latex foams, tend to be hotter to sleep on, although the design of the mattress is perhaps the most crucial factor in determining how warm or cool it sleeps. Other variables that can make one mattress arguably better than another include the material of the mattress cover (is it soft and hypoallergenic?), and the extent to which one person moving on the mattress will effect the other side, which is referred to as motion transfer. In terms of budget, quality mattresses can vary hugely. The mattresses featured in our reviews range from about 400 to over 2,500 for a UK double, and we believe that every one of them merits consideration. How often should you change your mattress? This will depend on a range of factors including the materials used in the mattress, the level of wear and tear, and the extent to which the susceptibility of the mattress to deterioration. Different manufacturers, sellers and experts give you different advice on how often to change a mattress, often depending on the specific mattress in question, and sometimes based on their own commercial interests. With all that said, most sources suggest replacing your mattress once every 7-10 years. Fun mattress facts: The word mattress is derived from the Arabic matrah, which means something thrown down. Memory foam, the form-fitting material often used in mattresses, was developed under a NASA contract in the 1970s. The first sprung mattress, with springs inside it, was made by Heinrich Westphal, in Germany, in 1871. In Hans Christian Andersons famous fairytale, The princess and the pea, the discerning royal hero of the story lays down on a stack of twenty mattresses. She'd have made a fine mattress reviewer for ES Best. Current mattress sales and offers Here are some of the best mattress deals and promotions currently available: OTTY - score up to 45 per cent off in the autumn sale eve Sleep - save up to 30 per cent off off mattresses Simba - score 40 per cent off items Emma Mattress - the brand is offering discounts of up to 50 per cent Nectar - Enjoy 40 per cent off any mattress + free premium adjustable pillow Best foam mattresses Foam type: breathable Airgocell foam; memory foam; HRX support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Front, side Depth: 25cm Trial period: 200 days Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Medium Adjustable? No Pros: Soft yet supportive feel Low motion transfer Sleeps relatively cool for a foam mattress Cons: Synthetic materials may be unsuitable for some customers Our best buy for foam mattresses, the Emma mattress is firm, comfortable, and feels far more sturdily built than many other mattresses towards the softer end of the spectrum. It's made up of several foam layers including a visco-elastic memory foam layer and a supporting layer of cooler foam. The climate fiber top cover is pleasingly cool on the skin. The top layer is made of innovative, point-elastic Airgocell foam which isolates movement to one part of the mattress - great news for anyone with a restless bedfellow. It provides blissful, supportive comfort on you're a side or front sleeper. Single | 649 Double | 849 King | 999 Super-king | 1,099 Foam type: 3-Layer foam construction; 2 layers of Certipur certified viscoelastic foam and base layer of support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Front, side and back Depth: 25cm Trial period: 355 days Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Medium-firm Adjustable? No Pros: Breathable base layer, cooling cover Smart memory foam interior 365 day free trial Suits any bed frame Cons: May feel too firm for those who prefer to sink into mattress The mattress is built with four layer, two of which are memory foam. The first designed to relieve pressure and the second to regulate temperature. This is then topped with an innovative seven zone design where different areas of the mattress offer different levels of support depending on the area of the body with more support under the hips and less at the shoulders. The mattress is then topped with a trademarked cooling cover. At a medium firmness, the Nectar mattress is not as hard as some of the other memory foams on the market. It sculpts around your body without feeling like you are sinking into the bed frame. The bouncy foam actually feels like it is supporting your body - ideal after sitting at your desk all day or a heavy gym workout which can put a lot of pressure on your back. It is a godsend to come home and lie on the mattress that feels like it is realigning your spine while you sleep. Ideal for duvet days, the mattress stays firm without dipping into the most frequented spots and you dont feel like you are overheating even in the height of summer. It arrives in a convenient box and when unpacked, inflates in minutes. There is even 365 day trial, two free foam pillows included, free returns and a forever warranty that is a testament to the durability of the mattress. Single | 314 Small Double | 449 Double | 449 King | 549 Super-king | 649 Foam type: Memory foam, cooling foam, support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Any Depth: 24cm Trial period: 100 days Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Medium Adjustable? No Pros: Good level of support Excellent detailing Suits all sleep postures Cons: Relatively thin memory foam layer If youre a back or front sleeper, youll do well with eves mattress which offers superb level of support and firmness. The top is made of a slim 3cm thick layer of memory foam, which redistributes weight responsively as you shift throughout the night. Under that is a 3cm cooling layer so you don't overheat, followed by a thick 18cm supportive base layer that creates an opulent sense of depth think a 21st Century Princess and the Pea - minus any veggies. But what we appreciated most was eves subtler details the moisture-wicking top cover, the hand stitched sides, and more whimsically the Ursula le Guin and Salvador Dali quotes printed inside the box. eve is a mattress with artistry in its very fibres. Of course, what matters in the long-term is comfort and the eve mattress caters for that extremely well. If youre unsure about whether the eve Sleep Original Mattress is quite right for you, we suggest you check out two similar mattresses from the eve Sleep range: the Premium and the Lighter. The Premium adds some lavish touches to the mattress, including a weave of silver in the mattress topper. The precious fibre is included ostensibly for its antimicrobial properties, but we reckon a subtle element of showing off might be at play, too. Meanwhile, the Lighter is a simplified version of the Original that comes with a featherweight price tag. Single | 279 Small double | 419 Double | 454 King | 524 Super-king | 594 Best pocket sprung mattresses What is a pocket spring? Traditional mattresses support the body using large numbers of springs the familiar metal coils that store mechanical energy and exert whats known as a restoring force when compressed. Springs used in mattresses are often wrapped individually in fabric pockets, hence pocket spring. Best for which type of sleeper? Front, back or side (any) Depth: 26cm Trial period: 100 days Organic materials? Yes Soft/firm? Medium-to-firm Adjustable? Yes Pros: Beautiful organic materials Crowd-pleasing, moderate feel Free two-person delivery Cons: Some users may prefer a mattress they can sink into more Now here is an incredibly comfortable mattress. It's handmade using traditional techniques, so it's not one of the new bed-in-a-box variety. Instead, the Herdy Sleep mattress uses a fully sustainable and 100 per cent recyclable spring system offering no less than 7,000 pocket springs, an impressive thousand more than the previous version. Providing excellent support for back, side and front sleepers, this sumptuous mattress is made from a winning blend of cashmere, cotton, wool and fleece the latter sourced from Herdwick sheep farmers in the Lake District. Wool is naturally antibacterial, temperature-regulating and hypoallergenic unlike all-foam mattresses which are notorious for trapping heat. The Herdy Sleep mattress proved to be just as cool and comfortable in July as it was warm and welcoming in January. Another big plus is the Cortec spring system, which has been installed entirely without glue. The fabric cover has been woven in-house by Herdy Sleep and is also chemical free. Chemical sensitivities can occur from low-level chemical exposure (think fragrance triggering a headache) and when you consider how close your face is to a mattresses, and for how many hours every night, it's worth factoring this into your mattress considerations. In terms of softness and squish, this mattress doesn't have a sink-in feeling mattress like its foam competitors, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Tested on three different sleepers, we each found it to be the perfect Goldie Locks combination of not too soft, and not too hard. After almost a year of use it still feels just as plump and comfy as the day it arrived - exactly what you want from such a high-ticket item. To sum up; this is an artisan mattress that blends natural materials with modern technology, resulting in the most blissful sleep we have had in years. Single | 649 Double | 849 King | 999 Super-king | 1,099 Best for which type of sleeper? Back or side Depth: 25cm Trial period: No Organic materials? Yes Soft/firm? Medium Adjustable? Yes Pros: Excellent craftspersonship Natural materials 100% recyclable Cons: Its a bit pricey If you're a warm sleeper, you'll want to steer clear from all foam mattresses (which have a knack of trapping heat) and instead invest in a bed like the Wensleydale from department store, John Lewis. You can't help but channel a modern-day Sleeping Beauty when laying back on this 13,400 pocket sprung mattress. You can feel the luxury and craftsmanship in every inch. The bouncy cloud-like texture is a result of a careful blend of natural fillings, think Egyptian cotton, Wensleydale Wool (from a rare breed of sheep that live on a Yorkshire farm, no less) and linen which keeps things soft and breathable. Extra air can travel through the mattress thanks to the 'Revolution' pocket spring system, and the entire mattress is 100 percent recyclable. The cover for this mattress has been woven in Leeds, and is made from materials that are naturally fire resistant, so the cover is chemical-free. This mattress is medium-hard but other tensions are available along with different mixes of wool - happy news for anyone with specific allergies. This is one of the best pocket sprung mattress money can buy, not just for the quality and craftsmanship, but for its superb and total comfort. Comes with a seven year guarantee. Single | 1,299 Double | 1,699 King | 2,699 Super-king | 2,699 Best for which type of sleeper? Varies Trial period: No Organic materials? Yes Soft/firm? Available in Gentle, Medium, Firm, Extra Firm Adjustable? Yes Pros: Superior materials Bespoke springs Option to choose your preferred tension Cons: Very expensive For a superior mattress handmade by one of the finest companies in Britain, Harrison Spinks is a very confident buy. Made on a 300-acre farm in Yorkshire with natural fillings such as wool and cotton, each bed is made with springs specially developed by the brand's engineers. You mattress can be made to your specifications in terms of size and tension - with even split tension possible if you like - but if you want one that's ready to go, opt for a luxury Harrison Spinks bed from online retailer Feather & Black. The Clifton Cashmere Mattress offers a superb night's rest thanks to 15,000 springs and seven types of natural filling. If you've been dreaming of the perfect night's sleep, stop the search - lying on this mattress will make it feel as though you're floating on cloud nine. Small single | 2,125 Single | 2,125 Small double | 2,650 Double | 2,650 King | 2,975 Super-king | 4,050 Emperor | 5,050 Best for which type of sleeper? Back Depth: 29cm Trial period: No Organic materials? Yes Soft/firm? Medium to firm Adjustable? No Pros: Great lumbar support Artisanal construction Responsibly sourced natural materials Cons: Very heavy Hypnos This stylish deep pocket sprung mattress performs beautifully, lavished with layers of British wool and a recycled fibre comfort pad artfully worked into the upholstery. This offers a breathability and air flow that is great for hot sleepers. Like the Herdy Sleep mattress in our list, it is also hand-tufted. This is a laborious, tough process, achieved by a highly-skilled tradesperson wherein the internal fillings are secured from the top of the mattress to the bottom. Three rows of hand side-stitching help prevent sagging at the edge, and the outer springs are secured at the border at the top and bottom. Compared to all the other mattresses weve tested, this model offers a sensation thats almost like being held aloft. The ReActive pocket spring technology gives a sweet spot that adapts to the contours of the body and provides extra support for the spine. However, a word to the wise: while this mattress is fully turnable to keep it even, its a two-person job as its also really heavy. Prepare to flex those muscles. This bed is offered in a range of sizes and has a medium to firm tension. Comes complete with an unbleached sumptuously soft silk kapok cover. Single | 899 Small double | 999 Double | 999 King | 1,099 Super-king | 1,966 Best for which type of sleeper? Back Depth: 29cm Trial period: No Organic materials? Yes Soft/firm? Firm Adjustable? Yes Pros: Firm feel suits those who like plenty of support Lovely damask covering Reasonably priced Cons: Quite heavy May be too firm for some If you need a place to lay your head at night without sending your bank account into meltdown, this is a worthy contender. Novos pocket-sprung mattress is among the best-value-for-money options around, matching the best qualities from more expensive mattresses but at a snip of their RRP. If youre the kind of sleeper who needs a high level of support and firmness, this high-quality piece may be the one for you. The Natural Pocket 2000 is especially deep at 29cm, which is worth considering from an interior design perspective, as well as when you're buying bedsheets. We appreciated the soft damask covering and pull handles attached to the side, which were a great help when it came to moving and flipping the mattress. If youre looking for an ultra-supportive, comfortable, traditional mattress at a reasonable price, you wont be disappointed. Handmade in the UK, and a five year warranty with every sale, this mattress is available in five sizes. Single | 332.80 Small double | 405.40 Double | 405.40 King | 475.45 Super-king | 646.63 Best hybrid mattresses What is a hybrid mattress? A hybrid mattress is a mattress that provides support and comfort using a combination of foams and springs. These mattresses are often touted as a best-of-both-worlds option, providing both the uplifting effect of springs and the gentle comfort of foam. Are hybrid mattresses any good? Some of the best-rated mattresses on the market are hybrids, so by that measure, yep, hybrid mattresses are great. With that said, the assessment of any mattress is at least partly subjective. If youre a memory foam or pocket sprung purist, you might not rate a hybrid mattress especially highly. Foam type: open cell foam, wave technology Best for which type of sleeper? All Depth: 28cm Trial period: 100 nights Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Soft, medium or firm Adjustable? Yes Pros: Eight layers Themo-regulating Luxury feel Cons: Fairly heavy to manoeuvre Brook + Wilde If you thought that a hybrid mattress was a chunky, Princess & The Pea-style contraption, you have not met The Elite from Brook + Wilde. What struck us first and foremost was how thin the mattress appeared, and yet, it packs eight layers within the compact construction. With both pocket springs and foam (its a hybrid after all), it can be adjusted to feel soft, medium or firm depending on your preferences. No matter the tension, it gives ample support and comfort without the need for an additional mattress topper. The top layer is the removable, machine-washable cover that aids in air circulation and has a soft on the skin feel. This is followed by the first of the memory foam layers, the one that responds oh so subtly to the contours of your body and sets the pace for the support beneath. It then sandwiches a thermo-regulating top layer with 2,500 mini pocket springs, the foam wave technology layer and then a thousand more pocket springs measuring at 135mm. Thermo-regulation is achieved through the brands signature open cell structure that encourages breathability successfully, in our opinion, compared to other memory foam mattresses trialled. The use of mini springs act as the push back and bounce and these are welcomed when transitioning from a purely foam construction. They are strategically placed - at the pressure points of your body - in order to reduce and prevent pain and encourage a sound, deep sleep. The specialist wave foam furthers this, promoting a spinal alignment with its unique design that gives more cushion around the shoulders than the hips. The last two layers set the foundations and provide a non-slip base so that no matter how much you toss and turn, it will stay firmly in place. All in all, this is a hugely comfortable mattress. The top is super soft and yet this doesnt sacrifice the support of the layers to follow. The bed-in-a-box vacuum packed format makes delivery simple and easy and it didnt take long at all to expand back to its desired size - only a couple of minutes in fact. There was no unpleasant aroma when unfurling and it was ready to sleep on that very night. If there was a negative, the exterior fabric is not the most durable and slightly tore when adjusting. For the lazy among us, the fact that it doesnt need to be regularly rotated comes in handy. Single | 899 Double | 1,119 King | 1,299 Super King | 1,399 Foam type: open-cell Simba-pure foam Best for which type of sleeper?: back and side Depth: 31cm Trial period: 200 days Organic materials?: some, but everything is 100 per cent recyclable Softness/firm?: medium-to-firm Adjustable: no Pros: Moisture-wicking upper layer for enhanced temperature regulation Greater level of support and cooling thanks to three layers of strong springs No-contact bed-in-a-box delivery and easy setup New shoppers eligible for a first-time buyer discount Cons: Extra depth of 31cm means youll need bed sheets with deeper corners One of the most expensive options weve seen Simba Simba Sleep has added a brand new mattress to its family, which up until now consisted of the Simba Hybrid and Hybrid Pro. Now the Simba Hybrid Luxe has joined the sleep soiree, and as the name suggests, its the most luxurious yet. This design is made up of ten layers - thats three more than the Hybrid Pro and double that of the original Hybrid mattress, which has just five. Driven by data and bringing together the latest in sleep tech. Simba has included a bamboo wool layer between a new skin-facing surface and an open-cell foam layer beneath, improving airflow, temperature regulation and moisture-wicking capabilities. Theres also an additional layer of 40mm high carbon springs, which together with a double whammy of 25mm aerocoil layer two floors up, means the Hybrid Luxe offers a hugely upgraded level of firmness. After a year of WFH, my spine can do with all the extra support it can get. Like its predecessors, it isolates movement so you wont wake if your bedfellow does, and theres no hint of that sinking feeling that you normally resign yourself to with an all-foam mattress. Bottom line? This is Simbas best, most indulgent mattress yet, and weve had nothing but sound sleep since it was delivered, waking up feeling refreshed and ready to pounce on the world. Despite being more than 30cm deep, our regular sheets fit fine, so theres no need to buy new linen unless you want to. A word of warning here though: the mattress is much larger even when packed down than the older models, so make sure there are two of you to get it into situ on the bed frame after delivery. Single | 769.30 Double | 1,119.30 King | 1,259.30 Super King | 1,399.30 Foam type: Open-cell foam; high definition foam with edge support; zoned support base Best for which type of sleeper? Back and side Depth: 28cm Trial period: 200 days Organic materials? No, but 100 per cent recyclable Soft/firm? Medium Adjustable? No Pros: Breathable top layer for enhanced temperature regulation Greater level of support thanks to 5,000 Aerocoil springs No-contact bed-in-a-box delivery and simple setup New customers can claim a first-time buyer discount Cons: Extra depth means youll need to invest in bed sheets with deeper corners Non-removable cover, so a mattress protector is advised Simba Simbas Hybrid Pro offers a greater level of support, welcome news for anyone with back pain issues. There are seven layers, all engineered to keep you comfortable. The top layers are made with temperature regulating, moisture-wicking wool which keeps you toasty in the winter and cool in the warmer months. Between the Simbatex open-cell foam layer, again designed to maximise airflow, and a high definition foam with edge support is not one, but two layers of unique patented Aerocoil spring foams made from strong titanium. There are 5,000 springs in total. So while you get the cloud-like sensation on first contact, youre not sinking into the bed or trapped in a body groove in the middle of the night. This is a pro or con, depending on your preferences; some enjoy feeling held but as a sleeper who moves around a lot at bedtime, we liked the supportive freedom offered by the Hybrid Pro. Getting it set up couldnt be easier, although we advise roping in a bedfellow or housemate to help get anything bigger than a double out of the box. Carefully cut through the plastic wrap and unfold over your bed frame, allowing a few hours for it to inflate fully before dressing it with your bed linen. Single | 665.25 Double | 828.06 King | 946.46 Super-king | 1,020.46 Foam type: Open-cell foam; high definition foam; support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Front Depth: 25cm Trial period: 200 days Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Soft Adjustable? No Pros: Lovely soft feel Excellent airflow and temperature regulation Convenient bed-in-a-box delivery and setup Cons: May not be supportive enough for those who weigh 13 stone or more Weve no doubt that you've heard of a Simba mattress before and you've probably spotted its adverts when you're out and about. If you prefer a bed on the softer end of the spectrum, this is one comfortable hybrid and combines the comfort of memory foam with the support of springs. Made with 2,500 super-light mIQro conical pocket springs and five layers of memory foam with a built-in air-flow system to keep you cool and to regulate temperatures, the Simba is less firm compared to other hybrid mattresses but this all comes down to personal preference. It would best suit sleepers who are roughly 13 stone or less. Another bed-in-a-box, simply open it out on your bed frame and give it some time to plump up - an effortless way to install your new bed. There are three depths to choose from: 20cm, 25cm and 28cm. EU and UK sizes available. Single | 406.26 Small double | 554.26 Double | 554.26 King | 628.26 Super-king | 702.26 Foam type: Temperature-regulating memory foam; HD support foam; HD base foam Best for which type of sleeper? Any Trial period: 100 days Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Medium-to-firm Adjustable? No Pros: Very supportive Reasonable priced Removable, machine-washable cover Cons: The feel of this mattresss memory foam can split opinion Whether you snooze on your front, back or side, the Otty hybrid is a design of medium firmness with optimum support so your shoulders, back and spine so that they feel like they are always cared for. The top layer is made from a Cool Blue Gel memory foam, which is further supported by 2000 pocket springs. If you frequently wake up with aches and pains, this is a winning option and feels more firm when compared to other hybrid mattresses. It takes a couple of seconds to get used to the unique sensation that comes from laying on this OTTY mattress. The top layer feels squishy but once you adjust to it, we found it to be also noticeably supportive. The unusual feeling is all down to the top layer, made from a gel-infused memory foam that is reinforced by support layer of reflex foam and yet another supportive base of 2000 pocket springs. The cover is removable too, so you can pop it in the washing machine and keep your mattress looking, feeling and smelling as delightful as the day it was delivered. For those who like the sound of the OTTY Hybrid, but would prefer something with more natural materials, check out the OTTY PURE Hybrid Bamboo and Charcoal mattress, which features bamboo memory foam with charcoal-infused layers. The two materials help with odour reduction and temperature regulation. Meanwhile, the OTTY Essential Hybrid mattress offers all the same materials as the regular Hybrid, only in a more streamlined design that costs a fair bit less. Single | 324.99 Small double | 399.99 Double | 424.99 King | 524.99 Super-king | 599.99 Emperor | 674.99 Foam type: Open-cell memory foam; HD support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Back and side Depth: 25cm Trial period: 100 nights Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Moderate-to-firm Adjustable? No Pros: Great combination of firm support and soft feel Even support from edge-to-edge Good temperature regulation Cons: Strong off-gassing in the first 24 hours You might not know about REM-fit but this is an strong hybrid option to consider. Helpfully arriving packed in a box - which makes carrying it up stairs a breeze - the 500 Ortho hybrid mattress by REM-Fit is firm and springy while still retaining that comforting 'sinking in' feeling beloved by foam mattress advocates. The top layer is made with cool gel-infused memory foam which keeps you sweat free by wicking moisture away from the body so you sleep at a comfortable temperature until it's time to get up. Meanwhile, 2000 tall pocket springs and a high density foam base all help to keep you supported, from edge to edge. Like many mattresses that incorporate foam, we noticed a prominent scent during the initial unboxing, but it only lasts for around 24 hours, so no cause for alarm. To help speed it along, turn the mattress on its side and lean the top part against a wall in order to expose as much of the top and bottom surface as possible. The REM-Fit 500 is the brands mid-range option. If youre looking for something a little better-priced, we recommend the REM-Fit 400, which still offers key benefits such as a temperature-regulating, open-cell foam top layer. Meanwhile, the more expensive REM-Fit 600 Lux Hybrid mattress offers a softer feel and premium components. Single | 599.25 Double | 749.25 King | 786.75 Super-king | 899.25 Foam type: evecomfort breathable foam; memory foam; support foam Best for which type of sleeper? Any Depth: 25cm Trial period: 100 nights Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Moderate Adjustable? No Pros: Excellent temperature regulation Zoned springs provide pressure relief of the shoulders and hips Moderate feel will suit a wide range of people Cons: Expensive relative to some of its close competitors Enjoy comfort and support from head to toe with eve's hybrid mattress model, which is made from a indulgent combination of 650 full sized pocket springs and specially crafted foam. The foam is 30x more breathable than the normal stuff, so you'll sleep at a pleasant temperature until your morning alarm wakes you. In addition to the Hybrid Original, eve Sleep offers Premium and Lighter versions of its Hybrid mattress. The Hybrid Premium is a real class act, featuring an antifungal, antibacterial and antimicrobial cover, plus 1500 high quality springs. Meanwhile, the Hybrid Lighter offers many of the same benefits as the Original, but with a more moderate depth of 20cm, and at a more modest price. The company has such confidence in its product that it offers customers a 100 night return policy - if you don't like, it they'll come and collect it and give your money back, no quibbles. This is one of the best-value hybrid mattresses you can buy right now. Single | 499 Double | 749 King | 849 Super-king | 949 Foam type: Airgocell foam; memory foam; HRX foam Best for which type of sleeper? Any Depth: 25cm Trial period: 200 nights Organic materials? No Soft/firm? Moderate Adjustable? No Pros: Excellent temperature regulation Zoned springs provide pressure relief of the shoulders and hips Moderate feel will suit a wide range of people Cons: Expensive relative to some of its close competitors The Emma Hybrid combines the comfort and quality of the Emma Original, with an added dimension of firm uplift and bounce. We rate this UK-made mattress as a little firmer than the Original, which can be attributed to a layer of mini pocket springs sandwiched beneath the top layer and the Patented Airgocell foam. This spring layer encourages more airflow through the mattress, helping you stay cool and comfortable all night long. The distribution of support from the Hybrid is excellent, especially when lying on your back, and even when youre on your side. Pressure points such as the hips and knees are well cushioned thanks to the mix of the pressure-relieving memory foam and HRX foam, a zoned cold foam layer. Everything is wrapped up neatly in a polyester cover - keep the top fresh by unzipping and adding to your weekly machine wash. While the mattress is rather heavy at 25kg, it does come with handles stitched onto the side should you need to move it - although this will probably be a two-person job. There's no need to flip or rotate it though; the dense, high-quality triple-foam used means it will bounce back and keep its shape. All the things considered, the Emma Hybrid Mattress is one of the best mattresses-in-a-box you can buy. From its buoyant support to its luxurious 25cm depth, theres a strong argument to make this your hybrid mattress of choice. Comes with a 10 year guarantee. Single | 499 Small double | 659 Double | 689 King | 779 Super-king | 859 For more on hybrid mattresses read our article on the best hybrid mattresses. Verdict For pocket sprung mattresses, our top pick goes to the expertly crafted Herdy Sleep mattress. Not only is it sublimely comfortable but the quality construction, UK sourced materials and handcrafted components all add to its superb value. The Harrison Spinks Clifton Cashmere Mattress also offers excellent value for comfort and is a luxury mattresses that will see you through many years of restful nights. The Emma Original Mattress is hands down the best foam mattress we tried. It offers more support compared to other models and the open-pored Airgocell foam takes care not to over heat. A real bonus for foam mattresses. We think the Otty hybrid mattress is the best value hybrid currently priced at 424.99 for a double. What is a foam mattress? A foam mattress is a mattress that provides comfort and support mainly by means of foam inserts.These include memory foams which mould to the body, and support foams, which provide extra cushioning. How long do foam mattresses last? Foam mattresses can last anywhere from eight to 20 years. The lifespan of the mattress will depend on factors such as the quality of its construction, the specific types of foam used, and the level of wear-and-tear the mattress goes through over the years. Since foam mattresses differ from each other in all these ways and more, we recommend checking the product listing of your chosen mattress for accurate guidance on its longevity. Are foam mattresses hot? The foams used in foam mattresses are often dense, and liable to trap heat. This can mean foam mattresses sleep warmer than pocket sprung mattresses do. However, some foam mattresses have cooling features, such as gel-infused foams. Can you flip a foam mattress? Foam mattresses are usually made up of several layers of foam that have been placed in a specific order, designed to enable the best performance. As such, its generally best not to flip a foam mattress upside-down. Its usually fine to turn a foam mattress 180 degrees laterally, if the inclination ever seizes you. Are foam mattresses good for children? Most foam mattresses are safe, and supportive enough for little ones to sleep on. If youre in any doubt, contact the manufacturer before you buy. How to clean your mattress Mattresses generally need cleaning only very rarely especially if you fit yours with a decent mattress protector. Most mattresses can be deep-cleaned through a process of vacuum-cleaning and spot-cleaning, after which you may choose to sprinkle baking soda onto the mattress in order to absorb any lingering dirt and odours. Once youre done, vac the mattress again and re-cover. Please carefully check your mattresss care instructions before you attempt to clean it. How do you dispose of your old mattress? Disposal of old mattresses has traditionally been an environmental and social problem area. However, the times seem to be changing, and in many cases it is possible to dispose of a mattress responsibly. It may be the case that your old mattress could still provide a few valuable years of use for someone who really needs it. If you believe this to be the case, try looking up charities in your area which either sell second-hand mattresses, or distribute it to people who might struggle to buy a mattress for themselves. Some mattresses are now made of recyclable materials take the John Lewis Wensleydale mattress featured in this guide, for instance. Recycling is a great alternative to re-using, if your old mattress is too far gone to be useful to anyone else. LAS VEGAS, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clark County Credit Union (CCCU) recently pumped more than $3.6 million back into its members' accounts as a bonus dividend for 2019. This is the sixth year in a row since the recession recovery that CCCU members have received the bonus distribution. "We often ask members of our community, why would you bank somewhere else when you could receive bonus money with Clark County Credit Union for doing your usual deposits, checking and lending?" said Matt Kershaw, Chief Executive Officer of CCCU. "Our members' deposits and loans are investments that pay dividends, literally. For example, we know members who have taken family vacations, paid off debts or even made a bonus mortgage payment using their bonus dividend." CCCU members discovered their 'piece of the pie' by checking their online statements or by stopping into one of the six branch locations during a Dividend Day celebration on January 24 that included mini pies, balloons, and a photo booth with a 3.6-million-dollar oversized check. Members look forward to this time of year. "I have been a member for over 25 years, and I recommend CCCU because it's a local institution where I receive personal and very helpful service," said Krissy Richards. "I love the convenience of having a branch really close to my home. The bonus dividends we receive each year just go right back into our account. It's like getting free money." This year's dividend payment is $3,601,741.17 which brings the grand total to $66,799,813.63 put back into the Southern Nevada economy over the last 20 years. Of the 46,000 CCCU members, all those in good standing received at least $20 deposited into their accounts this month. The average amount paid is $78.74 though many members receive hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The maximum dividend was $14,690.60. Many members keep their dividend as extra savings, pay down a bill or use it as fun money. "For 25 years we have recommended CCCU - we love it," says CCCU members Craig and Trisha Fuller. "We enjoy the small-town feel, the friendly staff, and that they are always diligent in processing loans. Last year, the Bonus Dividend went towards our Costa Rica vacation!" The dividend payment is calculated based on average annual daily balances for both deposit amounts and for loans of any type including auto loans, new home construction loans or commercial loans. About Clark County Credit Union Founded in 1951, CCCU is a not-for-profit financial institution serving over 46,000 members who are municipal employees (Clark County, City of Henderson, City of Las Vegas and City of North Las Vegas), medical professionals, members of Nevada Public Radio (KNPR) and numerous select employer groups. CCCU has assets of $860 million and six branches throughout the Las Vegas valley. More information about CCCU can be found online at www.ccculv.org. MEDIA CONTACT: Shannon Hiller [email protected]; 702-939-3006 SOURCE Clark County Credit Union Related Links https://www.ccculv.org/ A U.S. Air Force staff Sergeant at Camp Simba, Manda Bay, Kenya in 2019. (Staff Sgt. Lexie West/U.S. Air Force via AP) WASHINGTON A military review of security for U.S. forces deployed to Africa has found potential vulnerabilities in multiple locations, the head of U.S. Africa Command told reporters Thursday. Africa Command undertook the review after al-Shabab, the Somalian militant group, attacked an airfield at Manda Bay, Kenya, on Jan. 5, killing three Americans, including one soldier and two Defense Department contractors, and destroying six aircraft. The al-Shabab raid on the sleepy airfield, which the U.S. military has shared with Kenyan forces for many years and which is used to support operations in neighboring Somalia, shocked Africa Command. Before the attack, the command was focused more on threats inside Somalia, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said. If youd asked me before the 5th of January, was it better to be at Baledogle military airfield [in Somalia] or at Manda Bay, Kenya, Id say absolutely Manda Bay, Kenya, he said. Al-Shabab has shown a capacity to project [power] in ways that we didnt appreciate before, and we have to be ready for that now, Townsend said. After the attack, Africa Command reinforced defenses at Manda Bay and nearby Camp Simba, but also reviewed whether any other of the U.S. militarys outposts on the continent were similarly at risk. We have discovered some other potential vulnerabilities, which I wont go into at length, for obvious reasons, Townsend told reporters after testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. They werent of the nature that I saw at Manda Bay, but there are some similarities there, largely in places where people may not perceive a threat, the locals dont perceive a threat, we dont perceive a threat, thats what has my attention. Townsend told the senators the possibility of another event like a Manda Bay, an attack where were just not looking for it, was his No. 1 worry. Its self-obvious that we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be, he said. Story continues _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 5 PM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. For Pakistan ministers comment on Delhi polls, Arvind Kejriwal has a stinging jibe Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has taken on a minister from Pakistan for targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meddling in Indias internal matter.The leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who never shies away from attacking the ruling BJP at the Centre, launched the stinging attack on Pakistans federal minister for science and technology Ch Fawad Hussain. Read more BJP releases manifesto for Delhi polls, mitigating air and water pollution top focus The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday launched its manifesto for the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections. The top focus for the party, as mentioned in the Sankalp Patra is mitigating air and water pollution in the national capital. Read more Army sets up quarantine facility in Manesar for 300 students returning from Hubei The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Haryanas Manesar near Delhi to screen hundreds of people who will be back from Wuhan, the epicentre of an outbreak of a coronavirus that has killed more than 200 and infected thousands in China. Read more Salaam: Kunal Kamra tweets thank you note to IndiGo pilot Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has thanked the IndiGo pilot who disapproved of the airlines decision to bar the stand-up comic for six months. Captain Rohit Mateti ko mera salaam (I salute Captain Rohit Mateti), the comedian tweeted on Friday. Read more Jumbo Air India flight leaves for Coronavirus-epicentre Wuhan A special flight of Air India on Friday left for Wuhan city to evacuate hundreds of Indians from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Chinas central Hubei province.People familiar with the plans said the first flight, the 423-seater AI 1348, on Friday is expected to ferry about 315 Indians from Wuhan and neighbouring areas. Read more Jawaani Jaaneman movie review: Saif Ali Khans modern family is a breezy watch There was a certain joy that I took in Saif Ali Khans refusal to conform these last few years. While his contemporaries played by-the-book, here was an actor who was being chased around Mumbais roads dressed in faux fur and Gwen Stefanis hair clumps in Kaalakandi or ready to throw the cop trope under the bus with Sacred Games Sartaj Singh. The experiments, alas, largely came at the cost of success. Read more Find of India, the best fast bowler of world: Shoaib Akhtars highest praise for India quick Indian fast bowlers being labelled as the best is nothing new in the last couple of years but when it comes from a former Pakistan speedster, who still holds the record for the fastest delivery 161.3 km/h against England in 2003 it still warrants a special mention. Read more Sara Ali Khan, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone: 7 celebrity inspired skirt trends for 2020 With spring approaching, it is time to reinvent your wardrobe from heavy coats and scarves to flowing sundresses and skirts, and we cannot wait. Whether it be a party or a day at work skirts are one of the most versatile garments in a girls wardrobe, they can be paired with almost anything and create an effortless outfit. Read more Coronavirus outbreak: Facebook sets misinformation battle plan in place Facebook will be working on removing conspiracy theories and fake claims about the coronavirus from its platform in an effort to battle the spread of misinformation about the outbreak. The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 200 people so far and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared it as an emergency. Read more In the past year, we have seen story after story that detail breaches of educational technology vendors system security. These troubling incidents in which sensitive student data is compromised will only become more frequent until both technology companies and public school districts make student privacy and security a greater priority. Just last month, Bethesda Magazine reported on a breach of student data held on behalf of Montgomery County public schools in Maryland by Naviance, an ed-tech provider used by middle, high school, and college students that collects students dates of birth, ethnicity, test scores, and other sensitive data. Far larger than initially believed, the data breach affected close to 6,000 students. How did the hacker breach Naviance? In laymans terms, the student hacker committed a brute force attack, akin to attempting to break into a house by jiggling every door and window looking for vulnerabilities. Specifically, the hacker used a script to iteratively try to log into accounts, looking for instances in which the user ID and passwords were the same, likely running the script thousands of times to get access to the almost 6,000 accounts. Unfortunately, Naviance didnt announce the full scope of these intrusions until months later. Even without catching these access attempts (something a good cyber-security framework would have remedied), the hacks still would have failed if Naviance had implemented better password security. The hacker exploited a vulnerabilityuse of the same string for user ID and passwordthat most websites prohibit. Because Montgomery County student IDs are accessible to all district staff and students cannot change them, only strong password policies could have protected the accounts. Even worse, this was actually the third Naviance breach in 2019; the first was a data breach in Virginia, where a parent was mistakenly allowed access to sensitive details of 21 former students. And then, in Pennsylvania, a group of high school students gained access to more than 12,000 students addresses, student identification numbers, grade point averages, and SAT scores just to gain an edge in a competitive water-gun fight . But Naviance wasnt the only ed-tech vendor to deal with student data breaches in 2019. Last year, the ed-tech vendor Pearson confirmed that it had suffered a security breach of the system it uses to monitor academic progress, affecting approximately 13,000 school and university accounts. Each account held by a school district provided access to potentially thousands of students names, birth dates, and email addresses. And like Naviance, Pearson didnt detect the breaches until months after they occurred. Moreover, the Pearson breach included student data dating back to 2008, meaning that had it been promptly deleted after those students were no longer enrolled, the breach would have had a far smaller impact. Good intentions alone don't protect our children's personally identifying information." Last year also saw a breach of student data through a K12 Inc. learning software application used by more than 500 school districts, which left the personal records of 19,000 students exposed on an unsecured cloud server. Most significantly, there are a number of basic cyber-security steps that couldve been taken to prevent these breaches, including: Continuous, real-time monitoring of access attempts, which wouldve detected the unsuccessful log-in attempt missed by both Naviance and Pearson; Strong password policies, prohibiting the use of the same value for both user ID and password; Regular compliance monitoring to include spot checks and audits to identify repeated access attempts, repeated accesses of different accounts from the same IP address, unauthorized accesses, and violations of password policies. This couldve likely prevented the breaches at all three ed-tech vendors; Timely deletion of student data when it is no longer needed to fulfill the business purpose; and Maintenance of data in a secure, password-protected environment which is encrypted at rest, so even if stolen, its indecipherable. These items are already covered in many cyber-security frameworks currently available, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technologys Cybersecurity Framework which has been widely adopted by the private sector. Finally, its worth noting that of the three vendors discussed, only Naviance took the Future of Privacy Forums Student Privacy Pledge , agreeing to maintain a comprehensive security program that is reasonably designed to protect the security, privacy, confidentiality, and integrity of student personal information against riskssuch as unauthorized access or use, or unintended or inappropriate disclosure. In other words, two of the three ed-tech vendors were not even willing to commit to security precautions that couldve prevented the breaches discussed above. Then again, good intentions alone dont protect our childrens personally identifying information. Even though Naviance took the pledge, they clearly failed to abide by it, highlighting the ultimate shortcoming of the pledge and an urgent need for greater accountability. With or without the Student Privacy Pledge, the only way to truly ensure the privacy and security of our childrens information is for ed-tech vendors to put their money where their mouths are and implement stronger security controls. Likewise, vendors need to implement a robust compliance monitoring program, including regular audits and spot checks. And they need to make the results of those reviews public, so that we can draw our own conclusions. Only through implementation of a compliance programand transparency of the resultscan ed-tech vendors begin to earn back our trust. School districts must also do their part to help students protect themselves, such as through the use of de-identified accounts (an option that Montgomery County public schools already offers on an opt-in basis, but needs to be more widely publicized), which would minimize the harm of data breaches. School districts should also incorporate explicit compensation for students and penalties for ed-tech providers into vendor contracts, so that when a breach does occur, the vendor is held accountable. If we do nothing, we should expect nation states to begin targeting our students through ed-tech vendors systems. After all, the students of today are our government leaders and captains of industry tomorrow. They are an attractive target for a country like China, for example, which has the patience and strategic focus to plan ahead. As a parent and a cyber-security professional, Id prefer my childrens data not go down this path. Its up to ed-tech vendors to step up and be proactive about delivering on their obligations. (Bloomberg) -- Prosecutors in Tokyo issued a fresh warrant on Thursday for the arrest of ex-Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn, who jumped bail and fled the country last month to escape trial for alleged financial crimes. The Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office issued the warrant on Ghosn for illegally departing Japan, where the former auto executive was charged with failing to fully report his compensation and using company money for personal gain. Ghosn, 65, who made his way in a private jet to Lebanon at the end of December, held a news conference the week after he arrived, lashing out at Japans prosecutors for what he called a rigged criminal justice system. The Justice Ministry has pushed back, issuing government statements and using news conferences and interviews to defend the country. Japan Sees Nothing Wrong With Justice System Ghosn Called Rigged Without obtaining permission to travel abroad, suspect Ghosn boarded a private jet at Kansai International Airport at around 11 p.m. on Dec. 29, with the intent of traveling to Lebanon via Turkey, illegally leaving the country, prosecutors said in the statement. Prosecutors also issued a warrant for the arrest of American Michael Taylor, 59, a former U.S. Green Beret special forces soldier, and George-Antoine Zayek, 60, a former Christian militia fighter from Lebanon, for allegedly aiding Ghosns escape. They are also seeking the arrest of a newly identified suspect thought to have aided Ghosn, Peter Maxwell Taylor, 26. The Tokyo Job: Inside Carlos Ghosns Escape to Beirut The three are suspected of helping Ghosn in making his way to a Tokyo hotel, and then to the airport and onto the plane using various methods to prevent him from being detected, prosecutors said in their statement. Earlier this month, prosecutors also issued an arrest warrant for Carole Ghosn, the fugitive executives wife, for allegedly giving false testimony in court last April. The former Nissan chair is believed to have left Japan apparently concealed in an equipment case aboard a charter jet bound for Turkey en route to Lebanon, where Carlos Ghosn holds citizenship. Ghosn has maintained his innocence and defended his decision to flee Japan, saying that he couldnt get a fair trial in the country. Story continues (Updates with details from prosecutors statement in fourth paragraph.) To contact the reporter on this story: Chester Dawson in Southfield at cdawson54@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Young-Sam Cho at ycho2@bloomberg.net, Reed Stevenson, Jon Herskovitz For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Aam Aadmi Party has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik demanding an investigation into the "role of Union Minister Anurag Thakur in the Jamia student shooting incident". In the complaint given by AAP volunteer Prem Sagar Pal, the party has also submitted a CD containing video clipping of the individual firing on the protest march in Jamia Nagar area. "This action is in the direct chronology of what Anurag Thakur of BJP had exhorted a couple of days ago "desh ke gaddaro ko...". The individual taking inspiration and direction from Anurag Thakur seems to have been abetted to commit the crime of firing on a protestor", the complaint read. It has also asked the Delhi police to include Thakur's name in the case as a 'conspirator and 'abettor'. Earlier in the day, the boy, who opened fire in Jamia area on Thursday injuring one student, was sent to 14-day protective custody by the Juvenile Justice Board in Delhi on Friday. Delhi Police's Crime Branch produced the accused before the Juvenile Justice Board here today. A case under section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at New Friends Colony Police Station. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She made a name for herself by strutting down the Victoria's Secret runway. And on Wednesday, New Zealand-born model Georgia Fowler flaunted her incredibly fit figure while lounging on a $249NZD beach towel. The 27-year-old took to Instagram to share a snap taken during her enviable day at a Sydney beach. Life's a beach: New Zealand-born model Georgia Fowler (pictured) flaunted her incredibly fit figure while lounging on a $249NZD beach towel on Friday, sharing a snap to Instagram Donning a royal blue triangle bikini set, the beauty showed off her slim and toned figure in the skimpy swimwear. Georgia was stretched out on the luxury beach towel from New Zealand brand Fourth Street. 'Not crabby about this spot,' she captioned the snap, referencing the towel's minimalist fish and crab design. What a view: The brunette stunner also shared three gorgeously scenic photos of her view from the Sydney beach The brunette stunner also shared three gorgeously scenic photographs of the ocean. The model has been enjoying the summer months and shared a number of bikini snaps to Instagram in recent weeks. Recently, Georgia stripped down to wearing nothing but a slinky black two-piece, which showed off her ample assets and washboard abs to perfection. Loves a swim: Recently, Georgia stripped down to wearing nothing but a slinky black two-piece, which showed off her ample assets and washboard abs to perfection 'Reason 1 for finding a tall date,' she captioned the shot. '...This angle is far more flattering than up my chin.' The model was inundated with compliments from fans after sharing the saucy photo. One person wrote: 'This photo is ridiculous!' while another gushed: 'Absolutely stunning.' President Trump traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday for a rally in advance of the first Democratic primary, where he told the crowd that Democrats who support the Green New Deal want to kill their cows. The Green New Deal, which would crush our farms, destroy our wonderful cows. They want to kill our cows. You know why, right? You know why? Dont say it. They want to kill our cows. That means youre next, Trump said. An explainer released alongside Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezs (D., N.Y.) Green New Deal resolution famously called for the elimination of farting cows and airplanes in order to reduce the countrys carbon footprint. After painting Democrats as radicals on the issue of climate change, Trump pivoted to touting his support for U.S. farmers. For 15 years, it was like a rollercoaster going down for the farmer. For soybeans, take a look at it all, it was just a one-way street, everybody was ripping off the American farmer, Trump asserted. Now youre going to see numbers that are going to be great, look at even whats happening recently, its incredible whats going on, and I love it, because you deserve it. Farmers have been hit particularly hard in the course of Trumps trade war with China. Tariffs imposed by China halted agricultural imports from the U.S., and in 2019 the Trump administration bailed out American farmers with $28 billion in federal funds to make up for losses. Farm bankruptcies rose 20 percent in 2019 to an eight-year high amid the U.S.China trade war. More from National Review LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The number of people infected with the coronavirus in China has reached nearly 6,000, and Hubei province, which is home to 60 million people, has been put on lockdown since the outbreak. From a copper smelting perspective, the province is of limited importance, accounting for only 3.9% of China's 2019 blister production. Any impact on the neighbouring Anhui and Jiangxi provinces would be more significant, but all assessments remain highly speculative at this early stage. Infections in China outnumber the 2003 Sars outbreak In only a couple of weeks, the number of people infected with the coronavirus in China has reached nearly 6,000, surpassing the number of Sars cases in the country during the 2003 outbreak. The death toll has reached 132 in China, with confirmed cases reported in at least 12 other countries, including the US, Japan, France and Singapore. Wuhan, as well as the wider Hubei province, has implemented strict transport restrictions. On top of this, the Chinese government has extended the Chinese New Year public holidays, to delay the mass migration of people back to work. From a copper smelting perspective, the province of Hubei is of limited importance and centred around the smelting operations of Daye, located around 100 km from Wuhan. The company's smelter produced 320,000 t of blister copper in 2019, accounting for only 3.9% of China's total blister production. Moreover, market participants have confirmed that Daye's smelter is operating at time of writing. The company also has a 400,000 t/y smelter project due online in 2021. In comparison, Hubei's copper mine production last year was minimal at just over 50,000 t out of a country total of 1.6 Mt. Participants wait to assess impact on concentrates market Any assessment of the likely impact of the virus on the Chinese smelting industry and copper concentrates market remains highly speculative at this early stage. However, we do know that several market participants have confirmed cancelling travel plans to China, while we have also heard that a CSPT meeting scheduled for last week was postponed due to the virus, meaning that any further decisions regarding previously proposed smelter production cuts have not taken place. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/insights/2020/coronavirus-what-is-the-likely-impact-on-copper-smelting/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia - our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU - big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084666/Coronavirus_impact_on_copper_smelting.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/536199/CRU_Logo.jpg (Alliance News) - Yew Grove REIT PLC on Friday said it has increased the size of its loan facility and extended the term until December 2021. The Irish commercial property investor said that it has agreed an increase to its three-year floating rate loan facility with Allied Irish Banks PLC by EUR9.9 million to a total of EUR39.0 million. The facility is in place until December 2021, with interest charged on a margin over a three-month Euribor, and is secured on some of Yew Grove's properties. The funds will be used to partly finance the company's acquisition of future properties and enhance investment returns. Shares in Dublin-headquartered Yew Grove were untraded at 0.96 pence each on Friday in London. By Ife Taiwo; ifetaiwo@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. We have all heard of the smartphone and any day now, most of us will have one. Not far behind: the smart home. Writing in the latest issue ... Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has started his first foreign visit. He arrived in Kazakhstan late Thursday. The PM will take part in the session of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty and hold separate bilateral meetings with prime ministers of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, the press service of the Russian government said. On the sidelines of the digital forum in Almaty, Mishustin held a meeting with Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin. "It is symbolic that I am paying my first visit as the chairman of the government to Kazakhstan. We have long-standing relations of friendship and partnership," TASS cited the Russian PM as saying. He noted in particular that trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, as well as inter-regional ties, were developing dynamically. Mishustin expressed the hope that it would be possible to discuss the most important issues during the meeting. For his part, the Kazakh PM greeted his Russian counterpart. "I would like to congratulate you on your appointment as the Russian prime minister and wish you every success in tackling the urgent issues facing the Russian government. I believe that you and your team will be able to do that," Mamin stressed. The meeting was attended by Russian Deputy Prime Ministers Dmitry Chernyshenko and Alexei Overchuk, Energy Minister Alexander Novak and First Deputy Minister of Economic Development Mikhail Babich. Mishustin will hold separate bilateral meetings in Almaty with Belarusian Prime Minister Sergey Rumas, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Chicu. According to Article 112 of the Constitution of India, the Union Budget of a year is the annual financial statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Central government for that particular financial year. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present Budget 2020 on Saturday. This will be Sitharaman's second budget as finance minister. Sitharaman had presented the first full Budget of the Narendra Modi government in July last year. Sitharaman is the first full-time woman finance minister of India. Before her, former prime minister Indira Gandhi was the only woman who presented the Union Budget. That was in February 1970. From 2017, the Union Budget is presented on 1 February replacing the previous practice of presenting it on the last day of February every year. What is the Union Budget? According to Article 112 of the Constitution of India, the Union Budget is the annual financial statement of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Central government for that particular financial year. The receipts and disbursements are shown under three parts in which the Government Accounts are kept, viz., (i) The Consolidated Fund of India, (ii) The Contingency Fund of India, and (iii) The Public Account of India. The finance minister's Budget presentation speech has many parts. They pertain to various categories: Annual Financial Statement (AFS), Demand for Grants (DG), Appropriation Bill, Finance Bill, Macro-economic framework for the relevant financial year, Medium-Term fiscal policy and a strategy statement, Expenditure Profile, Expenditure Budget, Receipts Budget. Apart from the AFS, the Demands for Grants and Finance Bill are also mandated by Articles 113 and 110(a) of the Constitution of India respectively. The statements mandated under FRBM Act namely Macro-Economic Framework Statement, Fiscal Policy Strategy Statement and Medium Term Fiscal Policy Statement are presented as per the provisions of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, 2003. Who prepares the Budget A lot of discussions and consultations are held with the finance ministry, NITI Aayog and other spending ministries while preparing the Union Budget. The finance ministry issues the norms for spending and based on this guideline, the ministries put up their demands for the financial year. The Budget Division of the Department of Economic Affairs in the finance ministry is the nodal body responsible for producing the Budget. Apart from this, the government will consult with various stakeholders like state representatives, bankers, agriculture experts, economists and trade unions to get a feedback. How is the Budget presented? The Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha Secretariat seeks approval of the President of India after the Speaker agrees to the date suggested by the government. The finance minister presents the Budget in the Lok Sabha outlining key estimates and proposals. The finance minister briefs the Union Cabinet on the Budget proposals through a 'summary for the cabinet' just before the Budget is presented. The Budget is tabled in the Parliament after the finance minister's speech. Railway Budget The Railway Budget was merged with the General Budget in 2017 thus putting an end to a 92-year-old practice of presenting a separate rail and general budgets. The Rail Budget was separated from the General Budget in 1924. The last Railway Budget was presented on 25 February 2016 by then railway minister Suresh Prabhu. Since 2017, the Budget of the Ministry of Railways and the Demands for Grants relating to railway expenditure are presented in Parliament together with the Union Budget from the financial year 2017-18 onwards. The total receipts and expenditure of the Railways are, incorporated in the Annual Financial Statement of the Government of India. The decision to merge the railway budget with General Budget was taken along with advancing the date of the Union Budget in the Parliament under the process of budgetary reforms taken up by the government. Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2020-21 here New Delhi: In a relief to DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the proceedings before the Madras High Court challenging her elections to the Lok Sabha from Thoothukudi constituency. A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Bobde, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Surya Kant stayed the proceedings before the high court as senior advocate P. Wilson told the court that though the matter is pending before the top court but the high court has said that Ms Kanimozhi was seeking adjournments for prolonging the adjudication of the matter before it. The high court had noted that Ms Kanimozhi has sought repeated adjournments for filing the written statement and the time permissible under the Code of Civil Procedure had lapsed and she was given another four weeks time. Mr Wilson told the court that the high court in the last hearing of the matter has given another one weeks time to file written statement. Mr Wilson was assisted by advocate Joseph Aristotle. As the lawyer appearing for the opposite party objected to the stay of the proceedings, CJI Bobde asked him to make a statement that he would not insist on written statement by Ms Kanimozhi before the high court. OTTAWAThe Royal Canadian Navy has replaced the commander of one its frigates as well as his second-in-command months before the warship begins a tour of the Asia-Pacific region. HMCS Calgary's upcoming assignment includes enforcing sanctions against North Korea and possible run-ins with Chinese vessels. The navy says the highly unusual moves are unrelated, despite coming within only a few days of each other. They nonetheless come at a critical time for the crew of HMCS Calgary, which is at CFB Esquimalt, B.C., and will head overseas in April for three months. Cmdr. Jonathan Kouwenberg was removed as HMCS Calgary's skipper on Jan. 20 after it was determined that despite months of training, the crew was not as ready for its mission as it should have been, according to Commodore Angus Topshee, commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific. Kouwenberg's executive officer, Lt.-Cmdr. John Forbes, was relieved of his command four days earlier after being found guilty of having turned off a smoke detector in HMCS Calgary's wardroom and smoking when the frigate was docked in San Diego. He also encouraged his subordinates to smoke. Kouwenberg, who took command of HMCS Calgary in June, has been replaced by Cmdr. Alex Barlow, who recently returned from a similar mission in the Pacific as commanding officer of another frigate, HMCS Ottawa. HMCS Ottawa spent 46 days enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea, observing nine potentially illicit ship-to-ship transfers and helping intercept 13 vessels of interest. It also sailed through the Taiwan Strait, much to China's annoyance because China considers the waterway its own internal waters. Chinese warships and aircraft shadowed and buzzed another Canadian frigate, HMCS Regina, when it passed through the strait in June. HMCS Calgary is expected to conduct similar operations. "The well-being of any ship's crew is paramount to operational success, particularly when a ship is preparing to deploy," Topshee said in a statement Friday. "The commanding officer therefore plays an integral and critical role in helping to ensure the morale and resilience of sailors on board, and this, along with ensuring HMCS Calgary's operational readiness, will be among Cmdr. Barlow's top priorities." Kouwenberg remains in the Canadian Armed Forces, and Topshee said no disciplinary action was required. Following a summary trial on the wardroom smoking incident, Forbes was fined $3,000 and reprimanded, though Topshee said the Forces are deciding whether to take further action. Forbes' actions "violated the trust placed upon him by the Royal Canadian Navy as a member of HMCS Calgary's command team," Topshee said. "By virtue of his rank and position on board the ship, his actions encouraged subordinate officers to act against well-established rules." Topshee played down any impact the changes will have the frigate's mission, but acknowledged: "In terms of morale and stability, there will be a period of transition. "Building up morale and establishing trust between the command team and crew is therefore of the utmost importance during this time, and one of the top priorities of the incoming commanding officer." Read more about: Mayor Sylvester Turner has pledged the city will strike a deal ensuring that Rice Universitys planned innovation district in Midtown provides benefits to the outskirts too, a victory for students and community groups whod banded together over fears the venture would negatively affect the Third Ward. In a letter to the president of Rices student association this week, Turner wrote that he has instructed the citys chief development officer to negotiate a so-called Community Benefits Agreement with the Rice organization overseeing the project. He added that the officer also would coordinate input from community members. I support this first-for-Houston concept and recognize the potential benefits are citywide, Turner wrote in the letter to Grace Wickerson. Through this inclusive process, I am confident the final CBA will benefit not only the immediate neighborhood but all Houstonians. The innovation district is set to open in early 2021, covering 16 acres in Midtown and spanning from downtown to the Texas Medical Center. The Rice Management Co., the organization that oversees the schools $6.3 billion endowment fund, will invest $100 million transforming the old Sears building into The Ion, a gathering place for startups, large corporations seeking new technologies, business accelerator programs, venture capitalists and academics. Wickerson, also a member of the mayors Higher Education Student Leadership Alliance, had emailed the mayor last week in hopes of revisiting a conversation students had held about the need for an agreement that protects the Third Ward residents from being pushed out by the development. The conversation had been spearheaded by the Houston Coalition for Equitable Development without Displacement, an alliance of community groups and student leaders. In addition, more than a dozen Rice student groups published an online letter last week supporting an agreement and urging the university to encourage the management company to follow suit. Rices student association had planned to vote on a resolution in support of an agreement by next week. Wickerson called the fact young people were able to meaningfully challenge existing systems empowering. While I cant take credit for this because it was a lot of long hours by students at my institution, Im really proud to see people stepping up and saying I want to be involved in Houston in a meaningful way, said Wickerson. Rice has kind of stayed behind its hedges, but now with this project we can really find a way to engage critically with the city. Wickerson added that its not every day that a student receives a letter from the mayor of the fourth largest city in the country. Rice President David Leebron also gave his stamp of approval. Were committed to building the Ion and developing the innovation district in an inclusive manner that creates economic opportunities for underserved communities throughout the city while building momentum toward our shared goal of making Houston the next great center for startups and the innovation economy, Leebron said in a statement. We respect and appreciate the mayors leadership on this issue and look forward to working with his administration to assess how the innovation district can best create opportunities for all Houstonians. The CBA will be one of the few such agreements in the city and the first to ever be documented, according to Andy Icken, the city chief development officer who will lead negotiations. Such agreements are negotiated to ensure that a developer delivers community benefits, like hiring, inclusion of affordable housing or funding for community programs, in exchange for residents support of the project and developments in or near their community, according to the Kinder Institute for Urban Researchs Third Ward Policy and Program Landscape Report. Icken said the city has twice previously orchestrated community benefits agreements, both related to the citys tax abatement. The plan to negotiate an agreement with the Rice Management Co. is unique in that the school has not asked for public assistance with the development of the Ion, Icken said. The hope is that residents in surrounding under-served communities, like the Third Ward, will benefit in some way. In this case, Rice has come to us interested in particular offerings, like training and helping our overall thrust on entrepreneurship and innovation, so were interested in it, said Icken, emphasizing the mayors praises for the Ion. Our goal, as this emerged as point of discussion, is that benefits become citywide and enhance the city to further promote innovation economy, Icken said. We intend it to be inclusive and widely spread across the city and just another step in advancing our innovation economy. The city will continue to meet with various community organizations and groups, Icken stressed. Students have been discussing the need for an agreement with the mayor since last fall. They have been working with community groups since last summer. The Rice Management Co. last summer broke ground on the Ion, which replaces the 80-year-old, 270,000-square-foot Sears department store on Main Street and will serve as an anchor for the innovation district. brittany.britto@chron.com US, British and French authorities have approved an unprecedented agreement with Airbus that will see the plane maker pay up to 3 billion to end years of damaging corruption investigations. All three countries called it the largest global foreign bribery resolution to date, and celebrated their co-operation. Airbus also welcomed the deal, eager to move on from an embarrassing, costly saga that damaged its reputation and led to management and policy changes. French national financial prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert said Airbus had acknowledged acts of corruption in negotiating the deal. Expand Close Jean-Francois Bohnert (Michel Euler/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jean-Francois Bohnert (Michel Euler/AP) Federal prosecutors in the US alleged Airbus ran a years-long corruption campaign across the world, using bribes and falsely reporting information for more than five years to gain valuable licences to export US military technology. British and French authorities were investigating alleged fraud and bribery related to Airbuss use of outside consultants to sell planes. US authorities were also investigating Airbuss compliance with American arms trafficking regulations. Mr Bohnert said former executives, including ex-chief executive Tom Enders, could still face eventual trial in a separate but related French investigation into wrongdoing by individuals. Fridays ruling only concerned Airbus as a company. Airbus said earlier in the week that it had put aside 3.6 billion euros (3 billion) to cover the costs of the fine. The French court said France will get 2.1 billion euros (1.7 billion) out of that sum as part of a special plea deal arrangement introduced into French law recently. The UK court approved a so-called deferred prosecution agreement in which Airbus will pay Britain a total of 991 million euros (830 million). The US is set to get 530 million euros (450 million) under its deferred prosecution agreement. More than 3 billion euros is not a very easy fine to payJean-Francois Bohnert French prosecutors said the agreement was unprecedented because of its scale and the fact that it had been arranged with three countries. Investigators gathered 30 million documents and conducted searches or interviews in 20 countries, including of current and former executives and employees. The French financial prosecutors office and British Serious Fraud Office started investigating in 2016, and the US Department of Justice joined in 2018. While Airbus could have faced even greater penalties and legal fees if the case had gone to trial, the French prosecutor insisted the agreement was not a gift to the company. More than 3 billion euros is not a very easy fine to pay, Mr Bohnert told reporters, saying it was wiping out the equivalent of a year of Airbus profits in a good year. The US agreement relates to allegations that the company schemed to offer and pay bribes to foreign officials, including Chinese officials, for business and contracts. The company was also accused of wilfully failing to disclose political contributions, commissions and fees to the US government relating to the sale and export of defence services. Airbus engaged in a multi-year and massive scheme to corruptly enhance its business interests by paying bribes in China and other countries and concealing those bribes, said US assistant attorney general Brian Benczkowski, who leads the Justice Departments criminal division. As part of the agreement, Airbus has agreed to continue to co-operate in any investigations and prosecutions, the Justice Department said. (@ChaudhryMAli88) The Russian authorities have banned the entry of Chinese nationals to the country via the Russia-Mongolia border amid coronavirus-related risks, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2020) The Russian authorities have banned the entry of Chinese nationals to the country via the Russia-Mongolia border amid coronavirus-related risks, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday. "Based on the information provided by our border service, we restrict the Chinese citizens from crossing the Mongolian border with the Russian Federation," Golikova told reporters. Testifying under oath during an investigation into her possible misconduct, Harada denied that a person identified only as H.W. was an employee of hers, according to allegations in the complaint. But before Harada filed as a candidate for judge, she employed H.W. as a nanny, babysitter and/or office worker without proper reporting to the Internal Revenue Service, Montana Department of Revenue or Workers Compensation, the complaint states. According to the complaint, Harada's testimony violated rules to "cooperate and be candid and honest with judicial and lawyer disciplinary agencies." It was unclear whether the allegations regarding Harada's "misstatements under oath" amounted to a violation of the state's perjury or false swearing statutes. Knowingly making a false statement under oath about a relevant matter can be considered criminal conduct, according to University of Montana Law Professor Jordan Gross. However, its only criminal if there is intent to lie, she added. Its not like you accidentally mix up your dates, or something like that, she said. AUBURN HILLS, MI State Rep. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, was super drunk when she crashed into a freeway barrier in Auburn Hills a month ago, records show. Warren was arraigned Thursday, Jan. 30, on one misdemeanor count of operating while intoxicated with blood alcohol content greater than 0.17 percent, according to Oakland County District Court records. Her blood alcohol content was 0.212 percent, almost three times over the legal limit, according to blood analysis by the Michigan State Police. Police received several calls regarding an apparently impaired driver at about 11 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 26 on northbound I-75 near Baldwin Road, Auburn Hills Police Lt. Ryan Gagnon said previously. State Rep. Rebekah Warren arrested for suspected drunken driving on I-75 An officer spotted the suspect vehicle, a black Jeep Grand Cherokee, and saw it swerve across two lanes and hit the barrier along I-75, according to the Auburn Hills Police Department report obtained by MLive/The Ann Arbor News through a Freedom of Information Act request. The officer turned on his lights and stopped the driver who was later identified as Warren, the report states. Warren told the officer she was heading back to Ann Arbor after attending an event at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, the report states. She admitting to having a few glasses of wine while at the event, the report states. The officer asked her to do several field sobriety tests, which she failed. He then asked her to take a preliminary breath test, which she refused, the report states. Police obtained a warrant for her blood and took her McLaren Hospital where nurses took blood samples. After being checked for injuries associate with the crash, Warren was taken to the Oakland County Jail. Warren did not return a phone call seeking comment on Friday. She is free on a $500 personal recognizance bond. Her next court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 19. Warren was elected in 2018 to serve a third and final term in the House after serving two terms in the state Senate. Warren represents the 55th District, one of four state House districts in Washtenaw County. It includes parts of Ann Arbor and Milan, as well as Augusta, Pittsfield, Ann Arbor, and York townships. OTTAWA - The head of Ukraine International Airlines is thanking Canada for its part in investigating the crash of one of its planes outside Tehran in early January. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ukraine International Airlines company president, Yevhenii Dykhne attends a briefing at Borispil international airport outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Efrem Lukatsky OTTAWA - The head of Ukraine International Airlines is thanking Canada for its part in investigating the crash of one of its planes outside Tehran in early January. In a long statement on the airline's website today, Yevhenii Dykhne also says the company expects the formalities for compensation to families of the 176 people killed will be "finalized in the immediate future." Iran admits an air-defence battery shot the plane down, hours after Iran launched missiles into Iraq in retaliation for the American killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The Iranian government says the operators of a missile system mistook the civilian airliner for a hostile military plane. Among the victims, 57 passengers were Canadian citizens and 138 were bound for Canada. In the new statement, the airline says its plane didn't deviate from a course approved by air-traffic controllers and the Iranian government was responsible for the safety of its airspace. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Despite a truly eye-rolling amount of peripheral noise and distraction from Democrats, the fundamental facts of the presidential impeachment are clear and simple. There are only two: 1. Ukraine received the aid funds appropriated by Congress. 2. The Bidens were not investigated by a foreign government. In this human condition, all of us, at one time or another, have thought about doing something, or wanted to do something, or were sorely tempted to do something, or maybe even talked to others about doing something, but then, for whatever reason, stopped, reconsidered, and didn't do it. Perhaps we talked ourselves out of doing it. Perhaps a parent, spouse, friend, or co-worker changed our mind. Perhaps we consulted an attorney who opened our eyes to possible consequences. Maybe an adversary even threatened us, which caused us to rethink things. But one way or the other, we backed away, changed our mind, and didn't actually do what we initially wanted to do. In this country, we don't prosecute people for "thought crimes," because simply thinking about or wanting to do something isn't a crime. So no matter how many people testify regarding what they think or assume Trump wanted to do, or even what they heard Trump at some point talking about wanting to do, the clear and simple facts remain. And no additional testimony from John Bolton or from a hundred John Boltons will alter those two final facts. Yes, the funds were delayed for, what, about three weeks? Basically, that's all the Democrats have! The funds were paused for three whole weeks! Are we now at a point in time where a president can be removed from office for delaying foreign aid funds for three weeks? That's now an impeachable crime? Seriously? Oh, and as for the obstruction of Congress article, the president has every constitutional right to claim executive privilege. If there is a dispute between the Executive Branch and the Legislative Branch regarding this issue, the proper constitutional course of action is an appeal to the Judicial Branch the Supreme Court. But the Democrat House leadership refused to do this. So this article fails immediately at first glance, because the Dems refused to avail themselves of the proper constitutional remedy to resolve the dispute. This sham of an impeachment really is just this simple to determine. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. Two first cases of deadly coronavirus has been detected in Russia, reported Sputnik. Two first cases of the new coronavirus have been confirmed in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova was quoted as saying. According to Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare, the condition of the two infected patients is stable. Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that Russia will evacuate its citizens from China's virus-hit Hubei province. The developments come a day after Health Organisation (WHO) declared the new coronavirus a global health emergency. The Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday announced a public health emergency of international concern over the coronavirus crisis in China and other countries. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, was quoted by CNN as saying. Health authorities around the are taking action to prevent a global epidemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US and several Asian countries besides China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. Both of my parents were extremely caring people, so that I think growing up, well, there was the fact of feeling responsible, she said. My fathers rich friends would complain about paying taxes, but he used to say it was a privilege to pay taxes. In Russia, youd never make enough money to pay those taxes. The Bank of England kept interest rates on hold in governor Mark Carney's final meeting, waiting for more evidence of an economic rebound before supporting it with a cut. Policymakers voted 7-2 to keep the benchmark at 0.75pc, an unchanged split from their previous meeting. The committee noted that surveys of business activity had picked up "quite markedly in some cases" since prime minister Boris Johnson's election victory removed much of the near-term uncertainty related to Brexit. Yet officials also signalled easing may be needed soon, cutting GDP forecasts to the lowest level since the global financial crisis and predicting inflation will only return to target by the end of 2021. Mr Carney also stressed the updated economic projections assumed "an immediate but orderly move" to a new "deep free trade agreement" with the EU at the end of the year. "This is less of a case of so far so good, and more a case of so far, good enough," Mr Carney said in a news conference. The pound rose to its highest in a week, trading 0.6pc higher at $1.3098. Investors are no longer fully pricing in a rate cut this year. Prior to the decision, they had expected one by August. If EU trade talks struggle or the economy weakens anyway, the decision on a BoE response will fall to Mr Carney's successor, Andrew Bailey. He will take up his post in mid-March, the same month the UK government unveils a budget that ends almost a decade of austerity. That fiscal boost is not included in the current forecasts, and officials said slower-than-expected supply growth will keep a lid on the expansion. "Policy may need to reinforce the expected recovery in UK GDP growth, should the more positive signals from recent indicators of global and domestic activity not be sustained, or should indicators of domestic prices remain relatively weak," minutes of the BoE meeting showed. Bloomberg In a shocking incident, a man took 23 children aged between six months and 15 years old as hostages for nearly 10 hours, before he was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The man, identified as Subhash Batham, a resident of Mohamadabad area of Farrukhabad had invited the children, some of them who are from his own family to the birthday celebration of his one-year-old daughter. But on Thursday evening when the children reached his home Batham locked them up inside and held everybody at gunpoint. Villagers realized that something was wrong after the children did not return home even after hours. When some of the parents reached Batham home they found it locked from inside. Batham started firing from inside after some local residents tried to get the door opened. He even threw a low-intensity bomb from the window. BCCL While the reason for his act is still unclear, Batham was a murder convict, out on bail. While the anguished parents were waiting outside, he allegedly shouted that he had been wrongly framed in the case. Even after the police arrived, Batham refused to free the children and began shooting at them. Kanpur Range inspector general of police Mohit Agarwal said that the man held the children hostage in the basement of his house. He is believed to have fired six shots from inside the building. The IGP said that Batham initially wanted to speak to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived. Finally, after negotiations on phone filed the commandos of the Anti-Terrorism Squad and police moved in and stormed the house. Batham was shot dead in the encounter, and the 23 children who were taken hostage for nearly 10 hours were freed without a single injury. UP Additional Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi confirmed that Subhash Batham had been killed in an encounter and that all children were rescued safely. UP Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home Awanish Kumar Awasthi on children kept as hostage at a house in Farrukhabad: The person who was holding the children as hostage has been killed in an operation and all children have been safely evacuated. pic.twitter.com/48QYcsoGRr ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 30, 2020 After Batham was shot dead, angry villagers turned on his wife who was trying to run away. They attacked her with stones and bricks before police rescued and took her to safety. She was admitted to a hospital but died of injuries on Friday morning. "She had head injuries and was bleeding when she was taken to the hospital. She had tried to run," said senior police officer Mohit Agarwal. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the UP Police team that successfully carried out the operation. "All personnel who took part in operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," said UP Additional Chief Secretary Awanish K Awasthi. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban will attend the Summit of the "Friends of Cohesion" Group, which will be held on Saturday in Beja, Portugal, where heads of state, government and ministers from EU member states are expected, informs Friday a release of the Executive. The participation of the Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and the Minister of European Funds, Ioan Marcel Bolos, in the meeting of the "Friends of Cohesion" Group is of particular importance in the context of accelerating the pace of negotiations for the new Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 - 2027, the Government shows."Also, given the significance of the Cohesion Policy for Romania, it is important to coordinate with the members of the "Friends of Cohesion" Group on topics of interest such as allocation, flexibility, disengagement rule and thematic concentration," reads the quoted source. AGERPRES Chinas crude oil imports from top supplier Saudi Arabia rose nearly 47% in 2019, with December shipments from the kingdom flat to a year earlier, customs data showed on Friday, Trend with reference to Reuters reports. The big annual boost in Saudi shipments followed a new marketing strategy by state-run Aramco, which signed at least two new supply pacts with private refiners in China that came into the market from late 2018. Previously, Saudi Aramco had only dealt with Chinas state refiners in long-term contracts. Shipments to China in 2019 from the worlds top oil exporter totaled a record 83.32 million tonnes, or 1.67 million barrels per day (bpd), according to data from General Administration of Customs. December shipments came in at 6.99 million tonnes. Russia, Chinas No. 2 supplier, shipped a record 77.64 million tonnes in 2019, about 1.55 million bpd, up some 9% from the previous year, the data showed. Demand from Chinas independent refineries for ESPO crude - one of Russias main export grades - helped to push the number higher. Chinas imports from the United States, badly hit by the prolonged U.S.-Sino trade war, were nearly halved in 2019 to 6.35 million tonnes, with no December imports. China is expected, however, to ramp up purchases of U.S oil in 2020 after pledging to buy at least $52.4 billion of U.S. energy products over the next two years as part of a Phase 1 deal to end a prolonged trade dispute. Sharply higher imports of U.S. crude could see importers dial back orders of similar or pricier grades from places such as Brazil and West Africa. China maintained some purchases of Iranian oil in 2019 despite U.S. government pressure to wipe out Tehrans oil exports, with most of the oil likely going into government stockpiles, according to Refinitiv oil research. December arrivals from Iran came in at around 405,000 tonnes, while annual volumes totaled 14.77 million tonnes, about half the imports of 2018, the customs data showed. Direct shipments from Venezuela were nil for a third month in a row, as China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), Caracass top oil client, steered clear of lifting any oil from the South American exporter to avoid violating secondary U.S. sanctions. Annual imports from Venezuela fell by nearly a third to 11.39 million tonnes, the customs data showed. The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited wishes to address some misconceptions raised in the media in the course of the recent labour agitations that occurred in our factory. It has been agreed that The Company and its former Country Manager will part ways and we are currently negotiating the terms of separation, in complete compliance with the law. We trust that these negotiations will be concluded amicably. This decision was taken by the Management of our parent company, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC). Whoever is chosen by the Management of ECCBC to take up responsibility for the business will have their unequivocal support. ECCBC greatly appreciates the dedicated service of its former country manager and wishes him well in his future endeavours. We also would like to make it abundantly clear that the decision to part ways with the former Country Manager is not related to any planned changes to the business. They are separate issues and the conflation of the two matters has been an unfortunate and incorrect interpretation of the events. In the last few years, the reality of the markets we operate in, has evolved and become more complex and our industry has witnessed increased changes in customer trends and competition. In our continual quest to create shared value and provide our customers and consumers with best-in-class services in these conditions, the company has been focusing on new ways of working to become more efficient, agile and sustainable in the short and long-term; so that we can respond to the evolving needs of our consumers. The ECCBC will therefore continue to review its business operations across the region and would react accordingly, where the need arises, in order to protect the interests of its stakeholders, including its employees. We assure all our stakeholders that our first priority during any such changes to the business is the wellbeing of our employees, and we are committed to following the requirements of the Law and giving our Ghanaian employees opportunities in the process, where they exist. We have been and will continue to engage all relevant stakeholders to ensure we resolve any differences that may exist. The Company would like to assure our customers and consumers that, the current situation will not affect our ability to deliver their favourite beverages. Management The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited. Source: Management, The Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Ghana Limited 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 Newly installed panels of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, where the concrete had not had time to set, fell over in high winds on Jan. 29, landing on trees on the Mexican side of the border. The area is part of an ongoing construction project to improve existing sections of the wall. Agent Carlos Pitones of the Customs and Border Protection sector in El Centro, California, told CNN that the sections that gave way had recently been set in a new concrete foundation in Calexico, California. The concrete had not yet cured, according to Pitones, and the wall panels were unable to withstand the windy conditions. The National Weather Service reports that winds in the area gusted as high as 37 mph Wednesday. Video from KYMA shows the metal panels leaning against trees adjacent to a Mexicali, Mexico, street as the wind whips up dirt from the construction site on the other side of the border. We are grateful there was no property damage or injuries, said Pitones. Customs and Border Protection says local Mexicali officials diverted traffic from the area of the accident, and the agency is working with the Mexican government on the next steps to right the wall. Pitones said it is not currently known how long the construction work in the area will need to be suspended in order to allow for cleanup. President Donald Trump has faced legal and logistical challenges in moving forward with the border wall. During his 2016 campaign, Trump made a promise that he would construct a barrier along the Southern Border. While in office, the president said he would build 450 miles of the wall by 2021. Trump declared a national emergency along the southern border in February 2019. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper authorized moving the $3.6 billion in military funds to construction projects along the border in September 2019. Customs and Border Patrol said the money will be used to build up to 175 miles of border wall. Earlier this month, the administration announced that the wall had reached the 100-mile mark, which includes replacing barriers with newer, enhanced designs, and around half a mile construction in the Rio Grande Valley where no wall previously existed. The White House continues construction on the U.S.-Mexico border with the wall, according to a former administration official, as Trump continues to deliver on his campaign promise. The CNN Wire and Epoch Times reporter Janita Kan contributed to this report Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) said a vote to acquit is very possible given that the Democratic case for removal in the Senate has fallen apart. Hawley said Democrats are beginning to sense that there is no case and would not be surprised if the GOP picked up some votes for acquittal. Flights from and to affected areas in China must be restricted, the CAV said. (Photo: VNA) In its recent directive on the prevention and combat of the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel virus originated from Chinas Wuhan province, the CAV ordered airlines to not conduct regular flights and require additional licences for flights from Vietnam to Chinas affected regions. Flights from and to affected areas in China must be restricted, the CAV said. The administration requested airports to step up inspection and coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out plans to prevent and cope with a possible virus outbreak. It asked the air transport department to suspend the approval of new flights from Vietnam to Chinas affected areas and vice versa. In its previous directive, the CAV ordered airlines to immediately report suspected cases to service supply agencies for prompt isolation and prevention. As of January 30 morning, the pneumonia outbreak caused by the new strain of coronavirus (nCoV) caused at least 170 deaths and more than 7,700 infected in China. The outbreak first occurred in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, and has now spread to 15 other countries with about 60 cases in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Iranian-American actor Sarah Shahi is set to play the lead role in streaming platform Netflix's dramedy series "Sex/Life". The series is inspired by author BB Easton's self-published memoir "44 Chapters About 4 Men", reported Deadline. Written by Stacy Rukeyser, the series is described as the story of a love triangle between a woman, her husband, and her past. Shahi will play Billie Connelly, a woman with everything to lose, a suburban mother of two who goes in search of that sexy, single girl in the city she used to be ten years ago. She takes a trip down memory lane that sets her married present on a collision course with her wild past. Rukeyser also serves as the showrunner. Shahi recently appeared on Showtime's drama series "City on a Hill" and on ABC's "The Rookie". Her last Netflix outing was Dolly Parton anthology series "Heartstrings". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Film on undocumented queer activist to be screened The Department of Theatre and Dance will present a free screening on Feb. 5 of Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America, an award-winning, feature-length documentary about an undocumented queer activist fighting for equality. The screening will take place at 7 p.m. in the Screening Room in the Center for the Arts, North Campus. It will be followed by a Q-and-A with the subject of the film, Moises Serrano, and the films director, Tiffany Rhynard, who is an artist-in-residence with the Department of Theatre and Dance this week. Forbidden tells the story of Serrano, whose parents brought him from Mexico to the U.S. as a baby. After 23 years growing up in the rural south as an undocumented gay man, he is forbidden to live and love in the country he calls home and sees only one option to fight for justice. Rhynard is an artist, dancer and filmmaker whose work examines the complexity of human behavior and addresses social issues. Her choreography, dance films and documentaries have been presented nationwide and internationally. Her recent dance documentary short, Black Stains, about black male identity in the United States, is currently screening at film festivals. The film was created in collaboration with Trent D. Williams Jr. As a performer, Rhynard has danced for such choreographers as Gerri Houlihan, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, and Chavasse Dance and Performance Group. She has taught at colleges and universities throughout the country and currently is an assistant professor in the School of Dance at Florida State University. Serrano served as a producer and one of the cinematographers for Forbidden. His mission is to de-criminalize and humanize the issue of migration while advocating for immediate relief to migrant communities. Forbidden earned the first-ever Social Justice Film Award from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Freedom Award from Outfest Film Festival. A Formula 1 Canadian billionaire has saved Aston Martin from almost certain collapse as he leads a 500 million bailout of the troubled car maker. Aston Martin confirmed plans to sell a 182million stake in the business to Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, 60, after the board held an emergency meeting last night. The luxury car maker, famed for being James Bond's favourite marque, has been in talks to secure funding by selling a chunk of the business to a strategic investor for several months. Aston Martin also announced a 318million rights issue supported by major shareholders. Shares jumped on Friday to close 24 per cent higher 4.98. Aston Martin confirmed plans to sell a 182million stake in the business to Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll (pictured with his wife Claire-Anne) after the board held an emergency meeting last night The cash injection prevents Aston Martin from going bust for the eighth time in its 107-year history. Stroll, owner of Formula One team Racing Point, bought a 16.7 per cent stake, with the option of increasing to 20 per cent once the rights issue takes place. He will also provide 55.5million of short-term working capital. The sale comes as Aston Martin is struggling to stay afloat after a disastrous stock market debut in October 2018. In the first year of being listed its shares lost 75 per cent of their value, after its initial listing price of 19 per share was vastly overvalued and it subsequently released a slew of disappointing updates and a rescue financing. Stroll, owner of Formula One team Racing Point, bought a 16.7 per cent stake, with the option of increasing to 20 per cent once the rights issue takes place The cash injection prevents Aston Martin from going bust for the eighth time in its 107-year history. Pictured: An Aston Martin DBS Superleggera The 107-year-old group is pinning any hopes of a recovery on the performance of its 158,000 SUV, the DBX, launched in November. Stroll, who owns F1 team Racing Point, made his $2.6bn (2bn) fortune through investing in fashion houses such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors. As well as his base in Geneva, he has homes in London, Quebec and on the Caribbean island of Mustique, according to the Telegraph. He collects vintage Ferraris and more recently has taken an increasing role in the high-octane world of motor sport. In December rumours surfaced that Stroll, whose son Lance is a Formula 1 driver, would take a stake in the famous brand. Aston Martin chair Penny Hughes said: 'The difficult trading performance in 2019 resulted in severe pressure on liquidity which has left the Company with no alternative but to seek substantial additional equity financing. Without this the balance sheet is not robust enough to support the operations of the group. 'Notwithstanding recent weak trading, the strength of the Aston Martin brand and our expanding portfolio of cars has allowed us to attract a strong new partner in Mr. Stroll to support the turnaround of the business.' Stroll is set to join the company's board as executive chairman, replacing Hughes, as part of the deal. He said their investment 'underpins the company's financial security and ensures it will be operating from a position of financial strength.' Andy Palmer, Aston Martin president and group chief executive, said the past year had been 'regrettably disappointing' and said the fundraising was necessary to support the long-term future of the company. Stroll is set to join the company's board as executive chairman, replacing Hughes, as part of the deal Stroll made his $2.6bn (2bn) fortune through a series of investments in the global expansion of fashion brands Markets.com analyst Neil Wilson questioned whether Stroll's 55million short-term cash injection will be enough to prop up Aston Martin. 'It will do a lot to alleviate immediate cash flow concerns not least the fact that earlier this month it reported net debt and leverage ranges of 875m-885m and 6.2-6.8x respectively,' he said. 'However, Aston could well have to go cap in hand to investors again if the sales of its DBX don't take off.' 'Planned launches of electric vehicles are going to be delayed they will require a lot of investment and it risks falling behind peers in this space at a critical juncture of EV take-off.' Chairman Railway Board V.K. Yadav said, "About 25 per cent of the railways' earnings goes into paying the pensions to the former railway employees. And this amount shoots over Rs 50,000 crore. Thus we have requested the Finance Ministry for the pension fund." New Delhi: Facing the financial crunch over Rs 50,000 crore outgo as pension to more than 15.5 lakh former railway employees, the railways has asked the Finance Ministry to set up the pension fund, a senior official said on Wednesday. The Chairman said the railways also pays salaries to its 12.5 lakh employees, which takes a major chunk of the railways' earnings. The chairman also accepted the railways this year is feeling the heat of the operating ratio and it would not be able to control it by 97 per cent. Last year, the operating ratio for the railways was 97 per cent, while this year it has gone up to 98.44 per cent. Yadav said: "No doubt the railways is facing financial challenges. To meet the financial crisis, the railways is doing a lot of things. Things will start improving in the next few months," he said. The Indian Railways recorded an operating ratio of 98.44 per cent in 2017-18, the worst in the last 10 years, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) said in its report tabled in Parliament on December 2 this year. According to railway officials, the operating ratio is a measure of expenditure against revenue and it shows how efficiently the national transporter is operating and how healthy its finances are. An operating ratio of 98.44 per cent means the Railways spent Rs 98.44 to earn Rs 100. The government auditor also highlighted that since 2016-17, the revenue surplus of the national transporter has been falling, which is indicative of failing financial health of Indian Railways. "During 2017-18, the net revenue surplus decreased by 66.10 per cent from Rs 4,913.00 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 1,665.61 crore," it pointed out. The CAG also said that the factors mainly attributable to meagre surplus were increase in working expenses (8.14 per cent) and negative growth rate of sundry earnings (16.20 per cent). "Staff cost, including pension payments, constituted the bulk of working expenses," the CAG said. Speaking on the merger of eight services into one IRMS service of the railways, the Chairman said, "During our discussion with the rialway officers, the officials from the accounts, traffic and personnel department objected to the idea of cadre merger. However, their objections were clarified." He said the group B officers of the railways have in writing supported the cadre merger of the railways. On the restructuring of the Railway Board, which currently has eight members, Yadav said, "The post of two members is lying vacant and one of the board members is set to retire on January 31. So we will be retaining most of the Board members and reallocate them the new charges in the next one month." He said he had held talks with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the new cadre merger. On December 24, the Union Cabinet approved the organisational restructuring of the railways through the unification of the existing eight Group A services into one central service called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS). After changes in the railway officials' structure, the Chairman, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance, respectively, will form the Railway Board. The Chairman will be the cadre controlling officer responsible for Human Resources (HR) with assistance from a Director General (HR). Three apex-level posts will be surrendered from Railway Board and all its remaining posts will be open to all officers regardless of the service to which they belonged. The Board will also have some independent non-executive members, who will be highly distinguished professionals with deep knowledge and 30 years of experience, including at the top levels in industry, finance, economics and management fields. Disclaimer: The story has been cleared from an automated news-feed with no modifications to content except for the headline. Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Matanat Nasibova Trend: The populist statements of the Armenian current leadership are usually voiced for the sole purpose of resolving numerous domestic political problems in Armenia, Head of the Baku Network Expert Council, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov told Trend. In this sense, recent remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a press-conference in Armenias Kapan town once again confirmed this. Referring to the Armenian media, the expert reminded that Pashinyan actually accused Armenian ex-President Serzh Sargsyan that during his power, a document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement was adopted, which, according to Pashinyan, was on the negotiating table. In accordance with the document, Armenia was to transfer seven occupied districts to Azerbaijan. Pashinyan thereby accused his opponents, the Karabakh clan, including Sargsyan, of allegedly agreeing to withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, in particular, to return seven Azerbaijani districts with the condition of preserving the corridor between Armenia and Karabakh, Alasgarov said. Obviously, Pashinyan wants to solve various socio-economic problems, including those related to the purchase of Russian gas, and at the same time, he is trying to win Sargsyans associates, the Karabakh clan to his side, the expert said. In fact, he is trying to divert the attention of Armenian people from economic problems to those on the political agenda." Further, the expert drew attention to the negative reaction of the OSCE Minsk Group to the statements of the Armenian Prime Minister, calling it reasonable. "The dissatisfaction of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs is quite justified, since the Armenian prime minister struck the blow not only to the negotiation process, but also to the position of international mediators that has been developed over many years. In my opinion, Pashinyan framed the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with this statement. Thought in the framework of the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, international mediators expressed dissatisfaction with the Armenian foreign minister," Alasgarov said. The Azerbaijani expert suggested that at the negotiating table in Geneva, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs might invite Mnatsakanyan to make a statement that would disavow Pashinyans recent statements on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "If the Armenian minister is not proactive on this issue, it is quite possible that the international mediators will issue a new statement confirming the fact that the Armenian side behaved incorrectly, making the OSCE Minsk Groups long-term activity useless and worthless," Alasgarov said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova --- Head of the Expert Council of the Baku Network, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov http://bakunetwork.com Join us on Twitter and Facebook https://twitter.com/BakuNetwork andhttps://www.facebook.com/BakuNetwork YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp5ic7mhc6rZF6w0TQWqtmg Iberdrola's chairman, Ignacio Galan, and the Portuguese prime minister, Antonio Costa, visited the Tamega giga battery works this morning, one of the largest energy stores in Europe. The Tamega complex, with an investment of more than 1.5 billion euros, includes the construction of three reservoirs (Gouvaes, Daivoes and Alto Tamega) on the Tamega river, which is a tributary of the Duero. The works, which began in 2014, are now two thirds completed and are expected to be finalised in 2023 according to the planned schedule, while the Gouvaes and Daivoes plants will be operational by the end of 2021. On his visit to the complex - which was also attended by Portugal's minister for the environment and energy transition, Joao Pedro Matos Fernandes, and the presidents of the town councils in Ribeira de Pena, Vila Pouca de Aguilar, Chaves and Cabeceiras de Basto - Ignacio Galan and Antonio Costa inspected the progress in the works, which employ thousands of professionals from more than 100 companies, 75 of them Portuguese. Once completed, this large renewable infrastructure will have sufficient storage capacity to serve two million Portuguese households for an entire day and will contribute to the emission reduction targets set by the Portuguese Government. Iberdrola also launched a socioeconomic action plan for the area around the development more than five years ago, which, with over 50 million euros invested, has promoted social, cultural and environmental initiatives. These are already paying off in the seven municipalities that benefited from the project: Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Riberia de Pena, Boticas, Chaves, Cabeceiras de Basto, Montalegre and Valpacos. The development of this large complex has been possible thanks to Iberdrola's determined commitment to a sustainable energy model, which began two decades ago, and to the stable environment achieved by Portugal's government in recent years. Ignacio Galan told Antonio Costa "developing infrastructure such as this (one of the largest in Europe) is only possible if there is clear planning, a stable framework, legal certainty and continuous dialogue to seek solutions to the inevitable incidents that can arise throughout its construction and operation". Galan also congratulated the Prime Minister on the economic recovery process the country is undergoing: "Based on the incentives provided by the success of its economic programme and the social agenda it has implemented during its term in government, direct foreign investment has increased to record levels". Commitment to renewable energy in Portugal The three plants that make up the great Tamega giga battery (Gouvaes, Daivoes and Alto Tamega) add up to 1,158 megawatts (MW). In addition to the Tamega project, Iberdrola has other new renewable developments in Portugal: it has recently been awarded the go ahead for new solar capacity to more than double its operational renewable power in the country and is already promoting new wind capacity projects in the Tamega region, involving an investment of 200 million euros. It will, therefore, be able to supply clean energy to more than 800,000 of the company's Portuguese customers. This demonstrates Iberdrola's commitment to Portugal and its willingness to continue operating in the country. Thus, at the end of his speech before the prime minister, Ignacio Galan said: "You can be sure that Iberdrola will continue to drive the energy transition in this country, and with it the creation of wealth and well-being for all Portuguese people". Pumping technology, the most efficient storage The Tamega giga battery will provide almost 900 MW of pumping capacity to the Portuguese electricity system, which is an increase of more than 30% compared to the megawatt capacity available to the country today. The pumping plants currently constitute a safeguard for the electrical system, since they enable energy to be stored by raising water from a lower reservoir to a higher one. This makes it possible to generate a large amount of electricity quickly, by allowing the water to flow down to the lower reservoir via a turbine. And all this takes place with no polluting emissions to the atmosphere. The excess energy in periods of low consumption is used to pump water from a lower reservoir to a higher one, thus obtaining high-quality energy that can help cover the needs of the market during periods of peak demand. Hydroelectric pumping technology is key to guaranteeing the electrical system's stability to even out the intermittency of other renewable energy sources such as wind or photovoltaic solar, which are being called on to play a key role in the energy transition that will lead to decarbonising the economy. Iberdrola expects to reach 90 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of storage capacity by 2022, which is an increase over 2018 of almost 30%: 20 million kWh more, equivalent to 400,000 electric car batteries or 1.4 million batteries for residential use. Miss Ghana 2019, Rebecca Kwabi, has urged the Ghanaian media to publish positive stories about the Miss Ghana brand to take it to the level it deserves to be. Speaking at the launch of Miss Ghana 2020 at the Tang Palace Hotel in Accra on Wednesday, January 29, Rebecca used the opportunity to share her experiences as Miss Ghana 2019. I am highly elated to stand before you on such an august day, an enviable platform and at the threshold of another event year. The search has begun for a new Miss Ghana who will continue the excellent jobs under Miss Ghana Foundation. Through this journey, I have had a lot of privileges and I must admit that it has been under the commitment, hard work and tactical discipline of Exclusive Events amongst others. I have become tougher and more focused through it all even including the criticisms and mockery from the media. In all these, I am appealing to the Ghanaian media to further support the Miss Ghana Foundation and Exclusive Events Ghana Ltd to sell Ghana in our bid to make Ghana the African Tourism hub. Every organisation has its challenges but the media seems to often feed too much on negatives rather than helping to project the positives that would help the course of our dear nation. "Ghana can also win Miss World. Once the media plays its rightful role in positively projecting Ghana, I believe we can, she stated. On her part, CEO of Exclusive Events Ghana, Inna Maryam Patty said her outfit was excited about 2020 because they are convinced that it comes with so much hope and better opportunities. Growing up, there was a lot of noise on Vision 2020, we are in 2020 and we hope our efforts at Exclusive Events Ghana Limited (EEGL)/ Miss Ghana Foundation (MGF) will continue to contribute to the objectives for Vision 2020 whilst we aim ahead. At EEGL, we are inspired by 2020. It is a unique year in which we hope to achieve our most important goal of finding young women who are really passionate about what the Miss Ghana Brand symbolises, patriotic young ladies who are ready to carry the Ghana flag with purpose and pride both at home, abroad and for the rest of their lives, she said. I must confess that this task may sound simple but believe me, it has been a daunting one. I know there are beautiful, cultured, intelligent and disciplined young ladies out there. Do please join the Miss Ghana wagon so together, we can fulfill our shared interest, she stressed. Okyeame Kwame is the Made in Ghana Ambassador who is associated with Miss Ghana and he spoke at the launch. In 1996, Okyeame Quophi and myself got the opportunity to perform at the Embassy Double Do, we became Akyeame through Miss Ghana. Source: Graphic Showbiz 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 Ankara offered a rare and forceful rebuke to Moscow when Russia-backed Syrian regime forces recently captured a strategic town in the northwestern province of Idlib, but Turkey does not seem to have many options to change the course of events. The Syrian regime forces captured the strategic town of Maaret al-Numan some 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Idlib city, the last stronghold of the Turkey-backed opposition groups. Three Turkish observation posts have come under siege as of the recent regime advances, putting Turkey, which had promised to establish a demilitarized zone in Idlib under the 2018 Sochi deal between Ankara and Moscow, in a tight spot. Although Ankara seems determined to keep its troops in the region, Turkey did nothing as the regime advanced, disappointing rebel forces awaiting Turkeys support. The opposition forces are upset for three reasons: The Turkish observation posts set up for de-escalation proved to be ineffective, Turkeys decision to send Syrian fighters to Libya to support one of the warring parties in the country has weakened the opposition ranks and the opposition believes Turkey reconciled with Russia to give covert consent to the regime's offensive. Ramped-up contacts between Ankara and Moscow before the seizure of Maraat al-Numan fed that perception. Following the Jan. 8 phone conversation between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Turkish and Syrian spymasters met in Moscow on Jan. 13. The Syrian forces rapid advance toward Idlib is thought to be as the result of a quiet agreement between Ankara and Moscow. According to a well-connected source in Damascus, the meeting between Turkish spy chief Hakan Fidan and his Syrian counterpart Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk followed a phone conversation between the leaders of the two countries. This meeting paved a way for a consensus on operation against Idlib, said the source on condition of anonymity. Furthermore, the Turkish authorities are said to have held meetings with commanders of two major Syrian opposition groups the Syrian National Army and the National Liberation Front in southeast Turkey Jan. 15 to bring them up to date about negotiations with Russia. The Turkish side reportedly informed the opposition commanders that Moscow promised a 15-day cease-fire in exchange for opening of the strategic M4 and M5 highways essentially admitting that it will not be able to maintain the cease-fire agreement that designated four de-escalation zones. The 2018 deal between Putin and Erdogan in Sochi aimed to create a demilitarized zone around Syrias rebel-held province of Idlib through the de-escalation zones, the removal of groups deemed terrorists and the opening of the M-4 and M-5 highways. Yet Turkey failed to fulfill its commitments by the deadline at the end of last year. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), deemed a terrorist group, seized control of some 90% of Idlib. In this respect, Maraat al-Numan had a particular strategic importance as it was the stronghold of the opposition factions that were fighting against HTS. Since the three of the four de-escalation zones have already come under the control of the Syrian government forces, the 15-day cease-fire did little more than create a short break to establish three checkpoints through which to evacuate civilians. Following the announcement of the cease-fire on Jan. 9, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey and Russia reached an agreement on how to implement the cease-fire. Accordingly, three humanitarian corridors have been opened in al-Habit, Abu al-Duhur and al-Hadr, linking southern Idlib to Hama, eastern Idlib to Hama and northeastern Idlib to Aleppo, respectively. The locations of the crossings hint that the arrangement made between Moscow and Ankara aimed to prevent civilians from piling up on the Turkish border by directing them toward areas controlled by the regime. After the Jan. 24 deadline for the Russian-brokered cease-fire, the Syrian forces resumed operations and captured 24 towns and cities in only four days. In addition to residential areas, the Syrian government forces backed by intense Russian airstrikes also captured a military base in Wadi Deif that had been under HTS control since 2014 and a key strategic location. The opposition groups say that the Syrian government forces are using scorched-earth tactics and that the regime has abandoned all of the Russian-led restraint mechanisms Moscow was using to alleviate Turkeys concerns and maintain its cooperation with Ankara. The capture of Maarat al-Numan, which had been under the control of the Syrian rebels since 2012, is significant in several ways: The town was one of the most important bastions of the Turkey-backed opposition groups that are hostile toward HTS. Thus it is a big loss not just for the rebels but also for Erdogans already disrupted Syrian agenda. Also, the Syrian government has made great progress toward opening the M5 highway connecting Aleppo to Hama, Homs and Damascus. Following the capture of Maraat al-Numan, Saraqib, standing at the intersection of M4 and M5, is the next important target before the Syrian forces move toward Aleppo. The rapid fall of Khan Tuman, a town southwest of Aleppo only 24 hours after Maraat al-Numan hints that the Syrian armys advance will be faster than expected. Some reports, meanwhile, suggest that the Syrian army will secure Kafr Nabl and Kafr Sajna west of Maraat al-Numan before advancing toward Saraqib to counter possible attacks by the Syrian opposition groups positioned in Zawiya. Should the Syrian regime forces take this route, another of the Turkish observation posts could come under siege. The Syrian regime forces could also move toward northeast Latakia and western Idlib, which would lead to the reopening of the M4 highway, delaying action against the opposition forces. However, the mountainous terrain between western Idlib and the Latakia countryside hosts several tunnels and many experienced fighters who have nowhere else to escape, setting up a scene of intense combat between the two sides. Turkey's response to the situation has been limited to issuing firm warnings and dispatching a convoy of 30 military vehicles, 12 of them armored, to Saraqib. Ankara has sharpened its messaging, as it usually does when the status quo in Idlib is shaken. Turkeys Defense Ministry said that Ankara will respond to any threats to the Turkish observation posts in the strongest manner without any hesitation. Erdogan leveled a rare direct criticism at Russia, saying that the Astana process on Syria has become moribund and said that Turkey will take necessary actions. But what can Turkey really do? There is no clear strategy on the horizon. Erdogans remarks seem to be intended for domestic consumption and mirror Turkeys hope to slow the Syrian regimes offensive in Idlib. The only option left for Turkey is to set up buffer zones along the Turkish border until the Syrian Constitutional Committee convened Oct. 30 in Geneva completes its work. In other words, Turkey is quietly accepting the new status quo in the region, though it does not hesitate to issue strong condemnations. There is also a possibility that Russia will broker a pause in the offensive after the regime forces open the M4 and M5 highways. Turkey believes the buffer zone may alleviate the refugee pressure on its borders. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, some 505,000 people have escaped Idlib since Dec. 1. For Turkey, Idlibs fate is bound to that of the other regions under the control of Turkey-backed opposition groups. Thus, Erdogan would apparently like to keep Idlib in his pocket for future negotiations over Turkey's military presence elsewhere. Theoretical physicists from Trinity College Dublin have found a deep link between one of the most striking features of quantum mechanics - quantum entanglement - and thermalisation, which is the process in which something comes into thermal equilibrium with its surroundings. Their results are published today [Friday 31st January 2020] in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters. We are all familiar with thermalisation - just think how your coffee reaches room temperature over time. Quantum entanglement on the other hand is a different story. Yet work performed by Marlon Brenes, PhD Candidate, and Professor John Goold from Trinity, in collaboration with Silvia Pappalardi and Professor Alessandro Silva at SISSA in Italy, shows how the two are inextricably linked. Explaining the importance of the discovery, Professor Goold, leader of Trinity's QuSys group, explains: "Quantum entanglement is a counterintuitive feature of quantum mechanics, which allows particles that have interacted with each other at some point in time to become correlated in a way which is not possible classically. Measurements on one particle affect the outcomes of measurements of the other-- even if they are light years apart. Einstein called this effect 'spooky action at a distance'." "It turns out that entanglement is not just spooky but actually ubiquitous and in fact what is even more amazing is that we live in an age where technology is starting to exploit this feature to perform feats which were thought to be impossible just a number of years go. These quantum technologies are being developed rapidly in the private sector with companies such as Google and IBM leading the race." But what has all this got to do with cold coffee? Professor Goold elaborates: "When you prepare a cup of coffee and leave it for a while it will cool down until it reaches the temperature of its surroundings. This is thermalisation. In physics we say that the process is irreversible - as we know, our once-warm coffee won't cool down and then magically warm back up. How irreversibility and thermal behaviour emerges in physical systems is something which fascinates me as a scientist as it applies on scales as small as atoms, to cups of coffee, and even to the evolution of the universe itself. In physics, statistical mechanics is the theory which aims at understanding this process from a microscopic perspective. For quantum systems the emergence of thermalisation is notoriously tricky and is a central focus of this current research." So what's all this got to do with entanglement and what do your results say? "In statistical mechanics there are various different ways, known as ensembles, in which you can describe how a system thermalizes, all of which are believed to be equivalent when you have a large system (roughly on scales of 10^23 atoms). However, what we show in our work is that not only is entanglement present in the process, but its structure is very different depending on which way you choose to describe your system. So, it gives us a way to test foundational questions in statistical mechanics. The idea is general and can be applied to a range of systems as small as a few atoms and as large as blackholes." Marlon Brenes, PhD candidate at Trinity and first author of the paper, used super-computers to simulate quantum systems to test the idea. Brenes, a numerical specialist, said: "The numerical simulations for this project that I performed are at the limit of what can currently be done at the level of high-performance computing. To run the code I used the national facility, ICHEC, and the new Kay machine there. So, as well as being a nice fundamental result the work helped us really push the boundaries of this type of computational approach and establish that our codes and the national architecture are performing at the cutting edge." ### Professor Goold's research is supported by an SFI-Royal Society University Research Fellowship and a European Council Starting Grant. The shortest month of the year will bring three unique stargazing opportunities for people across North America, including an eclipse-like event with one of Earth's closest neighbors and the moon. Here are the top three astronomy events to look for throughout February: 1. Super Snow Moon When: Feb. 8-9 Stargazers stepping outside on Saturday, Feb. 8, will look to the skies to see an unusually large full moon, a phenomenon that has come to be known as a supermoon. The term supermoon has become popularized in recent years as a full moon that falls near perigee, the point in the moon's orbit when it is closest to the Earth. As a result, the moon appears slightly larger than normal, although the difference can be difficult to detect for the casual observer. Supermoon or not, February's full moon has taken on many different nicknames throughout the years including the Snow Moon, the Hunger Moon and the Bone Moon. 2. Mars to pass behind the moon When: Feb. 18 A rare celestial alignment will be visible in the early-morning sky during the middle of February, but only for people across North America under cloud-free skies. Shortly before sunrise on Tuesday, Feb, 18, Mars will disappear behind the moon in an event known by astronomers as an occultation. The Red Planet will reappear on the other side of the moon a little over an hour later. The start and end times of this event will vary depending on the viewer's location. For places in the eastern United States, such as New York City, Mars will disappear behind the moon around 7:30 a.m. EST and reappear around 9 a.m. EST. For those in the western U.S., such as Los Angeles, Mars will disappear closer to 3:30 a.m. PST and will reappear closer to 4:30 a.m. PST. 3. Stargazing on leap night' When: Feb. 29 Once every four years, February features an extra day, the only time when Feb. 29 appears on the calendar. The reason why this extra day exists is because there are 365 days in a calendar year, but it takes approximately 365.25 days for the Earth to make one revolution around the sun. To make up for this difference, one extra day is added at the end of February once every four years. Story continues Not only does leap year bring one extra day, but also one extra night. This is a great opportunity to take in the winter sky before the stars and constellations begin to change throughout the spring. The constellation Orion shining in the night sky. The three stars in line in the middle of the image are known as Orion's Belt. Orion is one of the most popular constellations that is only visible in the Northern Hemisphere from late fall to early spring. It will become visible after nightfall in the southwestern sky before setting around 3 a.m. local time. An easy way to find it is to look for three stars lined up close to each other, the part of the constellation known as Orion's Belt. Just below and to the left of Orion is Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Not only is this a good time of year to see the winter night sky, but it is also great for stargazing in general. This is because there is less moisture in the atmosphere during the winter, providing a clearer view of the heavens when compared to the mild and muggy nights during the summer. Looking back at January: The year kicked off with a brief, but intense meteor shower in the sky over North America. The annual Quadrantid meteor shower reached its climax during the early-morning hours of Jan. 4, bringing dozens of meteors per hour to those under cloud-free skies. Less than one week later, the full Wolf Moon rose in the night sky. For most of the world, this full moon also brought a penumbral lunar eclipse, the first of four this year. However, the eclipse had ended by the time the moon rose over the Americas. Around 250 miles above the Earth's surface, two astronauts conduced the first spacewalk of 2020 to replace old batteries on the outside of the International Space Station (ISS). Christina Koch and Jessica Meir were the two astronauts to conduct the spacewalk, making it the second all-female spacewalk in spaceflight history. Just a few months prior, in October, Koch and Meir made history by conducting the first all-female spacewalk. In addition to her historic spacewalks, Koch set another spaceflight record, surpassing NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson for the single longest space mission by a woman. Koch has been on the ISS for over 300 days and is not expected to return to Earth until early February. January was a busy month for SpaceX with the company launching 120 satellites into orbit. The company also took the next step into launching astronauts into space with a successful in-flight abort test, proving that their Dragon spacecraft can keep astronauts safe if there is an issue during a launch. In late January, scientists revealed a close-up view of the sun's surface never seen before. It was the highest resolution image ever taken of the sun by using a powerful telescope sitting at the top of the Haleakala Observatory on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Ghanaian rapper Okyeame Kwame last Thursday, January 23, lectured young musicians on how they can stay relevant in the industry. Put together by Kri8 Concepts, the three-hour lecture which took place at Weija had a lot of up and coming musicians present to listen with rapt attention to the Woso hitmaker. Okyeame Kwame touched on a number of issues such as being unique, being respectful, doing research, learning from the legends and being real. He said being unique helped an artiste to be distinct and stay relevant for a long time. Sarkodie will always be Sarkodie because he is unique and any artiste who tries to copy him will fail. The likes of Okomfo Kwadee, Lord Kenya and Daddy Lumba are unique and will always appeal to their fans, he said. Explaining why an artiste should be respectful, Okyeame Kwame said there were a lot of benefits for an act who showed respect. Respecting others opens doors in so many ways and I have benefitted a lot from it. Individuals and corporate bodies are always willing to support you because of how respectful you are, he stated. The Rap Dacta, as he is popularly known, said being real built a strong fan base for an artiste. Just be yourself and dont lie about who you are not. Once Ghanaians identify you and love you for who you are, they will always be behind you. If you lie about your identity and pretend to be who you are not, Ghanaians will not accept you when they know the truth. For example, Shatta Wale is who he is today because everyone knows he is naughty, he said Okyeame Kwame said he still learnt from his predecessors on how they made it. I learnt from the likes of Rex Omar, Amakye Dede, Kojo Antwi and still learn from Nana Ampadu because I wanted to better my career and stay relevant for a long period of time. I still send my songs to Kojo Antwi and Amakye Dede for approval before I release them, he revealed At the end of the seminar, the up and coming musicians thanked Okyeame Kwame for the lecture and asked that it should be repeated. Source: Graphic.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 Wuhan residents and a citizen journalist at the epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic say the city is fighting a losing battle as the death toll rose on Friday to 213, with nearly 10,000 confirmed cases around the world. Of the 9,776 cases confirmed globally, 5,806 were in the central Chinese province of Hubei, of which Wuhan is the capital. Several hundred cases have now been confirmed in each of Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Henan, with Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui reporting more than 200 apiece. One death has been confirmed in Shanghai and one each in Shaanxi and Heilongjiang, with two in the southwestern province of Yunnan, according to a map of the epidemic compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Reports from inside quarantined Wuhan draw a picture of a city where normal life has been largely abandoned, where hard-pressed medical teams routinely turn away patients for lack of beds or supplies, and where the majority of infections may not even have been counted. A medical worker in Wuhan said hospitals in the city are now full of pneumonia patients, and are turning more away, meaning that they go back home and infect their families. "Many of my friends have gotten sick, but they can't get admitted to a hospital, and those who have managed it are usually private patients who can pay the bills themselves," the healthcare worker said. "We have seen the official count of confirmed cases, but a lot of people who have the coronavirus in Wuhan right now aren't getting diagnosed by the hospitals, because the government said that any coronavirus patients can get treatment at government expense," they said. "If you don't get diagnosed, then once your medical insurance runs out you have to pay the bill yourself, so a lot of hospitals won't give you a diagnosis." Pushed beyond capacity Citizen journalist Chen Qiushi, who traveled to Wuhan to report on the situation on the ground, painted a picture of a system pushed far beyond its capacity to cope. In a video posted to YouTube, Chen also said that the majority of cases would never get diagnosed or included in the official figures. "The majority of people are now confined to their homes," Chen said. "They don't even want people going outside within their residential compounds." "If there's no transportation, how are you going to get to the hospital? And when you get there, you don't get admitted. So what's the point of going to the hospital if you can't get diagnosed?" Chen said many people were walking to the hospital or riding mobikes because there weren't enough ambulances or even taxis to cope with demand. "Yesterday I went to Wuhan No. 5 Hospital. I lined up as if I was sick ... and the triage nurse said to me, you are 168th in line," he said. "There's a shortage of supplies, of masks, of protective clothing, and most importantly, of test kits," Chen said. "You can't get to see a doctor without a hospital bed, you can't get a hospital bed without a positive diagnosis, and you can't get a diagnosis without a test kit." "There's no point in lying there with all those other people if you can't get seen by a doctor. That's why so many people are just 'suspected cases' at home," he said. Chen showed video clips of rows of beds and reclining chairs with people on drips and wearing masks in the waiting room of Wuhan No. 5 Hospital's ER. "Every hospital I went to said they didn't have enough beds, that there were no available beds," he said. "Some of the people in the waiting room were in a very bad way. Some were still in their vehicle, and they had hung a drip from a nearby branch and were getting their drip right there. Some were sitting outside in the open air on the steps with a drip." He said he had already heard from police, who wanted to know where he was staying. "In my face is the coronavirus, and at my back is the entire law enforcement system of China," Chen said. "But I will carry on reporting from Wuhan for as long as I am still alive. If I'm not afraid to die, why would I fear the Communist Party?" A map showing the latest confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) in Asia. RFA Unbearable to watch Beijing-based independent journalist Gao Yu said she had the impression of "total chaos" from reading social media posts from the frontline of the epidemic, and from watching Chen's video. "There seems to be total chaos, all the way from the [ruling Chinese Communist Party] central leadership, to Hubei province, to Wuhan municipality, and all the way down to village level," Gao said. "The situation in the hospitals is unbearable to watch." Sun Ru, a resident of Wuhan, said her father had become infected after believing the initial claim from health authorities that the virus wasn't transmissible between people. "The government propaganda was saying no human-to-human transmission back then, so nobody thought they could catch it," Sun told RFA. "Now even the medical staff are catching it." Early warning given Eight people "summoned" and questioned by police on Jan. 1 for "rumor-mongering" about the virus have since been found to be doctors working at the front line of the outbreak, according to Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei. "If the public had listened to this so-called rumor at the time, and started wearing masks and disinfecting everything ... we would be in a better situation today," Wang wrote. The Supreme People's Court recently decided that no charges would be brought against them, it said via its Weibo account. "It turns out that although the new type of pneumonia is not SARS, the content published by the people concerned is not completely fabricated," the Court said. According to Chen Qiushi, Wuhan's taxi drivers were talking about a SARS-like illness in connection with the Huanan Market as early as mid-to-late December. Chen Bingzhong, former director of the China Institute of Health Education under the ministry of health, said if the doctors were listened to instead of being summoned by police and accused of spreading rumors, the epidemic might have been better controlled. "Whenever there is a major emergency, the first step [the government takes] is always to maintain stability," Chen said. "It comes before anything else." "This sort of tragedy will repeat itself unless the system is changed," he said. "Those with wealth and power look out for their own interests." Wuhan's health authorities continued to deny that the coronavirus was transmissible between humans until the beginning of this month. Reported by Woo Hoi-man, Ma Lap-hak, Qiao Long, Lau Siu-fung, Jia Ao and Gao Feng for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. In which election did a party win its highest share of the vote since the war? The answer is the European elections of 1979. The Conservatives took over 50 per cent of it. They sent to Strasbourg what was surely most pro-federalist intake of any British party ever. Members included such committed pro-Europeans as Peter Price, Bill Newton-Dunn, Tom Spencer, David Curry and Edward Heaths old friend Madron Seligman. What happened during the next half-century or so? How did the more euro-enthusiast of the two main parties become overwhelmingly euro-sceptic? And why has it come about that Britain is leaving the EU today? One version of history begins at an end of its spectrum by observing that Britains centre-right papers became increasingly hostile to the European project. It ends at the other by claiming that the EU referendum was fixed by Russian gold, sinister billionaires, dark advertising, big data and all the ephemara of Cadwalladrism. If you believe that the world is conspiracy-driven and that voters are fundamentally stupid, there is nothing we could possibly write to disabuse you. Even that truth about the change in Fleet Street should provoke discussion. What came first: the anti-federalist take of proprietors or that of voters? Which drove which? Which was the chicken and which the egg? In any event, the papers have long been a power in decline. And what about the pro-EU slant of our national broadcaster? No, the fundamental shift within the Conservative Party and among the British people is better explained by the coming-together of an old habit and a new trend. The old habit is British nationalism distilled through our history in other words, in an island that hasnt been successfully invaded for a thousand years, which has a web of ancient institutions, and in which self-government has fewer of the popular negatives that haunt it among our neighbours. The new trend is the western revolt against its elites, driven by a post-crash backlash and popular discontent with mass immigration. This was accentuated in Britain by the expenses scandal, the Iraq War, and the Government in power at the time, Tony Blairs, which spurned post-enlargement restrictions on free movement. But the tide of public opinion had shifted against the European project long before then. The original impetus was given by the EU openly becoming what it has always been: the federalist project for which those 1979 Tories yearned. Think Jacques Delors, the Maastricht Treaty, the Euro and communisms collapse. The Europe issue helped to bring down Margaret Thatcher. The putsch that removed a three-times victorious Prime Minister who was undefeated at the polls had consequences. These helped to stiffen resistance within the party to the Euro as its instinct for sovereignty intensified. Party change, voter trends and political expediency pushed David Cameron towards that referendum. But for all the move in public opinion, Leaves victory was narrow. That was largely because of that most persistent of electoral habits caution. But the aftermath of the result saw the Citizens of Nowhere, as Theresa May didnt really mean to describe them, rally against the Majority for Somewhere. One seldom saw the EU flag brandished in earnest before June 23rd, 2016. That hasnt been true since. Britains pro-EU Ascendancy had become accustomed to ruling over the best part of 50 years. Its rage against the democratic removal of what it believed it was entitled to respected few conventions. Those it broke included the neutrality of the Speaker, the apoliticality of the Supreme Court and the role of the legislature which under what this site called the Real Prime Minister, Oliver Letwin, sought to usurp the role of the executive in order ultimately to thwart the voters. Over 40 of Mays Ministers resigned over Brexit one way or the other, including a holder of a great office of state Boris Johnson, who followed David Davis out of Cabinet over the Chequers Plan. The counter-rage of voters was terrible to behold. It reduced the Conservatives to four MEPs in last years European elections, revived Nigel Farage and created the conditions for the Brexit Party, and drove Tory ratings down to 20 per cent or so. A second referendum loomed into view. We believe that the consequences would have shaken even traditionally stolid and stable Britain, in which those long-standing institutions had been buttressed over time by first-past-the-post. It seems like a dream that Boris Johnson has turned all that round in less than a year. His near-landslide last month was a demonstration of the power not of inevitability and immutable forces in history, as Marxists cling erroneously to believing, but to the force of accident and personality. This evening, some will rejoice including this Brexit-backing site and some mourn. Which you do will boil down to whether you believe Britain will be prosperous and happy as a self-governing nation, as it has been for most of its history and as most countries are today. We are with one of Johnsons first lines as Prime Minister, spoken from the podium outside Downing Street: those who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts. And as you prepare for this evening, mull how this country stands today, and how others do. France has an embedded leader, Emmanuel Macron, but also yellow jackets and brutal police, whose open thuggery wouldnt last a moment here. Germany is in transition. The endurance of its system is formidable, but the AfD has the best part of 100 Bundestag seats. Italy has Salvini, Hungary has Orban. Spain is seeing the emergence of Vox. Trump is a force from outside the Republican mainstream. In India, one of the great success stories of mass democracy since the end of colonialism, communalism is on the rise. Some on the Right cheer some of these movements; others are suspicious of all of them if not hostile. Johnsons Government stands out from them because of the combination of his majority and its flavour. The back-to-the-future explosion of Brexit apart, his Government is identifiably a sign of continuity, not rupture. It is not credible to argue that he represents a radical break from the long story of Disraeli, Baldwin, Churchill, Macmillan, Cameron and Thatcher. Though it is significant that he is repudiating her hostility to the role of the state with a commitment to its activism. If he is breaking with the inheritance of any of them, its with hers. At the cost of taking a complacent view of the world, Britain and Johnson, with their combination of recovered stability and mainstream politics, look not half bad at all compared to the alternatives (Corbynism especially). We are sometimes not sufficiently thankful for what we have even in a country with a formidable challenge to its integrity, in the form of the future of Scotland; and a mass of Just-About-Managings and downright left behinds, struggling with debt, addiction, disorderly neighbourhoods, bad schools, poor health, crime, homelessness. These are challenges for the future, as is Part Two of the Brexit negotiation. The past has shaped where we are, both good and bad. Later today, ConservativeHome will raise a glass to Britains old-but-new future. It is an image that shows life behind the lock down: a lone man, wearing a face mask, lies dead on a city pavement in deserted Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus. The photo taken by the Agence France-Presse news agency captures the grim moment officials in the Chinese city start dealing with the corpse, while decked out in hazmat suits and protective face masks. Barely a handful of passers-by witnessed the scene, despite this being a normally busy and bustling street, the agency said. It was not clear how the man who was carrying a shopping bag had died. He lay on his back in front of a closed furniture shop. Medical workers and police shrouded his body with a blanket. The ambulance left, and police stacked supermarket cardboard boxes to hide the scene. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty One of the few people standing near the scene told the agency photographer she believed he had died from the virus. Its terrible, she said. These days many people have died. Wuhan is the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, which is believed to have been transmitted from wild animals to humans at a market in the city. The virus, which emerged late last year, has claimed at least 213 lives and infected thousands in China, with at least 159 deaths in Wuhan alone. On Friday, the first cases in the UK were found, just a day after the World Health Organisation declared the crisis a global health emergency. In Wuhan itself, authorities have imposed an unprecedented lockdown, blocking off roads out of the city and banning flights, in a bid to stop the virus spreading. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines (PAL) on Friday said they have established various safety measures including placing flight crews on quarantine as the companies confirmed the flight history of the Philippines' first confirmed case of novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD). In a statement, PAL said the crew who flew the 38-year-old female Chinese national from Dumaguete to Manila on January 25 has already been placed under quarantine. The group includes two pilots and four attendants, PAL added. In a separate statement, Cebu Pacific said the aircraft used for their Hong Kong-Cebu and Cebu-Dumaguete flights were also pulled out for disinfection. Crew for both flights showed no symptoms of illnesses, Cebu Pacific noted. Both airlines said they have started tracking down the passengers of their flights who may have come in contact with the patient. We are also working to trace any onward journeys made by these passengers and crew on other flights, in case there is a need for BOQ (Bureau of Quarantine) to contact other people for precautionary medical observation, PAL said in a statement. The Health Department earlier said authorities will also trace the establishmentsincluding hotels and restaurantsthat the Chinese national visited during her trip. Cebu officials, who have begun looking for people exposed to the coronavirus patient, said the Chinese woman did not visit Cebu City and only stayed at the airport for over four hours after arriving from Hong Kong. Cebu Pacific and PAL also vowed to impose safeguard measures to allay fears of future passengers. These include aircraft disinfection, cabin air filtering, and face mask policy requirement for the flights front line crew. Several local and international airlines on Thursday said they will cancel select flight to some Chinese cities amid the continued rise of coronavirus cases around the world. READ: PAL, Cebu Pacific, others cancel flights to some Chinese cities More than 200 people have been killed by the mysterious respiratory illness in China, CNN reported Friday. Over 9,000 cases were also listed. After the Philippines confirmed its first coronavirus case, President Rodrigo Duterte issued an order to temporarily stop the entry of all nationals from Hubei province where the ground zero of the diseases outbreak is located. A s the clock ticked down to 11pm, Brexiteers and Remainers began descending on Parliament Square. Remainers brandished placards promising well be back referring to Britains potential re-entry into the Union. Brexiteer Joseph Afrane was decked out in his Union Jack suit while Remainers donned berets and waved the European Union flag. An artist was showing onlookers an unflattering portrait of Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage while an Organization called Bikers for Brexit circles the square with Union jacks attached to bikes. Pro-EU anti-Brexit protesters hold placards in Parliament Square / AFP via Getty Images Camera crews from across the globe filmed the historic scene. There were frank verbal exchanges between the opposing groups but dozens of police were in hand to patrol potential flashpoints. Brexiteers chanted we are leaving and Boris we love you held placards saying Independence Day. Nigel Farage will host the Leave Means Leave Brexit Celebration this evening. The event will also feature singalong hymns and speeches from Mr Farage, Ann Widdecombe and Julia Hartley-Brewer. A man came dressed as an undertaker / Reuters Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin and Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice are also expected to speak at the rally, which takes place between 9pm and 11.15pm. It comes as Remainers stage small protests, holding placards reading "we'll be back" and "you have destroyed my future, career and dreams". While Big Ben will remain silent, despite a high-profile campaign fuelled by Mr Johnson for repair works to be halted, the gathered crowds will count down to 11pm before rounding off the celebrations with the national anthem. Earlier in the day at Parliament Square, the civil rights group New Europeans is to host a discussion about the rights of EU citizens in the UK. This will be followed by a candlelit vigil outside Europe House on Smith Square, Westminster, in the evening. Revellers take photos with the police / PA The Government is to mark the event with a commemorative light display in Downing Street just before 11pm, with a countdown clock projected on to its black bricks from 10pm. Union Jack flags will line Parliament Square and The Mall, while Government buildings in Whitehall will be lit up in red, white and blue colours throughout the evening. Listen to today's episode of The Leader: Past Rotary District Governor Dan Ryan, far right, presents Chris Jansen, past president of Kendallville Rotary, with the Rotary International Presidential Award. Jansen is standing at right, holding a Rotary Foundation banner and the award certificate. Seated in front from left are Dave Wilson, a past Rotary district governor; Donna Wolfe, current president of Kendallville Rotary; and Joe Atz. January 2020 file photo. Ahead of the budget session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said both the Houses should concentrate on debating economic issues and focus on how the global financial scenario can best benefit India. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media at the Parliament ahead of budget session. Union parliamentary affairs ministers Pralhad Joshi, Arjun Ram Meghwal and minister of state for prime minister's office Jitendra Singh are also seen. Photograph: Arun Sharma/Arun Sharma Addressing the media before the start of the session, Modi said that he wanted a vast and qualitative discussion on financial issues in both the houses. "We all should make sure that in this session, we lay a strong foundation for this decade. This session should be focussed mainly on economic issues," he said. "Our government has emphasized the empowerment of Dalits, marginalised, oppressed, women, etc. We will continue to work for them in this decade also," he said. He said that the discussions should focus on how India can benefit from the global economic conditions. "Our aim should be to improve our economic activity and to take maximum advantage of the global environment. I want there to be good debates on both the economy and the empowerment of people. I hope that the quality of discussions gets better day by day in both houses," he said. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union budget on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and will end on April 3. GOP Senator Warns Impeachment Trial Could Continue Into Next Week Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the GOPs leadership in the Senate, warned that the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump could stretch into next week, potentially impacting Trumps State of the Union address and the Iowa caucuses. Cornyn, the second-highest-ranking Republican in the upper chamber, told reporters on Friday that he hopes that the trial ends soon. However, he added that he would guess is it probably is going to carry us over to the first part of next week, but obviously we have the Iowa caucuses on February the 3rd, and we have the State of the Union the next day. So I think for all sorts of reasons, its probably a good idea to bring this thing to a close in the near future, Cornyn remarked to reporters. His comments suggest that Trumps likely acquittal in the impeachment trial, which some expected to come Friday, may be delayed for several more days. Its unclear why. During Fridays session of the impeachment trial, senators are likely going to debate on whether to hear witnesses. Democrats have said they would like to hear from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton following a Sunday report from The New York Times that claimed Bolton wrote that Trump linked military aid to Ukraine and investigations into Democrats. House managers this week have called for more witnesses in the trial. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate, which means that Democrats need four Republicans to vote in their favor to call more witnesses. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was one of the four GOP senators Democrats were hoping to convince, but he said in a statement last night that he wouldnt vote in favor of witnesses. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) walks on his way to enter the Senate chamber in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 24, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images) Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), after Thursdays session, revealed they are in favor of calling witnesses, namely Bolton. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also said she would vote against calling witnesses, essentially ending Democrats hopes. But with Alexanders statement, Democratic leaders appeared to be crestfallen with the development. That glimmer of hope that I had a few days ago disappeared last night with Lamar Alexanders decision, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Democratic whip, told CNN on Thursday. I dont see the fourth vote thats necessary. On Friday morning, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) continued to pressure the Republicans to hear more evidence. If Republicans dont vote to call witnesses, he told reporters, Trumps likely acquittal will be meaningless. There will be a permanent asterisk next to the acquittal of President Trump, he added. Over the course of the trial, Schumer has said he needs four Republicans to break ranks. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. A public health emergency in the U.S. allows the government to tap additional resources to send to states, such as emergency funding and if necessary drugs or equipment from the national stockpile, and to suspend certain legal requirements. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said the risk to the American public currently is low. He added: I want to emphasize that this is a significant global situation and it continues to involve." There are six cases of this virus in the U.S. and 191 individuals are being monitored, Redfield said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said one reason the U.S. stepped up its quarantine measures was an alarming report from Germany that a traveler from China had spread the virus despite showing no symptoms. Fauci contrasted it with the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola, which cant be spread unless someone is very ill. Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Jessica Mann testified in a Manhattan courtroom Friday that Harvey Weinstein engaged in forced oral sex and raped her in early 2013 and alleged that she was in a twisted relationship with him because of her sexual inexperience. As Mann tearily described alleged incidents, she also made the bombshell claim that Weinstein doesnt have testicles and appeared to have a vagina, saying she thought he was intersex the first time she saw him naked. Weinstein faces charges in New York City for allegedly raping Mann, and for an alleged sexual assault on former actress Mimi Haleyi. Prosecutors have used Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorras allegation that Weinstein raped her around late 1993 to bolster their claim that Weinstein has a pattern of predatory behavior. Weinstein has maintained his innocence. He would talk very dirty to me about fantasies and things, and compare me to the other things actresses that he said were doing kinky, dirty things with him, Mann testified. He always wanted to film me. I never gave him permission. He would say, Do you like my big, fat, Jewish dick? claimed Mann, 34. The first time I saw him fully naked, she said, I thought he was deformed and intersex. He has an extreme scarring that I didnt know, maybe [he] was a burn victim He does not have testicles, and it appears that he has a vagina, she claimed, saying she had oral sex with Weinstein. As Mann claimed that he had deformed genitals, Weinstein dropped his head. He also peed on me once, she also said of Weinstein, who is 67. Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi asked Mann to describe Weinsteins hygiene. It was very bad, she said. He smelled like shit excuse me, sorry, like poop. He just was dirty. Mann entered the courtroom at 10:06 a.m. Weinstein eyed her as she walked to the witness stand. Illuzzis initial questioning was clearly meant to establish both Manns naivete and vulnerability. Mann testified that she grew up in a Washington State dairy community, that she had a turbulent family life, and was raised in a strict Christian tradition. It was a lot of cows, it smelled like poop, she said. There wasnt a lot of culture. Asked about her religious upbringing, Mann said, I would describe how I grew up [as] a cult. It was extremely religious, Evangelical. Mann moved to Los Angeles with dreams of becoming an actress at age 25. She met Weinstein at a party around early 2013, introducing herself when she saw him talking to her roommate. Later that evening, Weinstein found Mann and got her phone number. Someone reached out and he took her to Book Soup, a bookstore on Sunset Boulevard. He had told me that its important for me to understand film history if I wanted to be an actress, she said. He wanted to give me some books on the film industry. They met there and he bought her four books and one was on Alfred Hitchcock, she said. She described him as normal and he was very normal and very engaging. There were a few moments where he made like a grunting sound, and he would look at me, but I didnt know if it was a personality, or sort of an autistic-like trait, she said. At a subsequent meeting at a hotel bar, Weinstein claimed he was annoyed by people coming up to him, and asked the restaurant to bring their orders to his hotel suite. The staff brought everything upstairs, but he was not interested in finishing our food. I was hungry, she said. He started to like, undress himself a little, but you know, I just thought he was just getting comfortable, but he continued, and he walked into his bedroom, and he wanted me to go in there, and I was hesitating and he said, Let me give you a massage, take off your shirt just relax. I was like no, thats okay. I dont want a massage and this went on for a good moment and um, he made me feel stupid, like, why did I think it was such a big deal, and he said, Well if youre not going to let me give you a massage, give me a massage, she alleged. At that point, he had his shirt off and he had lotion. I started putting the lotion on his back just like very awkwardly with flat palm, stiff fingers, and smeared it around, she said. He had a lot of a lot of blackheads, and the texture of that was uncomfortable, she also said. While Mann didnt have sexual interest in him, Weinstein reached out to her and she did see him socially after the massage incident. At one party, Mann and Talita, an aspiring actress and her roommate, saw Weinstein; he asked to meet them in the hotel bar to talk about acting. It started with him saying I reminded him of his wife because I was clumsy, and she was clumsy, and he told me I was prettier than Natalie Portman, she said. He gave us criticism on both our images. He said that I needed to clear my skin up. He told Talita she needed to lose weight. He goes, You guys are perfect for this film that Im producing. Its a vampire film, and you both made perfect leads. The bar was closing and he urged them to join him upstairs. I said, Ha, ha, ha, oh no, I know what that means, she recalled, saying that Weinstein laughed at her and responded, I am a harmless old man. Weinstein was pacing. Mann and her friend are sitting on the sofa and he walked back into his room, she said. He called my name, she said, crying. Talita urged her to see what Weinstein wanted. I leaned in and I said, What do you want? she said. And then he grabbed my arm, and he pulls me around, and as hes pulling me around, he closes the door and he says to Talita, Well just be a minute. The more I fought, the angrier he got, she alleged. Weinstein then said, Let me do something for you. Im not letting you leave until I do something for you. He wouldnt tell me, she claimed. He told me to sit on the bed, and thats when he went down on me. I started to fake an orgasm to get out of it, she said. He asked me how it was, if I liked it. And uhm, I was nervous, so I told him, Oh, it was the best I ever had. I got out of there as fast as I could, she testified, saying Talita was asking, What happened? I said, We just gotta go and um, we left. I made the decision to be in a relationship with him, she later said. And part of that was because I was sexual with very few people. I entered into what I thought was going to be a real relationship with him and it was extremely degrading from that point on. Mann said she was worried about breaking off a relationship with him. I thought he was gonna hurt my father, she said, explaining, he said to me that he has guys with bats Mann was in New York with a friend who was on a business trip not long after these alleged encounters. Mann, her friend, and Talita were going to meet with Weinstein at the Doubletree Hotel on 51st Street and Lexington Avenue for a breakfast meeting. Mann was staying with her friend at this hotel. When Mann got downstairs, Weinstein was checking into the hotel. She confronted him to ask what he was doing. He pulled me aside, to the corner, and he told me not to embarrass him, she said. After Weinstein was checked in, he put his arm on her and started leading her upstairs. They started to argue in his room. He demanded that Mann get undressed. Mann tried to leave twice but he blocked the door, she alleged. Left without options, Mann said, I gave up at that point, and I undressed, and he stood over me until I was completely naked, and then he told me to lay on the bed, and once he was naked and laying on the bed, he walked into the bathroom and sort of closed the door behind him, she said. And then he came out naked and he was he got on top of me, and thats when he put himself inside of me, his penis inside of me. After the alleged rape, Mann said she went to the bathroom. Im just trying to collect myself for a minute, and I see a needle in the trash can, and I flip out, and I grab it, and I look at it, and I remember the name, because I wanted to Google it, and I was Mann started to weep at this point. It was the realization that he stabbed himself with a needle, and there has to be blood because he was inside of me I was in shock over that. Asked whether Weinstein used a condom, Mann said, No. She was asked about the needle. I do not remember the medical term, but when I Googled it, it basically implied dead-penis-type thing, she said. They walked downstairs shortly thereafter. She did not tell her friend or Talita what allegedly had happened. At breakfast, Weinstein mentioned a movie premiere; Talita and her friend urged Mann to stay another day. They went to the premiere. He wanted me to have tea with him and his daughter right after, she said. I did not do that. He was mad. As Mann testified, several people in the courtroom rows reserved for Weinsteins team laughed. Mann then described an alleged incident at The Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel, which prosecutors said was in November 2013. She was in a relationship with a pretty well known actor, and had been avoiding Weinstein. She thought she had to tell him about her relationship. I was scared to tell Harvey, but I felt I had to do it, because I wanted integrity for our relationship, Mann said of her new boyfriend, saying she didnt want Weinstein to continue to behave as he had. During the course of my relationship with Harvey, he would tell me things like rules, You can date anyone you want, but not someone in the industry. I find that disrespectful, she said. Since I was dating an actor, I was particularly concerned about the actor. We were supposed to talk And so I said to him, Harvey you know my dreams and my hopes of finding a relationship. And I want to get married. I want you to know that I met someone, that I already started a relationship that this was very important to me to protect our sexual relationship. Weinstein demanded to know who her boyfriend was. I said, Im not going to tell you. He pressed Mann: Was it a banker? Was it an investment guy? A Wall Street guy? He goes, is it an actor? And I looked down didnt say anything and he knew, she said. When she refused to answer Weinstein, his eyes darkened and she said that, he ripped me up from my chair, from the table, and he was screaming, You owe me! You owe me one more time! As Mann recalled this, she sobbed. As he was dragging me into the bedroom, I didnt fall but I was having a lot of trouble keeping my balance, he was pulling me so fast. He threw me down on the edge of the bed, and he was demanding that I take off my clothes and I was begging him, she said sobbing, her breath strained. And I said, No, please, no! He stood over me, and he said, take off your clothes again, and I said no again, Mann testified. And he said, I dont have time for games, and he lunged at me with both hands and they went into my pants and he ripped my pants so hard, and so fast off of me, that I had three scratches down each leg, from the top of my thighs to the top of my knee, she said. Only the middle scratch had dots of blood that had come up, but there were three red marks. And it hurt and stung, like a paper cut, but deeper. And I froze, and I lost my voice, and I crawled back to the pillows, and I got in a ball, and I had no strength, she continued. I remember thinking, because he had walked into the bathroom, I was hearing myself saying, run, run, pull up your pants and run. Weinstein pulled her by the ankles and put his mouth on her vagina. He then penetrated her, Mann alleged. I just remember looking at the TV, and staring at it, and then it went black. I dont know if I passed out, she said. Next, she said she was on her knees, and hes shoving his penis in my mouth. Weinstein then climaxed, she said, and came in her mouth without her permission. And it choked me, and it was so bad, and when he was done, he went and laid on the bed, and I crawled into the bathroom on my hands and knees to try to get out this taste in my mouth. And then he called me and I was scared, she said. And so I went out there after compressing my eyes with some cold water to try to hide the fact that I was crying. And he said, things like, okay now, now, you can go have your relationship and what you can do is you can bring me other girls. You can be my, what do they call it? A wing girl. Then he apologized to me, she continued, recalling he said, So sorry about earlier, I just find you so attractive, I couldnt resist. And then he would want me to answer him that were friends. Right yes, were friends. Yes, were friends she said. Mann testified that she did have sporadic contact with Weinstein after this alleged incident, and had a consensual encounter with him in 2016. As the sloppily besuited Weinstein left court for the day, Vulture asked whether Manns description of his body was accurate. Yeah, perfect, he groused. Here is what #HarveyWeinstein had to say when asked if #jessicamann's description of yr body accurate: pic.twitter.com/jdT2JDK7ZI Victoria Bekiempis (@vicbekiempis) January 31, 2020 Update, February 24: Harvey Weinsteins verdict has been announced. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will campaign in the capital on February 3 and 4. However, it is not known presently whether the Congress leaders will participate in the roadshow or a public rally. Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally in the Shastri Park area on February 5. The seniormost party leader hence will join the Delhi poll campaign on the penultimate day of campaigning, when the canvassing by different candidates will be at its peak. Congress, which lost Delhi to the AAP in 2013, after ruling the union territory for fifteen years and faced a massive drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, is so far lagging on the campaign trail with its rival parties already hitting the field with senior leaders. Voting for Delhi assembly is scheduled to take place on February 8 whereas the results will be announced on February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Axios Democratic leaders have found a mechanism to enable them to bypass an initial Republican filibuster and debate the party's sweeping elections reform bills, according to a new leadership memo obtained by Axios.Why it matters: The strategy is the latest example of how Democrats are seeking new ways to try to bypass Senate procedures that are blocking their agenda. But the ultimate outcome will likely be the same: insufficient support to change the 60-vote threshold needed to pass sweeping voting r Senate Bill 50 is dead. Or is it? That question hovered over the California state Legislature the past two days while Sen. Scott Wieners bill to allow mid-rise apartments and condominiums near transit stops made its way to a final floor vote. The bill was voted down Wednesday only to be brought back for another unsuccessful vote Thursday. In the end, after failing to muster a majority, Toni Atkins, the Senate president pro tem, gave a speech in which she declared that even though the bill is now gone, something like it will pass this year and called on senators to step up and hash out a compromise. The final vote capped one of the most dramatic Senate sessions in recent years. During a two-hour debate Wednesday, lawmakers alternated between statements about the gravity of Californias housing crisis and a reluctance to upend the states governance and low-density roots. One senator would talk about homelessness and three-hour supercommutes. The next would talk about the right of localities to set zoning policy. Virtually everyone in attendance agreed that something significant had to be done to ease Californias housing troubles, but, in an indication of just how conflicted the Legislature was about how to get there, one of the bills co-sponsors said the bill made him uncomfortable; another senator said she was voting for it despite opposition from cities in her district. Yet another, voting no, said that if the bill failed he wanted Wiener to simply reintroduce it so the debate would continue. The only thing that folks agree on is that we need housing, said Sen. Andreas Borgeas, R-Fresno, who voted against it. How we get there, everyone has a different theory. Throughout the session, opponents thanked Wiener, D-San Francisco, for forcing a tough debate. Where that debate goes is unclear. That it will continue is guaranteed. This is not the end of the story, Atkins said. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said he supported the bills intent but never endorsed it, followed up with his own statement in favor of new legislation to replace it: Californias housing affordability crisis demands our state pass a historic housing production bill. And Wiener tweeted that he had introduced two placeholder housing bills the details of which are to be determined. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. PARIS Airbus will pay $4 billion in fines to settle a lengthy global corruption investigation, a French court announced Friday, removing a legal cloud over the worlds largest plane maker as it seeks to keep ahead of its rival Boeing after the grounding of Boeings 737 Max plane. The settlement with the authorities in France, Britain and the United States closes four years of investigations into accusations that Airbus, between 2004 and 2016, used intermediaries to bribe public officials in numerous countries to buy its planes and satellites. The episode had tarnished the companys reputation and forced it to make sweeping changes to top management. It also allows Airbus to avoid criminal charges that, if proved, could have crippled its business by prohibiting the company from seeking public contracts in Europe and the United States. Airbus will be subject to three years of light compliance monitoring in France, the nations anticorruption agency said Friday. In reaching this agreement today, we are helping Airbus turn the page, said the French prosecutor, Jean-Francois Bohnert. The company can now serenely look to its economic future. The Poltava Court of Appeal decided to satisfy the appeals and resumed consideration of the case against Kharkiv Mayor Hennady Kernes, which concerns the beating of protesters in January 2014. The website of the Office of the Prosecutor General reports. Now the indictment in the specified criminal proceedings is directed to a new judicial review. The prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General have obtained in court the resumption of the prosecution of one of the current mayors. Recall, the Poltava court closed the criminal proceedings on charges of the mayor and his guards, in connection with the alleged refusal of the prosecution to maintain the state prosecution. It should be noted that the court, making such a decision, unlawfully interpreted the absence of prosecutors of the General Prosecutors Office of Ukraine in the summer of 2018 for unknown reasons at the hearing as an actual refusal to charge. As we reported earlier, Kyiv District Court in Poltava ordered to close the criminal proceeding on Hennady Kernes, Kharkivs Mayor, and on his safeguards Vitaly Blinnyk and Yevgen Smitsky As the judge explained, the reason for such decision was the prosecutors refusal to support the prosecution on the case and participation in the trial debates which is considered as a refusal from the prosecution. Kernes with accomplices was accused of kidnapping, torturing and threatening to kill Kharkiv EuroMaidan activists Oleksandr Kutyanin and Serhiy Ryapolov. SALEM, Ore. The family of a Medford man has filed a lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) after he gradually sickened and died while serving time at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. Michael Thomas Barton was 54 years old in April of 2017 when he was convicted for robbing the Wells Fargo bank on Riverside Avenue in Medford. Less than a month prior to the bank robbery, Barton had been arrested for allegedly eluding a police officer during a traffic stop while under the influence of intoxicants. Following his conviction, a judge sentenced Barton to 70 months in prison almost six years minus time served in jail. Barton was delivered to the DOC, eventually becoming an inmate of the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem. In January of 2018, Barton fell ill. The sickness continued for weeks, until Barton lost consciousness and was finally rushed to a Salem hospital on February 5. He died the next day of organ failure. Barton was scheduled to be released on November 1, 2020, according to the suit filed by his family. More than a year later, Barton's case became the subject of a report by Disability Rights Oregon (DRO), a nonprofit law firm that advocates for people with disabilities. Nine months after Barton's death, DRO said that it was contacted by two people who witnessed the events leading up to his demise. One of the witnesses was a DOC employee, while the other was an "inmate helper." Those complaints prompted DRO to launch an investigation into Barton's death, interviewing additional witnesses and looking through DOC records. He was 54-years old when he died. His name was Michael Barton. Everyone deserves access to lifesaving healthcare. Everyone deserves compassion. Mr. Barton didn't get it. Read our investigation & SHARE: https://t.co/taYIgnBESG #MentalHealthRights #DisabilityRights pic.twitter.com/r3z56o1Gce DisabilityRtsOR (@DisabilityRtsOR) July 22, 2019 According to both DRO and Barton's family, the Medford man suffered from a variety of mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder and growing signs of dementia conditions that likely contributed to a lack of medical treatment from prison staff even as his symptoms continued to worsen. "He died because his mental illness and dementia led nursing and medical staff to ignore his true condition and dismiss his ever more desperate complains and symptoms as manipulative malingering," the DRO report concluded. By the time Barton lost consciousness as he was being wheeled to the infirmary on February 5 and was finally rushed to the hospital, the investigation found that it was already too late. "Four liters of infected pus and fluid were removed from his chest cavity to treat an infection causing a collapsed lung," DRO said. The organ failure that ultimately caused Barton's death was the result of a "massive" staph infection. Barton's brother Stephen Brown filed suit against the DOC and individual officials on January 24, alleging negligence and "reckless and outrageous indifference" on the part of prison staff who failed to properly seek or apply treatment. The suit requests a judgment of $15 million. According to the suit, a DOC post-mortem on Barton's case was completed within days of his death. It concluded that Barton had shown consistently abnormal vital signs after he was first diagnosed with pneumonia, and that "more and earlier intervention on multiple visits with multiple staff" may have kept him alive. "We have consistently found that many of the people who suffer most profoundly [in jail or prison] have mental health needs, cognitive disabilities, or other substantial healthcare needs," DRO said in a summary of its investigation. "[Our report] reveals a cascade of systemic failures that led to the death of Mr. Barton, an individual who might still be alive but for well-known disabilities that impaired his ability to navigate the medical system that was responsible for his care at the Oregon State Penitentiary." The Associated Press reports that prison officials have declined to comment on the lawsuit or the DRO investigation, citing the pending litigation. Northern Ireland has faced many historic moments over recent decades and tonight will be another one of those landmarks. At 11pm the United Kingdom will officially leave the European Union. Over three and a half years have passed since people across the UK voted in the largest democratic exercise we have seen in living memory. Since that time, the rhetoric from all sides of the debate has been divisive and common ground has not always been easily found. It has been a period of great uncertainty, but following last December's General Election result it became clear that the Prime Minister's Withdrawal Agreement would see the UK leave today. There is not now any debate on whether the UK should or will leave the European Union. That is happening and the focus should be on securing the very best outcome for Northern Ireland as we move forward. Securing that best deal was the basis for the letter which the then Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness and I sent to the then Prime Minister in August 2016. I am pleased there are once again ministers from all parties at Stormont, and we must work collectively if we are to mitigate the challenges Northern Ireland faces. As a unionist I recognise the importance of maintaining relationships and trade across the border with the Irish Republic. However, there was an almost singular focus on this cross-border dynamic over the last three years whilst our trade on an East-West basis was almost ignored. In alleviating many of the predicted problems for trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic, they have instead been transferred to our single largest market. Northern Ireland trades more with the rest of the UK than we do with the rest of the world combined and obstacles to that trade will have a real impact on businesses and on people's lives here. There is a challenge to many of those in political life and in wider civic society whose voices were raised so loudly in support of maintaining frictionless trade across our land border. They were right to raise those concerns, but they must also step up and use their voices in support of ensuring Northern Ireland has the access it needs within the United Kingdom's single market. There are many different political viewpoints in Northern Ireland and each of us will have different constitutional aspirations. However, what we can unite together on are issues which are in the common good of everyone in Northern Ireland. Our economic wellbeing must be one of those issues upon which we can all unite. I am disappointed that we will not leave the European Union on the same terms as the rest of the UK. We must look forward, however, and work collectively on the challenges which face us and seize the opportunities presented. Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Rwanda will mark Heroes Day on Saturday, an annual event to pay tribute to people who defended the highest values of patriotism and sacrifice for the well-being of the country and its citizens MTN says it will soon compensate its customers for the data challenges they experienced last week. Customers of the network from Thursday, January 16th to Saturday, January 18th, took to social media and other platforms to complain incessantly about their inability to access data services. MTN in an earlier statement attributed the problem to a double undersea fibre optic cable cut in Europe which affected six Operators in six West African Countries and beyond. Responding to calls for compensation by the Consumer Rights Protection Agency, Sam Koranteng, the Corporate Services Executive at MTN, told Citi Business News that efforts were underway to ensure that all concerns of customers are addressed. What is it is that, at MTN, when our subscribers have gone through some discomfort and challenges with the service, we make it a point to compensate them. As we are back and running on our normal routine, we are internally having that discussion and very soon we would come out with an inconvenience package for our subscribers. I am sure we should be coming out with something for our subscribers soon, he said. Earlier on 19th January, 2020, the telecommunications giant announced that it had fully resolved the data connectivity challenges. It tweeted a message assuring that Ghana is fully restored. MTN in an earlier statement attributed the challenges over the last two days to a double undersea fibre optic cable cut in Europe which affected six Operators in six West African Countries and beyond. The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is in the Atlantic Ocean and connects many other African countries to Europe, according to Openserve, a unit of Telkom SA SOC Ltd. Other countries across the coast of West, Central and southern Africa also suffered slow internet connectivity issues since last Thursday. 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 By Laman Ismayilova Moscow will host the 11th International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival on March 27-31. The five-day festival will take place in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, bringing together world-famous music bands and ensembles from Russia and Europe. The festival will culminate with a performance of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liege. International Mstislav Rostropovich Festival has been held annually 2010 since. The artistic director of the festival is Olga Rostropovich. Born in Baku, Mstislav Rostropovich was internationally recognized as a staunch advocate of human rights. He was awarded the 1974 Award of the International League of Human Rights. Rostropovich was a huge influence on the younger generation of cellists. Many have openly acknowledged their debt to his example. In the Daily Telegraph, Julian Lloyd Webber called him "probably the greatest cellist of all time." He inspired and premiered over 100 pieces and formed long-standing artistic partnerships with such prominent composers as Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, Henri Dutilleux, Witold Lutoslawski, Olivier Messiaen, Luciano Berio, Krzysztof Penderecki, Alfred Schnittke, Norbert Moret, Andreas Makris and Benjamin Britten. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he has become one of the leading conductors of the West. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya, who was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1966. They performed together regularly. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The teachers strike on Tuesday is expected to close at least 40 more schools than originally feared. Scoil Bride in Clondalkin, Dublin is among those advising parents that they cannot open because of the large number of members of striking union, the Teachers union of Ireland (TUI), on their staff. Following a board meeting last night, the 960-pupil all-girls school sent a text message to parents asking them not to send their daughter to school on Tuesday. The board states that because of the strike it will not be in a position to discharge its responsibilities with regard to the care of students in its charge. The absence of teachers does not only mean lessons have to be cancelled, but has implications for health and safety because of a schools wider responsibilities around supervision of students. The spread of the disruption could bring to about 400 the number of second-level schools that will not be open, forcing up to 200,000 pupils to stay at home. Expand Close The teachers strike on Tuesday is expected to close at least 40 more schools than originally feared / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The teachers strike on Tuesday is expected to close at least 40 more schools than originally feared The TUIs recent announcement of a one-day stoppage left up to half the schools in the country- where the TUI is the sole or dominant union with no option other than to close. These are schools in the education and training boards (ETB) sector, and also the overwhelming majority of community and comprehensive schools. There was uncertainty about the 380 schools in the voluntary secondary sector those traditionally run by the religious as well as the growing number under the patronage of Educate Together. In most of these schools, the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI) is the sole or dominant union representing members, who are not involved in the strike. However, the ASTI has directed its members not to cover for striking TUI colleagues and not to co-operate with any changes in the timetable designed to get around their absence. Schools in the voluntary secondary sector have been assessing their situation this week and, where necessary, have held board of management meetings to decide whether they can open. The TUI stoppage is part of its campaign to end two-tier pay scales. It will also hit colleges of further and adult education and institutes of technology, and overall 19,000 members 1,100 workplaces will stop work for the day. While much progress has been in restoring cuts made in the austerity era, under current arrangements, teachers employed after January 1, 2011 would still earn 110,000 less than longer-serving colleagues over the course of a career. About half of that loss would be in in the first 10 years of their career when key life choices are made. Pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square, London, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union, ending 47 years of close and sometimes uncomfortable ties to Brussels. The UK has left the European Union, bringing to an end almost half a century as a member of the Brussels club. Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledged there could be bumps in the road as the country enters a new era, but he insisted that Brexit can unleash the full potential of the UK. Mr Johnson accepted there would be mixed feelings in a nation that remains deeply divided after years of bitter Brexit battles. For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come, he said. And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. The UK joined the then European Economic Community in 1973 but the 2016 referendum signalled the beginning of the process which resulted in Britains membership of the bloc coming to an end at 11pm on Friday. Mr Johnson said his job was now to bring this country together. Tonight we are leaving the European Union. pic.twitter.com/zZBsrf4BLe Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 31, 2020 We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation between the EU and an energetic Britain, a Britain that is simultaneously a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions, he said. And whatever the bumps in the road ahead I know that we will succeed. On a day filled with symbolic moments: The Union flag was removed from the European Union institutions in Brussels The Cabinet met in Sunderland, the first city to declare in favour of Brexit when the 2016 results were announced A light show illuminated 10 Downing Street and Union flags lined The Mall The White Cliffs of Dover formed the backdrop for pro-EU messages A 50p coin to mark the occasion entered circulation. Expand Close A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square, London (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square, London (Jonathan Brady/PA) There will only be minimal changes as the deal negotiated by the UK and EU keeps Britain aligned with EU rules for the rest of the year. But attention has already turned to the next set of talks aimed at securing the future relationship which will apply from January 1, 2021. And Mr Johnson has been clear he also wants to strike deals with countries around the world notably Donald Trumps USA. Brussels is pessimistic about the 11-month timetable for reaching a deal and made clear that Britain will have to accept worse terms and conditions for trade than if it were still a member of the EU. Expand Close Pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square, London (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square, London (Jonathan Brady/PA) European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership. Senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove acknowledged the trade-offs that would have to be made in any deal. We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear, you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules, if you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures, he told the BBC. Mr Gove said there will be some regulations that will differ in Britain so that may mean that when it comes to trading with Europe there are some bureaucratic processes there that arent there now. The Daily Telegraph reported that Mr Johnson is prepared to impose full customs and border checks on all European goods entering the UK in an effort to create leverage in the negotiations with Brussels. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) As the Cabinet gathered in Sunderland, car giant Nissan which has a major plant in the city called for clarity from the Government about its plans and urged both the UK and EU to secure an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade. The Prime Minister hosted a reception in Number 10 for senior ministers, officials and supporters of Vote Leave who quaffed English sparkling wine while a countdown clock beamed onto the building ticked down the minutes until 11pm. Nigel Farage told cheering crowds at the Brexit celebration rally in Parliament Square: We did it. We transformed the landscape of our country. There are some that say we shouldnt celebrate tonight, but we are going to celebrate tonight. Expand Close Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square (Jonathan Brady/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square (Jonathan Brady/PA) He added: The people have beaten the establishment. The real winner tonight is democracy. And I am someone who believes we should be pro-Europe, but not the European Union. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, rallies and candlelit vigils took place as activists sought to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland. Expand Close Pro-EU campaigners take part in a Missing EU Already rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pro-EU campaigners take part in a Missing EU Already rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh (Jane Barlow/PA) In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. In Cardiff, First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales would remain a proudly European nation. Meanwhile leaders across Europe gave their reactions to the first country leaving the EU. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Brexit was a deep break for us all and warned the negotiations will certainly not be easy. French President Emmanuel Macron said Brexit was an alarm signal for the EU and hit out at the lies, exaggerations, simplifications that led to the Leave vote. Switch the Market flag Open the menu and switch the Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. for targeted data from your country of choice. The estimated costs for Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter Schools planned new building in Bethlehem Township have jumped 59% to $80 million. The K-12 charter school wants to relocate to a new three-story, 200,000-square-foot school it hopes to build east of Butztown Road on farmland abutting Route 22. The project was estimated to cost $50.4 million, but public bidding requirements mean the total project price has jumped significantly, said Susan Mauser, school CEO. On Thursday evening, the Bethlehem Area School Board held its second public hearing on LVAs request for a new five-year charter so it can move out of a Hanover Township, Northampton County, office park into a normal school building with an auditorium, gym and open space for students. The new school and the 55-acre land purchase are estimated to cost $73 million. The total rises to almost $80 million when the costs of paying the current lease and financing costs during construction are included, Mauser explained, noting theyre very conservative estimates. Our financial projections show we can afford it, Mauser said. Charter schools are independent public schools funded by taxpayer dollars funneled from each enrolled students home district. Lehigh Valley Academy currently enrolls about 1,800 students from 17 districts across the Lehigh Valley, but the majority -- about 1,035 students -- come from the Bethlehem Area School District. School district parents attending Thursdays meeting questioned whether a new school is the best use of limited public educational dollars, with many balking at the price tag. The Bethlehem Area School District expects to spend about $30 million on charter school tuition this year. This does not seem to be an investment in all of our children," said Mike Fraboni. District parent Jane Berger said she is worried by the idea of the district approving a new application and making a humongous commitment to a new school with an unknown price tag. Will Bethlehem be able to sustain its facilities and educational programming for all the children who dont win the lottery and get into LVA, she questioned. What if something goes wrong? she queried. LVA solicitor Kevin McKenna emphasized that the authorizing school district is not responsible for any debt that a charter school takes on, even if a school were to default, according to the state law governing charters. Mauser noted the charter schools tuition payments are based upon a school districts costs to educate its own students, not LVAs bond payments. LVA parent Gina Brockway said the hearing was not about the district handing over $80 million to the charter school. Every year her family reviews its school choice decision and decides to keep sending their daughter to LVA. They are teaching her to think outside the box and think globally, Brockway said. It is a wonderful community and it is a wonderful education our daughter is receiving. Other charter school parents spoke about the importance of school choice and the amazing educational opportunities the school affords their children. But they expressed disappointment with the schools location in retrofitted office space. Looking around at the East Hills Middle School auditorium, LVA parent Mike Rulli could only say, Wow. Theres nothing like that at LVAs building. The school has to rent gym and auditorium space each year. But all of the Bethlehem school district schools have beautiful facilities, Rulli said. They all have better facilities, Rulli said. They all have better gymnasiums. Bethlehem school district parent Jessica Hancz said her son attends East Hills and it looks exactly the same as when she attended it. If LVA parents are impressed by the districts facilities, they should come back. Our doors are always open without a lottery system to get in. We would be glad to take and have anybody that would like to be here," Hancz said. "We never close our doors to anybody. The school opted to request a new charter that takes it beyond the projected opening of its new building in 2023, rather than asking its chartering school districts -- Bethlehem Area and Saucon Valley -- for a modification to its existing charter. LVA didnt want to go through a renewal in the middle of construction and the new application gives them the option to appeal to the state Charter Appeal Board if the request is denied. The bulk of the school districts review of the application focused on concerns surrounding the cost of the new building, LVAs ability to make 35 years of debt service payments and the safety of the roads surrounding the new school. The charter schools current landlord -- PennCap Properties -- is willing to sell LVA its current facility along with space for a new gym and green space for $45.8 million, said Stacy M. Gober, the districts chief financial officer. This proposal would fix the lease cost, within budget projections, as the desired forever home at their current location, Gober said. (The current space) really doesnt meet the needs of our students long term, Mauser said. LVA is not looking at drastically scaling back its school plans. The proposed new building is only 40,000-square-feet larger than Bethlehems new Nitschmann Middle School, which cost $55.5 million, and will educate three times as many students, Mauser said. The school is considering making the auditorium an alternate bid and it is cognizant of the materials it picks and using every square-inch appropriately, she said. The existing facility currently costs LVA $4.4 million -- a figure that includes everything from rent to food service costs -- while the new school would cost about $6.2 million annually. By 2023-24, the school projects it would cost it $5.9 million to maintain its current facility plus $4.1 million to add more needed space, according to figures provided by the charter school. LVA parent and former board of trustee member Jennifer Pagliaroli said she can assure the district all of the what ifs have been considered. Nothing is taken lightly, Pagliaroli said. Nothing is done in a rush. The school board did not vote on the new charter application Thursday. LVA has until Feb. 12 to file a concluding document with the school board and then the district is scheduled to vote on the request Feb. 24. The charter also needs the approval of the Saucon Valley. TEHRAN, Iran, Jan.31 Trend: Iran's export foreign currency revenue return was $20 billion that include two third of revenues from export, said Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade. "The production in past ten months of current Iranian year (started March 21, 2019) had considerable growth," said Reza Rahmani, Trend reports citing IRNA. The Central Bank of Iran(CBI) policy to create balance in foreign currency market has obligated countrys exporters to return their foreign currency revenues into NIMA system (Iran's Forex Management Integrated System) and the countrys economy. "The production of clothing sector increased 20 percent, while food industries and medicine increased 15 and 31 percent," Rahmani said. "Production of steel products in past nine months have increase 6 percent comparing to last Iranian year (started March 21, 2018) while production of raw steel had 6.5 percent growth," the minister said. "Production of vegetable oil in current Iranian year increased 9 percent, and cement had 11 percent growth," Rahman added. "Despite re-impose of sanction against graphite electrode, Iran steel sector has reached self-sufficiency and is ready to operate graphite electrode montage production line," he said. "The country has increased domestic production of heavy tires from 30 to 55 percent, while it plans to construct 4 production units that would create surplus production," said the minister. Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (C) pose with (L-R) Princess Martha Louise of Norway, Harald V of Norway, Queen Sonja of Norway, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway and Princess Astrid of Norway ahead of a dinner at the Royal Palace on day 3 of their visit to Sweden and Norway on February 1, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images) US President Donald Trump, Queen Elizabeth II, Melania Trump, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, attended a state banquet at Buckingham Palace (Jeff Gilbert/Daily Telegraph/PA) The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania at Winfield House, the residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the UK, in Regent's Park, London: Chris Jackson/PA Wire Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles during a dinner at the Royal Palace with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on day 3 of their visit to Sweden and Norway on February 1, 2018 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Chris Jackson - Pool/Getty Images) The royal family has been facing its own Megxit crisis, but life post-Brexit for the Windsors will mean their roles as ambassadors, charged with maintaining and strengthening ties to Europe and beyond, will be more crucial than ever. Using their brand of soft diplomacy, the royals' all important overseas tours, undertaken at the request of the Foreign Office, will be key opportunities to launch a charm offensive on behalf of the UK. And nothing quite matches the allure of a state visit to the UK, with pomp and ceremony, a stay in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, an opulent state banquet and the chance to spend some one-on-one time with the Queen, as a way of building bridges with foreign leaders. With the Queen, 93, no longer carrying out overseas visits and the Duke of Edinburgh having retired, Brexit diplomacy trips fall to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Firm will no longer be able to call on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to share the burden of overseas tours. Harry and Meghan had pledged to focus on the Commonwealth in their royal duties, but now are quitting the monarchy for a life of personal and financial freedom, mostly in Canada. The Duke of York is also out of the picture following his disastrous Newsnight interview about the Epstein scandal. But the monarch's other children the Earl of Wessex, along with Edward's wife the Countess of Wessex, and the Princess Royal will continue their own less high profile overseas trips. Expand Close The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania at Winfield House, the residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the UK, in Regent's Park, London: Chris Jackson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall with US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania at Winfield House, the residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the UK, in Regent's Park, London: Chris Jackson/PA Wire In the run up to and following the triggering of Article 50 in March 2017, the start of the UK's formal withdrawal from the EU, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate carried out a string of official visits to the continent. William and Kate visited France, took their children to Germany and Poland, and also journeyed to Belgium, and the duke made a solo trip to Finland, followed by visits to Sweden and Norway with Kate in 2018. Video of the Day Heir to the throne Charles was on a nine-day tour to Austria, Italy and Romania when Article 50 was triggered. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said at the time: "Royal visits play a very important role in the United Kingdom's bilateral diplomacy. "The Royal Family are excellent and experienced ambassadors for the United Kingdom. "Whilst every royal visit is unique, each visit is designed to support foreign policy objectives and promote closer ties across a range of areas, for example cultural, economic or political, between the UK and the host country." Incoming state visits to the UK in recent years have included King of Spain King Felipe VI, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and US President Donald Trump. In the spring, the Queen will welcome Emperor Naruhito of Japan to Windsor Castle for an official state visit. In her Christmas Day address, the monarch acknowledged the "bumpy" path her family and the country has faced during the past 12 months. Following a year of bitter debates in Parliament and the country over leaving the bloc, she said the Christmas message of peace and goodwill still had relevance and was a reminder of what can be achieved when people abandon their differences and "come together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation". KYIV, Ukraine Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that the Trump administration was committed to supporting Ukraine in its defense against aggression by Russia, which invaded and annexed part of the country and is supporting a separatist insurgency. Today Im here with a clear message: The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one, Pompeo said after meeting with Ukraines leader in Kyiv. Our commitment to support it will not waver. His visit, in which he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was aimed at calming unease among Ukrainian officials about the relationship between Washington and Kyiv, which has been thrust into the spotlight because of the impeachment of President Trump based on charges of abuse of power and obstruction over the presidents actions on Ukraine. Zelensky said they talked about new steps to strengthen the partnership between the two nations. I dont think these friendly and warm relations have been influenced by the impeachment trial of the president, Zelensky said at a news conference with Pompeo. While the two officials offered reassurances that relations were strong, Pompeo did not give Zelensky one thing he has sought since his election in April: an invitation to meet Trump at the White House, which would be an important signal to Russia of U.S. support for Ukraine. Pompeos message that Trump was not ready to receive Zelensky at the White House was a blow to the Ukrainian presidents national security efforts. Evidence that Trump had earlier demanded, in return for such a visit, that Ukraine announce the start of an investigation that could benefit him, became an important part of the impeachment inquiry. In response to a question Friday, Pompeo said a White House visit by Zelensky was not dependent on the kind of investigation that Trump had sought. Ukrainian officials are angry that the Americans have granted Russias foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, two visits with Trump in the White House, most recently in December. Pompeo was the first official from Trumps Cabinet to meet with Zelenskiy since the impeachment inquiry began in the fall. Trump met briefly with the Ukrainian leader Sept. 25 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York the day after Democrats in the House of Representatives announced the opening of the inquiry. The Democrats move was prompted by a formal complaint filed by a CIA whistle-blower who said that Trump had pressed Zelenskiy in a July 25 call for political favors at the same time he was withholding from Ukraine $391 million of military aid mandated by Congress. Edward Wong is a New York Times writer. It comes after 500 officers were sworn in last week to patrol the subways and commuter rails Mass protests against New York City police officers, organized by a far-left Antifa group, have begun. The group, known as Decolonize This Place, says its organizing the demonstration not just against police presence in the subway system but also in protest of train fares. Photos shows glue being poured over subway turnstiles, doors being held open with zip ties and vandalism on the walls of stations. A main protest will take place at Grand Central Station in midtown at 5pm. An Antifa group has planned a rally protesting police presence in the subway system and the $2.75 fare to ride the trains. Pictured: New York City police patrol a subway station, on New Year's Eve, December 2019 Videos and photos have been posted of protesters pouring glue over subway turnstiles (left) and banners saying 'F**k your $2.75 fare (right) Decolonize This Place, posted a video to Twitter on Tuesday saying it was planning a demonstration for 'J31,' or Friday, January 31. 'We encourage you to link up with your friends, your family, and think of the ways you can move in affinity to build, and f**k s**t up on J31 all day long,' a masked man with a disguised voice says on the Twitter video. 'The mood for J31 is simple: F**k your $2.75. No cops in the MTA, free transit, no harassment period, and full accessibility.' An organizer reportedly told Patch that the march will also contain art and music, although details remain unclear. The tweet has been viewed more than 316,000 times and liked more than 1,300 times as of Friday morning. It's gotten attention from some celebrity figures including President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr. In response to the group's message to 'f**k s**t up', Trump Jr tweeted: 'Too late... The New York's mayor has been doing that for years now.' A New York Police Department told DailyMail.com's in a statement that it is 'aware of the demonstration and will have an adequate police presence in place.' The Police Benevolent Association of New York City also issued its warning in response to the video. It comes after 500 New York City officers were sworn in to patrol the subways and commuter rails last week. Pictured: Tweet about the rally The tweet had gotten attention from some celebrity figures including President Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr (above) Photos emerged of people using violin strings and zip ties to hold subway gates open so people could ride the train for free (left and right) 'New Yorkers should pay close attention: this is true endgame of the anti-police movement, an end of all policing & destruction of public order,' the tweet read. 'Our members have spent their careers - and in some cases given their lives - to bring public safety back to NYC. We can't go backwards.' The protest come just one week after 500 officers meant to patrol New York City transit, the Long Island Raiload and Metro-North were sworn in. Critics blasted the movement saying there was a rise in subway arrests, particularly of minority groups. Decolonize This Place posted on Facebook that adding the officers was 'a declaration of war against our communities. That money should not be invested in the harassing and brutalizing of Black and brown folks. It should go toward making the MTA free, well maintained, and accessible to all. With Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski announcing that they will vote against calling witnesses, the Senates impeachment proceeding nears an end. I thought they might actually vote tonight and bring the farce to a merciful conclusion, but apparently that isnt happening. The New York Post offers a bipartisan explanation, but I suspect that part of what is going on is that the Democrats hope to extend the process beyond President Trumps State of the Union speech on Tuesday. Why? Why not? As the final vote approaches, we are reminded that the presidents acquittal in the Senate was always a foregone conclusion. It has never been clear how the Democrats will avoid looking silly when their scheme inevitably falls far short. I think a plurality of voters already believe the whole impeachment process has been a waste of time, and that conclusion will only become stronger when it ends in failure. Our long national nightmare is about to end. Unless youre a Democrat. UPDATE: As expected, the Senate voted against calling witnesses, 51-49. Legislation has been introduced in Utah to permit recall of a sitting senator. For most of her life, Mueda Nawanat only knew an existence without a nationality. Her parents, from Karen State in Myanmar, fled to Thailand because of civil war. They arrived as refugees without papers or passports, so when Mueda was born, she was officially stateless. Under international human rights law, the right to a nationality is a fundamental human right. Growing up stateless, and as part of a minority group, Mueda was denied her basic rights. She was unable to access healthcare, she could not travel outside of her village, and her education was limited. Although she completed high school, she was not entitled to a diploma, required to enter university. "Many of my friends, as well as the teachers in the school, called me alien," she recalls. "I felt that it was not true. I am human. I have a strong thinking that I belong to this country, Thailand. I was born here and I grew up here. And I really do love this country." The path to a nationality Mueda decided she could not stay silent, and at the age of 12, she began an endeavour to learn about her rights and to put them into action. At every opportunity she could find, she joined meetings of local rights organisations, or took part in events organised by local authorities or government representatives. Learning all about international human rights laws and conventions, Mueda was driven forward: "I learned about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It says all humans are equal. I said again, "I am human." There is also the Convention on the Rights of the Child. I was a child at the time, so I deserved the same rights as other children." With this knowledge and her own voice and experience, Mueda spoke up. The strength of her advocacy helped pass Article 23 in Thailand's 2008 Nationality Act, meaning that people born in Thailand before 1992 could now apply for citizenship. Mueda herself officially became a Thai citizen in 2008. She was 21. Fighting for citizenship and land rights for the Karen minority Now working as a human rights lawyer, Mueda has helped many other stateless people from the Karen community apply for Thai citizenship. "My one dream has come true," she says. "When I was stateless, I made a goal that I want to study law because the law is the key thing that can solve the problem." Another of her battles is for the Karen community's land rights. As an employee of Earth Rights International, she is advocating against a proposal for a large hydro dam being built in a national park land where her community lives. As a stateless minority, many in her community are being asked to leave. "Most Karen people don't have a land title," she states. "So we have no right to say that we belong here, even if we have been here for years. The law doesn't support our rights." Mueda along with other young people from her community are currently in an ongoing battle with the authorities: "We demand that the Thai government protects us. They need to see us as human beings, as Thai citizens." Becoming a UN Human Rights Minority Fellow Mueda recently joined UN Human Rights' Minorities Fellowship Programme, a training programme for human rights and minority rights defenders belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities. "Through the Fellowship, I've been able to learn from other people who have now become my friends," she says. "I learn how they fight and advocate, and this gives me inspiration to go back to Thailand and work hard for my minority." She says she will take back her knowledge on human rights mechanisms to Thailand to continue fighting for her people. "Human rights are part of my life," she concludes. "All human beings should have equal rights. I always support the message that no human is illegal. If you respect that, and you count all people as human, then you live in a more peaceful society." Disclaimer: The views, information and opinions expressed in this article are those of the persons featured in the story and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 31 January 2020 ~ There is no policy and or legislation for the towing of vehicles. ~ PHILIPSBURG: --- A young mother and teacher of one of the islands high schools remain terrified from the experience she had with a tow truck driver. Humera Alam told SMN News that in February 2018 she parked her vehicle on Emma Plein across from Jump Up Casino and went to a coffee lounge with her then three-month-old baby and her mother who was visiting the island. Alam said upon her return where her vehicle was parked, she could not find the vehicle and had to walk to the police station to see if the police ordered her vehicle towed. Alam said when she reached the police station, the police did not know who towed her vehicle and why it was towed in the first place. She explained that the police called up the towing companies and managed to locate her vehicle. Alam said a tow truck came to the police station and took her to their compound somewhere in Dutch Quarter where she located her vehicle. The young mother said she was instructed to leave her mother and young baby at the police station which she did, she said upon locating the vehicle the tow truck driver told her she had to pay him $75.00 which she said she told him was a bit high but agreed to pay with him with her ATM card. Alam said that the tow truck driver demanded that she pay in cash which she did not have on her. This she said led to the driver blocking her from leaving as he also refused to follow her to Philipsburg where she could have obtained the cash at an ATM machine and pay him. I wanted him to drive behind me since I left my young baby at the Police Station and she only breastfeeds. I simply did not want to go back to get the money and then return for my vehicle. The woman said she was blocked in and the driver left her twice even though she began screaming for help. She said she eventually begged the driver to go with her to Philipsburg where she would pay him since she left her baby at the Police Station and the baby was only breastfed. Alam said the driver refused to let her go with her vehicle but wanted her to go back with him in his tow truck to an ATM and not at the Police Station which she refused to do because she left her young baby without being fed. Alam said the tow truck driver even tried to scare and intimidate her with a Pitbull and she finally had to call the police who took her identification card and escorted her back to Philipsburg hours after she left her young baby unfed. Alam said she was traumatized and even felt scared at one point, she said for a while she did not do anything about the situation because the police were involved to an extent and did nothing about the things the tow truck driver did to her. She said it was a while after she decided to write the Ombudsman and eventually filed a complaint because as a teacher, she felt that she need to stand up against injustice. Can you imagine they allow drivers to get into the same vehicle with the same person that towed their vehicle away. It seems like the police want people to get hurt or killed, not everyone is calm or would take such things lightly. Can you imagine putting a victim and rapist together in the same vehicle and have them driving alone? She asked. In the Netherlands where I am from fines are not issued by towing companies, its the police that issue fines, besides that I would like to know where the money goes. How does this help the police or government she asked? An investigation was conducted by the Ombudsman which showed that there are no written agreements, policies and or legislation in place to regulate how and when a personal vehicle can be towed. The woman said that a hearing was held and during that hearing, she understood that the government does not have the necessary policies in place. She said the police even promised to investigate the incident but, in her opinion, they did not do anything. Alam said the Police did respond to the Ombudsman by letter and the final report was sent to her recently. Alam said she wants her money back but most importantly she wants justice because the police did not order the towing company to tow her vehicle away. She said she does not believe she broke the law in any way while she is still calling on law enforcement to give her justice for what she endured that day. Chief Commissioner of Police Carl John said in an invited comment that the Police cooperated with the Ombudsman and they did provide the necessary information to the Ombudsman. John said that Ombudsman issued a report and made several recommendations which the Police began implementing every day. The top cop said that since this incident the Police limits the towing of vehicles unless its necessary. The police are conducting more controls to avoid illegal parking. John explained that the police do not have any place to store vehicles and as such the police have no choice but to work with the towing companies. He said that since this incident all towing companies were invited to the Police Station where they clearly outlined the level of service that is expected from them and how they are to treat people. John said since this incident a lot has changed when it comes to towing of vehicles. Illegal Towing. Chief Commissioner John said that tow truck companies are not allowed to drive around and tow away vehicles, this he said is illegal and in fact, tow trucks can only tow vehicles when they get a direct order from the Police. He said businesses in Philipsburg are in the habit of calling the tow trucks when people parked in the area of their businesses, the top cop said that even though businesses take the liberty to call tow trucks and have people vehicles towed, this too is illegal. The top cop said he believes that Alam was not treated correctly and he also believes that this incident impacted her negatively. He promised will look-into the case further since tow trucks do not have the authority to tow away anyones vehicles without being called by police, and if it is proven that the tow truck company towed the vehicle without being called by the police, then something will have to be done. Former Minister of Justice Roland Duncan in an invited comment said during his tenure as Minister he put an end to private towing companies towing away peoples vehicles. Its illegal and the police have their own tow trucks they do not need to allow these companies to exploit people. I even had the police remove all barricades placed by businesses on the public road. Businesses do not own parking spaces so they are not supposed to block the parking spaces that are close to their businesses. Duncan said since he left office the police allowed businesses to block off public spaces and the tow truck businesses became the next boomerang business in Philipsburg. Click here to read Ombudsman Report. [January 31, 2020] BJG Electronics Group Names Kent Smith as President New York based BJG Electronics Group announced today that Kent Smith has joined the company as President, effective February 3, 2020. Most recently serving as Chief Commercial Officer for Integrated Supply Network, Smith brings to BJG a track record of successful leadership positions at electronics industry leaders. At Nu Horizons Electronics Corp., he served as President of the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Later, as Vice President of Sales at Arrow Electronics (News - Alert), he led a team that generated more than $4 billion in annual sales. "BJG is fortunate to have attracted a leader of the caliber of Kent Smith," said Rick Flora, CEO of BJG Electronics Group. "Kent's record of success in the industry is well known and respected by both the supplier and customer communities that are critical to BJG's ongoing success." Naming Smith as President marks yet another significant milestone in a successful year or BJG Electronics Group. The company has completed three acquisitions in the past twelve months, including Connector Tech LLC, Whitmor/Wirenetics and Intro Corporation. "I am delighted to be joining BJG Electronics and returning to the electronics industry, where I built my career over many years," Smith commented. "I feel particularly fortunate to be joining the company on the heels of a series of strategic acquisitions that have strengthened its product and service offerings over the past year." Glenn Davidson, Chairman of BJG, noted, "I have known Kent Smith for more than ten years and believe he is exactly the right leader for the BJG business today. His history of ethical leadership and success will deliver great value to BJG's employees, customers and suppliers." About BJG Based in Ronkonkoma, NY, BJG Electronics is a leading global supplier of interconnect and electromechanical products to the world's leading OEMs in the defense, commercial aviation, business aviation, space, oil & gas, and industrial markets. For more information, visit www.bjgelectronics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005047/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The top diplomat recalled that Russian aggression in Ukraine had led to the "senseless" loss of thousands of lives in Donbas. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo states that sanctions introduced against Russia will remain in place until the killings in Donbas stop. "Russia's aggression in Ukraine has led to the senseless loss of thousands of lives in the Donbas. Today, I joined Foreign Minister VPrystaiko to honor their memories. Sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the actions that led to these tragic deaths cease," Pompeo tweeted January 31. #Russia's aggression in #Ukraine has led to the senseless loss of thousands of lives in the Donbas. Today, I joined Foreign Minister @VPrystaiko to honor their memories. Sanctions against Russia will remain in place until the actions that led to these tragic deaths cease. pic.twitter.com/jNigbuDuZ0 Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) January 31, 2020 The U.S. secretary of state also posted pictures of himself alongside the leader of the newly-created Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Epifaniy, laying flowers at the Remembrance Wall monument at Kyiv's Mykhailivska Square. The impeachment power isnt needed to keep most presidents from engaging in impeachable conduct, just as homicide statutes arent necessary to keep most of us from committing murder. Presidents face other constraints, moral and political, on their behavior. The reason the Framers wrote the impeachment clause into the Constitution was that they recognized the risk, even within the span of a four-year term, of an outlier, renegade president, and one so dangerous that they needed to take desperate measures. In such cases, impeachment isnt overturning the will of the electorate; its effectuating the wisdom of the Framers. Family members of the accused were not seen at the court but reports said the wife and relatives of the prime accused Sheik Babu were present but did not wish to be identified. ADILABAD: The Adilabad fast-track court awarded a death penalty verdict to the three accused in the Samata gang-rape and murder case on Thursday. The Telangana police had successfully proved its case against Sheik Babu, 30, as the prime accused, and Shabuddin, 40, and Maqdhoom, 35, as the accused numbers two and three respectively in the case. District and sessions judge M.G. Priyadarshini pronounced death penalty as punishment to the three accused in the Samatas rape and murder. This is the first case in the history of old Adilabad district leading to a death penalty sentence in any case till date. Ms Samata (name changed), 30, who belo-nged to the Budgajangalu community of scheduled castes (Dalit), used to sell balloons and utensils besides collecting discarded hair in tribal areas. She was gang-raped and murdered near Yellapatar village in Lingapur mandal in the Kumarama-bheem Asifabad district on November 24 last year. She was a resident of the Gosampalle Yellapur village in Khanapur mandal of Nirmal district. The state government announced the setting up of a fast-track court in the Adilabad district and session court to try the Samata case on December 11. Subsequently, the Kumarambheem Asifabad district police filed a chargesheet in the case on December14. The judgment, which was scheduled for January 27, was postponed to January 30 due to indisposition of the judge. Mistake not small: Judge While giving her judgment, the judge said, the mistake you have done was not a small one, and added, The crime you had committed against Samata has been proved. Husband thanks cops, judge for quick justice Before giving her judgment, district and sessions judge M.G. Priyadarshini told the accused, the mistake you have done was not a small one, and added, The crime you had committed against Samata has been proved. The judge gave an opportunity to the three accused to speak. Sheik Babu, the prime accused, said that the police had fixed him in the case though he was not involved in the crime. He pleaded that he had three children and a wife, besides old parents, who were all depending on him to run the family. He broke down when the judge said their guilt was proved. The second and third accused, Shabuddin and Maqhdoom, also entered similar pleas. The victims husband expressed happiness over the verdict and thanked the judge for doing justice to the victim. He said the judgment of death penalty to the three accused of the rape-murder through a fast-track trial would infuse public faith in judiciary and law. The victims husband thanked the police department for getting quick justice for the victims family. He mentioned M. Malla Reddy, SP, Ku-marambheem Asifa-bad district. Inciden-tally, Thursday was the last working day for Mr Malla Reddy, who will retire from service on Friday. Mr Ramana Reddy, public prosecutor, said, justice has been done to the victims family. The victims husband has been given a job and promised land. Defence lawyer A. Raheem, appointed through the District Legal Services Autho-rity (DLSA), said that he had done the job entrusted to him by the court and was not concerned whether the judgment was negative or positive. Family members of the accused were not seen at the court but reports said the wife and relatives of the prime accused Sheik Babu were present but did not wish to be identified. Sheik Babus mother, a resident of Yellapa-tar, expressed displeasure over the death penalty, saying that they did not get justice. She alleged that her son was being framed in the case, though he was not involved in the incident. She questioned if anyone had caught him in the act or if anybody had seen the accused while committing the crime. She said that they would approach the High Court, seeking repeal of the fast-track courts judgment. Appointment 31 January 2020 Bradley Russell will lead the day-to-day operations at Four Seasons Resort Lanai, along with overseeing rooms, spa, food and beverage and engineering. Prior to this appointment Russell served as Director of Rooms at the property. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Russell attended Northern Arizona University's Hotel & Restaurant Management Program. He earned his BA in 2005 and soon after joined Four Seasons as a Rooms Manager in Training at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale and enjoyed progressively senior positions in Santa Fe, Las Vegas and Westlake Village. Russell is an active participant on the Four Seasons Rooms Council and coordinates communication and logistics for all five Four Seasons Hawaiian properties. BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has revealed she spoke out in the Donald Trump racism row because her parents had been abused because of their ethnicity while working in as nurses London. The 44-year-old journalist told Vogue magazine how as a young girl she had witnessed the impact racism had on her parents who moved to Britain in 1971. She said: 'My mum has been told, "You P*** bitch, get your hands off me," when she's cleaning someone. My dad has been told the same thing. When their cleaning someone's a***. A racist person's a***.' Ms Munchetty provoked outrage in July when she responded to a Tweet by US president Donald Trump by saying: 'Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism. Im not accusing anyone of anything here, but you know what certain phrases mean.' BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty, pictured in July 17, 2019 beside co-host Dan Walker when she discussed the issue of racism in the aftermath of a controversial tweet by Donald Trump Her father, from Mauritius and her mother, Muthu, who is from India met in Wales and married in London. The journalist, who is married to ITV broadcast consultant James Haggar, told Vogue: 'I've lived in south London until eight years ago. And I've been told many times "why don't you just f*** off to where you came from?" 'So trust me, when things touch you, sometimes you physically can't let that go. If you're saying you saw me sit back - frustrated, angry - it's inevitable when you've had these experiences.' The BBC's Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) had originally ruled that Ms Munchetty had breached editorial guidelines when she condemned President Trump's comments where he told female Democrats to 'go back' to their own countries. In partially upholding a complaint against Ms Munchetty, the BBC was itself accused of racism, with broadcasters Sir Lenny Henry and Krishnan Guru-Murthy among others launching a campaign for the BBC to reverse its decision. Balancing act: Naga with her mother Muthu who she said was told: 'You P*** bitch, get your hands off me' after they moved to England in 1971 Ms Munchetty said her response to the Donald Trump tweet was not unprofessional because you 'cannot be a robot on the sofa' while presenting the show. She added: 'It is not OK to use offensive language, or to skirt around offensive language, to make a point or to get attention. That's a fact. It's like you saw someone being beaten up on the street and you didn't go over.' Trump said these congresswomen should go fix their countries of origin before trying to weigh in on American politics and claimed they are from 'corrupt,' 'inept' countries During the controversial broadcast on July 17, 2019, after being probed by her co-host Dan Walker for her thoughts, Ms Munchetty said she was 'absolutely furious a man in that position thinks its OK to skirt the lines by using language like that'. Following the outrage over the BBC's ruling, the corporation's Director General sent an email to staff claiming the decision 'sparked an important debate about racism and its interpretation'. He said: 'Racism is racism and the BBC is not impartial on the topic. 'There was never a finding against Naga for what she said about the Presidents tweet.' He continued: 'I have looked carefully at all the arguments that have been made and assessed all of the materials. 'I have also examined the complaint itself. It was only ever in a limited way that there was found to be a breach of our guidelines. These are often finely balanced and difficult judgements. 'But, in this instance, I dont think Nagas words were sufficient to merit a partial uphold of the complaint around the comments she made. There was never any sanction against Naga and I hope this step makes that absolutely clear.' He said Ms Munchetty was 'an exceptional journalist and presenter', adding: 'I am proud that she works for the BBC.' Brexit goes through today, and Britain is finally independent, free from the clutches of the European Union. It's a great event regardless of how it happens, but in this case, it was cool beyond description. It all ended with a pretty amazing flourish, one that told us a lot about both the European Commission and newly sovereign Britain itself. Chief Brexiteer Nigel Farage made his last speech before the European Commission, which was a great scolding and call to shut down the whole operation altogether, which was subversive enough. But he drove it even farther. Here was the great final moment: Farage and his buddies ended the whole thing by explicitly waving the British flag of sovereignty right in the faces of all the angry little European Commission eurocrats, even as they sputtered and cut off his mic. Metaphor, anyone? It was the mother of all metaphors, a Britain that asserted its sovereignty in waving its symbolic flag as its soulless eurocrat masters got angry and tried to stop it, not on political grounds, not because they were afraid the other member-states might follow, but on petty rules grounds, little administrative state foot-stamping, insisting on cookie-cutter order and obedience, no exceptions, in the face of a newly freed state that just asserted that it can do what it wants. The ending was absolutely perfect. The mean librarianlooking woman of no memorable name repeatedly, humorlessly, ordering Farage and his allies to take his waved Union Jack flags down. No flags here! It came off as saying "no sovereignty, you're all the EU's slaves now." And she had no idea how bad she looked doing it, something that is sure to give other restless states of the E.U. some pause. As she cut off his mic, Farage continued demonstrating his country's newfound sovereignty by laughing at her and refusing. Sovereigns, after all, have flags. Vassal states do not. It's not the first time Farage has shown such sense of purpose. His preceding speech had it here's the whole thing here: And remember his fierce speech to this same bunch of Eurocrats, telling them they laughed at him once but for that now got Brexit. That, too, was electrifying: Farage not only has a stellar sense of the theatrical; he seems to understand the importance of creating memorable moments and understands how to do them. In a way the self-unaware eurocrats would never understand, he understands the meaning in his movement. That's why his Brexit was so powerful and is sure to redound to future acts of rebellion against this nasty, petty little eurocracy Britain broke away from. Image credit: Screen shot from The Telegraph, shareable YouTube video. Opinion Article 31 January 2020 It's 2020, my name is Jack and I work at the front desk of a busy 3-star hotel at Amsterdam airport called the Grand Hotel (fictitious). Our clientele is the usual airport hotel clientele you would expect, crews, holidaymakers, business travelers, and in low season some tour groups. There are 300 rooms, and we have a large restaurant and a lobby bar as well as gym, meeting rooms etc. This morning was a particularly hard morning at checkout though. The car parking validator broke down and that just transcended us into a bad place. We are close to the airport, so we charge for parking, but some guests pay in advance and we must check this in the booking and validate the ticket with the machine, and if the machine is down then we must call the third-party vendor and so on and so forth. As it stands a normal check out can take around 4 to 5 minutes, so this pain of dealing with the machine hurt hard. At our desk the PDQ machine is not interfaced to PMS, so we have auth code messing around to deal with as well as frequent disagreements about final invoices that incur a login to the distribution portal. Despite it all, and the grunts and the pissed-off guests I did feel really bad when a little 5 or 6-year-old girl who just wanted to show me her new dolly but I couldn't even think straight as I was trying to get my stuttering computer to load all 1000+ rates while I tried to book a room for a guest over the phone so I just snapped a ''ONE MINUTE MISS''... that one really makes me feel bad, I remember when I was a kid going to hotels and they were always so nice at the front desk, but they didn't have all these computer programs to deal with, life was so much easier without computers... Advertisements It's 2030, Jack here, so our hotel now has a thousand units, 1 million flights a year now out of Schiphol and the highspeed link by train to Paris and London has pushed business up tenfold. This morning was a good shift. Met a little girl called Jessica, she is 5 and is going to New York for the first time to meet her aunty Mary. She has a wobbly front tooth and thinks it might fall out soon and asked me if the tooth fairy will know where she is. I added a note on my phone to her profile so the next hotel picks up on it and gave her a wink 'I'm sure he will''. She has a baby sister called Lilly, so I managed to get their seats moved to a bulkhead on the flight out and directed them to the quietest security line in terminal 4, not many folks know about that trick it so her stressed parents were ever so grateful. My dream is 'Jack in 2030' comes true, because Jack in 2020 is real and in pain, and this pain is a real and present danger that will erode true hospitality. Its time technology is leveraged to enable and not hinder our heroes in the hotels, and embracing AI, particularly Machine Learning is the way to achieve this. ''Machine Learning is the tool to remove the drudgery from our lives'', A simple and reassuring definition of ML according to Cassie Kozyrkov, Chief Decision Scientist at Google. Unfortunately we the technologists have brought more drudgery to our operations teams, unintentionally, in an attempt to push boundaries and achieve the ever-elusive competitive, technological edge over our competitors, to the point that a receptionist often no longer looks up from their screens during a check-in/out. I spend more than half of my working life in the trenches extracting and eliciting business needs/requirements and user perceptions at the front desk, in housekeeping, in the kitchen etc. to know and understand the impact of our technologies on the end-user. Too often hotel management companies only hone in on one thing, the profit margins. Yes, there may be a forecasted 40 million more international departures in 2020 and plenty new stock coming online with nice shiny chandeliers, but a repeating guest is a happy and profitable guest. Why has AIRBNB taken so much market share so fast? Simple, it's hospitable, it's the rank me 5-star phenomenon. Some of the nicest and most hospitable ''hoteliers'' I now know are AIRBNB hosts or traditional B&B owners. Unless you are paying top dollar the general perception of a 1/2/3* hotel guest expectation is on par with a low-cost airline. ''Hey, you get what you pay for''. Wrong! I started my career a long time ago at a 1* inn, in the west of Ireland, with metal keys and a paper book and those guests were the happiest I ever seen, why?, because I was human, my eyes were not on a screen they were on you, I knew what university John's daughter was in, I knew Mary liked gravy on the side and I should never tell Joe the traveling sales man's wife on the phone that he had a double room etc. I have met and talked with so many young, aspiring hoteliers over the last year across Europe, and they want to be engaged at the desk and talk with their guests and learn but the sheer mountain of tasks prevents them from doing so and so many are leaving the business as a result of this drudgery. Hospitality technology has not evolved in line with the generational trend and global technology trend. I visited a school this morning in Amsterdam and watched a class of 7-year old's work diligently on their tablets on a task from the Digi board, but yet tonight their parents may check into a hotel and fill in a paper registration card with pen and paper, therein lies a significant gap. What should hotel technology providers be focusing on for tomorrow? Guest expectations? Hoteliers expectations? Hospitality innovation? Neither, we should be catching up with global technological trends, trends that aid humanity and are already incepted in our daily lives. Machine Learning is right now analysing millions of mammograms across the planet, your bank is using Machine Learning to detect fraud, hey, if you drove to work this morning the traffic management was probably controlled on the highway by ML-enabled tools, or maybe it was just google maps powered by ai.google. But WE have AI, says Vendor number 1, ok let's just talk for a second about what AI is and how it can be interpreted in our industry. AI and Machine Learning, what's the difference? Splunk.com has a nice simple e-book on this, ''5 Big Myths of AI and Machine Learning debunked''. Essentially, Machine Learning is a specific type of AI, that has access to carefully curated datasets and is trained on its decision process. Machinelearningmastery.com also has some easy to read articles on the learning aspect and indicate there are at least 14 types of learning in play to date. In respect to ML problem solving there are essentially 4 main models. Supervised learning: Where a user is tweaking and assisting the machine in its decisions (like a recommendation engine for a call centre agent in a hotel booking centre). Unsupervised learning: Where data is uncategorized (non-clustered) and the machine has to manipulate the data set itself and result (i.e.an automatic room assignment machine with data feeds from multiple sources). Reinforced learning: The machine now knows what it's doing and works for reward (i.e. a revenue management system that has no human intervention at all, a ML process that is fed from everywhere and reacts accordingly. OYO's revenue management algorithms are rumoured to be built with this vision in mind with 10's of millions of updates per day already occurring). Deep Learning: Further down the line is deep learning for heightened rewarded learning in decision making (Check out Googles AlphaGo on this topic). The multitude of ML levels and AI advancements is evolving at pace, the commercialisation of Space amongst other things has brought a whole new bucket of money to the effort and the speed of advancement is impressive (i.e. SpaceX CIMON). To automate or to teach? 40% of all technology start-ups that claimed to be AI-based or holding some form of AI (from all industries and formed in last 4 years in the EU) surveyed by a Venture Capital team in the UK in 2019 had no trace of AI technologies at all. So AI is a buzz word, and well the customers of those fake AI firms may still reap the reward of automation, I am not advocating anyone drop tool on automating things that should have long ago been automated and try to use ML for the purpose, automate what needs to be automated and inject ML where that is needed and not just for the sake of a marketing campaign, but we must all be careful in how we throw around these acronyms. ML has no immediate ROI. Of course, we have been slow to gain any traction in our sector as like any other technology change (move to cloud etc), as such an initiative, does not show any immediate ROI nor likely to in any short term. ''How much will I make by the end of this year if I start AI now'', ''nothing, nada, zilch, but you will need to plough a lot of money into it for many years.'' Sure, that's likely to get a great round of applause at any behemoth hotel chain boardroom not to mention not getting in the door of a smaller hotel chain. Investment in technology continues to be on a drip-feed from hotelier executives and upsetting the apple cart a non-idea, the hope is disrupters like OYO, Airbnb etc fuelled by an enlarging disruptor technology offerings that harass and cajole legacy providers to follow suit in their strategies may in eventuality drag that investment of time and money to the fore. Health tech started research in AI in the 1960's today medical technology giants are many, like Philips Healthcare who exhibit a plethora of models and offerings, including for example the launch of an AI Platform in 2018 for general health tech to enable others to build on its foundations, but even after so many years of graft the advice is poignant "The quality of your AI is only as good as the quality of the data you feed into it," according to Jeroen Tas, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer Philips. However, the result is they now have ML helping doctors to reach more patients, diagnose faster, and cure more often. Frost & Sullivan research predicts that AI in Health Tech will save the health industry $150 Billion by 2025. Use cases are multiple, from ML supervised learning from the physicians' interactions to elevate learn in diagnosis trends, analysis whereby machines can spot the tiniest anomaly at 4 am when a doctor's eyes are weary, patient treatment plan defining and updating based on real-time symptoms analysis combined with regional information feeds to revenue cycle platforms for claims and payments. Medicalfuturist.com is a great source of inspiration in respect to health tech trends. So, the problem is there, so how do we fix it? To technology companies: I look to the entire technology industry to reassess your 5-year plans and most importantly to the start-ups, to give more to the effort, to have break out days with ML engineers and before you add a story to Jira, ask yourself ''Could we achieve this with supervised ML?'' or ''I wonder how health tech has addressed this in hospitals?'' To the hoteliers: Create workgroups, assign budget, ML is now very accessible to all and either through companies like Trifork who can be commissioned to build for you or go on your own with your own digital factory where you can get up and running pretty quick with ai.google or Amazons do it yourself on ml.aws. To the hoteliers: Push your current providers for their AI/ML roadmaps and intentions, push your future vendors and align your technology strategy to include ML. Sacrifice a trip to Hitec for a trip to AI Summit Montreal this year. To everyone: It's time to ringfence the brightest brains we have across our industry while learning and interacting with health tech/fintech/AI giants most experienced to learn, collaborate, research, define and build for 10 years from now and not just to end of year figures. The reality is, Jack in 2030 is the same Jack, he still has the same job, but Machine Learning enriched technology built with his life, his user journey, his customers journey and expected experience in mind turned it around and made his guests happy and he with the same satisfied feeling I had all those years ago with my metal keys. In 2030 the guest will have paid everything or has a virtual wallet, the key is RFID, and booking a room is done in seconds aided by a hyper-personalized recommendation engine. Jack will still have a desk and a screen, for sure, he doesn't like wandering around sofas asking people if they want to check in on a tablet, but his desktop screen will be intuitive, projected onto the desk itself perhaps and resulting in less drudgery and more time to crouch down for a minute to chat to a little girl about her wobbly tooth which ultimately is the reason he has stayed in this business all his life, and the reason Jessica might just follow in his footsteps. Among her many eccentricities, my wife Isabel fancies that in a previous life she may have been a Cathar. The idea was suggested to her years ago by a dodgy clairvoyant and it took root. Its not an obsession, you understand. She doesnt float around the house in medieval garb denouncing the sins of the material world. Its more of a whimsy. Imposing: The French city of Carcassonne with its large ramparts. The city has round towers, pointed spires and vertiginous walls But its the reason we found ourselves eating duck gizzards and sipping cool pink wine inside the wonderful walled city of Carcassonne. For those who dont know the story, the Cathars were a Christian sect of the Middle Ages, flourishing mainly in the Languedoc region of France and over the Pyrenees in Spanish Aragon. They believed the earthly world was essentially evil and the way to spiritual perfection was through devotion, good works and a life of humble self-denial (Isabel hasnt quite mastered that last bit yet). Tragically, their contempt for the hypocrisies of the Roman Catholic Church brought about a mighty vengeance. In 1209, the highly inappropriately named Pope Innocent III declared them all heretics and launched a crusade. Model Lara Stone, pictured, is a fan of Carcassonne In their first engagement at Beziers, the crusaders massacred every man, woman and child in the town some 20,000 souls and razed it. After a further orgy of blindings, burnings and mutilations in the surrounding countryside, they laid siege to Carcassonne. They broke the citys resistance by slow starvation after fouling the water supply. But. this time, the surrendering townspeople were allowed to leave unhindered, provided they went with nothing but the shirts on their backs. In consequence, though the population was cruelly dispossessed, the fabric of the city was saved. With its round towers, pointed spires, and vertiginous walls, it has a curiously Disneyish appearance, and can be thick with French schoolchildren learning about its grisly past. After hours, the place, which counts model Lara Stone among its fans, takes on a very different demeanour. Wandering around the ancient streets in the relative quiet of the evening has a weighty feel. The Museum of the Inquisition compounds the sensation and is a reminder of the savagery meted out in the name of Christ. On our first evening, we ate at a little bistro looking straight across at the ramparts. The maitre d must have seen the look on my face when an intense young man with a guitar began to pour out his sorrows in song. We were shown to a perfect table outside on the rear patio. Still within earshot of the Leonard Cohen tribute act, but only just. We had decided to stay at one of the two hotels Le Donjon inside the bastide, which turned out to be a good decision. You can amble around at leisure without having to worry about driving anywhere later, and after a couple of days you develop an agreeable sense of belonging. Wandering around the ancient streets of Carcassonne in the relative quiet of the evening has a weighty feel, says Neil Darbyshire A delightful young French-Moroccan woman checked us in, made us coffee, offered tourist advice and later served us at the bar. When I complimented her on her multi-tasking, she replied: Yes. I think the English call it modern slavery. Two or three nights is enough to take in the sights and sensations of old Carcassonne, but there are plenty of other places of interest within a two or three-hour drive. If you havent had enough of the Cathars, the mountain castles of Queribus and Peyrepertuse, and their last redoubt at Montsegur, are not far. But be warned: the drive to these eyries is not for the faint-hearted. Precipitous mountain roads, hairpin bends, and a constantly squealing passenger make it quite a challenge. We crossed the mountains into Spain for a few days in the arty whitewashed village of Cadaques. Our hotel overlooked the adjoining bay at Portlligat, with its simple beach restaurants and fishing boats bobbing on the breeze. It reminded me of the Greek islands, before mass tourism and the euro. A perfect place to do very little. Sojourn over, it was back in the car for the return to Toulouse. Across one range of mountains and into another. Back through the Land of the Cathars, up one track that would have given a Himalayan goat a nosebleed, sustaining a minor scrape on the hire car (not my fault, obviously) and arriving at the airport more than four hours early to find our flight delayed. Still, as torture goes, it was hardly in the same league as the Cathars as Isabel could no doubt tell you. 31/01/2020 - Italys structural reforms of recent years have improved the financial health of the corporate sector and contributed to a gradual economic recovery. However, the Italian economy still lags other large European economies. Improving the way capital markets function would help drive investment in the real economy, creating jobs and boosting productivity, according to a new OECD report. The OECD Capital Market Review of Italy says that reforms to the institutional and regulatory framework will give corporations better conditions to finance new long-term investments and citizens better opportunities to diversify their savings and share in the success of Italian business. The Italian capital market is less developed than in many other advanced economies. Over the last ten years, less than four companies per year listed on the regulated market of the Italian stock exchange and the Italian market capitalisation as a percentage of GDP remains well below that of its European peers. By the end of 2018, the total value of Italian listed shares represented only 31% of GDP, much less than in Germany (46%) and France (88%). Reforming the capital market will help release the full potential of the Italian economy and drive sustainable growth, said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria, presenting the report with Italian Minister of Economy and Finance Roberto Gualtieri and European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, in Rome. At the same time, minimising economic, social and political uncertainty will be instrumental in harvesting the full benefits of reforms and reinforcing the trust of entrepreneurs, investors and households. The report reveals that Italy is one of the large European economies with the highest proportion of high-growth firms (23%). However, there are still too few high-growth companies compared to the large number of small companies with low productivity. More developed capital markets would help by providing the financial means for companies to invest, grow and obtain a critical competitive scale, according to the report. Italian companies also remain highly dependent on debt financing. Moreover, overall 40% of their assets are financed by short-term debt, a significantly higher ratio than their European peers. This constrains growth-oriented investments and increases the vulnerability of the non-financial sector in times of macroeconomic shocks. Better access to and more efficient allocation of long-term capital, such as equity capital and longer-term corporate bonds, would allow more strategic risk-taking. This will increase research, development and innovation and improve the productivity of both the human and fixed capital stock in Italian industry. The report notes that most of the money in global capital markets is invested through large institutions that use passive investment strategies that track a pre-defined index. However, Italy is receiving a relatively smaller share of investments from global institutional funds. One reason is that the free-float of Italian listed companies is relatively low compared to most advanced markets. Increasing the free-float ratios in Italy is essential to help companies attract the growing pool of capital from global institutional investors. The OECD Capital Market Review of Italy, with main findings and recommendations, is accessible at http://www.oecd.org/corporate/OECD-Capital-Market-Review-Italy.htm. This report was produced with the financial assistance of the European Commission via the Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support. For further information, journalists can contact the OECD Media Office (tel. + 33 1 45 24 97 00). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Related Documents Since 2006, the ICAC Task Force has been involved in more than 1,686 arrests of sexual predators, according to authorities. The task force has also provided internet safety training and education to more than 936,671 parents, teachers and students and more than 22,599 law enforcement professionals. Neil Woodford: Sacked from his flagship Equity Income fund, and he later resigned as manager of both the Income Focus fund and the Patient Capital Trust Investors in Neil Woodford's Income Focus fund will regain access to their cash at midday on 13 February 2020, when it will be reopened by administrators. The 270million fund has been overhauled since being taken over by Aberdeen Standard Investments at the end of last year. It is the smaller sister to Woodford's flagship Equity Income fund, which collapsed last year leaving hundreds of thousands of people facing losses. That fund is being wound up, and investors have just been told how much cash they will get in a first round of payouts issued this week. It also emerged that the process has cost 5million so far, with another 5.3million yet to be paid out, and further bills pending for the sale of the less liquid part of the portfolio. Meanwhile, the new Income Focus fund managers have been working to re-position investments into a portfolio that they consider 'best placed to add value for investors', according to a letter sent today. 'We are now of the opinion that the Funds portfolio is in a position to enable the fund to re-open on 13 February 2020,' said administrator Link Asset Services. 'With effect from that date suspension of dealings in the shares of the fund will be lifted and it will again be possible for you to buy and sell shares in the fund.' Applications to buy or sell shares in the renamed ASI Income Focus Fund can be made from midday on 12 February, and will be processed based on their value 24 hours later. Link, the fund's depositary Northern Trust, and Aberdeen Standard have all waived fees for the period from 31 December to 31 May 2020, the administrator reiterated. The resulting savings to the fund will offset some of the costs associated with repositioning the portfolio, it said. This has been carried out by Aberdeen Standard's Charles Luke and Thomas Moore, supported by a 16-strong UK equity team. The objective of the fund was officially changed on January 23. Previously, Woodford sought to generate a yield higher than the average yield of the FTSE All Share Index over a three-year rolling period. Aberdeen Standard is now aiming to deliver an income of 5p per share a year. The disgraced Woodford was sacked by Link from his flagship Equity Income fund, and he later resigned as manager of both the Income Focus fund and the Patient Capital Trust. The latter is now being run by Schroders Investment Management. Ryan Hughes, head of active portfolios at AJ Bell, said of today's announcement: 'This news will bring welcome relief to those investors who have been stuck in the fund since it suspended back in October. 'Investors will now need to consider whether they are happy with the new management of Aberdeen Standard Investments who have said they will operate a more concentrated investment portfolio and a different yield target. 'This means the fund re-opens with a totally different portfolio to when it suspended. 'For those that do want to consider alternatives, possible funds to consider are the Troy Trojan Income fund and the Threadneedle UK Equity Income fund with both having a focus on larger companies and currently providing a yield of 4 per cent per annum.' Investment platform Hargreaves Lansdown, which has come under heavy fire for promoting Woodford's funds before the collapse of his empire, reported a decline in business growth today. New customer business fell by nine per cent to 2.3billion in the second half of last year, but revenues and pre-tax profits increased. On Friday, a spokeswoman for Ms. Klobuchars campaign said: Senator Klobuchar has always believed in pursuing justice without fear or favor. Thats why she has said that any new evidence in this case should immediately be reviewed by the court. In a statement, the Hennepin County attorneys office said it had been fully cooperative with The Associated Press and Myon Burrells defense attorneys, adding, Neither The Associated Press or Myon Burrells lawyers have shared any new evidence with us. If any new information is presented, it will carefully be reviewed by our office. The Minneapolis Police Department referred questions to the Hennepin County attorneys office without comment. In a telephone interview Friday night Daniel Guerrero, a lawyer for Mr. Burrell who has represented him since 2017, said that while he believed the authorities could have more rigorously followed up on leads and alibis, he did not think, based on his review, that Ms. Klobuchar had done anything specifically wrong. I dont think she had much to do with the case, he said, noting that line prosecutors had handled it. She stepped back and let them do what they were doing. The one thing I would say about Senator Klobuchar is that I wish she would stop citing the Edwards case as an example of her being aggressive prosecutor, Mr. Guerrero added. Though certainly tragic that an 11-year-old girl died, its equally as bad that a 16-year-old boy was likely wrongfully convicted and sentenced to a life term in the face of an aggressive and often short sighted prosecution. Mr. Guerrero said that his client had already appealed his conviction several times and that at this point we would have to bring in evidence of actual innocence to get the case back into court. Were still investigating and hoping to get a wrongly convicted individual out, he said. Koreans from Wuhan, China, arrive at Gimpo International Airport, Friday. A total of 350 of the first batch of 368 people will stay at two government-run facilities in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, and in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, for the 14 days. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo The Korean government finally evacuated 368 Koreans from the epidemic-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan, Friday. Despite the "half-successful" evacuation with still more than 350 stranded there twists and turns during the rescue plan have put the government in the hot seat, raising questions about its readiness to cope administratively and diplomatically with the fast-spreading epidemic that has now been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced the government would send two flights each on Thursday and Friday to evacuate about 720 Koreans from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. However, hours before the planned takeoff time of the first chartered plane on Thursday morning, the foreign ministry announced the flight was delayed because China had approved only one flight. "We believe that the Chinese authorities are working in a way in which they give the go-ahead for one plane and then receive requests sequentially, because it has been receiving many similar requests from other countries like the United States and Japan for provisional flights," Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday. The foreign ministry also said changes in flight plans were not an issue just for Korea. "The U.S. also had to see its plan to send charter flights change on multiple occasions," a ministry official said. South Korea reports 12th new coronavirus case, 70 potential cases under observation 2nd chartered plane with 333 Koreans arrives in Seoul from Wuhan 350 evacuees from Wuhan placed in two quarantine facilities A U.S. chartered flight flew 240 Americans back to California Wednesday. Japan was also planning to send multiple chartered flights simultaneously to expedite evacuation of Japanese citizens, but Chinese authorities have only allowed one flight at a time. Some critics believe the Korean government made a show of taking swift action for the safety of the people despite not having finalized a coordinated plan with the Chinese government. In response to the criticism, another ministry official said, "The dispatch of up to four flights was the government's plan, not an agreement with the Chinese side, and eventually, China told us to send one flight (per day)." This case also raises questions about the government's lack of diplomacy. On Tuesday night, Kang had telephone talks with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi over the coronavirus outbreak and other issues and during the phone call, she asked for the Chinese government's assistance with the Korean government's plan to bring home Koreans from Wuhan. In addition, a senior foreign ministry official told reporters, also on Tuesday, that Korea was one of the first countries, if not first, to talk to China about the airborne evacuation operation. However, the government could only bring back its citizens two days after the U.S. and Japan had already done so. "China gave the United States and Japan the arrival and departure slots first of all the countries," a high-ranking official with the Shinzo Abe administration told the Asahi Shimbun, Thursday. "That shows which countries China places importance on." The foreign ministry declined to comment on the report. The government also went back and forth with regard to repatriating Koreans with symptoms related to the virus. Professor Edmund Delle, the Founder and Board Chairman of Rabito Clinic, has called on health professionals, especially doctors, to show compassion to their patients for effective and quality healthcare delivery. He said the medical profession was service to humanity and it was important for doctors to love their patients, who were already vulnerable, to speed up the healing process. He asked them to respect patients, feel their pain and make the hospital environment friendly to the sick. Prof. Delle was speaking to the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a staff durbar as part of activities marking the 46th Anniversary of Rabito Clinic, a private clinic that specialises in skin diseases at Fumesua in the Juaben Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The durbar, which brought together workers of the clinic from all branches across the country, was to brainstorm on how best to improve on service delivery as a private healthcare provider. It also sought to build a solid teamwork to work towards the growth of the clinic while providing the best of services to patients. Prof Delle said provision of quality healthcare was not only about the availability of state-of-theart equipment and competent expertise but also appropriately responding to the needs of the patient. He said doctors must not only respect their patients but also know them in order to serve them better. Prof. Delle underlined the need for teachers in medical schools to inculcate the spirit of love and compassion in student doctors to make it part of them as they practice on the field. It is unfortunate that they do not have much time to learn other things. We burden them with a lot of things to study, Prof. Delle, also a medical school lecturer, said. He expressed concern over the long hours patients spent at health facilities when seeking medical care and called for a paradigm shift to ensure prompt attention. The renowned Dermatologist advocated for even distribution of medical doctors across the country to make their services more accessible, saying the current situation where most doctors were stationed at urban areas was not helpful. 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 Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: The dream of a cabinet berth now seems a little less distant for ministerial aspirants as Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa seems to have finalised the ministry expansion after after meeting newly elected BJP president JP Nadda. The cabinet expansion exercise is halfway through, pending approval from Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Yediyurappa who was scheduled to meet Nadda and Shah on Thursday and return to Bengaluru on Friday morning, will now return in the evening after meeting Shah on Friday. Sources privy to the meeting between Nadda and Yediyurappa said the BJP chief has cleared the path for cabinet expansion but both want to run the list of aspirants through Amit Shah. If everything goes according to Yediyurappas plans, Karnataka may have new ministers by next week. Given his busy campaign schedule for the Delhi assembly polls, Shah could not meet Yediyurappa to discuss the expansion on Thursday. After a brief talk late on Thursday night, the two leaders decided to finalise the list of ministers to be inducted on Friday afternoon. Speaking to reporters late on Thursday night Yediyurappa reiterated that there will be no more deputy CMs. Party sources suggested that Yediyurappa has pushed to accommodate 10 of the newly-elected MLAs and drop three incumbent ministers to make space for new faces in the cabinet. "It has been a long time since I came to New Delhi. I will be meeting Dharmendra Pradhan, Nirmala Sitharaman. I wasnt able to met JP Nadda after he became the BJP chief and will meet him along with Amit Shah and then return to Bengaluru tomorrow (Friday). We will discuss cabinet expansion. We will do as they suggest, whether it is expansion or reshuffle," Yediyurappa told reporters in New Delhi. During his meeting with Pradhan, the CM sought the revival of Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Plant at Bhadravathi. He insisted that the Union Government or Steel Authority of India (SAIL) should invest in the plant. Yediyurappas son BY Raghavendra is the MP from Shivamogga. Raghavendra, in his election campaign, had assured to reopen the plant and ensure employment to the local population. Later, the CM, accompanied by his son, met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Even as Yediyurappa was in New Delhi, many cabinet aspirants like CP Yogeshwar, K G Bopaiah, Halappa Achar were said to have camped in the national capital. Aspirants like Murugesh Nirani visited Yediyurappa before he boarded a flight while newly-elected MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi met with his brother and long-time BJP leader Balachandra Jarkiholi to hold discussions at a private hotel on Thursday. The senior Jarkiholi is said to be disappointed over Yediyurappas remarks on there being no plans of changing or adding any more Deputy Chief Minister posts. People of Karnataka know that Yediyurappa will not go back on his words. I am of that belief too. Whatever be the decision of the party, we well abide by it, said Mahalakshmi Layout MLA Gopalaiah, who resigned from the JDS, got disqualified and joined the BJP to win the seat again. The mood of most of the 11 newly-elected MLAs seems to be of hope. "We were united when we resigned and thereafter too. Now we are all members of the BJP and it isnt right to indulge in groupism now. Nobody will be left behind. Those who didnt win the bypolls (AH Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj) will also be given positions, but there may be a slight delay due to technicalities," said Hirekerur MLA BC Patil. He too is confident of landing a cabinet berth. The Victorian governments head lawyer and the son of a former premier knew gangland barrister Nicola Gobbo was a police informer years earlier than he claims, Victoria Polices chief lawyer has told a public inquiry. Though John Cain, the son of the former Labor premier and the current state coroner, says he was astounded when he found out about Ms Gobbos secret role in 2015, Victoria Polices legal services director Fin McRae has told a public inquiry Mr Cain would have found out in a series of high-level meetings years earlier. Victoria Police legal services director Fin McRae arrives at the royal commission on Friday. Credit:AAP Mr McRae, in his second day giving evidence to a royal commission into Ms Gobbos use as Informer 3838, said it was an open secret among lawyers that one of their own was a registered informer. Speculation was rife in 2010 because Ms Gobbo sued Victoria Police over their handling of her as a witness in a failed murder case against former drug squad detective Paul Dale. The Holiday Guru is always on call to answer your questions. This week's topics also include taking a 'car train' to Austria and visiting the Camargue in France. Q. We will be in New York for two nights between cruises any advice on seeing as much as possible in this fascinating city? Also, will we need visas? Linda Warren, via email. On a short trip to New York, pictured, be sure to visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the Empire State Building A. For tips on dining, Broadway shows and shopping, read Graham Boyntons insightful report on New York. Be sure to visit the moving 9/11 Memorial & Museum (911memorial.org), as well as the Empire State Building (esbnyc.com) and the magnificent Grand Central station, where tours cost 23, (grandcentralterminal.com). You will require an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation), booked via esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta and costing 11. Q. Our daughter is engaged and would like to get married abroad with a party of seven, on a 10,000 budget. Ideally they would stay at an all-inclusive hotel for a week. Can you help? Sarah Quin, Bolton. A. How about some sunshine in the Caribbean? Tropical Sky offers the plush, beachside Hilton La Romana Resort & Spa, on the south-east coast of the Dominican Republic, from 989pp all-inclusive. Wedding ceremonies are 680 extra (tropicalsky.co.uk). Q. Since 1970 I have driven to Carinthia in Austria each year, but my family say that, now Im 80, I am too old. How about a ferry then a car train? Alan Conway, via email. A. This is possible but complicated. Catch an overnight ferry, 11pm-8am, from Harwich to the Hook of Holland, from 98 one-way with a car and cabin (stenaline.co.uk). Then it is a three-hour drive to Dusseldorf, where you could take an overnight motorail service to Innsbruck from 8.54pm-9.14am; from 236 one-way for a car and shared sleeper compartment (railtravelshop.com/holidays/motorail). The English-speaking call centre is excellent (0031 71 5161 983). Then drive for about four hours to Carinthia. Or fly from Gatwick to Klagenfurt in Carinthia (from 54 return, easyjet.com) and hire a car (from 168 for a week, europcar.co.uk). Q. My husband and I would like to visit the Camargue in France. Is there a best airport to fly to? Any suggestions on what to do, apart from visiting the wetlands and seeing the wildlife? Christine Olson, Cheshire. A golden sandy beach in the Camargue region in the south of France. To reach the Camargue, it is best to fly to Marseille A. Fly to Marseille from about 20 return (easyjet.com), then hire a car for the hour-long drive to the beautiful river delta. Stay at the cosy Hotel Maison Volver in Arles, just north of the wetlands (maisonvolver.com). Arles is famous for its Roman remains and association with Vincent van Gogh, who lived here. His works can be seen at the Foundation Vincent van Gogh (arlestourisme.com). Take day trips to Marseille or to the interesting cities of Nimes and Avignon, both about 45 minutes away by car (about-france.com/tourism/camargue.htm). Q. I am looking for an all-inclusive Nile cruise can you recommend a company? Kevin Chandler, via email. A. Yes, a good place to start is Red Sea Holidays (redseaholidays.co.uk). Were here to help For advice, send your questions to holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk or write to Daily Mail Travel, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT. Please include your contact details. Britain's membership in the European Union ends today at 11 p.m. British time, or midnight European time. The Union Jack, which now flies among the other member nations' flags outside of E.U. buildings, will be lowered. On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted to accept the terms of Britain's departure -- a formality by then -- and after the vote, European Parliament members pulled off their interpretation headphones, stood up, and sang "Auld Lang Syne," saying farewell to their former colleagues. After 47 years, Britain will be an E.U. member state no more. Other than that, at least for the moment, don't expect a whole lot of change. British prime minister Boris Johnson finally succeeded in getting Brexit done by kicking the hard decisions down the road. He promised the remaining E.U. member states that Britain would abide by E.U. rules until the end of 2020, by which time Britain and the E.U. will have negotiated a new trade relationship. Or at least that's the plan. It's a plan that's not very likely to come true, though. Brexit was voted in by referendum in the U.K. on June 23, 2016. Since then, British prime ministers Theresa May and Johnson have worked hard to negotiate a deal that would be acceptable to both the European Parliament and the British Parliament, and they failed again and again. Johnson is one of Brexit's most visible supporters, and his party's strong showing in a general election last month constituted a clear mandate from the British people to get Brexit finished and done with already. So he cleverly sidestepped the sticking points in Britain's negotiation with the E.U. by agreeing to formally leave the E.U. on January 31, but continue abiding by its rules until the end of the year while the two sides work out a deal. Can they do it? The U.K. and E.U. will not even formally begin negotiating until March 3, leaving them less than 10 months to complete a deal that they have been unable to work out in more than three and a half years. Admittedly, with a solid majority for his Conservative Party in Parliament and a clear popular mandate, Johnson will have an easier time getting his Brexit deal approved in Britain than May did before him. But trade deals are complex things and European politicians never do anything quickly. I just don't think they have enough time. There's a "cliff edge." What happens if they don't? Things could get sticky. Leaked E.U. documents speak of a "cliff edge" if no deal is reached by the end of the year. At that point, Britain will "crash out" of the E.U. -- that is, leave without a trade agreement, also called hard Brexit. Of course, December 31, 2020, is an arbitrary deadline set by Johnson, and he can likely get an extension if he wants one. But he's promised to make no extensions and it's easy to see why. Starting tomorrow, the situation between the U.K. and E.U. will be what some Brexit supporters derisively call BINO -- Brexit in name only. That is, Britain will be formally out of the E.U., but since it will still be following the bloc's rules, not much will actually change. So Johnson doesn't want to extend the deadline. On the other hand, economists have issued dire warnings about the effect of a no-deal Brexit, and ordinary people in Britain have been stockpiling things like canned tuna fish in anticipation of Brexit-related shortages. Presumably, Johnson doesn't want that either. Chattanooga States Michael Largent, an associate professor of graphic arts technology, has enjoyed a long and varied career in the creative arts, having worked more than four decades in photography and graphic design, before adding educator to the mix. Largents first love was photography. I took a photography course just because it sounded interesting. After the first week of classes, I changed my major to photography. I was addicted, especially the darkroom aspect that I considered to be magic! recalls Largent. His love of and knack for photography has served him well. While receiving his bachelors degree, Largent was a photographer with the Chattanooga News-Free Press, Chattanooga Times, and WRCB-TV. After graduation, he moved to Atlanta where he held management positions in marketing, advertising, and corporate communications while crafting his career. When he and his family returned to Chattanooga in 2006, Michael took a position as an adjunct instructor in the graphic arts technology program at Chattanooga State. In addition, he has served as an adjunct of photography and graphic design at Covenant College and Southern Adventist University before joining Chattanooga State full-time in 2015. Largent loves being able to share his corporate and freelance experience with his students. Having transitioned from traditional pasteup to the digital age provides a valuable teaching lesson on adapting to new technologies and the importance of staying abreast in the industry, he states. His full-time status encouraged him to further his career as an educator and led him back to his roots in photography, earning a Master of Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts from Azusa Pacific University In 2017. During his trip west, he drove from Ringgold, GA to Los Angeles and created a photo-documentary of his journey. Largent set his GPS to avoid highways. I stopped every 50th mile to photograph whatever was interesting (or not) around me at that location. It was fascinating to see and document the scenery as it turned from the green of forests in the east to brown of deserts as I travelled westward, he commented. Two years later in 2019, he repeated the project, but this time Michael began his trip in Lansing, MI traveling northwest to Fargo, ND (his last state to visit in the contiguous U.S.), and then back home to Ringgold. This time, the challenge was to find interesting things to photograph within the 50th mile other than the miles, and miles, and miles of corn and soybean fields, he chuckled. Both of his Every 50-Miles projects can be found on his website: https://mlargent.format.com . In addition to his website, Michaels artwork has been exhibited locally at the InTown Gallery, AVA, Creative Arts Guild (Dalton), Chattanooga State, Southern Adventist University, and several other venues. He also has exhibited at multiple galleries in California, New York, and Seattle. Coming in April 2020, he will have a solo show at the Creative Arts Guild featuring his photography. SpendEdge has been monitoring the global clinical research services market and the market is poised to experience spend growth of more than USD 14 billion between 2019-2024 at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005225/en/ Read the 124-page research report with TOC and LOE on "The Global Clinical Research Services Market Procurement Intelligence Report, Pricing Outlook in Geographies that include APAC, North America, South America, and MEA, and insights into best practices to optimize procurement spend." Buyers from the pharmaceutical industry are facing the pressing necessity to increase their adoption of various clinical research services. These services are aimed at developing new drugs and treatments to address the increasing onset of chronic ailments and to cater to the medical needs of the aging demography. This is serving as one of the primary spend growth drivers in the global clinical research services market. Meanwhile, the global clinical service providers are entering into strategic partnerships with their regional counterparts to retain local clinical trial sites to enable the local population to run clinical trials. This is functional in reducing the cost of acquiring patients. In terms of spend share, North America is dominating the market owing to the rapid growth in the biosimilar and biologics market and the growing demand for outsourcing clinical research services to CROs by pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Pharmaceutical companies in Europe are conducting research on gene therapy studies to treat rare diseases. This is driving spend momentum in the clinical research services market in this region. Subscribe to our procurement platform to get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment. Insights into the market price trends The adoption of new technologies such as EDC, eTMF, CRF and RBM to optimize research processes and to reduce the time taken to launch products is increasing service providers' technology expenses. Such expenses are eventually inflating the overall service price in the clinical research services market. The growing need for a highly skilled workforce specialized in clinical research is driving service providers to increase compensation for experience professionals to retain them. This is inflating their OPEX. Insights into strategies that will help buyers achieve a mutually beneficial partnership with service providers In the clinical research services market buyers are advised to leverage the fixed price model while in contract with a service provider. This price model allows buyers to optimize efficiency to manage clinical programs with full transparency into service providers' data and study milestones. It helps in reducing overhead costs on internal accounting and tracking systems in due course of the project. Buyers are advised to engage with service providers who optimize their trial selection process by matching the characteristics of a trial site with the specifications of the research, undertaking patient-centric initiatives, and adopting data-driven techniques. Some of the top clinical research service providers enlisted in this report This clinical research services market procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top service providers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies. IQVIA Inc. Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings PAREXEL International Corp. ICON Plc Syneos Health Inc. Pharmaceutical Product Development LLC Buy 1 report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 reports and get the third for free. Download the free sample of this report on the clinical research services market. Some of the key topics covered in this report are: Clinical research services market spend segmentation by region Clinical research services supply market analysis Regional spend opportunity for clinical research service providers Clinical research service providers cost structure Total cost of ownership analysis in the clinical research services market Clinical research services pricing models analysis Category management objectives Cost saving opportunities in the clinical research services market Free sample of reports that you may like: Global Medical Transcription Services Market Procurement Intelligence Report Global Culture Media Market Procurement Intelligence Report About SpendEdge: SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions. To know more, https://www.spendedge.com/request-free-proposal View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005225/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us He and his hypeman Bawumia... What job does he do? This is a man who should be behind bars. They went to the North to go and share food that has expired to people, were the exact words of Bulldog on radio. The controversial artiste manager and showbiz pundit, known in real life as Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson descended on the vice president and the president in an interview on 3FM. According to him, President Akufo-Addo is the worst performing leader Ghana has ever had, hence he (Nana Addo) should have resigned by now for failing to perform. We all know most politicians are liars but Akufo-Addo seemed or looked like he was going to be different. When he started his campaign and was talking and talking, you know, he is the worst president ever, he told host, MzGee. The President in the last few weeks subtly launched his campaign for re-election though the party is yet to elect a flagbearer. The 4 More Years 4 Nana campaign appears to have suffered a hefty blow following the release of this year's CPI. Corruption Perception Index: Ghana ranked 80 out of 180 countries According to a report released by the Transparency International (TI), Ghana is ranked 80 out of 180 countries/territories on the 2019 global Corruption Perception Index, (CPI. This years score of 41 shows that Ghanas score remained the same compared to its CPI 2018 score (41). Ghana performed better than 37 other Sub-Saharan African countries including Burkina Faso 40, Lesotho 40, Ethiopia 37, Gambia 37, Tanzania 37, and performed below 9 others. In 2019, while Ghana performed better than Burkina Faso and Lesotho, Ghana could not catch up with countries like South Africa, Senegal, Sao Tome and Principe, etc. that scored better than Ghana in 2018. Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), a local chapter of TI, which released the report recommended that Government must take a critical look at elements that promote public sector corruption including patronage, clientelism, nepotism and suspiciously close ties between politics and business. Watch the video below: Source: 3news.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 crowd cheered as speaker after speaker came to the microphone to ask for unity, pushing back against the idea of breaking an Alabama city in half, largely along racial lines. We have to work together. We work better together, said area NAACP chapter President Glenn Ray, who had initially supported de-annexation of half of Anniston, Alabama. He had hopes of achieving majority black control in what would have been left of the Anniston city government. But Ray joined hundreds of Anniston residents at a community meeting on Thursday to oppose the division of their city of 22,000. Is this plan strategic and purposeful? asked Margaret Folsom, who questioned what would become of the section of the city, accounting for about half of its population, that was proposed to break away. Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston, had organized Thursdays meeting to discuss the possibility of drafting legislation for a referendum to allow Ward 4, an affluent, predominantly white part of the city to break away. Alabama Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston speaks at the forum he organized on a possible de-annexation of about half of the city. If theres a way to keep the city together, that should be the ultimate goal, Marsh said after hearing feedback at the meeting. The group leading the secession effort, Forward 4 All, had cited declining property values and struggling schools as a reason for the split when its plans to push for the referendum were leaked to the local paper, The Anniston Star, earlier this fall. Since then, public polls showed little support for the secession effort, referred to informally as Annexit. Local business owner Scott Brightwell challenged the idea that Anniston has intractable problems beyond residents poor attitudes about the city. We have to talk better about ourselves, he said to applause. But Marsh said negative perceptions about Annistons schools remain a problem that is driving white residents away. He expressed concern that few residents with school-age children attended the two community forums he organized. Ive got to look at that. Im going to take all the comments Ive heard here in the last two nights. Im going to talk with the city leadership. Im going to talk to some school board members and see if I can figure out, OK what is the solution to prevent Ward 4 from wanting to leave the city? In response to a question from a resident, he told the crowd that magnet schools and charter schools are options on the table. Anniston is split roughly in half demographically, with a slightly higher black population. But 95 percent of the students in the city's public schools are black. In 2018, Annistons high school was on the states list of failing schools. That year Anniston City Schools earned a C on the states report card, up from a D the year before. The surrounding Calhoun County Schools received a B. Residents pointed out that Anniston City Schools have improved on their state scorecards in recent years. Johnny Byrd rejected the notion that the schools are broken. If its true, he said, Its the fault of everybody sitting in this room. Schools are not to fix communities, communities fix schools." Resident Pati Tiller urged others in Anniston to volunteer in the local schools. Show them your wealth of knowledge, she said. Anniston residents line up to speak Annistons City Council and its mayor opposed the effort to de-annex Ward 4, citing fears that the citys police and firefighter pension fund has been underfunded and that the city would default and go bankrupt if it lost the wealthiest portion of its tax base. The city council is divided along racial lines on many issues, with white representatives outnumbering black representatives three to two. Tiller said she thinks negative perceptions of the city are driven by people who are disengaged from it. Whens the last time you shopped downtown? she asked. About two dozen spoke against secession while only three or four spoke in support. Dee Gorey of Forward 4 All spoke of high crime rates and the difficulty of attracting businesses to the city. He said the poor schools make Anniston an undesirable place to live. Perception is reality, he said. Initially, Forward 4 All had proposed incorporating Ward 4 to nearby Oxford, but the citys mayor rejected the idea of that happening in the near future. After the meeting, Forward 4 Alls leader, Charles Turner, indicated he is backing away from the plan. Im not sure, at this point, whether de-annexation makes sense or not, he said. We really felt like a conversation needed to be started about Annistons future, and I think weve done that, he said. In context: Security professionals, particularly penetration experts, have a pretty tough job. Government organizations and corporations will hire these individuals to look for physical vulnerabilities and security loopholes in their operations. Much like the disclosure of serious software flaws, the end goal of this process is to improve security overall. To perform this task, security pros often need to think like a savvy criminal, which is easier said than done. However, in November of last year, two employees working for security company Coalfire might have done their job a little too well. They were hired by Iowa state officials to conduct penetration tests at the Dallas County Courthouse. After they arrived on the scene, they entered the building and intentionally set off the alarm to see how fast law enforcement officers would come -- standard practice for security experts. Things went smoothly at first. Deputy sheriffs pulled up to the courthouse and quickly understood the situation. They reportedly checked the Coalfire employees' contract papers, and said they were "good to go." However, once the local sheriff arrived, things took a turn for the worst. He arrested the workers and charged them with felony burglary, stating that Coalfire's original client (the Iowa State Court Administration) did not have the legal right to authorize penetration testing at the Dallas County Courthouse. Fortunately, Dallas County's prosecuting attorney has decided to drop the charges, effectively wiping the slate clean for the two Coalfire employees involved in the debacle: Gary DeMercurio and Justin Wynn. "We are pleased that all charges are dropped in the Iowa incident," Coalfire CEO Tom McAndrew said in a statement. "With positive lessons learned, a new dialogue now begins with a focus on improving best practices and elevating the alignment between security professionals and law enforcement." It's unfortunate that this situation occurred in the first place -- innocent security pros shouldn't be punished for merely doing their job -- but we're glad to see that the matter has been resolved now. It has 17 storeys, science labs with panoramic views and abseiling window cleaners. But Sydney's new, $225 million high-rise high school has no library. Rather than dedicating a room to the school's books and research resources in the form of a traditional library, the new Arthur Phillip High School in Parramatta, which opened this week, will have so-called iHubs for each year level on different floors. One of the recently completed floors of the new Arthur Philip High School in Parramatta. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer Each iHub will have digital resources and some hard copy books, while "students can access other parts of the school's collection through the librarian," said a spokesman for the NSW Department of Education. Librarians have condemned it, saying it will be limiting for students, inefficient for teachers, and detrimental to the school's culture. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:59:10|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend sanctions against the Central African Republic (CAR) for 6 months. Determining that the situation in the CAR "continues to consitute a threat to international peace and security in the region," resolution 2507 decides to renew the sanctions regime including arms embargo till July 31, 2020. It also decides to extend the mandate of the panel of experts, which helps the Security Council with the implementation of the sanctions, till Aug. 31, 2020. This is the first renewal of the CAR sanctions regime following the signing of the Political Peace Agreement in the CAR between the government and 14 armed groups in Bangui on Feb. 6, 2019. Since then, there has been a notable decrease, compared to the previous year, in military confrontations between armed groups and CAR security forces and in human rights violations linked to the conflict. The CAR has been in civil war since 2012, which is being fought along religious and ethnic lines. Perth, Australia, Jan 31, 2020 - (ABN Newswire) - Deep Yellow Limited (ASX:DYL.AX - News) (HAM:JMI.HM - News) (OTCMKTS:DYLLF - News) provide the Corporate Update Presentation to be presented by John Borshoff, Managing Director/CEO at the Arlington Predaba Investor Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa from 31 January - 1 February 2020. Ready for Growth - Executing a unique and differentiated dual-pillar growth strategy - Strong balance sheet, with continued support from equity markets - Ongoing exploration has tripled the Reptile Project resource base in just 3 years o At an extremely low discovery cost of $0.10/lb (2017 to 2019) - PFS commenced at Reptile following positive Scoping Study results - Effective M&A execution combined with successful organic growth to deliver potential for 5-10Mlb pa production from a low cost, multiplatform global uranium portfolio - M&A activity in progress - Fully-funded to execute the strategy over the next 12 months - Nuclear power integral to achieving clean energy targets, with demand growing To view the presentation, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/MZEMG4L9 About Deep Yellow Limited: Deep Yellow Limited (ASX:DYL.AX - News) (OTCMKTS:DYLLF - News) (Namibian Stock Exchange:DYL) is a specialist differentiated uranium company implementing a new contrarian strategy to grow shareholder wealth. This strategy is founded upon growing the existing uranium resources across the Company's uranium projects in Namibia and the pursuit of accretive, counter-cyclical acquisitions to build a global, geographically diverse asset portfolio. The Company's cornerstone suite of projects in Namibia is situated within a top-ranked African mining destination in a jurisdiction that has a long, well regarded history of safely and effectively developing and regulating its considerable uranium mining industry. Contact: John Borshoff Managing Director/CEO T: +61-8-9286-6999 Email: john.borshoff@deepyellow.com.au www.deepyellow.com.au Story continues Source: Deep Yellow Limited Copyright (C) 2020 ABN Newswire. All rights reserved. The Supreme Court on Friday reserved its order which will be passed at 2 pm on the review petition filed by Pawan against the Supreme Court's decision to dismiss his claim of being a juvenile when the crime was committed. The plea also demanded to cancel the death warrant issued. This petition demands the top court to reconsider its January 20 decision in which it had rejected Pawan's plea. Also, Pawan is yet to file a curative petition in the top court. Live TV According to Delhi Prison Rules, none of the four convicts in the same case can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options including the mercy plea. The apex court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President. Recently, Vinay Kumar Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter, while Mukesh Kumar too had filed a mercy petition, which was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but failed to get any respite. On the night of December 16, 2012, six people including a juvenile had gang-raped and brutalised a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. Cast member Owen Wilson poses at the premiere for "Wonder" in Los Angeles, California, U.S., November 14, 2017. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Owen Wilson has joined the cast of Loki, with various outlets confirming that he will be a major character in the upcoming Disney+ series. At the moment, details of Wilsons character are being kept firmly under wraps, which is hardly surprising as production on the show has either only just begun or will commence in the new few days or weeks. Wilson, who rose to fame thanks to his work in Zoolander, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Wedding Crashers, will be a worthy addition to the cast of Loki, which now looks set to follow the same comedic tone as Thor: Ragnarok. At the moment, the only confirmed cast members for Loki are Wilson, Hiddleston, and Sophia Di Martino. Read More: Brie Larson to return for Captain Marvel 2, set in the present day We also know that it will follow the events of Avengers: Endgame, which saw Loki escaping from New York City when Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Captain America travelled back to the events of 2012s The Avengers to try and steal the Space Stone so that they could reverse Thanos villainous antics in Avengers: Infinity War. Tom Hiddleston as Loki Actually, we know a little bit more than that. Its already been confirmed that the first season will consist of six episodes, all of which will be an hour long. The showrunner on Loki will be Michael Waldron, who previously worked on Rick & Morty, while Sex Education and Five By Fives Kate Herron will direct all six episodes of the series, too. Read More: Hugo Weaving says he wasn't in Endgame because Marvel were 'impossible' Even though the show is still over a year away, Marvel president Kevin Feige has already confirmed that Loki will tie into Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, too. Well find out exactly how when Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is released on 7 May, 2021, as long as it finds a new director quickly, while Marvel and Disney have already confirmed that Loki will hit Disney+ around the same time, in Spring, 2021. Amy Bonnaffons. Little, Brown, $27 (304p) ISBN 978-0-316-51616-7 Bonnaffonss wonderful debut novel (after the collection The Wrong Heaven) is a tale of ghostly love and passion. Thomas Barrett has died, but there has been an institutional error, and hes been returned to Earth for 90 days to live an odd pseudo-life until theywhoever they arecan receive him. Hes given guidelines that explain how he can reduce the possibility of regrets while he awaits death, such as avoiding connections with his previous life and resisting sexual contact. Thomas respects the advice until he meets Rachel Starr, a young librarian he first spots in a New York coffee shop. Rachel is drawn to Thomas, too, and they become intensely involved during Thomass final weeks. However, Thomas begins to have episodes of fading, first with large holes temporarily appearing in his body, and then an overall increasing insubstantiality. As Thomass days on Earth wind down, the two bittersweetly make the most of their time together. The tension of an ephemeral romance and impending loss will keep readers turning the pages, and the luminous prose is vibrant with penetrating observations, whether about moments that are a crucial node in the universes vast plan or about dyingwith or without regrets. This sexy, witty novel about life, death, and loves power will enchant readers. Agent: Henry Dunow, Dunow, Carlson & Lerner Literary Agency. (Feb.) SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Health authorities in Hubei, the Chinese province at the centre of the coronavirus epidemic, said on Friday that deaths from the disease had risen to 204, a sharp increase that underscores concerns about the virus from global health officials. The World Health Organization (WHO) said late Thursday that it was declaring the outbreak a global emergency, as cases spread to at least 18 countries. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Health authorities in Hubei, the Chinese province at the centre of the coronavirus epidemic, said on Friday that deaths from the disease had risen to 204, a sharp increase that underscores concerns about the virus from global health officials. The World Health Organization (WHO) said late Thursday that it was declaring the outbreak a global emergency, as cases spread to at least 18 countries. The latest Hubei figures take the total death toll for China to at least 212. China's National Health Commission is expected to release new national figures later on Friday. There have been a further 1,220 cases detected in Hubei by end of Jan. 30, taking the total for the province alone to close to 6,000, Hubei's health commission said. Nearly 100 cases have emerged in other countries, spurring cuts to travel, outbreaks of anti-China sentiment in some places, and a surge in demand for protective face masks. In Hubei some 60 million people are living under virtual lockdown as China seeks to contain the epidemic. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, praised China's response in a news conference in Geneva on Thursday evening but said the WHO was concerned about the virus spreading to countries that did not have the resources to deal with it. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," he said. The WHO move will trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines to all countries, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence it can beat the "devil" virus. China's U.N. ambassador, Zhang Jun, said Beijing was assessing the declaration. "We are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus. International solidarity is extremely important and for that purpose all countries should behave in a ... responsible manner," Zhang said. (Reporting by Brenda Goh and Muyu Xu in Shanghai, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva and Michelle Nichols at the U.N.; Writing by Rosalba O'Brien; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. When a lawyer for President Donald Trump suggested to senators this week that whatever a president does in pursuit of reelection is inherently in the publics interest, the moment crystallised fears among some of Trumps critics about creeping presidential autocracy Washington: When a lawyer for President Donald Trump suggested to senators this week that whatever a president does in pursuit of reelection is inherently in the publics interest, the moment crystallised fears among some of Trumps critics about creeping presidential autocracy. If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment, said the lawyer, Alan Dershowitz. He sought on Thursday to clarify or walk back his remarks, saying on Twitter that they were mischaracterised. But the wave of outrage underscored how the politics of the Trump era and his lawyers efforts to help Trump advance his agenda and defend himself from scrutiny have become infused with concerns about executive power overreach. The constitutional system is built on the idea that each of the three branches of government depends upon and is accountable to the others, said Peter Shane, an Ohio State University law professor and co-author of a separation-of-powers casebook, but an accumulating pattern of claims and actions by the Trump administration has called that into doubt. What is scary about Trumps view of executive power is that he tries to do as much as he can without the sanction of Congress, and to resist oversight by the other branches, Shane said. Put all that together and you get a picture of an executive branch in which all activity is subject to the whim of the president, and how that whim is exercised cannot be effectively checked. The list of ways in which Trump and his legal team have pushed limits is growing. In the Ukraine affair, his lawyers have argued that nothing is impeachable or illegal about using his official powers to coerce a weak ally to announce a corruption investigation into a domestic political rival, and the Senates Republican majority will likely vote to acquit him. Along the way, Trumps legal team came up with a theory by which the executive branch could lawfully withhold from Congress a whistleblower complaint that an inspector general had deemed an urgent concern. A law says that the administration shall disclose such a complaint to lawmakers. And before the Ukraine affair came to light, lawyers in the White House budget office developed a legal theory that Trump had constitutional authority to withhold military aid from Ukraine, overriding the Anti-Impoundment Act. They never activated that theory, since he released the aid after the whistleblower filed his complaint. The presidents edgy views of executive power did not start with Ukraine. Trump himself has repeatedly claimed that Article II of the Constitution, which creates the presidency, gives him the right to do whatever I want. He has said he could pardon himself and vowed to systematically stonewall all congressional subpoenas. Trump broke with a long-held norm by personally ordering an investigation into the Russia investigators, and he repeatedly tried to impede the special counsel inquiry, boasting that he has an absolute right to do what I want to with the Justice Department. After William Barr, a longtime believer in a maximalist interpretation of presidential power, privately provided the Trump administration with a legal theory by which obstruction of justice laws do not apply to presidents who abuse their power over the Justice Department, Trump appointed him attorney general. In domestic policy, Trump has pushed the limits of emergency powers laws to claim a right to spend more taxpayer money on a border wall with Mexico than Congress was willing to appropriate. In foreign policy, he launched strikes at the Syrian government without permission from Congress, and nearly brought the country to war with Iran by killing a senior Iranian general without consulting lawmakers. Against the backdrop of all this and more, critics of Trump seized on Dershowitzs remarks. The leader of the House impeachment managers, Representative Adam Schiff, D-California, told the Senate on Thursday that Trumps team had embraced the vision of a presidency that exists above the law when the president does it, that means it is not illegal that Richard Nixon famously articulated to defend his conduct after Watergate. We are right back to where we were a half-century ago and I would argue we may be in a worse place because this time, this time that argument may succeed, Schiff said, accusing Trump defenders of embracing the normalisation of lawlessness by a president. Dershowitz did not attend the impeachment trial on Thursday, but another member of the presidents defence team, Patrick Philbin, also distanced himself from the impression Dershowitz had left. The suggestion has been made because of Dershowitzs comments that the theory that the presidents counsel is advancing is, the president can do anything he wants if he thinks it will advance his reelection, any quid pro quo, anything he wants, anything goes, and that is not true, Philbin said. On Twitter, Dershowitz said that the intended meaning of his remarks the previous evening, which circulated widely on social media and aired repeatedly on television, had been distorted. They characterised my argument as if I had said that if a president believes that his reelection was in the national interest, he can do anything, Dershowitz wrote. I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest. At least one part of Dershowitzs self-defence seemed accurate. Some Democratic senators and other critics accused him of suggesting that even Nixon was not impeachable, despite his clear crimes. But that accusation is incompatible with Dershowitzs main argument: That an impeachable high crime and misdemeanour requires an indictable offense. (His embrace of that view was itself disputed. It cuts against the view of most legal scholars, and he himself said in 1998 that he thought a technical crime was not required to impeach a president who abuses power. He has since disavowed that view, saying he changed his mind after research.) But the context of Dershowitzs view that abuse of power, absent an indictable crime, is not impeachable provides a guide for sorting through his inflammatory remarks, which were muddled in places. Dershowitz made his remarks in response to a question posed by a Republican senator about whether quid pro quos are routine in foreign policy. The presidents defence team has repeatedly pointed out that administrations commonly withhold assistance as leverage to induce another country to take some step. The talking point elides the distinction between a president who is attempting to achieve some public policy goal or to obtain a personal benefit. In his answer, Dershowitz appeared to be attempting to rebut that objection, including by arguing that a president may have more than one motivation for acting. Specifically, he was arguing against the idea that presidents can be impeached for otherwise lawful actions if they are motivated by gaining personal political benefits rather than serving the public interest. One reason this would be folly, he maintained, was that often both motivations will simultaneously exist. (Trumps legal team has argued that he had a sincere interest in fighting corruption in Ukraine. House impeachment managers have scoffed at that notion and portrayed him as solely motivated by a desire to manufacture a basis to smear a political rival as corrupt.) But as he riffed, Dershowitz went further than merely observing that presidents routinely think about public opinion that is, voter sentiments as well as the public good when they weigh potential actions. He also collapsed any distinction between those two motives by saying that politicians often justifiably believe that their reelection would serve the public interest. That part of his remarks went viral. But the larger context was that under Dershowitzs theory, even a president who nakedly abuses power, without any reference to the purported public good, cannot be impeached so long as there is no indictable offense. On Thursday, Dershowitz emphasized that he was not trying to communicate that presidents wield unfettered power when they are trying to get reelected. Let me be clear once again (as I was in the Senate): a president seeking reelection cannot do anything he wants, Dershowitz wrote on Twitter. He is not above the law. He cannot commit crimes. But, he argued, a lawful act does not become unlawful or impeachable if done with a mixed motive of both promoting the public interest and helping his re-election. Charlie Savage c.2020 The New York Times Company Delta, which does not fly to Hong Kong, said it would suspend service through April 30. Delta said in a statement that its last flight to mainland China from the United States would depart on Monday, and that its last flight to the United States from mainland China would leave on Wednesday. Delta was the first American airline to completely suspend service to China because of the virus. United Airlines had already reduced its service to the country this week. Share prices in all three airlines had fallen by midday. Airlines outside the United States are also clamping down on travel. In Rwanda and Kenya, RwandAir and Kenya Airways said they would cancel all flights to and from Guangzhou, the southern Chinese metropolis, until further notice. There have been no confirmed cases in Africa. Polands national airline, LOT Polish Airlines, has suspended flights to China until Feb. 9, a deputy prime minister said on Twitter. More than a dozen people suspected of having the coronavirus are hospitalized in Poland, and over 500 people are being monitored by health services. Iran has suspended all flights to China because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to Reuters. Irans semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported on Friday that all flights from China to the Islamic Republic have also been banned. Several Canadian companies have suspended employee travel to China after Air Canadas decision on Wednesday to suspend service to Shanghai and Beijing. The Montreal-based carrier normally operates 33 flights a week to and from the two Chinese cities. Americans evacuated from Wuhan are quarantined. In Japan, the hashtag #ChineseDontComeToJapan has been trending on Twitter. In Singapore, tens of thousands of residents have signed a petition calling for the government to ban Chinese nationals from entering the country. In Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam, businesses have posted signs saying that mainland Chinese customers are not welcome. In France, a front-page headline in a regional newspaper warned of a Yellow Alert. And in a suburb of Toronto, parents demanded that a school district keep children of a family that had recently returned from China out of classes for 17 days. The rapid spread of the mysterious coronavirus that has sickened about 9,800 people the overwhelming majority in China, with all of the 213 deaths there has unleashed a wave of panic and, in some cases, outright anti-Chinese sentiment across the globe. While officials scramble to contain the crisis the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Thursday and the U.S. State Department issued a do not travel to China advisory fears over the dangerous outbreak have fueled xenophobia. And the wave of spreading panic has at times far outstripped practical concerns. At a time when Chinas rise as a global economic and military power has unsettled its neighbors in Asia as well as its rivals in the West, the coronavirus is feeding into latent bigotry against the people of mainland China. Some of the xenophobia is likely undergirded by broader political and economic tensions and anxieties related to China, which are interacting with more recent fears of contagion, said Kristi Govella, an assistant professor of Asian studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Some of the response to the outbreak can be seen as a rational calculation based on the risk of infection: Airlines are canceling flights to Wuhan, the center of the epidemic, and other Chinese cities; and conference organizers are asking Chinese delegations not to attend. Late Thursday, Italys prime minister said that his country had blocked all flights to and from China. And countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam have temporarily stopped issuing certain classes of visas to travelers from Hubei province, where Wuhan is situated, or China altogether. I think it is time to put a temporary Do not enter sign on our doorstep for visitors from China, said Ralph Recto, a lawmaker in the Philippines. Bangkok residents are avoiding malls that are particularly popular with Chinese tourists. A plastic surgery office in the wealthy Gangnam neighborhood of Seoul has instructed employees that they can see Chinese customers only if they can prove that they have been in South Korea for 14 days or more, the potential period that the virus can lie dormant. At a sushi restaurant in the neighborhood that once housed the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, where about 90% of the customers are Chinese, Yaeko Suenaga, 70, a server, said she understood why some stores might want to reject visitors from China. I dont think this fear comes from discrimination, Suenaga said, but from the true fear that humans have of getting infected with a virus that may lead to death. Suenaga said that her restaurant would continue to welcome all customers but that workers would wear masks. It is not always easy to discern the boundary between understandable fear and unmistakable discrimination. But some protective measures have effectively amounted to racial or ethnic profiling. At Bread Box, a banh mi restaurant in central Hoi An, a popular tourist outpost in Vietnam, the owners posted a makeshift sign outside their storefront this month reading, We cant service for Chinese, SORRY! Up the coast, the Danang Riverside Hotel announced Saturday that it would not accept any Chinese guests because of the virus. Kwong Wing Catering, a small restaurant chain in Hong Kong, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that it would serve only patrons speaking English or Cantonese, the citys native language a tongue distinct from the Mandarin spoken on the mainland. The business has been a vocal supporter of the Hong Kong democracy movement that has risen up in defiance of Beijing. Public health experts said they understood some of the impulses. In a sense, its a natural reaction to try to distance yourself from a potential cause of illness, particularly when theres no known cure, said Karen Eggleston, director of the Asia health policy program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. But examples in both mass and social media have clearly crossed a line. In Australia, The Herald Sun, a Murdoch-owned newspaper, published the words China Virus Panda-monium over an image of a red mask. More than 46,000 people from the resident Chinese community in Australia signed a petition that called the headline unacceptable race discrimination. Le Courrier Picard, a regional newspaper in northern France, caused outrage with its Yellow Alert headline this month. The newspaper later apologized. On Twitter in Japan, where there has long been unease about the conduct of Chinese tourists, commenters have labeled them dirty and insensitive and have called them bioterrorists. Disinformation is also running high. A much-viewed YouTube video in South Korea claims that a biochemical weapons facility in China leaked the coronavirus, a theory that has gained currency in other corners of the globe. In Australia, a fake post circulating on Instagram warned that shops in Sydney containing items like fortune cookies, rice and Chinese Red Bull were contaminated. The episodes of racism have swept up other people of Asian descent. In France, one Vietnamese woman told the newspaper Le Monde that she had been insulted by a car driver who shouted, Keep your virus, dirty Chinese! and, You are not welcome in France, as he sped away through a puddle, splashing her. In Australia, Andy Miao, 24, an ethnic Chinese Australian who returned this month from a trip to China, said that passengers on public transport gave him odd looks if he was not wearing a face mask. It makes people like me who are very, very Australian feel like outsiders, Miao said. Its definitely invoking a lot of past racial stereotypes. The Chinese and Asians in general were subjected to similar xenophobic reactions during the SARS epidemic of 2003. But now far more Chinese are traveling abroad: According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chinese travelers made about 150 million overseas trips in 2018, up more than 14% from the previous year. Chinas lockdown of tens of millions of people, intended to curb the spread of the virus, may be spurring other governments to overreact, said Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. The fact that the Chinese government itself is treating people like that would in some ways enable or encourage some of the other people or governments to take equally draconian measures, Nakano said. Some governments are trying to ease the panic. In Toronto, politicians, a school board and some community groups have issued public appeals to avoid a repetition of the racism that swept the city in 2003, when SARS killed 44 people there. While the virus can be traced to a province in China, we have to be cautious that this not be seen as a Chinese virus, the school board in the York Region, a suburb with many Asian residents, said in a statement issued Monday. At times such as this, we must come together as Canadians and avoid any hint of xenophobia, which in this case can victimize our East Asian Chinese community. Although Indonesia has suspended flights from Wuhan, the governor of West Sumatra, Irwan Prayitno, ignored a plea from a citizens group to reject all Chinese tourists. On Sunday, he personally went to the airport to welcome 174 Chinese visitors from the southwestern city of Kunming. In the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo, which is often thronged with Chinese tourists, Michiko Kubota, who runs a clothing boutique, said she hoped that the Japanese government might do more to help China, such as by sending masks or other medical supplies. Japan and China may be critical of each other sometimes, but the kindness is mutual, Kubota said. I hope we could do more to help eradicate fear in China as well. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Kolkata, Jan 31 : A day after West Bengal Govenor Jagdeep Dhankhar alleged the state's law and order has completely "broken down" and publicly ticked off a top cop for his "casual" approach, the BJP backed him, but the other political parties including the ruling Trinamool Congress found fault with his attitude. "I would like to say with all respect that Raj Bhavan seems frustrated. He is an ex-officio Chancellor of some state universities also. If he speaks to a senior officer in this way, then what will he teach the students? "The way he is publicly displaying his power, it is totally undesirable. He is trying to shatter the confidence of the administration," said state Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Trinamool Secretary General Partha Chatterjee. Addressing an event at Barrackpore Gandhighat in North 24 Parganas district in connection with the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi, Dhankhar on Thursday pulled up Barrackpore Police Commissioner Manoj Verma in full glare of all dignitaries for some police personnel allegedly reading newspaper during the chanting of religious hymns. "Such casual, farcical, improper approach! The governor is here! Martyr's Day is here! The death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Shame on us. Send me the list of all people," Dhankhar was seen saying in a video. "I am really worried. It is a serious lapse. How can it happen on this day. Are we living in a state governed by rural folks? If people are in uniform doing this, where are we heading?" he said, as Verma was seen saying "I am sorry" several times. Later, the Governor expressed his unhappiness in two tweets. "....I was appalled that amidst chanting of religious mantras senior police personnel in uniform in front row kept on casually and freely reading newspapers. How can this indecorous act be by men in uniform". "I have drawn firmly attention to this grave lapse to CP (and not by him) and sought details, may be through government, for way forward, as overlooking such serious lapse is antithetical to rule of law. Hope there is swift input," he said. While speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the programme, Dhankhar said: "The rule of law has completely broken down in the state. There is total lawlessness. "Law and order situation has completely collapsed. The state government needs to do some serious soul searching..." he said. Congress leader Suvankar Sarkar lashed out against Dhankhar. "He is behaving like the mouthpiece of the BJP." CPI-M legislator and leader of the Left Front legislature party Sujon Chakraborty said while the Trinamool government was also not showing the due respect to Dhankhar, one cannot support the way the Governor is conducting himself. "People of the state are disgusted at seeing the constant friction between the government and the Trinamool government. The real issues of the people are taking a backseat. There is cause for concern at the state of law and order in Bengal. But the way the Governor is conducting himself does not behove a person holding such a high constitutional post. It is highly unacceptable". State BJP President Dilip Ghosh accused the police of not showing due respect to the Governor. "Were so many questions raised when the Chief Minister threatened to whip the police? Police is not showing proper respect to the Governor. what sort of custom is this?" he asked. President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in his address to a joint session of Parliament saying that the wish of Mahatma Gandhi has been fulfilled. He expressed his pleasure over the passage of the CAA in December by the winter session and said that the Act would provide refugees a safe and secure life in India as citizens. His statement sparked uproar among Opposition members who tried to disrupt the President during his speech. "During Partition, father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had said that Hindus and Sikhs who don't wish to stay in Pakistan may come and settle in India. Providing them a secure life is a duty of the Government of India. Many leaders and political parties lend their support to Bapu's idea time and again. I am pleased that their wish was fulfilled and the Citizenship Amendment Act passed both Houses of Parliament," President Kovind told MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament. READ | Anti-CAA Protests: SC Notice To UP Govt On Plea For Quashing Of Notices For Recovering Damages Opposition uproar As MPs of the ruling NDA banged their desks to applaud the President's remark, Opposition members burst into roars to express their displeasure over the same. "I congratulate all the members of both Houses," said President Kovind despite the ruckus continuing in backbenches of the Hall. READ | Urmila Matondkar Draws Bizarre Parallel Between Rowlatt Act & CAA, Slams Both Laws President refers to Pakistan President Kovind noted the rise in communal attacks against minorities in Pakistan saying that after the Nankana Sahib incident, India is obligated to raise the issue of minority rights in Pakistan at an international stage. "I condemn the attacks on minorities in Pakistan and request the international community to take cognisance of the matter." Earlier in January, an angry mob of 400 people attacked the holy shrine at Nankana Sahib by pelting stones at the Gurudwara which is the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. READ | Chhattisgarh CM Baghel Writes To PM Modi, Requests Him To Repeal CAA Follow norms, get citizenship President Kovind stated that the norms under which those who put their faith in India get citizenship will remain the same. "Member of any community can follow the norms and become a citizen of India. The government has made special provisions to ensure that the local culture of areas especially in the North East does not get affected as refugees gain citizenship," he stated. READ | Feel Foreign Forces Behind Creating Misunderstanding Over CAA To Weaken India: Rajnath Singh Budget session The Budget Session of Parliament started on Friday with the address by President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. The President's address commenced at 11 am. The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Foreign Ministry working 24/7 to get Iranians out of virus-hit Chinese city: Spokesman Iran Press TV Thursday, 30 January 2020 3:20 PM The spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry says the country's diplomatic apparatus is making round-the-clock efforts to get Iranians out of the Chinese city of Wuhan, which is the epicenter of an ongoing epidemic of coronavirus. "A round-the-clock effort is underway to manage various aspects of this issue and to help fellow countrymen who live in contaminated areas in China," Abbas Mousavi told reporters on Thursday. He said the Iranian Embassy established sustained communication with the Iranian students in the central-eastern Chinese city, which contains the majority of the affected cases, from the very early hours, when the virus began to spread. "The first goal to be pursued was to take [our] dear students and compatriots out of this city," he said, adding, "Various approaches were followed to enable this first via land and then by air." The Embassy has adopted the necessary precautions, including providing the students with relief packages, the spokesperson said. In some cases, the diplomatic mission has based its preemptory steps on its consultations with the China-based Iranian communities, Mousavi noted. The official announced that necessary communications and coordination have also gone underway with relevant domestic organizations towards implementation of protective hygienic measures. The Islamic Republic keeps up its consultations with Chinese officials as it seeks to fend off the potential risks facing the country amid the epidemic, Mousavi concluded. Earlier in the day, it was reported that the death toll from the virus, whose origin is yet uncertain, had reached 169 as hard-hit Hubei province reported 37 new fatalities. Many foreign governments are busy flying their citizens out of Hubei. Cases have also been detected elsewhere in China and in at least 15 other countries. The World Health Organization's Emergency Committee has already held an ad hoc meeting on the outbreak and issued stern warnings about the virus' further spread. The body is set to reconvene behind closed doors in Geneva on Thursday to decide whether the phenomenon warrants announcement of global emergency. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address [January 31, 2020] Ledyard Financial Group Declares Quarterly Dividend Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced today a regular quarterly dividend of $0.19 payable March 6, 2020 to shareholders of record as of February 14, 2020. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc., headquartered in Hanover, New Hampshire, is the holding company for Ledyard National Bank. Ledyard National Bank, founded in 1991, is a full service community bank offering a broad range of banking, investment, tax and wealth management services. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc. shares can be bought and sold through the NASD sanctioned "OTC Markets" under the trading symbol LFGP. Shares may be traded through an individual's broker. For more information, please refer to the "Investor Relations" section of the bank's website at www.ledyardbank.com or contact the bank's Chief Financial Officer, Gregory D. Steverson. [email protected] Forward-Looking Statements: Statements concerning future performance, developments or events, expectations for growth and income forecasts, and any other guidance on future periods constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from stated expectations. Specific factors include, but are not limited to, loan production, competitive pressure in the banking industry, balance sheet management, net interest margin variations, the effect of changes in equity prices on assets under management, the ability to control costs and expenses, changes in the interest rate environment, financial policies of the United States government, and general economic conditions. The Company disclaims any obligation to update any such factors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005502/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The weather is serious business in Upstate New York, especially during the winter. Take this Syracuse story from 100 years ago around the relatively harmless tradition of Groundhog Day. On Feb. 2, 1920, Syracuse got into the Groundhog Day act, when the citys version of Punxsutawney Phil made an appearance at the Burnet Park Zoo, saw his shadow and went back to bed. It meant Syracuse was facing another six weeks of winter. The animals prediction did not jive with the best guess of the weather prophet of the North, Frank Doe, of Ogdensburg, whose prognostications the Syracuse Herald often carried. The disagreement led to a war of words between Doe and the groundhog, who was given voice by the Syracuse Herald. On Feb. 2, 1920, the groundhog at the Burnet Park Zoo saw his shadow, meaning there would be six more weeks of winter Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm The ground hog at the city zoo took a little stroll early Monday forenoon, the Herald reported, and then hustled back to bed for another six weeks of winter. The day was hazy and it looked as if the ground hog would have some trouble seeing his shadow, but he had sharp eyes and he did not have to ramble around Burnet Park very far before he was certain his shadow was following him. And so, we must be in for six weeks more of winter, the newspaper reported, before adding, despite what Frank Doe says. Who was Frank Doe? He was a resident of Ogdensburg. He was a grocer by trade and an amateur astrologer. Doe also made weather predictions and was called a weather prophet. He signed his letters, The Weather Wizard of the North. He claimed he was a descendant from four generations of the best weather wizards France turned out. From his weather laboratory, using a Ouija Board, goose bones, and records covering years and years and years, he predicted what the forecast would be in the area over a given time. He published his findings, aided by his young son, in Poes Northern and Central New York Deadshot Weather Dopesheet. The Syracuse Herald ran his predictions, which were, more often than not, right on the money. But in the winter of 1920, they were colder than the temperature outside, which was pretty cold. He predicted a mild January and advised icemen to get busy and harvest their crop early. He was wrong and the Herald was there to remind him of it. Those who follow Does dope sheet carefully will remember he promised January would be a mild month, with no snow or cold worth mentioning after January 5, the paper said. Suffice it to say that Doe had the wrong dope. The Herald said that Doe had lost prestige in the prognosticating business. Doe said he had an excuse: he was too busy around Christmas to concentrate. Or as the Herald put it: He says he was so busy around Christmas time that it didnt seem possible he could get out his Ouija board and chart, so he looked over a couple of goosebones, or something of the sort, and let it go at that. Undeterred, Doe kept on predicting and contradicted Syracuses groundhog by arguing that February would be rather mild. The groundhog darted back to bed before he could be asked to comment upon Does dope, the Herald said. Reports of the Heralds jabs made their way north and the Weather Wizard was not happy. He wrote an extraordinary letter to the paper a few weeks later, calling out anyone who doubted him, doubled down on his prediction of a mild February and called out Syracuses groundhog. Frank Doe did not appreciate the ribbing he took from the Syracuse Herald and wrote an amazing letter putting his record of weather prognostication up against anyone's, rodent or human. Then he doubled down on his prediction of an early spring, saying Syracuse's groundhog was wrong. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm I note in the columns of the Herald February 2, a few unkind cuts that hardly sit right with me, Does letter began. He said his mistake in January had been his first in 28 years of forecasting and would put his record up against anybodys, including Syracuse Universitys weather expert, Professor Sanford, whom he called, the Syracuse 24-hour-hit-or-miss man. I will take on Professor Sanford or any other man in New York State or any other State for a months test, he boasted, and go it blindfolded and trim them to a frazzle right in their own hometowns. Dont take any stock in the groundhog, muskrat, fake trappers or guides from the famous Adirondacks, he warned. They are the biggest fakers in the weather game today and not one of their fables has ever come true. (In one final threat, Doe asked to have all the weather forecasters brought to him and I will make them look as restless as the Kaiser and trim them all no matter where they come from.) He doubled down on his February prediction, no matter what any groundhog said: We are going to have an early spring. Put that in your hat and dont forget it! Uh, oh! The groundhog was right. Spring was late in arriving in 1920. Doe was incredulous. Well, this is once that the little creature made goodThe groundhog is not a liar this year, but in 21 years he had told 10 lies. The groundhog at Burnet Park Zoo was brought Does comments by the Herald and he was said to have remarked, Doe? That is a funny name now, isnt it? Read More 1925: The killer snowstorm that paralyzed Syracuse with 27.5 inches in 24 hours 1940: Frankly, my dear, Syracuse goes wild over Gone with the Wind 1920: Syracuse is dry and dreary on the first day of Prohibition Save this House: Auburn 1890 Victorian - with 70 windows - needs some TLC This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. The United States supports maintaining Russian gas transit through Ukraine. Washington calls it "a strategic deterrent to further Russian aggression," the U.S. State Department said in a statement released on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Kiev. The State Department recalled the sanctions imposed in December on companies involved in the construction of Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The statement also says that the United States supports "Ukraine's energy independence from Russian domination." Pompeo arrived in Kiev this morning. He already held talks with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko The Secretary of State will also meet Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky and Defense Secretary Andriy Zagorodnyuk. Head of the State Dumas Committee for Financial Markets Anatoly Aksakov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that the U.S. interest in Ukrainian transit of Russian gas is understandable. "The United States sees that there is only one route for large-scale Russian gas supplies to Western Europe - through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. And they believe that this is a convenient mechanism that keeps Europe and Russia dependent on Ukraine," he indicated. The head of the State Dumas Committee for Financial Markets drew attention to the fact that in order to maintain Ukrainian transit, the United States will have to invest in modernizing the Ukrainian gas transportation system. "The Americans primarily promote their economic interests, using Ukraine not only as a political, but also as an economic tool," the deputy said. A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, in turn, the United States seeks to minimize the supply of Russian gas to Europe, including through Ukraine. "The Americans want to stop not only Nord Stream-2, but also Ukrainian transit. And they are pushing Ukraine towards this in every way," he said. "The United States wants to reduce Russia's gas supplies without any alternative routes, so that Moscow may have problems selling gas on the European market. As soon as the United States manages to establish a gas deficit in the European market, prices will rise and selling the American LNG to Europe will be cost-effective," Igor Yushkov concluded. Mark Owens, a Republican from rural Oregon, was sworn in Thursday as the newest member of the state House of Representatives. A rancher and small business owner from Crane, Owens previously served as a Harney County commissioner and is the school board chair for the Crane Union School District, home to Crane High and its 66 or so students. County commissioners from numerous Eastern Oregon counties chose Owens to replace Lynn Findley, R-Vale, in the House after commissioners voted to appoint Findley to the Senate, where he replaced Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, who resigned to run for U.S. Rep. Greg Waldens seat in Congress. Secretary of State Bev Clarno administered the oath of office at Central Christian School in Redmond. Family members, friends, students and fellow Republican lawmakers attended the ceremony. I look forward to serving Oregonians and the communities in House District 60, and being a voice for eastern Oregon in Salem," Owens said. In a statement, House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, hailed his appointment. Representative Owens brings a vital rural Oregon perspective to Salem, Drazen said. His years of experience working the land, serving as a county commissioner and school board chair will serve him well. Owens will serve on the House Revenue Committee and the House Water Committee. Prior to his nomination by the Republican Party as a candidate for the appointment, he had filed to run for the House District 60 seat this year. He joins fellow Republican Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson of Prineville, Rep. Raquel Moore-Green of Salem and Democrat Akasha Lawrence Spence of Portland as House remembers who will serve in the 2020 Legislature having been appointed rather than elected to their seats. -- Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A bizarre drama unfolded in Bihar on Friday when opposition parties, including the RJD, accused the Nitish Kumar government of having started the work on the National Register of Citizens based on a letter that had a printing error and was immediately withdrawn. RJD's Tejashwi Yadav, leader of the opposition in the assembly, and former Union minister Upendra Kushwaha tweeted photographs of a three-day-old missive which, the state government pointed out, was promptly withdrawn and a corrigendum issued. Issued on January 28 by the Block Development Officer of Mokamah in rural Patna, the letter was issued to principals of government schools who had failed to send names of two teachers from their institutions, by January 23, for training for the ongoing census exercise. The letter made a mention of personal details of the teachers being required for NRC and the principals were rebuked for apparently being opposed to NRC at the instance of some specific political party. Sharing a screenshot of the letter on his Twitter handle, Yadav, who served as Bihar deputy CM for more than a year, said, "White lie of Nitish Kumar caught. Now you all have to decide who the real Sanghi is". Kushwaha wrote, "@NitishKumar ji, you left even the BJP behind. PM @narendramodi says NRC has not even been discussed and you got orders passed. And you have the temerity to accuse school principals of collusion with a political party?" In a statement issued subsequently, Kushwaha the Union minister of state for HRD in NDA-1 till December 2018 took a strong exception to the tone of the letter and alleged "it befitted a political functionary more than a government functionary, who is supposed to be neutral. Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha circulated a message on WhatsApp underscoring its founding president had exposed the matter three days ago. State minister for Information and Public Relations Department Neeraj Kumar, who belongs to the JD(U) headed by the Bihar chief minister, told PTI, "The opposition leaders would have done better by sharing the corrigendum issued by the Mokama BDO the very next day, whereby the earlier letter had been cancelled. That the chief minister feels there is no need for NRC in the state needs no reiteration. Further, in the light of the averments by the Prime Minister, it is obvious that the reality of this issue is not lost on the opposition leaders, though if they want to enjoy themselves, it is their choice, the minister said. The BJP, which is a part of the ruling dispensation, came out with an angry statement charging the opposition leaders with display of political frivolity. In a statement, state BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said it was a printing error which the official concerned got duly rectified. We are bewildered to see the opposition leaders behaving like novices with no administrative experience, though all of them have held important offices in the past. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:18:22|Editor: yan Video Player Close PRAGUE, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The volume of new mortgages in the Czech Republic fell by 13.6 percent in 2019, according to data published by the Czech National Bank (CNB) on Friday. The CNB said that banks provided new loans amounting to 162 billion Czech crowns (7.08 billion U.S. dollars), down 25 billion crowns (1.09 billion U.S. dollars) from previous year. According to the CNB, the indicator that best describes the extent of newly provided mortgage financing of real estate by banks is the volume of new loans. The statistics for truly new mortgage loans include an increase in previously granted loans and, in particular, brand new loans that entered the economy for the first time in a given period. The decline in the volume of truly new mortgages is in line with the expectations of the Czech National Bank, said the CNB, adding that the decline resulted mainly from the introduction of new mortgage limits against net annual incomes and debt service cost against net monthly incomes of those applying for a loan. The CNB noted that the goal of the new limits was to prevent too high-risk applicants from taking it, citing that risky clients who take mortgage loans during an economic upswing could later face over-indebtedness and threaten the stability of the whole domestic economy during an economic downturn. A CJ CGV theater near Sungshin Women's University in Seoul is almost empty, Friday, after a patient confirmed as infected with the new coronavirus was known to have visited there. Yonhap Places visited by people who have been confirmed as infected with the new coronavirus are suspending their business operations as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus that originated in China, industry sources said Friday. The total number of people infected with the virus in South Korea rose to 11 on Friday. A movie theater affiliated with CJ CGV, South Korea's largest multiplex cinema chain, announced it closed on Thursday night and will remain shut until Sunday, after the fifth patient confirmed as infected with the virus was known to have gone there. At the theater, ticket machines and other pieces of equipment were switched off and the popcorn machines were covered up. Model and actress Jaime King put her best foot forward at a special event hosted by shoe designer Roger Vivier on Thursday night in Hollywood. King, 40, looked fabulous with her chin-length blonde bob and chic ensemble as she arrived at the famed Chateau Marmont. She joined the likes of Christina Ricci, AnnaSophia Robb, Rainey Qualley and Susan Sarandon at the exclusive event. Posed: Model and actress Jaime King put her best foot forward at a special event hosted by shoe designer Gherardo Felloni for Roger Vivier on Thursday night in Hollywood King wore a short-sleeve white top with an above-the-knee black leather skirt. She added black strappy heels embellished with statement buckles and accessorized with multiples ropes of pearls. She added a black purse on a long silver chain shoulder strap and completed her look with black eye-liner and mascara and red lip color. Fashionista: King, 40, looked fabulous with her chin-length blonde bob, chic ensemble and ropes of pearls as she arrived at the famed Chateau Marmont for the event Fabulous: Christina Ricci, 39, wore a patterned black dress with silver heels with embellishments on the toes. She carried a black clutch purse with a silver buckle Designer event: Ricci posed for photos with Roger Vivier creative director Gherado Felloni at the launch party for abracashoes Christina Ricci was also at the event and posed for photos with Roger Vivier creative director Gherado Felloni. Ricci, 39, wore a patterned black dress with silver heels with embellishments on the toes. She carried a black clutch purse with a silver buckle. Susan Sarandon, 73, opted for a black pantsuit with tuxedo jacket and added funky plaid shoes with statement buckles. She carried a red box purse with silver buckle. Oscar winner: Susan Sarandon, 73, opted for a black pantsuit with tuxedo jacket and added funky plaid shoes with statement buckles. She carried a red box purse with silver buckle Stylish: The Handsmaids Tale co-stars Sydney Sweeney, 22, and Madeline Brewer, 27, posed up a storm together Co-stars: Sweeney flashed ample cleavage in a dramatic one-sleeve black mini dress. Brewer wore a black strapless dress with bandeau bodice and ankle-length chiffon skirt The Handsmaids Tale co-stars Sydney Sweeney and Madeline Brewer posed up a storm together as they arrived to support the launch of Vivier's Abrachshoes. Sweeney, 22, who has also had roles in HBO's Sharp Objects and Euphoria, flashed ample cleavage in a dramatic one-sleeve black mini dress. Brewer, 27, also chose black, wearing a strapless dress with a bandeau bodice and ankle-length chiffon skirt. AnnaSophia Robb, 26, rocked a pixie cut along with a dark pink shimmery mini dress. The dress had a round neckline and half sleeves with cuffs and a flounce hem. Pretty: AnnaSophia Robb, 26, rocked a pixie cut along with a dark pink shimmery mini dress. The dress had a round neckline and half sleeves with cuffs and a flounce hem Flashed skin: Andie MacDowell's actress daughter Rainey Qualley, 29, showed up in a long gray check jacket and matching mini skirt that dwarfed her slender frame Andie MacDowell's actress daughter Rainey Qualley, 29, showed up in a long gray check jacket and matching mini skirt that dwarfed her slender frame. She went without a top flashing plenty of skin and added a diamond pendant choker and black strappy heels. Pose actor Indya Moore, 25, also went bra-less under a black jacket paired with black trousers and black shoes with silver buckles. Sparkled: Pose actor Indya Moore, 25, also went bra-less under a black jacket paired with black trousers and black shoes with silver buckles (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The annual conclave of the rich and powerful this month in Davos, Switzerland, put the longstanding debate about the social responsibility of corporations front and center by proclaiming its official theme as stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world. By using the word stakeholders, the World Economic Forum confirmed that its taken sides in a debate rekindled last year by the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group representing chief executives of major U.S. corporations. The Roundtable had issued a statement highlighting a fundamental commitment to all of our stakeholders, including shareholders, clients, employees, suppliers and communities, thereby situating itself in opposition to the view of corporate responsibility made popular half a century ago by the economist Milton Friedman. Friedman had famously stated in a 1970 New York Times magazine essay that business executives who diverted corporate assets toward social goals were betraying their obligations to shareholders. Yet the debate between Roundtable supporters and Friedman supporters, a main topic of panels and unofficial conversation at Davos last week, missed five key points. When Friedman was writing, the consequences of his view were more modest than they later became. In the 1960s and 1970s the regulatory state was often more interventionist than it is today especially in industries such as transportation and telecommunications and social norms were different. Before the deregulation wave of the 1970s and 1980s, arguing that a business executive should focus only on maximizing shareholder value thus may or may not have been wrong theoretically, but the practical impact was less significant. Whether business leaders pursued a narrow or broad definition of their responsibilities didnt matter as much because government regulation constrained the consequences. In no small part because of Friedmans influence, an extreme definition of capitalism has become dominant. By this definition, only perfectly competitive markets with minimally interventionist governments and business executives who maximized shareholder value should be considered capitalist. Its a strange argument. I doubt that anyone would have said during the 1940s, 1950s or 1960s that the U.S. wasnt capitalist, but somehow the qualification standards seem to have changed. I heard one person argue at Davos that regulating or even taxing carbon would be anti-capitalist. Thats nonsense. Virtually the entire range of policy options for more or less government action on climate change would not, if enacted, affect whether an economy remains capitalist. As Friedmans worldview as taught in introductory economics classes became more dominant, policymakers emphasized the effect of incentives and individual skills. Economists focused on assessing how much more productive an individual could be if she faced a lower marginal tax rate or had more education. Studying, instead, how much more productive an individual could be if she worked at Company A instead of Company B, or lived in City X instead of City Y, went out of fashion. And yet the evidence over the past few decades shows the importance of the place-based perspective, with growing differences in productivity and wages for otherwise similar individuals working at different firms, growing differences in returns on capital across firms, and growing differences in upward mobility for people living in different cities. The evolving view of governments proper role and the emphasis on individual-based policy instead of place-based policy coincided with fundamental changes in the global economy, especially a substantial expansion in the effective global labor supply, and the evolution of the computer era. Over roughly the same period, the U.S. experienced a disproportionate rise in political polarization, as a new analysis from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows. The authors of that article argue that diverging views among elites (which is plausibly about the role of government, though the authors dont make that argument) may be the cause of the rapid rise in broader polarization relative to other countries. At the very least, its interesting that the country that has most forcefully adopted the Friedman-inflected approach to policy has polarized the most. Some people who want businesses to adopt a broad view of corporate responsibility argue that companies have to fill a gap left by the diminishing effectiveness of government. (They might not realize that Friedman addressed that issue in his 1970 essay.) Like the old saw about the child who murders her parents and then complains about being an orphan, however, the dominant paradigm of the past several decades has plausibly produced a dramatic rise in inequality and polarization, and that polarization in turn has made the government unable to function effectively. In other words, we have basically done this to ourselves. Story continues So what is the best pathway forward? There is no easy fix, but I like many recent ideas about making public investments and regulatory adjustments to encourage creation of business ecosystems like technology hubs, as has been done in Palo Alto, California; Austin, Texas; and Boston. That would require more government action than is likely in the near term. But as Friedmans success in altering the dialog demonstrates, a first step is to be clear about what we should be doing, even before were capable of doing it. And an approach to policymaking focused more on where we work and live seems vastly more promising than what weve tried over the past few decades. To contact the author of this story: Peter R. Orszag at porszag5@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jonathan Landman at jlandman4@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Peter R. Orszag is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the chief executive officer of financial advisory at Lazard. He was director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2009 to 2010, and director of the Congressional Budget Office from 2007 to 2008. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. An Orthodox Jewish couple from Southfield, Michigan, are suing American Airlines after they were kicked off a flight last year over body odor complaints. Yehuda Yosef Adler and Jennie Adler filed a lawsuit in a Texas district court on Tuesday, the Detroit Free Press reported, claiming discrimination from the Fort Worth-based airline. According to court documents, the couple were flying from Miami to Detroit with their 19-month-old daughter last January, when they were booted from the flight. They claim in the lawsuit they had been sitting on the plane for under five minutes when an American Airlines staff member told them they needed to leave the aircraft due to an emergency. Once outside, they were allegedly told they were being kicked off because of their body odor. They claim a gate agent made a disparaging and derogatory statement by telling the Adlers he knew Orthodox Jews take baths once a week. RELATED: Female Pilots and Flight Attendants Sue Frontier Airlines for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Discrimination Scott Olson/Getty Images RELATED: Man Sues United for Allegedly Lying About Accident That Almost Caused Pilots to Be Sucked Out The Adlers say they were wearing traditional garments worn by Orthodox Jews at the time, Mr. Adler in a yarmulke and Mrs. Adler in a shaytel (a wig) and long skirt. Reached for statement, a representative for American Airlines denied the Adlers claims, telling PEOPLE that the family was asked to deplane after multiple passengers and our crew members complained about Mr. Adlers body odor. The decision was made out of concern for the comfort of our other passengers, the rep said. None of the decisions made by our team in handling this sensitive situation were based on the Adlers religion. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty WATCH THIS: HSN Star Joy Mangano Gives 6 Smart Packing Tips American Airlines took care of the family, the rep added, providing hotel accommodations and meals. They were rebooked on a flight to Detroit the next morning, the rep said. Story continues However, the Adlers complain in their lawsuit that the flight took off with their luggage, including the babys car seat, stroller, diapers and other belongings. As for the odor complaint, Mr. Adler said in the lawsuit that he showered that morning. The papers also claim that the Adlers surveyed 20 people at the boarding gate, all who said they could not detect a noticeable smell. They are seeking punitive damages, claiming that because of the situation theyve suffered trauma, stigmatization, severe mental and emotional distress, depression, despair, repugnance, embarrassment, public humiliation, damage to personal and professional reputation, anxiety, fear, and apprehension associated with airports and flying, loss of appetite, insomnia, and migraines. The Adlers are being pressured to see their race and religion as inferior to that of Whites, dirty and unwelcome, the lawsuit states. A scheduling conference is slated for May 29, The Detroit Free Press reported. The way we work wont be the same. The way we get around wont be the same. The way we live wont be the same. By 2030, even we wont be the same, not after the arrival of a million new faces, lifting Greater Torontos population to eight million. Not after the changing of the generational guard, as the last of the Baby Boom retires, passing leadership to younger, more diverse, more digitally dexterous hands. If you thought the last 10 years packed a disruptive wallop, brace yourself: its going to happen all over again. And again after that. This time around, Torontos growth spurt is projected to unfold into an era of electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics and driverless everything. It promises to be a transformative decade, perhaps the most consequential 10 years the city has ever known. From transit to climate to housing to affordability, the times call for civic ambition with shovels-in-the-ground follow-through unseen in two generations. And our leaders know it. Heres why: looking beyond 2030, Greater Toronto is forecast to grow all the way to the 10-million mark by 2045, when we will take our place among the worlds most diverse megacities, according to Ontario government projections. Nobody, of course, has a crystal ball. We cant know precisely which game-changing technology will take hold first. But there are some very educated guesses as guideposts for whats to come. One of the more ambitious efforts is a Conference Board of Canada study titled Canada 2030: The Defining Forces Disrupting Business, which surveyed business leaders on the 10 most meaningful trends dominating boardroom discussions today and then sent its research team deep into each file. The 84-page report offers a compelling glimpse into the risks and rewards ahead for Canada and its largest city. Ten years is not a lot of time yet it is enough time to make a huge difference that is difficult to accurately predict. Think of Steve Jobs launching the iPhone in 2007 and then, by 2017, Apple had sold its first billion iPhones, said Michael Bassett, the Conference Boards director of research impact and content strategy. For our look at 2030 we tried to avoid conclusive, crystal-ball predictions and instead focus on teasing out the trends, from climate to artificial intelligence to demographics and beyond. The demographics, especially, gave us a really good understanding of where we are going to be and what we need to get ahead of. The Conference Board study and others like it identify the coming population surge, with Greater Toronto projected to be the provinces fastest-growing region, its population increasing from 6.8 million in 2018 to more than 10.2 million by 2046, according to a Ministry of Finance report. The same report says the GTAs share of the provincial population is projected to rise to 51.8 per cent in 2046 from 47.8 per cent in 2018. Migration (immigrants and other Canadians drawn to Toronto and area) will account for some 82 per cent of the provinces growth. All those new faces entering Torontos workforce will be essential in helping offset the era of Maximum Grey Boomer that begins in 2031, when the entire oversized generation that grew up on the Beatles will be 65 and older adding strain and costs to Ontarios health-care system. Ultimately, by 2046, Ontario will have almost twice as many seniors as it has today some 4.6 million people, or 23.4 per cent of the population a deep-pocketed market unto itself. Urbanization is, of course, a global trend. The most recent data from the United Nations puts the number of the worlds megacities cities with more than 10 million inhabitants at 33 in 2018, projected to rise to 43 in 2030. But well before Greater Toronto enters into the 10-million club, we will hit a demographic turning point in 2033 with fully half of all Ontarians living in the region for the first time. That growth will come with increased political clout, federally and provincially, as Toronto increases its share of seats at Queens Park and in the House of Commons, giving the city even greater influence in shaping election outcomes to its urbanized will. As more and more Boomers downsize, demand for smaller living spaces is expected to rise, favouring units with maximum livability, walkability, accessibility and transit options. But the generational shift could also help solve a challenge that has vexed planners for years how to win zoning changes to add multi-unit density in the citys yellowbelt, that vast expanse of semi-detached and detached housing that comprises an estimated 70 per cent of Torontos residential neighbourhoods. As urbanist Richard Florida has repeatedly forewarned, Toronto, in the absence of major civil ambition, is at risk of failing to realize its full potential as a modern global metropolis. What is needed, he argues, is a new, regionwide model for growth: no more outward sprawl, much more densification, making the most of the space it has, replete with ambitious transit investments akin to what New York City undertook decades ago. Were going to have to make similar decisions now, and those decisions will make or break us, the University of Toronto prof said in 2018. Optimists might say that process has already begun, citing the collaborative thaw that settled over Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after Octobers federal election including Fords $28.5-billion plan to overhaul and expand Torontos subways into the 21st century. On paper, all those new train tunnels, including the all-important, downtown-relieving Ontario Line stretching from Exhibition Place to the Ontario Science Centre, will be rider-ready by 2031. Pessimists might say if planning paper were subways, wed already have encircled the city a dozen times with false transit starts going back decades. Its been a depressingly long time since actor and writer Peter Ustinov uttered his famously cliche salute to city planning, hailing Toronto as New York City run by the Swiss. And longer still since civic visionary R.C. Harris managed the minor miracle of persuading penny-pinching Toronto to build the Prince Edward Viaduct across the Don Valley with a second deck for future trains a full 48 years before the first subway rolled. One thing business and politicos alike know for certain: more and more, our climate crisis is going to drive planning, including redevelopment and retrofitting aimed at net-zero emissions, replete with heat pumps, rainwater collection, solar panels and electric-vehicle charging stations. Thats partly because by 2030 a much more demanding demographic cohort Generation Z will ascend to adulthood. Greta Thunberg Nation, when it is old enough to vote yet still young enough to anticipate living into the heat of the 22nd century, is unlikely to take no for an answer. Businesses, the Conference Boards 2030 report shows, are wary and already thinking about how best to serve what is expected to be a far more civically active cohort, lest they find themselves targeted over inaction. Electric cars, trucks and buses are forecast to account for between 30 and 50 per cent of new vehicle sales by 2030, as the rush to decarbonize takes hold, shifting drivers away from oil and gas as confidence grows in battery technologies that expand single-charge range to 1,000 kilometres and beyond. And yet for generations X and Z and the millennials in between, owning a car hardly represents the ticket to freedom embraced by road-ready Boomers. The sharing economy, by 2030, will have fully flourished, offering digitally hailed wheels on demand, without the inconvenience of finding a place to park. If it drives itself, all the better. It is all but impossible to envision where all that will take Greater Toronto by 2030, in terms of climate emissions. One recent report by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund served up a grim, first-of-its-kind look at the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas greenhouse gas emissions, concluding the region needs to act four times faster to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Some remain hopeful, suggesting that by 2030 we will bend the arc likely not enough to meet the most stringent targets set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, but enough to at least turn the corner, avoiding the worst impacts of climate change. Michael Liebreich of the BloombergNEF research team laid out the argument for what he called a decade of consequences that will lead to a modest but meaningful decline in greenhouse gases by 2030. Interestingly, Liebreichs reasoning hinged on business acting largely on its own, sector by sector, regardless of government regulation. He cites the role of former Toronto resident Mark Carney, who, after his governorships of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England, now assumes the title of UN special envoy on climate action and finance, helping shift the portfolios of Bay Street and every other financial centre in line with the Paris Agreement. This shift will be a game-changer: it will demonstrate to even the most pessimistic that we can bend the arc; it will end the feeling of helplessness and impending doom that has taken over our public discourse; and it will set us up for much more decisive reductions in the subsequent decades, Liebreich writes. One final demographic unknown: will Toronto begin to see climate refugees among the new arrivals by 2030, aiming to relocate to a cooler, less impacted safe harbour? Climate science suggests Toronto will struggle with more flash flooding and, potentially, a higher incidence of ice storms like the one that grazed past the city just before the new year. Just a bit south of Lake Ontario, the city of Buffalo, having lost half of its population after 70 years of industrial decline, is already pondering a new wave of settlement as a climate refuge city. Buffalo is stepping up and preparing to welcome this new type of refugee, Mayor Byron Brown said in his 2019 state of the city address. We believe that we can accommodate people who have experienced displacement due to harsh weather and natural disaster. If that sounds eerily close to the kind of opportunism Toronto writer Naomi Klein derides as climate barbarism in her newest book, On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal, it likely isnt something Toronto will see much of by 2030. With or without climate issues, our city is poised to remain a powerful magnet for immigration; a safe harbour of opportunity, regardless of which way the wind blows. Im an inherent optimist, said the Conference Board of Canadas Bennett. We have room to grow, we have a welcome community, in terms of our relationship with immigrants and newcomers. We have a high degree of technical sophistication. These are real opportunities to seize. One Toronto. Two possible futures. Ten years to get it right. Toronto has never been bigger, bolder and more successful or faced so many serious problems. To attract talent and grow sustainably, we need to address the citys transportation, affordability and infrastructure needs. If we ignore these threats, the inner city buckles. Its time to start thinking about solutions. CHICAGO, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, will host the 36th annual Cboe Risk Management Conference (RMCSM) U.S. at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort in Bonita Springs, Florida, on Monday, March 2, through Wednesday, March 4. Known for decades as the premier educational forum for equity derivatives, options and volatility products, this year's RMC boasts a super-charged lineup of speakers and panelists. Decision-making experts and keynote speakers John Coates and Annie Duke will each discuss the benefits of understanding the human decision-making process and how to harness it in the fast-paced world of finance. Coates is a derivatives trader turned neuroscientist and author of "The Hour Between Dog and Wolf: How Risk Taking Transforms Us, Body and Mind." Duke, author of "Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don't Have All the Facts," is a decision-making strategist and former world champion poker player who teaches others how to get comfortable with uncertainty. The RMC agenda also includes an inside look at defined outcome ETFs with ETF entrepreneur and Innovator Capital Management founder Bruce Bond; new asset allocation tactics from Goldman Sachs' Rocky Fishman, and innovative solutions for the insurance industry from Sheryl J. Moore of Moore Market Intelligence. Other topics on the agenda include: Using small-cap and international volatility to harvest premia Managing equity volatility Interpreting market signals Analysis of the U.S. presidential election from Super Tuesday to election day OTC vs. FLEX options trading Private equity replication strategies Mitigating tail risk in a crowded short volatility trade Capital efficiency Forecasting volatility Additionally, attendees will have an opportunity to hear company updates from Ed Tilly, Cboe Chairman, President and CEO, and Rob Hocking, SVP, Head of Derivatives Strategy. To learn more about Cboe RMC, visit www.cboermcus or follow updates on social media using #CboeRMC and #RMCInsights. About the Cboe Risk Management Conference The annual Cboe Risk Management Conference (RMCSM) is the premier financial industry conference designed for institutional users of equity derivatives and volatility products. Now in its 36th year in the U.S. and 9th year in Europe. Cboe RMC is an educational forum dedicated to exploring the latest products and strategies for managing risk, enhancing yields and lowering portfolio volatility for institutional investors. Cboe RMC brings together top traders, investors, strategists and researchers, enabling participants to learn the state of the art in portfolio management from highly regarded industry experts. Cboe RMC's agenda covers a variety of concepts, challenging attendees to think differently about how they manage positions, employ hedging techniques, utilize equity derivatives, and model and trade volatility. Topics ranging from basic derivatives applications to advanced trading concepts are current and relevant. See www.cboermcus.com for additional information.* About Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, offering cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to investors around the world. The company is committed to defining markets to benefit its participants and drive the global marketplace forward through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions. The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S. and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), recognized as the world's premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility. Cboe's subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe and is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading. The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com. CBOE-E CBOE-OE *Agenda and speakers may be subject to change. Cboe, Cboe Volatility Index and VIX are registered trademarks and Cboe Global MarketsSM is a service mark of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners. SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc. Related Links http://www.cboe.com Israel wont win the battle against antisemitism until it recognizes the Armenian Genocide, Armenian President Armen Sarkissian told The Jerusalem Post. Sarkissian said a lot of Armenians ask why Israel, a country whose people have seen their own huge tragedy, not recognize the Armenian Genocide? There is no logical answer. I cannot say that Israel has relations with Turkey and that is why I cannot say that, he said. The President noted that the recognition of the tragedy is a moral issue, and he hopes that one day Israel will recognize the Genocide, and human values, moral values and the importance of history will prevail. Sarkissian noted anti-Semitism is still alive, and Israels inability to express sympathy for comparable tragedies - the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide - is damaging to Israel and the efforts of the Jewish people to combat the ever-growing epidemic of anti-Semitism. Sarkissian believes that Turkey did not recognize the Genocide, because it would be inconvenient for the country: millions of people died, the culture was destroyed, and most likely Turkey is afraid of material and moral claims. Maybe they are afraid because for years they didnt tell the truth to their children and grandchildren in their schools, he continued. It does not matter to me personally whether this country or that country will or will not recognize [the genocide]. It will not change my life or the lives of the millions of Armenians who lost their homes and are scattered all over the world in the Armenian diaspora. But it is going to backfire. Sarkissian added that in our world one should not be afraid of viruses and diseases, but the disease of inhumanity. According to him, only when Israel recognizes the genocide will it truly be able to move into its legitimate role as the worldwide leader in the fight against antisemitism and extremism. Armenian President also noted that he participated in the World Holocaust Forum, as he does not believe that it would be right for any Armenian to associate the memory of the Holocaust with whether the Israeli parliament recognizes the Armenian Genocide or not. There is no way that, as president of Armenia, I would ever consider not being here, he said. We have suspended all flights to and from mainland China with immediate effect following advice from the Foreign Office against all but essential travel. We apologise to customers for the inconvenience, but the safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. Customers due to travel to or from China in the coming days can find more information on ba.com. What just happened? Yesterday, the Spitzer Space Telescope completed its last assignment of measuring dust in our solar system. NASA has put the spacecraft into safe mode, retiring it from service. The craft provided many fascinating discoveries during its mission. Named in honor of the famed astronomer, Lyman Spitzer, NASA's infrared space telescope launched into space in 2003. On Thursday, it was finally decommissioned, laying the groundwork for the James Web Space Telescope (JWST) in making future discoveries. "Spitzer has taught us about entirely new aspects of the cosmos and taken us many steps further in understanding how the universe works, addressing questions about our origins, and whether or not are we alone," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. Spitzer's Final Look ? On its last day of science ops, the telescope's final observation measured our solar systems's dust, and then made a vital calibration measurement by closing a shutter that had been open since launch. #SpitzerFinalVoyagehttps://t.co/hw3ylWWPBy NASA Spitzer (@NASAspitzer) January 31, 2020 Throughout its mission, the spacecraft made several significant scientific contributions. It was the first telescope to directly observe light from an exoplanet and also led to the creation of the first-ever exoplanet "weather map." It also identified a new infrared ring around Saturn in 2009, and improved scientists' understanding of the evolution of galaxies, comets, and asteroids. According to NASA, the spacecraft's most remarkable achievement was the detection of the "seven Earth-size planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system the largest number of terrestrial planets ever found orbiting a single star. It also aided in determining their masses and densities." The telescope was given the final shutdown command, and has now closed its shutter as it goes into "safe mode." With its radio dish now pointed towards Earth, Spitzer will make its last transmission, sending the one final data load it has collected. "I think that Spitzer is an example of the very best that people can achieve," noted Spitzer Project Scientist Micheal Werner. "[I feel] very fortunate to have worked on this mission, and to have seen the ingenuity, doggedness, and brilliance that people on the team showed. When you tap into those things and empower people to use them, then truly incredible things will happen." A member of the Legal Team for Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi lawyer Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe has explained the arrest and confiscation of Mr. Sammy Gyamfi is much ado about nothing. According to him, the NPP government out of desperation is behaving as if they will wield power forever. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia program, he accused government of disrespecting the judiciary by its action. "If a matter is in court and you try to undermine the court by using state power, you will only end up abusing the judiciary. "But I can tell you that this case against my client Mr. Sammy Gyamfi will not go anywhere. The NPP government should be very careful with the way they handle things in this country," Lawyer Tamakloe cautioned. He was fully convinced that there is no substance in the accusations leveled against his client, adding that he believed the police are only attempting to intimidate him. The embattled NDC National Communications Officer was released by the police a few hours after the security agencies effected his arrest over his involvement in alleged cybercrime. He is currently on police inquiry bail and yet to be charged. Sammy Gyamfi was arrested after he participated in a live studio discussion on UTV's "Adekye Nsroma" morning show on Monday. Watch Interview Below 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 There is another fire incident on the campus of Accra Academy on Tuesday night, a few days after a similar incident on the campus. Graphic Onlines Emmanuel Bonney reports that the fire is at the Alema Hall. Two fire tenders responded to the distress call and fire personnel were still battling the fire when Graphic Online arrived on the campus at about 8 pm Tuesday [January 28, 2020]. All the students had been evacuated from the hall. Below is a video from the scene of the incident more details to follow .... Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A young woman has shared an image of her late grandfather sitting outside his house which she found on Google maps several years after his death. The footage was posted online by social media user Yajaira earlier this month. In the video, Yajaira navigates through the streets of Labor de Guadalupe in Durango, Mexico. She turns down several dusty lanes before zooming in on a male figure which she believes is her grandfather. He is sat in a chair by an open doorway looking out across the road wearing a white stetson hat. The video ends shortly after. The footage was posted online by social media user Yajaira earlier this month as she navigated through the streets of Labor de Guadalupe in Durango, Mexico She turns down several dusty lanes before zooming in on a male figure which she believes is her grandfather who is sat in a chair by an open doorway wearing a white stetson hat Yajaira, from North Carolina, America, originally uploaded the video alongside the caption: 'My grandpa passed away a few years ago. We didnt get to say goodbye to him. 'Yesterday we found out google maps finally drove through his farm and as we were curious going through it, where the road ends, there is my grandpa, just sitting there.' The clip has since been viewed more than four million times on Twitter and prompted other social media users to post videos and screenshots of their deceased loved ones who had been recorded by Google Maps prior to their deaths. One, @Buenrostohhh, said: 'My great grandfather passed away last month, exactly one year after our great nan left us. 'To see him [on Google] walking towards our old house brings back so many childhood memories.' Another, @tilin98, also shared a picture and wrote: 'Same thing with my grandfather, we can see him just relaxing outside our house in Mexico. 'Every time I miss him I always go back to find it.' A third, @HoangryAF, added 'same as my buddy Lucky, rest in peace' next to a picture of his deceased dog. (Newser) In an interview Thursday, commerce chief Wilbur Ross saw a silver lining in the quickly spreading coronavirus. While saying he didn't "want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease," Ross nonetheless said he thought it would help the US by convincing wary employers to shift production here from China. Ross' own department later echoed the sentiment: "As Secretary Ross made clear the first step is to bring the virus under control and help the victims of this disease," said a spokesperson, per the BBC. "It is also important to consider the ramifications of doing business with a country that has a long history of covering up real risks to its own people and the rest of the world." But Ross is taking plenty of criticism, including from health officials who say his comments could encourage under-reporting: story continues below "With this kind of new disease, you want as much openness as you can," said Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, per the Washington Post. "If you suppress that openness, which this will do, then you absolutely make it worse and more people will get sick, and more people will die." His comments "rest on a misunderstanding of how infectious diseases are transmitted," said Sandro Galea, dean of the School of Public Health at Boston University. "Public officials have to communicate in an informed manner that educates the public and moves us towards an understanding of what actually generates help," Galea said. "A comment like this achieves the exact opposite purpose." As for the business angle, Simon Baptist of the Economic Intelligence Unit though the comments were "weird." He elaborates: "Companies are not going to make serious and long-term investment decisions on the basis of an outbreak of a disease that might last three to six months." (The State Department is warning Americans not to travel to China.) With a stage that holds 35,000 gallons of water, a massive circus show is bringing its splashing and thrilling performances to two Houston-area malls in February. The Silver Unit from Cirque Italia, a Florida-based circus company, will perform eight live shows in the parking lot at Katy Mills Mall on February 13-17. Following the Katy event, Cirque Italia will head to Cypress for an exhilarating 'Aquatic Spectacular' at Houston Premium Outlets Mall on February 20-23. The water from underneath the stage, which is pumped locally, will be used throughout the show, according to Sarah Kessler, the public relations and media representative for Cirque Italia. READ ALSO: Tejas Chocolate & Barbecue featured on Travel Channel's 'Trending Fear' The story of the show follows the journey of a ringmaster who is searching for treasure while at sea, Kessler said. His adventure will take him through storms, dreams of angelic aerialists, pirate fights and more. Ticket buyers will see swashbucklers balancing upside down on a rum barrel, juggling knives and a run-in with a mermaid. "Your jaws will be dropped, and you will be hanging on the edge of your seats with our suspenseful crossbow act and our dangerous wheel of death performances," Kessler explained. On HoustonChronicle.com: Concerts in Houston: Celine Dion, King Baby Familia, Adrian Marcel Tickets for the shows may be purchased through the company's website (cirqueitalia.com/tickets) or by phone at 941-704-8572. If you're looking for a unique Valentine's Day experience, Cirque Italia will perform at Katy Mills Mall on February 14th at 7:30 p.m. The showtimes for the Katy aquatic show are as follows: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13 and Friday, Feb. 14; 1:30 p.m. 4,:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 and Sunday, Feb. 16. The showtimes for the Cypress aquatic show are as follows: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 and Friday, Feb. 21; 1:30 p.m. 4,:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb. 23. Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre Home Search ICH US Returns to Ashes of 1945 By Finian Cunningham January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - US Vice President Mike Pence used his speech at the Holocaust memorial last week to bang a war drum at Iran. It revealed a deplorable lack of dignity and understanding of the event, despite Pences efforts to appear solemn. But not only that. It showed too how out of touch the United States at least its political leadership is with the rest of the world and a growing collective concern among others to ensure international peace. Maybe thats why Britains Prince Charles appeared to snub Pence, declining to shake his hand while attending the commemoration of the Holocaust and 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Charles warmly greeted other dignitaries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Frances Emmanuel Macron. It was curious how he blanked Pence. But there again, maybe not that curious. Pence and the Trump administration seem to be hellbent on starting a war with Iran. A war that would engulf the entire Middle East and possibly ignite a world conflagration. Washingtons wanton threats of violence against Iran and its recent assassination of one of Irans top military leaders stands as a shocking repudiation of international law and the UN Charter. Its the kind of conduct more akin to an organized crime syndicate rather than a supposedly democratic state. The UN Charter was created in 1945 in the aftermath of the Second World War precisely to prevent repetition of the worst conflagration in history and all its barbaric crimes, including the Nazi Holocaust. Over 5o million people died in that war, and nearly half of them belonged to the Soviet Union. The prevention of war is surely the most onerous responsibility of the UN Security Council. Yet the United States is the one power that routinely ignores international law and the UN Charter to unilaterally launch wars or military interventions. Washingtons threats against Iran are, unfortunately, nothing new. This is standard American practice. When world leaders addressed the Holocaust memorial held in Israel last Wednesday it was obvious albeit implicitly from their words that the US has become an isolated rogue state owing to its inveterate belligerence. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Putin, Macron, Prince Charles and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier all invoked the need for collective commitment to international law and peace. They implied that such a commitment was the best way to honour those who were killed in the Holocaust and the Second World War; the surest way to prevent the barbarity of fascist ideology and persecution ever to be repeated. Those speakers one after another denounced the ideology of demonizing others which fuels hatred and wars. How pertinent is that to the way Washington routinely demonizes other nations and foreign leaders? In sharp contrast, when the American vice president made his address, his apparent solemnity was contradicted by a blood-curdling call to arms against Iran, which he accused of being the leading state purveyor of anti-semitism. Pence urged the whole world to stand strong against the Islamic Republic of Iran, spoken as if he was spitting out the words like venom. There is little doubt that Pence was formulating a rationale for military confrontation with Iran. That has been the consistent policy of the Trump administration over the past three years. It was no surprise that Pences speech was in sync with the usual bellicose rhetoric from Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu towards Iran. But what was arresting was just how out of sync Pence and the Trump administration are with the rest the world. It was an odious spectacle to see Pence don a somber face as he talked about the victims of the Holocaust, while his own state wages war against any foreign nation whenever and wherever Washington deems. At an event that was supposed to reflect on the horror and evil of war, Pence showed he had no understanding or self-awareness. Thats what is perplexing about many American politicians. They seem ignorant of history (Pence gave no acknowledgement to the Soviet soldiers who liberated Auschwitz and other death camps); they are consumed by self-righteousness and arrogance like a puritan preacher without an ounce of humanity. Anyone who reflects on the horror of war would surely be advocating the respect of and adherence to international law, commitment to peace, and the earnest pursuit of dialogue and partnership among nations. Russias Putin has repeatedly called for the members of the UN Security Council to urgently get together in order to guarantee a multilateral commitment to peace. Putin has also repeatedly appealed to the United States to get serious about negotiating renewed arms control treaties. Washington has ignored those latter calls. The American national myth, evolved over recent decades since 1945, views itself as exceptional from all other nations. That translates as the US presuming to be superior and above the law that others are bound by. Mike Pences menacing words and attitude at the Holocaust memorial showed a disturbing and pernicious disconnect with the need for preventing war and genocide. It was a disgraceful dishonouring of victims. Out of sync with the world, the US has returned to the ashes and lawlessness of 1945. Finian Cunningham has written extensively on international affairs, with articles published in several languages. He is a Masters graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. He is also a musician and songwriter. For nearly 20 years, he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organisations, including The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. This article was published by " Sputnik " - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load. T he Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a domestic terrorist bombing that killed one person and injured 111 others. The attack took place at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia on July 27 during the 1996 Summer Olympics. Security guard Richard Jewell saved numerous lives after he discovered the explosive and began clearing the area around it. However, the bomb detonated two to three minutes into the evacuation, before everyone could be removed. The events surrounding the explosion are now the subject of a new film directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm and Olivia Wilde. Richard Jewell stars Sam Rockwell (left) and Kathy Bates (centre) What happened when the bomb went off? The Centennial Olympic Park was designed as the centre of the Olympics, and thousands of spectators had gathered to watch a concert. Shortly after midnight a backpack was placed beneath a bench containing three pipe bombs surrounded by three-inch long masonry nails. The nails caused the majority of the injuries in the explosion. A 44-year-old woman named Alice Hawthorne was killed in the explosion. A cameraman from a Turkish television station also had a fatal heart attack while running to the scene. Jewell was made a person of interest due to his lone wolf profile. He was subject to intense media scrutiny, and his home was besieged by camera crews. Clint Eastwood directs 'Richard Jewell' the film / Getty Images Who was responsible fore the Centennial Olympic Park bombing? After Jewell was exonerated the case made little progress as the FBI had no other suspects. That all changed in 1997 when three more bombings took place, two at abortion clinics in Alabama and Atlanta, and third at a lesbian nightclub in Atlanta. Police were able to link the three bombings to the Olympic park bombing due to similarities in the design of the explosive devices used. Handyman Eric Rudolph was identified as a suspect. Unfortunately Rudolph was able to evade capture, and he spent five years on the run. He was finally arrested in 2003 in Murphy California, and is now serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole at ADX Florence supermax prison in Florence, Colorado. What happened to Richard Jewell? After his exoneration Jewell filed lawsuits against NBC News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jewell won $500,000 from NBC News, but the court ruled in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's favour. He also sued the New York Post for $15,000,000. The case was settled for an undisclosed sum. Trilokpuri Assembly Elections 2020: The Trilokpuri Assembly constituency in Delhi will vote on 8 February along with 69 other constituencies in the single-phase Assembly polls to be held in the National Capital. Counting of votes will be conducted on 11 February Delhi Assembly Election, Trilokpuri Assembly Elections 2020 | AAP's Rohit Kumar is leading in Trilokpuri, having received 14,328 votes so far. The closes trailing candidate is BJP's Kiran Vaidya with 8,057 votes. Kumar and Vaidya's vote shares stand at 59.87 percent and 33.66 percent respectively. The Trilokpuri Assembly constituency in Delhi voted on 8 February along with 69 other constituencies in the single-phase Assembly polls to be held in the National Capital. Counting of votes will be conducted on 11 February. Results in the last three elections AAPs Raju Dhingan won in the 2015 Assembly poll, defeating BJPs Kiran Vaidya by almost 30,000 votes. Dhingan had also emerged victorious in 2013 against then sitting BJP MLA Sunil Kumar, with a margin of almost 18,000 votes. In the 2008 polls, Sunil Kumar claimed the seat after defeating Congress Anjana. No party can consider Trilokpuri a safe seat as it has elected a different candidate three out of five times. AAP has fielded Rohit Kumar Mehraulia in place of Dhingan in the 2020 polls. Meanwhile, BJP has given the ticket to Kiran Vaidya. Congress has fielded Vijay Kumar from Trilokpuri. Demography Trilokpuri assembly constituency is a part of East Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency). Trilokpuri is a resettlement colony of residents who were rehabilitated when nearby slums were cleared out in 1975-76. The constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes. Trilokpuri, Kotla Village, Mayur Vihar, New Ashok Nagar, Mayur Vihar Phase 1 extension fall under this constituency Since 1984, Trilokpuri has witnessed communal tensions on a regular basis. In May last year, two cows were found dead under mysterious circumstances, following which deployment of police personnel was increased as a precautionary measure. The area houses a significant population of Dalits and Muslims. It has seen communal tensions, with the most intense stand-off seen during the 2014 riots, when members of the Hindu and Muslim community clashed after a group allegedly began building a temple near a mosque. A curfew was imposed at the area for a month and a half. The neighbourhood saw one of the worst episodes of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, witnessing 350 of the more than 2,700 Sikh deaths. Residents of the area expressed their anger towards the Delhi Metro too, which looked at relocating residents of 108 plots to construct a stretch between Trilokpuri and Mayur Vihar Pocket-I on the Pink Line. The Delhi High Court had to intervene in the matter, in response to a petition by residents. The court said that executing projects for public good cannot mean residents are uprooted. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 55 Total electors: 1,78,214 Male: 98,816 Female: 79,376 Transgender: 22 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 71.71 percent Polling stations: 158 Major parties in the fray: AAP, BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Shiromani Akali Dal In 2015, the Assembly polls in delhi were held on 7 February and the result was announced on 10 February. The Aam Aadmi Party secured an absolute majority in the assembly, winning 67 of the 70 seats, while the BJP secured a victory in just three constituencies. Parties like the Congress, which was in power in the capital between 1998 and 2013 for three terms, BSP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Lok Dal had secured no victories. The ruling AAP is looking at a return in the high-stake 2020 Assembly polls, even as the BJP has its eyes on the national capital, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having sounded the election bugle at a mega rally in Delhis Ramlila Maidan, which focused mainly on the issue of regularising 1,731 unauthorised colonies. The AAP tied up with Prashant Kishors Indian Political Action Committee, credited for propelling Modi-led BJP to a victory in 2014, for the polls next month. Kishor took to Twitter to write, "Get ready to see the power of people on Tuesday, 11 February! On 20 December last year, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the slogan, 'Acche beete paanch saal-Lage raho Kejriwal' (the last five years went well, keep going Kejriwal), kickstarting the partys campaign. Meanwhile, the Congress is fighting for survival in Delhi, with the absence of strong leadership within the party. Touted to be a two-sided battle, both the AAP and BJP are expected to focus on local issue, as opposed to the saffron partys previous election pitches based on national issues like demonetization, surgical strikes and Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In the recent Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the BJs vote share reduced significantly, even as the party failed to secure a majority in a single state since Gujarat election in 2017. In the Lok Sabha polls held last year, BJP won in all the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi. The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly is ending on 22 February. A total of 1.46 crore voters can exercise their franchise in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, according to the final electoral list for Delhi published on 5 January, on the day the election dates were announced. The number of service voters are 11,556. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Delhi Ranbir Singh said the final publication of voters list shows there are total 1,46,92,136 voters in Delhi, including 80.55 lakh males and 66.35 lakh females. A new concept of absentee voters, enabling those voters to take part in polls who are not able to come to polling stations due to physical circumstances or unavoidable reasons, has been introduced. Disabled persons and senior citizens above 80 years can either vote in person or vote through postal ballot. About 90,000 officials will be deployed for the conduct of elections and the number of polling booths in 2019 were 13,750. Out of the 70 Assembly constituencies in the state, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and none are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. With inputs from PTI The NDFB factions had signed a tripartite peace accord with the government on Monday (January 27) in New Delhi. Guwahati: In what has brought an end to three-decade-old armed conflict in Western Assam, 1,615 cadres of three National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) factions on Thursday laid down arms before Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and his finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The NDFB factions had signed a tripartite peace accord with the government on Monday (January 27) in New Delhi. The powerful All Bodo Students Union president Pramod Boro and senior Intelligence Bureau officer Tapan Deka played the key role in persuading the armed rebel groups to join the main stream. Welcoming the cadres 836 of the NDFB-Progressive, 579 of the NDFB-Ranjan Daimary faction and 200 of the NDFB(S) led by B Saoraigwra to join mainstream, Mr Sonowal said that he was confident that the move will inspire others, who were yet to give up arms, to come together and work for Team Assam. Meanwhile, in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, I welcome decision of my Bodo friends for leaving violence and reposing faith in democracy and Constitution, said Mr Modi in a series of tweets. The Pusiga District Department of Agriculture has recorded a significant increase in the yields of staple crops through the successful implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs and the one Village, one dam policies in the area. Many farmers in the area who benefited from the subsidised farm inputs increased production and got the services of agricultural extension officers to educate and supervise them on good farming practices. The farmers cultivated maize, rice, onion, pepper, soya beans and tomatoes and harvested better yields than previous years. Mr Zubeiru Abdulai,the Pusiga District Chief Executive (DCE) said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Pusiga, after the harvest period. Records from the Agriculture Department show that in 2017, 14,212.90 metric tonnes of maize, 1,000 metric tonnes of Rice and 3,137.70 metric tonnes of Soya Beans were harvested, while in 2018, 14,400.90 metric tonnes of maize, 1,040.1 metric tonnes of Rice and 3,140 metric tonnes of Soya bean were harvested. In 2019 maize recorded 18,401.15 metric tonnes, rice 1,100 metric tonnes and soya bean 3,200 metric tonnes. Mr Abdulai said in order to increase supervision and monitoring of farmers in the district, government provided a Nissan Pick-Up and 13 new motorbikes to enable the extension officers to get to the farmers in remote areas of the district. Touching on the One Village, One Dam (1V1D) projects, he said out of the 10 dams awarded for construction, eight were completed in the Terrago, Kultamsie, Tesbgego, Kulpelgo and Merantinga, Koose, Kulungugu and Kolnaba communities and were in use to provide farmers with access to water for all year round farming, starting from the 2019/2020 dry season. He said livestock in the communities did not have to go far in search of water and that also minimised stealing. Mr Abdulai said the 1,000 metric tonnes warehouse, constructed under the one district, one warehouse policy was about 90 per cent complete and would reduce post-harvest loses and create access for the storage of excess farm produce. 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 31 January 2020 Early Equity PLC ("Early Equity" or "the Company") Issue of Equity Early Equity Plc (NEX: EEQP), is pleased to announce that the Company has raised an additional 113,424.00 by way of subscription for 17,449,846 new ordinary shares of 0.1p at a price of 0.65p per shares (the "Subscription Price"). The proceeds of the subscription will be used to provide the Company with additional working capital. The 17,449,846 new ordinary shares will be admitted to trading on NEW Exchange Growth Market, on 31 January 2020. Following the issue of the new shares above, Early Equity has a total of 836,836,848 ordinary shares of 0.1p in issue carrying voting rights. The above figure of 836,836,848 should be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The directors of Early Equity Plc accept responsibility for this announcement. For further information please contact: Greg Collier Tel: +44 7830 182501 NEX EXCHANGE CORPORATE ADVISER: China on Friday announced that it will send charter flights to bring back its citizens from coronavirus-hit Hubei province, especially Wuhan, who are overseas, the state media reported. The move followed Chinese officials' announcement that about five million people from Wuhan and Hubei province travelled out of the region before the province was officially closed on January 23. These people are reported to have travelled within China and abroad to avail the weeklong holidays of the Chinese New Year and the ongoing Spring Festival, China Daily reported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bolivia's interim President Jeanine Anez sought Monday to reshuffle her government after coming under fire over her decision to stand in May 3 presidential elections. The right-wing president demanded Sunday that all 20 of her ministers resign, in what Bolivia's media said was an attempt to present a united front in the run-up to the polls. "The vast majority have submitted their resignation" by midday Monday, the minister with responsibility for presidential affairs, Yerko Nunez, told a news conference in La Paz. The new cabinet is expected to be named on Tuesday, Nunez said, adding that "some ministers will be confirmed and others not," without giving details. Anez issued her resignation demand on Sunday, hours after communications minster Roxana Lizarraga quit in protest at her decision to stand as a candidate in the May 3 election. - Ousting Camacho loyalists - Media reports in La Paz said Anez wanted to shed ministers loyal to Luis Fernando Camacho, a powerful regional politician who was instrumental in the protests that led to ex-president Evo Morales's resignation on November 10. Camacho -- initially a supporter of Anez's government -- later joined her critics and is himself a candidate for the presidency. At least three members of Anez's cabinet are seen as strong "Camachistas" -- among them Defense Minister Luis Fernando Lopez. Meanwhile, Luis Arce, the candidate for Morales's Movement for Socialism party, said he would return to Bolivia Tuesday from exile in Mexico to begin campaigning. "Tomorrow I'm going to be in Bolivia," Arce told a news conference during a stopover in the Argentine capital Buenos Aires, where Morales -- who appeared alongside him -- is based. Arce, a 56-year-old former economy minister, wasted no time in joining the growing criticism of the authoritarian Anez. "The fact that the de facto president is running raises huge questions about the transparency of the electoral process," Arce told reporters. Anez assumed the presidency on November 12, two days after Morales resigned following three weeks of sometimes violent protests against his controversial re-election in a poll the Organization of American States said was rigged. - Minister's revolt - Lizarraga on Sunday was the first member of the government to openly criticize Anez since the little-known former senator assumed the presidency on November 12. She slammed the right-wing leader for having "lost sight of her objectives." Lizarraga said Anez had "started to fall into the same evils" as the party of her predecessor Evo Morales. "This is not the path the citizenry has signaled to us," said Lizarraga. Arce was given asylum in Mexico like Morales, though Morales gave up his Mexico City refuge in December to base his political operation in Argentina. Former presidents Carlos Mesa and Jorge Quiroga have also joined the presidential race along Camacho. The Movement for Socialism has been leading in the polls, with 26 percent of voter preferences compared to just 12 percent for Anez, who is running fourth. "In all the polls we are first," Morales tweeted in reaction. "We are ready to beat the coup and regain the homeland." New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Supreme Court on Friday said it is essential to tread carefully while penalising candidates from political parties, who do not disclose criminal antecedents, as the allegations often have political overtones. A bench, headed by Justice R.F. Nariman and comprising Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, said in politics, political opponents may file serious criminal cases, which includes cases connected with sedition and anti-national activities. "Charges with political overtones are brought in... we have to be very careful," it said. The observation from the apex court came during the hearing of a contempt plea which has raised the issue of criminalisation of politics. The plea has claimed directions given by the top court in its September 25, 2018 verdict, on the disclosure of criminal antecedents, were not being followed. Senior advocate Vikas Singh representing the Election Commission, contended before the court that the number of MPs having pending criminal cases has increased, which is actually very disturbing. According to the poll body data, 43 per cent MPs in the current Parliament have criminal cases against them. The poll body has indicated it is in agreement with the BJP leader and petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, that political parties should mandatorily upload on their website details of candidates with criminal antecedents. Also, these political parties should provide reasons for their selection. However, the poll body disagreed with the suggestion to penalise the party or candidate under Article 324 of the Constitution, as it is not in its jurisdiction. Last week, the court had asked the EC and petitioner to sit together and frame suggestions on the issue. "The reasons shall have to be justifiable with reference to qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned and ''winnability'' shall not be a sufficient justification," the suggestion said. The proposed suggestion also said the information should be published in one local vernacular newspaper and one national newspaper. "(Also) On the official social media platforms of the political party including Facebook and Twitter," said the suggestion. Upadhyay's counsel insisted that they should be practical in such matters and referred to a section in the Representation of the People Act, 1951. According to the Act, a candidate in his nomination paper has to furnish details, whether he is accused of any offence punishable with jail term of two years or more in a pending case where charges have been framed. The poll body counsel contended though there is rise in the number of MPs with criminal record, but nobody is bothered. Another suggestion emphasized that the political party shall submit a report to the Election Commission regarding the above publications within 24 hours of the nomination of the candidate. In the previous hearing, the poll body insisted the political parties should be asked not to give tickets to people with criminal background. The declining GDP growth does not augur well for the health of Indian economy, but it may be a blessing in disguise for the Indian middle class. Modi government's next big fiscal stimulus could come in the form of a cut in income taxes for the middle class in Budget 2020 as it looks at measures to boost consumption. Since it has become increasingly clear that the current economic slowdown is not supply-centric, the government's reform measures - which until now have largely addressed the supply side - is likely to switch toward stoking demand. There's enough buzz for the middle class to be hopeful even though the government has not officially promised any tax relief. Finance Ministry issued a circular on 11 November seeking suggestions on changes in both direct and indirect taxes from the industry. The government is also seeking inputs from the general public through a web portal. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman too has dropped hints of possible tax cuts in some of her recent public addresses. "One among the many things we are looking at," Sitharaman said at a media event earlier in the month in reference to a cut in personal income tax. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has also advised a cut in personal tax rates to boost consumption. According to experts, the government could be looking at both personal tax and other means to spur demand. "The government is working on steps like personal income tax reasoning and other reforms in GST to boost demand and economic growth. The discussion around it in the upcoming union budget, has certainly picked up pace," says Rahul Jain, Head, Personal Wealth Advisory, Edelweiss. And, with the GDP declining for six quarters straight, tax cuts to get people to spend more may not be a question of choice anymore. "Even though the tax collections are low, as the government has already reduced corporate tax rates, expectations are riding high that the personal tax rates will also be reduced," says Ishita Sengupta, Partner, Personal Tax and Global Mobility, PwC. Unfortunately for the government, even if tax reliefs are announced it won't come with the certainty that consumption will revive and economy will get back to growth trajectory. The reason for this is that the taxpaying population is just a little over 6% of the total population. There were total 8.45 crore taxpayers in assessment year 2019. "It may be difficult to expect a direct correlation between a drop in the tax rates and total consumer demand as there will be a large section of the public who are anyway not taxpayers and hence will not be impacted by any change in tax rates," Sengupta adds. Low Revenue Hurdle Beyond the uncertainty of the impact of tax relief on consumption, the shortfall in government revenue will be another issue the Finance Ministry will have to carefully consider before jumping the gun on income tax. The government's revenues have repeatedly not met targets. The GST collections, which constitutes a big chunk of government's total revenues, have been abysmal. Since the rollout of GST in July 2017, the government has fallen short of the Rs 1 lakh crore monthly target 20 out of 28 months. The total net shortfall till now is Rs 99,826 crore, which is equivalent to a month's GST collection target. The average GST collection in the 28 month period has been Rs 95,984 crore. To cover this shortfall, there are murmurs that the government may increase the GST tax rate of 5% to 6%-8%, which could lead to an additional monthly revenue of up to Rs 1,000 crore for the government. There are guesses on changes in other GST slabs too. However, the Finance Minister refused to acknowledge the speculations. "The buzz is everywhere except in my office. I have had no conversations on the GST Council meeting with my team yet," she said in a press meet last week. If the Finance Ministry does raise GST rates it could be detrimental for revival of demand. In fact, the All India Food Processors' Association (AIFPA), which has companies such as ITC, Nestle , PepsiCo as its members, has expressed apprehension over such speculations and urged the Finance Minister to not increase GST rates. But as the government mulls offering relief to the middle class in the next budget, the government may be tempted to increase GST rates keeping the fiscal deficit target in mind. According to Jain, decision on the tax cuts needs to factor the fiscal space. "I believe the approach towards tax-cuts should be well-thought out and pragmatic. The government has stressed on the importance of bringing the fiscal deficit down to 3%, in the past few quarters, which can be only achieved if the revenue streams move up," Jain adds. And a pragmatic decision, perhaps, can mean the government takes away some with a hike in GST rates and gives away some with a cut in income tax in Budget 2020. The GST Council meeting on December 18 may give a clearer picture. Also read: Centre releases Rs 35,398 crore as GST compensation to states Also read: FICCI calls for lower personal tax rates, tweaks in Taxation Bill to boost economy Also read: Raghuram Rajan recommends widespread reforms, fiscal prudence to mend Indian economy (Natural News) Brutal Chinese leaders have made a decision to sacrifice entire cities of their own citizens in order to save 11 protected cities elsewhere, according to a bombshell leak acquired by Hong Kong media professional Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen. As reported in The Epoch Times, The 11 cities on the CCPs priority list of being saved are Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Xian, Shenyang, Harbin, and Urumqi. The CCP is prepared to protect these 11 cities at all cost, even if it means sacrificing other cities, Shiu said. This secret meeting took place on Jan. 25th and demonstrates the brutality of the communist Chinese regime, which has in effect imprisoned 56 million of its own citizens in military-enforced quarantine zones where food, fuel and medical supplies are nearly depleted. Based on information leaked from this meeting, it now appears the Chinese government leadership sees this coronavirus pandemic as an existential threat to its own existence, and it has made the decision to sacrifice millions of lives, if necessary, to protect the core cities that drive Chinas economic and manufacturing power. From TET: Shiu said he believes the epidemic, which is now getting out of control, will have a deadly impact on Chinas economy. In his estimation, more than half of Chinese business activities will come to a halt The insider did not give specific reasons as to why the authorities chose those 11 cities, but they are the commercial and military hubs in the country. The brutal effort may backfire, however, as critical supplies denied to the quarantined citizens of China are resulting in the rapid proliferation of more coronavirus infections. As reported by TET: Even after the city-wide lockdown of Wuhan, the central authorities failed to dispatch needed manpower and medical supplies, resulting in things such as corpses lying about on a hospital floor and citizens not being informed about virus prevention, all of which would further spread the virus. Over the last 7 days, the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection have increased 1000%, leaping from 941 to over 9,800. The W.H.O. has declared a global pandemic emergency, and scientists have confirmed the virus is being spread by symptomless carriers who arent even aware that theyve been infected. The shut down of the Wuhan region is also starting to cause a supply chain crisis across the tech industry, and Chinas industrial output has plunged 40% according to some estimates. Expectation of millions of deaths According to research from Professor Gabriel Matthew Leung from the Hong Kong Medical School, the coronavirus outbreak will eventually infect 18 million people in China, causing between one and two million fatalities. Chinese officials appear ready to accept these fatalities as long as they can save the industrial cities listed above. The number of infected people will double every 6.2 days, according to his research, although that rate could be reduced through strong quarantine and isolation measures. A different model reportedly predicts 183 million infections by the end of February if the virus is not contained. However, that number seems difficult to achieve, even if the number of infected doubles every 6.2 days. In order to achieve 183 million infections by the end of February, there would have to be roughly 40+ million infections right now, and that number seems orders of magnitude too high. A new study just published in The Lancet calculates that there are currently more than 75,000 infected individuals in China, as of Jan. 25, 2020. That study concludes, we inferred that epidemics are already growing exponentially in multiple major cities of China with a lag time behind the Wuhan outbreak of about 12 weeks. Official numbers from the Chinese government currently claim 9,909 infections, a number that seems absurdly low. That same study warns the coronavirus pandemic may already be going global: Independent self-sustaining outbreaks in major cities globally could become inevitable because of substantial exportation of presymptomatic cases and in the absence of large-scale public health interventions. Preparedness plans and mitigation interventions should be readied for quick deployment globally. If this goes global, the only solution will be to shut down society, causing catastrophic economic consequences Even as Iran has stopped all commercial air flights to China, the United States is still accepting flights, raising the important question of whether U.S. health authorities actually intend to allow Americans to be infected so they can benefit from the crisis, rolling out a nationwide medical police state that demands mandatory vaccinations and forced quarantines of any person they target. Once the virus spreads in any country, the only reliable method for stopping the outbreak is to shut down society and force everyone to stay home. The economic consequences of that decision are truly apocalyptic. Listen to my podcast to understand why: Brighteon.com/3c380b6e-5dc2-4ce5-88ff-5c78ac477dae Make no mistake: Created Equal is a one-sided portrait. The films director, Michael Pack, is a longtime conservative filmmaker, whose documentaries include Hollywood vs. Religion and Inside the Republican Revolution, and who led the right-leaning think tank the Claremont Institute for two years. We first met in 2000 when he brought his film The Fall of Newt Gingrich to the Maryland Film Festival; in 2017, we engaged in a public conversation at AFI Docs, discussing ideological diversity within the nonfiction filmmaking community. I have remained friendly with Michael and his wife, Gina Cappo Pack (executive producer of Created Equal), ever since. Even without knowing the Packs, I would consider Created Equal a success, starting with the subtitle. From the outset, viewers are put on notice that the story theyre about to hear is solely from Thomass point of view (the only other voice in the film belongs to Thomass wife, Virginia). And that makes a difference. Rather than purport to be an objective, journalistic report, Created Equal makes it clear that this will be a highly sympathetic account of its subject a safe space in documentary form. Thus situated, I was able to watch with the appropriate filter, appreciating the fascinating personal and social history that weaves through Thomass biography while taking issue with his most frustrating, even infuriating pronouncements. Its just this kind of compartmentalization figuring out what you accept, reject, are surprised by or simply want to file away for further study that defines critical thinking, a skill that has become virtually extinct in a hyper-polarized culture. Can cinema be a depolarizing force? Back when movies were projected in dark rooms full of strangers, we lowered our defenses to enter a kind of shared dream state. That communal experience might be increasingly obsolete, but even taking in Thomass story on a laptop forged a far more powerful connection than would have been created by the intellectual exercise of reading his memoir, or an op-ed. You can toss a book across the room, or click away from an article you dont like; movies are different, in that they operate both as a delivery system for information and as an emotional medium. Even as I mentally picked apart the films most objectionable assertions, the ways Pack used Thomass voice and the imagery from his past forced me to sit with the man and his story, and to contend with the paradoxical feelings compassion, admiration, surprise, deep skepticism that surfaced as a result. I discovered that even passionate disagreement can coexist with edification, however uncomfortably. Of course, films ability to short-circuit rationality is precisely what makes it such a potent and potentially dangerous medium. But its also what makes film an ideal venue for encountering ideas and experiences diametrically opposed to our own. That doesnt mean that the act of watching a movie is equal to tacit agreement or that buying a ticket confers endorsement. But it does mean entering a good-faith contract between filmmakers, who must be as scrupulously transparent as possible, and audiences, who vow to remain open-minded and critically engaged. When those conditions are met, cinema gives us the best chance possible to lay down our arms, open our minds, and just maybe shut up and listen. The Broad Institute lost one of their fundamental CRISPR patents ( News review On appeal (T 844/18) the Broad Institute argued that the EPO's approach to priority was incorrect. The patentees arguments may be summarised as follows: (I) Entitlement to priority should not be assessed by the EPO, (II) the EPO incorrectly interprets the phrase any person in After hearing lengthy submissions on each of these arguments from the patentee and opponents, the Board of Appeal dismissed the Broad Institute's appeal. The Board of Appeal thus upheld the opposition decision that the priority claim was invalid, and that consequently the patent lacked novelty. The Broad Institute lost one of their fundamental CRISPR patents ( EP2771468 ) in opposition because of a clear-cut case of invalid priority (IPKat: here ). Article 87 EPC , based on Article 4(1) of the Paris Convention , specifies that any person who has filed a patent in a state party to the Paris Convention, or his successor in title, may claim priority from that application for the purposes of a subsequent EP application. The EPO interprets any person as meaning that all the applicants (or their successors in title) named on the priority application must be named on the subsequent EP application. The Broad Institute lost their CRISPR patent at opposition because an inventor of the US provisional application from which priority was claimed (or his successor in title) was not named on the PCT application.On appeal (T 844/18) the Broad Institute argued that the EPO's approach to priority was incorrect. The patentees arguments may be summarised as follows: (I) Entitlement to priority should not be assessed by the EPO, (II) the EPO incorrectly interprets the phrase any person in Article 87 EPC and Article 4 Paris Convention, and (III) US law should govern the interpretation of any applicant in Article 87 EPC when the priority application is a US provisional.After hearing lengthy submissions on each of these arguments from the patentee and opponents, the Board of Appeal dismissed the Broad Institute's appeal. The Board of Appeal thus upheld the opposition decision that the priority claim was invalid, and that consequently the patent lacked novelty. The patentee statement on the day of the decision. The Broad Institute echoed its previous statements that their patent had been dismissed by the Board of Appeal due to a technical formality. They were also eager to point out that the majority of Broads CRISPR-Cas9 patents in Europe are not affected by this decision. Licences for CRISPR technology in Europe are therefore likely to be largely unaffected by the Board of Appeal decision. Understandably, those on the winning side of the appeal have been most vocal with their opinions on the outcome. Conversely, law firms supporting the Broad Institute (including De Clerq, Bird & Bird and Brinkhof) have not provided any commentary. However, the Broad Institute itself issued aon the day of the decision. The Broad Institutethat their patent had been dismissed by the Board of Appeal due to a technical formality. They were also eager to point out that the majority of Broads CRISPR-Cas9 patents in Europe are not affected by this decision. Licences for CRISPR technology in Europe are therefore likely to be largely unaffected by the Board of Appeal decision. EP2771468 is not a knock out blow, it will undoubtedly strengthen the side of UCB in any future negotiations. The Broad Institute further did not waste an opportunity to take a dig at University of California Berkeley (UCB), their main rival in the CRISPR patent dispute. The Broad mentioned that they have for seven yearsmade many attempts to engage University of California-Berkeley, directly and through their exclusive licensee and through patent pools. These efforts began before UCB licensed its IP exclusively and entirely to commercial entities. Whilst the revocation of the Broad Institute patentis not a knock out blow, it will undoubtedly strengthen the side of UCB in any future negotiations. The opponents George Schlich, has published an in-depth review of the outcome of the hearing. From the point of view of many commentators, the simple take-home message from the hearing was that existing case law was followed. Schlich argues that the written decision of the Board will provide something more fundamental: we will now get a more enunciated reasoning as to why the law and practice is correct and settled. Schlich notes that the argument from the Broad Institute that received the most attention was the that "any person" in The representative for Opponent 1,, has publishedof the outcome of the hearing. From the point of view of many commentators, the simple take-home message from the hearing was that existing case law was followed. Schlich argues that the written decision of the Board will provide something more fundamental: we will now get a more enunciated reasoning as to why the law and practice is correct and settled.Schlich notes that the argument from the Broad Institute that received the most attention was the that "any person" in Article 87(1) EPC and Article 4(1) of the Paris Convention should be interpreted as "any one of" the applicants of the priority application. The Broad Institute had submitted a declaration from no-less eminent a person than Lord Neuberger to support their interpretation of "any". According to Schlich, at the hearing the Broad Institute also referred to recent EPO law indicating that right to claim priority cannot be exhausted ( T15/01 ). However, the Board of Appeal agreed with the Opponents that the right of priority is a single, indivisible right. Thus, the Board of Appeal concluded that the right cannot be divided or separated into multiple priority rights. Schlich makes the very pertinent point that the position of the EPO on this issue may henceforth be supported by the written rationale of Board of Appeal 3.3.08 (once we have the written decision), as opposed to a mere reliance on the argument that this just how it has always been done at the EPO. The patent press The appeal hearing attracted considerable coverage from parties not directly involved in proceedings. Those unlucky enough not to be able to attend in person were able to follow the semi-live tweets from observers. However, followers of the live reports will have been reminded of the old adage it is not over until its over, as reports that the Board of Appeal had referred questions on priority to the EBA, later proved incorrect [Merpel was particularly amused by the backtracking of certain patent news-outlets with regards to the "EBA referral" incident. Those reporting that the Board of Appeal had decided to refer, were subsequently forced to report a "dramatic reversal" that the Board no longer intended to refer]. report of the proceedings, K&S argued that the decision of the Board of Appeal may not, in fact, be the end of the matter. During the hearing, the Broad Institute had objected that there had not been adequate discussion on the decision of the Board of Appeal not to refer the questions on priority to the EBA. K&S propose that the Broad Institute may file a petition for review, on the grounds that there has been a fundamental violation of the Patentees right to be heard. The Enlarged Board of Appeal rarely find Petitions of Review admissible. Even when admitted, the majority of Petitions are usually rejected. Kilburn & Strode LLP (K&S) were very active commentators. In their, K&S argued that the decision of the Board of Appeal may not, in fact, be the end of the matter. During the hearing, the Broad Institute had objected that there had not been adequate discussion on the decision of the Board of Appeal not to refer the questions on priority to the EBA. K&S propose that the Broad Institute may file a petition for review, on the grounds that there has been a fundamental violation of the Patentees right to be heard. The Enlarged Board of Appeal rarely find Petitions of Review admissible. Even when admitted, the majority of Petitions are usually rejected. summarises all of the parties involved in the European dispute. These included the experts called on to give their opinion of the case. In support of the Broad Institute, Former UK Supreme Court judges David Neuberger and Leonard Hoffman, Matrix Chambers barrister Phillipe Sands, Joseph Straus, former chair of a EPO Board of Appeal Ursula Kinkeldey, and Swiss Federal Patent Court judge Tobias Bremi, whilst on the side of the opponents former German Supreme Court judge Klaus-Jurgen Melullis, former director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos, and Rudolf Teschemacher, former chair of a Board of Appeal. JUVE patentall of the parties involved in the European dispute. These included the experts called on to give their opinion of the case. In support of the Broad Institute, Former UK Supreme Court judges David Neuberger and Leonard Hoffman, Matrix Chambers barrister Phillipe Sands, Joseph Straus, former chair of a EPO Board of Appeal Ursula Kinkeldey, and Swiss Federal Patent Court judge Tobias Bremi, whilst on the side of the opponents former German Supreme Court judge Klaus-Jurgen Melullis, former director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David Kappos, and Rudolf Teschemacher, former chair of a Board of Appeal. Another welcome addition to the commentary is provided by The Broad Institute is not alone in falling foul of the trap opened up by the differences in the US and European requirements for a valid priority claim. However, whilst not uncommon, the Broad Institute's error is remarkable for the magnitude of its commercial implications. In view of this, the decision of the Board of Appeal not to refer the issue of priority to the Enlarged Board of Appeal has been welcomed by many practitioners as a triumph of the rule of law over commercial interest and influence. The EPO Another welcome addition to the commentary is provided by Novagraaf , who take the opportunity to remind readers of the pitfalls that exist for US applicants of a European patent application. The US has less stringent priority requirements than the EPO. This is because the US understands priority as applying to inventions. Thus, a priority claim is valid in the US if the priority application and the application claiming priority has merely one inventor in common. Therefore, when a US provisional application is filed in the name of an inventor, in the US the inventor does not need to assign their rights to the applicant of the PCT application prior to the PCT filing date.The Broad Institute is not alone in falling foul of the trap opened up by the differences in the US and European requirements for a valid priority claim. However, whilst not uncommon, the Broad Institute's error is remarkable for the magnitude of its commercial implications. In view of this, the decision of the Board of Appeal not to refer the issue of priority to the Enlarged Board of Appeal has been welcomed by many practitioners as a triumph of the rule of law over commercial interest and influence. Many readers may not have the time and/or enthusiasm to read all of these articles. However, what this Kat lacks in time she makes up for in enthusiasm, and provides your post-hearing highlights: Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-12 cargo spacecraft departed the International Space Station today (Jan. 31), nearly three months after it arrived at the orbiting laboratory with about 4 tons of supplies and science experiments for the Expedition 61 crew. The cargo vessel, named the S.S. Alan Bean after the Apollo 12 astronaut, began its journey back to Earth after ground controllers in Houston used the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to release it in orbit. Before the spacecraft meets its fiery demise in Earth's atmosphere, it will spend about a month in orbit deploying various scientific payloads. On Feb. 29, ground controllers will initiate a deorbit maneuver, after which the cargo ship will execute "a safe, destructive reentry into Earths atmosphere," NASA officials said in a statement. Video: See stunning Earth views as Cygnus spacecraft departs space station Related: Antares rocket launches Cygnus NG-12 cargo craft (photos) Northrop Grumman's Cygnus NG-12 cargo spacecraft moves away from the International Space Station after ground controllers in Houston used the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm to send it off. At the time of release, the station was flying about 250 miles (400 kilometers) over the South Pacific, just off the west coast of Chile. (Image credit: NASA TV) "Id just like to say farewell to the S.S. Alan bean and thank you to the entire Cygnus NG-12 team for making Expedition 61 highly successful," NASA astronaut and Expedition 61 flight engineer Andrew Morgan said during a live webcast of the spacecraft's departure. He and his fellow Expedition 61 crewmember Jessica Meir provided backup support as ground controllers maneuvered the Cygnus away from the space station. While this isn't the first Cygnus cargo vessel to embark on a secondary mission after leaving the space station the NG-11 mission also took an extended detour on its way out in August it was the first to test out a new release procedure. Typically astronauts on board the station manually operate the robotic arm to release these cargo vessels, but this time NASA tried a different method for the S.S. Alan Bean's departure. "For this mission, Cygnus demonstrated a new release position for departure operations and incorporated the first ground-controlled release," NASA officials wrote in the ISS blog. "The new orientation allowed for easier drift away from the stations Canadarm2 robotic arm." The S.S. Alan bean drifts away from the International Space Station. (Image credit: NASA TV) During its remaining time in orbit, the S.S. Alan Bean "does have a secondary mission of deploying a number of small satellites to test different technologies things like cameras, antennas, different communications technologies, solar cells, a number of different materials in the low Earth orbit environment," NASA spokesman Dan Huot said during the webcast. Some cubesats will deploy later this evening, with another batch deploying on Saturday (Feb. 1). Those cubesats include the University of Washington's HuskySat-1, the University of Florida's SwampSat II, Sonoma State University's EdgeCube and Utah State University's Compact Infrared Radiometer in Space (CIRiS) experiment. Once the Cygnus capsule completes its secondary mission, it will burn up in the atmosphere along with 5,800 lbs. (2,600 kilograms) of disposable cargo, or trash, that the crew of Expedition 61 packed inside. The next Cygnus mission, NG-13 (also known as the S.S. Robert H. Lawrence) is scheduled to launch to the space station on Feb. 9. Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. She said that Albea thought the child was injured from a fall when the interrogation began, and that he told police that from a sitting position he had slapped the boys chest after he swore but it was not forceful. She showed the jury video clip after video clip repeatedly showing Albea insisting he did not strike the child further until he finally submitted and said he may have hit the child four or five times. Pompeo vows unwavering US support during delicate Ukraine visit Kiev, Jan 31 (AFP) Jan 31, 2020 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington's support for Ukraine was unwavering during a delicate visit Friday to the country at the heart of the US impeachment process. After talks with Pompeo, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he appreciated US support, but stressed that Washington should be more involved in resolving his country's conflict with Moscow-backed separatists. Ukraine is walking a careful line in its relations with the United States -- keen to maintain American backing in the war but wary of being further entangled in US domestic politics. Pompeo is the most senior US official to visit Ukraine since the start of the impeachment process against US President Donald Trump, who is accused of withholding military aid to push Kiev into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Pompeo said there could be no doubts about Washington's support for Ukraine, calling it "a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in eastern Europe". "The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," he said at a news conference with Zelensky. Zelensky, who allegedly faced the pressure from Trump in a July 25 phone call, called on Washington to "be more actively involved in the peace process in eastern Ukraine" and to appoint a special representative on the conflict. "I do not believe that our warm and important relations have been influenced by the question of the impeachment," he said. Zelensky said he was "ready to go tomorrow" to meet with Trump in Washington. Pompeo said no date had been set yet for a White House meeting. A senior State Department official told reporters that talks between Pompeo and Zelensky were "very focused on investment and infrastructure". "There was no talk of impeachment or any investigations," the official said. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a Ukrainian official told AFP that the issue of Biden was not brought up during the meeting. - Memorial to dead soldiers - Washington has been an important backer of Ukraine in its conflict with the separatists in the country's east, providing both military aid and diplomatic support. That support is at the centre of the impeachment process, with Trump accused of withholding $400 million in assistance to demand dirt on Biden, whose son was on the board of a Ukrainian company. A Senate trial of Trump is under way in Washington, but the Republican majority in the US upper house all but guarantees an acquittal. A vote to acquit could come as soon as Friday. Pompeo is himself under pressure over Ukraine. He was among senior officials who listened in on the phone call with Zelensky and has been accused of not doing enough to defend Marie Yovanovitch, the former US envoy to Kiev who Trump removed last year. Pompeo also met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko and the head of the newly independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Yepifaniy. He visited Kiev's golden-domed Saint Michael's Cathedral -- torn down by the Soviet Union and rebuilt after Ukraine's independence -- and a memorial wall with photographs of soldiers killed in the conflict in the country's east that broke out in 2014. The US Secretary of State also met with Ukrainian Defence Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk, who thanked the United States for its assistance in reforming the ex-Soviet country's armed forces. Washington's support for Kiev has included not only military assistance but diplomatic backing, including the imposition of US sanctions against Russia following its 2014 annexation of Crimea. - Ex-Soviet tour - Zelensky, a comedian with no previous political experience who won a landslide election victory last year, has made ending the conflict a key plank of his presidency. The fighting with separatists in two mainly Russian-speaking breakaway regions has left more than 13,000 dead and crippled Ukraine's economy. Russia is accused of backing the separatists and seeking to undermine Ukraine's efforts to develop closer ties with the West. After Kiev, Pompeo was due to visit three more countries of the former Soviet Union, seeking to extend US sway in Russia's traditional sphere of influence. He was to meet with senior officials including President Alexander Lukashenko in the Belarusian capital Minsk on Saturday, then travel on to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. DES MOINES, Iowa - With Sen. Bernie Sanders gaining traction, his rivals for the presidential nomination and other top Democrats have begun aggressive efforts to slow the favorite of the party's progressive wing, fearing he may become unstoppable and cost Democrats their shot at retaking the White House in November. There are risks, however. The attacks may backfire by galvanizing Sanders' fervent supporters, who embrace him precisely because he is an anti-establishment figure. The result is that days before voting in the 2020 race kicks off with Monday's Iowa caucuses, Democrats are turning their fire inward just as President Donald Trump is enduring an impeachment trial in the Senate. Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., stokes anxiety about a Sanders victory in a plea for donations. Former Vice President Joe Biden throws shade in a new Iowa ad saying, "This isn't the election to take a risk." Third Way, a centrist Democratic group, sent a panicky memo to hundreds of Iowa Democrats warning against a Sanders nomination. In one of the most assertive moves, a Democratic political action committee is airing a statewide TV spot questioning Sanders' ability to beat Trump and raising the issue of his health by reminding viewers of the 78-year-old candidate's heart attack in October. ADVERTISEMENT "Iowa is a vital choke point," said Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic strategist who produced the ad but is not allied with any 2020 candidate. "If he wins Iowa, he wins New Hampshire, then very likely wins Nevada," Mellman added, naming the first three states to vote. "He'd be very hard to stop at that point." The efforts come as a relief to some in the party who have nervously watched Sanders' ascendance in recent weeks. But the Vermont independent and his allies immediately pushed back, seeing the attack from a business-friendly group like Third Way as an opening to reinforce Sanders' core message. "It's no secret that our campaign is taking on the political establishment and the big-money interests, who are now running negative ads against us in Iowa," Sanders said in a video released Tuesday. "The billionaire class is getting nervous and they should." Nina Turner, Sanders' campaign co-chair, responded on Twitter to the signs of a stop-Sanders movement: "We have always known this would be the play. Stay fierce & stay focused. Keep your eyes on the prize. First goal post is Iowa." Clear evidence of the potential for Sanders to be strengthened, not weakened: His campaign announced Wednesday it raised $1.3 million in a single day after the ad surfaced. The mounting attacks come as Sanders has risen steadily in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, which holds its primary a week after Iowa's caucuses. His gains have been largely at the expense of his ideological soulmate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Sanders has also opened a significant polling lead in delegate-rich California, although Biden remains the leader in national surveys. Third Way's attack on Sanders focused not on the group's many policy disagreements with Sanders, but on the electability question that is top of mind for voters across the ideological spectrum. "If Bernie Sanders becomes the nominee, Trump's odds of winning a second term go up dramatically, which is why Team Trump has labeled him their 'ideal' nominee," its memo said. The ad against Sanders was produced by a super PAC associated with the Democratic Majority for Israel, although the ad says nothing about his views on the Middle East. It features five Iowa voters who raised concerns about whether he could win - including one concerned about his health and another worried that his views were too far left to win swing states that cost Democrats the election in 2016. ADVERTISEMENT "I like Bernie. I think he has great ideas. But Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa - they are just not going to vote for a socialist," said one voter. Sanders supporters point to a large number of surveys that show him outpolling Trump. And they offer their own theory about what it will take to beat him: Not a tack to the center to win back moderate Trump voters, but a progressive agenda to attract new ones. For months Sanders' rivals did not take him on directly, in part because they believed his chances of winning were remote. But while other candidates have waxed and waned in the polls, Sanders' support has remained steady. Rival candidates have trod carefully around Sanders because they would want the support of his energetic army should they win the nomination. Many Democrats believe that pro-Sanders voters' turnout for Hillary Clinton in 2016 was diminished after their bitter primary fight, given a perception the contest was "rigged" against him. Also inhibiting rivals: some of Sanders' most ardent backers are notoriously vicious when they counterattack. After Warren wrestled with Sanders over a 2018 conversation - she claimed he said a woman couldn't beat Trump; he called that a lie - she was brutally criticized on social media. Biden put the focus on beating Trump in one of his closing television ads in Iowa. It makes the case that he is the best candidate to beat Trump and would best help down-ballot Democratic candidates. The screen fills with the words "This isn't the election to take a risk," with Trump in the background. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., co-chair of House Democrats' campaign committee, said he worried that having Sanders at the top of the ticket could hurt some of the many freshman Democrats whose victories in 2018 gave the party a House majority. "For a lot of these vulnerable House members, it would make their reelection races exponentially more difficult and potentially put our House majority at risk," Bera said. ADVERTISEMENT Buttigieg's deputy campaign manager, Hari Sevugan, this week sent a fundraising email headed "Trump's team wants Bernie to be the nominee." Biden, asked Tuesday after a rally if he thought the party would unite behind Sanders if he was the nominee, said, "We have to. I'm not gonna make judgments now but I just think that it depends upon how we treat one another between now and the time we have a nominee." Warren has never wavered in her commitment to back whomever the party nominates. "Whoever the Democratic nominee is, I'm all in," she recently told MSNBC. A key question is whether the divisions between Sanders and the rest of the party will do lasting damage once a nominee is chosen. Biden, speaking to reporters, took note of one ominous sign. When students at Drake University in Iowa held a mock caucus Tuesday, Sanders supporters left when their candidate failed to get enough support to remain viable, instead of sticking around to ally themselves with a second choice. "You can't do that kind of stuff," Biden said. "It's going to make a difference." But other Democrats say those divisions will heal against the common enemy, Trump. Jack Reardon, a 22-year-old Sanders supporter, was arrested Tuesday after he joined a group occupying Biden headquarters here to protest his opposition to Medicare for All. Yet even Reardon said he would probably vote for Biden if he were the nominee. Similarly, many Biden supporters say they would vote for Sanders to beat Trump. "That would be really hard for me, but I'd support him" said Su Groff-VanArendonk, 65, a Biden supporter in Coralville. "I'll vote for a donkey if they put him on the ticket." --- (Times staff writer Michael Finnegan in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.) --- (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Groundhog Day 2020 is coming this weekend, right on Super Bowl Sunday. That means its time for Punxsutawney Phil and other weather-predicting groundhogs to emerge from hibernation and check if they see their shadows to let us know how much longer winter will last. Wait a minute. Winter? What winter? With hardly any snow and lots of mild days in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other eastern states, it hasnt really felt much like winter this year. Nevertheless, its still a big day for the worlds most famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil and lots of imitators, including Staten Island Chuck, Essex Ed and Milltown Mel. UPDATE: See Sundays Groundhog Day results here Theres even a new groundhog joining the festivities this year but hes not a real rodent. In South Jersey, the folks organizing a Groundhog Day festival in Haddon Township on Saturday plan to use a man dressed in a groundhog costume to check for a shadow. His nickname is Haddon Harry. (They initially planned to use a stuffed-animal groundhog, but organizers changed their minds.) As for the real groundhogs, each will be popping up Sunday, Feb. 2, to let the world know whether well have a lengthy winter or an early spring. Heres the rundown on several groundhogs in our region, what time theyll be looking for their shadows and what it means if a shadow is seen or not seen. Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather-predicting groundhog, is placed on his stump during annual Groundhog Day festivities in this file photo.ASSOCIATED PRESS When will Punxsutawney Phil look for this shadow? The legendary Groundhog Day festival at Gobblers Knob in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania where Phil got his odd-sounding name kicks off at 3 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2, with singing, dancing, fireworks and a bonfire. In keeping with this long tradition, Punxsutawney Phil is expected to emerge from his burrow at 7:20 a.m. to a big throng of spectators. When will Staten Island Chuck look for his shadow? The annual Groundhog Day ceremony at the Staten Island Zoo is scheduled to take place Sunday morning, Feb. 2. Gates at the zoo will open at 6:30 a.m., the ceremony will begin at 7 a.m. and Staten Island Chuck will emerge at 7:30 a.m. Admission is free. In February 2019, Milltown Mel in the Middlesex County borough of Milltown predicted six more weeks of winter. And the region ended up having a snowy March. New Jerseys groundhogs The Essex County Turtle Back Zoo commemorates Groundhog Day each year by consulting with local groundhog Essex Ed.Star-Ledger file photo What does it mean if a groundhog sees his shadow, or doesnt see his shadow? According to folklore, if Punxsutawney Phil or other groundhogs see their shadow on Groundhog Day, that means we will have to endure six more weeks of winter no matter what human forecasters with the best technology predict. If no shadow is seen, that signifies an early spring. By the way, two-legged forecasters at AccuWeather based in the Pennsylvania town of State College are predicting seasonable winter weather will linger for another six weeks in most of the United States. The one big exception is the Northeast region, where the next six weeks will bring warmer air and drier conditions, AccuWeather says. However, a stormy weather pattern and the influx of cold Canadian air could result in "colder and snowier-than-average conditions through the first couple weeks of March. Weather forecast for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania As for the Groundhog Day weather outlook for Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service is calling for mostly cloudy skies in the morning, with temperatures around 30 degrees at 7 a.m. but gusty winds making it feel as cold as 22 degrees. Theres a 20% chance of light snow in the morning. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. KENT COUNTY, MI State police say 911 service has been restored Friday, Jan. 31. During a system upgrade, many counties in Michigan lost 911 service overnight. State police reported this morning that power had been restored. During the outage, dispatch centers around the state urged those needing emergency services to contact their non-emergency telephone numbers. The outage was caused by a technical issue that happened during an attempt to upgrade the system, state police said in a statement. Grand Rapids police Sgt. John Wittkowski said that while 911 service appears to have been restored, police have set up a number for emergencies if 911 fails: 616-456-3444. Forty counties were affected by the outage, authorities said. Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC is investigating what caused the problem, state police said in a tweet. Final update: 911 service has been restored statewide. Peninsula Fiber Network, LLC is investigating the cause of the outage. Michigan State Police (@MichStatePolice) January 31, 2020 The 911 outage has been fixed statewide. pic.twitter.com/ktagHkoEzx @MSPNorthernMI (@mspnorthernmi) January 31, 2020 Stoner from Michigan interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live 2nd Michigan man admits plan to join ISIS after arrest at Grand Rapids airport Juror: Photos horrific in starved baby case, dad just did not care By Trend Connectivity is clearly Azerbaijans priority and Belgium can be an important partner, accredited to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan since August 2016, Belgian Ambassador in Baku Bert Schoofs told Trend. He acknowledges that a lot has been done by the authorities since his arrival: "Azerbaijan took very effective decisions on improving railroads and highways. The level of connection between Azerbaijan and Georgia today is much more developed than it was three years ago. This kind of infrastructure is necessary for better regional cooperation. In this regard, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) is a flagship project, as it provides links to other existing railway networks towards Europe. Technically containers from Belgium could now arrive in Azerbaijan by rail and vice-versa." In maritime transport the Belgian Port of Antwerp, one of the largest in Europe, and Port of Baku in Alat cooperate already for many years. With APEC, the Antwerp Port Training Centre, there are exchanges of knowledge and best practices. Alat is definitely the port of reference in the Caspian Sea region. Moreover, last summer a TAIEX project with Belgian expertise was realized in Baku. Together with colleagues from the Ministry of Environment of Azerbaijan and Natural Resources and representatives from the ports, seminars were hold on how to take effective measures concerning ship waste management in the Caspian Sea region. Other similar initiatives are foreseen in the near future. TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission. TAIEX supports public administrations with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU best practices. The New Port in Alat is a transportation hub linking the west (Turkey & EU), south (Iran & India) and north (Russia). Situated in the vicinity of the regions of Azerbaijan, it will also increase its connectivity as an efficient hub and so increase the volume of cargo being handled. In addition, new port location is linked to existing highways and railways, connecting the port to the inland regions of the country. On Oct. 30, 2017, a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. The BTK railway has been built on the basis of the Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. At the initial stage, the volume of freight traffic will be at the level of 6.5 million tons of cargo, and up to one million passengers will be transported through this railway. The BTK can greatly reduce the time of delivery of goods from China to Europe via Azerbaijan, which makes this route especially attractive. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A single man desperate for a girlfriend has bought a massive roadside billboard asking for applicants. Mark Rofe, 30, said he has been single for over a year and has noticed all his friends are getting married while he is struggling to get a date. So he decided to pay 425 for a 3m high and 6m wide billboard advertising himself. Mark Rofe, 30, set up the billboard (pictured) and said he has been single for more than a year and has noticed all his friends are getting married while he is struggling to get a date Mr Rofe (left and right) decided to pay 425 for a 3m high and 6m wide billboard advertising himself The massive sign in Manchester features a photo of him lounging on his side and says: 'Single? Date Mark. This could be the sign you've been waiting for.' Mr Rofe, from Sheffield, said he bought the billboard to stand out from the crowd, and has had 21 people get in touch asking for a date. Mr Rofe, who is 6ft and said his ideal woman is Maya Jama, said: 'I've been single for a little while now, and many of my friends are married or in long term relationships. The massive sign in Manchester features a photo of him lounging on his side (pictured) and says: 'Single? Date Mark. This could be the sign you've been waiting for' 'I've tried the dating apps, but they just weren't working for me, so I decided to try something a little bit different to try and stand out.' The billboard went up on Fairfield Street in the centre of Manchester on Wednesday, and will be seen by around 462,000 drivers a week. He said he placed it in Manchester because it is one of the largest cities in the UK, near where he lived and has the highest footfall in the region. He had launched a website - datingmark.co.uk (pictured) - where applicants get in touch and has launched a crowdfunding website for more billboards Mr Rofe hopes to raise enough funds to purchase more in Dublin, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Bristol, and London. Pictured is his website Mr Rofe, who jokes he has kissed 'over three' women, works in marketing but insists his campaign is totally legitimate. He describes himself as 'extremely handsome and modest'. He had launched a website - datingmark.co.uk - where applicants get in touch and has launched a crowdfunding website for more billboards. He hopes to raise enough funds to purchase more in Dublin, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheffield, Portsmouth, Bristol, and London. He added: 'If at first you don't succeed, buy more billboards?' LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 900 businesses and technology leaders gathered at the world's largest tech diversity event, the Women in IT Awards London, as award winners were crowned across 20 categories. The winners of the sixth annual Women in IT Awards London 2020 were revealed at a gala ceremony in London. The awards, organised by Bonhill Group and headline sponsored by Amazon Web Services, serve to showcase the achievements and innovation of women in technology and identify new role models in a sector where female representation stands at only 19% - a level that is still alarmingly low. The awards were held at Grosvenor House Hotel on London'sPark Lane and hosted by British television presenter Naga Munchetty, who revealed 20 winners chosen from over 500 nominations. Opening the awards, Lawrence Gosling - editorial director at Bonhill Group plc - said: "As we start a new chapter in the life of this country in so many ways, the importance of the IT sector to the well-being of society and the economy is irrefutable. To achieve the maximum positive outcome we have to continue to promote, recognise and develop the role of women. Tonight's event and the others we do around the world are modest contributors to that end. The industry has moved significantly since we started these awards, but there is no room for complacency." Now, the Women in IT Awards Series - originating in London - has become a global initiative. In 2019, the series continued the two US editions of the event in New York and San Francisco , while hosting the second awards programme in Dublin. With launches in Singapore, Berlin, Bucharest and Toronto. In addition, an inaugural Women in IT Summit in the UK is due to take place on the 30 June 2020 in London. Women in IT Awards London 2020 winners (in order of announcement): Data Leader of the Year , sponsored by Veritas Jackie Shears - NHS Digital , sponsored by Veritas - NHS Digital e-Skills Initiative of the Year , sponsored by Accenture Security Federica Romagnoli - Yoox Net-A-Porter Group , sponsored by Accenture Security - Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Global Leader of the Year , sponsored by Google Cloud Chandra Dhandapani - CBRE , sponsored by Google Cloud - CBRE Digital Leader of the Year , sponsored by DAZN Laura Hilliger - We Are Open Co-op , sponsored by DAZN - We Are Open Co-op Security Champion of the Year , sponsored by Lloyd's Banking Group Felicity March - IBM , sponsored by Lloyd's Banking Group - IBM Young Leader of the Year , sponsored by AlixPartners Josie Young - Methods , sponsored by AlixPartners - Methods Entrepreneur of the Year , sponsored by Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Christine Telyan - UENI Lt , sponsored by Yoox Net-A-Porter Group - UENI Lt Innovator of the Year , sponsored by Mastercard Lucy Mullins - StepLadder , sponsored by Mastercard - StepLadder Diversity Initiative of the Year , sponsored by J.P. Morgan Joanne Rewcastle - DWP Digital , sponsored by J.P. Morgan - DWP Digital Employer of the Year , sponsored by UiPath Avanade , sponsored by UiPath Avanade Rising Star of the Year , sponsored by New Relic Anna Zappone - Google , sponsored by New Relic - Google Business Leader of the Year , sponsored by BP Jenny Davies - M247 , sponsored by BP - M247 Transformation Leader of the Year , sponsored by Just Eat Karen Hopley - G4S , sponsored by Just Eat - G4S Advocate of the Year , sponsored by FireEye Carly Britton - Vualto , sponsored by FireEye - Vualto IT Team of the Year , sponsored by Rolls-Royce Juliette French - Lloyds Banking Group , sponsored by Rolls-Royce - Lloyds Banking Group Future CIO of the Year , sponsored by Frank Recruitment Mel Unsworth , Yoox Net-A-Porter Group , sponsored by Frank Recruitment , Yoox Net-A-Porter Group Business Role Model of the Year , sponsored by BMC Software Naya Giannakopoulou - DMW , sponsored by BMC Software Naya Giannakopoulou - DMW CTO of the Year , sponsored by Red Hat Niki Trigoni - Navenio , sponsored by Red Hat Niki Trigoni - Navenio CIO of the Year , sponsored by AWS Amanda Hamilton - City & County Healthcare Group , sponsored by AWS - City & County Healthcare Group Woman of the Year, sponsored by Salesforce Shaheen Sayed - Accenture For more information about the Women in IT Summit and Awards Series, visit www.womeninitawards.com or contact event.marketing@bonhillplc.com. About Bonhill Group Bonhill Group plc is a leading B2B media company providing Business Insight, Events and Data & Analytics propositions to international Technology, Financial Services and Diversity Business Communities. The portfolio includes iconic media brands 'Last Word Media', 'Information Age', 'Investment News' as well as the widely recognised events and award ceremonies, including 'The Women in Finance Summit and Awards Series, 'Data Leaders' and 'Tech Leaders' and 'Future Stars of Tech'. Contact Details: +44 (0)207-250-7010 event.marketing@bonhillplc.com BARRIE, Ontario, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MediPharm Labs Corp. (TSX: LABS) (OTCQX: MEDIF) (FSE: MLZ) (MediPharm Labs or the Company) a global leader in specialized, research-driven cannabis extraction, distillation, purification and cannabinoid isolation, is pleased to announce the receipt of a key importation licence for its Australian business. This licence is a critical step to building the Companys international supply chain that will be used to create additional synergies between MediPharm Labs Canadian and Australian operations. The Australian Department of Health, Drug Control Section has issued an import licence to MediPharm Labs Australia Pty. Ltd. (MediPharm Labs Australia), a subsidiary of MediPharm Labs, for the importation of drugs listed in Schedule 4 of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, which includes cannabis, cannabinoids and cannabis resin. Upon the receipt of the applicable import permits, this licence will allow for the importation of cannabis, cannabinoids and cannabis resin from MediPharm Labs in Canada, and other global authorized exporters, for finalization into tinctures and other product forms in Australia. Receiving this licence is an important milestone as we continue to build a multi-jurisdictional GMP-certified pharmaceutical-quality platform to serve the worlds most attractive medical cannabis markets, said Pat McCutcheon, Chief Executive Officer of MediPharm Labs. With the initial phases of our Australian facility built-out, we are on track to establishing a global cannabis supply chain leveraging our GMP-certified Canadian facility, technology and access to high quality, fully traceable, cannabis biomass converted to pharma quality concentrates in Canada, to supply MediPharm Labs Australia, its local market, and other permissible global jurisdictions. Upon MediPharm Labs Australia receiving its GMP certificate from the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA), the Company will be positioned to leverage a global supply chain to sell cannabis APIs and finished products to countries across the EU, including Germany, due to a Mutual Recognition Agreement between Australia and the EU. Australia is one of the 49 member countries of Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), TGA GMP certification could also allow for the easier movement of global product. For example, in Brazil, where new cannabis regulations will be effective April 2020, the Agencia Nacional de Vigilancia Sanitaria (ANVISA) has stated that PIC/s approved cannabis facilities will be permitted to import medical cannabis into the Brazilian market. This recognition will be in effect until 2022 at which time ANVISA will develop their own GMP certification program for international cannabis imports. Progress in Australia Australian Facility GMP and Commercialization - Since receiving its State Licences for cannabis substances from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, and finishing the initial phases of construction of its 10,000 sq. ft. specialized extraction facility in Wonthaggi in December 2019, MediPharm Labs Australia has completed the first of two stages of a TGA Audit (related to its storage facilities and release for supply) and submitted an evidence package in January 2020. The next TGA Audits of its full production capabilities (including laboratory) are expected in the first half of 2020. This positions the facility to receive Australian GMP certification and full production by H2 2020. As part of the stepwise build out of its facility, MediPharm Labs Australia recently operationalized its multi-phase supercritical CO 2 extraction equipment, installed and started Installation Qualification and Operational Qualification of its vacuum ovens and milling machines, and is in the process of qualifying its softgel capsule filling equipment. Canadian Facility GMP and Export Readiness - On December 13, 2019, the Company received notification from the Australian TGA that its Canadian manufacturing facility met the requirements for GMP as a Medicines Manufacturer of both Cannabis as a Medicine (oral liquids) and Cannabis as an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). Although this certification specifically applies to the Australian market, it adds to a body of evidence that will assist MediPharm Labs qualifying to supply other medical cannabis markets globally. About MediPharm Labs Founded in 2015, MediPharm Labs specializes in the production of purified, pharmaceutical quality cannabis oil and concentrates and advanced derivative products utilizing a Good Manufacturing Practices certified facility with ISO standard-built clean rooms. MediPharm Labs has invested in an expert, research driven team, state-of-the-art technology, downstream purification methodologies and purpose-built facilities with five primary extraction lines for delivery of pure, trusted and precision-dosed cannabis products for its customers. Through its wholesale and white label platforms, MediPharm Labs formulates, develops (including through sensory testing), processes, packages and distributes cannabis extracts and advanced cannabinoid-based products to domestic and international markets. As a global leader, MediPharm Labs has completed commercial exports to Australia and is nearing commercialization of its Australian extraction facility. MediPharm Labs Australia was established in 2017. For further information, please contact: Laura Lepore, VP, Investor Relations and Communications Telephone: 416-913-7425 ext. 1525 Email: investors@medipharmlabs.com Website: www.medipharmlabs.com CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements (collectively, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that involves discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as expects, or does not expect, is expected, anticipates or does not anticipate, plans, budget, scheduled, forecasts, estimates, believes or intends or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results may or could, would, might or will be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, importation of drugs (including various forms of cannabis) by MediPharm Labs Australia, receipt of importation permits by MediPharm Labs Australia, realization of synergies between MediPharm Labs and MediPharm Labs Australia, finalization of cannabis products within Australia, serving the global medical cannabis markets, establishment of a global supply chain, receipt of TGA GMP and full production authorization by H2 2020 by MediPharm Labs Australia, regulatory developments in Brazil, utilization of the PIC/S network and/or mutual recognition agreements to allow global product flow, IQ/OQ and qualification of equipment. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; the inability of MediPharm Labs to obtain adequate financing; the delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals; and other factors discussed in MediPharm Labs filings, available on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release. Except as required by law, MediPharm Labs assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change. LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- UK medicinal cannabis company Eco Equity founder Jon-Paul Doran has launched his first exclusively medicinal cannabis fund, JPD Capital, in London. JPD Capital has investors from all over the world, including the UK, the Middle East, and Europe. Minimum investment into the fund is 25,000 and investors can be based anywhere in the world. The fund is domiciled in Guernsey with marketing offices in London. Under JPD Capital's umbrella, the aim is to invest in entities ranging from greenhouse to lighting, seed to cultivation, agricultural suppliers to distribution and companies that play a huge part in the 'seed to sale' journey. Over the coming months, a luxury and dispensary chain are set to be created in the Caribbean as JPD Capital further invests in and diversifies its portfolio, including medicinal cannabis company Eco Equity. Jon-Paul Doran, founder of JPD Capital, said: "I am delighted to be launching our medicinal cannabis fund in the UK. The success of our pharmaceutical arm Eco Equity over the past 18 months shows there is appetite for investment in the industry. "The cannabis market is the fastest-growing market of 2019, proving its unstoppable growth and obvious attraction for investors. "We want our investors to feel confident and we want our investors to see returns, as well as achieving our main aim of finding alternative and natural treatments for life-threatening illnesses." The fund has already invested in projects in Zimbabwe and Antigua through Eco Equity in the past year, with foundations already built and cultivation of cannabis set to begin in the second quarter of 2020. Eco Equity acquired one of five licences to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes in Zimbabwe. Most recently in November 2019, Eco Equity was granted approval for a medicinal cannabis dispensary licence in Antigua & Barbuda. The licence will also include the manufacturing of products, supply, store, import and export for medicinal purposes and scientific use in Antigua and Barbuda. Timothy Ambrose, Chief Operating Officer of Eco Equity, said: "The funds invested into Eco Equity in the last year have resulted in successful acquisitions of licences in Zimbabwe and Antigua. We are focused on the next stage of production and particularly in the Caribbean, we want to achieve our aim of becoming Antigua's exclusive dispensary brand. "We welcome investment from anywhere and our progress so far is a clear indication of where investors should safely invest their money. Over the coming year we will begin cultivation and by the end of the year we will be supplying the cannabis market with high grade, GMP certified CBD products." The launch, which took place at London's Gherkin, featured a panel discussion on "the future of the UK medicinal cannabis policy". The panel consisted of Jon-Paul Doran, founder of JPD Capital and its pharmaceutical arm, Eco Equity; Peter Carroll, founder of medicinal cannabis lobbying organisation 'End Our Pain'; Dr Dani Gordon MD, of the Medical Cannabis Clinicians Society; Soheil Ghaffari, Head of Cultivation at Eco Equity; and Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate and Chair of the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group. The panel tackled government policy changes and the medical advantages of prescribing medicinal cannabis, whilst explaining the growing process of the pharmaceutical arm of JPD Capital in Zimbabwe and Antigua. Former Sky News presenter Polly Middlehurst hosted the event and moderated the panel discussion. Note to Editors Please see a link to the website: - https://www.jpdcapital.com/ and other useful social media links: Facebook - JPD Capital Twitter - @JPDCapital LinkedIn - JPD Capital Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084777/JPD_Capital.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084776/JPD_Capital_Logo.jpg Jammu, Jan 31 : A terrorist was killed and a policeman injured in an ongoing encounter on Friday in Jammu, police said. The incident took place at around 5.45 a.m., when a police team was randomly checking vehicles near the Nagrota toll post on the Jammu-Srinagar highway and intercepted a Srinagar-bound truck. Speaking to IANS, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said that the module is from a fresh infiltration that could have happened from the International Border in Jammu's Hiranagar last night. He further said it was a group of four Pakistani terrorists who were going to Kashmir. The truck was stopped as part of regular checking in Nagrota. One terrorist was shot down in the first exchange of fire in which a policeman was also injured. The other three terrorists ran into the forest. Singh said that a search operation was immediately started and an exchange of fire was going on between the terrorists and the security forces. (Zaffar Iqbal can be contacted at zaffar25@gmail.com) Trump impeachment trial: Senate votes no to witnesses, acquittal vote Wednesday originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Senate votes 51-49 against allowing witnesses at Trump impeachment trial The Democratic defeat comes even with a new Bolton bombshell Final vote on acquittal set for Wednesday at 4 p.m. Before Friday's session of President Donald Trumps impeachment trial began, the spotlight was on four moderate GOP senators Democrats hoped would vote with them on allowing new witnesses, but by evening, after days of arguments meant to persuade the Republicans, Democrats had lost the crucial issue by a vote of 51-49. A member of the Senate's GOP leadership, Sen. Roy Blunt, said a final vote on acquittal was set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, the day after Trump is scheduled to come to the Capitol to deliver his State of the Union Address. He had left the White House before the Friday vote headed for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. PHOTO: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to Marine One before departing from the South Lawn of the White House on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (Andrew Caballero-reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Democratic hopes for witnesses were dashed earlier in the day when Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the targeted moderates, announced she would vote "no" just as Friday's Senate trial session was getting underway. Democrats worked to sway her following revelations from former national security adviser John Bolton earlier in the week that seemed to undermine the president's defense. PHOTO: National security adviser John Bolton adjusts his glasses before an interview at the White House in Washington, March 5, 2019. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP, FILE) But Democrats ultimately failed, even though, just before her announcement and ahead of the start of the day's session, The New York Times published a new account of additional details from Bolton's book in which he says Trump directed him in May 2019 to help the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, set up a meeting with Ukraine's president. If true, that would have been two months before Trump's controversial July 25 phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy -- a key issue in the trial. MORE: Trump impeachment trial: Question period ends as GOP swing votes emerge Republicans had hoped to move to a final vote on whether to acquit the president shortly after the vote on witnesses -- but ABC News' John Parkinson reports Blunt said the Senate would continue voting on Democratic amendments to a resolution on next steps Friday night, then take off the weekend before returning Monday for closing arguments and a chance for senators pn Monday and Tuesday to explain their votes on the Senate floor. Story continues The ABC News team of correspondents and producers has been covering every aspect of this story. Here is how the day unfolded. Senators cast their vote on the motion to allow additional witnesses and evidence to be allowed in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. The motion failed with a vote of 51-49 (ABC News ) 7:58 p.m. The Senate adjourns until Monday, Murkowski 'angry at all sides' McConnell announces the Senate will return at 11 a.m. Monday when the trial will continue with closing arguments. Senators head home for the weekend -- except Democratic presidential candidates who make a quick exit for Iowa ahead of Monday's caucuses. GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski tells reporters that she knows exactly how she will vote next Wednesday on the two articles of impeachment against President Trump - but shes not announcing anything just yet. Ive had so much drama today, Im just gonna chill, Murkowski says on her way out of the Capitol. ABC News' Mariam Khan reports from the Capitol: Asked about her no vote on witnesses and what she would have considered to be a fair trial, she responds: A fair trial would have been one where we could have remedied the defects that came out of the House. I think we got to a point where you just realize that [it] would never be sufficient to meet the demands of those who were seeking the results they wanted. We started with a flawed product, she says, adding, Im at that point where I'm frustrated and disappointed angry at all sides. She says the possibility of Roberts having to vote in a potential tie break weighed heavy on her mind. Presiding officer Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts reads the result of the vote to allow additional witnesses and evidence in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (Senate Television via AP) 7:15 p.m. Roberts announces he won't cast tie-breaking votes The Senate returns after a long break to vote on a series of Democratic amendments to a resolution on what happens next -- measures that would have the Senate pursue subpoenas for John Bolton and other key witnesses -- in order to get Republicans on the record voting against the idea. Democrats say they will pay a price with voters who polls showed were highly in favor of the Senate hearing witnesses at Trump's trial. All the Democratic efforts are defeated. Before those votes, in a moment that will go down in history, Minority Leader Schumer makes a parliamentary inquiry, asking Chief Justice John Roberts whether he would cast a tie-breaking vote. "Is the chief justice aware that in the impeachment trial of President Johnson, Chief Justice Chase, as presiding officer, cast tie-breaking votes on both March 31st and April 2nd, 1868?" Schumer asks. There have been lingering questions about how Roberts would handle a 50-50 vote on the question of witnesses, and any other matters, during the Trump impeachment trial, but he puts that notion to rest. "I am Mr. Leader," Roberts replies. "The one concerned a motion to concern, the other to close deliberations." He continues, "I do not regard those isolated episodes 150 years ago as sufficient to support a general authority to break ties. If the members of this body elected by the people and accountable to them divide equally on a motion, the normal rule is that the motion fails. I think it would be inappropriate for me, an unelected official from a different branch of government, to assert the power to change that result so that the motion would succeed." -- ABC News' Benjamin Siegel PHOTO: In this screengrab, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (Senate TV via Reuters) 5:42 p.m. Senate defeats Democrats' effort to call new witnesses As expected, by a vote of 51-49, Republicans defeat the Democrat's effort to call additional witnesses, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announces the Senate will be recess subject to a call of the chair. It's unclear what the Senate will do next and when. "The motion is not agreed to." Chief Justice John Roberts announces 49-51 Senate vote against new witnesses in the impeachment trial of Pres. Donald Trump. https://t.co/28NqSImdfi pic.twitter.com/VLibEDa0Tw ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 "To not allow a witness, a document - no witnesses, no documents - in an impeachment trial is a perfidy. It's a grand tragedy. One of the worst tragedies that the Senate has ever overcome, an angry Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tells reporters after leaving the Senate chamber. America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham trial, he says. If the President is acquitted with no witnesses, no documents, the acquittal will have no value because Americans will know that this trial was not a real trial, he says. It had no witnesses, no documents. It is a tragedy on a very large scale, he says. I will be now going up to my caucus to discuss what we're doing next, he says, before turning and walking away. He does not take any questions. NEW: Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the no vote on witnesses is "a grand tragedy, one of the worst tragedies that the Senate has ever overcome." "America will remember this day unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities." https://t.co/y3kw6U7AYQ pic.twitter.com/6Ue3mGmTfA ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 Following the vote McConnell issues a statement that indicates the trial will not be ending tonight or early Saturday as once thoughy. "A majority of the U.S. Senate has determined that the numerous witnesses and 28,000-plus pages of documents already in evidence are sufficient to judge the House Managers accusations and end this impeachment trial," his statement reads. "There is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as overwhelming and beyond any doubt. Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation. We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue. "Senators will now confer among ourselves, with the House Managers, and with the Presidents counsel to determine next steps as we prepare to conclude the trial in the coming days," McConnell says. --ABC News' Mariam Khan, Trish Turner and John Parkinson 5:36 p.m. Senate votes on allowing witnesses After an extended break, the Senate begins voting Friday evening on the question of whether to call witnesses, all 100 senators announcing their votes while sitting at their desks as the clerk called the roll. PHOTO: Deputy Counsel to the President Patrick Philbin addresses the Senate during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the Capitol on Jan. 30, 2020, in Washington. (ABC News ) 4:02 p.m. Trump lawyers: Witnesses not necessary because no impeachable offense The president's defense team continues to argue that additional witnesses aren't necessary because the president's behavior doesn't warrant an impeachable offense. Both White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin and the president's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, argue hearing from additional witnesses would be asking the Senate to do something the House should have done in its investigation. Philbin argued the framers wanted the impeachment process in the Senate to be "swift" while the House handled the potentially slower investigation to present the case, something they allege Democrats' rushed because of the partisan nature of the charges against President Trump. "That's all part of what makes this even more political especially in an election year. It's not the process that the framers had in mind," he said. "I think it's very dangerous if the House runs up, which they did, articles of impeachment quickly, so quickly, that they are clamoring for evidence despite the fact that they put all of this evidence forward," Sekulow says. They got their wish of an impeachment by Christmas that was their goal but now they want you to do the work they failed to do," he says. Trump's legal team used just 27 minutes of their two hours allotted. PHOTO: In this screengrab, House manager Rep. Hakeem Jeffries speaks during impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (ABC News ) 3:33 p.m. Jeffries: Mulvaney can give 'firsthand account' House manager Hakeem Jeffries argued why acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaneys testimony is important for the Senate to hear. He says Mulvaney was in every meeting with Trump at every stage of the scheme and can give a firsthand account for why the aid was withheld for the undisputed quid pro quo. We just talked about motive and intent. Well if you want further insight into the president's motives or intent further direct evidence of why he withheld the military aid in the White House meeting, you should call his acting chief of staff who had more access than anyone. Theres only one way to find out let's all just question Mister Mulvaney under oath, Jeffries says. --ABC News' John Parkinson 3:19 p.m. Schumer: Don't want votes 'in the dark of night' During a break Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says there is no agreement with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on how to proceed in the final votes of the impeachment trial, casting some doubt on earlier expectations the Senate could vote on the articles late Friday night or even in the early hours of Saturday morning. Schumer says they want all senators to have the chance to put their views and explain their vote on the record. "We have stood for one thing, we do not want this rush through. We do not want it in the dark of night. Members have an obligation to tell the American people and to tell the people of their states why they are voting," he tells reporters. --ABC News' Mariam Khan PHOTO: In this screengrab, House manager Rep. Adam Schiff begins speaking during impeachment proceedings against U.S. President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (ABC News ) 2:48 p.m. Schiff: 'The facts will come out' Schiff emphasizes the same point as House managers wrapped up their arguments in favor of more witness testimony. "Even over the course of this trial, we have seen so many additional facts come to light. The facts will come out. In all of their horror, they will come out," Schiff says. "And there are more court documents and deadlines under the Freedom of Information Act, witnesses will tell their stories in future congressional hearings, and books, and in the media, this week has made that abundantly clear." "And we will be asked why we didn't want to hear that information when we had the chance," he says, asking "what answer will we give?" He argues that senators' decision on witnesses is even more important than the ultimate vote on whether the president is guilty or innocent. "Rob this country of a fair trial and there can be no representation that the verdict has a clear meaning, how could it if the result is baked into the process? Assure the American people that whatever the result may be that they got a fair shake." he says. .@RepAdamSchiff: "If we tell the president, effectively, 'You can act corruptly'...the president becomes unaccountable to anyone." "The president, effectively, for all intents and purposes, becomes above the law." https://t.co/VMlTpxF4GE pic.twitter.com/gEG4pSkBYF ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 PHOTO: In this screengrab, House manager Rep. Jason Crow speaks during impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (ABC News ) 2:16 p.m. Crow: Bolton could address GOP concerns about Trump's state of mind House manager Jason Crow argues that John Bolton could corroborate the testimony of other witnesses in the impeachment inquiry, some of whom Republicans have criticized for being cited without having firsthand knowledge of the president's state of mind. "The truth will come out and it's continuing to," Crow says, citing The New York Times report this morning with additional information from Bolton's unpublished manuscript. "The question here before this body is what do you want your place in history to be? Do you want your place in history to be let's hear the truth or that we don't want to hear it," Crow asks senators. Rep. Jason Crow: "The truth will come outand it's continuing to. The question here, before this body, is what do you want your place in history to be?" https://t.co/FmL0Z0Kd9y pic.twitter.com/cbLdCQ5smI ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 Crow extensively outlines the questions Bolton could answer for the Senate, in light of the defense presented by Trump's lawyers. "The president has publicly lashed out in recent days against Ambassador Bolton," Crow says. "He says that what Ambassador Bolton is saying is nasty and untrue. But denials in 280 characters is not the same as testimony under oath." PHOTO: Pat Cipollone, an attorney for President Donald Trump, answers a question during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate in Washington, Jan. 30, 2020. (ABC News) 2:08 p.m. Schiff notes White House counsel Cipollone mentioned in Bolton report -- From ABC News' Ben Siegel: House Democrats on Friday began the trial by continuing what is likely to be a fruitless push for witnesses, repeatedly targeting White House counsel Pat Cipollone and the rest of Trump's legal team in light of the New York Times report that claimed he was present for a conversation between the president and John Bolton about the Ukraine pressure campaign. "You will recall Mr. Cipollone suggesting that the House managers were concealing facts from this body. He said, 'All the facts should come out,'" manager Adam Schiff said. "Well there's a new fact which indicates that Mr. Cipollone was among those who are in the loop." "The facts will come out, and they will continue to come out," he continued. "The question before you today is whether they will come out in time for you to make a complete and informed judgment." Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, played a clip of Cipollone's remarks a few minutes later. "We are not the ones hiding the facts," she said. PHOTO: In this screengrab, Rep. Adam Schiff, Chairman, US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence) speaks during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the US Senate at the Capitol in Washington on January 31, 2020. (ABC News) 1:24: New Bolton book report lands like bombshell as witness debate begins As he opens the debate over witnesses, lead House Manager Adam Schiff quickly brings up a new report in The New York Times referencing more of the manuscript of former national security adviser John Bolton's book. Bolton is one of the key witnesses Democrats are demanding he heard. The report says Bolton writes in his manuscript that Trump instructed him at a May 2019 meeting to help Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, set up a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The account says acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and White House counsel Pat Cipollone -- who is leading the president's defense on the Senate floor - were also present. The White House and Giuliani deny the conversations described in the Times report. ABC News has not independently reviewed Bolton's manuscript. House manager Rep. Schiff: "The facts will come out. They will continue to come out. And the question before you today is whether they will come out in time for you to make a complete and informed judgment as to the guilt or innocence of the president." https://t.co/VMlTpxF4GE pic.twitter.com/UpTc3BAxsi ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 PHOTO: Sen. Lisa Murkowski walks in the basement at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 30, 2020, while leaving at the end of a session in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in Washington. (Julio Cortez/AP) 1:17 p.m. Murkowski announces she's a 'no' on witnesses' As Friday's Senate trial session is getting underway, Sen. Lisa Murkowski announces she will vote against having the Senate allow new witnesses. Her statement is below: I worked for a fair, honest, and transparent process, modeled after the Clinton trial, to provide ample time for both sides to present their cases, ask thoughtful questions, and determine whether we need more." The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed. It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process, and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the Chief Justice. I will not stand for nor support that effort. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another. We are sadly at a low point of division in this country. That word comes as The New York Times reports new excerpts from former national security adviser John Bolton's new book. According to the account, Trump instructed Bolton in May to help the president's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, set up a meeting with Ukraine's President Zelenskiy. That would be two months before Trump's controversial July 25 phone call. --ABC News' Trish Turner Reporters reach out with their cell phones and audio recorders trying to get a statement from republican Sen. Lamar Alexander as he passes by during a recess in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Jan. 30, 2020, in Washington. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) 11:50 a.m. Alexander: Concerned about Senate as institution ABC News' Devin Dwyer reports from Capitol Hill: GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander says he was most swayed by concerns for the institution of the Senate in making his decision he announced last night to vote against witnesses. The founders said there should never be a partisan impeachment, he tells me. I was concerned about the Senate as an institution being created as a weapon of perpetual impeachment. Should a censure be on the table? I dont see a need for that. This is an inappropriate act by a president,' he says. "The remedy for that is the election. The American people starting on Monday on Iowa can say what they think about it. They can take the phone call with Ukraine and add it to the good economy and whatever they think of the president behavior and decide between him or Elizabeth Warren. Alexander has not yet heard from Trump. He says the last time they spoke was in December. PHOTO:(L-R) Sen. Patty Murray, Sen. Kamala Harris, and Sen. Sherrod Brown listen while Sen. Charles E. Schumer holds a press conference during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill, Jan. 31, 2020, in Washington. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) 11:15 a.m. Schumer: 'The president's acquittal will be meaningless' Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, at a morning news conference, says, "the result of today's vote is still an open question" but he and other Democrats seemed resigned to losing the battle. "The president's acquittal will be meaningless," he says, "because it will be the result of a sham trial." Schumer said "there will be "a permanent asterisk next to the acquittal of President Trump -- written in permanent ink." "Every Republican who voted to hide the truth in an impeachment trial of the president" will have to answer for that, he says. "The truth -- the truth -- will come out." "Republican senators who decide to go against the will of the people will have to reckon with them," he says. "If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider witnesses and documents in this trial, this country is headed towards the greatest cover-up since Watergate." Sen. Chuck Schumer: "If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider witnesses and documents...what will the president conclude?" "He'll conclude he can do it againand Congress can do nothing about it. He can try to cheat in his election again." https://t.co/Y8px2RKguo pic.twitter.com/QfaCYw9TD9 ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 31, 2020 PHOTO: Sen. Susan Collins arrives as the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress resumes in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) From earlier today: Besides Alexander and Murkowski, the two other moderate Republicans Democrats had set their hopes on -- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine -- both broke with their party late Thursday, issuing statements in support of hearing new testimony. But without four Republicans joining Democrats, their votes likely wont make a difference. MORE: Democrats to ask Chief Justice Roberts to rule on witnesses amid fading hopes of winning vote Chief Justice John Roberts remains the wild card. As the presiding officer, essentially assuming the ceremonial role of the vice president, he could -- in theory -- break a tie vote and Democrats are pushing for him to get more involved, but that seems unlikely. PHOTO: Deputy Counsel to the President Patrick Philbin answers a question during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate in Washington, Jan. 30, 2020. (ABC News) Senators raised the issue of adding witness testimony to the trial several times in their questions for the House managers and the White House defense counsel. At one point late Thursday at the Senate trial, Sen. Murkowski, essentially asked Trumps lawyers point-blank: Why not call John Bolton to testify? PHOTO: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts prepares to start the day's proceedings during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate in Washington, Jan. 30, 2020. (ABC News) "I think the primary consideration here is to understand that the House could have pursued Ambassador Bolton," White House Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin responded, noting that the House chose not to subpoena Bolton. He said admitting Bolton would set a lower standard of what the House is required to do in pursuing impeachment, sending a message that, "you don't have to do all of that work before you get to this institution.'' "That's not the way that this chamber should allow impeachments to be presented to it," Philbin said. MORE: Democrats seize on Dershowitz impeachment argument at Senate trial ABC News' Mychael Schnell contributed to this report. Bhopal, Feb 1 : From downright condemnation to vocal support, the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh is lapping up all thats coming its way through politics of soft Hindutva. Much of the criticism is coming from left of the Centre parties. From the day he took oath as Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Nath has been wearing his religious identity on the sleeve. "Hindutva is not the sole proprietary concern of the BJP, " he has said several times. Announcing setting up hundreds of gaushalas (cow shelters), invocation of NSA against someone accused of cow smuggling and slaughter and regular visits to pilgrim towns to offer liberal donations, every action seems to be aimed at displacing BJP as Hindutva flagbearer. A plan for development of Ram Van Gaman Path, the mythological path Lord Ram took along with Sita and Lakshman from Chitrakoot to Dandakaranya, is being executed. Even on Friday the Chief Minister was busy announcing a major development plan at Amarkantak the source of holy river Narmada. Just a few days ago the government announced a panel to build a Sita temple in Sri Lanka, a promise that Kamal Nath's predecessor Shivraj Singh Chouhan had made a decade ago and forgotten. The BJP is squirming over each such move and reacting angrily. BJP leader and former minister Vishwas Sarang said, "the Congress used to describe Ram as a work of fiction, it once talked of breaking the Ram Setu. Now it has suddenly found Hanuman worth praying to. Hanuman and Hindutva are just political issues for Congress. Hanuman can't be pleased with such gimmicks." Chief Minister's Media Coordinator Narendra Saluja claims 'Kamal Nath has for long been a Hanuman devotee. He got a 101 feet tall statue of Hanuman erected in Chhindwara. The latest move to hold a programme to recite Hanuman Chaalisa 1.25 crore times through a journalist-turned godman and his disciples and air it in 56 countries on Mahatma Gandhi's martyrdom day on Thursday was greeted with many furrowed brows. Some Congress members wondered whether such programmed organised with fanfare would send the right message among the party's supporters who wish the government doesn't mix politics with religion. Both the programmes were held at Minto Hall that had housed the state assembly for over 40 years. Vijay Shankar Mehta, who conducted the recitation did refer to questions about link between Gandhi and Hanuman and more importantly between Kamal Nath and himself. There was no worthwhile answer coming forth though. Simultaneously the government has been opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and backing loud protests over the issue from all quarters for more than 50 days. The BJP which had cut across the communal barrier to garner Muslim votes in the Lok Sabha election is very likely to cede that space back to the Congress. Hindutva, however, has no guarantee for electoral success. It has turned out to be a calculated gamble with a heavy loss during the Lok Sabha elections in May, last year. While it helped him win some friends among the Hindus the failure to sustain the electoral momentum even for six months left the party brooding for quite some time. The state will have to wait till after the elections to the local bodies and municipal corporations take place by May to know the worth of soft Hindutva Kamal Nath has followed assiduously. President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday lauded the enactment of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) saying Parliament fulfilled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi, who had suggested after the partition that the Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India. Addressing the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind also said discussions and debates strengthen the democracy and violence in the name of protests weakens it. The President said India has always believed in the principle of equal respect for all faiths but at the time of partition in 1947, "this very belief of India and of its people came under the most severe attack". Kovind said in the environment prevailing in the aftermath of partition, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said: "Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India. It is the duty of the government of India to ensure a normal life for them". The President said many national leaders and political parties have from time to time supported the idea of 'Pujya Bapu' and further propagated it. "It is our responsibility to honour this wish of the founding fathers of our nation. I am happy that both the Houses of Parliament have fulfilled this wish, by enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act. "At a time when the country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi ji, all of you have given paramount consideration to this sentiment. I congratulate both the Houses of Parliament and all the MPs for this," he said. As soon as the President made these remarks, some opposition members shouted "shame, shame" slogans and also displayed banners. Kovind also made it clear that the procedure to grant citizenship to people of all religions and those who have faith in India and keen to take Indian citizenship remains as it was. "My government would like to clarify once again that the procedures which have existed for people from all faiths of the world who believe in India and who wish to obtain Indian citizenship, remain unchanged. A person of any faith can follow these processes and become a citizen of India. "The government has made several provisions to ensure that granting citizenship to those who have been compelled to take shelter in India does not have any adverse cultural impact on any region, especially the Northeast," he said. The President said the Modi government is of the firm view that mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy. "At the same time, any kind of violence in the name of protests weakens the society and the nation," he said, without referring to the CAA. The President's remarks came in the wake of protests against the CAA in different parts of the country, some of which have witnessed violence. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants and will be given Indian citizenship. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RACINE COUNTY Some legislators in Madison are looking to prevent Wisconsin municipalities from writing blank checks to developers in pursuit of expanding the local economy. But the Village of Waterford has passed a resolution opposing the proposed law, claiming that it would train wreck the communitys ability to attract business and that the law would be a government overreach. And leaders in the City of Racine don't want to see the bill go forward either, citing the same reasons. The proposal, which is currently sitting in committee in both the state Assembly and Senate, would severely limit the amount of one popular type of tax incentives cities and villages can give to developers via cash grants. Under current law, municipalities have pretty much total discretion over how much incentive they want to give to developers who are developing in a tax increment financing district, otherwise known as a TIF district or a TID. If the bill gets approved, cities and villages could only give cash grants of up to 20%. Stated another way: A particularly generous city or village can currently give a developer $10 million in cash grants to develop a TID that has a total project cost valued at $10 million. If the bill passes, that municipality could only give a maximum of $2 million in cash grants for the same area. Waterford Village Administrator Zeke Jackson understands the reasoning behind the proposed law limiting unnecessary spending of taxpayer dollars but thinks this proposal goes too far. By limiting tax incentives, rural communities would be at an even greater disadvantage when it comes to expanding business, Jackson said. The Waterford Village Board unanimously approved a resolution opposing the bill on Jan. 13. The League of Wisconsin Municipalities also opposes the bill "for the same reasons Waterford opposes it," League of Wisconsin Municipalities Deputy Director Curt Witynski said in an email. Other opponents of the bill include the Wisconsin Economic Development Association, which has organized an online campaign calling on Wisconsin residents to contact their representatives to show opposition; the Wisconsin Realtors Association; Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin; Waukesha County Business Alliance; Wisconsin Builders Association; and the cities of Madison and Milwaukee, according to the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. There are some supporters, however, including from conservative groups like Americans for Prosperity and the Badger Institute, as well as the Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Association of School Boards and Outagamie County Board of Supervisors. Jackson said he would be more OK with this proposal if it excluded small municipalities, like Waterford, while still restricting bigger cities, like Racine or Milwaukee or Madison. Were trying to keep small towns alive, he said. Even if the City of Racine is considerably bigger than Waterford, its leaders are not fans of the bill, especially considering how it could restrict the freedom the city has with its numerous TID projects currently in the works. City Administrator Jim Palenick had a similar assessment to Jackson. "Should the bill pass in its current form, it would almost assuredly end any and all meaningful economic development within the City of Racine and many larger urban core cities moving forward," Palenick said in an email. If the bill were to have a hearing at the state Capitol, representatives from Racine would likely travel to Madison to testify in opposition to it, said Shannon Powell, communications director for the Office of the Mayor. Two sides State Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, one of the bills authors, is OK with TIDs in concept, particularly when theyre used to address a blighted property that otherwise could potentially sit for years with no purpose and not contributing anything to the tax roll. But he thinks that too many Wisconsin municipalities are wasting money by giving excessive or unnecessary incentives to developers. Thats why he wants to do away with the upfront cash grants municipalities sometimes give to developers. Theyre writing a blank check to the developer, Stroebel accused. It really distorts the free market. Waterford Village Trustee Bob Nash referred to the proposal as an example of overarching government overreach coming from Madison. It would effectively train wreck a lot of our (the Village of Waterfords) plans, Jackson said. The Village of Waterford right now is partially relying on TIDs to revitalize its Downtown area. Jackson believes that several significant Waterford developments like a Dairy Queen Grill and Chill planned for the northwest corner of the intersection of Highway 36 and Sixth Street, the Walgreens already in place at 900 N. Main St., and a four-building business park planned for the north side of Highway 36 near Sixth Street would never have been possible if tax incentives were restricted. The Dairy Queen, for example, got a 75% tax incentive that included $260,000 upfront to the developer. Thats not even in the ballpark of the 20% cap Stroebel wants to institute, Jackson said. As such, Jackson believes that Stroebels bill would really hurt rural communities looking to modernize. Stroebel says that Waterfords, Racine's and other opponents' concerns are unfounded. His bill wouldnt do away with cash grants entirely, and it would leave a specific type of tax incentives known as PayGo or Pay-as-you-go untouched. With PayGo TIDs, municipalities would still have total discretion over how much incentives to give, but the payout works differently, Stroebel explained. Instead of paying the developer up front for work they promise to do, developers would do whatever work theyve agreed to whether it be constructing a road, remediating pollution or building something then receive tax rebates once the work is done. That, Stroebel said, at least protects the taxpayer. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Thousands of Brexit supporters descended on Parliament Square to mark Britains official departure from the European Union on Friday night, even though it had felt for weeks as though the moment might pass without notice. After years of bitter debate and infighting, the Withdrawal Agreement passed with little fanfare last week and, in a fit of restraint, Boris Johnson and his government settled for a muted celebration of the UKs exit. In an address shortly before the appointed hour, the prime minister acknowledged many would have a sense of anxiety and loss. There were to be no fireworks, no bongs and no smug chest-beating. Brexit Day would be an opportunity for reconciliation in a country that is still divided; in Scotland, candlelit vigils were held in several cities and one SNP MP urged Brussels to leave a light on for the nation, which voted overwhelmingly to remain. However, sympathy did not reign in a sodden Parliament Square on Friday night, where celebrations more closely resembled the aftermath of a football match. Across the square, middle-aged men dressed in Union flag attire, many carrying beer cans, could be heard spontaneously breaking into hearty cries of Independence Day! or, more simply, Brexit! In place of Big Ben, which remained silent, a homemade Little Ben a combination of a bell and a bass drum was rung incessantly. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty More extreme pro-Brexit factions were represented most notably by a man carrying an antisemitic sign decrying fake media companies funded by billionaire George Soros. Another held a placard reading: Lock up the traitors. At a stall near Little Ben, a group called the Sovereign Citizens Alliance called for a 2020 Restoration Bill to bring back Britons God-given rights, with demands including a ban on EU flags on official buildings, an end to the cultural Marxist agenda and the right to carry firearms in the UK. Figureheads, supposed or real, of the Remain camp like Tony Blair, the BBC and John Major were booed in pantomime fashion when mentioned, while an all-star cast of Brexiteer celebrities, including Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin, MP Peter Bone and writer Julia Hartley-Brewer, were each given a heros welcome when they addressed the crowd. Yet as the night went on and the square filled, it became clear that this would be a largely good-natured celebration. The main feeling was a sense of relief, if not disbelief, that Brexit was finally happening. I voted to leave in 1975 so Ive been at this for a long time, Louise, a 73-year-old Brexit supporter, told The Independent. Its quite emotional really its getting our country back. Im not thinking its going to be the answer to everything, but at least well be making our own minds up rather than being told what to do by someone else. Her husband Gordon, 77, who came to Britain from Ireland in 1988 and said he had supported Brexit for decades, agreed. Therell be hard times, but there would be hard times if we were still in the EU and the point is we make our own decisions and make our own mistakes, he said. Kevin ONeil, a 68-year-old from Wallington, south London, said he came to Parliament Square to be part of history. Its such a historic evening, weve got our independence back or at least were on the way, he told The Independent. As for what he wanted to see now, he added: Ideally, Nigel [Farage] for PM, but that isnt going to happen, I guess. But then again, people said this wouldnt happen. There was at least one undercover Remainer in the crowd. The man, who gave his name as Nick, told The Independent: I wanted to get a feel for what the opposition is like because nobody I know voted Leave. Walking through the crowd, I remember [Channel 4 newsreader] Jon Snow got in trouble for saying: My god I havent seen so many white people. I think its true today. Speakers on stage hammered home their message about ordinary people taking down the establishment, and some called for unity across the country though that sentiment jarred with the more extreme slogans spotted among the crowd. When Nigel Farage finally emerged to thunderous applause, he summed up the mood in similarly broad-brush terms. Remember this, what happens now marks the point of no return. We are never going back, he told supporters. The rest, in a sense, becomes detail. EU leaders issue Brexit warning as they lament UKs imminent exit Brexit is done technically. But so much of Mr Johnsons work is still ahead of him, and it remains to be seen whether the eventual outcome is what these jubilant Leave voters envisioned when they cast their ballots. The prime minister must now negotiate trade deals with Brussels, Donald Trumps Washington, and other capitals, balancing all their demands against the living standards Britons have become used to over half a century of EU membership. As the clock struck 11, Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, insisted that were ambitious, confident and optimistic. While he said he believed Brexit could be a stunning success, his boss felt compelled to warn that there would be bumps in the road ahead. The government is expected to provide tax incentives to startups in the forthcoming Budget to support the growth of budding entrepreneurs The government is expected to provide tax incentives to startups in the forthcoming Budget to support the growth of budding entrepreneurs, sources said. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has suggested several measures to the finance ministry for startups in the Budget, according to a PTI report. The recommendations include an extension of tax incentives to incubators supported under Atal Innovation Mission; reduction in GST (Goods and Services Tax) rates on AIF (alternate investment fund) management fees; and tax benefits on ESOPs, they said. Here's a Budget wishlist from startup entrepreneurs Bhavin Turakhia, Founder & CEO, Flock, corporate communication platform The two important sectors that should be an area of focus in the coming Union Budget is technology and startups. We would like the government to bring in measures to ease the compliance and filings guidelines for startups and eradicate the current penal provisions. Also, with technological disruption being a catalyst for the growth of startups today, we expect the government to make significant investments in technology hubs that will help strengthen emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, internet of things etc. As India is witnessing this boom in digital technology adoption, it has put us on the global map and we need to ensure that we take the relevant steps to ensure that our country is at the center of the fourth industrial revolution. Tanuj Choudhry, Chief Business Officer, HomeLane, Bangalore-based startup Owning a home is a basic human need and not a luxury. Home interiors is an essential part of owning a home, and therefore it is integral to consider home interiors at 12 percent GST slab instead of 18 percent. This will help in boosting demand alongside the much-anticipated change in income tax slabs. There needs to be more liquidity for homeowners to be able to spend more since personal income tax rates alone will not aid affordability for the consumer. Another major cause for worry is the higher import duties imposed on paper and other input materials. This is mainly a concern for the home design and decor segment since paper is crucial for making products like laminates. If we want to have a Make-in-India stamp, then the costs of getting quality material should be contained. While there is a need to revive our economy, import duties on many needs to be re-considered. Vishal Saurav, Founder and CEO of Xboom Utilities With the rising numbers of crime against women, addressing the issue of womens safety and security and allocating a portion of the Budget in this regard is what we and other e-commerce startups like us who are working in the safety and security sector are expecting. Lowering the GST rate on women safety products to 5 percent from 18 percent would be one way to go about it. We also expect few women safety products to be as safety is not a luxury but a necessity. The import and export duty should get a revision so that trading in international markets gets a boost. The transportation charges in the railway should see a decline too as these will cut costs and make those safety products more affordable. To promote production in India, the women safety product manufacturers should get special benefits so that products become more affordable to the masses. Saroja Yeramilli, CEO and Founder, Melorra, online jewellery The government has had a pro-startup posture from the time it came into power. Last year, the government emphasised on digital payments and fee waivers on such transactions making it conducive for online retailers like Melorra. However, the increase in duty on gold import from 10 percent to 12.5 percent has been a dampener for us. There should be a smooth single-window process to make the entire journey of regulatory approvals and compliances less time-consuming for emerging businesses. This is more so in case of women-led startups. There must also be some regulatory change in the ESOP regime, making ESOP taxation available to employees at the time of sale instead of later. Sanchit Gaurav, Co-founder, Housejoy, one-stop solution for all home-related needs The government has recently infused capital in real estate and infrastructure but more needs to come in, particularly in Tier 2 and 3 areas. Technology is also disrupting the construction industry and with more fillip to the governments Digital India and Make in India campaigns, it is possible to fuel its development further. The construction industry is in urgent need of a fundamental rehaul. If done in a timely and correct manner, it will not only help individual growth but also lead the economy towards recovery. We hope the budget will enable this and more. Anil Kumar Prasanna, CEO, AxisRooms, channel management solution provider We have seen some promising steps for startups by the government starting with removal of angel tax, MSME loans of Rs 1 crore and Mudra loans. The key problems persisting the policies are execution. Especially most of the time the MSME site for loan approval is always down as even with approval some startups have had problems to secure this loan. Every year we see allocation of large amount of money for startups. From the last allocation of 10,000 crores, we had only seen 30 percent allocated or deployed- too less compared to the allotted funds and there is still no accountability if this money has actually gone to startups or is with fund management companies like SIDBI. Shashwat Diesh and Aqib Mohammed, Co-Founders, Azah-Female wellness startup We hope the government makes changes in the current GST policy for businesses selling nil GST products and help balance the inputoutput tax to ensure more competitive prices for the Indian consumers and implement sustainable policies that help increase liquidity in households thereby increasing the consumption in our country in the near future. Ambarish Ghosh, Founder and Director, The Hillcart Tales, Kolkata-based tea blending startup The tea industry can become a powerhouse for generating employment in India. It can employ a great proportion of the million-plus workforce of the country in a variety of roles. For this, the sector must become more viable through reduction in the costs of production and increase in selling prices. There is a need for a uniform GST of 5 percent to be applied on all products including flavored teas. This will help the industry in sustaining itself. Another major area of focus should be on increasing the budgetary allocation for infrastructure development and ease of doing business in India which will help attract more foreign investments. On the e-commerce front, the government should look at lowering income tax and putting more money in the hands of the consumers to encourage domestic consumption in the economy. Small or home entrepreneurs should be freed from GST obligations and the government must ensure parity between online and offline suppliers that have a turnover below Rs 40 lakh. Additionally, some clarity on e-commerce policies will set the pace for startups for the year ahead. Kashish Jhamb, Executive Director and CEO, City Innovates, a tech startup in the digital marketing space For Budget 2020, we would like the government to provide benefit to young entrepreneurs in terms of setting up of new companies or supporting new ideas by providing suitable subsidy. There should be a lower corporate tax of Rs 25 percent to 28 percent for young entrepreneurs which have less than to Rs 5 crore turnover. The Government speaks a lot about moving into the digital space and motivate small offline businesses to convert it into online businesses, but there is no support system from the government. Nalin Agrawal (Founder and CEO, Snapmint, a financial services platform The Budget should cut down duties on oil to reduce transportation costs so that the cost of distribution in Tier 2 to 5 cities comes down. The government needs to continue showing strong support to these cities by trying to upgrade the urban infrastructure by upgrading the MRTS, airports; introducing SEZs etc. Tier 2 to 5 cities and towns contribute more than 50 percent to ecommerce and online retail. However, there is limited logistical reach and reliability in these regions. Deeper penetration of courier services and further enhancement of postal services will go a long way in cementing the logistical roadblocks. Abhishek Kothari, Co-Founder, FlexiLoans, fintech startup The Union Budget 2019 of India had claimed Artificial Intelligence to be high on the agenda in the digital sector of the Budget. This announcement was significant, given that China has been consistently building an ecosystem to fuel its ambition to become a world leader in AI, by 2030. The governments focus should be on bringing policies into the country that encourage the growth of AI companies. This implies that there is less red tape and more progress, further ensuring that entrepreneurs are focused on providing solutions without unnecessary distractions. It would also be great to see if government themselves start allocating budgets for improving public services using AI. For instance: Bhavin Turakhia, Founder & CEO, Flock, corporate communication platform The two important sectors that should be an area of focus in the coming Union Budget is technology and startups. We would like the government to bring in measures to ease the compliance and filings guidelines for startups and eradicate the current penal provisions. Also, with technological disruption being a catalyst for the growth of startups today, we expect the government to make significant investments in technology hubs that will help strengthen emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, internet of things etc. As India is witnessing this boom in digital technology adoption, it has put us on the global map and we need to ensure that we take the relevant steps to ensure that our country is at the center of the fourth industrial revolution. Anil Kumar Gupta, Partner, MSC, fintech startup July 2019 Budget provided for the overdraft for all women SHG member having PMJDY account. This can increase banking penetration among women and can help empower women. However, this great initiative is still to be rolled out. We feel that the trick lies in the implementation by the banks. We hope that banks make suitable amendments in their processes so that women can get unhindered access to the overdraft as promised in the budget. Banks and policy makers can take a staggered approach based on stage of the SHG before they are formally linked through credit or top up individual accounts with overdraft to provide additional low cost credit cushion. This is more important in the current economic situation that we are witnessing in rural India. Kuldeep Pandit, Co-founder and CEO, Home Jiny, retail startup The retail industry still has huge head winds with low margins across players, be it kiranas, modern trade or ecommerce. This is an industry that serves almost 90 percent of population ahead of any other industry in customer reach. The government should focus on strengthening Make in India along with laying more emphasis on building the next level of retail and ecommerce. There should be tax and other reliefs for start-ups, simpler process of approvals, ability to get FDI to compete against US and Indian giants. FDI in retail and ecommerce should be made more competitive against global giants such as Amazon and Flipkart and now Indian behemoths like Reliance. Neerav Jain, Founder and CEO of Cityfurnish, retail startup I hope the government will show full support towards the startup ecosystem. Treating startups in the same bracket as already established multinationals is unsuitable. There should be separate taxation policies along with benefits to ensure ease of doing business for startups. We hope direct involvement and investment from the government towards the startup ecosystem will be extremely encouraging for job creation through entrepreneurship. To give the much-needed impetus to the growth of the economy, the government must provide clarity on FDI regulations as well. The furniture industry would also be elated if the consumer are given House Rental Allowance, to provide them with tax benefits. Together with the support of the government, the startup ecosystem is looking forward to doing greater business in 2020. Puneet and Yatin Jain Directors, ODHNI, retail sector. Over 6 crores MSMEs are sharing around 29 percent to Indias GDP and they expect the government will introduce favourable policies and allocate substantial funds for the growth of MSMEs. Presently, out of 32,385 applications filed by MSMEs, 2,031 applications have been disposed of by the government under the delayed payment monitoring system called MSME Samadhaan. Apart from the lack of access to capital, infrastructure, skilled labour and power supply issues are some of the problems that plague MSMEs in India. Therefore, Indian entrepreneur hopes that the Union Budget 2020 will provide some long-term benefits to the MSME sector with better access to credit and lenient taxation policies. Neel Juriasingani, CEO & Co-founder, Datacultr, Delhi-based IoT startup We are optimistic that with this Union Budget 2020, the government will come up with some major policy and structural reforms towards strengthening their key programsDigital India, Startup India. The Budget needs to emphasize the importance of better digital infrastructure by improving internet connectivity in rural areas and establishing centers of excellence for research & training. We are hopeful that the upcoming budget will have policies and recommendations that will further strengthen the ecosystem. We also expect that this time the union budget will push institutions to disburse more funds to tech start-ups that are in the space of financial inclusion and aim to have an impact with disruptive technology at the bottom of the pyramid. Nitin Mittal, CEO, SOLV, B2B commerce platform Improve Liquidity through technology and alternate credit models: The Budget this year needs to look at extending the policy to include interest subvention basis digital data of transactions and order fulfilment. Also, extension of the credit facility via private banks, small banks, NBFCs and fintech lenders is the need of the hour. This framework will ease liquidity for almost 95 percent of the 63 million plus MSMEs that are not in the formal credit fold currently. Dedicated allocation towards improving warehousing, transportation and last mile delivery infrastructure: In order to bring MSMEs mainstream, it is imperative for policy to nudge ease of movement of goods, which is a major problem, especially in the exports segment. Also, temperature-controlled facilities are key to growth of the agriculture and pharma segments. Dedicated allocation for Trade and warehousing zones akin to SEZs for capacity creation needs to be fast-tracked. Additionally, infrastructure grids for last-mile delivery needs to be created for efficient commerce across the country. Bring efficiency in the GST refund system and extend working capital lines: Working capital credit lines need to be extended to MSMEs against legitimate GST refund claims. Allocations to be made towards Quality Management Systems to increase exports and competitiveness in the global market: Considering the competition that low-cost labor rich countries are posing, especially to industries like the textile, it is critical to facilitate infrastructure towards quality control. Ashish Bhatia, Founder & MD, India Accelerator The startups are hoping that the Budget will announce initiatives that could pull more foreign capital and boost growth. The reduction in GST charges will encourage more foreign investors to invest in Indian startups. Currently, the tax rate of long-term capital gains is 28.5 percent as compared to the same for listed equities to be 10%. This creates a significant tax burden on founders and employees of startups, as well as domestic angel and institutional investors. Further, the relaxation of personal income tax rates will act as a booster shot. It will certainly help the startup companies and the millenials to improve further and ease doing business. Shashank Dixit, CEO, Deskera, a Singapore-based cloud-based software provider I am very optimistic about this years Union Budget and believe that the primary focus should be on simplifying the GST filing process. This move will greatly benefit SMEs who are the backbone of the Indian economy. While the GST council has taken several steps to simplify the process over the past couple of years, there still exists some lingering issues such as matching of B2B invoices, uploading information on tax returns and compliance burden of SMEs. Also, small businesses that are registered spend a considerable amount of time in obtaining state-wise registration, filing of multiple returns, generation of e-way bills and maintenance of separate books of accounts for each registered entity. I believe that once these issues are addressed, it will increase transparency in the system and bring accuracy to the return filing process. This in turn will prepare the Indian economy for its next phase of growth. Bishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals, home-grown FMCG The Indian manufacturing sector has become one of the most attractive destinations for investments in the recent past. While the government has already unveiled plans to boost growth in manufacturing, construction sectors and improving infrastructure, the government should ramp up its efforts in the upcoming budget. The government must underline its continued commitment towards electrification of villages across the country. Furthermore, it should definitely put in additional efforts on solar energy projects, with the right incentives, which can be a valuable avenue for income generation and also help combat climate change. As consumers are becoming more aware about environment sustainability, there should be more focus on promotion of sustainable solutions that will help in reducing Indias carbon footprint. Kunal Lakhara, VP of Finance and Operations, Pocket Aces, digital content platform We hope the government focuses on steps to provide capital to the industry players. This could be in the form of incentivising banks and other financial institutions to lend money to industry participants especially start-ups in the sector. Furthermore, the government could do very well by lowering tax rates and removing exemptions, revisit tax regulations especially for start-ups. This will not only provide tax reforms but also enhance the efficiency of tax collections. On the personal front, the government should reduce taxes by enhancing the slab rates. With lower tax incidence, more will be left with the consumers to spend and consume, which in turn will create demand for products and services. Gautam Bansal, SVP Finance, Shiprocket, a tech-enabled logistic platform A comprehensive eCommerce policy would provide future direction and confidence in the industry and help investors/ entrepreneurs take decisions faster. There need to be incentives given out to the smaller businesses as against currently growing multinational monopoly, without jeopardizing the business confidence of foreign investors in India as an investment destination. Also, the government needs to come out with a special package for the logistics sector, especially smaller enterprises and start-ups. To start with, Govt. needs to enter a dialogue with logistics eCommerce start-ups and come in govt.-private partnership models for infrastructure/ tech/ skill development and tax sops for strengthening logistics in India. Siddhartha Gupta, CEO, Mercer|Mettl , a talent assessment firm As we are chasing to be Indias third-largest economy soon with a GDP of $8.4 by the end of this decade, India has to leverage the demographic dividend that its currently enjoying. Through this budget, I hope to see more money being pumped into reskilling and skilling in emerging technologies that could define the path for future growth potential. For our industry as well as in general, our budget expectations lay in more investment in laying foundation and infrastructure for skill development through education that is practical and provides hands-on experience in technology. Lakshmi Mittra, VP Center of Excellence (CoE) and Clover Academy, Clover Infotech New-age technologies are disrupting business models and creating numerous opportunities for the youth. However, theres a considerable gap between what is taught in education institutions and the actual skills required by the industry. The government should introduce measures to empower institutions that are proactively working towards bridging this gap and creating highly skilled human capital for the country. Rahul Bhalchandra, CEO & Co-Founder, YLG Salon, beauty salon chains in south India We are looking for the upcoming Budget to include tax sops, especially for the MSME and the SME sector as they contribute in a big way to the growth of the economy and creating new jobs. We hope that the focus of the government lies in bringing back the confidence in consumer spending, and address liquidity that was draining out of the market, in order to increase purchasing power and capacity of individuals. We also wish for ease of VC and PE investment flow in the MSME sector that has high growth potential. This will foster growth for companies striving in this competitive environment to meet their targets. Local businesses, and skill development should be a focal point in order to encourage entrepreneurial behavior in the country which ultimately fulfills the governments Make in India objective. We expect policy reforms in labour, ease of doing business, particularly for retailers that will aid our industry to grow and flourish, including easier credit options and skill development support for the budding workforce entering the industry. Raj N Phani, founder of Zaggle, expense management startup We hope to Budget 2020 focusses more on the startup sector and on creating a conducive environment for their growth. The first five years after company incorporation should be made tax free for startups. Startup Fund Disbursements should be on Blockchain and visible to everyone. There is also a need to ensure that Zero Capital Gains Tax is charged on any investor who invests in startups once they exit from the venture. This will encourage more investment into new companies. The government should also consider allowing crowdfunding into startups subject to a maximum defined amount. Clear and demarcated tax sops for fintech startups that service the needs of SMEs/MSMEs will help aid growth and encourage more people to become entrepreneurs. Tax relaxation for merchants accepting digital payments will enable India to move faster towards becoming a cashless economy. Sudeshna Datta, Co-Founder & Executive Vice President, Absolutdata, custom AI platform for enterprise, data science services and advanced analytics We expect the government to put forth focused initiatives that will help India strengthen the momentum of its digital growth and contribute to the global growth story. India is steadily paving its path towards becoming a knowledge economy. However, there is a need for a key focus on upskilling and reskilling amongst the existing workforce and the countrys youth. This will help to bridge the pressing skill-gap and enable them to effectively navigate through the dynamics brought about by new and emerging technologies. As we continue to witness a rapid digital transformation across industries, we hope that the Indian government will extend further support towards developing technological innovations and give a boost to new-age businesses in the ecosystem. We look forward to seeing more investments in the Artificial Intelligence sector, in particular, as indicated in the interim budget so that the benefits of AI technology can truly reach the masses. The delivery of this should be given priority in the short, medium and long term as well, in order to transform the architecture of our society into one that is forward-thinking and future-ready. Navneet Singh, CEO, Avsar HR Services Theres no doubt that the Indian economy of late has relatively weakened. Some measures that the government should definitely look into are Infusing liquidity in the market that will lead to credit growth and open up the doors for numerous job opportunities. In addition, necessary amendments should be brought in this Budget to simplify the GST structure, rationalize the rates, and ensure a seamless flow of input tax credit, among others. The expectation is that the government should immediately focus on improving the institutional structure and removing obstacles that constrain growth - undertaking bolder reforms of land, labour, regulations, governance, the business environment, and the public sector will help in reducing the cost and improving the ease of doing business in India. It would be encouraging to see the government's effort to engage the private sector in projects and address financial gaps through public-private participation. Akshita Gupta, Co-founder and CMO, ABL Workspaces Compliances for start-ups is a major concern. Most young entrepreneurs, with conviction in their ideas, jump into the business blindly, later realising the amount of efforts that goes into putting together monthly GST returns, TDS filings, PF, ESI, etc., along with that different mandatory audits is a real focus diverter. Entrepreneurs need to focus on their core area of expertise and only restructuring compliances can enable that. Start-ups need more support in indirect taxes. Thus, we feel TDS should be 2% for coworking sector as the spaces are on rent and overall margins of coworking operators in most cases are less than 10 percent. DD Mishra, Sr Director Analyst, Gartner. The Narendra Modi government should now speed up the Digital India dream even faster and the government spend on the technology sector should increase. The government should focus and invest on faster creation of digital infrastructure to drive a technology-led economy. Additionally, we need better connectivity to boost our economy faster. The telecom sector outlook is not looking positive and hence there needs to be immediate measure to ensure that expansion and innovation of digital network continues across the country including the rural sector. Sameer Aggarwal, Founder & CEO, RevFin, fintech While several schemes have been announced for startups, these schemes are not benefitting or reaching all startups. I would like to see a clear and comprehensive framework to qualify companies as startups. This will set a high bar for qualification and better governance within the startups as well. All qualifying start-ups should have certain benefits guaranteed to them, which include tax benefits, capital availability, ability to participate in tenders etc. Several startups, especially bootstrapped ones find it difficult to scale. Profitability also remains a challenge. In order to make start-ups scale and profitable, the supply of capital is crucial. For this one specific measure would be to launch a loan scheme for start-ups. This scheme can be made available through public and private sector banks, at their best available interest rates. All qualifying startups should be able to get this loan without any additional requirements and the government could provide guarantees to banks up to a certain proportion of these loans. The only restriction would be on the amount of loan, for which criteria could be defined on a combination of equity and revenue/cash flow. Amitt Sharma, Founder & CEO, VDO.AI, Next Generation Video Solutions India has developed into the second-largest startup center in the world and thus the startup founders like have a huge hope from the upcoming Union Budget 2020. We expect the upcoming budget to be a favorable one for all of us. We expect the government to keep on supporting startups and new age economy businesses in the same way as before so that we flourish more aggressively and aid to the development of India. Further reduction of corporate tax, a more favorable regime for taxation for startups has been a long-standing desire for our community and I hope these areas would be taken care of. Upmanyu Misra, Co-founder & CEO, Cianna Capital,venture capital The NDA government has achieved a decisive mandate that will not be tested for at least 2-3 years. Therefore I hope they focus on fixing infrastructural issues in the economy rather than falling in the trap of synthetically aiming for 6 percent growth. Inflation and interest rates are in a manageable range. The budget should be geared towards fixing jobs which will be the key for long term growth. For that, we need a positive mood within Corporations. But Corporations need help with their balance sheet. This help can be provided via a two-pronged strategy make foreign equity route palatable for all stakeholders and provide tax exemptions in a meaningful manner. On the tactical side, we should spend money to modernize RBI and templatise investment processes. We need to attract foreign debt as developed equity markets are getting too hot and 2020 may see rising interest in India private debt. Masala bonds are not easy for small to mid-sized transactions. Whether or not the NDA encounters geopolitical earthquakes in 2020, it is likely to face major headwinds resulting from internal policies such as NRC, CAA etc. Therefore it is their best opportunity to apply long terms fixes to the economy and set it on a path to political autonomy and policy credibility. Raktim Chattopadhyay, Founder & CEO, Esperer Bioresearch, nutritional companies for cancer patients For corporates: To ease framework of execution to the lengthy process of corporate M&As/ restructuring through the courts, the government should either prescribe a fixed time frame for the process or designate SEBI or department of company affairs as a single-window authority for all approvals. In health: Improve access to healthcare for low income households and Reduce health related costs for low income households In taxation: real estate to include significant tax reliefs that can help prop up the sector. In GST: some possible changes to facilitate small business to become more hassle free. Considering the difficulties in proposing and implementing the Budget 2020 at this juncture, budgetary policy has to create more trusting and rewarding environment for investors, keeping revenues stable and boosting demand through public investment and spending, and then India can expect a reasonable legacy in coming days. Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2020-21 here The Wildwood Police Department and Wildwood Fire Department released figures behind the calls it made during Tuesdays Keep America Great Rally. Police made one arrest late Tuesday night of a person who was acting a disorderly manner, they said. When law enforcement officials searched the person, they were found to be in possession of a large knife. Police said the person was issued multiple summons complaints and released under the New Jersey Bail Reform Act. Issuing a statement Thursday, Wildwood Police Chief Robert N. Regalbuto and Wildwood Deputy Fire Chief (OIC) Ernie Troiano III said the cooperation from area agencies helped keep the event civil and free of significant disruptions. It is because of the collaboration of all of our Federal, State, County, and Municipal partnerships which include law enforcement, fire, emergency medical services, and public works staff, that we were able to provide a safe environment for everyone in attendance to not only participate in a Presidential rally but to also freely express ones 1st Amendment privileges, the two said in the statement. On behalf of the men and women of the Wildwood Police and Wildwood Fire Departments, please allow us to extend our most heartfelt and sincere appreciation for supporting our agencies in this HUGE undertaking. The Wildwood Fire Department said it responded to 64 calls during the event. The breakdown of the those calls were: 23 Minor Treatments (Ice packs, bandages, etc.) 15 Public Assists 11 Refusals 5 Transports 8 Responded and no Patient located 2 Fire Alarms Investigations As for attendance numbers, an official figure was not given. City officials estimated that nearly 200 protestors were at the rally out of the 30 groups who said they would be there to demonstrate. Wildwood Commissioners said they were pleased with the job the police, fire, and public works officials did over the last few days. We cannot be more proud of our City employees for stepping up and going above and beyond for this event, Commissioner Steve Mikulski said in a statement. The rally is not the only event that is expected to bring large crowds to Wildwood and the surrounding areas in 2020. Commissioner Krista Fitzsimons said working together with nearby North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and Cape May County will be imperative. We look forward to working together as an island community on these and other types of events and issues, said Fitzsimons. "Soon, the island will see events such as the Barefoot Country Music Fest, the Wildwoods Airshow, and the always well-attended 4th of July Celebration. Chris Franklin can be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @cfranklinnews or on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohios emergency medical responders have been told to screen patients displaying flu-like symptoms for possible exposure to coronavirus. In a Thursday memo to local EMS providers, Carol Cunningham, the states medical director, said first responders should triage patients showing fever, cough and difficulty breathing by asking them if theyve traveled to Wuhan, China within the past 14 days. This information should be documented on the patient care report and communicated to the receiving health care facility prior to arrival, the memo reads. To prevent the spread of the disease, the directive recommends EMTs and paramedics wear protective equipment and clean their vehicles with bleach. Coronavirus has been traced back to a market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have jumped from animals to humans. The disease is believed to be contagious through coughing or sneezing, similar to the common flu, and has sickened upwards of 8,000 in China and killed about 140. There have been at least six confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Ohio health officials are investigating two possible cases involving two Miami University students who recently returned from China. State health officials collected samples from the students on Monday and submitted them to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. They said Tuesday testing results could take up to 48 hours. Officials provided no updates on the status of the investigation on Thursday. People wearing face masks carry their luggage as they walk outside Beijing Railway Station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing By Stanley Widianto and Khanh VU JAKARTA/HANOI (Reuters) - The coronavirus outbreak has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring entry to Chinese tourists, online vitriol mocking the country's exotic meat trade and surprise health checks on foreign workers. The virus, which originated in China, has spread to more than a dozen countries, many of them in Southeast Asia which has sensitive relations with China amid concerns about Beijing's vast infrastructure spending and political clout in the region and sovereignty disputes in the South China Sea. Authorities and schools in Toronto, Canada, were moved to warn against discrimination towards Chinese Canadians, while in Europe there was anecdotal evidence of Chinese residents facing prejudice in the street, and hostile newspaper headlines. "Orientalist assumptions plus political distrust plus health concerns are a pretty powerful combination," said Charlotte Setijadi, and anthropologist who teaches at Singapore Management University. Chinese authorities have said the virus emerged from a market selling illegally traded wildlife, giving rise to widespread social media mocking of China's demand for exotic delicacies and ingredients for traditional medicine. "Stop eating bats," said one Twitter user in Thailand, the top destination for Chinese tourists. "Not surprising that the Chinese are making new diseases," another Thai user posted alongside a video clip that showed a man eating raw meat. "Because your country is beginning (to) spread disease...we do not accept to serve the guest from China," read a sign in English outside the Danang Riverside hotel in the central Vietnamese city of the same name. Authorities later told the hotel to remove the sign, its manager said in a Facebook post. Vietnam, which was under Chinese occupation centuries ago and contests Beijing's sweeping maritime claims in the South China Sea, has particularly fraught relations with China. Story continues But it is not alone in the region. Over 60% of respondents to a poll of Southeast Asian officials, academics and other professionals said in a survey this month that they distrusted China. Nearly 40% said they thought China was "a revisionist power and intends to turn Southeast Asia into its sphere of influence". The survey did not mention the virus. The Chinese government said it was determined to contain an epidemic it called a "common challenge facing mankind". "Prejudice and narrow-minded words are no good at all," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. TRAVEL BANS Many countries have imposed visa restrictions on travelers from Hubei province - the epicenter of the virus - while some airlines have suspended all direct flights to mainland China. But this is not enough for hundreds of thousands of people in South Korea and Malaysia who have signed online petitions urging authorities to ban Chinese from visiting their countries. In an unusual move, Samal Island in the southern Philippines on Thursday banned not just tourists from China but from all countries affected by the coronavirus to the popular beach spot. China's boom in outbound tourism has created a pattern of international travel unprecedented in human history and driven the growth of businesses to serve Chinese travelers around the world. From a trickle in the 1980s, Chinese tourist numbers grew to estimates of more than 160 million in 2019. In France, whose capital Paris is a major draw for Chinese visitors and which has a significant Chinese population, local Asians created a Twitter hashtag #Jenesuispasunvirus ("I am not a virus") to report abuse, especially in public transport. Sun Lay Tan, a 41-year-old manager in the creative industries sector, said the man seated next to him in his Paris subway ride changed seat then put a scarf over his mouth. "That was really shocking," said Tan, who was born in France of Chinese and Cambodian origin. "I felt really stigmatized". (Reporting by Stanley Widianto in Jakarta, Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi, Chayut Setboonsarng in Bangkok, Karen Lema in Manila, Thu Thu Aung in Yangon, Joseph Sipalan in Kuala Lumpur and Josh Smith in Seoul; Caroline Pailliez in Paris and Ben Blanchard; Writing by John Geddie in Singapore; Editing by Nick Macfie) This evening, two news stories could come to a climax. Or should that be anticlimax? Senate Democrats efforts to prolong Donald Trumps impeachment trial look likely to fail; if they do, a vote will be called and the president will be acquitted. On the other side of the Atlanticafter three and a half years, several false starts, and innumerable manic news cyclesBritain will finally leave the European Union. Britains newspapers, which arent known for their restraint, have heralded Brexit day with varying degrees of bombast. More than one front page featured images of the White Cliffs of Dovera symbol of British greatness or insularity, depending on your view. But Brexit was not the only story of the day. The Daily Mirror, a left-wing tabloid, led with the coronavirus. As the day wore on, two cases were confirmed in Britain, and several outlets, including the BBC, put the story atop their sites. The sense seemed to be that, at this point, with the political suspense behind us, Brexit was less newsworthy than the arrival of a KILLER VIRUS. As the Associated Press described Brexit this morning, Friday will mark a truly historic moment, but almost nothing will happen. ICYMI: Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump? Brexit coverage, once breathless, has become increasingly subdued as the date has inched closer, and other stories have overshadowed it. Many of themMegxit, the controversy around Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epsteinhave been about the royal family. Johnsons crushing election victory, in mid-December, ended the Brexit gridlock in Parliament and removed any lingering doubts as to whether Britain would, in fact, leave the EU. Trivialityjoyous flag-waving on the one side; the mournful singing of Auld Lang Syne on the other; commemorative coins and their contentious non-use of serial commashas dominated Brexit coverage. Things are kind of quiet, Yasmeen Serhan, a London-based writer for The Atlantic, told The Takeaway yesterday. I dont think theres as much anticipation now. I think people have sort of just resigned themselves. Impeachment, by contrast, has continued to sustain wall-to-wall coverage as it reaches its end. In theory, today could bring a dramatic twist, if Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, joins her colleagues Susan Collins and Mitt Romney in calling for witnesses. Then Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, would get a deciding vote on the matter. But its still no Super Bowl. Even if that improbable event occurs, Roberts is expected to abstain, meaning the motion would fail. And more broadly, as was the case with Johnsons election win, the certainty of Trumps acquittal has taken the wind out of coverage. Procedural questions are important, of course, but more so in a trial thats not in the grip of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. They wont change the outcome, nor the basic facts of Trumps conduct, most of which we already know. By obsessing over Senate process, the press is merely reflecting its thirst for tension. Journalism, as usual, is being held captive by spectacle, rather than substance. In October, Joe Lockhart, who served as White House press secretary during the impeachment of Bill Clinton, summed up the problem in an interview with Kyle Pope, CJRs editor and publisher: People have asked me a lot about the liberal bias in the press, and I say I dont think there is a liberal bias, Lockhart said. Instead, I think theres a bias towards action, versus inaction. By that metric, Trumps trial falls short. So does Brexit. The absence of touch-and-go plays, political hijinks, and knife-edge votes leaves coverage with a sense of grinding inevitability. Sign up for CJR 's daily email But the consequencesof both impeachment and Brexitremain urgent. Trump has committed the offenses of which hes been accused, and theres a real danger that hell take his acquittal as license to do them again. Future presidentsand senators, and grade school bulliescould follow. Britain is now entering a critical period of transition, and will have to figure out not just its place in the world, but also the direction it wants to take domestically, too. In recent weeks, such highyet relatively drystakes have been given only secondary consideration in the press. The big stories of the moment are not just those that come in the form of political circus, however. Same as always, theyre those that have meaningful impact on the lives of millions, who may lack interest in the dull procedural goings-on inside halls of power. It would be wise to remember that the task of the press is to help everyone understand why the news, not just the show, is worth caring about. Below, more on impeachment and Britain: Other notable stories: ICYMI: Felicia Sonmez and the tyranny of the social-media policy Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. The US-Mexico border wall is in focus again but for a different reason. The authorities have revealed the presence of a really long sophisticated tunnel that is fitted with all amenities. Drug smugglers use such tunnels to transport contraband from Mexico to the United States. This tunnel can claim to be the longest smuggling tunnel ever discovered on the south-west border. US Customs and Border Protection have described the tunnel that extends for more than 4,300ft and runs approximately 70 ft below the surface. The height of the tunnel is about 5.5ft and it has a rail-cart system for transporting materials. There are also provisions for ventilation, drainage, and electricity apart from an elevator. It is, in short, a self-contained facility that can circumvent the border wall above the ground and outwit those guarding it. An official for Homeland Security said the tunnel is proof that those who are behind it have invested their time and resources to give it a shape. It starts in a small industrial building in Tijuana, Mexico, according to United States officials. https://t.co/6Y6HrsjynN Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) January 30, 2020 The Guardian says so far, there has been no arrests or seizures. It seems drug smugglers have used tunnels in the past. The first such tunnel came to the surface in 1990 and its purpose was to transport drugs into the United States by bypassing the guards at the border. Since then, authorities have come more underground routes along the southern border from Texas to California. Mexico discovered the tunnel in August Those who enforce the law know that drug smugglers use various methods to move the contraband into America and tunnels are one option. US Customs and Border Protection have facilities in the form of ground-penetrating radar devices to locate tunnels. Discuss this news on Eunomia However, the rocky terrain and the network of interconnecting underground sewage systems interfere with the technology. Credit for unearthing this tunnel goes to Mexico. Their law enforcement officials discovered it in August, identified the entrance, mapped its route and informed their counterparts in the United States. COMING UP: @jeffpeguescbs goes inside the longest tunnel ever discovered underneath the U.S.-Mexico border -- a critical piece of infrastructure for a network of cartels moving drugs into America; watch at 6:30 p.m. ET. pic.twitter.com/oQAf3Q8CU3 CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) January 29, 2020 On the subject of arrests, The Guardian quotes Deputy Chief Aaron Heitke as saying, The investigation continues, and I am confident that our hard work and dedication to uphold the law will lead to future arrests and seizures. Tunnels come in handy for not just drug smuggling but also for the movement of illegal migrants. They breach the border wall or climb over it. Border agents are alive to the problem and routinely patrol the area to deter people from entering the United States illegally. Donald Trump has continued to focus on building a border wall. It was an election promise in 2016. However, narcotics continue to flow into the country. Drug smugglers in Mexico keep innovating According to CBS News, while the US Customs and Border Protection force tightens security at the border, drug smugglers in Mexico keep innovating. The latest discovery of a nearly three-fourths of a mile tunnel is an example of the lengths they can go to. It originates in Mexico and ends in the US. Aaron Heitke says, "It's going to be people, it's going to be narcotics, the potential for weapons and ammunition." There has been a rise in the seizure of various types of drugs over the past five years but they keep coming. Border Patrol agents also have to handle the issue of illegal migrants at the southern border. The US-Mexico border wall expected to end the menace Donald Trump promised a border wall between the United States and Mexico. It was a promise he made during the 2016 presidential campaign. His intention was to deter drug smugglers and illegal migrants from entering America. At one time, he had even threatened to close the border with Mexico. However, those who deal in drugs appear to find tunnels a more convenient and safer option to carry on their activities. Jehangir B. Gai Consumers who have had continuous coverage under a mediclaim policy are suddenly given a rude shock by insurers that their old policy is being discontinued, and they could opt for the new one that is being introduced. Forcing out policyholders The insurance regulator, IRDAI (Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India), had issued guidelines on the migration and portability of health insurance policies on January 1, 2020. These are subject to the regulations of 2016. Even these guidelines do not allow the insurer to discontinue a regular product and compel the insured to migrate to another policy. The regulations and the circular permit portability and migration to a different company or to a different product, but the decision to do so vests with the consumer and not with the insurer. So, insurance companies cannot compel the insured to migrate and opt for a different policy. Court rules clear The law on the subject is clear and well-settled by the Apex Court. A mediclaim policy is renewable, so long as the insured pays the premium, and the insurer has no right to arbitrarily refuse renewal. In the Biman Krishna Bose v/s United India Insurance Co. Ltd. [III (2001) CPJ 10 (SC)] case, the Supreme Court has held that the renewal of an insurance policy means repetition of the original policy. So, it would be extended for a further period on identical terms as the previous policy. In short, the old policy would stand revived and would continue for a further period of one year. In the United India Insurance Co. Ltd. v/s Manubhai Dharmasinhbhai Gajera & Ors. [II (2008) CPJ 43 (SC)] case, the Supreme Court has held that unless there is misrepresentation, fraud or nondisclosure of material facts by the insured, the insurer is bound to renew the policy with continuation of the existing benefits. Even if IRDA grants permission for the withdrawal of a product, with or without giving notice to the insured, what would be its implications? Since the terms of the policy provide for renewal of the coverage till such time as the insured pays the premium, withdrawal of the policy constitutes a breach of contract, resulting in deficiency in service. It also constitutes an unfair trade practice since it would be opposed to consumer interest. Significantly, while the World Health Organization (WHO) considers healthcare to be a welfare measure, the conditions and infrastructure in government and municipal hospitals is abysmal and cannot cater to the needs of citizens. So, the mediclaim policy was introduced as a welfare measure in an attempt to make healthcare somewhat affordable. If permission is granted for withdrawal of a product and the insured is compelled to opt for a substitute with altered terms and conditions and higher premium, it could be challenged as being opposed to public policy. To conclude, the discontinuation of a mediclaim policy, which is a regular product, is neither fair nor legal. Yet, it is rampantly prevalent, not merely because of the miserable failure of the IRDA in regulating this practice, but the tacit support which the regulator gives to errant insurers at the cost of the hapless consumers. (The writer is a consumer activist and has won the Govt. of India's National Youth Award for Consumer Protection) By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 01:44 PM | PADUCAH On Tuesday, Emergency Services received a report of a fire on Butler Lane. Once on the scene, officials found an empty trailer fully engulfed in flames. Through evidence gathered at the scene, deputies say it was determined that 24-year-old Vaden W. Rupke, who allegedly lived in the camper at that address, had intentionally set the fire. Detectives say Rupcke had been in an argument with the property owner earlier in the day. Rupcke is currently wanted on an arrest warrant for third-degree arson. He is white, 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs approximately 135 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Deputies say a current photo of Rupcke was not available and he may have facial hair. Anyone with information is asked to contact the McCracken County Sheriff's Office or their local law enforcement agency. Deputies are searching for a Paducah man after a dispute reportedly led to a camper fire. NEW HAVEN Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK) honored Center Church on the Green and Turnbridge for their exemplary work in support of people experiencing homelessness and living in poverty in New Haven. The awards were presented Jan. 25 at DESKs Souper Stars Reception at the Hopkins School that evening. Center Church on the Green received DESKs Community Impact Award for the organizations many forms of sustaining and ongoing support for Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen, the people we serve, and the broader community of New Haven over the last 33 years. As one of DESKs four founding churches in the mid-1980s (along with Trinity, United, and First & Summerfield), Center Church served as a key player in the development of homelessness services in New Haven in those early years, ultimately providing the long-term space in which DESK operates to this day. They have made important sacrifices to sustain DESK over the years, serving as the most important partner, benefactor, and friend. Turnbridge received DESKs Chris Carbone Memorial Service Award. Turnbridge is a nationallyrecognized addiction and mental health treatment program based in New Haven. Young women and men in the early stages of recovery come from all over the country to take advantage of Turnbridges approach that integrates clinical best-practices with life skills development and academic and vocational training. Over the past four years, more than 60 young women from Turnbridge have volunteered in the afternoons at DESK, some for up to a year. The partnership serves to harness the power of engagement in community services as part of the womens own recovery. The partnership between Turnridge and DESK has enabled a group of hardworking and compassionate women to volunteer in a setting that is both fulfilling as a form of service and sensitive to the personal journey in which theyre engaged. K of Cs Catholicism wraps Feb. 20 NORTH HAVEN The Father James F. Donaher Council #3733 of the North Haven Knights of Columbus speaker series, intended to strengthen our knowledge of the Catholic faith and to make each of us more natural evangelizers, concludes Feb. 20. The Joy of Service: Natural Evangelization Through Our Lives is jointly sponsored by the North Haven Knights of Columbus, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center and St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish, North Haven. The speaker is Colin Petramale from the Holy Family Retreat Center. The program will begin at 7 p.m. and will be held at St. Francis Cabrini Church Hall, 57 Pond Road, North Haven. Refreshments and social time will follow the lecture. The event is free and open to the public. No reservations are necessary. For information, call Grand Knight Paul Caiafa at 203-671-2942. Steel band concert benefits action group NEW HAVEN St. Lukes Steel Band will perform a concert to benefit Christian Community Action, at 4 p.m. Feb. 9 at Bethesda Lutheran Church, 450 Whitney Ave., New Haven. The concert is part of the Bethesda Music Series. There is no admission charge; freewill donations will be taken to benefit CCA. A reception follows the concert. Under the direction of Kenneth Joseph, St. Lukes Steel Band has a reputation as one of the areas most exciting performing ensembles. Their repertoire includes soca, calypso, reggae, classical, sacred, jazz, popular and island folk music. Now in its 27th year, the Bethesda Music Series presents concerts by local and visiting artists to benefit local charities. All concerts are free and open to the public. To learn more about the series on the Bethesda Lutheran Church website. To join our mailing list, email Music@BethesdaNewHaven.org or call the church office at 203-787-2346. Bible Study And The New Testament NORTH BRANFORD Residents are invited to explore The New Testament at the North Branford Congregational Church. Meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel of our church. For information, email Jennifer at bellmad1@aol.com Church offers ongoing workshops NORTH BRANFORD All are invited to attend continuing community workshops every Thursday from 4 6 p.m. at Northford Congregational Church, 4 Old Post Road, Northford. The workshops provide projects that help the less fortunate. During the past year, church members have helped vulnerable children, the homeless, families of service members, senior citizens, school children and others. Guests can drop in for part of the time or come for the full two hours. The workshops are ongoing. To reach the church, call 203-484-0795. Congregation BNai Jacob schedules events WOODBRIDGE Congregation Bnai Jacob, 75 Rimmon Road, Woodbridge, announces the following: Monday evenings, 7:30-9:30. Rabbi Shapiro teaches Pirket Avot, Ethics of the Fathers Weekday minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Feb 1, 9 a.m. Shir Hadash service followed by Torah service at 10:15.; 5:30 p.m. PJ Havdalah service. Come in pajamas, all ages. Service with music, stories, cookies and hot cocoa. Feb 2, 10 a.m. Gavriela Gavi Reiter will speak on Tu BShevat and Criminal Justice. Feb 7, 6 p.m. Shabbat Schmooze. 6:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service. Feb 8 , 9 a.m. Shir Hadash service followed by Torah service at 10:15. Feb 9, 10 a.m. rescheduled. Gavriela Gavi Reiter will speak on Tu BShevat and Criminal Justice. Weekday minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. For information, visit https://www.bnaijacob.org/ or call 203-389-2111. Beth Israel Synagogue schedules events WALLINGFORD Beth Israel Synagogue, 22 N. Orchard St., Wallingford, announces the following activities and services. Go to www.bethisraelwallingford.org for more information. Saturdays, 9:45 a.m., Bagels, Lox & Torah Study with Rabbi Bruce Alpert. Open to the community. Temple Beth David schedules events CHESHIRE Temple Beth David, 3 Main St., Cheshire, announces the following events and programs. Lunch & Learn with Rabbi Micah every Thursday at noon in the TBD social hall. Bring your own lunch. Weekday minyan services at 7:45 a.m. and 6 p.m. Youth Shabbat Service: First Friday for youth, 6:30 p.m. Shabbat service: First Friday, 7 p.m. In this musical Shabbat experience, sing through much of the service. Services are participatory, spiritual, and fun. Torah study: Join Rabbi Micah and a group of adults for Torah Study on Saturdays beginning at 8:45 a.m. and enjoy coffee, bagels, and a discussion about the weekly parsha. Details, go to www.tbdcheshire.org Church collecting used clothing NORTHFORD St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 1382 Middletown Avenue, Northford, has teamed up with St. Pauly Textile Inc., to collect used clothing. The company works with non-profit organizations like St. Andrews Episcopal, to set up used clothing dropoff sheds designed to give community members a clean, attractive, and well-monitored place to donate gently used textile items, which are then distributedin the U.S. and worldwide to people who need them. St. Andrews Episcopal Church receives funding for clothing collected, and additionally has the option to use any of this clothing to serve local community needs. St. Pauly Textile, Inc. collects more than 120,000 pounds of clothing every day and estimates that this clothing ends up in 44 different countries, including the United States, yearly. All of the usable clothing is worn by someone, somewhere in the world. In 2017, the company was able to help keep over 20 million articles of clothing out of landfills. The company was founded 22 years ago in Rochester, NY and is an A+ rated member of the Better Business Bureau. Accepted items include clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, drapes, linens, pillowcases and stuffed animals. Donors are asked to donate items in a plastic bag to protect against dirt and the elements. There is a small box on the shed that contains receipts to help donors take a tax deduction. For information, call Nan Monde, Sr. Warden, St. Andrews, at 203-710-7005 Lay ministry training available WALLINGFORD Masonicare Health Center, 22 Masonic Ave., seeks volunteers for its Lay Training in geriatric ministry. Open to people of all faiths, the program has been teaching basic ministry skills to volunteers nearly 20 years. Volunteers assist the chaplains with worship services, including vespers; programs that allow elders to explore and express their spirituality and faith through art, sacred circle dance and music; hymn singing; chanting and drumming; as well one-to one pastoral visits. Other opportunities include transporting seniors to religious activities and instrumental accompaniment at worship services, vespers and hymn sings. For more details, contact Chaplain Thayer Quoos at 203-679-6259 or tquoos@masonicare.org. For more about Masonicare: www.masonicare.org or 888-679-9997. Britain on Friday ends almost half a century of integration with its closest neighbours and leaves the European Union, starting a new -- but still uncertain -- chapter in its long history. At the clocks strike 11:00 pm -- midnight in Brussels (2300 GMT) -- Britain becomes the first country to leave the 28-member bloc and goes it alone for the first time since 1973. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed Brexit since the 2016 referendum vote to leave that triggered bitterness and division but he has promised to lead the country to a bright new future. Official celebrations will be muted out of respect for half the population who wanted to stay in the EU and who remain fearful of what lies ahead. "Our job as the government, my job, is to bring this country together and take us forward," Johnson said in a statement to mark the historic occasion. He added: "This is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act." Nothing will immediately feel different thanks to a transition period negotiated as part of an EU-UK exit deal, which was ratified only this week. Britons will be able to work in and trade freely with EU nations until December 31, and vice versa, although the UK will no longer be represented in the bloc's institutions. But legally, Britain is out -- with no easy way back. And while the exit terms have been agreed, Britain must still strike a deal on future relations with the EU, its largest trading partner. Divided country Getting this far has been a traumatic process. Despite Britain's resistance to many EU projects over the years -- it refused to join the single currency or the Schengen free travel area -- the 2016 vote to leave was a huge shock. It unleashed political chaos in London, sparking years of bitter arguments that paralysed parliament and forced the resignations of two prime ministers. Johnson brought an end to the turmoil with his decisive election victory last month, which gave him the parliamentary majority to ratify the Brexit deal. But Britons remain as divided as they were nearly four years ago, when 52 percent voted to leave but 48 percent voted to remain in the EU. Johnson himself is a polarising figure but he has emphasised unity and is avoiding any major celebrations that might exacerbate divisions. He will first host a special cabinet meeting in the northeastern English city of Sunderland, which was the first to declare for Brexit in the 2016 vote. At 10:00 pm, he will broadcast an address to the nation, and then host a reception for staff at his 10 Downing Street office. A light show will also be held outside No 10, while millions of commemorative 50 pence coins are being minted to mark the occasion. On them is the message: "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations." By contrast Nigel Farage, the Brexit Party leader who has spent decades campaigning to leave the EU, is planning a large rally in nearby Parliament Square. He gave a triumphant speech on Wednesday, his last day as a member of the European Parliament, waving Union Jack flags and declaring that Britain was "never coming back". But afterwards, many MEPs bade Britain an emotional goodbye and broke into a chorus of the traditional Scottish song of farewell, "Auld Lang Syne". Brussels' Grand-Place was on Thursday lit in red, white and blue. Trade talks loom British eurosceptics have campaigned for decades to free their country from what they see as an overly bureaucratic and unaccountable institution. Johnson has promised to leave the EU's single market and customs union, giving Britain the freedom to forge trade deals around the world. But exactly how that will work -- and at what cost to firms that depend on EU business -- remains to be seen. The EU divorce deal resolved the issue of London's debts, the rights of EU expatriates, the status of Northern Ireland and the transition period. But Johnson has given himself just 11 months -- to the end of the transition -- to negotiate a new EU partnership, covering everything from trade to security cooperation. He will set out his plans in a speech early next week but Brussels has already warned he must either limit his ambitions or ask for more time. Johnson also wants a trade deal with the United States, where President Donald Trump is a huge supporter of Brexit. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hailed the potential opportunities during a visit to London on Thursday, saying: "You will see the enormous benefits that accrued to both of our nations as a result of this." Silicon Valley tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft have either halted or scaled back their operations in China amid the coronavirus crisis. According to Fox News, Google's 10 offices across mainland China up till Taiwan that were shut down for the Lunar New Year would continue to be closed indefinitely. The California based company extended a donation of 250,000 dollars to the Chinese Red Cross to aid the relief work and a sum of 500,000 dollars was also raised through Google's internal assistance campaign. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple stated that the company has restricted employee visits to China only for matters that are "business-critical", and it is doing its bit by providing donations to groups involved in disease control. In a conference call with investors that was streamed on Apple's website, Cook said that "the situation is emerging and we're still gathering lots of data points and monitoring it really closely." "We have a wider than usual revenue range for the second quarter due to the greater uncertainty." The Apple CEO also informed that several of its retail stores in China have slashed their operating hours and are undergoing through sanitization or "deep cleaning" from time to time. Fox News cited Forbes which reported that Microsoft has "advised employees in China to work from home and cancel all non-essential business travel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Racing presenter Tracy Piggott (54) has said she is "devastated" at RTE's decision not to renew her annual contract. She received confirmation this week that, after 30 years fronting some of the country's biggest race meetings, the broadcaster will not be using her for its racing coverage in 2020. "From what I can gather, I am no longer part of the RTE team anymore," she told the Irish Independent. "I was told that they were not renewing my contract, that they were looking to bring in fresh faces, which is fine - but I wasn't expecting it. "If I had a bit more warning, I could have been able to make other plans. I'm a single parent with a daughter due to start secondary school this September." She fronted RTE's racing coverage for the past three decades - starting back in 1989 - along with Robert Hall, who will present his final programme on Sunday from Leopardstown, with Hugh Cahill in line to take over. Piggott - whose father Lester was one of the world's leading flat-race jockeys - said the writing was on the wall for her towards the end of 2019, but she only got confirmation from RTE yesterday. "It was something that I was led to believe towards the end of last year could be on the cards. "But I was hoping we could come up with a solution. I have so enjoyed the time that I've had with RTE and obviously it was something that I wanted to continue doing," she said. "But I'm no longer with them, which is devastating. I feel very emotional about it. It's been such a huge part of my life and, at the same time, I just have to accept this is the decision that's been made. Video of the Day "I have to keep things in perspective but I suppose it's just the abruptness of it. It has come out of the blue. "While I was with RTE, I wasn't able to take other work so I just would have liked a bit more lead-in time to make plans and set up another source of income." Looking back over her long career with the RTE racing team, she cited numerous highlights, like the Jessica Harrington-trained horse Our Duke winning the 2017 Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse. He was a horse she knew very well, given that she used to ride him out on the morning gallops every day before he died suddenly in 2018. Interviewing her famous father, who was Champion Jockey 11 times over his illustrious time in the saddle, was another career highlight for her. Lester struck up a legendary partnership with the late Ballydoyle supremo Vincent O'Brien during the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. She also paid tribute to the Irish racing fraternity for its support over the years, in addition to members of the public who she said were "fantastic". "The trainers and the owners and the general public have been so fantastic over the years," she said. "I'll just miss all the people and the support was amazing so there is just a sense of sadness there. But I don't feel any bitterness, I'm just not made that way. Life's too short." The Co Kildare-based commentator said she had plenty to keep her busy in the near future, including working in Harrington's yard in Moone, Co Kildare, every day. She is also involved in the Sensational Kids social enterprise project in Kildare town, which supports children with additional needs. A RTE spokesperson said they had "no comment" when asked about the decision not to renew Piggott's contract for 2020. It was a typical morning for Greensboro, North Carolina, grad student Cody Byrd who had stopped off at a favorite spot, Biscuitville, to grab breakfast before work. But as the North Carolina A & T computer science student sat at a table to eat a chicken biscuit, hash browns and orange juice, he watched a man sitting nearby stare intently at an 8-year-old girl who was eating at another table with her mother. The scene, he says, creeped him out. I just had a weird feeling about it, Byrd, 24, tells PEOPLE. And I saw something potentially dangerous. Byrds intuition served him well. Soon, he watched the man allegedly try to abduct the girl after she got up to visit the bathroom. He sprang into action to thwart the alleged kidnapping attempt and for his quick thinking, he has been hailed as a hero and given free meals at Biscuitville for one year. Finding himself watching a potential crime unfold was not what he expected that morning. You know these types of things happen. You see them in media. But you never think that you might actually be in one of those situations. I just tried to do what was right, he says. Byrd, who works two jobs and is set to earn his masters degree in computer science in May, said he pretended he was headed to the mens room and followed the alleged abductor who waited for the girl to come out of the bathroom. Byrd pretended to enter the mens room, but constantly kept his eye on the womens room door. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLEs free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Sure enough, as the girl exited, He lunged at her, trying to grab her. She let out a little yelp and she dodged him and ran off back to her mom, Byrd alleges. I asked him, What are you doing? Do you know her? That is when he got kind of nervous he said something about he was trying to send a message. Im not sure what he meant by it. Story continues Byrd left the man to go back to check on the girl and her grateful mother, who was shaken. He later followed the man out of the restaurant, snapping cell phone pictures of his truck and license plate. Within 30 minutes of Byrds 911 call, Greensboro police arrested Timothy Jon Fry, 55, of Greensboro. They charged him with attempted first-degree kidnapping and indecent liberties. He remains in the Guilford County Jail on a $300,000 bond. It was not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Ronald Glenn, public information office at the Greensboro Police Department, lauded Byrds engagement as a good Samaritan. Its important when we talk about trying to improve safety in the community that its not just a police issue its a community issue. When a community member is that aware and steps up to get involved, it makes everyone safer. Big Tech has come to dominate much of our lives. Yet our government has mostly been content to sit on the sidelines, ducking the tough issues raised by the likes of Google and Facebook. As of this week, it has no excuse for further inaction. A blue-ribbon panel appointed by the government itself has produced a set of bold recommendations designed to make sure the digital giants contribute a lot more to the system they profit from so generously. Aside from scores of specific suggestions for change (97 in all), the panel offers something sadly lacking in government policy so far in this vital area: a sense of urgency. It calls for immediate action in a few areas. That includes applying sales taxes to digital subscriptions with foreign-based companies like Netflix and Apple TV, in the same way theyre charged for Canadian companies. This is a total no-brainer, and should be implemented without delay. In fact, Quebec and Saskatchewan already do it. Beyond that, the panel recommends a series of actions guided by a simple and incontestable principle set out by its chair, Janet Yale: If you benefit from operating in the Canadian system, you should contribute. For example, it says, foreign-based streaming services, with Netflix again most prominent, should contribute to Canadian content, just as domestic content producers must do. The Trudeau government has promised legislation along these lines; this recommendation gives it more ammunition to go ahead. It also calls for companies like Facebook and Google with significant Canadian revenues to register in this country and be subject to regulation by the CRTC or a new organization it suggests be called the Canadian Communications Commission. That would bring an end to the current situation in which foreign-based tech giants make huge amounts of money in Canada, but because they have little or no physical presence in this country escape meaningful government scrutiny. Its high time to stop giving them a free pass. The panel takes aim at another unacceptable situation: the foreign tech giants have made billions by parasitizing off companies that produce original news content (the Star and similar organizations among them). Tech platforms, principally Facebook and Google, facilitate the sharing of content produced by other news media typically without any form of compensation to the journalists and media outlets that created the content, it says. The problem is exacerbated by the imbalance in negotiating power between the dominant platforms and the great number of creators who actually produce the news. It suggests ways to foster a strong, financially stable, and independent news sector by, among other things, ensuring that news creators are compensated for the use of their original content by online platform providers. It would also extend a tax credit on labour by news organizations beyond its planned expiration date, and broaden to include broadcast and digital platforms as well as print. Thats a good idea, but it should be noted that the governments first task is to deliver on the aid package to media that it set out last year. Much of that is still stuck in the federal bureaucracy. Another excellent idea is to tear away the secrecy surrounding the algorithms the digital giants use to determine how information is conveyed and displayed. The panel suggests empowering the CRTC to have the companies reveal more about their internal workings, which would help to redress the power imbalance between them and those who actually produce the content they profit from. Theres much more in the report. It proposes a fundamental rethink of the CBC, including doing away with advertising on all the corporations platforms within five years. That, it says, would allow the corporation to focus exclusively on its public purpose instead of being torn between its public mandate and the commercial imperatives that come from relying on advertising revenue. That would come with a hefty price-tag if the government was expected to replace all the ad dollars. It could usefully start, therefore, by focusing on weaning the CBC off digital advertising on its website. That competes directly with private-sector news organizations (such as the Star) and makes it that much harder for existing local news operations to pay their way. This ambitious report will be extensively debated and is already being hotly contested. At a minimum, though, it should act as a spur for Ottawa to stop ragging the puck on confronting the challenge of Big Tech. Read more about: John Bruce Jessen, a former Air Force psychologist who helped design CIA's harsh interrogation program, testified that 'enhanced' techniques had been used to train US service members A former CIA contractor who helped design the agency's harsh interrogation program following the September 11 attacks defended some of its techniques. John Bruce Jessen argued that it did not amount to torture because the same techniques had been used to train US service members. Jessen was called as a witness by lawyers for the Guantanamo prisoners facing war crimes charges for their alleged roles in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The former Air Force psychologist said during a pre-trial hearing that the survival training provided to American pilots and other members of the military was intended to help them recover more quickly if they were subjected to brutal treatment when captured. 'The US government wouldn't torture their own people,' he said. The techniques 'were designed to teach students they could handle tough times.' His early testimony focused on the roots of what Bush administration officials called 'enhanced interrogation' and many critics call torture. It's an important issue now as lawyers for the five men charged in the attacks seek to exclude a key piece of evidence against them: statements they gave voluntarily to FBI agents after they were moved from CIA custody to Guantanamo in September 2006. Their death penalty trial is scheduled to start at the base in January 2021. Self-proclaimed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (above) was subjected to waterboarding at a secret location in Poland after the terror attacks Walid bin Attash, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh and Mustafa Hawsawi (left to right) were all arrested between 2002 and 2003 and have been in U.S. custody ever since Walid bin Attash, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh and Mustafa Hawsawi (left to right) were all arrested between 2002 and 2003 and have been in U.S. custody ever since The five men - self-described plot mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh, Mustafa Hawsawi and Walid bin Attash - are accused of conspiring to murder almost 3,000 people in the terror plot. They were all arrested between 2002 and 2003 and have been in U.S. custody ever since. Jessen took the stand after his partner, fellow former contractor James Mitchell, testified over eight days, providing the first public details about a CIA interrogation program that has long been shrouded in secrecy. As he took the stand Friday morning, Jessen made it clear that his participation was limited. 'My position is that I'll come for two weeks and that is all and then I'm done,' he said soon after taking the stand. 'I hope you'll remember that.' A retired psychologist who lives in Washington state, Jessen created the interrogation program with Mitchell based on the experience both men had training Air Force pilots to put up resistance to the enemy if captured. Their company received $81million from the CIA, according to a 2014 Senate report on the program. The Senate investigation found that Jessen and Mitchell's interrogation program was used on 39 detainees and produced no useful intelligence. Jessen's former partner, James Mitchell, testified over eight days, providing the first public details about CIA's interrogation program Mitchell and Jessen previously worked at the Air Force survival school at Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane, Washington, where they trained pilots to avoid capture and resist interrogation and torture. The CIA hired them to reverse-engineer that training to break terrorism suspects. Mitchell and Jessen gave depositions in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of three former prisoners, including one who died in custody. The case was settled for undisclosed terms in August 2017 and the two former contractors did not testify in court. Mitchell earlier defended the program, though he conceded that some interrogators used unapproved methods or that some techniques were used even when not necessary because detainees were cooperating. The methods they developed included sleep deprivation for days at a time, confinement in small spaces, painful shackling, forced standing in the nude, being plunged into icy water and the simulated drowning known as waterboarding, Mitchell insisted the overall goal of the program was to prevent another terrorist attack. 'I felt my moral obligation to protect American lives outweighed the temporary discomfort of terrorists who voluntarily took up arms against us,' he said. Air Force Col. Shane Cohen, the judge, said he will ultimately decide how to characterize the treatment the men were subjected to in various clandestine CIA detention facilities before they were taken to Guantanamo in September 2006. They are now among the 40 prisoners still held at the base. 'The opinion of the Department of Justice, the attorney general, or even the president of the United States is not binding on me,' Cohen said during Mitchell's testimony. His decision could have a significant effect on what evidence the government can present in a case that has stalled in pretrial hearings since the May 2012 arraignment of the defendants. LAHORE, Pakistan, January 31, 2020 (Morning Star News) Maintaining their innocence, 39 Christians accused of killing two Muslims after 2015 church bombings in Pakistan reached an agreement to pay victim families in exchange for acquittal this week, sources said. An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Wednesday (Jan. 29), acquitted all 39 Christians and one Muslim accused in the killings that took place after Taliban suicide bombers attacked two churches in March 2015, killing at least 15 civilians and two policemen and wounding more than 70 others in the Youhanabad area of Lahore. The five years that I spent in jail cannot be described in words there were times when I had lost hope of seeing my family, Irfan Bashir Masih, one of the acquitted, told Morning Star News. I was not even present at the scene when the two Muslim youths were burned alive, yet I was involved in the case by the police like many other innocent people of my locality. He said that the acquittals in the false case had reinforced his faith in Christ. I belong to a very poor family and had no hope of being with them again, he said. I am happy that Im back with my family and look forward to starting my life afresh. Masih confirmed media reports that a public prosecutor had offered the accused freedom if they converted to Islam. In May 2017 Lahore Deputy District Public Prosecutor Syed Anees Shah was accused of telling the Christian prisoners that they would be freed if they converted to Islam. He was reportedly found guilty of proselytism and suspended. The Anti-Terrorism Court in 2016 indicted 42 people all of them already in jail in three cases, two pertaining to rioting and the third to murder of the two Muslim men. Two of the accused Christians died in prison, allegedly due to lack of access to medical treatment. The other living suspect acquitted under the settlement is a Muslim, Muhammad Rizwan, arrested only because he appeared in the crowd during the rioting. The ATC acquitted the accused, including those who died, after some of the slain Muslims relatives, Muhammad Nawaz, Khadija Bibi and Muhammad Iqbal, told the court they had arrived at an agreement with the suspects and would have no objections to their acquittal. Sources told Morning Star News that under the settlement the Muslim families received 30 million rupees (US$193,500). Christian parliamentarian Shunila Ruth told Morning Star News that the Diyat or blood money was paid by donations from churches and Christian philanthropists. The cases were going nowhere, Ruth said, noting that the payment did not mean the suspects were guilty. Families of the accused Christians were suffering as their breadwinners were in jail, so we had no option but to pay off the families of the two Muslims. The settlement was facilitated by the efforts of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, she said. The case had been a major source of concern for Pakistans Christian community, Ruth said. The entire community had been praying for the release of the Christians accused in the case, and it is due to collective efforts of the community and the governments facilitation that we were able to secure freedom for our brothers. The March 15, 2015 suicide bombings targeted Christ Church Youhanabad and St. Johns Catholic Church during Sunday Mass. The two slain Muslims, tailor Babar Nauman and glass cutter Hafiz Naeem, were burned to death when subsequent protests turned violent. In the two charges of rioting against the accused, the court acquitted the Christians by giving them benefit of the doubt, according to legal records. Pakistan ranked fifth on Christian support organization Open Doors' 2020 World Watch list of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. On Nov. 28, 2018, the United States added Pakistan to its blacklist of countries that violate religious freedom. If you would like to help persecuted Christians, visit http://morningstarnews.org/resources/aid-agencies/ for a list of organizations that can orient you on how to get involved. If you or your organization would like to help enable Morning Star News to continue raising awareness of persecuted Christians worldwide with original-content reporting, please consider collaborating at https://morningstarnews.org/donate/? Article originally published by Morning Star News. Used with permission. Photo courtesy: CLAAS/Morning Star News The city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, remains in lockdown mode (Handout/PA) Two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus, Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty said. The two patients are in a high consequence infectious disease unit in Newcastle, the chief medical officer confirmed. Medical chiefs declined to give any detail on the condition of the two patients confirmed to have the virus, including where they are from and if they had travelled to the UK from China, citing patient confidentiality. An outbreak investigation team has been formed to trace anyone who has been in contact with the pair to prevent the illness spreading. It comes as people from the UK were flown out of Wuhan in China on Thursday. They have been taken to Liverpool where a special facility has been set up as a quarantine. In a statement, Professor Chris Whitty, said: "We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. "The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. Read More "The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. "We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities." Expand Close The coronavirus has been declared a global health emergency (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The coronavirus has been declared a global health emergency (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP) The first cases of the virus to be diagnosed in the UK were announced as more than 80 Britons on an evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak were due to land in the UK. Director for national infection service at Public Health England Professor Sharon Peacock said: "We were able to stand up an outbreak investigation team immediately and that team is working now, and what they'll be doing is aiming to contact everybody who has been in contact with these two cases and prevent onward transmission." Almost 10,000 cases of the infection have been reported in Wuhan - the centre of the outbreak - with more than 200 people killed. Read More There have been 130 negative cases in the UK since the outbreak - including one in Belfast. On Thursday the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency. Northern Ireland's Health Minister Robin Swann took part in a COBRA meeting this week to discuss the UK's approach to the outbreak with senior health officials from across the country. He said discussions had also taken place to ensure a "consistent approach". "One of the things we have got out of COBRA is our preparedness and to make sure we have those systems in place," he told the BBC. "Northern Ireland has been here before hand and passed ... so we have the experience. "Hopefully we don't get to that stage. But realistically it is likely at some point in time Northern Ireland will see a case. We are prepared for it. "We have procedures and steps in place that have been tried and tested." Sinn Fein has urged Mr Swann to "intensify" engagement with health authorities in the Republic. There is an increased responsibility and onus on both ministers of health on this island, and their relevant authorities, to work closely together to avoid Coronavirus coming to Ireland, and to mitigate its impact across the country if it does," said MLA Colm Gildernew. Virginia Roberts has called on Prince Andrew to 'do the right thing' after US lawyers said he was not co-operating with the American authorities. Andrew has faced mounting pressure recently after both the FBI and New York state attorney Geoffrey Berman accused him of 'zero co-operation' with a probe into his friend Jeffrey Epstein. US officials want to interview the Duke of York about his relationship with the disgraced billionaire paedophile. Epstein's 'sex slave' Ms Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, claims she had sex with the Duke of York three times, including once in London when she was 17, one time in New York and another at Epstein's private Caribbean island - claims strongly denied by Andrew. She has called on the royal to speak out today, tweeting: 'Tick Tock Andy - time to talk!! 'The world is over the lies, the cover ups and the simple fact that privilege buys your way out of facing the music. Virginia Ms Roberts, now known as Virginia Giuffre, has called on Andrew to speak out, tweeting: 'Tick Tock Andy - time to talk!!' Ms Giuffre has called on Prince Andrew to 'do the right thing' after US lawyers said he was not co-operating with the FBI Prince Andrew (left) drives himself from Windsor the day after being criticised by a US prosecutor for giving 'zero co-operation' with their investigation into Epstein 'Do the right thing, if not for me then the countless other Epstein victims who deserve the truth.' She tweeted using the hashtags '#PrinceAndrew' and '#TimesUp2020'. Andrew has 'emphatically' denied any relationship with the mother-of-three, who now lives in Cairns in Australia, 'in any form'. He says he does not recall a 2001 picture of him with Ms Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell being taken. The duke has also strongly denied claims he had been dodging an interview with authorities. Andrew was pictured with his arm around Virginia Roberts's waist at Ghislaine Maxwell's house in London in March 2001, although he has raised doubts about the veracity of the photograph Andrew has faces calls to speak with US authorities about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein The Queen's son was said to be furious at an allegation from US attorney Geoffrey Berman that he had offered 'zero-cooperation', with a source insisting that 'nothing could be further from the truth'. The defiant prince was in fact more than happy to talk but hasnt been approached by them yet, a source said earlier this week. Mr Berman stood outside Epsteins New York mansion and accused the Queens son of failing to respond to requests by the FBI and US prosecutors for an interview over his friendship with the paedophile financier. The resulting firestorm sent Buckingham Palace into a panic, with courtiers saying they would never talk about the subject and insisted it was a matter for the princes lawyers, who they refused to identify. A source close to the prince stepped forward to contradict the US prosecutors claims that the royal had reneged on his promise two months ago to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations into Epstein. Prince Andrew, pictured with the Queen heading to church at Sandringham on January 19, has come under pressure over his links with Epstein On Monday, US attorney Geoffrey Berman accused the Duke of York of zero co-operation with their investigation, a claim Andrews' friends furiously denied The insider had claimed Andrew was committed to the legal process, saying: The duke is more than happy to talk to the FBI but he hasnt been approached by them yet. He is angry about the way this is being portrayed and bewildered as to why this was said in New York. It seems certain people are jumping the gun. After Mr Bermans shock intervention on Monday, lawyers and women who say they were sex trafficking victims of Epstein vented their fury at Andrew. A lawyer for Ms Giuffre said he should take most seriously the deeply-held belief in this country that no one is above the law. Lisa Bloom, who represents five other women, said it was time to stop playing games and answer questions, while a third lawyer threatened Andrew, 59, with a subpoena if he sets foot in America again. The prince has categorically denied having any knowledge that Epstein was sexually abusing teenage girls. U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper addresses the media at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida on Jan. 23, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) US Not Totally Withdrawing Forces From Africa, Says Esper The United States will not be completely removing its forces from Africa, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced on Jan. 30, amid concerns from international partners that the United States would be making cuts as extremist violence grows across the continent. The announcement came as Esper moved to spearhead a global troop review meant to free up more resources to address challenges from Chinas military. We are not going to totally withdraw forces from Africa I know that is the concern of many folks, but again I would say that no decisions have been made yet, this is a process, Esper said. Some 6,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed across Africa, and the possibility of cuts alarmed allies such as France, which relies on U.S. intelligence and logistics for its 4,500-strong mission in the Sahel region of West Africa. Frances concerns for securing more support in the region mounted after 13 French soldiers were killed in a helicopter crash during a combat mission in Mali in November. During a visit to the Pentagon this week, French Defense Minister Florence Parly said she warned Esper that joint counterterrorism efforts in West Africa would be harmed by cuts to U.S. military assistance. The head of U.S. military forces in Africa also argued against troop cuts in a congressional hearing Thursday, saying efforts against militant groups would not go in a good direction. Gen. Stephen J. Townsend told the Senate Armed Services Committee that strategic partnerships must not be sacrificed amid a growing extremist threat and assertive Chinese and Russian influence in Africa. A secure and stable Africa remains an enduring American interest, he said. In the past, maybe weve been able to pay less attention to Africa and be OK in America. I dont believe thats the case for the future. Townsend expressed concerns that the number of tasks that U.S. forces in Africa need to carry out could be reduced following Espers review. Earlier this month in East Africa, three Americans were killed by Somalias al Shabaab terrorist groupan affiliate to al-Qaedaduring an attack at a Kenya Defense Force in Manda Bay used by U.S. and Kenyan forces. Two Department of Defense (DOD) personnel and one Army soldier were killed in the terrorist attack on Jan. 5, officials said. The fatal attack also followed a Dec. 28 attack by the organization that has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in the region over the past decade or so. In that incident, at least 80 people died, according to the military. Its obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be, Townsend said. We cannot take pressure off major terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS. These groups and many others remain an inconvenient reality in Africa, he added. Townsend also warned against China and Russia who are aggressively using economic and military means to expand their access and influence in Africa, noting Chinas offer of smart cities technology equipped with facial recognition and Russias pursuit of extractive ventures in the continents rich mineral resources. He added that intelligence suggested Iranian and Iranian-backed forces were looking into plotting retaliatory attacks on Americans after the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, and one of those places could be in Africa. It is not yet clear when Esper will make his decision on possible military cuts. Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. In social media posts and conversations with classmates, the 17-year-old spoke of restoring Hindu pride. The 17-year-old boy, who fired at a protest rally against Indias new citizenship law, left his home after telling his grandfather he was going to school. Instead, he turned up 80km (50 miles) away near the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) university in capital New Delhi, where he pulled out a gun and shot at a crowd protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which critics say violates Indias secular constitution and is anti-Muslim. The incident, captured in dramatic pictures and videos on Thursday, was the first time a civilian had opened fire on protesters in the capital, raising fears that more Indians would take the law into their own hands as sometimes deadly protests rock the country. The CAA, brought in by the Hindu nationalist government that fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from three neighbouring countries, has divided opinion, with the Hindu majority and Muslim minority often taking opposing sides. Family members, neighbours, and a school official in Uttar Pradesh states Jewar town, described the boy as quiet and ordinary. They were surprised by his act of violence. In social media posts and conversations with some classmates, he spoke of restoring Hindu pride and expressed admiration for a right-wing activist whom police have accused of fomenting violence. He wanted to do things for Hindus, he had that in his heart, classmate Shivam told Reuters News Agency. For years, he had said he was going to do something big. Reuters has not been able to establish how the boy planned the attack outside the JMI university or how he acquired the rudimentary gun. He fired a single shot, wounding a Kashmiri student in the hand. WhatsApp messages with another classmate, seen by Reuters, show that he asked for several thousand rupees three days before the shooting incident, without revealing why. Protests against CAA have flared since last December, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets [Adnan Abidi/Reuters] Upheaval over the new law Protests against the CAA have flared since last December, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government insists the law is required to help persecuted minorities who fled to India before 2015 from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, protesters say the law as well as a proposed National Register for Citizens discriminates against the countrys Muslims, who form nearly 15 percent of Indias 1.3 billion population. At least 29 people have been killed in clashes with police. In recent days, leaders from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have called for action against the protesters, accusing them of being unpatriotic. This week, Indias minister of state for finance, Anurag Thakur, encouraged supporters at a state election rally in New Delhi to chant slogans, calling for the traitors to be shot, drawing a reprimand from the countrys election commission. We are with him Hours after the shooting, small groups of people walked past the boys house in Jewar, shouting Hindu slogans in support of his actions. What he did was unconstitutional, but we are with him, a neighbour said, declining to be named. Hindus, Muslims and members of smaller religious minorities live cheek-by-jowl in Jewar, typical for towns and cities in Uttar Pradesh, Indians most populous state. Family members said the boy usually split his time between school and home, which adjoins his fathers small sweet shop, and mostly kept to himself. In recent days, he was seen spending a lot of time on his phone. We tried talking to him but we couldnt get him to open up, his father said. Im still not able to understand what happened, added the boys grandfather, wrapped under a blanket in their family home in a crowded lane dotted with shops and Hindu temples. Right-wing links On his two known Facebook accounts, which have been taken down by the company, he posted calls for Hindus to unite. Some posts featured him posing with weapons, according to a review of his profiles before they were removed. In March 2018, the boy asked friends via Facebook to join a meeting of the Bajrang Dal, a hardline Hindu group tied to the ruling BJP. Days later, he shared photos of himself at the meeting. Praveen Bhati, a local leader from the far-right Bajrang Dal, denied the boy was a member of the group. Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of the World Hindu Council, which forms a part of what is called the Sangh Parivar (Sangh Family) in India. The Sangh Parivar is named after their parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Association of Volunteers), which draws its inspiration from the German Nazis. Some classmates said they were aware of his support for Hindu nationalism for at least three years, partly from his social media posts. The classmates said he idolised right-wing activist Deepak Sharma, whom police accused of instigating violence against students from Afghanistan at a north Indian university in 2018. At least two social media profiles of the boy on Facebook and WhatsApp had Sharma in the main display picture. Sharma said he remembered meeting the boy and recognised a photograph with him. I am not in touch with him, Sharma told Reuters, adding that he had quit activism. Police in New Delhi, who are holding the boy in custody, could not be reached for comment on their investigation. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The Global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Market Report is prepared to club all the essential market details such as market size, share, value, growth, restraints, challenges, and opportunities during the study period of 2020-2026. The data presented in this report has been gathered on the basis of historical data, primary interviews and expert's estimation of future trends. The report also covers regional assessment which has been conducted globally. The detailed content of the market study ensures intellectual insights given a better understanding of the untapped opportunities in the market. Players, stakeholders, and other participants in the global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics market will be able to gain the upper hand as they use the report as a powerful resource. For this version of the report, the segmental analysis focuses on sales (volume), revenue and forecast by each application segment in terms of sales and revenue and forecast by each type segment in terms of revenue for the period 2015-2026. Access Full Report and Table of Contents @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/46093-electric-vehicle-power-electronics-industry-market-report Regional and Country-level Analysis The report offers an exhaustive geographical analysis of the global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics market, covering important regions, viz, North America, Europe, China, Japan, South Korea and India. It also covers key countries (regions), viz, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E, etc. Competition Analysis In the competitive analysis section of the report, leading as well as prominent players of the global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics market are broadly studied on the basis of key factors. The report offers comprehensive analysis and accurate statistics on sales by the player for the period 2015-2020. It also offers detailed analysis supported by reliable statistics on price and revenue (global level) by player for the period 2015-2020. The following manufacturers are covered in this report: Infineon Technologies Mitsubishi Electric Fuji Electric SEMIKRON ON Semiconductor Renesas Electronics Vishay Intertechnology Texas Instruments Toshiba Stmicroelectronics NXP Semiconductors Microchip Technology Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Breakdown Data by Type Inverters Converters Charger Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Breakdown Data by Application Electric Vehicle Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle Other Download free Sample Report of Global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Market @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-46093 Major Chapter From Table Of Contents- 1 Study Coverage 2 Executive Summary 3 Market Size by Manufacturers 4 Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Production by Regions 5 Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Consumption by Regions 6 Market Size by Type 7 Market Size by Application 8 Key Industry Players 9 Entry Strategy for Key Countries 10 Production Forecasts 11 Consumption Forecast 12 Opportunities & Challenges, Threat and Affecting Factors 13 Key Findings in the Global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Study 14 Appendix Purchase Full Global Electric Vehicle Power Electronics Market Research Report @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-46093 Other Reports by DecisionDatabases.com Global Vehicle Camshaft Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 Global Vehicle Head Gasket Market Insights, Forecast to 2025 About Us: DecisionDatabases.com is a Global business research reports provider,enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research Report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains. Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed. For More Details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91-90-28-057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Ghana and the World Bank on Friday signed four agreements, totalling nearly $570 million aimed to transform the economy, boost education, improve sanitation and fight flooding in Accra as well as reduce forest losses. Out of the total commitment for the four projects, $557 million is in loans and just over $12 million in grants. The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project is a $200 million, multi-sector and transformative urban project which aims to support Greater Accra to become a cleaner, safer and more resilient city. It focuses on reducing flood risk along the Odaw urban river basin and three selected low-income communities: Nima, Alogboshie and Akweteman. Ghana Accountability for Learning Outcomes Project is $150 million for 6 years, which has the development objective to improve the quality of education in low performing basic education schools and strengthen education sector equity and accountability in Ghana. The objective of the $200m Ghana Economic Transformation Project is to promote private investments and firm growth in non-resource-based sectors of the Ghanaian economy. The project will work towards improving the business environment to facilitate firm growth and investments. The final project is the Additional Financing for the Ghana Forest Investment Programme, which is a $12.4 million grant and $7 million loan project. It seeks to reduce forest loss and degradation in selected landscapes in Ghanas High Forest Zone, where deforestation is at the highest. Finance Minister Mr Ken Ofori-Atta and Mr Pierre Laporte, the World Bank Country signed the deal on behalf of Ghana and the World Bank respectively. In his address Mr Ofori-Atta commended the World Bank for its support, saying the projects would help to advance governments quest for inclusiveness and transformation. He said since the government came into office some three years ago, the goal has been to accelerate the pace of development and ensuring that no one was left behind. However, this could not be done without focus on wealth creation, which is key to ensuring sustainability. He said government has proven to Ghanaians its desire of inclusiveness through flagship programmes such as the one district one factory and the free SHS programme. Mr Ofori-Atta urged development partners not to slow down the process because of an election year because the government was desirous to move forward development. On his part, Mr Laporte said the event affirmed the banks commitment to the government and Ghanaians through the signing of the legal Agreements of the four important and potentially transformative projects. We have a longstanding and strong partnership with the Government and the people of Ghana. The World Bank is committed to strengthening our partnership even further going forward, he said. We will work with you hand in hand to ensure that these projects, as well as others already ongoing, are implemented timely and effectively. This will, in turn, result in efficient use of resources, achieve the projects objectives, and most importantly positively impact the lives of the people, communities and institutions, he added. He said project delays were costly, and encouraged the teams to identify implementation challenges and work collaboratively with other government organizations as well as with the Bank teams to resolve them. One important aspect of the implementation process is feedback from beneficiaries. Implementing entities thus need to ensure there are functional grievance redress mechanisms and strong citizens engagement for all projects as they contribute to effective, efficient and sustainable delivery and outcomes, Mr Laporte. 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 Tour companies and hotels in destinations popular with Chinese tourists are starting to see cancellations after a new form of virus that has led to mass quarantines and more than 200 deaths in China. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. People walk across a street in Banff, Alta., in Banff National Park, Friday, July 21, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Tour companies and hotels in destinations popular with Chinese tourists are starting to see cancellations after a new form of virus that has led to mass quarantines and more than 200 deaths in China. The virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." There are four confirmed cases in Canada and all are linked to recent travel in China. Travel agencies in the Asian country have been told to halt all group tours due to the virus, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported, citing the China Association of Travel Services. Travel Alberta, which works to promote tourism to the province, said it is hearing about cancellations from tour operators and hotels. "We have not had mass waves of cancellations," CEO Royce Chwin said in an interview. "We've had some cancellations although I don't have a qualified number." The cancellations include group tours to Jasper and Banff in the Rocky Mountains, he said. Banff Lake Louise Tourism said in a statement that it has seen a minimal impact so far, but noted that staff are monitoring the situation. "It's early days so (we) can't fully anticipate the impact," said Angela Anderson, director of communications. "We are encouraging all businesses in our destination to help make any changes or cancellations as easy as possible and penalty free. "China is an important market for us, so we are hopeful the situation gets under control as soon as possible." Travel Alberta said the three biggest overseas tourism markets for the province are the United Kingdom, Germany, then China. The agency is also pausing its consumer marketing activities in China that bring tourists to Alberta. "We run ads on social channels," he said. "Considering what the Chinese government has asked their travel companies to do out there that's to not book trips out of the country we really didn't think it appropriate to sit here and invite people to come to Canada to travel." He said Travel Alberta follows the lead of Destination Canada, a federal government corporation that markets the country to international tourists. Hysan Lee, owner and operator of Aurora Holiday Tours in Yellowknife, said he's had about 200 cancellations in the last few weeks. "This morning, I got five emails," he said Thursday. The company books tours and hotels for Chinese people travelling to the Northwest Territories. Lee said he's offering a full refund for the cancellations, which were mostly for February and March. Discover Banff Tours declined to comment and other tour companies in B.C. and Alberta didn't respond to requests for interviews. Travel Alberta's Chwin said he hasn't heard about any operators or hotels that are overly worried. "Everybody is just being proactive and has general concern, obviously, for the general well-being of people first and secondly how it might impact the business," he said. "We're just seeing a bit of trickle here." The impact, he said, is nowhere near what it was in 2003 when SARS, a viral respiratory illness also caused by a coronavirus, hit Toronto. "SARS was centred in Canada where this is not," said Chwin. "Canada is not the focus of attention. It really did hurt the industry back in the day when SARS happened, while this (new coronavirus) is centred in China. "It's not really a relevant comparison." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020 With files from The Associated Press ITI extended its issue closure date to 5 February 2020 on the back of ongoing banking strike in the country. As per the Regulation 142(3) of the 2018 SEBI Regulations, in case of any force majeure, banking strike or similar circumstance, the issuer may extend the issue period for a minimum of three working days. In an exchange filing, ITI said that in accordance to above regulation, the FPO committee has decided to extend the bid/issue period by four working days. The bid/issue closing date is now 5 February 2020. The price band will remain the same i.e. Rs 71 to Rs 77 per equity share. ITI launched its follow-on public offer (FPO) on 24 January 2020. The FPO was earlier slated to close on 28 January 2020, but the company later extended FPO closing date to 31 January and readjusted its price band. Price band was revised from Rs 72-77 to Rs 71-77 per share. As on 31 January 2020 (15:15 IST), the FPO received bids for 10.49 crore shares, as against 18.18 crore shares on offer, as per the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) website data. The issue was subscribed 0.58 times. The FPO comprises a fresh issue of 18 crore equity shares and additional issue of 18 lakh equity shares. Of the net proceeds from the issue about Rs 642.48 crore will be utilized for funding its working capital requirements and Rs 607.291 crore to repay loans in full or partially taken by the company. The balance is for general corporate purpose. The FPO will also help the company meet Sebi's requirement of minimum 25% public shareholding. Shares of ITI were trading 1.1% lower at Rs 85.65 on BSE. ITI's consolidated net profit surged 1139% to Rs 168.25 crore on 47% jump in net sales to Rs 827.95 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. The bump in the net profit was aided by 107.9% rise in other income to Rs 150.87 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against Rs 72.57 crore in Q3 December 2018. The Dept of Telecommunications (DoT), GOI allocated a grant of Rs 85.40 crore to the company towards meeting the liability of PF of the employees. It has also written back liablities to the tune of Rs 49.30 crore, which in the opinion of the company is no longer required. ITI manufactures telecommunications products, including electronic switching equipment, telephones and related devices, digital radio, open wire bags, optical fiber equipment and digital exchanges. The company's customers include defense, railways and oil companies. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Journalists have generally opposed defamation laws because they so often are used against news organizations to stifle free expression. Now, faced with repeated misinformation, threats of violence, and other efforts to undermine their credibility, reporters have begun using these laws to protect themselves against online harassment, and to fight back against their trolls. In Finland, France, Peru, and South Africa, journalists or governments have used defamation laws against online harassers. Peruvian investigative journalist Gustavo Gorriti, who currently has several cases underway, says that simply starting the legal process caused four of his defamers to issue retractions. I dont think a lawsuit should be the answer of first resort, Gorriti said in a phone interview. But when you have a determined criminal organization of trolls and a mob attacking you, then of course you should be able to ask for legal protection. Journalists should take a much more determined approach to fighting back. ICYMI: Serial harassment from a fake recruiter targets female journalists Gorriti found himself targeted for harassment after he reported on payments by the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht to Peruvian President Alan Garcia. Supporters of Garcia and former President Alberto Fujimori began to attack Goritti, accusing him of bringing the Jewish mafia to Peru and being in league with George Soros. The attacks worsened after Garcias death in April 2019, when prominent politicians correlated Garcias suicide with Gorritis reporting. First he was attacked online with memes, tweets, and inappropriate reports requesting takedown of his Facebook videos. In June, a small crowd began picketing his office, some with signs linking Gorriti to the Communist Party and to Soros. Gorriti began by exposing the trolls and blogging about them, documenting their links to Fujimori, who had been jailed for embezzlement and ordering killings while he was in office. Then Gorittiinspired, he says, by Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro, who in 2018 won damages and legal costs in her own defamation case against a right-wing, pro-Russian alternative media sitedecided to sue. He is asking for damages and jail time; though he doesnt expect to receive a financial reward, he says thats not the point of the lawsuit. In many cases, harassment and threats prevent journalists from doing their jobs. A 2018 survey of 597 women journalists around the world by Troll Busters and the International Institute for Womens Studies found that 63 percent had experienced online harassment, and 37 percent had changed their coverage by avoiding certain stories as a result. A 2019 survey by the Committee to Protect Journalists found that many newsrooms did little to help women journalists who were being harassed online. Sign up for CJR 's daily email While the UNs Declaration of Human Rights protects free expression without interference, many countries lack adequate protections for journalists facing online harassment, leaving them to try their hand at defamation cases. Yet such lawsuits can produce a terrible backlash, and Michelle Ferrier, the founder of Troll Busters, says most of the journalists she works with are reluctant to bring them. I advocate it as a tactic, knowing full well and with caution that this route is fraught with retaliation and not-so-good outcomes, Ferrier wrote in an email. Veteran South African journalists Anton Harber and Thandeka Gqubule felt they had no option. In 2017, Harber and Gqubule filed civil defamation charges after Winnie Madikizela-Mandela gave an interview alleging that Harber and Gqubule had worked for the South African secret police during the apartheid era. The interview first ran on HuffPost in 2017. The site took the interview down and apologized. But both Harber and Gqubule said in court filings that they became the subject of hundreds of vicious tweets that included calls for their death. They sent multiple cease-and-desist letters to the Economic Freedom Fighters, a political party that was circulating and amplifying the Madikizela-Mandela claim, but these were ignored. Finally, worried about their reputations, they decided to file civil defamation charges, asking for R1 million (almost $70,000) in damages, which they would donate to charity. Last week, the court ruled on the side of the plantiffs. As a journalist, I have a deep aversion to defamation litigation, Harber said in an email. We want the freedom to say strong things, even push the bounds of acceptable speech, and not have defamation law used to silence us so we have to give others the same respect. We only embarked on this civil action because we could see no other way to stop things being said that were hurtful and harmful, even dangerous. Journalists at Rappler, the feisty Philippines news site that has extensively covered the killings and human rights violations of President Rodrigo Dutertes drug war, have been harassed by critics, including Dutertes administration. However, the editors dont go after harassers through the courts, because they believe that many laws restricting freedom of expression should be abolished. That is the position of many free expression advocates, too. In a report for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Jonathan McCully notes that a number of European and international human-rights bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights, are opposed to criminal sanctions for defamation. Criminal penalties for harm to reputation have a greater potential to exert a chilling effect on free expression, and criminal defamation laws at a global level are frequently abused to silence opponents and critics, said McCully, a legal advisor to the Berlin-based Digital Freedom Fund, which funds strategic litigation on digital rights. The OSCE calls for criminal defamation laws to be replaced by civil defamation laws, and for the recognition of online harassment as a threat to journalists. It recommends setting up swift, low-cost, low-burden remedies for journalists who have been harassed. Many of these have already been instituted in France, which defined online harassment for the first time in 2014, then broadened the definition with a 2018 law against sexual and sexist violence. French law protects people from doxing, defamation, insult, and harassment, both online and off. These laws allow journalists to focus on the cyber harassment without needing to delve into whether trolls claims are true. US law gives far less protection to journalists than to publishers, and all kinds of speech are broadly protected by the First Amendment. Id be very surprised if journalists bringing defamation lawsuits against harassers would be a successful tool in the US generally. Its just very difficult, said Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute, which has researched defamation laws around the world. There are plenty of reasons why journalists might choose not to sue. Sarah Guinee, a research fellow at the Knight First Amendment Institute who previously researched online harassment at the Committee to Protect Journalists, notes that most of the journalists harassed online are women and are often reluctant to go to court. Lawsuits can be costly, time consuming, and emotionally draining. They can drag on for years. Much of the harassment is aimed at eroding the credibility of the journalists; defamation suits can open up their personal lives to scrutiny. To sue someone on defamation charges, one thing you have to do is prove that the statement is false, says Guinee. If there was a coordinated campaign saying that the journalist slept with someone who leaked information to her, are you really going to litigate your sexual history? Guinee has found in her research that journalists were discouraged from pursuing legal remedies. They are told either to do journalism investigations about their harassers or ignore the harassment. She points out, though, that investigating and exposing harassers is kind of a win for the harassers, because the journalists are putting their energy into that instead of the reporting that incensed the harassers in the first place. Chloe Oldham assisted with the research for this piece. ARCHIVES: Sexual harassment in the newsroom Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Anya Schiffrin is the director of the media and technology specialization at Columbia Universitys School of International and Public Affairs. Adfactors PR, Indias largest public relations consultancy, has won the PR mandate for India Fintech Festival (IFF) the countrys largest-ever fintech event scheduled to be held in Mumbai on March 4-5, 2020. Adfactors PR, which has market leading practices in financial services and the fintech domain, won the mandate in a multi-agency pitch. Backed by the Maharashtra government, IFF will see participation from more than 5,000 delegates from over 25+ countries comprising 500-plus fintech startups, regulators, key financial institutions, tech companies, government officials, industry bodies, students, and corporates. IFF is a collaboration of Mumbai Fintech Hub (MFH) and FinTech Convergence Council (FCC). FCC Chairman Naveen Surya said, We are pleased to partner Adfactors PR. Together, we will devise the communications strategy for IFF, showcase new opportunities in the fintech industry, and make the event engaging and relevant to all our stakeholders. Adfactors PRs expertise and deep understanding of the fintech industry makes the consultancy an excellent partner for this mega event, Suniti Nanda, Fintech Officer, Government of Maharashtra, said. Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal said, The opportunity to work for a marquee fintech event such as IFF presents an exciting opportunity for us. The mandate, which comes at a time when the Indian fintech market is expected to touch $31 billion in 2020, will deepen our learnings and leadership in the worlds third-largest fintech ecosystem. We look forward to serve the communications needs of fintech companies in their evolution journey and add value to a rapidly transforming industry. India Fintech Festival is supported by Digital India, Ministry of Electronics and Information technology, NITI Aayog, National Payments Corporation of India, Invest India, World Bank, UN Capital Development Fund, and industry partners such as FICCI and NASSCOM. The program is being managed by MEDICI. Heads of Fortune 100 companies and leading fintechs are expected to speak at the event. The international news podcast has a growing team, and a new take on news. Al Jazeeras flagship news podcast returns on February 3 with three stories a week, highlighting the reporting of the networks journalists from around the world. Along with the new show features, The Take welcomes a full-time host and a new executive producer. In this episode, meet the full team behind the podcast. Follow us and keep in touch on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Subscribe to The Take on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen. WASHINGTON (AP) The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and took drastic steps to significantly restrict entry into the country because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled in China within the last 14 days. The new restrictions, which take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, were announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the U.S. response. "It is likely that we will continue to see more cases in the United States in the coming days and weeks, including some limited person-to-person transmissions, Azar said. The American public can be assured the full weight of the U.S. government is working to safeguard the health and safety of the American people. Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Beginning Sunday, the U.S. will also begin funneling all flights to the U.S. from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for illness. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. A public health emergency in the U.S. allows the government to tap additional resources to send to states, such as emergency funding and if necessary drugs or equipment from the national stockpile, and to suspend certain legal requirements. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that while the risk in the U.S. is low, I want to emphasize that this is a significant global situation and it continues to evolve." Story continues There are seven cases of this virus in the U.S. and all were travelers except for a Chicago man who caught it from his wife, who had been in China. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said one reason the U.S. stepped up its quarantine measures was an alarming report from Germany that a traveler from China had spread the virus despite showing no symptoms. Fauci contrasted it with the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola, which cant be spread unless someone is very ill. At the same time, federal health authorities were recognizing that the test theyre using to detect the virus isnt always dependable. Redfield said when it was used on some of the people currently in isolation, theyd test positive one day and negative another. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University expert on public health law, said putting a large number of people under quarantine is virtually unprecedented in modern American history. Declaring a public health emergency gives HHS added powers, and is warranted. Quarantine of those returning from Hubei is also reasonable given the high risk of exposure to coronavirus in that province, he said. He did note that travelers from other parts of China dont pose as high a risk. We need to use the least restrictive measure necessary to safeguard the population," Gostin said. Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun offered Americas deepest compassion to the Chinese, noting that the deadly outbreak came during the peak of their holiday season, when everyone would ordinarily be celebrating and not living in fear of contracting the virus. Biegun said the U.S. is working hard to find donors of supplies and making arrangements for a robust effort to help the Chinese people get their arms around this outbreak. The announcement came hours after the State Department issued a level 4 Do Not Travel" advisory, the highest grade of warning, and told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice," the advisory said. Hours later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced they were suspending all flights between the U.S. and China, joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the virus outbreak continues to spread. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, provincial capital of Hubei province. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about the potential spread of smallpox, the CDC said. None of the Americans being housed at a Southern California military base has shown signs of illness, but infected people don't show symptoms immediately and may be able to pass on the virus before they appear sick. One of the evacuees, Matthew L. McCoy, a theme park designer who lives in China, said the group was very relieved by the quarantine order. "All of us really want to stay here and make sure were all medically clear and the public safe," he said from the military base. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases Friday, the vast majority in Hubei province. The National Health Commission reported 171 cases of people who have been "cured and discharged from hospital." WHO has said most people who got the illness had milder cases, though 20% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms include fever and cough, and in severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine. American Airlines said it was halting all flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. It said the stoppage will continue through April 30. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. The U.S. screening airports are John F. Kennedy International in New York, San Francisco International in California, Seattle-Tacoma International in Washington, O'Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia, and Daniel K. Inouye International in Hawaii. The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded more than 600 points Friday as the outbreak continued to widen, stoking fears that the travel restrictions and other uncertainties caused by the health emergency in the worlds second-largest economy could dent global growth. Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, at least 23 countries have reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China, and WHO noted with its emergency declaration Thursday it was especially concerned that some cases abroad also involved human-to-human transmission. It defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that poses a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. The last time the U.S. government ordered a quarantine was in 1963 when a woman named Ellen Siegel was held in quarantine for up to 14 days because she did not present a valid certificate of vaccination against small pox. Siegel had visited Sweden when it still had a case of smallpox and although she had been revaccinated about two months earlier, the vaccination was said to be unsuccessful. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care," the embassy said. Mike Wester, a businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave. I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel, Wester said. He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks. Japan and Germany also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao. Popular holiday and shopping destination Singapore barred Chinese from traveling there, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to do so. Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus is worrying. In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, five employees of a German auto parts supplier became ill after a Chinese colleague visited, including two who had no direct contact with the woman, who showed no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. On Friday, Germany confirmed a sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected. Thats the kind of transmission chain that we dont want to see, said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHOs emergency committee. The new virus has now infected more people globally than were sickened during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. ___ Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press reporters Joe McDonald and Sam McNeil in Beijing, Lauran Neergaard, Darlene Superville, Kevin Freking and Deb Riechmann in Washington, Mike Stobbe and Alexandra Olson in New York, Maria Cheng in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. ___ This story corrects the number of cases in China that have been cured and discharged to 171, not 596. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 04:02:25|Editor: yan Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey might consider launching a military operation if the bombardments in Syria's province of Idlib continue. "We sincerely want stability in Syria and will not hesitate to do whatever it takes, including using military force," Erdogan said in Ankara. The Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, have been carrying out airstrikes in Idlib, the last stronghold of rebels in Syria, forcing civilians to leave their homes. "Our country, which currently hosts 3.6 million Syrians, has no tolerance for a new wave of migration," Erdogan said, adding that his country will not remain silent on the issue. Erdogan earlier noted that nearly 400,000 people from Idlib have started moving toward Turkey's border, fleeing hostility in the region. The Idlib issue has also strained the ties between Turkey and Russia. On Wednesday, Erdogan blamed Russia of not abiding by the agreements inked earlier to end the conflict in Syria's Idlib region. A mother who says her 2-year-old son was seriously injured when a glass ketchup bottle fell on his head from a fifth-floor balcony of a San Antonio hotel is suing the establishment for at least $1 million. Cassandra DeLa Cruzs lawsuit says her son, Jacob Francisco, suffered serious injuries to his neck, brain and other parts of his body on Aug. 18, 2018, when he was struck by the bottle as she pushed him past the Omni La Mansion Del Rio hotel in a stroller. The Jan. 10 lawsuit names the hotel, its Dallas-based parent, Omni Hotels & Resorts, and its owner, TRT Holdings of Irving, as defendants. DeLa Cruz is seeking more than $1 million in damages. Omni Hotels & Resorts didnt respond to the San Antonio Express News request for comment. DeLa Cruzs attorney, Simon Fraser, declined to comment. The lawsuit, filed in Texas District Court in San Antonio, says Jacob has received medical treatment since the bottle fell on him and that his injuries may be permanent in nature. The complaint does not provide details about his injuries or the nature of the treatment he has undergone but notes Jacob may continue to suffer into the future, physical pain and mental anguish. The San Antonio Police Department said the mother and a witness reported the incident to two hotel managers. A police officer interviewed two people in a hotel room who said they had been eating burgers on the balcony, and one of them said he may have accidentally knocked the 2.25-ounce Heinz ketchup bottle over the edge, according to the SAPD. He said he tried to get to the lobby to investigate what happened but that the elevator stopped at the third floor. The officer told DeLa Cruz that it was an accident and would not be filed as a criminal offense, the preliminary information shows. Vincent R. Johnson, interim dean at St. Marys University School of Law, said the hotel has a duty to exercise reasonable care to protect passing pedestrians, but that it is difficult to prove a lack of such care. Sometimes things are just . an unfortunate accident, Johnson said. So its not necessarily the case that the hotel guest or the hotel acted unreasonably. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits The four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case will not be hanged on Saturday morning as a Delhi court on Friday postponed the execution of their black warrants till further order. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on the plea by the convicts seeking adjournment of the executions "sine die" (with no appointed date for resumption). Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) were scheduled to be hanged on February 1 at 6 am. This is for the second time that the execution of the death warrants has been deferred. The first order for execution of death sentence, issued on January 7 for January 22, was stayed on January 17. The second warrant, issued on January 17, for February 1 was stayed on Friday. Advocate A P Singh, the counsel for the three convicts -- Pawan, Vinay and Akshay -- had urged the court to adjourn the matter "sine die" saying their legal remedies were yet to be exhausted. The Tihar jail authorities challenged their application saying it was not maintainable and the death row convicts can be hanged separately. The argument of the Tihar jail authorities was however not accepted by the court. The convicts' lawyer argued that rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. The judge noted in the order that if an appeal or an application is made by only one convict, the execution of sentence shall be postponed in the case of co-convicts also. The judge said: "Without commenting upon the dilatory tactics adopted by the convicts, suffice it would be to state that seeking redressal of one's grievances through procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelson's eye towards him. "As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the considered opinion that the execution of warrants issued by this court vide order dates January 17, 2020 deserves to be postponed till further orders." The court said a copy of this order be given to the counsel for convicts and the jail officials present in the court. "The jail superintendent is directed to file the compliance report by tomorrow," it said. Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi said she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. Devi told reporters her "hopes are dashed" but she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. "These convicts have no right to live. We keep getting disappointed by the system. I will continue my fight till the convicts are hanged," she said. on The advocate representing Nirbhaya's parents told the court that for last one year the convicts have been asked repeatedly to avail their legal remedies but they were avoiding. "They are using delay tactic one by one. The convicts have been misused entire system," the advocate said. Vinay's mercy plea before the president is pending. During the argument, which lasted for over two hours, advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Mukesh, too sought stay of execution. Mukesh's mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Grover said, "If the mercy plea of Vinay allowed, it will open a chance for me to file another mercy plea. In Yakub Memon's case there were talks of filing second mercy plea. It's wrong to say that there's no legal remedy left." The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the president only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed Pawan's plea seeking review of the decision by which his application claiming to be a juvenile at the time of the offence was rejected. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless) was gang raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The three Galaxy S20 phones have taken their turn running Geekbench 5.1. The models headed to the South Korean and US markets, specifically, which are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 rather than a home-grown Samsung chipset (it seems that only European models will use Exynos 9830). Korean versions: Samsung Galaxy S20 Galaxy S20+ Galaxy S20 Ultra The trio packs 12GB of RAM (the value reported by the benchmark is lower as a part of RAM is reserved for the GPU). The benchmark score is essentially the same for all three phones and matches up with other upcoming Snapdragon 865 phones that have gone through the test. Theres variation, but thats to be expected with pre-release software and hardware. The three model numbers are SM-G981 (Galaxy S20), SM-G986 (Galaxy S20+) and SM-G988 (Galaxy S20 Ultra). An N denotes a South Korean model while U stands for US model. We couldnt find results from F models, however, those are usually the ones that land in Europe. US versions: Samsung Galaxy S20 Galaxy S20+ Galaxy S20 Ultra Another thing to note about the model numbers they are 1 higher than usual, e.g. the Galaxy S10e is G970 and the S10+ is G975. This means that these are probably the 5G versions of the phones, the LTE models are G980 and G985. Its not clear if the S20 Ultra will get a LTE version, but it looks like no. The LTE models are aimed at markets where carriers are yet to roll out their 5G networks. Sources: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Via Were not planning on putting on the full hazmat suits or activating our biocontainment unit thats overkill, said Glenn Wortmann, director of infectious diseases at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. The moment someone comes in with a respiratory tract infection, sore throat, fever, cough, right away were going to give them a surgical mask to put on but thats the same thing wed do for influenza anyway. The next question is: Have you traveled from China sometime in the last 14 days or been in contact with someone who has? Robots sprang to life at Dundalk Institute of Technology this week as more than 200 students and teachers showcased their Vex Robotics projects while competing in the VEX regional finals. For the second year in a row, fifteen primary and secondary school teams from Louth, Meath Monaghan and Dublin competed in the VEX Robotics Challenge, which sees students designing and developing their own robots. The VEX Robotics Challenge helps young people develop STEAM skills for life, according to DkIT Lecturer & Vex Robotics Coordinator, Shane Darcy, who said: The children impressed the judges immensely on the day, not only their robotics skills but also their innovation, creativity, team work and presentation skills. "As an Institute were always keen to promote the exciting side of STEAM subjects and we run an active outreach programme which aims to inspire students to become interested in computing, engineering and maths at an early stage. VEX Robotics is a perfect example of how STEAM can come to life through teamwork and a bit of healthy competition. The VEX Robotics Challenge is a national programme for primary and secondary school level students and encourages them to work in teams to design, build and program a robot. Preparation with students has been taking place since September. DKIT held its first scrimmages in November of last year to prepare students for the competition phases. A variety of North East Regional awards were presented to schools on the day. These include Judges Award: CBS Primary School Dundalk Design Award: St Mary's Parish Primary School STEM Presentation Award: Swords Educate Together National School Robot Skills Champion Award: Aston Village ETNS Teamwork Champion Award: Aston Village ETNS and St Mary's Parish Primary School St Mary's Parish Primary School was awarded the overall regional Excellence Award will now progress to the National Robotics Competition which takes place later in the year where they will compete against regional winners from across the country. Also speaking today, Dr Phillip Scanlon, Student Recruitment and Retention Officer for computing programmes at DkIT added: We hope that participation in programmes such as VEX Robotics will positively influence the subject choices that students make when preparing for Leaving Cert and when selecting courses for third level education. "As the IT sector in Ireland continues to surge, technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality expected to be a core part of the future of work. Regardless of the job or profession a student pursues, gaining these computational and engineering skills while still at school will be invaluable to them for the future. During the same week, DkIT also organised a VEX EDR Workshop for secondary school students from across the region. The EDR Challenge is a more advanced robotics challenge for teens up to 18 years old. Participating secondary schools included teams from Dublin taking part for the first time. There were multiple categories that teams were competing for, with the; Design Award: Our Lady's Secondary School Castleblayney Judges Award: Kishoge Community College Dublin Robot Skills Champion Award: Our Lady's Secondary School Castleblayney Teamwork Champion Award: St Mary's College Dundalk & St. Kevins College Dublin Excellence Award: Our Lady's Secondary School Castleblayney DkIT said it is delighted to have two exceptional school teams representing the region in this years VEX Robotics Nationals and look forward to supporting them at the next phase of the competition. DkIT currently offers a variety of level 7 and level 8 computing programmes at undergraduate level including a brand new programme in Augmented & Virtual Reality which is the first of its kind to be offered in Ireland. For more information, please visit www.dkit.ie/computing Washington: The Trump administration on Friday said it would bar entry of foreign nationals who have travelled to China and declared a public health emergency over the coronavirus outbreak. This illustration provided by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Credit:FDX The US ban on foreign nationals would begin on Sunday (US time). US citizens who have travelled to China's Hubei Province within the last 14 days will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told a media briefing at the White House on Friday. The administration will also limit flights from China to seven US airports, he said. Maniesh Paul is actually quite the hypebeast. Which, given Bollywoods obsession with sneakers is not that surprising. On any given day, you will find our B-Towners sporting some really cool classics, most of which are actually pieces that hardcore collectors and sneakerheads would happily shell out an exorbitant amount of rupees to get their hands on. Instagram/manieshpaul It was, therefore, quite a surprise when Maniesh Paul showed up wearing one of the most quirky pairs of sneakers ever to have been made, for a recent film screening. Viral Bhayani But first, lets get to his outfit. Maniesh is seen here wearing a dope camouflaged hooded t-shirt. Or a rather hooded t-sweatshirt, if that makes any sense. With that, he has paired a quirky pair of jeans, which actually has a very interesting silhouette. Viral Bhayani Thanks to the number of exposed zippers on the front, they have a very technical appeal, and actually look quite zany. However, they certainly dont hold a candle to the quirky sneakers that hes wearing. Viral Bhayani Maniesh is seen here wearing the Nike Air Jordan 1 Fearless sneakers, which, actually is a pair that has had the most visceral reactions to a sneaker, ever. Theyre often referred to as clown shoes or clown sneakers, thanks to the rather flamboyant colour scheme that they have. Hypebeast The fact that they are made of patent leather, instead of the usual calfskin leather that goes with the Jordan 1s also seems to aggravate people. The end result is a sneaker that has a classically Jordan 1 silhouette, but with a rather bizarre finish. They would have been perfect for Joaquin Phoenix in Joker, thanks to their bizarre and colours and finish. Warner Bros. Pictures With that being said, the other colours that are part of the drop have actually been well received, particularly their all-red version of the Fearless, which sold out in minutes once they went up for sale. Hypebeast We quite actually like the red and blue Jordan 1s. Yes, they are a little unusual, but thats what makes them interesting. As for the manner in which Maniesh is wearing them, having changed the laces with a pair of blue laces, they are actually kinda cool. They certainly have our approval. Viral Bhayani Way to go Maniesh! After close to 200 animals were seized last week from a Spring home that Houston SPCA officials called "one of the most toxic environments" they ever encountered, the organization has been awarded custody of the animals and is seeking potential adopters to give them new homes. Approximately 191 animals ranging from cats and dogs to geese, turkeys, parakeets and an iguana were seized Jan. 21 from a home located in the 2700 block of Leichester Drive in the Fox Run subdivision, the Chronicle reported. SPCA officials said the animals were living in "deplorable conditions" and that most required immediate medical attention. SENATOR Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan has reiterated his call to evacuate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in China, as other countries intensified their efforts to contain the novel coronavirus (nCov). Pangilinan said he hoped the government can evacuate Filipino workers in China while following specific protocols and safety precautions. The senator noted that other countries have started evacuating their citizens from Wuhan, sending chartered flights and asking permission from the Chinese authorities. The US, Japan, South Korea, Britain, Spain, France, and Australia are all evacuating their people from the ground zero of the epidemic. But our government wants our OFWs to remain there, saying they dont want to infect Filipinos here. How come it has, until the last minute, allowed Chinese from Wuhan to enter the country freely, Pangilinan said. Let us take our OFWs home because we take care of our own, he added. According to Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana, Wuhan is a transport hub that hosts some 150 Filipinos, including students, teachers, domestic workers, and factory workers. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin III has instructed the Philippine consulate general in Shanghai to start the repatriation process for Filipinos in Hubei province who want to return home. Pangilinan condemned the government for imposing a travel ban only after the country confirmed its first case of the 2019-nCoV. Were afraid this is a little too late. We already have one case of 2019-nCoV, and over 50 under investigation. We are disappointed with how late this travel ban has been made, Pangilinan said. Now we have to be more vigilant to ensure that we contain its spread. Metro Manila is a densely populated metropolis- our people go through bustling crowds every single day. Public transportation, schools, the market. An outbreak here would challenge the capacity of our hospitals that are already also over-crowded, he added. (SunStar Philippines) Hankook Tire R&D center in Daejeon / Courtesy of Hankook Tire By Nam Hyun-woo Hankook Technology Group Vice Chairman Cho Hyun-sik HOUSTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will convene Feb. 6 at the University of Houston Law Center to hear oral arguments in three cases. "Over the past six years, we have held oral arguments at the Law Center for the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas 14th Court of Appeals," said Dean Leonard M. Baynes. "I am delighted that the Fifth Circuit will also join this group of prestigious appellate courts to hold oral argument at the Law Center. "The oral arguments provide students and members of the public a great opportunity to observe and witness skillful lawyering by the attorneys and insightful questioning by the federal court judges." The cases are: Appeal of a preliminary injunction blocking a Mississippi law that would ban abortion after presence of a fetal heartbeat. ( Jackson Women's Health Organization v. Thomas E. Dobbs , M.D., M.P.H, No. 19-60455.) law that would ban abortion after presence of a fetal heartbeat. ( Health Organization v. , M.D., M.P.H, No. 19-60455.) Appeal of a summary judgment in a case involving the suicide of a prisoner in a jail cell. ( Jacqueline Smith v. Harris County , No. 19-20194.) v. , No. 19-20194.) Appeal of new sentence after a McAllen man violated the terms of his supervised release. ( United States v. Arnoldo Belmontes, Jr. , No. 19-40001.) The panel will consist of Judge Carolyn Dineen King, Judge Gregg J. Costa and Judge James C. Ho. The court will convene at 9 a.m., Feb. 6, in Krost Hall at the University of Houston Law Center campus, 4604 Calhoun Road. Click here for more information and to register. Media contacts: Carrie Anna Criado, UH Law Center Assistant Dean of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-2184, [email protected] ; Elena Hawthorne, Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing, 713-743-1125, [email protected] ; John T. Kling, Communications Manager, 713-743-8298, [email protected] ; and John Brannen, Senior Writer, 713-743-3055, [email protected] . About the University of Houston The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter for excellence in undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation's fourth-largest city and one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse regions in the country, UH is a federally designated Hispanic- and Asian-American-Serving institution with enrollment of more than 46,000 students. About the University of Houston Law Center The University of Houston Law Center (UHLC) is a dynamic, top tier law school located in the nation's 4th largest city. UHLC's Health Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Part-time programs rank in the U.S. News Top 10. It awards Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees, through its academic branch, the College of Law. The Law Center is more than just a law school. It is a powerful hub of intellectual activity with more than 11 centers and institutes which fuel its educational mission and national reputation. UHLC is fully accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. SOURCE University of Houston Law Center Related Links http://www.law.uh.edu The global cannabis-based alcoholic beverages market is poised to grow by USD 155.28 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 19% during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005524/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global cannabis-based alcoholic beverages market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 120-page research report with TOC on "Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverages Market Analysis Report by Product (Cannabis-infused beers, Cannabis-infused spirits, and Cannabis-infused wines) and by Geography (APAC, Europe, North America, South America and MEA,), and Segment Forecasts, 2020 2024." https://www.technavio.com/report/cannabis-based-alcoholic-beverages-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the increasing social acceptance of cannabis. In addition, the growing prominence of online retailing is also anticipated to drive the cannabis-based alcoholic beverages market growth during the forecast period. The commonly held perception about cannabis being a mere intoxicant have changed across several nations. Over the past five years, the global legal cannabis-based edibles and cannabis-based alcoholic beverages market has been posting robust growth, tempting new vendors and large investors to leverage the potential offered by this industry. The growth of the cannabis market has significantly added to the income of several governments and boosted sales and revenue of major corporations. Therefore, with such advantages, it is expected that the global market will face a positive outlook in the forecast period. Furthermore, the growing popularity of online retailing has enabled vendors to improve their profit margins. The number of online transactions and the average amount of money spent online per transaction is increasing worldwide, which will further boost market growth over the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverages Market Companies: Anheuser-Busch InBev The company's key business segments include North America, Latin America West, Latin America North, Latin America South, EMEA, and Asia Pacific. The company offers cannabis mixed beers. California Dreamin' The company produces and distributes natural cannabis beers. CannaVines The company offers cannabis infused wines such as Cannavines Red Blend x Headband, Cannavines Chardonnay x Sour Diesel, and Rose X Grand Daddy Purple. MJ Wines LLC The company operates in key business segments including Energy Drinks, Wine, Cold Brew Coffee. The company offers terpene infused energy shot, hemp and cannabis wine formulations, and hemp cold brew coffee. The company offers hemp and cannabis-based wine formulations. Heineken NV The company operates in key business segments including Europe, Americas, Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, and Heineken N.V. Head Office Others. The company through its brand, Lagunitas Brewing Co. offers cannabis-based beer. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverages Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 2024) Cannabis-infused beers Cannabis-infused spirits Cannabis-infused wines Cannabis-based Alcoholic Beverages Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2020 2024) APAC Europe North America South America MEA Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.Request a free sample report Related Reports on Consumer Staples are: Global Alcoholic Beverages Market 2019-2023 Global alcoholic beverages by product (beer, spirits, and wine) and geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America). About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005524/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Website: www.technavio.com Email: media@technavio.com New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik demanding an investigation into the alleged role of Union Minister Anurag Thakur in the Jamia shooting case and the inclusion of his name in the FIR. In the letter, the AAP said that the young man who fired from a country-made pistol at a Jamia student "took inspiration from Thakur". "The action is part of a chronology after what Thakur had exhorted a couple of days ago," the letter said. The party alleged that it appeared that the firing incident took place at the behest of Thakur and therefore "an FIR in this case should include his name too". Thursday's shooting in Jamia area here amid an anti-CAA protest came days after a video clipping of shouting of slogans of 'shoot the traitors' at a BJP public meeting addressed by Anurag Thakur went viral. The AAP claimed: "We are afraid that the (shooting) incident is just the tip of a bigger conspiracy of creating law and order problem to subvert Delhi Assembly elections." Delhi is going for Assembly polls on February 8. Vietnam Airlines will suspend its flights to destinations in China from next week over coronavirus concerns, the company said on Friday, Trend reports citing Reuters. Its flights between Vietnam and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen will be suspended from Tuesday, Chengdu from Wednesday, and Macau from Thursday, the company said in a statement. All passengers, especially Vietnamese in China planning to fly back to Vietnam are advised to reschedule in advance of their flights suspension dates, the statement said. Vietnam Airlines will also suspend all flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong from Thursday, and cut its flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong to 7 from 10 per week, it said. Jetstar Pacific Airlines, partly owned by Vietnam Airlines, will also suspend its flights to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Thursday, according to the statement. Budget carrier Vietjet said earlier on Friday it will suspend all flights to and from China from Feb. 1. On Thursday, Vietnam said it would stop issuing visas for Chinese tourists after the Southeast Asian country detected three new cases of the virus. Congress passed the Magnitsky Act in 2012 to punish Russian officials accused of beating to death a whistleblower who publicized government corruption. A decade later, the law has unwittingly spawned a multimillion-dollar lobbying cottage industry. Predictably, a number of lobbyists are gunning to remove Magnitsky penalties on their questionable clients, just as with other such sanctions laws. President Donald Trumps impeachment lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, for example, is defending an Israeli billionaire accused of pillaging Africa, while Trumps 2016 Tennessee state director, Darren Morris, has joined with New York law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman in representing an Iraqi businessman sanctioned for allegedly bribing politicians. But a unique facet of the Magnitsky law and subsequent amendments has created a whole new opening for more creative lobbying. Unlike similar laws blocking sanctioned parties US assets and banning travel to the United States, Magnitsky requires that US officials consider information from credible human rights organizations when weighing whether to apply sanctions. Thats a pretty revolutionary provision, said Rob Berschinski, the senior vice president for policy at Human Rights First. Effectively, the US government has created an open inbox in which literally anyone can petition for sanctions no matter what their motive is, no matter what the credibility of their information is. Berschinskis organization is among those taking advantage of the provision, lobbying for additional Magnitsky sanctions on Saudi officials responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The Trump administration designated 17 Saudi officials in November 2018, but not Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is believed by the CIA and UN investigators to have ordered the crime. Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (click above to read the law) The point here is, yes, 17 people were designated under Global Magnitsky, said Berschinski, who served as deputy assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor under President Barack Obama. No, they are not the people who were ultimately responsible for directing the crime, and the people who were ultimately responsible need to be held accountable. Saudi Arabia isnt the only Gulf target of sanctions lobbying. In recent months, lawyers for Kuwaiti private equity firm KGL Investment and its former CEO, Marsha Lazareva, have launched a multimillion-dollar campaign to threaten Kuwait with Magnitsky sanctions if it does not drop embezzlement charges against her. Working on the account are big names, including President George H.W. Bushs son, Neil Bush; former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif.; former FBI Director Louis Freeh; and ex-Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, until she joined Trumps impeachment team. But the Lazareva camp has also consistently sought to portray her defenders as human rights activists, notably working with Washington nonprofit In Defense of Christians and former human rights lawyer Cherie Blair, the wife of ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in its efforts. Recent Magnitsky Act activity Lobbying / legal representation to remove sanctions Lobbying to add sanctions Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan for Israeli businessman Dan Gertler Crowell & Moring and others on behalf of KGL Investment (sanctions on Kuwait) Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman / Morris Global Strategies for Iraqi businessman Khamis Khanjar Human Rights First (sanctions for killers of Jamal Khashoggi) Venable / Sonoran Policy Group for Serbian arms dealer Slobodan Tesic (Sonoran terminated December 2018) Schmitz Global Partners / Jefferson Waterman International (JWI) on behalf of fugitive Bulgarian businessman Tzvetan Vassilev (JWI terminated August 2019) Source: Department of Justice / Congress Lazarevas champions insist she was railroaded by a corrupt judicial system and that lobbying for human rights sanctions even if its spearheaded by corporate interests with deep pockets is perfectly legitimate. To date, at least five US lawmakers have also joined the call for an investigation into Kuwait under the Magnitsky law. The global Magnitsky sanctions are a critical tool available to human rights NGOs to hold foreign governments accountable in cases of corruption and injustice, said Peter Burns, government relations director for In Defense of Christians, or IDC. IDC has advocated for their implementation in a variety of human rights and religious freedom contexts. One such case is that of Orthodox Christian businesswoman Marsha Lazareva, who is imprisoned in Kuwait on bogus corruption charges. The United States must become more effective at holding our friends, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Kuwait, accountable for religious freedom violations. Are there actors out there that Im aware of that may not have kind of the purest motives in bringing case files? Sure. But I have confidence in the integrity of the underlying decision-making system within the US government. IDC said its not getting paid for its Lazareva advocacy. But the army of lobbyists urging sanctions on Kuwaiti officials has, however, raised concerns about the integrity of the Magnitsky process. Are there actors out there that Im aware of that may not have kind of the purest motives in bringing case files? Sure, Berschinski told Al-Monitor. But I have confidence in the integrity of the underlying decision-making system within the US government. This isnt the first time lobbyists have sought to use Magnitsky in such a fashion. Back in 2017, lobbyists for fugitive Bulgarian businessman Tzvetan Vassilev sought sanctions on Bulgaria after being charged with money laundering and embezzlement. At the time, Lloyd Green, a Justice Department official under President George H. W. Bush, warned against potential abuses of the law. The Magnitsky Act was not designed to become a sword and shield for those alleged to have committed crimes in systems that afford due process, he wrote in an op-ed for The Hill at the time. It should not be allowed to become a cudgel wielded by non-citizens as they seek to beat our allies into submission. Berschinski said Human Rights First was aware of both the Vassilev and Lazareva campaigns and had declined to get involved. He declined to speculate, however, on whether such lobbying campaigns undermine the voices of traditional human rights organizations. My sense is that at the end of the day, the US government officials who are actually making the call are making the decision on whether to designate or not on the basis of a solid evidentiary basis, he said. Bhubaneswar, Jan 31 : The Odisha government on Friday constituted a task force for the management of suspected coronavirus cases and to take steps to ensure the prevention of the spread of the infection in the state. The high-level task force has been constituted under the chairmanship of Special Secretary (public health), an official said. The state health department has sent blood and swab samples of four persons, who had returned from China after January 15, to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune for tests. They have been kept in home isolation. They will be kept under supervision for the next 14 days, said the official. Notably, a medical student from Kandhamal district, who returned from China recently, has been referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after showing coronavirus-like symptoms on Friday. The case will be confirmed after he undergoes medical examination at the hospital. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Jersey Transit's ability to finish a federally mandated emergency-braking project on time is questionable after a state audit documented multimillion-dollar change orders and missed milestones, according to Senate President Steve Sweeney. New Jersey's highest-ranking state lawmaker said the agency hasn't explained why the projected cost of the task, called positive train control, has almost doubled, to $500 million. "I am very concerned about the deadline," Sweeney, a Democrat from West Deptford, said in a telephone interview. "They're going to have to explain why they hired all these other consultants and increased fees and let these contractors go on liquidated damages." The project's rising change-order costs were detailed in a 19-page report, released on Jan. 30 by State Auditor Stephen M. Eells, that found other deficiencies within the nation's third-largest commuter railroad. The audit criticized NJ Transit's failure to collect more than $9 million in penalties from contractors that were tardy on project milestones. NJ Transit also skimped on prioritizing repairs or replacement of bridges that were in poor condition, shifted millions of dollars of train funds to bus needs and subjected rail commuters to thousands of potentially preventable delays, the audit found. The railroad is crucial to New York City jobs. NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder declined to comment on Sweeney's remarks, and pointed to an audit response from Kevin Corbett, the agency's president and chief executive officer. Positive train control is "of the highest priority," Corbett wrote, and the agency "will continue to focus its efforts on implementing" it by the Dec. 31 deadline. Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who took office two years ago, has vowed to turn around the nation's largest statewide mass-transit operator. In a statement, he said the agency was neglected and mismanaged for almost a decade under former governor Chris Christie, a Republican. "Make no mistake, we still have a lot more work to do, but I'm proud of the swift and meaningful action we've taken to rebuild NJ Transit from the ground up," Murphy said. The emergency-braking project, designed to stop runaway trains and prevent collisions, dragged under Christie. When Murphy came to office in January 2018, it was 12% completed -- near last for all U.S. passenger railroads ordered by the U.S. Congress to install the technology. Amid a sea of doubt, NJ Transit met a Dec. 31, 2018, deadline for the first phase. It has until the end of 2020 to finish the next task. Since Murphy came to office, NJ Transit has carried out change orders valued at $27 million, bringing the total for all project changes to $210 million, according to the audit. The total is almost certain to grow: Another change order, approved by the NJ Transit board in July, remains under negotiation. Of more than 47,000 late trains, 38% may have been preventable, according to the audit's review of rail operations from January 2017 through May 2019. NJ Transit attributed most of the lateness to staffing, mechanical, equipment and infrastructure issues, and said it has made improvements. "Each of these factors was aggravated over the past two years by a lack of strategic planning and under-funding by prior NJ Transit management," the agency wrote in the audit response. It has hired 169 engineer trainees and 144 conductors and authorized spending $854 million on rolling stock, the agency said. Still, Sweeney, who is leading a legislative inquiry into NJ Transit finances and operations, said agency management "is going to have a lot of questions to answer" at a February hearing. "NJ Transit's responses I don't think match up to what I've read in the auditor's report," Sweeney said. NJ Transit defended its transfer of $45 million to bus needs from rail, and $22.4 million diverted from the Portal Bridge replacement project, saying it was within U.S. Transportation Department rules to do so. It also said that it hasn't ruled out collecting monetary penalties from the braking-project contractor. The audit also raised concerns about how NJ Transit prioritizes the need for bridge repair or replacement. The railroad, in its response, said the bridges are safe, and assessed and maintained regularly. Its inspection program meets federal standards, the agency said. Conditions that require immediate attention do not appear on NJ Transits priority-repair or replacement list because the conditions are resolved as soon as possible, the agency wrote. Its going to be a choice on the ballot and not a referendum in 2020, and thats what makes this very different than 2018, Wadhams said. He added that he was a begrudging Trump voter in 2016 but now is fully supportive. He pointed to Trump accomplishments like passing a tax cut and appointing conservative judicial nominees, as well as his concern about where the Democrats would take the country. Embattled Commonwealth chief Baroness Scotland's hopes of keeping her job suffered a blow yesterday after a snub by a member country. New Zealand has pulled the plug on its annual 2.5million funding for the Commonwealth Secretariat because of 'significant weaknesses in its approach to managing procurement', a spokesman for its foreign ministry said last night. The rebuff emerged after 160,000-a-year Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Scotland was strongly criticised by internal auditors for granting a lucrative consultancy contract to a firm run by a Labour Party friend. The organisation's audit committee accused her of 'circumventing' usual competitive tendering rules by awarding a 250,000 commission to KYA Global. The firm is owned by fellow Labour peer Lord Patel of Bradford, who served alongside Baroness Scotland as a minister in Gordon Brown's government. Lord Patel's company was contracted to carry out a review of the secretariat. But the audit committee said the firm was 'apparently insolvent' at the time with debts of nearly 50,000. New Zealand has stopped its 2.5million annual Commonwealth funding after Baroness Scotland was accused of 'circumventing' procurement rules to commission KYA Global, run by Lord Patel of Bradford (pictured with her in 2017, above) New Zealand, one of the secretariat's biggest contributors, made the decision to block funding last month. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, 39, is the Commonwealth's most high-profile female political leader. Baroness Scotland, 64, has been branded 'Baroness Brazen' and 'Baroness Shameless' for her lavish spending. She has been under fire since it was disclosed in 2016 that she spent 338,000 refurbishing her grace-and-favour apartment in Mayfair, central London. It later emerged that 590,000 of the UK's foreign aid budget had been spent on Marlborough House, the secretariat headquarters, in two years. She was also attacked for appointing political allies to key posts. It came as a senior official forced to quit his secretariat job while working under Baroness Scotland won nearly 300,000 compensation. Baroness Scotland, 64, (right with Prince Harry in February last year) has been branded 'Baroness Brazen' and 'Baroness Shameless' for her lavish spending Baroness Scotland, who was born in the Dominican Republic, retains the backing of Commonwealth countries in the Caribbean, but faces the risk of being dumped before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in June, which will be attended by Prince Charles. The disclosures have left her hopes of winning a second four-year term in her post hanging by a thread. Her first term ends on March 31. Britain occupies the rotating chairmanship of the Commonwealth, giving Boris Johnson a major say over who is secretary general. Tory Party co-chairman James Cleverly, a close ally of the Prime Minister, and whose mother is from Sierra Leone, is said to be among Baroness Scotland's powerful enemies in the Government. Mr Cleverly is said to have been highly critical of her at meetings of Parliament's all-party Commonwealth group. The investigation into Lord Patel's KYA Global contract was carried out by accountancy giant KPMG at the request of the Commonwealth High Commissioners, the secretariat's board of governors. KPMG found that the consultancy contract was given to Lord Patel in April 2016 days after Baroness Scotland was appointed on 'her personal recommendation' because he had 'a high level of proven trust with the secretary general'. She asked one of her deputies to fill out a form waiving the usual competitive tendering rules, which she then approved. New Zealand, one of the secretariat's biggest contributors, made the decision to block funding last month. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, 39, (pictured) is the Commonwealth's most high-profile female political leader According to KYA Global's accounts, it had assets of 971 and debts of 48,762 at the time. The audit committee said yesterday: 'Awarding an apparently insolvent company two contracts totalling 252,000 is unusual.' Baroness Scotland declined to comment. Her lawyers said the decision to award the contract was fully justified and complied with procurement procedures at the time. The secretariat is the central administrative hub for the Commonwealth, made up of 53 countries. It declined to comment last night. New Zealand Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman said it had stopped giving cash to the Commonwealth Secretariat because the auditors report had found 'significant weaknesses in the Commonwealth Secretariat's approach to managing procurement.' It added: 'New Zealand has put on hold its voluntary financial contribution to the Secretariat until we receive independent confirmation the recommendations from the audit report have been addressed by the Secretariat.' Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's reunion at the SAG Awards was caught on camera. However, while the two seemed happy and full of sparks, one person reportedly is not. According to reports, Pitt's ex-wife Angelina Jolie is fuming over the photos of the two and allegedly wants to take a bitter revenge to her ex-husband. Is She Over Him? Jolie might take drastic actions to give herself the last laugh, sources said. "She's outraged by how Brad Pitt is smearing their friendship with a bit more affection," and insider told Globe (via New Idea). As noted by the said source, Angelina could not help but think that her ex-husband is deliberately doing it "to yank her chain." The "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" actor allegedly knew that "Maleficent" actress would be watching and how she would react after seeing such sweet gestures. "Seeing Jen touch Brad in that familiar way and his response in kind, confirms her suspicions Jen's been after Brad in a big way and that he's more than open to the possibility!" the source added. The insider also said that Angelina is furious about the treatment she has been getting from Hollywood. It seems as if everyone is rejoicing that she and Brad split up. Moreover, for her, people enjoying the Brad-Jenn reunion felt like celebrating her downfall. Ready For Revenge Brad and Angelina are going through a rough divorce settlement, particularly because they do not agree about their children's custody. After two years of marriage and 12 years together, the ex-couple decided to file for divorce. They have been declared legally single again last year while their divorce talks are still in the works. Sources told Life and Style that Angelina might hit back at Brad by demanding millions for their divorce settlement. At the moment, the two are talking about the custody of their five underage children. Their eldest, who turned 18, already chose to be with his mother before he left for Korea to pursue his college education. "It is not good for Brad when Angelina is angry. It's either she does something to get what she wants or she would do everything to make his life miserable," the insider told the publication. They added that everyone has warned Brad Pitt of what could happen, especially when Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie are involved. Will They Ever Move On? Jolie and Pitt are no longer a couple. However, he still plays a huge role in her life and the life of her children. And although the two are trying to move on from their past, it seems as if the people around keep pitting them against each other. Are Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt ever getting back together? The future has yet to reveal itself. At the moment, their fans revel at the sight of their favorite couple getting comfortable around each other. It is more than enough to see that there is still that familiarity with each other for these ex-lovers. Is the "Tomb Raider" star affected by the reunion of Brad and Jennifer? Only she can really tell. Jolie is currently on travel and she has not responded to the rumors. Late on Thursday night, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander issued a statement marking the likely end to Democratic efforts to bring in new witnesses and documents as evidence in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trumpand with that, the likely end of the trial. Alexander was part of the small handful of Republicans discussed as potential swing votes in favor of calling witnesses, because he is retiring after his term ends and because he has cultivated a reputation as a staunch institutionalist. Advertisement Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had announced her support for calling witnesses, giving the Democrats 48 of the 51 votes they needed. Mitt Romney appeared willing to be No. 49, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski said she was taking more time to consider whether or not to join them. But Alexanders decision appeared to give Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a solid 50 votes against extending the proceedings. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Alexander conceded that Trump had done what the Houses first article of impeachment accused him of doingabusing his power as president to try to extort Ukraine into harming his political rivalsand that that was inappropriate. However, he wrote, it was not enough of a reason for the Senate to remove Trump from officeand since the underlying question of Trumps actions wasnt in doubt, there was no reason to pry loose any more evidence to prove he did it. Advertisement Advertisement I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Alexander wrote. There is no need for more evidence to prove that the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter; he said this on television on October 3, 2019, and during his July 25, 2019, telephone call with the president of Ukraine. There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a mountain of overwhelming evidence. Advertisement Advertisement It was, effectively, an endorsement of the so-what-if-he-did-it defense put forward by Trumps attorney Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday. Although Trump tried to extract something of value from Ukraine by misusing his powers of office, the House did not deliver the charge to the Senate under the title of bribery, which allowed Alexander to dismiss it as not rising to the level of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors specified in the Constitution. Advertisement Advertisement The second article of impeachmentcharging Trump with obstruction of Congress for his blanket attempts to bar executive branch witnesses and his refusal to comply with any subpoenasAlexander dismissed as a frivolous attempt to deny the president the exercise of his constitutional prerogative to protect confidential conversations with his close advisers. Advertisement Advertisement And so, having found one of the impeachment charges supported by the evidence, the institutionalist senator punted his oversight duties to the general public. The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did, he wrote. I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday. Advertisement Advertisement Let the people decide, he concluded. He did not address the House impeachment managers argument that Trumps effort to attack Joe Biden was an act of interference in that very decision, let alone the question of whether an acquitted Donald Trump would continue trying to undermine the election. The important thing was that it sounded principled. Advertisement And it left the two undeclared senatorsor 1, with Romney having declared himself very likely to support witnesseson the brink of a possible procedural crisis. When McConnell opened the trial by delaying the witness vote until six days of opening statements and two days of questioning could be completed, Republicans went along with it on the grounds that it was a neutral scheduling decision. They werent voting against witnesses thenthey were simply voting to make any decisions about witnesses later on. Later on has arrived, though, and with Alexanders commitment, 50 Republicans have hardened against even reopening the question of having witnesses. If Murkowski were to cast the 50th vote along with the Democrats, she would be creating a 50-50 tiewhich would force Chief Justice John Roberts, in his position as presiding officer, to make the uncomfortable decision about whether he has the power and duty to break ties in the trial, and if so, which side to choose. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Murkowskis contributions to the question period suggested her goal was, above all, to get along with as many people as possible. She signed onto one question asking what reason the Senate could have not to call former national security adviser John Bolton, as an additional witness with direct knowledge of whether the president sought quid pro quo with Ukraine; later, she signed onto another suggesting that Boltons testimony would add nothing to the case. Alexanders statement, though, left no way for her to prolong the trial in the name of staying indecisive. To hear any more evidence, she would have to be willing to fight for it. Ahead of the commencement of the Budget session, several opposition leaders, including Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, on Friday staged a protest in front of the Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises here against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and proposed Registrar of Citizens (NRC). The leaders carried placards reading 'Save India', 'Save Constitution' and 'No to CAA, NPR, NRC' and raised slogans 'Stop the politics of hate' and 'Save Our Democracy'. "The CAA and NRC will create division and hatred among the people of the country and endangers our democracy and secularism. Therefore, we have demanded that CAA be scrapped," said Congress leader Ripun Bora. Meanwhile, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has said that the party MPs will listen to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament while wearing black bands around their arms as a mark of protest against the CAA and NRC. "In protest against attack on the constitution, we will sit and listen to the President's address with black bands around our arms," he said. President Kovind began delivering a speech in the Central Hall of Parliament at 11 am. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will also chair a meeting of floor leaders of Rajya Sabha at his residence today.The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and will end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) School teachers from Franklin Learning Center, McClure Elementary, and Elkin Elementary rallied outside of the School Distict of Philadelphias offices on Thursday to protest asbestos issues in their schools. Read more As the Philadelphia School Districts asbestos crisis continues to unfold, its school board voted to spend at least $14 million to address environmental projects over the next few years. The board Thursday night authorized the payment of $11.2 million for three firms for environmental oversight and design over three years, and up to $3 million to five firms for emergency asbestos abatement jobs over two years. It also ratified a $20,000 contract with Drexel University for the consulting services of Arthur Frank, an expert on the dangers of asbestos exposure. The district will spend $20 million over three years for a management firm to oversee the districts coming $500 million capital program, which will include school construction and repairs citywide. The district has grappled with asbestos issues since September, after a longtime district teacher was diagnosed with mesothelioma, the cancer linked to asbestos exposure. Since then, six schools and an early childhood program have been closed, at least temporarily, because of asbestos problems, and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has sued over the environmental conditions. READ MORE: Read more: This teacher worked in Philly schools for 28 years. Now, she has mesothelioma Schools officials have estimated that the district has $4.5 billion in unmet capital needs, and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. said Thursday night that it would cost $125 million to meet the districts goal of removing all environmental hazards from every area occupied by students in every city school -- $10 million a year to remove all asbestos, $15 million a year to remove all lead paint. Some members of the board had sharp words for the district as it continues to manage asbestos removal and abatement projects at schools around the city. Things are moving in the right direction, said board member Mallory Fix Lopez, but there are almost daily indicators that the system as we know it is flawed. Its not OK that the community is simply left to trust the process. Fix Lopez said she supported the boards spending money to expand district capacity around environmental issues, but is unhappy about the $12,000 expenditure, which went in part to produce a series of videos designed to educate parents about asbestos. I find them insulting and find they dont do a service, Fix Lopez said. Some have called for Hites removal in the wake of the environmental crisis. Fix Lopez dismissed that call. I believe you are the keystone for keeping us together, she said to Hite. There are, however, loose bricks and missing bricks around you. READ MORE: Read more: Missed asbestos, dangerous dust Board member Christopher McGinley said he has confidence in the environmental plan the district introduced a few months into the school year. But that doesnt excuse all the missteps of the past several months. As a member of the board I apologize to the teachers and the parents that have been subjected with these unhealthy conditions, and to the parents who have had to figure out what to do with kids for these 17 days. We need to do better than that, McGinley said, referring to McClure Elementary, a school that just reopened after a protracted, asbestos-prompted break. Joyce Wilkerson, the board president, urged the audience to remember that the district is coping with 200-plus schools, with the average building more than 70 years old and with 30 years of deferred maintenance. Were looking at decades of work that were going to have to do moving forward, Wilkerson said. Still, many in the audience said, the district was not doing itself any favors by the uneven way it continues to communicate with communities. Dana Carter, a district parent, decried paranoia that is caused by a lack of transparency. Also on Thursday, the city principals union blasted the district for how it has handled the asbestos crisis. The school system is taking steps that we believe are unsafe, said Robin Cooper, president of the Commonwealth Association of School Administrators, the principals union. CASA, at a news conference and in a letter sent to Hite and the board Thursday, urged the district to stop asking principals to conduct environmental assessments, as it has been doing. Principals at asbestos-affected schools are also being asked to sign off on letters saying that their buildings are safe. We have become the face of asbestos, Cooper said. We are not environmental experts. This is not what we went to school for. It is a crisis. The adaptation transition period begins today in Great Britain; it will last until December 31 The United Kingdom is no longer a member of the European Union. The Brexit agreement entered into force at midnight on January 31 Central European Time. The website of the Council of the EU reported that. "The Brexit agreement provides an orderly exit for Britain from the Union. It covers citizens' rights, financial settlement, transition, protocols for Ireland / Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Gibraltar, governance and other separation issues," - the statement said. In accordance with the document, the so-called transitional period begins on Friday, and will last until December 31, 2020. Until the last day of this year, Britain will continue to apply EU laws, but will no longer be its member. This period may be extended by 1 or 2 years by mutual agreement of the parties. As we reported, Ukraine's visa talks with Britain might begin in a year. This was stated by British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons. Simmons explained that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had issued a decree on visa waiver for the British, as international agreements will remain in force, but in terms of domestic affairs, Britain will no longer be a member of the European Union after Brexit. The University of Alabama at Birmingham has signed a partnership with a Welsh University for UAB students to study in Wales starting in spring 2021. UAB students taking part in the study abroad program will have full access to Aberystwyths course catalog, with 15 courses ready to transfer to UAB. What I find truly unique is how Aberystwyth links social sciences and the humanities with STEM disciplines, said Suzanne Austin, UABs senior vice provost and senior international officer. Students can learn about the importance of climate change through glacier mapping and also learn to communicate it through a rigorous creative writing curriculum. Both universities have public health, environmental and human rights-focused programs that could lead to faculty cooperation. Birmingham and Wales also have ties that go back to the donation of the Wales window at 16th Street Baptist Church, after the Sept. 15, 1963 bombing that killed four girls at the church. John Petts, an artist in Llansteffan, Wales, made a front-page plea in The Western Mail to raise funds for a replacement window for one that was destroyed in the church bombing. Small gifts from the Welsh people, averaging 15 U.S. cents, helped fund a new window that Petts designed, built and installed. Wales has historic ties with the city that date back to the 1960s, through our association with the 16th Street Baptist Church and the Wales window that helped rebuild the church following its bombing during the civil rights movement, said Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language Eluned Morgan. It is great to see those ties being developed to provide benefits to young people both in Birmingham and here in Wales. A man suspected in a Tucson kidnapping this week pointed a firearm at officers who had surrounded the car he was driving before he was shot and killed, officials said Friday. Four deputies from the Pima County Sheriff's Department, a Tucson police officer and a Marana police officer fired their weapons in the shooting that killed Robert Cocio, 39, at a gas station southwest of Tucson, a Sheriff's Department news release Friday said. Cocio refused to get out of the car or put down his firearm, the news release said. Deputies who fired their weapon in the confrontation have been identified as: Gilbery Claudillo; David Hughes; Geoffrey Barber; and Alex Jansen. The Tucson Police officer is Jose Flores, a 27-year veteran of the department. The Marana officer is Sgt. Abel Samano, a 13-year veteran of the department who is a member of the Sheriff's Department SWAT team. No officer was wounded in the shooting. The incident began early Tuesday morning when a man told police he had been kidnapped by a man who left him on the Interstate 19 frontage road then stole his car. Description GIS 31 January, 2020: The tourism sector of Mauritius will have a visibility up to March 2020 and current figures show that the sector will not be unduly affected at least till that period with the emergence of the novel Coronavirus in China. Figures for tourist arrivals for January from other countries, in particular from traditional markets, are likewise encouraging. The Minister of Tourism, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard was speaking, yesterday afternoon during a press conference at Air Mauritius Building, in Port-Louis, to give an overview of the current situation prevailing with regards to the impact of the Coronavirus on the tourism sector of Mauritius. At the level of the Ministry, appropriate actions have been initiated since Wednesday 29 January 2020 and the collaboration of all stakeholders from the industry has been sought and the situation is being closely monitored, he assured. The alternative is to continue to stimulate European markets so as to boost the tourism sector and concentrate on diversifying emerging markets such as India and Arabian countries. Campaigns to promote tourist arrivals from countries in the region are also being carried out, said the Minister. The Minister expressed confidence that for the next three months, the Coronavirus will not affect tourist arrivals in Mauritius, except if the situation really deteriorates worldwide. He was optimistic that in the days and weeks to come, a solution will be found to stop the spread of that virus. The novel Coronavirus, Mr Lesjongard recalled, is affecting many sectors worldwide ranging from international trade, industry, air traffic and the tourism sector. Many countries are taking the necessary sanitary precautions and appropriate protocols are set in motion to keep populations safe, he pointed out. In Mauritius too, measures are initiated at the level of Ministries, departments and at the Airport to counter the issue. The Mauritian Government will channel necessary information to the population as the situation evolves, he said. Speaking about the Chinese market, the Minister observed that during the years, China has become a key player for the tourism sector of Mauritius. It is also however true that in the past two years, tourist arrivals from China have declined, he conceded. Figures show that for 2019, 42 000 Chinese tourists visited Mauritius, against 65 700 in 2018. There was already a decline at that time in tourist arrivals due to a decrease in flights from China, he stated. Presently, Air Mauritius in the same vein as British Airways, Lufthansa, Air Austral and other airline companies, has cancelled flights to Shanghai until further notice with the advent of the novel Coronavirus. Thus, on the basis of that decision, there will be an impact on the tourism sector of Mauritius, he highlighted. In fact, from 26 to 30 January 2020, Air Mauritius has registered a 75% cancellation rate, resulting in an estimated shortfall by one thousand in terms of tourist arrivals from China. February will be a challenging period for Mauritius and it is difficult to make a projection on what the overall impact will be on the tourism industry till the end of 2020, he further noted. Finally, Mr Lesjongard underlined, Mauritius might become a refuge destination as there are many tourists who might avoid travelling to Asian countries and instead choose to visit Mauritius. Consequently, active marketing and promotion campaigns have been triggered to attract these tourists and give an additional boost to the sector, he added. Many people win the Daytona 500 on fumes, and many people lose badly with a full tank of gas. Thats the nature of auto racing and thats the same nature of politics. JOHN MORGAN, a Florida fund-raiser for former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., on the possibility that a candidate can still come out on top in a political race despite being badly outspent by opponents. If Fine Gael director of elections Paschal Donohoe and general secretary Tom Curran believe that Catherine Noone cannot be trusted to represent the party on the public airways (FG refused to allow Noone to do interviews on autism controversy, Irish Independent, January 30), could they come back and explain why they think she is good enough to represent the people in the Dail? Jim OSullivan Rathedmond, Co Sligo Varadkar wont be clinging on if he takes FG to victory In his recent article Shinners now just a twist of history away from power, (Irish Independent, January 29) Kevin Doyle asserts that if the election were to play out a certain way, Mr Varadkar would be grappling for a way to cling to high office. I find the use of the word cling wholly pejorative and thus inappropriate. In our parliamentary democracy, Mr Varadkar is fully entitled to form an administration if he can command the numbers in the Dail. Such an action is totally legitimate within the parameters of our parliamentary system. Far from clinging to high office, Mr Varadkar would simply be enacting the will of the people, to coin a phrase. Tom OConnor Blackrock, Co Dublin Pensions fiasco is bitter blow for workers in private sector It looks like the politicians may have finally pushed ordinary workers too far in their efforts to make an unjust pensions regime in Ireland even more unfair by raising the retirement age to 67 and then 68. And most workers dont even know the half of it. Apart from raising the age at which you qualify for the State pension, they are also going to make it more difficult for people to claim the contributory State pension by changing the criteria in relation to PRSI contributions necessary to qualify. Nobody can deny there is a looming problem with pensions due to decades of bad planning and ignoring the warning signs. But the great injustice is that the Government is determined that it is the ordinary worker who will suffer and not the golden classes, by which I mean politicians, civil servants, public servants and company directors with large private pension funds. There is no mention of raising the age at which politicians can claim their enormous pensions. Guards, teachers, nurses etc will still retire at age 55 on gold-plated pensions. For workers in the private sector who do try to provide a private pension for themselves it is an uphill struggle. David Orford Portarlington, Co Laois Brexit spells danger for UK in these times of uncertainty I am pleased that the divorce between the UK and Europe is finally concluded. However, democracy dictates that Scottish voters be allowed a second independence referendum as in 2014 leaving wasnt an option and Scotland voted Remain in 2016. Northern Ireland, too, should be allowed a reunification plebiscite in the near-future. I voted leave but wanted a second confirmatory referendum for the younger generation and those whove changed their minds. The EEC that Britain joined in 1973 was a lot different then as was what Britons chose to remain part of in the 1975 referendum. Brussels must bear a large share of the blame for whats transpired. That said, I feel a tinge of sadness it came to this. If Brussels learns anything from this historic event, maybe a lot of internal reform may tempt a reversal vote in a few years time, if, indeed, there still is an EU. We now enter uncharted waters in dangerous times. I, for one, prefer to be part of Europe than a satellite state of Trumps America. Dominic Shelmerdine London, UK With so many unknowns, we cant be reckless with our votes The mantra in the current Irish election that we need change is similar to the mantra in the UK election that it needed to get Brexit done. Both mantras ignore consequences. In the UK the consequences of electing Boris Johnson to be PM, when he seems to be risking an immediate Brexit at any cost, could be disastrous. In Ireland the election of people who seem to be promising the sun, moon and stars irrespective of cost, could be equally disastrous. We in Ireland have less excuse for being reckless as we saw the results of recklessness in the collapse and the bailout less than a decade ago. In addition, many of the people whose decisions caused the country to go broke are still around promising away to their hearts content. Caveat emptor is probably a more sensible mantra for us at this stage as, among many other unknowns, the results of Brexit are still to be decided. A Leavy Sutton, Dublin 13 PARADISE, Calif. - Authorities held a press conference on Friday to discuss an undercover sting operation that was conducted at a burned property on the ridge, that overall led them to 12 suspects. The Butte County District Attorneys Office, Paradise Police Department, and California Department of Insurance conducted the two-day undercover sting operation. Investigators invited suspected unlicensed contractors to a property overlooking Little Butte Creek. The targets came to the property and gave undercover investigators bids for jobs including fencing, plumbing, concrete and vegetation demolition, and excavation. A total of nine suspects provided bids ranging from $600 to $25,000. In California, all home improvement jobs from damage totaling $500 or more in combined labor and material costs must be performed by a licensed contractor. Punishment includes a fine of up to $5,000 and/or, up to six months in county jail. Those nine and three other suspects could face a charge of illegal advertising. The cases are now turned over to the Butte County District Attorneys Office for prosecution. Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey spoke at the press conference. "We have made it our mission to protect our Camp Fire victims in Butte County from over-reaching unlicensed contractors, Ramsey said. Proactive enforcement of contractor licensing requirements protects our consumers and legitimate contractors alike. Consumers are protected from illegal contracts and poor workmanship, and law-abiding contractors are protected from unfair competition by any who attempt to avoid the laws requirements." While it wasnt easy for our investigators to identify targets for this operation, we know there are still a substantial number of unlicensed contractors trying to get rebuilding work in the Paradise area, said CSLB Registrar David Fogt. Thats why homeowners need to stay on guard and be careful as they look to hire people to help them rebuild. Homeowners take a huge risk when they hire unlicensed contractors. Most are not properly insured and likely dont have the skills or knowledge to perform the work. When contractors operate without workers compensation insurance or a proper license they not only are breaking the law, they are putting their workers and homeowners in jeopardy, said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. Unlicensed contractors who prey on wildfire survivors for a quick buck need to know we will stay vigilant, and we will catch you. The suspects were either booked into the Butte County Main Jail or issued citations that are scheduled to appear Friday, March 20, 2020, at the Butte County Superior Court. By Trend Chairwoman of Kazakhstans Senate (Upper House of Parliament) Dariga Nazarbayeva will visit Azerbaijan in 2020, Deputy Chairman of Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) - Head of APK's Secretariat of the Executive Office of Kazakhstans President Zhanseit Tuimebayev said, Trend reports. According to Tuimebayev, currently, cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is at a very high level, which is supported by mutual visits at the highest level. Three delegations from Kazakhstan arrived in Baku this week alone, last year Kazakhstans First President Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev participated in 7th Summit of the Turkic Council held in Baku, and Chairman of Kazakhstans Mazhilis (Lower House of Parliament) Nurlan Nigmatulin visited Baku in December 2019, Tuimebayev said. He added that this year Chairwoman of Kazakhstans Senate Dariga Nazarbayeva will visit Azerbaijan. The Assembly of People of Kazakhstan is a consultative and advisory body under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan responsible for the coordination of activities for the development and strengthening of inter-ethnic relations. Evacuation of Indians from virus-hit Wuhan: With 5 doctors on board, Air India's B747 plane departs India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 31: India will begin evacuating its citizens from Coronavirus-struck Wuhan in China's central Hubei province from Friday that has killed 213 people, infected 9,720 others and spread to at least 17 countries. Authorities have reached out to more than 600 Indians to ascertain their willingness to return. Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane departs from Delhi airport at 12.30 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals who are in China as the neighbouring country deals with novel Coronavirus outbreak."The B747 plane is all set to depart from Delhi at 12.30 pm. It came from Mumbai on Friday morning only," said a senior airline official. Air India CMD Ashwani Lohani said that five doctors from Health Ministry will be going in B747 aircraft to China. B747 plane will be at Beijing airport for 2-3 hours. The first flight on Friday is expected to evacuate about 315 Indians from Wuhan and neighbouring areas. A second aircraft will be dispatched thereafter to bring back Indians from other parts of Hubei, people familiar with developments said. 2019-nCoV in India: Infected student shifted to Thrissur Medical College due to security reasons "We have made a formal request to operate two aircraft to China to bring back Indian nationals from Hubei province. We are waiting for formal approval from the Chinese side before we can start the process," external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told a regular news briefing on Thursday. Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News "We have established contact with over 600 Indians across Hubei and are individually ascertaining their willingness to be repatriated," he added. India earlier requested China for permission to operate two flights to bring back its nationals from worst-affected central Hubei province. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei. The Indian government and the Indian Embassy here have been collecting requisite details of the stranded Indians and held talks with the Chinese Foreign Ministry to work out the modalities for their evacuation. The exact number of Indians stranded in Hubei has not yet been revealed. According to reports, an Air India 747 Boeing has been kept ready to fly them back to India. The embassy has already informed the stranded Indians that upon their arrival in India they need to undergo a 14-day quarantine in a designated city, the name of it which has not yet been revealed. The quarantine was necessary as experts say the incubation period of the new virus was on average three to seven days, with the longest being 14 days. Coronavirus Scare: IndiGo, Air India suspend flights between India and China The Indian embassy has opened three hotlines to help the Indians in Wuhan to cope up with the crisis. Besides India, several other countries including the US, France, Japan, South Korea, are airlifting their nationals from Wuhan A large number of people from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh from the neighbourhood besides African countries were also reportedly stranded in Hubei province. (with PTI inputs) Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja held a high-level meeting at Thrissur Medical College after one positive case of coronavirus was detected in the state. She said that the patient who tested positive for coronavirus is stable. State ministers VS Sunil Kumar, C Raveendranath, AC Moideen and officials of the health department were present at the meeting. "The patient who had returned from Wuhan (China) and had tested positive for coronavirus is stable. She may be shifted to Thrissur Medical College from Thrissur general hospital today," Shailaja said. "Another person has been admitted to Thrissur General Hospital with symptoms of coronavirus. 15 persons are under surveillance in the state. Of these, nine are in isolation wards and rest are being monitored at home," she added. The Indian government had also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from traveling to China. In addition, the thermal screening facilities, as a precautionary measure, have been extended to 21 airports now, including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi and Goa. The deadly virus has so far claimed 170 lives in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Volodymyr Zelensky has called a U.S. sanctions policy effective and assured that sanctions help Ukraine counter threats. He said this at a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Kyiv on Friday, January 31, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "I thanked for the effective and efficient sanctions policy of the United States. It helps us to counter existing challenges, in particular in energy security and issues of Nord Stream 2," Zelensky said. As Ukrinform reported, on December 20, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law that imposes sanctions on any firm that helps Russia's state-owned gas company, Gazprom, finish a pipeline into the European Union. ish Britain brings down the curtain on 47 years of European Union membership on Friday with little in the way of official ceremony to mark the historic moment. Some 1,317 days after the 2016 referendum vote to Leave, the formal departure from the 28-nation bloc will take place at 11pm UK time midnight in Brussels. Boris Johnson, who served as the figurehead of the Vote Leave campaign and last Friday signed the withdrawal treaty after its passage through parliament, said the day would signal the dawn of a new era. But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that the country stood at a crossroads with many of the most important decisions about its future relations with the EU and the wider world yet to be made. And Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, is expected to say that Scotland is being taken out of the EU against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of its people, in a speech setting out the next steps in her battle for an independence referendum. Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Britain votes to leave the European Union - 23 June 2016 A referendum is held on Britain's membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving AFP via Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? David Cameron resigns - 24 June 2016 David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Theresa May takes the reins - 13 July 2016 Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit - November 2016 - 3 November 2016 The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Article 50 triggered - 28 March 2017 The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May calls snap election - 18 April 2018 Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain - 8 June 2017 After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Negotiations begin - 19 June 2017 David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament - 13 December 2017 The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a 'meaningful vote' on the deal Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary - 11 July 2018 Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Draft withdrawal agreement - 15 November 2018 The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain's divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May resigns - 24 May 2019 After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson takes over - 24 July 2019 Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Parliament prorogued - 28 August 2019 Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK's agreed departure date of 31 October. Stephen Morgan MP Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Prorogation ruled unlawful - 24 September 2019 The High Court rules that Johnson's prorogation of parliament is 'unlawful' after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar - October Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar - making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Final Say march demands second referendum - 19 October 2019 As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson wins 80 seat majority - 12 December 2019 The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Withdrawal deal passes parliament - 20 December 2019 The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124 Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal - 29 January 2020 Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain's departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne AFP/Getty Downing Street made clear the prime minister will not be making any public appearance to celebrate the moment of withdrawal. After chairing cabinet in Sunderland the city whose vote for Brexit was the first sign of Leaves victory on referendum night the prime minister will return to London to attend an evening reception with staff behind closed doors. A light display beamed onto the frontage of No 10 will be visible only to a few journalists and security staff inside the black gates of Downing Street. And a pre-recorded video message risked going unseen by TV viewers, due to a spat with broadcasters who objected to No 10s insistence of filming the footage itself rather than following the normal practice of inviting in a pool camera from one of the television companies. Supporters of Brexit will welcome the accomplishment of their long-cherished goal with a rally in Parliament Square, where they are promised speeches from Nigel Farage and Anne Widdecombe as well as patriotic songs. But there will be no chimes from Big Ben, no fireworks and no alcohol allowed on an evening forecast to be chilly and damp. Following the ratification of Mr Johnsons withdrawal agreement by parliaments in Westminster and Brussels, the UK is required to hand over more than 30bn to settle liabilities, guarantee rights to EU expats living in Britain and establish a customs border down the Irish Sea. It will lose all representation in EU decision-making institutions, but will remain subject to EU rules during a transition period lasting until the end of December. The Department for Exiting the EU will cease to exist at 11pm on Friday, with staff redistributed to ministries across Whitehall. But members of the public are not expected to notice any immediate change to everyday life while the transition takes place. The UK then faces a tight schedule to secure a new trade agreement with the remaining EU members by New Years Eve or face a potentially damaging no-deal crash-out on World Trade Organisation terms. With Brussels yet to draw up a mandate for negotiations, talks are not expected to begin until March, with agreement on fisheries and financial services needed by July. In his video address, timed to go public an hour before Brexit at 10pm, Mr Johnson will describe EU withdrawal as not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act, he will say. It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up. Speaking ahead of Brexit Day, Mr Corbyn said there would be different views and feelings across the country. Britains place in the world will change. The question is what direction we now take, he said. We will hold the government to account every step of the way: to ensure jobs and living standards, rights at work, and consumer and environmental standards are protected as part of whatever is negotiated with the EU, the US or any other country. We are determined to defend the gains we have made with others on these issues in the EU. And we will resist a toxic Trump deal that puts our NHS, food standards and jobs at risk. Nigel Farage will be among the speakers in Parliament Square tomorrow evening (Reuters) Speaking in Edinburgh, Ms Sturgeon will say: Tonight Scotland will be taken out of the European Union against the wishes of the overwhelming majority of people in Scotland. Nothing could more starkly demonstrate how our nations needs are no longer served by a broken, discredited Westminster union. But there is the prospect of a brighter, better future as an equal, independent European nation. And today I will lay out the next steps on Scotlands journey to independence. We have a cast-iron democratic mandate for an independence referendum and the latest polling shows a majority back Yes. Boris Johnson is terrified of the Scottish people having their say but his bid to stand in the way of democracy will not succeed. Nearly 30 years after economic liberalisation started in 1991, an official document doesnt just praise the private sector but recommends that the government embrace capitalism in a new avatar. Taking a cue from Adam Smith (who in the 18th century talked of the invisible hand of the market, in the book The Theory of Moral Sentiments), the Economic Survey bats for making the invisible hand take charge of the economy, to enter the next phase of rapid economic growth. But while the theory says that an individual deciding what is best for him or her is ultimately best for ... He was not, and is not, a domestic terrorist, Hart said, arguing that Hasson was lost in violent fantasies. After Hart told the judge, I would have no concern if he were a neighbor of mine, Windom said that Hart is not the sort of person who would have to worry for his safety if a heavily armed white nationalist lived next door. (Alliance News) - Savannah Petroleum PLC on Friday said Accugas has signed a new gas sales deal with First Independent Power Ltd, adding a new customer. Accugas, which Savannah holds an 80% interest, is owner and operator of the Uquo gas central processing facility in Nigeria, as well as a pipeline network. It already sells gas to Ibom Power, the Calabar Nigerian National Integrated Power Plant, National Integrated Power Project, and the Mfamosing cement plant. The new interruptible gas sales agreement will see Accugas supply up to 35 million standard cubic feet per day of gas from Uquo to the FIPL Afam power plant. This is aimed at augmenting FIPL Afam's existing supply of gas "on an interruptible basis for an initial term of one year" though this may be extended "upon mutual agreement". It is predicted that the commercial terms for the deal with First Independent Power will "augment the weighted average profitability of the Accugas portfolio while Accugas' sales volumes, revenues and cash flows are expected to increase with no incremental capital expenditure." Savannah said Accugas it making "good progress" in securing other possible new customers, with more updates "in due course". Andrew Knott, Savannah's chief executive, said: "I am delighted to announce the [interruptible gas sales agreement] with [First Independent Power], representing the first new gas sales agreement that the Accugas business has signed in over five years, and we look forward to partnering with the Sahara group, who have notable experience with energy and infrastructure projects in Africa. We are confident that this will be the first of several new gas sales agreements signed over the course of 2020 and, through Accugas, we aim to be seen as the gas supplier of choice to the power sector in Nigeria." Shares in Savannah were up 1.1% at 18.00 pence in London on Friday afternoon. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2019 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Three people were killed and three others critically injured when their car returning from a marriage rammed into a roadside wall in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district on Friday, police said. The incident happened in Nyamupur village under Talgaon police station area early morning, they said. The car carrying six passengers was returning from a marriage ceremony when it rammed into the house wall, police said. The deceased have been identified as Tanveer Ansari (25), Tauseef (35) and Arif Ansari (38), police said, adding that the injured were referred to Trauma Centre in Lucknow. A two-year-old child was also in the car but escaped unhurt, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) The fifth edition of Anthology Architecture and Design Festival will be held once again at the historic Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila on Feb. 7 to 9. With the theme Think Architecture, the festival will bring together leading architects, designers, industry leaders, and the general public in a series of talks, workshops, and collaborations with the aim of developing and formulating design-influenced policies that could assist in nation building and urban planning. The festival hopes to inspire individuals to build socially conscious architecture or build an environment that prioritizes the conditions and needs of all social segments. Festival Director William Ti, Jr. is excited about holding the largest architecture festival in Asia, with around 6,000 participants expected this year. Ti noted that architecture has always been the most definitive and visible reflection of a society and its development. "As the Philippines continues to grow as a nation and prepares to become a major part of the global community, it is imperative that we strive to discover and explore the architecture that forms a crucial part of the identity of Filipinos," Ti said. "We must continue to find ways to make this exploration and evolution relevant not just to our own society but also as a vital contribution to the richness of humanity and its cultural growth." Over 150 local and foreign thought leaders in architecture and urban development will headline this years three-day event. Below are the following festival activities: Anthology Talks will feature 21 of the best and brightest minds in the architecture community sharing their ideas about architecture and design. Keynote speakers for Anthology 2020 are Wong Mun Summ of WOHA, Liu Xiaodu of Urbanus, and Ricardo Bofill of RBTA. Shelter Dialogues is a series of panel discussions moderated by various architecture critics and thought leaders, each featuring 4-5 architects with varied backgrounds. Panels will explore topics on ideals and frameworks that shape the structures we build to house our needs and desires. Anthology Sessions is a platform for the exploration and discussion of ideas that can help evolve architecture to address the issues of a changing world. The gathering will be publishing a manifesto that supports urban development by providing an architectural framework that supplements policy making and planning. Think Architecture Exhibit is an exhibit featuring works of various participants that highlight the diversity and richness of architectural practice from all over the world. Anthology Raw is a series of socio-cultural debates that aim to provide thought-provoking discussions and global perspectives into mainstream architectural discourse. Joel Luna of Joel Luna Planning and Design, Denise de Castro of DEQA Design Collaborative, and Kevin Low, Founder of Small Projects will lead the discussions that aim to spark debates from opposing sides of architectural standards and beliefs. Anthology Workshops is a series of workshops conducted by industry leaders SOM, Arup, and Skew and PDP Architects. Moreover, some of the countrys leading firms will be showcasing the talent of Filipino architects through an installation at the festival grounds. There will be also a series of competitions for students as well as professional architects. Participating schools in the student-level competition are Taylors University, University of Indonesia, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Thammasat University, Tsinghua University, Politecnico di Torino, Hanyang University, De La Salle- College of Saint Benilde and the University of the Philippines. The festival will also have competitions for photographers and sketch artists. For more details, log on to: www.anthologyfest.org. If the encounter fails to happen particularly with Trump only an hours drive up Interstate 95 the significance will certainly be seen, and spun, in different ways. Some in the opposition have privately noted that the major goal of Guaidos trip was to cajole Europeans who have been far less willing than the Americans to impose tough sanctions on Maduro into taking a harder line. Guaido, they argue, was at least successful in taking the oppositions argument directly to Britains Boris Johnson, Germanys Angela Merkel and Frances Emmanuel Macron, among others. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is now trying to make an emotional appeal to voters by saying they should press `Broom` if they consider him their son. If they consider him a terrorist, they should press Lotus. The Chief Minister changed the poll campaign tone after a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader on Wednesday allegedly called him "terrorist". Addressing rally in Babarpur on Thursday, Kejriwal touched upon the "terrorist vs son" issue as he listed the works done by him in the last five years. The Chief Minister held roadshows in four Assembly constituencies -- Timarpur, Model Town, Ghonda and Rohtas Nagar -- and addressed rallies in Babarpur, Wazirpur and Shalimar Bagh seats. At Wazirpur, he said the BJP would scrap all the subsidies if elected. "While they will take away your subsidy, I will ensure it continues. Students too will get subsidised travel in DTC," he said. Live TV He also spoke about cleaning Delhi, Yamuna and improving the city transport. "We will clean Yamuna together. I will ensure that just like Ganga, you can take a dip in Yamuna." At Timarpur, he said they had worked hard with "sheer honesty" in the last five years. "We have worked to improve electricity, water, schools, hospitals, sewers and roads. We have been providing teerth yatra to the elders. We still need to do a lot in the next five years," the AAP leader said. Kejriwal said he hoped the AAP would win all 70 Assembly seats this time, three more than the 67 seats it won in 2015. "I met a few people from the Congress just a while ago. I want to appeal to the BJP and the Congress supporters, please be with your party, but vote for the AAP this time. That`s because no other party in the last 70 years have improved schools, hospitals, water and electricity. If you vote for a different party, it will deteriorate the condition. I have not come to ask for votes for myself, but please vote for the AAP for the development and progress of Delhi and the nation," said Kejriwal. Delhi will go to polls on February 8 and the results will be declared on Fegruary 11. The UN Security Council on Thursday called for an "immediate cessation" of hostilities in Yemen, which it said were threatening a political process aimed at ending the war. "The Members of the Security Council expressed their serious concern at the significant escalation of violence in Nehm and Al Jawf and its impact on civilians, thousands of whom had been displaced in recent days," the council said in a unanimously passed declaration. The text said it was necessary to maintain a ceasefire in the western city of Hodeida, as per a landmark agreement signed in Sweden in December 2018 and hailed as Yemen's best chance so far to end the fighting. The Council members also called for the "immediate stop to all intimidation of humanitarian workers" and "safe and unhindered access" in the north of the country. The declaration came after an emergency Council meeting held Tuesday at Britain's request. The war, which began in 2015, pits Iranian-backed Huthi rebels against government forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians, according to non-governmental groups. The UN has classified the Yemen war as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moxibustion is an alternative therapy from traditional Chinese medicine that involves burning the herb mugwort (or moxa) near specific points along a set of invisible, vertical lines that cross the body, known as meridians. Practitioners believe these meridians correspond to specific organs and, when stimulated, can strengthen blood flow and prompt the release of certain hormones. In the U.S., moxibustion is taught as part of the typical curriculum for a degree in acupuncture and only licensed acupuncturists can perform it. Moxibustion can be combined with acupuncture treatment or done on its own with moxa sticks. Moxibustion for a Breech Baby Among other things, moxibustion is used to treat breech presentation, when an unborn baby is positioned with her bottom or feet toward the cervix late in pregnancy. "If I were to diagnose a breech presentation early in the third trimester, I would recommend acupuncture and the use of mugwort," says Marsha Granese, an OB-GYN with Mission Hospital in California. There are several theories as to how moxibustion works. "It is thought that stimulating the last point on the bladder meridian brings movement to the kidney channel and helps the baby to turn," says Tom Ingegno, a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine (DACM) with a master's in Oriental medicine (MSOM) who practices with Charm City Integrative Health in Baltimore. When moxibustion is combined with acupuncture, the practitioner wraps a small amount of dried mugwort atop a needle that is already in the acupuncture point and lights it. This creates a warming sensation in the skin. A cone of moxa may also be placed directly on the acupuncture point and lit, with the practitioner taking care to extinguish it before it touches skin. A third form of moxibustionindirectinvolves lighting cigar-sized moxibustion sticks near the points and holding them close until their heat reddens the skin. Story continues "One theory, from a Western medical perspective, is that the heat encourages the release of two specific hormones in pregnancy, placental estrogen and prostaglandins," says Kristen Burris, MSTOM, a licensed acupuncturist with Eagle Acupuncture in Idaho. This can lead to mild uterine contractions, helping the baby to move into an optimal, head-down position for a vaginal birth. Getty Images Moxibustion is techniques used in Oriental medicine to improve health by stimulating the meridian points, through which the body's vital energy, know as chi, is believe to flow. Is Moxibustion Safe? OB-GYNs routinely prescribe moxibustion for breech babies when they're detected early enough in the third trimester. According to guidelines published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2017, "the use of moxibustion for breech presentation at 33-35 weeks of gestation, under the guidance of a trained practitioner" may promote spontaneous version. Dr. Granese has prescribed moxibustion for breech presentation before 36 weeks. "I would refer the patient to a Chinese medicine provider who knows the acupuncture points and herbs used to relax the uterus," she says. "Mugwort is a natural muscle relaxant." When moxibustion is performed in a clinical setting, the risks associated with it are so minimal "they're hardly worth mentioning," says Burris. Those risks include nausea from the scent of burning mugwort, and burns and blisters if the ignited herb comes in contact with the skin. "However, in 20 years of practice none of my patients has ever experienced an inappropriate burn from moxibustion," she adds. Moxibustion at Home Whether or not it's safe to practice moxibustion at home depends on who you ask. Burris, for example, says although she's aware other practitioners give their patients moxibustion sticks to use at home, her practice advises against it. "Moxibustion only takes a few treatments in the office, and success rates are much higher and safer when performed by a professional," she says. But Ingegno says moxibustion can be performed at home using sticks, under the training and supervision of a licensed acupuncturist. "The moxa sticks need to be held at a comfortable distance to warm the area and not burn the mother-to-be," says Ingegno. However, burning moxa directly on the point is not an at-home technique and should only be performed in a clinical setting, Ingegno warns. Moxibustion Benefits and Success Rate While learning you have a breech baby is no doubt a stressful situation, moxibustion can be quite relaxing. At Integrative Acupuncture in Vermont, acupuncturist Kerry Boyle, M.S., L.AC., holds a moxibustion stick above the mother's pinky toe when performing moxibustion for a breech baby. "Connective tissue and nerve channels link this area to the uterus and cause it to relax," says Boyle. "We add acupuncture needles to the ears and feet to further the relaxation of mom." Moxibustion for a breech baby is usually performed between weeks 34 and 36 of pregnancy, and may be prescribed as an alternative or precursor to an external cephalic version (ECV). With both moxibustion and a version, the goal is to encourage the baby's movement to a head-first or "vertex" position so that a vaginal birth is possible. If both moxibustion and version are unsuccessful, your doctor will likely recommend birth by scheduled C-section. When combined with in-office treatments and daily moxibustion at home, Ingegno says his practice has seen a 70 percent success rate with moxibustion for breech babies. "Modern studies confirm that moxibustion does increase the success of the fetus repositioning, but most of these studies are small," he says. "Factors like how far along the pregnancy is can affect the outcome. The best success seems to occur when we intervene at 34 weeks, however, this leaves about a month and a half before the expected delivery date in which a decent percentage of babies would turn on their own." The Zacks Oil and Gas - Canadian E&P industry consists of Canada-based companies focused on exploration and production (E&P) of oil and natural gas. These firms are engaged in finding hydrocarbon reservoirs, drilling oil and gas wells, and producing and selling these materials to be refined later into products such as gasoline. Lets take a look at the industrys three major themes: While oil production is surging in Canada, the country's exploration and production sector has remained out of favor, primarily due to the scarcity of pipelines. In short, pipeline construction in Canada has failed to keep pace with rising domestic crude volumes the heavier sour variety churned out of the oil sands resulting in infrastructural bottleneck. This has forced producers to give away their products in the United States Canadas major market at a discounted rate. As it is, Canadian heavy crude is inferior to the higher-quality oil extracted from shale formations in the United States and is also more expensive to transport and refine. The macro situation is expected to improve once TC Energys (TRP) flagship infrastructure project Keystone XL comes online. The long-delayed pipeline, which has encountered significant regulatory, legal and environmental setbacks over the years, finally looks to be moving forward. Designed to carry 830,000 barrels of crude a day from Albertas oil sands to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, construction of the 1,900-kilometer conduit is slated to begin shortly. Post completion (expected by the end of 2022), the $8-billion mega-project will considerably ease the pipeline shortage plaguing Canadas oil industry. Importantly, TC Energy has been able to secure long-term volume contracts for more than 90% of the pipelines capacity, indicating widespread commercial support for the development. Story continues The positive final investment decision for Royal Dutch Shells (RDS.A) LNG Canada project (in October 2018) is seen as a significant turning point for the countrys energy industry. The initiative, located in Kitimat, British Columbia, is estimated to cost C$40 billion and marks the nations largest infrastructure project ever. While the production of gas is soaring in Canada, lack of pipeline construction and export facilities are forcing producers to sell their products at a discounted rate (just like oil). The LNG Canada project is expected to start exporting the super-cooled fuel to Asia by 2024 and will likely provide a fresh lease of life to Canadas gas industry. The additional export facility (with a 40-year license) will certainly help mitigate the oversupplied gas market of Canada, which has debilitated the commoditys price in the country for the past few years. Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Favorable Outlook The Zacks Oil and Gas - Canadian E&P is a 7-stock group within the broader Zacks Oil - Energy sector. The industry currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank #113, which places it in the top 44% of more than 250 Zacks industries. The groups Zacks Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates bright near-term prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Taking into consideration the increasingly bullish outlook of the industry, we will present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio. But its worth taking a look at the industrys recent stock-market performance and valuation picture first. Industry Outperforms Sector & S&P 500 The Zacks Oil and Gas - Canadian E&P has surpassed the broader Zacks Oil - Energy Sector as well as the Zacks S&P 500 composite over the past year. The industry has gained 21% over this period compared to the S&P 500s rally of 20.1% and broader sectors decrease of 14.3%. One-Year Price Performance Industrys Current Valuation Since oil and gas companies are debt-laden, it makes sense to value them based on the EV/EBITDA (Enterprise Value/ Earnings before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortization) ratio. This is because the valuation metric takes into account not just equity but also the level of debt. For capital-intensive companies, EV/EBITDA is a better valuation metric because it is not influenced by changing capital structures and ignores the effect of noncash expenses. On the basis of the trailing 12-month EV/EBITDA ratio, the industry is currently trading at 4.91X, significantly lower than the S&P 500s 12.25X. It, however, mirrors the sectors trailing-12-month EV/EBITDA of 4.9X. Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 20.46X, as low as 3.65X, with a median of 7.82X, as the chart below shows. Trailing 12-Month Enterprise Value-to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) Ratio Bottom Line Agreed, Canadian crude prices are most likely to trade at a discount to WTI because of quality and pipeline issues. However, a string of positive updates associated with the industry have been warmly received by investors. As discussed above, the first piece of encouraging news pertains to the contentious Keystone XL pipeline, work on whose construction is likely to commence shortly a much needed step to move oil from Alberta to the refineries in the United States. Meanwhile, a corporate tax cut by Albertas provincial government and easing of the state-mandated production curtailments should lead to increased oil sands investment this year for the first time since 2014. Meanwhile, the official go-ahead for the much-awaited Kitimat mega LNG export facility is expected to be a game changer for the Canadian energy sector. The project will help ease the nation's gas oversupply while tapping into the growing demand for the commodity in Asia. Due to Canadas proximity with the Asian markets along with robust natural gas production in British Columbia and Alberta, the nation is a much-preferred destination for the LNG export facilities. The startup of the Kitimat project is likely to unleash a new LNG wave in Canada. With the abovementioned catalysts set to provide near-term upside, we are presenting two stocks with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) that are well positioned to gain amid the prevailing challenges. There are also two stocks with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) that investors may currently retain in their portfolio. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here . Crescent Point Energy Corp. (CPG): Crescent Point Energys operations are primarily concentrated in southwest and southeast Saskatchewan and Utah. The Calgary-based company carries a Zacks Rank #2 and has an attractive expected earnings growth of 344.5% for this year. Price and Consensus: CPG Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ): This Calgary-based operator is one of the largest independent energy companies in Canada engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas. Canadian Natural Resources, whose core operations are focused in Western Canada, the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea and offshore Africa, carries a Zacks Rank #2. Over 30 days, the company has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 increase 25.6%. Price and Consensus: CNQ Baytex Energy Corp. (BTE): Baytex Energy is an intermediate explorer and producer with primary focus on the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and in the Eagle Ford in the United States. Over 30 days, the Calgary-headquartered company carrying a Zacks Rank #3 has seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2020 surge 25%. Price and Consensus: BTE Enerplus Corporation (ERF): Enerplus focuses on Bakken and Three Forks formations in the Williston Basin in North Dakota, together with interests in the Marcellus Basin in and waterflood projects in Canada. The Calgary-based company carries a Zacks Rank #3 and has an expected earnings growth of 15.6% for this year. Price and Consensus: ERF Today's Best Stocks from Zacks Would you like to see the updated picks from our best market-beating strategies? From 2017 through 2019, while the S&P 500 gained and impressive +53.6%, five of our strategies returned +65.8%, +97.1%, +118.0%, +175.7% and even +186.7%. This outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. From 2000 2019, while the S&P averaged +6.0% per year, our top strategies averaged up to +54.7% per year. See their latest picks free >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report TC Energy Corporation (TRP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDS.A) : Free Stock Analysis Report Enerplus Corporation (ERF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Crescent Point Energy Corporation (CPG) : Free Stock Analysis Report Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Baytex Energy Corp (BTE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research More than 75000 persons in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel Coronavirus outbreak, could have been infected by the virus, the prestigious medical journal Lancet said Friday, adding that many major cities in the country could also be primed for localised epidemics. New modelling research, published in The Lancet, estimates that up to 75,800 individuals in the Chinese city of Wuhan may have been infected with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as of January 25, 2020, the publication said in the latest study unveiled late on Friday. The modelling study, shared with HT, suggested that multiple major Chinese cities might have already imported dozens of cases of 2019-nCoV infection from Wuhan, in numbers sufficient to initiate local epidemics. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Hong Kong. It estimates that in the early stages of the Wuhan outbreak-- from December 1, 2019 to January 25, 2020-- each person infected with 2019-nCoV could have infected up to 2-3 other individuals on average, and that the epidemic doubled in size every 6.4 days. During this period, up to 75,815 individuals could have been infected in Wuhan, it says. Additionally, estimates suggest that cases of 2019-nCoV infection may have spread from Wuhan to multiple other major Chinese cities as of January 25, including Guangzhou (111 cases), Beijing (113), Shanghai (98), and Shenzhen (80). Together these cities account for over half of all outbound international air travel from China, the study added. Lead author Professor Joseph Wu from the University of Hong Kong said if the transmissibility of the virus is similar nationally, then it is possible that epidemics could be already growing in multiple major Chinese cities with a time lag of one to two weeks behind the Wuhan outbreak. Wu said some large cities outside China could also become outbreak epicentres. Large cities overseas with close transport links to China could potentially also become outbreak epicentres because of the substantial spread of pre-symptomatic cases unless substantial public health interventions at both the population and personal levels are implemented immediately. The authors also pointed out the limitations of the study. The accuracy of the estimates depends on their assumption about the zoonotic (animal to human transmission) source of infection in Wuhan. They highlighted that their models assume travel behaviour of the people was not affected by disease status and that all infections eventually have symptomsso it is possible that milder cases may have gone undetected which could underestimate the size of the outbreak. 3 1 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A 44-year-old man has died after he was stabbed in an argument Friday afternoon on the South Side, according to the San Antonio Police Department. Police responded to 414 W. Harlan Ave. around 12:30 p.m. for a reported cutting in progress. Both major parties have contested races for Bexar County tax assessor-collector. On the Democratic side, we recommend incumbent Albert Uresti, who has dramatically improved customer service and collections during his time in office. On the Republican side, we recommend Stephen Pennington, a youthful and intriguing candidate with a number of ideas to make the office more accessible online, including one-click property tax appeals. Seeking his third term to this post, Uresti, a former firefighter, has made a difference. Notably, his office offers a 10-month tax payment plan to senior citizens to help spread out the tax burden, and he also created a prepayment plan. Measures like these have helped improve collections and reduce delinquencies. Uresti also has returned overpayments to taxpayers. Its a small thing, but Uresti also deserves praise for installing seating and a queuing system to improve customer service. Uresti faces Gary Alcoser, a cardiac sonographer, who is primarily focused on lowering property appraisals. But Alcoser has few ideas beyond this, and Uresti had done a good job and easily gets our nod. Republican voters must choose between two talented candidates in Pennington and Michael Berlanga, a certified public accountant. Both are zeroed in on reforming the appraisal process and using this office as bully pulpit to call for change. Berlanga has an impressive understanding of taxes and how the system works, or doesnt work. But he has run unsuccessfully for this office and for state representative, and we were impressed with Penningtons ambition and ideas. Pennington has a bachelors degree in political science from Texas A&M University, College Station and is a San Antonio native. He is executive director of Nonprofit Financial Services, which provides financial workshops and tax preparation services. Were intrigued by his ideas to create a one-click property tax appeal for homeowners (or via a postcard), schedule online appointments with the collector-assessors office and create an automatic enrollment for the homestead exemption. Pennington is a fresh voice, and he gets our recommendation in the Republican primary. (Newser) The US on Friday declared a public health emergency and announced significant entry restrictions because of the fast-spreading coronavirus. HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced that President Trump signed an order to temporarily bar entry to the US of foreign nationals who have traveled in China in the past 14 days. The restrictions take effect at 5pm EST Sunday, the AP reports. Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and be required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Beginning Sunday, the US will also begin funneling all flights to the US from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened. story continues below In addition, the government has ordered 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhanthe city where the coronavirus outbreak beganto be quarantined at a California base for 14 days, CDC officials said. They described the order for the first federal quarantine in about a half-century as a precaution, the Wall Street Journal reports. "If we take strong measures now, we may be able to blunt the impact of the virus on the US," said Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The evacuees landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County on Wednesday. The last mandated quarantine was in the 1960s to contain smallpox. (Read more coronavirus stories.) A grandfather who burned alive his crying 11-month-old grandson in a stove has been jailed for 15 years. His wife, the little boy's granny, was imprisoned for nine years by a Russian court over the child's gruesome death. The couple were babysitting Maxim Sagalakov in Khakassia region when he was murdered by incineration. Alexander Miyagashev (left), 48, who burned alive his crying 11-month-old grandson in a stove has been jailed for 15 years in a strict regime jail. Zhanna Miyagasheva (right), 43, the little boy's granny, was imprisoned for nine years over the child's gruesome death by a Russian court Their daughter Viktoria Sagalakova, 21, returned to find the child's charred remains in the stove of the family's house in Kharoy village. The court heard horrific evidence that the child's crying had annoyed a drunk Zhanna Miyagasheva, 43, and she 'started to suffocate the boy until he was silent'. Her husband Alexander Miyagashev, 48, then took the helpless boy and placed him in the burning stove. Viktoria Sagalakova, 21, returned to find her child's charred remains in the stove of the family's house in Kharoy village in Russia Senior prosecutor Maxim Rodionov told the court forensic analysis 'reliably established that the death of the child occurred precisely because of the actions of Alexander Miyagashev, since he placed him in the furnace and burned the boy'. The child died 'from 100 per cent burns to the body' and exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning. Sentencing the couple, judge Viktor Galimov said: 'The forensic expert explained that before being placed in the stove the child had a heartbeat. The court heard horrific evidence that the child's crying had annoyed a drunk Zhanna Miyagasheva, 43, and she 'started to suffocate the boy until he was silent'. Her husband Alexander Miyagashev, 48, then took the helpless boy and placed him in the burning stove 'He was breathing, with a normal body temperature. 'That is, there were signs of life.' The court heard that the grandfather had previously burned alive puppies and a cat. In court, the wife and husband each blamed the other for the appalling crime. The grandparent's house in Khakassia region in Russia where they were babysitting Maxim Sagalakov 'I was heavily asleep,' said the grandmother. 'How could I do this with my beloved grandson? 'People say 'grandchildren are sweeter than children. 'The last time I saw him was alive and well ...' Alexander denied putting the baby in the stove and told the judge: 'Your Honour, I did not kill. She killed. 'I smoked, went to sleep, then went to the toilet. She told me: "I killed our grandson".' Neighbour Evgeniy Borgoyakov told Russian television the grandfather had 'turned mad from alcohol'. He said: 'We hear he pushed the baby into the wood-burning stove. Sentencing the couple, judge Viktor Galimov said: 'The forensic expert explained that before being placed in the stove the child had a heartbeat 'That was it.' Other neighbours said that the couple often looked after the child and previously took good care of him. The mother who was in court said she could not believe her parents had killed her child. Reports said she planned to appeal the sentence. After his death one year ago she posted an emotional message on social media. The boy's mother who was also in court said she could not believe her parents had killed her child. Reports said she planned to appeal the sentence. After his death one year ago the boy's mother posted an emotional message on social media, saying 'I know that you see everything now because you are flying so high' 'Rest in peace, my beloved son,' she wrote. 'My dear little son. 'My pain does not ease even for a minute. 'How will I cope with it that you are not with me? 'I can't hug you. Only your photograph is here with your kind and tender look. 'I look at your picture and you are smiling to me. 'I miss you so much my son. 'Please come to see me just for one second. 'Come to see me in my dreams. 'I know that you see everything now because you are flying so high.' ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A southwest Alaska man charged with fatally shooting an off-duty village public safety officer has been acquitted of murder charges. Adam Williams, 21, of Napaskiak, was acquitted Jan. 15 at the end of a two-week trial in Bethel, Anchorage television station KTUU reported. Williams was charged with first- and second-degree murder in the death of Kyle Wassillie, 26, of Nunapitchuk. Williams was represented by Andrew Dunmire, an assistant public defender from Juneau. Williams spent two and a half years in jail before the trial. Williams first public defender launched a lengthy investigation but left the agency, Dunmire said. Dunmire set out to prove that Williams acted in self-defence. Wassillie on the day of the shooting was visiting from Nunapitchuk. He was found mortally wounded in the entryway of a home belonging to a member of the Williams family, according to the charging document. Testimony at the trial indicated that Wassillie brought alcohol into Napaskiak, acted aggressively after drinking and picked fights with people, including village police officers, Dunmire said. Williams and Wassillie argued and fought, Dunmire said. Williams pushed Wassillie out of the home, went back inside and loaded a rifle to defend himself. Wassillie returned to the home and was shot, Dunmire said. Williams was intoxicated and had no memory of the shooting, Dunmire said. Williams did not testify. About 25 family members and friends were present for the sentencing, Dunmire said. After Williams release, they travelled in a snowmobile caravan back to Napaskiak to celebrate Williams acquittal, Dunmire said. PHOENIX - Prosecutors in metro Phoenix will not charge an officer who shot a 14-year-old boy holding a replica gun and running away during a call about a vehicle break-in. Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel said prosecutors likely would not have won a conviction against Officer Joseph Jaen, who shot Antonio Arce in the back in an alley in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe in January 2019. Adel said Jaen didnt know when he fired his gun that Arce was 14. She also said the suspect was believed to be armed and about to run out of the officers view. Police officials have said Jaen fired because he thought the gun was real and perceived an imminent threat. In those few split seconds, Officer Jaen believed that someone was fleeing the scene of a crime, that they were in possession of a handgun and holding it in a manner where the weapon could be easily discharged, Adel said. Attorney Danny Ortega, who represents Arces parents, said his clients were disappointed. Ortega questioned how the teen could have been perceived as a threat when he was at least 100 feet (30 metres) away from the officer with his back turned. While Officer Jaen believed that Antonio was armed, his statement that he feared for his safety is not enough, Ortega said. The video shows that Antonio never pointed that supposed weapon at Officer Jaen and made no threats or any aggressive movement whatsoever. Body-camera footage showed Jaen drawing his handgun and taking cover behind a large trash bin as Arce moved around a pickup truck parked in an alley. Jaen told Arce to show his hands as the teen runs away. Jaen stopped and fired two shots at Arce, who didnt appear to turn around or point a weapon at the officer. Jaen found Arce on a sidewalk just outside the alley. While waiting for other officers to arrive, Jaen described the suspect as being in his 40s. Minutes later, he seemed upset and in disbelief when learning the person he shot was a teenager. Its just a (expletive) kid, Jaen said. Its a (expletive) toy gun, man. Jaen, who resigned as an officer about four months after the shooting, was granted an early disability retirement. In all, he worked for 17 years as an officer, 14 in Tempe and three in Bullhead City. A separate internal investigation by Tempe police concluded that Jaen had violated the agencys use-of-force policy. Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir said discipline would have been recommended for Jaen had he not resigned. His actions were not aligned with our values, Moir said. His actions deviated from our training. An effort to reach Jaen, who doesnt have a listed phone number, was unsuccessful. Ortega said his clients plan to move forward with a lawsuit against Jaen and the city of Tempe. Arces parents have already filed a notice of claim a precursor to a lawsuit that seeks $5 million. Its rare for prosecutors to charge police officers in on-duty shootings. ___ Associated Press writer Terry Tang contributed to this report. COLUMBUS, Ohio A 15-year-old armed robbery suspect was shot and killed Thursday night by police, according to reports. The shooting occurred at about 6:10 p.m. after reports of a robbery at a CVS drug store on the 3300 block of Broad Street east of downtown Columbus. Police spokesperson James Fuqua tells WCMH Channel 4 the suspect was still in the store when police arrived and that he was armed with a gun. Fuqua tells WCMH the suspect and an officer were involved in an altercation. Two officers fired on the teen, who died of his wounds, WBNS Channel 10 reports. No officers were injured. Police have not released the identity of the suspect. The shooting remains under investigation. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. Read related story and more crime stories: Man charged in killing of 33-year-old man in the victims Euclid home Streetsboro police release name of man found dead in field near business district Security guard shoots man smashing his car outside Cleveland store Beachwood Saks Fifth Avenue associate helped fentanyl trafficker buy high-end items without IRS scrutiny, feds say Suspect arrested in string of armed robberies in Geauga and Lake counties To help these veterans, American Humane was joined last week at Eau Palm in Manalapan, Florida by more than 300 people, including several generals, a rear admiral, 100 veterans and retired military warriors, and 200 veterans' advocates including internationally renowned philanthropist Lois Pope in support of the organization's "Pups4Patriots" program. "There are many worthy causes in the world, but few inspire more people than working to help our nation's brave veterans and our nation's animals in need," said American Humane President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert. "Tonight, with your help, and the support of some of the nation's leading advocates for our military heroes and homeless animals, we will save more lives on both ends of the leash." American Humane's "Pups4Patriots" program identifies dogs in need of forever homes and trains them to be lifesaving service dogs free of charge for veterans with PTS and Traumatic Brain Injury improving and often saving lives on either ends of each healing leash. The process of obtaining a PTS service dog can take between 18 and 24 months, and cost upward of $30,000. A cost that is out of reach for many veterans. With too few trained service dogs available for our service men and women in need, American Humane provides critically necessary training and service dogs to veterans in need. During the star-studded gala, American Humane's latest graduating veteran/service dog teams received special diplomas conferred by American Humane President and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert, keynote speaker U.S. Army Major General James A. "Spider" Marks (Ret.), United States Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Kearney (Ret.), and Mel Coleman, a veteran and vice president of Coleman Natural Foods, a major sponsor of the program. The new teams were cheered on by more than 100 veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Middle East and their families. "Nothing is more important than giving our veterans the weapons to win their private battles here at home," said General Marks. "American Humane's 104 years of experience in supporting our country's service men, women and military animals gives them deep insights into how to better protect those who have spent a lifetime protecting us." "I am honored to be a small part of this remarkable organization that has a long history of seeing a need and taking solid action to make things right," said Admiral Kearney, a board member of American Humane. "From the first animal rescues at the end of WWI, to today, American Humane has been dedicated to helping our veterans in need and is now devoting their time and efforts toward enabling the life-changing affects that these dogs can have on them." "Last year as I sat in this room, I was moved by the meaningful work that American Humane was doing through Pups4Patriots and knew that I didn't just want to be a bystander," said Mel Coleman, vice president of Coleman Natural Foods. "That's why we pledged to fund the training for more than two dozen dogs over the next few years." In addition to this pledge, Jeff Tripician, president of Perdue Premium Meat Company and Coleman Natural, donated his 2002 Silver C5 Convertible Corvette to be auctioned online. Interested bidders may visit www.AmericanHumane.org/Corvette. Additional Support Pours In Responding to an emotional call to action, a number of generous individuals and companies pledged significant additional support to fund the training of specialized service dogs for veterans. Kevin Hubbard, co-founder of Rhoback Activewear, added to the company's powerful past support with a gift of $50,000. Allison Bennett announced a pledge by Hallmark Channel of $60,000. And Dr. J. Michael McFarland unveiled a pledge by leading animal healthcare company Zoetis of $120,000. "On behalf of America's veterans and the many wonderful animals who will find not just a forever home but a new mission in life, we thank all of you," said Dr. Ganzert. "Because of remarkable support like this, more than 125 healing leashes have already been put in the hands of our wounded warriors and many more will benefit." To read the full release, the stories of the newest Pups4Patriots graduates, and learn more about the many dedicated supporters who attended the event, please click here. About American Humane American Humane, the country's first national humane organization, has been working with the U.S. military for more than 100 years, when they rescued and cared for 68,000 war horses wounded each month on the battlefields of World War I Europe. Through their Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs, the nonprofit organization now work to provide service dogs for veterans with PTS and TBI, helps arrange for free healthcare for our four-footed warriors, and repatriate and reunite retired war dogs with their former handlers. For more information, visit www.americanhumane.org, call 866-242-1877 and follow them at Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE American Humane Related Links http://www.americanhumane.org Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Russias President Vladimir Putin in Sochi in 2014__Photo: VNA Vietnamese leaders yesterday exchanged congratulatory messages with their Russian counterparts on the occasion of the 70th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Russia diplomatic ties.The well-wishers are Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan of Vietnam, and Russias President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin.In his message to President Putin, Party General Secretary and President Trong said over the past nearly a century, Vietnamese and Russian people have stood side by side, from the battle to protect Moscow in the winter of 1941 to the struggle for national liberation and reunification in Vietnam, as well as during the cause of national defense and development.In their messages, the Vietnamese leaders described the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries as an invaluable asset, which Vietnamese leaders and people are resolved to preserve and promote. They said the ties are the premise for the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership to further deepen and grow more effective.President Putin also emphasized the true friendship and alliance between the two countries over the past seven decades.We have always been alongside each other during the hardest years of Vietnams struggle for national independence and freedom, as well as in the later period of national reconstruction, he wrote.Leaders of both sides noted with pleasure the strong development of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.PM Mishustin said the two countries are successfully deploying many big-scale joint projects in the spheres of energy, industry, transport infrastructure, science, culture and others.The Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam in 2019-20 have contributed to diversifying the relationship, he stressed.The leaders affirmed their resolve to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership in a pragmatic way, for the sake of the two countries people, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also exchanged greetings with Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov.- Des Moines, Iowa: US President Donald Trump campaigned on Thursday in Iowa - the state that kicks off the presidential nominating race next week - basking in the support of his base while the US Senate trial considering his impeachment continued in Washington. Reviving some of the most polarizing speech lines from his 2016 campaign and mocking his potential Democratic opponents, Trump regaled the crowd with a series of campaign promises, including revamping the US healthcare system and continuing to build a wall along the country's southern border with Mexico. Democratic contenders for their party's nomination to challenge Trump in the November election face their first electoral test in the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Trump, who is seeking a second term, is expected to easily win the Republican caucus. His campaign, regardless, is making a show of force in the state and several of his supporters, including both of his adult sons, will be in the state on Monday. Trump's speech on Thursday was squarely focused on the general election. He won Iowa in 2016 and Democrats are not expected to invest many resources trying to flip it back to their column this year. But Democrats have dominated the airwaves in Iowa for the past year, making Trump the focus of their appeals to the state's Democratic voters. Trump repeated his criticism of his potential Democratic opponents, denigrating former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg for his height and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg for his last name, and repeating his reference to US Senator Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas. "Democrats stand for crime, corruption and chaos, Republicans stand for law, order and justice," Trump said. Trump renewed a 2016 campaign promise to make Mexico pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border, a vow he made daily while campaigning the first time but has rarely mentioned since taking office. "Illegal aliens from Mexico are going to pay for the wall ... through remittance, 100 percent," Trump said. He also revisited a line from his 2016 campaign, maligning some migrants trying to enter the United States as criminals. Fresh from signing a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada on Wednesday and a separate pact with China earlier this month, the president said the Democrats would be bad for Iowas farmers - warning they would "kill your cows." "If we don't win, your farms are going to hell," he said. Within months after I left office, such a situation occurred. A resident had been renovating a large, historic property in Old Town that was once owned by Justice Hugo Black, who had placed an easement on the property to ensure protection of it in perpetuity. The resident sought permission to make changes to the property. Historic preservation groups banded together to protect the easement and the property. At the council hearing, Mayor Justin Wilson disclosed that he had accepted a $1,000 campaign contribution from the propertys owner but stated that he did not see any legal conflict of interest, so he would not recuse and would be participating in the council discussion and voting. The mayor advocated for the changes the owner proposed and voted in favor of the changes. An ethics commission would have helped clarify this conflict of interest. Once it was known that the donor would have business before the council, the ethical protocol would have been for the elected official to disclose and recuse. An action may be legal under Virginias lax ethics laws, but that does not mean it is honorable or ethical. Absent legislation, we should expect our elected officials to voluntarily hold themselves to a higher ethical standard so that policy decisions arent influenced by monetary contributions. LONDON When Britain leaves the European Union at 11 p.m. on Friday, some will be celebrating and others will be mourning. But for most people interviewed this week around the country, it seems to mark a time for recovery from years of wrangling that has upended the political system and sometimes strained the countrys social fabric. Its just been day after day of dysfunction, division and economic uncertainty. Im not sure how we are supposed to bounce back from this, said Andrew Fielden, a 39-year-old London-based accountant who supported Britain remaining in the European Union. The irony is that Brexit was all about taking back control, but weve never been so out of control. No one even knows what the reality of Brexit will look like. Since the 2016 referendum on Britains membership of the union, political discord has rippled through the country, sundering towns and cities and rupturing relationships among families and friends. The atmosphere became so toxic that in Decembers general election, many Britons crossed traditional political divides to deliver the Conservative government a substantial mandate to get Brexit done. In late 2019 the U.S. Navy ordered four MMSC (Multi-Mission Surface Combatant) warships to be built in the United States for Saudi Arabia. This comes after four years of negotiations with the Saudis who first expressed interest in buying customized versions of the American LCS (Littoral Combat Ship) years earlier. Saudi Arabia is now the first export customer for the LCS type vessels. From the beginning, the Saudis wanted four modified LCS ships and were willing to spend $2 billion for the ships plus another $4 billion more for basing facilities, training and support as well as extensive modifications to the basic LCS design. The four MMSC ships are part of a larger, $20 billion Saudi naval modernization program. The Saudi ships are heavily modified Freedom (single hull) type LCS ships. The Saudis have been considering this purchase since 2005 but did not approach the U.S. with the proposal until 2015. The MMSC is heavier (3,600 tons) than the LCS and will have communications and fire control systems compatible with those on NATO ships. The Saudi MMSC armament will be heavier, including eight VLS (Vertical Launch System) cells carrying Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM). These are anti-aircraft weapons with a range of 50 kilometers. There will also be a 57mm gun, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, several anti-submarine torpedo tubes, two 20mm remotely controlled autocannon, ten 12.7mm machine-guns and more extensive electronics and defensive systems than the LCS. This includes sonar, a torpedo defense system as well as a more powerful radar and fire control system. An SH-60 helicopter will also be carried. The heavier armament means the MMSC will not be able to use the mission modules the LCS was designed to carry. MMSC will probably have a crew of about a hundred. Meanwhile, the Americans have been having lots of problems with the LCS vessel. In early 2015 the U.S. Navy decided to reclassify the LCS as frigates. This was not unexpected as in size and function the LCS ships were very comparable to frigates. This type of ship was created during World War II as Destroyer Escorts (or DE, versus DD for destroyer). These were basically destroyers that were slower (smaller engines), smaller (fewer weapons) and meant for escorting convoys and patrolling areas where major air attacks were not expected. The DEs proved more useful than expected and were retained after the war and eventually renamed as frigates (FF) type ships. The LCS was meant to be much more than a frigate and used a very innovative design. All that did not work out as expected. The navy is now developing a new, more conventional Guided Missile Frigate design for the new FFG(X) type ship. The final FFG(X) design will be selected in 2020 and the navy wants to produce these quickly, at a rate of four to six ships a year. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy continues having problems with the original LCS weapons and mission modules. There have been development delays, largely due to poor management, of three unique weapons systems developed for the LCS. The simplest weapon involved is a surface launched Hellfire missile. This missile was designed to be launched from aircraft but it has been long suggested that it be adapted for use from the surface, specifically from warships. The LCS Hellfire has been named the SSMM (Surface-to-Surface Missile Module) and was supposed to be ready for service by 2017 but was two years late. This module includes 24 Hellfire missiles. The SSMM difficulties were minor compared to what happened with the other two problematic modules. One was for mine hunting and other for ASW (anti-submarine warfare) system. The MCM (Mine Countermeasures) module has no major problems with any of its sensors or mine destroying systems. The problems are with the integration of the hardware and software created to get all components of the MCM module to work efficiently together. The MCM module was supposed to be operational several years ago but additional debugging and testing will delay deployment this until 2021. There were not as many problems as anticipated with the ASW module. All the components worked well and integration was fine but in getting all this done someone lost track of module weight, which was not supposed to exceed 105 tons. The excess weight had to be removed before the LCS could safely and reliably use the ASW module. This proved expensive since most of the ASW components involved had been around for a while and were not easily or cheaply modified. Changes had to be made the LCS ships as well but this was nothing major. The ASW module will apparently be fully functional in 2020. The LCS began development in 2002 and in 2012 the U.S. Navy put it into mass production. Then in 2013 one of the three LCSs in service got its first tour in a combat zone (counter-piracy duty around the Straits of Malacca). There LCSs took turns serving six month tours of counter-piracy duty and be based in Singapore. Currently, the plan is to have six LCS ships based in the Western Pacific, including three in Singapore. Another seven will be based in the Persian Gulf (Bahrain). All these problems, the new ones and many old ones caused the navy to decide in early 2014 to cut the number to be built from 52 to 32. Mostly this was about shrinking budgets, but theres also the fact that the LCS has been, for many admirals and politicians, much more troublesome than expected. This was not surprising because the LCS was a radical new warship design and these always have a lot of problems at first. LCS was basically a replacement for the older frigates as well as several jobs frigates did not handle. The LCS has gone through the usual debugging process for a new design and that has attracted a lot of unwelcome media attention. On a more ominous note, the navy has decided to study the possibility of developing a new frigate design, which would incorporate some of the lessons learned with the LCS. Because of the money shortage that is also stalled. Despite all the problems many in the navy still believe that the LCS is worth the effort. Costing less than a quarter what a 9,000 ton destroyer goes for and with only a third of the crew, the navy sees many tasks where the LCS can do a job that would otherwise require a destroyer or frigate. The navy could have built a new class of frigates, but the LCS design was a lot more flexible, making it possible for different mission packages to be quickly installed so that LCS could do what the navy needed (like assembling a lot of mine-clearing ships or anti-submarine vessels) in an emergency. This has not worked out as well as expected. The LCS has many novel features that required a lot of tweaking to get working properly. One much resisted latest tweak was to crew size, with ten personnel being added. That made a big difference because all LCSs have accommodations for only 75 personnel. Normally, a ship of this size would have a crew of about 200. The basic LCS crew was 40, with the other 35 berths occupied by operators of special equipment or special personnel (SEALs or technical specialists). In practice, the original crew was usually 55. That was 40 for running the ship and about 15 for the mission package. From now on the number of personnel running the ship increases to 50. The navy surprised everyone in 2010 by choosing both LCS hull designs and requesting that the fifty or so LCS ships be split between the two very different looking ships. While both ships look quite different because one is a traditional monohull while the other is a broader trimaran, they both share many common elements. One of the most important of these is the highly automated design and a smaller crew. The two different LCS designs are from Lockheed-Martin (monohull) and General Dynamics (trimaran). The first LCS, the monohull USS Freedom, completed its sea trials and acceptance inspections in 2009. The ship did very well, with far fewer (about 90 percent fewer) problems (or "material deficiencies") than is usual with the first warship in a class. USS Independence (LCS-2) was laid down by General Dynamics in late 2005 and commissioned in January 2010. Both LCS designs were supposed to be for ships displacing 2,500 tons, with a full load draft of under 3.3 meters (ten feet), permitting access to very shallow "green" and even "brown" coastal and riverine waters where most naval operations have taken place in the past generation. The top speed was expected to be over 80 kilometers with a range of 2,700 kilometers. Basic endurance is 21 days and final displacement was closer to 3,000 tons. For long deployments, the LCS has to resupply at sea or return to port for more fuel, food and other items. The navy originally sought to have between 50 and 60 LCSs by 2014-18, at a cost of $460 million (after the first five) each. The USS Freedom ended up costing nearly $600 million, about twice what the first ship in the class was supposed to have cost. The navy believes it has the cost down to under $500 million each as mass production begins. At this point it looks like the navy will only have, at most, 35 LCS ships and by the end of the decade only 20 were completed. These are costing about $530 million each. The navy is still unsure about exactly what it can use these ships for. 2.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump told people in Michigan today that he was going to send some stealth bombers to their local base, but the people wouldnt be able to see them. Trump said: Trump says he might deploy some F-35s to a local air base, saying workers here will see them come in. He says, "Actually they're totally stealth, so maybe you won't see them come in. You won't see them come in." Daniel Dale (@ddale8) January 30, 2020 Trump made the same claim in 2018: Donald Trump thinks the F-35 is literally invisible (by @VicBergerIV) pic.twitter.com/h4T64Qus21 Tatered (@tatered) July 31, 2018 Just when you think that Trump cant possibly move the intellectual bar any lower, he finds a way. Like most pieces of inaccurate information floating in Trumps head, it is a certainty that someone tried to tell him possibly numerous times that stealth planes arent really invisible, but he has refused to believe them. Stealth bombers arent invisible. If he brought them in people could see them, but Trumps comments are another signal that he is neither stable nor a genius. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Europe's newspapers marked Brexit with a mixture of sorrow, apprehension, and relief on Friday ahead of the Britain's departure from the bloc in the evening. In an editorial, The Irish Times laments the departure of the UK, warning that "Brexit is, inescapably a terrible loss". The newspaper warns that "the EU will be weaker" without Britain and judges that "Ireland has lost a valuable ally at the EU table". But its front page splash says that "Britain leaves the European Union not with a bang, but a whimper". German outlet Zeit meanwhile says that "if you want to understand Brexit, you have to read a British newspaper" and runs through the way the British press has covered the issue of the EU over the years. Another German magazine Spiegel meanwhile pays a visit to Redcar, which voted strong for Brexit, despite, it notes having "actually benefited greatly from the EU and above all the money from Brussels". In Belgium, French-language newspaper Le Soir leads with the front page splash: 'Let It Be' for the Beatles song. Its editorial says Brexit "is a relief, it is a loss, it is a failure". In Flanders, Belgian Dutch-langauge newspaper De Morgen tells its readers that the British government is "still blowing hot and cold" on what sort of trade deal it wants, despite the lack of time. The paper's editorial says that "the way the EU is losing a member state for the first time in its history is a tragic defeat for everyone". French daily Le Figaro says the British are "between enthusiasm and apprehension", and casts an eye over the polarised views on the UK newspaper front pages. Another French newspaper, Liberation, meanwhile welcomes the end of "three and a half years of negotiations and psychodramas", and casts its eye to the future. The Irish Times carried an op-ed on its front page (The Irish Times) "In a few years, children born on Friday, January 31, 2020 will learn that their day of birth is a historic date," its correspondent writes. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA "At school, in their history textbooks, they will read that this date marks the end of a remarkable destiny and adventure. "Young Europeans will explore the story of a breakup and, ultimately, a failure. Little Britons will no doubt discover a slightly different, more enthusiastic version. Perhaps they will read that, that day, their country 'regained its independence'.In thirty years, the children of these children will know the outcome." In a few years, children born on Friday, January 31, 2020 will learn that their day of birth is a historic date Liberation Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica focuses its coverage on the economic aspects highlighting a sharp drop in car production in the UK to its readers. La Stampa notes that the time available for negotiating the future relationship is "very little". The Italian newspaper says the EU know they "are playing twenty-seven against one, but also across the Channel they believe they have some aces up their sleeve". Austrian newspaper Die Presse meanwhile leads with a warning for EU officials and continental leaders: "It is so important from the EU side that no hurt pride rejects the desired partnership," it says. In Poland, Gazeta Wyborcza cautions that "it is quite possible that a few months from now the risk of 'no deal' will appear again". Its front page claims that Brexit is a "a lesson for Poland". "Now, the truly difficult part begins," warns Sweden's Dagens Nyheter. Friday is the official Brexit day: the happy point at which Great Britain formally leaves the European Union. But while Brexit is terrific news for both Brits and Americans, the move doesnt change the reality that Britain is a mediocre ally of declining importance, and one that doesnt currently deserve a trade deal. TRUMP SIGNS USMCA, PAVING WAY FOR JOB MARKET BOOM There is an instinct in Washington to help London out post-Brexit, if only to prove the globalist naysayers wrong. This is commendable, but misguided. First of all, Britain is extremely soft on China, our biggest foreign challenge. The British government just decided to ignore U.S. pleas not to use Huawei products in its 5G telecom system. Huawei is the Chinese telecom company that has repeatedly been implicated in Beijings cyber espionage, and perhaps one day, cyber sabotage. Huawei products are often cheaper than its competitors because it is subsidized by a Chinese government intent on stealing data. London says it will limit Huawei products to non-core parts of its network. This distinction is disingenuous given the interconnectedness of national telecom networks and the critical importance of all digital communications to everyday life. Britain is also putting U.S. government intelligence at risk with its decision. Both countries are part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group of English-speaking democracies. Fellow members Australia and New Zealand agreed with Washington to ban Huawei to protect their networks and our intelligence. But China is now urging those two countries and Canada, which has yet to make a decision, to follow Britains example. Londons decision means it expects us to handle China mostly by ourselves, while it reaps the benefits of security we create and cheap if corrupted Chinese telecom equipment. USMCA IS 'GOLD STANDARD FOR DIGITAL TRADE': TRADE CHIEF ROBERT LIGHTHIZER Britain is also weak on Iran. London hasnt merely been unhelpful in putting pressure on the Islamist, terror-exporting regime for its illicit nuclear program, it has actively worked against the United States. When the Trump administration first put tougher sanctions on Iran, the British government urged its companies to ignore them. Thankfully that failed, since British companies benefit more from doing business with America than with Iran. Story continues But then Britain colluded with France and Germany to create the INSTEX scheme to circumvent U.S. sanctions on Iran by theoretically avoiding transactions that involve the U.S. dollar or financial institutions. The mechanism could be a prototype to subvert the role of the greenback as the worlds reserve currencya longtime goal of our enemies around the world. Whether it works is yet to be seen. Imagine if our ally had instead put this much effort into making life harder for the mullahs in Tehran. In contrast to this dovishness, London seldom misses an opportunity to hype the moderate threat posed to Europe by Russia into a critical risk facing civilization. This tendency included a former member of Britains spy agency fabricating a dossier on Donald Trump alleging he was compromised by Russian prostitutesa fiction that was exposed only after rogue U.S. intelligence officials used it to get legal authority to spy on the Trump campaign and launch the Russia collusion hoax once Trump became president. GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE Hyping the Russia threat to America saves Britain money to spend on its welfare state. London gets praise for meeting NATOs minimum of spending two percent of GDP on defense, but this is akin to saying it is hefty for an anorexic. The U.K.s defense budget is about the same as those of France and Germany, and less than Saudi Arabia and India. Its military spending is just seven percent of Americas. The U.K. is a middling power at best, and expects us to defend it against Russia even though its economy is 66 percent larger than Russias. Ultimately, some officials in post-modern Britain cannot help themselves from being anti-American. Any American who works with their diplomats has seen this trait. Their power peaked one century ago, and they resent their diminished importance, especially when contrasted by American power that is durable and growing despite predictions to the contrary. Hopefully, Brexit will revive Britains greatness and replace post-modernity with healthy nationalism. That would be quite a change. In recent weeks, the travails of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have pointed in the opposite direction. They rejected the light public duties expected of lesser royals and decided instead to be rich Hollywood poo-bahs, after an interim stop in Canada until the American president Markle loathes is out of office. As for the United States, we have to be unemotional about who our allies are and whether they are relevant to todays world. In deterring Iran, our key allies are Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In facing China, they are Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. The North Pacific will also be the most economically significant region of the 21st century. Given that our trade negotiators have limited attention span, we should not ask them to waste time on an economically dubious pact with a mediocre ally that looks down on us. Christian Whiton was a senior advisor in the Donald Trump and George W. Bush administrations. He is a senior fellow for strategy and public diplomacy at the Center for the National Interest and the author of Smart Power: Between Diplomacy and War. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM CHRISTIAN WHITON CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS Related Articles The Electoral Commission (EC) is expected to convene a meeting between its IT team and the technical teams of the various political parties over the compilation the new voters' register controversy This is the Commission's resolution from a fruitless meeting held with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (EC) on Thursday, January 30, 2020. According to a statement signed by the EC's acting Director of Public Affairs, Sylvia Annoh, the position is based on the observation that though a majority of IPAC members agreed on the need for a new voter management solution, some urged the EC to put in place measures to ensure data security and integrity. Meanwhile, the Inter-Party Resistance against the compilation of a new register says it will continue with its mass protests unabated. National Chairman of the People's National Convention, Bernard Mornah who is part of the political parties opposed to the EC's plan to compile a new voters' register said they were unconvinced by the happenings at the meeting. As it stands now, we have not had any clear way so our Tuesday march to the EC is coming on. WE have our activities to embark on and we intend to go on. The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said his side was generally satisfied with the meeting and noted that the Advisory Committee is set to officially offer advice to the Commission. The committee of eminent persons assured that they have heard all the presentations. They believe that each side has made very reasonable contributions so they are going to formulate their advice and then present it to the Electoral Commission with input on everything that has been said here. ---citinewsroom The Union flag flying outside the European Parliament in Brussels (Yui Mok/PA) There was a moving day feel in the European Parliament on the final day of the UKs membership of the EU as staff and MEPs lugged the last of their boxes out of the building. The names of the UKs delegation were still mostly on their former pigeon holes, although some tags including Nigel Farages had been taken by souvenir hunters. Outside the parliament building several tourists posed next to the Union flag which is still flying and is likely to be taken down at dusk on Friday. There'll be some spare lockers going at the European Parliament in Brussels, as those allocated for United Kingdom and Ireland MEPs are now free! #Politics #Brexit #Storage pic.twitter.com/HPCrm5fjNV Yui Mok (@YuiMok) January 31, 2020 Inside, one kindly staff member was handing out chocolates to anyone she heard with a British accent. Further afield, the Brussels transport company STIB-MIVB tweeted a video of all the metro stations named after British places or historical figures, including Liverpool, Churchill, Dover and Montgomery. The video finished with the words Mind the gap when leaving. The Brexit Party marked the achievement of their only goal by staging a Brexodus at 9am on Friday featuring a bagpiper leading a procession of their MEPs towards the Eurostar. Ann Widdecombe was chauffeured through Place du Luxembourg in a taxi decorated with British flags while the remainder followed on foot holding party-branded umbrellas. They plan to be in Parliament Square, London, for the stroke of 11pm on Friday when a recording of Big Bens bongs will sound. Expand Close Ann Widdecombe leaves in a taxi from the European Parliament (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ann Widdecombe leaves in a taxi from the European Parliament (Yui Mok/PA) It was the final stunt of the week for the party which saw their leader get a telling off in his last speech to the chamber on Wednesday for decorating his desk with miniature British flags. Mr Farage left the parliament later that evening to the sound of We Gotta Get Outta This Place by The Animals blasting on loudspeakers. Ms Widdecombe was unsympathetic towards those grieving the loss of their status as an EU citizen. She told the PA news agency ahead of her big exit: One side had to lose in that referendum, would they have cared if we were sad? Would they have cared if we had lost? The answer is no. Emotions were running high elsewhere as Remain-supporting MEPs and their staff prepared for life after Brexit. Although there were some tears on the night of the Withdrawal Agreement, by Thursday night Remainers seemed determined to make the best of it. The Green Partys Magid Magid hosted a Brexits shit but lets party anyway event at the Place du Luxembourg. Expand Close Green Party MEP Magid Magid leaves the European Parliament in Brussels for the last time (Yui Mok/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Green Party MEP Magid Magid leaves the European Parliament in Brussels for the last time (Yui Mok/PA) Those who did not fancy a night in the cold threw a ceilidh in a pub close to the European Commission. Despite the show of good cheer, many Green MEPs could not hide their anger at being shut out of their main sphere of influence. Ellie Chown, an MEP for the West Midlands, said: Weve got a fundamental democratic deficit in the UK and its really galling when people criticise the EU when our democratic deficit is far worse. We have unelected members sitting in the House of Lords, we even have unelected Cabinet members. She added: Here in the European Parliament its proportional and you get a different type of politics youre looking for common ground and engaging in proper dialogue rather than a dialogue of the deaf we have in Westminster. Elsewhere, the mayor of Brussels arranged for the citys Grand-Place to be lit up in the red, white and blue of the Union flag while a band played English rock and folk songs in the square. Philippe Close set up the event to promote the ongoing ties between Brussels and the UK. 'Today's talks with Indian Banks' Association (IBA) failed on-demand from unions, so strike call stands,' AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said on Thursday New Delhi: Bank unions have decided to go on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday as talks with management of public sector lenders on wage revision have failed to reach a consensus. Many banks, including SBI, have informed customers that operations may be impacted to some extent due to the strike. The strike will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of Union Budget 2020-21. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). Press release - All India Bank Strike by 10 Lac Employees and Officers on 31-01-2020 and 01-02-2020 - Strike Stands pic.twitter.com/boCqx3CveP All India Bank Employees' Association (@AIBEA_India) January 30, 2020 Earlier this week, a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, AIBOC President Sunil Kumar said. The wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. "Today's talks with Indian Banks' Association (IBA) failed on-demand from unions, so strike call stands," AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said on Thursday. In a circular, UFBU accused the IBA of a rigid approach towards demands for a fair wage revision settlement. "IBA's rigid approach has left us with no option than to go on strike. We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA. We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA." .A meeting of UFBU held at Mumbai on 13 January came to the unanimous conclusion that intensified agitational actions have to be taken to press our demands, NOBW Vice President Ashwini Rana said. During the recent period, prices have gone up steeply and the workload on the banking workforce has also gone up enormously, UFBU said, adding that bank staffers expect a fair and reasonable hike in wages in the current settlement. Unions are demanding 20 percent hike on payslip components with adequate loading. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period 1 November, 2012, to 31 October, 2017, the employees got a hike of 15 percent. A section of bank employees had gone on a day-long strike on 8 January in support of 10 major trade unions' protest call against the government's "anti-people" policies. And tribal politics, let us not forget, are not limited to one party. When we saw working-class white men and married white women turn from voting for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 elections to Republican Donald Trump in 2016, not many people referred to Trumps appeal as tribal politics. But the proper use of that term helps us understand why the switch was made and whether those voters might ever switch back. Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting death of a 17-year-old that occurred in Antioch in 2005. Candice Carter, 39, of Pittsburg, was arrested in connection with the murder of Edgar Martinez, 17, according to the Antioch Police Department. On March 27, 2005 at 11:37 p.m., Martinez was sleeping in his bed in an apartment in the 300 block of West 20th Street when subjects fired several shots into the apartment. Martinez was struck in the chest by the gunfire and ultimately died from his injuries. Police said the murder was the result of an argument that had occurred earlier between Carter and a group of men she believed to be rival gang members. Following the argument, Carter and two other men returned to the area and fired the shots into Martinez's apartment, according to police. Police said it was determined Martinez played no part in the initial argument with Carter. Carter was taken into custody on Thursday at around 4 p.m. when officers from the Antioch Police Department and the Pittsburg Police Department served a high-risk arrest warrant on Carter in Pittsburg. Police credit advancements in technology and help from the community in solving the nearly 15-year-old cold case. Police said they expect to make more arrests related to the case in the near future. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. European planemaker Airbus will pay 3.592 billion euros ($3.98 billion) in global corruption fines once settlements are reached, Frances financial prosecutor said on Friday, Trend with reference to Reuters reports. Airbus has reached an agreement to settle corruption charges with Frances financial prosecutor for 2.08 billion euros, the prosecutor said. The planemaker has been investigated by French and British authorities for suspected corruption over jet sales dating back over a decade. It has also faced U.S. investigations over suspected violations of export controls. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Friday she would vote against including new witnesses and documents in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, likely dealing a fatal blow to Democrats attempts to compel new evidence. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena, she said. Murkowskis decision is all but certain to clear the way for Republicans, who have been working feverishly to block witnesses from testifying, to bring Trumps trial to a swift acquittal, possibly as early as Friday night. She announced it before a four-hour debate and a vote on whether to allow new evidence, scheduled for later Friday. Trial May Continue Into Next Week The Senates impeachment trial could continue into next week under a plan being discussed Friday by Republican officials. Though it has not been completed and may merely be an effort to nudge weary senators toward a speedier conclusion, the plan would have the Senate leave town Friday night after a vote on whether to consider additional witnesses and evidence. The trial would then reconvene Monday for closing arguments by the House managers and the presidents defense team and possible senatorial deliberations, according to the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly. With the potential parliamentary protests by Democrats in the offing, as well, that would set up a final vote on each article of impeachment by late Monday, Tuesday or even Wednesday. Republicans had previously homed in on concluding the trial Saturday. That would allow Trump to play up his acquittal before the Super Bowl on Sunday, the Iowa caucus on Monday and at his State of the Union Address on Tuesday. It is unclear if the White House would be willing to sign on to the plan, or if it would have a say. Some Democrats have their own reason to push for a speedier conclusion: Four of them are competing in Mondays Iowa caucuses. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Opposition members raised slogans when President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the amended citizenship act in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament. While many members came wearing black bands and carrying banners to the House with 'No CAA', 'No NPR' and 'No NRC' written on them, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, did not sit at their designated seats in the front row as a mark of protest. Instead, they took seats in the fifth row along with party MPs Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Benny Behnan and Rahul Gandhi. Several Congress MPs, including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Gaurav Gogoi, were seen sporting black bands as a mark of protest. When Kovind read out excerpts related to abrogating special provisions of Article 370 that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status, many members broke into applause. However, the longest applause was when he read out excerpts on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The ruling party members continued to thump the desk for nearly half-a minute. At this point some opposition members raised "shame, shame" slogans. Towards the end of the address, members of the Trinamool Congress raised banners of 'No CAA', 'No NPR' and 'No NRC'. This continued for nearly five minutes. TMC's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien also took a selfie with members raising slogans. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 31, 2020] NASA Funds Demonstration of Assembly and Manufacturing in Space WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a $142 million contract to Maxar Technologies of Westminster, Colorado, to robotically assemble a communications antenna and manufacture a spacecraft beam in orbit. The technology demonstration is slated to take place on NASA's Restore-L spacecraft, designed to service and refuel a satellite in low-Earth orbit. The Restore-L spacecraft will be modified to accommodate a payload called Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER). The payload includes a lightweight 16-foot (5-meter) robotic arm. Previously known as Dragonfly during the ground demonstration phase of the NASA Tipping Point partnership, SPIDER will assemble seven elements to form a functional 9-foot (3-meter)communications antenna. The robotically assembled antenna will demonstrate Ka-band transmission with a ground station. The payload also will manufacture a 32-foot (10-meter) lightweight composite beam using technology developed by Tethers Unlimited of Bothell, Wahington. The manufacturing element of the demonstration will verify the capability to construct large spacecraft structures in orbit. "We are continuing America's global leadership in space technology by proving we can assemble spacecraft with larger and more powerful components, after launch," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "This technology demonstration will open up a new world of in-space robotic capabilities." The second phase of the public-private partnership combines NASA resources with an industry contribution to reduce the overall cost to American taxpayers and the agency. The demonstration will mature technologies with cross-cutting applications for government and commercial missions, including human exploration of the Moon and Mars and in-space construction of large telescopes. "In-space assembly and manufacturing will allow for greater mission flexibility, adaptability, and resilience, which will be key to NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach," said Brent Robertson, project manager of Restore-L at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Restore-L project is developing a suite of technologies capable of refueling and servicing satellites in space. The spacecraft is currently targeted for launch in the mid-2020s. The SPIDER payload team includes Maxar, Tethers Unlimited, West Virginia Robotic Technology Center in Morgantown, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Restore-L and SPIDER are administered by the Technology Demonstration Missions program based at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on behalf of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The SPIDER payload is managed by the Restore-L project within the Exploration and In-Space Services (ExIS) projects division (formerly known as the Satellite Servicing Projects Division), located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. To learn more about NASA's investments in space technology, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasa-funds-demonstration-of-assembly-and-manufacturing-in-space-300997159.html SOURCE NASA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. (Pender) is pleased to announce the addition of two new funds to its suite of niche investment funds. The Pender Small/Mid Cap Dividend Fund aims to provide investors with a combination of long-term capital appreciation and a stable quarterly stream of cash distributions. The Fund will invest primarily in Canadian securities, with a focus on dividend paying small/mid cap companies though its mandate includes some flexibility. The Fund is managed by Don Walker who joined Pender in 2019 after a 15 year career at an investment firm in Calgary where he managed micro and small capitalization equity funds for nine years. With the current inefficiencies in the small cap space in Canada we are finding strong, growing companies trading at attractive valuations and we aim to leverage this dislocation, said Mr. Walker. With Don and I looking at small cap stocks in different ways, we round out our research coverage in the Canadian small cap universe, added David Barr, Portfolio Manager of the Pender Small Cap Opportunities Fund and President of Pender. The Pender Bond Universe Fund invests primarily in investment grade fixed income securities and aims to preserve capital and generate returns through current income and capital appreciation. The Fund is managed by Geoff Castle, and Emily Wheeler is the Associate Portfolio Manager of the Fund. Mr.Castle joined Pender in 2015 to manage the award winning1, 5 star2 Pender Corporate Bond Fund. Ms. Wheeler joined Pender in 2019 from a Vancouver investment management firm having been a Portfolio Manager on the value and high yield investment teams there. With a low triple B spread over treasuries and a negative US 10-year term premium, we believe the current credit environment is supportive of a mandate with a high credit quality and short duration focus, said Ms. Wheeler. The Pender Bond Universe Fund is designed to fit this niche. Geoff Castle commented the new fund is essentially a mandate which places a higher weighting of the investment grade strategy already existing in the Pender Corporate Bond Fund, representing a more cautious overall positioning for clients who have asked us for this option. About PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. Pender was founded in 2003 and is an independent, employee-owned investment firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our goal is to protect and grow wealth for our investors over time. We have a talented investment team of expert analysts, security selectors and independent thinkers who actively manage our suite of niche investment funds, exploiting inefficient parts of the investing universe to achieve our goal. Please visit www.penderfund.com . For further information, please contact: Melanie Moore, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd., (604) 688-1511, Toll Free: (866) 377-4743 1 The Pender Corporate Bond Fund has recently been awarded a FundGrade A+ Award from Fundata for outstanding risk-adjusted fund performance during 2019. 2 Morningstar.ca rated Pender Corporate Bond Fund as a 5-Star fund for three and five year performance as at Dec 31, 2019. The Founder and Leader of Anointed Chapel International, Francis Antwi, popularly known as Reverend Obofour says Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is not to blame for the depreciation of the cedi but Churches. According to him, most of the Churches headquartered abroad after Church Service on Sundays change all their monies into other foreign currencies which are repatriated. With this, there is always instability in the cedi because if government works on stabilizing it during the week, the Churches after doing their transfers make the cedi weak again, he explained. He noted that the Church has been Ghanas bane since it has rid the country of its needed development with the lies peddled by so-called Men Of God. 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 Passengers arriving from the Chinese city of Xiamen protect themselves with face masks upon arrival at Manila's international airport, Jan.23, 2020. President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday ordered a temporary stop to the entry into the Philippines of all foreign nationals traveling from Chinas virus-stricken Hubei province, amid rising worldwide alarm after Beijing confirmed at least 9,692 cases with a death toll above 200. Various major airlines have stopped flying to mainland China, as governments around the world, including Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia geared up Friday to evacuate their citizens from Hubei, where Wuhan the epicenter of the novel coronavirus is located. The President has issued a travel ban to Chinese nationals and all travelers coming from the Hubei province as well as in other places in China where there is a spread of the disease, Dutertes spokesman, Salvador Panelo, told reporters in Manila. The ban will be imposed until the threat is over given the safety of our countrymen is foremost in the presidents mind, he said, without explaining why the Philippines was targeting travelers coming from Hubei, when the province of 60 million people was already on lock down since Jan. 23. Chinese authorities have sealed off Hubeis major cities to prevent residents from leaving and to try to contain the pathogen. Despite a virtual lockdown on vehicular traffic in the province, however, people were leaving and entering by foot over a bridge spanning the Yangtze River on Friday, according to a Reuters report. Infections from the novel coronavirus have been reported in at least 15 countries, including the Philippines, which on Thursday confirmed its first case in the country. A 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in Manila from Wuhan via Hong Kong last week has been placed under quarantine after testing positive for the virus, which is similar to the SARS pathogen. The woman had flown to the central Philippine cities of Cebu and Dumaguete, and local authorities were taking steps to trace the people who may have been in contact with her. She is presently confined at San Lazaro, Panelo said, referring to a government hospital near the health department, adding that the patient was presently being treated and isolated. On Thursday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency. Authorities said the infections had already surpassed the total in the 2002-2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which killed about 800 people. Six nations outside China have also reported at least nine cases of human-to-human transmissions, including Thailand, which has the second-highest number of cases after China. Dr. Sukhum Kanchanapimai, permanent secretary of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, told reporters on Friday that first person to contract the virus in the Buddhist-majority country was a Bangkok taxi driver, who was likely infected by a visitor from China. We discovered this as we expanded the examination to those who do not have a history of traveling to China but have related worked with Chinese people, Sukhumkarn said. Sukhum also confirmed five new cases since Tuesday, raising the countrys total cases to 19. As countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, Thailands health minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, said Bangkok was coordinating with Air Asia for an Airbus A320 plane to repatriate 161 Thais. Indonesia, meanwhile, was preparing to send a military plane to Hubei to evacuate 243 of its nationals who are mostly university students after President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Friday ordered that they be brought back home and quarantined for 28 days, the state-run Antara news service reported. The aircraft we will use is a large-bodied one, so all Indonesians ready to be evacuated can be flown directly without a stopover, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said. Singapore, in a statement issued by its health ministry on Friday, announced that it would expand its coronavirus-related entry and transit restrictions to include any visitors who had traveled to mainland China in the previous 14 days and deny visas to all Chinese passport holders, beginning late Saturday. There is a growing possibility that more individuals from other parts of China may be infected with the virus, the statement said. We are likely to see a sharper rise in the local transmission of the virus in Chinese cities beyond the Hubei province in the coming days. South Korean children on an educational tour in the Philippines are given face masks as a precautionary measure outside Manilas international airport, Jan. 23, 2020. [Jojo Rinoza/BenarNews] Bangladeshi airliner to bring nationals home In Dhaka, airport authorities said that a Biman Bangladesh Airlines plane with four doctors had departed on Friday to evacuate hundreds of Bangladeshis from Wuhan. So far, 361 Bangladeshis of Wuhan have registered and showing willingness to return home, Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen told a news conference. The repatriated Bangladeshis, including 18 children, will be quarantined for 14 days at the Ashkona Hajj camp near the airport, Momen said. Those who are coming are not sick but we dont want to take any risk, he said. When they are diagnosed as virus-free, we will let them go after 14 days. There are about 3,000 Bangladeshis in China, including 500 in Hubei province, most of them are students living in Wuhan, Masudur Rahman, deputy chief of the Bangladesh Embassy in China, told BenarNews on Friday. There have been no reports of any Bangladeshi infected with the pneumonia-causing virus, he said. Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok, Jesmin Papri in Dhaka and Tia Asmara in Jakarta contributed to this report. Members of conservative parties participating in a committee for the renovation and unification of the conservatives attend chant their goal of "judging" the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, while announcing their joint policy goals at the National Assembly, Friday. From right in the front are committee leader and former National Assembly Secretary-General Park Heong-joon, New Conservative Party leader Rep. Ha Tea-keung, Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Onward for Future 4.0 leader Rep. Lee Un-ju. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Conservative parties participating in a move to form a "big tent" to win the April 15 general election are set to launch a united party in mid-February, according to a committee for the renovation and unification of conservatives, Friday. Launched in early January, the committee is comprised of members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), other minors including New Conservative Party and Onward for Future 4.0, and some independent lawmakers. Vowing a strong level of renovation, they have held 10 rounds of meetings since, and disclosed its top 10 tasks which mostly focus on checking President Moon Jae-in's economic and political policies. The tasks include launching a parliamentary-led investigation or special counsel team to prove "abuse of power" by President Moon and his aides; abolishing Moon's income-led growth policy and instead promoting a private sector-led growth policy; and preventing a possible rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance while ensuring strong security to counter North Korea's nuclear threat. "The failure of the existing conservative parties in getting support from the people is due to their failure in reflecting the trend of society (into their policies)," said former National Assembly Secretary-General Park Heong-joon, who is leading the committee. "A party should be renewed as a professional organization by separating party representatives and others holding seats at the National Assembly while making the party's general secretary CEO of the party." Leaders of participating parties attended the ceremony, including LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, New Conservative Party leader Rep. Ha Tea-keung and Onward for Future 4.0 leader Rep. Lee Un-ju. Attendees also included some iconic figures of former conservative administrations including Kim Byung-joon, former chairman of the main opposition LKP's emergency body, and former Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon. "The division of the conservatives led to the power seizure by the Moon Jae-in administration," said LKP leader Hwang said. "If we are divided again, it will go be a sin." He called for unity among the participating groups. "When those who have gone different ways gather again, they may not be satisfied 100 percent," he said. "There may be shortcomings, but such things can be improved through joint efforts." Rep. Ha said, "People will consider only one thing whether the unity of the conservatives have a principle of reform. If we keep the principle, we can have a victory against the Moon administration." Former lawmakers Moon Byung-ho and Kim Young-hwan, known as close aides to former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, also attended. Ahn, who resumed political activity recently, has distanced himself from joining the unification move, saying he would seek "pragmatic and centrist" politics, while the committee has kept courting him to join. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 15:33:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer He Fei BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Divorce seems to be not the only thing London and Brussels have agreed on with each other recently. On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) issued a set of guidelines for 5G security, which stress the importance of diversified vendors and rule out bans on any specific company or country. Brussels' decision came just one day after the British government approved a limited role for Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country's 5G network construction. These almost synchronized decisions by Britain and the EU to allow Huawei to participate in the building of their 5G networks, albeit with some restrictions, are an apparent vote for open-mindedness when it comes to international technological cooperation. The moves also show that Britain and the EU have kept cool-headed and determined to make independent choices in line with their vital interests, rather than being coerced by some zero-summers in Washington to dig trenches and erect barriers against Chinese tech firms. Undoubtedly, a stronger 5G partnership can benefit both China and the European countries. The 5G technologies not only promise a ultrafast data transimission speed, but can also open up new possibilities in mankind's future way of life such as autonomous vehicles and remote surgeries, whose benefits are too far-reaching to be declined. Huawei, a trailblazer and leader in the next generation of mobile telecommunications technologies, can offer its partners quality products and services at competitive prices. Embracing Huawei will also help bolster the overall cooperation and mutual learning between China and Europe in science and technology, which in recent years have seen continous headway. In late 2017, Beijing and London launched a joint strategy for cooperation in science, technology and innovation, the first of its kind China has developed with another country. At the heart of Europe, the China-Belgium Technology Center project situated near Brussels has been making steady progress and is scheduled to open in autumn. It is expected to provide a gateway for cooperation in innovation, investment and industrial partnerships between China and Europe. With respective strengths in advanced technology, digital economy and the new generation of information technology, China and the EU can jointly breed remarkable changes in areas like smart cities, artificial intelligence, life sciences and smart manufacturing. That being said, both the British government and the European Commission still have not completely cleared up their doubts about 5G cooperation with China. Britain said it would exclude Huawei from sensitive core parts of 5G and cap Huawei's market share of non-core 5G network. The EU, meanwhile, urged its member states to apply restrictions "for suppliers considered to be high risk." It is fine for governments around the world to take pre-cautionary measures, especially when such modern technologies as the 5G are becoming increasingly integrated with almost everybody's everyday life. However, these measures should be grounded on facts, not fabrications. In fact, London's and Brussels' decisions to allow a limited role for Huawei in their 5G development attest to the Chinese firm's credible track record in serving its customers' interests. Now that London and Brussels have made their decisions, it is hoped that they can provide a rather fair and open business environment for Huawei and other Chinese businesses seeking to invest in Europe, and open up even wider. Ultimately, Chinese firms like Huawei will prove their European partners' remaining concerns are unfounded and unnecessary. As the head of a big-city hospital's emergency department, Susan O'Mara has always focused on providing quick answers to people in crisis: A relative desperate for information. An injured person facing a very long wait. A colleague exhausted from dealing with fed-up patients. But until a special training a few months ago, O'Mara didn't consider whether there were ways to be more compassionate in her response. The training taught the doctor to pause and listen, and not jump to fix or respond defensively if an angry patient is on the offense. She said it has helped her focus better and find a deeper well of sympathy, even as she deals with trying situations at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in the nation's capital. "You want to get patients from Point A to Point B with compassion, and also not internalize and feel badly yourself," she said. "To approach someone who is sad, scared, angry - to approach someone who is angry with compassion is the Holy Grail of emergency medicine." Defined as the ability to notice suffering (in ourselves and others) and then the desire to take action to alleviate it, "compassion" has become the buzzword for an angry nation. It is increasingly being held up by neuroscientists, corporations, business schools and psychologists as a concrete, powerful health strategy - and a successful business model. Universities have opened centers devoted to compassion. Marianne Williamson and Cory Booker talked about it as an urgent American need during their presidential campaigns. Job networker LinkedIn and wealth manager Brighton Jones both recently created a director of compassion position. Experts say this shift is the result of new research showing compassion's impact, as well as an urgent desire to address rising rates of depression and anxiety among young people, and a steep climb of rates of suicide among all ages. The idea that it's good to be "compassionate" to yourself or someone else is obviously not new. But these uber-studied, emerging methods are very deliberate, part of a generation of neuroscience and genetic research into how the brain and body interact, and how relations with others have an impact on our health. The research looks at how compassion influences everything from the length of your life to how much you contribute to your employers' bottom line. Techniques used to train people to practice compassion range from O'Mara's deep listening of others to hugging yourself, stroking your skin, and talking to yourself in a calming way. Experts use teachings, including about the interconnectedness of all people; exercises such as deep breathing or having a dialogue with a hurting body part, and practices like volunteering. A group at the University of Helsinki studying compassion at work asks employers to run through a checklist about their employees: Am I showing interest? Understanding? Respect? Fairness? Offering the person a sense of control? The focus on compassion comes more than a decade after the explosion in the U.S. of "mindfulness" - practices focused on attention, awareness and breathing. Health experts say compassion is the next phase, kind of mindfulness 2.0. Stanford University neurosurgery professor James Doty, whose 2016 best-selling memoir about compassion became the subject of a hit Korean pop song, said the compassion center he runs was the only one of its kind when it opened 12 years ago. Now, he said he has research collaborations worldwide. "Millions of dollars are being given to support this research," he said. "Compassion is no longer a 'soft' science." No one is saying the country or the world is getting more compassionate. In fact, some widely cited research says young Americans are becoming less empathetic. But a compassion industry is rising in opposition. The movement is fueled by a belief that "the level of suffering and the visibility of suffering has made compassion essential," said Jane Dutton, a professor at the University of Michigan who studies compassion in the workplace. Traditionally nurturing institutions like family and church are disintegrating at the same time social media is exploding, Dutton said, "compelling a certain level of urgency - and maybe some optimism, that this can be learned and facilitated." At the same time, Silicon Valley is leading a quest for higher productivity, complete with research about group psychology and values and what makes people work well (the best-known example is Project Aristotle, part of Google's multimillion-dollar dive into what makes teams thrive). Elina Lampinen, a bank executive in Helsinki, spent a year taking classes and doing exercises aimed at understanding and improving emotional skills around compassion. Lampinen, 55, now works in risk management, and she said she feels much more compassionate and better able to have difficult conversations with employees. "I've always had a positive understanding of people, but I'd say I'm more tolerant and understand why people do things the way they do - including myself," she said. "What I learned is that between stimulus and reaction, there is freedom of choice. And for me, that's a big change." Nearly 100,000 people signed up for a 10-day online "compassion challenge" launched this month by popular Washington-area meditation and mindfulness author and teacher Tara Brach, who recently changed one of the acronyms she uses in her teaching to include the compassion-related concept of nurturing. " 'We're not survivors of the fittest, we're survivors of the nurtured,' " Brach said in an interview, citing a quote by psychologist Louis Cozolino. The word "compassion" conjures different images. It can be a broad synonym for, essentially, being nice, being empathetic. And "self-compassion" can be shorthand for "taking care of yourself." The new movement seeks to narrow the word to more specific skills and actions. Doty, Brach and others say the compassion movement is a recognition that mindfulness - however healthy - is limited, focused on being aware in a nonjudgmental way about your thoughts, feelings and narratives. "You could be a Type A ruthless person, and mindfulness could make you more self-absorbed, for some people," Doty said. "In mindfulness, compassion is implicit. And in my view, it needed to be more explicit." The movement also aims to define the difference between empathy - the ability to put ourselves in someone else's shoes, in situations positive or negative - and compassion, which includes the motivation to do something to ease suffering. Compassion debates have emerged. Is there such a thing as too much compassion? In workplaces, can compassion undercut other imperatives such as efficiency? Is compassion a feeling or a learned practice? Joan Brown Campbell, a minister and interfaith activist who has been involved with pro-compassion campaigns for decades, said she worries about the term getting trendy and superficial. " 'Compassion' is a very hard word. Some see being compassionate as easygoing, not challenging. For many, 'compassion' seems not risky enough. It's not something you wake up and say: 'I think I'll be compassionate,' " she said. "Compassion is a way of living in a diverse world." For a year now, Scott Shute has been head of mindfulness and compassion at the 16,000-person LinkedIn. As part of its focus on compassion, the firm decided to shift its primary success metric of its job list from how many jobs are on LinkedIn to how many people get jobs on LinkedIn. "It's from a self-centered metric to an other-centered metric," Shute said. He teaches a class called "From Me to We," which at times is about putting all company stakeholders - not just shareholders - in equal regard. Other times, it's something that sounds like corporate self-help. "The 'me' part is having a growth mind-set. The 'we' is compassion," he said. "No matter what's happening you can do something. Going from pessimistic to optimistic." A 2017 review of Harvard graduates who had been followed for 80 years concluded connection and relationships were the best indicators of longevity. A similar correlation is made about volunteering, a University of Michigan study found. Other compassion-related research is more neurological or genetic. Parneet Pal is chief science officer at Wisdom Labs, which consults workplaces on how to improve resiliency and decrease stress. New MRIs, she said, are being used to show which brain networks or hormone levels are affected when someone is being empathetic, which are affected when someone is being compassionate, and the importance of learning the difference when working with others' pain. Doty studies how heart-rate variability is associated with being able to handle caring for those who are suffering without getting physically or psychologically overwhelmed yourself. O'Mara, of Washington Hospital Center, decided to study compassion in her early 50s. With kids leaving the house and a new big job, she was looking closely at self-care. Aside from exercise and eating, she realized she needed a plan that would help patients and her staff thrive while keeping her from "drowning in other people's difficulties." When she first heard of an intensive training through Georgetown University's School of Medicine, "I asked: 'Is there crying?' My friend said: 'There's 100% crying.' I thought: vulnerability is not my thing." She aims now for some daily yoga or meditation, and feels the compassion training has changed her interactions with patients and colleagues. "I had felt my mind and body were not connected, and I want to move into the second half of my life aware," she said. "I see that as the next frontier." It should come as no surprise, that our state is in need of serious criminal justice reform. In July, Gov. Kay Ivey established a Study Group on Criminal Justice Policy, and it has been an honor to serve as chair and her representative on her behalf as we seek solutions for the complex issues facing our state. In the ensuing seven months, our Study Group has diligently pursued the task the governor set out before us researching policies and programs the state of Alabama might implement to ensure the longterm sustainability of our prison system without jeopardizing public safety. We have heard from more than 30 speakersincluding a former inmate who told a heartbreaking, yet hopeful story of redemption; faithbased and secular advocacy organizations who have relentlessly helped incarcerated people find new lives both behind and beyond the walls of prison; and government officials from every branch and level of government looking for holistic solutions to our states complex problems. Along with these various presentations, we have also received and reviewed almost ninehundred pages of submitted materials. By the time our study group convened for its first meeting in July, Governor Iveys administration had already begun taking steps to address the longstanding challenges facing our prison system. But the fact remains: these challenges are exceedingly complex. They run the gamut from more conventional issues, such as the elimination of contraband weapons and drugs, to more complex issues, such as recruiting and retaining staff and confronting factors that contribute to the size of the inmate population. I acknowledge that I heard the views of nay-sayers who doubted the study group would bring forth significant and meaningful proposals for change. However, due to the efforts of my colleagues, especially our very impressive legislative members from both sides of the aisle, this report will prove the doubters wrong as it sets forth significant answers to these concerns; it offers solutions that are not just possible, they are within our grasp. While my report outlines many recommendations, the broadest areas of consensus are in rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism. If our group succeeds in its mission in this area, the number of inmates coming back into the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) facilities will be reduced, thus lowering the burden on the system, reducing costs to the taxpayers and increasing public safety. Meaningful Examples First and foremost, there is complete agreement that the Legislature should take a more active role in assisting ADOC in its mission to improve correctional facilities across the state. ADOC should report information to the Legislative Prison Oversight Committee; thereby allowing lawmakers to make informed decisions regarding policies that will help improve conditions within our states many facilities. This transparency, in combination with an increase to the ADOC budget to hire more officers and increase safety mechanisms for inmates and staff, including measures to interrupt the flow of contraband, will dramatically improve the state of our correctional institutions. Bennet Wright, Executive Director of the Alabama Sentencing Commission, gave an insightful presentation to the group regarding the current demographics of the prison population, previous sentencing changes, and the complexities of sentencing laws in the state of Alabama. While proposals for sentencing changes will not effectuate a major drop in the prison population, they are rooted in prudence and fairness that can cause meaningful change. For example, a formerly incarcerated man who now ministers to those in prison and out after release spoke at our December meeting about his experience as someone who was directly affected by the complexities within our criminal justice system. Through a now repealed statutory remedy he was able to have his sentenced reduced so he could return to society. Since his release he has led a ministry that helps inmates and those who have been released to find faith and regain a sense of purpose. Unfortunately, this remedy was repealed in 2015. While its reinstatement may not affect a significant number of inmates, it is our belief that it should again be available. As evidenced by my report, our group had the most enthusiastic consensus regarding support for rehabilitation and reducing recidivism. As an example, Ingram State Technical College, is the only college in the country that exclusively serves an incarcerated population, requires more funding to expand its much needed workforce training programs. Providing those who are incarcerated the ability to participate in training of skills and, in turn, matching them with a job is essential to ensure they are successful postrelease. A separate concern relates to the need to incentivize inmates with the possibility of an early release if they maintain good disciplinary records and complete jobtraining courses and receive workforce certifications. Finally, our state must give statutory authority to ADOC so that it can provide identification to inmates upon release which will assist in a successful reentry. We realize that these recommendations will not solve all of the longstanding challenges facing Alabamas criminal justice system in one legislative session or one year. Nevertheless, I am confident that the work of my colleagues will stand as a great starting point to build on the Ivey Administrations existing efforts and commit this State to a course of action that will ensure the longterm sustainability of our prison system while also enhancing public safety. The time for action is now. We dare not abide by a status quo that risks the potential for costly and disruptive intervention by federal authorities. Champ Lyons, Jr. is a former Associate Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court (19982011). He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Alabama School of Law. Students who were agitating outside the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO after a man fired at anti-CAA protestors near the Jamia Millia Islamia were detained and removed from the area on Friday morning, police said. The students were protesting since Thursday night against Delhi Police over the incident. The police later closed the road outside the headquarters. "Due to the demonstration in front of PHQ, the road leading from W point to A point towards Vikas Marg has been closed by local police. Please refrain from using this route," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. A man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday, injuring a student, before calmly walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. The man was subsequently overpowered by police and taken into custody. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person was killed and another critically injured when the motorcycle they were riding suffered a head-on collision with a tempo at Badlapur town in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday. A chicken-laden tempo collided with the two-wheeler at Sonale village on Badlapur-Murbad Highway at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday, an official said. While Jagan Rama Mengle (30), who was riding the two- wheeler, died on the spot, pillion rider Dinesh Thombre (26) was critically injured, he said. The Badlapur rural police have registered an offense against the unidentified tempo driver, who was driving the vehicle on the wrong side of the road, the official said. The deceased's body has been sent for post-mortem and the hunt is on for the absconding accused, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Long-time Albuquerque manufacturing firms Sierra Peaks and Marpac celebrated new, consolidated digs and a change in ownership this week. John Rockwell III, until now sole owner of the two businesses, sold the majority of stock in both firms to the general managers at each company in a deal that closed on Jan. 1. Simon Goldfine now controls Sierra Peaks and Jeff Alcalde owns Marpac, with Rockwell retaining an 18% stake in each company. The ownership change comes as both firms commence operations in a single, 40,000-square-foot facility, after operating separately in four buildings near Balloon Fiesta Park. Rockwell bought the new site near Cliffs Amusement Park for $2 million last June. He invested about $3 million to remodel it, paving the way for a grand opening Thursday. An Air Force veteran, Rockwell acquired Marpac in 1996 and Sierra Peaks in 2000, running both as president and CEO. Hell still work at both companies, but will no longer run things. I have an office with a part-time executive assistant, at least for three more years, Rockwell told the Journal. I will continue to advise the companies, but I wont be making the decisions. He chose new owners with long-time roots here to keep the companies stable and growing in New Mexico. Simon and Jeff have been actively managing and leading these companies for years, Rockwell said. Theyll keep people working here, employing New Mexicans and growing the businesses right here in Albuquerque. Goldfine has served four years as general manager at Sierra Peaks, which makes specialty electromechanical components. Alcalde started 12 years ago as general manager for Marpac, a specialized sewing manufacturer that makes medical accessories to stabilize secure breathing and feeding tubes, plus custom-sewn products for individual clients. Both have grown through acquisitions, such as Sierra Peaks 2014 purchase of miniature microphone maker Tibbetts Industries, and its 2017 acquisition of local engineering firm Mechtronic Solutions. Marpac acquired an East-coast distributor of sleep apnea accessories in 2018, boosting production of things like face masks, and now has direct shipping. We have an ambitious target for Sierra Peaks of five- to 10-fold growth over the next 10 years, Goldfine said. That company currently employs 45 people with $11 million in revenue last year. Alcalde expects to grow Marpac from about $3 million in annual revenue now to $7 million in the next few years. It currently employs 40 people. Were now sharing resources and leveraging each others strengths, he said. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded Uttar Pradesh Police for safely rescuing all children, who were held hostage at Farrukhabad, with their efficient strategy and planning. "It is laudable that Uttar Pradesh Police with its efficient strategy and planning safely rescued all the children, who were held hostage at Farrukhabad," said Shah on Twitter in Hindi. The Home Minister further congratulated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the police administration for having successfully carried out the operation. During the rescue operation, the man was shot dead for holding children as hostages. Later, his wife also died after being brutally thrashed by villagers earlier today, police said. After being beaten up by the locals, the woman was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. However, she succumbed to her injuries."When we sent her to the hospital, she was injured. She sustained injuries on her head. Her head was bleeding. As police killed her husband (the accused in the case), she tried to flee. As the children were kept hostage by both husband and wife, the villagers, in a fit of rage, pelted stones and bricks at her," Mohit Aggrawal, Inspector General Kanpur, told media."Postmortem report will clear everything, further details on the cause of death will only come out after the report," the IG said. Earlier in the morning, more than 15 children who were held hostage at a house in Farrukhabad were safely evacuated by police. Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home Awanish Kumar Awasthi said that Adityanath has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the Uttar Pradesh Police and its team that successfully carried out the operation. "All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," Awasthi said. On Thursday, Farrukhabad Police had said that more than 15 children were held hostage at a house. Following this, the Chief Minister convened a high-level meeting over the incident. Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order PV Ramashastry had said that the accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case and he was out on bail. "He had called the children on the pretext of a birthday party and held them hostage. He opened fire on villagers," he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LIVONIA, Mich., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet Supplies Plus, the largest and most trusted pet retail franchise in the United States, recently announced a fundraising initiative to benefit the World Wide Fund for Nature in Australia. In light of the recent tragic bushfires in Australia and its impact on their wildlife, Pet Supplies Plus along with its partners are matching up to $10,000 in donations to help save wildlife and protect and restore the bushland. Pet Supplies Plus, along with Victor Pet Food, WellPet, Stella & Chewy's, LLC., and Merrick Pet Care, are coming together to spread awareness and raise donations to help World Wide Fund for Nature in Australia. With more than 10.7 million hectares of Australian land being burned, the donations raised will aid Australia's efforts to rebuild. Every contribution made will have an impact and Pet Supplies Plus will match dollar for dollar, up to $10,000. Donations can be made through Pet Supplies Plus Facebook, in addition to local store Facebook pages. Founded in 1961, WWF's global mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live and prosper in harmony with nature. WWF-Australia is part of the WWF International Network, the world's leading, independent conservation organization. "We are heartbroken about the devastation of the Australian wildfires and stand by the mission of WWF-Australia," said Chris Rowland, CEO of Pet Supplies Plus. "Pet Supplies Plus has no boundaries when it comes to helping animals and we are encouraging neighbors and communities alike to help make a positive impactevery donation can make a difference." Now with more than 470 locations in 34 states across the country, Pet Supplies Plus offers a wide array of natural pet foods, a variety of Made in the USA pet consumables, such as wet and dry food, treats, rawhide and chews. Set in welcoming neighborhood environments, Pet Supplies Plus team members get to know their neighbors and pets by name at every store. Many locations also feature a full offering of grooming services tailored to meet every pet's needs, including washes, haircuts, body brushing, flea treatment and nail, skin, ear and oral care. For more information, visit www.petsuppliesplus.com. About Pet Supplies Plus Pet Supplies Plus is focused on making it easier to get better products for your pet. With over 470 locations in 34 states, the stores have a streamlined design making it easy to navigate a wide assortment of natural foods, hard goods and pet services. Headquartered in Livonia, MI., Pet Supplies Plus is ranked in Entrepreneur Magazine's Annual Franchise 500 list as the Top Full-Service Pet Supplies Franchise for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength, growth rate and system size. For more information visit www.petsuppliesplus.com. Media Contact: Kathryn Frakes, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, or [email protected] SOURCE Pet Supplies Plus Related Links http://www.petsuppliesplus.com The Trump administration on Friday announced it will expand to four more countries the existing travel ban, which bars citizens from certain Middle Eastern and African nations from entering the U.S. due to high rates of extremist violence and poor vetting processes in their home countries. The new version of the travel ban will bar citizens of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan from immigrating to the U.S., although they will still be permitted to apply to travel to America for business or pleasure. The ban will also bar Sudan and Tanzania from the diversity visa program, which awards green cards through lottery, however some citizens might be able to obtain waivers, according to U.S. officials. The new restrictions are scheduled to take effect on February 21. President Trump confirmed last week that he was looking to add to the list of countries covered by the travel ban. The administration reportedly originally planned to make the announcement on Monday but was sidetracked by responding to the coronavirus outbreak, Politico reported Friday. The attempts to expand the travel ban will almost certainly result in lawsuits against the administration. The ban previously applied to nationals of five countries, Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen. Originally, the White House had proposed including Sudan on the list as well and prohibiting all refugees temporarily for 120 days. The travel ban has been profoundly successful in protecting our country and raising the security baseline around the world, White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said last week. The original travel ban, introduced by the administration in 2017, was met with legal challenges, as critics accused Trump of illegal discrimination against Muslims, citing his campaign pledge to halt Muslim immigration. In response, the administration slightly revised the order, and the Supreme Court approved the implementation of most of it in December, 2017. More from National Review The University of California at Berkeley has apologized after its health services posted on Instagram that xenophobia was among the 'common reactions' to coronavirus. The post was removed Thursday after it caused an immediate uproar online from people who said the school was 'normalizing racism'. Several tweets were posted in protest, prompting the school to remove the reference, which was listed among what the school described as 'common reactions', to the flu-like illness which as killed 200 people in China. The University of California at Berkeley's health services posted on Instagram that xenophobia was among the 'common reactions' to Coronavirus (pictured) Several protests were posted online after UC Berkeley warned in an Instagram post that coronavirus, the flu-like illness which as killed 200 people in China, could lead to 'common reactions', like xenophobia UC Berkeley's health services posted on Instagram that common reactions to coronavirus include xenophobia, which it defined as 'fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about those feelings' Students walk through the campus of UC Berkeley in downtown Berkeley, California. The school's incoming freshman class is about 43 per cent of Asian descent, according to enrollment data The post made by the school, which has an incoming freshman class that is 43 percent of Asian descent, according to enrollment data, defined xenophobia as, 'fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about those feelings'. One Twitter user pointed out that some of the same wording was included in a handout that was posted on the school's official health services website. Dustin R. Glasner, a molecular biologist and alum of UC Berkeley, tweeted he was an 'Asian American', and that the school's post was 'unacceptable.' 'Stop normalizing racism,' he tweeted Thursday afternoon. 'It is not normal, and racist reactions to the current coronavirus outbreak are NOT OKAY,' in response to comments that were posted. Adrienne Shih, a graduate of the class of 2018, who majored in legal studies and political economy and now works as an audience engagement editor for the Los Angeles Times, tweeted she was 'honestly confused and very angry' about the school's Instagram post. Dustin R. Glasner, a molecular biologist and alum of UC Berkeley, noticed an online post form the school claiming coronavirus leads to common reactions such as xenophobia and tweeted he was an 'Asian American', and that the school's post was 'unacceptable' Adrienne Shih, a UC Berkeley graduate of the class of 2018, who now works as an audience engagement editor for the Los Angeles Times, tweeted she was 'honestly confused and very angry' about the school's Instagram post saying Coronavirus leads to xenophobia UC Berkeley alum Adrienne Shih pointed out the school's official health services website mentioned xenophobia was a 'common reaction' to Coronavirus, after noticing it also posted the same message on Instagram A Twitter user known as 'cornel stressed', who tweets under @afroacademic and is a PhD student, responded to complaints of UC Berkeley's post claiming Xenopobia was among common reactions to Coronavirus by charging the school was saying 'it's ok to hate Asians' 'When is xenophobia ever a 'normal reaction', she tweeted, with an image of the school's post before its removal. A follow up tweet from Shih says, 'Seriously @UCBerkeley: This post is literally normalizing racism. It's not okay.' And in another post she adds, 'I can't stop thinking about this. I'm a proud @UCBerkeley alum but this makes me angry and ashamed'. Responding to Shih's post, a Twitter user known as cornel stressed, who tweets under @afroacademic and is a PhD student, according to her profile on the platform, by saying, '.@UCBerkeley really said 'it's ok to hate Asians, your feelings are valid, everyone copes differently'. A school spokesman was not immediately available when DailyMail.com reached out. UC Berkeley's health services, known as the Tang Center at Cal, posted an apology on Instagram after an earlier post listing common reactions to Coronavirus included xenophobia. Roqua Montez, IV, executive director of communications and media relations at UC Berkeley, said a post from the school's health services claiming xenophobia was among common reactions to coronavirus was taken down and that the school regrets 'any misunderstanding' Roqua Montez, IV, executive director of communications and media relations at the school, told CBS News, 'The post has been taken down and we regret any misunderstanding it may have caused'. The school health services apology was similar in expressing regret. 'We apologize for our recent post on managing anxiety around coronavirus. We regret any misunderstanding it may have caused and have updated the language in our materials,' tweeted the health services, known as the Tang Center at Cal. Australian researchers have been tasked with painting a clearer picture of the deadly new coronavirus, to pave the way for testing potential vaccines. Federal science agency the CSIRO have been asked by a global group that aims to derail epidemics to help determine the key characteristics of the virus. The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) wants to know how long the virus takes to develop and replicate, how it impacts the respiratory system and how it's transmitted. The CSIRO is working with the Doherty Institute and the University of Queensland with the goal to develop a vaccine in a matter of weeks. Dr Mike Catton and Dr Julian Druce from the Doherty Institute. The Australian laboratory was the first in the world to replicate the virus outside China Scientists working in the secure area at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL), a high-containment facility in Geelong Dr Julian Druce from the Doherty Institute which is now working with the CSIRO and the University of Queensland to develop a vaccine The CSIRO will conduct the research at the Australian Animal Health Laboratory, a high-containment facility in Victoria's Geelong. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF THE CORONAVIRUS? Once someone has caught the virus it may take between two and 14 days for them to show any symptoms. If and when they do, typical signs include: a runny nose a cough sore throat fever (high temperature) The vast majority of patients at least 97 per cent, based on available data will recover from these without any issues or medical help. In a small group of patients, who seem mainly to be the elderly or those with long-term illnesses, it can lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in which the insides of the lungs swell up and fill with fluid. It makes it increasingly difficult to breathe and, if left untreated, can be fatal and suffocate people. Advertisement It is the only physical containment laboratory of its kind in Australia and one of just five in the world. Once they know more about the virus - which has killed more than 200 people in China where it surfaced - CSIRO scientists can begin testing vaccines developed by a CEPI-led consortium. The consortium - which includes both CSIRO and the University of Queensland - was established in hopes of speeding up the time taken to develop potential vaccines from years to weeks. CSIRO chief executive Dr Larry Marshall says the organisation is uniquely placed to help fight the virus, given its capabilities in animal and human health, genetics, data and machine learning. 'As the national science agency, we can help bring together every branch of science and experts from across the system to tackle this major global health challenge, he said. The development comes two days after researchers at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne became the first scientists to recreate the virus outside China. Emergency personnel are seen in full hazmat gear entering Peppers hotel on the Gold Coast on Tuesday. Two individuals were seen waiting with face masks escorted paramedics to their friend inside the hotel, after 40 mins the patient was taken to University Hospital Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued a travel warning on Wednesday, advising Australians to stay away from Hubei The lab-grown virus - which was developed from the first patient diagnosed in Australia - will help with accurately diagnosing the disease around the world. The Doherty Institute was the second lab to grow the virus after one in China cultivated it last week. The Chinese lab, however, only released the genome sequence, meaning labs around the world still did not have a physical sample. Growing the virus is important for developing a vaccine because scientists can now test how it behaves. Scientists can also generate an antibody test, which can be used to detect the virus in patients without symptoms. The CSIRO says it is collaborating both with the Peter Doherty Institute and the University of Queensland, where trials have begun to develop a vaccine. The coronavirus death toll has risen to 204 and the World Health Organisation has declared the disease a public health emergency. The total number of people infected in Australia rose to nine after two new cases were confirmed on Thursday evening. Health Minister Greg Hunt warned the disease is of 'pandemic potential' and the number of cases in the country is expected to rise as more are tested every day. 'There are a number of cases being considered in each of the states and territories, those numbers will literally change by the hour because some will be cleared and others will be tested,' he told Sky News. 'We do believe that there is a potential for further cases to be identified and therefore, to be announced. At this stage, the latest advice is that all five patients are being treated in isolation and all are stable and being well cared for. 'We have some of the strongest border protection measures in place around the world and we have biosecurity officials boarding all planes from China looking for symptoms. 'The Prime Minister has ordered all planes coming from China are boarded by security officials and that's an extremely important measure. 'Every passenger is met with by biosecurity officials and not only are they provided with information, but there is a review of their symptoms and the situation.' Foreign Minister Marise Payne issued a travel warning on Wednesday, advising Australians to stay away from Hubei. AUSTRALIANS WITH THE CORONAVIRUS NEW SOUTH WALES: 4 January 25 Three men aged 43, 53, and 35 who had recently travelled to China are confirmed to have contracted the disease. Two flew in from Wuhan while the other arrived in Sydney from Shenzhen, south China. They were treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital January 27 A 21-year-old woman is identified as the fourth person to test positive for the illness in NSW. The woman, a student at UNSW, flew into Sydney International Airport on flight MU749 on January 23 and presented to the emergency department 24 hours later after developing flu-like symptoms. VICTORIA: 6 January 25 A Chinese national aged in his 50s becomes the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Australia. The man flew to Melbourne on China Southern flight CZ321 from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19. He was quarantined at Monash Hospital in Clayton in Melbourne's east. January 29 A Victorian man in his 60s is diagnosed with the coronavirus. He became unwell on January 23 - two days after returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. The man was confirmed as positive on January 29 and was subsequently seen by doctors at the Monash Medical Centre. January 30 A woman in her 40s is found to have coronavirus. She was visiting from China and mostly spent time with her family. She is being treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital. February 1 A woman in her 20s in Melbourne is found to have the virus February 22 Two passengers taken off the Diamond Princess cruise ship test positive QUEENSLAND: 8 January 29 Queensland confirms its first case after a 44-year-old Chinese national was diagnosed with the virus. He is being treated at Gold Coast University Hospital. January 30 A 42-year-old Chinese woman who was travelling in the same Wuhan tour group as the 44-year-old man tests positive. She is in Gold Coast University Hospital in stable condition. February 4 An eight-year-old boy has been diagnosed coronavirus. He is also from the tour group where the other Queensland cases came from February 5 The case was found in a 37-year-old man, who was a member of a group of nine Chinese tourists in quarantine on the Gold Coast February 6 A 37-year-old woman has been diagnosed with coronavirus from the same travel group that flew to Queensland from Melbourne on January 27 February 21 Two Queensland women, aged 54 and 55, tested positive for COVID-19 and will be flown to Brisbane for further treatment. A 57-year-old woman from Queensland also tests positive for the virus SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 3 February 1 A Chinese couple in their 60s who arrived in Adelaide from Wuhan to visit relatives are confirmed to have coronavirus. A 24-year-old woman from South Australia has been transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1 February 21 A 78-year-old man from Western Australia was transferred to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth JAPAN: 15 As of February 15, 47 Australians are among 219 confirmed cases of the coronavirus contracted on board Diamond Princess cruise ship at Yokohama. Two more Australians who were on board tested positive after they were evacuated to Darwin on February 22 Advertisement Symptoms of the virus include fever, cough, sore throat and shortness of breath France has threatened to veto a rescue deal for British Steel by Chinese firm Jingye. British Steel collapsed seven months ago but Jingye stepped in with a last-minute investment package, agreeing to buy the stricken company for 50m. But French finance minister Bruno Le Maire reportedly told chancellor Sajid Javid that he planned to block the takeover because British Steel owns a plant in France considered to be of strategic national importance. Mr Lemaire said there was no way France would allow the proposed 50m sale of British Steel because it would mean the Hayange steel falling into the hands of a Chinese buyer, Sky News reported. The Hayange plant is a major supplier of track to Frances state-owned rail company SNCF. Hayange is considered to be one of British Steels most valuable assets, meaning the French intervention could scupper Jingyes deal putting up to 4,000 jobs at risk and a further 20,000 in the supply chain. Recommended 500 jobs to go as part of British Steel rescue package Despite the news, the UK government remained confident a deal would go ahead. A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: The deal with Jingye is very much on track and we expect that the transaction will complete in the coming weeks. British Steel has been losing around 1m a day since the government promised to fund the company following its collapse. British Steel workers agreed terms on pay and conditions with Jingye last week. But workers' representatives said they expect to see up to 500 job losses following 10 days of talks with Jingyes management. The National Trade Union Steel Co-ordinating Committee, made up of Community, Unite and GMB union representatives, said: As British Steel is in liquidation, any new owner could just offer new contracts with statutory minimum terms and conditions. There is no legal obligation to do more, nor to consult on any changes. These talks also took place in the context of the Special Managers having made it clear that there will not be another sales process for the whole business if the Jingye deal does not complete. British Steel would be broken up and sold in parts. North Dakotas population has been increasing, and the state has been getting younger. Those are both positive trends for the state. Bismarck has been no exception to the trends, which creates some challenges. One of them has been the growth in school enrollment. Its a nice problem to have because it means young adults arent leaving home or are moving back. It also indicates North Dakota is appealing to young people who were raised in other states and are moving here. The Bismarck School District has worked hard to keep schools up to date and striven to keep classroom sizes reasonable. Despite the approval of bond issues in 2012 and 2017, the district again faces overcrowding. In 2012, voters approved an $86.5 million bond issue resulting in the construction of Legacy High School, Lincoln Elementary School and Liberty Elementary School. The bond issue passed with an 85% yes vote. The district asked voters in 2017 to approve a $57.5 million bond issue, and they did again by 85%. That bond issue resulted in the expansion and renovation of three middle schools along with Bismarck and Century high schools. The auditorium at Bismarck High School was funded by the bond issue and opened last year. The support of the public for the bond issues is noteworthy, reflecting a high level of support for education. The Bismarck School Board once again is discussing how to deal with expanding school enrollment, especially in the elementary schools. As a temporary measure, the board has approved the purchase of six portable classrooms for the 2020-21 school year. The cost is $342,880. The districts elementary schools already are using 17 portables. The Tribune editorial board believes portables are fine as stopgap measures but arent the long-term answer. The school district in the past has tried to avoid the use of portables, but it takes time to evaluate growth and whether it will continue. The school board is in the process of deciding how to deal with growth and overcrowding. Under consideration are a prekindergarten center for Lincoln or Liberty schools; a new elementary school in the northeast or northwest; additions at Centennial, Highland Acres and Grimsrud; or a combination of those options. Adding a third wing to Legacy High School also has been mentioned. To be able to have a new school open by August 2022, the board needs to decide which direction to go by May. The public needs to know what kind of expenses they could be facing in the future. Bismarck voters already are being asked to approve a half-cent sales tax increase and may be asked to extend another half-cent sales tax. The Bismarck Park Board is seeking approval of a half-cent sales tax to fund up to $108 million for a recreation center. The committee in charge of the Burleigh Morton Detention Center has been discussing whether to seek approval of the extension of a half-cent sales tax for the facilitys future operation. No decision has been made. The public needs the time to decide the merits of the proposals and whether they can afford all of them. Thats why its important the school board develop a proposal by May. The board has delivered on its last two bond issues, and its difficult to ignore educational needs. The public will have some interesting decisions to make going forward. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 TORONTO - An Ontario senior public health official failed to disclose her close relationship with a convicted fraudster she had met online when she hired him as interim chief financial officer, a newly released forensic report states. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - An Ontario senior public health official failed to disclose her close relationship with a convicted fraudster she had met online when she hired him as interim chief financial officer, a newly released forensic report states. A report commissioned by Algoma Public Health and composed by auditors KPMG also indicates that Dr. Kim Barker, former head of the health unit, pursued an intimate relationship with Shaun Rootenberg, despite knowing he had been using the alias of Shaun Rothberg. Emails between them "became more personal" over time, the audit states. "Dr. Barker denied that she was in an intimate relationship with Mr. Rothberg prior to his appointment," KPMG says. "Her hope was that one would develop." Barker believed that if Rootenberg was provided with employment in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., according to the report, the "likelihood of a relationship between her and Mr. Rothberg would increase." As medical officer of health, Barker led Algoma Public Health in Sault Ste. Marie until she resigned in January 2015 after the news outlet SooToday.com revealed that Rothberg was in fact Rootenberg, who had served prison time for fraud. After her departure, the health unit hired KPMG to investigate, which produced its highly confidential report in March 2015. Barker fought its release until the Supreme Court of Canada in December declined to hear her bid to keep it secret. The 26-page document, obtained by The Canadian Press under freedom of information laws, is based on interviews, emails, and minutes of board meetings. It paints a troubling picture of Barker's role in hiring Rootenberg after the board's previous business administrator was charged criminally with breach of trust and theft. For one thing, Barker had referred in an email to "Rootenberg," even though she would later maintain she was unaware of his name deception. "Dr. Barker was aware that Mr. Rothberg was actually Shaun Rootenberg ... approximately seven weeks prior to his appointment as interim CFO," the report says, adding she "did not provide a reasonable explanation for the inconsistency." Now in his 50s, Rootenberg, of Thornhill, Ont., would be charged in 2017 with defrauding Barker and Victoria Smith, another woman with whom he became romantically involved. The prosecution proceeded only on the Smith charge, and he was found guilty last year. He is to be sentenced later in February. Emails show Barker and Rootenberg, who met on a dating site, were in contact from as early as July 2013. He would soon introduce her to Ron Hulse, a principal of a Toronto-based consulting firm through which the health unit hired Rootenberg. Her discussions with Hulse about the hiring began months before the board approved a search for a new CFO, KPMG said. Barker, who is in her late 40s, admitted she failed to tell the health unit board about her relationship with Rootenberg. "Dr. Barker went on to characterize her failure to do so as a 'complete lack of judgment,'" the report states. In response to questions, Barker sent a statement through a spokesperson on Friday, in which she called her hiring decision "clearly misguided," and apologized for it. She also said Rootenberg's hiring was intended to address the health unit's "pressing financial issues." Barker also said she fought the release of the KPMG study amid concerns about its "inaccuracies and misrepresentations," but did not say what those were. "I felt it would not serve the public interest to have unreliable information on the public record," she said. Barker previously told The Canadian Press that Rootenberg preyed on her vulnerability she says she is legally blind and that publicizing the document would ruin her life. Dr. Marlene Spruyt, Algoma's current medical officer of health, said in a statement Friday that the board has improved its organizational and financial oversight in recent years. "Recruitment and hiring practices have been standardized across the agency," Spruyt said. Rootenberg served as interim CFO for 27 weeks until May 31, 2014, even though he had told the board in mid-April of that year that he was leaving the position immediately. Rhulse26, the Toronto consulting firm, billed the health unit for $120,514 for Rootenberg's service and another $61,698 for developing a business plan. In other KPMG findings, Barker said she had asked for a police background check on Shaun Rothberg three or four months before his hiring. It came back negative. After making her hiring decision, she asked a health unit staffer if it would be a conflict to hire a spouse. She later told KPMG she had been referring to her husband. The only health unit losses the forensic report identified during Rootenberg's tenure was $12,150 due to Rhulse26 billing more than originally quoted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 31, 2020. Mumbai, Jan 31 : Actor Arbaaz Khan has welcomed Maharashtra state governments new policy, Mumbai 24 Hours, by saying that it is a good thing as long as it is in the commercial areas and not the residential areas. He also added that concerned ministries and agencies need to take care of safety and security of the people after implementation of the policy. Arbaaz Khan was interacting with the media at a promotional song shoot of "Sridevi Bungalow" along with his co-actor Priya Prakash Varrier and girlfriend Giorgia Andriani in Mumbai. The long-awaited Mumbai nightlife policy came into force on Sunday on a cautious note, offering an opportunity to people to shop, dine and explore round-the-clock a city that never sleeps. Cleared by the Maharashtra state Cabinet on January 22, the "Mumbai 24 Hours" policy allows shops, eateries and theatres in malls and mill compounds located in non-residential areas to remain open round-the-clock. "I think it's a good thing because now we have to realize that worldwide, there are places which are open. I feel the only thing that needs to be taken care of is the safety and security that will come with having late-night places. We have to ask ourselves that are we equipped for that? Otherwise, it's a good thing because we always say that Mumbai is a city that never sleeps. Now, malls and certain places will be open and it will not be in residential areas but in commercial areas so, its fine," Arbaaz said. Priya Prakash Varrier became a social media sensation after her wink in a song of the Malayalam film "Oru Adaar Love" went viral. She became a household name for her wink. On the release date of "Sridevi Bungalow", Arbaaz said: "I don't have a clear idea about its release. It's not going to take too long because we are actually done with the shoot and this is a promotional song that's happening but I cannot tell you the exact date or month of its release. But it will not be too long." "Sridevi Bungalow" is a suspense thriller film written and directed by Prasanth Mambully. The film features Aseem Ali Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Priya Prakash Varrier, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Mukesh Rishi, Dinesh Lamba and Sandeep Bharadwaj in lead roles. Photo: Rob Bixby/Flickr Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Jacksonville. 3 women sent to hospital after triple shooting in Jacksonville's Mid-Westside The shooting was reported in the 1500 block of West 5th Street. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. American Airlines flight diverted to Jacksonville due to 'unruly passenger' American Airlines flight #2796 departed from Miami and was headed to Chicago. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. Celebrate Black History Month with the Jacksonville Public Library The Jacksonville Public Library is hosting special events all month long. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Osagie Otabor, Benin There is tension in Edo State as the Peoples Democratic Party holds its Ward congresses to elect new officials to pilot affairs of the party. This is just as the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole faction of the All Progressives Congress planned to hold rally in Irrua, Edo Central senatorial district. Governor Godwin Obaseki had earlier blamed political rallies in the state and vowed to deal with anybody or group that would flout its orders. A statement issued on Friday evening and signed by Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, threatened to met very stiff penalties on any individual or group who flout orders from security agencies. It reiterated the state government stand that any unauthorized rallies in the name of the All Progressives Congress (APC) must not be held in any part of the state. Osagie said the APC has neither authorized nor organized any rally. According to the statement, The plans of the dissident Edo Peoples Movement (EPM) to again disrupt the peace in the state in Edo Central Senatorial District is unauthorized and goes against the directives of the Nigerian Police Force and the state government. There are clandestine plans to hold a rally in Edo Central Senatorial District and government warns those orchestrating this crisis to desist forthwith. This is as similar gatherings in the past have resulted in civil disturbances, disruption of peace, injuries on innocent citizens and destruction of property, which the Edo State Government will no longer tolerate. The Government calls on the Presidency and the Inspector General of Police to kindly call the suspended National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole to order and let him know that no one can be above the law of the land and his ambition to be the ultimate godfather in Edo State is not worth the lives and safety of millions of Edo people. The Edo State Government calls on the citizens and residents of the state to be law-abiding, go about their lawful businesses and shun any action that would undermine public peace and safety. Meanwhile, leaders of the Edo PDP, as well as aspirants to various positions, have travelled to their various Wards to mobilise supporters. Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has been named chairman of the Edo PDP Congresses. He tenure of the incumbent executives led by Chief Dan Orbih will end in March. Those aspiring to take over from Chief Orbih are Chief Omi Imoisili, Engr. Fred Okah, Oladele Balogun and Tony Azegbemin. The outcome of Saturdays Ward congresses would determine the fate of the governorship aspirants. The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Korea has risen to seven, with two new cases reported on Thursday and one on Friday, including one that appears to be the first human-to-human transmission here. The 56-year-old apparently caught the virus when he came into contact with the third coronavirus patient, who had walked the streets of southern Seoul and Ilsan north of the capital. He had not been to the outbreak's epicenter of Wuhan, China himself, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. There have been 10 confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission in Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Koreans returning from Wuhan, China are checked by quarantine officials at Gimpo International Airport on Friday. /Newsis One of the latest victims is a friend of the third confirmed case, and the two had lunch together for about two hours in a restaurant in Gangnam. Another is a 32-year-old Korean man who returned from Wuhan on Jan. 24. He had respiratory problems and was placed in quarantine after testing positive for the virus on Thursday. The latest victim is a 28-year-old Korean man who also recently visited Wuhan. Koreans returning from Wuhan, China disembark at Gimpo International Airport on Friday. /Newsis Health experts do not rule out further transmissions here. Lee Jong-koo, a former head of the KCDC said, "It's lucky that the cases were being monitored, but this could also signal the start of the disease spreading in Korea. The entire public needs to help stem the spread of the disease." Meanwhile, the first batch of Koreans evacuated from Wuhan arrived at Gimpo airport on Friday morning. Out of about 700 Korean nationals who wanted to return, about half or 367 Koreans managed to board a charter flight. They will be quarantined in Asan, South Chungcheong Province and Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province for the maximum incubation period of two weeks. The government here is seeking to send another charter plane to bring back the rest. A woman was killed Thursday afternoon in an eastern Jefferson County house fire. Center Point firefighters responded at 1:42 p.m. to a home in the 2500 block of Carmel Road in the Grayson Valley community, said Fire Chief Gene Coleman. Heavy fire was showing when they arrived on the scene. A man who lived in the home had been able to escape, Coleman said, but he told firefighters a woman was trapped inside. Firefighters tried multiple times to go into rescue her, but were driven back out by the heat, smoke and flames. Coleman said there were several explosions during the fire, which they believe were from medical equipment inside the house. Trussville firefighters, Jefferson County sheriffs deputies and the state fire marshals office also responded to the scene. A cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, and the victims identity is not being released at this time. The woman is at least the 15th fire fatality already in Alabama this year, including eight people were killed in a boat dock fire in north Alabama earlier this week. T he British flag has been removed from its flagpole outside the European Parliament and replaced with the flag of the EU. The Union Jack was removed at exactly 8pm by parliamentary staff, watched by crowds of journalists and British expats. Dozens of people had gathered on the pavement outside the parliamentary building from dusk on Friday to witness the last symbol of Britains membership of the EU be taken away. A group of newly redundant assistants to the UKs MEPs attended sporting their commemorative UK/EU scarves. The Union flag is folded and removed after being lowered / AP There was a small cheer as the lowering mechanism got briefly stuck, with one onlooker joking: It means you have to Remain. It was a three-man job to lower the flag and stop it flying away in the breeze as it was unhooked, before it was neatly folded up. Staff members remove the United Kingdom's flag from the European Parliament / AFP via Getty Images The flag is due to be placed in the House of European History in Brussels, a spokesman for the European Parliament said. The British flag from the foyer of the parliament had been removed by mid-afternoon on Friday, while the flag from inside the European Council was also taken down on Friday evening. The Union flag is taken down / PA The Union flag was also removed from the European Council building in Brussels, where national leaders gather for their regular summit. TUCSON, Ariz. City officials in Tucson and other agencies have discussed logistics and health protocols for an annual gem and mineral show in southern Arizona amid concerns about the spread of the deadly virus from China. The city of Tucson and the Pima County Health Department met Monday to discuss the Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase and how to calm public fears that visitors could carry in the virus. We discussed whats going to be our preparedness plan in case we see folks who have traveled to China, said Andy Squire, a city spokesperson and one of the showcase organizers. That really is the issue. Visitors, buyers, vendors and owners across the world, including from China, are expected to come for the show, which begins Feb. 1 and runs through Feb. 16. Last year, about 65,000 people visited the show. It is unclear how many of the vendors may have traveled to China in recent months. We feel the risk is very low the most important concern is we would have is if someone has traveled to that area and they are returning, county health deputy director Paula Mandel told KVOA-TV. But people who are out and about in there normal daily life the transmission risk is very low. Showcase visitors have no more reason to worry about the virus than they do the flu, Squire said. Health officials urge people to cover their coughs, wash their hands and stay home from work and visit the doctor if feeling ill. Symptoms include a runny nose and sore throat, Mandel said. There have been at least five confirmed reported cases of the virus in the U.S., including one in Arizona, health officials said. As of Thursday, health officials have confirmed the virus is responsible for the deaths of 170 people in China. A woman wears a mask in Chinatown following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. January 30, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski) The World Health Organization declared the Chinese coronavirus outbreak as a global emergency on Thursday, after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, even as the death toll rose to 213. The decision evolved as China's health commission pronounced on Friday that the confirmed cases of infection reached 9,692. Another 102,000 human beings were underneath medical remark with possible symptoms of the breathing ailment. The United Nations defines an international emergency as an "extraordinary event," which constitutes a threat to different international locations and calls for a coordinated global response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in December. Eighteen different countries have confirmed such instances, as scientists race to comprehend how precisely the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant proof the virus is spreading among people in China and have stated with subject times in different nations in Europe and Asia - including North America. There have also been remoted cases of human-to-human transmission. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the disturbing spread of the virus between people outside China. Tedros said the primary motive for their declaration is not because of what is taking place in China but because of what is happening in different international locations. "Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to nations with weaker health systems that are ill-prepared to address it," Tedros said. The declaration, according to Tedros, is not a vote of non-self belief in China. The health agency, on the contrary, expressed its confidence that China is capable of controlling the outbreak. Hua Chunying, China's overseas ministry spokeswoman, said Beijing has the confidence and capability to win the war against the outbreak. The ministry spokeswoman added China would maintain to work closely with the WHO and other countries to hold global and regional public health security. An announcement of a global emergency generally brings more money and resources. However, the move might additionally set off anxious governments to limit tour and trade to affected international locations. The statement additionally imposes more disease reporting requirements on nations. Several businesses have quickly closed most of their shops. Tedros stated WHO did not recommend limiting travel or trade to China in the wake of several airlines canceling flights to China. "There is no purpose for measures that unnecessarily intrude with worldwide travel and change," he stated. He said Chinese President Xi Jinping had devoted to helping stop the spread of the virus past its borders. During his dialogue with President Xi and other leaders, Tedros said the officials are inclined to help other nations with weaker health systems "with anything is possible." Meanwhile, Russia announced it was last its 2,600-mile border with China - including Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings from defending in resistance to the new viral outbreak. It was closed because of the Lunar New Year holiday; however, Russian authorities stated the closure would be extended until March 1 of this year. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government has no reason to feel defensive about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and asked the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders to back the legislation strongly in Parliament. According to sources, the PM asked the NDA leaders to aggressively take on the Opposition's charge that the amended citizenship law discriminated against Muslims and said that minorities are as much "ours as other citizens are". The meeting of the NDA leaders was called to chalk out a strategy to counter the Opposition during the Budget Session of Parliament, which began on Friday ''The government has done nothing wrong as far as the amended Citizenship Act is concerned and has no reason to feel defensive about,'' the PM reportedly said during the meeting of the NDA allies. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders also hailed the Prime Minister for the Bodo Accord and settlement of Bru tribe members in Tripura. It may be noted that the Opposition leaders have said they will raise the issue of nationwide protests against the CAA in the session, as they accused the Modi government of arrogance and making no effort to reach out to protestors. Live TV Congress party has been hitting out at the Central government, saying that it is least bothered about the people protesting on streets against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC. "The government is least bothered about the people protesting on streets over CAA-NRC. This shows their arrogance. They are not bothered about farmers too. The opposition wants that these issues be discussed too and the govt should be sensitive about it," Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said after an all-party meeting ahead of the budget session on Thursday. The Congress leader alleged that the government is only focussed on getting Bills passed. Azad's party colleague Anand Sharma on Friday slammed the government for creating fault lines in the country through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and accused the government of lacking compassion for the demonstrators. "This legislation (CAA) has created fault lines in the country and there is tension. The government is arrogant and the government is also lacking compassion for those protesting against the law, said Sharma after the Joint Session of Parliament at the beginning of Budget Session. However, in his address to the joint sitting of the Parliament, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that the Centre`s decision to enact Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a move to fulfil the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi and that its step to scrap Article 370 and 35A from Kashmir was "historic". (With Agency inputs) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 14:27:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Borussia Dortmund have reached an agreement with FC Villarreal, currently eighth in La Liga, over the transfer of Paco Alcacer, the Bundesliga team confirmed on Thursday. Alcacer, capped 19 times for Spain, initially joined BVB on loan from FC Barcelona in August 2018 and the transfer was later made permanent. He scored 23 goals in 37 Bundesliga appearances. "We would like to thank Paco Alcacer for his performances in a BVB shirt and wish him good health and every sporting success for the future," said Dortmund's sporting director Michael Zorc. RACINE A Racine man wiped tears from his eyes in court Friday as he was sentenced to spend five years in prison for his role in the fatal 2018 shooting of Tremayne Brown. I would like to apologize to Mr. Browns family," Michael R. Lyons Jr., 36, said as he addressed the court. "Thats it. Lyons sentencing Michael Lyons wipes tears from his eyes during his sentencing hearing on Friday in Racine County Circuit Court. Lyons will spend five years in Lyons' mother, Shandoulia Wallace, testified on her son's behalf. She said that while awaiting his sentencing, Lyons has taken good care of her as she struggled with cancer. Michael is a good guy, he just got caught up in a bad situation, Wallace said. Lyons and his cousin, 34-year-old Cedric Gray, both of the 2000 block of DeKoven Avenue, were originally charged March 22, 2018, with first-degree intentional homicide after the fatal shooting of Brown, 40, four days earlier near Taylor and Arlington avenues. Racine Police found Brown fatally shot inside a crashed Dodge minivan in a front yard in the 2300 block of Arlington Avenue. Nearby surveillance footage showed two men standing at the intersection. Through witnesses accounts, the men were identified as Lyons and Gray. On Dec. 5, 2019, a jury found Gray guilty of first-degree intentional homicide, as a party to a crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Less than two weeks later, instead of facing a trial, Lyons pleaded guilty to reduced charges of felony substantial battery, intended bodily harm and resisting or obstructing an officer, a misdemeanor. The state concedes that the video clearly shows Gray was the one who pulled the trigger and Mr. Lyons walked off after the first shot and was not present when Mr. Gray shot into the van, killing Mr. Brown, said Deputy District Attorney Dirk Jensen. One of Lyons' attorneys, Helmi Hamad, said that both Gray and Lyons made decisions that ultimately led to Brown being shot and killed. "Mr. Lyons made the decision when Mr. Gray pulled out the firearm and fired the first shot to separate himself from the situation, Hamad said. He didnt go there to kill anybody or shoot anybody. Racine County Circuit Court Judge Faye Flancher said the maximum sentence was appropriate for the two charges Lyons faced. Lyons was sentenced him to 3 years in prison, and two years of extended supervision for the felony battery charge, and 18 months in prison and six months of extended supervision for the obstructing an officer charge. The charges will be served consecutively, meaning Lyons will spend a total of five years in prison. Lyons, who had been out of custody on a signature bond, was immediately taken into custody after the hearing to begin serving his sentence. A man died in this case, and while you werent the shooter, Mr. Lyons, you were certainly involved, Flancher said. This incident happened in a nice, middle-class neighborhood. The residents, who heard the gunshot and stepped up to provide information to the police, were forever impacted. Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on March 20 at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. Love 0 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3 Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. FREDERICTON - Premier Blaine Higgs says it's time to imagine a "new" New Brunswick, and he is setting goals to increase the population and grow the economy. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs delivers the State of the Province address in Fredericton on Thursday January 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Stephen MacGillivray FREDERICTON - Premier Blaine Higgs says it's time to imagine a "new" New Brunswick, and he is setting goals to increase the population and grow the economy. Higgs issued the call to action Thursday as he delivered his annual state of the province address to a business audience in Fredericton. "There is an obvious gap between where we are now and where we want to be," Higgs said in a prepared text. "We need to stop saying 'I can't' and instead say 'I will.'" The premier outlined the challenges facing the province, including an aging population and labour shortages. "Over the last 50 years, the average age in New Brunswick has gone from 24 to 45 and rising," he said. "It costs eight times more to care for those over 80 than those under 65." He said the health care system will need to hire 1,300 more nurses over the next decade just to maintain staffing at current levels. The province has a looming skills gap that will see 120,000 jobs become available in the next 10 years, he added. The premier said advisers from academia, business and the technology sector have advised Opportunities New Brunswick the government's business development agency that the province needs to embrace a pro-growth agenda. As a result, he said, the province is opening new offices in India and Europe to attract talent and new investment. Representatives of the business development agency, the province's population growth secretariat and the University of New Brunswick left Thursday on a mission to India. The government had previously announced that it has a target of attracting 7,500 immigrants a year by 2024, which is the maximum allowed by the federal government. "That's why New Brunswick will be aggressively pursuing the federal government to increase our immigration intake to at least 10,000 newcomers a year," Higgs told the crowd. The premier said New Brunswickers are by nature modest, and that has to change. He said it's time to boast that the province is home to major companies such as Cooke Aquaculture the world's largest independent seafood company and has attracted other big global names. He went on to list Siemens, IBM, EXXON, McCain Foods, Irving, Imperial Manufacturing, Barbour and Moosehead. "Any of those sound familiar?" he asked. Higgs said in the years ahead, Opportunities New Brunswick focus on attracting business in emerging sectors such as cybersecurity, digital health and energy innovation. He cited as an example recent announcements about efforts to develop small modular nuclear power reactors in the province for export. Following the speech, Liberal party leader Kevin Vickers said he applauds the premier for having a plan. "Now we have to ensure that he's going to put the money and the resources necessary to execute that plan and deliver on the plan," he said. Both Vickers and Green party leader David Coon said they were concerned the premier made no mention of tackling poverty. "He never mentioned it. It is so important we have a frontal attack on poverty," Coon said. Higgs said while he may not have said the word poverty, he did use part of his speech to address programs and efforts to help the vulnerable in the province. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan 30, 2020. WASHINGTON Nothing would please President Trump more than to wrap up his impeachment trial with support from a handful of Democrats. He might get his wish. As the Senate nears a vote on Mr. Trumps fate, possibly as early as Friday, attention has focused on the few moderate Republicans who might break ranks by voting to hear from witnesses or perhaps even to convict. But Democrats have their own list of possible defectors who could vote to acquit. They are focusing on four Democrats from states won by Mr. Trump: Senators Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Doug Jones of Alabama and Gary Peters of Michigan. Should one or more vote to clear the president on either of the charges he faces, it would hand him a coveted talking point during an election year and deliver a blow to Democrats, who lost two votes in the House when Mr. Trump was impeached in December. Every one of us knows and if our leadership didnt know, we would tell them that this is an individual decision every senator has got to make, Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, said in an interview, adding that Democrats closed-door meetings did not include discussions of how members would vote. So I dont know how that plays out, or what the numbers will be. LONDON - In the hours before the United Kingdom's formal departure from the European Union, hundreds of politically-minded Britons flocked to the streets and public spaces of London's Westminster district, the centuries-old home of the country's legislature. It has been an often contentious and occasionally fraught three-and-a-half years since a slim majority of voters opted for a future outside the world's largest political bloc. And on a night when that nation-altering 2016 referendum vote would become a reality, there were far more supporters of Brexit out in public than there were opponents. Dozens of national flags in the U.K.'s familiar red, white and blue pattern provided splashes of color across Parliament Square on an otherwise grey wintry evening; some flapping from the permanent mast poles around the perimeter, others draped around the necks of Brexit's most ardent supporters. "It's a very big celebration for me personally," said Michael Kinane, a Brexit supporter from Essex, just east of London, who sported a baseball cap decorated with the British flag. "I've always believed in coming out and being independent from the EU." It has been almost half a century since the United Kingdom signed up to join other major European nations in a precursor to the EU, and the decision to begin unpicking the political, legal and constitutional threads that have bound this island nation to the European continent for so many years has proved painful for many on both sides of the English Channel. Boris Johnson, the prime minister who effectively surfed to power on a wave of populist resentment about British membership of the EU, broadcast a message late Friday calling the formal act of separation "an astonishing moment of hope." He acknowledged that there would be those who felt "a sense of anxiety and loss," but insisted that Britain's exit from Europe was "not an end but a beginning." In one sense this precise moment of parting occurs only on paper, since the U.K. will continue to abide by the EU's rules and regulations for the next 11 months during an implementation period agreed with the EU to give businesses and citizens time to adjust to as-yet uncertain new circumstances. Full time employees and student workers at Grinnell College have spent $5,792.77 on contributions to candidates for the 2020 presidential election as of the last period filing in December, with Elizabeth Warren leading her caucus competitors in donations, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a nonprofit group that compiles and organizes publicly-accessible data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC). In accordance with government policy, donors to political groups and campaigns must disclose their employer and occupation. This data is made available to the public and allows The Scarlet & Black to analyze the donations of people affiliated with Grinnell College. This list is by no means comprehensive, given that some donors may not have listed Grinnell as their employer. Data were cross-referenced between the original FEC and CRP reports to ensure that results are accurate. The overall average donation amount for College employees was $27.96. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has garnered the most funds from College employees so far, at $2420.57. Her average contribution amount was $36.67. Plagued by deflating poll numbers, Warrens first-place finish in Grinnell donations reflects both her strength among the Colleges progressives and her commitment to winning Grinnell come caucus night. Warren is well-organized in the area: 850 people turned out to a rally last November, and the campaign opened an office in downtown Grinnell last year. Warrens strong showing in the race for Grinnell donations may hint at tighter competition between Warren and projected front-runner Sanders in Grinnells Ward 1 as they vie for left-wing votes. Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg ranked second of the candidates still in the running for the Democratic nomination, nabbing $918.16, or 16 percent of total funds contributed by Grinnell College donors. Donations to Buttigieg averaged $22.39. The former mayor drew a crowd of 500 voters when he visited Grinnell back in December, but he was also dogged by climate protesters affiliated with the Sunrise Movement. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had a middle-of-the-pack showing despite his increasing support from voters in recent weeks and Grinnell Colleges progressive electorate. He received 6.9 percent of the total, or $403.84. In keeping with his campaigns emphasis on small donations and grassroots support, Sanderss average donation was $14.95, placing him just behind Buttigieg and Warren. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been a consistent leader in the polls for the entirety of the race, has received just $365 from Grinnell donors, or 6 percent of all money donated. Just two people affiliated with Grinnell College donated to Joe Biden. The trend follows for fellow moderate Amy Klobuchar, who raised $285 from just two people at Grinnell. Contributions to the races fringe candidates did not upset their outlier status. Businessman Andrew Yang, who told The S&B that he was third among young people during a campaign stop this month, has raised a scant $30 from two donors affiliated with Grinnell College. Tulsi Gabbard, a progressive who has yet to catch fire in the polls, also only received $30 in donations. Tom Steyer has not received a single donation. The majority of donations were made through ActBlue, a fundraising platform for Democratic and progressive candidates and political groups. Professor Barbara Trish, who taught a Special Topics course on the Iowa caucuses last semester, says technological innovation is one major factor that has increased small-dollar donations in the past few years. [Technology] has allowed campaigns and organizations to digitally contact donors, she said. It also allows donors to easily make donations to the campaigns through portals, through ActBlue [and] through other things not available ten years ago. Despite divisive feelings about the candidates evident on campus, financial records show that party unity is alive and well at Grinnell. According to FEC data, President Donald J. Trump received no funds to speak of. The recent emergence of Wuhan coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has put the world on high alert for transcontinental transmission, reminiscent of the outbreak of SARS -- also a coronavirus -- in 2002-2003. Decade-long structural studies by Fang Li of the University of Minnesota, et al. have shown how the SARS virus (SARS-CoV) interacts with animal and human hosts in order to infect them. The mechanics of infection by the Wuhan coronavirus appear to be similar. These investigators used the knowledge they gleaned from multiple SARS-CoV strains -- isolated from different hosts in different years -- and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptors from different animal species to model predictions for the novel Wuhan coronavirus. (Both viruses use ACE2 to gain entry into the cell, but it serves normally as a regulator for heart function.) "Our structural analyses confidently predict that the Wuhan coronavirus uses ACE2 as its host receptor," the investigators wrote. That and several other structural details of the new virus are consistent with the ability of the Wuhan coronavirus to infect humans and with some capability to transmit among humans. "Alarmingly, our data predict that a single mutation [at a specific spot in the genome] could significantly enhance [the Wuhan coronavirus's] ability to bind with human ACE2," the investigators write. For this reason, Wuhan coronavirus evolution in patients should be closely monitored for the emergence of novel mutations at the 501 position in its genome, and to a lesser extent, the 494 position, in order to predict the possibility of a more serious outbreak than has been seen so far. The research is published in the Journal of Virology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The study provides the basic, translational and public health research communities with predictive insights that may help study and battle this novel coronavirus. For more information on the new strain of coronavirus, visit ASM's Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Resources page: https://www.asm.org/Press-Releases/2020/nCoV2019-Resources The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday to fast-track efforts to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain after two cases were confirmed in Rome. Italy had said Thursday it was stopping all flights to and from China following the that two Chinese tourists holidaying in Italy had tested positive for the virus. The couple was being treated in isolation in Rome's Spallanzani infectious diseases institute. The state of emergency, which gives regional authorities special powers and cuts redtape, will last six months, according to Italian media. Police sealed off the room where the couple had been staying at a hotel in the centre of the capital. Other Chinese tourists who had arrived in Italy as part of the same tour group were being tested for the virus. A 42-year old Romanian who had been working at the hotel was also admitted for tests, media reports said. Italy's civil aviation authority said all flights in the air before the suspension was declared were permitted to land, and passengers' temperatures checked. The planes were also permitted to take off again with passengers who had been scheduled for the return leg. The SARS-like virus epidemic which originated in the central Chinese city Wuhan has so far killed 213 people and spread to at least 18 countries. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared it an international public health emergency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday declined to entertain a PIL seeking a restriction on demonstration, procession and stir at the Ghantaghar park in the Old City, owing to a Supreme Court direction that matters related to the new citizenship law would not be taken up by any high court in the country. A bench of Justice Pankaj Kumar Jaiswal and Justice K S Pawar dismissed the PIL after a request by the petitioner that he was withdrawing it. It said the apex court, in an order passed on January 22 in a case of the Union of Muslim League and others versus the Union of India, while granting time to the respondents to file their replies, directed high courts not to take up the matter pertaining to the dispute and agitation related to the CAA. In the PIL, the petitioner, Shishir Chaturvedi, had alleged that the demonstration at Ghantaghar is disturbing law and order and as such, the police and the administration should be directed to take action against the demonstrators and remove the stir from the site as it is being held despite imposition of section 144 of CrPC in the area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Slamming the BJP over the Jamia firing incident, Congress leader Vadra on Friday said such incidents were possible with the ruling party's leaders inciting people to shoot, and asked Prime minister Narendra Modi to answer whether he stands with violence or non-violence. Her attack on the government comes a day after tensions in the Jamia area spiralled on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. "When the BJP government ministers and party leaders incite people to shoot, give provocative speeches, then all this becomes possible. The Prime Minister should answer what kind of a Delhi he wants to build?" said in a tweet in Hindi. Does the PM stand with violence or non-violence, she asked. "Does he stand with development or with anarchy?" the Congress general secretary said. We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. Unfortunately, there are also plenty of examples of share prices declining precipitously after insiders have sold shares. So we'll take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Tanga Resources Limited (ASX:TRL). What Is Insider Buying? It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, most countries require that the company discloses such transactions to the market. We don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Columbia University study found that 'insiders are more likely to engage in open market purchases of their own companys stock when the firm is about to reveal new agreements with customers and suppliers'. Check out our latest analysis for Tanga Resources The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Tanga Resources Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by insider Josef El-Raghy for AU$144k worth of shares, at about AU$0.0025 per share. That means that even when the share price was higher than AU$0.002 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. It is generally more encouraging if they paid above the current price, as it suggests they saw value, even at higher levels. Tanga Resources insiders may have bought shares in the last year, but they didn't sell any. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below! Story continues ASX:TRL Recent Insider Trading, January 31st 2020 Tanga Resources is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying. Insider Ownership of Tanga Resources For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Tanga Resources insiders own 26% of the company, worth about AU$963k. We've certainly seen higher levels of insider ownership elsewhere, but these holdings are enough to suggest alignment between insiders and the other shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Tanga Resources Insiders? The fact that there have been no Tanga Resources insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Tanga Resources and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. Along with insider transactions, I recommend checking if Tanga Resources is growing revenue. This free chart of historic revenue and earnings should make that easy. Of course Tanga Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies. For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Among those protesting the latest disqualifications is the regimes President Hassan Rouhani who is protesting the current circumstances by asking whether these are elections or appointments? On the other hand, the rival faction has so narrowed the field for the reformists that even the words of the President of the country have been found to be contrary to the public interest and became the victim of regimes censorship, and official state-TV refused to broadcast his speech. Rouhani criticized the regimes Guardian Council over a meeting called Governors Conference on 27 January, for why the responsibility for the administration of the elections had been abducted from the government and that they become the main player on this subject. Citing the position of the Ministry of Interior on the elections he said: Ministry of Interior and the governors are the main actor of the law and the election. The constitution has been cautious and said that a system should supervise on the sidelines that no one could violate. But now it became vice versa. The supervisor became the actor and the actor became the logistic of the election. While Rouhani knows well that the Guardian Council is a tool of Khameneis control, and this is Khamenei who has decided this, he criticized the Guardian Council and the Expediency Council, saying: This is not possible that the law and the regulations that the government has adopted and passed to the parliament as a bill remain between the ground and the sky, and then our relationship with the world is disrupted? Is it possible that our banking relationship with the world is severed and disrupted? Who is deciding in this country? Of course, Rouhani knows well who decides in this country. But because he cannot speak frankly, he is forced in such a way as to repay all the wrongdoing and lies he has given to the nation in the face of the rival faction. The rival faction was not idle either, and with the pretext that foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif had spoken about negotiations in an interview with Der Spiegel, they staged a demonstration in front of the Foreign minister for the first time, attacking Zarif, and stating what country are you the foreign Minister? The fact is that the helpless mullahs regime is sweeping in crises and there is no way out. Khamenei has also clearly found that there is no other way than the contraction of the regime and has decided to keep the internal atmosphere of the country tighter and tighter, perhaps by passing through the Trump era, by unifying the parliament, and by shortening the rival factions hands on the drums of negotiations, in the hope that in the next round, Trump would not be elected and the doors would be open again for him. This is the characteristic of all dictators who are neither able to grasp the reality of society nor are content to reduce their power a little. On the contrary, they always try to control everything, even minor things. The fate of former presidents is a testament to this. When Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who had himself brought Khamenei to the helm of the regime, demanded that a change in the power of the supreme leader and even a discussion over a supreme council, Khamenei did something to him that by the next election he came in 30th place. Mohammad Khatami, who entered the scene with talk of a dialogue among civilizations and took steps in the first round to bring the regime closer to the US and Europe, spoke of the paradox of the system when caught up in the bonds of factional feuding. And then he was driven out on charges of sedition. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was also Khameneis most beloved president and the most obedient stooge, in the second round of his presidency threatened Khamenei and his system that he would reveal their secrets, and finally, he huffed and went to his village in Garmsar. And after he presidency, Khamenei took revenge and arrested his deputy. Rouhanis situation is much worse than previous presidents. Because while he is still at work, Hassan Abbasi, a former IRGC officer, threatened him and said, wait until the end of your tenure and we will have you and all your associates in the corner of the prison. Apart from the dictatorial tendencies and their aspirations to globalize their revolution, the reality is that today the situation has changed at the base, and any movement by any part of the regime will no longer be to the benefit of the regime, and the winner will be the people. The most important parameter that has changed is the policy appeasement with this regime, and the flames of the uprising that are lit up, which at every opportunity, flare and challenge the integrity of the regime. The so-called reformists in the regime have passed their exam many times and have been rejected by the public every time. For the people of Iran, there is no longer any difference between the factions in this regime. And when it comes to their benefits, all the factions in this regime showed how brutal they can be, like the killing of 1500 in the November protests. Everything else running in this regime is just about who can get, plunder and loot more from the people and Irans national treasures. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday that the state government was positive about waiving farm loans above the limit of Rs 2 lakh. The loan waiver scheme announced by the Shiv Sena- NCP-Congress government after coming to power last year has a cap of Rs 2 lakh. "The government has given loan waiver to farmers whose dues were less than Rs 2 lakh. We are thinking positively about waiver for the farmers whose debts exceed Rs 2 lakh," Pawar said, speaking at a press conference. "Regular repayment of farm loans will also be encouraged," said Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio. The government has decided to fill up 60,000-70,000 vacancies in the Water Resources, Revenue and Public Health departments and some 8,000 posts in the police force, he informed. The NCP leader accused former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of doing injustice to other districts of the state, alleging that an additional Rs 237 crore were allotted to Nagpur during the BJP regime. Nagpur is Fadnavis's constituency. "For this, the funds meant for other districts were slashed," Pawar claimed. Later, at a meeting chaired by Pawar at the collector's office, a Rs 1,580-crore draft plan under the General District Annual Scheme was sanctioned for the Nashik division. The funds for the plan have been increased by Rs 332. 18 crore for 2020-21. Under the plan, Rs 425 crore are allotted for Nashik district, Rs 190 crore for Dhule, Rs 375 crore for Jalgaon, Rs 115 crore for Nandurbar and Rs 475 crore for Ahmednagar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Real Housewives of OC's David Beador popped the question to his girlfriend Lesley Cook and she said yes. Lesley took to Instagram to show off her massive new diamond engagement ring and share the happy news on Thursday. In November, David's estranged ex, Shannon Beador, called the couple 'trashy' for posting bizarre nude photos of themselves during a hike on social media. Getting remarried: Shannon Beador's ex husband David proposed to girlfriend Lesley with huge ring on Thursday in Miami David Beador is set to tie the knot again just a few years after their messy divorce which ended in a million dollar payout for Shannon. 'Today I Said YES to the man of my dreams,' Lesley wrote on her Instagram story. 'You complete me!' David appears to have asked his girlfriend to marry him while on a visit to the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach. The couple is smiling broadly in the photo while Lesley flashes an enormous diamond surrounded by a diamond encrusted band Happy couple: Lesley shared photos on social media announcing their engagement nearly three years after David and Shannon's acrimonious split 'Looking forward to eternity with my love,' she wrote in a caption to the post. 'I LOVE YOU LOVE!!!' David and Lesley have been dating since 2017 after he separated from wife Shannon following nearly 20 years of marriage. Their split was acrimonious and during the most recent RHOC reunion, Shannon didn't hold back when she was asked about nude photos that her daughters' future stepmom had shared online. 'The nude hiking photos are something that you would never see me in,' she said backstage. 'Personally I think it's trashy but to each his own, David can do whatever he wants.' Shannon Beadors ex-husband David and his new girlfriend Lesley Cook bare it all and post the photos on social media! See the uncensored photos on our Instagram! #rhoc #realhousewives #davidbeador #bravo #thirsty pic.twitter.com/FHuapyaU7x AllAboutTRH (@AllAboutTRH) November 5, 2019 Bizarre photos: Shannon called Lesley 'trashy' last year for sharing nude photos of herself with David hiking and said that her three daughters were 'horrified' (Pictured L-R Shannon Beador, Adeline Beador, Stella Beador, Sophie Beador and David Beador in 2017) Shannon said at BravoCon that her girls were 'horrified' when they saw the nude images of their dad and his girlfriend. They share daughter Sophie, 18, and twins Stella and Adeline, 14. Adding: 'My kids all saw it at school.' Shannon and David's messy divorce lasted two years and, in 2019, Shannon was awarded a staggering $1.4 million from David as well as $10,000 per month in support payments in their settlement. Custody of their three daughters was split and The Blast reported that the former couple agreed not to move out of their home area of Orange County with the children. Messy divorce: Shannon and David's divorce lasted two years and in 2019, Shannon was awarded a staggering $1.4 million from David as well as $10,000 per month in support payments in their settlement Shannon joined the Real Housewives of Orange County back in season nine and is remaining a cast member in the midst of a major shakeup. Two of the biggest stars of the franchise, Vicki Gunvalson and Tamra Judge, recently quit. Last weekend Vicki, an original cast member, announced that she was indeed leaving RHOC after 14 years. And then, Tamra revealed that she too she was leaving after 12 years. Tamra reportedly stepped down after Bravo offered her a 'humiliating' pay cut from $900,000 a season to $20,000 for three episodes in a 'transitional role' On screen: Shannon joined the Real Housewives of Orange County back in season nine and is remaining a cast member in the midst of a major shakeup after both Vicki and Tamra announced they were leaving over the weekend Talking to Vicki, Shannon Beador shared: 'You will always be my tres amigas sister. The show may be over, but our friendship will always continue on. Will miss seeing your hospital visits, taking tequila shots, driving gold carts into restaurants, flipping kayaks, and basically just whooping it up! Love you!' For Tamra, Shannon wrote: 'You will always be my ride or die, soul sister and friend for life. Love you !' Andy Cohen spoke out following the announcements and was amenable to the idea of Tamra coming back. During Tuesdays council meeting, there were two occasions that should have grabbed the attention of anyone who follows city government. The first had to do with a couple of contracts for services provided on the land at Sprayberry Farms near the water treatment plant. Its treatment of wastewater starts with primary treatment at the wastewater plant and then sends it to lagoons at the plant farm and Sprayberry Farms, according to the city. The wastewater is then naturally treated as it works its way through the lagoons. The water is then used as irrigation for non-consumable crops like alfalfa, hay and cotton. The final treatment of the wastewater is when those plants are harvested. Since the city does not have the systems in place to do the farming, it hires the farming portion of the treatment cycle out. The total amount of money expected to be spent on the two contracts was close to $400,000. It wasnt even one-tenth of the largest approved expenditure on the agenda. If you have been to enough meetings, the expectation was that someone brought up the items to hear details or perhaps ask about the bidding process and then the meeting would move on. But that wasnt what Lori Blong had in mind. The District 4 representative said she believed the new members of the council needed to know more about the process at Sprayberry and called for the items to be deferred until the new members were brought up to speed. Later in the meeting, the council took a second opportunity to hit the reset button. Members were selecting people to fill spots on board and commissions when it was noted that an applicant for the Parks commission hadnt submitted an application but was being nominated by a council member. Again, this wasnt the most extraordinary situation, and it was hard to see the nomination go sideways, but this council wanted to do it by the book. Before even one of the older, more veteran members of the council realized what happened, city leaders had not only deferred any appointments but called for more attention to be given to the nomination process. Whoa. The transition from one council to another had just taken place before my very eyes. I think it was (transitional moment), Blong said. And I think there are several of us new council members who are ready to pump the brakes on the way that things have always been done. And lets evaluate if we want to continue doing everything the way its been done. Or if we need to look at new solutions and new approaches to different issues. Blong joins Mayor Patrick Payton and District 3 Councilman Jack Ladd Jr. as those elected on Nov. 5. They will be joined in the next few weeks by the newest member, John Norman, who ran away with the District 2 special election on Tuesday. I think youve got newly elected members of the council who arent taking things for granted, Payton said after the meeting. Theyre studying their (agenda) packets. Theyre trying to ask questions. Theyre representing the people that voted them into office, and were having conversations throughout the week. Im having conversations with council members throughout the week. Were calling city managers and saying, Can we sit down and have a conversation about this and other items. Theyre not taking it for granted. And theyre slowing the pace down to make sure we get the answers and to satisfy our constituents, Payton said. And I dont think it has anything to do with being behind. I think it has everything to do with being informed and making sure were taking care of the fiduciary responsibility that we have. These new council members are fresh off the campaign trail. They are the ones who just completed hundreds of conversations with Midland residents about what they want from government. They had the opportunity to observe the previous council, making mental notes about what they liked and what could be done better. In the time I have covered government, there have been countless candidates who talked the big talk about transparency and what should be done. At the same time, I can count on one hand the number of times that a representative backed up calls from the campaign with action once elected. We saw that this week. Did the actions of the council this week put some type of black mark on the previous council? No. The previous board was experienced and had its way of going about the citys business. But Blong, Payton, Ladd and Norman didnt run just to be the same type of leaders, and it took less than one month to see their talk result in action. And the change was for all to see. The Ministry of Health says, it is unable to confirm or deny the validity of three cases sai SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. A man is facing charges after he threatened to kill a security officer at Mercy Medical Center, according to the Shasta County District Attorneys Office. A Shasta County jury found Peter John Arendas guilty of criminal threats on Thursday. The charges come from an incident where Arendas was asked to leave Mercy Medical Center because of his disruptive behavior in the lobby on May 13, 2019. As security escorted him off of the property, Arendas threatened to kill one of the security guards, the DA said. He also told the security officer that he had a knife, took out the knife, and again threatened the officer. The case was set for sentencing on Feb. 24. At sentencing, Arendas faces up to three years in state prison. Gavin & Stacey's Rob Brydon shut down rumours of any further episodes of the show during his red carpet appearance at the National Television Awards on Tuesday. The actor, 54, revealed that there are 'no plans whatsoever' to write any more material for the hit BBC, despite mounting pressures from fans. Rob, who stars as Uncle Bryn in the comedy, confessed that he would rather leave the show as it is 'on a high' with the fans wanting more from them. Heartbreaking: Gavin & Stacey's Rob Brydon shut down rumours of any further episodes of the show during a red carpet appearance at the National Television Awards on Tuesday The star told Heat magazine: 'There are no plans whatsoever and personally I would say leave it where it is, with people wanting more. 'It's always my instinct and I said that before this special and I was very surprised then to see that they had written it. 'Everyone is saying "you must want to do more" but I'd much rather leave it on a high and it's really hard to come back after 10 years and to make something as popular as it has been because you can get it wrong. Shut down: The actor, 54, revealed that there are 'no plans whatsoever' to write any more material for the hit BBC , despite mounting pressures from fans The Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special become the most-watched scripted show of the decade after viewing figures soared to 17.1 million. A quarter of the U.K's population have now watched the one-off revival of the hit noughties BBC sitcom, with 11.6 million viewers tuning in on Christmas Day alone. A further 5.5 million people watched the special episode on iPlayer, as fans celebrated the festive return of Smithy and Gavin after nearly 10 years off-screen. The festive special ended with a shock cliffhanger which saw Nessa (played by Ruth) propose to Smithy (James). The unexpected ending caused avid fans to demand more episodes as they were desperate to know what was occurring next, however following Rob's comments this seems unlikely. It comes after Mathew Horne defended the use of the uncensored Fairytale of New York track in the Christmas special, despite reportedly receiving nearly 900 complaints for the song's homophobic slur. During an interview at the NTAs - where the cast received the Impact Award for their festive show - the screen star, 41, insisted singing the rendition of The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's tune 'felt appropriate'. Gavin Shipman actor Mathew threw his support behind show co-writers Ruth Jones and James Corden's script, which featured the word 'f****t', as he explained: 'We felt it was appropriate to use it at Christmas time which is what the song was written for you know.' Breaking silence: Mathew Horne defended the use of the uncensored Fairytale of New York track in Gavin and Stacey's Christmas special (pictured in April 2019) The controversial scene showed Bryn West and Nessa Jenkins - played by Rob Brydon and Ruth - belting the famous 1987 track, which contains the line: 'You s*****g, you maggot, you cheap lousy f****t'. Sharing his thoughts on the backlash, Mathew told Daily Star: 'Yeah, there was [anger]. I wasn't really party to that as I don't really read the news but it is a popular song that has been used for decades.' In response to the complaints, the BBC insisted there was 'no intention to offend viewers', and claimed the word was not linked to homosexuality when the song was written over 30 years ago. Controversial: The scene showed Bryn West and Nessa Jenkins - played by Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones - belting the festive tune by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, which features the word 'f****t' Impressive: The cast received the Impact Award for their festive show during Tuesday's National Television Awards (pictured L-R with Joanna Page, Alison Steadman, Ruth, Laura Aikman, Rob and Robert Wilfort A statement from the broadcaster read: 'Fairytale of New York is a well-established, much-loved Christmas song which tells the story of a troubled couple in 1940s New York. 'The descent of their relationship is reflected in the increasingly abusive and offensive terms they use to address each other; insults which are intended to reflect the language that such characters might have used in that era. 'The origin of the word includes a definition which describes it as a contemptuous and antiquated word for laziness, and the author of the song has cited this inference behind his inclusion of that line. Candid: At the ceremony, he said: 'We felt it was appropriate to use it at Christmas time which is what the song was written for you know' 'While the word "f****t" is now widely acknowledged as having the potential to offend, the song never suggests or implies that this is, or was ever, an appropriate way to address another person, nor does it link it to homosexuality.' The Bad Education actor's co-star Joanna Page - who plays his on-screen wife Stacey - has also spoken out about the moment, insisting she didn't pay much attention to the furore. She told the publication: 'It wasn't something I was annoyed about. Everyone has a right to their own opinion. They can watch something and they have their own right so I mean, it's up everybody what they think and feel.' Watch Gavin and Stacey on Netflix, or on Stan in Australia. Bangkok Post newspaper quoted the DNP Deputy Director-General Chongklai Voraphongston as saying that the departments scientists will monitor all caves with bats in national parks. A patient infected with the novel coronavirus quarantined in a hospital in Thailand (Photo: Reuters) The study will be joined by well-known Thai researcher, Supaporn Watcharaprueksadee, Deputy-Director at the Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases of Thailand of Chulalongkorn University. Earlier, a group of experts detected a coronavirus strain in Horseshoe bats in Thailand. Supaporn and scientists plan to research 23 new virus strains found in national parks across the country. Chongklai, however, played down the health risks associated with bats in caves, saying that tourists come just to watch the bats, not consume them for food, and that minimises the risk. The DNP will also keep an eye on the health of Chinese tourists who visit the caves, he added. Bats are classified as protected wildlife under Thai law and there is a ban on hunting them. Yet, bats have been illegally exported to China to be eaten as delicacies and their dung has also been used locally to make fertiliser. Thailands central province of Ratchaburi has the highest number of bats with millions inhabiting caves. Scientists suspect that the Wuhan coronavirus spread from bats to snakes and, eventually, to humans. Outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in the past were also thought to have been spread by bats./. One woman spent the previous night riding trains. A man slept in the hallway of a building. Another slept in a public park. When surveyed Wednesday on the streets of Jersey City, Hudson Countys homeless population answered the question, Where did you spend last night? It was one of several questions from New Jerseys 2020 Point-In-Time Count, an annual survey that aims to count every homeless person in the state. As the sun set Wednesday evening, volunteers and nonprofit workers fanned out across Jersey City and beyond with the goal of questioning every homeless person in the county. It allows us to better target resources and be more effective, said Casey Congero, an associate with the Ending Homelessness Team at Monarch Housing Associates, the organization that has coordinated the count for seven years. We can track, year to year, the progress being made. The survey, which is mandated nationally by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, collects demographic data and asks respondents questions about their lives, such as What was your residence prior to your current living situation? and What was the primary factor that contributed to or caused your current living situation? The data is especially important because 2020 is a census year, Congero said. Census takers can use information from the Point-In-Time Count to better locate and engage with the homeless, she said. Outreach workers (can) get an idea of where people are staying, who is out there on the streets, she said. Data from recent Point-In-Time counts shows the number of homeless hasnt changed much over the past five years. Last year, the survey recorded 890 homeless people, a slight increase from 2018s count of 860. But the rapid development in Hudson County is making life increasingly difficult for the homeless population, said Pamela Baker, who runs Hudson Countys Integrated Service Center, a nonprofit that provides support for the homeless and organized the areas Point-In-Time Count. The building thats been going on around here definitely has had an impact on our population, she said. The rents are sky-high. I mean, you cant touch anything around here. Its like 1,300 bucks for a one-bedroom. The development in the area has also cut down on the number of vacant properties in the city, Baker said. While they can draw the ire of neighbors and city officials, vacant buildings often provide shelter for people experiencing homelessness, she said, and their destruction has pushed people out onto the streets. (Youd) go into a few different abandoned spots and youd definitely find people, she said. Those spots dont exist like they used to. Most of Wednesdays counting had occurred earlier in the day at shelters throughout the city. Wednesday night, Integrated Service Center employees left the nonprofits Claremont Avenue office in a van to count the rest, greeting people by name and waving out of the windows. Everyone who completed a survey got a free Ziploc bag filled with toiletries, socks, and information about shelters and homeless services. Jacqueline Clinton, one of the surveyors who said shed been doing the count for 12 years, bid farewell to respondents with a Enjoy your day, baby. On the streets, people recounted the difficulty of their situations. One had been kicked out by a partner. Another lost their home when a grandparent died. Another worked odd jobs and slept in hallways. One had been homeless for five months; another, six years. Not knowing at night where to go to sleep, where to lie down, said one man surveyed who preferred to remain anonymous. These things I have to constantly think about." Baker said she hoped the information provided by the survey would dispel "the misconception that people are just homeless because they want to be homeless. Most people, she said, have no conception of what people actually have been through to get to that place. The more attention that gets, the more understanding there is, she added. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future published a research report high throughput screening instrument market size Research Report Global Forecast till 2025 Market Overview, Segmentation, Progress, Regional analysis, key Trends, Major Players and Forecast to 2025. Global Wearable Sensors Market is likely to value of USD 13,460 million with a CAGR of 7.5% during the forecast period Competitive Landscape: Better integration of diverse plans in the global high throughput screening market and introduction of several strategic moves that encompasses mergers, acquisitions, tie-ups, and others are expected to inspire growth. Companies impacting the growth in the market are Danaher (US), Aurora Biomed Inc. (Canada), Tecan (Switzerland), PerkinElmer (US), Axxam (Italy), Hamilton (US), Corning (US), Merck Group (Germany), Beckman Coulter, Inc. (US), BioTek (US), Luminex Corporation (US), Agilent Technologies Inc. (US), and Roche (Switzerland). Overview High-throughput screening (HTS) can be defined as a method that includes scientific experimentation needed for various drug discovery and deciding typical moves in the the fields of biology and chemistry. The procedure includes data processing/control software, liquid handling devices, robotics, and sensitive detectors. This allows the system to get into the procedure of conducting tests for millions of chemical, genetic, or pharmacological processes. The process has evolved as necessary to find active compounds, antibodies, or genes that can cover various biomolecular pathway. This process assists in the designing of various market process. The high throughput screening (hts) market is getting traction from high technological advancements in HTS and hike in expenditure for research and development. The government funding for the procedure is also providing better scope for growth. Segmental Analysis The global market for high throughput screening, by product & service, can be segmented into instruments, reagents & assay kits, consumables & accessories, and software and services. The reagents & assay kits segment can find growth with increasing demand from the diagnostic segment. By technology, the global market report on high throughput screening can be segmented into cell-based assays, Bioinformatics, 3D cell culture, 2D cell culture, perfusion cell culture, 3D cell culture, Ultra-high-throughput Screening, lab-on-a-chip (LOC), and Label-free Technology. The 3D cell culture segment includes scaffold-based technologies and scaffold-free technologies. The scaffold-based segment comprises hydrogels, inert matrix, and micropatterned surfaces. The scaffold-free technologies segment consists ultra-low binding plates, hanging-drop plates, microplate, and other scaffold-free technologies. By application, the global market for high throughput screening includes primary and secondary screening, toxicology assessment, target identification & validation, and others. The application segment is showing signs of fastest CAGR owing to its inclusion in the research and development sector. By end user, the global market for high throughput screening can be segmented into contract research organizations, academic & government institutes, pharmaceutical & biotechnology companies, and others. Global High Throughput Screening Market Research Report- https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/high-throughput-screening-market-1280 In October 2019, researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute revealed that they have developed a machine-learning algorithm that would assist in the high throughput screening of epigenetic drugs. Related News Blood Glucose Monitoring Market Global Forecast till 2023 About Market Research Future: MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. Contact: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says it is now seeing positive signals in the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun. ... The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says it is now seeing positive signals in the Western Nigeria Security Network code-named Amotekun.The group had accused governors of the south-west of recruiting only Christians into Amotekun which it had described as a militia.MURIC also demanded rebranding of the initiative, saying Amotekun has its origin in the Bible.The comment had sparked criticism, with a group known as Coalition of Progressive Yoruba Islamic Groups (COPYIG) describing Ishaq Akintola, MURIC director, as a big threat to southern Nigeria.But in a statement on Thursday, Akintola said Muslims can now seek recruitment into Amotekun as the group had found out that Muslims are among the management team.There are positive signals emerging from the Amotekun camp. We have seen that the initial haste to form a regional security unit has been reduced. They are sitting down to map out strategies, the statement read.At the same time, they are putting together a legal framework to legalise the initiative. These are good steps and they were part of the areas of our initial concern.Among the positive signals reaching us from the Amotekun camp is the unofficial but reliable information that there are Muslims among the 7-man management team in one of the south-west states. The government of the state of Osun has also declared that the operation is not designed to sideline Muslims. These revelations have informed our current stand on the issue.What we need to stress is the need for the exercise to be fair, transparent and devoid of religious bias and ethnic witch-hunting. Muslims will join the security network once there is assurance of fairness and transparency. We therefore call on Muslim youths in the region to start warming up for the recruitment exercise. They should collect forms, fill, submit and wait for further instructions. However, we demand transparency in the recruitment exercise. This can best be done by publishing lists of all fresh recruitment from time to time.Besides, joining the outfit will enhance economic empowerment. We therefore urge Muslims in the region not to boycott the security outfit. Muslims should not allow other groups to monopolise it. PLAYA VISTA, CA - January 31, 2020 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) American Premium Water Corporation (OTC: HIPH) recently reported that Canyon Create Corp, the manufacturer of Vanexxe, has entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Nutra Pty. Ltd. (Nutra), an Australian corporation with extensive reach in distribution of personal products, to engage in the licensed production and sale of Vanexxe throughout Australia and Southeast Asia. The Company has an equitable interest in Canyon Create Corp. American Premium Water Corporation CEO Ryan Fishoff commented, "This is an exciting day for Vanexxe! Not only is this ground breaking product expanding to Australia, its also being evaluated by the TGA to be classified for therapeutic use. If approval is given, it will greatly expand the number of channels that can sell the product. It will also offer further validation of the product and its efficacy. The LOI with Nutra Pty falls in line with our focus on international expansion, and has been in the works for some time, as the Company stated back in July that it was in discussions with distributors across the Pacific Rim. Establishing a foothold in the Pacific has been a stated goal of the Company's. As we move into 2020, we will continue to focus on expanding into this region. I look forward to updating shareholders when the Nutra Pty LOI is completed and the Company's other activities in the area." The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the regulatory body for therapeutic goods (including medicines, medical devices, gene technology, and blood products) in Australia. The LOI with Nutra stipulates that they would be responsible for the manufacturing and distribution of Vanexxe in Australia and surrounding regions in Southeast Asia. Nutra will also take the lead in shepherding the product through the approval process of the TGA. Australia is one of the world's largest economies, having the 14th largest GDP globally. Canyon Create Founder and President, Campbell McAuley, said: "This is the most encouraging news to date that we will be able to have our products marketed extensively in Australia and in the Southeast Asian region based on this anticipated approval by the TGA. We are confident that Nutra is an excellent manufacturing partner that will be able to meet our expectations, resulting in what we project will be the production and sale of hundreds of thousands of units of Vanexxe, as well as our other skin care topical brands." LALPINA CBD water can be purchased online at visiting https://www.singleseed.com/product/lalpina-cbd-water-6-pack/ LYNKS Pet CBD Water can be purchased online: https://www.singleseed.com/product/lynks-cbd-pet-water-6-pack/ Vanexxe can be purchased on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Vanexxe-Varicose-Vein-Treatment-appearance/dp/B07R634ZPZ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Vanexxe&qid=1573792143&sr=8-1 Vanexxe Varicose Vein Treatment - vein support for varicose veins and to help reduce the appearance of varicose veins Price: $49.99 ($25.00 / Fl Oz) VISIBLE RESULTS IN 45 minutes - 2 hours THANKS TO THESE ALL NATURAL INGREDIENTS Ginko Biloba, Activated B Vitamins, Antioxidants, and Peptides We pride ourselves on lab-tested, pesticide, metal, toxin, and cruelty free products. All of our product ingredients are ethically formulated in FDA approved laboratories and CGMP compliant facilities. We insure performance-based ethical products with the collaboration of industry leading dermatologists, clinicians, aroma therapists, skincare specialists and beauty experts. The Company's research report was recently updated by Ludlow Research with a short-term price target of $0.03. To read full report, risks, and disclosures, click here About American Premium Water Corp. American Premium Water (HIPH) is a diversified luxury consumer products company focused on businesses in the health and beauty and biotech sectors. The company is focused on harnessing the powers of Nano technologies paired without cannabidiol (CBD) to treat health disorders and enhance quality of life. The company's portfolio includes the LALPINA Hydro and LALPINA CBD brands (www.lalpinahydrocbd.com), Gents (www.gentsco.com), Vanexxe (www.vanexxe.com) and plant + body essentials (www.plantbodyessentials.com). American Premium Water strives in providing only the highest quality CBD sources for its products, with quality control being one of our first and foremost focuses. The Company aims for this standard not only for compliance reasons, but also to provide our customers the highest quality product possible. About Canyon Create Corp. Canyon Create Corp., a Nevada Corporation, is the developer of Vanexxe (www.vanexxe.com), a patented cosmetic cream that uses a proprietary formulation to eliminate the appearance of varicose veins. The product works by simultaneously bringing heightened blood flow to the bulged vein valve, allowing it to pull away from the dermis and return to a more normal condition, and increases the elasticity in the upper skin layers to provide healthier skin, assisting in moving the vein back to a non-visible location. Safe Harbor Notice Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). American Premium Water Corporation cautions that statements made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. American Premium Water Corporation undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. Additional details of the Company's business can be found in its public disclosures as a reporting issuer under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC") EDGAR database. This press release is issued on behalf of the Board of Directors of American Premium Water Corporation. Investor Relations 888-983-0054 info@americanpremiumwater.com The global varicose vein treatment market was valued at $376.64 million in 2017, and is expected to reach $589.06 million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2018 to 2025.- Allied Market Research News - Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. 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Disclosure : this news release HIPH is a paid for news release on Investorideas.com More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Learn more about publishing your news release and our other news services on the Investorideas.com newswire https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ and tickertagstocknews.com Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp About Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/About/ Sign up for free stock news alerts at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/Resources/Newsletter.asp Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano, Ardila Syakriah, Eisya A. Eloksari and Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 07:33 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d01d2 1 World Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-lockdown,wuhan,China,coronavirus,Jokowi,evacuation Free Indonesia is gearing up to evacuate its citizens from China's Hubei province the epicenter of a novel coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 170 people as Beijing says it is ready to facilitate the move. Officials have provided no specific timeline but said all preparations were ready for when the time came. President Joko Jokowi Widodo ordered the repatriation of Indonesians from the province after meeting several of his ministers, including Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi. The President has instructed [us] to immediately evacuate Indonesian citizens from Hubei province, Retno said after the meeting. Retno earlier said Indonesia was carrying out intense and detailed coordination with Chinese authorities so that the Indonesians could be brought home amid a lockdown in Wuhan the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 170 people and the surrounding Hubei province. We have coordinated [with China], and they are willing to facilitate the evacuation," she said. At least 243 Indonesians are trapped in Hubei, but the government suspects that the number is higher, as many are believed not to have reported their whereabouts. The government says it is finalizing plans to move its nationals from seven locations in Hubei to a pick-up point at Wuhan airport. A team from the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing is currently in a nearby area to help execute the operation. The embassy is also updating its data on Indonesian citizens in the province, and the government will conduct the evacuation as soon as officials have a complete list of expected evacuees, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah. Among the prospective evacuees are 12 students enrolled in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), who have been told by the embassy to get ready for evacuation, joining other Indonesians in Hubei. "We hope the evacuation and cooperation by the Indonesian Embassy in China, the Foreign Ministry, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency and the Indonesian Air Force goes well," Khoirul Umam Hasbiy, the head of the Indonesian Students Association in China (PPIT) branch at the university, said in a statement. "We have been asked to prepare our passports, parental permission slips and other documents," he said, adding that he did not know when exactly he and other Indonesians would be airlifted from Hubei. Retno said she was in close contact with her counterpart in Canberra as Australia also planned to evacuate its citizens from Hubei. The Indonesian mission in China is also in touch with the United States and Japan the first two countries to fly their citizens out of Hubei. "We need to learn from each other about how to evacuate our citizens as soon as possible," Retno said, adding that evacuations were not simple and that the government needed to look into the distribution of Indonesians of Hubei and how to transport them amid the lockdown. The Air Force is keeping three aircraft and health personnel on standby to fly the Indonesians out of Hubei once the government gives the green light for the operation. The government has designated Sulianto Saroso Infection Hospital in Sunter, North Jakarta, as a quarantine facility to observe the inbound citizens once they arrive in Indonesia. Retno said any measures to handle the evacuees upon their arrival including possible quarantine were are in the hands of the Health Ministry and other relevant authorities. The Indonesian students at HUST, according to Khoirul, were in a dilemma as they faced the prospect of being quarantined after the evacuation, but he and his colleagues were trying to think positively and thought quarantine in Indonesia was a better option than staying in their dorms in Hubei, especially as one of their Pakistani friends living under the same roof was believed to have contracted the virus. The Foreign Ministry previously said Indonesia had two options: moving its citizens from Hubei to safer areas within China or bringing them back and quarantining them at home. Retno said Jakarta was also coordinating with the Indonesian students to ensure they were able to afford basic necessities amid price increases, adding: The supplies will be enough for at least the next seven days. China reported its biggest single-day jump in novel coronavirus deaths on Thursday, while confirmation that three Japanese citizens evacuated from the outbreak's epicenter were infected deepened fears about a global contagion, AFP reported. The number of confirmed infections in China had grown steadily to 7,711, the National Health Commission said. Another 81,000 people were under observation for possible infection. The World Health Organization which initially played down the severity of the disease has urged all governments to be "on alert" as it weighs whether to declare a global health emergency , which could lead to travel or trade restrictions. (ami) MEDFORD, Ore. Medford police say a 'long time drug dealer' is facing federal charges. Police say Osbaldo Silva is well known to Medford Area Drug & Gang Enforcement (MADGE) investigators. They say over the years, he has been the subject of numerous investigations into the sale of heroin and methamphetamine, some of which resulted in criminal convictions. Silva is in custody after he was arrested on December 31st, 2019, when MADGE investigators say they found out he has several firearms. Police say, undercover detectives purchased the guns from Silva, and then arrested him. Medford police say they also arrested Samantha Williams in connection to this case. They say she is facing state charges of Hindering Prosecution and Tampering with Evidence, after she interfered with their drug investigations. Police say, "Silva was unique in that he sold drugs but did not use them. As a result, he was easily able to complete drug treatment programs as part of prior sentencing." They add that Silva is also part of a large scale Drug Trafficking operation in Southern California. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arent even in the U.K. at the moment but their names are still on the minds, and lips, of many people there including Meghans old friend-turned-foe. On Jan. 8, 2020, the duke and duchess announced via Instagram that they were stepping down as senior royals. Many saw this coming as the pair had previously opened up about their struggles dealing with the intense media scrutiny from the British press. But even now that Harry and Meghan are staying across the pond, the duchess is still being called out by morning talk show anchor Piers Morgan, who just dragged Kim Kardashians name into it. (L): Piers Morgan | FOX via Getty Images, (R): Meghan Markle, | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images Morgan slams Meghan again, calls her a mini Kim Kardashian The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hoped to get away from all the press coverage about them by retreating to Canada. But Morgan isnt letting things go that easily and has taken the opportunity to slam the pairs decision on his show. And not surprisingly, hes taken jabs at Harrys wife again too. Meghan and Harry have demanded and will get a license to commercialize their royal status, Morgan said, before asking his co-anchor, Why do you think Meghan Markle will make hundreds of millions of dollars like a Kardashian? If she tried that game before she would have made very little money. The TV host continued, Lets just say her track record in this area isnt great, with anybody. Her entire family, boom. Her dad, boom. Ex-husband, boom. All her old friends, boom. On Jan. 29, Morgan again expressed his ill feelings about the duchess in a special titled, Harry & Meghan: The Royals in Crisis. If Meghan Markle thinks shes going to emerge from this as some kind of Princess Diana figure, she needs to think again, Morgan remarked. Shes going to end up like a mini royal Kim Kardashian, with all the ignominy that goes with that title. Why he really has such a grudge against the duchess If you think Morgans repeated attacks on Meghan are just for ratings, its a little more than that since they have a history. Before she and Prince Harry got together, Meghan and Morgan were actually friends and he gave her glowing reviews. According to Morgan, who has told his story a number of times, in 2016 he decided to follow the then-Suits star on Twitter and after that, she sent him a direct message thanking him for doing so. They then began corresponding often and Meghan told him when she was going to be in London so they could meet up. Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images The Good Morning Britain host explained that he invited her to his local pub and the two chatted for more than an hour over beer and dirty martinis. When their night concluded, Morgan recalled Meghan saying had a great time. Love to see you again before getting into a cab. He claimed that cab took the actress to a party where Prince Harry was and the very next night she had her first solo date with the royal. After that, Morgan never heard from his friend again. The journalist has admitted that Markle ghosted him and he doesnt like people who behave like that. Its kind of rude. Read more: Will Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Problems With the Press Be Solved Now That They Are No Longer Senior Royals? TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trigon Metals Inc. (TSX-V: TM) (Trigon or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the investment and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) process with Shandong Xinhai Mining Technology & Equipment Inc. (Xinhai). As announced on March 7, 2019, Trigon has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Xinhai pursuant to which Xinhai has agreed to invest in Trigon, in exchange for the right to be appointed as the EPC contractor for the open pit mining operations at Trigons Kombat project in northern Namibia (Kombat or the Project). Xinhai has agreed to invest up to 10% of the capital requirements of the Project by way of providing services in exchange for equity in Trigon and will further assist Trigon in securing up to an additional 80% of the capital requirements of the Project by way of debt financing through Chinese export credit facilities (the Proposed Transaction). Xinhai has now completed an independent technical study on Kombat covering both mining and the upgrade of Kombats mineral processing plant (the Xinhai Study), which has been presented to a Chinese export credit agency. The agency will further present the opportunity to potential lenders for debt financing. The finalization by Xinhai of the Xinhai Study and its distribution to potential lenders is an important milestone in Trigons process to fund the restart of production at Kombat and will facilitate the raising of additional capital required. Trigon continues to focus on raising a combination of both debt and equity in order to establish an optimal capital structure to take the Company forward. The Proposed Transaction remains subject to any further evaluation required by Xinhai of the Project, the entering into of definitive agreements on terms and conditions satisfactory to both parties, obtaining of the necessary regulatory approvals and the approval of the boards of directors of both parties, as required. Jed Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Trigon, commented: This milestone in Xinhais process is a critical step for Trigon in terms of our restart strategy for Kombat. Our partnership with Xinhai goes from strength to strength and we continue to grow our relationship as we advance towards production. Trigon Metals Inc. Trigon is a publicly traded Canadian exploration and development company with its core business focused on copper operations in Namibia, one of the worlds most prospective copper regions, where it has substantial assets in place. The Company continues to hold an 80% interest in five mining licenses in the Otavi Mountain lands, an area of Namibia widely recognized for its high-grade copper deposits. Within these licenses are three past producing mines including the Companys flagship property, the Kombat Mine. For further information, contact: Jed Richardson +1 416 861 5893 jed.richardson@trigonmetals.com Website: www.trigonmetals.com Cautionary Notes This news release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements include statements regarding the Kombat operations, the Companys strategies and the Companys abilities to execute such strategies, the Companys ability to restart the Kombat operations, the ability to complete the Proposed Transaction, the Companys expectations for the Kombat operations, and the Companys future plans and objectives. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of our interim and most recent annual financial statements or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 23:13:59|Editor: yan Video Player Close KIEV, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- President Volodymyr Zelensky called the United States a key ally of Ukraine on Friday during a visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Zelensky made the remarks during a joint briefing held after talks with Pompeo, the Ukrainian president's press service said on its website. Zelensky noted that Pompeo's visit to Ukraine is a milestone in bilateral relations, which demonstrates the consistent and comprehensive support the United States extends for Ukraine. The Ukrainian president also thanked Pompeo for his firm and unchangeable stance on Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Pompeo spoke about Ukraine's importance, not only as the geographical heart of Europe. "Certainly, this is the country that feeds Europeans, supports the pipes that heat Europe," said Pompeo. Both sides emphasized that coordinated work during the downing of the Ukrainian plane in Iran was a brilliant example of the partnership between the two countries, according to the press service. On Friday, Pompeo also held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, while planing to meet with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zahorodniuk as well as the staff of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. Pompeo arrived in Kiev on Thursday evening. After his visit to Ukraine, he is expected to travel on to Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, according to reports. Families across Hanoi are sending their children to the countryside, disinfecting their homes, and cancelling holidays to counter the coronavirus threat. In the last few days, Nguyen Van Hai and his wife from Tu Liem District have been worried about a Chinese neighbor soon to return to Vietnam after the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. Following newspaper reports on the escalating Wuhan pneumonia epidemic, they plan to leave their 4-year-old and 2-year-old children in northern Hai Duong Province before Hais wife returns to the capital for work. "If the situation gets better, I will bring my children back to Hanoi. Otherwise, even if I have to quit my job, I will not go there," the father said. The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday three Vietnamese have tested positive for the nCoV. One is being treated at Thanh Hoa General Hospital in central Thanh Hoa Province while the others are at National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. As of Thursday afternoon there were five reported cases of infection. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, 31, from Hai Ba Trung District faces a difficult situation knowing nCoV infections have been reported in both Hanoi and Thanh Hoa, her hometown. Before Tet, Ha and her husband planned to bring their children to Hanoi to study after purchasing a new city apartment. However, they cancelled their plans fearing "people from all over the country rushing to Hanoi at the beginning of the year, facilitating the spread of viral infection." On learning the nCoV virus had arrived in Thanh Hoa, Ha said: "Since last night, I have called home several times to tell my parents and children to wear masks, and avoid using public toilets. I told my children to stop holding their friends' hands and stay home after school." Thu Hoai, 35, in Bac Tu Liem District said: "Since childhood, I was taught to clean my hands before eating as well as after going out. But now I have to teach my children the proper 6-step-hand-washing method as instructed by doctors." To combat infection, the family clean their mouths with salt water after waking and before going to bed. Before and after meals, a pot of boiling water is set aside to clean bowls and chopsticks. Besides buying medical masks, Hoai prepares lemon skins, crushed lemongrass and honey for her family to drink, alongside fresh oranges and multivitamins. After 3 years away from Vietnam, the family of Phuong Mai, 47, who runs a cosmetics business in Vietnam and Canada, cancelled their Tet trip to coastal city of Da Nang and Phu Quoc island, instead remaining indoors and avoiding crowded areas. "I had to stay up all night to take care of work. Tet turned out to be more tiring than usual," she said. Instead of visiting her relatives, Mai eventually decided to return to Canada. Trinh Hai Yen's family in My Dinh, Hanoi had to cancel their Tet holiday to China due to the health risk, saying they have avoided crowded places frequented by Lunar New Year devotees. Hoang Ngoc Thuong, 27, from Cau Giay District lives alone and usually dines out following work. However, amid the coronavirus scare, she has opted to cook at home and avoid overcrowded restaurants. Thuong's lunch now includes more beef and green vegetables than usual. "I heard that the virus could attack those with weak immune systems so I have to eat better," the office worker commented. "Last year I worried about water quality and air pollution, now its an viral epidemic. Living with such constant anxiety is too much," Yen said. Kerala cop kicks, beats up passenger for travelling without ticket on train, video goes viral Complete lockdown in Kerala? Here's what Health Minister has to say 2019-nCoV in India: Infected student shifted to Thrissur Medical College due to security reasons India oi-Madhuri Adnal Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31: The girl student who was infected with coronavirus in Kerala has been shifted from Thrissur General Hospital to the isolation ward of Thrissur Medical College due to security reasons. "The patient tested positive for novel coronavirus and is in isolation in a hospital," the Health Ministry said. It added the student is stable and being closely monitored. "The condition of the female medical college student from Wuhan University, who has been tested positive for the virus, is stable and she will remain in the isolation ward of the general hospital. The medical college here is well equipped (to deal with such cases)," the minister said. WHO declares novel coronavirus as global health emergency The medical college in Thrissur has been upgraded with a special isolation ward with full facilities to treat at least 24 patients at a time. Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News At least, 1,053 people are under observation in the state as the Left Democratic Front government scrambled for tackling the emergency. "Of the four students who returned from China, one of them has been tested positive. We have taken all precautionary measures and there was no need to panic," Shailaja had said earlier. Priya Abraham, director of ICMR-NIV in Pune, said 49 samples have been tested till now at the national institute of virology and one sample has tested positive. "The positive sample belongs to a student from Kerala who was studying in Wuhan. Now a next test known as 'next-gen sequencing test' will be done on her sample and the final result will be declared till evening," Abraham said. Explained: How China is building hospital for coronavirus patients so quickly? The virus strain not seen before has spread to at least 17 countries, where authorities have been scrambling to contain the epidemic and evacuate their citizens from the worst-hit Hubei Province in China. India, which is placed by a study at the 23rd place among "high-risk" countries where the virus can spread, has requested China to operate two flights to bring back its nationals from Hubei Province. Authorities have been screening patients at airports, ports and borders for possible coronavirus infection and the Health Ministry has urged people to report themselves if they show symptoms of coronavirus such as cold and respiratory distress on the 24x7 helpline (011-23978046). The ministry has asked people to refrain from travelling to China and the states bordering Nepal - Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim - have stepped up vigil. "Per day a total of 9-10 samples are received at the facility (NIV-Pune) for testing. All facilities and capacity is available for testing of samples and it takes a day to test a sample for coronavirus (nCoV)," Abraham said. Hundreds of people have been quarantined in hospitals, including over 800 in Kerala, and are being monitored by doctors, according to ministry officials. On Wednesday, the only two Indian carriers that fly to China - IndiGo and Air India - announced the suspension of most of their flights to the country, joining other airlines based in Asia, North America and Europe which have restricted operations to the region. Coronavirus confirmed in India: Student who returned from virus-hit Wuhan tests positive in Kerala India has increased the number of airports from seven to 21 where thermal screening of passengers is being done for possible exposure to nCoV. These include airports at Gaya, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Varanasi, Goa, Bhubaneswar and Lucknow. Apart from NIV-Pune, the health ministry has established four more laboratories to test samples at Alleppey, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The health ministry has advised those who have recently travelled to China (within last 14 days) or had possible contact with a nCoV-infected person, to stay at home, in isolation for 14 days after returning and sleep in a separate room. It has advised them to cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing and avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms (maintain a distance of at least 1 meter from any individual). (with PTI inputs) 1.) Martin Sheen, 66 arrests, for public order offences. 2.) Pete Doherty, 26 arrests - three times for a violent crime, three times for robbery or theft, six times for a vehicle crime and 14 times for drug offences. 3.) DMX, 24 arrests - two for robbery or theft, two for fraud, six for vehicle crime, five for drug offences, two for public order offences, one for criminal damage and six others. 4.) Suge Knight, 15 arrests - six for violent crime, two for robbery or theft, two for drug offences and six others. 5.) Bobby Brown, 14 arrests - two for violent crime, one for sexual offences, one for fraud, four for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and five others. 6.) Dennis Rodman, 12 arrests - three for violent crime, four for vehicle crime, three for public order offences and two others. 7.) Tekashi 6ix9ine, 10 arrests - three for violent crime, one for sexual offences, one for robbery or theft, one for fraud, one for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and two others. 8.) Courtney Love, 10 arrests - one for violent crime, one for robbery or theft, three for drug offences, two for public order offences and three others. 9.) Lindsay Lohan, 10 arrests - one for violent crime, one for robbery or theft, four for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and three others. 10.) OJ Simpson, nine arrests - three for violent crimes, three for robbery or theft and three others. 11.) R Kelly, nine arrests - one for violent crime, four for sexual offences, one for fraud, one for public order offences and two others. 12.) Snoop Dogg, nine arrests - one for violent crime, six for drug offences and two others. 13.) 50 Cent, eight arrests - one for violent crime, six for drug offences and one other. 14.) Amanda Bynes, eight arrests - five for vehicle crimes, one for drug offences and two others. 15.) Justin Bieber, eight arrests - two for violent crime, four for vehicle crime, one for public order offences and one other. 16.) Marilyn Manson, eight arrests - two for violent crime, two for sexual offences and four public order offences. 17.) Mike Tyson, eight arrests - three for violent crime, one for sexual offences, one for robbery or theft, one for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and one for public order offences. 18.) Sean Penn, eight arrests - six for violent crime, one for public order offences and one other. 19.) Christian Slater, seven arrests - three for violent crime, one for sexual offences, one for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and one other. 20.) Lil Wayne, seven arrests - five for drug offences and two others. 21.) Michelle Rodriguez, seven arrests - one for violent crime, four for vehicle crime, one for public order offences and one other. 22.) Shia LaBeouf, seven arrests - six for public order offences and one other. 23.) Vanilla Ice, seven arrests - four for violent crime, two for robbery or theft, one for public order offences. 24.) Chris Brown, six arrests - three for violent crime, one for vehicle crime and two others. 25.) Floyd Mayweather Jr, six arrests - four for violent crime, one for robbery or theft and one for public order offences. 26.) Lil Kim, six arrests - one for robbery or theft, one for drug offences and four others. 27.) Conor McGregor, five arrests - two for violent crime, one for robbery or theft and two for criminal damage. 28.) Jane Fonda, five arrests - one for drug offences and four for public order offences. 29.) Mick Jagger, five arrests - one for violent crime, three for drug offences and one for public order offences. 30.) Paris Hilton, five arrests - two for vehicle crime, one for drug offences and two others. 31.) Robert Downey Jr, five arrests - one for vehicle crime, two for drug offences and two others. 32.) T.I., five arrests - three for drug offences and two others. 33.) Winona Ryder, five arrests - three for robbery or theft, one for drug offences and one for public order offences. 34.) ASAP Rocky, four arrests - three for violent crime and one for drug offences. 35.) Bill Gates, four arrests for vehicle crime 36.) Charlie Sheen, four arrests - two for violent crime, one for drug offences and one other. 37.) Danny Trejo, four arrests - one for violent crime, two for robbery or theft and one for drug offences. 38.) Martha Stewart, four arrests - one for fraud and three others. 39.) Ozzy Osbourne, four arrests - one for violent crime, one for robbery and theft and two for public order offences. 40.) Paul McCartney, four arrests for drug offences. 41.) Woody Harrelson, four arrests - one for drug offences, two for public order offences and one other. 42.) Aaron Carter, three arrests - one for vehicle crime and two for drug offences. 43.) Johnny Depp, three arrests - two for violent crime and one for public order offences. 44.) Mel Gibson, three arrests - one for violent crime and two for vehicle crime. 45.) Naomi Campbell, three arrests - two for violent crime and one for public order offences. 46.) Nicole Ritchie, three arrests - two for vehicle crime and one for drug offences. 47.) Oscar Pistorius, three arrests - two for violent crime and one other. 48.) Roman Polanski, three arrests for sexual offences. 49.) Stephanie Pratt, three arrests - one for robbery or theft, one for vehicle crime and one for drug offences. 50.) Wesley Snipes, three arrests - two for fraud and one other. 51.) Blac Chyna, two arrests - one for drug offences and one for public order offences. 52.) Britney Spears, two arrests for vehicle crime. 53.) Bruno Mars, two arrests for drug offences. 54.) Cardi B, two arrests for violent crime. 55.) Eminem, two arrests - one for violent crime and one other. 56.) Hugh Grant, two arrests for sexual offences. 57.) Jay-Z, two arrests - one for violent crime and one other. 58.) Khloe Kardashian, two arrests - one for vehicle crime and one other. 59.) Kiefer Sutherland, two arrests for vehicle crime. 60.) Mark Wahlberg, two arrests for violent crime. 61.) Matthew Broderick, two arrests for vehicle crime. 62.) Matthew McConaughey, two arrests - one for drug offences and one other. 63.) Mickey Rourke, two arrests - one for violent crime and one for vehicle crime. 64.) Tim Allen, two arrests - one for vehicle crime and one for drug offences. 65.) Bill Cosby, one arrest for sexual offences. 66.) Carmen Electra, one arrest for violent crime. 67.) Caroline Flack, one arrest for violent crime. 68.) Cheryl, one arrest for violent crime. 69.) Emile Hirsch, one arrest for violent crime. 70.) Keanu Reeves, one arrest for vehicle crime. 71.) Macaulay Culkin, one arrest for drug offences. 72.) Nicki Minaj, one arrest. 73.) Reese Witherspoon, one arrest for public order offences. 74.) Stephen Fry, one arrest for fraud. 75.) Will Smith, one arrest for violent crime. By ANI LUCKNOW: The wife of a man who was killed for holding children as hostages here at Farrukhabad, died after being brutally thrashed by villagers on Friday, police said. After being beaten up by the locals, the woman was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. However, she succumbed to her injuries. "When we sent her to the hospital, she was injured. She sustained injuries on her head. Her head was bleeding. As police killed her husband (the accused in the case), she tried to flee. As the children were kept hostage by both husband and wife, the villagers, in a fit of rage, pelted stones and bricks at her," Mohit Aggrawal, Inspector General Kanpur, told media. "Postmortem report will clear everything, further details on the cause of death will only come out after the report," the IG said. Earlier in the morning, more than 15 children who were held hostage at a house in Farrukhabad were safely evacuated by police. "The person who was holding the children as hostage has been killed in an operation and all children have been safely evacuated," Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said." Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the Uttar Pradesh Police and its team that successfully carried out the operation. All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," Awasthi said. On Thursday, Farrukhabad Police had said that more than 15 children were held hostage at a house. Following this, the Chief Minister convened a high-level meeting over the incident. Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order PV Ramashastry had said that the accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case and he was out on bail. "He had called the children on the pretext of a birthday party and held them hostage. He opened fire on villagers," he had said. After a hectic election campaign and the subsequent power struggle to form the state government, chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray on Friday left for a short trip to Mahabaleshwar with his family. While a senior Shiv Sena functionary said it was not a break and that the CM was going to attend a wedding, another leader said the Thackeray family would be out of Mumbai till Sunday. During his stay, the CM could chair a meeting on the Mahabaleshwar development plan on Saturday, officials from the CMs office said. Uddhavji will leave for Mahabaleshwar by afternoon after his engagements in Mumbai. The CM and his family will be in Mahabaleshwar for three days [till Sunday], said a party functionary requesting anonymity. State environment and tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray also joined his family, he added. Owing to two elections Lok Sabha and Assembly in 2019, and the subsequent month-long political drama to form the government in Maharashtra, the Thackerays could not take their annual family vacation last year. Another party functionary said that it was not a break as the CM was going to Mahabaleshwar to attend the wedding of Sena legislator Bhaskar Jadhavs son. He was scheduled to attend Jadhavs son, Vikrants wedding in Mahabaleshwar on Saturday. It [the stay] has been extended by a day. It is not a vacation, the senior functionary said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Description GIS 31 January, 2020: The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Jagutpal, effected a site visit, yesterday, at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) International Airport in Plaisance to take stock of the measures that are being taken by his Ministry following the outbreak of the Novel Coronavirus in China. He was accompanied, among others, by high Officials of his Ministry and of Airports of Mauritius. In a statement to the press following the site visit, Minister Jagutpal expressed his satisfaction concerning the screening measures put in place at the airport and welcomed the collaboration of all the airport agencies for the smooth running of this health monitoring. He reassured that all thermal scanners are effective and that the concerned authorities must continue on the defined set of measures put in place regarding the screening process until the end of the current crisis. The Health Minister also dwelt on other actions being implemented at the airport, such as the broadcast of information on screens, both for incoming and outgoing passengers so as to inform them that if they have a fever, they will be taken care of by the authorities. He emphasised that additional personnel will be deployed at SSR International Airport to speed up the passenger screening process, adding that his Ministry is complying without delay to all the protocols of the World Health Organisation. Rather than be shunned, Arif Mohammad Khan should have been made the progressive face of change in a state which has seen the maximum number of Islamic State recruits. Arif Mohammad Khan is where the battle usually is. In 1986, the then 35-year-old Lok Sabha MP from Bahraich quit Congress to protest against the Rajiv Gandhi-led governments pandering to Islamists over granting maintenance to Shah Bano, a poor woman raising children after being abandoned by her husband. It was not just another dissent. For a young Muslim politician to take on together radical Islam and the Gandhi family on its home turf required staggering courage. But courage comes with consequences, even if 34 years later. The Congress, still led by the dynasty, has never quite forgiven him for that insurrection. Now that he is the Narendra Modi government-appointed governor of Kerala, the Congress is tearing into him on the pretext of opposing the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), while the real grouse remains the famously old one. The ruling Left Front which uniquely in Kerala takes up the soft-Hindutva space besides appealing to secular minorities is now eyeing the Islamist vote in a state where the Muslim population is a robust 27 percent. So, after siding with Islamists in the Hadiya love jihad case and going after the Sabarimala tradition, the Left is busy trying to pummel governor Khan into submission. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left government recently forced the governor to read out anti-CAA lines at the Budget session of the Assembly. Khan said he was reading it out since it was the chief ministers wish, not because he believed in those lines. Kerala should be the state putting Khans progressive Muslim viewpoint, rooted Indianness and immense erudition to better use. No other state perhaps not even Mamata Banerjees West Bengal has seen such rapid Islamisation. Kerala has had the highest share of men headed for Islamic State or the ones who actually joined the worlds most savage terror group. Of the 155 such elements recorded by the home ministry till 2019, 40 were from Kerala. In their Observer Research Foundation paper The Islamic State in Indias Kerala: A Primer, authors Kabir Taneja and Mohammed Sinan Siyech wrote: In 2016, seeing an increasing number of pro-IS cases in Kerala, specifically the northern belt of the state, law enforcement agencies launched Operation Pigeon. It was a de-radicalisation drive aimed at timely and strategic intervention in an individuals movement from thought to action of pro-IS ideology. Among others, agents use social media to monitor youths from certain identified regions of the state and the content they shared on those platforms. According to data collected for the operation, Keralas Kannur district had the highest number of people identified for pro-IS inclinations, at 118 (not necessarily arrested, charged or prosecuted), followed by Malappuram (89) and Kasaragod (66). Many of the 2019 Sri Lankan Easter bombing accused have Kerala connections, so do a number of jihadis killed by the US forces in Afghanistan, Syria and other places. While the governor of Kerala fluently quotes in Sanskrit from our ancient scriptures, Islamist groups in the states Malappuram district reportedly denied drinking water to Hindu families who supported the CAA recently. A couple of years ago, the Congress youth wing had killed a calf on camera to protest the Centres ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter in animal markets. Arif Mohammad Khan has tirelessly worked for the reformation of Muslim society. He opposed triple talaq and advocated a three-year jail term for offenders. Instead of embracing his modern outlook, Keralas two main parties have got down to competitive Islamisation in the name of secularism. A reminder that one may lead to literacy, but lag pathetically in respecting good education. Medical staff in Hong Kong are threatening to strike if the city's government doesn't shut down its border with mainland China in the face of the coronavirus epidemic now spreading outwards from central China with nearly 10,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths reported on . A recently formed HA Employees Alliance says its 6,700 members, all of whom are employed by the government's Hospital Authority, will vote on whether or not to strike over the demand. The union says that most coronavirus patients in Hong Kong are from the mainland, and hospitals wont be able to cope if the number of such cases keeps rising. If it votes to strike, then its members will walk out for five days started . Around 70 percent of them are nurses and eight percent are doctors. The initial phase won't include emergency services, but the second phase will, its spokesman said. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has refused to shut the border, relying on partial closure of some routes into the city from neighboring Guangdong province, but not the busiest road crossings. Lam said a total shutdown would go against World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. "Let me quote what is in the World Health Organization statement," she said. "It makes it very clear that countries and governments are cautioned against actions that promote stigma or discrimination." She called on medical staff not to go on strike. "I sincerely hope and appeal to our health staff in the Hospital Authority to consider very seriously any plan to have a strike, because at the end of the day, those who suffer will be the patients and Hong Kongs healthcare system," Lam said. Protecting lives Democratic Party lawmaker Helena Wong said protecting the lives of Hong Kong's seven million residents couldn't be seen as discrimination. "If this is a form of discrimination, then what about the city lockdowns that are happening across all provinces and cities in mainland China?" Wong said. "Are the Chinese discriminating against the Chinese?" A recent opinion poll shows that around 80 percent of Hong Kong people are in favor of a total border shutdown to limit the impact of the Wuhan novel coronavirus epidemic, called nCoV-2019 (Wuhan) by the WHO. Several countries, including the United States, issued travel warnings for China, a day after the WHO declared the coronavirus a global health emergency. As the U.K. reported its first confirmed cases, the U.S. and Japan warned their nationals to abandon any non-urgent travel plans to China, while Iran's health minister called for a ban on any incoming travelers from China. Singapore has already shut its borders to anyone with a recent history of travel to China, and won't be issuing any visas to Chinese nationals. Meanwhile, the Italian government has declared a state of emergency and stopped all air traffic with China after two Chinese tourists were confirmed to have the virus. 'Full confidence and capability' China said it has taken "the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures," a foreign ministry spokeswoman said in response to the WHO declaration. "We have full confidence and capability to win this fight," Hua Chunying said in a statement. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had commended China for its efforts and said the WHO was not recommending curbs on travel or trade with Beijing. A WHO spokesman said keeping borders open prevented illegal or unofficial border crossings. Dutch airline KLM, Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germany's Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic have suspended flights to China. The virus has spread more rapidly than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), to which is very similar, but appears to have a lower mortality rate, estimated at two percent. Harvard epidemiologist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding said that the WHO's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern sends a warning to governments to be on high alert and legally binds them to coordinate their response with the WHO. "There's so much that is political, when it comes to pandemic announcements," Feigl-Ding said. "[But] the numbers aren't going to slow down. We don't expect this to plateau until at least mid-to-end of February, if we're lucky, maybe even March." "It all depends on public health control measures, and what else we learn about the virus, and how it spreads." Feigl-Ding said he was "very concerned," by the situation, but that quarantining an entire country wasn't a reasonable response. "Some of these [measures] are very extreme, I will say, and I'm not sure if I agree with all of them," he told RFA." Reported by Lu Xi for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Shen Hua and Luisetta Mudie. DENVER, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Intermap Technologies today announced preliminary unaudited financial results for the year ended December 31, 2019. Government contracting is the Company's largest market, accounting for approximately 65% of revenue for the past five years. Contract cycles are long and governments around the world continue to make progress in the adoption of geospatial data as a service. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company reported revenue of $10.1 million, compared with $15.8 million for 2018. Delays in government contracts affected both acquisition services and value-added data revenue. Software revenue was $1.4 million in 2019 compared to $1.0 million last year. Although growing well, the software segment is having difficulty achieving scale as the Company is inadequately capitalized to make further investments. Adjusted EBITDA for 2019 was negative $0.9 million, compared with positive $2.1 million in 2018. The decline in Adjusted EBITDA for 2019 was related to carrying costs associated with the contract delays in Alaska and South East Asia. The Company continues to build its contracted pipeline. Historically, the pipeline has required 30 months to convert to revenue. The Company is teamed with prime contractors and has been selected through competitive requests for proposals to participate in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's Janus Geography contract, the US Geological Survey's Geospatial Products and Services Architect and Engineer IDIQ Contract, and the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Coastal Mapping Program. Andrew Hines has resigned as a director of the Company. The Board of Directors of Intermap thanks Mr. Hines for his contributions on behalf of the Company. Adjusted EBITDA is not a recognized performance measure under IFRS and does not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. The term EBITDA consists of net income (loss) and excludes interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is included as a supplemental disclosure because management believes that such measurement provides a better assessment of the Company's operations on a continuing basis by eliminating certain non-cash charges and charges that are nonrecurring. The most directly comparable measure to adjusted EBITDA calculated in accordance with IFRS is net loss. A reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA is provided in the table below. As previously disclosed in our quarterly reports, the Company's ability to continue as a going concern is dependent on management's ability to successfully secure sales with upfront payments, restructure the balance sheet (including a reduction of debt) and obtain additional financing. Selected Annual Information Unaudited U.S. $ millions, except per share data 2019 2018 Revenue: Acquisition services $ 6.9 $ 8.7 Value-added data 0.8 4.7 Software and solutions 2.4 2.4 Total revenue $ 10.1 $ 15.8 Operating income (loss) $ (2.9) $ (0.1) Financing costs $ (2.9) $ (2.7) Net loss $ (4.9) $ (2.8) Adjusted EBITDA $ (0.9) $ 2.1 Assets: Cash, amounts receivable, unbilled revenue $ 2.4 $ 4.9 Total assets $ 8.1 $ 9.8 Liabilities: Current portion of notes payable $ 31.9 $ 1.4 Long-term liabilities (including finance lease obligations) $ 0.3 $ 29.3 Total liabilities $ 37.3 $ 34.2 Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA Unaudited U.S. $ millions 2019 2018 Net loss $ (4.9) $ (2.8) Financing costs 2.9 2.7 Depreciation expense 1.6 1.3 EBITDA $ (0.4) $ 1.2 Gain on settlement of promissory note (1.1) - Restructuring costs 0.3 0.5 Share-based compensation 0.2 0.4 Loss on foreign currency translation 0.1 - Adjusted EBITDA $ (0.9) $ 2.1 About Intermap Technologies Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP) (ITMSF: BB) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions. The Company's proprietary NEXTMap database and value-added geospatial data management, processing, analytics, fusion and orthorectification software and solutions are utilized across a range of industries that rely on accurate, high-resolution elevation data, including aviation, engineering, environmental planning, government markets, hydrology, insurance, land management, law enforcement and patrol, oil and gas, renewable energy, telecommunications, transportation and utilities. Intermap's commercial applications include location-based intelligence, risk assessment, geographic information systems, global positioning systems and 3D visualization. For more information, please visit www.intermap.com. Intermap Reader Advisory Certain information provided in this news release, including statements in relation to the Company's results or ability to continue as a going concern constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast", "will be" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap's forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap's Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law. SOURCE Intermap Technologies Corporation Related Links www.intermap.com Mid-City drivers will find a stretch of Esplanade Avenue closed Saturday morning at the site of the deadly 2019 drunk driving crash near Alcee Fortier Park. The reason for the closure is a free block party aimed at raising awareness of bike and pedestrian safety in the place where the crash killed Sharee Walls, 27, and David Hynes, 31, and injured several others following last year's Endymion parade. Tashonty Toney was driving drunk when he crashed his Chevrolet Camaro into nine bicyclists riding along Esplanade on March 2. Toney was later sentenced to 90 years in prison for vehicular homicide and other crimes. The episode starkly illustrated the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets, especially during major public events. Two ghost bikes white-painted bicycles mark the site. +2 Driver who hit, killed bicyclists sentenced to 90 years; 'you must have been blind drunk,' judge says For the first time since he drunkenly slammed his Chevrolet Camaro into nine bicyclists on Esplanade Avenue after the Endymion parade in March Walls, an Illinois native and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, was the first executive director of the Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans, a charitable organization. She was also a member of the Krewe of Red Beans marching group that dedicated its 2019 Lundi Gras parade to her memory. Now, the krewe has teamed with the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association to seek safer solutions to blending pedestrian, bike and motor traffic. The organizations will present the free block party, titled the Tour de Bean, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in and around the park at 3100 Esplanade. The event will feature music by the Treme Brass Band and Panorama Brass Band, a performance by the Lucha Krewe, kids' activities, refreshments and remarks by officials from the New Orleans Police Department and the City Council. The area where Esplanade approaches Bayou St. John is ordinarily a relatively quiet residential neighborhood. But as Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf pointed out, a few times each year the area buzzes with activity. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience, Bayou Boogaloo and the Endymion parade all take place nearby, drawing tens of thousands of visitors who arrive by car, bike, public transportation and on foot. The question is how to ensure that all travelers can safely co-exist in such situations, De Wulf said. He said the block party will include discussions on how to make the streets safer. De Wulf, who is an artist and stay-at-home dad, doesn't claim to have any particular expertise in traffic safety. He said he is simply a "concerned citizen." But the residents of the neighborhood are best acquainted with the traffic safety problems, he said, and probably have the best suggestions for reducing those problems. Perhaps, De Wulf said, certain two-way streets in the area could become one-way streets to better accommodate bike and foot traffic during high-volume events. Or maybe some streets could be closed entirely. Which is better, he asked rhetorically, another person killed or a slight increase to your driving time? Traffic patterns are already altered during Jazz Fest to facilitate traffic flow. De Wulf said that closing Esplanade between Grand Route St. John and Ponce De Leon Street to vehicles for four hours on Saturday will demonstrate the possibility of making bicycle and pedestrian safety the highest priority. I think its really important to illustrate that the streets are not only for cars, he said. If bicycle safety and efficiency were improved, maybe more people would bike. De Wulf said that during the Tour de Bean, community members will ceremonially refresh the flowers on roadside memorials to Walls and Hynes. In the weeks after the bicyclists were hit, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration announced a citywide bicycle master plan, which had been in the works before the fatal crash, to serve as a guide for adding dedicated bicycle lanes and other infrastructure to city streets. Bicyclists praise Broad Street overpass lanes Bicyclists are praising the design of newly protected bike lanes on the Broad Street overpass, a bridge notorious for speeding vehicles and mi Since then, conspicuous marked lanes, protected by traffic bollards and flexible posts, have appeared on South Broad Street where it passes over Interstate 10. And Orleans Avenue along City Park has been redesigned to separate bicyclists from motorists with a row of parked cars. Maps of the citys bicycle lanes are available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. SALINAS (BCN) A Fresno resident has been sentenced to 180 days in jail and was fined $8,000 for hunting and poaching-related crimes, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced this week. Hue Xiong, 31, was sentenced for crimes including hunter trespass, taking deer and wild turkeys out of season, failing to obtain wild pig tags before hunting, failing to affix tags to wild pigs after taking and driving on a suspended license. In February of 2018, trail camera photographs captured Xiong hunting on private land near Parkfield in south Monterey County, prosecutors said. The landowners recognized Xiong from previous contacts and reported the trespassing to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. During its investigation, the department determined Xiong killed at least seven wild pigs between February and May of 2018 without first obtaining hunting tags. In July of 2018, Xiong was stopped by officers from the California Highway Patrol while driving on a suspended license and had a recently killed dear and two wild turkeys that were taken out of season, prosecutors said. The animals were killed with a .22 rimfire rifle, which is an unethical method to take the animals, prosecutors said. Xiong was also in possession of a wild pig that did not have a hunting tag affixed to the carcass. In addition to the sentence and fine, Xiong was ordered not to hunt in Monterey County for three years. Xiong is being allowed to serve his jail sentence through home confinement. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The United Kingdom formally leaves the European Union this evening for an uncertain Brexit future. It marks a seismic blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity from the ruins of war. The UK will slip away an hour before midnight from the club it joined in 1973, moving into the no man's land of a transition period that preserves membership in all but name until the end of this year. At a stroke, the EU will be deprived of 15pc of its economy, its biggest military spender and the world's international financial capital of London. The divorce will shape the fate of the United Kingdom - and determine its wealth - for generations to come. "This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act," Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims, though he has given few clues about his post-Brexit plans beyond inspirational words. "This is the dawn of a new era," Johnson added. Read More Beyond the symbolism of turning its back on 47 years of membership, little will actually change until the end of 2020, by which time Johnson has promised to strike a broad free trade agreement with the EU, the world's biggest trading bloc. For proponents, Brexit is a dream "independence day" for a United Kingdom escaping what they cast as a doomed German-dominated project that is failing its 500 million population. Opponents believe Brexit is a folly that will weaken the West, torpedo what is left of the United Kingdom's global clout, undermine its economy and ultimately lead to a more insular and less cosmopolitan set of islands in the northern Atlantic. Dis-united Kingdom Brexit was always about much than Europe. The June 2016 Brexit referendum showed a divided and triggered soul-searching about everything from secession and immigration to empire and modern Britishness. Such was the severity of the Brexit meltdown that allies and investors were left astonished by a country that was for decades touted as a confident pillar of Western political stability. At home, Brexit has tested the bonds that bind together the United Kingdom: England and Wales voted to leave the bloc but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. Scotland's First Minister will use the moment to spell out her next steps towards holding a second independence referendum with a poll on Thursday suggesting a slim majority of Scots would now back a split because of Brexit. Read More So on "Brexit Day", some will celebrate and some will weep - but many Britons will do neither. Many are simply happy that more than three years of tortuous political wrangling over the divorce are over. "I did not vote for it and I did not want it to happen, but now I just want it over," said Judith Miller, a resident of London. "I am tired, I have had enough, I am sick of it on the news and we are just going to have to deal with it." 'New Dawn' It is unclear how Brexit will play out for either the United Kingdom or the European Union. Brexiteers hope 'independence' will herald democratic and economic reforms that will reshape the United Kingdom, propelling it ahead of its European rivals which they say are chained to the doomed euro. Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare support for leaving the EU in the June 2016 referendum. Brexiteers will celebrate on Parliament Square while some opponents of Brexit are also due to gather. A Union Jack in the building of the European Council in Brussels will be lowered at 7 p.m. on Friday, and put away with the flags of non-EU countries. Welsh Government minister backs housing numbers in Wrexhams development blueprint This article is old - Published: Friday, Jan 31st, 2020 A Welsh Government minister has backed the number of houses included in a key development blueprint for Wrexham after inspectors raised concerns over whether it was ambitious enough. Wrexham Councils Local Development Plan (LDP) sets out land where approximately 8,500 new homes could be created in the county over the next ten years. However, the Planning Inspectorate is set to hold further hearings into the proposals after questioning its decision to reduce the amount from 11,715 in the early stages. North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd AM has questioned housing minister Julie James after accusing the inspectors of putting pressure on the local authority to increase the number of properties. The Plaid Cymru politician said it would mean more housing estates being built on greenfield sites and the creation of an urban sprawl. He added that static population figures in Wrexham meant a rethink was needed before further damage was done to communities. Speaking in the Senedd on Wednesday, he said: Over the past five years, the increase in population has been significantly lower than the forecasts. Despite this, the Planning Inspectorate still isnt listening because they continue to challenge Wrexham Council. Wrexham Council is looking at a target of some 8,500 homes in their LDP, whilst the Planning Inspectorate insist that they need around 12,000 in that plan. That will mean building more homes on greenfield sites and it will create some sort of urban sprawl which will destroy unique communities in the area. Where does the government stand on this issue are you in favour of a regime which enforces the building of unnecessary homes or are you in favour of protecting our communities and our environment? An examination was initially held to scrutinise Wrexhams LDP during the autumn. In December, the inspectorate wrote to the council to raise concerns after describing the document as flawed. As a result, three additional hearings will be held over the next two months to look at housing figures and the selection of Gypsy and Traveller sites. In response to the points raised, Ms James said the government supported the numbers outlined by the authority. She said: The LDP is currently at examination stage and the inspectors have raised concerns about the level of housing included in the plan, specifically questioning whether it is aspirational enough. The level of housing proposed by the council aligns with the 2014 base ten-year migration variant published by Welsh Government, which is a requirement of 7,750 homes. Officials have made public representations supporting the level of housing in Wrexhams LDP and do not consider it should be increased further. Inspectors have given the council until the end of January to provide clarification on the housing figures. A hearing will then be held on March 11 at Wrexham Memorial Hall to consider the matter further. By Liam Randall BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme) Mahwah Mayor John Roth started the day as he does every other Thursday, with a meeting at Town Hall about the agenda for the next council meeting. It was hours after he admitted to getting drunk at the home of a township employee, taking his pants off and going to sleep in a bed there. The mayor was in another meeting mid-day when NJ Advance Media called his office at the municipal building. He has not yet returned the call. But it wasnt business as usual everywhere in Town Hall. Employees were being interviewed since at least Tuesday for a personnel investigation stemming from an anonymous letter delivered Monday to department heads and council members. The single-page, typed letter, a copy of which was obtained by NJ Advance Media, signed Concerned Employees of the Township of Mahwah, was addressed to Mayor John F. Roth. It states that a Mahwah Township employee sent an email inviting other employees to a party at her home. The letter writer says he or she was one of about 20 to 25 attendees at the gathering. As the evening progressed, you came in alone and were clearly under the influence of alcohol at the time, the letter says. As the party progressed you became increasingly intoxicated and were sitting at the table with other employees. The guests then realized that the mayor had gone missing for a period of time and assumed he was in the bathroom. When the homeowners decided to give their guests a tour of the home, they found Roth in their bedroom undressed sleeping in their bed, the letter says. A few of the men dressed Roth, the letter says. You were clearly intoxicated beyond limits, the letter says. And the homeowner called Roths wife who immediately came, picked him up and took him home, it says. After you left it was told at the party we needed to keep this among ourselves, the letter says. The incident was gossiped about in town hall in the weeks that followed and eventually was reported by NorthJersey.com. Accusations run ramped [sic] as to who could have leaked the news, going as far as to pressure employees to believe if it was any individual, there would be consequences, the letter says. The situation has caused a toxic and hostile workplace, the letter says. It has already caused issues in the office which make it nearly impossible to work collectively, because of your behavior, the letter says. The letter writer demanded that Roth apologize by email and publicly to the staff within five days or resign his position as mayor. If the apology is not made within five days the letter writer also threatened legal action. Short of this demand, myself and other like-minded employees affected by your sexual deviations will file a hostile work [sic] against you personally and the Township of Mahwah, the letter says. Your actions are a disgrace to the position of Mayor, myself and fellow employees have been thrust into this toxic environment which threatens our careers and livelihood because you were drunk and showed considerable disrespect for township employees, the letter concludes. Council President David May said Thursday that he could not comment on the situation because it is a personnel matter and referred questions to Township Attorney Brian Campion. Were doing the required investigation in accordance with the workplace policy, Campion said. The investigation is being conducted by Raymond Wiss, a labor attorney. It is expected to be completed next week when Wiss delivers a report to Township Business Administrator Quentin Wiest. Weist does not have the authority to fire the mayor, nor does the council. The only way to get him out is by the will of the voters or if theyre convicted of a felony or a crime that touches upon the office, said Frank Marshall, associate general counsel for the New Jersey League of Municipalities. Voters in Mahwah, a non-partisan town, in 2016 voted to recall then-Mayor Bill Laforet, who also ran on the same ballot for re-election against Roth, who defeated him. The council can censure the mayor, which is a resolution they could pass saying he acted poorly. But it bears no consequences, Marshall said. This isnt the first time alcohol caused problems for a Mahwah mayor. Back in 2005, then mayor Richard Martel rear-ended a car at a red light in neighboring Wyckoff, pushing it into the intersection where it struck another car. Martel was driving a township vehicle. He was charged with driving while intoxicated, careless driving and resisting arrest. Martel apologized publicly within days at a council meeting, arranged for an evaluation by an intervention and counseling service and surrendered the keys to his township-owned vehicle. Residents were forgiving of Martel and re-elected him following the incident. He died in 2011 while still serving as mayor. Roth, who previously served 12 years on the council, five years on the school board and two on the planning board, is up for re-election in November. Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Pakistan is expected to be retained in the Financial Action Task Forces (FATF) grey list at an upcoming meeting of the multilateral watchdog as it hasnt made adequate progress in countering terror financing, diplomats of two European countries have said. The working group and plenary meetings of FATF in Paris from February 16 to 21 will assess the implementation of a 27-point action plan by Pakistan, which was placed in the grey list in June 2018 for failing to stop fund raising by groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Taliban and al-Qaeda. The available information suggests Pakistan has taken some steps to bring its terror financing and money laundering laws in line with international obligations and to improve its legal structures, said a diplomat from a European country that was closely involved in the efforts which led to Pakistan being included in the grey list. But it hasnt done enough to prosecute or convict terrorists, including those sanctioned by the UN, for their involvement in terror financing. It is expected to stay in the grey list, said the diplomat who declined to be named. He added the latest analysis showed Pakistan was fully or partially compliant with only 14 of the 27 points in the action plan. A diplomat from a second European nation that closely tracks Pakistans efforts to end terror financing, too, said the country is expected to stay in the grey list till the next FATF plenary meeting in October as it hasnt done enough to implement the action plan. Indian officials declined to comment on the matter. However, diplomats from both European nations contended that there has been a softening of the US position on Pakistans case at FATF, and they attributed this to Washingtons hope that Islamabad will play a role in arranging a deal with the Taliban. Such a deal is crucial for US plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, preferably before the American presidential election later this year. It seems the US is trying to encourage Pakistan to help in Afghanistan by going softer at FATF, said the diplomat from the second European nation, who also declined to be named. In recent weeks, Pakistan has stepped up diplomatic efforts to be taken off the FATFs grey list, with foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi telling a news briefing in Washington on January 17 that the country hopes the US will back its efforts to get off the watch list. At a news briefing in Washington on January 24, Alice Wells, the Trump administrations pointsperson for South Asia, appeared more conciliatory about Pakistans case at FATF. Speaking after a recent visit to India and Pakistan, she said the US appreciates steps taken by Pakistan to advance the Afghan peace process and also welcomed efforts by Islamabad to meet its counterterrorism financing obligations under FATF. Pointing to progress in the relations with Pakistan, including President Donald Trumps warm and constructive meeting with Prime Minister [Imran] Khan at Davos to the restoration of the International Military Education and Training programmes, she added: Weve been pleased to see progress by Pakistan towards fulfilling FATF obligations. As things stand, Pakistan needs the support of only three of FATFs 39 members to stay out of the black list, and it sure to get the votes of China, which holds the watchdogs presidency till June, Malaysia and Turkey. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump marked the roughly third-year anniversary of his controversial "travel ban" on Friday by adding six African, Central and East Asian countries to the list of those whose nationals face restrictions on travel to the United States. The Homeland Security and State departments announced the administration is now including Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. More than 80% of those potentially impacted by the new ban are from the latter four African countries, according to America's Voice, an organization advocating for immigration reform. Administration officials said Friday that the measure would not necessarily block all citizens of those nations from entering the United States, impacting only "limited categories" of travelers with a range of restrictions. The State Department has put increasing pressure on countries it deems "recalcitrant" for not adopting electronic passports with biometric data and agreeing to certain information-sharing with the United States. Trump was set to sign a proclamation making the expanded group official on Friday, but the new restrictions won't take effect until Feb. 22, officials said. Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse of Colorado, the son of Eritrean refugees who came to the United States nearly 40 years ago, criticized the decision on Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Two years ago, in January 2018, Neguse saw his daughter for the first time, on an ultrasound. That same day, Neguse, who was then running for Congress, heard reports that Trump had called African nations "shithole countries," asking why the United States couldn't give preference to those from majority-white countries, such as Norway. Neguse said he worried his daughter would face discrimination, worsened by the rhetoric coming out of the White House. "Would she be able to live her dream in the same way I and my parents had been able to, in light of the president's discriminatory attitudes toward certain people, and the way those attitudes have been reflected in public policy?" recalled Neguse, who was elected in 2018, when Democrats took control of the House. Trump confirmed plans to broaden the ban at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, saying, "We're adding a couple of countries to it. We have to be safe." Neither the president nor Homeland Security and State Department officials have detailed any specific threats to U.S. security posed by travelers from these nations. The White House had intended to expand the ban on Monday, to coincide with the anniversary of the original ban, enacted a week after Trump took office. The initial order targeted seven Muslim-majority countries and was met by nationwide protests at airports, chaos at the Homeland Security department, and lawsuits that ultimately forced the administration to modify the measure. In June 2018, the Supreme Court allowed a third version of the order to take effect, restricting entry from many citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea, while removing Chad from the list. The country made "improvements" in security precautions, officials said. On Friday, acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was set to announce the new ban just hours ahead of a crucial vote on one of the last remaining barriers to Trump's near-certain acquittal by the Senate in his ongoing impeachment trial. Ultimately, days before the Iowa caucuses and the president's State of the Union Address, the department was forced to quietly release the details on Friday with little fanfare - an unexpected development from an administration eager to claim victories on the president's promises to restrict immigration as he intensifies his campaign for reelection in 2020. ADVERTISEMENT The Trump administration has expanded a policy regime effectively blocking asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border - which have increasingly included Africans - and slashing U.S. refugee admissions to among their lowest levels. The new iteration of the "travel ban" may be intended more for leverage and political messaging than its practical impact on travelers from the seven countries. Homeland Security officials told several of the countries they could avoid being named on the list if they made changes before the announcement, according to The Associated Press. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Democrat representing Houston, Texas, which has one of the largest populations of Nigerians outside of West Africa, said the Trump administration did not consult with leadership in Congress on whether the measure would improve U.S. security. Lee pledged "major lawsuits" in response, saying, "We don't expect to lay down on this." --- (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Dr. Nicole P. Doyle joins Shady Grove Fertility's Northern Virginia Medical Team. I firmly believe that the essence of practicing good medicine lies in genuine desire and devotion to delivering the highest quality of medical care through knowledge, strong clinical judgment, compassion, and dedicated support of the patient. Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) is proud to welcome Nicole P. Doyle, M.D., Ph.D., FACOG, to the Northern Virginia Medical Team. Dr. Doyle will begin seeing patients in SGFs Fairfax, VA location in February 2020, and will provide a full range of state-of-the-art, in-house diagnostic and treatment options for female and male infertility, elective egg freezing, LGBTQ family building, and fertility preservation prior to cancer treatment. Dr. Doyle earned her medical degree and doctorate in philosophy from the Medical School of the Technical University of Munich and completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Hospital. Dr. Doyle completed her fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health. Both institutes where I studied send their students to SGF to be trained so I had the unique opportunity to obtain an inside perspective of the philosophy and mechanics that drive the accomplishments of SGF. I firmly believe that the essence of practicing good medicine lies in genuine desire and devotion to delivering the highest quality of medical care through knowledge, strong clinical judgment, compassion, and dedicated support of the patient. This is the fundamental base that allows us to excel at what we do every day. Early on in my training, it was obvious to me that SGF stands for these qualities and that the achievements of the practice were the result of dedication and hard work by many. I wanted to be a part of their team ever since, shares Doyle. Dr. Doyle has published several peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, book chapters, and review articles in many leading scientific journals in the fields of reproductive endocrinology and infertility. Her specific research interest is examining the timing for embryo transfer and she continues this work as a member of the research team at Shady Grove Fertility. She is a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of numerous medical organizations. Her clinical interests include any aspect of female and male infertility, in particular optimizing outcomes in patients with diminished ovarian reserve or premature ovarian insufficiency; making advances in in vitro fertilization, oocyte donation, recurrent pregnancy loss, fertility preservation, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). When asked about her approach to caring for patients, Honesty, thorough counseling, transparence, empathy, and attentive listening have always worked for my patients and me. There is no one approach for a struggling patient, but rather a personalized strategy for each patient at each step of the way. For some a gentle push is needed, for others stopping or a break from treatment might be indicated. A solid physician-patient rapport is the basis to finding the right solution for every patient, shares Doyle. SGF has had a significant presence in Northern Virginia for over 2 decades and is the largest fertility center in the state with 13 reproductive endocrinologists and 1 reproductive urologist, 7 locations in Northern Virginia, two locations in Richmond, VA., and two state-of-the-art IVF centers located in Fairfax, VA, and Richmond, VA. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Nicole Doyle or any other SGF physician, please call the SGF New Patient Center at 1-888-761-1967 or submit this brief online form. About Shady Grove Fertility (SGF) SGF is a leading fertility and IVF center of excellence with more than 85,000 babies born and counting. With 38 locations throughout FL, GA, MD, NY, PA, VA, D.C., and Santiago, Chile, we offer patients individualized care, accept most insurance plans, and make treatment affordable through innovative financial options, including treatment guarantees. More physicians refer their patients to SGF than any other center. Call 1-888-761-1967 or visit ShadyGroveFertility.com. In previous posts, we have spoken about how Maryam Rajavi believes that the downfall of the regime is imminent, as shown by the November and January uprisings in Iran, and how the mullahs were dealt a massive blow by the assassination of their top terrorist Qasem Soleimani during a drone strike by the US on January 3. Now, we will look at how she implores the rest of the world to end their appeasement of the mullahs and help the Resistance to liberate Iran. Maryam Rajavi began this part of her speech, by telling her compatriots, supporters of the Iranian Resistance, and honorable dignitaries that the final countdown for the mullahs regime has begun, noting that the brave people of Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon have trapped the mullahs religious dictatorship and there is no escape for them. She said: Today, one can see the dawn of a free Iran in the unrelenting uprisings and struggle of resistance units. We seek to establish a democratic, free and progressive Iran based on peoples free choice and suffrage, based on the separation of religion and state, based on pluralism, gender equality, the autonomy of the oppressed ethnic groups, and the abolition of the death penalty. Maryam Rajavi then said that the international community must speak out about the regime and not remain silent on the issue. She said that the UN Security Council needs to declare the clerical regimes leaders as perpetrators of crimes against humanity for their suppression and bloodshed of people living in the Middle East, as well as dissidents in the West. Stating that the mullahs must be held accountable, she again urged the United Nations to send fact-finding missions to Iran immediately to investigate the cases of those killed, wounded, and imprisoned during the protests. Maryam Rajavi said: The world must recognize the legitimacy of the resistance and struggle of Irans rebellious youth against the murderous Revolutionary Guards. They must recognize the struggle of the people of Iran to overthrow the regime. I call upon each and every one of you, Iranians residing in the US, to aid the uprising in Iran and assist the rebellious youth and resistance units. You must enlist the support of the people of America and their elected representatives and statesmen for the Iranian people and Resistance to overthrow this inhuman regime. She advised that there is no other option to deal with the regime and rid the world of its terrorism, wars and religious fundamentalism. Maryam Rajavi said: This is the most urgent duty of all honorable and freedom-loving Iranians in the US and in any other country to draw the attention of the international community to this basic fact. Iran will be free. This is the verdict of history and the logic of evolution. Be certain of it and add to your resolve to make it happen. President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday complimented the people of the country for displaying "maturity" after the Supreme Court verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid issue. Kovind also said the faith reposed by the people in the country's democratic institutions strengthened the foundation of Indian democracy. "The maturity displayed by the countrymen after the Supreme Court's verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi is also laudable," he said in his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament. In its verdict on November 9, the apex court had paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site at Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh. There were no reports of any major violence anywhere in the country after the apex court verdict. The Supreme Court had also said a trust should be formed within three months for the construction of the temple at the site where many Hindus believe Lord Ram was born. As per the judgment, the central government has been directed to formulate a scheme with necessary provisions for setting up of the trust with a board of trustees or any other appropriate body, the functioning of the trust, the powers of the trustees, transfer of land to the trust and all necessary, incidental and supplemental matters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dr. Messonnier called the federal order on Friday science-based, saying it was warranted because of the worsening epidemic in China. She cited the widening, rapid spread of the disease there, the increase in person-to-person transmission and the rising death toll. In addition, evidence has been emerging that people can transmit the disease even before they show symptoms of the illness, which can cause pneumonia in severe cases. Another concern was that the passengers evacuated had been in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. At a news conference later on Friday, Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, announced that other citizens of the United States who were returning from Hubei Province, which includes Wuhan, would also be quarantined for up to two weeks. Mr. Azar declared a public health emergency for the United States, and said foreign nationals who had been to China during the last 14 days would not be allowed into the United States. This is a very serious public health situation, and the C.D.C. and federal government have and will continue to take aggressive action to protect the public, Dr. Messonnier said. If we take strong measures now, we may be able to blunt the impact of the virus in the United States. Dr. Messonnier said that the people who were quarantined did not pose a threat to the surrounding community. Since the 195 evacuees arrived in Riverside, they have had their noses and throats swabbed to test for the virus, and their temperatures taken several times a day. They were initially told that they would be detained for at least 72 hours, and possibly 14 days. Two weeks is thought to be the upper limit of the incubation period; if symptoms dont start by then, a person can be cleared as not infected. Last week Bo Mach turned a two-hole trip into a 1:50.4 score in the $25,000 Open Handicap at Dover Downs, and followed up that triumph with a 1:51.1 victory in Thursdays $30,000 Preferred Handicap at the Delaware oval. Bo Mach powered to the lead for Corey Callahan and together they wheeled the field through fractions of :27.2, :55.5 and 1:23.3 before using a :27.3 kicker to seal the deal. Bo Mach held on to win by three-quarters of a length over Eddard Hanover in 1:51.1. Little Ben rallied to grab the show dough in the eight-horse affair. Dylan Davis trains the five-year-old son of Mach Three-Magnify This. The 6-1 upset score was the 14th lifetime tally for the pacer who surpassed $250,000 in earnings in the process. The gelding is owned by Howard Taylor of Philadelphia, PA. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AgJunction Inc. (TSX: AJX) ("AgJunction" or the "Company") has completed a comprehensive evaluation, following the appointment of Lori Ell as interim president and CEO in early December, in which the board and senior leadership team reviewed the Companys strategy, customer and product funnels, and the long term outlook for the Companys industry. As a result of this review, the Company is announcing the following management changes. Effective immediately, M. Brett McMickell, Ph.D., the Companys current COO has been appointed president and CEO, as well as a member of the board of directors. Dr. McMickell has been an integral part of the Companys senior management team and the development of its product and technology strategy for the last two and a half years after a long period of accomplishment at Honeywell Aerospace in increasingly senior technology, customer and product roles. In addition, the Company is announcing the appointment of Deborah Mack as interim CFO, replacing Scott Steinman, who has left the Company. Ms. Mack, the Companys current senior director of financial planning and analysis, has 25 years of related experience in external reporting and financial planning for both public and private companies. Lastly, the Company is announcing the departure of former CMO Jeff Morris. The Company thanks both Mr. Steinman and Mr. Morris for their contributions and wishes them the best in the future. Lori Ell, chair of the board, commented on the changes: As interim president and CEO, I worked with Brett and his team on identifying our core technology strengths and refining our strategy. Working closely with Brett and his new leadership team has confirmed the board's confidence that under his leadership, we will be able to employ our strengths to deliver flexible automation modules that integrate seamlessly into our customers' systems. The board and I look forward to continuing to work with the team as they implement their newly refined strategy to deliver long term value and extraordinary service to our customers." Dr. McMickell added, "I am thrilled and privileged to have the opportunity to lead this extraordinary team as we execute on our strategy to provide flexible automation solutions to our customers. I want to thank Lori and the board for their confidence in the team, and I look forward to reporting to the shareholders on our March earnings call." About AgJunction AgJunction Inc. is a global leader of advanced guidance and autosteering solutions for precision agriculture applications. Its technologies are critical components in over 30 of the worlds leading precision Ag manufacturers and solution providers and it holds over 200 patents and patents pending. AgJunction markets its solutions under leading brand names including Novariant, Wheelman, Whirl and Handsfreefarm. AgJunction is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the symbol AJX. For more information, please go to AgJunction.com . Contact: Media press@agjunction.com Chicago, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is honored to be one of 119 U.S. colleges and universities receiving the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. This classification recognizes The Chicago Schools deep and long-standing commitment to community engagement. The Community Engagement Classification is awarded following a process of self-study by each institution, which is then assessed by a national review committee led by the Swearer Center for Public Engagement at Brown University, the administrative and research home for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Recipients for The Community Engagement Classification are announced every five years with two years designated for the application and review process. It is a true honor to be recognized by the Carnegie Foundation in this way, said Dr. Michele Nealon, President, The Chicago School. Service and community engagement are core values of our University because we know as members of a community, one of the best ways to impact that community is through service and giving back. Receiving the Carnegie Foundation Community Engagement Classification is a huge honor and we are most grateful for the recognition. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology originally received the Community Engagement Classification in 2010, said Jill Glenn, LCSW, Executive Director, Community Partnerships at The Chicago School. Completing the recent self-study allowed us to reflect on the amazing amount of service that our students, faculty, and staff have engaged in over the last ten years. We are grateful to our partner sites who allow us into their communities to benefit from their expertise and knowledge. The Chicago School has been committed to serving the community since it began in in 1979. Its goal has been to increase learning and research opportunities for students while benefiting the diverse communities they serve. About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is a nonprofit, private university devoted exclusively to psychology, and related behavioral health sciences. The institution serves nearly 6,000 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern California (Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego); Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; and Dallas, as well as through online programs. The Chicago School is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), and its Clinical Psychology Doctoral Programs in Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles are accredited by the American Psychological Association. With more than 25 graduate degree programs, thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of international opportunities, TCSPP is a leader in professional psychology and behavioral health education. To learn more, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu. The Chicago School is a proud affiliate of TCS, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs staged a protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Population Register (NPR), at the Central Hall in Parliament, on Friday. The TMC MPs were seen holding posters reading "NO NPR, NO CAA". TMC members protested before Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey in the Parliament. While Opposition leaders including Congress president Sonia Gandhi staged a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Register of Citizens (NRC) and Population Register (NPR) in front of Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises ahead of the Budget session. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A drunken woman attacked three cabin crew on a British Airways flight to South Africa after being denied six Bloody Marys, a court heard yesterday. Mother-of-two Emma Langford, 47, had to be handcuffed and strapped to her seat after a rampage which left the plane littered with broken plates and glasses. She was travelling from Heathrow to Cape Town with her son in 4,000 seats and intended to check into a rehab centre to 'dry out'. Emma Langford, 47, of Old Basing, Hampshire, pictured at Isleworth Crown Court on January 3 Isleworth Crown Court was told she had 'crashed catastrophically' into heavy drinking after the breakdown of her marriage. A judge heard Langford, pictured, of Old Basing, Hampshire, approached cabin crew saying she was 'thirsty' and demanded alcohol 35 minutes after take-off. She later launched a tirade of abuse asking BA staff if they could afford her seats and calling stewardesses fat. She punched one worker, hit another and shoved a third against the aircraft door before throwing a tray of plates and glasses to the floor cutting a cabin crew member's leg. A statement from one of the stewardesses said: 'Miss Langford demanded I give her six Bloody Marys and I told her I would be serving her the one drink for now. The incident happened on the British Airways flight to Cape Town on December 6, 2018 (file) She kicked me in the back of the legs and said 'you're a*** is massive'. 'She called me chubby and fat a***. It was massively offensive and hurt my confidence. I felt humiliated in from of the whole cabin.' Guy Wyatt, defending, said: 'It's striking that she was travelling to South Africa to book herself into residential rehabilitation. She knew she needed it. Anxieties got the better of her and she crashed catastrophically into heavy drinking something that she had done before.' Judge Nicholas Wood delayed sentencing for reports. Langford pleaded guilty to assault, criminal damage, being drunk on an aircraft and behaving in a threatening and abusive manner. She will next appear in court on March 6. The government has decided to invest more than Rs 100 lakh crore on building modern infrastructure in the country with a special emphasis on connectivity, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday. In a bid to improve connectivity, the government will also focus on creation of new highways, waterways, airways and I-ways (IT infrastructure), the President said addressing the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, on the first day of the Budget session here. "The poor and the middle-class hope and aspire for a modern 21st century infrastructure in the country. To fulfil this aspiration of the people more than Rs 100 lakh crore will be invested in the next five years. With a special emphasis on connectivity, the government is also focusing on creation of new highways, new waterways, new airways, and new I-ways," the President said. Rapid progress is being made towards providing better public transport facilities in urban areas, Kovind said adding, metro facility has now been extended to 18 cities in the country. So far, 670-km of metro lines have been operationalised, and work on another 930-km is underway, he said and added the residents of Delhi and NCR have greatly benefitted from the construction of Delhi-Meerut Expressway, as well as from Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressways. He further said inland waterways are also being developed by the government and in December 2019, for the first time, container cargo reached Pandu in Assam via National Water Way-2. Under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, the multi-modal terminal at Haldia on River Ganga and the navigation lock at Farakka will be completed this year, Kovind said adding, it is also our endeavour to operate large transport cargo vessels on River Ganga by next year. On air connectivity, he said about 35 lakh people have so far travelled by air under the UDAN scheme and last year, 335 new air routes have been approved. Rural roads contributed significantly to the country's infrastructure, he said and added 1.25 lakh kilometers road will be constructed and upgraded under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna. Rural roads have now been expanded to every corner of the country through the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana, he said adding third phase of the programme has been launched to strengthen rural roads and connect them to schools, hospitals and agricultural markets. On Noth East connectivity he said: "More than the physical distance of the North East from Delhi, it was the emotional disconnect that disheartened the people of the region. My Government has transformed this situation by working tirelessly during the last five years. Work is being done at an unprecedented pace in the North East to enhance connectivity, strengthen infrastructure and make people's lives easier." As a result of the government's efforts, he said by 2022, the capitals of Sikkim, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland will be connected with the rail network. "The work on Agartala-Akhaura rail link is also progressing at a fast pace. In the year 2022, the construction of the new airport being built at 'Holongi' in Arunachal Pradesh will also be completed," he added. The President said, during the last few years, there has been extraordinary development of infrastructure related to tourism. "Recently a nationwide programme has been launched from Kolkata for conservation and beautification of the heritage buildings of the country. The tourism sector is also being strengthened by the modern infrastructure being developed under Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes. New records are being created every day in the number of tourists visiting the Statue of Unity', the statue of Sardar Patel; which is the tallest in the world," he emphasised. Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) is a government scheme that focuses on identifying and developing the pilgrim sites across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GENEVA The World Health Organization declared the outbreak sparked by a new virus in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries as a global emergency Thursday after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an "extraordinary event" that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," he said. "Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." "This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China," he said. "On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and businesses including Starbucks and McDonald's temporarily closing hundreds of shops, Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. "There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade," he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. "During my discussion with the president and other officials, they're willing to support countries with weaker health systems with whatever is possible," Tedros said. On Thursday, France confirmed that a doctor who was in contact with a patient with the new virus later became infected himself. The doctor is now being treated in an isolated room at a Paris hospital. Outbreak specialists worry that the spread of new viruses from patients to health workers can signal the virus is becoming adapted to human transmission. China raised the death toll to 170 on Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical tests and even isolation. Russia announced it was closing its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against a new viral outbreak. It had been de facto closed because of the Lunar New Year holiday, but Russian authorities said the closure would be extended until March 1. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea confirmed their first cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. The man in the U.S. is married to a 60-year-old Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the epicenter of the outbreak. The case in South Korea was a 56-year-old man who had contact with a patient who was diagnosed with the new virus earlier. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus in Japan and Germany is worrying. In Japan, a man in his 60s caught the virus after working as a bus driver for two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, a man in his 30s was sickened after a Chinese colleague from Shanghai, whose parents had recently visited from Wuhan, came to his office for a business meeting. Four other workers later became infected. The woman had shown no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. "That's the kind of transmission chain that we don't want to see," said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHO's emergency committee. Koopmans said more information was needed about how the virus was spread in these instances and whether it meant the virus was more infectious than previously thought or if there was something unusual in those circumstances. Mark Harris, a professor of virology at Leeds University, said it appears that the spread of the virus among people is probably easier than initially presumed. "If transmission between humans was difficult, then the numbers would have plateaued," he said. Harris said the limited amount of virus spread beyond China suggested the outbreak could still be contained, but that if people are spreading the disease before they show symptoms as some Chinese politicians and researchers have suggested that could compromise control efforts. The new virus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. The latest figures for mainland China show an increase of 38 deaths and 1,737 cases for a total of 7,736 confirmed cases. Of the new deaths, 37 were in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital, and one was in the southwestern province of Sichuan. Outside China, there are 82 infections in 18 countries, according to WHO. China extended its Lunar New Year holiday to Sunday to try to keep people home, but the wave of returning travelers could potentially cause the virus to spread further. China has been largely praised for a swift and effective response to the outbreak, although questions have been raised about the police suppression of what were early on considered mere rumors a reflection of the one-party Communist state's determination to maintain a monopoly on information in spite of smart phones and social media. That stands in stark contrast to the initial response to SARS, when medical reports were hidden as state secrets. The delayed response was blamed for allowing the disease to spread worldwide, killing around 800 people. Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of Britain's Wellcome Trust, welcomed WHO's emergency declaration. "This virus has spread at unprecedented scale and speed, with cases passing between people in multiple countries across the world," he said in a statement. "It is also a stark reminder of how vulnerable we are to epidemics of infectious diseases known and unknown." -- The Associated Press Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, a global chemicals leader, and OSIsoft LLC, a leader in operational intelligence, are proud to announce that they have signed an Enterprise Agreement (EA) to further accelerate Mitsubishi Chemical's digital transformation. This is the first Japanese chemical company to enter into OSIsofts Enterprise Agreement. The Enterprise Agreement with OSIsoft will support Mitsubishis digital transformation initiative by enabling Mitsubishi to deploy OSIsoft's PI System broadly across its operations. The initial phase of this agreement will enable Mitsubishi Chemical to improve safety and optimize maintenance costs by leveraging real-time data for operational excellence and decision-making at selected plants. Ultimately, the goal is to use real-time data infrastructure to improve operations enterprise wide at many of Mitsubishis existing plants as well as at its new facilities planned abroad. Mitsubishi Chemical cites acceleration of data utilization using a unified data platform and infrastructure, as well as a strong partnership with OSIsoft, as the key reasons for their decision, said Takayuki Aoyama, Senior Manager of Mitsubishi Chemicals DX Promotion Group, which is responsible for achieving continuous business transformation for operational excellence. The value of the Enterprise Agreement is not only the unlimited use of licenses, but also the advanced support that accelerates training, development, utilization, and product development. We are excited about this new level of partnership with Mitsubishi Chemicals, a true global leader in sustainability and innovation, said Wolfgang Kuchen, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at OSIsoft. By joining Mitsubishi Chemical in their digital transformation, we are supporting their mission to create innovative solutions globally based on their core values of Sustainability, Health and Comfort. The companies plan to work together to support the objectives of digital transformation. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation The current Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation was formed on April 1, 2017 through a merger with Mitsubishi Plastics, Inc. and Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd. As of March 2019, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation and its 351 Group companies operate in business areas that include performance products and industrial materials. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation is accelerating its growth by solving social and global issues. As issues such as climate change, water resource shortages, population growth and aging, and food and agriculture problems increasingly diversify, business domains in these related fields will collaborate to provide comprehensive solutions. For more information, please visit https://www.m-chemical.co.jp/en/. About OSIsoft, LLC. Founded in 1980, OSIsoft has consistently focused on a single goal: to develop software that transforms data streams from critical operations from sensors, devices and industrial processes into rich, real-time insights to help people save money, save lives, increase productivity and create connected products. Over 1,000 leading utilities, 80% of the worlds largest oil and gas companies and 65% of the industrial companies in the Fortune 500 rely on OSIsofts PI System and other OSIsoft technologies. Worldwide, over 2 billion sensor-based data streams are managed by the PI System. For more, please visit http://www.osisoft.com. Media Contact: Lev Feigin (OSIsoft) lfeigin@osisoft.com 215.606.2004 A Perth man who brutally murdered a fellow methamphetamine user as revenge for his violence and disrespect has been jailed for at least 23 years. Dominic Calabro, 40, tied up, beat and repeatedly stabbed Andrew Minh Tran, 29, before cutting his throat after he arrived unexpectedly at Calabro's house, punched him at the doorway and walked inside in July 2018. Dominic Calabro has been sentenced to 23 years in jail. At his West Australian Supreme Court trial last year, Calabro testified he was defending himself against Mr Tran, who he described as a home invader, saying he had been violent and menacing in prior days, and Calabro expected future threats. "I didn't believe I had a choice in the matter," Calabro said. Shiv Sena in its mouthpiece Saamana has speculated that the deadly coronavirus might have been produced during attempts to develop biological weapons of mega destruction by China. "China's biological laboratory is in Wuhan province where coronavirus was found. The world community must research whether this virus was produced in attempts to develop biological weapons of mega destruction," read the editorial. "In the wake of threat from the coronavirus, several countries including India have put a ban on flights from and to China. This step might be justified but many countrymen are stuck in China. To bring them back is a challenge," it said. "It cannot be ruled out the possibility of the spread of the virus in northeastern states adjoining China. The need of the hour is to deploy special health teams in these states. The virus spread fast in China because it has a huge and dense population and its possibility of spreading fast in India cannot be ruled out," it added. In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, as many as 4,846 passengers have been screened till January 28 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai. Twenty-eight passengers were from Maharashtra out of which 12 had symptoms of mild cough, cold and fever. They were admitted to isolation centers. Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that cause respiratory illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The symptoms reported in patients with the novel coronavirus (nCoV) include acute onset of fever, cough, and difficulty in breathing. The infection results in severe complications and even death.At least 213 people infected with the deadly virus have died in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia to Close Border With China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak - Prime Minister Mishustin Sputnik News 09:39 GMT 30.01.2020(updated 11:27 GMT 30.01.2020) So far, the coronavirus epidemic has left 170 people dead and over 7,700 more infected in China. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said he had signed a decree to close Russia's border in the Far East as part of the effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus from China. "The Russian Transport Ministry, the Russian Federal Security Service's Border Service, the Russian Federal Customs Service and Rospotrebnadzor [Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare] should temporarily limit passage through checkpoints at certain sections of the Russian Federation's state border with the People's Republic of China, starting January 31, 2020, midnight local time," the decree reads. Also, Russia has suspended issuing electronic visas to Chinese citizens starting Thursday amid the coronavirus outbreak, the country's Foreign Ministry said. "From January 30, the issuance of electronic visas is suspended for citizens of the People's Republic of China to enter the Russian Federation through border checkpoints located in the Far East, the Kaliningrad Region, as well as through air, sea, road and pedestrian checkpoints located in the territories of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region," it said. The new strain of coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, was first detected in a seafood market in China's city of Wuhan at the end of last year. Since then it has spread to at least 16 other countries. The virus has claimed the lives of 170 people and left more than 7,700 infected in China. Many governments have created task forces to fight the spread of the new coronavirus in their countries. Some airline carriers have suspended direct flights to and from China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gay Byrne predicted that climate change would allow Ireland grow Mediterranean fruits and vegetables, cars would be banned in Dublin city, and people would have more leisure time. It was January 1996 and the broadcaster was sharing some of his thoughts on what 2020 might look like, in letter written for a time capsule project to mark European Nature Conservation Year 1995. Coming to light less than three months after he passed away, there is particular poignancy in the line that by 2020 "Ill be dead or 86-years old and still presenting The Late Late Show". Now, 25 years after being stashed away, letters he and other famous names wrote to the sixth class pupils in Loreto Primary School, Rathfarnham, Dublin are part of a unique cache re-opened yesterday. The late Seamus Heaney shared his pride in how his stanza containing the famous line "hope and history rhyme" had been quoted by President Bill Clinton and Mary Robinson and wanted that included in the capsule. The stanza reads: "History says, don't hope on this side of the grave, but then, once in a lifetime, the longed-for tidal wave of justice can rise up and hope and history rhyme." Expand Close JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Schools time capsule project reveals students 20-20 Vision Picture shows a letter from Gay Byrne, Irish presenter. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Schools time capsule project reveals students 20-20 Vision Picture shows a letter from Gay Byrne, Irish presenter. Broadcaster Joe Duffy presaged a 2020 "of materialism, greed and high tech communication which is designed to stop people meeting face to face", as he styled his letter on the words of the Beatles' song 'When I'm Sixty-Four'. "I'm forty today, and I wonder if you'll still need me (by 2020), if you will still feed me," he wrote. "My vision for 2020 is simple and revolves around that simple wish in the Beatles song - a pop group famous in the 1960s - nearly 60 years ago. "At this time in Ireland there is a lot of hurt and pain, needless suffering being inflicted on innocent people, often elderly. Video of the Day "Most of us feel powerless to do anything about it. "But while I know that 2020 will see a world of materialism, greed and high tech communication, which is desidned to stop people meeting each other face-to-face, I so hope and pray that in 2020 we will remmeber - and live - the Beatles motto that we should all try harder, every day, in every way to love each other even more and feed each other in every sense of the word." The then-Taoiseach, John Bruton also contributed, writing: "My hope for the year 2020 is that Ireland will be at peace and we will have helped provide a society in which every person counts and can make a wonderful contribution to the development of their community and their country." The school was one of 72 in Ireland that participated in the '20-20 Vision' project, organised by the then Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht. Other schools will open their time capsules in the weeks ahead. Expand Close JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Schools time capsule project reveals students 20-20 Vision Picture shows a letter from Seamus Heaney, Irish poet. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY. Schools time capsule project reveals students 20-20 Vision Picture shows a letter from Seamus Heaney, Irish poet. The project encouraged students across Ireland and the UK to think about their environment, what had happened over the previous 25 years, and how it might change over the following 25 years. Grainne Meaney, the sixth class teacher in Loreto Primary in 1995/96, was back yesterday for a walk down memory lane with former colleagues and pupils. Such was their collection, that the OPW supplied them with a bigger than usual capsule. When that proved too small, the local bank happily agreed to store part of the trove, while the capsule was buried in the school grounds. "The OPW said they would like to follow the project, that they would attend the burial and would invite President Robinson to officiate and she did. It was a very special time," she said. As well as pupils essays about their vision of 2020, interviews with, and letters from various people seeking comparisons between 1970 and 1995 and a look ahead to 2020, the capsule also included projects on the environment, photographs and video footage. Ms Meaney recalls how in her pupils' letters to children of 2020, there was a lot of focus on subjects such as "bullying, Boyzone and sports". School principal Sr Maria Hyland was newly arrived in Rathfarnham at the time but remembers sixth class as "a great group." One of those pupils and another from the Loreto, Omagh, who have passed away, were remembered in prayers. The Duchess of Cambridge 'misses' her close bond with Prince Harry and worries she'll 'never be close to him again,' a source has claimed. The comments come after the Duke of Sussex, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, announced they were 'stepping back' as 'senior royals' - before boarding separate planes to Canada with son Archie, eight months. But according to the insider, Kate Middleton, 38, has been left crying over the distance between herself and her brother-in-law. 'She wishes she could speak to Harry,' the source told Us Weekly. 'She misses him and fears she'll never be close to him again.' The Duchess of Cambridge, 38, and Prince Harry, 35, attend Anzac Day Service at Westminster Abbey, London, on 25 April 2019 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey on Commonwealth Day on 11 March 2019 (pictured together) But while the Queen offered her best wishes to the couple, who plan to split their time between Britain and North America, the decision has allegedly had an impact on Kate. The mother-of-three, who has Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, 20 months, has been busy fulfilling her royal duties - and has visited a nursery, science museum and community centre in the last week as she promotes her landmark survey on early childhood development. 'Kate's in a panic and has been having bouts of anxiety,' the source claimed. 'She barely has time to rest, and when she does try to sleep, her mind is constantly racing.' The source added of Kate's occasional 18 hour working days: 'She's already stretched pretty thin...and now she's really worried about how she'll juggle the extra workload on top of her family life.' Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend Christmas Day Church service at Church of St Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham estate on December 25, 2018 in King's Lynn The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attend a national service to mark the Centenary of the Armistice at Westminster Abbey in London on 11 November 2018 However, it's previously been reported that Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie will take on more prominent roles in The Firm after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's departure. Royal biographer Robert Lacey, who is the historical consultant for The Crown, said the sisters will 'be brought forward' because it's 'what the royal family needs' after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to step back from royal life. Princess Beatrice, 31, and Princess Eugenie, 29, are not currently considered to be senior working royals, because they do not carry out duties full time on behalf of the Queen. Speaking to Hello!, Robert revealed the sisters would be 'brought forward' if they were willing to be, saying: 'If two go out, two have got to come in, and those two have got to be Beatrice and Eugenie.' Meanwhile, as far as Kate and Meghan's relationship is concerned, the insider told US weekly: 'They couldn't be further apart.' The on Friday issued a notice to the Centre on a plea filed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh challenging amendments made in the Right to Information Act. After hearing the plea, which alleged that the amendments diluted the powers of the Information Commission, a division bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice KM Joseph, said that the court seeks response from the Centre within four weeks. Last year, the Congress leader had alleged that the government was bringing amendments in the Right to Information Act to take revenge on institutions as it exposes the "false claims" of the government.Participating in the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, Ramesh had cited five reasons behind the government's move to "dilute" the Act.He also raised questions on the timing of bringing the amendments to the Bill which mandates timely response to citizen's requests for government information.He said between 2003 and 2013, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat (Narendra Modi) was mandated to come to the Planning Commission and the body would ask him uncomfortable questions on the state of health and education in Gujarat."In 2014 the CM of Gujarat who became PM of India had his revenge and abolished the Planning Commission. Today, the Prime Minister of India is taking his revenge for these five cases," he said.The five cases he mentioned to strengthen his case were CIC's order on disclosure of Prime Minister's educational qualification, false claims made by the Prime Minister on bogus ration cards, CIC's revelation on demonetisation that RBI disapproved it, the then RBI Raghuram Rajan giving the list of top NPA defaulters and value of black money brought back from abroad."These are the embarrassing cases for the government. The case about his educational qualification in Delhi Court. The Prime Minister has claimed four crore bogus ration cards were weeded out by his government whereas the RTI shows that the number of bogus rations cards was actually 2.3 crore," he had said.The former Union Minister had said that the real reason for the amendments in the Bill was to make the CIC "toothless" and to convert the information body to "Prime Minister office directed body".He had accused the government of giving misleading statements regarding its claim of strengthening the RTI Act and the CIC. (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.) New bursary available for aspiring young musicians Aspiring musicians are being reminded time is running out to apply for the annual Roz Kelly Music Bursary. The fund was set up in 2018, thanks to the generous bequest of musician Roz Kelly, who passed away in 2015. The bursary offers two students from the Island up to 1,000 each to help with their studies at a UK summer school. Roz wanted to help young musicians to have the opportunity to participate in music. Applications are open to Isle of Man residents aged 16 21 who are able to demonstrate their musical promise and enthusiasm through a written application and provide a written recommendation from a teacher or mentor. The funding can be used towards the cost of travel and participation at a music summer school of their choice. The closing date for applications is 11 February 2020. New Delhi: In Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, Patiala House Court on Friday (January 31) will hear the plea of death row convicts seeking a stay on the date of the execution on Saturday (February 1). Moving the plea in the Delhi court, advocate AP Singh, who is representing convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma, submitted, "According to the Delhi Prison Rules, none of those convicted can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options including the mercy petition." In response to the petition filed by Singh, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad told the court on Thursday that this is "clearly a mockery of justice", adding "Convicts` lawyers are taking too much time to use their legal remedies." Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain will hear the matter today at 2 pm. Live TV On Thursday, the court issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts and asked the prison officials to submit a status report before 10 am today. The four convicts in the matter -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed convict Thakur`s curative petition, which sought commutation of the convict`s death sentence to life imprisonment. Recently, Vinay Kumar Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter, while Mukesh Kumar too had filed a mercy petition, which was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but failed to get any respite. Pawan Gupta is yet to file a curative petition in the top court. Meanwhile, reports say that Pawan Jallad, a hangman from Meerut Prison, has reached Tihar Jail two days ahead of the scheduled execution. According to Delhi Prison Rules, none of the four convicts in the same case can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options including the mercy plea. The apex court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President. Earlier on January 17, the trial court had issued black warrants for the second time for execution of all the four convicts -- Mukesh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay (26) and Akshay (31) -- in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. The court had earlier on January 7 fixed January 22 as the hanging date. On the night of December 16, 2012, six people including a juvenile had gang-raped and brutalised a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. Status Update since our January Forecast UNOWAS On 8 January, the Security Council held a briefing on West Africa and the Sahel with Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Special Representative and Head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), who presented the Secretary-Generals latest report on the region. Consultations followed the public session. At press time, Council members were still negotiating the mandate of UNOWAS, which expires on 31 January. The mandate is traditionally renewed for a three-year period through an exchange of letters with the Secretary-General. Sudan (Darfur) On 8 January, Council members met under any other business to discuss the situation in Darfur. Assistant Secretary-General for Africa Bintou Keita briefed members on recent intercommunal violence in West Darfur, which resulted in the death of several dozen civilians, as well as the looting of UNAMIDs former headquarters in South Darfur. Following the meeting, the president of the Council, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy (Viet Nam), delivered elements to the press condemning these two incidents. The UN Charter On 9 January, the Council held a ministerial-level open debate on Maintenance of international peace and security: upholding the UN Charter as an opportunity for member states to reflect on and reaffirm their commitment to upholding Charter principles, particularly in the context of international peace and security. Viet Nams Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Pham Binh Minh, chaired the meeting while Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Chair of the Elders Mary Robinson briefed. The list of speakers had 111 member states, which led to the open debate continuing over the following two days (Resumption 1 & 2). A presidential statement was adopted during the meeting. Colombia On 13 January, the Security Council was briefed by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Carlos Ruiz Massieu on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on the UN Verification Mission in Colombia and the most recent developments. On 15 January, Council members issued a press statement in which they reiterated their full and unanimous support for the peace process (SC/14081). Among other things, they expressed serious concern about grave security conditions in various parts of the country as well as the continued targeting of community and social leaders and former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Peoples Army members. They welcomed progress by the three components of the Integral System for Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-repetition and stressed the critical role these components play in the peace process and the need for them to be able to work independently and autonomously. Democratic Republic of the Congo On 14 January Security Council members held an informal interactive dialogue on the situation in eastern DRC with representatives of countries of the region, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MONUSCO Leila Zerrougui, and UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region Huang Xia. The US, who called for the meeting, wanted to bring together various stakeholders to discuss how to support the DRC government in its efforts to stabilise eastern DRC. On 20 January, Council members met under any other business to discuss the independent assessment report on the protection of civilians and neutralisation of armed groups in Beni and Mabasa Territories prepared by Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz. The report made several recommendations on how the UN could improve its role in the protection of civilians in those two territories. The UN Department of Peace Operations will use the assessments recommendations to develop an Action Plan for implementation. Jammu and Kashmir On 13 January, the Security Council was briefed by Assistant Secretary-General Mohamed Khaled Khiari and Brigadier General El Hadji Babacar Faye, Officer in Charge of the Office of Military Affairs (OMA) on Jammu and Kashmir under any other business at Chinas request. This follows a 12 December letter from the foreign minister of Pakistan to the President of the Security Council and a request from China for a meeting in December 2019. Most members reiterated their position that this was an issue that needed to be settled bilaterally between India and Pakistan. Mali On 15 January, the Council held a briefing, followed by consultations, on Mali. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix presented the Secretary-Generals latest report on Mali and the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and a Secretary-Generals letter on security challenges, MINUSMAs performance, and transition planning. On 17 January, Council members issued a press statement, noting some progress in the implementation of the 2015 Mali Peace and Reconciliation Agreement but expressing serious concern about the delays in the implementation of many of its substantive provisions. Among other points, members welcomed the Secretary-Generals plan, reflected in his report, to adapt MINUSMA by increasing its protected mobility, agility and flexibility. Cyprus On 20 January, Council members were briefed in consultations by Elizabeth Spehar, Special Representative and head of UNFICYP, on recent developments and the latest Secretary-Generals report. On 30 January, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2506 which extended the mandate of UNFICYP for another six months. Middle East (Israel/Palestine) On 21 January and 22 January, the Security Council held an open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (Resumption 1). Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, and Ursula Mueller, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, briefed. Both DiCarlo and Mueller spoke about the negative impact of the increase in Israeli settlements and demolition of Palestinian structures. Member states spoke on various topics, ranging from the need for the Security Council to act in support of the two-state solution to regional developments such as protests in Iran. UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia On 22 January, Council members met in consultations for a briefing on UNRCCA by Special Representative and head of UNRCCA Natalia Gherman. She updated Council members on the activities of UNRCCA since her last briefing in July, addressing issues such as terrorism, foreign terrorist fighters, regional cooperation, transboundary water management, and the role of women and youth in the region. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) On 30 January, the Security Council heard a briefing on the cooperation between the UN and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi briefed the Council. This briefing, held under the agenda item Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security, was the first Council meeting focused on cooperation with ASEAN. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and President Trump are radically different politicians, but her closing message before the Iowa caucuses may be best summed up by the catchphrase of her political rival: Drain The Swamp. While her fellow Democrats have staked their campaigns on calls for unity, promises of a political revolution, or the threat they pose to Mr. Trump, Ms. Warren is seeking to unite Democrats around a message of ridding Washington of corruption. She has become known for her broad array of policy proposals, but her stump speech namechecks very few. Instead, the speech shortened late last year to allow for more audience questions emphasizes her biography and upbringing. At this event, Ms. Warren was introduced by Julian Castro, the former housing secretary and presidential candidate, who has endorsed her. It is so good to be back in Marshalltown. You know, its so good that I brought family. I have my sweetie, Bruce stand up. Analysis Elizabeth Warren often acknowledges family at the top, the most frequent guest being her husband, Bruce Mann. Her son, Alex, is also a frequent visitor at rallies and Ms. Warren jokes that hes been her tech support throughout his life. So I thought what wed do today is, Id tell you a little bit about myself for any of you that I havent met yet. Tell you a little bit about why Im in this race. Try to do that short so we can take as many questions as possible, and that Im sure Im talking about the issues that are just most on your mind. Analysis This is a change Ms. Warren made around November. In the original version of her stump speech, she would go into more detail about her policy proposals, but now, she weaves descriptions of her policies into her Q&A with the audience. So, Im going to start with: I was born and raised in Oklahoma. [She waits for the audience to cheer.] I think that started with a lot of silence. [The crowd laughs.] Its okay, Oklahoma, we dont have that many people in Oklahoma. I was born and raised in Oklahoma and I have three much older brothers. And I am what used to be known as a late-in-life baby. My mother always used to call me the surprise! My three older brothers are all back in Oklahoma. And they are all retired and all, to this day, referred to collectively as the boys. Thats to distinguish them from the surprise! So when we were growing up our daddy had a lot of different jobs. He sold paint, he sold fencing, he sold carpeting, he sold housewares, and as Julian said, he ended up as a janitor. My mom was a stay-at-home mom until my daddy had a massive heart attack. She then took a minimum-wage job at Sears. Analysis She is, of course, stating facts. But shes also seeking to correct how she is frequently cast: an out-of-touch Harvard elitist, a professor who is academic and lecturing. She structures the speech to show her journey for what it is: a person rising from a working-class upbringing in middle America. All three of my older brothers went off and joined the military. It was their chance to serve. And it was also their ticket into Americas middle class. Now me. I have known what I wanted to be since second grade. You may laugh [points at audience] You didnt decide until when, fourth grade, fifth grade? No, Ive known since second grade and Ive never wavered from it. I wanted to be a public school teacher. Can we hear it for our public school teachers? Analysis This continues the theme of Ms. Warren recasting her biography, but its also a shout out to an important bloc of largely Democratic union voters. I wanted to be a public school teacher and I started early. I used to line my dollies up and teach school. I had a reputation for being tough, but fair. By the time I graduated from high school, though, my family didnt have money for college applications, much less to send me off to four years of university. So like a lot of Americans, my story is not a straight line story its a story with a lot of twists and turns. Analysis Ms. Warrens mother pressured her to focus on marriage instead of education, but she only hints at that here, sprinkling in humor to engage the audience. The experience was quite painful. Ms. Warren told a young voter that during a heated discussion, her mother slapped her across the face. So heres how my story goes. I was a high school debater and I got a scholarship to college. Woohoo! And then, at 19, I fell in love, got married, and dropped out. Woohoo! Not to that guy. [She points at her husband.] Bruce will be coming up in season two. So, got married and dropped out. It was my choice, and it was going to be a good life, but it wasnt gonna be the dream. I wasnt gonna get to be a public school teacher. So were living outside Houston and then I found it a commuter college 45 minutes away that cost $50 a semester. And for a price I could pay for on a part-time waitressing job, I finished my four-year diploma. I became a special education teacher and I had lived my dream job. Analysis Ms. Warren returns here to her desire to be a teacher. It also helps demonstrate how it wasnt until later in life that Ms. Warren became the progressive scholar we know her as. Now, do we have any teachers in here? Whoa, teachers, yes! Im going to need you to back me up on this: it is not a job, it is a calling. I loved this work. I was teaching special ed, I had four to six year olds. And I love my babies. And I probably would still be doing that work today. But like I said, my story has a lot of twists and turns and heres how mine goes. By the end of my first year in teaching, I was visibly pregnant. And the principal did what principals did in those days wished me luck, and hired someone else for the job. So, were living in New Jersey by now. Im at home. I got a baby. I cant get a job. I gotta do something. Analysis Conservative critics claimed last year that Ms. Warren was exaggerating and that her story had changed over time. But other teachers from the school corroborated her account, and Ms. Warren used it to rally her supporters, highlighting the pregnancy discrimination women faced, and still face, in the workplace. I will...go to law school! So! Baby on hip, I head off, I find a state law school that costs $450 a semester. Do three years of law school. Graduate visibly pregnant you will discover a pattern to these stories. Graduate, take the bar, pass the bar, and practice law for 45 minutes. And then, I went back to my first love: teaching. I traded little folks for big folks. And I spent pretty much all my grown up life teaching in law school. Other big changes in my life around this time: Husband number one. Hint: its never good when you have to number your husbands. Analysis Ms. Warrens stump speech isnt riotously funny by any means, but these self-deprecating lines get some of her best laughs. When she thinks she has a particularly good crowd, and the early jokes get big laughs, she delivers the later ones with gusto. Husband number one and I parted ways, but I found Bruce, and when you find a good one, hang onto them, and Ive done that. So here I am, teaching in law school. And I dont know if its because of how I grew up, but boy I taught the money courses. Contract law, commercial law, secure transactions, payment systems, corporate finance, partnership finance, law of debtors and creditors, bankruptcy law, law and economics. If it was about money, count me in. But there was always one central question I worked on. And that is, whats happening to working families in America? Why is Americas middle class being hollowed out? Analysis This is the thesis that she has been building to: that throughout her career, she has focused on understanding the plight of working people and how the government can improve their lives. Why is it that people who work every bit as hard as my mom and dad worked, two generations ago, today find the path so much rockier and so much steeper? And for people of color, even rockier and even steeper? Analysis This line has been in the speech since day one. Ms. Warrens campaign announcement video referred to the black-white wealth gap. It has been a point of interest since she started the campaign to meld her class analysis with a racial one. Why? And the answer is who our government in Washington works for. Think of it this way: we have a government that works great for giant drug companies, just not for people trying to get a prescription filled. Works great for people who want to make money investing in private prisons and private detention centers down at the border, just not for the human beings whose lives were torn apart by these places. Works great for giant oil companies that want to drill everywhere, just not for the rest of us who see climate change bearing down upon us. And when you see a government that works great for those with money, and its not working so well for much of anyone else? That is corruption, pure and simple, and we need to call it out for what it is. Analysis Ms. Warren places corruption at the center of every argument, and frames tackling it as a gateway to fixing health care, addressing climate change and improving gun control. It distills her many plans into one, streamlining her pitch and making it easier for voters to follow. Analysis None of the presidential hopefuls have promised reforms to lobbying and political influence that are as sweeping as what Ms. Warren has proposed, though Senator Bernie Sanderss promise of a political revolution touches on similar themes. Think of it this way: whatever issue brought you here today youre worried about the cost of health care, youre worried about gun safety and active shooter drills for our children, youre worried about the impact of climate change. If there is a decision to be made in Washington, I guarantee it has been influenced by money. Analysis Recall that Ms. Warren previously described how she taught finance-related courses at law school. She proved her expertise there to give her credibility on addressing corruption. So heres the deal. Were not going to be able to change this by just nibbling around the edges, just saying, rewrite this little bill, or do another little reg over here. No. If we want to fight back, and we want to fight back the influence of money, if we want to fight back against a country that works better and better and better for those with lobbyists and worse and worse and worse for everyone else its gonna take big, structural, change! And heres the deal: Ive got a plan for that! Analysis These are her campaigns slogans, which came after her many policy proposals began catching on over the summer. They have helped Ms. Warren project preparedness and win the support of the politically engaged, though some critics believe the focus on plans has narrowed her appeal. In fact, Ive got plans for lots of things, but they all boil down to one central notion. And that is, weve got a chance, right here in 2020, this chance to make our country work. Not just for those at the top, but a chance to make our country, to make our democracy work for everyone. Thats why Im in this fight. Analysis Fight is a favorite word of hers, and her 2017 book was called This Fight Is Our Fight. She seeks to convey that we are living in a time that requires grass-roots effort and big solutions that we are in a moral emergency, and smaller fixes wont cut it. OK! Lets do some questions. Focusing on disconnected youth who may or may not be in the criminal justice system is an important complement to what violence prevention groups like ours do, which is to focus on the young people most at risk of shooting or being shot. Disconnected youth in Chicago need relationships with caring adults, a path into the legal economy and a feeling of safety in their community. They need to have a stake in Chicagos future. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Indiabulls Real Estate (IBREL) locked in 5 percent upper circuit on January 31 after the company approved merger of some projects of Embassy Property Developments. Embassy is in discussions with financial investors such as The Blackstone Group Inc and others to raise up to $200 million before the merger. This equity investment of $200 million will bring significant cash for the merged entity to expand its business operations. IBREL will issue its equity shares of face value of Rs 2 each to Embassy shareholders, Under the proposed merger, certain ongoing, completed and planned residential and commercial projects of Embassy will get merged and stand transferred to IBREL. There were pending buy orders of 76,151 shares, with no sellers available. At 1433 hours, Indiabulls Real Estate was quoting at Rs 107.20, up Rs 5.10, on the BSE. The Galaxy Fold, after a few months, could see its Android 10 update soon. Galaxy Fold Android 10 update could arrive in February or March According to tipster Max Weinbach, the Galaxy Fold Android 10 update could arrive in February or March. Probably February, Weinbach says in his Twitter post, which means that the chances are greater of an early release date than a latter one. Weinbach is no stranger to the tipster role. He has shared the first real-life images of the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip. He has uncovered five Galaxy S20 models, three of which are 5G, that will come to market. Weinbach has revealed the smaller battery of the Galaxy Z Flip. All these pieces of information reveal that Weinbach has some significant credibility. Advertisement February or March: Which month makes sense for a Galaxy Fold update? A February release date for the Galaxy Fold Android 10 update makes sense. After all, Samsung usually releases the new update for veteran devices around the same time the company announces a new flagship. The Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra are all set for next month. All three will feature Samsungs new One UI software tweaks along with Googles Android 10 release. And yet, Samsung could wait until March to release it. Why? The reason comes down to the release of the S20 series. Samsung wont release the Galaxy S20 for purchase until March. Giving Fold owners the new update around the same time frees Samsung of the age-old complaint that it forces Android users to buy new devices to get new updates. In many ways, Samsung is likely better off releasing the Android 10 update as far away from Googles new announcement as possible. Advertisement Google announced Android 10 last Fall. Now nearing the month of February, there are as few as six months remaining before Android 11 is on the horizon. Complaints against Samsung in the past pertain to the companys slow system update releases. Some say that by the time Samsung releases an update, leaks about the new one are available. Samsung is getting better at faster update releases, so there is something positive in it all. Galaxy Fold users have spent $2,000 for a futuristic phone that is ahead of its time. The last thing they want to do is be behind the times in Android system updates. Advertisement What can users expect with the Folds Android 10 update? Googles Android 10 update will bring features such as a system-wide dark mode to the Galaxy Fold, not to mention features such as Live Caption and Smart Reply. Android 10 sees Android users with more control over their location data and their privacy. Formerly known as Android Q, Android 10s new name matches Androids rival operating system, iOS. Android 11 will arrive this Fall with Googles new Pixel 5 series. Samsung plans to announce a second-gen. Galaxy Fold around the same time. The Galaxy Fold 2 could cost significantly less than its original counterpart from 2019. DRINKS giant Diageo has tempered its sales expectations for the current year as it faces a backdrop of global "uncertainty". The Guinness and Baileys maker warned that full-year sales are expected to be on the lower end of forecasts as it was affected by volatility in global markets. The Ftse 100 firm's bosses also slammed the US government's decision to introduce a 25pc tariff on Scotch single malt whisky in October but said it was well-shielded from the impact of the tax during the half-year. CEO Ivan Menezes said that the company's US whiskey business and strong tequila business in the country means it "can handle it", but warned that "hundreds if not thousands of jobs" could be at risk at smaller Scottish distilleries. However, the London listed firm hailed a "good" half-year's trading performance as it said net sales increased by 4.2pc to 7.2bn (8.5bn) for the six months to December 31. It said that operating profit increased by 0.5pc to 2.4bn as organic growth was offset by unfavourable exchange rates. Diageo said it made progress, but warned that the company "would not be immune from further policy changes" in an uncertain political environment. The firm expects net sales growth for the full year to be towards the lower end of its forecast range, of between 4pc and 6pc growth. All of the company's spirits categories reported growth for the period, apart from vodka, which reported a modest level of decline. Diageo said it was particularly buoyed by strong growth in tequila, particularly in North America, while gin sales remained strong globally. In the UK, the company was strengthened by sales growth for Tanqueray, offsetting a slight decline in Gordon's sales. During the half-year, Diageo also increased its stake in non-alcoholic spirit brand Seedlip to take majority control. However, Diageo said it was hard to predict when economic conditions might improve in markets such as India, Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells told a call with journalists. She said it's too soon to see what impact the coronavirus outbreak will have on business in China, where Diageo owns the Shui Jing Fang baijiu brand and has opened retail outlets for its Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky. Diageo has suspended travel to China, and ensuring the safety of staff in that country is the main priority, Ms Mikells said, adding that the Chinese mainland accounts for about 4pc of total revenue. PA Media BoJack Horseman Good Damage Season 6 Episode 10 Editors Rating 4 stars * * * * Previous Next Photo: Courtesy of Netflix The final season of BoJack Horseman has spread its ensemble all across the country, and apart from galvanizing events like BoJacks acting showcase, its rare to see everybody in the same room. But the upside to this relatively scattershot approach is an episode like Good Damage, which largely dispenses with the other characters to take a deep dive into Diane Nguyen. After a brief hint that her memoir isnt going so hot in the midseason premiere, Good Damage drops us straight into Dianes life in Chicago, where shes living with her boyfriend Guy while trying, with limited success, to write a memoir that will enable her to take all the abuse and neglect shes survived throughout her life and turn it into something positive. In its later seasons, BoJack Horseman has gotten very adept at playing around with the animation itself to get into a specific characters headspace. The rough-hewn, scratchy representation of Dianes writing process is similar to BoJacks inner monologue from season fours Stupid Piece of Shit, and it serves a similar function, as Diane self-flagellates over her memoir. The execution is one of the more realistic takes on the writing process Ive ever seen, as Diane fixates on the same few incidents: being neglected and insulted by her chauvinist father, being bullied by a girl named Krissy Keating, and the adult relationships that have shaped her life, including Mr. Peanutbutter and BoJack Horseman. These thoughts are peppered with legal concerns (Check if its okay to to use her real name), practical asides (thats not right English, Ill fix it later), and self-mocking doubts ("Whiny Dianes Tome of Bellyachin!). Diane attempts to tie all these relatively disconnected ideas together with a single half-baked metaphor: A broken salad bowl Mr. Peanutbutter repaired using the Japanese art of kintsugi. In kintsugi, an artist uses gold lacquer to take something that was broken and turn it into a more original, singular, and arguably more beautiful work of art. Diane posits that her life is a bowl that was shattered by trauma and repaired into something more beautiful. Or maybe her life is the cracks? It doesnt help that Dianes plumbing of her own darkest memories coincides with her decision to go back on antidepressants, which she says makes her both clearer and foggier at the same time. Her only break from the wrenching process is a tossed-off crack at a childrens novel called Ivy Tran, Food Court Detective (depicted, appropriately, in animation thats much more distinctive and sharply defined than the animation used to depict her flailing memoir). Guy ends up sending Ivy Tran, Food Court Detective to Princess Carolyn, who loves it so much that she asks Diane to give up on the memoir and write the childrens novel instead. But Diane isnt willing to give up on her memoir so easily. When Princess Carolyn finally asks why Diane is so hellbent on putting all her worst memories onto the page, Diane is ready with an answer: If I dont, all the damage I got isnt good damage. Its just damage. What was it for? In response, Princess Carolyn gently (and probably correctly) suggests that Ivy Tran, Food Court Detective will do more to help and inspire little girls like Diane than a bleak, harrowing memoir ever could. But Dianes question still hangs in the air: What was it for? The sad and powerful answer is that trauma, on its own, doesnt really have any meaning. The meaning comes from the way each individual survives it and, in the end, learns how to grow both through it and past it. And if she never puts out a memoir that distills all those hard-won lessons into a single coherent package well, its a good thing her life itself does the same thing. Horsin around: Meanwhile, the His Girl Friday-esque reporters Paige Sinclair and Maximilian Banks, who are still chasing down the real story of Sarah Lynns death, track Penny to New Mexico. Aside from Sarah Lynns brief appearance alongside BoJack at Oberlin during the bender that ultimately led to her death, Penny doesnt know anything about the pop star but the experience does make her contemplate whether she should go public with her own story. Her subsequent conversation with Charlotte, in which they debate whether the truth about BoJacks behavior is worth the scrutiny it will invite, is absolutely heart-rending. It also dovetails nicely with Dianes fixation on good damage, and the question of how we either find or create meaning out of traumatic experiences that would otherwise feel meaningless. The very end of the episode returns to Charlottes phone call to BoJack, as seen at the end of the midseason premiere. In the immediate aftermath of the call, BoJack passes out. Weight gain is a fairly common side effect of antidepressants, and I appreciate how BoJack is depicting that realistically without making it the center of Dianes story, and without it sparking any conflict whatsoever in her relationship with Guy. The name on Dianes coffee cup is BLARN which was also on Dianes own name tag in 2007, when she worked as a Starbucks barista (and met Mr. Peanutbutter for the first time). Maximillian Banks drinks Guten Bourbon, the urban German bourbon Todd briefly hocked all the way back in season one. The endless roster of Chicago-Style items available in BoJack Horsemans Chicago includes a Chicago-Style vaccine, which I guess means no ketchup? Sofia Coppola cant direct a Robin Hood from Maid Marians perspective because shes too busy directing a Peter Pan from Wendys perspective. Per Princess Carolyn, Birthday Dads 0.006 ratings share makes it one of network TVs biggest hits. He only gets two lines, but its still such a delight to see Judah working for Princess Carolyn again. If youre still curious about kintsugi, heres a fairly comprehensive article. HYDERABAD, India, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ValueLabs LLP, a global technology services provider, has announced the launch of a new service line, 'Cognitive Operations'. ValueLabs is changing the fundamental way in which business processes are carried out within organizations by applying The Digital Flywheel framework. This has resulted in significant improvements in quality and speed, resulting in cost savings of about 30-55% for some of their clients. They have helped automate the extraction of data entities from legal contracts, optimize onboarding processes through automated data extraction from KYC documents, ML based categorization and closure of IT helpdesk tickets, automated loan processing through AI, etc. 'Cognitive Operations' caters to a wide range of business functions like Finance (automation and analytics in accounts payables, receivables, business finance and accounting), Legal (contract abstraction, discovery services, and NLP powered legal bots), IT Helpdesk, Customers Support, HR, Procurement, etc. Ranga Phani, SVP Digital Consulting and Strategy, said: "These are exciting times for us and our clients. The capabilities we have built in the Machine Learning space, when applied to real business use cases, are producing stunning results. We were able to automate about 40% of the work in our own internal Business Finance function last year! The investment we have made over the years in building accelerators and IP in all the areas of The Digital Flywheel is paying off. Our IP around converting unstructured data into structured insights is going to be a key differentiator in our ability to serve our customers better and faster. Our IP, talent pool and process maturity will be baked in as a part of this Service line." IP/Accelerators that are being made available as a part of Cognitive Ops by ValueLabs include the Cognitive Extractor (CE), DAN (Knowledge Base Automation), TDH (Test Data Hub - ML based Test Data Generator). About ValueLabs ValueLabs is a global technology company focused on Product Development, Data Technology and Digital Services. Powered by The Digital Flywheel, ValueLabs provides end-to-end solutions in the fields of Customer Experience, Data & Analytics, Product Development, and Automation. Over the last 22 years, the company has expanded to 30 locations, 5500 associates and 150 clients worldwide, and has recorded an industry-leading client Net Promoter Score (NPS) of over 75 for several years in a row. About The Digital Flywheel The concept of the Digital Flywheel was developed using the four elements: Product Development, Analytics, Automation and Experience. It was designed keeping the Business Strategy at the core, in order to align with the business objectives or organizational goals. These four elements then enhance one another, to meet the business objective and enable sustainable business momentum. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1022046/ValueLabs_LLP_Logo.jpg Contact: Bhavana Reddy Email: [email protected] SOURCE ValueLabs LLP Related Links https://www.valuelabs.com/ Building on the rampant popularity of Python was always going to be a good idea for the Facebook-born PyTorch, an open source machine learning framework. Just how good of an idea, however, few could have guessed. Thats because no matter how many things you get right when launching an open source project (great docs, solid technical foundation, etc.), there is always an element of luck to a projects success. Well, consider PyTorch lucky, then. Or blessed. Or something. Because its booming and, if analyst Thomas Dinsmore is to be believed, By the end of [2020] PyTorch will have more active contributors than TensorFlow. More contributors and more adoption? Thats a big jump for a rival to TensorFlow, long considered the industry default since its public release in 2015. Wild and crazy adoption As detailed in OpenHub, TensorFlow and PyTorch are running neck-and-neck in terms of 12-month contributor totals: TensorFlow (906) and PyTorch (900). This represents huge progress by the PyTorch community, given TensorFlows head start, and is reflected in the growth in PyTorchs user community, as reflected in Jeff Hales analysis of job posting sites for data scientist roles: Jeff Hale To be clear, this analysis reflects relative growth or decline over the past year. The TensorFlow user community is still much larger than PyTorchs, though in academics PyTorch has gone from distant minority to overwhelming majority almost overnight. All things considered, its not hard to see PyTorch quickly bridging the gap at this pace. Particularly given PyTorchs comparative advantages. Did I mention Python? Lowering the bar to data science As Serdar Yegulalp wrote back in 2017 at the launch of PyTorch, A chief advantage to PyTorch is that it lives in and allows the developer to plug into the vast ecosystem of Python libraries and software. Python programmers are also encouraged to use the styles theyre familiar with, rather than write code specifically meant to be a wrapper for an external C/C++ library. This means that PyTorch has always had the advantage of approachability. The documentation is excellent and theres a healthy community of developers happy to help out. This advantage is further accentuated by PyTorchs computational graph setup. As Savan Visalpara explains: TensorFlow is Define-and-Run, whereas PyTorch is Define-by-Run. In [a] Define-and-Run framework, one would define conditions and iterations in the graph structure then run it. In [a] Define-by-Run [framework, the] graph structure is defined on-the-fly during forward computation, [which is a more] natural way of coding. Dhiraj Kumar concurs, arguing that such a dynamic model allows data scientists to fully see each and every computation and know exactly what is going on. To be sure, with the release of TensorFlow 2.0, Google has made TensorFlow eager by default. As Martin Heller explains, Eager execution means that TensorFlow code runs when it is defined, as opposed to adding nodes and edges to a graph to be run in a session later, which was TensorFlows original mode. While this sounds great for TensorFlow because it helps the framework compete better with PyTorch in terms of ease of use, In enabling Eager mode by default, TensorFlow forces a choice onto their users use eager execution for ease of use and require a rewrite for deployment, or dont use eager execution at all. While this is the same situation that PyTorch is in, the opt-in nature of PyTorchs TorchScript is likely to be more palatable than TensorFlows Eager by default, warns Horace He. TensorFlow Eager mode also suffers from performance issues, though wed expect these to improve over time. In sum, while the market still leans heavily on TensorFlow, PyTorchs easy-to-learn, straightforward-to-use approach that ties into the worlds most popular programming language for data science is proving a winner. Although academia has been fastest to embrace PyTorch, we should expect to see ever-increasing adoption with the enterprise set, too. NYT Mocks Christians Who 'Just Trust God' with Health Care Sharing -- Here's the Truth NEWS PROVIDED BY Samaritan Ministries International Jan. 30, 2020 PEORIA, Ill., Jan. 30, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by Ted Pittenger, founder and president of Samaritan Ministries International: A recent New York Times story by Reed Abelson about health care sharing organizations used Samaritan Ministries International members Mark and Caroline Collie for the opening of the piece. It had a catchy headline: "It Looks Like Health Insurance, but It's Not. 'Just Trust God,' Buyers Are Told." Unfortunately, the article misrepresented both the Collies' story and Samaritan Ministries, and both the Collies and Samaritan Ministries requested a correction, to no avail. Mark Collie gave us permission to post his email to the Times on our website. He describes his family's disappointment in the politicization of their very personal story. It is disheartening that the Times thinks it knows the Collies' story better than the Collies do. Although Samaritan Ministries has been sharing financial assistance and spiritual and emotional support among our members for more than 25 years, we recognize that the concept of health care sharing may be new to many and there may be misunderstandings. As we are not insurance, our terminology and method of directly sharing between families can understandably raise sincere questions. Some may question why a faith-based, community approach is so important to us. We believe health care should not be reduced to a transaction. Samaritan members are not "buyers" of a commodity. They're members of a community. Samaritan members are not numbers. Or accounts. Or a market to grow. They're human beings who are deeply loved by Jesus Christ, and who are worthy of being loved and cared for by the family of God. The Times headline, "Just trust God," was taken out of context and left out the fact that last year Samaritan members shared more than $300 million directly from one Christian family to another. Samaritan Ministries' trust in God is faith in action; we back up our heartfelt prayers and encouragement with money and sound governance, not just words. Transactional, commodity-based health care is dehumanizing. If we strip health care down to a commoditized, financial transaction, should we be surprised when we feel alone, when we have to fight to get care, when organizational practices and billing to patients lack transparency, when we get the nagging feeling that we're simply part of a system with an agenda, where others know our story better than we do? We believe our members' stories matter, that we're together on a journey of both healing and faith. And we believe that if we work together with all who are willingwhether a provider, the media, government or educatorsday after day we can make health care just a little bit better. (Read the full version of Samaritan Ministries' response here.) SOURCE Samaritan Ministries International CONTACT: Hamilton Strategies, 610-584-1096 Related Links https://samaritanministries.org/ Share Tweet WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States is trying to secure permission from Iraq to take Patriot missile defenses into the country to better defend U.S. forces after Iran's Jan. 8 missile attack, which wounded 50 American troops, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday. The United States did not have Patriot air defenses deployed to al-Asad air base in Iraq, where at least 11 of Iran's ballistic missiles struck, killing no one but triggering massive blasts that caused traumatic brain injury among U.S. forces. "We need the permission of the Iraqis," Esper told a news conference. He said securing their permission was one factor slowing the repositioning of the air defenses. He said the U.S. military was still deciding on more tactical issues, such as where best to place the defenses. Tehran had been expected to retaliate against the United States over the killing of a top Iranian general, likely using ballistic missiles. But in the days prior to the Iranian strikes, the Pentagon had expected Tehran more likely to target U.S. positions in countries other than Iraq, since Tehran counts influential allies in Baghdad. The United States had moved Patriot batteries last year to Saudi Arabia, for example. Thanks to U.S. intelligence, the Pentagon gained hours of warning time that allowed it to move troops to bunkers that were strong enough to prevent loss of life or limb when the Iranian missiles struck, U.S. officials say. The bunkers were not designed to prevent the traumatic brain injuries from the massive blasts. The injuries so far have been categorized as "mild." (Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Howard Goller) President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other dignitaries proceed towards the Central Hall of Parliament to attend the joint session ahead of Budget Session, in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI) New Delhi: Asserting that the BJP led NDA governments decisions are in deshhit (national interest), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked ruling alliance leaders not to feel defensive about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as the law does not discriminate against any citizen of the country, including the Muslims. During the NDA meeting to chalk out the ruling alliances strategy for the Budget Session of Parliament, that commenced on Friday, a key constituent of the NDA, Shriromani Akali Dal (SAD) suggested that the NDA should hold meetings regularly and not like a token meeting in the beginning of Parliament sessions. Another constituent Janata Dal (United) urged the Central government to remove questions seeking details of parents in the National Population Register (NPR) questionnaire. The JD(U) also urged the government that each NDA constituent should be briefed separately on the issue and their concerns should be taken into consideration. The SAD also supported the JD(U) on the issue and also suggested that the government should also take suggestions from the NDA allies on key decisions taken by it. In Bihar, where the JD(U) is leading the coalition government, Assembly polls are scheduled by the end of this year and there is an apprehension that the misinformation regarding the NPR could dent the NDA's poll prospects. The government had earlier clarified that people are free to not answer questions about their parents such as place and date of birth in the NPR exercise. Another ally, Apna Dal requested that the next national Census should also release the caste-wise data. The Prime Minister, it was learnt, told the NDA members that the CAA is not against the Indian citizen and the Opposition was trying to create a rift between people and unrest in the country by trying to communalise the new law. Mr Modi, sources said, had wanted NDA leaders to take on the Oppositions charge against the CAA. HAMDEN People are standing behind the parents demanding accountability from their childs school in light of students of color being cast as slaves in a class assignment. A small group of supporters stood outside West Woods Elementary School as Superintendent of Schools Jody Goeler and other administrators addressed the fifth-grade class who received the play in which two students of color were cast as slaves. The parents of one of those students, Carmen and Joshua Parker, organized people to come out after Carmen Parker and other residents called on school Principal Dan Levy to take accountability. The parents learned about the play last week when their 10-year-old biracial daughter came home with the class assignment meant to teach her about the slave trade. The teacher was put on administrative leave Monday, but Carmen Parker said she wanted the teacher back in the classroom and the principal removed, because putting only the teacher on the line for the situation was the administration dodging responsibility Goeler, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Chris Melillo, Social Studies Director Jennifer Vienneau and Levy met with the parents, then the fifth-grade class, to explain what happened. Carmen Parker said the school hadnt directly communicated to parents about the incident. More News Parents blame school administration for casting in slavery play Joshua Parker said his daughter came home in tears Wednesday after school because other students were bullying her about the incident. The girls peers accused her of getting the teacher sued and fired, he said, which her parents dont want. Parker said when his daughter came home crying, he had to explain everything hed been trying to shield her from and undo her idea that the incident was her fault. Goeler, asked when the teacher might be back, said Director of HR, Mr. (Gary) Highsmith expects to have his interviews completed by the end of the workday (Friday). Carmen Parker said having her daughter go to school Thursday was a hard decision. As many as 10 people stood on the sidewalk outside the school in support of the parents. Hamden resident Cassi Meyerhoffer, an associate professor of sociology at Southern Connecticut State University, said school administrators need to work not just on anti-bias and equity, but on anti-racism. Meyerhoffer said their demonstration was not anti-teacher. Social justice community organizer Kerry Ellington said the Parkers daughter being cast as a slave isnt an isolated incident, citing racism present in town. Hamden school administrators have come under fire before when a former employee shouted racist slurs at a black couple in an East Haven Shoprite and when a Hamden grandmother alleged a school resource officer bullied her grandson. Racism is in the reaction, Ellington said of the administrations response. As many as four Hamden police cruisers surrounded the school Thursday morning. As the Parkers walked toward the school entrance, one officer stopped them and told them he needed to check with his superior to let them by, Joshua Parker said. When they got to the school entrance, he said the school secretaries also wouldnt let them in until Levy arrived. Asked why police were present, Goeler said it was a matter of school safety. We received information that an unknown amount of people were going to descend upon the school grounds during school hours, he wrote. I asked that an officer or two be there to ensure that the perimeter of the school remained safe. Its not uncommon to have a police presence when there is a potential for a large group at our schools for an event that is not school sponsored, such as elections. David Canton, a Hamden resident and director of the Africana Studies Program at Connecticut College, joined the meeting with school administrators addressing the fifth-grade class. Canton said a reason incidents such as this flourish is that most teachers havent learned about African-American history. Carmen Parker said having students play slaves and slave traders is hurtful the same way it would be having kids play Jews in concentration camps and Gestapo the secret Nazi police in WWII. She said since there are still living Holocaust survivors to tell their own horror stories, and its relatable to white people, that situation isnt trivialized the way the slave trade experience is in the play. Levy, in a letter to West Woods families Thursday, said, The education and well-being of the students entrusted to our care is of great importance to us all. It should be noted that Hamden Public Schools has placed significant emphasis on increasing the diversity of our curricular materials. We remain engaged in a major initiative to help staff and students develop a greater understanding of issues related to cultural sensitivity and equity. Later Thursday, Hamden Schools addressed the issue on its website. Ensuring that our students understand and appreciate the horrors associated with the enslavement of African-Americans in this country and around the world is a significant albeit critical responsibility we have as educators. We are committed to working with local and national scholars to determine the best way for us to have our students learn about and understand not just the enslavement of African-Americans, but to appreciate and become aware of the entirety of the African-American experience. As we continue our work to develop and implement best practices in culturally responsive instruction and curriculum in our schools, we are taking a systems approach to training our staff on implicit bias and culturally responsive practices across the district. Some of the continuing initiatives to assist us in this effort include the Anti-Defamation Leagues No Place For Hate Training, Hamden High Schools Student Ambassador Program (which was developed through our collaborative work with Harvard University), and our work with SCSUs Change From Within program. We acknowledge the pain that members of our school community are experiencing at this time due to this incident, and are committed to doing whatever we can to repair the hurt. mdignan@hearstmediact.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Duncan Graham (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 13:21 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e3366 4 Lifestyle by-the-way,flood,fire,Australian,Australia,disaster,disaster-mitigation,policy Free At the Jakarta floods deepened, politicians praised the gotong royong (working together) values shown by residents struggling against the rushing waters. Meanwhile in coastal towns around Sydney and Melbourne, the same cheer was being sent to citizens fleeing devastating bushfires: Applause for communities self-help spirit. These natural events have happened before, and weve pulled through, said the elected leaders in both countries. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. Be patient. They larded sermons with statements about national resilience, cooperation and mutual aid as though these human qualities are confined within borders drawn on maps. For a moment such declarations felt comforting until the victims realized what was missing: money and clear policies. Remember the fury of Florida student Sarah Chadwick demanding a review of gun laws after 17 people were shot dead at her school? In 2018, she told President Donald Trump: I dont want your condolences [] do something instead of sending prayers. Could the floods and fires have been prevented? Probably not, but their severity might have been lessened if the threats had been taken seriously long ago and responders better prepared. Urban planners say housing should not have been allowed in Jakartas low-lying areas, while regular dredging of rivers and raising levees would have helped reduce damage and death. In Australias federal system, the states have their own emergency services; the national government stepped in only weeks after what old-timers call The Red Steer had run amok. Eventually Canberra ordered the army and navy to help and announced plans to buy more water bombers. In a few more weeks the dry season will arrive in the archipelago and the winter rains start in Australia. The mud and ash will disappear. Well be busy celebrating 75 years of independence, covering the scars with red-and-white bunting. Down Under, the resilient eucalyptus will turn black forests green; kangaroos that out-hopped the flames will repopulate the paddocks. Memories of the furnace times will dampen and with them the plans to ensure next year will be different. Whether the natural disasters are linked to global warming has become a heavyweight debate, dividing both nations into climate change deniers and advocates. The issues are complex and clouded by partisan disinformation. Both countries mine, burn and export coal, alleged to be the villain. The power industry lobby is as strong and influential as its name suggests. Its difficult to tell whos right when vision is impaired by smoke and mirrors, so the need for clear and factual information is even more essential. So, whos going to keep the b--tards honest, as Australians say? Last years surprise win by the Liberal-National Party coalition has left the Labor Party in such disarray that it has yet to muster the energy to constructively criticize government policies. In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo has brought so many parties into his government theres no effective opposition left. That leaves the media as the reminder of responsibilities. Politicians who fear scrutiny turn to shooting messengers. In 2018, a new Indonesian law was passed threatening charges against anyone who disrespects the legislature or its members. In Australia, a proposed Integrity Commission to investigate corruption wont have the power to make findings against politicians and their staff. Which makes the elected members of both democracies protected species. Politicians like Donald Trump urge the public to ignore the medias nonstop nagging. Its boring, negative, depressing. They want us to be distractors, screening vacuous celebrities and trite quiz shows. These are easy to absorb and cheaper to telecast. Harry and Meghan only fled the queens displeasure but seem to have been getting more attention than those escaping natures wrath. Roman poet Juvenal set the policy 1,800 years before TV: Panem et circenses (bread and circuses). Keep the masses amused and theyll forget crises. Editor of The Conversation Misha Ketchell wrote: The fourth estate has a crucial role in holding power to account [] pretty much every media organisation is struggling with precarious funding [] time they once spent scaring the wits out of politicians and business leaders is now spent fighting for survival. The Conversation is one bright hope: Its an Australian commentary website that also publishes Indonesian experts in Indonesian. Academics write on political and social issues then copy editors strip out the gibberish and make the gurus often prolix prose digestible. In the past decade more than 3,000 Oz hacks have been let go as newsrooms downsize. Many end up as spin doctors; there are now more people in public relations than journalism. In Indonesia, reporters lose more than their jobs: 10 have been killed since 1992, according to the international Committee to Protect Journalists. Indonesia has numerous world-class media workers driven by the belief that the public has a right to know and are ready to risk all to tell the truth. Others, in both countries, are beholden to proprietors waist-deep in politics. Unfortunately, the republic has no equivalent to the independent broadcasting corporations in Britain, Australia, South Africa and Canada, and the US Public Broadcasting Service. Without independent and fearless journalists badgering the betrayers, standby for more floods and fires this time next year. Theyll come with promises and prayers. At least these are being recycled. (Alliance News) - TransGlobe Energy Corp on Thursday said it is "pleased" with the performance of a new well in South Harmattan in Alberta, Canada. The final well of a drilling programme has now been on production for 60 days since being drilled, TransGlobe said, with initial rates "very encouraging". It has now been added to the company's list of producing wells. Initial production has been 415 barrels of oil equivalent per day, including 379 barrels of light oil. TransGlobe said the production history of the area is relatively short and not indicative of long-term performance, but it is nevertheless "very encouraged" by the resource potential of the lands it holds at South Harmattan. The assets are located on the Cardium formation, which runs along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Some 10,000 wells have been drilling into the formation since the 1940s. Following the successful well result, TransGlobe has now updated its 2020 drilling programme which will look to develop and mature the company's Cardium resource. "TransGlobe has developed a strong asset portfolio, including resource plays in Canada, mature producing fields in Egypt's Eastern Desert, and exploration opportunities in Egypt's Western Desert. This range of opportunities allows us to optimally manage the risk-reward profile of our exploration and development spending, and allocate capital to the projects that will have the most significant impact on shareholder value," said Chief Executive Randy Neely. "In Canada, we have made a potentially significant discovery of resources in a new, effectively undrilled area, where we already have a significant footprint. These projects will continue to deliver on our strategic focus of building a profitable, growth-oriented international portfolio which can provide increasing and real returns to shareholders." "In Egypt, we have been making steady progress on the consolidation, amendment and extension of our Eastern Desert production sharing contracts, which, when completed, will provide the foundation for the company to grow production and reserves for years to come," Neely continued. Shares were untraded in London on Friday, last quoted at 100 pence each. By George Collard; georgecollard@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Swathes of south-east Australia were bracing yesterday for a days-long heatwave that threatens to stoke bushfires that have been burning for months. As firefighters and residents prepared for the heightened danger, the New South Wales (NSW) state government launched a six-month inquiry to examine both the causes of and response to this season's deadly wildfires. "We don't want to waste the opportunity to take on board any recommendations we need to adopt ahead of the bushfire season this year... as we approach summer of 2021," said Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of NSW. NSW state has been one of the hardest hit by bushfires, which started earlier than usual in September. The blazes have burnt out more than 117,000 sq km across Australia's most populous states, killing at least 33 people and about one billion animals, and destroying 2,500 homes. Fire danger warnings were issued yesterday for several areas in South Australia state, where temperatures were forecast to exceed 40C and winds were expected to reach 35kmh. Among them was Kangaroo Island, a popular tourist destination that has already been razed by fires that killed two people. After a day of heat, by early evening no new fires had emerged. "On Friday, there will also be hot and windy conditions, however, some parts of the island may experience rainfall from mid-morning," the state's fire service said. "A total fire ban is in place on the island, with a rating of severe." In Victoria state, authorities issued a watch and act warning for people near Bendoc in the Snowy Mountains close to the New South Wales border. "Don't wait, leaving now is the safest option - conditions may change and get worse very quickly. Emergency services may not be able to help you if you decide to stay," emergency services officials said. The severe heat and high winds are forecast to hit NSW and Victoria states from today, threatening to spark new life into some of the 87 fires burning across the three states or create new blazes. The adorable moment two young gorillas hug each other in a sweet embrace has been captured on film. It was snapped by a visitor to Prague Zoo earlier this week. The brothers were play-fighting before and after their sweet moment. Primates, including gorillas, have complex social structures and rely on physical contact to establish strong relationships. The adorable moment two young gorillas hug each other in a sweet embrace has been captured on film (pictured) Ajabu (pictured) and his older brother were seen running around their zoo enclosure and play-fighting Keen wildlife enthusiast and Zoo regular Lucie Stepnickova photographed Kiburi and his younger brother Ajabu on January 26 at Prague Zoo, Prague, Chech Republic. After playing around for a while, the pair of primates take a break from the wrestling and play-fighting to share a sweet cuddle. Ms said: 'Ajabu is very fond of Kiburi. He loves playing with him, although he usually catches a few rough blows and thanks to his brother he flies through the pavilion. 'But it's amazing to see Ajabu come to Kiburi after that, and snuggle together. 'Kiburi embraces him tenderly and protective, lovingly caring for his younger brother, who often falls asleep.' The lively males are seen play-fighting in their enclosure, using props such as a chest, logs and hammocks. Footage also captures the moment a large silver-backed male gorilla strolls over to the siblings to interrupt their monkey business and break up the play fighting. The youngsters instantly calm down and split as the adult male chastises them. Keen wildlife enthusiast and Zoo regular Lucie Stepnickova photographed Kiburi and his younger brother Ajabu on January 26th at Pargue Zoo, Prague, Chech Republic The lively males are seen play-fighting in their enclosure, using props such as a chest, logs and hammocks to entertain themselves Footage also spots the moment a large silver-backed male gorilla has had enough of the monkey business and strolls over to the siblings to break up their play fighting (pictured) When it comes to doling out money through a grant program for economic development, Gov. Tom Wolf relies heavily on input from his Department of Community and Economic Development to decide which projects should get financed. The man leading that department, Dennis Davin, has over 30 years experience working on community development projects in Allegheny County. He has come to see the states Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program as absolutely critical to Pennsylvania maintaining its status and even growing its status. Since taking office in 2015, Wolf has distributed $1 billion in economic development grants through the program. Davin spoke with PennLive on Thursday to offer some insights about that grant program and the role his department plays in helping the governor decide which projects to fund. Here are excerpts of that conversation: What kind of scrutiny do project funding requests receive? Requests for funding for projects included in the capital budget receive an initial review by the governors Office of the Budget to see if they meet the criteria to be eligible for a RACP grant. Then it ships that list of projects to the Department of Community and Economic Development which reviews each request, looking for ones that really contributed to the economic viability of an area or the community development of the area, Davin said. He said DCED has two offices in each of six regions of the state. Each office - one for the department and one for the Governors Action Team serves as our boots on the ground. They have a really good understanding of whats going on in that particular region. Specifically, he said they know what economic development projects are coming and what deals are being made that are important to a particular area. In some cases, our regional folks may even go out to some of the projects to look at them and give expert analysis of what they think about the project, Davin said. They also work closely with state lawmakers and elected officials from a community where a project is based as well as local community development organizations for input in shaping the recommendations for project funding to the governor. We want to make sure we are utilizing these funds to the best of our ability, Davin said. How influential are lawmakers in decisions about which projects receive funding? Wolf strongly urges his department and the Office of Budget to work with lawmakers, who know their districts well, to make sure the projects seeking funding will have a lot of meaningful impact, Davin said. I got to tell you we have a really good rapport with just about every member of the Legislature. Between folks here, myself, our senior staff and folks here in Harrisburg and the regional offices, we do a pretty good job getting out there and getting to know our state representatives and senators. I got to tell you they make hard decisions themselves about what they want and what they need to support. A lot of what we see from them are really good projects. So when they say something we take that to heart. What, from your perspective, makes a project worthy of funding? We are looking at projects that will create jobs, create investment, provided needed infrastructure, will provide community enhancements to particular areas that are necessary to help the communities continue to maintain their status or grow, Davin said. The reason were the Department of Community and Economic Development is that we need strong communities in order to attract talent, attract people to these strong communities. [Communities will] be attractive if they are strong, vibrant, if there have activities for them to partake in and be part of and theyre interesting places to be. We take that very, very seriously. "When you are looking at it from an economic development standpoint and the economy of the state, I think a lot of the focus is always on Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and rightfully so. There should be a lot of focus there. But there should be as much focus on the other third-class cities and other regions because they have something to offer that we can use to attract talent and then attract companies to Pennsylvania and also to keep companies in Pennsylvania. Why do some grant requests not get funded? They dont get funded if they dont have the local matching funds secured or if they are not construction ready, he said. Thats something this governor has really been pushing, Davin said. We want RACP, to the best of the ability of the applicants, we want projects that are construction ready. So this may be the last money they needed to make this project go. Thats another big part of what we look at. How do you weigh the potential return on investment against the value a project may have to a community? Its hard. Everybody has an opinion," he said. Its difficult to determine exactly the return on investment because a lot of these funds are used for infrastructure. So how do you put a return on investment for roads or sidewalks or parks or things like that?" From the departments perspective, projects like that have a great upside return, he said. Amenities like that can "attract a tax base, attract talent to those communities, attract jobs to those communities. Why do some counties do better than others in getting RACP funding for projects? The areas that have a cohesive strategy and work together are the areas that do the best, Davin said. "So we have areas all throughout the state where county commissioners and the mayor and the state representative and the senator and other organizations are all on the same page as to what they believe the priorities are. Thats the case with Erie County, which has received the fifth highest amount of grant dollars through this program since Wolf took office. Erie does a great job of really working on their priorities and coming to us as one voice for the Erie region as to what the priorities are. Its not all in the City of Erie. Its not all in one specific place in the business district of Erie but its all around Erie and Erie County and other places around there. Those are the places and I think York [County] is in that same category. They have their act together and they really do a great job of working together to determine what their priorities and what their needs are. How important is this program to Pennsylvanias economy? Its absolutely critical. Ive been doing this for over 30 years and Ive seen the reduction in funding coming from the federal government," Davin said. It has been consistent that weve got reduced support from the federal government in a lot of different ways throughout the state. He added: Without this money, Pennsylvania would be in really bad condition in my opinion. These places they have absolutely critical needs. In many cases, the communities alone cant raise taxes to build up the revenue needed to fund some of these projects, he said. "So I think the RACP program is absolutely critical to Pennsylvania maintaining its status and even growing its status. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Driving on deteriorating and congested roads costs each Albuquerque driver more than $2,000 a year, according to a study released Thursday by a national transportation research group. Results of the report New Mexico Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the States Need for Safe, Smooth and Efficient Mobility were shared by TRIP associate director of research and communication Carolyn Bonifas Kelly to members of the state Legislature this week. Overall, she said conditions of the states roads were costing state motorists $2.6 billion. She told the Journal the cost to motorists factored in three elements: vehicle operation costs, safety and congestion. For vehicle operational costs, its the wear and tear on vehicles, including tires, she said, also mentioning lost time at work waiting on repairs and insurance costs with crashes. With congestion, theres fuel efficiency, the loss of fuel. For a driver in Albuquerque, the amount comes out to $2,114, the report states. For a Santa Fe driver, its $1,655 per year and motorists in Las Cruces spend $1,467. The report stated that 54% of major roads and highways in the state are in poor or mediocre condition, while 34% of roads are in good condition. It lists 38% of roads in Albuquerque in poor condition, 22% in mediocre condition and 39% in either fair or good condition. Kelly said statistics are based on reports sent in by local and state governments to the Federal Highway Administration. The report also stated that the New Mexico Department of Transportation identified nearly $2.8 billion in needed, but unfunded, projects throughout the state. Included in that are $850 million for reconstruction along the Interstate 10 corridor in southern New Mexico and $500 million for reconstruction of Interstate 25 from the Sunport to the Big I in Albuquerque. The Legislature appropriated $389 million for road repairs around New Mexico in last years budget bill. The most congested areas in the state are also listed. Nine of the top 10 are in Albuquerque. Topping the list is I-40 from I-25 to Juan Tabo. Paseo del Norte from Coors NW to Barstow NE and I-25 from Paseo del Norte to Comanche are next on the list. Kelly said the rankings are based on Google analytic data. Its based on peak driving time, 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. rush hour traffic, she said. The report also lists 1,853 traffic fatalities in New Mexico from 2014-18, for an average of 371 per year. It attributes a third of the fatal crashes to road conditions, which it said drove up safety costs. It said Albuquerque averaged 83 deaths per year. Efforts to reach the New Mexico Department of Transportation for comment were unsuccessful. Washington, D.C.-based TRIP is a private nonprofit that researches, evaluates and distributes data on surface transportation issues, according to its website. Its sponsored by insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, businesses involved in highway and transit engineering and construction, labor unions and organizations concerned with an efficient and safe surface transportation network that promotes economic development. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Gladys Liu is in her kitchen, rustling up dinner. While the politician stirs and sautes, my eye is caught by a photograph on the wall of a glamorous woman dressed in a cheongsam. Her hair is swept into an elegant coiffure. She clasps a fan and strikes a pose. When I move closer and study the image, I realise with a start who the woman is. At least, I think I recognise her. Spending time with Liu is like falling down a rabbit hole into a world where things are not always what they seem. She glances up. Yes, thats me, she says. Liu is a federal government backbencher, the Liberal member for the east Melbourne seat of Chisholm. In person, she is small, neat, unflamboyant. She wears rimless glasses and demure business suits. Yet since the revelation last year of her past membership of organisations linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), controversy has swirled around her. The curious case of Gladys Liu, as one headline writer called it, has baffled some and brought out black humour in others. When an acquaintance of mine learns I am profiling her, he says delightedly, The Chinese spy! Sitting in the kitchen, a glass of wine in my hand and the aroma of sizzling prawns in my nostrils, I reflect on the deceptiveness of appearances. The woman in the photograph is Liu. But who is Liu, exactly? Her jauntiness is what strikes me the first time we meet, at her electorate office on a late-spring morning. The cloud of suspicion hanging over her might have been expected to dampen her spirits but no, Liu is resolutely looking on the bright side. The whole thing has raised my name and face recognition, she says. Liu won her seat in the federal election last May. She had been in the House of Representatives for just four months when the ABC reported that Chinese government records indicated she had belonged to associations with ties to the United Front Work Department, a CCP agency that aims to promote Chinas political interests by exerting influence on overseas Chinese communities and foreign governments. Liu agreed to an interview with Sky News host Andrew Bolt, presumably with the intention of quashing suggestions that her integrity was compromised. But on air, she seemed nervous and evasive, fanning speculation that she had something to hide. She said she couldnt remember being on the council of the Guangdong chapter of the China Overseas Exchange Association for 12 years to 2015. If I cant recall, I cant be an active member of that council, can I? she said. Neither could she remember being honorary president of the United Chinese Commerce Association of Australia. When Bolt tried to draw Liu into criticising China, she demurred, declining to use the word illegal to describe the countrys military expansion in the South China Sea and refusing to categorise Chinas president, Xi Jinping, as a dictator. She said she supported Australian government policy on China and always put Australias interests first. Bolt finished the interview with a showmans flourish: Gladys Liu, are you in effect a spokesman for the Chinese Communist regime in Australia? She replied, The simple answer is no. Advertisement By then, members of the Canberra press gallery had gathered outside the Sky News studio in Parliament House. The following day, as the brouhaha escalated, Liu issued a statement reiterating her allegiance to Australia. She said she had resigned from many Chinese community organisations and was checking whether others had made her a member without her consent. Between then and now, she has kept her distance from the media and resisted calls by the Labor Opposition to explain herself in Parliament. Insisting to me that her morale is absolutely fine, she says, I know theyre not attacking me as Gladys. Theyre attacking a person they want to bring down. And I am able to step out from that person. I blink as I grapple with the concept of two Lius, one taking flak on behalf of them both. What it means, she says, is I dont take things personally. Liberal MP Gladys Liu and Prime Minister Scott Morrison after her maiden speech, in which she declared, How good is Australia? Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Liu sometimes refers to herself as Australias first Chinese-born MP, though in fact she was born in Hong Kong in 1964, when it was still a British colony. Her parents had moved there from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, where they were poor farmers. Sigmour (Lius Chinese name), the fourth of six children, came to Australia aged 20 to take up a scholarship to study speech therapy. I had no family here, no friends, no money and very little English, she tells me. While at university in Melbourne, she paid the rent by working in factories. Then she landed employment as a waiter at the citys famous Flower Drum restaurant: I was walking down Little Bourke Street with a few friends and I said, I want to get a job there. They just laughed at me. So I went in and half an hour later I came out and said, I got the job. At 55, Lius chutzpah has not deserted her. One afternoon I trail after her as she sails into cafes and stores in a shopping centre in the suburb of Mount Waverley, shaking the hand of whomever she finds behind the counter and announcing, Im Gladys Liu, your federal member of parliament. At the pharmacy, the response is polite but perfunctory: Okay. Undeterred, Liu says brightly, How are you today? Pharmacist (keeping it brief, customers waiting): Good thanks. Liu beams: Thats good. Nothing special, I just wanted to come and say hello. Yeah! Its good to see that you are busy. Back outside, she introduces herself to a man standing on the footpath, who asks how she is enjoying being a parliamentarian. Loving it, she says. To have this opportunity to serve the community this is something that I never dreamed Id be able to do. Advertisement The truth is that Liu dreamed of getting into parliament from the moment she joined the Liberal Party in 2003. I went straight on to the prospective candidates training program, she tells me. But forging a parliamentary career turned out to be a long-term project. She made six attempts to be selected as a Liberal candidate for the Victorian parliament, failing to win endorsement for lower-house seats and, on the three occasions she was chosen to stand for the upper house, failing to get elected. In her 2018 application for preselection for the federal seat of Chisholm, which was leaked to the ABC after the Bolt interview, Liu pointed out that she had raised a lot of money for the party. More than $1 million over 15 years. She argued that as Chisholm had a significant proportion of voters of Chinese background (nearly 30 per cent of families in Chisholm speak Mandarin or Cantonese at home), the Liberals would be smart to follow the lead of the Labor Party and select a Chinese-Australian candidate for the 2019 election. On the section of the form that asked would-be candidates to list organisations of which you are or have been a member, Liu provided 17 names, from the Hong Kong Youth Symphony Orchestra and Band, in which she played trombone as a teenager, to Melbournes Scotch College Junior School parents association, where she served on a committee from 2000-02. She did not name organisations such as the China Overseas Exchange Association and the United Chinese Commerce Association of Australia, whose reported links to the CCP have subsequently brought her under scrutiny. Why not? I am involved in so many things, she tells me. You cant possibly list everything because there is not enough space. Loading After Duncan Lewiss retirement as head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) last year, he declared in an interview that the Chinese Government was actively seeking to interfere in Australias political system, and anyone in political office was a potential target. Around the same time, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that Australian authorities were investigating claims a Chinese espionage ring had tried to install an agent in federal parliament. According to the report, a Melbourne luxury car dealer and Liberal Party member named Nick Zhao told ASIO in 2018 that he had been offered $1 million to run for preselection for a seat in the citys east. Zhao was found dead in a Melbourne motel room last March. When Liu was shown a photograph of Zhao before the story was published, she said she had no recollection of their having met. Then pictures surfaced of her sitting beside him at a Liberal Party meeting at her place in 2016. Embarrassing, you might think, but Lius tone when I raise the subject is almost breezy. Evidently she did meet Zhao, she says. But I meet so many people. I just cannot recall. The photo on Gladys Liu's kitchen wall of the MP dressed in a cheongsam. Photo courtesy of Gladys Liu Credit: Advertisement At first I presume that Lius blitheness about all this is some kind of defence mechanism: as real life takes on the quality of a John le Carre novel, she is putting on a brave face. Then it dawns on me that she may be genuinely unperturbed. As I sit in on her meetings with constituents and tag along to events in the electorate, I start to see her as one of those people whose confidence forms a force field around them. Whether dispensing advice on curing a cold (boiled Coke and lemon: it will fix you) or issuing instructions to the staffer driving her to her next appointment (slow down, slow down, slow down), she is crisp, composed, self-assured. As the car pulls up in front of a neighbourhood centre in suburban Ashwood, she whips out a mirror and reapplies her lipstick. Before alighting, she checks her reflection and says briskly, Good to go. She may be new to Parliament but Liu is an experienced political operator. In the lead-up to the federal election before last, in 2016, she chaired the Victorian Liberals communities engagement committee and helped organise an anti-Labor campaign on WeChat, the Chinese-language social media network. After that election, in which Chisholm was the only seat the Liberal Party won from Labor, she said in an interview with Guardian Australia that the campaigns impact on Chinese-Australian voters had helped the Liberal candidate for Chisholm, lawyer Julia Banks, get over the line. If you ask how many Chinese people read the mainstream news, the percentage is so, so low, Liu said. But the first thing they do in the morning is turn on the phone and go to WeChat straight away. The defeated Labor candidate for the seat, Stefanie Perri, was quoted as saying that WeChat users had spread disinformation designed to turn the Chinese community against Labor. For instance, Perri had seen posts claiming that Labor would increase the refugee intake at the expense of Chinese immigration. It was lowest-common-denominator politics, Perri said. There are different kinds of migrants. Some are very hard-working, do everything well for the family, for the country. Whereas others, they just come in and they reproduce and have many children, and they take welfare from the government. Gladys Liu in a 2016 interview. Liu is no longer keen to claim credit for the campaign (so many supporters put forward their thoughts, she tells me), but in the 2016 interview she explained that it had three focuses: economic management, same-sex marriage which hadnt yet been legalised and which she claimed the Chinese community opposed and Victorias Safe Schools program, an anti-bullying initiative designed to ensure schools are safe spaces for all students, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI). Chinese-Australians regarded the idea of variation in sexual orientation as ridiculous rubbish, Liu said. A few months later, she was involved in presenting to the Victorian parliament a petition calling for the abolition of the Safe Schools program. Before the 2019 election, Guardian Australia published some remarks Liu made in 2016 that werent included in the original article. Chinese-Australians distinguished themselves from not as good migrants, Liu had said. Because there are different kinds of migrants. Some are very hard-working, do everything well for the family, for the country. Whereas others, they just come in and they reproduce and have many children, and they take welfare from the government. She dismissed criticism the comments provoked, saying she had merely been passing on views expressed to her by members of the Chinese community. At the Flower Drum, Liu fell in love with one of her fellow waiters, a pharmacy student. They married, and eventually opened two restaurants of their own, as well as several pharmacies. Liu worked for 14 years as a speech pathologist in the Victorian education department, then went into private practice. She and her husband, who have since divorced, had two children: Derek, 27, a management consultant who is studying for an MBA at Harvard, and Sally, 25, who graduated with a science in engineering degree from another American Ivy League university, Princeton, and currently works in Melbourne for a multinational food production company. Advertisement In Lius apartment, which is pleasant without being palatial, the dining room serves twin purposes. It is a place to eat and a place to contemplate Dereks and Sallys all-round brilliance. Carefully arranged on a long sideboard and in a glass-fronted cabinet are dozens of ribbons, medals and trophies presented to the brother and sister when they were younger for various academic and sporting pursuits. Theyre mostly participation awards, jokes Sally the night Im there for dinner. Well, Dereks are mostly participation awards. Liu and her kids are all keen chess players Sally was the Australian under-18 girls champion and Liu ran the Box Hill Chess Club for a while. She tells me she didnt want to be club president but took on the job because the members insisted. Trevor Stanning, the clubs longtime treasurer, remembers events slightly differently. She put herself forward, Stanning says. Shes a go-getter, so she wanted to engage with the club. What isnt disputed is that Liu shook the place up, triggering the clubs transformation from a small suburban concern into a national powerhouse. Were now by far the biggest junior club in Australia, says Stanning, who remembers Lius response when told it would be a struggle to find people willing to serve on the club committee. She said, Get all the parents in one room and well end up with a committee at the end of an hour or well go on for two hours. Stanning, who admires Liu, hesitates when asked whether she was popular at the club. She can be breathtakingly energetic to work with, he says. And in a volunteer organisation, there are some who just want to contribute a little but are being asked too much. I hear the same ambivalence in the voices of people who were Lius colleagues in the office of former Victorian Liberal premier Ted Baillieu. Her energy was exhausting, says multicultural communications consultant Fotis Kapetopoulos. Everyone on staff worked hard, he says, but Liu was the resident overachiever. Wed get together for 8am meetings and shed tell us 15 things shed done really well. Some of us would go, Oh, groan. Baillieu had hired Liu as a multicultural adviser in 2007, when he was state opposition leader. She stayed with him until he resigned as premier in 2013 (she then worked for his successor, Denis Napthine), and the two have remained friends. Looking back, Baillieu says Liu gave him an invaluable entree into Melbournes Chinese community. An accomplished networker, fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, she was at his elbow at countless community events. We worked hand-in-glove, the former premier says. Wherever we went, she introduced me to lots of people. She was able to explain who people were. One of Baillieus former staffers says Liu occasionally overstepped the mark: Shes a forceful character. Very forceful. There was an annual event that every ethnic community would attend, a big dinner. Each community had their own tables, and they all loved Ted. Everyone wanted their photo with him, and to shake his hand. But Gladys would just drag him over to the Chinese section. Someone would say, Look, Ted has to be spread around. Nup. Forget it. She grabbed him and that was it. Political staff generally try to stay behind the scenes but Liu seemed to some on Baillieus team to be working to promote not just the premier but herself. She was using her position as a way of garnering greater validation amongst her community, says one. Lots of times, people had to pull her back a little bit and say, Hey, the premier is the person who gets seen, not you. Kapetopoulos says Liu didnt hide her political ambition: She was hellbent on being a member of parliament. Gladys Liu with Ted Baillieu, for whom she worked during his stint as Victorian premier. Baillieu says she gave him an invaluable entree to Melbournes Chinese community. Photo courtesy of Gladys Liu Credit: Advertisement A Musical Evening with Ramona Pansegrau - KC Ballet All Blog Posts Kansas City Ballet Bolender Society attended A Musical Evening with Ramona: The Music of Tchaikovsky with Music Director Ramona Pansegrau on Jan. 23 hosted at Hallbrook Country Club. The night included special performances by Second Company dancers with a cocktail and refreshment reception. Quick peek at the local good life and how the fine arts win support from the 1% who would, understandably, rather be entertained than taxed to death. Read more: Prosecutors have named a third defendant in a travel fraud scheme they charged against members of an organization dedicated to fighting violence against Native women in Montana. Sheryl Lynn Lawrence pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in Billings on Thursday to charges that she claimed $1,826.02 in reimbursement for a trip to Las Vegas in 2017 that she knew was not authorized by the U.S. Office on Violence Against Women, which provided the funding. Lawrence is charged alongside Meredith McConnell and Barbara Mary Daychief, both of whom deny charges. Lawrence served as the executive director of the Montana Native Women's Coalition. As a new strain of the coronavirus spreads out in China and becomes a growing global concern, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has extended enhanced passenger screening at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to all international arrivals. The filling of health declaration forms by only passengers with connections from China, which began on January 24, 2020, now covers all arrivals at the KIA. The ministry said the enhanced measures included the modification of the health declaration forms at the airport to suit surveillance demands due to the outbreak of the respiratory disease. Also, the Greater Accra Regional and the Tema General hospitals had been designated as initial case management centres, while the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) had been designated for investigations in any suspected case, it said. According to the ministry, case management teams had been put in place to manage cases at designated management centres and were currently undergoing orientation. Official updates Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ministry, Mr Elorm Ametepe, said the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, had, after a high-level technical meeting, issued an official release in relation to surveillance updates. Providing additional information on the enhanced surveillance mechanisms, the statement said the ministry had instructed regional health directors to designate special holding and treatment centres in their respective regions. We are preparing to designate more centres in highly populated areas such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, it said, adding: Screening for fever using walk-through thermometers and non-contact thermometers was also ongoing at the KIA and other points of entry. It mentioned other surveillance measures to include the development of social media messages on the disease for the public, with the aim of helping people to practise the necessary preventive measures. Prevention The statement outlined other preventive measures such as regular washing of hands with soap under running water, using alcohol hand rubs, where necessary, and keeping a distance of at least one metre from a person showing signs of fever, cough and difficulty in breathing. It cited other preventive measures to include staying physically active, drinking plenty of water, eating well and healthily, reducing stress and getting enough sleep. It also entreated the public to avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, in case of contact with a sick person or potentially affected surfaces or objects. Furthermore, it called on people to seek treatment immediately at the nearest health facility if infections were suspected, if symptoms showed or when advised by a health worker. Case definition The statement further said a case definition had been developed to guide clinicians to detect potential cases and how to manage them appropriately. It said alerts on the outbreak had been sent to all regions and teaching hospitals, including all points of entry, while sensitisation of all health workers was currently ongoing, especially for those at the points of entry. The MoH continues to work hard with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other partners to continuously monitor the situation and institute measures to prevent an outbreak or cases in the country. We call on the public and all stakeholders to support efforts at preventing the 2019 nCoV in the country, it added. Airport measures The Head of Port Health at the KIA, Mr Gideon Aquaye, confirmed the enhanced measures for the coronavirus at the KIA to the Daily Graphic, saying the Ghana Airports Company Limited (GACL) had put in place special arrangements to screen all passengers arriving in the country. He said aside from all passengers filling the health declaration forms, the scanning process had been enhanced with three thermal scanners, as well as an equipped holding or isolation room to keep persons or passengers who showed symptoms of the virus. "We have put in place measures to ensure active surveillance, early detection, isolation and case management, contact tracing and prevention of onward spread of infection should a person with the virus enter the country through the KIA," he said. He observed that the arrangements adopted were the best at the moment to protect the country against the deadly coronavirus. At the moment, most airports around the world are using the same equipment and processes to protect themselves against the deadly coronavirus because there is no specific cure or vaccine," Mr Aquaye said. Global pandemic A new strain of coronavirus is spreading around the world after originating at a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The virus has been confirmed in 16 countries. The virus started spreading from animals to humans and now human-to-human transmissions are taking place. In China, 106 people have died, with more than 4,515 cases recorded as of last Monday, forcing the country to step up its response to the crisis by restricting movements and closing tourist sites. Cases have also been confirmed in Europe, North America and several Asian countries. Cote dIvoire is dealing with a suspected case of the virus. This development has stoked fears of a global pandemic. GACLs response mechanism Asked whether there had been any suspected case at the KIA, Mr Aquaye answered in the negative, and explained that the GACL would not relent in its quest to ensure that Ghana protected itself against diseases. "Given the current health concern, we are working in accordance with international health regulations to ensure that no coronavirus-infected person enters the country through the KIA," he said. He said passengers would go through scanners to check their temperatures to determine any anomaly. "The scanning process will determine whether a passenger should be allowed to go or be kept for further examination in the holding room, he added. WHO recommendations After its last meeting on January 22, the WHO recommended that people should take simple precautions to reduce exposure to and transmission of the virus, for which there is no specific cure or vaccine. The UN agency advised people to cover their mouths and noses with a flexed elbow or tissue when sneezing or coughing and also share their travel history with healthcare providers. People should also avoid direct and unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals when visiting live markets in affected areas and avoid eating raw or under-cooked animal products and exercise care when handling raw meat, milk or animal organs to avoid cross-contamination. Source: Daily Graphic 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 publity AG / Key word(s): Bond/Miscellaneous publity AG: publity AG plans to issue a corporate bond with exchange offer for convertible bond 2015/2020 Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Publication of inside information pursuant to Article 17 of the Regulation (EU) THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT INTENDED FOR PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, TO, WITHIN OR FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY WHERE SUCH PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE CONTRARY TO THE LAWS OF THAT COUNTRY. publity AG plans to issue a corporate bond with exchange offer for convertible bond 2015/2020 Frankfurt/Main, 30/01/2020 - publity AG (Scale, ISIN DE0006972508, "publity") is considering issuing a corporate bond with a volume of up to Euro 50 million ("publity Bond 2020/2025"). To this end, publity today signed a corresponding mandate agreement with a bank, which will accompany the issue. The bond is expected to have a term of five years and a denomination of EUR 1,000. The Executive Board of publity will decide on the amount of the coupon rate at a later date. The issue is to be made by way of a public offering in Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on the basis of a securities prospectus. A corresponding approval procedure is to be initiated in February with the Luxembourg securities supervisory authority Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). In addition, the bonds are to be offered for sale to selected investors in a private placement in Germany and other selected European jurisdictions. As part of the public offer, an exchange offer is also planned, under which the holders of the convertible bond 2015/2020 (ISIN: DE000A169GM5) issued by publity are invited to offer their convertible bonds to publity for exchange into bonds of the new publity bond 2020/2025. The bondholders participating in the exchange offer are to receive one bond of the new publity bond 2020/2025 for each convertible bond exchanged, plus a cash payment consisting of an exchange premium (expected to amount to between Euro 10.00 and Euro 20.00) and pro rata accrued interest. Furthermore, they will be offered an additional purchase of bonds of the publity bond 2020/2025. The deadlines for the exchange offer, the additional purchase and the general public offer are expected to be in March/April 2020. Subsequently, the bond is to be included in the over-the-counter market (Quotation Board) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The bond issue is primarily intended to refinance the 2015/2020 convertible bond. The prospectus applicable to the public offer will be available on the publity website (www.publity.de) under the section "Investor Relations" after its approval by the CSSF. In this context, the following information must be observed. Disclaimer This publication does not constitute an offer. In particular, it does not constitute a public offer to sell or an offer or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, purchase or subscribe for any bonds, shares or other securities. The offer is governed exclusively by the securities prospectus to be approved by the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) and expected to be published in March 2020 on the website of publity AG (www.publity.de) in the "Investor Relations" section. Only the securities prospectus will contain the information for investors required by law. Investors are recommended to read the securities prospectus to be examined by the CSSF for completeness, coherence and comprehensibility, as it is expected to be available from mid/end of March 2020 on the website of publity AG (www.publity.de) under the section "Investor Relations" before deciding to buy or sell bonds or shares of publity AG in order to fully understand the potential risks and opportunities of the investment decision, and to make an investment decision only on the basis of all available information about the Company after consulting with its own lawyers, tax and/or financial advisors. It should be noted that approval of the Prospectus by the CSSF is not to be construed as an endorsement of the relevant securities. A public offer of the securities mentioned in this publication is being made exclusively on the basis of and in accordance with the securities prospectus and only in the Federal Republic of Germany and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In particular, neither a public offering nor a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States of America, Japan, Canada, New Zealand or Australia will be made. The securities mentioned in this publication have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") or the securities laws of any state of the United States of America and may not be admitted to trading in or into the United States of America or into or on behalf of or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person or entity.The securities may not be offered, offered, sold, pledged, transferred or delivered (directly or indirectly) to, or for the account or benefit of, any person (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an exemption from, or pursuant to an exemption from, the registration requirements of the Securities Act or a transaction not subject to the registration requirements of the Securities Act and in any event in accordance with the securities laws of any state of the United States. This publication may contain future-oriented statements. Future-oriented statements are all statements that do not refer to historical facts or events. This applies in particular to statements about the intentions, beliefs or current expectations of the Company with respect to its future financial performance, plans, liquidity, prospects, growth, strategy and profitability as well as the economic environment in which the company operates. The future-oriented statements are based on current estimates and assumptions made by the company to the best of its knowledge. However, such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties because they relate to future events and are based on assumptions that may not occur in the future. The company is not obliged to update or modify the future-oriented statements contained in this publication to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this publication, unless they contain insider information subject to publication requirements. 30-Jan-2020 CET/CEST The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de BIRMINGHAM, Alabama An Alabama woman found buried in a shallow grave behind a home earlier this month died of a drug overdose, according to reports. The Jefferson County Coroners Office issued a report on Thursday saying that Paighton Houston, 29, of Trussville, Ala., died from morphine and methamphetamine toxicity, al.com reports. The coroner ruled the overdose was accidental. A suspect in Houstons death, Frederick Hampton, 50, of Brighton, Ala., was arrested by federal agents Wednesday night at the home of a family member in Garfield Heights, Ohio. He is expected to extradited to Alabama. Frederick Hampton Hampton is charged with abuse of corpse after Paighton Houstons body was found in a shallow grave on Jan. 3 behind a home just outside Birmingham, according to al.com. He has not been charged with her murder. Houston disappeared after leaving a bar in Birmingham on Dec. 20. The home where the grave was found belongs to relatives of Hampton, authorities say. According to al.com, Houston went to the bar with co-workers. NBC News reports she appeared to leave the bar willingly with two other people. She later sent a text to a co-worker saying she didnt know where she was and she felt she might be in trouble, according to al.com. The last text said, Idk who im with so if I call please answer. I feel in trouble. Al.com reports Hampton was convicted in 1992 on first-degree rape and first-degree sodomy charges. He served 20 years, five months and 26 days in prison and was released in March 2012. He currently is under investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service for possible federal violations. To comment on this story, go to Fridays crime and courts comments section. Read more crime-related stories on cleveland.com: Former Ohio TV weatherman to be sentenced in March on child-porn charges Columbus police shoot, kill 15-year-old robbery suspect Man charged in killing of 33-year-old man in the victims Euclid home Streetsboro police release name of man found dead in field near business district Security guard shoots man smashing his car outside Cleveland store Beachwood Saks Fifth Avenue associate helped fentanyl trafficker buy high-end items without IRS scrutiny, feds say Suspect arrested in string of armed robberies in Geauga and Lake counties The BBC must invest in specialist music stations as traditional radio is no longer a 'default' for 'many', the corporation's director of radio has said. James Purnell, director of radio and education, said the BBC had to adapt to changing listener habits. He said podcasts, music streaming and archive content meant the BBC cannot rely on traditional radio stations, although they 'continue to have widespread appeal'. James Purnell, director of radio and education, said the BBC had to adapt to changing listener habits The BBC will 'continue to invest' in mass stations, such as Radio 2 and Radio 1, which 'are at the heart of what we do', he said. But he added: 'For us to serve all our audiences, and to attract new listeners, we must invest in specialist music stations and streams, giving our listeners new rabbit holes they can drop into to discover more of what they love. ' Speaking at a conference in Manchester held by the Association Of British Orchestras, he said: 'Radio used to be a background medium, often put on without thinking. 'But not any more, now it needs to earn its place in someone's day....' Purnell said the BBC Sounds app had been a success, with three million weekly users. He also announced a year-long Beethoven Season across the BBC, marking 250 years since the composer's birth. It will include Beat Beethoven, inviting people, from complete beginners to seasoned sprinters, to run five kilometres in the time it takes to listen to the composer's Fifth Symphony, to raise money for Sport Relief. Newsreader Sophie Raworth will take part in the race, amid a live performance by the BBC Philharmonic, while Radio 3 presenter Katie Derham will host the day in Salford's MediaCity. The BBC recently announced cuts to its news output. After a horror measles outbreak in 2019, Queensland Health has confirmed three cases in the state so far this year, with one infected patient each in Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. In the latest case, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service public health unit director Dr Virginia McLaughlin said on Friday an infected woman was likely exposed to the disease during her travels in Asia. Last year was a horror year for measles in Queensland and health authorities hope to avoid a repeat. The infected patient visited Mooloolaba Wharf on Thursday, January 23, prompting a warning for those who were there from 7pm-9pm that night to watch out for symptoms. "We urge anyone who was at this location during this time to ensure they are protected against measles and to seek medical advice if they develop symptoms," Dr McLaughlin said. Syria: Turkey ready for military action in Idlib - Erdogan 'We want stability', says Turkish president (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JANUARY 31 - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said in a speech to members of his AKP party that ''Turkey will not remain idle and watch developments in Idlib and other regions of Syria''. ''We want a return of stability in Syria and for this we will do everything that is necessary, including on a military level. Nobody can force us to accept the tyranny of the Syrian regime'', he said. Erdogan's statement came after new raids carried out by the forces loyal to Bashar al Assad and Russia which displaced tens of thousands of people from Idlib to the Turkish border. Over the past few days, Erdogan also explicitly accused Moscow of violating a truce agreed with Ankara in the area. ''Turkey can't afford a new wave of refugees'', warned the Turkish president. Ankara currently hosts over 3.6 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country in the world. (ANSAmed) Vedanta Ltd, one of the worlds leading petroleum and metals company, has unveiled its first TVC themed #KabhiSochaHaiKya which is designed to create awareness with the audiences on the importance of metals in our day-to-day lives. Saluting miners for their invaluable contribution, the new TVC gets us thinking as to where all the important things that we use in our daily lives have come from. The TVC is part of Vedantas larger brand campaign titled Desh Ki Zarooraton Ke Liye. The company is launching the TVC across multiple national television channels as well as multiplexes. This will be aired on leading channels supported by digital, outdoor and retail activation plan. The company plans to roll out a total of 5 TVCs over the next few months Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources said, Can we enjoy lifes good things without mother earths blessings? Metals such as iron, steel, zinc, copper, silver, etc. have become a part of our lives, but humne Kabhi Socha Hai Kya (have we ever thought about) where do these metals come from? Our entire campaign revolves around these questions as we salute the miners who toil hard, day in and day out, to make these metals available to us from our very own mother earth in an environmentally sustainable manner. #SahiSochBadaleZindagi. Prasoon Joshi, CEO, McCann World group, said This is a very unique campaign. Our team has brought out the message in the most creative and innovative manner possible. We indeed need to appreciate the good things that we are privileged to have in our life and thank mother earth. The film uses a kids curiosity to drive home the key messaging. It runs into a journey where the commercial moves into answering the question raised by the child, where does the nib of a pen come from? It explains the fact that the nib of a pen comes from steel, which comes from iron and which, in turn, comes from Mother Earth, and this is where all good things that we use in our daily lives come from. Speaking on the companys new thematic rendition, Roma Balwani, the companys director, communications and brand, says: Vedanta is committed to Desh Ki Zarooraton Ke Liye and our vision is to make India self-sufficient by harnessing her true potential with respect to natural resources in the most responsible way. Desh Ki Zarooraton Ke Liye is the thematic rendition of Vedantas brand campaign, which is aimed at creating awareness through this powerful visual narrative with respect to natural resources that facilitates everyday needs in life and acknowledges the contribution of the miners who are responsible for mining in a sustainable manner, she adds. This brand campaign is a reflection and a tribute the natural resources industry pays to the miners for their invaluable contribution towards our countrys progress At Vedanta, we are grateful for the support extended by all our stakeholders, including our shareholders, customers, business and joint venture partners, central and state governments and local communities. Credits: Client Vedanta Ltd Agency: McCann Creative Team: Prasoon Joshi, Abhinav Tripathi, Richa Agrawal, Kaizeen Vankadia Account Management: Divya Sethi, Nicole DSouza Production House: Pack Films Director: Vivek Kakkad Producer: Vincent Gomes OROVILLE, Calif. The Veterans Resource Center (VRC) partnered with many other local companies to rebuild five low-income homes and create 12 new townhomes in Oroville. VRC is expecting to start its project in late February. The lot is on Montgomery Street that VRC decided to place the new 12 townhomes on. The location for five of the homes being remodeled has not yet been released but Action News Now learned it won't be far from Montgomery Street. The new townhomes and soon-to-be remodeled homes are being built for veterans, especially those displaced by the Camp and Carr fires. VRC Communications Director, Joe Millsap said he's very thankful that they're able to do projects like this, specifically for Veterans. California is such a veteran-heavy state, a lot of veterans are homeless or became homeless after these weather events or these fires," Millsap said. "So the need is probably even greater than it is anywhere else in the country, and it's even harder to meet that need here than it would be elsewhere." VRC partnered with the American Red Cross, Home Depot, City of Oroville, and California Department of Veteran Affairs. Action News Now spoke with the Executive Director of VRC, Brad Long, about the new project. How this program works is a veteran whose income qualifies will come to us, we will get them through the system to get them qualified with Calvet, and its based on the slightest scale of your income, Long said. We rehab the house and then the mortgage for the house we are shooting for on these are $900 a month. Long said the veteran's household income must be between 50% and 80% of the average median income. Edie Frei is a resident of 6 years, he said he thinks this is a great idea. I think our veterans from the Vietnam War have been totally ignored, Frei said. Im all for it, I think they need a break. This project is expected to be finished by the end of May. To start signing up for these homes, CLICK HERE. DUBLIN, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The leader of Ireland's main opposition party, the favourite to become prime minister after elections next week, called for an increase in the European Union's budget and for Ireland to back more reforms put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron. The opposition Fianna Fail and governing Fine Gael parties, who have swapped power since the state's foundation a century ago, share broadly similar policies on the economy and Brexit, the chief foreign policy challenge facing Ireland. However Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, a former foreign minister, said on Thursday that Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's government had refused to step up and engage on EU reforms, particularly the "visionary reform" agenda of Macron. "Fianna Fail believes that now is the time for Ireland to move on fundamental issues concerning the reform and strengthening of the European Union," Martin said in a speech at an international affairs think thank in Dublin. "Its budget is wholly inadequate for the task that has been set. Europe needs to break the cycle of destructive negotiations over the Budget and to create a larger resource. One percent of combined EU income is simply too small to make a difference." Asked which reforms he would back that Varadkar's government opposes, Martin said his party was far clearer on the need for a bigger EU budget. Ireland is now a net contributor to the bloc's budget. Varadar, whose party has trailed Fianna Fail in every opinion poll since the poll was called two weeks ago, said last month that his government agrees with some elements of Macron's push for greater integration, but not others. Macron's sweeping vision for eurozone reform has received a lukewarm reaction over the past three years. Ireland was among eight northern EU states that agreed a joint position in 2018 saying now was not the time for more reform while initiatives such as a banking union remained incomplete. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail oppose the idea of an EU-wide tax for digital companies, instead favouring the global reforms that are being pursued as they seek to protect Ireland's low 12.5% corporation tax rate that has been a magnet for large multinational firms. (Reporting by Padraic Halpin, Editing by William Maclean) A major fire burning in the ACT has been downgraded from emergency warning level to "watch and act," as the Rural Fire Service warns it is likely to cross the NSW border on Saturday morning. The Orroral Valley fire, which is now almost 20,000 hectares in size, was out of control on Friday and approaching Apollo Road, Boboyan Road, north of the Glendale depot and Top Naas Road, south of the Boboyan Road intersection. The Orroral Valley fire has been burning near Canberra this week and threatened to cross into the NSW border on Friday. Credit:AAP As of 10pm, the fire was moving in an easterly direction towards NSW, the RFS posted on Twitter. "This fire will likely cross the NSW border tomorrow, becoming the Clear Range Fire. Winds are expected to increase from 9am onwards pushing the fire towards a number of rural areas throughout the day." LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The IMF was impressed with the Commonwealth of Dominica and its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme inflows, as well as capacity to attract investors. CBI proved efficient in helping rebuilding the Caribbean island after the vast devastation in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017. IMF staff noted in their Concluding Statement on the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) Common Policies that the region is maintaining strong growth momentum and CBI may continue to bring positive surprises. Furthermore, the IMF's preliminary findings suggest that, in turn, post-disaster recovery, as supported by CBI, will spur economic activity in the medium term. So will investing in tourism and agribusiness, whereas improving infrastructure will attract FDI. "ECCU's GDP growth accelerated to 3 percent in 2018, reflecting buoyant tourism and sizable Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) inflows, which helped support Dominica's reconstruction-led recovery from the 2017 hurricane," the IMF staff note. "In the near term, economic activity would be supported by further post-hurricane reconstruction, tourism investment, and some agribusiness projects." The CBI Programme has built the foundation of a prosperous ecotourism sector in Dominica by offering carefully vetted investors who wish to obtain second citizenship the chance to own prime real estate on the island. These include a selection of luxury hotels and resorts, rooted in sustainability. Alternatively, citizenship hopefuls can make a one-off contribution to the Economic Diversification Fund, which has so far helped transform the island into a burgeoning green economy. Dominica has demonstrated incredible capacity to attract some of the most respected investors and individuals seeking a valuable citizenship that also makes tangible changes to the native population. This balance for a "global community" is what guides the Dominican CBI Programme. The IMF staff also makes good note of Dominica's piloting of climate resilience strategies as an inspiration for more regional cooperation. In August 2019, in a publication from the Financial Times, Dominica was praised for its exemplary way of managing the CBI Programme in a transparent and accountable way. The IMF staff echo this sentiment, offering reassurance to countries providing CBI that focus on transparency and governance through financial integrity. With a staggering 9% GDP jump in 2019, specialists note that the Nature Isle of the Caribbean is a top emerging destination for both nature lovers and foreign investors. [email protected] www.csglobalpartners.com SOURCE CS Global Partners Related Links https://csglobalpartners.com A 57-year-old woman and her two grandchildren were on Wednesday night burnt to death when their Morningside home in Bulawayo was gutted by fire triggered by an electrical fault. The fire that occurred at about 9PM, killed Prisca Mushore, the mother of 2015 Miss Tourism Bulawayo pageant winner Nadia Gori, and her grandchildren Stacey Mushore (13) and Brendon Moyo (9) who were burnt beyond recognition. Property worth millions of dollars was reduced to ashes. The familys spokesperson Mr Thabani Moyo said they were at a loss for words following the tragic incident. None of us was here to witness what really transpired. We received a phone call from one of our nephews based in Harare telling us that there was fire in the house after being contacted by the police. We rushed here and by the time we arrived, the roof had collapsed and my sister, my nephew and my niece who lived in the house had been killed in the fire and property burnt to ashes, said Mr Moyo. He said the family was devastated and wondered how the fire broke out and prevented the three from escaping. This is a painful experience especially losing all the family members who lived in the house with no one to help them. At least if one of them survived, we would have known how the fire broke out. But as it stands its a painful loss because there is no story to be told, he said. He said the two minors were burnt beyond recognition while his sister suffered serious burns, but was still recognisable. Mr Moyo said Bulawayo Fire Brigade promptly reacted but could not save the trio.He said the two minors were burnt beyond recognition while his sister suffered serious burns, but was still recognisable. Mr Moyo dismissed claims circulating on social media yesterday that the fire was caused by a gas explosion. The Fire Brigade and the Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority dismissed that the fire could have been caused by fuel because there is no fuel that is kept here. But we are yet to get a report from Zesa to consolidate the findings. However, the fire was not caused by gas. The gas cylinder is still intact and it was empty. So, the gas explosion that is being speculated is dismissed, said Mr Moyo. A relative said bodies of the three victims were found in different parts of the house. A relative said bodies of the three victims were found in different parts of the house. The grannys body which did not suffer serious burns was found in the bathroom while the boy was in the corridor and the girls body was found at the front door. Both minors were burnt beyond recognition. Police retrieved their bodies this (yesterday) morning, said the relative. Neighbours said they were still shocked as to how the fire spread so fast without anyone noticing. One of them said she watched helplessly as the fire consumed the house. Their voices kept fading until I could not hear them anymore. I guess they had died, said the neighbour who declined to be named. At first, I could hear their voices as they screamed for help.Their voices kept fading until I could not hear them anymore. I guess they had died, said the neighbour who declined to be named. Bulawayo acting Chief Fire Officer Mr Linso Phiri said the fire was caused by an electric fault. He said the inferno was compounded by dust that had gathered in the houses ceiling. MEDFORD, Ore. A Southern California man arrested in March of last year for operating a large illegal marijuana growing operation in White City received his sentence in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday. On March 27, 56-year-old Saleh Shalomi of Beverly Hills was at his property on Antelope Road when officers from the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement team (MADGE) and the newly-christened Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) swarmed in. Investigators said that they seized more than 6,000 marijuana plants from Shalomi's property, weighing about 2.75 tons all of it ultimately destroyed. According to Medford Police, the street value of those plants amounted to more than $7 million. According to court documents, Shalomi had been growing and selling marijuana on the black market for about two years, paying his employees in cash. He was charged with six counts for illegal manufacture, delivery, and possession of marijuana, as well as money laundering. After bailing out, Shalomi was allowed to return to California for work while making weekly check-ins with authorities in Jackson County. On Wednesday, Shalomi entered a guilty plea for one charge: Unlawful Delivery of Marijuana. His other charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement. Judge David Hoppe delivered Shalomi's sentence on Thursday. The accused marijuana black marketeer was ordered to serve three years on probation and pay a $5,000 fine. Since that maiden voyage in March, the IMET team has made an appearance in news releases a handful of times. In August, the team spearheaded the investigation after an explosion at an illegal butane honey oil (BHO) lab near Rogue River sparked the East Evans Fire, one of the most alarming fires in Southern Oregon last year. Between Shalomi's arrest and the East Evans Fire investigation, IMET raided a smaller grow operation and BHO lab on Upper River Road in Gold Hill, arresting two men. - Jubilee House installs solar panels - The solar panel will supply 60% of the energy needed for the seat of Ghana - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The Energy Ministry has began the installation of solar panels at the seat of government, the Jubilee House. The project which has started is expected to provide 912 kilowatts of energy to power 60% of the Jubilee House. According to Minister of Energy, John Peter Amewu the project will be completed by June 2020. READ ALSO: 5 candidates who can contest Akufo-Addo as NPPs flagbearer for 2020 We expect that it will be completed in six months. So depending on the speed with which the engineers are working, it should be done before July. The government also said the Jubilee House solar panel example should influence other state agencies to follow suit. Also, the Ministry is leading by example with the installation of a 65-kilowatt solar rooftop system at its premises, Mr. Amewu told the media. READ ALSO: Ghanaians to pay more for passport as parliament approves increase Ghanas Ministry of Energy in 2009 predicted the demand for electricity would be growing at 10% per annum which requires approximately 200 MW additional power annually. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Hydropower which Ghana is dependent on is susceptible to drought, high temperature and low rainfall; the study quoted government sources. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is the incumbent government going into the December 7, 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana. The 2020 polls will be a straight contest between the NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC). The NDC have elected former president John Dramani Mahama as the partys flagbearer for the 2020 presidential contest. Mathew Anim Cudjoe showered with money after Hearts - Kotoko game in Accra | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Coronavirus spreads to USA as China returnee infects husband Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos. Source: YEN.com.gh There seems to be shortage of local rice on the market despite an increase in demand. There has been a growing campaign for the purchase and consumption of locally-produced rice in Ghana, especially after there were reports that large tonnes of rice were getting destroyed in the North due to lack of buyers. President Akufo-Addo joined the campaign by calling on Ghanaians to eat made in Ghana rice to promote local food consumption. To ascertain the level of response to the Presidents call, Radio Ghana hit the streets of Tema Community One. Most rice vendors GBC-Obonu News visited at the Tema Community One Market said the Made-In-Ghana rice is in short supply while demand for it keeps rising, especially during this festive period. A rice vendor, Madam Hannah, said although she has been selling Ghana Rice for some years now, patronage has not been as significant as it is this year, owing to the media campaign. According to another Vendor, Doris Darkoa Amengor, most consumers ask for particular brands of the Ghana Rice. Another rice retailer, Aifa Alhassan, also told Obonu News, the local rice is expensive as compared to the imported rice; and this she said can deter some customers from patronizing local rice. She said one American-tin, known as Olonka of the foreign rice sells at 12 Ghana Cedis while the same quantity of the local rice goes for 14 cedis. Source: gbcghana 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:21:22|Editor: zyl Video Player Close U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (C) heads to the Senate Chamber before the start of the Senate impeachment trial on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, on Jan. 31, 2020. The U.S. Senate reconvened Friday afternoon to hear four hours of debate over whether to call witnesses and documents for the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate reconvened Friday afternoon to hear four hours of debate over whether to call witnesses and documents for the ongoing impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The time will be equally divided for House impeachment managers, who are arguing in favor of witnesses and documents, and Trump's defense team, who's against them. A Senate vote on that matter is expected after the debate concludes. Republicans, who have a narrow majority in the upper chamber, appear to have enough votes to block the motion after key moderates said they would vote against calling witnesses in the impeachment trial. One of them, Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, said in a statement on Friday that she doesn't believe "the continuation of this process will change anything." "It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed," Murkowski added. Final votes on two articles of impeachment against Trump could come as early as Friday evening. Friday's debate came after more than a week of arguments from both sides and a questions-and-answers session. The Democrat-led House impeached Trump last month for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, charges the White House has refuted. In an anonymous complaint last summer, a whistleblower raised concerns about the White House's interactions with Ukraine, triggering a Democrat-led impeachment inquiry against Trump. The U.S. president was alleged to have pressed his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into launching investigations that could politically benefit him. Furthermore, the White House allegedly tried to cover it up. According to the nation's Constitution, the House shall have the sole power of impeachment, while the Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. Conviction can only happen in the Senate and requires at least two-thirds of its members, or 67 senators, to vote in favor after a trial. Currently, the Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats and two independents. Michael Emerson Photo: John Lamparski/Getty Images Its always fun to get to play something that is seemingly normal but has a horrible subtext, Michael Emerson says, delivering the observation with the clipped overpronunciation that gives many of his performances their signature mixture of humor and dread. Emerson is talking about his role on CBSs Evil, the bonkers and delightful show from Good Wife creators Michelle and Robert King, in which he plays a forensic psychologist named Leland Townsend, who may be the devil incarnate, an agent of the devil, or just a weird dorky tuba player from Iowa whos trying to make himself seem important. Either way, Leland consistently plots to mess with Evils Scooby gang of heroes, including Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), the psychologist slash mountain climber slash paranormal investigator whos skeptical of all things supernatural. In Thursdays season finale, he even convinces Kristens mother, Sheryl (Christine Lahti), to marry him. Watching Leland, you get the feeling that hed get along with the other sinister TV characters Emerson has played on shows like Lost. As he told Vulture in advance of the Evil finale, hes comfortable playing the types of roles that make people give him the stink eye on the street, though as he discovered in playing Leland, he sometimes does have his limits. In the episode before the finale, Kristen confronted Leland and revealed that hes just a dork named Jake Perry who grew up in Des Moines and played the tuba in his high-school marching band. You were also in your high-school marching band, right? Yeah, I wonder if the Kings have done some delving into my Iowa background. I didnt go to high school in Des Moines, but I went to undergrad in Des Moines. I went to high school in a little town in Iowa, and I was in the marching band, and I did play embarrassing instruments. Which instruments? I started on the cymbals and I graduated to the glockenspiel. Imagine! Youre a shrimpy little 14-year-old, all the girls in your class are a head taller than you, and youre carrying around an upright xylophone with horsehair tassels on it. But you didnt tell the Kings about that? No! I dont know where it all came from. The next time I see them, I should ask them. It cant be an accident that they chose Iowa. After making us think that Lelands just an ordinary guy, the episode ends with a scene where hes meeting with a goat-headed devil plotting his revenge. Like a lot of the supernatural stuff in Evil, it could be imaginary or it could be totally real. How did you take it? My idea was that it was something he does every day and it no longer has any special shock value or meaning to him. Thats his shrink and hes impatient with his shrink. Hes tired of being pushed and prodded and told to do things. Hes like a kid. Its like, Yeah, okay mom. Except, in this case, it appears to be Satan. We have the impression that he had great powers and that he was maybe the evil genius behind everything. To find out that hes not even that high on some infernal pecking order, its delicious. Even when you agree to work with the devil, you still dont get any respect. Your wife, Carrie Preston, has a great recurring role on The Good Wife and The Good Fight playing Elsbeth the scattered lawyer. Did you know the Kings well coming into Evil? I had met them, of course. They had inquired after me for guest spots here and there over the years that I, for one reason or another, wasnt available for partly because I was on a long-running series, Person of Interest, on CBS, which is their network. Evil was easy. They said, We have this script; wed like you to read it. I read it and I liked it and that was it. That was how hard it was to sign me up, because theyre the Kings. You dont have to read but two or three pages of any script they write to know that it is superior writing, that the language of it is very smart. Nothing trite or predictable about it. Its strong. And the fact that it is shot in New York City, where I live, that was a big plus. The Kings said they were excited about Evil because they could work with a lot of the theater and TV actors theyd already used on The Good Wife all over again. Whats it like to join that extended company? Its so great because they have the deepest casting pool on the planet here in New York City, so you get astonishingly good and nuanced players coming in to play supporting roles. You get John Glover and you get Darren Pettie and Jayne Houdyshell. Every time you turn around, theres some great stage actor that you revere and theyre there to do a part on the Kings show. Did you have a favorite guest performer? Well, of course my best scenes are with Christine and with Katja. But for a guest player, I dont know if you remember Noah Robbins, who played the young man that I was luring into being an incel shooter. He was really good. He was really professional and well prepared. Hes quite young, but man, you havent heard the last of him. In that story arc, Leland radicalizes Noahs character through the language of mens-rights movements, like hes an internet figure in the style of Jordan Peterson. Did you do much research into that world? No, I get enough information about that world from the daily news. To me, that was the most villainous and unforgivable thing that Leland did this season. It was awful. Its the only time I have ever gotten in touch with the Kings to say, Do we really need to go this far? Because if it plays as it is on the page, I will be a hated person on the streets of New York City to those people who blur the lines between actors and characters. We had a good conversation about that and there were some little changes of tone. What kinds of changes? Just some language. When you talked, why did they say they wanted to do that story line? They said, Were glad you called because weve been having this discussion in the writers room. Were relieved to have a chance to talk to you and get your perspective on it. It turned out to be a good conversation. If you tackle certain themes that are very topical, youre a little bit playing with fire. You can be misunderstood. You can get a firestorm of social media reaction if you appear to be glib or unfeeling and they are neither of those things. You didnt want yourself to be hated on the streets of New York, but of course youve played several villains in the past, like Ben Linus on Lost. Do you worry about weird in-person interactions? In my acting career on TV, I have experienced people misunderstanding who I am. Right from the get-go, when I played that serial killer on The Practice, people would scream and run away from me. Because I was a little-known actor at that time, they couldnt just say, Oh, thats just Michael Emerson. To them, Michael Emerson didnt exist. Only the character existed and there he was walking the streets of New York City. So yes, I do think about those things. The same on Lost. People would cross the street in Honolulu to tell me how much they hated me. Some people would tell me that I had ruined the show, as if I had written it. We liked it when it was like Survivor. We dont want all this meanness and danger! I imagine if you agreed to play a character like Leland on Evil, then youve had to come to peace with that experience? I dont mind it, unless I was confused with some sinister or horrible point of view. I would be loath to play a character who was a racist agitator. I know Id just be an actor playing a role, but I guess I just draw the line somewhere. I dont want those words to come out of my mouth. Working on the show, the Kings said they like to keep a balance between their two perspectives on what evil is. Where do you fall on that spectrum? Im not really a believer of supernatural beings or that an incarnate devil walks the earth. I think evil is like a potentiality in the human brain. A thing thats vulnerable to persuasion or misunderstanding or fear that can turn us away from empathy and toward aggression. We can lose track of our better natures and do perhaps unthinkable things. Although, I do think about ghosts and aliens. I dont know if youve ever had this experience, but Ill be walking down a crowded street in midtown and someone will be walking toward me, and theyre looking right at me and there is a fixed deadness in their stare, and I have this intuition that this person is not human. Maybe its just the wild imaginings of a person who tells stories for a living, but I have had a couple of those experiences. When I was a kid I used to get sleep paralysis, where you feel the weight on your chest in the middle of the night and you think that theres some demon in the room or something, which always terrified me even if I knew the explanation of it. I have had sleep paralysis a couple of times since weve been shooting Evil. Its like the mere discussion of it in the show has brought it into play in my own mind. Were all impressionable. If we are hearing those kinds of stories, or in the business of telling them, it may be rattling around in your head. Some Democrats warned that was always a risk of impeachment -- that Trump may emerge emboldened to take even more aggressive steps as he fights for reelection. "He got on the phone with Zelensky asking for this favor the day after Bob Mueller testifies," Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the lead Democratic House manager, said Thursday on the Senate floor. "What do you think he is capable of doing the day after he's acquitted here? The day after, he feels, I dodged another bullet. I really am beyond the reach of the law." Schiff continued, blasting Attorney General William Barr for taking the position that Trump can't be indicted or even investigated while in office. Justice Departments have argued that position in several lawsuits. Trump's lawyers told a federal appeals court that he couldn't be prosecuted if he murdered someone on the streets of New York City while he was the sitting President. Trump's critics -- Democrats and ostracized Republicans alike -- have raised these alarms with new urgency, fearing that Trump might stop at nothing to win reelection, because nobody has stopped him while he's skirmished with the rule of law over the last few years. Rexburg Police Department(REXBURG, Idaho) -- Fugitive parents found in Hawaii ordered to produce missing kidsLori Vallow was given a deadline to physically produce her missing kids to authorities by Thursday morning after she was last seen in Hawaii by police. Rexburg Police Department The mother of two missing children failed to bring the kids to authorities in Idaho by the court-ordered deadline on Thursday. Lori Vallow, 46, may now be subject to civil or criminal contempt of court, according to the Rexburg Police Department. The penalties that would follow are not immediately clear. At a press conference Thursday, after Lori failed to appear with the kids, JJ's grandmother, Kay Woodcock, said she did not know what punishment Vallow deserved, and did not know what would happen next. "What exactly that is, I don't know; I can't guess on it, I can't say for sure whats going to happen next. ... I'd love to know where those kids are and I think all of America wants to know where they are," Kay Woodcock said. "I think all of this is beyond crazy. ... How do you not know where your child is? How do you not have them for four months?" Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, have not been seen since September 2019, but police have said they believe Vallow knows either where they are or what has happened to them. Vallow, who lived in Rexburg, Idaho, up until November 2019, was found over the weekend in Princeville, Hawaii, on the island of Kauai, with her new husband, Chad Daybell. The two were still in Princeville as of Wednesday afternoon local time. Larry Woodcock, the biological grandfather of JJ, told ABC News' Amy Robach earlier Thursday that he did not think Vallow would show up with the children. "Nothing with Lori right now makes sense," Woodcock added, noting that the Vallow he knew for the last 12 years "is not the same person that is here on Earth today." Kay Woodcock said Thursday evening she was not surprised Lori did not appear with the children. "I am not at all surprised of that. Lori's not gonna make this easy," Kay Woodcock said. "She's got an end game in her head, even though this is not a game." Vallow and Daybell are still in Hawaii, Kay Woodcock said, "probably sitting on the beach somewhere while we're here wondering where the kids are." The couple was served with a search warrant Sunday for a vehicle they were in when officers with the Kauai Police Department pulled them over. The police statement does not say that Daybell would be held in contempt of court. A lawyer for the couple didn't respond to ABC News for comment. The children were not with Vallow or Daybell, and police said there's no evidence they ever were in Hawaii. Authorities have said they think the children's "lives are in danger." Assistant Police Chief Gary Hagen told ABC News that he could not detail exactly what penalties Vallow would face if she's held in contempt of court, citing the child protection act. The Madison County prosecutor in Rexburg similarly said in a statement that child protection cases are "sealed and confidential." "While the Court did allow us to announce the existence of the case and the order that Lori Vallow produce her children, any and all other documents, hearings, and court filings are sealed and confidential by law," according to the statement. The bewildering case made national headlines in December, after police announced the children's disappearance. Yet concerns for the safety of JJ and Tylee arose well before. Lori Vallow's former husband, Charles Vallow, who is the adopted father and biological granduncle of JJ, filed for divorce from Lori Vallow in February 2019, court records from Maricopa County Superior Court in Arizona show. He expressed a "genuine fear for his life" and wanted to ensure that JJ was safe and cared for, according to a statement from his attorney Steven Ellsworth that was sent to ABC News. In July 2019, Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, in a case police are looking at as self-defense after an altercation occurred between the two inside Lori Vallow's then-Chandler, Arizona, home. Cox was then found unresponsive in his Gilbert, Arizona, home in December 2019. He was later pronounced dead, and a spokesperson for Gilbert police previously told ABC News the department still was waiting for autopsy results to determine the cause. In between Vallow and Cox's death, Chad Daybell's wife also died under circumstances now believed to be suspicious, authorities said. The remains of Tamara "Tammy" Daybell's, who died on Oct. 19, 2019, were exhumed in late December, police said. Authorities are looking into whether or not she was poisoned. In November 2019, extended family requested a welfare check for JJ at Vallow and Daybell's Rexburg home. Vallow falsely told police the children were staying with a relative in Arizona, and the next day when police returned to the home with a warrant, both Vallow and Daybell had "abruptly" left the city. Rexburg police have lambasted Vallow, saying she "has completely refused" to help in the investigation and instead chose "to leave the state with her new husband." Rumors that Vallow and Daybell are part of a cult have also stirred since the children's disappearance. The rumors appeared to stem from their involvement in Preparing a People, an organization that preaches about preparing citizens "of this Earth for the second coming of Jesus Christ." Preparing a People issued a stark and lengthy denial. "It is not a 'group' and is not a 'Cult' or something people join, but has educational lecture events that can be attended or watched on video," their statement reads. "We also do not share any of Chad Daybell's or Lori Vallow's beliefs if they are contrary to Christian principles of honesty, integrity and truth." Woodcock told ABC News that while he has ideas about why Vallow isn't helping authorities, he does not have a truthful answer. He thinks that she changed after becoming involved in the so-called cult. "Ever since she's been involved in this doomsday cult, that is not the same Lori that we knew for 13 years," Woodcock said. "And the last year has just been not understandable. We just don't understand how any mother can walk away from her children for months now ..., so I don't know who that person is anymore." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order to temporarily stop the entry of all visitors from China's Hubei province, where Wuhan epicenter of the novel coronavirus is located, his spokesperson said on Friday. The Chinese government has locked down Hubei since January 24. The announcement came a day after the Philippines confirmed its first case of the deadly virus. Salvador Panelo, in an interview with reporters, clarified that all foreign nationalsand not just Chinesewill be banned from entering the country amid the continued rise of coronavirus cases in the neighboring nation. Panelo also defended the move to limit the ban to Hubei, saying there has been no official communication about confirmed cases outside ground zero. Kailangan mayroon tayong (we need to have) official communication coming from them, Panelo said. The Health Department, however, said it will recommend an expansion of the travel ban to more areas and provinces in China as soon as new information on cases come in. Senator Bong Go, a close ally of Duterte, said the President set a meeting next week with medical experts and key government officials to discuss all necessary measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. "Rest assured that the Duterte administration takes this threat seriously," he said. Vice President Leni Robredo told the Duterte administration to "immediately act" on recommendations to contain the spead of the virus, such as imposing a total travel ban from China and planning for possible evacuation if necessary. "Ang kasalukuyang banta ng coronavirus sa bawat Pilipino ay nangangailangan ng agarang aksyon mula sa ating pamahalaan... Bawat minutong ipapagbukas pa ang pag-aksyon sa mga rekomendasyong ito, lalong nailalagay sa panganib ang kapakanan at kalusugan ng ating mga mamamayan," she said in a statement on Friday. [Translation: The threat of coronavirus to Filipinos needs swift action from the government. Every minute wasted before acting on the recommendations puts the welfare and health of Filipinos at risk.] Even before the Philippines recorded its first case, several sectors, including numerous lawmakers, had clamored for the national government to impose a travel ban from China to stop the entry of the deadly virus. But on Wednesday, Duterte rejected the calls. He said imposing a travel ban might be difficult to undertake. Related: Duterte not keen on banning travel to China amid coronavirus scare Health Secretary Francisco Duque III was also reluctant to recommend barring Chinese nationals from entering the country. He said they are looking at the ban as an option but he raised that China might question why we are not imposing the same restriction on other countries. As of Friday, the Health Department said 31 patients remain under investigation for suspected infection in the country. LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Analysis by Type (Fixed wing & Multi-rotor), by Services (Point solution & End-to-end solution), by End-User (Power (Transmission & Distribution and Generation) & Renewable (Wind & Solar)), Company and Country Analysis and Forecasts Market Definition: Utility Drone, in technological terms, is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system; basically, such robots can be remotely controlled through software-controlled plans in their embedded systems. Companies market their UAVs to conduct aerial photography, construction application, utilities, and others Market Overview and Trends In April 2019, Cyberhawk, a drone inspection company, signed a global agreement with John Zink Hamworthy Combustion (JZHC). Download samples here: https://www.visiongain.com/report/global-utility-drones-market-report-2019-2029/download_sampe_div Market Dynamics: Factors Influencing the Market Growth: Time and cost efficiency associated with this technology Increase in global demand for minimizing outages related to transmission infrastructure Reachability in hazardous locations Factors Restraining the Market Growth: Legal regulations To find out more about this report please contact Sara Peerun at sara.peerun@visiongain.com or refer to our website: https://www.visiongain.com/report/global-utility-drones-market-report-2019-2029/ Market Segmentation 2019-2029: Type Fixed wing Market, 2019-2029 Multi-rotor Market, 2019-2029 Services Point solution Market, 2019-2029 End-to-end solution Market, 2019-2029 End-User Power Market - Transmission & Distribution Market - Generation Market Renewable Market - Wind Market - Solar Market Geographic breakdown Focused regional forecasts and analysis explore the future opportunities: North America Market, 2019-2029 Latin America Market, 2019-2029 Europe Market, 2019-2029 Asia-Pacific Market, 2019-2029 Middle East and Africa Market, 2019-2029 Competitive Analysis: Companies are strategically expanding their global presence and offering improved Utility Drones technology across various sectors. Companies are also undertaking acquisition, mergers and other developmental strategies, thereby improving the competitive landscape of the market. Did you know that we also offer a report add-on service? Email sara.peerun@visiongain.com to discuss any customized research needs you may have. Companies covered in the report include: 3D Robotics ABJ Drones Aerodyne Asset Drone Cyberhawk Delair DJI Elistair Hemav Hubsan Identified Technologies Insitu Lockheed Martin Corporation Measure Parrot Precisionhawk Sharper Shape Sky Scape Sky-Futures SZ DJI Technology Co. Terra Drone ULC Robotics Yuneec Yuneec International Co. To discuss this report please e-mail Sara Peerun on sara.peerun@visiongain.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/523989/Visiongain_Logo.jpg Morocco and France said they are ready to expand their cooperation to new fields such as new technologies and renewable energies building on solid ties and fruitful partnership in industry and services. The remarks were made in a joint statement following talks between visiting French Finance Minister Bruno le Maire and his Moroccan peer Mohamed Benchaaboun. The two ministers explored new fields to develop their economic partnership and cooperate together to improve their competitiveness, said the statement. They said they were working on a mutually beneficial production pact providing for more support to SMEs notably after Morocco launched a plan in that regard. The French minister also welcomed the tax policy measures taken by Morocco in line with the EUs standards. They also highlighted the success of Africas high-speed rail link (TGV) between Casablanca and tangier, built thanks to Moroccan-French cooperation. Following the January 19 Berlin conference on Libya, war tensions between NATO powers over Libya and the Mediterranean continue to mount, after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited Paris on Wednesday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Berlin conference has set the stage not for peace, but only for stepped-up imperialist military interventions to divide up the profits to be extracted from Libya and the entire region. With Mitsotakis, Macron announced the dispatching of French warships to the Aegean Sea and the formation of a French-Greek military alliance, while denouncing Turkish policy in Libya. Amid explosive border tensions and conflicts over eastern Mediterranean natural gas deposits between Turkey and Greece, Paris is threatening to support Greece in a war with Turkey. French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at a joint press conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Wednesday Jan. 29, 2020 [Credit: Benoit Tessier/Pool via AP] Macron accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of not respecting his promises in Berlin, saying that at this very moment Turkish ships were taking Syrian Islamist mercenaries to Libya. We have seen in recent days Turkish vessels arriving on Libyan soil in violation of explicit engagements taken by President Erdogan at the Berlin conference, Macron said. He added, This threatens the security of all residents of Europe and the Sahel. Macron, who has backed warlord Khalifa Haftar in the civil war provoked by the 2011 NATO war in Libya, said he condemns with the greatest firmness the recent accord between Turkey and Haftars main rival, Fayez al-Serrajs Government of National Accord (GNA). During the Macron-Mitsotakis conference, anonymous intelligence officials told French media that Rafale jets flying from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle had detected Turkish ships transporting heavy armored vehicles and mercenaries into Libyas capital of Tripoli, held by the GNA. They also alleged that the ships transporting the troops and hardware were escorted by one of several Turkish frigates cruising in Libyan waters. Macron maintained a hypocritical and self-interested silence on French-backed Egyptian and United Arab Emirates (UAE) weapons shipments to Frances Libyan proxy, Haftar. The position of Paris remains totally inflexible, Le Monde wrote. Marshal Haftar, who more or less controls most of Libyas territory, must be taken into account and his demandsdisbanding Islamist militias, giving more oil revenue to the eastern Libyan region of Cyrenaicaare not negotiable. Macron also announced a strategic security partnership between France and Greece and declared that he condemns the intrusions and provocations of Turkey in Greek airspace and waters. France will rotate its warships through the eastern Mediterranean to ensure that at least one French frigate is in the area at all times. The purpose of the stepped-up French naval presence, Macron added, is to fully ensure the security of a region that is strategic for Europe. Mitsotakis hailed the deal with France, saying: Greece and France are pursuing a new framework of strategic defense. Details of the Franco-Greek military alliance are to be announced in coming weeks. However, it appears French warships will likely patrol gas-rich waters off Cyprus, where the Greek Cypriot government has given French energy giant Total exploration rights. While Mitsotakis called the French warships guarantors of peace in the Aegean, it is clear that the danger of military conflict between major NATO allies is very real. Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos said his staff is examining all scenarios, even that of military engagement with Turkish forces at flashpoints like the Aegean Sea or Cyprus. Turkish officials responded by denouncing the French intervention in the eastern Mediterranean. If France wants to contribute to the implementation of decisions taken at the [Berlin] Conference, it should first stop supporting Haftar, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy declared in a statement. The main party responsible for all Libyas problems since the beginning of the 2011 crisis is France, Aksoy added, noting that France unconditionally supports Haftar to have its say over the natural resources in Libya. NATOs 2011 war against Libya launched a bloody scramble for profits and strategic advantage in the region that has had disastrous consequences. After the Berlin conference, the imperialist powers are again recklessly intensifying their military intervention. As France, Russia, Egypt, and the UAE intervene to back Haftar in Libya while Italy, Turkey and Qatar back Serraj, the danger of a major regional war over Libya or the eastern Mediterranean is ever greater. The scramble for Africa and the Mediterranean is intensifying deep and explosive divisions among the major NATO imperialist powers. Last year, France withdrew its ambassador to Italy as tensions mounted between Paris and Rome over Libya. While Washington has not taken a public position on Greece or Libya, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed deals last October to build major new US military bases in Greece, saying Washington needs them to help secure the eastern Mediterranean. White House spokesman Judd Deere claimed that tensions between NATO powers forced Trump to call Erdogan on Monday. During the call, Trump reportedly stressed the importance of Turkey and Greece resolving their differences in the east Mediterranean. Faced with the prospect of US and French military build-ups in Greece, sections of the Turkish bourgeoisie close to Erdogan are calling for closer ties with Berlin to counteract Paris. The pro-government Daily Sabah call for an outreach to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who it said needs close cooperation with Turkey to power German industry and keep Middle Eastern refugees from reaching Europe. Lets give credit where credit is due: Merkels foreign policy is far more reasonable than French President Emmanuel Macrons approach, it stated, adding, Merkel knows that the US abdication of its global responsibilities compels Europeans to take care of themselves and, by extension, to work with Erdogan's Turkey. It concluded, To improve Germanys relations with Turkey and keep the upper hand in Libya, Merkel needs to overcome two obstacles: French and Greek adventurism. Macron undermines Libyan peace and stability by throwing his weight behind Haftar Germany has to stop France and Greece. Lets see if Merkel will manage to wrap up her political career by completing this urgent mission. As imperialist wars spread across the Middle East and Africa, Macron is pursuing a reckless policy in defense of French imperialist interests. On the one hand, he is continuing neo-colonial wars and intervention in Mali and the broader Sahel, south of Libya, supposedly to fight Islamist militias. At the same time, he is bidding to obtain for French oil firm Total a lions share of Libyan oil, should Haftar conquer the country, and of eastern Mediterranean gas via deals with the Greek Cypriot government. This poses a growing risk of an outright military confrontation with Turkey, as Macron is launching an alliance with Greece amid explosive Greek-Turkish tensions. Britains Guardian newspaper wrote that, Friction between the two neighbours has not been so acute since the invasion of Cyprus in 1974 by Turkey, which led to war with Greece. It added that, for Mitsotakis, hostile relations with Turkey have eclipsed all other issues on the agenda of his near seven-month-old government. While he claimed the war danger is slim, not least because it would be too much of a lose-lose situation, University of Piraeus Professor Aristotle Tziampiris told the Guardian that the chances of a [hot] incident, by design or accident, are very real and that is what is worrying us all. New Delhi, Jan 31 : India has set up a Coronavirus quarantine facility at Haryana's Manesar, with the help of the Army, for around 300 students arriving from China's Wuhan. Another quarantine facility for approximately 600 Indian families arriving from Wuhan has been swiftly created by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) near at its Chhawla camp here. Responding to an emergency requirement to create and manage a facility to quarantine the returning Indian students, the Indian Army has swiftly set up the camp. "After coming to India, the students will be taken directly to the quarantine facility where they can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection," said an Indian Army officer. "The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps - the first one being screening at airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment," the officer added. Screening at the airport will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and the Airport Health Authority (APHO). During the screening, the returning students will be classified into three groups. The first group will be suspect cases where individuals with any signs of fever and/or cough and/or respiratory distress will be directly transferred to Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment. The second group would be 'close contact', comprising individuals without symptoms but having visited a seafood/animal market or a health facility or having come into contact with a Chinese person with symptoms in the last 14 days will be escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility. The third group would be non-contact xase. "Any individual without any symptom(s) or contact or who does not fit into either (a) or (b) will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility," the officer said. The quarantine facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students each. "Each barrack has been further subdivided into barracks. The population of sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other," the officer said. Daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff will be wearing personal protective equipment, comprising mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves, at all times. All students and vistors will wear a three-layered mask at all times. "After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the district/state surveillance units for further surveillance," the officer said. Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC's isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery. Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to the NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV. Apart from playing games, watching TV and having meals together within a barrack, no one will be allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector. The facility will be administered by a nominated Officer In Charge (OIC) who will have under his command a community medicine Specialist, two nursing officers, a woman medical officer and a nursing assistant. No civilian or service personnel detailed to work inside the facility will be allowed to go outside, unless compelled by extreme emergency situation. Families and children will be taken to the ITBP facility from the airport. At the camp, a qualified team of doctors will monitor the inmates for any signs of infection. K atie Hopkins appears to have been tricked into picking up a fake C**T award by YouTube prankster Josh Pieters. The former Apprentice and Celebrity Big Brother star flew to Prague to accept the completely fake award on Monday, Pieters said. The YouTube star, who has 1.21 million followers on the platform, uploaded footage of the ceremony online on Thursday. In it he was filmed handing Hopkins a trophy as they both smiled to the camera. Katie Hopkins collecting the fake award / YouTube/ Josh Pieters Behind them a projector showed the words "Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy", with capital letters spelling out the C-word. Pieters shared footage of the fake award ceremony to his channel on the same day Hopkinss Twitter account was suspended. Before posting the footage, he wrote: Now that Katie Hopkins cant read Twitter, I can tell you that on Monday I made her fly to Prague to pick up a completely fake award. In the video, Pieters shared a number of controversial tweets Hopkins has posted over the years, as well as clips of her airing her opinions. Katie Hopkins's Twitter account has been suspended / Getty Images As Hopkins gets up to collect the award, the projection on the screen behind her changes to reveal the word C**T. Standing in front of the trophy, she said: "It's strange to hear nice things being said about yourself. Hopkins then launches into a string of controversial remarks about Muslims and epileptics. To pull off the prank, Pieters said he set up a fake website for the The Cape Town Collective For Freedom of Speech. He then contacted Hopkins and invited to her to attend the ceremony in Prague and collect the fake award. Pieters said Hopkins was delighted to accept the trophy. The Standard has approached a representative of Hopkins for comment on the prank. Hopkins has been temporarily locked out of her Twitter account as anti-hate campaigners called for her to be removed from the site. Her account has was disabled for violating the site's hateful conduct policy. Actor Ha Jung-woo and Kim Nam-gil attended at the media presentation of "Closet" held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul on the 29th. "Closet" is a mysterious story about a man who wonders what's behind his daughter's disappearance. In room 3A of the Fairfield County courthouse in Bridgeport, Jennifer Lawlor did one of the most difficult things of her life. As she told Judge Joan Alexander in detailed terms why 27-year-old Brandon Roberts should never have hope of freedom someday, the monster charged with killing her only daughter, Emily Todd, sat stonily in an orange prison jumpsuit at a table just a few dozen feet away. She tried not to look at him. As she took her place at the microphone, she placed a wooden cross to her right, angled toward him. An amulet to counteract evil. Her life meant something, Jenn said with the fierceness of a wounded mother. Justice will only be served if Brandon Roberts spends the rest of his life in prison. Choking back a sob: I am in mine. She glared over at him. His head hung low. It didnt look like he met her gaze, from where I sat in the courtroom Tuesday afternoon behind Emilys family. I admire Jenns courage at confronting her daughters accused killer. I dont know that I could have done that. Later she told me that she didnt want to give him the satisfaction of attention. But much more was at stake than her extreme discomfort. Her mission was to convince the judge that the man who confessed to police that he killed her daughter should not be granted his offer: a guilty plea in return for a 45-year sentence. Full-of-life openness In 2018, 11 homicides happened in Bridgeport, the states largest city. Emily Todd was one of them. The next year, there would be 17 (with arrests in about half of them), which was the average for the decade. In Connecticut, there were 102 murders in 2017, up from 78 the year before. That means the states murder rate in 2017 was 2.8 per 100,000 residents, much lower than the 5.3 per 100,000 nationwide. Small comfort. Numbers dont give the human dimension to the story. For each of those 11 murders in Bridgeport in 2018, there likely is a grieving family that will never be the same. A mother gives birth with hopes of a long life for her baby. She soothes through childhood illnesses and schoolyard slights, celebrates each milestone high school graduation, a new job but never entirely stops worrying. Jenn was worried sick the morning after Dec. 8, 2018, when her 25-year-old daughter Emily didnt return home to their cozy Bethel neighborhood. It wasnt like her to stay out. It wasnt like her not to call. Emily grew up to be a considerate young adult. She had the kind heart of a nature lover, a trusting soul, was a loving big sister to her three younger brothers. She was an integral part of a wider family including many aunts and uncles, and her father and stepmother who live in Maine. Emily, trained as an expressive art therapist, was making her way working at a nursing home in Danbury. To see photos of her, smiling with full-of-life openness, its easy to imagine the joy she must have spread. Emily left that Saturday evening to meet one last time with Roberts. They had met through an online site, dated a few times and then Emily broke it off. He called and begged her to see him over a cup of coffee. When she didnt return home, her stepfather and uncle drove to Bridgeport and spent frantic hours scouring the streets looking for her and her car. They finally came back to Bethel empty-handed and in tears. And then what every parent dreads: A phalanx of police officers and FBI agents were crossing the lawn, heading to the front door. They brought photos. Could Jenn identify the murder victim found near a pier in Bridgeport? The sun in our solar system That day marked the dividing line for Emilys family. The before time, and the after. The pieces of what happened began to come together. But that could not bring understanding. Police arrested Roberts, who had told Emily his name was Randy Jones. He had been staying near family members in Stratford when he met her for the last time. The family learned he had a gun, unregistered. The family learned that, a year earlier, he allegedly shot a woman twice after she got out of his car on a Bridgeport street. She survived. The family learned that on the evening of Dec. 8, Emily and the man she broke up with did have a cup of coffee at a Dunkin Donuts. They dont know why less than an hour later they ended up near the water. They dont know why the killer shot Emily in the back of the head. Did she hear the gun come out? Her mother wonders. Was she scared? In her final moments, did she think of her mother? No answers will ever come. The accused killer stole Emilys car, cellphone and debit card and drove to various ATMs to drain her bank account. (He knew her PIN.) The killer shot her and left her like a piece of garbage, Jenn said with a trembling voice. Why couldnt he have just taken her car and money and let her live? She wonders. By the end of 2018, Roberts was charged with murder, murder in the commission of a felony, robbery in the first degree with a deadly weapon, and carrying a pistol without a permit. All felonies. Police said he confessed to killing Emily. But he entered a not guilty plea, and is held on a $2 million bond. On Jan. 18, 2019, he was charged in the June 9, 2017, shooting with attempt to commit murder, first degree assault with serious injury, and carrying a pistol without a permit. All felonies. The bond is $500,000. Emilys family members and friends have been to court at least 14 times. It was the appearance on Jan. 8 this year that provoked outrage when the offer of a guilty plea in exchange for 45 years was mentioned. Emily was the sun in our solar system, her stepfather Thomas Lawlor told the judge Tuesday. Why should this man ever have hope of being free again? The familys anger is also directed at the unfairness of the states penal code. The only way a guilty killer can get life in prison is if there are Special Circumstances for murder, such as if the victim is a police officer, firefighter or government official; or it happened during a sexual assault; or to someone under age 16. Because she was eight years older, does that make her life any less valuable? an aunt asked the judge. The Special Circumstances should be expanded to include, at least, premeditation. Tuesday afternoon, nearly 50 of Emilys family and friends almost filled room 3A of the courthouse. About a dozen spoke, most tearfully, begging the judge to reject Roberts plea offer. Judge Alexander conveyed compassion. She softly encouraged the speakers to take their time. To a friend who weeped that her infant daughter would never know Emily, the judge replied: I think your daughter has a guardian angel. I hope you believe it. When the judge returned to the courtroom after a nearly half-hour conference with the lawyers, she delivered her position on Roberts plea offer. But first she thanked Emilys family and friends. Listening to your comments makes the court record come alive, she said. The court thanks you for bringing Emily here to this proceeding today. By law, the family cannot get its wish of life imprisonment for the accused killer. If the case goes to trial, a felony murder could be capped at 60 years, the judge said. She is required by law to put a plea offer on the case before it goes to trial. On March 11 she will announce it. Speaking before the judge Tuesday of her familys suffering while the monster breathed the same air nearby was difficult for Jenn. A mother faces a much more difficult time, though, when identifying her daughters body from crime photos. At least on Tuesday she could do something about it. And the judge listened. Jacqueline Smiths column appears Fridays in Hearst Connecticut Medias daily newspapers. She is the editorial page editor of The News-Times in Danbury and The Norwalk Hour. Email her at jsmith@hearstmediact.com. by Sumon Corraya The Third Order Regular of St Francis has been present in Bangladesh for 25 years. In Dinajpur a hostel hosts 50 mostly non-Christian children. In Dhaka the friars help domestic migrants. We follow the charism of Saint Francis, said Br Francis. People do not expect priests to be rich, but to be faithful, he added. Dhaka (AsiaNews) People expect sincerity on our part, that we show them an upright life and dedicate time to them. I also noticed that when I prepare the sermon for Mass well, they appreciate it, said 53-year-old Francis Marandy, superior of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of Assisi in Bangladesh, speaking to AsiaNews. Son of catechists, as a child Br Francis believed that only foreign and white-skinned missionaries could be priests. Until I met some nuns who told me I could be one too. Originally from Pathorghata, a parish in the Diocese of Dinajpur, the friar was born into a tribal Catholic family. As a child, he dreamt of becoming a teacher, until he met the nuns, who changed his life. I was ordained in 2001, he explained. My father encouraged me to be a priest. When I became one, he was really happy. I love consecrated life because I can take care of people spiritually, and I can help them earn Heaven, he said about his vocation. I am happy in my religious life. As a consecrated person, my job is to be holy and make others so. Thus, we can create a world in accordance with Gods love. Franciscan friars have been present in Bangladesh for 25 years, and currently have eight priests, a brother and 19 seminarians. In the past, we sent a confrere to the Philippines as a missionary, noted Br Francis. We hope to send more people in the future. The friars are witnesses preaching the Good News, being kind and doing good work. We follow the charism of Saint Francis in preaching the Gospel and leading a simple life. The three vows of priestly life are celibacy, poverty and obedience. People do not expect priests to be rich, but to be faithful. We must show our holy life. In Dinajpur, we have a hostel with 50 children, most of whom are non-Christians. Every year some children receive Christ on Easter day. In Dhaka we spiritually assist domestic migrants. The relationship with the laity is very important to Nr Francis. We need support, prayer and collaboration on their part. Family and religious life are both important. We priests would not exist and the Church would have problems if families [did not play their role.] How would we have nuns and priests without families? Some activists must have been heard, California's Attorney General has delayed the transaction wherein a private equity firm is buying the .ORG tld, seeking more information. Mashable: California Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent a letter to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) demanding more information about the private equity takeover of the .org domain registry. The attorney general is seeking answers to 35 questions concerning the sale as well as documents sent between ICANN, private equity firm Ethos Capital, and Public Interest Registry (PIR), which manages the .org domain. Ethos Capital disclosed last year that it was acquiring PIR from its non-profit parent organization, the Internet Society, for $1.135 billion. ICANN, the non-profit organization that oversees domain names, disclosed the letter on its website along with its own correspondence with PIR, informing it of the development. Previously, ICANN had until Feb. 17 to approve or deny the sale. According to ICANN, as a result of the California AG's letter, it's seeking to delay this deadline until April 20. Of course, eliminating single-family zoning doesnt mean you cant build a single-family home or continue to live in one. It just means that the law doesnt say you have to. Oregon has legalized fourplexes in cities and duplexes elsewhere. Minneapolis has legalized triplexes citywide. California is close to approving a bill that would allow for higher-density housing along transit and job corridors. The District, Maryland and Virginia should be counted among the places that have acknowledged the deleterious effects of single-family zoning on housing affordability, racial and economic equity and the climate. We are committed to redressing them through the clear, simple and honest reform of legalizing more housing where it has historically been barred. Information such as staff records, health insurance, and commercial contract data were compromised, the UN confirmed. The attack resulted in a compromise of core infrastructure components, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told The New Humanitarian. Other infrastructure components affected by the attack, as identified by the internal report, include the offices printing, antivirus, and human resources systems. The hackers allegedly made off with about 400GB of data. Dujarric also said that since the UN has yet to determine the exact nature and scope of the incident, the organization had chosen not to publicly disclose the breach. The cyberattack went unreported until The New Humanitarian came across the internal report, which was dated September 20, 2019, during its investigation. Jake Williams, a former hacker for the US government, told the Associated Press that the attack definitely looks like espionage. The cyberattackers allegedly attempted to conceal their intrusion by deleting the logs that would have documented their entry into the servers. Seven Tamil journalists based in Sri Lankas military-occupied Eastern Province have been threatened with death. The threats were issued in Tamil-language leaflets that were slid under the door of the Batticaloa Press Club, a conference hall run by the Batticaloa Tamil Journalists Association (BTJA), on January 23. Death-threat leaflet targetting Batticaloa journalists The leaflets, which were discovered by members who planned to use the hall that afternoon, are part of a resurgence of attacks against the media since Gotabhaya Rajapakse was sworn in as Sri Lankan president in November. They were headlined Warning! Warning!! and featured a photograph of the seven journalists attending a memorial vigil earlier this month in honour of assassinated Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge. The leaflets declared: These are the foreign Tiger-funded reporters who publish news against the government. We will soon deliver the death penalty to them. Those targeted are Selvakumar Nilanthan (Tamil Guardian), Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran (Sirasa TV), Kunarasa Supojan and Nallathambi Nithyanathan (Shakthi TV), Krishnakumar (the state-owned Independent Television Network), and Vadivel Sakthivel and Subramaniam Kunalingam from the Jaffna-based newspaper Thinakkural. The acclaimed Sunday Leader editor Wickrematunge was murdered in broad daylight on January 8, 2009, as he was driving to his editorial office at Mount Lavinia near Colomboand just 100 metres from an air force checkpoint and next to a high security zone. Wickrematunge was critical of former President Mahinda Rajapakse and the war against the separatist Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He exposed corruption in the military, implicating then defence secretary and current President Gotabhaya Rajapakse. Rajapakse filed a defamation case against him. Lasantha Wickrematunge funeral banners [Source: Wikimedia commons] In defiance of the latest threats, the BTJA held another memorial vigil on January 25 to commemorate other murdered Sri Lankan journalists. An anonymous media activist told Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka that the January 23 death sentence leaflets were an attempt to intimidate and stop us from demanding justice for our fallen colleagues. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Sri Lankan affiliate, the Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), reported that the seven journalists lodged a complaint at the Batticaloa police. Both organisations, as well as Reporters Without Borders (RSF), condemned the threatening leaflets and demanded proper police protection for journalists. The latest threatlike those in the pastwas probably instigated by a paramilitary group working with the military or the police. These formations have a long and brutal record of abductions, violent assaults and the murder of journalists and political opponents. Dozens of journalists have been assassinated in Sri Lanka, particularly in the North and the East, over the last decades by paramilitary groups. On Thursday, members of several journalist associations in Sri Lanka, including the Working Journalist Association and the FMETU, held a Black January protest in Colombo to condemn the latest threats and commemorate all media workers killed, disappeared and physically harmed by paramilitary groups. The January 23 threats against the Batticaloa journalists are just one of several similar incidents reported this month. On January 7, Tamil Guardian reporter Selvakumar Nilanthan was summoned to Batticaloa courts after the police charged him with obstructing the duties of a government official. He was released on bail later that day and ordered to appear before the court on February 28. Nilanthan was visited several times by officers from the Eravur Police Station who behaved in a threatening manner. It is believed the police acted on a 10-month-old complaint made by N. Vilvarathnam, head of the Chenkalady Divisional Secretariat, who falsely claimed that the reporter was obstructing his duties. Nilanthan, however, was simply reporting on a protest by local residents against corruption in the divisional secretariat. On January 10, Nimanthi Ranasinghe, a court reporter for Lankadeepa, went to Mulleriyawa police station near Colombo to record a complaint about a death threat from an underworld thug. The officer in charge (OIC), however, refused to record her complaint because she refused to reveal her source of information. She has now lodged a complaint about how she was treated by the OIC. On January 19 an unidentified group vandalised the home of Jaffna-based Valampuri journalist I. Rajeskaran in Mannipay, Jaffna. The house was vandalised in December, along with a nearby home that is owned by another journalist. On January 16, a special Amnesty International report, entitled Attacks on Human Rights Organisations, Media Organisations and Journalists in Sri Lanka, noted that there had been more than a dozen unscheduled visits to human rights and media organisations by the authorities between last years Easter Sunday terrorist attacks and this January. Human rights and media organisation personnel, the report said, were questioned about their activities by members of the Sri Lankan Police, including the Criminal Investigation Department and the Terrorism Investigation Division, as well as State Intelligence. In December, President Rajapakse met with corporate media heads, advising them to align their publications with his governments policies. I anticipate that all the media organisations will fulfil their duty to the country through journalism which helps to uplift the dignity of the country, he declared. Death threats, assassinations and disappearances of journalists were frequent during Rajapakses tenure as defence secretaryfrom 2005 to 2015when his brother Mahinda was the president. While former President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe came to power promising to expose and prosecute those responsible for the attacks on media workers, nothing changed. Police investigations into the disappearance of political analyst and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda and the abductions and assaults of Riviras former editor Upali Tennekoon and the Nations deputy editor Keith Noyahr and its senior journalist Namal Perera were political delaying tactics and came to nothing. In fact, the intimidation and harassment of media workers and attacks on freedom of expression continued under the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration. This included the jailing of award-winning writer Shakthika Sathkumara and police threats against artist Malaka Devapriya. Both cases were initiated after complaints to the police by extreme-right Buddhist monks. The escalating attacks on journalists and media freedom in Sri Lanka are an international phenomenon. The sharpest expression of this is the persecution and jailing of WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange in Britain, and the moves to extradite him to US to face espionage charges. Since Rajapakses swearing in as president, Sri Lankas corporate media has ignored the escalating intimidation of media workers and not published a word about the death threats issued against the Batticaloa journalists. The growing coercion is part of a broader crackdown against the democratic rights of the working class as the new government, nervous about the eruption of strikes and protests, moves towards authoritarian methods of rule. Seattle Public Schools in Washington has agreed to pay almost half a million dollars to resolve a claim involving a former student who said he was hospitalized after his elementary school released him to the wrong parent in 2010. The former student, then 8, was picked up by his father following an incident at the school and `seriously assaulted, according to the settlement authorization document, which was unanimously approved by the Seattle School Board. The father was criminally charged and convicted after the incident, the document said. The former student and his mother filed a claim against the district in March, The Seattle Times reported. The district said the mother and former student will drop the claim in exchange for a $475,000 settlement, pending approval by King County Superior Court. Publicly, the district provided few details about the incident, and did not immediately provide a copy of the original claim upon request. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Washington Dozens of demonstrators demanding a more inclusive church hold vigil at the edge of the May 3 session of the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Florida.(Photo: UMNS/Paul Jeffrey) After years of division in the UMC - the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the US - the proposals set out the path towards the formation of a new "traditionalist Methodist" denomination for those who hold to a conservative view on marriage and sexuality. The UMC denomination would move forward with formally allowing same-sex marriage and same-sex LGBT clergy. That would mean changing the wording in the UMC's Book of Discipline, which currently states that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching". A nine-page document published by UMC leaders on Friday says that a separation is "the best means to resolve our differences, allowing each part of the Church to remain true to its theological understanding, while recognizing the dignity, equality, integrity, and respect of every person". "The United Methodist Church and its members after careful reflection, discussion and prayer have fundamental differences regarding their understanding and interpretation of Scripture, theology and practice," the document reads. Conservative congregations that choose to join the new traditionalist denomination are to be helped by a $25m fund, while departing clergy will be allowed to retain their UMC pensions. The proposals have been formulated by a 16-strong committee comprising bishops and Church leaders on both sides of the debate. In a vote in February last year, 53 per cent of Church leaders and lay members expressed a desire to retain the UMC's traditional stance on marriage and sexuality. The new plans will come before the 2020 General Conference in May for approval and are expected to pass. They have been welcomed by liberal and conservative pastors. Pro-LGBT pastor Thomas Berlin told The New York Times that they were a "welcome relief" to the conflict in the Church. "I am very encouraged that the United Methodist Church found a way to offer a resolution to a long conflict," he said. Keith Boyette, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a fellowship of over 1,000 conservative congregations, predicts that up to 40 per cent of the denomination in the US could leave the UMC. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, he also welcomed the proposals. "For traditionalists, we can now focus on the next steps," he said. "That would not be achievable if there were not this kind of plan in place." Left parties on Friday slammed President Ram Nath Kovind for misqouting Mahatma Gandhi to "justify" the amended Citizenship Act. CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said that the Narendra Modi government has been invoking Mahatma Gandhi to propagate their lies. "Modi government continues to lie by invoking Gandhi's ideas, now in the President's address, on the divisive CAA. Their lies stand exposed. Gandhi spoke the exact opposite in the cited statement. Gandhiji was killed because he stood for a secular and inclusive India," Yechury said in a tweet. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Kovind during his address to a joint sitting of Parliament said, "The Muslims have said they would be loyal to India. Let us trust them with all our heart. Let us remember that truth alone triumphs never untruth." Yechury said that Gandhi had in fact said, "Muslims, who have chosen to remain in India are loyal to India and we should give them our complete trust. In all his writings he has always spoken about all the religions together. He has even said that those Hindus and Sikhs who choose to go to Pakistan should be loyal to Pakistan." He slammed the President for being silent on the real problems of the people. CPI General Secretary D Raja also said that Gandhi's name is being taken in vain. "It's very inappropriate to take name of Gandhi to justify the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the communal policy of this government. The government through the President's address tried to paint a rosy picture when the country is in turmoil," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Labour leadership contender Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reverse Boris Johnsons end to freedom of movement for European Union citizens in the UK if he becomes prime minister. The shadow Brexit secretary, who is seen as the frontrunner to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, on Friday told the PM to give EU nationals remaining in the country the right to vote. And as the UK entered its final hours formally in the bloc, Sir Keir called for an end to divisions, saying Leave/Remain ends tonight. Sir Keir, who has been blamed by some for aiding Labours catastrophic election defeat with his Brexit policy, praised the benefits of EU membership in a speech in Westminster Cathedral Hall. I want people in this country to be able to go and work abroad in Europe. And I want people in Europe to be able to come and work here, he said. I want families to be able to live together, whether thats in Europe or here, and I want people in this country, in the United Kingdom, to be able to go and study in Europe just as they can now and people in Europe to be able to come and study here. We have to make the case for freedom of movement. Asked to clarify if that meant he would restore that right if he was PM, Sir Keir said: Yes, of course, bring back, argue for, challenge. Sir Keir did not rule out extending this right to people from other nations but said the focus today was on those from the EU. The UK is to leave the EU at 11pm on Friday, but little will change until the end of 2020 when the transition period ends, bringing with it the end of freedom of movement. EU citizens wanting to remain in the nation must apply to the settlement scheme by the end of June next year. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) They will continue to not have the right to vote in Westminster elections. That is unacceptable, according to Sir Keir, who criticised the Government for treating them disgracefully. We need to give our EU citizens rights not tolerance and that starts with the right to vote, he said. I challenge the Government to give EU citizens the right to vote and be properly citizens of our country, he added to applause. We welcome migrants, we dont scapegoat them. Sir Keir is seen as being the leader in the race to lead the party after its worst general election defeat since 1935. He is through to the final stage the ballot of members and supporters along with Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey. The final contender, Emily Thornberry, is still trying to win sufficient support from affiliated organisations or constituency parties. The new leader, and the deputy, will be announced on April 4. WASHINGTON Two pivotal Senate Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah announced Thursday they would vote to subpoena witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, but it remained unclear whether there were enough votes for additional testimony. Both were expected to join Democrats in voting to subpoena witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton, along with potential swing votes from GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska But Alexander said he would vote against witnesses. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense," Alexander said. 'The Russians are coming': Moments from a busy day in Congress and the impeachment trial The announcements turned all eyes on Murkowski, who told reporters she is still weighing her options. I am going to go reflect on what I have heard, re-read my notes and decide whether I need to hear more," she said. Because a majority of the Senate sets policy in the trial, the 47 Senate Democrats need at least four of the 53 Republicans to support subpoenas to summon witnesses or documents, as House managers have urged. The Senate is expected to vote Friday on subpoenas. A motion to subpoena a witness would fail on a 50-50 tie. It's not clear whether Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding, would break the tie. Senate: Senator Lamar Alexander, R-TN Senator Alexander announced in December 2018 he will retire in 2020. Alexander, Collins, Murkowski and Romney were among a handful of Republican senators who kept open the possibility of calling witnesses as House Democrats, who prosecuted the case, and Trump's defense team each presented three days of opening arguments. Senators posed written questions for both sides during eight-sessions Wednesday and Thursday. Story continues Bolton's offer became more urgent after the New York Times reported that his pending book described Trump telling his aide that he suspended $391 million in military assistance to Ukraine under the condition of investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. But Trump has denied telling Bolton that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations. He also suggested he might fight to block Bolton's testimony under executive privilege, to protect the confidentiality of advice from top aides. Collins said she would support witnesses and said that if they are approved, House managers and Trump's defense team should agree on a limited number for each side. The Senate could then vote on the precise number, she said. "I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity," Collins said. "Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed." More: #ArrestRandPaul trends on Twitter after he walks out over impeachment question Murkowski offered a hint about her thinking when she asked Trump's defense team Thursday why the Senate shouldn't call Bolton. "This dispute about material facts weighs in favor of calling additional witnesses with direct knowledge," Murkowski said in the written question, read by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Patrick Philbin, a deputy White House counsel, warned that agreeing to call additional witnesses would establish new standards for impeachment, if the House can send "half-baked" cases and leave the Senate to complete the investigation. Philbin also said Bolton hadn't confirmed the newspaper report. It will do grave damage to this body as an institution to say that the proceedings in the House dont have to really be complete," Philbin said. Thats not the way the way that his chamber should allow impeachments to be presented to it." The clash over witnesses has been contentious throughout the trial. As the trial opened, the Senate rejected Democratic proposals for witnesses in a series of party-line votes, but held out the prospect for more votes after arguments and questions were done. House managers led by Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the trial wouldn't be fair without compelling witnesses who refused to testify during the impeachment inquiry, including Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. Schiff argued that the House couldn't wait for courts to enforce subpoenas because an appeals decision is still pending for former White House counsel Don McGahn, while Trump represents a threat to the 2020 election. He will not be acquitted, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters Thursday about Trump. You cannot be acquitted if you dont have a trial. And you dont have a trial if you dont have witnesses and documentation. But Trumps defense team said the House should have summoned witnesses and fought in court to enforce subpoenas. Jay Sekulow, another defense lawyer, argued that no witnesses were needed because the House managers said they already had overwhelming evidence to prove their case. But Sekulow said Trump's team would want to call its own witnesses if any were allowed. Sekulow said he would like to call Joe Biden, Hunter Biden and the whistleblower, whose complaint about Trump's dealings with Ukraine sparked the impeachment inquiry. Trump's lawyers said the trial could last months longer if senators open the door to witnesses. But Schiff suggested that witnesses could be deposed within a week and that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could quickly resolve disputes over which witnesses are relevant and which deserve executive privilege. Contributing: Nicholas Wu, Savannah Behrmann This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Impeachment: Sen. Lamar Alexander will not vote for new witnesses The police detained a few members of the right wing group Hindu Rashtra Sena on Thursday ahead of a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens here. Seven members of the outfit were found roaming around the premises of Gandhi Bhavan in Kothrud where the protest was to take place, a police official said. Bollywood actor Urmila Matondkar and social activist Teesta Setalwad were among those invited to the protest. "As these members of HRS were found roaming around, we detained them," said the official. On Wednesday, an office-bearer of Hindu Rashtra Sena had submitted a letter to Kothrud police station, seeking cancellation of the permission for the event and warning that they would stop the program otherwise. China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index came in at 50.0 for January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the official manufacturing PMI to come in at 50.0. The official manufacturing PMI a measure of factory activity was at 50.2 in December. PMI readings above 50 indicate expansion, while those below that level signal contraction. The manufacturing PMI was released just after the World Health Organization on Thursday declared a coronavirus outbreak that started in Wuhan, China as a global health emergency. In its analysis of the data, China's statistics bureau said the impact of the coronavirus outbreak was not fully reflected in its January's PMI reading as the survey was conducted before Jan. 20. The virus outbreak was officially reported in late December. PMI in the coming months "will give insight into how damaging the virus is," noted Martin Lynge Rasmussen, China economist at Capital Economics, a consultancy. Economists at Nomura said they expect "a big plunge" in February PMI numbers to a range between 40 and 45, due to the virus outbreak. "The services PMI could be hit harder than the manufacturing PMI, as a number of service sectors have come to a grinding halt since 23 January," they said in a note on Friday. China's National Health Commission on Friday said there have been an additional 43 deaths and 1,982 new cases were confirmed, as of the end of Thursday. That brings the country's total deaths to 213 and 9,692 confirmed cases, the government said. China's economy has been under pressure since last year, amid a long-drawn trade war with the U.S. Now, the outbreak of the coronavirus will likely put even more strain on the world's second largest economy which has seen slower growth. To prevent the virus from spreading further, a number of provinces in China extended the Lunar New Year holidays a move that will hit businesses and global supply chains. The week-long Lunar New Year holidays typically distort manufacturing data due to front-loading and factory closures during that time. The holiday usually falls in the month of January or February each year. Global markets have been selling off this week as investors fear widespread economic fallout from the coranavirus outbreak. The official PMI survey typically polls a large proportion of big businesses and state-owned enterprises. Results of a private manufacturing PMI survey by Markit/Caixin which features a bigger mix of small- and medium-sized firms will be released on Monday. Lyfebulb and Helsinn Announce the Winners of the Third Annual Lyfebulb-Helsinn Cancer Innovation Summit & Award MONACO, PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO, AND NEW YORK, NY, USA, January 31, 2020: Lyfebulb, a patient empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation toward solutions in chronic disease, and Helsinn, a Swiss pharmaceutical group focused on building quality cancer care, announce that Russell LaMontagne of Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics was chosen as the winner of the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Innovation Award, and Cesare Spadoni, PhD, of Oncoheroes Biosciences was chosen as the winner of the Squinto-LePera Award by Lyfebulb. In addition, the jury decided to award Michael Stein, PhD, of Valo Therapeutics a third grant. The Awards recognize outstanding Patient Entrepreneurs building groundbreaking companies to advance the prevention, diagnosis, management or care of cancer. Boston Immune Technologies and Therapies is developing immune-based therapies for cancer to help patients by making treatments more efficacious, cost effective and time efficient. Oncoheroes Biosciences exclusively focuses on the discovery and development of better drugs to help children and adolescents with cancer. Valo Therapeutics is developing novel, patented therapeutic immunotherapy platforms to help cancer patients by uniquely addressing all four objectives key to successful cancer therapy. Eleven finalists, all of whom represent companies founded by cancer patients, cancer survivors or those with loved ones affected by cancer, were invited to compete at the Lyfebulb-Helsinn Cancer Innovation Summit on January 30, 2020, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco during the 14th Monaco Biennale of Oncology. The Summit kicked off with a presentation by Dr. Giulio Draetta, Chief Scientific Officer of MD Anderson, that highlighted the new direction his organization is taking to drive innovation in cancer research. An independent panel of judges, which included diverse experts in the cancer, healthcare and business communities, listened to the pitches and selected Russell and Cesare as the winners of the two $25,000 monetary grants, and added Michael with a $5,000 grant, to further develop their potential solutions. The outstanding diversity and innovations of the 11 finalists attest to the growing reputation of the Challenge that we are running together with Helsinn for a third year in a row. Additionally, this year, during the Summit, we included an inspirational, moving presentation by a two-time cancer survivor, Kimberly Irvine. We saw firsthand that the combination of patients and care partners working alongside industry is an important key to success, said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb. Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, said, The caliber of submissions for this years awards was extremely high and we would like to congratulate all those who made it to the Summit. We congratulate Russell, Cesare and Michael and would also like to extend our thanks to the expert panel of judges who had to choose between so many worthy finalists. These awards are testament to the many entrepreneurs out there who are using their own personal experiences to bring innovation and new solutions to the challenges of cancer. Helsinn is proud to support innovation of this quality and looks forward to supporting budding entrepreneurs in coming years. About Lyfebulb Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry to support user-driven innovation. Grounded with its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, mental health, migraine and transplantation. See www.lyfebulb.com , Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Lyfebulb LinkedIn , and Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn . About the Helsinn Groups Helsinn is a privately-owned pharmaceutical group with an extensive portfolio of marketed cancer care products and a robust drug development pipeline. Since 1976, Helsinn has been improving the everyday lives of patients, guided by core family values of respect, integrity and quality. The Group works across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices and nutritional supplements and has expertise in research, development, manufacture and the commercialization of therapeutic and supportive care products for cancer, pain and inflammation and gastroenterology. In 2016, Helsinn created the Helsinn Investment Fund to support early-stage investment opportunities in areas of unmet patient need. The company is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland, with operating subsidiaries in Switzerland, Ireland, the U.S., Monaco and China, as well as a product presence in approximately 190 countries globally. To learn more about Helsinn Group please visit www.helsinn.com About Helsinn Investment Fund S.A., SICAR The Helsinn Investment Fund is focused on investments in areas of high unmet patient need. Backed by the Helsinn Group, and guided by Helsinns core values of quality, integrity and respect, Helsinn Investment Fund aims to help companies with innovative technologies to transform new ideas into commercial solutions with the potential to impact health-related quality of life of patients. Drawing on Helsinns over 40 years of investment into research and development and commercial expertise, the investment fund selects companies with technologies in a range of areas including cancer therapeutics and diagnostics, cancer supportive care, metabolic and gastrointestinal disorders, and dermatology conditions. For more information, visit www.helsinninvestmentfund.com About Helsinn International Services sarl Helsinn International Services sarl is the Helsinn subsidiary which provides a range of advisory services and strategic activities to the Group and its specific companies. In particular, it acts as the advisory company to Helsinn Investment Fund. For more information: Helsinn Group Media Contact Paola Bonvicini Group Head of Communication Lugano, Switzerland Tel: +41 (0) 91 985 21 21 Info-hhc@helsinn.com For more information, please visit www.helsinn.com and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn and Vimeo . Political tension has continued to grip Edo State, South-south Nigeria, as the rift between the state governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, deepens. In what appeared like a ban on Mr Oshiomhole, the deputy governor of Edo, Philip Shaibu, said on Thursday that the APC chairman cannot enter the state without the permission from the governor, Mr Obaseki. Fourteen House of Assembly members-elect have alleged that there is a plot to assassinate Mr Oshiomhole. Mr Shaibu made the declaration while addressing a rally at Egor local government area to welcome the chairman of the Edgor local government council, Eghe Ogbemudia, who has just been recalled from suspension by Governor Obaseki. We have discovered that anywhere he (Oshiomhole) goes, there is violence. So now we have said until he takes permission from governor, Mr Shaibu said amidst cheers from the crowd. He cannot come to Edo State because we are peaceful people. Edo state is peaceful, he should not come and create crisis for us. The video containing the deputy governors remarks is currently trending on Twitter. Mr Shaibu, who addressed the crowd mainly in Pidgin English, said Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo, taught them how to fight godfather. Mr Oshiomhole helped Mr Obaseki to succeed him as governor in 2016 against all the odds. Both men parted ways afterward and since then the Edo state government has repeatedly accused Mr Oshiomhole of wanting to impose himself as godfather to the governor. The local Edo House of Assembly and the APC in the state have been factionalised because of the rift. The state chapter of APC has suspended Mr Oshiomhole from the party and has refused to recognise him as their national chairman. Him think say we be fool? Time don reach make we let am know say wetin him teach us we don perfect am and everything wey we go dey do na wetin he teach us, Mr Shaibu said of Mr Oshiomhole at the Thursday rally. Him teach us make we dey fight who? He asked the crowd. Godfather! The crowd shouted. The deputy governor continued: So are we not fighting godfather now? Whether him na godfather, whether another person na godfather, wetin him tell us be say make we dey fight godfather. The Bible say, teach your children the way of the lord, so that when they grow up they will follow dat wey! READ ALSO: Oshiomhole teach us, when we were young, the way to fight godfather, so that when we are big we will continue to abide it. No be so? Somebody wey be national chairman, though we don suspend am now. If you be national chairman of any party, the way wey Oshiomhole dey come say he wan receive people for Edo without permission from our governor, him fit go Kano like dat say to receive people to APC without the permission of Kano governor? The crowd shouted no! Can Oshiomhole go to Imo state without the permission of the governor, say dem go do rally for there? Can Oshiomhole go to Kaduna state, say him dey go receive people for Kaduna state without el-Rufai approving? Na our governor him see finish? Him see our governor finish! Him see all of us finish? Advertisements Time don reach to tell-am say when he was governor of Edo state, Oyegun no fit come here say to come receive people for party here? Mr Shaibu said. PREMIUM TIMES contacted Mr Shaibus spokesperson, Ebomhiana Musa, and asked him if the deputy governors remarks was not an incitement to violence. That is not an incitement! He did not say they should attack Oshiomhole, he did not say they should beat up Oshiomhole, he did not say they should lock up Oshiomhole. He said he should take permission from the state government! Mr Musa responded. But if Mr Oshiomhole refuses to take permission, what happens? PREMIUM TIMES asked him. He is not a baby, he is the former governor of the state, he knows the right thing to do, he responded. Mr Musa said the Edo government has banned rallies and political meetings in the state to forestall a breakdown of order. Alleged assassination plot The 14 lawmakers-elect who are alleging an assassination plot against the APC national chairman were those excluded from the inauguration of the state assembly. The lawmakers-elect, according to a report by The Nation newspaper, told reporters Thursday in Abuja that Governor Obaseki was behind the plot. They said the governor has set up a militia group to eliminate Mr Oshiomhole, The Nation reported. The paper, however, said the lawmakers-elect did not provide details of the alleged plot nor back up the allegation with any evidence. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Leader Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the governors of the APC states to please call Governor Godwin Obaseki to order as he is known to have set several precedents that may be detrimental to our great party in the nearest future. The Inspector-General of Police should wake up to his responsibility of protecting lives, properties and maintaining public peace in Edo by standing against infringement on rights. We beg him to advise the Edo Commissioner of Police to be professional in his duty, said Victor Edoror, a former speaker of the Edo assembly, who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers-elect. Vietnam veterans tell their stories in 'Brothers Like These' Flat Rock Playhouse will host Brothers Like These, a special one day only performance, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 9. Presented by the North Carolina Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation and Blue Ridge Honor Flight, Brothers Like These will feature Vietnam veterans performing their own written true stories. Tickets will be available only on-site starting at noon the day of the performance. For more information, please contact Marybeth Burns at (828)388.4448 or marybeth@summitresults.com. Popular on-air-personality, Toolz Oniru and husband, captain Demureen are currently celebrating their 4th wedding anniversary. Read Also: Toolz Receives 10-Year Recognition As OAP For Beat FM (Photo) As a way of celebrating the special day, the popular figure took to her Instagram page to pen a lovely message for her husband. She wrote: Happy Tradiversary Papi. Cant believe were 4 years down! See the smile on my face cos money is involved. May God continue to be with us; may we be saying #TSquareForever for as long as we live; may our marriage set an amazing example for our children, and may the Almighty make your pockets bottomless so I can keep smiling this smile. Amen u, While a federal jury in Huntsville was deliberating on whether to convict her of 15 criminal charges, Dr. Celia Lloyd-Turney pleaded guilty today to one count of unlawful drug distribution. Federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining 14 charges in exchange for Lloyd-Turneys guilty plea to a charge of unlawfully distributing controlled substances. Prosecutors will recommend a sentence of five years on probation and two years of house arrest, court records state. U.S. District Judge Liles C. Burke will sentence Lloyd-Turney on June 8. The doctor faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, court records show. Lloyd-Turney, 66, also agreed to surrender her medical license. The citizens of Alabama are safer as a result and the message is clear to medical providers who over-prescribe opioids: the white coat is no shield to federal prosecution," said U.S. Attorney Jay Town in a press statement about the guilty plea. Turney operated a family medicine clinic, mass-prescribing opioids without medical justification and taking advantage of patients, many of whom are addicted to opioids, with no regard to the larger pain brought to those individuals, families and communities." Lloyd-Turney was accused of over-prescribing opioid pills at Choice Medicine, a clinic in the Toney community in northwest Madison County. Federal court records alleged that she prescribed dangerous combinations of drugs known to heighten the risk of overdose and death. Lloyd-Turneys guilty plea came as a jury was already deliberating. Her trial began last week in federal court in Huntsville. When she took the stand earlier this week, Lloyd-Turney denied any wrongdoing, reported AL.com news partner WHNT News-19. Prescription drug abuse remains a significant problem in this country that destroys countless lives, said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byersley in a statement. DEA is fully committed to the pursuit of any individual who abandons their oath as a medical practitioner. In April of 2019, Lloyd-Turney was among 60 medical professionals charged in a federal pill mill investigation in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. Dating back to 2017, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners restricted Lloyd-Turneys ability to dispense controlled substances. Board investigators said she over-prescribed substances to several patients and that she did so with no legitimate medical purpose. As part of an agreement with the medical board, Lloyd-Turney admitted she had excessively prescribed controlled substances to 10 patients. The agreement allowed her to keep her certificate to prescribe controlled substances. In May of 2018, Lloyd-Turney was sued for wrongful death by the family of Felicia Ann Kelly, a former patient who died two years earlier at age 30. The lawsuit says she died from mixed drug toxicity, with toxicology tests detecting fatal levels of oxycodone and other drugs. Town praised the prosecutors and agencies who investigated the case: Trial Attorneys Louis Manzo and Ann Weber Langely, Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Huntsville Police Department. Residents and business owners have been asked to reduce their load on the state's electricity grid as rising temperatures, wind and muggy conditions set in for the weekend. NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean called on households and businesses to minimise their electricity usage where possible, especially between 5pm and 9pm. A watering hole in the Blue Mountains, where the Gospers Mountain Fire tore through the communities of Clarence, Dargan and Bell over Christmas. Credit:Dean Sewell "The tight conditions in the electricity system in NSW, the ACT and Victoria are as a result of heatwave conditions causing consistent high demand, damage to transmission infrastructure in Victoria and mechanical problems at a number of the state's coal fired power stations," Mr Kean said. He urged consumers to close blinds, switch off non-essential appliances and pool pumps and set airconditioners to a minimum of 24 degrees in occupied rooms only. Brexit Following is the chronology of Brexit as the UK is set to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday, more than three and a half years since the country voted for it in a referendum in 2016. January 23, 2013: Prime Minister David Cameron promises an in-out referendum on EU membership if his Conservative Party wins the 2015 General Election. May 7, 2015: The Conservatives make sweeping gains over the Labour Party and secure a majority in the House of Commons. June 23, 2016: The UK votes in a crucial referendum to leave the EU with 52 per cent of the public supporting Brexit. David Cameron, resign as prime minister. July 13, 2016 : Theresa May wins the Conservative Party leadership contest and becomes prime minister March 29, 2017 : May sends a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, triggering Article 50. It sets the date for the UK's departure in two years' time: March 29, 2019. April 18, 2017 : May announces a snap general election in the UK, to be held on June 8. June 8, 2017: May loses her Commons majority after her election gamble backfires. July 17, 2017: Brexit talks officially get underway in Brussels between EU and UK negotiators. March 19, 2018: The UK and EU publish a draft agreement on Britain's withdrawal. But the agreement is not totally agreed. July 6, 2018: Prime Minister May unveils to her Cabinet her much-awaited Chequers plan. July 8, 2018: The UK's Brexit minister David Davis resigns in protest. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson follows suit. November 15 2018: Dominic Raab resigns as Brexit Secretary. November 25, 2018: The 27 European Union leaders endorse the Brexit deal. December 13, 2018: Prime Minister May survives a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party. January 15, 2019: MPs reject May's Brexit plans by an emphatic 432 votes to 202 in a historic vote. March 12, 2019: MPs again reject the Government's Brexit deal by 391 votes to 242. March 20, 2019: May asks the EU to delay Brexit from March 29 until June 30. March 29, 2019: MPs reject May's Withdrawal Agreement by 286 votes to 344, majority 58, on the day when the UK was due to leave the European Union. April 10, 2019: EU apress on a flexible extension to Brexit is agreed until October 31. May 24, 2019: May announces she is standing down as Tory party leader on June 7. June 7, 2019: May officially steps down as Tory leader. July 23 2019: Boris Johnson is elected as leader of the Conservative Party and becomes the UK's new Prime Minister. August 28, 2019: The UK Parliament is prorogued, or suspended, for five weeks, upon advice given to Queen Elizabeth II by Johnson's government. September 3, 2019: 21 rebel Conservative MPs vote against the government in protest at its Brexit strategy of driving the UK towards an exit from the EU by October 31. October 3, 2019: The UK government sends a new Brexit plan to Brussels. October 17, 2019: The UK and EU announce dramatically that they have struck a new Brexit deal, ahead of a Brussels summit. October 19, 2019: At a special Saturday sitting, British MPs withhold their approval for the deal until laws implementing Brexit are in place. October 22, 2019: Johnson puts Brexit legislation on pause, citing MPs' obstacles. October 28, 2019: The EU agrees to offer the UK a Brexit flextension until January 31. October 29, 2019: The House of Commons approves a general election on December 12. December 12, 2019: Prime Minister Johnson's Conservatives wins General Elections and gain an 80-seat majority in the Commons. January 23, 2020: The UK's EU Withdrawal bill becomes law, after a relatively smooth passage through Parliament. January 29, 2020: The European Parliament approves the Brexit divorce deal under which the UK will leave the EU on 2300 GMT on January 31. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) keep accusing the current Electoral Commission (EC) of being in bed with the ruling NPP government. The NDC suspects a recent decision by the EC to compile a new voters' register is just to favour the NPP especially as the country goes to the poll in December this year. They insist that the Jean Mensa led EC has taken sides instead of being neutral. However, the Member of Parliament for Subin constituency in the Ashanti region, Eugene Boakye Antwi believes it will be in the interest of the country, if the appointing authority selects someone who is not a known card-bearing member of one of the political parties. Speaking to these controversies on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo', Eugene Boakye Antwi said: "every EC appointee is tagged depending on the party in power and this must stop. Everybody has an interest...if John Mahama is to select an EC Commissioner, he will not select someone who will fight against him. This should not even be subjected to any debate. We must understand it. If I am in charge and I am to pick a commissioner, I will not choose Kwesi Pratt because he is CPP neither will I choose an NDC activist; and that is the truth." Watch the rest of his submission in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 32-year-old Lehigh County woman allegedly stole packages twice this week after they had been delivered to properties in Allentown. Charlesetta J. Fritz, of the 1000 block of East Susquehanna Street in Salisbury Township, was arrested Thursday in the theft of a package from a porch in Allentown's 2300 block of East Woodlawn Street, city police Chief Glenn Granitz Jr. said in a news release Friday. "Unfortunately a number of packages have been reported in Allentown over the past several months," Granitz wrote in the release. Fritz was charged in the theft, which occurred Monday, following an investigation by Allentown police with cooperation from members of the Allentown community and Salisbury Township police, Granitz said. Fritz is also accused in the theft of a package Wednesday in the 2300 block of East Fairmont Street in the city. She was arraigned in the Monday incident on two counts each of theft and receiving stolen property, and in Wednesday's incident on charges of theft, conspiracy and receiving stolen property. Fritz was released on combined, unsecured bail of $15,000 and will face a preliminary hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to send the cases toward trial in Lehigh County Court. Fritz could not be reached for comment; a call to a possible phone number listed for her went unanswered. Court records do not list an attorney. Allentown police asked residents who have experienced similar thefts or who may have information that may be of use to call Detective Josh Baker at 610-437-7721. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The Associated Press Fabric curtains stretch across the huge Warragamba Dam to trap ash and sediment expected to wash off wildfire-scorched slopes and into the reservoir that holds 80 percent of untreated drinking water for the Greater Sydney area. In Australias national capital of Canberra, authorities are keeping a wary eye on burning forests and bushland, hoping a new water treatment plant and other measures will prevent a repeat of water quality problems and disruption that followed deadly wildfires 17 years ago. There have not yet been major impacts on drinking water systems in southeast Australia from the intense fires that have burned more than 104,000 square kilometers since September. But authorities know from experience that the biggest risks will come with repeated rains over many months or years while the damaged watersheds, or catchment areas, recover. And because of the size and intensity of the fires, the potential impacts are not clear yet. The forest area burned in Australia within a single fire season is just staggering, said Stefan Doerr, a professor at Swansea University in England who studies the effects of forest files on sediment and ash runoff. We havent seen anything like it in recorded history. The situation in Australia illustrates a growing global concern: Forests, grasslands and other areas that supply drinking water to hundreds of millions of people are increasingly vulnerable to fire due in large part to hotter, drier weather that has extended fire seasons, and more people moving into those areas, where they can accidentally set fires. More than 60 percent of the water supply for the worlds 100 largest cities originates in fire-prone watersheds and countless smaller communities also rely on surface water in vulnerable areas, researchers say. When rain does fall, it can be intense, dumping a lot of water in a short period of time, which can quickly erode denuded slopes and wash huge volumes of ash, sediment and debris into crucial waterways and reservoirs. Besides reducing the amount of water available, the runoff also can introduce pollutants, as well as nutrients that create algae blooms. Whats more, the area that burns each year in many forest ecosystems has increased in recent decades, and that expansion likely will continue through the century because of a warmer climate, experts say. Most of the 64,000 square kilometers that have burned in Victoria and New South Wales have been forest, including rainforests, according to scientists in New South Wales and the Victorian government. Some believe that high temperatures, drought and more frequent fires may make it impossible for some areas to be fully restored. Very hot fires burn organic matter and topsoil needed for trees and other vegetation to regenerate, leaving nothing to absorb water. The heat also can seal and harden the ground, causing water to run off quickly, carrying everything in its path. That in turn can clog streams, killing fish, plants and other aquatic life necessary for high-quality water before it reaches reservoirs. Already, thunderstorms in southeast Australia in recent weeks have caused debris flows and fish kills in some rivers, though fires continue to burn. You potentially get this feedback cycle, where vegetation cant recolonize an area, which intensifies erosion of any remaining soil, said Joel Sankey, research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey The role of climate change is often difficult to pin down in specific wildfires, said Gary Sheridan, a researcher at the University of Melbourne. But he said the drying effects of wildfire combined with hotter weather and less rainfall in much of Australia, even as more rain falls in the northern part of the country mean that we should expect more fires. But climate change has affected areas such as northern Canada and Alaska, where average annual temperatures have risen by almost 4 degrees (2.2 degrees Celsius) since the 1960s, compared to about 1 degree (0.55 degrees Celsius) farther south. As a result, the forested area burned annually has more than doubled over the past 20 to 30 years, said Doerr, from Swansea University. Although there might be fewer cities and towns in the path of runoff in those areas, problems do occur. In Canadas Fort McMurray, Alberta, the cost of treating ash-tainted water in its drinking-water system increased dramatically after a 2016 wildfire. In the Western U.S., 65 percent of all surface water supplies originate in forested watersheds where the risk of wildfires is growing including in the historically wet Pacific Northwest. By mid-century almost 90 percent of them will experience an increase doubling in some in post-fire sedimentation that could affect drinking water supplies, according to a federally funded 2017 study. The results are striking and alarming, said Sankey, the USGS geologist, who helped lead the study. But a lot of communities are working to address these issues, he added. Its not all doom and gloom because there are a lot of opportunities to reduce risks, Denver Water, which serves 1.4 million customers, discovered the high cost of being reactive after ash and sediment runoff from two large, high-intensity fires, in 1996 and 2002, clogged a reservoir that handles 80 percent of the water for its 1.4 million customers, said Christina Burri, a watershed scientist for the utility. It spent about $28 million to recover, mostly to dredge 1 million cubic yards (765,555 cubic meters) of sediment from the reservoir. Since then, the utility has spent tens of millions more to protect the forests, partnering with the U.S. Forest Service and others. to protect the watershed and proactively battle future fires, including by clearing some trees and controlling vegetation in populated areas. Utilities also can treat slopes with wood chips and other cover and install barriers to slow ash runoff. They purposely burn vegetation when fire danger is low to get rid of undergrowth. Canberras water utility has built in redundancies in case of fire, such as collecting water from three watersheds instead of two, and it can switch among sources if necessary, said Kristy Wilson, a spokeswoman for Icon Water, which operates the system. Water can be withdrawn from eight different levels within the largest dam to ensure the best-quality water, even if there is some sediment, she said. That is paired with simpler measures such as using straw bales, sediment traps and booms with curtains to control silt, and physically removing vegetation around reservoirs and in watersheds to reduce fire fuel, she said. Eventually, some communities might need to switch their water sources because of fires and drought. Perth, on the western coast, has turned to groundwater and systems that treat saltwater because rainfall has decreased significantly since the early 1970s, said Sheridan of University of Melbourne. But, for now, millions of people will continue to drink water that originates in increasingly fire-prone forests. Be it the municipal councillors or the MLAs of Delhi, they point to water issues being one of the topmost problems faced by citizens in the National Capital. On a usual hot summer day in Delhi, a large group of women haggled the councillors assistant at the municipal councillors office in Sangam Vihar demanding to know when theyll receive their daily quota of water. The assistant swiftly called Delhi Jal Board and told them the street number where water tankers were to be sent. The women, however, unsatisfied by this phone call, asked how can they be sure the tankers will show up. The women were least bothered to know that the Delhi Jal Board comes under the authority of the state government, i.e. their MLA and not their ward councillor. What they needed was water and did not care about who the concerned authority is. Interestingly, their MLA also happens to be the vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board. The 1916 complaint number which handles water woes is everything but helpful. Unavailability of water has become a daily reality in the area. Be it the municipal councillors or the MLAs of Delhi, they point to water issues being one of the topmost problems faced by citizens in the National Capital. According to Prajas report on Civic Issues Registered by Citizens and Deliberations by Municipal Councillors in Delhi Ward Committees(MCD) and MLAs in the State Assembly sessions, the number of complaints registered at the Delhi Jal Board has seen a 39 percent increase from 2015 to 2018. Based on data received after filing RTIs, the report also states that complaints relating to No Water have increased from 34,554 in 2015 to 86,637 in 2018, a 151 percent increase. Complaints of contamination of water have increased by 34 percent from 2015 to 2018 and there has been a rise in complaints from 2015 to 2018 related to drainage (111 percent), road (46 percent) and sewer (46 percent). To add to this in 2018, 34,098 complaints were made to the DJB which did not fall under its jurisdiction and were transferred to other departments, categorised as other. Faced with a lack of awareness on the multiplicity of authorities that plagues governance of Delhi and an inadequate grievance redressal mechanism, people reach out to whichever elected representative they find more accessible. This everyday situation, that citizens have simply made their peace with, spells out lackadaisical governance that is anything but citizen-friendly. While a severe water crisis is now hitting many cities across the country and the world, the situation in Delhi is even more worrying since the grievance redressal mechanism is also in need of a serious upgrade. Affluent pockets and people in Delhi will sail through the crisis due to higher ability to pay for water, it is going to be the people living in the margins of the city and in pockets with little to zero urban development that will be hit the first and the most. While the Central government has made tall claims of providing piped drinking water to every rural household by 2024, the Niti Aayog report on Composite Water Resources Management stated that Delhi among 21 other cities is going to run out of water very soon. Only setting up rainwater harvesting in government offices and wastewater treatment in schools is not going to help. Cities like Delhi will need to make a comprehensive water resources rejuvenation plan that includes households from all economic strata and co-operation of the multiple governments and agencies. Further, it needs to strengthen its grievance redressal mechanism, by having an integrated online management system for all governing bodies, whereby complaints are routed to the concerning body based on whose jurisdiction it falls under. The complaint management system should also have a feedback mechanism and conduct a regular complaint audit through a survey to find out whether complainants are satisfied with the resolution provided by the concerned authority. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is against the people of the Northeast and the legislation will "destroy" the language and culture of the region, Congress MP Abdul Khaleque said on Friday. The Lok Sabha MP from Assam said the party will continue to lodge protest against the "anti-people" law, both inside and outside Parliament. "The CAA will hurt the interests of the people of the Northeast and endanger the language and culture of the people of the region," Khaleque told reporters here. The Congress leader said this in the wake of President Ram Nath Kovind's remarks at the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament hailing the CAA. Kovind said the legislation has fulfilled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi. "We have protested against the CAA inside Parliament and near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi today. We will continue to protest against the CAA both inside and outside Parliament till the act is repealed," he said. According to the CAA, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship. President Kovind on Friday lauded the CAA saying Parliament fulfilled the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi, who had suggested after the partition that the Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India. Khaleque also slammed Union Minister Anurag Thakur for his "divisive" remarks during the campaign for the Delhi assembly elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What is it about robots and pizza? A robot that bakes the well-loved meal was a big hit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, wowing onlookers as it prepared 300 pies an hour. The developer, a Seattle-based startup called Picnic, insists that pizza is only the beginning: Our system will soon be able to make a wide variety of foods including sandwiches, salads, bowls and more. And why not? After all, robot bartenders, including for the home, are all the rage (although the top-of-the-line model will set you back the price of a luxury car). Moreover, with labor costs rising and margins falling, no one doubts that the future of the food service industry is automation, both behind the counter and in the kitchen. Still, there seems to be something special about robots and pizza. Dominos, the worlds biggest pizza chain, touts its autonomous delivery vehicle, which is being tested in Houston. Big rival Little Caesar holds a patent on its own apparatus ... for assembling pizza that is, a pizza-making robot. And learned papers in serious journals explain the best way to teach an autonomous system to roll pizza ... or even to select ingredients. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Well, of course. The world market for freshly baked pizza is nearing $150 billion a year, according to a 2019 report in PMQ Pizza Magazine, an industry trade publication. The largest share more than $50 billion is in the U.S., but the fastest growth over the next five years is expected in Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. In China alone, annual sales are forecast to grow 21.6 percent by 2024. Thats a lot of demand, but theres also a lot of competition. For sellers of freshly baked pizza, as for others in the food service industry, rising labor costs and thinning margins make increased automation inevitable. Still, theres no reason just yet for technophobes to panic or, for that matter, for technophiles to celebrate. We have some time yet before being overwhelmed by the pizza-robot apocalypse. Not so fast Picnics automaton is undeniably fun and impressive to watch. It looks good too, sleek and unindustrial. One observer wrote that the robot resembles a white, kitchen-sized iPhone. Its easy to see why the device has earned such fawning coverage and why Picnic has already signed up some big customers. Still, there are reasons to be cautious in our enthusiasm. First among them is the elephant in the room: the cautionary tale of Zume. Headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., Zume was a legitimate unicorn, with the clever idea of baking pizzas in special ovens inside its trucks, using GPS technology to determine when to heat the pies so that they would arrive fresh and hot at the customers doorstep. SoftBanks single investment in the startup in 2018, which was greater than the total amount raised by all other robot-food-preparation startups combined over the previous five years, implied a value for the company of over $2 billion. The company even earned a cameo on the HBO comedy Silicon Valley. As recently as November Vox Recode predicted that Zume might soon be worth $4 billion. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox each Monday Oops. Zume shuttered its pizza operation in January, cutting 172 jobs in Mountain View and 80 more in San Francisco. Going forward, Zume plans to focus now on sustainable food packaging. Heres a second reason for caution: Despite heady media claims that pizza is now being made by artificial intelligence (and a similar suggestion from the company itself), Picnics device doesnt quite earn that encomium. Melanie Mitchell of the Sante Fe Institute, argues in her excellent 2019 book Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans that whats crucial to humanlike thought is the ability to apply common sense, a challenge researchers find difficult. We should avoid crying AI every time a device masters a particular task previously done by humans, even when the task is complex, like playing chess ... or making pizza. The easy part And Picnics robot, though quite ingenious, isnt artificially intelligent just yet. Heres radio station KIRO: The human touch is still very much required for the machine to function. It has a vision system that reads the size and shape of the dough, and places the toppings and sauce on using a conveyor belt, but the dough and sauce must be made by actual human beings, who also have to put the pizza in the oven. This is impressive but not revolutionary. Automated assembly lines for automobiles do nearly as much, and have been around longer. As KIRO puts it, The pizza-making robot is really good at making the easiest part of the pizza. But a system need not be artificially intelligent to be efficient and useful, and its easy to believe that Picnic is pointing the way toward the future. Picnic certainly isnt Zume. For one thing, Picnics system is simpler. It lacks articulating arms and consists instead of a series of modular, customizable food dispensers. Even if the device currently performs only the easiest part of the operation, one assumes that its capabilities will improve over time. For another, unlike Zume, Picnic isnt in the pizza business; its in the robot business, leasing devices to customers, tailoring it to their needs and setting it up at no charge, all in return for a monthly fee. With so many restaurants struggling to pay their bills, and with technology improving all the time, its fair to say that the future of pizza (and of the rest of food service) belongs to the bots. Joe Bidens campaign slogan may as well be a moderate candidate offering moderate proposals for moderate voters who miss moderate politics. Committed conservatives will dismiss him as too liberal, and young progressives would rather stay home. But if you liked President Bill Clinton in 1996, youll love Biden in 2020. Ive committed to writing columns looking at the economic and health care policies of the major candidates for president. These are not intended as endorsements, but rather a chance to focus on policies on the off chance that some voters are interested in more than personalities. Biden stakes out the middle of the road to appeal to the middle class, for whom polls say the political rhetoric of socialism and fascism off-putting. Biden offers only minor tweaks to neo-liberal globalism, which is anathema to the extremes in both parties. More on 2020: Buttigieg is a very liberal moderate Biden sticks to the old-school idea that global trade builds strong alliances, and American workers should concentrate on innovation, not on the jobs of the past. Instead of raising taxes to keep low-skilled laborers in low-tech factories, Biden thinks Americans should focus on whats next. We should be putting our money and our effort and our time into preparing American workers to compete in the 21st Century on the high-tech side, dealing with artificial intelligence, Biden said during last months CNN-Des Moines Register debate. He also adheres to the ancient philosophy that a governments job is to guarantee opportunity and build infrastructure for the common good, not give tax breaks to the wealthy. He has proposed spending $1.3 trillion over the next decade to improve schools, repair roads, and invest in the withering U.S. heartland. We're the wealthiest nation in the world, our workers are more productive than workers around the world, three times as productive as workers in Asia, Biden said in November. We have more great research universities that the people own than all the rest of the world combined. More on 2020: Sanders Medicare for All is all bad for the U.S. Biden remains loyal to the Democratic partys roots in the labor movement, promising more aggressive enforcement of labor laws. He wants to boost unions with laws that extend collective bargaining timetables, allow more union workplaces and limit employer-backed anti-union campaigning. Government workers would also gain a federal guarantee to collective bargaining, giving unions more power nationally. Biden insists that union jobs are the quickest path from poverty to the middle class. When it comes to health care, Biden limits himself to upgrading Obamacare. He would allow people to buy into Medicare while expanding Medicaid to the working poor. He would work toward universal coverage, including mental health treatment. Of the 160 million people who like their health care now, they can keep it, Biden said, in a promise eerily reminiscent of former President Barack Obama. The Biden plan would cost taxpayers $740 billion over 10 years. More on 2020: Warrens got 50 plans because central planning always works He has promised to pay for it by raising the tax on capital gains--typically the profits from selling stocks--to 39.5 percent, compared to up to 20 percent today. Since wealthy people are the most likely to see capital gains, the move is essentially a tax on the rich. We are going to raise taxes on the wealthy, Biden said during the CNN-New York Times debate in October. We're going to reduce tax burdens on those who are not. The former vice president brags about his readiness to come clean about how much his programs will cost. He derides Democratic opponents for proposing Medicare for All packages that could potentially triple the federal budget. Critics, though, complain that Biden is rewarmed coffee when radical economic and social change is required. They argue a wealthier, healthier and safer world means little to middle-class Americans with blue-collar skills who are seeing their standard of living slip. On HoustonChronicle.com: Trump delivers on unemployment and economic growth Young people want freedom from student debt and demand radically-reduced tuition because they cannot afford to study for the jobs of the future. Bidens higher education plan only provides tuition assistance to low-income students or those at community colleges. Bidens track record as the senator from Delaware also exposes him to attacks for his close relationships with big banks and Wall Street. His support for the deregulation of the financial sector, which led to the Great Recession, dilutes his progressive positions on unions and the middle class. Lastly, Bidens health care plan only talks about cutting pharmaceutical costs and doesnt address hospital and doctor bills, which are far bigger problems. A Biden administration would offer a through-line from the Clinton and Obama administrations. Based on recent polling, that may be exactly what most Democrats want. Tomlinson writes commentary about business, economics and policy. twitter.com/cltomlinson chris.tomlinson@chron.com Former Vietnamese prisoner of conscience Tran Thi Nga is set to receive ACAT-Frances Engel Prize for Human Rights on Saturday in Paris after being freed early in January from a nine-year prison term imposed in Vietnam for spreading propaganda against the state. Released on Jan. 10 following diplomatic pressure after serving three years of her sentence, Tran and her two sons and husband were put on a plane and sent to Atlanta, Georgia, where she now lives in exile from Vietnam. Unable to travel to France due to poor health following her prison ordeal, she will receive the award from ACAT-FranceAction by Christians for the Abolition of Torturein Paris on Feb. 1 in absentia, Tran told RFAs Vietnamese Service on Thursday. Because my health is not good, I will not be able to travel to France to take part in the award ceremony. However, a friend will attend the ceremony on my behalf, she said, speaking by phone from Atlanta. Speaking to RFA, Tran expressed her appreciation for ACATs recognition of her work promoting human rights in Vietnam. For many years, I just thought I was doing everything I could to help myself, my children, and the many people who are now victims in Vietnams prisons. I never imagined that my work in fighting for human rights would be appreciated by international organizations, she said. Writing in a Jan. 13 statement, the Paris-based rights group welcomed Trans early release from prison, saying she had been unjustly punished by the Vietnamese government for her commitment to the rights of the weakest. We regret, however, that she is unable to continue her work in her country, where she is prohibited from traveling, the rights group said. We call on the international community not to confuse [her] early release with a relaxation of the repression carried out on civil society in Vietnam, ACAT-France said. On the contrary, it is more necessary than ever for Hanois trading partners to bring the issue of human rights to the table. Online activism Noted in Vietnam for her online activism, Tran was sentenced in July 2017 to nine years in prison for spreading "propaganda against the state" under Article 88 of Vietnams penal code, a provision frequently used to silence dissident bloggers and other activists. Her appeal was rejected in December that year. She was later beaten and threatened with death by a cellmate assigned to her by prison authorities, and was repeatedly denied family visits for refusal to follow the rules, Trans husband Phan Van Phong told RFA in earlier reports. Last year saw a surge in the number of prisoners of conscience in Vietnam, along with a continuing crackdown on the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, according to a report released this week by rights group Amnesty International. The authorities arrested and/or prosecuted at least 23 people over the course of the year on speech related grounds, AI said in its report, Human Rights in Asia-Pacific: Review of 2019. Most of those targeted had expressed views on issues such as corruption, the environment, politics, and human rights, using Facebook as a platform. Those convicted received prison sentences of up to 11 years. Prisoners of conscience were frequently sent to facilities far from their homes and were subjected to various forms of ill-treatment, including solitary confinement, poor quality food, lack of access to medical care, and mental and physical abuse, including assaults by prisoners held for common crimes, the rights group said. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huynh Le. Written in English by Richard Finney. The Costa Smeralda cruise ship is docked in the Civitavecchia port north of Rome on Jan 30, 2020. (FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images) Cruise Passengers Held Over Coronavirus Scare Can Disembark The 6,000 passengers who were held on a cruise ship off the Italian coast can now disembark after health authorities worked to diagnose an apparently sick Chinese woman before health ministry officials declared her coronavirus-free. Cruise officials have confirmed that Italian health officials diagnosed a passenger on board a ship docked in Civitavecchia, north of Rome, Italy with the common flu, according to a Thursday night statement from Carnival Cruises and its Italy-based subsidiary Costa Cruises. It said that passengers can now either disembark or remain on board overnight, at their discretion, adding that the guests scheduled to disembark will be accommodated in hotels near the port and embark on Friday. The Costa Smeralda landed in the port town of Civitavecchia when two Chinese nationals were placed in medical isolation, confirmed Giuseppe Ippolito, the scientific director of the Spallanzani Hospital. They were put in isolation as soon as the diagnosis was verified, he said in a news conference with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Health Minister Roberto Speranza. At the same event, Conte announced Italy would suspend all flights from China. The Costa Smeralda cruise ship is docked in the Civitavecchia port 43 miles north of Rome, Italy, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images) The Costa Smeralda cruise ship is docked in the Civitavecchia port near Rome, Italy, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Andrew Medichini/AP Photo) As far as I know we are the first country in Europe to adopt such a precautionary measure, Conte said, reported the New York Times. A Costa Cruises spokesperson told The Epoch Times that medical protocols were activated after the passenger showed symptoms of illness. She was placed in isolation on the onboard hospital since last night together with her travel mate, according to the cruise operator. Cruise line spokesman Davide Barbano confirmed that 114 Americans were on the ship when it was held at the port. Some passengers complained about the day-long hold. They are doing checks on 2 Chinese passengers and for now (logical) they dont tell us anything else, Maria Cartagena, a passenger on the ship, wrote on Twitter. Kind of stressful. The scare comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared a global public health emergency over the virus, which has prompted quarantines and lockdowns in Wuhan, China, earlier this month. There have been confirmed coronavirus cases in about 20 other countries, including Italy. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday. I am declaring a public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak, he remarked. The Centers for Disease Control also confirmed the first person-to-person case in the United States, saying the spouse of an Illinois woman who had recently traveled to Wuhan contracted the virus. The U.S. State Department also said it would send another flight to Wuhan to evacuate citizens next week. PHILIPSBURG:--- On Wednesday, January the KPSM welcomed 19 children, between the ages of 3-4, from the Sister Borgia Elementary School to the station for a visit. The energetic group of Early Stimulation group accompanied by their teachers got a guided tour of the station by Interim Communications Spokesman Joespha along with a few of the incoming class of officers. The preschoolers were able to visit with the different departments and ask as many questions as their inquisitive minds could come up with. They heard first-hand descriptions from the detective, IT, Communication, Watch commander as well as the Camera surveillance center officers. The purpose of this visit was to give the toddlers an opportunity to visualize the experience and discuss information pertaining to the profession as a Police Officer as well as learn how a Police officer does their best to keep them all safe. It is imperative that children at this age began learning able personal safety and how to be aware of their surroundings in the event an emergency situation arises. The KPSM department would like to thank the Early Stimulation group from the Sister Borgia School for the visit to the station and we look forward to several other school visits throughout the year 2020. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Azerbaijani diaspora in Kazakhstan has grown both quantitatively and qualitatively over the years of independence, Deputy Chairman of Assembly of People of Kazakhstan (APK) - Head of APK's Secretariat of the Executive Office of Kazakhstans President Zhanseit Tuimebayev said, Trend reports. Tuimebayev made the statement following the meeting at Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora, which was held within the two-day visit of delegation of Kazakhstan's Assembly of People to Baku. All conditions for the development of different languages and cultures are created in Kazakhstan, he said. Over decades, the number of Azerbaijanis in Kazakhstan has increased tenfold and currently amounts to 120,000 people, Tuimebayev said. The necessary conditions have been created in all regions, and 32 Azerbaijans ethnocultural associations are operating in Kazakhstan, he noted. Tuimebayev added that the goal of delegations visit is to strengthen economic, cultural and humanitarian relations of two countries. The Assembly of People of Kazakhstan is a consultative and advisory body under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan responsible for the coordination of activities for the development and strengthening of inter-ethnic relations. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh As the Senate prepares to bring an end to Donald Trump's impeachment trial, Monica Lewinsky criticised a Republican Senator whose key swing vote could hinge on whether any witnesses will be introduced. Among the most famous witnesses in a presidential impeachment trial following her affair with former president Bill Clinton, Ms Lewinsky's private life was heavily scrutinised and ridiculed, then entered into the public domain during a videotaped interview in which she contradicted Mr Clinton's sworn statement about his "sexual relations" with her, part of a probe led by prosecutor Ken Starr who now is part of Mr Trump's defence team. On Twitter, she wrote: "Gee, too bad i had to give that videoed witness testimony for the senate trial in the Clinton impeachment. (i mean, talk about unflattering lighting and having a bad hair day.)" Ms Lewinsky also retweeted a comment from another account that denied a statement from Mr Alexander, who tweeted that "the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year's ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate". She shared a tweet saying: "Actually it does that is the point." All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters In 1998, she was forced to testify in Mr Clinton's impeachment proceedings by Mr Starr and his right-wing allies targeting the then-president for perjury and obstruction of justice. As part of Mr Trump's legal counsel, Mr Starr is now fighting against attempts to bring witness testimony to the Senate. In his arguments to the Senate this week, Mr Starr faced a barrage of criticism for his claim that Mr Trump's trial has ushered in the "age of impeachment" despite Mr Starr's role in the hearings 20 years ago. A pregnant woman has died of Lassa fever at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Utuku-Ozalla, according to the Enugu state ministry of health. This makes it the second death recorded in the state, after the first, which was recorded eight days ago at Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane. Confirming the case, Ifeanyi Agujiobi, permanent secretary of the ministry of health, said during a press briefing at the state secretariat, on Friday that it involved a 24-year-old pregnant woman who died on Thursday night, and that the preparations for safe burial are underway. According to her, three cases have been confirmed out of the six suspected cases of Lassa fever while two have died since the outbreak in the state. Also confirming the case, Obinna Onodugo, chief medical director (CMD) of the teaching hospital, said in a statement; Its confirmed that a case of Lassa Fever came to UNTH today (30/1/2020) and died at our Emergency and Accident. Read Also: Lassa Fever: 41 Dead, 258 Cases Confirmed Across Nigeria We are currently tracing contacts. We are also working with the Enugu State epidemiology Team and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to ensure that proper measures are taken at the mortuary and to protect staff against new cases. The CMAC/DCMACS have procured some other materials needed to keep our staff safe. There is no cause for alarm. You are advised to be very careful these days and to have a high index of suspicion, while observing universal safety precautions, he said. He was a child film star famous for playing goalie Goldberg in the popular Mighty Ducks movie franchise, but the last number of years have proven a highly troubling time for him due to drug addiction and numerous brushes with the law. Now, the currently incarcerated Shaun Weiss might get help from another famous personality who knows a thing or two about drug addiction and rehabilitation Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael Lohan. As reported by TMZ, Lohan, 59, is offering to help Weiss, 41, get into a treatment facility in Texas upon his release from jail. Major struggles: Currently incarcerated child actor Shaun Weiss might get drug rehabilitation help from Lindsay Lohan's father, Michael Lohan, upon his release from jail On Tuesday, Weiss was arrested in Van Nuys, California after allegedly breaking into a house while high on methamphetamine. His mugshot very clearly shows a person struggling with the direst effects of long term drug abuse. And this is after at least three other arrests of Shaun in connection with drug use that took place over 2017 and 2018. Lohan, who has previously dealt with his struggles with alcoholism and cocaine use on the VH1 series Celebrity Rehab, is one of several Hollywood personalities who have reached out to Weiss in order to try and help his situation. As reported, Michael contacted a friend of his who manages a hospital rehab program known as Ascend Detox and Recovery in southeast Texas on Shaun's behalf, even though he does not know Weiss personally. Famous father: Lohan, who has previously and publicly dealt with his struggles with alcoholism, is one of several people who have reached out to Weiss to try and help his situation; seen here in October in Las Vegas Ascend Detox specializes in medically-assisted detox and therapy, and the facility is reportedly open to entertaining scholarship options worth up to $60K to allow Shaun access to the help he needs. Admittance to the program, however, is contingent on Shaun being mentally evaluated, and only if he is proven to pose no physical danger to himself or others, sources tell TMZ he will be allowed into the program. The other variable is whether or not Weiss himself will agree to this plan of action once he's released from prison in Northern California. Fallen far: On Tuesday, Weiss was arrested in Van Nuys, California after allegedly breaking into a house while high on methamphetamine; seen here at a fan event in 2015 in New Jersey Shocking: Before this month's arrest, Shaun has been apprehended at least three other times in connection with drug use that took place over 2017 and 2018; seen here in 2011 (left) and in a 2018 mugshot As detailed in Shaun's friend's GoFundMe page recently established in an effort to help save the struggling child actor, Shaun has severe health problems and mental issues stemming from his drug use, included dental problems and diabetes. In the description for the fundraiser, Weiss's friend Drew Gallagher writes that he's 'been fighting to get him through detox, then rehab and a sober living facility but it is extremely expensive and usually there are long gaps in availability between each segment. 'The system is as broken as Shaun's mental state,' Drew added. The page also points to the loss of both of Weiss's parents as a contributing factor to his turning to drugs. Despite featuring in some small movie roles after The Mighty Ducks films, including the 2008 film Drillbit Taylor, Weiss has mainly made news in recent years due to his criminal behavior. Trying to help: As reported, Michael contacted a friend who manages a rehab program in southeast Texas on Shaun's behalf; seen here in Miami in 2013 When his case was heard in criminal court four months later, Judge John Howard Ferguson chose not to hold a trial and instead, he upheld the constitutionality of the Louisiana Separate Car Act, which enabled Plessys legal team to appeal the decision and keep Plessy out of jail. Plessys lawyer, Albion Tourgee, then appealed the ruling before the Louisiana Supreme Court, arguing that the Separate Car Act violated the 14th Amendment, which, ratified in 1868, guaranteed equal protection under the law. But the higher court upheld Judge Fergusons decision. It would be four years until the Supreme Court heard Plessy v. Ferguson. In his argument before the Court, Tourgee asserted that the doctrine of separate but equal was a sham. Its only effect is to perpetuate the stigma of color to make the curse immortal, incurable, inevitable, he argued. His words fell on mostly deaf ears. On May 18, 1896, the justices, eight white men of privilege, ruled against Plessy, 7-1. The sole dissent was by Justice John Marshall Harlan, a Kentucky native and Civil War veteran, who famously declared, Our Constitution is color blind. The ruling came to be regarded as one of the most ignominious in the Supreme Courts history. It would define the Jim Crow era, in which people of color were summarily segregated from not only trains but also schools, theaters, public buildings, lodgings, lunch counters and much else over the next 58 years, until the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education, unanimously dismissed the separate but equal doctrine in ruling in 1954 that racial segregation of children in public schools was unconstitutional. By then Plessy had long been dead. Plessys train-car protest presaged Rosa Parks refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955, but where she became revered in civil rights lore, he all but vanished into obscurity, his name synonymous with an odious Supreme Court ruling. The Montana Violent Offender Task Force arrested 1,918 felony fugitives during 2019, bringing its arrest total to 15,353 since the group was formed in 2005. The task force, which is organized by the U.S. Marshals Service District of Montana, is described on its website as "a collaborative partnership between law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels." Much of the group's work involves carrying out arrest warrants. In 2019, arrests included 774 in Great Falls, 659 in Billings and 485 in Missoula. About 85% of arrest warrants are state and local warrants and many of those arrested are parolees, said U.S. Marshal for Montana Rod Ostermiller. Arrest totals have continued to rise during the past several years for the task force, which has continued to grow and add member agencies. There are 23 member law enforcement agencies in the MVOTF. 2018 was the first year in which Great Falls law enforcement was fully involved in the task force, Ostermiller said. Because of that addition of the Great Falls Police Department to the task force, the group's arrests rose by 26% in 2018, from 1,479 in 2017 to 1,871. In 2018, the task force seized 6,412 grams of meth and 36 guns. In 2019, those numbers increased to 8,551 grams of meth and 116 guns. Many of the guns were stolen. In explaining the increased activity of the task force in 2019, Ostermiller pointed toward a growing meth problem in Montana. "Generally, where we find meth, we don't find guns too far away," Ostermiller said. Ostermiller said it's not uncommon for the arrest of someone with guns or drugs to generate additional criminal cases. The 2019, numbers show a more than 2,000-gram increase in meth seizures. Firearms seizures also increased in 2019, by a total of 80 firearms. The increase in meth seizures by the task force echoes data from other law enforcement groups. The Gazette reported earlier in January that the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Task Force seized 122 pounds of meth, an increase of 92 pounds from 2014. Its not uncommon to find somebody with pound-level quantities now, Billings Police Department Lt. Brandon Wooley said at the time. Ostermiller said the task force is increasingly seeing non-compliant behavior from people being arrested, making the work more dangerous and making training even more important. In a press release, the task force also provided statistics for other seizures. In 2019, 78 grams of cocaine were seized, along with 563 grams of heroin and 20 stolen vehicles. All of those numbers represent an increase from the previous year, with the exception of stolen vehicles. In 2018, the task force seized 18 grams of cocaine, 488 grams of heroin and 21 stolen cars. Members of the task force include police departments in Billings, Great Falls, Bozeman, Cut Bank, Helena, and sheriff's offices in Yellowstone County, Gallatin, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Cascade, Roosevelt, Glacier, Hill, Valley, Dawson, Custer, the Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, Attorney Generals Office, DEA, Northern Cheyenne BIA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 With Saint Valentines day celebration only a couple of days away, controversial male barbie, Idris Okuneye also known as Bobrisky has revealed that he would be going on a vacation with bae to celebrate the special day. The crossdresser further revealed that his bae is always busy and as such, they hardly have quality time together. Read Also: Tonto Dikeh Is Tired Of Me, Says Bobrisky (Photo) He made this known via his Instagram story on Friday. She wrote: Bae called me that i should start parking that we are going for VACATION for valentines. Yaaaaayfirst time my boyfriend will spoil me. He is always busy!!! By PTI BENGALURU: Days after a sedition case was slapped against a school in Karnataka, its headmistress and a student's mother have been arrested for alleged involvement in staging of a drama portraying Prime Minister Narendra Modi in poor light over the CAA and NRC, police said on Friday. The police action came after they questioned the two women, a few staff members of the Shaheen School in the district headquarters town of Bidar and students on Thursday. They were produced before a court which remanded them to judicial custody, police said adding further investigation was on. The drama was staged by students of fourth, fifth and sixth standard on January 21. A sedition case was booked by police on January 26 against the school, along with some other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on January 26, based on a complaint from social worker Neelesh Rakshyal. The play uploaded on social media had gone viral. Officials said, the utterances against the Prime Minister were not part of the original script, but the mother of a class six student allegedly incorporated them during the practice and the teacher allowed it to be part of the drama. The complainant has alleged the school authorities 'used' the students to perform a drama where they "abused" Modi in the context of the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. The management tried to create 'fear' among the Muslims that they would have to leave the country if the CAA and NRC were implemented, Rakshyal had charged. PHILADELPHIA A former longtime employee of Bryn Mawr Trust Co. has filed a discrimination lawsuit and retaliation claims against the bank in federal court. It is the latest in a series of discrimination suits filed by attorneys Mark Schwartz and Jason Pearlman on behalf of current and former employees at Bryn Mawr Bank Corp., the parent company of the trust. Plaintiff Patricia R. Real-Loomis alleges she was fired in February 2019 after 20 years with the bank when she spoke out about allegedly Wells Fargo-like practices that push products on customers regardless of need as part of a selling culture that permeated the company under former Retail Banking Director Stephen Novak. Real-Loomis, 61, of Haverford, claims she had garnered consistently high marks with the bank up until the last few years, when she was subjected to comments about her age and suspected Bryn Mawr was attempting to push out older employees through buyouts in favor of younger employees with less training on proper banking etiquette. Bryn Mawr Trust has been a pillar of the community for 130 years, said spokesperson Zack Rearick Thursday. The bank meticulously follows applicable laws and works closely with regulators. Rearick added that Schwartz has a longstanding personal vendetta against the bank and was attempting to litigate the case through the press. We intend to litigate these claims in the courts, not the press and we are confident that a review of the facts will show we acted appropriately, said Rearick. The complaint says Real-Loomis developed an adversarial relationship with the human relations department in 2016, when she was out of work with an injured leg. The company allegedly told her that documents returned by her physician were incomplete, but failed to identify how to correct them. When another issue arose with her paystub concerning short-term disability insurance, HR representative Nicola Fryer allegedly told Haverford Branch Manager Tara White that Real-Loomis was not a team player and needed to be counseled on the banks core values. Real-Loomis was asked to sit down with Group Vice President and Retail Strategy Team Leader Lindsay Saling on Feb. 12, 2019, concerning accounts opened on the last day of a new business campaign, according to the complaint. Saling allegedly questioned the plaintiff about three accounts she had opened for Real-Loomis sister, as well as an account White had opened for Real-Loomis and her husband. Real-Loomis brought White into the meeting, asserting Saling was trying to get her fired, according to the complaint. Though Saling denied that was the purpose of the meeting, the complaint says, both Real-Loomis and White were terminated within 24 hours by Novak, who has since resigned. Real-Loomis now contends the issues raised at the meeting with Saling were mere pretext to fire her after she complained about the corporate culture at the bank. The complaint claims Novaks tenure was marked by a relentless campaign of cross-selling products to customers regardless of need, with employees constantly barraged by memos indicating they must create urgency and reach sales quotas or face the prospect of losing their jobs. Every contact with a customer was expected to produce a new sale and verbal or written warnings were issued to those employees who did not meet goals, according to the complaint. It was this culture that prompted Real-Loomis to open the account with White in the first place, the suit says, because White was terrified she would be fired for failing to hit her quota. Real-Loomis had expressed concerns to White that these tactics would eventually result in fraud, according to the suit. She knew of at least one instance where a man claimed an account had been opened in his name at another branch, according to the complaint, and at least one employee was fired after allegedly falsifying sales numbers. Real-Loomis had also voiced support for another employee alleging she was fired for standing up against racial discrimination. That employee, Wandrea Russo, also has a pending federal lawsuit against the bank, as do Karen Stevens, Alicia McDaniel, Erin Dinger, Michael Sutton and Penny Hughes. Real-Loomis is alleging claims for violations of the Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, and retaliation claims. She is seeking reinstatement with back and front pay, as well as compensatory and punitive damages in excess of $150,000, the appointment of a civil rights monitor at the bank, and a ban on any future discriminatory activities. The Texas Department of Transportation is planning to widen FM 2920 from Business 290 to State Highway 249 including sidewalks, bicycle facilities and two additional lanes along the stretch of road. TxDOT invited the public to a meeting at Waller High School on Jan. 30, where they answered questions about the extension and recorded input from attendees. The same information was given during a Jan. 28 meeting at Tomball High School. TxDOT said the work would include widening FM 2920 from a two-lane road to a four-lane road from BU 290 to Cypress Rosehill Road as well as adding two additional lanes from Cypress Rosehill to SH 249. A flush median, a grassy median and a raised median will be placed from BU 290 to SH 290, from SH 290 to AJ Foyt and from AJ Foyt to SH 249, respectively. Danny Perez, public information officer with TxDOT, said the widening is meant to make way for future growth of the area while addressing increasing accidents in the area. According to data provided by TxDOT Houston District, from 2013 to 2018 118 crashes happened from U.S. 290 to Hegar Road on FM 2920 and 228 occurred from Tomball Cemetery Road to SH 249. Related: Transportation authorities work to End the Streak of Texas road deaths Not only do we have to widen or expand roadways, at 290 for instance and some of our other more significant highways, but its these secondary roads that are really important, he said. If youre on a widened freeway and you get onto an FM road of a side road, then youre only going back to traffic and congested situations. Were trying to make sure that were addressing the growth. The widening plans would require 200 acres of right of way, which includes detention ponds that have been preemptively planned for areas absent of housing. TxDOT held the last set of meetings for the widening in January 2019, although Perez said not much has changed in terms of design. Perez said the bike lanes and sidewalks planned for the widening are being considered for future projects for TxDOT as well. Theyre safe, multimodal opportunities for transportation, Perez said. Thats all part of the process of evolving and incorporating those elements as opposed to maybe 10, 20 years ago (when) that wasnt a high priority. Were starting to incorporate that more in a lot of projects along with drainage and other elements. The 2920 widening does not have a planned start or finish date. The project still requires funding before construction plans can be set and drainage improvements can be fully incorporated, although ditches and detention ponds are seen in early sketches. Traffic counts and research of nearby communities are needed before moving forward with the process. Perez said comments are needed from community members. The public comment period is open. Comments must be sent before or on Feb. 14. We want to hear if what were presenting is something thats beneficial to the community, Perez said. We want to make sure were addressing not just for the growth for today but growth for the distant future as well. No further meetings have been announced at this time, although a public hearing will be scheduled for a future date, Perez said. For more information visit https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/houston/013020.html. chevall.pryce@chron.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: Eight students of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) have received a job offer from BP. They are students in their last (fifth) year, who have not yet completed their academic year and have not received diplomas. Six of them (Javid Aliyev, Khadija Mammadova, Ali Nuraliev, Nihad Abbasov, Sakina Balajayeva, Isa Mammadli) are students of Petroleum Engineering Department, and the other two (Nigar Jakhangirova, Sadaya Omarova) are students of the Chemical Engineering Department, The students who have received a job offer have successfully completed the summer internship program organized by BP. In addition, they meet the criteria established by the company. Thus, the above students underwent an internship at BP in the period from July to September 2019. The students gained the right to participate in the internship program after they had successfully passed the English language and professional aptitude exams, and the interview. During the two-month internship, the students worked on real projects, which helped them develop their technical knowledge, as well as communication, teamwork and presentation skills. At the end of the internship program, they made a presentation before BP experts. In connection with the successes achieved by these students, Rector of Baku Higher Oil School Elmar Gasimov met with them and their parents. Congratulating students and their parents on the successes achieved, the rector emphasized that he feels proud of every student and graduate of Baku Higher Oil School. He noted that the main mission of BHOS, along with the training of highly qualified English-speaking engineers, is to prepare students for life outside the university. It is for this reason that young people studying at BHOS receive a job offer without having received a diploma. From the moment of establishment of BHOS, all its graduates, without exception, have been provided with employment at well-known local, transnational and international companies, Elmar Gasimov added. Speaking at the meeting, the students' parents emphasized that, along with providing training at the level of international standards, BHOS provides students with comprehensive support for their personal development. It was noted that the special care given to students is very important for nurturing them as socially useful, independent citizens. The parents stressed that they are proud that their children have received a job offer from such a well-known transnational company as BP without having received a diploma. The students, in turn, noted that they owe their success to the solid knowledge they have acquired at Baku Higher Oil School and the good conditions created for them in the school. Meeting with Vietnamese Ambassador to Myanmar Ly Quoc Tuan, who came to present his credentials, the Myanmar President laid stress on the sound cooperation between the two nations in the past time, especially in high-level delegation exchanges and investment. Ambassador Tuan, for his part, underscored that the comprehensive cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Myanmar lays a solid foundation for both sides to develop their ties, particularly when Vietnam is playing the role as the ASEAN 2020 Chair and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council during the 2020-2021 tenure. In addition, activities to mark the 45th anniversary of the Vietnam-Myanmar diplomatic relations as well as measures to encourage Vietnamese investments in Myanmar were also mentioned at the meeting. Think you know Blake Lively? Think again. The chameleon-like actress is set to surprise us all with her new action thriller The Rhythm Section, taking on her toughest role to date. Proving she's come a long way from her Gossip Girl days, Blake transforms into Stephanie Patrick, a young woman hell-bent on avenging the death of her family following a terrorist act. From performing her own death-defying stunts to her memorable one liners, Blake takes no prisoners in this fiercely feminist film, from director Reed Morano and Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Here's why The Rhythm section is set to be revenge drama of the year Blake Lively takes on the toughest role of her career in The Rhythm Section 1 TOTAL TRANSFORMATION The Blake we all know and love is remembered for playing glossy Upper East Sider Serena van der Woodsen, complete with designer wardrobe and golden curls. But The Rhythm Section shows us the 32-year-old actress as we've never seen her before; damaged, vulnerable and completely unrecognisable. Following the death of her parents and siblings in a plane crash, heroine Stephanie descends into a self-destructive spiral. In a series of flashbacks, her past as a wholesome, family-oriented girl next door is revealed, but the woman we meet is a shell of her former self, drug-addled and working as a prostitute. Blake is almost unrecognisable in her role as Stephanie Dishevelled and pock-marked, Blake's beauty is disguised and her hair lopped off into a shaggy bob; making her nuanced performance all the more compelling. The transformation is so extreme that her real life husband Ryan Reynolds famously mocked her unkempt on set appearance, jokingly writing '#nofilter' alongside a snap of his wife in character. Dressed in mismatched old clothes and peering out from underneath a beanie hat, Blake delivers a raw portrayal of grief, which soon turns into vengeance. Struggling to repress the memories of her loved ones, once promising student Stephanie is snapped out of her depression when she discovers the plane crash wasn't an accident and the terrorist organisation behind it is still at large. 2 SLICK SPY THRILLER The troubled heroine delves into the dark underworld and embarks upon a bloody quest for revenge across the globe, taking her from Madrid and Tangier to Marseille. As in every classic spy thriller, she has help along the way; journalist informant Keith Proctor (Raza Jaffrey), ex-MI6 operative Iain Boyd (Jude Law) and well-connected philanthropist Marc Serra (Sterling K. Brown). Determined to track down the mysterious chief suspect U17, Stephanie is put through her paces as she's transformed into a bona fide assassin under Boyd's guidance. Determined to track down the mysterious chief suspect U17, Stephanie is put through her paces as she's transformed into a bona fide assassin under Boyd's guidance. The film is based on the novel by Mark Burnell, who also adapted the screenplay, and Blake's one liners pack a serious punch. 'I need your help to find the ones who did this. I've got nothing to lose', Stephanie tells Boyd. 'I'll kill every last one of them.' 'What about your life?', Boyd asks, to which she coldly replies, 'What about it?' And it wouldn't be a spy thriller without a great soundtrack, with suspenseful music and bursts of alternative pop providing the perfect backdrop to Blake's murderous mission. Tired of being told what to do by men, it's not long before Stephanie take matters into her own hands 3 FIERCELY FEMINIST FILM Stephanie is in charge of her own narrative in this fresh, feminist take on a sometimes cliched genre. A film for the #MeToo era, it's the brainchild of female director Reed Morano, best known for her work on The Handmaid's Tale. The Emmy Award-winning filmmaker puts Stephanie firmly at the centre of the story, from the dizzying camera angles to her empowering use of femininity. Donning a sheer bra and matching suspenders, the heroine transforms into a redheaded siren during an undercover mission, confidently using her sexuality as a tool for revenge. This is a Bond for women where the heroine is flawed and human, not a sex object. It comes as little surprise that James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have had a hand in the thriller. This is a Bond for women where the heroine is flawed and human, not a sex object. Holed up in a cottage in the Highlands, Stephanie asks her mentor Boyd to teach her to fight like a man, insisting women can do the same. 'It would take too long Your menopause would be a distant memory', he scoffs only to be swiftly proved wrong. As for Blake, fresh from the best reviews of her career from 2018's A Simple Favor, the versatile actress proves she should never be underestimated. 4 EDGE OF YOUR SEAT STUNTS Naturally, the Bond link means that Blake's journey from girl next door to assassin is packed full of jaw-dropping stunts. From high speed car chases around Tangier to brutal fight scenes that'll have you on the edge of your seat, the actress' first stint as a kick-ass heroine doesn't disappoint. In fact, Blake put so much into the role that she hurt her hand during filming in 2017, requiring her to have two surgeries. Determined to perform her own stunts, the actress was back on set as soon as possible, ready for more nail-biting shoot-outs and violent struggles. Stephanie's quest for revenge sees Blake transform from girl next door to deadly assassin Jude Law is brilliant as the brutally honest Boyd, the former MI6 operative who reluctantly takes Stephanie under his wing and teaches her the ropes. His tough love training methods leave a lot to be desired, but his words of wisdom set the tone for the film. Explaining how to shoot a gun (and the meaning behind the film's title), he warns Stephanie 'you have to get your rhythm section right in order to be able to shoot straight and pull the trigger when you need to' - which he insists is 'the easy part'. 'What's the hard part?' she asks. 'Living with it', he replies. Don't miss The Rhythm Section, in UK cinemas on 31 January 2020. Finally, as Britain exits the European Union, it cant afford to alienate China, which is a big investor in the country and a growing buyer of British exports. From an economic standpoint, it would be a big risk. Britain also sees 5G as a key to the countrys economic future, and any delays could put it at a disadvantage to other countries. Here in Washington, Mr. Johnsons decision set off a paroxysm of concerned statements from the administration and hawkish members of Congress. What has the reaction been like in Britain? I think it was expected. The statement from the White House was actually quite mild. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo still went forward with a trip to Britain during the week. Perhaps harsher words were shared behind closed doors. This Huawei decision is also just one example of a split between how tech is regulated in the United States and in Britain. Whats the future of the special relationship when it comes to tech? Complicated. Like many countries in Europe, Britain is very frustrated with Big Tech. It doesnt think the companies pay their fair share in taxes. And with Facebook and Google/YouTube, not enough is done to limit the spread of harmful content. Attempts to address taxes and harmful content will gain momentum this year, potentially setting up more tension with the United States. Its late in London, so Ive got just one more: You cover all of Europe, not just Britain. Where does the American campaign to keep Huawei out of 5G networks go next? Germany is another country where the United States has been applying a lot of pressure. But as our colleagues Katrin Bennhold and Jack Ewing recently reported, it also faces a tough decision. China has threatened to retaliate if Huawei is banned. That is not an insignificant threat for Germany, which sells a lot of BMWs and VWs to China. Chancellor Angela Merkel has signaled she doesnt want a ban, but she is facing pressure from others in government who want to take a more aggressive approach. Police also traced a red Toyota truck they allege belongs to an employee of Dulos luxury homebuilding company, Fore Group Inc., from Farmington to New Canaan and back on the morning of May 24. They allege it was Dulos driving the truck although none of the videos show the drivers face clearly. The vehicle was first seen in Fairfield about 6:30 a.m. and then was spotted parked at 7:40 a.m. in a turn around off Lapham Road in New Canaan, about 100 feet from where Farber Dulos Suburban was found abandoned later that day. CENTCOM command team visits PSAB, reaffirms commitment to the region U.S. Central Command By Tech. Sgt. Michael Charles 378th Air Expeditionary Wing PRINCE SULTAN AIR BASE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jan. 30, 2020 -- United States Central Command's leadership team visited here Jan. 29, 2020. U.S. Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., commander of CENTCOM and U.S. Navy Fleet Master Chief James Herdel, CENTCOM senior enlisted leader, visited PSAB during a tour of installations in the combatant command's area of responsibility. The visit marked McKenzie's first to PSAB since assuming command of CENTCOM and the fifth stop in his tour of installations in the region over a two-week period. The team's visit to PSAB was an opportunity to showcase the strategic importance and operational depth provided by the recently recommissioned 378th Air Expeditionary Wing. McKenzie began the visit with discussions with the Royal Saudi Air Force PSAB operations support commander, Brig. Gen. Nasser Mohammed al-dosri. During the talks, McKenzie reaffirmed the U.S. military's commitment to coalition partners and to security and stability in the region. "The roughly 3,000 personnel and significant assets operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at bases like PSAB are a key contributor to our collective efforts and underscore our commitment to defend partners and deter those who would do us or our partners harm," McKenzie said. "Deterrence is born of capability and will. PSAB is key contributor to the capability part of that equation." U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Walker, 378th AEW commander, echoed the CENTCOM commander's message. "PSAB embodies a major step toward CENTCOM's goal of establishing operational depth in the theater of operations," Walker said. "PSAB's build-up not only reassures our partners and allies, it also provides decisive defense, deterrence, and response options in the region." Following the meeting, McKenzie joined Walker in a tour of several locations in the U.S. forces areas of the installation. The tour included an in-depth briefing on the evolution of PSAB and discussions with base leaders on the future of the U.S. military in the region. "PSAB's build-up is a testament to the hard working Soldiers and Airmen of the U.S. armed forces," Walker said. "The establishment of our combat power here wasn't contracted out, wasn't built by a second or third party it was built by American service members. I can't think of a better recent example of our Joint Force expeditionary capabilities than what we've witnessed at PSAB, and I couldn't be more proud to showcase our all-star team to the CENTCOM command team." While McKenzie focused on ensuring PSAB and Saudi partners had the resources and support to conduct the mission, Herdel joined U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Brent Chadick, 378th AEW command chief, to discuss quality-of-life issues affecting the Airmen and Soldiers of PSAB. During their tour, they met with several Airmen, discussed their deployment experiences, some of the improvements they have made within the wing, and how they are supporting the overall mission. The groups later rejoined to host an all-call addressing the majority of the Airmen on the installation. Afterward they hosted a lunch discussion with first-line supervisors of all ranks at the wing's recently opened Sand Hut Dining Facility and recognized several of the installation's superior performers. "It's important that the members I send into this AOR hear from the person giving the order directly," McKenzie said. "Your help drives the mission forward. It also makes us more cohesive and efficient when we have highly motivated members, like the ones here at PSAB, to ensure that mission is a resounding success." The CENTCOM team will continue its tour of installations with the intent to underscore the U.S.'s commitment to regional security, the importance of military-to-military relationships with regional partners and the flexibility of American airpower. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Two Ocean County men who were caught trying to lure underage teens for sex - who were actually undercover investigators - were recently sentenced to state prison terms, authorities said. Volvi Lowinger, 25, of Lakewood, a student who worked at a dry cleaning business, was sentenced on Jan. 24 to four years in state prison, the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office announced Thursday. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 15, 2019 to luring for attempting to arrange sex with an undercover officer he believed was a 15-year-old girl, the office said. Brian Degnan, 34, of Toms River, a data-entry clerk, was sentenced Wednesday to three years in state prison after he pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2019 to luring for attempting to arrange sex with an undercover officer he believed was a 15-year-old boy, officials said. Degnan and Lowinger were two of 24 men arrested during a multi-agency 2018 sting operation, Operation Open House, that targeted child predators using social media to lure underage girls and boys for sex, authorities said. Another suspect arrested in the operation, Thomas K. Blumensteel, 48, of Manchester, was sentenced to seven years in prison in November. These prison sentences reflect our commitment to aggressively prosecute child predators, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said in a statement. "In addition to large-scale operations like Open House, we patrol the internet and social media on a daily basis with our federal, state, and local partners to protect children. We urge parents to do their part by talking to their children about social media and the dangers posed by online predators. Lowinger was arrested police on Sept. 6, 2018 when arrived at a house in Toms River where he thought he was meeting with a 15-year-old girl who was actually a Wall Township Police detective with whom he chatted on social media, the office said. During those chats he sent sexually explicit photos of himself to the undercover detective. Officers were waiting for Degnan the same day outside a Toms River home where he thought he was meeting with a 15-year-old boy, authorities said. Degnan was driving slowly by the house and sent a text message to the boy, who was actually a detective from the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, and told him there were "a lot of police in the area, Grewal said. Police pulled him over arrested him and found condoms, sexual lubricant and a sex toy in the car. Anyone with information about the distribution of child pornography online or the potential luring of children online was asked to call the New Jersey Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Tipline at 888-648-6007. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The enemy opened fire from proscribed 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, and grenade launchers of various types. Russia's hybrid military forces on January 30 mounted six attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. Read alsoMinsk talks: Parties agree on resuming search for missing persons in Donbas "The armed forces of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire six times on January 30," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in a morning update on January 31. "One member of the Joint Forces was wounded amid enemy shelling." The enemy opened fire from proscribed 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, and grenade launchers of various types. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the villages of Berezove, Talakivka, Orikhove, Novotoshkivske, and Khutir Vilny. "Since Friday midnight, Russia-led forces have attacked Ukrainian positions twice near the villages of Luhanske and Shyrokyne, using 82mm mortars, grenade launchers of various types, a heavy machine gun, and rifles," the update said. No Ukrainian army casualties registered on Friday have been reported yet. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Pete Buttigiegs campaign has never been an especially subtle endeavor, by design, but the former mayor has excised any remaining understatement in the final days before the Iowa caucuses. He is tired of the chaos and the tweets, he invariably tells crowds. I live and breathe politics and Im exhausted, he half-sighs, like he did while speaking to about 400 people at Simpson College in Indianola on Tuesday. It almost makes him want to switch it off and just watch cartoons or something, he continues, to at least a few inevitable titters. His point, of course, is that todays version of D.C. is terrible, and that electing a mayor going to Washington might be a better idea to bring solutions to Washington than from Washington. Though this general argument has been central to Buttigiegs campaign since he launched his presidential bid over a year ago, its taken on a heightened significance now that his routine is juxtaposed with the impeachment trial raging back east. While Buttigieg has scheduled more than 25 in-person events in the state for the final week before the caucuses, three of his major rivals, stuck in the Senate, have been scrambling to get any face time with Iowans at all. If theres one truism about caucus politics, its the more youre here, the better off you are, said Iowa congressman Dave Loebsack, a Buttigieg backer. Thats the case especially here at the end. And even as Joe Biden has been barnstorming Iowa, he has been at the center of the impeachment action in D.C. a process that all stems from efforts by Donald Trump to undermine his candidacy. The Democratic National Committee on Monday felt compelled to send its surrogates list five rapid-response talking points emails defending Biden by name during that days session, according to copies I saw. And on Wednesday a Democratic senator, Joe Manchin, said he would be open to hearing from Bidens son Hunter as a witness in the trial. Viewed from the outside, the timing of the trial has worked out nicely for Buttigieg. It amplifies the contrast that weve presented, an adviser told me this week. His senior team is convinced that the imagery itself make this clear: While Buttigieg is making a case to Iowans in person about breaking through the muck of Washington, his rivals specifically Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Amy Klobuchar must communicate with caucusgoers via television interviews from the Capitol, at least when they cant get on a last-second charter plane to Council Bluffs for a one-off evening rally, or on a phone for a tele-townhall. Given the shockingly high number of uncommitted voters not just in Iowa but in next-to-vote New Hampshire, the Buttigieg braintrust thinks a blunt contrast like this can only help, especially when paired with the campaigns robust, well-trained field organization. I cannot convey strongly enough the level of exhaustion. The Number One concern is: Who can win in November? But the way [voters] look at that is they feel this tremendous responsibility, said New Hampshire congresswoman Annie Kuster, a campaign co-chair. The main advantage that Pete has right now is to be in front of audiences that are literally still kicking the tires. Its very much persuasion mode. Thats the rosy view. But its also all coming at an under-appreciatedly disconcerting time for Buttigieg, who appears to be stumbling to the finish line. He dropped nine points in Iowa from a clear lead to the middle of the top tier in the most recent Des Moines Register poll, and six points since November according to Monmouth. And the candidate whose unexpected blockbuster fundraising jarred his rivals into paying attention to him last year is now acting like he needs whatever cash he can get his hands on. In voter-turnout crunch time, he has put together a basically unprecedented schedule of last-second, in-person fundraisers that will take him (briefly) out of public view and into rooms full of wealthy donors: one in Des Moines before the caucuses, at least two in New York before the New Hampshire primary, and at least four more in California between that contest and Nevadas. His advertisement spending on Facebook has dropped in recent days, on average, to a level below Warrens and Sanderss, according to company data. And hes paying for significantly fewer television ads in the Des Moines media market during the final week than either of those two candidates or the combination of Biden and his supportive super PAC and only barely more than either Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang, according to private ad tracking data I got a hold of this week. In New Hampshire, his campaign decreased its television spending this week, and the progressive veterans group VoteVets PAC is now running TV spots for him, furnishing support he wasnt always expected to need. Hes cut back on the air in South Carolina, too. And though his allies are quick to point out that hes still picking up endorsements from local legislators like, most recently, the states house minority whip theyve been frustrated that none of the major national or local newspaper endorsements have gone his way, while each of the candidates hes competing with for votes has gotten positive ink. (Biden won backing from the Sioux City Journal, Warren got the Register and Storm Lake Times, Klobuchar the Quad City Times, New Hampshire Union Leader, and Keene Sentinel, and she and Warren shared the New York Times.) At least one of those rivals has lost patience with Buttigiegs above-the-fray pitch: I have a constitutional duty, I have a job, I dont have the ability to say, Oh, lets turn off the TV, or go flip the channel and watch cartoons. I am in the arena, Klobuchar said Wednesday evening, after hearing Buttigiegs comments. One of her advisers called his comments dangerous, given the gravity of the impeachment trial, and insisted that Iowans understand senators constitutional duties, and so arent offended by their absence. The backdrop to Buttigiegs currently unsettled moment is that its long been widely understood that he needs a win, or at least a very strong performance, in Iowa to seriously pursue the nomination. Now, his team increasingly believes he needs a clear result early out of the first two states that he likely cant afford to stay effectively tied with Biden heading into Nevada. Thats in large part because he needs to increase his standing among nonwhite voters a task that his team has hoped would become simpler if he proves he can win Iowa. Yet reports this week detailing the frustrations of people of color on his staff have complicated those efforts, which have included attempts to win over members of the Congressional Black Caucus on Capitol Hill. (Maryland congressman Anthony Brown is the one member to have backed Buttigieg; Loebsack and Virginia congressman Don Beyer both told me they have tried swaying others in recent weeks.) Pushing for a final surge among undecided voters, then, Buttigieg has set a last-days schedule that focuses heavily on eastern, industrial parts of the state where he is aiming to win over voters who backed both Barack Obama and Trump with his pitch that only an outsider can bring the necessary factions together. I hear Vice-President Biden saying that this is no time to take a risk on someone new, he said on Thursday in Decorah. But history has shown us that the biggest risk we could take with an important election coming up is to look at the same Washington playbook and recycle the same arguments and expect that to work against a president like Trump who is new in kind. He then rhetorically elbowed Sanders, too. At the campaign headquarters, his aides have been pointing to the recent Register polls finding that caucus-goers most want a president able to unite the country. Their hope, now, is that the conventional wisdom about his needing a win is wrong, and that he can at least emerge to fight another day, in New Hampshire, after Monday. What theyre saying is, Who the fuck knows?, said one plugged-in Democratic campaign veteran in constant contact with the top echelons of Buttigiegs campaign. If any of [the major candidates] are a distant fourth, that could be harmful, acknowledged Kuster. But my impression is youre going to have at least three of the four within a point or two of each other, and its essentially not going to be meaningful. So then its a real horse-race here [in New Hampshire] for who can get their voters out. Groundhog Day 2020 is Sunday, Feb. 2. That means by the time the Super Bowl kicks off that evening, we will know if Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and if well get an early spring or six more weeks of winter. While not a public holiday, the Groundhog Day observance means a weekend of events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, leading up to the big moment at Gobblers Knob just outside the town early Sunday. There is a Groundhog Ball, a 4-mile run, an induction ceremony of the meteorologist hall of fame and a showing of the Groundhog Day movie starring Bill Murray, according to the official schedule from the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. The borough of about 5,500 people 60 miles northeast of Pittsburgh gets 30,000 visitors for the event every year. How to watch Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day If you cant trek to Punxsutawney but want to see Phils prediction as it happens, the Pennsylvania Tourism Office has you covered. They will have a satellite feed and live stream for Groundhog Day starting at 5:45 a.m. You can see the live stream at http://visitpa.com/groundhog-day-live-stream/. Thousands of people are expected in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Groundhog Day, where festivities begin at 3 a.m. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com Punxsutawney Phil always comes out around 7:20 a.m. on Feb. 2. When he emerges from his stump he looks for his shadow, then has a conversation in Groundhogese with the president of the Inner Circle of the Groundhog Club who announces Phils prognostication, often in rhyme. What happens if the groundhog sees his shadow? What happens if he doesnt? According to tradition, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow on Groundhog Day it means six more weeks of winter. If the groundhog doesnt see his shadow, it means an early spring. The forecast for Punxsutawney calls for clouds and possible snow showers on Sunday. Meteorologists at AccuWeather, trying to beat the groundhog to the punch, say winter will likely hang on in the Northeast into April, with more snow and colder conditions through early March than we have seen yet this season despite springlike temperatures early next week. Punxsutawney Phil, the weather-predicting groundhog, is the star of the show every Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.ASSOCIATED PRESS Groundhog Day falls on the same date every year and has its roots in an early Christian holiday called Candlemas Day, according to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Meant as a blessing to help households through the remaining winter, the day evolved into one of weather forecasting as folks including Germans who settled in Pennsylvania looked to hibernating animals as a sign of what was to come. The club says the term Groundhog Day first appeared in a local newspaper in 1886. As the groundhog club says, the holiday has become a day to take everything a little less seriously, and break up the winter monotony ... at least for a little while. Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveNovakLVL and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. 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. Mumbai, Jan 31 : Actor Aparshakti Khurana says he had a great time shooting for his quirky next release, "Helmet". The film, co-starring Pranutam Bahl, is his first outing as a solo lead actor. He added that the audience response to the film will determine whether he should do leading roles in the future. "I think these all are wishes of my family, colleagues and the audience that all these things are happening to me. If 'Helmet' connects with the audience then people might think about whether I should play lead roles or not. If it does not connect, then people will say that it was too early for me to do a lead-hero film and I should have done two to three films in supporting roles. So, it's all very situational. Having said that, I had a great time shooting for 'Helmet'. Whatever I have seen and heard about it, it's all going great," said the actor, while interacting with the media at dancer choreographer Shakti Mohan's "Break A Leg Season 2" shoot along with actress Nushrat Bharucha in Mumbai. Aparshakti has carved his niche as a fine actor and comedian with some interesting character roles and was recently seen in the dance hit, "Street Dancer 3D". "This is the first time, I played an emotional character. I have always played comic characters in films. When I used to do theatre, I used to do a lot of dark and intense roles but when I started working in films, I continuously have been doing comic characters and that was a bit weird. I had fun while playing an emotional character in this film and I feel glad that it connected with the audience," he said. "Helmet", his first outing as a leading man, is directed by Satram Ramani. Nushrat Bharucha, who was also present at the location, talked about her upcoming film "Chhalaang", co-starring Rajkummar Rao. "We have recently launched the poster of the film. Everybody is excited to see what is going to happen in the film and why Raj (Rajkummar Rao) is sleeping in the poster of the film and what are we doing in the film. We are going to release the trailer very soon, so I don't want to talk about it any more. The film will release on March 13," she said about "Chhalaang", a black comedy directed by Hansal Mehta and backed by Ajay Devgn, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Blood type is a complicated topic in the canine world. There are many types; what matters more is whether a dog has or doesnt have a specific antigen, Hendrickson said. Those without it, deemed negative, are universal donors. Ironically, the dogs that most commonly are negative and thus best-suited to serve their fellow dogs are some of the most-maligned canines, the so-called bully breeds. Hendrickson has six boxers of her own, and although her own dogs donate a large amount of the blood she provides, its not always enough. Thats where she relies on donor clients such as Nancy Gallimore, who owns Pooches, a full-service boarding, day care, training and grooming facility at 5331 E. 41st St. The two women have had a longtime professional relationship, and when Hendrickson issued a plea some years ago for potential blood donors, Gallimore was eager to help. I wanted to do it because I had a dog years ago who had an emergency, she said. He was bleeding out. A canine blood donor saved the life of her 6-year-old dalmatian, Carter, she said, so its nice to be able to give back. Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation' Coronavirus: Special Air India flight to airlift stranded Indians from Wuhan lands in India today India oi-Mousumi Dash New Delhi, Feb 01: The first batch of Indian passengers in Air India special flight that will take off from Wuhan, China will reach India on Saturday. The special flight will evacuate a large number of Indians stranded at the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus-hit Wuhan. reportedly, the flight arrived at Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport on Friday evening. The death toll in China due to the outbreak of coronavirus has reached 213 and it has infected around 9,692 people so far. UN health agency, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak of coronavirus an international emergency. Over, 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. India on Thursday declared to operate two flights from the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus-hit Wuhan to airlift around 400 students stranded in Hubei province. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei province. Over 700 Indians were stranded will be airlifted today. Most of them went for home earlier to avail the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Holidays. More of them are medical students and research scholars. WHO declares novel coronavirus as global health emergency On Friday, the Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep the Indian students who will be evacuated from China. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has also set up over 600-bed facility in southwest Delhi's Chhawla area. The ideology of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, is still alive, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik said on Friday, a day after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters in Delhi, in which a student of Jamia Millia Islamia was injured. Malik, who is also the NCP's chief spokesperson, noted that the incident occurred a few days after BJP leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur on Monday egged on participants of an election rally in Delhi to raise an incendiary slogan that "traitors should be shot". Alleging that such remarks by BJP leaders are vitiating the atmosphere in the country, the Minority Affairs Minister also called for a probe into the Jamia episode. "The (Delhi) incident took place on the same day when Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated (on January 30, 1948). This means the ideology of Godse is still alive and being encouraged," Malik said. "Thakur had few days ago stated about shooting traitors. Such remarks by BJP leaders is vitiating the atmosphere of the country," he added. The NCP leader also sought a probe to find out the source of the weapon and whether the man was trained to use it. Tension prevailed in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after the man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a Jamia Millia Islamia student before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. Thakur had on Monday egged on participants of an election rally to raise an incendiary slogan that "traitors should be shot", after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. At the rally, Thakur, the minister of state for finance, shouted "desh ke gaddaron ko" to which the crowd responded "goli maro sa*** ko" (shoot down the traitors). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) L ondoners are out in force to protest against Brexit today amid a campaign to declare the city "open". Mayor Sadiq Khan is spearheading the campaigns ahead of the UKs departure from the European Union tonight, pinning everyone welcome posters at Tube stations across the capital. London is open and everyones welcome. Today, tomorrow and always, the boards read. At Bank tube station, the same message appeared on train departure screens, prompting one Twitter user to say it almost broke him. Anti-Brexit campaigners have protested across the capital as the mayor leads a global-facing campaign / AP Buses across the city have also been plastered with phrase we are all Londoners in different languages as the UK prepares to officially leave the bloc at 11pm. The hashtag #LondonIsOpen and #NotMyBrexit have trended on Twitter across the UK, with thousands taking to the site to protest. In a post shared more than 1,000 times, Mr Khan tweeted: The UK may be leaving the EU today, but London remains a beacon for progressive ideas, liberal values, decency & diversity. To the one million EU citizens that contribute so much to our city: you are Londoners, you are welcome here, & that will never change. #LondonIsOpen Cathedrals, universities, the Royal Albert Hall, the Museum of London, theatres, shops, activists and politicians have all weighed in on Twitter to declare that London is European. Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures 1 /22 Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London PA Police presence at anti-Brexit protests in Parliament Square, London PA The Winston Churchill statue and Union flags in Parliament Square, London PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man carries an EU themed wreath at Parliament Square Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square, London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man wears a President, Donald Trump mask and holds an American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images People hold placards in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP via Getty Images A man holds up a President, Donald Trump, American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A Red Viking apple with the Union Jack is displayed and given out for free to promote British produce as an Anti-Brexit demonstrator waves the European Union flag in Parliament Square AP Joseph Afrane in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Pro-EU anti-Brexit protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images A man takes a photo of political artist Kaya Mar's paintings in Parliament Square Getty Images A man in an oversized 'Keep America Great' hat and draped with a US flag holds a Union Flag in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images A woman holds a newspaper at Parliament Square Reuters A woman wears a face mask in Parliament Square PA Others posted defiant anecdotes. My boss is American, but he hates being called that, tweeted user Nathan Sinclair. He says "I'm Not an American, I'm a New Yorker". When I first met him, I thought he was ridiculous. These days, I understand his position a lot more. I'm not English, I'm a Londoner and proud of it. #LondonIsOpen #NotMyBrexit. Many are also sharing a video from the mayors office featuring Londoners of different creeds, cultures, workplaces and landmarks with the message: Brexit wont change what we love about our city. It comes as City Hall prepares to host EU Londoners at 6pm tonight for a guidance event which will see lawyers offer support and Mr Khan deliver a speech. Protests and parties are planned across Britain today on both sides of the Brexit divide. Jubilant Brexiteers have lined the Mall and Parliament Square with Union Jack flags, Downing Street will be projected with a light display later, Whitehall government buildings will be illuminated red, white and blue tonight and Boris Johnson will deliver a special address to the nation. Listen to today's episode of The Leader: Om Puri's two-scene cameo is a dead giveaway. Since Puri passed away in January 2017, this film must be at least three years old. As the minutes pass, the incessant loud filmmaking that hits you has you wondering if this is some sort of a B-grader straight out of three decades ago. That's sad, given the subject at hand. The story of Malala Yousafzai deserved a far more professional treatment in terms of character and narrative nuances. Instead, director HE Amjad Khan takes an incredible life story and turns it into a mere excuse to spin out standard commercial cliches. To be fair, Bhashwati Chakraborty's script does reveal an intention of going beyond merely narrating the life of Malala. It tries gaining a perspective of the milieu in which she grew up, in Pakistan's Swat Valley of the late 2000s when the place was overrun by Taliban terror, and tries utilising that backdrop to lay bare the socio-politics of that era. Yet, it soon becomes obvious that director Khan seems more interested in using that backdrop to merely create scope for unending violence and melodrama, and little else. A proper character sketch of Malala never really happens over the film's runtime of around 130 minutes, and the life story of the film's titular protagonist remains a shallow side show in her own biopic. The title "Gul Makai" (translates to flower of corn) refers to the pen name Malala used to write her fiery columns against fundamentalists. Reem Shaikh is cast as Malala, and she never really manages to emerge beyond the half-baked role she is given to play out, in a screenplay that reveals no attempt to look at the pervading Taliban situation from the eyes of its protagonist. Indeed, the storytelling suffers owing to the narrative's inability to decide what it must focus on -- the Pak army, as it struggles to reign in the Taliban, or Malala herself, or her father Ziauddin Yousafzai (Atul Kulkarni), a liberal-minded school principal who advocates education for women as well as their right to live a life without shackles. The years around 2007-2008, when most of the events of this film take place, was a time when Swat was plundered by strife, and Khan was perhaps trying to set a grim tone with the odd gruesome peek into battle mayhem. He could have ensured that the film went slower with the hamming quotient. The sheer loudness in execution robs the film of all impact. Even seasoned actors as Atul Kulkarni and Divya Dutta (cast as Malala's mother Pekai Yousafzai) cannot fully rise above the sheer mediocrity of their characters. Other familiar faces such as Arif Zakaria, Mukesh Rishi and Abhimanyu Singh, cast as Talibani fundamentalists, settle for one-dimensional villain roles -- they play out filmi terrorists reminiscent of nineties stereotypes in this half-baked fare. In 2015, American filmmaker Davis Guggenheim made a documentary titled "He Named Me Malala". While that film is no scintillating exercise on the subject either, it still gives you a concise idea of who Malala Yousafzai was. For an even more authentic idea, you could always pick up a copy of her autobiography. (Vinayak Chakravorty can be reached at vinayak.c@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Police on Thursday arrested the headmistress of a school in Karnataka's Bidar in a case of sedition for allegedly tarnishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image in a play against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). A parent of a child who had participated in the play was also arrested, reports said. Police on Thursday arrested the headmistress of a school in Karnataka's Bidar in a case of sedition for allegedly tarnishing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image in a play on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), according to several media reports. A parent of a child who participated in the play was also arrested, reports said. Farida Begum, headmistress of the Shaheen Urdu Medium Primary School, was arrested by Bidar Police for organising the "controversial" play as she approved the script, The Indian Express reported. Anuja Minsa, a parent of one of the students, was arrested because her child was the one who allegedly delivered the dialogue with the mention of the prime minister, as per the report. The Indian Express quoted the Bidar Superintendent of Police (SP) Sreedhara T as saying, "The accused Fareeda Begum, the in-charge headmistress of Shaheen School and Anuja Minsa, mother of the student who delivered the dialogue which mentioned slapping the prime minister were arrested based on evidence collected by the police based on the case filed on 26 January." According to a report by The News Minute, the arrested accused will not be able to get bail because the judge in the Bidar district and sessions court is on leave till 4 February. Police also said that the action was taken based on a complaint made by an activist, Neelesh Rakshal, who claimed that students had been forced to participate in the play which had "promoted the premise that Muslims would be forced to leave India if CAA was implemented with the proposed NRC", PTI reported. The complainant also alleged that that the school authorities 'used' the students to perform a drama on 21 January, where they "abused" Modi for introducing the CAA and NRC, PTI further reported. Sreedhara also said that police questioned around 50 people, including members of the management of the school, The New Indian Express reported. Non-teaching staff, audience, parents, and students were also questioned, the report added. The arrested accused have been sent to judicial custody. On Wednesday, a sedition case had been registered against the school and the management was also booked for "promoting enmity between different groups" under sections 124(A) and 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code. With inputs from PTI A day after India's first novel coronavirus (nCoV) case was reported from Kerala, the state government on Friday warned the people of the potential gravity of the threat but maintained that there was no need to panic. IMAGE: Medics wait to check people, who recently travelled from China, at the specially setup coronavirus ward at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, in Bengaluru, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo Camping in Thrissur, where the woman medical student who came from China tested positive for the coronavirus, Health Minister K K Shailaja activated the health department and said the patient is currently treated at an isolation ward of the Government Medical College hospital in Thrissur. The condition of the patient is stable, official sources said. Earlier in the day, health authorities shifted the student from the general hospital to the government medical College. The minister requested those who had travelled to China in recent days to voluntarily report themselves to the nearest hospitals. Some have reported to the health facilities in their neighbourhood in response to a directive given by the state government, she said. Strengthening its resolve to check the spread of illness to others, the minister directed those coming from China and other affected regions to strictly remain under home quarantine. The minister also requested the families of those who returned from the coronavirus-hit regions to postpone marriages to prevent a possible outbreak of the disease in the state. "Home quarantines are being done only as a precaution. No need to panic," the minister told reporters here after meeting the private hospital authorities to prepare them for facing the challenge. She said the family members of the people coming from the affected-regions should abide by the protocol. "It is heard that in some such families, preparations are being made for marriages. There is no harm in temporarily postponing the date of the marriage. "There will be some difficulties in postponing the marriages fixed earlier. But this is a protocol. This must be obeyed," Shailaja said. Those who are home quarantined would be under observation for 28 days. "Those who are going for job, they should take leave and be under observation. Health volunteers would be around to solve their problems," she said. After holding a meeting with representatives of private hospitals in Thrissur district, Shailaja said isolation wards are being set up in such facilities and training programmes are being conducted for the health officials there. Shailaja said she was confident that health officials in the state, drawing their experience in fighting the deadly Nipah virus in the past two years, have the capacity to monitor the novel coronavirus and contain it. The Union Health Ministry had reported to the state government on Thursday that the patient has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. The patient had been kept in an isolation ward of the general hospital here since she approached the doctors with symptoms of the virus. The decision to shift her to the Medical College Hospital was taken after Shailaja held a high-level meeting at the medical college hospital here on Thursday midnight to take stock of the situation after the positive case of nCoV was detected in the state. The medical college here has been upgraded with a special isolation ward with facilities to treat at least 24 patients at a time. At least 1,053 people are under observation in the state as the Left Democratic Front government scrambled to tackle the emergency. The death toll in China's nCoV outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling 9,692, China's national authorities announced on Friday. About 20 countries have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. Rating: 3.0 /5 Star Cast: Reem Shaikh, Divya Dutta, Atul Kulkarni, Mukesh Rishi, Abhimanyu singh Director: Amjad Khan Language: Hindi/ Urdu Duration: 132 minutes Story: Gul Makai tells the story of Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The film shows the life and struggle that led to the life-threatening moment she was attacked. Directed by Amjad Khan, it also makes an effort to share the heartbreaking conditions of the people in Swat Valley between the years 2007-12. Review: In making since 2012, when Malala Yousafzai was attacked by a masked gunman, the biopic Gul Makai is a little late to the theatres. In time, where makers have figured out a formula for biopics, Gul Makai finds it harder to set a tone. With a capable cast, we get a story that is worth listening. The film starts at the end, as the scenes takes us to the event which was largely covered by media all over the world. We see a man walking towards the Kushal School's bus, climbs in and asks, 'Who is Malala?', within seconds the screen blacks out and we hear several gunshots being fired. The film then takes us back to 2007 when the Taliban first started taking control over regions of North-Western Pakistan. The militants took over little villages one by one, and within a few months managed to take over the entire Swat valley, to make it their operation base. We also get to see several other aspects of the terrorist attacks. The film is from the viewpoint of someone living in the Swat Valley, instead of just Malala. We see one journalist trying to cover the real truth, Pakistani army trying to exterminate the terrorist groups, politicians and government trying to cover up the extent of threat, and the people who are actually suffering as Taliban takes over their land, and their lives. The focus of the film isn't just Malala's story but the situation around her that inspired her to speak up. Malala knew nothing about the world outside of her school, she was happy with her family and the books that she couldn't part from. But her world changed when the Taliban forced a ban on Girls education. As a well-read child, Malala knew of her rights and believed in pursuing them for all the other girls in Swat valley, who were also deprived of their fundamental right to education. In several scenes, Malala takes the stand publicly without fear of militants who are ready to gun down anyone who opposes them. She was also known to have blogged about her life in Swat Valley under the rule of Taliban, with a pseudo name, Gul Makai, for BBC Urdu. Director Amjad Khan had good intentions of bringing the story to life, but despite being in post-production for years and edited by national award-winning editor, Praveen Angre, Gul Makai is incapable of bringing out the best. Throughout the film, we see the story through a timeline, starting in 2007 and rushing towards the end in 2012. Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai, played by Atul Kulkarni deserved the credit for driving the story. Atul plays the role of a father, an activist, as well as a politician to his best effort. However, his performance is brought down by a slow-paced screenplay, wordy dialogues and hard to follow sub-plot. The entire cast, in the film, can be seen speaking in Urdu, which helps with the look and feel of the story. It also helps you feel closer to the characters, including Malala's mother played by Divya Dutta. The film eventually turns into a potboiler as the story often diverts to chasing the terrorist group and their agenda. If focused on Malala's story it would have created a stronger impact. During the end credits, the film showcases a speech given by the real Malala during her visit to the UN later in life. The speech truly shows her burning desire for change and drives the film towards the end. Overall, Gul Makai is also a war film that gives a bit of an insight into what truly happened in Swat Valley between the years 2007 to 2012. Gul Makai: Everything You Need To Know About Malala Yousafzai For Upcoming Biopic Akshay Kumar's Upcoming Films Timeline And Every Look From Sooryavanshi To Bell-Bottom The logo of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) sits outside its headquarters in Vienna By Alex Lawler, Olesya Astakhova and Rania El Gamal LONDON/MOSCOW/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has opened talks with OPEC and allied oil producers about moving their upcoming OPEC+ policy meeting to early February from March, four OPEC+ sources said, after a swift slide in oil prices alarmed Riyadh. Worries over the economic impact of China's coronavirus have rattled global markets, helping send the price of crude down to around $58 a barrel from above $65 a barrel on Jan. 20. No final decision over the new date of the meeting has been made, and not all OPEC members are on board yet, with Iran a possible contender to oppose the move, the sources said. OPEC+, which includes Russia, has been reducing oil supply to support prices, agreeing in December to hold back 1.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of output until the end of March. OPEC wants to extend current oil output cuts until at least June from March, with the possibility of deeper reductions on the table if oil demand in China is significantly impacted by the spread of the coronavirus, OPEC sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Russia is yet to officially communicate its final position on bringing forward the OPEC+ meeting, the sources said. One Russian oil source suggested Moscow may want to reassure the market it is willing to bring forward the meeting to prevent oil prices from falling further. Countries have started isolating hundreds of citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan on Thursday to try to stop the spread of an epidemic that has killed 170 people. Saudi Arabia, OPEC's de-factor leader, and other OPEC members are worried the continued spread of the virus could hit oil demand and lead prices to fall further, the sources said. "The Saudis want to put a floor under the oil prices, they want to do something to prevent prices from falling more. There are several discussions going on between the countries now about that," one OPEC+ source said, adding Riyadh did not want to see oil prices below $60 a barrel. Story continues Saudi Arabia's economy, the largest in the Arab world, remains dominated by hydrocarbon revenues despite plans to diversify. The kingdom wants high oil prices to balance its state budget. "The Saudis are the ones wanting to move it forward, said a non-Saudi OPEC source. Another OPEC source said not all in OPEC were on board with bringing forward the meeting, including Iran. Algerias energy minister Mohamed Arkab said on Wednesday it was "very possible that OPEC+ meeting could be advanced to February instead of scheduled meeting in March," the state press agency reported. The source familiar with Russian thinking said the OPEC+ meeting would most likely take place over the early weeks of February but no final decision had been made. "It is better to reassure the market in February than to wait for further sliding (in prices)," that source said. The Russian energy ministry declined to comment. The Saudi energy ministry could not immediately be reached for comment. (Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; Writing by Rania El Gamal; Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter) What just happened? Avast says its Jumpshot subsidiary was 100 percent GDPR compliant and operated independently from the main firm, but now it's shutting it down to protect user privacy. The company seems intent on winning back the trust of users, but it's also letting go of hundreds of employees in the process. Earlier this week, news broke that Avast was using its free antivirus to harvest and sell users' (supposedly anonymized) browsing data to advertisers through a subsidiary called Jumpshot. The revelations came as a result of a joint investigation from Vice and PCMag, who also found the results of the data mining was then sold to companies like Microsoft, Google, and Pepsi. Now, the company says it will shut down Jumpshot, which will effectively terminate the data collection operations for users of Avast and AVG's free products. Avast acquired Jumpshot in 2013 to integrate the latter's cleanup tool into its software suite. Fast forward to 2015 and Jumpshot's new focus was data analytics and market intelligence. And while nothing is inherently wrong with trying to gauge how consumers spend their money, the problem was the firm did so without informing them, nor a proper mechanism to fully anonymize the data. There are no less than 400 million people around the world using Avast products, and Jumpshot essentially put their online identity at risk. Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek apologized to users and investors in a blog post, noting that "protecting people is Avasts top priority and must be embedded in everything we do in our business and in our products. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable." The company's initial response was that users have always been able to opt out of its data collection, and that it recently changed that to opt-in. After collecting what could only be described as a treasure trove for advertisers, it now says Jumpshot operated independently -- albeit with the right hooks set in Avast's products. Vlcek says he's spent the last seven months reviewing every aspect of Avast's business, and at some unspecified point concluded that data collection was not in line with "our privacy priorities as a company in 2020 and beyond." (Natural News) After multiple earlier meetings that concluded with declarations of no-go, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) has finally decided to dub the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency. Since there are now multiple reported cases of human-to-human coronavirus transmission outside of China, including in the United States, W.H.O. officials made the choice to issue a more dire warning in the interest of public health. The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries, announced W.H.O. chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Around the same time, the U.S. State Department issued a level-four warning against all travel to China after previously advising Americans to simply reconsider traveling to China. On January 30, the first reported case of human-to-human coronavirus transmission in the United States occurred in Chicago, according to officials, escalating fears of a potential pandemic situation unfolding. At least seven other similar human-to-human cases have also been reported, including in Germany, Japan and Vietnam. Let me be clear: This declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China, Ghebreyesus added, praising what he called the extraordinary measures that have been taken by China to halt the spread of coronavirus. In a more bizarre take on the situation, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross praised the virus itself for triggering a series of events that he says could accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Others, however, are concerned about the lives being affected by coronavirus, particularly in poorer countries that lack the infrastructure to keep it even moderately contained. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa the largest in human history showed how easily poorer countries can be overwhelmed by such outbreaks, writes James Gallagher for BBC News. And if novel coronavirus gets a significant foothold in such places, then it would be incredibly difficult to contain. Coronavirus infections have skyrocketed by more than 1000 percent over the past week However, it already seems like coronavirus is difficult to contain even in the more developed countries where its already picking up steam in terms of its spread. Over the past week, it turns out, the number of coronavirus infections has increased by more than 1000 percent, suggesting that the situation could already be spiraling out of control. Now, the total number of infections is still relatively small when looking at global population numbers. But with an R0 value as high as four, according to some reports, and an incubation period of up to two weeks, it remains to be seen how many silent carriers are quietly infecting people now, only to show up in the official numbers a week or more from now. ID2020 is ready and waiting to be launched in response to coronavirus As you might expect, theres already talk about a coronavirus vaccine being fast-tracked for approval, which just so happens to coincide with the soon launch of ID2020, which will combine digital identification with vaccination. The ID2020 Alliance, along with GAVI and other partners, announced back in the fall that this new digital identity program will incorporate digital biometrics into vaccines, and some are speculating that the coronavirus outbreak might just be the catalyst necessary to implement it on a global scale. Digital ID is being defined and implemented today, and we recognize the importance of swift action to close the identity gap, stated ID2020 Executive Director Dakota Gruesner at its official unveiling. Now is the time for bold commitments to ensure that we respond both quickly and responsibly. We and our ID2020 Alliance partners, both present and future, are committed to rising to this challenge. More coronavirus news is available at Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: BBC.com NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com BiometricUpdate.com NaturalNews.com Inside The Crown: Secrets Of The Royals Rating: Travels In Euroland With Ed Balls Rating: The comedian Nish Kumar, latest in a long line of presenters on Radio 4's News Quiz, took a little dig at Netflix in the show last week. The BBC has its own streaming video service with iPlayer, he said, plus three national TV channels, six national radio stations, a multitude of local services, a worldwide radio channel and several world-class orchestras. Netflix has exclusive rights to The Irishman, a second-rate Martin Scorsese movie. He's right about the orchestras. But if Nish thinks Netflix isn't forcing change on the BBC and every other broadcaster, he's very wrong. The evidence was there on Inside the Crown: Secrets Of The Royals (ITV). This four-part series is impeccably researched, with acerbic commentary from experts such as biographer Piers Brandon who remarked tartly of Princess Margaret's toyboy, Roddy Llewellyn, that 'he clearly had assets of which we can know little or nothing'. Inside the Crown: Secrets Of The Royals (ITV) is impeccably researched, with acerbic commentary from experts such as biographer Piers Brandon (pictured), writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS Our only justification for speculating about Roddy's own crown jewels is that his decadent affair with HRH on the Caribbean island of Mustique features in the latest series of The Crown, on Netflix. Lady Glenconner (pictured) didn't think much of Madge's husband, the hedonistic photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, and she let us know it. Her father, she said, referred to him as 'Tony Snapshot', writes CHRISTOPHER STEVENS This royal drama, starring Helena Bonham Carter as the gin-sozzled princess, re-enacts the scandal from every angle. And that gives the much more respectful broadcaster ITV plenty of leeway to rake over old headlines. 'We love hearing about their sex lives, their financial crises, we can't get enough of it,' said journalist Penny Junor. What we like most, though, is hearing those stories from new perspectives, and the best of these came from Margaret's lifelong friend and her lady-in-waiting, Lady Glenconner, now 87. Lady G didn't think much of Madge's husband, the hedonistic photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones, and she let us know it. Her father, she said, referred to him as 'Tony Snapshot'. She and her husband owned Mustique and gave a patch of land there to Mr and Mrs Snapshot in lieu of a wedding present. Margaret loved it. Tony didn't: 'He called Mustique 'mistake', which was rather tiresome of him.' More smashing stories came from the veteran royal photographer Ken Lennox, who explained how Princess Di could be persuaded to pose when caught in the right mood and how he once caused a national crisis by catching her unawares. Ken described standing up to his chest in the sea, with a long lens 'like a drainpipe', taking pictures of Diana on a sun-kissed beach wearing a bikini, when she was four months pregnant with William. Tough gig of the week Ardal O'Hanlon, who quit Death In Paradise (BBC1) after three years as DI Mooney, says he couldn't bear the noise of frogs and insects all night, on location in the Caribbean. And the heat was draining. Must have been hell. Advertisement To his surprise, these astonishingly intrusive and insensitive shots didn't go down well at the palace. He was lucky not to be speaking to us from The Tower. Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls was speaking to us from a Polish coal mine, the back of a German taxi and a French shooting range on his Travels In Euroland (BBC2). His mission is to discover why voters are turning to populist parties. Ed's at his best when he gets stuck into a political discussion, as he was with a German MP who wants to expel immigrants even though his wife is Turkish. The fact that the BBC is so comfortable with Ed says a good deal about the corporation's unconscious bias. The BBC insists it holds no political stance, but it's impossible to imagine that Nigel Farage no longer an MEP after today would be invited to present a documentary like this. Maybe Nige could do a series on the history of the British pub. But I honestly doubt the Beeb would have him. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are in the midst of a very public transition from being at the forefront of the modern monarchy to retired royals who no longer act on behalf of the queen. It all started on January 8th, when the couple made a statement on their Instagram account, revealing that they intended to step back from the historic family and begin, among other things, to earn their own independent income. While members of the public have mixed feelings about it, it is the royal family itself that has been dealing with the lions share of the upheaval. Specifically, Prince Harrys father, Prince Charles, who is next in line to the throne, has been reported to be struggling with the move in a serious way. Prince Harry and Prince Williams feud is over For several years, Prince Harry has had a strained relationship with his older brother, Prince William. While its not crystal clear when the feud started, it seems to have been prior to the royal wedding, when Prince William reportedly cautioned his brother against moving into marriage so quickly. From then on, there was always a feeling of tension between the two, with Prince Harry very determined to strike out on his own, forging a separate identity. Still, with the news that Prince Harry and Meghan will be stepping back from royal duties, a tentative truce has reportedly formed between Prince Harry and Prince William. According to reports, the two have had a series of private conversations that have worked to repair their bond and end the bad blood. In the months to come, it seems likely that the two will not be spending a lot of time with each other, but for royal fans, it is reassuring to know that the two brothers have managed to become friends once more. Is Prince Charles angry with Prince Harry? Even though Prince William might be at peace with Prince Harrys decision, Prince Charles reportedly is not. According to a recent Page Six report, Prince Charles is firmly at odds with his youngest son and that Prince Harrys announcement left him floored. Furthermore, the story claims that Prince Harrys relationship with Prince Charles as well as his stepmother Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is complicated. Prince Charles is reportedly saddened over the whole ordeal. Whats next for the relationship between Prince Harry and Prince Charles? Prince Charles and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images Its hard to predict what the future holds for Prince Harry and his father, at this point in time. Negotiations between Prince Harry and the palace are ongoing, but it has been determined that in the near future, Meghan and Prince Harry will begin to divide their time between the United Kingdom and Canada. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will also lose the right to use their royal titles in an official capacity. In addition, Prince Harry and Meghan will lose their ability to receive taxpayer funding in any capacity, leaving the doors open for sponsorship deals, corporate contracts, and other moneymaking opportunities. While this is clearly in line with what they want, it could potentially cause strained relations between the couple and their royal relatives. Traditionally, the royal family keeps its distance from the media and doesnt involve themselves in television or film projects. However, it seems as though that is exactly the type of work that Prince Harry and Meghan have in mind. For now, a royal source told the Sun last week: Its fair to say that the past week has brought William and Harry back together but the relationship with Charles and Camilla is far more complicated and complex. There remains a real lack of trust there and its going to take some time to resolve. Hopefully, in the future, Prince Harry and his father will be able to forge the same type of understanding that the two royal brothers have reached. As Prince Charles gets older, he will undoubtedly like to surround himself with all of his family and friends including his renegade youngest son. U.S. stocks ended the day higher on Thursday after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak that has spread to at least 19 countries, killing more than 200 people and infecting nearly 10,000, more a global emergency. What it means: The declaration was taken as good news by bullish investors because the international organization said China's "unprecedented response" and international cooperation would "reverse the tide" and contain the outbreak. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus lauded the "extraordinary measures [China] has taken" in a press conference Thursday. He added that there was "no reason for measures that affect international travel and trade," sparking hope that airlines could soon restart routes to China and businesses might get the green light to open their doors. China's stock markets have been closed for the Lunar New Year holiday and are scheduled to open on Feb. 3. Why it matters: The risk that the outbreak could cause further disruptions to business and drastically reduce aggregate demand from China was the outbreak's biggest risk, from a business perspective. That would damage not just China's economy, but as the world's top trading nation it would have a major negative impact on trading partners like Japan, Germany, Australia and Brazil. Declaration of an international emergency will undoubtedly sharpen governments focus on protecting citizens, Jeremy Farrar, head of the Wellcome Trust, a U.K. charity that funds biomedical and public health research, said in a statement. What they're saying: "Some shorts covered after the director gave the WHOs stamp of approval to Chinas aggressive containment effort," Stephen Innes, Asia Pacific market strategist at AxiCorp, told Reuters. "For now, the markets risk lights have shifted from flickering on red to a steady shade of amber, which could bring more risk back into play." Yes, but: Other assets, like commodities and U.S. Treasuries, suggest the coronavirus fears are far from over. What's next: The U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for China to Level 4, telling Americans, "Do not travel to China." "Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means," it added in a statement. The last word: With most headline-grabbing companies having now reported earnings, the market will likely go back to focusing on economic reports next week. Go deeper: The presidents of the EUs three major institutions have heralded Brexit Day with an apparent warning to the UK: every choice has its consequences. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, European Council leader Charles Michel and European Parliament president David Sassoli expressed hope for strong future ties with Britain in an open letter. But they issued a stern reminder that the block would not allow the UK to cherry pick how an ongoing relationship works. Without being a member, you cannot retain the benefits of membership, they wrote. The letter, published in newspapers across the continent, comes on the day the UK will finally leave the EU at 11pm. Front pages mark Brexit Day Show all 13 1 /13 Front pages mark Brexit Day Front pages mark Brexit Day The Independent Front pages mark Brexit Day The Sun Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mail Front pages mark Brexit Day The Daily Telegraph Front pages mark Brexit Day The Guardian Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Express Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Star Front pages mark Brexit Day The Times Front pages mark Brexit Day Metro Front pages mark Brexit Day i Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mirror Front pages mark Brexit Day Financial Times Front pages mark Brexit Day The Scotsman It added: Without the free movement of people, there can be no free movement of capital, goods and services. Without a level playing field on environment, labour, taxation and state aid, there cannot be the highest quality access to the single market. The three presidents said they had always deeply regretted the UKs decision to leave, and that they shared a fondness for the UK which goes far beyond membership of our union. For us, they wrote, today will inevitably be a day of reflection and mixed emotions as it will for so many. Our thoughts are with all of those who have helped to make the EU what it is today. Those who are concerned about their future or disappointed to see the UK leave. Those British members of our institutions who helped to shape policies that made lives better for millions of Europeans. We will think of the UK and its people, their creativity, ingenuity, culture, and traditions, that have been a vital part of our unions tapestry. Ms von der Leyen, Mr Michel and Mr Sassoli said their institutions would still work with the UK on foreign affairs, security and defence with a common purpose and shared mutual interests but that we will do it in different ways. We are confident we can build a lasting and meaningful partnership, they wrote. The hangman from the Uttar Pradesh prisons department, tasked with executing the four convicts of the December 2012 gang-rape case, reported for work at Delhis Tihar jail on Thursday afternoon. Sindhi Ram, who also goes by the monicker Pawan Jallad, is a resident of Meerut who has been brought to the national Capital to execute the men on February 1, and reportedly visited the hanging courtyard inside jail number 3. Prisons officers said Pawan will be paid 15,000 for each hanging. If all four men are hanged on February 1, he will be paid 60,000, a senior prison officer who did not wish to be named, said. He checked the hanging courtyard and arrangements made by jail authorities. The gallows were redone to execute the four at the same time. Earlier, only two persons could be executed at one time. Though this is the first time he will be executing someone, he seems to be well prepared. He checked the ropes and the machine that will be used for the hanging, a senior prisoner officer said. Pawan, a father of five daughters and two sons, lives in Kashiram colony of Lohia Nagar locality near Meerut town. His father, Mammu Singh and grandfather, Kallu Jallad, were also hangmen. His great-grandfather was also a hangman during the British rule, he had earlier told Hindustan Times. On January 7, a city court first issued the death warrant for the hanging of the four men at the Tihar jail complex on January 22 at 7am, and later changed the date to February 1 at 6 am over a legal technicality that calls for a 14-day gap between rejection of a mercy plea and the execution. Jail officers said they are consulting legal experts to check if they can execute at least one of the convicts who has exhausted all legal options. The four men Mukesh Singh (32), Pawan Kumar Gupta (25), Akshay Thakur (31) and Vinay Sharma (26), are on death row for the gang-rape and assault of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student inside a moving bus on December 16, 2012. The young woman died in a hospital in Singapore on December 29. While Singhs mercy petition has been rejected, Thakur and Gupta are yet to file one, and Sharmas plea is pending before President Ram Nath Kovind. The President of India has the power to commute the death sentence awarded to a convict. Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert on a barge in the River Lagan, Belfast on January 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert on a barge in the River Lagan, Belfast on January 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert on a barge in the River Lagan, Belfast on January 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert on a barge in the River Lagan, Belfast on January 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) Police and ATO at the scene of a security alert on a barge in the River Lagan, Belfast on January 30th 2020 (Photo by Kevin Scott for Belfast Telegraph) The Queen Elizabeth Bridge and Lagan Weir footbridge in Belfast have been reopened following the discovery of suspicious objects in the River Lagan. Both bridges were closed shortly after 11pm on Thursday while Ammunition Technical Officers examined and removed the suspicious objects. The Belfast Telegraph understands that two black bags were discovered by workers during dredging work in the river. It is thought the bags contained pipe bombs. Detectives from PSNI Terrorism Investigation Unit have launched an investigation. Detective chief superintendent Raymond Murray said: "While the objects will undergo further examination, we believe a significant munitions find has been uncovered." Both bridges have since reopened. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Members of Portage Family Fitness center can redeem their monthly and annual memberships at the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo locations for the same price. Starting Feb. 1, the Family Fitness will be moving its membership base to the YMCA locations at 1001 Maple St. in Kalamazoo and 2900 W. Centre Ave. in Portage. Portage Family Fitness announced the change on Facebook on Tuesday, Jan. 28. In a follow up post on Wednesday the fitness group wanted to give members the rest of the story and dispel the rumors." The fitness centers ability to accommodate more than 300 daily workouts and provide ample parking were becoming a daunting task," according to the Facebook post. The post notified members the space was sold to a local church. The Family Fitness Facebook post noted that the YMCA was chosen because of its proximity to Family Fitness. Both locations are within a three to four mile range of the gym. Dave Morgan, CEO and President of YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, said he was confident the YMCAs locations could accommodate the entire Family Fitness membership base. Both facilities are planned to have new equipment added by end of February, he added. The doors were closing and we just wanted to make sure they had a place to go, Morgan said. We wanted to make it as painless as possible so theres no gap time for those members. All membership plans will be transferred over without any additional costs and no contract obligations, Morgan said. Members will lock in their Family Fitness rate until the end of 2020, Morgan said. Monthly members can choose to cancel their membership at any time just as they would at Family Fitness, Morgan said. Billing will continue to come from Family Fitness until April 30, Morgan said. At that time all member information will be transferred over to the YMCA billing system. YMCA members will be eligible to use any facility in the nation. In the meantime, Family Fitness members can bring their Family Fitness membership card and a photo ID and start working out at either Kalamazoo-area location, he said. Those who would like to cancel their membership can do so through Family Fitness. The business is waiving its 30 day cancellation policy and fees for members who are up to date on their payments. To cancel, members can contact portage@familyfitnessmichigan.com. Informational meetings are being held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at both YMCA locations for Family Fitness members with questions about the transition and the YMCA facilities. Members have the option of a 11 a.m. meeting at 2900 W. Centre Avenue in Portage or 1 p.m. at 1001 Maple Street in Kalamazoo. Also on MLive: Portage has no concern about city water as private wells are tested for PFAS Portage approves $8.4M bond for fire station, road improvements First phase of $28M sewer expansion will begin soon in Kalamazoo County community The new 50p Brexit coins will enter circulation on 31 January. Photo: Press Association Roughly 3 million commemorative Brexit 50p pieces will begin entering circulation from Friday, as Britain officially leaves the European Union. Britain is set to officially leave the EU at 11pm on 31 January, over three years after the nation voted to leave the bloc. The Treasury ordered the Royal Mint to create commemorative coins to mark the occasion and the first batch will start turning up at banks, Post Offices, and shops from today. A further 7 million coins will enter circulation later this year. Weve always commemorated major events, so its really great for us to be able to do this, Leighton John, operations director at the Royal Mint, told the Press Association news agency Some supporters of remaining in the EU have threatened to take the coins out of circulation in protest but John said: I think everyone will agree, whichever side of the argument youre on, its a major event for the country. READ MORE: Brexit commemorative 50p coins on sale for 985 The new coins will be inscribed with the phrase: Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations above the Brexit date, 31 January 2020. A batch of special gold and silver coins were put on sale by the Royal Mint on Thursday for up to 985. The new coins were originally planned for 29 March, 2019, the first Brexit deadline. No coins had been minted by the time the exit date was pushed back to October 31. About one million coins stamped with the 31 October date were minted before Brexit was again delayed to January. These coins had to be melted down and recycled by the Royal Mint after the second delay to the Brexit timetable. The Royal Mint Experience in South Wales will let people strike their own commemorative Brexit coins to mark the occasion. Tours for 31 January are sold out, but visitors will have the opportunity to strike commemorative coins until 12 February. ---16 moments that tell the story of years of utter Brexit chaos--- By Lee Kyung-min Korea should join a trade agreement among 11 countries in the trans-Pacific area to reduce its heavy reliance on China and foster the export of goods manufactured by small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), a state-run think tank report said Thursday. This will remove tariffs involving trade between the signatories, thereby helping Asia's fourth-largest, export-reliant economy gain a competitive edge with its cheaper, quality products in certain niche markets. The move will also help Korea have a greater say in setting global standards in areas such as intellectual property within key legal frameworks yet to be established between developing economies, leading the international discourse to better reflect the interests of the country. Korea Development Institute (KDI) researcher Song Yeong-kwan said that Korea should join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to diversify trading partners, a move that could limit the vulnerability caused by uncertainties in China. Partner countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. "The most effective way for the country to reduce its heavy reliance on China will be joining the agreement under which intermediate goods produced in designated countries will be recognized as final goods, making them eligible for tariff benefits," Song said. This will help create a new global value chain in Southeast Asia connecting Korea, Japan and Vietnam, a key area of growth where Korea's foreign direct investments are increasingly headed. The current China-centered global value chain's structure makes Korea's semiconductor industry highly vulnerable to external influences; the drawn-out U.S.-China dispute being a case in point. Diversification of trading partners and finding an alternative to the precarious status quo, in his view, will provide an impetus for growth of the chip industry, which accounts for about a fifth of the country's exports. "With the U.S. set to rejoin the agreement after it abruptly left under the Trump administration, Korea's exports will see substantial benefit, not to mention the overall inter-signatories investment and intermediate goods trade to be bolstered as a result," he said. The move will be in line with the government initiative to foster parts, materials and equipment industries, most of which are made by SMEs whose long-term, sustainable growth is premised on going beyond domestic sales. "Korea used to be the exporter of final goods backed by shipbuilding industries, but that once-booming sector has reached a clear limit. Korea should join in the agreement to lay the groundwork for the promising SMEs to expand in untapped overseas markets," he said. Song dismissed concerns that the agreement would become meaningless if Japan threatens further export bans, for example. "The World Trade Organization (WTO) essentially remains defunct in resolving the trade dispute between Korea and Japan, the parties to a dispute. But the multilateral CPRPP has clear stipulations on dispute resolution. Japan or any other country will not be able to resort to such unilateral action," he said. - The first confirmed case of coronavirus in the Philippines was announced by the Department of Health - The first case of coronavirus in the country was observed in a 38-year-old Chinese national who was brought to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila - In a study published by The Lancet, it appears that men are more prone to getting infected by coronavirus compared to women - The study involved 99 patients in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak began PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed The Filipino people got extremely worried after the first confirmed case of coronavirus in the Philippines was announced by the Department of Health. KAMI learned that in a study published by The Lancet, it appears that men are more prone to getting infected by coronavirus compared to women. According to a report by South China Morning Post (authored by Josephine Ma), the study involved 99 patients in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak began. As of this writing, the virus has already infected 7,800 people and has taken the lives of 170 people. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! KAMI reported earlier that several celebrities have reacted to the confirmation that coronavirus has reached the Philippines. The first case of coronavirus in the country was observed in a 38-year-old Chinese national who was brought to San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. Please like and share our amazing Facebook posts to support the KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinions about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts and views on different matters! Source: KAMI.com.gh Longtime harness racing industry participant Terry Rideout passed away on Thursday (Jan. 30) after a fatal automotive accident on his 41st birthday. Terry was active as both a trainer and driver, with 65 lifetime training wins. He worked for a number of stables and trainers in Ontario over the years, including Casie Coleman and Anthony MacDonald. Rideout is survived by his wife Corinne and sons Curtis and Dylan. Corinne's sister Carly has established a GoFundMe page to help the family with funeral and living costs. Further details and arrangements will be posted when available. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Terry Rideout. / -- Large amounts of debt can lead to default, which along with delayed payments can harm one's credit score and deplete one's savings significantly. However, as a Bajaj Finserv RBL Bank SuperCard holder, one can consolidate the debt and successfully manage their finances by converting their cash limit to a quick emergency loan. With a SuperCard, cardholders get access up to a 90-day, interest-free loan at a nominal processing fee of 2.5%, and one can use this to navigate debt successfully. Further, the SuperCard lets one benefit from a range of credit card deals on food, travel, stays and more, allowing one to trim the monthly budget and devote the finances towards debt consolidation. Read on to know more about how a Bajaj Finserv RBL Bank SuperCard can help in consolidating debt. Avail a 90-day interest-free loan to consolidate debts Paying off a debt that one has accumulated is vital in terms of maintaining financial health as delays lead to penal charges and can over time turn into a debt trap. While the concept of borrowing to address current debt may seem strange, the tactic works, provided that the cost of a new loan is lower than the current one. This multipurpose credit card allows one to convert their credit limit into a 90-day, interest-free personal loan once a year, and also allows one to withdraw money from ATMs for up to 50 days, without paying interest. All one has to do is pay a 2.5% processing fee to access these facilities. Make repayment effortless by keeping track of a single new EMI When one consolidates a debt, one eliminates the need to keep tabs on multiple EMIs and their payment dates. Now, one has just a single EMI to take care of, which does not carry an inflated rate of interest. In this sense, one can convert the high-end purchases above Rs. 3,000 into affordable EMIs, and the repayment journey becomes easier and hassle-free. Moreover, when one opts for the SuperCard, one can choose to repay the loan over a convenient time frame, via 3 EMIs. Channel funds towards debt consolidation by utilising credit card offers Apart from helping consolidate debt, the Bajaj Finserv RBL Bank SuperCard offers discounts, cashback deals and reward points. These enable one to get more for less and thus, aid in the process of debt consolidation. By reducing everyday expenditure, cardholders will have more finance available to devote to clearing debt. For instance, current credit card offers include impressive discounts on domestic and international flight bookings and one can use these to travel economically. Additionally, on accumulating a substantial amount of reward points, one can redeem them instead of flight bookings or hotel accommodation. These credit card deals and offers extend to categories such as food, gadgets and appliances, enabling customers to economise spends in multiple ways. One can apply for a SuperCard online by registering their phone number and allowing a Bajaj Finserv representative to contact them. According to their requirement, one can choose from options such as the Doctor's SuperCard and the Travel Easy SuperCard. Best of all, to get access to instant financing through a customised deal, remember to check pre-approved offer from Bajaj Finserv before applying. About Bajaj Finance Limited Bajaj Finance Limited, the lending company of Bajaj Finserv group, is one of the most diversified NBFCs in the Indian market catering to more than 36 million customers across the country. Headquartered in Pune, the company's product offering includes Consumer Durable Loans, Lifestyle Finance, Digital Product Finance, Personal Loans, Loan against Property, Small Business Loans, Home loans, Credit Cards, Two-wheeler and Three-wheeler Loans, Commercial lending/SME Loans, Loan against Securities and Rural Finance which includes Gold Loans and Vehicle Refinancing Loans along with Fixed Deposits. Bajaj Finance Limited prides itself on holding the highest credit rating of FAAA/Stable for any NBFC in the country today. It is also the only NBFC in India with the international 'BBB' with stable outlook for long-term, by S&P Global Rating. To know more, please visit: https://www.bajajfinserv. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Citing a 0.7 per cent increase in trade surplus per year for manufactured products and 2.3 per cent surplus for total merchandise, the Economic Survey 2020 has strongly advocated India to participate in global trade deals that will help India increase its share in exports to 3.5 per cent by 2025 and 6 per cent by 2030. The survey says this will create 4 crores well-paid jobs by 2025 and 8 crores by 2030. Last year, India backed out of the proposed free trade agreement under Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that comprises 16 countries in the larger South East Asian region after some of its key concerns were not addressed. It is also in negotiations for a number of other FTAs (free trade agreements) with developed economies such as EU and the US but the progress has been tardy. In fact, India that is part of 14 FTAs till date, has not signed any new agreement since 2011. "An apprehension is that most of the FTAs that India had signed in the past had not worked in "India's favour." The argument that is put forward is that the agreements led to worsening of India's trade deficit with the partner countries with which the agreements have been signed. This is the mercantilist way of evaluating the gains from trade," the survey says. "Manufactured products from India has clearly benefitted 122 Economic Survey 2019-20 Volume 1 from eight out of the fourteen trade agreements. Four of the agreements (SAFTA, BIMSTEC, Thailand and Sri Lanka) had no effect on exports of manufactured products while the bilateral agreements with Korea and Japan exerted a negative effect." The trend is more mixed in merchandise exports as several primary products are generally in the negative or sensitive lists in trade agreements. "Only four trade agreements (MERCOSUR, Nepal, Singapore, and Chile) show a positive impact. Even as some of the agreements led to increase in imports, for most of the cases, the percentage increase in exports is higher than the percentage increase in imports. The exceptions are the bilateral agreements with Korea, Japan and Sri Lanka, where the percentage increase in imports are higher than that of exports," it says. Once growing at over 20 per cent, India's exports have been stuck at around $300 billion for the last decade, driven by loss of export competitiveness and volatility in global markets. In the early days of the trade war between the US and China, experts saw India as a beneficiary as US companies looked at relocating their export oriented units outside of China but that has also not played out as per the script so far. The overall impact on India's exports to the partners, with which the agreements have been signed, is 13.4 per cent for manufactured products and 10.9 per cent for total merchandise. The overall impact on imports is lower at 12.7 per cent for manufactured products and 8.6 per cent for total merchandise. Therefore, from the perspective of trade balance, India has clearly "gained," it says. It also suggests India should take a leaf out of China's policy of deliberate specialisation and creating large scale in labour intensive sector. "The current environment for international trade presents India an unprecedented opportunity to chart a China-like, labour-intensive, export trajectory and thereby create unparalleled job opportunities for our burgeoning youth. As an India that harbours misplaced insecurity on the trade front is unlikely to grab this opportunity, our trade policy must be an enabler," it adds. "China's remarkable export performance is driven primarily by deliberate specialization at large scale in labour-intensive sectors, especially "network products", where production occurs across Global Value Chains (GVCs) operated by multi-national corporations. China used this specialised strategy to export primarily to markets in rich countries. Similarly, India must place laser-like focus on enabling assembling operations at mammoth scale in network products." Also Read: Why imported onions are rotting? Economic Survey 2020 has an answer Also Read: Economic Survey 2020: The thali, India's own Big Mac Index Also Read: Economic Survey 2020: How privatisation helps CPSEs unlock growth potential J eremy Corbyn seized Brexit day to voice his opposition to a "toxic Trump deal" for trade with the US once Britain departs the European Union. The Labour leader, who insisted upon keeping a neutral stance on Brexit during his failed election campaign, spoke of the choices Britain had to make upon departing the bloc. Speaking ahead of 11pm, when the nation formally leaves, he said: "Today, we are leaving the European Union. I know there will be different views and feelings about it. "Britain's place in the world will change. "The question now is, 'what direction will we take?'" He said the UK would have the opportunity to work with other nations to develop rights and protections, while investing in communities and tackling the "climate crisis". The Labour leader, who is set to be replaced in April, said Britain could be "internationalist" and "outward looking". Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures 1 /22 Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London PA Police presence at anti-Brexit protests in Parliament Square, London PA The Winston Churchill statue and Union flags in Parliament Square, London PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man carries an EU themed wreath at Parliament Square Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square, London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man wears a President, Donald Trump mask and holds an American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images People hold placards in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP via Getty Images A man holds up a President, Donald Trump, American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A Red Viking apple with the Union Jack is displayed and given out for free to promote British produce as an Anti-Brexit demonstrator waves the European Union flag in Parliament Square AP Joseph Afrane in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Pro-EU anti-Brexit protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images A man takes a photo of political artist Kaya Mar's paintings in Parliament Square Getty Images A man in an oversized 'Keep America Great' hat and draped with a US flag holds a Union Flag in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images A woman holds a newspaper at Parliament Square Reuters A woman wears a face mask in Parliament Square PA However, he then spoke of his fears of what the other options could be, speaking of how the nation could "turn inwards, trade our principles, rights and standards to secure a sell out trade deal with President Trump and others". "Today is only the beginning... we will hold the government to account every step of the way," he said. "We will resist a toxic Trump deal that puts our NHS, food safety and standards at risk." Tour companies and hotels in destinations popular with Chinese tourists are starting to see cancellations after a new form of virus that has led to mass quarantines and 170 deaths in China. The virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. There are three confirmed cases in Canada and all are linked to recent travel in China. Travel agencies in the Asian country have been told to halt all group tours due to the virus, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported, citing the China Association of Travel Services. Travel Alberta, which works to promote tourism to the province, said it is hearing about cancellations from tour operators and hotels. We have not had mass waves of cancellations, CEO Royce Chwin said in an interview. Weve had some cancellations although I dont have a qualified number. The cancellations include group tours to Jasper and Banff in the Rocky Mountains, he said. Banff Lake Louise Tourism said in a statement that it has seen a minimal impact so far, but noted that staff are monitoring the situation. Its early days so (we) cant fully anticipate the impact, said Angela Anderson, director of communications. We are encouraging all businesses in our destination to help make any changes or cancellations as easy as possible and penalty free. China is an important market for us, so we are hopeful the situation gets under control as soon as possible. Travel Alberta said the three biggest overseas tourism markets for the province are the United Kingdom, Germany, then China. The agency is also pausing its consumer marketing activities in China that bring tourists to Alberta. We run ads on social channels, he said. Considering what the Chinese government has asked their travel companies to do out there thats to not book trips out of the country we really didnt think it appropriate to sit here and invite people to come to Canada to travel. He said Travel Alberta follows the lead of Destination Canada, a federal government corporation that markets the country to international tourists. Hysan Lee, owner and operator of Aurora Holiday Tours in Yellowknife, said hes had about 200 cancellations in the last few weeks. This morning, I got five emails, he said Thursday. The company books tours and hotels for Chinese people travelling to the Northwest Territories. Lee said hes offering a full refund for the cancellations, which were mostly for February and March. Discover Banff Tours declined to comment and other tour companies in B.C. and Alberta didnt respond to requests for interviews. Travel Albertas Chwin said he hasnt heard about any operators or hotels that are overly worried. Everybody is just being proactive and has general concern, obviously, for the general well-being of people first and secondly how it might impact the business, he said. Were just seeing a bit of trickle here. The impact, he said, is nowhere near what it was in 2003 when SARS, a viral respiratory illness also caused by a coronavirus, hit Toronto. SARS was centred in Canada where this is not, said Chwin. Canada is not the focus of attention. It really did hurt the industry back in the day when SARS happened, while this (new coronavirus) is centred in China. Its not really a relevant comparison. With files from The Associated Press Read more about: Surgeon Dr Rhea Liang (pictured) says she was subjected to racism by a patient this week Asian-Australians say they've copped a barrage of racism in relation to the coronavirus outbreak. As virus continues to spread across the country with nine confirmed cases in the last week, so does misinformation about the disease which first broke in China, where the death toll has climbed to 213. Fear-mongering has led to people of Chinese and Asian backgrounds becoming the target of racially-motivated comments. Gold Coast Hospital surgeon and educator Dr Rhea Liang took to Twitter this week to share her humiliating experience during a consultation with a male patient as shocked colleagues watched on in horror. 'Today a patient made jokes about not shaking my hand because of coronavirus. In front of my team. I have not left Australia. This is not sensible public health precautions. This is racism,' Dr Liang tweeted on Thursday. The tweet sparked several hundred comments from around the globe. people of Chinese background say they've become the target of racially-motivated comments in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured are passengers at Brisbane Airport on Friday 'I appreciate this is a difficult time, we are all in this together. I'd shake your hand anytime. Sadly ignorance from others,' one woman commented. One man added: 'The casual and rampant sinophobia disappoints me. We, as a unified body of people, should be better than that!' Dr Liang decided to share her story after a doctor in the US shared the racism faced by her young son. 'My son was cornered at school by kids who wanted to ''test'' him for coronavirus just because he is half-Chinese. They chased him. Scared him. And made him cry. I was the same age when I was bullied for being Pakistani. Its 2020. I thought things had changed by now,' Dr Nadia Alam wrote. Dr Liang's tweet prompted other Asian-Australians to share their own stories. 'This is the first time I've ever felt physically unsafe in Australia because of my race. I thought we were over this but obviously not,' Brisbane writer Yen-Rong Wong wrote. Melbourne woman Rachel Zhang has had a similar experience of racism since the virus hit Australia last week. 'The coronavirus is a human tragedy but where there should be solidarity instead there is division,' she posted on Facebook on Thursday. 'In light of recent events I have never felt more unwelcomed in a country I call home. 'I can no longer walk the streets or take public transport without someone scrambling to get away from me. If I cough to clear my throat, people stare at me in fear. 'Everyone has their own culture and values. Whilst physical isolation may be necessary, I implore all to not emotionally isolate those with Asian ethnicity. Please target the virus and not the people.' Dr Rhea Liang took to Twitter to share her humiliating experience during a consultation Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu has weighed into the racism debate over the coronavirus The Victorian Multicultural Commission expressed its concern over the growing reports of racism. 'We are deeply concerned by the emergence of racism in response to the coronavirus. There is never an excuse for racism. In times of a world health emergency we must follow the advice of health experts, stand together and show compassion,' the organisation tweeted. Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu has also weighed into the debate in recent days. 'A virus will not be what tears us apart; fear and bigotry will,' he tweeted. He also took to Facebook with this plea. 'If you live in the US, Australia or Canada the (Centre for Disease Control and Protection) has this under control,' he wrote 'Cover your mouth when you sneeze. Get the flu shot. 'Express your sympathies for the Chinese families this disease has affected. 'And please, don't be a bigot.' Misinformation about coronavirus has sparked racist remarks towards people of Chinese descent. Pictured are passengers arriving into Brisbane on Friday Dr Liang believes the remarks are the result of misinformation, including the perception that coronavirus is a 'Chinese thing'. 'The white Australian guy at the corner shop is just as much likely to have caught this thing from newly arrived people from China as I might have,' she told HuffPost Australia. 'So to stereotype that only Chinese people might be exposed to it is unfair and a bit racist.' 'And I just thought if this is happening to me, and I'm in a position of authority I'm a consultant on this team I really worry about the people who are more vulnerable.' Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Friday said his government will make the river Ganges a confluence of economy and faith. Adityanath was speaking here at an event to mark the end of the five-day "Ganga Yatra"' organised by the state government to raise awareness about the river. "'Maa Ganga' has been the centre of our faith since time immemorial. Now we will make it a confluence of economy as well as faith, he said. If the Ganga is linked to the economy, the biggest beneficiaries will be the crores of poor whose livelihood depends on the Ganga, he added, according to a government statement. He said the schemes announced during the yatra will help in the makeover of towns and villages along the river. He referred to the 'Namami Gange' mission promoted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rejuvenate the Ganges. The chief minister also appealed to people to stop the use of the chemicals in villages on the banks of the Ganga and take a pledge to make the river clean and ever-flowing. Earlier, Adityanath performed 'Ganga aarti' and offered prayer at Atal Ghat here. The UP government's 'Ganga Yatra' began from Bijnor and Ballia with both routes converging in Kanpur. The opposition Samajwadi Party has mocked the awareness drive, calling it a new event organised by the Yogi Adityanath government, which party president Akhilesh Yadav described as an event management company. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SCHENECTADY Staff at Ellis Hospital and its urgent care facilities got a taste Thursday of what it might be like if there was a sudden spike in coronavirus cases in the Capital Region. Although there are no suspected or confirmed cases of the deadly 2019 novel coronavirus in the Capital Region, Ellis conducted drills at various locations Thursday sending in mock patients who impersonated people with the virus' symptoms and telling staff they had recently traveled to China. "From what we've seen, the staff responded really well and rose to the challenge," Ellis Hospital spokesman Philip Schwartz said Thursday. The hospital, which had already been training staff on how to screen and isolate such patients, will now do a "deep dive" into how the drills went. The mock patients did not actually have the coronavirus that has claimed more than 200 lives in China, and neither Ellis nor any other local hospital has had to isolate any patients suspected of being infected so far. "At this point there's nothing to be worried about, but we're prepared," Schwartz said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health issued guidelines earlier this month to hospitals and medical providers across the state that outline how they should screen for the virus and what they should do to isolate patients and keep staff and other patients safe. Schwartz and others at area hospitals said they have a lot of practice putting in place such CDC recommendations from previous global outbreaks like the Ebola virus in 2014, and so workers are well prepared on how to respond. In the case of 2019 novel coronavirus, hospitals are not only screening for fever and signs of lower respiratory illness such as coughing or difficulty breathing but also if a patient with those symptoms has traveled to Wuhan City, China in the 14 days since the onset of symptoms or has been in contact with someone under investigation for carrying the virus or someone with a lab-confirmed case. There have been no confirmed cases in New York state as of Friday morning. There have been 11 suspected cases in the state, although seven of the samples sent by the state health department to the CDC have come back negative. Four are still pending. DOH spokeswoman Jill Montag, however, would not reveal where the suspected cases happened - either by hospital or even the county level. "Due to patient confidentiality we cannot release any further information," Montag said. According to Nassau County officials, the CDC had tested one person who had visited Long Island. The test came back negative. Broome County also had two suspected cases that came back negative, according to the Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin. Local hospitals put screening measures for the virus into place weeks ago after the DOH passed along the CDC recommendations, which outline a process to immediately notify state and local health departments and the CDC of suspected cases. The guidelines also explain how patients suspected of having the virus should be isolated in their own rooms if possible and how hospital staff should protect themselves with goggles. Rebecca O'Donnell, the director of epidemiology for Albany Medical Center, said that staff are always vigilant for infectious disease, but this time of year, the hospital is on high alert. "We're in flu season," O'Donnell said. "We're as prepared as possible." St. Peter's Health Partners, which owns St. Peter's, Albany Memorial and Samaritan hospitals, says that its infection specialists have set up screening guidelines recommended by the CDC and DOH. "We are asking that any person presenting with respiratory symptoms and or fever who has traveled to this area of China in the past 14 days don a mask and be placed [in] isolation in a negative pressure room," said St. Peter's Health Partners spokesman Bob Webster. General Electric Co., which has significant overseas operations and employs thousands of employees in Schenectady and Niskayuna, also has plans in place to deal with the spread of the illness. A GE spokesman said Thursday that GE has aligned its travel policies with recommendations from the CDC and has been consulting with CDC and the World Health Organization. The CDC is recommending that people avoid all non-essential travel to China. But the center says that if people must travel there they should avoid contact with sick people, discuss travel plans with their doctor, avoid animals and wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. The U.S. Department of State is telling people not to travel to China at all. "Safety is our top priority," the spokesman said. "We are implementing detailed emergency response plans at our sites and have measures in place to protect our people." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. On Wednesday GE's CEO Larry Culp addressed the coronavirus outbreak, which has had a major impact on GE's healthcare division. The GE division had people on the ground in China and specifically Wuhan City. GE has a small digital x-ray device manufacturing facility in East Greenbush, while its sites in Schenectady County are part of GE's power division and its research unit. Culp called the situation in China "a real tragedy" and noted that GE's healthcare division has been donating patient monitors and ultrasound equipment to hospitals in Wuhan. With respect to the coronavirus, obviously we're disheartened and sorry that it's happening," Culp said in a conference call with analysts as the company rolled out its quarterly earnings. "It's a tragedy in its own right. Our priority is on safety clearly of our team really across GE. As you might imagine, our healthcare team is really smack in the middle of this in Wuhan and elsewhere, servicing our equipment, certainly prioritizing new equipment deliveries, particularly to the Wuhan hospitals." Another local company with significant operations in China and Asia is GlobalFoundries, which employs roughly 3,000 people at its Fab 8 factory in Malta. Spokeswoman Erica McGill said the company is "monitoring the situation closely" as the epidemic unfolds. She said that the company's internal epidemic and pandemic preparedness plan has been followed and travel restrictions have been put in place that draw on government recommendations. "This is a very fluid situation and we will continue to adjust our policy and restrictions as the situation warrants," McGill said. Colleges across New York, many of which have substantial numbers of exchange students from China, are taking precautions as well. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy earlier in the month halted any university-sanctioned travel to or through China. They were also requiring students, faculty and staff who have returned from China in the last 14 days to inform school officials. At the University at Albany, the student Health Service is monitoring the situation with guidance from the New York State Department of Health and the CDC and has issued information on its website (https://www.albany.edu/health_center/). And with cold and flu season in full swing, UAlbanys medical director sent out an email with general health and wellness tips, although that is standard at this time of year. Independent schools also are closely following guidance from state and federal health officials. More and more schools are placing restrictions on travel, Cailin McKenna, a spokeswoman for the state Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities, said in an email. Albany International Airport, which serves as a relief airport for Newark, Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, has a Quarantinable Disease Response Plan that coordinates activities among federal, state and local health offices and the airport authority. The airport occasionally receives international flights when weather or other issues prevent them from landing at the New York City airports. The plans was most recently updated in 2008. That same year, a Boeing 777 from Beijing diverted to Albany after thunderstorms prevented it from landing at Newark. Albany can handle aircraft as large as a 747, airport spokesman Doug Myers said. "We have remote parking if necessary for an aircraft," Myers added. A Dunn County judge has denied a request from a California man in prison for a 2017 triple homicide to retroactively withdraw his guilty plea. Serghei Kundilovski, 38, formerly of Orangevale, Calif., appeared Thursday in Dunn County Court for a hearing on his postconviction motion. Kundilovski was sentenced to 75 years in prison in 2017 after driving the wrong direction while intoxicated near Menomonie on Interstate 94, killing three people. In September he requested to withdraw his guilty pleas to three counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Kundilovski didnt understand the consequences of accepting a plea agreement, his postconviction attorney Catherine R. Malchow wrote in a motion filed in September. Dunn County Judge James Peterson denied the motion Thursday, according to online court records. Kundilovski is fluent in Russian and speaks broken English, according to the motion. Malchow said in the motion that no Russian interpreter was used in attorney-client meetings but that Kundilovskis defense attorney communicated with him in those meetings using the Google Translate service on a computer. Russian interpreters were used during Kundilovskis court appearances. In the motion, Kundilovski also said he believed he would get a three- to seven-year sentence. (Peterson sentenced Kundilovski to 75 years in prison and 30 years of extended supervision.) Kundilovski is in Waupun Correctional Institution, a maximum-security prison, according to online court records. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The NEUROPA consortium, led by Aston University, has received a prestigious award of 3.6 million in funding from the European Commission as part of its Future and Emerging Technology (FET) scheme The NEUROPA initiative targets a transformative progress in photonics, neuroscience and medicine by developing a non-invasive means of modulating specific neural pathways in the brain This research, led by Aston University, is a collaboration between University of Bayreuth. (DE), University of Oulu (Finland), University of Barcelona (Spain), Pharmacoidea (Hungary), Sorbonne University (France) and DLM Consultancy Services Ltd (UK). The project is funded by the European Commission through its Future and Emerging Technology (Open) programme The NEUROPA project is headed by Professor Edik Railov, Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies The NEUROPA consortium, led by Aston University, has received a prestigious award of 3.6 million in funding from the European Commission as part of its Future and Emerging Technology (FET) scheme. The project aims to develop a non-invasive means of alleviating long-term dysfunction in the brain addressing specific brain disorders such as Huntingdon's (HD) and cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's (AD). About the NEUROPA project The NEUROPA project is pioneering a new field of phytoptogenetics by developing novel phytochromes that can be activated by new compact NIR lasers leading to long-term modulation of targeted neuronal network activity. A core underlying concept is that we will control networks involving sub-cortical structures by activating cortical projecting neurons which are accessible to 2P light control. Developments in viral engineering will enable the targeting of brain phytochrome expression via peripheral exposure rather than direct brain injection. In addition, ongoing development of brain-region and cell-specific gene delivery systems will enable expression in specific cell types i.e. excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons and glial subtypes in targeted subpopulations within specific brain areas. Our development of diffusing wave spectroscopy-based blood flow detection will enable the monitoring of network activity and hence the interactive control of the photo-switchable phytochromes. Edik Rafailov, Head of the NEUROPA project and Professor of Photonics, said: "Non-invasive control of dysfunctional neural pathways is a hugely attractive prize to be obtained for medical practice. Currently methods to address brain dysfunction can involve very invasive procedures and our aim to is establish a viable and flexible technology that achieve significant results by shining a laser beam instead. There is an enormous human toll of brain disorders in Europe, with an estimated 83 million people affected. Through NEUROPA we hope to bring a transformative approach to address this great societal and healthcare challenge". The NEUROPA project launches in January 2020 and research and innovation activities will be conducted over three years. About the NEUROPA consortium Each of the consortium partners have been chosen for the highly specific skills & knowledge that they bring to this project. These include technologies and expertise in NIR lasers, AAV viral vectors, phytoptogenetics, diffusion wave spectroscopy and bio-assays. Aston University (UK) Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies (School of Engineering and Applied Science) is one of the largest photonic groups in UK and an internationally recognised research centre in the fields of lasers, fibre-optics, high-speed optical communications and nonlinear photonic technologies. Aston Neuroscience Institute (ANI) encompasses interdisciplinary research for the study of developing brains. Members conduct fundamental research that is applied to meaningful questions which impacts upon the wellbeing and success of young people and society. The University of Bayreuth (Germany) is one of the youngest universities in the country but ranked #4 in Life Sciences. The group involved bring expertise in the expression, purification and handling of phytochrome photoreceptors and ample knowledge of photochemical characterization of sensory photoreceptors. The Optoelectronics and Measurement Techniques research unit (OPEM) at the University of Oulu (Finland) specializes in medical measurements and development of biomedical instrumentation. Its activity is focused on development of unique and novel measurement methods to be utilised in various medical applications, based especially on optical imaging and monitoring. The "Pathophysiology and Treatment of the Neurodegenerative Disorders" research group is located at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neuroscience of the University of Barcelona . The group is an international reference for the study of Huntington's disease and other basal ganglia disorders with a broad expertise in molecular and cellular biology, neuronal networks and behavioural studies. PHARMACOIDEA LTD. was founded in 2006 with the goal to develop special bio-assays and transgenic animal models to be used in "proof of principle" studies in search for the prevention and cure of diseases caused by pathological protein aggregation. Sorbonne University (France) is the #1 ranked University in France and has a proven track record of designing and applying viral delivery systems, promoters and optogenetics for research investigations and therapy. DLM Consultancy Services Limited (UK) helps to bridge the gap between the academic and business sectors in supporting collaboration, enterprise, and knowledge-based business development. About the FET funding Horizon 2020 aims to ensure Europe produces world-class science by removing barriers to innovation through funding programmes such as the FET. The FET (Open) funds forward-looking collaborations between advanced multidisciplinary science and cutting-edge engineering for radically new future technologies. It is hugely competitive and amongst the toughest in the H2020 suite of schemes. ### We booked a return flight to the US last November with Netflights, travelling from Heathrow via Toronto, Canada for our connecting flight to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. On checking in at Heathrow, we were told we needed an Electronic Travel Authorisation for the short time we would be in Toronto airport and we would not be able to travel without it. We are both senior citizens and not good with using apps on our phone so, despite applying there and then, we were too slow and had to wait for the approval to come through - subsequently check-in closed and we were not allowed to board the flight. Netflights confirmed that we would be put down as a 'no show' and that the returning flight would be cancelled as well, with no refund of our 869.44 fare apart from the 124.62 tax refund. One This is Money reader had to cancel her flights after not getting the appropriate visa We ended up having to take a flight the next day, on a different route via New York. Add to that the extra car parking, hotel at Heathrow, cancelled hotel at Pittsburgh and we ended up more than 1,000 out of pocket. On our return to Britain, I complained to Netflights as nowhere did it indicate on our booking that we would need a travel authority to take the connecting flight in Toronto, otherwise we would not have taken that route. How can we get a refund? Grace Gausden, This is Money replies: Making sure you have the right documentation when travelling is imperative as you could end up in a tricky situation. Unfortunately for you, you didn't have the necessary visa and have ended up over 1,000 out of pocket. However, in your case, you had the correct visas for the US in advance and it did not occur to you, nor were you ever advised, that you would need documentation for the short time you would be at Toronto airport waiting for your connecting flight. I can imagine that you are not the first passengers to have encountered this problem and most will have been in a similar situation of only finding out their error when they arrived at the airport. Understandably, you were shocked to find out this was the case and were frustrated when you were unable to board your flight due to this issue. Many passengers are likely to be left frustrated after realising they don't have the right visas Although you said your husband was keen to abandon the plans and head home, your son and daughter-in-law were expecting their first child and you had planned for a long time to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Therefore, you felt it was important to get alternative flights - this time with the correct visas. In your case, it seems that the problem was that you needed to have a transit visa. This is a short-term visa which lets holders pass through a country on the way to their final destination. There are different types of transit visa and every country has different requirements and rules that apply. Sometimes, a transit visa will only allow travellers to stay inside an airport, known as an 'airside' visa, while waiting for their connecting flights. Other transit visas last longer, between one and five days, and allow passengers to leave the airport and stay in the country briefly before onward travel. Generally, these are quite cheap but again, it depends on where you need one for. Travellers are encouraged to check they have the right documentation before they set off A spokesperson for Netflights replies: We advise customers when they book that they need to apply for their visas in plenty of time and we complete all the standard minimum requirements in terms of informing customers of their responsibilities regarding travel documentation which are generally sufficient. However, we do acknowledge that in this particular circumstance, it is an unusual routing and it is not immediately obvious that a transit visa would be required on arrival, therefore, we are now doing two things. Firstly, we're reviewing our processes to identify instances where clearer and more robust information might be required. Secondly, we have opened a dialogue with the carrier airline to explore whether some form of redress or compensation can be made in lieu of the stress caused to Mr and Mrs A. Our customer service team will reach out directly to Mrs A to update her on that conversation in the coming days. Toronto troubles: Despite no plans to leave the airport, the couple needed a transit visa Connecting flight? Check if you need a visa... Emma Grimster, spokeswoman for TravelSupermarket, replies: If you have an airport stopover, even for just a couple of hours, it is always worth checking visa requirements at least a couple of weeks before you fly, ideally before you even book, so you can get organised and budget for your complete trip in advance. For British citizens travelling to the US or Canada, the documents required for a stopover are the same as a longer stay. If traveling to Canada, for either an airport stopover or a holiday in Canada, British citizens need to apply for an eTA document. Similarly, when travelling to or through the US, Britons are required to apply for an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation. If you want to make the most of a stopover and explore an extra city on your way to your final destination, again, make sure you have the required paperwork in place to avoid delays, where possible, as well as unexpected expense. Grace Gausden, This is Money, adds: While Netflights never stated specifically that you would need a visa of some description when at the airport, it did say throughout its paperwork that customers should check carefully before they fly that they have everything they need. In your case a transit visa for staying in Toronto airport would have cost just $7 - equivalent to only 4.08. Fortunately, it has recognised that their wording may not be clear enough for all customers and has agreed to review its processes. Netflights were clear, however, that any passengers travelling anywhere in the world should always make sure to check whether they would need any sort of visas or documentations even in cases where it would seem like you wouldn't have to. Looking to try the top bars around? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top bars in Orlando, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fulfill your urges. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1. Kres Chophouse photo: kres chophouse/yelp First on the list is Kres Chophouse. Located at 17 W. Church St. in Central Business District, the steakhouse and bar is the highest-rated bar in Orlando, boasting 4.5 stars out of 535 reviews on Yelp. 2. Lazy Moon Pizza photo: robyn p./yelp Next is Park Lake-Highland's Lazy Moon Pizza, situated at 1011 E. Colonial Drive, Suite 101. With 4.5 stars out of 413 reviews on Yelp, the bar, which offers pizza and more, has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Artisan's Table Central Business District's Artisan's Table, located at 55 W. Church St., Suite 128, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the bar and New American spot four stars out of 939 reviews. 4. Lone Palm Airport photo: brian m./yelp Lone Palm Airport, a bar and traditional American spot in Florida Center, is another go-to, with four stars out of 49 Yelp reviews. Head over to 6000 Universal Blvd. to see for yourself. 5. Nona Blue Modern Tavern photo: lee l./yelp And over in Northlake Park at Lake Nona, check out Nona Blue Modern Tavern, which has earned four stars out of 560 reviews on Yelp. You can find the bar, diner and traditional American spot at 9685 Lake Nona Village Place. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) More novel coronavirus cases in the Philippines are likely to be confirmed in the next couple of days as the two-week incubation period of the disease passes, a former health secretary said. Esperanza Cabral, who served as head of the Department of Health in 2010, said she expects the tally of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases in the country to keep climbing. "Dadami pa 'yan kasi hindi naman tayo nagpipigil ng maraming tao na pumasok dito mula sa areas na merong cases ng coronavirus [More cases will be reported because we didn't issue a travel ban for any visitors coming in from areas with confirmed cases of the coronavirus]," Cabral said in a separate interview. She added that the cases are bound to go up to factor in the incubation period of the disease, which ranges from two days to two weeks. "People who have been to China and able to come in through this period are only experiencing symptoms now, tsaka lang sila pupunta sa doktor [that's the only time they will visit a doctor]," Cabral said. CNN International reported that there are over 9,700 cases worldwide, with 213 people dead in mainland China as of early Friday. The 2019-nCoV has spread to 23 countries. Cabral acknowledged the speed of 2019-nCoV's spread compared to previous viral diseases. She pointed out that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS outbreak in 2003 took nine months to infect less than 10,000 people. In contrast, the number of 2019-nCoV infections are close to 10,000 in just a month. Authorities earlier confirmed the country's first novel coronavirus case a 38-year-old Chinese woman who visited Wuhan City and flew to Cebu, Dumaguete and Manila last week. The woman is well "with the occasional cough," and is currently under isolation at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, DOH epidemiology bureau head Dr. Ferchito Avelino said. Another person is under observation in the same hospital, with the results of the test conducted in Australia expected in two days. Avelino told CNN Philippines' The Source that there are more patients being observed for possible infection with the virus, a day after authorities reported the first confirmed case in Manila. The number nearly doubled from the 29 suspected cases as of Thursday afternoon. However, he later clarified that the 56 cases are being probed as "2019-nCoV related health events," which includes 29 patients under investigation for the virus. The distinction between 2019-nCoV related health events and patients under investigation was not immediately clear. Avelino has not responded to further questions and calls. Contact tracing DOH epidemiologists have been sent to Central Visayas to track down people who have been in contact with the woman, particularly those who sat near her in the flights she took, and those who interacted with her in a resort in Dumaguete where she stayed for four days. Authorities have traced the woman's travel history and found that she only stayed in Cebu to catch a flight to Dumaguete, before heading to Manila where she got checked. Avelino said the woman had no signs of the disease except for the occasional cough. "At the time she arrived in the Philippines, she never had any fever. She passed through the Bureau of Quarantine thermal scanning... She could have been repressing her cough or has not been coughing that much, so people would not notice she had that kind of condition," the DOH official said. RELATED: China says coronavirus can spread before symptoms show calling into question US containment strategy More cases expected Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said she expects cases of the novel coronavirus in the country to keep climbing. "Dadami pa 'yan kasi hindi naman tayo nagpipigil ng maraming tao na pumasok dito mula sa areas na merong cases ng coronavirus [More cases will be reported because we didn't issue a travel ban for any visitors coming in from areas with confirmed cases of the coronavirus]," Cabral said in a separate interview. She added that the cases are bound to go up to factor in the incubation period of the disease, which ranges from two days to two weeks. "People who have been to China and able to come in through this period are only experiencing symptoms now, tsaka lang sila pupunta sa doktor [that's the only time they will visit a doctor]," Cabral said. CNN International reported that there are over 9,700 cases worldwide, with 213 people dead in mainland China as of early Friday. The 2019-nCoV has spread to 23 countries. Cabral acknowledged how fast the 2019-nCoV can spread compared to previous viral diseases. She pointed out that the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS outbreak in 2003 took nine months to infect nearly 10,000 people. In contrast, 2019-nCoV infections are closing in on that mark in just a month. On Friday morning, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte has issued a travel ban on Chinese nationals coming in from infected areas in the mainland. The disease originated from Hubei province and has spread to all regions of China, CNN reported. Lawmakers have earlier called for the temporary travel ban to prevent the spread of the disease. Stricter quarantine Separately, health officials said they are eyeing to set up facilities that will host travelers from China in isolation, and are refining the set of indicators authorities use in monitoring possible cases in ports. "What were looking at at the moment is to recommend a facility-based quarantine for all passengers coming from China, but this has to go through the proper channels. We will be recommending this within the day," Avelino said, adding this was a scaled-down response compared to the ebola virus outbreak abroad, when suspected carriers were quaratined on an isolated island for a month. For the confirmed case in Manila, the official said the San Lazaro Hospital is well-equipped to handle the case and strict infection controls are in place in the area. Clean devices, drink fluids: Simple ways to protect yourself from coronavirus "For those na nangangamba, ang San Lazaro is known to be the referral hospital for infectious diseases... Rest assured 'yung ating mga pasyente sa San Lazaro, sila po ay napo-protektahan from the possible infection na nasa ibang area ng ospital," Avelino added, noting that patients seeking help for other illnesses can still visit San Lazaro Hospital. [Translation: For those worrying, San Lazaro is known to be the referral hospital for infectious diseases. Rest assured that patients there are protected from any other possible infections in other areas of the hospital.] Health officials have repeatedly stressed the need to observe good hygiene such as frequent and thorough handwashing, wearing of protective masks, and cooking food properly to reduce the risk of contracting the disease. A number of airlines say they are halting or reducing flights to China as the country struggles to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. China has advised its citizens to postpone trips abroad and cancelled overseas group tours, while several countries have urged their citizens to avoid travel to China. The World Health Organization declared an emergency over the virus but said it "does not recommend and actually opposes any restrictions" on travel and trade to China partly because it could disrupt needed aid. The epidemic has killed 170 people, infected more than 7,000 worldwide including at least 80 outside China, Macau and Hong Kong, and spread to some 15 countries. The following is a list of airlines that have announced changes: - AirAsia - AirAsia said a ban on flights from Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand to Wuhan, China has been extended until the end of February. - Air Austral - The airline is suspending flights between La Reunion and Guangzhou from February 8 to March 1. - Air France - Air France suspended its three weekly flights to Wuhan on January 24. It said Thursday it had halted regular flights to Beijing and Shanghai until February 9, although it added it would fly special flights with volunteer crews to evacuate employees and clients. - Air India - Air India announced Wednesday that it was suspending service on its Mumbai-New Delhi-Shanghai route effective January 31, and through February 14. The flag carrier also said it would reduce the number of flights from Delhi to Hong Kong for the next two weeks. - Air KBZ - The Myanmar-based airline said it will halt flights to the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou from February 1. - Air Madagascar - The airline said Thursday it was suspending its once-weekly flight between Antananarivo and Guangzhou during February, its only direct connection with China. - American Airlines - American Airlines said it will suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from February 9 through March 27. Flights from Dallas/Fort Worth to Beijing and Shanghai have been maintained, the US carrier said. - British Airways - British Airways said it had suspended all flights to and from mainland China. The airline flies daily from London's Heathrow airport to Shanghai and Beijing. The airline said it had taken the move following UK government advice against all but essential travel to China. - Cathay Pacific - The Hong Kong-based carrier said it would progressively reduce capacity by 50 percent or more on its routes to mainland China from Thursday through to the end of March. The reduction concerns both Cathay Pacific and its Cathay Dragon subsidiary. - Delta - Delta Air Lines said it was temporarily halving the number of weekly flights connecting the US and China due to "significantly reduced customer demand" -- from 42 to about 21 per week. - EgyptAir - EgyptAir said Thursday it was suspending flights to Hangzhou from February and those to other main cities such as Beijing and Guangzhou by February 4. - EL AL - The Israeli airline said Thursday it was suspending its flights to Beijing until March 25. Flights to other Chinese destinations are continuing. - Finnair - Finnair, which offers many connections between Europe and Asia, said it would suspend some flights beginning February 5 through most of March after group travel from China was halted. For the moment, it will continue daily flights to Beijing and Shanghai, two daily flights to Hong Kong, and two flights a week to Guangzhou. - IndiGo - India's largest airline IndiGo announced it would suspend flights between Delhi and Chengdu (China) from February 1 until February 20. IndiGo also said they would suspend Bangalore-Hong Kong flights from February 1. They added that for the time being they would continue to operate the Kolkata-Guangzhou flight, and closely monitor the situation. - KLM - KLM says it is suspending all flights to China by the end of the weekend. "Flights departing from Amsterdam on Sunday, February 2, are planned to give as many clients as possible the chance to travel from Beijing and Shanghai back to Amsterdam," KLM was quoted as saying by the NOS public broadcaster. - Lion Air - Indonesia's Lion Air Group, Southeast Asia's biggest carrier by fleet size, said Wednesday it would halt all flights to and from China. The suspension, which affects routes to 15 different Chinese cities, takes effect from February 1 until further notice. Indonesia attracts more than one million Chinese tourists annually and hosts tens of thousands of guest workers. - Lufthansa - German flag carrier Lufthansa is cancelling flights to mainland China until February 9. The Lufthansa group, one of Europe's largest airline companies, said the decision also applied to flights run by its subsidiaries Swiss and Austrian Airlines. The Lufthansa group normally operates 73 connections to and from mainland China a week, mainly to Beijing and Shanghai. - United Airlines - US carrier United Airlines has said it will trim its services to China from the United States in light of reduced demand in the wake of a US travel warning urging Americans to reconsider non-essential travel. Having earlier announced reductions in the number of flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between February 1 through February 8, on Thursday it announced from February 9 though March 28 it will reduce the number of daily flights from 12 to four. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "We'll get by, we always do," Maribel answers us in perfect Spanish, after we interrupted the conversation in impeccable English she had been having with an Irish friend in Main Street, Gibraltar. She doesn't know exactly how her life will change at midnight tonight, when Britain leaves the EU, but her feelings, a mixture of uncertainty and confidence, seem to be shared by Gibraltarians in general. She doesn't know what is going to happen, but is convinced it won't all be bad. "I hope the same thing won't happen with Brexit, because Spain shot itself in the foot by doing that; the people who suffered most from the border controls were the workers who came from La Linea. It only takes me five minutes to get home when I finish work," says a taxi driver. He, like many other people in Gibraltar is wary of Spanish media and didn't want us to take his photo or give his name. He says most Gibraltarians voted to Remain (about 96%) "because they voted with their heads and not their hearts. The result would be different now, though, because Spain does nothing but threaten us," he insists. In fact, he says, the UK has shown the way forward to other countries in the EU that no longer want to cede sovereignty to Brussels. British government Returning to a subject closer to home, he says that every time there is a conflict over Gibraltar between Spain and the UK, Gibraltar comes out even stronger and that will also be the case if it is isolated after Brexit. The gastronomic revolution in Gibraltar may be one of the most notable legacies of the 2013 crisis, but the closure of the border in 1969 had an even greater social effect, says Hilda, who is now 92 years old. "We didn't have any Spanish workers and the women had to go out to work. We haven't stopped since," she says, with a smile. She hasn't been to Spain in ten years, she says, but she does fly to the UK once a month to visit her daughter in London. Maribel's father was Gibraltarian and her mother was Spanish, from La Linea. They settled in Gibraltar when she was 15. She has a more traumatic memory of the years of isolation. "My mother learned that my grandmother was very ill in La Linea and wanted to go and see her. In those days you had to go by boat to Morocco and then take another boat from there to Algeciras. It took more than a day. When she got there, my grandmother had died. My mother never forgave them for that," she says. With the years of diplomatic crisis still fresh in the collective memory, Gibraltarians are looking at 31 January with more uncertainty than fear. They also know that there will be a one-year transition period during which the changes will be applied gradually. Peter, another taxi driver who joined the conversation, has no doubts about the situation. "If Spain uses Brexit as an excuse to impose extra checks at the border, it will affect Spanish people who come here to work, not us," he says. He also points out that Gibraltar is self-sufficient in basic amenities. "Every time I hear someone say they are going to cut off our electricity supply or water, I fall about laughing," he says. And fuel and most foods arrive by sea. Such confidence, however, could be disproportionate. Numerous gaming companies which operate throughout Europe have based themselves in Gibraltar in recent years. "A lot of people work for them," says Linda, who was about to go into a large supermarket to do her daily shop when we spoke to her. Gibraltarians realise that when Britain leaves the EU ,these gaming companies could eventually relocate. Malta is best placed to take over. Another cause for concern is the price of food. Morrisons supermarket has become the biggest store in Gibraltar. Its car park, on a Monday morning, sees an incessant procession of customers with full shopping bags. However, Linda admits, "the biggest worry we have is what will happen to food prices, because things are already more expensive here. When I go to Mercadona on the Spanish side I come back with seven bags; I only come out of Morrisons with two," she says. A look at the prices inside the hypermarket, especially fresh produce, gives an insight into what could be to come for the Gibraltarians if Brexit results in problems in entering Gibraltar with Spanish foods. A kilo of clementines is priced at 2.40 (2.83 euros). Apples are 40p (72 centimos) each. These prices explain why the cost of shopping is, at the moment, the main concern of Gibraltarians with regard to Brexit. Apart from that, they seem confident about the future. Lynn, who admits that she cried when she heard the referendum result, sums up in a few words what she expects from the future. "This will just be another stage in our history. In the end, we always survive, no matter what". United Kingdom and Russia are latest countries to confirm cases, as number of people infected in China nears 10,000. The United Kingdom has confirmed its first two cases of the new coronavirus, a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency. At least 213 have died in China, as more countries announced plans to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak. Beijing said there are nearly 10,000 people confirmed to have the infection, which has spread from Wuhans Hubei province to every one of Chinas 31 provinces. Another 102,000 people were also reportedly under medical observation with possible symptoms of the respiratory ailment. Updates for January 31 have concluded. For February 1st updates click here: Friday, January 31 State Department organising more flights from Wuhan The US State Department is working with US and Chinese agencies to organise additional flights for US citizens to return to the United States from Wuhan, a State Department official said. The State Department official said as space is available, seating will be offered to US citizens on a reimbursable basis, to leave from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport to the United States. All travelers will be screened for symptoms at the airport prior to departure. Iraqs Basra airport to deny entry to travellers from China Iraqs Basra International Airport will deny entry to passengers of any nationality travelling to Iraq from China, the state news agency reported. Cyprus treats first suspected case of coronavirus Cyprus said it was treating its first suspected case of coronavirus after a man arrived from China showing signs of the illness. A statement by the Mediterranean islands Ministry of Health said: A Chinese citizen residing in Cyprus who had visited China in the past few days presented symptoms similar to that of the coronavirus. Authorities in the European Union member state said all protocols were followed for dealing with coronavirus and the man was hospitalised in the capital Nicosia. The possibility of influenza A was ruled out after conducting the relevant examinations, the ministry said. The ministry said it would further investigate the incident over the following days while the patient is kept in hospital for treatment. US announces 14-day quarantine on 195 virus evacuees The US issued a rare federal quarantine order of 14 days for 195 Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan. It came after one of the individuals tried to leave the California military base where the repatriated citizens landed on a chartered flight on Wednesday, and is the first directive of its kind in over 50 years. This legal order is part of an aggressive public health response, the goal of which is to prevent as much as possible community spread of this novel virus in the United States, said Nancy Messonnier, a senior official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our goal today, tomorrow and always continues to be the safety of the American public, she added. We would rather be remembered for overreacting than underreacting. El Salvador and Costa Rica take prudent measures El Salvador has announced blanket restrictions on people who have recently been in China. Costa Rican officials said they will monitor transit points such as airports, but for now, will allow Chinese travellers to enter the country. President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador describes the move as prudent. Beijing said there are at least 9,809 people confirmed to have the infection [Dado Ruvic/Reuters] Two more employees of German car supplier get coronavirus German car parts supplier Webasto said that two more of its employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, making a total of seven who have contracted it. One of the employees is German in Germany, while the other is Chinese in Shanghai. Both are in hospital undergoing treatment, Webasto said. China orders 200 million masks from Turkey China has put in orders for a total of 200 million protective face masks from Turkish medical firms over the past 10 days. Fatih Arpaci, a stakeholder in a medical firm based in Turkeys western province, told Anadolu Agency that as a surprising turnout of events, Chinese firms ordered a total of 200 million face masks in one go. It is surprising to us as China is one of the biggest face mask producers in the world. Turkey produces a total of 150 million face masks in one year. But they wanted 200 million face masks, he said. Demands keep coming not only from China, but also from other countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland and Germany. We work 24 hours a day to meet this demand. We also work on Sundays, Arpaci said. Coaches carrying Britons and foreign nationals, evacuates from Wuhan, in Brize Norton, UK [Leon Neal/Getty Images] Guatemala restricts entry from China Guatemalas government is imposing blanket travel restrictions on people who have recently been in China, President Alejandro Giammattei said. Anybody who had been in China in the previous 15 days would be prevented from entering the South American countrys ports, airports and land crossings, Giammattei said. The purpose is to shield Guatemala from coronavirus, Giammattei, a trained doctor, told reporters after visiting a public hospital. Giammattei said that crews on ships arriving in Guatemalan ports that have been in China during the previous 15 days would not be allowed to enter. Any crew member that did enter would immediately be quarantined, he said. Pasteur Institute eyes coronavirus vaccine in 2021 Frances Pasteur Institute Foundation said it had set up a taskforce aimed at developing a vaccine against the coronavirus in 20 months. Christophe DEnfert, a scientific director with the Pasteur Institute, told reporters in Paris the vaccine could be made available in 20 months if all goes well. At the end of August, we could enter clinical trials and, provided all goes well, obtain a vaccine candidate within 20 months. Pakistan offers to send field hospital to China Pakistan has offered to send a field hospital to China as well as a group of doctors to help with a new virus outbreak. Pakistans Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Qureshi made the offer in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. On his part, Wang assured Qureshi that the Pakistani students in China were being treated like our own, according to the Pakistani foreign ministrys statement. Chinese travellers wear protective masks and goggles after getting off a train in Beijing [Kevin Frayer/Getty Images] Delta, American and United suspend flights between US, China Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said they will suspend all flights between the US and China. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. American said it will stop flying to China starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until February 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers there leave the country, then stop the flights through April 30. United said its action would run until March 28. On Thursday, United had announced plans to suspend most of its China routes but continue a few. China envoy says no need for unnecessary panic over virus China is decisively working to control the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, its ambassador in Geneva said, insisting there was no need for countries to impose excessive measures like border closures. There is no need for unnecessary panic, and no need for excessive measures, Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters in Geneva. Russia says it will begin bringing citizens out of China Russia said it would begin moving its citizens out of China via its Far Eastern region on Saturday, regional authorities said. Vietnam Airlines to suspend flights to Chinese destinations Vietnam Airlines will suspend its flights to destinations in China from next week over coronavirus concerns, the company said. Its flights between Vietnam and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be suspended from Tuesday, Chengdu from Wednesday, and Macau from Thursday, the company said in a statement. Vietnam Airlines will also suspend all flights between Hanoi and Hong Kong from Thursday, and cut its flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong to seven from 10 a week, it said. India bans export of protective masks, clothing India said it had banned the export of personal protection equipment such as masks and clothing amid a global coronavirus outbreak. German coronavirus cases climb to six after child infected A new coronavirus has been confirmed in a child in Germany, the southern state of Bavaria said, bringing the total number of known cases in Germany to six. The new case is a child of an employee at the same firm where four more individuals in the Munich area were infected, the state health ministry said in a statement. All affected persons are in stable condition, the ministry said. Plane carrying Britons and others from Wuhan lands in UK A plane carrying 83 British and 27 foreign nationals landed in Britain after flying from Chinas central city of Wuhan. The plane arrived at the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton in central England and the Britons will be taken to a National Health Service facility where they will be quarantined for 14 days. It is due to continue on to Spain, where the home countries of European Union citizens will take responsibility for the remaining passengers. French car parts maker PSA extending plant closures in China French carmaker PSA Peugeot Citroen said its three plants in Chinas Wuhan will remain closed until February 14, in line with the Chinese governments guidance. Valeo, a French car parts maker, said earlier its three sites in Wuhan will stay closed until at least February 13. Wuhan mayor: Containing virus still severe, complex task The task of containing and preventing the spread of the coronavirus outbreak in the central Chinese city of Wuhan remain severe and complex, its Mayor Zhou Xianwang said. Supplies of masks and other medical resources are still inadequate, Vice Mayor Xu Honglan said. Armenia suspends visa-free travel for Chinese citizens Armenia will suspend its visa-free travel regime for Chinese citizens from February 1 until March 31, Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan wrote on social media. Pakistan halts China flights Pakistan temporarily suspended all direct flights with China, affecting Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Air China and China Southern Airlines. We have suspended all the direct flights to and from China with immediate effect till February 02, Abdul Sattar Khokhar, a spokesperson for Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), he told AFP news agency. The spokesperson did not comment on the reason for the flight suspensions. A decision on whether flights will be resumed will be made on Sunday. We have received a notification from civil aviation authority regarding the flight suspension to China, since it is a decision from the regulatory body we will obey its directions, said PIA spokesman Aamir Memon. Germany expects coronavirus vaccine within months Germanys research minister said she expected a vaccine for coronavirus to be developed within months. If we want to contain this illness then it is good if we have a vaccine in a relatively short time and we assume this will be in a few months, said Research Minister Anja Karliczek. She made the announcement after biopharmaceutical company CureVac AG and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) said they were working together to develop a vaccine against the virus. Tokyo 2020 Olympics dismiss cancellation fears Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers dismissed rumours that the Games were endangered by the spread of the coronavirus. We have never discussed cancelling the Games. Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate with the (International Olympic Committee) IOC and relevant organisations and will review any countermeasures that may be necessary, organisers said in a statement to the German news agency DPA. The IOC also said that preparations for the July 24-August 9 Games were continuing as planned. China court censures police crackdown on doctors Chinas highest court chastised police for a crackdown on doctors in the central city of Wuhan who spread rumours about the new coronavirus in the earliest days of its outbreak. The Supreme Peoples Court said while doctors may have been incorrect in telling patients the new virus was a renewed outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), warning the public could have slowed down the spread of the virus. If the public had listened to this rumour at the time, it would have adopted measures such as wearing a mask, strict disinfection and avoiding going to the wildlife market in Wuhan. Hong Kong resists pressure to complete border shutdown Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has resisted pressure to completely shut down the border with mainland China, saying it was not the answer to stem the spread of a virus. Medical workers have threatened to strike if the government refuses to do so, and some restaurant owners have also echoed calls to bar all mainland visitors. Lam said the number of mainland arrivals has shrunk since Hong Kong this week suspended ferry and high-speed trains to the mainland, as well as shut six smaller border checkpoints. She said schools would be closed now until March 2, and civil servants can also choose to work from home for another week. Russia confirms first cases of coronavirus, cancels flights Russia reported its first two cases of coronavirus, saying the infected patients were Chinese nationals who had now been isolated. Russias Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said the patients are in the Zabaikalsky region, which borders China, and in the Tyumen region, which borders Kazakhstan. Golikova told reporters that all direct flights to China from Russia would be halted from 21:00 GMT on Friday. Read more about which countries have confirmed cases of coronavirus here. Companies in Beijing to resume work on February 10 Chinas capital Beijing has said that companies in the province will postpone reopening until February 10 in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, government newspaper Beijing Daily reported. The measure is applicable to government and private companies but not to utilities and some other firms such as medical equipment companies, pharmaceutical companies and supermarkets, the newspaper reported. Myanmar turns back China Southern flight Authorities in Myanmar have turned back a China Southern flight from Guangzhou with almost everyone on board after one of the passengers was found with flu symptoms similar to the fast-spreading coronavirus, a government spokesman said. The plane arrived in the commercial capital Yangon and the passenger, a Chinese national, was sent to a hospital in the city where he will be quarantined, said government spokesman Zaw Htay. Two Myanmar nationals who also disembarked have agreed to isolate themselves in their homes for 14 days, he told reporters at a news conference. The plane returned to Guangzhou with everyone else on board. Myanmar has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Second Chinese film premiere moved online The film Enter the Fat Dragon will premiere via video streaming on Saturday, makers China iQiyi Inc said, after plans for the films premiere in cinemas were affected by the outbreak of the coronavirus. It will be the second film to debut online because of the outbreak following Huanxi Media Groups decision to premiere Lost in Russia on Bytedances online platforms. That decision drew protests from Chinese cinemas and film studios. Plane evacuating French nationals from Wuhan lands The first plane repatriating French nationals from China landed in France, French TV station BFM reported. BFM said the plane had arrived at a military base in Istres, southern France, and was carrying around 200 people. Italy declares state of emergency over coronavirus: Official The Italian government has declared a state of emergency to fast-track efforts to prevent the spread of a deadly coronavirus strain after two cases were confirmed in Rome. Italy had said on Thursday it was stopping all flights to and from China following the news that two Chinese tourists holidaying in Italy had tested positive for the virus. Number of cases in China rises over 9,800: Ambassador The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China has risen over 9,800, the countrys envoy to the United Nations in Vienna said. Altogether there are 9,809 confirmed cases. Among them, there are 1,527 cases of critical conditions, [plus] 15,238 suspected cases, the ambassador, Wang Qun speaking through an interpreter told member states and reporters. He added that there had been 213 deaths. Singapore introduces new travel restrictions Singapore said it was suspending entry to travellers with a recent history of travel to China and suspending visas for Chinese passport holders. 200131100102626 The ban, effective from Saturday, will exempt Singaporean residents and work permit holders, the health ministry said, adding that it will also apply to those transiting through Singapore, a busy global travel hub. Italy to discuss declaring coronavirus emergency Italys government is set to discuss declaring a state of national emergency over the new coronavirus, after confirming its first two cases, a cabinet statement said on Friday. Evacuation of Germans from Wuhan to begin shortly: FM German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said a German military plane would be leaving for China shortly to evacuate more than 100 German citizens, none of whom are infected with coronavirus or suspected of having contracted it. Maas said the plane would arrive in Germany on Saturday and the evacuees would be kept in quarantine for two weeks. UK confirms first cases of coronavirus The United Kingdom has confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus in two patients from the same family in England, the countrys chief medical officer said. The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus, Chris Whitty said. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contact the patients had, to prevent further spread, he added. Read the full story here. Thailand confirms first case of human-to-human transmission Thailand has confirmed its first human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus inside the country, a health official said. The patient is a Thai taxi driver, said Tanarak Pipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control. The Thai person who got infected does not have the record of travelling to China and it is likely that he was infected from a sick traveller from China, Tanarak said. Read more about which countries have confirmed cases of coronavirus here. Oman advises against travelling to China Omans health ministry has advised against travel to China. It is advisable not to travel to China unless it is absolutely necessary, the ministry said in a post on Twitter. Facebook to remove coronavirus misinformation Facebook has said it will take down misinformation about the coronavirus in a rare departure from its approach to health content. The company said in a blog post that it would remove content about the virus with false claims for conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities, saying such content would violate its ban on misinformation leading to physical harm. Keeping People Safe and Informed About the Coronavirus https://t.co/DZ1R5EMr3u Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) January 31, 2020 Turkish Airlines halts all flights to and from mainland China Turkish Airlines has suspended all flights to and from mainland China and is redirecting four flights currently in the air back to Istanbul. The flights will be suspended until February 9, while flights to and from Hong Kong will remain in operation, the company said. To evaluate the situation regarding the Corona virus outbreak with international and local authorities: Flights to Beijing Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Xi'an will be halted until February 9th. We will keep you informed regarding all developments. https://t.co/z7tHXPONXD pic.twitter.com/GpscIVkqfg TK HelpDesk (@TK_HelpDesk) January 30, 2020 Mongolia to close all ports of entry from, into China Mongolia will close all ports of entry from and into China until March 2, the government said. It will give its citizens currently in China until February 6 to return home, though non-Chinese foreign nationals travelling to Mongolia will not be able to do so via China. South Korea confirms four more cases South Korea has confirmed four more cases of the new coronavirus, bringing the countrys total to 11. One is a 62-year-old South Korean woman who visited Wuhan, while the three others are presumed to be classified as person-to-person transmission cases, as they have not visited China recently, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said. Read more about which countries have confirmed cases here. WHO declares global health emergency but what does it mean? The WHOs declaration of a global health emergency over the coronavirus means there is now more money available to combat the outbreak, Al Jazeeras Wayne Hay, reporting from Hong Kong, said. That means the WHO now has more funds that it can throw at the problem but it also effectively gives the WHO more power because member nations, including China, have a binding obligation to accept and implement any decisions that the WHO makes. Vietnam carrier Vietjet to suspend China flights Vietnamese carrier Vietjet will suspend all flights to and from China from February 1, the company said. Vietjet has already planned to suspend all of its flights to China, it said in a statement. The suspension is effective from February 1. Turkey to evacuate its citizens, others, from Wuhan: Health minister Turkeys health minister has said 34 Turkish citizens and several others will be airlifted from Wuhan. The others include seven Azeris, seven Georgians and one Albanian. The plane will take off from the Turkish capital, Ankara on Friday. Diary of a Wuhan native: A week under quarantine A teacher living in the epicentre of the deadly outbreak shares her experiences of isolation with Al Jazeera as the quarantine in Wuhan continues. Read the full story here. An elderly man collapsed and died in the street in Wuhan on Thursday [Hector Retamal/AFP] RwandAir suspends all flights to China RwandAir has halted flights to and from China until further notice. RwandAir is to suspend flights with immediate effect between the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and the Chinese city of Guangzhou, the airline said in a statement. The decision will be reviewed later in February. Vietnam to ban visas for Chinese tourists Authorities in Vietnam are introducing a temporary ban on issuing travel visas to Chinese tourists, a government statement said. Vietnams Ministry of Public Security has called on immigration officials to stop issuing visas to Chinese tourists amid growing concern over the new coronavirus, the statement read. Vietnamese citizens were also encouraged not to travel to the Chinese border, while Vietnams travel authorities have asked all travel companies to suspend flights to infected regions in China. Plane leaves Wuhan with 110 Britons and foreigners on board A plane carrying 83 British and 27 foreign nationals has flown out from Wuhan, the UK government said. The civilian aircraft chartered by the Foreign Office left the city at 09:45 local time (01:45 GMT) and is due to arrive in the UK at 13:00 GMT before going to Spain, where the home countries of European Union citizens will take responsibility for the remaining passengers. We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave, UK Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Dominic Raab said, according to a notice on the governments website. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. Kenya Airway suspends all flights to China Kenya Airways has suspended all flights to and from China until further notice. We have temporarily suspended all flights to and from Guangzhou starting Friday until further notice, the airline said in a statement on its Twitter account. Xiamen Airlines flights to fly citizens back to Wuhan Chinas civil aviation authority announced that it will dispatch two Xiamen Airlines planes to fly Wuhan citizens back from Bangkok, Thailand and Malaysia, according to the newspaper, Peoples Daily. Chinas foreign ministry announced the decision earlier in the day in view of practical difficulties that Hubei citizens, especially those from Wuhan, have faced overseas. Japan urges citizens to avoid non-urgent trips to all of China Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told Parliament the government has decided to raise its infectious disease advisory level for China, excluding Hubei province, to two, urging citizens to avoid non-urgent trips to the country. The government is already telling its citizens not to take any trips to Chinas central province of Hubei. China to bring home overseas citizens from Hubei The Chinese government is to send charter planes to bring citizens from virus-hit Hubei province who are overseas back as soon as possible, the foreign ministry said. This is in view of practical difficulties that Hubei citizens, especially those from Wuhan, have faced overseas, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, Hua Chunying. US govt warns US citizens against China travel over virus The US State Department increased its travel advisory for China, as the death toll from a fast-spreading virus rose to more than 200 and the WHO declared a global health emergency. In a notice posted on its website, the State Department said: Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. A woman who arrived from Hubei province on Friday talks to security personnel at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge in an attempt to cross at a checkpoint in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province [Thomas Peter/Reuters] German foreign ministry warns against travel to Hubei The German Foreign Ministry has warned against travel to Chinas Hubei province. The ministry also recommended that non-essential travel to China be postponed if possible. Travellers were also advised to heed the advice of local Chinese authorities. The ministry urged travellers to get vaccinated against influenza with the current northern hemisphere vaccine before setting off, according to the partial travel warning posted on the ministrys website. LPGA event cancelled, Olympic football qualifiers changed The elite womens LPGA golf tour has cancelled an event in China and Olympic football qualifying matches in Australia are being shuffled. The four-team womens football tournament involving China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand was moved from Wuhan and hastily rearranged to be held in Australia by the Asian Football Confederation. Organisers were forced to change their match schedule after Chinas team, who arrived in Australia on January 29, were placed in quarantine in Brisbane until after February 5. Meanwhile, the LPGA said its Blue Bay tournament due to be held on Hainan island from March 5-8 had been cancelled. Japan to enforce special measures for coronavirus from Saturday: NHK Japan plans to bring forward the date that the coronavirus will become a designated infectious disease to Saturday from February 7, public broadcaster NHK said. Japanese Minister of Health Katsunobu Kato said that the government was considering moving up the date, without elaborating. The government classified the virus as a designated infectious disease on Tuesday, a move that allows compulsory hospitalisation, stricter screening of people entering the country, and the use of public funds for treatment, among other measures. In line with regulations, the designation was only set to take effect on February 7 after ordinances are issued. China has confidence to win war against coronavirus: Foreign ministry China has the confidence and capability to win the war against the new coronavirus, said the countrys foreign ministry spokeswoman in responding to WHOs decision to declare the virus outbreak in China as a global emergency. Hua Chunying, the ministry spokeswoman, also said China will continue to work with the WHO and other countries to maintain global and regional public health security. Charter flight carrying South Koreans from Wuhan arrives home A charter flight carrying 367 South Koreans from Wuhan landed at the Gimpo International Airport on Friday, South Koreas foreign ministry said. The first of up to four flights planned to evacuate South Koreans from Wuhan departed on Friday morning, after an unexpected hours-long delay because China had only approved one flight. About 700 South Koreans have signed up for the charter flights. More French citizens evacuated from Wuhan A jet carrying approximately 200 French citizens flew out of the virus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan on Friday, according to AFP journalists on board the flight. The French military aircraft is bound for southern France, where the passengers will undergo a 14-day quarantine. More Canadians ask for help to leave China The number of Canadians looking to flee China because of the coronavirus epidemic rose to nearly 200 on Thursday while a third suspected case in Canada was confirmed. Officials told a parliamentary committee that 196 Canadians in Wuhan the epicentre of the epidemic have requested help getting back home, an increase from Wednesday when the government announced an airlift for 160. The Globe and Mail newspaper said the families of Canadian diplomats in China who were vulnerable to infections were also being repatriated. The foreign ministry was not immediately available to confirm the report. They include people with existing medical conditions, over the age of 65 or under five, said the daily. Read updates from Thursday, January 30 here. The visa regime for Ukrainians will continue after the UKs withdrawal from the EU Ukraine's visa talks with Britain might begin in a year. This was stated by British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons on the air of 1+1 TV Channel. "When we come to the end of this period, then we will need to have negotiations on bilateral agreement with Ukraine and resolve these issues. After that, we will negotiate with the Ukrainian side on both the trade and other things. But it will be later," she explained. Simmons explained that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had issued a decree on visa waiver for the British, as international agreements will remain in force, but internally Britain will no longer be a member of the European Union after Brexit. "The issue of visa waiver is not a political issue, it is the issue of border security. And border security is the reason why the UK did not participate in the Schengen Agreement. And that policy has not changed," she said. Simmons added that the visa regime for Ukrainians will continue. "That is, there will be no change, if you are going to the UK from Ukraine, then you will need to get a visa," she summarized. As we reported earlier, the visa-free regime will be implemented for UK citizens in Ukraine. However, it will be temporary; it is supposed to expire on January 30, 2021. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has sent Nairi Hunanyans letter addressed to him to the Prosecutor General of Armenia. In turn, the prosecution said they have forwarded the letter to the National Security Service to investigate whatever Hunanyan has said in it as part of the re-opened proceedings into a separated criminal case of the October 27 case. Nairi Hunanyan, the 1999 Armenian parliament attack ringleader, sent a letter from prison addressed to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on January 17. Unconfirmed media reports earlier said Hunanyan has reportedly expressed willingness in the letter to participate in the re-opened investigation into a separated criminal case of the October 27 case. On October 27, 1999 a group of five armed gunmen led by Hunanyan stormed into the parliament while it was in session and assassinated Prime Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Speaker Karen Demirchyan, Deputy Speakers Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan, as well as three lawmakers and a Cabinet member. The gunmen held the remaining MPs in parliament hostage until surrendering to authorities the next day. The five perpetrators, which include Hunanyans younger brother and uncle, were sentenced to life in prison in 2003. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Boise Paper Announces Sponsorship of Nation-Wide Literacy Organization 'Reach Out and Read' Research points to the importance of early childhood literacy and how reading books improves brain development, even in the earliest years of a childs life. Jan. 31, 2020 (Press Release) - Boise Paper, a division of Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), has announced their sponsorship of Reach Out and Read, a U.S. non-profit entering its fourth decade promoting childhood literacy. Research points to the importance of early childhood literacy and how reading books improves brain development, even in the earliest years of a childs life, said Paul LeBlanc, vice president of paper for PCA. Thats why we are tremendously excited to announce our sponsorship of Reach Out and Read. Since 1989, Reach Out and Read the nations only early literacy organization endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics has been helping parents understand the importance of reading aloud to their children. Their model of integrating literacy education into routine pediatric care is designed to meet families where they are, with more than 90% of children in the United States receiving a well-child check-up annually. Importantly, the Reach Out and Read model reaches children during the most critical first three years of their lives. We are committed to empowering parents everywhere and giving children the opportunity to share the joy of being read to aloud in the arms of someone who loves them, said Erin Henry, Chief Development Officer of Reach Out and Read. And we could not do that without the dedicated support of generous donors. We are thrilled when a corporate partner, like Boise Paper, sees value in what were doing and joins us on this journey. As part of their Paper with Purpose commitment to sustainability, Boise Paper looks for opportunities to give back to the communities their employees and customers call home. In 2020, theyre partnering with local Reach Out and Read affiliates across the country to sponsor book drives and raise awareness of the program in underserved communities. You can learn more about Boise Paper and their Paper with Purpose promise at www.boisepaper.com . Boise Paper was also a key sponsor of Reach Out and Reads website renovation, helping www.ReachOutandRead.org visitors connect the dots from the science of brain development, to the value of reading aloud, to Reach Out and Reads goals for the future. In 2020, the goal is to provide books to 5 million children! Visit www.ReachOutandRead.org to learn more about the organization and the ways each of us can help reach the ultimate goal of ensuring every child in America has a book of their own. About Boise Paper Boise Paper is a division of Packaging Corporation of America, headquartered in Lake Forest, Illinois. They manufacture a full line of office papers including copy, multipurpose, inkjet, laser, and colors, as well as printing and converting papers. They also offer recycled content options across all product lines. To learn more, visit: www.boisepaper.com . SOURCE: Boise Paper New Delhi: Amid the scare caused by Coronavirus breakout in China, a special Air India flight today departed from New Delhi to Wuhan to rescue Indian citizens trapped in the region. This is the first special flight, double decker jumbo 747 with 15 cabin crew and 5 cockpit crew which had been departed from Indira Gandhi International Airport (T3) for the evacuation of Indians at 12.30 pm. This flight is expected to return the national capital from Wuhan at 2 am on February 1. Nearly 325 Indians will be evacuated to India to enusre their safety from the outbreak of coronavirus. Ministries of civil aviation had made all possible arrangements for transport and quarantine facilities respectively. A team of five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia hospital (RML) hospital, one paramedical staff from air India with prescribed medicine from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are boarded in the special aircraft. A team of engineers ,security personnel are also there in this special aircraft. The rescue mission is lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director operation of Air India. Earlier, the Cabinet Secretary had chaired a meeting to decided the measures to be taken to protect Indian citizens from the coronavirus attack. On January 29, Ministry of External Affairs informed that Chinese Government has requested for permission to operate two flights to bring back Indian citizens from Hubei Province of China. MEA was in constant contact with the Chinese government in this regard. #CoronaVirusOutbreak Update Chinese Government requested for permission to operate two flights to bring back our nationals from Hubei Province of China. @EOIBeijing in touch with Chinese authorities on the ground to work out necessary logistics. We will share regular updates. Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) January 29, 2020 The MEA may make arrangement of another special flight which may depart from T3, Delhi on Saturday (February 1). China is continuously working with the international health agency and coordinating with other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security. The death toll has gone up to 213 due to the novel corona virus outbreak, confirmed Chinese authorities. Hubei province alone has reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. The total number of cases confirmed is as many as 9,692. By Trend US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger has commented on the latest meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with mediation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Trend reports. He said it is always gratifying to see parties meet to conduct constructive and substantive negotiations, Litzenberger expressed hope that the public read the joint statement of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group after the talks. "Once again, we hope that the negotiations will continue," the ambassador said. A meeting between the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan was held in Geneva on Jan. 28-30. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz This July 17, 2019, file photo shows American Airlines planes at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix. The pilots' union at American Airlines filed a lawsuit on Jan. 30, 2020, to block the carrier from flying to China and told members not to operate flights there because of the spreading coronavirus outbreak. AP Airlines have started suspending flights to China in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed 213 people. Here's what we know so far. AIR CANADA Air Canada said on Jan. 28 it was cancelling select flights to China. AIR FRANCE Air France said on Jan. 30 it suspended all scheduled flights to and from mainland China until Feb. 9. AIR INDIA Air India said it was cancelling its Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 14. AIR NEW ZEALAND Air New Zealand said on Jan. 31 it was temporarily reducing flights between Auckland and Shanghai to four return services a week from Feb. 18 to March 31 rather than the usual daily flights. AIR SEOUL South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul said on Jan. 28 it had suspended all flights to China. AIR TANZANIA Tanzania's state-owned carrier said it would postpone its maiden flights to China. It had planned to begin charter flights to China in February. AMERICAN AIRLINES The largest U.S. carrier said it would suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27. BRITISH AIRWAYS BA said on Jan. 30 it had cancelled all flights to mainland China for a month. Joshua Philipp is an award-winning investigative reporter with The Epoch Times and host of EpochTV's "Crossroads" program. He is a recognized expert on unrestricted warfare, asymmetrical hybrid warfare, subversion, and historical perspectives on todays issues. His 10-plus years of research and investigations on the Chinese Communist Party , subversion, and related topics give him unique insight into the global threat and political landscape. Gorgeous women who own beautiful underwear not only crave enormous cocks in their asses, they are apparently custom designed to accommodate them from the get-go. They also love giving femininely sloppy blowjobs and squeezing out ejaculate from their buttholes. Such is the artful world of anal sex that director Greg Lansky once again welcomes viewers to suspend their disbelief within. Scene highlights include Jessa Rhodes giving up the butt during a revenge fuck with her hot chauffer that ends in a cream pie. Quinn Wildes sugar daddy was lonely before she showed up for him to shower gifts upon. To show her appreciation, she lets him shove his huge cock in her dainty virgin asshole. Ashley Fires only has an hour to get her rosebud plundered, and Kelsi Monroe successfully seduces her best friends dad with her youthful butt cheeks and the mystery within. A man accused of raping and impregnating his 14-year-old stepdaughter has been arrested in Oklahoma after spending 18 months on the run. Jacob Blair Scott, 43, was arrested Wednesday after he was found living in an RV near the city of Antlers following a tip-off to US Marshals. Scott vanished in July 2018 after faking his death by leaving a gun and a suicide note in his boat which was found floating off the coast of Orange Beach, Alabama. Jacob Blair Scott, 43, was arrested Wednesday near the city of Antlers, Oklahoma, after going missing in July 2018 while accused of raping and impregnating his 14-year-old stepdaughter The note said: 'If you find this, contact Melody Scott. My name is Jacob Scott, Jackson County. I'm sorry.' There was also a small amount of blood and an unspent bullet in the dinghy. The boat was found after Scott, who was on bail, failed to attend a court hearing where he was due to be charged with 14 counts of child sexual assault. Police launched a search for Scott's body in the Gulf of Mexico, but after a week they could find no trace of him. Scott was found living in an RV shortly after he was put on the US Marshals 'most wanted' list and $25,000 offered for information That led investigators to believe he had faked his own death in a bid to avoid being charged and was living off the grid using his military training. Scott is an Army veteran with a Purple Heart. US Marshals subsequently discovered that Scott withdrew $45,000 from a bank account shortly before he disappeared. Over the course of 18 months, sightings of Scott were reported in Mississippi, Colorado, Nevada and Louisiana. Last year, police said they found his 1994 Toyota 4-Runner in a parking lot of a park, filled with empty liquor bottles, a military bag, rope, money, his license and credit cards and his military dog tags. On Wednesday, Scott's name was added to the US Marshals most-wanted list and a $25,000 reward for information was offered. 'Jacob Scott stands accused of unspeakable crimes against a child,' said U.S. Marshals Service Director Donald Washington said at the time. 'The Marshals will leave no stone unturned until we bring him to justice.' Scott vanished in July 2018 as he was due in court to be charged with sexual assault, before his boat was found floating off Orange Beach in Alabama with a gun tied to it (pictured) Inside the boat was a small amount of blood, an unspent bullet with blood on it, and an apparent suicide note (pictured). Officers concluded that Scott faked his death A short time later, police were given a tip that Scott was living out of an RV in the Antlers area and went to arrest him. Investigators say he initially denied his identity and refused to cooperate with them. But after they noticed tattoos matching those of the missing person on his forearms, he confessed who he was and was arrested around 11pm. Scott has now been indicted on 14 counts, including sexual battery, touching a child for lustful purposes and exploitation of a child. He is also wanted by federal authorities in Mississippi for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is currently being held in the Pittsburgh County jail in Oklahoma. A total of 1,047 North Korean defectors arrived in South Korea last year, the lowest number in 18 years, according to data from the unification ministry on Monday. The total includes 202 males and 845 females. By quarter, 229 arrived in the first three months of the year, 320 in the second quarter, 226 in the third and the remaining 272 in the fourth, according to the data. The number of defectors arriving in the South rose after 2000 before peaking in 2009 at 2,914 people. Since current leader Kim Jong-un took power following the death of his father in late 2001, between 1,100 and 1,500 defectors have arrived in the South annually. (Yonhap) Former Vice President Joe Biden's campaign might be a little worried about Iowa. The first caucuses of the 2020 primary season are coming up in just four days, but Biden by no means has a lock on Iowa. So Biden's campaign is reaching out to lower-polling candidates in hopes of striking "election night alliances" to pick up their supporters if they don't make it past the first caucus ballots, Politico reports. Tom Steyer, the billionaire who's sitting at an average of 3.6 percent in the polls, was reportedly one of the targets of Biden's campaign. An aide to Steyer confirmed his campaign was approached by "multiple candidates," per Politico. Biden's team similarly talked with entrepreneur Andrew Yang's staffers, sources said. And three Biden staffers also "tentatively floated" a deal with a strategist for Sen. Amy Klobuchar's (D-Minn.) campaign, The New York Times reported earlier this week. All the campaigns told Politico they'd "rebuffed advances" from other candidates. Biden's second-tier strategy isn't unusual for the Iowa caucuses. The state's system allows people who've supported candidates "who fail to reach 15 percent support in a precinct on the first ballot" to chose someone else for the next ballot, which eventually chooses the state's delegates, Politico writes. Yet it also makes it clear that Biden's campaign knows the Iowa race is far from settled. Read more at Politico. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Local journalism is important and producing it costs time and money. To continue viewing content on tucson.com, please sign in with your existing account or subscribe. Samsung on Monday introduced a high-end Galaxy Chromebook at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The new model could serve as an extension of the companys smartphone lineup and spawn a premium device demand in the category. Samsung aims to position it as the companys flagship Chromebook to meet potential demand for a more useful and powerful multipurpose premium mobile device. That could amount to little more than wishful thinking, suggested Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. Demand for ultra powerful Chromebooks has yet to develop much traction. Every couple of years, some vendor rolls the dice in hopes that the healthy business for Chromebooks in education and other markets will result in demand for premium products, he told TechNewsWorld. So far, that has not panned out. See the modest commercial success of Googles Pixelbooks for proof points. Adding Name Recognition Samsung has used the Galaxy brand name for a variety of top-end and discount phone and tablet offerings. Marketing a pricey new Chromebook under the Galaxy umbrella might be a winning option to separate this computer from in an already-crowded field of cheaper Chromebooks. This is an interesting move, noted Arle Lommel, senior analyst at CSA Research. Chromebooks long have suffered from a reputation as bargain-basement machines with lackluster performance. Google has been steadily pushing up the enterprise chain, and this seems to be an enterprise-level notebook, he told TechNewsWorld. The marketing seems to be aimed at professionals who want a single machine for both work and personal use that has enough power for more than basic office use. Demand issues aside, Lommel said, the marketing suggests Samsung wants to create a new presence in a market segment Apple traditionally has dominated: hip urban professionals. The inclusion of a 4K screen at this price point will be attractive to those who want to work with higher-res video. Meet the Galaxy Chromebook The Galaxy Chromebook is an ultra premium 2-in-1 laptop running Googles Chrome OS. It ships with a durable aluminum body, the latest 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, and a 13.3-inch 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) touchscreen. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook will be available in the first quarter at a starting price of US$999. Expect to pay much more if you fully upgrade its RAM and storage. Available in two colors a brilliant Fiesta Red or more subdued Mercury Gray it will ship in an unspecified number of variants with up to 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD storage. Standard configuration starts with 8 GB of RAM and a 256-GB SSD. The premium 2-in-1 Chromebook combines sleek design and next-generation productivity features with a seamless user experience. Built from durable aluminum, the Galaxy Chromebook is made to withstand the everyday wear and tear of life on the move. Notable High-End Features Samsungs Galaxy Chromebook has a near-infinite screen and slim 0.15-inch bezel that offers true-to-life visuals for immersive gaming as well as sharp photo viewing and editing. It soon will gain an additional high-end feature other manufacturers will find hard to beat. HDR400 will deliver high-contrast graphics, along with Ambient EQ capabilities for a viewing experience that is vivid while easy on the eyes to reduce eye strain. Samsung will add this feature later through a software update. The Galaxy Chromebook sets a higher standard in mobile computing, redefining what a Chromebook can be, the company maintained. The new device offers users new ways to take advantage of a Chrome OS experience that is simple, fast and seamless. The notion that we do everything stationary at a desk is a thing of the past, and people need premium devices built for our new reality, said Alanna Cotton, general manager of Samsung Electronics America. By offering a seamless, premium user experience, Galaxy Chromebook helps you effortlessly switch between streaming, creative projects, word processing and more. More Good Stuff The Galaxy Chromebook comes packed with productivity tools to rival what is available on mobile devices running other operating systems. For instance, the built-in pen lets you write, draw and navigate Galaxy Chromebook quickly and efficiently, much like the user experience with the Samsung Note smartphone. The flip screen and attached full keyboard are secured with a hinge that allows 360-degree movement. This provides multiple options: traditional clam shell laptop, tent-stand viewing platform, and tablet mode with vertical and horizontal viewing angles. The Galaxy Chromebook is co-engineered with Intel as part of the Project Athena innovation program. The Galaxy device passed rigorous testing to achieve the programs experience targets and hardware specifications, according to Samsung. This ensures that the Galaxy Chromebook consistently delivers reliable responsiveness, instant wake and long battery life. A D V E R T I S E M E N T For years, students have come to love Chrome OS in classrooms around the world but today, Chromebooks are being used for so much more, by the younger generation and working-professionals alike, said Kan Liu, senior director of product management at Google. As we see the demand for premium Chromebook experiences rise, we are investing more and more with partners like Samsung to build the next generation of flagship Chromebook product innovations and offerings. Other Notable Features The Galaxy Chromebook comes with support for Wi-Fi 6, fingerprint security verification, and a built-in stylus pen stored in the edge of the device. It also supports Google Assistant, rather than Samsungs own Bixby virtual assistant software. The new Chromebook is ready to work in conjunction with Samsungs own smartphones as well as phones made by other manufacturers. For example, with instant tethering support the Galaxy Chromebook can connect automatically to a users mobile device to maintain connectivity where WiFi is not available. Another example is click-to-call support, which lets users tap a hyperlinked phone number on their Chromebook to place a call on their Android phone. Impressive Specs The Galaxy Chromebook measures 11.9 inches x 8 inches x 0.39 inches. It has the security fingerprint feature and keyboard backlighting. It has an 8-megapixel webcam on the top left corner of the keyboard that functions as a rear camera when the device is held in tablet mode. A 1-megapixel camera above the screen is handy for conference calls. Battery capacity tops off at 49.2Wh. The outer edges of the keyboard contain numerous ports for external connectivity, including two USB Type-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack and a MicroSD/UFS combination port. Given the Chromebook computers design around the Chrome OS operating system and its ability to run Android and Linux applications, models with this higher-level performance capability and higher price could attract more than just a niche base of users who opt for high-end performance. However, without aggressive marketing, it is doubtful that will happen, observed Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. Android apps are mostly designed for smartphones, and they dont play well on larger screens. Nor are they designed for the larger form factor, he told TechNewsWorld. This edition of Chrome is reminiscent of the old OS/2 effort with a Windows compatibility layer, Enderle said. Such dual-mode efforts historically have not done well, he noted, adding that Steve Jobs killed Apples similar effort before it was released. Demand Possible Demand for personal and business Chromebooks could be growing, said Pund-ITs King. There is a generation of people in their 20s who grew up with Chromebooks in school and could see them as good options for complementing the smartphones they tend to use, he reasoned. Last September, Dell introduced a new Chromebook in its Latitude line that offers the kinds of services and support that businesses depend on. That could well increase demand for commercial Chromebook solutions, noted King. Samsung is betting on a substantial number of Chromebook customers who prize premium materials and video quality, he added. The continuing growth of streaming media and the advent of services like YouTube TV might help spark demand too. The Galaxy Chromebook is one of the better high-end offerings, but Chromebooks have had trouble breaking out of the cheap Microsoft alternative education space, according to Enderle. More players in a segment drives an increase in interest level, he pointed out. The combined marketing of all the firms could allow this premium effort to grow, Enderle said, but a product that is a premium cheap product where the Chromebook image resides is very difficult to sell. Color Somewhat Counts Samsung has learned that design matters. The Galaxy Chromebook is not just a boring gray box. The marketing really emphasizes it as a premium product in look and feel, noted CSA Researchs Lommel. The other selling point is the 4K screen. At an MSRP of $999, this is at the cheap end for that resolution, he said. Most of the competition with 4K displays none of which are Chromebooks is 50 to 100 percent more expensive. Samsungs marketing really wants you to see this as an ecosystem machine. As Apple has done with the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac, Samsung is trying to build a continuity of experience, said Lommell, so that you can pick up your phone or your computer and feel equally at home. More Than Netbook Mentality Chromebooks have grown up in recent years. They are really a much better option than when they were essentially netbooks, Lommel noted, but they still suffer from some reputational problems. The Samsung Galaxy Chromebook may be one of the next class of devices to change attitudes, he said. The press release is clearly chasing Apple features such as iCloud and continuity. I can see this having a lot of appeal for users of Samsung phones and the anti-Apple crowd out there who still want that sort of integration. The Chromebooks cloud-based operating model mirrors what the vast majority of smart users are used to, agreed King. It is also capable of supporting mainstream applications and suites, such as Office 365. While the audience for Windows PCs and notebooks is still pretty solid, most of those same Windows users also own and work with devices that leverage other operating environments. Chrome is not the barrier that some thought it once was, King said. Drawback Factors The Chromebooks one big drawback is the lack of support for traditional software applications, King noted. If you need them, a Chromebook can be a tough fit. Other drawbacks are tied to the operating system and brand image of a Chromebook. Plus, an AMOLED thin design probably means questionable battery life, according to Enderle. However, the big issue is that folks dont really think of a Chromebook as a premium offering. Photo: Lazo Empanadas/Yelp Craving empanadas? You're in luck: a new business has opened its doors in the neighborhood. Located at 303 16th Street Mall, Unit 130, in Central Business District, the fresh arrival is called Lazo Empanadas. Lazo Empanadas specializes in traditional Argentinian-style pocket pastries filled with farm-fresh ingredients, as explained on its Yelp page. On the menu, anticipate an array of different empanada flavor options, ranging from spinach and cheese, spicy ground beef, fresh mushroom and barbecue chicken to blue cheese with onions, caprese, steak quesadilla and banana with Nutella. With a five-star rating out of two reviews on Yelp so far, Lazo Empanadas seems to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. J B., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new outpost on Jan. 13, wrote, "The empanadas are perfectly made, crisped to a flakey perfection and simply amazing. I tried the ground beef and the steak quesadilla empanadas, along with the avocado green sauce and chimichurri sauce." Yelper Randy O. added, I cant believe [Lazo Empanadas] can make them to order so fast, and still have the awesome quality and goodness. Try the regular beef. Can't go wrong!" Swing on by to take a peek for yourself: Lazo Empanadas is open from 10 a.m.7 p.m. on Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.4 p.m. on Sunday. Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Denver? Here's what else opened recently near you. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. The mother of two Idaho children missing since September did not meet a court-ordered deadline to bring the children to authorities Thursday. Lori Vallow had until Thursday evening to present the two children to authorities in Idaho but was nowhere to be seen. The case spanning multiple states has sparked nationwide interest and a manhunt as Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, haven't been seen since late September in Rexburg, Idaho. Lori Vallow, who has claimed she believed she was a god, was recently found in Hawaii with her new husband, Chad Daybell, and served the court order, but her children were not with her at the time. The mother could face contempt of court for failing to meet the court-ordered deadline, authorities say. "I'm not at all surprised of that. Lori's not going to make this easy," Kay Woodcock, who is Joshua's biological grandmother, said Thursday. "She's got an end game in her head, although this is not a game, but obviously she thinks it is." These undated photos released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show Joshua Vallow, 7, (left) and Tylee Ryan, 17. They were last seen on Sept. 23, 2019, in Rexburg, Idaho. Their mother, Lori Vallow, is the second wife of Chad Daybell. Divorce papers: Mom of 2 missing kids said she was a god, threatened to kill husband Police say Lori Vallow and Daybell have not cooperated in their investigation and lied to authorities. The children's disappearance has also prompted police to reexamine multiple deaths linked to the couple. In July, Lori Vallow's former husband, Charles Vallow, 62, traveled from Arizona to Texas to visit Lori and their children. But after he arrived to pick up his son, he and Lori started arguing. Lori Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, intervened and killed Charles, police said at the time. On Dec. 12, Cox died. Police were awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death. Daybell's last wife, Tammy Daybell, died in October of what the family called natural causes, but police in Idaho have since exhumed her remains for further investigation. The findings of that investigation have not been released. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were married two weeks after Tammy's death. Story continues Rexburg police came to Lori Vallow's home on Nov. 26 to try to do a welfare check on Joshua, who is adopted and has special needs. Family from outside Idaho had not been able to speak to Joshua since September and were concerned, police said. Cult connections?: Man links 'radical' religious group to his attempted murder in Arizona and 2 missing children in Idaho On Nov. 27, Rexburg police searched locations associated with Lori Vallow in an attempt to find Joshua. During these searches, investigators discovered Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had "abruptly vacated" their home and left town, police said. Joshua last attended school Sept. 23. Tylee Ryan has also not been seen or heard from since September, police said. Yet the children were not reported missing. The Rexburg Police Department released these photos of Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, who are wanted for questioning. Vallow's children have been missing since September, police said, and Daybell's previous wife was found dead in October. In December, Idaho authorities announced they were investigating possible ties between the case of the missing children and Tammy Daybell's death. The case also took an unusual turn as friends and family members have expressed concerns about the couple's religious beliefs and interest in the end of the world. Lori Vallow reportedly believes she is "a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christs second coming in July 2020," according to divorce documents Charles Vallow filed before his death. The Associated Press reported Chad Daybell has written several apocalyptic novels based loosely on Mormon religious theology. Officials with Idaho's Madison County and Rexburg police departments said child protection actions are usually confidential, but, "The Madison County Prosecutors Office asked the Court for permission ... to alert the public and anyone with knowledge of the location or health and safety of the children." With the possible contempt of court charge for Lori Vallow, Kay Woodcock said "theres some recourse." "I can't say for sure what's going to happen next, other than, I hope it's something that's going to get her attention," Woodcock said. "I'd love to know where those kids are and I think all of America wants to know where they are." Contributing: Jay Cannon, USA TODAY; Chelsea Curtis, Rachel Leingang and Uriel J. Garcia, Arizona Republic Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lori Vallow fails to produce children to Idaho authorities by deadline Filmmaker Bong Joon Ho's "Parasite" continued its winning spree ahead of Oscars by bagging the film of the year and the director of the year awards at London Film Critics Circle. The film, a class satire set in South Korea, has been winning hearts in Hollywood award circles and is predicted to do well at the Oscars on February 9, where it has six nominations including the best film. "Marriage Story" and "The Souvenir" won two awards each at the 40th edition of the awards, which is given by 150-plus critics of the London Film Critics' Circle. Directed by Noah Baumbach, the divorce drama won in the screenwriting and the supporting actress category for Laura Dern while Joanna Hogg of "The Souvenir" was named the British/Irish filmmaker of the year and Honor Swinton Byrne, Young British/Irish performer of the year. Joe Pesci won the supporting actor honour for "The Irishman" with Renee Zellweger walking away with the actress of year trophy for her portrayal of Judy Garland in "Judy". Joaquin Phoenix was named the actor of the year for "Joker", while Robert Pattinson was tapped as British/Irish actor of the year for his roles in "The Lighthouse", "High Life" and "The King". Florence Pugh was named British/Irish actress of the year for "Midsommar", "Little Women" and "Fighting With my Family". In the foreign film category, however, "Parasite" lost out to French period drama "Portrait of a Lady on Fire". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Every cheese begins life as a curd, but only select batches of cheese curds will end the journey sprinkled atop french fries and smothered in gravy. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Every cheese begins life as a curd, but only select batches of cheese curds will end the journey sprinkled atop french fries and smothered in gravy. La Poutine Week returns to Winnipeg on Saturday. Bothwell Cheese has been making extra cheese curds to prepare for the uptick in demand. More than a dozen of the 66 participating restaurants have listed Bothwell cheese curds as a key ingredient in their gooey creations. Fries, pan-seared pork, baby shrimp, boiled egg, crispy pork rinds, cheese curds, green onions and topped with Palabok shrimp gravy at Cho Ichi. "We do notice the increase in sales," says Lynne Foy, brand manager for Bothwell Cheese. "Well alert our operation staff that its Poutine Week... we want to make sure we can do an extra production of cheese curds leading up to the festival." Sumptuous dishes make you want to clean your plate Here is a sample of some of the 60-plus poutines available at restaurants in Winnipeg during La Poutine Week this year. You can find a full list at lapoutineweek.com. click to read more Rise & Shine Poutine Marion Street Eatery, 393b Marion St., $13 Fries, Bothwell cheese curds, Jack Daniels gravy, maple-smoked baked beans, sausage and bacon crumble, sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes topped with a a sunny-side egg. Sunny D House Mac & Cheese Leopolds Tavern Academy, 414 Academy Rd., $17.75 Hand-cut fries, peppercorn chicken gravy, waffles, Sunny Delight hot honey fried chicken with macaroni and cheese. La Tourtiere a la Poutine Nob Bar at St. Norbert Hotel, 3540 Pembina Hwy., $12.95 A mini meat pie, wedge fries and beef gravy infused with Little Brown Jug beer, topped with Saputo cheese curds and green onions. The Drunken Pig at the Oakwood Bistro Drunken Pig Oakwood Bistro, 660 Osborne St., $16 Pulled pork slow-cooked in Winnipegs Stone Angel Brewerys Onkel Georg red ale winter radler, mixed with a Crown Royal barbecue sauce over hand-cut fries topped with cheese curds, gravy and spicy crispy fried onions and an Onkel Georg reduction. The Wellington Le Garage Cafe, 166 Provencher Blvd., $16 Shoestring fries with red wine-braised beef, horseradish aioli drizzle, cheese curds, sauteed mushrooms, crispy fried onions, and a puff pastry twist, finished with house gravy. Kobalap Fries Cho Ichi, 1151 Pembina Hwy., $13.50 Fries, pan-seared pork, baby shrimp, boiled egg, crispy pork rinds, cheese curds, green onions and topped with Palabok shrimp gravy. Clementine's vegetarian option, A Poutine for McCartney. A Poutine for McCartney Clementine, 123 Princess St., $9 A vegetarian poutine. House-made Kennebec fries, roast allium and porcini mushroom gravy, fried cheese curds, spicy pickled peppers, crispy capers, crispy celery root, crispy shallots and chives. Beer Braised Jackfruit Poutine Cocoabeans on Corydon, 774 Corydon Ave., $17 Beer-braised jackfruit, fresh-cut fries with Bothwell cheese curds, beer gravy and house-pickled vegetables. Gluten-free with a dairy-free and vegan option. Close The production facility in New Bothwell has three vats of cheese going at a time. Milk is poured into the vats and stirred until it curdles. The resulting curds are either packaged into Bothwells cheddar cheese curd products or formed into a block and aged. Fresh curds have become a delicacy for people who live near the town, located 45 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg, "Were a small town and everyone in the outskirts of New Bothwell will come to the cheese shop when they know its curd day and pick up some fresh cheese curds," Foy says. "If you get them fresh, theyre still a little bit warm and you get the extra squeak." Cocoabeans is serving up beer-braised jackfruit, fresh-cut fries with Bothwell cheese curds, beer gravy and house-pickled vegetables. Gluten-free with a dairy-free and vegan option. While restaurants tend to get creative during La Poutine Week, which runs Feb. 1 to 7, cheese curds are a traditional ingredient because they dont melt when doused with hot gravy. "Cheese curds hold their shape because they have a higher moisture level... because it doesnt have time to age, which removes that moisture from the cheese naturally," says Foy, adding shes a poutine purist who enjoys her fries topped with beef gravy and extra curds. The history of poutine dates back to rural Quebec in the 1950s, although there are several towns that lay claim to its invention. According to the Canadian Encyclopedia a branch of Historica Canada poutine originated when customers started adding cheese curds to their fries at either Cafe Ideal in Warwick, Que., or Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville, Que. This is the third year Winnipeg restaurants have participated in La Poutine Week, which was created by the founders of Le Burger Week and debuted for the first time in Montreal in 2012. The Wellington at Le Garage features shoestring fries with red wine-braised beef, horseradish aioli drizzle, cheese curds, sauteed mushrooms, crispy fried onions, and a puff pastry twist, topped with house gravy. Daniel Gurevich is La Poutine Weeks Winnipeg ambassador and says the food festival is gaining popularity. "Weve had more and more interest from the public and more people rallying around the event," Gurevich says. "Restaurants have stated that they get busier every year, so thats good." Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. As new food festivals pop up nearly every year Winnipegs second Fried Chicken Fest wrapped up last weekend, for example Gurevich says there is a risk of oversaturating the market. "Like any other event or product, I think people are going to try to take it to an extreme and then its naturally going to find its balance over the years," he says. "I think that were big enough that we can sustain festivals like this, but were small enough that theres still some camaraderie between restaurants and participants." Curds being made at Bothwell Cheese. (Steve Salnikowski / Chronic Creative) Like Le Burger Week, the public is invited to cast a vote online for their favourite poutine at lapoutineweek.com. This year, $1 from every poutine sale will be donated to Agape Table, a charity that helps feed Winnipegs most vulnerable people. eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @evawasney The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of the outbreak of coronavirus. IMAGE: At the Indian Army facility, students who are arriving from Wuhan, can be monitored for a duration of weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members. Photograph: ANI Officials said the Indian Army has created the facility near Manesar where the students can be monitored for any signs of infection for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members. An Air India flight was sent to Wuhan on Friday to bring back the Indian students stuck in Hubei province, the epicentre of coronavirus. The flight is expected to reach India at around 2 am on Saturday. The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps. The first one will be at the Indira Gandhi International airport followed by quarantine at Manesar, an official said. "If any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment," he said. Border guarding force Indo-Tibetan Border Police has prepared a 600-bedded facility in Delhi to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by coronavirus, a senior official said on Friday. IMAGE: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police has created a facility near ITBP Chhawla Camp, New Delhi for quarantine of approximately 600 Indian families arriving from Wuhan. Photograph: ANI The facility is operational in an ITBP camp in south-west Delhi's Chhawla area, its spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said. A team of doctors will be present at the facility, which has about 600 beds and has been prepared in the wake of the cornovirus outbreak, he said. Special arrangements have been made to host children and women at this quarantined facility, Pandey said. Those kept at the centre will be provided with food, water and other basic amenities. The about 90,000 personnel strong force is primarily tasked to guard the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control with China under the command of the Union home ministry. Nigel Farage today claimed that 11pm tonight is 'the point of no return' for Britain's relationship with the EU, insisting there is no way the UK will ever rejoin. The Brexit Party leader claimed Brexit was 'an incredible victory for ordinary people against the establishment' as he spoke of his joy at seeing it happen. Appearing on Good Morning Britain he also praised Boris Johnson, despite running candidatures against the Tories at the general election, arguing in December the Prime Minister would not get a proper Brexit. He spoke as preparations continued in London and across the nation for Britain to leave the EU later tonight. 'There's lots of work to come, but think of this, what happens tonight at 11 o'clock, we pass the point of no return,' Mr Farage said this morning. The Brexit Party leader claimed Brexit was 'an incredible victory for ordinary people against the establishment' as he spoke of his joy at seeing it happen He spoke as preparations continued in London and across the nation for Britain to leave the EU at 11pm tonight 'Once we're out, there's no way this country will ever rejoin and I think this is the big moment in history. 'As for the next phase, all I can say is right now, Boris Johnson is saying all the right things and if he delivers those things, we will be truly, genuinely independent. 'I have to be honest, I'm feeling really optimistic.' But arch Remainer and New Labour architect Lord Mandelson said the fight went on, insisting: 'Today is not the end of Brexit. It may be the end of Nigel Farage's ego trip. 'It's only the end of the beginning on Brexit because we have huge decisions that have now got to be taken about how we're getting to forge a relationship with the European Union, which for over half a century has given us unprecedented levels of prosperity and security. 'Now we've got to decide where we go from here.' A Union Jack flies in front of the Big Ben clock face in London, hours before the UK will leave the European Union Boris Johnson will deliver a plea for the country to move on from Brexit as the UK finally leaves the EU tonight. In an address to be broadcast shortly before Britain's departure at 11pm, the Prime Minister will insist that Brexit marks 'not an end but a beginning'. And in a sign of the new Government's changed approach, he will convene a symbolic Cabinet meeting this afternoon in Sunderland, the first city to declare for Brexit when the 2016 referendum results came out. Tonight he will stress his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country. Mr Johnson will describe Brexit as 'the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act'. He will go on: 'It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your family's life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.' At 11pm midnight on the Continent Britain will legally leave the EU and enter a 'transition period' which runs until December 31. During this time the UK will remain subject to EU laws and free movement of people will continue. Britain is finally set to leave the EU, but what happens next? The UK and Brussels are braced for 11 months of crunch trade talks before a 'cliff-edge' in December (and Boris Johnson wants deals with Japan AND the US in 2020 as well) Britain is finally set to leave the European Union but its dealings with the bloc are far from over. The last three years have almost entirely been about hammering out the terms of the UK's divorce from Brussels. Now the two sides must try to agree all of the details of their future relationship before a standstill transition period ends in December. The EU is adamant that 11 months is not enough time to get the job done, but Boris Johnson is refusing to agree to an extension, setting up a fresh Brexit 'cliff-edge' at the end of the year. Here is a breakdown of all the key dates in the next chapter of the Brexit saga. Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in Downing Street on January 8, will spend 2020 trying to hammer out a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and Brussels Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator pictured in Strasbourg on January 14, will lead talks for the EU Today: The UK formally leaves the European Union at 11pm after more than three years of tortuous wrangling. The two sides enter into a standstill transition period during which they will try to agree the terms of their post-Brexit relationship. EU rules will continue to apply to the UK for the duration of the transition. The Department for Exiting the European Union ceases to exist. February 2020: The UK will be free to pursue trade deals with whoever it wants. Japan and the US are expected to be Britain's top targets with initial talks likely to start immediately after Brexit. The UK will also want to kickstart talks with the EU - but the bloc will make Britain wait. End of February/early March 2020: Before trade talks can start between the UK and the EU, the bloc must agree a negotiating mandate. This mandate will set out the broad terms of what the EU will be striving for during negotiations and will also spell out Brussels' red lines. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested the mandate may not be finalised until the end of February or early March. March 2020: Formal trade talks between the UK and the EU are expected to begin. A group of 40 officials called 'Taskforce Europe' and based out of the Cabinet Office will lead negotiations for the UK. The taskforce will be headed up by David Frost, a diplomat and one-time business lobbyist who was appointed Mr Johnson's Europe adviser last year. Mr Frost is expected to negotiate directly with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. April/May 2020: Trade talks between the UK and EU - as well as talks with other nations - will intensify. If major progress has not been made with Brussels then there is likely to be increasing pressure on Mr Johnson to agree to extend the transition period. The terms of Britain's divorce from the bloc state that the standstill will finish on December 31 and the PM has been adamant he will not agree to an extension. But the Withdrawal Agreement does include a pressure valve mechanism which states that the transition can be prolonged by one or two years if both sides agree. The EU has already said it does not believe the transition period is long enough to finalise a comprehensive agreement so if talks stall in the first half of the year then Brussels could step up demands for a delay. June/July 2020: The Withdrawal Agreement states that a decision to extend the transition period must be agreed by both sides before July 1, 2020 if it is to go ahead. The PM is expected to stick to his guns and refuse to agree to a delay, setting the stage for transition to end in December, with or without a full deal in place. July to November 2020: Assuming no transition extension has been agreed, the second half of the year will be fraught with activity as the UK and EU rush to get everything decided. The UK will also be hoping that by this time agreements with Japan and the US will be taking shape, putting pressure on Brussels to work quickly. Brexit plagued Theresa May's time as prime minister as she failed to persuade MPs to support her EU divorce deal. She is pictured at a summit in Brussels in March last year September/October 2020: Downing Street is thought to want to have a trade deal with Japan in the books by the autumn to show the EU and the rest of the world it means business. It would be the UK's first post-Brexit trade deal. November 3, 2020: The date of the US presidential election. The White House has said it wants a trade agreement with the UK in place before the end of the year and will not want talks to clash with Donald Trump's bid for re-election. That means a US-UK trade deal could be done and dusted before November. December 2020: The UK and EU will either be on course to end the transition period with a full agreement in place or just a partial agreement. EU bosses have suggested that a lack of time will mean having to prioritise certain issues during talks, potentially leaving others to be resolved at a later date. The UK believes it is possible to get everything done. If no extension has been agreed then the two sides will be going their separate ways regardless. December 31, 2020: The point at which the Brexit transition period will come to an end and when EU rules and regulations will cease to apply to the UK. January 1, 2021: EU freedom of movement will be brought to an end and the UK's new post-Brexit immigration system will be rolled out. The Australian-style points-based system is expected to treat migrants from across the world the same, ending preferential treatment for those from Europe. In response to such questions, Buttigieg explains that he knows he has a long way to go with black voters. He contends he has the highest support among black voters who know him best although a recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll of African American voters showed he had 3 percent support among those who say they know him. He touts his Douglass Plan to root out systemic racism in America. And he explains that the best way to prove himself to voters in those communities is to show he can win, and his best chance to show them that is with a strong showing in Iowa. PHILIPSBURG:--- The police dispatch center received various calls on Wednesday night January 29th approximately, 10.30 pm concerning a shooting that had taken place on the Welfare road in the vicinity Patio De Andrew. Several police patrols, the Police Forensic Department, and the Ambulance Department were sent to the location to investigate the situation. On the scene, the police patrol found unknown male bleeding from gunshot wounds to his upper leg. According to the information gathered from the victim and bystanders that two unknown men dressed all in black approached the victim and another man, and shot them both. After injuring the victims, the two (2) suspects fled in the direction of Cay-Bay. The victim who was still on the scene informed the patrol that his friend who also got injured was transported to the hospital by family members. The victim didnt know which one of the medical centers he was transported to. It was later ascertained that the second victim was transported to the hospital on the French side. The French authorities later confirmed that a victim with gunshot wounds appeared at the hospital and had later succumbed to the wounds that he received. The Ambulance personnel treated the second victim on the scene, before rushing him to the St. Maarten Medical Center. The detective department is busy investigating this shooting. The name of the deceased victim involved in this incident could not be verified. The detectives investigating this shooting is asking anyone who has information to please contact the St Maarten Police Force at +1 721- 542 22 22 ext. 204 or 205 or the anonymous tip line on 9300. It is only with the help of the community that together we can solve these cases. You can also visit the police website at www.policesx.sx or leave a message via our Facebook page (Police Force of St. Maarten - Korps Politie Sint Maarten) KPSM Press Release. (Bloomberg) -- Kenyan senators voted to impeach an ally of Deputy President William Ruto, the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his second in command. Senators voted to impeach Kiambu county Governor Ferdinand Waititu on three charges -- gross violation of the constitution and county governments law, crimes under national law, and abuse of office and gross misconduct, Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka said in televised proceedings. The governor accordingly ceases to hold office, Lusaka said. The successful impeachment of Waititu came after the authorities charged him and some family members with alleged crimes, including money laundering and the fraudulent acquisition of public funds. They have all denied any wrongdoing. A plan to swear in Waititus deputy, James Nyoro, as the new governor was postponed, closely held Citizen TV reported, citing the Judiciary. Waititus lawyers filed an application at the High Court challenging the Senates impeachment decision. Rutos relationship with Kenyatta has degenerated since the president and opposition leader, Raila Odinga, agreed on a rapprochement in March 2018. Thats raised the prospect of Ruto not being handed the ruling partys candidacy to succeed Kenyatta when elections are next held in 2022. The removal of Waititu weakens Rutos faction of the ruling Jubilee Party in the Senate and erodes his ability to settle political scores with the president in the legislative house, according to Dismas Mokua, a Nairobi-based independent political analyst. Ruto became Kenyattas deputy after the two joined forces in elections in 2013, when they both faced International Criminal Court charges for crimes against humanity that stemmed from violence that followed a vote five years earlier. The charges were dropped after they took office for lack of evidence. (Updates with legal challenge to the Senate vote in fifth paragraph) To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net Story continues To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Meghan Genovese For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Nearly 1.3billion was wiped off BT's value after it said restrictions on kit made by China's Huawei would cost it dearly. The telecom company's shares plunged by 7.4 per cent, or 12.94p, to 162.4p after it warned that ripping out equipment and replacing it would cost half a billion pounds. BT boss Philip Jansen said a 35 per cent cap on Huawei's market share of 5G equipment announced by the Government on Tuesday meant that more kit would need to come from other suppliers. Shares hit: BT boss Philip Jansen said a 35 per cent cap on Huawei's market share of 5G equipment meant that more kit would need to come from other suppliers President Trump had been pressing the UK to impose an outright ban on Huawei's equipment over concerns it could spy for Beijing a charge the company has repeatedly denied. But in a compromise deal, the UK will instead only ban Huawei from involvement in 'core' infrastructure which handles the most sensitive data. It will also be restricted by the 35 per cent market share cap. 1bn business rates bill BT is facing a business rates bill of 1billion for fibre optic broadband cables it is laying. Boss Philip Jansen said the money that the firm will pay over 20 years would be better spent on improving its network. He said 1billion was enough to roll out fibre cables to 3m homes. Pressure is growing on the Government to overhaul the business rates system. He said: They give the industry a subsidy on one hand, then a tax on the other. He said if broadband companies got more relief on rates, BT would be in a strong position to ramp up its roll out. This means no operator from BT and Vodafone to Three and O2 can have a network with more than 35 per cent of its kit, including masts and antennae, supplied by Huawei. BT is a heavy user of Huawei kit with more than 35 per cent currently coming from the Chinese firm and Jansen said the new rules would cause some upheaval. The company is rolling out masts, antennae and other kit used for 5G or fifth generation mobile services across the country and the changes are expected to affect older kit as well. Jansen added: 'Inevitably, because of the way that the network works on 4G and 5G, there will be some 4G boxes that are Huawei that will have to be eradicated. 'And then there's also an assumption around what the pricing scenarios might be with alternative providers.' The setback for BT complicates Jansen's efforts to ramp up the rollout of cutting edge mobile services and broadband, which is seen as a top priority by Boris Johnson's Government. The Huawei restrictions mean BT and its rivals will have to buy more equipment from pricier suppliers such as Nokia and Ericsson, although Jansen said he hoped more competitors would emerge in future. He said Johnson's aim to get fibre optic broadband coverage across the UK by the mid-2020s would require a 'Herculean collaborative effort' by the telecoms industry. At the moment fibre cables run to many roadside cabinets but the wires going into most homes are still made of copper, dramatically reducing internet speeds. BT has pledged to roll out fibre to 4m homes and businesses by March 2021 but it is seeking help from the Government before committing to reaching another 11m. Along with other firms, it has called on ministers to make it easier for operators to get access to land and buildings and for relief on business rates which are levied on new fibre cables. Jansen said: 'Boris's objective is possible it is just very, very hard and we have no time to waste.' The Huawei blow emerged as BT gave a gloomy third quarter update to investors. The firm said revenues fell from 17.6billion to 17.2billion in the nine months to December 31, a result that was weaker than analysts had expected. Profits also dipped from 2.1billion to 1.9billion. BT said it had ploughed 2.9billion into its fibre and 5G rollouts, up by 251million a year ago. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: 'For now this looks like a company stuck in the mud.' January threw stock investors a few curveballs. They faced simmering tensions with Iran at the start of the month. Then the market's mood got a boost in mid-January following a partially resolved trade dispute with China. But now a new fear looms: the outbreak of a coronavirus in China that has spread around the world. The coronavirus has infected almost 10,000 people globally, and has prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. The latest developments sent stocks tumbling Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average plunged 603.41 points, wiping out its gains for the year. In sickness and in health, but not in debt: Young Americans avoid 'I do' Retirement: Millennials are stashing money away earlier than Gen Xers and Boomers The broad losses hit hitting everything from airlines to resort operators to technology companies, with stocks recording their worst January since 2016. Investors flocked to safe-haven corners of the market, a sign they're unsure how the potential global economic fallout from the virus could play out, analysts say. A widely watched recession predictor raised worries. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell below the yield of the three-month bill recently. The phenomenon, known as an inverted yield curve, is often a harbinger of an economic slowdown. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.51% from 1.55% late Thursday. Investors, companies and governments have taken a cautious stance around this virus, says Charlie Ripley, senior investment strategist at Allianz Investment Management. Investors are watching to see whether this becomes a larger pandemic. A trader runs across the floor after the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, Feb. 21, 2017 in New York. Fridays losses also erased the Standard & Poors 500 gains for 2020. The index skidded 1.8% Friday, putting it 0.2% lower for the month. Coronavirus cases have spiked in China, along with deaths there, and the U.S. is now advising against all travel to the worlds second-largest economy. The move weighed on airline and energy stocks. It also helped push oil prices lower. Story continues On Friday, American Airlines fell 3.1% and Delta Air Lines slipped 2.4% after both companies suspended flights to and from China. Technology stocks led the losses. Apple, which relies on Chinese consumers for sales and factories for supplies, fell 4.4%. Nvidia slid 3.8% and other chipmakers slipped. Alex Veiga from The Associated Press contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus outbreak: Dow plunges 600 points as fears rattle investors The WCO Secretary General, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya met with the Charge daffaires of Canada to Belgium and the European Union, His Excellency Ambassador Christopher Cooter at the WCO Headquarters on 31 January 2020 in the framework of a grant agreement signed by the Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for the funding of activities under the WCO Strategic Trade Control Enforcement (STCE) Programme. The STCE Programme, as part of the WCO Security Programme, promotes the building of safe and secure societies by providing WCO Member Customs Administrations with guidance and training to enable them to establish and foster effective strategic trade controls in order to fight against transnational organized crime and terrorism associated with the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Acknowledging WCOs key role in the capacity building delivery to Customs Administrations in the security field, the GAC is providing a 3-year financial support for the STCE Programme. This will allow further assistance to Customs Administrations in order for them to meet their commitments under the United Nations Security Resolution 1540 on the prevention of non-State actors acquiring WMDs, their delivery systems, and component parts. Secretary General Mikuriya expressed his gratitude to Canada and welcomed GACs initiative to reinforce WCO capacity building activities under the WCO Security Programme. During the meeting, Dr. Mikuriya and H.E. Cooter also exchanged views on topics of common interest as well as on the WCO Theme of the year Customs fostering sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet -, border security, sustainability and gender equality. For more information about the STCE Programme and the possibilities of hosting of a training workshop, please contact the WCO secretariat at WCOSecurityProgramme@wcoomd.org. A new case of infection by the Wuhan coronavirus in a Tibetan area of China was confirmed on Thursday in Sichuans Ngaba prefecture, according to Chinese state media reports which described the patient as a 26-year-old woman from Hubei. [She] left on Jan. 21 and arrived in Barkham county on Jan. 22 by train, passing through Chengdu," the official announcement said. "The patient was confirmed coronavirus positive and is being treated in isolation in the hospital." "Those who have been in close contact with the patient are also under medical observation, it said. The report follows an announcement on Wednesday confirming the infection of a patient identified only by his surname Zhang, who arrived in Tibets regional capital Lhasa by train from Hubei on Jan. 24 and was admitted to a hospital for testing the next day. Meanwhile, monasteries, cultural sites, and other public gathering places remain closed in central areas of the Tibet Autonomous Region, with all tourists and pilgrims now in Lhasa ordered to leave for their native areas beginning Jan. 31, a Tibetan man said in front of Lhasas Potala Palace in a video now circulating on social media. Speaking to RFAs Tibetan Service on Thursday, a Tibetan man living in Toelung county, near Lhasa, said that restaurants in Toelung have now shut down, adding that peoples movements through the area have been tightly restricted. We are not allowed to travel to Lhasa, he said. Ive heard that the prices of vegetables there have jumped a lot. Arrivals continue by air Flights in and out of Lhasa meanwhile continue as normal, though officials at Lhasas Gongkar airport carefully screen arriving passengers for signs of infection a city resident said, adding, I have friends who arrived in Lhasa via plane yesterday, and today as well. Passengers who are residents of Lhasa are temporarily held in isolation and then released to their homes if they show no signs of infection, RFAs source said. But those who are kept in a hotel for medical observation are charged [a fee] and have to pay it. Meanwhile, teachers in the Lhasa schools have reached out to their students via the social media platform WeChat to read their temperatures each day before coming to class, the source said. Travel restrictions and bans on public gathering meanwhile continue in Tibetan areas of western Chinese provinces, sources in the region say. [The virus] is not that big a problem in our area, as anyone coming here from China receives a thorough screening, a Tibetan resident of Dartsedo county in Sichuans Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture told RFA on Thursday. But were not allowed to travel to Lhasa, he said. Were banned from leaving this place for fear we might contract the infectious virus. Were not allowed to travel to China, and it looks like the opening of school here may be delayed, a resident of Qinghais Yulshul Tibetan Autonomous Region said, while in Sichuans Dege county a resident said that people there are not allowed now to gather in one place. Workshops and classes are now prohibited," he said. "But no efforts are being made to inform the public about the virus itself. We have to get our information online." Roads blocked, destroyed Travel in Tibetan areas remains difficult, with highways and other main roads blocked and health officials stationed along the way to screen travelers, a Tibetan returning to Yulshul from Dege told RFA on Jan. 29. I had to bypass the road blocks and take different directions to reach where I wanted to go, he said. Video clips sent from Tibet meanwhile show construction crews tearing up a road leading from Chentsa county in Qinghais Malho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to the provincial capital Qinghai. The road is being completely cut off. You cant even go through on foot, a Tibetan man narrating one video says. The road will only open again when the order comes from higher authorities, and at that time a notice will be issued. Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. Netizens Question Chinas Plan to Bring Back Overseas Chinese Many Chinese netizens have taken to Chinas Twitter equivalent, Weibo, to express their concern over the decision by Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs to repatriate overseas Chinese. On Jan. 31, the spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, Hua Chunying, announced that Beijing will soon charter civilian airplanes to bring back overseas Chinese nationals who are from Hubei province, particularly those from Wuhan, according to an announcement on the ministrys website. Hua cited practical challenges faced by Chinese overseas as the reason for the governments move, without elaborating further. The planes will fly the overseas Chinese to Wuhan, Hua said. The escalating coronavirus outbreak started in Wuhan, a city in central Chinas Hubei Province. Health authorities in the city have said they suspect the 2019-nCoV strain originated from a local wet market where wild animals, such as porcupines and snakes, were sold. Now, all regions in China have now reported patients testing positive for the virus after Tibet recorded its first case on Jan. 30. Outside of China, more than 18 countries and regions have also reported confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including the United States, Italy, Germany, Canada, Finland, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In the comment sections of state-run media Peoples Dailys official Weibo account, many netizens expressed doubts over the ministrys decision. Back to Wuhan?? several queried. Some netizens expressed doubts that those overseas are willing to return to Wuhan. A netizen from Chinas megacity of Chonqing wrote: They dont want to return to Wuhan, right? Other netizens expressed relief that the regime was not sending people close to where they live. Many governments around the world have successfully evacuated some of their citizens out of Wuhan, including South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore. At the same time, multiple international airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways, and Air Canada, have suspended their flights to China. Italy is the first country to announce a freeze on all air traffic with China. GREENBELT, Md. - A Coast Guard lieutenant accused by prosecutors of being a domestic terrorist intent on committing politically motivated killings inspired by a far-right mass murderer was sentenced Friday to more than 13 years in prison for firearms and drug offences. Christopher Hasson, 50, had faced a maximum prison sentence of 31 years at sentencing by U.S. District Judge George Hazel. The severity of Hassons sentence hinged on two starkly divergent explanations for the cache of weapons seized from his Maryland home and the disturbing material found on his computer at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington. Hazel, who sentenced Hasson to 160 months, said he believes the officer was preparing to carry out a mass casualty assault as a way to act out his white nationalist views. The need to protect the public is of paramount importance, the judge said. Hasson, in his first public comments since his arrest, said he has never harmed anybody in his life and wasnt planning to hurt anyone in any way, shape or form. But he apologized to his family, his colleagues and to the public, saying he knew his actions alarmed many people. I am embarrassed by these things and sorry for the pain they have caused, he said. Any semblance of hate, bigotry or advocacy of violence has no place in our Coast Guard, said Adm. Karl Schultz, the guards commandant, in an emailed news release. This includes involvement with white supremacist or extremist groups of any type. This behaviour is incompatible with the Coast Guards Core Values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty. He said Hasson is being involuntarily separated from the Coast Guard without any rights, benefits and retirement pay, which he may have otherwise been entitled. Federal prosecutors recommended a 25-year prison sentence. They have called Hasson a domestic terrorist and self-described white nationalist, intent on carrying out mass killings. But they filed no terrorism-related charges against him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Windom said Hasson intended to strike a blow to the American government in hopes of subjugating, intimidating it. Defence attorneys urged Hazel to spare Hasson from prison and sentence him to jail time served since his February 2019 arrest. Hassons lawyers accused Justice Department prosecutors of fabricating a bogus narrative that the married father of two grown children was planning a terrorist attack. Mr Hasson has been punished enough, said one of his lawyers, Liz Oyer. His reputation has been permanently wrecked, His career is over. The judge said the sentence isnt designed to strike a larger blow against hate in the U.S., where he said the seeds of white supremacist ideology have grown and produced dangerous fruit over generations. Hassons case is among a recent string of FBI domestic terrorism investigations. Over the past few months, agents have arrested several people, mostly young men, linked to violent neo-Nazi and white nationalist groups called Atomwaffen Division and The Base. Three men accused of being members of The Base were arrested in Maryland and Delaware on Jan. 16 after a hidden camera captured two of them discussing how violence at a gun rights rally in Virginia could start a civil war. Prosecutors havent linked Hasson to any particular extremist group, but said he has been a closet skinhead his entire adult life. Hasson pleaded guilty in October to possessing unregistered and unserialized silencers, being a drug addict in possession of firearms and illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. In September, Hazel refused to dismiss Hassons gun charges. In an earlier court filing, prosecutors said Hasson intends to murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country. They also said Hasson drafted a June 2017 email in which he said he was dreaming of a way to kill almost every last person on the earth. Start with biological attacks followed by attack on food supply, he wrote. Prosecutors said Hasson appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian far-right terrorist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. Prosecutors also claimed Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer spreadsheet hit list naming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Elizabeth Warren. He also mentioned several network TV journalists, including MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNNs Chris Cuomo and Van Jones. In February 2018, Hasson searched online whether Supreme Court justices are protected, two weeks before he searched for the home addresses of two Supreme Court justices, according to Windom. Hazel said Hassons searches for the home addresses of Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan was evidence that the Coast Guard officer was in the process of plotting an attack. I cant wrap my mind around that being anything beyond targeting, the judge said. When investigators searched Hassons basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland, they found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. In a 2017 letter he apparently wrote to a neo-Nazi leader, Hasson identified himself as a white nationalist for over 30 years and advocated for focused violence in order to establish a white homeland, according to prosecutors. Hassons online history showed searches that included the phrases how to bring down the us government, most liberal fed judges usa and how to rid the us of jews, prosecutors said. A defence witness, Stephen Hart is an expert in violence risk assessment. Hart testified that he examined the evidence cited by prosecutors and rejected their theory that Hasson intended to carry out an attack. Defence lawyers dispute that their client has any sincerely held extremist, racist or white nationalist views. They described him as an avid firearms collector and disaster prepper who stockpiles survivalist gear for doomsday-type scenarios. Hasson worked at Coast Guard headquarters on a program to acquire advanced new cutters for the agency. He remained on active duty pending the outcome of the criminal case. Hasson ordered at least 4,650 tramadol pills from internet distributors and had them shipped to his homes in Maryland and Currituck, North Carolina, according to Windom. The prosecutor said Hasson consumed most of the pills, often at work. By Maya Dru drumaya@grinnell.edu As Iowa ramps up for the primaries on Feb. 3, disability justice advocates argue the caucuses are not accessible to everyone and limit democracy in Iowa and that the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) is not siding with voters when they should. A primary election is inherently more accessible, explains John Grennan, the co-chair of Poweshiek County Democrats. Iowa is really eager to hold on to its first-in-the-nation-status. If Iowa turns to a primary systems, more disabled voters can be involved in the process, but Iowa may become less distinctive as a first-in-the-nation contest. Unlike primary elections, caucuses are loud, bright and crowded. This makes caucuses uniquely inaccessible to voters with sensory sensitivities and disabilities. Bathroom breaks are often short and infrequent, posing extra difficulty for voters with mobility or digestive disabilities. Caucus participants are encouraged to vote with their bodies by moving with their candidates supporters. In Poweshiek County, voters must arrive between 6 and 7 p.m., and ideally, stay at the caucus for an estimated two hours. 6:30 to 7 is a privileged time, Bethany Willig 23 said. The time frame poses a particular barrier for some Dining Services employees, who will need to choose between working their shift and exercising their civil rights. According to the IDP, this year voters can submit an online form for accommodation requests. Moreover, all sites are ADA-accessible and do not allow food in the caucus (which would otherwise pose a threat to voters with allergies). Autumn Wilke, Grinnell Colleges assistant dean for disability services, said in an email to The S&B that The accessibility efforts, at least on paper, for this caucus and election cycle have exceeded those that I have seen in the past. Disabled voters, however, say the IDP is not going far enough. Many take issue with the fact that the accommodation form went live only a month ago. While the Office of the Iowa Secretary of State estimates 300,000 Iowans of voting age have disabilities, the IDP reports that they have only received 150 requests. And until January, it was unclear for voters with disabilities where to submit their requests. The Iowa Democratic Party? Their county Democrat association? The venue of the caucus itself? The IDP demands that individuals must submit accommodation requestsnot organizations. So when voters reach out to disability rights organizations, the organizations need to redirect the voters to the IDP. John Grennan maintains that the Iowa Democratic Party hedged its bet on tele-caucusing, where voters could caucus from home. This would allow disabled voters to more easily participate in the caucus. But the national Democratic Party rejected the Iowas tele-caucusing proposal, citing security concerns in late August. The IDP scrambled to make caucuses more accessible. On Jan. 13, Amanda Koski joined the Iowa Democratic Party as Disability Director. After tele-caucuses, disability rights advocates maintain that satellite caucus sites are the next best thing. Wilke notes that, for the first time, there will be satellite caucus sites, which can better serve Democrats with disabilities. For example, some sites will operate completely in American Sign Language. Others will specifically cater to individuals with disabilities who would benefit from caucusing with similarly-abled people at an independent or assisted living center. While the Mayflower Community, a local senior living home, agreed to be a satellite location for Poweshiek County, nearby county-level Democratic parties have struggled to find suitable venues. Often, Iowans with disabilities need to organize and advocate for satellite caucus sites on their own. Youre putting the burden on people who already face burdens while voting, said Grennan. Caucuses are notoriously complicated to run. While Poweshiek County Democrats expect around 1,000 attendees, they have not received training on planning accommodations. Given the lack of guidance from the state party, Democrats with disabilities depend on local officials discretion to create and enact accommodations. County organizations, for the most part, need to address accessibility one accommodation request at a time. There is a bigger need than is being addressed, asserts Grennan. As a county Democratic co-chair and caucus organizer, his goal is to get as many voters involved in the political process. Its an uphill battle, says Grennan, [but] we are hoping to make democracy feel possible. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and his new Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin hailed rapidly growing trade between their countries and pledged to further deepen Russian-Armenian commercial ties when they met for the first time on Friday. The two men held talks on the sidelines of a meeting in Kazakhstans largest city, Almaty, of the prime ministers of the five ex-Soviet states making up the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc. Relations between our countries, governments have always been and will be good and warm, Pashinian said in his opening remarks at the talks. I think that we always have a chance to elevate our relations to a new level. Mishustin assured him that Russias newly reshuffled government is intent on continuing constructive relations and working contacts with our Armenian colleagues. He said that Russian-Armenian trade soared by nearly 18 percent in January-November 2018, solidifying Russias status as Armenias number one trading partner. This is good, he said. We should cement this positive trend and look for new fields of cooperation. Pashinian likewise noted that bilateral trade was on track to approach the $2 billion mark last year. He said this is one of the reasons why economic growth in Armenia accelerated to over 7 percent. I hope that your government will support the economic dynamic which we have in Armenia right now, added the Armenian leader. According to an Armenian government statement, the two premiers then discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to Russian-Armenian economic relations. The statement cited Mishustin as proposing that Moscow and Yerevan explore possibilities of launching concrete projects in the information technology sector. Pashinian welcomed the idea, it said. Mishustin, whom Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin appointed as prime minister on January 16, attended a global IT forum held in Yerevan in October. The 53-year-old technocrat headed Russias Federal Tax Service at the time. Viber: Almost half of its users in Ukraine under 34 years old media 11:28, 31.01.20 2209 The application is installed on 96% of smartphones in Ukraine. An all-party meeting ahead of Parliament's Budget Session saw NDA ally Akali Dal mincing no words in its disagreement over Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and warning the Narendra Modi government against bringing legislations that "hurt" citizens, even as parties like the BJD too joining the Opposition chorus against the controversial law. The mood against CAA coupled with National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at the meeting on Thursday could be a precursor to the parties raising pitch on the issue with MPs from a section of the Opposition planning to attend the customary President's address in Central Hall wearing black bands to register their protest. If Akali Dal once again raised its objection over exclusion of Muslims from the ambit of CAA, BJD is learnt to have told the meeting convened by the government that it supported the Bill in right spirit but it appeared that the government actually had NPR and NRC as a follow-up action, to which they are opposed to. Sources said almost all parties from Congress to Trinamool Congress to the Left parties raised concerns over CAA-NPR-NRC with Akali Dal, which had voted in favour when the Bill came up in Parliament in Winter Session, being the "most vociferous" in its opposition to the move, saying it religion-based citizenship was "unacceptable". Parties from the North-East have also suggested that the region should be kept out of the ambit of CAA, as people were not taking it "nicely". Akali Dal Rajya Sabha MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder, who stood in for party chief Sukhbir Badal as he was attending a party programme in Punjab, told the meeting that the government should not bring legislations that hurt citizens and minorities and that the party was opposed to religion-based citizenship, sources said. Akali Dal, which had decided not to contest Delhi Assembly polls owing to differences with the BJP on CAA, had on Wednesday announced that it would support the saffron party in the election. BJD, which keeps equidistant from both camps but has voted with NDA in critical junctures, is learnt to have raised concerns over the government's plans on NPR and NRC. It's Lok Sabha leader Pinaki Mishra said they voted in favour of CAA but the government was now using it to push NPR and NRC and this has raised concerns, especially with ministers speaking in different voices. Mishra wanted a discussion on the impact of the implementation of CAA, a demand which was echoed by RSP's N K Premachandran, who said the Parliament should first discuss the issue soon after Budget is presented by breaking the precedence of debating the Motion of Thanks to the President's Speech. Senior Congress MP and Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government was dividing the country instead of uniting people by passing such legislations. He accused the government of turning the all-party meeting to a "photo-op and ritual", as it makes sessions shorter and shrink the space for Opposition in Parliament. Trinamool Congress, which was represented by Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Rajya Sabha leader Derek O'Brien, raised the issue of CAA-NPR-NRC, unemployment and economic situation in the country. "You are putting more stress on the poor," Bandyopadhyay told the meeting, as he warned the government, "the Congress has come down to 44 after getting over 400 at one time. You have 303. The zero in the middle can be removed. Be very careful." "Attended all Parliamentary party leaders meeting a day before the Budget session begins. What to expect this session. Same usual. Same chai. Same dhokla. Same sweet talk. And then Modi-(Home Minister Amit)Shah will mock precedents and procedures of Parliament in the weeks ahead," O'Brien said. RJD's Manoj Jha is learnt to have said the "old BJP" would have understood the concerns raised by the leaders while the "new BJP", in reference to the leadership of Modi and Shah, will not understand it. Turning to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, he was quoted by sources as saying, "you will understand. But not the new BJP. When you were the Home Minister, there was no change on Kashmir because you understood it. Sources said Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav said that the BJP was "messing up the entire country" after winning 33% of votes when the rest had voted against it while Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, whose Republican Party of India (Athawale) is an NDA ally, too said concerns over the legislation should be addressed. YSR Congress too reiterated its declared position that it will not allow NRC in Andhra Pradesh where they are in power. Sources also said there was discussion within the Congress to boycott the President's Address but party chief Sonia Gandhi was against the idea. She had also instructed party MPs not to obstruct the address even as the party is learnt to be planning to protest in Central Hall by wearing black bands. MPs from some other Opposition parties are also likely to join Congress in this protest. Britons evacuated from the centre of the coronavirus outbreak in China began their 14-day quarantine in Merseyside as the first UK cases were confirmed. The convoy transporting the 83 UK nationals and 27 other passengers from Wuhan arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital, on the Wirral, shortly after 7.15pm on Friday. They will spend the next two weeks being monitored by medical staff while living at an NHS staff accommodation block. Several of the patients could be seen inside wearing masks as they walked upstairs to their rooms. They will be provided with food, laundry facilities and access to the internet, as well as games consoles and toys for children, during their stay. All agreed to spending 14 days in quarantine and families will be able to stay together, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. Ben Williams, who was on board the evacuation flight, told the BBC he had been on his honeymoon after getting married in China. He said he had been forced to leave behind his wife, a Chinese national, because they had not had time to arrange for her to come. Hopefully its only a few months, he said. Its good to be back, but I also miss China as well. The evacuees had landed at Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire four hours after the first cases of coronavirus in the UK were confirmed. Public Health England said two members of the same family had fallen ill at the Staycity apartment-hotel in York on Wednesday. They are being treated at the specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID), part of Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Health officials are urgently trying to trace anyone who came into contact with the two patients. Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with the confirmed cases. Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases. The PHE definition of close contact is being within two metres of the infected person for 15 minutes. Many other countries, including Australia, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand are also planning to quarantine evacuees for two weeks to prevent the virus spreading. The US declared a public health emergency as it banned entry to foreign nationals who have visited China recently. It has also placed 195 evacuees from Wuhan in quarantine. On Friday, Chinese health officials said 11,791 cases had been confirmed, with 259 deaths. More than 102,000 people are under medical observation. The virus has spread to another 23 countries worldwide, with more than 100 confirmed cases outside China. However, while the number of coronavirus cases has now surpassed that of the SARS epidemic in 2002-3, death rates are much lower. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak an international emergency on Thursday and said the move would help it bolster the defences of nations with weak health services. The WHO also warned against imposing harsh travel restrictions something national governments appear to have ignored. Additional reporting by agencies The ReelAbilities Film Festival is shining light in Houston on disability inclusion, from the workplace to learning and physical disabilities to mental health. The event that runs from Tuesday, Feb. 11, to Thursday, Feb. 20, is in its eighth year and thought to be the largest and most innovative ReelAbilities festivals in the United States because it runs more than 10 days including preview events and has a lot more than just films. Organized by the JFS Alexander Institute for Inclusion in collaboration with the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities, ReelAbilities is a way for people with and without disabilities to find common bonds and learn from one another. This years festival celebrates 30 years since the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. When we realized that this year coincided with the 30th anniversary of the ADA, we thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for ReelAbilities Houston to, along with acting as a way to celebrate the stories, lives and talents of people with disabilities through the arts, also push the message of workplace inclusion into our community, said Event Chair Dee Dee Dochen. A preview event, ReelWorkplace 2020 is on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at Partnership Tower, located at 701 Avenida de las Americas. Lex Frieden, honorary chair of ReelAbilities 2020, will moderate a panel discussion and luncheon. Frieden was there when the ADA was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush and hopes to share about the importance of creating an atmosphere and culture of inclusion through using everyones varying strengths. Check-in and networking begins at 11 a.m. The lunch and program starts at 11:30 a.m. Stephanie A. Skolik, MD grew up in West Virginia and knew something was not right as early as the first grade. As other students learned to read, she struggled and instead learned to memorize. She eventually would memorize 600-word pieces to read out loud so that other students would not realize she was way behind. But in the third grade, a teacher showed an old, black and white film about the different systems of the human body. It was then that Skolik decided she wanted to be a doctor. She passed each year through the help of her mother tutoring her during the summers. Three years later, the same teacher only let Skolik be a safety patrol if she would get good grades. That encouragement caused her to make As and Bs mostly As from then on. Skolik said, It was because, not that I could suddenly read or I was suddenly better at reading, but because one person, one teacher looked at me and said, You know, I think you can do something, I think you'd be good at this. And that's what really stuck with me. It wasnt until her first semester in medical school that a professor suggested she get tested for dyslexia. Skolik is now a retinal surgeon, still in West Virginia, helping others not to lose their vision. She has channeled some of that childhood angst to encourage those with visual impairments through helping them to see visual art. Her art is on display at the Joe Frank Theater of the Arts at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC through Wednesday, Feb. 26. The show includes a series of paintings that have clay renderings with texture that allow people with visual impairments to understand what the flat piece above them looks like. Each work shows a particular experience in here life and the feelings that went with it. Maybe they cant read, maybe they can't see very well, maybe they can't hear very well, Skolick said. Whatever, that everybody has something, and we're all connected. And this is what Im trying to emphasize that we each need to know that we are the mentor for each other, you know, and when we come into a place like this, you never know who you're going to inspire or who you're going to bump into. The exhibit is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday; 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Friday; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday at 5501 Braeswood Blvd. Schools are invited to bring their students to experience the art and can email Tyneshabrown@jfshouston.org for reservations and information. ReelAbilities began in 2007 in New York as a film festival. Today, cities across the nation have their own. This year, the Houston festival has 15 films on a variety of people living and thriving with their disabilities. The films are all free and will show from Sunday, Feb. 16 to Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Edwards Greenway, located at 3839 Weslayan St. Parking is also free if you mention you are with ReelAbilities. Each film has closed captions and is audio described so that everyone can enjoy them. ReelPeople: UP Abilities from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at AD Players at the George Theater costs $25 but will be well worth it. Three speakers with disabilities will share their stories. Army veteran J.R. Martinez is one. He endured burns to 34% of his body. Still, he went on to become an actor, best-selling author and a winner of Dancing with the Stars. He will share about his unique experiences that have a powerful and universal message. The theater is located at 5420 Westheimer. While most of the events are free, donations are gladly accepted to continue the work. Lead sponsors for the festival include TIRR Memorial Hermann (founding partner) and Cornerstone Home Lending Inc. Dochen said that she is very proud of how this years festival has come together and knows it will influence and affect many in the Houston community. One thing that I do want to emphasize of course is this is our eighth annual, Dochen said. And for all eight years, you know our mission is to utilize the arts as a vehicle for celebrating the stories, lives and talents of people with disabilities, all with an overarching mission to change perceptions, erase stigma, educate, enlighten and involve people and bring people together, who are both in the disability world and the entire community. For more information or tickets, visit www.reelabilitieshouston.org. The Punjab Police seized nearly 200 kg heroin, claimed to be worth around Rs 2,000 crore, from a house in Sultanwind village of Amritsar district and arrested six people, including a Afghan national, officials said on Friday. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the house in Akash Avenue late night on Thursday and recovered the heroin along with other contraband, said Special Task Force chief Harpreet Sidhu. In addition to 194.15 kg heroin, 38 kg dextromethorphan, 25 kg caffeine powder, probably used to cut and mix the heroin, and six drums of chemical composition weighing 207 kg were also recovered, he said. An illegal lab was found set up inside the house where preparation, mixing and cutting of drugs was taking place, Sidhu said. The Afghan national arrested during the raid had come to India a week ago and his task was to dilute, refine and mix the high-quality heroin, he said. Among the other five accused are Sukwinder Singh, Major Singh and Tamanna Gupta. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said Punjab police had busted a major narco-terror racket. Addressing a press conference at Chandigarh in the evening, the chief minister asserted that those involved in the case will not be spared. We will not allow drug smugglers, narco-gangsters and narco-terrorists to spread their wings in the state, he said. Amarinder alleged that the house from which the police seized the contraband belonged to one Anwar Masih, who was a member of the Subordinate Services Board and appointed by the previous SAD-BJP government. An investigation is underway to ascertain ascertain Masih's involvement in the case, who claimed to have rented the house, the CM said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were using the premises for the last one month, Amarinder said. He said the drug peddlers were linked to Simranjit Singh Sandhu, who was recently detained in Italy on a lookout notice from Interpol on the request of Gujarat police. We will seek remand of Sandhu, who holds an Australian passport and was detained in Italy," the CM said. "The contraband seized in Amritsar appears to be a part of the consignment of 300 kgs of drugs that arrived in Mandavi in Gujarat last year, of which 200 kg was smuggled into Punjab. The consignment had been traced to Sandhu," he said. The chief minister said the government wants to eliminate the drug menace from Punjab. Flanked by DGP Dinkar Gupta, Amarinder said the Afghan national was identified as Armaan Basharmal. Asked about the value of the the contraband seized in Amritsar, the DGP said it was estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE:TMHC) ("Taylor Morrison") announced today that its subsidiary, Taylor Morrison Communities, Inc. ("TMCI"), has extended the expiration date for its previously announced offers to exchange (the "Exchange Offers") any and all outstanding senior notes (the "William Lyon Notes") of three series issued by William Lyon Homes, Inc. ("William Lyon") for up to $1.09 billion aggregate principal amount of new notes to be issued by TMCI (the "Taylor Morrison Notes") to 12:01 a.m., New York City time, on February 6, 2020 (as the same may be further extended, the "Expiration Date"). All other terms of the Exchange Offers and the related letter of transmittal remain unchanged. William Lyon is a direct subsidiary of William Lyon Homes (NYSE: WLH) ("Lyon Parent"). As previously disclosed, Taylor Morrison and Lyon Parent have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger that provides for a subsidiary of Taylor Morrison to merge with and into Lyon Parent, with Lyon Parent surviving as a wholly owned subsidiary of Taylor Morrison (the "Merger"). The Exchange Offers are being made pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated December 5, 2019 (as supplemented from time to time, the "Offering Memorandum") and the related letter of transmittal in a private offering exempt from, or not subject to, registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), and are conditioned upon the closing of the Merger and certain other conditions that may be waived by TMCI. The settlement date for the Exchange Offers is expected to occur promptly after the Expiration Date, and the Expiration Date of each of the Exchange Offers is expected to be extended such that such Expiration Date coincides with the closing date of the Merger. As a result, the Expiration Date may be extended one or more times. TMCI currently anticipates providing notice of any such extension before 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the Expiration Date. Taylor Morrison has been informed by the applicable agent that, as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 30, 2020, the principal amounts of the William Lyon Notes set forth in the table below had been tendered for purchase in the Exchange Offers and not withdrawn. William Lyon Notes Tendered as of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on January 30, 2020 Title of Series of William Lyon Notes CUSIP Number of William Lyon Notes Aggregate Principal Amount Outstanding Principal Amount Percentage 6.00% Senior Notes due 2023 96926DAU4 $350,000,000 $324,004,000 92.57% 5.875% Senior Notes due 2025 96926DAR1 $436,886,000 $428,410,000 98.06% 6.625% Senior Notes due 2027 96926DAV2 U96799AJ7 $300,000,000 $290,400,000 96.80% The complete terms and conditions of the Exchange Offers are described in the Offering Memorandum and related letter of transmittal, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Global Bondholder Services Corporation, the exchange agent and information agent in connection with the Exchange Offers and Consent Solicitations, at (866) 807-2200 (U.S. toll-free) or (212) 430-3774 (banks and brokers). This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or a solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of tenders or consents with respect to, any security. No offer, solicitation, purchase or sale will be made in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The Taylor Morrison Notes have not been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act or any state or foreign securities laws. The Taylor Morrison Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Only persons who certify that they are (i) persons who are "U.S. persons" (as defined in Regulation S) and (a) "qualified institutional buyers" within the meaning of Rule 144A or (b) "accredited investors" (as defined in Regulation D) or (ii) not "U.S. persons" within the meaning of Regulation S and are outside of the United States and who are "non-U.S. qualified offerees" for purposes of applicable securities laws are authorized to receive and review the Offering Memorandum (such holders, "Eligible Holders"). The ability of an Eligible Holder to participate in the Exchange Offers also may be further limited, as set forth under "Eligibility and Transfer Restrictions" in the Offering Memorandum. About Taylor Morrison Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (NYSE: TMHC) is a leading national homebuilder and developer that has been recognized as the 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 America's Most Trusted Home Builder by Lifestory Research. Based in Scottsdale, Arizona we operate under two well-established brands, Taylor Morrison and Darling Homes. We serve a wide array of consumer groups from coast to coast, including first-time, move-up, luxury, and 55 plus buyers. In Texas, Darling Homes builds communities with a focus on individuality and custom detail while delivering on the Taylor Morrison standard of excellence. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this communication are forward-looking statements (or forward-looking information) within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws. These include statements using the words "believe," "target," "outlook," "may," "will," "should," "could," "estimate," "continue," "expect," "intend," "plan," "predict," "potential," "project," "intend," "estimate," "aim," "on track," "target," "opportunity," "tentative," "positioning," "designed," "create," "seek," "would," "upside," "increases," "goal," "guidance" and "anticipate," and similar statements and the negative of such words and phrases, which do not describe the present or provide information about the past. There is no guarantee that the expected events or expected results will actually occur. Such statements reflect the current views of management of Taylor Morrison Home Corporation, a Delaware corporation ("Taylor Morrison"), or William Lyon Homes, a Delaware corporation ("William Lyon Homes"), and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, operational and other factors. Any changes in these assumptions or other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. All forward-looking statements attributable to William Lyon Homes or Taylor Morrison or persons acting on their behalf, and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements set forth in this paragraph. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. In addition, material risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include, among other things: the inherent uncertainty associated with financial or other projections, including anticipated synergies; the integration of Taylor Morrison and William Lyon Homes and the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits from the combination of Taylor Morrison and William Lyon Homes, and the amount of time it may take to realize those benefits, if at all; the risks associated with Taylor Morrison's and William Lyon Homes' ability to satisfy the conditions to closing the consummation of the Merger and the timing of the closing of the Merger; the failure of the Merger to close for any other reason; the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties and others related to the Merger; any unanticipated difficulties or expenditures relating to the Merger; the effect of the announcement and pendency of the Merger on the respective business relationships or operating results of Taylor Morrison, William Lyon Homes, or the combined company; risks relating to the value of the Taylor Morrison common stock to be issued in connection with the Merger, and the value of the combined company's common stock after the Merger is consummated; the anticipated size of the markets and continued demand for Taylor Morrison's and William Lyon Homes' homes and the impact of competitive responses to the announcement and pendency of the Merger; the diversion of attention of management of Taylor Morrison or William Lyon Homes from ongoing business concerns during the pendency of the Merger; and the access to available financing on a timely basis, and the terms of any such financing. Additional risks and uncertainties are described in Taylor Morrison's and William Lyon Homes' respective filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including as described under the heading "Risk Factors" in the joint proxy statement/prospectus included as a part of Taylor Morrison's Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed with the SEC, in Taylor Morrison's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed with the SEC on February 20, 2019, in William Lyon Homes' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2019, and in their respective subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required by law, neither Taylor Morrison nor William Lyon Homes has any intention or obligation to update or to publicly announce the results of any revisions to any of the forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, future events or developments, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting the forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Investor Relations Taylor Morrison Home Corporation (480) 734-2060 [email protected] SOURCE Taylor Morrison Many entrepreneurs dream of selling their business one day for a life-changing sum of money. In the shorter term, they may want to raise money from investors and get the best possible valuation to reduce the amount they dilute their own ownership. There are dozens of way to calculate a credible valuation in theory, but ultimately the value of a business is determined by what the buyers and sellers agree on. Here are the three most dominant factors that influence what your business will be worth in the market. Related: 5 Tips to Getting an Accurate Valuation 1. The revenue model The ultimate revenue model is an upfront purchase that covers costs and generates a profitable recurring revenue that continues indefinitely into the future. Prior to market saturation, mobile phone businesses fit this model brilliantly, with customers paying for the handset and then the monthly bills. Most of the costs in acquiring a customer were covered on the first purchase, and then the monthly plan was profitable very quickly. Recurring revenues are the holy grail for investors in today's markets, with SaaS structures attracting the highest valuations. If your business has the opportunity to add predictable subscription revenue, this will be the most attractive part of your revenue model. 2. The underlying assets of the business Up until the year 2000, the most valuable assets were physical. Assets like plant, equipment, land, buildings, heavy machinery or vehicles made up the bulk of the balance sheet, and the valuation wasnt far off it. Today, the most valuable assets are intangible. The brand, systems, data, culture, intellectual property and positioning are all considered to be far more valuable than anything you could put your hands on. Many of these assets require more creativity than cash, which is great news for entrepreneurs who can outclass big corporations when it comes to rapidly developing this type of value. If you want to maximize value in your business, formalize your intangible assets with media, technology, designs, contracts and formal registrations so that your strengths are clear. 3. The operational team Having a team of talented people who work well together, understand the business and are committed to hitting future goals is considered an asset. Big companies often struggle to get great people working together in high-performing teams, and the acqui-hire approach has been the cornerstone for many successful business exits. If you have great people, be sure to train them, develop them and get them enrolled in the long-term success of the business. Related: 7 Factors That Influence Startup Valuations Great people, strong assets and predictable revenue; these three factors push the value of an enterprise through the roof. Businesses that fail to achieve a valuation tend to rely upon one or two people, have lumpy incoherent revenue and dont have any unique proprietary assets in development. Once a business focuses on developing these three areas, it will have no problem agreeing to a solid valuation with an investor or acquirer. Related: 3 Bad Investing Habits You Should Drop Before It's Too Late Read Why These Start-ups Rebranded Can Your Business Stay Afloat in a Slow Economic Growth Scenario? Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved FLINT, MI A Michigan State Police team executed search warrants Thursday, Jan. 20 at two Flint businesses selling marijuana without a license, according to a press release. The Michigan State Police, Marijuana and Tobacco Investigation Section, or MTIS, executed search warrants at Bedrock Lounge, 529 S. Dort Highway, and Highly Sociable, 414 S. Dort Highway, both in Flint. Police said the businesses are required to have a state facility license as required under the states Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act of 2016 and the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act of 2018. The MSP MTIS continues to conduct investigations and actively pursue criminal charges against Michigan businesses that continue to cultivate, manufacture, distribute unlicensed marijuana, and unlicensed marijuana infused products, reads an MSP statement. Michigan State Police Lt. Duane Zook said troopers made a forced entry through a window on an exterior door at Highly Sociable. He noted the forced entry came after troopers announced themselves several times to person inside, but were not allowed access. The state police had a signed warrant from a judge, Zook said. We had a legal basis to be there. He noted the reasoning behind the searches is to make sure the businesses are properly licensed and to ensure the products being sold to the public are meeting quality control standards. It could become a health and safety issue, said Zook. Thursdays searches come a little less than two months after warrants were executed at Liberty Meds Lounge, located 3100 North Center Road in Genesee Township, and The Rec Center, 8033 North Dort Highway in Mt. Morris Township. Michigan State Police Lt. David Kaiser previously said businesses illegally selling recreational marijuana is not fair to the businesses that go through the process of obtaining a recreational license legally. You have to make an application out," Kaiser said. "You have to go through the process like every other business that wanted to sell marijuana legally had to obtain. Facilities caught selling recreational marijuana without license near Flint Authorities are concerned about the implications of three coronavirus-infected Vietnamese patients meeting with a lot of people during the Tet holiday. Three people who returned from Wuhan to Vietnam a week before Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, met with many people in northern Vinh Phuc Province, Hanoi and central Thanh Hoa Province before being detected with the new, deadly coronavirus that has already killed 213 people in China, officials say. The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that the three Vietnamese nationals have tested positive for the new pneumonia virus nCoV. One patient is being treated at Thanh Hoa General Hospital and the others at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. The three were among eight employed by Japan-based Nihon Plast Company Limited and sent to work in Wuhan City, the epicenter of the epidemic, in Hubei Province two months ago. They returned to Vietnam on a Southern China Airlines flight (CZ8315) on January 17. When they arrived at Noi Bai International Airport, a 25-year-old woman was picked up and taken to the company headquarters in Thien Ke Commune, Binh Son District, about 18 km from the airport. On January 23, the woman went to the Giap Bat bus station in Hanoi to catch a bus to her hometown in Thanh Hoa Province's Yen Dinh District at 6 p.m. the same day. Four hours later, she experienced a fever and started coughing. She was taken to the district hospital first and then transferred to Thanh Hoa General Hospital, where she has been quarantined and her condition said to be stable. A 25-year-old Vietnamese woman, confirmed to be infected with Wuhan coronavirus, is at Thanh Hoa General Hospital. Photo by VnExpress/To Ha. The second patient, a 29-year-old man from Vinh Phuc Province, began experiencing symptoms on January 21. He first went to a private clinic in the province's Tam Duong District and transferred to the Vinh Phuc General Hospital two days later. His samples were taken and tested at the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on January 26. As he did not recover at the provincial hospital, he was admitted to the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi the same day where he remains quarantined as of now. The third patient, a 23-year-old woman, also from Vinh Phuc, met with many family members and relatives after her return from Wuhan. She started showing symptoms on January 25 at her home. Her father first took her to the Dong Anh Central Tropical Diseases Hospital in Hanoi in a taxi. Blood samples were taken at the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Hanoi on January 27. She has been quarantined at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases as well. Two different methods Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and real time RT PCR were used to test biological samples from the three people, and the results were positive for nCoV. As of Thursday afternoon, Vietnam had recorded five cases of individuals infected with the new coronavirus. Two Chinese nationals were confirmed on January 23 as Vietnam's first cases of nCoV infection. Li Zichao, 28, one of the two, had recovered by Tuesday morning, But his father remains on a ventilator, doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC said Wednesday. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that an animal appears most likely to be the primary source of the virus. China says the virus could have come from a market in Wuhan where wildlife was traded illegally. The organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Thursday. The virus has spread from mainland China to Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Canada, Vietnam, UAE, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines. Chinese authorities said 213 people had died of the disease as of Friday morning. The number of confirmed infections is more than 9,600, mostly in mainland China. The Vietnamese government has deployed various measures to combat the virus, including halting all flights to coronavirus-hit areas, suspending visas for visitors from those regions and quarantining Chinese workers returning to Vietnam after Tet. As of Friday, Vietnam had recorded 97 suspected cases with signs of fever and cough, all from affected areas. Of these, 32 are in quarantine pending test results. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump added six countries to his administration's travel ban Friday - including Nigeria, Africa's most populous country - in a widely anticipated expansion that Democrats blasted as "clearly discriminatory" against people from predominantly black and Muslim nations. Citing national security concerns, officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department said the U.S. government will bar citizens from the six countries from immigrating to the United States. The expansion applies to four nations in Africa - Nigeria, Eritrea, Tanzania and Sudan - and two in Asia: Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar. The new ban takes effect Feb. 22; travelers who have received visas or are in transit at that time will not be affected. Travelers who have not received visas will be subject to the ban but will be automatically considered for waivers. The American Immigration Lawyers Association said the new ban will impede citizens of Nigeria, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar from coming to the United States permanently to join their family members or to work. The proclamation also bars citizens of Tanzania and Sudan from the visa lottery program, but it doesn't affect other forms of immigration from those countries, the association said. Officials estimate the policy will affect several thousand people a year, on the basis of recent immigrant arrivals from those countries. The policy will now limit immigration from 13 countries. Trump's initial ban in 2017, which initially targeted Muslim countries, ignited chaos during his first days in office amid allegations that the ban was discriminatory and illegal. The policy was knocked down in federal courts and then reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the new expansion signals that the administration is not going to relent in its efforts to slash immigration during an election year. Added to robust measures at the U.S. southern border that have curbed Central American migration in recent months, the targeting of immigrant visas also allows the president to advance his goal of reducing family-based migration. Trump, in a proclamation issued Friday, said the countries were chosen after an extensive evaluation that examined travel security and measures, and national security threats in dozens of countries; those that made the list were chosen from a recommendation that U.S. officials made in January. "The six additional countries recommended for restrictions in the January 2020 proposal are among the worst performing in the world," Trump said in the proclamation, but he said he was encouraged by their "willingness to work with the United States" to correct the deficiencies. A statement from the White House said that it is "fundamental to national security, and the height of common sense, that if a foreign nation wishes to receive the benefits of immigration and travel to the United States, it must satisfy basic security conditions outlined by America's law-enforcement and intelligence professionals." Refugees from the six countries are exempt from the ban. House Democrats attacked the expansion hours before the Trump administration unveiled it, calling the ban "xenophobic" and "reckless" and saying there is no evidence of national security threats that would warrant such restrictions. Speaking on the condition of anonymity on a call with reporters, federal officials would not detailspecific national security threats in the six countries for fear of disclosing information to "nefarious" actors there. But officials said there were "gaps and vulnerabilities" in each nation that could be exploited by terrorists and criminals. Officials said the countries had been selected on the basis of a ranking system that evaluated countries for compliance with various vetting and information standards as well as terrorism risks. The standards they looked at included whether the countries use biometric passports; whether the country reports theft and loss of passports adequately to the United States or Interpol; whether it shares information on known or suspected terrorists and criminals; whether it shares examples of its passports with the United States so they can be used to determine signs of fraud. The current ban prohibits immigrant and most temporary forms of travel to the United States for citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and North Korea, as well as certain visits for some Venezuelan government officials. All but two, Venezuela and North Korea, are majority Muslim. Trump in 2018 complained about accepting too many immigrants from Africa, Haiti and El Salvador, which he labeled "shithole countries." "Our country has to be safe," Trump told reporters last week at a news conference in Davos, Switzerland. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, who represents Houston, home to a large number of Nigerians, said there are concerns with terror groups in some countries but that there are "bad actors" in China and Russia, both not included in the ban. "We believe in the process of due process, freedom of movement. . . . They are the national and international values that we show to the world," she said, adding that Trump abused his power because he bypassed Congress. "This administration has stripped and shredded those values with no basis in security." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Congress plans to vote soon on legislation that would substantially restrict the president's authority to limit such travel to the United States, but the measure is unlikely to clear the Republican-dominated Senate. Jessica Vaughan, the director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a nonprofit organization that favors restrictions on immigration, said she hopes Trump's proclamation will lead to greater passport controls in the targeted countries. "Everybody's being evaluated, and these are countries that didn't make the cut," said Vaughan, who was a U.S. consular officer in the early 1990s. But she said it would have been more effective had Trump also imposed restrictions on temporary visas, because security lapses could still occur. "All it takes is one entry by a terrorist to cause a problem," she said. Of the six new countries, Nigeria also has the largest number of immigrants in the United States - about 300,000, not counting their U.S.-born children - with many in Texas, Maryland and New York. Nigerian immigrants and their children were more likely to have college degrees than the overall U.S. population, according to a Migration Policy Institute report. Nigerians also accounted for one of the largest groups of visa overstays in 2018, according to DHS. The ban is expected to disrupt millions of dollars of business deals, analysts say, as well as freeze a robust flow of Nigerian students to the United States that, according to the Department of Commerce, contributed approximately $514 million to the U.S. economy in the past academic year. The number of Nigerian travelers to the United States dropped 20 percent last year after the U.S. government ended a frequent-traveler program and increased entry fees. Republicans and Democrats have raised questions about the effectiveness of the travel ban and other "extreme vetting" measures under the Trump administration. After a Saudi military trainee shot and killed three sailors in December at a naval air station in Florida, Republican lawmakers asked the Trump administration to explain why it allowed Saudi military trainees into the country. Though citizens of the banned countries can apply for waivers if they are denied entry, few receive them. Approximately 10 percent of the 72,000 applications for waivers to the ban filed by citizens of Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Libya and Syria were granted in the past two years, according to the State Department. - - - Paquette reported from Dakar, Senegal. On Wednesday, January 29, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Pennsylvania man with defrauding Amish and Mennonite community members by making false claims about the use of their funds and guaranteed returns. According to the SEC's complaint, Philip E. Riehl provided accounting services to Amish and Mennonite communities and developed his own investment program, pooling money raised by selling promissory notes to community members. Riehl allegedly raised approximately $60 million over nearly a decade and promised to invest the funds in business and real estate loans to others in the religious community. According to the complaint, Riehl falsely claimed he required two co-signers on every loan, and would personally guarantee repayment with interest. The SEC's complaint further alleges that Riehl also sold investors promissory notes issued by Trickling Springs Creamery, a dairy business that he owned, without informing the investors about the company's financial difficulties and mounting debt. The complaint alleges that in late 2018 when the dairy was in dire straits, Riehl diverted money to it from at least one investor, against the investor's wishes. In a 2019 letter to investors, Riehl allegedly apologized for his dishonesty, including repeatedly stating that he required two co-signers on each loan, which gave a "false sense of security, in that such a considerable percentage of the funds were channeled into my personal projects." Trickling Springs Creamery ultimately failed, filing for bankruptcy in December 2019, and Riehl was unable to pay back investors. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, charges Riehl with violating the anti-fraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Riehl agreed to settle the charges against him. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, provides for injunctive relief and return of allegedly ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced criminal charges against Riehl. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Paulina L. Jerez of the Philadelphia Regional Office and supervised by Kelly L. Gibson and Kingdon Kase. The SEC's litigation was led by Jennifer C. Barry and Mark R. Sylvester. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Retail Strategy Task Force encourage investors to review the Investor Alerts Avoiding Investment Fraud in Your Faith-Based Community and Have Something in Common with Someone Selling an Investment? It May Make You a Target for Fraud to protect themselves and their communities from investment fraud. A second Republican senator declared support on Friday for calling witnesses at President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, leaving Democrats still short of the US Senate majority required and paving the way for Trump's swift acquittal. Senator Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and sometime critic of Trump, joined fellow moderate Susan Collins as the only ones among the 53 Republican senators in the 100-seat chamber to support voting for witnesses. Democrats need to persuade four Republicans to vote with them in the Senate in order to call witnesses such as John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser. Barring an unforeseen change of heart by other Republican senators before a final vote on the articles, Trump's allies seemed assured of defeating the request for testimony, acquitting the president and keeping him in office. That final vote on whether to convict the Republican president could take place late on Friday or on Saturday, congressional sources said. The Senate was due to resume the proceedings at 6pm GMT, with further arguments from Trump's legal team and the House of Representatives Democrats serving as prosecutors. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, who had been undecided, said late on Thursday that Democrats had proven the case against Trump but that the president's actions did "not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense." Alexander said it was "inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation." The Democratic-controlled House voted to impeach Trump on December 18, formally charging him with abuse of power for asking Ukraine to investigate a political rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. The House also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress for blocking current and former officials from providing testimony or documents. Trump is only the third president in US history to be impeached. A vote of two-thirds of the Senate is required to remove him from office and no Republicans have yet indicated they will vote to convict. Senate Democrats have been arguing throughout the two weeks of proceedings that lawmakers need to hear from witnesses in order for it to be a fair trial. This would be the first Senate impeachment trial in US history with no witnesses, including trials of two prior presidents and a number of other federal officials. Expand Close US President Donald Trump (Steve Parsons/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump (Steve Parsons/PA) Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told CNN: "The danger going forward is that the guard rails will be removed. The president now feels, in effect, legally unleashed." Blumenthal added that the trial is no vindication for Trump "because it was really no trial - no witnesses, no documents, no real evidence." Trump's Republican allies have sought to keep the trial on a fast track and minimize any damage to the president, who is seeking re-election on November 3. Trump denies any wrongdoing. Trump's acquittal would allow him to claim vindication just as Democrats hold the first of the state-by-state nominating contests on Monday in Iowa to choose the party's nominee to challenge Trump in the election. Biden is a leading contender to face Trump in the November election. The president held a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night and denounced the impeachment trial, again calling it an effort by Democrats to overturn his 2016 election victory. On Friday, the Democrats prosecuting Trump and the president's lawyers are expected to present closing arguments before the Senate votes on whether to call witnesses. Contradicting Trump's version of events, Bolton wrote in an unpublished book manuscript that the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations of Democrats, including Biden and the former vice president's son, Hunter Biden, the New York Times reported. Bolton's allegations go to the heart of impeachment charges against Trump. Democrats have said Trump abused his power by using the security aid - passed by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists - as leverage to get a foreign power to smear a political rival. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the highest-ranking US official to travel to Ukraine since the impeachment began, emphasized American support for Ukraine. "Today I'm here with a clear message: the United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," Pompeo said in Kiev. Ukraine counts on the United States for diplomatic support, sanctions on Moscow and military aid to buy Javelin anti-tank missiles and other hardware as it battles Russian-backed separatists in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people. It didnt take long for Shannon Beadors ex-husband, David Beador from The Real Housewives of Orange County to propose to girlfriend Lesley Cook. Cook shared to her private Instagram story that she and Beador were engaged and flashed her diamond engagement ring. David Beador attends the premiere party for Bravos The Real Housewives of Orange County 10 Year Celebration |David Livingston/Getty Images A number of bloggers and Bravo influencers picked up the news and shared it on social media. Fan reaction was not in favor of the news as most people who commented on the posts panned the couple. Cook revealed in one story slide that Beador proposed. Today I said YES to the man of my dreams, Cook wrote, influencer Love Andy C shared on Twitter. You complete me!!! Bravo Snark Side shared a photo of the couple with Cook showing her ring. David Beador is off the Market! Engaged to girlfriend Leslie, guess hes not one to shop around, the influencer commented on the Instagram post. Fans seemed uncomfortable with both the proposal and photo Cooks announcement included a photo of a shirtless Beador coming behind her in an embrace. Love Andy C joked on the post, David Beador got engaged and is apparently allergic to clothing. Fans also seemed to be put off by the photo. He probably just didnt want to get grease all over his shirt. That hair, one person remarked. Another commented, Are they angling for a show with everything they put out? And please put some clothes on. A number of people also shared memes of people gagging as clearly the photo made people feel uncomfortable. One fan stood by the engagement and was happy for the couple while slamming Beadors ex-wife Shannon. He was miserable with Shannon. She was passive aggressive, spoiled, self centred. She wouldnt do anything with him when he offered. He couldnt say one word without getting iced by her. Now he seems to be having the time of his life and very happy, its lovely to see, the fan commented. Others just slammed the proposal People who commented on Bravo Snark Sides post were clearly disturbed about the proposal. One fan didnt like the ring. What in the granny kinda is that? And why does she have Ramona eyes? But another observed that Beadors jewelry taste doesnt always hit the mark. He has always had horrible taste when it comes to jewelry . This fan stood by Beadors ex. His ex wife had a lucky escape, and shes happy he is disgusting no one cares about him, or his trs. Influencer Two Bravo Sisters also shared the same photo. There is a new step-mommy in town, the influencer captioned the photo. Podcaster Kate Casey remarked, Cubic zirconia. Meanwhile, Shannon Beador is doing just fine While Cook was sharing the news, Shannon Beador was snuggling with boyfriend John Janssen. She joked about having insomnia on her Instagram story, along with audio laughing about talking too much at night. Then she laughs about how old people wake up at night. As she giggles, she tells Janssen she was sharing the audio to Instagram too. She and Janssen also traveled to North Carolina and shared a photo where she had dinner with friends. The couple seems deeply into each other and Janssen even got the thumbs up from Beadors pal, Jeff Lewis. I love John Janssen, are you kidding? Lewis said Bravos The Daily Dish reports. Hes great. Advertisement Britain has ushered in a new chapter outside the European Union as Brexit was at last delivered, drawing a line under 47 years of membership. On the stroke of 11pm last night, the UK officially divorced from the bloc after three years of bitter political struggle that split families and paralysed Westminster. Jubilant Brexiteers heralded the moment with celebrations across the country, including a flagship bash in London's Parliament Square headlined by Nigel Farage. Britain's last moments inside the EU were ticked off in a light show projected on to the famous black door of Downing Street, where Boris Johnson held a muted party for his staff after releasing a pre-recorded address to the nation. The Prime Minister hailed the 'moment of hope, a moment many people thought would never come' and said Brexit would 'unleash' the UK's potential - but warned there will be more 'bumps in the road'. Many Remainers are still deeply uneasy about severing ties with the bloc and are cautioning that the Brexit saga is not yet concluded. Britain has now entered an 11-month transition period with the EU, during which time the government will race to strike a trade deal before December. Jubilant Brexiteers heralded the moment with celebrations across the country, including a flagship bash in London's Parliament Square (pictured) where Nigel Farage led a chorus of God Save The Queen Choruses of God Save The Queen and The Land of Hope And Glory swung round Parliament Square, where revellers toasted in a new post-Brexit dawn The Prime Minister hailed the 'moment of hope, a moment many people thought would never come' and said Brexit would 'unleash' the UK's potential - but warned there will be more 'bumps in the road' On the stroke of 11pm, the UK officially divorced from the bloc after three years of bitter political struggle that split families and paralysed Westminster Revellers dance during the Brexit party at Woolston Social Club after toasting in a new chapter for the UK outside of the EU Brexit supporters react during a Brexit Celebration party at Morley rugby club. The celebrations got into full swing well before the 11pm, when Britain finally divorces from the bloc after three and half years of wrangling Mr Brexit: Nigel Farage, who is no longer an MEP after be a disruptive force in the European Parliament for over 20 years, ushered in the new era outside the EU in Parliament Square 'Thank you Nigel! Pro Brexit supporters hold up a banner saying 'Thank you Nigel' during the Leave Means Leave rally in London Revellers waved Union Jacks and cheered triumphantly in Westminster last night after Britain finally left the European Union (Parliament Square pictured) The last moments inside the EU were ticked off in a light show projected on to the famous black door of Downing Street Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen in Parliament Square, venue for the Leave Means Leave Brexit Celebration party in central London A farewell message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover, the closest point of the British peninsula to the European mainland Brexiteer supporters pop Champagne corks in George Square, Glasgow, after Britain exited the European Union at 11pm Any future wrangling with Brussels was far from the minds of revellers last night however. Party-goers waved Union Jacks and cheered triumphantly following victory speeches by key architects of Brexit including Mr Farage, who is no longer an MEP after being a disruptive force in the European Parliament for over 20 years. Boris Johnson's Brexit Day address to the nation Boris Johnson giving his address to the nation Tonight we are leaving the European Union. For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. And then of course there is a third group - perhaps the biggest - who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end. I understand all those feelings and our job as the Government - my job - is to bring this country together now and take us forward. And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national drama. And yes it is partly about using these new powers - this recaptured sovereignty - to deliver the changes people voted for, whether that is by controlling immigration or creating freeports or liberating our fishing industry or doing free trade deals or simply making our laws and rules for the benefit of the people of this country. And of course I think that is the right and healthy and democratic thing to do. Because for all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this country. And that is a judgment that you, the people, have now confirmed at the polls. Not once but twice. And yet this moment is far bigger than that. It is not just about some legal extrication. It is potentially a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances - your familys life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. This is the moment when we really begin to unite and level up, defeating crime, transforming our NHS and with better education, with superb technology. And with the biggest revival of our infrastructure since the Victorians. We will spread hope and opportunity to every part of the UK. And if we can get this right I believe that with every month that goes by we will grow in confidence not just at home but abroad. And in our diplomacy, in our fight against climate change, in our campaigns for human rights or female education or free trade we will rediscover muscles that we have not used for decades. The power of independent thought and action. Not because we want to detract from anything done by our EU friends - of course not. We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation between the EU and an energetic Britain, a Britain that is simultaneously a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions. And when I look at this countrys incredible assets, our scientists, our engineers, our world-leading universities, our armed forces, when I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashed I know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning success. And whatever the bumps in the road ahead I know that we will succeed. We have obeyed the people. We have taken back the tools of self-government. Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom. Advertisement The Brexit Party leader said on Friday: 'There is one thing above all we must celebrate tonight and it is this. The reason we are here tonight is because Westminster became detached from the people in this country. 'The people have beaten the establishment. The real winner tonight is democracy. And I am someone who believes we should be pro-Europe, but not the European Union.' Choruses of God Save The Queen and The Land of Hope And Glory swung round Parliament Square, and were echoed in similar parties up and down the UK. Brexit was also marked by Remainers - albeit with less fanfare - who mourned the end of the near half-century relationship with the bloc. Those at a candlelit vigil held outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh chanted 'we don't want your Brexit'. And the moment was bitter-sweet for staff at the Department for Exiting the European Union, who have worked towards this day since established by Theresa May in 2016 only to be no longer needed. On the white cliffs of Dover, the closest point of the UK peninsula to the European mainland, a farewell message was projected. It followed a series of highly symbolic events earlier on Friday - the UK's flag was removed at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels. And the EU flag was taken down at the British government's building in the Belgian capital. Former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron, who both fell on their swords because of Brexit, also intervened on the historic day. Ms May said the occasion meant the government has 'kept the faith of the British people' while Mr Cameron was optimistic about the country's post-Brexit future. Across the Channel, Emmanuel Macron lamented 'a sad day' as the UK left the EU. But the French President could not resist firing a parting shot at Leavers who he said disseminated 'lies, exaggerations and simplifications' during the 2016 referendum. Yet his scathing assessment would have fallen on deaf ears, as most of the core players in the Leave campaign were toasting in Brexit on Friday night. In Parliament Square, speeches were made by former Brexit Party MEPs Ann Widdecombe and Richard Tice, and Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin. The Prime Minister himself, eager to avoid appearing triumphalist, hosted a small gathering for his advisers in Number 10, where English sparkling wine was served. However, his top aide Dominic Cummings did not appear in high spirits and was filmed snapping at a reporter who collared him outside a Pizza Express. On Friday morning Mr Johnson took his Cabinet to Sunderland, the first city to declare a majority for Leave in the 2016 referendum, in a symbol of his desire to reconnect with the north. He told ministers the UK is starting a 'new chapter' and he would be 'going full steam ahead to bring the nation together', according to Downing Street. He said the government would 'begin immediately - providing better healthcare and education, tackling violent crime and homelessness and delivering great new infrastructure'. He also laid down the gauntlet to the EU over trade negotiations, saying the UK will seek a loose 'Canada-style' deal. He also made clear the government will look to strike deals with other countries outside the bloc at the same time. A No10 spokesman said he told the Cabinet that 'from tomorrow, the UK will also be free to begin trade negotiations with countries around the world - with the aim to have 80 per cent of our trade covered by FTAs within three years'. In his address last night, the PM stressed his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country. He said: 'It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your family's life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.' He made clear the government would focus on bringing about change for ordinary people, highlighting that ministers could now control immigration, do free trade deals, and 'liberate our fishing industry'. 'Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom,' he said. A Brexiteer wearing a Union Jack dress joins in the celebrations in Parliament Square on Friday night as Britain toasts in a new chapter Brexit supporters cut a cake in the form of Big Ben during a Brexit Celebration party at Woolston Social Club in Warrington In the shadow of a statue of Winston Churchill, revellers party late into the night, setting off flares and waving flags Pro-European supporters were still present outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after the UK left the bloc at 11pm last night Pro-Brexit supporters are watched by police outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, after the UK left the European Union on Friday, ending 47 years of close ties to Brussels Thousands of partygoers were in high spirits around the Churchill memorial, with some wearing Boris Johnson masks Dressed head to toe in Union Flag regalia, Joseph Afrane smiles at a rally in Parliament Square to celebrate the UK leaving the EU last night A pro-Brexit supporter takes a selfie in Parliament Square, which was crammed full of Leavers to count down to Brexit Union Flags and the Flag of St George were waves outside Parliament in Westminster, central London, last night during the celebrations Flag-waving revellers piled into Parliament Square hours before Britain officially left the EU at 11pm last night But outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, the Saltire was raised alongside EU flags and the Catalan flag Scores of Brexiteers flooded into Parliament Square clutching Union Jacks as Britain draws a line under 47 years of membership Boris Johnson blows glass prior to chairing a cabinet meeting at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland Brexit parties were being held across the country, including in Morley - where they watched Mr Johnson's address Pro-Brexit supporters gather in George Square, Glasgow, as the UK prepared to leave the European Union before 11pm last night Three people dressed in Union Flag regalia and one as a medieval crusader pose at a rally in Parliament Square to celebrate Brexit Day The celebrations inside Woolston Social club in Warrington continued long into the night as revellers toasted in the UK's exit Nigel Farage was headlining the good-natured and colourful Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square last night Happy Brexiteers were out in force in Parliament Square last night as the clocked ticked down on the UK's time in the EU The Foreign Office was dramatically lit up for the occasion last night as the country marked Brexit finally happening The Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall was also illuminated as part of the official celebrations of the moment A Brexiteer holds up a placard during wild celebrations in Warrington on Friday night to mark Brexit day The Union Flag was taken down at the European Council HQ in Brussels last night as the new reality came into force The EU and UK will use the standstill period over the next 11 months to try to hammer out the terms of their future relationship. The UK is adamant a comprehensive deal can be struck by the end of the year but the EU is deeply sceptical and has called for an extension - something Mr Johnson has categorically ruled out. On Monday, Mr Johnson will deliver a major speech setting out his approach to the Brexit talks as well as detailing his plans for a period of national renewal. Sources said he would be 'very frank' about his aims for the negotiations with Brussels and his determination to allow Britain to 'diverge' from EU rules, even if that means the introduction of some trade barriers. Mr Johnson will also warn that failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year would lead to the introduction of tariffs on goods entering from the EU, such as German cars, French cheese and Italian wines. One government source said: 'Theresa May made two crucial mistakes she wasn't clear about what she wanted, and she wasn't clear that she was prepared to leave with or without a deal. 'We are not going to make those mistakes. We want a good free trade deal, without alignment, but we are prepared to leave without one if we have to.' Mr Johnson will also reject calls for the EU to be given automatic rights to UK fishing grounds and for the European Court of Justice to be the arbiter of disputes arising from a new trade deal. Mr Johnson had ordered only low key events to mark Britain's departure last night. Union flags have been put up in The Mall and around Parliament Square and there was a countdown clock and light show in Downing Street. Many of the pro-Brexit revellers had decided to dress up for the party in Parliament Square this evening Brexit supporters dance during a Brexit Celebration party at Woolston Social Club in Warrington, in the north west of the country A Brexit supporter cheers and holds up her arm with a makeshift trident. She also holds a Union Flag-style shield in Parliament Square It was all smiles among Brexit voters in George Square, Glasgow, despite the wet weather bringing the need for umbrellas Some Brexiteers in Parliament Square appeared not to have heeded advice from senior figures against being triumphalist Emmanuel Macron has warned Britain's imminent divorce from the EU should send alarm bells ringing in Brussels fearing other countries could peel away (pictured speaking at the Elysee Palace last night). Ursula von der Leyen said at an event in Brussels this morning that 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation' Mr Johnson appeared in good spirits yesterday as he travelled to the north of England for a meeting of his Cabinet. Before the meeting he visited The Industry Centre at University of Sunderland Ann Widdecombe led the march for the Brexit Party after Nigel Farage left Brussels for the final time as an MEP on Wednesday after the European Parliament voted for the Brexit deal Britain's MEPs left the European Parliament for the final time yesterday. Brexit Party MEPs took part in a march out of the building this morning carrying a banner reading 'Brexodus Express' Leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker called for Brexiteers to avoid triumphalism, saying: 'I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.' However, fellow Brexiteer Peter Bone called for the introduction of a bank holiday named United Kingdom Day. And Tory MP Mark Francois said he would be staying up all night to watch the 'sun rise on an independent country'. Meanwhile, the EU has been mulling over the departure of one of its largest members. French president Emmanuel Macron warned the UK's move was an 'historic alarm signal' that the bloc must reform - although he added that the Brexit campaign was based on 'lies'. The three most senior figures in the EU institutions delivered a parting shot as they said 'size matters'. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council Charles Michel and president of the European Parliament David Sassoli penned a joint article to mark Brexit. They spoke of their 'fondness for the United Kingdom' and praised Britons for their 'creativity, ingenuity, culture, and traditions'. But they could not resist putting the boot in as they suggested that on its own Britain will not be able to influence global affairs in the way that it has been able to as a member of the bloc. They then used a press conference in Brussels to double down on the jibe as Ms von der Leyen said 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation'. Former president of the European Council Donald Tusk tweeted his sadness at the UK's departure from the EU as he tweeted: 'My dear British friends. We were, we are, and we will always be a Community. And no Brexit will ever change that.' A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the moment of Brexit would mark a 'sea change' for the EU. 'We regret [Brexit], and we think the majority of the German population feel the same, but we respect the decision,' Steffen Seibert said at a government press conference. Berlin hopes Britain will continue to be a 'close partner and friend', Mr Seibert added. Meanwhile, Britain's MEPs waved goodbye to the European Parliament on Friday morning as they headed back to the UK. The Brexit Party's contingent marked the occasion with a show of strength as they marched out of the building carrying a 'Brexodus Express' banner as Ann Widdecombe said: 'The MEPs leaving here today, our duty is done, our harvest is home and now we're off.' Britain has finally left the EU, but what happens next? The UK and Brussels are braced for 11 months of crunch trade talks before a 'cliff-edge' in December (and Boris Johnson wants deals with Japan AND the US in 2020 as well) Britain has finally left the European Union but its dealings with the bloc are far from over. The last three years have almost entirely been about hammering out the terms of the UK's divorce from Brussels. Now the two sides must try to agree all of the details of their future relationship before a standstill transition period ends in December. The EU is adamant that 11 months is not enough time to get the job done, but Boris Johnson is refusing to agree to an extension, setting up a fresh Brexit 'cliff-edge' at the end of the year. Here is a breakdown of all the key dates in the next chapter of the Brexit saga. Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in Downing Street on January 8, will spend 2020 trying to hammer out a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and Brussels Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator pictured in Strasbourg on January 14, will lead talks for the EU January 31, 2020: The UK formally leaves the European Union at 11pm after more than three years of tortuous wrangling. The two sides enter into a standstill transition period during which they will try to agree the terms of their post-Brexit relationship. EU rules will continue to apply to the UK for the duration of the transition. The Department for Exiting the European Union ceases to exist. February 2020: The UK will be free to pursue trade deals with whoever it wants. Japan and the US are expected to be Britain's top targets with initial talks likely to start immediately after Brexit. The UK will also want to kickstart talks with the EU - but the bloc will make Britain wait. End of February/early March 2020: Before trade talks can start between the UK and the EU, the bloc must agree a negotiating mandate. This mandate will set out the broad terms of what the EU will be striving for during negotiations and will also spell out Brussels' red lines. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested the mandate may not be finalised until the end of February or early March. March 2020: Formal trade talks between the UK and the EU are expected to begin. A group of 40 officials called 'Taskforce Europe' and based out of the Cabinet Office will lead negotiations for the UK. The taskforce will be headed up by David Frost, a diplomat and one-time business lobbyist who was appointed Mr Johnson's Europe adviser last year. Mr Frost is expected to negotiate directly with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Brexit plagued Theresa May's time as prime minister as she failed to persuade MPs to support her EU divorce deal. She is pictured at a summit in Brussels in March last year April/May 2020: Trade talks between the UK and EU - as well as talks with other nations - will intensify. If major progress has not been made with Brussels then there is likely to be increasing pressure on Mr Johnson to agree to extend the transition period. The terms of Britain's divorce from the bloc state that the standstill will finish on December 31 and the PM has been adamant he will not agree to an extension. But the Withdrawal Agreement does include a pressure valve mechanism which states that the transition can be prolonged by one or two years if both sides agree. The EU has already said it does not believe the transition period is long enough to finalise a comprehensive agreement so if talks stall in the first half of the year then Brussels could step up demands for a delay. June/July 2020: The Withdrawal Agreement states that a decision to extend the transition period must be agreed by both sides before July 1, 2020 if it is to go ahead. The PM is expected to stick to his guns and refuse to agree to a delay, setting the stage for transition to end in December, with or without a full deal in place. July to November 2020: Assuming no transition extension has been agreed, the second half of the year will be fraught with activity as the UK and EU rush to get everything decided. The UK will also be hoping that by this time agreements with Japan and the US will be taking shape, putting pressure on Brussels to work quickly. September/October 2020: Downing Street is thought to want to have a trade deal with Japan in the books by the autumn to show the EU and the rest of the world it means business. It would be the UK's first post-Brexit trade deal. November 3, 2020: The date of the US presidential election. The White House has said it wants a trade agreement with the UK in place before the end of the year and will not want talks to clash with Donald Trump's bid for re-election. That means a US-UK trade deal could be done and dusted before November. December 2020: The UK and EU will either be on course to end the transition period with a full agreement in place or just a partial agreement. EU bosses have suggested that a lack of time will mean having to prioritise certain issues during talks, potentially leaving others to be resolved at a later date. The UK believes it is possible to get everything done. If no extension has been agreed then the two sides will be going their separate ways regardless. December 31, 2020: The point at which the Brexit transition period will come to an end and when EU rules and regulations will cease to apply to the UK. January 1, 2021: EU freedom of movement will be brought to an end and the UK's new post-Brexit immigration system will be rolled out. The Australian-style points-based system is expected to treat migrants from across the world the same, ending preferential treatment for those from Europe. How the drama unfolded as politicians went to war over Britain's ties to the EU Britain entered a new era last night after nearly four years of intense civil war over whether Brexit should happen. Since the beginning of 2016, politicians have been engaged in a bitter struggle for the soul of the country. The period has been among the most dramatic in the UK's history - with three Prime Ministers, a referendum and two elections. The deadlock was finally broken on December 12, when Boris Johnson won a stunning Tory majority with his simple message of: 'Get Brexit done.' Here are some of the key dates as the chaos unfolded. David Cameron took to the steps of Downing Street in February 2016 to announce the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU February 20, 2016: David Cameron announces the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU. June 23, 2016: The UK votes to leave the EU. July 13, 2016: Theresa May becomes PM after seeing off challenges from Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. March 29, 2017: Mrs May formally notifies the EU that the UK is triggering the Article 50 process for leaving the bloc. June 8, 2017: The Tories lose their majority in the snap election called by Mrs May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. Mrs May manages to stay in power propped up by the DUP. The Tories lost their majority in the snap election on June 9, 2017, which was called by Theresa May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. She is pictured at her count in Maidenhead July 12, 2018: Mrs May forces her blueprint for the future relationship with the EU through Cabinet during lengthy talks at Chequers. But both David Davis and Boris Johnson resign afterwards. November 2018: Mrs May finally strikes a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, and it is approved by Cabinet - although Esther McVey and Dominic Raab resign. December 2018: Mrs May sees off a vote of no confidence in her leadership triggered by Tory MP furious about her Brexit deal. January 15-16, 2019: Mrs May loses first Commons vote on her Brexit deal by a massive 230 votes. But she sees off a Labour vote of no confidence in the government. March 12, 2019: Despite tweaks following talks with the EU, Mrs May's deal is defeated for a second time by 149 votes. March 29, 2019: Mrs May's deal is defeated for a third time by a margin of 58 votes. May 24, 2019: Mrs May announces she will resign on June 7, triggering a Tory leadership contest. July 23-24, 2019: Mr Johnson wins the Tory leadership battle after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31, and becomes PM the following day. Mr Johnson won the Tory leadership and became PM in July last year, after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31 August 28, 2019: Mr Johnson announces he wants to prorogue Parliament from September 10. September 3-4, 2019: MPs seize control of Commons business and pass a law requiring a Brexit extension to avoid No Deal. Mr Johnson tries to call a snap general election but does not secure the two-thirds majority of MPs needed. September 24, 2019: The Supreme Court declares the prorogation of Parliament illegal. October 21, 2019: Mr Johnson strikes a new Brexit deal with the EU, incorporating many elements of Mrs May's but deleting the Northern irish backstop and proposing a much looser alignment. October 22, 2019: MPs approve Mr Johnson's deal at second reading stage in a major breakthrough - but they vote down his proposed timetable and vow to try to amend the Bill later. The PM responds by pausing the legislation and again demanding an election. October 29, 2019: MPs finally vote for an election, after the SNP and Lib Dems broke ranks to vote in favour, forcing the Labour leadership to agree. In the election on December 12, 2019, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour recorded its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit. He is pictured at the Islington North count December 12, 2019: The Tories win a stunning 80 majority after vowing to 'get Brexit done' during the campaign. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour records its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit, saying there should be a second referendum and he wants to remain neutral. December 20, 2019: The new-look Commons passes Mr Johnson's Withdrawal Bill by a majority of 124. January 9: EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill cleared its Commons stages, and was sent to the House of Lords. January 22: The EU Withdrawal Bill completed its progress through Parliament after the Commons overturned amendments tabled by peers, and the Lords conceded defeat. Mr Johnson signed the ratified Withdrawal Agreement last week in another highly symbolic step towards Brexit January 24: Mr Johnson signs the ratified Withdrawal Agreement in another highly symbolic step. January 29: MEPs approve the Withdrawal Agreement by 621 to 49. Amid emotional scenes in Brussels, some link hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. 11pm, January 31: The UK formally leaves the EU - although it will stay bound to the bloc's rules for at least another 11 months during the transition period. Will come back to haunt you: Jaishankar in veiled reference to Pakistan Jaishankars Brussels visit would decide on Modis participation at UN summit India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: A key meeting of External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar will take place on February 17 with his European Union counterparts in Brussels. The meeting is important and its outcome would decide whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the March 13 European Union summit. Earlier this week the European Parliament decided to postpone voting on a resolution regarding the newly amended citizenship law. The resolution was introduced by giving major groups across political leanings. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar holds talks with Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif India understands that the postponement is temporary and the resolution would be put to vote once Modi's visit is done. During his meeting, Jaishankar would seek assurances from his counterparts at Brussels against the resolution being put to vote. NEWS AT 3 PM, JAN 31st JAN, 2020 Modi's trip would be finalised only after Jaishankar gets an assurance, sources familiar with the matter tell OneIndia. When the resolution was taken up in the 751 member House, 271 of the 483 MEPs present voted to delay the vote on the resolution. 13 abstained, while 199 did not want to delay the voting. India had launched a drive that was intended to clear the misunderstanding regarding the law. India has maintained that the law is not discriminatory in nature and instead of passing a resolution, the European Parliament should engage with New Delhi for a right understanding of the law. Friends of India prevailed over the Friends of Pakistan, the official said while also blaming Shaffaq Mohammed, the PoK born MEP for the resolution. With the vote being delayed, Indian diplomatic channels would have more time to reach out to a majority of the MEPs and provide clarity regarding the law. Our official's channels are already at work, the source confirmed, while also expressing confidence that the issue would be resolved. We did not see any 'tukde-tukde' gang in JNU: S Jaishankar The final draft resolution by six of the largest groups in the European Parliament has said that the new Indian citizenship law is discriminatory in nature and dangerously divisive. The draft also says that the NRC may be used to target marginalised groups. It could cause immense human suffering, the draft also says. India has maintained that these issues are entirely internal. Moreover, these issues have been settled by a majority vote in both Houses of Parliament, India has informed. Instead of voting on such issues, the parliamentarians should engage with New Delhi. We would be able to provide them with the right assessment on the issues, sources on the Ministry of External Affairs informed. Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, speaks during a roundtable talk meeting with overseas entrepreneurs running their businesses here at Tips Town, a startup incubator office, in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and Startups By Baek Byung-yeul Korea has been endeavoring to nurture startups as part of its effort to find a breakthrough in a low-growth economy. The government is also working on luring more overseas-based startups to do business here in an attempt to help the country become a business hub and improve the global competitiveness of local industries. To advance such efforts and discuss ways to better support global startups, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups held a roundtable talk event in Seoul, Thursday, inviting companies which won the K-Startup Grand Challenge, a state-run startup accelerator program. In the meeting, Startup Ministry Park Young-sun vowed to come up with more policies that can better support global startups running their businesses here. "We are living in times where setting up a new business is more about where you start, rather than who runs the business. Korea was the first in the world to commercialize 5G telecommunication, and has already surpassed 4.35 million subscribers. Against this backdrop, Korea is well matched to be a new land of opportunity for global startups as Asia's tech hub, equipped with advanced infrastructure and technology," the minister said. "Recently, the passing of the three data-related acts at the National Assembly has enabled our ministry to fully support the industry. This recent development will help those pursuing new business models in big data, AI and related new industries, providing a breath of fresh air to companies who faced certain barriers in respective fields in the past," she added. The startup ministry, which supervises the business growth of small enterprises here, has been running the K-Startup Grand Challenge program since 2016, modeled after prominent overseas startup accelerator programs such as the MassChallenge of the United States and the French Tech Ticket of France. In the 2019 event, 1,677 teams from 95 countries applied and 35 teams won places in the four-month acceleration program with financial and consulting supports at Pangyo Startup Campus in Gyeonggi Province. Participants in the roundtable talk stressed they decided to launch their business in Korea taking the East Asian country as a bridgehead to other Asian markets. They also added Korea is a tech-savvy nation, which makes it easy for them to develop and test innovative technologies. Park Ji-hyun, director of German-based startup "Is It Fresh" said they decided to run their overseas branch in Korea because the country has outstanding comprehension of digital technology. The company is making sensor chips that can be attached to single units of instant noodles or milk, helping distributors easily manage their inventory. "We are frequently asked questions about why we, a German-based company, chose Korea to do our business. I always tell them Korea has the fastest mobile download speeds in the world, which means government and company officials here have high level of comprehension in emerging technology such as big data and IoT," he said. Chris Georgiev, co-founder of AI image recognition software development company Imagga, said "Korea is a great test bed for innovative technology." "Korea is a doorway to Asia, which means the country has a geographical advantage. In terms of cultural openness and startup ecosystem, Korea has a better business climate compared to Japan and China," he said. Park Young-sun, minister of SMEs and Startups, gives her welcome speech, during a roundtable talk meeting with overseas entrepreneurs running their businesses here at Tips Town, a startup incubator office, in Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Ministry of SMEs and Startups Trump lawyer: Ukraine 'quid pro quo' not impeachable offense Iran Press TV Thursday, 30 January 2020 3:39 PM US President Donald Trump's defense team has claimed at his Senate impeachment trial that American presidents cannot be removed from office for an action that could help their re-election, alarming Democrats and many legal scholars with the argument. Attorney Alan Dershowitz, a member of Trump's legal team, made the stunning argument on Wednesday during the first day of the question-and-answer session in the Senate trial. Dershowitz, a retired Harvard University professor, told senators that every politician conflates his own interest with the public interest. "It cannot be impeachable," he declared. As US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts presided over the trial, Republican Senator Ted Cruz asked Dershowitz if it mattered whether there was a quid pro quo? Simply, no, declared Dershowitz, who said many politicians equate their reelection with the public good. "Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest," he said. "And if a president does something, which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment." On Twitter, Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe, a longtime critic of both Trump and Dershowitz, compared the argument to French King Louis XIV's declaration, "L'etat, c'est moi," meaning, "I am the state." "Accepting this argument would put us on a short path toward dictatorship, benevolent or otherwise. It's incompatible with the government of, by, and for the people. It's government by egomania," Tribe said. University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade called Dershowitz's logic "absurd" and said, "If the Senate is to maintain any semblance of a check on presidential abuse, surely it must reject this argument." The US Senate is expected to wrap up the initial phase of Trump's impeachment trial on Thursday before turning on Friday to the explosive question of whether to call witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton. Democrats pressed hard to force the Senate to call more witnesses to testify, but Republicans appeared intently focused on bringing the impeachment trial to a vote of acquittal, possibly in a matter of days. Democrats argued Bolton's explosive allegations in his upcoming book cannot be ignored. Bolton's unpublished book manuscript directly contradicts Trump's account of events. Bolton wrote that the president told him he wanted to freeze $391 million in security aid to Ukraine until Kiev pursued investigations into former US Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Over two days, senators are grilling the House Democrats prosecuting the case and the Republican president's defense team. Dozens of questions were asked and answered Wednesday. The Democratic-led House on December 18 impeached Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate the Bidens, setting the stage for the Senate trial to determine if he should be removed from office. While the Republican-controlled Senate is highly unlikely to remove Trump from office, it is important for him to try to blunt the Democratic accusations to limit political damage to his bid for a second term. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 31.01.2020 LISTEN African sojourns to western countries are being curtailed for fear of overwhelming their hosts with the "disease" of explosive population since many countries overstayed their visa and took advantage of birth tourism. We must learn from the hysteria to ostracize Africans with Ebola and how easily Coronavirus from China can be used like AIDS to stigmatize. This existential threat to rich African politicians and their cronies that make up about 10% of their population can be turned to a blessing in disguise and improvise. Necessity is the mother of invention. No one will allow others to mess up their countries the way you have messed up yours. Encourage good alternatives at home, improvise locally and develop your young people as your mirrors and future. Visa denial to foreign places, schools, especially hospitals must not be your death sentence if you change! Those Africans that think what happened to the Jews, Japanese, Spanish, Arabs and other legal citizens or immigrants outside countries of origin cannot happen to them will be caught unprepared out of complacency. Wishful thinking, the way it is written, myths, village people and Voodoo will not deliver Africa. But African mentality to just make excessive profit and apply for forex to blow abroad stifle local demand. We should not be satisfied to live outside our countries because of the fear of starving to death at home. People become more desperate when they are hungry. Patriotism to a country they cannot survive in, is the last thing on their mind. It is not about freedom or democracy. Abi, shey na democracy we go chop? Unfortunately, after 60 years of craving foreign Investments and getting poorer, African elites/politicians see the salvation of their economies in the magnanimity and sympathy of the same Investments more than in self-Investment, reliance and discipline. They believe, as conditioned, that they are totally helpless. Miracle hands will appear from outsiders, not from within. Only God can save Africa. Guess who trained us that way. It is political malpractice not to anticipate the end of legitimate visa to countries that have rejected your citizens, even after invading your own countries. True, we are there because they were here. But today, we crave to fly by 707 planes, wiggle through seas and deserts to get out. If you have the means to send your children to school and pay for medical treatment overseas, you can establish the same at home with the same money for more people. The greatest amount of money should be spent on the greatest number of people, not on a few that have access to the national treasury. The richest top Ten-Percent of African population make enough to pull the rest of Africa out of humiliation, stigma, indignity and poverty if their expensive tastes are closer to the local population they serve; as those they aspire to be serve their people. The purchasing power of the top ten percent makes them more attractively susceptible to foreign indoctrination, influence and adverts than most Africans that lack the means, even if they so desire. If these top ten percent only invested at home, more talented young people would stay rather than subject themselves to the risks and ignobility faced overseas, right from the airports. Unfortunately, those Africans inability to provide three square meals a day for a family or infatuation contributed to deserting a country. No continent would allow African population of 1.216 billion to overwhelm them. But when Africa is divided into countries, foreign investors have the choice to focus on those with the highest purchasing power. How can average Africans spread purchasing power to pull one another out of poverty? The real demand comes from the people, as consumers. If Africans used that power to patronize local products, at reasonable prices it would create higher demand. The more buying power they have for local products, the more people are employed to satisfy high demand and less poverty in the land. Your demand is my job, my demand is your job. What and who are the "educated consumers" right now? They are culturally western trained Africans, with the same desire as middle to upper classes, reflected in addiction for exotic tastes, gadgets, toys and travels. They create markets for Western goods and services in African countries. Since they can be exploited at home, there is no reason to welcome them overseas. African Governments can only incentivize local production but this demand is temporary. It is highly exemplary for most to lead by actions not words. The population density in each country does not mean there are more ten-percenters. Even if only the rich ten percent of the population have the purchasing power needed to buy foreign goods and services. This is why they focus on Nigeria, South Africa, Ethiopia, Congo and Ghana as the countries with enough "educated consumers" to be courted since they think and act like foreigners. Nothing drains the spending power of Africans more than foreign goods and services. So, folks wonder where poor Nigerians get the money to buy these exorbitant goods and services as the poverty capital of the world. It was Uncle Bola Ige that reminded us years ago that the GSM mobile phones that became the expensive pride of the elites in Nigeria were commonly used at Cotonou markets by sale-ladies. If Nigeria is the world Poverty Capital, how can they afford so much foreign luxuries? Their top Ten-Percent are 20million of Nigeria's population. They are more than many nations. Look at the population and the percentage of their nouveau riche of about 20m with more elites than the population of some European and African countries. Even locally made products with little foreign contents are more expensive in Nigeria than in neighboring countries. Regardless of cheap local labor. Most businessmen make more profit in Nigeria than anywhere else based on the demand of the top 20% or 40m folks. Though the cost of establishing their business or plant are greater in other African countries because of worse enabling environment. Nevertheless, they raise their prices higher in Nigeria because of 40m demands. Even when cassava was added to wheat, the price of their acquired daily bread went up. What is next after acquired foreign daily rice at the expense of local rice, the poor would not be able to afford garri? Their intention has always been to raise prices because they can, since there are enough people to pay. So, we have locally made products selling at a higher price than foreign imports, encouraging more illegal imports. The saying "Academic politics is the most vicious and bitter form of politics, because the stakes are so low," is often attributed to the late Columbia Professor Wallace Stanley Sayre. Late last night, retired Harvard Professor Alan Dershowitz seemed to both prove and disprove that statement. Dershowitz launched into a criticism of the entire legal academy for disagreeing with his theory of impeachable conduct and even called out a fellow Harvard Professor Laurence Tribe for (like Dershowitz) changing his views. That was the petty part. But this was the Senate floor and the stakes are hardly low with a presidency in the balance. I found myself, again, thrown into the fight through a video played by the House Managers on the Senate floor declaring, in contradiction to Dershowitz, that impeachment can be based on abuse of power and non-criminal acts (The managers cut off the clip before I ended the line with but it is just not easy.). Dershowitz has right conclusion I hold a different interpretation but not necessary a different ultimate conclusion from Dershowitz. I do not believe that the House managers have sufficiently rebutted the defense of the president and specifically established the necessary intent to hold the Ukrainian aid for solely political purposes (as opposed to a policy concern of corruption or sharing costs with allies). While I praised Dershowitzs presentation of his theory on Monday as cogently and powerfully argued, I still believe that he is fundamentally wrong in maintaining that impeachable offenses must be based on actual crimes or crime-like conduct. However, the tight argument on Monday seemed to gradually loose more and more definition with every hour and day. Dershowitz declared that Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest. And mostly, youre right. Your election is in the public interest. And if a president does something, which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Story continues More from Turley: How Devin Nunes lawsuit threat undermines Donald Trump's impeachment defense It was a surprising and baffling statement. Where his definition of impeachable offenses would proscribe too little, this argument would protect too much in presidential misconduct. Clearly everything that a president does in office will come with a patina of politics. However, this argument would make that common denominator into an absolute defense. It is akin to saying that the Navy cannot commit maritime crimes carried out in water. Politics is the common element of presidential conduct just as water is the common element of naval action. That is why the argument becomes circular. Presidents cannot be impeached for politics but he argues all is politics for presidents. To use a Simpson-like construct: if it is political, there must be acquittal. Alan Dershowitz, an attorney for President Donald Trump, answers a question during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. While Dershowitz encourages senators not to consider the overwhelming view of academics (who he described as biased and dishonest), his narrow view of impeachment quickly unravels using the very hypotheticals that he raised. For example, Dershowitz repeatedly cited how President Abraham Lincolns call on General William Tecumseh Sherman to release Indiana soldiers to return to that state to vote in the key 1864 election. Dershowitz also noted that Lincoln unconstitutionally suspended habeas corpus but was not impeached for either act. The examples however prove the contrary to Dershowitzs position. Degrading our defenses for political benefits or suspending habeas corpus are non-criminal act that show why we cannot limit impeachable conduct to the criminal code. They are examples of potential impeachable abuses of power. While Lincoln could defend his authority or privileges in the courts, it is precisely such abuses that militate against the narrow definition advanced by Dershowitz. Otherwise, a president could be impeached for accepting a small bribe but not denying an entire nation the protections of its army or the great writ. Dershowitz makes case against himself Dershowitz also made the case against himself in his earlier writings that President Trump could give Alaska back to the Russians. He wrote: Assume [Vladimir] Putin decides to retake Alaska, the way he retook Crimea. Assume further that a president allows him to do it, because he believed that Russia has a legitimate claim to its original territory. That would be terrible, but would it be impeachable? Not under the text of the Constitution. So under this theory, Trump cut literally give away whole states without facing impeachment because we do not have a crime for wasting or converting or abandoning sovereignty. For want of a crime, Trump could not only trade foreign aid for the investigation of Joe Biden, but he could give Delaware back to the Dutch. The fact is that there is a host of non-criminal acts that could not just put lives but the nation at risk. If those acts are committed for purely personal reasons, they can be impeachable. It is the most difficult type of impeachment to prove, particularly if you are not alleging collateral criminal acts. This is not just the narrowest presidential impeachment in history but the first to allege only non-criminal conduct. If there are other reasons for a president to have acted (even unwisely or catastrophically), a case for removal cannot be made. In other words, it is not impossible (as suggested by Dershowitz) but it is highly difficult when faced with countervailing reasons for the same conduct. The hypotheticals raised by Dershowitz would make for lively exchanges in a faculty lounge. They hold a bit more of a chilling quality on the Senate floor. The stakes are not so low when the Republic rests in the balance. We are unlikely to loose Alaska or Delaware in the process, but we can loose a badly needed (if highly difficult) option for non-criminal but abusive conduct. The case for such an option was vividly shown by Professor Dershowitz himself. Jonathan Turley, the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University, is a member of USA TODAYs Board of Contributors. Follow him on Twitter: @JonathanTurley You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump's impeachment lawyers are making case against themselves Suppose that we live in a universe without ifs. What appears to be chance, or choice, is actually a peek into the rules of a completely separate universe that we can never access. Here, all our hopes for what might have been or what could be are accounted for; every outcome is settled, and we must play it as it lays. Welcome to the vertigo-inducing contemporary cosmic landscape, which is also the landscape of Michael Zapatas debut novel, The Lost Book of Adana Moreau. Structurally, the book alternates between the story of Maxwell Moreau, a budding theoretical physicist in 1920s-30s New Orleans, and that of Saul Drower, a hotel clerk and sci-fi enthusiast in Chicago in the early 2000s. The reader hopes these worlds will collide through an unfinished manuscript by Maxwells mother, the titular Adana. The daughter of Dominican insurgents executed by the United States Marines in 1916, a teenage Adana flees the island with the help of a lovestruck pirate (Maxwells father), on a ship bound for Louisiana. Settled with her new family in New Orleans, Adana discovers, like fortunate parents the world over, that literature is the best tether for her sons wandering spirit. But it tethers her as well, and she attacks the librarys science fiction section with an autodidacts frenzy. These titles inspire Adana to give voice to her trauma in the form of an apocalyptic novel of her own, a multiverse dramatization called Lost City. Tragically, typhoid strikes before she can finish the sequel, A Model Earth, and she destroys her only manuscript before she dies. Migration in Latin America and the Caribbean has rapidly changed over the last decade. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of immigrants in the region increased by 66 percent, while the number of emigrants went up 26 percent. Some 42.7 million people live out of their countries of birth. This is mainly due to Venezuelan migration, which is here to stay. At the end of 2019, there was an estimated 4.8 million Venezuelan migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers. About 85 percent of those who fled the economic, social and policy failures in Venezuela have moved within the region. Colombia, which shares a long border with Venezuela, is hosting the mostabout 1.6 million. But Venezuela is not the only reason why migration changing. The northern triangle of Central America faces growing numbers of people of the move, as a result of poverty and violence. Since 2014, an estimated 265,000 transit migrants, from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, have set out for the United States every year. A growing number of them are unaccompanied women and children. According to estimates, only one out of five succeed. The other 80 percent are stopped by Mexican or United States authorities. Growing numbers of stranded migrants also generate tensions in local communities. Migrants contribute to development Countries of transit and destination tend to see migrants as a burden. However, the international experience shows that immigrants, including refugees, also contribute to the development of their host countries. But harnessing the development potential of migration requires that public authorities promote migrants socioeconomic integration as well as social cohesion. At a time when the potential adverse impact of immigration is a concern for many countries, we need to ensure migration supports development. The Colombian government, with the support of UNDP, has designed an income generation strategy for migrants from Venezuela and host communities. The strategy encourages investment in training and education programmes to help migrants find suitable jobs. Socioeconomic integration policies also need to come with dedicated measures to promote civic coexistence. On the one hand, host countries need to protect migrants right. And they must fight actively against all forms of discrimination and forced labour. Several countries have carried out public awareness campaigns about why people had to leave their countries and how they positively contribute to host communities. To avoid resentment and xenophobia, native-born populations need to see the direct benefits of immigration. This implies that cash and in-kind programmes designed to support migrants include vulnerable host communities and that investment programmes contribute to developing public services and infrastructure to deal with rapid population increases. Regional challenges The Global Forum on Migration and Development Summit, held in Quito in January, has made the international community more aware of the migration and development challenges in the region. It recognized that besides humanitarian aid, migration is a development issue and that countries need to invest in income generation programmes to enable migrants, including refugees and asylum seekers, to integrate into their host countries labour markets. They also require massive investments in infrastructure and local development to help create jobs that can absorb both migrant and host populations. But, because this implies financial resources that most countries in the region do not have, international cooperation needs to increase its support to help them turn migration into an opportunity for development. Migration is on the rise. For countries that choose to host migrants in productive and inclusive manners it presents development and governance opportunities. UNDP, with its Regional Centre for Latin America and the Caribbean and its 26 country offices, stands ready to support national and local authorities Aditya Birla Capital, the holding company of the financial services verticals of the AV Birla Group, on Friday reported a 17 per cent growth in consolidated net income to Rs 250 crore for the December quarter. Its consolidated revenue rose 13 per cent to Rs 4,645 crore, the company said. It added that the overall lending book (NBFC and housing finance combined) stood at Rs 60,123 crore at the end of the quarter. The NBFC loan book rose to Rs 47,933 crore, led by a steep 30 per cent growth in the retail book. The bottomline was boosted by a 41-basis point expansion in the net interest margin to 5.24 per cent. The housing finance loan book grew 13 per cent to Rs 12,190 crore, maintaining a net interest margin to 3 per cent, the company said. The cost-to-income ratio improved to 49 from 58 in the previous year, led by scale and operating efficiencies, helping post better bottomline. The affordable loan book has grown significantly with 1.8 times growth, helping its quarterly profit of the vertical clip at 31 per cent to Rs 27 crore. The insurance arms (life and health) saw gross premium grow 18 per cent to Rs 2,366 crore, led by a 14 per cent growth in individual first year premium, helping double the net value of new business to 10.4 per cent from 5.2 per cent. The health insurance business saw gross written premium jumping 73 per cent to Rs 547 crore. The asset management company business reported an average assets under management (AAUM) of Rs 2,65,475 crore, of which domestic equity AAUM grew 6 per cent, contributing 37 per cent of the overall domestic AAUM. The vertical clocked a quarterly profit of Rs 130 crore, up 19 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [January 31, 2020] Cygnal Therapeutics Announces Scientific Advisory Board CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cygnal Therapeutics, the first company to build a platform to develop drugs in the new field of exoneural biology, today announced the company's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). The members of Cygnal's SAB are an unparalleled group of clinicians, researchers, and academic experts studying cancer and immune cells' interaction with and dependence on nerves. The SAB will guide and advise Cygnal's scientific programs, focusing particularly on target identification and validation, assay development, and in vivo models. Further, the SAB will contribute insights to aid in the clinical development of Cygnal's lead programs. "Our SAB is comprised of world-class pioneers in cancer research, inflammation, and neuroscience. Cygnal's platform is built on biology with broad implications across multiple categories of disease, and we are thrilled to have brought together this group of scientific luminaries. We are tapping into their diverse perspectives, profound expertise, and tremendous insights to fuel Cygnal's continued growth and our rigorous scientific programs across oncology, immunology, and inflammation," said Pearl Huang, Ph.D., CEO of Cygnal Therapeutics. The members of Cygnal's SAB are: Paul Frenette, M.D. Since 2010, Dr. Frenette has served as the director of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System in New York. Before joining Einstein, he served for 12 years in professorship roles at Mount Sinai Health System, most recently as professor of medicine. Earlier, he was an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School and a research fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Frenette received his M.D. from Laval University in Quebec City and completed an internal medicine residency and internship at McGill University in Montreal. He completed his residency in hematology-oncology and his fellowship at the Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. Dr. Frenette has described how peripheral innervation impacts tumor biology, particularly in the context of prostate cancer. His laboratory has made critical observations that elucidate the role of sympathetic and parasympathetic innervation in promoting tumor initiation and metastasis. Hubert Hondermarck, Ph.D. A biochemist and expert in cancer cell biology, Dr. Hondermarck is a professor at the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at the University of Newcastle in Australia. He received his Ph.D. in neurobiochemistry from the University of Lille in France and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Irvine. He founded a research unit at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research and led that unit for 10 years before he joined the University of Newcastle in 2011. He has published more than 100 articles over his career as a researcher. Dr. Hondermarck has uncovered the importance of neurotrophic factors secreted by cancer cells that, in turn, attract and recruit neuronal processes to the tumor microenvironment. Michelle Monje, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Monje is associate professor of neurology and neuro-oncology at Stanford University. Dr. Monje received her M.D and Ph.D. in neuroscience from Stanford. She completed her residency in neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. She has also completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric neuro-oncology and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. Dr. Monje's recent work has uncovered the role of neurons in the central nervous system in driving glioma cancer cell growth. With a series of elegant studies, her lab has shown that neurons signal to cancer cells in the brain via both soluble and synapse-driven interactions that drive brain cancer progression. Erica Sloan, Ph.D. Dr. Sloan is associate professor at Monash University in Australia. Dr. Sloan received her Ph.D. in cancer biology from the University of Melbourne. She completed her postdoctoral research in neuroimmunology at UCLA Medical Center and was an early-career fellow of the National Breast Cancer Foundation in Australia. Dr. Sloan uncovered the role of sympathetic nervous system signals that drive the growth and metastasis of breast cancers, defining how signaling controls tumor cell invasion and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment. Her team recently demonstrated that sympathetic signaling may be targeted in breast cancer patients to modulate biomarkers of metastasis. David Tuveson, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Tuveson is the Roy J. Zuckerberg Professor of Cancer Research at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) in New York. He has served as director of CSHL's Cancer Center since 2016, and he is chief scientist at the Lustgarten Foundation, a pancreatic cancer research organization. After completing a bachelor's degree in chemistry at MIT, Dr. Tuveson received both his M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He completed a medical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital, a medical oncology fellowship at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care, and a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. Dr. Tuveson's laboratory was established first at the University of Pennsylvania and then at the University of Cambridge in the U.K., where he generated the first accurate mouse models of pancreatic cancer, which are now in widespread use. These mouse and more recent organoid models have been applied to fundamental and translational investigations including the prominent role of the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer progression and drug resistance. In addition to his work at CSHL, Dr. Tuveson continues to practice medical oncology. Ulrich von Andrian, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. von Andrian is the Mallinckrodt Professor of Immunopathology at Harvard Medical School, a post he has held since 2006. He is also the program leader in basic immunology and a member of the steering committee at the Ragon Institute at MGH, MIT, and Harvard. After completing his medical degree and doctoral research in Germany at the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Dr. von Andrian completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the La Jolla Institute for Experimental Medicine in California. He also completed a second postdoctoral fellowship in pathology at Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. von Andrian joined Harvard Medical School's faculty in 1994. Since then, he has held additional professorships, and he has served on numerous editorial boards, including the boards of Cell, Science, Journal of Experimental Medicine, and Immunity. Dr. von Andrian's laboratory has uncovered the interaction between the peripheral sensory neurons and organs of the immune system. The lab's discoveries open new gateways into the search for novel therapeutics for modulation of the immune response in both cancer and inflammation. Timothy Cragin Wang, M.D. Dr. Wang is chief of the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases and co-leader of the Tumor Biology and Microenvironment Program at Columbia University Irving Medical Center's Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center. He is also the Dorothy L. and Daniel H. Silberberg Professor of Medicine at Columbia and holds a number of other posts within the university. Dr. Wang received his M.D. from Columbia and completed both an internship and a residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in Missouri, followed by a fellowship at Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he was a member of the faculty for 10 years. Dr. Wang's work in gastric cancer has illustrated the importance of cholinergic nerves in driving gastric tumor progression via a neurotrophic (NGF) factor-dependent pathway. This work is suggestive of novel approaches to treatment of gastric cancer in the clinic and provides yet another proof of concept for the exoneural platform that Cygnal is pursuing. Robert Weinberg, Ph.D. A pioneering cancer researcher, Dr. Weinberg is a founding member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Massachusetts. He is also an American Cancer Research Society professor at MIT. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in biology from MIT, working under Sheldon Penman. For his postdoctoral work, Dr. Weinberg joined Ernest Winocour's lab at the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, and Renato Dulbecco's lab at the Salk Institute in California. After completing his postdoctoral research, he returned to MIT in 1972 and was appointed professor of biology in 1982. Dr. Weinberg's research is focused on human cancers and their genetic roots. He discovered the first oncogene and the first tumor suppressor gene. His lab continues to uncover crucial, novel insights into tumorigenesis and the spread of cancer. Dr. Weinberg's encyclopedic knowledge and insight into the complexities of tumor biology are invaluable resources in the exploration of exoneural biology. To learn more about Cygnal, please visit the company's website at www.cygnaltx.com. About Cygnal Therapeutics Founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2017, Cygnal Therapeutics is the first company to build a platform to develop drugs in the new field of exoneural biology, an unprecedented way of thinking about nerves and neural pathways outside of traditional neurobiology. Exoneural biology is broadly implicated in human health and disease. Fueled by its Exoneural Medicine Platform, Cygnal is creating new medicines across multiple therapeutic areas, starting with cancer and inflammatory diseases. Learn more at www.cygnaltx.com. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cygnal-therapeutics-announces-scientific-advisory-board-300996830.html SOURCE Cygnal Therapeutics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Chief Missioner of Ansar Ud Deen Society of Nigeria, Sheikh Ahmad Abdurrahman admonished the Member representing Mushin 2 Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives Hon. Bolaji Yusuf Ayinlaby returning a Toyota Sienna car gift the lawmaker presented to him. The globally renowned scholar preached humility and selflessness to the legislator and others when reaching out to the less privileged in society. He said any act of selfless giving will be adequately rewarded by Almighty Allah. The preacher thanked the lawmaker for extending such gesture to him, but politely tasked Hon. Ayinla to take care of those in needs. He used the occasion to pray for wisdom and good health for the political leaders in Nigeria. PV: 0 Iran's nuclear energy organization called recent sanctions on the head of the agency by the U.S. an unwise move" that won't interrupt Iran's peaceful nuclear policies. The US announced new sanctions Thursday against the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and its director, Ali Akbar Salehi. The sanctions freeze any assets that Salehi has within US jurisdiction. The organisation said in a tweet Friday: The unwise move by @realDonaldTrump to impose sanctions on Dr. Salehi and AEOI will not in any way interrupt (Iran's) peaceful nuclear activities and policies. Such cruel sanctions will further enhance the nuclear scientist's motives in neutralizing hostile US policies, the organisation continued. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said it seems US officials imposed the sanctions to try to divert public opinion from Trump's impeachment. The new sanctions come amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in May 2018. Since then, Iran has begun breaking terms of the deal, which limited its enrichment of uranium. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Airlines are suspending flights to China in the wake of the new Coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed more than 200 people and infected nearly 10,000 people. Here is the latest on their plans (in alphabetical order): * AIR CANADA: Air Canada said on Jan. 28 it was cancelling select flights to China. * AIR FRANCE: Air France said on Jan. 30 it suspended all scheduled flights to and from mainland China until Feb. 9. * AIR INDIA: Air India said it was cancelling its Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 14. * AIR NEW ZEALAND: Air New Zealand said on Jan. 31 it was temporarily reducing flights between Auckland and Shanghai to four return services a week from Feb. 18 to March 31 rather than the usual daily flights. Live TV * AIR SEOUL: South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul said on Jan. 28 it had suspended all flights to China. * AIR TANZANIA: Tanzania`s state-owned carrier said it would postpone its maiden flights to China. It had planned to begin charter flights to China in February. * AMERICAN AIRLINES: The largest U.S. carrier said it would suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27. * BRITISH AIRWAYS: BA said on Jan. 30 it had cancelled all flights to mainland China for a month. * CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS: Hong Kong`s Cathay Pacific said it would progressively reduce capacity to and from mainland China by 50% or more from Jan. 30 to the end of March. * DELTA AIR LINES: The U.S. airline said on Jan. 29 it was reducing flights to China to 21 per week from 42, starting Feb. 6 through April 30. * EGYPTAIR: Egypt`s flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would suspend all flights to and from China starting Feb. 1. * EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES: El Al Israel Airlines said on Jan. 30 it was suspending flights to Beijing until March 25. Israel`s Health Ministry said it will not allow flights from China to land at its airports. * ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES: The African carrier on Jan. 30 denied reports it had suspended all flights to China. The airline`s statement contradicted its passenger call centre, which told Reuters earlier in the day that flights to China had been suspended. * FINNAIR: Finland`s Finnair said on Jan. 28 it would suspend its flights to Nanjing and Beijing until the end of March after China suspended international group travel from the country. Finnair will suspend its three weekly flights between Helsinki and Beijing Daxing between Feb. 5 and March 29 and its two weekly flights between Helsinki and Nanjing between Feb. 8 and March 29. * KENYA AIRWAYS: Kenya Airways said on Jan. 31 it has suspended all flights to China until further notice. * LION AIR: Indonesia`s Lion Air Group said on Jan. 29 it would suspend all flights to China from February. The airline has suspended six flights from several Indonesian cities to China so far and will suspend the rest next month. * LUFTHANSA: Germany`s Lufthansa said on Jan. 29 it was suspending Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China until Feb. 9. The airline continues to fly to Hong Kong, but it will stop taking bookings for flights to mainland China until the end of February. * ROYAL AIR MAROC: Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has temporarily suspended its direct flights to China, the company said on Jan. 30. RAM had on Jan. 16 launched a direct air route with three flights weekly between its Casablanca hub and Beijing. * RWANDAIR: Rwanda carrier RwandAir has halted flights to and from China until further notice, the airline said in a statement on Friday. The decision will be reviewed later in February, it said. * SAS: Nordic airline SAS said on Jan. 30 it has decided to suspend all flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing from Jan. 31 until Feb. 9. SAS offers 12 regular weekly connections from and to Shanghai and Beijing. * SHANGHAI AIRLINES: Shanghai Airlines said on Jan. 31 it would suspend its Chengdu-Budapest flight between Feb. 4 and March 28 and its Xi`an-Budapest flight between Feb. 6 and March 26 according to a statement on the website of the Budapest Airport operator. The airline`s Shanghai-Budapest flight is unaffected. * SINGAPORE AIRLINES: Singapore Airlines Ltd said on Jan. 31 it would reduce capacity on some of its routes to mainland China in February. The cuts include flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing, some of which are flown by regional arm SilkAir. Its budget carrier Scoot is also cutting back on flights to China. * TURKISH AIRLINES: Turkey`s flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would decrease frequency on scheduled flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xian between Feb. 5 and Feb. 29. * UNITED AIRLINES: Chicago-based United said it would implement a second phase of flight cancellations between its hub cities in the United States and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, resulting in 332 additional round trips being called off through March 28. The cancellations will reduce the carrier`s daily departures for mainland China and Hong Kong to four daily departures from 12. United had previously suspended 24 U.S. flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 because of a significant drop in demand. * UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC: UPS has cancelled 22 China flights, as a result of the Wuhan quarantines and normal manufacturing closures due to the Lunar New Year holiday, UPS Chief Executive David Abney said on Jan. 30. He did not specify how many flights cancellations were due to the virus. * VIETJET: Vietnam`s Vietjet will suspend all flights to and from China from Feb. 1, the company said on Jan. 31. * VIRGIN ATLANTIC: Virgin Atlantic said on Jan. 30 it would suspend its daily operations to Shanghai for two weeks from Feb. 2. It cited declining demand for flights and the safety of its customers and staff. The well-wishers are Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan of Vietnam, and Russias President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Chairman of the State Duma of Russia Vyacheslav Volodin. In his message to President Putin, Party General Secretary and President Trong said over the past nearly a century, Vietnamese and Russian people have stood side by side, from the battle to protect Moscow in the winter of 1941 to the struggle for national liberation and reunification in Vietnam, as well as during the cause of national defence and development. In their messages, the Vietnamese leaders described the traditional friendship and compressive cooperation between the two countries as an invaluable asset, which Vietnamese leaders and people are resolved to preserve and promote. They said the ties are the premise for the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership to further deepen and grow more effective. For his part, President Putin also emphasised the true friendship and alliance between the two countries over the past seven decades. We have always been alongside each other during the hardest years of Vietnams struggle for national independence and freedom, as well as in the later period of national reconstruction, he wrote. Leaders of both sides noted with pleasure the strong development of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership over the past time. PM Mishustin said the two countries are successfully deploying many big-scale joint projects in the spheres of energy, industry, transport infrastructure, science, culture and others. The Vietnam Year in Russia and the Russia Year in Vietnam in 2019-2020 have contributed to diversifying the relationship, he stressed. The leaders affirmed their resolve to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership in a pragmatic way, for the sake of the two countries people, and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world. On this occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also exchanged greetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Religion vs Relationship The definition of religion is highly debated especially in a world where there are so many religions that look so different from each other. But, the Oxford Dictionary defines religion as the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power. The thought of God as a superhuman controlling power doesnt seem quite right to me. Sure, God does have control and power that exceeds human capabilities but this doesnt sound like my God. Firstly, I wouldnt call God controlling, he gives us choice in the way we live our lives including whether we choose to follow him or not. Having a choice brings us closer to God if we make the decision to follow him as it creates a relationship. Googles definition of a relationship is, the way in which two or more people or things are connected. If God controlled the way we live and forced us to worship him, it couldnt be a relationship as there is no true connection, only mindless control. God calls himself our Father. He establishes a familial relationship. Christianity is so much more than the belief in God. It is the belief that Jesus died for our sins and the commitment to love God and love everyone around us. Superhuman is not a way that I would describe God. Despite Gods superhuman powers, the fact that God came down to earth as a human in the form of Jesus, I believe, rules the idea of God being so distant from humanness out. God sending Jesus to earth was uniting the divine with humans and destroying the barrier between God and us, instead, God lives in us. The destruction of religious laws In a religion driven Christianity, rules are a strong basis and requirement of being a good Christian, despite Jesus himself discounting the importance of solely focusing on these rules. One of the Ten Commandments includes resting on the Sabbath day and doing no work. The Pharisees followed this rule and when Jesus healed a man with a shrivelled hand on the Sabbath, they were quick to accuse Jesus. Yet Jesus said, Jesus ignores the commandments in order to do good. This idea can be developed as Jesus teaches us to, . This isnt Jesus telling us to go and do whatever we want but instead to re-evaluate the way we follow the commandments. The commandments mostly fall under loving the Lord and your neighbour already, stealing is not showing love to your neighbour, saying the Lord's name in vain is not showing love to the Lord, so the commandments do remain relevant in most situations. Overall we need to re-evaluate the way in which we follow the rules of God. Are we too focused on blindly following rules instead of doing the true works of God and loving people through everything we do? We need to listen to God and what he is leading us to do in a situation through having a relationship with him rather than just following a religion strictly based on rules. instead of the desire to love God and his people. Changing the Christian perspective As Christians, we can only truly thrive within our faith when we can minimize the emphasis on the guilt-inducing laws of the Old Testament which have been made redundant with Christs death on the cross and instead focus on our true purpose of loving one another, and Christ, fully. This includes forgiving others for their sins against you and not judging other Christians choices or lifestyles. As CS Lewis believes, Jesus sacrifice gave us the ability to connect with God without the barrier of sin, allowing us to have a full, unhindered relationship with him. Who are we to deny the power of Christs sacrifice and still believe that we can be hindered by sin within our relationship with God? As Christians, we must focus on our true purpose of loving everyone with the love that God first showed us rather than focusing on the guilt of being unable to live a sinless life that we have already been forgiven for living. Overall, we must focus on building a relationship with God instead of focusing on rules and religion to fully connect with God and his purpose for us. The RiverBend Growth Association (RBGA) would like to thank the Riverbend community for helping make 2019 a truly amazing year! Through community support the RBGA has grown its organization and fostered connections between community members, regional leaders, local businesses, organizations, and more. Attendance at Total Networking Luncheon and Breakfast Connections has increased to a five-year high by offering networking events that are informative and in an environment that fosters networking opportunities. The RBGA also continued to be a strong voice in Springfield for Riverbend area businesses fighting for employees, employers, and the community. More than 50 new members from 11 different municipalities joined the RiverBend Growth Association in 2019. Alton and East Alton both had more than 10 organizations join the RBGA. The momentum inspired by AltonWorks and East Gate Plaza has generated a renewed synergy for the Riverbend area creating growth and more advantageous opportunities. The RBGA ended 2019 with roughly 650 members who work together to make the Riverbend area a great place to live and work. The RiverBend Growth Associations monthly networking events saw an increase in attendance. 2019 had the best attendance for Total Networking Luncheon and Breakfast Connections networking events. The attendance for both events was more than 500 guests, up from 445 in 2018, making 2019s networking events the most attended thus far. The RBGA would like to thank its Promotions Committee who plans these events and makes sure that the events are engaging, informative, and fosters connections between member organizations. According to Trish Holmes, IOM, Director of Member Services, We were thrilled with the engagement and participation from our membership in 2019, and we already have great opportunities planned for our membership in 2020. Our business organization is one of the best ways to help you network or bring visibility to your business or organization. We have diverse events and platforms for all including entrepreneurs, small businesses, large businesses, and youth committees that are in this community to help it thrive. The RBGA Team is excited about the future of the Riverbend community and we invite you to join us. In 2019 the RiverBend Growth Association continued to be a strong voice in Springfield for its members. The RBGA fought for pro-business legislation like House Bill 3902 which is designed to help keep Illinois aviation repair businesses competitive with those from neighboring states. The RBGA also lobbied to make sure money from the $45 billion infrastructure plan (also known as the Capital Bill) came to the Riverbend region. Allocations such as $37.5 million for the renovation and repairs of the main complex at Lewis and Clark Community College, $150,000 for infrastructure improvements at the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site in Hartford, and $200,000 for capital improvements for the Bethalto Boys and Girls Club. The RiverBend Growth Association is excited about the future of economic development in the Riverbend area. With the new state funding, strong private-public partnerships, and an engaged community the Riverbend area has an opportunity for growth. We must take advantage of this opportunity and build a culture of positive outcomes that benefit all concerned. In 2020, the RiverBend Growth Association is celebrating its 35-year anniversary. Along with continuing its mission of providing the leadership required to attract, promote and support new and existing enterprise growth throughout the Riverbend, the RBGA is also taking an initiative of empowering the Riverbends future leaders. The RBGA aims to partner with Madison County Career and Technical Education System, Madison County Employment and Training Department, and other organizations to help destigmatize trade school and vocational training. While there is value in pursuing education in a classroom, vocational training provides another path to a successful career, and the Riverbend community should value and promote those who choose this path. The RBGA intends on working with students, educators, parents and others to illuminate the benefits of trade schools and vocational training. Many trade jobs offer high incomes and great benefits that equal or sometimes surpass the income and benefits from so-called white-collar jobs. The RiverBend Growth Association continues to support the Riverbend CEO program and its Young Adults Committee. The Riverbend CEO program promotes the entrepreneurial spirit in our local high school seniors by having them create their own business model. The RiverBend Growth Associations Young Adults Committee stimulates community involvement in high school juniors and seniors by having them coordinate volunteer experiences with local non-profits. The students also create and implement their own fundraiser which benefits one student in the form of a scholarship and a non-profit the students volunteered with in the form of a donation. The Riverbend community has created a culture of synergy and teamwork to better the region as whole. Collaboration between local municipalities, businesses, organizations, non-profits, and community members is important to the success of our region and will continue to be in 2020. The RBGA will continue to make the connections needed between these groups to make the Riverbend a great place to live and work. John Keller is president of the RiverBend Growth Association. For more information, visit growthassociation.com. Vietjet will stop all flights to and from China starting Saturday to try and limit the spread the deadly coronavirus. The budget airline said in a statement Friday that it had prepared this plan earlier, and will cooperate with Vietnamese authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) in taking steps to prevent the spread of the nCoV among its crew members and passengers. Vietjet is the first Vietnamese airline to stop China flights. At the time of writing, Vietnam Airlines and Jetstar Pacific were still operating flights to China. Globally, British Airways was the first airline to suspend all direct flights to and from China. Other carriers such as U.S.-based United Airlines and Indonesia-based Lion Air have suspended flights to certain Chinese cities. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam Wednesday ordered local airlines to stop all flights between Vietnam and infected locations in China. The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday that three Vietnamese have tested positive for the nCoV. One is being treated at the Thanh Hoa General Hospital in the eponymous central province and the others at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. As of Friday, there were five confirmed cases of infection in Vietnam. The first cases of nCoV infection detected in the country were a Chinese father and son duo. The son has recovered. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared a global health emergency as the death toll reached 213, all of them in China. The business advisory committee of the Kerala Assembly rejected the resolution The Opposition registered strong protest over the committees decision to deny permission for the resolution and submitted their dissent in writing The Kerala Assembly on Friday turned down the resolution moved by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala seeking to recall governor Arif Mohammad Khan. The business advisory committee of the Assembly rejected the resolution. The Opposition registered strong protest over the committees decision to deny permission for the resolution and submitted their dissent in writing. The Opposition is planning to raise the issue during the Assembly session on Monday when the action taken by the business advisory committee will be discussed in the House. While law minister A K Balan remarked that the Oppositions resolution is not as per the rules and procedures, speaker P Sreeramakrishnan said that resolution is legally admissible. Though the Opposition sought earlier permission to introduce the resolution, it was expected that the ruling bench will not allow it as the government does not want to widen the rift between the governor and the government which will lead to administrative impasse. The law minister made it clear during the public discourse that the government is not for a tiff with the Raj Bhavan and will not take any steps which will worsen the already strained relation. Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala said that there have been instances wherein legislative assemblies in many states passed resolution demanding governors recall. Even in Kerala, resolution moved by O. Bharathan MLA against the then governor Ram Dulari Sinha was discussed in Assembly in 1989. Hence, it is not against the precedence, he said. Peoples strong dissent against the Citizenship Amendment Act in the state has to be reflected in state Assembly, Chennithala added. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Friday said that the condition of the novel coronavirus (nCoV) affected patient is improving and a sample of the patient has been sent to the Institute of Virology in Pune. "The condition of the novel coronavirus affected patient is improving. There are no symptoms right now. Today, a sample of the patient has been sent to the Institute of Virology in Pune. If the sample is negative, the disease can be completely cured," Shailaja told reporters. "Those who come from infected areas should stay away from others for 28 days. Further precautions will be done in collaboration with the private sector. As part of it, we met officials of the Indian Medical Association (IMA). There is no need to panic," she added. Earlier today, Shailaja chaired a meeting with the health department officials in Thrissur after a person was tested positive with the novel coronavirus. The patient was shifted from Thrissur General Hospital to the isolation ward of Thrissur Medical College The central government has also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from traveling to China. In addition, the thermal screening facilities, as a precautionary measure, have been extended to 21 airports now, including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi, and Goa. The deadly virus has so far claimed 213 lives in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 3 1 of 3 Harris County Pct. 5 Constable's Office Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Harris County Pct. 5 Constable's Office Show More Show Less 3 of 3 A Houston rapper known as "Psyco Sid" was arrested Thursday morning with more than a gallon of liquid codeine in his car, according to the Harris County Pct. 5 Constable's Office. The rapper, Sidney Wiley, had not faced any new charges as of Thursday night, but he was arrested with an open felony warrant for an earlier charge of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He may face additional charges after the suspected drugs are tested, deputies said. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Defending an Ohio doctor charged with murder in the deaths of 25 patients will involve educating jurors about medical complexities and hard-to-pronounce pharmaceuticals, but its really a very simple case about hospital employees caring for people who were on life support and already facing imminent death, one of his lawyers said Friday. Prosecutors allege William Husel ordered the powerful painkiller fentanyl for those patients in doses so large that it points to an intent to prematurely end their lives. Though other colleagues in the Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System administered or approved the drugs, only the fired doctor is being prosecuted. Mount Carmel fired 23 nurses, pharmacists and managers after an internal review and said dozens have been reported to their professional boards for potential disciplinary action. Husel, 44, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for trial this June. The defence team is working to meet that date and doesnt intend to prolong the case, attorney Jose Baez said after a hearing Friday in Franklin County court to discuss jury selection, record-sharing and other pretrial issues. This is an innocent man who is being charged for multiple reasons, which youll find out at trial, Baez said. He doesnt deserve to be in this position, nor did all of those other health care professionals deserve whats happened in their lives. To receive some type of scarlet letter in this community after being caring and giving and dedicating your life to helping others is just nothing short of absurd. Baez, based in Florida, is known for successfully defending high-profile clients such as Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez. Mount Carmel fired Husel in December 2018. Its internal review concluded he had ordered potentially fatal doses for 29 patients who died over several years, including five who it said might have received the drugs when there still was a chance of improving their conditions with treatment. He was charged only in cases involving at least 500 micrograms of fentanyl. The judge and lawyers in the case say they expect the trial to last about six weeks. Theyre making plans to summon more than 700 people as potential jurors. Excused absences, other issues and lawyer questioning would be used whittle the group down to the final panel that will hear the case. A long legal battle over the authenticity of a painting purportedly by the renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau will have "ripple effects" on how people buy and sell art in Canada, the man behind the case said as a documentary on the saga is set to make its television debut. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Kevin Hearn at his home in Toronto on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn A long legal battle over the authenticity of a painting purportedly by the renowned Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau will have "ripple effects" on how people buy and sell art in Canada, the man behind the case said as a documentary on the saga is set to make its television debut. Kevin Hearn, the Canadian musician who successfully sued a Toronto art gallery over the painting, said he also hopes the film, called "There Are No Fakes," will encourage more people to educate themselves on Indigenous art and artists and how they are treated. "I feel there's a strong theme of reconciliation in this story. I believe if we're going to try to have truth and reconciliation (with Indigenous peoples), these are the kinds of stories we need to hear and talk about," he said in an interview this week. Hearn, a member of the rock band The Barenaked Ladies, said he first took legal action against the Maslak-McLeod Gallery and its late owner because he felt "ripped off" after learning the piece he had bought a painting titled "Spirit Energy of Mother Earth" had been flagged as a fake. "Then I started thinking, well, this amazing artist has been ripped off. Not only is he an important Canadian artist, but he's also an iconic Indigenous person and artist," Hearn said. "And then I started thinking, well, how many other people have been ripped off by this guy or other people? And so I started on this journey investigating all the paintings (sold as Morrisseaus)," he said. Hearn acknowledged his position as a public figure likely helped draw attention to the issue and allowed him to take actions unavailable to others. "It became less about the painting or the money, and it really became about trying to do the right thing for people who had been hurt and who didn't have a voice or a way to get justice or closure." The documentary, which is set to air on TVO on Saturday and again Monday and Wednesday, shows how, by challenging the origins of one painting, Hearn found himself in the middle of a bitter art-world feud between rival gallery owners and collectors. While it centres largely on Hearn and his legal battle, the film also delves into portions of Morrisseau's life, including a stint in jail during which he continued to paint. It also shines a light on the violence surrounding a group allegedly churning out hundreds of fake Morrisseau works and the man alleged to be the mastermind of the operation. The probe into possibly fraudulent art uncovered information that led Gary Lamont of Thunder Bay, Ont., to be charged in the sexual abuse of a number of teen boys and young men in the 1990s and 2000s. He eventually pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual assault involving five victims and was sentenced in 2016 to five years behind bars. No charges have been laid against Lamont in connection with a possible art scheme. However, police in Thunder Bay say they have now launched a criminal investigation into a possible art fraud ring involving Morrisseau paintings. Spokesman Scott Paradis said Friday investigators are "not prepared to speak about potential suspects or persons of interest." The criminal investigation is one of several major developments to take place after what's shown in the film, which ends with the outcome of the lawsuit. An Ontario court dismissed Hearn's claim after a judge found he could not say conclusively whether the painting was fake or genuine. The judge said a tie must legally go to the defendant. The province's top court later overturned that ruling last year, siding with Hearn and awarding him tens of thousands of dollars on grounds that the gallery had been deliberately elusive in proving the painting's authenticity. Hearn said this week the legal dispute initially soured him on the art world. "I thought the music business was corrupt but the art world is crazy," he said. But he has since purchased at least one confirmed Morrisseau piece and he still owns "Spirit Energy of Mother Earth," noting it could be a useful educational tool. "I found it very interesting that Norval used a lot of sacred symbols in his work. And I didn't know what they meant," but the expert witness at the trial said whoever made the contested painting didn't use them correctly, he said. "So if you know what they mean, this painting doesn't really make sense. And whoever painted it knew the words but not the language. And I think that on that point alone the painting could be useful." Misuse of traditional Indigenous symbols is common in art and commercial products, largely because there are no protections against that type of appropriation, said Lou-ann Neel, an expert in the intellectual property rights of Indigenous artists who works at the Royal BC Museum in Victoria. Neel, who is from the Mamalilikulla and Kwagiulth people of the Kwakwakawakw, said there were previously Indigenous-run, regional arts organizations who monitored and regulated things like the use of symbols. But those folded in the mid-1980s when their funding was cut, she said. As a result, the courts are the only recourse, which creates an "intended or unintended systemic barrier" for Indigenous artists and communities seeking to protect their art, she said. "There's a real sense of entitlement because people think it's in the public realm," she said. "It's all rooted in that belief that that's a dying race and that we gave it up, or that somehow we said, 'Yeah, sure, take our objects, put them in museums,' and then everybody else makes some money off of it." Neel said cases such as the one launched by Hearn show that the investments of collectors and gallery owners are generally placed above the rights of Indigenous artists. "This is also happening, and has never stopped happening ... with artists who want to participate in sort of the gallery museum economy but also the everyday products (and) tourist items," she said. "And it's still non-Native people making the lion's share of the money out of that," Neel said. "We don't seem to be getting anywhere or getting across to policy-makers the fact that Indigenous artists are being treated differently, here in Canada." This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 31, 2020. After current Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack announced his retirement in December 2019, the field opened to candidates on both sides of the aisle vying for his powerful position. Three Republican candidates for Pct. 3 presented their platforms to a sold-out Greater Houston Pachyderm Club luncheon at Tonys on Jan. 29 and answered questions from SJ Swanson, president of the club. Tom Ramsey, Susan Sample and Brenda Stardig made cases for why they are the best choice to represent conservative values as the GOP candidate over their competitors. They discussed their plans to not only fill Radacks shoes, but to speed up flood projects and reroute funding back to the precinct. Related: Cy-Fair Chamber members voice concerns with Commissioners Court Ramsey, a former civil engineer for more than 45 years, is the current mayor of Spring Valley Village. He said his past endeavors, including his work on Willow Waterhole Bayou, and decades of residence in Pct. 3 make him the candidate best-suited for refocusing commissioners court. Ramsey said he is endorsed by both Radack and Pct. 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle. Ramsey said one of his main concerns is rerouting Metro and mobility funding back to Pct. 3 following the implementation of the social vulnerability index that reduced funding to Pct. 3 and 4 and moved it to Pct. 1, 2 and 5 summer 2019. Stardig and Sample agreed with the with Ramsey and expressed similar goals. Were going to focus on infrastructure, were going to focus on safe neighborhoods, were going to focus on a reasonable tax rate, Ramsey said. I am very concerned about the Democrats, and I would call them socialists, on the court, three of them, who do not consider those three basic standards as something we should be doing. Stardig and Ramsey agreed that Harris County flood damage reduction projects in the 2018 bond program need to be fast-tracked and completed without further delays. Stardig said she is endorsed by the Houston Police Department and past presidents of the Texas Federation of Republican Women. Stardig, former city council member for city of Houston District A and former bank officer, said she would cancel contracts with construction companies and pitch them to other firms if need be in order to get flood projects started. We have studied and studied and studied and studied (flood projects), she said. We need to have action, we need to have construction, we need to be out there moving dirt. Weve moved dirt on Gessner Road; it has made a difference in my district. I want to make sure that we have good projects that are on the ground and moving. Sample said her experience as a certified public accountant attorney and former status as mayor of West University Place during Hurricane Harvey will help the commissioners court focus on bringing money back to Pct. 3 while improving drainage. Related: Commissioner Radack gives speech aimed at other commissioners during Cy-Fair luncheon Sample said flood-impacted properties in West University Place were reduced by more than 70 percent after Tropical Storm Allison in 2001 due to her focus on improving drainage for the area. She said Democrats on the commissioners court are taking funds away from Pct. 3 and 4 with the SVI under the guise of social equity. Truthfully we need the money in (precincts) 3 and 4 down where the flooding is coming from and where the growth is, Sample said. With flooding there is no socioeconomic boundary. Six Democratic candidates, Diana Martinez Alexander, Zaher Eisa, Erik Beto Hassan, Michael Moore, Morris Overstreet and Kristi Thibaut, are also running for the commissioner position, looking to flip the long-held seat. chevall.pryce@chron.com Morning Report: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-30 23:27:47|Editor: zyl Video Player Close Supporters of a pro-Brexit group celebrate at Parliament Square in London, Britain, on Jan. 31, 2020. Britain will leave the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31, 2020. (Photo by Stephen Chung/Xinhua) BRUSSELS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- On behalf of the European Union (EU) member states, the Council of the European Union has adopted the decision to conclude the United Kingdom's (UK) withdrawal agreement, the Council said in a statement on Thursday. The decision came one day after the European Parliament's plenary session approved the Brexit agreement by 621 votes in favor, 49 against and 13 abstentions. The political leaders in both the EU and the UK had already signed the deal, which provides for an orderly withdrawal of the UK from the EU. It covers citizens' rights, financial settlements, a transition period, protocols on Ireland and Northern Ireland, among other issues, said the statement. The agreement will enter into force upon the UK's exit from the EU on Friday night, ending the country's 47-year membership. Britons voted to leave the EU in a referendum in June 2016, and the government formally notified the EU of its intention to leave in March 2017. As of Feb. 1, the UK will no longer be an EU member state, although it will continue to apply EU law until the transition period ends at the end of 2020. Could Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE:PKG) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. Yet sometimes, investors buy a popular dividend stock because of its yield, and then lose money if the company's dividend doesn't live up to expectations. In this case, Packaging Corporation of America likely looks attractive to investors, given its 3.2% dividend yield and a payment history of over ten years. We'd guess that plenty of investors have purchased it for the income. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on Packaging Corporation of America! NYSE:PKG Historical Dividend Yield, January 31st 2020 Payout ratios Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. Comparing dividend payments to a company's net profit after tax is a simple way of reality-checking whether a dividend is sustainable. In the last year, Packaging Corporation of America paid out 43% of its profit as dividends. This is a middling range that strikes a nice balance between paying dividends to shareholders, and retaining enough earnings to invest in future growth. One of the risks is that management reinvests the retained capital poorly instead of paying a higher dividend. We update our data on Packaging Corporation of America every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility One of the major risks of relying on dividend income, is the potential for a company to struggle financially and cut its dividend. Not only is your income cut, but the value of your investment declines as well - nasty. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Packaging Corporation of America's dividend payments. The dividend has been stable over the past 10 years, which is great. We think this could suggest some resilience to the business and its dividends. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was US$0.60 in 2010, compared to US$3.16 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 18% per year over this time. Story continues It's rare to find a company that has grown its dividends rapidly over ten years and not had any notable cuts, but Packaging Corporation of America has done it, which we really like. Dividend Growth Potential Dividend payments have been consistent over the past few years, but we should always check if earnings per share (EPS) are growing, as this will help maintain the purchasing power of the dividend. It's good to see Packaging Corporation of America has been growing its earnings per share at 13% a year over the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing at a good rate, and the company is paying less than half its earnings as dividends. We generally think this is an attractive combination, as it permits further reinvestment in the business. Conclusion To summarise, shareholders should always check that Packaging Corporation of America's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. We're glad to see Packaging Corporation of America has a low payout ratio, as this suggests earnings are being reinvested in the business. We like that it has been delivering solid improvement in its earnings per share, and relatively consistent dividend payments. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 13 Packaging Corporation of America analysts we track are forecasting continued growth with our free report on analyst estimates for the company. We have also put together a list of global stocks with a market capitalisation above $1bn and yielding more 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Could BExcellent Group Holdings Limited (HKG:1775) be an attractive dividend share to own for the long haul? Investors are often drawn to strong companies with the idea of reinvesting the dividends. If you are hoping to live on the income from dividends, it's important to be a lot more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Some readers mightn't know much about BExcellent Group Holdings's 6.7% dividend, as it has only been paying distributions for a year or so. Some simple analysis can offer a lot of insights when buying a company for its dividend, and we'll go through this below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on BExcellent Group Holdings! SEHK:1775 Historical Dividend Yield, January 31st 2020 Payout ratios Companies (usually) pay dividends out of their earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, the dividend might have to be cut. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. BExcellent Group Holdings paid out 42% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. This is a medium payout level that leaves enough capital in the business to fund opportunities that might arise, while also rewarding shareholders. Besides, if reinvestment opportunities dry up, the company has room to increase the dividend. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. BExcellent Group Holdings paid out 125% of its free cash flow last year, which we think is concerning if cash flows do not improve. While BExcellent Group Holdings's dividends were covered by the company's reported profits, free cash flow is somewhat more important, so it's not great to see that the company didn't generate enough cash to pay its dividend. Were it to repeatedly pay dividends that were not well covered by cash flow, this could be a risk to BExcellent Group Holdings's ability to maintain its dividend. Story continues While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note BExcellent Group Holdings's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose. Consider getting our latest analysis on BExcellent Group Holdings's financial position here. Dividend Volatility From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. With a payment history of less than 2 years, we think it's a bit too soon to think about living on the income from its dividend. Its most recent annual dividend was HK$0.03 per share. We like that the dividend hasn't been shrinking. However we're conscious that the company hasn't got an overly long track record of dividend payments yet, which makes us wary of relying on its dividend income. Dividend Growth Potential The other half of the dividend investing equation is evaluating whether earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Growing EPS can help maintain or increase the purchasing power of the dividend over the long run. BExcellent Group Holdings's EPS have fallen by approximately 51% per year during the past five years. A sharp decline in earnings per share is not great from from a dividend perspective, as even conservative payout ratios can come under pressure if earnings fall far enough. We'd also point out that BExcellent Group Holdings issued a meaningful number of new shares in the past year. Trying to grow the dividend when issuing new shares reminds us of the ancient Greek tale of Sisyphus - perpetually pushing a boulder uphill. Companies that consistently issue new shares are often suboptimal from a dividend perspective. Conclusion To summarise, shareholders should always check that BExcellent Group Holdings's dividends are affordable, that its dividend payments are relatively stable, and that it has decent prospects for growing its earnings and dividend. First, we like BExcellent Group Holdings's low dividend payout ratio, although we're a bit concerned that it paid out a substantially higher percentage of its free cash flow. Earnings per share have been falling, and the company has a relatively short dividend history - shorter than we like, anyway. With this information in mind, we think BExcellent Group Holdings may not be an ideal dividend stock. See if management have their own wealth at stake, by checking insider shareholdings in BExcellent Group Holdings stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding above 3%. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The TSA has been pretty clear that they do not conduct strip searches at the checkpoint. In fact, they even re-iterated it to the media last year when I filed suit on behalf of Rhonda Mengert, a grandmother from Las Vegas, NV, who was ordered to take down her pants and underwear and show them a feminine hygiene pad. So why does once a year or so a new news story gets published with new allegations of checkpoint strip searches? Perhaps one reason is that the TSA doesnt think forcing you to expose your genitals counts as a strip search. From their latest filing in the Mengert case: Here, the TSA attempts to borrow from a case in which police officers, sued for conducting an illegal strip search, argued that they really only conducted a clothing search that, incidentally, resulted in the person being searched ending up naked in front of a police officer. Their attempt to try the same justification essentially that the TSA screeners who violated Mrs. Mengert were not interested in looking at her body; rather, she was just incidentally exposed as they searched her clothes is a bit curious since the case they cited told the police to pound sand: Whether or not the officers set out deliberately to inspect a prisoners naked body is not the question; it is, rather, whether the officers did, in fact, perform such a search. Wood v. Hancock County Sheriffs Dept., 354 F.3d 57, 64 (1st Cir. 2003), remanding the case back to the lower court for a jury trial. I dont imagine this will go well for them. If youre interested in qualified immunity, Bivens liability, and the lengths your government will go to defend blatant misconduct of their employees, the entire motion January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - Investigative journalist Aaron Mate did some digging after the last Democratic debate. It seems Joe Biden was caught in a pretty egregious lie, and it was captured on video coming out of both sides of his mouth. Biden said he voted for the Iraq war, but as soon as he learned more, he reversed his opinion. His exact words from that video were: I got a commitment from President Bush he was not going to go to war in Iraq. He looked me in the eye in the Oval Office; he said he needed the vote to be able to get inspectors into Iraq to determine whether or not Saddam Hussein was engaged in dealing with a nuclear program. He got them in, and before we know it, we had a shock and awe. Immediately, the moment it started, I came out against the war at that moment. (1) No you didnt, Joe! Aaron Mate dug up footage of Biden nine months into shock and awe andblushthis is what he actually said: Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The cost of not acting against Saddam would have been much greater. . . and so will be the cost of not finishing the job. . . Nine months ago I voted with my colleagues to give the President authority to use force and I would vote again that way again today.(2) So, Joe, you didnt come out against the war at that moment at all You supported it fully nine months into shock and awe and said youd "vote that way again." It looks like candidate Joe Biden is lying through his pearly white teeth on national television and hoping the American people wont notice. Someone noticed. Congratulations Aaron Mate for digging up the truth! Jerry Kroth, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor Emeritus (ret) from Santa Clara University and may be contacted through his website, www.collectivepsych.com Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here Footnotes ==See Also== Why Bidens First Run for President Failed Biden tells Iowa voter: "You're a damn liar" Muslims have as much rights as others have and the present government caters to minorities in the same way it does to the rest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Friday, asking NDA leaders to strongly rebut the opposition's charge that the CAA discriminated against the community. At a strategy meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders on the day Parliament's Budget Session started, sources said, Modi stated that the ruling alliance has no reason to feel defensive about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which has drawn nation-wide protests, as his government has done nothing wrong. Union minister and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan, a BJP ally, told PTI that Modi said at the meeting that Muslims have as much rights as others have in the country to reject the opposition's charge against the government over the CAA. The nation belongs to Muslims as much as it does to others, Modi said, accusing the opposition of spreading confusion among them about the law. Opposition leaders have dubbed the CAA "discriminatory" and said they will raise the issue of nationwide protests against it in the session. They have accused the Modi government of arrogance in making no effort to reach out to anti-CAA protestors. Minorities are as much "ours as other citizens are", Modi said, according to another leader, and he asked the leaders of the ruling alliance to aggressively take on the opposition's charge that the amended citizenship law discriminated against Muslims. The NDA meet also passed a resolution applauding Modi for taking various initiatives in the North East, such as the signing of the Bodo agreement and settlement of Bru tribe members in Tripura, the passage of the CAA in Parliament, and the opening of the Kartarpur corridor. Besides senior leaders of the alliance, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also attended the meeting. The NDA is united and stands behind the prime minister like a "rock", Paswan said. The resolution said that the nullification of Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special status, has given a new dimension to its development. Referring to local polls in Jammu and Kashmir, it said the elections have led to devolution of power in the union territory, "realising the dreams" of Mahatma Gandhi as he stood for decentralisation. The resolution also praised Modi for the government's decision to give ownership rights to residents of 1797 unatuhorised colonies in the national capital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dubai, Jan 31 : Two Indian sailors were killed and several others were reported missing after a Panamanian-flagged tanker caught fire off the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) coast, the government here announced. The UAE Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport said efforts were to trace the missing persons, whose nationalities were not known, the Khaleej Times reported on Friday. The Authority said the fire, which broke out on board the tanker 21 miles off the UAE coast on Wednesday night, was quickly brought under control by firefighters. "Rescue and emergency response teams provided relief to the crew after they received a distress call and rescued the tanker's crew," the Authority said in a statement on Thursday. According to sources, the tanker had around 55 people on board, including 12 crew members at the time of the accident. Two Indians perished in the fire while two others were reported to be critical. Another 10 were said to be missing, the sources added. However, Khaleej Times did not independently verify the information and an official response was awaited. As you might know, Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK) recently reported its annual numbers. Alaska Air Group reported in line with analyst predictions, delivering revenues of US$8.8b and statutory earnings per share of US$6.19, suggesting the business is executing well and in line with its plan. Analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what analysts' statutory forecasts suggest is in store for next year. View our latest analysis for Alaska Air Group NYSE:ALK Past and Future Earnings, January 31st 2020 Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Alaska Air Group from twelve analysts is for revenues of US$9.18b in 2020, which is a modest 4.6% increase on its sales over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are expected to climb 14% to US$7.10. In the lead-up to this report, analysts had been modelling revenues of US$9.17b and earnings per share (EPS) of US$6.93 in 2020. Analysts seem to have become more bullish on the business, judging by their new earnings per share estimates. There's been no major changes to the consensus price target of US$78.43, suggesting that the improved earnings per share outlook is not enough to have a long-term positive impact on the stock's valuation. That's not the only conclusion we can draw from this data however, as some investors also like to consider the spread in estimates when evaluating analyst price targets. The most optimistic Alaska Air Group analyst has a price target of US$95.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$67.00. As you can see, analysts are not all in agreement on the stock's future, but the range of estimates is still reasonably narrow, which could suggest that the outcome is not totally unpredictable. Further, we can compare these estimates to past performance, and see how Alaska Air Group forecasts compare to the wider market's forecast performance. We would highlight that Alaska Air Group's revenue growth is expected to slow, with forecast 4.6% increase next year well below the historical 12%p.a. growth over the last five years. Juxtapose this against the other companies in the market with analyst coverage, which are forecast to grow their revenues (in aggregate) 4.9% next year. Factoring in the forecast slowdown in growth, it looks like analysts are expecting Alaska Air Group to grow at about the same rate as the wider market. Story continues The Bottom Line The biggest takeaway for us from these new estimates is that the consensus upgraded its earnings per share estimates, showing a clear improvement in sentiment around Alaska Air Group's earnings potential next year. They also reconfirmed their revenue estimates, with the company predicted to grow at about the same rate as the wider market. There was no real change to the consensus price target, suggesting that the intrinsic value of the business has not undergone any major changes with the latest estimates. Even so, the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for the value creation of shareholders. We have forecasts for Alaska Air Group going out to 2022, and you can see them free on our platform here. We also provide an overview of the Alaska Air Group Board and CEO remuneration and length of tenure at the company, and whether insiders have been buying the stock, here. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. New Jan 31 : Ahead of the budget on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday attended the meeting of the NDA floor leaders in Parliament, during which the JD-U -- a key ally of the BJP -- demanded the removal of 'parents detail' in the NPR exercise. Sources said the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has urged Modi to remove the parents detail column in the National Population Register (NPR) form. The opposition has also stressed on removal of an additional six columns which seeks details of parents. Meanwhile, terming the NDA meeting as "excellent", Modi tweeted: "Had an excellent meeting with the NDA family. Our alliance represents India's diversity and dynamism. NDA has made a mark for its pro-people and good governance related development programmes that are empowering millions." Prior to the meeting, Modi also attended the meeting of senior BJP leaders. The principal opposition party Congress has convened a meeting of senior leaders on the NPR on February 4. Flagstaff police say people around Coconino County will be able to text their local police agencies instead of calling them over the phone. The program will be focused on benefiting people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak, said Katie Brandis, an emergency communication manager who oversees the Flagstaff Police Departments dispatch. She expects the program will help people in dangerous situations as well. There are situations like domestic violence and kidnapping where a victim might not be able to call 911 to speak to an operator, Brandis said via email. So being able to text to 911 to ask for help gives them a safer way to call 911. The project is still in the early stages, but has received $56,700 in grant funding and will not rely on city taxes. According to the State 911 Office, police agencies from Page, the Grand Canyon, Williams and Northern Arizona University will be able to use the system once it is implemented later this fall. The money will allow the program to be funded for five years. Brandis requested permission from the Flagstaff City Council last week to work with other agencies on this project, which the council approved. The agreement said if the state was unable to pay for the costs, each agency would be responsible for paying their portion of cost. Reaching a community In Arizona, approximately 1.1 million people are hard of hearing, and more than 20,000 people in Arizona are culturally deaf, according to the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing. In 2017, federal courts required the State 911 Office to pay for the text services to grant people who are deaf and hard of hearing access to emergency services. Sarah Benton, a faculty member at Coconino Community College who teaches American Sign Language, said that she has several family members who are deaf and was happy to hear the program was making its way to Flagstaff. Any way that we can increase peoples access to resources is necessary, Benton said. These are members of our population and they deserve equal access just like the rest of us. One of the challenges for the texting program is that it is still fairly new to Arizona, and only a few other agencies in Arizona use the service at this time. However, Brandis also expected that the younger, more tech-savvy generation would use the texting service. Its hard to gauge how many text calls-for-service our agency will receive, Brandis said. The agencies that have already implemented it report that they only get a few texts each month, however they do not have the university population Flagstaff does. Training In terms of operating the program, there wont be much of a difference between how dispatchers will respond to texts versus calls, Brandis said. A text call for service will be handled the same way a regular call will. The only difference is we will be having a text conversation instead of talking to someone, Brandis said. However, Benton said that many people who are deaf learn American Sign Language first and English as a second language, which can make communication more complicated. It would be important with Text-to-911 that dispatchers receive training on whether its a person who is deaf, a person whose first language is Spanish, Japanese or any language, Benton said. Currently, people who are deaf, hard of hearing or unable to speak must use a relay service to speak with dispatchers if they are in a crisis. Benton explained the relay service involves using video to call an operator who can then voice the persons call for help to local dispatchers. She said that in the beginning the service was confusing for dispatchers around the country, because dispatchers were unsure where the caller was located and who needed help. She said that service has been in operation for more than 10 years. Brandis said she was not worried about translations as dispatchers are already hooked up to a translation service. Dispatchers in Arizona are put through extensive training before giving them a headset, compared to other agencies around the country that do not require any training before. Flagstaff police prefer having higher standards for dispatchers to ensure they can juggle assisting multiple officers in the field while managing multiple callers in crisis at the same time. Brandis said she didnt expect the text service would add too much training to their system. I dont think it will add a layer of complication since the service is integrated into our telephone system, Brandis said. Its just another feature and tool that they will learn to use. Scott Buffon can be reached at sbuffon@azdailysun.com, on Twitter @scottbuffon or by phone at (928) 556-2250. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus, or the Wuhan coronavirus, has spread from China to over a dozen countries, including the United States, France, and Japan. The following updates are from Jan. 31. Click here for updates from Feb. 1. US Sees 7th Confirmed Case, Man Traveled From Wuhan The seventh case of the new coronavirus has been confirmed in the United States. The patient is a man who lives in Santa Clara County, California, the Count of Santa Clara Public Health Department announced Friday afternoon, after receiving notice about the case from the Centers for Disease Control. This marks the third case of coronavirus in California, but it is the first in Santa Clara County and the Bay area. Dr. Sara Cody, the health officer for Santa Clara County, told reporters at a news conference that the man affected had traveled to Wuhan, China, and became ill upon returning home. She added, Since he has been home to the county, he has been self-isolating at home and did not leave home at all except to seek medical care. He was seen in a local clinic and hospital but was never sick enough to be hospitalized. Our preliminary investigation indicates that he came into contact with very few individuals after returning home. We are making sure that anyone that he did come into contact with is being monitored for symptoms and staying at home away from others, she also said. Other cases in the United States to-date are: one in Washington state, one in Arizona, and two in Illinois. US Declares Public Health Emergency Over Coronavirus The United States will bar entry to foreign nationals who have been in mainland China in the past 14 days, in a ramp-up of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The temporary ban will not apply to the immediate family of U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Health Alex Azar announced at a press conference on Jan. 31. Azar added that U.S. authorities have officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency in the United States. Read more here. Spain Confirms First Case of Coronavirus Spains Health Ministry confirmed the countrys first case of coronavirus late Friday, Reuters reported. According to the ministry, a man was diagnosed with the new virus on La Gomera, a remote island in the Canaries. The man is part of a group of five people who were taken into observation on the island, and isolated on Thursday, after it was found that some in the group had come into contact with a German man diagnosed with the virus, the ministry said. Health Minister Salvador Illa is set to chair a ministerial meeting on Saturday to discuss the countrys response to the virus. Evacuees Under Mandatory Quarantine at US Air Base All 195 American passengers evacuated from Wuhan, China, on a charter flight will be quarantined in California, to evaluate whether they have contracted the deadly new strain of coronavirus, federal health authorities said on Jan. 31. The mandatory order, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was the first of its kind since the 1960s. While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat, the CDCs Nancy Messonnier said in a conference call on Friday. We are preparing as if this is the next pandemic, she said. Read more here. NY Health Commissioner Disputes Report of Confirmed Case New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot challenged a report that said the first case in the city had been confirmed. THIS IS NOT ACCURATE. There are still ZERO confirmed cases of novel #coronavirus in NYC, she said in a statement on Twitter. The report from the New York Daily News cited an email from a New York Police Department (NYPD) to eight precincts in Queen sent early Friday. The message, sent at 1:56 a.m., said the neighborhood of Elmhurst had 1 confirmed case of the illness. The New York City Fire Department and NYPD joined the Health Department in challenging the report. There are no confirmed cases on the U.S. eastern seaboard as of yet. There are two cases in Illinois, with the rest in the western part of the country. People wear medical face masks on the streets of Chinatown in New York City on Jan. 29, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Delta to Suspend All China Flights Delta Airlines will suspend all flights from the United States to China for at least two months, the Atlanta-based carrier said in a statement on Jan. 31. All flights will be suspended beginning Feb. 6 through April 30 due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus, the airline said. Between now and Feb. 5, Delta will continue to operate flights to ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so, it added. The last China-bound flight departing the United States will leave on Feb. 3. The last return flight to the United States from China will leave on Feb. 5. Customers who have trips that will be affected can visit the Delta website and go to the My Trips section. When there, they can request a refund or switch to flights that leave after April 30. They can also contact Delta to explore additional options. UK, Italy, Russia, Sweden Confirm First Cases Authorities in four European countries confirmed cases of the new coronavirus late Thursday or Friday. Two patients in the United Kingdom were isolated at a specialist infection unit in Newcastle. Two Chinese tourists in Rome, who tested positive for the virus, were isolated at the Spallanzani infectious diseases institute. In Russia, two Chinese citizens were confirmed to have the virus. They were isolated and placed under surveillance. Swedens first case, authorities said, was a woman in her 20s who landed on Jan. 24 after visiting Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus. She was isolated and placed under observation. Evacuated American Says Chinese City Like a Ghost Town Wuhan felt joyful as residents prepared for the Lunar New Year but turned into chaos as news broke of the rapidly expanding coronavirus outbreak, American Jarred Evans said. People suddenly swarmed pharmacies and stores to get masks and disinfectant spray, Evans said. I stocked up on rice, noodles, water, anything that could help me survive for a week or two, Evans said. The Chinese government shut down the city. Buses, trains, taxis, and personal cars were banned. The military patrolled some streets. Thats when people, honestly, stayed locked in their homes, Evans said. He compared the deserted city to an Old West ghost town. Read more here. Human-to-Human Transmission Occurred in Early Stages of Outbreak Human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus was occurring from mid-December 2019 in Wuhan, China, according to the largest study to-date analyzing patients infected with the deadly virus. A new paper, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 29, examined data from the first 425 confirmed cases in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and found that there is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. Chinese authorities did not confirm human-to-human transmission until Jan. 20, almost three weeks after the disease was first officially reported on Dec. 31, 2019. The first patient exhibited symptoms on Dec. 1. Official figures report thousands being infected in China and more than a hundred killedthough experts say the actual number infected is much higher. Read more here. Photos Show Man Lying Dead on Wuhan Street Pictures from the international news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) showed an elderly Chinese man lying dead in a Wuhan street just hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global health emergency over Chinas coronavirus outbreak. Hector Retamals series of photos showed the grim reality facing Wuhans 11 million residents at the epicenter of the disease. According to AFP, the man, carrying a plastic shopping bag in one hand, had collapsed on the street outside a closed furniture store not far from a hospital. Read more here. Singapore Bars Visitors From Mainland China Singapore on Jan. 31 announced it will bar entry to all new visitors from mainland China, including foreigners who have been in the country within the past 14 days, in a bid to stem the spread of the virus. Those visitors will not be allowed to transit in Singapore either, Singapores Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said at a press conference on Jan. 31. The travel restriction will take effect on midnight Saturday, while visa suspensions will come into effect immediately. The move is an escalation of a previous ban on new travelers who had been to Hubei Province, the central Chinese region housing the disease epicenter of Wuhan. Singapore currently has a total of 13 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, all of whom are travelers from Wuhan. UK Confirms First Cases of Coronavirus The UKs Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty announced two confirmed cases of coronavirus on Jan. 31. Whitty said that the two patients are members of the same family. The patients are receiving specialist NHS [National Health Service] care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus, he added. Hong Kong Leader Postpones Opening Schools Until March Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam in an afternoon press conference postponed the opening date for all local kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, and special schools until March 2. Most civil servants can continue to work from home until Feb. 9, she said. Lam added that after Hong Kong authorities identified 48 travelers to be from Hubei after searching 355 of the citys hotels and guesthouses, 15 have since voluntarily left. She said that the remaining 33 will be put under quarantine and will be free to leave Hong Kong after they show no symptoms of the virus. As of 9 a.m. local time on Jan. 31, the city had 12 known cases of the virus, with five being Hong Kong citizens and seven from mainland China. Philippines Issues Travel Ban For Chinese Nationals from Virus-Affected Areas Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte has announced a travel ban for Chinese nationals from virus-affected areas, following recommendations by the countrys health secretary Francisco Duque III and Senator Christopher Bong Go, according to local English-language newspaper Manila Bulletin. The President has issued a travel ban to Chinese nationals coming from the Hubei province of China where the nCoV originated, as well in other places in China where there is a spread of the disease, said Salvador Panelo, the presidents spokesperson. Currently, all regions in China have patients testing positive for the coronavirus. Panelo added: It will last until the threat is over given that that the safety of our countrymen is foremost in the presidents mind. The Philippines reported its first confirmed case of coronavirus on Jan. 30. According to another article by Manila Bulletin, 31 people are under observation for the virus. Malaysia Will Donate 18 Million Medical Gloves to China Teresa Kok, Malaysias Minister for Primary Industries, has announced that the country is sending a shipment of medical gloves to China, according to local newspaper The Star. The medical gloves, both natural rubber and nitrile, will be sent to China in batches with the first shipment already on its way to Wuhan, Kok said. Malaysia is the worlds biggest manufacturer of medical gloves. Kok added: Two companies, Top Glove and Supermax, have already donated 2.3 million pieces of gloves through their local offices and distributors to Wuhan. South Korea Reports 4 New Cases of Coronavirus South Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has reported another four new cases, bringing the countrys total number of known cases to 11, according to local media Yonhap News Agency. The latest announcement came just hours after the KCDC confirmed a seventh known case. One of the four cases involved a 62-year-old South Korean woman who returned to the country on Jan. 23 after visiting Wuhan. South Korea reported its first known case on Jan. 20. China Sends Planes to Thailand, Malaysia to Fly Back Hubei Citizens Chinas Civil Aviation Administration said in an announcement on Jan. 31 that two planes with Xiamen Air had departed at 1:17 p.m. and 1:34 p.m. local time from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in southern Chinas Fujian Province, headed to Bangkok in Thailand and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. There, the planes will pick up 117 and 110 Hubei citizens respectively. The two planes will fly back to Wuhan in the evening today. The announcement said that the two flights were part of an effort by Beijing to assist Chinese from Hubei, who Chinas Foreign Ministry said earlier today are facing practical challenges while on their overseas travels, without elaborating. Kenya Airways Suspends Flights to Guangzhou Kenyas flag carrier airline, Kenya Airways, announced that it is suspending flights to the Chinese city of Guangzhou in a tweet on Jan. 31. Guangzhou is 600 miles to the south of Wuhan, which is considered the epicenter of the virus. We have temporarily suspended all flights to and from Guangzhou starting Friday, 31st January 2020, until further notice, the announcement read. It added: Our consultation with the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs will continue and we will provide updates as the situation develops. Kenya issued a travel warning advising its citizens against unnecessary travels to China on Monday. Pakistan Suspends Flights to China Abdul Sattar Khokhar, Pakistans additional secretary of aviation, told Reuters, We are suspending flights to China until Feb.2. Local broadcaster 9 News carried a copy of a notification issued by Pakistans Civil Aviation Authority in an article in Jan. 31. Please be informed that as per decision by the Competent Authority at the appropriate level, all direct flight operations between Pakistan and China are to be stalled on immediate basis, initially till 2nd February, 2020, subject to subsequent review, read the notification dated Jan. 29. Japan Upgrades Travel Warning to China Japan has raised its travel advisory for China to level 2 on its four-level system, warning citizens to avoid non-essential travel, according to local newspaper Mainichi Shimbun. The advisory for Hubei province at the epicenter of the outbreak has remained at level 3, meaning that advice for Japanese nationals is to avoid all travel to the region. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has upgraded its travel advisory for China to the highest level, Level 4: Do not travel. Chinas Foreign Ministry Announces Plan to Repatriate Citizens From Hubei Hua Chunying, the spokesperson for Chinas foreign ministry, announced that Beijing will soon charter civilian airplanes to bring back overseas Chinese nationals who are from Hubei provinceparticularly those from Wuhan city. According to the announcement on the ministrys website, Hua said that Chinese overseas have been facing practical challenges, without elaborating on what those challenges are. He added that the planes will fly these overseas Chinese to Wuhan. Read more here. Japan Reports 3 More Cases of Coronavirus Japans Health Ministry reported three additional cases of coronavirus on Jan. 30, local outlet NHK reported. One patient was a Chinese student in her 20s living in the western prefecture of Kyoto. The student arrived in Japan on Jan. 22 from Wuhan. The second patient was a male foreigner in his 50s living in Mie Prefecture. The foreigner was in Wuhan in December and returned to Japan on Jan. 13. A tour conductor in her 30s living in southern Chinas Hunan Province also tested positive. She was in Wuhan on Jan. 19 and arrived in Japan the following day. Singapore Reports 3 More Cases of Coronavirus Singapores Ministry of Health reported three additional cases of coronavirus on Jan. 30, bringing the countrys total to 13. One of the new patients was a 31-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who arrived in Singapore on Jan. 22. She had traveled to Singapore with another person who had recently tested positive for the virus after arrival. A 37-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan also tested positive for the virus. She arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan. 22 and only showed respiratory symptoms on Jan. 26. She tested positive for the virus on Jan. 29. The third new case is a 73-year-old Chinese woman, also from Wuhan, who arrived in Singapore with her family on Jan. 21. She tested positive for the virus on Jan. 30. South Korea Reports 7th Case of Coronavirus On Jan. 31, the South Korean Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) reported on its website that another patient has been confirmed to have the virus, bringing the total in the country to seven. The patient, a 28-year-old South Korean, arrived at South Koreas Incheon Airport from Qingdao, a port city in eastern Chinas Shandong Province, on Jan. 23. He then went to a local health center for cough and other respiratory symptoms. 367 South Koreans Evacuated from China A chartered plane with South Korean carrier Korean Air flew home with 367 South Korean nationals onboard from Wuhan on the morning of Jan. 31, according to local media Yonhap News Agency. The plane took off from Wuhans Tianhe International Airport at about 6 a.m. and arrived at Gimpo Airport, located in the South Korean capital of Seoul, at around 8 a.m. local time. According to Yonhap, those aboard the plane will be put in isolation at two state-run facilities for 14 days. French Military Aircraft Evacuates About 200 Citizens from China A military aircraft with about 200 French citizens aboard flew out from Wuhan, China, on Jan. 31 according to AFP. The plane is bound for southern France, where those onboard will be subjected to a 14-day quarantine. Japan, Singapore, and the United States have successfully evacuated some of their citizens from Wuhan. Click here for updates from Jan. 30. Melanie Sun, Zachary Stieber, Eva Fu, Olivia Li, Cathy He, Jack Phillips, Mimi Nguyen Ly, Reuters, and the Associated Press contributed to this report. From The Epoch Times Labour leadership hopeful Sir Keir Starmer has called for European Union nationals to be given the right to vote in the UK. On the eve of Brexit day, Sir Keir said the treatment of around three million EU nationals since the 2016 referendum had been shameful. Meanwhile, leadership rival Rebecca Long-Bailey received a further boost to her campaign to replace Jeremy Corbyn, picking up the support of the Communication Workers Union. EU citizens can only vote in local elections rather than Westminster contests, something Sir Keir said must change as he called for an end to Brexit divisions. Writing in The Guardian ahead of a speech on Friday, he said: The government should give all three million EU nationals living in the UK full voting rights in future elections. The way they have been treated over the past three years is shameful. We were never just tolerating EU citizens living in this country they are our neighbours, friends and families. Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Britain votes to leave the European Union - 23 June 2016 A referendum is held on Britain's membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving AFP via Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? David Cameron resigns - 24 June 2016 David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Theresa May takes the reins - 13 July 2016 Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit - November 2016 - 3 November 2016 The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Article 50 triggered - 28 March 2017 The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May calls snap election - 18 April 2018 Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain - 8 June 2017 After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Negotiations begin - 19 June 2017 David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament - 13 December 2017 The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a 'meaningful vote' on the deal Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary - 11 July 2018 Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Draft withdrawal agreement - 15 November 2018 The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain's divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May resigns - 24 May 2019 After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson takes over - 24 July 2019 Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Parliament prorogued - 28 August 2019 Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK's agreed departure date of 31 October. Stephen Morgan MP Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Prorogation ruled unlawful - 24 September 2019 The High Court rules that Johnson's prorogation of parliament is 'unlawful' after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar - October Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar - making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Final Say march demands second referendum - 19 October 2019 As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson wins 80 seat majority - 12 December 2019 The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Withdrawal deal passes parliament - 20 December 2019 The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124 Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal - 29 January 2020 Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain's departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne AFP/Getty He added: As a country weve been bitterly divided for three and a half years. Our politics has been frozen instead of tackling the real and deep-rooted problems we face. Now the leave-remain divide must end. Defining people by how they voted in June 2016 merely upholds a divide that we must overcome. There are no leavers or remainers any more. In 2024 there will be no leave or remain constituencies. Ms Long-Baileys endorsement from the CWU came after she had already secured her place on the final ballot alongside Sir Keir and Lisa Nandy, but is a further show of support for her campaign. CWU generals secretary Dave Ward said: I am proud of the democratic process our union has conducted and it is clear to me that Rebecca Long-Bailey is the outstanding candidate for leader. The union also backed shadow education secretary Angela Rayner for the deputy leaders role. Press Association This is the incredible moment a 23-year-old parkour artist went from casually sitting on a bench to suddenly performing a front-flip in the Russian underground. Vladimir Polianskii, of Saint Petersburg, was waiting at an underground station in Moscow, Russia. Footage shows Vladimir sitting patiently beside other commuters on a bench in the station. Vladimir Polianskii, of Saint Petersburg, is pictured waiting in an underground station in Moscow, Russia. He is seen waiting patiently He turns his head abruptly to check the area is clear next to him. Seconds later, he quickly stands up before jumping backwards on to the bench. In an amazing turn of events, the free-runner performs a forward-flip and slams his feet back on to the ground. Vladimir lands in a perfect seated position with comical nonchalance as passerbys stop in their tracks. Within a matter of seconds, the free-runner jumps on to the bench before perfectly executing a forward-flip They continue their chatter as they hesitantly move around the parkour artist after watching his somersault. The adrenaline-junkie has also filmed himself executing a perfect front-flip before landing on to the seat of a motorbike. Vladimir (pictured) charters his stunts on Instagram Vladimir shows off his parkour on his Instagram, which has a 233k following, boasting clips of him performing flips on to car roofs and smoothly sliding in to the passenger seat from the overhead window. He charters his stunts and adventures across various obstacles in Russia, including St Petersburg and Pskov. Free running is a version of parkour which sees adrenaline junkies placing greater emphasis on stylistic acrobatics. This Regime will not stop Nigerians from travelling to China or any other country where coronavirus has manifested. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known while addressing newsmen shortly after a meeting of the inter-ministerial and multi-sectoral committee on coronavirus held at the Ministry of Health, Abuja on Friday. He said that rather than impose a travel ban, there will be travel advisory that will help Nigerians who wish to visit China to do so without any encumbrances to their health and wellbeing. We know it is a bit difficult to ban people from travelling. Another thing is that this is not a basis to stigmatise people who come from there. Even if we have Nigerians who are there unless they indicate interest that they want to come home, we cant force them. I know we have Nigerians in Wuhan; our Embassy in China has confirmed that we have about 16 Nigerians in Wuhan and they are in touch with them. They have, however, not indicated their interest to come home. They will, however, contact our embassy if they like to come home, he said. The minister said there was a need for the general public to be enlightened and for Nigerians travelling to be absolutely transparent. We need a lot of public enlightenment. We need to let people who travel know that there is a need for absolute transparency and absolute honesty when they are filling out forms. Some people dont take the forms seriously and they do mislead authorities when they are asked to declare their status. One of the major advantages of the declaration of global emergency for coronavirus by WHO is that they understand that combating it can be really expensive and there are states that cannot afford it. But there are partners that can help such countries. But right now, we are in the stage of working together inter-ministerially to make sure we address the epidemic, he said. NAN reports that the coronavirus committee is made up of several line ministries, including Health, Aviation, Transport, Information and Culture, Police Affairs, Internal Affairs, Agriculture and Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Also, the committee involves various government agencies and parastatals as well as state governors where international airports are located, Lagos, Enugu, Rivers and Kano. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the World Health Organisation has declared the coronavirus as a public health emergency of international concern. NEW YORK - Delta, American and United said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and mainland China, following the lead of several major international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Flight crew members wearing face masks walk through the international arrivals area at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. China counted 170 deaths from a new virus Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical observation and even isolation. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) NEW YORK - Delta, American and United said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and mainland China, following the lead of several major international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. American and United said they will keep flying to Hong Kong. American announced that it would stop flying to mainland China starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta and United planned to wait until Feb. 6 to give employees and passengers there more time to leave the country. United's suspension will last until March 28; Delta's until April 30. All three carriers said they were responding to a sharp drop in demand for the flights and Thursday's U.S. State Department advisory telling Americans not to travel to China because of the outbreak. International experts have labeled the coronavirus a global public-health emergency. American was under extra pressure after the union representing its pilots sued to halt the flights and told its members not to operate flights to China because of the health risks. The Association of Flight Attendants union asked the federal government to order the airlines to stop China flights. Several major international airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines, had already suspended service to China. That left U.S. carriers in the awkward position of maintaining China flights while some of their key foreign allies were suspending service. The U.S. airlines gave no explanation for why they waited. These are not easy decisions to make, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. But if customer demand isn't there, and there is pressure from employees, they didn't have any choice but to suspend their flying. As the number of flights in and out of China dwindles, passengers on the planes that are still flying face an eerie scene. On a flight from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs, and flight attendants donned masks to serve drinks to passengers, who were also wearing masks. A woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York said she changed her mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. Before a flight from Amsterdam to China, frightened passengers protested when they realized that a man from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, the man was allowed to fly. At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, passengers arriving from Beijing on Wednesday walked through thermal scanners to check for fevers. As their disembodied faces appeared on a nearby screen, most of their heads looked green, indicating a normal body temperature, but the machine beeped loudly when one mans forehead appeared red. He was shuttled to the side where a woman took his temperature with a device shaped like a bar code scanner. One hundred one degrees, she called out. Meanwhile, an airport worker pushed health cards into departing passengers hands urging them to contact health authorities if they have a fever within 14 days of arrival. The number of infected people in Beijing is relatively low over 100. But it is much higher in Wuhan," said Mohammed Raihan, a Bangladeshi student who attends Capital Medical University in Beijing. "That's why I've come back. All the schools and universities have been shut down indefinitely. A similar scene played out in Kathmandu, Nepal, where masked passengers were greeted with large, illustrated signs imploring them to visit the health desk if they have symptoms including high fever, muscle pain, headaches or hemorrhaging. Health experts said Thursday there's significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and were concerned that in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some of which cause nothing worse than a cold. Airplane cleaners are taking extra precautions. When a plane lands with a passenger showing suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will put on face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they wipe down surfaces with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. If coronavirus is confirmed, the plane will be taken out of service and fumigated, he said. At New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, passengers and airport workers wore face masks. Helen Lewis, who helps passengers in wheelchairs, wore gloves and asked coughing passengers to cover their mouths. You dont know who youre carrying, said the 62-year-old New Yorker. Bill Chen, who arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai on Wednesday, said his temperature was screened at the Shanghai airport and he filled out a questionnaire that asked if he had travelled to Wuhan or been in contact with anyone who had. I feel a little bit sorry for people travelling on the plane, Chen said. People have to be nervous. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. During past outbreaks, including SARS in 2003, U.S. airlines reduced flights to China but did not stop them completely. That outbreak caused Asia-related revenue among U.S. carriers to fall by 20% to 40%, although the business recovered, according to an analysis by J.P. Morgan. United is widely seen as the most vulnerable to a downturn in China travel because a greater share of its revenue about 12%, J.P. Morgan estimated is tied to Asia. Wolfe Research analyst Hunter Keay estimated that United could lose $629 million in revenue this year if the impact of the outbreak lasts all year. He said United was the most exposed partly because it carries so much corporate travel to China, which is likely stay on lockdown for some time. American, Delta and Air Canada would lose between $244 million and $352 million each, he figured. Shares of United fell 3.8% Friday, while American dropped 3.2% and Delta lost 2.4%. ___ AP Writers Rachel Lerman and Terry Chea in San Francisco, Anne D'Innocenzio in New York and Joeal Calupitan in Manila contributed to this report. In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in Vastned Retail Belgium SA (EBR:VASTB), since the last five years saw the share price fall 20%. Unhappily, the share price slid 1.7% in the last week. Check out our latest analysis for Vastned Retail Belgium To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). During the five years over which the share price declined, Vastned Retail Belgium's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 30% each year. The share price decline of 4.4% per year isn't as bad as the EPS decline. The relatively muted share price reaction might be because the market expects the business to turn around. With a P/E ratio of 154.90, it's fair to say the market sees a brighter future for the business. You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). ENXTBR:VASTB Past and Future Earnings, January 31st 2020 Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Vastned Retail Belgium the TSR over the last 5 years was -5.0%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective Vastned Retail Belgium provided a TSR of 2.8% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. But at least that's still a gain! Over five years the TSR has been a reduction of 1.0% per year, over five years. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Vastned Retail Belgium (including 1 which is is a bit concerning) . If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on BE exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. We believe Miami is the perfect location to launch our interior design brands in the U.S. Award-winning Mexican design and interiors brand Dupuis opens its doors on January 28 th at Shops of Merrick Park as part of its official launch and a large-scale investment for the brand in the U.S. market. Other locations include The Miami Design District store which opened last month, and the Aventura Mall slated for February 2020. "Miami is such a vibrant city and in the global spotlight in terms of development and design," said Manuel Barrantes, CEO of Bluwall USA (owners of Dupuis and Becara brands). "We believe it was the perfect location to launch our interior design brands in the U.S." Dupuis, founded in 1973, creates an experience where the languages of artisanal and contemporary Mexican design unite in absolute harmony, redefining interior spaces and exuding Mexican modernism in its purest essence. Their philosophy is based on constant evolution within innovative design while never losing the Dupuis style. Additionally, Estudio 240 at the Miami Design District location is the in-house design firm. The team is comprised of world-class professionals of exceptional caliber and extensive knowledge of the industry. Estudio 240 welcomes projects of any size and scope in residential, hospitality and contract design and will soon launch an incentive program tailored towards architects, developers, interior designers, and stagers. Shops at Merrick Park: (Level 1 next to Neiman Marcus) 358 San Lorenzo Ave, Coral Gables, FL 33146 Miami Design District: 4100 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 105, Miami, FL 33137 Tel: 786 953 8212 Website: http://www.storedupuis.com Media inquiries and/or high-res imagery, contact Lilia Pozos at lilia@dialogue-inc.com STAMFORD In a motion filed late Thursday, attorneys for Fotis Dulos are seeking to preserve all evidence police gathered at their clients Farmington home following his apparent suicide attempt this week. Fotis Dulos, who died Thursday at a New York hospital, left a note stating he was not involved in the death and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, according to the court document. He declared his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the state has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it, the motion reads. According to the motion, the note is in the possession of either the Farmington or state police and the defense is seeking to preserve it and all other evidence investigators collected during the search on Wednesday. In a statement released Thursday, state police cited the gag order in the case that prevented them from discussing the evidence collected at the Jefferson Crossing home. State police also said the search warrant was sealed. READ MORE: Fotis Dulos, 52, accused of killing wife Jennifer Dulos, dies after apparent suicide READ MORE: Source: Note proclaiming his innocence found in Fotis Dulos home READ MORE: Woman who posted Fotis Dulos bond remains by his side at hospital READ MORE: Concerned Fotis Dulos called bondsman before apparent suicide attempt Dulos, 52, was taken off life support and died at 5:32 p.m. Thursday at Jacobi Medical Center. He was flown there Tuesday afternoon after Farmington police found him unresponsive in his running SUV inside his garage. Dulos was initially considered dead until a faint pulse was detected after about 30 minutes of CPR. Defense attorney Norm Pattis said his team plans to proceed by making an unprecedented request of having Dulos estate be placed on trial for the murder. Pattis admitted it would be a difficult challenge, but said his clients family is adamant that his name be cleared. Dulos was on house arrest after being released on $6 million bond on murder, felony murder and first-degree kidnapping charges in the death of his wife. However, he could have at least temporarily been sent back to jail at an emergency bond hearing that was called on Tuesday. The South Carolina company that posted the bond was no longer willing to guarantee the funds due to the collateral Dulos put up from his struggling real estate development business, according to a motion filed this week to revoke his bond. Farmington police conducted a welfare check when Dulos failed to show up for the hearing and found him passed out inside his garage. Last week, a Stamford judge tightened the restrictions of Dulos house arrest by preventing him from leaving for work-related activities. Judge Gary White modified the conditions of his release after States Attorney Richard Colangelo said Dulos made an unauthorized stop and removed items from a memorial set up for his estranged wife near his home. Fotis Dulos and his former girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, 45, were originally charged last year with two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the case. On the same day Dulos was charged with murder, Troconis and his close friend and former attorney, Kent Mawhinney, 54, were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Troconis is on house arrest after being released on $1.5 million bond, while Mahwinney remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bond. For the first time since the investigation began more than eight months ago, 469 pages of search warrants in the case were recently unsealed. The documents outline how police believe Fotis Dulos, Troconis and Mawhinney allegedly conspired to kill Jennifer Dulos and cover up the crime. According to arrest warrants, Jennifer Dulos was last seen on a neighbors security camera at 8:05 a.m. May 24, returning to her New Canaan home after dropping off her children at a nearby school. Police believe Fotis Dulos was lying in wait and attacked her in the garage, the warrants indicate. Fotis Dulos and Troconis were caught on video that night in Hartford dumping bags that were later determined to contain Jennifer Dulos blood and clothing, according to arrest warrants. Jennifer Dulos blood was also found on the seat of a pickup truck belonging to an employee of Fotis Dulos, according to arrest warrants. Police say Fotis Dulos used the truck on the day his wife was killed, arrest warrants said. Wasion Holdings Limited (HKG:3393), which is in the electronic business, and is based in Hong Kong, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$4.07 and falling to the lows of HK$3.16. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Wasion Holdings's current trading price of HK$3.16 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Wasion Holdingss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for Wasion Holdings What's the opportunity in Wasion Holdings? According to my valuation model, Wasion Holdings seems to be fairly priced at around 6.2% below my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Wasion Holdings today, youd be paying a reasonable price for it. And if you believe the companys true value is HK$3.37, then there isnt much room for the share price grow beyond what its currently trading. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Wasion Holdingss beta (a measure of share price volatility) is high, meaning its price movements will be exaggerated relative to the rest of the market. If the market is bearish, the companys shares will likely fall by more than the rest of the market, providing a prime buying opportunity. What does the future of Wasion Holdings look like? SEHK:3393 Past and Future Earnings, January 31st 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. Buying a great company with a robust outlook at a cheap price is always a good investment, so lets also take a look at the company's future expectations. With profit expected to grow by 55% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for Wasion Holdings. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? 3393s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough confidence to invest in the company should the price drop below its fair value? Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 3393, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for the company, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. Price is just the tip of the iceberg. Dig deeper into what truly matters the fundamentals before you make a decision on Wasion Holdings. You can find everything you need to know about Wasion Holdings in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Wasion Holdings, you can use our free platform to see my list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Moscow court to decide on arrest of businessman Mints in absentia on February 3 RAPSI, Natalia Vaneyeva 17:29 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) The Basmanny District Court of Moscow will consider a matter on arrest of businessman Boris Mints in absentia as part of an embezzlement case on February 3, according to a RAPSI correspondents report from the courtroom. The hearing was adjourned on a request of defense asking for additional time to read case materials. According to the representatives of Mints, the defendants have been recommended not to leave London while the High Court of Justice is hearing a damage recovery claim filed by the Financial Corporation Otkritie and Bank Trust against the businessmen. Also on Friday, two sons of Mints, Dmitry and Alexander, were ordered to be arrested in absentia as part of the same case. The case against the businessman and two his sons was opened in September 2019. In December, they were put on a wanted list. They are charged with large-scale embezzlement. Investigators believe that the accused men controlled a disputable deal on the retirement by the Financial Corporation Otkritie of O1 Group Finance 34 billion-ruble bonds two weeks prior to financial restructuring of the bank ordered by the Central Bank and appointment of temporary administration. The defendants live in the United Kingdom. Boris Mints is a founder of O1 Group company, former co-owner of the bank Otkritie and founder of the Museum of Russian Impressionism. His fortune has been estimated at more than $1 billion. BEDTIME FOR SWEET CREATURES Written by Nikki Grimes. Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon. Grimes and Zunon capture the time-for-bed dance with verve, imagination and empathy in this tale of a not-sleepy child and her creative appeals to stay up longer. The affectionate mom evokes a range of animals to help her cause: Your eyes swell, wide as owls. Who? Who? you ask as if you didnt know, she says. On each lovely page, Zunon collages realistic images of the family alongside fanciful, mythical-looking animals. With its refreshing ending the girl ends up in her parents bed, as so many children do this one has the feel of an all-time great bedtime picture book. 32 pp. Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 7.) WhatsApp is forcing all users to agree to its controversial new privacy policy by 8 February, or else lose access to the app. The move has led many users to seek alternatives, with high-profile figures like Elon Musk and Edward Snowden urging users to switch to more privacy-focussed services. Even WhatsApps creators, who sold the app to Facebook in 2014 for $18 billion, have turned their back on the app, with co-founder Brian Acton saying in a 2018 interview: I sold my users privacy for a larger benefit. Read more: How to leave WhatsApp without losing all your data The Facebook-owned app has more than 2 billion users worldwide, so even if millions of people decide to migrate it is unlikely to have a major impact on WhatsApps overall popularity. But for those unhappy with the new terms and conditions, or who simply want to leave the Facebook ecosystem of apps behind, weve put together a list of the best alternatives in 2021. Telegram Arguably the most like-for-like messaging app to WhatsApp is Telegram, which supports many of the same features and even some extras. Telegram founder Pavel Durov has consistently criticised WhatsApp for perceived security and privacy issues, describing it as dangerous and claiming it will never be secure under Facebook ownership. WhatsApp users have been migrating to Telegram due to the familiar format (The Independent) "There hasn't been a single day in WhatsApp's 10 year journey when the service was secure," he wrote in a 2020 blog post after it was revealed that Jeff Bezos was allegedly hacked through a security flaw in the app. With more than 400 million users, Telegram is therefore already a popular and familiar alternative for more privacy-focused users. Signal Similar to Telegram and WhatsApp, Signal is free, simple to use and available on all major platforms. Unlike these two apps, however, Signal uses open-source encryption that allows security developers to test it for flaws and find bugs. This additional security comes at the cost of some of the features supported by other messaging apps, meaning it is a bit more stark in its appearance and functionality. Popular among billionaires and dissidents alike, Signal offers arguably the most secure method to communicate of any mainstream messaging app. Viber With around 260 million users, Viber is even more popular than Telegram. Its users tend to be more concentrated to certain regions, however, meaning it might be difficult to find friends using it unless you are from there. Its core user base is in eastern Europe, north Africa and the Middle East, though there is a scattering of users elsewhere in the world. Recommended WhatsApp will force users to agree to new terms in 2021 or lose app It comes with group chat, instant voice and video messaging, as well as support for audio and video calls.Similar to both Telegram and WhatsApp, all messages on Viber are end-to-end encrypted, while it also allows users to send timed self-destruct messages. Threema Switzerland-based Threema describes itself as the instant messenger designed to generate as little user data as possible. It allows users to use an 8-digit ID rather than their own phone number to connect with other users, while contacts can be verified using a QR code. It offers a few features not available in WhatsApp, such as liking individual messages and password-protecting individual chats. Unlike the other options listed here, however, Threema is not free to use. This could be seen as a plus even WhatsApp used to charge users 1 per year to use with one of Threemas slogans being, dont pay with your data. Another downside for an otherwise excellent app is that with less than 10 million downloads on Google Play, users may struggle to find other people to connect with. This security camera image shows men identified as Michael Taylor and George Zayek during their checkpoint processing at the Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey. They are suspected of smuggling Carlos Ghosn out of Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul. TOKYO Tokyo prosecutors issued an arrest warrant Thursday for Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn, who skipped bail while awaiting trial in Japan and is now in Lebanon. Japan has no extradition treaty with Lebanon, so he's unlikely to be arrested. Lebanon has indicated it will not hand over Ghosn. Tokyo prosecutors also issued arrest warrants for three Americans they said helped and planned his escape, Michael Taylor, George-Antoine Zayek and Peter Taylor. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Takahiro Saito declined to say where the three men were thought to be staying. He said Michael Taylor and George Zayek are suspected of helping Ghosn flee by hiding him in cargo at a Japanese airport and getting him into a private jet to leave the country. Saito would not say if Japan has asked U.S. authorities for help, though he said all options were being explored. Japan and the U.S. have an extradition treaty. Michael Taylor is a former Green Beret and private security specialist. Peter Taylor appears to be his son. Security footage released earlier showed Zayek and Taylor transiting Istanbul Airport at the same time Ghosn allegedly passed through Turkey on his way to Beirut. Prosecutors suspect Peter Taylor met several times with Ghosn in Tokyo, starting in July last year, to plot his escape. Saito said Ghosn was given a key to a hotel room in Osaka near the Kansai Airport that Ghosn left from. Prosecutors say Ghosn broke the law by violating bail conditions that required him to stay in Japan, mostly at his Tokyo home. We want to stress that the act of fleeing was clearly wrong, Saito told reporters. We need to erase the misunderstanding. Separately, Saito said prosecutors on Wednesday forced open a lock to search the Tokyo office of Ghosn's former defense lawyer Junichiro Hironaka for records of people Ghosn met with while out on bail, and other materials. Prosecutors are asking a judge for help in accessing contents of a computer Ghosn used at Hironaka's office that the lawyer has refused to hand over, citing attorney-client privilege. Story continues Ghosn has said he is innocent of allegations he under-reported his future income and committed a breach of trust by diverting Nissan money for his personal gain. He says the compensation was never decided on or received, and the Nissan payments were for legitimate business purposes. Ghosn has lashed out at the Japanese judicial system, saying he fled because he could not expect a fair trial, was subjected to unfair conditions in detention and was barred from meeting his wife under his bail conditions. He contends others at Nissan Motor Co., which he led for two decades, drove him out to prevent a fuller merger with its French alliance partner Renault. Ghosn's dramatic escape, while under the watch of surveillance cameras inside and outside his home, is an embarrassment for Japanese authorities. He is believed to have traveled by train to Osaka and then left via Kansai Airport, reportedly by hiding in a box for audio or musical equipment. Ghosn has not shared specifics of his escape. The maximum penalty under Japanese law for illegally leaving the country is one year in prison or 300,000 yen ($2,750) in fines, or both. The maximum penalty for hiding a criminal or helping a criminal escape is three years in prison or 300,000 yen ($2,750) in fines. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Home Just In Two women rescued from traffickers clutches at Nepal-India border point Bhadrapur, January 31 Two women being taken to India for alleged human trafficking were rescued from Kakadbhitta along the Nepal-India border. It is learnt that they had been promised good jobs in India before being convinced to cross the border which could not be possible due to timely police intervention. One person, identified as Sudip Babu Pokhrel, 21, from Tamakoshi rural municipality-4 of Dolakha district, has been arrested on the charge of his involvement in the trafficking in persons, confirms DSP Rajendra Pokharel at Kakadbhitta Area Police Office. The arrested is prosecuted under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act. He is accused of tempting the two women from Kavrepalanchok district, aged 16 and 22 respectively, to follow him with the promise of well-paid jobs in India. The probable victims were told that they would be provided Rs 22,000 per month in India. Their rescue was possible with the joint efforts of Tiny Hand Nepal and the police on Thursday. They have been kept in a protection home. RSS New York City should consider allowing yellow cabs to use some of the same strategies as the ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft, including so-called surge pricing when demand is high, a government panel is set to recommend. If the idea is implemented, New York could become one of the first cities in the United States to allow cabs to raise prices at certain times. It would be a significant change in a city where regular riders can typically predict how much a taxi trip will cost. The recommendation will be unveiled on Friday as part of a broader plan to rescue the citys taxi industry from financial crisis, according to a draft obtained by The New York Times. The biggest element of the plan will be a proposal to create a public-private fund worth as much as $600 million to bail out thousands of drivers who became trapped in exploitative loans while buying medallions, the city-issued permits that let them own their cabs. Jewish Academy of Orlando celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day through art, songs, writing and conversation. Themes that ranged through the day included hope, uniqueness, and community. In the art room, students worked together to make collages of hands coming together that illustrated uniqueness and unity and ultimately respect for their peers, teachers, and the greater community. Eric Levine, "Mr. Eric," who heads up the school's acclaimed performing arts program, led students in songs of hope including, "I have a dream." Discussions about Dr. King's ideals such as character, respect, kindness, and compassion were woven throughout the day. Even the character strength of Hope was incorporated into the weekly service. Different grades came together to experience each activity to build community across the school. This event was designed to serve as a reminder of the ideals and values to which Dr. King dedicated his life: kindness, compassion, respect and understanding. "For our students, Martin Luther King Jr. day has always been a day of service, kindness and learning about the civil rights movement," stated Amy Polacek, director of Academics. "Instead of having the day off from school, our students experience a meaningful day in the spirit of Dr. King." Head of School Alan Rusonik added, "Dr. King once said that, 'Intelligence plus character-that is the goal of true education.' At Jewish Academy of Orlando, we strive to live by this goal to truly serve our students." Jewish Academy of Orlando serves central Florida students of all faiths from transitional kindergarten through fifth grade. The school delivers a whole-child education fostering academic excellence and character education rooted in Jewish values. Jewish Academy of Orlando is accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools. To learn more about Jewish Academy of Orlando, please visit: jewishacademyorlando.org or follow the school on Facebook facebook.com/JewishAcademyOrlando. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Endy Bayuni (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 08:56 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d2d40 1 Opinion #commentary,commentary,omnibus-bill,omnibus-law,Jokowi-administration,job-creation,job-opportunities,workforce-in-indonesia,workers-in-Indonesia,workers-protection,labor-issues,labor-rights,labor-policy Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo is forging ahead with his plan to introduce omnibus bills as a way of circumventing the notoriously time-consuming legislative process as he tries to turn Indonesia into an attractive place to invest, able to compete with any neighboring Asian country. But as the presentation of two omnibus bills to the House of Representatives becomes imminent one on job creation and the other on taxation several groups are already rejecting them before seeing the text. Some of these concerns are legitimate. Unions and environmental groups fear Jokowi is selling Indonesia out, sacrificing labor rights and environmental protections in the name of bringing in foreign investment. The government says these criticisms are premature since the bills have not even been finalized, but some details have been leaked that have raised the alarms. Omnibus laws are powerful pieces of legislation that revoke articles in other laws whenever they come into conflict. The omnibus bill on job creation would reportedly affect more than 70 pieces of legislation, including the labor and environmental protection laws. The omnibus bill on taxation would reportedly combine seven pieces of legislation into one. Missing from the debate, something that President Jokowi could have emphasized again and again since he broached the omnibus bill plans in his Independence Day speech in August, is that these pieces of legislation are essential if Indonesia is going to cash in on the demographic dividend a phenomenon that occurs when the size of the working-age population of between 14 and 65 years outnumbers dependents. The demographic dividend, according to one calculation, begins this year. Indonesia has a 16-year window to take economic advantage of this before it faces an aging population. Creating job opportunities for this huge workforce becomes imperative. Leaving many of them idle would not only squander the opportunity, but it could impose a heavy burden on the nation as those who have no jobs depend on handouts from the government or from those who work. Jokowi has a huge but not impossible task on his hands. These two omnibus bills are literally the last bus for Indonesia to collect the bonus. Job creation is his overriding concern in his second term, replacing economic infrastructure that drove his presidency from 2014 to 2019. The official unemployment rate of 5.3 percent in August 2019 conceals the reality that many of those surveyed as employed are underemployed. Studies said the underemployment rate could be as high as 30 percent of the workforce and this has serious consequences on their earnings. On top of all this, more than 50 percent of the workforce still has jobs in the informal sector, where job protection is almost nonexistent. The current Labor Law is the chief target of the omnibus bill on job creation as it is cited repeatedly as one of the reasons why Indonesia is losing out to its Asian neighbors in attracting investors. This was further reinforced by a report in August that showed most American companies relocating out of China because of the ongoing United States-China trade war have gone to Vietnam and some to Thailand and Malaysia. None came to Indonesia. Both Jokowi and his predecessor Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tried to reform the Labor Law but they could not take on the unions that each time threatened to call for a general strike. The omnibus bill looks like a clever ploy for circumventing the unions power. You can oppose any move to reform labor laws, but who can openly oppose legislation entitled job creation? Whether this works, time will see, but time is of the essence here. Jokowi has said that reforming all the laws individually that fall under the two omnibus bills would take 50 years. It is unclear whether the House would be able to pass the bills speedily even if Jokowis coalition government of six political parties controls 75 percent of the seats. The House has issued a list of 50 priority bills for legislating in 2020, including the omnibus bills on job creation and taxation. This is seemingly an ambitious target given the Houses poor performance with legislation. From 2014 to 2019, its productivity averaged just seven laws a year, as members spent most of their time posturing on popular issues rather than deliberating over bills. Time will tell how much support or opposition Jokowi will get from the House and from the public in pushing these two omnibus bills essential to his job creation plans. To complicate matters, the House has next to zero experience legislating an omnibus bill. So the deliberations will likely take time and frustrate the President. The challenge for the nation and Jokowi is clear. Indonesias huge population at 270 million it is the fourth largest in the world could be an asset if most everyone is gainfully employed. Indonesia now has the 15th largest economy in the world by virtue of its large population making significant contributions to the overall gross domestic product. Failing to tap in on the large size of its young population by creating jobs for them, Indonesia will squander the opportunity that happens only once in the lifetime of any nation. If Jokowi pulls it off, he will be well on his way to his Vision 2045, when Indonesia makes it to one of the top five economies in the world. Authorities in Tennessee are advising people to be careful when opening packages of gum. The Hardeman County Sheriffs Office posted a photo showing three razor blades found inside a package of Extra chewing gun. Everyone please be careful when opening packages of gum. This package was purchased in Hardeman County and contained three razor blades between the sticks of gum. The cellophane wrapper did not appear to be tampered so we believe this to be an issue from the packaging company, officials said. Hardeman County is located in far southwest Tennessee about an hour and a half east of Memphis. A belly dance tutor has failed in her unfair dismissal action against retail giant, Dunnes Stores. The Labour Court in the Republic of Ireland threw out belly dancer Kati Kipli's claim that she was unfair dismissed by the retailer on June 2nd 2016. The ruling after a two day hearing in Limerick affirms an earlier ruling by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) that Ms Kipli was not unfairly dismissed. She was employed as a part time sales assistant by Dunnes Stores from December 2007 to June 2016. The retailer sacked Ms Kipli after mounting a one person snoop operation that found that she was giving a belly dance class at a local hotel after she called in sick complaining of a kidney infection earlier that day. On May 17th 2016, Ms Kipli was rostered to work from 5pm to 9pm. However, she contacted the Human Resources Manager at Dunnes Storess Harvey's Quay outlet on Henry Street by telephone at 1pm that day to let her know that she felt unwell with a kidney infection and to advise she would be unable to work her shift. Ms Kipli telephoned again at 4pm and advised that her condition had not improved and that she was going to bed for the night. The HR Manager was aware that Ms Kipli was scheduled to run a belly dance class that evening. The HR Manager telephoned the Strand hotel and and was told that the belly dance class was proceeding that night. The HR Manager asked a colleague, the stores Check Out Manager to attend to see if Ms Kipli was present at the hotel and the Check Out Manager witnessed Ms Kipli at the hotel wearing a a purply-pink outfit where the belly dance class was to take place at 8.30 pm, along with a group of ladies attending the class. The following day when Ms Kipli reported for work she was quizzed about the belly dancing class. Ms Kipli initially denied that she had attended her dance class at the hotel but then admitted that she had been there after the HR Manager stated that that she had been observed in the room immediately prior to the commencement of the class. As a result, the store's Grocery Store Manager conducted two meetings to investigate the events of May 16th. Arising from the meetings, Dunnes Stores fired Ms Kipli on June 2nd 2016. The dismissal letter told Ms Kipli that she admitted to engaging in other paid employment whilst on sick leave from the company. The letter stated: This constitutes misconduct which is a serious breach of the Company Code of Conduct. Dunnes told her that it has made the decision to terminate your contract with immediate effect. We have considered other sanctions but after taking everything into account dismissal is the only appropriate sanction to be taken. The Grocery Store Manager told the Labour Court: The reason she was dismissed was because she attended her belly-dancing class while she should have been at work. Dunnes stated that Ms Kipli conducted the class knowing that she would get paid under the company's sick leave scheme. Ms Kiplis solicitor submitted that the entire process beginning with the back-to-work meeting of May 18th 2016 - that culminated in Ms Kiplis summary dismissal was unfair and that the decision to dismiss her pre-determined. The Labour Court found that the deficiencies in Dunness procedures were not of such gravity as to imperil the fairness of the process to dismiss Ms Kipli. The Labour Court found that Ms Kipli had admitted that she had both attended and taught the dance class having first denied that she had done so. SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE EU-UN Briefing Expected Council Action In February, the Council will hold its annual meeting on strengthening the partnership with the EU under its agenda item on cooperation between the UN and regional and subregional organisations in maintaining international peace and security. Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, will brief the Council. Background The relationship between the UN and the EU has evolved over the years and has continued to grow in importance. Recognising this, the Council has maintained the practice, starting in 2010, of holding regular, usually annual, briefings on cooperation between the two organisations. (These briefings were not held in 2012 and 2018). The Council formally endorsed this relationship in 2014 when it adopted a presidential statement on EU-UN cooperation. Among other things, the statement welcomed the EUs cooperation with the UN and its role in the maintenance of international peace and security and in the implementation of Council-mandated tasks. Since 2013, Council members have also met annually with members of the EU Political and Security Committee. This will be the first time Borrell briefs the Council on EU-UN cooperation. He assumed the position of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on 1 December 2019, succeeding Federica Mogherini, who had been in office since 2014. The briefings on EU-UN cooperation generally follow a consistent format. Borrell is likely to focus his briefing on the areas of cooperation between the two organisations, present the EUs main foreign policy priorities and objectives, and address some of the ongoing crises that overlap on the EU and the Council agendas. The EU has been engaged heavily in efforts to preserve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement that places limits on Irans nuclear programme and provides sanctions relief. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy serves as the coordinator of the Joint Commission, a body composed of the parties to the agreement. The agreement, which the Council endorsed in 2015 in resolution 2231, has faced a precarious future since the US withdrew from it in May 2018. Iran has since gradually started to abandon its commitments under the agreement. On 5 January, it announced that it will no longer be bound by the uranium enrichment limits set out in the JCPOA, while emphasising that it would return to compliance if other parties fulfil their obligations under the agreement. On 14 January, France, Germany and the UK formally referred Irans non-compliance to the Joint Commissions Dispute Resolution Mechanism (DRM), setting in motion a process that could result in reinstating UN sanctions that were in place prior to the adoption of resolution 2231. While the agreement sets specific time limits for the resolution of the disputes, that period could be extended almost indefinitely if all parties agree. Eventually, if the dispute is not settled by the Joint Commission, the Council would have to vote on a resolution that would continue the lifting of sanctions. In the context of peacekeeping, the cooperation between the EU and the UN is most evident in Africa, where the two organisations work alongside one another in several countries. The EU provides training for security forces and assists in security sector reform in the Central African Republic, Mali and Somalia. The EU also provides salaries for the UN-authorised AU Mission in Somalia. Member states of the EU are the largest collective contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget, providing over 30 percent of total contributions. Borrell is also likely to discuss the Middle East peace process, the situation in Libya, the humanitarian situation in Iraq, cooperation with other regional organisations, transnational crime, climate change, and sustainable development, among other issues. The EU members of the Council have made a concerted effort to coordinate their positions and present a unified front on some issues on the Councils agenda, such as Kosovo, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela. Another practice that has emerged over the past several years has been for the EU members of the Council (including incoming and recent former members) to make joint statements at the Council media stakeout, presenting the EU position on specific Security Council issues. Currently, four Council membersBelgium, Estonia, Germany, and Franceare EU members. The UK stopped being a member of this group on 31 January when it formally left the EU. UN DOCUMENTS ON EU-UN COOPERATION A California man mistakenly targeted for deportation in 2015 which led him to move to Cambodia returned home Wednesday, reuniting with dozens of family members and supporters at San Francisco International Airport. Even he didnt know until November that he was a U.S. citizen. About 75 people spread out across the International Terminal in the evening, many from Fresno, where he lives. They danced to traditional Cambodian music, sang and passed around donuts to welcome Sok Loeun, 35, who left the country voluntarily five years ago after he said immigration agents threatened to deport him. Loeun, who was brought to the U.S. at 1 year old, had no idea hed been a citizen since he was 12. His odyssey points to the deep complexities of U.S. immigration, a system often difficult to navigate and comprehend, particularly for families who have few resources. In rare cases, U.S. citizens like Loeun are mistakenly told they will be deported. This is the story of one of those immigrants, and how he untangled the mess and discovered the truth. Thank you everyone. Thank god, Loeun said quietly to the crowd that descended on him, chanting, Welcome home! as three supporters beat drums that reverberated throughout the terminal. He declined to address the crowd, and the family asked for privacy. Loeun was born in a refugee camp in Thailand to parents who fled the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, a Communist regime of the late 1970s responsible for the deaths of about two million people. The family immigrated to Fresno in 1985 and obtained legal residency. Loeuns mother became a U.S. citizen in 1996, automatically passing down her citizenship to Loeun, then 12. Children born outside of the U.S. automatically acquire citizenship if they are under the age of 18 and living in the U.S. while at least one parent is a citizen. There was just one problem in Loeuns case: No one from the Immigration and Naturalization Service now the Department of Homeland Security changed the official record to reflect that he was a citizen, according to his attorney, Anoop Prasad, of the Asian Law Caucus in San Francisco. Even Loeuns mother didnt know. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said Thursday it wont comment on individual cases. The omission would prove dire for Loeun. In 2012, he was convicted of felony possession of marijuana. Federal law says legal residents lose their status if theyre convicted of a felony. That caused Loeun a huge problem three years later. He traveled to Cambodia in 2015 to visit family. But when he tried to clear customs at SFO upon his return, agents stopped him, Loeun told his attorney. Although the agents let Loeun back into the U.S., they saw that he had a felony conviction and warned that he would soon be deported because of it, said Prasad. All the pieces they needed were in front of them, he said. It takes minutes to figure out that hes a citizen. Theres no reason why DHS shouldve made that big of a blunder. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, declined to comment. As a matter of policy, U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not comment on pending immigration cases, a spokesman said in an email. However, lack of comment should not be construed as agreement or stipulation with any of the allegations. A spokeswoman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Loeun was never in custody. Derivative citizenship meaning citizenship passed down to children though the naturalization of their parents is one of the most complicated concepts in immigration law, said Sarah Pierce, a policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. "It's very understandable that foreign nationals themselves wouldn't know whether they had acquired citizenship, especially if they have other IDs and they're able to get by with those other IDs and they haven't been doing a lot of traveling," Pierce said. Immigrants who acquire citizenship do not automatically receive notice from the government and normally have to apply to receive proof, Pierce said. And government agencies dont always have easy access to an individuals legal status, she said. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Immigration agencies have also had a huge issue with the transfer of paperwork records to digital, Pierce added. Loeun left voluntarily to Cambodia in 2015. He was feeling like he didn't have very good options, Prasad said. He was a single dad. He had three kids. He made the calculation that if hes going to get deported anyway, it was better to do it on his own terms and not spend months or years awaiting deportation. He settled in the western city of Pursat, washing motorcycles for $8 a day. He married in Cambodia and started a wedding planning business with his wife, and the couple had a child, now 3. One day, in November, Loeun heard that American lawyers were in the capital, Phnom Penh, giving a legal workshop for deportees. He went. It was there that Loeun learned that he was a U.S. citizen. That set in motion a series of events that landed Loeun at SFO Wednesday. His wife plans to apply for a green card to come to California with the couples toddler, Prasad said. Im upset that weve had to endure this pain, said Loeuns younger sister, Sokhum Loeun, 32. Im upset that its taken this long for this to happen. The U.S. government definitely failed us. Loeun said her brother requested an In-N-Out cheeseburger after his arrival. But she had other plans. I want him to try a Popeyes chicken sandwich, she said, referring to the newest cult favorite. Tatiana Sanchez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TatianaYSanchez Following is the chronology of Brexit as the UK is set to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday, more than three and a half years since the country voted for it in a referendum in 2016. January 23, 2013: Prime Minister David Cameron promises an in-out referendum on EU membership if his Conservative Party wins the 2015 General Election. May 7, 2015: The Conservatives make sweeping gains over the Labour Party and secure a majority in the House of Commons. June 23, 2016: The UK votes in a crucial referendum to leave the EU with 52 per cent of the public supporting Brexit. David Cameron, resign as prime minister. July 13, 2016 : Theresa May wins the Conservative Party leadership contest and becomes prime minister March 29, 2017 : May sends a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk, triggering Article 50. It sets the date for the UK's departure in two years' time: March 29, 2019. April 18, 2017 : May announces a snap general election in the UK, to be held on June 8. June 8, 2017: May loses her Commons majority after her election gamble backfires. July 17, 2017: Brexit talks officially get underway in Brussels between EU and UK negotiators. March 19, 2018: The UK and EU publish a draft agreement on Britain's withdrawal. But the agreement is not totally agreed. July 6, 2018: Prime Minister May unveils to her Cabinet her much-awaited Chequers plan. July 8, 2018: The UK's Brexit minister David Davis resigns in protest. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson follows suit. November 15 2018: Dominic Raab resigns as Brexit Secretary. November 25, 2018: The 27 European Union leaders endorse the Brexit deal. December 13, 2018: Prime Minister May survives a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party. January 15, 2019: MPs reject May's Brexit plans by an emphatic 432 votes to 202 in a historic vote. March 12, 2019: MPs again reject the Government's Brexit deal by 391 votes to 242. March 20, 2019: May asks the EU to delay Brexit from March 29 until June 30. March 29, 2019: MPs reject May's Withdrawal Agreement by 286 votes to 344, majority 58, on the day when the UK was due to leave the European Union. April 10, 2019: EU apress on a flexible extension to Brexit is agreed until October 31. May 24, 2019: May announces she is standing down as Tory party leader on June 7. June 7, 2019: May officially steps down as Tory leader. July 23 2019: Boris Johnson is elected as leader of the Conservative Party and becomes the UK's new Prime Minister. August 28, 2019: The UK Parliament is prorogued, or suspended, for five weeks, upon advice given to Queen Elizabeth II by Johnson's government. September 3, 2019: 21 rebel Conservative MPs vote against the government in protest at its Brexit strategy of driving the UK towards an exit from the EU by October 31. October 3, 2019: The UK government sends a new Brexit plan to Brussels. October 17, 2019: The UK and EU announce dramatically that they have struck a new Brexit deal, ahead of a Brussels summit. October 19, 2019: At a special Saturday sitting, British MPs withhold their approval for the deal until laws implementing Brexit are in place. October 22, 2019: Johnson puts Brexit legislation on pause, citing MPs' obstacles. October 28, 2019: The EU agrees to offer the UK a Brexit flextension until January 31. October 29, 2019: The House of Commons approves a general election on December 12. December 12, 2019: Prime Minister Johnson's Conservatives wins General Elections and gain an 80-seat majority in the Commons. January 23, 2020: The UK's EU Withdrawal bill becomes law, after a relatively smooth passage through Parliament. January 29, 2020: The European Parliament approves the Brexit divorce deal under which the UK will leave the EU on 2300 GMT on January 31. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On January 23, 2020, Alex Lichtenstein, editor of the American Historical Review (AHR), posted an online statement defending the New York Times Magazines 1619 Project against criticism from the World Socialist Web Site and several eminent historians. The editorial, From the Editors Desk: 1619 and All That, will appear in the forthcoming issue of the leading journal among American academic historians. The fact that the 1619 Project is now being editorially defended in the AHR, despite the withering criticisms of highly respected professional historians, is a very troubling development. It reveals the extent to which racialist mythology, which has provided the theoretical foundation of middle-class identity politics, has been accepted, and even embraced, by a substantial section of the academic community as a legitimate basis for the teaching of American history. Published by the Times in August 2019, the 1619 Project essays are presented as the basis of a new curriculum, to be provided to the nations underfunded public schools, free of charge, by the corporate-endowed Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. The 1619 Project, according to its architect Nikole Hannah-Jones, aims to reframe all of American history as a story of anti-black racism rooted in a national DNA, which, it claims, emerged out of the allegedly unique American original sin of slavery. White and black dock workers resting on cotton bales in the port of New Orleans in 1902 In his effort to defend the 1619 Project, Lichtenstein argues not as a conscientious historian but as a lawyer defending what he knows to be a weak case. He is disingenuous to the point of dishonesty in his effort to dismiss the extent of the revision and falsification of history advanced by the 1619 Project. The differences, he claims, are merely a matter of emphasis or nuance. The arguments advanced by Hannah-Jones are: a) that the establishment of the United States was a counterrevolution, whose primary purpose was the protection of slavery against the danger posed by a British-led emancipation movement; b) that Lincoln was a racist and that the Civil War therefore was unrelated to the fight to abolish slavery; c) that African Americans have fought alone in the face of relentless racism based on the universally popular doctrine of white supremacy; d) racism and slavery are the essential elements of American exceptionalism; and, therefore (and most important of all); e) all of American history is to be understood as the struggle between the white and black races. The driving forces of American history are not objective socioeconomic processes that give rise to class conflict, but, rather, eternal and supra-historical racial hatreds. What is involved in the 1619 Project controversy is not a case of semantic differences that can be reconciled by a mere rephrasing of arguments. Two absolutely irreconcilable positions are being advanced, which cannot even be described as conflicting interpretations. A racialist narrative, which is what the 1619 Project advances, is by its very nature incompatible with empirical research and scientific methodology. It counterposes to genuine historical research a reactionary racial myth. Lichtensteins essay abounds with contradictions, errors, outright falsifications and cynical posturing. He begins by relating a recent visit to New York Citys Green-Wood Cemetery, where he was struck by the inscription on the Civil War Soldiers Monument noting that 148,000 residents fought in aid of the war for the preservation of the Union and the Constitution. Lichtenstein is unmoved by the fact that nearly one-fifth of the entire population of Americas largest city fought in the Civil Warwith all of the death and tragedy that such an astonishing statistic entailed. Instead, he is troubled by what he finds missing from the monuments inscription: Not a word about slavery or emancipation, let alone black military service. This omission, Lichtenstein implies, proves that the Union soldiers who fought and died in the Civil War were indifferent to slavery. Green-Wood Cemetary Civil War monument [Credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel] However, the connection between the defense of the Union and the abolition of slavery, lost on the editor of the AHR, was understood by all contemporaries. Why, one wonders, does Lichtenstein suppose the South seceded from the Union in 1861? What does he suppose Lincoln was speaking about on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the national cemetery at Gettysburg, when he explained to a grieving nation that the meaning of the war was a new birth of freedom? Or in his Second Inaugural, weeks before the end of the war and his own assassination at the hands of white supremacist John Wilkes Booth, when he stated, One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen, perpetuate, and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union even by war, while the Government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it [emphasis added]. Lichtensteins cynical disparagement of the cemetery monument would be uninteresting except for its centrality to his aimto lend weight to central premises of the 1619 Project: that race is the axis of American history, that African Americans fought for freedom alone, and that the two seminal events of American historythe Revolution and Civil Warwere either opposed or unrelated to the liberation of the slaves. Lichtenstein claims that the 1619 Projects reframing is a mere rhetorical move ... that impressed upon a wider public an interpretive framework that many historians probably already accept. In other wordsand here he approvingly quotes from New York Times Magazine editor Jake Silversteinslavery and racism lie at the root of nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional. The editor of the AHR palms off as widely accepted what is actually a disputed and untenable generalization: that slavery and racism lie at the root of nearly everything that has truly made America exceptional. This, as a matter of historical fact, cannot be true, as neither slavery nor racism is unique to America. Both have existed in innumerable societies, from the ancient world to modern times. In fact, what makes American slavery truly unique was not that it existed, but that it gave rise to the most powerful and intransigent antislavery movement the world has ever known, and that it was destroyed in a great civil war during four years of fighting in which approximately as many Americans perished as in all other US wars combined. This, in turn, led to the enactment of constitutional amendments that, at least in law, established the equality of the former slaves. The version of North American history advanced by the 1619 Project and defended by Lichtenstein has not only to negate 1776, but to cancel 1492. It is no small matter that the authors and editors of the Times manage to ignore all that occurred in the 127 years that preceded the arrival of Africans in Virginia. The uniqueness of American history, indeed, that of the entire New World, is entirely bound up with the emergence of capitalism as a new economic world system. All the brutalities of the New World, beginning with the long and horrible process of the extermination of the aboriginal population, developed out of this process. As Marx stated so powerfully in his description of the genesis of industrial capitalism: The discovery of gold and silver in America, the extirpation, enslavement and entombment in mines of the aboriginal population, the beginning of the conquest and looting of the East Indies, the turning of Africa into a warren for the commercial hunting of black-skins, signaled the rosy dawn of the era of capitalist production. These idyllic proceedings are the chief moments of primitive accumulation. On their heels treads the commercial war of the European nations, with the globe for a theatre.... If money according to Augier, comes into the world with a congenital blood-stain on one cheek, capital comes dripping from head to foot from every pore with blood and dirt. However, the horrors of slavery and the dispossession of the indigenous populations, what Bernard Bailyn has aptly characterized as the barbarous years in colonial history, intersected with other economic, social, and political processes that also contributed to American uniqueness. The societies of the thirteen colonies were characterized by the absence of a feudal past, a distinct feature of American development that has been the subject of prolonged and significant discussion among serious historians. Also unique was the profound influence of the English Civil War of the seventeenth century and the Enlightenment philosophy of the eighteenth, whose revolutionary defense of liberty and revolutionary ideas reached deep into the colonial populationindeed, even to the slaves themselves, as Professor Clayborne Carson pointed out in his interview with the World Socialist Web Site. All of these unique aspects of the colonies intersected with the imperial crisis of the mid-to-late eighteenth century, the Seven Years War (175663), and the global conflict between France and Britain, setting the stage for the confrontation that erupted in 1775. The victory of the colonial rebellion stunned the world and sounded the tocsin for revolutions in France and Haiti. But Lichtenstein cynically dismisses the world-historical significance of the American Revolution. The first republic and its Constitution, so revered, lasted about as long as the USSR, a mere seventy-four years, before dissolving into the bloodiest conflict of the nineteenth century, he sneers. For my part, I always considered this a pretty weak foundation on which to erect unconditional veneration. A portrait of Toussaint Louverture, leader of the Haitian Revolution Serious historians do not venerate events. They attempt to understand and explain them, and to trace back their roots in the past as well as their consequences. The latter is particularly important in the study of the American Revolution, for if it had achieved only the preconditions for the destruction of slavery within a mere seventy-four yearsand it in fact achieved far more than thatit would still rank as one of the most consequential political events in history. To compound the confusion, the Civil War, which Lichtenstein also minimizes, is made exclusively dependent on the black freedom struggle, implying that the latters development was unconnected with the American Revolution and the political conflicts within the United States that unfolded between 1787 and 1861. Lichtenstein writes that he is perplexed by criticism of the 1619 Project. But then he proceeds to provide a concise summary of the critique developed by the World Socialist Web Site: As good Marxists, the adherents of the Fourth International denounced the project for its idealism, that is to say, its tendency to reduce historical causation to a supra-historical emotional impulse. By mischaracterizing anti-black racism as an irreducible element built into the DNA of the nation and its white citizens, the Trotskyists declared, the 1619 Project is ahistorical and irrationalist. This idealist fallacy requires that racism must persist independently of any change in political and economic conditions, naturally the very thing that any materialist historian would want to attend to. The invocation of white racism, they proclaim, takes the place of any concrete examination of the economic, political and social history of the country. Perhaps even worse, the 1619 Project says nothing about the event that had the greatest impact on the social condition of African-Americansthe Russian Revolution of 1917. (Well, OK, I was with them up to that point.) Taking Lichtenstein at his wordi.e., that, except for its estimation of the significance of the 1917 October Revolution, he was with the WSWShe contradicts his defense of the 1619 Project. Because the WSWSs position is diametrically opposed to that of the Times, to the extent Lichtenstein acknowledges the legitimacy, and even correctness of its critique, he is discrediting the 1619 Project. Lichtenstein goes on to concede the high quality of the WSWSs discussions with leading scholars. Frankly, I wish the AHR had published these interviews, and I hope they get wide circulation, he writes. But Lichtenstein proceeds to insinuate that the historians were tricked into speaking, imagining the interviewed scholars trying to avoid saying what the Trotskyists would like them to say, and even resisting the Trotskyists bait. Lichtenstein claims that it is safe to say that [James McPherson] would not sign on to the Marxist version of the Civil War preferred by the ICFIthe greatest expropriation of private property in world history, not equaled until the Russian Revolution in 1917. Sadly for Lichtenstein, this point is made explicitly by Professor McPherson in Abraham Lincoln and the Second American Revolution, with which the editor of the AHR is evidently unfamiliar. McPherson wrote: The abolition of slavery represented a confiscation of about three billion dollars of propertythe equivalent as a proportion of national wealth to about three trillion dollars in 1990. In effect, the government in 1865 confiscated the principal form of property in one-third of the country, without compensation. That was without parallel in American history. When such a massive confiscation of property takes place as a consequence of violent internal upheaval on the scale of the American Civil War, it is quite properly called revolutionary. Lichtenstein takes gratuitous and insulting jabs against his colleagues throughout. He accuses Professor Gordon Wood, who has dedicated his life to the study of the American Revolution, of being motivated by egotistical concerns. Wood, he baldly asserts, seems affronted mostly by the failure of the 1619 Project to solicit his advice. He contends that Professor Victoria Bynum, author of the landmark The Free State of Jones, is best known for her attention to glimmers of anti-slavery sentiment among southern whites (emphasis added), as if the fact that a substantial proportion of white southerners took up arms against the Confederacy, helping to ensure its defeat, is a trivial matter. As for James Oakes, Lichtenstein claims that the two-time Lincoln Prize winner doesnt really direct much fire at the 1619 Project. This is simply not so. In his interview with the WSWS, Oakes issued a scathing critique of the 1619 Project. As for Sean Wilentz of Princeton, Lichtenstein dismisses him out of hand for leading the aforementioned historians in writing a far less enlightening letter to the Times criticizing the 1619 Project than the spirited rebuttal that came in reply from New York Times Magazine editor Jake Silverstein. In fact, Silversteins reply, like Lichtensteins own editorial, was a simple evasion that failed to approach the content of the historians criticisms, much less their more substantial interviews with the WSWS. In a manner unfitting the office of AHR editor, Lichtenstein scoffs at all of these eminent historianswith multiple Bancroft, Lincoln, Pulitzer, and National Book Award prizes among themas a motley crew, and Wilentz and the gang of four. He then attributes to them positions they have never taken, claiming that they were aggrieved by the Times practicing history without a license and consulting with the wrong historians (emphasis in the original). A nasty and cynical gibe. The objection of the historians interviewed by the WSWS to the 1619 Project is not that its authors are practicing history without a license, but that they are concocting a historical narrative without facts. Lichtenstein, who has chosen to adapt himself to the pressures exerted by identity politics, finds it difficult to believe that there are historianswith spines less flexible than his ownwho conduct work as principled scholars and are not afraid to engage in discussions of history with Marxists. As Bynum has stated in an open letter replying to Lichtenstein: I entirely agree with Marxist scholars, however, that neither race nor gender can be understood apart from the class systems in which they are experienced. In this regard, I may care a bit more deeply than my fellow letter signers about what is not, as well as what is, in the 1619 Project. For, as you suggest, the Project does ignore class and class conflict. It is for just that reason that my concerns are more closely aligned with the WSWS than you have surmised. Perhaps its not surprising that racial essentialism forms the basis of much of the public reaction against historians critical of 1619, since the same essentialism underlies the Project itself. My understanding of class deeply informs my analysis of race, both of which I addressed in my interview with the WSWS, and my essay, A Historian Critiques the 1619 Project, published on my blog, Renegade South, and by the WSWS. In both the interview and the essay, I dismissed pseudoscientific theories about separate races and argued that such beliefs predispose one to embrace a theory of hypodescent (i.e., the one-drop-rule of race), which posits certain ancestral bloodlines as more powerful than others. Lichtenstein is certainly aware that Hannah-Jones and her backers on Twitter have engaged in the most shameless race-baiting of these historians, as well as the WSWS, for daring to criticize the New York Times. In a disgrace to the AHR, Lichtenstein alludes to this approvingly, writing that, as many critics hastened to note, all of these historians are white, before quickly adding that, in principle, of course, that should do nothing to invalidate their views. Then why state it? His unmistakable insinuationthat speaking to white historians was a choice on the part of the Trotskyist leftis that ones understanding of history is determined by ones race. In fact, Lichtensteins claim is itself another lie. He simply chose to disregard the WSWS interviews with Clayborne Carson, editor of the papers of Martin Luther King Jr., and leading political scientist Adolph Reed Jr. Curiously, Lichtenstein chastises the WSWS specifically for not reaching out to Barbara Fields, a leading scholar of slavery and the Civil War at Columbia University, who is also African American. As a matter of fact, though we have been unable as yet to arrange an interview, Professor Fields has sent us a letter via email which provides a succinct assessment of the 1619 Project: I could hardly miss the hype of The 1619 Project, particularly since I am a print subscriber to the NYT. Although I have saved the issue (knowing that some of my students will have seen it, most likely online, and will have been seduced by its tendentious and ignorant history), Im afraid I have not troubled to read the issue all the way through. The pre-launch publicity warned me of racecraft in the offing. And once I had the issue in hand, the first few bars disinclined me to waste my time on the rest of the operetta. Not that I would have expected anything more of the Times. Ask their writers to take the time to read Edmund Morgan or David Brion Davis or Eugene Genovese or Eric Williams or any of the explosion of rich literature about slavery in the United States and the hemisphere published over the past century? What an idea! And the packaged history they have assembled fits well with neo-liberal politics. Having race-baited, mocked, and attributed to his colleagues positions that they did not in fact take, Lichtenstein retreats to his position that, after all, there is really nothing at stake in the Times racialist presentation of the two American revolutions. He allows that Hannah-Joness statement that the Revolution was waged to defend slavery admittedly overstates the case. He then imagines that the entire project might be acceptable if a few words were changed, softening Hannah-Joness monocausal explanation for 1776 with qualifiers such as one of the primary reasons that some of the Patriots revolted was to defend slavery. He concludes, While Hannah-Jones may be guilty of overstatement, this is more a matter of emphasis than it is of a correct or incorrect interpretation. Professor Barbara Fields This is pure sophistry. To claim that the differences are merely over a somewhat careless wording is at once a conscious distortion and absurd. The claim that the colonials separated in order to preserve slavery is the very heart of the entire 1619 Project. In fact, Hannah-Jones has been on a lecture tour making the argument even more stridently than she did in her essay. In the curriculum being sent to the schoolsa matter Lichtenstein also distortschildren are being asked to rewrite the Declaration of Independence in light of the lead essays claims. Lichtenstein uses the same tactic in relationship to Hannah-Jones distortion of Lincoln, which she clearly borrowed, unattributed, from the late black nationalist historian Lerone Bennett Jr. Like Bennett, the 1619 Project rips from their context two episodes in order to present Lincoln as a racistfrom one of his debates with the arch-racist Stephen Douglas and another his meeting with five black leaders in the summer of 1862 on colonization. The contexts of these episodes were ably discussed by Oxford historian Richard Carwardine and Oakes in their interviews. As Carwardine explained, many more quotes could be mustered to defend the opposite conclusion: that Lincoln believed the concept of equality in the Declaration of Independence extended to blacks. But to Lichtenstein, the 1619 Projects tendentiously selective quotation is a matter of emphasis and nuance. Frederick Douglass Drawn into the 1619 Projects tangled web, Lichtenstein extends the falsification of Lincoln to Frederick Douglassa figure who, like Martin Luther King Jr., is not mentioned in the entire magazine that purports to offer a new version of American race relations. The AHR editor points to Douglasss 1876 oration on Lincoln and homes in on partial statements in which the black abolitionist said that Lincoln shared the prejudices of his white fellow-countrymen against the negro and was preeminently the white mans President, entirely devoted to the welfare of white men. Astonishingly, Lichtenstein concludes this section by equating Douglass, the towering figure of abolitionism, to Hannah-Jones! Yet the bulk of Douglasss magnificent speech was a brilliant exposition of Lincoln as a historical figure in which, among other things, Douglass said: The name of Abraham Lincoln was near and dear to our hearts in the darkest and most perilous hours of the Republic. We were no more ashamed of him when shrouded in clouds of darkness, of doubt, and defeat than when we saw him crowned with victory, honor, and glory. Our faith in him was often taxed and strained to the uttermost, but it never failed. Elsewhere, in his autobiography, Douglass said of Lincoln: In all my interviews with Mr. Lincoln I was impressed with his entire freedom from popular prejudice against the colored race. He was the first great man that I talked with in the United States freely, who in no single instance reminded me of the difference between himself and myself, of the difference of color, and I thought that all the more remarkable because he came from a State where there were black laws. Douglasss speech on Lincoln came in 1876, at the end of Reconstruction and its promise of full racial equality. Yet this was still two decades before the full implementation of Jim Crow segregation, which the 1619 Projects racialist narrative suggests demonstrates the immutability of anti-black racism. On the contrary, the oppression of the African American population after the Civil War exemplified, in the most profound and tragic manner, the inability of a bourgeois revolution that had led to the unfettered and explosive development of capitalism to realize Lincolns promise of a new birth of freedom. Here again, however, the African American population was hardly alone, as the 1619 Project claims. In answering this claim, it is necessary to call attention to other facets of the American experience that are totally absent from the race-based narrative of the 1619 Project. Beginning during the Civil War and intensifying over the next three decades, the American military waged a ruthless war against the Indians of the American West, culminating in the conversion of their communal lands to private property under the Dawes Act of 1887 and the murderous rampage against the Sioux at Wounded Knee in 1890. The Indians, whose cultures could not be reconciled to capitalist notions of private property, occupied land demanded by the robber barons for the railroads and for the plunder of its mineral wealth. And then there is the fact that in the half century separating the end of the Civil War with the beginning of World War I, millions upon millions of immigrants poured in from Europe and AsiaIrish, German, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, and many others. Lichtenstein writes that the African American experience must be considered central to every aspect of American history. This is the sort of vast generalization that can mean almost anything. But would it be less true to state that the immigrant experience must be considered central to every aspect of American history? It should be noted, in this connection, that the primary targets of immigration exclusion in the 1920s, and the central target of the revived Ku Klux Klan, were European immigrants. The exclusion of the Chinese and Japanese came earlier still, in 1882 and 1907, respectively. In this half century the American working class faced enormous difficulties in unifying over racial and national barriers. Nonetheless, workersimmigrant and native-born, white and blackfought innumerable bloody battles against factory owners and their hired gunmen and allies in the police departments and state militias. The class struggle in the United States was vicious. Hundreds of thousands died on the job, and many more died from poor living conditions, realities brought to an international audience by Upton Sinclairs The Jungle, as well as other works of American realist literature. Many hundreds of workers died in labor massacres, from assassinations, and behind bars, in the precise same decades that hundreds of Southern blacks were lynched, typically, as Ida Wells established, on false allegations of assaults against women. The Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770 None of this is to minimize the experience of African Americans, who have been, with the single exception of the American Indians, the most oppressed part of the American population. However, notwithstanding its specific origins and characteristics, the struggle of African Americans to overcome the legacy of slavery and achieve the democratic rights guaranteed by the Constitution becomes inextricably connected with the broader mass struggle of the American working class against capitalist exploitation. Lichtenstein pretends that there is nothing at stake in this debate. Yet the imposition on history of a racialist narrative must have contemporary political consequences. It was clear from the outset that the effort of the New York Times to utilize the 1619 Project as the basis of new educational curricula has definite political aims. These have become undeniable in light of the many public statements made by Hannah-Jones, including a boast made in Chicago in October that should stop historians in their tracks: Im making a moral argument. My method is guilt. The 1619 Project is, first of all, intended to bolster the Democratic Partys efforts to utilize racial identity, and the concept that blacks and whites have historically opposed interests, as a central electoral strategy. Ironically, this is a reworking of the political method that was employed by white supremacists in the South to maintain the dominance of the Democratic Party well into the 1960s, and which was later taken over by the Republicans in Richard Nixons Southern strategy. Second, and still more fundamentally, it is aimed at undermining the growth of interracial class solidarity at a time of growing popular opposition, within the American and international working class, to massive social inequality. A historical interpretation that focuses on the centrality of economic forces and class conflict leads to demands for, at the very least, the curtailment of corporate power and an equitable redistribution of wealth. But the race-based interpretation advanced by the 1619 Project, reflecting the social aspirations of the more affluent sections of the African American middle class, serves to bolster demands for reparation payments. This is not incidental to the Projects aims. Hannah-Jones has already announced that her forthcoming project will be a demand for racially based reparations. The disrespect expressed by Lichtenstein and the 1619 Project defenders toward leading historians such as Wood, McPherson, Oakes, Carwardine, Bynum, and Sean Wilentz expresses the rejection of a progressive democratic tendency in American historiography. The historians who have stressed the world-historical and progressive character of the two American Revolutions (177583 and 186165) tended to legitimize, even if that was not their intention, the perspective of a third American, socialist, revolution. The 1619 Project, which takes no notice of the class struggle in its mythological narrative, advances a perspective that is, both in its theoretical foundations and political perspective, deeply reactionary. Lichtenstein knows this to be the case. He writes, at the conclusion of his essay, it is not his intention to defend unconditionally what appears in the 1619 Project. The editor admits to feeling frustration with the exaggerated claims of the journalists behind the 1619 Project. And, as the Trotskyists point out, Lichtenstein writes, Marxists may find the substitution of race for class relations disconcerting. Coming at the conclusion of a lengthy defense of the 1619 Project, Lichtensteins admission of reservations testifies not only to the unprincipled character of his essay but also to the degraded state of those sections of the academic community that have been drawn to racialist theories of history. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: Baki Inshaat Sanaye Open Joint-Stock Company, a large industrial enterprise in Azerbaijan, engaged in the production of construction and industrial materials, eyes to export steel pipes, a source at the company told Trend. "It is planned to establish exports to Georgia. Negotiations in this direction are expected to begin in the coming months. The company intends to increase production volumes, considering export plans. For example, last year the plant produced up to 8,000 tons of industrial products per month. This year it is planned to bring this figure to 10,000 tons," the source said. The source noted that the enterprise's plans include the introduction of new models of construction pipes into production. These models will differ in their parameters. The main products of the enterprise are various types of steel pipes. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @MatanatNasibova The team gets to work with a multinational brand and household name, plus is afforded the competitive base wages DATAMARK is known for, as well as bonuses based on excellent performance. Business process outsourcing provider, DATAMARK, recently announced that the company has an immediate need for 200 full-time employees in the El Paso, Texas area. This comes on the heels of closing two major contracts with large organizations. The first round of hiring involves support roles for an international shipping and logistics company that serves an estimated 6.5 billion people and operates in more than 200 countries and territories across the globe. Since 1989, DATAMARK has been providing the company with various business process outsourcing solutions, giving it a competitive edge and helping it climb within the Fortune 500 ranks. Employees hired for this project will utilize a variety of tools and resources to locate missing packages for the companys customers. Initial recruits describe the work as engaging due to the variance in cases and are excited about the experience as well as the opportunity to be part of the global brand. These are unique positions, explains DATAMARK President, Bill Randag. The team gets to work with a multinational brand and household name, plus is afforded the competitive base wages DATAMARK is known for, as well as bonuses based on excellent performance. Training for the second group of hires begins on February 24. These individuals will be supporting government healthcare contracts for more than 50 million Americans. The company works on a multitude of government projects, which makes cost management a major factor too. DATAMARK is contracted to provide them with call center and several high level back office processing functions. Those in the contact center will be working with both claimants and providers handling a variety of tasks such as enrollment, authorizations, and addressing inquiries. Those working in document processing and digital mailroom will help ensure bill processing and authorizations are carried out with accuracy and efficiency, while leveraging the latest in technology. All these positions have clear career paths, adds Randag. Theres lots of opportunity for growth and the work is rewarding. He notes that DATAMARKs values of respect, integrity, teamwork, and teachability, combine to create a workplace in which people genuinely enjoy coming to work each day. Employees are also encouraged to take part in the DATAMARK Gives Back program, which gives the team time to volunteer, resulting in a greater sense of purpose and supports the community too. Its initiatives like these that have helped the company earn numerous awards for its workplace culture. Those interested in exploring employment opportunities with DATAMARK are strongly encouraged to visit careers.datamark.net and apply through the online portal. About the Company: Founded in 1989, DATAMARK, Inc. is a leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company headquartered in El Paso, Texas. DATAMARK serves Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and other large enterprises at our delivery centers worldwide, including the U.S., Mexico, and India, offering a wide range of outsourced back-office services, including call center services; high-volume digital mailroom and mail center management; and data entry, document processing and document management, and business engineering services. To combat the growing epidemic, China's Central Government has announced an additional 11.21 billion yuan (US$1.616 billion) for public health service and epidemic prevention. The outbreak and spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) across China and beyond its borders is a "grave" situation, President Xi Jinping said last week. This week the first week after Spring Festival with cases and deaths rising quickly, Xi has called for unity. He stressed that the Central Government needs to scientifically assess the development of the epidemic, make precise decisions, and act under unified leadership. According to Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), there are 5,974 confirmed novel coronavirus cases with 132 deaths reported on the Chinese mainland as of 24:00 CST (16:00 GMT) Jan. 28. The majority (3554 cases) of those affected are from Hubei Province, with Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, accounted for 1905 cases. At least 60 cases have been reported beyond China, with cases recorded in Thailand, the United States, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, France, Germany, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. To combat the growing epidemic, China's Central Government has announced an additional 11.21 billion yuan (US$1.616 billion) for public health service and epidemic prevention. In the country, 30 cities and provinces have launched Level I emergency response and people are showing in action and in spirit that they are committed to fighting the deadly virus all the way. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the UN appreciates China's effort and has full confidence in its ability of controlling the outbreak. In a meeting with China's Permanent Representative to the UN Zhang Jun, the UN chief commended China for working with the international community in the spirit of "openness, transparency, and scientific coordination." Being United To Tackle The Challenge President Xi urged the Communist Party of China (CPC) organizations and members of various levels to lead and unite the people. He added that China must rely on the people to win the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic. The people of China have certainly heeded this call. Health professionals and emergency workers, who just days earlier were preparing for festive celebrations with their families, have given up all their holidays and family reunion, and vied to fight the virus in Wuhan. Led and encouraged by Doctor Zhong Nanshan, China's top expert in anti-virus, thousands of doctors and nurses rushed to Wuhan in just two days. They are now working round the clock with little rest in order to assist those affected. Medical units from Shanghai, Guangdong, the armed forces and elsewhere have been deployed to assist local medics in Hubei province. More than 6,000 medical personnel have already arrived. Hundreds of engineers and contractors are working night and day to build two purpose-built hospitals for coronavirus patients. Construction is already underway on the first hospital which will provide up to 1000 additional beds and is scheduled to be completed by Feb. 3. The second hospital, designed to have 1,300 beds is set to be completed in an equally impressive short amount of time, and should be operational within two weeks. The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the people of China for their efforts and voiced confidence in China's epidemic prevention and control methods. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who met with President Xi in Beijing on January 28, said the measures taken by China to control the novel coronavirus are rarely seen in the world. In one heartwarming clip circulating on social media, the residents of Wuhan are shown gathering on their balconies and shouting messages of comfort and support to each other. The calls of "Wuhan, Jiayou" (Come on, Wuhan) can be heard in multiple videos from near and far. Global Action As the cases of novel coronavirus are steadily increasing beyond China's borders, so too are the measures taken by the international community. Since China identified the new pathogens and successfully sequenced the viral genome structure, scientists and researchers worldwide have been racing to find a vaccine. World leaders are working closely together to implement policies for control and prevention. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a phone conversation with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian on Jan. 27. The novel coronavirus outbreak reminds us once again that the destinies of all nations are closely linked in the era of globalization, Wang said. The Foreign Minister added that China is willing to work with other countries to safeguard the life and health of people in China and around the world. US president Donald Trump despite ongoing trade tensions has offered China "any help that is necessary." "Our experts are extraordinary" the president said in a tweet, adding that though few cases have been identified in America, the country is "strongly on watch." The collective effort and action taken by the international community to combat the spread of novel coronavirus is certainly reassuring. It is reassuring to know that in times of adversity; human nature is to overlook difference and instead see commonality. And it is truly humbling to witness the individual acts of selflessness, courage and bravery, as people such as Dr. Liang Wudong, put themselves at risk in the help of others. China will overcome this latest challenge as it has many in the past. The hope is that world leaders as is being demonstrated currently recognize that some challenges affect the global community as a whole and so require cooperation and a unified response the world over for the sake of all our peoples. Jiayou Wuhan. Jiayou China. Jiayou All. The arrival of the new year brings good news for owners of property (residential, commercial premises or land) in Ronda, Colmenar, Manilva, Serrato and Montecorto but not so good for those in Torremolinos, Cartama, Alcaucin, Algarrobo, Benahavis and Fuente de Piedra. In the first group, the administrative property values known as cadastral values, have been reduced by about three per cent, but in the others they have increased by between three and five per cent. The most recent changes in the tax base are the result of corrective coefficients approved at the last Cabinet meeting in 2019. A total of 1,092 towns in Spain (11 in the province of Malaga) had applied for their values to be adjusted to become more in line with market prices. There can be a major difference, depending on whether the cadastral value was set when property prices were high or after the bubble burst and prices plummeted. Variations The modification does not affect the rate the councils use for IBI or plusvalia, but does affect the deemed value of the property and the taxes are applied to that. According to Spanish law, councils are obliged to update their cadastral values every ten years, although in fact this is rarely applied even though the Ministry of Finance has the power to act on its own or force councils that are participating in financial aid programmes to do so. Councils are also able to request a review before the ten years are up as long as they fulfil three criteria: at least five years must have passed since the previous valuation came into force (in this case, before 2015); that there are substantial differences between market prices and the values used as a basis for taxes and all types of property in the municipality are affected equally; and the application is made before 31 May in the year before the review is carried out. On this dawn of a new Elizabethan age of enterprise, discovery and international trade, it seems a bit miserablist to snipe at the prospects of post-Brexit global Britain. But snipe, Im afraid, I must. The important point to remember, always, is that whatever new trade deal the UK negotiates with the European Union, it will be inferior, to a greater or lesser extent, with the completely frictionless movement of goods, provision of services, workers and capital that now exists as a full member of the EU. Nor, on any rational calculation, will any fresh trade deals with other major powers America, China, Japan, Australia and so on compensate for the additional costs of Brexit and the impact of it on investment, jobs and living standards in Britain. So, Canada then. It is being much talked up at the moment, as it has been on and off since the referendum in June 2016 as a model for the UK's new relationship with the EU. You may remember some chirpy talk form the former Brexit secretary, aka Brexit Bulldog, David Davis about a Canada plus plus plus trade deal, and variants thereof. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to 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Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Put back into the jargon, a Canada-style deal with the EU means that global Britain will achieve a similar economic and trading relationship with the European Union as the one Canada recently concluded. Its called CETA the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and it looks quite impressive. Some 98 per cent of all duties that used to be levied on EU exports to Canada, and vice versa, are being abolished. European protected products (eg Italian Chianti and Hungarian salami) will continue to enjoy a sort of copyright protection. Certain Canadian services will be opened up to EU forms financial services, transport and telecoms, for example. Most impressively, the EU and Canada can recognise each others professional qualifications in certain jobs. Thus, in principle, a Canadian accountant could get a job as an accountant without further ado in Denmark; a French lawyer could practise in Quebec; or a German engineer could take up a position in Montreal and so on but none would have any automatic right to do so, as exists today across the EU. And of course, this leaves out non-professional workers (such as journalists, as it happens). Sound good? Canada doesnt have to send any money to the EU budget; theres no sense in which the Court of Justice of the European Union has supremacy over Canadian courts; theres no unrestricted freedom of movement for workers across the Atlantic; and the EU and Canadians being advanced civilised societies, have mutually agreed standards of environmental protection and workers rights. Now, if you added in some clauses about sharing intelligence on terrorists, say, cooperating on data exchanges and some additional co-operation on areas such as overseas development, student exchanges, tourism, air travel and the rest, it would make a fine basis for a new relationship with what the government calls our friends and partners in Europe. Except for a few things, though. First, Canada is not Britain. Britain is next door to the EU, and the movement of people, goods and services across the English Channel and the North Sea is obviously far larger than they are across the North Atlantic. We have a lot of fish, far nearer than Canadian stocks. The economic relationships and social relationships, after a half-century of integration between Britain and the EUs remaining 26 members are obviously far more intimate than the relatively remote ones between the EU and Canada (even with the British interest, via historical and Commonwealth ties). The post-Brexit rights of British citizens on the Costa del Sol, and Polish families in Lincolnshire, for example, remain unclear a big issue that simply doesnt apply to the relatively small numbers of EU and Canadians living abroad. Most trade deals are to do with dismantling barriers and making trade easier; the UK and EU are in the unusual position of erecting obstacles and making trade more difficult. In a way that should be easier we start from complete harmonisation as if we were one economic country but it can also be trickier, because of ingrained expectations. If we assume we can, say, use a UK driving licence to drive a lorry to Turkey in a years time, or to export our cars as we do now, we may be disappointed, even under a CETA style agreement. Moreover, Britain might wish to diverge further than Canada does from EU rules on, say, the working time directive. The EU has made clear that the UK would not be allowed to do so without some corresponding reduction in access to EU markets the level playing field idea. Free trade is not as free as it sounds. It merely means free (or free-er) access to goods markets, mostly without duties and quotas. It does not mean that everything can flow freely across borders as if they didnt exist there will still be checks, on, for example, whether rules of origin are being observed. To take a topical example, it would be wrong for a Canadian entity to import a consignment of the famous chlorinated chicken from the US, and then re-export it to the EU, where it is banned. The chickens would be, by value, still overwhelmingly American rather than Canadian; but even if they were Canadian, they would not be allowed into the EU, tariffs or no tariffs. There is no suggestion that Canadian and EU product standards will be aligned but that means checks and bureaucracy and costs. There are many more such examples, and rules of origin can be complex and demanding. It is not the same, at all, as the current single market and customs union. Last, the CETA took years to negotiate and was held up in its ratification, semi-comically, by the Walloon regional parliament in Francophone Belgium, where the feeling was that the interests of dairy farmers and their (presumably French-speaking) cattle were not being sufficiently looked after. Eventually, the CETA crossed its final hurdles and was passed into law but it took far longer than the11 months Boris Johnson has allowed for a deal. From the tangle of tariffs and restrictions that previously existed between Canada and Europe, it was a great step forward. But from the full membership and full freedoms currently enjoyed by the UK in the largest economic bloc on the planet, it would be a correspondingly retrograde step. No cause for celebration there. The Cudeca cancer care charity on Tuesday signed an agreement with construction firm Compac to build its new palliative care study and research institute. At the announcement this week, Cudeca explained, "The institute aims to train future professionals in palliative healthcare through teaching and research -an activity that is part of Cudeca's mission since its start in 1992 - and through this, fund Cudeca's care work". The announcement added, "This centre will be a source of complementary funds, which will support the increase in the amount of patients we look after, which has doubled in the last five years." Ricardo Urdiales, Cudeca president, said, "This project has been made possible thanks to the extraordinary generosity of benefactor Doctor Yusuf Hamied". Maria Luisa Martin, medical director and chief executive of Cudeca, added that "the main objective of the centre is to house the training that Cudeca offers to professionals of all levels and branches in order to improve the quality of palliative care, sharing our special way of caring for people with advanced and terminal illness". New Delhi, Jan 31 : Air India moved into action to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in China due to novel coronavirus. An Air India 423-seater jumbo B747 plane left for Wuhan from the Delhi airport on Friday afternoon. Government officials said the plane, with five doctors belonging to the Health Ministry, is on its way to evacuate an estimated 400 Indians from the virus affected region of China. The plane will not carry any crew except the pilots, who have been provided protective gear against the infection. Food packets have been placed in the seat pockets as no cabin crew are being sent on the flight. The plane will spend no more than 2-3 hours at Wuhan before making the return journey to India. The rescue plane is expected to reach Delhi in the early hours of Saturday. The indian government has contacted around 600 Indian nationals resident in Hubei province to check on their preparedness toAreturn to India. A number of students and other professionals are staying in the virus-affected area. Till now, 213 deaths, in China, have been attributed to the novel corona virus infection and more than 9,600 confirmed cases have been reported there. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The United Nations Security Council meets to discuss the Venezuelan crisis at the United Nations in New York City on Feb. 26, 2019. (Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images) Whistleblower Reveals How She Was Silenced After Exposing Chinese Influence at UN The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is under fire after being exposed for giving the names of dissidents and human rights activists to the Chinese communist regime, and then persecuting the whistleblower who exposed the scandal. Among those targeted by the regime with help from the U.N. OHCHR were Uyghur Muslims, pro-Tibet activists, and others who were planning to expose Beijings abuses in testimony at Geneva-based U.N. human-rights bodies. In some cases, the individuals whose names were given to the regime were prevented by Chinese authorities from testifying. Family members of those involved who were still in China were also kidnapped, tortured and in some cases, killed in detention, according to the whistleblower and other sources. In at least one case, the dissident identified by the U.N. was detained before leaving China and died in custody. The scandal comes amid growing global concerns about communist Chinas increasing clout at the U.N. Now, after refusing to protect the whistleblower in the case, the U.N.s internal justice system, which is supposed to protect whistleblowers from retaliation, is coming under scrutiny as well. Critics and analysts even say it is time for outside intervention. A U.N. judge who was set to rule on the case, likely in favor of the whistleblower, was mysteriously removed from office with 24 hours notice. In interviews with The Epoch Times, the whistleblower involved and experts on the U.N.s internal justice system said the case raises serious concerns about systemic corruption within the organization. The U.N. should not facilitate identification of victims for genocide, and that should not be a controversial statement, said Emma Reilly, the whistleblower involved. All the U.N. ever needed to do was stop handing over names to China. Instead, the U.N. spent millions of dollars defending that policy and demonizing the person who exposed it all while publicly denying it, she said. And none of the managers responsible for this will ever face the slightest consequence, Reilly added. Among other issues, Reilly and others who spoke with The Epoch Times suggested that the corruption that led to this latest series of explosive scandals has become pervasive within the U.N. system. Only outside intervention will be able to clean up the mess, they said. Emma Reilly Uncovers the Scandal In early 2013, Reilly, a young Irish national with a passion for human rights, took over responsibility as the non-governmental organization (NGO) liaison within the Human Rights Council Branch of the OHCHR. Her boss, the chief of branch, instructed her to ensure that the names of Chinese dissidents were handed over to the regime in Beijing. Naturally, Reilly was shocked. I immediately reported it, Reilly told The Epoch Times, confirming a long trail of documents and correspondence that began around that time. First, Reilly reported it to the chief of branchs superior. When that failed, she reported it to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights at the time, as well as the U.N. Ethics Office. According to Reilly, the head of Ethics response was we both know how the U.N. works, and that she should use the information to bribe the Chief of Office to ensure a promotion. Thats how deep the rot goes, Reilly said in an interview. Eventually, after doing everything possible to avoid allowing Beijing to get its hands on those names, Reilly reported it to officials with the European Unions delegation, too. The chief of branch simply lied to them and pretended this was not happening, Reilly recalled. The Reactions After trying to stop the abuse and expose it, Reillys life would be forever changed. Following a pattern that has developed at the U.N., she faced extreme retaliation. I have been ostracized, deprived of functions, forcibly transferred to non-existent posts without functions, defamed to journalists and NGOs, and more, she said. At one point, knowing that Reilly suffers from an autoimmune condition that can require emergency medical attention, U.N. officials even tried to forcibly transfer her to Mauritania, which does not have a functioning health care system. And all of this retaliation was directed from the very top, she said. Why Do It? As for why Reilly decided to act despite knowing the risks, for her, it was obvious. It was so clearly the opposite of what the human rights office of the U.N. should be doing, she said. Reillys reporting of the scandal led to email exchanges among others in the U.N. office discussing whether or not it was appropriate to give the names to Beijing. About 20 peoplemostly senior managerswere copied on the emails debating handing over the names of Chinese dissidents to their persecutors. Reilly was actually the most junior person on the list, and the only one to ultimately speak out about it. However, as those emails were flying, Reilly discovered the scheme had been going on for some time, probably since the establishment of the Council, she said. It was, and I believe still is, policy, continued Reilly, noting that in court documents, the U.N. argued that it was unreasonable for her to object to this. Documents show that the U.N. Ethics Officer assigned to the case recognized in writing that Reilly believed the policy was against the rules of the U.N. Human Rights Council, against the fundamental principle of do no harm in human rights work, and a violation of the U.N.s confidentiality obligations. But to the U.N., it was unreasonable to believe such lofty principles could trump the possibility of better relations between communist China and the U.N. Senior U.N. managers knew all about the transferring of names to Beijing, the Ethics Office argued. As such, it must not be such a big deal, so Reilly would not be entitled to whistleblower protections. I still fail to see the logic of why systemic corruption and bowing to Chinese interference is okay, said Reilly, who worked with Amnesty International in Hong Kong and so is very familiar with the dangers faced by Chinese dissidents. If she had to do it all over again, the only thing Reilly would do differently is that she would have broken the rules and made those email exchanges on the subject public immediately, she told The Epoch Times. The Sham Process After almost seven years of suffering retaliation and abuse for blowing the whistle, Reillys case was finally heard in June 2019. The U.N. approach to whistleblowers is to ignore all of its internal rules, and all deadlines, and drag out the retaliation as long as possible in the hope the staff member will resign, or be found guilty in a phony investigation, she said, echoing the experiences of other U.N. whistleblowers who have tried to do the right thing. Because of diplomatic immunity, it is not possible for the victims to sue the U.N. That means Reilly and the Chinese victims were at the mercy of a U.N. tribunal in which the U.N. itself sets the rules and changes them at will. To win in what critics have referred to as the U.N.s kangaroo court, she would have to prove a breach of contractnot that the U.N. was handing over names of Chinese dissidents and then beating up on the person who blew the whistle. The judge was clearly shocked by what he was hearing, Reilly said. But the whole process was a giant sham, she suggested. The U.N. withheld important evidence, and tried to make the entire case into a debate about my personality, as if it would somehow be acceptable for the U.N. to engage in a secret practice of facilitating identification of victims for the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang if I, as alleged, once took a document from someones hand too quickly, Reilly continued. Incredibly to outside observers, when it looked as if the U.N. judge might rule in Reillys favor, the judge was removed from the case and his post with less than 24 hours of notice so he would have no time to issue a ruling. Just this month, the new U.N. judge assigned to the case issued an order asking to hear from a list of almost exclusively hostile witnesses, Reilly explained. When the U.N. realized it could be in danger of an embarrassing judgement revealing the cover-up, they removed the judge and assigned one who would effectively give them a second chance to retry the case, by calling witnesses on their behalf and shifting focus away from actively endangering peoples lives and safety to the fact that the people who did it didnt like me once they found out I reported them, Reilly said in summarizing the Kafkaesque developments. This is an utter travesty of justice, she added. Permeated With Corruption Of course, Reilly is hardly the first whistleblower to face such treatment from the U.N. In fact, another high-profile whistleblower, U.N. human rights official Anders Kompass, faced similar persecution after blowing the whistle on widespread rape of African children by U.N. peacekeeping troops. Leaked e-mails later revealed that the highest echelons of U.N. management met in a secret meeting in Turin, Italy, to plot his removal. In an explosive resignation letter, Kompass denounced the systemic corruption and the broken U.N. internal oversight mechanisms. He also expressed doubt that ethics could or would ever return to the U.N. Even the former head of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services, Undersecretary General Inga-Britt Ahlenius, spoke out about the case, saying it showed a decay of culture in the U.N. These people were colluding against Kompassand these are the supreme authorities at the U.N., she explained in a 2015 interview. The Central African Republic affair is a sign that shows how accountability will actually have to be demanded from the U.N., Ahlenius continued. It wont come on its own. Another tragedy going back to the beginning of the U.N. involved whistleblower Povel Bang-Jensen of Denmark. He blew the whistle on a U.N. cover-up of Soviet atrocities in Hungarya scandal that also involved the U.N. giving names of witnesses to their communist persecutorsbefore being ruthlessly persecuted himself by the U.N. Eventually, Bang-Jensen ended up dead in a highly suspicious suicide. Reilly said her case was hardly an anomaly. Its systemic, she said. The system of protection is designed to fail. Its not a case of incompetence, but malice. Anders Kompass, representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala, delivers a speech during the presentation of the report by Yakin Erturk, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences, in Guatemala City, on April 17, 2007. (Orlando Sierra/AFP via Getty Images) Reilly argued that genuine, personal accountability was needed for those responsible. And the U.N. cannot continue to police itself, she said, calling on the U.S. Congress and the administration to play a role in ensuring effective protections for whistleblowers. There needs to be genuine, external oversight. Other member states also must play a role. In the absence of external oversight, whistleblowers are the only way member states can find out if abuses are happening, Reilly said. Member states must act on the information whistleblowers give them. Outside Experts Agree Geneva-based international attorney Edward Flaherty, who has knowledge of the case in question but does not represent Reilly, said her case highlights systematic problems within the U.N. that must be addressed. The disturbing case of Emma Reilly shows how ineffectual whistleblower protection actually is today in the U.N., Flaherty told The Epoch Times. Reilly reported that the U.N.s human-rights apparatus was secretly handing over information on human rights activists to the Chinese regime, resulting in the arbitrary detention and even torture of them or their family members, he recounted. And yet, every internal U.N. oversight body simply said that was okay and left her to face repeated retaliation at the hands of U.N. senior officials that has gone on for years. Flaherty, who has followed developments on this case and has worked on other U.N.-related whistleblower claims, expressed shock at the U.N.s decision to remove the judge. This was an act clearly designed to ensure he would not have time to issue his judgment which, based on a prior judgment involving Reilly, was presumably going to again go against the U.N., said Flaherty. This action violated every principle of independence of the judiciary, he continued. But the U.N.s appellate court last week rubber stamped the judges removal, claiming it was simply the end of his term, failing to ask why no one from the U.N. had bothered to tell the judge in advance of his imminent discharge. Regardless of what the U.N.s policies are on paper, Flaherty said it is clear that the U.N.s so-called internal whistleblower protection procedures are solely designed and operated to protect senior U.N. officials, not to determine truth or stop abuses of power. As such, there is a desperate need for external oversight of the U.N. This external oversight mechanism, he concluded, must have the power to order accountability for U.N. managers who hand the names of dissidents to Beijing, ignore the rape of children by U.N. peacekeeping troops, oversee the introduction by U.N. forces of deadly diseases such as cholera into places such as Haiti, misappropriate taxpayer money, or ruthlessly retaliate against whistleblowers such as Reilly. After working closely with whistleblowers exposing heinous crimes, another expert, attorney and former U.N. internal investigator Peter Gallo, echoed those concerns. The U.N. has gone to extraordinary lengths to misrepresent the facts, suppress this story and retaliate against Ms. Reilly for having reported that the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was actuallyrather than actually defending the people actually fighting to uphold human rightswas cooperating with governments that abuse them, he told The Epoch Times. The U.N., he said, wanted to ignore the risk of people in China being tortured or dying of maltreatment in an effort to ensure that China would be elected to the Human Rights Council. This is an utter perversion that shows just how pointless the Human Rights Council really is, said Gallo, who leads the advocacy group Hear Their Cries supporting victims of U.N. abuses. Reillys case, like those of many other whistleblowers before her, shows the utter hypocrisy of every facet of what the U.N. chooses to call its justice system, Gallo continued, saying it should be a compulsory Case Study for anyone who considers the U.N. to be a force for good in the world. Pointing to the removal of the U.N. judge, Gallo called it outrageous, adding that it flies in the face of every principle of justice. It is difficult to take such things seriously, he added. It is important to realize that this is not just some minor administrative irrelevance in a back-room of an increasingly dysfunctional bureaucracy, Gallo concluded. This is why U.N. staff around the world will not report the number of women and children raped by U.N. personnel. This is why they will not report the corruption or the full extent of human rights abuses in conflict zones, and this is how the rest of the world is kept in the dark about the security situation in many of these countries. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights declined to comment when contacted by The Epoch Times about Reillys accusations. Given current litigation on associated claims by Ms. Reilly, it would not be appropriate for the Office to comment further at this time, said a spokesman in the OHCHR media section. Alex Newman is an award-winning international journalist, educator, author, and consultant. He serves as the CEO of Liberty Sentinel Media and writes for diverse publications in the United States and abroad. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) The anti-trust body has flagged a planned cement company buyout, saying it could potentially lead to an industry monopoly. In a Friday statement, the Philippine Competition Commission's (PCC) Merger and Acquisitions Office (MAO) said San Miguel Corporation's (SMC) planned takeover of Holcim Philippines could lead to "monopoly, increased market power, and potential collusion" in the sector, particularly for four big markets. San Miguel unit First Stronghold Cement Industries, Inc. first revealed its plan to buy 5.5 billion shares in Holcim for $2.15 billion (about 127 billion) in May 2019, which triggered the PCC review of the transaction. This would give the cement maker an 85.73 percent stake in Holcim, making it the controlling shareholder. Holcim Philippines, a unit of global giant LafargeHolcim Ltd., manufactures and distributes grey cement and its aggregates in eight facilities. SMC President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang also serves as chairman of Eagle Cement Corporation, the PCC said. All these companies fall under the umbrella firm Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc. The competition body said the SMC-Holcim merger would eliminate Top Frontier's only competitor in Northwest Luzon and will make it very hard for any new player to enter the cement distribution market in Greater Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Northeast Luzon. "Top Frontier and Northern Cement were reported to have coordinated marketing strategies and exert influence on the board of directors of each other," the PCC said, adding that the holding company "has access to sensitive corporate information of Northern Cement." CNN Philippines has sought for SMC's comment on the issue. The MAO also said that Top Frontier "exercises control and influence" over Northern Cement's policies and operations," even if the company owns a 35 percent stake on paper. PCC has put the deal under a more thorough review since September 2019, citing the need for a more detailed analysis of market implications should the deal push through. It added that Top Frontier and Holcim Philippines have proposed a set of "voluntary commitments" to diffuse monopoly concerns, but these will still be reviewed by the regulator. Principal Mary MacDonald as the 2019 Mount Greylock graduation ceremonies. She is moving back to a teaching post after seven years leading the middle-high school. MacDonald to Step Down as Principal at Mount Greylock WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Mount Greylock Principal Mary MacDonald surprised many in the school community this week by announcing that she will be stepping down this summer from the post she has held since 2013. But the move came as no surprise to her boss. "With her being at the helm in everything we've been through regionalization, the building project with the hours that were put in last year, when we had an English position open, Mary talked to me about stepping down at that point," Mount Greylock Regional School District Superintendent Kimberley Grady said this week. But MacDonald agreed to stay in the principal's chair to help provide continuity after a period when the district went through several administrative changes. "Another position opened up that she expressed interest in, and this year she came to me earlier and discussed it," Grady said. "I received her letter a week and a half ago, but I wanted her on her terms to be able to talk to her faculty and staff." After notifying her colleagues, MacDonald, who has taught at Mount Greylock and in Lenox as well as in New York City, sent an email to families at the middle-high school. "I have the greatest respect and affection for the school community, and it has been a privilege and honor to serve as principal," MacDonald wrote. "That said, returning to the classroom as a teacher in the tradition of past administrators is something I have contemplated seriously during the past year, and it is time for me to make that transition." During her nearly 30 years as an educator, MacDonald had taught English in schools in New York and Lenox. The Connecticut native left Lenox Memorial High after seven years to become coordinator of curriculum, instruction and assessment of what was then the "Tri-School District" in 2012. She moved into the principal's post when it opened less than a year later. Grady said the School Committee was aware of MacDonald's plans and that the principal position will be posted right away with the hope of having a replacement on board before MacDonald's last day on June 30. "This is the ideal time to start looking for building administrators," Grady said. "That's why she gave it to me when she did. We wanted there to be a full search cycle." A Connecticut opera singer has been arrested following a police-involved shooting after she crashed her SUV through two security checkpoints near President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Hannah Roemhild, 30, was taken into custody following the ordeal near Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Friday just hours before the President was due to arrive. Police say the incident unfolded after they responded to reports of a white woman acting irrationally and dancing on the top of a car in the parking lot of a motel near Mar-a-Lago. When an officer arrived at the parking lot, Roemhild - who police say was impaired - got off the top of the car and into her black SUV. Authorities say they approached her as she sat inside the SUV but she would not respond when they tapped on the window. Officers smashed through the window glass when they saw her rifling through her glove box. Hannah Roemhild, 30, was taken into custody following the ordeal near Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Friday just hours before the President was due to arrive Hannah Roemhild, 30, was taken into custody following the ordeal near Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida on Friday just hours before the President was due to arrive. She crashed through two security checkpoints before authorities caught up to her and opened fire Roemhild sped off and led officers on a high-speed pursuit, at times driving on the wrong side of the road at speeds nearing 70 mph. She crashed through two security checkpoints before authorities caught up to her and opened fire. Roemhild was speeding toward a third when sheriff;s deputies and Secret Service agents fired numerous rounds at her car. She kept driving and investigators believe she picked up a female relative before authorities located her car using a license plate reader. She ran from her car outside a nearby motel and was tackled by a trooper. It is not yet clear if she was struck by the gunfire. Photos from the scene show the SUV riddled with bullet holes. The checkpoint, a series of concrete barriers and armed officers, is blocks away from the actual resort. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Roemhild wasn't 'even remotely close' to getting into the 'inner perimeter' of the resort in Palm Beach. 'This is not a terrorist thing,' he said, adding that Roemhild did not appear to have a police record. 'This is someone who was obviously impaired somehow and driving very recklessly.' Roemhild is expected to be charged with assault on a federal officer, deadly assault on two sheriff's deputies and traffic charges. Several officers opened fire on the car after the vehicle breached security. Bullet holes can be seen in the SUV's windshield above The SUV was located nearby following a short pursuit and the two occupants were arrested Roemhild is an opera singer from Connecticut. Police say she doesn't appear to have a criminal record Trump was scheduled to leave Washington for his resort later on Friday afternoon where he was expected to spend the weekend. First lady Melania Trump is currently at the White House and was expected to travel with Trump. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Trump had been briefed and there were no changes to his travel plans at this time. Mar-a-Lago has been the scene of several intrusions since Trump became president. On January 5, just hours after Trump and his family had left the club following a two-week vacation, a Florida man who had been dishonorably discharged from the Marines for sex offenses was arrested after he got past two checkpoints by falsely identifying himself as part of the president's helicopter crew. In March 2019, Chinese national Yujing Zhang gained access to Mar-a-Lago while carrying a laptop, phones and other electronic gear. That led to initial speculation that the 33-year-old businesswoman from Shanghai might be a spy, but she was never charged with espionage. Text messages she exchanged with a trip organizer indicated she was a fan of the president and wanted to meet him or his family to discuss possible deals. Zhang was found guilty of trespassing and lying to Secret Service agents and was sentenced to time served. The back of the SUV appeared to have been completely shot out after the pursuit The Silvermine School of Art in New Canaan has added a soda kiln to its ceramics studio. The new kiln, built by noted ceramicist, author and teacher Bruce Dehnert, had its first firing this week, and will make way for new workshops and courses in Silvermines ceramics department, Silvermine said in a news release. Silvermine said the kiln is a significant enhancement for its program; before its completion, the nearest soda kiln in a community art center was two hours away. We were delighted to have Bruce Dehnert as kiln builder, Anne Connell, Director of the Silvermine School of Art, said in a news release, and we are extremely grateful to the Silvermine students and faculty members whose generous donations, matched by Silvermine Arts Center, made the kiln project possible. Jon Puzzuoli, Silvermine Head of Ceramics, teacher and board member, worked directly with Dehnert over a three-year span. The dynamic and complex glaze effects that this soda kiln will give the pottery are unsurpassed, Puzzuoli said. The idea was in the ether when I first arrived in early 2015 and we started construction a few months later. Puzzuoli described the firing process: At 2,300 degrees, rock salt and baking soda are introduced into the kiln. The sodium from the salt and baking soda turns into a vaporous cloud that flows through the kiln and reacts with the pots to coat each in a glaze. This often results in an array of colors and can achieve a rich glossy surface that resembles an orange peel. Kiln builder Dehnert is currently Head of Ceramics at Peters Valley School for Craft in Layton, N.J. He has also taught at UMass Dartmouth, Parsons School of Art and Hunter College, and has held university appointments in Borneo and New Zealand. He has built kilns for studios and individual studio potters in the United States, Canada and China. His bestselling Simon Leach Pottery Handbook was published last year by Abrams Publishing in New York. Dehnerts work is in many collections including The Crocker Museum, the Dorsky Museum, The XFR STN Archive at the New Museum, the New Dowse Museum, the Shein-Joseph Museum of International Ceramics, The White House, and the Yixing Museum of Ceramic Art in China. Silvermine School of Art offers a wide variety of ceramics classes; spring workshops and courses will begin in April 2020. Visit silvermineart.org for details. Paul Ricard CEO Stephane Clair has played down speculation the French GP venue will soon be sold. The famous circuit, which returned to the F1 calendar in 2018 after a long absence, is actually owned by Bernie Ecclestone's ex-wife Slavica. And reports suggest the 61-year-old Croatian former model, who inherited ownership of the venue following her divorce with the former F1 supremo in 2009, now wants to sell Paul Ricard as well as the local airport and two hotels. Clair admitted that there is interest in the venue at Le Castellet. "Like all fine products or companies, there is an appetite for the Paul Ricard circuit," he told f1only.fr. "But contrary to what was written by a journalist, Slavica does not want to sell. It is not her objective. "On the other hand, there are many offers which are being analysed," Paul Ricard CEO Clair added. "These are interesting moments for us, because it is a moment to take stock and realise the great things we have. "It also allows us to see everything that can be improved, because investors are aware of the history of such a legendary circuit, but they wonder what is the development capacity. "We receive offers, but if none of them goes to the end, there will be no sale, either this year or next year," he said. (GMM) Upon my return from work, I heard my wife moaning inside our toilet and when I went close, I spotted her having sex with a man inside the toilet, and I kicked the man to the ground These were the words of a 46-year-old electrician who has been arrested for murder at ACP, near Pokuase in Accra. Suspect Akorli Ameh, aka Obolo, was arrested for allegedly killing a man in his house at Franco Estate at ACP Junction after claiming to have caught him and his wife red-handed having sex on Monday afternoon. The yet-to-be identified deceased, aged about 33, died on the spot. The suspect is currently in the custody of the ACP police pending investigations. How it happened A source told Daily Guide that the suspect had been married to his wife (name withheld for investigations), aged 43, for some years now. The suspect, according to sources, is an electrician while the wife is a trader and on Monday, January 27, around 1pm, the suspect returned from work to find his wife having sexual intercourse with a young man inside their toilet adjacent to the house. The pit latrine, according to the source, is a wooden structure about 100 metres away from the house. The source said Amehs wife, on seeing her husband, fled the scene leaving the young man half naked at the latrine, adding the woman was wearing a skirt and a blouse but without a pant, while the man was wearing a pair of trousers and a shirt. The source said the suspect, out of anger, immediately picked a stick nearby and hit the man, killing him instantly. The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Effia Tenge, said the suspect reported himself to the police on the same day. According to the Police PRO, the suspected said the deceased attempted fleeing the scene but he kicked him and he fell to the ground hitting his head against an object and died instantly. When the police proceeded to the crime scene, they found the body of a male adult wearing a black T-shirt with a pair of black jeans lying in a supine position beside a wooden latrine, the PRO said. She said the body had been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary awaiting identification and autopsy, adding efforts were being made to arrest the wife of the suspect to assist police to identify the deceased and to assist in investigations. 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 Tihars ghosts: Have those who have been hanged come back to haunt the inmates ISIS operative alleges he was forced to chant Jai Shri Ram in Tihar jail Nirbhaya: Hangman arrives at Tihar ahead of uncertain hanging India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: Pawan Jallad, a hangman from the Meerut Prison, reported to the Tihar Jail administration on Thursday, two days ahead of the Nirbhaya case convicts' scheduled execution, officials said. They said Pawan, a third-generation hangman, will be staying on the jail premises and check the strength of the ropes and other related things on Friday. Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News The four convicts in the gruesome gangrape-and-murder case are scheduled to be hanged on February 1, but their execution is unlikely to happen as one of them filed a mercy petition before the President on Wednesday while another moved a curative plea before the Supreme Court. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Vela Andapita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 12:29 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061df790 1 National Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-lockdown,coronavirus Free For Indonesians with relatives trapped in Chinas Hubei province the epicenter of a new coronavirus outbreak that has sickened thousands and killed hundreds in the country the internet has become an essential tool to cope with the crisis. Haryati, a resident of Makassar, South Sulawesi, said that her 25-year-old niece, Fitriani, is currently pursuing her Master's degree at the China University of Geosciences in Wuhan, Hubeis commercial center and the first city to be locked down by the Chinese government. We chat almost all the time, day and night. We talk via video call two or three times a day. We do everything to make sure shes alright, she told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. Fitriani, who lives in her universitys dormitory, is among 243 Indonesians trapped in virus-hit Hubei. Some 100 of them are in Wuhan. The government has said that it is ready to repatriate them even though it has yet to set a specific time frame. The authorities are facing the challenge of gathering Indonesian nationals who reside in different cities in Hubei province to a specific location while the lockdown is still in place. Haryati said that for now he would rely on social media to keep informed about Fitrianis condition. Her niece uses a virtual private network (VPN) to bypass the Chinese governments ban on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram. We try to stay calm and trust the government. If evacuating the Indonesian nationals out of China is not yet possible, we really hope the government will at least support them with basic necessities like food and vitamins to keep them healthy, she added. Wuhan is where the new coronavirus was first identified on Dec. 31. People there had stockpiled groceries in the following weeks as most food stalls and supermarkets were closed. The prices of commodities have increased and the roads are unusually quiet around the clock. As of today no Indonesians in Hubei have been suspected of having caught the deadly virus. Besides Fitriani, Rio Alfi has also been residing in Wuhan since 2016 with his wife, Riza Delviani, and their two children. The lockdown was imposed shortly after the student of the China University of Geosciences and his little family planned to return home to Pekanbaru, Riau. Rizas older sister, Ade, said the most challenging thing at the moment is to calm down their parents, especially whenever they read or hear hoaxes and fake news regarding the situation in China. I try to always make sure Rio is contactable and can talk to our parents at all times. We mostly worry about their children, whose immune systems might not as strong as those of the adults, she said. We respect whatever the government has been doing so far. However, we really expect they can come home soon. The longer they are there, the more isolated they are, she said. Unlike Fitriani and Rio who are constantly in touch with their families to ease their anxiety, an Indonesian student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Khoirul Umam, said he preferred to only tell his parents good news. My parents are the opposite of tech savvy. They know very little about the virus and Im glad about that. I only tell them about my daily activities so that they would not worry too much about me, the 30-year-old told the Post. Khoirul said each of the Indonesians in Hubei had received 280 renminbi (US$40) to help them buy food and supplies in the quarantine zone. The Foreign Ministry allocated Rp 133.2 million ($9,749) for this effort. In the near future, Indonesians in Wuhan can also expect to receive 10,000 N95 masks from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency. The agency on Wednesday gave the masks to the Foreign Ministry to be sent to China. If one day the government finally decided to evacuate us, I hope they will not announce our identities to the public to prevent us from being stigmatized by our neighbors, Khoirul said. The Indonesian Air Force has kept three aircraft and health personnel on standby to evacuate Indonesian nationals from Wuhan. The aircraft two Boeing 737s and an Indonesian Military C-130 Hercules would be able to carry more than 200 people. (mrc) 5.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Dr. Rob Davidson confronted Mike Pence about the Trump administrations plan to cut Medicaid, and the Vice President deflected, lied, and fell apart. Part one of Dr. Davidsons video: 1/2 I just ran into @VP Mike Pence at the Drake Diner in Des Moines. I confronted him about his damaging health care cuts because for me it's not about politics, it's about saving lives.#DrakeUniversity #IowaCaucus #TrumpRallyIA #MedTwitter pic.twitter.com/LuXQcl9GVn Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) January 31, 2020 Dr. Davidson is a doctor who treats patients who rely on Medicaid in Michigan confronted Pence on the administrations proposal to block grant Medicaid. Pence first denies knowledge of the proposal, then falsely claimed that the change only applied to states that didnt expand Medicaid, then laughably claimed that cutting federal funding to Medicaid would expand the program. Here is part two of the video: 2/2 When I told him he is putting my patients' lives at risk, @VP deflected and denied knowledge of the policy. He either doesn't understand, or doesn't care about the impact of this administrations' policies on patients everywhere. pic.twitter.com/HcE1XYfUTj Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) January 31, 2020 In this section of the video, Pence disagreed with the factual statement that cutting funds for Medicaid results in fewer people having coverage. Pence fell apart and couldnt justify the administrations cuts to Medicaid. The video illustrated why healthcare will be a powerful issue in the election. Every person who loses their coverage under Trump is a potential Democratic voter in 2020. Pence was flailing and lost, as he had no defense for a plan that could cost millions of Americans their health insurance. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook The Expedition 61 astronauts are ready to finish repairing the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) after wrapping up their spacewalk preparations today. The International Space Station residents today also had time to explore what microgravity is doing to their muscles and digestive system. Astronauts Andrew Morgan and Luca Parmitano have readied the U.S. spacesuits they will wear for about six hours and thirty minutes beginning Saturday at 6:50 a.m. EST. They will finalize the complex thermal repairs on the AMS, a dark matter and antimatter detector, installed in 2011 on the Starboard-3 truss structure. Morgan and Parmitano were joined by NASA Flight Engineers Jessica Meir and Christina Koch for a final procedures review with mission controllers on the ground. Meir and Koch will operate the Canadarm2 robotic arm carefully making fine-tuned maneuvers to assist the spacewalkers at the AMS worksite. Meir and Koch began their workday by performing scans of their neck, arm, leg and feet muscles with an ultrasound device. The scans are downlinked to doctors studying how weightlessness affects the biochemical properties of muscles. The pair also collected their blood samples and stowed them in a science freezer for the human research study. Insights my impact health strategies on future long-term space missions. Cosmonauts Alexander Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka spent Friday morning on a Russian digestion study today scanning their stomachs with another ultrasound device before and after breakfast. They split up in the afternoon working on a variety of station hardware maintenance and crew departure activities. On-Orbit Status Report Muscle Tone in Space (Myotones): The crew completed skin markings, ultrasound measurements, blood collection, and other activities to support the Myotones experiment. The ground team confirmed they have received the expected data and images. The Myotones investigation observes the biochemical properties of muscles during long-term exposure to the spaceflight environment. Results from this investigation are expected to provide insight into principles of human resting muscle tone, which could lead to the development of new strategies for alternative treatments for rehabilitation both on Earth and for future space missions. Vascular Aging: The crew concluded the 13 hour blood pressure monitoring session with a downlink of the data and stowing of the equipment. Emerging data point towards linkages among cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data indicate that aging-like changes are accelerated in many ISS crew members, particularly with respect to their arteries. As part of the Space Environment Causes Acceleration of Vascular Aging: Roles of Hypogravity, Nutrition, and Radiation (Vascular Aging) investigation, ultrasounds of the arteries, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance, and wearable sensors from ISS crew members are analyzed. Systems: AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) EVA #4 Preparation: Today, the crew continued preparations for the final AMS repair EVA. Several activities were successfully completed including: Procedure Review and Conference, Tool Audit, and Airlock preparations. The crew is ready for the final AMS repair EVA tomorrow. Completed Task List Activities: none Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Saturday, 1/25 (GMT 025) Payloads: No payload activities Systems: AMS EVA#4 Emergency PBA Photo Sunday, 1/26 (GMT 026) Payloads: GLACIER desiccant swap LIDAL Standard Measures STP-H5 ICE photos Systems: EVA debrief EMU Water Recharge ARED Rope Flip WHC Filter R&R Crew Departure Prep 59S Prepack Monday, 1/27 (GMT 027) Payloads: Food Acceptability Questionnaire ISS HAM pass Systems: NG-12 Cargo Loading Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire IMS Delta File Prep Preparation of reports for Roscosmos website and social media ECON-M. Observation and Photography Troubleshooting monitor Sony LPM-770BP maintenance Myotones Blood Draw and Centrifugation Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Reminder for EVA In-Suit Light Exercise (ISLE) Preparation Reminder Periodic Health Status (PHS) Evaluation HRF Generic Saliva Collection 10 Minutes Myotones Blood Draw and Centrifugation SPLANKH-2. Splankhograph prep. SPLANKH-2. Sonomed- prep. HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Operations Standard Measures Post-sleep Questionnaire SPLANKH-2. Ultrasound study before breakfast with the Electrogastroenterography (EGEG) recording. Myotones Blood Tube Centrifugation Myotones Centrifuge Spin Conclude Myotones Sample MELFI Insertion Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination Setup ISS Crew/ Conference Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Subject Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Myotones Blood Collection Conclude And Stow Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Subject Health Maintenance System (HMS) Periodic Health Status (PHS) Pre EVA Examination - Crew Medical Officer (CMO) Echo Unit Setup for Myotones experiment Health Maintenance System (HMS) Pre-EVA Periodic Health Status Examination - Stow Photo TV Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) Camera Turnaround Myotones Device Setup with EPM Laptop Myotones Measurements IMS (Inventory management system) conference SPLANKH-2. Ultrasound study after breakfast with the Electrogastroenterography (EGEG) recording. Myotones Ultrasound scan using ECHO Unit Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Long Life Battery (LLB) Terminate TOCA Buffer Container Inspection Myotones Device Data Transfer Health Maintenance System (HMS) Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) Test Myotones Device Charging using Multi-Port USB Charger SPLANKH-2. Splankhograph Closeout ops. SPLANKH-2. Sonomen- closeout ops. Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Setup Vascular Aging 13-Hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Conclude AMS Procedure/video review PILLE Dosimeter Reading Portable Onboard Computers (POC) Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) Setup PILLE flash card replacement Pre- USOS EVA PILLE ISS sensors prep and placement AMS Procedure/video review RSK-2 - Windows 7 SW activation. KORREKTSIYA. AKTIMETER unit charge. ISS Crew departure preparation Public Affairs Office (PAO) High Definition (HD) Config JEM Setup SEPARATSIYA. Clamping down urine circulation loop hose. Mixing. PAO Preparation Public Affairs Office (PAO) Event in High Definition (HD) - JEM Vent grille vacuuming on the interior FGB panes Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Procedure Conference Equipment Lock (E-LK) Preparation Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tool Audit. Echo Unit Stowage Myotones Device Stowage after charging Cold Atom Lab Science Module Columbus Relocate KORREKTSIYA. AKTIMETER charge termination IMPAKT. Photography of IMPAKT#1 pad from DC1 hatch window. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration says no Ghanaian in China has contracted the coronavirus even though Ghana has about 152 students in Wuhan, where the virus was first reported. According to a statement from the Ministry to the Ghana News Agency, the Ghanaian Embassy in China, in contact with students, was liaising with their leadership, the Wuhan Foreign Office and Universities to ensure the continued safety of the students and the provision of basic necessities. The Ministry, therefore, assured all parents, relatives and friends of Ghanaians in China that the Ghanaian Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate-General in Guangzhou were in close contact with leadership of the Ghanaian community and the National Union of Ghana Students China and receive frequent briefing on their welfare. The Ministry urged all Ghanaians who intended to travel to China to buy medical insurance, acquaint themselves with the nearest medical facility where they treat high fevers and also speak English or have a translator who could help in case of emergency. It also said anyone visiting Wuhan would be subjected to a mandatory 14-days quarantine before leaving the province. According to the statement, most universities in China had postponed their re-opening indefinitely. It therefore advised parents or guardians with wards particularly in Wuhan and its environs in the Hubei Province to immediately contact the Embassys Consular Hotline on phone numbers (+8618612084232 or +8618612959040). The Ministry according to the statement, remained resolute on working with the various Ghanaian communities and the students in China to ensure that they were provided with the needed consular services within their remit. 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 New Delhi, Jan 31 : Delegates arriving in India for the 11th edition of the biennial DefExpo 2020 in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow from countries that reported coronavirus cases will be made to undergo proper screening, Union Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar said on Friday. "We have made necessary arrangements. We will follow standard operating procedure. Screening will be done as part of the national efforts," Kumar said while explaining the modalities about the mega defence exhibition scheduled between February 5 and February 9. Earlier in the day, the Indian Army swiftly set up a coronavirus quarantine facility at Haryana's Manesar for around 300 students arriving from China's Wuhan. The Defence Secretary also said that the number of companies registered for participating in DefExpo 2020 has reached 1,000 compared with 702 during DefExpo 2018 in Chennai. "Thus, it has become by far the biggest ever DefExpo to be held in India," Kumar said. The number of participating foreign companies has increased to 165 from the previous 160. The exhibition space booked by exhibitors for DefExpo 2020 has gone up by 60 per cent to over 53,000 square metres, compared with around 26,774 metres during the last edition. Defence Ministers and service chiefs of 40 countries have confirmed participation in this year's DefExpo. "A substantial number of MoUs are expected to be inked during the Expo, resulting in forging of new business collaborations," he said. The officer said that there would be live demonstration of services, Defence PSUs and industry showing land, naval, air and internal security systems in action. Live demonstration will happen at two locations, one at the exhibition venue and another at the Gomti River Front. "A total of 19 business seminars will be organised by both international and Indian industry chambers," Kumar said. Further, the central government has set up a Defence Industrial Corridor in Uttar Pradesh with identification of six nodes. A Defence Planning Committee has also been formed. In this regard, the government of UP plans to build a defence manufacturing corridor along with the proposed Bundelkhand Expressway to help make India self-reliant in defence production. The exhibition will help the UP government in a big way. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The United States is committed to supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and backs Ukraine's efforts to become a member of NATO and the European Union, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday. The U.S. supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and is continuing to back Ukraine's steps to join NATO and integrate with the EU, Pompeo said. The U.S. is working today to help Ukraine bolster the rule of law, improve its investment climate, reform the defense sector, and strengthen its energy independence, he said. The U.S. sees Ukraine as a country which is fighting for freedom, democracy, and prosperity, Pompeo said, adding that Washington is continuing to support Ukraine and its strong anti-corruption efforts. The U.S. will never recognize Crimea's reunification with Russia, he said. A year and a half after the death of Aretha Franklin, her tumultuous estate has again been thrust into confusion with the pending resignation of the singers niece as executor a position she had accepted shortly after Franklins death with the full support of the singers four sons. The niece, Sabrina Owens, wrote a letter to her lawyer on Thursday announcing her intent to resign, which was submitted in probate court the same day. In her letter, she described the disputes between family members that have led to recriminations in court papers. The judge overseeing the case is expected to consider Ms. Owenss petition at a hearing on Tuesday. The departure of Ms. Owens, who works as an administrator at the University of Michigan, comes as a number of major projects for the estate near completion. A biopic starring Jennifer Hudson whose casting had Franklins personal blessing has been shooting in Atlanta, and a season of the National Geographic channels show Genius, devoted to Franklin, is scheduled to air in May. When Franklin died at 76 in August 2018, her family believed she had no will. Under Michigan law, that meant her assets would be divided equally among her four grown sons, who unanimously backed Ms. Owens, their cousin, as the estates personal representative, or executor. RICHMOND, Va. Three Democratic state attorneys general sued a U.S. government official Thursday, seeking to force him to recognize Virginias recent vote to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and adopt the measure in the Constitution. The lawsuit filed against the archivist of the United States comes after the National Archives and Records Administration said this week that David Ferriero would take no action to certify the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment. Virginia on Monday became the 38th state to ratify the measure that supporters say will guarantee women equal rights under the law. Constitutional amendments must be ratified by three-quarters of the states, or 38. But the ERAs future is uncertain, in part because of a ratification deadline enacted by Congress that passed decades ago. Many legal observers have long expected the issue to make its way to the Supreme Court. Thursdays lawsuit brought by Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul argued that the deadline, which first was set for 1979 and later extended to 1982, is not binding. After generations of effort, the women of this country are entitled to their rightful place in the Constitution. This Court should compel the Archivist to carry out his statutory duty of recognizing the complete and final adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment, the lawsuit said. The press office of the National Archives and Records Administration referred a request for comment to the Department of Justice, which declined comment. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argued that U.S. laws do not give the archivist the power to decide whether to certify an amendment. They contend the archivists duty to certify the amendment is mandatory and purely ministerial. In declining to certify the ERA, the archives said it was following advice from the U.S. Department of Justice, which issued an opinion this month saying it was too late for states to sign off because of the deadline. The department said the amendment process must begin anew. In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argued that the deadline instituted by Congress is not binding because the time limitation was in a resolution preamble, not in the text of the article that was sent to the states for consideration. Additionally, the attorneys general said, the U.S. Constitution doesnt explicitly give Congress the power to set a timeline for states to ratify an amendment. They noted that the last amendment to be added in 1992 the 27th Amendment limiting the ability of members of Congress to raise their own pay took more than 200 years to be ratified by 38 states. The ERA states, in part, Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Supporters say it would offer stronger protections in sex discrimination cases and give Congress firmer ground to pass anti-discrimination laws. Opponents warn it would erode commonsense protections for women, such as workplace accommodations during pregnancy. They also worry it could be used by abortion-rights supporters to quash abortion restrictions on the grounds they discriminate against women. Some opponents also say the fact that five states that initially approved the ERA later moved to rescind their ratifications means it cant be adopted in the Constitution. The lawsuit argues that those states efforts are constitutionally unauthorized and without legal effect. Legal scholars took different views Thursday of the newly filed lawsuit. Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said the court would have to adopt a parade of constitutional novelties to declare ratification. Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law scholar and dean of Berkeley School of Law, said he thinks the plaintiffs have a persuasive argument that 38 states have ratified the text of the amendment. But he added he also sees a strong argument that the issues in the lawsuit are up to Congress, not the courts, to ultimately decide. Two other federal lawsuits have been filed over the ERA, one supporting its adoption and the other opposing it, and Chemerinsky said he expected one or more of the three cases to reach the Supreme Court. A.E. Dick Howard, a constitutional law expert at the University of Virginia, said theres a long way to go before questions about the ERA will be settled. My goodness, can you imagine the number of parties and other states that would want to be heard in this? he said. The amicus briefs that would be filed from left and right? This is a hot topic. By Tali Tesar tesartal@grinnell.edu Grinnells caucus results since 2000 solidify the Colleges reputation as a liberal stronghold, suggesting the 2020 caucus will show a record level of Democratic precinct turnout that support more liberal candidates than the rest of the state of Iowa. All Grinnell students living on campus fall in Grinnells Ward 1, so the precinct has often shown higher Democratic turnout than other wards in the town. However, this turnout has grown tremendously within the last five election cycles. The first Iowa caucus was held by the Democratic Party in 1972, and The S&B reported that 140 people attended in Ward 1. This modest participation continued through 1992, where The S&B reported that the Ward 1 caucus drew few students, and mostly townspeople cast their votes. Then, at the Democratic caucus in 2000, The S&B reported over 500 participants in Ward 1 that were mostly college students. In 2004, that number grew to 659, according to the S&B. In 2008, the Iowa Caucus was held on Jan. 3, meaning students were still on winter break and unable to participate. However, the Ward 1 caucus saw a record 935 participants, making it one of the largest caucus sites in Iowa, according to The Guardian. In an email to The S&B, John Grennan, Chair of the Poweshiek County Democrats and Chair of the Ward 1 caucus said he expects over 1,000 participants this year. Not only do Grinnell College students overwhelmingly participate in the Democratic caucus, but they have historically voted for much more liberal candidates than the town of Grinnell and the state of Iowa. In 2016, Grinnell Ward 1 voted 69.2 percent for Bernie Sanders and 30.8 percent for Hillary Clinton while the state of Iowa voted 49.6 percent for Bernie Sanders and 49.9 percent for Hillary Clinton. In the 2004 Democratic caucus, though the eventual Iowa caucus winner John Kerry won Grinnell Ward 1 with 44.6 percent of the vote, Dennis Kucinich shocked with 24 percent of the vote in this ward while receiving 1 percent across the state. Kucinich was regarded as the most liberal candidate running, advocating for universal health care before it had received the national attention it has now. Bill Bradley swept the 2000 Grinnell Ward 1 Democratic caucus with 81 percent of the vote to Al Gores 19 percent. However, Gore won Iowa 63.4 percent to Bradleys 34.9 percent. This turnout trend has been nearly the opposite for the Republicans of Grinnell Ward 1. The Republicans held their first Iowa Caucus in 1976, and the S&B reported Republican caucusers were mainly in the thirty to forty age group. Though student participation in the Democratic caucus has always been much more significant than in the Republican caucus, The S&B reported that there were approximately 85 Republican students caucusing in Ward 1 in 1988. In 2000, there was reportedly 10 students and 60 total participants in Ward 1. In 2016, there were 86 total participants, with Marco Rubio winning with 34.1 percent of the vote. Despite the great national attention placed on the Iowa caucuses, they are only moderately predictive of the eventual nominee. According to the Des Moines Register, of the 18 total caucus winners between both Democrats and Republicans since 1972, 10 of them have won the nomination. Of these accuracies, seven were Democrats and three Republicans. Grinnell Ward 1 has been even less accurate than this for Democrats, with the winner of the precinct becoming the eventual Democratic nominee only four times. Whether or not that candidate has been the eventual nominee, the Iowa caucuses have historically given Grinnellians a chance to express their political beliefs through their candidate of choice. Lauretta Onochie, the Social Media Aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, has described the mother of a young Nigerian youth as useless after he expressed dislike for her tweets. The young man who was verbal about his dislike for the presidential aide after seeing a tweet from her on his timeline, wrote: How does this woman and her useless tweets steadily appear on my Timeline for Gods sake. His tweet didnt go down well with Lauretta Onochie as she quickly responded by calling his mother useless. She wrote: Did I mention you. Blame your useless mother who trained you to follow useless tweets! The tweet has since been deleted by the presidential aide, by the young man shared the screenshot of their convo while replying to her comment. He wrote: This are the Kind of people they use Tax Payers money to pay Salary. A supposed Media Aide to the President, behaving like departmental P.R.O.. . I dont know the criteria for her appointment bt am sure having sense was completely excluded @Laurestar is an anupama. This are the Kind of people they use Tax Payers money to pay Salary. A supposed Media Aide to the President, behaving like departmental P.R.O.. ????. I dont know the criteria for her appointment bt am sure having sense was completely excluded @Laurestar is an anupama. pic.twitter.com/v2rh1Z5bqx Weirdo??||Mr. Poblem (@Emminomics) January 30, 2020 ALSO READ: Atiku Sues Buharis Aide Lauretta Onochie For N2.5 Billion Over Libelous Tweet Against Him YEREVAN, 31 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 31 January, USD exchange rate is down by 0.09 drams to 478.60 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 0.33 drams to 527.80 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.05 drams to 7.56 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 4.72 drams to 627.78 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price is up by 69.31 drams to 24285.08 drams. Silver price is up by 3.87 drams to 272.74 drams. Platinum price is down by 156.73 drams to 14987.27 drams. Air Indias officials, cabin crew, cockpit crew and other people pose for a photograph before the departure of the airlines B747 aircraft from New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport to bring back Indians from coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China. (PTI) New Delhi: India on Friday started evacuating its nationals from Wuhan in China in the wake of the deadly novel coronavirus (n-COV) that has led to over 200 deaths and over 9,000 confirmed cases of infection. The first special flight of Air India, a double-decker Boeing 747 jumbo jet with 15 cabin crew and five cockpit crew, left Mumbai on Friday morning and stopped in New Delhi in between to pick up medicines and other essentials before flying to Wuhan. This jumbo is configured with 423 seats. About 366 Indian nationals will be flown back to India by midnight. A second flight will depart for China on Saturday morning. A team of five doctors from Delhis Ram Manohar Lohia hospital (RML), a paramedic from Air India with prescribed medicines, masks, overcoats and packed food are travelling to Wuhan in the special flight. A team of engineers, security personnel is also in this special aircraft. The Air India crew will have minimum contact with the passengers being flown in. Food will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, the-re will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers), an Air India spokesman said. He added masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged complete protective gear, he said. In India, special arrangements have been made to keep the incoming passengers in special quarantine zones. The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have swiftly created facilities in their camps. While the ITBP facility was set up near Chhawla Camp in New Delhi for the quarantine of approximately 600 people and the Indian Army has created a quarantine facility near Manesar, where 300 people will be monitored for a duration of at least two weeks for signs of coronavirus. Indian Army officials said screening and quarantine will be a two-step process. The first one being screening at the airport, followed by the quarantine at Mane-sar, and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital, Delhi Cantonment (BHDC), said officials. The screening at the airport will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority. Family members cant meet quarantined students During the screening, they will be classified into three groups suspect case, close contact case and non-contact case. Indian Army officials said that the facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent any mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students. The population of these sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other, or with outsiders, including their family members. No civilians or serving personnel detailed working inside the facility will be allowed to go outside unless compelled by an extreme emergency. Daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times, said the officials. PPE consists of mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves. Rest of the visitors and all students will wear a three layered mask at all times. After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation. jessica mann Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images One of Harvey Weinstein's accusers delivered stunning testimony on Friday, alleging the producer raped her in 2013 and describing his body in graphic detail. Jessica Mann, a former actress who now works as a hairstylist, told the court that she was in a secret and at times abusive relationship with Weinstein. She alleged that Weinstein raped her in a New York City hotel room in 2013. Weinstein is pleading not guilty to the charges. His defense team objected dozens of times throughout Mann's testimony. His spokesperson told Insider that the testimony "belie rationality." Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Jessica Mann, one of the women who has accused Harvey Weinstein of rape, testified in court on Friday that the two of them had a secret, abusive relationship. Mann, a former actress who now works as a hairstylist, elicited audible gasps in the downtown Manhattan courtroom on multiple occasions while describing sexual encounters with Weinstein and offering jaw-dropping descriptions of the defendant's body. In an emotional testimony, Mann alleged that Weinstein raped her in a New York City hotel room in 2013. She said he blocked her from leaving the room, demanded she undress, and then forced himself on her. Mann described rushing to the bathroom, where she saw a needle in the garbage can. After Googling the name on the syringe later, she said she learned the medication was meant to treat erectile dysfunction. Weinstein has been charged with sexually assaulting the actress Mimi Haleyi in 2006 and raping Mann in 2013. He is pleading not guilty. 'It was like Jekyll and Hyde' Mann said the pair first met at a party in Los Angeles, and he pursued a sexual relationship with her shortly afterward. Despite what she described as a lack of attraction to him, Mann said she continued to see him and had consensual oral sex with him for reasons she struggled to articulate. Story continues Mann said she did not have sexual or romantic feelings towards Weinstein, but had "confusing emotions" that frequently fluctuated. "His approval meant so much to me," she said. harvey weinstein Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images At other points, she described fearing his temper. "It was like Jekyll and Hyde," she said. "He would be the most charming, informative person he could lift you up. And behind closed doors, it would be dependent upon if I gave him what he wanted." Victims of domestic abuse, studies say, do not leave their abusers for a number of reasons. In many cases, the abuser seeks to exert power over their victim. Mann testified that Weinstein told her she wasn't permitted to date anyone else "in the industry," and later grew enraged when she began dating an actor. Mann's graphic descriptions of Weinstein's body shocked the courtroom In one particularly jarring description of Weinstein's genitalia, Mann told the court the first time she saw Weinstein naked, she thought he was "deformed." "He does not have testicles and it appears that he had a vagina," Mann said, acknowledging later that Weinstein did have a penis. It doesn't appear that any of the other 100 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct described his genitalia. When reporters later asked Weinstein outside the courtroom if Mann's description of his genitals was accurate, he laughed and sarcastically responded, "Yeah, perfect." jessica mann harvey weinstein David Dee Delgado/Getty Images When the prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi, asked Mann to describe Weinstein's hygiene, Mann said it was poor. "He smelled like s--- excuse me, sorry. Like poop. And he just was dirty," she said. Throughout Mann's testimony, Weinstein's defense team objected multiple times. Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein's press representative, told Insider that Mann's testimony and other witnesses brought forth by prosecutors suggest there are "irregularities" in the case. "There are clearly inconsistencies in the testimony that belie rationality, and these will have to be explored during the defense's cross-examination," he said. Mann is one of six women to testify against Weinstein during the trial, but only the second whose allegations resulted in criminal charges. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and said all the encounters with the women were consensual. His spokesperson didn't immediately offer comment when Insider asked about Mann's testimony Friday afternoon. Weinstein's defense attorney sparred with Mann in a hostile cross-examination donna rotunno Getty Images/David Dee Delgado Weinstein's defense attorney Donna Rotunno began grilling Mann during cross-examination Friday afternoon, growing hostile at points and accusing her multiple times of lying to Weinstein by feigning sexual attraction towards him. At one point, Rotunno homed in on a threesome between Mann, Weinstein, and another woman, which Mann had testified about earlier. Mann had described the encounter as "uncomfortable" and traumatic, and said she cried in the bathroom afterwards. But Rotunno presented the jury with an unpublished blog post Mann had written in her phone about a threesome with an "older man" and another woman, and forced Mann to read the entry aloud in court. The blog post bore striking similarities to the threesome Mann said she had with Weinstein except in the post, Mann had described the encounter as exciting and at certain points enjoyable, not traumatic. "This is what really happened," Rotunno said, referring to the blog post. "This note in your phone talks about the older man you were casually dating, it talks about the Italian actress, correct? It talks about touching a boob like you talked about in your cross-examination, right? It has the details of going into the bathroom and being upset." But Mann responded that the blog post was only loosely based on her experience with Weinstein, and that she wept as she wrote it because she found the actual experience so upsetting. "I wanted to reframe it for comedy," Mann testified. "There's a reason this one never got published. It was painful for me and I couldn't put it out there." Rotunno's cross-examination of Mann is set to continue Monday. Jacob Shamsian contributed reporting. This article has been updated with additional information. Read the original article on Insider HOUSTON, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zurvita, a health and wellness multilevel marketing company, is excited to announce global business strategist, Gordon Hester, has joined the company as Chief Innovation Officer to help evolve the business and will be the key to leading Zurvitas strategic direction. After building one of the largest network marketing distributorships in history as CEO, Hester comes to Zurvita with over 30 years in the direct selling industry. His uncanny experience in leading over $10 billion in sales and 100,000 active reps, executing business in over 30 countries and earning commissions in excess of $100 million will be key to push Zurvita into the future of direct selling. We are very excited about the addition of Gordon Hester to the Zurvita Management Team, said Zurvita CEO, Jay Shafer. His heart and passion for the direct selling industry and his desire to help people and companies become better is a perfect fit for Zurvita. His proven track record and desire to be a change agent in this space will benefit Zurvita Consultants and Customers for years to come. As a change leader for the direct selling and network marketing industry, Hester knew Zurvita was the right step in his new direction of change. I knew in order to execute change, I would need to find the right company to help evolve from a proven company to a next generation company that would be the envy of the industry, Hester said. I was not looking for a company that was broken but instead a company that had strong culture and leadership. I needed to find a company that was willing to change and was aligned with the right business philosophy to build a next generation business. As Chief Innovation Officer, Hester plans to modernize the company to improve retention and increase acquisition by focusing on relationship building and engagement. Technology will play a big role in the modernization plans for Zurvita with the unveil of a new e-commerce website, back office experience and lead generation programs that will enhance Customer overall experience and simplify shopping. Hester will play an integral part in the future of Zurvita as it becomes a cultural-centric company. I needed to be positioned in that company where I drive change in the trenches, not just in a boardroom, Hester said. That company for me is Zurvita. About Zurvita Zurvita Holdings, Inc. is a global network marketing company centered in health and wellness, founded by Mark and Tracy Jarvis and Jay Shafer in 2008. Headquartered in Houston, TX, the companys mission is to change lives for the better and offer unique business opportunities where anyone can succeed through wellness product offerings. Marketing/Press Inquiries: Marketing@zurvita.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2300e490-59c6-4686-9717-ec004f2ef81a The Senate impeachment trial against President Donald Trump has reached a crossroads that could either extend the trial for days or see a vote soon on whether to remove and convict. The designed factor will if Senators decide to allow new witnesses and documents. If that happens, the trial could go on for days or weeks. If not, it could be over by Friday evening. Here are some of the top moments from Thursday's session of the Trump impeachment trial and related news from Congress. Nancy Pelosi says Trump 'will not be acquitted' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that President Donald Trump can't be exonerated if senators don't call witnesses in his impeachment trial. He will not be acquitted, Pelosi told reporters. You cannot be acquitted if you dont have a trial. And you dont have a trial if you dont have witnesses and documentation. The speaker was responding to repeated questions from reporters about Democrats next move if the Senate clears Trump. More: 'Is that true?': Here are questions senators asked during Trump's impeachment trial Were still prayerful, hopeful, she insisted, that the Senate will have the courage to hear the truth. Channeling Paul Revere, Pelosi warned that democracy and the nations system of government are at stake. The Russians are coming. The Russians are coming, she said. And the president has led a clear path for them to interfere, once again, in our election as they are currently doing. Pelosi, who has said before that all roads lead to Russia, added: I dont know what the Russians have on the president, politically, personally or financially, but he doesnt see Russia as an adversary. Justice Roberts refuses to read question from Sen. Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., submitted a question during the impeachment trial that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read. The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted, said Roberts, who did not offer further explanation. Story continues Paul walked out of the chamber after Roberts declined the question. He told reporters his question didnt name the alleged whistleblower - although his question, which he wrote in a tweet, mentioned the name of an official some Republicans have speculated is the whistleblower. More: Trump lawyer Dershowitz argues president can't be impeached for an act he thinks will help his reelection The question revived allegations from some Trump allies that the whistleblower conspired with a House committee staff member to reveal information that would lead to the presidents impeachment. Paul did not offer evidence for the claim. It was an incorrect finding to not allow a question, Paul said, but declined to say why he did not force a vote to overrule Roberts. Before the question, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., opened the question session by assuring Roberts that the Senate would respect his "unique position in reading in reading our questions." I want to be able to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue," he said. McConnell huddles with key vote hours before witness vote Hours before the Senate will decide whether it will consider additional witnesses and documents as part of the president's impeachment trial, McConnell huddled with Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key vote, for several minutes on the Senate floor during a break. While the two were talking, Sen. Susan Collins, another key Republican vote, was approached by Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, one of the Democrats who is thought to be considering Trump's acquittal. The two locked arms and Manchin escorted Collins to the back of the chamber, where the pair talked for several minutes then left together. Manchin also greeted Sen. John Thune, the Republican whip attempting to unify the GOP in voting against witnesses, with a handshake that turned into a hug. Trumps lawyer claims Trump didn't ask Ukrain to investigate Bidens Several Republican senators asked both Trumps lawyers and Democratic impeachment managers under what circumstances a president could request a foreign country to investigate a US citizen including a political rival who is not under investigation. Deputy Counsel Patrick Philbin answered the question by going back to the record of Trumps July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump had asked Zelensky to do us a favor and look into allegations against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden. Philbin, however, asserted that Trump had not called for an investigation necessarily into Vice President Biden or his son, but the situation in which the prosecutor had been fired, referring to the ouster of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin. Republicans have argued Trumps conduct on the call was justified because of his concerns about the Bidens and corruption. Philbin continued, arguing that potential malfeasance by an American overseas would be perfectly legitimate" to ask about, even if its not something that would mean a criminal investigation here in the United States. Sens. Collins, Roy Blunt, R-Mo., Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, had posed the question. Collins is a key undecided vote on both allowing witnesses and Trumps conviction or acquittal. Democrats disagreed. House Manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said it would be hard for me to contemplate circumstances where that would be appropriate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump impeachment: Top moments from Senate trial The Minority in Parliament says it will resist moves by the government to grant a tax waiver of $23.9 million to Platinum Properties Limited for the Pullman Accra Airport City Hotel and Serviced Apartments. The government wants the waiver on materials, plants, machinery and equipment procured by the company. The request has been tabled in Parliament by the Finance Minister for approval. It is unclear what the justification is for a project that is entirely private to attract such a waiver from the government. However, according to the Memorandum of the waiver, GIPC has granted an exemption under the law to the private entity. The Member of Parliament for South Dayi, Rockson Dafeamakpor on Thursday said there is no justification for the request by the government. We are going to resist it as a Minority because the basis for this request is not sound, it doesn't make public sense what the government is telling the Republic is that we should forego this money. The Republic shouldn't go after US$24 million, he said. Rockson Dafeamakpor argued that the move by the Minister of Finance smacks of favouritism and gives undue advantage to Platinum Properties Limited. While alleging that owners of the company had close ties with the seat of government, he said his side will resist all attempts to have the company granted the waiver. On Tuesday, January 28, 2020, the Minister of Finance presented a Paper to Parliament requesting for waiver of Import Duties, Import VAT, Import NHIL Levy, Import GETFund Levy, Domestic VAT, Domestic NHIL and Domestic GETFund amounting to the Ghana Cedi equivalent of Twenty Three Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, Thirty-Three United States Dollars and Forty-Three Cents (US$23,983,033.43) on materials, plant, machinery and equipment to be procured by Platinum Properties Limited for the Pullman Accra Airport City Hotel and Serviced Apartments. The tax waiver request is reported to have earlier been approved by Cabinet. ---citinewsroom Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg will campaign in Detroit next week to make the case that he can win Michigan if selected as the Democratic presidential nominee. Bloomberg is scheduled to hold a public event on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at The Eastern in Detroit, the same day President Donald Trump will deliver his third State of the Union address. Bloomberg has made a significant push in Michigan during the last two months -- hes one of only two candidates to open a field office in the state, the campaign hired 60 field organizers and Bloomberg has spent nearly $7 million on advertisements. There is too much at stake to risk another four years of Donald Trump as he undermines the economic security of working families across the state, Michigan Communications Director Charly Norton said in a statement. Mike Bloombergs top priority is defeating Trump, and hes the only candidate who can get it done as we build an unmatched infrastructure here in Michigan, a critical battleground that will decide the election in November. Next weeks visit is the second time Bloomberg has come to Michigan. He attended the opening of his Detroit field office last December. The trip was announced the day after Trump visited an auto parts supplier in Warren to celebrate the signing of a new North American free trade agreement. Michigan, which broke a nearly three-decade streak of supporting Democratic candidates when it voted for Trump in 2016, is one piece of an expensive national push. Bloomberg told the New York Times he would not rule out spending $1 billion to oust Trump from the White House, though the campaign said Bloomberg will use his resources to support whoever Democrats choose to be their nominee. Bloomberg will skip the early primary contests in Iowa and New Hampshire to focus on states voting after Super Tuesday. He appears to be in a competitive position among the Democratic primary field, despite his late entry into the race. A national poll released by Morning Consult this week found Bloomberg grew his nationwide support, bringing him to 12% behind U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warrens 14%. Bloomberg held a 7 percentage point margin over Trump in a January statewide poll conducted by EPIC-MRA. Only 16% of the 400 voters surveyed did not know who Bloomberg is, slightly more than Warren. Another poll by Baldwin Wallace University, Ohio Northern University and Oakland University found Bloomberg is the fourth-choice of voters in Michigan and three other battleground states. The poll found Bloomberg performed better than former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg in Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. Relatives of an anti-logging activist who was found dead don't know whether he was slain or died accidentally, but they said Thursday that they know one thing for sure: something bad is happening to human rights and environmental activists in Mexico, and people are afraid. The body of Homero Gomez Gonzalez was found Wednesday in a holding pond near the mountain forest reserve that he long protected, where monarch butterflies spend the winter. Authorities in Michoacan state are conducting tests to determine the cause of death, though a prosecutor said there was no initial sign of trauma. "Something strange is happening because they're finishing off all the activists, the people who are doing something for society," said Amado Gomez, the dead man's brother. The threadbare clothes of the mourners and the few candles and simple floral arrangements at Gomez Gonzalez' funeral underlined the tough background of the struggle being played out in the butterflies' winter grounds, where they shelter in the tall pine and fir forests. Grinding poverty and gang violence fuel twin threats to the butterfly reserve illegal logging and encroaching plantations of avocados. The latter is the only legal crop that provides a decent income in this region. For the last decade, Gomez Gonzalez fought to keep loggers out of the reserve, leading marches, demonstrations and anti-logging patrols. He tried to persuade the government to increase the meagre stipend that local farmers receive for preserving trees. He also worked to convince about 260 fellow communal landowners that they should replant trees on land cleared for corn plots. By local accounts, he managed to reforest about 150 hectares (370 acres) of previously cleared land. Like other places in the world, increasingly scarce water also plays a role in the conflict. Gomez Gonzalez and other communal landowners had asked the nearby town of Angangueo for payments in return for water they receive from clear mountain streams that survive only because the forests are protected. His death has sparked fears among others who didn't have his education and public speaking skills. International organizations have drawn attention to attacks on environmental activists and conservationists in Mexico in recent years. London-based Global Witness counted 15 killings of environmental activists in Mexico in 2017 and 14 in 2018. In an October 2019 report, Amnesty International said that 12 had been killed in the first nine months of that year. The activist's relatives had reported him missing Jan. 14, after not seeing him since the previous evening at a traditional celebration. His body was found in a small agricultural reservoir in Ocampo, state prosecutor Adrian Lopez Solis said. The pond is approximately 32 feet square and 20 feet deep, but only about half full of water, and is on land adjoining property where Gomez Gonzalez attended the party. An initial review of Gomez's body showed no signs of trauma, Lopez Solis said at a news conference Wednesday. An autopsy was being performed to determine the cause of death. The prosecutor said Gomez's relatives had received a ransom call demanding money, but an investigation determined it was not credible and just an attempt to extort money. While officials study the death, activists said it could be related to disputes over illegal logging, water or income from visitors' fees to the El Rosario butterfly reserve. Gomez Gonzalez was the head of the reserve's management council. Millions of monarchs come to the forests of Michoacan and other nearby areas after making the 3,400-mile (5,500-kilometer) migration from the United States and Canada. They need healthy tree cover to protect them from rain and cold weather. Mexico has clamped down on illegal logging, which was once a major threat to the reserves but which has now fallen to about one-third last year's level. But there have been reports of increased "salvage" logging of supposedly diseased trees. (Picture Credits: Pixabay) Mohr Partners, Inc. the worlds largest wholly-owned commercial real estate advisory firm exclusively focused on representing occupiers & corporations, is pleased to announce that Robin Leamy, a 30-year commercial real estate industrial veteran, will return to Mohr Partners after a decade away running his successful tenant advisory firm known as Leamy Realty Group. Leamy will be based in San Francisco, CA and focus on growing Mohr Partners business throughout Northern California, which will include offices in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the East Bay. Throughout his 30-year commercial real estate career, Leamy has advised corporate occupier clients in strategically managing their real estate to align with their growth plans while reducing/containing their operating costs. Leamy will transition his former team into Mohr Partners, joining Matt Wersel who has established Mohr Partners as a leading player in the Bay Area corporate real estate services arena. We are very excited to welcome Robin back to Mohr Partners. His proven leadership skills in building a best-in-class tenant advisory & corporate real estate services will enable Mohr Partners to execute our aggressive growth strategy with companies based in Northern California whose business extends nationally and internationally. stated Robert Shibuya, Chairman & CEO of Mohr Partners. Leamy commented, I am thrilled to be returning to Mohr Partners which will allow me to enhance my ability to serve my clients by leveraging their industry-leading data analytics platform, full-service end-to-end capability and global market coverage. About Mohr Partners, Inc. Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate advisor, providing corporate tenants with an integrated set of portfolio services including strategic planning, business intelligence, lease administration/accounting & FASB ASC 842 compliance, research and site selection, labor analytics, project and construction management, comprehensive demographics analysis, economic incentives negotiations and transaction management. Since 1986, Mohr has been managing real estate portfolios for corporations, and each year completes transactions for its clients in all 50 U.S. states, all provinces of Canada and locations around the world. Mohr seamlessly provides corporate real estate services globally through its strategic alliance partners in Canada, Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information on Mohr, please visit http://www.mohrpartners.com. For more information, contact: Robert Shibuya Chairman & CEO 214 907-8094 robert.shibuya@mohrpartners.com New Delhi: There are some people for whom duty comes first. They are always ready to make any sacrifice to remain committed to their jobs. Kuldeep Kumar Sharma, Deputy Manager (Press), has been in lock-in as he is one of the key staff tasked with printing of confidential Budget documents. While he was busy with the assignment, his father passed away on January 26, 2020. Despite the colossal loss, Sharma decided not to leave the press area given the nature of his duty. He ignored his personal loss and showed extraordinary sincerity to his job. Live TV "Informing with regret that Shri Kuldeep Kumar Sharma, Dy Manager (Press), lost his father on 26 Jan, 2020. Being on Budget duty, he was on job in the lock-in. In spite of his immense loss, Sharma decided not to leave the press area even for a minute," the Finance Ministry said in a tweet. As Budget documents are secret until they are presented in the Parliament by the Union Finance Minister, its printing remains a confidential exercise. The security is quite tight in the North Block basement where these documents are printed. So much so that the personnel involved in the exercise are not allowed to go out for almost 10 days, from the day printing starts till its presentation. The printing of Budget papers begin with a customary `halwa` ceremony. It takes place in the presence of the Finance Minister. After `halwa` is distributed among the Finance Ministry staff, those assigned with the printing of Budget are locked in the basement press area of the North Block. Till the Budget presentation, fooding and lodging arrangements are made inside the North Block. The staff are not allowed to call their family members during the quarantined period. Words of appreciation poured in for Sharma after the Finance Ministry on Thursday shared the loss of Kuldeep Kumar Sharma with people tweeting condolence messages for him. Biden, Bolton, Age of Impeachment,: 4 highlights from Trump impeachment trial Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment On Tuesday, the lawyers defending President Donald Trump during the Senate impeachment trial concluded their defense. The House of Representatives brought forward two articles of impeachment accusing the president of Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress. In keeping with the agreed-upon rules, Wednesday and Thursday will be reserved for 16 hours of questions from senators on both sides of aisle. Following the two days of questioning, the Senate will vote on whether to subpoena new witnesses, which would mean the trial could go on for months, instead of ending this week. Here are four interesting highlights from the impeachment trial. They include reactions to alleged details in John Bolton's book manuscript released to The New York Times, and whether former Vice President Joe Biden would be called to testify as a witness to answer questions about his threat to withhold $1 billion in loans to Ukraine unless the government fired the prosecutor investigating a natural gas company that was paying his son $3 million to be on its board while he oversaw the United States Ukraine policy. 1 2 3 4 5 Next China is decisively working to control the deadly outbreak of the novel coronavirus, its ambassador in Geneva said Friday, insisting there was no need for countries impose "excessive measures" like border closures. "There is no need for unnecessary panic, and no need for excessive measures," Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters in Geneva. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When it comes to the fragile balance of the French wine grapegrowing landscape, theres a real Mother Nature touch to each year. The 2017 vintage proved to be a challenging one for Bordeaux, unlike the blockbuster 15 followed by a decent 16, this is stamped with mixed reviews. Last week, the Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux celebrated the 2017 vintage as part of their annual United States tour. I attended the San Francisco stop where I came across a number of friends and trusted palates in the wine industry. A few hundred distributors, importers, suppliers, buyers and media attended the popular event. Some 143 estates gathered to share the 17 bounties or, in some cases, lack of abundance. The growing season began with a tragic, but not rare or surprising, frost late April that devastated some producers. Discussing with various producers there was a strong variance on damaged sustained. Some wineries lost up to 90 percent of the crop during this devastating event while other producers made it out with now loss as is the case of producers located in Pauillac, St-Julien and St-Estephe who were aided by the Gironde river to prevent frost. The reminder of the growing season was marked by a rather dry couple months in July and August while June and September saw a big dose of rainfall. I was surprised by the quality of the wines for a difficult vintage, said winemaker and Bordeaux connoisseur Aaron Pott. We had all been told that the wines of the left bank were better than the wines of the right bank in the Vintage. I found the exact opposite, the wines of the right bank were expressive and drinking nicely and the wines Of the left bank seemed green and singular. Long-time Bay Area fixture and proprietor at Weimax Wine & Spirits, Gerald Weisl said, Having numerous years of experience as a Bordeaux aficionado, I have a good idea of what to expect from most of these wineries. Some estates exceeded my expectations. Reading great reviews for some producers, I wonder if the prominent critics are shown barrel samples which are a bit different from the wine that is actually bottled and offered for sale Overall, I saw a light style of wine throughout the tasting, especially from areas that I tend to lean to like Pomerol, which usually delivers tension and complexity, this year was a bit lacking. Margaux had some stars gifted with layers and muscular tones that made them stand above. 12th century Chateau Prieriue-Lichine with only 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and a good dose of Merlot delivered a red fruited feminine wine. Also from Margaux and flexing muscle was Chateau Cantenac Brown driven by rustic earthy notes, leather, funk and bold tannins. Also with a strong showing Saint Julien showed substance, power and structure. Chateau Leoville Poyferre stood out. The chateau, established in 1840 and owned by the Cuvalier family, offered a tridimensional experience with black fruit, elevated florals, graphite and a heavy fist of tannin. Another area that brought the goods on my book was Saint Emilion, Chateau Cannon stealing the show with a mystical richness full of black tea, incense and finesse driven by spice and black fruit. Overall consensus laid in the dry white wines of Graves and the sweet wines of Sauternes. On the white realm some of the standouts from the tasting included Chateau Carbonieu which magically seems to consistently deliver a mountain of lemon-lime citrus cuddled by honey, graham cracker and a sharp and mouthwatering finish. Another wine characterized by balance and a memorable delivery was Chateau Smith Haut Lafite, which delivered a tropical festival with tension and a zippy long finish. On the sweet side, two great examples that differ in style creating a tale of two wines. Chateau Suduiraut bringing cooked pineapple and guava on the nose joined by a hint of clove on the palate while Chateau Rieussec brought stamina, electricity and a sharp Meyer lemon like tone rounded by honeysuckle and an uplifted finish. Undeniably under the tariff cloud that hasnt been resolved there is a feeling of uncertainty. I love going every year great vintage and sad about the USA Tariffs. All those magnificent wines and I tasted every Margaux and all the Sauternes. Many will not be able to afford them unless we act and win!, Tim McDonald from Wine Spoken Here said. Overall a delivery of wines that proved to be a polarizing snapshot of a vintage that was redeemed by Bordeauxs gift to blend and use their winemaking skills. Eduardo can be reached at eduardo@sakedrinker.com. OPEC and non_OPEC members are considering holding an emergency meeting in February, OPEC President, Algerian Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab said. As oil prices sink on concern the coronavirus outbreak will hit demand, OPECs meeting scheduled for March is likely to be moved to February, the Algerie Presse Service reported. Arkab added that the decision may be taken "in the coming days". OPEC President has the authority to convene emergency meetings in consultation with the Secretary-General and other members. A French Connection store on Oxford Street in London. Photo: Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images Shares in struggling fashion brand French Connection (FCCN.L) cratered 30% on Friday after the company called off plans to sell itself. French Connection said it would focus on a turnaround plan rather than seek a buyer. It comes 15 months after the company first put up the for sale sign and followed a strategic review kicked off in October. The company said it will instead focus on shutting stores, investing in online, and selling its clothing overseas. Alongside the news, French Connection said it expected to make a loss of 1m to 2m for its full financial year. The company blamed continued challenging trading conditions on the UK High Street and said conditions had gotten even worse towards the end of 2019. French Connection shares fell 32.5% in response to the update. French Connection's share price crash. Photo: Yahoo Finance UK The struggling fashion chain is only capitalised at just over 30m and it had been expected that it would disappear from public view at the end of the protracted strategic review, said Nick Bubb, an independent retail analyst. But, out of the blue, French Connection has announced today that it has ended the formal sale process and will now focus on its turnaround. If even Sports Direct/Frasers didnt fancy buying the business, its hard to see why other shareholders should feel very enthused about the news. Shares in French Connection have fallen over 60% since their peak in October 2018 as the fashion brand has struggled to adapt to changing consumer tastes. French Connection is one of several retailers to put out a profit warning after poor Christmas trading. Others include Joules (JOUL.L), Superdry (SDRY.L), and N Brown (BWNG.L), the owner of Simply Be and Jacamo. New Delhi: Death-row convicts in the Nirbhaya case, on Thursday, took another step, which may delay their scheduled February 1 hanging, by moving a trial court with a plea to adjourn the execution sine die saying they are yet to avail their remaining legal remedies even as the Supreme Court dismissed the third curative petition. Of the four convicts, Mukesh Kumar Singh has exhausted all his legal remedies, including the mercy petition which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17, and the appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the apex court on Wednesday. Convict Vinay Kumar Sharma had, on Wedn-esday, filed a clemency plea before the President and the apex court, on Thursday, rejected the curative petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, who is likely to file a clemency plea soon. Pawan Gupta is yet to file a curative petition in the top court. Fast paced developments in SC The day witnessed fast-paced development with the counsel for Vinay, Akshay, and Pawan rushing to a trial court seeking stay on their executions saying legal remedies of some of them are yet to be availed. Special Judge A.K. Jain posted the matter for hearing in the post-lunch session after a five-judge bench of the apex court in the afternoon rejected the curative plea of Akshay, saying no case is made out and also declined to stay his execution. Hours after the apex court development, the trial judge issued notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking their response on the plea by three convicts, which the prosecution said was a mockery of justice and was only a delaying tactic. While all eyes would be in the trial court on Friday, when the matter would be taken up for hearing at 10.00 am, reports have already appeared that Pawan Jallad, a hangman from Meerut prison, has reached Tihar jail two days ahead of the scheduled execution. The Delhi prison rules state that none of the four convicts in the same case can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options, including the mercy plea. The apex court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President. The trial court, on January 17, had issued black warrants for the second time for execution of all the four convictsMukesh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay (26), and Akshay (31)in Tihar jail at 6.00 am on February 1. The court had, earlier on January 7, fixed January 22 as the hanging date. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, the fearless one, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later at a hospital in Singapore. One of the six accused in the case, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar jail in 2013. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board and was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term. The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) has called for a review of inter-bank withdrawal fees on local ATM machines, after it was revealed that these fees contributed to substantial profits for Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd, better known as PayNet. PayNet fully owns the Malaysian Electronic Payments System (MEPS), an inter-bank network service provider. MEPS allows Malaysians to conduct inter-bank banking transactions (including cash withdrawal) at any ATM machine under the MEPS network. Currently, anyone using the MEPS network for interbank transactions will have to pay RM1 for each domestic bank transaction and RM4 for each foreign bank transaction. These fees are reported to make a considerable portion of PayNets profits in 2018, where it recorded RM170.1 million in profit that year nearly 50% of the companys 2018 revenue (RM348.8 million). PayNet is partially owned by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) with a 37% stake, and a consortium of 11 banks owns the remaining 63% stake, with each bank holding 5.73% each. As such, FOMCA has called for a review to re-evaluate the MEPS fee. We opine that with the technological advances currently, the RM1 charge for inter-bank withdrawals should be reviewed. The review is also necessary due to the high cost of living, said FOMCA president, Datuk Paul Selvaraj. Industry observers and consumers also questioned the need for the MEPS service charge when similar inter-bank online transactions can be done for free. (Source: Focus Malaysia) 5 1 vote Article Rating SHARE A Middletown resident described as obviously impaired crashed her sport utility vehicle through two security checkpoints near Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., on Friday during a high-speed chase with police, according to authorities. Law enforcement said the actions did not appear to be an intentional attack on President Donald Trumps resort. The president was not at the resort at the time, but was scheduled to arrive later in the day Friday. Authorities identified the driver, who was arrested, as 30-year-old Hannah Roemhild. Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said Roemhild was not even remotely close to getting to the inner perimeter of the Palm Beach resort. Bradshaw said Roemhild was obviously impaired. Roemhild first came on law enforcement radar prior to the Mar-a-Lago incident after an off-duty Florida Highway Patrol officer working private security at a hotel went over to Roemhilds SUV when he noticed the driver was acting erratically. Roemhild allegedly refused to acknowledge the officer and put her vehicle in reverse and tried to drive away. Bradshaw said the trooper smashed the window and tried to grab the steering wheel, but Roemhild was able to drive away. Major Robert Chandler of the Florida Highway Patrol said Roemhild led officer on a high-speed pursuit. The pursuit ended when Roemhild crashed through two checkpoints near Mar-a-Lago and was speeding toward a third when sheriffs deputies and Secret Service agents fired numerous bullets at the SUV. Roemhild kept driving, police said, and picked up a possible relative before authorities found her car using a license plate reader. When police tracked her down, Bradshaw said, Roemhild ran from her car outside a nearby motel and was tackled by a trooper. Bradshaw said Roemhild will face charges of assault on a federal officer, deadly assault on two sheriffs deputies and traffic charges. This isnt the first time a Connecticut resident has been tied up in an incident involving a president or presidential property. In November 2015, Stamford resident Joseph Caputo jumped over the White House fence and ran toward the building before Secret Service ordered him to get down on the ground and he complied. The 22-year-old later claimed he had not intended harm to the president and just wanted to share his thoughts on the country with him. Back in October 2013, 34-year-old Miriam Carey, of Woodside Green in Stamford, was shot and killed after she tried to ram her car into a White House security barrier and led police on a high-speed chase past the Capitol with her 18-month-old daughter in the vehicle. This story includes reporting from the Associated Press. The ongoing novel Coronavirus outbreak in China has killed 213 people and infected more than 9,800, health officials said on Friday as the country grapples with the fast-spreading epidemic thats likely to surge in the coming days. As many as 42 deaths were reported overnight, the largest number in a day since the epidemic broke out, in the central Chinese province of Hubei, which is at the centre of the outbreak. It has millions of people under an unprecedented lockdown to contain the disease. Officials said over 1200 were critical and around 170 have recovered from the infection until now. More countries including South Korea and the UK on Friday evacuated its citizens from Hubeis capital, Wuhan, which is where the previously unknown virus is said to have originated and jumped from unidentified wild animal to humans. More than 100000 people mostly family and friends of the infected in China are said to be under medical observation, raising the spectre of a big rise in confirmed cases in the days ahead. Reports said theres been a gradual rise in the number of cases outside the province of Hubei. The five mega cities of China Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Chongqing are likely to see a sharp rise in cases. Chongqing, a city of more than 30 million people, in southwestern China already has 206 cases (until late Thursday) and could see a surge. Meanwhile, a leading China expert has said that it will take at least three months to prove that a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus is effective. As of Wednesday, we have isolated five strains of the virus, two of which are very suitable for vaccine development, Chinese epidemiologist Li Lanjuan told official news agency, Xinhua. China is currently experiencing the peak period of confirmed cases and with prevention and control measures in place, the number of future infections will be significantly reduced, Li who heads the State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, said. China has taken the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday. We have full confidence and capability to win this fight, spokesperson Hua Chunying, said in a statement. That didnt stop many governments from evacuating their citizens from Wuhan on Friday. A special flight carrying Britons and other Europeans left Wuhan on Friday, Britains embassy said. Japan sent three flights to bring citizens home and the first of four planned flights taking South Koreans home landed on Friday as well. The Chinese government is also hiring a number of chartered aircraft to bring its citizens back to Hubei, and its capital, Wuhan, because of practical difficulties they are facing in other countries, the government said. There have been reports about Chinese nationals even those perceived to be Chinese being targeted in countries they were visiting as tourists. In view of the practical difficulties that Chinese citizens from Hubei, especially Wuhan, have faced overseas, the Chinese government has decided to send charter flights to take them directly back to Wuhan as soon as possible, Hua said in a statement. New Delhi The shooter who fired during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi's Jamia Milia University on Thursday (January 30) will be presented before the Juvenile Justice Board at 2 pm on Friday (January 31) by the Delhi Police Crime Branch. According to reports, the accused is a 17-year-old school student and is a resident of Gautam Budh Nagar. A case under section 307 IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at New Friends Colony police station. According to ANI, the police claimed that the accused showed no remorse for what he did and was radicalised by viewing videos on social media. Police sources also said that the accused had procured the country-made pistol from his village and left for Delhi in a bus to take revenge for the death of Chandan Gupta. Gupta was killed in Kasganj violence on January 26. The accused brandished a gun despite heavy police force deployment and fired at the marching students on January 30. Delhi police sources said that the accused has denied having any connection or links with any organisation. Before the incident, Delhi Police said sufficient police arrangements had been made for the march for which there was 'no permission'. Referring to the incident in which one student was injured, the Delhi Police issued a statement that read, "At around 1:30 pm, while the gathering was moving, one person suddenly came out of it brandishing a small firearm like object and within a split second, before anyone could assess or react to what he was doing, the man suddenly fired towards the marching students." "The police staff immediately rushed towards the person and overpowered him. As the barricades were tied with each other to deal with the proposed march, the injured was immediately taken to the nearest hospital -- Holy Family by lifting him from behind the barricades in order to save precious time," Delhi Police said in a statement. The police said DCP South-East also reached the hospital in no time, to ensure that proper medical treatment was extended to the injured, who has been identified as Shadaab Farooq, a student of Jamia University. An emergency warning has been issued for a bushfire near Ballarat as temperatures across the state continue to climb above 40 degrees on Friday's wild weather day. Emergency Victoria issued the warning at 2.20pm on Friday for a fire at Smythesdale, about 20 kilometres south-west of Ballarat. The first emergency warning of Friday's wild weather day has been issued near Ballarat. Credit:Jessica Shapiro The out-of-control fire is travelling in a southerly direction and has crossed Browns Road, a major thoroughfare leading in and out of Smythesdale. Residents in Ross Creek, Scarsdale and Smythesdale have been told to leave immediately. By Peter Koenig January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - In a positive appeal to the Chinese people, last Saturday, President Xi Jinping has called on the nations courage to defeat the deadly epidemic which has already claimed more than 80 lives and more than 2,000 infected worldwide, the vast majority in China. These figures are changing fast, as the spread of the epidemic is accelerating. President Xi warned that the situation was serious, but not unsurmountable. As long as we have steadfast confidence, work together, [rely on] scientific prevention and cures, and precise policies, we will definitely be able to win the battle, President Xi told a politburo meeting, according to Xinhua. It is thought that the deadly coronavirus, 2019-nCoV has originated from wild animals, such as bats, but science is still out to confirm the details. In short, the Government of China deserves high-flying congratulations for the efficient, rapid sanitary measures it has taken to avoid further infection putting about 50 million people in a state of quarantine, blocking potentially dangerous travel routes and checking travelers for possible symptoms. The timing of the outbreak has an additional dimension of pain and suffering, as it affects and hinders peoples celebration of the New Chinese Lunar Years joy of visiting families and of togetherness. And on a tertiary plan, it also affects the retail economy. Chinese doctors and nurses have already healed several dozen cases. Chinese scientists in collaboration with Russian scientists are accelerating their research into developing a vaccine against the virus. Indeed, there is no country in the world that has ever achieved with such ardor, efficiency and love for the people, progress towards isolation of a potentially highly infectable and deadly disease, preventing millions from infection and providing them with protective as well as curative measures, and by setting up a countrywide impenetrable health surveillance mechanism. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter There could not be a clearer sign, that the Government of China is making every effort for the betterment and the well-being of its population. This is also reflected in the high esteem and credibility the Chinese people entrust in their government. Something not heard of in the west not by far. Rather to the contrary: in the west disease means foremost business and that (business) model of health care is steadily increasing, treating sick people like a market and those not yet sick, as a potential market. The medical industry, is one of the most ferocious money-making apparatuses, next to the war industry. Its more, the big western bought and manipulative media have immediately put the blame on China. They are demonizing and slandering China, for insufficient hygiene, for medical negligence it is one more accusation of the yellow peril causing worldwide danger. A horror of western attitude and injustice. Aside from such lies and false propaganda, lets look at the context. In the USA alone, the regular influenza causes every year several thousand deaths, and that despite country-wide carpet vaccination, and in some states forced vaccination. The 2019/20 flu-season has already claimed more than 7000 reported deaths and uncounted cases of serious flu infections; and that only in the United States. We are talking about a country of some 350 million people. The statistics of this flu-epidemic could be expanded proportionally throughout Europe and the rest of the western world and the order of magnitude would be even more overwhelming. Yet, China, with a population of some 1.4 billion people, an outbreak, where up to this writing less than 3000 people have been infected with the new 2019-nCoV virus, and the death toll stands at below 100, the country is being badgered non-stop for being at the origin of this new disease. Let me be clear, China does not need or want to compare herself to the west, nor does she want to measure her degree of efficiency in mastering the disease and dealing with the diseases consequences against the west. Not at all. Its not part of the Chinese philosophy. However, WHO immediately calls the outbreak a potential pandemic, thereby frightening the public at large with yet another danger coming from the east, from China. The Chinese Government and the Chinese scientists work for the people, to contain the outbreak to the extent possible. And they will win; their determination like with most everything China engages in overcomes almost all obstacles. What China has already achieved in stopping the disease from seriously spreading within China and to other countries is simply remarkable. It is what no other country in the world would have achieved in this short period. China does all this quietly, no bragging. It is simply an endless flow of creation for the well-being of her population and for harmony and eventually for a peaceful, trustful cohabitation of the people with their government. People willingly participate in this mammoth effort to contain and cure the disease, willingly, despite their suffering of many for not being able to visit their families during that highly revered Chinese New Year, the New Lunar Year celebration which in magnitude and importance would be western equivalent of Christmas. Having said this, it should also be noted that this case of 2019-nCoV is curiously similar to other CoronoVirus diseases, like the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome MERS, first found in Saudi Arabia (2012) and then it spread to other Middle Easter and Sub-Saharan African countries; and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), first discovered in China in 2002, spread around the world but was quickly contained and caused no know infections after 2004. Both are coronaviruses, suspected having been laboratory-made, with animal trials, and the viruses transfer to humans was only possible with human assistance. Then the viruses mutated to make human-to-human infection possible. Bothe SARS and the new 2019-nCoV virus also have the particularity of affecting primarily people of the Chinese race. There are some 100-plus CIA / Pentagon sponsored clandestine and semi-known laboratories spread throughout the world laboratories to fabricate and test agents for biological warfare. A few years ago, one such laboratory was discovered and reported on in Ukraine. They were working on a virus affecting the Russian Race. Since there is no homogenous Russian Race their initial trials supposedly failed. Since the empire never gives up in its evil attempts to dominate the world, we can assume that research on race directed bio-agents continues. This western, especially American (CIA, Pentagon, NATO) project to develop bio-chemical weapons to kill people by disease rather than bullets and bombs it is much cheaper! And less obvious does exist. You may draw your own conclusion on whether SARS and the new 2019-nCoV fits that pattern. The timing of the appearance was especially curious. It was first reported on 31 December 2019 in Wuhan and then expanded into a proportion, so that it interfered with Chinas most important Holiday, the Lunar New Year. It could, of course, be just coincidence. One of Washingtons low-grade warfare models is destabilizing China (and Russia for that matter) with any means. With the objective of destabilization, China is constantly being harassed and aggressed see Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Tibet, the tariff wars and why not with a contagious virus, a trial for a potential pandemic? What can be observed and even the west must notice to their chagrin and frustration is Chinas extreme resilience and capacity to adapt and resist to resist with powerful minds and ingenuity that saves her people. And that without counter-aggression, without even an accusation and never a threat. This is Chinas way forward: a steady flow of endless creation, avoiding conflict, no dominance, but seeking harmony by building bridges between people and among countries and cultures creating understanding and wellbeing, towards a multi-polar world. A model for mankind? If only the west would open its eyes and wake up. Peter Koenig is an economist and geopolitical analyst. He is also a water resources and environmental specialist. He worked for over 30 years with the World Bank and the World Health Organization around the world in the fields of environment and water. He lectures at universities in the US, Europe and South America. He writes regularly for Global Research; ICH; RT; Sputnik; PressTV; The 21st Century; Greanville Post; Defend Democracy Press, TeleSUR; The Saker Blog, the New Eastern Outlook (NEO); and other internet sites. He is the author of Implosion An Economic Thriller about War, Environmental Destruction and Corporate Greed fiction based on facts and on 30 years of World Bank experience around the globe. He is also a co-author of The World Order and Revolution! Essays from the resistance. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Select the Somerset County Athlete of the Week for Jan. 3-7 The Ministry of Trade and Industry has placed a ban on the issuance of permits to companies that want to set up cement processing plants in the country. It is also taking steps to halt the importation of the product as part of measures to protect and encourage the growth of existing cement processing companies, a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Carlos Kingsley Ahenkorah, has said. Speaking at the Customer Awards Dinner of a cement manufacturer, CIMAF, located at the Free Zones Enclave in Tema, in Accra last Friday, Mr Ahenkorah observed that the temporary ban and the restrictions on imports were meant to support the current eight cement manufacturers that operated in unfair competition. "The ministry has taken note of the challenges in the industry and has decided not to increase the number of cement factories in the near future. Secondly, we have tried very hard to prevent the importation of the products into the country," he said. With eight processors, he explained that the countrys installed capacity for cement production was about 13 million tonnes annually, but only half was utilised, leaving an excess capacity of 6.5 million tonnes. For that reason, he said deliberate steps were also needed to ensure that the excess cement was exported to neighbouring countries. The eight are Ghacem Limited, CIMAF Ghana Limited, Diamond Cement Group, Dangote Cement Ghana Limited, CBI Ghana Limited, Wan Heng Ghana Limited, Xin Ann Safe Cement Limited and Pozzolana Ghana Limited (PGL). Caution to manufacturers While urging the manufacturers to maintain their prices at a reasonable level in the market, Mr Ahenkorah said the government would not hesitate to open the floodgates for imports to compete with the local manufacturers, should they form a cartel to increase their prices without consultations. "The actions we have adopted will be in place for a very long time, except when the manufacturers decide to turn themselves into cartels to sabotage it. "This is because cement forms an integral part of the economic growth and development in Ghana and so, if you decide to increase prices of your product, it can change the political fortunes of a political party. "So, we will not allow manufacturers to run away with the prices of the product. When you do that without consulting us, we will also open the floodgates for import to come in to compete with you," he said. However, Mr Ahenkorah expressed the optimism that it would not get to the point of reversing the above-mentioned actions because he believed the manufacturers would uphold and respect the arrangement in place. Housing deficit For his part, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, said the government would support investors with the needed interventions that would help reduce the country's current housing deficit. "With a population size of 30 million, it is sad that about one-third of us do not have decent accommodation and if the situation is not addressed, the country will soon run into chaos," he said. Although most of the developers have been demanding a guarantee worth $2 million to build a 5,000 housing unit project, he stated that his office had been able to secure a new deal with a Moroccan firm without the guarantee arrangement. As a result, Mr Atta Akyea said the firm, Addoha Group of Morocco, was set to partner the government to construct affordable housing units for Ghanaians. CIMAF Customer Awards CIMAF Ghana Limited organised the CIMAF Customer Awards to reward customers and distributors who have contributed immensely towards the success of the CIMAF Cement brand over the years. Some of the recipients included K. K. Peprah Company Limited, Atlantic Product Limited, R. Wife Enterprise, Capital Engineering Limited and K. Ofori Company Limited. The CIMAF Ghana also used the opportunity to cut a cake to mark its third anniversary celebrations in the country. The Director in charge of Sales and Marketing, Mr Joseph Kobina Aboo, indicated that the year under review saw additions of other operators in the industry but CIMAF stood firm. "As a sales and marketing person, it means more effort is needed. We tried our best but customers and distributors made us the best. "Your loyalty is immeasurable. Your quest for quality was as strong as the CIMAF Cement. Not only were we able to meet your demands, we are proud to say you made us the peoples choice," he said. Source: Daily Graphic 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 GAITHERSBURG, Md., Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Emergent BioSolutions Inc. (NYSE:EBS) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion for the approval of the companys single-dose oral cholera vaccine, Vaxchora (Cholera Vaccine, Live, Oral). A marketing authorization decision from the European Commission is anticipated within three months from positive opinion. If approved, Vaxchora will be the only single-dose oral vaccine indicated for active immunization against disease caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1 in adults and children from 6 years of age. The marketing authorization will be valid in all 28 member states of the European Union (EU). Abbey Jenkins, senior vice president and vaccines business unit head at Emergent BioSolutions, stated, It is estimated that cholera is endemic in almost 70 countries worldwide making travelers to these destinations vulnerable to cholera infection. Millions of Europeans travel to cholera-endemic regions each year. In addition to taking safe precautions with food, water, and hygiene, vaccination is recommended to help protect against this virulent disease. Emergent is pleased with receiving CHMP positive opinion, which brings us a step closer to providing a single-dose vaccine to address this travel health threat. As a company whose mission is to protect and enhance life, we seek to bring peace of mind to patients and healthcare professionals by offering a consistent supply of a new option for cholera prevention. Dr. Rogelio Lopez-Velez, head of the National Referral Unit for Tropical Diseases of the Ramon y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid, Spain, said, The positive opinion of the CHMP for the approval of this single-dose oral cholera vaccine is excellent news for all those who are dedicated to the practice of Travel Medicine. In this global world that we live in today, this new vaccine represents an advanced tool to help in the protection of European travelers against immuno-preventable diseases when traveling abroad to cholera-affected areas. The positive CHMP opinion is based on data from five randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials, including a Phase 1 safety and immunogenicity study,i a Phase 3 challenge study, where Vaxchora demonstrated 90.3% efficacy at 10 days and 79.5% efficacy at 3 months,ii a Phase 3 safety and immunogenicity study that examined lot-to-lot consistency,iii a Phase 3 study that demonstrated a similar immune response in older adults compared with younger adults,iv and a Phase 4 study in children that demonstrated a similar immune response in children compared to younger adults.v About Vaxchora Approved in the U.S. in June 2016, the vaccine is marketed as Vaxchora and is the only vaccine licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for active immunization against cholera caused by Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1. In May 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published its recommendation for the use of Vaxchora in adults 18-64 years traveling from the U.S. to areas of active cholera transmission.vi About Cholera Cholera, transmitted by ingestion of food and water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, may present with a broad range of symptoms. Cholera commonly presents as watery diarrhea, but may also be asymptomatic or, in severe cases, characterized by profuse watery diarrhea.vii If untreated, these severe cases may lead to dehydration, hypovolemic shock and death within hours.vii With limited surveillance capacities, as well as social, economic and political disincentives, cholera is an underreported disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that only 5-10% of cases occurring annually are officially reported.viii,ix Non-vaccine interventions to prevent cholera infection include the avoidance of contaminated water and food and frequent handwashing.vii Important Facts About VAXCHORA (vaks-CORE-ah). It is also known as Cholera Vaccine, Live, Oral. What is VAXCHORA used for? VAXCHORA is a prescription vaccine used in adults for a disease called cholera. You take VAXCHORA by mouth to help protect you against the type of cholera caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1. VAXCHORA should only be used by certain people. You should only take VAXCHORA if you are between 18 and 64 years old and plan to travel to places where there is cholera. VAXCHORA may not work for: People who live in places where there is cholera People who have pre-existing protection from cholera or have had a cholera vaccine Cholera caused by bacteria not covered by the vaccine It is not known if VAXCHORA is safe and effective in children. Who should not take VAXCHORA? Do not use VAXCHORA if you are allergic to any ingredient of VAXCHORA or have had an allergic reaction to any cholera vaccine. Warnings Can I take VAXCHORA if I have a weakened immune system? It is important to tell your healthcare provider (HCP) if: You have any medical condition that may lower your ability to fight infections You are taking any medications that may lower your ability to fight infections You have a weakened immune system VAXCHORA was not studied in people with a weakened immune system. The vaccine may not protect these people. What are important things to speak with my HCP about? It is important to tell your HCP if you are in close contact with anyone that has a weakened immune system For at least a week after you take the vaccine, it is possible to spread the bacteria in the cholera vaccine while using the bathroom Can I take VAXCHORA if I take other medications? Tell your HCP about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Taking VAXCHORA and certain other medicines may affect how VAXCHORA works and may cause side effects. What are the most common side effects of VAXCHORA? After you take VAXCHORA, you may feel tired or lose your appetite, or you may experience headache, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These are not all the possible side effects of VAXCHORA. Talk to your HCP about any side effects that you may experience. You can report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-822-7967 or vaers.hhs.gov. Learn More This summary provides basic information about VAXCHORA, but it does not include all information known about this vaccine. Talk to your HCP or pharmacist about this information. Your HCP is the best person to help you decide if VAXCHORA is right for you. VAX CON ISI 1/2020 Please see full U.S. Prescribing Information for VAXCHORA. About Emergent BioSolutions As a global life sciences company whose mission is to protect and enhance life, we provide solutions that target public health threats. Through our specialty products and services as well as our social responsibility efforts, we aspire to build healthier, safer communities and deliver peace of mind to our patients and customers so they can focus on whats most important in their lives. For more information visit www.emergentbiosolutions.com. Find us on LinkedIn and follow us on Twitter @emergentbiosolu and Instagram @life_at_emergent. Safe Harbor Statement This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact, including statements related to receipt of a marketing authorization decision from the European Commission within the anticipated time frame, our ability to provide a single-dose vaccine for prevention of cholera infection, our ability to offer a consistent supply of a new option for cholera prevention and expansion of customer base and market area, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events. We cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate. Investors should realize that if underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could differ materially from our expectations. Investors are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events or circumstances. There are a number of important factors that could cause the company's actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals; and our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from our expectations in any forward-looking statement. Investors should consider this cautionary statement, as well as the risk factors identified in our periodic reports filed with the SEC, when evaluating our forward-looking statements. i Chen WH, Greenberg RN, Pasetti MF, et al. Safety and immunogenicity of single-dose live oral cholera vaccine strain CVD 103-HgR, prepared from new master and working cell banks. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2014;21(1):66-73. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01585181?term=PXVX0200&draw=2&rank=3 ii Chen WH, Cohen MB, Kirkpatrick BD, et al. Single-dose Live Oral Cholera Vaccine CVD 103-HgR Protects Against Human Experimental Infection With Vibrio cholerae O1 El Tor. Clin Infect Dis. 2016; 62(11):1329-35. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01895855?term=PXVX0200&draw=2&rank=2 iii McCarty JM et al, Safety and immunogenicity of single-dose live oral cholera vaccine strain CVD 103-HgR in healthy adults age 18-45. Vaccine. 2018 Feb 1;36(6):833-840. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2017.12.062. Epub 2018 Jan 6. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT02094586?term=CVD103-HgR&cond=Cholera&draw=2&rank=6 iv McCarty JM et al. Age-related immunogenicity and reactogenicity of live oral cholera vaccine CVD 103-HgR in a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Vaccine. 2019 Mar 7;37(11):1389-1397. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.01.077. Epub 2019 Feb 13 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/results/NCT02100631?term=CVD103-HgR&cond=Cholera&draw=2&rank=5 v McCarty JM et al. Safety and Immunogenicity of Live Oral Cholera Vaccine CVD 103-HgR in Children and Adolescents Aged 617 Years. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 102(1), 2020, pp. 4857. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03220737?term=vaxchora&draw=2&rank=1 vi Wong KK et al. Recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices for use of cholera vaccine. MMWR. 2017; 66 (18): 482-485. vii Wong KK, Burdette E, and Mintz ED. Cholera. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/infectious-diseases-related-to-travel/cholera. Updated May 31, 2017. Accessed May 2019. viii Ali M et al. Updated Global Burden of Cholera in Endemic Countries. 2015; PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Jun 4;9(6):e0003832. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0003832. eCollection 2015. ix WHO (2016) Cholera surveillance and number of cases. Geneva: World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/gho/epidemic_diseases/cholera/cases_text/en/. Accessed May 2019. Investor Contact: Robert G. Burrows Vice President, Investor Relations 240-631-3280 BurrowsR@ebsi.com Media Contact: Lynn Kieffer Vice President, Corporate Communications 240-631-3391 KiefferL@ebsi.com 1 of 1 GATE 2020 exam to begin tomorrow, check here Graduate Aptitude Test (GATE) 2020 will begin from tomorrow i.e. February 1, 2020. The examinations are conducted by IIT Delhi this year. The exam will be conducted from Februraty 1 to 9, 2020 and will be held in 25 subject, all across the country. The examination will be held in two shifts- forenoon and afternoon. The forenoon shift is from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM and the afternoon shift is from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Steps to download Admit Card:- Step 1: Visit the official GATE IIT Delhi website gate.iitd.ac.in Step 2: Click on the link 'Admit Card available for download' Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page Step 4: Enter you login details Step 5: Your admit card will be displayed on the screen Step 6: Download and take a printout for future reference The examination answer key will be released on the official GATE website after the exam is conducted. This year GATE score formula will also be used to calculate the final score. The result will also be declared on the official website on March 16, 2020. Students are advised to carry their required stationary and ID card and check any other details on the official GATE IIT Delhi website gate.iitd.ac.in. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images In May of 2019, President Trump held an Oval Office meeting in which he tried to enlist National Security Adviser John Bolton in his plot to enlist Ukraine to smear his domestic enemies. Trump told Bolton to call Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and instruct him to meet with Trumps lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, according to a manuscript of Boltons book obtained by the New York Times. Giulianis role is the deepest, darkest cesspool in the Ukraine scandal. Probably for that reason, Trump and his lawyers have consistently denied knowledge of Giulianis activities. Last November, in an interview with Bill OReilly, Trump repeatedly denied having directed Giulianis work in Ukraine: Well, you have to ask that to Rudy, but Rudy, I dont, I dont even know, Trump replied. I know he was going to go to Ukraine, and I think he canceled a trip. But, you know, Rudy has other clients other than me. Im one person. So, you didnt direct him to go there on your behalf? OReilly followed up. No, but you have to understand, Rudy is a great corruption fighter, Trump said No, I didnt direct him, but he is a warrior, he is a warrior. Earlier this month, Trump was asked about a signed letter by Giuliani to Zelensky, stating that he was representing Trump as a personal lawyer, with Trumps knowledge and permission. Trump again dissembled. I dont know anything about the letter, but certainly Rudy is one of the great crime fighters in the history of our country, he told reporters in the Oval Office. Trump claims that he doesn't know "anything about the letter" Rudy Giuliani wrote to Zelensky requesting a private meeting but adds that "if he wrote a letter, it wouldnt have been a big deal." "It was very important to Rudy that I be a great president, and thats okay with me" pic.twitter.com/WWSV8dWrGb Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) January 16, 2020 It seems odd that Giuliani would put such a statement in writing, identifying himself as Trumps representative working with his consent, if Trump did not in fact consent to the arrangement. Trump of course denies Boltons account: I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky, he tells the Times. That meeting never happened. Giulianis response is more, uh, layered. At first, he called the account of the meeting absolutely, categorically untrue. Asked again if Bolton who is known for taking detailed, contemporaneous notes of his meetings was simply making it up, Giuliani shifted to calling Bolton a rat: I just asked RUDY if BOLTON made up the mtg: I think hes making some of it up. Hes sure making up I wouldnt call it making it up, but hes acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, & then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something." Kenneth P. Vogel (@kenvogel) January 31, 2020 Note that Giulianis idea of a real scumbag is not somebody who conceals an illegal scheme from authorities but someone who spills the beans. Why are Republicans so desperate to hide all this from the public and the Senate before it renders a verdict? Bear in mind that the full details of Giulianis work have not yet been exposed. Two of his associates were arrested, and Giuliani is the subject of an investigation. Giuliani represented Trump for no pay, and was compensated by one of his partners, Lev Parnas, who was in turn paid by a Russian oligarch who works closely with Vladimir Putin. Giuliani and his partners were allegedly using their political influence to shake down Ukrainian authorities for energy contracts. Today, the Washington Post has another scoop Giuliani met with Ukrainian officials to lobby on behalf of his former client, a Kiev mayor who Zelensky was planning to sack. The Post does not establish whether Giuliani had any current financial interest in this, or was just helping out a past client for old times sake. In any case, he had clearly been authorized by Trump as a representative in Ukraine, and used that power not only for Trumps improper goals (smearing his enemies) but also his own. At yesterdays Senate impeachment trial, Trumps lawyers were asked who paid for Giulianis work, and refused to address the question at all. Meanwhile, Trump and his legal team maintain that this whole agenda was being driven in service of Trumps alleged desire to clean up corruption in Ukraine. As pathetic as Trumps defense may be, no element is as incriminating on its face as Giulianis work. Even conceding it existed is to admit guilt. But Bolton apparently has the receipts. Northbrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2020 -- The Catalytic Converter Market is estimated to be USD 42.4 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 73.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.10%. The Asia Oceania region is projected to lead the catalytic converter market during the forecast period owing to the highest vehicle production compared to other regions such as North America and Europe. The increasing demand for passenger cars along with the rising stringency in emission norms would further fuel the demand for catalytic converters, especially in the European and North American countries. The SCR segment is expected to be the largest contributor in the catalytic converter market during the forecast period The SCR technology offers benefits including enhanced NOx reduction than LNT by nearly 90%, and hence, it is mostly preferred in diesel vehicles across the globe. SCR has a maximum installation rate in European and North American countries owing to the ongoing emission norms such as Euro 6 and Tier 3 respectively. Europe has a large adoption rate of diesel passenger cars and LCVs. Thus, it has a higher installation rate of SCRs compared to other regions such as Asia Oceania and North America for these vehicle types. Further, the newer trucks and buses in developed countries must withstand the permissible NOx limits and should be fitted with SCRs. Moreover, owing to the ongoing and upcoming stringent emission norms in developing countries such as China, India, and Thailand, the demand for SCRs is expected to increase significantly across all diesel vehicle types by 2022 at a global level. Download PDF Brochure @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=128255548 Passenger car is estimated to dominate the catalytic converter market during the forecast period By vehicle type, the passenger car segment is estimated to dominate the catalytic converter market owing to its largest share in vehicle production all over the world. Asia Oceania also happens to be one of the largest catalytic converter markets for passenger cars. However, the region has a low adoption rate for various aftertreatment devices. Moreover, the Asia Oceania passenger car market is dominated by gasoline engines that also restrict the adoption rate of various diesel aftertreatment devices. The adoption rate of aftertreatment devices in HDVs such as buses and trucks are higher as these vehicles are equipped with large diesel engines and emit a higher amount of harmful gases compared to passenger cars. Asia Oceania is expected to account for the largest market size during the forecast period Asia Oceania has the largest market share of vehicle production with about 5456% of the total vehicle production. China, India, and Japan are the largest vehicle production hubs because of rising urbanization, increasing GDP, and industrialization among others. With the growing vehicle production, vehicle emissions have also increased significantly. Considering this, few countries such as China, Japan, and India have implemented vehicle emission norms. For instance, China and India are currently running on China IV and BS IV. However, they are planning to implement China VI and BS VI by 2020 which is equivalent to Euro VI. Moving toward strict emission norms will create a huge demand for various aftertreatment devices. In Asia Oceania, China and Japan are the leading countries for the catalytic converter market, by aftertreatment device. Request Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=128255548 Key Market Players The catalytic converter market is dominated by the global players and comprises several regional players. Some of the key players in the catalytic converter market are Faurecia (France), Tenneco (US), Continental (Germany), Eberspacher (Germany), Johnson Matthey (UK), Umicore (Belgium), Futaba (Japan), BAEF (Germany), CDTI Materials (US), and Benteler International (Austria). Key Questions addressed by the report - Which type of catalytic converter is going to dominate in the future? - How are the industry players addressing the challenge of maintaining a balance between performance and low-cost diesel catalytic converter? - When is SCR going to get mass adoption in the market for all vehicle types? - What could be the market size of catalytic converters for off-highway vehicles? - What could be the size of catalytic converters for the aftermarket? View detail TOC @ https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/catalytic-converter-systems-market-128255548.html The mechanism allows the entry of medicines without incurring the punitive measures wanted by Washington. In the last few days the first test shipment, for a total value of 2.3 million euros. Iranian diplomat: the dedicated channel proves that sanctions also affect medicines. Tehran (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The Swiss authorities have launched a new payment mechanism, to allow the entry of medicines and humanitarian aid into Iran without incurring US sanctions which, to date, have also blocked the entry of life-saving medicines. On January 27, the go-ahead came for a first payment, as a test, aimed at sending a first tranche of urgent drugs, including chemotherapy and post-transplant anti-rejection medicines. Alireza Miryousefi, spokesman for the diplomatic mission of the Islamic Republic at the UN, underlines that the opening of a new channel is proof of the "false claims" circulating in the past, according to which the drugs were exempted from sanctions. "If they had been - he adds - why open this special channel today?", Confirming "the economic terrorism [of the White House] towards the Iranian people". The United States specifies that the channel is subjected to "severe measures" of control to avoid "misuse" by the Iranian counterpart. In theory, basic necessities and humanitarian supplies are exempt from penalties; however, in the past many banks and companies have effectively stopped sending them and blocked comments with Tehran in fear of US reprisals. According to the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco), the agreement aims to ensure a reliable payment channel to Iran from a Swiss bank for exporters and businesses in the food, medical and pharmaceutical sectors based in the Confederation. This will enable Switzerland to make a contribution to the supplies for the population. The dossier had been at the center of the talks last June, in Bellinzona, between Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis and American Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Seco, together with the United States Department of the Treasury, will monitor operators' full compliance with the rules and transmit the indications received to the United States authorities. US-Iranian tensions were triggered by US President Donald Trumps 2018 decision to pull out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreed by his predecessor, Barack Obama, which was followed by the toughest sanctions in history against Iran. Washington, which has its sight sets on the oil exports of the Islamic Republic has strengthened its military presence in the area. But the sanctions are primarily affecting the population. The first pilot transaction involved the supply of carcinogens and anti-rejection medicines for a total value of 2.3 million euros. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin confirms Washington's "full confidence" that the mechanism "will improve the influx of humanitarian assets to the Iranian people." We encourage companies, he adds, "to use this mechanism." The launch of the new payment channel comes after a surge of tension between the United States and Iran, following the killing of the head of the Qods force Qasem Soleimani, to which Tehran responded by launching rockets towards US targets in Iraq. At least 50 US soldiers injured in the attack. To complicate the picture was added the shooting down by Tehran of a Ukrainian airliner, hit by one of the many missiles launched on the night of retaliation against Washington. Condemning the Okhla firing incident in which a student of Jamia Millia Islamia University sustained injuries, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the government is also responsible for creating a climate of hatred in which people feel that they are empowered to fire guns at peaceful protesters. "This government is also responsible for creating a climate of hatred in which people feel that they are empowered to fire guns at peaceful protesters. It is really shocking and very disappointing. Certainly, the police should take action," Tharoor told ANI. A man fired at a peaceful protest march against CAA in Jamia Nagar on Thursday in which a student, Shadab Farooq was injured. The shooter had earlier said in a social media post that he was giving "azadi" to the anti-CAA protesters. Commenting on the President's speech at the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, Tharoor said, "We cannot blame the President because he reads what the government gives him to read. It was a speech that was largely devoid of substance. They have made the same old promises and claims which are divorced from reality." He said that the Presidential address was replete with "empty, hollow statements one after the other" and made for a "very disappointing speech". When asked about the Congress leaders wearing black bands, the leader said they wanted to showcase their dissociation with what was going on. "We sat together in the middle of the Central Hall. We were highlighting our dissociation with this by putting on black bands on our arms. No Congress MP did any kind of demonstration. It was Trinamool Congress members who stood up with a placard and I support them for what they did." The Trinamool Congress MPs protested against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Population Register (NPR) in the Central Hall of Parliament. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Washington, Jan 31 : Indian-American community members in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area have planned to hold a sit-in Satyagraha in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Indian Embassy in the US capital on February 1. Marking Gandhi's January 30 death anniversary, the event organized by policy advocacy group Young India encourages participants to remember the 'Father of the Nation's' non-violent protests in the wake of current political atmosphere in India, the American Bazaar said in a report. Talking about the silent 'Gandhi Remembrance' sit-in at the Gandhi statue in the embassy premises, Rohit Tripathi, one of the organisers, told the American Bazaar on Thursday: "We are calling it a Satyagraha because we are emphasizing that, as Gandhi said, your means are as important as your end. "We are focused on a methodology. A methodology of soul force that incorporates our innate beliefs and commitment to non-violence - in word and deed. Just like the non-violent responses to the latest string of legislative action in India." Regarding the message they want to send through the sit-in, Tripathi said: "The message is that mass participation can only be achieved through non-violence." Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 Every winemaker has their own way of doing things. Most winemakers when asked where a vineyard should be planted will tell you south-facing. But not Scott Flora. Ask a winemaker if a warm-climate grape such as Malbec can be planted in a region known for Pinot Noir, and they will likely say no. But not Scott Flora. In fact, if you tell Scott Flora that it cannot be done, or should not be done, he will likely try it and prove you wrong. And despite being contrary, he seems to be doing everything right. Scott Flora is the owner and winemaker of Native Flora Winery in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. A small, high-end, reclusive winery known by word of mouth, Native Flora sits on 33 acres in the Dundee Hills. There are currently 17 acres planted, with four additional acres to be planted. Native Flora has seven soil types and three microclimates on their property that sits at an elevation of 500-800 feet above sea level. If you ask Flora to define Native Flora, he will use words such as highly innovative, pragmatic, integrated, experimental, empirical, uncompromising, willing to fail and human. He will also be quick to tell you that Native Flora is not normal or politically correct and they are not Organic, Live, Biodynamic, Tilth, Salmon Safe or Sustainably certified. Flora may seem like a contrarian who opposes or rejects popular opinions by going against current practices. But he likes to question and challenge many norms. The word no to him is an inspiration. He does not believe in dogma when it comes to making wine. If you drive a car into a brick wall at 40 miles per hour, you will get hurt, he said. But when it comes to making wine, some things are worth being challenged. From the beginning, Flora approached norms head on. When Flora and his wife Denise purchased their property in 2005, they purchased land at a high elevation. The Willamette Valley is a cool climate and they selected property 500-800 feet above sea level where it is even cooler. People thought they were crazy. But they were thinking ahead. In 2005, Scott and Denise were already considering the possible effects of global warming, and they selected property that might have been considered too cold in 2005, but today is perfect. When it came time to plant the vines, it may seem counter-intuitive, but they planted the vines on south-facing, as well as north-facing, slopes. The belief has always been that vineyards must face south to get heat to ripen the grapes. If vines were planted on north-facing slopes, they could not ripen. But, as he explained, carbohydrate (sugar) production is driven by photosynthesis and, therefore, light, not heat, is required for ripeness. He also explained that it is about the earths orientation. The more extreme we go, either north or south in either direction, the days get longer because the pole is oriented towards the sun. At our latitude in the summer, the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest. By orienting the vineyards north, we get sunlight, not heat. Everyone thought he was out of his mind, but he did it anyway. When the first six acres were planted, half were south-facing and half were north-facing. Over the next three to four years, he watched both sides and found that they ripened at the relatively same time. However, the steepest north slope gets more light and is the first to ripen. This is why the Pinot Noir made from this single block on the North Slope is called The Heretic. Another area where Flora has marched to the beat of his own drum is pruning. The common way to prune the vines in Oregon is cane pruning. And after a few people told him that spur pruning cannot be done in Oregon, Flora decided to try spur pruning. Someone saying you cant do it is usually my highest motivator to try it, he said. But I was empirical about it. He took four rows in five blocks and spur pruned them, resulting in twice as many shoots growing vertically. These rows were harvested separately, chemistry was run and there was a pronounced uniform trend across all five samples. Flora liked the results, so the next year he spur pruned half of each of his 18 blocks and ran the same experiment and got the same results. He converted the entire vineyard to spur pruning and said that it contributes to acidity preservation in the wine. Today, there are other producers in the Willamette Valley who are now doing spur pruning as well, a method in which the shoot of the previous season is cut back to a spur with one or two buds. In addition to spur pruning, Flora also uses a unique trellising system as a result of his biological solution for dealing with weeds and grass. He has a herd of Southdown Baby Doll sheep who look like wooly Sherman tanks as they are heavy in stature and low on the shoulder. As they cannot stand on their hind legs, the highest level they can reach is 40 inches. Therefore, the fruiting wire on the trellises was established at 42 inches, just above the reach of the tallest sheep. The sheep work in the vineyard 365 days per year, fertilizing as they work and eliminating the need to mow or lower leaf pull. Floras out-of-the-box thinking has extended beyond the planting and pruning and can be seen in his overall approach to farming. Instead of following the philosophies of sustainability, organics, biodynamics, he has taken the best from all of these concepts to create what he calls intelligent integration in which the earth, the vineyard, the people, the flora and fauna, the buildings and the rain all work together in harmony. Native Flora does not use any pesticides. There are no herbicides used in any producing block. No insecticides are used; instead they established predatory populations, such as birds, that assist with mite and pest reduction. Organic and conventional fungicides are used, but Native Flora does not use copper because it is toxic to the sheep on the property. Weeds, trees, flowers and shrubs are encouraged. Watering by hand is done when establishing new vines but otherwise the vineyard is dry farmed. Native Flora has created a healthy biome in which the entire farm is treated as a single organism where humans, animals, plants, buildings and natural resources are part of one team. The winery was built within an existing forest. 10,000 feet of geothermal pipe is running under the vineyard that supplies geothermal heat and cooling to the entire 16,000 square-foot facility (which generates an average electricity bill of only $400-$500 per month). Rainwater is collected and stored and currently they have 1.3 million gallons of water on hand and only used 20,000 gallons this year to date. Native Flora grows three grapes on the estatePinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gouges, a mutated Pinot Noir that produces a white wine. While Pinot Gouges is rare and obscure, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc are common grapes in the Willamette Valley. Malbec and Syrah are not but that did not stop Scott from planting them both in 2006. At first, he found that the biggest challenge in growing these grapes was to get the fruit set. But, with some pruning changes, he was able to push the bud break back further and the fruit set can happen. And now he plans to plant more Malbec this year, as well as Chenin Blanc. Native Flora is about improvability, it declares on is website. The quality soils get better each year, the plant nutrition improves each year and the bio-diversity expands each year. The water tables rise each year, less resources are consumed each year, the quality of grapes improves each year and the quality of wine improves each year. Flora summed it up: The goal is that this year is going to be better than last year but not as good as next year. Native Flora is always looking to see how they can push the envelope and Scott Flora is not afraid to break rules or preconceived ideas to do that. Native Flora stays away from conventions as much as possible and everyone thought they were crazy. But the wines they produce are crafted with restraint resulting in high-acid wines. Allison Levine is owner of Please The Palate, a marketing and event-planning agency. A freelance writer, she contributes to numerous publications while eating and drinking her way around the world. Allison is also the host of the wine podcast Wine Soundtrack USA. Contact her at allison@pleasethepalate.com. A bill that would have made it much easier for cities to approve high-density housing close to transit hubs and job centers failed again in the California Legislature Thursday. Senate Bill 50 by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, fell short of passing a Senate floor vote with 18 senators voting yes and 15 voting no. The bill also failed by the same margin Wednesday, but senators voted to allow it back for another shot after Wiener asked for a reconsideration. The bill would have essentially changed the zoning rules across the state to require local governments to allow developers to build taller buildings with more dwelling units if those buildings are within certain distances of "transit-rich" or "jobs-rich" areas. It was designed, in part, to outmaneuver local opposition to new housing by inserting state-mandated zoning rules into local jurisdictions, which in California have the final decision-making authority over land use. San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney on Thursday called for an independent investigation into city departments implicated in a corruption scandal following the arrest of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. During a news conference outside of City Hall, Haney said that since Nuru's arrest on Monday by FBI agents on suspicion of wire fraud, his office has received numerous complaints from former and current DPW employees, painting a picture of alleged ongoing corruption within the department. While an investigation by the City Controller and City Attorney is underway at the request of Mayor London Breed, Haney said an outside investigation is also needed because of the "potentially broad-spanning nature" of the schemes described by the FBI. Haney, along with Supervisors Gordon Mar and Dean Preston, said he will begin initiating the hiring of an independent special investigator to look into the city departments implicated in the FBI's investigation, including the San Francisco International Airport Commission and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. People sit on mismatched wooden chairs, and on a few old couches, watching The Landbirds, a young Concord-based combo, play British Invasion-style rock. Most of the 60 or so spectators are twice the age of the musicians, many of them regulars at this small, out-of-the-way venue in a Martinez storefront on Marina Vista Avenue near the Amtrak station. In the past month or so, they may have seen country, blues, bluegrass, rock, folk or classical acts here at Armando's, which some might describe as a mix of coffeehouse, rock nightclub and art studio. And after the "big shoe," as Roy Jeans calls it, on Feb. 9, Armando's will close its doors -- at least for the time being. Jeans said he's being evicted. Jeans opened Armando's 14 years ago, booking primarily Contra Costa County-based players, but later ventured into periodically hosting bigger-name performers. Over the years, the likes of Maria Muldaur, Dan Hicks, David Lindley and Chuck Prophet have graced the small stage. Jeans said he's looking for a new home for Armando's, but that he hasn't found one yet. The University of California at Berkeley announced Thursday that it has removed from its law school the name of a man whose 19th century writing helped stoke anti-Chinese racism in the country. Boalt Hall, named after John Henry Boalt, has been the name of the main classroom wing at the UC Berkeley School of Law and has often been used to refer to the law school itself, with many of its graduates having been called "Boalties" over the years. But in 2017, attorney and UC Berkeley law lecturer Charles Reichmann found Boalt's racist writings at a campus library and published his findings. Boalt's 1877 address to the Berkeley Club called "The Chinese Question" helped lead to Congress enacting the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, the nation's first immigration ban on a group solely on the basis of race or nationality, according to the school. In October, UC Berkeley's Building Name Review Committee voted to recommend removing Boalt's name from the building, a decision that was later approved by Chancellor Carol Christ and UC President Janet Napolitano. A candlelight vigil and walk will be held on Thursday evening to mark the 31st anniversary of the disappearance of Ilene Misheloff, a girl who vanished while walking home from a Dublin middle school in 1989. Misheloff, an ice skater, was 13 years old when she vanished while walking home from Wells Middle School on Jan. 30, 1989. Family and friends of Misheloff will participate in the vigil, which begins at Wells Middle School at 6800 Penn Drive at 7 p.m. They then will go on a walk that follows most of Misheloff's path on the day she disappeared, starting at Wells and proceeding for 2.5 miles to St. Raymond Catholic Church at 11555 Shannon Ave., where an ecumenical prayer service will be held. Misheloff's family said that with the help of Dublin Police Services and the FBI it continues to search for her. Billionaire Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer will open a campaign office in Oakland on Thursday evening. Steyer, who has been in Iowa in advance of that state's presidential caucus next Monday, won't be at the event at the office at 2501 International Blvd. from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. so his wife Kat Taylor will headline the opening. Steyer's campaign said community leaders and volunteers will also attend the event. A reward for the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects in the death of Santa Cruz County tech executive Tushar Atre has been increased to $200,000, sheriff's officials said Wednesday. Sheriff's officials said Atre was kidnapped Oct. 1 from his home and was found dead hours later in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The sheriff's office is releasing new video footage of a person they want to talk to because he was seen in surveillance footage near Atre's home three hours before the kidnapping. The video footage shows the person riding a bicycle up to Atre's house, then the person stops, observes the home and leaves. To receive the reward, information must be provided no later than July 22. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has identified a driver who died in a solo-vehicle crash in west Sonoma County Wednesday afternoon as Danny Reno, 69, of Gualala. Reno was driving a Toyota east on Bodega Avenue east of Middle 2 Rock Road in unincorporated Sonoma County when the car drove onto the right shoulder, re-entered the road to the left, rolled onto its left side and stopped in the eastbound lane of Bodega Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer David deRutte said. The crash was reported around 2:15 p.m. and Reno was pronounced dead at the scene. A female passenger suffered minor injuries and was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, deRutte said. A man fatally shot in East Palo Alto on Tuesday night has been identified by the San Mateo County coroner's office as 28-year-old Hayward resident Alexis Pulido Garcia. Officers had responded at 8:06 p.m. Tuesday to the 900 block of Mouton Circle and arrived to find Pulido Garcia with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The homicide was the first in East Palo Alto in 2020. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. An actress accusing disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of rape told a court Friday she had only stayed in contact with him out of fear. Jessica Mann said she had been naive when she first met Weinstein and then so scared of him that she would agree to massage him, fake an orgasm or stay in contact with him even after he allegedly raped her. Dozens of women have accused Weinstein of sexual abuse but only the cases of Mann and fellow actress Mimi Haleyi have led to criminal charges in a New York court. Three other women -- Annabella Sciorra, Dawn Dunning and Tarale Wulff -- have testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted them, but their cases are not the subject of the trial, which was sitting for the eighth day of testimony. Weinstein denies the predatory assault charges and maintains that all his relationships were consensual. Mann, 34, grew up on a farm in Washington state and was on the streets for a while before becoming an actress. She was the only Weinstein accuser who had not heard of him before they met, seven years ago. She began weeping Friday even before prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon's questioning started and, at times, was so emotional she had trouble speaking. She described her first encounters with the producer as a mixture of seduction, humiliation and manipulation. Then, in a hotel in Los Angeles, she said she agreed to give him a massage. "He'd make me feel stupid, saying it was not a big deal," she said. Later, when she was with one of Weinstein's assistants, he called her into a room and tried to kiss her. She said she tried to resist but he succeeded in performing oral sex on her. "I started to fake an orgasm to get out of it," she said, adding that she escaped as soon as she could. "I was confused about it," she said when asked about her later relations with Weinstein. "I made the decision to be in a relationship with him," she added. "It was extremely degrading." Several weeks later, in March 2013, when she was already in a relationship with another man, Weinstein ambushed her in a Manhattan hotel, forced her into a room and raped her, she said. She did not tell anyone about the encounter. "I was scared of Harvey," she told the court. "I was pretty concerned about protecting the actor I was dating." Before the trial began, Weinstein's defense team produced a number of emails sent by Mann long after her alleged rape, which Weinstein's lawyers insisted showed the relationship was consensual. Mann said Friday the messages were written out of fear of the powerful producer. Jessica Mann arrives at a Manhattan court to testify that Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein raped her Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 01:54:15|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Friday said that the Security Council should lift the embargo and sanctions against the Central African Republic (CAR) at an early date. Speaking at Security Council meeting, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Wu Haitao said that the overall political and security situation in the CAR is moving in a positive direction. He added the CAR government is committed to the implementation of the Political Peace Agreement and has made positive progress in implementing the criteria for assessing the arms embargo. China has always believed that sanctions are not an end but a means to help the CAR restore national stability and normal social order at an early date, said the Chinese envoy. He called on the Security Council to lift the embargo and sanctions at an early date in light of the actual situation in the CAR, especially the wishes of its government. "This will help the CAR government to enhance its ability to safeguard national security and facilitate the political settlement of its issue," Wu stressed. The Security Council on Friday adopted a resolution to extend sanctions against the CAR for 6 months. This is the first renewal of the CAR sanctions regime following the signing of the Political Peace Agreement in the CAR between the government and 14 armed groups in Bangui on Feb. 6, 2019. Since then, there has been a notable decrease, compared to the previous year, in military confrontations between armed groups and CAR security forces and in human rights violations linked to the conflict. The CAR has been in civil war since 2012, which is being fought along religious and ethnic lines. Earlier this month, Gov. Phil Murphy killed a bill that would have allowed school districts that are losing state education aid to make up for their losses by raising local property taxes without asking voters first. That move, Moodys Investors Service warned in a new report, could hurt the credit ratings of the school districts who will have less flexibility to increase tax revenue and balance budgets. It called Murphys veto credit negative to the districts. Moodys, one of three major Wall Street ratings agencies, said that of the districts it reviews for creditworthiness, Vernon Township, Great Meadows Regional, Ocean Township, Monmouth Regional, Springfield Township and Neptune City school districts will be hid hardest. A greater ability to increase property tax revenues would have allowed districts to balance operations without draining their reserves, the report, released Thursday, said. Moodys noted in its report that school districts are limited on two fronts, both in how much money they can raise and how much spending they can cut. Districts can exceed a 2-percent cap on tax increases to pay for debt and employee benefits but otherwise need voter approval to get more cash. Most districts in the state have unions for teachers, administrative and other operating services. Cutting positions within the fiscal year can be difficult because of legal contracts between the districts and unions, it said. Legislation sponsored by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, would have allowed districts to compensate for ongoing losses in state aid by exceeding the state-mandated 2-percent cap on property tax increases without voter approval. The aid cuts are part of a school funding shakeup pushed by Sweeney that redistributes funding from districts considered overfunded in the school funding formula to those considered underfunded. New Jerseys school funding formula tells the state exactly how much each district should spend, how much of a districts funding should come from the state and how much the district should generate in local property tax revenue. The 172 districts losing state aid have been receiving more than the formula says they need. And officials in those districts losing money over seven years have warned of steep budget cuts, massive layoffs and program reductions. Sweeneys bill (S4289) would have applied to about 40 districts that are losing money and spending less than the school funding formula. Sweeney said in a statement Thursday that Moodys analysis is evidence Murphy was wrong to veto the bill. Murphy, also a Democrat, has argued the state should be asking more of the wealthy rather than asking middle-class taxpayers to again take it on the chin. This bill, which was rushed through the legislature in the final month of the session, would have made it easier to raise property taxes on the middle class with very little deliberation to support it," a spokesman for Murphy, Darryl Isherwood, said Thursday. The governor believes there are other avenues to address the issue of school funding, including a tax on residents making more than $1 million per year, who are in a better position to help fund our education system than the already overburdened middle class, he said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Adam Clark contributed to this report. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Police are reminding residents to lock their cars after various thefts from vehicles were reported Friday. St. John police said they responded to the 9500 block of West 95th Place at about 2 a.m. Friday after a man saw three to four men dressed in hooded jackets in his neighbor's car. When the alleged suspects saw the man, they fled in a dark-colored, four-door sedan, police said. After the men fled, the witness said he checked his own car and discovered his cellphone was missing. The witness' neighbor, who resides in the 9600 block of West 95th Place, told police although the men entered his car, nothing appeared to be missing. Video footage provided to the police shows one of the alleged suspects holding a handgun, police said. While police were searching the area for the suspect's vehicle, they learned a vehicle matching the description was seen in Schererville. At 2:41 a.m., Schererville police officers encountered a stolen, four-door blue Acura with Illinois registration in the area of Primrose Lane and Poppyfield Place, said Cmdr. Jeff Cook. English Latvian The Management Board of AS VALMIERAS STIKLA SKIEDRA (registration no.: 40003031676, legal address: Cempu iela 13, Valmiera, LV-4201, Latvia) (hereinafter referred to as the Company") hereby announces that the Companys extraordinary shareholders meeting (EGM) for 14 February 2020 at 11:00, Terbatas Street 16a, Valmiera, as announced on 14 January 2020, is cancelled . Please see the announcement HERE. The Company explains that the majority shareholders of the Company (P-D Group) have advised that they have entered into negotiations with regard to the strategic future of the Company, including capital structure and debt related matters. Considering the nature of this development, the decision on issuance of convertible bonds (proposed for adoption at the EGM of 14 February 2020) cannot be adopted in parallel. For the reasons referred above and with a view to ensure efficiency, the Company immediately announces that the EGM of 14 February 2020 is cancelled (will not take place). The Company apologizes for any inconvenience caused and thanks the shareholders for the continued support. The Supreme Court has granted bail to one of the accused, S Tiwari, a resident of Kolkata, who was arrested in 2017 by the Gujarat Narcotics Bureau near Porbandar sea in Gujarat for allegedly possessing 1,445 kilograms of banned narcotic substances. A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice L Nageshwar Rao and also comprising Justice Deepak Gupta, recently granted bail to Tiwari. "We direct that the appellant, S Tiwari, be released on bail upon furnishing a bail bond in the sum of Rs 10 lakhs, with two sureties of the like amount to the satisfaction of the Special Judge, NDPS, Court at Porbandar," the top court said in its order. "The appellant (Tiwari), shall deposit his passport, if any, with the court. He shall either stay in Porbandar or Kolkata. He shall not go to any other place. He shall give his cellphone number to the police authorities and shall not change his cellphone number without permission of the trial court," the apex court said while granting bail to the accused.It also said that Tiwari "shall not in any manner hamper or try to interfere in the investigation". Once the trial begins, Tiwari shall not in any manner try to delay the trial, the court observed. The order stated that if the appellant violates any of these terms, the NCB shall be entitled to straight away apply to the Special Judge for cancellation of his bail. It is alleged that Tiwari, when questioned, admitted that he along with others were allegedly carrying contraband substance in the nature of narcotics in a ship in Porbandar sea. Tiwari was arrested by the NCB of Gujarat in July 2017, for allegedly possessing approximately 1,445 kilograms of narcotic substance in 1,526 packets. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Lebanese man has been held in Benalmadena after threatening to attack the British Embassy in Madrid. The alarm was raised earlier this month after diplomatic staff received a series of phone calls in which the caller said that an attack was imminent. "I have nothing to lose and nothing matters to me," said the caller. The auto major's consolidated net profit stood at Rs 1,738.30 crore in Q3 December 2019 compared with a net loss of Rs 26,992.54 crore in Q3 December 2018. Consolidated net sales declined 6.83% to Rs 71,051.42 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against Rs 76,264.69 crore in Q3 December 2018. Consolidated profit before tax stood at Rs 1,349.92 crore in Q3 December 2019 over a net loss of Rs 29,228.40 crore in Q3 December 2018. EBITDA margin improved 140 bps to 9.9% in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Tax expense during the quarter jumped 69.38% to Rs 550.33 crore as compared to Rs 324.89 crore in corresponding quarter last year. The Q3 earnings were disclosed after trading hours yesterday, 30 January 2020. On a consolidated basis, finance costs increased by Rs 175 crore to Rs 1,744 crore during Q3 December 2019 as against Q3 December 2018 due to higher gross borrowings. During the quarter, consolidated net loss from joint ventures and associates amounted to Rs 199 crore in Q3 December 2019 compared with loss of Rs 138 crore in Q3 December 2018. Other income (excluding grants) jumped 51.12% to Rs 402 crore over Rs 266 crore in Q3 December 2018. Commenting on the Q3 results, Guenter Butschek, the CEO and managing director of Tata Motors, has said that, The downturn in the automotive industry continued in Q3 as the economy slowed down. Despite gaining sequential market shares in M&HCV, ILCV and SCV this quarter, our financial performance was impacted due to the downturn coupled with the inventory corrections we took to get ready for BS VI. Our focus on retail acceleration and system stock reduction helped us achieve a multi-quarter low inventory level in CV and PV, while simultaneously getting ready for a smooth transition to BSVI. We have taken the BSVI transition not only as a mere compliance agenda, but, have gone beyond and provided exciting value enhancements packaged in a completely new product portfolio. We are confident that this approach will reap us rich rewards in the coming quarters. As the sales upbeat of the festive months could not sustain, we remain concerned about the intrinsic demand and weak consumer sentiment. However, we expect a perceptible improvement in demand outlook as the infrastructure investments announced by the government pick up pace. We also anticipate further measures in the Union Budget to boost consumer sentiment and spur growth. We remain optimistic of the medium to long term opportunity offered by the Indian automotive market and aim to win in this market with our fully refreshed, exciting and competitive portfolio coupled with focused efforts to improve our sales and customer experience and continued drive for cost efficiencies, he added. In Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), revenues increased to 6.4 billion in Q3 December 2019, up by 2.8% on a year-on-year basis. However, total retail sales fell 2.3% in Q3 December 2019 compared with Q3 December 2018. Sales in China continued to recover by 24.3% and sales in North America increased by 1.1% in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Product mix was stronger, with global sales of the new Range Rover Evoque, luxury compact SUV up 30.0% Y-o-Y and the refreshed Land Rover Discovery Sport rising 9.2% Y-o-Y. Retails of the Range Rover Sport and Land Rover Discovery also grew year-on-year. Pre-tax profit increased to 318 million in the quarter, representing a 591 million year-on- year improvement versus the 273 million loss in the third quarter of last year (before an exceptional non-cash asset impairment of 3.1 billion in Q3 of the prior year). The improvement reflected a combination of the higher China volume, stronger product mix, lower operating costs (including project charge) and favourable foreign exchange. Margins also turned positive year-on-year with an EBIT margin of 3.3% and an EBITDA margin of 10.8%. Speaking on the Q3 performance, Sir Ralf Speth, the CEO of JLR, stated that, In the third quarter Jaguar Land Rover sustained year-on-year revenue and profit growth as we continued to transform our business. Conditions in the automotive industry remain challenging but we are encouraged by the recovery in our China business and the success of the new Range Rover Evoque. Our proactive and decisive actions are creating a more robust, resilient business, transforming today for tomorrow. Our improving financial results and the cost and cash flow achievements of Project Charge will support the next phase of our pipeline of exciting new vehicles and technologies, with a choice of outstanding electrified, petrol and diesel powertrains. This combined success is enabling us to lay the foundations for long-term growth as we move purposefully towards Destination Zero - our mission to shape future mobility with zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion, he added. Meanwhile, N. Chandrasekaran, the Chairman of Tata Sons, Tata Motors and Jaguar Land Rover announced that Sir Ralf Speth has decided to retire from his current role as executive director and chief executive officer of JLR at the end of his contract term in September 2020. Tata Motors is engaged in manufacture of motor vehicles. The company is engaged mainly in the business of automobile products consisting of all types of commercial and passenger vehicles, including financing of the vehicles sold. Shares of Tata Motors were down 1.07% at Rs 184.2. It hit an intraday high of Rs 188.30 and an intraday low of Rs 181.9 so far. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hopeson Adorye, a member of the Communication team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) says the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi should blame himself for how he was arrested by the CID. According to him, Sammy Gyamfi was invited by the CID several times but refused to respond to their invitation and had he responded, he would not have been arrested. Hopeson Adorye was speaking on the Platform programme on Peace FM Watch his submission in the video below Sammy Gyamfi was on Monday morning picked up by officials of the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID).The "arrest" occurred minutes after he participated in a live studio discussion on UTV's "Adekye Nsroma" morning show.In a report filed by Peace FM's Reporter, Isaac Oduro, the NDC activist was arrested following a cybercrime case filed against him by Jubilee House.Sammy Gyamfi had earlier been invited by the CID following the same allegation and was reportedly charged with forgery and publication of false information. 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 Seica, Inc. is excited to announce the addition of a new Test House and Demo Center in Los Angeles Published: 31 January 2020 by Chelsey Drysdale by Chelsey Drysdale Los Angeles, January 2020, --John Zabaldo, President and General Manager of Zdatum, recently purchased a Seica Pilot V8 Next Series Flying Prober and plans to begin full test services starting in the early Spring of 2020. The Pilot V8 Next Series is Seicas flagship flying prober and offers a full array of test capabilities. John understands that to benefit his current and future customers the most, their demands require a quick turn capability that Zdatum will be able to perform with their knowledge of the industry and the technological capabilities that the Pilot V8 Next Series Flying Prober will provide. With 20 years of experience as a service provider in the electronics industry, John at Zdatum understands the demand for quick-turn service on the ever-increasing complexity of circuit board assemblies. With his knowledge, and the technological capabilities the Pilot V8 Next Series Flying Prober offers, Zdatum will be able to fulfill the demand for simple to complex quick-turn Testing within Southern Californias thriving electronics industry. To understand the excitement from Zdatum, here is an excerpt from the GM of Zdatum, John Zapaldo: Zdatum is truly excited to add Seica Flying Probe Testing service to our range of Printed Circuit Board services. From PCB Design, Fabrication, Part Procurement, Assembly, to Testing, our circle of services is now complete. We know offering in-house Seica Flying Probe Testing will greatly enhance the value of Zdatum to current and new customers alike. In addition, Vice President of Seica Inc. David Sigillo offers his thoughts as well: Seica Inc., is proud to support Zdatum in this new endeavor as a Test House but also to help them advance their in-house testing needs for their own clients. With the Seica Pilot V8 Next, Zdatum which is also a Design House will be able to use the V8 for product design validation as well. So, from design validation, prototype and production test they will have even superior capabilities than most in their market. Seica will be with them every step of the way! The partnership between Seica and Zdatum will be a huge benefit to customers in the West Coast and beyond, who require their circuits boards to be tested. Zdatum will also be available to host a demonstration on their Pilot V8 Next Series to those interested in acquiring a flying prober of their very own. Please reach out to John Zabaldo at Zdatum or Seica for any of your testing needs! We look forward to servicing you. About ZDatum Since 1983 ZDATUM has excellent providing quality Printed Circuit Design and Turnkey prototype and production solutions to the electronic community. Our customer's recognition as "Best Valued Supplier" is achieved with accurate and concise data, quality manufacturing, and on-time delivery. Concurrent Engineering is a primary concern at ZDATUM. Our design team works closely with the customer, the board fabricator, and our in-house assembly personnel with the common goal of producing quality circuit boards that meet our customer's specifications, and exceeds our customer's expectations. We service the Aerospace, Medical, Automotive, Communication, Commercial and Military industries. You can find our designs in the B1 Bomber, Space Shuttle, Mars Probes, AH-1Z Cobra Helicopter, Radar, Sonar, and Microwave Systems. www.zdatum.com About Seica Founded in 1986, Seica S.p.A. is an innovative, high technology company that develops and manufactures leading-edge solutions for the test and selective soldering of electronic boards and modules. Combining deep expertise in electronics technology as well as in industrial machines and processes has enabled Seica to become a global leader and supplier of test and manufacturing solutions, with an installed base of more than 2300 systems on 4 different continents. Seica has fully embraced the concept of Industry 4.0, developing solutions to monitor and collect information from machines and industrial plants to enable the optimization of manufacturing processes, maintenance energy management. Company headquarters are located in Strambino, Italy, with direct offices in USA, Germany, China, Mexico and France, supported by a vast distribution network covering the rest of the world. The Seica Group includes Seica Automation, located in Milan, which designs and manufactures board handling systems and other automation equipment for the electronics manufacturing industry and Canavisia, which designs and manufactures products, applications, solutions and services for the acquisition and digitalization of data coming from machines, factories, buildings and cities, enabling the connection, monitoring and control of those resources with the goal of optimizing processes, maintenance and intelligent energy management over the web and from the Cloud, as well as analytics. www.seica.com By Anneliese Stattelman stattelm@grinnell.edu With the caucuses drawing near, Grinnell activist organizations have the option of officially endorsing candidates that fit with their missions. But on a small campus, is it an effective method for these student groups to gather supporters for their chosen candidates? To find out, The S&B spoke to the leaders of several different student groups about endorsements for the upcoming election. Grinnells chapter of the Million Hoodies Movement for Justice was founded in 2018 by Malcolm Davis and Jelani McCray, both 21. The national organization is dedicated to eradicating gun violence and reclaiming safety and justice. We started as a place for black and brown students to engage in political social grassroots activism. With Grinnell being a PWI (Predominantly White Institution), the activism that happens on Grinnells campus is great, but its not often led by students of color, said Davis. The group has recently campaigned about the Colleges connections to the prison-industrial complex and will hold a series of events about knowing your rights next week. There were a number of candidates who did have very similar views to Million Hoodies, Davis said. One of those was Julian Castro, who has since dropped out of the race and has endorsed Elizabeth Warren. But the way I personally see it, theres no candidate thats been as progressive, specifically towards incarcerated people or the issue of incarcerated peoples rights, as Bernie Sanders has been, given that he supports unequivocally giving voting rights to incarcerated people. Davis reached out to the national Million Hoodies organization about endorsing a candidate. He was told that the group did not have plans to release an endorsement, but that the organizations leadership did consult with Julian Castro about his stance on the justice system and injustice reform. Farm House, one of the Colleges student-directed project houses, has released an official endorsement a nonstandard move for a College-owned living space but in keeping with their mission to free our food, according to their Facebook page. The House has publicly endorsed Elizabeth Warren for president. She has a plan to multiply funding for local food infrastructure by ten and also break up these big agriculture corporations and monopolies, said Tommy Hexter 21, co-founder and coordinator of the House. Hexter thinks that food should be at the center of politics. Tomorrow, if food became scarce, it would be the people that could grow their own food and organize around these food systems that would have all the power. We need to be mindful of food, because food deserts are becoming an increasing problem, our farmers are being forced off the land and corporately controlled so I think that my ideal political candidate would look at the entire food system. I think if you can change the food system you can change everything else. You can change our social system, you can change our health care, he said. Warren comes out on top for Farm House for her campaigns local connections. The main thing that catches my eyeright here in town theres Grinnell Heritage Farm and theyre the biggest organic vegetable farm in the state of Iowa. Ive gotten to work pretty closely with them, and they were at the table with Elizabeth Warrens policy director when they were creating her agriculture policy, said Hexter. Shes actually gone out and shes built the social capital in order to enact the plans shes got. Hannah Dorf 21 and Megan Gardner 21 are co-founders and co-leaders of the Grinnell hub of Sunrise Movement, a climate change activism group. The national organization has endorsed Bernie Sanders while leaving its hubs to make their own decisions. Grinnells hub has not endorsed a candidate. As hubs, we have a lot of our own autonomy of what we want to do, Dorf said. Our hub is choosing not to do something because we feel like were a small enough hub that it would be alienating to members. Dorf and Gardner have found an alternate in which the organization can support pro-environmental policies in the presidential election without expressly endorsing a candidate. Weve been having people fill out caucus cards, Gardner said. Commit-to-caucus cards are for voters to caucus for whoever they think has the best environmental plans, rather than a specific person. A Nebraska Supreme Court decision Friday in a lawsuit over how much, if any, an insurance company should have to pay of a $28.1 million judgment in the Beatrice Six case revived the possibility Gage County taxpayers could get help paying. But it could be months if not years before the county's case against Employers Mutual Casualty Company is a done deal. "Were happy that the people in Gage County got some good news today. It means that the case is back on in the district court," said Joel Bacon, one of the attorneys representing Gage County. Had the Supreme Court upheld a Lincoln judge's 2018 ruling -- that the claims were barred by an exclusion in the policy for professional services -- the case would've been over. Bacon said it means they still have a shot at some amount of coverage to pay the judgments, which stemmed from a lawsuit filed by six people wrongly convicted in the 1985 rape and murder of Helen Wilson in her downtown Beatrice apartment. Joseph White, Ada JoAnn Taylor, Thomas Winslow, James Dean, Debra Shelden and Kathleen Gonzalez served a combined 75 years in prison, before DNA evidence showed another man had committed the crime. After they were exonerated in 2008, they sued Gage County. And, in 2016, a federal jury awarded them each $1,000 a day, concluding that the deputy who led the cold-case investigation, and another who also worked as a psychologist, had manufactured evidence or engaged in a reckless investigation that violated their rights. After the judgment, Gage County filed a lawsuit against EMC, alleging they should have to pay somewhere between $2 million and $4 million in coverage, plus attorney fees in the original case and the later litigation over insurance. In Friday's decision, Supreme Court Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote: "The extent of EMC's liability under the CGL (commercial general liability) policy remains for the district court to determine." He said there also may be coverage available under the umbrella policy Gage County had with the insurance company. The sole issue for the Supreme Court was whether Lancaster County District Judge Jodi L. Nelson was right to find that the general liability policy excluded "any and all professional services," including the work of law enforcement officers. Attorneys for Gage County argued that law enforcement was an occupation, not professional services, but Nelson ruled with EMC, saying Nebraska case law defined "professional acts or services" as those requiring "special learning or attainments of some kind." In the opinion, Funke said this case didn't require the court to look to case law to answer whether law enforcement is considered a profession, "because the plain language of the EMC policies answers that question for the parties to this dispute." Under both the CGL and the umbrella policy, he said, law enforcement isn't included on a list of professions, but appears as one of five specified categories of occupations under the occupations liability exclusions. "Were we to apply definitions from our case law rather than the definitions the parties have used, we would be rewriting insurance policies," Funke said. The court expressed no opinion on any other coverage-related issues in the case, which will be taken up by the trial court, and a lawsuit against the county's other insurance carrier, the Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association, remains pending before Nelson. Friday's opinion was a welcome development to the Gage County Board of Supervisors, which has wrestled with how the county would pay a judgment several times its annual budget since the case was decided in 2016, according to Chairman Erich Tiemann. "This is potentially good news for Gage County," Tiemann said, "but even if the maximum dollar amount would come in from this specific case, it wouldn't be enough to cover the lawsuit. "But it could take a good chunk off the judgment," he added. Tiemann said if the county sees an insurance payout in the future, the money could only be used to pay down the debt quicker -- not to ease either the additional property tax supervisors levied in 2018, or the half cent sales tax that went into effect countywide on Jan. 1. For the second year, property owners in the county of roughly 22,500 people are paying an additional 11.76 cents per $100 of valuation to satisfy the Beatrice 6 judgment, or about $120 more in taxes per $100,000 of property value. With its tax levy at the lid mandated in state law, Gage County can only generate $3.8 million annually. The sales tax, an option made available through legislation by Sen. Myron Dorn of Adams, a former member of the Gage County board, is expected to generate $1 million per year until 2027. Taken together, the county estimates the judgment will be paid in full by the end of 2026 if property values and sales tax receipts hold steady. Property values slipped 1.8% countywide in Gage County last year, however, led by a 0.8% dip in the valuation of agricultural land, which makes up more than two-thirds of the county. Meanwhile, residential land values rose 7.2% and commercial land values saw a 4.6% increase, meaning homeowners and businesses will see increases to their property taxes. Tiemann said the board will meet with attorneys to discuss the next steps in the insurance case on Feb. 12. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Emmanuel Macron has fired a parting shot at Leavers whose 'lies, exaggerations and simplifications' he claims muddied the 2016 Brexit campaign. As the UK prepares to formally leave the bloc's institutions at 11pm tonight, the French President mourned the 'sad day'. He said Britain's historic divorce should send alarm bells ringing around Brussels, which he conceded had to evolve to stop more countries peeling away. But the staunch Europhile's conciliatory tone was soured by a blistering attack on the referendum campaign, which he said drove voters to scapegoat the EU for their own domestic woes. Emmanuel Macron has warned Britain's imminent divorce from the EU should send alarm bells ringing in Brussels fearing other countries could peel away (pictured speaking at the Elysee Palace tonight) In a televised address, Macron said: 'At midnight, for the first time in 70 years, a country will leave the European Union. 'It is a historic alarm signal that must be heard in each of our countries.' He added: 'Europe can only advance if we reform in depth, to make it more sovereign, more democratic, closer to our citizens' so that 'the desire to leave Europe will never again be the response to difficulties today.' That sovereignty and democracy had ebbed away during the 45 years of Britain's membership were flagship claims of the Vote Leave side in 2016. Yet the French President tonight scolded the architects of Brexit - of which Boris Johnson was a figurehead - for misleading the British electorate. He said: 'The Brexit campaign in 2016 was made up of lies, exaggerations and simplifications. We must always remember what lies can lead to in our democracies.' Speaking at the Elysee Palace in the French capital, Macron also banged the drum for 'more Europe'. He told Britons to confront the cold reality they will no longer boast the same rights in the EU as they currently have. Macron said: 'We cannot be both inside and outside. The British people have chosen to leave the European Union. 'They will no longer have the same duties and therefore no longer the same rights.' The French premier, who will be a central player in the forthcoming trade negotiations between the EU and the UK, vowed to visit Britain soon to cement the two countries' bilateral relationship. He said: 'Between France and the United Kingdom there is a long history, founded on blood, freedom, courage, on battles that we have shared... As the UK prepares to formally leave the bloc's institutions at 11pm tonight, the French President (pictured yesterday) lamented the 'sad day' 'This is a sad day, there's no hiding it. But it's also a day which should prompt us to proceed in a different way. 'To build with more determination a European Union that is powerful, effective, which you find more convincing and which rediscovers the historical path that makes this European Union a unique and, in my eyes, irreplaceable adventure.' Along with his German counterpart Angela Merkel, Macron is a key power-broker in the bloc and has promised to fight for French interests in the post-Brexit wrangling during the 11-month transition phase. In this evening's speech broadcast from the Elysee Palace especially for Brexit Day, he said he would vehemently defend Paris's interests in fisheries. This tees up a spectacular showdown with Downing Street which has constantly said Brexit is an opportunity to take back control of the UK's territorial waters. Fishing is likely going to be a sticking point in the talks between Whitehall and Brussels trade experts over the coming months. Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar addresses a gathering on the subject of Brexit at the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin today Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar today said Dublin would play hardball to secure rights for his fisherman. Reminding the UK it exports three quarters of its fish to the EU, he said: 'Having control of their own fishing grounds is not going to be much use to them unless they can export to the EU,' he said. 'That is why it gets tied up with trade and we are going to take a very firm line on that to make sure that we protect our coastal communities and our fishing industry.' On Friday, UK Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said he could not guarantee frictionless trade after Brexit. He said: 'We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear, you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules, if you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures.' MADISON The State of Wisconsin will pay $50,000 to a former Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission staff attorney to settle her lawsuit against the commissions chairman over his alleged disagreement with her politics, which she claimed led to her dismissal. The money, which does not include attorney fees and expenses that could add another $50,000, will be paid to Danielle Carne, who worked for WERC and two other state agencies from 2006 until her layoff from WERC in 2017. The payment settles her lawsuit against WERC Chairman James J. Daley. Carne sued Daley last year alleging he had told another commissioner that he didnt trust Carne because of her lefty politics and said WERC commissioners needed to find a way to get rid of her. The lawsuit alleged Daley barely spoke to Carne and reduced the number of cases assigned to her until her job was eliminated. The case had been scheduled to go to a jury trial next week before U.S. District Judge William Conley. According to court documents, the state made the offer to Carne on Jan. 17, and her lawyer, Paul Kinne, informed the court Tuesday that she was accepting the offer. Kinne said Carne has since opened Carne Dispute Resolution, a nationwide mediation and arbitration practice. Carne alleged Daley knew she had drafted a memo critical of 2015 legislation supported by then-Gov. Scott Walker that significantly curtailed civil service protections for state workers. Daleys conduct illustrates the attitude, widely held by members of the Walker administration, that Wisconsins civil service system was an inconvenient obstacle, Kinne said. What remained in place of the system was then flaunted by Daley when he chose to eliminate Carnes position, because he knew her memo had challenged the prior civil service changes and he viewed her as a political threat. In doing so, Daley was doing exactly what a civil service system is designed to prevent he exerted direct political influence over a public employment position that is supposed to be sheltered from such influence. Carne said in a statement that Daleys conduct was too egregious to overlook, particularly considering that he is at the helm of the agency that administers Wisconsins state civil service law and its public and private sector labor relations laws. Some claims dismissed Daley said Wednesday that three of the four claims brought by Carne were dismissed by Conley, including what Daley called the baseless allegation relating to her memo. He said Carne was laid off not because of her political beliefs but because WERCs workload did not warrant the staff levels in place at the time, a fact demonstrated by Carnes desire to settle this matter instead of allowing an impartial jury to make a determination as to her claim. Our staff has many vocal liberals, all of whom I enjoy an excellent personal and professional relationship with, Daley said. I am a strong advocate of the civil service protections in place for state employees and am proud of WERCs firmly established neutrality which is well respected within the labor relations community. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Bengaluru, Jan 31 : Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddiyurappa will induct 11 new ministers into his ministry, a BJP spokesperson said on Friday. "Amongst 11 ministers, maybe nine will be accommodated (from by-election winners) and another three from the regular BJP cadres," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson G. Madhusudhana told IANS. However, he said he was not privy to any names that would feature in the final list. Commenting on the amount of time being taken to expand the cabinet, Madhusudhana said 11 non-BJP candidates winning the by-election and all of them being promised a ministerial berth has created imbalances. "...the entry of 11 non-BJP legislators getting elected on BJP tickets with an assurance of cabinet berth for everybody has really caused a lot of commotion, a sort of tension and a regionally imbalanced and a caste imbalance also," he said. To rule the state, the spokesperson said regional and caste balances are a must. "Regional balances... ministers coming from different parts of the state. And ministers representing different groups of people. These two things are not there with the assurance we have given to a group of people who are the benefactors of our government in Karnataka," said Madhusudhana. As a result, the question of how to accommodate, how to make a balance has been the problem with the Chief Minister, the high command and everybody as a matter of fact, he said. Amid this chaos and jigsaw puzzle, Madhusudhana said some balance has to be struck, some have to be convinced and some simply sympathised with. Some hopefuls will be promised next time as politics is a game of hope, he added. According to the BJP leader, being the Chief Minister is like wearing a crown full of thorns. "Both (throne and crown) have more thorns than roses. But the thing is sitting on the thorny throne, he (Yeddiyurappa) has to smile at the people, he can't weep," he added. The much-delayed cabinet expansion has already been postponed several times. The BJP won 12 of the 15 Assembly seats in the by-elections while the opposition Congress could win only two while an Independent won one. Gov. Kay Iveys office has had discussions about the possible purchase of a vacant, private prison in Perry County because of an urgent need for prison beds with the partial closing of Holman Correctional Facility that was announced on Wednesday. "Our office is aware that this is an issue that could be explored, and we have had some discussions, Ivey press secretary Gina Maiola said in an email. All options remain on the table. However, at this time, there is no formal plan to do so. The Perry County Correctional Center is owned by GEO Group, a large private prison company, and has been vacant for years. The state has considered buying the facility before and has used it to house inmates. A brochure with information about the center is at the end of this article. We can confirm that we have been in discussions with the State of Alabama regarding the potential purchase of the Perry County Correctional Center," a spokesperson for GEO Group said in an email. "In fact, in prior years, the State Legislature appropriated funding for the purchase of the facility; however, these previous attempts were never completed by the State. In 2010, the Legislature passed a bill authorizing a bond issue of up to $60 million to buy the prison, but that didnt happen. Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said he mentioned the vacant prison to Ivey on Wednesday when the governor notified him about the partial closing of Holman. The prison is in his west Alabama district, near Uniontown. He said its a good fit for what the state needs. The Alabama Department of Corrections must find space for about 617 inmates who are being transferred from Holman. The Perry County Correctional Center has about 700 beds. This is probably one of the best facilities in the state of Alabama, Singleton said. Singleton said he has not been involved in discussions. The Perry County Correctional Center was built in 2006 by LCS Corrections Services Inc. It provided services for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service. It has also housed inmates for the Alabama Department of Corrections. GEO bought the facility from LCS in 2015. Since then it has been vacant and is available for immediate use, according to the company. Sens. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, said he was aware of high-level discussions about buying the Perry County prison since Wednesdays announcement about Holman, which is in his district. He said it would be politically unwise not to at least evaluate the idea. It has to be considered in our circumstances, Albritton said. Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, said today he was aware of discussions about the Perry County Correctional Center that have started since Wednesday. Ward said hes toured the prison about four times. He said its a good facility and considers the possible purchase an attractive idea, providing that the state would operate it, rather than use private management. However, Ward said he did not think the Perry County prison was suitable to be a maximum security facility. Holman is a maximum security. Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn announced the partial closing of Holman on Wednesday. Dunn said deterioration of a tunnel thats critical to maintaining the prisons water, electrical, and sewer systems was the main factor that led to the decision to close the main unit at Holman. Dunn said Wednesday the 617 inmates moving from Holman would be moved to other ADOC prisons. He said ADOC was making a system-wide assessment to find suitable bed space for the inmates being transferred and that staff realignments and other changes would be made to adapt. The transfers would strain the capacity of Alabamas other prisons in a system that already holds 170% of the inmates it was designed for. The Department of Justice cited overcrowding as a factor in its report last year alleging that the violent conditions in Alabama prisons violate the Constitution. Albritton said the plan to move Holman inmates into other aging, crowded prisons has raised concerns. Lots of people in government are struggling to find a satisfactory path to remedy this circumstance, Albritton said. Albritton said he was aware of the poor conditions at Holman before Wednesday and had been inside the deteriorating tunnel along with several other legislators. We know the conditions there, Albritton said. We know that these are real. These are not contrived. These are actual circumstances that have just, theyve just collapsed. The system has just fallen apart. "Commissioner Dunn made the correct decision. Now weve got to figure out how to fully implement it. GEO Group bought the Perry County Correctional Center in 2015. Singleton sought funding in the state budget to start a rehabilitation program at the prison in 2018 but it did not materialize. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall was scheduled to tour the facility on Friday afternoon. Mike Lewis, spokesman for Marshall, said the tour was previously planned and not related to the closure of Holman. This story was updated at 10:09 a.m. on Jan. 31 to add the last paragraph. Updated at 11:22 a.m. to add statement and information from GEO. Now President Ghani says he is totally ready for a withdrawal of 4,000 of the 12,000 US troops. Both [the US and Pakistan] are on the same page that theres no military solution in Afghanistan and we are working hard to bring peace to the country, said Prime Minister Imran Khan in an interview with CNBC last week. Clearly, the PMs reference was to efforts Pakistan is making in tandem with the Khalilzad-Taliban talks in Doha for a ceasefire or at least reduction in violence as a prelude to dialogue between the Taliban and Kabul government. So far there is no sign the Taliban are willing to do this, or go beyond reaching an agreement for US troop withdrawal in exchange for their pledge not to allow Afghanistan to be used to plan terrorist attacks against the US and to abjure ties with Al Qaeda, Daesh or other terrorist groups. Is this enough to bring peace to an Afghanistan in which government forces would have lost control of a number of provincial capitals were it not for US air support operations and cash support for its largely ineffective local forces? The Kabul government is fragmented and theres little chance that it will become more united or self-sustaining. Now President Ghani says he is totally ready for a withdrawal of 4,000 of the 12,000 US troops, but the Taliban want a complete withdrawal though they may be open to making this phased. The Taliban have said that they do not want to monopolise power but would want to revise the Afghan constitution to make it conform to their interpretation of Sharia, and would include others in the power structure on terms they deem appropriate. In their view, Trump is intent on withdrawing and no further concessions are necessary. This could set the stage for another civil war. Pakistan must sadly come to the conclusion that while we wish to promote peace, the dire situation in Afghanistan will leave us no choice but to insulate ourselves even while taking every step possible to help with reconciliation. This means: We must ask the Taliban on our soil to move back to Afghanistan and carry on negotiations with the US from their bases in Helmand and Kandahar. Make it clear that we recognise the Kabul government and support an Afghan-led and -owned peace process. This negotiation, if it materialises, will be long and complex; if asked we will try to help. Pakistan should ensure our refugees commissioner exercises complete control over all camps, and prohibits clandestine addition to the refugee population or use of the camps as Taliban recuperation centres. While continuing to treat Afghan patients in our hospitals, we would carefully vet anyone with battlefield wounds. Complete the fencing of the border and, with UNODC, strengthen surveillance on smuggler movements. We can facilitate Pak-Afghan trade and make suitable concessions to ensure Afghan goods are marketed here and beyond our borders. The truck monitoring system the PM has authorised would be an essential tool to check smuggling. With Chinese cooperation, allow Afghanistan to use CPEC and to the extent possible to facilitate the use of CPEC by Central Asian states. Make prompt royalty and transit payments to the Afghan government. Pakistan ought to prevail on the Americans, who eschew nation-building even under a non-Trump administration, to continue to provide material support for the salaries of 320,000 Afghan National Defence forces as well as budgetary support which would allow at least some maintenance of education and health services. The plea should be based on the fact that an Afghan collapse would adversely affect the entire region, and may prove a repeat of the power vacuum left after the collapse of the Soviet Union. We should also be prepared in the future to help Afghanistan exploit its mineral deposits (estimated to be worth anywhere between $1-3 trillion) and explore the possibility of matching Pakistans mineral resources with those of Afghanistans (bringing copper ore from Afghanistans Aynak Copper mine to Reko Diq and thus having enough ore to justify the setting up of a refinery unit within our borders instead of exporting raw ore). By arrangement with Dawn Nintendo Co Ltd CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said the gaming company has no plans to launch a new Switch model this year. Nintendo launched a handheld-only version of its hit console in September, driving demand for the hit device through the year-end shopping season. There have been media reports the company is preparing an upgraded version of the Switch. Nintendo's shares were trading down 4% on Friday morning, a day after the company upgraded its Switch sales forecast for the year ending March to 19.5 million units - a number seen as conservative by many analysts. (Reuters) Photo credit: Boeing From Popular Mechanics The U.S. Air Force is ordering its first new F-15 Eagle fighter jets in nearly 20 years. The new jets feature fully modern avionics, thanks to Boeing's contracts providing new Eagles to other countries over the past two decades. A major selling point of the new F-15EX is the fighter's ability to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, far more than the F-35. After nearly twenty years, the U.S. Air Force is buying brand new Eagles to fly alongside the F-22 and F-35 fighters stealth fighters. Despite a lack of stealth theres one thing the F-15 can do that the new fighters cant: carry lots and lots of missiles. The new F-15EX will likely serve as a flying magazine for stealthy fighters, teaming up against adversaries to shoot them down in large numbers. Comebacks are rare in the world of warplanes. The relentless pace of technological advancement, coupled with the slowness of government bureaucracy, generally means that a fighter jet is often obsolete as soon as it rolls off the production line. One fighter jet that has destroyed this conventional wisdom is the F-15 Eagle. The F-15 Eagle first flew in the 1970s, and by the late 1970s achieved operational status with the U.S. Air Force. In the late 1980s, the pure air-to-air fighter was modified to strike targets on the ground, earning it the multi-role description. The U.S. Air Force bought the last of these F-15E jets in 2001, back when Boeing could brag that the jets would receive active matrix liquid crystal displays, or LCD displays, instead of old fashioned cathode ray tube displays also found on big, boxy television sets. The end of American purchases of the F-15 didnt spell the end of the line for the Eagle. Boeing continued to develop the plane, adding the latest technology for clients including Israel, South Korea, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. In 2018 Boeing pitched a new version, the F-15EX, not as a replacement for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter but to operate alongside it. Story continues The F-15EX features all the latest technology, integration already paid for by foreign clients, plus the ability to carry 22 AIM-9X Sidewinder and AMRAAM medium range air-to-air missiles. Air Force Magazine reports other improvements include a substantially more powerful mission computer, new cockpit displays, a digital backbone, and the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS)an electronic warfare and threat identification system. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, on the other hand, can only carry four AMRAAM missiles in an internal weapons bay, a result of its need to fly without missiles and other equipment hanging off its wings to preserve its anti-radar stealth profile. The F-15 doesnt have any internal bays but has lots of missile racks. The F-35 and F-15EX will likely fly in pairs, with the F-35 quietly detecting enemy fighters while the F-15EX services them with air-to-air missiles. The Air Force is preparing to buy two F-15EXs. It wanted to buy eight fighters as a down payment on a force of at least 72, but Congress refused to buy the full eightat least for now anyway. Congress has agreed to fund another six after the service provides a report outlining how it intends to buy the entire fleet. Source: Air Force Magazine. You Might Also Like ---How four years of utter Brexit chaos unfolded--- Jean-Paul Pelissier/Reuters ROMEMore than 7,000 people were quarantined on an Italian cruise ship in the Mediterranean port of Civitavecchia outside of Rome after a Chinese woman from Hong Kong came down with a fever and symptoms that mimic the coronavirus. Initial tests seemed to exclude the deadly virus, according to Italian media, but passengers were expected to be kept onboard overnight as a precaution. A second round of tests late Thursday completely excluded contagion, and Italys health authorities gave the green light for passengers to disembark. But as of Thursday evening, the mayor of Civitavecchia refused to authorize any passengers to get off the ship. Tourism operators, suddenly confronted with a new nightmare scenario tied to the virus, scrambled to address fears of an outbreak on a cruise ship. We have no information, the internet inside the ship isnt working, and we cant get news. But above all we take meals together in the common areas, and we dont know if someone is infected, Liborio Iervolino, a cruise passenger from Puglia said. There are no disposable dishes and in the rooms, the televisions only broadcast advertisements. We would like to see the news and understand what is happening. The Costa Smerelda, the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world and the flagship of an Italian company best known for the 2011 crash of the Costa Concordia on Tuscan island of Giglio, departed from Savona, Italy, on Jan. 25 with 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew onboard. The massive, 19-deck vessel made stops in Marseilles, Barcelona, and Palma de Mallorca before docking in Civitavecchia on Thursday. It was scheduled to return to Savona for the Feb. 1 end of the cruise. But passengers who had lined up for a Rome excursion or to disembark at its penultimate stop were told to stay on the ship after medics in full hazmat suits boarded the vessel Thursday morning to check on a female Chinese patient in her fifties who was in the ships hospital. The woman, along with her asymptomatic husband and the medical team who treated her during the voyage, are being held in isolation on the ship. Samples from the woman were sent to the Lazzaro Spallanzani infectious disease hospital in Rome to be tested. Story continues Citizens of the port town of Civitavecchia have gone to the port to protest the disembarkation of 1,143 passengers whose voyage was scheduled to end in their town. All the protocols are being followed and we will keep the case constantly monitored, Civitavecchias mayor, Ernesto Tedesco, told worried citizens as he threatened to sue the cruise company if they disembarked before the full test results were back. The Costa company confirmed to The Daily Beast that the couple were among more than 750 Chinese or Hong Kong passengers on the voyage. Of those, 351 embarked on Jan. 25 in Savona along with the sick passenger, while others got on at the ships various ports of call in Spain and France. The couple arrived in Italy for the Jan. 25 embarkation on a flight from Hong Kong to Milans Malpensa airport, which means if the woman is confirmed to have the virus, health officials will then begin tracing anyone who flew with her, since the virus can be contagious even before symptoms show. A Costa representative would not confirm when the woman first reported being sick. The situation is under control and at the moment there are no reasons for concern on board, Italian Coast Guard Commander Vincenzo Leone said in a statement Thursday. Passengers reached by The Daily Beast via social media say they were not told directly that the woman was suspected of carrying the virus, but were told to alert crew members if they were sick with fever or respiratory conditions. Several passengers have tweeted that they should have been told earlier in the voyage that they might be at risk. Many complained that they were not given face masks or rubber gloves to prevent infection. Teens Are Now Claiming They Have Coronavirus for Tik Tok Clout Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Today, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) announced $448,550 in funding to support science and technology policy fellowships in Idaho, Missouri, and Virginia to connect scientists with policymakers and support the use of scientific evidence in decision making. These grants will enable the launch of fellowships similar to those pioneered by the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to train and supply science and technology fellows to policy makers. "The importance of incorporating scientific evidence in policy decisions cannot be overstated," said CZI Health Policy Lead, Anne Claiborne. "Through these state-centric science policy fellowships, CZI is excited to support scientists to engage with policymakers in their states so they can learn from each other, strengthen the basis for sound policy decisions, and cultivate future leaders in science policy." These policy fellowship programs will forge dedicated channels for constructive dialogue between scientists and policymakers and help elevate scientific issues and findings within civic discourse. The fellowships also aim to enrich policymakers' understanding of how the scientific method can inform decision making while enhancing scientists' understanding about how to communicate effectively with policymakers. CZI is funding these grants in partnership with local and national funders specific to each location: Idaho Science & Technology Policy Fellowship (ISTPF): $172,500 for 12 months This grant supports the establishment of a fellowship program based at the James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research at the University of Idaho in partnership with Boise State University and Idaho State University. This nonpartisan program will match Idaho scientists and engineers with state agencies to develop and implement solutions that address challenges facing Idaho. Policy areas will include water, energy, fire, public health, and economic development. Fellowships will be for a one-year term, and fellows will be required to have a doctoral level degree in science or social science or an MS in engineering with three years of professional engineering experience. Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows Program: $249,832 for 24 months This grant supports the establishment of a fellowship program based at the University of Missouri. The program is a project of the Missouri Science and Technology (MOST) Policy Initiative, the mission of which is "promoting long-term health, sustainability, and economic growth for people and communities by connecting science and policy at the local and state levels." Fellowships will be for a one-year term, with an option to extend for a second year, and fellows will be required to have a PhD or equivalent in science, technology, engineering, math, or medicine. Fellows will provide scientific research on topics such as life sciences, education and workforce, health and wellness, technology and engineering, and economics and finance. They will help inform members of the legislature about the benefits and consequences of pending policies, and assist with building evidence-based research capacity and training workshops for legislators and their staff. Commonwealth of Virginia Engineering and Science (COVES) Policy Fellowship: $26,218 for 12 months This grant supports the establishment of a fellowship program hosted by the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine (VASEM), as well as the participation of a fellow from one of Virginia's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This program will strengthen ties between the scientific community and state government in the Commonwealth of Virginia, while encouraging and equipping more scientists and engineers to enter public service. A coalition of Virginia universities have joined forces with VASEM to launch the COVES Policy Fellowship, which will include an inaugural cohort of six fellows. Current graduate students and postdoctoral researchers are eligible to become fellows and will work as scientific advisors in government, non-profit, and industry offices in Richmond, Va. during the summer of 2020. ### The AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships program was founded in 1973, and as of 2019 places more than 250 fellows each year in all branches of the federal government. The CCST Science Fellows program was established in 2009 and has historically placed 10 fellows annually in the California state legislature. In 2020, in light of the success of the program, CCST is expanding its cohort to include an additional five fellows that will be placed in the state executive branch. These new fellowships will help inform how CCST's successful state-based science fellows program can be replicated across other states where policy institutions operate differently and where science policy issues vary. In 2019, CZI awarded a $285,000 grant to CCST's Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program in partial support of its 2019-2020 fellows, who are currently serving as staff in the California State Legislature and in the California Executive Branch. About the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Founded by Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg in 2015, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is a new kind of philanthropy that's leveraging technology to help solve some of the world's toughest challenges -- from eradicating disease, to improving education, to reforming the criminal justice system. Across three core Initiative focus areas of Science, Education, and Justice & Opportunity, we're pairing engineering with grant-making, impact investing, and policy and advocacy work to help build an inclusive, just and healthy future for everyone. For more information, please visit http://www.chanzuckerberg.com. WASHINGTON Two key Republican senators announced their positions on the inclusion of additional witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he would vote against any proposals for further witnesses. In a statement, Alexander surprisingly appeared to say he believed the Democrats had proven their case, but that the president's actions did not meet the standard for an impeachable offense. "It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation," Alexander said in his statement. "When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year's ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate." "There is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven, and that does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense," Alexander wrote. Alexander's Republican colleague, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine broke the other way, announcing late Thursday night that she will vote to admit additional evidence in the trial. "We have heard the cases argued and the questions answered ... I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed," Collins said in a statement. On balance, Alexander's no vote may have dealt a mortal blow to Democrats' hopes of calling more witnesses in Trump's trial, chief among them, former National Security Advisor John Bolton. That vote, which is expected to occur Friday, marks a pivotal moment in the impeachment proceedings that have dogged Trump for months. On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, signaled that he would vote with the Democrats. With Collins and Romney both yesses, and Alexander a no, it remained unclear late Thursday whether Democrats would be able to convince the minimum of four GOP senators required to approve the new witnesses and documents. Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski has yet to say how she plans to vote. And until the vote happens, there remains a longshot possibility that other Republicans might surprise their colleagues and break with their party and vote with the Democrats. If Democrats can convince four senators to join them in supporting witnesses, the trial could proceed for weeks or months longer as new battles arise over testimony from key witnesses, such as Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. But if the GOP-majority chamber votes not to allow that new content, then the trial could quickly proceed to a final vote on whether to acquit Trump or remove him from office possibly as soon as next week, when the president is set to deliver his State of the Union Address. The House voted to impeach Trump last month on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats accuse Trump of withholding nearly $400 million in congressionally appropriated military aid to Ukraine while pressuring the country to announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about 2016 election interference. House Democrats and defense lawyers made final arguments Thursday for more than nine hours on the eve of Friday's crucial vote on additional evidence and witnesses. Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "8 Key Trends in Dairy Nutrition 2019 Strategies and case studies" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Dairy has long been one of the most creative categories in the supermarket, possibly rivaled only by beverages in its track-record of creating new types of products and bringing new benefits to the consumer. A major advantage for dairy is that science increasingly shows it is one of nature's naturally functional whole foods. For almost 40 years, health professionals demonized dairy for its saturated fat content - as a result of creating the market for low-fat dairy products. But a growing body of research is rolling back the negatives about dairy fat - its connection to risk of cardiovascular disease has been firmly debunked - and finding more positives beyond calcium - such dairy's role in reducing your risk of Type 2 diabetes, the role of protein in weight management, bone health and healthy aging. Dairy's increasingly positive image means that, despite the emergence of plant-based alternatives, dairy products can be positioned as both healthy and indulgent. Many successful brands make permission to indulge a core part of their strategy, capitalizing on dairy's versatility and taste and texture advantages. Nutrition and health have long been a core element of dairy's consumer appeal and is more important in dairy strategy than ever before. There are many opportunities for companies to build successful businesses on a health and nutrition connection - and the 8 Key Trends in this report spell out exactly what those opportunities are. What is a key trend? We define a key trend is something to which you can connect in order to generate lasting growth and/or improved margins. Many developments which are described as trends, such as clean label, are in reality hygiene factors - benefits that consumers increasingly expect as standard (and won't reward you for). The trends do not exist in isolation. As almost all of the Case Studies show, they overlap with one another, and the most successful brands and ingredients are those that deliver against multiple trends. For example: Halo Top is less sugar (Key Trend 6) but also more protein (Key Trend 1) Fairlife Milk is less sugar (Key Trend 6), but also lactose-free (Key Trend 2) and more protein (Key Trend 1) P3 protein packs are snacking (Key Trend 3) and protein (Key Trend 1) Key Trends work everywhere The trends are applicable in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Asia. While different cultures have very different preferences in terms of flavors and textures and even product types (with drinkable yogurt popular in some countries but a failure in others), people have much in common when it comes to nutrition and health. Using the trends is a question of adapting them to what works best in each market. For example: A2 milk is a big success as liquid milk in Australia and New Zealand (where the idea originated) but its biggest success is in China with infant formula, and in Russia, it has been Russified and appears in quark. Yakult's probiotic dairy drink is a major success in Asia - and also in South America and Australasia. It also has a market in the US and Europe and has inspired a wealth of me-toos (such as Danone's Actimel). Size doesn't matter A trend should not be overlooked just because it's at this stage very small. In fact, one of the biggest lessons of the past 25 years is that what's wacky and weird has a habit of becoming normal, successful and even every day. When that happens, you almost always find that because it's connected to key trends. For example A2 Milk (Key Trend 2, Case Study 7). When this digestive wellness milk debuted in Australia back in 2004, it was regarded as eccentric, lacking in science and certain to fail. Dairy giant Fonterra turned down an offer to partner with the A2 Milk company. But now, A2 Milk is the world's most profitable dairy company and Fonterra has concluded a partnership that will see its manufacturing and distributing A2 dairy products - 15 years after ignoring the opportunity. The rise of butter and the fall of margarine (Key Trend 8, Case Study 18). Since the 1960s, butter has been condemned by health experts as unhealthy - particularly for the heart - because of its saturated fat content. Meanwhile, margarine and other spreads sang their credentials as a source of health-giving polyunsaturates. Spreads sales rose, butter declined. Unilever built a global business on spreads which were at one time a pillar of their profitability. Today the tables are turned - but not as a result of any company's strategy. In fact, it has happened despite the marketing and product development muscle of giants like Unilever, which has lost the battle against a big trend shift. Fear of fat has ebbed away and butter appeals to consumers' preference for naturalness. And Unilever has sold off its declining spreads business. Key Topics Covered Dairy Key Trends Introduction Key Trend 1: Protein Key Trend 2: Digestive Wellness Key Trend 3: Snackification Key Trend 4: Authenticity & provenance Key Trend 5: Permission to indulge Key Trend 6: Sugar Key Trend 7: Plants Key Trend 8: Fat re-born List of Case Studies Case Study 1: Njie - lactose-free, protein and no added sugar Case Study 2: Kraft P3 - a protein-rich snack-pack Case Study 3: Graham's - a consumer trend-based strategy powers the success of family-owned dairy Case Study 4: Yakult - probiotics direct to consumers Case Study 5: Bio-tiful - showing the UK how good kefir can be Case Study 6: Fairlife higher protein milk - redefining the lactose-free market Case Study 7: A2 Milk - once "too weird", now the world's most profitable dairy company Case Study 8: Chobani Flip - dairy snack accounts for a third of business Case Study 9: Sargento Balanced Breaks - success from "cheese-plus" strategy Case study 10: Borden on-the-go cheese competes with snack bar category Case Study 11: Lofbergs Lilla - connecting to the next generation of dairy+coffee drinkers Case Study 12: Oui by Yoplait - provenance turns yoghurt business around Case Study 13: Pastoret - authenticity drives growth even in a depressed market Case Study 14: Halo Top - disruptive innovation redefines ice-cream category Case Study 15: Collective Dairy - flavor focus drives success Case Study 16: Valio plant milk used alongside dairy Case Study 17: Good Karma flax milk - a second bite at plant milk for a major US dairy Case Study 18: Butter beats margarine in natural food re-birth Case Study 19: Know Brainer - dairy and plant-based creamer taps into keto Case Study 20: Ghee - updating a high-fat butter product for a new audience Companies Mentioned A2 Milk Activia Alpro Alpro Caffe Anchor Protein+ Arla Arla Keso Bakers' Delight Barebells BelGioioso Bellwether Farms Ben & Jerry's Biotiful Borden Breyer's Delights Browne's Dairy Califia Farms Cathedral City Chobani Coca-Cola Coconut Cult Collective Dairy Daiya Danone Dean Foods Eden Creamery El Corte Ingles Emmi Dairy Fair Oaks Farms Fairlife Fazer Five Acre Farms Fonterra Fourth & Heart Frito-Lay Imagine General Mills Good Karma Graham's Dairy Haagen Dazs Halo Top Kerrygold Kite Hill Know Brainer Kraft Oscar Mayer P3 Lifeway Foods Lfbergs Lilla Mars Molochny Zavod Naro-Fominskiy Moon Cheese and many more... For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h9u0f Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Rockin' the Courts Our hotels have a proven ability to give back through creative connections through special events and promotions like Rockin the Courts, says Marcus Latner, Regional Director of Operations. During the month of November, the three court hotels by Valencia Hotel Group including Lone Star Court in Austin, Cavalry Court in College Station and Texican Court in Irvings Las Colinas participated in a crowdsourcing fundraiser called Rockin the Courts. This initiative was put in place to raise money for the classic and adored rocking chairs at the court hotels to be donated to various organizations in each hotels respective city. Funds were raised by loyal guests through GoFundMe and by donating portions of proceeds from specialty drinks offered at the hotel restaurants and bars. With over $2,700 raised over the course of the month, the first year of the initiative proved to be a success. The money raised will be used to purchase rocking chairs for the benefit of the Ronald McDonald House in Austin, the Irving Family Advocacy Center in Irving, and the CHI St. Joseph Health in Bryan and Baylor Scott & White in College Station. One of our core values at Valencia Hotel Group is connecting our hotels to the communities where we are built. Our hotels have a proven ability to give back through creative connections through special events and promotions like Rockin the Courts, says Marcus Latner, Regional Director of Operations. Without our guests generosity, successful initiatives like this would not be possible. In addition to the three court hotels that participated in 2019, Valencia Hotel Group is thrilled to have the new Cotton Court in Lubbock participate in 2020. Valencia Hotel Group looks forward to the same initiative in 2020 in hopes of raising more money with local partners to provide rocking chairs to various organizations throughout Texas. About Valencia Hotel Group Houston-based Valencia Hotel Group is a fully integrated hospitality company that provides management, development, branding and repositioning services for independent, full-service hotels owned by the company, in addition to third parties. Exceptional service, style and location have become brand trademarks. Earning both national and international recognition for their distinctive designs, amenities and settings, Valencia Hotel Group properties are destinations and gathering places within their respective communities, some further benefitting from and enriching their space within the cultural heart of a city. The company continues to forge a niche with hotels that anchor and add value to urban, mixed-use environments, which further support or enhance the guest experience with superior residential, restaurant, retail and office components. The Valencia Hotel Group portfolio currently includes the Valencia brands: Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, CA and Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX. In partnership with developer, Midway, include Valencia Hotel Groups The George in College Station, TX and Hotel Alessandra in Houston, TX. The Court concept brands include Lone Star Court in Austin, TX, Cavalry Court in College Station, TX, Texican Court in Irving, TX and coming soon Cotton Court in Lubbock, TX. For more information, please visit http://www.valenciahotelgroup.com European mobile bank startup N26 has attracted 250,000 users in the United States since it launched last summer, and now the German-originating fintech is honing in on its ultimate goal: To disrupt traditional banking irrevocably. And, indeed, it is fast becoming the age of neobanking, with venture capitalists pouring $2.9 billion into digital banks in the first nine months of 2019. Its gathered pace much faster in Europe than in the U.S., where the top five banks control nearly 50% of banking assets, and where lack of regulation, privacy issues and banking system complexity have made it more difficult for the mobile bank to take charge. According to a 2018 study from Cornerstone Advisors, only 3% of Millennials have their primary checking account at a digital bank. That percentage drops to 1.5% of Gen Xers, and 0.8% of Baby Boomers But its a development that traditional banking will not be able to resist much longer. McKinsey estimates there are 5,000 startups worldwide offering new and traditional financial services, up from 2,000 in 2017. In all, in its New picture of finance McKinsey estimates that by 2025 up to 40% of banks collective revenue could be jeopardized by digital banks. And these disruptive banking startups are doing quite a lot to lure in new customers. N26 competitors in the U.S. include Chime, Simple and Ally--and they all offer newcomers two-day advances on their pay when they use direct deposit or transfer funds through P2P technology. The banking app also offers security features that include the ability to set a spending limit, to lock lost or stolen cards and to turn international charges on or off. In the early stages after its U.S. launch, N26 was criticized for limitations of free ATM withdrawals. But it was also quite to respond. Since then, its expanded free ATM withdrawals under a deal with interbank network Allpoint. However, back home, N26 has been involved in much larger controversies, including an incident last year in which a customer reported 80,000 euros stolen from his account and could not reach customer service for days. Also, in 2018, it was reported that consumers were able to open bank accounts with N26 using fake passports. The company said it resolved all issues with Germanys banking regulator, Bafin. Related: How The Trade War Ceasefire Will Impact The Energy Industry N26 currently has 3.5 million customers in Europe and raised more than $300 million last year, valuing the company at $3.5 billion. The mobile bank now ranks among the most valuable German startups. Its also among the Top 10 most valuable fintech companies in the world. Customers currently hold $1.2 billion in N26 accounts overall while the company has processed $22 billion in transaction volume since its creation. Investors include everyone from the highly controversial Peter Thiels Valar Ventures to Chinese tech giant Tencent and Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC, among others. Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal, has made early-stage investments in numerous startups either personally or through the Founders Fund. Some of them include Facebook, Spotify, SpaceX, Palantir Technologies Most recently, Thiel grabbed headlines when Founders Fund announced it would host a three-day event called Hereticon this coming May in New Orleans, a safe space for people who dont feel safe in safe places and a conference for people banned from other conferences. The organizers believe that these apparent intellectual troublemakers are essential to mankinds progress. Thiel clearly believes in the heresy of disrupting traditional banking, and hes more than willing to put his money where his mouth is. By Anes Alic for SafeHaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: Senator Marco Rubio (R., Fl.) released a statement ahead of the Senates Friday vote on calling impeachment witnesses, explaining that he opposed both new witnesses and voting to remove the president based on a political judgment one that takes into account both the severity of the wrongdoing alleged but also the impact removal would have on the nation. Rubio, who said in November that a decision on impeachment should be made on what is in the best interest of our country, echoed his previous comments in arguing a distinction between presidential misconduct and removable offenses. The two are not the same. Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a President from office, Rubio stated. . . . Can anyone doubt that at least half of the country would view his removal as illegitimate as nothing short of a coup detat? It is difficult to conceive of any scheme Putin could undertake that would undermine confidence in our democracy more than removal would. The Florida Republican also called impeachment an extraordinary power and a last-resort remedy to protect the country. He signaled that the upcoming 2020 election played a factor in his determination, saying that voters themselves can hold the President accountable in an election, including the one just nine months from now. That is why Hamilton wrote that in these trials our decisions should be pursuing the public good, Rubio added. He pointed to resisting calls to impeach President Obama in 2014 as proof of his commitment to this high bar. I will not vote to remove the President because doing so would inflict extraordinary and potentially irreparable damage to our already divided nation, Rubio concluded. Story continues Rubios statement accompanied a number of other Republican senators making their intentions on the vote public ahead of Fridays hearing. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) became the second Republican swing vote to publicly oppose additional witnesses, likely ensuring that the trial will not include further witnesses. More from National Review Did an Iranian missile inadvertently kill 176 people aboard a scheduled flight from Tehran to Kiev? Canada, the UK and the US have all said that they believe the Ukrainian plane that crashed shortly after take-off was mistakenly shot down by the Iranian military. All 176 passengers and crew died when flight PS752 came down west of the Iranian capital. It was the worst airline tragedy since the first crash involving a Boeing 737 Max, in Indonesia in 2018, which killed 189. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, said there was evidence that the Ukraine International Boeing 737-800 was downed by a surface-to-air missile in the early hours of 8 January. The tragedy happened hours after Iran carried out an attack on two US targets across the border in Iraq, in response to Americas assassination on 3 January of General Qasem Soleimani. Pentagon sources have said they have evidence that two infra-red blips indicate missiles were fired after the Ukrainian plane took off, and that an explosion was detected shortly afterwards. Iran has denounced the reports as propaganda. The head of Irans civil aviation authority, Ali Abedzadeh, has flatly rejected the claims, and reiterated the original claim that a technical malfunction was responsible. He said: Scientifically, it is impossible that a missile hit the Ukrainian plane, and such rumours are illogical. The plane, which was initially headed west to leave the airport zone, turned right following a problem and was headed back to the airport at the moment of the crash. International investigators are assembling in Iran to try to find out what happened a task that will be more difficult if reports that the flight recorders are damaged and that crash site has been bulldozed prove correct. But if the Western claims are accurate, it will mean that military shootdowns of commercial airliners are now one of the leading causes of death for passengers with Ukraine involved in three tragedies. Aviations accident rate is in long-term decline, with the 2010s the safest decade in history. The worst disaster in that decade was the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. All 298 passengers and crew died when the Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was shot down by a Russian-made missile while flying over rebel-held eastern Ukraine. Three Russian officers and a Ukrainian have been charged with murder. Their trial is expected to begin in March, but none is expected to appear. If the Iran tragedy is found to be an accidental shootdown, it will mean that 552 people have died as a result of inadvertent military action in the 21st century. In October 2001, Siberia Airlines flight 1812 was brought down by the Ukrainian Air Force over the Black Sea, with the loss of 78 lives. The Tupolev 154 was on a scheduled flight from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk when it was hit by a missile fired as part of a military exercise. Although Ukraine has never officially admitted its involvement, the government in Kiev paid compensation to the victims families. In 1988 an Iran Air jet over the Gulf was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired from the warship USS Vincennes. All 290 people onboard the Airbus A300 were killed when the plane was mis-identified as an Iranian fighter. President Reagan admitted American responsibility shortly after the tragedy. A Korean Air Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet fighter in 1983 in the far east of the USSR, killing all 269 passengers and crew. The Jumbo had veered away from its planned route between Anchorage in Alaska and the Korean capital, Seoul. It is believed the plane was suspected of being a US spy plane. Thirty years on from the crash of an Italian jet on a domestic flight from Bologna to Palermo, there are still claims that Itavia flight 870 was brought down by a missile fired by a French jet engaged in skirmish with the Libyan Air Force. All 81 passengers and crew were killed when it crashed in the Mediterranean in June 1980. Following the MH17 tragedy, aviation authorities and airlines have been much more attuned to the risk posed by surface-to-air missiles. In the early hours of Friday morning, the Foreign Office warned against all air travel to, from and within Iran. Many airlines are avoiding the airspace of both Iran and Iraq, but some are continuing. The early-morning arrivals at Heathrow on Emirates from Dubai and on Etihad from Abu Dhabi flew over Iraq. Qatar Airways routed its Manchester flight over Iraq, but its Edinburgh service overflew Iran. The Appeals Court in Lyon has acquitted a French Cardinal who had been accused of failing to report abuse of minors in his Diocese. By Vatican News The Director of the Vatican Press Office released a statement on Thursday evening saying The Holy See has learnt of the decision of Lyons Appeals Court regarding Cardinal Philippe Barbarin. In the statement, Matteo Bruni also said that Barbarin has once again put his ecclesial mandate back into the hands of Pope Francis who continues to follow closely the unfolding of these painful events, and will communicate his decision in due time. Bruni concludes noting that together with the French Bishops Conference, the Holy See reaffirms its closeness to all the victims of abuse, in their suffering, and to their families and communities, and sustains the Church of Lyon, which is sorely tried. The Cardinal appeared before the Appeals Court of Lyon on 28 November. His lawyers had lodged an appeal against a six month suspended sentence for failing to report an abusive priest to police. That sentence was handed down by the Criminal Court of Lyon on 7 March 2019. Barbarin, who has always declared himself innocent, announced his decision to go to Pope Francis to present his resignation, a resignation that the Pope did not accept on "presumption of innocence". Pope Francis then entrusted the Cardinal with the freedom to make the best decision for the Diocese of Lyon, and at his suggestion, Barbarin resigned from his post and Archbishop Michel Dubost was appointed Apostolic Administrator on 24 June. In a statement to the press, Cardinal Barbarin said that he had taken note "with serenity" of the Judges decision to overturn the sentence and uphold his appeal. "My thoughts," he added, "go to the victims. Together with many other brothers and sisters I continue and will continue to pray every day for them and for their families". Meanwhile, the accused defrocked priest, Bernard Preynat, accused of abusing more than 70 boys over two decades as a French scout chaplain in the 1970s is currently undergoing trial in the French Court system. A verdict is expected in March and he could face up to 10 years in prison. New details have emerged about what possibly led to the mysterious four-day suspension of a police chief in Union County last fall. Hillside Police Chief Vincent Ricciardi filed a tort claim this month that says Mayor Dahlia Vertreese retaliated against him after he asked for a raise and unknowingly appeared in a campaign flyer for a school board member. "The current mayor bears him a personal vendetta and has abused her public position to cause him harm and to deny him a proper, well-earned salary raise solely due to her own political agenda, said Ricciardis attorney, Gina Mendola Longarzo. The many, grave violations of his constitutional right to freedom of political association/affiliation and to due process will be exposed and vindicated should Hillside choose not to resolve this matter prior to litigation being filed. Vertreese did not respond to a request for comment. Hillsides attorney, Ellen Harris, declined to comment on the tort claim. A tort claim is the first step in filing a lawsuit against a municipality or public agency in New Jersey. NJ Advance Media reported on Ricciardis suspension in October. Township labor counsel Frank Capece previously said his suspension had to do with a photo in which Ricciardi appears and was on school board property that was used in a campaign flyer. A municipal ordinance prohibits township employees from participating in certain political activities on township property while on duty. Ricciardis tort claim contends school board property shouldnt be considered township property. Ricciardi appeared in a photo that was taken while he was off duty and not in uniform to support a dispatcher in her campaign for school board, the tort filing says. Hillside Board of Education Vice President Kimberly Cook works as a dispatcher. The tort claim also says Ricciardi was notified by the Union County Prosecutors Office on Nov. 29, 2018, that someone lodged a complaint about his appearance on a political flyer believed to be taken on Hillside Board of Education property. Its unclear who lodged the complaint. Ricciardis attorney said she was unable to ascertain who made the complaint because a disciplinary hearing was never held before his suspension. NJ Advance Media obtained a letter marked as confidential from the prosecutors office responding to the complaint. The letter was addressed to the mayor and then-Council President Andrea Hyatt but only says a citizen made the complaint. A spokesman for the prosecutors office declined to comment on the letter. In the letter, the prosecutors office said it sustained a violation of the towns ordinance since school board property is funded by municipal property taxes. However, its investigation exonerated Ricciardi on engaging in political activities during work hours when the photo was taken, on the steps of George Washington School. The prosecutors office said in its letter, dated Sept. 12, 2019, that it would forward the matter to the appropriate authority to review the incident for any disciplinary action. Two weeks after Ricciardi was made aware of the violation, the tort claim says, he was asked to return $17,000 that was erroneously overpaid to him. Ricciardis tort claim says he received a letter on Oct. 25, 2019, from the mayor giving formal notice of a four-day suspension as a result of the investigation. The tort claim also makes several other allegations about Ricciardis tensions with Vertreese. She once asked Ricciardi if Hillside Democratic Committee Chairman Anthony Salters helped him get promoted, according to the tort claim. The mayor also inquired if Salters ever asked Ricciardi to do anything improper," which the chief denied in the tort claim. Salters told NJ Advance Media that he considers himself to have a good relationship with Ricciardi but didnt know why Vertreese would question the police chief that way. He said his relationship with the mayor, whom he endorsed for mayor in 2017, has changed. The communication is not as good as it was before because the issue is, she is the mayor, Salters said. If she makes what I feel is a decision contrary to the tenets that she ran on, Im going to voice a concern that youre off the platform. Vertreese has remained mostly tight-lipped on Ricciardis suspension. But she authored a guest column in the Star-Ledger and NJ Advance Media in October that assailed the town council and claimed she is bullied. The towns former police chief and mayor had longstanding disputes that ended in costly legal disputes. Ricciardi was promoted to lead the department in 2017 after former Mayor Angela Garretson demoted then-police chief Louis Panarese. Panarese sued the township and settled his lawsuit for $281,000 last year. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 15:27 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e62d2 1 World Brexit,United-Kingdom,Indonesia,students,scholarship,Education Free British Ambassador to Indonesia Owen Jenkins says the United Kingdom will be more welcoming to Indonesians to study in Britain following the country's departure from the European Union, saying the UK will implement a new policy that will relax visa and stay permit requirements after Brexit takes place on Jan. 31. Jenkins said the policy was in line with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's intention of making the UK more open and welcoming to tourists and students from across the globe. To Indonesians who are interested in traveling or studying in the UK, [the country] will be an even more open, welcoming and positive place for Indonesians than it has been in the past, he said on Friday. I am happy to give the reassurance that the situation does not change. [sic] Indonesian students who wants to travel to the UK always needed a British visa and that does not change. Indonesian students in the UK who want to travel to the rest of Europe always needed a Schengen visa and that wont change, the British envoy said. According to 2019 UK Immigration Statistics data, the UK government issued 2,997 student visas to Indonesians from the first quarter until the third quarter of 2019. Indonesian students can study in Britain as long as they can pay their tuition fees or obtain a scholarship, such as from the government-backed Indonesian Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) and UK-backed Chevening. (glh) Editors note: Paragraph four in this article has been changed. As food supplies become scarce in the colder months, groundhogs burrow away as a mode of survival. But how do their bodies react to the harsh winter temperatures while they sleep? Groundhogs are considered "true hibernators," according to National Geographic, meaning their body temperature drops below 20 degrees Celsius, or 68 degrees Fahrenheit. During hibernation, the groundhog's body temperature drops from 99 F to as low as 37 F, according to the National Wildlife Federation. In contrast, the human body enters a state of mild hypothermia after dropping just three degrees Fahrenheit, and a drop to 70 F results in death. Essex Ed - AP Photo Essex Ed, the weather-predicting groundhog at the Essex County Turtle Back Zoo, is seen in a cage during a Groundhog Day event, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, in West Orange, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Body heat is not the only thing that drops when a groundhog enters hibernation. Their breathing decreases from 16 breaths per minute to just two, and the heartbeat goes from 80 beats per minute to five. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP While Punxsutawney Phil emerges from his burrow every year before deciding whether or not he will continue to hibernate, LiveScience.com has reported that groundhogs outside captivity will actually remain in hibernation if cold weather continues through March. Waking too soon can actually be dangerous. The process of coming out of hibernation raises the metabolism of the animal, which needs to be low in the winter to conserve energy. Raising the metabolism quickly burns the fat the groundhog had stored for over the winter. If it is still cold outside, they may not be able to find food to refuel themselves. Groundhog Club co-handler A.J. Dereume holds Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating groundhog, during the 133rd celebration of Groundhog Day on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pa. Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. Phil's handlers said that the groundhog has forecast an early spring. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) The average length of groundhog hibernation is three to four months. Because the purpose of hibernation is to survive during times of low food supplies in colder weather, the length of their hibernation depends on the geographic location in which they reside. Groundhogs living farther north will experience longer winters, and therefore longer periods of hibernation than those living farther south, such as Alabama. Story continues Prior to entering hibernation, the groundhog can consume up to a pound of food. This, combined with a low metabolism, allows for them to go around 150 days without food. The foods they eat before they hibernate are protein rich, and build up their body fat. Because of their low metabolism during hibernation, they lose less than one fourth of their body weight. Male groundhogs are the first to emerge from hibernation in search of a female as mating season begins. It is important they emerge from hibernation at the correct time to begin mating, as if they wait too late, their offspring will not gain the weight they need in time for the next hibernation. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Delta Airlines and American Airlines will suspend all flights between the United States and China, the carriers said on Jan. 31. They were joined later in the day by United Airlines. All flights will be suspended beginning Feb. 6 through April 30 due to ongoing concerns related to the coronavirus, Delta said in a statement. Between now and Feb. 5, Delta will continue to operate flights to ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so, the Atlanta-based airline added. The last China-bound flight departing the United States will leave on Feb. 3. The last return flight to the United States from China will leave on Feb. 5. Customers who have trips that will be affected can visit the Delta website and go to the My Trips section. When there, they can request a refund or switch to flights that leave after April 30. They can also contact Delta to explore additional options. Changes to the flight schedule will be effective on Deltas website beginning Saturday. For customers with bookings on flights through Feb. 5, Delta will continue to offer a change fee waiver for customers who wish to adjust their travel plans for U.S.-China flights, the airline said. American and United said on Friday that it was suspending flights to and from the Chinese mainland beginning today through March 27. Our teams are contacting affected customers directly to accommodate their needs. We will continue to evaluate the schedule for March 28 and beyond and make any adjustments as necessary, the Fort Worth-based airline said in a statement. Americans statement came after the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing 15,000 American Airlines pilots, sued the company to try to halt flights to and from China. The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priorityfirst, last, and always, Capt. Eric Ferguson, the associations president, said in a statement. Numerous other major carriers that serve China, including British Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa, have chosen to suspend service to that country out of an abundance of caution. United said in a statement that it would cancel flights to and from mainland Chinese cities starting Feb. 6 and continuing until March 28 but would continue to operate a daily flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. Until that date, we will continue to operate select flights to help ensure our U.S. based employees, as well as customers, have options to return home, a spokesperson said in a statement. Dozens of airlines around the world have halted or curbed flights to and/or from China amid the outbreak, which has spread to countries around the world. The virus has killed people in China but no deaths have been reported yet outside the country, where the outbreak started last month. Kenya Airways, the countrys largest airline, said it was suspending flights to Chinas Guangzhou, Lufthansa said it was suspending all flights to China, and British Airways said it was suspending all direct flights to and from mainland China. Other airlines have curtailed flights to China, including American Airlines. Some countries have taken unilateral action to halt flights to and from China. Pakistan, Italy, Iran, and Israel said no flights would be allowed to or from the country. Other countries have issued strong warnings to citizens about traveling to China. Japan warned nationals to avoid nonessential travel while the U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for China to the highest level, which states clearly to not travel to the country. Countries around the world have been sending flights into China to evacuate citizens of making plans to send flight in. The United States evacuated some 195 people with plans to ferry more from Wuhan while France evacuated about 200 citizens and South Korea evacuated 367 nationals. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared a global health emergency over the virus outbreak. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it, WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus said at a press conference after traveling to China earlier in the week. The vast majority of cases outside China have a travel history to Wuhan, or contact with someone with a travel history to Wuhan, he added, though some person-to-person transmission has occurred. From The Epoch Times Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that comments by Fine Gael election candidate Catherine Noone about him were ignorant, but it was not proportionate for her to lose her job. Ms Noone, who was elected to the Seanad after failing to win a Dail seat in 2016, apologised on Tuesday for calling Mr Varadkar autistic during an election canvass this week. She was quoted in The Times Ireland edition as having said of Mr Varadkar: Hes autistic like, hes on the spectrum, theres no doubt about it. Hes uncomfortable socially and he doesnt always get the in-between bits. Mr Varadkar told RTE radios Morning Ireland: what she said was ignorant. But Ms Noone did not have to apologise to him, she needs to apologise to the autism community. She made a very big mistake, but it is not proportionate for her to lose her job. The Fine Gael leader also denied that a decision had been made not to allow Ms Noone do media interviews. It had been reported that senior party figures, including Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe who is Fine Gaels director of elections, and Tom Curran, the general secretary had denied a request by Ms Noone that she be given the opportunity to explain herself in a broadcast media interview. Mr Donohoe and Mr Curran stipulated that she first be assessed in a mock interview by the party press office before agreeing to such a request. Sources said that following the mock interview, it was decided not to put Ms Noone out on the national airwaves. Mr Varadkar said that "ultimately the decision about interviews is left to the person themself." The Taoiseach also rejected criticism of Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy and Minister for Health Simon Harris saying he did not like politics when it gets personalised. He said that Fine Gael criticism of Fianna Fail TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins had been about ethics, it hadnt been personal. Mr Varadkar said that progress was being made in relation to housing, but it was not credible for an opposition party (Sinn Fein) to say they would build 100,000 houses. "We're the ones with the most credibility." Sinn Feins policies were too extreme and had not worked elsewhere, he said. Fianna Fails manifesto has gaps, he said. He couldn't get over the fact that they had budgeted only 2billion for health, which was not enough for Slaintecare. They got their choices all wrong. | By Joanne Morrison As public health officials around the world are monitoring a new coronavirus strain (2019-nCoV) first identified in the Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) is mobilizing its physicians and scientists in UMSOMs Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), and in its Department of Microbiology & Immunology, to study the virus and test potential vaccines and other therapies. In addition, UMSOM is collaborating with the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) on rapid response and preparedness planning in the event of a growing outbreak. Wilbur Chen, MD; Matthew Frieman, PhD; and Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH A team of experts also has been assembled by the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) as the Emergency Management Unified Command Committee. This committee includes Wilbur Chen, MD, associate professor in UMSOM's Department of Medicine and an infectious disease expert at CVD. At the University of Maryland, College Park, Chen also is a member of the Campus Infectious Disease Management Committee, where response planning is similarly ongoing for an appropriate campuswide public health response to 2019-nCoV. Matthew Frieman, PhD, associate professor in UMSOM's Department of Microbiology and Immunology and an affiliate faculty member of CVD, is an expert on coronaviruses. He is providing guidance and support for identifying potential cases of 2019-nCoV infection. Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, the Myron M. Levine, MD, Professor in Vaccinology, professor of medicine and pediatrics, and director of CVD, is co-principal investigator of the National Institute of Healths (NIH) Infectious Diseases Clinical Research Consortium Leadership Group. Neuzil has been in discussions on the planning of potential therapies and vaccines against 2019-nCoV. In coordination with UMMC, UMSOMs senior associate dean for clinical affairs, Anthony Lehman, MD, MSPH, is working closely with Michael Jablonover, MD, MBA, FACP, senior vice president and chief medical officer at UMMC, to form a Coronavirus Preparedness Committee. The group is chaired by David Marcozzi, MD, MHS-CL, FACEP, associate professor of emergency medicine at UMSOM, and Gregory Schrank, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at UMSOM. They will be charged with ensuring that coordinated UMSOM/UMMC preparedness plans are defined, implemented, and articulated to all relevant constituencies. About the Coronavirus Coronaviruses are part of a family of viruses that can affect humans and are commonly found in many different species of animals. Symptoms are usually those of the common cold and can include a dry cough, fever, or chills. More severe cases can occur in individuals with weakened immune systems and the elderly. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak originating in Wuhan, China, is a rapidly evolving situation. Scientists at UMSOM are well-positioned to respond to this situation because of their extensive experience. UMSOM experts note that coronaviruses are a leading cause of respiratory illness in patients, accounting for at least 15 percent of all viral respiratory illnesses. We typically do not test for what viruses cause common cold-like symptoms, so we dont have a good estimate of the number of infections they cause each year, Chen said. Coronaviruses may affect people or animals. Other coronaviruses leading to outbreaks in the past include the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) identified in 2012 and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) outbreak identified in 2003. To date, MERS has infected almost 2,500 people resulting in 858 associated deaths (a case fatality rate of approximately 35 percent), and SARS has 8,098 known cases resulting in 774 deaths (a case fatality rate of approximately 10 percent), according to the World Health Organization. Frieman is currently investigating whether therapeutics he has developed for SARS and MERS will be effective against the 2019-nCoV virus as well as developing new treatments for this emerging coronavirus. While so far there has been limited spread of this latest strain of coronavirus outside of China, UMSOM experts recommend taking precautions to avoid spread of the illness, especially amid increased global travel and connectedness. According to the World Health Organization and other global health officials, it only took weeks before the 2019-nCoV made its way outside of the region, with five cases as of Jan. 27 reported in the United States. As we continue to learn more about this new strain of coronavirus, we encourage best hygiene practices, such as limiting exposure to those who are sick, staying home when you are sick, and regularly washing hands. We know that influenza has similar symptoms to the coronavirus and is circulating in Maryland. We encourage everyone who has not yet done so to receive the influenza vaccine, Neuzil said. There currently is no vaccine to prevent coronavirus infections, though experts say the best way to prevent the spread of illnesses from respiratory viruses like the 2019-nCoV are the same important precautions that should be taken with influenza. The 2019-2020 influenza season is underway, and the winter months bring on higher incidences of other respiratory illnesses. Currently there is widespread influenza in Maryland. With our longstanding leadership in vaccine development, the University of Maryland School of Medicine is ideally positioned to mobilize resources around the research, prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases, such as this new coronavirus, said UMSOM Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, who also is the executive vice president for medical affairs, UMB, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine. The physician-scientists in our Center for Vaccine Development & Global Health, and our Department of Microbiology & Immunology, are ready to study this new coronavirus, test potential vaccines, and work with health officials around the world. Through our partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center, we are taking immediate steps to prepare for the potential outbreak of this virus. Public health officials caution that amid the current influenza season and growing concerns about this new coronavirus strain, there are many important steps that can be taken to prevent spread of illness. As recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these steps include: Regular hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throwing the tissue in the trash In China, avoiding animals (alive or dead), animal markets, and products that come from animals (such as uncooked meat) Remaining at home when individuals have symptoms such as a persistent cough, fever, diarrhea, and chills Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces Completing your annual influenza vaccination, if not yet done, to reduce illness from influenza Public health officials have already taken steps to prevent the spread of this latest strain, drawing on experience from prior outbreaks like SARS and MERS. For example, public health authorities such as WHO and CDC have initiated preparedness and response activities. Officials in Wuhan have closed local transportation resources out of the area to help reduce the spread of the virus. In addition, the United States and several other countries have started screening passengers from Wuhan at airports and other ports of entry. Health practitioners in other Chinese cities, as well as other countries including the U.S., have quickly identified travel-related cases and have isolated individuals for further care. Public health officials have already taken steps to prevent the spread of this latest strain, drawing on experience from prior outbreaks like SARS and MERS. For example, public health authorities such as WHO and CDC have initiated preparedness and response activities. Officials in Wuhan have closed local transportation resources out of the area to help reduce the spread of the virus. In addition, the United States and several other countries have started screening passengers from Wuhan at airports and other ports of entry. Health practitioners in other Chinese cities, as well as other countries including the U.S., have quickly identified travel-related cases and have isolated individuals for further care. Information for Students and Employees Advertisement A locust plague decimating crops and livestock pastureland in east Africa, including swarms 40 miles wide, threatens to trigger a humanitarian crisis, the UN has warned. The horde of 360 billion insects has laid waste to farmland across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, caused damage in Dijibouti and Eritrea, posing an unprecedented threat to food security. It is the worst to hit Kenya for 70 years, and the worst to affect Ethiopia and Somalia for 25 years, and could grow 500 times bigger by June when the next generation hatches next month. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations director-general Qu Dongyu has called for urgent funding to help it provide security for the region. It has already used $15.4million of the $76million it has requested to tackle the emerging crisis in the five countries. The next generation of desert locusts, a million of which can eat enough food for 35,000 people in just one day, are expected to be ready to swarm in April, which coincides with the planting season. Incredible pictures show the scale of the worst outbreak of desert locusts in Kenya in 70 years as hundreds of millions of the insects leave helpless farmer heartbroken (pictured in Katitika village, Kitui county) The creatures (pictured in Katitika village, Kenya) have invaded the East African country from Somalia and Ethiopia, destroying farmland and threatening an already vulnerable region with devastating hunger Ndunda Makanga, who spent hours Friday trying to chase the locusts from his farm, said: 'Even cows are wondering what is happening. Corn, sorghum, cowpeas, they have eaten everything.' Pictured: The insects in Katitika village Speaking at an informal briefing in Rome, Ms Dongyu warned: 'I hope we can work hard day and night so people do not lose their crops. Timing and location is crucial.' The FAO's deputy director-general for climate and natural resources, Maria Semedo, warned that countries need to act 'immediately' because 'locusts don't wait. They will come and they will destroy. 'We need to tackle the emergency but we need to think about livelihoods and the long-term.' The organisation estimated that as many as 12 million people are coping with severe acute food insecurity and many rely on agriculture for their survival. Their locust information service describes the current situation as 'extremely alarming' and likely to be further exacerbated by new infestations. When rains arrive in March and bring new vegetation across much of the region, the numbers of the fast-breeding locusts could grow 500 times before drier weather in June curbs their spread, the United Nations says A farmer walks through swarms of desert locusts feeding on her crops, in Katitika village, Kitui county Farmer Theophilus Mwendwa tries to chase away a swarm of desert locusts in the bush near Enziu, Kitui County, 200km east of the capital Nairobi The locust swarms have increased significantly over the past month in across 13 Kenyan counties including Isiolo, Samburu, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marsabit, Laikipia, Mandera, Kitui, Baringo, Meru, Embu and Turkana. These same counties have experienced devastating droughts and floods in recent years and over three million people there have been facing extreme levels of food insecurity. The swarms are destroying pasture for livestock, which will likely devastate the upcoming planting season. In Somalia, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been affected in Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug (Mudug), as mature swarms hit the Garbahare area near the Kenyan border. Locusts are also reported to be travelling south to Somalia's Gedo region leaving a trail of destroyed farms. Operations are underway in the northeast (Puntland) to control the swarms that continue to move towards the central and southern areas. About $54million is needed to step up aerial pesticide spraying, the only effective way to combat them, the UN says. Pictured: Near Enziu, Kitui County A desert locust sits on a tree branch in Katitika village, Kitui county, Kenya. Even a small swarm of the insects can consume enough food for 35,000 people in a single day, said Jens Laerke of the UN humanitarian office in Geneva Insecurity in some of these parts is hampering efforts to survey and control the infestations. Oxfam is part of a network of local partner organisations that is monitoring how much further damage the locusts will cause to local food crops. 'We are making plans that include providing cash assistance to people most-in-need, particularly small-holder farmers and pastoralists, so they are able to buy food and fodder for their livestock,' said Zigomo. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia need $70million between them to tackle the plague. Oxfam is calling on donors to fund this response immediately, in order to avoid more people falling hungry and using up whatever assets they have to buy food. CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Communications Data Group (CDG), is pleased to celebrate 50 years of providing superior billing and operational support solutions. CDG traces its origins to 1970, when BankIllinois established a department to process subscriber bills for small, independent telephone companies, as well as data for the bank. The department became a wholly owned subsidiary of the bank in 1985. The subsidiary's telephone, carrier access billing, and service bureau divisions were later acquired by Hargray Communications Group in 1990 and renamed Communications Data Group. CDG's current owners, Bob LaBonte and Bill Oglesby, who formerly served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of the Hargray companies, purchased CDG in 2007. As CDG's CEO, Bob LaBonte, noted, "Two of the biggest factors that drew my partner and me to purchase CDG more than 12 years ago are still true today: One, the innovation that drives CDG products, and, two, the experience of the CDG staff. While CDG started as this little department within BankIllinois to process billing for rural telephone companies, in the early 1980s it was at the forefront of the new CABS market and produced the first CABS invoice received by AT&T on behalf of Alltel in 1984. Today, we are working with leaders in the industry to help develop billing standards for emerging next-gen services, including Ethernet, dark fiber, and other circuit based services. Our BDS-I solution, as a result, can already produce standardized, mechanized billing for these services that can be processed and verified. CDG's innovative spirit is also an integral part of our consumer billing and management solution, MBS, and Mediation system, both of which have evolved dramatically over the years to stay abreast and ahead of industry changes. For MBS, that drive has produced enhancements in our Task Management, E-Care, and CRM / Prospects modules and expanded our API integrations with third-party mapping, financial, and CRM applications. For Mediation, we have developed tools for better record tracking and fraud detection to provide clients the analytical tools they need to manage today's data streams. Industry awareness like that is due in large part to the experience of our employees, which have an average of more than 19 years of service with CDG. CDG's product innovation and personnel experience have been and continue to be direct contributors to CDG's success and longevity." About CDG: CDG offers scalable, accurate billing and operational support solutions for voice, video, and data for retail and wholesale telecommunications carriers and service providers. Options include: BDS, Interconnect, CABS, Mediation, Customer Care, Network / Plant, Trouble, Service Provisioning, E-Care, Task Management, CRM / Prospects, and third-party financial, accounting, mapping, and facilities management products. Service bureau, hosted, and licensed options are available. Visit our website at www.cdg.ws to learn more. Contact: Ryan Travaille Phone: 217 402-3445 [email protected] SOURCE Communications Data Group Related Links http://www.cdg.ws Several countries have evacuated their citizens from virus-hit Wuhan Thousands of foreigners were among millions of people confined in the central Chinese city of Wuhan when Beijing announced plans to stem the spread of a SARS-like virus which has now claimed 213 lives nationwide. On Friday, China's National Health Commission said nearly 10,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus. Outside mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, there have been at least 80 confirmed cases reported. These are the plans so far by foreign governments to evacuate their citizens from the epicentre of the outbreak: - ASIA PACIFIC - Australia The foreign ministry said Tuesday it was working on a plan to transport home all Australian nationals, most of whom it said are dual nationals. Officials added they had received about 400 calls from Australians in China registering for evacuation. Canberra does not have a consulate in Wuhan but Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government is negotiating with Chinese officials over the arrangements. He said officials were talking to the United States and Britain about the plans and working with New Zealand on a possible joint evacuation effort. Bangladesh Authorities in Dhaka will send a special flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the country's national carrier, to bring back 361 nationals, health ministry spokesman Maidul Islam said Friday. Like most countries, Bangladesh will also quarantine the returnees for 14 days. India The foreign ministry said Wednesday it has now requested permission to operate two flights to remove nationals from China, and that the Indian embassy in Beijing was in talks with local authorities. National carrier Air India will send a Boeing 747 to Wuhan on Friday to bring back Indian nationals, two aviation industry sources told AFP. Indonesia Jakarta said there are more than 230 Indonesians in China -- roughly 100 in Wuhan and the rest in Hubei province. The foreign ministry said Tuesday it has yet to decide on an evacuation plan. Japan Story continues Japan was among the first countries to bring its nationals out of Wuhan. By Friday, three planeloads had arrived back in Tokyo, a total of more than 550 people. At least three dozen have been hospitalised. Most of those who came back are staying in government-appointed hotels, though at least two went home. They are being asked -- but not mandated -- to stay in self-quarantine for two weeks. Malaysia Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Wednesday that Kuala Lumpur was keen to send a plane to Wuhan to evacuate some 78 Malaysians stranded in the city. Philippines The foreign ministry said Wednesday it would evacuate citizens in Hubei on a chartered flight, and asked nationals in the area to contact the Shanghai consulate. On Tuesday, officials said there were roughly 150 Filipinos in Wuhan and another 150 in other parts of Hubei. Singapore Singapore flew home 92 of its citizens from Wuhan on Thursday, the foreign ministry said in a statement. The Singaporeans flew back on a flight operated by Scoot, Singapore Airline's budget arm, and landed Thursday morning. Sri Lanka Colombo said Tuesday there were roughly 860 Sri Lankan students in China. The foreign ministry said it is awaiting a response from the Chinese authorities to operate a Sri Lankan airlines charter flight to Wuhan to evacuate some 32 Sri Lankan students and their relatives. South Korea A chartered plane carrying 368 South Koreans arrived home from Wuhan on Friday. Among them, 18 evacuees who are showing symptoms have been hospitalised at two medical facilities in Seoul. Thailand Thailand's premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha said Wednesday China has been "arranging the slot" for the country to evacuate its citizens, and those from Wuhan city would be the first to return -- though he did not provide a specific time frame. Sixty-five Thais are in Wuhan, the premier said. - NORTH AMERICA - United States The State Department said a chartered flight had left Wuhan early Wednesday with 240 American citizens on board, including consular staff. - EUROPE - Britain After receiving clearance from Chinese authorities, Britain airlifted 110 British and foreign nationals on Friday. France A plane carrying around 200 French citizens flew out of virus-hit Wuhan on Friday. About 500 to 1,000 French citizens are eligible for repatriation there. Another flight is planned. The European Union meanwhile said it would co-fund an airlift effort at France's request, so that more than 100 nationals from other EU nations could be repatriated along with French citizens. The European Commission said "only healthy or asymptomatic citizens will be authorised to travel" on the flights. Germany Berlin said Wednesday it was planning to evacuate roughly 90 citizens reportedly in Wuhan, with German newspapers reporting nationals would leave Wuhan on Saturday. Spain Spanish officials are working with China and the European Union to take Spanish nationals out of the area, the foreign minister said. - NORTH AFRICA - Algeria President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has asked the government to take all measures needed to bring home 36 Algerians, most of them students, living in Wuhan, according to state agency APS. Morocco About 100 people, mostly students in Wuhan, will be evacuated, according to local media. The Eastern Regional Secretariat of the Fisheries Commission says it is putting in place measures to boost fish production in the Region this year. As part of the measures, the Commission seeks to establish hatcheries and train interested fish farmers to set up nurseries for fingerlings in the districts of the Region. They are also to ensure that fish farmers got their fingerlings and other fish inputs at their door steps. Mr Francis Barnes, the Eastern Regional Director of the Fisheries Commission, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua. He said last year, the Commission was able to provide 6,000 fingerlings of catfish hatched at the Commissions hatchery in Koforidua for fish farmers in the New Juaben North and South municipalities and other districts. In 2020, he said, his office planned to hatch 80,000 fingerlings to help promote aquaculture in the Region and beyond. He added that the Commission had put in place measures to acquire all male tilapia fingerlings and mixed sexes for interested farmers. Ms Yaa Agyapomaa Danso, the New Juaben Zonal Director of the Commission, said this year the Commission was working with Ranan Fish Feed Company to get feed for local farmers at affordable prices and rekindle the interest for fish farming. She advocated the usage and patronage of Ahoto Oven to improve on quality of grilled fish and assured fish farmers in the Region of a ready market. 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 Novel Coronavirus which is spreading in several parts of the world has now turned into an emergency situation worldwide. World Health Organization (WHO) has released important information and safety measures to tackle Coronavirus and now, Google has also stepped in to aid people. Google has now launched an SOS alert for Novel Coronavirus in Search. The SOS alert launched by Google with the World Health Organization (WHO) helps users to easily access resources related to Coronavirus. Starting today, when users search for related info on Google Search, it will display safety tips, info, resources, and Twitter updates from WHO. Searching for coronavirus will display a card that reads 2019 Novel Coronavirus SOS Alert and lets users share directly. At first, Top Stories are displayed which is followed by Local Updates, Help and Information, Safety Tips and lastly, results from other websites. The Safety Tips are sourced from who.int and some safety tips that are displayed include Clean hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub, Thoroughly cook meat and eggs, and more related tips. Given the situation of Novel Coronavirus now, Googles SOS Alert will be useful for many people. Source ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Jan. 31 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: The second meeting of the authorized representatives of the Caspian littoral states on the discussion of the project of the Agreement between the Governments of the Caspian States on Cooperation in Conducting Search and Rescue Operations in the Caspian Sea is being held at the Turkmen Foreign Ministry, Trend reports with reference to the Turkmen ministry. The event is attended by experts from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. The document is aimed to enhance the collaboration of the Caspian littoral states in conducting the search and rescue operations in the Caspian Sea. The issue was raised at the V Summit of the heads of the Caspian littoral states in Aktau (Kazakhstan) in August 2018. President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that there is still room for progress in implementing the provisions of the agreement on cooperation in the field of prevention of emergency situations and emergency management in the Caspian Sea. "Further work is needed on this matter taking into account the fact that most of the Caspian Sea is a common water area. The response mechanism also acts as an important component in search and rescue operations at sea. In this aspect, the development of a five-sided agreement in the field of search and rescue in the Caspian becomes particularly relevant," Turkmen head of state noted. Moreover, official Ashgabat has come up with the idea of creating a new Caspian environmental program as a set of environmental measures to ensure the rational use of the rich natural resources of the Caspian Sea. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexico voters ended decades of debate in 2018 by approving an independent ethics commission to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against state officeholders and others. Now supporters fear that the agency, in its first year of operation, isnt getting enough money to carry out its work. Furthermore, the new commission is in the odd position of having to ask lawmakers a group under the agencys jurisdiction for more funding. Rep. Daymon Ely, a Corrales Democrat who helped craft 2019 legislation outlining the commissions procedures and power, said hes hopeful the agency will get the necessary money this year. A state budget proposal is still under development in the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. Ely said hes nervous about the outcome. I do think going forward, this poses a problem, he told the Journal. You dont want the ethics commission thats going to oversee the Legislature having to get out the tin cup every year thats a potential conflict in the system. The budget talks, meanwhile, come as lawmakers consider adding more work to the agencys mission. A proposed constitutional amendment moving through the Senate calls for the State Ethics Commission to set the salaries of hundreds of state and county elected officials, starting in 2023. The commission could also establish salaries for legislators, who now draw per diem payments during the session and for attending meetings, along with reimbursement for some expenses. New Mexico legislators, however, arent paid a salary. Budget debate The budget debate, meanwhile, focuses on spending in two years this year and next. The agency received $500,000 in this years budget to begin operations, although legislative analysts have projected it would require close to $1 million to operate the commission for a full year. Consequently, the State Ethics Commission requested an extra $385,000 to help carry out its work this year a recommendation backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration. Requests for a midyear supplemental appropriation are common in New Mexicos budget process. But a budget proposal under consideration by the House appropriations committee wouldnt provide any extra money this year. Jeremy Farris, executive director of the State Ethics Commission, said the agency will struggle to handle even a moderate volume of ethics complaints through June the end of the fiscal year if it doesnt get the requested money. The commission also has other work to do, including developing training materials and issuing advisory opinions. There are also some startup costs, such as purchase of furniture. Denying supplemental appropriation, Farris said, would delay the launch and creation of this state agency. But budget talks are ongoing, and its early in the budget process. It isnt unusual for legislators to start with a smaller recommendation and then consider whether to increase it. In any case, next years budget is also under consideration this session. For the year starting July 1, the State Ethics Commission requested a little over $1.1 million. The governor recommended slightly more about $1.2 million. The budget package under consideration in the House would provide about $986,000, based on a recommendation by the Legislative Finance Committee, a panel that meets between legislative sessions. A coalition of groups including Common Cause New Mexico, New Mexico Ethics Watch, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government and the League of Women Voters announced support this week for fully funding the State Ethics Commission. It is an investment in good government which will pay off in many ways increased public trust and even economic development, said Heather Ferguson, executive director of Common Cause. More authority proposed Legislators, meanwhile, are debating whether to add to the commissions authority. A proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 7, would make the State Ethics Commission the sole authority to set the salaries of hundreds of state and county elected officials. If approved by lawmakers, the proposal would go before voters this fall. Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto, an Albuquerque Democrat and co-sponsor of the proposal, said it would be a way to de-politicize the setting of salaries. The only way for salaries to not be political is for us to be out of the salary business altogether, Ivey-Soto told his colleagues this week in a committee hearing. Under the bill, the State Ethics Commission could establish salaries for legislators. Democratic Sen. Linda Lopez of Albuquerque said she is hopeful that setting an appropriate salary for legislators would allow more people to serve, especially parents. Many legislators are retired or work in careers that give them the flexibility to travel to Santa Fe each year for the session. Not everybody can afford to be here, Lopez said. Sen. Clemente Sanchez, D-Grants, objected to the proposal. He described it as a backdoor way to create salaries for legislators, and he questioned whether the State Ethics Commission is the right agency for the work. I have a problem with an outside group thats not elected by anyone making a decision on appropriations, Sanchez said. Legislative analysts said the commission would need extra funding to determine the appropriate salaries for hundreds of officials in New Mexico. It wouldnt be needed right away, however, as the State Ethics Commission would set salaries in 2023. The proposal cleared the Senate Rules Committee 6-4 this week and now heads to the Judiciary Committee, potentially its last stop before reaching the full Senate. Beautifying interiors is hardcoded in Priscilla Bettencourts DNA. The Fremont natives mother was a talented designer, her father a contractor and a grandfather a Realtor. In hindsight, Bettencourt said, it was really only a matter of time before she inhabited either of those circles. I was exposed to the world of real estate and design my whole life, said Bettencourt, who launched Halcyon Staging + Design on Aug. 15, 2014. It sounds cliche, but I love what I do. I feel so passionately about working on these homes and making them beautiful. Bettencourts staging portfolio contains hundreds of homes in the Bay Area, and beyond. Some of her most recent projects occurred in the Mission District, Pacific Heights, Mission Bay, Eureka Valley, and shes even staged in Southern California. There are Realtors who refer to us as the good luck stagers because the homes we stage for them can go into contract in one to two days, Bettencourt said. While she studied interior design before launching her firm, Bettencourt said decorating comes naturally to her. I didnt realize how easy it came to me until I started my business and saw how many people needed help, she said. And the general consensus is Bettencourt is very good at staging homes. Details Priscilla Bettencourt, Halcyon Home Staging + Design, LLC. About: Halcyon Home Staging + Design is a full-service home staging firm specializing in services geared to maximize a property's resale value. The firm transforms listed homes into inviting and warm environments for potential buyers. Thanks to its vast inventory of furniture, art, accessories, house plants and the firm on Market Street has staged more $200 million in real estate, helping Bay Area home owners, Realtors and investors sell their homes quickly and at record-high prices. The firm has been recognized by Redfin for its staging expertise and it's rated among the top 10 home staging companies in San Francisco. Halcyon Home Staging + Design earned the "Best of Houzz Service" award in 2017, 2018 and 2019, as well as the "Best of Houzz Design" award in 2019. The "Best of Houzz Design" award is designated for those whose work is the most popular among Houzz's 40 million monthly users. Website: www.halcyonhomedesign.com. Phone: 415-794-9533 Email: halcyonhomedesign@ gmail.com. See More Collapse Her firm on Market Street earned the Best of Houzz Service Award in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Halcyon Staging + Design also received the Best of Houzz Design award in 2019, for their projects being among the most popular to Houzzs roughly 40 million monthly users. Bettencourt previously worked in the world of marketing, branding and advertising. She collaborated with companies including Google, Hewlett-Packard, Adobe and Motorola before diving into the world of staging a little more than five years ago. Though she rarely gets the time, Bettencourt enjoys traveling to Europe and surfing in Maui. In this interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Bettencourt talks about her design philosophy, the most rewarding part of her job and what it takes to stage a home that will appeal to the majority of buyers who see it. Q: What is your design philosophy? A: Showcasing a homes design potential and unlocking its true value. Halcyon Home Staging + Design brings life, beauty and warmth to every property we stage, which enables prospective buyers to envision themselves living in your home by emphasizing the space, features and functionality. Conscious application of colors, contrasts, shapes and textures bring to reality the imagery that creates significant return on investment. Q: Whats a piece of technology you cant imagine doing business without? A: While every design plan is created in an old fashioned sketchbook, running my business successfully without my phone would not be possible. Home staging takes you out of the office and away from your computer frequently, so having the ability to check email and answer texts or calls throughout the work day is crucial. Since we can tour multiple properties in a single day, Waze has been extremely useful in helping navigate around San Francisco traffic. Two of our favorite small business apps are provided by Quickbooks and Houzz. Quickbooks makes it easy to handle accounting needs on the go and Houzz allows us to present portfolio samples, testimonials and ideas on the spot during client meetings. Q: Is your interior designer/stager brain always on? Are you always dissecting places you go, looking for ideas or thinking about what you do or dont like? A: In short, yes. Some of my best ideas come to me in the middle of the night. Home staging design is a complex interplay between spontaneous and controlled thinking, so having the ability to create intuitively and deliberately evaluate ideas to determine whether theyll actually work is essential. While inspiration is collected from places we travel and media platforms such as Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram, etc., the house will always dictate design direction and each stage is custom tailored to the home to help unlock its true value. Q: Whats the most rewarding or satisfying part of your job? A: My greatest satisfaction comes not just from seeing a room come together with my ideas that transfer from mind to reality, but from the reaction of a client who cannot believe how nice their home looks, or from a Realtor who is thrilled at a transformation of their listing. It also comes from a part of me that feels great joy at using my talent and creativity in a way that brings happiness to others. Q: When staging a home, how do you appeal to the majority of potential buyers? A: Buyers in the San Francisco Bay Area love a classically modern home with eclectic touches. They are knowledgeable about the latest trends and appreciate quality furnishings and high-end design. Natural interior elements, original art and modern decor are incorporated into most homes we stage. This offers the wow factor that is highly appealing to buyers and allows them to mentally unpack while touring the home. Q: How does staging help improve a homes chances of selling? A: I cant stress this point enough: Home staging adds tremendous value and can provide a substantial return on investment. Calculating an exact return-on-investment percentage can be difficult since circumstances vary greatly, but at the end of the process, homes that are staged tend to sell much faster and for higher than their list price compared to vacant properties. We get non-believers all the time, but we prove to them home staging is worth every penny. Demonstrating the value of staging is especially important in San Francisco, which is so data-driven and analytical. Q: Do you have any rules about staging? A: We always ask clients to remove personal items from the home, as we really require the property to be vacant. Part of the reason staging can be so impactful is because while it can neutralize a space, beautiful furniture, decor and art really does transform a house into a warm and inviting environment. Every project and home has its own personality, requiring different decorating styles, so its important to keep a pulse on current design trends. We recently staged two properties, one downtown and the other in Pacific Heights. Those homes required more sophisticated details, while an upcoming project near Ocean Beach will have a Boho surfer-chic aesthetic that will incorporate surfboards, an abundance of plants, natural elements and fun art. Q: Do you ever turn down projects, and why? A: Simply put, we bring our A game to every property we stage and every home gets the same amount of design attention, no matter how large or small. We are often booked three to four months in advance, so if we cant provide an exceptional product due to schedule constraints, we will pass on staging. Just like terrorists: Indonesia boosts vigilance for blast fishers by Basten Gokkon January 31,2020 | Source: Mongabay In the weeks before last Christmas, marine authorities in eastern Indonesia reported separate arrests of locals using explosives to catch fish. The arrests highlighted what observers say is a routine increase in blast fishing across the archipelago ahead of long public holidays. Officers in East Nusa Tenggara province arrested eight fishermen in two separate cases on Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. They were caught using explosives to catch fish in what are some of Indonesias most biodiverse marine areas. Blast fishing is illegal under Indonesian law, and violators face up to five years in prison and 2 billion rupiah ($147,000) in fines if convicted. While fishermen use the method to target commercially valuable fish, marine animals such as dolphins and turtles both protected species in Indonesia and the fishermen themselves have often fallen victim to the dangerous practice. It typically takes place so close to shore that it also damages coral reefs. Indonesian authorities have worked for years to end the activity through incentives and deterrents. The combination of financial support to buy more sustainable fishing gear and the threat of arrest has seen many fishing communities abandon the practice. Local governments say they continue to urge fishermen to end blast fishing altogether, while supporting marine patrols by the coast guard, navy, and officials from the fisheries ministry and local authorities. They have also recruited fishermen to report on blast fishing in their areas. We group some fishermen for monitoring efforts. Theyre like our spies, Ganef Wurgiyanto, the head of provincial fisheries agency in East Nusa Tenggara, told Mongabay. He said each district in the province had at least two such groups of fishermen keeping an eye out for blast fishing. But the prospect of an easy catch close to shore, without having to spend money on fuel to go farther out to sea, means blast fishing remains an attractive prospect for many fishermen. And authorities say their activities end to spike during public holidays, when they sense monitoring by the authorities and by fellow fishermen is more lax. The recently arrested fishermen must have thought that the patrolling teams had paused their monitoring activities because it was almost the Christmas and New Year holiday, said Apolinardus Y.L. Demoor, head of the fisheries resources monitoring department in East Flores district, East Nusa Tenggara. So they started blast fishing again. Its a trend that shows up in other regions of Indonesia. Buyung Radjilun, head of the fisheries agency in North Maluku province, some 1,050 kilometers (650 miles) north of East Flores, said blast fishers in that region typically operate on Sundays and religious holidays, when much of the population goes to church. Theyre sneaky, from their silent operations to where they store their catch, he told Mongabay. Theyre extraordinary just like terrorists. Buyung said blast fishing remained rampant because law enforcement had failed to create much of a deterrent effect, because it tended to be focused on just the fishermen and not the suppliers of the explosives and buyers of their catch. Buyung added that investigations into some reported cases of blast fishing indicated that corrupt local officials were involved. They enable the blast fishers. Its an open secret, he said. Ganef, the East Nusa Tenggara fisheries head, said he would continue campaigning against blast fishing, including by discouraging consumers from buying fish caught this way and expanding programs to provide local fishermen with sustainable fishing gear. But given that such community outreach only takes place once a year, campaigning by the authorities wont be enough to end blast fishing, Buyung said. Instead, he called for an expanded law enforcement approach to apprehend all parties involved in supporting blast fishing. That includes choking off the supply of materials needed to make the explosive devices, which former fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti said in 2018 came mostly from Malaysia. If were truly committed to eradicating blast fishing and other forms of destructive fishing, we shouldnt just stop at arresting the fishermen, Buyung said. Otherwise, we wont be able to end this problem. 2020 Copyright Conservation news Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. Identity and access management in 2022 - what will the future look like? As we enter into 2022, there is still a level of uncertainty in place. Its unclear what the future holds, as companies around the world still contend with the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote working has been encouraged by most organisations and the move to a hybrid working system has become business as usual, for the majority of businesses. Some have reduced their office space or done away with their locations altogether. Following best security practices With all this change in place, there are problems to deal with. According to research, 32.7% of IT admins say they are concerned about employees using unsecured networks to carry out that work. Alongside this, 74% of IT admins thought that remote work makes it harder for employees to follow best security practices. This need to manage security around remote work is no longer temporary. Instead, companies have to build permanent strategies around remote work and security. The coming year will also create a different landscape for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). Here are some key predictions for next year and what to start preparing for in 2022: The reality of SMB spending around security will hit home SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working SMBs had to undertake significant investments to adapt to remote working, especially in comparison to their size. They had to undertake significant digital transformation projects that made it possible to deliver services remotely, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weve seen a shift in mindset for these companies, which are now more tech-focused in their approach to problem solving. According to our research, 45% of SMBs plan to increase their spending towards IT services in 2022. Around half of all organisations think their IT budgets are adequate for their needs, while 14.5% of those surveyed believe they will need more, to cover all that needs to be done. Identity management spending to support remote work For others, the COVID-19 pandemic led to over-spending, just to get ahead of things and they will spend in 2022, looking at what they should keep and what they can reduce their spending on. Areas like identity management will stay in place, as companies struggle to support remote work and security, without this in place. However, on-premise IT spending will be reduced or cut, as those solutions are not relevant for the new work model. Services that rely on on-premise IT will be cut or replaced. The device will lead the way for security We rely on our phones to work and to communicate. In 2022, they will become central to how we manage access, to all our assets and locations, IT and physical. When employees can use company devices and their own phones for work, security is more difficult. IT teams have to ensure that theyre prepared for this, by making sure that these devices can be trusted. Wide use of digital certificates and strong MFA factors Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication There are multiple ways that companies can achieve this, for example - By using digital certificates to identify company devices as trusted, an agent, or strong MFA factors, like a FIDO security key or mobile push authentication. Whichever approach you choose, this can prevent unauthorised access to IT assets and applications, and these same devices can be used for authentication into physical locations too. Rather than requiring a separate smart card or fingerprint reader, devices can be used for access using push authentication. Understanding human behaviour Alongside this, it is important to understand human behaviour. Anything that introduces an extra step for authentication can lead to employees taking workarounds. To stop this, it is important to put an employee education process in place, in order to emphasize on the importance of security. The next step is to think about adopting passwordless security, to further reduce friction and increase adoption. Lastly, as devices become the starting point for security and trust, remote device management will be needed too. More companies will need to manage devices remotely, from wiping an asset remotely if it gets lost or stolen, through to de-provisioning users easily and removing their access rights, when they leave the company. Identity will be a layer cake Zero Trust approaches to security Identity management relies on being able to trust that someone is who they say they are. Zero Trust approaches to security can support this effectively, particularly when aligned with least privilege access models. In order to turn theory into practical easy-to-deploy steps, companies need to use contextual access, as part of their identity management strategy. This involves looking at the context that employees will work in and putting together the right management approach for those circumstances. For typical employee behaviour, using two factor authentication might be enough to help them work, without security getting in the way. How enterprises manage, access and store identity data There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time For areas where security is more important, additional security policies can be put over the top, to ensure that only the right people have access. A step-up in authentication can be added, based on the sensitivity of resources or risk-based adaptive authentication policies might be needed. There will also be a shift in how enterprises manage, access, and store that identity data over time, so that it aligns more closely with those use cases. Identity management critical to secure assets in 2022 There are bigger conversations taking place around digital identity for citizenship, as more services move online as well. Any moves that take place in this arena will affect how businesses think about their identity management processes too, encouraging them to look at their requirements in more detail. Overall, 2022 will be the year when identity will be critical to how companies keep their assets secure and their employees productive. With employees working remotely and businesses becoming decentralised, identity strategies will have to take the same approach. This will put the emphasis on strong identity management as the starting point for all security planning. 2.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) said that Trumps Ukraine behavior was inappropriate and wrong, but doesnt rise to the level of removal. Portman said in a statement: I do not believe that additional witnesses are needed. I have said consistently for the past four months since the Zelensky transcript was first released, that I believe that some of the presidents actions in this case including asking a foreign country to investigate a potential political opponent and the delay of aid to Ukraine were wrong and inappropriate. But I do not believe that the presidents actions rise to the level of removing a duly-elected president from office and taking him off the ballot in the middle of an election. I also believe that processing additional witnesses will take weeks if not months, and its time for the House and Senate to get back to addressing the issues the American people are most concerned about lowering prescription drug costs, rebuilding our roads and bridges, and strengthening our economy. Trumps actions were not inappropriate. They were illegal The GAO found that Trump broke the law when he withheld the aid from Ukraine in a bid to extort a Biden investigation out of Ukraine. Republicans dont have the guts to hear from witnesses, so they are scrambling to blame everyone but themselves for their failure to hold Trump accountable. Lisa Murkowski said that it was impossible to hold a fair trial, so she was voting against making the trial fair. Rob Portman is one of several Republicans who are dumbing down Trumps crimes while blaming the House. The truth is that Rob Portmans statement could have been released before the trial started. Republicans were never going to listen to the evidence. Trumps trial was always a sham, and Senate Republicans are showing the nation why they should lose their majority in November. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, would on Thursday, February 20, 2020, deliver to the Parliament of Ghana, a Message on the State of the Nation. This is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana. Article 67 of the Constitution states that The President shall, at the beginning of each Session of Parliament and before a dissolution of Parliament, deliver to Parliament a message on the State of the Nation. The Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, made the announcement when presenting the Explanatory Memorandum of the Business Statement for the first week ending Friday, January 31, 2020, to Members of Parliament on Tuesday, January 28, 2020. Mr. Speaker, the House would also receive His Excellency, the President of the Republic in February 2020, when he attends upon Parliament in accordance with Article 67 of the Constitution to deliver a Message on the State of the Nation, he noted. The State of the Nation (SONA) is an annual address to Parliament given by the President of the Republic of Ghana covering economic, security, social and financial state of the country among others. SONA according to Wikipedia, was first implemented under the administration of the second President of the Fourth Republic of Ghana led by John Agyekum Kufour. Records show that former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, was the first President to deliver the State of the Nation address in Ghana, hence, sticking rigidly to the letter of the constitution, which says the president should give a State of the Nation address at the beginning and close of every parliamentary session. 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 If there was any tension, the two men did their best not to show it with smiles, warm words and firm denials dominating a press conference between US secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. No, there was no implied quid-pro-quo, said Mr Pompeo; there was no push to make Ukraines new leader open an investigation into Joe Biden in exchange for a White House visit and/or military assistance. No, there was no way impeachment had sullied the relations between Ukraine and the United States, said Mr Zelensky. If anything, the contrary was true: The Unites States really supports and defends us. It was a time for deeds not words, the men agreed. Yet apart from the warm words, president Donald Trumps chief envoy offered little in the way of new commitments. There would, for example, be no offer of a visit to the White House in the foreseeable future. Some had speculated this might be offered in a bid to reduce Mr Trumps impeachment pains in Washington. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters We will find the right time, an important opportunity, the secretary of state said. We want to make sure it happens when there is substantial progress. Mr Zelensky said that he would be prepared to fly tomorrow given the opportunity. Behind the warm facade, the Ukrainian leader is all too aware of the prevailing difficulties in relations. Not only has Ukraine become a subject of a US domestic tug-of-war and now largely mentioned in negative terms such as corruption Donald Trump is much less forward in support of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia than Barack Obama ever was. Much of Mr Trump's foreign policy, from Syria to NATO, has aligned with Moscow. His withholding of $391m million of military assistance to Ukraine, apparently in exchange for probing conspiracy theories into rival Joe Biden, is meanwhile at the centre of a 4 month long impeachment inquiry. Today's visit by Mr Pompeo was the first visit by a top Trump official to Ukraine since the investigation began. Ukrainian anxieties were amplified last Friday when NPR journalist Mary Louise Kelly published her account of a scandalous interview with Mike Pompeo. Upon being questioned on Ukraine, the secretary of state alleged to have snapped Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?, using an expletive in the sentence. He later accused the journalist of lying but did not dispute the substance of what she reported. But even if that embarrassing moment was broached in private, it was kept well away from the press packs in Kiev today. With the announcement of allowing Huawei to partially participate in its 5G network construction, the United Kingdom became the first Five Eyes intelligence-sharing ally to openly defy the Trump administrations call for a total ban of the Chinese telecom giant. Despite the relentless pressure and threat from the United States, including personal calls from President Trump, and opposition from his own party, Prime Minister Boris Johnson demonstrated courage and leadership by making a decision based on Britains national interests and security risk calculations. The U.K. decision on how to manage Huaweis presence has significant global implications. First, it sets an example of not blindly following Washington. Instead of a total ban or a totally open option, U.K. permits Huawei to have up to 35 per cent of its 5G market share in the non-core security areas while listing the company as a high risk entity with close monitoring in place. This approach is a careful compromise between meeting the U.S. demands and not damaging relations with China. Second, it puts British economic interests first with a set of measures to mitigate security risks. Up to now, all four major U.K. telecom providers have business collaborations with Huawei in their existing operations. Taking Huawei out will incur substantial cost while there are not enough alternatives. Even with partial inclusion of Huawei in its 5G networks, it is estimated that the immediate benefits to the British economy will be well over $1.7 billion CAN. With the uncertainty ahead after the Brexit, the U.K. has sided with pragmatism over ideological rigidity. Third, the U.K. decision on Huawei is likely to have an AIIB Effect globally. In 2015, China launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank initiative, and the U.S. fiercely lobbied its allies not to join. But Britain broke rank with the U.S. and joined the AIIB, leading to other U.S. allies, including Canada in a later date, to join the new global institution. Today, like then, many countries are watching Britain closely on the Huawei move, and they are likely to be relieved to see such a hybrid solution, that is to allow a certain level of Huawei participation while implementing enough mechanisms to guard against potential risks involved. What about Canadas pending decision on Huaweis involvement in our own 5G networks? Following the EU and the U.K.s gentle rebuff of Washingtons bullying over Huawei, it is time for Ottawa to take its own stand. Given the circumstances, this should be pragmatic and based on self-interest. We should not succumb to President Trumps hectoring to retreat into the primitive cave of fortress North America when the U.S. has no viable 5G alternative on offer, nor should we be wooed by Huaweis founder Ren Zhengfeis promise to make Canada its North American R&D base. Huawei technology is neither a gift nor a Trojan horse. Instead, we should look it straight in the mouth and promptly bridle it through regulation because 5G technology is both an opportunity and a risk. Since much of Huaweis 5G technology was developed right here in Canada by engineers formerly employed by Canadas flagship technology enterprise Nortel, we should not undermine Canadas technology competitiveness through an outright ban. At the same time, we need to understand, evaluate and mitigate the risks of technology co-operation with Huawei and other firms and bodies associated with the Chinese state. Canadas interests lie both with an open competitive system and robust research collaboration but we must also be vigilant and closely monitor Chinese research partnerships here to ensure that Canadians retain intellectual property and to prevent leakages of sensitive technology to the detriment of our own interests and those of our allies. We should ride this horse rather than locking it out but should steer it where we want to go. The core issue is regulating 5G technology at the national and the international levels. Washingtons pressuring of its allies has been a distraction from the real issues at stake. We need a robust system for registering and monitoring research partnerships but not one that is completely in the hand of security agencies. A model, like the Tri-council research ethics system, may work with monitoring by a special body with representatives from industry, academia and government, that also include security agencies. Monash University has delayed the start of first semester by one week and ordered students to stay away from campus until mid-March in an unprecedented move to ward off the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Students from all six of the university's campuses were scheduled to return back from their summer break on March 2, but an email sent out late Friday afternoon said the return date had been pushed out until March 9 due to the "unprecedented and evolving situation". Caulfield Campus, Monash University. One of six campuses where exams have been postponed. Credit:Monash University All subjects at Monash, which has the largest number of enrolments of any university in Victoria (more than 83,000), will be taught online only for the first week of classes starting March 9. Lectures will be livestreamed, as the university locks in emergency plans to protect students from an outbreak. Our population is so young that most of the people are in the 40-and-under category, Matt Barreto, a founder of the polling firm Latino Decisions, said in an interview. So in the aggregate he is doing really well among Hispanic voters. Indeed, Mr. Sanders remains far more popular among younger Latino voters than among older ones. But he now runs a strong second to Mr. Biden even among Latinos over 50, pulling 21 percent of their votes, according to a Pew survey released on Thursday. All of the other Democratic candidates poll in the single digits with this group. He came out of the 2016 election with a lot of following, Mr. Barreto said. When 2020 started, he was already a known quantity. But that by itself was not going to get him all the votes. Hes brought a number of high-level staff onto his campaign and he has people in senior leadership positions, and they are pushing the campaign to engage more in Latino outreach. That is paying off. Its not just happening in Texas and California, and Latinos are not the only voters of color supporting Mr. Sanders to a significant degree. A national CNN poll released last week found Mr. Sanders pulling 30 percent of all nonwhite voters to Mr. Bidens 27 percent. A Monmouth University poll last week and the Pew survey were a little less kind to him than CNNs poll, but those two still found him trailing Mr. Biden by just eight points among Democratic voters of color nationwide. (Monmouth polled those likely to vote in a primary or caucus, while Pew looked at all registered voters.) The Democratic Partys white electorate has grown markedly more liberal over the past two decades, but African-American and Hispanic Democrats who now make up roughly two-fifths of the partys membership still tend to identify as moderate or conservative, according to years of Gallup data. This would seem to present a challenge for Mr. Sanders, whose policy proposals favor an expansive agenda to fight poverty and climate change, and who draws some of his most solid support from voters who identify as very liberal. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said that all measures were being taken for the assistance, safety and welfare of Pakistani nationals in China ever since the outbreak of coronavirus there. Islamabad: Work on the project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistans South Punjab was Thursday stopped in wake of growing coronavirus. Officials said the screening process of 71 Chinese engineers and their security personnel was underway to diagnose any kind of virus in their bodies. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said that all measures were being taken for the assistance, safety and welfare of Pakistani nationals in China ever since the outbreak of coronavirus there. At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said, Our embassy and consulates in China have reached out to all the Pakistani students. She said we are also in touch with the Chinese officials who have assured us about the safety and wellbeing of our nationals. SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - AbbVie (ABBV) said CHMP, the Committee of the European Medicines Agency, has granted a positive opinion for VENCLYXTO (venetoclax) in combination with obinutuzumab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who were previously untreated. The final decision by European Commission is expected in the first half of 2020. Neil Gallagher, chief medical officer and vice president of development, said: 'If approved by the EC, the venetoclax and obinutuzumab combination would be the first chemotherapy-free option for treatment-naive patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia where dosing can be completed in one year.' VENCLYXTO is being developed by AbbVie and Roche. It is jointly commercialized by AbbVie and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, in the U.S. and by AbbVie outside of the U.S. 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 31 January 2020 SAUSALITO, California - Marin Management, Inc., a California-based hotel management company, has announced that its founder and president, John Manderfeld, will retire effective Aug. 31 after more than 50 years in the hospitality industry. Advertisements Manderfeld will continue in an advisory role after his official retirement and will work closely with Hogan Hospitality's leadership team during the transition. A successor will be announced in the upcoming months. John Manderfeld Photo: Hogan Hospitality Group "Helping hotel owners realize the potential of their investments and provide better experiences for their guests is the reason I founded Marin Management, and has driven my passion for hospitality throughout my career," said Manderfeld. "It has been my great pleasure to work with some of the most talented and dedicated professionals in the hospitality industry, and I'm especially grateful to my team for their support all of these years." Manderfeld founded Marin Management in 1990 and expanded the company's services over 30 years to include consulting, development and management services for the lodging and restaurant industries. Under his leadership, Marin Management operates a diverse portfolio of 27 branded and independent hotels across California, Arizona, Texas, Wyoming and other states. In 2018, Manderfeld sold Marin Management to Hogan Hospitality Group and continued to serve as president of Marin Management. Hogan Hospitality's extensive resources and hotel ownership experience, combined with Marin Management's network and diverse portfolio of properties enabled the company to secure a number of new contracts, growing its portfolio by 70 percent year over year in 2019. "All of us at Hogan Hospitality and Marin Management are grateful to John for his leadership, vision and guidance. His ability to identify opportunities and establish new partnerships has enabled Marin Management to enter the new year with exciting prospects for our clients," said Gary Hogan, CEO of Hogan Hospitality. "We look forward to working with John in his advisory role after September while he spends more time with friends and family. Together, we are committed to continuing John's legacy at Marin Management - offering the highest level of service and hospitality insight to hotel owners." About Marin Management, Inc. Founded in 1990, Marin Management, Inc. is a full-service hotel and restaurant management company headquartered in Sausalito, California. Owned by Hogan Hospitality, Marin Management provides a variety of full-service and limited-service management, consulting, development, and support services to upscale mid-market hotel franchises throughout California, Arizona, Texas and Wyoming. National franchise brands include Hilton Hotels Corporation, Wyndham International, Choice Hotels International, Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG), and others. The company also operates independent hotels such as Bay Landing Hotel at San Francisco International Airport, Maple Tree Inn in Silicon Valley and Sheridan Inn, Wyoming. To learn more about Marin Management, visit www.hotelpros.biz. A cheeky vandal got more than he bargained for when he kicked a pillar on a bridge - and caused a chain reaction that brought down more than 200 concrete posts. The young man was caught on CCTV pushing a wonky column with his foot on a bridge in Gu County, in China's Shanxi province. As the pillar fell into the water below it dragged those either side connected by metal chains, with a total of 215 falling in the river along a 750 yard stretch of the bridge. The young man was caught on CCTV pushing a wonky column with his foot on a bridge in Gu County, in China's Shanxi province The tourist and his friend, both wearing caps and surgical face masks, watched in astonishment as the pillars cascaded into the water one after another like dominoes. They were then seen skulking away as other tourists on the embankment, known as Shili Corridor, leapt out of the way. Officials said the police had been informed but it is not clear whether any arrests have been made after the incident on Wednesday. The tourist kicks one pillar apparently 'for fun' but sparks an unexpected chain reaction The tourist and his friend, both wearing caps and surgical face masks, watch in astonishment as the pillars cascade into the water one after another like dominoes A county government spokesman faced questions today over why the railing, meant to prevent visitors from falling into the river, was so fragile. He said the tourist appeared to kick the first pillar 'for fun'. He added: 'A total of 215 concrete pillars were damaged along a 688-metre (2,257ft) section. 'It was a chain reaction because they were connected by a metal chain. 'When one fell, it pulled another, and another, and another.' He said the government would respond later to safety questions. The pair skulk away as other tourists on the Shili Corridor embankment leap out of the way Senator Lamar Alexander on Friday said the proof against President Donald Trump does not meet the Constitution's "high bar" for impeachment. Concerning his vote regarding additional evidence in the impeachment proceedings, he said: I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense. There is no need for more evidence to prove that the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter; he said this on television on October 3, 2019, and during his July 25, 2019, telephone call with the president of Ukraine. There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a mountain of overwhelming evidence. There is no need to consider further the frivolous second article of impeachment that would remove the president for asserting his constitutional prerogative to protect confidential conversations with his close advisers. It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation. When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate. The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did. I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday. The Senate has spent nine long days considering this mountain of evidence, the arguments of the House managers and the presidents lawyers, their answers to senators questions and the House record. Even if the House charges were true, they do not meet the Constitutions treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors standard for an impeachable offense. The framers believed that there should never, ever be a partisan impeachment. That is why the Constitution requires a 2/3 vote of the Senate for conviction. Yet not one House Republican voted for these articles. If this shallow, hurried and wholly partisan impeachment were to succeed, it would rip the country apart, pouring gasoline on the fire of cultural divisions that already exist. It would create the weapon of perpetual impeachment to be used against future presidents whenever the House of Representatives is of a different political party. Our founding documents provide for duly elected presidents who serve with the consent of the governed, not at the pleasure of the United States Congress. Let the people decide. "The 2020 Sonata and Palisade are the first sedan and SUV, respectively, to adopt Hyundai's new customer-centered design philosophy, Sensuous Sportiness," said SangYup Lee, Head of Hyundai Design Center. "We are honored to be recognized for their design excellence with this prestigious award. Evolution in Hyundai design will be more clearly revealed through our upcoming cars and we will remain focused on developing our customer-centered design philosophy, rather than designing from a manufacturer perspective." 2020 Hyundai Sonata The new-generation Sonata is the first four-door sedan fully transformed by Hyundai's new design philosophy to take on an agile and sexy coupe appearance. A parametric cascading grille spans the front of the new Sonata. A chrome line flows from the wing mirror, right around the side passenger windows and returns to the front of the car by running down the length of the hood and ending at a sharp right angle beneath each headlight. This chrome strip features graduated LED daytime running lights embedded with hidden lamps. The side panels are accentuated by the light architecture, connecting two chrome lines that seamlessly link the windows and daytime running lights. Through these character lines, the Sonata effuses a flowing and sporty character. At the rear, a wide horizontal line extends across the center of the trunk, stretching to the edges of the car, improving aerodynamic of the vehicle. This line is actually a long, thin LED strip that connects each brake light, creating a striking visual impression at night. Sonata's new interior conforms to a "Beautifully Smart" theme, aligned with the expectations of Hyundai customers seeking advanced technologies applied naturally and intuitively. The instrument panel is rich and modern. This shape presents a levitating effect and this aesthetic carries into the long armrests. Designers compressed the height of the dashboard and HVAC vents as much as possible to emphasize the lightweight feeling, while light fabric colors and supple leathers provide a fresh and inviting ambience for the driver. 2020 Hyundai Palisade The 2020 Hyundai Palisade's styling conveys dignity with style in an understated theme that demonstrates clear differentiation worthy of a flagship SUV. A bold and wide cascading grille dominates the front, clearly representing a premium SUV. Separated composite headlamps and a vertically connected forward lighting signature create a strong and distinctive demeanor. A powerful, extended hood profile creates an impressive road presence, while bold C-pillars and a panoramic glass side graphic convey generous third-row spaciousness. Fender flares and full body sides accentuate Palisade's muscularity. The rear view emphasizes a wide and stable stance via sinuous detailing and a vertical LED rear tail lamp design. Panoramic rear glass coupled with a cutaway roof provides a generous sense of spaciousness for rear passengers. Unlike the vertical rise suggested by the exterior design, the interior design emphasizes a horizontal layout that promotes a sense of relaxation and comfort, creating a lounge-like environment with eight-passenger seating as standard for family outings. Leather-equipped models offer premium, quilted Nappa leather, while on the instrument panel, smooth woodgrain trim in a wraparound design creates a harmonious and refined ambience. GOOD DESIGN Awards Founded in Chicago in 1950, the GOOD DESIGN Awards honor the yearly achievements of the best industrial and graphic designers and world manufacturers for their pursuit of extraordinary design excellence. GOOD DESIGN is the oldest and the most prestigious architecture and design awards program organized worldwide and strives to create a revived awareness about contemporary design. The awards honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have charted new directions and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. In November, juries met in New York and San Francisco and selected over 900 product designs and graphics from over 38 nations worthy of the GOOD DESIGN Award for their design excellence. Hyundai Motor America At Hyundai Motor America, we believe everyone deserves better. From the way we design and build our cars to the way we treat the people who drive them, making things better is at the heart of everything we do. Hyundai's technology-rich product lineup of cars, SUVs and alternative-powered electric and fuel cell vehicles is backed by Hyundai Assuranceour promise to create a better experience for customers. Hyundai vehicles are sold and serviced through more than 830 dealerships nationwide and nearly half of those sold in the U.S. are built at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Hyundai Motor America is headquartered in Fountain Valley, California, and is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Company of Korea. Please visit our media website at www.HyundaiNews.com Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram SOURCE Hyundai Motor America Related Links http://www.hyundainews.com More than 150 Australians stuck in China at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak have registered interest in boarding an emergency flight to be quarantined on Christmas Island. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the government had received "very strong interest" from Australians wanting to be evacuated from the city of Wuhan, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus an international public health emergency. There are now 7834 confirmed cases of the virus across the world and more than 200 reported deaths. Some of the Australians who have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for the evacuation plan are dual citizens who arrived in China on their Chinese passports. The Australian government is locked in talks with Beijing about relaxing its assisted departure rules to allow dual citizens to be evacuated. The number of people trapped who have registered with DFAT is believed to be just over 150. DENVER Rhonda Fields stood at the Colorado Senate lectern Thursday, defiant and angry as she assailed a seventh attempt in recent years to repeal the death penalty one that could finally pass this year in the state Legislature. It has been Fields, an Aurora Democrat, and many Republican lawmakers who have stymied past efforts, keeping Colorados little-used capital punishment statute on the books. The first word that comes into my mind is, Really? Fields began after co-sponsors Julie Gonzales, a Democrat, and Republican Jack Tate presented the newest bill on the Senate floor. Will you please help the people of Colorado understand your motive and rationale for abolishing the death penalty when the people of Colorado dont want to? Fields said. She and other opponents cited recent polling suggesting most Coloradans support the penalty and she urged lawmakers to let voters decide the issue. After hours of debate, the Senate tentatively approved the bill, adding an amendment introduced by Fields declaring that any repeal wouldnt apply to the three men on Colorados death row. A second vote is needed to send it to the House, where Democratic leaders say its prospects are favorable. For Fields, the stakes are personal. Her son, Javad Marshall-Fields, and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe, were murdered while driving on a suburban Denver street in 2005. Robert Ray and Sir Mario Owens were sentenced to die for the killings. The third person on Colorados death row is Nathan Dunlap, convicted of the brutal shooting deaths of four people inside an Aurora Chuck E. Cheese restaurant in 1993. In 2013, then-Gov. John Hickenlooper, now a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, indefinitely delayed Dunlaps execution. Hickenlooper has since come out saying he opposes the death penalty. On Thursday, the Democrat-controlled Senate engaged in a familiar, if ever-painful, debate over morality, faith, deterrence, discrimination against defendants of color and wrongful convictions. Some cited the fact that Colorados last execution came in 1997 and before that, in 1967. Gary Lee Davis died by lethal injection for the 1986 kidnapping, rape and murder of a neighbor, Virginia May. This idea that murdering is wrong except when the state does it strikes me as untenable, said Gonzales, who sponsored similar legislation last year. I dont support the state having the power over life and death under any circumstance, Tate declared, calling his stand a philosophical one. The value of capital punishment has seen to present itself as possibly one of the most tragic set of false expectations Ive run across. Sen. John Cooke, the assistant minority leader and a former Weld County sheriff, and other GOP senators argued that the death penalty has induced countless defendants to seek plea deals to solve or close cases. The bill would apply to offenses charged on and after July 1, and Gonzales made a point of saying that would leave Ray, Owens and Dunlap on death row. Fields countered that Democratic Gov. Jared Polis supports the bill and has suggested he would commute death sentences for the three. New Hampshire repealed capital punishment last year, becoming the 21st U.S. state to do so. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. OTTAWA Winnipegs National Microbiology Lab has tested samples from 101 people within Canada for a new coronavirus as of Thursday, when officials deemed it a global health emergency. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA Winnipegs National Microbiology Lab has tested samples from 101 people within Canada for a new coronavirus as of Thursday, when officials deemed it a global health emergency. The lab co-ordinates Canada's provincial responses and federal research to pathogens such as the novel coronavirus, believed to have originated in Wuhan, China. "They are working day and night, really, really hard, primarily on the diagnostic tests. But they are also contributing to the international collaboration on research," Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, told reporters Thursday afternoon. Tam told media the Winnipeg lab has tested samples from 101 people, of which three tested positive, and 58 were deemed negative. Forty cases were awaiting results. She was speaking hours after the World Health Organization declared the virus a national health emergency. Tam is the bureaucratic head of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), based in Ottawa. She said the Winnipeg lab is helping global research efforts, since it's actually come across samples from people who have the virus. The work involves doing research with the virus genome sequence published by Chinese officials. The hope is an existing vaccination used for other coronaviruses can work on the Wuhan strain Tam estimated "there will not be a vaccine for at least another year," if a particular one for this coronavirus is needed. The National Microbiology Lab also gets a sample of each case of suspected coronavirus provincial labs test, to verify the results. "This is important because these are new tests, and so additional verification is (the) best practice," Tam said. She did not know how many Winnipeg employees are involved in each task. PHAC would not make anyone from the Winnipeg lab available for an interview Thursday. However, Gary Liu, who works at the Winnipeg lab, took it upon himself to self-quarantine after a family visit to China, though not in the affected area. "I'm not an expert, but I pay extra caution to myself, and the public," said Liu, who was only speaking on his own behalf. "Im not an expert in the virus." Liu had helped organize a Lunar New Year event for Feb. 8 in Winnipeg, which has been postponed. Chinese officials forbade the event's star attraction, Hebei Acrobatic Troupe, from leaving the country, as theyre from the affected province. Liu had already taken two weeks off to prepare for the celebration, which hes now spending at home, ordering in food. The novel coronavirus takes about 10 to 14 days for symptoms appear hes been back for 12, and hes not taking any chances. While he was in China for his mothers 80th birthday, plans to hit the town were scrapped. His family would normally be out celebrating Chinese New Year, but most are huddled at home watching television, he said. Liu suspects others who returned to Manitoba from China are also quarantining themselves. "We dont want to give any chance to the public to get sick," said Liu. "Health is more important." In China, he recalled officials administering temperature tests at trains and airports, and said almost every passenger on the flight to Vancouver wore face masks. He urged Winnipeggers to wash their hands and see a doctor if theyre having flu-like symptoms. Manitobans can also phone Health Links at 204-788-8200 or toll-free at 1-888-315-9257. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg lab is among a few dozen in the world that can handle Level 4 pathogens, requiring the highest level of biosecurity. In recent years, former National Microbiology Lab virologist Xiangguo Qiu had helped train officials at Chinas first Level 4 government lab which happens to be based in Wuhan. Qiu was escorted out of the Winnipeg lab last July, over what PHAC called "a policy breach" involving shipment of pathogens to China. Employees at the lab have blamed the incident on higher-ups botching paperwork. The case remains under RCMP investigation. Online conspiracy sites have linked Qiu with the Wuhan outbreak without providing any proof. Officials say the two are not linked. with files from Katie May dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca A professional development summit will take place Friday evening in Oakland and includes a one-man play that has received accolades. The summit gets underway at 6 p.m. at the Oakland Museum of California at 1000 Oak St. "The Absent Father, The Wayward Son," a one-man play by Brandon Hughes starts at 7:30 p.m. in the James Moore Theater. It's the 11th year for the event, which is sponsored by The African American Regional Educational Alliances and hosted by Friday Nights at the OMCA. A federal appeals court in San Francisco Thursday upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the father of a schizophrenic transgender woman who died in Berkeley police custody in 2013. Kayla Moore, 41, collapsed in the early morning of Feb. 13, 2013, during a struggle with police who were summoned to her Berkeley apartment by her roommate. She was declared dead at a hospital shortly afterwards. A lawsuit filed against the city of Berkeley and the officers by her father, Arthur Moore, included claims of false arrest, excessive force and wrongful death. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's dismissal of the lawsuit. The panel said police were justified in seeking to take her into custody for a mental health evaluation because she appeared to be experiencing paranoia and her roommate said he feared for his safety. City officials on Thursday celebrated the opening of a new residential development, creating over 500 new units of housing with 149 of them being affordable, below market rate homes. The new development, called The Avery, consists of three buildings at Folsom and First streets, in the city's South Beach neighborhood. One building is 618 feet tall, another is 65 feet tall and another is 85 feet tall. The 149 permanently affordable units are for families earning up to 50 percent of the area median income, while 280 other apartments will be market rate. The remaining 118 will be sold as luxury condominiums. The new housing is the fourth housing project in the immediate area, called the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area. Back in 2005, the city's Board of Supervisors approved redeveloping the area, allowing for the sale of vacant land parcels owned by the state of California. Once fully completed, the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area will have a total of 3,206 brand new homes, of which 1,381 will be permanently affordable, the mayor's office said. Eight parents and teachers filed a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Unified School District on Thursday alleging that police officers used excessive force against them in a confrontation at a school board meeting in October in which some of them were injured. The confrontation occurred at an Oct. 23 meeting at which parents and teachers protested against the large number of charter schools in the district and the district's plan to close some schools and merge them with other schools. Video from the meeting showed police officers striking the protesting parents with batons as they approached a metal barricade. Six protesters were arrested at the meeting. Speaking at a news conference outside Oakland Technical High School, civil rights attorney Dan Siegel, who represents the plaintiffs, said that in addition to alleging that officers used excessive force the suit alleges that the school district violated the protesters' First Amendment free speech rights by denying them the right to speak at the board meeting. School district officials and school board members have alleged that protesters who oppose the plans to close schools have disrupted numerous board meetings, but the suit claims that by cracking down on protesters the district intended to "chill and interfere with plaintiffs' constitutionally protected rights to speech, assembly and association." Police arrested a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a woman early last week in Berkeley, police said Thursday. Alexander McGee, 29, of Oakland, was arrested Wednesday night following the crash Jan. 20 on a sidewalk near University Avenue and Sixth Street. McGee was allegedly fleeing in a car from a University of California police officer when the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. The name of the victim, who was 58 years old and homeless, is not being released because her family hasn't been notified, according to the Alameda County coroner's bureau. Before McGee allegedly fled, police were approaching McGee's gray four-door Nissan sedan because the university police officer saw a woman inside that car and the woman was apparently screaming for help. As the officer approached the Nissan, McGee allegedly drove onto the sidewalk, hitting and killing the female pedestrian, Berkeley police Officer Byron White said. A suspect was arrested Thursday on suspicion of robbing a bank in Pinole one day before, police said. The suspect went into the Mechanics Bank at 2690 Pinole Valley Road at about 9:20 a.m. and went up to a teller. Police said the suspect gave the teller a note and demanded cash. The teller complied and the person apparently left the bank before bank personnel notified police. The suspect was identified as 59-year-old Bryan Richardson of Berkeley. Richardson was allegedly wanted by other Bay Area police departments for similar offenses. He was arrested Thursday in Alameda County on an unrelated offense. A new commute program is underway to encourage workers in the Napa Valley to use alternate methods of transportation to get to work. Napa Valley Forward aims to provide employer-focused incentives for employees who carpool, vanpool, ride public transit and walk or bicycle to work. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission partnered with Napa Valley Vineyards and Visit Napa Valley to launch Napa Valley Forward Monday. Informational events are scheduled through mid-March in the Napa Valley for workers to learn more about Napa Valley Forward. Workers who enroll in Napa Valley Forward can receive subsidies and other incentives to change their usual solo-driving commute. Incentives to enroll in Napa Valley Forward include a Clipper card equal to a 31-day VINE transit bus system pass or $50 gas cards for registered carpools. Friday will be partly cloudy with patchy fog in the morning. Highs will be in the lower 60s. East winds will be around 5 mph before switching to northwest winds in the afternoon. Friday night will be partly cloudy before becoming mostly cloudy. Lows will be in the lower 50s. West winds will be 5 to 10 mph. Saturday will be mostly cloudy. Highs will be in the mid 50s. West winds will be 5 to 10 mph, before increasing to 10 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. NEW YORK - Lawyers for a woman who accuses President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump talks during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, in Washington. Lawyers for E. Jean Carroll who accuses Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File) NEW YORK - Lawyers for a woman who accuses President Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s are asking for a DNA sample, seeking to determine whether his genetic material is on a dress she says she wore during the encounter. Advice columnist E. Jean Carrolls lawyers served notice to a Trump attorney Thursday for Trump to submit a sample on March 2 in Washington for analysis and comparison against unidentified male DNA present on the dress. Carroll filed a defamation suit against Trump in November after the president denied her allegation, saying he didn't know and had never even met her. Her lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, then had the black wool coat-style dress tested. A lab report with the legal notice says DNA found in skin cells on the outer surface of the sleeves was a mix of at least four people, at least one of them male. Several other people were tested and eliminated as possible contributors to the mix, according to the lab report, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Their names are redacted, but the report indicates they were involved in a photo shoot where she wore the dress last year, the only time Carroll says she has donned the dress since the alleged assault. Unidentified male DNA on the dress could prove that Donald Trump not only knows who I am, but also that he violently assaulted me in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman and then defamed me by lying about it and impugning my character," Carroll said in a statement Thursday. The White House and Trump's lawyer have not responded to a request for comment. While the notice is a demand, such demands sometimes spur court fights requiring a judge to weigh in on whether they will be enforced. Carroll accused Trump last summer of raping her in a dressing room in Bergdorf Goodman, a Manhattan luxury department store, in the mid-1990s. In a New York magazine piece in June and a book published the next month, Carroll said she and Trump met by chance, chatted and went to the lingerie department for Trump to pick out a gift for an unidentified woman. She said joking banter about trying on a bodysuit ended in a dressing room, where she said Trump pinned her against the wall by her arms, reached under the dress, pulled down her tights and raped her as she tried to fight him off, eventually escaping. The Donna Karan coatdress still hangs on the back of my closet door, unworn and unlaundered since that evening, she wrote. She donned it for a photo accompanying the magazine piece. She had kept the dress because it was a favourite and she hoped she could someday feel comfortable wearing it again, her legal team says. Trump said in June that Carroll was totally lying and he had never met this person in my life. While a 1987 photo shows them and their then-spouses at a social event, Trump dismissed it as a moment when he was standing with my coat on in a line. She is trying to sell a new book that should indicate her motivation, he said in one of various statements on the matter, adding that the book should be sold in the fiction section. Carroll sued Trump in November, saying he smeared her and hurt her career as a longtime Elle magazine advice columnist by calling her a liar. She is seeking unspecified damages and a retraction of Trumps statements. Her lawyer, Kaplan, said the DNA sample request was standard operating procedure given the unidentified male DNA on the garment. As a result, weve requested a simple saliva sample from Mr. Trump to test his DNA, and there really is no valid basis for him to object, she said. Trumps lawyer has tried to get the case thrown out. A Manhattan judge declined to do so earlier this month, saying the attorney hadnt properly backed up his arguments that the case didnt belong in a New York court. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The Associated Press typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they come forward publicly. Carroll said she didnt do so for decades because she feared legal retribution from Trump and damage to her reputation, among other reasons. But when the #MeToo movement spurred reader requests for advice about sexual assault, she said, she decided she had to disclose her own account. Trump, a Republican, isnt the first president to face the prospect of a DNA test related to a womans dress. Former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, underwent such a test during an independent counsel investigation into whether he had a sexual relationship with onetime White House intern Monica Lewinsky and then lied in denying it under oath. After Clintons DNA was found on the dress, he acknowledged an "inappropriate intimate relationship" with Lewinsky. Clinton was impeached by the House in December 1998 and later acquitted by the Senate. Paris, Feb 1 : French President Emmanuel Macron, in a televised address, called Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) a "historic warning signal" that must be heard across Europe in order to reform in-depth the bloc and better defend its interests. Hours before Britain leaves the EU on Friday, ending its 47-year membership of the world's biggest trading bloc, Macron recognized the "sovereign decision" of the British they had expressed in 2016 referendum, but said "this departure is a shock", Xinhua news agency reported. The French President called for continued in-depth reform to rebuild a clear project, "in which the desire to leave won't be the answer to the difficulties". As to post-Brexit, Macron vowed to maintain close relationship with Britain. However, he said that it could not expect to be treated the same way as when it was part of the EU. "You can't be in and out. The British people chose to leave the European Union. It won't have the same obligations, so it will no longer have the same rights," he said. Macron also pledged to defend the interests of French fishermen, farmers and workers in the upcoming negotiations on the future relationship between Britain and the EU. "In this negotiation, we will remain united, all 27 of us," said the French president. As part of the EU-UK exit deal, an 11-month transition period begins on Feb. 1 to allow London and Brussels to strike an accord on their future relationship. That meant nothing will change in terms of people mobility and trade until Dec. 31, 2020. However, by 2300 GMT, Britain will lose its vote in the EU meetings which define the bloc's economic and financial policies. Palm Springs, directed by Max Barbakow, stars Samberg and Cristin Milioti as a pair of wedding guests who are trapped living the same day over again in the Southern California desert town. The film, one of the most obviously commercial at this year's Sundance, drew acclaim after its premiere Sunday for its clever twist on the Groundhog Day premise. The plane crash which killed Bake Off star Paul Hollywood's brother-in-law was caused by poor flight planning, air accident investigators have found. Simon Moores crashed into a cloud and fog-covered mountain after flying through an area where he could not see properly, a Spanish probe has ruled. The 62-year-old, whose sister Alex was married to Hollywood for nearly 20 years, died instantly along with passenger David Hockings after their light aircraft smashed into Mount Hernionear near the Basque Country town of Errezil. Mr Hockings' Piper Arrow III single-engine aircraft was destroyed in the January 9 2019 accident. Simon Moores (pictured), 62, whose sister Alex was married to Hollywood for nearly 20 years, died instantly along with passenger David Hockings A Kent coroner said last September at Mr Moores' inquest the reasons behind the crash were uncertain and concluded his death as unascertained. Citing poor evidence and unreliable translations from Spanish documents, coroner Ian Gouldroup insisted: 'We don't know whether there was an engine problem, whether it was mechanical. We don't know why the accident occurred.' But the mystery hanging over the double tragedy was lifted today with the publication of a full report by the Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC), the Spanish national agency responsible for air traffic investigation. Mr Hockings' Piper Arrow III single-engine aircraft was destroyed in the January 9 2019 accident when the light aircraft smashed into Mount Hernionear near the Basque Country town of Errezil The agency said: 'The investigation has determined that the accident resulted from the decision to continue flying through an area where the meteorological conditions were below the minimums required for flights being conducted under visual flight rules. 'Improper flight planning is deemed to have contributed to the accident. Ruling out any aircraft faults and saying pilot Mr Moores and his passenger had valid licences and ample flying experience, the investigators added in their 38-page report: 'The frontal impact against the rock wall on the mountain was so violent that there was no chance of survival. Paul Hollywood was former brother-in-law of Simon Moores who was killed in Spanish plane crash. Paul and Alexandra Hollywood (pictured) were married for 19 years before they split in 2017. A judge granted a divorce decree at a hearing last July 'The impact with the mountain occurred with no evasive manoeuvre by the pilot to either bank the airplane or pitch it up. 'This clearly indicates that the crash occurred because the mountain was obscured from the pilot's view.' The two Brits left Cascais in Portugal at 8.30am local time and were heading for San Sebastian near Spain's border with France when they crashed. They were originally due to head to Biarritz in France but changed their destination the morning of the accident, citing potential refuelling problems which investigators said they had found no evidence to support. The flight plan filed showed the journey was expected to last three hours 42 minutes. Their last radio contact, with Bilbao Air Traffic control, was just after midday. Minutes later the radar signal from the aircraft was lost and the plane hit the south face of Mount Hernio. The impact destroyed the Piper III and a subsequent fire, caused after the fuel tanks broke, consumed most of the aircraft's fuselage. The Spanish investigators revealed businessman Mr Moores, from Westgate-on-Sea, Kent, had a valid medical certificate and flight ratings when he was killed and 3,030 flying hours up to September 15 2018 when the last-recorded information was available. Mr Hockings' pilot licences and ratings were also found to be in order, with his flying time put at nearly 6,500 hours including 525 on the same type of aircraft as the crash plane. Ruling out any aircraft faults and saying pilot Mr Moores and his passenger had valid licences and ample flying experience, the investigators added in their 38-page report: 'The frontal impact against the rock wall on the mountain was so violent that there was no chance of survival The Spanish air accident investigators said they had been told by the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch Mr Moores was a registered user of SkyDemon, a private firm which provides pilots with flight planning information including weather data. SkyDemon's records show the pilot used the service for four minutes on the eve of the flight and half an hour on the day of the accident, but there are no records of what was checked. Investigators said there was no evidence pointing to the two Brits requesting weather information at their take-off destination or from the UK's Met Office. They also highlighted in their report the crew's apparent lack of knowledge of procedures for exiting Portuguese airspace, evident from their failure to find the exit point on the map in radio conversation with Lisbon air traffic controllers, and the fact they flew 500ft below the 'appropriate' altitude over Spain. Dad-of-two Mr Moores, owner of a banner-flying company, posted stunning cockpit images from over Spanish mountains as they flew towards the spot where they crashed The weather forecast for the area where the crash occurred on January 9 last year showed adverse conditions including rain, low crowds and 'mountain obscuration.' An eyewitness who heard the plane and the impact and alerted the authorities because he suspected it had crashed into the mountain, said there was a thick fog at the time which blocked his view of the aircraft. Highlighting the 'improper' flight planning, the report stated: 'In light of its path and altitudes, the flight does not seem to be consistent with one that was planned beforehand from an operational standpoint. 'Instead, it has characteristics typical of a flight in which only the route was planned, with this route being following during the flight possibly on GPS. Mr Moores was openly scathing of Paul's brief relationship with barmaid Summer Monteys-Fulham after the star's split from his sister, saying: 'I am sure it will all end in tears.' His sister, Alexandra (right) has said in the past she is still too traumatised to talk about her brother's death 'The altitude is selected during the flight itself on the basis of guaranteeing suitable separation with the terrain. 'This fact became more apparent as the aircraft approached the destination airport.' It added: 'Had the flight been planned in more detail, the crew would have known that the aircraft could not descend below 4,500 feet until after the line of summits that includes Mount Hernio. 'The fact that the aircraft was already flying below 4,500ft some nine miles before reaching Mount Hernio shows that the crew had not studied and planned the altitude that was required, at least for this part of the flight.' The two Brits left Cascais in Portugal at 8.30am local time and were heading for San Sebastian near Spain's border with France when they crashed. They were originally due to head to Biarritz in France but changed their destination the morning of the accident, citing potential refuelling problems which investigators said they had found no evidence to support Dad-of-two Mr Moores, owner of a banner-flying company, posted stunning cockpit images from over Spanish mountains as they flew towards the spot where they crashed. He also wrote about the route alteration at 7.24am, just an hour and a half before take-off, saying: 'Dawn's early light - apparently Biarritz make it very difficult to refuel so go to San Sebastian instead.' There were no members of Mr Moores' family at the inquest at Canterbury Magistrates Court in Kent last September. Paul and Alexandra Hollywood were married for 19 years before they spilt in 2017. A judge granted a divorce decree at a hearing last July. Mr Moores was openly scathing of Paul's brief relationship with barmaid Summer Monteys-Fulham after the star's split from his sister, saying: 'I am sure it will all end in tears.' His sister has said in the past she still too traumatised to talk about his death. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: After conducting appropriate checks, in order to monitor the Azerbaijani students who arrived from Chinas Wuhan city, where the coronavirus was first detected, a special medical facility was set up at the border checkpoint, Trend reports on Jan. 31. Several Azerbaijani students, who arrived in the country on January 30 from the Wuhan city, are under medical supervision. None of them showed symptoms of coronavirus. At the end of the 14-day quarantine, students will be discharged home. The Baku office of the World Health Organization, countrys Ministry of Health and the State Agency for Compulsory Health Insurance said that a virus spread in China has not been detected in Azerbaijan. The 2019-nCoV coronavirus was detected in December 2019 in the Chinese Wuhan city. Infection has already been registered in Thailand, Japan, South Korea, the US, Canada, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Nepal, France, Australia, Malaysia, Germany and Finland. In China alone, the number of patients with pneumonia caused by a new type of coronavirus reached 9,692 people, 213 patients died. Delhi Cantt Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Delhi Cantt constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Delhi Cantt Assembly Elections 2020 | Delhi Cantt Assembly constituency (Delhi Cantonment) is one of the seventy Delhi Assembly constituencies where counting of votes is currently under for the 8 February polls. A per 12:35 trends given by the Election Commission website, AAP's Virender Singh Kadian is currently leading with 12,915 votes, while BJP's Manish Singh trails behind with 9,532 votes. Delhi Cantt along with Malviya Nagar, RK Puram Assembly seats among other areas, falls under the South Delhi parliamentary constituency in 2008. Results in last three years The Delhi Cantt Assembly Constituency is currently held by Surender Singh of AAP. In the 2015 Assembly elections, he beat Karan Singh Tanwar of BJP. Surender Singh got 51.82 percent of the votes. In 2013 Assembly polls, Singh had beaten Tanwar with a slim margin. In 2008 Tanwar had won against Congress candidate Ashok Ahuja. This year, AAP has fielded Virender Singh Kadian who is a retired Air Force officer. BJP has fielded Purvanchali candidate Manish Singh, a known close aide of the Delhi BJP President Manoj Tiwari while Congress has gone with long-time loyalist Sandeep Tanwar. Demography Delhi Cantonment city is governed by Municipal Corporation which comes under Delhi Metropolitan Region. As per provisional reports of Census India, the population of Delhi Cantonment in 2011 is 1,10,351; of which male and female are 63,757 and 46,594 respectively. Although Delhi Cantonment city has a population of 1,10,351; its urban/ metropolitan population is 16,349,831 of which 8,750,834 are males and 7,598,997 are females. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 38 Total electors: 2,14,338 Male: 77,910 Female: 54,128 Others: 11 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 58.49 % Polling stations: 142 Major parties in the fray: Aam Aadmi Party, BJP and Congress are the main contesters in this seat The Delhi government will pay the board exam fees of schools under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Cantonment, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced. The government will also hold extra classes to focus on teaching mathematics, he said. The government had earlier said it will pay the board exam fees of all government school students, following a hike in the fees by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). "It was decided that the Delhi government will bear the board examination fees of all the students belonging to the Delhi government schools. Now, the Delhi government schools situated in the NDMC and Delhi Cantonment areas are also included under the purview of this decision," Kejriwal, who was earlier a council member of the civic body, said at a press conference. Sharing details, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the cabinet approved a revised budget of Rs 61.32 crore in order to provide complete subsidy towards CBSE examination fee of students of Class 10 and 12 of government schools and it will include migration fees, practical fees and all other fees Patparganj Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Patparganj constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Patparganj Assembly Elections 2020 | AAP leader and Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia won from Patparganj by a thin margin of 3,207 votes against BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi, a first-timer who received 66,956 votes as per the Election Commission website. Sisodia, who was trailing for hours in the morning started taking the lead in the afternoon and maintained it since then receiving a total of 70,163 votes (49.33 percent). Patparganj falls under East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency that was won by BJP's Gautam Gambhir last year by a huge margin. Polling for the Delhi Assembly election was held on 8 February while counting of votes was held on Tuesday. AAP registered a huge victory on Tuesday winning 55 seats and leading in seven seats. The BJP on the other has won seven seats and was leading in one. Results in the last three years From 1998 till 2013, the Patparganj seat had been a Congress stronghold. But things changed after AAP entered politics in 2013. Deputy chief minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia won in 2015 against BJP's Vinod Kumar Binny. Sisodia had also fought from this constituency in 2013 and won with 50,211 votes. In 2008, Congress Anil Kumar had won the seat in a close contest against BJP's Nakul Bhardwaj. In 2020, Manish Sisodia from the Aam Aadmi Party, Laxman Rawat from Congress and Ravi Negi BJP are in fray in this seat. Sisodia was a former journalist who entered public life as an anti-corruption crusader and later stepped into electoral politics. The BJP and Congress candidates are meanwhile, political greenhorns, in comparison to Sisodia. Both have served their party at district and ward level, but are contesting Assembly polls for the first time. Both are also Garhwalis who have migrated to Delhi from Uttarakhand hills. Demography Patparganj is also known for its industrial area known as Patparganj industrial area. A number of prominent civil servants and former diplomats of India have retired here and had colonies and apartments built for themselves by the Government. These are also otherwise popularly known as the IFS (Indian Foreign Service) and the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) colonies. Demographic estimates shared by the three parties suggest that around 20 percent of voters in Patparganj are migrants from Uttarakhand. Their vote base comes second after the Purvanchali community (25 percent), Hindustan Times reported. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 57 Total electors: 2,14,338 Male: 1,21,069 Female: 93,253 Others: 16 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 65.16 % Polling stations: 193 Major parties in the fray: In 2020, the three parties who will be fighting it out in this Assembly constituency are AAP, BJP, Congress. In 2015, Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia had triumphed over his former colleague Vinod Kumar Binny by a margin of over 28,000 votes in the high-stakes Patparganj constituency. In an impressive show of strength, the AAP leader recaptured the crucial seat, more than double the margin of victory in 2013 polls. Former AAP MLA Binny, who was fighting on a BJP ticket, finished second with 46,716 votes while Congress was reduced to a poor third with its candidate Anil Kumar totalling a mere 16,260. Sisodia, who was a minister in the previous Arvind Kejriwal government, called it a victory of honesty" and hoped that it would now spawn a positive competition" between Delhi and the Centre. I think the love and enthusiasm shown for a party is historic. Now, there will be a positive competition between the Centre and the state (Delhi). So, far it was negative competition and competition of corruption," he said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, born out of a fight against corruption, had scripted history, with a massive sweep of 67 seats in the 70-member House. BJP won 3 while Congress has drawn a blank. Asked as to how many seats the party had expected, Sisodia, who reached the counting centre early in the day, said, We had prepared well on all 70 seats. We were positive about all of them." With inputs from PTI Republican senators began to justify their coming votes to acquit Donald Trump on two impeachment articles complete with some creative political contortions as the Senate's impeachment trial endgame remained murky. Senators have yet to settle on just how the trial will wrap up, but final votes that would clear the president on both impeachment articles could still occur late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Members and both parties' leaders are mulling a plan under which the chamber would adjourn as an impeachment court until Monday with final votes on Wednesday after two days of closing arguments and further deliberation. One congressional source said it was "unlikely" the trial would end on Friday night or early on Saturday. Pushing the end of the trial to Wednesday would mean Mr Trump would deliver his State of the Union address the night before, giving him a chance to mock the very House Democrats who impeached him just hours before the Senate clears him on both charges. As some moderate GOP senator-jurists explained their decisions to, as expected later on Friday, help their Republican colleagues kill a motion that could allow witnesses to be called in Mr Trump's trial, others took the next step. They began explaining why they intend to clear the president, just the third to ever be impeached, on charges of abusing his presidential powers and obstructing House Democrats' investigation of his actions toward Ukraine related to dinging his top domestic political foes. "Voting to find the president guilty would not just be a condemnation of his action. If I vote guilty, I will be voting to remove a President from office for the first time in the 243-year history of our Republic," Senator Marco Rubio, once a rising star in his party with presidential aspirations, said in a statement. "That is why six weeks ago I announced that, for me, the question would not just be whether the president's actions were wrong, but ultimately whether what he did was removable. The two are not the same," said the man Mr Trump, as a candidate, once mocked as "Little Marco". "Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a president from office" he added. Mr Rubio became the latest Senate Republican Tennessee's retiring Lamar Alexander did so late on Thursday to state publicly they have concluded Mr Trump did the things House Democrats alleged in their articles and prosecution case. "I assumed what is alleged is true," he said, justifying his coming acquittal vote by pointing to America's era of tribal politics. "I will not vote to remove the president because doing so would inflict extraordinary and potentially irreparable damage to our already divided nation," Mr Rubio said. Prior to Mr Alexander's announcement all eyes were on a handful of Republican moderates in the unresolved debate about allowing witnesses. One was Alaska's Lisa Murkowski. She put an end to questions about her intentions with an equally nuanced statement on Friday that also blamed partisanship. "Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything," Ms Murkowski said. "It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed," she added, blaming the other 534 members of the House and Senate but not herself. Republicans' signalling their intentions overshadowed the proceedings on the floor, which featured both sides regurgitating their diverging views of seeking new witnesses and testimony. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff began his side's portion of the talk-a-thon by noting a New York Times article published on Friday contended that White House Counsel Pat Cipollone was in the room when Mr Trump told then-national security adviser John Bolton, whom he eventually fired, that he should tell Ukraine's president the military aid was contingent on announcing a probe of the Bidens. Mr Schiff criticised Mr Cipollone for contending the House Democratic managers had withheld information or cherry-picked details to strengthen their prosecution, alleging Mr Cipollone had done the same. "The facts will come out," Mr Schiff told senators. "And the question before you today is will they come out before you have time to make an informed decision." A few moments later, Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow tried a light threat to the senators, saying the defence team would cross-examine all 17 witnesses that testified during House Democrats' impeachment inquiry; the president opted against participating in that probe, which he dubbed a "witch hunt" and a "hoax." Mauritanias defense ministry Thursday debunked local media reports that the North African country will house an Emirati military base. The ministry in a statement said Mauritania has brotherly relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based on the principle of common interests and cooperation in all fields, including military cooperation. The remark was relayed by the state-run news agency Agence Mauritanian dInformation in reaction to widespread reports of the alleged military base to be built in the north of the country near the border with Algeria. A visit this month by a delegation of the Emirati personnel triggered the media reports. This is the second time rumors of the establishment of an Emirati military base in the country, are emerging. They first came to public under the rule of former President Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz who had good relation with the Arab Gulf country. Mauritania, under Ould Abdelaziz, sent military troops to Yemen where the UAE and Saudi Arabia are leading a Pan-Arab coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The UAE, very active in the Libyan crisis where it backed rebel Gen. Khalifa Haftar, has been seeking to establish military bases around the world, mainly in Africa. It has already signed a deal with regional Niger for the construction of a base. KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2020 - 13:42 | All, World, Coronavirus North Korea will suspend all flights and trains to and from China on Friday in response to the outbreak of a new, deadly coronavirus in the neighboring country, according to the British ambassador to North Korea. "#NorthKorea introduces more restrictions on travel with all flights and trains between #DPRK and China suspended from 31 January in response to #Coronavirus," Colin Crooks said on Twitter late Thursday. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. Further update: #NorthKorea introduces more restrictions on travel with all flights and trains between #DPRK and China suspended from 31 January in response to #Coronavirus. Follow @foreignoffice travel advice @FCOtravel #BritishEmbassy #Pyongyang https://t.co/t1xPiOflYf Colin Crooks (@ColinCrooks1) January 30, 2020 North Korea's Railways Ministry notified Chinese railway authorities that passenger trains connecting Beijing and Pyongyang would be suspended from Thursday, China's official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday. The report also said passenger trains linking the border city of Dandong in China's Liaoning Province and the North Korean capital were suspended Friday. Air Koryo, North Korea's state-run carrier, said it will stop operating flights between Beijing and Pyongyang after a flight scheduled on Saturday. It added it has yet to determine when it would resume serving the route. So far North Korea has not reported any cases of the virus, which has spread to around 20 other countries. North Korean media has reported stepped-up quarantine measures at the Chinse border and airports and railway stations in the country. People suspected of infection are being quarantined, according to the reports. Related coverage: WHO declares int'l emergency as coronavirus spreads globally New-coronavirus carriers to be barred entry to Japan: PM Abe U.S. OKs some diplomatic mission employees in China to evacuate A 12-year-old girl has died in southern Egypt after her parents took her to a doctor who performed female genital mutilation. The girl's death in the province of Assiut prompted Egypt's public prosecutor to order the arrests of her parents and the physician who performed the procedure, also known as female circumcision. The practice is against the law in Egypt - but remains widespread in the region, despite ongoing efforts to quell it. Since the mid-1990s, Egypt has been battling the centuries-old practice, which is misguidedly believed to control women's sexuality. In 2008, a law banning the cutting of female genitalia was passed in parliament despite strong opposition from conservative voices. File photo shows Egyptian children under a billboard, that was part of a national campaign in 2007 to encourage families to stop circumcising their daughters A 2015 government survey found that 87 per cent of Egyptian women and girls aged between 15 and 49 have been circumcised. 'Many more Egyptian girls will be forced to undergo the procedure, and many of them will die - as long as there is no clear strategy from the state and a true criminalisation of the practice,' said Amel Fahmy, managing director of Tadwein Gender Research Centre. In 2016, legislators adopted amendments to the law, redefining female genital mutilation (FGM) from a misdemeanour, for which offenders typically receive up to two years in prison, to a felony, which draws tougher sentences and punishments. However, women's rights advocates argue the law still contains loopholes. According to Reda el-Danbouki, a human rights lawyer, the penal code criminalises the cutting of female genital organs only in cases where 'there is no medical justification'. 'This clause opens the door to parents as well as physicians to claim that they were not conducting female circumcision but simply removing allegedly discomforting skin growth,' he said. In recent years, cases where girls bled to death after the horrific procedure have made newspaper headlines in Egypt. In December 2016, a criminal court sentenced two doctors and the mother of a 17-year-old girl who died after FGM to a one-year suspended sentence, a verdict that drew sharp criticism from activists. 'Judges themselves are not convinced that female circumcision is a crime that should be punished,' said Mr Danbouki, who runs the Women's Centre for Guidance and Legal Awareness. 'Judges are lenient when it comes to cases entailing violence against women.' The practice which is widespread in Egypt is also seen in other parts of the world. In this billboard launched in London is a striking image designed to encourage people to put an end to the practice 'This clause opens the door to parents as well as physicians to claim that they were not conducting female circumcision but simply removing allegedly discomforting skin growth,' he said. In recent years, cases where girls bled to death after the horrific procedure have made newspaper headlines in Egypt. In December 2016, an Egyptian criminal court had sentenced two doctors and the mother of a 17-year-old girl who died after FGM to only one year suspended sentence each, a verdict that drew sharp criticism from activists. 'Judges themselves are not convinced that female circumcision is a crime that should be punished,' said Danbouki, who runs the Women's Center for Guidance and Legal Awareness. 'Judges are lenient when it comes to cases entailing violence against women.' RealVantage, Singapores first online real estate co-investment platform that acquires, manages, and optimises offshore real estate portfolios for accredited investors, founded by a team with institutional investment experience, launched on Jan 16. RealVantage is unique because the platform brings accredited investors offshore investment opportunities across various real estate classes and investment strategies. These opportunities were previously limited to larger, institutional investors. RealVantage By launching this co-investment platform, both accredited investors and high net worth individuals (HNWIs) will gain access to a wide range of real estate opportunities in different countries, sectors, and investment spectrums. Investors will be able to select amongst multiple options, such as a stable income producing office in the United Kingdom, a townhouse development project in Australia, or a multifamily asset re-positioning project in the USA. RealVantage was founded when Keith Ong and Mao Ching Foo saw synergies in bringing together their complementary expertise in real estate and technology. Being veterans in real estate fund management, technology, and data science, Keith and Mao recognised the potential of leveraging technology to aggregate investors to access larger deals, and deliver superior investment decisioning via data-driven insights. Keith Ong, CEO and Co-Founder of RealVantage, said, Weve always felt there was a gap in offshore real estate investment opportunities for individual investors; most investors will just buy residential units when they venture overseas. There is actually a myriad of investment opportunities that provide good risk adjusted returns in different property sectors and investment modes. With RealVantage, our aim is to create access to real estate opportunities that fit the investors investment horizon and returns objectives. RealVantage allows investors to customise their own portfolio of properties according to their individual risk appetites. Our goal is to ultimately unlock a world of institutional real estate investing for individual investors. Story continues As the CEO of RealVantage, Keith has over 20 years in real estate fund management and has transacted in excess of USD 3 billion across geographies and sectors. Having spent the bulk of his career at ARA Asset Management, one of the largest Private Equity Real Estate firms in Asia Pacific, and in senior positions at boutique real estate fund investing for family offices, Keith is well-versed in investment and asset management, business development and capital raising activities. Mao, Co-Founder and CTO of RealVantage has over 18 years of experience in technology, data science, and quantitative investments. He was previously the CTO of Funding Societies, one of the largest P2P crowdfunding lending platforms in the region. Proficient in quantitative investments through data and statistics, Mao was at Barclays Global Investors (now BlackRock), and Ronin Capital in USA managing a quantitative equities portfolio. While in those roles, he researched, built trading models and developed automated algorithms, transacting over USD 10 billion in global equities. Mao said: We believe that by co-investing in every asset that is put up, we have a tangible commitment to the investment, which will ensure alignment of interests between RealVantage and our investors. Our aim is to serve our investors better and disrupt the traditional way property investments have been made. We believe our expertise and connections within the technology and real estate fund management industry gives us an edge over our competitors. Understanding that a majority of investors are time-strapped, while others are not necessarily experts in real estate investments, RealVantage has well-qualified and experienced real estate asset managers to maximise investment returns by actively managing property investments. The team brings with them a rich cross-border investment track record exceeding USD 10 billion and has managed assets in excess of USD 20 billion across different geographies. With over 100 years of combined experience, the RealVantage team are experts in the field of investments including real estate, quantitative trading and private equity. Drawing upon their experience serving blue-chip institutional investors, the RealVantage team applies international best practices across the entire investment process, ranging from research, deal sourcing and assessment, as well as asset management. The RealVantage team screens close to 600 deals per year, identifying opportunities that fit their investment criteria by employing their proprietary AI engine to complement their deal origination and evaluation processes. The deals are subsequently vetted by its internal investment committee made up of industry veterans comprising Anthony Ang, CEO of Sasseur REIT and the former CEO of Fortune REIT, and Richard Tan, an independent real estate advisor and former CFO of Suntec REIT. Approved deals are put together into an investment memorandum detailing investment strategy, financial analysis, investment period and deal terms. This is uploaded onto the platform and made available for investors. Due to the rigorous selection process, only a small percentage of deals are approved by the investment committee. Providing institutional-quality deal underwriting that shows full transparency and disclosure, investors are kept fully apprised of their investments through regular updates on RealVantages digital platform, from co-investment until divestment. Tan Yu Ching, Compliance Director, Bank of Singapore, said: I like the way they lay out the investment rationale and details of each opportunity. It is very transparent compared to other investment platforms I have come across. I am looking forward to investing in more properties with the RealVantage platform. With a strong and experienced team, I find that the level of detail they provide to be both impressive and comprehensive, making it easy for me to determine if the opportunity will be a worthwhile investment, said Jefery Kurniadidjaja, Co-founder, Grafunkt Pte Ltd. RealVantage closed a funding round with angel investors last year. The company also has a presence in Indonesia, with 30% of their total number of investors coming from the country, with the other 70% of investors concentrated in Singapore. In 2020, RealVantage plans to widen its investor base in Singapore and Indonesia. The platform is also looking to expand its investment opportunities beyond the United Kingdom and Australia markets. The post RealVantage launches co-investment platform to disrupt property investing appeared first on iCompareLoan Resources. LOOKING for the perfect romantic getaway for you and your loved one on Valentine's weekend? Well, look no further. Here are the top seven destinations in Ireland for you to celebrate the special occasion. THE ROSE HOTEL, TRALEE Valentines Packages 14th-15th February, choose one or two night stays Call Rose Hotel today to book 066 7199100 or book online www.therosehotel.com For all the best offers, click here. FLEET STREET HOTEL, TEMPLEBAR, DUBLIN This Valentines weekend, stay in Templebar's Fleet Street Hotel, in the heart of Dublin city. With its superb location, newly refurbished rooms and free wifi, you can now avail of amazing one or two night Valentines weekend packages. Stay for one night and enjoy strawberries and prosecco in your room on arrival, dinner for 2, an overnight stay in our elegance rooms and breakfast in bed, all for the remarkable price of 299. Or double your pleasure and extend your stay to 2 nights with all of the above to make this Valentines truly exceptional for 499. No deposit is necessary and free cancellation terms apply. For more information www.fleethoteltemplebar.com THE GRAFTON HOTEL, DUBLIN Enjoy an unbeatable romantic getaway for you and that special someone at The Grafton Hotel this Valentine's Weekend! For the special rate of only 199, treat yourselves to a luxurious overnight stay in one of our fantastic Executive Rooms, a Three-Course Dinner for Two from our Valentine's Set Menu in Bartley's Restaurant, a bottle of Prosecco in your room, and delicious romantic cocktails upon arrival. And to top it off, we'll even include a full breakfast buffet in the morning! Make sure to book now to avoid disappointment! Available from February 13th - 16th, subject to room availability. This deal is bookable online at https://bookings.the-grafton-hotel.com/bookings/specials/valentines-weekend-at-the-grafton, or by emailing marketing@the-grafton-hotel.com with your requested date. The Grafton Hotel is a brand new hotel project in the heart of Dublin City Centre, located at 31/32 Stephen Street Lower, Dublin 2. TRINITY TOWNHOUSE HOTEL WELCOME TO TRINITY TOWNHOUSE HOTEL Rich in character, Trinity Townhouse Hotel is one of the finest examples of Georgian-period accommodation available in the center of Dublin and is comprised of 3 beautifully restored original Georgian houses. The Townhouse is a splendid craft of Georgian elegance and contemporary style & comfort, with only 31 bedrooms - all newly refurbished and offering all modern amenities. All rooms are individually styled, blending beautifully the ambiance of the Georgian period with all the contemporary comfort. Situated in the heart of Dublin's business district & cultural quarter near Trinity College, this elegant property offers luxury en-suite accommodation in an authentic Georgian townhouse. The beautiful rooms, dedicated team and delicious food will ensure you have the most relaxing, enjoyable time in Dublin city. With prices starting at only 140 Euro, this is your unbeatable Dublin experience. For special rates and more details, please visit www.trinitytownhousehotel.com GREENISLE HOTEL, DUBLIN Make it a fun weekend away this Valentines, Shake Rattle n Roll with Elvis and the Nevada State Band performed by Irelands award winning top Tribute Act Liam Murphy in the Green isle Hotel, see the great offer still available Show Only 9.00pm Dinner & Show 7.00pm Dinner, Show Bed & Full Irish Breakfast 85.00 per person sharing Guests can also enjoy the Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Free, Fitness Centre & Parking For more information you can contact 01 412 3708/03 or email events@greenislehotel. com WATERFORD MARINA HOTEL Brief Description: 22 years with the best location in the city Waterford Marina Hotel, Canada Street- situated on the banks of the River Suir in the heart of the City 3 star Hotel with 81 Classic Bedrooms Complimentary onsite parking and wifi Waterfront Bar & Bistro overlooking the River Suir Offer: Dinner Bed & Breakfast served with a Glass of Kir Royale, box of Cadbury Milktray and Late Checkout until 1pm Contact Details: Phone 051 856600 reservations@ waterfordmarinahotel.com www.waterfordmarinahotel.com CENTRAL HOTEL, DONEGAL 'All you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt' Treat yourself and your loved one to a relaxing stay this Valentines weekend in Central Hotel, Donegal. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reservoir Capital Corp. (CSE: REO) ("REO" or the Company) announced it has cancelled a non-brokered private placement previously announced on December 11, 2019 due to adverse market conditions. CEO Lewis Reford commented, The planned offering was intended to add to REOs existing cash position in anticipation for future transactions but was not a necessity for the Company. REO shall revert to the market should it contemplate a transaction requiring additional funding. About Reservoir Capital Corp. REOs current asset portfolio comprises minority indirect economic interests in clean power assets (currently 4 hydro power plants) representing 42.7 MW of net operating capacity. REOs Vision & Mission is to assemble a balanced portfolio of producing and near-production clean energy assets in growing economies. REOs strategy to achieve its Vision is to approach shareholders of privately held quality assets and offer them diversification, liquidity and exposure to a growing portfolio assembled following a disciplined investment policy. REOs investment policy consists essentially in taking carefully selected minority economic interests in quality clean power assets in key geographies, targeting regular dividend income over long periods, while offering the potential for capital gain in the medium term. Forward Looking Statements and Further Information Certain information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements, and forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the expectations or beliefs regarding future events of management of REO. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward looking statements", are not historical facts, are made as of the date of this news release and include without limitation, statements as to management's expectations and the possible completion of intended future investments. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward-looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", poised to, hope, "plans," "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. REO does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update all or any of the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements, unless and until required by applicable securities laws. Additional information on the Company, including identifying risks and uncertainties, is contained in REO's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are always available at www.sedar.com and on the Companys website, www.reservoircapitalcorp.com. Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of REO should be considered highly speculative. The CSE have neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. For any clarification, one may contact: Lewis Reford CEO, Reservoir Capital Corp. Telephone: 416-399-2274 Email: ceo@reservoircap.team NEITHER THE CSE NOR THE INVESTMENT INDUSTRY REGULATORY ORGANIZATION OF CANADA ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Twenty-three children aged between six months and 15 years, who had been taken hostage by a murder accused after inviting them to his daughter's birthday party, were rescued late on Thursday night after police killed their captor in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon and continued for about eight hours. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," additional chief secretary-home Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am. "The accused had invited the children for the birthday party of his daughter and held them hostage. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," director general of police O P Singh said, adding that in the entire operation they had tried to "engage" the accused and were successful. He said the accused, identified as Subhash Batham, had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. As the accused opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot. In the exchange of fire, the captor's wife was injured, but none of the children suffered any injury. A man and two policemen also suffered bullet injuries. The motive of the accused was not known immediately. Uttar Pradesh chief mnister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The CM as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. Earlier, a team of National Security Guard commandos had taken a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Police said Batham, a murder accused, seemed to be mentally unstable. Inspector General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, said, "The man called the children for a birthday party and held them hostage in the basement of the house. He fired six shots from inside the building." Batham initially wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived, Agarwal said. She's the actress who recently debuted her romance with boyfriend Patrick Whitesell in Los Angeles. And on Friday, Pia Miller reached a special milestone with her older son Isaiah Powell, as he attended his first day of Year 12. Taking to Instagram, the 36-year-old brunette shared a sweet photo of Isaiah wearing his school uniform. 'So proud of this incredible young man!' On Friday, actress Pia Miller (pictured) has shared a sweet Instagram photo of her son Isaiah in his school uniform on his first day of Year 12 'Here we are!! Year 12! Wow, So proud of the incredible young man that you are. Love you,' she captioned the post. Pia shares her son Lenny with former AFL star Brad Miller, while her son Isaiah is from a previous relationship. Her post comes days after she enjoyed a day at the Australian Open in Melbourne with her new beau Patrick. Pia wrote alongside the above photo: 'Here we are!! Year 12! Wow, so proud of the incredible young man that you are. Love you' They are believed to have started dating in May, following the breakdown of Patrick's marriage to Lauren Sanchez, who is now reportedly engaged to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos. Pia and Patrick had kept their romance under wraps for months, despite embarking on several holidays around the world last year. They went to Paris in June before heading to Italy via LA in August. Family: Pia shares her son Lenny with former AFL star Brad Miller, while her son Isaiah is from a previous relationship The couple formally debuted their relationship at Casamigos' A-list Halloween party in Los Angeles on October 25. Patrick, 54, is the CEO of talent agency WME and represents the likes of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Hugh Jackman. He is worth an estimated US$440million (AU$630million), according to Forbes. The Phoenix Hill Sports Park in the capital of Southwest Chinas Sichuan province hosted the 2021 Chinese FA Cup final as its inaugural event Sunday. Covering an area of 128,000 square meters, the park consists of two world-class sports venues, a retail and hotel complex, and a public plaza. It will be one of the venues of the 31st Summer World University Games Jan 12, 2022 05:45 PM An ex-accounting manager who worked at Weyerhaeusers Springfield office has pleaded guilty to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax evasion after stealing more than $4.5 million from the timber company by contracting with bogus vendors, including one in her mothers name. Susan L. Tranberg, 61, of Eugene agreed to pay $4.6 million in restitution to the company and $807,033 to the Internal Revenue Service as part of the plea agreement announced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Eugene. She had worked for the Seattle-based company for 42 years, court records indicate. "She went to great lengths to disguise her actions and mislead her colleagues, Oregons U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said in a statement. She then took her scheme a step further by evading paying taxes on her fraudulent gains. Her crimes reflect a complete disdain for her employer and utter contempt for her responsibilities as an American taxpayer. Tranberg acknowledged the fraud in a signed statement to Weyerhaeuser that she wrote on Jan. 15, 2019, the day she was fired in a meeting with company officials at a hotel near the Springfield office. Weyerhaeuser filed the statement in court. There is no (one) else to punish but ME, Tranberg wrote, offering to give up her 12 weeks of banked vacation pay, retirement and 401K to try to make things right. Tranberg defrauded the business by creating fake vendors and approving payment to the vendors by forging co-workers signatures. She also would hack into colleagues computer systems without authorization or their consent, according to company officials and court records. I have no valid reason for what has happen (sic) except I made some very bad choices, Tranberg wrote to her former bosses. I can never repair the damage I have done but hope to try to make things right. Weyerhaeuser, founded in 1900, is one of the worlds largest private owners of timberlands, owning or controlling nearly 12.4 million acres of timberlands in the United States, and one of the leading manufacturers of wood products. It employs about 100 staff in Springfield. Tranberg began working for the company on Oct. 25, 1976, and served as finance and planning manager at the Springfield office when she was fired, according to Justin Nikbakhsh, Weyerhaeusers vice president of financial operations. The company sometimes buys timber from third parties for its manufacturing operations and occasionally makes advance payments to those vendors, allowing them to produce timber under contract to Weyerhaeuser. Since June 2014, such payments were processed electronically. Weyerhaueser didnt learn of Tranbergs alleged theft until Jan. 10, 2019, when it discovered irregularities in certain advance payments to vendors in its electronic system, Nikbakhsh wrote in a sworn statement. The payments in question were made to vendors identified as M.J. Miller and Margaret J. Miller, the name of Tranbergs mother who died in 2009, company officials said. Tranberg had created a phony contract between Weyerhaeuser and fake sellers M.J. Miller and R. J. Miller called the Tree Farm Family Agreement, which was dated June 16, 1986, according to court papers. Tranberg used her mothers Social Security number and her own home mailing address to receive fraudulent payments made to the Millers under the fake contract, Nikbakhshs statement said. Weyerhaeuser never received timber under the contract but the payments to the nonexistent Millers continued for more than a decade and were pocketed by Tranberg for her personal benefit, Nikbakhsh wrote. Tranberg forged coworkers signatures or used their computer login credentials to approve the payments, according to the court records. Each of the payments was for less than $10,000 to avoid a further level of oversight, the records said. Tranberg also falsely indicated in the companys electronic system that Weyerhaeuser had received timber from the Millers, company officials alleged The companys investigation indicates Tranberg diverted at least $4,581,218 to herself from Weyerhaeuser between 2004 and January, according to Nikbakhsh. In January 2017, Tranbergs boss retired and she became finance and planning manager in the Springfield location, using her own credentials to approve the payments. From January 2017 to January 2019, Tranberg received another $688,475 from a bogus contract, according to Weyerhaeusers investigation. When sentenced, Tranberg could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. An aggravated identity theft conviction also carries a two-year mandatory minimum sentence that must be served consecutive to any other sentence. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Women walk after buying face masks in Seoul, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. AP Eleven days after South Korea confirmed its first case of a new type of coronavirus, concerns over the contagious disease have permeated everyday life, affecting people in different corners of the country. Lee Ki-eun, mom to an 11-month-old toddler, is one of them. "I didn't think much of the (outbreak) last week, but it started to weigh on me this week," said the Seoul-based illustrator. South Korea has confirmed seven cases so far, with five of the cases including the first case of secondary infection here announced this week. "It's not that I stopped going out with my daughter, but even if I go out I always put a mask on her and get a taxi instead of using the subway," she said. Other parents of young children also voiced concern over the virus that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. "I try to avoid crowded places and always make my son wear a mask and wash his hands," said a 34-year-old mother from Pangyo, south of Seoul. "I can't help but send him to the nursery," said the mom, who works at a Seoul-based company and prefers to have her son stay at home. 350 evacuees from Wuhan placed in two quarantine facilities Korea confirms four new coronavirus cases, total now at 11 368 Korean evacuees from Wuhan sent to two state-run facilities Children wearing masks have become an everyday scene and coughing and sneezing in public transportation has started to invite suspicious stares from other passengers. As demand has surged, a majority of masks for sale online have sold out. Some consumers have complained that sellers are canceling orders and raising prices to eke out higher margins during the mask craze. In addition to the precautionary measure of asking students and teachers who have visited China to isolate themselves, some schools have extended their winter vacation to minimize exposure to potential coronavirus victims. As of Friday, seven elementary schools in Seoul have extended their winter breaks. Two elementary schools in South Chungcheong Province near facilities that will host South Koreans evacuated from Wuhan have also rescheduled their vacations. The outbreak is also changing how Koreans celebrate two key academic milestones, the first day of school and graduation ceremonies. A handful of middle schools and high schools across the country have scaled back their graduation ceremonies, by broadcasting the ceremony to students in their classrooms and preventing parents from attending the event. Sungkyunkwan University, based in Seoul and Suwon, has called off an entrance ceremony as well as several welcome events for freshmen. "I understand the school's decision but still it's a bit discouraging. I was looking forward to meeting other students and learning about the school, but we won't have that chance this year," said a 20-year-old surnamed Lee, who is set to start his engineering degree at the school. Rising concerns, meanwhile, have fueled the spread of fake news and scam messages in relation to the disease. The government has vowed to take stern measures, with the police tightening online monitoring and launching probes into distributors of fake news. According to Polaris, a nonprofit organization that operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, 10,949 cases of human trafficking were reported in 2018, a 25 percent jump from the year before. But the White House event, which lasted the better part of two hours, did nothing to ease the concerns of activists who have said the administrations previous efforts on the issue have harmed some of those seeking help. The administration has been especially dismissive of claims by women and children who have been trafficked over the U.S. southern border, Eric Schwartz, the president of Refugees International, said in an email. This terrible approach also discourages victims from coming out of the shadows and applying for visas. Mr. Schwartz said the event on Friday amounted to little more than a photo op. Representatives of other groups said that the Trump administration was prioritizing American trafficking victims over noncitizens seeking help. For example, some asylum-seeking migrants who have described themselves as trafficking victims have had to wait in the most dangerous parts of Mexico for their court hearings. The White House, for its part, continues to focus on trafficking that occurs within the countrys borders. At the White House on Friday, Ms. Trump placed special emphasis on domestic trafficking, and called up a victim from the Atlanta area to share her story. An 82-year-old south-Londoner has had his lifetime ambition come true by getting a record deal. Rex Martey suffers from prostate cancer and needs dialysis three times a week. He wanted a deal so he could leave a legacy and has been signed by record company The Animal Farm. One of the songs on his album is dedicated to the cancer nurse who's treated him for the last few years. He has pledged a quarter of all sales will go to Guys Hospital in London. 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 Taoiseach has ramped up his efforts to make Brexit the key election issue and said that should the public elect Fianna Fail to office they will be getting an untried and untested team. On the day the UK is finally due to leave the European Union, Mr Varadkar said that the fundamental difference between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail on Brexit is the tried and trusted team that has brought us this far. Speaking in the wake of a speech regarding Brexit to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin, the Taoiseach said that Brexit is definitely an issue for the public, despite opinion polls having suggested it is close to the bottom of peoples priorities for the election to come. He said that people on the doorsteps have been very complimentary of Tanaiste Simon Coveney and European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee with regard to their handling of Brexit. Regarding the idea that Brexit is not a key election issue, Mr Varadkar responded: what comes up on the doors is whats in the news now. January 31, Brexit Day, has long been targeted by Fine Gael as the date on which to ramp up the protracted exit process in peoples minds as a means of bringing what is perceived as the partys best performance indicator into the election conversation. From that point of view, Mr Coveney and Ms McEntee had already held a media event at 5am in Dublin Port, ostensibly to inspect its purpose-built Brexit facilities. Tanaiste Simon Coveney speaks to media at Dublin Port on Friday morning, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday (Aoife Moore/PA) Mr Coveney remained unapologetic that his party had chosen to make Brexit the key issue of its campaign to date. We havent shied away from raising the challenges of Brexit, because like it or not its going to dominate Irish politics for some time to come, he said. In terms of the election itself, the Taoiseach doubled down on his assertion that he has his full partys backing on a commitment not to go into Government with Sinn Fein, despite reports this morning that Kate OConnell, the Fine Gael TD for Dublin Bay South, had been less than equivocal on the same subject. I would have to look back on what they had to say, Mr Varadkar said. I think Regina Doherty has described them as nice people. Ive got nothing against the people in Sinn Fein personally, I have worked with them on Northern Ireland. Finance minister Paschal Donohoe then interjected that another Fianna Fail TD, the latest in a lengthening list, Eamon Scanlan, has now advocated for coalition with Mary Lou McDonalds party. Asked repeatedly if he has the stomach for five years in opposition should Fine Gael faile to be returned to Government, Mr Varadkar said: Yes I do. On the subject of the Coronavirus outbreak, which has now been declared a worldwide emergency by the World Health Organisation, the Taoiseach said I dont want to scare people unnecessarily. The HSE is stepping up its response, in terms of all the protocols put in place when there were prior concerns over the likes of Ebola and SARS, he said. Preparation is being stepped up. Shawnee's Mayor, "Nervous Nell" Michelle Distler so paranoid, she fears councilman calling in remotely could be an imposter Ever since she quit the Republican party last spring, (after a lifetime), Shawnee's recently re-elected mayor, Michelle "Nervous Nell" Distler has been consumed with more conspiracy theories and paranoid suspicions than Adam Schiff. Most recently, at the Jan. Here's a suburban treatise targeting a suburban politico written in the style of Prez Trump's tweets and targeting some lady in the thankless job that Tracy once occupied . . . Read more: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Jeyhun Alakbarov Trend: The World Organization for Animal Health has revealed bacterial pathogens in poultry in several European countries, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Food Safety Agency. The control measures on the import of poultry meat and other poultry products have been strengthened, the message said. "In this regard, a temporary ban on the import of live poultry and poultry products from Ukraine has been imposed to stabilize the epizootic situation to prevent possible threat to the poultry farms," the message said. Moreover, to strengthen the control measures, an appeal was made to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee to take appropriate measures at customs and border checkpoints for more careful control of vehicles arriving from Ukraine or transit vehicles moving from Ukraine through Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Food Safety Agency called on entrepreneurs importing poultry products to be careful and thoroughly comply with the requirements set for protection against infectious diseases that may penetrate into the country. Michael Gove has laid down the gauntlet to EU leaders over trade deal talks as Britain prepares to leave the bloc tonight. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster answered a firm "no" when asked by Sky News if the UK would give access to fishing in its waters in exchange for other key parts of a future trade deal . This may frustrate negotiators in Europe, who have consistently warned there is not enough time to arrange a new trade deal in full by the end of the year. Mr Gove told Sky News: "We are an independent country, we will make our own decisions, we will be an independent coastal state, we will be in control of all waters within 200 miles. If they want to fish in it we will decide. "My own view is that we want a friendly relationship with other countries, but we are in control." His comments came after the Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Coveney warned that "Brexit is not done" and there is still much to do to form a trade agreement. But Mr Gove said there would be good reasons for EU nations to agree a deal with no tariffs and no quotas to ensure goods could continue to flow. He said: "We are not going to accept the European Court of Justice, if you look at Norway, Iceland, they are smaller nations and they control their waters. "It's important to bear in mind that in the past I think some people looked at negotiations as though Europe had a whip hand and they had to accept what they are given. "We want to get a good deal but I want a good deal with other country. "The most important thing is to make decisions in the interest of people who vote for us." Mr Gove also said he would not consider another extension of the transition period, even if it benefited people in Britain to have one. He said: "It wouldn't help anyone. What we recognise is that deadlines have to be met, they concentrate minds and they make sure that we serve the public effectively. Story continues "We will meet this deadline." :: Listen to All Out Politics on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Meanwhile, his former boss, David Cameron, said the country could "make a success of the choice that we made". He said: "I led the campaign to stay in but I always accepted the referendum result and knew this day would come. "We are one of the biggest economies in the world and we can make a success of the choice that we made. I wish the government well in all their endeavours." Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said today is an important day for those who voted leave or remain but cautioned it is not a day for celebration, but reflection. He said: "We need to ensure that we do maintain a good trade relationship, that we don't tear up all the conditions and agreements we have received don't fall into the arms of free trade deals with the US, which even Kim Darroch today said will increase medicine crises in Britain. "But today is carrying out the result of the 2016 referendum and we have to recognise that and move on." Mr Corbyn denied that he could have done more to prevent the leave vote, and claimed he had campaigned for remain, even saying he did more events than the rest of his shadow cabinet combined. He said: "The referendum result was a reflection of a lot of other things - people voted remain because they liked the open relationship with Europe, but people voted leave because they were angry at communities left behind, angry at the way their industries had been closed, where they had secure well paid jobs replaced with fly by night companies and zero hour contracts. "If this country as a whole cannot reflect on the reasons why people voted leave, the anger at the way they have been treated by the establishment, then we have learnt nothing." Leaders in Ireland have concerns about the timeframe to negotiate a new trade deal. Mr Coveney told Sky News: "We respect the choice to leave but our view is unchanged. We believe this is lose, lose-lose. "We believe Britain's place in the world will be the lesser for not having the solidarity and support for European Union membership. "We believe the European Union will be weaker without a country as great as the UK as a part of it." He said Ireland's unique position had meant they were caught in the crossfire of negotiations and said: "Yet again despite the fact that Brexit is not of our making we will be caught in the middle of negotiation on European Union side "We will be trying to get best possible deal from an Irish perspective and respecting British decisions, protecting a 70bn trade relationship between Ireland and UK, the 200,000 jobs in Ireland linked to that trading relationship and a similar number in the UK and we don't have much time to do it because Boris Johnson has tied his own hands in terms of setting a tight timeline to do that." Britain will leave the EU at 11pm GMT on Friday night, but will enter a transition period, which comes to an end on 31 December 2020. Brexit Night Live: Watch and follow the moment Britain exits the EU with a special programme from 9pm tonight Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar on Thursday compared the Citizenship Amendment Act with the British era Rowlatt Act 1919, but got the year wrong when the World War II ended. "After the end of the Second World War in 1919, the British knew that unrest was spreading in India and that it could increase after the Second World War was over. So, they brought in a law commonly known as the Rowlatt Act," Matondkar said addressing an event here on the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. World War II took place between 1939 and 1945. Matondkar, who resigned as a Congress leader a few months ago, went on to say that the amended citizenship law and Rowlatt Act will be "recorded as black laws in history". The Rowlatt Act, which was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, allowed the British to arrest and jail anyone they wished without a fair trial, if they were thought to be plotting against the British. Talking about the Mahatma, she said, "Gandhiji was the leader of the whole world, not of any one country. According to me, if anyone has followed the Hindu religion most, then it was Gandhiji... The man who killed Mahatma Gandhi was neither a Muslim nor a Sikh. He was a Hindu and I have nothing more to tell you about it." The former Congress leader had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North constituency and resigned from the party in September last year citing inaction on the part of "key functionaries of Mumbai Congress". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Express News Service BIDAR: In a major development with regard to staging a play against Citizenship Act, NPR and NRC, Bidar Police have arrested the headmistress of Shaheen Urdu Medium Primary School, Farida Begum, and Navida, the mother of a student who played a role in the controversial play. Speaking with TNIE, Bidar SP Sreedhara T confirmed the arrest of Farida Begum and Navida, and said the accused were remanded to judicial custody on Thursday. Sreedhara said that based on the complaint by social activist Neelesh Rakshal, the police filed an FIR under sedition charges, initially against the headmistress and management of the school on Saturday. He said that the police have questioned about 50 people, including the members of the management committee of Shaheen Urdu Medium Primary School, staff of the school, audience, parents and students. Based on the statements and evidence, the headmistress and the parent have been arrested. The SP said that as per the statements and evidence collected, they came to know that the headmistress played a major role in organising the controversial play. The students practised the drama for a week and the headmistress knew about its script containing controversial dialogues against the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders. Considering this, she has been booked for creating communal disharmony and abetting sections. The SP said that when a dialogue of slapping the Prime Minister was said on the stage, Navida gave her chappals to the child, to be used while saying the dialogue. She has been arrested for abetting. It may be recalled here that the children of Shaheen Urdu Medium School played the controversial drama on the school day on January 21. Deputy Superintendent of Police Basaveshwara Hira is investigating the case, which is registered at New Town Police Station. (TNS) Access Health CT, which is Connecticut's health insurance marketplace, announced Tuesday the personal information of approximately 1,100 people might have been compromised in a data breach.Those affected by the breach will receive an orange envelope in the mail this week, Access Health CT said. Recipients are instructed to review the information provided carefully, as they will need to take action to enroll in free services that are being offered to help protect their personal information.After identifying the data breach, Access Health CT said it worked with third-party experts to assess the risk and help with proactive steps to mitigate the likelihood of such a breach happening again.Access Health CT noted that several efforts to improve security already are in place, with longer-term initiatives planned regarding system changes and more frequent information technology security training to improve data protection and security awareness.In addition to the mailing, Access Health CT will be contacting affected consumers via phone and email in an outreach effort to alert consumers to look for the orange envelopes in the mail and to help ensure that the mailing isnt ignored.Access Health CT CEO James Michel said the agency takes the privacy and security of consumers personal information seriously, and is making the public notice concerning the breach in an abundance of caution.We apologize for any inconvenience to consumers and we remain steadfast in our commitment to keep our consumers best interests as our No. 1 priority, he said.Consumers can call Access Health CT at 855-805-4325 if they have any questions. She's never one to shy from flaunting her incredibly trim and toned figure on Instagram. And on Friday, Tammy Hembrow's sensational physique was up in lights for all to see in Times Square, New York. She shared a series of Instagram photos of herself proudly beaming up at her billboard with women's nutrition and sportswear brand, Women's Best. Up in the lights! Tammy Hembrow beamed with pride after spotting her billboard for women's nutrition and sportswear brand Women's Best in New York's Times Square on Friday She kept warm from the winter chill in tight high-waisted faux leather trousers teamed with a white cropped top and jacket with feather trim on the lapel and collar. In her billboard image, Tammy can be seen flaunting her lean figure in a black crop top and matching leggings from the brand. 'Yayyy. My 4th ever billboard and its in Times Square ,' she wrote in the caption. Career pride: Tammy captioned her post, 'Yayyy. My 4th ever billboard and its in Times Square so happy to be here w my @womensbest team' The blonde bombshell continued: 'so happy to be here w my @womensbest team.' Tammy's moment of career pride is a far cry from her very humble beginnings. She recently revealed in her podcast, Hanging With The Hembrows, that she previously held jobs in telemarketing and at a burger chain. Humble jobs: Tammy's moment of career pride is a far cry from her very humble beginnings. She recently revealed in her podcast, Hanging With The Hembrows , that she previously held jobs in telemarketing and at a burger chain The blonde said she used to get screamed at while dealing with disgruntled customers during her stint in telemarketing. 'I just got screamed at all the time. I literally used to cry after work,' Tammy said with a laugh. Speaking of her fast food job, she said: 'Grill'd was pretty bad as well, making burgers, but I got free burgers out of that and they were delicious.' NEW HAVEN Family, friends and supporters of Mubarak Soulemane marched through downtown Friday afternoon, chanting for justice in his name, striving to keep his memory at the fore of public discussion. The group walked from City Hall to the Shops at Yale, then back to the Elm Street courthouse, chanting Justice for Mubi, no justice, no peace, and indict, convict, send those killer cops to jail / the whole damn system is guilty as hell. Soulemane was fatally shot by Trooper Brian North just off Interstate 95s Exit 43 in West Haven on Jan. 15. Soulemane allegedly had carjacked a driver in Norwalk following an alleged incident with a knife at a store there, then fled from police at high rates of speed along the highway. North said he saw a knife in Soulemanes possession; he fired seven shots through a closed window, killing the 19-year-old New Haven resident. Saeed Soulemane, Mubaraks brother, helped lead the procession Friday, calling into a megaphone. He said his brothers spirit was with him. We have to keep shedding light on the situation so it doesnt get swept under the rug, said Saeed Soulemane. My brothers giving me the strength to push forward. Kira Ortoleva, who helped to organize and lead the rally Friday, said she was friends with Mubarak they met through mutual acquaintances and attended Gateway Community College together. We wont let Mubis name be taken over by different headlines in the news, and thats why we are out here today, Ortolera said to the crowd when they reached the Shops. Mubi was a good friend of mine. He was a brother, a boyfriend, a friend, a son, a nephew and we are not going to let him be drowned out. Ayesha Adams, Soulemanes aunt, noted that there will be a candlelight vigil on the West Haven Green at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, with another protest to follow in that community in the coming days. We want there to be a large outpouring and outcry for this horrible incident that took place on Jan. 15, where we lost a son, a nephew, a loved one in general a human being, who should be here today, said Adams. The state is currently investigating the death of Soulemane. North has been assigned to desk duty and barred from interacting from the public as the inquiry proceeds. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Ensuring equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, is essential for promoting sustainable development across the globe, Pearl Uzokwe, Director, Governance and Sustainability, Sahara Group has said. Uzokwe who spoke in Paris at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Private Finance for Sustainable Development Conference said galvanizing private finance alongside other sources of finance for gender equality was not only urgent but critical for sustained wealth creation, especially in developing countries. Uzokwe said Sahara Group had consistently led the cause of equal access and opportunities in the private sector through support for gender related projects and policies that supports employment and growth within the organization which is free of any gender-based considerations. Sahara Group is passionate about the issue of gender equality and we continue to promote and invest in projects that empower men and women to pursue economic prosperity. We are also entrenching gender diversity at the board level of the organization in line with global trends in corporate governance, she said. Noting the need for women empowerment as a precursor to achieving gender equality, Uzokwe said governments and businesses need to be more deliberate and committed in their support for activities that will connect girls and women to transformative economic opportunities. She said strengthening the private sector and ensuring well-defined and unbiased entry pathways are available at all levels. Sahara Group aligns with the position that empowering women and eliminating the hurdles to success for women in both the formal and informal sectors has the potential to set the tone for attaining several tsustainable development goals, with special emphasis on goal 5 that speaks to gender equality, she affirmed. The OECD conference noted that a collaborative approach involving the government, business, civil society and development agencies will be required to achieve the task as raising private finance towards promoting gender equality. Participants called for an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and support female entrants, adding that diversity remained the most potent driver of innovation that is required to make businesses thrive and prosper. They also noted that since women provide 50 percent of that innovation ratio, ignoring their unique needs and offerings would be a cost too high for any organisation and country. 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 Growing the British economy may be possible by 2030, but questions remain over racism, poverty and the countrys unity. Glasgow, United Kingdom On Friday, January 31, when clocks across the United Kingdom strike 11pm, Britains protracted exit from the European Union becomes official. A fundamental shift in the countrys history is under way. An 11-month transition period compels the UK to briefly abide by EU rules after it ceases to be a member state, but captains of industry, political leaders and human rights groups are bracing themselves for the biggest constitutional change in modern British history. Can the UK thrive alone, and what might Britain look like 10 years from now? In the last three and half years, the UK Parliament repeatedly failed to pass its Brexit legislation until the Conservative Party secured a majority in Decembers general election. The end of the Brexit deadlock did bring some welcome relief to businesses, said Suren Thiru, head of economics at the British Chambers of Commerce. But we are also aware that this is the first step down a long road and the focus for businesses right now is on that future trade agreement with the EU. After Johnsons EU-agreed framework for leaving the union was approved earlier this month, he promised to deliver a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc by the end of 2020. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, warned that both sides faced the risk of a cliff edge if a trade agreement is not signed off by the end of the post-Brexit transition period on December 31, 2020, when freedom of movement a central tenet of the EU will also be abolished in Britain. Post-Brexit future In the UK, industry insiders need to know whether the transition period will result in a trade deal or if they should start preparing for a no-deal Brexit. UK businesses are very resilient and are able to adapt to significant change if they know what that change will be, argues Thiru, who said British investment in new technologies and moving towards a net-zero carbon economy will be crucial for the long-term economic prospects. But he also says that Britains move away from the existing arrangements means that it is important to have a clear future trading relationship with the EU in order to maintain sustainable growth into 2030 and beyond. The UKs ability to lift 14 million Britons out of poverty post-Brexit has also become pertinent. The more distant we get from the EU the more likely it is that we will get trading barriers, and that has, all things being equal, negative economic consequences, said Helen Barnard, deputy director of policy and partnerships at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation an independent social change organisation working to solve UK poverty. Barnard told Al Jazeera that there are places in the UK that are much more exposed to their economies taking a hit if we get a lot of trading barriers. So, if we end up with a more distant trading relationship what will the UK government do to stimulate those local economies? That said, Barnard can imagine a future where, in 10 years time, we have left the EU and poverty has been radically reduced through appropriate government intervention, and where the time freed up from the Brexit process can be fully focussed on domestic priorities. Brexit has also raised questions over the UKs clout and unity. Tim Bale, a politics professor at the Queen Mary University London, expects Britain to lose the amplification diplomatic, trading and otherwise it got from EU membership despite the UKs independent nuclear deterrent, its seat on the UN Security Council, its own fairly large economy [and] its so-called special relationship with the US. So, on balance, its influence and significance, while it wont disappear, will be diminished if only slightly by 2030. Immigration and racism The campaign to leave the EU relied on rhetoric against immigration and for bolstering, or regaining control of borders. Last year, a UK-wide survey revealed that in the wake of the Brexit vote, ethnic minorities in the UK were facing increasing levels of overt racism. People voted to leave the European Union for all sorts of reasons, British-Nigerian historian and broadcaster David Olusoga told Al Jazeera. But there are people who have taken that decision as being a new form of nativism. And no what matter your views on Brexit, you can see how these people have taken the decision [to leave] as a license to express a view of Britain that is fundamentally racial. Yet, any latent form of racism that has emerged from the Brexit vote, he said, could become a thing of the past in 10 years. Brexit is a project of the older parts of this population rather than the younger, he said. Come 2030, the younger generation will be in charge and their sentiments and their world view and what theyre comfortable with [will differ from] their parents and their grandparents. Scottish statehood? Scotland and Northern Ireland voted remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum, as opposed to leave-voting England and Wales. Some observers argued this has raised the prospects of Scottish independence and Irish unity. Ireland, which is not part of the UK, will remain in the EU, meaning the UK will share a border with the bloc come Saturday. George Kerevan, economist and former member of Parliament for the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), believes that Scottish statehood, currently supported by 45 to 50 percent of Scots, is likely within the next 10 years. I think you could easily say that within 10 years, the natural progress of demographics will see the younger core vote who are more solidly pro-independence move into a majority as the older [more anti-independence] generation dies off, he told Al Jazeera. - President Rodrigo Duterte has finally agreed to impose a temporary ban on travelers coming from Hubei province in China - The decision of the President was shared by his former aide Senator Christopher Bong Go - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier suspended the issuance of visas to travelers coming from Hubei - As of posting time, about 56 people are under observation for suspected 2019 novel coronavirus PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed to impose a temporary ban on travelers coming from China provinces. KAMI learned that the decision of the President was shared by Senator Christopher Bong Go. In a report by CNN Philippines, the ban will affect Hubei province where Wuhan is located, the place where the 2019 novel coronavirus was first reported. Sang-ayon po si Pangulo na iimplementa ang temporary travel ban sa mga manggagaling mula Wuhan city and the entire Hubei province ng China," Go said in a statement. The senator also mentioned the possibility of temporarily prohibiting travelers coming from other countries that have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. As reported by the Philippine Star (authored by Franco Luna), the Department of Foreign Affairs has announced that they would be suspending the issuance of visas to travelers coming from Hubei province in China. "Pursuant to the IATF on (2019 novel coronavirus) resolution, DFA has temporarily suspended the issuance of Philippine visas to travelers from Hubei Province, China, effectively immediately, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay said. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! As previously reported by KAMI, the Department of Health (DOH) has confirmed the first case of a novel coronavirus in the Philippines. As of posting time, there are now 56 people under observation for suspected 2019 novel coronavirus. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said there was no need to panic in the wake of confirmation of coronavirus case in Thrissur district . Mr Vijayan appealed to the people to maintain vigil. The chief minister said that the health department had taken all steps to ensure medicine and treatment facilities. Information and news that could trigger panic among people need to be avoided. He appealed to the people who returned form China and those with suspected symptoms to immediately report to the health authorities in their respective places. The chief minister said that the state government was in touch with the Centre and all steps had been taken to counter the infection. Health minister K K Shailaja said all precautionary measures should be implemented effectively to ensure there is not even single loss of life due to coronavirus. Elderly people, cardiac patients, pregnant women, people with other diseases should be careful as their condition could turn serious in the event of contracting the virus. They need to seek treatment right in the beginning. The health minister will finalise a detailed set of measures to be taken in the state especially in medical college hospitals, at a meeting in Thirssur. The health department has also sounded high alert in all districts. The driver of the Srinagar-bound truck carrying terrorists, who were killed in an encounter on Friday morning on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, had a connection with the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019. Three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were killed and a policeman injured in the encounter between security forces and terrorists near the Bann toll post in Nagrota on the highway. The incident took place at around 5.45 am when a police team conducting a vehicle check near the toll booth intercepted the truck. Live TV An encounter ensued when the terrorists inside the truck fired at the police, injuring one policeman. The police fired in retaliation killing one militant while the others ran towards the forest area. The driver, Salim Dar, is allegedly the cousin of Adil Dar, who planted IEDs resulting in the blast and killing 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel. The security forces have recovered five AK47, a US-made sniper rifle, five pistols and over two dozen hand grenades from the terrorists. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh confirmed that they were JeM terrorists. He said, "One of the three killed was their leader because such weapons can only be in the possession of a big terrorist or their chief. The NIA has not been assigned the case as the police will look into it." Speaking to news agency ANI, he also said, "These terrorists were a newly infiltrated group and were on their way to Srinagar. It is suspected that they infiltrated from Kathua, Hiranagar border. An investigation is on." A gang were today convicted of conspiring to rob an international jewellery salesman of a suitcase filled with 4 million of precious gems. Joseph Savoie, who worked for exclusive US designer Le Vian, was ambushed in a car park as he walked to Ernest Jones in Staines, west London, to display high-value stones including the companys signature brown chocolate diamonds. He was beaten to the ground and battered almost unconscious after taking the jewel-filled case from his car boot on the morning of May 13 last year. His attackers had stalked him in a Mercedes fitted with fake number plates before pouncing, even ripping his watch and gold necklace from him along with the case, before smashing the car park barrier as they sped off. The gang targeted Ernest Jones in Elmsleigh Shopping Centre, Staines Lee Gardner, Camilo Carvajal, Ciro Troyano and Oscar Hicks were all convicted at Kingston crown court today of conspiracy to rob in the professionally planned operation. The trial heard how the gang had tracked Mr Savoies movements after the schedule announcing his arrival at the store was posted on the Ernest Jones website to attract customers. In the days beforehand, the group had staked out Ernest Jones stores in Solihull, West Midlands, and Maidenhead, Berkshire, as Mr Savoie displayed his wares there. Detectives traced their movements through mobile phone records, automatic number plate recognition cameras and CCTV images, the court heard. Police found some stolen items at the homes of the defendants along with thousands of pounds in cash, and messages showing they had been trying to sell the high-value pieces. Detectives also recovered some of the jewellery from pawn shops, including two distinctive Le Vian rings, near the defendants addresses. Gardner, 48, of Wood Green; Carvajal, 40, of Lewisham; Troyano, 41, of Southwark; and Hicks, 38, of St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, were found guilty of conspiracy to rob by majority verdicts. Leaders of 14 opposition parties, including the Congress on Friday wore black arm bands during the President's address to both houses of Parliament to protest against the amended citizenship act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens. IMAGE: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and leader Rahul Gandhi wearing black arm bands arrive at Parliament. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo Leaders of these parties also sat together in one block in the Central hall of the Parliament during the President's address. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha also left their designated seats in the front row to sit with the block. The black bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India with the passage of the amended citizenship act by the government, leaders said. Opposition members also protested after President Ram Nath Kovind hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act in his address. As soon as the president made these remarks, some opposition members shouted "shame, shame" and displayed banners in the Central hall. Among the leaders of opposition parties who wore black bands were the Nationalist Congress Party, the Samajwadi Party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the CPI, the Shiv Sena, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Kerala Congress-M, the Indian Union Muslim League and the National Conference, besides the Congress, sources said. IMAGE: Opposition leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi stage a protest against CAA and NRC in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue ahead of the budget session of Parliament in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo Earlier in the day, top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by party leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. They held placards on 'Save the Constitution' and raised anti-government slogans while expressing solidarity with the protesters against the CAA, NPR and NRC. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 12:31 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e039e 1 National marijuana,exports,Trade,cannabis,house-of-representatives,PKS Free An Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician and House of Representatives lawmaker has suggested that the Trade Ministry export marijuana. Rafli, a lawmaker from House Commission VI overseeing trade and industry, floated the idea during a hearing with Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto on Thursday. "So Pak, how about we make ganja [marijuana] a good export commodity?" Rafli said during the meeting. The PKS politician, whose electoral district is Aceh province, said marijuana was not as dangerous as most people might have thought, and that cannabis could even be used as an alternative for medical treatment. Should his suggestion be accepted, Rafli said he would personally provide a plot of land in his home province to cultivate marijuana , particularly since the plants grew well in Aceh where cannabis was not taboo, as Acehnese people traditionally use the substance as a spice in the kitchen. Marijuana, for instance, [can be exported] for maybe pharmaceutical purposes or other uses but we shouldnt be too strict about this. We should be flexible, Rafli said as quoted by tribunnews.com. He said that Indonesia lacked experimenting with things that could awe the world, therefore if marijuana could become an export commodity for Indonesia, it could change how countries across the globe saw the archipelago. "What I mean is that Indonesia must give performance that awes the world, whatever it is [such as marijuana export]. So all kinds of products [should be supported]," Rafli said. Indonesia, which has one of the strictest drug laws in the world, currently bans the use and possession of marijuana. According to 2009 Law on Narcotics, marijuana is a type 1 narcotics which are illegal for consumption including for medical purposes and only limited to strict research purposes. (ami) The three terrorists who were gunned down at a toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday suspected to have infiltrated from across the International Border in Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district, the police said. It is suspected that they infiltrated from Dayalachak area of Hiranagar sector in Kathua district on Thursday evening, picked up by a Kashmir bound truck (JK03F/1478) and reached Ban toll plaza on Friday morning. They were hiding in a cavity in the truck and were headed towards Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbagh Singh said. One policeman was injured when the terrorists opened fire at the security team after their truck was stopped around 5 am for a security check at the toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway. The DGP further acknowledged that the modus operandi used by the terrorists was similar to earlier attempts, where the terrorists have sneaked into India from across the border. Yes, the modus operandi has been repeated by them. But we were aware that terrorists have been using big trucks with these kinds of heavy loads (carrying bags with a cavity in it to hide them). So, such trucks are always under our surveillance. I must say the boys did a commendable job. The terrorists were carrying a heavy consignment of arms and ammunition with them and they could have carried out a big attack. They had not come here for a play, the state police chief said. The Border Security Force, however, disputed the claim. No infiltration has been detected so far from Dayalachak area of Hiranagar, BSF Jammu frontier Inspector General NS Jamwal said. The 198-kilometre-long Indo-Pak international border is guarded by the BSF. Dayalachak is around 62 kilometre from Jammu and Ban toll plaza is around 25 kilometres from Jammu city. Therefore, the terrorists travelled 86 kilometres on Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar highway before being intercepted at the toll plaza. The strategic highway remains busy all the time with heavy traffic and is dotted by several army units, vital installations, schools, colleges and other educational institutions on either side. More than 13 rivers and seasonal rivulets like Basanter River, Devak River and Tarnah River, Shaap Nullah in Samba-Kathua sector, Aik Nullah, Nikki and Baddi Tawi in RS Pura sector of Jammu district and Chenab River in Pargwal sector and Munawar Tawi in Akhnoor sub-division of Jammu district flow into Pakistan. These riverine gaps are among the traditional routes used by terrorists to infiltrate into India. In Jhajjar Kotli attack on September 12, 2018, three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists had adopted a similar modus operandi before they were killed in a day-long encounter. Similarly, three Jaish terrorists were arrested from another Kashmir bound truck with arms and ammunition at Lakhanpur in Kathua district on September 12 last year. That truck, with registration number JK13E-2000, was owned by Suhil Ahmed Latoo of Gulshanabad in Pulwama. On February 14 last year, a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was attacked by a vehicle-borne suicide bomber at Lethpora in Pulwama on Jammu-Srinagar national highway killing 40 personnel. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Minister of Economy of Armenia Tigran Khachatryan today received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Germany to Armenia Michael Johannes Banzhaf and Director of Berlin Economics Ricardo Gucci, reports the Ministry of Economy of Armenia. Greeting the guests, the minister stated that the work of the past months shows that success has been recorded and that there are major plans for the future. The Ambassador expressed gratitude to the minister for the reception and stated the following: It is nice to see that the Ministry of Economy of Armenia has established the Center for Support to Investors, which will facilitate the implementation of activities with foreign investors and cooperation with Berlin Economics. We would also be glad to discuss our future cooperation. The minister attached importance to correct formulation of the investment opportunities in Armenia for German investors. The parties agreed to identify several sectors that are currently more interesting for German businessmen to make investments. The participants of the meeting also considered the opportunities for holding an Armenian-German business forum in the fall. Director of Berlin Economics Ricardo Gucci stated that Berlin Economics has established effective cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the Center for Support to Investors and is glad to cooperate with the ministry in the field of economic research. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope that Iran would be held responsible for the Ukrainian International Airlines plane shot down on January 8 near Tehran, TASS reported. During the joint briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr in Kyiv, he expressed his condolences amid the death of Ukrainians near Tehran. According to him, he hopes Iran will be held accountable for its actions and for the lost lives of Ukrainians. The Ukrainian president, in his turn, said that a clear and well-coordinated work during the tragedy with a downed Ukrainian plane in Iran was an illustrative example of effective cooperation with the US. He thanked US partners for support and help. The Boeing 737 of Ukraine International Airlines crashed on January 8 several minutes after leaving Tehran's airport with 176 people died. The General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces issued a statement on January 11, which admitted that the plane was mistakenly shot down by an air defense crew. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Special Secretary (Health), Sanjeeva Kumar on Friday said that 366 people are to be brought from China to India tomorrow. "366 people are to be brought from China to India tomorrow. They will be kept in isolation for 14 days at the ITBP center in Chhawla. Safdarjung Hospital has kept 50 beds for critical patients," said Kumar. As part of the government's proactive measures to rescue Indian citizens from China's Wuhan and keep them at an isolated place for a fixed period as a precautionary measure, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created a residential facility in the capital. Meanwhile, Air India special flight which departed earlier in the day from Delhi has landed in Wuhan, China for the evacuation of Indians. An Air India special flight departing from Delhi on Friday will evacuate around 400 Indians trapped in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, the carrier's Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said earlier in the day. Speaking to ANI, Lohani said that the Boeing 747 Jumbo aircraft will take off at 12 pm from Delhi today and will return by 2 am on Saturday. The flight will include all necessary resources like masks, medical equipment, packed food, prescribed medicines, along with a team of five doctors from the Health Ministry, and paramedical personnel from Air India. Twenty crew members, including 15 cabin crew and five cockpit crew will be on board. Lohani said that the team of doctors and crew will be led by Air India's Director of Operations Captain Amitabh Singh. Lohani said that further arrangements for the passengers upon their return to India will be done by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Health Ministry. China has imposed a lockdown in Wuhan following the outbreak of the virus.Coronavirus has claimed the lives of as many as 213 people in China alone, while cases have been reported in several countries across the world. Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and several Asian countries besides China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court seeking that MPs from the "erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir", who are allegedly illegally continuing to hold their seats after disbanding of the state, be stopped from entering the Parliament. The petition alleged that the 10 MPs, four in the Rajya Sabha and six in the Lok Sabha, from the erstwhile state are "illegally" continuing in their seats in Parliament. It also claimed that the MPs, including Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chairman Farooq Abdullah, are "a drain on public exchequer" as they are enjoying the salary and perks that comes with the position. The petition, filed by separatist leader Abdul Gani Bhat, seeks directions to the central government not to allow the 10 MPs to enter the Parliament. It further alleged that "presence of the 10 MPs from the erstwhile state in the Parliament was immoral, illegal and unconstitutional". It also seeks that they be stopped from enjoying the salary, perks and other facilities granted to MPs. The Parliament on August 5 last year had abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, which granted a special status to the state, and had reorganised it into two Union Territories of Ladkh and Jammu and Kashmir. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hailing the new Citizenship law as "historic" and a fulfilment of Mahatma Gandhi's wish, President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday deprecated any kind of violence in the name of protests, saying it weakened the society and the nation, remarks that came amid protests against the contentious law. The President's glowing reference to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in his address to a joint sitting of Parliament drew protests from opposition members, many of whom wore black bands, with some shouting "shame shame" while BJP MPs thumped benches in support. The issue of atrocities against minorities in Pakistan was also brought up by the President. Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the party's leader in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad sat in the back rows in the Central Hall of Parliament instead of the front seats allotted to them to mark their protest against the law. Delivering his 70-minute address in Hindi which marks the start of the Parliament's Budget session, Kovind pointed out that mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy. He also called for making this decade "India's decade" and this century "India's century". "At the same time, any kind of violence in the name of protests weakens the society and the nation." he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence. Kovind said India has always believed in the principle of equal respect for all faiths. But at the time of Partition, "this very belief of India and of its people came under the most severe attack." He said Mahatma Gandhi had said that Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not wish to live there, can come to India and it is the duty of the Indian government to ensure a normal life for them. "It is our responsibility to honour this wish of the founding fathers of our nation. I am happy that both the Houses of Parliament have fulfilled this wish, by enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act. At a time when the country is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji, all of you have given paramount consideration to this sentiment," Kovind said. Referring to atrocities on minorities in Pakistan, the President said, "We have all seen what happened in Nankana Sahib recently. It is the responsibility of all of us to bring the atrocities being committed in Pakistan to the notice of the global community." The Nankana Sahib gurudwara in Pakistan was attacked by a mob earlier this month. "While condemning the atrocities on the minorities in Pakistan, I urge the world community to take cognizance of it and take necessary steps in this regard," he said. On economic issues, Kovind exhorted people to use locally manufactured products for a "better tomorrow", as he reiterated the government's commitment to make India a USD 5 trillion economy. The President also said that fundamentals of the Indian economy were strong and the foreign exchange reserves were at a record high. Touching upon the Supreme Court's Ayodhya judgment, he said the faith reposed by the people of India in democratic institutions strengthens the foundation of our democracy. "The maturity displayed by the countrymen after the Supreme Court's verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi is also laudable," he said. Kovind also said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country, and referred to Shyama Prasad Mukherjee's remarks in the Lok Sabha that in a democratic federal state, the fundamental rights of the citizens of one constituent unit cannot vary vis--vis the citizens of another unit. "Today, after seven decades, the whole country is happy that the dream of crores of freedom fighters including Dr Mukherjee has come true and the people of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh, the dalits and women from that area have also got the same rights as the people in the rest of the country. "The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution by two-thirds majority in both the Houses of Parliament is not only historic but has also paved the way for equitable development of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh." Urging people to remember their fundamental duties, the President said in addition to protecting the rights of every citizen of our country, our Constitution makes the citizens of the country mindful of their duties. "We should all strive to make every citizen conscious of and dedicated to his duties in the national interest, and ensure that this sense of responsibility becomes the guiding principle of our civic life. Come, let us together make this decade of 2020 the decade of fulfilling our duties." Kovind said Parliament has created a record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations. "My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India's decade and this century as India's century," he said. The President said the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs will bring synergy among three services of the armed forces and speed up their modernisation. On steps to tackle terrorism, he said the Modi government has given a free hand to security forces to curb the menace. Kovind also said the government was working for security of women and will set up over 1,000 fast track courts to dispose of cases of crime against women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KABUL - Afghan officials say two militants pushing a handcart were killed Friday in western Kabul when explosives in the cart detonated accidentally. A civilian was wounded. Ministry of Interior spokesman Nasrat Rahimi says investigators have not been able to link the bombers to any active militant group in the Afghan capital. Kabul police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said immediately after the explosion that the explosives were hidden in a handcart. Faramarz says police are not speculating on who was responsible. They had no additional details. ISEDs Testing Stream Program to fund deployment and evaluation of PATSCAN Platform TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot One Technologies Inc. (PAT.TO) (PTOTF) (0PL.F) (Patriot One or the Company), is pleased to announce it has been awarded an $780,000 CAD contract by Innovation Solutions Canada (ISC) for the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND). The contract will include the purchase, deployment and evaluation of the PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection Platform with the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), who will evaluate and learn how to deploy the Platform for personnel and asset protection at ports of call around the world. The $780,000 CAD contract, initially announced for pre-qualification on December 5, 2018 by Patriot One, among the Company, the Canadian Government and Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) formerly the Build In Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) - was initiated under the call for proposals 007 guidelines. Patriot Ones PATSCAN Platform was evaluated and pre-qualified under the Military Innovation Component on the merit of innovation, and ISC sourced the Department of National Defense (DND) as the implementation and evaluation partner. The Military Innovation Component consists of six (6) priority areas, which includes (i) Arctic & Maritime Security, (ii) Command & Support, (iii) Cyber-security, (iv) In-Service support, (v) Protecting the Soldiers and (vi) Training Systems. Patriot Ones PATSCAN Platform met several of these priority areas but was specifically selected under the Arctic/Maritime Security and Protecting Soldiers. Weve been working with Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canadas ISC division and Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) over the past year on this critical program for personnel and asset protection while at port around the world, shared Martin Cronin, CEO and President of Patriot One. The ability to deploy, evaluate and train the DND personnel on the PATSCAN Platform in a variety of real-life settings is extremely exciting for our team. As Ive shared before, and as a Canadian company, we are truly honored to be part of this effort to protect our serving military personnel. Story continues Patriot Ones business development and engineering teams have already begun work with teams at ISC, and Canadian Department of National Defense on the production of the PATSCAN Platform, which will be delivered beginning in February 2020. Deployment and testing will begin in March 2020. Specific locations where the PATSCAN Platform will be deployed and evaluated will not be disclosed for the safety of personnel and Canadian DND bases. Respectfully Martin Cronin Martin Cronin, CEO About Patriot One Technologies Inc. (PAT.TO) (PTOTF) (0PL.F): Patriot Ones' mission is to deliver innovative threat detection and counter-terrorism solutions for safer communities. Our PATSCAN Multi-Sensor Covert Threat Detection Platform provides a network of advanced sensor technologies with powerful next generation AI/machine learning software. The network can be covertly deployed from far perimeter to interiors across multiple weapons-restricted facilities. The PATSCAN platform identifies and reports threats wherever required; car park, building approach, employee & public entryways and inside the facilities. Each solution in the platform identifies weapons, related threats or disturbances for immediate security response. Our motto Deter, Detect and Defend is based on the belief that widespread use of the PATSCAN platform will act as an effective deterrent to diminish the epidemic of active threats around the globe. For more information, visit: www.patriot1tech.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook . About Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Innovative Solutions Canada helps Canadian innovators by funding R&D and testing prototypes in real-life settings. The program operates two streams with a combined funding of over $140 million dedicated to Canadian innovators who want to start, grow, and get to market. For further information, please contact: Patriot One Technologies Inquiries info@patriot1tech.com www.patriot1tech.com Investor Relations John Martin, Patriot One Technologies +1 (888) 728-1332 johnm@patriot1tech.com Media Contacts: Scott Ledingham, Patriot One Technologies +1-613-806-7135 scott@prmedianow.com Innovation Solutions Canada (ISED) Ottawa Headquarters Telephone: 343-291-1777 Business hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m media relations team . CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: No securities exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to system sales, product development, licensing, commercialization and regulatory compliance issues and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects, believes, and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include counterparty default and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. New Delhi, Jan 31 : A petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking a bar on ten MPs from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from entering the Parliament. The petition came months after the Central government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution which gave special status to the region, and bifurcated it into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The plea, moved by Professor Abdul Gani Bhat, stated, "The Members of Parliament representing the state in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha lost their locus standi to sit in the Indian Parliament (after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status) and represent the deceased state. Their continuation is illegal and unconstitutional." Listing the names of four Rajya Sabha members and six Lok Sabha members including former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Bhat said that their presence in the Indian Parliament is "immoral, illegal and unconstitutional". The petitioner claimed that the MPs continue to hold their seats in the Parliament, "unabashedly, illegally and immorally" and asserted that they are drawing on the public exchequer and enjoying facilities and perks without "right, logic and reason". The petitioner sought a direction from the court to the Central government to "graciously stop" their entry inside the Parliament forthwith. Bhat further contended that the perks enjoyed by them are draining the public exchequer, thereby causing loss to the citizens of the country. "The pay, perks, and other benefits which they might have received after the disbandment of the state on August 5, 2019, till date be recovered from them," he demanded. DUBLIN, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Case Study: Wildlife Tourism" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Wildlife tourism allows tourists to experience animals in their natural habitat. It includes eco and animal friendly tourism, but there is also a dark side, which raises ethical concerns. There are various forms of wildlife tourism that tourists can experience including safaris, coral reef diving, animal watching and more. This niche tourism type boosts the local economy of a destination. According to WTTC, in 2018, wildlife tourism contributed 4.4% to tourism GDP and provided 9.1 million jobs worldwide. This case study looks at this popular niche tourism type. Reasons to Buy Gain an insight into the wildlife tourism industry Understand the appeal and potential pitfalls that this popular form of niche tourism presents Analyze examples of leading wildlife tourism destinations Key Topics Covered Overview An Insight Into Wildlife Tourism Key Destinations for Wildlife Tourism Unique/Developing Wildlife Tourism Challenges Opportunities Appendix References Terminology & Definitions Companies Mentioned Amadeus Bushtops UNESCO Tree Tops Elephant Reserve Co. Ltd. Instagram For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xoboq2 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 7:55PM Samsung is reportedly launching its second foldable phone/Motorola Razr competitor during its February 11 Unpacked event. We've been getting more and more details about the device. The latest one shares a lot about the Galaxy Z Flip. Leaker Ishan Agrawal shared some details about the displays, camera, and battery of the foldable device. The Galaxy Z Flip will have two screens. The smaller outer screen will reportedly have a 1.05-inch sAMOLED screen called the "Focus Display." Meanwhile, the inner glass display (a first for this type of display) will be a 6.7-inch FHD+ screen with a long 22:9 aspect ratio. According to Agrawal, the Galaxy Z Flip will have a 3,300mAh battery, and it'll support 15W wired charging and 12W wireless charging. The batteries are supposedly split into two parts: 925mAh and 2,375mAh. Just as the partisan lines are becoming more intense in Santa Fe, a proposal has emerged that should be good news for New Mexicans of all political stripes who are paying too much for prescription drugs. Senate Bill 1 would place New Mexico among an initial wave of states seeking to take advantage of a new federal rule authorizing states to pursue wholesale drug importation programs from Canada. For years, Americans have clamored to buy prescription drugs from our northern neighbor. Senate President Pro Tem Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, a sponsor of Senate Bill 1, said drug prices are often four times higher in the United States than in other countries. Considering our rates of diabetes and hypertension, New Mexicans welcome price relief. According to AARP, about 25% of New Mexico adults on prescription drugs stopped taking their medication due to high costs in 2017. A typical insulin vial that will last a diabetic about 10 days costs about $300 in the United States; in Canada its just $30. Many patients ration prescriptions, skipping doses that could be lifesaving, to stretch their dollars. Thats unacceptable in America in 2020. Senate Bill 1 cleared its first legislative hurdle Jan. 23. It authorizes the state Department of Health to create an implementation plan and apply for federal approval to import wholesale drugs from Canada. There are details to be worked out, high among them the fact high-ranking Canadian officials have said Canada does not have enough of a drug supply to take care of its own citizens and foreigners, too. Drugs could eventually be imported from other countries if the federal government grants authorization. Imported prescription drugs would not be covered by Medicaid, but every journey begins with a step. Well take what we can get. The bill is opposed by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, which says it would not significantly lower drug prices and could put an additional strain on law enforcement agencies. While theres work to be done, getting Americans access to the same affordable medicines as residents of other nations is not, and should not be, a partisan issue. New Mexico has the opportunity to make prescription equity happen here. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Facebook will pay over half a billion dollars to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged systematic violation of an Illinois consumer privacy law. The settlement amount is large indeed, but a small fraction of the $35 billion maximum the company could have faced. Class members basically Illinois Facebook users from mid-2011 to mid-2015 may expect as much as $200 each, but that depends on several factors. If you're one of them you should receive some notification once the settlement is approved by the court and the formalities are worked out. The proposed settlement would require Facebook to obtain consent in the future from Illinois users for such purposes as face analysis for automatic tagging. This is the second major settlement from Facebook in six months; a seemingly enormous $5 billion settlement of FTC violations was announced over the summer, but it's actually a bit of a joke. The Illinois suit was filed in 2015, alleging that Facebook collected facial recognition data on images of users in the state without disclosure, in contravention of the state's 2008 Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Similar suits were filed against Shutterfly, Snapchat and Google. Facebook pushed back in 2016, saying that facial recognition processing didn't count as biometric data, and that anyway Illinois law didn't apply to it, a California company. The judge rejected these arguments with flair, saying the definition of biometric was "cramped" and the assertion of Facebook's immunity would be "a complete negation" of Illinois law in this context. Facebook was also suspected at the time of heavy lobbying efforts toward defanging BIPA. One state senator proposed an amendment after the lawsuit was filed that would exclude digital images from BIPA coverage, which would of course have completely destroyed the case. It's hard to imagine such a ridiculous proposal was the suggestion of anyone but the industry, which tends to regard the strong protections of the law in Illinois as quite superfluous. Story continues As I noted in 2018, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce proposed the amendment, and a tech council there was chaired by Facebook's own manager of State Policy at the time. Facebook told me then that it had not taken any position on the amendment or spoken to any legislators about it. 2019 took the case to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where Facebook was again rebuffed; the court concluded that "the development of face template using facial-recognition technology without consent (as alleged here) invades an individuals private affairs and concrete interests. Similar conduct is actionable at common law." Facebook's request for a rehearing en banc, which is to say with the full complement of judges there present, was unanimously denied two months later. At last, after some five years of this, Facebook decided to settle, a representative told TechCrunch, "as it was in the best interest of our community and our shareholders to move past this matter." Obviously it admits to no wrongdoing. "In this case, a federal court of appeals validated BIPAs central insight: When corporations unlawfully collect or store a persons biometric information, it causes real harm, and companies may be held liable for that harm," said Rebecca Glenberg, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU of Illinois. The $550 million amount negotiated is "the largest all-cash privacy class action settlement to date," according to law firm Edelson PC, one of three that represented the plaintiffs in the suit. "Biometrics is one of the two primary battlegrounds, along with geolocation, that will define our privacy rights for the next generation," said Edelson PC founder and CEO Jay Edelson in a press release. "We are proud of the strong team we had in place that had the resolve to fight this critically important case over the last five years. We hope and expect that other companies will follow Facebooks lead and pay significant attention to the importance of our biometric information." Sadc further urges all stakeholders to respect the judgment of the Constitutional Court of Malawi, and to remain calm and maintain peace and order during and after the delivery of the verdict, said President Mnangagwa, in a statement yesterday. She knows what works for her, and sticks to it. And on Wednesday, Sofia Vergara stepped out from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, clad in familiar attire. The 47-year-old was seen rocking a pair of cropped, distressed denim and nude platforms. Go-to look: On Wednesday, Sofia Vergara, 47, stepped out from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, clad in familiar attire The mother-of-one paired a ribbed, white sweater with her medium wash jeans. Sofia accessorized with a large, tan Chanel bag, her wedding ring and diamond earrings. The Colombian beauty highlighted her dark eyes with neutral, dark brown shades and topped off her make-up look with bronzer and a bold lip. Her light brown hair was styled straight with what looked to be a blowout. Gorgeous: The Colombian beauty highlighted her dark eyes with neutral, dark brown shades and topped off her make-up look with bronzer and a bold lip. Her light brown hair was styled straight with what looked to be a blowout Last week, Sofia wrapped filming on Modern Family after over a decade of doing the show. The star took to Instagram to document her last day on set. 'My last time shooting in this set. In Mitch and Cams house! #modernfamily. What an amazing 11 yrs,' she said. 'What an amazing 11 yrs': Last week, Sofia wrapped filming on Modern Family after over a decade of doing the show. The star took to Instagram to document her last day on set. Aside from Modern Family, Sofia has been involved in outside projects, making her the second highest-paid actress in Hollywood. As a film star, she will next voice a character in the animated film, Koati. Additionally, Sofia has a successful clothing line at Walmart. The Colombian beauty took to Instagram earlier this month to share behind-the-scenes shots from a business meeting, which featured samples from her line. 'Almost ready for fall2020,' she wrote. CELEBRATION, Fla. Anthony Todt, the Colchester man accused of killing his wife, children and the family dog at their Florida home, entered a written plea of not guilty on Thursday to the murder charges against him. Court records indicate that Todt entered a written plea of not guilty and waiver of arraignment. Judge Wayne Wooten set pre-trial to begin April 15, with jury trial scheduled to start on April 27, according to the court records. Todt currently faces four counts of second-degree murder. His prior additional charge of animal cruelty was settled on Wednesday, court records show. Florida law indicates that the only way a person can be charged with first-degree murder is after a grand jury delivers an indictment on the case for the first-degree charge. Preliminary autopsy documents released earlier this month indicated that Todts wife, 42-year-old Megan Todt, and their three children 13-year-old Aleksander Todt, 11-year-old Tyler Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt were in the early stages of decomposition when they were found in their Celebration, Fla., home on Jan. 13. The autopsy documents showed that Megan Todt, Aleksander Todt and Tyler Todt were each stabbed. The mother who graduated from Sacred Heart University with a Bachelor of Science in 1999 and again in 2001 with a Master of Science was stabbed twice in the upper abdomen. Her sons were each stabbed once in the abdomen. There was no evidence of injury to Zoe Todt. The autopsy documents did not list a cause of death for any of the four Todts. Authorities have not said how the family dog, Breezy, died. Officials said the four Todts were found in one of the bedroom of the Celebration home. The Osceola County Sheriffs Office formally processed Anthony Todt on murder charges on Jan. 15. When Anthony Todt appeared briefly before a judge the next day, he was denied bail on the charges and granted a public defender. Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson called the case evil and horrendous when he provided details on the investigation during a press conference earlier this month. Gibson said Anthony Todt confessed to killing his wife, their three children and the family dog. But, Gibson said, authorities believe he killed his family some time in late December. Police responded to the familys 202 Reserve Place home in Celebration on Dec. 29 when a family member asked for a welfare check because she hadnt heard from them in two days. The deputies checked around the residence and noticed the blinds were closed, but ultimately they did not report anything suspicious and left. Gibson said its possible that when deputies responded to the home that day, the family members and the family dog might have already been killed. Soon after, on Jan. 9, federal agents reached out to the Osceola County Sheriffs Office about an investigation involving Anthony Todt, linked to his time in Connecticut. Again, nothing suspicious was noticed and authorities couldnt make contact with anyone. Then, on Jan. 13, deputies again responded to the Reserve Place home with federal agents to serve an arrest warrant for Anthony Todt from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This time they made contact with Anthony Todt and he was immediately detained. When authorities did a safety check of the rest of the home, they found the other Todt family members and the dog. Anthony Todt was taken to a local hospital after he was detained. Gibson said he took some dosage of Benadryl and made comments about potentially harming himself. The Todt family lived in Florida for the past couple of years, give or take, according to Gibson. But Anthony Todt worked Monday through Friday in Connecticut and would return to his family in Florida on the weekends. Anthony Todt and Megan Todt were listed as the owners of Family Physical Therapy, which has locations in Colchester at 7 Park Ave. and 744 Middletown Road. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) that is an umbrella body of nine bank unions across the country has called for a strike on January 31 and February 1, coinciding with the release of Economic Survey, and Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. As a result, banking services of state-run lenders will likely be impacted at branches and ATMs across the country. Services such as cheque clearances, cash deposit, cash withdrawal and loan disbursements at bank branches could be affected during the strike. However, customers will be able to carry out routine transactions through digital channels such as net banking and mobile banking. A number of public sector banks like the State Bank of India (SBI) have issued alerts to their customers. The bank employees unions have been demanding a 20 percent pay hike, five-day workweek, family pension, scrapping of new pension scheme and staff welfare fund among other things. The Indian Banking Association (IBA), the representative body of banks management, has been negotiating with the unions, but to no avail. In a meeting held on January 30, the IBA sweetened its offer of 13 percent to 15 percent for a wage increase that was not accepted by the unions. According to IBA, the offer was revised to up to 19 percent including a performance-linked incentive. However, the management body said that other demands like five-day workweek were not acceptable. The country is among those with the highest number of public holidays in the world and adding 26 more holidays would add problems for customers. For the inconvenience of the customers, banks will keep alternative channels available and customers can utilise these alternate/digital channels of banking 24x7 for day-to-day banking, the IBA said in a note. If the demands were not met, the unions will go for a three-day strike from March 11 to 13 and an indefinite strike from April 1. Open source Ukraine has imported the liquefied natural gas across the sea terminal in Poland - for the first time ever. Serhiy Makohon, the Chief Operator of Ukraine's gas transporting system posted that on Facebook. The supplying countries were the USA, Norway and Qatar. Most of the tankers (57 out of 80) arrived from Qatar. 13 came from the USA, and the rest from Norway. "Part of this gas is already in Ukraine", he said. Previously, the official said that Ukraine got to the virtual import of gas from Poland. Physically, there are no gas supplies from Poland, and the countries perform mutual offset payment. Thanks to the opportunity to perform the virtual import, Ukraine doesn't need to build extra gas pipelines to Poland to import the gas. Earlier, Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection Oleksiy Orzhel claimed that Ukraine will finish the heating season with excess reserves of natural gas in its underground storage facilities. "We are withdrawing from the heating season with excess reserves. Large reserves are also placed in European gas storage facilities", he said. How far off is Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. This is done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for Occidental Petroleum Crunching the numbers We have to calculate the value of Occidental Petroleum slightly differently to other stocks because it is a oil and gas company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. We use the Gordon Growth Model, which assumes dividend will grow into perpetuity at a rate that can be sustained. The dividend is expected to growth at an annual growth rate equal to the 10-year government bond rate of 1.7%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.3%. Compared to the current share price of US$40.6, the company appears about fair value at a 16% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = US$3.2 / (8.3% 1.7%) = US$48.5 NYSE:OXY Intrinsic value, January 31st 2020 Important assumptions We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Occidental Petroleum as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.213. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Story continues Next Steps: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldnt be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For Occidental Petroleum, There are three additional factors you should further examine: Financial Health: Does OXY have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does OXY's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Are there other high quality stocks you could be holding instead of OXY? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the NYSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks just search here. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday offered to send a field hospital and a team of doctors to China to help fight coronavirus that has killed over 200 people and infected thousands of others. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives. "On behalf of the government of Pakistan, the Foreign Minister extended the offer of sending a field hospital to China as well as sending a group of doctors to the brotherly people of China to assist them in the recovery efforts," the Foreign Office said. ALSO READ: Amid growing fears of spread of coronavirus, airlines cancel China flights; check the list here Qureshi also thanked China for helping Pakistani students in Wuhan. Wang, on behalf of Premier Li Keqiang, conveyed a special message of gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan's support and solidarity with the Chinese people and thanked Qureshi for Pakistan's offer. The Pakistani students in China were being treated "like our own", Wang said, adding that China was doing everything to ensure their safety, health and well-being. ALSO READ | China closing borders could allow coronavirus to spread faster: WHO The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. I t is important to remember that when we leave the EU , we will not be taking a step into the dark. We were not members for thousands of years and only became so within living memory. We always were and always will be politically and militarily involved in Europe, just as we always were and always will be an integral part of the profound and rich enterprise that is our shared culture. Has being in the EU made us less European? My parents loved Maurice Chevalier. My mother was somewhat in love with Sacha Distel. I was in love with Francoise Hardy and all my friends could whistle the tune to Never On Sunday. Fifty years later, I am not aware of a European artist who is as prominent in todays British popular culture. Europe stopped being our cultural home and evolved into a ramshackle political and economic project that became, for many of us, a continuous irritation. Europe, a word that used to be so rich in historical connotations, extended its meaning so far that we forgot what it originally meant. I suspect that ardent Remainers did not really notice this slippage and persuaded themselves that loving France or Greece or Bulgaria also entailed having to declare fealty to the political structure of which they are a part. In June 1975, I voted to confirm our membership of the Common Market. In 2016, I voted to leave the EU. These are not the same thing. We were not originally voting to hand over sovereignty, we were voting for a free-trade zone, so it is not surprising that the generation that voted us in is the same as the one that voted us out. What can we say to console Remainers? Yes, there were excellent reasons for staying, for trying to change it from the inside. Nobody thinks you were unreasonable. If anything, it was you who insulted Leavers by declaring them uneducated, insular and stupid. A great deal depends upon what Boris Johnson achieves in terms of an agreement and the extent to which capitals such as Dublin see our exit as an opportunity. I have no doubt Paris is gleeful. I suspect that within a couple of years nobody will be noticing any practical difference. Predictions of economic disaster will turn out to have been hysteria. Louis de Bernieres My advice to Remainers is to take a look at what the EU has amounted to. It has been stagnant since the 2008 crash; it is impossible to manage radically different economies which have the same currency. Without the euro, the EU would have worked. The EU has crushed and humiliated Greece for the crime of being allowed into the Eurozone before it was fit to join. It has oppressed Ireland by demanding that its government pay back to German banks debts incurred by private Irish citizens. It has never addressed the democratic deficit brought about by its top officials being unaccountable to electorates. It has never addressed such absurdities as shuttling its offices back and forth between Brussels and Strasbourg. There were excellent reasons for staying but my advice for Remainers is to look at what the EU has amounted to I do not wish to say to Remainers, You lost. Now live with it. I say to them that Europe is not the EU. It is physically and culturally impossible for us to leave Europe. The boulevards of Paris will not disappear, there will be no cable towing us away from the mainland, Beethoven will still play on our sound systems. We will be in charge of ourselves again, thats all, making our own mess rather than living by somebody elses rules. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a Lunar New Year performance with family members and high-ranking officials at the Samjiyon Theater in Pyongyang, Saturday, in this footage aired by the state-run Korean Central Television the following day. From left are Kim, his wife Ri Sol-ju, aunt Kim Kyong-hui, sister Kim Yo-jong and Jo Yong-won, a close aide to the leader. Yonhap By Jung Da-min Kim Kyong-hui, the aunt of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a once-influential figure in the country's leadership, has made her first public appearance in six years, quashing rumors that she had been killed or sent into exile. She had been out of the public eye since her husband Jang Song-thaek was executed in December 2013. According to North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency, Sunday, the North Korean leader had attended a Lunar New Year performance the day before at the Samjiyon Theater in Pyongyang with his family members and high-ranking officials including his wife Ri Sol-ju, aunt Kim Kyong-hui, sister Kim Yo-jong, the country's de facto second-in-command Choe Ryong-hae and other top officials Ri Il-hwan, Jo Yong-won and Hyon Song-wol. The fact that Kim Kyong-hui's name was listed after Choe's, in particular, raised speculations that she might have assumed a new role in the country's leadership, as North Korean state media typically names officials in order of rank. North Korea watchers say that Kim's appearance with his family members seems to be aimed at solidifying his legitimacy by highlighting blood ties following his announcement of a major policy shift at the four-day Fifth Plenary Meeting of the Seventh Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, in a move to strengthen internal solidarity among political leaders. Born as the youngest child of North Korea's founding President Kim Il-sung and his second wife Kim Jong-suk, Kim Kyong-hui (born 1946) was their only daughter. The couple had two sons, Kim Jong-il and Kim Pyong-il. After Kim Jong-il succeeded his father as the leader of the country, Kim Kyong-hui held sway over the country's major economic projects together with her husband Jang. North Korea watchers say Kim Jong-un's appearance with his aunt might also suggest that Kim was trying to ward off criticism for his role in the events that led to the execution of his uncle. Six persons, suspected of being affected by the novel coronavirus, have been kept under observation at an isolation ward of RML hospital here and their are tests reports are awaited, hospital sources said on Friday. India reported its first case of novel coronavirus in Kerala on Thursday and the patient has been kept in an isolation ward in the state, the Union health ministry said. Five persons self-reported to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, designated to deal with such cases, with respiratory problems and fever, hospital sources said. Among the five, a female (24) has been staying in China since 2015 and had returned to India on January 29. Apart from the female patient, four men, one aged 45-years, returned to India on January 23 while another (35) has been staying in China for the last seven years and returned to India on January 28. Another male (19) was in China from November 2019 to January 24, 2020 and returned to India on January 25. Another male (34) who was staying in China for the last 10 years, returned to India on January 16. While the above five had self admitted themselves on January 30, the remaining one is an old admission -- a male (32), who visited China from January 4 to January 11, officials said. "The samples of all the six patients have been sent for testing and their reports are awaited," an RML official said. The government has stepped up its efforts to detect and prevent the spread of the virus that has killed at least 170 people and infected more that 7,700 in China and has spread to at least 17 countries already. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday reviewed the country's preparedness with the concerned ministries -- health and family welfare, external affairs, defence, home affairs, civil aviation, information and broadcasting, labour and employment, and shipping -- to tackle the spread of the virus, an official release said. He also spoke to chief secretaries of the states and UTs through video-conference, it added. During these meetings, it was decided that all those who have come from China after 15 January will be tested for the exposure to the virus and also the lab facilities will be augmented. While six labs will start functioning from Thursday, including one at AIIMS in Delhi, six more labs will start function by Friday, the release said. Apart from putting measures in place to battle the spread at home, the government is also getting ready to evacuate its nationals on Friday from China, which continued to scramble to contain the spread of the deadly virus. Authorities have been screening patients at 21 airports, ports and borders for possible coronavirus infection and the health ministry has urged people to report themselves if they show symptoms of the virus, such as cold and respiratory distress, on the 24x7 helpline (011-23978046). The ministry has asked people to refrain from travelling to China and the states bordering Nepal -- Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim -- have stepped up vigil. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A shopper named Godwin has reported he has been denied the opportunity to pay for drinks from Game, a shopping centre, using the newly launched GH 200 higher denomination banknote. In a 26 seconds video, Godwin raised the GH 200 banknote as he pointed out his frustration of not having to take or pay for the drinks he had ordered, using the GH 200 note. He could not fathom why Game refused the note since it was a legal tender from the Bank of Ghana. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) recently launched new higher denomination Ghana cedi banknotes. They include GH100 and GH200 banknotes. View this post on Instagram Wahala! Game store reject the new GHC 200 note as payment A post shared by CHRIS TV (@oseikofichris) on Dec 26, 2019 at 2:11am PST 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 NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR) today reported financial results for the second quarter and six months ended December 31, 2019 of its fiscal year 2020. Results compared with the same period last year were as follows: Summary Financial Results Second Quarter Six Months Dollars in millions, except per share data 2020 2019 Change 2020 2019 Change Total revenues $969 $953 2% $1,917 $1,926 Recurring fee revenues 648 604 7% 1,272 1,179 8% Operating income 27 78 (66)% 100 178 (44)% Operating income margin 2.8% 8.2% 5.2% 9.3% Adjusted Operating income - Non-GAAP 94 101 (7)% 198 224 (12)% Adjusted Operating income margin - Non- GAAP 9.7% 10.6% 10.3% 11.6% Diluted EPS $0.09 $0.42 (79)% $0.56 $1.06 (47)% Adjusted EPS - Non-GAAP $0.53 $0.56 (5)% $1.22 $1.35 (10)% Closed sales $45 $106 (57)% $83 $124 (33)% "Broadridge continued to execute well in a mixed quarter. Recurring revenues rose 7% to $648 million, driven by strong revenue from sales as well as contributions from recent acquisitions," said Tim Gokey, Broadridge's Chief Executive Officer. "Event-driven activity declined 36%, leading to a 5% decline in Adjusted EPS in a seasonally small quarter. Importantly, demand remains robust with strong Closed sales and performance by our recent acquisitions. "As we enter the more significant second half, we expect a pick-up in organic growth and full-year Recurring revenue growth of 8-10%. We also expect to deliver within our 8-12% Adjusted EPS guidance, albeit at the low end. We continue to be well on-track to achieve the three-year objectives laid out at our 2017 Investor Day, including the high end of our Adjusted EPS objectives," Mr. Gokey added. "Broadridge remains very well-positioned for growth, and we continue to invest in new products and technology to create value." Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Guidance - Updated Change / Update1 Recurring fee revenue growth 8-10% No change Total revenue growth 3-6% No change Operating income margin - GAAP ~14% Reduced from ~15%2 Adjusted Operating income margin - Non-GAAP ~18% No change Diluted earnings per share growth (4)-0% Reduced from 5-9%2 Adjusted earnings per share growth - Non-GAAP 8-12% Expected to be at low end of range Closed sales $190-230M No change (1) From full-year guidance provided in earnings release Q1 FY20 on 11/6/2019 (2) Fiscal Year 2020 GAAP Operating income margin and Diluted EPS growth guidance has been updated to reflect the impact of acquisitions made in the second quarter and the impact of the IBM Private Cloud Charges Financial Results for the Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2020 compared to the Second Quarter Fiscal Year 2019 Total revenues increased 2% to $969 million from $953 million in the prior year period. increased 2% to from in the prior year period. Recurring fee revenues increased 7% to $648 million from $604 million . The increase in recurring fee revenues includes 6pts of growth from acquisitions. Organic growth was 1.5%. from . The increase in recurring fee revenues includes 6pts of growth from acquisitions. Organic growth was 1.5%. Event-driven fee revenues decreased $17 million , or 36%, to $31 million , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity. , or 36%, to , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity. Distribution revenues decreased $6 million , or 2%, to $317 million , primarily from the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. , or 2%, to , primarily from the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Operating income was $27 million , a decrease of $51 million , or 66%. Operating income margin decreased to 2.8%, compared to 8.2% for the prior year period. was , a decrease of , or 66%. Operating income margin decreased to 2.8%, compared to 8.2% for the prior year period. Adjusted Operating income was $94 million , a decrease of $7 million , or 7%. Adjusted Operating income margin decreased to 9.7%, compared to 10.6% for the prior year period. , a decrease of , or 7%. Adjusted Operating income margin decreased to 9.7%, compared to 10.6% for the prior year period. The decrease in Operating income was primarily due to higher acquisition amortization expense, charges associated with the Company's new private cloud services agreement with IBM (the "IBM Private Cloud Agreement"), and the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. The decrease in Adjusted Operating income was primarily due to the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Interest expense, net was $14 million , an increase of $3 million , or 30%, primarily due to an increase in interest expense from higher borrowings related to acquisitions. was , an increase of , or 30%, primarily due to an increase in interest expense from higher borrowings related to acquisitions. The effective tax rate was 3.8% compared to 22.4% in the Second Quarter 2019. The effective tax rate was impacted by discrete tax items relative to pre-tax income, including excess tax benefits of $2.2 million , which increased from $0.8 million in the Second Quarter 2019. was 3.8% compared to 22.4% in the Second Quarter 2019. The effective tax rate was impacted by discrete tax items relative to pre-tax income, including excess tax benefits of , which increased from in the Second Quarter 2019. Net earnings decreased 80% to $10 million and Adjusted Net earnings decreased 7% to $62 million . decreased 80% to and Adjusted Net earnings decreased 7% to . Diluted earnings per share decreased 79% to $0.09 , compared to $0.42 in the Second Quarter 2019 and Adjusted earnings per share decreased 5% to $0.53 , compared to $0.56 in the Second Quarter 2019. , compared to in the Second Quarter 2019 and Adjusted earnings per share decreased 5% to , compared to in the Second Quarter 2019. The decrease in Diluted earnings per share was primarily due to higher acquisition amortization expense, charges associated with the IBM Private Cloud Agreement, and a decrease in event-driven fee revenues. The decrease in Adjusted earnings per share was primarily due to a decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Segment and Other Results for the Second Quarter 2020 compared to Second Quarter 2019 The results for the Company's Advisor Solutions services that were previously reported in our Investor Communication Solutions segment are now reported within the Global Technology and Operations segment. As a result, our prior period segment results have been revised to reflect this change. Investor Communication Solutions ("ICS") ICS total revenues were $716 million , a decrease of $12 million , or 2%. , a decrease of , or 2%. Recurring fee revenues increased $11 million , or 3%, to $368 million . The increase was attributable to revenues from net new business (3pts) and acquisition growth (3pts), partially offset by internal growth (-3pts). , or 3%, to . The increase was attributable to revenues from net new business (3pts) and acquisition growth (3pts), partially offset by internal growth (-3pts). Event-driven fee revenues decreased $17 million , or 36%, to $31 million , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity compared to the Second Quarter 2019. , or 36%, to , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity compared to the Second Quarter 2019. Distribution revenues decreased $6 million , or 2%, to $317 million , primarily from the decrease in event-driven activity. , or 2%, to , primarily from the decrease in event-driven activity. ICS earnings before income taxes were $22 million , a decrease of $15 million , or 40%, primarily due to the decrease in event-driven fee revenues more than offsetting the contribution from higher recurring fee revenues. Pre-tax margins decreased to 3.1% from 5.1%. Global Technology and Operations ("GTO") GTO recurring fee revenues were $281 million , an increase of $34 million , or 14%. The increase was attributable to the combination of revenues from acquisitions (10pts) and organic growth (4pts). , an increase of , or 14%. The increase was attributable to the combination of revenues from acquisitions (10pts) and organic growth (4pts). GTO earnings before income taxes were $49 million , an increase of $2 million , or 3%, compared to $48 million in the prior year period. The increased earnings were primarily due to higher organic revenues, partially offset by the impact of expenditures to implement and support new business. Pre-tax margins decreased to 17.4% from 19.2%. Other Other Loss before income tax increased 144% to $68 million from $28 million in the Second Quarter 2019. The increased loss was primarily due to charges associated with the IBM Private Cloud Agreement, and higher interest expense compared to the prior year period. Financial Results for the Six Months Fiscal Year 2020 compared to the Six Months Fiscal Year 2019 Total revenues fell slightly to $1,917 million from $1,926 million in the prior year period. fell slightly to from in the prior year period. Recurring fee revenues increased 8% to $1,272 million from $1,179 million . The increase in recurring fee revenues includes 6pts of growth from acquisitions. from . The increase in recurring fee revenues includes 6pts of growth from acquisitions. Event-driven fee revenues decreased $54 million , or 43%, to $71 million , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity. , or 43%, to , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity. Distribution revenues decreased $33 million , or 5%, to $630 million , primarily from the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. , or 5%, to , primarily from the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Operating income was $100 million , a decrease of $78 million , or 44%. Operating income margin decreased to 5.2%, compared to 9.3% in the prior year period. was , a decrease of , or 44%. Operating income margin decreased to 5.2%, compared to 9.3% in the prior year period. Adjusted Operating income was $198 million , a decrease of $26 million , or 12%. Adjusted Operating income margin decreased to 10.3%, compared to 11.6% for the prior year period. , a decrease of , or 12%. Adjusted Operating income margin decreased to 10.3%, compared to 11.6% for the prior year period. The decrease in Operating income was primarily due to higher acquisition amortization expense, charges associated with the IBM Private Cloud Agreement, and the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. The decrease in Adjusted Operating income was primarily due to the decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Interest expense, net was $27 million , an increase of $7 million , or 32%, primarily due to an increase in interest expense from higher borrowings related to acquisitions. was , an increase of , or 32%, primarily due to an increase in interest expense from higher borrowings related to acquisitions. The effective tax rate was 11.2% compared to 17.6% in the prior year period. The effective tax rate was impacted by discrete tax items relative to pre-tax income, including excess tax benefits of $8 million , unchanged from $8 million in the prior year period. was 11.2% compared to 17.6% in the prior year period. The effective tax rate was impacted by discrete tax items relative to pre-tax income, including excess tax benefits of , unchanged from in the prior year period. Net earnings decreased 48% to $66 million and Adjusted Net earnings decreased 12% to $142 million . decreased 48% to and Adjusted Net earnings decreased 12% to . Diluted earnings per share decreased 47% to $0.56 , compared to $1.06 in the prior year period and Adjusted earnings per share decreased 10% to $1.22 , compared to $1.35 in the prior year period. , compared to in the prior year period and Adjusted earnings per share decreased 10% to , compared to in the prior year period. The decrease in Diluted earnings per share was primarily due to higher acquisition amortization expense, charges associated with the IBM Private Cloud Agreement, and a decrease in event-driven fee revenues. The decrease in Adjusted earnings per share was primarily due to a decrease in event-driven fee revenues. Segment and Other Results for the Six Months Fiscal Year 2020 compared to the Six Months Fiscal Year 2019 The results for the Company's Advisor Solutions services that were previously reported in our Investor Communication Solutions segment are now reported within the Global Technology and Operations segment. As a result, our prior period segment results have been revised to reflect this change. Investor Communication Solutions ICS total revenues were $1,418 million , a decrease of $65 million , or 4%. , a decrease of , or 4%. Recurring fee revenues increased $23 million , or 3%, to $717 million . The increase was attributable to the combination of revenues from acquisitions (2pts) and organic growth (1pt). , or 3%, to . The increase was attributable to the combination of revenues from acquisitions (2pts) and organic growth (1pt). Event-driven fee revenues decreased $54 million , or 43%, to $71 million , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity compared to the prior year period. , or 43%, to , mainly from lower mutual fund proxy activity compared to the prior year period. Distribution revenues decreased $33 million , or 5%, to $630 million , primarily from the decrease in event-driven activity. , or 5%, to , primarily from the decrease in event-driven activity. ICS earnings before income taxes were $45 million , a decrease of $51 million , or 53%, primarily due to decreased event-driven fee revenues more than offsetting the contribution from higher recurring fee revenues. Pre-tax margins decreased to 3.2% from 6.4%. Global Technology and Operations GTO recurring fee revenues were $555 million , an increase of $69 million , or 14%. Revenue from acquisitions contributed (11pts) to the increase. , an increase of , or 14%. Revenue from acquisitions contributed (11pts) to the increase. GTO earnings before income taxes were $105 million , an increase of $11 million , or 12%, compared to $94 million in the prior year period. The increased earnings were primarily due to higher revenues from acquisitions, including software license sales, and higher organic revenues, partially offset by the impact of expenditures to implement and support new business. Pre-tax margins decreased to 19.0% from 19.4%. Other Other Loss before income tax increased 75% to $89 million from $51 million in the six months ended December 31, 2019 . The increased loss was primarily due to charges associated with the IBM Private Cloud Agreement, and higher interest expense compared to the prior year period. Launch of Broadridge Private Cloud On December 31, 2019, Broadridge and IBM entered into the IBM Private Cloud Agreement under which IBM will operate, manage and support the Broadridge Private Cloud, the Company's private cloud global distributed platforms and products. This agreement has an initial term of approximately 10 years and three months, expiring on March 31, 2030. As a result of this agreement, Broadridge expects to transfer the ownership of certain Company-owned hardware located at Company facilities worldwide along with the Company's maintenance agreements associated with such hardware to IBM. Accordingly, the Company has recorded charges of $33.4 million representing a charge on the hardware assets to be transferred to IBM and other charges related to the IBM Private Cloud Agreement (the "IBM Private Cloud Charges"). Second Quarter 2020 Acquisitions Broadridge completed three primary acquisitions in the Second Quarter 2020, with an aggregate purchase price of approximately $227 million. Shadow Financial Systems, Inc. ("Shadow Financial") : In October 2019 , the Company acquired Shadow Financial, a provider of multi-asset class post-trade solutions for the capital markets industry. The acquisition builds upon Broadridge's post-trade processing capabilities by adding a market-ready solution for exchanges, inter-dealer brokers and proprietary trading firms. In addition, the acquisition adds capabilities across exchange traded derivatives and cryptocurrency. The purchase price was approximately $39 million . : In , the Company acquired Shadow Financial, a provider of multi-asset class post-trade solutions for the capital markets industry. The acquisition builds upon Broadridge's post-trade processing capabilities by adding a market-ready solution for exchanges, inter-dealer brokers and proprietary trading firms. In addition, the acquisition adds capabilities across exchange traded derivatives and cryptocurrency. The purchase price was approximately . Fi360, Inc. : In November 2019 , the Company acquired Fi360, Inc., a provider of fiduciary and Regulation Best Interest solutions for the wealth and retirement industry, including the accreditation and continuing education for the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) Designation, the leading designation focused on fiduciary responsibility. The acquisition is expected to enhance Broadridge's retirement solutions by providing wealth and retirement advisors with fiduciary tools that will complement its Matrix trust and trading platform and further strengthen Broadridge's data and analytics tools and solutions suite. The purchase price was approximately $120 million . : In , the Company acquired Fi360, Inc., a provider of fiduciary and Regulation Best Interest solutions for the wealth and retirement industry, including the accreditation and continuing education for the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) Designation, the leading designation focused on fiduciary responsibility. The acquisition is expected to enhance Broadridge's retirement solutions by providing wealth and retirement advisors with fiduciary tools that will complement its Matrix trust and trading platform and further strengthen Broadridge's data and analytics tools and solutions suite. The purchase price was approximately . Clear Structure Financial Technology, LLC ("ClearStructure") : In November 2019 , the Company acquired ClearStructure, a global provider of portfolio management solutions for the private debt markets. ClearStructure's component services are expected to enhance Broadridge's existing multi-asset class, front-to-back office asset management technology suite, providing Broadridge clients with a capability to access the public and private markets. The purchase price was approximately $69 million . Third Quarter 2020 Acquisition In January 2020, the Company signed an agreement to acquire FundsLibrary Limited ("FundsLibrary"), a leader in fund document and data dissemination in the European market. The combination of FundsLibrary's capabilities with Broadridge's existing regulatory communications offerings is expected to enable Broadridge to reduce complexity and cost for global fund managers, helping them to increase distribution opportunities and meet their regulatory requirements across multiple jurisdictions. The acquisition is expected to close in February 2020, with an expected purchase price of approximately $69 million net of cash acquired and subject to normal closing adjustments. Earnings Conference Call An analyst conference call will be held today, Friday, January 31, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. ET. A live webcast of the call will be available to the public on a listen-only basis. To listen to the live event and access the slide presentation, visit Broadridge's Investor Relations website at www.broadridge-ir.com prior to the start of the webcast. To listen to the call, investors may also dial 1-877-328-2502 within the United States and international callers may dial 1-412-317-5419. A replay of the webcast will be available and can be accessed in the same manner as the live webcast at the Broadridge Investor Relations site. Through February 14, 2020, the recording will also be available by dialing 1-877-344-7529 passcode: 10136507 within the United States or 1-412-317-0088 passcode: 10136507 for international callers. Explanation and Reconciliation of the Company's Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company's results in this press release are presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") except where otherwise noted. In certain circumstances, results have been presented that are not generally accepted accounting principles measures ("Non-GAAP"). These Non-GAAP measures are Adjusted Operating income, Adjusted Operating income margin, Adjusted Net earnings, Adjusted earnings per share, and Free cash flow. These Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as a substitute for, the Company's reported results. The Company believes our Non-GAAP financial measures help investors understand how management plans, measures and evaluates the Company's business performance. Management believes that Non-GAAP measures provide consistency in its financial reporting and facilitates investors' understanding of the Company's operating results and trends by providing an additional basis for comparison. Management uses these Non-GAAP financial measures to, among other things, evaluate our ongoing operations, for internal planning and forecasting purposes and in the calculation of performance-based compensation. In addition, and as a consequence of the importance of these Non-GAAP financial measures in managing our business, the Company's Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors incorporates Non-GAAP financial measures in the evaluation process for determining management compensation. Adjusted Operating Income, Adjusted Operating Income Margin, Adjusted Net Earnings and Adjusted Earnings Per Share These Non-GAAP measures reflect Operating income, Operating income margin, Net earnings, and Diluted earnings per share, as adjusted to exclude the impact of certain costs, expenses, gains and losses and other specified items that management believes are not indicative of our ongoing operating performance. These adjusted measures exclude the impact of: (i) Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, (ii) Acquisition and Integration Costs, and (iii) IBM Private Cloud Charges. Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property represents non-cash amortization expenses associated with the Company's acquisition activities. Acquisition and Integration Costs represent certain transaction and integration costs associated with the Company's acquisition activities. IBM Private Cloud Charges represent a charge on the hardware assets to be transferred to IBM and other charges related to the IBM Private Cloud Agreement. We exclude IBM Private Cloud Charges from our Adjusted Operating income and other earnings measures because excluding such information provides us with an understanding of the results from the primary operations of our business and this item does not reflect ordinary operations or earnings. We also exclude the impact of Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, as these non-cash amounts are significantly impacted by the timing and size of individual acquisitions and do not factor into the Company's capital allocation decisions, management compensation metrics or multi-year objectives. Furthermore, management believes that this adjustment enables better comparison of our results as Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property will not recur in future periods once such intangible assets have been fully amortized. Although we exclude Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property from our adjusted earnings measures, our management believes that it is important for investors to understand that these intangible assets contribute to revenue generation. Amortization of intangible assets that relate to past acquisitions will recur in future periods until such intangible assets have been fully amortized. Any future acquisitions may result in the amortization of additional intangible assets. Free Cash Flow In addition to the Non-GAAP financial measures discussed above, we provide Free cash flow information because we consider Free cash flow to be a liquidity measure that provides useful information to management and investors about the amount of cash generated that could be used for dividends, share repurchases, strategic acquisitions, other investments, as well as debt servicing. Free cash flow is a Non-GAAP financial measure and is defined by the Company as Net cash flows provided by operating activities less Capital expenditures as well as Software purchases and capitalized internal use software. Reconciliations of such Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP can be found in the tables that are part of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and other written or oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Broadridge may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical in nature, and which may be identified by the use of words such as "expects," "assumes," "projects," "anticipates," "estimates," "we believe," "could be" and other words of similar meaning, are forward-looking statements. In particular, information appearing in the "Fiscal Year 2020 Financial Guidance" section are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on management's expectations and assumptions and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed. These risks and uncertainties include those risk factors discussed in Part I, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year 2019 (the "2019 Annual Report"), as they may be updated in any future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed in the 2019 Annual Report. These risks include: the success of Broadridge in retaining and selling additional services to its existing clients and in obtaining new clients; Broadridge's reliance on a relatively small number of clients, the continued financial health of those clients, and the continued use by such clients of Broadridge's services with favorable pricing terms; a material security breach or cybersecurity attack affecting the information of Broadridge's clients; changes in laws and regulations affecting Broadridge's clients or the services provided by Broadridge; declines in participation and activity in the securities markets; the failure of Broadridge's key service providers to provide the anticipated levels of service; a disaster or other significant slowdown or failure of Broadridge's systems or error in the performance of Broadridge's services; overall market and economic conditions and their impact on the securities markets; Broadridge's failure to keep pace with changes in technology and demands of its clients; Broadridge's ability to attract and retain key personnel; the impact of new acquisitions and divestitures; and competitive conditions. Broadridge disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, other than as required by law. About Broadridge Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a $4 billion global Fintech leader, is a leading provider of investor communications and technology-driven solutions to banks, broker-dealers, asset and wealth managers and corporate issuers. Broadridge's infrastructure underpins proxy voting services for over 50 percent of public companies and mutual funds globally, and processes on average more than U.S.$7 trillion in fixed income and equity securities trades per day. Broadridge is part of the S&P 500 Index and employs over 11,000 associates in 18 countries. For more information about Broadridge, please visit www.broadridge.com . Contact Information Investors: W. Edings Thibault Investor Relations (516) 472-5129 Media: Gregg Rosenberg Corporate Communications (212) 918-6966 Condensed Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Unaudited) In millions, except per share amounts Three Months Ended December 31, Six Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues $ 968.7 $ 953.4 $ 1,917.2 $ 1,926.2 Operating expenses: Cost of revenues 780.9 734.0 1,508.4 1,473.0 Selling, general and administrative expenses 161.0 141.2 309.0 274.9 Total operating expenses 941.9 875.2 1,817.3 1,747.9 Operating income 26.8 78.2 99.9 178.3 Interest expense, net (13.9) (10.7) (27.0) (20.4) Other non-operating income (expenses), net (2.4) (3.2) 1.4 (4.4) Earnings before income taxes 10.5 64.3 74.3 153.6 Provision for income taxes 0.4 14.4 8.3 27.0 Net earnings $ 10.1 $ 49.9 $ 66.0 $ 126.6 Basic earnings per share $ 0.09 $ 0.43 $ 0.58 $ 1.09 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.09 $ 0.42 $ 0.56 $ 1.06 Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 114.7 116.3 114.5 116.3 Diluted 117.2 119.1 117.1 119.4 Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) In millions, except per share amounts December 31, 2019 June 30, 2019 Assets Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 234.0 $ 273.2 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2.7 and $2.6, respectively 616.0 664.0 Other current assets 160.7 105.2 Total current assets 1,010.6 1,042.3 Property, plant and equipment, net 137.5 189.0 Goodwill 1,660.8 1,500.0 Intangible assets, net 611.2 556.2 Other non-current assets 964.5 593.1 Total assets $ 4,384.6 $ 3,880.7 Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity Current liabilities: Current portion of long-term debt $ 399.5 $ Payables and accrued expenses 615.4 711.7 Contract liabilities 109.9 90.9 Total current liabilities 1,124.8 802.6 Long-term debt 1,449.3 1,470.4 Deferred taxes 98.9 86.7 Contract liabilities 150.3 160.7 Other non-current liabilities 435.9 232.8 Total liabilities 3,259.2 2,753.2 Commitments and contingencies Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock: Authorized, 25.0 shares; issued and outstanding, none Common stock, $0.01 par value: 650.0 shares authorized; 154.5 and 154.5 shares issued, respectively; and 114.8 and 114.3 shares outstanding, respectively 1.6 1.6 Additional paid-in capital 1,150.1 1,109.3 Retained earnings 2,030.1 2,087.7 Treasury stock, at cost: 39.7 and 40.2 shares, respectively (1,988.7) (1,999.8) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (67.7) (71.2) Total stockholders' equity 1,125.4 1,127.5 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 4,384.6 $ 3,880.7 Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) In millions Six Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Cash Flows From Operating Activities Net earnings $ 66.0 $ 126.6 Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash flows provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 41.4 42.5 Amortization of acquired intangibles and purchased intellectual property 58.4 43.2 Amortization of other assets 49.7 44.6 Write-down of long-lived assets 31.8 Stock-based compensation expense 30.3 29.4 Deferred income taxes (0.8) (10.0) Other (12.9) (13.4) Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets and liabilities acquired: Current assets and liabilities: Decrease in Accounts receivable, net 53.2 11.0 Increase in Other current assets (38.5) (12.1) Decrease in Payables and accrued expenses (155.0) (158.4) Increase in Contract liabilities 11.5 13.3 Non-current assets and liabilities: Increase in Other non-current assets (167.7) (87.3) Increase in Other non-current liabilities 44.0 52.8 Net cash flows provided by operating activities 11.5 82.1 Cash Flows From Investing Activities Capital expenditures (31.6) (21.0) Software purchases and capitalized internal use software (11.4) (9.3) Acquisitions, net of cash acquired (269.6) Other investing activities (18.7) (1.8) Net cash flows used in investing activities (331.2) (32.0) Cash Flows From Financing Activities Debt proceeds 1,226.1 210.0 Debt repayments (841.8) (70.0) Dividends paid (117.2) (99.0) Purchases of Treasury Stock (120.3) Proceeds from exercise of stock options 21.6 19.1 Other financing activities (8.3) (1.8) Net cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities 280.5 (61.9) Effect of exchange rate changes on Cash and cash equivalents (2.3) Net change in Cash and cash equivalents (39.2) (14.1) Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 273.2 263.9 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 234.0 $ 249.8 Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Segment Results (Unaudited) In millions Three Months Ended December 31, Six Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues Investor Communication Solutions $ 715.6 $ 727.8 $ 1,418.2 $ 1,482.8 Global Technology and Operations 280.9 247.0 554.8 485.4 Foreign currency exchange (27.8) (21.4) (55.8) (42.0) Total $ 968.7 $ 953.4 $ 1,917.2 $ 1,926.2 Earnings (Loss) before Income Taxes Investor Communication Solutions $ 22.1 $ 36.8 $ 45.1 $ 95.6 Global Technology and Operations 49.0 47.5 105.5 94.1 Other (68.1) (27.9) (89.3) (51.0) Foreign currency exchange 7.5 7.9 13.0 15.0 Total $ 10.5 $ 64.3 $ 74.3 $ 153.6 Pre-tax margins: Investor Communication Solutions 3.1 % 5.1 % 3.2 % 6.4 % Global Technology and Operations 17.4 % 19.2 % 19.0 % 19.4 % Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Note: The results for the Company's Advisor Solutions services that were previously reported in our Investor Communication Solutions reportable segment are now reported within the Global Technology and Operations reportable segment. As a result, our prior period segment results have been revised to reflect this change in reporting segments, which resulted in transferring $10.4 million and $21.1 million of revenues, respectively, and $0.3 million and $0.4 million of earnings before income taxes, respectively, for the three and six months ended December 31, 2018. Supplemental Reporting Detail - Additional Product Line Reporting (Unaudited) In millions Three Months Ended December 31, Six Months Ended December 31, Investor Communication Solutions 2019 2018 Change 2019 2018 Change Equity Proxy $ 42.2 $ 41.7 1 % $ 72.0 $ 72.7 (1) % Mutual fund and exchange-traded funds ("ETF") interims 65.1 60.7 7 % 130.5 118.5 10 % Customer communications and fulfillment 176.6 182.6 (3) % 347.5 357.5 (3) % Other ICS 83.5 71.9 16 % 166.7 145.3 15 % Total ICS Recurring fee revenues 367.5 357.0 3 % 716.7 694.0 3 % Equity and other 15.3 19.5 (22) % 32.8 43.6 (25) % Mutual funds 15.7 28.6 (45) % 38.3 81.4 (53) % Total ICS Event-driven fee revenues 31.0 48.1 (36) % 71.1 125.1 (43) % Distribution revenues 317.0 322.7 (2) % 630.3 663.7 (5) % Total ICS Revenues $ 715.6 $ 727.8 (2) % $ 1,418.2 $ 1,482.8 (4) % Global Technology and Operations Equities and Other $ 237.2 $ 206.8 15 % $ 468.1 $ 405.3 15 % Fixed income 43.7 40.1 9 % 86.8 80.1 8 % Total GTO Recurring fee revenues 280.9 247.0 14 % 554.8 485.4 14 % Foreign currency exchange (27.8) (21.4) 30 % (55.8) (42.0) 33 % Total Revenues $ 968.7 $ 953.4 2 % $ 1,917.2 $ 1,926.2 % Revenues by Type Recurring fee revenues $ 648.4 $ 603.9 7 % $ 1,271.6 $ 1,179.5 8 % Event-driven fee revenues 31.0 48.1 (36) % 71.1 125.1 (43) % Distribution revenues 317.0 322.7 (2) % 630.3 663.7 (5) % Foreign currency exchange (27.8) (21.4) 30 % (55.8) (42.0) 33 % Total Revenues $ 968.7 $ 953.4 2 % $ 1,917.2 $ 1,926.2 % Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Note: The results for the Company's Advisor Solutions services that were previously reported in our Investor Communication Solutions reportable segment are now reported within the Global Technology and Operations reportable segment. As a result, our prior period segment results have been revised to reflect this change in reporting segments. Select Operating Metrics (Unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31, Six Months Ended December 31, In millions 2019 2018 % Change 2019 2018 % Change Closed Sales $45.1 $105.9 (57)% $82.7 $124.3 (33)% Record Growth 1 Equity proxy 11% 15% 10% 15% Mutual fund interims 6% 20% 4% 14% Internal Trade Growth 2 Equity (16)% 16% (12)% 18% Fixed Income 6% 6% 12% 5% Amounts may not sum due to rounding. 1 Stock record growth and interim record growth measure the annual change in total positions eligible for equity proxies and mutual fund & ETF interims, respectively, for equities and mutual fund position data reported to Broadridge in both the current and prior year periods. 2 Internal trade growth represents the growth in trade volumes for clients whose contracts are linked to trade volumes and who were on Broadridge's trading platforms in both the current and prior year periods. Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP Measures (Unaudited) In millions, except per share amounts Three Months Ended December 31, Six Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Reconciliation of Adjusted Operating Income Operating income (GAAP) $ 26.8 $ 78.2 $ 99.9 $ 178.3 Adjustments: Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property 30.3 21.3 58.4 43.2 Acquisition and Integration Costs 3.4 1.3 5.9 2.2 IBM Private Cloud Charges 33.4 33.4 Adjusted Operating income (Non-GAAP) $ 93.9 $ 100.8 $ 197.5 $ 223.7 Operating income margin (GAAP) 2.8 % 8.2 % 5.2 % 9.3 % Adjusted Operating income margin (Non-GAAP) 9.7 % 10.6 % 10.3 % 11.6 % Reconciliation of Adjusted Net earnings Net earnings (GAAP) $ 10.1 $ 49.9 $ 66.0 $ 126.6 Adjustments: Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property 30.3 21.3 58.4 43.2 Acquisition and Integration Costs 3.4 1.3 5.9 2.2 IBM Private Cloud Charges 33.4 33.4 Taxable adjustments 67.1 22.6 97.7 45.4 Tax impact of adjustments (a) (14.8) (5.3) (21.3) (10.3) Adjusted Net earnings (Non-GAAP) $ 62.4 $ 67.2 $ 142.3 $ 161.8 Reconciliation of Adjusted EPS Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) $ 0.09 $ 0.42 $ 0.56 $ 1.06 Adjustments: Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property 0.26 0.18 0.50 0.36 Acquisition and Integration Costs 0.03 0.01 0.05 0.02 IBM Private Cloud Charges 0.28 0.28 Taxable adjustments 0.57 0.19 0.83 0.38 Tax impact of adjustments (a) (0.13) (0.04) (0.18) (0.09) Adjusted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) $ 0.53 $ 0.56 $ 1.22 $ 1.35 (a) Calculated using the GAAP effective tax rate, adjusted to exclude $2.2 million and $7.9 million of excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation for the three and six months ended December 31, 2019, and $0.8 million and $7.9 million of excess tax benefits associated with stock-based compensation for the three and six months ended December 31, 2018. For purposes of calculating Adjusted earnings per share, the same adjustments were made on a per share basis. Amounts may not sum due to rounding. Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow Net cash flows provided by operating activities (GAAP) $ 11.5 $ 82.1 Capital expenditures and Software purchases and capitalized internal use software (43.0) (30.3) Free cash flow (Non-GAAP) $ (31.5) $ 51.8 Fiscal Year 2020 Guidance Reconciliation of Non-GAAP to GAAP Measures Adjusted Earnings Per Share Growth and Adjusted Operating Income Margin (Unaudited) FY20 Adjusted Earnings Per Share Growth Rate (a) Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) (4)-0% Adjusted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) 8-12% FY20 Adjusted Operating Income Margin (b) Operating income margin % (GAAP) ~14% Adjusted Operating income margin % (Non-GAAP) ~18% (a) Adjusted earnings per share growth (Non-GAAP) is adjusted to exclude the projected impact of Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, Acquisition and Integration Costs, and IBM Private Cloud Charges, and is calculated using diluted shares outstanding. Fiscal year 2020 Non-GAAP Adjusted earnings per share guidance estimates exclude Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, Acquisition and Integration Costs, and IBM Private Cloud Charges, net of taxes, of approximately $1.11 per share. (b) Adjusted Operating income margin (Non-GAAP) is adjusted to exclude the projected impact of Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, Acquisition and Integration Costs, and IBM Private Cloud Charges. Fiscal year 2020 Non-GAAP Adjusted Operating income margin guidance estimates exclude Amortization of Acquired Intangibles and Purchased Intellectual Property, Acquisition and Integration Costs, and IBM Private Cloud Charges of approximately $170 million. SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. Related Links http://www.broadridge.com Balkans: Borrell in Belgrade for dialogue with Kosovo, EU First mission to the region of EU foreign police chief (ANSAmed) - BELGRADE, JANUARY 31 - The European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security, Josep Borrell, travelled to Belgrade on Friday morning for talks with Serbian authorities focusing on the resumption of dialogue with Pristina, interrupted over a year ago. On Thursday the EU foreign police chief, who is undertaking his first mission to the region, was in Kosovo where he urged local politicians to form a new government as soon as possible to fill the power void in Pristina registered since early elections on October 6 last year. A new cabinet, he observed, is the condition to resume talks with Belgrade. Borrell, a former Spanish foreign minister whose country does not recognize Kosovo's independence, has scheduled in Belgrade talks with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Premier Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. He is scheduled to meet opposition leaders in the afternoon, according to media reports. (ANSAmed) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:04:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close XIAMEN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Xiamen Airlines has dispatched two charter flights to Thailand's Bangkok and Malaysia's Kota Kinabalu to bring home more than 200 Hubei tourists stranded following the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province. The two airplanes departed for the two cities at 1:17 p.m. and 1:34 p.m. Friday, respectively, from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport. The planes will take the travelers to Wuhan before heading back to Xiamen in east China's Fujian Province. Xiamen Airlines is fully prepared in terms of safety and epidemic prevention for the flights, the airline said. The crew members are experienced and well trained in safety precautions. Once landed, they will undergo medical observation for 14 days. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon, John Dumelo has slamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for deliberately refusing to participate in the one-year commemoration of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence. Addressing the gathering at the commemoration at the La Bawaleshie Presby School, Mr. Dumelo said although the party was invited, its boycott was unsympathetic. Those who came into power in bloodshed needs to be shamed. They should have been here to sympathize but they chose not to come. But we on the other side will win power without shedding any blood, violence and intimidation We shall win a free, fair and credible election with and without the new voters register. Nana Addo's rejection of parts of Short's report a mockery of law Mahama Former President John Mahama at the same event also said President Nana Akufo-Addo's failure to fully accept the recommendations of the Emile Short commission of enquiry makes a mockery of the law. He said the inaction of the government had compromised the peace and security of the nation. If the current constitution of our national security remains the same, in the case where we need protection, do we seek refuge in the Police who were unaware of these rogue elements using Police vehicles and who stood passively by as these elements rained terror on innocent citizens? The President, Nana Akufo Addo who should be defending the law, makes a mockery of it and thereby sets a dangerous precedent by accepting that assault is permitted if one believes that one has been provoked. Why did the President pretend he cared about vigilantism and wanted to tackle it and yet refused to abide by the key recommendations of the Emile Short Commission which among others included the prosecution of identified offenders and the disbanding of the illegal SWAT unit. Sam George threatens to sue Nana Addo The Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George who was assaulted during the by-election, has indicated he will file a lawsuit against President Akufo-Addo next week, to challenge contents of Government's White Paper on the Emile Short Commission of inquiry report. According to him, he will push Akufo-Addo to give life to recommendations made by the Emile Short-led commission. Kwesi Pratt blasts police over boycott The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr. also wants the leadership of the Ghana Police Service to explain to Ghanaians why the service personnel wa s directed not to provide security for the durbar. Yesterday, I saw a post on WhatsApp which was a directive from the hierarchy of the Ghana Police Service instructing all police personnel not to provide security for this event. This is the first time in my life and perhaps the first time in record history that a police institution is calling on policemen not to provide security. And if the police are not providing security, then what are the police there for? He further asked the Police service to provide the same security that is provided to both former presidents, Jerry John Rawlings and John Agyekum Kuffour to former president John Dramani Mahama. In any case, whether we like it or not, President John Dramani Mahama is a former president of this country and has been a president of this country before. He is entitled to the same security which is offered to former president John Agyekum Kuffour and former president Jerry John Rawlings and the security offered to all former presidents. Background It is recalled that there was a considerable level of violence at the Bawaleshie Polling station during the Ayawaso by-election a year ago after the death of the then, sitting Member of Parliament, the late Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko. The incident led to several injuries as operatives of national security assaulted some voters. The government then set the Emile Short Commission of Enquiry to look into the said incident and make recommendations. After the commission submitted its recommendations, the government rejected over fifty percent of the recommendations. citinewsroom Two women wearing face masks walk through the city center near to the Royal Victoria Infirmary where two patients who have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus are being treated by specialist medical workers in Newcastle, England, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) First Coronaviruses Cases Confirmed in Italy, Russia, UK Authorities in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Italy said patients tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, the first confirmed cases in the countries. Englands Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement on Friday that there are two confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country. Both patients were transferred to a specialist infection unit in Newcastle. We are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus, Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said in a statement. Medical workers are working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had to try to prevent further spread of the new virus, Whitty added. Some of the 83 Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan following the coronavirus outbreak disembark from a plane in Brize Norton, England, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Leon Neal/Getty Images) A general view of Royal Victoria Infirmary, where two patients who have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus are being treated by specialist medical workers in Newcastle, England, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) The chief medical officers in the UK raised the coronavirus risk level from low to moderate, saying in a statement: This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the U.K. has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities. Anyone returning to the United Kingdom from China showing respiratory symptoms were advised by authorities to self-isolate for 14 days, the current maximum incubation period known to experts. Anyone returning from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, was asked to self-isolate even if they werent showing symptoms. In Italy, two Chinese tourists in Rome tested positive for the virus, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a press conference late Thursday. The tourists are a husband and wife, AFP reported. They were isolated at the Spallanzani infectious diseases institute in Italys capital. Tourists wearing protective respiratory masks tour outside the Colosseo monument in downtown Rome, Italy, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP via Getty Images) (L-R) Italian Doctor Emanuele Nicastri, Scientific Director of the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases Giuseppe Ippolito, and Chief Medical Officer at the Italian Ministry of Health Giuseppe Ruocco speak during a press conference in the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome, Italy, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images) Im confident that the situation will remain contained, Conte said. The Italian government said it was instituting a travel ban, forcing the cancellation of all flights between Italy and China, and declaring a state of emergency. We think we are the first EU country to take this precautionary measure, Conte said. Russia also said it confirmed the countrys first two cases of coronavirus. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that the two patients are both Chinese citizens. Theyre in the Trans-Baikal Region and the Tyumen Region. They are under strict surveillance. They have been isolated, and necessary assistance has been provided to them, she said. Russia was planning to evacuate its citizens from Hubei Province, Golikova said at a press conference, and would cancel all flights by Russian carriers between Russia and China. Four Chinese airlines would be allowed to continue flying into Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko during a meeting on preventing measures against the spread of Novel Coronavirus, Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 29, 2020. (Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images) Russia closed its land border with China on Thursday. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals and can, in rare cases, infect people. The origin of the new coronavirus isnt known. The new virus is spreading between humans now, multiple countries, including the United States and Germany. Person-to-person spread of two previous coronaviruses, MERS and SARS, likely took place mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new coronavirus started in Wuhan in December 2019 and has since spread to every region in China as well as some 20 countries around the world. Cases have been confirmed in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. People seeking to prevent the virus, which has no vaccine and no known cure, should wash their hands often or use hand sanitizer if soap isnt available; avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouths with unwashed hands, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. US soldiers hurt in Iran missile strike up to 64: Pentagon Washington, Jan 31 (AFP) Jan 31, 2020 The number of US troops injured by an Iranian missile strike in Iraq this month has risen to 64, according to new figures released by the Pentagon. US President Donald Trump had initially said no Americans were hurt by the missiles fired on a base housing US soldiers in the country's west on January 8. Democrats later accused Trump of trying to downplay the injuries. The American personnel have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Campbell, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement Thursday. The Pentagon said Wednesday that 50 soldiers were injured in the Iranian strike on the Ain al-Asad base. The latest total is an increase of 14 on those numbers. Iran fired on Iraqi bases housing US troops in retaliation for an American drone attack that killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad, raising fears of war. Of those diagnosed with TBI, 39 troops have returned to duty, the Pentagon said, while the rest have either been sent back to the US, are waiting to be sent back or are currently being evaluated. At the time of the strikes most of the 1,500 American soldiers at the Ain al-Asad base were in bunkers, after they were given advance warning from superiors. Rosa Lopez was one of five graduates who successfully passed the Substance Abuse Treatment Court Program honored at the 72nd graduation ceremony. Today is a day of forgiveness, today is a day of caring, today is a day of bonding and today is a day of letting go, Lopez said. WASHINGTON Illinois U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth on Thursday released a joint statement after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the second case of novel coronavirus in Illinois, the sixth confirmed case in the United States: Despite the risk to Americans remaining low, the CDC expected that the novel coronavirus could spread from one person to another in this country, as it has in other countries. Federal and state officials have been closely monitoring those who have come in contact with all confirmed cases in the United States, and have now confirmed another case in Illinois. As with the first case, we are thankful to our local medical personnel for identifying this case quickly, swiftly acting to limit exposure, and providing immediate care. We continue to be in the earliest stages of measuring the impact of coronavirus, but weas well as our public health agenciesare taking it very seriously. We will remain in close contact with them as they work to address this situation. Durbin and Duckworth received an update on the novel coronavirus outbreak from CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat. On Tuesday, they joined Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and 28 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in sending a letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar requesting updates on the administrations response to the coronavirus outbreak. EARLIER STORY ... First U.S. case of person-to-person spread of coronavirus reported in Chicago CHICAGO The first case of the coronavirus spreading from one person to another in the U.S. was reported in Chicago on Thursday, the spouse of a woman who caught the disease while in China. Its the second case thats been confirmed in Illinois, and the sixth case in the U.S., since the respiratory virus first started to spread in Wuhan, China. A Chicago woman who returned from caring for her sick father in China earlier this month was the first local person diagnosed with the illness, as reported by health officials Friday. The woman, who is in her 60s, traveled to Wuhan, China, in late December and returned to Chicago on Jan. 13. Her spouse, who had not traveled to China, is the second Illinois case and first instance of person-to-person spread in the U.S., the Illinois Department of Public Health said. There have been more than 6,000 cases confirmed worldwide, mostly in China, and 132 deaths from the illness in China, according to the World Health Organization. On Wednesday, the U.S. government evacuated 195 Americans from Wuhan. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also advised Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China. Chicago Tribune Symptoms of the virus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Its believed symptoms appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure. The CDC has said its still unclear how easily the virus spreads from person to person. EARLIER STORY ... US reports 1st case of person-to-person spread of new virus NEW YORK Health officials Thursday reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China. The man is married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. There have been cases reported of the infectious virus spreading to others in a household or workplace in China and elsewhere. The new case is the sixth reported in the United States. The other five were travelers who developed the illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China. The Chicago woman returned from central China on Jan. 13, then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their 60s, are hospitalized. Experts have said they expected additional cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely. Health officials think the new virus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois health officials said that health workers and people who have been in contact with the latest patient are being monitored for symptoms. We anticipated this, said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged. Thats the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted." The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. It is a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The new virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170. An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did SARS and MERS. The other U.S. cases are in Arizona, Southern California and Washington state. Associated Press Two Indians were prevented from boarding the special Air India flight from Wuhan by the Chinese immigration authorities because both were running high temperatures. The flight carrying over 370 Indians will reach New Delhi early Saturday morning. An Indian who was on the India bound flight told HT that one of the excluded passengers had a temperature of around 38 degrees C and the other passengers temperature was fluctuating. The barred passengers included a man and a woman and they are likely to be quarantined at a facility in Wuhan and checked for Coronavirus symptoms. The Indians were taken to the designated airport from different parts of locked down Wuhan in buses on Friday evening and were screened for symptoms of the disease before being allowed to board. A second flight is likely to be dispatched later to evacuate the remaining Indians in the Hubei province. As many as 213 people have died and more than 9600 have been infected in the Coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan and then spread across China and in several other countries including India. A city of around 11 million people, Wuhan has been under an unprecedented lockdown for more than a week to contain the spread of the virus. All non-essential entry and exit into the city is currently banned and private vehicles are not allowed to ply within the city. Earlier this week, the US and Japan were the first countries to evacuate their citizens from the city; UK flew out around 200 nationals earlier on Friday. The Indians being evacuated from Wuhan will have to be mandatorily quarantined for 14 days after they return. The quarantine is to ensure that in case anyone among them is a carrier, she or he is not able to infect another person. Experts say a person can be a carrier even without showing symptoms of the disease and can possibly infect another within a 14-day incubation period. The Indian embassy got the clearance from the Chinese governments foreign ministry to fly out its citizens after days of negotiations. The Chinese were not in the favour of evacuating foreign nationals possibly because the government doesnt want the disease to spread. The foreign ministry told HT in a statement earlier this week that China would make appropriate arrangements if any country insists on evacuating its nationals. The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from Chinas Hubei province. Separately, border-guarding force ITBP has set up a 600-bedded facility in southwest Delhi to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by the coronavirus. An additional 50-bedded critical care facility has also been set up at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital, a Union health ministry statement said. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 18:01:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 424 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (TSXV:GPV) (OTCQB:GPVRF) (the "Company") today announced that it has retained the services of Michael Cole for strategic investor relations initiatives and corporate communications. Services provided by Michael Cole will be focused on investor outreach, organizing investor meetings and introductions to select media outlets and investment newsletters.Michael Cole commented, "GreenPower is ideally positioned to take full advantage of the trends sweeping across the all-electric transit and micro-transit market, which can be evidenced by the strength in recent unit deliveries. GreenPower's business model has recently demonstrated both substantial revenue growth and positive Adjusted EBITDA, which I believe prospective investors will find very attractive. The anticipated acceleration in both new orders and deliveries make this the ideal time to expand awareness and I look forward to working closely with the Company." The agreement is for an initial term of six months and Michael Cole will receive a monthly fee of $4,000 as well as 50,000 stock options with quarterly vesting, issued at the current share price in accordance with applicable regulations. The issuance of stock options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Cole has 10 years of investor relations experience and is currently a consultant operating out of Orange County, California. Mr. Cole has previously provided investor relations and corporate communications advisory services to the Issuer, and Mr. Cole does not have a direct or indirect interest in the Issuer or its securities.About GreenPower Motor Company Inc.GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, a cargo van and a double decker. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric buses that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions. GreenPower integrates global suppliers for key components, such as Siemens or TM4 for the drive motors, Knorr for the brakes, ZF for the axles and Parker for the dash and control systems. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowerbus.com For further information contact:Fraser Atkinson, CEO(604) 220-8048Brendan Riley, President(510) 910-3377Michael Sieffert, CFO(236) 521-4642Neither 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. 2020 GreenPower Motor Company Inc. All rights reserved.SOURCE: GreenPower Motor Company Inc. US Democratic Party candidates vying to take on Donald Trump in November elections on Saturday kicked off a final frenetic weekend of campaigning before Iowa state's all-important nomination caucuses. Four US senators running for president paused their impeachment trial duties to dash to Iowa before Monday's vote launches the Democratic nomination contest in earnest. After the Senate paved the way for Trump's expected acquittal of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice, the impeachment trial was put on hold, allowing all candidates to enjoy a breathless bout of last-minute campaigning. Polls show a tight contest in the heartland state, where former vice president Joe Biden this week has been taking his "Soul of the Nation" bus tour to all corners in hopes it will help him cross the finish line in the top spot. Former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, who is running in the same moderate lane as Biden, has been also covering the ground relentlessly, arguing it is time to turn the page to more forward-looking, galvanizing leadership. Biden, 77, "is making the case that this is no time to take a risk on someone new," Buttigieg, who at 38 is less than half Biden's age, told a crowd at the Masonic Temple in the town of Clinton, Iowa on Friday. "I would argue, this is not the time to take the risk of falling back on the familiar or relying on an old playbook that helped get us to this point," Buttigieg said. The contest to see who challenges Trump in November's election is a long slog, and those with minimal support have been peeling off. Former congressman John Delaney dropped out Friday. Eleven contenders remain in the race, and several have pitched up seeking to woo undecided Iowa voters, snatch victory here, and claim momentum going into the next contests, starting with New Hampshire on February 11. Far-left Senator Bernie Sanders, who has a narrow lead in Iowa over Biden and Buttigieg, progressive Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is in fourth place in polling, and fifth-place Senator Amy Klobuchar jetted in from Washington to mount 11th-hour pushes for support. Trump's Senate impeachment trial has effectively tethered them to Washington, but the proceedings adjourned Friday after the chamber's Republican majority rejected Democratic efforts to subpoena witnesses. Closing arguments in the Senate will be made Monday, with a final vote on acquittal Wednesday. - 'Down to the wire' - For two weeks, the senators in the race have been campaigning with one hand tied behind their back, sending surrogates including relatives and high-profile lawmakers to campaign in their stead. Among them is Sanders, 78 and the oldest candidate in the race, who enjoys strong support from young voters. His team organized a campaign concert featuring indie rock band Bon Iver on Friday near Des Moines. Sanders phoned in from Washington, rallying supporters to "do everything you can" to boost caucus turnout. The senator is set to host a similar show featuring Vampire Weekend on Saturday in Cedar Rapids. Warren arrived late Friday in Des Moines, while Klobuchar is lined up for four events Saturday, at a brewery, a music venue, a women's club and a school. Nearly half of Democratic Iowa voters said they remained undecided before Monday's caucuses -- local meetings where participants align behind their candidates in one of the country's quirkier voting systems. Among them is Stephanie Hull, a 21-year-old student who came to see Biden in the small town of Burlington. "It's a possibility" that Biden, President Barack Obama's White House wingman, earns her vote, she told AFP. "I have a few other favorites right now, so it's going to be down to the wire." Biden, whose global experience is unmatched among the candidates, has declared Trump a danger to America due to his erratic foreign policy. "The next president of the United States is going to inherit a country that's divided and a world in disarray," Biden told attendees in his half-hour stump speech. "There's going to be no time for on-the-job training." Biden's blue-collar roots and his uncanny ability to connect personally with voters are assets in a state used to face-to-face encounters with candidates, although his Iowa speeches have lacked the passion that animates some rivals. Despite agonizing over which political approach to take -- revolution or realism -- in the 2020 election, Iowa's Democratic Party chairman Troy Price said voters have unified around one goal. "There's a lot of people that want to make sure that we defeat Donald Trump," Price said. Retired teacher Pat Carr, 69, thinks Buttigieg -- a millennial, a military veteran and the first openly gay major party candidate for US president -- is best-suited to do that. In an era of hyper-partisanship, he said, "I think Pete's a person who might be able to unite a little better than some of the others." Carol Clark, 72, a retired teacher organizing a canvassing station in her home in Iowa City on Saturday, said she backed Warren. "In the last campaign I was a Hillary (Clinton) supporter. It's about time we had a woman, don't you think?" she said. Democratic White House hopeful candidate Joe Biden, the former vice president, greets a voter during a campaign event on January 31, 2020 in Burlington, Iowa White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg, a former South Bend, Indiana mayor, has been barnstorming Iowa ahead of its first-in-the-nation Democratic nomination vote on February 3, 2020, while some rivals are in US President Donald Trump's impeachment trial With presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders stuck in Washington for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, filmmaker and activist Michael Moore stood in the candidate's place at a campaign event in Clive, Iowa Chart showing support for top candidates in the US Democratic presidential nomination race as of Jan 31, 2020, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average Two-faced Trump: Well, President Trump you really did it now. First, hes going to take away food stamps in April for anyone without kids. That means millions of seniors. I got help, but Im not going to get it anymore. Maybe I should go adopt 20 kids. Now, hes getting us into a war because he knows hes not getting reelected. Who the hell is he? Hes not even a politician. The only way hes got money is because of his father and because he filed bankruptcy over and over and over. Hes so two-faced. Three Cumbrian farming enterprises have become available including the opportunity to acquire a 10-year Farm Business Tenancy. H&H Land & Estates has announced a hat-trick of opportunities for potential buyers and young farmers keen to get on the ladder amid a 'surge in the rural property market'. Ellerton Grange Farm in Southwaite has been launched for sale through private treaty, Westnewton Hall near Aspatria for auction and Prospect Farm, also near Aspatria, is available as a 10-year Farm Business Tenancy. According to the rural property firm, Prospect Farm provides new tenants with a 'rare business opportunity in a renowned dairy farming area'. This ring-fenced farm offers extensive outbuildings, 239 cubicles, a Fullwood 12/12 milking parlour, loose housing and crop storage together with 3-bedroom detached bungalow. Meanwhile, Ellerton Grange Farm is a 210-acre ringfenced farm up for sale in Southwaite, one of Cumbrias most sought after areas. The well-maintained and presented farm includes a range of traditional and modern buildings, a traditional four-bedroom Grade II Listed farmhouse with panoramic views, as well as a detached four-bedroom house. Lastly, Westnewton Hall, near Aspatria is a 319.43-acre livestock farm, which will go under the hammer on 15 April at Rosehill, Carlisle. Westnewton Hall, near Aspatria is a 319.43-acre livestock farm, which will go under the hammer on 15 Apri This farm is a high-quality stock rearing farm with high-quality land suitable for growing a range of crops. It benefits from a comprehensive and extensive range of modern farm buildings and a substantial Grade II Listed seven-bedroom farmhouse. With an overall guide price 2,750,000, Westnewton Hall is to be sold as a whole or in three lots. According to H&H Land & Estates, the market is picking up following a year of uncertainties under the Brexit cloud which prevented many selling. Thomas Armstrong, director at the company, said: The demand for farms is still massive, mainly due to the lack of rented property coming to the market. It is encouraging to start the new year on such a high and be able to offer three quite different farming enterprises - two impressive farms for sale as well as a long-term letting opportunity. Following last years reluctance for sales, I am delighted that the outlook looks brighter in terms of land sales. In Cumbria, there has been a consistent shortage of farmland coming to the market, down 30 40% in the last year, with demand outstripping supply, he explained. Now that the UK has a majority government in place for the next four years, he believes now is the time to start planning as there are eager buyers of all types. This year, the signs are that there will be a slight increase and I would anticipate a further increase in 2021. However, we are still not back to the levels of land exchanging hands four to five years ago but properties like these coming to market is definitely a step in the right direction, Mr Armstrong said. A same-sex kiss between Home & Aways Alex (Zoe Ventoura) and Willow (Sarah Roberts) was cut from Australian broadcasting, but screened in New Zealand, which Seven blames on human error. A close relationship between the two characters has been developing in recent months and has been praised by LGBT fans of the show. However after one episode aired in November some New Zealand viewers drew attention to key differences from the Australian edition. The NZ scene continued for another 40 seconds after the Aussie version. Seven released a statement saying, Unfortunately due to human error, the two episodes that aired in Australia were not the final versions. As with any television show, numerous changes are made throughout the post production process all the way up until final broadcast. 7Plus has been updated to reflect the final versions of these episodes. YouTuber Alex Shillington says there have been other instances of subtle cuts which diminish the intimacy of the relationship. In another scene shown in Australia, Willow gives a long and emotional speech to her girlfriend and the scene ends before Alex reacts. In the New Zealand version, the scene continues for another 40 seconds with Alex kissing Willow and the pair planning a trip away. they added the kiss on the 7plus app #willex pic.twitter.com/PvuyXHtGOO emma (@soIise) January 30, 2020 A third scene has a line cut from it where the character Alex tells her girlfriend she did not expect to meet her when she took up a job as a doctor in Summer Bay. That edited version really downplays their relationship, Shillington said. It kind of feels like they prepared two different versions, so they had a version they could pull the plug on that couple if it didnt go well, but they got a good reaction from the audience. Since the introduction of Ventouras character Home & Away has actually been more relaxed with her same-sex identity than the shows dreadful track record in this area. Historically the Summer Bay soap has a notoriously bad record on LGBT, most notably when network execs order a 2009 kiss be watered down between Charlie (Esther Anderson) and Joey (Kate Bell) before ever being broadcast, after newspapers whipped it up into a media frenzy. It took almost a decade before gay characters stepped back into the soap. In 2018 a same-sex teen kiss between Ty (Darius Williams) and his friend Ryder (Lukas Radovich) passed without incident. Meanwhile Neighbours has embraced rainbow characters gay and transgender, with gay weddings and progressive storylines for sustained characters. Even Dance Academy had same-sex kisses in 2010 on ABC3. TV Historian Andrew Mercado told TV Tonight, I would be very disappointed if Seven is filming two different versions of gay scenes. Especially given how long it has taken them to introduce a regular gay character. And lets not forget their past ugly history of censoring gay moments like this. How does Australia, which screens the show at 7pm, get a tamer non-kiss version, while New Zealand, screening it in an earlier timeslot, is OK with a gay kiss? Source: ABC Former National Security Adviser John Bolton has even more bombshells to offer in his upcoming book. Not long before President Trump's Senate impeachment trial was set to resume Friday, The New York Times reported that in Bolton's book, he alleges Trump in May 2019 directed him to help with a Ukraine pressure campaign. This would have been two months before Trump's infamous phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he pushed for investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Bolton reportedly writes that during an Oval Office meeting also attended by Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and White House counsel Pat Cipollone, Trump told him "to call Volodymyr Zelensky, who had recently won election as president of Ukraine, to ensure Mr. Zelensky would meet with Mr. Giuliani, who was planning a trip to Ukraine to discuss the investigations that the president sought." Bolton writes he did not end up making the call. The Times notes this would be the "earliest known instance" of Trump taking steps as part of a pressure campaign against Ukraine that would ultimately result in his impeachment. This follows a previous Times report that Bolton in his book writes that Trump said he wanted to continue holding up aid to Ukraine until it investigated the Bidens. Giuliani on Friday denied that Cipollone and Mulvaney were ever involved in conversations having to do with Ukraine, telling the Times Bolton's account is "absolutely, categorically untrue." Trump is also denying the report, saying in a statement, "I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened." More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats The woman was not symptomatic on her flight home and wore the equivalent of a surgical mask out of an abundance of caution, said Mackie. She felt unwell the following day and went to Londons University Hospital. She was tested for the virus and is in isolation at home, where she is perfectly well now, Mackie said. She has not been out in public since returning from China and recovered after three days, he added. Because European Union business runs on Brussels time, the United Kingdom will be leaving the EU at precisely 11 p.m. GMT Friday. (If youre in New York and want to tip your glass to our newly sovereign friends, thats 6 p.m. EST.) In my own, perhaps peculiar view, Brexit is the most important moment for democracy since 1989. Why? If the European Union were merely the European Market, Brexit would be foolish: The United Kingdom has enjoyed a kind of privileged access to the Common Market because it retains its own powerful currency rather than the Euro, which in reality is managed on behalf of Germany and against the interests of Southern Europe. But the European Union is not just a market but a political project, really a kind of institutionalized utopian project. European Council president Donald Tusk said, I fear Brexit could be the beginning of the destruction of not only the EU but also Western political civilization in its entirety. Its easy to point and laugh at such an extravagant statement, but Tusk was verbalizing the incredible challenge Brexit presents to a certain kind of European mind, a mind conditioned to the idea that democracy inheres not in popular sovereignty democratic peoples governing themselves but in the elite administration of human rights, insulated from democratic passions and prejudices. It is this worldview that has shaped the construction of the European Union. The EU is governed by an unelected Commission and an unelected Court, both joined to an elected Parliament with no real legislative power. Can you impeach a European commissioner? Can you vote for one? Or vote to remove one? No, non, nein! The European project that the Commission promotes and protects is guided by a spirit of ever-closer union, not the laws and treaties it makes. The European Union does not respect votes that go against that spirit, such as Irelands vote against the Lisbon treaty; instead, it forces reruns. It does not respect its own commitments, either: Angela Merkels welcome to 1 million refugees and migrants in 2015 totally blew apart the supposedly solemn Dublin Accords. It plays favorites: The pro-EU Emmanuel Macron is allowed to temporarily blow through the budgeting and debt requirements imposed on member states, but those same requirements are enforced with fervor against populists such as Italys Matteo Salvini. And it has no qualms about interfering in the politics of its member states: During the Euro crisis, recalcitrant national governments in Italy and Greece were replaced by a combination of pressure from above in the form of the Commission and the European Central Bank, and from sideways in the form of captured native interests. Story continues In short, untethered from real democratic input, the EU at once suffocates European life with regulation and unmoors it with lawless caprice. The response of the European Union to Brexit isnt rebuke and repentance, a newfound willingness to accede to the wishes of the democratic peoples within it. No, its doubling down. MEP Guy Verhofstadt has said that Brexit has underscored the need to make it into a real Union, a Union without opt-in, without opt-outs, without rebates, without exceptions. Only then we can defend our interests and defend our values. Lest you dismiss his words as empty, it is Verhofstadt who has been chosen to lead the next Conference on the Future of Europe, which is already preparing to recommend removing the last true badges of sovereign and democratic control from national parliaments: their freedom to tax and appropriate money as they see fit. Doing this is likely necessary to save the Euro. But the price is the loss of self-government on the continent where self-government was born into this world. Having bought off almost every party save for nationalists and populists, the European Union is, ironically, guaranteeing the very thing it was created to stop: the ascendance of nationalist parties to domination of Europe. Brexit is not just a way to preserve British democracy by restoring independence and sovereignty to the United Kingdoms Parliament. It is a way of recovering the very things a democratic constitution enables: the conciliation of diverse interests and the political moderation of the people that comes with it. Our friends are escaping the Brussels nomenklatura. They are demystifying the supposed arc of history, a bit of superstition used to rob democratic peoples of real agency. There are many dangers Britain may yet face, but it will be all the better for facing them as a free, independent, and self-governing nation. More from National Review WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As a San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's (SFPUC) social impact partner, Carollo Engineers is sponsoring two scholarships for college-bound high school seniors from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) through the 2020 Maisin Scholar Award Program. Carollo is sponsoring the following two renewable scholarship awards: The Dr. Espanola Jackson Scholarship, created to honor Dr. Jackson, a long-time civil rights and community advocate from Bayview-Hunters Point The STEM Scholarship, which supports students pursuing a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) career Through the Maisin Scholar Award Program, scholars can receive up to $3,000 annually for up to four years for their college education. In addition to financial support, scholars also have access to internship opportunities, peer support and academic and career counseling. Seniors in the San Francisco Unified School District who will attend college or an accredited educational program in Fall 2020 and have at least a cumulative unweighted grade point average between a 2.0 3.5 are encouraged to apply. "Scholarships play a critical role in helping our young residents achieve their dream of going to college," said SFPUC General Manager Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. "Students should never have to abandon their academic goals because of a lack of financial support. That is why we are so grateful that our social impact partners have elected to fund this critical scholarship program." The Maisin Scholar Award is a program of the San Francisco Education Fund. This is the third year that SFPUC's firm partners will be supporting Maisin Scholar Awards. "Carollo is committed to educational opportunities that will help promising high school students achieve their goals and dreams," said Lou Carella, Senior Vice President of Carollo. "We are proud to have started this partnership with the Maisin Scholar Award and Southeast Community Facility Commission in 2017. We are very gratified to see that other firms have decided to join us to provide multi-year scholarships for San Francisco Unified School District students." Applications are due by February 14, 2020. To complete an application, students can visit here. About Carollo Engineers For more than 85 years, Carollo Engineers has provided a full range of innovative planning, design and construction management services to meet the water and wastewater needs of municipalities, public agencies, private developers and industrial firms. As the largest water-focused engineering firm in the country, Carollo has been a One Water leaderdeveloping innovative, comprehensive water management strategies for our clients that promote institutional collaboration, provide multi-benefit solutions, and achieve sustainability and resiliency. To learn more about how Carollo is "Working Wonders With Water", call (800) 523-5826 or visit www.carollo.com. SOURCE Carollo Engineers Related Links https://www.carollo.com BEIJING - Carrying permits demanding fast passage, truck drivers rushed a 560-ton shipment of disinfectant from eastern China to Wuhan, the locked-down city of 11 million people at the centre of a vast effort to contain a new viral disease. Outside the metropolis in central China, the cargo was shifted to local trucks with drivers in masks and protective suits, part of a tightly controlled flow of food and other supplies through checkpoints that have blocked most access to Wuhan since Jan. 23. As global anxiety about the new virus rises, authorities have blocked 50 million people from leaving Wuhan and nearby cities at the centre of the outbreak. That in turn requires a massive effort to keep them supplied with food and other necessities. Wuhan is not an isolated island, declared a state newspaper, the Yangtze Daily. Few governments could attempt such drastic restrictions on a population bigger than South Koreas or Australias. They are made possible by the ruling Communist Partys extensive controls on society and experience combating the 2002-03 SARS epidemic. Some trucks are allowed to leave the 17 locked-down cities to collect food. Photos in state media show them lined up at checkpoints, their drivers wearing face masks. Police, shrouded in white protective suits, examine the drivers for the viruss telltale fever. Those without passes are turned back. Schools, cinemas and restaurants are closed in Wuhan, an industrial centre with a population 1 1/2 times that of New York City. To keep people at home and reduce chances for infection, subway and bus services are shut down and private vehicle use is banned in downtown areas. The government of Hubei province, where all the cities are located, has promised adequate supplies of vegetables, rice, meat and medical supplies. It said authorities were working with retailers to bring food from as far away as Yunnan province in the southwest and Hainan island in the South China Sea. A crackdown on hoarding and price-gouging by merchants was announced after food costs spiked. Please do not panic, do not hoard, so as not to cause waste, said a government announcement. China on Friday reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. So far 213 have died. The shipment of disinfectant last Saturday was moved by drivers from two trucking companies in the eastern province of Jiangsu, according to the manager of one of the companies, Huaian Hazardous Goods Transport Co. With official passes, the 18 teams of drivers cut the normal 20-hour travel time to 15 hours, according to the manager, Liu Hankang. Enterprises must take on this responsibility, Liu said by phone. The government has released no details of how it is enforcing travel curbs on smaller roads and villages on the outskirts of the vast locked-down area. Residents contacted by phone said most supermarkets still have adequate food supplies. They can meet our needs for the time being, said a 40-year-old father of two in Wuhan who would give only his surname, Cai. Residents are wary of talking to reporters after authorities said eight doctors were punished in December for warning about the emergence of the virus. Authorities can draw on an extensive surveillance network involving thousands of video cameras, smartphone tracking, monitoring of social media and other technology developed with the help of Western technology to protect the partys monopoly on power. Hospitals are straining to cope with thousands of virus patients while doctors also treat other cases. State media say police in protective gear are stationed at hospitals to separate people arriving with fevers and other possible virus symptoms from other patients. Rui Zhong, a Wuhan native who lives in Washington, D.C., said that her mothers elderly cousin died in the city in the past 10 days after a delay in the arrival of an ambulance. A 73-year-old man with a lung problem, he died on the way to the hospital, Zhong said. Its hard to know for sure: could he have been saved? said Zhong, who works at the Woodrow Wilson Center. But my family will always wonder. The cause of death was never determined. The doctors didnt look at it super-closely, she said. He was cremated. The city is racing to build a 1,000-bed hospital for virus patients. It is due to open Monday, 10 days after construction began. A second hospital with 1,500 beds is to open shortly after that. Parents contacted by phone say their children, forced to stay home, are doing homework and watching TV. A restaurant chef in Jingzhou, another Hubei city, said his 12-year-old son was getting restless. He wanted to go out, but I had to keep him home, said the chef, who would give only his surname, Nong. Police in Jingzhou were stopping pedestrians on empty streets to check their temperature and ask their addresses, Nong said. We grow our own vegetables, but the stocks can last only for another 10 days or so, said Nong. I guess the village committee will need to offer us supplies if we are still banned from going out. Liu Xiaoran, a Wuhan University journalism student, said she and her parents had Lunar New Year dinner, Chinas most important family event of the year, with relatives over WeChat, a popular messaging service. She said her grandparents refuse to leave home or receive visitors. Liu said one woman she knows begged for help online after four of her five family members were quarantined in three different hospitals. She asked for beds in the same hospital or else help travelling to the different facilities to look after them, a task made harder by Wuhans closure of bus and subway service. When she goes out, I wear two layers of masks, try not to touch anywhere, keep a distance from others and disinfect with alcohol right after coming home, said Liu, 21. I feel nervous, especially when I go somewhere with a lot of people, such as drugstores or supermarkets. Other cities are imposing their own travel controls. Some apartment complexes in Beijing bar anyone but residents from entering. People in two villages on the Chinese capitals outskirts say they have set up their own barriers to prevent outsiders from entering. The government of Shanghai, a global business centre of 25 million people, has extended the end of the Lunar New Year holiday by 10 days to Feb. 9 to encourage the public to stay home and avoid spreading infection. In Wuhan, public schools were ordered to start teaching online Feb. 10 after the new semester was postponed. Wuhan University is organizing online classes. For the healthy, its like what you call a snow day, staying inside, said a Wuhan University professor who asked not to be identified further for fear of retribution. For the people that are struggling, the hospitals are under strain. AP researchers Shanshan Wang and Yu Bing and video journalist Olivia Zhang in Beijing and writer Christina Larson in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story. ___ According to the GuruFocus All-in-One Screener as of Jan. 31, the following guru-held companies have high dividend yields but performed poorly over the past 12 months. POSCO POSCO's (PKX) dividend yield is 4.93% and the payout ratio is 0.93. Over the past 52 weeks, the price has fallen 20.99% and shares are trading with a price-book ratio of 0.40 and a price-earnings ratio of 19.34. The Korean steel producer has a market cap of $15.24 billion. The return on equity of 2.11% and return on assets of 1.18% are underperforming 59% of competitors. The equity-asset ratio of 0.56 is outperforming 63% of competitors. 784bb569278682ee9e4abaf32796d326.png The company's largest guru shareholder is Sarah Ketterer (Trades, Portfolio)'s Causeway Capital Management with 0.11% of outstanding shares, followed by Charles Brandes (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.08% and NWQ Managers (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.06%. CenturyLink CenturyLink Inc.'s (CTL) dividend yield is 7.23%. Over the past 52 weeks, the price has fallen 9.71% and the stock is trading with a forward price-earnings ratio of 9.91 and a price-book ratio of 1.10. The American phone company has a $15.08 billion market cap. The return on equity of -47.31% and return on assets of -11.7% are underperforming 89% of competitors. The cash-debt ratio of 0.04 is outperforming 88% of competitors. The equity-asset ratio of 0.21 is below the industry median of 0.37. 2f69290865b7c4d31872723701846e8f.png Mason Hawkins (Trades, Portfolio) is the company's largest guru shareholder with 6.76% of outstanding shares, followed by Prem Watsa (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.22% and T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.18%. Principal Financial Group Principal Financial Group Inc.'s (PFG) dividend yield is 4.00% with a payout ratio of 0.46. Over the past 52 weeks, the stock has risen 8.81%. Shares are trading with a price-book ratio of 1.02 and a price-earnings ratio of 11.54. The company, which provides retirement savings, investment and insurance products, has a market cap of $15.13 billion. GuruFocus rated its profitability 5 out of 10. The return on equity of 0.05% is outperforming 56% of competitors. Its financial strength is rated 2 out of 10. The debt-equity ratio of 0.26 is above the industry median of 0.22. Story continues def23dd57bf2765e075d2dfdcfc0dee3.png Mairs and Power (Trades, Portfolio) is the company's largest guru shareholder with 1.04% of outstanding shares, followed by Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.05%, John Hussman (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.01% and Jeremy Grantham (Trades, Portfolio)'s GMO LLC with 0.01%. Regions Financial Regions Financial Corp.'s (RF) dividend yield is 3.82% with a payout ratio of 0.39. Over the past 52 weeks, the price has risen 1.52% and the shares are trading with a price-book ratio of 1.0 and a price-earnings ratio of 10.27. The American bank has a market cap of $14.74 billion and a GuruFocus profitability rating of 4 out of 10. While the return on equity of 9.38% is underperforming the sector, return on assets of 1.24% is outperforming 68% of competitors. Its financial strength is rated 2 out of 10. The cash-debt ratio of 0.41 is outperforming 72% of competitors. The equity-asset ratio of 0.13 is above the industry median of 0.11. 67aac75bb53772fb7f0cdaf8bd4c2600.png With 0.47% of outstanding shares, Richard Pzena (Trades, Portfolio)'s Pzena Investment Management is the company's largest guru shareholder, followed by Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio)' Renaissance Technologies with 0.23% and Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) with 0.14%. Magellan Midstream Partners Magellan Midstream Partners LP's (MMP) dividend yield is 6.29% and the payout ratio is 0.87. Over the past 52 weeks, the share price has risen 4.21%. The stock is trading with a price-book ratio of 5.28 and a price-earnings ratio of 13.5. The company, which operates pipelines and storage terminals, has a market cap of $14.63 billion. GuruFocus rated its profitability 8 out of 10. The return on equity of 39.96% and return on assets of 13.24% are outperforming 92% of competitors. Its financial strength is rated 4 out of 10. The equity-asset ratio of 0.32 is below the industry median of 0.48. 2a750c433cf3f820b905ef881abb6e6b.png KB Financial Group KB Financial Group Inc.'s (KB) dividend yield is 4.48% with a payout ratio of 0.25. Over the past 52 weeks, the share price has fallen 11.76%. The stock is trading with a price-book ratio of 0.45 and a price-earnings ratio of 5.69. The Korean bank has a market cap of $14.59 billion. The return on equity of 8.14% and return on assets of 0.61% are underperforming 71% of competitors. The equity-asset ratio of 0.08 is underperforming 70% of competitors. 9cebfa9db26d2bb0cc6254173856169e.png With 0.01% of outstanding shares, Pioneer Investments (Trades, Portfolio) is the company's largest guru shareholder, followed by Pzena with 0.01%. Disclosure: I do not own any stocks mentioned. Read more here: Insiders Roundup: Texas Instruments, Homolody Medicines 6 Stocks Killing Gurus' Returns 5 Guru Stocks Boosting Book Value Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. First established in 1867 by Charles Feltman upon introducing the world's first hot dog to Coney Island beachgoers, Feltman's of Coney Island today endures as a symbol of American tradition, serving only the highest-quality uncured all-natural beef hot dogs inspired by Charles Feltman's old-world Frankfurter sausage recipe. "The launch of Feltman's at Whole Foods Market, which continues to set the bar for high-quality, thoughtfully-made foods, is an incredible testament to the premier craftsmanship that goes into making our all natural 100% beef hot dogs," said Feltman's of Coney Island Co-Owner & President Michael Quinn, who resurrected the famous Feltman's brandand Charles Feltman's old-world recipein 2015 with his brother Joe Quinn, in honor of their late brother who died in the 9/11 attacks. Under the Quinn brothers' leadership, Feltman's of Coney Island began rapidly scaling into retail grocers in 2018. To date, the veteran owned and operated business has experienced 145% year-over-year revenue growth with its products distributed to more than 1,500 retailers nationwide. "We couldn't think of a better partner than Whole Foods Market as we continue to grow and revitalize this legacy American brand," continued Michael Quinn. "We are beyond proud to be bringing our critically-acclaimed hot dogs to Whole Foods Market's health-savvy customers and their families, and hope to further inspire them to eat natural one hot dog at a time." Feltman's of Coney Island's all-natural 100% beef hot dogs are nitrate-free and contain no artificial ingredients. Made with the Original Frankfurter Spice Blend, Feltman's Original Casing Hot Dogs are naturally smoked in a snappy lamb casing to seal in the smoky juices and unleash a marvelous explosion of spices and flavor with each bite. Like the brand's Original Hot Dogs, Feltman's Skinless Hot Dogs are made with the Original Frankfurter Spice Blend for the same premium flavor, but without the casing. They are naturally smoked and cured for three hours in a smokehouse with bacon to infuse them with a perfect balance of savory and smoky flavor. About Feltman's of Coney Island : Charles Feltman, a German immigrant, invented the hot dog in Coney Island during the summer of 1867 as a convenient way for beachgoers to enjoy quality sausages on a bun without plates and silverware, by turning his pie cart into a hot dog cart. From those humble beginnings grew not only Feltman's Restaurant in Coney Islandexpanding to eventually become the largest in the world by the turn of the century, serving 40,000 hot dogs a day and up to 10,000 guests at once!--but a symbol of American tradition and quality on Coney Island. Today Feltman's of Coney Island endures as a veteran-owned business under the leadership of Coney Island native and historian Michael Quinn. Feltman's critically-acclaimed all beef hot dogs are naturally smoked in a lamb casing with no-nitrates added. They have been rated as the best in New York City by Gothamist and New York Magazine; the best in Coney Island by the New York Post, and #6 nationwide by The Daily Meal. Feltman's brand hot dogs and mustard can be found at 1,500+ supermarkets nationwide, and online at Jet.com, Amazon, and FeltmansofConeyIsland.com with nationwide two-day delivery. All Feltman's retail hot dog packs weigh in at a full pound. For more information, visit FeltmansofConeyIsland.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram at @feltmansconeyisland. SOURCE Feltman's of Coney Island Related Links https://www.feltmansofconeyisland.com Accreditation officials said Friday that they have placed the Peralta Community College Districts four East Bay colleges on probation, a severe sanction meaning the schools are out of compliance with a number of required standards and must repair the problems or be further penalized. The accreditors imposed the nine-month probationary period, with a deadline of Nov. 1, because the colleges and the district failed to address ongoing financial problems, including a structural deficit, lack of adherence to policies and procedures, poor financial controls and growing pension obligations, they told district officials. The new time-limit for repairs is the latest in a series of troubles for Peralta, whose four colleges are Berkeley City College, the College of Alameda, and Laney and Merritt in Oakland. The campuses serve as a leg up into the middle class for some 50,000 students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. In July, the states Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team warned that the Peralta district was at high risk of insolvency after years of mismanagement that had administrators regularly breaking their own rules. Earlier, the state assigned a fiscal monitor to keep an eye on Peralta. And last February, Peraltas Chancellor Jowel Laguerre resigned under pressure. He had dismissed allegations in a whistle-blowers report in 2018, exposing deep problems with management of the district. A new chancellor, Regina Stanback Stroud, began work in October. On Monday, she alerted the district trustees and the four college presidents of the decision by the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The news is disappointing but I am certain we will be able to address the issues raised, Stanback Stroud wrote. My impression is that the (accrediting) commission remains concerned that we are willing to make some of the hard decisions that need to be made, the chancellor acknowledged in her letter to the board. But she ended her message on a positive note: We can and will address the concerns, repair the practices, processes and policies of the district, and make the very hard decisions ... to restore the fiscal integrity of Peralta. Stanback Stroud told The Chronicle that she had spoken with Stephanie Droker, president-elect of the accrediting commission, and said Droker believes that Peralta is on the right path in correcting the financial challenges. Accrediting officials declined to comment. Asked how Peralta got into such trouble, Julina Bonilla, president of the districts Board of Trustees, said the problems are the result of years of repeated management mistakes. This didnt happen in two, five or even 10 years. Were talking about decades-long issues, she said, noting that Peraltas high turnover in leadership positions exacerbated the management problems. Bonilla has served on the board for six years. She praised the current board for requesting help from the states fiscal crisis team last year, and hiring other consultants to help untangle the mess. Peralta has posted a financial plan, taking it through 2024. Bonilla and the chancellor emphasized that Peralta and each of its colleges remain fully accredited. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. Stanback Stroud added: While this is not good news, it could have been worse. Probation is the middle of three possible sanctions. In 2018, the accrediting commission placed Peralta on warning, the mildest sanction. Peralta was not given the most egregious sanction, show cause, as City College of San Francisco was in 2012, forcing it to demonstrate why it should not have to close. It took five years for City College to emerge from its crisis. The Peralta colleges will have until Nov. 1 to repair their problems or risk the stronger sanction. We are aware of the issues raised by the commission, and our fiscal monitor is working with the new district leadership as it works to improve its fiscal health, said Paul Feist, a spokesman for state Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley. We have the utmost confidence in Chancellor Regina Stanback Strouds leadership and ability to guide the district as it works together to resolve these issues, he said. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Special agents working for Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry were on a mission when they requested years of New Orleans Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrells personal bank records in 2017: They wanted to see if she had used a City Council credit card to cover her expenses when she was short on cash. But after a legally contentious, 354-day investigation that roiled the New Orleans political world, the agents determined that Cantrell always had enough money on hand to cover her charges. They found no sign of "questionable" deposits. They also concluded that the anonymous complaint about her credit-card usage that sparked the probe was much as she said it was: a campaign-season attack job. Undoubtedly, the anonymous source targeted LaToya Cantrell for improper credit card expenditures due to the heightened political atmosphere of the recent mayoral election, Special Agent John Montalbano said in his final report. Those findings round out the more than 3,000-page file on Landrys lengthy and controversial investigation into Cantrells credit-card usage, which The New Orleans Advocate reviewed this week under a public-records request. The case file provides a window into a probe that shadowed Cantrells first five months in office but ultimately resulted in no charges for her or any of the other City Council members who used official credit cards for personal purchases. Cantrell had already reimbursed the city for nearly $10,000 in expenses that did not pertain to her official duties. The state Legislative Auditor's Office said after a separate probe that she had used her card much as the other members of the City Council did, under poorly written credit-card policies that were hastily enacted after Hurricane Katrina. Anonymous complaint The attorney generals lengthy investigation started off with a hint of cloak-and-dagger intrigue. With less than a month to go before Cantrells runoff election against Desiree Charbonnet in late 2017, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office said an anonymous complainant had walked into its headquarters on South White Street with a copy of a forensic audit into Cantrells spending on her City Council credit card. Cannizzaros office referred the case to Landry because the district attorney had endorsed Charbonnet. The office said it wanted to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Agents said they never found out who hand-delivered that complaint to the front desk at the District Attorneys Office. The complaint arrived a day before Charbonnets campaign gave a similar analysis of Cantrells City Council credit-card usage to news outlets. Montalbano, a former New Orleans police officer, was assigned to lead the attorney general's investigation. The resulting state probe into Cantrells spending remained open for almost a year, but Montalbano and other agents appear to have conducted few interviews. Instead, their investigation focused on reams of financial records from banks and the city. On Nov. 27, 2017, agents sought those records under subpoenas obtained at Orleans Parish Criminal District Court but not without difficulty, the case file shows. Judges Keva Landrum-Johnson, Franz Zibilich, Benedict Willard, Karen Herman, Robin Pittman and Darryl Derbigny all declined even to look at the subpoena requests, with most citing potential conflicts of interest. Cantrell raked in over $460K in donations in 2018, putting her in top tier of state fundraisers Mayor LaToya Cantrell was elected well over a year ago, but her campaign apparently is still in high gear, according to campaign finance repor Finally, then-Chief Judge Laurie White gave another judge, Camille Buras, permission to review the subpoenas. Buras signed off on them. From the city, Montalbano sought Cantrells credit-card records from March 2014 to November 2017. Separately, the Attorney Generals Office requested Cantrells campaign bank records from Liberty Bank and records from her joint bank account with her husband at Capital One. The bank-record requests embroiled the Attorney Generals Office in a lengthy dispute with Cantrells attorney after they became public. Cantrells legal team argued that the subpoena requests were politically motivated and should be quashed. Cantrells lawyers tussled with representatives of the attorney general in brief after brief. As the standoff continued, the case file suggests that the probe into Cantrells credit card spending essentially froze between December 2017 and April 2018, the month before she was sworn in as mayor. Finally, Cantrell attorney Billy Gibbens and the Attorney Generals Office reached a compromise: Agents would be allowed to view Cantrells bank records in Gibbens' office on Poydras Street. The meeting took place on April 16. Three agents and Assistant Attorney General Matthew Derbes reviewed a huge stack of photocopied bank records. Despite the ferocious legal haggling over the bank records, the agents found little that had not already been reported. There were eight checks drawn from her campaign account to reimburse city expenses. No questionable sources Meanwhile, agents also gave a clean bill of health to voluminous transactions in Cantrells joint bank account with her husband, Jason Cantrell. In a closing memorandum summarizing the investigation months later, Montalbano said he had been trying to determine if she was using her city-issued credit card because she lacked sufficient personal funds at the time. Stephanie Grace: LaToya Cantrell's credit card flap is over -- but everyone loses in the end Just about a year after now-New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's runoff opponent for the job accused her of improperly using her city credit ca One reference in the case file suggests why the agents were so interested. Agents were aware that the Cantrells went through a foreclosure in 2013. The problem was ultimately resolved without their house being seized, a spokeswoman said in 2017. In the end, agents said they learned that there were sufficient funds to cover all transactions made on Cantrells city credit card. Montalbano said he was also able to verify various personal checks Cantrell had written to reimburse the city for select expenses on the card. If the probe was a fishing expedition, as some in Cantrells camp charged, nothing else got caught. As they scoured her bank records, agents discovered that Cantrell and her husband spent their earnings on monthly bills and other transactions associated with regular living expenses. There were no time spans when the Cantrells' account had a negative or insufficient balance. Moreover, the agents did not spot any deposits from questionable sources. On May 2, agents interviewed City Council Chief of Staff David Gavlinski, who said there were no blatant violations of the citys credit-card policy, which might have been a basis for a malfeasance charge. Around that time, rumors were swirling that Landry would announce the end of the investigation before Cantrell's inauguration the next week. Yet on May 3, Landry went in a different direction, publicly asserting that the probe into Cantrells spending was ongoing and "more widespread" than just Cantrell. Yet if investigators took important steps after then, there are scant signs of them in the closing memorandum on the case. Montalbano did not list any developments besides the receipt of the Legislative Auditors Office report in September. Landry's office said in a statement this week that he was simply referring to the scope of the Legislative Auditor's report. "The Legislative Auditors report looked at the spending practices of the entire council. By looking into the practices of every member of the City Council, the investigation was obviously more widespread than just the mayor-elect," a spokesman said. Case closed For all the hue and cry the probe generated about a St. Martin Parish Republican with high political ambitions targeting a New Orleans Democrat, in the end the conclusions of the attorney generals report were remarkably similar to those produced by the legislative auditor. Probe into New Orleans Mayor Cantrell's credit card usage ends, AG says; no charges filed Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landrys office announced Wednesday that its investigation into New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrells use of her Montalbano said that Cantrells credit card usage might have been sloppy, but it wasnt obviously criminal. In closing, the investigation uncovered inadequate record-keeping of City Council expenditures (and) lack of itemization, particularly in noting how the credit card purchases are city business-related. These findings, within the scope of the documents examined, do not present clear and defining evidence that Cantrell committed any criminal acts, Montalbano said in his Oct. 19 closing memo on the case. The agent also said that new City Council policies should help prevent repeats of the poor record-keeping apparent in the financial records of Cantrell and other council members. Montalbano said that he had uncovered indications that Cantrell failed to note on her campaign finance reports some of the reimbursements she made to the city, but he believed that compliance with reporting requirements would be in the purview of the state Ethics Board. That board does not generally comment on whether it has opened an investigation. Separately, campaign finance filings this week revealed that Cantrell has paid $7,700 to the Ethics Board to resolve fines for late disclosure filings. There was one more apparent loose end from the attorney generals investigation. The case file shows that on Dec. 12, 2017, the Attorney Generals Office forwarded the initial, anonymous complaint about Cantrell to the FBI. Its not clear what if anything became of that transmission. Following bureau policy, an FBI spokesman declined to confirm or deny the existence of a federal probe. Beau Tidwell, a City Hall spokesman, did not comment on whether, to Cantrell's knowledge, the FBI opened an investigation. The mayor is satisfied with the conclusion of the (attorney general's) investigation, and is wholly focused on moving New Orleans forward. We will have no further comment," he said. The National Media Commission (NMC) has appointed an eight-member committee to spearhead the reformation of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), to make it a functional and meaningful public broadcast entity. In a statement issued by the NMC in Accra last Monday, the committee is expected to examine the relevance of public service broadcasting in the face of media pluralism, assess the impact of GBC as a public broadcaster as against its state ownership. It is also expected to provide a framework for best practices by the management of GBC and also its funding and governance structure for the national interest. The committee is made up of known experts from diverse sectors of the economy and are expected to bring their expertise to champion the reformation process. The committee has Ms. Elizabeth Ohene as the Chairperson. Other members of the committee include Mr Ace Annan Ankomah, Mr Berfi Apenteng and Mr Gilbert Tietaah. The rest are Mr Kofi Yeboah Kodie, Professor Yakubu Zakaria, Mrs Wilma Quarmyne and Dr Esi Ansah as members. The committee is to complete work within six months after which it will present a report to the NMC. The NMC will then engage the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for further deliberations and subsequent adoption of the report for implementation. The formation of the committee has been necessitated by the dwindling fortunes of the state broadcaster. Over the years, GBC has been struggling to keep its operations in business. In 2019, for instance, the state broadcaster and its many outlets across the country were on the verge of going off-air due to a GH25 million debt it owed the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). In a meeting with President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, the NMC Chairman, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, said the state broadcasters indebtedness had dire consequences for GBC. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Kentucky Senator Rand Paul today named the whistleblower whose revelations sparked the House impeachment hearing. Paul is, in theory, a libertarian, who believes in the protection of free speech. But in naming the whistleblower, he showed how little his free speech principles are worth and how the GOP has morphed into a party bent on crushing speech, dissent, and liberty. The Constitution protects free speech from government interference in part because the founders believed that criticism of those in power was necessary to prevent abuse. Government employees who come forward with information about crimes or abuses are alerting the public, and checking corruption. Even if a whistleblower's information turns out to be incorrect after investigation, it's important to protect the ability of people to speak up and come forward. And you do that by ensuring anonymity and freedom from retaliation. But instead Rand Paul, a Senator and government actor, chose to reveal the whistleblower's name today on Twitter and in a press conference, after Chief Justice Roberts refused to read out his question because it contained the name in question. The whistleblower has already received death threats; he will now receive many more. Any other potential whistleblowers in the Trump administration and intelligence services are now on notice that if they come forward, Republican members of our government will not protect them. This will have a chilling effect on how our democracy works. Whether or not he realizes the consequences of his actions, Paul has contributed to an atmosphere of fear and oppression. Those who might otherwise have spoken out about anything at all will now wonder whether they should instead shut up for the sake of themselves and their families. Republicans have insisted for some time now that they inhabit the party of free speech; indeed, right-wingers across the world have styled themselves as free speech advocates fighting the leftie language police and political correctness gone mad. Conservative commentators, and many in the center, have lamented campus protest of talks by right-wing figures like Milo Yiannopolous and Charles Murray. They argue that the left is intolerant and unwilling to hear opposing viewpoints, and this could have a harmful effect on education and the future of open discourse. But student protestors on campus are not in positions of substantial power and authority. In contrast, the right has brazenly and with little pushback cultivated an ethos of intimidation intended to muzzle any critic on the left, or anyone who dares to push against a reactionary agenda. Yiannopoulos himself first rose to prominence as a leader of Gamergate, a floating right-wing harassment campaign loosely connected to video games, which under his guidance quickly spread to other targets. As just one example, in 2016, Yiannopoulos wrote an essay attacking Leslie Jones for her participation in the female-led reboot of Ghostbusters. Her social media accounts quickly filled with horrific racist and sexist abuse. Yiannopoulos and his fans regularly singled out targets large and small in this way; in doing so, they sent the message to leftists, women, and black people that their words and cultural products were being policed, and that they could face vicious, psychologically damaging abuse if they stepped out of line. Some might dismiss Yiannopolous and his type as clowns or an irrelevant bullies. But the same tactics have been used by the President of the United States. When Trump retweeted a lie that Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota had celebrated after the 9/11 attacks, Omar was sent death threats by Twitter trolls. And just this week, the president tweeted about House impeachment manager Adam Schiff, saying he had not yet paid the price for his role in the hearings. This sort of behavior has become a theme for right-wingers, and its seriously concerning. Unlike students speaking up against right-wing debaters, such suppression of dissent has serious, tangible risks. It seems that Rand Paul, cheerleader of liberty, would do well to remember that - because today he did his part to make his country a little less free. If sedition case can be registered against students for staging drama against CAA, then a case of sedition should be filed against Mumbai school for forcing students to support CAA, says Congress leader Sachin Sawant Mumbai: The Congress on Friday demanded that a sedition case be registered against the management of a school in Mumbai for allegedly forcing children to support the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. The demand from the Maharashtra Congress comes against the backdrop of a move by police from neighbouring Karnataka to slap sedition charges against a school in Bidar there for staging a drama critical of CAA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The drama was staged by students of Class 4, 5 and 6 on 21 January, and a sedition case was registered on 26 January. The headmistress of Shaheen School and the mother of a student have been arrested by Bidar police in this case. According to media reports, a programme relating to the CAA was organised at the school in Matunga here earlier this month. "If sedition case can be registered against students for staging drama against CAA, then a case of sedition should be filed against a school management and organisers for holding students to ransom to support CAA at a Mumbai school," Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said in a statement. The CAA, under which non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship, came into force from January 10 after a gazette notification was issued by the Centre. By PTI NEW DELHI: Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane took off from the Delhi airport for Wuhan at around 1.20 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals as China deals with the novel coronavirus outbreak, officials said. There are five doctors from the Health Ministry and one paramedical staff onboard, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated. "The plane did a pushback towards the runway at around 12.50 pm. It took off at around 1.20 pm on Friday. The departure got delayed a little from 12.30 pm scheduled time because of some pending clearances," said a senior airline official. The plane has one paramedical staff onboard, he said, adding that the plane is likely to return between 1 am to 2 am on Saturday. ALSO READ | Coronavirus outbreak: WHO declares 'global emergency' as death toll hits 213 in China Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday morning, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." "Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he added. "Total five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going. The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours," said Lohani. The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. The Delhi High Court on Friday said it expects that vacancies in the police force here will be filled up by the central government as early as possible. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued the direction after perusing an affidavit filed by the government that said the Delhi Police had a sanctioned strength of 91,962 and 10,130 posts were lying vacant. The government also told the court that the recruitment process to fill up the vacancies has been set in motion and advertisements in this regard have been issued. The submission was made in an affidavit filed by the government in response to a PIL initiated by the HC on a Supreme Court order. The apex order has asked all high courts to take suo motu cognisance of vacancies in police forces in their respective jurisdiction. Taking note of the affidavit filed by the Centre, the bench disposed of the PIL saying "we see no further reason to monitor the matter as there is hardly 10 per cent vacancy in the Delhi Police". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's manufacturing activity slipped in January, official data released Friday showed, as the country grapples with a new virus that has claimed more than 200 lives. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), an early gauge of factory activity, came in at 50, down slightly from 50.2 the month before. A reading above 50 indicates the sector is expanding while below that number shows contraction. The figure comes as China battles the spread of a coronavirus that has triggered an unprecedented shutdown of transport and business in Hubei province -- the centre of the outbreak. However, the National Bureau of Statistics said the survey was conducted before January 20 so "the impact of pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus has not yet fully manifested". The first patients were taken ill in early December but many of the restrictions only came into effect over the last week. Non-manufacturing activity stood at 54.1, an improvement from 53.5 in December. Higher demand ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday was said to have contributed to December's expansion after a tough year for China amid its bruising trade war with the United States. United Overseas Bank economist Ho Woei Chen told AFP that Friday's numbers do not reflect the full impact of the virus. "The first-order impact is on tourism and transportation," she said. "This will have a direct and immediate impact on private consumption and industrial activities in China, with many companies extending their closures and residents being quarantined." In the longer run, supply chains in Asia could take a hit, she added. But Ho was optimistic that if the outbreak is contained within the first half of the year, the economy could improve in the second half -- given the rebound seen after the 2003 outbreak in China of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). For now, analysts at Goldman Sachs are looking at "short, sharp shocks to economic output" -- as seen with past viral outbreaks -- and are projecting lower growth for China in 2020 of 5.5 per cent, down from 5.9 per cent. "A more prolonged outbreak could lower full-year growth to 5 per cent or even below," analysts said in a note. The world's second-largest economy grew by 6.1 percent last year. Chinese holidaymakers have been staying home this Lunar New Year after authorities closed attractions, cancelled major events and urged people to avoid large gatherings. Cinemas have also closed during what is usually a prime period for blockbuster releases. Other nations have told their citizens to avoid travel to China and airlines have trimmed their schedules for flights to the country. Manufacturers too are not taking any chances, with Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn closing its Chinese factories until mid-February. Toyota, IKEA, Starbucks, Tesla, McDonald's and Volkswagen are among corporate giants temporarily freezing production or shuttering large numbers of outlets in China. The public holiday period may mean there is little immediate impact on car manufacturers, but there is growing concern about the virus's longer-term effects. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Neighbours star Madeleine West recently enjoyed a month off Instagram. And during her hiatus, the 39-year-old actress had a 'refreshing' realisation about social media and how it affects her everyday life. In her column for 9Honey, the mother-of-six explained she had temporarily disabled her Instagram account to rediscover what it's like to live in the moment. Digital detox: In her latest column for 9Honey, Madeleine West explained how she had recently disabled her Instagram account for a month to rediscover what it's like to live in the moment When she reinstalled the app, she found that her absence had made her appreciate what it's like having real conversations with acquaintances, colleagues and friends. She added that she'd recently had a deep conversation with an old friend about all manner of things happening in their lives. 'How refreshing! Suddenly, with a thirst to discover what adventures we had each been on, we dove straight into some deep conversation, existential observation, bypassing the small talk that is the hallmark of "Insta-communication,"' she said. Back on the 'gram: When she reinstalled the app, she found that her absence had made her appreciate what it's like having real conversations with acquaintances, colleagues and friends New outlook: Madeleine said that because Instagram is like a window into other people's lives, it can be easy to slip into meaningless small talk because there's nothing new to learn about each other Madeleine said that because Instagram is like a window into other people's lives, it can be easy to slip into meaningless small talk because there's nothing new to learn about each other. 'Cyber chat affects human intelligence like laxatives do the human bowel - critical information, like crucial nutrients, is rapidly expelled without any form of digestion,' she added. Madeleine concluded by saying she hopes social media can one day evolve into being more than just a tool for self-promotion. 'It can be an arena of empowerment and education': Madeleine concluded by saying she hopes social media can one day evolve into being more than just a tool for self-promotion 'I believe electronic communication can be an arena of empowerment, education, emancipation, erudition, egalitarianism and empathy,' she said. It comes after Madeleine confirmed her return to Neighbours on Tuesday, sharing a photo to Instagram of a script and shooting schedule. In addition to acting on the soap, she also directs occasional episodes. The company that won a chance to build a cannabis store in Altona has scrapped its plans, citing business considerations unrelated to a petition calling for a plebiscite on whether retail cannabis outlets should be allowed in the community. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The company that won a chance to build a cannabis store in Altona has scrapped its plans, citing business considerations unrelated to a petition calling for a plebiscite on whether retail cannabis outlets should be allowed in the community. Calgary-based Westleaf Inc. won the Altona spot in the Manitoba government's 2019 lottery for companies seeking to open cannabis stores in seven rural communities. The plan was to open a Prairie Records store in the town of more than 4,000 residents roughly 100 kilometres south of Winnipeg. "We took a good, long, hard look at it and went down the path of licensing and getting all the necessary regulatory and local municipal government approvals," said Westleaf's chief commercial officer Adam Coates. But following a merger and factoring in the scale and scope of its entire business, Westleaf changed its mind, Coates said. "We have a number of other stores that we wanted to build, and looking at the opportunity at Altona, compared to a Calgary or an Edmonton, or even a Banff, we just had to make the decision to focus on those and just prioritize where we're putting our money to work," he said. Westleaf might be interested in opening a Prairie Records cannabis store in Winnipeg if the opportunity arises, he added. Meanwhile, the Town of Altona has received a petition with more than 620 signatures calling for a plebiscite on whether or not retail cannabis stores should be permitted in the community. Although some Manitoba communities held similar plebiscites before recreational cannabis was legalized in October of 2018, Altona did not. The town administration plans to review the petition, then present it to council during a meeting scheduled for Feb. 25. Altona mayor Al Friesen said he hasn't spoken to the organizers behind the petition, but has had conversations with residents on both sides of the debate. He said opponents are concered with community safety. "They were not naive in the belief that a 'no' decision would keep cannabis out of the community, but felt that this would accelerate the process," said Friesen. A similar post-legalization plebiscite was held last November in Niverville, another rural town selected for a cannabis retailer by the provincial government. Residents voted in favour of allowing the store, with 863 votes for and 719 against. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Coates stressed that the company had no issue with Altona itself, or with the petition. "The mayor, as well as the town administration, were incredibly helpful and welcoming... and very business-focused, so it's definitely not a knock on them, or a result of the petition," he said. The standby candidate for a cannabis store in Altona is 10022915 Manitoba, a sole proprietorship registered to Tom Papagiannopoulos of Winnipeg. Papagiannopoulos declined to comment when contacted by the Free Press on Thursday. Manitoba's Progressive Conservative government has committed to making legal cannabis available to 90 per cent of Manitobans within a 30-minute drive. Currently, Manitoba's only licensed cannabis store south of Winnipeg is in Morden, roughly 35 minutes west of Altona. solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca @sol_israel Chaos and stampede-like situation prevailed at suburban Thane station on Friday, as commuters thronged to board the air-conditioned local on the first day of its regular run. The AC train services started from the early hours of the day, but the problem arose after 8 am, when the peak hour rush began on Mumbai's suburban rail network. According to eyewitnesses, passengers thronged the station to board the train, causing a stampede-like situation on platforms. The train's automated doors would not close because of overcrowding, a commuter said. Similar scenes were witnessed at all stations, causing the situation to deteriorate further. Anticipating such a situation, CR deployed security personnel inside and outside the train, but the crowd seemed to have gotten the better of them. The ensuing chaos also led to delay in the scheduled train services by 15 to 20 minutes during the morning peak hours, a railway official said. "We are appealing to people not to board the AC train without a valid ticket, so the doors of the train close without any problem," chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said. Security will be beefed up further inside and outside the train at Thane station during the evening peak hours from 4.30 onwards, he added. Passengers said CR had replaced a regular service with the AC one during peak hour and this had caused over-crowding. "There was hardly any space to move on the platforms. Morning peak hour was disrupted due to the introduction of the AC local. CR should have introduced the AC service in a new time slot rather than replacing a regular peak hour service," said an irate commuter. Another passenger said the 9:19am AC local departed at 9:45am, and this delay hit the schedule of normal services on the line, with trains running 15-20 minutes behind schedule in the morning, leading to crowding at Thane and subsequent stations on the route. Incidentally Thane is one of the country's most crowded stations with daily footfalls running into several lakhs. CR officials admitted that the AC local caused over- crowding once morning peak hour rush started on the network at 8am. An official said the delay was because of non-closure of the AC trains's doors due to overcrowding. CR authorities did not disclose the number of tickets sold for the AC local on its first day as a regular service but sources said the number was around 100. The Central Railway will operate 16 services of the AC local on Trans-Harbour line between Thane-Nerul, Thane-Panvel and Thane-Vashi stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By ANI NEW DELHI: The BJP on Friday released 'Delhi Sankalp Patra', its manifesto for Delhi Assembly polls, promising good quality wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg for the poor and supply of clean drinking water to every household. The document was released in presence of Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan, party's Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari and MPs. Addressing the media, Gadkari said the party will run the "bullet train" of development in the national capital. "BJP's history is linked to Delhi. The future of Delhi will be changed by the BJP," he said. The manifesto said if it forms the government, the party will give wheat flour to the poor at Rs 2 per kg. The manifesto said in line with the Central government's Jal Jeevan Mission, the party will also provide clean drinking water to every household. Among other promises, the BJP has also promised to implement Central government's flagship schemes Ayushman Bharat and Kisan Samman Nidhi in the national capital. To boost employment, it will also conduct recruitment on all vacant government posts."When the union government was formed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the biggest challenge in front of Delhi were air pollution and water pollution. We had decided to rid Delhi of these twin evils," Gadkari said. He also spoke about 'Namami Gange' program and stated that 6,000 crore was spent on purifying Yamuna. "We had included 40 rivers and riverines in the 'Namami Gange' program along with river Ganga. The Yamuna was one of the rivers in this program. Around Rs 6,000 crore was spent on purifying the Yamuna whose benefit was accrued to Delhi as well," he added. Assembly elections will be held in Delhi on February 8 to decide who will rule the national capital for the next five years with the ruling AAP making a determined bid to return to power and the BJP seeking to have a chief minister in the city after 20 years. The Congress, which has ruled Delhi for 15 successive years, is also making efforts to regain its support base. Counting of votes will take place on February 11. Australians are set to cash in on a post-Brexit deal as Scott Morrison moves to finalise a promising agreement with Boris Johnson by the end of the year. With the UK agreement to finally leave the European Union is passed by its parliament on Friday, Australia looks set to secure a free trade deal by December. And Australia's wine industry looks likely be the biggest winner once the deal is signed, along with other exporters, as the government is hoping to finalise a deal with low or no tariffs and no quotas. Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) will move to finalise a trade deal with Boris Johnson by the end of the year Australia's wine industry looks likely be the biggest winner once the deal is signed, along with other exporters, as the government is hoping to finalise a deal with low or no tariffs and no quotas Australia was a casualty of the UK's entry into the European Economic Community, with beef and sheep exports dropping significantly. Despite it being unlikely for any new deals to result in Australia returning to one of Britain's top suppliers, it would result in better numbers for primary producers, former trade minister Andrew Robb told The Australian. 'The UK won't return to being our third-largest trading partner but we should aspire for it to re-enter the top 10,' he said. By removing tariffs, quotas and non-tariff barriers more options will be created - which can only be a good thing for Australia, Mr Robb said. Economists are predicting the wine industry to be the biggest winner, with demand already high despite the current traffics in place, which European wines don't have. 'The success of Australian wine sales to the UK, where one in five bottles sold is Australian wine, demonstrates that there remains a hunger in the UK market for safe, high quality Australian produce,' Mr Robb said. A team of EU officials will meet their Australian counterparts in Canberra from February 10 to 14 for the sixth round of negotiations towards the EU-Australia free trade agreement (pictured: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson) CommSec's Craig James told AAP the end of uncertainty over Brexit would allow business to start spending, investing and hiring again. There was speculation the deal would give Australians the right to live and work in the UK longer-term without a visa, like they do when travelling to New Zealand, however, Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said that was unlikely. It is understood there is a chance the Youth Mobility visa may be tweaked to allow people under 30 two stints in the UK, meaning person could live in London in their earlier 20s and work in a pub then go back as a professional later. With the UK agreement to finally leave the European Union is passed by its parliament on Friday, Australia looks set to secure a free trade agreement by December (pictured: Trade Secretary Liz Truss during visit to Sydney last year) However, University of South Australia researcher Professor Jimmy Donaghey said Australia was unlikely to reap big benefits from Brexit. 'The geographic distance between the two countries has always been a restriction on trade, but essentially Australia's biggest export earners, things like coal and iron ore, are not in demand by the UK,' he said. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham wants the deal concluded this year and believes the UK has a similar aim. A team of EU officials will meet their Australian counterparts in Canberra from February 10 to 14 for the sixth round of negotiations towards the EU-Australia free trade agreement. Australia is party to 11 free trade deals that eliminate import tariffs between trading partners. Bilateral arrangements have been signed with New Zealand (1983), Singapore (2003), the US (2005), Thailand (2005), Chile (2009), Malaysia (2013), South Korea (2014), Japan (2015) and China (2015). Separate multilateral arrangements were made with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2010 and the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2018. The first large evacuations of foreign nationals from China began Wednesday as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 132 people. Meanwhile, more nations - including the United States - are imposing or considering stronger curbs on travel to mainland China. One of the costs of being a lover of old trees is the all-too-frequent loss of a beautiful soul youve grown fond of. In nature, death is intimately bound to rebirth: old trees fall, decompose and become nurseries for new saplings. Its a beautiful, life-sustaining cycle. In cities, that cycle is broken. Theres no room to allow fallen trees to decay; they are usually shoved unceremoniously into the wood chipper and consigned to a short, pathetic afterlife as mulch. And a gaping hole is left in the canopy; sky intrudes where there were leaves and life. There is no regenerative salve to soothe a grieving heart. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Italian government has declared a state of emergency after two Chinese tourists tested positive for the novel coronavirus, PM Contes office reported. Late on Thursday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that two Chinese tourists who were visiting Italy had contracted the virus, adding that the government had decided to close air traffic to and from China. The two Chinese tourists were put in an isolation unit of Romes Spallanzani institute. Authorities are trying to track their contacts to prevent a further spread. The World Health Organization has declared that the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 213 people in China now constitutes a global public health emergency. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan New Delhi Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read New Delhi constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election, New Delhi Assembly Election 2020 | AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal won from the New Delhi constituency with novices from the BJP and Congress struggling against the incumbent MLA. Kejriwal defeated BJP's Sunil Yadav by over 21,000 votes. Kejriwal wass seeking re-election from the New Delhi Assembly constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress had both nominated first-timers from the constituency. While the BJP fielded Delhi unit Yuva Morcha president Sunil Yadav, the Congress fielded Romesh Sabharwal, an old partyman who is associated with the National Students Union (NSUI). Demography: The New Delhi Assembly constituency was carved out of the Gole Market and Sarojini Nagar constituencies in 2008. The constituency, dominated by government employees, has a history of being represented by the Delhi chief minister. The constituency also has a substantial population from the trading community and pockets of lower income residential areas. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 40 Total electors: 1,37,924 Male: 76,061 Female: 61855 Transgender: 8 Voter turnout in previous election: 64.72 percent Polling stations: 188 Major parties in the fray: BJP, AAP, Congress, BSP, RPI (A) Results in the last three elections: In the previous two elections, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal won the seat which was once considered a Congress bastion . In the 2013 elections, he defeated former chief minister and Congress candidate Sheila Dikshit, with a considerable margin of over 25,000 votes while in 2015 he registered a victory over BJP's Nupur Sharma. In the 2008 elections, Dikshit had registered a victory over BJP's Vijay Jolly. A host of Independent candidates, BSP's Ram Gulam and RPI(A)'s Meena Suryawanshi are also contesting the election. Assembly elections in Delhi will be held in a single phase on 8 February while results will be announced on 11 February. 1.46 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes. The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly comes to an end on 22 February and a new House has to be constituted before that. The election notification for the Delhi Assembly Election was issued on 14 January . The last date of nomination of candidates was January 21 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature was 24 January . The Arvind Kejriwal led- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Delhi in February 2015 sweeping 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. The BJP had won three seats while the Congress drew a blank. The Delhi Legislative Assembly was first constituted on 7 March, 1952 under the Government of Part C States Act, 1951. The 70 constituencies are distributed across nine districts North West, North, West, Central, South West, New Delhi, South, East, North East. With inputs from PTI Hyderabad: State health department officials were on Thursday instructed to gear up for treatment of possible novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patients after the first case was reported from Kerala. Health minister Etala Rajendar said everyone who arrived in the state since the outbreak of the disease in China must be kept under observation and surveillance for possible symptoms, including members of families these individuals. He instructed the department to be prepared fully to provide care for possible victims and proper treatment in isolation wards. This might be easier said than done with the prospect of logistical nightmares, given the state of facilities available at the designated hospitals in the city. In the four hospitals identified so far for treating possible 2019-nCoV cases, the plan involves housing the patients in isolation wards, in buildings that are separated from the main hospital structures where most diagnostic facilities are housed. This could mean moving patients into the main building for simple things like a chest x-ray unless the isolation ward has a machine. Then there is the issue of containment of possible spread of the virus from a patient, especially when performing what are called aerosol generating procedures. According to the guidelines issued by Union health ministry, adequately ventilated single rooms meaning negative pressure rooms (rooms where the atmospheric pressure is less than other rooms to prevent air from the ward to escape and air from the room is channelled through a filtration system before being allowed to escape into the atmosphere) with a minimum of 12 air changes per hour or at least 160 litres/second/patient in facilities with natural ventilation, should be used while performing aerosol generating procedures such as open suctioning of the respiratory tract, intubation, bronchoscopy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation. While the guidelines state that such air circulation management should be practiced whenever possible, the designated hospitals reportedly do not have negative pressure rooms or wards for such procedures. It could not be confirmed if any airflow modeling was performed with respect to the second option to establish whether the required levels of air exchange occurs in the designated wards. Our isolation wards are well ventilated and well lit which are enough. In the event of acute distress of a patient, then we can shift the person to the ICU in the hospital, a health department official said. There was no clarity on whether separate ICUs will be designated to treat coronavirus patients or whether they would be clubbed with other patients. Meanwhile, a specialist in infectious diseases said it would be preferable to err on the side of caution, especially when performing the specific procedures. Our current understanding is that the disease spreads through droplets, a situation that can be managed with thorough personnel safety and disinfectant procedures. India follows the World Health Organisation guidelines on these issues which are designed for developing and under developed countries. The US follows its Centres for Disease Control guidelines that call for more stringent systems, the specialist said. Facebook hit back at billionaire George Soros's claim that the social media company has a 'special relationship' with President Donald Trump. The liberal philanthropist made the comment in an op-ed published in The New York Times on Friday morning, arguing that Facebook would help Trump get re-elected in 2020. On Friday afternoon, Facebook denied the allegations, saying that they are false. 'While we respect Mr Soros' right to voice his opinion, he's wrong,' a spokesperson for Facebook said in a statement. 'The notion that we are aligned with any one political figure or party runs counter to our values and the facts. We continue making unprecedented investments to keep our platform safe, fight foreign interference in elections around the world, and combat misinformation.' George Soros (pictured, January 2020) wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that Facebook and Trump have a 'special relationship' He noted one instance in which Trump and CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a meeting in the Oval Office in September 2019 (pictured) Soros criticized Facebook for its decision to not fact-check ads from politicians and that its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, are 'aligned'. 'I believe that Mr Trump and...Mark Zuckerberg, realize that their interests are aligned - the president's in winning elections, Mr Zuckerberg's in making money,' Soros wrote in the op-ed. The philanthropist noted some examples including providing the Trump campaign with embedded staff for political advertisements, although he did note that Hillary Clinton's camp was given the offer - but declined it. In another example, Soros cited a meeting between Trump and Zuckerberg in the Oval Office in September 2019. 'I met [Zuckerberg], and he told me that I'm No 1 in the world in Facebook,' Trump said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland earlier this month. This in reference to Trump surpassing India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the most popular figure on Facebook. A reporter then asked Trump about whether or not he supported Facebook's policy to not fact-check political ads. 'I'd rather have him just do whatever he is going to do. He's done a hell of a job when you think of it,' Trump replied. Soros also wrote that he believed Zuckerberg and Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg should step down. 'They follow only one guiding principle: maximize profits irrespective of the consequences. One way or another, they should not be left in control of Facebook,' he wrote in the op-ed. 'Facebook helped Trump to get elected and I am afraid that it will do the same in 2020.' This is not the first that the social network and the financier have disputed. Facebook hit back saying that Soros is 'wrong' and that the social network does not align itself to one political figure. In 2018, Soros said Facebook and Google had turned into 'powerful monopolies. Pictured: Zuckerberg in New York, October 2019, left; and Trump in the Cabinet Room, December 2019 Following those comments, Facebook (file image) hired a consulting firm to discredit protesters by linking them to Soros At the 2018 World Economic Forum, Soros reportedly said that Facebook and Google had turned into 'powerful monopolies.' Following the remark, Facebook hired consulting firm Definers Public Affairs to discredit protesters by linking them to Soros. The social network even successfully lobbied a Jewish civil rights group to deem the criticism as anti-Semitic, reported The New York Times. After The Times reported on this activity, Facebook dropped Definers and Zuckerberg insisted he had no knowledge of what was occurring. ON JAN. 21, 2020, Isuzu Philippines Corp. (IPC) donated one unit of Isuzu D-MAX 4x4 LS MT to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), Laguna Chapter, at the IPC Plant in Binan Laguna, for the Taal Volcano eruption relief efforts mobilization. Additional supplies were also provided such as bottled water, toiletries, clothes and other essentials to alleviate the condition of evacuees and affected individual. The donation is earmarked to support Philippine Red Crosss mission to provide life-saving services that protect the life of Filipinos in vulnerable situations. IPC is delighted to be able to help bridge volunteers like PRC, and people affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. During the interview, IPC executive vice president Shojiro Sakoda said, Isuzu D-MAX 4x4, being a utilitarian pick-up, is surely essential in bringing relief goods and aiding victims of Taal Volcano eruption. Isuzu D-MAX is a combination of power and performance and is equipped with Blue Power technology that can withstand any roads, from the toughest terrain to the slickest street all in style and comfort, he added. Local residents are encouraged to support humanitarian organizations and to do initiatives in helping the victims of the recent eruption. For more information on Isuzus commitment to improving communities nationwide, visit www.isuzuphil.com. (PR) Anna is fine...just fine! Her words, vocal inflection, and eyes aggressively insist that she is the model of mental stability. "Anna will remain balanced. Don't you worry," she attempts to reassure her husband (a task somewhat undermined by her use of the third person). Anna has a lot to prove, considering she was just discharged from the mental hospital to which her husband committed her after discovering that she had been poisoning his food to prevent him from meeting his girlfriend who just happens to be the much younger daughter of Anna's boss. But that's all behind her, and the new meds are definitely working! Anna (played with unsettling cheer by Rose Byrne) is the protagonist of Simon Stone's new adaptation of Medea, the Euripides tragedy that still manages to shock audiences 2,400 years later. Stone has transposed this story of an ancient Greek adventurer and his jilted sorceress wife to a modern setting, with middle-class American characters (it is now making its US debut at Brooklyn Academy of Music). It's a brutally effective assertion that the mythic echoes through modernity, and that unreason still holds godlike sway over our lives. Rose Byrne plays Anna, and Bobby Cannavale plays Lucas in Medea. ( Richard Termine) The marriage of Anna and Lucas (Byrne's real-life partner, Bobby Cannavale) is all but over when the play begins, not that she is ready to admit it. While Lucas has sole custody of their two sons (Jolly Swag and Orson Hong, the night I attended), he has agreed for them to stay with Anna on certain nights. He has even decided to stay with Anna and the kids her first night back (less out of affection, it seems, than fear). "I'm going to win you back," she promises him in the first scene, and we brace for impact. And after all of the time and energy Anna has invested into her life with Lucas, we can understand why she is not ready to concede defeat, especially to Clara (Madeline Weinstein plays the new squeeze with an overweening sense of entitlement, tempered by the sweetest rich girl smile). As Anna tells it, she was the head of a pharmaceutical research lab when they started dating, and Lucas was a lowly assistant. Thanks to her guidance, his career is soaring meanwhile, she has been barred from medical practice. This news is delivered by Clara's dad, Christopher (Dylan Baker, portraying an oily pharma executive, a worthy successor to Creon). He wants Lucas to marry his daughter, and he is willing to commit considerable resources to make it happen. Dylan Baker, Rose Byrne, and Victor Almanzar appear in Medea. ( Richard Termine) Against what appears to be a conspiracy by mediocre men, Byrne makes Anna's smoldering rage feel, if not rational, at least fathomable. She struggles to contain a deluge of resentment behind the dam of her toothy smile. When it spills out in the form of anguished screams, it is fearsome and painfully relatable. I've been there, and maybe you have, too. Stone also directs, and his sleek minimalist staging foregrounds the performances, which are excellent. With no slack to be found anywhere, scenes bleed one into another on Bob Cousins's bare white set, which looks like it was lifted from an Apple ad. An D'Huys's vibrant costumes pop against this blank canvas, while Julia Frey's video design allows for close-up shots of Anna's exhausted eyes. An arresting scenic effect conveys the menacing trickle of time and fate, so terrifying to Americans who believe we always have a choice. It's not lost on me that Anna is both a scientist and doctor, two professions adept at cheating fate and bending the natural world to the human will. "I knew what I was doing. If I wanted to kill you I would have," she coldly reassures Lucas about his low-level poisoning, sounding very much like the overconfident granddaughter of a god. Against Anna's diabolical mastery of the elements and dogged determination to win (or at least ensure that everyone else loses), Cannavale's easily manipulated, ever-softening Lucas is thoroughly outmatched. Bobby Cannavale, Madeline Weinstein, and Rose Byrne star in Medea. ( Richard Termine) The state can only do so much to protect us from the wrath of people like Anna (Jordan Boatman appears poised yet helpless as a friendly social worker). And it is a comforting lie to relegate stories like Medea to the realm of mythology (Victor Almanzar makes a memorably chilling cameo as a bookstore owner who assesses the carnage in Ovid's Metamorphoses as, "No more messed up than anything that happens in the real world"). Violent passion lives within even the most seemingly rational among us, as astronaut Lisa Nowak showed in 2007 when she drove across country to assault the woman who stole her man. No pharmaceutical wizardry will ever be able to fully tame those feelings, seemingly implanted in us by malevolent gods. Medea is a startling and timely reminder that we aren't as in control of the situation as we like to think not nearly. Kolkata: Banks are remain closed on the first day of the two-day long nationwide strike called by an umbrella of banking unions in Kolkata on Jan 31, 2020. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kolkata: Banks are remain closed on the first day of the two-day long nationwide strike called by an umbrella of banking unions in Kolkata on Jan 31, 2020. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kolkata: Banks are remain closed on the first day of the two-day long nationwide strike called by an umbrella of banking unions in Kolkata on Jan 31, 2020. (Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS) Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, Jan 31 : Banking operations were massively hit on Friday across West Bengal on day one of the two-day nationwide strike called by the employee unions to press for early settlement of wage revision. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sectorm had given the strike call for January 31 and February 1. "The strike is 100 per cent successful in Bengal. We have received reports from the city and also all the districts. Everywhere the strike was total. ATMs also were mostly shut. There were no reports of any breach of peace," Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) state Secretary Joydeb Dasgupta told IANS. All nationalised, private and foreign banks in the city and the districts remained shut, stalling cash operations, cheque clearances and other banking services. Bank customers were heavily inconveniences as the strikers ensured most of the ATMs rolled down their shutters. The strikers picketed before the closed branches and also held gate meetings explaining their stand. In Hindsight: The Security Council in 2019 In 2019, geopolitical tensions continued to be reflected in Council action. Difficult and protracted negotiations were a regular feature, with pushback on previously agreed language from past resolutions. This difficult dynamic among Council members is apparent in the 2019 statistics. Formal Council decisions were at their lowest number since 1991. There were fewer formal meetings and consultations than in 2018, occupying slightly less time, too. More time was spent in sanctions committees and working groups, which met 172 times in 2019, compared to 144 times in 2018. Informal formatsArria-formula and informal interactive dialogue meetingsstood at about the same number. Finding consensus on the most contentious issues was difficult. Six draft resolutions failed to be adopted due to either vetoes or insufficient votesover ten percent of the 58 resolutions tabled. The three vetoes, the same number as in 2018, were on Syria (two) and Venezuela (one). Two Syria draft resolutions and one Ukraine draft resolution were not adopted because of insufficient votes. Eight resolutions out of 52 adopted had fewer than 15 votes: just over 15%, compared to just over 16% non-unanimous resolutions in 2018. These abstentions came on sanctions resolutions (South Sudan and Somalia), peacekeeping mandate renewals (Haiti and Western Sahara), and for the first time on a women, peace and security resolution. Members abstaining on the different drafts included China, Cote dIvoire, Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Russia, and South Africa. There were only two procedural votes, after four in 2018. They were on Ukraine and Venezuela, both over an objection to the provisional agenda for the meeting. The lower number of procedural votes may signal greater uncertainty, in 2019, that nine votes would be available on some issues. As in 2018, a meeting on the human rights situation in the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK), which for four years had been held following a procedural vote, was not requested because of calculations that there would be insufficient votes to have the meeting. There were 22 Arria-formula meetings, surpassing the 21 in 2018, which had been the highest since the start of this format in 1992. Members appear to be using this format for issues that are likely to be blocked if brought to the Council for a formal discussion. One new issue, Venezuela, was added to the formal agenda of the Council. Adding it proved to be polarising, requiring a procedural vote. For the first time since 1965, the Council met on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir under the agenda item The India-Pakistan Question. One new mission was established: the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), and one follow-on mission, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), which succeeded a peacekeeping mission, the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti. Trends in 2019 An Overall Decline in the Number of Decisions The Council adopted 67 decisions (resolutions and presidential statements) in 2019, the lowest in 18 years. The number of resolutions has been falling since 2016, and although the 52 adopted in 2019 was only two fewer than in 2018, it was the lowest in six years. Most resolutions continued to be mandate extensions and sanctions renewals, but there were also resolutions on thematic issues, including terrorism; protection of civilians; and women, peace and security. Presidential statements fell even more drastically, from 21 in 2018 to 15 last year. The low number may be attributed to greater difficulty in reaching consensus, resulting in presidential statements either not being adopted or Council members choosing not to use this format, particularly following a presidencys signature event. The Council was unable to reach agreement on a draft text following the closure of the mission in Haiti although it is customary for the Council to issue a presidential statement on such occasions. Presidential statements in 2019 were largely used to urge implementation of an agreement, or to show support for a new agreement or the work of an organisation or a regional office. Presidential statements were also adopted following meetings on peacekeeping, the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, Iraq-Kuwait and missing persons, and the League of Arab states. Press statements, which for some years had been the Councils most common format for responding to specific violent incidents, fell sharply from 88 in 2018 to 67 in 2019. One reason for this may be that Council members were more selective about issuing press statements following attacks by terrorists and against civilians, which dropped from 54 percent of all press statements in 2018 to 43.4 percent in 2019. The fall in the number of formal outcomes correlates to the difficulty in getting agreement. A number of outcomes were negotiated but not adopted, including draft presidential statements on mediation and mercenaries and a draft resolution on the financing of African-led peacekeeping missions. Members may also have been more reluctant to suggest outcomes in the face of potential vetoes or tough negotiations that could result in watered-down consensus outcomes. Fewer Public Meetings, More Consultations There was a small drop in the number of formal public and private meetings and consultations, from 396 in 2018 to 384 in 2019. However, there appears to have been a shift in the trend of the last three years, which favoured meeting in public rather than in consultations, as Council members acknowledged the desire for better balance between the transparency of public meetings and the need for private discussion. Council members met 135 times in consultations, compared to 120 in 2018: a 12.5 percent increase. Formal meetings dropped by 10.4 percent. After a record-high number of public meetings275 in 2018 and 282 in 2017the Council held 243 public meetings in 2019. Fifteen private meetings were held, slightly more than in 2018. Unusually, this format, typically used for meetings with troop-contributing countries, was used for a discussion about chemical weapons in Syria with the head of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, as the closed setting allowed the Council to have a frank discussion with a briefer not from the Secretariat. In May 2019, during the Secretary-Generals retreat for Council members, the UK suggested that a new informal format for frank discussions among the permanent representatives was needed. Indonesia, as president for the month of May, hosted the first meeting in this format, referred to as sofa talks. A Council Divided Strained relations among the permanent members (P5) on the global stage continued to affect Council dynamics. For the last few years, Russia and the US have been on opposing sides in conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. There are rising tensions with China, which has become increasingly assertive globally and in the Council. At the same time, the US has retreated from active engagement in multilateral institutions and is increasingly focused on domestic issues and on pursuing issues bilaterally. In the Council, Russia and the US remain deadlocked on Syria, on which Russia cast its 14th veto in December 2019, and on Ukraine. The situation in Venezuela came in as a new divisive issue. China has begun to take strong positions on issues that affect its wider domestic priorities. It has been particularly assertive on Afghanistan, threatening to veto the renewal of the UNAMAs mandate over language related to its Belt and Road Initiative, and on Jammu-Kashmir, on which it initiated a Council meeting and proposed a draft text. France, the UK and the US (P3), which had been a united block for years, now have differing positions on issues ranging from the Sahel to Iran. The biggest change has come from the US, which on issues such as sexual and reproductive health rights in conflict, the ICC, and climate and security appears more aligned with China and Russia than with France and the UK. The elected members (E10) have continued to meet regularly among themselves as well as with the Secretary-General. They have joined forces around working methods and made their first statement as a group in a Council meeting during the working methods open debate in June. The E10 made a joint media statement in November 2019 on Israeli settlement activity but have found it more difficult to rally around Syria humanitarian issues than they have in the past. Difficulty in reaching agreement on several issues has led regional sub-groups to show Council support on divisive issues. In 2019, the recently departed, present and future EU members of the Council presented seven joint statements and appeared together at press stakeouts. The statements were on the DPRK, Gaza, Georgia, the Middle East, Turkish military action in north-eastern Syria, and Ukraine, which was the subject of two statements. For what appears to be the first time, the African members (A3) made joint statements, including when the Council failed to support the AUs call for a transition to civilian rule in Sudan. Former President, John Dramani Mahama sceptical about government's 2020 timeline to pay back customers whose deposits were locked up following the clean-up exercise which led to several of the banks collapsed in the country. He said it may even take the government more than a year to pay back the monies owed the depositors of these collapsed financial institutions. President Akufo-Addo had assured that these customers will have their monies paid back to them in full. But in a Facebook live engagement on Thursday, Mr. Mahama told the depositors to reconsider any thoughts of retrieving their cash because the government does not have the capacity to do as promised. The route government took on the banking sector was extreme and harsh and has created more harm. I think that the government took this [decision] too quickly. It has created a huge debt for the taxpayer. The President has said that he is going to pay depositors in full but that is not going to happen in 2020. Even if the government is going to pay that money, it is going to be spread over the next four years. So depositors cant sit and think they are going to get their money. Mahama to pay depositors Mr. Mahama who is also the presidential candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) promised that his government will refund depositors' funds in the shortest possible time. We believe that we do owe depositors. When I come into government, we will make sure we will pay depositors their monies within the shortest possible time, he said. ---citinewsroom PDP To Presidency: Dont Politicize Nigerians Concerns over Insecurity Urges NASS To Stand With Nigerians The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has counseled agents of the Buhari Presidency not to attempt to politicize or trivialize demands by Nigerians for the resignation of its government as a response to its evident failure to guarantee security of lives and property in the country. In a statement signed by the Party spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party states that the Buhari Presidency must accept this apolitical verdict, which transcends ethnic, political and religious boundaries, especially after President Muhammadu Buhari admitted failure by expressing surprise at the level of insecurity across the nation under its watch. The PDP notes that the fact that the Presidency resorted to hauling insults, hate language and threats against patriotic Nigerians, including senators, instead of addressing issues of security before the parliament, shows that indeed, the Buhari Presidency has no answer to the litany of insecurity issues under its administration. It is instructive for the Buhari Presidency to note that the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, whose voice resonated in the chamber of the Senate, spoke the mind of majority of Nigerians who had become bullied, harassed and despondent in the face of escalated insurgency, bloodletting, killings and other acts of violence that have pervaded our nation. Senator Abaribe spoke on behalf of millions of Nigerians who have been killed, orphaned, widowed, maimed, rendered childless and homeless, as well as others who daily live in anguish, pain and fear in the face of worsening insecurity under the failed Buhari administration. On account of this, the PDP counsels agents of the Buhari Presidency to perish any thoughts of harassment, setup, frame-up or victimization of Senator Abaribe who rose to the occasion through the constitutionally guaranteed privilege of the parliament to speak on behalf of ordinary Nigerians. The PDP recalls that when President Buhari, in 2013, unjustifiably called for the resignation of then President Goodluck Jonathan, the Jonathan Presidency never resorted to insults and threats, even when such a call was completely unfounded, unlike in the present situation where every indicator points to an alarming trajectory towards a failed state. The PDP therefore urges the National Assembly to stand with Nigerians and resist every attempt that will make it succumb to any form of harassments, intimidations and innuendos from paid agents and cabal in the Presidency who have shown that the interest of ordinary Nigerians is not their priority. Signed: Kola Ologbondiyan National Publicity Secretary BEIJING The U.S. has advised against all travel to China as the number of cases of a worrying new virus spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period on Friday. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign of its spread that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency because of the virus. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar also announced that President Trump will temporarily bar entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus. The State Departments level 4 Do Not Travel advisory, the highest grade of warning, told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice, the advisory said. Hours later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced they were suspending all flights between the U.S. and China, joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the virus outbreak continues to spread. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about potential spread of smallpox, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. We understand this action may seem drastic. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting, the CDCs Dr. Nancy Messonnier said. None of the Americans being housed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside has shown signs of illness. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases Friday, the vast majority in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, where the first illnesses were detected in December. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine, while foreign countries, companies and airlines have cut back severely on travel to China and quarantined those who recently passed through Wuhan. Infected people dont show symptoms immediately and may be able to pass on the virus before they appear sick. Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, at least 23 countries have reported cases. Joe McDonald is an Associated Press writer. Member of Parliament[MP] for Assin South Constituency, Rev John Ntim Fordjour has charged members of the ruling party upset about the shortage of parliamentary primaries forms, particularly in the Ashanti Region, to be measured in expressing their misgivings. Dont be too engrossed in the position you are clamouring for, but consider the larger picture of Ghanas progress. Because whatever position you may wish to hold, will be useless without having Akufo-Addo as the President of the Republic, therefore we must first consolidate that of the president before thinking of ourselves. ...when the party is united and an aspirant or a sitting candidate loses his/her seat, definitely someone will benefit from the party, thus being a messenger with your party in power is more significant than being a parliamentarian with your party in opposition, he stated. Arguing strongly on UTVs Adekye Nsroma political discussion show, the lawmaker pointed out that Ghana will gnash its teeth in the unlikely scenario of not having President Akufo-Addo as president. Ghana will be on the losing end in not having Akufo-Addo as our President, therefore incumbent and aspiring parliamentary candidates who have some issues in getting access to their primaries forms should not use it as a yardstick to destroy the good works of the party," he cautioned. Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi/ 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 Photo: Near the beginning of Isabel Allendes sweeping saga A Long Petal of the Sea, a young medical assistant, Victor Damau, touches the still and exposed heart inside the body of a young soldier who has been wounded in battle. Its 1939, and Spain is at war with itself. Victor, who looked like a poet with his lanky limbs, unruly hair, and constantly preoccupied expression, hopes the Republic will prevail. Though he is later unable to explain what instinct possesses him, Victor massages the inert heart, which begins to beat again. A doctor notices, determines Victor has a talent for medicine and takes the young man under his wing. Even during war, Allende seems to say, there are some whose predisposition is to heal us, and we owe our survival to them. Victors younger brother Guillem, on the other hand, is cheerful, boisterous, an impulsive giant beloved by women but made mostly for fighting. In other words, Guillem is a soldier. When Guillem is sent home from the front with typhus, it is young Roser, a beautiful musical prodigy and a kind of adopted daughter to the Damau family, who nurses him back to health. The two fall in love. It does not take long for Roser to become pregnant and for Guillem to subsequently die in battle. When the Spanish Republics fall is certain, Roser and Victor must flee to the border of France, now inundated with refugees. Allende take pains to recount the conditions of these internment camps, their descriptions paralleling our present-day holding cells on the U.S. border. Nobody wanted these foreigners Reds, filthy fugitives, deserters, delinquents, as the French press labeled them. Repugnant beings who were going to spread epidemics, commit robberies and rape, and stir up a communist revolution. Hovering above such desperation is the shimmering figure of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, whose best qualities gleam in A Long Petal of the Sea like a north star. His poetry peppers the start of each chapter. The very phrase long petal of the sea is derived from Nerudas poetic description of Chiles fingerlike shape on the South American continent. The historical Neruda was also a diplomat, appointed by the Chilean government as Special Consul in Paris for Immigration, and tasked in 1939 with the Oskar Schindler-esque act of locating 2,000 Spanish refugees worthy of emigrating to Chile aboard the SS Winnipeg. Allende imagines that the fictional Victor Damau is among those lucky enough to have gained passage. But theres a catch: Neruda, who appears sporadically in the pages of the novel, finds Victors skills as a doctor useful but not so Roser. Only immediate family members, Victor is told, may join the exodus. So Victor and Roser marry. A loveless marriage may seem like a further restriction that humans are forced to face under fascism, but Allende aims to explore something deeper about love than free and raw passion, though Petal has plenty of spicy pages and couples who yearn for each other in bed. If one lives long enough, circles close, muses Victor Damau. The circles of which he speaks are many. In Chile, Victor and Roser begin life anew, and intersect with many more characters whom Allende brings to life with characteristic attention and sensitivity: honorable Matias, elegant Ofelia and the morally suspect Father Urbina. On occasion, Victor plays chess with one Salvador Allende, who later becomes president. When fascism erupts in Chile in the form of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, Victor is again on the run for supporting the losing side, and the fabric of stability, which had supported him in his new home, is again frayed. Isabel Allende herself is related to the fallen Chilean president, Salvador Allende, and as a young woman was forced to flee her homeland like her characters after Pinochets military coup. Her worldview presumably allies with Victor, who muses to himself that the most important events, the ones that determine our fate, are almost always completely beyond our control. What can one soul do in the face of such overwhelming chaos? Allende examines how love can turn into something unshakable and pure, like a diamond formed under the long pressure of the unbearable weight of granite. At present, our culture seems to cherish stories that examine the cyclical rise of our darkest impulses; for younger readers, there is the threat of he-who-shall-not-be-named, and at Christmas we learned that Palpatine has always been behind it all. In A Long Petal of the Sea, Isabel Allende makes a similar point in a real-world way: Darkness can reemerge, and it is up to the poet, the doctor and the musician to preserve what is best about humans until such forces are subdued by those who fight. For though A Long Petal of the Sea is a historical love story penned in the lush and propulsive prose familiar to Allendes millions of fans worldwide, it is also suffused with a noble and philosophical consciousness that feels excitingly new and unerringly timely for this international superstar of an author. Marie Mutsuki Mockett lives in San Francisco. Her memoir, Where the Dead Pause, and the Japanese Say Goodbye, was a finalist for the 2016 PEN Open Book Award. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday lodged a police complaint against Union Minister Anurag Thakur for his "inflammatory" speech during an election rally here. IYC president Srinivas B V claimed the complaint was lodged against Thakur at Parliament Street police station for his inflammatory speech after which a man fired at peaceful protestors at Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday. "We want immediate action against Thakur to prevent further escalation of such violent incidents in the country," Srinivas said. A man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student near the JMI before walking away while waving the firearm over his head shouting "Yeh lo aazadi". "The ideology which killed Gandhiji is still prevailing and people like Thakur are provoking the people," IYC national media in-charge Amrish Ranjan Pandey said. (Natural News) A federal court has reportedly unsealed a shocking set of indictments implicating Charles Lieber, the head of Harvard Universitys chemistry department, as well as two Chinese nationals, for smuggling biological material into China and later lying about it. One of the Chinese nationals was a researcher at Boston University and a former lieutenant in the communist Peoples Liberation Army, and the other was a so-called cancer researcher who is said to have attempted to smuggle 21 vials of biological materials into China using his sock. While the official charge against Lieber, who may or may not still be in custody, is that he lied to investigators about these and other illicit acts, the circumstances surrounding his arrest suggest that he engaged in blatant espionage, and was promised what Zero Hedge describes as an extremely seductive monetary reward in return. Lieber was reportedly paid $50,000 per month by the Wuhan University of Technology Wuhan being where the current coronavirus global health emergency began to participate in its so-called Thousand Talents Program. He was also paid more than $1.5 million to create a laboratory and conduct research at the school. Prosecutors say that Lieber deliberately lied to Department of Defense (D.O.D.) officials in 2018 about his involvement in these foreign research collaborations, falsely claiming that he was never asked to participate in the Thousand Talents Program even though it had already been shown that Lieber signed a talent contract with Wuhan University back in 2012. Harvard itself also lied to the National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) when questioned about Liebers affiliation with Wuhan University that same year. The Ivy League school reportedly told the N.I.H. that Lieber had no formal affiliation with Wuhan University after 2012 and never participated in the Thousand Talents Program, even though its been proven that Lieber did, in fact, have a formal relationship with Wuhan University through 2017. As it turns out, Lieber was a strategic scientist at Wuhan University for significant periods between 2012 and 2017, for which he was paid not just $50,000 per month as a salary, but also $150,000 for living expenses on top of that. The Chinese government also paid Lieber millions to help it create what now appears to have been some kind of bioweapons research lab. The charges brought by the U.S. government against Professor Lieber are extremely serious, a Harvard spokesman is quoted as saying. Harvard is cooperating with federal authorities, including the National Institutes of Health, and is initiating its own review of the alleged misconduct. Professor Lieber has been placed on indefinite administrative leave. Trump administration credited with cracking down on Chinese academic and corporate espionage Cracking down on Chinese academic and corporate espionage has been a top priority for the Trump administration, which has made numerous other arrests, in addition to these, of Chinese nationals working in critical roles here in America and funneling sensitive information back to the motherland. This case, however, is among the most high-profile to date, especially since it involves not just Chinese nationals but an American professor working at one of the worlds most well-known and prestigious universities. Meanwhile, the coronavirus epidemic has now officially been declared as a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). Interestingly enough, not long after news of the arrests hit the press, another report surfaced claiming China had rejected President Trumps offer of assistance to contain the coronavirus even as Wuhan is in desperate need of supplies, reports Zero Hedge about this interesting turn of events. Is that just a coincidence? For more late-breaking news about coronavirus, China, and the chaos thats being systematically unleashed all in tandem, be sure to check Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com While on probation for sexually assaulting a pre-teen girl, a Manitoba man continued to lure a dozen more teen victims online, pressuring them to pose nude and perform sex acts, a judge heard Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. While on probation for sexually assaulting a pre-teen girl, a Manitoba man continued to lure a dozen more teen victims online, pressuring them to pose nude and perform sex acts, a judge heard Thursday. Patrick Sinclair, 27, has pleaded guilty to internet luring, extortion, and making, possessing and distributing child pornography. Sinclair made contact with the victims, all but one of whom lived in the United States, through online chat groups before moving to Skype, where he secretly recorded them as they gave in to his sexual demands. "He was able to find children on his own and made images from them," said Crown attorney Michelle Bright, who recommended provincial court Judge Alain Huberdeau sentence Sinclair to eight years in prison. "These are real people who experienced real trauma. These images and videos were all produced as a result of him luring the children online. The behaviour itself is that of an online predator." Sinclair was sentenced in October 2015 to two years supervised probation in connection to his molestation of a pre-teen girl. By that time, he had already been luring children online for nearly 31/2 years, behaviour that would continue until his arrest in October 2017. Police seized Sinclairs electronic devices, which were found to contain 80 pornographic images of the victims and 37 videos. Police were ultimately able to identify only four of the 12 girls, the youngest of whom was 13. According to an agreed statement of facts provided to court, Sinclair threatened to post nude pictures of one victim online if she did not submit to his demand for more pictures, sending her a picture he had secretly taken of her, including all her social media contact information, to bolster his threat. Sinclair made a similar threat to another victim, who contacted police in the U.S. The girl provided police with Sinclairs first name and said he was from Winnipeg. Investigators ultimately traced his IP address to his rural Manitoba home. Court heard Sinclair has been diagnosed with intellectual disability disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Bright argued Sinclairs cognitive deficits did not impair his ability to distinguish right from wrong, and described his manipulation of the victims as "cold and calculated." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "This accused presents on ongoing danger to the public," Bright said. "He made decisions over and over again to offend against children." When arrested, Sinclair minimized his actions, telling police: "Im pretty sure none of the girls are dead." Sinclair continues to live with his foster parents and has never held a job, court heard. "I dont dispute he has an intellectual disability, but he is also generally not a motivated person," Bright said. "He doesnt do anything he doesnt want to do." Sinclairs sentencing hearing will resume May 21, with submissions from the defence. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca A number of blast were witnessed in Damascus, which were believed to be part of a plan to remove destroyed buildings in al-Tadamon and Yarmouk Camp reports Jesr. The capital Damascus was shaken on Wednesday by successive blasts which hit towns south of the capital, al-Tadamon and Yarmouk camp. The Sowt al-Asima website reported that 12 blasts occurred in the two areas, hitting a number of residential buildings. The buildings hit by the blast had been struck by bombardment during military operations in the area in recent years, which led to major damage, and their partial collapse. Machinery and diggers had began to remove what remained of the buildings immediately after the explosions, while trucks from government steel plants began transporting large volumes of steel from the destroyed buildings for re-manufacturing. The al-Hajjar al-Aswid area, south of the capital Damascus, midway through last year saw successive blasts carried out by regime forces and intelligence agents in the areas environs, with the Fourth Division working to demolish residential buildings in the Yarmouk area in order to remove them completely. They had been completely free of tunnels, explosives and war detritus, which indicates that the blasts were done intentionally for the purpose of destroying buildings and houses, while regime fighters carrying out the blasts say that the area will be subject to a complete reconstruction, using these claims to justify the actions to the residents. Syrian investors backed by Iranian and Russian agencies concluded a preliminary agreement stipulating the division of contracts in the Hajjar al-Aswid area south of Damascus as part of a plan to rebuild it. The Iranian-backed investors have taken electricity, energy, and sanitation contracts, while those backed by Russia have taken over the rehabilitation of the phone and water networks and removing rubble in coordinations with the Fourth Division and local businessmen. The compensation received by the Russians and Iranians was not revealed. Fourth Division workshops specialized in removal entered Street 30, where they gathered tons of steel and aluminum in preparation to transport them to the factory of businessman Mohamed Hamsho, the primary figure responsible for the removal of rubble in the destroyed areas of the Damascus countryside. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Michigans presidential primary is just a few short weeks away. There will be 15 Democrats and four Republicans and on the March 10 ballot, including President Donald Trump. Michigan voters can only participate in one partys primary contest. Michigans primary takes place one week after states participating in the Super Tuesday nominating contests. However, voters can cast their ballots much sooner. Voters can apply to receive an absentee ballot to vote in the March 10 presidential primary right now. All registered voters can vote request an absentee ballot for any reason from their local clerks. Michigan helped elect Trump in 2016 after supporting Democratic President Obama in the two previous elections. U.S Sen. Bernie Sanders unexpectedly won Michigans Democratic primary that year, while Trump also won the states Republican primary. MLive will be publishing more coverage the candidates and their top policy proposals in the weeks to come. Democratic Party Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has too little popular support to make the cut for the next Democratic debate. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)AP U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo. Bennet, 55, is a moderate Democrat perhaps best known for a viral rant during the partial government shutdown of 2019. Hes effectively a long-shot candidate for the Democratic nomination. Bennet hasnt participated in a primary debate since July 2019 and is barely registering in national polls. Bennet was appointed to a partial term in the Senate in 2009 to fill a vacancy. He won a full term in 2010 and was re-elected in 2016. Bennet was a member of a bipartisan group of senators who attempted to pass a bipartisan immigration bill in 2013. The son of a U.S. ambassador, Bennet was born in India and grew up in Washington, D.C. He later moved to Colorado and became the managing director of Anschutz Investment Company. Bennett served as the superintendent of Denver Public Schools and was chief of staff to then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who also ran for president but dropped out in 2019. Visit Bennets campaign website here. Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Sparks High School in Sparks, Nev., on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (Jason Bean/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP) APAP Former Vice President Joe Biden Biden, 77, has framed the election as a battle for the soul of America. The former vice president argues four more years of Trump in the White House would fundamentally alter the character of the United States and has blamed Trump for a rise in racism and xenophobia. Democrats agree on the need to usurp Trump, but Biden says hes the only candidate who can win back working-class voters in Midwest swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. His campaign is also boosted by strong support among African Americans. Biden clashed with progressive rivals over health care and the legacy of the Affordable Care Act, passed while he was working under President Barack Obama. Biden has proposed building on the ACAs foundation by giving people a choice to opt into Medicare. Biden previously represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate from 1973 to 2009. Biden ran for president twice, in 1987 and 2007, but has never secured the Democratic Partys nomination. Visit his campaign website here. Democratic Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg gestures while taking part in an on-stage conversation with former California Gov. Jerry Brown at the American Geophysical Union fall meeting Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019, in San Francisco. Bloomberg is set to visit Chillicothe, Ohio on Friday. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)AP Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Bloomberg, 77, is running a self-financed campaign to beat Trump at any cost. Bloomberg put a particular focus on Michigan. He was among the first candidates to open a field office in the state and has flooded televisions and social media platforms with more than $7 million worth of campaign ads by the end of January. Campaign staff said Bloomberg is building an organizing machine to support whoever becomes the Democratic candidate. Bloomberg has also said he is open to spending $1 billion dollars to support the Democratic nominee. Bloomberg is skipping the early nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire to focus on states voting on Super Tuesday in February. Because his campaign is largely self-financed, Bloomberg did not meet donor thresholds set by the DNC for its primary debates and hasnt participated in any of those contests so far. Visit Bloombergs campaign website here. Democratic presidential candidate South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, Dec. 30, 2019, in Fort Madison, Iowa. (Charlie Neibergall, AP Photo)AP Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Buttigieg, 38, is the youngest candidate in the field and is calling for a generational change in the countrys leadership. He is the first openly gay Democratic candidate in American history. Buttigieg is a U.S. Navy Reserve veteran who served in the Afghanistan war, an experience which has featured prominently in his appeals to prevent endless wars in the Middle East. Buttigieg offers a more moderate vision for the country, proposing a public option for government-run health care instead of moving all Americans off their private health insurance. Criticism of Buttigiegs handling of racial issues while mayor of South Bend has sparked doubts about his ability to attract African American voters. Buttigieg is married to a Traverse City native. Visit Buttigiegs campaign website here. FILE -- Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding at the Surf Ballroom, Friday, Aug. 9, 2019, in Clear Lake, Iowa. (AP Photo/John Locher)AP U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hi. Gabbard, 37, became the first Hindu elected to Congress in 2012. The four-term U.S. representative from Hawaii was the former vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. Before being elected to serve in the House, Gabbard was the youngest person to serve in the Hawaii House of Representatives. Gabbard joined the Hawaii Army National Guard after the September 11 terrorist attacks and was deployed on two tours of duty in the Middle East. Gabbard has generally advocated for a non-interventionist stance toward foreign affairs, calling for an end to regime change wars in the Middle East. Hillary Clinton infamously referred to Gabbard as a Russian asset last year, leading Gabbard to hit the 2016 Democratic nominee with a $50 million defamation lawsuit. Gabbard was the only House Democrat running for president who did not vote to charge Trump with two articles of impeachment. Gabbard instead voted present" and slammed the impeachment process as politically motivated and "fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country. Gabbards mother was born in Indiana and grew up in Michigan, according to her campaign website. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., waits to be introduced before speaking at a campaign event, Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, in Ottumwa, Iowa. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) APAP U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. Klobuchar, 59, is a three-term U.S. senator from Minnesota who kept a tight focus on issues affecting the heartland. She presents herself as moderate providing pragmatic alternatives to progressive policy stances taken by her Democratic opponents. The Minnesota senator has made the case during debates that she can win back battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Klobuchar has emphasized her own Midwest background and touted her undefeated electoral record on the campaign trail. Klobuchar has called Medicare for All unrealistic and too expensive. Instead, she supports a public option that expands Medicare but preserves the private health insurance market. She released a $100 billion plan to combat drug and alcohol addiction and improve mental health care. Last year, Klobuchar unveiled a proposal to to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure projects across the country. To pay for it, Klobuchar proposes making reforms to the corporate tax structure, including increasing the corporate tax rate to 25%. Klobuchar has served in the Senate since 2007. Before that, she worked as an attorney in Minnesota. Visit Klobuchars campaign website here. Presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders speaks during a Bernie Sanders rally with U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib at Cass Technical High School in Detroit on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019. Mary Lewandowski| MLive.com U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Sanders, 78, is building on the progressive movement started by his 2016 campaign and has been a front-runner throughout his second attempt at the presidency. The Vermont senator pulled off a stunning victory in Michigan after trailing in polls before the 2016 primary, but ultimately did not secure the nomination. One of the biggest questions of the 2020 primary is whether voters who supported Sanders last time will find more to like about opponents who have taken up some of his policy proposals. He and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., are campaigning on similar promises to fight economic inequality, and many of the policies he campaigned on three years ago have since become mainstream. Sanders says he is the best champion for proposals like Medicare for All, eliminating student debt and the Green New Deal" and points to a lifetime of political activism. Sanders argues his campaign --- based on economic, racial, social and environmental justice for all -- can unite a coalition of working people that will reject Trump. Sanders is serving his third term in the U.S. Senate. He previously served in the House from 1991 to 2007. As a senator, Sanders is officially an independent but caucuses with the Democratic Party. He is a self-described democratic socialist. Visit Sanders campaign website here. FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2019 photo, Democratic presidential candidate and businessman Tom Steyer speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. A handful of struggling Democratic presidential hopefuls are bracing for bad news as the window to qualify for the partys next debate closes quickly. (AP Photo/John Locher)AP Businessman Tom Steyer Steyer, 62, is a billionaire philanthropist, businessman and progressive activist. Steyer was a hedge fund manager but has also funded political groups, most notably NextGen America and Need to Impeach, and wants to break the corporate stranglehold of our government. Steyer presents himself as a self-made man who can challenge Trump on economic issues. Steyer has said in debates that Trump will stake his re-election on the economy and whoever will challenge him needs a strong background in business. Unlike other first-time politicians running for the nomination, Steyer is not a moderate. Hes a supporter of the Green New Deal, has proposed term limits for members of Congress, a robust investment in affordable housing and pledged to take on corporate interests. Visit his official campaign website here. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., smiles during a campaign stop in Dover, N.H., Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) APAP U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Warren, 70, is focusing her campaign on creating sweeping structural change, fixing economic issues and ending corruption in Washington. Warren has proposed an ultra-millionaire tax on the 75,000 wealthiest American families to partially fund universal childcare, student loan debt relief, the Green New Deal, and Medicare for All. Her economic patriotism plan for creating good-paying jobs relies on using the countrys manufacturing base to develop new clean energy technology. Warren has also proposed breaking up big tech companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook. Warren has said her policy positions are informed by her experiences growing up on the ragged edge of the middle class. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, Warren helped establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Visit her campaign website here. Democratic presidential candidate former technology executive Andrew Yang walks onto the stage before a Democratic presidential primary debate, Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019, in Atlanta.John Bazemore / AP Businessman Andrew Yang Yang, 45, is a former tech executive primarily focused on providing economic opportunity to working-class Americans affected by automation. He is running to provide a universal basic income to every U.S. citizen. Yang proposed providing $1,000 to every adult over the age of 18, paid for by a tax on companies that benefit from automation. Yang said the stimulus would allow Americans to go back to school, start businesses and plan for their future. The idea is rooted in Yangs belief in human-centered capitalism, described as an economy that maximizes human welfare instead of inequality. He also supports Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Prior to running for president, Yang founded Venture for America, a nonprofit organization that trains recent graduates and young professionals to work for startup companies in cities across the country, including Baltimore, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland. His parents emigrated from Taiwan to the United States, and Yang would be the first Asian American president if elected. Visit his campaign website here. Republican Party President Donald Trump points to a reporter for a questions as he speaks with reporters on the South Lawn of the White House before departing, Friday, July 19, 2019, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)AP President Donald Trump Trump, 73, officially filed his campaign for re-election on the same day of his inauguration in 2017. Trump also confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence will remain his running mate in 2020. The 45th president is running on a promise to Keep America Great after his 2016 campaign to Make America Great Again. Trumps campaign website contains a large list of accomplishments while in office, including improvements in the economy, enforcing immigration laws and promoting fair trade. Michigan is an important state for the president. His ability to flip Michigan and other Midwest states that were part of Democrats blue wall was a key reason he was elected in 2016. Trump managed to become the first Republican to win Michigan since 1988, but only secured his victory by a 11,000-vote margin. The close race means Democrats are hoping they can take Michigan back in 2020. Trump became the third president impeached by the U.S. House and is the first impeached president to seek re-election. Visit Trumps campaign website here. U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) (R) speaks as Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA) (L) listens during a news conferenc. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)Getty Images Former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill. Walsh, 58, is a former Tea Party activist and talk radio host who served one term in Congress representing Illinois. Though Walsh was a Trump supporter earlier in his career, he became increasingly critical of the president and ultimately decided to run against him in the Republican primary. Walsh has proposed replacing the Affordable Care Act. He supports building a wall on the southern U.S. border but said he would not separate families that cross the border illegally. Visit Walshs campaign website here. Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld addresses students and guests during a campaign stop Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019, at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)AP Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld Weld, 74, was the Libertarian Partys nominee for vice president in the 2016 election, sharing the ticket with Gary Johnson. Weld focused his potential run on criticisms of Trumps personality and experience. A Harvard and Oxford graduate, Weld began his career as legal counsel to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary before becoming the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts and assistant U.S. attorney general at the Department of Justice's criminal division. Weld served as the Republican governor of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997. Visit Welds campaign website here. The dropouts Several candidates will remain on Michigans ballot, despite ending their presidential bids. This includes: Supported by robust public transport systems and infrastructure, hipsturbias feature desirable big-city amenities like condo buildings, offices, retail shops, and walking-friendly neighbourhoods without the hassle of big-city prices. Menkes Developments Ltd. is among those aiming to introduce thriving hipsturbias. The company is collaborating with the British Columbia Investment Management Corp. on two projects in Vaughan: the Mobilio residential development launched in 2019, and the Festival four-tower complex. Its a huge trend in the U.S. and its exactly what weve been planning for the last few years up in Vaughan, the Toronto-based developers executive vice president (high-rise residential) Jared Menkes said in an interview with Bloomberg News. Were bringing what we know downtown and bringing it to the suburbs. Downtown Toronto is going to continue to thrive, but I think subway connected, suburban-urban locations are going to see a bit of a rebound in the next three to five years, director of office and retail Sean Menkes added. Such communities are likely to become more important in the coming years, considering that Torontos home price growth will not be stopping any time soon. Rove McManus says he is unabashedly a fan of Disney. And the comedian, 45, was surprised to discover which Disney characters represent him thanks to Disney+ DNA. Disney+ DNA is a new online interactive experience launched by Disney Australia that lets fans find out which of the three characters from the entire Disney+ library best embodies who they are as a person. The force is with him! Rove McManus discovered his Jedi side with Disney+ DNA a new online interactive experience launched by Disney Australia The Disney library includes shows and films from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic. In an exclusive first look at his advertisement, Rove discovers he is 22 per cent Woody from the Toy Story films. He also found that he was 38 per cent Obi-Wan Kenobi and 40 per cent Yoda - both Jedi characters from the Star Wars films. Just like Obi-Wan: Starring in an advertisement for Disney+ DNA, Rove finds out he is 38 per cent Obi-Wan Kenobi and 40 per cent Yoda - both Jedi characters from the Star Wars films 'When I received my Disney+ DNA profile I must admit I was excited to have such a legacy of characters in the mix,' he said. 'Woody, I get, and Obi-Wan, I see, but with 40% Yoda in my genetic make-up, it's great to know I am now truly at one with the Force,' he added. In a soon to be released advertisement for Disney+ DNA, he joked: 'Life was nothing but showbiz until I discovered my DNA. In a soon to be released advertisement for Disney+ DNA, he joked: 'My connection to the Force has really feel at peace so I have converted to the ways of the Jedi,' he said while flicking the pages of a Jedi order 'I have converted to the ways of the Jedi,' he added as he is seen flicking the pages of a Jedi order. Speaking of his involvement with Disney, Rove said: 'I am super excited to now be on board with Disney+. 'Im an unabashed fan of their entire range of content - and can even proudly say I am part of a teeny tiny bit of it.' COLUMBUS, OhioOhio Republican Party leaders say they plan to vote next Thursday on withdrawing their endorsement of a Southern Ohio legislative candidate because they dont believe his story about his use of the cheating website Ashley Madison. Joe Dills, one of three Republicans running for House District 65 in Clermont County, admitted last week that he signed up in 2013 for the dating site, catering to people looking to cheat on their spouses. He stated that he never used the site to actively meet with anyone and never was involved in any illicit behavior beyond creating the profile on that site. However, Ohio GOP spokesman Evan Machan said state party officials were anonymously given documentation earlier this week showing that Dills did send at least one message on Ashley Madison, and that he used the site as recently as 2015, after his marriage to his second (and current) wife Nikea. Dills replied that he has no recollection of ever sending a message via the site and called the new information a smear attempt by his political rivals. State party officials verified the information by comparing it to their own copy of the Ashley Madison files that were leaked in 2015 after the site was hacked, according to a GOP official. Following the hack, the state party downloaded all of the hacked files, which contain data on about 32 million users. The files can be searched by the public as well, via easily searchable websites. Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, who had already called on Dills to withdraw after his admission of using Ashley Madison, said in a statement that Dills emphatically declared he never used this site while married to his current wife. Timken continued: I feel for his family in this time, and wish that he would have been open and transparent when the initial report came out. I stand by my previous statement and urge him to do whats best for his family and community immediately withdraw from this race. In an email, Dills reiterated that he never met anyone through Ashley Madison. He called the new allegations ridiculous and an attempt by primary rival Jean Schmidt and her allies to smear him. Are we really at the point in this country when personal marital issues become fair game? Its appalling and despicable that a rough time in our marriage that weve worked through together and come out happy on the other side is being used as a political weapon to publicly attack my family, Dills stated. "I really wish the press and insiders cared as much about actual issues as they do with personal matters that my wife and I have already resolved, he wrote. Schmidt, reached by phone, denied having anything to do with spreading information about Dills. I have had nothing to do with this, she said, adding later: I dont know who is trying to defame him, but it certainly isnt me, and it certainly isnt my allies. After his admission of using the site, Dills was asked by Ohio GOP officials in back-channel discussions to withdraw, Machan said, but he strongly stated publicly that he would not withdraw and that he never used these sites while married to his current wife. Dills, a Union Township resident who owns a business cleaning and maintaining diesel engines, turned heads when the Clermont County Republican Party endorsed him last month over Schmidt, a former congresswoman from Miami Township, and Dillon Blevins, a National Rifle Association pistol instructor from Goshen Township. Two weeks ago, the Ohio Republican Partys central committee endorsed Dills, even though the Ohio House Republican caucus recommended that the state party should back Schmidt, an ally of House Speaker Larry Householder. On a recent episode of Man Up, Jason Smith, a black ad tech executive, spoke to Aymann Ismail about the difficulties of working in environments where he is the only person of color. Ari Joseph, head of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Vimeo, joined the conversation to discuss covering, or downplaying socially stigmatized traits, in the workplace. This transcript has been condensed and edited for clarity. Jason Smith: I remember a young, really smart, white lady that worked at an ad agency that I worked at, had a Midwestern background, really hadnt spent much time with folks that werent like her. I come in, Im her boss, and Im asking her to do some things that maybe challenged her experience. I remember having this really aggressive male reaction, which was like, well, if she doesnt want to do what I ask her to do, or if I feel likebecause feel is important, because I dont know if she has these thoughtsif I feel like she sees me as inferior or she sees me as not being capable of managing her, then Im going to be really forceful about it: This is what I want you to do, this is how I want you to do it, and no questions are asked. And I remember walking away from those experiences thinking, Man, this just isnt me. This is exactly how its not supposed to go. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So I immediately started to place a practice into how I work with all women regardless of race, and I created a space with this particular person in which they could share with me: How was I behaving? How did they perceive my actions? How did they perceive my management style? And I learned so much about all of these things that she saw about black men and media and the areas that she grew up in and all of these different types of stories that she was told and what she missed or didnt miss at school, and how that really shaped her behavior. It helped me learn a lot about myself and confront some of the things that I brought to workthat in some cases, it may be relevant and I may need to address it that way, but in many other cases, Im just as guilty of being presumptive. Im just as guilty of bias, and I think confronting that in an honest and collaborative way not only helped me improve how I think about my work, but I actually genuinely think that it changed someones life. And weve become the best of friends, and I admire how she works, and I hope Ive been a good contribution to what she does in her career as well. Advertisement Advertisement "All of us cover at least a part of who we are in those domains from time to time." Ari Joseph Aymann Ismail: Thats powerful, man. Thats really powerful. But, because were talking about improving and being a better boss, what direction do you think you might be headed in that youd rather avoid? What exactly are we trying to improve on here? Smith: I think the story that I gave you is the mythical perfect one, but thats not always the case. I still am guilty of walking into a roomthere arent any days where this doesnt happen at least onceIll walk in and Im absolutely the only person of color in that conversation, and the immediate bias for me is Im being judged, theres a downgraded perspective on what my capabilities are, and I need to exude some type of extreme confidence. This term that you hear in hip-hop and culture of black excellencetheres a joke about why in the hell do I have to be excellent all the damn time? I walk in and I have this overexaggeration of puffing up so that I can exude this excellence because of all these preconceived notions from me and what I think other people think about me. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So what I want to get better at is trying to create spaces and opportunities for me to be more thoughtful and then maybe less presumptive about those conditions always existing. Totally, they may be there sometimes, but I cant go into every scenario thinking that this is a biased condition which I need to be prepared for. I think its unfair to me, and its also unfair to people that Im trying to create a great relationship with. And I think about the responsibility of being a male leader in a female-dominated industry. If I dont create the space to mitigate this anxiety and this fear around being imperfect, I just contribute to the problem. And I think thats just unacceptable. Advertisement Advertisement Ismail: Ari, can you understand where Jason is coming from here? Ari Joseph: One hundred percent, Jason, I feel you, brother. I think your story is a very common one. It brought to mind the concept of covering. This is a relatively new academic term to describe what we all do in the workplace when we cover part of ourselves. The idea is that there are essentially four domains that we bring to work: appearance, affiliation, association, and advocacy. All of us cover at least a part of who we are in those domains from time to time. The stats are crazy on this: 61 percent of people report covering at work. Full-on 45 percent of straight white men report covering, 83 percent of LGBTQ individuals, 79 percent of black people. So when youre talking about hiding who you are, trying to change your tone, how you approach your interactionsnot just with white women, Im sure with white men too, with Latinos you work with, with the Muslim people you work withIm sure in every one of those instances youre adjusting how you present yourself, and thats a very human thing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ismail: Wow. I feel really validated by that too, because sometimes I feel like Im the only one doing it. Its a performance that I have to put on. Like I need to be this particular kind of disarming, friendly, Mr. Rogerstype neighborhood Muslim so that people dont feel threatened by me. But it sometimes feels like Im just creating that scenario in my head in the first place. Do you have advice for people like us? Joseph: As the stats describe, everybody for the most part feels this way from time to time, so its a reality of life. When youre working, when youre a part of a larger group, any group of humans, there are rules. Whether its a church or a mosque or a community group or school, there are codes of conduct, there are cultural norms, and theyre set by the majority. And it just so happens that for most workplaces in America, white men have set the tone for what the culture is going to be. Advertisement Ismail: But is covering that bad? As men there is always some kind of performance going on, whether were performing for our friends or performing for our co-workers. I wonder about how that affects who we think we are. Is it so bad that were performing at the workplace? Advertisement Advertisement Smith: I will say: absolutely. Its a horrible thing, and the pretending begins even at an early stage. Pretending starts when you fall off your bike and your dad tells you, Dont cry. Thats pretending, because youre hurt and you want to show your emotions. Your job as a man of color is to play it off, player player. Thats still pretending. I think that this performance in life as well as in work has hugely detrimental impacts on our mental health and also the way that we engage with our families and our friends and even creating new friendships and relationships that are typically impossible for men because were trained to have this certain outward presentation. Advertisement Advertisement Joseph: Jason, I hear what youre saying, especially in the personal part of your life. But when it comes to work, the dominant culture sets the rules, and this is just the way humans work. If we want to change that, if we want to make it better for nonmajority people, then we have to get empowered and we have to change the rules ourselves. I commend you, first and foremost, for making it to where you are in your careerchief business officer is no easy feat anywhere, much less in an industry that is dominated by a demographic that youre not a part of. But you are now in a leadership role. You have the opportunity to influence other stakeholders in the organization. Whether it is your peers, other people with the chief designation, your direct reports, clients, potential recruits. With all of these things, youre setting a tone and youre being an example for other people in your organization. Thats the most powerful and important thing that we can do: help each other and help create more inclusive workplace environments, fair workplace environments, for everyone. So if you have that in mind, then youre doing good, man. To hear the entire episode, subscribe to Man Up on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Look for the episode A Black Mans Fears About Managing White Women. The much-anticipated installation of Solar panels at the Jubilee House has commenced. The 912 kilowatts solar panels are expected to power the seat of government by 60 percent. Energy Minister, John Peter Amewu who toured the facility on behalf of the President says the project will be completed by June 2020. We expect that it will be completed in six months. So depending on the speed with which the engineers are working, it should be done before July. I have that assurance to Ghanaians. The capacity I am told is 912 kilowatts. It will not be able to power the whole jubilee house so this will come in as a supplement. The government made the announcement about a year ago with an August 2019 timeline. This according to the government was to enable state agencies to follow suit in an all-time bid to minimize the high cost of utility bills incurred for state-owned institutions. President Akufo-Addo who made the announcement in Parliament said it was time for Ghana to adopt renewable forms of energy because of its inability to achieve universal utility access although the country generates electricity in excess capacity. Jubilee House will also be powered, as from August this year, by solar energy, as an example to other public institutions. In fact, the government's target is to install up to 200 megawatts of distributed solar power by 2030 in both residential and non-residential facilities in order to reduce Government's liabilities to ECG (PDS Ghana Ltd). Another justification for renewable energy is that, in spite of Ghana's excess electricity generation capacity, we can still not achieve our universal access target because there are many Ghanaian communities, especially those on islands and lakesides, that cannot be reached through the national grid. For example, there are currently two hundred (200) island and two thousand (2,000) lakeside communities that require mini-grids from renewable sources to meet their energy needs, he added. Solar Rooftop Programme Nana Addo also disclosed that the Energy Ministry has introduced Solar 'Rooftop Programme' for public institutions to implement as the country strives to achieve some of the major goals in the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) To reduce government's expenditure on utilities, and also promote the use of solar power for government and public buildings, the Ministry of Energy initiated the Solar Rooftop Programme. The Ministry is leading by example with the installation of a 65-kilowatt solar rooftop system at its premises. He added that renewable energy has also become a necessary addition to our energy sector because it has become cheaper, and is key to the implementation of our international obligations under SDG on access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy, as well as SDG on urgent action to combat climate change. Ghana utilizing only 0.6% of renewable energy Though Ghana is endowed with renewable energy resources, only 0.6 percent of the energy supply (excluding hydropower) is from renewable sources, a study has revealed. The frequency of the energy crisis in Ghana, as well as the magnitude and effects since 1984, coupled with the increasing demand for energy, has resulted in the search for alternative energy sources for electricity. Ghana's Ministry of Energy in 2009 predicted the demand for electricity would be growing at 10% per annum which requires approximately 200 MW additional power annually. Hydropower which Ghana is dependent on is susceptible to drought, high temperature and low rainfall; the study quoted government sources. For effective and efficient green electricity market to be developed in a country, the study noted, a wide range of policy instruments such as promoting voluntary green electricity schemes, establishing renewable energy fund, providing tax incentives, promoting green certification schemes and feed-in tariffs must be developed and implemented using participatory approaches. UN's GET Green energy technology (GET) also known as clean energy, renewable energy or sustainable energy technology is non-depleting energy generating sources. The United Nations General Assembly asserts GET is very key for the achievement of sustainable development affirmed by goal seven of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which requires that energy supply should be affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern. Green energy sources include solar, wind, biomass, hydrogen fuels, marine energy, and waste-to-energy fuels. Citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 22:51:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close JAKARTA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo, also known as Jokowi, inspected the facilities of the international airport in Yogyakarta's district of Kulon Progo on Friday. The new international airport in the province of Yogyakarta is expected to be fully completed in March this year, according to the country's State Secretariat. "This is a big work that would be completed in a very short time, more or less 20 months, with this big runway. It is very big," the president said. The new airport is expected to accommodate as many as 8.4 million passengers per year, said Jokowi. He expressed his satisfaction over the process of the airport construction, and said he would inspect it again when it's fully completed in March. The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day soon after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2019-20 in the House. Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu addressed a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament was briefly interrupted by the Opposition members when he began speaking about the amended Citizenship Act. Later, Sitharaman also tabled the Economic Survey 2019-20 in Rajya Sabha. The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Japan's Emperor Akihito waves to well-wishers during a public appearance for New Year celebrations at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, January 2, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap Japan's former emperor Akihito, who stepped down last year, has recovered after a brief loss of consciousness on Wednesday, a palace spokesman said. The popular Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne in April, following three decades as emperor, an event marking Japan's first abdication in roughly 200 years, and his son, Naruhito, became emperor. Akihito, 86, was examined by a neurologist and had a head MRI scan on Thursday morning. "But there were no abnormalities detected, especially nothing suggesting anything like a stroke," a spokesman of the Imperial Household Agency said, adding that Akihito's condition will continue to be monitored. Akihito had an episode of nausea and dizziness in July 2018 attributed to a condition caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain, but had not lost consciousness then, added the official of the agency managing the imperial family's affairs. Akihito, who now holds the formal title of emperor emeritus, had breakfast as normal on Thursday, Kyodo news agency said. He has had heart surgery and has been treated for prostate cancer. His 85-year-old wife, Empress Emerita Michiko, had surgery for early stage breast cancer in September and the palace said in December she had been unwell and lost weight since. Akihito, the first monarch under a post-war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without political power, said in 2016 that he feared his age would make it hard for him to carry out his duties. Concern over his health was a top trending topic on Japanese Twitter. "At his age, this kind of thing is worrisome," one user wrote on Thursday. "I guess all his hard work up to now is having an impact. Please make sure you take a good rest." (Reuters) Pathogens specialist Dr. Syra Madad on Friday praised China for the work its done to try and slow the rapid-spread of the new coronavirus. "I think China is doing a great job," said Madad, a professor and expert in public health and special pathogen preparedness and response. "Right now, the majority of cases are in mainland China and they're doing a number of different public health measures." "So it's too early to tell, but we're hopeful this outbreak can be contained at the global scale," she added in a "Squawk Box" interview. On Friday, Chinese officials increased their confirmed coronavirus cases to over 10,000, though many experts believe the number to be much larger. The death toll remained at 213. The virus was first discovered last month in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province. It's since spread to at least 18 countries. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the virus a global health emergency. That announcement came shortly after the U.S. confirmed its first human-to-human transmission the husband of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. There are six cases of coronavirus in the U.S. The Chinese government has put several preventative measures in place, including issuing travel bans, extending its Lunar New Year holiday and monitoring citizens for fever and coughs. A handful of U.S.-based companies, including Starbucks and McDonald's, have also closed certain locations in China until further notice. Countries around the world have also put measures in place. Several airlines, including British Airways, Air Seoul, Air France and American Airlines have suspended some or all flights to China. The U.S. State Department also warned against traveling to China. Madad, featured in the Netflix docuseries "Pandemic," said the deadly coronavirus is "very concerning," but there's still not much known yet. "We just need to take a step back and see what's actually happening," she added. "It's not too late to stop the spreading." WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also gave a nod to China's preventative efforts during a news conference at the organization's Geneva headquarters on Thursday. The decision does not mean there's a "vote of no confidence in China" to quell the outbreak, Tedros said. He also congratulated the Chinese government for its efforts to contain the outbreak despite the potential economic effects. The new coronavirus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the SARS epidemic in 2002-2003. That outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, which also originated in China, had 8,098 cases and 774 deaths. China, accused of withholding information in SARS epidemic, said its handling of the coronavirus will be different. Last week, the ruling Communist Party's central political and legal affairs commission warned, "Whoever deliberately delays and conceals reports will forever be nailed to history's pillar of shame." Boris Johnson tonight appeared to let slip that HS2 will get the green light - admitting that the government is 'in a hole' but will 'keep digging'. The PM seemed to confirm the go-ahead for the controversial 100billion project in an interview with a 10-year-old on Sky News. The signal came after months of bitter rowing over whether to continue with the scheme despite spiralling costs and the threat of a huge Tory rebellion. Mr Johnson met with Chancellor Sajid Javid and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to consider the situation earlier this week - with Mr Javid believed to have been convinced that the government must push ahead. However, no official announcement is expected until next week. Speaking to young Braydon Brent on children's new show FYI today, Mr Johnson explained that HS2 was a 'colossal' project. 'The truth is, the people who did it spent far too much money, they were profligate with the way they did it,' he said. 'And the whole way it was managed was hopeless. So were in a hole, were in a mess. But weve got to get out of it. And we need a way forward, so were thinking about how to sort it out now.' Asked whether it was a 'deep hole or small one', Mr Johnson replied: 'In a hole the size of HS2, the only thing to do is keep digging.' The PM seemed to confirm the go-ahead for the controversial 100billion project in an interview with 10-year-old Braydon Brent on Sky News Boris Johnson, pictured in Sunderland today, looks set to back continuing with HS2 Dominic Cummings, pictured arriving in Downing Street earlier this week, is opposed to HS2 and has previously labelled the project a 'disaster zone' An official government review suggested HS2 could end up costing 106 billion having been costed at 56 billion in 2015 Transport chiefs believe the government could decide to split the planned HS2 rail network into three separate projects in a bid to save money and win over opponents. Such a move would reduce the headline figure of the 106 billion infrastructure project and potentially make it more acceptable to its critics. If Mr Johnson does go ahead with HS2 it will put him at odds with maverick chief aide Dominic Cummings who previously described it as a 'disaster zone'. It is thought the PM's backing for the project would come with the caveat that it must make significant cost savings. Industry figures have been speculating that ministers will break HS2 up into three separate projects to make the cost more palatable. The first phase from London to Birmingham would still be known as HS2 but the route from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester would be rebranded as northern regeneration while HS2-related works at Euston station would also be split off as a separate initiative. Many in the government believe HS2 must go ahead in order to deliver on the PM's promise to 'level up' the UK and spread prosperity away from London. In 2015 it was costed at 56 billion but a leaked review commissioned by the government examining the viability and value for money of the project recently revealed it could end up costing as much as 106 billion. Mr Johnson told the Commons earlier this week that a decision on the project would be made 'very shortly'. He said: 'I just want to reassure all of my honourable friends and everybody, whatever persuasion they may be about HS2 across this Chamber, that there will be an announcement and a decision very shortly.' Approximately 8billion has already been spent on HS2 but there is growing disquiet among some Tory MPs who are adamant it is a waste of money. The HS2 route would initially link London and Birmingham with the second phase of the project then heading north to Manchester and Leeds HS2 would allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 250mph. That would mean much faster journeys between key UK cities. The graphic shows times for HS2 passengers (in red) verses the current times (in blue) They have urged the government to scrap the project and spend the cash on smaller infrastructure improvements instead, like better bus services and pothole repairs. Whitehall's spending watchdog said this month that HS2 is over budget and behind schedule because its complexity and risks were under-estimated. The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that it is impossible to 'estimate with certainty what the final cost could be'. Phase One between London and Birmingham was due to open in 2026, but full services are now forecast to start between 2031 and 2036. Business chiefs in the north of England have argued that pushing forward with HS2 is key to boosting transport links across the region and providing increased capacity on the overcrowded rail network. by Ray Schultz , January 30, 2020 Synagogue members are being targeted by an email scam that asks recipients for donations of online gift cards. Fraudulent emails are sent to congregants, using email addresses that resemble a rabbis email address, according to the Jewish News of Northern California. The scam has been attempted on members of Pittsburghs Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people died in a mass shooting in 2018, the report says. And it has spread to the Bay Area. Somebody is impersonating the rabbi and preying on peoples sincerity and good faith, says Gordon Gladstone, executive director of San Franciscos Congregation Sherith Israel, it adds. It is not clear how the bad actors are gaining access to the email addresses of synagogue members. But they are also sending emails to non-members. It's all part of a growing type of fraud that also targets churches, mosques and other religious institutions. advertisement advertisement The bogus emails often include the name of the local pastor and a legitimate looking email address. But a closer look should raise some red flags, the Federal Trade Commission warned last year. These would include the act that the email address and the service provider are different from the ones used by the church or synagogue, the FTC added. Typically, the imposter will ask the intended victim to buy a gift card often iTunes, Google Play or Amazon, including the PIN number to facilitate easy access to the cash loaded on the card. Once thats done, "the scammer and your money are gone, usually without a trace," the FTC says. Affected Bay Area synagogues include: Congregation Beth Shalom in Napa; Congregation Shaar Zahav in San Francisco; Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill; Congregation Beth Jacob in Oakland; and Congregation Beth Israel and Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, the Jewish News of Northern California reports. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 17:16:20|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close TEHRAN, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The recent U.S. sanctions on the chief of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) would not affect the progress of the country's nuclear program, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said Friday. "It is not for the first time that he (AEOI chief Ali Akbar Salehi) is targeted by the illegal and unilateral (U.S.) sanctions," Mousavi said. "Sanctions on him is out of desperation," he added. On Tuesday, U.S. Treasury announced that it had slapped sanctions on the AEOI and its head Salehi amid tension with Iran. The spokesman for AEOI later dismissed the U.S. sanctions as "desperate" attempt and "worthless." The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Haryanas Manesar near Delhi to screen hundreds of people who will be back from Wuhan, the epicentre of an outbreak of a coronavirus that has killed more than 200 and infected thousands in China, news agency ANI reported on Friday, A joint team of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority (APHO) will screen the students, according to Asian News International. They will be first screened at the airport followed by quarantine at the facility in Manesar and if anyone is suspected to be infected, they will be shifted to an isolation ward at the armys Base Hospital in Delhi Cantonment. The agency said they can be monitored for a duration of weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members. The WHO early on Friday declared the ongoing outbreak that originated in China but has spread to at least 17 countries as an international public health emergency (PHEIC). The Geneva-based agencys declaration came after the death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak jumped to 213 across China with at least 42 new deaths reported from Hubei province where Wuhan is. The number of infections in the country has crossed the 9000-mark with more 1200 new infections reported from Hubei. There are 5806 cases of the epidemic in Hubei alone, provincial health officials said on Friday morning in the first update on the spreading virus. China will send charter flights to bring home residents of coronavirus-hit Hubei province, especially capital Wuhan, from abroad, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a brief statement said citizens from Hubei province will be brought back in view of "practical difficulties" they were facing abroad. The move followed Chinese officials' announcement that about five million people from Hubei province and capital Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus, have travelled out of the region before the province was officially closed on January 23. These people are reported to have travelled within China and abroad to avail the weeklong holidays of the Chinese New Year and the ongoing Spring Festival. The new type of virus originated in Wuhan and has since spread to more than a dozen nations. The Hubei province with about 50 million people has been isolated and all public transport has been stopped. The people there are not allowed to travel out. Chinese officials believe that the best way to control the virus is to trace the people from the province as most the casualties so far from China and abroad either hailed or travelled there. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported. Many countries, including India, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China, a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh, known for courting controversies with his comments, made yet another outrageous one on Thursday by saying that a lone woman protestor at a pro-CAA rally in the city who was heckled by the party's cadres should "thank her stars that nothing else was done to her". His comments drew widespread criticism from opposition parties. The pro-CAA rally from Patuli to Bagha Jatin area in southern fringes of the city was led by Ghosh himself. During the rally a lone woman protester was seen carrying an anti-CAA poster and decrying the shooting outside Jamia Millia Islamia University during the day. BJP supporters snatched the poster from the woman and verbally abused her. They also heckled her. She was rescued by the police posted in the area. Later while speaking to newsmen, Ghosh justified the heckling of the woman saying "Our men did the right thing. She should thank her stars that she was only heckled and nothing else was done to her". "Why do they (protestors against the CAA) always come to our rallies to protest? They can go to other events. We have tolerated a lot but now we won't tolerate such nuisance," he added. Undaunted by the Ghosh's comment, the woman protester who is in her mid-twenties, said she will continue to protest against the "fascist BJP". Senior CPI(M) leader Shamik Lahiri condemned Ghosh's statement and asked him to refrain from making such comments. "His comments reflect both his and his party's sadistic and perverted mindset," Lahiri said. Senior Congress leader Manoj Chakraborty said Ghosh should "publicly apologise" for his statements. Ghosh had stirred up a storm earlier this month by saying "anti-CAA protesters who destroyed public property were shot like dogs in BJP-ruled states". D ozens of British nationals may still be stranded in China's coronavirus zone after a rescue plane left with considerably fewer passengers than anticipated. The UK Foreign Office confirmed the charted flight from Wuhan, where the deadly illness is thought to have originated, was carrying 83 Britons when it took off on Thursday night. But the government was expecting 150 passengers to board the flight out of the Chinese city after a global health emergency was declared over the outbreak. Those who boarded the aircraft have told how the plane was very empty and raised fears many people may not have made the flight and would now remain stuck. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP Chris Hill, 38, chose not to board the flight back to the UK after the Foreign Office could not say if four-year-old Renee would be allowed on board because she is a Chinese national. He said: "When [the Foreign Office] called me they said they would not be able to say if my family could go with me or not. "I said 'Oh OK so you cannot confirm in any way that they could travel with me', and they said 'We're trying our best but we can't guarantee anything,' so I said 'No, I'm not going'. "The whole point of saying you can go to the airport and try is like going well, it may happen, it may not. So it means if you take your family to the airport, and then they turn around and say no, what would happen? Passengers wear protective masks as they walk he their luggagein the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport / Getty Images Nick House said he was only given three hours' notice that the flight was leaving, with British officials warning that the Chinese government potentially wouldn't allow his wife, who is from Indonesia, on board. They gave up their seats on the plane in the hope that others would be able to take the flight, Mr House told Sky News. "We have no transport. There was no way for us to get to the airport. So we're still here, he said. "We're resigned to being here for a while now. We are hopeful that the government can arrange other flights or put us on a flight to a different country. "We're just trying to make the best out of a pretty terrible situation to be honest." Speaking from the plane, Joe Armitt told the broadcaster the plane is very empty" and said many were unable to get the flight because they were not given enough notice to get to the airport. Coronavirus outbreak: World Health Organisation declares global emergency The flight is expected to arrive at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire around 1pm UK time, the Foreign Office said in a statement. The evacuation came after the UK's four chief medical officers raised the risk level of the illness from low to moderate and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international public health emergency. Chinese health officials said on Friday morning the death toll in the country from the virus had risen to 213, up from 170 a day earlier, with the number of known cases rising from 7,711 to 9,692. No deaths have occurred outside China, although 82 cases have been confirmed across 18 countries. The WHO's announcement led Virgin Atlantic to suspend its flights between the UK and China for two weeks starting on Saturday. British Airways on Thursday extended its suspension of China flights until Monday. The British passengers on the evacuation flight - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - will be taken to an NHS facility on the Wirral for a quarantine period of 14 days. It is understood they will be taken to a former student accommodation block in the grounds of Arrowe Park Hospital, where passengers will have access to the internet in order to contact relatives. After the British passengers disembark, the flight will continue to Spain, where EU countries will process the non-British evacuees. "It's welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. "We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities." After British Airways extended its China flights suspension until Monday, Virgin Atlantic released a statement late on Thursday night saying its China services would cease for a fortnight after the arrival of its flight from Shanghai on Saturday. "This decision has been made with the safety of customers and staff at the front of our minds," the airline said. The new virus has now infected more people in China than fell ill during the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. As of Thursday, 161 people have tested negative for the virus in the UK and 124 people have recovered and have since been discharged from hospital in China. In a letter following WHO's announcement, the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland said: "In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK chief medical officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak." They added that it is "likely" there will be individual cases in the UK, but that they are "confident in the ability of the NHS and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high-quality care". Officials had been working to secure a flight out of Wuhan for British nationals after one planned for Thursday failed to get clearance from Chinese authorities. The United States identified its first confirmed case of person-to-person transmission of the China coronavirus on Thursday, but health officials stressed that the immediate risk to Americans from the outbreak remained low. Also on Thursday, officials in France announced the country's sixth confirmed case of the disease, which also known as the "novel coronavirus". The two announcements came just ahead of a news conference by the World Health Organisation (WHO) following a meeting of its emergency committee that declared the outbreak of the China coronavirus to be a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). A week ago, the WHO committee met but declined to make that declaration. On Thursday, though, it reversed that position, citing the potential of the virus to spread to countries not prepared to deal with the contagion. Concerning the person-to-person transmission case in America, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the US' latest case involved the husband of a woman in Chicago, Illinois, who was found to have the illness on January 21, following a trip to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. In the press conference, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been a total of eight cases of human-to-human transmission outside of China, with instances recorded in Japan, the US, Vietnam and Germany. Outside of China, a total of 98 people across 18 countries have been infected by the coronavirus. The CDC and Illinois state health officials announced the US case on Thursday. "Given what we've seen in China and other countries with the novel coronavirus, CDC experts have expected some person-to-person spread in the US," CDC director Robert Redfield said in a statement. Moreover, the CDC statement said, "it is likely there will be more cases of 2019-nCoV reported in the US in the coming days and weeks, including more person-to-person spread". Story continues There are now six confirmed coronavirus cases in the US; the new case was among a small number of infections around the world that involve person-to-person transmission. The other five cases in the US have been travellers who developed the illness after returning to the US from China. The latest patient had not been in China. The WHO, an agency of the United Nations, had refrained from declaring the outbreak a global health emergency partly because of the lack of person-to-person transmissions outside China. There have been more than 8,000 confirmed cases, and 171 deaths attributed to the virus; the bulk of the cases and all of the deaths have occurred in mainland China. Health experts have said they expected additional cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the United States was likely. Gary Whittaker, a virology expert at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, said that the person-to-person spread of the illness in the US "was to be expected based on what is happening elsewhere in the world". "Things are still evolving quite rapidly, but the risk to the general population remains low, and there is no reason to panic," he said. Health officials think that the coronavirus spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads. The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. It is a member of the coronavirus family that is a close cousin to the Sars and Mers viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there first began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan, a central Chinese city of 11 million. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did the 2002-03 Sars and 2012 Mers viral outbreaks. Additional reporting by Associated Press Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Niamey, Niger (PANA) - The UK Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting UNICEF's nutrition programme in Niger with an additional contribution of US$6 The prosecution will from tomorrow begin to call its first witness in the trial of the embattled National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, and a Deputy Communications Director of the party, Anthony Kwaku Boahen. The two are standing trial over a leaked tape that captured how the opposition NDC was allegedly planning to commit crimes in the country and turn round to blame them on the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Among the strategies were the creation of a general state of insecurity in the country through kidnappings and arson, and verbal attacks on public officials like the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Prof. Emmanuel Asante, and the Electoral Commission (EC) boss, Jean Mensa. When the case was called yesterday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) told the court that they were going to have a conference with the witness who had travelled for medical examination and asked for an adjournment to Tuesday (today) to allow their witness to be present in court. Tony Lithur, who represents Ofosu-Ampofo, agreed to the date suggested by the DPP, but Dr. Aziz Bamba, counsel for Kwaku Boahen, raised concerns about the turn of events. He said if the states first witness was not available they could prepare the second one to testify, adding that the matter commenced in April last year. He suggested that the matter be struck out and when the state is ready they could come back to re-start the trial. He added that the prosecution was wasting the time of the accused persons. The DPP, however, objected, saying the delay could not be blamed on the prosecution as it was the accused persons who were filing multiple applications from the beginning of the case just to delay the process. She added that the case had been adjourned many times which were not at the instance of the prosecution. Main Case Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo has been charged with one count of conspiracy to cause harm and two counts of assault against a public officer, while Kwaku Boahen is facing one count of conspiracy to cause harm. They have both been granted bail of GH100,000, with one surety each. The NDC chairman, according to the prosecution, was captured on tape allegedly planning to commit crimes in the country and turn round to blame the ruling NPP. According to the A-Gs Department, the NDC gurus also incited party members to mount a relentless war on the Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa, and Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante. Messrs Ofosu-Ampofo and Kwaku Boahen are facing three charges before an Accra High Court over an alleged leaked audio. The prosecution has said the leaked audio recording gives details on the strategies the NDC allegedly intends to use for the 2020 general election, one being the kidnappings of family members of political opponents. BY Gibril Abdul Razak Tags: Ofosu-Ampofo Trial Begins Tomorrow, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Syrian Army has started an attack against Rashiddeen sector 4, which could leave remaining jihadi areas vulnerable reports Al-Masdar. The Syrian Army has begun storming the strategic Rashiddeen sector 4 in the southwestern outskirts of Aleppo. Led by the 4th Armored Division, the Syrian Arab Army reportedly attacked the jihadist defenses in the Rashiddeen sector 4 from their positions at the recently captured Rashiddeen sector 5. According to a military source in Aleppo city, the Syrian Arab Army is engaged in a fierce battle with the jihadist rebels of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, but no advances have been made. If the Syrian Army can take hold of the Rashiddeen sector 4, they will be in prime position to capture the remaining jihadist-held areas in the southwestern outskirts of the provincial capital. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Here's your chance to beam out to avoid spoilers for episode 2 of "Star Trek: Picard." Last week's premiere episode of "Star Trek: Picard" might not have been amazing, but it did leave us wanting more and that's half the battle right there. However, we're pleased to say that episode 2, entitled "Maps and Legends," is already a marked improvement on the first installment of the new "Star Trek" series. We open over the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars, in the year 2385, 14 years ago and it's clear we're going to get a glimpse of history. It looks gorgeous and we learn it's First Contact Day (April 5) and everyone has the got day off apart from this particular crew of engineers. Among their team is a synthetic and they try unsuccessfully to share a joke with it. Given they've clearly all worked with the synthetic for a while, some of the conversation is evidently for our benefit, but thankfully the exposition is kept to a minimum. Related: What 'Star Trek' to watch before 'Star Trek: Picard': One epic guide Jean-Luc Picard travels out to a favorite "Star Trek" location to visit an old friend in episode two of "Star Trek: Picard." (Image credit: CBS) During their lunch break something triggers the synthetic and it starts furiously tapping away on the computer terminal. When the crew realizes something is wrong, the synthetic breaks out an industrial-style beam weapon and murders them, while screens on the wall show the colony being bombed both from orbiting satellites and from attack ships. Then, strangely, the synthetic turns the beam weapon on himself. This is clearly symbolic of something, although exactly what remains to be seen. Roll opening credits. Back at the Picard vineyard (now positively identified as the Sunstone Villa & Winery , in Santa Ynez Valley, north of Santa Barbara) Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Laris (Orla Brady) and Zhaban (Jamie McShane) look over security camera footage of the incident where Picard and Dahj (Isa Briones) were attacked. Laris looks at Zhaban and says its too audacious for the Tal Shiarand must be the work of the Zhat Vash. The Tal Shiar is the intelligence agency of the Romulan Empire. Its purpose was guarding the security of the Empire, from threats both interstellar including the United Federation of Planets the Klingon Empire and domestic, like traitors within the Romulan population itself. It was first mentioned in "The Next Generation" episode "Face of the Enemy" (S06, E14). Related: Patrick Stewart invites Whoopi Goldberg to join 'Star Trek: Picard'! Jean-Luc's Irish-Romulan carer Laris is fast becoming one of our favorite characters in the show. (Image credit: CBS) The Zhat Vash is something new. This is the rumored deep state version of something similar actually hidden within the Tal Shiar. The Secret Police of the Secret Police. This is the first time in "Star Trek'' that this has been mentioned and it sounds similar in name to the V'draysh, which if you remember, was the name of the organization that Craft (Aldis Hodge) came from in the brilliant "Short Trek" episode " Calypso ." The events of this episode take place in the 33rd century and writer Michael Chabon, confirmed that "V'draysh" is a syncope of "Federation," but is it also the result of a combination of words? Picard and Laris beam into Dahjs former apartment snoop around for clues. Apparently, Romulan methods of molecular reconstruction are outlawed in the Federation, but Laris has a device and tells a tale about one of her early missions, indicating she is a former Tal Shiar agent. She tells a story about how she had heard that at the very heart of the Zhat Vash was a deep, unassuageable loathing of androids and any form of synthetic life. Related: 'Star Trek: Picard': Jeri Ryan, Jonathan Del Arco dish on the Borg We see a hologramatic reconstruction of Dahjs last moments with her boyfriend, who's been positively identified as a Xahean , the same race as Queen Po from the "Short Trek" episode " Runaway " and the "Discovery" Season 2 finale " Such Sweet Sorrow " (S02, E14). And then we get the second f-bomb ever in "Star Trek" history, but unlike Ensign Tillys totally unnecessary outburst in the "Discovery" episode "Choose Your Pain" (S01, E05) which incidentally got the Canadian broadcasters into trouble this at least is more suitable. Laris is continuing to explain the history and motives of the Zhat Vash to Picard and scan Dahj's apartment when, with her charming Irish lilt, she gasps, "Cheeky f***ers, they've overwritten the particle residuum." The question of Jean-Luc's health that was first raised in "All Good Things" is finally answered. (Image credit: CBS) In essence, the Romulans have done a pretty good job of removing any traces of evidence. This whole scene and in particular how it cuts to and from the interior of Picards chateau to the interior of Dahj's apartment is effective and well edited. Moreover, unlike the first episode, the background incidental music is kept to a minimum during important scenes, thus ensuring the dramatic effect is not drowned out. The profanity is something we'll return to in just a moment, for reasons that will soon become clear. Laris believes that she may yet be able to find a clue and they scroll through Dahj's personal communication logs to see if there's any record of Dahj speaking to her twin sister Soji (also played by Isa Briones). Again, this scene is one of the better examples of the use of technobabble; it shows an effort by the writers to create an explanation that satisfies both the technical requirements to keep the story moving and the constraints of believability. For the most part anyway. Related: 15 of the most bizarre alien species in 'Star Trek' With the limited amount of information available, Laris is able deduce that the calls made to Soji were to an off-world location. And we cut to the Borg cube. A long tracking shot follows providing us with a little more insight into the goings on inside the Romulan reclamation site, together with a conversation Narek (Harry Treadaway) and Soji are having about the mighty and omnipotent nature of the cube, as a voiceover. It seems the two have hooked up and this profound, philosophical conversation is pillow talk. A bedside alarm goes off and the two get dressed but its decided that their relationship must be kept secret. Related: Why does Star Trek endure? Marina Sirtis & Brent Spiner explain Iconian Gateway-style instantaneous transporters are all the rage in the 24th century; clearly no one takes buses anymore. (Image credit: CBS) And then we get to one of our favorite scenes so far. We return to chateau Picard, its evening and Jean-Luc is relaxing outside when an old crewmate from the USS Stargazer Dr. Moritz Benayoun (played by the brilliant David Paymer) enters. One of the story elements of "The Next Generation" epic series finale, "All Good Things" parts 1 & 2 (S07, E25) was that Picard had developed a degenerative neurological disorder called Irumodic syndrome . It was widely discussed as to whether this would be referenced in the new show and now we know, yes. The purpose of the scene is so that Dr. Benayoun will certify Picard for interstellar travel and Irumodic syndrome isnt mentioned specifically, its "just that one little abnormality in the parietal lobe." However, it's one of the best scenes so far, Paymer breathes so much life into his character as he does with almost every character he plays; we very much hope this isn't the last time we get to see him. Related: The 10 best 'Star Trek' episodes ever We return to San Francisco and we see what appear to be Iconian Gateway -style instantaneous transporters. Picard has an appointment with the Starfleet CNC (commander in chief) Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy (Anne Magnuson) and the nice touches include the holograms of the USS Enterprise 1701 (Constitution Class) and 1701-D (Galaxy Class) starships in the main reception atrium. Then theres the amusing "May I have your name sir?" scene that we saw in the trailers. From the moment the meeting begins with Fleet Admiral Clancy, shes on the offensive. Picard explains that he believes Dr. Maddox is using neurons from the late Cmdr. Data to create a new synthetic. "And the Romulans are involved," he says. If looks could kill Jean-Luc arrives for his appointment with the Starfleet Commander in Chief. (Image credit: CBS) Picard goes on to explain that if there's a chance that some part of him still exists, then they have an obligation to investigate further. He requests that she reinstate him, temporarily, for one mission and if rank is an issue, hed be content with a short reduction to captain. "Sheer f***ing hubris," she says, almost spitting with contempt. "You think you can just waltz back in here and be entrusted with taking men and women into space?! Dont you think I was watching the holo the other day..?!" And here we have our second f-bomb in one episode. So, it becomes clear that this is the direction "Picard" is going towards a more adult "Trek" and we have no problem with this whatsoever. In fact, we encourage it. But i t's a path that must be followed all the way to the end, if quality and continuity are to be maintained. Any temptation to default back to a safe zone must be resisted otherwise the very nature of this show will become a convoluted mess. Related: 7 lessons 'Star Trek' taught us about life, leadership and diversity Jean-Luc Picard travels out to a favorite "Star Trek" location to visit an old friend. (Image credit: CBS) We learn a little more of the socio-political status of the Federation 20 years ago. According to Clancy, even before the synthetics attacked Mars, 14 species within the Federation threatened to pull out if ties to the Romulans werent cut. Its an interesting situation and its written well, with solid performances from both Stewart and Magnuson. Ultimately however, the two clash and his request is denied. Back on the Borg cube Soji is readying herself to start her shift and we see more of the reclamation site facility, which according to a sign, has gone 5843 days without an assimilation, (thats almost exactly 16 years). There's a lot of Romulan security and a nicely written conversation between Dr. Naashala (Chelsea Harris), Narek and Soji that explains why the Borg collective wont try to reestablish a connection with this cube, suggesting the Borg are far from defeated. We return to chateau Picard and Dr. Jurati (Alison Pill) has paid a visit to update us on the plot. If Maddox is using Data's neurons to make synthetics it would make sense to model them after the painting Data made, she explains. Picard agrees although we're not sure if we do. It also seems that the entire identity of Dahj Asher was created about three years ago. 5,843 days without an assimilation. Soji begins her shift on the Romulan Borg cube reclamation site. (Image credit: CBS) We cut back to the Borg cube and Soji looks to be continuing the dissection/autopsy of a Borg drone in a laboratory along with many others. The subject is patient 8923/3, one of the "nameless." This is a really nice touch since the Borg more than likely assimilated from a number of species across the galaxy that might not be known. A Romulan scientist removes the ocular processing core and as she steps away from the table, Soji walks over to the corpse, looks down and says softly in an alien language, "You are free now, my friend," suggesting that she knows the identity of the alien race. We cut back to La Barre and a roaring fireplace. Much of this episode has alternated between the Picard chateau and a varying location, with the vineyard providing a solid anchor as other elements of the story have been explored. Picard pulls out an old "Next Generation" communicator badge and begs the person on the other end not to hang up as he asks for help. The "Star Trek" theme plays in the background and it will almost certainly get a lump in your throat as it feels like the adventure is beginning, for real. Back to Starfleet HQ in San Francisco and Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita) is talking to Fleet Admiral Clancy about Picards recent visit. Ohs Vulcan ears perk up when she hears the name Maddox and once again when the Clancy mentions Romulans. She summons someone named Lt. Rizzo and we return once again to the chateau Picard. Jean-Luc is having the inevitable confrontation with Laris and Zhaban over his harebrained idea to get a ship and find Maddox. Laris is fast becoming one of our favorite characters. Related: 6 'Star Trek' captains, ranked from worst to best Soji seems to be able to identify an alien species that no one else can and even speaks its language. (Image credit: CBS) We return to Commodore Oh in her office, which looks like a tech start-up is based there and Lt. Rizzo (Peyton List) enters. Theres some confusing dialogue here thats awkward and clumsy and lets down the rest of the episode. Rizzo is to all intents and purposes summoned by Oh and ordered to continue doing what shes doing. The entire purpose of this scene is to tell us that Rizzo carried out the attack on Dahj on the orders of Oh and that they know about Soji and have "put their best man on it." So, 007 then..? There's also way too much lens flare in this scene. And then we cut to Santa Clarita, California and without a doubt the most recognizable natural geological rock formation in contemporary pop culture, Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. They rose to superstardom after "The Original Series" episode "Arena" (S01, E19), but they've appeared in every "Star Trek" series with the exception of "Deep Space Nine" and "Discovery" plus "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey," "Amazon Women on the Moon," "Westworld" and countless others. Picard lands in a taxi, which looks a lot like a "Discovery"-era Class C shuttlecraft and theres already been a lot of discussion on this since it was seen in the trailer. That would make it over 140 years old and while theres a whole host of possible reasons, it seems unlikely the VFX team would overlook this detail. The reasoning will emerge soon, no doubt. A hippy-like character, Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) steps out of her 24th century equivalent of an Airstream caravan brandishing a rifle and tells Picard to get lost. He turns to walk away and she notices he's carrying a bottle of wine. Beware Starfleet Admirals bearing gifts. Picard brings whats evidently a vintage from the Picard vineyard. (Image credit: CBS) "Is that the '86..?" She asks. He turns around slowly, grinning and immediately we love the chemistry between these two. To end the episode we get one last plot reveal as a hologram of Rizzo appears in Nareks quarters and he kindly informs us of her disguise including the fake ears. So, Rizzo is a Rommie and not only that, hes her brother! In that case, its highly likely Oh is too and not Vulcan (or possibly a conspiring Vulcan). Rizzo prattles on about how his method [of pumping Soji for information] hasnt yielded the location of "the nest" and the "other abominations" yet and threatens to come to the reclamation site and take over. And here endeth the second episode. This installment really feels like the second act of a movie that might conclude with next week's episode; it was nicely paced and the discovery of these new events and information for the most part felt like a natural progression of the story. Comedy is used sparingly so that when it is used, its effect is positive. Somehow the scenes with Patrick Stewart felt more authentic in this episode and not forced, as many did last week. Providing "Picard" now stays on the adult "Trek" path that it started down with this episode, then we could really be in for a treat. Section 31 Dr. Moritz Benayoun could be such a great character to explore further The glare Picard gives the Starfleet receptionist is priceless Good to see Vazquez Rocks making a cameo; it should get its own cast credit La Forge is mentioned by Zhaban, so clearly he wasnt on Mars during the attacks. We want a spin-off series of young Laris when she was in the Romulan Tal Shiar. Section 8 Engineers talking about synthetics like they haven't worked with them for years. Everyone seemed to view Picard's reaction in the interview last week as negative. Again Lore wasn't discussed, despite being pertinent, now feels like a plot twist set-up. So far, the sole purpose of Dr. Agnes Jurati is just to provide exposition. The scene with Commodore Oh and Lt. Rizzo is confusing, clumsy and nonsensical. Rating: 8/10 The 10-episode "Star Trek: Picard" series will air on the paid subscription streaming service CBS All Access in the U.S., and in Canada on Bell Media's Space and OTT service Crave. New episodes will air each week, with episode three arriving on Thursday, Feb. 6. CBS and Amazon Studios have announced that the new show will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries worldwide within 24 hours of its premiere on CBS All Access and Space in the US and Canada, respectively. CBS All Access subscription is the home of "Star Trek: Picard," "Star Trek: Discovery" and a host of other original and archival CBS television shows. Subscriptions start at $5.99 a month. You can try CBS All Access for a week free here . Follow Scott Snowden on Twitter. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. The feast to celebrate Robert Burns has been an annual ritual for over 200 years. The ritual was started by close friends of Burns a few years after his death in 1796 as a tribute to his memory. The friends who gathered read a selection of his works and talked about the impact that Burns and his writing had on their lives. Since then Burns Night Suppers have traditionally been held on 25 January all over the world The Fethiye event is now officially recognised by the Robert Burns World Federation, a literary society based in Ayrshire, Scotland. The organisation was founded in 1885 to educate the public about the life, poetry and works of the poet Robert Burns. This years Burns Night celebration, organised by Sine and Colin Rous, Mustafa Skman and members of Fethiye Rotary Club, was held at the Glamour venue in Hisaronu where around 100 people gathered to celebrate the 261st anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns. Amongst the guest were local Scots, many dressed in traditional kilts and tartan, together with guests from around the world. The evening was also attended by Yavuz Topates (who works with the Fethiye Mayor in a consular role), his wife and Alasdair Hutton O.B.E who has been a journalist and broadcaster, Member of the European Parliament, and Councillor on Scottish Borders Council where he was Convener for nine years. He served in the Parachute Regiment TA and is a Member of the Royal Company of Archers. Music was provided by Brian Forrest and Robin Waitt (The Fit Tappers Ceilidh Band), who travelled from Scotland to perform, and piper James Gray, now resident in Fethiye. Piper James Gray is now resident in Fethiye. Piping the haggis The opening speeches and Selkirk Grace were followed by Piping in the haggis and Address to a Haggis by Ewen Rae after which the audience joined in the toast to the haggis Selkirk Grace by the Pastor of FHK, David Teylor Piping in the haggis Ready to toast the haggis The haggis was then returned to the kitchen for serving with traditional neeps and tatties (mashed turnips and potatoes). Afterwards there were formal toasts to the Immortal Memory by Alasdair Hutton OBE, Toast to the Lassies by Caner Yldrm and reply by Fidan Ay. Toasts to the Immortal Memory by Alasdair Hutton OBE Certificates of appreciation were presented to those who had contributed to the success of the evening and a traditional Turkish kilim was presented to Mr Hutton by the President of the Rotary Club, Asl Faralyal. Sine and Colin receiving their certificate from Yavuz Topates a traditional Turkish kilim was presented to Mr Hutton by the Rotary Club Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group followed by The Sultans of the High Lands and a selection of stirring pipe tunes from James Gray. Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group Scottish dancing was led by Fethiye Scottish Dance Group The evening also included a raffle and auction, the proceeds of which will go to the victims of the recent earthquake Elazg. Funding towards flight costs and provision of their world famous Teacakes were provided by Lord Tunnock and Tunnocks of Scotland, sponsors of this years event. Excerpt from the speech by Alasdair Hutton I think we also owe a great debt of thanks to Tunnocks for their financial help and for the teacakes which are famous throughout Scotland and far beyond and which we have been privileged to enjoy tonight in your dessert. If I may borrow from the Bard. Fair fa yer honest sonsie face, / Great chieftain of the teacake race! / Abune them a ye tak yer place, / A rare Scots treat, / Weel are ye wordy o a grace / Thats honey sweet. The tea plate there you more than fill. / Marshmallow like a little hill. / Plus chocolate, you can bet it will. / Taste truly grand. / So thank you Tunnocks for the thrill./ A treat from old Scotland. A message from Alasdair Hutton O.B.E Robert Burns did not visit Turkey but he was a man of broad international vision and of humanity. He would have been heartened by the international gathering to celebrate his birthday in Fethiye in 2020. He would have noted that it would have perfectly embodied his vision that man to man, the world oer, shall brothers be for a that. The Fethiye gathering was a relaxed and relatively informal celebration of Burns life and the international appeal of his verses all these years after his death. The town and the Rotary Club can be proud that they have put both on the map of the international celebrations of Robert Burns life. A word from Sine and Colin Organising any event can be stressful and this Burns Night was no exception, however we have been humbled by the support from so many different sources. Glamour owner Selamattin Ylmaz and his team excelled in every area and met every challenge with a smile. The quality of the food and service ensured lots of happy guests. The bringing together of the two cultures was enhanced by the generosity of so many people and in particular, Lord Tunnock and Tunnocks of Scotland. It was their contribution that enabled us to provide the Scottish presence in the form of Mr Alasdair Hutton OBE and the Fit Tappers Ceilidh Band. The whole evening convinced us of the great bonding that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk first realised between the Turkish and Scottish nations and we hope that this continues. A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported us and came along and enjoyed a fantastic evening. Particular thanks go to Norman Clark for stepping in at the last moment to ensure we had a wonderful pictorial memory of the event. Thank you to Norman Clark for the photographs. January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - When the two old political fraudsters emerged at the White House this week with the most deranged, farcical tragi-comedy in Middle East history, it was difficult to know whether to laugh or cry. The 80-page peace plan from the White House contained 56 references to Vision in its first 60 pages and yes, with a capital V on each occasion to suggest, I guess, that this deal of the century was a supernatural revelation. It was not, though it might have been written by a super-Israeli. It said goodbye to Palestinian refugees the famous/infamous right of return and all who now rot in the camps of the Middle East; farewell to the old city of Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital; adieu to UNRWA, the UN relief agency. But it welcomed a permanent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the total annexation of almost every Jewish colony built there against all international law. Its a given, of course and has been for days that this nonsense might just cast some magic dust over the travails of the leaders of America and Israel. As the two rogues, Donald Trump under impeachment and Benjamin Netanyahu charged with corruption, grinned to the applause of their supporters in Washington, it became clear at once that this mendacious document containing absurdity, burlesque and dreary banality in about equal measure destroyed forever any hope of an independent Palestinian state of any kind. Thats not what it said, but you only had to glance at the verbiage where Israels occupation, the longest in modern history, was described as a security footprint and where the Oslo accord was trashed as an agreement which produced waves of terror and violence. Truly, all must read these 80 pages. And every reader should go through them twice, in case, first time round, they missed some extra egregious indignity inflicted upon the Palestinians. The document wasnt just a gift to Israel. It embodied every Israeli demand ever made to Washington (plus a few more) and effectively destroyed every effort made by the United Nations Security Council; every UN resolution on Israeli withdrawal; every effort of the EU and the Quartet on the Middle East to produce a just and fair resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli war. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter In short, Israel will under this wretched deal, doomed though it was within seconds get all of Jerusalem forever, most of the West Bank, own almost every Jewish colony in occupied land and dominate a disarmed, truncated, neutered Palestinian people who must promise to call Israel the nation state of the Jewish people (albeit almost 21 per cent of its people are Arabs), censor its own schoolbooks, arrest and interrogate anyone daring to oppose the Israeli occupier, and who will have a cluster of villages outside Jerusalems walls to call a capital. True, this is a unique and historic document that the Trump menagerie (especially son-in-law Jared Kushner) has produced, since its belief that the Palestinians would dream of accepting such a deranged, farcical set of political demands is without precedent in the western world. But when should we journalists take all the stops out, I asked myself when Id finished reading the 56 Visions there are others, by the way, in lower case, and several missions and the list of prohibitions imposed upon the Palestinians? These included, we should note, the instruction that the State of Palestine may not join any international organisation if such membership would contradict commitments of the State of Palestine to demilitarisation and cessation of political and judicial warfare against the State of Israel. So goodbye as well to the protection of the International Criminal Court. Some of my colleagues lapsed into apoplexy, like Marwan Bishara of Al Jazeera. Farce, fraud, fury, surrealistic, opportunistic, populist and cynical. He used all these descriptions but surely he was mincing his words. Gideon Levy, my hero from the Israeli daily Haaretz, was not so apoplectic. He was apocalyptic. It was the final nail in the coffin of that walking corpse known as the two-state solution, he wrote, and created a reality in which international law, the resolutions of the international community and especially international institutions are meaningless. There is no Palestinian state, quoth Levy, and there never will be. Its got to be one democracy between the Jordan and the Mediterranean equal rights for both Israelis and Palestinians or Israel is going to be an apartheid state. Trump had created a world in which the US presidents son-in-law is more powerful than the UN General Assembly. If the settlements are permitted, everything is permitted. Quite so. But do we writers and journalists and experts and analysts still possess the tools to deal with this mumbo-jumbo? Is this not a moment not just the end of morality, justice, integrity, dignity to ask an ever-more important question: when will journalists have to stop taking this stuff (and themselves) seriously? Merely to write about this Trump ballyhoo as if it is real or workable or even discussable is somehow demeaning, humiliating, preposterous. Not just for media rabbits, but for those who must suffer the consequences of this dreadful document; the Palestinians and all who have faithfully supported their perfectly reasonable demands for freedom and fairness. I realised a few hours after reading it that, for every anti-Israel Muslim who believes in the fantastical, crazed verbiage of the Zionist conspiracy, these 80 pages of White House notepaper would only reinforce those mind-boggling beliefs. In cases like this, perhaps we should invite our comedians to become reporters. Or ask our cartoonists to write the story. Or maybe I should turn to that fine old Ripleys Believe It or Not feature to get the message across. Believe it Or Not: a US president gave a foreign power the right to eternally occupy someone elses land. To me, that captures the story in 15 words. But lets not forget that in return for their abject surrender, the Palestinians will get cash, cash and more cash millions of greenies set out in pages of graphs and funding plans, and fast-track tourism (that phrase is actually used in the document) and massive investment, social betterment (sic), self-determination (sic again, I guess), and a path to a dignified national life, respect, security and economic opportunity. And didnt our Boris Johnson tell Trump it was a positive step forwards? And didnt our Dominic Raab call it a serious proposal worthy of genuine and fair consideration? Believe it or not, indeed. This article was published by "The Independent" - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Bus services offered to Missouri City residents are being changed, according to officials from the with Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO). Beginning in February one of the citys two bus routes, the 364 Missouri City Flex Route, is being discontinued and the 363 Missouri City Community Connector will be expanded to include portions of the discontinued area down Hwy. 6, METRO officials said during a public hearing at the Missouri City Community Center on Tuesday, Jan. 28. Missouri City Mayor Yolanda Ford opened the meeting by welcoming guests and introduced METRO officials. Ken Brown, METRO manager of service planning for METRO, led a presentation outlining the changes, which were made because the 363 route drew few riders. For those who depend on the 363 route, METRO officials said riders can call and schedule a ride to and from any destination within the zone including the routes anchor stops the Walmart on Hwy. 6, the Missouri City Park and Ride on Fondren. A question-and-answer session after the presentation drew comments from riders and a number of Missouri City elected officials. During the recent city elections last November, elected officials at times faced criticism at forums and on social media fom voters concerned that METROs service offerings to Missouri City riders were lackluster. Related: City Council Candidates speak out during Missouri City Election forum At-large councilmember Chris Preston echoed others comments that the citys bus services were a topic of disccusion during his campaign. Some residents are very favorable of Metro and some are not, Preston said. I want to make we get this right because we owe it to the residents. Missouri City has a lot of future growth potential. But we want to mindful of the impact to our infrastructure. Thats very important. Please do your best in making sure we are successful with this, and we're going to do what we can. We want to make sure that this is a great partnership that's fair and equitable for our residents because for those that are still on the fence about this, we want to give them something, Preston said. Councilmember Floyd Emery questioned the level of bus service available to the city as a whole. All of Missouri City citizens pay sales tax, Emery said. We should provide the same service to all of those folks. They deserve it. Thomas Jasien, METROs deputy chief operating officer, said there is a limit to what Metro can spend to provide services. METRO serves an area that is 1,300 square miles and I have to tell you there are large parts of this city and this service area that pays taxes to METRO that do not have the METRO Lift service; they do not have any bus service or anything else. I hear you, but Missouri City is not alone. And you can't afford to cover every single thing on every single street. Missouri Citys current partnership with METRO stipulates that one percent of the citys sales tax is paid to METRO, with roughly $10.3 million paid last year, according to city officials. Beginning in February, the 363 Missouri City Community Connector will be discontinued. Following the comments, Mayor Ford thanked the officials from METRO for the presentation. I foresee moving forward that this service will be successful. I think we just both have to do our part to market (the service). Onitsha, Eastern Nigeria, 31st Jan 2020 -The political leaders and others in Nigeria particularly the creative or lettered public have continued to dissipate unnecessary energies on populism and frivolities instead of sticking to core or critical issues and treating them with creative judgments. As a matter of fact, the era of creativity and critical thinking is dangerously eluding the country. Issues of critical national importance, when arise, are no longer visited with process words such as how, what, why, if, etc. The culture of critical thinking is speedily evaporating and disappearing from the landscape of the country. The above was the position of the Intl Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law as contained in a statement issued today and signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi (Chair of the Board), Obianuju Joy Igboeli (Head of Civil Liberties & Rule of Law) and Chinwe Umeche (Head of Democracy & Good Governance). Intersocietys statement was in reaction to worsening insecurity in Nigeria particularly the ceaseless killing of Christians and abduction of traveler Igbo citizens and others in northern part. Our reaction was particularly in response to calls on President Buhari to resign and sack of service chiefs. If truth must be boldly told, the ceaseless killing of Christians in Nigeria and general insecurity have gone beyond calling on Mr. President to resign or sacking of service chiefs. From independent point of view, no fewer than 100 Christians particularly women and children (including 35 in Kaduna, 23 in Plateau and 19 in Kogi) have been hacked to death in the country in Jan 2020 alone; with dozens of Igbo travelers and others abducted for ransom or for death in northern part of the country. The perpetrated or dastardly acts are repeatedly traced to the doorsteps of the trio of Boko Haram, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and eco-religious terror group known as Islamic Bandits; with the grossly lopsided security forces doing little or nothing to fish them out and ensure they face justice. Therefore, Intersociety sees the calls are part of populism or half-baked intellectual culture bedeviling Nigeria and its current national calamitous insecurity. This is more so when such half-baked calls are coming from the people in the countrys corridors of power who also know the A-Z of the root causes of the countrys insecurity challenges, in addition to enormous legislative and oversight powers in their hands including power and right to speak out the dodged truth The Truth Being Dodged Or Hidden By Nigerian Leaders Composition of the Present Federal Government: the present central Government is nothing short of a jihadist government of the day with no semblance of pluralism or balanced ethno-religious composition Lopsided Composition of Service Chiefs, Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitaries: they are Islamic dominated and anti secular; thereby threatening and endangering the short-changed regions particularly the old Eastern Nigeria and Northern Christian Nationalities. Defective & Manipulative Constitution: the 1999 Constitution is inherently defective with no inputs from the countrys ethnic nationalities particularly the South and the Northern Christian entities. It also has little or no inbuilt protection or safeguards for collective security and safety of the existing ethno-religious nationalities particularly the Peoples of old Eastern Nigeria and Northern Christian Nationalities. Abuse of the Constitution & Anti Secular Conducts: these are done with reckless abandon by the present federal political leaders which include gross misinterpretations, misapplications, manipulations, violations and abuses, etc. Anti secular conducts include turning the country, by policy and conduct, into an Islamic Republic governed by Sharia Laws in place of secular Constitution and doctrine. Propaganda & Lies: these have remained the salutations, greetings and foundation of the present central Government Hate Policies & Conducts: these are the second foundation upon which the present central Government seemed formed or founded. Jihadist Insurgencies under State Protection: Circumstantially and by body language, these have been the case. Islamic Friendly & Lopsided Security Establishments Cant Fight Their Non State Actor Comrades: There shall always be comradeship or esprit de corps in the so called counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency and Fulani Herdsmen Jihadism as well as the eco-religious terrorism by the so called Islamic Bandits of Northern Nigeria. These shall continue so long as the countrys security forces and superintendence remain lopsidedly composed or Islamic friendly. Granted that insurgency is one of the most difficult in modern warfare, but had the countrys security forces been pluralistically and secularly composed and superintended; with effective intelligence and without present state Islamic friendly politicization, the insurgent groups named would have been tamed when still at rag tag stages or before reaching sophistication-and continuously be checkmated till date. Non De-classification of Mr. Presidents Health Status/Fitness: a former SGF under the present central Government (Babachir David Lawal) had in 2017 during a rift asked: who is the Presidency? Though the question has remained unanswered by the Presidency, but it is a quick reminder to the fact that the true health status of Mr. President, both physical and mental, has remained worryingly classified; thereby raising another critical question as per who is truly in charge of Nigeria-Mr. President or a Cabal? We are deeply worried because Nigerians especially the lettered or informed are losing it; to the extent that some are either confused or have resolved not to address their letters or make representations to their beloved President, to avoid same not being received and treated well or getting into the hands of a cabal. This has further made a cross section of the lettered to keep wondering how on earth Mr. President could retain failed Service Chiefs including a failed Chief of Army Staff for almost five years, if not eight years in the end and corner over 90% appointments in security, oil and economic establishments to citizens of his own tribe and religion The above is just to mention but a few key of litany of truth being dodged or failed to say by the Nigerian leaders. For us at Intersociety, the present central Government is steadily pushing Nigeria and Nigerians to the nadir of collapse or irreversibility. The Government is also pushing the country to the point of citizen radicalism. The country must not waste its slim chance of being returned to the path of pluralistic and constructive governance in togetherness or peaceful apart. The Governments hate and radical policies and conducts are already encouraging the proliferation of small arms and light weapons across the length and breadth of the country. Also with rising regional quests for regional defensive security arrangements and the present central Governments recent waiver granted to the aliens-both the good, the bad and the ugly; the proliferation, both licit and illicit and prohibited and un-prohibited SALWs, is expected to rise exponentially. Totality of these is a time bomb for a poorly governed and highly divided country of approximately 2003m people. Contacts: Mobile/Whatsapp Line: +2348174090052, Email: [email protected] , Website: www.intersociety-ng.org In England they are known as The Few, the pilots who defended their country from Nazi aerial assault in the Battle of Britain during World War II. Among The Few, whose ranks numbered approximately 3,000, Paul Farnes was one of the last surviving. And of those who remained, he was believed to be the only ace, or aviator with the distinction of downing five or more enemy aircraft. Integro Insurance Brokers Holdings Ltd., the parent of UK-based firm Risk Transfer Group (RTG), which trades under the RFIB brand, announced that Steven Beard, CEO of RFIB will be stepping down, effective immediately. On Jan. 1, 2020, Integro completed its acquisition of RTG, the privately-owned principal parent company of RFIB, an independent specialist Lloyds broker. Until the integration with Tysers is completed, an interim management committee comprising Morna Leather, finance director; Chris Tansley, chairman of Marine, and Kevin Stratton, managing director of Specialty, will lead the day-to-day operation of the business reporting to the Tysers Management Committee. I have valued greatly the opportunity to lead the business through its last phase of development and have enjoyed sharing this success with a team that cares passionately about doing the right thing. Stepping down as CEO and leaving a business is never an easy decision to take, but timing is everything, and now feels right, commented Steven Beard. Jason Collins, co-head of Tysers Broking, said: Steven exercised his position with diligence and focus and we have appreciated his partnership in the acquisition and integration planning. Integro Insurance Brokers Holdings Ltd. is the parent of UK-based firm Integro Insurance Brokers Ltd., which trades under the Tysers brand. Source: Integro Insurance Brokers Holdings Ltd. Topics Agencies Turn this small-time indie project into reality by supporting the Kickstarter here , watching the trailer on YouTube here , and visiting the brand new Steam page here . OTTAWA - In 2014, Justin Trudeau booted senators out of the Liberal caucus as part of his bid to transform Canada's Senate into a more independent, less partisan chamber of sober second thought. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Liberal Senator Serge Joyal speaks to the members of the media outside the Senate Chambers on Parliament Hill Thursday, June 18, 2015. In 2014, Justin Trudeau booted senators out of the Liberal caucus as part of his bid to transform Canada's Senate into a more independent, less partisan chamber of sober second thought. Yet one of those turfed senators, Serge Joyal, has arguably demonstrated more independence throughout his 23 years in the upper house than any of the non-partisan senators Trudeau has appointed since becoming prime minister in 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand OTTAWA - In 2014, Justin Trudeau booted senators out of the Liberal caucus as part of his bid to transform Canada's Senate into a more independent, less partisan chamber of sober second thought. Yet one of those turfed Liberals, Serge Joyal, has arguably demonstrated more independence throughout his 23 years in the upper house than any of the non-partisan senators Trudeau has appointed since becoming prime minister in 2015. Joyal retires from the Senate on Saturday, his 75th birthday. As a rookie MP from Montreal in 1976, Joyal sued his own government (led by Justin Trudeau's father, Pierre) over its directive that English be the only language used by air-traffic controllers. At that time, he "got the message that if I would withdraw from the legal proceedings, my avenue to the cabinet would be quick," Joyal recounts in an interview. He refused and won the case. It would be another six years before he made it into the cabinet. Joyal was defeated in 1984, when Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservatives won power. Thirteen years later, Jean Chretien appointed him to the Senate, where he continued to practice his unique brand of independence, both in the chamber and in the courts. A lawyer and constitutional expert, he has argued before the Supreme Court of Canada. And he's challenged the government of the day directly in court on more than one occasion. Just last fall, he launched a lawsuit seeking to force the federal government to adopt an official French-language version of Canada's constitutional documents. In 2013, Joyal intervened in the Supreme Court reference on Senate reform, arguing against Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's bid to turn the upper house into an elected chamber with term limits. However, he later sided with the Harper government against a challenge of a bill giving Canada's consent to changes in the law of succession to the monarchy. The two Quebec professors who initiated the challenge are now seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court so, even in the midst of packing up his Senate office last week, Joyal was preparing his counter-argument for the court. "I'm a peculiar kind of animal," Joyal acknowledges of his dual political and legal activities. "I choose to do that ... I'm not paid by the Senate to do that or by pressure groups or a lobby group of some sort. I do it because I believe the issue at stake is an important one." Despite his independent streak, Joyal always considered himself a loyal Liberal. And so, when Trudeau kicked him out of the Liberal caucus, he admits, "I was hurt." He had spent 20 years as the policy chair for the Quebec wing of the party. He'd helped draft Chretien's famous "Red Book," the winning Liberal election platform in 1993. He'd helped Liberal leaders prepare for election debates. He'd represented the party on the No committee during the 1995 referendum on Quebec independence. "I was very intimately involved in the life of the party," Joyal says. "That I was unceremoniously kicked out with not even a letter of thanks, I'm a human being ... Just a mere 'thank you,' I would have appreciated it." Reflecting on the transformation of the Senate into a chamber where senators unaffiliated with parties now command the majority, Joyal regrets the loss of partisan groups that have an institutionalized responsibility, and the resources to back it up, to argue for and against government legislation. Without partisan appointees, including former cabinet ministers, MPs and party stalwarts, he says, it's now left to individual senators to challenge the government and try to improve legislation. Trudeau's appointees typically have impressive resumes but most have little or no experience in public policy or Parliament. Sen. Peter Harder, a former senior public servant who was Trudeau's government representative in the Senate for nearly four years, doesn't disagree. "The Senate needs to have, in my view, a number of senators who come with that (political) perspective and that experience," Harder says. "It just adds to the ability to get stuff done because people are there with understanding of what it takes to legislate, what it takes to compromise, what it takes to understand the institutional role that the Senate plays." "He's one of the big names of Senate history," Harder said, calling Joyal "extraordinarily effective" on issues involving charter rights, national unity and language rights. But even if Joyal won't be physically sitting in the Senate anymore, his presence will still be felt on Parliament Hill. An avid collector of art and historical artifacts, he has donated many of his finds to furnish the Francophonie Room and the Indigenous Peoples Room, two Senate meeting areas in Centre Block, which is now closed for massive renovations. Back in when Joyal was an MP, Harder recalls walking into his office and thinking "I'd walked into a museum." His Senate office suite was furnished by Joyal at his own expense, from ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceilings to artwork on the walls to sculptures on pedestals dotting the rooms. Joyal said he figured if he was going to spend 23 years in that office, he wanted to be "psychologically comfortable" in it. He is donating everything in his office to the National Capital Commission for use in official residences. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. The important thing, then, is to teach kids that they neednt freeze when they come to a hard word, nor skip past it. They neednt be stymied by the word and stop reading. The important thing is to teach them that they have resources to draw upon, and to use those resources to develop stamina. For example, they can look at the unfamiliar word and break it into parts and think, Have I seen that part before? And they can draw on their knowledge of letter-sound correspondence to decode. They can also reread the sentence and think, What could this be? And then check the hypothesis against the actual letters. New Delhi, Jan 31 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday described the central government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution from Jammu and Kashmir as a historic one and said that it has paved the way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Addressing the joint session of Parliament here ahead of the Budget Session, Kovind said, "The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution by Parliament is not only historic but it has also paved way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh." The President stressed that rapid development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, protection of culture and traditions, transparent and honest administration and empowerment of democracy are among the priorities of his government. The government had abrogated the Article 370 of the Constitution from Jammu and Kashmir, that gave special status to the erstwhile state on August 5. The government also bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The commercial highlights FindAMortgageBroker.com, which is a website where people can learn more about why brokers are better and that lets them search for one in their neighborhood. It was obviously very expensive, but its money well spent because it shows our undeniable focus of helping mortgage brokers succeed, Ishbia said. Its truly a positive for everybody in America and every mortgage broker, whether they work with UWM or not. Were truly trying to do the right thing: help others without any expectation of anything in return, and good things happen. Ishbia said that the start of 2020 is the right time to capitalize on the growth of the mortgage broker channel and bring more attention to the movement of the 40,000 brokers who are working as a team to educate consumers. UWM hopes that this commercial will provide a spark that not only gets the word out to consumers and lets all mortgage professionals know that brokers are ready to compete. The message to the public is clear: the quick and fast mortgage route isnt always what its cracked up to be and using a local mortgage broker is the best option for consumers with regard to for their time and wallet. Ishbia said theres also a message to brokers across America: UWM has their back. The mother of two missing Idaho children, who was located in Hawaii by Kauai police with her new husband, has failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to bring her kids to authorities in Idaho on Jan. 31. The Idaho couple, Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell, were being sought for questioning after Daybells previous wife was found dead back in October. Then in November, his two stepchildren were reported missing. According to police, Vallows two childrenJoshua Vallow, 7, and his sister Tylee Ryan, 17have not been seen since September, according to CNN. Vallows failure to meet the court-ordered deadline clears the way for a judge to potentially hold her in contempt of court, a legal move that could allow prosecutors to seek to have her extradited from Hawaii to Idaho to face charges, The Associated Press reported. As indicated by the East Idaho News, Lori Vallow and her husband were found in Kauai on Jan. 25, when they were pulled over by the police 16 miles from where they were staying in Princeville. They had been there for over a month, according to the news outlet. Police have also said Lori Vallow and her new husband lied about the childrens whereabouts and even their very existence, with Chad Daybell allegedly telling one person that Lori Vallow had no kids, and Lori Vallow allegedly telling another person that her daughter had died more than a year earlier. Police confirmed that Chad Daybell was still there with her in Hawaii. Still, there were no signs of Vallows children, nor was there any evidence that the children were there with her in Hawaii, according to the news release issued by the Rexburg Police Department. Vallow had five days to physically produce Tylee and J.J. to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare in Rexburg, Idaho, or the Rexburg Police. Should she fail to do so, Vallow may be charged with civil or criminal contempt of court. A contempt of court charge is generally a misdemeanor under Idaho law, with a penalty of just five days in jail and a $5,000 fine. But Kay Woodcock, JJs grandmother, said authorities told her it could be used to seek Lori Vallows extradition. We now know that theres some recourse that can happen after this, she said. Theyre going to make her accountable to law enforcement. Thomas Tad DiBiase, a former homicide prosecutor in Washington, said the order to produce the children is a good strategy if prosecutors are looking to build a criminal case. DiBiase consults with law enforcement agencies on no body murder cases. Its actually very clever, because it forces the parents hand, DiBiase said Thursday. Parents who have not done something to their kids are not going to violate a court order, so in that sense its powerful. Bringing missing persons cases to court can be difficult because, without a body, prosecutors are missing their best piece of evidence, DiBiase said. If you have a body, you know generally when the murder happened: Did it happen an hour ago, did it happen two days ago, did it happen a year ago, did it happen five years ago? You also dont know how the murder happened, you also dont know where the murder happened, he said. Its an enormous challenge, because in addition to that, you dont know whether the person is truly dead or not. When the potential victims are kids, however, its easier to bring a case without a body, he said. A 7-year-old is not likely to walk away on their own, never to be found again, he said. Wood also asked anyone with information about the kids to come forward. Kay and Larry Woodcock have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the childrens discovery. Background In a press release issued by the Rexburg Police Department back in December 2019, Tylee Ryan and Joshua J.J. Vallow were last seen in September 2019. Police became aware of the childrens missing status when they were investigating the case of Tammy Daybell, Chad Daybells deceased wife. On October 19, 2019, family members found Tammy Daybell, 49, dead in her Fremont County home. At that time, Daybells death was believed to be natural. [Chad] Daybell was interred in Springville, Utah, on October 22, 2019. A subsequent investigation by the [Fremont County Sheriffs Office] determined that Daybells death may be suspicious, according to the press release. Tammy Daybells body was exhumed, and an autopsy was conducted by the Fremont County Sheriffs Office (FCSO) along with the assistance of the Utah Office of the Medical Examiner on Dec. 11, 2019, the press release stated. It was during the investigation that authorities were made aware of the missing children. Officials also found out that within weeks of Tammy Daybells death, Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow, the mother of the two missing children. The familys extended relatives had not seen or heard from Joshua since September 2019, and were worried about the young boys welfare, according to the press release. While Rexburg police were conducting a welfare check on Joshua Vallow on Nov. 26, 2019, whom they learned was a special needs child, Lori Vallow told authorities that she sent her son to stay with a family friend in Arizona. However, authorities later learned that Joshua Vallow was not with the family friend as indicated by Lori Vallow, and executed a search warrant for the 7-year-old at the Vallows residence at 565 Pioneer Road. Investigators found out that Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had since packed up their things and disappeared, according to the press release. In the meantime, from September 2019 when the children were last seen and November 2019 when authorities found out about their missing status, the children were not reported missing to any facility. Rexburg police said the parents never reported the kids missing, had repeatedly lied about where their children areinitially saying the boy was in Arizonaand arent cooperating with the investigation. Relatives of the family had urged Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell to cooperate with the police so that the children could be found. Similarly, investigators learned that Lori Vallows daughter, Tylee Ryan, had also not been seen since September, and no one in their extended family had heard from the 16-year-old since then, according to the press release. The Associated Press and Lorenz Duchamps contributed to this report. CLEVELAND, Ohio A suspended Westlake attorney pleaded guilty Friday to embezzling more than $32,000 from a bankruptcy estate, as well as stealing the identity of a client. John Gold took the money from the bankruptcy estate of a man he represent in a lawsuit. He also fraudulently endorsed a $15,500 check in a separate matter in 2016, using a clients name and signature on the back of a check and taking money that he shouldnt have obtained. The Ohio Supreme Court suspended his law license in 2018 and he has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since authorities brought him back from Thailand in September. His attorney Michael Goldberg said Gold was living there with his family, though court records show Gold knew he was under federal investigation since at least April 2018. Gold, 45, admitted in federal court in Cleveland to charges of embezzlement against an estate, bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. A plea agreement he reached with prosecutors allows both sides to recommend any sentence, though federal law says he must serve at least two years in federal prison because of the aggravated identity theft conviction. Gold appeared in court in an orange jail jumpsuit. He dutifully answered the questions U.S. District Judge Dan Polster asked as they went through the plea agreement. Polster will sentence Gold on May 22. The bankruptcy at issue case has a somewhat long and tortured history. Golds client filed for bankruptcy in July 2010, and by November of that year a judge had closed the estate. The client then hired Gold in 2012 to help in recovering $51,032.37 from the Ohio Department of Commerces Division of Unclaimed Funds. The money arose from an insurance claim. The client obtained the money and Gold put it into his attorney-trust account. However, the bankruptcy case re-opened and legal wrangling proceeded over whether the money belonged in the estate, according to court filings. A bankruptcy judge ruled in April 2014 that the money belonged in the estate. The bankruptcy trustee and the client, along with Gold, later settled and agreed that the client would retain $18,300 and turn over $32,722.37 to the bankruptcy trustee, filings state. Gold refused to turn over the money and said he was entitled to a lien on the money for legal fees he said he was owed. A bankruptcy judge found Gold in contempt in November 2015 and ordered him to file a written account of the money within 14 days and to pay $50 for every day he failed to comply. The judge later revised the ruling, ordering Gold to pay the $32,722.37 and doubling the fine to $100 a day. Gold and the bankruptcy trustee later reached an agreement and Gold repaid the money by October 2017. An investigation later showed Gold misappropriated more than $49,000 of the money and spent the majority of it on personal expense between October 2013 and January 2015. Goldberg said Gold also paid back the other client whose signature he forged. The Ohio Supreme Court in August 2018 suspended Golds law license for two years, though stayed one of those years if he met certain criteria. Golds law license remains suspended, and the justices ruled in October 2018 that he was in contempt of court for not surrendering his attorney registration card and failing to file a requested affidavit. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Fridays crime and courts comments section. COVID-19 spreads from person to person in close proximity, similar to other respiratory illnesses. The new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, prompting governments to step up efforts to contain the spread of the disease it causes, offically known as COVID-19. More than 5,700 people have died globally from the disease, while more than 152,00 infections have been confirmed in dozens of countries, according to the World Health Organization, which has now declared the outbreak a pandemic. Here is what you need to know: How is the coronavirus spreading? The coronavirus known as COVID-19 spreads from person to person in close proximity, similar to other respiratory illnesses, such as the flu. Droplets of bodily fluids such as saliva or mucus from an infected person are dispersed in the air or on surfaces by coughing or sneezing. These droplets can come into direct contact with other people or can infect those who pick them up by touching infected surfaces and then their face. According to scientists, coughs and sneezes can travel several feet and stay suspended in the air for up to 10 minutes. 200125070959786 It is not yet known how long the virus can survive outside a host but, in other viruses, it ranges from a few hours to months. Transmission is of particular concern on transport, where droplets containing the coronavirus could pass between passengers or via surfaces like aeroplane seats and armrests. The incubation period of the coronavirus, the length of time before symptoms appear, is between one and 14 days. Although not yet confirmed, Chinese health authorities believe the virus can be transmitted before symptoms appear. This would have major implications for containment measures, according to Gerard Krause, head of the Department for Epidemiology at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection. Its unusual for respiratory diseases transmissible even before the first symptoms have occurred, he told Al Jazeera. But the consequences is that if it happens then they have no public health means to sort out or to identify people at risk of transmitting, because they dont even know that theyre ill yet. Can people be immune to the new coronavirus? Viruses that spread quickly usually come with lower mortality rates and vice versa. As the virus is an entirely new strain, it is believed that there is no existing immunity in anyone it will encounter. Some level of immunity will naturally develop over time, but this means that those with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly or sick, are most at risk of becoming severely ill or dying from the coronavirus. Although the total number of deaths has now exceeded those recorded during the 2002-2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the current mortality rate is much lower than that of SARS. The coronavirus mortality rate stands at 2.4 percent, while SARS killed 9.6 percent of those infected. How can people protect themselves? Are face masks useful? In terms of self-protection and containing the virus, experts agree that is important to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap; cover your face with a tissue or your elbow when coughing or sneezing; visit a doctor if you have symptoms; and avoid direct contact with live animals in affected areas. While face masks are popular, scientists doubt their effectiveness against airborne viruses. Masks may provide some protection to you and others, but because they are loose and made of permeable material, droplets can still pass through. Many countries have advised people travelling back from China to self-quarantine for at least two weeks. What is being done to stop the spread, and when will a vaccine become available? China has placed Wuhan and more than a dozen other cities under lockdown, affecting more than 60 million people, although this has not prevented the virus from spreading to all of Chinas provinces. As the number of confirmed cases continues to rise, businesses and countries are taking increasingly drastic action. 200127065154334 Scores of airlines have halted flights to China, while a number of countries are evacuating their citizens from Wuhan and Hubei. Several countries have closed their borders with China and others have banned entry to Chinese citizens. Person-to-person transmission has been confirmed in several countries, which WHO emergency chief Michael Ryan has called a great concern. Even with recent advances in medical technology, it is unlikely a vaccine could be available for mass distribution within a year. This means that public health measures to contain the spread will be crucial to contain the outbreak. Restrictions on movement will not stop the spread of the disease entirely but will slow its progress and buy time for areas that have avoided infection to prepare. It will also limit the strain on health infrastructure by reducing the number of infections at any one time, said Krause. How serious is this outbreak? On March 11, the WHO characterised the new coronavirus as a pandemic. The infection is now more widespread than the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which also originated in China. The WHO has designated the outbreak with its highest warning level, as it did for five others, including Ebola in 2014 and 2019, polio in 2014, the Zika virus in 2016 and swine flu in 2009. On February 10, a WHO-led team of investigators arrived in China to evaluate the situation in more detail. With additional reporting by Ruairi Casey Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, said calling them pets is derogatory and suggests they are merely a 'commodity' or 'decoration' Cats and dogs seem perfectly happy to be fed, watered and cuddled by doting owners. But whatever you do, don't call them pets, says the head of an animal rights organisation. Ingrid Newkirk, the president of PETA, said this is derogatory and suggests they are merely a 'commodity' or 'decoration'. The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has long called for owners to be renamed 'human carers' or guardians. Yesterday, the animal rights activist, 70, from Surrey, compared calling animals pets to the treatment of women before feminism, when they were not allowed to own property or were patronisingly called 'sweetie' or 'honey' to make them seem 'less of a person'. Miss Newkirk said: 'Animals are not pets they are not your cheap burglar alarm, or something which allows you to go out for a walk. They are not ours as decorations or toys, they are living beings. 'A dog is a feeling, whole individual, with emotions and interests, not something you 'have'.' It is estimated almost 45 per cent of UK households have a pet about 51million animals mainly dogs. Miss Newkirk, who once set fire to a car at a motor show and has stripped naked numerous times to publicise PETA's high-profile 'I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur' campaign, said the language used around animals is important. She wants people to describe the animals they look after as 'companions', adding: 'How we say things governs how we think about them, so a tweak in our language when we talk about the animals in our homes is needed. 'A pet is a commodity but animals should not be things on shelves or in boxes, where people say, 'I like the look of that one, it matches my curtains or my sense of myself.' The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has long called for owners to be renamed 'human carers' or guardians. A golden retriever pet dog is pictured above [File photo] 'Hopefully the time is passing for that kind of attitude.' Some ethicists have argued that people should not keep pets at all. Last year, Dr Corey Wrenn, from the University of Kent, said: 'Through this forced dependency and domestication, the lives of companion animals are almost completely controlled by humans. They can be terminated at any time for the most trivial of reasons, including behavioural 'problems'.' Miss Newkirk, who has written a book, called Animalkind, about animals' abilities and the need to be compassionate towards them, also wants phrases such as 'flog a dead horse' to stop being used because they refer to animal cruelty. L ove Island has confirmed the return of fan favourite Casa Amor. In tonight's episode of Love Island, ITV2 confirmed the dramatic feature is set to make its way to our screens on Sunday night (February 2). The anticipated twist will see the Girls and Boys split as one group will move into a brand new Cape Town villa - also known as Casa Amor. Each villa is promised to be full of temptation as couples are tested on whether they will stay loyal to their partners in the other villa - or will they decided to recouple with the new Islanders. Who will turn their head first? / ITV In the previous series, the controversial challenge has caused many tensions in couples and some severe chaos in nearly-there-relationships. Last nights (January 30) episode saw the Islanders still living with the aftershocks of a hugely dramatic week which saw both Connor Durman and Leanne Amaning booted from the show. Still reeling from the drama, Shaugha Phillips sat Sophie Piper down during Thursday's Love Island, questioning her on why she was so desperate to stay in the villa. Nas and Demi finally kiss / ITV Meanwhile, Mike Boateng, fresh from the shock recoupling, started grafting hard on Jess Gale - who demanded an explanation of why his head had been turned so quickly. The episode also saw fan favourite Nas Majeed finally share a kiss with newbie Demi Rose. Love Island 2020: Villa - in pictures 1 /48 Love Island 2020: Villa - in pictures ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV But how strong are these couples and whose head will turn first? Who is coupled up with who: Nas and Demi Mike and Sophie Callum and Shaugna Luke T and Siannise Luke M and Jess Finley and Paige Rebecca and Wallace While ITV2 has yet to confirm the finale date for its hit show they have, however, stated the show will run for around six weeks much like its summer version. Britain on Friday ends almost half a century of integration with Europe, finally making its historic departure from the EU to begin a new -- but still uncertain -- future, with emotions running high following years of wrangling and several false starts. At the clocks strike 11:00 pm (2300 GMT) -- midnight in Brussels -- Britain becomes the first country to leave the 28-member bloc and will go it alone for the first time since 1973. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed Brexit since the 2016 referendum vote to leave that triggered deep bitterness and division. But he has promised to unite the country in a new era of prosperity. This is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act, he said. A sea change German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Britains departure a sea-change for the bloc, although nothing will immediately feel different because of an 11-month transition period negotiated as part of an EU-UK exit deal ratified this week. Britons will be able to work in and trade freely with EU nations until December 31, and vice versa, although the UK will no longer be represented in the blocs institutions. But legally, Britain is out -- with no easy way back. And while the exit terms have been agreed, Britain must still strike a deal on future relations with the EU, its largest trading partner. Both set out their negotiating positions Monday. We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels. Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union. Years of tumult Getting this far has been a traumatic process. Despite Britains resistance to many EU projects over the years -- it refused to join the single currency or the Schengen free travel area -- the 2016 vote to leave was a huge shock. It unleashed political chaos in London, sparking years of bitter arguments that paralysed parliament and forced the resignations of two prime ministers. Johnson brought an end to the turmoil with last months decisive election victory and parliamentarymajority to ratify the Brexit deal. But Britons remain as divided as they were nearly four years ago, when 52 percent voted to leave and 48 percent voted to remain in the EU. Fridays newspapers reflected that continued split, with best-selling eurosceptic tabloid The Sun triumphantly declaring our time has come on its front page alongside an image of Big Ben. But pro-European The Guardian opted for the headline small island, calling Brexit the biggest gamble in a generation. In Scotland, which backed remaining in the bloc in 2016, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called it a moment of real and profound and sadness... tinged with anger. She vowed to step up the campaign for independence, which Scots rejected in a vote in 2014. Parties and vigils Johnson, himself a polarising figure, has emphasised unity and is avoiding any major celebrations that might exacerbate divisions. The Conservative leader was hosting a special cabinet meeting in the northeastern city of Sunderland, which was the first to declare for Brexit in the 2016 vote. At 10:00 pm, he will broadcast to the nation, as a countdown clock is beamed onto the walls of Downing Street, before hosting a reception, marking the occasion with English sparkling wine and canapes. Government buildings will be lit up in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack. Millions of commemorative 50 pence coins go into circulation. Ex-MEP Nigel Farage, who has spent decades campaigning to leave the EU, is planning a large rally in nearby Parliament Square -- one of several pro-Brexit parties being held around the country. Im pleased, its about time, this has took far longer than it should have, said Eric Horsley, 67, from Hartlepool, northeast England. Anthony Latham, a nursing assistant, 36, added: I think theres been a lot of scaremongering going on, but I feel ultimately I think its going to be a positive thing, given time for the UK. Not everyone is celebrating, with vigils planned by pro-EU supporters. Today is a day of mourning, said Katrina Graham, 31, an Irish womens rights activist who lives in Brussels, at a protest in central London. Im really hopeful (the UK will rejoin). I think were going to see the fallout of this over the years to come. Well come back to realising the fundamental principles of the European project. Trade talks loom British eurosceptics have campaigned for decades to free their country from what they see as an overly bureaucratic and unaccountable institution. Johnson has promised to leave the EUs single market and customs union so Britain can strike trade deals around the world, including with the United States. But exactly how that will work -- and at what cost to firms that depend on EU business -- is unclear. The divorce deal resolved the issue of Londons debts, the rights of EU expatriates, the status of Northern Ireland and the transition period. But Johnson has given himself just 11 months to negotiate a new partnership, covering everything from trade to security cooperation. Brussels has already warned he must either limit his ambitions or ask for more time. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar warned Friday that a failure to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by the deadline would pose an existential threat to Britains nearest neighbour. So we do need that deal, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Abuja, Nigeria, January 31, 2020 Gambian authorities should immediately drop the charges against broadcast journalists Pa Modou Bojang and Gibbi Jallow, and permit the Home Digital FM and King FM radio stations to reopen, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 26, police raided the offices of the privately owned radio stations Home Digital FM, in Brikama, and King FM radio station, in Tallinding, and arrested several staffers, according to Home Digital FM manager Omar Fofana and Jallow, a reporter and general manager of King FM, both of whom spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Police arrested Bojang, a reporter and CEO of Home Digital FM, during the raid and held him until January 28 at the police station, when they charged him with incitement and released him after posting a bail of 250,000 dalasi ($4,887), according to Fofana and Bojang, who spoke with CPJ via messaging app. Police arrested Gibbi Jallow and two technicians at the station, Ebrima Jallow and Madiou Jallow, during the raid, Gibbi Jallow said. All three, who share a family name but are not related, were held in a police station until January 28, Gibbi Jallow told CPJ. He said he was charged with inciting violence and was released on the condition that he provide documents about land he owns. The technicians were released without charge, according to Kebba Kamara, a King FM reporter who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. Bojang and Gibbi Jallow told CPJ that the stations remain off the air, and that no court dates had been set. Jallow told CPJ that he plans to appeal the stations closure in court. Both Home Digital FM and King FM had recently covered protests and interviewed activists calling for President Adama Barrow to step down this year, pursuant to a pledge he had made in 2017 to serve for only three years instead of his full five-year term, according to Bojang, Jallow, and news reports. Barrow took office in early 2017 after defeating longtime President Yahya Jammeh, whose government had a long record of press freedom violations. A democratically elected government resorting to dictatorial censorship tactics is a huge setback for press freedom in Gambia, Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, said from New York. Authorities should drop all charges against Pa Modou Bojang and Gibbi Jallow, and King FM and Home Digital FM must be allowed to resume broadcasting immediately. The arrests and raids came after President Barrows executive office ordered both outlets to be suspended for allegedly violating their licenses by demonstrating notoriety for peddling incendiary messages and allowing their media to be used as platforms for inciting violence, according to a statement signed by Ebrima G. Sankareh, a spokesperson for the Gambian government, which CPJ reviewed. Bojang and Mustapha K. Darboe, vice president of the Gambia Press Union, a local trade group, both told CPJ that authorities had not specified when Home Digital FM and King FM would be permitted to resume broadcasting. Jallow told CPJ that security officials had barricaded the area around his office and he could not get inside. Jallow told CPJ he believed King FMs coverage of the issue was fair because they also broadcast interviews with people who advocated that Barrow remain in office until the conclusion of his five-year term. On the day of the raid, King FM had only played music and had not broadcast any political coverage, Jallow said. Police and paramilitary officers stormed the station and said they had orders from above to shut down the station, Bojang said. During the raid, police did not explain what they meant by orders from above, nor did they give further details on the alleged offence, Bojang and Fofana said. During the protests against Barrow staying in office, demonstrators just outside Banjul, the capital, slapped and shoved Sankuleh Janko, a reporter with the Dakar-based regional broadcaster West African Democracy Radio, the journalist told CPJ. He said he was not seriously injured. On January 25, Gambian authorities denied accreditation to Nicolas Haque, a correspondent with Al-Jazeera, who had applied in order to cover the protests that began on January 26, according to a tweet by Haque and news reports. CPJ called and sent text messages to Gambian Information Minister Ebrima Sillah, police spokesperson Lamin Njie, and government spokesperson Ebrima G. Sankareh, but did not receive any responses. Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday congratulated Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state police for the operation in which 23 children held captive at a house in Farrukhabad were rescued. In a tweet, the Union Home Minister said "It is laudable to get all the children held hostage in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh safely rescued through the efficient strategy and planning by the police. I congratulate Chief Minister and Uttar Pradesh police." The chief minister thanked the Home Minister in a tweeted: "Thank You, Honourable Home Minister. Yes, Uttar Pradesh government has a policy of zero tolerance against crime. Crime against women, children and other weaker sections of society cannot be tolerated at any cost." "The courage and strategy by which our police freed 23 children from the criminal is commendable.Under your guidance, the law and order of the state is determined and always alert to extend protection to the public," Adityanath said in another tweet in Hindi. As many as 23 children aged between six months and 15 years, who had been taken hostage by a murder accused after inviting them to his daughter's birthday party, were rescued late on Thursday night after police killed their captor in a village here. The hostage drama began at Kasaria village in the afternoon and continued for about eight hours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T wo people have been arrested after police officers opened fire at Donald Trumps Mar-a-Lago resort. Authorities fired shots after a black SUV drove past two security checkpoints at the main entrance to the estate, dubbed the second White House, in Palm Beach, Florida. The president was not at the resort at the time, although he is scheduled to arrive there later on Friday. The incident took place at around 11.40am at the main entrance to the estate, police said, and the car raced off while being pursued by highway patrol and a police helicopter. It was located nearby and the two occupants were taken into custody. There was no immediate information about the two people arrested or whether anyone was injured. Secret Service personnel have reportedly locked guests inside and told them it could be hours before they can leave. Coronavirus Spreads Fear and Other Contagions Commentary The rapid spread of the new coronavirus is a daunting specter that is impossible to dismiss as something thats only happening way over there in China. Needless to say, everybody is everywhere these days. Coronavirus cases are now everywhere. The world is way past the time of geographic insulation. Whats more, photos of unattended infected corpses in Chinese hospital corridors and of city streets strangely devoid of people strike a deep and strident chord within our human consciousness. Those images pack tremendously powerful emotional punches to the gut. Thats not just metaphorical, either. The visceral instinct for survival, manifested acutely in the fight-or-flight syndrome, is a real and necessary part of being human. Such reactions may also tempt some to take the simplistic blame it on China mentality. We may even try to lie to ourselves and say that its really just a Chinese problem. Were seeing a bit of that already. Thats why the coronavirus may become a gateway to triggering other maladies that plague the human condition. And why wouldnt it? With a long, highly contagious, and asymptomatic incubation period, its the perfect catalyst for triggering other dangerous human contagions: fear, rage, and prejudice. Justifiable Fear To a certain degree, all of those reactions are understandable. In some cases, theyre even rational. But to take them on as a way of viewing the worldor to regard our Asian brothers and sisters in a disparagingly and inhuman mannerwould be a gross moral injustice. But certainly, with the coronavirus, fear is a rational response. The virus is a potential death sentence for those who contract it. Theres no room for wishful thinking here. And lets be honest. Fear is not only rational in this instance, its a hardwired element of our makeup. Indeed, its a required response, a self-preservation mechanism. Without fear, one walks into a den of lions and, in most cases, is devoured. The key is to control our fear, and not let it control us or define us as human beings. We must channel it into deliberate and positive actions that lead to a resolution of this potentially global challenge. We must not be paralyzed by it or allow it to de-humanize us. Righteous Rage Whats more, though the facts of the coronavirus outbreak are still emerging, its apparent that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership failed to act to contain the disease. The Chinese regime delayed even publicly acknowledging or responding to the outbreak for a month or longer. This is one more tragic demonstration in a long line of catastrophic failures and deadly consequences of communist dictatorships. Also, we know from reliable reports in China that a cover-up has been in place from the beginning of the outbreak. Keep Prejudice in Perspective The same principle of perspective applies to prejudice. This is especially true of racial prejudice. Prejudicial thoughts and emotions come too easily for usall of us. That, too, is an aspect of human nature that must be acknowledged and kept in the proper perspective. It certainly doesnt require the threat of a deadly pandemic to trigger prejudicial emotions in people, but its an undeniably powerful influence, isnt it? But that doesnt mean that all prejudice is wrong or out of place. A Berlin Jew in 1938, for example, may have rightly figured that anyone in a Nazi uniform posed a life-threatening risk to him or her. No Jew needed to get to know the person in the uniformthe uniform itself said it all, or at least enough of who that person was, what they believed, or what they were willing to do to Jews. In that kind of context, prejudice is a lifesaver. But prejudice against a whole race simply because this disease was spawned in China is wrong and out of place. We dont condemn suffering people. We help them. Courage, Compassion Are Also Contagious The antidotes to fear and prejudice are courage and compassion. That means thinking and acting through the better parts of our nature. Courage is one, compassion is another. We find courage and compassion from within us as human beings, and through faith in the One who has compassion for us and Who is greater than the world and all that is in it. The remarkably ironic thing about fear, especially deadly fear, is that without it, wed have no need for courage. For what is courage but the overcoming of fear, sometimes for the benefit of ourselves alone, but more often for the benefit of others. Courage will overcome fear, if we allow it. Thats also why compassion is often accompanied by couragecaregivers helping the very sick must be courageous enough to do what they do. They overcome their fear in order to compassionately care for another human being, even though theyre putting themselves at risk. Thankfully, courage and compassion are also highly contagious among human beings. Wisdom and Clarity of Purpose We must first act with wisdom and clarity of purpose to not only stop this dreaded scourge, but also assign the blame to whom it belongs. Blame does not belong to people who happen to be Asian. However, compassion doesnt mean we dont take all the necessary actions to contain this plague. We must have the courage to do what is necessary. Are travel restrictions to and from China necessary? Yes. Are quarantines justifiable? Absolutely. But so is compassion and human dignity for those suffering. And just as importantly, we treat those among us who are of the Asian race, as well as our family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers, or whomever, with humanity and dignity, just as we want to be treated. And what of those responsible for this potential global pandemic? We know that both arrogance and fear rule the hearts and minds of the brutes in the CCP who have forsaken their own humanity for a few years or decades of power and luxury. This outbreak is just one more bitter fruit of the poisonous harvest that theyve brought down upon their fellow countrymen and, potentially, the rest of the world. Express your righteous condemnation, vehemently and categorically. But regardless of its origin or cause, the coronavirus is here. Therefore, let us be courageous, compassionate, and fierce in fighting it and defeating it. But let us not go down that long, dreary path of racial antagonism that is so much of a part of human history. James Gorrie is a writer and speaker based in Southern California. He is the author of The China Crisis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is turning to two provincial civil servants to fill Senate seats for New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks with community leaders during a meeting in Montreal, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is turning to two provincial civil servants to fill Senate seats for New Brunswick and Saskatchewan. Legal and constitutional expert Judith Keating fills a vacancy in the upper chamber for New Brunswick. Keating is a 30-year veteran of New Brunswick's public service and was the first woman to be that province's deputy minister of justice. Legal ethics expert Brent Cotter will fill a seat for Saskatchewan. Cotter, a former deputy minister of intergovernmental and Indigenous affairs in that province, was one of the first professors in the field of legal ethics in Canada. Trudeau has now named 52 independent senators since 2016. Senate appointments are officially made by the Governor General on the advice of the prime minister. Since 2016, Trudeau has selected senators from recommendations made by an independent advisory board. People interested in becoming senators submit applications via the advisory board. The Senate has 105 seats. After these two appointments, there are five vacancies. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. T he work of one of the worlds most loved animation studios will soon be on Netflix, with 21 Studio Ghibli films arriving on the streaming service from February 1. The Japanese anime studio is known for creating some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring animations in cinema, transcending language to inspire fans all over the world. Therell be seven movies released a month, with the first batch including Castle in the Sky and My Neighbor Totoro. The Oscar-winning Spirited Away, which announced the studio to a wider western audience in 2001, will arrive on March 1 before the likes of Whisper of the Heart and Ponyo arrive in April. To celebrate the films arrival on Netflix, Jake Cunningham and Michael Leader the co-creators and hosts of the Ghibliotheque podcast have shared with the Standard their love of the studio, naming their five favourites. Their insights are below. Adored: Spirited Away is the Ghibli film best-known by western audiences Much more than just 'Japanese Disney' Ghibli is commonly referred to as the 'Japanese Disney' but the studio and their output couldn't be more different," say Cunningham and Leader, "They don't have the sprawling catalogue, wildly shifting identities or glut of sequels that have taken the sheen off the Disney magic over the years. Instead, the Ghibli name is a mark of quality. Their success is, in part, down to their consistency. The studio was set up by two veteran animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and the late Isao Takahata and that continuity defines Ghibli," Cunningham and Leader explains, "Miyazakis films are a brand unto themselves and thats a voice, an eye, an imagination that unites the bulk of Ghiblis films. And for the others, you have Takahatas curiosity and formal innovation. To us at Ghibliotheque, they are the world's greatest animation studio. We knew that awareness of Ghiblis films was weighted in favour of the bigger Miyazaki releases My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle, Ponyo and so it was our goal with the podcast to introduce listeners to some deeper cuts, as well as to the filmmakers and their stories that dont often get a mention in western media. Five of Ghibli's best, according to Jake and Michael The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Isao Takahata's final film is his most ambitious, adventurous and wise. A quietly experimental adaptation of a 10th century Japanese folktale that develops into a crushing meditation on life, death and rebirth, all told with a breathtaking visual style that looks like a watercolour painting come to life. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) Obvious, but timeless. This magical masterwork about two young sisters and their friendship with a local forest creature is a firm contender for the greatest animated film of all time. Miyazaki's cuddly creation became an icon: gracing the Studio's own logo and fuelling a cottage industry of merchandise that has filled Ghibli's coffers for decades. Only Yesterday (1991) Isao Takahata's nostalgic reverie travels between a young woman's present day and recollections of her school days. Its bold formal approach is perfectly paired with the story's relationship to memory, images drifting in to frame, dissolving as half remembered watercolours at its edge. Porco Rosso (1992) Obsessed with drawing planes from a young age, Miyazaki's tale of a porcine flying ace is an adventure tale in the spirit of Indiana Jones; it's also Ghibli's most quotable script, featuring fan favourite "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist". Whisper of the Heart (1995) Put simply: Ghibli's unsung masterpiece. The only directorial credit from legendary animator Yoshifumi Kondo, this teen romance infuses the humdrum suburban life of a young girl with an overactive imagination with that undeniable Ghibli magic. Curiously notable because a shot of young Shizuku working at her desk now graces scores of 'lofi hip hop beats' YouTube channels. Orange, Frances biggest telecoms company, said it had chosen Nokia and Ericsson to deploy its 5G network in mainland France, as Chinas Huawei Technologies faces intense political scrutiny in Europe, Trend with reference to Reuters reports. The former monopolys decision is likely to please U.S. authorities, which have been seeking for months to convince European allies to ban Huawei from telecoms networks on concerns that the Chinese firm could be used to steal Western secrets assertions it strongly denies. Orange, considered a strategic asset by the French government, uses Finlands Nokia and Swedens Ericsson for its current mobile networks, on which part of the next mobile technology will be built. For Orange France, it was the easiest solution, a source close to the operator said, adding that it followed negotiations and experiments using Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei products. Huawei was not immediately available for comment. A recent decree aimed at screening all telecoms equipment to prevent espionage did not offer enough clarity for Frances telecoms lobby FFT, which insisted that guarantees needed to be made on the issue. The general fear in the French telecoms industry is that the authorities actually want to ban Huawei but will not say it publicly. In an interview in Les Echos on Thursday, FFTs head Arthur Dreyfuss said the industry would ask for compensation in the event that Huaweis equipment ends up being de facto excluded from the deployment of 5G in Europe. Comments by the European Union industry chief Thierry Breton in an interview with Le Monde on Wednesday supported this interpretation, as he noted that China had laws allowing the state to have access to all kinds of data. Telecoms operators mustnt select risky suppliers, which could allow a state, for example, to take control of strategic sites such as capital cities, areas of intense military activity or nuclear power plants, Breton said. Frances cybersecurity agency ANSSI is set to issue its first decisions regarding equipment it has screened in the coming weeks. Earlier this week, the EU followed Britains example in allowing members to decide what part Huawei can play in its 5G telecoms networks and resisting pressure from Washington for an outright ban. EU countries can either restrict or exclude high-risk 5G vendors such as Huawei from core parts of their telecoms networks, according to the new guidelines, which seek to address the cybersecurity risks to the blocs 28 countries at a national and EU level. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday (January 31) dismissed Nirbhaya gang-rape case convict Pawan Guptas petition claiming that he was a juvenile when the offence took place. The review plea filed earlier in the day was taken up for consideration in-chamber by a bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna. Pawan had earlier filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in Supreme Court claiming that he was a juvenile when he committed the crime in 2012 and this fact was not taken into account by Delhi High Court during the proceedings in the case. Prior to that, Pawan had filed the same plea in the Delhi High Court too but it was rejected by the court. On January 17 (Friday), Pawan approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court order in this case. Pawan`s lawyer A P Singh had claimed in the petition that his client's date of birth as per school record is October 8, 1996, but this fact was ignored by Delhi High Court. Pawan has contended that the impugned order was passed in ignorance of the new evidence in the form of the school register of the school first attended by him, which conclusively shows that he was a juvenile on the date of the offence. Live TV He was held to be a major by an order of Magistrate passed in 2013. The death row convict stated that the order was passed without hearing him. He alleged that the police had not produced the school records in the case. No opportunity was given to his counsel to examine the papers submitted by police on the plea of juvenility, he stated in the petition. He submitted that the school certificate came to light only after 2017, when his lawyers were collecting materials for preparing an affidavit detailing his mitigating circumstances, following the directions of the Supreme Court on February 3, 2017. He argued that the school leaving certificate showed his date of birth as October 8, 1996. It may be noted that the trial court had earlier ordered the hanging of four Nirbhaya case convicts on February 1. UN agency declares global emergency over virus from China At least 213 people are dead, nearly 10,000 cases globally, due to the Coronavirus. Now the number of confirmed cases in the U.S. has jumped to six. Doctors placed a Chicago man in isolation this morning saying he showed symptoms of the new Coronavirus. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency. Impeachment trial: Vote on witnesses expected today The Senate wrapped up its second and final day of questions and answers in President Trump's impeachment trial. Multiple swing vote republicans have come out publicly against the possibility of new witnesses. If witnesses are called republicans say they want to hear from the Bidens and the whistleblower. If no new witnesses are allowed to testify, the trial could wrap up as soon as tonight. 2 Redding women arrested after probation search Redding police arrested Amber Hayes and Angela Dennis of Redding. Officers say a probation search of their home revealed meth residue, paraphernalia, and exposed wiring. Hayes is facing charges of felony child endangerment and a probation violation. Police cited Dennis for warrants and possession of heroin. Police took a five-year-old found at the home into protective custody. New report shows Oroville Dam to be a part of most high-risk dams in CA A new report from the California State Auditor shows the Oroville Dam is one of more than 600 high-risk dams in the state that do not have approved emergency plans. The report also says only 22 of 400 emergency plans submitted have actually been approved by the office of emergency services. Dignity Health and PHC reach new agreement Some good news for health patients in Shasta County. Dignity Health and Partnership Health plan reached a coverage agreement. That means Medi-Cal patients in northern California will still be able to get care at mercy medical in Redding. Partnership is the main local Medi-Cal administrator for low-income people. It announced the three-year agreement. Mercy confirms the deal is being finalized and that it expects it to be on the books by week's end. Northern California traffic alerts If weekend travel plans take you towards Trinity County theres a traffic alert to keep in mind. Caltrans is reminding drivers that work will continue on State Route 299, near big flat. Crews are working on the emergency slide project. Expect traffic controls 24/7 with up to 30-minute delays. Work runs Monday through Saturday, with some delays overnights and Sunday, as well. Concerning human trafficking trend in Tehama County Northern California advocates who work to help victims of human trafficking said they are worried about a spike reported in Tehama County. "Empower Tehama" is a resource and help agency designed to combat human trafficking. The agency is headquartered in Red Bluff. Last year, Empower Tehama said counselors handled 24 cases involving human trafficking. The organization's main goal is to raise awareness about the issue. A tourist wears a protective mask as she leaves the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris as the country is hit by the new coronavirus, France, January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier In Japan, the hashtag #ChineseDontComeToJapan has been trending on Twitter. In Singapore, tens of thousands of residents have signed a petition calling for the government to ban Chinese nationals from entering the country. In Hong Kong, South Korea and Vietnam, businesses have posted signs saying that mainland Chinese customers are not welcome. In France, a front-page headline in a regional newspaper warned of a Yellow Alert. And in a suburb of Toronto, parents demanded that a school district keep children of a family that had recently returned from China out of classes for 17 days. The rapid spread of the mysterious coronavirus that has sickened about 9,800 people the overwhelming majority in China, with all of the 213 deaths there has unleashed a wave of panic and, in some cases, outright anti-Chinese sentiment across the globe. While officials scramble to contain the crisis the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency Thursday and the U.S. State Department issued a do not travel to China advisory fears over the dangerous outbreak have fueled xenophobia. And the wave of spreading panic has at times far outstripped practical concerns. At a time when Chinas rise as a global economic and military power has unsettled its neighbors in Asia as well as its rivals in the West, the coronavirus is feeding into latent bigotry against the people of mainland China. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Some of the xenophobia is likely undergirded by broader political and economic tensions and anxieties related to China, which are interacting with more recent fears of contagion, said Kristi Govella, an assistant professor of Asian studies at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Some of the response to the outbreak can be seen as a rational calculation based on the risk of infection: Airlines are canceling flights to Wuhan, the center of the epidemic, and other Chinese cities; and conference organizers are asking Chinese delegations not to attend. Late Thursday, Italys prime minister said that his country had blocked all flights to and from China. And countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, Russia and Vietnam have temporarily stopped issuing certain classes of visas to travelers from Hubei province, where Wuhan is situated, or China altogether. I think it is time to put a temporary Do not enter sign on our doorstep for visitors from China, said Ralph Recto, a lawmaker in the Philippines. Bangkok residents are avoiding malls that are particularly popular with Chinese tourists. A plastic surgery office in the wealthy Gangnam neighborhood of Seoul has instructed employees that they can see Chinese customers only if they can prove that they have been in South Korea for 14 days or more, the potential period that the virus can lie dormant. At a sushi restaurant in the neighborhood that once housed the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, where about 90% of the customers are Chinese, Yaeko Suenaga, 70, a server, said she understood why some stores might want to reject visitors from China. I dont think this fear comes from discrimination, Suenaga said, but from the true fear that humans have of getting infected with a virus that may lead to death. Suenaga said that her restaurant would continue to welcome all customers but that workers would wear masks. It is not always easy to discern the boundary between understandable fear and unmistakable discrimination. But some protective measures have effectively amounted to racial or ethnic profiling. At Bread Box, a banh mi restaurant in central Hoi An, a popular tourist outpost in Vietnam, the owners posted a makeshift sign outside their storefront this month reading, We cant service for Chinese, SORRY! Up the coast, the Danang Riverside Hotel announced Saturday that it would not accept any Chinese guests because of the virus. Kwong Wing Catering, a small restaurant chain in Hong Kong, announced in a Facebook post Wednesday that it would serve only patrons speaking English or Cantonese, the citys native language a tongue distinct from the Mandarin spoken on the mainland. The business has been a vocal supporter of the Hong Kong democracy movement that has risen up in defiance of Beijing. Public health experts said they understood some of the impulses. In a sense, its a natural reaction to try to distance yourself from a potential cause of illness, particularly when theres no known cure, said Karen Eggleston, director of the Asia health policy program at the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center at Stanford University. But examples in both mass and social media have clearly crossed a line. In Australia, The Herald Sun, a Murdoch-owned newspaper, published the words China Virus Panda-monium over an image of a red mask. More than 46,000 people from the resident Chinese community in Australia signed a petition that called the headline unacceptable race discrimination. Le Courrier Picard, a regional newspaper in northern France, caused outrage with its Yellow Alert headline this month. The newspaper later apologized. On Twitter in Japan, where there has long been unease about the conduct of Chinese tourists, commenters have labeled them dirty and insensitive and have called them bioterrorists. Disinformation is also running high. A much-viewed YouTube video in South Korea claims that a biochemical weapons facility in China leaked the coronavirus, a theory that has gained currency in other corners of the globe. In Australia, a fake post circulating on Instagram warned that shops in Sydney containing items like fortune cookies, rice and Chinese Red Bull were contaminated. The episodes of racism have swept up other people of Asian descent. In France, one Vietnamese woman told the newspaper Le Monde that she had been insulted by a car driver who shouted, Keep your virus, dirty Chinese! and, You are not welcome in France, as he sped away through a puddle, splashing her. In Australia, Andy Miao, 24, an ethnic Chinese Australian who returned this month from a trip to China, said that passengers on public transport gave him odd looks if he was not wearing a face mask. It makes people like me who are very, very Australian feel like outsiders, Miao said. Its definitely invoking a lot of past racial stereotypes. The Chinese and Asians in general were subjected to similar xenophobic reactions during the SARS epidemic of 2003. But now far more Chinese are traveling abroad: According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Chinese travelers made about 150 million overseas trips in 2018, up more than 14% from the previous year. Chinas lockdown of tens of millions of people, intended to curb the spread of the virus, may be spurring other governments to overreact, said Koichi Nakano, a political scientist at Sophia University in Tokyo. The fact that the Chinese government itself is treating people like that would in some ways enable or encourage some of the other people or governments to take equally draconian measures, Nakano said. Some governments are trying to ease the panic. In Toronto, politicians, a school board and some community groups have issued public appeals to avoid a repetition of the racism that swept the city in 2003, when SARS killed 44 people there. While the virus can be traced to a province in China, we have to be cautious that this not be seen as a Chinese virus, the school board in the York Region, a suburb with many Asian residents, said in a statement issued Monday. At times such as this, we must come together as Canadians and avoid any hint of xenophobia, which in this case can victimize our East Asian Chinese community. Although Indonesia has suspended flights from Wuhan, the governor of West Sumatra, Irwan Prayitno, ignored a plea from a citizens group to reject all Chinese tourists. On Sunday, he personally went to the airport to welcome 174 Chinese visitors from the southwestern city of Kunming. In the Ginza shopping district of Tokyo, which is often thronged with Chinese tourists, Michiko Kubota, who runs a clothing boutique, said she hoped that the Japanese government might do more to help China, such as by sending masks or other medical supplies. Japan and China may be critical of each other sometimes, but the kindness is mutual, Kubota said. I hope we could do more to help eradicate fear in China as well. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mohr Partners, Inc., the world's largest wholly-owned commercial real estate advisory firm exclusively focused on representing occupiers & corporations, is pleased to announce that Robin Leamy, a 30-year commercial real estate industrial veteran, will return to Mohr Partners after a decade away running his successful tenant advisory firm known as Leamy Realty Group. Leamy will be based in San Francisco, CA and focus on growing Mohr Partners business throughout Northern California, which will include offices in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the East Bay. Throughout his 30-year commercial real estate career, Leamy has advised corporate occupier clients in strategically managing their real estate to align with their growth plans while reducing/containing their operating costs. Leamy will transition his former team into Mohr Partners, joining Matt Wersel who has established Mohr Partners as a leading player in the Bay Area corporate real estate services arena. "We are very excited to welcome Robin back to Mohr Partners. His proven leadership skills in building a best-in-class tenant advisory & corporate real estate services will enable Mohr Partners to execute our aggressive growth strategy with companies based in Northern California whose business extends nationally and internationally," stated Robert Shibuya, Chairman & CEO of Mohr Partners. Leamy commented, "I am thrilled to be returning to Mohr Partners which will allow me to enhance my ability to serve my clients by leveraging their industry-leading data analytics platform, full-service end-to-end capability and global market coverage." About Mohr Partners, Inc. : Mohr Partners, Inc. is a global corporate real estate advisor, providing corporate tenants with an integrated set of portfolio services including strategic planning, business intelligence, lease administration/accounting & FASB ASC 842 compliance, research and site selection, labor analytics, project and construction management, comprehensive demographics analysis, economic incentives negotiations and transaction management. Since 1986, Mohr has been managing real estate portfolios for corporations, and each year completes transactions for its clients in all 50 U.S. states, all provinces of Canada and locations around the world. Mohr seamlessly provides corporate real estate services globally through its strategic alliance partners in Canada, Mexico/Latin America, EMEA and Asia Pacific. For more information on Mohr, please visit www.mohrpartners.com. SOURCE Mohr Partners, Inc. Related Links http://www.mohrpartners.com A Portland man on Friday pleaded not guilty to rape and strangulation charges, and authorities are asking for help determining whether there are other potential victims. Rafael Gustavo Alcon-Ayala, 30, is accused of raping three people and strangling one of them in 2016, 2017 and 2019 incidents. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on Thursday and pleaded not guilty to five counts of first-degree rape and one count of strangulation Friday. Authorities ask anyone who has information about Alcon-Ayala to contact Portland police Detective Michael Greenlee at 503-823-0871 or Michael.Greenlee@portlandoregon.gov. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. EastEnders star Shona McGarty has hinted that Mick Carter and Whitney Dean could rekindle their affair. The soap star, 28, hinted that the pair 'will get closer' in the coming weeks as the Queen Vic landlord's marriage to wife Linda reaches breaking point due to her alcoholism. It comes after Mick and Whitney were seen in the midst of a tense exchange during filming for EastEnders 35th Anniversary special earlier this month. Surprising: EastEnders star Shona McGarty has hinted that Mick Carter and Whitney Dean could rekindle their affair amid the drama surrounding the 35th Anniversary Special Shona hinted that viewers will see them come close to reigniting their affair as Mick (played by Danny Dyer) looks for a shoulder to lean on amid his wife's drinking. Linda (Kellie Bright) has spiralled into alcoholism in recent weeks and has remained in denial that she has a problem, despite sparking fears for her son Ollie's wellbeing. Shona told The Mirror: 'They'll definitely get closer.' Mick and Whitney - who was married to his son Lee - shared a smooch in 2016 when Linda left Walford to care for her ill mother. Cosy: It comes as Shona and actor Danny Dyer were spotted in the midst of a tense scene during filming for the 35th Anniversary Special The fallout led Whitney to briefly flee the Square and get engaged to Woody Woodward (Lee Ryan), and when Linda returned she furiously lashed out at her and Mick. While it remains to be seen whether and Mick and Whitney will rekindle their affair, Shona did say she enjoyed filming the anniversary scenes on the River Thames. EastEnders bosses have also hinted that one character will be killed off in the series of special episodes, which will air next month. Steamy: Whitney and Mick previously shared a kiss in 2016 sparking a huge fallout and a brief split between Mick and his wife Linda She added: 'It's been absolutely brilliant. We've just had our 35th anniversary so I think it's a really good time for EastEnders, it's a really great place to work and to even be a part of it. 'It was freezing! But great fun. I got wet, that's all I can say.' Shona was tight-lipped about which character will fail to survive the boat tragedy, though on-set snaps did show a body being pulled from the River. EastEnders continues tonight at 8pm on BBC One. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:37:33|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Five people were killed and three others injured on Friday as a gas-air mixture went off in a factory in eastern Russia, the country's Ministry of Emergency Situations said. The explosion, which happened in the morning at a workshop under construction in Mtsensk, a city in the Oryol Region, caused a partial collapse of its roof, the ministry said in a statement. The factory produces metal doors and windows, and has about 80 employees, according to the website of the governor of the Oryol Region. There may be Turkish nationals among the victims, local media reported. The Iowa caucuses could be anyone's, new polling suggests, as Sen. Amy Klobuchar moves up the ranks to be in 1 per cent of Vice President Joe Biden, while Sen. Bernie Sanders maintains a slight lead. A survey from American Research Group says that 23 per cent of likely Democratic caucus-goers supports Sanders, 17 percent support Biden and 16 per cent support Klobuchar. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is also among the top tier with 15 per cent support. With three days to go before the Iowa caucuses, Sen. Amy Klobuchar has thrust herself into the top tier of candidates, a poll from American Research Group shows Amy Klobuchar is just 1 per cent behind former Vice President Joe Biden, while Sen. Bernie Sanders maintains a 6 point lead Sen. Bernie Sanders (left) beats former Vice President Joe Biden (right) by six points overall. Sanders performs better among independents, Democrats and women - though narrowly - and voters between the ages of 18 and 44. Biden destroys Sanders with voters over 45 Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who was topping some Iowa polls last year, now stands in 5th place with 9 per cent support. Entrepreneur Andrew Yang gets 5 per cent in the new poll. Billionaire Tom Steyer is at 3 per cent, while fellow billionaire Michael Bloomber - who is not competing in Iowa - is at 2 per cent. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard also gets 2 per cent of the share. Of those likely Democratic caucus-goers polled, 81 per cent identified as Democrats, while another 19 per cent said they weren't affiliated with a party. Not surprisingly, Sanders wins big among those with no party ID. He wins 34 per cent of this group, while Biden comes in a distant second with 14 per cent support. But Sanders also wins - but within the poll's 4 per cent margin of error - the group who said they were members of the Democratic Party. He receives 20 per cent support from this group. Tied for second are Klobuchar and Biden with 18 per cent. Warren's in third with 17 per cent. Then Buttigieg with 7 per cent and Yang with 4 per cent. Sanders performs the best among men and women, but holds a bigger lead among potential male caucus-goers. He earns 26 per cent support from that group, with Klobuchar coming in second with men at 17 per cent. Biden and Warren are tied at 14 per cent. Sanders gets 21 per cent of the women's vote share, followed by Biden who earns 20 per cent. Two female candidates come next, with Warren getting 16 per cent and Klobuchar receiving 15 per cent. Almost twice as many women support Buttigieg than men. He gets 6 per cent support from males and 11 per cent support from females. And Sanders dominates the younger voting bloc. This particular survey divided voters up 18-to-44 and 45-and-older. Sanders has a 33-point lead against his rivals among likely caucus-goers ages 18 to 44. He receives 46 per cent support in this group. The next highest is Warren with 13 per cent. Twenty-four per cent of those 45 and older prefer Biden, followed by 22 per cent for Klobuchar and 16 per cent for Warren. Among this age group, Sanders is tied with Buttigieg - and they both get 8 per cent. The Iowa caucuses are unique in that attendees gather at caucus locations all around the state. For the first ballot, they stand with the candidate they support. Only groups that represent 15 per cent of caucus-goers at that location are considered viable. Caucus-goers whose candidates are not viable can then be pulled into a different group on second ballot. With several candidates polling around the 15 per cent threshold, Monday's caucus results have become particularly difficult to predict. Pushkar Banakar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A joint resolution against the CAA was debated at the European Parliament on Wednesday where Indian-origin Members of European Parliament (MEPs) backed New Delhi even as there was opposition from some quarters. Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Helena Dalli, who began the debate, spoke in favour of the CAA and dwelled on the rich, frank and open relationship of the EU with India. She concluded saying dialogue with India should be intensified. Both Indian origin MEPs Dinesh Dhamija and Neena Gill backed India, with the former pointed out four wrongs in the draft resolution. It talks about Rohingyas, who are economic migrants, Tamil refugees who are ethnic minorities and not religious. There is also talk of NRC in the resolution but the NRC does not find a mention in the CAA and violence of police but 57 cops were injured at a rally in Lucknow. The CAA is sub-judice and the Supreme Court of India should assess it, Dhamija said. Gill said that the CAA was an action of positive discrimination and there was no exclusion of Muslims. The draft spreads disinformation and is misleading. French MEP Thierry Mariani also backed India, saying that the government and the Prime Minister were elected and re-elected. The vote on resolution was postponed keeping the Indian perspective in mind. Nothing has changed and there is no persecution or exclusion of Muslims. Pakistan seems to be pulling hands here and there must be a debate on the minorities that are being persecuted in Pakistan. Each nation has the right to decide what is best for them. The first blow for the resolutions came when the MEPs decided to vote in the next plenary in March. India claimed a diplomatic victory, saying its friends had prevailed over the friends of Pakistan in the European Parliament. If the European Parliament votes on the resolution in March, British MEPs would not be a part of it as the House finalised the Brexit plan on Wednesday. Pakistan-born British MEP Shaffaq Mohammed claimed the "House had chosen trade over human rights. HOME support from duo Both Indian origin MEPs Dinesh Dhamija and Neena Gill backed India on the CAA and pointed out disinformation being spread in the draft resolutions. Gill said that the CAA was an action of positive discrimination and there was no exclusion of Muslims. Dhamija pointed out four wrongs in the draft resolution itself. FRENCH IN FAVOUR, PAK-ORIGIN MEP raised the objection Thierry Mariani, a French MEP, referred to Pakistans hand in drafting and tabling the resolutions in the European Parliament. Each nation has the discretion to decide what to do internally. The vote on the resolution was postponed keeping the Indian perspective in mind. Nothing has changed and there is no persecution or exclusion of Muslims, he asserted. On the other hand, Pakistan-origin MEP Shaffaq Mohammed and others such as Socialists & Democrats' John Howarth and VERTS/ALEs Scott Ainslie described the Citizenship (Amendment) Act as a highly discriminatory legislation. Diplomatic victory: India Sources said that the decision to call off the vote on the resolution on Thursday was taken as the matter (amended citizenship law) is sub-judice before the Supreme Court in India. New Delhi claimed a diplomatic victory, saying that friends of India had prevailed over friends of Pakistan in the European Parliament. AsiaNews met the priest ordained by Card Sako on January 18 last. From friendship with a nun, to entering the seminary with his family's blessing. Brotherhood, acceptance and fighting hatred the foundations of his mission in Iraq. The local Church has witnessed the faith through the sacrifice of its children, religious and lay people. Baghdad (AsiaNews) - A vocation born thanks to the friendship with a nun and a priest, cultivated in the seminary and lived every day following the example of the Iraqi martyrs, whose testimony is a source of pride for the whole Church. THis is how Fr. Madyan Shamil speaks of his choice to embrace the priesthood, learning to love one's neighbor "as yourself" according to the example of the Gospel. From the patriarchal diocese of Baghdad, he was ordained on January 18 by Card. Louis Raphael Sako in a ceremony lived with joy by the entire community of the capital. Born on 29 January 1995 in Mosul, he entered the seminary in 2012 and completed his studies in 2018, after which he spent a period of study in Italy, especially in Assisi, where "I learned to exercise spirituality" . He is currently assistant to the parish priest of the Chaldean Cathedral of St. Joseph, in Baghdad. Here the new priest's interview with AsiaNews: Fr. Madyan, speak to us about the birth of your vocation? I felt the desire to serve the Lord from an early age. After the American occupation of Iraq [in 2003], my parents decided to go to church every Sunday. During the first mass we met a nun, who asked my father to be able to teach me and my sister. Thanks to her, we learned catechism, the Chaldean language and also prayer in preparation for first communion. We became her 'children' and with her I began to feel the vocation of God, deepened in my friendship with Fr. Hanna Jajika with whom I served mass or visited families. At that moment I fell in love with the Church and the ministry of the priesthood, which was followed by a passion for reading, books and magazines, especially those on the priesthood and the life of the saints. In 2012, after finishing high school, I asked my parents to enter the seminary and share a month's experience with them. After this short period, after talking to the bishop I decided to make my official entry to the seminary in Erbil, with the consent of my family. In marriage, in consecrated life, in work, each one according to his or her own vocation must be messengers of God and be at the service of others. Pope Francis stressed that mission is proposal, testimony and sharing: how is this taks of proclamation in teh context of the current reality in Iraq? In the Gospel, Christ urges us to love "your neighbor as yourself", without interest. This love means sacrifice and self-giving, just as the martyr is a witness of his faith. This testimony becomes effective in sacrifice; we Christians of Iraq live this experience and we are proud of those who have given this example of testimony to the blood. The principles of the mission in Iraq are brotherhood, non-violence and contrasting hatred, acceptance of the other without discrimination, sharing joys and sorrows. In this regard, our country distinguishes itself by multiplicity of cultures, ideologies, languages. What role does the Church have in Iraq today? Ours is a role that is not limited only to words, but can also be translated into extraordinary actions and gestures. Recently, in the face of street demonstrations against the government - in which hundreds of Iraqis died - the Chaldean patriarch and his assistant bishops, with some priests, visited the square that became the symbol of the revolution. They encouraged those present because to break the sectarian barrier and revive the national identity. [Card Sako] invited the government to listen to their legitimate cry, as Christmas approached he canceled the celebrations as a gesture of solidarity with the victims, celebrating mass and praying for peace, visiting the wounded. The Church is in thr front line in the encounter between faiths, in the search for brotherhood and reconciliation. Yours is one of the many families who fled Mosul and the Nineveh plain in summer 2014 with the arrival of ISIS. What do you remember of those days? Before the arrival of the Islamic State (IS, ex Isis), my family lived in Karamles. When the jihadists arrived I was not with them, because I was already in Erbil. I remember a great tragedy ... early in the morning thousands of Christians, children and elderly people, families, who came to all the churches of Erbil in a state of shock, with no money, no clothes, no shelter. With the help of the Church, donors and NGOs, in addition to the regional government of Kurdistan, a way was found to respond to the emergency and ensure housing and care. Today a part of the people have returned following the defeat of ISIS, but many are still in Kurdistan and a part has fled out of Iraq. Where do Mosul refugees see their future? Would your family want to come back? For now they have settled in Ankawa (Christian neighborhood of Erbil). Kurdistan has proven to be a welcoming place, an area of peace and coexistence, security and prosperity, there are job opportunities and a good atmosphere for a dignified life. Of course, the hope is that in the future the situation in Mosul will improve and that Christians will be able to return safely, but for now this prospect still seems distant. In the past, Mosul was the scene of the murder of Fr. Ragheed and the kidnapping, which concluded tragically, of Archbishop Rahho. What memories do you have of that period? When Fr. Ragheed was killed I was still a child, but I still have some memories in particular of the bishop who had given me my first communion. Archbishop Rahho was a kind and courageous person who was not afraid and tried to instill courage, even after the death of Fr. Ragheed preceded by the murder six months before of another priest, Fr. Paul Iskandar, of the Syrian Orthodox church. At the time, Christians felt persecuted and this prompted them to emigrate, especially to Syria. Even Patriarch Sako has repeatedly called the Iraqi church a Church of martyrs ... True faith is revealed through actions and the Iraqi Church has witnessed this faith by sacrificing its children, religious and lay people. People suffered greatly from persecution and violence, kidnappings for money, several bombed churches, others threatened to convert to Islam or leave the city. Nonetheless, we felt the power of the Lord accompanying us and protecting us from evil. " " Can you guess how many candies are in each jar? Chefshots - Eric Futran/Getty Images Life is sort of like one big guessing game. All day long, we venture guesses about everything from the mundane, like calling heads or tails on a coin toss, to guessing someone's height to more nuanced speculations, such as a person's true intentions. Much as we hate to admit it, humans don't actually know everything, especially when multiple variables are involved. That's when the act of guessing comes into play. "Before books, before libraries, before Google, guessing was the only way humans navigated in the world," explains David Ezell, CEO and clinical director of counseling and mental wellness group, Darien Wellness in Darien, Connecticut. (As a cognitive behavioral therapist, he says he talks to people all day long about how they guess and how those guesses affect them). "Throughout the days, thousands of decisions had to be made with little or no facts. So, guessing was the way humans decided to eat a red berry (or not), or go down the left path instead of the right." Advertisement The exact mechanisms behind how our brains land on one guess or another are not technically known yet. "There isn't really the neuroscience to say this pathway or that. The brain is very interconnected and this is sort of a global process," says Dr. Gail Saltz, psychiatrist and the author of "The Power of Different: The Link Between Disorder and Genius.'" Certain types of guesses do benefit from specific areas of the brain, even though they're probably not the only parts involved. "The cerebral cortex or cerebellum has been demonstrated to be involved in hunches. Neuroscientists have long known that guessing generally involves the activation of regions distributed throughout the brain," says Dr. Ben Michaelis, clinical psychologist and creator of the One Minute Diagnosis website in an email interview. "When you are guessing about visual subjects your frontal lobe and occipital lobe are activated. When you are guessing about numerical quantities the superior parietal lobe has been shown to be activated." This isn't terribly surprising, as the parietal lobe is associated with a lot of capabilities that influence guessing, such as spatial position, object identification and body navigation. The frontal lobe is responsible for personality, sense of smell and movement, and the occipital lobe handles vision. The temporal lobe can affect guessing success, since it's in charge of memory, as well as speech [source: Johns Hopkins Medicine]. Guinea-Bissau Expected Council Action In February, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS), which expires on 28 February. Before this, the Council is expected to hear a briefing by Special Representative and head of UNIOGBIS Rosine Sori-Coulibaly. Key Recent Developments Developments in Guinea-Bissau have revolved around holding presidential elections following four years of political crisis. On 28 October 2019, only weeks before the 24 November election, President Jose Mario Vaz dismissed Prime Minister Aristides Gomes and his government. The following day, Vaz appointed Faustino Fudut Imbali as the new prime minister, despite Gomes refusal to step down. The move risked delaying the election. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) called the action illegal in a ministerial communique on 29 October. ECOWAS recalled its decision from 29 June 2019, which said that although Vazs term had expired on 23 June, he should remain president until the election but that the Gomes administration should handle all government affairs. Chairperson of the AU Commission Moussa Faki issued a statement also expressing full support for the government of Gomes. Sori-Coulibaly briefed Council members in consultations on the crisis on 31 October 2019. On 4 November, the Council adopted a presidential statement expressing full support to the communiques of ECOWAS and the AU and stressing the urgent need to hold the presidential elections on 24 November as agreed. At an ECOWAS extraordinary summit in Niamey on 8 November 2019, West African leaders demanded the immediate resignation of Imbali and his government, failing which individual sanctions will apply. ECOWAS also threatened sanctions against those who used the army or security forces to impose illegal actions or who undermined the electoral process and political stability. It further decided to reinforce the ECOWAS Mission in Guinea-Bissau (ECOMIB), deploying a 140-member formed police unit from Togo. Imbali resigned that same day. The presidential election was held on 24 November 2019, contested by 12 candidates. The leader of The African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), Domingos Simoes Pereira, won 40.13 percent of the vote. Placing second with 27.65 percent was Umaro Sissoco Embalo of the Movement for Democratic Change (MADEM-G15), a party formed by PAIGC dissidents in 2018 that has frequently allied with Vaz and the traditional opposition Party for Social Renewal. Vaz ran as an independent, having clashed with his party (the PAIGC) during the past four years, and received only 12 percent of the vote. As no candidate won a majority, a run-off election was scheduled for 29 December 2019 between Simoes Pereira and Sissoco Embalo. On 4 December 2019, third-place finisher Nuno Gomes Nabiam, leader of the United Peoples Assembly-Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau (APU-PDGB), signed a political pact with Sissoco Embalo in Dakar, Senegal, to support the latters candidacy. The move created an internal dispute within APU-PDGB, which is part of the PAIGC-led coalition government of Aristides Gomes. In the run-off election held on 29 December, Sissoco Embalo won 53.55 percent of the vote, compared to Simoes Pereiras 46.45 percent. International observer missions, including from ECOWAS and the AU, said the election was fair. Simoes Pereira, however, alleged fraud, saying that at some polling stations, votes exceeded the number of enrolled voters. The PAIGC challenged the results in the Supreme Court of Justice. On 24 January, the court ordered a new count of voter tally documents, which the election commission agreed to do on 28 January following civil society mediation. ECOWAS and several other international partners, meanwhile, have recognised Sissoco as the incoming president. Guinea-Bissau recorded its largest drug interdiction on 1 September 2019, seizing 1.8 tonnes of cocaine and arresting seven Bissau-Guineans, three Colombians, one Malian and one Mexican. This surpassed its previous largest interdiction of nearly 800 kilos in March 2019. Investigations into the shipment compounded tensions in the lead- up to the presidential election. Sanctions-Related Developments The chair of the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee for 20182019, Ambassador Anatolio Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), visited Guinea-Bissau from 27 to 30 October 2019 to encourage the timely holding of the election, dates which coincided with Vazs decision to dismiss Gomes. The Councils 4 November presidential statement recalled that its possible consideration of ending the sanctions regime (established following the April 2012 coup detat) would depend on orderly conduct by the defence and security forces and political actors. It also recalled that the Council would consider taking appropriate measures against those who undermined Guinea-Bissaus stability in accordance with its previous resolutions. Developments in the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) The PBCs country configuration chair, Ambassador Mauro Vieira (Brazil), visited Guinea-Bissau from 22 to 24 October 2019 to encourage a timely and peaceful election. On 13 November, the configuration met to consider developments and electoral preparations. A 15 November press statement by the configuration called on stakeholders to hold elections as scheduled and reaffirmed the PBCs commitment to support political and institutional reforms, as outlined in the October 2016 Conakry Agreement and the governments strategic development plan for 2015-2025. Key Issues and Options The UNIOGBIS mandate renewal is a key issue, particularly assessing whether conditions on the ground and with transition planning for a follow-up UN presence are right for closure of the mission by the end of 2020. When the Council renewed UNIOGBIS mandate last year, it endorsed the Secretary-Generals recommendations in his December 2018 special report for UNIOGBIS reconfiguration and prospective completion by December 31, 2020. Regarding transition planning, this requires close consultation with national authorities, but it is not clear if the PAIGC can maintain its governing coalition, which risks renewing gridlock over forming a government and complicating such planning. Uncertainty remains over the outcome of the presidential election. Important upcoming national processes include the constitutional reviewparticularly to clarify or amend the division of powers between the president and prime minister. ECOWAS heads of state and government have charged the ECOWAS Commission with providing technical support to accelerate implementation of constitutional reforms after the election and called for a referendum on the constitutional reform during 2020. Completing the electoral cycle, constitutional review, and security sector reforms were the key components of the Conakry Agreement that ECOWAS brokered in 2016 to resolve the political crisis and address root causes of Guinea-Bissaus instability. Transnational criminal activities, particularly drug trafficking, remain a key issue, and there are concerns that terrorist groups in the region could also potentially exploit Guinea-Bissaus political instability. One option for the Council is to renew UNIOGBIS mandate until 31 December 2020 while requesting the Secretary-General to provide an update later this year on progress in handing over UNIOGBIS tasks to the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), the UN country team and other entities. The update could also identify capacity or financial gaps that may exist following UNIOGBIS closure. Another option is holding an informal interactive dialogue with the PBC and relevant stakeholders on transition preparations and requirements. A related issue is ending the sanctions regime, which members may consider when renewing UNIOGBIS mandate or waiting until UNIOGBIS new mandate concludes. The Council could encourage, in the upcoming mandate renewal, holding of the national conference for reconciliation, another pending process important for addressing past crimes and violence, and, potentially, the links between organised crime and politics. Council and Wider Dynamics The Council closely followed developments ahead of the first round of the presidential election, holding three meetings in consultations during October and November 2019, issuing one press statement, and adopting a presidential statement. On Guinea-Bissau, the Council has tended to follow ECOWAS lead, seeking to support its decisions, often prompted by the West African Council member. Members appear to agree on the goal of ending UNIOGBIS. The mission and its predecessor mission have been present since 1999, and members have noted the absence of violence and ECOWAS leading role in recent years. During last years mandate negotiations, some members stressed the importance of assessing the situation on the ground when determining to end UNIOGBIS, with a key benchmark being the presidential election. Niger is the penholder on Guinea-Bissau. Ambassador Moncef Baati (Tunisia) is the new chair of the 2048 Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON GUINEA-BISSAU Britain is thinking big and global as we exit the European Union. I am no fan of China's economic imperialism or BT's skill at building out telecoms infrastructure. But the decision to give Huawei a role in 5G ends uncertainty and gives the UK the opportunity to get the job done. It is also a reminder that business and consumers need not just 5G but Korean-style ultra-fast broadband too. Taking precautions: Coronavirus is spreading at a rate six times faster than Sars The final decision on the HS2 high-speed rail between London and the North is awaited. But with Chancellor Sajid Javid on side it looks set to be kept on track. Each time someone claims that January 31 and the lowering of the EU flag doesn't mean we have left Brussels behind, I despair. A settlement with Europe will be agreed by year end, whether it is a bare bones series of intentions, a Canada-style trade deal or something else. It will not be acceptable if 2020 becomes another year of infighting and damaging delays. That would consign the Boris bounce looking very real in the housing market to the dustbin. Business investment in the UK fell way down the OECD league in the post-referendum period. Unlocking the 750 billion of cash on corporate balance sheets is critical to kick start output. It is even more crucial now that the Bank of England has lowered forecasts for Britain's productivity. Being part of the European Union meant that the UK was less exposed to global economic conditions than before 1973. It has not been an enormous advantage since the Grexit threat and euro crisis of 2010 led euroland to stagnate. Britain, as an open economy with the largest financial sector outside the US, can never isolate itself from global conditions. I can remember how chagrined Gordon Brown was in 1997 when the Asian crisis required him to dramatically lower the UK's growth rate. The UK may be able to quarantine itself from the medical fallout from the coronavirus emergency, but cannot avoid impact by the economic consequences. Hong Kong academics (quoted by the Economist) say that the epidemic may not peak for several months. That is quite frightening. In 2003 during the Sars outbreak, China accounted for just 4.3 per cent of global output, a figure which has zipped up to 16.9 per cent. Coronavirus is spreading at a rate six times faster than Sars, leading forecaster Cebr to suggest it could hit world GDP by between 1.8 per cent to 6 per cent, which would signal a global recession. Even if one dismisses worst-case outcomes, the threat underlines the need for fiscal and monetary boldness to offset the slowdown. The Chancellor has given himself more room to manoeuvre by easing the fiscal rules. By holding bank rate at 0.75 per cent in January the Bank of England left itself space to act decisively should the global economy lurch downwards. Broken Hill If I didn't know better, I would say that Hargreaves Lansdown chose Brexit day to bury bad news. The reputation of the immensely profitable dealing platform has been badly holed by the Woodford scandal. New business has declined, but revenues at 258million and profits at 171million are sharply up. That is not good optics for one-quarter of HL clients exposed to catastrophic losses as a result of following recommendations on HL's poorly monitored Wealth 50 list. 'Frustrating': HL boss Chris Hill described the Woodford affair as 'disappointing and frustrating' HL boss Chris Hill described the Woodford affair as 'disappointing and frustrating'. Clients will regard that as crocodile tears. In effect the broker has accepted a degree of culpability by the promise to tighten up oversight of the Wealth 50 list and to 'follow a more independent path'. The chunky 8 per cent-plus fall in HL's shares may be just the start. Asset manager Cavendish warns there could still be a big Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) fine and a class action lawsuit from shareholders to come. Bad advert The speed of process at the FCA is never scary. But it is never a feather in the cap to be under investigation. M&C Saatchi's shares plunged following disclosure that the FCA would be looking at forensic findings of overstated profits. Not a great outcome for chairman Jeremy Sinclair and chief executive David Kershaw who are seeking to rebuild after the shock departure of co-founder Maurice Saatchi and a cadre of independent directors. Experienced as he is, new deputy chairman Gareth Davis will have his work cut out. Imagine The Irishman done right made by a filmmaker whose reputation has not overrun his artistry. That would be Marco Bellocchios The Traitor (Il Traditore), which chronicles the true story of Sicilian mafia boss Tommaso Buscetta (Pierfrancesco Favino), who exposed the workings of the Cosa Nostra in Italys 1986 Maxi Trials, the countrys largest round-up of the criminal organization. The trial becomes The Traitors remarkable centerpiece. Bellocchio reports the story of Buscettas awakened conscience through feverish chronological memories of his sons and family members killed over heroin trade feuds. Unlike The Irishmans totally fabricated historical fantasies, these drug wars evoke historical terror. Theyre staged like cinematic opera a pageant of bullet-point, documentary-style massacres that verges on existential comedy. The title alludes to Verdis Il Trovatore, but this is anti-romantic. Buscettas complicated moral sense (unlike the cipher DeNiro played in The Irishman) never hides behind the quasi-Catholicism that has become Scorseses dubious routine. Modern Italian Catholicism, a consistent Bellocchio subject (In the Name of the Father, My Mothers Smile), contributes to his understanding of how culture works. He sees religion and politics as means that sustain peoples beliefs as well as their illusions. Buscettas survival instinct and sense of guilt drive him to Brazil, away from the warfare, watching the hostilities from afar yet unable to escape the long reach of law and treachery. When Buscetta gets extradited, he returns to Italy as a states witness. The narrative deepens with Buscettas interrogation by Judge Falcone (Fausto Russo Alesi); each man lays out his personal ethical dilemma. An unexpected but fateful brotherhood develops. During the Maxi Trials, set inside a Palermo prison and makeshift courtroom where the made-men Buscetta betrayed can simultaneously observe the proceedings, The Traitor takes on a surprising theatricality. Bellocchi is both aghast and bemused by the psychology behind the cultural phenomenon of Mafia crime. The Traitor becomes a spectacle of men, on either side of iron bars, vocalizing their anger and shouting vendettas: atavistic rage in a cage, that cage erected from the history of Italian civilization and its discontents. Story continues As one of the last great classical filmmakers but also a self-aware modernist Bellocchio updates the mob-movie genre past its trashy American models. (None of Scorseses innumerable, unrepentant crime-loving films have ever been so daring.) The cycles of violence and revenge, cowardice and ruthlessness in the films exuberant opening feels like a mob-movie parody, but it is Bellocchios commentary on the genres stranger-than-fiction conventions, challenging the audiences now-degraded responses. Everything people love about GoodFellas the machismo, the violence, the sentimentality, the sense of grandstanding revelation happens in quotations marks that make you rethink the cliches as moral evasions. Bellocchios flamboyant art is also moral. Scorsese and his fans get caught up in audacity and bravado, which allows them to ignore the degradation or enjoy it with a shrug of smirky indifference. (Coppola critiqued this attitude, also going back to operatic roots, in his revisionist The Godfather, Part III, which is the reason crime fans resent it; they prefer how TVs The Sopranos normalized decadence.) But The Traitor rampages through monstrous events, including revenge killings of many family members; Buscettas sensual, luxury-loving wife, played by Maria Fernanda Candido, endures an especially grandiose assault. These build the case for Biscottis disillusionment and his decision to perform what his former associates see as betrayal. The meaning of treason is in flux these days encouraged and celebrated by U.S. media elites seeking to maintain social control through easily swayed popular opinion. But Bellocchio views Buscettas treason morally an insight derived from his revelations in Vincere (2000). That political bio-pic recalled Italys refracted view of Benito Mussolini and the woman, Ida Dalser, he abandoned. But, essentially, Vincere explored Il Duces cult of personality a still timely theme that Bellocchio intuitively relates to this centurys still unexamined Obama cult. Vinceres bold derangement of perspectives both Italys national hopes and Ida Dalsers private longings presents an allegory for what has unmistakably led to the self-justifying immorality of modern progressives. Bellocchio, like most Italian film masters of the Sixties, including his peer Bernardo Bertolucci, began with leftist sentiments but grew out of them. He made art of his disillusionment in such masterworks as Leap into the Void; Good Morning, Night; My Mothers Smile; Dormant Beauty; and The Wedding Director. Bellocchio always mixes politics, religion, psychology, and culture. He doesnt get trapped in shallow ethnography like Scorsese does. His actors Favino, Alesi, and Candido embody vivid modern Italian types yet are shorn of false glamour. As a result of Bellocchios moral reckoning, their fates carry a jolt. The Traitor, this years first great movie, counters the moral subversion of Netflixs The Irishman campaign. By inquiring into the morality of the gangster film, Bellocchio is not a traitor to his art. More from National Review Amaravati, Jan 31 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday urged the Centre to evacuate 35 youth from the state trapped in the locked-down city of Wuhan in China following the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister requested him to direct the Indian embassy in China to evacuate them to India at the earliest and provide all necessary assistance. Jagan wrote that these youth were part of a group of staff of Chinese firm Panel Optodisplay Technology Private Ltd (POPTL) who went there for training in August last year. POPTL selected 35 students from Visakhapatnam in 2019 during campus placements to work at its upcoming LCD TV screen-manufacturing unit near Tirupati. "Later, they along with others, were sent to Wuhan for training. The batch was to return to India in the first week of March this year," he wrote. Jagan also mentioned in the letter that the parents of the affected employees are worried and want their wards back home at the earliest. A representative from one of Americas most famous universities will be in Derry next month to speak to young people about educational opportunities in the US. A representative from Harvard University UK Outreach programme will be making a presentation at Thornhill College on Monday, February 24. This will be one of three presentations at schools in Northern Ireland. All young people considering university and their parents are welcome to come along to the event. The aim of the presentations is to provide accurate information about the US higher education system in general - using Harvard as an example - so that students are fully aware of the opportunities available to them and can make informed choices. There is no charge to attend the presentation but there are a limited number of places available at each venue. To register for the Thornhill event, click here - http://bit.ly/387Cys3 Barricades block the intersection at Third and Arch streets in the Old City neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. A water main break on January 7 has had continued effects for businesses in the area, as the intersection is still closed to vehicle traffic. Read more Water pipes breaking across Philadelphia is not an uncommon occurrence. But when theyre catastrophic in nature, its anything but business as usual. In fact, many businesses struggle to survive as repairs take place and profits dwindle. Now, many are asking why the city cant help. Also, a number of college students across the region were preparing to study abroad in China. But the continued spread of coronavirus has Philly-area universities changing their plans. And finally, Haddon Heights residents are asking questions about what some view as a case of fowl play. Ray Boyd (@RayBoydDigital, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Philadelphia water pipes typically break more than 800 times a year. Every once in a while, its a catastrophic event leaving businesses with dwindling customers and revenue as repairs take place. The frequency of such occurrences leaves business owners wondering why the city cant offer more help. A few months of disruption can spell the end for many small businesses. Officials said $50,000 could be made available to Old City District to account for cleaning and marketing efforts this year, but business owners say that isnt enough. Ideas on the table have included a grant or loan program for impacted businesses, tax breaks, and an emergency fund maintained by the city. It appears that the age of the citys infrastructure makes more disruptive main breaks inevitable. Study-abroad programs are being scaled back for students at Philadelphias universities due to the coronavirus which has killed 170 people and sickened thousands. Uncertainty surrounding its spread has caused institutions to alter or cancel their plans that include traveling China. At this point, impacted schools include Temple University, the University of Pennsylvania, Penn State and others. At this point, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. On Thursday, federal health authorities did confirm the sixth case and first person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S. First, he was taken to the farm. Then, he bought the farm. Glenny became known as Haddon Heights beloved celebrity turkey as he strolled through neighborhoods, fanning his feathers for all to see. But on Sunday, he was relocated to Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary because he was deemed to be a local nuisance. Glennys sudden disappearance from Haddon Heights left many in the community up in arms. But his stay in sanctuary was short-lived. Officials say Funny Farm is for domestic animals only but Glenny was sent there before he was quarantined for disease. That meant he had to go. The USDA said that releasing Glenny back into the wild would pose a risk to native animals. Therefore, he was humanely euthanized. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly Thats a next-level Philly skyline angle, @andrewnotar. Thanks for sharing . Tag your Instagram posts or tweets with #OurPhilly and well pick our favorite each day to feature in this newsletter and give you a shout out! Thats interesting Opinions As someone whos covered 10 presidential elections and struggled to make sense of 2020s utterly bizarre campaign, the Sanders surge feels like the first moment of clarity, and the first time Ive seen a candidate with a path to Julys convention in Milwaukee ... and beyond. ... Hes on an electoral path that seems strikingly similar to the way Donald Trump shocked the world. Columnist Will Bunch on Bernie Sanders path to the White House. Do you hate cancel culture? If so, Professor Anjana Susarla breaks down why you should blame algorithms and their love of outrage. The NFL is doing all it can to distance itself from concussions. But, as columnist Mike Sielski writes, the league cant seem to avoid mixed messaging when it comes to head injuries. What were reading Vox delves into a phenomenon in Hollywood that is pitting reality against artificial intelligence. Movie makers are replacing the artistic touch with algorithms a step some argue will lead to dire consequences. Speaking of reality, Andy Reid is crafting a new one in the NFL. The Ringer breaks down how Reid continues to push the limits of what is possible offensively as he leads the the Chiefs into the Super Bowl. The NFLs 100th season has been the year of the black quarterback, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance for Patrick Mahomes. The Undefeated highlights 18 influential black quarterbacks from the trailblazers to those with bright futures. Your Daily Dose of | Art Henry Ossawa Tanner is one of the nations most celebrated artists and a product of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. His lion paintings can be seen in museums across the country. Now, PAFA has acquired one of its own. In response to a possible case of respiratory EHV-1 at Saratoga Casino Hotel, all horses entered to race this weekend at The Meadowlands that are stabled at that track have been scratched as a precaution. When he became aware of the situation this morning, Meadowlands Race Secretary Scott Warren contacted Presiding Judge Pete Koch to discuss how they might best protect horses and horsemen racing at The Meadowlands. After consulting with the New Jersey Racing Commission (NJRC) veterinarians it was decided to eliminate the risk of allowing horses from Saratoga to be brought into the paddock, thus the scratches number 15 on Friday and three on Saturday. Affected horsemen were notified immediately. "We hope to get more information this weekend and will communicate to the affected horsemen about entering on Tuesday for next weekend," said Warren. "Only those horses stabled on the grounds at Saratoga are affected by the exclusion until the problem is controlled to the satisfaction of the NJRC vets." (Meadowlands) U.S. Ambassador to Korea Harry Harris without mustache. By Oh Young-jin It was only two weeks ago but by the standard of today's news cycle that moves at the speed of light, it feels as good as ancient. But being ancient in the news does not mean it is irrelevant because often we find ourselves in an uncanny case of deja vu where we have to pick up from where the issue was left off. If you feel clueless about what I am talking about, it is not your fault. Nor is it mine, or so I like to think. As the writer of this column, I feel obligated to fill you in about my topic of the day and why and how it could take us back to the past. I am talking about a controversy regarding American Ambassador Harry Harris' mustache that only two weeks ago was blowing up as a major diplomatic rupture between Korea, the U.S. and by extension Japan. Now few would readily remember the Harris mustache incident, the whole world being preoccupied by the Wuhan pneumonia or coronavirus. We will survive the epidemic as we did with SARS or MERS, the previous epidemics that befell us. So, one way or another, Harris' facial hair will come back to us because it captures a fast-evolving Korea-U.S. alliance and, more broadly, indicates the future map of this region. In a city whose taste for French cuisine was nurtured for decades by the gastronomic gleam of Le Bec-Fin, where the flash of silver domes illuminated gravity-defying crab galettes and a dream trolley of haute desserts, theres an innate sense that French dining is primarily a luxury pursuit. But perhaps it is finally time to embrace a classic cafe, the kind of neighborhood spot one can visit weekly for a French 75 and slice of country pate, where the food is simple but honest and not much more expensive than a diner. A hearty steamer pot of tender mussels and leeks tumbled in wine and cream for $17? A croque monsieur ham and cheese layered with rich bechamel for $12? Thats whats happening now behind the glowing neon and gauzy white curtains at the new Gabi on North Broad Street. And oui, Im there for it despite its frites problem. So, too, are some members of the local French community whove become regulars at this latest venture from the team behind Bistrot La Minette. Look! Theres actor and comedian Wanda Sykes nibbling whole trout and tartly dressed salade Lyonnaise with her French wife, Alex Niedbalski, whos friends with La Minettes Peggy Baud-Woolsey. Another night, I cant elude Charlotte Calmels, the doyenne of Bibou, who swoops by with sound advice. Get the beef tartare, she whispers confidentially. Its the best in the city. READ MORE: June BYOB review: Classic French replaces modern French on East Passyunk Avenue Ill be sure not to mention that to her husband, Pierre Calmels, the Lyonnais master of Bibou, whose elegant tartare at the now-closed Le Cheri used to be my favorite. For $13, though, I couldnt name a better-quality tartare value than the one at Gabi, where coarsely diced grass-fed rib eye is sparked with minced capers, cornichons, and tiny bits of lemon, then lusciously glossed with seasoned raw egg yolk. Pile a spoonful atop a crisp of house baguette with a swipe of Dijon, and I dare you not to eat another. Much has changed since Le Bec finally closed in 2013. And one could argue Phillys Gallic restaurant roster is more diverse than ever, from the tasting-menu heights of contemporary Laurel and classic Bibou, to the tableside game birds of June BYOB, the charcuterie masters of Royal Boucherie and a.kitchen, the modern flights of Forsythia, and the cozy Sunday raclette and natural wines of Good King Tavern and Le Caveau. And, of course, theres the sprawling brasserie glamour of Parc, where the sidewalk rattan seats and grand seafood plateaus are the epitome of Rittenhouse chic. But few to date have approximated the humble-but-honorable cafe spirit quite as closely as Gabi. This appealing 100-seater from La Minettes Peter Woolsey and his partners, chef Kenneth Bush and general manager Brad Histand, has captured a vintage look with the help of Stokes Architecture, from the art deco chandeliers to the pattern-tiled floors, zinc bar, and red banquettes rimmed with fluted glass. A moody photo montage across the back wall is made from black-and-white images shot by Peggy, who was inspired by the work of Man Ray, the Philly-born Dadaist who made his name in Paris. The friendly servers, clad in black vests and crisp white aprons, stride through the room with a little extra starch. But the food at Gabi the nickname of Peggys oldest sister, Delphine is deliberately served with utilitarian style and value in mind, with almost all of the entrees at $21 or less. There are no polished cloches or silver snail pots here but rather steel boats filled with clouds of pommes puree or a hearty stew of boeuf bourguignon. No matter. The vivid green splatter of fragrant herb butter bubbling up from little divots is all the fanfare escargots require. The wild Burgundian darlings are gently steeped in broth before theyre cloaked in butter and roasted to finish. The extra sweetness of roast garlic makes their earthy juices all the more irresistible to sop up with hunks of house baguette. And at $9 for a half dozen, run dont crawl for a platter of these snails. There is no froufrou fussery for the duck confit, either, a crispy leg sprouting unadorned, like a brown handle, from a simple white plate rimmed with blue. But the airy crackle of its fat-roasted skin and the rich savor of its tender flesh, cured with salt and herbs, was a soulful nod to French home cooking. The satisfying $21 meal is complete with a cruet of orange sauce for sweet-tart contrast, a side boat of mashed potatoes, and green beans flecked with shallots. This determined affordability is smart for a restaurant in a new building thats filling a once-vacant lot on North Broad Street. The strips finally bubbling with revival, with the new Met drawing evening business. Diners still unused to grabbing dinner north of City Hall can be coaxed into new habits with bistro fare priced right, along with Italian options at Osteria and Cicala (at the freshly rehabbed Divine Lorraine), plus South, Santuccis, and healthy-minded Green Soul. I would have loved to have a go-to crock of French onion soup across the street from my former office in the old Inquirer building just across Broad. I also certainly would have grumbled plenty at some of Gabis shortcomings as it makes compromises to hit its price point. READ MORE: Phillys food scene keeps getting better, but here are the best restaurants right now And my primary complaint the lackluster fries is significant considering an entire section of the menu called Frites is anchored by heaps of the pale skin-on spuds. Cooked from frozen (with telltale mealy centers), they lacked an essential finishing crisp. Bush and Woolsey anguished over whether to make theirs fresh, a seemingly obvious choice for a place that bothers to make its own baguettes. But that would require prep space for this volume that Gabis small kitchen doesnt have: Thomas Keller uses frozen fries at Bouchon! says Woolsey, noting the legendary Napa chef. Perhaps. But these bland impostors arent even close. Ive had better from cheesesteak takeout windows. The frustration is that these flabby frites detract from the starring centerpieces they accompany. The mussels have the added bonus of that creamy, herb-blasted seafood broth to bolster the flavor. The tawny half of roast chicken, whose firm flesh was moist and flavorful thanks to a brine, was a fair deal for $17 alongside its rich jus infused with rosemary. The two steak options a half-pound bistro steak (culotte) for $25 and lentrecote (rib eye) for $29 were also solid for the price, especially the grilled rib eye, which gets an extra gloss with garlic-thyme butter to finish. Gabis tartiflette burger, which also comes topped with optional frites, is also a worthy red-meat option with caramelized onions and smoky nuggets of lardon bacon. It would have been even better had its brawny Reblochon garnish not been reduced to a diluted drizzle rather an actual slice of the legendary mountain cheese. The crispy-skinned salmon with lemon-caper butter was also a bit of a shrug due to its generic, farm-raised mildness. Fish lovers should opt instead for raw salmon, diced into a zesty tartare with lemon, olive oil, and shallots. Or even better, try the excellent $20 whole trout, whose white flesh was moist and flaky beneath the delicate snap of its pan-crisped skin, and whose potatoes arrived in the comfort of buttery mash. If youre hoping for French bistro cooking that hits all the subtle details a truly paper-thin chicken paillard, a beef stew with gravy that isnt sticky with roux, or a French onion soup with a more generous edge-to-edge lid of broiled Comte you may realize how spoiled weve become by Parcs high-level mastery of the canon. A meal there, however, will set you back considerably more than it will at Gabi. Gabis virtues rise on more quotidian pleasures. Like the very drinkable list of vins de table for $10 a glass. Or a foie gras terrine so smooth with its backbeat of Madeira, it spreads like butter over brioche with a sweet dab of fig compote (actually, the terrine mostly is butter). Or Woolseys coveted creme brulee, whose sheer caramel crust shatters at the tap of a fork to reveal a deep scoop of silky vanilla custard. When such luxuries are the affordable daily norm on North Broad Street, you know weve come a long way from the special-occasion fuss of our Le Bec-Fin roots and thats the kind of progress everyone can savor. GHANA MAINTAINED its status as one of Africas fastest-growing economies in 2019, courtesy to an expansion of mining, oil and gas activities, amid continuing diversification efforts. In an evaluation released in December, the IMF projected annual growth of seven per cent in 2019. While down on earlier estimates of 7.5%, it is up on 2018s expansion of 6.3%. The revised outlook largely aligns with official government projections of 7.1% and the latest outlook from the African Development Bank, which forecast annual growth of 7.3%. While year-end projections are strong, preliminary results have been slightly more moderate. According to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the economy expanded by 6.7% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the first quarter, followed by growth of 5.7% and 5.6% in the second and third quarters, respectively. The overall central government deficit is projected to remain unchanged at seven per cent of the GDP, as a result of lower-than-expected revenue, spending on flagship programmes and unexpected security outlays, according to the IMF. Energy expansion A key factor behind 2019s growth is the double-digit expansion in oil and gas GDP, which the IMF expects to rise by 17.1%. Production of crude oil rose from 195,000 barrels per day (bpd) at the beginning of the year to 214,000 bpd as of August. According to GSS data, annual oil and gas expenditure is on track to total $3.1bn in 2019, up from $2.3 billion and $2.6 billion in 2017 and 2018, respectively, with much of this dedicated to field exploration. As a result of increased exploration spending, in November, local energy company, Springfield Group announced that it had made two significant offshore discoveries, the first find of its size by an African oil and gas firm. The company estimates that the discoveries contain over three billion barrels of oil and gas. The agriculture angle At the same time, government is actively seeking to bolster returns in agriculture, one of the countrys long-standing economic drivers. While the sectors contribution to GDP has declined from 32% to around 20% over the past decade, in part due to improved performance in other industries, agriculture remained hugely important to Ghanas economy, employing an estimated one-third of the workforce. Agricultural products are one of Ghanas main exports, and cocoa makes up around a quarter of overall export revenue. In order to ensure higher earnings for farmers in August, Ghana and Cote dIvoire announced a new pricing mechanism for the sale of cocoa beans, implementing a minimum price of $2600 per tonne for the 2020/21 season. The initiative, coupled with efforts to boost domestic production of agricultural crops, aims to increase the earnings of the sector. While cocoa is a staple of the economy, officials have sought to diversify the sectors offerings and boost other segments: exports of non-traditional products, such as cashews and shea nuts, increased by 21% in 2018. Tema Port expansion Efforts to diversify the economy were strengthened with the inauguration of the first stage of the US$1.5 billion expansion of Tema Port, the countrys largest maritime hub. Following the construction of a 3.5km breakwater, additional dredging work and upgrades to three berthing facilities, the port has a capacity to handle two-metre twenty-foot equivalent units, double the previous limit. On top of increasing capacity for Ghanaian exports, the ongoing expansion of Tema along with works to upgrade Takoradi Port dovetails with efforts to make Ghana a regional trans-shipment hub, providing opportunities for growth in the transport and logistics sector. This has already led to some promising developments. In October, German shipping company, Hapag-Lloyd announced that Tema would be its trans-shipment hub in West Africa. However, some industry insiders have argued that for Ghana and in particular Tema to emerge as a trans-shipment hub, more needs to be done to ensure it is cost-competitive. Financial clean-up The year 2019 also saw the government continue its proactive role in attempting to strengthen the financial sector. In mid-August the Bank of Ghana announced that it had revoked the licences of 23 savings and loans companies for continued insolvency. The development is part of ongoing efforts to clean up the financial sector, which saw the central bank revoke the licences of 420 institutions since 2017. In addition to the closures, the authorities have sought to improve investor confidence by increasing the minimum capital requirement for commercial banks from GH120 million ($21 million) to GH400 million (US$69.9 million), while in August, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) outlined plans to raise the limit for fund managers 20-fold, from GH100,000 (US$17,500) to two million Ghana Cedis (US$349,500). Meanwhile, in a continuation of the countrys strong financial technology development, the value of mobile money transactions rose by 34% y-o-y in the first half of 2019 to GH140.2 billion (US$24.5 billion). Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Members of the Brexit Party left the European Parliament on Friday, just hours before Britain was to exit the EU, waving the Union Jack and accompanied by a lone bagpiper. "Goodbye! We won't be coming back," shouted Anne Widdecombe MEP as the delegation boarded a fleet of taxis to take them to the station and a train to London. Party leader Nigel Farage had left Brussels on Wednesday after the parliament's historic vote to ratify Britain's EU divorce papers and end a 47-year relationship. But his MEPs, brandishing umbrellas in the party's turquoise colours, were to join him outside the British parliament later in the day to celebrate their victory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Standard Chartered Bank Ghana have appointed Kwabena Nifa Aning and Sheikh Jobe as Independent Non-Executive Director and Executive Director respectively, to the Board of the Bank with effective December 4, 2019. Commenting on the appointments, Board Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana Limited, Dr Emmanuel Oteng Kumah, said, We are excited to welcome Kwabena and Sheikh. They bring years of knowledge of finance, operations, technology systems and understanding of world-class organizations. We look forward to them bringing their expertise, experience and strategic vision to bear on the activities of the board. Mr Kwabena Nifa Aning joins the Board of Standard Chartered Bank as a seasoned finance professional with a background in accounting, business planning, projects and corporate governance. He has over 25 years of international experience having worked with several world-class organizations including De Beers, Boart Longear, African Minerals and Bunge Loders Croklaan where he currently holds a leadership position as Regional Controller, West Africa. He has worked on several projects delivering business and accounting solutions whilst working across sectors such as exploration and mining, agri-business and financial services in the UK, where he worked for over 15 years. He also has extensive experience working in Europe, Asia, North America and many African countries. Mr Aning is a management consultant and former CEO, KAMONI Consult where he continues to serve as a director. He previously served as a board member of BLY Sierra Leone. He holds a BA (Hons) Business Studies from University of Westminster, London and is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. Commenting on his appointment, Mr Aning said, I am thrilled to join the Board of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited. This is a great opportunity for me to contribute and help shape policies that will ultimately impact our communities in a positive manner. I look forward to working with the Board to build on the solid foundations and impressive achievements recorded so far towards a better and brighter future. Sheikh Jobe is the Chief Operating Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited, with additional oversight of the West Africa Cluster. Prior to this role, he was the Banks Chief Information Officer responsible for Ghana and West Africa from November 2015 to March 2019. In this role, he was responsible for providing leadership, strategic direction and support to the Information Technology & Operation teams and maintaining the Banks operational and technology infrastructure in Ghana and West Africa. Sheikh has 25 years of extensive banking experience holding senior-level positions at Global, Regional and Country levels across banking technology and operations, operational risk management, financial crime risk management, compliance, audit and branch banking. He led the global rollout of the Banks Advanced Commercial Banking System which is currently being used across the Banks geographic footprint. In his current role, he is a member of the Africa and Middle East Operations management team of the Bank. Prior to joining Standard Chartered in 1994, Sheikh worked with the Audit Office of The Gambia. Sheikh is passionate about people and philanthropy and is the Founder and key sponsor of the Mboutou Trust Fund for Education and Development. Commenting on his appointment, Mr Jobe said, I consider it a great honour to be joining the Board of Standard Chartered Ghana Limited. I look forward to contributing my best in strengthening the next phase of our growth. Source: Dailymailgh 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 criminal case regarding third President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan, ex-minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan, owner of Flash LLC Barsegh Beglaryan, ex-deputy minister of agriculture Samvel Galstyan and ex-head of the Department of Crop Production of the Ministry of Agriculture Gevorg Harutyunyan has been inscribed to Judge Vahe Misakyan of the Yerevan court of general jurisdiction, as reported the Judicial Department. Earlier, the Prosecutor Generals Office had reported that the indictment was confirmed and the case had been forwarded to the court. According to the Prosecutor Generals Office, preliminary investigation of the criminal case was over on January 10. A couple of days later, the Special Investigation Service reported that the case had been delivered to the overseeing prosecutor along with the indictment, with a motion to forward the case to the court. There are five persons who are charged under the case, and four of them, including Serzh Sargsyan, Barsegh Beglaryan, Samvel Galstyan and Gevorg Harutyunyan, are charged with organizing, inciting and supporting embezzlement and squander, while ex-minister of agriculture Sergo Karapetyan is charged with embezzlement or squander in particularly large amounts. Appointment 31 January 2020 Michael has worked at the luxury hotel before, making a significant contribution to the successful reopening of Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin as Food & Beverage Operations Manager from 1997 to 1999; in 2002 he returned to his old haunt for three years as Hotel Manager. The 52-year-old has had an impressive career in the international luxury hotel industry. He originally trained as a chef at Hotel Atlantic Kempinski Hamburg in 1985, and from then on, he has risen up through the ranks with his passion for fine dining and the hotel business. For example, he responded to the call of the legendary Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand, where he was appointed Executive Assistant Manager in 1999. Later on, after the successful opening of Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum in 2005 and Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria in 2009, Michael Sorgenfrey took on a new challenge and moved to Abu Dhabi in 2010 as General Manager of the Grand Millennium Al Wahda Hotel and Residence with 840 guestrooms. In 2012, he was appointed General Manager of Palace Downtown Dubai, which belongs to Address Hotels & Resorts. His next position was Managing Director of RIMC Deutschland Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of RIMC International Hotels & Resorts GmbH, and there he was responsible for the operational and strategic management of 15 hotels in Germany. In autumn 2019, he again followed the call of Kempinski Hotels and became Vice President Operations, Middle East & Africa. A Montana man wounded in an officer-involved shooting has filed a lawsuit against the Yellowstone County sheriffs department. Travis Tolan of Lockwood is alleging negligence, assault and battery and a broader claim that the sheriffs office has a pattern of using excessive force, in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Billings. It names the county, the sheriffs office, Sheriff Mike Linder and two deputies as defendants. Linder said he was unaware of the lawsuit and declined to comment, The Billings Gazette reported. Tolan was shot once in the abdomen in January 2018 by officers who went to his residence after someone reported concerns that Tolans online posts seemed to indicate he was suicidal. Dispatchers told deputies there might be a gun at the residence. Tolans lawsuit states officers did not announce themselves when they knocked on his door, so he grabbed a handgun before answering. Not expecting any visitors, not knowing who was at his door in the dark pre-dawn hours, and fearful of who might be at his door, Travis armed himself with his Smith & Wesson .45 handgun and opened the door, the lawsuit states. Officers reported seeing a gun and shot Tolan, the lawsuit states. Tolan did not fire his gun, the sheriffs office determined. Both deputies were cleared of wrongdoing by a review panel made up of two members of the sheriffs office, one police captain, a probation and parole officer and a civilian firearms instructor, the newspaper reports. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Tim McLaughlin (Reuters) Boston Fri, January 31, 2020 13:30 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e3561 2 Business US,US-economy,jobs,private-sector,business,data,employment Free In his first address to the US Congress, President Donald Trump hailed General Motors Co, Harley-Davidson Inc, Intel Corp and seven other companies as innovators and job creators, predicting they would be among those producing tens of thousands of new American jobs and investing billions and billions of dollars. Nearly three years later, with unemployment at the lowest in half a century, that first presidential portfolio has stumbled to fulfill that forecast. While Trumps 10 companies have spent billions on new factories and upgrades, they failed to keep pace with new hires, according to a Reuters analysis of the groups capital expenditures and headcount since 2017. Collective employment at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, Ford Motor Co, GM, Harley, Intel, Lockheed Martin Corp, Sprint Corp, Walmart Inc and small biotech Amicus Therapeutics has remained flat at about 2 million workers, the analysis shows. In the same period, total US employment has risen by 4.5 percent. Wall Street has not smiled extensively on Trumps selected companies either. Most of the companies total shareholder return has trailed the S&P 500s 47 percent advance and sector benchmarks since Trumps February 2017 speech. Only four of the 10 have outperformed the broad benchmark while five have lagged the wider market by 35 points or more, as of Jan. 28. White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere declined to comment about the individual companies, but noted more Americans are coming off the sidelines and finding work, and US wages and consumer confidence are rising. Despite headwinds from severe monetary tightening and a global recession, President Trumps agenda of fair and reciprocal trade, lower taxes and deregulation has created the strongest economy weve ever seen, he added. Still, struggles within the Trump portfolio underscore how the presidents economic and immigration policies have produced uneven results as he seeks another term in the White House. Since he took office, only Fiat Chrysler and defense contractor Lockheed Martin have added a meaningful number of net new workers. Lockheeds US headcount is up about 15 percent. Fiats employment is up about 11 percent, with some gains coming from broader North American operations. The net gain of jobs at the two companies is about 22,800 since the end of 2016, according to company disclosures. What a great brand Jeep is, Trump said in a shoutout to Fiat Chryslers hot-selling vehicle, before signing a tariff agreement with China. By contrast, the combined overall US headcount at Ford and GM has declined by about 10,000, or 5 percent to 184,000, despite investing billions of dollars in their automotive plants. Advertisement Boris Johnson tonight vowed Brexit will 'unleash' Britain but warned there will be more 'bumps in the road' - as the historic moment arrived. In an address to the nation, the PM shunned triumphalism despite the UK finally leaving the EU when the clock struck 11pm after four years of turmoil. Instead he appealed for unity - and insisted he recognised that not everyone was delighted with the path the country is taking. Mr Johnson said the EU had 'admirable' qualities but was going in a direction that 'no longer suits' the UK. Speaking from Downing Street in the pre-recorded message - but notably without any patriotic backdrop - the premier said it was crucial to take advantage of reclaiming sovereignty to 'level up' the country, and improve life in left-behind areas. 'For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come,' he said. 'And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. 'Then of course there is a third group perhaps the biggest who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end. 'I understand all those feelings, and our job as the government my job is to bring this country together now and take us forward.' Mr Johnson voiced pride that he was able to 'obey' the verdict of the British people, but stressed the legal exit from the EU was 'not an end but a beginning'. 'This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national drama,' he said. No10 and other government buildings in Whitehall were lit up for the crucial occasion, and Nigel Farage is headlining the party in Parliament Square. However, the official celebrations are deliberately low-key. Mr Johnson himself hosted a reception in Downing Street, drinking English sparkling wine with guests believed to include girlfriend Carrie and aides. Meanwhile, Remainers have been showing their dismay across the UK, with angry demonstrations in Scotland. While Britain is now legally out of the bloc, Brussels rules will still apply for another 11 months under 'transition' arrangements. The EU is gearing up for another major battle over future trade terms. In an address to the nation, Boris Johnson shunned triumphalism despite the UK finally being on the verge of leaving the EU at 11pm after four years of turmoil The final moments of Britain's membership of the EU were counted down in lights projected on to the famous No10 frontage The massive change was recorded in lights on the white cliffs of Dover as the UK came to terms with the new reality Brexit supporters celebrated the cutting of ties with the EU after 47 years of members in Parliament Square tonight The mood was jubilant in Parliament Square tonight - although the famous Big Ben bongs will not ring out at 11pm Union flags were prominently on show as Brexit supporters showed their delight about the departure from the EU Thousands of people gathered in Parliament Square to hear speeches from some of the main Brexit campaign players Boris Johnson's address to the country in full Tonight we are leaving the European Union. For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come. And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss. And then of course there is a third group perhaps the biggest who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an end. I understand all those feelings, and our job as the government my job is to bring this country together now and take us forward. And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national drama. And yes it is partly about using these new powers this recaptured sovereignty to deliver the changes people voted for. Whether that is by controlling immigration or creating freeports or liberating our fishing industry or doing free trade deals. Or simply making our laws and rules for the benefit of the people of this country. And of course I think that is the right and healthy and democratic thing to do. Because for all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this country. And that is a judgment that you, the people, have now confirmed at the polls. Not once but twice. And yet this moment is far bigger than that. It is not just about some legal extrication. It is potentially a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. This is the moment when we really begin to unite and level up. Defeating crime, transforming our NHS, and with better education, with superb technology. And with the biggest revival of our infrastructure since the Victorians. We will spread hope and opportunity to every part of the UK. And if we can get this right I believe that with every month that goes by we will grow in confidence not just at home but abroad And in our diplomacy, in our fight against climate change, In our campaigns for human rights or female education or free trade we will rediscover muscles that we have not used for decades. The power of independent thought and action. Not because we want to detract from anything done by our EU friends of course not. We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation. Between the EU and an energetic Britain. A Britain that is simultaneously a great European power. And truly global in our range and ambitions. And when I look at this countrys incredible assets - our scientists, our engineers, our world-leading universities, our armed forces. When I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashed, I know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning success. And whatever the bumps in the road ahead, I know that we will succeed. We have obeyed the people. We have taken back the tools of self-government. Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom. Advertisement In a series of highly symbolic events earlier, the UK's flag was removed at the headquarters of the European Council in Brussels. And the EU flag was taken down at the British government's building in the Belgian capital. This morning Mr Johnson took his Cabinet to Sunderland, the first city to declare a majority for Leave in the 2016 referendum, in a symbol of his desire to reconnect with the north. He told ministers the UK is starting a 'new chapter' and he would be 'going full steam ahead to bring the nation together', according to Downing Street. He said the government would 'begin immediately - providing better healthcare and education, tackling violent crime and homelessness and delivering great new infrastructure'. He also laid down the gauntlet to the EU over trade negotiations, saying the UK will seek a loose 'Canada-style' deal. He also made clear the government will look to strike deals with other countries outside the bloc at the same time. A No10 spokesman said he told the Cabinet that 'from tomorrow, the UK will also be free to begin trade negotiations with countries around the world - with the aim to have 80 per cent of our trade covered by FTAs within three years'. In his address tonight, the PM stressed his belief that the referendum was a vote not just to leave the EU, but also for lasting change in neglected areas of the country. He said: 'It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your family's life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in.' He made clear the government would focus on bringing about change for ordinary people, highlighting that ministers could now control immigration, do free trade deals, and 'liberate our fishing industry'. 'Now is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom,' he said. The EU and UK will use the standstill period over the next 11 months to try to hammer out the terms of their future relationship. The UK is adamant a comprehensive deal can be struck by the end of the year but the EU is deeply sceptical and has called for an extension - something Mr Johnson has categorically ruled out. On Monday Mr Johnson will deliver a major speech setting out his approach to the Brexit talks as well as detailing his plans for a period of national renewal. Sources said he would be 'very frank' about his aims for the negotiations with Brussels and his determination to allow Britain to 'diverge' from EU rules, even if that means the introduction of some trade barriers. Mr Johnson will also warn that failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year would lead to the introduction of tariffs on goods entering from the EU, such as German cars, French cheese and Italian wines. One government source said: 'Theresa May made two crucial mistakes she wasn't clear about what she wanted, and she wasn't clear that she was prepared to leave with or without a deal. 'We are not going to make those mistakes. We want a good free trade deal, without alignment, but we are prepared to leave without one if we have to.' Mr Johnson will also reject calls for the EU to be given automatic rights to UK fishing grounds and for the European Court of Justice to be the arbiter of disputes arising from a new trade deal. Mr Johnson has ordered only low key events to mark Britain's departure tonight. Union flags were put up in The Mall and around Parliament Square and there was a countdown clock and light show in Downing Street. Brexit parties were being held across the country, including in Morley - where they watched Mr Johnson's address There was cheering and waving of union flags in Parliament Square as the UK formally left the EU at 11pm tonight Nigel Farage was headlining the good-natured and colourful Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square tonight There were scenes of jubilation as the minutes ran down towards the UK's exit from the EU after 47 years of membership Happy Brexiteers were out in force in Parliament Square tonight as the clocked ticked down on the UK's time in the EU The Foreign Office was dramatically lit up for the occasion tonight as the country marked Brexit finally happening The Ministry of Defence building in Whitehall was also illuminated as part of the official celebrations of the moment The Union flag was taken down at the European Council HQ in Brussels tonight as the new reality came into force Leading Eurosceptic Steve Baker called for Brexiteers to avoid triumphalism, saying: 'I will celebrate in a way which is respectful of the genuine sorrow that others are feeling at the same time.' Boris Johnson marks moment of Brexit with party in Number 10 Boris Johnson has been marking the historic Brexit moment with a reception in Downing Street. Guests included cabinet ministers, No 10 advisers, civil servant and officials who were involved in the Brexit negotiations, as well as supporters of the 2016 campaign to leave the EU. Mr Johnson's girlfriend Carrie Symonds is also thought to have been there. They were served English sparkling wine and a selection of patriotic canapes including fillet of lamb on toast, Shropshire blue cheese, beef and Yorkshire pudding with horseradish sauce, mushrooms tarts and roast chicken skewers. No 10 has been illuminated with a clock counting down to Brexit at 11pm, and other buildings around Whitehall were lit up including the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice, HM Revenue and Customs, the Scotland Office, the Wales Office and the Cabinet Office. Advertisement However, fellow Brexiteer Peter Bone called for the introduction of a bank holiday named United Kingdom Day. And Tory MP Mark Francois said he would be staying up all night to watch the 'sun rise on an independent country'. Meanwhile, the EU has been mulling over the departure of one of its largest members. French president Emmanuel Macron warned the UK's move was an 'historic alarm signal' that the bloc must reform - although he added that the Brexit campaign was based on 'lies'. The three most senior figures in the EU institutions delivered a parting shot as they said 'size matters'. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council Charles Michel and president of the European Parliament David Sassoli penned a joint article to mark Brexit. They spoke of their 'fondness for the United Kingdom' and praised Britons for their 'creativity, ingenuity, culture, and traditions'. But they could not resist putting the boot in as they suggested that on its own Britain will not be able to influence global affairs in the way that it has been able to as a member of the bloc. Many of the pro-Brexit revellers had decided to dress up for the party in Parliament Square this evening Some Brexiteers in Parliament Square appeared not to have heeded advice from senior figures against being triumphalist Emmanuel Macron has warned Britain's imminent divorce from the EU should send alarm bells ringing in Brussels fearing other countries could peel away (pictured speaking at the Elysee Palace tonight). Ursula von der Leyen said at an event in Brussels this morning that 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation' Mr Johnson appeared in good spirits today as he travelled to the north of England for a meeting of his Cabinet. Before the meeting he visited The Industry Centre at University of Sunderland Ann Widdecombe led the march for the Brexit Party after Nigel Farage left Brussels for the final time as an MEP on Wednesday after the European Parliament voted for the Brexit deal Britain's MEPs left the European Parliament for the final time today. Brexit Party MEPs took part in a march out of the building this morning carrying a banner reading 'Brexodus Express' They then used a press conference in Brussels to double down on the jibe as Ms von der Leyen said 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation'. Former president of the European Council Donald Tusk tweeted his sadness at the UK's departure from the EU as he tweeted: 'My dear British friends. We were, we are, and we will always be a Community. And no Brexit will ever change that.' A spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the moment of Brexit would mark a 'sea change' for the EU. 'We regret [Brexit], and we think the majority of the German population feel the same, but we respect the decision,' Steffen Seibert said at a government press conference. Berlin hopes Britain will continue to be a 'close partner and friend', Mr Seibert added. Meanwhile, Britain's MEPs waved goodbye to the European Parliament this morning as they headed back to the UK. The Brexit Party's contingent marked the occasion with a show of strength as they marched out of the building carrying a 'Brexodus Express' banner as Ann Widdecombe said: 'The MEPs leaving here today, our duty is done, our harvest is home and now we're off.' Mr Johnson chaired Cabinet at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland this afternoon - as the country braced for Brexit to happen at 11pm Mr Johnson seemed to be enjoying himself as he tried his hand at glassblowing during the Cabinet away-day Britain has left the EU, but what happens next? The UK and Brussels are braced for 11 months of crunch trade talks before a 'cliff-edge' in December (and Boris Johnson wants deals with Japan AND the US in 2020 as well) Britain has finally left the European Union but its dealings with the bloc are far from over. The last three years have almost entirely been about hammering out the terms of the UK's divorce from Brussels. Now the two sides must try to agree all of the details of their future relationship before a standstill transition period ends in December. The EU is adamant that 11 months is not enough time to get the job done, but Boris Johnson is refusing to agree to an extension, setting up a fresh Brexit 'cliff-edge' at the end of the year. Here is a breakdown of all the key dates in the next chapter of the Brexit saga. Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in Downing Street on January 8, will spend 2020 trying to hammer out a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and Brussels Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator pictured in Strasbourg on January 14, will lead talks for the EU January 31, 2020: The UK formally left the European Union at 11pm after more than three years of tortuous wrangling. The two sides enter into a standstill transition period during which they will try to agree the terms of their post-Brexit relationship. EU rules will continue to apply to the UK for the duration of the transition. The Department for Exiting the European Union ceases to exist. February 2020: The UK will be free to pursue trade deals with whoever it wants. Japan and the US are expected to be Britain's top targets with initial talks likely to start immediately after Brexit. The UK will also want to kickstart talks with the EU - but the bloc will make Britain wait. End of February/early March 2020: Before trade talks can start between the UK and the EU, the bloc must agree a negotiating mandate. This mandate will set out the broad terms of what the EU will be striving for during negotiations and will also spell out Brussels' red lines. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has suggested the mandate may not be finalised until the end of February or early March. March 2020: Formal trade talks between the UK and the EU are expected to begin. A group of 40 officials called 'Taskforce Europe' and based out of the Cabinet Office will lead negotiations for the UK. The taskforce will be headed up by David Frost, a diplomat and one-time business lobbyist who was appointed Mr Johnson's Europe adviser last year. Mr Frost is expected to negotiate directly with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier. Brexit plagued Theresa May's time as prime minister as she failed to persuade MPs to support her EU divorce deal. She is pictured at a summit in Brussels in March last year April/May 2020: Trade talks between the UK and EU - as well as talks with other nations - will intensify. If major progress has not been made with Brussels then there is likely to be increasing pressure on Mr Johnson to agree to extend the transition period. The terms of Britain's divorce from the bloc state that the standstill will finish on December 31 and the PM has been adamant he will not agree to an extension. But the Withdrawal Agreement does include a pressure valve mechanism which states that the transition can be prolonged by one or two years if both sides agree. The EU has already said it does not believe the transition period is long enough to finalise a comprehensive agreement so if talks stall in the first half of the year then Brussels could step up demands for a delay. June/July 2020: The Withdrawal Agreement states that a decision to extend the transition period must be agreed by both sides before July 1, 2020 if it is to go ahead. The PM is expected to stick to his guns and refuse to agree to a delay, setting the stage for transition to end in December, with or without a full deal in place. July to November 2020: Assuming no transition extension has been agreed, the second half of the year will be fraught with activity as the UK and EU rush to get everything decided. The UK will also be hoping that by this time agreements with Japan and the US will be taking shape, putting pressure on Brussels to work quickly. September/October 2020: Downing Street is thought to want to have a trade deal with Japan in the books by the autumn to show the EU and the rest of the world it means business. It would be the UK's first post-Brexit trade deal. November 3, 2020: The date of the US presidential election. The White House has said it wants a trade agreement with the UK in place before the end of the year and will not want talks to clash with Donald Trump's bid for re-election. That means a US-UK trade deal could be done and dusted before November. December 2020: The UK and EU will either be on course to end the transition period with a full agreement in place or just a partial agreement. EU bosses have suggested that a lack of time will mean having to prioritise certain issues during talks, potentially leaving others to be resolved at a later date. The UK believes it is possible to get everything done. If no extension has been agreed then the two sides will be going their separate ways regardless. December 31, 2020: The point at which the Brexit transition period will come to an end and when EU rules and regulations will cease to apply to the UK. January 1, 2021: EU freedom of movement will be brought to an end and the UK's new post-Brexit immigration system will be rolled out. The Australian-style points-based system is expected to treat migrants from across the world the same, ending preferential treatment for those from Europe. How the drama unfolded as politicians went to war over Britain's ties to the EU Britain enters a new era tonight after nearly four years of intense civil war over whether Brexit should happen. Since the beginning of 2016, politicians have been engaged in a bitter struggle for the soul of the country. The period has been among the most dramatic in the UK's history - with three Prime Ministers, a referendum and two elections. The deadlock was finally broken on December 12, when Boris Johnson won a stunning Tory majority with his simple message of: 'Get Brexit done.' Here are some of the key dates as the chaos unfolded. David Cameron took to the steps of Downing Street in February 2016 to announce the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU February 20, 2016: David Cameron announces the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU. June 23, 2016: The UK votes to leave the EU. July 13, 2016: Theresa May becomes PM after seeing off challenges from Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. March 29, 2017: Mrs May formally notifies the EU that the UK is triggering the Article 50 process for leaving the bloc. June 8, 2017: The Tories lose their majority in the snap election called by Mrs May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. Mrs May manages to stay in power propped up by the DUP. The Tories lost their majority in the snap election on June 9, 2017, which was called by Theresa May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. She is pictured at her count in Maidenhead July 12, 2018: Mrs May forces her blueprint for the future relationship with the EU through Cabinet during lengthy talks at Chequers. But both David Davis and Boris Johnson resign afterwards. November 2018: Mrs May finally strikes a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, and it is approved by Cabinet - although Esther McVey and Dominic Raab resign. December 2018: Mrs May sees off a vote of no confidence in her leadership triggered by Tory MP furious about her Brexit deal. January 15-16, 2019: Mrs May loses first Commons vote on her Brexit deal by a massive 230 votes. But she sees off a Labour vote of no confidence in the government. March 12, 2019: Despite tweaks following talks with the EU, Mrs May's deal is defeated for a second time by 149 votes. March 29, 2019: Mrs May's deal is defeated for a third time by a margin of 58 votes. May 24, 2019: Mrs May announces she will resign on June 7, triggering a Tory leadership contest. July 23-24, 2019: Mr Johnson wins the Tory leadership battle after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31, and becomes PM the following day. Mr Johnson won the Tory leadership and became PM in July last year, after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31 August 28, 2019: Mr Johnson announces he wants to prorogue Parliament from September 10. September 3-4, 2019: MPs seize control of Commons business and pass a law requiring a Brexit extension to avoid No Deal. Mr Johnson tries to call a snap general election but does not secure the two-thirds majority of MPs needed. September 24, 2019: The Supreme Court declares the prorogation of Parliament illegal. October 21, 2019: Mr Johnson strikes a new Brexit deal with the EU, incorporating many elements of Mrs May's but deleting the Northern irish backstop and proposing a much looser alignment. October 22, 2019: MPs approve Mr Johnson's deal at second reading stage in a major breakthrough - but they vote down his proposed timetable and vow to try to amend the Bill later. The PM responds by pausing the legislation and again demanding an election. October 29, 2019: MPs finally vote for an election, after the SNP and Lib Dems broke ranks to vote in favour, forcing the Labour leadership to agree. In the election on December 12, 2019, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour recorded its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit. He is pictured at the Islington North count December 12, 2019: The Tories win a stunning 80 majority after vowing to 'get Brexit done' during the campaign. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour records its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit, saying there should be a second referendum and he wants to remain neutral. December 20, 2019: The new-look Commons passes Mr Johnson's Withdrawal Bill by a majority of 124. January 9: EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill cleared its Commons stages, and was sent to the House of Lords. January 22: The EU Withdrawal Bill completed its progress through Parliament after the Commons overturned amendments tabled by peers, and the Lords conceded defeat. Mr Johnson signed the ratified Withdrawal Agreement last week in another highly symbolic step towards Brexit January 24: Mr Johnson signs the ratified Withdrawal Agreement in another highly symbolic step. January 29: MEPs approve the Withdrawal Agreement by 621 to 49. Amid emotional scenes in Brussels, some link hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. 11pm, January 31: The UK formally leaves the EU - although it will stay bound to the bloc's rules for at least another 11 months during the transition period. Family members and 13 residents of Polk Center and White Haven Center filed a federal lawsuit to block the Wolf administration from closing the two facilities for adults with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities, alleging that the plan violates the residents right under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal laws. The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced the closures, expected to take three years, in August. The centers, in Luzerne and Venango Counties, are among four remaining state centers. They have about 700 residents, down from more than 2,000 a decade ago, reflecting the nations long-term trend toward community-based care. The plaintiffs in the Polk and White Haven lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, seek the enforcement of their federal rights to prevent their severe injury, including extreme mental distress, gross physical harm, and even possibly death. The 36-page proposed class-action lawsuit says community-based providers failed some of the plaintiffs. The Human Services Department said it does not comment on pending litigation. Russel Joey Jennings, a 27-year-old with autism, intellectual disability, and psychiatric disorders, was in six different group homes that failed to manage his behavior. As a result of his 'community experience, Joey was toxically overmedicated as a chemical restraint and suffered permanent Parkinsonian like tremors, the disfigurement of female-like breasts, psychotic breaks with reality, serotonin syndrome, and intractable insomnia, according to the lawsuit. READ MORE: Lawmakers mount a challenge as Pennsylvania shuts state-run facilities for intellectually disabled Jennings is an unusually young resident of White Haven and Polk. Most or the residents have lived in the facilities more than 20 years, and many have been there for more than 40 years, the lawsuit says. Thats because younger families typically reject institutional settings for their children and why there are 12,700 people on the waiting list for community services, said Maureen A. Devaney, a founder and executive director of Vision for Equality, a Philadelphia nonprofit advocacy group for people with disabilities and their families. They want community services. They are not asking for the state centers. Devaney and state officials are also concerned that the cost of caring for residents in state centers already expected to be $419,000 per resident this year will keep rising as the population declines, squeezing the money available for community services. Polk has 190 residents, White Haven has 110. State data showed that, in July, two other centers, Ebensburg and Selinsgrove, had a total of 404 residents. READ MORE: This shouldnt happen to any kid, especially kids this vulnerable': Woods Services faces new lawsuits Kristin Ahrens, deputy secretary for the Office of Developmental Programs, estimated in December that it will cost $180,000 to $270,000 a year to provide community-based services to the Polk and White Haven residents, who have extraordinary needs. Separately this month, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation that would block the closures until all the intellectually disabled individuals on the states Medicaid waiting list receive services that help them live in the community. The bill would effectively prevent the state from ever closing the remaining four institutions. Gov. Tom Wolf plans to veto the bill when it is sent to his desk, spokesman J.J. Abbott said Thursday. Advising its citizens to reconsider visiting Pakistan due to terrorism, the US on Friday issued the highest level travel alert for the provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa along with the Line of Control. The Level 4 of US travel advisory means asking citizens not to travel to the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) along with the LoC. The rest of the areas in Pakistan continues to remain on Level 3 of the travel alert. "Do not travel to the India-Pakistan border. Militant groups are known to operate in the area. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border," the State Department said. Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange gunfire and artillery fire across the LoC, the advisory said. "Do not travel to KPK province, which includes the former FATA. Active terrorist and insurgent groups routinely conduct attacks against civilians, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government offices and security forces," the State Department said. These groups historically have not discriminated between government officials and civilians. Assassination and kidnapping attempts are common, including the targeting of polio eradication teams, it said. According to the State Department, terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Pakistan. A local history of terrorism and ongoing ideological aspirations of violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian as well as local military and police targets, it said. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past, the advisory added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York Citys program offering subsidized health care expanded to Brooklyn and Staten Island on Thursday. NYC Care launched in August offering health care to residents of the Bronx who are unqualified for or unable to afford insurance. Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore) applauded the programs expansion to Staten Island, referring to affordable, accessible health care as a human right. The expansion of NYC Care to the Boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn is encouraging given the success and results taking place in the Bronx, Fall said. Every new resident enrolled in the program is a step in the right direction toward ensuring every Staten Island resident has access to care. The $100 million program is operated by NYC Health + Hospitals, which also runs the Gotham Health, Vanderbilt facility at the intersection of Vanderbilt and Tompkins Avenue. The facility will have new evening and weekend hours to accommodate NYC Care members, according to a media release from the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has repeatedly touted the program as the citys effort toward Universal Health Care. So far, the programs members have had over 27,000 provider visits, with over 20,000 prescriptions filled during new, extended pharmacy hours, according to the media release. In New York City, we believe that healthcare is a human right, de Blasio said. "Already, NYC Care has brought 13,000 people in the Bronx access to quality, affordable health care. By expanding to Staten Island and Brooklyn, we can help even more New Yorkers get the care they need. Since launching in the Bronx the program has enrolled over 13,000 New Yorkers, and officials expect to enroll another 15,000 in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Staten Island non-profit Project Hospitality is one of nine community-based organizations the city has given seven-month contracts to conduct outreach to prospective NYC Care members. NYC Care will greatly improve the lives of Staten Islanders who cannot access or afford health insurance, Project Hospitality Director of Community Initiatives Rev. Karen Jackson said. Rather than waiting until a health problem becomes an emergency, our community members will be able to more easily access health care services at NYC Health & Hospitals facilities, as well as critical preventive and specialty care, she added. Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 : Superstar Mohanlal was at his versatile best on Friday while recalling his characters in 10 films in his over four-decade career as an actor, during a special session at the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters '20, admitting that 'cinema was a make-believe world.' Listening with rapt attention was a massive audience to whom Mohanlal described his characters in 10 selected films. The films which were discussed included 'T.P. Balagopalan MA', 'Rajavinte Makhan', 'Kireedom', 'Kilikom', 'Thazhvaram', 'Spadikom' and 'Sadyam, to name a few. The announcement of each of his characters in these films, which took him to superstar status, was greeted with a huge round of applause. "Cinema is make-believe. What happens is when the shoot of a film begins, after a few days, I automatically get into the character and go forward," said the 59-year-old actor. "I always have full faith in my director. The other key ingredients for me as an actor are my co-stars, cinematographer and script writer. The script is the backbone," added Lal, as he is often referred to. He began his reel life when he was 18 and he recalled that he listened to what his father said. "My father told me to choose any career, but only after finishing my education. In those days, it was a common notion that anyone who has a degree will get a job. Even though I first started when I was studying for pre-degree, I listened to what my father said and did a film after finishing my degree," said the veteran actor in reply to a question about his role in the film 'Kireedom', which he described as one of the country's best films. Recalling his early days when the script was written and completed in the shooting locations, Lal said, "During those days, we never got to read a script before the shooting began." The biggest cheer came to his sharp reply when he was asked if he was disappointed for not getting more awards. "I am very happy with what I have received, and not with what I did not get," the five-time National Award winning actor said. Blue-collar workers, especially men, most vulnerable to suicide: CDC Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Blue-collar workers, particularly men, are the most vulnerable among all occupational groups to suicide, according to a new study from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention, which shows that Americas suicide rate has skyrocketed by 40% since 2000. Using data from 32 states, the study provides updated population-level suicide rates for major occupational groups and new information on suicide rates for major industry groups as well as detailed occupational groups. It noted that in 2017, approximately 38,000 persons of working age, 1664, died by suicide, which represents a 40% increase over the suicide rate in 2000 when there were only 12.9 suicides per 100,000 population. Compared with rates in the total study population, suicide rates were shown to be significantly higher in five major industry groups. These are: mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; other services such as automotive repair; agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting; and transportation and warehousing. The only occupational group where both males and females were noted as being vulnerable to suicide was transportation and warehousing. All the other groups covered just men. These findings highlight opportunities for targeted prevention strategies and further investigation of work-related factors that might increase risk of suicide. Previous research indicates suicide risk is associated with low-skilled work, lower education, lower absolute and relative socioeconomic status, work-related access to lethal means, and job stress, including poor supervisory and colleague support, low job control, and job insecurity, the CDC said. Industry, labor, and professional associations, as well as employers, and state and local health departments can use this information to focus attention and resources on suicide prevention, the agency added. Gregory Brown, director of the Penn Center for the Prevention of Suicide, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the macho-culture along with other factors of the environment in which men at risk of suicide operate can work against them getting help. This is some of the first data that has taken such a systematic look at occupations, Brown said. A lot of these professions most at risk are male-dominated, like hunting, fishing, or steel. With those types of professions, you tend to have job instability, which can often lead to a lot of stress. Within these industries, he said, theres no easy access to resources that might make a difference in addressing mental health. When people work in a building he noted, its much more likely that theres a place where they can go when they need help. The other thing I suspect is that within these industries, theres a macho culture, he added. Reaching out for help is often seen as a weakness. Men just dont like to ask for help. While the study highlighted the most at-risk occupational groups, the researchers said: All industries and occupations can benefit from a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Workplace-specific suicide-prevention strategies include: promoting help-seeking; integrating workplace safety and health and wellness programs to advance the overall well-being of workers; referring workers to financial and other helping services; facilitating time off and benefits to cover supportive services; training personnel to detect and appropriately respond to suicide risk; creating opportunities for employee social connectedness; reducing access to lethal means among persons at risk; and creating a crisis response plan sensitive to the needs of coworkers, friends, family, and others who might themselves be at risk. Further resources can be accessed at: https://workplacesuicideprevention.com/external icon, https://theactionalliance.org/communities/workplaceexternal icon or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Coronavirus to Begin Destroying Global Supply Chains Within Next 3 Weeks News Analysis Chinese suppliers in coronavirus zones may declare force majeure to legally terminate export supply chain deliveries and cause many global factories to begin running out of parts within three weeks, IHS Markit warned. With the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) declaring the potential pandemic spread of the 2019-nCoV form of coronavirus as a Global Health Emergency on Jan. 30, domestic companies can exercise force majeure (Act of God) provisions under Chinese law to escape financial liability for failing to deliver customer shipments on time. The WHO designation also eliminates delivery liability since December for failures due to Chinas National State Council efforts to extend holidays, implement quarantines, and interrupting transports to slow the virus spread since late December. Wuhan is often called the Detroit of China. The city produces about two million passenger vehicles a year, and its factories export hundreds of millions of parts and sub-assemblies to hundreds of huge original equipment auto and commercial vehicle assembly plants across the globe. James Pinto, who managed ten large factories across Asia during Chinas eight-month outbreak of SARS coronavirus in 2002-2003, told The Epoch Times that modern original equipment manufacturers (OEM) only hold a few days inventory of sub-assemblies and parts. OEM supply chain contracts require their Chinese vendors to hold two months of safety stock near foreign assembly lines and another three weeks of back stock at their domestic factory. Despite such preparations, SARS caused an estimated $40 billion of disruption losses. But Pinto warns this coronavirus outbreak was not recognized as so dangerous until after 400 million Chinese began traveling in early January for Chinese New Year. He suggests that it is common practice at Chinese factories to ship their three-week back stop inventory before plants begin to shut down around January 10. With Chinese factories closed and the three-week backstop inventory already shipped, safety stock is running down at assembly plants all over the world. Almost all OEM vehicle plants have disaster recovery plans with backup suppliers, but many of those backup plants are in different locations in China. If 2019-nCoV coronavirus is a pandemic, production and transportation will shrivel across the nation. IHS Markit cautions that Chinas National State Council powers in a WHO Global Health Emergency extend to setting the rules and regulations governing corporate behavior. Most Asian countries had already labeled the 2019-nCoV as a level one communicable disease, alongside bubonic plague and cholera. Several nations have blocked travel from Chinese cities with high coronavirus reports, such as Wuhan. IHS Markit expects the WHO Emergency designation will add additional Chinese cities in areas along the Yangtze River, such as Chongqing municipality and neighboring Sichuan Province. Chinas direct high-speed railway connections are expected to maximize the pandemic risks along the Beijing-Guangzhou railway, which links Beijing municipality, Guangdong, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan provinces. The economic impact of SARS was about a 1 percent reduction of Chinas 2003 GDP, but that was during a period of double-digit economic growth. IHS Markit pre-coronavirus estimate for 2020 economic growth was only 5.8 percent. Mainland Chinas impact on the world economy is also much larger now than during the SARS outbreak when it was the sixth largest economy in the world, and only accounted for 4.2 percent of world GDP. Chinas economy is now the second largest in the world, which accounts for 16.3 percent of world GDP and 10.4 percent of the worlds goods imports versus 4.0 percent in 2002. At least three terrorists travelling in a truck towards Srinagar were killed in a gunfight with security forces at a toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday, officials said. A policeman was also injured after the terrorists opened fire at the security team when the truck was stopped around 5am for a security check at the Ban toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway. One terrorist was killed in the morning. Two others have been neutralised in the adjoining forest area. Their bodies are being brought up to the road, J&K director general of police Dilbagh Singh said while speaking to HT. Four to five terrorists were believed to be in the truck. It is suspected that they might have infiltrated from Hiranagar sector in Kathua district, he said. The injured policeman has been shifted to a hospital. Inspector general of police (Jammu Zone) Mukesh Singh said an AK 47 assault rifle, magazines and grenades were recovered from the truck. We have arrested a truck helper. The terrorists are most likely foreigners, who were being helped by locals, he said. A spokesperson of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had said earlier that security personnel immediately took the position after the firing and a cordon and search operation was launched, he said. We have a joint post of CRPF and J&K police at the toll post, Shivnandan said. The spokesperson said that additional reinforcements have been sent to the spot and traffic movement has been suspended on the highway. Authorities have also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Udhampur zone following the gun battle between security forces and terrorists. This is the first terror attack in Jammu since Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked on August 5 last year. Nagrota is an Indian Army cantonment where seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in November 2016 when terrorists dressed as policemen stormed a military camp. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ravi Krishnan Khajuria A principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. He covers politics, defence, crime, health and civic issues for Jammu city. ...view detail President Nana Akufo-Addo has made a passionate appeal to the diplomatic community in Ghana to report any of his appointees to him who engages in acts of corruption in the course of their official dealings with them or with their offices. The President made the call on Tuesday, 28 January 2020, when he addressed the diplomatic corps at the annual Meet & Greet and Diplomatic Reception held at the Peduase Lodge, Aburi. "Should you, members of diplomatic corps be notified of any evidence of corruption against any of my appointees, I insist that they be shared with my office to enable action to be taken on the matter. That is better for our relations than unspecified generalised pronouncements on corruption", President Akufo-Addo said. Making a case for his government's fight against corruption, the President indicated that: "It is a matter of public record that twenty-one officials of the previous administration are standing trial over their involvement in alleged acts of corruption or causing financial loss to the state and prosecutions of the persons, that is, the regulators and the individuals responsible for the banking sector crisis have commenced". On the PDS saga that became a topical issue in the country last year, the President stressed: "Despite self-serving allegations based on deliberate misinformation, the actions government took to bring the PDS concession agreement under the Millennium Corporation Contract to an end was to prevent rather than condone wrong doing". "The war against corruption will not be won overnight but with political will, it will be won. I did not come into politics to enrich myself but to serve the public interest. I am determined to help build in Ghana a model and culture of transparent open and accountable governance that will be the equal of any on the face of the planet", President Akufo-Addo added. President Akufo-Addo also hinted at two officials or appointees of his government who are currently facing investigations. He did not, however, mention names. Dean of Diplomatic Corps The Colombian Ambassador to Ghana and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Mrs Claudia Turbay Quintero, in an address on behalf of all her colleagues, expressed support for the several social interventions and flagship programmes of the Akufo-Addo-led government. She indicated that the diplomatic community in Ghana recognises the importance, impact and successes of the initiatives and they stand ready to help further the progress of same. She was quick to add that the success story of the "Year of Return" initiative of the government last year, is testament to the tourism potential of Ghana and that the diplomatic community is fully persuaded that during the new initiative of "Beyond the Return", Ghana will reap the benefits of its tourism wherewithal. Foreign Minister The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, in her welcome address, noted that last year was a fruitful one for her office and the ministry as far as the working relationship with the diplomatic community is concerned. She pledged the Foreign Ministry's commitment to do everything within their power to assist the diplomatic community in Ghana as they go about their duties. "Last year, the ministry started a regular briefing session for members of the diplomatic corps, aimed at providing foreign missions in Ghana with credible, accurate and reliable information on government policies, programmes and emerging socio-economic and political developments in the country. The last of these briefings featured ministers of Finance, National Security, Information, Interior, Energy, and my good self. At the event, all of us took turns to address issues pertaining to our respective areas of competence. In view of the high patronage and interest shown by the diplomatic corps in this exercise, the ministry has now institutionalised these regular briefing sessions. Going forward, therefore, the ministry would work in close partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations-Ghana toward enriching the programme", Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey said. Source: Class News 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 Last October Shirley Ballas, 59, the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing head judge, made the brave decision to have her breast implants removed, fearing they could be masking cancer. Astonishingly, within four days, she was back on the show. Now, with a new love in her life and the Strictly tour she hasnt stopped since. Here she shares her diary of events. July 13, 2018 Standing, right breast squeezed uncomfortably into the mammogram machine, I feel the colour drain from my face, as the radiographer says: You do know that, even with this technology, its very difficult for us to see whats going on behind a breast implant? Strictly star Shirley Ballas is back to a B cup after getting her implants removed (pictured). She returned to our TVs after four days of dramatic breast surgery and now questions 'what on earth' possessed her to get them Ive had implants for 18 years. They were done in a last-ditch attempt to salvage my marriage to my second husband, dancer Corky Ballas, which had destroyed what little self-esteem I had. And no, I had no idea that they could mask signs of cancer. Ive never missed an appointment for my three-yearly routine mammograms, but leave the clinic with the most horrible, sickening dread. What if there are potentially deadly tumours hiding behind my implants? July 15 Two days later, Im still struggling to think of much other than what might be lurking inside my DD breasts. Its a fear exacerbated by the fact that Im back home, in Merseyside, taking care of my wonderful mum, Audrey, who is herself recovering from colon cancer surgery. Shirley (pictured before her DD cup) admitted implants were a 'last-ditch' attempt to save her marriage to second husband, dancer Corky Ballas. She claimed it had destroyed what little self-esteem she had left In an unguarded moment I blurt out my worries, then feel terrible as she has enough on her plate. As I knew it would be, her immediate response is: Why dont you think about having the implants removed, Shirley? Mum never wanted me to have them in the first place. Shed tried telling me it was no way to stop my husband cheating on me, nor the answer to boosting my self-esteem that was something I needed to work on from the inside. Nor did she think big boobs suited my petite size six to eight frame. August 1 After three weeks, Mum is strong enough for me to return home to South-East London. Shes refused chemotherapy at 82, shes adamant itll do more harm than good and theres no changing her mind once its made up. Until May, when I filmed Who Do You Think You Are? for the BBC and discovered that my maternal great-grandfather had been killed by multiple tumours, aged 31, I had always believed that my relatives had largely escaped cancer. One of my aunts died many years ago from the disease. The Strictly judge (pictured the night before her operation) couldn't bring herself to getting her implants removed as she factored in the amount of time she might need to take off work or how she would look afterwards Family folklore always had it that Mums grandad died from a broken heart after his wife left him. Yet within weeks of that shocking revelation, Mum had her diagnosis, then my aunt discovered she had cancer. Ever since that chilling warning from the radiographer, Ive been constantly googling breast implants and cancer risk. But I cant quite bring myself to explore having them removed. Its a major operation and heaven knows how long I might need off work to recover or how Id look afterwards. Ive been single for years and am by no means vain but as I spend the autumn months in front of the cameras filming Strictly, and then have a long spell on tour, I need to look my best. December Pantomime time! Im the Good Fairy Mother Nature in Jack And The Beanstalk in Liverpool and getting along fabulously well with my co-star Danny Taylor, a fellow Scouser whos playing Fleshcreep, the villain. And it turns out hes going through a break-up with his partner. At 45, Danny is oh-so- handsome, and such a gent, opening car doors and carrying bags for me. Im smitten. March 2019 Danny and I have stayed in touch and it turns out the feelings are mutual were dating! Mum has met him and loves him too, which is incredible because she hasnt approved of any of my boyfriends since I was 15. While hes a lovely distraction, worries about my implants are still niggling and one evening, I decide to tell Danny about my fears. Shirley's worries about her implants niggled at her as she embarked on a romance with her pantomime co-star Danny Taylor. She is pictured during the operation after being referred to consultant plastic surgeon Norman Waterhouse, at his private clinic in Londons Marylebone Im incredibly nervous about his reaction because men Ive been with in the past have made me self-conscious about my appearance Ive been told my boobs are too small, my teeth too crooked, my hair too thin. So I shed a little tear when he pulls me close and says: You have to do what you feel you need to do for your health. It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks, and I love you for who you are. June 19 After a great deal of research, and an appointment with a specialist in Liverpool, Im referred to consultant plastic surgeon Norman Waterhouse, at his private clinic in Londons Marylebone. He has a reputation for not only removing implants but also getting rid of every bit of the fibrous scar tissue, known as protective capsules, that form around them. This is something the body does to anything it recognises as foreign, which says a lot to me about why implants are a bad idea. My extensive reading has convinced me this is essential to ensure the radiographer can get a clear view during future mammograms. September 21 Strictly is in full swing and I now have a date for my operation: October 29! Dr Waterhouse would prefer to wait until after the final live show, but fears about what might be hiding inside my breasts I cant bring myself to say the C-word are preying on my mind so much that I cant bear to delay another minute. I confide in my co-judge Motsi (Mabuse) and she is so supportive. I had an amazing run with Darcey (Bussell) and found her hilarious when she left I was the first to shed a tear. She was like a fairy princess. She wears a wide smile and cuts a sleek figure with Danny at the Macmillan charity event. Her beau told her during the anxiety: You have to do what you feel you need to do for your health. It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks, and I love you for who you are' But when I learnt they were replacing her with Motsi, who Ive known for 20 years, I was delighted. Were great friends and I know shell be there for me after my surgery. October 28 I barely sleep a wink worrying about my op. Why do some people insist on reminding you that general anaesthetics can be risky, just before youre due to have one? So Im wide awake when Danny knocks on my door in the early hours. Hes currently starring in Blood Brothers in York but has insisted on driving six hours through the night to London so he can take me to the Wellington Hospital in St Johns Wood, where Im booked in for my procedure. He gives me one of his big bear hugs and tells me everything is going to be fine. Just what I need. October 29 Im nil by mouth in readiness for my op, so have to skip my morning cuppa. Im so grateful to Danny for being here with me. He says theres nowhere else hed rather be, but I can think of many places Id prefer . . . Hes such a rock I grew up without a dad and the only other men Ive known like this were my late brother and my son Mark, who I had with Corky and who is now 33 and a talented musician. But as Im wheeled into theatre, I see Danny talking to the nurse, with tears in his eyes, saying: Please bring her back safely and realise hes not really feeling any braver than I am. Shirley grins with Strictly co-stars Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli. They are currently on the Strictly Live Tour The operation lasts four hours, to ensure all the tissue is removed, and the first person I see when I open my eyes afterwards is Danny. Best news of all? My surgeon says there is absolutely no sign of cancer after more than a year of worry, I burst into tears, of relief! My breasts have little drains inserted in them, to get rid of any remnants of fluid, and are bandaged, so neither of us can see how they look, but already I feel lighter, physically and emotionally. October 30 Danny had to take the train back to York for last nights performance so Mum arrives to escort me home. Im determined to be back as head judge on Saturday. Ive told her: I dont want to hear: You need to rest. I need you to get me back on my feet. Shes like a sergeant major, making sure I drink lots of fluids, feeding me wholesome soups and salads to build up my strength and getting me up for little walks around the house to avoid blood clots. The professional dancer (pictured with Danny on January 6) says she feels like 'the luckiest woman in the world, at nearly 60, to have met the man of [her] dreams'. She claims they are both 'delighted' with her new look At night, she sleeps beside me in bed, just as she did when I was little and unwell. My chest feels very sore but Ive ditched the morphine. I want a clear head so I can be completely focused come Saturday night. I wont take anything stronger than paracetamol and ibuprofen for the inflammation. When I lift up the bandage and look at my breasts in the mirror, I feel so happy. Its like the old me is finally back. November 2 Its Saturday and I wake still feeling delicate but determined not to let my Strictly family down. But leaving the house to get into the car to the studio I panic am I doing the right thing or should I rest for longer, like Dr Waterhouse advised? Quick as a flash, Mum sees the look on my face and says: Do not complain, young lady, you made the decision to go back so soon, it was your choice, so get on with it. Im so glad I listened because, when I get there, everyone is just lovely. Motsi gives me a very gentle hug shes a real womans woman. Jane, who does my hair and make-up, is so gentle with me, while Alexandria, my stylist, has picked a lovely soft bra and a gorgeous power suit which makes me feel fabulous. By the time the cameras are rolling, I feel a million dollars and am ready for action. November 3 Wake to text messages from Dr Waterhouse saying: Now you get back to resting in bed and Make sure youre drinking lots of fluids. I dont think hes a Strictly fan but his friends have told him I was back! Danny has a night off from his show so is heading down to see me. I am nervous about him seeing my breasts. I share my fears and he says: Let me have a look. I start crying but he is so gentle and, when he sees them, his face lights up. I can tell hes as thrilled as I am. Of course, they dont look like a young womans boobs but the surgeon gave them a little lift during the op, so they look pretty amazing for someone whos almost 60. The scars are very fine, like two smiley faces. Im back to a B cup, so certainly not flat-chested, and looking at them I question what on earth possessed me to have the implants in the first place. January 16, 2020 Over Christmas I had another fabulous run in pantomime with Danny. Now Im on the Strictly Live Tour with fellow judges Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli sadly Motsi cant join us as she has other work commitments. Ive never spoken to Craig about my surgery. Ive been sensitive since I was the butt of a joke he made about my breasts. (While publicising his book, in late 2018, Craig told an audience that Shirley had worn a very low-cut dress for her Strictly interview, showing off her fake breasts, and been told to cover up). He sent me flowers afterwards and apologised but it still stings a bit that it happened. On this tour, Craig is a real gentleman, holding my hand to make sure I get off the stairs properly and escorting me to my seat. I love him but I think sometimes people have a lapse of judgment and dont always understand the impact of what theyre saying on the person theyre saying it about. But I think he understands now. January 31 The tour is going brilliantly and my chest is pretty much healed, though my nipples still occasionally feel a little sore. Dancing is definitely easier with smaller breasts, as is clothes shopping. Perhaps its just coincidence but Ive also felt much healthier this winter, not picking up any of the coughs and colds I usually do. If I could go back in time, I would never have had implants and, although I wouldnt tell another woman what to do, Id urge anyone considering them to really do her research first. Danny comes to visit me, wherever I am in the country, when he has a day off. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, at nearly 60, to have met the man of my dreams. Were both delighted with the way my little boobies look. It really is the real deal with him, for sure. I think in 2020 there will be great developments in the relationship. Im already married to him, in my heart, thats for sure. Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has raised the prospect of the Brexit trade negotiations deadline being extended beyond the end of this year. Speaking at Institute for International European Affairs (IIEA), the Taoiseach said striking a trade deal between the EU and the UK before the end of the year was possible but difficult. However, Mr Varadkar noted that the Withdrawal Agreement allows for an extension if needs be. "Now, I know the British Government has ruled that out, but its still there in the Withdrawal Agreement should the British Government and the EU come together in the Joint Committee and decide on an extension, he added. He said the EUs future partnership with the UK must go beyond trade. It needs to cover a broad range of issues, including fisheries, universities, co-operation on research and economics generally, he said. Mr Varadkar said he was confident of getting a good deal because all sides have similar interests. The good news is that I dont think the two parties - the EU on one side and Britain on the other - are all that far apart, he said. We broadly agree that we want there to be no quotas, no tariffs, no taxes and the minimum amount of bureaucracy and checks as possible. "And thats really important particularly in Ireland for our exporters, our businesses, our agri-food sector, our rural economy and 200,000 people whose jobs depends on trade with the UK, he added. However, he said a failure to secure a trade deal would be a major threat to Irelands economy. Health staff at the Saint Lucy Polyclinic at Kpalsi, and Kalpohin Health Centre in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region have been commended for their knowledgeable, compassion and dedication to duty. Princess Sarah Zeid of Jordan, who is also World Food Programme (WFP) Special Advisor on Mother and Child Health and Nutrition, commended the staff of both facilities, and said such qualities were essential to ensure the well-being of mothers and children in the area. She was speaking after she and Mr Paul Kiernan, a WFP Executive Board Member and Permanent Representative of Ireland to the Rome-based agencies visited the two facilities on Tuesday to abreast themselves of WFPs innovative private-sector centred nutrition programme under which high-quality specialised nutritious foods produced in Ghana, are used to prevent stunting and micronutrient deficiencies. Princess Zeid and Mr Kiernan were accompanied on the field visit by Ms Noemi Renzetti, Partnerships Officer, WFP Nutrition Division, Mr Peter Musoko, WFP Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Mr George Fominyen, West and Central Africa, Regional Communication Officer, Ms Rukia Yacoub, WFP Ghana Representative and Country Director and Ms Vera Boohene, WFP Ghana Partnerships and Communications Officer. The visit was also to find out how the WFP-assisted nutrition programme successfully involved local private sector agro-processing firms and to understand what kind of support could be provided to enable them establish effective, sustainable, market-driven nutrition value chains capable of producing international rated, quality, affordable specialised nutritious foods for Ghana and other West African countries. The WFP-assisted nutrition programme provides a platform for comprehensive services in a single location; ante-natal and post-natal care, vaccinations, screenings, social and behaviour change communication, nutrition counselling, registration, using WFPs SCOPE tool to effectively manage beneficiaries, and access to the retailers to redeem their entitlements using an e-voucher system. Princess Zeid also commended WFPs partners on the nutrition programme for their efforts to provide the nutritious foods to energize the children to grow well. She described her experience with mothers during the visit to the two facilities saying In speaking with the mothers, they asked questions to gain more knowledge about the welfare of their children, which was wonderful. She said Mothers expect to have healthy pregnancies, to be able to care for their children, raise healthy children, who are safe and educated and to have a future ahead of them. She called for more action to ensure the well-being of mothers and their babies, saying To reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we have to prioritize and focus on the health and well-being of women and girls, who bear the greatest responsibility often for raising families and communities. Staff at the two health facilities took turns to explain their operations to the visiting team, saying the WFP-assisted nutrition programme at the facilities had helped to among others improve attendance by mothers to the facilities, which was ensuring the well-being of mothers and their babies. The visiting team later paid a courtesy call on the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Salifu Saeed, to brief him about their mission in the region. Mr Saeed Expressed appreciation to the WFP for its support for mother and child health initiatives and human rights in the region, and called for more support in the area of nutrition to improve cognitive development of 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 Prime Minister Hun Sen criticized Cambodians wanting to come back from Wuhan, China, where a pneumonia outbreak has been declared a global emergency, with the premier wanting Cambodian diplomats and students to stay in China to show solidarity with Asian powerhouse. The World Health Organization reported on January 30, 2020, at least 7,800 confirmed cases of the virus globally, 7,726 of which were in China itself. The WHO also declared a global emergency Thursday evening because of the quick uptick in the spread of the virus and evidence of human-to-human transmission. Cambodia has recorded one confirmed case so far, a Chinese national who arrived in the coastal town of Sihanoukville last week. The government has confirmed to local media that around 3,000 Chinese nationals have entered the country from Wuhan since the outbreak began in late December. However, Prime Minister Hun Sen said Thursday that Cambodian diplomats and students should remain in Wuhan, China, and help the Chinese combat the viral spread. He insisted that Cambodians cannot desert the Chinese in their time of need. Dont run away from the Chinese people during this difficult moment, he said. Loving each other during the time of adversity, being good friends during these difficult circumstances. This is the slogan of Cambodia since our ancestral times, he added. There are at least 23 Cambodian students in Wuhan, with 80 other students, who returned to Cambodia last week, all testing negative for the coronavirus. Cambodia has grown increasingly close to China over the last five years, especially on account of increased investment and Beijings tacit support for the Cambodian governments recent crackdown on constitutional freedoms. Other countries have been working with Chinese authorities to evacuate their citizens from the country. This week, the United States and Japan evacuated their citizens on chartered flights, with the European Union considering similar actions. Myanmar said it had also spoken to Chinese officials about evacuating their citizens. The prime minister, probably on account of his increased reliance and friendship with Beijing, has been critical of health precautions taken by the Cambodians. At the press conference, he chided journalists for wearing surgical masks and said that anyone continuing to wear the mask will be asked to leave the press conference. He said Cambodia would not cancel any flights, ships nor prevent Chinese nationals and tourists from entering the country, constantly suggesting that this would negatively impact the Chinese peoples morale. The prime minister also took umbrage with comments made by Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watchs deputy Asia director, who criticized the Cambodian government for continuing to allow incoming flights from China. Lets send a message to Phil Robertson that if you have given advice to the Cambodian government to be responsible and to blame it, please put the blame on every country, including the country where you are at, the premier said. In response, Robertson said that in light of a global emergency it was not unreasonable to expect the government to take preventive measures to protect its citizens. Other countries around the world are taking action to contain the spread of the coronavirus while at the same time upholding basic human rights, so Cambodia should do so as well, he said. Seoul, Jan 31 : The deadly Coronavirus outbreak that has already killed 213 people in China could lead to delay in the accessories for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S20 series that are coming out of the country. According to the website MobileFun, it has already started receiving emails from a variety of brands and suppliers detailing delays that could make it very difficult for early S20 adopters to purchase cases, screen protectors and other device specific accessories at launch. Samsung's flagship "Unpacked" event a under two weeks away but, the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus and the subsequent extension of the Chinese New Year holiday by the Chinese government will have consequences for the upcoming smartphones and their potential buyers. With the majority of phone cases and glass screen protectors manufactured in China, including the extremely popular, Samsung partnered Whitestone Dome, owners of the new S20 phones will likely have to wait in order provide their phone with enhanced protection, the report added. Earlier this week, there were reports that the deadly virus could also impact Apple's business as its Foxconn facility in Wuhan "could quickly become overrun with an outbreak, potentially putting workers at unnecessary risk and effectively shutting down production". In addition to asking many employees to stay at home, the Taiwanese multinational electronics contract manufacturing firm has also enhanced employee health monitoring at the Wuhan factory. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) 01/24/2020 Boston Globe By John Laidler Beadwork, baskets, and origami are not normally considered tools of the trade for math teachers. But for University of Massachusetts Lowell professor Iman Chahine, they can be as important as calculators, rulers, and protractors. As an ethnomathematician, Chahine studies the way basic math concepts are embedded in every culture and how exposing students to those different paths to knowledge can enrich their understanding of math and other societies. Humans from prehistoric ages have been accumulating knowledge which they share and transmit from one generation to another, said Chahine, an associate professor of education at UMass. Examples in the realm of math, she said, include employing probability to weigh strategies in indigenous games and algebra and logic to describe kinship relations. She said her goal is to help integrate that insight into classroom teaching around the world, to engage students in transcultural, problem-based inquiries where they can experience the realities of knowing and doing mathematics in different cultural contexts. Chahine has a special opportunity to advance that mission overseas as a result of receiving a recent Fulbright US Scholar Award. For the next nine months, she will be training teachers in some of South Africas high-needs districts on how to incorporate traditional arts and culture into their high school math curriculum, including indigenous games, baskets, and beadwork from Zulu culture and geometric designs in the murals that Ndebele women paint on their walls. Chahine, who arrived in South Africa on Dec. 31, is based at North West Universitys Potchefstroom campus, where she has been appointed honorary research fellow. Her selection to receive the Fulbright was a thrill, said Chahine, who was interviewed by e-mail from South Africa. It was quite reaffirming and humbling. This opportunity is a realization of a life-time commitment to humanize, internationalize, and extend the field of mathematics education beyond geographic boundaries and institutional settings, she said. My ultimate goal is to replicate and extend the research model we are implementing in South Africa to other countries as well to ensure global impact. A native of Lebanon, Chahine joined the UMass faculty in 2018. Eleanor Abrams, dean of UMass Lowells College of Education, said the university is thrilled to have Chahine on its faculty and to be able to learn from the insights she brings to teaching math. Whats special about Iman is how she links mathematics education to students everyday cultural activity, she said. Noting that math can often seem abstract and unconnected to the natural world, Abrams said placing it in a cultural context makes it more relevant to students, and hence easier to master, while also broadening their understanding of other cultures. Abrams said UMass students aspiring to become teachers have much to gain from being exposed to ethnomathematics since the Merrimack Valley is so culturally diverse. Prior to UMass, Chahine was an associate professor of mathematics education and an affiliate faculty member at the Middle Eastern Institute at Georgia State University, and taught math for 15 years in her native Lebanon. Since 2010, Chahine has been collaborating with colleagues in South Africa, including as a research fellow at the University of Johannesburg, and as director of three Georgia State study abroad programs. In the latter role, she oversaw an initiative in which student teachers studied how different cultures interpret math in South Africa and Morocco. Her current project builds on a previous one between 2015 and 2018 in South Africa, where she and colleagues at North West University integrated indigenous knowledge systems into math and sciences teaching, especially at the high school level. Working in the Northern Cape region and KwaZulu-Natal province, the research team will examine the experiences of high school teachers introduced to ethnomath. The ultimate goal, Chahine said, is to offer South African teachers opportunities to engage in exploring mathematical ideas as they emerge in South African contexts and in ways that are different from what they currently use in their classrooms. Chahine said her interest in math began when as a small child she would watch her mother use it in her sewing work. She used to transform rectangular sheets of fabric into outfits precisely designed to fit particular sizes, she recalled. Her inspiration to explore ethnomathematics came in the mid-1990s when as a masters degree student at the American University of Beirut, she undertook a research study on children working as street vendors to help support their families in the aftermath of Lebanons civil war. I was interested in examining the mathematics that these young street vendors used . . . in the cause of survival. I found that children developed their own computational strategies that are significantly different from those taught in the school setting, Chahine said. Chahine then used a university grant to research the spatial reasoning skills of master plumbers in Beirut and compare them to those used by students. The studies inspired her to further explore ethnomathematics, which led to her earning a PhD in the field from the University of Minnesota in 2008. Chahine said at its core, ethnomathematics represents not simply an alternative way of teaching but an effort to promote social justice. The impetus of ethnomathematics research is to acknowledge the mathematical contributions of many cultures and to recover their dignity, she said. By Express News Service THRISSUR: Health authorities in Kerala on Friday shifted a female student, who has been tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, from the general hospital to the Government Medical College here early on Friday morning, official sources said. The condition of the student has improved as the health department awaits the confirmatory test results from the National Institute of Virology, Pune. Sources in the Health Department said the confirmatory test result and the preliminary test result of 4 persons admitted to isolation ward are expected today. The department has also started tracing the contacts of the student to put them under home quarantine. A list of 52 persons who came into contact with her have already been identified. The state continues to be on high alert and 1053 persons have already been subjected to home quarantine. In an emergency meeting with private hospitals, Health Minister KK Shailaja asked them to lay special attention on people having nCov symptoms. They should be admitted to the isolation ward immediately and shifted to the Medical College Hospital, if required. The patient had been kept in an isolation ward of the general hospital here since she approached the doctors with symptoms of Novel Coronavirus. The decision to shift her to the Medical College Hospital was taken after State Health Minister KK Shailaja held a high-level meeting at the medical college hospital here on Thursday midnight to take stock of the situation after the positive case of Novel Coronavirus was detected in the state. The medical college here has been upgraded with a special isolation ward with facilities to treat at least 24 patients at a time. At least 1,053 people are under observation in the state as the Left Democratic Front government scrambled to tackle the emergency. The Union Health Ministry had reported to the state government on Thursday that the patient has tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus. (With PTI inputs) Among the many nicknames Erik had for me, my least favorite was Tinder. He had picked it not only because it rhymed with my last name, but also because, as he knew, I had done a lot of online dating before fleeing to take this job on a cruise ship. The position sounded fashioned from my fantasies: I would teach writing for Semester at Sea while our seven-story cruiser sailed west from California to England, crossing three oceans and porting in a dozen countries. At sea, I would get distance from Brooklyn and the abiding sense that something was missing in my life there, because I was past 30 and unpartnered. Erik was a music professor on the ship, but it took us half of the Pacific to intersect. Shorter than me and a little younger, Erik was the kind of guy who knew Kurt Cobains birthday, death day and shoe size. I often sported a blue jumpsuit; Erik rocked out skinny jean shorts. On Tinder, we would not have swiped right. It takes nearly three weeks to cross the Pacific, plenty of time for claustrophobia to grow. I handled mine by hiding out in a corner of deck five, where it was just me and the seas roar. But it turned out deck five was an escape for Erik, too a nine-yard stretch he jogged over and over, desperate for exercise. Sooner or later, in our aloneness, we were going to find each other. The BBC's first LGBT correspondent has sparked outrage among his colleagues by bragging about his promotion a day after the corporation announced 450 job cuts. Speaking at the Kaleidoscope Trust gala dinner at the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel on Thursday evening, journalist Ben Hunte addressed his promotion in the context of the BBC's job losses. 'You'll also be glad to know that I have made it through the BBC cuts,' Hunte told the audience, prompting cheers from the crowd. Speaking at the Kaleidoscope Trust gala dinner at the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel on Thursday evening, journalist Ben Hunte addressed his promotion in the context of the BBC's job losses 'And I got a promotion,' he added, to the sound of more cheering. Hunte also referred to himself as the 'youngest, blackest and gayest correspondent' the BBC has ever seen. An insider at the BBC told MailOnline that the video was being shared among employees and left people 'furious', at a time when the broadcast corporation announced it would cut 450 jobs from its total news staffing of 6,000 in a drive to save 80million. Ben Hunte was named first LGBT correspondent for BBC News in 2018 and reports on stories about sexuality and gender Ben Hunte was named first LGBT correspondent for BBC News in 2018 and reports on stories about sexuality and gender Plans to axe Victoria Derbyshire's BBC Two programme were confirmed on Wednesday having already been leaked, with the host admitting she is 'devastated'. There will also be a cut to Newsnight's budget, job losses at 5 Live and the World Service will lose shows, it was confirmed earlier this week. Ben Hunte was named first LGBT correspondent for BBC News in 2018 and reports on stories about sexuality and gender, while also providing analysis on LGBT issues. He previously worked as a presenter for BBC Africa's children's programme 'What's New', the BBC's first TV programme and digital service for children in Africa. Appointment 31 January 2020 In his role, Al Mojil will be responsible developing, directing and overseeing the hotel's cultural visions and strategies. With more than 17 years' of experience, Al Mojil has held managerial positions in HR departments of multiple industries. He has worked across retail, healthcare and the e-commerce sector. In his new role he will use his experience to maintain employee relations, manage recruitment and ensure the retention of staff. He will also be expected to help the team with personal and professional development, compensation administration and handle the legal matters related to HR at the property. Prior to his appointment at the Saudi hotel, Al Moji was a country manager for HR at Souq.com, he has also worked at companies such as IKEA International, Carrefour and the Al Faisaliah Group. - Iya Villania and Drew Arellano took to Instagram to announce something special about their family - They just revealed that they are expecting their third baby, which they announced on their wedding anniversary - The couple also uploaded a vlog that shows how Iya revealed her pregnancy to her husband - They also received congratulatory messages from netizens as well as some famous celebrities PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Iya Villania and her husband Drew Arellano are expecting their third child this year. They happily announced it via an Instagram video, which they posted today, January 31, the day of their wedding anniversary. Drew posted the video and captioned his post with, "The GOOD NEWS we want to share now that might just be a lil beacon of happiness you need." The lovely couple also shared a YouTube video where they showed how Iya disclosed the news to her husband. Based on the video, the Kapuso actress already know that she is pregnant last December. She told Drew about it by putting the sonogram of their baby inside the Christmas card that she gave him. The Byahe Ni Drew host got stunned and emotional after Iya confirmed that she is pregnant. Even their family, especially Iya's mom, got extremely happy and even said that she hopes that their next baby is a girl as the celebrity couple already has two sons. Moreover, Iya informed their subscribers that she is already on her second trimester. She added that they will not disclose the gender of their little one until her delivery. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, Iya Villanias toilet photo with charming sons Primo and Leon went viral online. Iya Villania is one of the most gorgeous celebrity moms in the Philippines. She is currently married to television host Drew Arellano. They tied the knot on January 31, 2014. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh "Whether discussing issues of Life, Religious Liberty, the Church, or Human Dignity, listeners can expect an intelligent and thoughtful conversation from a faithful Catholic perspective with the leading thinkers of our time. EWTN is proud to bring this new program to our audience," said EWTN Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael P. Warsaw. February is jam-packed. Upcoming guests include George Weigel, who will discuss Cardinal George Pell, who many believe is imprisoned in Australia for a crime he didn't commit, the abuse crisis and religious liberty; Mary Rice Hasson, who will discuss transgenderism and gender ideology; U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, who will discuss pro-life issues from a federal perspective; and U.S. Senator Sam Brownback, who will discuss religious liberty issues. "Our idea is to have a conversation, most of the time with guests but sometimes with each other, that is intellectual enough to spark consequences of thought different ways of looking at difficult subjects in our listeners," said Dr. Grazie Christie, the show's host who will be familiar to many EWTN viewers from her appearances on "Morning Glory," "EWTN Pro-Life Weekly," and "EWTN News Nightly." "We thought there was room for a show where we could take the time to tackle issues in a deeper way than normally can be done on radio. I also think it's important that we are well-informed professional women and well as mothers and wives. The culture is always telling us what's good for women. It's important for women themselves to be in that conversation, to say this is the real world as we're experiencing it." Dr. Christie, a practicing physician, embodies this concept as she is also the mother of five. Her team includes Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, CA's Legal Advisor and mother of 10, whose extensive legal career includes work as an appellate attorney; Maureen Malloy Ferguson, CA Senior Fellow, mother of five and a former National Right to Life Committee spokeswoman and Congressional liaison; and Ashley McGuire, CA Senior Fellow, author ("Sex Scandal: The Drive to Abolish Male and Female"), editor of the Institute for Family Studies blog, a policy fellow with the American Conservative Union Foundation, and a mother of three. EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 38th year, is the largest religious media network in the world. EWTN's 11 global TV channels are broadcast in multiple languages 24 hours a day, seven days a week to over 300 million television households in more than 145 countries and territories. EWTN platforms also include radio services transmitted through SIRIUS/XM, iHeart Radio, and over 500 domestic and international AM & FM radio affiliates; a worldwide shortwave radio service; one of the largest Catholic websites in the U.S.; electronic and print news services, including Catholic News Agency, "The National Catholic Register" newspaper, and several global news wire services; as well as EWTN Publishing, its book publishing division. SOURCE EWTN Global Catholic Network Related Links https://www.ewtn.com It may also be recalled that the US, India, Japan and Australia are part of the four-nation Quad arrangement. New Delhi: Making his countrys unease clear in a veiled manner about Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea (SCS) without naming Beijing, a top Japanese diplomat posted in New Delhi has said Japan remains seriously concerned about the situation on the ground attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo continue, and militarisation of disputed features. He added that Japan considers India as an indispensable strategic partner to work hand-in-hand to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific . Speaking in Delhi on Maritime Security in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean: Exploring Convergent Views, Japanese Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) now functioning as Charge dAffaires (CdA) Toshihide Ando said, If we turn our eyes to the South China Sea, attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo continue, and militarisation of disputed features has not ceased. Japan remains seriously concerned about the situation on the ground as other partners do. He added that the Japanese vision of the Indo-Pacific region is not exclusive but inclusive and not aimed at creating any new institutions or excluding any country and that it is open to all countries, as long as they share its core concept. It may be recalled that Japan has serious maritime disputes with China. Also, a few south-east Asian nations like Vietnam and Philippines also have maritime disputes with China. It may also be recalled that the US, India, Japan and Australia are part of the four-nation Quad arrangement. Online photo-printing company Shutterfly is laying off more than 150 employees from its Redwood City headquarters, according to a state filing this week. According to a notice the company filed Wednesday with the California Employment Development Department, 66 employees will lose their jobs and 87 workers will see their jobs relocated to an office outside California. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that Shutterfly is moving 100 marketing jobs to the Eden Prairie, Minn., offices of its Lifetouch subsidiary, which Shutterfly acquired in 2018. Lifetouch specializes in school photographs. Shutterfly spokeswoman Heather Wilson said the company is allowing affected Bay Area employees to move to Minnesota if they choose. Since our acquisition of Lifetouch in 2018, we have made progress integrating the teams. Wilson said in an email. Additionally, Shutterfly is excited about the strong talent in the Twin Cities market, especially across marketing and merchandising, she added. The notices filed with the state are required by state and federal law whenever significant layoffs occur. The filings said the layoffs will take place on or around March 31, though the date in such notices often reflects the period during which severance is paid, not when a worker actually loses his or her job. The marketing and consumer departments were hit hardest by the layoffs, with engineers and human resources workers, as well as the chief technical officer, also affected. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Whether an employee whose job is relocating will have an employment loss is dependent on whether the employee accepts Shutterflys offer to relocate, Shutterflys notice, required under California law, read. Apollo Global Management, a private-equity firm, bought Shutterfly in 2019 for $2.7 billion. Founded in 1999, Shutterfly went public in 2006, right before photography shifted to mobile phones and people began sharing photos on social media. The company was briefly led by Ryan OHara, who was appointed in June and was replaced in November by Hilary Schneider, the former CEO of Wag, a dog-walking service. Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice A fabric art design for the exhibition "Sida's dream" / Courtesy of Chun Tae-il Memorial Seamstresses open up about conditions in factories from past to present By Park Ji-won South Korea had to start from scratch after the Korean War (1950-53). The war-torn country had nothing but human resources as the entire nation had become a battlefield and was ruined. Korean nurses and miners flew to Germany to earn cash and the income they sent to their families was used as "seed money" for the nation's industrialization. While the nurses and miners were lauded as heroes for their contribution to the economy, there was another group of workers who deserved similar acclaim but were largely forgotten. Assistant seamstresses, called "sida" in Korean, were a key part of the garment industry, one of the fields that drove Korea's miraculous economic growth in the 1970s. The term sida was derived from the Japanese word "sita" meaning "under." To become a seamstress, a woman had to work as an assistant for years to master the necessary professional skills. Sida was also broadly used to mean people who were underemployed in the garment industry they worked hard for long hours but their wages were shockingly low. Due to their long work hours and a lack of proper rest, it was hard for sida to find time to think about their career or dreams. To meet production deadlines, they had to sleep in the dusty factories after working late into the night and consumed caffeine pills or energy drinks almost every day to keep them awake during the day. Many of the sida were urban migrants who flocked to Seoul for jobs and some were breadwinners responsible for feeding and supporting other family members in poverty-stricken rural areas. They themselves were elementary or middle school graduates but their incomes were used to finance their siblings' education. The late Chun Tae-il was a sida. Unlike other sacrificing garment industry workers who endured inhumane working conditions for their family members, Chun was a labor activist who tried hard to improve the conditions of fellow laborers. This year marks the 50th anniversary of his death. To commemorate the anniversary, the Chun Taeil Memorial, a facility founded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government to remember his legacy, hosted the exhibition, "Sida's Dream," to revisit the lives of the sweatshop workers. Four sida seamstresses Park Gyung-mi, Jang Kyung-hwa, Kim Kyung-sun and Hong Kyung-ae are still working in garment factories after more than three decades and their artwork is on display. Chun worked as a sida and cloth-cutter in various garment factories in Seoul from 1965. He became an activist fighting for garment industry workers after realizing the discrimination and abusive labor practices in the industry. He chose to set himself on fire on Nov. 13, 1970 to raise the public's awareness about the abusive working conditions of those in the garment industry. Various artists, four famous novelists, Cho Hae-jin, Lee Ju-ran, Chung Se-rang and Choi Jung-wha, photographer Jeon Kyung-sook and artist Ban Jae-ha joined hands to show the dreams and the realities of the garment workers in various art forms. A fabric art creation at the "Sida's dream" exhibition. Courtesy of Chun Taeil Memorial An art piece named "Shirt and Shirt" by Ban Jae-ha on display at the memorial hall. Courtesy of Chun Taeil Memorial On the first floor, the fabric art designs of photographer Jeon and the four garment workers are on display. Jeon printed photos on muslin fabric and the workers embroidered them later. On the second floor, infographics on the labor conditions of the garment workers in the mid-1970s are shown in addition to films scripted by former factory workers. On the third floor, there are four rooms themed around each of the four workers, including short stories written in collaboration with the authors. An art piece named "Shirt and Shirt" by Ban is also on display on the third floor, comparing two almost identical shirts one produced by a local seamstress and the other from Japanese fast fashion company Uniqlo. A fabric art design for the exhibition "Sida's dream" Courtesy of Chun Taeil Memorial "Instead of giving a lecture on their lives, this exhibition helps visitors see the lives of the four garment workers. The exhibition shows the situation for workers in the past but also features what things are like currently," "Sida's Dream" exhibition planner Kim Ji-yeon wrote in the exhibition catelogue. "The reality they faced forced them to only dream and no one actually paid attention to them. So this exhibition confronts the hypocrisy of people, as well as the deep-seated anger and remorse of a group of people who cannot overcome yesterday. The exhibition helps us think about their lives and what we can do for them." In fashion shows, Hong Kyung-ae said people can see the list of names of fashion designers and models. "But our names are omitted despi the fact that we are the ones who made the clothes. It makes me sad all the time when I don't see any names of seamstresses," Hong told The Korea Times. "I'm over 50. But I'm the youngest person in my factory No one is trying to work as a seamstress because our working conditions are not good. We work even without basic insurance. (Through the exhibition,) I hope people will pay attention to our working conditions," Hong added. This free exhibition runs through March 29. However, it is temporarily closed until Feb. 2 due to the spread of coronavirus. For more information, call 02-318-0903. Four garment workers and four novelists pose after participating in an event held on the sidelines of the exhibition "Sida's dream" at the Chun Taeil Memorial, Seoul, Jan. 19. From left in the first row are seamstresses Jang Kyung-hwa, Park Kyung-mi, Hong Kyung-ae and Kim Kyung-sun. From left in the second row are novelists Chung Se-rang, Lee Ju-ran, Choi Jung-wha and Cho Hae-jin. Courtesy of Chun Taeil Memorial A cousin, well known in GAA circles, from the Tullogher area of Rosbercon parish recently sent me a collection of old photographs which his mother had collected during her lifetime. This lady was one of the many maternal first cousins of my mother, Eileen Kirwan, nee Hogan (1925-2012). Her mother, Annie Hogan (1880-1940), nee Ryan of Ballycurran, Tullogher had one brother (John, died 1951) and seven sisters, three of whom became nuns while the other four girls married. Three of these sisters had families. Today their descendants are scattered around south Kilkenny, Wicklow and Dublin and must number hundreds of Ryans, OFarrells, Dunphys, Duggans, Wallaces, Holdens, Healys and Dowlings to name but a very few. All have a common ancestor in Richard Ryan of Guilcough and his wife Mary Hartley of Busherstown, Glenmore. The couple leased a farm at Ballycurran adjacent to the Ryan home at Guilcough Mor. The family are still in both places today. The collection included many of my mother as a young school-going girl who, though born and reared in Inistioge parish, went to live with her aunt, Mrs William Drea (nee Kate Ryan) of Brownstown, in order to attend the nearby national school. The school was much closer to the Drea house than Inistioge National School was to my mothers home in Ballyvoole, which was a long three mile walk each way, in the days before school transport. My mother often spoke of Aunt Kate, Bill Drea and of Brownstown, a place she visited all her life. As with most collections of family photographs there are a number of unidentified images. The most interesting of these (main picture) depicts perhaps a newly married couple and is by the Waterford photographers Poole & Co, who operated for many decades from 34, The Mall. Happily, the Poole Collection survived the closure of the business and is today one of the great photographic treasures held by the National Library of Ireland (Temple Bar branch). They are a handsome couple and, to my mind, the woman has the dark looks of the Hartleys, ancestors and cousins of the Ryans. But that is just a guess. Perhaps a reader out there might be a descendant of this prosperous couple? Poole & Co were the Waterford equivalents to August Nielsen, later Fox, Greenhough of Rose Inn Street, Kilkenny. This collection has a number of photographs by the latter, largely of couples on their wedding day. Another photograph (bottom right) which depicts three young schoolgirls is also a bit of a puzzle. The girl in the middle is Mai Ryan, later Mrs Michael Dunphy, Ballyvoole, Inistioge, but the identity of the girls on either side of her are unknown. Can anyone help? Mai had only two brothers, Richard and John Ryan. The next two photographs (far right) depict Kate Ryan and her husband Bill Drea, standing and seated in their very smartly turned-out pony and trap. Sunday Best Both are in their Sunday best. Perhaps they are off to a wedding? Maybe even that of my maternal grandparents, Andrew Hogan and Annie Ryan in 1924. Kate wears a cloche hat and coat with a fur collar and a dropped waist, reminiscent of the 1920s, while Bill has a bowler hat and a well tailored knee length overcoat. Between them in the second photograph stands her niece Mai Ryan. Bill Drea was a member of the family of that surname which still farm at Kilmacshane, Inistioge. The couple had no children, so informally adopted Anastatia OFarrell, her niece from Kilcurl, Knocktopher, who in the course of time inherited the Brownstown farm. This was not an unknown Irish arrangement. My mother had another cousin on her fathers side, a Dowling of Annaleck, Goresbridge, who as a young girl was sent to live with her maternal widowed grandfather, James Ryan of Raheenduff, Inistioge. My paternal grandmother, Anne Murphy of Dunbell, had a similar experience. She lived with her unmarried maternal uncle, Luke Murphy and his spinster sisters, Kate and Ellen at Dungarvan, Co Kilkenny. All three girls grew up away from their siblings, whom they only got to know later in life. Two, I know, felt that they had lost out on the rough and tumble of everyday family life though fully acknowledging that they had had a very loving upbringing. I remember the late Frank McEvoy of Hebron, Kilkenny talk about a similar experience. All these images tell us something of Irish life from the early days of the 20th Century. The people in them are well dressed and well-fed. They are a mirror of our immediate past. Within 30 years the pony and trap ceased to be a feature of everyday life. The formality of the dress also tells us a great deal about their attitudes when going beyond the front door or the farmyard gate into the wider world. Women hardly ever ventured out without a hat or head covering. It was a much more formal age than our own. All this was achieved through tedious labour, as few if any of the houses of these people would have had water on tap, not to mention washing machines. Brownstown was lucky in that it had a good well with a bucket and winch, steps from the front door. My father who grew up in Lower Grange, Goresbridge, occasionally made reference to bringing water by the barrel, loaded on carts, during long dry summers from a nearby bog. Irish life has changed hugely in the space of perhaps two life times. These photographs are a valuable insight into the life of Ireland a mere hundred years ago. Ahead of them lay the hard times of the Economic War and later still the Emergency when Ireland was largely isolated from the wider world and subject to rationing, minor hardships compared to the murderous conditions that most of western and central Europe experienced between 1939 and 1945. It also brought back into widespread use the pony and trap. This was also the first generation of Irish farmers to own the land they farmed. The last big photograph depicts members of the OFarrell family of Kilcurl and the Hartley Family of Busherstown. This is also by Poole & Co of Waterford. Houston Police Department A man died at a hospital Thursday after a shooting in south Houston, according to police. The shooting occurred at 7:43 p.m. in the 3600 block of Yosemite. A caller reported seeing the victim lying in the street, before the man was taken to a hospital, police said. Seasoned diplomat Ajay Bisaria was on Friday appointed High Commissioner to Canada, a posting considered important in view of India's close ties with the North American country. Bisaria was serving as India's High Commissioner to Pakistan but returned to India in August last year after Islamabad expelled him following New Delhi's decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir and withdraw its special status. Bisaria, a 1987-batch IFS officer, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs said. "He is expected to take up the assignment shortly," it said. As High Commissioner to Pakistan, Bisaria helped establish linkages between India and the Imran Khan-led government which came to power in August 2018. He was involved in furthering various initiatives including the Kartarpur corridor. The senior diplomat has served in various positions in the last three decades. Bisaria was private secretary to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee between 1999 to 2004. He has also worked in the World Bank in Washington as an advisor to the executive director for South Asia from 2004-2008. In 2009, Bisaria moved to Delhi to serve as Joint Secretary (Eurasia) in the MEA and headed the division coordinating the overall policy and bilateral relations with Eurasia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kondli Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Kondli constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election, Kondli (SC) Assembly elections 2020 | With 57,434 votes, AAP's Kuldeep Kumar is leading in the Kondli constituency. Trailing with a margin of over 21,000 votes, BJP's Raj Kumar got 36,384 votes. RAJ KUMAR Bharatiya Janata Party 36384 35.63 The Kondli Assembly constituency, reserved for the Scheduled Castes, lies in the East Delhi district of the National Capital. It was carved out of the East Delhi Parliamentary seat after delimitation in 2008. Demography: As per the 2011 Census, the East Delhi district has a population of 17,09,346. The sex ratio is 843 while the average literacy rate is 89.31 percent. The Kondli Census Town has population of 38,207 of which 20,691 are males while 17,516 are females as per report released by Census India 2011. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 56 Total electors: 1,24,165 Male: 69,175 Female: 54, 981 Transgender: 9 Voter turnout in previous election: 70 percent Polling stations: 153 Major parties in the fray: BJP, AAP, Congress Results in the last three elections: In 2015, AAP's Manoj Kumar, who received 50.66 percent of the votes, defeated BJP's Hukam Singh, who polled over 30 percent of the votes cast. In 2013, Manoj had registered a victory over BJP's Dushyant Kumar Gautam, who had unsuccessfully contested the elections twice. In 2008 elections, Gautam lost to two-time MLA and Congress candidate Amrish Singh Gautam. This year, AAP has fielded Kuldeep Kumar, while the BJP candidate is Rajkumar Dhillon. The Congress has trusted turncoat Amrish Singh Gautam, who left the party to move to BJP but has now returned to the mothership after being denied ticket by the BJP, according to a report in the The Times of India. He had joined the BJP ahead of the 2017 MCD polls. Meanwhile, the sitting AAP MLA Manoj has crossed over to the BJP, after he was denied a ticket. He is campaigning against AAP in these elections. After joining BJP, Kumar said the Kejriwal government was showing false dreams to people. I want to urge the people of Kondli that if they want the same development done during my tenure in the past five years, they should vote for BJP," The Times of India quoted him as saying. Assembly elections in Delhi will be held in a single phase on 8 February while results will be announced on 11 February. 1.46 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes. The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly comes to an end on 22 February and a new House has to be constituted before that. The election notification for the Delhi Assembly Election was issued on 14 January. The last date for filing nominations was 21 January and the last date of withdrawal of candidature was 24 January. The Arvind Kejriwal led- Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Delhi in February 2015 sweeping 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. The BJP had won three seats while the Congress drew a blank. The Delhi Legislative Assembly was first constituted on 7 March, 1952. The 70 constituencies are distributed across nine districts North West, North, West, Central, South West, District New Delhi, South, East, North East. With inputs from PTI Luckily, there are safeguards to protect your clients against tax fraud. Insurance Business America caught up with Paige Schaffer, CEO, Global Identity Protection Services at Generali Global Assistance, who offered eight tips that insurance agents and brokers can share with their clients to mitigate their exposure to tax fraud. 1. File your taxes early When it comes to filing taxes, the procrastination is real. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says that about one in five tax filers wait until the last two weeks before filing. A recent survey published by WalletHub.com says 51% of people would rather report to jury duty instead of filing taxes, and 10% would rather drink expired milk. The message is clear: people really dont like doing their taxes and they often leave it to the last minute. This leaves them more vulnerable and it gives identity thieves optimum time to make fraudulent claims. Its important to file as early as possible, said Schaffer. Being proactive is one of the best ways to prevent an imposter from stealing your return because youre providing a smaller window of opportunity. The IRS processes returns on a first-come, first-served basis, so you want to make sure you get it done quickly. 2. Find a reputable accountant or tax-filing software Its really important to file your taxes through a reputable accountant or tax-filing software, according to Schaffer. This helps with the prevention of errors and omissions, while also improving security and reducing exposure to fraudulent or criminal activity. Not all tax preparation is created equal, Schaffer warned. There are some junk companies out there, and there are also some pretty institutional firms. The American Bar Association cautions folks to avoid tax preparers who promise they can obtain a higher refund, as well as preparers who base their fees on the amount of the return. That should be irrelevant. Its better to use a reputable accountant or a software tool that has a flat fee for its services and gives you access to legal resources as needed. 3. Sign up for scam alerts from the FTC The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides a free scam alert which helps people stay abreast of all the dirty tricks scammers are currently using. It provides information on tax fraud, in addition to other cybersecurity vulnerabilities that are doing the rounds. 4. Dont provide personal information over phone or email Weve all had those phone calls from the alleged IRS saying theres a warrant out for our arrest due to some sort of tax SSN infringement. Surprise, surprise, these calls are totally bogus and yet, people still fall for them. You should never give out personally identifiable information (PII) over the phone, Schaffer told Insurance Business. The IRS will never contact you asking for PII via phone, email, or social media. 5. Use encryption tools As Schaffer stressed, its best not to send emails with PII attached. But sometimes, it cant be avoided. In such instances, make sure those emails are encrypted, said Schaffer. There are lots of encryption programs out there, which can protect your PII. And you can also make changes to your email security settings. Its critically important to encrypt your PII if youre sending it via email. 6. Beware of online scams In the 2018 tax season, the IRS saw an approximate 60% surge in phishing and malware incidents. This is hackers making the most of tax season by releasing a proliferation of computer scams. These can come via email as phishing scams or as pop-ups on the computer asking for personal information. 7. Use strong passwords Cyber criminals are notoriously lazy. A strong password can be the difference between them bothering to hack your account and them leaving you well alone. Schaffer commented: Strong passwords can protect taxpayers from identify thieves. Lots of the encryption software in use today can easily crack passwords around eight-digits or under. Its advisable to have a password phrase thats over 16 characters, and that extends beyond tax prep. 8. Make the most of risk prevention technology There are lots of companies, like Generali Global Assistance, that provide anti-phishing and anti-keylogging software, among other identify theft and fraud resolution services. This is critical for insurers, brokers and end-clients alike, according to Schaffer. The best way to mitigate risk is to be proactive, she said. For insurers and brokers, that means offering ancillary risk mitigation and resolution services, either embedded in your policies or by giving your customers the option to purchase further solutions. Its not just about anti-phishing and anti-keylogging; its being able to monitor your personal information and your activity, whether thats on the dark web or through the credit bureaus. Today, we have the ability with technology to track our PII and get an immediate alert is somethings not right. It never hurts to have those services in place and to have experts to call on to mitigate any fears people might have. 'It's too big to digest as one whole airline.' "There is going to be no one airline for which Air India is going to be a perfect fit for," Aviation expert Ajay Awtaney, founder editor, LiveFromALounge.com, tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. How is the 2018 divestment of Air India different from the 2020 divestment? In 2018, only a 74% stake was on offer. The government was going to retain the rest and perhaps cash it out later. Now, the government is happy to sell out the entire 100% in one go. In 2018, there were requirements that the network of the consortium would be at least worth Rs 5,000 crore (Rs 50 billion). This time, the network of the buyer or the consortium has been brought down to Rs 3,500 crore (Rs 35 billion). In 2018, the government wanted the acquirers to take on a debt burden of approximately Rs 33,392 crore (Rs 333.92 billion). This time, the fixed debt amount has gone down to Rs 23,286 crore (Rs 232.86 billion). The remaining part of the debt will be spun off to a holding company and the buyer does not need to worry about this extra debt. Now, only the aircraft related debt that was incurred by Air India over a period will be transferred to the buyer. What made the government change these terms of sale? This change has come learning from past experience. The biggest feedback they got the last time around was that if somebody wanted to acquire Air India they do not want a silent shareholder around. An acquirer would be interested more in the whole piece. The residual stake of 26%, which the government wanted to retain in 2018, was very significant. Industry gave them feedback that was not something to go for. And that has changed this time around. Potential bidders wanted 100% management control? Yes. Why does the 2020 divestment of Air India makes it attractive to potential bidders? Attractive or not, we will find out when the expression of interest stage is reached. Right now, nobody knows the names of those expressing interest, or bidding for Air India. In terms of what makes it attractive this time around is that the there will be lesser burden on whoever might acquire the airline. You are basically handing out the entire management control and the entire group network as well. There are lot of ifs and buts in the whole situation that the buyer would have to watch out for. How will the divestment process proceed? At this time, there is no complete visibility on the entire process, but what we know is that at the expression of interest stage, airlines or a consortium of people will send a memorandum to Air India or to the government saying they are interested in buying Air India. At that point of time, they will have to provide a set format of everything that the government asks for including the letter of forming a consortium, their net worth documents and whatever else the government requires. A fairly lengthy list that could be. After that, all these expression of interests would be vetted. Then the government will come to a final list of people they will engage with further on the divestment process. That will be called the Request For Proposal stage. At that point of time people who have been vetted by the government will submit their final proposal which will include how much they are willing to pay and what conditions do they want fulfilled. It will be like a dialogue. The government will meet each party and hear them out. If something material fructifies, then the next stage is the transaction stage where the government gets the transactions vetted and then decide the best suitor for Air India. Then would come the stage of collecting cash and transferring the title of Air India to whoever emerges as the winner. It will be a three-stage process. What are the assets and liabilities that the winner would get? The assets you get are the rights to use all the slots that Air India has, all the bilaterals that Air India has from the India quota with various countries around the world. You are getting all the aircraft apart from the three or four 747s that would be kept aside which are usually not flown or used for VIP duties. You are going to get the entire workforce and the $3.2 billion debt. What the buyer will not get are some permanent Air India buildings like the one at Nariman Point (south Mumbai), its current headquarters in Delhi. You will also not get access to the airline's art collection. The focus this time is on selling the core airline only. What the government has put out on offer is 100% of Air India, which is the domestic and international carrier; 100% of Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India. Air India Express operates largely between India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It's a low-cost carrier with 25 aircraft. Air India has a ground and cargo handling unit, AISATS, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines. The 50% owned by Air India is also on sale. Apart from the $3.2 billion debt that the potential bidder will take over, will it have to pay any other amount to the Government of India? That's what we will find out at the stage when the proposals are opened; then will we come to know how much is any potential bidder willing to pay for the airline. You are going to take on $3.2 billion of debt apart from whatever money you are expected to pay to the Government of India to acquire Air India. After that, you put in money in the airline where you want to upgrade or restructure. For instance, if after the acquisition, you want to do a restructuring of the workforce, then you might want to offer them a voluntary retirement scheme. Any rough estimate about the valuation of Air India apart from the debt part? Not at the moment, unfortunately, because the only thing that the government reveals in the expression of interest is a one-page balance sheet. I don't think valuations are coming out at this stage. I also don't think it is fair that there is a number that is floating around because each group or each individual airline would estimate the airline's net worth on their own with their own accountants and transaction advisors. This will be kept inside the envelope till concrete proposals come on the table. As an aviation expert, what is your estimate about a fair value for Air India? I don't have an estimate. Like I said, the data is too less to make an estimate. Some of the biggest assets with Air India are its intangibles. Let's say you had $3 billion today to start an airline. You could say I will take over Air India along with its readymade network and everything else that comes with it. Or you could say I'm going to buy or lease modern aircraft, wait for slots to be given to me and build an airline from scratch rather than acquire an airline which has been around for a very long time. This sale has its good parts and it has problems that come with it. How much money would a new operator require to build an airline like Air India? Billions of dollars. There is no clear number because airlines buy aircraft and aircraft pricing is always kept confidential between the manufacturer and the buyer. The list price of an aircraft could be $100 million, but as you are buying hundreds of them, you could get them at $56 million apiece. Or if you are buying only ten aircraft, you could get it at $90 million a piece. Which airlines will find Air India's assets as the best fit to scale up their operations? The name of the Tatas is being floated around again. Obviously, they have an emotional attachment to the airline because they were the ones who founded the airline. So, maybe the Tatas will bid, maybe not. They were also talked about when the bidding for Jet Airways happened one-and-a-half years back. Eventually, they did not go through with that. The Tatas will consider Air India a good fit because their domestic fleet is all A320s which is the same as the fleet that the Tatas's Vistara and Air Asia India operate at this point of time. Indigo had evinced interest in buying Air India's international operations two years ago, so we'll see if they come in the fray this time or not. There is going to be no one airline for which Air India is going to be a perfect fit for. If you consider the stage that the market is in at this point in time, 80% to 85% of India prefers to fly on a no-frills airline. The rest prefer flying on full-service airlines domestically. An Indigo, obviously, would just want Air India's international operations because they already have the biggest domestic operation at this time. Different businesses of the airline will be interesting to different bidders. Is Air India available in bits and parcels? Unfortunately, no. That is not what the government has made it out to be. But maybe somebody will say we just want to bid for a part of it. Till now, no negotiations have happened with any party, but the government wants to sell 100% stake in Air India. What challenges could the government face in its bid to sell Air India? The challenges remain the same as they were the last time around. It's too big to digest as one whole airline. The government needs to be open to listening from industry which the government said it will do going forward. The challenge is the huge size of Air India. It's too big to digest as one whole airline. While Air India has a great global group network, the aircraft that form its underlying assets are older technology. To give you an example, if you look at the information memorandum, you'll see most of the aircraft -- A320s, A319s, A321s -- that Air India owns are of the classic variety. About four-five years ago, Airbus launched the A320 Neo which gives you 15% lesser fuel burn and saves 15% on fuel cost on every flight. Air India's A320 Neos are leased and Air India pays rent for the lease. The aircraft that Air India owns are now approximately 10 years old. I'm not really sure what the secondhand valuation will be now because most operators now prefer to fly the A320 Neo. A prospective bidder may point this out and question why they should be saddled with debt used for buying old aircraft. A320 Neos are leased from other companies and so can't be considered as assets. Another thing that must be highlighted at this point of time is that all government officials are mandated to fly Air India. As per the Finance Bill 2009 an official on government duty is expected to only fly Air India. The memorandum says that once the transaction is completed, this is not a guarantee anymore. So, the winner of the bid may lose the government, which is currently a big customer of Air India. This guarantee should have continued for a few years, like a lock-in period. By one report, the government owes Air India some $30 million in dues indicating that this business is worth millions of dollars if not less. Also, the only constraint set out is that the control of the airline will need to be owned by an Indian management. Say, if a US-based hedge fund wins the bid and considers to move the headquarters to the US, that can't happen. The company will continue to remain Indian and run according to Indian laws. Mexico City (AFP) - Mexico will not tolerate the presence of Central American migrants who intend to enter the country violently or with an aim to cause trouble, the foreign minister warned Thursday. Marcelo Ebrard defended Mexico's migration policies and expressed his approval for the efforts of the National Guard, which last week detained some 800 migrants from the so-called "2020 Caravan". The group had crossed the Suchiate River along Mexico's southern border to illegally enter the country from Guatemala on their way to the United States. "If you come to Mexico to provoke, create conflict, I will return you to your country, because we don't have to support, to tolerate that," Ebrard said before the Mexican Senate. "Mexican policy offers you refuge, temporary employment, medical support -- everything that you want according to Mexican norms, norms that favor those seeking refuge," he said. "But if you come to Mexico to provoke, you will be returned to your country." Ebrard revealed that refugee requests from Central Americans in Mexico have grown from 6,000 last year to more than 70,000. "When it is said that we don't want to admit anybody, that is false. The numbers are not a coincidence," he said. "If the shelters have grown by 10 times, how can it be argued then that Mexico changed its policy to now be a policy of non-entry?" Ebrard said the foreign ministry has had to support the Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance (COMAR) in processing a large number of applications. He said that 90 percent of Hondurans who had entered Mexico illegally with the "2020 Caravan" have been deported, after they threw stones at National Guard troops stationed along the border at the Suchiate River. Mexico's National Institute of Migration (INM) said Monday that they had deported some 2,3000 Hondurans between January 18 and 27. "We returned them all to Honduras, because they can't enter Mexico in that way," the agency said. After several migrant caravans made their way to the southern US border in 2018 and 2019, US President Donald Trump threatened Mexico with economic sanctions if they did not take steps to stem the flow of people. Mexican President Andres Manual Lopez Obrador sent some 26,000 troops to the country's northern and southern borders in response. A group of traditionally orthodox conservatives met on Saturday at Clearbranch United Methodist Church in Trussville to talk about what kind of new, post-split denomination they could form. The Rev. Joe DeWitte, pastor of Pinson United Methodist Church, asked for a chance to respond to the leaders who organized that meeting. Here is his response: By the Rev. Joseph B. DeWitte, pastor of Pinson United Methodist Church In an article dated January 30, 2020, Greg Garrison covers the meeting of self-avowed traditionally orthodox Methodists at Clearbranch UMC. The purpose of the gathering, according to the pastor of the host church was for people to get information [and for] those who are hurting and scared to get inspired and motivated. I wish to offer an alternative view of our current dilemma in The United Methodist Church. We (the UMC) are in fact preparing to split, or fracture, as the proposals allow for more than just two expressions to form. This depends on what is adopted at our next global gathering, General Conference, this spring. The most recent proposal, A Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, grants the different groups in the United Methodist Church a path make their own way forward free of any of the legal battles over property and assets that have beset other denominations facing their own divisions over LGBTQ inclusion. The Revs. Paul Lawler and Vaughn Stafford, conveners of the Clearbranch gathering, are great colleagues. I have only ever had pleasant interactions with them, and their ministries reach hundreds of people. I do believe, however, that they may have misrepresented the churches who make up the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church. There are many individuals within the churches who are in complete agreement with the Reverends and the group they represent, the North Alabama chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA). But I have not experienced a single church, much less the whole of the North Alabama Conference, who are of one mind. They also propose that the new WCA-birthed denomination will be the sole refuge of traditional orthodox Methodists. But the WCA proposes support for female pastors, a dedication to ministry to all people, and communion open for all not just Methodists. All of these would be considered significantly progressive and irredeemably unorthodox by large numbers of Christians. I would not identify as progressive I have way too many spirited debates with my progressive friends on various issues to identify as such. I do agree with my progressive colleagues on LGBTQ inclusion in all areas of the church. The church I currently serve knows this. I serve Pinson United Methodist Church, a great group of people who, despite all my faults, love me and I them. They would consider themselves traditionalists in this matter, yet they accept me as their pastor. They make me proud to be a part of them every day. We see that ministry can be done together. We also both agree that we will not leave the United Methodist Church. The UMC as it is, and as it will continue to be, is a welcoming place for traditionalists and progressives. They can come to this conclusion because the United Methodist Church is, and will remain, a creedal church meaning our theology is based on statements of faith that provide the standard for how we think about God. We may, as Rev. Lawler said, interpret scripture differently. But I do not, nor do any progressive Christians I know, deny that Jesus is fully God, born of a Virgin, was resurrected on the third day, and lives and reigns forever for the salvation of all creation. The WCA proposes a new denomination, formed around the Doctrines and Discipline they have already written, consisting of people who think uniformly about what the WCA leadership believes. The United Methodist Church will remain a place where both traditionalists and progressives worship and serve side-by-side. The UMC continues to discover that our church is big enough (because our God is big enough) to include people who disagree on matters that are not creedal. This is ultimately what led me to become and remain a United Methodist pastor; we believe that our differences help us all to sharpen ourselves and grow together. I do not believe the WCA has a monopoly on traditional orthodoxy, because I know of too many faithful, traditional, orthodox, United Methodists who plan to remain United Methodist. And I am most grateful to be a part of a church that welcomes them, and the faithful progressives, as we sit down at Jesus table together knowing that it is only Him that unites us. And Jesus is enough. Iraq's top Shiite cleric called Friday for parliamentary elections "as soon as possible" to ease the political crisis gripping the country since anti-government protests erupted four months ago. His appeal echoed that of the demonstrators in Baghdad and across the mainly-Shiite south who have demanded a snap vote and an independent figure to replace the current caretaker premier. In a sermon delivered by his representative in the shrine city of Karbala, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani said it was "imperative to speed up holding early elections so that the people will have their say". He said Iraq must "accelerate the formation of a new government" and "take the necessary steps to hold free and fair elections as soon as possible". Parliament has passed a new electoral law but it failed to address most of the protesters' specific demands and President Barham Saleh has yet to sign it into effect. And while pressure from Sistani and the street forced Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi to resign in December, he has stayed on in a caretaker capacity as political parties have yet to agree on a consensus replacement. According to Iraq's constitution, parliament's largest bloc must nominate a prime minister within 15 days of legislative elections. The candidate is then tasked by the president with forming a government within one month. But Iraq is in a legal grey area, as the constitution makes no provisions for the premier's resignation and the 15-day period since Abdel Mahdi stepped down has long since expired. This week, Saleh told the deeply divided parliament it had until Saturday to name a candidate, otherwise he would nominate someone unilaterally. As the clocked ticked, political parties were in crisis talks to agree on a replacement but the absence of two key powerbrokers has complicated the meetings. Top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis were killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3 that rocked the region. In the closing remarks of his sermon, Sistani also spoke out against the controversial Middle East peace plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday. "The marjaiyah (the Shiite religious leadership) strongly condemns the unjust plan, which was recently revealed, to grant legitimacy to the occupation of more usurped Palestinian lands," he said. "We are proud of the five decades of progress and advancement for underserved communities the National Development Council has fueled over the years," said Dan Marsh, NDC President. "We are thrilled to announce this grant for Kings Theater and the Flatbush Avenue Small Business Loan Fund as part of our efforts to continue increasing the flow of capital for investment to build on our early efforts to revitalize and bring opportunity to diverse neighborhoods and communities across the country for the next 50 years." Since its founding in 1969, NDC has made a big impact driving investments to some of the poorest city neighborhoods, small towns and rural communities nationwide. NDC has deployed more than $750 million in NMTC financing for 93 community development projects in economically distressed communities that created 26,466 jobs. Through its small business lending, NDC has provided $266 million in loans to 706 businesses that created or retained more than 15,200 jobs. The organization also increased access to quality affordable housing in 30 states and Puerto Rico, by driving $2 billion in financing to 223 projects, resulting in 11,733 affordable units. In addition, NDC has partnered with 100 municipal clients to develop social infrastructure and provided training to over 75,000 community development practitioners. This anniversary celebration honored two individuals close to the NDC, James J. Roszkowski, President of Discover Bank, and Ira Weinstein, Managing Principal for CohnReznick. They were recognized for their leadership, contributions and dedication to the mission of the National Development Council. James J. Roszkowski led Discover Bank in an investment, in partnership with the National Development Council, in the Delaware Innovation Space, a new incubator on the site of the DuPont Experimental Station, helping scientists and the associated support positions adapt to life after the layoffs associated with the Dow/DuPont merger. A new incubator project in partnership with the Delaware Technology Park, the National Development Council and the University of Delaware, focused on FinTech and consumer financial health, has been announced and will be opening in 2021. Ira Weinstein is active in areas of the public-private partnership and was instrumental in programs like the federal and state New Markets Tax Credit Programs, the federal and state historic tax credit programs, renewable energy tax credits for investment and production and the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Mr. Weinstein was also involved in the restoration of Kings Theatre, where the anniversary celebration was hosted on January 30, 2020. Hailed as a "linchpin" in the robust revival of its Flatbush neighborhood in Brooklyn, the restoration of Kings Theatre is a testimony to the power of strategic investment and community partnerships through NDC. The project began in 2013 with $95 million in financing from The City of New York, Brooklyn Borough President's Office, Dormitory Authority of the State of NY, Goldman Sachs, New Markets Tax Credit and Ace Theatrical. Completed in 2015, the revitalization of the structure faithfully restored the Theatre's original splendor while transforming it into a modern multi-purpose performance facility. NDC also recognized BB&T, now Truist, for its work with NDC since 1997. This continuing partnership with NDC's development finance training programs has helped to build the capacity of over 8,000 professionals in nonprofit development corporations, Small Business Development Centers, CDFIs, minority business accelerators and state and local governments Photos and videos from the event available upon request. About National Development Council: NDC acts as a partner, teacher, investor, developer and lender, bringing together advisory services and capital for community and economic investment. NDC works with local and state governments and community-based organizations to help them create and implement their own unique development strategies. Since 1969 our training, products and services have evolved to reflect the changing policy environment and meet emerging needs. Today NDC is the most experienced and comprehensive economic and community development nonprofit in the U.S., working in every one of the 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit NDConline.org. Contact: Ayrianne Parks [email protected] (202) 393-5225 SOURCE National Development Council Related Links https://ndconline.org Surprise, surprise. The Department of Children has done an about-turn on its threat to withhold funding from pre-school and childcare providers who close for strike action on Wednesday. Now if the providers reschedule the hours for another time, which according to Siptu is regularly facilitated for other reasons, the funding will be paid. Children's Minister Katherine Zappone must have deduced that public support may indeed be on the side of the strikers. I am sure the funding will now make it possible for more workers to attend, and that is a good thing, but as a PR exercise for the minister, it is too little, too late. Tuesday's threat was in line with the same derisive narrative that is rolled out every time the department butts heads with the industry - that opportunistic childcare providers are holding parents to ransom and the State is worn out trying to sort it out for us. They assume that we - and I can say 'we' as I am one of the working parents paying over 1,000 a month for one child in a nursery - view the world the same way as them. That we would be more concerned about missing a day's work than anything else. That nothing is so important that it should interfere with us going out to work and filling the State coffers. Well, they are wrong. I am pretty sure I am not the only parent who fully supports the strike. I support the strike because I see hardworking, diligent, loving people with a passion for their work get more demoralised with each measure the department introduces to 'regulate' the sector. I support the strike because I believe some of the regulations Tusla is introducing are not fit for purpose and don't take into account that some of the best examples of the sector are based in premises that can't possibly meet the measures imposed on them. I support the strike because I respect those working in early childcare as professionals who stand equal to other workers in the education sector who will help me to raise my children, their primary school and secondary school teachers. Focusing on the idea that one day of missed work will cause chaos for working parents is just plain ridiculous. What is causing chaos is the fact that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find good quality childcare at all because of the actions of the Government. It is almost impossible to get a baby in a creche now before they are a year old. Not every woman can afford to take a long maternity leave. Not every woman wants to take a long maternity leave. Self-employed women generally can't and in most private sector jobs a year out of work is career-limiting. In more senior roles, it can be the end of a career. And we need mothers in these very senior positions because they are the ones who can effect real change in the workplace for the rest of us. There are problems in the sector that need to be addressed, absolutely, problems we would probably never have known about if it weren't for the stellar work by RTE in its creche investigations. Problems that Tusla and the Department of Children should have been aware of and are answerable for. Problems that need to be addressed and ironed out with appropriate regulation, negotiation, inspection and funding. But instead the Department is going at the industry like a bull in a China shop. Which is a bit rich considering that it is only recently that the State decided to acknowledge that it even existed. Historically, until citizens reached school age, they were entirely the responsibility of their mothers, to be taken care of in the home. Policies like the Marriage Bar, whereby women had to cease working once they got married, made sure that women were kept where the State wanted them. A lot of women, my own mother included, had to choose between their marriage and family life and their professional life, and they were forced out of jobs and careers they loved. Not only was this an infringement of their human rights and their agency at the time, it set in chain financial ramifications that are felt today as these former workers, a lot of them for the State, are now receiving reduced pensions. The Government now wants women in the workplace to contribute to the GDP and to pay the enormous rent and mortgages engendered by decades of bad policy. For us to work, we need to know our children are being educated and looked after by a happy, flourishing, regulated early childcare industry. One where workers have a career path and a salary that enables them to also one day pay enormous rent and mortgages. So instead of penalising them for standing up for themselves, listen to them. Support them. Work with them towards a new model of early childhood education that benefits all the children of the State and, for a cost, of course, can also facilitate families whose parents work outside the home, with optional extended hours for sports, exercise and other life skills. It would benefit society and the economy. And there might even be a few votes in it. But parents who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect the identities of their children said they feel prosecutors ignored overwhelming evidence that should have led to an arrest. They said they did not believe the assigned legal team was equipped to handle a case with young victims of sexual abuse. They vowed to continue pursuing criminal charges against the suspect. One of the most outspoken and recognizable faces in the clergy sex abuse survivor community is taking his public advocacy up another notch: Shaun Dougherty is making a bid to represent the states 35th Senatorial District. Doughtery, a Democrat from Johnstown, on Friday officially filed his candidacy with the state, and by Monday expects to launch his campaign. The 35th District represents Cambria and Bedford counties, along with parts of Clearfield County. Doughertys candidacy brings him full circle to a pivotal moment that changed his life and, he said, marked the beginning of his healing. Four years ago, Dougherty had not ever been to the state Capitol when he agreed to meet there with PennLive to finally come out and share his story of sexual abuse as a child at the hands of a priest. The visit and the revelations he shared propelled Dougherty to become a public figure within clergy sex abuse survivor community, and one of its most ardent advocates. Since that time, Dougherty has advocated on behalf of victims and has pushed for legislative reforms that would address justice for victims. He has appeared on dozens of major TV networks, including CNN,MSNBC and NBC; and has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and such overseas outlets as News 24 France. Time and again over the past four years, Dougherty was a fixture under the Capitol Rotunda, where he could be found pacing the marble hallways as lawmakers in the two chambers deliberated critical proposals poised to impact the lives of thousands of child sex abuse victims. The irony is not lost on him. Whats the historic value for me personally?, said Dougherty, 50. Everybody asks whats healing. Everyone heals in different ways and healing is different to everyone. Thats powerful healing for me. The separation of church and state is important. If I get to cast a vote along with all the other votes that I would cast over a four-year term, it would be an honor. A true, true honor. The district is currently represented by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, a Republican. Doughterty said the clergy sex abuse issue is far from the only issue that concerns the district, although, he said, he would be honored to vote on some of the statute of limitations reform proposals that have been recently defeated under powerful lobbying efforts. Dougherty, who up until recently, ran the Crescent Grill in Long Island City, said he felt close connection with some of the other major issues that resonate across his home district, including agriculture and the opioid crisis. I have a unique perspective to offer to Republicans and to agricultural workers, he said. Im a chef. My last restaurant was a farm-to-table restaurant. We bought quartered animals, whole pigs, whole chickens. We went to the farms. We drove tractors. I made a living off the labor of agriculture my whole life through my restaurant. Agriculture is near and dear to me. As with many survivors of child sex abuse, Dougherty turned to drugs to deal with the trauma, but has been cleaned for years. That hard-fought battle has positioned him to approach the complexities of the opioid crisis with a special perspective. Im a sex abuse survivor and Ive been open about drug abuse, Dougherty said. I have a unique perspective on addiction and recovery. Not just addiction. I got through it. I got to the other side of the tunnel. Many people I know did not. He recently had to close his business. He said he spent so much time on the public forum advocating for statute of limitations that he ignored his business obligations. Doughertys sexual abuse by a priest was detailed on page 66 of the 2016 grand jury report into widespread child sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese. Dougherty, the second youngest of nine kids, was 10 and a fifth-grader at St. Clement School when his priest, George Koharchick, began to molest him. Koharchik sexually molested him for three and a half years. Koharchik on March 17, 2015, testified before grand jury investigators that he had sexually molested boys while at St. Clement. The statute of limitations had long expired for Dougherty. The now-defrocked Koharchick lives in Johnstown as a private citizen. His home is less than a 5-minute walk from Johnstown Public Middle School on Garfield Street. Like countless other victims, Dougherty re-lived his torment and pain in 2018 when Attorney General Josh Shapiro released a more expansive grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse. The 40th Statewide Grand Jury Investigation uncovered widespread and systemic sexual abuse of thousands of minors at the hands of priests for decades across Pennsylvanias Catholic dioceses. Dougherty joined a cadre of outspoken victims to lobby the Legislature to reform the statute of limitations. Dougherty has long blamed the Catholic Church for the fate of failed measures in the Legislature. He blames the church, and its powerful legislative arm, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. He said he has long been one of the marginalized people waiting under Rotunda for the chambers to vote on reform proposals. I know what that feels like, Dougherty said. The issue has fostered a friendship bond with Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, also a survivor of clergy sex abuse. Rozzi parlayed his advocacy on the public forum into public office and has for years shepherded various legislative efforts to reform Pennsylvanias statute of limitations. Dougherty said his perspective as a survivor of child sex abuse and substance, and his service in the U.S. Navy, have positioned him to continue to serve out of a sense of duty. After I came out publicly, l felt a sense of duty to go and advocate, he said. The 35th Senatorial District is largely considered Republican leaning, although just a few years ago, it was a Democratic stronghold and long represented in Congress by the late John Jack Murtha. He died in 2010. I got a tough race but Im going to work hard, Doughterty said. In November, after years of fierce opposition and constitutional hurdles, state lawmakers ratified measures ease up restrictive child sex crime laws and give victims of sexual assault more time to file lawsuits against their abusers. Gov. Tom Wolf signed them into law. One measure - an amendment to the state Constitution - would give victims long barred from taking legal action against predators the opportunity to file civil lawsuits. Voters must ultimately approve the constitutional amendment. On this last day of January, these are the stories making headlines. Coronavirus news and live updates: Wuhan virus cases top 7,000 CNN The latest numbers: At least 170 people are dead and more than 7,700 cases have been confirmed in mainland China, as the Wuhan coronavirus spreads across Asia and the rest of the world. China on lockdown: Nearly 60 million people have been under partial or full lockdowns in Chinese cities for a week. Everything travelers need to know about Wuhan coronavirus (CNN) Much is still unknown about the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, and health officials are urging vigilance. That means travelers crisscrossing the globe should be aware of the virus, steer clear of heavily impacted areas and exercise some of the same kinds of preventive measures theyd use to avoid influenza and other illnesses. Authorities discover the longest drug-smuggling tunnel in San Diego Federal agents have discovered a drug smuggling tunnel that stretches about three-quarters of a mile the longest ever discovered along the Southwest border. First detailed images of a turbulent surface of the sun, thanks to new telescope The surface of our sun is a wild, violent place and now we can see it in exquisite detail, thanks to the first images returned by the National Science Foundations Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope based in Hawaii. France to ban mass shredding of live chicks France is to ban the controversial practice of shredding live male chicks by the end of 2021, agriculture minister Didier Guillaume announced in Paris on Tuesday. Vanessa Bryant posts on Instagram for the first time since Kobes death Kobe Bryants widow, Vanessa Bryant, made her first public statement Wednesday, posting a long message on Instagram. Tesla posts first annual profit Tesla posted its first annual profit, easily topping Wall Streets forecasts in the final three months of 2019. Japan is going crazy over McDonalds first-ever rice burger bun, and its not even here yet McDonalds is bringing a burger bun made with rice to Japan next month and the news is sending the Japanese internet into a frenzy. Scientists race to develop a coronavirus vaccine A deadly new virus. Thousands of people infected. No cure. No vaccine. Weve been here many times before. In the past five years alone, the world has faced outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, another coronavirus called Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and now the virus simply known as 2019-nCoV. Dos Santos-linked jeweller files for bankruptcy A Swiss luxury jeweller linked to Africas scandal-hit richest woman Isabel dos Santos has filed for bankruptcy. De Grisogono is mainly owned by Angolas state diamond firm and Mrs Dos Santos husband Sindika Dokolo. Recently leaked documents show a loan to buy the jeweller is costing the Angolan government millions of dollars. France accuses Turkey of meddling in Libya French President Emmanuel Macron has accused his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan of breaking his promise to stay out of Libya. Mr Macron said Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries had been spotted arriving in Libyan. Mr Erdogan has not responded to the allegations. Privacy scandals take toll on Facebook profits Facebook has recorded its first annual fall in profits in at least five years, as its efforts to respond to privacy and content concerns took a toll on firms bottom line. The tech giant, which owns Instagram and WhatsApp, said profits sank 16% in 2019 to $18.4bn (14.1bn). Netflixs The Pharmacist sheds empathetic light upon the opioid epidemic Editors independently select all products and services featured here. If you buy something through our links, we may receive a commission. The Pharmacist is not your typical Netflix original docuseries: Its a work of true justice rather than true crime, telling the story of a civilian hero rather than an enigmatic murderer. Highest resolution video of the sun ever taken is beautiful and hypnotic Whoah man, whoever told you not to stare at the sun has obviously not seen this video. The National Solar Observatory (NSO) has published what its describing as the highest resolution observations of the Suns surface ever taken. Even the optimistic climate change forecast is catastrophic Heres the deal. Humanity is on pace to heat Earth by around 3 degrees Celsius, or 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, above pre-Industrial Revolution temperatures by the centurys end. That level of warming would be devastating. Why? The world has warmed by a little over 1C so far. WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA has awarded a $142 million contract to Maxar Technologies of Westminster, Colorado, to robotically assemble a communications antenna and manufacture a spacecraft beam in orbit. The technology demonstration is slated to take place on NASA's Restore-L spacecraft, designed to service and refuel a satellite in low-Earth orbit. The Restore-L spacecraft will be modified to accommodate a payload called Space Infrastructure Dexterous Robot (SPIDER). The payload includes a lightweight 16-foot (5-meter) robotic arm. Previously known as Dragonfly during the ground demonstration phase of the NASA Tipping Point partnership, SPIDER will assemble seven elements to form a functional 9-foot (3-meter)communications antenna. The robotically assembled antenna will demonstrate Ka-band transmission with a ground station. The payload also will manufacture a 32-foot (10-meter) lightweight composite beam using technology developed by Tethers Unlimited of Bothell, Washington. The manufacturing element of the demonstration will verify the capability to construct large spacecraft structures in orbit. "We are continuing America's global leadership in space technology by proving we can assemble spacecraft with larger and more powerful components, after launch," said Jim Reuter, associate administrator of NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate. "This technology demonstration will open up a new world of in-space robotic capabilities." The second phase of the public-private partnership combines NASA resources with an industry contribution to reduce the overall cost to American taxpayers and the agency. The demonstration will mature technologies with cross-cutting applications for government and commercial missions, including human exploration of the Moon and Mars and in-space construction of large telescopes. "In-space assembly and manufacturing will allow for greater mission flexibility, adaptability, and resilience, which will be key to NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach," said Brent Robertson, project manager of Restore-L at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Restore-L project is developing a suite of technologies capable of refueling and servicing satellites in space. The spacecraft is currently targeted for launch in the mid-2020s. The SPIDER payload team includes Maxar, Tethers Unlimited, West Virginia Robotic Technology Center in Morgantown, and NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Restore-L and SPIDER are administered by the Technology Demonstration Missions program based at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, on behalf of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate. The SPIDER payload is managed by the Restore-L project within the Exploration and In-Space Services (ExIS) projects division (formerly known as the Satellite Servicing Projects Division), located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. To learn more about NASA's investments in space technology, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/spacetech SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov A woman spotted walking around the Sydney CBD wearing a bright yellow shawl on her head to protect herself from coronavirus has left onlookers baffled. Staff at nearby luxury fashion boutiques have also been pictured wearing facemasks to protect themselves from exposure to coronavirus from cashed up tourists. Staff at multiple high-end stores in the Sydney CBD were seen wearing the thin surgical masks on Friday after the World Health Organization declared the new strain of coronavirus a global emergency. A woman spotted in Sydney CBD wearing a bright yellow shawl has left onlookers baffled if the covering is a fashion statement or a protection measure against coronavirus Staff at nearby luxury fashion boutiques have also been pictured wearing facemasks to protect themselves from exposure to coronavirus from cashed up tourists In Australia, the first men were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus on January 25 - three in NSW and another in Victoria. Two arrived on direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney on separate China Eastern Airlines flight MU749, one on January 20 and another on an unknown date. Both these flights had up to 250 passengers plus several crew on board who are prime candidates for infection. Another man, diagnosed on the same day, flew in to Sydney via Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, on January 6 on a plane that carries up to 277 people. The fourth arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19 on a an A388 carrying up to 525 passengers. A total of 167 flights that can carry 48,999 people are landing in Australia from mainland China per week as coronavirus spreads around the world. Based on those figures, as many as 342,993 people may have entered Australia from China since the deadly virus was first detected in Wuhan seven weeks ago. On Thursday, major airlines suspended or reduced services to China including British Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines, KLM, and United. The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus strain outbreak as a global emergency But the airlines that fly from China to Australia - including eight Chinese airlines and Qantas - made no changes to their routes, except for China Eastern cancelling its flight from Wuhan to Sydney last week. The flights include 62 planes from Guangzhou, 42 from Shanghai and 18 from Beijing per week, with direct routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. On Wednesday, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline was considering scrapping its Sydney to Beijing route due to low demand. The airline had already announced plans to axe that service from March, but Mr Joyce suggested that could happen sooner. NSW Health advice states that people are at risk of catching the virus if they spent 15 minutes in close contact, such as a face-to-face conversation, or two hours in the same confined space. Chinese health authorities have confirmed that, contrary to earlier belief, patients are contagious even before they develop symptoms. On Monday, it was confirmed that a 21-year-old University of NSW student who arrived on a different MU749 flight was infected. The university told students in an email that she became unwell soon after her flight and isolated herself in her on-campus dorm room for 24 hours before going to hospital. UNSW is not in semester but there are still some students and staff on campus she could have interacted with, along with on public transport and at the airport. Sydney is a top tourist destination from China with thousands of tourists arriving every month Many students are terrified they could be infected next, especially with thousands of Chinese classmates due to arrive on campus in coming weeks. The second Melbourne patient landed on January 21, though it is not clear which flight he was on, and wasn't diagnosed until Wednesday. The man in his 60s went to hospital two days later but was allowed out of isolation to celebrate Australia Day with his family. He was with five family members - three adults and two children - at The House of Delight in Glen Waverley between 5.30pm and 7pm. Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton urged other diners to contact the health department and watch for coronavirus symptoms. Other businesses in the same building as the restaurant on 52 Montclair Avenue have closed until February 9 and others are thinking about shutting up shop. A cleaner was brought in to disinfect buttons in the building's lift. One of the patient's adult relatives and one of the children have tested negative so far, and all five are in isolation with him. The seventh victim has the most capacity to have infected hundreds of others. The 44-year-old Chinese tourist arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Singapore on January 22 and spent several days travelling with a tour group. On Thursday night it was confirmed that one of them, a 42-year-old woman, contracted the virus herself, while three others were sick. All eight of his fellow holidaymakers are now in isolation with him at Gold Coast University Hospital. They all took Tiger Air flight TT566, landing on the Gold Coast about 8pm on Monday on a plane that carries up to 189 passengers. Queensland Health chief officer Dr Jeannette Young on Thursday said she was concerned about everyone on the plane. On Friday, it was revealed an Australian team that includes the CSIRO, the Doherty Institute and the University of Queensland were working on producing a vaccine. The goal of the team, working with other global agencies, is to develop the vaccine within weeks. An Australian team including the CSIRO, Doherty Institute and University of QLD is working on a vaccine for the virus The United States has carried out an airstrike against the leader of Al Qaedas affiliate in Yemen after months of tracking him by using aerial surveillance and other intelligence, according to three current or former American officials. The officials expressed confidence that the Qaeda leader, Qassim al-Rimi, was killed in a January airstrike in Yemen but were awaiting confirmation before making a public announcement. If confirmed, his death could represent a significant blow to the Qaeda affiliate, which remains one of the most potent branches of the terrorist group. The Yemen branch, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, has tried to attack the United States and Europe and is thought to still want to. The groups ability to orchestrate or attack targets in the West has atrophied in recent years, as American airstrikes have targeted their bomb-makers and English-language propagandists. But the group, American officials have previously said, remains a dangerous one. Editors note: The following essay won first place in the annual Fairfield University Martin Luther King Jr. essay contest for Bridgeport middle school students. Just like Martin Luther King Jr., I have a dream that one day I will be seen as valid and equal. Instead, in the search for validity, I hear: You play like a girl. You fight like a girl. Youre just a basic girl. Apparently, my existence is an insult and a threat to the masculinity of men who cannot accept that women are just as inventive, influential and imaginative as them. Women are constantly discriminated against, whether it is by a debate about womens reproductive rights or unfair wages at work. However, we are told to put up with it, which is itself a form of oppression that never works. History has shown time and time again that silencing the voice of dedicated and courageous women will never work. Exhibit A: This essay. Sexism is deeply rooted in almost every culture and the misogynistic ways of society are leaving many free-spirited, bold women with potential restrained and tied down, unable to achieve their full capability. Ambitious girls turn into successful women, and anyone who believes that a woman is inferior clearly has never met a female. All the women in my life have been pillars of strength that get back up no matter what life throws at them. Their bold voices outshine any man that demands they change who they are so they can fit societys mold of the ideal woman. They have taught me that it is about creating your own worth, and never measuring your value by much you match societys expectations. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. Gender discrimination is a sensitive subject for many, however, this topic cannot remain silenced anymore. While we argue whether a woman has the right to make her own choices about her body, there are others who are struggling through poverty and injustice and no one will do anything about it. Regardless off how others may feel, I will continue to be outspoken on my beliefs on gender equality, because the ultimate measure of a woman is not where she stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where she stands at times of challenge and controversy. I am a young woman with dreams of improving our future through journalism and writing. I learned early on that the power of a pen beats the violence of the streets of where I grew up. I also learned that the world is harsh on women with dreams and desires. However, I know I will be OK because I play like a girl, I fight like a girl, and I am a girl and I am proud of it because innovative girls become brilliant women. I know that with the right amount of resilience and courage, I can create my own perfection and be a fighter. Because thats what girls do. Ruhama Choudhury is an eighth-grader at Multicultural Magnet School in Bridgeport. FMCG major HUL on Friday announced the appointment of Prabha Narasimhan as Executive Director of its Home Care segment as part of a top level reshuffle within the organisation. Narasimhan would replace Priya Nair, currently Executive Director - Home Care who moved as Executive Director - Beauty and Personal Care, the FMCG major said in a statement. Nair will take over from Sandeep Kohli, who will relocate to Dubai as VP Beauty & Personal Care for our North Africa, Middle East, Turkey and Russia markets, it added "Priya Nair will continue to be a member of the HUL Management Committee and Prabha Narasimhan will join the Management Committee effective February 1, 2020," said HUL. Nair, who had joined HUL in 1995, had a career spanning of almost 25 years. While Narasimhan had joined the company in 1999, and has a career spanning two decades, she has worked across businesses and geographies. In her most recent role, Narasimhan has been leading the skin and colour cosmetics business where she has delivered consistent and market-beating growth in a highly competitive and fast-growing category. "I look forward to Priya taking the Beauty and Personal Care division to the next level of performance and take this opportunity to thank her for her outstanding contributions to Home Care. And finally, I would like to welcome Prabha to the HUL Management Committee and wish her great success," HUL Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta said. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said elections in Delhi are an internal matter of India and no interference by Pakistan, the biggest sponsor of terrorism, would be tolerated. Responding to a tweet by Pakistan's Minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Hussain, the chief minister also said no matter how hard Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of this country. "Narendra Modi ji is the Prime Minister of India. He is my prime minister too. The election of Delhi is an internal issue of India and we will not tolerate the interference of the biggest sponsors of terrorism. As much as Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of this country," Kejriwal said in a tweet. Donald Trump John Bolton Jonathan Ernst/Reuters The Senate is largely divided along partisan lines on whether to call witnesses to testify in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. But voters aren't totally falling in line. Overall, just 13% of American adults in a recent Insider poll said they didn't see a need for witnesses, while 49% said they wanted some combination of witnesses just the direct witnesses, just indirect witnesses, or both. Of respondents who said they're likely to vote Republican in November, a plurality said they wanted to see some form of witness testimony. And likely Democratic voters were split on whether indirect witnesses, including Hunter Biden and the Ukraine whistleblower, should testify. But Republican senators are poised to vote on Friday afternoon against calling witnesses. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Senate is largely divided along partisan lines on whether to call witnesses to testify in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. While Democrats appear united in demanding key witnesses namely people who directly witnessed Trump's Ukraine pressure campaign nearly all Republicans are opposed to opening the trial up to witnesses. And the GOP is poised to vote on Friday to block any witnesses from testifying. On Thursday night, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander, who was considered a possible vote for witnesses, said that while Trump's actions concerning Ukraine were "inappropriate," he'd vote "no" on the motion to call witnesses. "Let the people decide," he concluded, referring to the 2020 presidential election. Two Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah have announced they'll vote to call witnesses. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is the only other Republican who appears open to the motion. That would fall short of the four Republican votes Democrats need to reach a 51-vote majority and pass the motion. Story continues But likely voters are less divided along partisan lines, an Insider poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday found. When asked "What best describes your view about the impeachment proceedings?" just 13% of American adults said they didn't see a need for witnesses, while 49% said they wanted some combination of witnesses just direct witnesses, just indirect witnesses, or both. 23% of Americans said they "think witnesses should testify, but only those who directly witnessed Trump's conduct." 21% of Americans said they "think the Senate should call direct witnesses, as well as people who were not direct witnesses to Trump's conduct, like Hunter Biden and the whistleblower." 13% of American adults said they "don't see a need for witnesses." 5% of Americans said they "think witnesses should testify, but not people who worked for the president, only people like Hunter Biden or the whistleblower." 21% replied "I don't know." Of respondents who indicated they're likely to vote for the Republican nominee in November, a plurality said they wanted to see some form of witness testimony: While 37% said they didn't see a need for any witnesses, 45% wanted some combination of witnesses to testify. Democrats have pushed to hear from four key witnesses, including Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, and John Bolton, the former national security adviser, both of whom were direct witnesses to the president's Ukraine pressure campaign that is at the center of his impeachment. Republican leaders and the majority of the GOP caucus have staunchly opposed calling witnesses. They've argued a few things, among them that they already have all the information they need to come to a judgment and that calling witnesses will drag the trial out indefinitely. But many GOP lawmakers have said that if the Senate votes to call witnesses, they'd call Hunter Biden, the former vice president's son. A lawyer and lobbyist, Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian natural-gas company, Burisma Holdings, from 2014 to 2019. Trump's request that the Ukrainian government open a corruption investigation into Biden and his father in their dealings with Ukraine is at the center of the president's impeachment trial. Many Democratic voters also aren't taking their cues from their party. Respondents who said they were likely to cast their ballot for the 2020 Democratic nominee were split on whether indirect witnesses should testify. About 42% said they think witnesses should be limited to those who have direct knowledge of Trump's actions toward Ukraine, while 40% said they think the Senate should hear from both direct and indirect witnesses, including Biden and the Ukraine whistleblower. About 20% of likely Republican voters said they wanted to hear from direct witnesses, while 16% said they wanted to hear from both direct and indirect witnesses. SurveyMonkey Audience polls from a national sample balanced by census data of age and gender. Respondents are incentivized to complete surveys through charitable contributions. Generally speaking, digital polling tends to skew toward people with access to the internet. SurveyMonkey Audience doesn't try to weigh its sample based on race or income. A total of 1,078 respondents were collected January 29-30, 2020, a margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points with a 95% confidence level. Read the original article on Business Insider (CNN) -- Here is a look at autism. Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) incorporates a group of neurodevelopmental disorders causing impaired communication skills and social skills. ASD generally starts before three years of age and lasts a lifetime, but early intervention plays a role in treatment and progress. ASD is about four times more common among boys than girls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ASD can be found among all races, ethnicities and socioeconomic groups. The prevalence of ASD in the United States is about one in 59 children, according to a 2018 CDC report. Health care costs for children with autism are four to six times greater than medical costs for children without autism, according to research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. April 2 is World Autism Day. Diagnosis There is no definitive medical test to diagnose autism. Instead, the disorder is diagnosed by observing a child's development. According to the CDC, signs of autism may include deficits in social communication and interaction in a variety of contexts, difficulty engaging in back-and-forth conversation and an absence of interest in forming friendships with peers. Vaccines and Autism The debate over whether autism spectrum disorders are caused by vaccines started in 1998 when the medical journal The Lancet published a now-retracted study by researcher Andrew Wakefield linking the MMR vaccine to autism. Most of Wakefield's co-authors withdrew their names from the study when they learned he had been compensated by a law firm intending to sue manufacturers of the vaccine in question. In 2010, Wakefield lost his medical license. In 2011, the Lancet retracted the study after an investigation found Wakefield altered or misrepresented information on the 12 children who were the basis for the conclusion of the study. Other researchers have not been able to replicate Wakefield's findings. Several subsequent studies trying to reproduce the results have found no link between vaccines and autism, including several reviews by the Institute of Medicine. Timeline Early 1900s - Autistic characteristics are studied as symptoms of schizophrenia. 1938 - Donald Gray Triplett of Mississippi is first examined by child psychiatrist Leo Kanner of Johns Hopkins Hospital and later becomes the first person diagnosed with autism symptoms. 1943 - Triplett is identified as "Donald T." in the paper "Autistic Disturbances of Affective Contact" by Kanner. The paper elaborates on the idea that autism is related to lack of parental warmth; this is later dubbed the "refrigerator mother" theory. 1944 - Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician, publishes a paper about autistic syndrome. The paper gains wider recognition when it is translated into English in the early 1990s. 1964 - Bernard Rimland, a research psychologist, publishes "Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior," which contradicts the "refrigerator mother" hypothesis. Kanner is the author of the foreword. 1965 - Rimland founds the National Society for Autistic Children (now the Autism Society of America). He later establishes the Autism Research Institute. 1980 - Autism is classified separately from schizophrenia in the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). December 18, 2007 - The United Nations adopts a resolution declaring April 2 World Autism Awareness Day. October 29, 2014 - The medical journal Nature reports that scientists have identified 60 genes with a greater than 90% chance of increasing a child's autism risk. December 17, 2015 - Scientists at Harvard and MIT announce they have found, for the first time, a link between autistic behavior and reduced activity of a key neurotransmitter, a type of brain chemical that enables the transmission of signals across neurons, allowing the brain to communicate with other organs. April 21, 2016 - The Simons Foundation announces that it is launching an autism research project called SPARK. The study, which involves scientists at 21 hospitals and university clinics, will focus on the possible connection between genetics and autism. Parents of children with autism are invited to sign up online and participate in the study. The group also works with Autism Speaks and the Autism Science Foundation to run the Autism BrainNet network, which is an autism brain bank that collects postmortem donations. February 2017 - Researchers find that monitoring MRI brain scans of infants may help predict whether they will develop autism, according to a study published in the journal, Nature. The researchers found a possible link between brain enlargement during the first year of life and an autism diagnosis at age 2. This builds on previous similar research. March 19, 2017 - CBS News' "60 Minutes" profiles "Sesame Street's" newest Muppet character, a girl named Julia who has autism. April 11, 2017 - A study published in the American Journal of Public Health finds that people with autism are three times more likely than the general population to die because of preventable injuries, and children and young teens with autism are 40 times more likely to die from preventable injury than the general child population. Suffocation, asphyxiation and drowning are the leading causes of fatal injuries among people with autism. March 26, 2018 - According to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics, children with autism spectrum disorder and their younger siblings are less likely to be fully vaccinated than children unaffected by autism. March 4, 2019 - A study of over 650,000 children published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine shows that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine does not increase the risk of autism and does not trigger autism in children who are at risk. April 29, 2019 - A study published in JAMA Pediatrics suggests that children can be screened for autism spectrum disorder at 14 months of age with high accuracy (instead of 18 to 24 months of age, as is currently recommended). January 23, 2020 - A study in the journal Cell, identifies 102 genes that are associated with an autism risk. Previously, researchers were only aware of 65. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Autism Fast Facts" The extent to which changes in immigration rules will be felt after Brexit will depend on the agreements finalised during the ongoing negotiations (Steve Parsons/PA) Immigration dominated the EU referendum debate with campaigners on both sides of the argument highlighting it as a key factor for their cause. It is arguably one of the areas where the public could see the most changes after Brexit, such as to rules for travelling into Europe and for those coming into the UK once freedom of movement ends. But the extent to which the changes will be felt will depend on the agreements finalised during the ongoing negotiations. What immediate changes to immigration will there be after 11pm GMT on Friday when the UK leaves the European Union? Essentially nothing will change immediately. Freedom of movement will continue until at least the end of the year while the UK enters a transition period. The Government said that means the current rules on travel for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period. UK nationals will still be able to live and work in the EU as they currently do. The same applies for EU nationals in the UK. What happens next? Freedom of movement will end after the transition period. This could take place in January 2021, depending on how long the negotiations take. After that, the Government wants to bring in an Australian-style points-based immigration system to determine who can live and work in the UK. European citizens and their families already living in the UK will also need to have applied and been approved by the EU Settlement Scheme in order to remain in the country. Are you applying to the EU Settlement Scheme? The first step is to verify your identity, and one of the ways you can do that is with our app. Here are our top tips. For more info, visit: https://t.co/S5UB9n8iFU #EUCitizens #SettledStatus pic.twitter.com/t64qHbHswj Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) January 30, 2020 What about UK nationals living, working and studying in other EU countries? The new rules still remain unclear and are yet to be finalised. Each country will have different rules and requirements for long-term visas and it will depend on what they have agreed with the UK. Helena Raulus, head of the Law Societys Brussels office and an EU lawyer, advises people to start researching the countrys own immigration rules early and allow several months to complete any long-term visa process for living, working and studying in another country. What is a points-based immigration system? The Migration Advisory Committee, the Governments independent adviser on immigration, defines a points-based system as a method of selecting migrants in which points are given for certain characteristics. Either every applicant with more than a certain number of points is admitted or, where there is a cap or quota, those with the most points are admitted. In Australia, migrants applying for a visa are typically selected based on economically relevant characteristics like education, language skills and work experience. There are different rules for refugees, asylum seekers and tourists. Applicants pick a skilled occupation from a list and need to score a minimum number of points to be granted a visa. Checks will be made on someones personal and financial details, and identity documents, and could also include education, employment, health and travel history. Decisions may be made on age, qualifications and if they already have a job offer. Similar systems are used in other countries like Canada and New Zealand. What is the EU Settlement Scheme? EU citizens and their relatives, plus those from the European Economic Area (EEA) countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway as well as Switzerland, are asked to apply to confirm their immigration status so they can live and work in the UK when freedom of movement ends. Relatives of EEA and Swiss citizens who are not from any of those countries but all live in the UK under EU law are also being urged to apply. Once granted status, applicants can use the NHS, study and access public funds and benefits, as well as travel in and out of the country. But first they must prove their identity, show they live in the UK and declare any criminal convictions before the deadline at the end of December. OTTAWAThe head of Ukraine International Airlines is thanking Canada for its part in investigating the crash of one of its planes outside Tehran in early January. In a long statement on the airlines website Friday, Yevhenii Dykhne also says the company expects the formalities for compensation to families of the 176 people killed will be finalized in the immediate future. Iran admits an air-defence battery shot the plane down, hours after Iran launched missiles into Iraq in retaliation for the American killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The Iranian government says the operators of a missile system mistook the civilian airliner for a hostile military plane. Among the victims, 57 passengers were Canadian citizens and 138 were bound for Canada. In the new statement, the airline says its plane didnt deviate from a course approved by air-traffic controllers and the Iranian government was responsible for the safety of its airspace. WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) announced an award from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation that will in part support the development of a first-of-its-kind racial and economic justice policy institute for mayors that will focus on supporting entrepreneurs in cities. The institute will support the training of newly elected mayors including an initial cohort of 10-15 mayors. Participating mayors will represent communities from 500 people to over 1 million and will work with AAMA to utilize information, training and network connectivity to enhance their executive capacity for the benefit of their local citizens. "I am incredibly excited about our new engagement with the Kauffman Foundation. Their generous support will help ensure that mayors are equipped to engender thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems across the country," said Mayor Hardie Davis of Augusta, Ga. and President of the African American Mayors Association. "Only 1% of venture capital dollars went to African-American and Latino founders in 2016. That is one of many systemic barriers to success for entrepreneurs that our institute will seek to address." "Thank you to the Kauffman Foundation for this extraordinary investment in mayors and cities across the country," said AAMA Executive Director, Stephanie Sykes. "As we witness more African American mayors taking the helm of cities of all sizes, it is essential for AAMA to expand its leadership role in modeling best practices for local governance. I look forward to working with the Kauffman Foundation to develop impactful and innovative content and tools to help mayors be effective advocates for entrepreneurs in the cities they represent." The Kauffman Foundation, named for entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Kauffman, works with communities in education and entrepreneurship to increase opportunities that allow all people to learn, to take risks, and to own their success. "We are thrilled to engage with AAMA in their work to eliminate barriers to economic prosperity through entrepreneurship and education," said Evan Absher, Senior Program Officer, Kauffman Foundation. "Mayors get things done and we look forward to working with them in building more robust and representative local economies for all communities." SOURCE African American Mayors Association The Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has sent to the International Criminal Court the seventh report on forced displacement of Crimean population by the occupying power. "The ultimate goal of crimes committed in Crimea against civilians is the complete displacement of pro-Ukrainian people from the peninsula and their replacement by the population from Russia," Head of the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea Ihor Ponochovny said at a press conference on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to the prosecutor, illegal searches, detentions and imprisonments on the peninsula created the atmosphere of fear and uncertainty which in turn forces the pro-Ukrainian population to leave the occupied territory. The report lists the officials of the Russian Federation who are responsible for human rights violations in Crimea. "We have sent a list of 14 representatives of senior leadership of the Russian Federation who are to be held liable for the crimes committed," the prosecutor said, adding that this is already the seventh report sent to the ICC. ol Soldiers from the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team fire their mortar system in support of operations in Laghman Province, Afghanistan March 5th, 2019. Alpha Troop, 1-108th Cavalry Regiment of 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, is deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jordan Trent X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Albany IBM's board announced Thursday that longtime CEO Virginia "Ginni" Rometty would step down in early April as it appointed Arvind Krishna as the company's next chief executive. Rometty, 62, will remain on as executive chairman of the IBM board through the end of the year. She first started working at IBM in 1981 and became CEO in 2012. Rometty led the company during a period when IBM invested heavily in next-generation computer chip research at SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, off-loading its computer chip factories in East Fishkill and Essex Junction, Vt. to GlobalFoundries. As head of cloud and cognitive computing for IBM, Krishna orchestrated the $34 billion acquisition of the cloud computing company Red Hat that was completed last summer. IBM will also elevate James Whitehurst, who has led Red Hat as its chief executive since 2007, to the role of president of IBM. "Arvind is the right CEO for the next era at IBM," Rometty said in a statement. "He is a brilliant technologist who has played a significant role in developing our key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum computing and blockchain. He is also a superb operational leader, able to win today while building the business of tomorrow. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Rometty also praised Whitehurst as a "seasoned leader" who was already making an impact at IBM. "In Arvind and Jim the board has elected a proven technical and business-savvy leadership team," Rometty said. Rometty spoke at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's 2014 commencement colloquy. RPI President Shirley Ann Jackson has served on the IBM board since 2005. IBM has also partnered with RPI on various research programs, including a supercomputing center at the Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged Russia to immediately lift a ban imposed on Ukrainian journalist Taras Ibrahimov and allow him to freely report in Ukraines Russia-occupied region of Crimea. Earlier this month, officers of the Russian Federal Security Service denied Ibrahimov, who works with the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, entry to the Crimean Peninsula and gave him a written notice saying he was barred from entering Russia until 2054. Authorities in Crimea "seem intent on importing Russias harsh attitude toward the press into the region, said Gulnoza Said, Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the CPJ. She said Ibrahimov and other journalists should be free to travel to Crimea to report on the situation there. If they are not, we can only assume Russia has something to hide. Ibrahimov has said he believed the travel ban was connected with my journalism and my work for publications that actively cover the cases of Crimean Tatars in Crimea and in Russia." Rights groups and Western governments have denounced what they describe as a campaign of repression by the Russian-imposed authorities against Crimean Tatars and others who have spoken out against Moscow's military seizure and occupation of Crimea in 2014. Ibrahimov is not the first Ukrainian journalist to be handed a long-term travel ban by the Russian authorities. Since 2018, Russian authorities have banned a Ukrainian photographer and a Ukrainian journalist who also worked with the Crimea Desk of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service from entering Crimea and Russia until 2028. In a statement on January 21, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Russia of trying to choke the flow of information about their crackdown on Crimean Tatar activists and other abuses in Crimea by barring independent journalists from traveling there. Meanwhile, OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir called on those responsible to respect the role of media actors and to allow journalists to travel without restrictions to carry out their work. In its annual global report on freedom of religion in 2019, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that "Russian authorities continued to kidnap, torture, and imprison Crimean Tatar Muslims at will" in Russia-occupied Crimea. Wanted 'cult mom' Lori Vallow was discovered in Hawaii because she made the fatal mistake of booking a hotel room under her real name, DailyMail.com has learned. And she gave the resort clerk a driver's license with an address that cops did not know she lived at, hotel general manager Robert 'Mick' Minicola revealed in an exclusive interview. That led cops on the island of Kauai to serve her with papers demanding she produce her two missing children in court by Thursday a deadline she blew through leading to added fears that the half-siblings are dead. Vallow, 46, is now likely to be arrested for contempt of court. Authorities in Rexburg, Idaho, will then apply to have her extradited from Hawaii so she can face interrogation about what has happened to her kids, Tylee Ryan, 17 and seven-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, neither of whom have been seen since September. Vallow and her new husband, Doomsday author Chad Daybell, 51, fled to Hawaii after suddenly leaving their home in Rexburg once questions started to be asked about the whereabouts of the children. Lori Vallow and her new husband Chad Daybell were seen for the first time since news of her children's disappearance captured national attention in a video recorded after they were served with search warrants in Kaua'i on Sunday (pictured) Vallow used her real name and provided her license when booking a room at the Kauai Beach Resort, tipping off cops to their whereabouts. The next time they checked in, police where waiting for them This is the home the couple have been holed up in an exclusive gated resort in Princeville on the Hawaiian island of Kauai Vallow's children, seven-year-old J.J. and 17-year-old Tylee were last seen in Rexburg, Idaho, in September and reported missing until November Idaho police say the couple have refused to cooperate in their investigation. They rented an apartment in a gated community in Princeville on the northern tip of the island, just yards from a $1.7million home where Vallow had previously lived with former husband Charles Vallow, whose shooting death is now being investigated. Robert 'Mick' Minicola, general manager of the Kauai Beach Resort and Spa, told DailyMail.com that Vallow and Daybell checked into Room 2509 on January 11 paying $294 for one night Minicola, general manager of the Kauai Beach Resort and Spa, told DailyMail.com that Vallow and Daybell checked into Room 2509 on January 11 paying $294 for one night. The fifth-floor king-bed room with mountain views was booked under the name Lori Ryan, her name when she was married to Tylee's father. They then booked another night last weekend, but this time cops were waiting for them. 'Detectives came on to the property asking to see me confidentially,' Minicola said. 'They told me who they were looking for and said it was a big national case and other police departments would be arriving on Kauai in the next week or two.' Minicola said he found the record of Lori Ryan's stay - and then discovered his staff had taken a photograph of her Hawaii driver's license, complete with an address that police knew nothing about. 'They were very happy to see that they now had a different address to work with,' he added. That allowed cops to tail Vallow to the hotel on the outskirts of Lihue, the island's administrative center, where they stopped her in the parking lot and served her with court papers instructing her to produce the children in Idaho. Vallow failed to physically produce her missing children to authorities in Rexburg, Idaho, by 5pm Thursday and now faces arrest for missing her court ordered deadline as fears grow over the safety of the kids who have not been seen since September Vallow and husband Daybell were pulled over by local police and had their vehicle taken from them while staying at resort on Sunday A general view of interior of townhome in Kaiulani of Princeville where Daybell and Vallow likely spent Sunday night Vallow had lived with her former husband in this $1.7million home in Princeville just yards from the apartment she has been renting with new husband Chad Daybell But they could not arrest her at the time because of lack of proof of what has happened to the children and whether they are still alive. Minicola said rumor on the island is that the children have been given to a Satanic cult - but he admitted that he had absolutely no idea whether that was true. As Vallow missed her Thursday deadline in Idaho, JJ's grandmother Kay Woodcock spoke to reporters at a press conference after traveling to Rexburg from her home in Lake Charles, Louisiana. 'This is just beyond crazy,' she said. 'How do you not produce your child? And how can you not have them for four months? What kind of a mother does that? 'The only word that is coming to my mind right now is a monster, as much as I loved Lori,' Woodcock added. 'She was a great mother as far as I knew for years, and all this has been very disheartening.' Woodcock said she and her husband Larry had hoped against hope that Vallow would turn up with the children. 'I am a lot less optimistic at this moment,' she added. 'We just aren't accepting the worst-case scenario,' she added. 'I don't think we ever will until we know 100%. She accused her former sister-in-law of playing with her children's lives. 'Lori's not going to make this easy. She's got an end game in her head. Although this is not a game obviously she thinks it is. 'To blow it off like ''I'm not going to deal with it,'' that arrogant, smug attitude she had is what really let me know she is not going to do anything unless she is absolutely forced to do it.' In a separate interview with ABC News, Larry Woodcock said: 'Nothing with Lori right now makes sense,' adding that the woman he's known for 12 years 'is not the same person that is here on earth today.' 'We're in this for the long haul,' he added. 'This is not going to end tomorrow. I'm not going to let it end. Kay is not going to let it end. Our family is not going to let this end.' JJ, who is autistic, and Tylee were last seen in Rexburg on September 23 but were never reported missing by their mother. Authorities began searching for the children after performing a welfare check on November 26 ordered by concerned relatives who said they hadn't spoken to JJ in months. When officers returned the following day, they found that Vallow and Daybell - who tied the knot early that month - had fled their apartment. Authorities say the couple have repeatedly lied about where JJ and Tylee are and refused to cooperate with the investigation. Vallow's children Tylee Ryan (left) and Joshua JJ Vallow (right) have not been seen or heard from since September Cops only realized they were missing two days before Thanksgiving when they were asked to conduct a welfare check by relatives who had been unable to contact JJ since September Kay and Larry Woodcock made a final desperate plea for the safe return of their grandson Joshua 'J.J.' Vallow hours before his mother, Lori Vallow, faced a deadline to physically produce the boy and his sister, Tylee Ryan, to authorities in Rexburg, Idaho The newlyweds were labeled persons of interest as investigators said they believe the mother knows where her children are or what happened to them. 'We strongly believe that Joshua and Tylee's lives are in danger,' Rexburg police said last month. The case captured national attention with the revelations that police were also investigating a string of deaths surrounding the couple, who family members say are members of a dangerous doomsday cult. The first death is that of Vallow's estranged husband and JJ's adoptive father Charles Vallow, who was shot dead by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona on July 10. Charles and Lori had gotten into an argument when the father came to pick up JJ at the mother's home in Chandler. Police initially determined that Cox acted in self-defense while intervening in an argument between Charles and Lori. But the case was reopened amid the multi-state search for JJ and Tylee, who had moved to Idaho with their mother a month after the shooting. The second mysterious death was Tammy Daybell - Chad's previous wife - who was found dead at the couple's home in Salem, Idaho, on October 19. She was originally believed to have died of natural causes, but her death is now being reinvestigated. Chad and Lori married just two weeks after Tammy passed. Tammy's body was exhumed on December 11 and autopsy results have not yet been released. The following day, December 12, Lori's brother, Alex Cox who killed Charles Vallow was found dead in Gilbert, Arizona. The 51-year-old's death is now being probed as police wait for an autopsy to determine the cause. Also under investigation is the case of Brandon Boudreaux who was married to Lori's niece Melani, a follower of Daybell. He narrowly escaped when a gunman in a car registered to recently deceased Charles Vallow opened fire on him. THE PLAYERS: A WHOS WHO IN THE CASE OF MISSING IDAHO KIDS TYLEE AND JJ Authorities began searching for the children after performing a welfare check on November 26 requested by concerned relatives who said they hadn't spoken to JJ in months. When officers returned the following day, they found that Lori and Chad - who tied the knot early that month - had fled from the home. Lori and Chad were labeled persons of interest as investigators said they believe the mother knows where her children are or what happened to them. 'We strongly believe that Joshua and Tylee's lives are in danger,' Rexburg police said last month. As police worked to untangle the troubling mystery, Lori and Chad were sunning themselves in Hawaii, which Kay Woodcock said was Lori's 'favorite place on earth.' Their whereabouts became public on Sunday when officers served them with search warrants for their car and the townhome. A journalist who had received a tip, approached the couple in the parking lot after the police confrontation. Lori and Chad stayed silent and kept walking as East Idaho News reporter Nate Eaton, repeatedly asked them where the children are and if they are alive. The mother only spoke once after Eaton said that people in eastern Idaho and across the country are praying for J.J. and Tylee. 'That's great,' she replied. An attorney for Vallow and Daybell said last month that they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor.' While police have been careful not to cast suspicions on Lori and Chad publicly, a troubling portrait of the pair has emerged from accounts from family members who claim they are members of a dangerous cult obsessed with the end of the world. Chad Daybell is a prolific Mormon author who has written 25 books focusing on doomsday scenarios and near-death experiences. He is considered to be a 'prepper' someone who is getting ready for the End of Times. Voters in Catalonia are to head to the polls in a regional election in the coming months, although the date hasn't been set yet. On Wednesday, Catalan president, Quim Torra, summoned press for a statement in which he said that the relationship between his Junts per Catalunya (JxCat) political group and left-wing republicans, ERC, had broken down and that the regional government was effectively over. Both these parts of the coalition support an independent Catalonia, despite different political ideas. Torra said that if they couldn't work together on the common project of a separate Catalan state, then the voters had to be asked to decide. He added that he wanted to see through the approval of the regional budgets (for this year) before setting a date for an election, which analysts see as not coming before June. In recent months, the partnership of JxCat and ERC has been strained. ERC has moved closer to Pedro Sanchez's new government in Madrid, helping him back into power, and is in favour of trying to negotiate a political solution to the Catalan question. JxCat, increasingly isolated politically, wants a more activist stance. Effects felt in Madrid Torra has recently been banned from being a regional MP in a dispute over separatist symbols. A firm decision on whether he has to give up being Catalan president is expected soon. Catalan elections could complicate the national political scene as Pedro Sanchez's minority government still needs to get national budgets approved with support or abstention of Catalan nationalists. Sanchez and Torra are due to meet on 6 February. However the longer-term plan of ongoing roundtable talks between Madrid and Barcelona to discuss the Catalan question has been shelved by Sanchez until a regional election is over. The move is likely to further annoy ERC who had championed the meetings. These are the books to cosy up with this month. [Photo: Getty] Yahoo is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices were correct at the time of publication. January is finally over (that was a long month, wasnt it?) and we are tantalisingly close to warmer weather and a much needed pay cheque. Its no surprise that Februarys book releases are all primed to give us a warm, fuzzy feeling. With releases from the likes of Marian Keyes and Lucy Diamond, we arent short of books to thaw us out after a cold (aka, a lot of psychological thriller releases) few months. This month is all about love and heartbreak - which seems fitting given that its the month of love - so if you enjoy a love story, there will be plenty to keep you occupied. Grown Ups, Marian Keyes | 6 February 2020 Theres something about Marian Keyes writing. She can make us laugh and break our hearts in the same sentence, which is why Grown Ups is such a joy to read. Its about the Caseys; a glamorous family who like to outwardly portray that theyre the perfect family. That is until Ed Caseys wife gets a concussion and cant keep her thoughts to herself. Their lives unravel and theyre forced to face up to some pretty grown up truths. Letters On Motherhood, Giovanna Fletcher | 20 February 2020 We love Giovanna Fletchers books and this one is no exception. Its a collection of letters - which contain deeply personal thoughts and feelings - about motherhood. Its beautiful, personal and and ode to how difficult and rewarding being a mother can be. Its not just for mums, either. Anybody can gain a deeper understanding of how their mums felt or how their friends who are mothers are coping. A Bit Of A Stretch: The Diary Of A Prisoner, Chris Atkins | 6 February 2020 Chris Atkins spent five years in prison after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund his latest film. His experience is absolutely fascinating and a real behind-the-scenes look at prison life in the UK. Story continues He was in HMP Wandsworth, one of the largest and most dysfunctional prisons in Europe. Its hilarious in places, shocking in others and a great read if you like Adam Kays This Is Going To Hurt. An Almost Perfect Holiday, Lucy Diamond | 6 February 2020 Lucys writing is a masterclass in characterisation. We were immediately gripped by the characters in this book from page one. The summer has arrived and the story follows Lorna, the owner of a group of fully-booked cottages in Cornwall as well as Em, Olivia and Maggie who are all visiting the cottages for the summer at various stages in their lives. Its a real page-turner which will be sure to get you excited for summer. The Foundling, Stacey Halls | 6 February 2020 From Sunday Times best-selling author of The Familiars, Stacey Hall is back with another mesmerising story. Set in Georgian London, this book explores the relationship between mother and daughter but also between classes. Its about a mother who left her child at hospital six years ago. She goes to pick her up from care to find out shes gone. Now she wants to find out who has her little girl and why. The Guest List, Lucy Foley | 20 February 2020 It wouldnt be a book edit without including at least one crime thriller and this is a huge contender for our favourite book of the month. Guests are gathering on a remote island for the wedding of Jules Keegan and Will Slater. The cake has barely been cut and one of the guests has been found dead. If you enjoyed The Hunting Party (we did) you will love this. We Hope This Reaches You In Time, R.H Sin and Samantha King Holmes | 20 February 2020 This wonderful book of ideas, poetry and prose was originally released in 2017. The short read is perfect for those going through breakups - or being treated badly in a relationship. This new edition is revised and expanded with plenty of new material from both authors. A Springtime Affair, Katie Fforde | 20 February 2020 This and our Lucy Diamond pick will go really nicely together, they both have the same sort of vibe. Gilly runs a B&B from her family home and isnt prepared to part with it at any price. When she meets estate agent, Leo, her mind starts to change. Could she see a different life for herself? Its romantic, easy to read and left us with that warm feeling inside. Trust us, thats no easy feat when the weather is this cold. The Burning Men, Will Shindler | 6 January 2020 This debut is, simply put, fantastic. It has such a strong opening, youll be hooked after the first chapter. It follows a team of firefighters who rush into a burning building to help a person whos stuck. Nobody knows what goes on in there, but they come out with a body. Five years later, one of them in set alight at their own wedding with the second found soon after. What happened in that building? The Mercies, Kiran Millwood Hargrave | 6 February 2020 This months top picks is full of outstanding literature and The Mercies is no exception. Kiran Millwood Hargrave is a poet, too, and theres something very poetic about this writing. Inspired by the real events of the Vard storm of 1617, when a storm hits the remote island, all the men - who are fishermen - are wiped out. Vard is now a place for women. Its heart-wrenching and uplifting in the same breath. A must-read. Poison, Jacqui Rose | 20 February 2020 If youve enjoyed Martina Cole or Kimberley Chambers books, Poison will be right up your street. When you live a life of crime, loyalty is very important. When Vaughn Sadler speaks up to get Franny Doyle sent down, he has broken the criminal code. Franny doesnt let prison stop her from getting revenge. Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams | 6 February 2020 This book. Its hilarious, its timely, its honest. Its about a woman who is struggling to decide where she fits into her own life. She is on a break from her boyfriend, Tom, she feels unseen by her boss and bypassed by her family. Theres something about it that reminds us of Fleabag and if you loved Dolly Aldertons Everything I Know About Love, give this one a read. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: The government is evacuating around 150 British nationals from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province and will quarantine them for 14 days to safeguard against the possible spread of the new coronavirus. How is the coronavirus quarantine going to work? Nick Gibb, the school standards minister, told Sky News the plan is for the UK citizens to be taken to an NHS facility on their return where they will be kept for 14 days. They will initially land at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire at about 10.45am on Friday before being taken to a facility - Sky News understands this will be on the Wirral in northwest England. It is thought the passengers will have to agree to whatever treatment is recommended by experts. People who have already recently returned to the UK from Wuhan have been told to "self-isolate" even if they have no symptoms. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement to the House of Commons last week: "Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people - and contact NHS 111. If you are in Northern Ireland, you should phone your GP. "If you develop respiratory symptoms within 14 days of travel to the area, and are now in the UK, call your GP or ring 111 informing them of your symptoms and your recent travel to the city. "Do not leave your home until you have been given advice by a clinician." Has anyone been quarantined in the UK in the past? Yes. Pauline Cafferkey contracted Ebola in December 2014 after treating patients in Sierra Leone at the height of the outbreak which killed more than 11,000 people. The nurse was treated with an experimental anti-viral drug and blood from a survivor of the virus. She spent almost a month being treated in an isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London and was discharged in January 2015 after it was thought she had recovered from the virus. But months later, in October 2015, she was flown from Glasgow back to the hospital by a military plane after an "unusual late complication" caused her to fall ill again, with meningitis caused by Ebola. Story continues She was taken back for a third stay by a RAF Hercules to be treated for "a late complication from her previous infection". The hospital has a high level isolation unit (HLIU) which is used for treating infectious diseases - and is always fully prepared to admit a patient at very short notice. Sky News has not been able to uncover evidence of any mass UK quarantine programmes in the modern era. What are the current quarantine laws? Under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, the secretary of state has the power to make "health protection regulations" to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to an incident or to the spread of infection or contamination, even if the threat originated from outside the country. This includes enforcing special requirements and restrictions - if there is a serious and imminent threat to public health - including "medical examinations, removal to or detention in a hospital or other establishment, or isolation or quarantine". And it includes powers to create new offences and enable courts to order that anyone convicted of an offence under the regulations take or pay for any remedial action. To prevent the spread of infection or contamination, the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act allows magistrates to impose restrictions and requirements on individuals, premises, groups, and objects through orders, known as "Part 2A Orders", which only councils can apply for. Orders may require an individual to: The magistrate can only issue such orders if they are satisfied that a person may be infected or contaminated, could present significant harm to human health, and there is a risk the person may infect or contaminate others. What action are other countries taking? Australia, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Indonesia have said they will also quarantine evacuees for at least two weeks. The US and Japan are planning shorter periods of voluntary isolation. Australia has said it will put its evacuees on Christmas Island, which is situated around 1,600 miles off its coast and which had been used to hold thousands of refugees between 2002 and 2018. Some health officials have criticised the decision but the country's home affairs minister Peter Dutton said there was no other choice. "The reality is people need to be accommodated for somewhere for up to 14 days. I can't clear out a hospital in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane," he said. "I don't have a facility otherwise that we can quickly accommodate for what might be many hundreds of people and Christmas Island is purpose-built for exactly this scenario." An Indian official has said bringing citizens home is not the best option because of the risk of infection but pressure from citizens, most of them students, and their families, has forced the government to put an aircraft on standby. The Cincinnati Zoo's celebrity hippopotamus has made her 2020 Super Bowl prediction in the most unorthodox manner. The big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers is scheduled for Sunday, but Fiona made her choice on Thursday afternoon. A zoo worker placed two buoys with the teams' logos in front of the young hippo, the idea being that she would pick a team using her snout. Fiona the hippo has declared a winner for Sunday's big game between the Chiefs and 49ers The hippo picked a winner by vomiting a lettuce leaf over the Kansas City Chiefs logo But because the animal had just had her lunch, she then ended up vomiting lettuce all over the Kansas City Chiefs. Make of that what you will, but the hippo has a 50 per cent accuracy rate. Fiona managed to predict a win for underdogs, the Philadelphia Eagles, to beat the New England Patriots in 2018, but lost her bet against Pats, instead picking the Los Angeles Rams to win in 2019's game. The hippo, who was born prematurely, just celebrated her third birthday last week and weighs more than half a ton. Fiona, a Nile Hippopotamus, celebrated her third birthday last week and weighs more than half a ton. She is pictured eating her specialty birthday cake The Nile Hippopotamus was pictured swimming in her enclosure as she turned three on Friday When she was born, she was just 29 pounds. The normal range is 55 to 120 pounds for such a species. Cincinnati Zoo say has Fiona become something of an ambassador for her species and a testament to the zoo workers who worked tirelessly to save her. 'Fiona won the hearts of Cincinnatians when she fought to survive after being born six weeks early and terribly underweight,' Cincinnati Zoo director Thayne Maynard said. 'Three years later, people all over the world are still crazy about this normal, healthy hippo.' Fiona was born prematurely and weighed just 29 pounds. The normal range is 55 to 120 pounds for such a species. She had made up for it and clocks in at 1,300 pounds. The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday decided to formally declare the outbreak of 2019-nCoV, the new coronavirus first identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan, as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The PHEIC classification was only established by WHO in 2005 following the 20022003 SARS pandemic. It has been declared on five occasions since, in response to the 2009 Swine Flu, the outbreaks in 2014 of Ebola and polio, the 2016 Zika virus and the 2019 resurgence of Ebola in central Africa. Chinese authorities reported last night that the number of confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV has reached at least 8,100. The virus has spread from its source in Wuhan across mainland China and now around the world. At least 100 casespredominantly people either from or who had visited Wuhanhave been diagnosed in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Australia, South Korea, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, France, Finland, the United States and Canada. Dozens of suspected cases are under investigation in other countries. Students line up to sanitize their hands to avoid the contact of coronavirus before their morning class at a hight school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. [Credit: AP Photo/Heng Sinith] The number of deaths directly linked to 2019-nCoV infection, which can lead to severe pneumonia that cannot be treated with antibiotics or existing antiviral drugs, currently stands at 171. All of the fatalities were in China and, according to Chinese authorities, were mainly older people with existing medical conditions. The fatality rate, at around 2.7 percent, is low in comparison with other coronavirus outbreaks such as SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). As with any virus, there is the possibility that as it spreads it could mutate into a far more deadly strain. Like SARS and MERS, 2019-nCoV is an animal virus that has migrated to infect humans, most likely originating in either bats or snakes. At present, scientists postulate that it is being transmitted between people via respiratory droplets spread by coughing, so most likely can only be contracted if someone is in close and protracted proximity to an infected individual. By way of comparison, the common influenza virus, which spreads between people far more easily, has infected at least 15 million Americans and caused at least 8,200 deaths just in the 20192020 flu season. In designating 2019-nCoV a global public health emergency, WHO officials took into account the evidence that the rate of human-to-human transmission outside China is increasing. WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference last night: The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it. The media has generally interpreted this statement as a reference to so-called underdeveloped or Third World countries. In fact, the United Stateswhere there is now one reported case of human-to-human transmission in Chicagowould be high on the list of concern. Tens of millions of people live in extreme poverty and lack any health insurance, while the public health system is drastically under-resourced. If several thousand patients sought treatment at the same time for severe respiratory illnesses in a major American city, it would completely overwhelm the medical system. A comparable situation exists in virtually all the so-called advanced capitalist countries. The dangers are heightened by the likelihood that a vaccine for 2019-nCoV will not be developed for at least four months and would most likely not be available for roll-out to the general population for well over a year. One factor in the time length is the lack of collaboration between dozens of rival medical clinics internationally, which will be striving to patent a vaccine so their corporate owners can profit from its sale. The international unpreparedness for serious pandemicsin terms of adequate medical facilities, dedicated quarantine wards and coordinated research teamsis reflected in the panicked responses to the coronavirus being announced around the world. In China, health workers have reportedly had to deal with insufficient testing kits to diagnose the virus and shortages of protective suits to guarantee their own safety. In one Wuhan hospital, a nurse told CNN that at least 30 of the 500 staff are now infected. Hospitals have run out of beds and are telling people to go home unless they are displaying severe symptoms. Chinese authorities have rushed 1,800 additional doctors and specialists to Hubei province, while two temporary hospitals with a combined 2,300 beds are being rapidly built to cope with the number of patients. Since January 22, the Chinese government has attempted to seal off Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province to try and stem the spread the virus. In total, some 50 million people are living under travel bans. As with all such blanket measures, however, those with wealth and power easily circumvent them. Moreover, 2019-nCoV was first identified in late December. By the time the quarantine was declared, as many as five million people had moved in and out of Wuhan, the largest city in central China, including thousands who travelled overseas. A factor in the spread of the virus was that people travelled elsewhere in China because they could not get treatment in the city. Long after the virus has well and truly gone global, most airlines have now suspended or reduced their flights in and out of China. Airports internationally have erected elaborate screening measures to try and identify potential carriers of the virus, though infected people do not exhibit any symptoms for as long as seven to 10 days. Russia and North Korea have sealed their borders with China. In Italy, panicked authorities refused to allow thousands of people aboard a cruise ship to disembark due to suspicion that two passengers may have been infected. Test results came back negative. A number of countries have organised flights to evacuate their citizens from the Wuhan region, but then placed them in quarantine in often substandard conditions. The Australian government stands out for its callousness. It is seeking to charge hundreds of Australian nationals $1,000 to be evacuated and intends to isolate them on the remote Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and house them in the bleak facilities built to imprison so-called illegal refugees. Amid the geostrategic and economic tensions between the United States and its allies and China, various demagogues are seizing the opportunity presented by the virus outbreak to stoke anti-Chinese xenophobia and sing nationalist praise of their own countries. The Washington Post lambasted the Chinese government in the headline of an editorial yesterday for having put everyone at risk due to the lag between when the virus was identified and health warnings and drastic quarantine measures were announced. The Post implied that in the US, the free press would have ensured that information emerged more quickly. In fact, as has emerged time and again, the major American newspapers and networks collaborate just as intimately to censor information, on behalf of the government and the corporate ruling class, as their Chinese counterparts. The Rupert Murdoch-owned Australian published today a particularly obscene piece by right-wing academic Salvatore Babones. He implied that the reason why coronaviruses have migrated from animals to humans in China and not in Australia was because Chinesedue to Confucianism and communismrelied on the state and did not self-organise to ensure sanitation and public health. Babone wrote: Australian civil society accomplishes what 100 million bureaucrats cannotit ensures good public health by promoting safe practices broadly, across every niche of the economy, nearly all of the time. The utter stupidity of such nationalist assertions can be seen in the way that decades of Australian government indifference and inaction have left the population totally unprepared for the devastating impact of climate-change linked droughts, fires and floods. People have had to self-organise in fire-affected towns and regions over recent weeks because the emergency services and social support networks have been so deprived of resources that they are unable to provide the needed assistance. The virus outbreak, like the climate change-linked natural disasters wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of people, starkly poses the necessity of international scientific planning and organisation and the investment of hundreds of billions of dollars into health and safety infrastructure, emergency services and preventive measures. The obstacle is the capitalist system, which subordinates economic and social life to the accumulation of private profit for a minority and maintains the division of the integrated and interdependent global economy into competing national states. Kenya's high court upholds a petition to put a new digital ID scheme on hold. Critics had accused the measure of discriminating against vulnerable communities. Also, Somalians are worried that national troops are still far from ready to take over when the African Union pulls its 20,000 peacekeeping troops out of Somalia next year. Finally, a Kenyan afro-pop band have been snapped up by Universal Music Africa. CORK, Ireland, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Controls International plc (NYSE: JCI) today reported fiscal first quarter 2020 GAAP earnings per share ("EPS") from continuing operations, including special items, of $0.21. Excluding these items, adjusted EPS from continuing operations was $0.40, up 54% versus the prior year period (see attached footnotes for non-GAAP reconciliation). Sales of $5.6 billion increased 2% compared to the prior year and grew 3% organically. GAAP earnings before interest and taxes ("EBIT") was $308 million and EBIT margin was 5.5%. Adjusted EBIT was $448 million and adjusted EBIT margin was 8.0%, up 70 basis points over the prior year. Excluding the impact of M&A and foreign currency, the underlying adjusted EBIT margin increased 80 basis points. "Our first quarter results reflect a strong start to fiscal 2020, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of organic double-digit adjusted EBIT growth as a pure-play buildings technology company. Our performance in the quarter reflects a continued commitment to solid execution and to improving the underlying fundamentals of our business, which is shared throughout the organization," said George Oliver, chairman and CEO. "We deliver the safest, most secure and sustainable solutions for our customers given our robust portfolio of products and services. This, along with our strong balance sheet, positions us well to continue to deliver long-term shareholder value," Oliver added. Income and EPS amounts attributable to Johnson Controls ordinary shareholders ($ millions, except per-share amounts) The financial highlights presented in the tables below are in accordance with GAAP, unless otherwise indicated. All comparisons are to the fiscal first quarter of 2019. The results of Power Solutions are reported as discontinued operations in all periods presented. Organic sales growth, organic EBITA growth, segment EBITA, adjusted segment EBITA, EBIT, adjusted EBIT, adjusted EPS from continuing operations and adjusted free cash flow are non-GAAP financial measures. For a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures and detail of the special items, refer to the attached footnotes. A slide presentation to accompany the results can be found in the Investor Relations section of Johnson Controls' website at http://investors.johnsoncontrols.com. GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Sales $5,464 $5,576 $5,464 $5,576 +2% Segment EBITA 583 623 590 625 +6% EBIT 329 308 400 448 +12% Net income from continuing operations 107 159 243 306 +26% Diluted EPS from continuing operations $0.12 $0.21 $0.26 $0.40 +54% BUSINESS RESULTS Building Solutions North America GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Sales $2,116 $2,167 $2,116 $2,167 2% Segment EBITA $250 $258 $253 $259 2% Segment EBITA margin % 11.8% 11.9% 12.0% 12.0% - Sales in the quarter of $2.2 billion, increased 2% versus the prior year. Organic sales increased 3% versus the prior year led by strength in Fire & Security and, to a lesser extent, HVAC & Controls. This growth was partially offset by a decline in Performance Solutions. Orders in the quarter, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency, decreased 1% year-over-year off a strong prior year and due to timing between quarters. Backlog at the end of the quarter of $5.8 billion increased 7% year-over-year, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency. Adjusted segment EBITA was $259 million, up 2% versus the prior year. Adjusted segment EBITA margin of 12.0% was consistent with the prior year as favorable volume leverage as well as productivity savings and cost synergies, were offset by Retail mix. Building Solutions EMEA/LA (Europe, Middle East, Africa/Latin America) GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Sales $907 $928 $907 $928 2% Segment EBITA $77 $90 $77 $90 17% Segment EBITA margin % 8.5% 9.7% 8.5% 9.7% 120bps Sales in the quarter of $928 million increased 2% versus the prior year. Organic sales grew 7% versus the prior year driven by strong growth in project installations and service. Growth was positive across all regions and across HVAC & Controls, Fire & Security and Industrial Refrigeration. Orders in the quarter, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency, increased 4% year-over-year. Backlog at the end of the quarter of $1.7 billion increased 8% year-over-year, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency. Adjusted segment EBITA was $90 million, up 17% versus the prior year. Adjusted segment EBITA margin of 9.7% expanded 120 basis points over the prior year, including a 10 basis point headwind related to foreign currency. Adjusting for foreign currency, the underlying margin improved 130 basis points driven by favorable volume leverage as well as the benefit from productivity savings and cost synergies. Building Solutions Asia Pacific GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Sales $613 $629 $613 $629 3% Segment EBITA $66 $72 $66 $72 9% Segment EBITA margin % 10.8% 11.4% 10.8% 11.4% 60bps Sales in the quarter of $629 million increased 3% versus the prior year. Organic sales also increased 3% versus the prior year driven by growth in project installations, particularly in Fire & Security. Orders in the quarter, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency, increased 1% year-over-year. Backlog at the end of the quarter of $1.6 billion increased 2% year-over-year, excluding M&A and adjusted for foreign currency. Adjusted segment EBITA was $72 million, up 9% versus the prior year. Adjusted segment EBITA margin of 11.4% expanded 60 basis points over the prior year driven by favorable volume leverage and the benefit of productivity savings and cost synergies. Global Products GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Sales $1,828 $1,852 $1,828 $1,852 1% Segment EBITA $190 $203 $194 $204 5% Segment EBITA margin % 10.4% 11.0% 10.6% 11.0% 40bps Sales in the quarter of $1.9 billion increased 1% versus the prior year. Organic sales increased 2% versus the prior year led by strong growth in Building Management Systems and, to a lesser extent, Specialty Products. Sales of HVAC & Refrigeration Equipment were consistent with the prior year. Adjusted segment EBITA was $204 million, up 5% versus the prior year. Adjusted segment EBITA margin of 11.0% expanded 40 basis points over the prior year, including a 10 basis point headwind related to foreign currency. Adjusting for foreign currency, the underlying margin improved 50 basis points driven by positive price/cost as well as the benefit of productivity savings and cost synergies. Corporate GAAP GAAP Adjusted Adjusted Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Q1 2019 Q1 2020 Change Corporate expense ($136) ($118) ($93) ($81) (13%) Adjusted Corporate expense was $81 million in the quarter, a decrease of 13% compared to the prior year, driven primarily by continued productivity savings and cost synergies, as well as cost reductions related to the Power Solutions sale. OTHER ITEMS As expected during the quarter, the Company received an income tax refund of $0.6 billion . . Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations was $0.5 billion and capital expenditures were $0.1 billion in the quarter, resulting in free cash flow from continuing operations of $0.4 billion . Adjusted free cash flow was an outflow of $0.1 billion , which excludes net cash inflows of $0.4 billion primarily related to an income tax refund partially offset by integration costs. and capital expenditures were in the quarter, resulting in free cash flow from continuing operations of . Adjusted free cash flow was an outflow of , which excludes net cash inflows of primarily related to an income tax refund partially offset by integration costs. During the quarter, the Company repurchased approximately 15 million shares for $651 million . . During the quarter, the Company recorded a pre-tax restructuring and impairment charge of $111 million primarily related to workforce reductions, plant closures and asset impairments. primarily related to workforce reductions, plant closures and asset impairments. During the quarter, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842, Leases, which resulted in an increase to other noncurrent assets of $1.1 billion , other current liabilities of $0.3 billion and other noncurrent liabilities of $0.8 billion . About Johnson Controls: At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. We deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers, and manufacturing. With a global team of 105,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers' mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco, YORK, Metasys, Ruskin, Titus, Frick, PENN, Sabroe, Simplex, Ansul and Grinnell. For more information, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com or follow us @johnsoncontrols on Twitter Johnson Controls International plc Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Johnson Controls International plc has made statements in this communication that are forward-looking and therefore are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are, or could be, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In this communication, statements regarding Johnson Controls' future financial position, sales, costs, earnings, cash flows, other measures of results of operations, synergies and integration opportunities, capital expenditures and debt levels are forward-looking statements. Words such as "may," "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "should," "forecast," "project" or "plan" and terms of similar meaning are also generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. However, the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Johnson Controls cautions that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond Johnson Controls' control, that could cause Johnson Controls' actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: any delay or inability of Johnson Controls to realize the expected benefits and synergies of recent portfolio transactions such as the merger with Tyco and the disposition of the Power Solutions business, changes in tax laws (including but not limited to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in December 2017), regulations, rates, policies or interpretations, the loss of key senior management, the tax treatment of recent portfolio transactions, significant transaction costs and/or unknown liabilities associated with such transactions, the outcome of actual or potential litigation relating to such transactions, the risk that disruptions from recent transactions will harm Johnson Controls' business, the strength of the U.S. or other economies, changes to laws or policies governing foreign trade, including increased tariffs or trade restrictions, energy and commodity prices, the availability of raw materials and component products, currency exchange rates, maintaining the capacity, reliability and security of our information technology infrastructure, the risk of infringement or expiration of intellectual property rights, work stoppages, union negotiations, labor disputes and other matters associated with the labor force, the outcome of litigation and governmental proceedings and cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements. A detailed discussion of risks related to Johnson Controls' business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Johnson Controls' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the 2019 fiscal year filed with the SEC on November 21, 2019, which is available at www.sec.gov and www.johnsoncontrols.com under the "Investors" tab. Shareholders, potential investors and others should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this communication are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, Johnson Controls assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this communication. Non-GAAP Financial Information The Company's press release contains financial information regarding adjusted earnings per share, which is a non-GAAP performance measure. The adjusting items include restructuring and impairment costs, transaction costs, integration costs, net mark-to-market adjustments, and discrete tax items. Financial information regarding organic sales, EBIT, EBIT margin, segment EBITA, adjusted segment EBITA, adjusted organic segment EBITA, adjusted segment EBITA margin, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow, are also presented, which are non-GAAP performance measures. Adjusted segment EBITA excludes special items such as transaction costs and integration costs because these costs are not considered to be directly related to the underlying operating performance of its business units. Management believes that, when considered together with unadjusted amounts, these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in understanding period-over-period operating results and business trends of the Company. Management may also use these metrics as guides in forecasting, budgeting and long-term planning processes and for compensation purposes. These metrics should be considered in addition to, and not as replacements for, the most comparable GAAP measure. For further information on the calculation of thee non-GAAP measures and a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures, refer to the attached footnotes. JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (in millions, except per share data; unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Net sales $ 5,576 $ 5,464 Cost of sales 3,773 3,739 Gross profit 1,803 1,725 Selling, general and administrative expenses (1,427) (1,438) Restructuring and impairment costs (111) - Net financing charges (52) (85) Equity income 43 42 Income from continuing operations before income taxes 256 244 Income tax provision 65 108 Income from continuing operations 191 136 Income from discontinued operations, net of tax - 263 Net income 191 399 Less: Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests 32 29 Less: Income from discontinued operations attributable to noncontrolling interests - 15 Net income attributable to JCI $ 159 $ 355 Income from continuing operations $ 159 $ 107 Income from discontinued operations - 248 Net income attributable to JCI $ 159 $ 355 Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations $ 0.21 $ 0.12 Diluted earnings per share from discontinued operations - 0.27 Diluted earnings per share* $ 0.21 $ 0.38 Diluted weighted average shares 774.0 925.2 Shares outstanding at period end 764.0 912.7 * May not sum due to rounding. JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION (in millions; unaudited) December 31, September 30, 2019 2019 ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,160 $ 2,805 Accounts receivable - net 5,612 5,770 Inventories 1,953 1,814 Assets held for sale 87 98 Other current assets 1,508 1,906 Current assets 11,320 12,393 Property, plant and equipment - net 3,341 3,348 Goodwill 18,351 18,178 Other intangible assets - net 5,610 5,632 Investments in partially-owned affiliates 865 853 Noncurrent assets held for sale 46 60 Other noncurrent assets 2,980 1,823 Total assets $ 42,513 $ 42,287 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt $ 1,362 $ 511 Accounts payable and accrued expenses 4,180 4,535 Liabilities held for sale 44 44 Other current liabilities 4,106 3,980 Current liabilities 9,692 9,070 Long-term debt 5,920 6,708 Other noncurrent liabilities 6,470 5,680 Shareholders' equity attributable to JCI 19,329 19,766 Noncontrolling interests 1,102 1,063 Total liabilities and equity $ 42,513 $ 42,287 JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (in millions; unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Operating Activities Net income attributable to JCI from continuing operations $ 159 $ 107 Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests 32 29 Net income from continuing operations 191 136 Adjustments to reconcile net income from continuing operations to cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 207 211 Pension and postretirement benefit income (40) (29) Pension and postretirement contributions (12) (21) Equity in earnings of partially-owned affiliates, net of dividends received 8 (36) Deferred income taxes (3) 43 Non-cash restructuring and impairment costs 54 - Other - net 16 28 Changes in assets and liabilities, excluding acquisitions and divestitures: Accounts receivable 237 146 Inventories (114) (222) Other assets (92) (63) Restructuring reserves 33 (25) Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (498) (226) Accrued income taxes 524 (21) Cash provided (used) by operating activities from continuing operations 511 (79) Investing Activities Capital expenditures (126) (153) Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired (48) (13) Business divestitures, net of cash divested - 6 Other - net 1 24 Cash used by investing activities from continuing operations (173) (136) Financing Activities Increase in short and long-term debt - net 10 1,014 Stock repurchases (651) (467) Payment of cash dividends (203) (240) Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests (5) (43) Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 21 13 Employee equity-based compensation withholding (20) (21) Other - net (2) - Cash provided (used) by financing activities from continuing operations (850) 256 Discontinued Operations Net cash provided (used) by operating activities (194) 193 Net cash used by investing activities - (66) Net cash used by financing activities - (11) Net cash flows provided (used) by discontinued operations (194) 116 Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 57 (43) Changes in cash held for sale - (2) Increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $(649) $ 112 FOOTNOTES 1. Financial Summary The Company evaluates the performance of its business units primarily on segment earnings before interest, taxes and amortization (EBITA), which represents income from continuing operations before income taxes and noncontrolling interests, excluding general corporate expenses, intangible asset amortization, net financing charges, restructuring and impairment costs, and the net mark-to-market adjustments related to restricted asbestos investments and pension and postretirement plans. The financial results shown below are for continuing operations and exclude the Power Solutions business. (in millions; unaudited) Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Actual Adjusted Non-GAAP Actual Adjusted Non-GAAP Net sales Building Solutions North America $2,167 $ 2,167 $2,116 $ 2,116 Building Solutions EMEA/LA 928 928 907 907 Building Solutions Asia Pacific 629 629 613 613 Global Products 1,852 1,852 1,828 1,828 Net sales $5,576 $ 5,576 $5,464 $ 5,464 Segment EBITA (1) Building Solutions North America $ 258 $ 259 $ 250 $ 253 Building Solutions EMEA/LA 90 90 77 77 Building Solutions Asia Pacific 72 72 66 66 Global Products 203 204 190 194 Segment EBITA 623 625 583 590 Corporate expenses (2) (118) (81) (136) (93) Amortization of intangible assets (96) (96) (97) (97) Net mark-to-market adjustments (3) 10 - (21) - Restructuring and impairment costs (4) (111) - - - EBIT (5) 308 448 329 400 EBIT margin 5.5% 8.0% 6.0% 7.3% Net financing charges (52) (52) (85) (85) Income from continuing operations before income taxes 256 396 244 315 Income tax provision (6) (65) (53) (108) (43) Income from continuing operations 191 343 136 272 Income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests (32) (37) (29) (29) Net income from continuing operations attributable to JCI $ 159 $ 306 $ 107 $ 243 (1) The Company's press release contains financial information regarding segment EBITA, adjusted segment EBITA and adjusted segment EBITA margins, which are non-GAAP performance measures. The Company's definition of adjusted segment EBITA excludes special items because these costs are not considered to be directly related to the underlying operating performance of its businesses. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in understanding the ongoing operations and business trends of the Company. A reconciliation of segment EBITA to income from continuing operations is shown earlier within this footnote. The following is the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 reconciliation of segment EBITA and segment EBITA margin as reported to adjusted segment EBITA and adjusted segment EBITA margin (unaudited): (in millions) Building Solutions North America Building Solutions EMEA/LA Building Solutions Asia Pacific Global Products Consolidated JCI plc 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 2019 2018 Segment EBITA as reported $ 258 $ 250 $ 90 $ 77 $ 72 $ 66 $ 203 $190 $623 $583 Segment EBITA margin as reported 11.9% 11.8% 9.7% 8.5% 11.4% 10.8% 11.0% 10.4% 11.2% 10.7% Adjusting items: Integration costs 1 3 - - - - 1 4 2 7 Adjusted segment EBITA $ 259 $ 253 $ 90 $ 77 $ 72 $ 66 $ 204 $194 $625 $590 Adjusted segment EBITA margin 12.0% 12.0% 9.7% 8.5% 11.4% 10.8% 11.0% 10.6% 11.2% 10.8% (2) Adjusted Corporate expenses excludes special items because these costs are not considered to be directly related to the underlying operating performance of the Company's business. Adjusted Corporate expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2019 excludes $37 million of integration costs. Adjusted Corporate expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2018 excludes $41 million of integration costs and $2 million of transaction costs. (3) The three months ended December 31, 2019 exclude the net mark-to-market adjustments on restricted investments of $10 million. The three months ended December 31, 2018 exclude the net mark-to-market adjustments on restricted investments of $21 million. (4) Restructuring and impairment costs for the three months ended December 31, 2019 of $111 million are excluded from the adjusted non-GAAP results. The restructuring actions and impairment costs related primarily to workforce reductions, plant closures and asset impairments. (5) Management defines earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) as income from continuing operations before net financing charges, income taxes and noncontrolling interests. EBIT is a non-GAAP performance measure. Management believes this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors in understanding the ongoing operations and business trends of the Company. A reconciliation of EBIT to income from continuing operations is shown earlier within this footnote. (6) Adjusted income tax provision for the three months ended December 31, 2019 excludes tax provisions related to Switzerland tax reform of $30 million and net mark-to-market adjustments of $3 million, partially offset by tax benefits for restructuring and impairment costs of $16 million and integration costs of $5 million. Adjusted income tax provision for the three months ended December 31, 2018 excludes the tax provision for valuation allowance adjustments of $76 million as a result of changes in U.S. tax law, partially offset by the tax benefits for integration costs of $6 million and net mark-to-market adjustments of $5 million. 2. Diluted Earnings Per Share Reconciliation The Company's press release contains financial information regarding adjusted earnings per share, which is a non-GAAP performance measure. The adjusting items include transaction/integration costs, net mark-to-market adjustments, restructuring and impairment costs, impact of ceasing the depreciation and amortization expense for the Power Solutions business as the business is held for sale, and discrete tax items. The Company excludes these items because they are not considered to be directly related to the underlying operating performance of the Company. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in understanding the ongoing operations and business trends of the Company. A reconciliation of diluted earnings per share as reported to adjusted diluted earnings per share for the respective periods is shown below (unaudited): Net Income Attributable to JCI plc Net Income Attributable to JCI plc from Continuing Operations Three Months Ended Three Months Ended December 31, December 31, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Earnings per share as reported for JCI plc $0.21 $ 0.38 $ 0.21 $ 0.12 Adjusting items: Transaction costs - 0.03 - - Integration costs 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.05 Related tax impact (0.01) (0.01) (0.01) (0.01) Net mark-to-market adjustments (0.01) 0.02 (0.01) 0.02 Related tax impact - (0.01) - (0.01) Restructuring and impairment costs 0.14 - 0.14 - Related tax impact (0.02) - (0.02) - NCI impact of restructuring and impairment (0.01) - (0.01) - Cease of Power Solutions depreciation / amortization expense - (0.03) - - Related tax impact - 0.01 - - Discrete tax items 0.04 0.16 0.04 0.08 Adjusted earnings per share for JCI plc* $0.40 $ 0.61 $ 0.40 $ 0.26 * May not sum due to rounding The following table reconciles the denominators used to calculate basic and diluted earnings per share for JCI plc (in millions; unaudited): Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Weighted average shares outstanding for JCI plc Basic weighted average shares outstanding 769.9 921.6 Effect of dilutive securities: Stock options, unvested restricted stock and unvested performance share awards 4.1 3.6 Diluted weighted average shares outstanding 774.0 925.2 The Company has presented forward-looking statements regarding adjusted EPS from continuing operations, organic net sales growth, organic adjusted EBITA growth, organic adjusted EBIT growth, adjusted segment EBITA margin, adjusted EBIT margin and adjusted free cash flow conversion for the full fiscal year of 2020, which are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are derived by excluding certain amounts, expenses, income or cash flows from the corresponding financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The determination of the amounts that are excluded from these non-GAAP financial measures are a matter of management judgment and depends upon, among other factors, the nature of the underlying expense or income amounts recognized in a given period, including but not limited to the high variability of the net mark-to-market adjustments and the effect of foreign currency exchange fluctuations. Our fiscal 2020 outlook for organic net sales and adjusted EBITA and EBIT growth also excludes the effect of acquisitions, divestitures and foreign currency. We are unable to present a quantitative reconciliation of the aforementioned forward-looking non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable forward-looking GAAP financial measures because such information is not available and management cannot reliably predict all of the necessary components of such GAAP measures without unreasonable effort or expense. The unavailable information could have a significant impact on the Company's full year 2020 GAAP financial results. 3. Organic Growth Reconciliation The components of the changes in net sales for the three months ended December 31, 2019 versus the three months ended December 31, 2018, including organic growth, is shown below (unaudited): (in millions) Net Sales for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Base Year Adjustments - Divestitures and Other Adjusted Base Net Sales for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Acquisitions Foreign Currency Organic Growth Net Sales for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 Building Solutions North America $ 2,116 $ (2) - $ 2,114 $ - - $ - - $ 53 3% $2,167 3% Building Solutions EMEA/LA 907 (25) -3% 882 5 1% (25) -3% 66 7% 928 5% Building Solutions Asia Pacific 613 - - 613 2 - (5) -1% 19 3% 629 3% Total field 3,636 (27) -1% 3,609 7 - (30) -1% 138 4% 3,724 3% Global Products 1,828 (8) - 1,820 1 - 3 - 28 2% 1,852 2% Total net sales $ 5,464 $ (35) -1% $ 5,429 $ 8 - $ (27) - $166 3% $5,576 3% The components of the changes in segment EBITA and EBIT for the three months ended December 31, 2019 versus the three months ended December 31, 2018, including organic growth, is shown below (unaudited): (in millions) Adjusted Segment EBITA / EBIT for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Base Year Adjustments - Divestitures and Other Adjusted Base Segment EBITA / EBIT for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Acquisitions Foreign Currency Organic Growth Adjusted Segment EBITA / EBIT for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 Building Solutions North America $ 253 $ - - $ 253 $ - - $ - - $ 6 2% $ 259 2% Building Solutions EMEA/LA 77 (1) -1% 76 1 1% (3) -4% 16 21% 90 18% Building Solutions Asia Pacific 66 - - 66 1 2% - - 5 8% 72 9% Total field 396 (1) - 395 2 1% (3) -1% 27 7% 421 7% Global Products 194 - - 194 (1) -1% (1) -1% 12 6% 204 5% Total adjusted segment EBITA 590 (1) - 589 $ 1 - $ (4) -1% $ 39 7% 625 6% Corporate expenses (93) - (93) (81) 13% Amortization of intangible assets (97) - (97) (96) 1% Total adjusted EBIT $ 400 $ (1) $ 399 $ 448 12% 4. Adjusted Free Cash Flow Reconciliation The Company's press release contains financial information regarding free cash flow, adjusted free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow conversion, which are non-GAAP performance measures. Free cash flow is defined as cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. Adjusted free cash flow excludes special items, as included in the table below, because these cash flows are not considered to be directly related to its underlying businesses. Adjusted free cash flow conversion is defined as adjusted free cash flow divided by adjusted net income. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors in understanding the strength of the Company and its ability to generate cash. The following is the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 reconciliation of free cash flow, adjusted free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow conversion for continuing operations (unaudited): (in billions) Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 Three Months Ended December 31, 2018 Cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations $ 0.5 $ (0.1) Capital expenditures (0.1) (0.2) Reported free cash flow 0.4 (0.3) Adjusting items: Transaction/integration costs 0.1 0.1 Income tax refunds (0.6) - Total adjusting items * (0.4) 0.1 Adjusted free cash flow * $ (0.1) $ (0.2) Adjusted net income from continuing operations attributable to JCI $ 0.3 $ 0.2 Adjusted free cash flow conversion -33% -100% * May not sum due to rounding 5. Net Debt to Capitalization The Company provides financial information regarding net debt as a percentage of total capitalization, which is a non-GAAP performance measure. The Company believes the percentage of total net debt to total capitalization is useful to understanding the Company's financial condition as it provides a review of the extent to which the Company relies on external debt financing for its funding and is a measure of risk to its shareholders. The following is the December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019 calculation of net debt as a percentage of total capitalization (unaudited): (in millions) December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt $ 1,362 $ 511 Long-term debt 5,920 6,708 Total debt 7,282 7,219 Less: cash and cash equivalents 2,160 2,805 Total net debt 5,122 4,414 Shareholders' equity attributable to JCI 19,329 19,766 Total capitalization $ 24,451 $ 24,180 Total net debt as a % of total capitalization 20.9% 18.3% 6. Income Taxes The Company's effective tax rate from continuing operations before consideration of transaction/integration costs, net mark-to-market adjustments, restructuring and impairment costs, and discrete tax items for the three months ending December 31, 2019 and 2018 is approximately 13.5%. 7. Restructuring and Impairment Costs The three months ended December 31, 2019 include restructuring and impairment costs of $111 million related primarily to workforce reductions, plant closures and asset impairments. 8. Leases On October 1, 2019, the Company adopted ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842)," which requires recognition of operating leases as a lease asset and liabilities on the balance sheet. The adoption of the new guidance resulted in recognition of a right-of-use asset and related lease liabilities of $1.1 billion. CONTACT: Investors: Antonella Franzen (609) 720-4665 Ryan Edelman (609) 720-4545 Media: Fraser Engerman (414) 524-2733 SOURCE Johnson Controls Related Links http://www.johnsoncontrols.com Steven Melendez is willing to take a different path. When he wanted to put on Peter and the Wolf with his students at the National Dance Institute of New Mexico, he began looking for something different. Making art is art, whether you are doing it with children or for children, he says. Its still art. Melendez, artistic director at the Hiland Theater, found an arrangement by Walt Gwardyak, who composed it for the New England Jazz Ensemble, where it premiered. Melendez reached out to Gwardyak and the New England Jazz Ensemble. Six months later, the rights and music were approved for NDI-NM. Peter and the Wolf has helped introduce generations of children to the instruments of the orchestra and the concept of telling a story through music, fulfilling the goal Sergei Prokofiev set for himself in 1936. In Gwardyaks 2018 arrangement, it has an original libretto and features a full jazz ensemble. The production is choreographed by the new Hiland artistic team Melendez and Tom Porras. After finding the arrangement, Melendez asked the New Mexico Jazz Workshop to create the live component for the production. He then asked Albuquerque poet Hakim Bellamy to be the narrator. In New York, getting a partnership with two large organizations would take years and cost millions of dollars, Melendez says. The fact that I was able to call each one of these people on their cellphone and get a yes before I was done pitching the idea to them is amazing. The artists in Albuquerque and the people in Albuquerque are hungry for arts and culture. And people want to work for kids. Its about making the community better and growing together. There will be three performances in addition to Peter and the Wolf, including the world premiere of Angels, created for the NDI New Mexico Company XCel dancers by international choreographer Rodney Rivera, who recently started as NDI New Mexicos Dance Barns artistic director in Santa Fe. Angels is set to the music of J.S. Bach. Now on the wings of the angels I fly gracefully to the heaven of heavens, to the embrace of the universe and the eternal light, Rivera wrote of Angels. LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The spread of the coronavirus has shaken up global commodity markets as there are widespread fears of its negative impact on economic activity and commodity demand, especially in China. The iron ore market is particularly reliant on Chinese demand and the price has fallen sharply in response to anticipated disruptions to industrial production and construction activity. What is the Wuhan coronavirus? Coronavirus putting pressure on iron ore prices (PRNewsfoto/CRU) The Wuhan coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, is a virus originating from animals in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hebei province. The number of infected people has risen sharply in a short period of time, increasing from 45 to over 5,000 during the period 1628 January. At the time of writing, the death toll of the virus has reached more than 130 and confirmed cases have also been found in at least twelve other countries. To control the spread of the virus, 60 million people in 15 Chinese cities have been fully or partially locked down, meaning travel to and from Wuhan and other nearby cities has been banned. In addition, the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday has been extended from 30 January to 02 February. In Shanghai, located downstream of Wuhan on the Yangtze River, the public holiday has been extended to 09 February. In 2002, another coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), spread around China and other Asian countries. The Wuhan coronavirus is biologically 7580% identical to SARS, but there are a few differences in its behaviour. SARS had a higher fatality rate, but the virus did not spread as fast as the Wuhan coronavirus. In addition, the Chinese government has this time responded much more quickly than in 2002, in an effort that has been praised by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Steel demand and production at risk The spread of the coronavirus is coinciding with the CNY holiday, a period when steel demand in China is particularly weak as most people working in construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and logistics are on leave. During this time, however, blast furnaces (BFs) cannot be switched off, so raw materials inventories at mills are typically built up in preparation for the holidays and associated interruptions to logistics. Read the full story: https://www.crugroup.com/knowledge-and-insights/insights/2020/coronavirus-putting-pressure-on-iron-ore-prices/ Read more about CRU: http://bit.ly/About_CRU About CRU CRU offers unrivalled business intelligence on the global metals, mining and fertilizer industries through market analysis, price assessments, consultancy and events. Since our foundation by Robert Perlman in 1969, we have consistently invested in primary research and robust methodologies, and developed expert teams in key locations worldwide, including in hard-to-reach markets such as China. CRU employs over 280 experts and has more than 11 offices around the world, in Europe, the Americas, China, Asia and Australia our office in Beijing opened in 2004 and Singapore in 2018. When facing critical business decisions, you can rely on our first-hand knowledge to give you a complete view of a commodity market. And you can engage with our experts directly, for the full picture and a personalised response. CRU big enough to deliver a high-quality service, small enough to care about all of our customers. SOURCE CRU A bar is hosting 'the sickest night of the year' with a coronavirus-themed party and is offering revellers free face masks. Fitzgerald's Irish Bar in Bunbury, south of Perth in Western Australia, posted a photo to their Facebook page of a Corona beer with a face mask on it announcing the party called 'Corona Saturday'. 'There's been a LOT of talk about Corona and to be honest it's made us pretty thirsty,' they wrote. 'We've heard Corona is pretty sick, so sick that we're giving out FREE face masks at the door to prevent any contamination from it. We're not sure why though, it's just beer isn't it?' Fitzgerald's Irish Bar in Bunbury, Western Australia posted a photo to their Facebook page of a Corona beer with a face mask on it announcing the party dubbed as 'Corona Saturday' The bar is offering free face masks at their corona themed party on Saturday night (pictured: Man wearing mask arriving at Brisbane airport) The bar is offering $6 Coronas all night and are 'sort of' promising they aren't contaminated and there's a chance to win a bucket of corona to share. The post which went up on Friday evening has since been deleted, but a new photo was uploaded without 'the sickest night of the year'. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Fitzgerald's Irish Bar for comment. It comes after House on Hood, in Hamilton, New Zealand advertised Corona beers for $6.50 'while the pandemic lasts'. 'Virus or no virus, we still think Coronas are pretty great, so while the pandemic lasts, we're selling Coronas for just $6.50, all day, every day,' the caption read. 'Mention your Corona loving mates to let them know about this great deal and you could be sharing a free one-metre pizza this Friday at House.' House on Hood, in Hamilton, New Zealand, posted a photo to their Facebook page of two men in hazmat suits and face masks holding up bottles of the Mexican beer along with the 'tasteless' caption Beverage company Lion, which distributes Corona beer in New Zealand, said it wants the ad taken down immediately. 'We were unaware of the promotion and we do not condone it. We will be asking that it is discontinued,' it said. Social media users were also outraged by the bar making light of coronavirus, which has killed 133 people and infected more than 6,000 worldwide. 'Worst advertisement ever. More than 130 people have died and many more is still suffering, whereas you guys are making fun of it, just to earn more money for your business,' one person wrote. 'Yikes. Not in the greatest taste, but go off I guess,' said another. House on Hood then posted a second tongue-in-cheek advert on Thursday, showing a Corona beer bottle wearing a gas mask. The bar then posted a second tongue-in-cheek advert on Thursday, showing a Corona beer bottle wearing a gas mask So far, the coronavirus that began in China last month has spread to over 6,000 people in more than a dozen countries So far, the coronavirus that began in China last month has spread to over 6,000 people in more than a dozen countries. Its source hasn't been officially identified, but most evidence points to animals sold at a seafood market in Wuhan. The outbreak in mainland China is now bigger than the 2003 SARS epidemic, when 5,327 cases of the killer virus were confirmed. However, it is still behind the total toll of the outbreak, which infected 8,000 people. In New South Wales, coronavirus testing is ramping up as authorities await lab results for 16 new possible cases referred for investigation. Two people confirmed to be infected in NSW have improved significantly and could soon be released from hospital isolation, Dr Chant added. There have been more than 40 people tested for the infection in NSW. There are now seven confirmed cases of the virus in Australia, including four in NSW, two in Victoria and one in Queensland. Australians trapped in the Chinese city of Wuhan due to the viral outbreak will be evacuated to Christmas Island. A former United States, US, leader of Pro National Conference Organisations, PRONACO, Dr. Baba Adam, has lauded Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for mediating over the controversy generated by the creation of Southwest security outfit, Amotekun. Osinbajo had recently met with South West Governors, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Inspector General of Police over the establishment of Amotekun. At the meeting, the Federal Government agreed to set up a legal framework to legalise the establishment of the regional security outfit. However, Adams commended President Muhammadu Buhari for delegating Osinbajo to mediate in the dialogue. In a letter to President Buhari, the former chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) also commended the Buhari administration for pushing for community policing as a panacea to solving security problems in Nigeria. Adams, who hails from Borno State said the timely negotiations and peaceful deliberation that led to an agreement between the Federal Government and the Southwest governors saved Nigeria from chaos. The letter reads: Thank you for bestowing trust in Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN to provide the leadership on resolving the highly sensitive Amotekun issue. ALSO READ: Fresh crisis looms in Imo as PDP calls for elections in defecting lawmakers constituencies As in all other assignments, Prof Osinbajo has done an outstanding job again and has saved the nation from falling into unnecessary conflict and calamity of dis-unity. He said it was worthy of note that most of the governors pushing for Amotekun are All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains. Also as you know the majority of the governors advocating for this initiative are from the APC, this include key leaders such as Governor Dr. Fayemi, who is also chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum; Governor Akeredolu and furthermore even Asiwaju Tinubu has supported this initiative. Commending Buhari for the confidence he has in Osinbajo, Adams said: This is the first salvo and we highly recommend that you further empower or delegate the VP to resolve this issue as not only in the South West but the rest of the nation as APC states such as Nasarawa have already expressed interest in implementing community policing, LGA and state policing. DALLAS The pilots union at American Airlines sued on Thursday to stop the carrier from flying to China and told members not to operate flights there because of the spreading coronavirus outbreak. The Allied Pilots Association, which represents Americans 15,000 pilots, asked a state district court in Dallas for an injunction to halt the flights immediately. The union cited declarations by international health experts that the virus is a public health emergency. The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priority first, last, and always, union President Eric Ferguson said in a statement. Ferguson noted that several international carriers have stopped flying to China. Union leaders asked Americans management to do the same, he said, but to date they have not canceled any U.S.-China flights. We are therefore compelled to seek injunctive relief. A spokesman said the airline was aware of the lawsuit. We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and global public health officials to make sure we are taking all necessary precautions for our customers and team members, said the spokesman, Joshua Freed. American announced Wednesday that it will suspend flights between Los Angeles and both Beijing and Shanghai beginning Feb. 9. The airline has not announced changes in flights between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong or between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Freed said American is monitoring the situation and could make other changes as needed. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines have announced they will reduce the number of flights to China starting over the next few days. Some foreign carriers, including British Airways, have said they will stop all flights to the country at the center of the outbreak. (TNS) A San Diego city committee on Tuesday unanimously rejected a policy laying out rules for the use of data collected by thousands of local high-tech streetlight cameras, choosing instead to look for something that goes further to address public concerns about surveillance technologies.The Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee, which includes four City Council members, asked for a broad ordinance addressing all public surveillance technology in the city. They also want public input in the process.Councilwoman and Committee Chair Monica Montgomery, who suggested that the city seek an ordinance over a policy, said the committee should know more about all the city's surveillance tools before approving rules that would govern data from sensors on the street lights.She pointed to news reports regarding other sorts of surveillance technology surfacing in the region, including facial recognition software and drones."Too many of these programs are moving forward without public conversation, careful consideration of the costs and benefits, or adequate polices in place to prevent misuse and protect rights," Montgomery said."We cannot deny that we are here today because of the imbalance between what these technologies are capable of and people's rightful expectation to privacy."At the center of the issue are San Diego's so-called smart street lights, which include sensors equipped with cameras, microphones and other technology. The sensors capture a variety of information about, for example, pedestrian and vehicle movements, parking availability, temperature and humidity. Images are turned into data.The city is running the Smart Street Lights Program through its Sustainability Department.However, police can also access the images under what the department has said are narrow guidelines it has set for itself. For example, the footage can only be accessed to solve serious crimes such as homicide. In the last 17 months or so, police have downloaded the footage 246 times.Police Chief David Nisleit told the committee Tuesday that the department uses them as a "reactive tool," and is not monitoring any live feed.The technology, the chief said, "has been a game changer."City authorities have said the cameras do not pan, tilt or zoom, and the audio is not turned on. They are not equipped with facial recognition technology or automatic license plate readers.There are 3,200 smart street lights installed around the city. Another 1,000 had been slated to be put in later this year, but that has since been put on hold.In 2016, the Smart Street Light Program was sold to the City Council and public as energy-saving LED lights that could save the city up to $125,000 a month.It was revealed later that the light poles also included sensors and cameras equipped the gather data. In August 2018, police started accessing the camera footage to help solve serious crimes, such as murder.The city's failure to disclose sooner that the smart street lights allowed for electronic surveillance stoked fear among some members of the public that data from the sensors including the video footage might be misused against segments of the population, including communities of color. Critics demanded full transparency and better oversight of the program.On Wednesday, the committee took up the issue, with a proposal to codify a policy governing access and use of the camera data. Montgomery countered with the request for an ordinance that would cover all public surveillance technology, something with "strong mechanisms for transparency, accountability, and oversight."She also said she would form a "community working group" to add input on surveillance concerns, as well as look to other jurisdictions with similar ordinances.Other committee members also voiced concern. Councilwoman Vivian Moreno, who joined the City Council after the program was approved, said confusion over the technical capabilities of the smart street lights was "caused by the city not being transparent from the outset." She also suggested bringing in an outside party to review what the smart street lights can do and look for cyber security vulnerabilities.She said the city "should be explicit about why we want the devices out there.""If the main purpose is investigating crimes, we should just say so, plain and simple," Moreno said.The committee's decision to pursue an ordinance targeting all surveillance technology was good news to those who have been raising red flags."It looks like they understood they need a good process for evaluating and acquiring this technology more broadly than a Band-Aid for one type of technology," said Lilly Irani, an associate professor at UC San Diego who specializes in the cultural politics in technology.Genevieve Jones-Wright with TRUST SD, a vocal critic of the Smart Street Lights Program, issued a news release that called the committee decision to pursue an ordinance a "huge win.""The Councilmembers on the Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee should all be commended on their community-centered and common sense approach to the oversight of the surveillance technology that our City employs," she said.San Diego has faced criticism previously over its handling of some technologies, especially those used by police.When ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection system, was installed in four southeastern San Diego neighborhoods in 2016, community members complained there had been little to no community input on the matter. Residents also questioned who had access to information collected by the system's sensors, where information was stored and whether it would lead to over-policing in some neighborhoods.It's been an issue regionally as well. In Carlsbad in 2017, community members expressed concern when officials installed more than 50 license-plate readers across the city. Privacy advocates have long argued that license plate readers gather too much sensitive information about innocent people. By Trend Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (ASPU) and George Washington University of the US have signed an agreement on a double diploma program, Trend reports on Jan. 31. The signing ceremony was attended by Azerbaijans Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy at the George Washington University, ASPU Rector Jafar Jafarov, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Earle Litzenberger and other officials. The double diploma program, implemented within the framework of the State Program on Improving the International Competitiveness of the Higher Education System in Azerbaijan for 2019-2023, approved by the relevant decree of President Ilham Aliyev, provides the specialist training on the education management, Azerbaijani minister Jeyhun Bayramov said. Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov added that in accordance with the negotiations held with the American side, admission to the magistracy will be held at the ASPU within the program from the academic year 2020-2021. The two-year training is envisaged to be held in English. For admission, applicants must first participate in an exam organized by the State Examination Center (SEC), and then in an exam at George Washington University. The program will be taught by both local and US teachers. In the end, the graduates will be awarded diplomas of ASPU and George Washington University. By JOE McDONALD Associated Press BEIJING As global anxiety about the highly contagious coronavirus rises, Chinese authorities have blocked 50 million people from leaving Wuhan and nearby cities at the center of the outbreak. That in turn requires a massive effort to keep them supplied with food and other necessities. Local trucks with drivers in masks and protective suits have joined the tightly controlled flow of food and other supplies through checkpoints that have blocked most access to Wuhan and neighboring areas since Jan. 23. Wuhan is not an isolated island, declared a state newspaper, the Yangtze Daily. Few governments could attempt such drastic restrictions on a population bigger than South Korea's or Australia's. They are made possible by the ruling Communist Party's extensive controls on society and experience combating the 2002-03 SARS epidemic. Some trucks are allowed to leave the 17 locked-down cities to collect food. Photos in state media show them lined up at checkpoints, their drivers wearing face masks. Police, shrouded in white protective suits, examine the drivers for the virus's telltale fever. Those without passes are turned back. Schools, cinemas and restaurants are closed in Wuhan, an industrial center with a population 1 1/2 times that of New York City. To keep people at home and reduce chances for infection, subway and bus services are shut down and private vehicle use is banned in downtown areas. In this Jan. 22, 2020 photo, shoppers wear face masks as they line up at a grocery store in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Complicated logistics are part of a daily flow of food and other goods authorities say is sustaining Wuhan and surrounding cities with a total of 50 million people. Most are blocked from leaving in the most sweeping disease-control measures ever imposed. (AP Photo/Arek Rataj)AP The government of Hubei province, where all the cities are located, has promised adequate supplies of vegetables, rice, meat and medical supplies. It said authorities were working with retailers to bring food from as far away as Yunnan province in the southwest and Hainan island in the South China Sea. A crackdown on hoarding and price-gouging by merchants was announced after food costs spiked. "Please do not panic, do not hoard, so as not to cause waste," said a government announcement. China on Friday reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. So far 213 have died. The government has released no details of how it is enforcing travel curbs on smaller roads and villages on the outskirts of the vast locked-down area. Residents contacted by phone said most supermarkets still have adequate food supplies. "They can meet our needs for the time being," said a 40-year-old father of two in Wuhan who would give only his surname, Cai. Construction workers labor at the site of the Huoshenshan temporary field hospital being built in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province.Chinatopix via AP Residents are wary of talking to reporters after authorities said eight doctors were punished in December for warning about the emergence of the virus. Authorities can draw on an extensive surveillance network involving thousands of video cameras, smartphone tracking, monitoring of social media and other technology developed with the help of Western tech companies to protect the party's monopoly on power. Hospitals are straining to cope with thousands of virus patients while doctors also treat other cases. State media say police in protective gear are stationed at hospitals to separate people arriving with fevers and other possible virus symptoms from other patients. Rui Zhong, a Wuhan native who lives in Washington, D.C., said that her mother's elderly cousin died in the city in the past 10 days after a delay in the arrival of an ambulance. A 73-year-old man with a lung problem, he died on the way to the hospital, Zhong said. "It's hard to know for sure: could he have been saved?" said Zhong, who works at the Woodrow Wilson Center. "But my family will always wonder." Workers unload a shipment of protective suits from a cargo plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan. Complicated logistics are part of a daily flow of food and other goods authorities say is sustaining Wuhan and surrounding cities with a total of 50 million people blocked from leaving.Cheng Min/Xinhua via AP The cause of death was never determined. "The doctors didn't look at it super-closely," she said. "He was cremated." The city is racing to build a 1,000-bed hospital for virus patients. It is due to open Monday, 10 days after construction began. A second hospital with 1,500 beds is to open shortly after that. Parents contacted by phone say their children, forced to stay home, are doing homework and watching TV. A restaurant chef in Jingzhou, another Hubei city, said his 12-year-old son was getting restless. "He wanted to go out, but I had to keep him home," said the chef, who would give only his surname, Nong. Police in Jingzhou were stopping pedestrians on empty streets to check their temperature and ask their addresses, Nong said. "We grow our own vegetables, but the stocks can last only for another 10 days or so," said Nong. "I guess the village committee will need to offer us supplies if we are still banned from going out." Shoppers wearing face masks look for groceries near mostly empty produce shelves at a supermarket in Wuhan. Most are blocked from leaving in the most sweeping disease-control measures ever imposed.Chinatopix via AP Liu Xiaoran, a Wuhan University journalism student, said she and her parents had Lunar New Year dinner, China's most important family event of the year, with relatives over WeChat, a popular messaging service. She said her grandparents refuse to leave home or receive visitors. Liu said one woman she knows begged for help online after four of her five family members were quarantined in three different hospitals. She asked for beds in the same hospital or else help traveling to the different facilities to look after them, a task made harder by Wuhan's closure of bus and subway service. When Liu goes out, I wear two layers of masks, try not to touch anywhere, keep a distance from others and disinfect with alcohol right after coming home, she said. I feel nervous, especially when I go somewhere with a lot of people, such as drugstores or supermarkets. A girl wearing a face mask stands in the entrance to a shop in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. The U.S. advised against all travel to China as the number of cases of a worrying new virus spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday.Arek Rataj / AP Other cities are imposing their own travel controls. Some apartment complexes in Beijing bar anyone but residents from entering. People in two villages on the Chinese capitals outskirts say they have set up their own barriers to prevent outsiders from entering. The government of Shanghai, a global business center of 25 million people, has extended the end of the Lunar New Year holiday by 10 days to Feb. 9 to encourage the public to stay home and avoid spreading infection. In Wuhan, public schools were ordered to start teaching online Feb. 10 after the new semester was postponed. Wuhan University is organizing online classes. "For the healthy, it's like what you call a 'snow day,' staying inside," said a Wuhan University professor who asked not to be identified further for fear of retribution. "For the people that are struggling, the hospitals are under strain." ___ AP researchers Shanshan Wang and Yu Bing and video journalist Olivia Zhang in Beijing and writer Christina Larson in Washington, D.C., contributed to this story. Not that food is really the point here, but its good. Such classics as steaks and salmon are among regulars favorites. And anyone imagining some kind of plush, wood-paneled power-lunching clubhouse might be disappointed. The decor is unobtrusively middling, like a nice hotel lobby, with white tablecloths and waiters in vests and ties nodding at tradition. Photos many black and white of members of Congress line the walls. Its not this glamorous place, but its comfortable, Daschle says. Theres nothing that stands out from an aesthetic standpoint its just like that cafe. Statue of Unity: 300 crocodiles to be relocated from ponds to allow seaplane service Indonesia crocodile stuck in a tyre for years, now authorities offer a reward for removing it International oi-Deepika S Jakarta, Jan 31: A crocodile that headed to the riverbank stuck scooter tyre around its neck for years ago, is still gasping for air. Now the authorities are offering a reward to anyone brave enough to free an enormous 4-metre reptile in Palu. The poor reptile was first spotted by locals in Palu in 2016 believed to be the nearly 'virtually extinct'. "A reward will be given to anyone, who can release the hapless reptile," Central Sulawesi BKSDA chief Hasmuni Hasmar stated in Palu City, Central Sulawesi Province. Ktaka floods: Crocodile lands on roof of a house, video goes viral "We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat," he added. NEWS AT 3 PM, JAN 31st JAN, 2020 The contest will see one brave croc hunter land an unspecified amount of cash. Local conservation authorities have been trying -- and failing -- for several years to find a way to untangle the crocodile after video showed it gasping for air. Environmentalists sparked worries the tyre was slowly killing the beast. The article "Bishop Scharfenberger's emerging role" (Jan. 11) details how the leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is a progressive voice for justice and human rights in some areas. His proactive approach to the sex abuse crisis, seeking justice and healing for its victims, provides a model to be emulated by other bishops. His support of farm workers and his efforts to "make gay congregants feel welcome and protected" are likewise to be commended. The bishop rightly identifies "protection of family life" as a key element of the church's mission. However, in its implementation he draws an arbitrary line, distinguishing the separation of asylum-seeking parents and children from the goal of "keeping families together." The bishop stated: "That's politics. I don't get involved in that." Washington, Jan 30, 2020 (AFP) - The United States is awaiting a green light from the Iraqi government to deploy Patriot missile defense systems to protect US troops from Iranian missile attacks, Pentagon chief Mark Esper said Thursday. Iran launched 11 missiles at a US air base at Ain al-Assad and another at a base in Erbil on January 8 in retaliation for the killing days earlier of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in a US drone strike in Baghdad. No US troops were killed but dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries from the explosions, and Washington wants to deploy Patriot missiles to better protect the bases, which house some of the 5,200 US military personnel deployed in Iraq. The Patriot systems are composed of high performance radars and interceptor missiles capable of destroying incoming ballistic missiles in flight. Questioned Thursday about the delay in deploying the system, Esper told reporters the Iraqi government, which apparently is divided over the US military presence in the country, has yet to give it the go-ahead. "We need the permission of the Iraqis," he said. "That's one issue. There may be others with regard to placement and things like that." General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that a Patriot battalion is a relatively large organization, and the mechanics of deploying one to Iraq "will have to be worked out. And that is, in fact, ongoing." Iraq denounced Soleimani's killing as an assault on its sovereignty, and charged that the international coalition in Iraq had overstepped its mandate. The US-led coalition was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, which at the time had seized control of a third of Iraq's territory and large swaths of Syria. The coalition includes troops from 76 countries. On January 5, the Iraqi parliament voted in favor of the withdrawal of US forces from the country. Coalition operations have been suspended since then. Morocco has denounced, Thursday in Brazzaville, the cynical interventionism of certain parties in Libyan domestic affairs, to the detriment of the higher interest of the Libyan people, underscoring that the solution to the conflict cannot be reached militarily, but through a political, inclusive, and structured dialogue. The situation in the North African country is going out of control to the detriment of all, and especially to the detriment of the higher interest of the brotherly Libyan people, said Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita who represented King Mohammed VI at the 8th meeting of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya. What thrives in this chaos is only the scheme of those who find an opportunity to exist in such a place, by interfering in a region which is already facing many challenges, he said. Morocco denounces in the strongest terms this cynical interventionism, of another age, of another era, which sows division and lives on it, which pretends to bridge the divide, but actively widens it. Without this interventionism, Libya is capable of healing itself, stressed Bourita. The Foreign Minister then outlined Moroccos standpoint, which deems that so-called ready-made solutions cannot solve the Libyan problem and that no solution can be achieved without a through knowledge of the realities, differences, and complexities of the Libyan context. He warned that conflict-torn Libya is neither a field of experimentation, nor an arena for struggles which are unrelated to the interest of the Libyan people. Bourita insisted that that the settlement of the crisis in Libya cannot be military, but should be sought through a global political solution, or it will not be reached. Today, Morocco reiterates its call to return to a political dialogue that is inclusive, structured and without taboos, he said. Morocco also reiterates its call to support the UN efforts and the action by special representative and head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Ghassan Salame, Bourita added. However, he went on to say, Africas contribution to these efforts is fundamental to help Libya recover its pan-African role, and prevent a spill out of the conflict. The Moroccan Foreign Minister outlined that the Skhirat political agreement of December 17, 2015, is still a sufficiently flexible reference to face the new realities. A solution which puts an end not only to open hostilities, but also to outdated rivalries, and helps unify the Libyan military forces. Bourita reiterated Moroccos commitment to join the current dynamic and its support to the Libyan parties on the path of dialogue and national reconciliation. Morocco has no agenda in the Libyan conflict. Morocco sincerely regrets the protraction of the crisis and is prompted by a disinterested determination to see it progress towards its resolution. Today more than ever, the Libyan brothers have the historical responsibility to confront their visions and their will to rebuild Libya, rather than confronting their firepower and capacity to harm each other. Africa can help bring back that serenity, hampered by overlapping agendas that are foreign to the Libyan people and their higher interest, the minister concluded. In his opening speech, the president of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who doubles as chairman of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya, called on the international community to respect the UN arms embargo in that country. The scrupulous respect of the embargo decreed by the United Nations in Libya is among the challenges to be met to bring the country out of the crisis, Sassou Nguesso said, calling for strict respect for non-interference in Libyas internal affairs. He also announced that the AU is planning to organize, in the course of 2020, an inclusive inter-Libyan reconciliation forum prior to free, credible and inclusive presidential, legislative and local elections. High Level Committee is set to establish the preparatory committee and the facilitation committee, as well as the definition of the modalities for organizing the reconciliation forum. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the impeachment trial on U.S. President Donald Trump did not make relations between Ukraine and the U.S. worse. "Frankly speaking, I think the opposite. We have very good relations. The United States supports Ukraine, the defense of our territorial integrity, and not only in words," he said at a joint press briefing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. Zelensky also said that work is in progress to fill relations between Ukraine and the United States. with a practical sense and mutual benefits and to conclude contracts in various fields. The president stressed that the U.S. is a strategic partner of Ukraine and that they countries are working on the strengthening of bilateral relations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:24:07|Editor: yan Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) will grant Tanzania 600 million U.S. dollars in January 2021 for supporting the east African nation in efforts aimed at ending the three epidemics, a government statement said on Friday. The statement by the Ministry of Finance and Planning issued in the capital Dodoma said Tanzania will spend the grant for three years (2021-2023) fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The statement said the release of the 600 million dollars grant was announced by the head of the Global Fund's High Impact Africa II Department, Linden Morrison, during talks with the Minister for Finance and Planning, Philip Mpango. Morrison said during the past 15 years when the Global Fund worked in partnership with Tanzania, it released a total of 2 billion dollars to Tanzania to fight the three epidemics of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. For his part, Mpango thanked the Global Fund for its support to Tanzania toward the eradication of the three epidemics that were leading in causing deaths in the country. "Tanzania is thankful for the grant that will enable to improve the health status of its people and enable them to fully participate in national building," said Mpango. The time has come to end the doomed drive to remove President Trump from office via impeachment. We heard from 17 witnesses in the House impeachment inquiry. Their testimony has been entered into the record in the Senate trial. The House managers have had 24 hours to make their case. Yet everyone understands what the outcome is going to be. Trump is going to be acquitted. Calling additional witnesses isn't going to change that. So what are we doing? What we're doing is watching Trump's most furious opponents lashing out at him as they have done over and over again since the president's inauguration (if not before). Their efforts haven't worked before and they aren't going to work now, and their refusal to face that fact doesn't speak especially well for them. Indeed, it reveals they misunderstand something crucial about political reality. Until they do a better job of mastering it, they will continue struggling to prevail against the man who so provokes their fury. From the start of his administration, Trump's most hostile critics (center-left Democrats and Never Trump Republicans) have judged him to be not only a bad president but unacceptably awful a virus potentially fatal to liberal-democratic government. Because Trump won despite losing the popular vote by nearly three million, these critics found themselves in an odd place: at once disgusted with how the institutions of American politics helped place such a man in the White House but also dependent on the legal and bureaucratic institutions of American government to swoop in to contain or neutralize him like antibodies fighting off a dangerous threat to the body politic. For much of Trump's first three years in office, this effort was focused on the Mueller investigation: Surely it would turn up enough evidence of wrongdoing, criminality, and even outright treason on the part of the president and his closest associates to trigger a process leading to his removal and prosecution. Story continues That didn't happen. But then Trump foolishly (or predictably) did something else to send the antibodies back into action and overdrive. I've made clear from early on in the Ukraine scandal that I think Trump's attempt to extort the president of Ukraine to announce an investigation of Trump's political rival is an impeachable offense that warrants his removal from office. The problem is that impeachment and removal aren't automatic. They are politics conducted by other means: They require persuasion, and by that standard impeachment has already failed because there is zero chance that 20+ Republican senators will vote to convict and remove the president from office. It's probably the case that such persuasion was never possible. You can say this is evidence the system is broken, but that would be a political claim, too. There is an underlying truth glimmering in claims of a broken system, though. It is that the distinction Trump's opponents continually presume and appeal to laws, rules, and norms as things that stand above mere politics simply isn't sustainable. Laws, rules, and norms are made through a political process, and the decision about how to apply them will always be a matter of judgment, which means it will be a matter of politics, too. This is true whether the judgment is being rendered by one or a handful of judges who were appointed by elected officials, a body of those elected officials (like the Senate), or the electorate at large. This is something that Trump's opponents can't seem to learn or accept. Convinced that the president is a disease potentially fatal to the republic, they remain wedded to the belief or hope that he can somehow be expunged through legal or other formal means, allowing politics to return to normal. This path is appealing because it skips the uncertainties and delays involved in fighting to defeat the president at the polls. But it's also appealing because it promises to confer greater legitimacy and decisiveness on the outcome. Law claims to speak for the whole political community. For example, journalists must describe an accused assailant as the "alleged perpetrator" when writing about a crime but once a verdict has been rendered, the presumption of innocence is washed away along with uncertainty. The whole has rendered judgment, and the perpetrator can now be described as guilty. That's what Trump's opponents crave most of all: the tacit unanimous affirmation by all Americans of the self-evident awfulness of Trump. How else to explain the gushing responses to Rep. Adam Schiff's bizarre closing statement for the House managers last Friday? Those who despise Trump swooned for it, proclaiming it nothing short of magnificent. That response reminded me of nothing so much as the outpourings one hears from parishioners at a charismatic church service. "Amen! Cast out the evil spirits! Make us pure once again!" But what Schiff said to inspire this frenzy of praise made no sense. The line of argument was this: "Our case for convicting and removing Trump is incontrovertible. Yet if we aren't allowed to call more witnesses, this trial will be a complete sham." How can each part of that statement sit with the other? Either the case has already been thoroughly proven or a fair trial requires calling additional witnesses to establish proof. Both can't be true. A closing argument like that would be laughed out of a law school classroom. Yet there it was, floated by the leading House manager at the impeachment trial of a president, and those who were already convinced of the president's guilt before the trial began were driven into spasms of ecstasy upon hearing it while others were left cold. That's because the trial is politics. Schiff was giving a political speech and it was received as such. How many times are we going to play this game? How long will we let the fantasy of winning an extra-political pronouncement of Trump's awfulness dominate our public life? Trump isn't going to be removed from office through any kind of legal remedy. He can only be defeated at the ballot box. John Bolton's story is going to get out one way or another if not in sworn testimony in the impeachment trial then in a thousand TV news spots and in a book that will be purchased by the millions. The story and its import for the president will then be tried in the only court that really counts: the court of public opinion. A conviction there is the only thing that will rid us of Donald Trump. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Luckiss.net scored 40 Social Media Impact. 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Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (ASP.NET,PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Character set and language of the site. Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) The language of luckiss.net as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for luckiss.net by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The URL of the found Facebook page. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Facebook will start taking down false posts about coronavirus, in a major change of policy. The decision comes amid increasing concern about the fast-spreading disease, which has led the World Health Organisation to declare a global health emergency. Normally, Facebook limits the distribution of false posts about health issues, by heading them from search results or stopping them being pushed through sponsored posts. But they usually allow them to stay live and public on people's pages. That policy has received sustained criticism from people who argue it enables the spread of diseases and bad health advice. But now, with the spread of coronavirus, the company said in a blog post that it would remove content about the disease "with false claims or conspiracy theories that have been flagged by leading global health organizations and local health authorities," saying such content would violate its ban on misinformation leading to "physical harm." Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty In particular, misinformation about vaccination has spread far on social media in many countries in recent years, including during major vaccination campaigns to prevent polio in Pakistan and to immunize against yellow fever in South America. Facebook, under fierce scrutiny worldwide in recent years over its privacy practices, has previously removed vaccine misinformation in Samoa, where a measles outbreak killed dozens late last year, after determining the situation was so severe that the inaccuracies were risks to physical harm, a spokeswoman told Reuters, calling the move an "extreme action." It also removed misinformation about polio vaccines in Pakistan, although the imminent harm in that case involved risks of violence against the health workers carrying out the immunization campaigns, she said. Additional reporting by agencies Mervyn Gibson said the "community at large" has concerns over the New Decade, New Approach deal The grand secretary of the Orange Order has said there is a lot of frustration and anger from the community at large over the New Decade, New Approach deal which brought about the restoration of Northern Irelands power-sharing institutions. Mervyn Gibson made the comments following a meeting of Orange Order members in Co Tyrone on Thursday night. He said members strongly opposed Irish language legislation and certain legacy provisions contained in the agreement. The agreement provides official recognition for the Irish language and will also see an Irish language commissioner appointed, as well as an Ulster Scots commissioner. Sinn Fein described the comments as unhelpful and contrary to the direction our society needs to travel. Read More Mr Gibson said members feel more detail is needed on some aspects of the deal. "We discussed various aspects of the deal, we reiterated our opposition to the Irish language legislation. We also said there was a lot of ambiguity around it - we indeed repeated our previous statement," he told the BBC following the meeting. "There was a lot of frustration and anger expressed from the community at large that has emerged about what happened, particularly the ambiguity. "Of course nobody is going to condemn or say that it was wrong to give nurses pay parity or extra police officers - there are things in the deal that are good for the whole community - but there are things in the deal that aren't explained yet or fully understood. "There are legacy issues there that we would have problems with and we had a frank and open debate around that and we decided unanimously to continue to oppose the Irish language legislation in any way we can." The Orange Order chief said once the language is legislated for it can be judicially reviewed - and therefore alter the existing laws. Mr Gibson said that was an option some individuals have already said they would pursue. He said the organisation fears the Irish language will "continue to be used as a weapon against the unionist community". Read More On legacy issues, Mr Gibson said the Orange Order is opposed to the New Decade, New Approach deal's commitment to bring forward Stormont House Agreement proposals. "We would want to see, not only further discussions, but changes to that. We think their needs to be time given to that, people need to lobby and consult widely so as there is no difference in treatment for those in this part of the United Kingdom here in Northern Ireland and particularly those who maybe didn't serve in the Crown Forces," he said. Mr Gibson said the Orange Order has had meetings with all the unionist parties to voice their concerns, and will continue to "seek clarity" on parts of the deal. "All parties listen to what we say, how they act sometimes remains to be seen," he added. Stormont House legacy proposals, agreed in 2014, include the creation of an Historical Investigations Unit to examine unsolved murders committed during the Troubles and an Independent Commission on Information Retrieval for families to learn more about the fate of their loved ones. Sinn Fein MLA John ODowd challenged the Orange Order to outline clearly if it sees itself as a cultural or political organisation. He said the comments undermine the basis on which the political institutions have been restored. The Orange Order must decide whether its role is cultural or if it is a political organisation and, if so, it should, like the rest of us, submit itself to the electorate. OSTERSUND, Sweden, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska is partnering with Volvo Construction Equipment, research organization SINTEF and construction software company Ditio to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for construction equipment to achieve less emissions, faster production and lower costs. Due to logistical challenges in the construction industry, equipment can sit idle waiting on other equipment, causing both unnecessary costs and carbon emissions. The consortium that Skanska Norway is entering will explore methods as machine learning, route optimization and artificial intelligence to optimize the operation of heavy equipment, such as multi-ton excavators, loaders and haulers. This research project begins in early 2020 and is expected to continue until the end of 2022. "This research aims to bring about significant reductions in time, emissions and construction costs, and the goal is to make the solution commercially available to everyone. If our industry is to achieve its sustainability goals, we need to work together," says Jo Mortensen, Executive Vice President of Technology and Operational Efficiency at Skanska Norway. For further information please contact: Jacob Birkeland Head of Media Relations Skanska AB tel +46-(0)10-449-19-57 Direct line for media, tel +46-(0)10-448-88-99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-in-research-project-to-curb-co2-emissions-through-artificial-intelligence,c3024117 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3024117/1185564.pdf 20200131 - AI CO2 emissions https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/illustration-202001231-skanska-ai-co2,c2742304 Illustration 202001231 Skanska AI CO2 SOURCE Skanska Regulatory News: Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) ("PSH") today announced that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's Public Shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"): Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 31 January 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 25,047 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,500 pence 19.78 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,470 pence 19.39 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,490 pence 19.65 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 31 January 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 20,151 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 19.60 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.56 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.56 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 31 January 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 29,006 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 19.66 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.40 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.58 USD PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 27.18 USD 20.87 GBP which was calculated as of 28 January 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 204,288,149 Public Shares outstanding, or 209,958,627 Public Shares calculated on a fully diluted basis (assuming that all Management Shares had been converted into Public Shares at the Relevant NAV). Excluded from the shares outstanding are 6,668,601 Public Shares held in Treasury. The prices per Public Share were calculated by Jefferies. The number of PSH Management Shares and the one special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) have not been affected. About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (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: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005559/en/ Contacts: Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk When investigators rummaged through the trash cans they found several bloodstained items with Ms. Duloss DNA, including her clothing, paper towels and a number of cleaning supplies. At least one black garbage bag had traces of Mr. Dulos and Ms. Troconiss DNA. After Mr. Dulos and Ms. Troconis were arrested in June and charged with hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, Ms. Troconis began meeting with investigators. The authorities said that she offered false alibis, one involving Mr. Mawhinney, before eventually telling the police that she could not account for Mr. Duloss whereabouts on the morning of the suspected murder. The police later determined that Mr. Dulos had borrowed a truck from an employee of his luxury home-building company. Using surveillance footage, they tracked him from his home in Farmington to Ms. Duloss home, about 75 miles away. They said that he then drove the borrowed truck back to Farmington, where he eventually met with Ms. Troconis. Days later, he took the truck to be washed, the vehicles owner, Pawel Gumienny, told the police. He also insisted that Mr. Gumienny swap out the vehicles seat, court documents said. Mr. Gumienny ultimately did so but was suspicious enough of Mr. Duloss persistence to keep the originals. Investigators later found Ms. Duloss blood on one of the seats. Throughout the investigation, as investigators charged him twice with evidence tampering and then with murder, Mr. Dulos maintained his innocence. He pleaded not guilty on all charges and was free on a $6 million bond on the day of his suicide attempt. On that day, Mr. Dulos was expected to appear in court for a hearing on whether the bond would be revoked after the company that insured it raised questions about the value of the collateral used to cover it. Had the bond been revoked, Mr. Dulos could have been sent back to jail. The US has said the special relationship with the UK will grow even stronger thanks to Brexit. Washingtons ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson welcomed the formal exit from the EU as being long supported by President Donald Trump. The diplomat said the severing of the 47-year tie with the bloc will allow a transatlantic trade deal to be forged to increase prosperity and drive up jobs. In a statement shortly before the departure deadline of 11pm on Friday, Mr Johnson said the US shares your optimism and excitement. On behalf of the United States government, I would like to wish the United Kingdom every success as you chart a new path outside of the European Union, he said. This is a special relationship which will endure, flourish and grow even stronger in this exciting new era which Britain is now beginning. With turbulent times expected on multiple fronts with the US, Mr Johnson acknowledged there will be occasional disagreements. Now that the UK is back in control of its own trade policy, we look forward to achieving a broad free trade agreement that will increase prosperity and create jobs in both our countries, he said. There will no doubt be disagreements from time to time about the best solutions to the biggest problems that is to be expected, even among friends. But this is an alliance forged in our shared history and our common values. Diplomatic tensions between the two nations that boast the special relationship, however, have been strained. US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Steve Parsons/PA) Boris Johnson rebelled from Mr Trumps demands for the UK to ban Chinese firm Huawei from its 5G network. Washington has also refused to extradite Anne Sacoolas, the US intelligence officials wife who fled the UK after the death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn in a crash in Northamptonshire. Meanwhile, Mr Trump will pressure the UK to drop a tax on US tech giants such as Google and Facebook, and Britain is at odds with the States over the Iran nuclear deal. Ivanka Trump looked like she meant business as she left her Washington, D.C. home on Friday morning on her way to address a human trafficking summit at the White House. The 38-year-old put her most fashionable foot forward for the event, wearing a white linen dress that featured flowing sleeves, a trendy raw hem, and a flattering belt at the waist. She then accessorized the look with a large gold brooch, and her engagement ring - which she only occasionally tends to wear. On the move: Ivanka Trump stepped out in a white linen dress on Friday morning as she made her way to the White House to attend a human trafficking summit Glam: The 38-year-old looked chic in the belted number, which she accessorized with a large gold brooch Woman on a mission: Ivanka kept a straight face as she made her way into a waiting SUV that then sped her off to the White House Speaking out: The mother-of-three took to Twitter before the event to encourage her followers to tune in to a livestream of the event Looking good: In preparation for her public appearance, Ivanka looked as though she had undergone a glam session at her house Ivanka completed the look with a pair of black pointed-toe heels, while her blonde hair was styled in a sleek straight style around her shoulders. She also modeled a glamorous makeup look for the day, complete with a pale smokey eye and a dark rosy lipstick. Glitzy: She added some bling to her ensemble with a gaudy gold brooch that was pinned to her dress The first daughter kept her head down as she made her way to a waiting SUV, which then ferried her to the White House in order to attend a human trafficking summit, where her father, President Donald Trump, will sign an executive order 'strengthening our resolve to hold perpetrators accountable & restore human dignity for victims'. Shortly before the summit, Ivanka took to Twitter to encourage her followers to tune into a livestream of the event, writing: '24.9 M people are trapped in forced slavery, domestic servitude or sex trafficking, many in America. '@POTUS will sign an EO to combat #HumanTrafficking today, strengthening our resolve to hold perpetrators accountable & restore human dignity for victims.' Ivanka herself made the opening remarks at the event, taking to the stage to introduce key attendees, while also discussing the work that the Trump administration has already done in order to combat what the first daughter referred to as an 'evil scourge'. After discussing the government's future plans to further fight human trafficking in the US, Ivanka then introduced a victim named Jessica, whom she met earlier this month while visiting a facility for survivors in Atlanta. Sparkler: Ivanka was wearing her large engagement ring, an accessory that she only models on rare occasions Speaking out: She made a passionate introductory speech at the summit, during which she addressed the work that the Trump administration has already done to end human trafficking Promise: At the end of her speech, Ivanka vowed to the guests, 'We will be successful in ending this evil scourge' First family: She later joined her father as he prepared to sign an executive order that will ramp up efforts to fight human trafficking in the US Applause: The president looked very proud of his eldest daughter as he joined her at the human trafficking summit Emotion: During the summit, Ivanka met with many human trafficking survivors, including Bella Hounakey, with whom she shared a warm embrace The first daughter described the struggle that Jessica faced as a young woman who was introduced to drugs at the age of eight, before welcoming her onto the stage to share her story with attendees. Jessica explained how she eventually ended up in jail, before being helped by someone who recognized her as a victim of human trafficking rather than a criminal and helped her to gain new purpose and direction in her life. Visit: Ivanka traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month to meet with human trafficking survivors as part of the Trump administration's anti-trafficking efforts From there, Jessica completed an internship with Delta, where she continues to work to this day. Ivanka and Jessica first met earlier this month in Atlanta when the first daughter traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to meet with human trafficking survivors. At the time, the White House senior advisor took to Instagram Stories to promote the visit, which was part of the Trump administration's efforts to combat human trafficking. 'An estimated 12,400 sex trafficking transactions take place in Atlanta each month,' she wrote. 'This morning I will visit two safe havens that provide women with the opportunity for rescue, restoration, and a chance to start a new life. 'I look forward to hearing from survivors and counselors and learning from their stories and experiences.' She was joined by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife, Marty Kemp, the co-chair of the Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion, and Education Commission (GRACE). Applauding Jessica's emotional speech, Ivanka returned to the stage to conclude her own address, vowing guests at the summit: 'We will be successful in ending this evil scourge.' It has been a busy few weeks for Ivanka, who has attended several major events at the White House; on Wednesday she stood out from the crowd in a red Carolina Herrera coat as she watched her father sign the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. First daughter duties: Ivanka watched her father sign the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on the South Lawn of the White House on Wednesday Lady in red: The first daughter donned a bright Carolina Herrera coat, which she paired with sheer black tights and black patent leather heels All done up: The 38-year-old's blonde lob was styled in loose waves, and her dangly pearl earrings peeked out from underneath her hair Ivanka was seen arriving on the South Lawn of the White House with her husband and fellow White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner, ahead of the ceremony. The temperature was in the low 40s, and Ivanka kept warm in her fit-and-flare double-faced coat with a scarf, which she paired with sheer black tights and black patent leather heels. The mother of three added a touch of glamour to her look by sporting a pair of dark, oversized shades that shielded her eyes from the sun. Her blonde lob was styled in loose waves, and her dangly pearl earrings peeked out from underneath her hair. For the second day in a row, Ivanka had on her large, square, cushion-cut diamond engagement ring. The former businesswoman has mostly steered clear of ostentatious jewelry since she started working as a White House senior adviser, and she rarely wears the 5.22-carat jewel that is rumored to be worth over $500,000. Wednesday's ceremony also marked the second time she was photographed wearing her Carolina Herrera coat. Ivanka was first seen wearing it in October when she walked her three children to their local synagogue to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. Meanwhile, Jared, 39, sported a navy wool coat over his standard navy suit, though he jazzed up his signature work outfit with a blue and red striped tie. The couple may have been going for a patriotic look, as Ivanka's cherry-colored coat perfectly matched her husband's tie. The Embassy of Japan under Japan's Grant assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGHSP), has handed over an ultramodern Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the West Gonja Catholic Hospital in the Damongo in the Savannah Region. The project which is funded with a total cost of about $87,832000 is a grant aid from the people and government of Japan. Speaking at the commissioning of the project, a representative from the the Japanese Embassy, Mr Hiromoto Oyama said the increase in maternal and child mortality is a challenge in achieving sustainable development goal. He said the project will go a long way to address the issue of child mortality not only in the West Gonja District but the entire Savannah region. He went further to say that the the health of the people in the Ghana is not only a concern to the government of Ghana but also to the people of Japan since Ghana and Japan friendship dated way back. He said his government has supported especially the health sector in Ghana and pleaded with the management of the hospital to take good care of the facility and effectively use the facility. The West Gonja District director of health services, Hajia Sulemana Fuseina said the facility is the first of it's kind in the entire region which has come at the right time since several cases recorded in the hospital are referred to either the Komfo Anoakye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region or the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern Region. She said most of the cases recorded sometimes ends up with mothers losing their babies as a result of the stress involved in travelling outside the district. She therefore could not hide her joy after receiving the facility and has promised to take good care of it since it will not serve only the people of Damongo but also a referral center to some hospitals in the region. Hajia Fuseina however appealed to the people of the region and other bodies to help in furnishing the hospital with incubators,heart rate monitors etc for the unit to function effectively. The Medical Supretendant of the West Gonja Hospital, Dr Saadare Aanlangmen thanked Japanese government on behalf of the hospital and took the Japanese envoy round the facility. Under the cover of darkness, a security guard will take down the British flag that flies outside the European parliament. Its removal wont leave a gap: the flags, which are arranged in alphabetic order, have always had the UK at the end of the row. There is no big ceremony in Brussels for Britains departure from the EU: rather, lots of smaller ones, some private and behind closed doors. The city said its farewells on Thursday, lighting up its beautiful Grand Place in the colours of the Union Jack and throwing a festival featuring red telephone boxes and a black London taxi. Brussels itself is apart from the bubble inhabited by the EU institutions, however: the approach there has been no pomp, no circumstance no last night of the proms. For the EU authorities, the strategy has been to keep things as low-key as reasonably possible. The three presidents of the commission, council and parliament held a press conference on Friday morning: the EU was losing a member state that was very pragmatic, very down to earth, very clear in the economic agenda, Ursula von der Leyen said. Polite, but not exactly the end of the world. The presidents were not really there to talk about Brexit instead, Brussels is trying to reclaim the narrative by talking about the future of Europe, and it plans to host a conference on the subject in early May. Despite the focus on the future, the venue very much recalled the continents past: deep in the bowels of the parliaments dimly lit museum to pan-European democracy, anyone attending was required to walk past long rows of exhibits about the continent blowing itself up in the Second World War. To the back of the auditorium, banks of tables were staffed by a dozen translators live-interpreting the meeting into all the EUs working languages; their work wirelessly beamed to the headsets of the audience. This impressive operation is a perfectly routine scene in Brussels, but to anyone not used to the transnational nature of what goes on here, it might look like science fiction. Two hours before the press conference, on the other side of the modernist plaza where the museum is situated, Brexit Party MEPs had triumphantly marched out of the European parliaments main entrance. They bore the Union Flag and branded teal umbrellas, and were briefly interrupted by a pro-EU heckler. Later in the evening, just before midnight, Labour MEPs and staffers will gather at Place Jo Cox, a small square in Brussels named after the MP assassinated by a far-right terrorist during the referendum campaign. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA It will be one of a few private rites. Inside the building of the now ironically named UK Permanent Representation to the EU the base for British diplomats in the city officials are holding a small, informal reception for officials and journalists. UKrep, as it is known, is being shut down because the UK is no longer a member state. Then, at the beginning of next week, the same building and staff will host another reception, marking the foundation of the UK Mission to the European Union. The mission will have the same assignment as UKrep did: projecting British influence here just without a seat at the table. As government ministers are fond of saying: Britain is leaving the EU, not Europe. Councillors back introduction of new PSPO for Wrexham town centre and Rhosddu This article is old - Published: Friday, Jan 31st, 2020 A new public space protection (PSPO) order aiming to tackle antisocial behaviour and provide support to the visible vulnerable in the town, has been approved. Executive board members unanimously backed introducing the order, which will cover the town centre and Rhosddu area. The new PSPO will come into play from March 1st and will remain in place for the next three years. Two orders were piloted for three years in 2016 when issues with anti-social behaviour and drug taking were making both local and national headlines. At the time images of individuals in the bus station and surrounding areas resulted in some publications branding Wrexham a Zombie or Spice town. Although the orders were initially introduced to act as a deterrent, giving the police and town centre wardens powers to warn people of the consequences of their behaviour, a more holistic and joined up approach was soon adopted by the council, police, health board and various other agencies. This resulted in the creation of the Gold group in 2017 in a bid to tackle local issues with substance misuse and provide support to service users. It oversaw the NPS Taskforce, which was created to consider new and innovative ways of addressing the visible and vulnerable cohort in the town centre. The project also saw the everyone in a room, including users approach which saw the likes of North Wales Police, Wrexham Council, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and housing agencies come together under one roof to offer their services to the visible vulnerable. Three years later the scheme is one that has continued to provide support to those in need around the town. Despite the multi-agency approach to helping the visible vulnerable has been carried out in the years since, a report presented to councillors this week acknowledged that there was still a perception issue of antisocial behaviour in the town centre. Speaking earlier this week Cllr Hugh Jones, lead member for communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, said the new PSPOs is one tool in a comprehensive tool box that we use for antisocial behaviour. He said: In terms of the PSPO this is a really comprehensive report and I am pleased and grateful to staff, officers and partners who have spent considerable time bringing this report before members. It does two things. It makes it clear that the PSPO is only one tool in a very comprehensive tool box that we use in Wrexham to deal with antisocial behaviour and problems around the visible vulnerable. It also demonstrates the degree of partnership working and unique approach we have with these issues in Wrexham. It also makes it it clear that the PSPO itself is there to encourage people to engage with the considerable support services we have put in place to dealing with the underlying issues that lead to vulnerability and antisocial behaviour. The comprehensive approach Wrexham has adopted had been recognised across the United Kingdom. Councils and police forces have come to Wrexham to look at what we are doing. We are doing it in partnership. It is not something Wrexham Council can deal with on its own. There are a whole range of third sector organisations involved in this work. It is an important piece in the toolbox there it is right we should establish a degree of legislation around the PSPO. The US Department of State has upgraded its travel advisory for China to level 4, telling its citizens not to travel to the Asian country due to the threat from the coronavirus outbreak that has killed as many as 213 people in that country alone. In a statement issued on Thursday night (local time), the State Department asked US citizens, who are presently in China, to leave the country "using commercial means". "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China," the statement read. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China." "Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus," it added. This comes after the Health Organisation announced a public health emergency of international concern over the coronavirus crisis. The virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since then, confirmed cases have been reported in several countries across the Health authorities around the are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and several Asian countries besides China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers at the Formosa steel plant in Ha Tinh Province, central Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Formosa. Taiwanese steel company Formosa in central Vietnam is wary of taking back 400 returning Chinese workers who went home for the Lunar New Year holiday. Fearful they might have contracted the new coronavirus infection, it has told them not to return until February 15, and then only if they fulfill certain criteria. Duong Tat Thang, Deputy Chairman of Ha Tinh Province, where the company is situated, said there are more than 700 Chinese nationals working in its plant. During the Lunar New Year holiday 400 of them returned home to China to their families. Now, Formosa said in a statement, they would have to go through stringent health checks before returning to work. They must be checked and certified by authorities in China that they have been infection-free for more than 14 days. When they arrive in Vietnam, they will again have to undergo heath checks. On arrival at the company gates, they would have their body temperature checked again before they are admitted in, the company said. It has installed devices to check workers' body temperature at all entry and exit points. The $11-billion Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Corporation in the Vung Ang Economic Zone belongs to conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group. Elsewhere, authorities in the northern port city of Hai Phong have given companies the option of quarantining workers returning from China for 14 days under the supervision of health officials. Hai Phong has not reported any cases of infection so far. According to city police, more than 3,000 Chinese workers in the city returned home for the Lunar New Year, including 23 to Wuhan. As of January 28 none of them had reportedly returned. There are more than 29,000 Chinese workers in Vietnam. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and Khanh Hoa, which account for a majority of them, have not reported how many have returned to Vietnam after the Lunar New Year holiday. Vietnam has so far recorded five cases of infection, three Vietnamese returning from Wuhan and two Chinese nationals. As of Friday morning there were 97 suspected cases, with 32 of them in quarantine pending test results. The government has suspended all flights to and from infected areas in China and suspended visas for visitors from there. Chinese authorities said 213 people had died of the disease as of Friday morning. More than 9,600 have been infected. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. Soldiers, Militants Killed In Shoot-Out In Northwestern Pakistan By RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal January 30, 2020 BANNU, Pakistan -- Two Pakistani soldiers and five militants have been killed in a shoot-out in the northwestern region of North Waziristan, the military says. The army said on January 30 that the militants holed up inside a compound in the Dattakhel area opened fire when security forces surrounded them. Officials told RFE/RL that the militants killed in the overnight operation were involved in target killings and blasts caused by improvised explosive devices in the area. There have been no immediate comments from the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan or other militant groups. Pakistan launched a massive military operation in North Waziristan in 2014 to cleanse the region of militant groups. But the region bordering Afghanistan has continued to be the scene of violent attacks, targeted killings, and land-mine blasts. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/soldiers- militants-killed-in-shoot-out-in- northwestern-pakistan/30406838.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Acclaimed Winnipeg writer Jake MacDonald is being remembered as an adventurer and skilled essayist, after a devastating fall ended his life Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Acclaimed Winnipeg writer Jake MacDonald is being remembered as an adventurer and skilled essayist, after a devastating fall ended his life Thursday. Family members said MacDonald, 70, fell on a staircase and suffered a fatal neck injury at his vacation home near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. "A sudden loss is a shocking loss, and its especially hard when someone is larger than life, because you cannot believe that the life has been extinguished," said his cousin, Mary-Jane Bennett, via phone from Vancouver. MacDonald was living in Mexico with his partner, Petra Kaufman, on their latest adventure. Construction of their home had just wrapped up, Bennett said. "He had a great spirit for life and his spirit for life was matched by the capacity of his soul; it was enormous," Bennett said. "He was a born storyteller, and I've spoken to a number of people and they always describe how easily he fit in with any group you put him in. "He was just such a dynamic person and could carry on a conversation with nobility or the poorest person, equally, and had just had a zest for life and finding out what life was all about." MacDonald leaves behind a daughter, Caitlin, numerous family members and colleagues, students, and friends. He penned dozens of short stories and long-form non-fiction works during his decades-long career, most recently earning the 2019 Winnipeg Arts Council Making a Mark Award, which celebrates professional artists receiving critical praise for excellence in their field in Winnipeg and beyond. The nomination came from the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, which staged The Cottage, MacDonalds first foray into playwriting, earlier that year. When MacDonald accepted the award in June, he told the 500 audience members gathered at the Fort Garry Hotel: "This is for an artist at mid-career, so, with any luck, Ill be eligible for the senior category when Im 140." Steven Schipper, former artistic director at RMTC, said Friday: "Jakes play... was a tremendous success, but the life of Jake MacDonald was a spectacular triumph. Jake brought love, joy, truth and fun into the lives of everyone he met, and to anyone who read his books." MacDonald grew up in River Heights with his parents and six siblings, and attended St. Pauls High School and the University of Manitoba. He was a prolific writer and earned bylines in national periodicals Cottage Life and Canadian Geographic, as well as contributing regular feature articles to the Globe and Mail, Maclean's, National Post, Chicago Tribune and New York Times. His published works and accolades stretch back four decades, when MacDonald landed his first book deal for his 1981 novel Indian River. Colleague and friend Margaret Sweatman met MacDonald during their high school years. She recalled sitting for hours on a Wellington Crescent park bench to talk about writing. Even as a teenager, MacDonald was dedicated to storytelling, and learning all he could about the people he met and places he visited. "In talking, he was just the best storyteller. The stories would be polished and you could hear them as often as he would tell them, and theyd get better," Sweatman said. "He had an amazing memory, generosity and courage." MacDonald was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing, Sweatman said, and his creative works had long been inspired by a deep connection to cottage country. Few things could slow MacDonald down, she added. He lived with chronic joint pain and had hip replacements, but would still go alligator hunting if the opportunity arose, Sweatman said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "He was always adventuresome and challenging himself physically, which was amazing with his illnesses." Some of his most famous works, including Houseboat Chronicles: Notes from a Life in the Shield Country (2002) and Juliana and the Medicine Fish (1997), capture that spirit of adventure and independence, Sweatman said. "He explored the world, but always as a writer," she said. "They were stories of folly and physical challenge, and challenging environments, and of characters. He was very interested in the outliers." MacDonald was also interested in contributing to the creative community, and generously offered his time to mentor others, said Susan Rocan, past-president of the Manitoba Writers' Guild. "Hes always been willing to help and always willing to share his thoughts on writing, and to help anybody he could," Rocan said. "Well miss him as a mentor, well miss him as a friend to the writing community, and we express our condolences to the family and friends who knew him best." danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca Burma Myanmar Forms Central Committee to Coordinate Coronavirus Response A nurse outside a hospital in Yangon. / The Irrawaddy MANDALAY The Myanmar Presidents Office on Friday announced the formation of a special committee to tackle the coronavirus chaired by the Union minister for international cooperation and the minister of health and sports. The announcement was made public on the same day that the first foreign visitor to Myanmar suspected of carrying the virus, a Chinese passenger on a flight from Guangzhou, was identified at Yangon International Airport and taken to a hospital in the city for further observation. The Central Committee to Prevent, Control and Treat the 2019 Novel Coronavirus was formed one day after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency. The Presidents Office said the committee was formed to enable a quick reaction and coordinate the responses of ministries and departments if the virus is found in the country. The committee comprises the chief ministers of all states and regions, and the vice ministers of information; defense services; border affairs; transportation; hotels and tourism; education; commerce; and finance and planning. In its announcement, the Presidents Office instructed the committee to coordinate the activities of each institution to monitor and control the spread of the virus, and to provide timely information about the virus to locals and foreign tourists, as well as travelers leaving the country. The Presidents Office said the committee would issue safety measures to be followed by members of surveillance teams at international airports, border checkpoints, ports, hospitals and health centers. It said the committee will ensure the public receives accurate and up-to-date information and would follow both internal health regulations and protocols established by the WHO and the International Civil Aviation Organization to prevent, treat and control the coronavirus. The committee will also be responsible for importing laboratory equipment, personal protective equipment and masks, the Presidents Office said. The office instructed the committee to manage the evacuation of the more than 60 Myanmar students currently stranded in Wuhan, Chinathe city where the coronavirus outbreak originatedby arranging charter flights, conducting screenings and monitoring the students health when they return to the country. The government has worked out an evacuation plan for the students, who are studying at a university in the Chinese city. The Myanmar Embassy in Beijing announced on Thursday that a chartered plane is ready and awaiting a green light from the Chinese government to evacuate the students from Wuhan, which is currently in lockdown. The embassy said the Myanmar government is hoping to bring the students home over the weekend, but would follow the protocols and health guidelines issued by the WHO and China. The charter flight from Wuhan is expected to arrive at either Yangon International Airport or Mandalay International Airport. The Waibagi Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yangon, and the Kandawnadi Hospital in Mandalay, operating under the Ministry of Health, have made preparations to monitor the returned students health. According to the WHO, 18 countries have reported coronavirus infections including Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, France, Australia and the US. Outside China, there have been eight cases of human-to-human transmission reported, in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US. The death toll in China has reached 213, with over 8,000 confirmed cases, Chinese health authorities said on Thursday. The Myanmar government has yet to report any confirmed coronavirus infections in the country. You may also like these stories: China Reports Fourth Death as New Virus Infection Among Humans Confirmed China Nixes Myanmars Plan to Evacuate 60 Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan PHOENIX A landscaper once charged in freeway shootings that set metro Phoenix on edge during the summer of 2015 has asked a judge in his now-dismissed criminal case to issue an order declaring he was cleared of wrongdoing. An attorney for Leslie Merritt Jr. said in a court filing last week that a declaration of clearance would help him heal from the psychological effects of his arrest. Its unknown whether Merritt wants to use such a court order at the upcoming trial in his false-arrest lawsuit against the state and Arizona Department of Public Safety employees. Prosecutors have asked the judge to hold off on ruling on Merritts request until his lawsuit concludes. The shootings sparked so much fear that people avoided driving the freeways, school buses took different routes and signs were posted telling people to be careful. Police heightened patrols and surveillance in pursuit of a suspect. A total of 11 shootings occurred on Phoenix-area freeways in late August and early September 2015. No one was seriously injured when eight cars were hit with bullets and three others were struck with projectiles such as BBs or pellets. The only injury occurred when a 13-year-old girl was cut by glass. Investigators said Merritts handgun was linked to four of the shootings, but Merritt insisted hes innocent. Merritt was jailed for seven months until his charges were dismissed in 2016 at the request of prosecutors after ballistics evidence came under heavy criticism. An outside forensic firearms examiner said bullets from the four shootings couldnt be excluded or identified as having come from Merritts gun. The judge presiding over the lawsuit has said the firearms examiner and two other ballistics experts found insufficient evidence to link Merritts gun to the four shootings. In his lawsuit, Merritt says authorities pursued charges even though they knew his handgun was at a pawn shop during the last of the four shootings with which he was charged. He accused the Department of Public Safety of changing the timeline of the shooting to fit a theory that a bullet from Merritts gun got lodged in the sidewall of a tire. The agency has denied both allegations. While authorities say the investigation has continued, no one else has been arrested. Merritts request was made under an Arizona law that allows wrongfully arrested people to ask a judge to note in court and police records that they have been cleared of wrongdoing. Prosecutor Barbara Marshall said in court records that waiting until the conclusion of Merritts civil trial will provide the court with the totality of information and that theres no detrimental effect in postponing a decision. Furthermore, a consideration of these issues at this time could interfere with the selection of a fair and unbiased jury in the pending federal court matter and could be considered as an attempt to get a ruling from an alternative court on these issues, Marshall wrote. Merritts attorney, Jason Lamm, declined to answer a question from The Associated Press about whether he wanted to use such a court order at Merritts April 6 civil trial. In court records, Lamm took issue with waiting for a ruling. To say there would be no detrimental impact to Mr. Merritt is offensive and insulting as the statement concludes that he should endure prolonged suffering and public humiliation from crimes he did not commit, Lamm wrote. Most of Merritts legal claims against Arizona Department of Public Safety officers were dismissed in late 2019. But he can still seek damages on his claims of false arrest and false imprisonment for the six-day span between his arrest and indictment. A judge has said a jury could reasonably conclude police lacked probable cause to detain Merritt during that six-day period. But the judge also ruled Merritts subsequent indictment was supported by a presumption of probable cause. Maricopa County paid Merritt $100,000 in late 2018 to settle legal claims against then-County Attorney Bill Montgomerys office, which prosecuted Merritt. "This includes the modification of itineraries, where needed, in light of evolving circumstances, as well as health, travel and contact screening where appropriate, for guests and crew who have recently traveled from or through the affected area," CLIA said. "Screening protocols allow for informed decisions on a case-by-case basis whether a guest or crewmember will be denied boarding." In a statement issued Thursday, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) the body representing the global cruise industry said cruise operators were working with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other regulators to protect passengers. A cruise ship carrying 6,000 tourists went into lockdown at the Italian port of Civitavecchia on Thursday over fears a Chinese passenger may be infected with the virus. Health officials later cleared the ship after diagnosing the passenger with common flu. Cruise lines around the world are taking new measures to reduce the risk of a coronavirus outbreak onboard their ships. Members of CLIA have suspended crew movements from mainland China and will deny boarding to anyone who has traveled from or through China within the previous 14 days. A spokesperson for P&O Cruises told CNBC via email on Friday that the company's medical experts were working closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO to implement control measures. "Guests and crew who have visited mainland China within the last 14 days will be denied boarding irrespective of any history of symptoms of respiratory illness," they said. "Our pre-boarding screening will be conducted for all guests in all embarkation ports with further medical evaluation if necessary. All guests and crew who visit our onboard medical center with symptoms of any respiratory illness will be risk assessed for coronavirus and action taken as necessary." P&O announced earlier this week that one of its routes would be diverted to call at Singapore instead of Hong Kong. Royal Caribbean told CNBC on Friday that it was implementing "intentionally conservative" health and safety steps until further notice. "Regardless of nationality, we will deny boarding to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days these guests will receive full refunds," a spokesperson said via email. Mandatory health screenings would also be performed on anyone who had been in contact with a person who had visited China or Hong Kong in the previous 15 days, as well as all holders of passports from China or Hong Kong regardless of when they were last in the region. Travelers and crew members who reported feeling unwell would be screened, and anyone presenting fever or low levels of oxygen in the blood would be denied boarding. The company also said it had canceled all cruises to China and Hong Kong until mid-February. Elsewhere, U.S. cruise line Norwegian also told CNBC on Friday that the company had implemented new health precautions but had not altered any of its itineraries. "Due to the growing concern regarding coronavirus infections in China, we are implementing non-touch temperature screenings for all passengers embarking in Hong Kong. Our vessels are currently not calling to ports in mainland China," a spokesperson said via email. "Guests who register a body temperature screening of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher and are embarking on a voyage in Hong Kong will not be allowed to board. In addition, guests who have visited mainland China in the last 30 days will not be allowed to board any of our vessels." Officials from the World Health Organization on Thursday declared the coronavirus a global health emergency as governments in the U.S. and overseas looked to additional measures to slow the spread of the deadly illness. The declaration, which serves as a signal to all United Nations members that the outbreak is serious, came shortly after health officials from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first person-to-person transmission in the U.S. That patient is the husband of the first U.S. case, a woman who had recently returned to the U.S. from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak. Louisiana health officials have warned the public and healthcare providers to watch for signs of the virus, which mimics flu symptoms like coughing, fever and shortness of breath. At the same time, they have said there aren't any signs that the virus has made its way to the state and that there is little to no risk to residents. "At the moment, the risk in Louisiana is negligible, if any," said Dr. Joe Kanter, assistant state health officer with the Louisiana Department of Health. "It's new and changing quickly ... but there are no confirmed cases in Louisiana and no patients under investigation." State health officials emphasized that the flu, which hit Louisiana hard this season, is a greater threat to residents than coronavirus at the moment. "Year after year, many more people in Louisiana are hospitalized and die from the flu than from novel outbreaks," said Kanter. "Were still in the middle of flu season. I dont want people to take their eye off the ball of what the real risks are." So far, the CDC has tested 165 U.S. patients for coronavirus, turning up 68 negative results. The tests in the other cases are still pending. Of the six confirmed cases in the U.S., those people reported having mild symptoms. "Several of the ... people in the United States are just sitting in their hospital room playing video games until their fever goes away," said Dr. Frank Welch, Louisiana's medical director for community preparedness. Welch said that if someone tests positive for coronavirus in the state, plans call for placing the person in a quarantine area of a hospital. Doctors and nurses will also be given added protection to avoid contracting and spreading the disease. The state Department of Health has instructed every doctor and hospital to ask patients experiencing flu-like symptoms if they recently traveled to China or have been around someone who was there in the past 14 days. Health officials believe the incubation period for the virus is two to 14 days. Several universities, including LSU, have also issued advisories to students and faculty to avoid non-essential travel to China. LSU is monitoring developments for planned study-abroad trips scheduled for April, a school spokeswoman said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The CDC has instructed air travelers to take precautions such as frequently washing their hands and covering their mouth when they cough or sneeze. There are no Louisiana airports with direct flights from China. Passengers on all flights from China are now being screened as soon as they land in the U.S. Officials check them for fever and then ask them to complete a questionnaire. Anyone who tests positive for the disease is supposed to be taken to a hospital in that city. Ports in Louisiana are also increasing their screening under a mandate from the U.S. Coast Guard. Any ship that enters the Port of New Orleans that has visited China within the last five stops was sent a notice from the Coast Guard with a reminder that illnesses within the last 30 days must be reported to the CDC. Other ports around the country are releasing similar notices. The virus that has struck in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in central China, is from a family of viruses that includes those that can cause the common cold as well as more serious illnesses such as SARS and MERS. In China, more than 9,800 people have been sickened and 200 have reportedly died from the virus. Officials are trying to contain the virus by halting flights to the U.S. from Wuhan. The WHO on Wednesday expressed serious concern about the latest global health threat after the illness surpassed the number of people sickened by SARS during the 2002 and 2003 outbreak and after the new virus spread to other countries. During that outbreak, China was criticized by the United Nation's global health body for hiding the magnitude of the epidemic. To date, about 99% of the cases are in China, though there are also cases in 21 other countries. The WHO's Dr. Michael Ryan estimated the death rate of the new virus at 2% but said the figure was preliminary. With fluctuating numbers of cases and deaths, scientists are only able to produce a rough estimate of the fatality rate and its likely many milder cases of the virus are being missed. In comparison, the SARS virus killed about 10% of people who caught it and MERS killed about 35%. The CDC has reported cases of coronavirus in Arizona, California, Illinois and Washington, as well as a few dozen false alarms in other areas. Officials speculate coronavirus may have come from animals and then jumped to humans before spreading from person-to-person. Though contagious, health officials believe its spread through very close contact and long exposure. Researchers in several countries have been racing to develop a vaccine for the illness, as world health leaders continue to work to curb its spread. This story has been updated with current numbers of confirmed cases. BASEL, Switzerland Jan. 30, 2020 Othmar Pfannes Switzerland Germany Japan Singapore Miles Fisher-Pollard /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Genedata, the leading provider of enterprise software solutions for biopharmaceutical R&D, today announced the successful completion of a Data Science Services project in support of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's mission to advance precision medicines for Crohn's disease and to improve patients' quality of life. Researchers and clinicians collaborated with Genedata data scientists to integrate and analyze multi-omic and clinical data collected from large cohorts of patients with Crohn's disease, to identify the most informative biomarkers that can be used to assess the risk to develop serious complications requiring surgery within five years after diagnosis. The combination of certain clinical parameters and specific 'omic biomarkers has the potential to lead to significant improvement in Crohn's disease patient care.The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, the leading non-profit organization focused on research and patient care in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) for over 50 years, serves as a hub for Crohn's disease research with the largest collection of IBD patient data from institutions around the world. To achieve the goal of accelerating treatments and cures, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation looked for a partner to leverage the multitude of longitudinal clinical and molecular data from different 'omic technologies from large Crohn's disease cohorts. In choosing Genedata as its partner to integrate and analyze their vast collection of clinical and high-dimensional molecular data, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation recognized the firm's extensive domain expertise gleaned over more than 20 years, along with the benefits offered by its unique precision medicine software platform for translational and clinical research, Genedata Profiler. The Genedata team of expert bioinformaticians leveraged these resources to deliver actionable results that could be used to develop a diagnostic product."Crohn's disease is a chronic, often debilitating disease, for which there is currently no cure. Despite several treatment options, currently we lack predictive tests to determine the optimal treatment strategy early in the disease process, when the opportunity to improve outcomes is greatest. There is a significant unmet need to advance new diagnostic tools to enable precision medicine approaches and to optimize patient care according to the severity of the disease course," said Andres Hurtado-Lorenzo, Ph.D., Senior Director of Translational Research at the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation. "We decided to implement cutting-edge data analysis methods to integrate clinical and genomic data from patients, as a strategy to advance our biomarker research efforts. We are pleased to have found in Genedata a trusted and reliable partner who provided us with expert knowledge in big multi-omic data analysis. This collaboration is helping us accelerate our search for precision biomarkers to prognosticate disease course and to guide early and effective personalized treatment decisions in Crohn's disease patients."Commenting on the successful completion of the recent project, the CEO of Genedata,, Ph.D., said, "The volume and complexity of multi-omic data together with clinical data is growingly rapidly and is challenging to analyze. Our Data Science Services together with our Genedata Profiler platform is set up to address this challenge and to enable our partners to make data-informed decisions on a per-project basis without having to build their own data infrastructure or hire data scientists." Dr. Pfannes continued, "We are proud that our expertise has been helpful to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation."About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation is the leading non-profit organization focused on both research and patient support for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). The Foundation's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life for the more than 3 million Americans living with IBD. Its work is dramatically accelerating the research process through its database and investment initiatives; the Foundation also provides extensive educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public. For more information, visit http://www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org, call +1-888-694-8872, or email info@crohnscolitisfoundation.org.About Genedata Genedata transforms data into intelligence with innovative software solutions and domain-specific consulting services that automate complex, large-scale experimental processes and enable organizations to maximize the ROI in their R&D, spanning early discovery all the way to the clinic. Founded in 1997, Genedata is headquartered inwith additional offices in, the UK, and the US. http://www.genedata.com LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTubeContactGenedata Public Relations Phone: +41 61 511 85 61 pr@genedata.comDisclaimer The statements in this press release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with uncertainties related to contract cancellations, developing risks, competitive factors, uncertainties pertaining to customer orders, demand for products and services, development of markets for the Company's products and services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.All product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.SOURCE Genedata AG Atul Rai of the Bahujan Samaj Party took oath as member of Lok Sabha on Friday after he was granted parole by the Allahabad High Court for the purpose. He took oath soon after the House met after the President's Address to joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on day one of the Budget session. He had won the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Ghosi (Uttar Pradesh) on a BSP ticket. He was in jail in a rape case and could not take oath. On Thursday, the Supreme Court had refused to interfere with the order of the Allahabad High Court to grant him parole. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cat Hughes was just 15 when the headmaster of her private boarding school began sending her messages via Instagram. The teenage schoolgirl wasn't entirely surprised. She'd heard other female pupils at 37,500-a-year Ruthin School in Denbighshire, North Wales, talking about chatty texts they'd received from the principal, Toby Belfield, calling them 'cute' and 'naughty' and 'gorgeous'. And at first it seemed Belfield cared about her wellbeing. 'I'm thinking about you. I just wanted you to know,' he wrote in one. When Cat was struggling to cope with problems at home, he even offered her a free boarding place at the co-ed school, telling her: 'I'm your 'father' now.' Toby Belfield, 47, (pictured) the principal of 37,500-a-year Ruthin School in Denbighshire, North Wales sent messages to 15-year-old Cat Hughes telling her she was 'naughty' and 'cute' So began the exchange of hundreds of messages, sent at all times of the day and night, over several months. Most were about school life and Belfield's frequent trips abroad where he went to recruit wealthy overseas pupils. But when Cat turned 16, the tone of the messages changed, shifting towards subjects such as sex and boyfriends and babies even, on one occasion, the size of Countdown star Rachel Riley's breasts. The married 47-year-old told the teenager she was 'naughty' and 'cute' and looked like a 'model' in her school blazer and joked she was 'breaking my heart'. More, in a moment, of the barrage of disturbing messages sent by Belfield to Cat and other girls in his care but given they first came to the attention of educational authorities as long ago as last May, the question being asked is why on earth he hasn't been sacked. Speaking exclusively to the Mail this week, a visibly vulnerable Cat said: 'It is shocking he has not been sacked for what he has done. He has ruined my life. 'He should be sacked. He knew I was vulnerable. At the time, school was the be-all-and-end-all for me. I was having problems at home and he offered me a free boarding place. When Cat (pictured) turned 16, the tone of the messages changed, shifting towards subjects such as sex and boyfriends and babies 'When he started messaging me, I thought it was weird but I thought I had to reply because he was my headteacher. I was scared he would kick me out if I blocked him. 'School, my friends and teachers were my family at that time, I was scared he could take it all away.' Today, the Mail can reveal that despite an investigation by social services as well as two separate school inspections last November which concluded that pupils are 'at risk of harm' a loophole in the law means only governors at the independent school are able to dismiss members of staff. Ruthin's governors, known as the 'Council of Management' (COM) and whose members include a retired doctor and a circuit judge, say they are co-operating with 'ongoing external investigations' and that 'the principal has not been carrying out his role while these investigations are ongoing'. But they have yet to sack him. Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams announced this week that, while she had 'no powers to direct an independent school to dismiss a member of staff', she would shut down the school, which has 360 boys and girls aged 11 to 18, if appropriate action is not taken by the COM. So why hasn't it? Money plays a big part, according to one source at the school. Belfield has presided over a huge increase in funding, effectively doubling reserves to 9 million. More concerning, perhaps, is the fact the Mail has discovered a family building firm run by the COM chair Julie Oldbury was paid 970,381 for renovation and building works at the school between August 2013 and August 2018. Mrs Oldbury, 61, is director and majority shareholder of Best Construction, which undertook the work. According to the school's publicly available accounts, filed with the Charity Commission, the work was put out to 'competitive tender' and 'potential conflicts of interest' addressed to ensure good value.The school insists Mrs Oldbury 'was at no point personally involved in any decision to appoint Best Construction, or in any negotiations over the terms of the appointment'. The fact remains that Mrs Oldbury, an HR specialist, is among those who must decide whether Belfield should stay or go. 'It beggars belief that he can still be in post,' Cat's mother Susan, an NHS speech therapist, told the Mail this week. 'How can he be allowed to send inappropriate text messages to pupils, especially boarding pupils, some of whom are thousands of miles from home, without fear of reproach? Cat had heard other female pupils at 37,500-a-year Ruthin School in Denbighshire, North Wales (pictured), talking about chatty texts they'd received from the principal 'It's a terrible loophole in legislation. It's wrong. Because my daughter was at private school she had no protection or rights.' Even at Ruthin, where staff were only told this month that Belfield is on a 'leave of absence', there is disbelief about why he has yet to be given his marching orders. 'He needs to go and we can't understand why he hasn't gone,' the school source said this week. They said that for any other member of staff it would have been against the rules to send pupils messages via social media, but that Belfield, whose 62-year-old wife Barbara is a bursar at another private school in Shrewsbury, was openly doing it. 'He said it was to do with his guardianship of the pupils and he needed to be able to contact them more informally. We assumed it was about work and test results.' The hundreds of messages seen by the Mail make it clear that was far from the case. In one, sent the morning after a school dance, he laments to a pupil: 'No photo of you in your lovely red dress!' To another pupil he wrote: 'To me you are extremely special, which is why you get away with so much.' On another occasion Belfield, who had a strict 'no relationships' policy at the school and threatened to expel anyone who formed one, threatens to tell a girl's father about his suspicions she is involved with someone and says: 'I don't want to see you with him.' What he was trying to achieve with these messages is unclear but it is surely not the job of the headteacher to be sending messages of this type. Belfield, who was also an organist at Roman Catholic Shrewsbury Cathedral until 2018, adds: 'I worry, definitely, about you and sexual behaviour. You might need my support and you shouldn't risk not having it.' Cat says that when she finally told a teacher about his messages, she was told: 'It's just Mr Belfield being Mr Belfield.' Another told her to block him on social media To another girl, he writes: 'All the boarding staff have been told you are a potential sexual threat to young boys!!!! Your reputation is damaged at the moment. And that matters to me a lot.' Cat Hughes says that at first she felt valued when Belfield started messaging her in August 2018, not long after she had moved to Ruthin, encouraging her to confide in him about her problems. 'I'm the only person in the whole school for 100 per cent confidentiality,' he wrote to her. 'Because other teachers or staff cannot promise 100 per cent confidentiality. But as I'm in charge, I can.' When discussion turned to whether or not she would get the GCSE results she needed to stay on for sixth form, he said: 'I very much want you to stay and basically it is my decision. As I set the rules, I can break them if I want to.' He added: 'I am at the top of the tree. There is no one else for me to have to talk to.' When she began to confide in him about her problems at home, he told her: 'I care deeply about you and your future. And you need support and care and love.' But the messages became increasingly confusing for the girl, especially when they arrived late in the evening or in the middle of the night, sometimes from halfway across the world during his numerous business trips. When Belfield messaged her just a couple of minutes after midnight on New Year's Eve last year, she found it 'weird' that he was thinking of her at such at time. She says: 'Many of the teaching staff were aware of the messages. Everyone knew he messaged his 'favourite' girls. But it was dismissed as 'just Mr Belfield' and we were told to ignore it. He has so much power, nobody wanted to rock the boat. 'People were scared of losing their place at the school. 'I've had nightmares about Mr Belfield and my mental health has got worse since I left school in May. He has messed with my head so much. Even if what he has done doesn't meet the criminal threshold, it is a massive breach of trust. I feel so let down by the council of manage-ment, everyone at the school. On one occasion, Belfield told Cat she would make 'a terrible girlfriend' because she is 'far too demanding' and that she should wait until she was 28 to get a boyfriend. He also wrote about being lonely on his trips abroad. 'There are so many beautiful girls here but I'm faithful to my wife as I don't believe in unfaithful behaviour and I know you approve!!!,' he wrote while staying at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow. He went on to say that when Cat got married: 'I will be at the wedding. You will make a lovely bride. I will be sooooo proud. It will all happen for you,' he wrote in another. 'I know you believe and trust me. I'll be checking you're OK throughout this holiday. Plus I love teasing you.' In another, he asks if she has an eating disorder because 'you are a thin girl', adding: 'Although my opinion is that you look good.' He says that because her weight is 'natural and good', 'in the future I can take you out for dinner'. Other topics he addressed included Cat's ambition to be a midwife.'It seems absolutely disgusting and revolting to me,' he wrote. 'Babies are so annoying. None of them are cute but every parent thinks their own one is. I favour sterilisation.' He added: 'Any woman that has a baby and cannot properly look after it should be deported to another country and should be forcibly sterilised so they can't have any more.' Cat says that when she finally told a teacher about his messages, she was told: 'It's just Mr Belfield being Mr Belfield.' Another told her to block him on social media. She says that when she deactivated her Instagram account, Belfield sent the school nurse to tell her he needed to be able to have contact with her. I said that he could email me but the nurse came back and said it has to be WhatsApp so he can call you or Instagram. 'I didn't want to give him my number so I reactivated my Instagram account.' Belfield grew up in Cornwall before graduating from Trinity College, Cambridge, with a maths degree in 1994. He began teaching a year later at independent Concord College in Shrewsbury. It was there he met his wife Barbara. They married in 2001. He became head of sixth form at Ruthin School in 2001. He was made principal in 2010. When Cat finally left the school in May last year, Belfield was temporarily suspended while investigations were undertaken but returned to work in September. He hasn't been seen at the school since November last year, when the school was inspected twice by the Care Inspectorate Wales and Estyn, the Welsh Ofsted. Cat's mother Susan, a former teacher, says that after seeing the messages which had been sent to her daughter 'I called social services, the Care Inspectorate Wales, the Charity Commission, the Education Workforce Council and Estyn, everyone I could think of to ask why he hadn't been sacked. 'Social services explained that because he worked in an independent school the governors had to make that call and their hands were tied.' She says she subsequently contacted the chair of the school's Council of Management, Julie Oldbury, and asked her 'How would you feel if it was your daughter?' 'But all she kept saying was 'no comment.' ' The school source who spoke to the Mail said that, thanks to Belfield's success at the school, he had become virtually untouchable and that he was 'a dictator who wouldn't be challenged'. The source spoke of the 'complete control' Belfield exerted over the school, particularly given his combined roles as both head and bursar. 'Because he manages the money as well, he has control over everything,' says the source. 'He is like a kingpin between the Council of Management and the rest of the school and it was just him in the middle speaking for both sides. He has made himself indispensable.' The inspection report by Care Inspectorate Wales last week concluded the school was being run by an 'autocratic and controlling management'. This week, Estyn also published a report of their findings after their 'unannounced focused visit' in November, saying the role of the principal 'is not defined precisely so it is not clear to what extent the principal is exempt from specific guidelines and why this should be the case, how the principal is held to account and consequently what the principal can and cannot do'. The Council of Management welcomed the publication of the reports and said in a statement that it 'has been working tirelessly to ensure both reports' recommendations are implemented and has been carrying out a root-and-branch strategic review of its safeguarding governance and safeguarding arrangements, and that is continuing. 'The school is determined to ensure all appropriate steps are taken. In response to the Estyn report, the Council of Management produced a comprehensive action plan to address the shortcomings identified, and other areas of improvement. This was submitted to the Welsh government on January 17 for approval.' Belfield appears to have relished the control he has exercised at the school. 'I have complete authority,' he wrote in one of his messages to Cat. 'I can do whatever I like. I can go to any country I feel like. I'm creating a new school piece by piece. By the time I retire I will have created something forever and I will be remembered for many years!!!' Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 30, 2020) - Silk Energy Limited (CSE: SILK) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has closed two tranches of its previously announced private placement offering of convertible debentures (the "Convertible Debentures"). To correct and clarify the Company's news release of December 11, 2019, the Offering of Convertible Debentures is additional to, and separate from, the Company's ongoing offering of up to $2,000,000 of units. The Company intends to raise up to USD $2 million from the issuance of Convertible Debentures and closed an initial tranche for gross proceeds of USD $800,000 on December 17, 2019. The Company closed the second tranche raising gross proceeds of USD $200,000 on January 27, 2020. The Convertible Debentures bear interest at a rate of 8% per annum, have a term of 15 months from the date of issue, and are convertible into units ("Units") at a conversion price of $0.15 per Unit for a period of the later of 90 days following the issuance of the Convertible Debentures and 60 days from recommencement of trading of the Company's common shares (should the Company fulfill the CSE's criteria for listing). Each Unit will consist of one (1) common share and one-half (1/2) of a common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant (each a "Warrant") will be exercisable to acquire one common share of the Company at a price of $0.21 for a period of eighteen months from the date of issuance of the Convertible Debenture. Net proceeds of the offering will be used for general corporate and working capital purposes, including the payment of a USD $1 million fee to KazMunayGas which is a prerequisite to obtaining the Kazakh government's approval of the Company's acquisition of UnionField. The completion of the acquisition of UnionField is one of the conditions precedent to the Company's obtaining approval to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange Securities issued pursuant to the offering are subject to a statutory hold period lasting four (4) months and a day after the issuance of the securities. Story continues Debt Settlement/Issue of Shares The Company's board of directors also authorized the issue of common shares to settle certain debts owed to a former auditor of the Company and an arm's length consulting firm. The Company settled the amount of CAD $25,990 owed to the former auditor by payment of CAD $13,000 in cash, and the issuance of 65,000 common shares at the deemed price of $0.20 per share. The Company further settled the amount CAD $75,000 owed to the arm's length consulting firm by payment of CAD$25,000 in cash and the issuance of 250,000 common shares at the deemed price of $0.20 per share. Conditional Approval for Listing The Company received a conditional approval letter from the CSE on December 9, 2019. The Company will be listed on the CSE subject to the conditions enumerated in this letter. For further information, please contact Steve Kappella, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, at info@silkenergy.com. The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Information This press release contains forwardlooking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimates of future events. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's application for listing on the CSE, completion of the acquisition of UnionField, and the Kazakh approval associated therewith, the Company's oil and gas exploration activities in Kazakhstan and its proposed financing activities. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Investors are cautioned that such forwardlooking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forwardlooking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company's inability to obtain financing on reasonable terms, or at all, the Company's inability to satisfy the CSE's listing conditions, or not obtaining the required government approval and permitting for exploration activities in Kazakhstan. The Company has no intention to update or revise any forwardlooking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/51984 Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. 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You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2020 -- With more than 80 years of experience in the L. A. roofing industry, Bilt-Well Roofing has been delivering quality backed roofing solutions. From the smallest house roof repairs to the highest level of commercial projects, the roofing contractor works on them all with precision and meticulousness. Bilt-Well Roofing provides elite workmanship via its team of in-house labor and licensed qualified subcontractors that remain updated on the latest roofing technologies and available materials. These professionals also have extensive knowledge of highly innovative design trends while having worked in various settings. In a recently held private conversation, the spokesperson of Bilt-Well Roofing informed, "As a high-volume roofing company in Southern California for years, we are consistently recommended by the State Contractors Board and Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Disney, Sears, Target, Wells Fargo, and more. We provide residential and commercial roofing solutions that our clients want, and we price our products fairly while setting high standards of performance and protection. We provide responsive and timely service to every client." Bilt-Well Roofing sends its products straight from the manufacturer to its client's home. The roofing contractor has a consultative and helpful sales process, backed by technical measurement. Bilt-Well Roofing sends manufacturer-trained and certified installers to install the roofing systems at client facilities. These installers also take care of the cleanup and disposal of old material. The roofing contractor ensures satisfaction by surveying every client. Bilt-Well Roofing also complies with all the regulations of the Title 24 California building code. Further, the spokesperson asserted, "We have worked for various celebrity clients and top companies. We also hold several significant certifications, such as those from the National Roofers Contractors Association, Roofing Contractor Association of Southern California, and the Western States Roofing Contractor Association. At Bilt-Well, our clients can find a variety of roofing systems to install. These range from composite shingles to hot tar roofs, metal roofs, wood shake, and slate and tile roofs. They can also seek maintenance help if their roofs have leakage or serious damage is caused to the roof." Bilt-Well Roofing performs effective roof repair in Los Angeles. The roofing contractor also undertakes periodic inspections and maintenance to provide a long and effective service life to roofing systems. Bilt-Well Roofing visits its clients and gives them an accurate assessment of any roof issues. With Los Angeles roofing repairs and maintenance, its clients can achieve25 to 30 years of service life from their roofs. Through lifecycle costing, the savings of 50% or greater can be realized. About Bilt-Well Roofing Bilt-Well Roofing is one of the best roofing companies in Los Angeles. The roofing contractor works on residential and commercial projects requiring roofing system installation or repair. Bilt-Well Roofing even performs routine checkups that can help address problems, such as cracked, warped or missing shingles, loose seams and deteriorated flashings, and excessive surface granules accumulating in the gutters or downspouts. The roofing contractor manages a wide range of roofing projects in the most expert manner to best display, enhance and protect the structures. Contact Information: Bilt-Well Roofing 3310 Verdugo Rd, Los Angeles, CA - 90065, USA Phone: 323.254.2888 Email: roofinfo@biltwell.com Website: https://biltwellroofing.com/ Weather Alert ...Winter Storm System to Impact the Region this Weekend... A strong winter storm system will push east through the Quad State Saturday into Sunday. Wintry precipitation will spread eastward into southern Illinois and southeast Missouri late Friday night, and then southeast over the remainder of the region Saturday morning. The evolution of the storm for the remainder of the weekend is quite uncertain at this time. The ultimate path and intensity of the storm system, along with the temperature forecast, will determine how impactful it will be across the Quad State. For now you are encouraged to monitor the latest forecasts and follow your winter weather preparedness plans ahead of this potentially impactful winter storm. By Guy Faulconbridge LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom leaves the European Union on Friday for an uncertain Brexit future, the most significant change to its place in the world since the loss of empire and a blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity from the ruins of war. The country will slip away an hour before midnight from the club it joined in 1973, moving into the no man's land of a transition period that preserves membership in all but name until the end of this year. At a stroke, the EU will be deprived of 15% of its economy, its biggest military spender and the world's international financial capital of London. The divorce will shape the fate of the United Kingdom -- and determine its wealth -- for generations to come. "This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act," Prime Minister Boris Johnson will say in a television address, though he has given few clues about his post-Brexit plans beyond inspirational words. "This is the dawn of a new era," Johnson, one of the main leaders of the "Leave" campaign in the 2016, will say. Beyond the symbolism of turning its back on 47 years of membership, little will actually change until the end of 2020, by which time Johnson has promised to strike a broad free trade agreement with the EU, the world's biggest trading bloc. For proponents, Brexit is a dream "independence day" for a United Kingdom escaping what they cast as a doomed German-dominated project that is failing its 500 million population. Opponents believe Brexit is a folly that will weaken the West, torpedo what is left of the United Kingdom's global clout, undermine its economy and ultimately lead to a more insular and less cosmopolitan set of islands in the northern Atlantic. DIS-UNITED KINGDOM Brexit was always about much than Europe. The June 2016 Brexit referendum showed a divided and triggered soul-searching about everything from secession and immigration to empire and modern Britishness. Story continues Such was the severity of the Brexit meltdown that allies and investors were left astonished by a country that was for decades touted as a confident pillar of Western political stability. At home, Brexit has tested the bonds that bind together the United Kingdom: England and Wales voted to leave the bloc but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. Scotland's First Minister will use the moment to spell out her next steps towards holding a second independence referendum with a poll on Thursday suggesting a slim majority of Scots would now back a split because of Brexit. So on "Brexit Day", some will celebrate and some will weep -- but many Britons will do neither. Many are simply happy that more than three years of tortuous political wrangling over the divorce are over. "I did not vote for it and I did not want it to happen, but now I just want it over," said Judith Miller, a resident of London. "I am tired, I have had enough, I am sick of it on the news and we are just going to have to deal with it." 'NEW DAWN' It is unclear how Brexit will play out for either the United Kingdom or the European Union. Brexiteers hope 'independence' will herald democratic and economic reforms that will reshape the United Kingdom, propelling it ahead of its European rivals which they say are chained to the doomed euro. Pro-EU supporters say the United Kingdom will atrophy and have little option but to move closer to U.S. President Donald Trump. The Times newspaper showed a cartoon of Johnson leaping out the EU frying pan into the fire of Trump's orange hair. Eurosceptic newspapers heralded the impending departure. "A New Dawn for Britain," the Daily Mail said on its front page and the Sun's headline was "Our Time Has Come". The pro-EU Guardian had a different slant: "Small island," its headline said, adding it was the biggest gamble in a generation. Johnson will chair a cabinet meeting in Sunderland, the first city to declare support for leaving the EU in the June 2016 referendum. Brexiteers will celebrate on Parliament Square while some opponents of Brexit are also due to gather. A Union Jack in the building of the European Council in Brussels will be lowered at 7 p.m. time (1800 GMT) on Friday, and put away with the flags of non-EU countries. With sorrow, some support for Brexit and even hope of a return, Europeans from across the EU bade farewell. "I am very sorry that the United Kingdom is exiting. I think it is a very, very bad thing for Europe, for the United Kingdom, for everything," said Sara Invitto, from Milan. "Goodbye!" (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Catherine Evans, William Maclean) What is the point of the Social Democrats? Why would voters of a left or centre-left persuasion opt for the party with two TDs and no experience of governing when they could go for the State's oldest political entity in Labour, which has a proven track record, or the increasingly popular Green Party, which will major on addressing the climate crisis if it is part of the next administration? Both parties have policies that are strikingly similar to those offered by the political entity more commonly known as the SocDems. The party's manifesto, published today, will argue for a public health system, rent freezes, using public land for social and affordable housing and greater public investment in childcare. These are all policy positions you'll find in the manifestos of Labour, the Greens and even Sinn Fein. "The point of the Social Democrats is that we're actually bringing evidence-based policies, we're not shouting them, we're not roaring them, we're not telling people they're sell-outs or anything like that, we're actually just giving ideas," said Gary Gannon, the party's best hope for a new Dail seat. Dublin Central, where he is running, is a microcosm of the challenge facing the SocDems where it is vying with the Green Party's Neasa Hourigan and Labour's Joe Costello, the veteran former minister, for a seat. Mr Gannon has had an uneasy relationship with SocDem co-leaders Roisin Shortall and Catherine Murphy in recent years. Last year he ran in the European elections against their wishes and threatened to quit the party unless it supported a local election candidate whose back-story had been called into question. He insisted yesterday that has all been resolved: "We sat down, we had a discussion about what happened and it was just 'let's get on with it'. We reminded ourselves about what we were building." But this is a make-or-break election for the SocDems. It won 19 seats in the local elections but bombed in last November's by-elections and its difficult for many voters to distinguish what sets them apart from Labour in particular, other than not having a controversial and divisive recent record in government. Both co-leaders are former Labour members. In 2016 Mr Gannon lost out to Maureen O'Sullivan, the Independent TD who is retiring in this election, by just 321 votes. "Can I bother you for a vote?" he asked Rosaleen Talbot yesterday. "I'm a Social Democrat." Ms Talbot is polite and has a personal query for Mr Gannon, but wouldn't be drawn on whether she'll vote for him. At another door an elderly lady told Mr Gannon of her voting intentions: "I kind of have it all in my head." "Am I up there?" he asked. "Not yet," she responded. Nonetheless it is clear that Mr Gannon has strong name-recognition and support in this part of the constituency. But that comes from having been born and reared in the area and his two terms as a councillor - not his party affiliation. "Everybody knows me. Nobody knew me in 2016," he said while walking between doors. "Can you get me a house?" asked one woman at another door who, unsurprisingly, did not want to be named. Mr Gannon is non-committal on the house, but locked down the woman's support. "You have to vote for the north inner city gang," she said. Low-level crime and childcare are issues in the constituency, but they are not raised on the few doors that are answered. In the Richmond Cottages area it seems no one is home as door-after-door goes unanswered bar a teenage girl who is too young to vote, and one woman who is not resident in Ireland. Mr Gannon cut a frustrated figure, while his brother Paul resorted to agitating an already irate dog barking and scratching at a glass front door by popping a leaflet through the letterbox and narrowly avoiding the loss of his fingers. The five-strong canvass team headed towards the Fitzgibbon Street flats in the hope of finding some people to talk to with not much success. "I'm Gary Gannon," he told a mischievous boy. "No you're not!" the boy shot back. On one door that is answered, Marie Condron told Mr Gannon: "We always pick Sinn Fein." But after a quick chat she promised him her number one. It transpired that she knows his mother. So too does Charlie Smith, a Defence Forces veteran, sat on a wall outside the flats. "I am a friend of your mother and father," he said, while promising his vote. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 05:44:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that the tripartite U.S.-mediated talks over the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River are still ongoing. The current meetings, kicked off on Jan. 28, were scheduled to conclude on Jan. 29 with a comprehensive agreement. Egypt's foreign minister and the minister of water resources are participating in the U.S.-sponsored ministerial meeting in Washington, during which Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia are discussing the filling and operation of Ethiopia's new dam, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Hafez posted on his official twitter account. He added that the negotiations, which are also attended by representatives of the World Bank, aim to reach a comprehensive agreement on the rules for the filling and operation of the GERD. Upstream Nile Basin country Ethiopia started building its grand hydropower dam in 2011 on the Blue Nile, while Egypt, a downstream country, is concerned that the dam might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of Nile water. Egypt's fellow downstream country Sudan eyes future benefits from the GERD construction despite Egypt's concerns. The GERD is expected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity and become Africa's largest hydropower dam upon completion. Filling the reservoir, with a total capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, may take several years. While Ethiopia wants to fill it in five to six years, Egypt seeks to prolong the period to avoid the possibility of a water shortage. When states can work with the federal administration, outcomes for citizens are always better, McCall said in a prepared statement. This opportunity to work hand in hand with the federal administration on a plan it has endorsed will make our citizens healthier. The governors plan gives Oklahoma the flexibility to put our citizens health first, while the state question puts stringent federal Obamacare requirements first, to the detriment of innovation and health outcomes. House Minority Leader Emily Virgin, D-Norman, said the governors plan seems like a desperate attempt to head off what it looks like the voters will approve either in June or in November. Virgin said it looks like the states health care system is being used as a campaign talking point by the White House. The Legislature has had plenty of opportunities to do something on Medicaid expansion and has failed to act, she said. It is no accident that now that something is going to go to the ballot, the majority party all of a sudden wants to do something about it, Virgin said. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday hit out at Union minister Harsh Vardhan for calling him an "outsider", saying the people from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana settled here can be outsiders for the saffron party but they are "part of our Delhi family". Kejriwal was responding to Vardhan's tweet in which the BJP leader questioned the chief minister for calling himself "Delhi's son". The Union minister said while Kejriwal was born in Hisar in Haryana, he was settled in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. "How can he be Delhi's son?" "Doctor Sahib, you hate me. You can abuse me. How can you call all those born in UP and Haryana and settled in Delhi outsiders? They may be outsiders to the BJP. But they are part of our Delhi family. We Delhiites adopted them all, made them our family," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet, Kejriwal responded to the recent "sting" of the BJP on mohalla clinics, saying the party has again "mocked" the people of Delhi by issuing "fake" videos. "Delhiites worked hard to build 450 world class mohalla clinics. Mohalla clinics have brightened the name of Delhi all over the world. Today, BJP's lie was caught in a media investigation. People of Delhi are very happy with mohalla clinics," he said, tagging a report. At a press conference later, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh asked if Kejriwal is considered an outsider then from where are Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and his supporters. "I want to ask Harsh Vardhan who are Manoj Tiwari and his supporters then? Haven't they come from UP, Bihar and taken up residence in Delhi? Why don't you disclose the truth about them? And if you do not consider them to be from Delhi, will you dare to throw them out of the party and Delhi? Don't insult the people of UP, Bihar, Haryana like this," he said. People of Delhi are not going to be misled by "your cruel and insulting" statements, said Singh. He claimed that the BJP is an anti-migrant party and, therefore, they believe that a person from Haryana, UP or Bihar can't become a "son of Delhi". Vardhan believes Kejriwal who was born in Haryana, lived in UP but settled in Delhi and then served Delhi as the CM for 5 years, cannot be a son of Delhi. He also said that with such a mindset, the BJP is insulting the people of Haryana, UP and Bihar, who live and work in Delhi and contribute to the economy of the state. "I want to request all migrants from UP, Bihar and Haryana to carefully note this statement by Harsh Vardhan and BJP and be aware that this is how they actually think, deep within. "In other states, they have thrashed migrants and forced them to flee. Though you may work hard for the development of Delhi, the BJP and its leaders will never consider you Delhi's son or daughter and will always think of you as Delhi's enemies," Singh said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: In a major development, the Delhi court on Friday (January 31) postponed the execution of death warrants of all four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case till further orders. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana on the petition filed by the convicts seeking a stay on their execution on February 1. Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court had dismissed Nirbhaya gang-rape case convict Pawan Guptas petition claiming that he was a juvenile when the offence took place. The review plea filed earlier in the day was taken up for consideration in-chamber by a bench comprising Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna. Pawan had earlier filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in Supreme Court claiming that he was a juvenile when he committed the crime in 2012 and this fact was not taken into account by Delhi High Court during the proceedings in the case. Prior to that, Pawan had filed the same plea in the Delhi High Court too but it was rejected by the court. On January 17 (Friday), Pawan approached the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court order in this case. Pawan's lawyer AP Singh had claimed in the petition that his client's date of birth as per school record is October 8, 1996, but this fact was ignored by Delhi High Court. He was held to be a major by an order of Magistrate passed in 2013. The death row convict stated that the order was passed without hearing him. He alleged that the police had not produced the school records in the case. No opportunity was given to his counsel to examine the papers submitted by police on the plea of juvenility, he stated in the petition. He submitted that the school certificate came to light only after 2017, when his lawyers were collecting materials for preparing an affidavit detailing his mitigating circumstances, following the directions of the Supreme Court on February 3, 2017. He argued that the school leaving certificate showed his date of birth as October 8, 1996. This petition demanded the top court to reconsider its January 20 decision in which it had rejected Pawan's plea. Also, Pawan is yet to file a curative petition in the top court. Live TV According to Delhi Prison Rules, none of the four convicts in the same case can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options including the mercy plea. The apex court guidelines also stipulate that convicts cannot be hanged until 14 days after their mercy plea has been rejected by the President. Recently, Vinay Kumar Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter, while Mukesh Kumar too had filed a mercy petition, which was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but failed to get any respite. On the night of December 16, 2012, six people including a juvenile had gang-raped and brutalised a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Traveling alongside that fear is xenophobia and discrimination against people of Chinese origin or people who simply appear to be from China. The public school board in York Region, north of Toronto, issued a statement effectively rebuking more than 9,000 people who signed a petition demanding that the children in a family recently returned from China be kept from their classes. [Read: As Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Anti-Chinese Sentiment] As I write this, four cases of coronavirus have been reported in Canada and the anti-Chinese sentiment appears limited. The health care system is working smoothly, and officials have been open about what theyre doing and whats going on. Thats a marked contrast to SARS, where chaos and mistakes, all cloaked in secrecy, dominated. The extent of the turmoil in 2003 had dimmed in my memory until I recently read the report from an inquiry Ontario did after the outbreak. Our public health and emergency infrastructures were in a sorry state of decay, starved for resources by governments of all three political parties, Justice Archie Campbell wrote in his final report released in 2006. The only thing that saved us from a worse disaster was the courage and sacrifice and personal initiative of those who stepped up the nurses, the doctors, the paramedics and all the others sometimes at great personal risk, to get us through a crisis that never should have happened. The stars of the new film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are shown in a scene from the film. The film is set for release in November. Claire Danes has revealed that she was offered the role of Rose in James Camerons Titanic before Kate Winslet, but turned it down because she had just starred opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in the romantic epic Romeo + Juliet. The 40-year-old Homeland star made this admission during her recent appearance on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard, during which time the host asked her whether or not she was actually offered the part. Danes wasnt actually too sure, though, explaining, I think I did. Im not entirely clear on that. There was strong interest. Read More: Paul Rudd told Leonardo DiCaprio to do Titanic Either way, Danes is adamant that she would have turned down the role, as she had just finished work on Baz Luhrmanns 1996 take on William Shakespeares iconic love story, which saw DiCaprio play Romeo and her play Juliet and was shot in Mexico. Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic I had just made this romantic epic with Leo in Mexico City, which is where they were going to shoot Titanic! And I just didn't have it in me, Danes admitted. While DiCaprio obviously went on to play Jack, Danes says he wrestled with the decision whether to do it or not. In fact, Danes even caught the actor circling outside of his managers office in a red convertible as he tried to reach a decision. Read more: Diane Lane and Paul Rudd recreated that famous scene from Titanic He just looked up at me and said, 'I'm doing it! I'm doing it!' And I could see he wasn't sure. But he was like, 'F*** it, I gotta do this thing.' And I looked down at him, and I was like, 'I totally understand why you're doing that. And I'm not ready for that.' And I think I really wasn't ready for it. And I remember after that movie came out... and he just went into another stratosphere. PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 13: Claire Danes of "Homeland" speaks during the Showtime segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 13, 2020 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images) However, despite the success of Titanic, Danes has zero regret in turning it down, as she added, I was really clear about it. I wasnt conflicted. It was going to propel me to something I knew I didnt have the resources to cope with. I knew I had to do a lot of foundation building. The novel coronavirus is spreading quickly. In less than a month, new infections are being reported in all corners of the globe except South America. The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency, only the sixth time it has taken the step. In Korea, the number of confirmed infections rose to seven on Friday. Although the speed of transmission seems slow, the country cannot let its guard down since it also saw the first human-to-human transmission on Korean soil. Preemptive measures are urgently needed. The Korean Medical Association even recommended on Thursday that the government either limit incoming flights from China or restrict them altogether after saying only a few days ago that this would be unnecessary. The outbreak is spreading like wildfire in China, with hundreds of new cases confirmed in areas outside of Hubei Province surrounding the epicenter of Wuhan. The number of flights between Korea and China has already declined markedly, but 20,000 visitors from China are coming to Korea every day. At this rate, inspections conducted at airports will not be enough. The U.S., Germany and the U.K. have started curbing the number of flights to and from China as well, and the Korean government must place the top priority on the health of its citizens and prepare for the worst-case scenario. But panicking will help nobody. Already movie theaters, restaurants and hotels have become eerily quiet, and false news is being spread that coronavirus can spread simply by breathing or eye contact. Similar false rumors also caused panic during the outbreaks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in the past. As of Thursday, around 7,800 people have been infected with the disease, while 170 have died, most of them with already compromised immune systems. That translates into a lethality rate of only two percent. In reality, a lot more people may have been infected but come down only with mild symptoms and not bothered to see a doctor, so the lethality rate could be even smaller. The lethality rate of SARS was 9.3 percent and of MERS 30 percent. That brings coronavirus closer to seasonal flu, which has a death rate of just short of one percent. Coronavirus is not airborne, so people are less likely to get infected if they wash their hands properly and take other sensible precautions. So far, the crisis has been caused by fear rather than the disease itself, and more people have fallen to their death off a ladder than have died of coronavirus over the same period. Koreans must remain level-headed in order to overcome it. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 08:24 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d204f 1 Editorial #Editorial,Palestine,united-states,US,Donald-Trump,Palestine-Israel-talks,Middle-East-conflict Free Just over two months after the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People on Nov. 27, 2019, the United States asked the world to choose between American supremacy in the Middle East and a disenfranchised Palestinian entity that it has politically doomed to fail. US President Donald Trump unveiled his self-aggrandizing Middle East peace plan this week, which experts say seemingly offers a realistic solution to the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while actually baiting allies into submission on account of an engineered threat by Iran. The threats posed by Irans radical regime for example, have led to a new reality, where the State of Israel and its Arab neighbors now share increasingly similar perceptions of the threats to their security, one passage reads. In other words, Trump has turned the question of Palestine, which has been built on decades of United Nations resolutions and international law, into a bargaining chip to sell its security and economic services. Reactions range from the outspoken support of US allies like Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to strong contempt from Iran and Turkey, as well as numerous others along the spectrum Palestines preemptive rebuke notwithstanding. One thing is certain; the onset of fatigue is palpable, and Washington is looking to seize the opportunity with pragmatism in mind. The rest of the world particularly in the Muslim world has also chimed in, with some calling the deal a non-starter while others look to carefully study the US proposal. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is expected to announce its stance next week during an extraordinary ministerial meeting that one diplomat says can unite the voices of all OIC members. Meanwhile, Malaysia is to convene at the end of next month a UN-backed conference reaffirming the commitment of Southeast Asian nations to the Palestinian agenda, although the message rings somewhat less among non-Muslim or Muslim-minority countries in the region. For its part, Indonesia has issued a statement reaffirming the need to respect international law and other internationally agreed parameters, code for some of the things that Trumps so-called deal of the century obscures or blatantly ignores. Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta have also lobbied to include the question of Palestine in ASEANs consensus-led communiques to modest success. However, as the largest Muslim-majority country, Indonesia should be able to do more. Indonesians, who have happily jumped on the bandwagon in support of Muslim minorities such as the Rohingya in Myanmar and the Uighurs in China in the recent past, should rally support for Palestinians in this time of need. This is the moment for the people to stand up and act on the constitutional mandate, not only in support of the Palestinians, but also in defiance of a US government that looks increasingly toothless and unwilling to become the role model it was once for many other countries, and for its abandonment of the multilateral system. In doing so, Indonesia will be able to convince the millions of Palestinians that they can continue to dream of a day when they too can enjoy the spoils of freedom. Web Toolbar by Wibiya Do not bury your talents; dont be afraid to share your dreams with the world. If you are a talented writer or publisher in New York, then you have been invited to exhibit your work for the world to see, at the Ottawa Book Expo 2020. The event is sponsored by WPBS-TV in Watertown, New York, among other independent literary businesses. The book expo aims to celebrate international and local talent. The expo intends to play a vital role in the literary industry by bringing together both publishers, agents, distributors, retailers and book lovers together on a single platform.Book expos are often a great chance for authors and publishers to get a lot of attention from the media. Writers also get a chance to meet their fans and nurture stronger relationships with people and publishers. Many book expos aim at promoting already established authors, thereby ignoring new talents who have little or no prior exposure, however, the Ottawa Book Expo celebrates the local and international pool of literary genius that has previously gone unnoticed. This way, new authors do not have to struggle so much to gain an audience, for their work. The Ottawa Book Expo will go on for a total of four days, local authors have signed up to be a part of the exhibition and international authors from New York are invited to grab their tickets now. The events would hold on June 7, July 24th-26th at the Horticultural Building in Lansdowne Park.Tickets are nearly selling out, and big crowds are expected at the event. One of the reasons why a lot of self-published books do not do well in the industry is that many times, there are no serious sustained efforts made at promoting these books. The Ottawa Book Expo is an effort by independent literary businesses totry to sustain the literary culture in Canada and all over the world. It can be very disheartening to see upcoming writers marginalized while famous mainstream authors are celebrated all the time.The expo would allow you to mingle with potential readers and fellow authors to allow you to sell your book upfront. At the event, your book is guaranteed to sell a lot better thanwhen theyre just being sold at a bookstore. The Ottawa Book Expo would also feature the Great Canadian Barbeque, which involves a lot of delicious Canadian cuisine. Once you purchase a ticket for the Great Canadian Barbecue, you will be able to mingle alongside each other and enjoy a day full of literary and culinary sensations.The expo promises to be an educational and cultural event. There are seminars, panel discussions, food, author meet-ups, etc. to keep the exhibitors and visitors busy and to spread knowledge. There will also be various cultural activities at the book fairs. So whether you are a foodie or a reader or both, the Ottawa Book Expo 2020 is the perfect place to be this year. To participate; please head on over to the Ottawa Book Expo website and register for this opportunity of a lifetime. The family of a teenage Christian girl, Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram, Nigeria's northeastern terrorist group, may have given birth to the son of Boko Haram commander and was forced to accept Islam. However, Dr. Gloria Puldu, a spokesman for the family and lecturer at the University of Jos, considered the report to be nothing more than a rumor. "I've heard rumors about Leah having a baby boy, but as far as we know, it's just a rumor," he told The Punch. "All we want is to see evidence that she's alive." Punch said Sharibu was abducted in February 2018 along with more than 110 other schoolgirls from a school in a Nigerian town called Dapchi. Five girls later died and all the other girls were eventually released, but Sharibu said she had not given up his faith in Jesus and was being held repeatedly by Boko Haram. "The most important thing for the family of Sharibu, whether the rumors are true or not, is to bring their daughter back to life and if she is alive, we will praise God for it," Puldu said. They also added that whatever condition she is in, she should be released, and that all we care about is her life and safety, rather than whether she's pregnant or if she's already had a baby. But Nigerian investigative journalist, Ahmed Salkida, who regularly reports news related to Boko Haram, also confirmed that Sharibu had a baby. "Sharibu's life is a 'terrible state of constant fear, violence, mental suffering and rape'," Dide Laugeson, executive director of the U.S. private group Save the Persecuted Christians, told CP in an interview. The SPC is a group that brought Saribu's mother, Rebecca, to Washington D.C. in June last year. She collaborated with Nigeria's International Commission and the Leah Foundation to help free Sharibu. "I can't forget the stories of Leah and the girls in the missing Chibok girls, and the Christian girls in Pakistan, Egypt, Syria and Iraq who were kidnapped, tortured and killed," Raujenson said. Meanwhile, Nigeria was ranked the 12th most persecuted country on the Open Doors USA 2020 World Watch List. Few Christians died in Nigeria in 2020, but this was due to Boko Haram's strategy for more kidnappings, the U.S. Open Doors noted. Photo: WeChat A video shot in Burnaby is making the rounds on social media after a white male makes some uncouth comments about the coronavirus to an Asian woman. The video, shot outside Metrotown mall, was posted to WeChat, a popular social media platform, by a woman who identifies as Chinese Canadian. The woman confronts the man for his comments, to which he replies: I said you dropped your coronavirus. Canadas Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and the BC Centre for Disease Control have called out discriminatory comments directed towards Asian Canadians, as well as the spread of misinformation on social media, related to the outbreak. The comments, said Tam, are unacceptable and very hurtful. These actions create a divide of us versus them, she tweeted. Canada is a country built on deep-rooted values of respect, diversity and inclusion. Sonakshi Sinha Flaunts Her New Bike Riding Skills As She Drives To Shoot For Kareena Kapoor's Show Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "RF Acoustic Wave Filters Patent Landscape 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This Patent Landscape allows understanding the technology & market from a patent perspective. It enables you to anticipate changes, harvest business opportunities, mitigate risks and make strategic decisions to strengthen your market position and maximize return on your IP portfolio. Key Features of the Report PDF >160 slides Excel file >18,500 patents IP trends, including time-evolution of published patents, countries of patent filings, etc. Ranking of main patent assignees Main technologies IP analysis: Temperature-compensated acoustic wave filters Packaging (flip-chip, wafer-level packaging Functions and modules (duplexers, multiplexers) IP players' key patents Key players' IP position and relative strength of their patent portfolios IP profile of key players: Murata, TDK, Taiyo Yuden, Skyworks, Qualcomm, Broadcom, Qorvo, Samsung Electro Mechanics, Akoustis, Resonant, Infineon, CETC Excel database containing all patents analyzed in the report, including technology and application segmentations A second acceleration of AWF-related patenting activity In 2017, an acceleration of the patenting activity related to acoustic wave filters (AWF) was forecast, whose growth is being driven mostly by the developments of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filters due to the new opportunities offered by 5G. Indeed, while the SAW-related IP landscape was already well established, the battle to become the next main IP player related to BAW devices was intense. Players like Taiyo Yuden and Broadcom had an advantage thank to their strong former patenting activity, but many smaller IP players had entered the landscape (Akoustis, Resonant, JCAP, etc.) or increased their patenting activity (Qualcomm, RF 360, Qorvo), making them serious IP challengers. Today, the previous trend is confirmed. Indeed, the SAW-related patent landscape is still dominated by Murata, which has maintained a very high level of patenting activity related to SAW filters and their integration in complex modules. Like in 2017, IP competition is limited, but Skyworks, Taiyo Yuden, TDK, and Qualcomm have perpetuated a fair level of patenting activity and constitute the group of IP challengers. Despite being well established, recent SAW-related patenting activity describes some new trends regarding manufacturing and design of SAW filters. Indeed, in the view of 5G, all IP players involved in the development of SAW filters have started filing patents related to a complex module with a high level of integration. Wafer-level packaging has become a major packaging technology investigated by players. At the same time, IP players have strongly accelerated their patenting activity related to multiplexers that could support carrier aggregation operations. To bolster the development of highly integrated modules, IP players have improved their SAW filter designs. One main solution is the use of thin-film SAW, which reduces the substrate losses and thus increases the resonant frequency while improving thermal stability. This solution, originally developed by Murata, is now also asserted in Kyocera, Qualcomm, and Skyworks patents. For the BAW-related IP landscape, recent developments are related to device manufacturing. Indeed, to fulfill 5G's requirements, players are working to improve the electro-mechanical coupling in order to reach high frequency, while keeping low losses and large bandwidth. Among all the players involved in BAW filter development, Broadcom remains the most important. However, these last two years have seen the rise of Qualcomm and the emergence of Samsung Electro Mechanics. These three players drive today's IP activity related to BAW. However, some smaller IP players such as Akoustis, Infineon, and Resonant have refined their development and now hold interesting IP portfolios. Analysis of recent dynamics: what has happened in the last two years? In this report, more than 7,500 patent families (inventions) related to SAW and BAW filters have been manually selected. The report provides a general overview of today's IP landscape trends and dynamics, as well as specific analysis related to the patenting activity of the last two years. Via manual segmentation, the report delivers an understanding and analysis of the current evolutions of the two key technologies (SAW and BAW). This analysis shows an important difference between SAW and BAW IP activity. Indeed, on one hand, the development of SAW filters has reached a high maturity level, and players have begun exploring module design and architectures in order to keep improving their technologies for 5G applications. On the other hand, the BAW IP landscape's dynamic shows that there is still room for BAW manufacturers to improve their devices by developing new manufacturing processes and BAW designs. Main IP players' portfolio analysis This report provides a detailed comparison of the seven main IP players: Murata, TDK, Taiyo Yuden, Skyworks, Qualcomm, Broadcom, and Qorvo. For each player, Knowmade highlights their strength and weaknesses, and provides information regarding their recent and future technology developments. Also, a detailed description and analysis of key patents is provided. Finally, System Plus Consulting and Knowmade have joined forces to provide a mapping of the current links between the main players' products and patents. The same analysis has been done for five IP newcomers: Samsung Electro Mechanics, Akoustis, Resonant, Infineon, and CETC. Analysis of main technology developments 5G's arrival has mainly impacted the patenting activity of AWF-related IP players. Indeed, the need to develop modules that can manage carrier aggregation and multi-band operations has pushed the main IP players to file patents related to complex filter systems (duplexers, multiplexers, etc.) and their integration into one module. In this report, The IP dynamics and trends related to packaging and modules have been thoroughly anayzed in order to realize the current technological developments and understand how players are addressing the issues related to the integration of complex acoustic filters into small, cost-effective modules. Report's main assets Understanding the key players' patented technologies and current IP strategies More than 960 patent applicants are involved in the RF acoustic wave filter patent landscape. This report reveals the IP position of key players through a detailed analysis of their patent portfolios. The report also describes these players' patented technologies, their IP strategy, and their ability to limit other firms' patenting activity and freedom-to-operate. Analyzing IP players' position on promising applications and developed technologies This report furnishes an understanding of IP players' positions on promising applications. Main IP players and key patents are presented for each segment, along with an understanding of the current technical challenges addressed in the patents. Identifying and understanding key patents related to RF acoustic wave filters This report offers a detailed analysis of key patents (seminal, blocking) related to SAW and BAW filters. Furthermore, for each segment a selection of seminal, blocking, and most promising patents is highlighted. Useful Excel patent database This report also includes an Excel database with the >18,500 patents and patent applications analyzed in this study. This useful patent database allows for multi-criteria searches and includes patent publication numbers, hyperlinks to the original documents, priority date, title, abstract, patent assignees, patent's current legal status, and technological and application segments. Companies Mentioned Advanced Saw Products Alps Electric Broadcom CEA China Electronics Technology Epson Toyocom Hangzhou Sappland Microelectronics Technology Hitachi Institute Of Acoustics Chinese Academy Of Sciences Intel Intellectual Ventures Holding Japan Radio Kyocera LG Electronics LG Innotek Mitsubishi Electric Mitsubishi Materials Motorola Murata NDK NEC NGK Insulators Nokia OKI Electric Industry Philips Qorvo Qualcomm Resonant Samsung Electro Mechanics Samsung Electronics Sanyo Electric Seiko Epson Shoulder Electronics Skyworks Sony STMicroelectronics Sumitomo Electric Industries Taiyo Yuden TDK Epcos Texas Instruments Thales Tianjin University Toko Toshiba Toyo Communication Equipment UBE Industries Wisol Zenith Radio For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wt537k Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Hong Kong unions have threatened strikes unless the border with mainland China is closed to stop the spread of coronavirus. Unions say workers on the Hong Kong metro are 'in a panic' because of the risk of being infected while at work. Hospital workers' union HAEA has also called for the entire border to be closed, saying strike action could begin as early as next week. The crisis poses a fresh challenge for Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam, who has so far resisted calls to shut the border. However, the high-speed rail service to mainland China and all cross-border ferry services have been suspended since midnight last night. Several countries have taken steps to contain the outbreak by closing their borders or advising against travel to China. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam (pictured today wearing a mask during a press conference) is facing a fresh challenge over the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China Chris Cheung, treasurer of the HAEA hospital union which has more than 18,000 members, said many of them planned to begin phased strike action next week. 'There is still a considerable distance from our goal of full-scale preventive measures of infection control,' the union said in a statement. Metro workers' union Railway Power said 'front-line colleagues are in a panic' because of the virus outbreak. Twelve people are known to have been infected by the virus in Hong Kong, which is a special administrative zone of China. Of those, about half arrived via the newly built high-speed train terminal that connects the city to the Chinese mainland. The epicentre of the outbreak is the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where it is believed to have jumped to humans from an animal in an illegal wildlife market. Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam has said it is 'inappropriate and impractical' to close the entire border. The health scare comes after months of violent anti-government protests in Hong Kong, sparked by fears that its autonomy is being eroded by Beijing. Protesters have formed dozens of unions as a way to press their campaign and several of them have come out in support of the HAEA's proposed strike. Passengers wearing face masks travel on a metro train in Hong Kong earlier this week, with railway workers alarmed about the coronavirus outbreak Hong Kong residents have also been scouring shops for face masks and joining long queues as supplies dwindle. Berry So, a waiter, said he had queued up for more than six hours outside one shop but failed to get his hands on a mask. 'I've been waiting six to seven hours,' said So, who failed to get a mask. Hong Kong has also extended the suspension of schools and kindergartens until March 2 at the earliest. Many countries have imposed restrictions in an effort to contain the outbreak which has so far killed 213 people, according to official figures. Japan today urged its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China, following similar warnings by Germany, Britain and other nations in recent days. The United States has gone further, warning against travel to China for any reason. A series of airlines including British Airways have suspended flights to mainland China because of the outbreak. Mongolia has halted cross-border traffic with its neighbour China and Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier. Some countries banned entry for travellers from Wuhan, the city in central Hubei province where the virus first surfaced. Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China, while Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from 'Asian ports'. Operator: Welcome and thank you all for standing by. All participants will be on a listen-only mode until the question and answer session of todays call. At that time, you can press star one to ask a question from the phone line. And Id also like to inform parties that the call is being recorded. If you have any objections you may disconnect at this time. Id now like to turn the call over to Mr. Benjamin Haynes. You may begin. Ben Haynes: Thank you, Sarah. And thank you all for joining us for this briefing to update you on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Response. Were joined today by Dr. Nancy Messonnier, Director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and Dr. Marty Cetron, Director of CDCs Division of Global Migration and Quarantine. They will update you on CDCs response to this novel coronavirus. Dr. Messonnier will give an update before taking your questions. Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Thank you for joining us today. Yesterday the World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International C oncern for this novel coronavirus outbreak, which has demonstrated the capacity to spread globally. This is a very serious public health situation, and CDC and the Federal Government has and will continue to take aggressive action to protect the public. We are coordinating closely across HHS with the whole of government and the White House. If we take strong measures now, we may be able to blunt the impact of the virus on the United States. Here are the facts as we know them today. Every day this week China has reported additional cases. Todays numbers are a 26% increase since yesterday. Over the course of the last week, there have been nearly 7,000 new cases reported. This tells us the virus is continuing to spread rapidly throughout China. The reported deaths have continued to rise as well, and additional locations outside China have continued to report cases. There has been an increasing number of reports of person-to-person spread. And now most recently, a report from the new England journal of medicine of asymptomatic spread. While we still dont have the full picture and we cant predict how this situation will play out in the U.S., the current situation, the current scenario is a cause for concern. I understand how this may cause people to be worried about this new virus and how it could affect them. We must be proactive and aggressive, but we want to reassure you that our actions are evidence-based and, we believe, appropriate to the current circumstances. At this moment CDC staff are speaking with the repatriated individuals in California to let them know that CDC under statutory authority of the HHS Secretary has issued federal quarantine orders for all 195 passengers. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. This decision, which has been deliberated at CDC by our most expert staff with previous experience working on multiple outbreaks and pandemics, is based on the current scientific facts. While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat. And this is one of the tools in our toolbox to mitigate the potential impact of this novel virus on the united states. This legal order is part of an aggressive public health response, the goal of which is to prevent, as much as possible, community spread with this novel virus in the united states. This legal order will also protect the health of the repatriated individuals and protect their families and their communities. These individuals will continue to be held at the March Air Reserve Base in Ontario, California. We do not believe their presence on the base poses a threat to the residents of Ontario. This is a respiratory virus, which means its spread through things like respiratory droplets. Medical staff will continue to monitor the health of each traveler including temperature checks and observation for respiratory symptoms. Medical care will be readily available at the first onset of symptoms. Even if an initial screening test comes back negative from CDCs laboratory, it does not guarantee these individuals will not get sick. We are preparing as if this were the next pandemic, but we are hopeful still that this is not and will not be the case. This is the first time in over 50 years that CDC has issued a quarantine order. While we understand this action may seem drastic, our goal today, tomorrow, and always continues to be the safety of the American public. We would rather be remembered for overreacting than underreacting. I want to reiterate that everyone does have a role to play as we work together to contain the spread of this virus. Stay informed. CDC is updating its website daily with the latest information and advice for the public. Remember to take everyday preventive actions that are always recommended to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. We do not currently recommend the use of face masks for the general American public. This virus is not spreading in your communities. While it is cold and flu season, we dont routinely recommend the use of face masks by the public to prevent respiratory illness, and we are certainly not recommending that at this time for this novel virus. We understand the recent recommendations are concerning. The actions of the Federal Government the actions that the Federal Government is taking are science-based with the aim of protecting the health and safety of all Americans. Please do not let fear or panic guide your actions. For example, please do not assume that just because someone is of Asian descent that they have this new coronavirus. There are about 4 million Chinese-Americans in this country. We recognize the uncertainty of the current situation. As always, CDC public health experts drive to make the best recommendations on the most up-to-date data which will continue to inform our guidance. We have extensive guidance and information on our website at www.cdc.gov/ncov. Wed be happy to take your questions at this time now. Operator: Thank you. At this time if you would like to ask a question, please press star one. Please be sure to unmute your phone and record your name at the prompt so that I may introduce you for your question. Also please limit to one question and one follow-up question. Once again, it is star-one to ask a question. Our first question comes from Denise Grady with New York Times, your line is now open. Denise Grady: Thank you, Dr. Messonnier. The question Id like to ask, just to be absolutely certain of why this is being done now rather than it hasnt been done with any of the people who came in on planes before. Is it because of the increased spread in China and also because of the asymptomatic spread? Are those really what prompted it? And did this decision originate within CDC, or did it come from some other level of government? Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Thanks for that question and the opportunity to clarify. This outbreak continues to evolve day by day, and every one of these teleconferences weve said that as new information becomes available, well have to re-evaluate our guidance. As we have proceeded through this very long week, what has become clear is that the magnitude of the scope magnitude and scope of this epidemic in China is increasing, and the epicenter of it continues to be Hubei. While flights from Hubei have decreased since the closure of the airport in Wuhan, these returning travelers are coming directly from the epicenter. So, it is their where they are coming from. But in addition, the emerging evidence this week of the growth and spread of this outbreak, the increase in deaths, and the incoming data about person-to-person transmission as well as concerning reports about asymptomatic spread. All of that data taken together has led CDC to make evidence-based recommendations, and this has been driven from the perspective of CDC by scientifically evidence-based recommendations from CDC experts who have been working on exactly these kinds of issues for many years. So, Ill stop there. Ben Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Next question comes from Andrew Joseph with STAT. Your line is open. Andrew Joseph: Hi, yeah. Can you just explain a little bit scientifically how a test can come back negative, and maybe the person still has a virus, or might get sick later? And how does the report of asymptomatic transmission from Germany, how is that changing sort of broader U.S. response beyond this quarantine measure? Thanks. Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Sure. And I think its really important to clarify, because I think our screening of peoples nose with this test has been misunderstood. This test was developed at CDC. Its a test that was developed specifically to identify people who are ill with novel coronavirus. The issue is that we dont know the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of that test when were using it in people who arent yet sick. So, were looking in somebodys nose to see if they have the novel coronavirus there. But its possible, for example, that somebody already is asymptomatically incubating the disease. We cannot, with the testing that we have now available at CDC, identify people in that phase, and I think that makes us concerned that this test, which is a point-in-time single test shouldnt be relied upon to make a prediction at an individual level as to whether somebodys going to as to whether we can predict that person will become ill. So thats the answer to the first question. The answer to the second question, in addition to the issue of these repatriated travelers, we have been with our State Health Departments very forthright and aggressive in identifying potential contacts around cases. Using U.S. data, the thing that we are looking at most closely is if we can look at the contacts of confirmed cases and whether theyre spread around those contacts to help us better understand transmission dynamics. But its going to be equally important, and were very excited that theres going to be a team now going into China to look at their data, because the data of the epicenter of disease is perhaps the best data right now that will help us know how to interpret this asymptomatic transmission. We need to know if that how that is impacting the drivers of the outbreak and what role that has in the community transmission in China. Ben Haynes: Next question, please. Operator: Our next question comes from Mike Stobbe with Associated Press. Your line is now open. Mike Stobbe: Hi. Thank you for taking my call. I was wondering, somebody tried to leave March Air Force Base and then a county quarantine order was issued. Has anyone else tried to leave since then? Was that part of the decision making? Also, are there any more flights that are going to be routed to air force bases moving forward? Are you going to deal with every flight from now on going through a military facility and the people being quarantined in and Im sure you all have extensive discussions about the pros and cons of quarantine, and can you talk about the cons, the things that made you hesitate to take this kind of action? And finally, Im sorry, could you tell us, is this novel coronavirus deadlier than seasonal flu? Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Okay. So that was four questions and thats fine, but Im going to take two of them and then Dr. Cetron is going to take two of them. So, the question about the severity of disease, I guess is a good place to start. And what I would say in terms of severity of disease is, the information thats coming in from China suggests that there is significant mortality associated with this disease. However, it is very difficult to use that information to calculate a case fatality ratio, and the case fatality ratio for flu differs year by year. We also know that there are biases in reporting of diseases in general. We have found that more severe disease tends to be reported first, which may throw off a calculation. We also understand that the initial case definition in China really focused on patients with pneumonia. And so, its not clear what the case fatality the true case fatality ratio is right now. Therefore, its difficult to compare the flu. But what I would say is that there clearly are deaths being reported out of China, and thats concerning. Ill answer also the question of future repatriation. As I presume folks know, the State Department has already announced they will be repatriating additional travelers from Wuhan. We are working closely with them to determine how those travelers will be will be processed and what our operations will be when theyre back in the United States. When we have that more finalized, we will definitely be providing that information, but were not prepared today to go in detail about how that operation will proceed. Then for your other two questions, Dr. Cetron, do you want to handle this? Dr. Marty Cetron: Sure. Thanks, Mike. You asked about the use of this measure. And, as Nancy said, we believe that this approach of having quarantine for the incubation period offers the greatest level of protection for the American public in preventing introduction and spread. And that is our primary concern. Prior epidemics actually suggest that people will be when theyre properly informed, are usually very compliant with this request to restrict their movement. There are benefits to the individual. This allows someone who would become symptomatic to be rapidly identified. And, you know, as these symptoms are not specific, there are many other things. So, offering early rapid diagnosis of their illness could alleviate a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. In addition, this is a protective effect on family members. No individual wants to be the source of introducing or exposing a family member or a loved one to their virus. And, additionally, this is a part of their civic responsibility to protect their communities. Many of these people coming out have been diplomats that are serving America overseas. So, they understand this. In fact, when they arrived at Anchorage prior to getting to the base, they were exuberated and elated to be out of harms way, and the idea of the quarantine was not the thing that was troubling them. So, I think thats the example of why this is a good thing. Clearly, there are cons. If theyre not done properly, if it induces fear and stigma of individuals, if people arent treated with dignity and respect and have all the supportive care, thats not the way to implement this tool in our toolkit, and were taking every measure possible to make sure that these people are treated with dignity and respect. Oh, you asked if other people have tried to leave. To our knowledge, when people express some concern, we do talk to them about these risk benefit issues, and they basically say, yeah, it sounds right. This one person who tried to leave was, you know, offered a sort of a California quarantine order in order to enhance that level of protection. But that is not the driving force of this decision. So, this decision is made with deliberation about the nature of the epidemic and the virus, not about any one individuals behavior. Thanks. Ben Haynes: Next question, please? Operator: Our next question comes from Rob Stein with NPR. Your line is now open. Rob Stein: Thanks very much for taking my call. My question is a couple of questions. If you can give us a little bit more detail about that one person, what exactly happened with them. And the other question I had was you said this is the first time in 50 years that this quarantine order has been issued. When was the last time and what were the details and circumstances of that? And I just want you to clarify, I didnt quite understand the question about other planes coming in. Will the same thing happen with passengers on other planes coming in? Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Again, were not going to provide more detail about this one individual. That is something that were just not going to speak to more now. In terms of the other planes, again, as we said, this situation continues to evolve, and our guidance, our operations, our implementation continues to evolve rapidly as we try to synthesize the risk. Weve made this decision. We understand its historical significance. We are working with the State Department to fully understand these other repatriated individuals. And as we develop more concrete plans, you will certainly know them. There are active conversations going on while we are at this teleconference on this issue, and when its worked out in more detail, we will be communicating that. Dr. Marty Cetron: In terms of the historical context, I think maybe its important for people to understand the difference between isolation and quarantine. Isolation is a public health tool thats used when we restrict the movement of someone whos already sick with a specific illness. Quarantine is basically when we have a recommended movement, restriction, or some kind of conditions on that movement for people who are exposed and not yet sick. So, while there have been several isolation orders over the last many years, the last time the quarantine was used for a suspect case was in the 1960s for a smallpox evaluation. So, I hope that helps. Ben Haynes: Next question, please? Operator: Our next question comes from Robert Langreth with Bloomberg News. Your line is now open. Robert Langreth: Hi. I just wanted to ask, so what happens to the remaining commercial flights coming from China? What kind of screening and/or situation are you going to put on them? Is that going to be enhanced? Because I guess many of the flights are shutting down. But there are still a bunch coming in, in the next few days. And I think this virus is now in 50, 100 cities in China now. What steps are you doing for the remaining commercial flights coming in, and are you enhancing that? Dr. Marty Cetron: At this point were evaluating the appropriate strategy in light of the new information. There is nothing to share at this point. And when there is something to share, we will. Ben Haynes: We have time for one more question, please. Operator: Then our last question comes from Lisa Krueger with San Jose Mercury News. Lisa Krueger: Thank you. I wonder if you can clarify if all these passengers have been tested and those tests have come back negative, presumably? And then a follow-up of how the quarantine is enforced. Dr. Nancy Messonnier: Ill take the first question. As we have tried to emphasize in my comments today, screening with a laboratory test in this setting does not help us identify people, clearly, who are going to be going on to illness. That is, a negative result on a test will not help us confirm that people are safe from this disease. No, all the test results are not back, and when we have them back, we will be communicating them first to the health care workers who are working with this community, 195 people. But please remember that we do not believe that a negative result on this test means that somebody is out of danger for developing this disease, nor for communicating it to someone else. Dr. Marty Cetron: With regard to your question about enforcement, the truth is, as I indicated before and prior experience in SARS, for example, in Toronto, in SARS over 99% of the persons, once educated and assured and reassured, didnt need any legal enforcement. So, while that may be available to the very few people when indicated, the best way to enforce a quarantine is to educate people on its purpose and educate what the benefits are for the individuals who cooperate. These are American citizens who clearly want to do the right thing. And in contrast to their experience in Wuhan, this is a much better scenario for them. Thank you. Dr. Nancy Messonnier: And we should take the opportunity to thank them for their cooperation. We understand that this is a difficult situation for them. Theyve been through an ordeal. And were asking them to take the time with us to make sure that theyre protecting their families and their communities, and we really admire their flexibility and resilience. Ben Haynes: Thank you, Dr. Messonnier. And thank you, Dr. Cetron. Thank you all for joining us for todays update. Please visit CDCs 2019 novel coronavirus website for continued updates. And if you have further questions, please contact the main media line at 404-639-3286 or email media@CDC.gov. Thank you. Operator: This concludes todays call. Thank you all for participating. You may disconnect your lines at this time. Amid reports claiming dissatisfaction among a section of the students with the new directives issued by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, the institute has clarified that these were "standard and existing rules" which had been assimilated after consultation with all IITs. Recently, reports of IIT-Bombay issuing a directive to students, in which it had allegedly asked students to refrain from participating in any 'anti-national' activity, had surfaced. "IIT-B wishes to clarify that the institute is not against any peaceful expression of opinion in individual capacity. With regard to recent circular sent to students, we wish to reiterate that these are standard and existing rules for hostels assimilated from all IITs and were sent to all students to remind them to abide by the hostel rules and not disturb the peaceful academic atmosphere within the hostels and academic areas. This circular was sent in consultation with the student council, which comprises of elected student representatives," a statement from the institute read. "The institute is strictly apolitical in its views and does not endorse any political ideology. However, any student is free to express his or her opinion in the individual capacity as per rights and responsibilities enshrined in our constitution," it added. A section of the students from the IIT Bombay protested against the attack on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in New Delhi on January 5. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IMPORTS from China are likely to drop as the potential economic damage of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) outbreak further widens. However, exporters in Cebu said the health crisis is unlikely to derail export demand from China, one of Cebus top markets. As a matter of fact, if we do not have deaths due to the 2019-nCoV ARD in the country, the rest of the world will consider the Philippines as an import option instead of China, especially for food and agricultural products, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) of Cebu executive director Fred Escalona told SunStar Cebu Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. Conrado Abarintos, collection division chief at Bureau of Customs-Port of Cebu, said it is too early to predict whether Chinas virus epidemic will bring down Chinese import volume to Cebu. We recently saw a decrease in volume not because of the 2019-nCoV ARD but due to the one month holiday in China from Jan. 25, Chinese New Year. Business trends feel the low import volume during this period, the customs official told SunStar Cebu. China contributes more than 50 percent of the tax collection of BOC-Cebu from imports. Abarintos was hoping that the outbreak, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, would not dampen imports growth. I cant make a projection yet for February. March imports will recover from the low volume in February. It is hoped that importation will not be affected as China contributes significantly to our collection efforts, he said. But Philexports Escalona seemed to be pessimistic. On the side of imports, we are also buying a lot of stuff from China and my personal view here is that imports from China will drop drastically being the source of the 2019-nCoV ARD , he said. But exports growth might be sustained, Escalona said. We will be a preferred country as a source of goods, especially food, by the Chinese market. The 2019-nCoV ARD has little effect on Philippine exports as yet unless we have an outbreak here in the country, he said. Story continues Cebus exports to mainland China totaled US$8.66 million from January to November 2019, making mainland China the citys fourth largest export buyer. The 2019-nCoV ARD has sickened 9,692 people in China, with the death toll rising to 213. The World Health Organization has already declared the outbreak as an international emergency as the death toll continues to rise. The rapid spread of the respiratory illness has prompted businesses and factories in China to shut down, and airlines around the world have canceled flights, hitting the global tourism industry. Verso, Atlas and Blue Wolf Announce Agreement to End Proxy Contest Jan. 31, 2020 - Verso Corporation (the "Company") and Lapetus Capital II LLC (together with its affiliates, including Atlas Holdings LLC, "Atlas") and Blue Wolf Capital Advisors IV, LLC ("Blue Wolf") and their respective affiliates, today announced that they have reached an agreement to settle the pending proxy contest with respect to the Company's 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Annual Meeting") and certain other matters. Pursuant to the cooperation agreement (the "Cooperation Agreement"), the Company, Atlas and Blue Wolf have agreed to take all action necessary for the Board to consist of the following individuals immediately subsequent to the Annual Meeting: Sean T. Erwin, Jeffrey E. Kirt and Marvin Cooper (the "Investor Nominees"); Dr. Robert K. Beckler, Randy Nebel and Nancy M. Taylor (the "Company Nominees"); and Adam St. John (the "Executive Director"). Mr. Erwin will be appointed Chairman of the Board. As part of the Cooperation Agreement, Paula H. J. Cholmondeley, Steven Scheiwe, Jay Shuster and Timothy Lowe have agreed to not stand for election at the Annual Meeting. Despite Ms. Cholmondeley and Mr. Lowe enjoying widespread support for election to the Board, each agreed to withdraw their candidacy so as to facilitate the Cooperation Agreement reached between the parties. Mr. Lowe agreed, at Atlas' request, to withdraw his candidacy to allow him to continue in his current active Operating Partner role with Atlas and he will be available to Verso should they seek his pulp and paper industry expertise in the days ahead. In addition, immediately following the Annual Meeting, Marvin Cooper will be appointed to the Board. In addition, pursuant to the Cooperation Agreement, Atlas and Blue Wolf have agreed to vote "FOR" the Company's pending sale of its Androscoggin and Stevens Point mills to Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC (the "Pixelle Transaction"). "We are pleased to have reached an agreement with Atlas and Blue Wolf that is in the best interests of Verso's stockholders, and we look forward to welcoming Sean Erwin, Jeff Kirt and Marvin Cooper to the Company's Board," said current Chief Executive Officer, Adam St. John. Timothy Fazio, co-founder and managing partner of Atlas, and Adam Blumenthal, founder and managing partner of Blue Wolf Capital Partners LLC, jointly stated, "We are pleased to have reached this resolution with Verso, which is the result of collaborative dialogue and intensive engagement with the Company. Marvin Cooper, Sean Kirt and Jeff Erwin are highly qualified public company directors and will provide valuable perspectives to the Verso Board, and together with the existing members, we are confident that the Board will be able to effectively oversee management's efforts to best position Verso for continued growth and value creation. We thank Alan Carr, Gene Davis, Steve Scheiwe and Jay Shuster for their leadership and guidance and shepherding of the Pixelle transaction. We are excited to see where the newly reconstituted Board takes the Company in terms of unlocking significant potential and value at the Company." "We are pleased to have reached this agreement and appreciate the constructive input we have received from Atlas and Blue Wolf," said Dr. Beckler, Mr. Nebel and Ms. Taylor. "On behalf of the entire Board, we want to thank Alan, Gene, Steve and Jay for their many contributions to Verso since 2016. The Company has benefitted greatly from their collective guidance and perspective, and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Looking ahead, we look forward to working with Sean, Jeff and Marvin to successfully consummate the Pixelle Transaction, return capital to stockholders and oversee the execution of Verso's strategy so as to maximize value to all of our stockholders over the long-term." Dr. Beckler, Mr. Nebel and Ms. Taylor continued, "We also would like to extend our sincere appreciation and respect to Ms. Cholmondeley, who would have been a brilliant and productive member of our Board due to her impressive array of executive leadership roles in the paper industry and operational experience. In addition, we recognize Tim Lowe's vast and extensive operating experience in the paper and pulp industry and that his voice in the boardroom would have been an inestimable contribution. Both Paula and Tim would be a valuable addition to any boardroom." The complete agreement between the Company and Atlas and Blue Wolf will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Marvin Cooper Marvin Cooper, previously served as the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Domtar Corporation until his retirement in 2009. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President of Pulp, Paper, Containerboard Manufacturing and Engineering of Weyerhaeuser Co. from February 2002 to October 2006. Mr. Cooper's responsibilities included the operation of Weyerhaeuser's pulp, paper and containerboard mills, and overseeing the engineering operations. Before joining Weyerhaeuser, Mr. Cooper was with Willamette Industries for 22 years. Mr. Cooper served as an Executive Vice President of Willamette Industries Inc., Pulp and Paper Mills beginning in May 1997 until Willamette was acquired by Weyerhaeuser Co. in 2002. He served as Group Vice President, Pulp and Paper Mills from May 1996 to May 1997 and Division Vice President - Fine Paper Mills from May 1989 to May 1996. He also served as Regional Manager of Willamette from May 1982 to May 1989 and Mill Manager from May 1980 to May 1982. Mr. Cooper also served on the Board of Directors of Domtar Corporation from 2006 until 2009. Mr. Cooper received his Bachelor of Science in engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. About Verso Verso Corporation is the turn-to company for those looking to successfully navigate the complexities of paper sourcing and performance. A leading North American producer of specialty and graphic papers, packaging and pulp, Verso provides insightful solutions that help drive improved customer efficiency, productivity, brand awareness and business results. To leaqrn more, visit: versoco.com SOURCE: Verso Corporation A High Court judge has warned a father and son they face being jailed and having their machinery seized if they persist in obstructing an access route being used by the developers of a Co Donegal windfarm. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds said she had run out of patience with Joseph McGonigle and his son Seosamh McGonigle whom it is claimed have prevented parties involved in the construction of a windfarm Glackmore in Co Donegal from accessing the site. Late last year the court granted an injunction against the father and son of Aught, Ture, Muff, Co Donegal restraining them from interfering with or obstructing with an access route being used by the windfarm developers. The orders were granted after it was alleged the McGonigles had blocked the access route to the windfarm development with a JCB digger. It was also claimed they dug up part of the roadway, which the court subsequently ordered should be restored, over which the developers use for access. The orders were sought by Storm Renewables Ltd which claims it owns the lands the developers use to access the construction site, and Michael Doherty who is a director of that company. The other plaintiffs in the case are Enros Wind Farm Ltd and the Three Trees Wind Project Ltd which are involved in the development and construction of the windfarm. The McGonigles claim the lands the developers are using to access the construction site are owned by their family, and not by Storm Renewables. They claim the defendants are trespassing and are in breach of his property rights. They also claim that they have been subjected to harrassment and intimidation. Those claims are denied. The dispute has been before the courts on several previous occasions since the injunction was sought. The case returned before the court on Friday when Eoghan Cole Bl for the plaintiffs said a further incident had occurred in recent days when a tractor and a mobile home were placed at a location close to the lands in dispute. The tractor and mobile home, counsel said were place on lands whose ownership is not in dispute, which are included as an alternative route of access for vehicles to get to the construction site Under health and safety requirements the alternative route must be kept clear, counsel said. The McGonigle's actions meant that lorries carrying turbines currently cannot travel from the public road to the construction site, counsel said. Counsel said Joseph McGonigle has in correspondence denied any wrongdoing in regards to the matter and he would remove the tractor, and denies causing a blockage of the alternative route. Counsel said he claims the tractor overturned when he was moving the mobile home, and that he was injured in the incident. However counsel said it is their case this is the latest attempt to frustrate his cleints, who he said want additional orders requiring the defendants to remove the vehicles from the alternative route. The McGonigles had previously attended court when the case was before the judge neither father nor son were present in court on Friday. A person purporting to speak on their behalf said they could not attend court due to health reasons. Ms Justice Reynolds said she was prepared to grant further orders against the McGonigles, requiring them to remove the tractor and mobile home from the alternative route. The Judge said she the had given the McGonigles "every opportunity" to deal with matters arising out of the dispute. However the judge after hearing evidence from the plaintiffs she said she was "not impressed," and in particular noted that the latest incident "gave rise to health and safety concerns. " She warned that, irrespective of any medical conditions, the McGonigles would find themselves "incarcerated." if there were any further incidents of court orders being breached. She added that orders to have the machinery seized were also being contemplated in a matter where "a large bill of legal costs" has also been run up. The McGonigles had until Sunday afternoon to remove the most recent blockage, she added. If that was not done, the plaintiffs could remove the tractor and mobile home themselves, she added. After she granted the orders the judge adjourned the matter for a week. TORONTO - Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. The big ISPs account for more than 85 per cent of Canada's home internet service subscriptions, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. A CRTC logo is shown in Montreal, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes The rest of the market share is held by hundreds of small to mid-sized ISPs. The CRTC the main regulator for Canada's communications carriers and broadcasters says it expects all other ISPs to behave in a manner consistent with principles set out in the code. "In today's marketplace, Canadian consumers deserve to be provided with clear information and easy-to-understand terms and conditions," CRTC chairman Ian Scott said in a statement. "The Internet Code will allow Canadians to make better decisions when subscribing to or modifying their existing Internet service, and will make it easier for them to take advantage of competitive offers." The code is the CRTC's answer to a soaring number of complaints about internet services, such as "bill shock" caused by unexpected extra fees or price increases. Among other things, the new rules permit customers to cancel a contract within 45 days, without paying early cancellation fees, if the contract differs from the offer. The code also empowers the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services which is already responsible for wireless and television services to require a big ISP to pay up to $5,000 in compensation per complaint. The code applies only to specific internet providers Bell Canada, Cogeco, Eastlink, Northwestel, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Shaw Telecom, Telus, Videotron and Xplornet. A 2018 report prepared for a market study by the Competition Bureau estimated there were more than 550 companies offering an alternative to the internet services owned by the traditional telephone and cable companies. Most of the smaller ISPs are wholesale customers of the big carriers but compete on the retail level for the same residential and small business customers. The CRTC's internet code comes into effect two days after the release of a government-appointed expert panel recommended a sweeping overhaul of the broadcast and telecommunications system. Among other things, the 235-page report recommends giving the CRTC new powers and responsibilities. Some of the recommendations are relatively simple such as renaming the Broadcasting and Telecommunications acts, as well as the CRTC while others will be contentious and politically difficult. For example, recommendation 28 is to update the Telecommunications Act to foster a competitive market "through reliance on market forces and, where required, through efficient and effective regulation." However, it has been historically difficult for the CRTC to determine when it should intervene to regulate prices and when it should rely on market players to establish the right price through competition. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The large ISPs, including Bell and Rogers, have recently launched multiple appeals of the CRTC's decisions about setting wholesale rates for internet services. A similar battle, pitting Bell, Rogers, Telus and other wireless networks, is at an earlier stage with the CRTC scheduled to hold nine days of public hearings into whether it should set wholesale wireless rates, starting Feb. 18. Navdeep Bains, the federal minister responsible for telecommunications as well as competition, said on Thursday at a Toronto business conference that the expert panel's findings were "fairly consistent" with his views. "But we're still reviewing the 97 recommendations and we are going to go through a very comprehensive legislative process as well as we modernize all this," Bains said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE, TSX:CCA, TSX:RCI.B, TSX:SJR.B, TSX:T, TSX:QBR.B) A Rohingya man (foreground) takes a bath near a well in the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar district, Aug. 21, 2018. Bangladeshi authorities opened an investigation Thursday into the alleged abduction of a Christian Rohingya family after two groups of refugees filed police complaints accusing each other of launching attacks that wounded at least 12 people. An alleged attack on Jan. 27 by machete-wielding Muslim Rohingya men on a Christian community at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar district led to the temporary relocation of at least 17 Christian Rohingya families to a U.N. shelter. Christian Rohingya people filed a case about the disappearance of a Christian family after the attack. We have been investigating the allegations, Samir Chandra Sarker, an inspector at the Kutupalong police station, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on Thursday. Mohammad Abul Mansur, officer-in-charge of the police for the Ukhia sub-district, said members of the Christian Rohingya community had lodged a case against 59 Muslim men, accusing their fellow refugees of perpetrating the attack. He said a group of Muslims also filed a separate complaint late Wednesday, alleging that the violence was an offshoot of a purported incident in which a group of Christians assaulted a Rohingya Muslim man. But one of the alleged victims, Saiful Islam Peter, a Christian Rohingya, told BenarNews that members of the militant group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) were behind the attack. Police, however, dismissed his claims, saying that only four Christians and one Muslim were wounded and that the violence was the result of an ordinary law-and-order incident. Peter said the attackers had destroyed the victims homes and stolen their ration cards, computers and documents. Police earlier said they were unaware of the alleged abduction of a Christian family. We have been trying to arrest the people accused by both sides, Mansur said. ARSA, an armed insurgent group, carried out attacks on police and army posts in Myanmars Rakhine state in August 2017. In response to those attacks, Myanmars security forces launched a brutal crackdown that forced 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee their homes and cross into neighboring Bangladesh. Police unaware of alleged abduction Laila Begum, 45, lodged the case against 13 Christians, while a 38-year-old man named Si Thwe filed a complaint on behalf of the Christians, police told BenarNews. Begum told BenarNews that she filed the case because her son, Shukkur, was not involved in the attack against the Christians but was himself a victim. I want justice for the attack on him. I demand the arrest of the attackers, she said. Police said violence erupted after a Christian Rohingya man beat up a Rohingya Muslim whose angry relatives retaliated by attacking Christians. But Peter, the Christian man, alleged that Begums son was an ARSA member. It was ARSA that carried out the attack. Shukkur is one of the ARSA members who attacked us, Peter said. We caught him during the attack and handed him over to the police. Mansur, the police officer-in-charge, shrugged off claims that the Christians had handed over any attacker. He also said there were no militants involved in the attack. There is no ARSA in Bangladesh, he said. Si Thwe, who filed the case against the Muslim Rohingya, told BenarNews that police had assured him that they were pursuing the suspects. But the Christians have been in constant fear, he said. Two Christian women interviewed by BenarNews confirmed that they had been receiving telephoned death threats from unidentified men. We have been in fear, said Nuru Fakir, a Christian who was relocated to the UNHCR camp after the attack. Four more Christian families Wednesday night took refuge at the transit camp, she said. In an email sent to RFA's Myanmar Service, a Christian group identified the missing family members as Taher, Khurshida, Mizan and Mariam. The group alleged that the abductors wore face masks. The hallmark of an ARSA attack is the attackers cover their faces while abducting and killing, said Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of Bangladeshs minority association known as Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Oikya Parishad. Government agencies are expected to discuss the attack against the Christian refugees on Sunday, Khalilur Rahman, a deputy secretary at the refugee relief and repatriation commissioners office, told BenarNews. Mostafa Mohammad Sazzad Hossain, UNHCRs local spokesman, told BenarNews that the U.N. refugee agency was aware of the attack. We are working actively with our government counterparts and community leaders to ensure that all refugees in the camps are able to live together in peace and security, he said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. President Donald Trump has loosened Obama-era restrictions on the US military's use of land mines. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama said it was no longer producing, stockpiling or transferring of the weapons of war outside of the Korean Peninsula, where they are used to protect South Korea acts of aggression from North Korea. However, Trump has argued that the previous policy put American troops at a 'severe disadvantage.' The move has been criticized by arms control proponents and underscores the administration's willingness to upend policies set by Trump's Democratic predecessor, in the face of concerns about the dangers such weaponry poses to civilians long after conflicts end. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS President Donald Trump is overturning an Obama-era administration ban on the use of land mines. US military will now be able to produce or acquire the explosives outside the Korean Peninsula A 2019 State Department report found that 130,000 civilians have been killed over the last two decades from land mines and their remnants. Pictured: Anti-personnel mines blow up during a controlled detonation in Thailand, August 2019 According to a 2019 US State Department report, land mines have killed about 130,000 civilians around the world over the last two decade. The Ottawa Treaty went into effect in 1999 aimed at eliminating mines around the world although the US was not a signatory. In 2014, Obama said the US would by the terms of the Treaty, except for landmines used on the Korean Peninsula. However, under the new policy, anti-personnel land mines will be able to be used anywhere in the world in exceptional circumstances. In a statement, the White House said that the Pentagon had determined that the restrictions had put troops at a disadvantage. 'This policy will authorize Combatant Commanders, in exceptional circumstances, to employ advanced, non-persistent landmines specifically designed to reduce unintended harm to civilians and partner forces,' the White House said. Earlier on Friday, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that land mines were an important tool that American forces needed. 'Land mines are an important tool that our forces need to have available to them in order to ensure mission success and in order to reduce risk to forces,' Esper said during a news conference with his Italian counterpart. 'That said, in everything we do we also want to make sure that these instruments, in this case land mines, also take into account both the safety of employment and the safety to civilians and others after a conflict.' Since 1993 it has cost about $3.6billion to clear excess weapons and explosives from over 100 countries, many African, with the help of non-government funding. US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that land mines were an important tool that American forces needed. Pictured: Esper at a media briefing at the Pentagon, January 2020 In the late 90s the Clinton Administration instructed the clearance of mines installed around the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, placed to defend against Communist Cuban troops. March 18, 1997, file photo Diana, Princess of Wales wearing protective clothing and gear as she championed clearing landmines around the world. Pictured: Princess Diana in Angola, January 1997 In the late 90s the Clinton Administration instructed the clearance of mines installed around the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, placed to defend against Communist Cuban troops. Photos also circulated widely of Diana, Princess of Wales wearing protective clothing and gear - and meeting landmine survivors - as she championed clearing landmines around the world. The Obama policy prevented the used of weapons such as the Gator munition which is dropped from planes. According to the 2019 State Department report, 'landmines and explosive remnants of war, including cluster munition remnants, artillery shells, and mortars, continue to kill and maim people even after conflicts end'. The woman who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize together with International Campaign to Ban Landmines, blasted the decision Thursday. 'Mr Trump's policy rollback is a step toward the past, like many of his other decisions,' Jody Williams told CNN. She added that it 'sends exactly the wrong message to those working to rid the world of the scourge of landmines'. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstan aims to continue working with Russian partners in order to follow the strategic course of relations between Kazakhstan and Russia, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin said, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Kazakh prime minister. Within the framework of the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council and the Digital Almaty forum, Kazakhstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin met with Russias Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. During the meeting, Mamin noted that in order to maintain high positive dynamics in trade and economic cooperation, it is necessary to continue joint work to expand the trade of goods and services, establish direct contacts between the business circles, as well as promote goods to third-country markets. This important work is also being conducted within the Eurasian Economic Commission, Mamin said. In turn, Mishustin said that it is symbolic that his first visit as head of government was paid to Kazakhstan. We have long-standing friendship and partnership. Trade, economic and investment cooperation is developing dynamically, and regional ties are strengthening, Mishustin said. The parties discussed issues of further development of bilateral cooperation in the industrial, energy, military-technical, space, water and environmental spheres, as well as interaction within the Eurasian Economic Union and other integration associations. During the meeting, Mamin and Mishustin focused on the importance of preparation for the XVII Forum of Interregional Environmental Cooperation to be held in November 2020 in Kokshetau (Kazakhstan). The necessity of intensifying work on the implementation of the Program of joint actions on the functioning of checkpoints on the Kazakh-Russian border, signed at the last year's forum in Omsk, was also noted. Russia is the main trading partner of Kazakhstan. For 11 months of 2019, bilateral trade amounted to $17.2 billion. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh After the first episode of Nipah virus scare which rocked Kerala for couple of months in 2018, the state is now facing another health emergency situation. Life is normal in Thrissur, the cultural capital of the state, where the dreaded killer bug Coronavirus infected student is admitted in the government medical college. The fear of being infected with the virus is slowly spreading though people are out in streets, roads and shopping centres without wearing face masks. People were reluctant to visit the otherwise busy Thrissur government general hospital on Thursday, when the virus infected female medical student returned from Wuhan was initially admitted there. Those who entered the hospital compound were careful in wearing the face masks properly. Life is normal in the town and no one is seen wearing face masks here. But, everyone, be it the auto rickshaw drivers or the office goers are mainly talking about the virus infection. Since it is the first case in the state, there is no panic situation like that of the Nipah outbreak, said Rakesh Namboothiri, a resident of Thrissur. Meanwhile, those in the contact list of the infected student are being traced and quarantined. The relatives and friends of the medical student are under quarantine in their houses. As per the instructions of the district medical office, an ambulance driver from our hospital transported the patient to Thrissur general hospital. Since he is in the patient's contact list, he has been put under observation. Though, everything is under control the hospital staff closely interacted with the driver are concerned, said a staff at a government hospital in Thrissur district. Health minister K.K Shylaja urged those returned from virus infected countries not to attend public functions. It is better to postpone functions like marriages. Those returned from China who have not reported to the health authorities should immediately approach the authorities," she said. The Economic Survey 2019-20 has made a case for performance-linked payouts in the form of employee stock option plans (ESOPs), despite several failed attempts by public sector banks (PSBs) to popularise the scheme among its employees in the past. The Survey suggested that ownership would encourage innovation and risk-taking as against conservatism, which is the typical mindset of employees in PSBs. Employees can constitute one of the blocks of new owners of PSBs through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) that is conditioned on employee performance, said the Economic Survey released on January 31. These suggestions come at a time when PSB employees have declared a two-day nation-wide strike on January 31 and February 1, demanding higher pay hikes and five-day workweek among other conditions. After the governments approval in 2017, a number of PSBs including Union Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and United Bank of India, tried to raise funds via the issuance of ESOPs but failed to garner much interest. The weakening financial condition of PSBs over the years and the performance-linked component has acted as a deterrent for employees from opting for the scheme. However, the Economic Survey stated that enabling employees to own stakes in PSBs would lead to more productivity. Given the current flat compensation contracts of employees and the pressures from ex-post monitoring by the vigilance agencies, it is hardly surprising that bank employees of state-owned banks prefer safety and conservatism over risk-taking and innovation. A long-term solution to this problem is enabling employees to own stakes in the PSBs, the survey said. It added that ESOPs will help incentivize employees and align their interests with that of all shareholders of banks. Ownership by motivated, capable employees across all levels in the organization could give such employees tangible financial rewards for value enhancement, align their incentives with what is beneficial to the PSB, and create a mindset of enterprise ownership for employees, the survey said. The Survey also said that part-ownership would reduce agency problems. This is because employees who own shares are incentivized to increase market value of equity since their direct compensation depends on share values, it said. Regulatory News: NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. Reference is made to the announcements dated 19 December 2019 and 13 January 2020 regarding AKKA Technologies SE's (Paris:AKA) (BSE:AKA) (ISIN:FR0004180537) ("AKKA", the "Offeror") recommended voluntary offer for all outstanding shares in Data Respons ASA ("Data Respons") against a settlement in cash of NOK 48.00 per share (the "Offer"). AKKA is pleased to report that on 30 January 2020, the German Federal Cartel Office cleared the Offer. Following this decision by the German authorities, the only remaining outstanding condition for completion of the Offer is the 90% acceptance level from issued and outstanding share capital of Data Respons. Subject to this acceptance level being satisfied or waived, and provided that no other conditions for completion are breached, the Offer is therefore currently expected to be completed at the end of the Offer period. The Offer period expires on 10 February 2020 at 16:30 hours (CET), subject to extension of the offer period (one or several times), in the Offeror's sole discretion, but not beyond 23 March 2020 at 16:30 hours (CET). The complete terms and conditions for the Offer, including procedures for how to accept the Offer and detailed information regarding settlement, are set out in the offer document dated 10 January 2020 (the "Offer Document"). The Offer Document is, subject to regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions, available at www.dnb.no/emisjoner/ (http://www.dnb.no/emisjoner/), as well as on the homepages of AKKA at www.akka-technologies.com/investors/ (http://www.akka-technologies.com/investors/) and Data Respons at www.datarespons.com (http://www.datarespons.com). J.P. Morgan Securities Plc is acting as financial adviser to the Offeror and DNB Markets, a part of DNB Bank ASA, is acting as domestic financial advisor and receiving agent. Advokatfirmaet Thommessen AS is the Norwegian legal adviser to the Offeror in connection with the Offer. All documents relating to this operation will be posted on AKKA's Investor Relations website at https://www.akka-technologies.com/investors/ Upcoming events on AKKA's Financial Calendar: Full-year 2019 revenue: Thursday, 6 February 2020 Full-year 2019 results: Tuesday, 17 March 2020 In case of discrepancies between the French and English versions of the press release, only the English version shall be deemed valid. About AKKA AKKA is the European leader in digital engineering consulting and R&D services in the mobility segment. The company has developed its solutions portfolio with numerous investments over the years towards structuring its digital solutions portfolio. As an innovation accelerator for its clients, AKKA supports leading industry players in the automotive, aerospace, rail and life sciences sectors throughout the life cycle of their products with cutting edge digital technologies (AI, ADAS, IoT, Big Data, robotics, embedded computing, machine learning, etc.). Founded in 1984, AKKA has a strong entrepreneurial culture and is pursuing its fast-paced growth and international development in line with its CLEAR 2022 strategic plan. With approximately 21,000 employees, who are passionate about technology and dedicated to advancing the future of industry, the Group recorded revenues of 1.5 billion in 2018. AKKA Technologies is listed on Euronext Paris and Brussels Segment A ISIN code: FR0004180537. For more information, please visit www.akka-technologies.com Follow us on: twitter.com/AKKA_Tech About Data Respons Data Respons is a pure-play digital leader with an in-depth expertise in software development, R&D services, advanced embedded systems and IoT solutions. The company is headquartered in Oslo (Norway) and has a strong portfolio of clients in the Nordic region and in Germany, supported by 1,400 software digital specialists. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005195/en/ Contacts: AKKA Contacts Investor Relations AKKA Dov Levy VP Investor Relations Tel.: +32(0) 2 712 61 24 dov.levy@akka.eu Media Relations AKKA Markus Leutert Group Head of Communications Tel.: +32(0) 4 96 26 27 55 markus.leutert@akka.eu FTI Consulting Media Relations akka@fticonsulting.com Lea Truchetto Tel.: +33 (0) 6 86 13 75 57 Media Relations Data Respons Sebastian Eidem Chief Communications Officer Tel.: +47 93 22 39 64 sei@datarespons.no BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Nargiz Ismayilova - Trend: Azerbaijan exported 862.6 million cubic meters of gas to Turkey in November 2019, which is 13.5 percent more than during November 2018 (745.6 million cubic meters), Trend reports with reference to Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK). Overall, Azerbaijan's share in gas imports to Turkey amounted to 22.1 percent in November 2019 compared to 15.8 percent in November 2018, the report said. According to EPDK, total volume of natural gas export to Turkey exceeded 3.9 billion cubic meters in November 2019, having decreased by 16.9 percent compared to the same period of 2018 (over 4.6 billion cubic meters). Turkey imports gas from Azerbaijan via the South Caucasus gas pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum). Turkey has a contract for annual purchase of 6.6 billion cubic meters of gas from the Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz gas condensate field. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @IsmailovaNargis For Immediate Release () Atlanta President Trumps plan for unilateral annexation to Israel of a large piece of the occupied Palestinian territories offers the Palestinians fragmented statehood, without control of their borders, in four years and subject to certain conditions, and leaves the status of large parts of the West Bank to be determined in the future. Prime Minister Netanyahu has called for the immediate annexation to Israel of all settlements in the West Bank. The plan violates the two-state solution based on the 1967 borders, which is codified in a long line of United Nations Security Council resolutions from 242 (1967) to 2334 (2016). Further, the proposal breaches international law regarding self-determination, the acquisition of land by force, and annexation of occupied territories. By calling Israel the nation state of the Jewish people, the plan also encourages the denial of equal rights to the Palestinian citizens of Israel. President Carter said, The new U.S. plan undercuts prospects for a just peace between Israelis and Palestinians. If implemented, the plan will doom the only viable solution to this long-running conflict, the two-state solution. President Carter urged member states of the United Nations to adhere to UN Security Council resolutions and to reject any unilateral Israeli implementation of the proposal by grabbing more Palestinian land. Translation # # # China has today admitted it was too slow to react to the coronavirus outbreak which has sparked a global panic and left at least 213 people dead - amid claims that Beijing could be covering up a higher death toll. The secretary of the ruling Communist party in Wuhan admitted he felt 'remorse' over the outbreak, saying the virus's impact 'would have been less' if measures had been taken sooner. The killer virus has spread around the world with the first cases in Britain confirmed today as governments scramble to close their borders and retrieve their worried citizens from Wuhan. China has since imposed a drastic quarantine on Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have jumped from wild animals at a city market and infected humans. Officials today raised the death toll to 213 with nearly 10,000 people infected, but there are fears that the official figures are 'way too low' - sparking claims of a cover-up. Crematorium workers in the city claim that bodies are being sent from hospitals without being added to the official record. A man wears a protective mask and swimming goggles after getting off a train in Beijing today, as China admitted it had been too slow to respond to the coronavirus crisis Funeral workers in protective suits disinfect themselves after handling the body of a coronavirus victim in Wuhan yesterday A map showing the number of coronavirus cases worldwide, as of Friday afternoon UK time William Yang, an East Asia reporter for news site Deutsche Welle, said there were 'reasons to remain sceptical about what China has been sharing with the world'. 'While they have been more transparent about certain things related to the virus, they continue to be sketchy and unreliable in other aspects,' Yang said. Hong Kong-based news outlet Initium spoke to workers on the mainland who said bodies were being sent for cremation without being properly identified, he said. 'This means there are patients who died from the virus, but were not added to the official record,' Yang suggested. China has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including a quarantine of more than 50million people in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. Few governments could attempt such a feat but the quarantine is made possible by the ruling Communist Party's extensive controls on society. Wuhan mayor Zhou Xianwang said today that the task of containing the virus remains 'severe and complex' with the number of cases continuing to swell. City officials have been criticised for withholding information about the infection until the end of last year, despite knowing about the new illness weeks earlier. 'Right now I'm in a state of guilt, remorse and self-reproach,' said Ma Guoqiang, the municipal Communist Party secretary for Wuhan. 'If strict control measures had been taken earlier, the result would have been better than now,' he said in an interview with state broadcaster CCTV. Nonetheless the Chinese ambassador in Geneva today said there was no need for 'unnecessary panic' or 'excessive measures'. The death toll was hiked on Friday to 213 after 43 new deaths, all but one in Hubei. Most deaths have been elderly people. China's National Health Commission also said Friday that 1,982 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 9,692. That exceeds the 8,096 cases from SARS, a similar outbreak that spread to more than two dozen countries in 2002-03 and killed 774 people. Another 102,000 people are under medical observation in China with possible coronavirus symptoms. Medics wearing protective clothing carry a patient to a hospital in Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak A medic in a hazmat suit attends to the body of a man which was found in a street in Wuhan yesterday, in the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak A family with a child - all wearing protective masks - push their luggage through the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport in the Chinese capital yesterday Officials in protective suits gather close to the scene where an elderly man wearing a face mask was found dead in Wuhan on Thursday Doctors look at a CT scan of a patient at a hospital in Wuhan, which is now under quarantine China has suspended schools nationwide and extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to limit people travelling. Thousands of foreigners have been trapped in Wuhan since it was sealed off last week, and countries have been scrambling to arrange evacuation flights. A British charter plane from Wuhan landed at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today carrying 83 UK citizens and 27 others. The UK also confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus, with two patients being treated at a specialist medical facility in Newcastle. France today evacuated 180 of its citizens, who will be placed under quarantine back home. One of the returning French citizens was 'directly transferred to hospital' with possible symptoms of coronavirus infection, officials said. The remaining passengers were taken to a seaside holiday camp, where they will be kept in quarantine for two weeks. German cases rose to six with the infection of a child. In South Korea, 18 evacuees who arrived from Wuhan have been hospitalised after showing symptoms, Seoul's health authorities said today. British Nationals arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on a rescue flight from Wuhan where people face two weeks in quarantine A woman cycles near the scene where the body of a man was found outside a furniture store The World Health Organisation last night declared a global emergency and many have warned their citizens against travel to China. Japan today urged its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China, following similar warnings by Germany, Britain and other nations in recent days. The United States has gone further, warning against travel to China for any reason. A series of airlines including British Airways have suspended flights to mainland China because of the outbreak. Mongolia has halted cross-border traffic with its neighbour China and Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier. Some countries banned entry for travellers from Wuhan, the city in central Hubei province where the virus first surfaced. Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China, while Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from 'Asian ports'. Vietnam ordered the suspension of new tourist visas for Chinese citizens and foreigners who have been in China over the last two weeks. Meanwhile, Hong Kong unions have threatened strikes unless the border with mainland China is closed to stop the spread of coronavirus. Unions say workers on the Hong Kong metro are 'in a panic' because of the risk of being infected while at work. Hospital workers' union HAEA has also called for the entire border to be closed, saying strike action could begin as early as next week. The crisis poses a fresh challenge for Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam, who has so far resisted calls to shut the border. However, the high-speed rail service to mainland China and all cross-border ferry services have been suspended since midnight last night. Workers in China unload a shipment of protective suits from a cargo plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport yesterday A cyclist wears a protective mask in Beijing on Wednesday, with China imposing a quarantine on Wuhan and the surrounding area Governments around the world have sent mixed messages about whether people should wear masks to fend off the virus. In China, top medics say that people need to wear masks when taking public transport. The masks are widely worn in Taiwan's capital Taipei where the government has imposed purchase limits and an export ban on masks. The Taiwan Railway Administration said on Friday that if the virus continues to spread it will refuse to carry passengers not wearing masks. Australia says that healthy people do not need masks, but has nonetheless released a million masks from the national medical stockpile. Mask supplies have also been running low in Singapore, where authorities have announced plans to give four of them to every household. The country's main newspaper plastered a warning - 'Do not wear a mask if you are well' - across its front page today. However, the warning was met with scepticism by some in Singapore who compared the advice to abolishing the army in peacetime. 'Wearing a mask only when you feel unwell? Then why do you need soldiers when there isn't war? It's better to be safe than sorry', said Kenny Chan Wai Kong. Foreign tourists walk in the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport yesterday wearing protective masks Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday In parts of Asia, wearing face masks is common when people are sick or to counter urban pollution. Official guidance from the World Health Organisation and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention makes no mention of wearing a face mask, but does not advise against it. Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person, although it is not clear how easily. Most cases have been in people who have been in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the centre of the outbreak, family members of those infected, or medical workers. Transmission is likely through contact with an infected person via particles in the air from coughing or sneezing, or by someone touching an infected person or object with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. Previous research has shown that coronavirus becomes inactive more quickly at higher temperatures, but not immediately. 'Situations that require a mask are when you are in a crowd...or if you are caring for a sick person,' said virologist Angela Rasmussen of Columbia University. 'If it makes you feel better, wear a surgical mask,' she said on the Reuters Global Markets Forum. Other experts have said disposable surgical masks may not fit the face tightly enough to prevent infection. Some have even suggested that incorrect handling of masks such as touching the front could actually increase the likelihood of infection. In Hong Kong, a lawmaker who chairs the city's government health services panel was slammed over a short video she posted showing people how to steam and re-use disposable face masks. More unusual advice has seen India's government suggest a traditional concoction that includes ginger and holy basil as virus protection. A Myanmar minister was rebuked for sharing a Facebook post that advised people to eat more onions. Some overseas Chinese have been buying masks to send to friends and relatives in China, where some stocks have been running out. Chinese citizens living in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia sent 150,000 masks back to their home province of Gansu on Thursday, China's Xinhua news agency reported. Mitch Zeller, director of the F.D.A.s Center for Tobacco Products, said data show that the most appealing e-cigarettes for youths are cartridge-based products that are easy to use and easily concealable. The agency said it did not have data showing high rates of youth use of disposables, but is monitoring the issue and would revise the policy if necessary. Meanwhile, Mr. Zeller said, under existing regulations, the F.D.A. retains the ability to take action against manufacturers and sellers of disposable e-cigarettes who fail to keep them away from minors. Let us be clear, under this policy if we see a product that is targeted to kids, we will take action, Mr. Zeller said. Meredith Berkman and Dorian Fuhrman, two of the co-founders of Parents Against Vaping, recently met with Mr. Zeller and some of his staff to discuss their concerns. They believe that waiting for survey data about disposables, from the next annual youth tobacco survey, will result in more youths becoming addicted to nicotine. We have known for months that kids have been using these disposable products as it became more difficult to access some Juul flavors, Ms. Berkman said. They make decisions on data and science, we understand that, she continued. But there must be some interim data collection, because its not fast enough. By the time we get the data on disposables, for all we know, there will be a new product that youth are using. A man arrested over the suspected murder of Melbourne yoga instructor Maud Steenbeek had never been in trouble with the law. Xochil O'Neill, 28, remains in hospital under police guard in a serious condition after he allegedly killed the 61-year old in her Heidelberg West, Melbourne, home about 8pm on Tuesday. Daily Mail Australia can reveal O'Neill has a clean criminal record and had never stepped foot in a courtroom for crimes committed by himself. 'He's a clean skin', a source told Daily Mail Australia. Xochil O'Neill portrays himself as a cat lover who appears to have great affection for himself Maud Steenbeek, 61, was allegedly murdered in her own home while on a video call to a relative The revelations come as Ms Steenbeek's sister Wilma Steenbeek broke her silence from her home in the Netherlands. 'She was talking to my brother,' Wilma Steenbeek told Daily Mail Australia. Police believe Ms Steenbeek was midway through a Skype call when she was attacked from behind and the call dropped out. Her worried brother, who also lives abroad, frantically phoned his nephew, who rushed to the home he shared with his mother to find an intruder still in his house. It is alleged Ms Steenbeek's son apprehended O'Neill before police arrived on the scene. A devastated Wilma Steenbeek said she had spoken to her sister that very day. 'I talked to her at 9am. She died at 8pm while she was Skyping with my brother,' she said. 'Let her rest in peace. You know the rest. ' Xochil O'Neill, 28, was reportedly bashed after he was allegedly found inside a murdered woman's home On Thursday, Daily Mail Australia revealed O'Neill had portrayed himself as strange loner and cat lover. Mystery surrounds why he allegedly entered Ms Steenbeek's home on Liberty Parade. His multiple Facebook profiles paint a picture of a desperately lonely man who outwardly made fun at his own expense. Just five years ago, when O'Neill would have been about 23, he posted an event highlighting his 'First Kiss'. The image shows O'Neill kissing a mirror image of himself under the banner 'Best kiss ever'. He further claimed he was in a relationship with himself. Another image shows a crying Ralph Wiggum, from an early episode of The Simpsons, wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day. Wiggum was famously rejected by Lisa Simpson in a classic episode where the comical loser's heart is left broken. Another image shows him with the word 'BABE' scribbled on the back of his neck. Much of the content contains drug references, with one link suggesting he graduated from 'Princes Hill Get High School'. In one post, O'Neill paid tribute to windows. One of many bizarre images posted on Facebook by Xochil O'Neill First Kiss: Xochil O'Neill posted a picture of himself kissing a mirror image Xochil O'Neill labels himself a babe in one of many strange Facebook posts Police have confirmed a man known to Ms Steenbeek rushed to the home where he restrained O'Neill before police arrived. That same man is also being investigated for destroying a television cameraman's equipment. Detectives spent a full night and most of Wednesday at Ms Steenbeek's property as forensics experts analysed the property. Before police arrived neighbours heard loud screams coming from the property. A witness said an 'erratic' man covered in blood left the house a short time later with what appeared to be cuts to his arms. She said the man had been running up and down the street earlier that night with a frantic look in his face. The house in Heidelberg West where a 61-year old woman was allegedly murdered on Tuesday Xochil O'Neill, 28, was reportedly bashed after he was allegedly found inside a murdered woman's home 'He seemed to be completely off his face,' the witness told The Herald Sun. 'We thought he was having an episode you know. Then he was running and we thought ''what the hell?''. 'He was trying to jump into trees. Then he was hiding under a car.' As the investigation continues, people have flocked to O'Neill's Facebook page seeking answers to the tragedy. 'Dude. Why didnt you get help?' one person posted. 'Why didnt any of your friends do something when they saw the red flags and warning signs.' A former student of the yoga trainer told Daily Mail Australia she was in shock on hearing about Ms Steenbeek's bloody demise. 'Maud was my yoga teacher many years ago, she was a lovely compassionate woman (who) lived a quiet life,' she said. Ms Steenbeek was a welcome face at the Fawkner Leisure Centre where she conducted her classes for many years. Police spent Tuesday night at the scene of the alleged aggravated burglary in Liberty Parade, Heidelberg West Rodent droppings, dead roaches, slime and mold. One San Antonio corner store racked up a lengthy list of violations when city health inspectors stopped by this week. Inspectors spotted "small rodent droppings" in cabinets along with dead roaches in a sink and in hot-hold compartments. Meanwhile, the ice machine had slime and mold spores. Not to mention the pickles tongs stored in a dirty cup and the lack of toilet paper in the public restroom. LAST WEEK'S INSPECTIONS: Food stored in a bucket once used for dish soap at Northeast Side eatery Elsewhere, there were "four tiny live roaches" at a Chinese restaurant inside the Ingram Park Mall and a dirty, moldy wall at a Northwest Side taqueria. A total of 29 eateries failed to score an "A" during inspections by the city's Metropolitan Health District. Click through the gallery above for a look at the violations spotted by inspectors this week. Restaurants are graded on a 100-point system where "100" is a perfect score, and demerits are based upon the number of violations found during a regular food establishment inspection. There are three categories of demerits and each is assigned a demerit score between 1 and 3 points, according to the health division. If you have questions about inspections or complaints about a food establishment, contact the Metropolitan Health District office by calling 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000. Be prepared to provide the name, location, date of incident and details of the incident. Two bridges in Belfast have been closed amid a security alert involving a vessel on the river Lagan. (PA) Two bridges in Belfast have been closed amid a security alert involving a vessel on the river Lagan. The move comes as suspicious objects are examined and removed from the vessel. Belfast bridges closed as suspicious objects examined pic.twitter.com/WtV9RIVauW Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) January 30, 2020 A PSNI spokesman said the bridges were expected to remain closed for a number of hours. Diversions have been put in place. During his 1972 gubernatorial run, Senator Bernie Sanders told high-school students that the U.S. had committed acts in its war with Vietnam that were almost as bad as what Hitler did. An article in the Rutland, Vermont, newspaper, The Rutland Herald, reported on the comments, made while Sanders was campaigning for governor as a member of the Liberty Union party. The article was first unearthed by the Washington Free Beacon. The North Vietnamese are not my enemy, Sanders told a class of ninth graders in Rutland while on the campaign trail. Theyre a very, very poor people. Some of them dont have shoes. They eat rice when they can get it. And they have been fighting for the freedom of their country for 25 years. They can hardly fight back. The American death toll from the Vietnam War was over 58,000. The Herald reported that students pushed back against Sanderss support for amnesty for draft evaders, saying it wouldnt be fair to the parents of soldiers killed in the fighting. Sanders also outlined other positions that may sound familiar to todays voters, including increasing the minimum wage and availability of low-income housing, as well as increased access to dental care. He also charged that the Democratic Party was too beholden to large corporations. The Vermont senator received around one percent of the vote in that election. Sanders is currently the strongest presidential candidate from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and has polled ahead of moderate Joe Biden in various Iowa and New Hampshire surveys. Establishment Democrats have been worried by Sanderss rise and durability throughout the primary. The senator has relied on an enthusiastic base of younger progressive voters, and has received strong grassroots financial support. More from National Review Gold prices edged higher on Friday and were on track for their biggest monthly gain in five, as concerns of an economic slowdown arising from the coronavirus epidemic kept the safe-haven metal supported. Spot gold rose 0.75% to $1,585.8 per ounce. The metal has gained 4% so far this month, on course for its best month since August. U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $1,590.8 an ounce. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the coronavirus outbreak a global emergency, however, it opposed restrictions on travel or trade with China and showed confidence that China could contain it. "The virus and its potential to impact the global economy negatively is keeping gold supported," Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen said. "However, the lack of fresh buying is keeping the metal from moving up even though uncertainties around coronavirus is affecting other markets like the equities." The virus, which has claimed 213 lives so far in China and has spread to at least 22 countries, has brought a halt to many provinces in the world's second-largest economy with lockdowns, travel restrictions and closed businesses. World share markets fought to regain their footing as investors clutched at hopes that China could contain the coronavirus. "At this point, it (impact from the virus) is not something the Chinese economy can shrug off, there will be a hit to growth, the magnitude of which will be difficult to chisel out in detail for quite a while," said Ilya Spivak, a senior currency strategist at DailyFx. Meanwhile, surveys showed steady Chinese factory activity and firm services this month, though this was likely before the virus took full hold. "Wuhan fears should ensure that a break below $1,560 is very unlikely ahead of the weekend," Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA, said in a note. In Europe, the United Kingdom will leave the European Union an hour before midnight. Palladium was down 0.7% at $2,294. Prices were set to gain 18% this month, the best since November 2016, but were down 5.7% this week. Silver rose 0.1% to $17.85 and but was down 1.3% for the week, the worst since the week ended Dec. 6. Platinum shed 0.8%, to $970.04, and was on track to decline 3.2% for the week, its steepest since early November. Congress leader P Chidambaram has questioned the one-month extension given to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik on Thursday. The Police Commissioner of Delhi gets an extension on the day there is a shooting in the presence of a substantial police force. Incomprehensible and reprehensible. One has got an extension, but who has been suspended for the deplorable shooting yesterday? he said on Twitter on Friday morning. The Police Commissioner of Delhi gets an extension on the day there is a shooting in the presence of a substantial police force Incomprehensible and reprehensible. One has got an extension, but who has been suspended for the deplorable shooting yesterday? P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) January 31, 2020 Patnaik, who was due to retire today, was given tenure extension of a month in view of the assembly polls in the national capital. The Union Home Ministry released the order on Thursday after getting a nod from the Election Commission. The Home Ministry had written to the Election Commission seeking permission for extending Patnaiks tenure because the national capital is currently under the model code of conduct ahead of the assembly election on February 8. Many in Delhi police said the ministry could have arrived at this decision to ensure that there is continuity of leadership at the top during the assembly election. The counting of votes is on February 11. Patnaik was appointed the city police chief on January 17, 2017. He had replaced Alok Verma, who had been appointed as the director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Many officers in Delhi police said this is the first time in the history of the force that a commissioner has been given an extension. When Patnaik was appointed the commissioner in 2017, he had superseded two senior officers, Dharmendra Kumar and Deepak Mishra of the 1984 cadre. Patnaik is a 1985-batch officer of AGMUT cadre. BOSTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) announced today that Julio Nemeth has been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective January 31, 2020. Mr. Nemeth, 59, is the Chief Product Supply Officer at Procter & Gamble, a consumer goods company headquartered in Cincinnati, OH (NYSE: PG). In his current role, Mr. Nemeth leads P&G's global Product Supply organization, which includes 58,000 employees, over 100 manufacturing plants, and roughly 200 distribution centers around the world focused on bringing superior products to the world's consumers. He also serves as the Executive Sponsor of the Hispanic Leadership Team and the People with Disabilities Network at P&G. Since joining the company in 1990, Mr. Nemeth has held several senior roles, including President of Global Business Services from January 2015 to April 2019 and Senior Vice President, Product Supply, Global Operations from July 2013 to December 2014. Prior to his time at P&G, he served as a Project Engineer for Union Carbide Corporation in Brazil from 1987 to 1990 and as a Design Engineer for Fabirnor Argentina from 1984 to 1987. He holds an MBA from Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Brazil and a Bachelor of Science in Naval Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires. Jim Koch, Founder and Chairman of the Company, said, "Julio's exceptional experience spans more than three and a half decades working in consumer goods and manufacturing environments. I've always admired P&G for the quality of their products and the innovation in their manufacturing systems. Julio's accomplishments in operations, engineering, innovation, and supply chain management will complement the deep breadth of expertise on our Board. We're looking forward to his insights and guidance as we continue to grow our business and portfolio of products." Mr. Nemeth will serve as an independent Class B Director. "I've watched in appreciation as The Boston Beer Company has grown tremendously in innovation, size, and complexity of products over the past few decades," Mr. Nemeth said. "It's inspiring to watch the passion and enthusiasm that drives the Company every day, and I'm looking forward to joining the Board at this exciting time in the Company's growth." Boardspan Inc., a leading provider of board and governance expertise through cloud-based and traditional advisory services, advised Boston Beer on this appointment. About the Company The Boston Beer Company, Inc. (NYSE: SAM) began in 1984 brewing Samuel Adams beer, which is currently recognized as one of the largest and most respected craft beer brands. Our portfolio of brands also includes Truly Hard Seltzer, Dogfish Head, Angry Orchard Hard Cider, Twisted Tea, Wild Leaf Hard Tea, Tura Alcoholic Kombucha, Angel City Brewery, Coney Island Brewing, and Concrete Beach Brewery. For more information, please visit our investor relations website at www.bostonbeer.com, which includes links to all of our respective brand websites. SOURCE The Boston Beer Company, Inc. OnePlus smartphones are slowly becoming the premium Android smartphone that everybody loves. While OnePlus smartphones have almost all the bells and whistles of a premium smartphone, it still lacks one major feature that is present on almost every flagship device. Wireless charging on OnePlus smartphones has always been the most requested feature by fans and critics alike and it seems like the Chinese company is finally looking to fulfil those requests. Youtube/Gheorghe Daniel In a previous rumour, OnePlus 8 Pro was rumoured to feature the said feature, however, the company may have just dropped a huge hint this week. OnePlus joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), the standard that regulates Qi wireless charging used by smartphones. MobileScout spotted OnePlus joining the consortium and it means that OnePlus is definitely looking to include wireless charging on future devices. Samsung While wireless charging is a slower method to charge smartphones but is very convenient. Personally, I use it on the nightstand for charging my iPhone 11 Pro Max and the Galaxy Note 10+ overnight. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has previously been unsure about wireless charging as it is too slow, however, when charging overnight, we really dont need those faster-charging speeds. BCCL However, OnePlus joining the Wireless Power Consortium only reassures the possibility that the OnePlus 8 Pro could, in fact, come with the feature as previously reported. Granted that wireless charging increases the cost of manufacturing of the smartphone and we could only see it as a feature on the more expensive Pro models. Having said that, it is exciting to see that we may one day have a OnePlus smartphone that will support wireless charging. It is also possible that reverse wireless charging may also be a significant feature that can be used to charge accessories such as smartwatches and wireless earbuds. Source: MobileScout An elderly man and some children. One of the posters on the wall is an advertisement for Lion Toothpaste. The Bozoky Dezso Exhibit at the Seoul Museum of History Museum. Robert Neff, November 2019. By Robert Neff Many years ago, when I first arrived in Korea as a young soldier, I was warned by one of my superiors to be careful when trying to buy toothpaste in the Korean village near our base. He warned me that the Korean word for toothpaste sounds very similar to the word for rat poison and any mistake in pronunciation could be fatal. I have never forgotten his warning and am, even now, kind of leery about trying to ask for toothpaste in Korean. This is not the only connection to teeth. Horace N. Allen described rats as being "nimble little thieves [that] will take almost anything moveable." He recalled the tale of an American missionary in Korea who went to Japan to have some false teeth made. While returning to Korea on a steamship, he removed his teeth so he could go to sleep. In the morning, when he woke, he was alarmed to discover his teeth were gone. The shocked missionary summoned the steward and, after an exhaustive search, the missing dentures were discovered in a rat's nest inside the walls of his cabin. Perhaps an even more alarming anecdote involving rats and teeth was told by Dr. David E. Hahn, an American dentist in Seoul in the early 1900s. According to Hahn, rats were part of Korean folk dentistry. "The rat is covered with salt and when anyone suffers from a toothache, salt is taken from the rat and rubbed on the affected member," Hahn said. The Year of the Rat has begun, so take good care of your teeth, or you might lose them. The number of Americans booking flights to Brazil has jumped 39% since the government of President Jair Bolsonaro waived a visa requirement for U.S. citizens in June, according to its official tourism agency, which is devising plans to draw more, Trend reports citing Reuters. Brazil is much more than the land of caipirinhas and tiny bikinis. We want to focus on ecotourism and our vast natural resources, from the Amazon rainforest to the Pantanal wetlands, Embratur President Gilson Machado told Reuters on Thursday. Machado said he spoke to U.S. airlines last week about adding direct flights to more cities in Brazil. With an annual budget that was increased by Bolsonaro to $120 million from just $8 million, Embratur will launch a publicity campaign to sell Brazil as a new country - and a much safer one. Violent crime in Brazilian cities dropped by 25% in Bolsonaros first year in office and public security has been reinforced at tourist hot spots, Machado said. Safety concerns, along with inconvenient flights, poor infrastructure and high costs have long held back Brazils tourism industry. International tourism represents just 2.5% of Brazilian export revenue compared with 7.5% in Argentina and nearly 17% in Uruguay, according to World Bank data and the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Brazil eliminated tourist visa requirements for visitors from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan in June and is planning to do the same for India and China to boost tourism. Embratur hopes to turn Brazil into a global scuba diving destination, with 1,200 old boats, vehicles and planes to be deposited in the sea to create artificial reefs. Machado will also work on Bolsonaros pet project, which has drawn ire from environmentalists: developing a Brazilian Cancun in Angra dos Reis, a bay near Rio de Janeiro dotted with more than 300 islands and hundreds of pristine beaches. Machado said it would require removal of excessive bureaucracy to clear local and federal environmental hurdles. Another proposal to draw more American visitors is financing a feature film that would broadcast Brazils natural beauty, he said. As mighty as the Diablo was, Lamborghini turned the dial to 11 with the SE 30. Designed as an even more purposeful version, it was over 250 pounds lighter than the standard model and hid almost 40 extra ponies under the engine lid. But Lamborghinis desire to go GT racing in the then-sprawling BPR GT Endurance Series saw them build a number of Jota kits designed to be added to the SE 30. The original purpose of the Jota trans-kit was to transform the Diablo into a turn-key race car, but the majority of the 28 kits built ended up on street-legal cars after all. Lamborghinis only supercar built during the Chrysler ownership years was the Diablo, a model that was conceived to be better in all areas than the Countach which had originally been presented all the way back in 1974. The Diablo featured a rounder design although it was still a wedge shape car in spirit with the same scissor doors that powered the Countach to every childs bedroom wall in the 70s and 80s. The Lamborghini Diablo SE 30, where SE stands for Special Edition, was built between 1993 and 1995 to celebrate the 30th anniversary since the Lamborghini company was founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini. Only 150 of these special Diablos were built and less than 30 received the coveted Jota package. Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 Exterior Built to celebrate the companys 30th year in business Model-specific exterior finish Redesigned front bumper Huge rear wing One-off magnesium OZ Racing wheels The Jota kit is recognizable by the two scoops incorporated in the engine lid The successor to the flamboyant Countach, in itself named after an Italian slang word that describes unbridled amazement, arrived in January of 1990 after a five-year gestation. It was christened Diablo after a devil-may-care bull who fought with El Chicorro in 1869, a battle for the ages as many in attendance would recount. The Diablos development started when the company was owned by French brothers Jean Claude and Patrick Mimran. They drafted in Marcello Gandini, the man behind the Miura and the Countach while he was affiliated with Bertone, to design the new car, but a change of ownership saw Gandinis ideas scrapped. The Italians razor-sharp concept, a direct successor to the Countach Periscopio in terms of looks, was seen as outdated by Chrysler who, instead, employed their own design team led by Tom Gale, the man behind the Chrysler Prowler and the Dodge Viper. Gale came up with a less abrasive version of Gandinis design which was accepted, leaving Gandini dismayed. The original design lived on, though, as it was slightly altered and ended up as the Cizeta V16T. The Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 was presented in 1993 during the Lamborghini Days festival in SantAgata Bolognese where over 140 Lamborghinis gathered to celebrate three decades of decadence and success under the coat of arms of the Raging Bull. The SE 30 was supposed to be the maddest bull of the lot: It had more power than a standard Diablo, improved aerodynamics, and less weight than ever before. It was also purple. The company had already built a special model to celebrate its enduring success, five years prior in 1989 when the company turned 25 years old. Back then, the Countach 25th Anniversary model was presented and it was, in the same vein as the SE 30, a much improved Countach in most areas. However, while the 25th Anniversary was more focused on the comfort of its occupants, the SE 30 was a beast meant to go break some lap records. Up front, you can easily tell the SE 30 is a different animal by looking at the reshaped front bumper which extends lower than on a VT. The lower part of the front fascia now includes four square fog lights, grouped two-by-two on either side of the nose. The fog lights sit on the outer extremities of two straked air vents that direct air to the brakes. The central panel of the nose features the Lamborghini logo in the middle, positioned lower than its usual position on the trunk lid, and the recessed indicators. The pop-up headlight arrangement wasnt altered on the SE 30 although two triangular air vents were added on top of the fenders. The front lip ends with a rubber add-on meant to save you some scratches of the underbelly or the tip of the nose. From the side, youll notice the new wheels. They are 18-inch in diameter at the back and were built especially for this car by OZ-Racing while Pirelli P Zero tires were the final link to the road. They retain the circular theme of the VT wheels but the spokes are clearly outlined. The air intakes incorporated in the rocker panels come with vertical louvers like on the Diablo Roadster. Another defining detail of the SE 30 are the side windows. Akin to some racing cars, only the lower part separated from the rest of the window by a curved bar opens to breathe air into the cabin. At the back, the SE 30 has a protruding rear bumper with the outboard elements poking out slightly ahead of the middle part. Two backup lights and two red indicators are placed on the bumpers corners while the taillights themselves remain similar to those on the VT. The two main circular lights on either side sit within an almost rectangular simulated taillight. The grille in between the taillights features both the Ranging Bull logo and a special Special Edition 30 badge that sets the SE 30 Diablos apart. The enormous rear wing painted in the same color as the rest of the bodywork is permanently attached to the louvered hood. The lowest-mounted louver hosts the additional brake light. On the 25-odd Jota models, the rear hood also comes with two extra scoops designed to feed extra air into the engine compartment. Not much else is different between a standard SE 30 and an SE 30 Jota. As with the Countach and the Miura, rear visibility is abysmal which is why, in the dreadful scenario that you have to back up in your Diablo, you most definitely have to open the scissor door, sit on the door sill and back up while looking out yourself. Yes, cars didnt always come fitted with rearview cameras that tell you how close you are to impending doom - read scratches in parking lots - at any time. Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 exterior dimensions Wheelbase 104.15 inches Length 175.28 inches Width 80.17 inches Height 43.43 inches Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 Interior No radio or A/C New, smaller steering wheel Lavishly covered in Alcantara leather Improved carbon-fiber bucket seats with better side support Standard four-point harnesses with the SE 30 logos on them Onboard fire extinguishing system Another switch allowed you to set up the anti-roll bars on the go Lamborghini wanted the SE 30 to be the car that would take its customers on a path towards motorsports. Thats why the aim of saving weight was paramount. Thats why carbon fiber was used extensively in the cabin. The seats were made out of carbon fiber as well as parts of the dash that was picked up from the VT. Alcantara leather was the standard choice for the interior, the exquisite material covering the dashboard, the sides of the center console, the top part of the armrest between the seats and the seats themselves. However, customers could choose - through the Carte Blanche program - different types of leather and other colors that they wanted inside as well as on the outside. Even the smaller, racing-oriented, steering wheel has Alcantara in the middle while the rim is wrapped in a grippier type of leather. While this is a car that currently trades hands for almost $500,000 the indicator stacks on the sides of the steering column are still the same as on a Morris Marina. But, at least, when you look behind the steering wheel at the two main gauges with their white background you see that the odometer exceeds 200 mph. In fact, the team of engineers assembled to create the Diablo was given the top priority of building a car that could exceed 196 mph. The central air vents are placed in line with the gauge cluster housing but the few switches and buttons are positioned lower on the reclining center console. Lamborghini offered the SE 30 without air conditioning or a radio although customers could option these amenities back in if they didnt care about the added weight. The bucket seats come with four-point harnesses that can hold you in place even through the tightest of hairpins. Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 Drivetrain 5.7-liter, naturally-aspirated, V-12 engine Almost 520 horsepower, 60 hp extra Rear-wheel drive 260 pounds lighter than the standard Diablo Unequal wishbone suspension Magnesium intake manifolds made the engine lighter Refined brakes Lamborghini outfitted the Diablo with the 5.7-liter V-12, an evolution of the engine available on the Countach. The computer-controlled multi-point fuel injected unit developed almost 490 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque. While the original Diablo was rear-wheel-drive, the VT, which stands for Viscous Traction, had the power sent to all four wheels. To save weight, Lamborghini returned to the RWD setup with the SE 30. but this also meant the car was more menacing and, with much of the weight hanging around the back half of the thing, keeping it pointing in the right direction proved tough in the wet. The engine on the SE 30 was lighter since magnesium was used to make the intake manifolds More power was extricated from the naturally-aspirated unit thanks to the reprogramming of the Lamborghini LIE electronic injection, the addition of a free-flow exhaust system and fiddling with the cylinder heads. How much? Well, the SE 30 had almost 530 horsepower on tap at 7,000 rpm while torque remained at 428 pound-feet at 5,200 rpm. The electronically-adjustable suspension of the VT was no more on the SE 30 although, in its place, Lamborghini put a four-way traction control system. By four-way I mean it had three level of intrusiveness while the fourth level meant you got no help from the traction control system at all. As I said, the suspension was more traditional on the SE 30 with parallelogram action unequal length wishbones, anti-roll bars, and front anti-dive and anti-squat geometry. Steering was by rack and pinion and was unassisted on this model, although the basic model came in standard with power steering. The SE 30 tipped the scales at 3,200 pounds. With 530 horsepower pushing from behind, a top speed nearing 210 mph was attainable whilst the sprint from 0 to 62 mph took little over four seconds. The Jota upgrade kit pushed the bar even higher. On the Jota, a lighter crankshaft, new cams, and a reprogrammed ECU brought to light almost 60 more horsepower. Acceleration from 0 to 62 mph was brought under 4 seconds as a consequence while the top speed was over 210 mph. Only 28 Jota kits were built with the intent for track use and only 15 of those were applied to standard SE 30s within Lamborghinis own Engineering department which was like the Squadra Corsa arm today. All the power from the DOHC, chain-driven, 48-valve engine reaches the back tires through a 5-speed all-synchromesh ZF gearbox with a limited-slip differential. The brakes are from Brembo with an H-type hydraulic circuit and servo-assistance. Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 specifications Engine Naturally-aspirated, DOHC, chain-driven, 48-valve, 5.7-liter, 60-degree V-12 with a light-alloy block with pressed-in liners Fuel feed L.I.E. Lamborghini electronic sequential multi-point injection Compression ratio 10.0:1 Bore x Stroke 3.42 x 3.15 inches Gearbox 5-speed all-synchromesh manual ZF transmission with a hydraulically-operated single-plate clutch Suspension Independent front & rear with parallelogram action unequal length wishbones, anti-roll bars, with variable geometry Brakes Brembo ventilated disc brakes with an H-type hydraulic circuit and servo-assistance Weight 3,200 pounds Output 530 horsepower at 7,000 rpm Torque 428 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm 0-62 mph 4,5 seconds Top speed 207 mph Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 Pricing Lamborghini only ever built 150 SE 30s, each marked as such by a numbered plaque that tells you which car youre in. Standard SE 30s sell for anywhere between $130,000 and $220,000 although a Jota version is substantially more. With Lamborghini themselves only applying the Jota treatment to 15 cars, while 13 other upgrade kits were added by dealers, the SE 30 Jota is extremely rare. Whats interesting about it is that, apart from the scoops that crop up above the roofline, you cant tell the two apart. So youll be paying double the price of a normal SE 30, or even more if you want a Jota thats not purple, for a car that looks vastly the same. Youll know, however, that theres much more oomph under your right foot. Oh, and since I mentioned that not all Jotas were painted in the standard Special Edition lavender purple, a blue example sold for $760,000 two years ago during an RM/Sothebys Auction in Monaco. Thats more than a painstakingly accurate Miura Jota recreation based on a Miura S that sold for only $507,000 in 2014. As we all know, the original Jota built by Bob Wallace was destroyed so recreations such as that one are the only way to experience that car. Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 Competition Italian engineer and businessman Claudio Zampolli is behind the Cizeta V16T, originally known as the Cizeta-Moroder V16T since the project started as a joint-venture between Zampolli and techno music giant Giorgio Moroder. The Cizeta V16T is an incarnation of Marcello Gandinis original sketches for the Diablo project. The car was the result of concerted efforts by a number of ex-Lamborghini employees. They used two Lamborghini Urraco DOHC flat-plane V-8s mated n a single block to create the Cizetas 6.0-liter 16-cylinder unit. This behemoth developed 512 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 398 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm (Zampolli claimed that the output could be pushed to 540 horsepower at 8,000 rpm though). Top speed was declared as being 186 mph, quite something for a car weighing 3,700 pounds. The Cizeta was luxuriously appointed inside but, with an MSRP in 1991 of almost $1,200,000 in todays money, very few sold. In fact, 11 examples found an owner before the headquarters moved to L.A. and two more cars were built between 1999 and 2003. Whats incredible about the Cizeta is that, if your pockets are bottomless, you can still buy one today. There was a time delay due to the relocation of the entire equipment, Zampolli said in a recent interview with Hagerty. But the V16T is still available - of course on special order only. Read our full review on the 1991 Cizeta V16T The EB110 was launched on September 15th, 1991, on the very day that Ettore Bugatti wouldve celebrated his 110th birthday. It was the only car that came out of the Bugatti works while Romano Artioli owned the company. Again, Marcello Gandini was involved in the initial sketches but the final design was by Giampaolo Benedini. The car came with an unheard of setup: four turbochargers strapped to a 3.5-liter V-12 engine with 12 individual throttle bodies. This engine sat in the middle of carbon fiber body built by Aerospatiale and it sent the power to all four wheels. The wing would raise at a certain speed to increase downforce which was an interesting quirk at the time. The gearbox was a 6-speed manual which just about could settle the vicious 553 horsepower that came from under the hood (over 600 on the SS). The top speed was above 210 mph and 0 to 62 mph took just 4.2 seconds. The car was well appointed inside but it came at the wrong time. The recession that hit both the North-American continent and Europe, as well as Japan, in the early 90s meant that the EB110s market evaporated. After all, it costed the equivalent of almost $600,000 in todays money which was quite something back in 1992. Less than 200 cars were built before the company went bust due to Artiolis poor management. Basically, the Italian entrepreneur wanted to develop the EB112 and the EB118 models (a four-door sedan and a two-door luxury coupe) and then he wanted to purchase Lotus from GM. In the end, in 1995, the petition for bankruptcy was actually filed by Giugiaro whod designed the EB112 sedan but never received the money for the work. But you cant mention Bugattis failure in the 90s without talking about the EB110s inherent flaws. Engineer Nicola Materazzi, the man behind the Stratos and the F40, called the EB110s engine "an exercise in making whats easy difficult, passing through uselessness". Materazzi was asked to join the Bugatti engineering team after Chief Engineer Paolo Stanzani, the former mastermind behind the early Lamborghini exploits, quit. In short, the EB110 was too complicated and too expensive to manufacture for its own good. But it stands as an amazing car to this day. Read our full review on the 1992 Bugatti EB110 Conclusion The Lamborghini Diablo SE 30 is the first in a long series of over-the-top Diablos built before the model finally bowed out of production in 2001. What makes it unmistakable is its unique nose and the equally special purple paint. The Jota models have become prized collectibles but the other 120-odd SE 30s that didnt receive the injection of steroids under the hood are trading hands for less-than-stratospheric prices. Still, you wont find one for cheap. WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, January 31, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), along with other civil rights organizations, will hold a news conference to respond to President Trump's expected announcement of an expansion of the Muslim Ban executive orders. [MEDIA NOTE: If the expansion has not been announced by the time of the news conference, contact CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-999-8292, [email protected], for updates.] WHAT: CAIR, Civil Rights Partners Respond to Expected Expansion of the Trump's Muslim Ban WHEN: Friday, January 31, 3 p.m. WHERE: CAIR's Capitol Hill Headquarters, 453 New Jersey Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003 CONTACT: CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, [email protected] According to Politico, Trump is expected to reveal an expansion of the ban this Friday. SEE: Trump Expected to Reveal Travel Ban Expansion on Friday (Politico) https://www.politico.com/news/2020/01/30/trump-travel-ban-expansion-109659 Politico states: "The expected announcement -- confirmed by two people familiar with the matter -- had initially been planned for this past Monday to coincide with the three-year anniversary of the original order, which restricted travel from several majority-Muslim nations. But the administration was delayed as it responded to the fast-spreading coronavirus, according to an administration official." According to that report, one of the changes calls for people coming from Sudan, a Muslim majority nation, to be barred from the U.S. diversity visa program. A draft of the expanded ban would place restrictions on six other countries. Countries that have been considered for new restrictions include Belarus, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, and Tanzania. It is not clear which countries will be on the final list. Earlier this week, CAIR and other organizations took part in a court hearing and rally in Richmond Va., challenging the Trump administration's Muslim Ban based on its discriminatory intent. Video: Full News Conference Following Muslim Ban Court Hearing in Richmond, Va. https://youtu.be/zKE9_pET8o0 CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims. La mision de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprension del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected] ; CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ayan Ajeen, [email protected] SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Related Links http://www.cair.com Company Announcement no. 49 2019 Copenhagen, January 31st, 2020 GreenMobility enters Austria and signs LOI for cooperation with OAMTC GreenMobility, a leading electric vehicle (EV) sharing provider, today announced it has signed a Letter of Intent with OAMTC The Austrian Automobile and Touring Club to cooperate on shared mobility in Austria. The move is part of GreenMobilitys strategy of international expansion after having gained a strong foothold in Copenhagen. The establishment in Austria follows GreenMobilitys strategy from planned entries in cities like Malmo, Gothenburg and Antwerp where GreenMobility increasingly aims to launch own operation locally. OAMTC is the largest automobile club in Austria with more than 2.2 million members. In 2018 OAMTC launched OAMTC easy way, a shared e-moped service with 315 e-mopeds in Vienna and Graz. GreenMobility and OAMTC will seek to combine the two services and create an integrated mobility sharing service, where customers can easily choose between different electric vehicles. A further goal of the cooperation is to combine the resources, expertise and experience of both companies to jointly develop and market innovative mobility services that create real added value for mobile urbanists. In addition to the OAMTC-agreement, GreenMobility has been approved as an operator and been invited to be included in the City of Viennas public transport platform WienMobil. The City of Vienna strongly supports shared mobility and sees the benefits of combining such services with their well-functioning public transport, through the WienMobil platform, with an aim of removing private cars from the city, and reduce traffic intensity. GreenMobilitys EV sharing service will, from day one, become available to WienMobils more than 160,000 users, who will be able to reserve the cars directly on the platform. Vienna is a perfect city for GreenMobility. There is a strong political support for shared mobility, and with close to 2 million inhabitants there is a solid potential customer base. The strong brand and member base of OAMTC combined with the fact that we will be included in the WienMobil platform makes me confident that our green shared mobility solution is well-positioned to take its fair share of the market, said GreenMobility CEO Thomas Heltborg Juul. GreenMobility expects to launch its operations in Vienna with 400 EVs. The exact timing of the launch depends on several factors but is expected to take place in the second half of the year. For further information: Anders Wall, VP Investor Relations GreenMobility, phone: +45 2540 3020, mail: aw@greenmobility.com GreenMobility A/S, Landgreven 3, 1301 Kbenhavn K, CVR: 35521585, www.greenmobility.com Certified Advisor NORDEN CEF ApS John Norden Kongevejen 365, DK-2840 Holte +45 2072 0200 jn@nordencef.dk GreenMobility offers modern urbanites easy, flexible and sustainable transport in the form of electric, shared city cars. Users have access to these cars via the GreenMobility app. Trips are paid per-minute. Today, GreenMobility operates 400 cars in Copenhagen; and 250 cars in Oslo, together with cooperative partner VY and 100 cars in Aarhus together with our partner NRGi. More than 75,000 people have signed up with GreenMobility. Driven by global megatrends, GreenMobility sees a rapidly growing market for car sharing in large cities, that demand green transport for their citizens and aim to reduce the number of private cars. GreenMobilitys ambition is to be among the leading global operators of green shared mobility solutions. GreenMobility is listed on the Nasdaq First North in Copenhagen. Attachment Whats New This Month - SHOWS 2 Dope Queens - Season 2 (07 February 2020) 2 Dope Queens is a weekly standup and storytelling podcast that features Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, along with their friends and favorite comedians, talking about sex, romance, race, hair journeys and living in New York Cast: Jessica Williams, Phoebe Robinson High Maintenance Season 4 (08 February 2020) Based on the web series from Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, High Maintenance stars Sinclair as The Guy, a bike-riding, weed-delivery salesman with an eclectic variety of Brooklyn clients. Cast: Ben Sinclair Homeland - Season 8 (10 February 2020) Homeland is an edge-of-your-seat sensation. CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin), Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even sanity, at every turn. In the eighth and final season, Carrie Mathison lands up in Afghanistan negotiating for peace due to her invaluable knowledge of the region Cast: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Damian Lewis Kidding - Season 2 (10 February 2020) In his first series regular role in over two decades, Jim Carrey stars as Jeff, aka Mr. Pickles, an icon of childrens television and a beacon of kindness and wisdom to Americas impressionable young minds and the parents who grew up with him. But when this beloved personality's family begins to implode, Jeff finds no fairy tale, fable or puppet will guide him through the crisis, which advances faster than his means to cope. The result: a kind man in a cruel world faces a slow leak of sanity as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. Cast: Jim Carrey, Frank Langella, Judy Greer, Catherine Keener Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (18 February 2020) Breaking news, on a weekly basis. Comedian John Oliver satirically covers the week in news, politics and current events in this Emmy-winning variety series. Cast: John Oliver Whats New This Month - MOVIES McMillion$ (04 February 2020) A six-part documentary series from Executive Producer Mark Wahlberg, McMillion$ chronicles the stranger-than-fiction true story of how $24 million-dollars was stolen from the McDonalds Monopoly game of the 1990s, the mystery mastermind behind the scam and the intrepid FBI agents on his trail Cast: Nelson Hayne, Michael C. Pizzuto Breakthrough (07 February 2020) When Joyce Smiths adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost as John lies lifeless. In the face of every bleak medical case history and dire scientic prediction, Joyces unwavering belief inspires her community to pray for Johns recovery. Based on the incredible true story, BREAKTHROUGH is an enthralling reminder that faith and love can create a mountain of hope, and sometimes even a miracle Cast: Chrissy Metz, Josh Lucas, Topher Grace, Mike Colter, Marcel Ruiz, Sam Trammell and Dennis Haysbert Tolkien(07 February 2020) Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the fellowship apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels. Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney Stuber (27 February 2020) Get ready for the ride of your life in this high-speed buddy comedy fueled by huge laughs and nonstop action! When a mild-mannered driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up a passenger (Dave Bautista) who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, Stu is thrust into a harrowing ordeal in which he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating. Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Dave Bautista, Iko Uwais, Natalie Morales, Betty Gilpin, Jimmy Tatro, with Mira Sorvino, and Karen Gillan Hotstar Premium has a large selection of latest American shows, blockbuster Hollywood movies and award-winning content from International studios. Hotstar VIP Whats New This Month - MOVIES Prati Roju Pandage (3rd February) - Telugu Movie The film revolves around the old mans last wishes and the realisation that life is meant to be celebrated. Cast - Sai Dharam Tej, Raasi Khanna, Sathyaraj Entha Manchivaadavuraa (14th February) - Telugu Movie Balu loses both of his parents in his childhood and he grows up as an orphan. He wants to have all these relationships back into his life and because of this he starts an organization named "All Is Well" to supply emotions to the needy. Cast - Kalyan Ram and Mehreen Pirzada With Hotstar VIP get access to exclusive new content from the Hotstar Specials label, access to STAR network serials before television 6AM onward, and the latest and best of live sporting action. Britain has left the European Union, bringing the curtain down on 47 years of membership. Almost four years on from the 2016 referendum, the UK ceased to be a member of the bloc at 11pm on Friday. Sky News marked the moment by projecting a Brexit countdown clock on the White Cliffs of Dover, which ended in the historic announcement, "The UK has left the EU." A light show illuminated Downing Street when the clock struck 11pm, with a mixture of celebration and regret across Britain on a landmark day. In a video message released to mark Brexit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson referenced the divisions that have been caused by the Leave vote. He said that while Brexit represented an "astonishing moment of hope" for many, there will be others who "feel a sense of anxiety and loss". But he predicted that the "opportunity" of Brexit can be turned into a "stunning success". The PM hosted a reception in Number 10 for cabinet ministers, advisers and civil servants, officials who were involved in the negotiations, and supporters of the Leave campaign. Supporters and opponents of Brexit made their views known throughout Britain, with Westminster a particular focus for events. Hundreds of Brexit supporters gathered for a party led by Nigel Farage on Parliament Square. Addressing the crowd, Mr Farage said Brexit was the "greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation". Speaking to Sky News, the Brexit Party leader said people laughed at him for trying to get the UK out of the EU, "but they're not laughing any more". "We are better, bigger, stronger than being a star on somebody else's flag," he added. A recording of bongs from Big Ben was played out through speakers when the clock struck 11pm. This was followed by a rendition of the national anthem, with the lyrics displayed on a large screen above the stage. Earlier, pro-EU demonstrators took part in a procession through Whitehall. Story continues A crowd also gathered across the road from Number 10, waving EU flags and anti-Brexit placards. The message "we still love EU" was beamed onto the White Cliffs of Dover. It came after a love letter to the bloc from two Second World War veterans was projected onto the cliffs. The video ended with the stars of the EU flag slowly disappearing, leaving just one star. "This is our star. Look after it for us," the last message said. Candlelit vigils took place in Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU. Leave a Light On gatherings happened in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations. Participants wanted to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland, amid a renewed bid from the SNP for a second independence referendum. In Northern Ireland, there were a series of protests in Armagh, close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. In Brussels, the EU has been preparing for life without Britain in the bloc. The UK flag was removed from its flagpole outside the European Parliament - and other EU institutions - and will be placed in a museum. Attention has already turned to the next set of talks aimed at the relationship in trade and other areas which will apply from 1 January 2021. Brussels is pessimistic about the 11-month timetable for reaching a deal and made clear that Britain will have to accept worse terms and conditions for trade than if it were still a member of the EU. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: "We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership." German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Brexit was "a deep break for us all" and warned the "negotiations will certainly not be easy". Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said Brexit was an "alarm signal" for the EU and hit out at the "lies, exaggerations, simplifications" that led to the Leave vote. The vote for Brexit caused a political earthquake, with British politics consumed by the aftershocks for years. It ended the premierships of David Cameron, who called the referendum, and Theresa May, who saw her time in Downing Street ended by the Brexit chaos. Mr Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU, managed to get a Brexit deal passed by parliament. He gambled on a snap election and was returned to power with a commanding majority. But although a page has been turned in the process, Britain still has to negotiate the terms of its future relationship with Brussels during a transition period. Mr Johnson has said he will not ask the EU for an extension to this, setting the stage for the next potential battle with the bloc. Julie Schafler Dale, who in the early 1970s founded the influential Manhattan store Julie: Artisans Gallery, said Ms. Feldmans shop had been a magnet for these young women who were interested in using yarns to create innovative new forms and wearable pieces. That was key in sustaining what people were doing at that time, she added. Ms. Feldman also wrote books offering instructions, images and encouragement to readers to work beyond the constraints of standard patterns. Crochet: Discovery and Design, published in 1972, was praised in The New York Times for going beyond baby booties and into ideas that could turn into works of art. A follow-up, The Crocheters Art: New Dimensions in Free-Form Crochet, was published in 1974. She did want to teach people the basics and then encourage them to go off on their own: to be creative and dont be afraid to try things and just see what your mind can conjure up with your crochet, Gwen Blakley Kinsler, founder of the Crochet Guild of America, said by phone. Image Ms. Feldmans book The Crocheters Art was published in 1974. She wanted, one commentator said, to teach people the basics and then encourage them to go off on their own. Credit... via Feldman family Delores Pitt was born in Chicago on Feb. 23, 1929, to William and Serene (Davis) Pitt. Her father was a kosher butcher, her mother a seamstress. Both parents were immigrants, her father from Poland, her mother from Hungary. The family moved to the East Flatbush area of Brooklyn a few years later. The household was frugal, but even as a child Delores was creative and resourceful. When Delores was about 10, her mother considered buying a Halloween costume to be a frivolous expense, so Delores created a makeshift Tin Man ensemble using aluminum foil from the kitchen. She also learned to crochet as a child. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) ranked first in the Arab world and 21st globally on the Global Labour Resilience Index 2020, which was issued in Davos, Switzerland during a special session held on the sidelines of the 50th summit meeting of the World Economic Forum in the presence of Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy, and officials and economic leaders from more than 30 countries. Following the release of the report, the UAE has officially climbed 12 places on the indexs overall rating over the past five years, up from 33 in 2015, and it is the only GCC country to rank among the top 30 countries the year. Bahrain is the nearest Gulf nation to the UAE and ranked 15 places below in 36th for the year. The Global Labor Resilience Index measures the level of future unemployment risks that countries face based on geographical disparities, structural shifts, policy and technology changes and their impact on the labor market; with the report for the current year ranking 145 countries and economies on the flexibility of their labor markets in light of the technological transformation. The index was led by Whiteshield Partners, a London-based consultancy firm that specialises in global public policy and strategy, in cooperation with the Oxford University Said Business School, ManpowerGroup, and the UK Institute for the Future of Work. During the launching session of the index on the sidelines of the Davos 2020 meetings, Al Mansoori said that the UAE has followed a development path based on the vision and directions of the nations wise leadership. He explained the country has achieved continuous development in economic policies and business sector strategies, increased the resilience of the labor market and raised its ability to adapt to economic and social changes and global transformations as a result of technological and digital revolution over the past ten years, and occupied a leading position at the regional level in this vital path that charts the future economies of the next stage. Al Mansoori added: The UAEs achievements on the Global Labour Resilience Index 2020 is a testament to the national economy as it has made great strides in enhancing its economic potential in the digital age and improving its ability to confront the widespread economic changes at international level. This includes the ability to keep pace with progress in economic complexity, and adopting a knowledge economy model that focuses on the know-how needed to produce goods and services, diversify exports, increase the diversification of the economic base and reduce dependence on oil. Al Mansoori highlighted that the Index carries great importance as it provides an invaluable tool for measuring the readiness of labor markets for the fluctuations that the world is currently experiencing or will face in the future whether due to technological transformations, economic impacts of geopolitical changes, trade disputes or economic retreats. He emphasised that the UAEs respective rankings on the index are the result of the efforts made by the country to improve its labor market capacity to adapt and respond to new economic trends; pointing out that the state has focused on stimulating innovation and creativity, supporting research and development activities, upgrading the intellectual property system, improving the business and investment environment, and enhancing its position and reputation as a global destination for talents, experiences and people with distinguished skills. He also stressed that the UAEs Government is going ahead with its development policies that stimulate further adoption of technology solutions in relation to information and communication. The Global Labour Resilience Index is divided into two main axes, each of which includes several sub-indicators. The first is the axis of structures and includes indicators related to demographics, economic development, capabilities, economic diversification and inequality. The second axis, which is the policy axis, includes indicators related to education, skills, employment, innovation, technology, entrepreneurship and statistics. Switzerland ranked first globally on the index for this year, followed by Singapore in second and the United States in third. Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany finished fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh respectively; while Finland ranked eighth, and the United Kingdom and Belgium completed the top 10 ranked countries. Guy Ryder, Director General, International Labour Organisation (ILO), said: The Global Labor Market Resilience Index highlights the importance of having appropriate policies to improve resilience. Many countries have improved their response to these policies in recent years through employment, skills development, social protection and other measures. He also pointed out that the global unemployment rate has decreased from 5.2 per cent to 4.9 per cent. He said the biggest task moving forward is to create an influx of jobs that provide favourable opportunities and increase productivity to ensure workers do not hinder their professional development in low-quality jobs; adding this will require a comprehensive approach to government and the active participation of labor market representatives and other stakeholders. Fadi Farra, Co-Founder and Partner at Whiteshield Partners who co-leads the Global Labour Resilience Index report, said: We need a new approach at the local level to engage citizens, businesses and policy makers in order to sustain flexibility throughout the labor market. According to the report, Nepal, Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt were among the five topmost countries that have a gap in labor market resilience, emphasising the difference between long-term structural characteristics, short-term policies, and the great potential of each to enhance the resiliency of its labor markets in order to enable targeted and relevant policies and reforms, economic diversification, labor policies, innovation and entrepreneurship.-- Tradearabia News Service Samsung has followed through on its plans to release a 5G tablet, and... it's exactly what you'd expect. The tech giant has introduced a Galaxy Tab S6 5G in South Korea that really is just the standard Galaxy Tab S6 with a 5G modem (the Snapdragon X50, if you're curious) thrown in. You'll still find a Snapdragon 855 chip, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a 10.5-inch AMOLED screen alongside features like the S Pen, the DeX desktop and Dolby Atmos-capable speakers. It's just that you now have an extra-fast data link for everything from live 4K broadcasts to "massive streaming games." The slate launches in South Korea on January 30th for 999,900 won (about $848). It's not a trivial purchase, although Samsung is promising perks for Korean buyers like a free keyboard cover and a YouTube Premium membership. There's no word on international releases, although that might hinge on carrier support. We wouldn't rule out news of a wider release at Samsung's Unpacked event on February 11th. However, that event is expected to focus on the Galaxy S20 and Galaxy Z Flip. A 5G version of an existing tablet would be a low-priority item, and Samsung might decide that it's easier to roll out the Galaxy Tab S6 5G on a country-by-country basis. U.S. Marines and Sailors with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit stand at attention during a formation aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan. WASHINGTON The Pentagon issued guidance Friday to U.S. personnel serving abroad as a growing number of countries evacuate their citizens and diplomats from parts of China. The guidance, aimed at reducing the potential threat of the coronavirus, comes a day after the State Department elevated its travel advisory for China to a Level 4 meaning U.S. citizens should not travel there. "I approved a directive apprising our forces about precautions they should take, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the virus," Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. "The Department of Defense continues to work closely with our interagency partners as we monitor the situation and protect our service members and their families, which is my highest priority." According to the guidance, if DoD personnel have recently returned from travel to China in the last 14 days or had close contact with someone infected with 2019-nCoV and feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, CDC directs these individuals to: 1) seek medical care right away. Before going to a doctor's office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about the recent travel and symptoms 2) avoid contact with others 3) not travel while sick 4) cover the mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not hands) when coughing or sneezing 5) wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to avoid spreading the virus to others. Esper added that U.S. military commanders in affected geographic commands will be issuing specific guidance to their forces. The virus which has already killed at least 213 people and infected roughly 10,000 people around the world is emanating from the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the largest of all geographic combatant commands. "We're aware of the concerns. The safety of our service members, civilian employees, and our citizens both here and abroad is of the utmost concern," Pentagon spokesman for Indo-Asia Pacific Security Affairs, U.S. Army Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn, wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC. Earlier this week the Pentagon said it will provide housing and support for the nearly 200 U.S. citizens and diplomats evacuated from Wuhan, China the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus to the United States. The government-chartered flight from Wuhan Tianhe International Airport landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California, on Wednesday. Shortly after the plane landed personnel in biological hazard suits helped passengers load into buses and emergency vehicles on the tarmac. "Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for all care of the evacuees, and DoD personnel will not be directly in contact with the evacuees and evacuees will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing," Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah wrote in a Wednesday statement. "Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian hospital. DoD will work closely with our interagency partners and continue to monitor the situation. The Department's primary responsibility at this time is the safety of our force, our families, and our base communities," she added. While the majority of confirmed coronavirus cases are in mainland China, the virus has also been identified in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Hong Kong, Macao, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, United States and the United Kingdom. A Department of Defense official told CNBC that the Pentagon's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, or DTRA, worked alongside Thai counterparts to detect the first coronavirus in that country on Jan. 13. Thailand, which has the most cases of coronavirus outside of mainland China, sees routine deployments of U.S. personnel under DTRA to bolster biosurveillance, biosecurity and biosafety capabilities. "These investments enhance regional stability and decrease risk to U.S. interests by building our partner's capacity to detect and report disease outbreaks of especially dangerous pathogens, and enhance related biosecurity and biosafety capabilities," the official said. Follow CNBC's live blog for coronavirus updates For the first time in a half-century, U.S. health officials have issued a federal quarantine order, compelling all 195 Americans evacuated from China to remain at an air base in California for 14 days. A flight carrying the Americans arrived Wednesday in Riverside, California, where they had purportedly agreed to remain at March Air Reserve base for monitoring for the deadly coronavirus, which erupted in Wuhan, China, in December. The quarantine, implemented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was announced Friday following a report that an unidentified person tried to leave the base despite being ordered to stay confined until cleared by the Riverside County Public Health Department. The incubation period for coronavirus is two weeks. Officials said on Thursday that the individuals had agreed to stay on the base voluntarily. Also on Friday, the White House declared coronavirus to be a public health emergency in the United States. But the Trump administration downplayed the threat of the virus to Americans. "The risk of infection for Americans remains low," said Alex Azar, secretary of Health and Human Services and chairman of the coronvirus tax force set up by Trump. "We are working to keep the risk low." U.S. citizens from parts of China will undergo entry health screenings and will be monitored during a 14-day self-quarantine, officials said. Azar also announced a suspension of entry into the United States of foreign nationals who pose a risk for the transmission of the virus. 'Im still wearing my mask': American evacuated from China still fears deadly coronavirus It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was issued over a concern about potential spread of smallpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We are preparing as this is the next pandemic, but hopeful this is not and will not be the case, Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters Friday. We would rather be remembered for overreacting to under-reacting. Story continues At least 213 people in China have died from it since the virus erupted in the city of Wuhan. The latest cases added to the 98 cases already reported from 18 other countries. Almost 10,000 people have contracted the illness worldwide. The current scenario is a cause for concern, Messonnier said. In the U.S., only a handful of infections have been confirmed. The seventh case in the U.S. was confirmed Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the San Francisco Bay area. The man infected had recently visited Wuhan and Shanghai before returning Jan. 24 to California, where he became ill, the CDC reported. The man was never sick enough to be hospitalized and self-isolated by staying home. Britain and Russia on Friday reported their first cases of the deadly coronavirus that has spread from China to at least 20 countries and claimed more than 200 lives. In Britain, the two cases involved members of the same family who tested positive for the virus. Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said in a statement that Britain's National Health Service had "robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately" to the outbreak. The N.H.S. is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections, Whitty said. We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. Virus in the US: Chicago man is first US case of person-to-person coronavirus spread Everything you need to know: Coronavirus, the deadly illness alarming the world, explained A plane carrying eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan following a Coronavirus outbreak lands at RAF Brize Norton from China on January 31, 2020 in Brize Norton, England. Health authorities declined to provide any detail on the condition of the two Britons and did not indicate whether they had recently traveled to China. A charter passenger jet brought back 83 British nationals from Wuhan on Friday. In Russia, two Chinese nationals were diagnosed with the virus and placed in isolation. 'A lot of chaos':State Department to fly Americans back from Wuhan Anna Popova, head of Russias public health agency Rospotrebnadzor, said the pair have not been in contact with anyone and there is no risk of the virus spreading further. The Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, declared a global health emergency on Thursday, focusing primarily on the spread of the virus outside China. American trapped in Wuhan: Despite coronavirus, I won't evacuate without my wife and son Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking in Geneva, said China had taken extraordinary steps to try to contain the virus and that the committee was most concerned about its impact in countries with weaker health systems. Although the number of coronavirus cases is larger than for the SARS epidemic that broke out in 2003 and spread to more than two dozen countries, the mortality rate is far less. The latest figures show a death rate for coronavirus patients of 2%, 10% for SARS and 70% for the Ebola virus that has repeatedly ravaged sub-Saharan Africa. In America: Something far deadlier than the Wuhan coronavirus lurks. It's the flu. Face masks: Offer little protection against coronavirus, flu, experts warn Russia, Singapore tighten borders As the coronavirus spreads, several countries have been tightening their borders and controlling the flow of visitors. Russia closed its land border with China on Thursday and suspended most train traffic between the countries. Singapore announced that it will bar all visitors from China starting on Saturday and will bar all Chinese travelers who have visited China in the past two weeks. Meanwhile, China was arranging special flights to help Wuhan residents return home from holidays abroad. Some waiting for a flight leaving Bangkok said they wanted to return to take care of their loved ones. The U.S. Embassy in Beijing said on Friday it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in four cities. The State Department also issued its highest grade Do Not Travel advisory warning for visits to China. US issues 'do not travel' advisory: All your coronavirus travel questions answered Japan and Germany have also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao. Contributing: Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: 195 Americans ordered under federal quarantine Vodafone Ghana has introduced a new and innovative way of engaging with its business customers as part of its digitalisation agenda. The telco through its enterprise arm, Vodafone Business, has launched a secure self-service online portal to enable its customers view, download and pay their bills by keying in their account details. The new portal enhances customer experience and convenience as Vodafone Business customers can now make payments online using Visa cards, Master Cards, Vodafone Cash as well as other mobile money platforms via https://myvodafone.vodafone.com.gh/pay. Customers can also access this portal by visiting the Vodafones website www.vodafone.com.gh. Commenting, Tawa Bolarin, Director of Enterprise Business Unit at Vodafone Ghana said; The new billing portal will redefine how we engage with our cherished corporate and SME customers. This critical innovation falls in line with our strategic direction of an exciting future for our customers. Customers can now make payments for all their services anytime via our new online billing portal. Ultimately, this offers a more convenient approach to paying for services as against walking into our shops or the bank. Vodafone Business has also introduced a paperless billing process, in line with its purpose-led agenda, which is aimed at protecting the environment amongst others. As a result, customers will no longer receive printed bills. An e-bill will be sent via email to customers on monthly basis and real-time updates on payment will be delivered via SMS. Vodafone Business is an industry leader in the provision of technology and telecommunication solutions for businesses and SMEs. With its expertise in connectivity, leading IoT platform and global presence, Vodafone Business continues to deliver the solutions businesses need to progress and thrive. Corporate and SMEs can find out more about this online billing platform and Vodafone Business by dialing 0800 10 000 or visiting any of Vodafones Retail Shops across the country. 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 The European Commission president has wished Britain well with Brexit, but warned that "strength does not lie in splendid isolation" On the day of the UK's departure, Ursula von der Leyen and other top officials told a gathering in Brussels that they should look at the future of the European project, as the bloc plans to reinvent itself at 27 members. We know very well that as the sun rises tomorrow a new chapter for our union of 27 will start, Ms von der Leyen told an audience in the Parliamentarium, a museum dedicated to the history of pan-European democracy. Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union. Nowhere else in the world can you find 27 nations of 440 million people speaking 24 different languages, relying on each other, working together, living together. "This is not by accident or by chance; this is grounded in centuries of shared history, decades of shared experience." She added: "If you look at the enlargement process you see that the beauty of the European Union is that nobody has been forced to join the European Union. All came voluntarily." Asked what the EU was losing with the UK's departure, she said: "We are losing a former member that was very pragmatic, very down to earth, very clear in the economic agenda. It was not always easy, but all 27 are not always easy." Turning to trade, she reiterated the EU's long-held stance that the trade deal the UK was about to try and negotiate could not be as good as membership, adding: "Britain will become a third country, and for all third countries, the following applies: Only those who acknowledge the rules of the common market can benefit fully from the common market." Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, told the same event: "It's never a happy moment when someone leaves but we are opening a new chapter and we will devote all our energy to building a stronger and more ambitious European Union." He continued: "I'll say this is an exceptional, a special day for the European project. Of course, we have lukewarm feelings about what is happening, but what is the dominant feeling for me is that it's important to look to the future of the European project." Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA The intervention is part of Brussels' strategy to seize the narrative by talking about the EU's future, as Britain departs. The bloc plans to hold a conference on its future later this year with Europe Day, 9 May, a mooted date. David Sassoli, the president of the elected European Parliament, said: "This day will go down in the history of the European Union but it will allow our institutions and our countries to be fare more united in our defence of this great vital area and the citizens of the old." But turning to eurosceptics, he asked: "Why are these people working so hard to break up the European area? Because within our countries too, there are certain people who are trying to run with this torch. They are groups, forces, who are trying to weaken the European Union. But what's their agenda?" Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union. Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president In a likely reference to far-right politicians like Matteo Salvini in his home state of Italy, Mr Sassoli said such people were motivated to attack the EU "because they are afraid of a rule-governed world". Over in Dublin, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Ireland would take a tough stance in trade talks. Mr Varadkar is in the middle of an election campaign and facing reelection. "Having control of their own fishing grounds is not going to be much use to them unless they can export to the EU," he told public broadcaster RTE. "That is why it gets tied up with trade and we are going to take a very firm line on that to make sure that we protect our coastal communities and our fishing industry." Britain leaves the EU at 11pm UK time tonight midnight in Brussels. Reuters The FBI is investigating the role of Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group Technologies in possible hacks on American residents and companies as well as suspected intelligence gathering on governments, according to four people familiar with the inquiry. The probe was underway by 2017, when Federal Bureau of Investigation officials were trying to learn whether NSO obtained from American hackers any of the code it needed to infect smartphones, said one person interviewed by the FBI then and again last year. NSO said it sells its spy software and technical support exclusively to governments and that those tools are to be used in pursuing suspected terrorists and other criminals. NSO has long maintained that its products cannot target US phone numbers, though some cybersecurity experts have disputed that. (Also read: Explainer: Bezos allegations put phone hacking technology in the spotlight) The FBI conducted more interviews with technology industry experts after Facebook filed a lawsuit in October accusing NSO itself of exploiting a flaw in Facebooks WhatsApp messaging service to hack 1,400 users, according to two people who spoke with agents or Justice Department officials. NSO said it was not aware of any inquiry. We have not been contacted by any US law enforcement at all about any such matters, NSO said in a statement provided by Mercury Public Affairs strategy firm. NSO did not answer additional questions abut its employees conduct but previously said government customers are the ones who do the hacking. A spokeswoman for the FBI said the agency adheres to DOJs policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of any investigation, so we wouldnt be able to provide any further comment. Reuters could not determine which suspected hacking targets are the top concerns for investigators or what phase the probe is in. But the company is a focus, and a key issue is how involved it has been in specific hacks, the sources said. Part of the FBI probe has been aimed at understanding NSOs business operations and the technical assistance it offers customers, according to two sources familiar with the inquiry. (Also Read: WhatsApp vulnerability allowed Israeli spyware to be injected onto phones: Report) Suppliers of hacking tools could be prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) or the Wiretap Act, if they had enough knowledge of or involvement in improper use, said James Baker, general counsel at the FBI until January 2018. The CFAA criminalises unauthorised access to a computer or computer network, and the Wiretap Act prohibits use of a tool to intercept calls, texts or emails. NSO is known in the cybersecurity world for its Pegasus software other tools that can be delivered in several ways. The software can capture everything on a phone, including the plain text of encrypted messages, and commandeer it to record audio. A business strategy firm retained on behalf of Amazon.com Inc Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, FTI Consulting, said this month that NSO could have supplied the software it said Saudi Arabia used to hack Bezos iPhone. The phone began sending out more data hours after it received a video from a WhatsApp account associated with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, FTI said. Saudi Arabia called the FTI allegation absurd, and NSO said it was not involved. Other security experts said the data was inconclusive. Also read: WhatsApp security breach: Amnesty international files lawsuit against NSO group) The FBI is investigating and has met with Bezos, a member of his team told Reuters. A Bezos spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. FBI leaders have indicated that they are taking a hard line on spyware vendors. At a briefing at FBI Washington headquarters in November, a senior cybersecurity official said that if Americans were being hacked, investigators would not distinguish between criminals and security companies working on behalf of government clients. Whether you do that as a company or you do that as an individual, its an illegal activity, the official said. (Also read: WhatsApp Hack: Government expresses concern over not disclosing the incident earlier) In the counterintelligence aspect of the probe, the FBI is trying to learn if any US or allied government officials have been hacked with NSO tools and which nations were behind those attacks, according to a Western official briefed on the investigation. Outside of government, journalists, human rights activists and dissidents in several countries have been victims of attacks using NSO spyware, according to the University of Torontos Citizen Lab researchers. In the past, NSO has denied involvement in some of those instances and declined to discuss others, citing client confidentiality requirements. As many as 64 US troops have been injured in an Iranian missile strike on Iraqi military base earlier this month, according to the new figures released by the Pentagon. The US Department of Defense revised the number for the fourth time after it had updated the number of injured soldiers during the retaliatory Iranian missile strike to 50. US President Donald Trump had earlier underplayed the traumatic brain injuries suffered by the security personnel by calling it headaches which drew severe criticism. During the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Trump had dismissed the serious injuries as mere headaches. I heard they had headaches. No, I don't consider them very serious injuries, relative to other injuries that I've seen, said Trump. Read: 34 US Troops Suffered Brain Injuries In Iran's Revenge Airstrikes: Pentagon Comment triggered outrage Trumps remark had sparked outrage across the country and the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) demanded an apology from the US President for his misguided remarks. William Doc Schmitz, VFW National Commander, said that traumatic brain injury is a serious injury, causing depression, memory loss, severe headaches, that cannot be taken lightly. We ask that he and the White House join with us in our efforts to educate Americans of the dangers TBI has on these heroes as they protect our great nation in these trying times, said Schmitz in a statement. Read: Iraq's Balad Air Base Housing US Troops Hit By 8 Katyusha Rockets, 4 Injured People and politicians took to Twitter to slam Trump for his irresponsible remark and said that the US President comment was an an irreparable, hideous display of unconcern. The invisible wounds of war like a traumatic brain injury are seriousand Trump saying otherwise is absolutely despicable. They deserve better than their current commander in chief.https://t.co/t6vmWhygeI Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 25, 2020 A brain injury is only mild if it is someone elses brain. There is nothing mild about a mild brain injury. Sums up trump's mindset - total disregard for others' well-being/situation/perception; it's all about how *he* comes across. #CuntismRulesOK https://t.co/CF9zph6YNb Eeyoresmum (@eeyoresmother) January 25, 2020 Read: Iraq's Balad Air Base Housing US Troops Hit By 8 Katyusha Rockets, 4 Injured Read: Iraqs Outgoing PM Adel Abdul-Mahdi Asserts 'US Troops Must Leave' CHICAGO (AP) Illinois joined a multi-state lawsuit over proposed Trump administration rules on food stamps that could cause hundreds of thousands of Americans to lose benefits, Attorney General Kwame Raoul confirmed Thursday. The rule, expected to go into effect in April, limits states from exempting work-eligible adults from having to maintain steady employment in order to receive benefits. The rule is among three targeting the Supplemental Nutrition Program, known as SNAP. An Osun State High court sitting in Ikirun has sentenced Nuhu Jimoh, Ndubisi David and Aderibigbe Oluwasenu to death by hanging. The trio was arrested in connection with the armed robbery attack on First Bank, Union Bank, and Skye Bank, situated along the same street in Ikirun, Osun State, simultaneously, on 12th February 2016, at about 3:30 pm. The convicts were on 29th June 2017 arraigned on a ten count charge of conspiracy, armed robbery, murder, illegal possession of firearms and others contrary to Section 6(b), 1(1) & (2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11 L.F.N, 2004, Section 319 of the Criminal Code Law Cap. 34 Laws of Osun State, 2002, and Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11 L.F.N, 2004, respectively. The prosecution Counsel from the Ministry of Justice, Barrister Biodun Badiora, in proof of the charge called five (5) witnesses and tendered about 30 Exhibits. Badiora said, The combined team of Policemen from Iragbiji Police Division, Ikirun Police Patrol Team and Special Anti-robbery Squad, responded to distress call(s) from the scene. On getting to the scene, a gun duel ensued between the armed robbers and the Policemen, and the armed gang was dislodged making them run away in different directions. Seven members of the armed gang were killed by the Police at the scene of the crime while some others escaped with gunshots injuries. Aderibigbe Seun was arrested inside Akinorun Grammar School, Ndubisi David back of one of the banks and Nuhu Jimoh was maimed by gunshot at the scene of the crime. Almost thirty-two (32) people lost their lives to the incident but only four Corps were deposited at the mortuary; two bank officials and two Policemen on Bank guard duty. Seven assorted ammunition including; AK-47 gun Israeli and Russia made brought to the scene by the armed gang and a cash sum of #7,486,300.00k (Seven Million, Four Hundred and Eighty-Six Thousand, Three Hundred Naira) taken from the banks were recovered by the Police. Justice Jide Falola said that prosecution Counsel has proved his case beyond the reasonable doubt hereby found them guilty on charge preferred against them. Counsels to the convicts, Barrister Sunday Atofarati and Ajibade Omoyajowo pleaded with the Judge to temper justice with mercy. In his judgment, Justice Falola Sentenced them to death by hanging, and forfeited gun recovered from gang to the Nigeria Police also forfeited money recovered to the Osun State Government. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates BURLINGTON, Iowa With only a few days until the Iowa caucuses, Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden leaned on his argument of being the most electable candidate to convince voters to back him on Feb. 3. Speaking on Friday to a crowd of a couple hundred at the LOFT on Jefferson, a coffee shop on the main stretch of the town that borders the Mississippi River, Biden said the onslaught of attacks from the GOP and President Donald Trump is proof theyre scared of facing him in November. In not-so-veiled shots at his competition in Iowa, he said his legislative and executive experience uniquely qualified him to reverse Trumps actions since taking office. That is the overwhelming, overarching question, Biden said during his speech. Who among us is the most likely to be able to defeat Donald Trump? Biden leaned heavily on the ongoing scandal involving Trump withholding aid from Ukraine in exchange for announcing an investigation into Bidens son. That Trump was looking for dirt on Biden only solidifies his stance that hes the best general election foe for the president, he said. Excuse my presumption here, you all have a more important job this time, I think, than any caucus youve participated in, Biden said. Not because Im running and not because any particular candidate is running on the Democratic side, but because of who the president of the United States is. Bidens whole campaign has been centered on this electability argument and a return to normalcy of sorts in politics. Hes mostly run a general election campaign, opting to attack Trump instead of his Democratic primary rivals, with a few exceptions. Whether thats an effective message wont be known until Monday. When he officially announced his candidacy in April last year, he was easily the front-runner in a crowded race. But as the field has dwindled, Bidens support has dipped. He consistently finds himself in the top four in polling, but is no longer the clear-cut leader in the field. A disappointing showing in the caucuses could prove costly to his presidential ambitions. At times during Bidens pitch to voters in the room, some of his statements lacked the normal bravado thats common in stump speeches. He never declared he would win Iowa or that the state would choose the next president, a very common refrain from nearly every presidential candidate any time they campaign anywhere. Instead, he said Iowa would narrow down who moves on in the Democratic primary. And he displayed the folksy aura hes been known for during his four decades in Washington. When I was running for the Senate the first time as a 29-year-old kid, Id knock on doors and say, My names Joe Biden. Im the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate. Look me over and if you like what you see, help out. If not, vote for the other guy,' Biden said. Well, Ill tell you what, Biden continued. Im Joe Biden. Im seeking the Democratic nomination for president of the United States. Look me over. If you like me, help me out. If not, youve got a lot of other good choices as well. Still, it was clear from the 30-minute speech that Bidens strategy is banking on Democrats fear of losing to Trump if they choose a more liberal candidate like Sens. Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren or a more inexperienced candidate like former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. As backup, Biden brought along a pair of Iowa politicos: Rep. Abby Finkenauer, a rising star in the party, and former Gov. Tom Vilsack, a well-known figure in the state. Both Finkenauer and Vilsack used the electability argument in their opening and closing for Biden. Vilsack, who launched an ill-fated presidential campaign in 2007, said he spent many of his nights looking at the state polls in battleground territories. Heres what I can tell you from checking them: There is no candidate in this race that does better than Donald Trump in every one of those states than Joe Biden, Vilsack said. And do you know what happens when you win Florida and North Carolina and Virginia and Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin and Iowa? And maybe Texas and Nevada and Colorado and Arizona? You know what happens? They swear you in as president of the United States. To prove his point, Vilsack pointed to a man in the back of the room holding a sign. Hold your sign up sir, Vilsack said. A member of the audience holds a sign that reads " I'm a Republican for Biden, Where Has My Party Gone?" during a campaign stop for Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden at the LOFT on Jefferson, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Burlington, Iowa.AP The homemade poster board had a simple message scrawled on it in permanent marker: Im a Republican for Biden. Where has my party gone? Well there you go, Vilsack said. Read more: 281 miles, 14 and a half hours, 3 candidate events in Iowa Donald Trump takes a trade-deal victory lap through Michigan and Iowa: The Flyover Sen. Rob Portman announces hell vote against calling impeachment witnesses Ballot language rejected for proposed expansion of Ohio voter registration laws Charity founded by Trump allies plans follow-up cash giveaway events in Cleveland, elsewhere Appointment 31 January 2020 Four Seasons Hotel Lanai at Koele, A Sensei Reteat welcomes David Emig as Hotel Manager, where he will lead the day-to-day operations at the newly-opened property. Bringing more than two decades of hospitality experience with Four Seasons, Emig served most recently as Resort Manger at sister property Four Seasons Resort Lanai. Previously he was Director of Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane and held a number of senior management positions in diverse locations including the Maldives, Shanghai, Singapore and Austin. English French MONTREAL, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TOMAGOLD CORPORATION (TSXV: LOT) (TomaGold or the Corporation) is pleased to announce the signing of a binding letter of intent (the LOI) for the sale of its 39.5% interest in the Sidace Lake property to Pacton Gold Inc. (TSXV: PAC, OTC: PACXF) (Pacton). Under the terms of the LOI, which will be formalized by a definitive agreement to be entered into between the parties, Pacton must pay and issue the following to TomaGold: Upon final acceptance of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange ( TSXV ), Pacton will pay $250,000 and issue 10,000,000 common shares to TomaGold; ), Pacton will pay $250,000 and issue 10,000,000 common shares to TomaGold; Within six months of TSXV acceptance, Pacton will pay $250,000 and issue $800,000 worth of common shares to TomaGold at a price per share equal to the greater of $0.16 and the 5-day VWAP of Pactons shares immediately preceding the date of issuance; and Upon Pacton filing a National Instrument 43-101 technical report on the Sidace Lake property showing a gold resource estimate of 750,000 oz Au or greater, Pacton will issue 4,166,666 common shares to TomaGold. TomaGold must receive the written approval of Newmont Corporation to the transaction with Pacton prior to entering into the definitive agreement. This is an excellent transaction for TomaGold and Pacton, said David Grondin, President and Chief Executive Officer of TomaGold. It will give us shares in a company with strong upside potential and enable Pacton to strengthen its land position in the Red Lake gold mining camp with a high-quality mining asset close to its Red Lake Gold project. TomaGold will pay a 5% finders fee from the cash payments and the common shares it will receive to Bay Capital Markets. The transaction, including the finders fee, is subject to the written approval of Newmont Corporation, the execution of a definitive agreement and regulatory approval. All parties to the transaction operate at arms length from one another. All common shares to be issued will be subject to a mandatory holding period of four months and one day from the closing date. About TomaGold Corporation TomaGold Corporation is a Canadian mineral exploration Corporation engaged in the acquisition, assessment, exploration and development of gold mineral properties. It currently has joint venture agreements with IAMGOLD Corporation for the Monster Lake project and with Newmont Corporation and New Gold Inc. for the Baird property. TomaGold has interests in seven gold properties near the Chibougamau mining camp in northern Quebec: Monster Lake, Winchester, Lac a l'eau jaune, Monster Lake East, Monster Lake West, Obalski and Lac Doda. It also holds a 24.5% interest in the Baird property near the Red Lake mining camp in Ontario, and has a 70% interest in the Hazeur property, at the southern edge of the Monster Lake group of properties. Contact: David Grondin President and Chief Executive Officer (514) 583-3490 www.tomagoldcorp.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 news release. The statements in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements". Readers are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that actual developments or results may vary materially from those described in such "forward-looking" statements. Forty Pakistani Christians, whove been on trial for the murder of two men during a violent protest following Easter suicide attacks on two churches in Youhanabada majority-Christian area in Lahorehave been freed by the Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court. Two others, arrested with them, have already died, allegedly due to a lack of access to medical treatment. The twin suicide bombings, on March 15, 2015, which killed 17 and injured another 80, were claimed by a splinter group of the Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. The death toll would have been much higher if church volunteers on security duty had not acted quickly to defend worshippers. In riots that erupted following the bomb blasts, a mob killed two Muslim men whom they believed had been involved in the attacks. In the end, 42 Christians went on trial for their murder, but two died in prison before 2018. The other 40 have been waiting for their appeal to be heard by the Lahore High Court. Meantime, the group has reached a financial settlement with the families of the two men, which under Pakistani law allows for their acquittal. The Anti-Terrorism Court announced the verdict on January 29, acquitting all, including those who had died, after recording the statements of the victims families, who told the court that they had arrived at an agreement with the suspects and would have no objections over their acquittal. A local reacted: As we give thanks as Christians in Pakistan, one cannot get away from the brutal realities of what this means. The journey of physical, emotional, and spiritual healing ahead is a long one. Pray for the right people to be positioned alongside them. We also reflect on the lives and deaths of the two [who died in prison]. If they had not, the release of the 40 would not have happened. Their deaths acted as catalysts and became an advocacy bridge for pushing for action and justice. Background In 2015, the Christians of Youhanabad had been angry in the immediate aftermath of the twin suicide attacks on their churches because in 2014, Pakistans Supreme Court had ordered the creation of a special police force to protect minority worship placesbut this had been later scrapped. Punjab Human Rights and Minority Affairs Minister, Khalil Tahir Sandhu, had said there was no need of raising another force for this purpose because the protection of worship places was quite satisfactory in the Punjab and reasonable security was being provided. Napoleon Qayyum, who lived 100 yards from one of the bombed churches, said police were not providing security to the church: The local police station had been requested to provide a walk-through gate for security, but no such measure was put in place. A Catholic nun, Sister Arsene, who had reached one church 30 minutes after it had been bombed, tried to explain to the BBC why the subsequent anger had spilled out of control. Were treated as second-class citizens. Wed like the government to give Christians our due place and due right. Thats why the angry youths reacted. At the time, there were conflicting reports about the two men set upon by the angry mob. Some reports said the two carried weapons; other reports said they had been firing them. The two, who had been arrested and put into a police vehicle, were apparently forced out of the vehicle, beaten up, and eventually burned alive on Ferozepur Road. Some social media reported they were suspects thought to have attacked the churches. Other reports said they were, separately, planning to attack another small church in Khaliqnagar, a Christian settlement next to Youhanabad. However, some days later, they were finally identified as Muhammad Naeem, a local glasscutter, and Babar Nauman, a hosiery worker from Sargodha; it appeared that they had had nothing to do with the church attacks. News of their murder filled the Pakistani media, somewhat overshadowing the deaths of the 17 Christians and injury to 80 more. As gory images of their lynching ran on TV and more details emerged, for many Pakistanis earlier sympathy with the Christian community slowly turned into animosity. One young Muslim commented on a Facebook post: Christians (Chuhras) have set on fire two Muslims today. I am only sad about their death. (Chuhra is a pejorative term often used to describe Christians.) Easter 2015 suicide attacks: repeated in 2016, but foiled in 2017 The Tehrik-e-Taliban Jamaatul Ahrar accepts responsibility for the [2015] attacks on the churches in Lahore, its spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan later told reporters. We promise that until an Islamic system is put into place in Pakistan, such attacks will continue. If Pakistans rulers think they can stop us, they can try. In March 2016, on Easter Sunday, the Pakistani Christian community experienced the deadliest terror attack in the history of PunjabPakistans most populous and most Christian statewhen the same Jamaat-ul-Ahrar bombed a popular childrens park in Lahore as families thronged to enjoy their holiday. At least 76 died, many of them children, with over 300 injured. Christians make up just 2 percent of overwhelmingly Muslim Pakistan. They are somewhat more prevalent in Lahore, which has about 10 million people, about 5 percent of whom are Christian. At Easter 2017, Pakistans security forces said they prevented a major terror attack on Christians in Lahore over the same weekend. The police caught the attackers in time, killing one suspect, Ali Tariq, and making two arrests during a Good Friday raid at the Punjab Housing Society in Lahore. Two suicide vests and four grenades were recovered from the scene. Earlier, police had released a memo warning the citys residents: Reliable sources have informed us that two suicide bombers of an unidentified terrorist organisation have entered Lahore with the intention of carrying out attacks in churches or parks on 16/17 April. They have been equipped with suicide jackets and will target areas where the presence of Christians will be high. One of those arrested was a 20-year-old woman, Naureen Leghari, whod gone to join ISIS in Syria. The medical student confessed to returning to Lahore with the intention of carrying out a suicide bombing against a church during Easter 2017, according to an interview broadcast on local television. Police later released her, saying that she had undergone rehabilitation and that ISIS had deceived her. Prosecutor offered 40 their freedom if they converted to Islam In May 2017, it came to light that the Lahore deputy district public prosecutor, Syed Anees Shah, had told the 40 Christians that they would be freed if they converted to Islam. He was later found guilty of proselytism and suspended. Shah was criticised for his alleged comment by Malik Muhammmad Ahmed Khan, then-special assistant to the chief minister of Punjab, who said the offer is not just shameful but a heinous crime We are all set to end the extremist mindset and steer the country to a tolerant and moderate society. Therefore, we cannot tolerate anyone in the government machinery with this mindset. Pakistans Senate Special Committee on Human Rights said almost two years ago that terrorism charges against the [Christians] arrested should be dropped and they should be tried in civil courts, as Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported. At that time, in May 2018, then-Senator Farhatullah Babar said: [Three] years ago, two churches were targeted in Youhanabad, as a result of which [many] Christian citizens died. People in the area conducted protests to condemn the deaths of their fellow citizensas is their right. These people were charged with terrorism and have been rotting in jail. In September 2013, a suicide bomber had blown himself up outside a 130-year-old church in Peshawar after Sunday Mass, killing around 80. The groups acquittal came on the same day that the most well-known Pakistani Christian, Asia Bibi, published her biography in French, Enfin Libre [Free at Long Last], written with French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet, author of two previous books with the woman who survived 9 years in prison on false charges of blasphemy. You know my story from the media, perhaps you have tried to put yourself in my place to understand what I suffered, Asia Bibi was quoted saying in a press release announcing the new book. But you are far from understanding my day-to-day existence in prison, or my new life, and that is why I tell you everything in this book. Three Belgian doctors accused of unlawfully killing a patient with mental health problems have today been cleared in a landmark euthanasia case. The two doctors and a psychiatrist were charged after 38-year-old Tine Nys was given a lethal injection in 2010 after saying she wanted to end her life due to her severe mental anguish. Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002 but Ms Nys's family objected to the mercy killing claiming her condition did not lie within the strict guidelines of those allowed to voluntarily end their lives. Dr Joris van Hove (left), who administered the lethal injection to Tine Nys (right), was acquitted alongside the patient's GP Frank de Greef and psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont The three doctors were facing possible life sentences for unlawful killing. They are pictured here behind their lawyers during their trial. Dr Joris van Hove is on the right, GP Frank de Greef is centre and psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont is on the left Dr Joris van Hove, who administered the lethal injection, her GP Frank de Greef and psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont had been facing possible life sentences for 'poisoning' Miss Nys. More than 100 well wishers in the public gallery erupted in applause after the jury reached its verdict after deliberating for eight hours at the Assizes Court of East-Flanders in the city of Ghent. After their acquittals, Ms Thienpont said: 'This is such a relief. This has been with us for 10 years.' Defence lawyer Walter Van Steenbrugge said the landmark case, the first criminal trial against doctors for euthanasia, would be welcomed by the whole medical profession. Tine Nys's (centre) sisters, Sophie (right) and Lotte (left) claimed doctors acted unlawfully He said: 'This is a relief for all doctors who have to carry out such tough tasks. 'If this would have gone the other way, so many doctors would have been in real deep trouble.' Giving evidence during the two-week trial, Dr Van Hove insisted that the procedure was voluntary and had been carried out in line with the law which allows euthanasia for people with unbearable psychological suffering. He said: 'Because of this process many colleagues no longer want to perform euthanasia.' Dr De Greef, Ms Nys's GP, told the court that she 'almost forced' him to put forward her request for euthanasia after she had repeatedly attempted suicide and had been involved in prostitution. Dr Van Hove insisted that the procedure was voluntary and had been carried out in line with the law which allows euthanasia for people with unbearable psychological suffering 'Even during the last two years of her life there were suicide attempts with police intervention,' he said. 'The officers often dropped her off at my practice.' Dr De Greef said that he had supported her request to die despite his own ethical misgivings about euthanasia. 'I studied to be a doctor to help people. I don't want to do euthanasia physically. That is not for me,' he said. 'I send the people to other doctors who are better qualified.' Dr Thienpont, a psychiatrist who was involved in the euthanasia decision, said that her patient had been 'misunderstood until death'. 'She asked her family, "Please do not harm the doctors",' she told the court. 'Yet the family only considered their own problems. 'I could not explain to them that Tine was suffering. There was a lot of powerlessness in the family.' psychiatrist Godelieve Thienpont and GP Frank de Greef in court during their trial Her sisters, Lotte and Sophie, claimed their sister had been suffering from the stress of a broken relationship and could have been treated. The sisters have said they are not against euthanasia in general. The medics were charged after Ms Nys, a patient with a history of suicide attempts, was given a lethal injection of barbiturates. Her family say she was suffering from depression, not a 'serious and incurable disorder', as is required by Belgian law. They argued that her mental state was not hopeless and treatment was still possible. Belgium is among only a handful of countries that allow doctors to kill patients at their request, and one of only two that allow it for patients with a mental illness. Out of about 2,000 euthanasia cases a year in Belgium, very few are permitted for psychological issues. The criminal complaint by the family was only granted on appeal after it was first rejected by a lower court. It looks like 2020 will be a year of reckoning for buzzword-bingo digital technologies. For some time, U.S. citizens have been promised that their tax dollars were being invested in artificial intelligence and machine learning platforms that would make their lives easier. After nearly a decade of broken promises, the public isnt going along with it anymore. In this always-on age, city residents are demanding more efficient digital services. They expect public agencies to act more like consumer brands and have become less tolerant of service disruptions. But with every step cities take toward digital transformation, the threat of disruptions -- from cybersecurity attacks to natural disasters -- increases. The balancing act for cities in 2020 is to recognize all the risks of disruption caused by digitalization and continue their own digital transformation -- all while the global economy is slowing and investment is getting harder to come by. The answer lies in using technology to make better, more educated decisions about the future while increasing transparency and communication. Threats and disruptions With every bus line that gets electrified and every neighborhood that gets Wi-Fi, the opportunity for disruption grows. Natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes can take out multiple services in one fell swoop. But slower trends, like population growth or a particularly rainy season that leads to heavy vegetation, can also burden systems to the point of an outage. And then there is the human element. One misguided click could lead to a massive breach of residents data or to a city's 911 system being held hostage by ransomware. Since 2018, ransomware attacks have shuttered city governments from Atlanta (a successful attack by two Iranian hackers and a good example of how geo-politics can affect cities) to Baltimore to 22 towns in Texas. Some of these attacks shut down mission-critical services like the court system and law enforcement. That costly trend is only going to grow in 2020. Lloyds estimates that New York City could face over $2.3 billion in cyber-related losses this year. But even more concerning is the possibility of a loss of life, which hasnt happened yet, but could be on the horizon. As threats increase and the global economy slows, cities will have to narrow their priorities in 2020. With these competing demands, what is really going to move the needle for smart cities and where should they prioritize their investments? Simulations for a smarter tomorrow Time to value is more important than ever when it comes to smart city investment strategies. Products that help cities simulate, prepare for and mitigate future threats are key. Cities need the ability to forecast conditions a year, five years and even further out so they can best use their resources today for a smarter tomorrow. Thats the kind of runway municipalities need to make broad changes such as fortifying the grid or developing an extensive vegetation management program. Organizing labor and capital for massive projects like those takes more than one season. Digital transformation tools, particularly the internet of things, give cities more data to make more informed decisions about the future to prevent disruption and mitigate threats. Data must be collected from as many sources as possible, which requires more than one product. Think of it like a mosaic. Cities must mix and match solutions that analyze different data to get a full picture. Sometimes they invest in one or two, but thats not enough to get actionable information. Statistics-based prognostic capabilities are the key driver -- thats how to get the best holistic picture of whats going to happen. Cities should also invest in services and solutions with industry-specific expertise. These will provide the best understanding of the challenges and dynamics of how systems work and deliver the most accurate forecasting to drive smarter decision-making. Communication conquers the unknown unknown No matter how much data-driven simulating and forecasting is done, there is always the unknown unknown. So how do smart cities use digital transformation to protect themselves from blowback from the public when the inevitable, unforeseeable disruption occurs? Communication. East Coast utilities have been fined for their handling of hurricane damage -- not because of the response time or length of outages, but because they didnt have the level of communication that their customer base demanded. The proper use of the right digital tools would have helped, such as a text message alerting users to an updated system and/or a responsive presence on social media to answer customer questions. Talking to people on the platforms they use about the steps being taken to manage a crisis and offering the best estimates of service restoration goes a long way. Even if repairs are not happening right in front of residents, they still want to know that officials are working on it. Communication and transparency are key. Working together to solve shared challenges This will be the year the publics expectations bring back an appreciation for expertise. Cities will see more threats because of their modernization efforts but will also have the opportunity to mitigate damage with digital technology. The most important lesson is that these threats are not unique. Every city struggles to balance the pros and cons of digital transformation and faces the same natural and human threats. No city exists in a silo. The smartest cities will band together to meet these challenges with investments and shared best practices in cybersecurity, long-term predictive simulation and transparent communication inside and outside city limits. The more open and transparent vendors, utilities, telecoms and other industries that make up the modern city infrastructure are with each other, the easier and safer all our ecosystems will be. Arvind Krishna, 57, will take over as the chief executive of International Business Machines (IBM) in April, replacing Virginia Rometty. Krishna, who has been with the company since 1990, currently leads IBMs cloud business. He played a crucial role in the software giants acquisition of Red Hat in 2019, with the company calling him the principal architect of the deal. With his new role, Krishna joins a list of Indian-origin heads of multinational companies, which includes Microsoft Chief Executive Office (CEO) Satya Nadella, Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai and former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi. Krishna has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. He later went on to do a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Krishna, also the co-author of 15 patents, has been the editor of IEEE and ACM journals, News18 reported. Apart from the cloud business, his current responsibilities at the company include the IBM Security and Cognitive Applications business, and IBM Research. Before holding his current position, he was the general manager of IBM's Systems and Technology Group's development and manufacturing organisation. "Arvind is the right CEO for the next era at IBM," Rometty said in a statement issued by IBM. Krishna will work closely with IBMs newly-appointed President James Whitehurst. We have great opportunities ahead to help our clients advance the transformation of their business while also remaining the global leader in the trusted stewardship of technology. Jim will be a great partner in the next step of this journey," Krishna said in the statement. "In Arvind and Jim, the Board has elected a proven technical and business-savvy leadership team," Rometty added. DETROIT - Stability in Washtenaw County. Thats what Andrea Grieb argues she was seeking for her and her 14-month-old son. A deceitful escape from the United Kingdom. Thats what Christopher Worcester argues Grieb did with their biological son. Thats the crux of Worcesters federal lawsuit filed Dec. 30, 2019 in Detroit federal court. U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland issued a temporary restraining order Jan. 2 to prevent the childs removal from Michigan. The judge will rule after a 3 p.m. custody hearing Monday, Feb. 3 on whether Grieb must return the boy to Worcester. The problem? Grieb said she found out about the restraining order and the lawsuit to confiscate her son when contacted by a reporter on Thursday, Jan. 30. Jeanne Hannah, a family attorney for Grieb during previous custody disputes, said no service papers made it to Grieb. Worcesters Novi attorney Jennifer Paine said her office has service delivery confirmations for two different addresses. When asked to prove that through documentation, Paine declined to comment further. There is no attorney listed in the court docket for Grieb, who said she is scrambling for legal representation days from the hearing. Hannah is based in Traverse City and said she cant make it to Detroit on short notice. In a federal lawsuit, service papers must be delivered in person or by mail to an address where the defendant currently resides, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Grieb has multiple previous Michigan addresses, according to court records. Paine petitioned for the childs return under Article I of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects International Child Abduction. The article mandates the secure prompt return of children wrongfully removed to or retained in countries that agreed to abide by the convention, which includes the United States. Hannah suggested that Mondays hearing may turn into a motion for alternate service, which seeks other means other than mail or in-person servicing to inform a defendant of a lawsuit. This could delay the hearing to a later date, she said. The lawsuit is an appeal of a Hague Convention ruling from Aug. 21, 2019 in London. Judge Philip Moor of the Royal Courts of Justice Family Division ruled then that while Grieb used subterfuge to bring the child to Washtenaw County, his court does not have jurisdiction to return the child to the United Kingdom. Grieb was born a U.S. citizen, but moved to the Netherlands in 1999, later becoming a Dutch citizen, according to Moors ruling. She settled in England and Wales in 2012 to attend university. She met Worcester and started living with him three years later, the ruling said. While she was pregnant during the summer of 2018, they broke up, according to the court documents. She bounced from residence to residence after the breakup and during the early months of the childs life, the ruling said. In order for the child to be returned to Worcester in London, Moor said he needed to determine that the mother and son were habitual residents of the United Kingdom, which he deemed dubious with her unstable living situation. Moor did note that Grieb did not inform Worcester of her intentions to relocate to Michigan. This subterfuge, as Moor put it, included not informing social workers assigned to her and the child, as well as keeping the information from friends, school supervisors or immigration authorities of her relocation plans. It follows that, with some reluctance, and a considerable degree of sympathy for the fathers position, particularly given the subterfuge Moor said, I have concluded that (the child) was not habitually resident in England or Wales when these proceedings commenced. Worcesters lawsuit demands the immediate return of the child to him, for Grieb or a third-party to supervise the childs travel to the United Kingdom and for Grieb to cover attorney, court and travel costs. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh on Friday said that the truck driver, Samir Dar who was apprehended on Friday morning during the encounter in which three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists were killed, is the cousin of the Pulwama suicide bomber, Adil Dar. "The truck driver, Samir Dar who has been apprehended is the cousin of the Pulwama suicide bomber, Adil Dar. Samir Dar is being interrogated for further investigation," Director General of Police (DGP), Singh told reporters. Earlier in the day, three terrorists were killed in the encounter which broke out in the morning belonged to JeM. "The truck was stopped by our personnel for checking. As our personnel was about to enter the truck, the terrorists opened fire and our jawans also retaliated. One of our jawans got injured in his arm due to a bullet, a terrorist was killed on the spot," Singh told reporters. He had further said, "An operation was carried out with the support of CRPF and Army. During this, two more terrorists have been killed. As per preliminary reports, they all appear to be Pakistani terrorists and belonged to JeM, this group had crossed the International Border (IB) from Dayalachak area last evening and they were on the way to Srinagar." The police official said that six weapons had been recovered from the killed terrorists.He also added that the driver and conductor of the truck have been arrested by the police at another checkpoint. "Truck driver and conductor were arrested at a further checkpoint by our forces. Questioning is underway with the two," Singh said, adding that the search operation was being continued as some inputs had suggested that the number of terrorists could be higher. The encounter had broken out between the security forces and terrorists earlier today during the checking of vehicles near the Bann toll plaza. The local traffic movement has been stopped following the encounter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Living abroad can be a life-changing experience for those willing to take the risk. Latin America has lively cities, unique landscapes, and some of the best food in the world. The colorful, music-filled streets can be an attractive place to live for those from Canada. Being an Expat can be fun, but there are also essential things that you need to be aware of if you live abroad already or if you're thinking about moving somewhere in South America. It's estimated that 2.8 million Canadians live abroad, so it's possible, and others are doing it too! We're going to discuss all that you need to know about being an Expat in Latin America. Taxes Depending on what you do while you're in South America to make money or spend your time, it could be taxable in Canada. Many expats teach English or work for Canadian companies that have offices located in Latin America. Another possibility is that you work online with a Canadian company that allows you to work wherever you want. When filing taxes, it's important if you remain a resident of Canada, or you have obtained residency in Latin America. You can still be a citizen of Canada, but not a resident. It's possible to keep your residence if you are only working temporarily in another country. A non-resident has different tax forms than residents of Canada. Also, Canada allows for dual citizenship, so if you become a citizen in a Latin American country, it could affect how you file taxes. Make sure you file with the Canadian government every year, even if you never plan to live in Canada again. When you don't, you can face penalties or even jail time in extreme cases. To make sure you are doing everything correctly, you can contact Canadian Tax Amnesty Lawyers to ask questions and remain legal while abroad. Health Insurance If your job abroad doesn't offer health insurance coverage, it's crucial to consider getting some. Learn if your health insurance with your work also covers you while aboard. If you don't have international insurance, look into traveler's insurance. This type of insurance comes at various prices and coverages. Depending on your budget and what you want to be protected on, traveler's insurance can be a great option. It's usually affordable, and it's great if your job abroad doesn't provide coverage for you already. Traveler's insurance can be bought for just a certain amount of time, which is convenient if you are only living abroad for a few months. For preventable illnesses, you should look at the list of vaccines needed for the country you want to reside in. In parts of Latin America, malaria, yellow fever, and other serious illnesses are still in the area. In order to enter some parts of these countries, you need to carry proof of vaccines. Also, remember that not all medications are readily available in South American countries. Make sure you have enough supply or refills before you go. If there is ever a medical emergency while abroad, contact the Canadian Embassy 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visas When living overseas, you are most likely working abroad. If you are not working with a Canadian company, you will most likely need a work visa from the country that's employing you. You must get legal permission to work before starting your job abroad. You'll need to set this up beforehand with your employer and the immigration office in the country. If you're unable to set up your visa before arriving in the country, you'll need to enter as a tourist, then switch to a working visa. If you're not legally working or living abroad, you can get a fine or even jail time in that country. It would help if you also looked into the Canadian requirements for working and living abroad. The Bottom Line Living in Latin America can be an experience filled with new adventures and deep culture. It's a chance in a lifetime to learn Spanish or Portuguese, experience a new culture, and get international work and living experience that will stay with you your whole life. While making this life choice can be great, you need to do some thinking about taxes, health insurance, and visas because you're not just on vacation, you're living abroad. Once you get all of these things figured out, you'll be able to start your life in Latin America! Tiny pieces of plastic, many of them shed from synthetic clothing, are nearly ubiquitous in the waters off the Oregon coast, and they are having harmful effects on one species that acts as a bellwether for the marine ecosystem. Mole crabs, more popularly known as sand crabs, have seen increased rates of mortality and lower reproductive success after ingesting these microplastics, according to a study from Dorothy Horn, a doctoral candidate in Portland State Universitys Earth, Environment and Society program. "We don't eat them, but they're a bright blinking light for 'There's a problem in this area,'" Horn said in a statement. "When pollutants affect sand crabs, it's also affecting most organisms around it in that ecosystem." In November, a different group of researchers from the university found that microplastics were being ingested by numerous organisms up and down the Oregon coast, including razor clams and oysters. Of the 300 specimens collected, all but two contained microplastics. Researchers found an average of 11 pieces of microplastic in each specimen, with the foreign materials primarily consisting of microfibers, which can be cast off of synthetic textiles yoga pants, fleece and other active wear as they go through washing machine cycles. These microfilaments can be shed from clothing, up to 700,000 per load of laundry, said Britta Baechler, a student in the universitys Earth, Environment and Society program, who conducted the previous research. Those particles then travel out through greywater into wastewater and to the coast. For Horns study, she first analyzed the concentrations of microplastics found on 19 Oregon beaches. Mimicking those conditions in a lab setting, she found that as the crabs internalized more of the plastic, mortality rates went up while the amount of time the animals could hold viable eggs went down. An increase in internalized plastic also changed the development rate of crab embryos, she found. Sand crabs eat by filtering small particles from the water and are considered in indicator species, as their health can give signs about the well-being of the ecosystem. They are also common prey for shorebirds, fish and some marine mammals, and Horn said she worries that any negative impacts to the shellfish could work its way up the food chain. "We've proved it's causing them harm, and it can have harmful effects on these other organisms," she said. -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 @sfkale Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Powell, who was a Hyde Park native, was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at 2 months old. At the end of 2019, he spoke with the Tribune about what it meant being a young black man living with the illness. He described the pain crisis as beating you with a bat, or setting you on fire, and you cant do anything, and said it was hard having sickle cell because of how the condition depleted his body. About half of the citizens who applied for evacuation. Internally displaced persons without symptoms will have to spend 14 days in isolation inside two public provincial structures. The authorities confirm four other cases of contagion: 11 people are infected in the country. Popular resistance to housing the sick in quarantine facilities. Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The plane carrying 368 of the approximately 720 South Korean citizens whom the government is evacuating from the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicenter of a viral pneumonia epidemic, landed this morning in Seoul. The morning after the World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of a global emergency, fears are growing in the country about the rapid spread of the virus - identified as "2019-nCoV". South Korean health authorities confirmed four other cases of contagion, which bring the total number of infected people to 11 at national borders. The plane carrying about half of the South Koreans who applied for evacuation landed at Gimpo International Airport, in the western part of Seoul, around 8 am. By tonight, the government plans to send another aircraft to bring the remaining citizens home. According to local sources, 369 passengers should have boarded the plane but one person was excluded at the last minute because he had a fever. Of those arriving in Gimpo, 18 showed symptoms of high body temperature when they underwent further health checks at the airport. Part of the group was taken to hospitals designated by the state for more detailed examinations. Internally displaced persons without symptoms will have to spend 14 days in isolation inside two public provincial structures. Before boarding the Korean Air Boeing 747 at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, the passengers underwent rigorous quarantine checks which took longer than expected and caused a delay in departure. Meanwhile, preparations were underway to host IDPs in the two centers of Asan and Jincheon, both about 90km south of the capital. Here the authorities had to tighten security measures to prevent residents' protests from disrupting operations. After the government chose the two venues, the residents firmly opposed the decision, claiming that it came without their consent. The situation became more tense yesterday, when Seoul broke the news of the first case of transmission of the virus between humans. Pompeos temper surfaced in his 2014 campaign for reelection to the House. He was challenged in the GOP primary by Todd Tiahrt, a Republican who had held the seat from 1995 until 2011 and then was defeated in a Senate bid. Tiahrts supporters complained in 2014 that they had been pressured not to back him by Pompeos camp. The Wichita Eagle was cautious in covering the squabble, noting only in one story that the race has taken a mean-spirited turn toward charges of bullying, which unsettles other Republicans. MANILA, Philippines The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said it is ready to repatriate Filipinos in Wuhan City and the rest of Hubei Province amid health concerns brought about by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China. In an advisory, the DFA said it is planning to bring home next week the first batch of Filipinos from Wuhan, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, and the rest of Hubei province. The department said the repatriation of Filipinos is subject to Chinas rules on disease containment, including immigration clearances, quarantine process, among others. Filipinos in Wuhan City and the rest of Hubei province who wish to be repatriated should contact the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai by 3 February 2020, Monday, the DFA said. Upon arrival in the Philippines, Filipino repatriates will be subjected to 14 days of mandatory quarantine per guidelines of the Department of Health, it added. The Chinese government recently placed Wuhan and nearby areas on lockdown amid an increasing number of people being infected by the virus. Public transport and major airport in eight cities around Wuhan City were also shut down. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern over the virus, which has claimed the lives of 213 people and infected 9,692 individuals in China as reported by the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) on January 31. There were also 4,812 new suspected cases reported on Jan. 30, pushing the total number of suspected infections to 15,238, according to the commission. While a total of 1,527 patients remain in serious condition, 171 people have been released from hospitals after getting cured, the NHC said. The post DFA to repatriate Filipinos from Hubei starting next week appeared first on UNTV News. Saudi Arabia has deported a total of 285,980 Pakistanis from the Kingdom during the past five years for a range of crimes and illegal activities, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi informed the Parliament on Friday. Qureshi submitted a list of Pakistanis who have been deported from Saudi Arabia in the past five years to the Senate, the upper house. According to the official APP agency, the numbers were presented in the Senate in response to a query from a Senator. According to the list, 285,980 Pakistanis were deported from Riyadh and Jeddah between 2015 and 2019. Of these, 61,076 people were sent back from Riyadh and 224,904 from Jeddah. According to Qureshi, the Pakistani citizens were deported because of expired visas, performing Hajj without permission, being involved in narcotics trade, overstaying in Saudi Arabia after arriving on an Umrah visa, quarrelling and other offences. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Council of Catholic Women will Celebrate its 100th Anniversary in Arlington, Virginia, August 26-29, 2020, with the Theme 'A Vision for the Future' NEWS PROVIDED BY National Council of Catholic Women Jan. 31, 2020 ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 31, 2020 /Standard Newswire/ -- The centennial celebration of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) is underway, as registration opens February 3rd for the 2020 Convention to be held in the Washington, D.C. areawhere it all began! Catholic women of all ages are invited to discover NCCW's rich history and its vision for the future through inspiring conferences, daily liturgies, informative exhibits and fun events. Together with women from around the country, attendees will deepen their faith, grow as leaders and as sisters in Christ, and discover new ways to serve the needs of society both today and in the future. "Convention is an exceptional opportunity to learn, pray, and celebrate the unique gifts of women as we look to the future, transforming the world through fulfilling our mission," said NCCW President Jean Kelly. The beautiful convention hotel, Crystal Gateway Marriott, is ideally located minutes away from Reagan National Airport and a short metro ride to downtown Washington D.C., the Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon City, and Old Town Alexandria. Speakers at the 2020 Convention include: His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who will give the keynote address and celebrate the opening Mass on Thursday August 27th. Abby Johnson, internationally known pro-life activist, who will receive the 2020 NCCW Lifetime Achievement Award and will speak at the AWARDs Breakfast Friday, August 28, 2020. Gloria Purvis, the creator and host of the popular EWTN TV series, "Authentically Free at Last," who will speak on Saturday, August 29, 2020. In addition to touring the famous monuments and memorials of Washington DC, convention attendees will have the opportunity to experience The Jersey Tenors, an Opera/Rock mash-up sensation and to attend the NCCW Centennial Mass in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica on Wednesday, August 26th at 12:30 pm. The National Council of Catholic Women was founded by the US Catholic bishops in 1920. For more information about the 2020 NCCW Convention, visit the website www.nccw.org. To schedule an interview with Jean Kelly, NCCW President, please contact Laraine Bennett at (703) 224-0990 or email lbennett@nccw.org. SOURCE National Council of Catholic Women CONTACT: Laraine Bennett, 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org SPRINGFIELD Government reform advocates told a panel of state lawmakers Thursday that Illinois has some of the weakest governmental ethics rules in the country and that lawmakers should put more teeth into them if they hope to regain the trust of the public. For me, the disheartening part of all of it is not that so many lawmakers at all levels of government have strayed so far from the rules and have overshadowed the good work of ethical lawmakers, but that so many across our state kind of react to this news with a shrug, said Georgia Logothetis, assistant director of the watchdog group Common Cause Illinois. Its a kind of disheartened acceptance that, well, this is just the way things work in Illinois. Logothetis was part of a panel of reform advocates who testified before the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform. The commission was formed last year in the wake of federal investigations that led to indictments against three sitting state lawmakers, two of whom have since resigned. Thursdays hearing, the third since the panel was formed, focused on the states Governmental Ethics Act, and specifically its provisions dealing with conflicts of interest and financial disclosure requirements. While some states specifically prohibit lawmakers and other public officials from acting on issues in which they have a direct financial interest, Illinois has no such provision. In fact, the only thing the Illinois law says about conflicts of interest is that when they arise, lawmakers should consider the possibility of eliminating the interest causing the conflict. If that is not feasible, the statute continues, he should consider the possibility of abstaining from such official action. Marie Dillon, policy director for the Better Government Association, a Chicago-based advocacy group, said that law was the result of a 1965 study commission that initially recommended mandatory rules, along with penalties and public reporting for violators. Those suggestions were rejected by lawmakers at the time. So, we ended up with a law that leaves it up to individual legislators to decide if they have a conflict of interest and, if so, what to do about it, Dillon said. As a taxpayer, I have to say emphatically, thats not good enough. icholas Birdsong, a policy specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said conflict of interest laws vary widely among the states. He said 35 states require lawmakers to recuse themselves from votes in which they have a conflict of interest and 13 states, including Illinois, leave the decision up to the lawmaker. In Tennessee, where the rules are different in each chamber, the state House has a mandatory recusal policy and the state Senate has a discretionary policy. Utah, Birdsong said, requires legislators to vote if they are present, regardless of whether they have a conflict. Birdsong said some states have adopted the idea that lawmakers should be able to vote, even if they have a conflict of interest, because legislators are elected and theyre obligated to vote according to the will of their constituents regardless of whether or not it serves or hurts their interest, and so having these sort of mandatory recusal rules essentially limits their ability to do their jobs. Many of those testifying Thursday also called for updating and expanding the Statement of Economic Interests forms that public officials in Illinois are required to fill out. The interesting thing about this document to me is, Im not sure it adequately assesses what the interests are, said Brad Cole, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League. As an example, Cole pointed to one question on the form that asks what other units of government the person filing the form has worked for in the preceding year. It doesnt say what you do for that unit of government, and that makes me wonder what is the interest, he said. If you are employed, what are you doing? What is the interest that you might have with the unit of government. Other questions on the form ask filers to identify the names of businesses in which they have an ownership interest; the names of professional organizations in which they are an officer or director; the nature of any professional services they rendered for which they were paid more than $5,000; the identity of significant capital assets they own; and the name of any lobbyist with whom they have a close economic association. Others pointed out that people filling out the form do not have to disclose outstanding debts or credits, any real estate holdings they may have other than their home, or how much income they derive from sources that might present a conflict of interest. Former Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who served from 2011 to 2015 under then-Gov. Pat Quinn, said reporters often refer to the current document as a none sheet because people can write the word none on virtually all of the questions, even though they might still have significant outside interests. She argued that the form should be designed in a way that is useful to the public rather than in a way that protects the privacy of public officials. Id ask you to step back and look at how its going to affect people back home, she said. How is it going to affect not just members of the state House and Senate, but how is it going to affect people who are on the city council and the county board and the library district and everyone who is a constituent of those elected people who would like to know, does the person whos proposing the new library board have an interest in the property where theyre going to build the new library? The joint commission so far has not made any recommendations for new ethics laws. Its final report to the General Assembly is due March 31. But Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker made a forceful plea in his State of the State Address on Wednesday that he expects lawmakers to pass real, lasting ethics reform this legislative session. I think that message coming from the leader of our state is one of the strongest messages that can take place, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a member of the commission, said after the meeting. Buehler engineers and manufactures the renown Wilson line of hardness testers. The company also developed the leading DiaMet Software to automate hardness testing. We are proud to continue the 100-year legacy of innovation and excellence in Wilson Hardness. By having our engineering, manufacturing, and service in-house, Buehlers Wilson products have become the preferred choice for demanding labs that need to consistently meet quality standards." Buehler, an ITW Company celebrates the 100-year anniversary of its acclaimed Wilson hardness brand which was originally known as the Wilson Mechanical Instrument Company. Here Stanley Rockwell and founder Charles H. Wilson introduced the Rockwell hardness tester, an industry standard. Later, Wilson became the home of the legendary Tukon line of micro-indentation testers renowned for Knoop and Vickers testing. These early inventions revolutionized industry and paved the way for Wilson today, with innovations that improve usability and allow for full connectivity and automation like the DiaMet software and the powerful and versatile Universal hardness tester. Buehler is proud to commemorate and celebrate the legacy of the Wilson name. Buehlers affiliation with Wilson began in 2012 when the Wilson brand of hardness testers encompassing Reicherter, Wilson, and Wolpert products became part of Buehlers offering. According to Buehler General Manager, Julien Noel, We are proud to continue the 100-year legacy of innovation and excellence in Wilson Hardness. By having our engineering, manufacturing, and service in-house, Buehlers Wilson products have become the preferred choice for demanding labs that need to consistently meet quality standards. In the coming year, Buehler will continue to focus on exceeding customer expectations with a new and improved Rockwell tester, and an extended range of hardness reference blocks according to ISO, ASTM and JIS standards. Wilson Engineered and Manufactured by Buehler Since 2012 Today Buehlers Wilson hardness line includes a comprehensive range of hardness testers including Rockwell, Knoop/Vickers, Universal, and Brinell as well as the comprehensive DiaMet software that provides control, data management and reporting options up to and including fully automatic production systems. Buehlers hardness testers are complemented by a range of ISO, ASTM and JIS-certified hardness reference test blocks, accessories, and fixtures. Buehler works closely with customers in manufacturing, research, and education to create leading-edge hardness solutions. During the last eight years, Buehler improved upon the original Wilson designs and also revolutionized hardness testing with the fully configurable DiaMet software, the Wilson VH3100 Vickers All-in-One hardness tester, and the heavy-duty Wilson UH4000, an eight-turret, large stage universal hardness tester. All hardness equipment, test blocks, and software are manufactured at Buehler facilities. DiaMet Software, the Heart of Wilson Innovations Buehler launched the DiaMet software to provide an easy operation for automated hardness testing. The proven DiaMet software offers specimen mapping, edge detection, scanning, stitching of overview images, case depth calculations and statistical analysis tools as well as weld testing and geometric measurement functions and a barcode scanner interface. Data and indent images can be exported to all common file types in user-adaptable templates. Furthermore, DiaMet is available in different configurations based on the capabilities of the hardness tester. It can be applied for a basic machine, without full-automation hardware (motorized XY-stage and Z-axis) as well as a high end automated tester that can perform multisample testing in a full automated sequence. The DiaMet software platform works seamlessly with the Wilson hardness equipment line: Wilson VH1102 &1202 Micro Hardness Testers for both Knoop and Vickers Wilson VH3100 & 3300 Micro and Macro full automated Vickers and Knoop Hardness Testers Wilson 1150 Macro Vickers hardness tester Wilson UH4000 Universal Hardness tester Wilson RB2000 Rockwell hardness tester Tukon 1102 & 1202 legacy Micro Hardness Testers Every hardness tester with C Mount camera port to capture and measure the indents with DiaMet International Quality Standards and Hardness Block Lab Buehlers priority is to deliver world-class products and services, conforming to ISO 9001, ISO14001, ASTM, DIN, ISO, MIL, and JIS standards and accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for ASTM and ISO calibration. Buehler's Wilson Reference Block Laboratory in Binghamton, NY, has achieved accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025 by A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) for Rockwell, Knoop, Vickers, and Brinell hardness test blocks and indenters. A2LA is recognized for the accreditation of testing and calibration laboratories and inspection bodies under the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). Buehler, is accredited by A2LA Certificate Number: 2237.01 for direct and indirect calibration of hardness testers in conformance with the current ASTM and ISO standards. Buehler hardness equipment is available for demonstration at the companys Solutions Centers located in Buehlers global locations or at Partner Centers maintained by Buehler distributors or universities. For information on the Wilson hardness line or Buehlers metallography solutions visit http://www.buehler.com or email marketing@buehler.com. ABOUT BUEHLER Buehler is a leading provider of complete metallographic and hardness testing lab equipment solutions, consumables and analysis techniques for use in materials preparation, image analyses and hardness testing. Buehler products cross a wide variety of industries, including Aerospace, Primary Metals, Automotive, and Defense, Electronics, Medical, Energy and more. Buehler also maintains its legacy of industry partnership with affiliations such as the ASM International, American Society for Testing and Materials and International Metallographic Society. The company also contributes to the study of material science through the endowment of the ASM Francis F. Lucas Metallographic Award since 1946 and the International Metallographic Societys Pierre Jacquet Award. Buehler is a division of Illinois Tool Works (ITW) and is based in Lake Bluff, Illinois. ITW is a global, Fortune 200 company and global industrial manufacturer of value-added consumables and specialty equipment with related service businesses. Two confirmed cases of coronavirus are in UK, both from same family Infected pair being treated at specialist facility in Newcastle, and may have stayed in York Experts are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent virus spread Medical team working to trace anyone whos been in contacted with infected pair More than 80 Britons were flown back to UK from Wuhan last week, landing on Friday Experts say anyone arriving in UK from China and showing symptoms should self-isolate Virgin Atlantic suspends flights between Britain and China over virus fears Two patients in England have tested positive for coronavirus and are being treated at a hospital in Newcastle, as 83 British people arrived back from a repatriation flight from Wuhan. The two people the first confirmed cases in the UK are members of the same family. It has also been confirmed they are being treated at an infectious disease unit in Newcastle but medical chiefs declined to say what condition the two patients are in, or if they had travelled to or come from China. The development comes as the World Health Organisation officially declared the deadly virus a public health emergency of international concern. British nationals arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. (SWNS) Passengers disembark from the plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan on Friday afternoon. (Getty) A flight carrying 83 Britons and 27 foreign nationals landed at RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, this afternoon after being evacuated from Wuhan the centre of the outbreak. Pictures show the passengers leaving the aeroplane with ambulances waiting. The two Newcastle patients are in a high-consequence infectious disease unit in the city. The BBC has reported that the two people were staying in a hotel in Yorkshire, but the hotel they were said to have stayed in Staycity York said health chiefs had not been in recent contact. British people arrive back in the UK after being evacuated from Wuhan. (SWNS) Tourists at the hotel called paramedics on Thursday after one fell ill, and the rooms they stayed in were sealed off and set to be deep-cleaned today. A StayCity York spokesperson said: We're talking to Public Health England and they certainly haven't confirmed any of the facts in that the BBC is reporting. Story continues An outbreak investigation team has been formed to trace anyone who has been in contact with the pair to prevent the illness spreading. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said on Friday: We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. Staycity hotel in York. (SWNS) The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities. Speaking later on Friday, he insisted the cases do not increase the risk from the virus to the UK. Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire this morning in preparation for the Britons evacuated from the coronavirus epicentre. (SWNS) Confirmed cases of coronavirus. (PA Graphics) He said: The two cases coming in today do not increase the risk to the UK. The risk comes from the situation in China going out of control despite best efforts by the Chinese government and spreading more widely. So, that is the thing for which we are planning, that is the risk. The virus is moderately transmissible and has a mortality rate of about 2% currently, he added, which compares with Ebolas 70% mortality rate and Sars 10% mortality rate. Nevertheless, if we got very large numbers that is obviously a concern and this would be something we would have to take very seriously, he added. Anyone who comes to the UK from anywhere in China and shows any symptoms associated with the coronavirus should self-isolate for 14 days, Prof Whitty said. He added that the widening of previous advice was a planned change and is not related to the two confirmed cases. If people from China mainland have any symptoms they should self-isolate for 14 days after they have come back from China, he said at a briefing on Friday. CORONAVIRUS IN UK: READ MORE FROM YAHOO UK FTSE 100 falls as coronavirus reaches UK The race is on to develop a vaccine against Chinas coronavirus How did Chinas coronavirus outbreak start? Coronavirus: All your questions answered It has also emerged that some British people in Wuhan due to fly on the repatriation flight today declined to go after being told Chinese nationals in their family could not join them. That decision was reversed hours before the plane took off, meaning some were unable to then make it to the airport in time. A British teacher, who asked not to be named, was reported by the Press Association as saying she stayed behind because her husband in a Chinese national and couldnt join her. She said she had not been told by the Foreign Office about the change in policy, only finding out about it from other British expats. More to follow... Microgaming Portfolio Fortifies Itself for 2020 with Near Pear-fect Deal Published January 30, 2020 by Lee R PearFiction bursts onto the global iGaming scene after a landmark deal with Microgaming's content supplier Velo. The Microgaming platform has added another specialist supplier to its ever diversifying portfolio of offerings. The Principals The deal takes place in the form of Microgaming's exclusive content provider Velo Partners bringing PearFiction Studios to the portfolio of Velo's premium game accelerator RNG Foundry. PearFiction's Rise This deal represents a significant ascendance for PearFiction Studios since its inception in Montreal 2014. Since then, PearFiction has safely established a decorated history of entertaining game creation. Key Titles The first gaming breakthrough for PearFiction was the early, light-hearted slots Gustavo El Luchador and Outerspace Invaders, with the key title Smashing Biscuit linking the PearFiction brand to Microgaming 5 years later. Competitive Edge PearFiction has since set a unique standard for merging technical expertise and solid artistic direction with advanced mathematical algorithms and a commitment to responsible play by adapting the best practices of land-based play to online slot play: the portrait-first approach providing maximum options to players to optimise the experience. RNG Leader Speaks RNG Program Director Mark McGinley lauded the creativity and imagination that PearFiction Studios as sure to resonate with slot fans of every demographic. PearFiction Leader Speaks Meanwhile, PearFiction Studios CEO Thierry Semoff explain his organisation's strategy of continually aiming for creative and technical excellence and never settling for anything but the very best as the key driver behind his organisation's expanded range of innovative game concepts in development. Semoff said RNG Foundry will not only enable us to build and distribute these games, but will also push us to reach new heights as a studio. Deal Rollout High profile slot offering on tap as part the new campaign for 2020 include the Roaring Twenties-themed slot Chicago Gold, set for a Q3 release to lead off a rollout of engaging titles as a result of the deal. Outlook The aggregation of all these specialising organisations with the new deal enhances the Microgaming platform by assuring Microgaming will harness the most significant gaming technology of 2020. Not only will this decision support the forestry industry and land developers, it will provide affordability to homebuyers, bolster employment and give Alberta a competitive advantage, Madu stated in a news release. We made this change knowing that mass timber products are safe and that these buildings will meet all necessary standards. Edmonton mayor Don Iveson hailed the revision as a welcome development. I think it supports market housing affordability, and if it helps us deliver public and subsidized affordable housing more cost-efficiently, that may help us in our quest to build more affordable housing as well as we look to deliver public housing for vulnerable Edmontonians, Iveson said in an interview with Global News. Multi-family housing is becoming the residential asset class of choice in Edmonton, Marcus & Millichaps Q4 2019 local apartment report has found recently. This is largely due to a resurgent economy and improving household incomes, leading to stable demand during the third quarter and offsetting market weakness brought about by oil industry troubles. Among the Chicago artists featured in the collection was Carrie Mae Weems. A seven-piece photo panel by Weems sold for $305,000 a record for the artist, according to Swann. The work, which focuses on the northern migration of African Americans, was commissioned by the City of Chicago, with three editions in circulation. One remains in Chicago, on display in the Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library. While Campanillas in Malaga bore the brunt of the effects of the storms on Saturday morning, the western Costa del Sol and the Guadalhorce also suffered flooding and damage as well as wintry scenes caused by hail. Storms early on Saturday morning left a thick layer of ice formed by hailstones in several streets in the Bello Horizonte and Panorama areas of Marbella. Around ten cars had to be rescued by the fire service after being trapped by the heavy hailstorm at around 3am. The slope of the streets meant that the hailstones gathered at the lowest point of the neighbourhood, reaching half a metre in depth in places, blocking access to some homes. At the other end of Marbella, incidents were also reported in the area near the river Guadaiza. The growing level of the river meant that the dam gates in the reservoir had to be opened, forcing the closure of Carril del Potro, the road that joins Nueva Andalucia and San Pedro Alcantara. The upper part of the municipality of Mijas was covered in a layer of white on Saturday morning after the heavy hailstorm during the night. The area of Valtocado received the highest volume of precipitation, as several roads were left temporarily impassable due to ice. The Mijas Local Police station was struck by lightning during the night, cutting off communications. The emergency services were also called out to incidents in the Entrerrios area. Cartama Estacion suffered flooding early on Saturday morning when the Guadalhorce partially broke its banks. In Alhaurin de la Torre, firefighters had to rescue a group of workers whose vehicle had been trapped in a flooded road. Getting warm again This coming weekend will be a huge contrast to last, said forecasters. Temperatures are expected to reach 24 degrees on the coast. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson waves as he arrives to attend a cabinet meeting held at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland, in Sunderland, Britain January 31, 2020. Paul Ellis/Pool via REUTERS There may be "bumps in the road" but Brexit can "unleash the full potential" of the UK, Boris Johnson has said. As the moment of the UK's departure from the European Union approached, the British Prime Minister acknowledged mixed feelings in a still-divided nation about the end of 47 years of close links with Brussels. "For many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never come," he said. "And there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and loss." Expand Close Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage celebrates Britain leaving the EU on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage celebrates Britain leaving the EU on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls After years of bitter wrangling since the 2016 referendum, Mr Johnson said his job was now to "bring this country together". "We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperation between the EU and an energetic Britain, a Britain that is simultaneously a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions. "And when I look at this country's incredible assets, our scientists, our engineers, our world-leading universities, our armed forces, when I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashed I know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning success. "And whatever the bumps in the road ahead I know that we will succeed." Tonight we are leaving the European Union. pic.twitter.com/zZBsrf4BLe Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 31, 2020 Across the course of today the Union flag was removed from the European Union offices in Brussels, while a party at Parliament Square in London saw some jumping on an EU flag in the mud. Meanwhile the White Cliffs of Dover were used to send pro-EU messages and a 50p coin to mark the occasion entered circulation. With little set to change at 11pm as a result of the deal negotiated by the UK and EU, attention has already turned to the next set of talks aimed at securing the future relationship which will apply from January 1, 2021. And Mr Johnson has been clear he also wants to strike deals with countries around the world - notably Donald Trump's USA. A Downing Street spokesman said: "Cabinet discussed the Government's future trade agenda, which includes seeking a Canada-style FTA with the EU. "From tomorrow, the UK will also be free to begin trade negotiations with countries around the world - with the aim to have 80% of our trade covered by FTAs within three years." But Brussels is pessimistic about the 11-month timetable for reaching a deal and made clear that Britain will have to accept worse terms and conditions for trade than if it were still a member of the EU. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said: "We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership." Senior Cabinet minister Michael Gove acknowledged the trade-offs that would have to be made in any deal. "We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear, you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules, if you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures," he told the BBC. There "will be some regulations that will differ in Britain" so "that may mean that when it comes to trading with Europe there are some bureaucratic processes there that aren't there now". As the UK Cabinet gathered in Sunderland, car giant Nissan - which has a major plant in the city - called for clarity from the Government about its plans and urged both the UK and EU to secure "an orderly balanced Brexit that will continue to encourage mutually beneficial trade". Mr Johnson, who has promised a "dignified" and "respectful" approach to the Brexit celebrations, was spending the evening in Number 10 at a reception for senior ministers, officials, and supporters of the Vote Leave campaign to leave the EU. Guests were quaffing English sparkling wine and dining on canapes including fillet of lamb on toast, Shropshire blue cheese, beef and Yorkshire pudding with horseradish sauce, mushrooms tarts and roast chicken skewers. Expand Close People wave the British Union Jack and England flags as they celebrate in Parliament Square on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp People wave the British Union Jack and England flags as they celebrate in Parliament Square on Brexit day in London, Britain January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, rallies and candlelit vigils were taking place. The Leave a Light On gatherings were intended to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. Owen Wilson, 50, is joining the new Loki Marvel series for Disney+. Deadline shared the news on Friday adding that the veteran actor will have a 'major role' and that production is aiming to start at the beginning of 2020. Tom Hiddleston, 38, is returning to his iconic role as Thor's trickster demi-god brother. New job: Owen Wilson, 50, is joining the new Loki Marvel series for Disney+. Deadline shared the news on Friday adding that the veteran actor will have a 'major role' and that production is aiming to start at the beginning of 2020. Seen in February 2019 Coming together: While little is known about Owen's character, Hiddleston is returning to his iconic role as Thor's trickster demi-god brother; seen here in NYC in December Though it's not been confirmed, Variety reported the plot 'is expected to follow Loki as he pops up throughout human history as an unlikely influencer on historical events.' The Wedding Crashers star is the third actor to be announced in the Loki cast, which will also include British actress Sophia Di Martino. At the San Diego Comic-Con, it was released that Loki will be released in Spring 2021. Loki's biggest fan: Hiddleston added the fandom has a lot to be excited about, but he couldn't give any spoilers at the conference; seen in The Avengers 'I got asked more than any other question after Endgame, where did Loki go, what happened to Loki?' producer Kevin Feige told the crowd. 'This series will tell you what happened to Loki right after that.' Hiddleston added the fandom has a lot to be excited about, but he couldn't give any spoilers at the conference. Another new project: Last year Wilson filmed Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez; seen in November 'Kevin has generously shown me what his plans are I can't tell you any of them but it is one of the most exciting creative opportunities I think I've ever come across,' he teased. 'This is new territory, a new world, new challenges, and I cannot wait to get started.' The good news comes months after he was revealed to have a secret love child, but has not met or any contact with the little girl. Wilson, who has two sons Robert Ford, eight, who he calls by his middle name, and Finn, five, pays her mother Varunie Vongsvirates $25,000 a month. Varunie Vongsvirates, 35, told DailyMail.com that her former lover is 'not involved at all' with their little girl and has 'never' even met his youngest child in November. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll results are in, and Clear Lake High School students and Mason City Community School Districts John Adams Middle School students vastly disagree on who their next president should be. Though President Donald Trump, Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders are the top three presidential candidates in Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pates Iowa Youth Straw Poll held Tuesday, Mason City middle school students and Clear Lake High School students dont agree on that preference order. In Clear Lake High School, Trump was the clear winner, garnering 108 votes out of the 213 total votes 50.7 percent of the total vote and 96.5 percent of the Republican vote. Trailing behind Trump were Yang with 26 votes (12.2 percent of the total vote, 25.7 percent of the Democrat vote) and Sanders with 22 votes (10.3 percent of the total vote, 21.8 percent of the Democrat vote). Among Democratic candidates, Pete Buttigieg took third with 17.8 percent of the votes, followed by Elizabeth Warren at 11.9 percent, Tom Steyer at 7.9 percent and Joe Biden at 6.9 percent. In Mason City CSDs John Adams Middle School, Yang took the top with 61 votes out of the 142 total votes 43 percent of the total vote and 55.5 percent of the Democratic vote. Trump took second place at the middle school overall with 30 votes (21.1 percent of the total vote and 93.8 percent of the Republican vote), followed by Sanders with 22 votes (15.5 percent of the total vote and 20 percent of the Democrat vote). Trailing behind among the Democrat candidates, Buttigieg and Steyer tied for third, each with 6.4 percent of the votes, followed by Tulsi Gabbard with 4.6 percent and Biden with 2.7 percent. Overall in Cerro Gordo County, Trump was in the first spot with 138 of the 355 total votes, or 38.9 percent of the total vote, followed by Yang with 87 total votes (24.5 percent) and Sanders with 44 total votes (12.4 percent). Among the U.S. Senate candidates, youth voters in Cerro Gordo County showed their support for Joni Ernst, who took the top with well more than double the numbers of second-place Kimberly Graham with 153 votes, or 47.2 percent of the total votes. Graham came away with 17.3 percent of the total votes, and Michael Franken came in third place with 10.5 percent of the total votes, followed closely by Eddie Mauro with 10.2 percent of the total votes. In the U.S. Representative race overall in Cerro Gordo County, Steve King ran away with 117 of the 213 total votes, or 54.9 percent of the total votes, followed distantly by J.D. Scholten at 19.7 percent and Jeremy Taylor at 12.7 percent. Of the participating students in Cerro Gordo County, 80.71 percent said they will register to vote when they are old enough. Statewide in the poll, as of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, with more than 23,000 votes cast, Trump led all presidential candidates with 7,604 votes, and more than 91 percent among Republican candidates. Yang was second in the overall totals, with 3,370 votes. Yang led Democratic candidates, garnering 22 percent of the partys vote. Sanders was a close second, with 21 percent. Buttigieg was third at 18 percent and Biden sits in fourth place at 11 percent. No other Democratic candidate surpassed 10 percent of the vote. A lot of Youth Straw Poll participants are eligible to vote in the Iowa Caucuses next Monday and I hope many of them do, Pate said. The Youth Straw Poll is designed as a hands-on learning experience to engage students in the civics process. Among U.S. Senate candidates, Ernst picked up 9,371 votes out of 19,753 cast. Graham led all Democrat candidates with 33 percent of the partys vote, followed by Theresa Greenfield at 20 percent and Franken at 19 percent. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is open to students of every grade level and youth civic organizations. Each candidate was asked to submit a short video message to students. Those can be viewed at this link. Schools sign up for the event, and students cast their choices in myriad election races. In this round, 212 Iowa schools participated. Grace Zaplatynsky can be reached at 641-421-0534. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A convicted killer, already serving more than 50 years in prison for strangling a woman, was found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl for years in Essex County, prosecutors said Thursday. A jury deliberated for less than a day before finding Roberto Grillo guilty on all 12 counts, including endangering the welfare of a child, sex assault and aggravated sexual assault, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II announced. Grillo abused his victim beginning when she was 12 years old and continued until she was 16 at different locations, including the parking lot of a Belleville McDonalds, according to testimony at trial. When Grillo learned he was wanted by authorities, he fled to Tampa, Florida, where he tried to kill himself before being arrested in March 2015. The victim suffered years of torment at the hands of this defendant. She has found justice today, Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Morris, who tried the case, said in a statement. Grillo faces up to 105 years in prison when he is sentenced later this year, officials said. The former Bloomfield resident is already incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison in Trenton, serving more than five decades for the December 2015 murder of Yolanda Vega in Rahway. In October 2018, Grillo was convicted of strangulating Vega, a mother of two, and breaking into her home. Investigators learned Vega repeatedly invited Grillo to her home for meals, and his original target was her relative. At his Union County sentencing, a judge called the slaying a cold-blooded, brutal murder, and said the killer needs to be removed from society...for a substantial period of time. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. On December 16, 2019, the Honorable Gregory H. Woods of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a final consent judgment against a former junior investment banker whom the SEC charged with insider trading. According to the SEC's complaint, filed on August 12, 2019, Bill Tsai, then a junior analyst in the New York office of a large international investment bank, learned through his work for the bank that Siris Capital Group was planning to acquire Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (EFII). Soon after learning about the deal, Tsai purchased EFII call options, which he sold for a profit of approximately $98,750 shortly after the deal was announced in mid-April 2019. Tsai agreed to settle with the SEC and consented to the entry of a judgment permanently enjoining him from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder and ordering him liable to pay disgorgement of his ill-gotten trading profits, with interest, which will be offset by the amount of any forfeiture ordered against Tsai in a parallel criminal action. In a separate administrative proceeding instituted on December 23, 2019, Tsai consented to be barred from association with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, municipal securities dealer, municipal advisor, transfer agent, or nationally recognized statistical rating organization, and from participating in any penny stock offering. On the same day the SEC filed its action against Tsai, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced parallel charges against him. Tsai pleaded guilty in the criminal action, and in January 2020 he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to forfeit approximately $126,000. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Simona K. Suh of the SEC Enforcement Division's Market Abuse Unit and by Debbie Chan of the New York Regional Office, with assistance from John Rymas of the Unit's Analysis and Detection Center. The case was supervised by Joseph G. Sansone, Chief of the Market Abuse Unit. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. The sights and sounds of the Old West will come alive Saturday morning when cowboys, a herd of longhorns and a passel of performers thrill crowds lining downtown streets as part of the 13th Annual Western Heritage Parade and Cattle Drive. The procession will start at 11 a.m. heading from Interstate 35, down Houston street to Alamo Street and ending at La Villita at Nueva Street. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio was pulse of great cattle drives Participants will also include the Texas Heritage Riders, Fort Hood 1st Calvary Division and the Fort Sam Houston caisson. The event is free and open to the public. Its one of several scheduled for the Western Heritage Weekend that starts Friday and ends Saturday night. On ExpressNews.com: Western Heritage Parade and Cattle Drive kicks off San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Saturday morning, crowds can stop at La Villita for the start of the Stampede 5K at 9:30 a.m. or free biscuits and gravy at the Wrangler Breakfast from 9:30 a.m. to noon. The Longhorn Corral is a new addition to the weekend. Guests can buy tickets for the South Texas breakfast, including a mimosas and michelada bar. It will take place Saturday from 9: 30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the Alamo Plaza gazebo. Related: Vintage photos show the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo over the years A single guest ticket is $35 and a single street side seat is $55. Four guest tickets are $120 and four street side tickets are $200. Tickets are limited and available at www.sarodeo.com/corral. The Vaquero Cook-Off will take place at 7 p.m. Friday and again Saturday at HemisFair, 434 S. Alamo St., with live music on both days. Admission is free to the Saturday cook-off, which will feature food, drinks, vendors and live music. For more information about the cook-off, go to https://www.sarodeo.com/attractions/vaquero-cook-off. Vincent T. Davis is a reporter in the Greater San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | vtdavis@express-news.net | Twitter: @vincentdavis Eussia and China are waging a "digital war" with fake news and disinformation to undermine democracy in Europe, an EU has official said. European Commission vice-president Vera Jourova, who leads efforts to preserve democratic principles across the bloc, said the two countries have "weaponised information". She said they will not back down until Europe stands up to them. "There are specific external actors, namely Russia and increasingly China, that are actively using disinformation and related interference tactics to undermine European democracy," Ms Jourova told a conference of disinformation experts in Brussels. The two countries "will feel comfortable doing so until we demonstrate that we will not tolerate this aggression and interference", she said. She said "digital war" was a favoured method of Russia and China because "they see that it's efficient, it's cheap, and I am not naive enough to believe that some talk will discourage them from doing that". Ms Jourova cited as examples the fake news reports from Russia surrounding the shooting down of a Malaysian airlines flight over eastern Ukraine in 2014 and the poisoning of a former Russian spy and his daughter in Salisbury in 2018. Europe must find the best way to "defend ourselves and our territory and use the most efficient tools to do that", including funding and new policies, she said. Experts at yesterday's conference said Russia's aim was to sow confusion and to undermine western organisations like the EU and Nato, while China uses more subtle methods to persuade decision- makers and influence policy. A mischievous cat has finally returned home after going missing for four months. Three-year-old Harley vanished in September but was reunited with her owner after a caring stranger brought her to a local vet, who was able to locate her Belfast address as she was microchipped. Owner Clare Barker spoke about Harley's emotional reunion with herself and stepdaughter Chloe Jamison. "There were many tears," she said. "My 10-year-old stepdaughter just burst out crying when we told her, she couldn't believe it. "Harley's not just a pet, she's part of the family so it was hard not having her home over Christmas. "She's such a loving cat and just loves cuddles, particularly with my fiance Paul. I'm nearly sure if our house were to burn down that he would save her first instead of me!" Clare has a theory as to why it took so long for Harley to come home. She said: "We live next to a dual carriageway and she was found on the other side of it. I think something has happened that's spooked her and she couldn't find her way back." A local person spotted Harley in the street last month, and it is thought that four or five people were looking after her before she was brought in to a local vet. The feline would not have been able to make it back to her loving home if it hadn't been for her microchip. Clare said: "It just shows the importance of having your pet chipped. "We knew if she had been run over that her chip would be scanned and we'd be informed, so we knew she was still out there." Despite four months passing, Harley is back home and Clare said that it is like she never left, except for maybe getting a bit more attention. She added: "We've four other cats - they're a bit jealous now as we've been spoiling Harley since her return. "We've now put a collar on her, to indicate that she's from a caring home. "Hopefully that will stop her getting into more mischief. "We've no idea what adventures she got up to in those four months, and we'll never know as she can't tell us." Not everyone is thrilled to see Brexit Day finally come around but Remainers can take heart from the fact that some branches of public transport are standing in solidarity with the EU. Spotted on the London Underground this morning, one of the information boards said at the bottom: London is Open, today and always. The stirring sentiment was shared by Empire editor-in-chief Terri White, who posted a picture taken from a Northern line platform alongside the caption: This just put a bit of a lump in my throat on the tube. Another Twitter user shared a picture of a sign posted outside the DLR, which read: Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, wishes you a safe and enjoyable journey. London is open and everyones welcome. Today, tomorrow and always. It comes alongside many London based organisations using social media to declare the UK capital is still very much open. London is open and always will be, tweeted Hackney Empire, along numerous others. Elsewhere, a message snapped in Brighton was a little more provocative. Seen on the Portland Street bus stop information board was the message: Boris is a LYING D***HEAD. Londons Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has been vocal about his pro-remain views and support of EU citizens living in the UK. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA He tweeted: The UK may be leaving the EU today, but London remains a truly global, European city. We continue to be a beacon for progressive ideas, for liberal values and for decency and diversity. And we will continue to welcome people from around the world, regardless of the colour of their skin, the colour of their passport or the colours of their national flag. At a time of continuing uncertainty, I want to send a particular message to the more than one million Europeans who have decided to make our city their home. You are Londoners. You dont just enrich our city economically, but socially and culturally too. From our food and our fashion, to our innovation and our public services, you are pivotal to our citys success and one of the central reasons why London remains the greatest city in the world. Some Vietnamese companies have let employees work from home to limit the spread of the new deadly coronavirus that has infected three locals. Ho Chi Minh City-based technology company VNG Corporation has permitted employees recently returned from China or central cities of Da Nang and Nha Trang, both hosting a large number of Chinese tourists, to work from home for two weeks. VNG stated its offices will limit welcoming foreigners in the coming days, advising employees to limit travel to avoid being infected by the pneumonia virus nCoV, which has infected five people in Vietnam, including three locals. Employees with related symptoms should seek treatment, it stressed. E-commerce company Sendo also required employees whove had contact with travelers from Wuhan City in China, the epidemic epicenter, to report to the human resources department and work from home for 14 days. After the period, a health report from a doctor is required for employees to return to work, the company explained. Construction firm Back Kim Toan Cau in HCMC has conducted temperature checks among employees and required all to wear masks at work. Those who are sick must stay at home and are encouraged to visit hospital. Mask on Other companies have demanded customer service employees to wear masks to combat the spread of nCoV. On Thursday, the first working day after the seven-day national Tet holiday, staff at Pizza 4Ps and Starbucks wore masks while serving customers. The same rule was applied at hotels, banks, airports, and customer services. "Today, we purchased around 200 boxes of face masks to give to airport staff. Many pharmacies are out of stock and prices are high," said Quang Thanh, employee at Cat Bi International Airport in northern city of Hai Phong. He added the company planned to buy around 400 to 500 more boxes in the coming days. According to Thanh Nhu, an employee at a HCMC logistics company, everyone received a box of 50 masks. Delivery staff are equipped with additional gloves. "We should not take any health risks. Everyone should take necessary precautions to ensure good hygiene and safety," the company said. Another HCMC-based multinational with a parent corporation in China recommended staff not travel to the country. In case of force majeure, employees must work at home the next 14 days after returning to Vietnam from China. "At the moment, we are communicating with our parent company virtually," a representative stated. Foreign banks in Hong Kong and Singapore have adopted the same policy while an American technology corporation notified all its Asia-Pacific departments to take measures against the virus. A real estate multinational, with offices in HCMC as well as Wuhan, encouraged staff to refrain from despair. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam suspended all flights to and from coronavirus-hit areas in China starting Wednesday. The Ministry of Health confirmed Thursday three Vietnamese have tested positive for the nCoV. One is being treated at Thanh Hoa General Hospital in central Thanh Hoa Province while the others are at National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. As of Thursday afternoon there were five reported cases of infection. Two Chinese nationals were confirmed on January 23 as Vietnam's first cases of nCoV infection, though one has since recovered. World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared a global health emergency as the death toll reached 213, all in China. In a 2019 Netflix documentary, billionaire Bill Gates predicted a killer virus could originate in China's wet markets to rapidly infect the world In what now appears to be an eerie premonition of future events, the Microsoft tycoon warned in an episode of the Netflix 'Explained' series that the world was ill-prepared to deal with a global pandemic. In the series aired late last year Mr Gates had warned of the likelihood of a virus breaking out in one of China's wet markets - exactly like the one in Wuhan where this new outbreak of Coronavirus is believed to have originated. Bill Gates featured in this episode of the 'Explained' series to discuss the likelihood of a killer virus going global Billionaire Bill Gates appeared in the Netflix documentary to talk about the likelihood of a virus breaking out in one of China's wet markets where animals are killed on the spot before being sold In the episode titled 'The Next Pandemic' the documentary producers go to a wet market in Lianghua, China, where animals are killed and the resulting meat sold in the same place. This, the documentary explained, makes the wet markets a 'disease X factory' as the different animal corpses are stacked on top of each other, blood and meat mixing, before being passed from human to human. 'All the while, their viruses are mixing and mutating, increasing the odds that one finds its way to humans,' the documentary goes on to explain. In the episode, Mr Gates also warned the world was ill-prepared to deal with the implications of the viral spread of disease when cures were often years away. He said if nothing was done to better prepare for pandemics the time would come when the world would look back and wish it had invested more into potential vaccines. 'If you think of anything that could come along that would kill millions of people, a pandemic is our greatest risk,' he said. Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team drive their vehicle as they leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the city of Wuhan. This is believed to be the source of the coronavirus outbreak Workers in protective gear catch a giant salamander that was reported to have escaped from the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Wet markets such as this one in Wuhan which has been closed have been described as having conditions rife for a viral outbreak Scientists who have been looking at the current coronavirus outbreak believe it comes from snakes and bats - animals that had been sold live at the Wuhan seafood market, before being killed and eaten. Previous pandemics have also originated in China, such as the SARS outbreak that came from bats and civet cats. And as the World Health Organisation classes the latest coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency, the race is on to find a vaccine. The number of cases have been rapidly growing each day and the death toll has surpassed 200. Scientists in Hong Kong and China are reportedly close to finding a vaccine and testing it for use. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What started as a contract dispute between The Fedeli Group and a former high-ranking employee ended on Thursday with a jury convicting that employee of felony telecommunications fraud and misdemeanor theft. The same jury acquitted Evon Friend, 65, of Silver Lake, of a dozen other felony counts of money laundering following a contentious trial that featured accusations of betrayal and retaliation. Common Pleas Court Judge Deborah Turner, who presided over the trial, is set to sentence Friend March 3. He faces a sentencing range of probation to four years behind bars. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalleys spokesman Tyler Sinclair did not respond to requests for information or to speak about the case. Friends attorneys, Roger Synenberg and Angelo Lonardo, were not available for comment Friday. Details of the case are laid out in court filings in both the criminal case against Friend and a separate civil lawsuit the Fedeli Group filed against him shortly after his departure in December 2017. The firm hired Friend in August 2003 as a salesman and account executive. He eventually became a vice president in the firms Group Benefits Division. Eighteen days after his resignation, The Fedeli Group filed a civil lawsuit in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court against Friend. It accused him of violating his contract by selling insurance on the side to another business, and not allowing Fedeli Group to collect money from those sales. The Fedeli Group said in the lawsuit that an internal investigation found that Friend stole nearly $500,000 in money that should have been paid to Fedeli Group over the course of his 13-year employment. The lawsuit and a counterclaim filed by Friend against The Fedeli Group are pending before Common Pleas Court Judge Timothy McCormick. The Fedeli Groups president and CEO, Umberto Fideli, emailed a copy of the internal investigation to Paul Soucie, who at the time was the head of Cuyahoga County Prosecutors Offices economic crimes unit that investigates financial crimes and corruption. Soucie is now part of the team of former assistant county prosecuting attorneys working under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yosts office to investigate corruption and mismanagement in county government and the county jails. A grand jury on March 20 handed up a 14-count indictment charging Friend in the scheme. Assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutors Edward Brydle and James Gutierrez alleged in court filings that on 10 different occasions between May 2012 and September 2017, Friend deposited a commission check from the side company and then transferred money to other accounts, including his checking and savings accounts. He also made two transfers to Walsh Jesuit High School and one to Miami University, the records say. The transfers totaled more than $33,000, the records say. Friends attorneys maintained in court filings that another Fedeli Group official knew about, and permitted the work Friend did outside of the company. They said Friend was the target of Fedelis retaliation because he resigned from the firm where he was a frequent leader in sales to take a job at a national insurance company headquartered in Florida that The Fedeli Group considered a competitor. Mr. Friends departure was viewed as betrayal, Synenberg wrote in a trial brief. Synenberg also maintained the Fedeli Groups internal investigation selectively interviewed employees who would back the companys claim that Friend stole, and did not interview other employees who would corroborate Friends side of the story. Fedeli denied the claims during several hours of testimony. The firms lawyers said in court records that when Fedeli Group employees learned of Friends work and confronted him, he denied making any money off it and offered to donate it to charity, records say. Fedeli said in an email that the employee that Friend said gave him permission to work on the side account had no authority to do so, and was later fired himself over financial improprieties. The jury was able to see through the false evidence and lies, Fedeli wrote. Fedeli also said his company was satisfied with OMalleys office and referred other questions to prosecutors. We are a private company and have wonderful associates and clients. We do not typically respond to the nature of terminations, Fedeli wrote. Integrity is of the up most importance, and we do not tolerate those who commit crimes or inappropriate actions. Read recent stories Laurel School sues music festival promoters, claims company owes money for 2019 LaureLive event Cuyahoga, Summit counties opioid trial against pharmacies moved to November Owner of Garfield Heights recycling yard says court-ordered cleanup, contempt finding led to layoffs Former Berea-Midpark football player pleads guilty to felony charges in hazing case Cuyahoga, Summit counties received hundreds of millions of dollars from opioid settlements By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday sought response of the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protestors by the district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during anti-CAA agitations in the state. A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and K M Joseph issued notice to the state government and directed it to file its response within four weeks. The apex court was hearing a plea which alleged that notices have been sent in Uttar Pradesh in an "arbitrary manner" against a person, who had died six years ago at the age of 94, and also to two others who are aged above 90. Advocate Parwaiz Arif Titu, a petitioner in the case, has sought a stay on these notices claiming they have been sent to persons who have not been booked under any penal provisions and no details of FIR or any criminal offences have been made out against them. The plea, filed through advocate Nilofar Khan, has said that notices were based on an Allahabad High Court verdict delivered in 2010 which "is in violation of the guidelines" passed by the apex court in a 2009 judgment which was later re-affirmed in a 2018 verdict. "The contradiction is that while the Supreme Court in 2009 put the onus of assessment of damages and recovery from the accused on high courts of every state, whereas the Allahabad High Court had issued guidelines in 2010 judgement that let the state government undertake these processes to recover damages, which has serious implications. "The judicial oversight/judicial security is a sort of safety mechanism against arbitrary action. This means that there is every chance that the ruling party in the state could go after its political opponents or others oppose to it to settle scores," it has said. It has also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to follow the procedure as per the 2009 and 2018 guidelines of the apex court while claiming damages to recover the losses caused to public property during such protests. The plea has sought setting up of an independent judicial inquiry to probe into the incidents which happened during the protests against the amended citizenship act and the National Register of Citizens in Uttar Pradesh, as has been done by the Karnataka High Court. The plea has claimed that the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is "moving ahead on the chief minister's promise of avenging a loss to public property" by seizing assets of protestors in order to "take revenge for political reasons from one community who is in minority". It further alleged that around 925 persons, who have been arrested so far in connection with the violent protests, may not get bail easily in Uttar Pradesh till they pay up for the losses as they have to be given "conditional bail" only after they deposit the amount. The plea has claimed that even before any demonstrations, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had declared that there was no reason for anyone to protest against the CAA and on December 19, 2019 when the protestors and policemen first clashed in Lucknow, "he angrily denounced the protestors" and said he would take "revenge". "The government of Uttar Pradesh and its administration and police are no longer behaving like the arm of a democratic government as it cracked down on protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019/NRC. The police on the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh administration used disproportionate force and denied public accountability," it alleged. The plea, while giving details of instances in the state during the anti-CAA protests, claimed there is "no rule of law" in Uttar Pradesh and there is "complete violation" of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution in order to crack down the protests against CAA and NRC. There was drama during the trial of Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when a prosecution witness denied knowledge of his witness statement. Prosecution Star Witness, Benjamin Osei Ampofo Adjei, a newscaster with Adom FM denied his own witness statement in court today, 29th January, 2020 to testify on behalf of the prosecution. According to him he did not author the content in the said witness statement. He told the Court in his testimony, that sometime in May, 2019, the Police brought a prepared document to him to sign which he did. Though agreeing that the statement had his signature, Mr. Ampofo Adjei told the court that he only signed a document brought to him without reading it. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Kweku Boahen, a Deputy Communications Officer of the party are on trial over an alleged leaked tape in which they are accused of inciting violence against the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Mrs Jean Mensa, and the Chairman of the National Peace Council (NPC), Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante. The two have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit assault against a Public Officer, while Ofosu-Ampofo has pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault against a public officer. Prosecutions Facts According to the prosecutions facts, following the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence on January 31, 2019, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo met with some NDC communicators on February 3, 2019. Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo and Kweku Boahen are said to have outlined an action plan which included violence against Mrs. Mensa and Rev. Prof. Asante. The prosecution added that on February 20, 2019, Boahen granted a radio interview in which he confirmed his participation in the said meeting and also revealed that the leaked audio recording was a true reflection of what had transpired at the February 3, 2019 meeting. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 A recent YouGov survey of Britons found that half wouldnt want to take a trip to the moon, even if their safety was guaranteed. My favourite of the reasons and keep in mind respondents answered in their own words, which were then categorised by the pollsters was not enough to see/do, which received 11 per cent, and is absolutely spectacular. Other amazing answers were no point (9 per cent), which is hard to argue with; reject guaranteed safety premise (9 per cent), which is also eminently sensible; and believes moon part of European Union (7 per cent). Actually, I made up that last one, but doesnt it sound like a conceivable choice in this very British buffet of unimpressed shoulder shrugs? All I want is for the original Monty Python cast to read the responses, with Eric Idle as a Pepperpot declaring hed rather go to the Lake District at this time of year. But in lieu of this, can YouGov not at least extend the question to Americans? Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: The answers, Im sure, would be very different. Theres a reason Elon Musk born in South Africa, educated in Canada, unwelcome in Thailand has made his home in the United States. Thats because the US is where people go when the earth is not enough, and they want to dream intergalactic dreams. (Astronomers: I know the moon isnt in a different galaxy, but allow me poetic licence here.) But while the vast majority of Americans would leap at the opportunity to visit the moon, if only because of what it would do for their social media feeds, a sizeable proportion would no doubt dispute the moons very existence. Also challenging would be that many would never have been given time off from their jobs before, and would fear a moon trip would result in losing their health insurance. Thats dark, I know, but also accurate in a country where paid vacation time is a luxury. Researchers of the University of Michigan reportedly launched a solar orbiter mission on February 7 for studying and analysing the physics of the Sun and will also be the first to capture the images of the Sun's poles. The European Space Agency's (ESA) Solar Orbiter will work with close coordination with Parker Solar Probe of NASA which was launched earlier in August 2018. The orbiter is all set to launch from Cape Canaveral, according to the researchers. Solar storms are naturally the torrents of charged particles and electromagnetic fields that travel from Sun and clatter the magnetic field Earth. READ: Intersolar North America Announces Line-Up For Solar Games Installer Competition Mission scheduled to launch atop a ULA Atlas V The disturbances can harm the power lines and may put the expensive transformers at risk and can also damage satellites. It is a $1.5 billion solar orbiter mission scheduled to launch atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket on the night of February 7. The 3,970-lb spacecraft will use several flybys of Venus and one of Earth to get into an unusual orbit around the sun. The Solar Orbiter seeks to connect the activity on the Sun to solar plasma that flows out in heliosphere and drives space weather. The instrument which will be used include the Heavy Ion Sensor (HIS) which is partially built at U-M. It is a kind of ion mass spectrometer that is known to break down the composition of the solar wind it samples. READ: CECEP Solar Energy Technology (Zhenjiang) Wins Two Key Government Procurement Tenders Get ready to face the Sun with our #SolarOrbiter launch kit & infographics! Download full interactive media kit viahttps://t.co/icA0BXLf2W #WeAreAllSolarOrbiters pic.twitter.com/a3xRfKmtt3 ESA's Solar Orbiter (@ESASolarOrbiter) January 29, 2020 #ICYMI we are now targeting launch on 7 Feb (EST) / 8 Feb (GMT/CET) in our February launch window. The two-hour launch window on 7/8 Feb opens at 23:15 EST/05:15CET. Update from @NASA @ulalaunch @ESA: https://t.co/yk7ndITBqA #WeAreAllSolarOrbiters pic.twitter.com/X8bgQWUWex ESA's Solar Orbiter (@ESASolarOrbiter) January 27, 2020 READ: People From Middle East And Asia Share Photos Of Solar Eclipse 2019 READ: Solar Eclipse December 2019: How Does It Affect The Sleep And The Dietary Patterns? The police on Friday booked BJP's West Bengal unit President Dilip Ghosh following a complaint lodged against him by a young woman for making 'sexually coloured remarks' and showing 'murderous intent'. The police said the case has been initiated against Ghosh under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including threat and intimidation, based on the complaint filed by a second year post-graduate student here earlier in the day. The woman alleged that she was harassed on Thursday by BJP activists taking part in a rally backing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Patuli in the southern outskirts of the city. "I have filed a complaint of murderous intent and sexual remarks against Dilip Ghosh," said the girl who also sought police protection. According to the police and eye-witnesses, the woman was protesting against the new citizenship law as also a possible countrywide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) on one side of the road as the BJP activists led by Ghosh began the rally christened 'Abhinandan Yatra'. She was also carrying a poster that read "No NRC, No NPR, No CAA". Some of the rallyists got angry and tore up the poster, and abused her, while a few were seen shouting "Jai Sri Ram" into her ears, till the police rescued the student. Later, talking to the media, Ghosh launched a tirade against the woman, saying she was lucky that "nothing more was done to her". "If they (protesters) come close to our rally, then I'll say it's their good fortune that nothing more was done to them. There are lot of baghs (a reference to CAA protest ground Shaheen Bagh in Delhi) and circus where they can protest. "Why do such people have to come before our workers -- to be in the news or to become martyrs? This is very unfortunate. Nobody should do this. We have withstood a lot. We won't withstand this kind of childish pranks," he said. She said she mentioned the entire statement given by Ghosh in her complaint. After over nine hours of hostage crisis at a village in Farrukhabad district in Uttar Pradesh, the police here on late Thursday night rescued all the 23 children who had been held captive by a man with criminal background. The hostage-taker, identified as Subhash Batham, was shot dead in an encounter with the police, while his wife sustained injuries and has been admitted to a hospital, confirmed ADG UP Ramashastry. According to the police, the incident took place at Mohamadabad area here when Batham had invited about 20 children to his house for a party and then locked them in. When some local residents tried to get the door opened, he started firing from inside in which one person was injured in the leg. Batham even threw a low intensity bomb from the window. Home Secretary Avneesh Awasthi said: "IG, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal, with support from the quick response team, special operation group and Anti-Terrorism Squad of the UP police, spearheaded the operation, finally ending the nine-hours long stand off." Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) OP Singh added that the police was being cautious to ensure that the hostages are not harmed. Parents heaved a sigh of relief as all the 23 children were rescued from Batham's custody safely. Californias most powerful utility regulator is stepping up her efforts to limit Pacific Gas and Electric Co.s planned blackouts ahead of this years wildfire season. Marybel Batjer, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, told PG&E on Thursday that she found serious deficiencies in the way the company says it is improving its shut-off program. Reports that PG&E filed with the commission were fundamentally inadequate in the amount of specifics provided, and the company inappropriately stopped filing the reports entirely last month, Batjer said. She ordered PG&E to start filing more detailed reports, brief the commission about its plans to restrict blackouts and prepare to test its program with state officials. Additionally, an administrative law judge for the commission has proposed new fire-prevention blackout guidelines for all of the states investor-owned utilities. If ultimately approved by the commission, the guidelines would instruct utilities to restore power no more than 24 hours after risky weather conditions subside, improve access to information online and provide a better public rationale when they decide to cut power, among other changes. The added regulatory scrutiny of public safety power shut-offs, which are intended to prevent power lines from starting more catastrophic fires during windstorms, comes as PG&E, in particular, is under broad pressure not to repeat last years widespread blackouts. The company placed millions of Californians in the dark for days during a number of shut-offs, mostly in October, leading to widespread backlash. Batjer ruled Thursday that within 15 days, PG&E executives must meet with the safety director of the commission to present a detailed plan about its abilities, planned improvements and expected challenges in regard to fire-prevention blackouts this year. The plan must cover PG&Es weather prediction services, public outreach plans, critical infrastructure support and electrical system improvements to reduce the reach of power shut-offs, she said. Within 45 days of Batjers ruling, PG&E must have established updated power shut-off procedures and be ready to conduct a dry run at random with the state Office of Emergency Services, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and staff at the utilities commission. PG&E also needs to set up active working groups with tribal and local governments to address their needs before, during and after blackouts, Batjer ruled. A group of local governments previously told the utilities commission that PG&E had kept them at a distance, communicated poorly and overstated the areas where power was likely to go out in October. PG&E said it would respond to Batjers ruling by the deadline. When circumstances dictate, a decision to turn off the power for safety can protect against devastating consequences, but PG&E is keenly aware that de-energization events also disrupt lives and present their own public safety risks, PG&E spokesman Matt Nauman said in a statement. Even a perfectly executed (power shut-off) event will impose hardships on individuals and communities, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Nauman added that PG&E embraces actions that result in safer power shut-off events and are less burdensome on affected communities. Batjer has already been sharply critical of how PG&E executed last years mass blackouts. In October, she said that PG&Es missteps during widespread shut-offs that month had created an unacceptable situation that should never be repeated. She told PG&E executives days later that they had failed on so many levels. And in November, she signed an order requiring PG&E to show why it should not be sanctioned for its blackout problems, including a faulty website that prevented customers from obtaining vital information. State legislators are considering forcing changes, too. State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, is carrying a bill that would create a way to make PG&E pay customers for spoiled food and other losses they incur during blackouts. The Senate passed his bill, SB378, on Monday, when one senator said lawmakers should focus more on the utilities commission. The bill will go to the Assembly for consideration. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris BBC Music GroupInternational country six-piece band King Calaway has released the foot-stomping No Matter What as their newest single. The song comes off the groups debut album, Rivers, which they released in October of last year. The band gives No Matter What a cinematic treatment in the songs music video, which finds them jamming out and delivering their trademark vocal harmonies in the middle of a desert landscape. King Calaway kicked things off in a big way in 2019, when Garth Brooks invited them to open for him at a Minneapolis stadium stop. As a live act, theyre not showing any signs of slowing down: King Calaway is set to make their seventh Grand Ole Opry appearance next month, just one day before No Matter What heads to radio on February 25. Following that, theyll head overseas for a performance at the C2C: Country to Country festival in Berlin in March. King Calaways new single follows their romantic lead offering, World for Two. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Banking transactions worth around Rs 7,000 crore were hit as around 16,000 branches of public sector banks in Tamil Nadu downed shutters after a two-day strike call was given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and Indian Bank's Association (IBA). All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) general secretary CH Venkatachalam told Express that nine lakh cheques worth Rs 7,000 crore in the state could not be processed due to the bank strike. The strike was called after differences between bank employees' union and management over a 20 per cent pay hike and five-day work week among others failed to get resolved. In many places, ATMs have run out of cash. Cash could not be deposited or withdrawn and cheques could not be sent to the clearing house, putting customers in difficulty. The strike will continue on Saturday also, affecting banking transactions for a second day. Amid worry about the coronavirus, masks are in short supply at retailers around Toronto. Online, people are sharing photos of masks, both surgical and N95, sold at inflated prices. (The N95 respirator is the most common of particulate-filtering masks.) The virus, which emerged from Wuhan, China, has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization. A photo circulating online showed a display of masks being sold at the University of Torontos downtown campus bookstore. The photo showed the price per mask for a medical-grade N95 respirator was $8, while a full box ran $160. An employee at the bookstore confirmed the price in the photo is accurate. Surgical masks were advertised at $2 per mask, with a full box priced at $100. (On Amazon, prices for a box of 50 surgical masks ran between $30 and $50.) No masks were available when the Star visited the University of Toronto St. George campus bookstore Friday morning. A cashier said the masks sold out. Employees at the bookstore could not immediately confirm whether they were stocked before news of the outbreak in China. Lotta Lindblom, vice-president of retail at U of T Bookstore, told the Star that the store leapt to order masks when students began expressing their interest in buying them. We rushed to find a supplier to bring the masks in-store for our community. By the end of last week, suppliers had considerably increased the price of the masks, and, in an effort, to receive them quickly, we paid expedited shipping costs, Lindblom said. All of these factors increased the cost of the masks, contributing to the higher-than-expected price point displayed in-store yesterday. Lindblom called the display and the lack of explanation about the increased prices a great misstep. The display has been removed, and we deeply apologize for the impression it created. Our goal of servicing our communitys needs was not met, and, for that, we are truly sorry, she said. She confirmed the bookstore always keeps masks in stock as it sells a wide variety of medical supplies to students. Vivian Peng said that the price for each mask was steep, but shed pay for it in a pinch. Peng, who was wearing a pink surgical mask, outside the John P. Robarts research library, told the Star shes happy with having some masks, no matter whether its (being sold at) a premium or not. She said the masks she has purchased from other retailers have been at a price shed expect. Peng said the masks she recently purchased from a dental supply website cost her $40 for a box of 50. She said she wore the mask because shes worried about contracting the virus, and to allay the fears of others: I think, because I come from China, Im also afraid people may think I carry the virus. So (wearing it) is just for my own good health and for other peoples health. At a Rexall pharmacy near the university, surgical masks were out of stock. A price sticker advertised that a 10-pack of surgical masks cost $7.29, or $0.73 per mask. A three-pack of all-purpose masks was priced at $6.79, or $2.26 per mask. Hong Kong has seen panic buying of masks. The fear of the virus is existential for the densely populated city of seven million, where about 300 people died and more than 1,000 were infected in the severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, epidemic of 2003, The Washington Post reports. The outbreak of the new coronavirus outbreak is badly timed for Hong Kong. The coronavirus threat comes as public trust in authorities has collapsed amid the political turmoil, contributing to panic and a rush for supplies. At a branch of CRCare, a local pharmacy chain, in the Aberdeen neighborhood, a shop assistant said a delivery of masks arrived at 9 a.m. The 120 boxes sold out in 10 minutes. She didnt know when new stocks would arrive. Customers had been waiting in line before 6 a.m. Some became aggressive as they were turned away after supplies ran out. A Washington Post reporter tried looking for hand-sanitizer in about a dozen locations across the city, and returned empty-handed and received no indication when deliveries might arrive. Online retailers offer little help; after an hour-long wait to enter the online store of Watsons, a pharmacy chain, a few minutes clicking around the items for sale revealed that every kind of hand-sanitizer, disinfectant, medical wet wipe and antiseptic had been sold out. Panic buying has extended to grocery stores, where fresh vegetables are in short supply and household cleaning products, such as laundry detergent and hand soap are being snapped up, the Post reported. with files from The Washington Post Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labor and employment, says the call for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari is a way of asking him to do better. Senate minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe had asked Buhari to resign after the presidents statement in which he expressed surprise over the state of security in the country. Abaribe said Buharis government can no longer do anything about the situation, a statement that stirred reactions among Nigerians who also demanded that the president resigns. Speaking via twitter, Keyamo said it was normal for the opposition to ask the president to resign, but said theres no way the president would actually resign. Buhari had also asked ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to resign in 2013 over insecurity. Read Also: Buhari Is Fully Aware And In Charge Of All That Is Going On: Adesina Keyamo, who was the spokesman of Buharis 2019 presidential campaign organisation, said, The hullabaloo over the call by the opposition for the resignation of the President is unnecessary. Its the usual singsong of opposition all over the world. They know its not going to happen. Its just a way of telling govt to do more and we in govt should see it in that light. Yet another Russian convoy has had its path blocked by the US military as it attempted to move through Hassakeh reports Al-Masdar. The US military has blocked another Russian military convoy in northeastern Syria, a new report from the Hassakeh Governorate claimed on Thursday. According to the report, the US military halted the Russian military convoy as it was trying to bypass their checkpoint near the key town of Tel Tamr in the western countryside of the Hassakeh on Wednesday. Despite the obstruction, the Russian military rerouted their convoy and made their way to Tel Tamr from a different direction. The US military has now blocked the Russian Armed Forces on at least nine occasions since the start of the new year, with most of these obstructions taking place along the M4 international highway near Tel Tamr. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean has championed the state's $2 billion energy deal with the Commonwealth as a "massive green deal", which marked a new consensus within the Coalition on tackling climate change. But some climate change advocates have criticised it, seizing on the agreement by the NSW government to inject an additional 70 petajoules of gas into the east coast market. NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean says the $2 billion energy agreement with the federal government is a "massive green deal". Credit:AAP Mr Kean said the deal amounted to a major investment in renewable energy, with the federal government tipping in $960 million for emissions reduction initiatives in NSW matched by $1 billion in funding from the state government. "We've just landed a massive green deal for NSW," Mr Kean said. "For the first time, the Coalition has consensus when it comes to tackling climate change." The wife of an Uttar Pradesh man, who had taken more than 20 children hostage, has died after being thrashed by locals, news agency ANI reported. The woman has succumbed to injuries, we are waiting for post-mortem report, further details on cause of death will only come out after the report, ANI quoted IG Kanpur Range Mohit Agarwal as saying. She was admitted to a local hospital in critical condition. The hostage-taker, Subhash Batham, was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Police in the rescue operation on Thursday night. He invited the children to his daughters birthday party at Kasaria village in the afternoon and locked them up. The hostage crisis continued for about eight hours. The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am on Friday. Batham had initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. Eyewitnesses said a restive crowd gathered outside the house where the children were kept with some women wailing and praying for their safe release. The crowd broke open the door of the house to rescue the children, they said. The accused opened fire, injuring three policemen and a villager. The police then retaliated killing Batham on the spot. Police said Batham had sent out a typed complaint addressed to the district magistrate that alleged that he had been denied a house and a toilet under the Central housing scheme for poor. His letter indicated that he had planned the act well in advance, said the police. The president of the United States already has the legal authority to reduce the price of many commonly used prescription drugs. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Jan. 26, while on the presidential primary campaign trail in Davenport, Iowa On the presidential primary campaign trail in Iowa, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) brought out a favorite talking point: ways the president can bring down drug prices without waiting for Congress. It's not the first time Warren and other candidates have referenced this alleged power. In this case, she pointed to insulin, EpiPens and HIV/AIDS drugs as possible targets. We asked the Warren campaign for the basis of her claim and they directed us to her "Medicare for All" transition plan. It identifies two legal mechanisms - "compulsory licensing" as outlined in 28 U.S. Code Section 1498 and the so-called march-in rights provision of the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act. We spoke to legal and pharmaceutical policy experts about whether those mechanisms could be used to bring down drug prices, as Warren described. The answer? Yes. But it's complicated and controversial. The legal mechanisms Of the two legal levers, Section 1498 is perhaps more straightforward. The law says the government can intervene to take over patents without a company's permission if the price is too high. The government can then create competition to bring down prices by importing those products from abroad or manufacturing them. The original manufacturer can sue for damages but cannot stop Washington from breaking the patent. "What they would do is announce they are taking other bids from other companies to supply the product" to government programs such as Medicare, said Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, who researches drug pricing laws and has written extensively about Section 1498. The provision has been used before - in the 1960s to procure cheap generic drugs - and was invoked as recently as 2001 as a threat to get a better price on Ciprofloxacin, a high-powered antibiotic used to treat anthrax. It also was used in 2014 in non-pharmaceutical contexts, such as by the Defense Department to acquire lead-free bullets. Invoking this part of the U.S. code wouldn't necessarily apply to all drugs, said Jacob Sherkow, a professor at New York Law School. But products such as the ones Warren mentioned - insulin and EpiPens, for instance, which are patented in the United States and abroad and cost far less in other countries - would qualify. And that could send a message to other drug manufacturers. "If you're a particularly aggressive president, you can find some low-hanging fruit, and use 1498 to show other pharmaceutical companies you're damn serious," Sherkow said. There are other caveats. Sherkow noted that licensing a competing drug is only part of the equation; competition often brings down drug prices, but not always. In addition, not all drugs have equivalent patents here and abroad, which complicates importation. But many of the technical obstacles are surmountable, argued Amy Kapczynski, a professor at Yale Law School. The march-in rights authority is a little trickier. Bayh-Dole, the law that created march-in rights, suggests the government can "march in" when a drug isn't available amid concerns over public health, such as an epidemic. It applies only to pharmaceuticals for which the government holds all the patents because it funded the research that led to their development. An example could be Truvada for PrEP, the HIV prevention pill, Kesselheim said. Unlike Section 1498, march-in rights have never been used to negotiate a lower price - despite multiple petitions to the National Institutes of Health, the federal agency that would approve and oversee the process. The question is whether high prices can constitute both a barrier and a public health concern having rendered a drug unavailable. Sherkow, for one, expressed skepticism. NIH has historically opted against making this determination. For one, its directors have typically argued that cost isn't within their area of expertise. And, for another, they have suggested that "marching in" would discourage pharmaceutical companies from using government-funded research - ultimately leading to fewer breakthrough drugs being developed. "That is a matter of culture, and I think a president could alter that perspective," Kesselheim said. Doing so, though, would require political capital. Even though Congress isn't required to vote on the matter, the president would have to, for instance, appoint officials willing to change the NIH perspective - and those leaders do require Senate confirmation. "You'd probably have to defend it in court," Kesselheim added. Finally, these mechanisms would also draw sharp pushback from the pharmaceutical industry. Given the fervor over the drug pricing debate, neither Section 1498 nor march-in rights should be used ubiquitously, Kesselheim said. "It is a complicated enough and politically charged enough procedure, that it's something that should be reserved as a safety net for real public health emergencies," he said. "I think Sen. Warren is identifying some of those cases." They're all talking about it Warren's proposals are part of a larger pattern: Democratic presidential candidates, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, have talked about ways to bring down drug prices without congressional action. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also referenced such action during the January presidential primary debate. "I have a plan of 137 things I found that a president can do herself in the first 100 days without Congress that are legal. And one of those things is that you can start bringing in less expensive drugs from other parties," she said. According to Klobuchar's campaign, she was referring to a list she published on Medium in June in which she wrote that she would use "existing Food and Drug Administration authority to grant a waiver that allows people to import safe prescription drugs for personal use from countries like Canada to decrease drug costs for seniors and all Americans." Sherkow said this is indeed another example. Section 804 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act authorizes the HHS secretary to order the importation of specific drugs if it would impose no additional risk to the public's health and safety and would result in a significant cost reduction. But this example also highlights the complexities involved and why it is not necessarily fast or easy. He pointed out that the president would have to nominate a candidate for secretary, get that person confirmed, then have the secretary make this order in respect to specific drugs, certify that the drugs are safe and would result in cost reduction - then have the importation take place. "Kudos to anyone for trying that in the first 100 days," Sherkow said. Our ruling Warren said, "The president of the United States already has the legal authority to reduce the price of many commonly used prescription drugs." Multiple presidential candidates have talked about ways to bring down drug prices without new legislation. We focused on Warren's argument: that the president already has this legal authority for many drugs, and that the power stems from Section 1498 and the march-in rights provision of a 1980 law. On these points, she is on firm ground. Legal experts agreed that laws on the books do, in some cases, give the president that executive power - and the cases Warren outlined are viable candidates, especially for "compulsory licensing." The same experts also pointed out that even with this authority, the politics and logistics could be tricky, and that using these mechanisms wouldn't address the entire drug pricing issue. We rate this statement True. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 31st January, 2020) Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin is set to meet with his Moldovan counterpart, Ion Chicu, on Friday in Kazakhstan's largest city of Almaty. The Moldovan prime minister last Sunday wrote on Facebook that he would visit Almaty for the meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council as well as a digital economy forum, adding that he will meet with Mishustin, who is going to participate in those events as well. Relations between Moscow and Chisinau became strained after the ratification of the EU Association Agreement in 2016. However, since Igor Dodon became president in 2016, relations between the two countries have been gradually improving. Earlier this month, Dodon visited Moscow at the invitation of Herman Gref, the chairman of the executive board of Russia's Sberbank. - Two members of the same family in England have tested positive for the fast-spreading coronavirus - England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty confirmed that the infected persons are in the care of the countrys National Health Service (NHS) - Whitty says his team is trying to prevent further spread of the disease by working to identify any contacts the sick patients might have had - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The deadly coronavirus has spread to England after two members of the same family tested positive for the fast-spreading virus. The spread of the virus in the country was confirmed by England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty on Friday, January 31, who stated that the patients were now in the care of the countrys National Health Service (NHS), CNBC reports. England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty confirmed that two persons have contracted the coronavirus in the country. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Opportunity knocks once; Mahama has missed his chance - Nunoo Mensah Whitty disclosed that his team was trying to prevent further spread of the disease by working to identify any contacts the sick patients might have had. The chief medical officer said England was ready to handle any eventuality that might result from the outbreak, noting that the country would continue to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community to contain the virus. Meanwhile, coronavirus has been confirmed in the USA after a man in Chicago contracted the virus from his wife who traveled to China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the woman, who is in her 60s, was diagnosed after returning from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated. Doctors told reporters during a telebriefing that the woman was doing quite well and remains hospitalized primarily for isolation. READ ALSO: Coronavirus spreads to USA as China returnee infects husband Still on health, Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health, on Tuesday, January 28, confirmed that only in 2020, Nigeria has recorded 41 deaths and 258 cases of Lassa fever outbreak in not less than 19 states. In a briefing on Tuesday, January 28, Ehanire said that Nigerians should embark on massive hygiene in all their activities as a preventive measure, Channels TV reported. He said that another way to avoid the spread of the viral disease is the covering of food from rats which is the vector. Meanwhile, about four persons have been confirmed dead with not less than 15 others receiving treatment in the Oye-Obi in Obi local government area of Benue state. According to Andyson Egbodo, the new president of Igede national youths council, each of the deceased showed the same symptoms which are headache, internal heat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness of the body and swollen stomach, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports READ ALSO: 5 candidates who can contest Akufo-Addo as NPPs flagbearer for 2020 Mathew Anim Cudjoe showered with money after Hearts - Kotoko game in Accra | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Coronavirus: WHO declares global health emergency over spread of killer disease Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh After a bitter, three-and-a-half year political battle, the UK will leave the European Union at 11 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2020. Brexit returns control of British political institutions, immigration laws, regulatory standards, and free trade policies to its citizens. That is, Brexit empowers the British people to determine their own destiny. Brexit was really about a fundamental desire of humanity: our thirst for liberty, writes Rev. Richard Turnbull in a new analysis for the Acton Institutes Religion & Liberty Transatlantic website. Rev. Turnbull, who is director of the Oxford-based Centre for Entreprise, Morality, and Ethics (CEME) and ordained in the Church of England, sets out the opportunities and challenges that face the UK as it exercises the restored aspects of its national sovereignty. He writes: There will undoubtedly be a battle between those who wish UK trade and regulatory standards to remain aligned with the EU in return for zero tariffs and so-called frictionless trade. This is a siren song. If that were the objective, there would be little point in leaving the single market, the customs union, or the EU itself. We need to encourage a new outlook for trade that champions innovation, the free exchange of goods and services, and consumer choice. The freedom to negotiate trade deals and arrangements with our closest allies like the United States which has been illegal whilst we have been members of the EU or any other sovereign country that wishes to trade to mutual advantage lies at the heart of the opportunities that beckon after Brexit. Read his full analysis and see why he asks lovers of liberty across the transatlantic sphere to raise a glass with me to celebrate our freedom. (Photo credit: Jonund. CC BY 2.0.) By Nick Parker parkerni@grinnell.edu With caucuses night quickly approaching, few groups have done more to prepare Grinnellians than the Campus Democrats. Co-chaired by Allie Pearce 20 and Oliver Willet 21, as well as Nat Jordan 21 who is currently abroad, Campus Dems have had no shortage of work in the lead up to Feb 3. Traditionally, the main focus of the organization is to drum up support for local and state-wide democratic candidates. We usually bring a wider variety of candidates other than presidential, said Pearce, Especially the state and local issue. However, due to the national election cycle, every four years the focus of Campus Democrats switches to the national stage. A large part of that is preparing for caucus night. Weve registered hundreds of people recently, said Willett. The bad news is that theres a lot more people that still need to be registered. As Iowa distributes its delegates through a caucus system, and not a primary, registered independents cannot participate. To have a say in the process, you must be a registered Democrat, or else switch your registration to the Democratic party. The fact that many Grinnell students come from out-of-state also poses another challenge. While Iowa does have same-day registration, it can slow the caucus day down when people arrive with incomplete forms. Were having voter registration on the day of the caucuses, said Willett. Its 11 to 2, added Pearce, It makes it so much easier, because nobody can caucus until everybody is in the room. Besides a focus on voter registration, Campus Dems also act as a liaison between political campaigns and Grinnell College. In short, We do a lot of stuff, said Pearce. Responsibilities can vary from booking rooms to working with various other student groups on campus. At Grinnell, said Pearce, you cant host an event unless you have a student organization affiliated with it, and it takes a lot of time for a Students for Bernie group to start up. As a result, Campus Dems co-host a number of political events on campus. The recent Bernie Sanders event in JRC 101, which featured Michael Moore among other speakers, is one such example. Campus Dems also work to bring their own candidates to campus. While the organization waits until a nominee has been selected before it makes an official endorsement, it can bring candidates to campus. When they do that, Campus Dems often take on a variety of roles. When Jay Inslee came, says Willett, he sent in his policemen, and I had to meet with two of [them] , securing the room, making sure it was safe. Even after caucus night, Campus Dems still have their work cut out. Making sure they vote down the ballot is huge, Grinnellians just dont do that, said Willett. In a county that only went Republican by 200 votes in 2016, the voices of Grinnell students can be a deciding factor. However, Grinellians have shown substantially less interest in voting for house and senate seats than for president. Encouraging students to fill out the entire ballot, and not overlook Iowan politics, is a major goal of the organization. In the run up to the November elections, Campus Dems are often involved in getting voting booths on campus for election day. This can be a difficult task, given the more political nature of deciding where votes can be cast. Yet projects like this, and preparing for presidential elections in general, are not what Campus Dems typically do during the average school year. According to Pearce, The last semester and this semester have not been representative of Campus Democrats as a whole. If students have any questions about registration or the caucuses, they can reach the Campus Democrats at democrat@grinnell.edu. Manchester United made an enquiry for Bournemouth striker Josh King but were told the Norwegian was not for sale. King, 28, played for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in Manchester Uniteds reserves between 2009-11 and is still admired by the Old Trafford boss. However, Bournemouth have said they can not afford to lose forwards in this window. United are themselves well short of strikers, having failed to replace Romelu Lukaku last summer after selling him to Inter Milan and losing talisman Marcus Rashford to a back injury. Manchester United have had their Josh King approach rejected by Bournemouth The former United academy graduate is still admired by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer The striker scored against his former club earlier this season but Bournemouth won't sell Solskjaer needs to strengthen his forward line before Friday's 11pm transfer deadline or face walking a tightrope for the second half of the season, with United just one injury to a striker away from a crisis up front. The Cherries have fallen into the relegation zone but are still level on points with 17th placed West Ham. King has struggled himself this season, contributing just three goals and two assists to the relegation scrap. However, his 12 goals last season and haul of 16 in 2016/17 have shown his quality in the Premier League. United had their own run in with King earlier this season when the striker stunning his former club by scoring the only goal in Bournemouth's 1-0 win over Solskjaer's side at the Vitality Stadium back in November. The Cherries are in a relegation battle and need King to find his form, which he hasn't yet done Solskjaer may move for his countryman in the summer, especially if Bournemouth go down He is currently sidelined through a hamstring injury, but is expected to be back on the pitch in February. The Norwegian's sale would have been a big blow to Bournemouth, who have managed just 23 goals in 24 games this term, with only Watford and Crystal Palace scoring fewer. King was swooped from Valerenga IF's under-19 side in Norway by United, and worked his way from their under-18 side up to the first-team. He even made a Champions League appearance, coming on late in United's 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in 2012, before he was sold to Blackburn for 1.1m the following year. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / GreenPower Motor Company Inc. (TSXV:GPV) (OTCQB:GPVRF) (the "Company") today announced that it has retained the services of Michael Cole for strategic investor relations initiatives and corporate communications. Services provided by Michael Cole will be focused on investor outreach, organizing investor meetings and introductions to select media outlets and investment newsletters. Michael Cole commented, "GreenPower is ideally positioned to take full advantage of the trends sweeping across the all-electric transit and micro-transit market, which can be evidenced by the strength in recent unit deliveries. GreenPower's business model has recently demonstrated both substantial revenue growth and positive Adjusted EBITDA, which I believe prospective investors will find very attractive. The anticipated acceleration in both new orders and deliveries make this the ideal time to expand awareness and I look forward to working closely with the Company." The agreement is for an initial term of six months and Michael Cole will receive a monthly fee of $4,000 as well as 50,000 stock options with quarterly vesting, issued at the current share price in accordance with applicable regulations. The issuance of stock options is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. Mr. Cole has 10 years of investor relations experience and is currently a consultant operating out of Orange County, California. Mr. Cole has previously provided investor relations and corporate communications advisory services to the Issuer, and Mr. Cole does not have a direct or indirect interest in the Issuer or its securities. About GreenPower Motor Company Inc. GreenPower designs, builds and distributes a full suite of high-floor and low-floor vehicles, including transit buses, school buses, shuttles, a cargo van and a double decker. GreenPower employs a clean-sheet design to manufacture all-electric buses that are purpose built to be battery powered with zero emissions. GreenPower integrates global suppliers for key components, such as Siemens or TM4 for the drive motors, Knorr for the brakes, ZF for the axles and Parker for the dash and control systems. This OEM platform allows GreenPower to meet the specifications of various operators while providing standard parts for ease of maintenance and accessibility for warranty requirements. For further information go to www.greenpowerbus.com. For further information contact: Fraser Atkinson, CEO (604) 220-8048 Brendan Riley, President (510) 910-3377 Michael Sieffert, CFO (236) 521-4642 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. 2020 GreenPower Motor Company Inc. All rights reserved. SOURCE: GreenPower Motor Company Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/574778/GreenPower-Retains-Michael-Cole-for-IR-Initiatives The Election Commission is holding a meeting with Delhi Chief Secretary, city police chief and other top officials to review poll preparedness, officials said on Friday. The Commission would discuss various important issues related to conducting of peaceful elections in Delhi on February 8. The review comes a day after a shooting incident near the Jamia Millia Islamia here in which a student was injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The efficiencies Permian Basin oil and gas operators are seeking arent limited to their drilling projects. Efficiencies in the supply chain and in billing are also a target. To that end, Concho Resources is teaming up with Enverus to market a new platform to ensure more accurate billing. Concho and Enverus have been partners in excess of a decade, Dave Savelle, vice president over Enverus OpenTicket application, said in a phone interview. Theyve worked closely with us on various projects, and Concho was an early adapter of our digital ticketing technology, he said. The two are bringing to market a new product, Audit Analytics, which has its foundation in Conchos proprietary vendor auditing program that it developed using data from Enverus OpenInvoice and OpenTicket applications. Traditionally, suppliers would provide a field ticket and the operator would accept the ticket, Savelle said. With OpenInvoice and OpenTicket, his company digitized the process. Concho adopted OpenTicket three years ago; all their water haulers use it, he said. Then Concho said Hey, theres an opportunity there to analyze digitally when were looking at a ticket. Concho developed the application independently of Enverus but Enverus gave Concho access to its application interface, letting the operator develop its application with Enverus data. Once they developed it and proved it out, They said lets commercialize this and make it more broadly available, Savelle said. Concho referred the Reporter-Telegram to a statement from Jack Harper, president, in announcing plans to market Audit Analytics: Operating efficiently is a key priority for Concho, and as part of our efforts to reduce costs, we developed a solution that identifies and mitigates vendor overbilling. We are proud to work with Enverus to bring our system to market as Audit Analytics. We believe there is significant demand for this type of solution as other companies across our industry look to eliminate fraud and strengthen cost controls. Savelle estimated that 60 operators, many in the Permian Basin, use OpenTicket, not just for their water haulers but all aspects of their operations. He said more than 3,400 suppliers submit digital tickets through the platform. The challenge with field tickets from high-volume, low-cost supplies water hauling, chemical companies, hot oilers -- is there are so many tickets its hard for an operator to give proper oversight and ensure the work has been done. A lot of the work is done without a Concho representative there. Unlike drilling and completions where theres a Concho representative on the rig floor or on the site, a lot of production work is done without an operator representative on site. Companies such as Concho can have more than 100 suppliers just focused on fluid hauling at their sites, he said. Operators get literally hundreds of field tickets a day. For the big shale operators in West Texas, the scope of operations is remarkable. The sheer volume of work makes it challenging to make sure the tickets are properly vetted. Auditing the field tickets with a platform such as Audit Analytics could result in tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions, of dollars saved from elimination of fraud or unnecessary spending. Savelle said that not all misplaced capital is due to fraudulent field tickets; some is from miscalculations. Most service companies are actually small mom-and-pop businesses without rigorous back offices, he said. Customers say its as much a symptom of the sheer volume of business as of fraud. Adopting a platform like Audit Analytics will not only benefit the operator by ensuring the company pays only for work that was done and prevents a mistaken payment before it is made, but helps the vendor by ensuring the vendor gets paid in a timely manner and without delays caused by audits, he said. Enverus will be taking the product to market and offering it as part of their broad portfolio of programs, Savelle said. We are talking to early adapters who have an understanding of our products and working with Enverus. They can give us insight into the unique challenges they face, he said. He expects it will be offered up as a commercial offering some time in the second quarter of the year. Savelle said the platform can be useful to operators large and small. This is completely scalable. We have 60-plus OpenTicket users, from XTO to ConocoPhillips to Concho to smaller operators who have one-tenth of the operating volumes of a Concho, one-tenth the volumes but the same challenges, he said. The survey results show that of the total households surveyed in Delhi, 10 percent respondents witnessed crimes in the city, of which 57 percent did not report it to the police. In times when the primary function of the police to secure lives of the general public is being violated in the National Capital and other parts of the country, a study in Delhi shows that poor public trust in the police leads to underreporting of crimes. RTI data collected by Praja, a non-partisan organisation working towards enabling accountable governance, shows that in Delhi although the reporting of rape fell by 6 percent and molestation by 30 percent in the same period, the number of cases is much higher than say in Mumbai. For example, 1,965 cases of rape were reported in Delhi in 2018-19, which is 151 percent more than the 784 rape cases reported in Mumbai in the same period. Further, data of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act shows that sexual crimes against children are on the rise -- 63 percent of total rape cases in Delhi were against children. Although overall rapes reported has fallen from 2017-18 to 2018-19 the number of reported rapes under POCSO has gone up from 1,137 to 1,237 in the same period. This also corresponds to the high number of kidnapping and abduction cases against females. The proportion of kidnapping and abduction cases against girls and women has been rising in the last four years while in 2015-16, 56 percent cases were of girl child kidnapping which in 2018-19 rose to 70 percent. Similarly, in 2015-16, 53 percent cases of abduction were of women, which rose to 75 percent in 2018-19. While these numbers itself portray a grim picture of crimes in Indias capital city, a survey of 27,121 households in Delhi commissioned by Praja to Hansa Research throws light on a deeper and much more serious problem related to the law and order system. Under-reporting of crimes The survey results show that of the total households surveyed in Delhi, 10 percent respondents witnessed crimes in the city, of which 57 percent did not report it to the police. Similarly, 35 percent respondents had faced crime, of which 26 percent did not report it to the police. This shows that the number of crimes is higher than the cases registered with the police stations and all victims who face crime or those who witness crime do not report the same to the police. This implies that people are not very forthcoming to seek redress in the criminal justice system. Disinterest, fear and lack of faith Respondents were asked the reasons why they did not report a crime witnessed or faced to the police. The major reasons included not wanting to get into any trouble, and dont have time for all this. A considerable percentage of those who faced crime (25 percent in Delhi) said they did not report to the police because speaking to police officials is a painful task. Of those who faced crime and did not inform the police, 26 percent in Delhi said that they did not have faith in the police/legal system. This clearly highlights the lacunae of the law and order system in making the policing and justice process accessible and comforting for a victim, due to which the overall perception towards the police has become unfavourable. Moreover, less than 10 percent of reported crimes had an FIR filed. Respondents who reported crime were further asked about the method in which crimes were reported to which 63 percent respondents in Delhi who faced crime called the helpline numbers. Only 4 percent respondents of those who witnessed and 5 percent of those who faced crime filed an FIR at the police station. Satisfaction with the police officials Of most public services provided, peoples feedback is not considered. To get an idea of satisfaction of people towards police officials, Praja asked respondents who had registered cases with the police station of their satisfaction with the police. The satisfaction with the police was very low in Delhi as only 28 percent of those who witnessed crime and 27 percent of those who faced crime and reported, were satisfied. As a comparison, in a similar survey conducted in Mumbai, 87 percent of those who witnessed crime and 86 percent of those who faced crime and reported, were satisfied. Apart from socio-economic factors that deter the reporting of crimes, systemic factors such as the functioning of the policing and law and order act as a hindrance to timely justice. Shortage of police personnel Adequate police personnel are key to timely investigation and ensuring justice through strong evidence. RTI data on police personnel in Delhi shows a shortage of key investigation officers. In 2018-19, there was a shortage of 36 percent in the post of police sub-inspector which leads to major delays in investigating cases. This is especially the case in heinous crimes such as rape, where a timely investigation is a key to gathering sufficient evidence. The Crime in India annual report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2017 showed that in Delhi, 35 percent Indian Penal Code cases were pending for police investigation, and 89 percent triable Indian Penal Code cases were pending in the courts. Further, for a city like Delhi, which is plagued by multiple governance agencies, and the Central government has control over law and order and policing functions rather than the state, it only adds to peoples alienation towards the policing system. How can public trust be restored? There is a dire need to overhaul the system so that the law and order situation can be strengthened immensely. It is crucial that sanctioned posts are filled with skilled police personnel for effective policing in crime-prone regions along with meticulous investigations. Furthermore, session court cases need to reach a time-bound resolution, for timely justice to be ensured. Most importantly, citizens need to gain faith and be comfortable in reaching out to police when they witness or face crime. For this, the police-citizen relation needs to be improved through trust-building and awareness. Police officials need to be sensitised through training and counselling to involve citizens as partners in policing. Citizens, on the other hand, need to be made aware, to be alert about their neighbourhood and surroundings and report any criminal and /or miscreant activity to the police officials. This can be done through regular police-community meetings conducted with local police, representatives of different socio-economic sections (age, gender, caste, religion, language, region, class etc.) and community-based organisations. These can work together in changing attitudes, instilling awareness in all age groups and in building a collaborative approach to reporting of crimes. Amidst disagreement with Russia over the price for crude oil, authorities in Belarus have begun seeking new alternative sources, which may lead to resuming purchases from Azerbaijan, Caspian News reports in its article Belarus May Resume Crude Oil Imports From Azerbaijan. In an interview with Russia-24, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev said the oil supplies to Belarus should be deliberated by officials in Minsk and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR). We supplied oil to Belarus several years ago, but then this process was suspended at the initiative of the Belarusian side. If such a need arises again, the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan will consider this issue, President Aliyev said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday, according to President.Az. The Belarussian government turned to private Russian enterprises to make up for the shortfall, such as the Safmar group of companies owned by Russian tycoon Mikhail Gutseriev. Oil production by the Safmar group companies of 18 million tons will allow fulfilling the obligations on oil supply to the domestic market in full and also ensure oil supply to the Republic of Belarus in full according to the schedule approved by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, a representative from Safmar said, according to Sputnik.by. Safmar group of companies is expected to supply another 600,000 tons of oil to Belarus by the end of January. Belarus had been paying $364 per ton of Russian crude oil, which was too high for Minsk. Authorities in Moscow refused to cut prices, which in turn led to the end of state-owned Russian oil supplies to its western neighbor beginning this year. According to officials, the government has actively sought out sales of crude from Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and the Baltic countries. Azerbaijan had previously sold oil to Belarus, after pricing disputes with Russia in 2011 forces Minsk to look elsewhere. Subsequent deals with Venezuela fell through, due to the high cost of transportation, and officials turned to Baku, which supplied oil until agreements with Russia were back on. In 2016, Belarus shipped Azerbaijani oil via the Odesa Sea Port. According to some reports, 560,000 thousand tons of Azeri light crude and CPC Blend varieties were delivered to refineries of Belarus, before imports stopped once more, allegedly due to lower price demands from Minsk. A buffalo-fight and poetry events have all been cancelled amid fears Vietnams festival-packed lunar January may increase coronavirus infection. Marked by almost 8,000 festivals nationwide with many staged during lunar January, Vietnam faces concerns about possible epidemics each year, with the new pneumonia coronavirus currently causing havoc worldwide. In the past several days, tens of thousands of pilgrims have flocked to major religious shrines like Huong (Perfume) Pagoda in Hanoi and Tam Chuc Pagoda in northern Ha Nam Province to pray for a blessed new year amid seemingly little precaution. For instance, at Perfume Pagoda, unsanitary venison remains on sale, while few pilgrims wear masks and many say nCoV wont affect them. According to its management board, as many as 50,000 pilgrims visited the pagoda on Wednesday. Located about 60 km from Hanoi, older Tam Chuc Pagoda, which hosted last years UN Day of Vesak (Buddhas birthday, enlightenment and passing away), is attracting from 70,000 to 100,000 pilgrims a day. Though in recent years local authorities managing religious festivals have tightened control, over-crowding traffic jams, careless waste dumping as well as unhygienic food trade remain a serious headache. Coupled with a cold and damp weather suited to bacteria and viruses, Vietnamese health officials view spring festivals as fertile breeding grounds for respiratory and digestive diseases such as measles, rubella and bird flu. To curb the ongoing nCoV epidemic, the Vietnamese government has halted all flights to nCoV-hit areas, suspending visas for visitors from these regions and quarantining Chinese workers returning to Vietnam after Lunar New Year. On January 29, Politburo Member and Executive Secretary Tran Quoc Vuong instructed provincial authorities to prioritize the nCoV epidemic fight and halt public activities such as festivals and conferences if necessary. In response, Phu Tho provincial authorities will delay this years buffalo-fighting festival in Phu Ninh Commune held on the 8th and 9th every lunar January. The Vietnam Writers Association will also halt Vietnam Poetry Day scheduled for the 15th of lunar January, known as the First Full-Moon of the Year, at different locations countrywide. Originating in Wuhan City of Hubei Province in mainland China two months ago, the nCoV virus has spread to 20 other countries and territories, infecting more than 9,800 people and claiming 213 lives. No vaccine has yet been found to treat the disease and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. As of January 30 or Thursday afternoon, five people in Vietnam, including two Chinese and three locals, had been diagnosed with the infection. Nicola Sturgeon goaded Boris Johnson today over his refusal to grant a new referendum on Scottish independence, claiming he was scared of losing it. The First Minister said that the Prime Minister's decision to block a new vote was 'a sign of weakness' as she continued to build her case the break up the UK. The SNP leader used a speech in Edinburgh to encourage fellow nationalists not to waver in their support - after a shock poll yesterday showed Scots would vote to break up the UK. Lashing out at the Conservative Government she said: 'If they had any confidence in the argument for the Westminster union, they would have no problem with the people of Scotland having the right to choose. 'It is the fear of defeat that is making them so desperate to deny us the choice. 'We should draw encouragement from that.' The First Minister said that the Prime Minister's decision to block a new vote was 'a sign of weakness' as she continued to build her case the break up the UK YouGov research found 51 per cent north of the border would support independence - the first time the firm has recorded a majority in favour since 2015 But the PM has flatly dismissed the idea, insisting the 2014 ballot - which the separatists lost convincingly - was a once-in-a-generation decision YouGov research found 51 per cent north of the border would support independence - the first time the firm has recorded a majority in favour since 2015. The figures - which were hailed by the SNP as evidence momentum is on their side - emerged as Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson do battle over whether to hold another national vote. The First Minister has demanded one immediately saying circumstances have been changed by Brexit. But the PM has flatly dismissed the idea, insisting the 2014 ballot - which the separatists lost convincingly - was a once-in-a-generation decision. Ms Sturgeon today urged those in the independence movement to 'stay the course'. She said: 'We must not let the Tories turn a positive, persuasive and invigorating discussion about the best future for our country into an arid and bitter argument about process and procedure.' Pressure on the union has been mounting since Scots voted to stay in the European Union in 2016. Last month's general election saw the SNP, whose campaign focused on halting Brexit and giving Scots a choice on their future, increase their seats at Westminster. The Scottish Conservatives, whose election campaign urged voters to reject SNP calls for indyref2, lost seats. The Scottish Parliament this week voted in favour of a second independence referendum. The First Minister today did not rule out testing the possibility of a consultative referendum in court if the UK Government continues to deny requests for another poll. The First Minister today did not rule out testing the possibility of a consultative referendum in court if the UK Government continues to deny requests for another poll While she admitted there was legal ambiguity around the powers of the Scottish Parliament to hold a non-binding vote, she said: 'That means it cannot be said definitively that it would not be legal, but equally it cannot be described as being beyond legal doubt. 'If a proposal for a referendum on that basis was brought forward, it would be challenged in court. 'If a court ruled that it was legal, it wouldn't be a 'wildcat referendum' as our opponents like to brand it - it would be within the remit of the Scottish Parliament. 'Now, should the UK Government continue to deny Scotland's right to choose, we may reach the point where it is necessary for this issue to be tested. 'I am not ruling that out.' GREENWICH Gary Benson is the latest recruit to wear the uniform of the Greenwich Fire Department. A volunteer firefighter in Stamford, Benson was sworn in Friday morning at the Greenwich fire headquarters. Its always been a calling for me, he said. I look forward to serving the town of Greenwich. Benson is a graduate of Stamford High School and is qualified as an emergency medical technician. He has been working as a maintenance technician, giving him a solid background in the way buildings operate, fire officials said. Fire Chief Peter Siecienski said Benson is joining the cream of the crop. Speaking of the new recruit, the chief said, we have expectations to achieve, to develop and to perform at the highest level. First Selectman Fred Camillo, performing his first swearing-in ceremony since taking office in December, told the Benson and the assembled firefighters, The people of Greenwich truly appreciate you. In addition to the recent recruitment, the fire department also marked the promotion of Mark Dawson to the Marshals Division of the department, working on fire-safety regulations and investigations. Dawson is the son of a former fire chief William Dawson. Mark Dawson volunteered in the Sound Beach Fire Department and became a professional firefighter in 1999. He has served as an adjunct instructor at the fire academy in Windsor Locks. Dawson has expertise in search and rescue operations with canine assistance, among other specialties. He worked at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, and he has also worked other disaster sites around the region. He assisted at the Worcester Cold Storage and Warehouse Co. fire in Massachusetts in 1999, which claimed the lives of six firefighters. Dawson thanked his family for their support and expressed gratitude to his fellow firefighters. Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers. A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you. 1. Verification and registrar choice After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files. In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days. BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars: GoDaddy Namesilo Uniregistry NameCheap Google Domains Network Solutions Name.com Dynadot Amazon Route 53 123 Reg Gandi 2. We request the name from the seller. Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process. 3. Transfer the name into your account As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process. 4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller. Park Forest officers responded to a reported shooting on the 23400 block of S. Western Avenue about 4 p.m. and found a 22-year-old man unresponsive with a gunshot wound to the head and a 17-year-old shot with serious injuries, police said in a statement. The Delhi High Court Friday directed the police to provide security to a Ukrainian woman who is seeking cancellation of bail of a man, claiming to be a yoga instructor, for allegedly raping and cheating her. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait noted that the woman, who is suffering from cancer, has been receiving threats from the accused and directed Delhi Police to provide her a lady officer round the clock to avoid any untoward incident. The court also directed the Director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to provide her treatment for cancer on priority basis and ensure that she does not face any difficulty. The court was informed by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, representing the woman, that her visa was going to expire in February and she wanted to go back to her country as she did not have money to get the treatment in India. The court made it clear that the expenses for her treatment will be borne by the AIIMS and she will not be charged even a penny. It also directed the Ministry of External Affairs to take steps and get her visa extended till pendency of her case here and no action be taken against her in the absence of her valid visa. The high court also sought response of the police and accused Abhishek Singh on the woman's plea seeking cancellation of his bail granted by a trial court on January 8 in the cheating case. The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 11. The court was informed by the prosecutor that after recording statement of the woman, the investigating officer (IO) has come to the conclusion that a rape case is made out against the man and a supplementary charge sheet would be filed against him under section 376 IPC. It was assured by the IO that she will take steps, if required, to arrest the accused for the alleged offence of rape. According to the woman's plea, she had become friends with the accused on social media. The woman, a yoga instructor herself who has been practising for the last 20 years, alleged that the accused "fraudulently" took Rs 5 lakh from her for "jointly setting up a yoga centre" promising "good returns". "Singh had introduced himself as a great yoga guru from India and told the petitioner that he is teaching Yoga to all big celebrities of India, including the Prime Minister and the President of India," the plea claimed. It said the accused manipulated her and started claiming that he was "madly in love with her and he wanted to marry her". "The accused further told the petitioner that she can set up her yoga training centres in India, in collaboration with him," it claimed. It alleged that "on the insistence of the accused, she finally came to Goa in July 2018, where she met him. On his insistence, she booked an apartment in Goa where the accused raped her" and added that she was raped by him at various other places including Rishikesh. The woman claimed that when she wanted to separate from the man, he threatened to kill her. "On the assurances of good return by the accused, the petitioner invested her money for a yoga centre. The accused kept on taking money from the petitioner on one pretext or other and in total, he fraudulently took away about Rs 5 lakh from the petitioner between July 2018 and September 2018," the plea said. It also said that the accused, despite being married, repeatedly raped the woman on the pretext of marrying her. A case of cheating and forgery was lodged against the man at South Avenue police station here in 2018. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Laurie Sullivan @lauriesullivan, January 31, 2020 Avast, a free antivirus platform that uses machine learning to fight off cyberattacks, will shutter its Jumpshot analytics business after a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag. The findings from the investigation released earlier this week found that the antivirus company has been selling its users' internet browsing data through its subsidiary Jumpshot, to clients that include Pepsi, Google, and Microsoft. As CEO of Avast, I feel personally responsible and I would like to apologize to all concerned, Ondrej Vlcek, who has been CEO for the past seven months, wrote in a blog post. Protecting people is Avasts top priority and must be embedded in everything we do in our business and in our products. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable. advertisement advertisement Vlcek wrote that the recent news about Jumpshot hurt the feelings of many of you and raised several questions around trust. For these reasons Avasts board of directors and Vlcek voted to shutter Jumpshots practices of data collection. In a direct message to Search Marketing Daily through LinkedIn, Vlcek said the initial decision was to shut down the data feed, not Jumpshot. This was followed by a meeting of the Jumpshot board that, based on the circumstances, decided to wind down the entire company as there was no business left anymore and cost to run the company was unsustainable. Can this be considered a firm commitment not to continue with this practice through a new subsidiary or in any other way?" wrote Vojtech Dusek, business development manager at ACTUM Digital, in a public LinkedIn post. In other words, will Avast keep trading its customers' data away, or are you abandoning this particular revenue stream for good? Vlcek confirmed that Avast is out of the data business and focused on keeping people around the world safe and secure. Some called shuttering Jumpshot a very bold step, but the news that the company shared user data eroded trust. Avasts CEO didnt have much choice, according to some. Over the years, Jumpshot shared insightful data with clients and journalists. Some wondered how it could have produced such insights. Jumpshot, founded in 2015 and operated as an independent company from Avast, aimed to extend the parents companys data analytics capabilities beyond the core focus on security. At the time it became apparent data would become the basis for cybersecurity. The founders thought they could leverage the companys tools and resources to do this more securely than the countless other companies that were collecting data. Through the years, data protection became a priority, per Vlcek. The company welcomed the introduction of GDPR in the European Union in May 2018, as it was a rigorous legal framework addressing how companies should treat customer data. The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison has said the current financial sector is healthier than before. The sector is emerging from a crisis that resulted in the loss of millions of investments, and thousands of jobs. Speaking at the University of Ghanas annual New Year School on Tuesday, the Central Bank Governor said the country is emerging from the financial crisis stronger than ever. The Bank of Ghana has every reason to feel confident about gains and achievements made so far in the financial sector. The sector is healthier, is better able to withstand financial shocks, compared to what we inherited at the beginning of 2017. It is better capitalised, it is more liquid and profitable, it is more efficient and has adequate available assets, Dr. Addison said. The financial sector clean-up commenced by the Akufo-Addo administration in August 2017 led to the collapse of nine universal banks, 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies or money lenders, 15 savings and loans companies, eight finance house companies, and two non-bank financial institutions. Most recently, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced the revocation of licenses of 53 Fund Management Companies. The total estimated cost of the states fiscal intervention, excluding interest payments, from 2017 to 2019 is estimated at GHS16.4 billion. Slowed growth The growth rate in commercial banks deposits has however slowed down amidst the reforms undertaken by the central bank to strengthen the sector. The Bank of Ghana in its latest banking sector report stated that deposits, as the main source of funding for the banking industry, grew by 17.1 percent in October 2019, marginally lower than the 20.7 percent increase in the previous year. The central bank report means that although bank total deposits still grew in the period under review, the rate of growth fell short of what was achieved a year earlier. The total banking sector deposits increased to GH78.90 billion by GH11.51 billion in October 2019 from GH67.38 billion in October 2018. Despite the slowdown in growth rate, the Bank of Ghana maintains that the sheer growth points to a renewed confidence in the banking sector following the reforms. According to the report, domestic deposits grew at the same pace as total deposits to GH78.50 billion in October 2019 from GH67.04 billion in the previous year, while deposits of non-residents remained small at GH397.70 million from GH342.10 million. Source: citinewsroom 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Lee Litzenberger has commented on the latest meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with mediation of OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Trend reports. He said it is always gratifying to see parties meet to conduct constructive and substantive negotiations, Litzenberger expressed hope that the public read the joint statement of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia and the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group after the talks. "Once again, we hope that the negotiations will continue," the ambassador said. A meeting between the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and his Armenian counterpart Zohrab Mnatsakanyan was held in Geneva on Jan. 28-30. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Computer & Technology Power meets flexibility: Philips monitors at ISE 2020 Philips 439P9H 31.01.2020 13:54:50 - Philips monitors on display at ISE 2020 offer innovative, time-saving, convenient features designed for users of all kinds (live-PR.com) - Amsterdam, 31 January 2020 From 11 14 February 2020, Philips monitors is sharing its stand with Philips Professional Display Solutions at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2020, the largest exhibition for AV and systems integration professionals in the world. Visitors are invited to discover Philips monitors on display at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, Hall 10, - Amsterdam, 31 January 2020 From 11 14 February 2020, Philips monitors is sharing its stand with Philips Professional Display Solutions at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2020, the largest exhibition for AV and systems integration professionals in the world. Visitors are invited to discover Philips monitors on display at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre, Hall 10, booth 10-H170, 10-K170. This year, a special focus has been placed on touchscreen, SuperWide, docking and green monitors, but many other surprises lie in store as well. Unlimited scope ISE visitors will have the opportunity to experience the widescreen capabilities of Philips monitors with the expansive 439P9H SuperWide VA LCD display. Its generous 32:10 format is the equivalent of two full-size high-performance monitors, easily replacing the cable clutter and complications of multiscreen setups. In addition to this models 43 (110.2 cm) 1800R curved display, the monitor comes equipped with a wide array of features including USB-C, Adaptive-Sync technology, DisplayHDR 400, MultiView, a pop-up Windows HelloTM webcam, a built-in KVM switch, and much more. Interactive displays Touchscreen technology is a key feature of Philips monitors at ISE 2020. Equipped with projected-capacitive (P-Cap) touch technology, models such as the Philips 222B9T, 172B9T and 162B9T offer fluid, intuitive use and can easily handle up to 10 points of contact while ensuring peace of mind thanks to advanced IP54 protection against oil, water and dust. Beyond their high-performance anti-glare SmoothTouch displays, the monitors include USB 3.1 high-speed data transfer, Flicker-Free and LowBlue Mode and an articulating stand that enables users to choose whichever height or angle they prefer. Multiple connectivity options are also included, such as VGA, HDMI, USB 3.0, and DVI. All displays are equipped with TN panels and come with screen sizes of 22/54.6 cm (222B9T), 17/43.2 cm (172B9T) and 16/39.6 cm (162B9T). Green capacity Also on display at ISE 2020 is the 27 (68.5 cm) Philips 272B1G, which relies on a host of energy-saving features and technologies such as the PowerSensor, LightSensor and Zero Power Switch. Built from 85% post-consumer recycled plastics with TCO Certified Edge, this eco-friendly monitor is free of mercury, halogen, and PVC-BFR, and uses 100% recyclable packing material. Instant productivity Thanks to the power and flexibility of USB-C docking, todays multi-taskers can say goodbye to cable mess and hello to efficiency. Several Philips monitors being showcased at ISE offer this innovative time-saving capability, including the 272B7QUBHEB, the 329P9H and the 346B1C. USB-C docking ensures safe and secure network connection as well as high-speed data, video, and audio transmission from a laptop computer using just one slim, reversible USB cable. The 272B7QUBHEB measures 27 (68.5 cm) and features an IPS panel with QHD resolution , the 32 (80 cm) 329P9H is equipped with a 4K UHD IPS panel and the 346B1C comes in at 34 (86.36 cm) with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a VA panel. All models include numerous connectivity options and comfort-enhancing features such as LowBlue Mode, EasyRead, and Flicker-Free technology. This is only a taste of the Philips monitors on display at ISE 2020. All visitors are warmly invited to visit the MMD stand to learn more about these and other Philips displays and solutions available in a wide array of formats and specifications. Philips monitors / MMD is exhibiting at ISE 2020 in Hall 10, booth 10-H170,10-K170. About MMD MMD is a wholly owned company of TPV established in 2009 through a brand license agreement with Philips. MMD exclusively markets and sells Philips branded LCD displays worldwide. By combining the Philips brand promise with TPVs manufacturing expertise in displays, MMD uses a fast and focused approach to bringing innovative products to market. MMD serves the Western European, Middle East and African markets from its headquarters in Amsterdam. The Eastern European and CIS markets are served by a local office in Prague. Through its network of local sales teams MMD works with all major IT distributors and resellers. booth 10-H170, 10-K170. This year, a special focus has been placed on touchscreen, SuperWide, docking and green monitors, but many other surprises lie in store as well.Unlimited scopeISE visitors will have the opportunity to experience the widescreen capabilities of Philips monitors with the expansive 439P9H SuperWide VA LCD display. Its generous 32:10 format is the equivalent of two full-size high-performance monitors, easily replacing the cable clutter and complications of multiscreen setups. In addition to this models 43 (110.2 cm) 1800R curved display, the monitor comes equipped with a wide array of features including USB-C, Adaptive-Sync technology, DisplayHDR 400, MultiView, a pop-up Windows HelloTM webcam, a built-in KVM switch, and much more.Interactive displaysTouchscreen technology is a key feature of Philips monitors at ISE 2020. Equipped with projected-capacitive (P-Cap) touch technology, models such as the Philips 222B9T, 172B9T and 162B9T offer fluid, intuitive use and can easily handle up to 10 points of contact while ensuring peace of mind thanks to advanced IP54 protection against oil, water and dust. Beyond their high-performance anti-glare SmoothTouch displays, the monitors include USB 3.1 high-speed data transfer, Flicker-Free and LowBlue Mode and an articulating stand that enables users to choose whichever height or angle they prefer. Multiple connectivity options are also included, such as VGA, HDMI, USB 3.0, and DVI. All displays are equipped with TN panels and come with screen sizes of 22/54.6 cm (222B9T), 17/43.2 cm (172B9T) and 16/39.6 cm (162B9T).Green capacityAlso on display at ISE 2020 is the 27 (68.5 cm) Philips 272B1G, which relies on a host of energy-saving features and technologies such as the PowerSensor, LightSensor and Zero Power Switch. Built from 85% post-consumer recycled plastics with TCO Certified Edge, this eco-friendly monitor is free of mercury, halogen, and PVC-BFR, and uses 100% recyclable packing material.Instant productivityThanks to the power and flexibility of USB-C docking, todays multi-taskers can say goodbye to cable mess and hello to efficiency. Several Philips monitors being showcased at ISE offer this innovative time-saving capability, including the 272B7QUBHEB, the 329P9H and the 346B1C. USB-C docking ensures safe and secure network connection as well as high-speed data, video, and audio transmission from a laptop computer using just one slim, reversible USB cable. The 272B7QUBHEB measures 27 (68.5 cm) and features an IPS panel with QHD resolution , the 32 (80 cm) 329P9H is equipped with a 4K UHD IPS panel and the 346B1C comes in at 34 (86.36 cm) with a 21:9 aspect ratio and a VA panel. All models include numerous connectivity options and comfort-enhancing features such as LowBlue Mode, EasyRead, and Flicker-Free technology.This is only a taste of the Philips monitors on display at ISE 2020. All visitors are warmly invited to visit the MMD stand to learn more about these and other Philips displays and solutions available in a wide array of formats and specifications.Philips monitors / MMD is exhibiting at ISE 2020 in Hall 10, booth 10-H170,10-K170.About MMDMMD is a wholly owned company of TPV established in 2009 through a brand license agreement with Philips. MMD exclusively markets and sells Philips branded LCD displays worldwide. By combining the Philips brand promise with TPVs manufacturing expertise in displays, MMD uses a fast and focused approach to bringing innovative products to market. MMD serves the Western European, Middle East and African markets from its headquarters in Amsterdam. The Eastern European and CIS markets are served by a local office in Prague. Through its network of local sales teams MMD works with all major IT distributors and resellers. www.mmd-p.com Contact information: MMD Monitors & Displays B.V. Prins Bernhardplein 200, 6th floor 1097 JB Amsterdam Contact Person: Xeni Bairaktari Phone: +31 205046945 eMail: eMail Web: http://www.mmd-p.com Author: Peter Link e-mail Web: http://www.united.de Phone: +49 30 7890760 31.01.2020 13:54:50 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. Paul Osteen hopes to mobilize medical community to meet 'overwhelming' global needs Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Dr. Paul Osteen, brother of megachurch pastor Joel Osteen, is hoping to inspire medical missionaries during Lakewood Churchs upcoming Global Medical Missions Conference (also known as the M3 Conference). You dont have to look far to see that there are people in need all over the world, Dr. Paul Osteen, a surgeon who spends about four months a year serving in missions hospitals across the globe, told The Christian Post. Because of the overwhelming needs around us, one can easily wonder how they can make a real difference. I urge people to pray about how God can use them to be a part of the solution to help these people." He and his wife, Jennifer, will be bringing together doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to Houston on Feb. 21-22 for their fifth annual M3 conference. They are opening the doors to anyone who has an interest in learning more about global healthcare needs. When discussing his intent for the conference, Osteen said he hopes attendees will learn how much of a difference they can truly make when they see the need and choose to help in some way. The theme of this year's conference is centered on the question Can you see it? which is inspired by the scripture John 4. In that verse, Jesus said, Open your eyes and take a good look at whats right in front of you Lamenting the state of poverty and conflict across the globe, Osteen noted, Every day, 830 mothers in low-resource communities die of childbirth-related issues. Right now, 74 million people are displaced or refugees. There are 420 million children living in war zones. Half of the worlds population lacks access to basic medical care. "And 2 billion people have no access to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what, as John writes, is right in front of us. Its easy to look past these statistics and complicated issues, but our encouragement at the M3 Conference this year is to, instead, bring them into sharp focus." The event will feature over 30 experts, who will share their expertise and experience in global health, including medical, dental, surgical missions, WaSH (water access, sanitation, and hygiene), disaster relief, orphan care, human trafficking, advocacy and nutrition. More than 75 global missions organizations are expected to participate in the conference, including Samaritans Purse, which will provide tours of its Ebola Treatment Center, and other groups that offer both short-term and long-term opportunities to serve either locally or abroad. Houston is home to the worlds largest medical center and Osteen and the Lakewood team hope to ignite a passion in medical professionals to use their service for God. In a past interview, Osteen explained the inspiration behind the conference. "A Zambian doctor told me, 'Paul, do you realize that you are the only qualified surgeon in an area the size of Louisiana.' Two weeks later, I flew into Houston and realized that there are 12,500 doctors in Houston alone," Osteen said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to say, 'What would happen if we tried to help this disparity? Let's connect some needs with some people who have a heart to help.'" CLEVELAND, Ohio Two armed robbers stole a car from a Cleveland man who listed it for sale on the online marketplace OfferUp, police said. The robbers also stole the cars title and a 20-year-old mans wallet, cellphone and glasses during the Thursday carjacking near the intersection of East 120th Street and Gay Avenue, according to a police report. No arrests have been made in the case, police said. The man listed his Ford on OfferUp with an asking price of $2,300. An unknown person contacted him and asked to meet him on East 112th Street near Sandusky Avenue in Cleveland. He arrived sometime after 4 p.m. and met the two robbers. The man and the two robbers drove around for a bit, and stopped near East 120th Street and Gay Avenue. One of the robbers said a mechanic lived there, and claimed the mechanic would take a look at the car. One of the robbers went inside the home. He returned approximately 15 minutes later and got back into the car. He put a gun to the 20-year-old mans head and said this is a stick-up, the police report says. The robbers looted the mans pockets before they forced him out of the car. They sped away, leaving the man stranded on the street. The man called his mother to tell her what happened. His brother picked him up and drove him home. The man could not immediately access his OfferUp account to provide information about the person who contacted him about the car. Robberies involving people who are trying to buy or sell items through online marketplaces such as OfferUp and Craigslist have become more common in recent years. Their frequency has caused some area police departments to designate their stations as transaction safe zones where buyers can arrange to meet sellers. To comment on this story, visit Fridays crime and courts comments page. Read more crime stories: Armed duo robs man who recently won lottery during home invasion in Cleveland Medical examiner identifies man fatally shot in car in West Akron Parma Heights adds officers outside Valley Forge High School after two students struck by car Alabama victim connected to Cleveland-area arrest died of drug overdose, reports say PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 14:00:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 496 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 RIVERSIDE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / Between December 2, 2019 and January 10, 2020, Tony Guglielmo, the broker and owner of Allied Commercial Real Estate, hosted a donation drive for new and gently worn shoes to support Soles4Souls and their efforts in fighting poverty. The donation drive successfully collected 1,886 pairs of shoes, weighing a total of 2,357 pounds, that were delivered by a caravan of trucks to the Soles4Souls warehouse in Riverside, CA, by Guglielmo and others from his office."It was a team effort here at Allied," praised Guglielmo, CCIM, broker/owner of Allied Commercial Real Estate. "We had amazing support from business partners, friends, family and clients that really believed in the cause of providing shoes for those experiencing poverty. We had a number of great donations, but there is one in particular that deserves recognition, 100 bags of shoes donated by Patty and Ken at the Kiwanis Club in Pomona, CA." Soles4Souls is a nonprofit global social enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. Every day children are prevented from attending school and adults are unable to work as walking without shoes becomes unbearable, which perpetuates the cycle of poverty. To date, Soles4Souls has collected and distributed more than 30 million pairs of shoes to those in need in 127 countries around the world and all 50 states in the U.S."Businesses and individuals that host donation drives for Soles4Souls help us fulfill our mission by providing short-term and long-term solutions to global poverty," said Buddy Teaster, Soles4Souls CEO. "Every single one of those pairs of shoes collected by partners - like Allied Commercial Real Estate - makes a difference in someone's life." For more information about getting involved with Soles4Souls or to become an official drop-off location, visit https://soles4souls.org/get-involved/ About Allied Commercial Real EstateAllied Commercial Real Estate is a full-service real estate brokerage company specializing in the sale and lease of real property in the Greater Southern California area. Its team of professionals provides acquisition, disposition, exchange, consulting and advisory services for nearly all property types. For more information, please call 909-786-4300, or visit http://alliedcommercialrealestate.com/ . The office is located at 9327 Fairway View Place, Suite 300, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.About Soles4SoulsSoles4Souls is a not-for-profit global social enterprise committed to fighting poverty through the collection and distribution of shoes and clothing. The organization advances its anti-poverty mission by collecting new and used shoes and clothes from individuals, schools, faith-based institutions, civic organizations and corporate partners, then distributing those shoes and clothes both via direct donations to people in need and by provisioning qualified micro-enterprise programs designed to create jobs in poor and disadvantaged communities. Based in Nashville, TN, Soles4Souls is committed to the highest standards of operating and governance and holds a four-star rating with Charity Navigator.For media inquiries, please call THE NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.SOURCE: Allied Commercial Real Estate Key Republican senator says hell vote against witnesses, boosting chances the Senate will vote quickly to acquit Trump. US Democrats were served a significant blow late on Thursday after a key Republican senator said he would vote against calling new witnesses in the impeachment trial of United States President Donald Trump. Following hours of questions, Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, considered a key holdout, said on Twitter he would oppose calling new witnesses. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Alexander tweeted. There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a mountain of overwhelming evidence.' he added. Following Alexanders comments, it appeared that the best Democrats could hope for was a possible tie on the question of witnesses. But even a tie would likely lead to a defeat. Republican Senator Susan Collins announced on Twitter she plans to vote for witnesses. Republican Senator Mitt Romney has suggested he too will vote for witnesses. The remaining holdout was Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who argued in a submitted question that additional witnesses could be necessary. The dispute about material facts weighs in favour of calling additional witnesses with direct knowledge, Murkowski said. Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton? Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa [Leah Millis/Reuters] Democrats needed four Republicans to join them in voting for witnesses. Only three would result in a tie in the 100-member Senate. If that were the case, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could step in to break the tie. But there is so little precedent for impeachment trials this is only the third of a president in US history that Senate aides said there was no way to know exactly what would occur. Even if Roberts decided to break the tie in the Democrats favour, the Senate could override his decision with a simple majority vote. Possible testimony from Bolton was of particular interest after a report which he has not denied that he planned to say in an upcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to freeze $391m in US military aid for Ukraine until it investigated Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who worked for a Ukrainian energy firm while his father was vice president. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives impeached Trump in December, formally accusing him of abusing his power for pressuring Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The House also charged Trump with obstruction of Congress. Two-thirds of the Senate is required to remove Trump from office. He is unlikely to be convicted. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Trumps acquittal would allow him to claim vindication just as the Democratic Party holds its first nominating contest for the November 3 election in Iowa on Monday. Trump held a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night and slammed the trial, calling it an effort by Democrats to overthrow his 2016 election victory. They want to nullify your ballots, poison our democracy and overthrow the entire system of government, Trump said. But he also said This is a happy period for us. We call this Impeachment Light. Roberts refuses to read question The two sides also sparred over the unnamed government official whose whistle-blower complaint about Trumps dealings with Ukraine spurred the drive to remove him from office. Trump and some other Republicans have pressed for months to unmask the intelligence official who filed the report and have tried to paint that person as a partisan figure working with Democrats to destroy Trumps presidency. The government has provided security to the whistle-blower in response to security threats, according to the persons lawyers. On Thursday, the issue boiled to the surface again when Roberts refused to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul that included the name of a person that right-wing media have accused of being the whistle-blower. Paul is one of several Republicans, including Trump, who have posted social-media links to some of those news articles. The presiding officer, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts listens [State TV/AP Photo] The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted, Roberts said. He had rejected a similar question the day before. It was a rare show of decision-making power Roberts holds on certain issues in the trial. Paul said his question, which asked whether that person worked with a member of Democratic Representative Adam Schiffs staff to impeach Trump, was not meant to unmask the whistle-blower. My questions not about the whistle-blower. My questions about two people who are friends, he told reporters. Democrats disagreed. This question was really framed and intended to expose the identity of the whistle-blower and subject that whistle-blower to retaliation, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told reporters. Bradley P Moss, a lawyer whose firm represents the whistle-blower, called the Republican effort a stain on the legacy of this constitutional republic. Whats next? On Friday, each side is expected to present closing arguments in four hours of debate about whether to call witnesses. If the vote on witnesses is 50-50 and Roberts declines to break a tie, the vote deadlock would mean a defeat for Democrats. Schiff, the lead Democratic prosecutor in the trial, proposed that both sides conduct closed-door witness depositions for a week while the Senate returns to normal business. Lead manager House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff speaks from the Senate floor [Senate TV/Handout via Reuters] But there was no sign his plea was being considered by Republicans. If Republicans are able to block witnesses, the trial could come to an abrupt end on Friday or early Saturday. In the impeachment trial of former President Bill Clinton, there were several days of closed-door deliberations before a vote to acquit took place. But Republicans have said if they have the vote, they may push to skip deliberations and move straight to a vote. It is still unclear if that means a vote could come on Friday, in the wee hours of Saturday morning or later on Saturday. Democrats could try to delay it by presenting a number of motions. I can tell you that we have a high level of interest in just getting this done, CNN quoted Senate Majority Whip John Thune as saying. More than 100 Aldine area residents turned out Thursday night to oppose a concrete mixing plant in their neighborhood but their comments were cut short. After listening to residents for two hours oppose the plant, Ailene Rivas, the owner of Nomadic Aggregates, LLC, withdrew her request for a state air emissions permit that would have allowed her company to operate a concrete mixing plant in a residential area north of Houston. Residents who attended the meeting broke into cheers and applause following her written motion. Some said it was like an answer to a prayer. I was so happy and so excited, said Dora Castro, who lives approximately 200 yards from the proposed site of the plant. She said that, as a resident of the area for nearly 50 years, the dust and debris that has been caused by the companys current operations has worsened asthma for her grandchild. Im an outside person and Im home all day long. I was very worried. The meeting at a community center was part of Texas environmental permitting process - the company needs to obtain an air emissions permit because making concrete is notoriously dusty, and spews small particles, or particulate matter, into the air. That, in turn, can, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, cause asthma attacks, cardiac arrest and premature death, depending on how much is inhaled. Rivas, who is listed as the owner of the company and property at 4213 Mooney Road, took more than a dozen questions from concerned residents regarding the business operations and who is really operating her company, Nomadic Aggregates LLC. She was unable to answer many of them, such as what materials would be stored on the site. Rivas said in her opening remarks that she wanted to give back to the community and create employment. She also stated that the company would comply with the states permit regulations. As the meeting went on, she was questioned by residents who demanded to know who really runs the company and why she did not seem to have many answers about the company she owns. A deed for the property at 4213 Mooney was granted to Rivas last year by Armando Aranda, according to Harris County property records. The fee to apply for the air permit from the state that would allow the company to build the plant was paid by Aranda Brothers Construction, a local construction company, which Aranda owns. If she had a business plan, she would be able to shoot out all the answers (about the plant) proudly, said one resident, Steven Adams. Halfway through the public comment period, during which residents stated their opposition, Rivas handed a written note to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality stating that she would withdraw the permit request. Rivas declined to comment following her withdrawal of the permit request. State representatives attended the meeting to oppose to the plant, which they said would have further contributed to problems in an area that already has too many industrial sites near homes, schools and churches. What everyone wants is clean air to breathe and a safe environment to live in, and those things should not be dependent on our zip code, said Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston). There is no need for another plant in this area. In Acres Homes: Company withdraws application to build concrete plant There are eight other plants within a five-mile radius of the proposed site, according to Alvarados office; health experts believe that increased density of particulate matter is harmful to health, particularly for vulnerable populations such as the elderly or those with asthma. Local officials said that the lack of protection for communities when a company wants to open an industrial site in their neighborhood is troubling. We are sensitive about industrial development in our neighborhoods, because our community has experienced this before, said Texas Representative Armando Walle.The trend seems to be to find cheap land and set up shop, even if that is next to places of worship and hundreds of homes. A Houston Chronicle analysis in 2017 showed that Harris County has at least 188 concrete batch plants, more than any county in Texas. Many of those are new the TCEQ received more than 100 requests for concrete batch plant air emissions permits in Houston over the last five years, according to previous comment from the agency. Only two were denied. This was the second hotly contested batch plant permit request that was withdrawn under public pressure in recent weeks. Earlier this month, a permit request to build a batch plant in Acres Homes, a north Houston neighborhood, was withdrawn following two years of organized opposition from residents. erin.douglas@chron.com Britain leaves the European Union on Friday, ending more than four decades of economic, political and legal integration with its closest neighbours. But things will feel the same for many months, owing to a transition period intended to allow both sides time to agree the terms of their future partnership. Three Brexit deadlines came and went before the British parliament finally ratified the divorce agreement. Britain is to leave the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday, 43 months after the country voted in a June 2016 referendum to leave the EU. Nothing will change for most people in Britain thanks to the transition period, which preserves the status quo until at least December 31, 2020. But Britain will lose its representation and voting rights in the EU institutions. This includes having no British members of the European Parliament. Britain says it is ready to start trade talks on February 1, but EU members states are still discussing what they want from the negotiations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to flesh out his ideas for a free trade agreement along the lines of a recent EU deal with Canada, in a speech in early February. The EU mandate could be approved by national ministers on February 25, officials in Brussels suggest, which would mean talks could begin around March 1. Britain is hoping to open trade talks with the United States and other non-EU countries around the same time. Trade is not the only issue that must be resolved with Brussels, however. Britain and the EU closely cooperate on security and law enforcement, education and energy among many other issues. The transition period is scheduled to last until December 31, 2020. Britain can ask to extend this for one or two years, but must inform the EU of its request by July 1. Johnson insists he will not do this, saying that Britain must be free of EU rules and regulations as soon as possible. Without an extension or a trade agreement, relations between Britain and the EU will be severed at the end of 2020. A new deal would allow the two sides to embark on a new partnership. Failure to agree would see cross-Channel trade, transportation and a multitude of other ties severely disrupted overnight. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Sophie Jackson jacksons@grinnell.edu International students at Grinnell approach caucus season from a unique perspective: they live in the center of current U.S. politics and their home countries are directly affected by the decisions of U.S. leadership. However, they are unable to caucus or vote due to their citizenship status. Yet, international students are heavily involved in the impending eventmany participate in campaigns, attend town halls and think deeply about what candidates and policies are the best. Charun Upara 21, an international student from Thailand, expressed his excitement about the values represented by the caucuses in contrast to the conditions in his home country. I actually still feel really excited about this because I come from a country where we dont have a fair democracy, said Upara. Since undergoing a military coup in 2014, Thailand has been ruled by a military junta and is deemed not free by the civil liberties watchdog Freedom House. Saule Keliauskaite 23, from Lithuania, outlined her direct stake in the U.S. presidential election: Im interested because I know decisions being made in the caucuses really impact me because the current administration is not positive about immigration and migrants. Mariyah Jahangiri 20 is a first-generation immigrant from Pakistan who spent many years living abroad. She said that as a student with many international friends, she perceives a lot of interest in the current political landscape: This is a huge presidential election and it impacts international students directly. Many international students voiced excitement about progressive candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Not surprisingly, U.S. foreign policy was at the center of their concerns. Bernie has consistently critiqued the U.S. military and pushed for anti-imperialist policy whether its in Iraq, Afghanistan or Palestine. On a wide range of issues since the beginning of his career he has been anti-imperialist and this made him stand out, said Jahangiri, who was previously involved with the Warren campaign and now supports Sanders. Jahangiri also emphasized Sanders stance on domestic social issues as appealing to those who have often been excluded from U.S. politics, both in the U.S. and abroad. She said that the Sanders campaign has drawn in people like me, people who are immigrants or people of color. Outside the U.S. there is also a lot of attention being paid to this election and to Bernie. Keliauskaite find both Warren and Joe Bidens platforms compelling from a policy perspective but highlighted Warrens plan to take back healthcare with her proposed implementation of Medicare for All as a positive. Back in Europe we have it all sorted out and I think that this could really work here too if the right people came to office, she said. When Keliauskaite attended Bidens town hall, she focused on his foreign policy platform. She supported Bidens hardline stance towards Russia, which shares a border with Lithuania through the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, where the larger country has been strengthening their military presence. Foreign policy and international concerns, however, have not been a major topic in the conversations at Grinnell College town halls or candidate visits. I do think there is room to speak more about international issues says Upara. Being from Thailand, I would love to hear more about how the U.S. could cooperate with smaller countries. Keliauskaite had a similar perspective: We really look for [the] United States support because were a really small country, so their [the U.S.] say is literally what happens to us. If the U.S. doesnt defend those who cant defend themselves, it creates a power vacuum that other superpowers fill. Students also expressed frustration about their inability to vote in an election which takes up a significant portion of life in Iowa this primary season. As an international student you know that your voice doesnt always change a lot even though you wish it would, said Keliauskaite. Its harder to get involved. You can know about whats going on but not necessarily change it. Even if I choose [a candidate] its not directly influential because Im not a citizen, stated Upara. For Seif Emam 22, from Egypt, the unique view of U.S. politics provided by the caucus scene in Grinnell reflects his highly negative view of the election cycle in general. Most of the time I see a lot of people who are very biased towards one side, Emam explained. There is a cult of personality during the elections and lots of fights between supporters. Yet for Cat Ton 22, from Vietnam, the caucuses show a lively and interesting aspect of political life in the U.S, even though Iowa as a state does not stand out in the international community. Although international students cannot take to their chosen candidates corners on Monday night, the College caucus at Darby Gymnasium will have a viewing section for those not directly participating. We can observe, said Upara. Im planning to. The Union Home Ministry has informed that the Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Kumar Patnaik has been given a month's extension in services. He was due to retire today. The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday had approved the extension of Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. MHA had earlier written to the ECI, seeking an extension for Patnaik. An Indian Police Services (IPS) officer of 1985 batch, Patnaik was appointed to the top post on January 30, 2017. His first posting was as Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Delhi's Najafgarh area followed by a posting as the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Puducherry. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Graduates and guests at a Korea Maritime and Ocean University graduation ceremony in Busan wear face masks, Wednesday, amid the global scare over the fast-spreading new coronavirus. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Universities here are scrambling to deal with their Chinese students who are set to return to Korea for the new semester that begins March 2, amid the spread of a new coronavirus in China, according to school officials, Thursday. The officials expressed concern of the possibility that the students could bring the highly-infectious virus with them, raising the possibility that campuses could become the epicenter of any outbreaks here. Korea University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) and other schools in Seoul have already closed their Korean language institutes temporarily amid growing fears of the virus spreading on their campuses. According to the Korean Education Statistics Service, the number of Chinese nationals studying in Korea was 69,287 as of April 2019, or 43.3 percent of the 160,165 international students. Kyung Hee University had the largest number of Chinese students with 4,727 enrolled last year, followed by Sungkyunkwan with 4,189, Korea University with 4,184, and HUFS at 2,666. 31 January 2020 Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft Cham Prasidh, EPO President Antonio Campinos and their respective delegations at the first joint IP conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia This week the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft (MIH) hosted their first joint IP conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Organised with the support of EuroCham Cambodia and with a welcoming speech by the Ambassador of the EU to Cambodia, Ms Carmen Moreno, the conference celebrated the significant validation registrations being witnessed since the implementation of the EPO-MIH validation agreement which came into force in March 2018, stressing the importance of IP rights in both attracting foreign direct investment as well as supporting innovation locally. Speaking at the event, EPO President Antonio Campinos emphasised that the validation agreement with Cambodia took "the coverage of European patents for the first time far beyond the European neighbourhood, to show that the EPO can deliver top-quality patents to fast-developing economies anywhere in the world," adding that the EPO's international cooperation with its partners around the globe, "can eliminate the need for duplicitous patent prosecution processes, and allow fast-developing IP systems to focus their efforts on resident patent filings and supporting local innovation." "The validation system with the EPO already results in around 75 filings per month in Cambodia," said Senior Minister of Industry and Handicraft Cham Prasidh. "We expect this to result in increased foreign direct investment, along with associated technology transfer, growth and jobs in Cambodia. We look forward to the incorporation of Cambodian patent data into the EPO's Espacenet and the associated increase in exposure of Cambodian innovation." Cambodia was the first Asian country to recognise European patents on its territory. Under the validation agreement with the EPO, inventors and businesses filing for patent protection at the EPO can also extend protection given by a European patent to Cambodia. The validation agreement is now being systematically used, and significant numbers of validations of around 75 per month have been coming in since around October 2019. Further information United States Steel (X) came out with a quarterly loss of $0.64 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $1.14. This compares to earnings of $1.82 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 43.86%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this steel maker would post a loss of $0.29 per share when it actually produced a loss of $0.21, delivering a surprise of 27.59%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. U.S. Steel, which belongs to the Zacks Steel - Producers industry, posted revenues of $2.82 billion for the quarter ended December 2019, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.14%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.69 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. U.S. Steel shares have lost about 18.3% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.3%. What's Next for U.S. Steel? While U.S. Steel has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Story continues Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for U.S. Steel was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$0.57 on $2.78 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and -$1.19 on $11.67 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Steel - Producers is currently in the bottom 7% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report United States Steel Corporation (X) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research [January 30, 2020] INVESTIGATION ALERT: The Schall Law Firm Announces It Is Investigating Claims Against Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. and Encourages Investors With Losses to Contact the Firm The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. ("Spirit AeroSystems" or "the Company") (NYSE: SPR) for violations of the securities laws. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. Spirit AeroSystems launched an internal review of its accounting process compliance in December 2019. The Company "determined that it did not comply with established accounting proesses related to certain potential contingent liabilities." The Company announced the resignations of its Chief Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer for failure to comply with accounting rules on contingencies on January 30, 2020. Shares of Spirit AeroSystems fell by almost 4% the same day. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005929/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Delhi court will on Friday hear a plea by two of the 2012 gang rape and murder convicts, seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. The plea was moved in the Delhi court by advocate AP Singh, who is representing convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma. The matter will be heard by Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain today at 2 pm, according to news agency ANI. The court had on Thursday issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts and asked the prison officials to submit a status report today. Responding to petition filed by Singh, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad had told the court on Thursday that this is complete mockery of justice. Convicts lawyers are taking too much time to use their legal remedies, he said. Lawyer AP Singh had told the judge that a mercy plea filed by 26-year-old Vinay to seek a presidential pardon was still pending. He also cited provisions of the Delhi Prison Rules that make it clear that none of the four convicts in the same crime can be hanged before the last one has exhausted all legal options including the mercy petition. Besides, Singh also drew the courts attention to the 2014 verdict of the Supreme Court that ordered jail authorities to give death row convicts 14 days after rejection of their mercy plea before hanging them. The trial court had on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. Meanwhile, the hangman tasked with executing the four convicts reported for work at Delhis Tihar jail on Thursday afternoon. Sindhi Ram, who also goes by the monicker Pawan Jallad, is a resident of Meerut who has been brought to the national capital to execute the men, and reportedly visited the hanging courtyard inside jail number 3. He checked the hanging courtyard and arrangements made by jail authorities. The gallows were redone to execute the four at the same time. Earlier, only two persons could be executed at one time. Though this is the first time he will be executing someone, he seems to be well prepared. He checked the ropes and the machine that will be used for the hanging, a senior prisoner officer said. The four convicts - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - were sentenced to death by a fast-track court in just about a year of the gruesome crime that had brought thousands of people on the streets to protest. It led to a major overhaul of laws surrounding sexual assault. Their victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sitecore, the global leader in experience management software, today announced the 2020 Sitecore Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), honoring more than 300 individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the Sitecore community with educational product content and engagements as well as offering invaluable early user feedback on products in development. Now in its 14th year, the MVP program has expanded to include Luxembourg, Russia, and Ireland, representing professionals from across 35 countries and more than 140 companies who provide the human element critical to driving innovations for Sitecore solutions and building an excited user base who actively engage both on- and offline. Developed initially to acknowledge notable users involved directly with Sitecore teams, the program quickly expanded to accept nominations from the Sitecore user community. In 2020, Sitecore recognized 154 Technology MVPs, 46 Strategy MVPs, 19 Commerce MVPs, and 97 Ambassador MVPs. These expert users represent the Sitecore community's full diversity of skills and experiences, with work that ranges across industries and implementations to illustrate the full capabilities of Sitecore's offerings. "It's an honor to be one of the first Sitecore MVPs and to continue to be recognized today. I've developed some of my strongest professional friendships through the Sitecore MVP Program because it creates a real sense of camaraderie," said 14-year MVP veteran Andy Uzick, vice president of martech innovation at Arke Systems. "Sitecore has been a major part of my career, and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't learn something new. Being able to share what I know with the greater community is extremely rewarding, and it is an honor to see people I have mentored become MVPs." "Sitecore MVPs are rock stars in the industry. They are committed to helping others uphold Sitecore's recommended practices, and they often drive change for the better for both the technology and the community," said first-time MVP Shelley Benhoff, lead developer at The Berndt Group and Pluralsight Author. "I have watched this community grow over the last 10 years since I started working with Sitecore. Every MVP I have spoken to or worked with has challenged me to do better, be better. Some have even mentored me without me having to ask. Sitecore MVPs go above and beyond to help others and that is incredibly special." Sitecore MVPs are selected through an extensive evaluation process that considers their deep understanding of the Sitecore platform and their commitment to sharing it with other Sitecore partners and customers via original content, such as blog posts, podcasts, videos and webinars, as well as through speaking opportunities and online engagements via social media, chat groups and user forums. These select individuals also engage directly with Sitecore, offering early assessment of new products before they come to market. "It is fulfilling to see the sense of real community and accomplishment among the Sitecore MVPs, both old and new. While we are focused daily on enabling accomplishments in the digital world, the human connection is a critical component that cannot be overlooked. Sitecore MVPs donate their time and expertise to help our product teams understand what users want and need from our solutions, while educating and mentoring customers on what is possible with our latest offerings," said Pieter Brinkman, senior director of technical marketing at Sitecore. "These individuals are an invaluable asset to our organization and a critical part of the Sitecore Ecosystem." Upcoming key events for the Sitecore Community include Sitecore Hackathon 2020, running Feb. 2829; Virtual Developer Day, beginning online March 18 at 9 a.m. AEDT and running 24 hours to conclude in New York at 5 p.m. EDT; and Sitecore User Group Conference Europe 2020, March 26-27 in Budapest, Hungary, among other events throughout the year. The complete list of 2020 Sitecore MVPs, program details and activities are available at mvp.sitecore.com. About Sitecore Sitecore delivers a digital experience platform that empowers the world's smartest brands to build lifelong relationships with their customers. A highly decorated industry leader, Sitecore is the only company bringing together content, commerce, and data into one connected platform that delivers millions of digital experiences every day. Leading companies including American Express, ASOS, Carnival Cruise Lines, Kimberly-Clark, L'Oreal and Volvo Cars rely on Sitecore to provide more engaging, personalized experiences for their customers. Learn more at Sitecore.com. Contact Shannon Lyman Sr. Director, Communications at Sitecore [email protected] SOURCE Sitecore Related Links http://www.sitecore.net You hear Airtel is in the process of rolling out its new Airtel WiFi Calling feature across India and you wonder to yourself So what?. Well, what if we told you that the new technology promises to offer even better indoor connectivity, improved voice quality and more. And you know that Airtel talking about even better indoor connectivity means a lot. On top of all this, it is completely free as well! So you wont have to spend anything extra to enjoy these features. Got your interest now? Well, read on to know how you can set it up on your own phone. But before we get to that, you might be curious to know how this works. And why is called WiFi calling? Well, what it does is utilise the existing Wi-Fi signal that will most likely already be present in your home or office to make phone calls. The best part is that you do not have to install a separate app, or sign up for any specific service. So it's not like a Whatsapp call or Skype. It's like your normal phone call, you just use the WiFi network to connect. How cool is that! Airtel is the first to make the technology available in India and over 100 smartphones across 16 different brands are already compatible with the tech. In fact, Airtel claims that 1.8 million customers have already used the service since its launch in December. Heres a list of devices that currently support the technology: OEM Models Xiaomi Redmi K20, Redmi K20 Pro, POCO F1, Redmi 7A, Redmi 7, Redmi Note 7 Pro & Redmi Y3 Samsung Galaxy J6, A10s, On6, M30s, S10, S10+, S10e,M20, Note 10, Note 9, Note 10+, M30, A30s, A50S OnePlus One Plus 7, One Plus 7T, One Plus 7Pro, One Plus 7T Pro, One Plus 6, One Plus 6T Apple iPhone models starting 6s and above (including all Variations of different models) Vivo V15 Pro, Y17 Tecno Phantom 9, Spark Go Plus, Spark Go, Spark Air, Spark 4 (KC2), Spark 4-KC2J, Camon Ace 2, Camon Ace 2X, Camon12 Air, Spark Power SPICE Spice F311, Spice M5353 ITEL A46 INFINIX Hot 8, S5 Lite , S5, Note 4, Smart 2, Note 5, S4, Smart 3, Hot 7 Mobiistar C1, C1 Lite, C1 Shine, C2, E1 Selfie, X1 Notch CoolPad Cool 3, Cool 5, Note 5, Mega 5C, Note 5 Lite Gionee F205 Pro, F103 Pro If you have any of these phones and are an Airtel subscriber, you can make use of Airtel Wi-Fi Calling. However, you may have to activate it manually. Heres how you can activate it yourself. Samsung If you are using a Samsung smartphone, head over to the Settings menu, and then tap Connections. Then select Wi-Fi Calling and then choose the SIM slot that your Airtel card is inserted into, then switch on Wi-Fi Calling. Apple On an Apple device, head over to Settings, and then Mobile Data. Now choose the Primary SIM or eSIM , then tap Wi-Fi Calling and then toggle Wi-Fi Calling on or off. Xiaomi Xiaomi users need to head over to Settings and then SIM cards and Mobile Networks. Then choose the option that says Airtel and then turn on Make calls using Wi-Fi. OnePlus Unlike Jio, Airtel offers WiFi calling on OnePlus as well. To activate it, open your Settings menu and head over to Wi-Fi and the Internet. Now chose SIM and Network and then select the slot that has the Airtel SIM card and turn on Wi-Fi Calling. Vivo Finally, Vivo users should head over to Settings, then select Mobile Network. Now click on SIM and then select Wi-Fi Calling. So, there you have it. A quick look at all the phones that support Airtel Wi-Fi Calling as well as how to activate it. Of course, as the year progresses, expect even more smartphones to support the technology. In fact, Airtel expects to have 10 million people using Airtel Wi-Fi Calling by the end of the year. [Sponsored Post] Being passionate about telephone communications and guided by a strong vision to present the history of telephony to the general public, DIDWW has cherished the idea of a museum for many years, and this goal has finally come to fruition. Having assembled an extensive collection of exhibits and other artifacts related to the history of telephony in Lithuania and the world, DIDWW has opened this unique museum, featuring innovative, educational and historical exhibits. The museum's collection is comprised of more than 200 pieces, reflecting over 200 years of telephony history. The exposition features vintage and military phones, most of which are in perfect working order. For example, one of the oldest telephones is the Stromberg Carlson Type 896 deluxe compact wall telephone, which was designed for party line services. Furthermore, among some of the most interesting telephones on display are the 1950s ship wall-type telephones from Odessa, Ukraine, with a unique locking mechanism that holds the handset in place, the American Candlestick telephone from the early 1900s, and Russian military field telephones from WWII. In addition, the museum presents phones from more recent times, ranging from the first rotary dial model to the latest dial pad phones, and from mobile phones to smartphones. IP phones, as well as the current generation of cloud softphones are also on display. The museum's largest exhibit is the traditional British red telephone booth, which has been refurbished and is fully operational. Lina Zaboras, CEO of DIDWW said, "The key reasons for opening this museum are to educate the society about the history of telephony and the current advances in this technology, to help the younger generation understand the value of technological progress, and to foster their enthusiasm for engineering. Using technology in our everyday lives is important, but it is even more crucial to understand how it evolved, and what historical processes lead us to the convenience that we take for granted today. We want to illustrate the long road of telephony all the way from the inventor Bell, through to the present day of cloud communications in an interesting and informative manner." The opening of the region's first telephony museum was noted and well-received by the government, which subsequently granted DIDWW financing through a state-funded program for schoolchildren, the Cultural Passport Program, that is aimed at improving Lithuanian student's access to cultural and educational projects and events. Since its opening, the telephony museum has attracted much public interest and has gained visibility and popularity. With the facilities being restored and adapted to accommodate people with mobility disabilities, each and every one is welcome to enjoy the exhibits. The museum has already received more than 16000 visitors, including school children of all ages, students and senior citizens. About DIDWW DIDWW - A global cloud voice and SMS platform for telecommunication professionals. The company offers the largest, fully compliant international coverage of local, national, mobile, toll-free and SMS-enabled virtual phone numbers. It also provides call termination services, supported by a robust, geo-redundant private global network. DIDWW customers enjoy advanced solutions coupled with a unique service experience and superior value, all driven by a highly motivated team of professionals. Press Contact: Rugile Bertule [email protected] +353-(1)-901-5266 Related Links: DIDWW DIDWW Museum Of Telephony Photo gallery SOURCE DIDWW An Italian music school has been accused of 'racism' after it banned all East Asian students from attending classes. Santa Cecilia conservatory, in Rome, told all 81 nationals from countries including China, South Korea and Japan not to attend class, irrespective of the last time they visited their home countries. The decision has sparked a horrified outcry from students, who have rushed to the conservatory to demand answers. There have been two cases of coronavirus reported in Italy after two Chinese tourists visiting Rome tested positive for the virus. Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome (pictured) told students from countries including China, South Korea and Japan not to attend classes following the coronavirus outbreak The coronavirus outbreak is centred in China, with 23 other countries also reporting the virus An email sent to all staff by conservatory director Robert Guiliano reads, reports Italian newspaper La Reppublica: 'Dear colleagues and dear colleagues, because of the well-known events related to the Chinese epidemic, the lessons of the oriental students (Chinese, Korean, Japanese etc.) are suspended, as well as others who came from the countries concerned. 'The conservatory doctor will visit them all on Wednesday 5 February at 2.00 pm Only those who pass the visit can be readmitted to attendance.' One shocked staff member said the director's message was 'insane' and that the music school has never had a doctor. Two South Korean students outside the school told Italian publication The Local that they have asked to meet with senior directors to discuss their decision but have been ignored. 'We've just seen the director leave the building and walk away,' said Kim, 25, and Hwang, 24. 'I haven't been home to Korea in two years. We're not against checks in themselves but this is madness - it's wrong for them to test only Asian students.' Students have contacted the Chinese Embassy in Rome (pictured) for legal advice More than 7,000 passengers were kept onboard the Costa Smeralda in Civitavecchia, Rome, yesterday following fears that two passengers had coronavirus William, 24, a Chinese student studying opera at the school said the director's decision was 'quite racist', questioning why Chinese students that had not been to their home country for more than six months were being treated differently. Online, the music school claims to be one of the 'oldest musical institutions in the world', tracing its origins back to 1565. The decision came as the Como conservatory, also in Rome, asked all students returning from trips to China not to come to class for 14 days following their return. Pictured: A bus leaves the harbour where the Costa Smeralda cruise ship was docked Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has suspended air travel between Italy and China And a Chinese student at Franco Vittadini Conservatory in Pavia, who recently returned from his home near Wuhan, was asked to keep away from the school for 14 days despite medical tests showing that he did not have the virus. More than 6,000 students were marooned on a cruise ship at Civitavecchia, north-west Rome, yesterday as two Chinese passengers were tested for coronavirus. MailOnline has contacted Santa Cecilia for comment. Police arrested four New Jersey men and confiscated 1,163 potted marijuana plants and 28 pounds of packaged marijuana after discovering they were operating an illegal grow house in Newark, authorities said. Edward Qarabashi, 29, of Newark; Michael Emma, 38, of Fairfield; Juan Trinidad, 33, of Paterson and Paul Sayegh, 37, of Clifton were arrested Jan. 16 for running the Mount Pleasant Avenue facility on Jan. 16, the New Jersey State Police said. All four men were charged with multiple drug crimes, including conspiracy to grow, cultivate and harvest marijuana. Qarabashi was also charged with two gun crimes. The raid followed a five-month investigation by the State Polices Crime Suppression North Unit, which discovered the operation at a Newark warehouse. The detectives executed a search warrant at the warehouse and a home in Clifton. The four men were arrested at different locations. Police seized marijuana plants and packages, a .22-caliber handgun and equipment used to grow and cultivate marijuana. As of Thursday, Emma and Trindad were being held in Essex County Jail, while Qarabashi and Trinidad had been released from custody, according to Katherine Carter, spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutors Office. All four are scheduled to appear in Essex County Superior Court on Feb. 24. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. France has promised to outlaw the grisly practice of grinding up male chicks as soon as they've hatched, becoming the latest country to take a stand against an industry-wide procedure known as maceration or culling. Male chicks, which can't grow up to lay eggs and aren't bred to be efficient meat producers, are considered useless for industrial farmers. Animal rights protesters took to the streets of Sydney last year, carrying placards directing people to watch the Australian documentary Dominion, which depicts animal cruelty. Credit:AAP With no practical reason to keep them alive, billions of male chicks born at hatcheries each year are tossed into massive blenders - or gassed, or suffocated, typically while they're still conscious - distressing animal welfare groups that have pushed for more humane solutions. For poultry farmers in France, those solutions will need to be in place by the end of next year. An investor watches the electronic board at a stock exchange hall in Hangzhou, China. VCG | Getty Images Here's what you need to know before you head out for the weekend. China market opens The Chinese stock market will open again on Monday after the Lunar New Year holiday. The break was extended as Chinese officials fought to contain the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. stock indexes sold off and oil prices slumped further on Friday as fear grew that the outbreak would take a significant bite out of economic growth in China. Major U.S. airlines canceled flights to Wuhan for the next several months on Friday, and the Center for Disease Control announced that it was quarantining travelers coming from the region. The major Chinese exchanges have been closed since Jan. 24. Iowa caucuses Voters will get their first say in the 2020 presidential race on Tuesday in Iowa's caucuses. The results of the caucuses won't be known until well after the U.S. stock market closes on Monday, but new polls released over the weekend could shed new light on which candidates investors see as the likely opponent of President Donald Trump in the general election. On the national level, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is virtually tied with former Vice President Joe Biden, according to the latest NBC News/WSJ poll. Both are seen as major contenders in Iowa. Analysts and investors have raised concern about the proposed policies of Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, saying health care stocks are particularly vulnerable should either candidate win. Alphabet earnings 31.01.2020 LISTEN Business mogul, Moro Sakyiamah Yakubu has formally declared his intentions to contest the Fanteakwa North Constituency Parliamentary Primaries in the Eastern Region on the ticket of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). Nana Yaw Ampem Darkoh-Amponsah who happens to be his personal aide picked forms on his behalf on Thursday, January 30, 2020, in the company of their supporters and some party delegates. Mr. Moro Sakyiamah Yakubu is a well-established businessman who has shown much concern over the years for the people of Begoro and its vicinities, especially the unemployed youths by providing jobs for some of them and would want to do more. According to his personal aid Nana Yaw Ampem Darkoh-Amponsah, Moro Sakyiamah Yakubus decision to contest the seat stems from the incessant pressure placed on him by members of the NPP party at the grassroots. He said Moro Ibrahim Yakubu is ever ready to help the entire commuters of Fanteakwah North constituency. He further added that there is a lot that the government has to do for the people of Fanteakwa North constituency but it takes a good visionary and competent leader like Moro Sakyiamah Yakubu to go to parliament and lobby for them, In line with that, he opines that delegates should grant him the will power in order to help build the constituency to benefit the people. Google has teamed up with the World Health Organisation to launch an SOS Alert dedicated to the coronavirus. The search engine will prioritise information on the virus from the WHO, including safety tips and WHO Twitter updates on the spread of the virus and how to stay safe. Anyone searching for information on the coronavirus will be shown an SOS Alert box with resources from WHO at the top of the results page. Googles SOS Alert prioritises trusted sources of information fast to help provide people with critical information about a public emergency. Google users will know alert is active because of the SOS Alert header that appears at the top of the page. Users can also click the arrow-shaped sharing icon at the top of the SOS Alert to share a coronavirus Google search link to Facebook, Twitter or in an email. Users just have to search 'coronavirus' or other searches including the name of the virus to receive health and information search box linking to the WHO website, as well as safety tips HOW DOES SOS ALERTS WORK? SOS Alerts brings key information as updates. These include information about official alerts, tweets and phrases in the local language. It will let people know which roads are closed, traffic jams and places they can find refuge. Users who are close to the affected area will get notifications. People not in the area who want information about the crisis can search for the SOS Alert which provides a timely overview of the situation. Advertisement They can simply type coronavirus in the search engine and be presented with a Help and information box with WHO links, and another Safety tips box for how to prevent the virus spreading. The WHO declared the coronavirus virus a global health emergency on Thursday. The worldwide death toll of the virus has reached 213, with the first two UK cases confirmed on Friday. Today we launched an SOS Alert with WHO to make resources about coronavirus easily accessible, Google tweeted on Thursday. We do these regularly for crisis events around the world where public safety might be at risk. SOS Alerts aim to make emergency information more accessible to users during a natural or human-caused crisis. The SOS Alert feature is prioritising sources from the WHO, which declared the virus a global health emergency on Thursday The feature was launched back in 2017 as a way to help save lives in emergencies, such as fires, floods or terrorist situations. SOS Alerts, which is available in both Search and Maps, helps users find locations, top stories and local information from authorities. It also send notifications to smartphones depending on how close the user is to the incident. Our aim is to provide the most relevant, credible, actionable information during a crisis, the tech giant says. During a crisis, people need real-time information. Whether theyre experiencing an issue on the ground or trying to understand the situation from afar, we want our products to give people quick access to important information such as what is going on and where it is happening to help them stay safe and informed.' Google also announced on Thursday that it had donated $250,000 to the Chinese Red Cross to support humanitarian efforts in the wake of the outbreak. On Thursday, Facebook announced that it would be removing fake information on the virus and promoting legitimate sources of information about the outbreak's progress, including the WHO. The social media giant said its global network of third-party fact-checkers are reviewing content and 'debunking false claims' related to the outbreak. Twitter users, meanwhile, will see a link to the Department of Health and Social Care website containing the latest information and advice about the emergency, when they search 'coronavirus'. More than 9,800 have been infected with the Wuhan coronavirus in at least 21 countries and regions as of Friday morning. More Iowans than ever are giving the gift of life through organ donations. 2019 marked the highest number of donors in the state's history. 92 donors statewide gave a total of 290 organs for transplant. Kevin Clemens was one of the recipients. "In around November of 2018, I started to get sick. I was getting a little hazy and confused," he said. After numerous doctor visits and being rushed to the emergency room one day last year, he quickly found out he needed a liver transplant. "It was that day in Dubuque, the doctor said if you don't get a new liver in 3 months, you have a 75% chance of dying," said Clemens. Because his case was so serious, he was moved to the top of the transplant list and miraculously got the call a week later. "It was very quick. Thank God, it was quick," he added. Its indescribable. I can look at pictures from the last ten months, you see a lot of things that you wouldn't have got to see." He's one that benefited from the record-breaking year in 2019 for the Iowa Donor Network. "Anytime, we see an increase in donors that means more lives being saved and that's our goal," said Heather Butterfield with the Iowa Donor Network. She says she believes the record number of donors is because of the record number of people who signed up on the registry. "In 2019, 77% of adults in Iowa 18 and older signed up," she said. Right now, about 113,000 people in the U.S. are still needing a transplant, 600 of them are in Iowa. "One of the big reasons we hear why people don't join the donor registry is because they think they're too old or maybe had too many health problems over the years," said Butterfield. "The oldest organ we had in Iowa was 84. The oldest tissue donor we ever had was 105." She says they hope to keep spreading awareness through different partnerships and volunteers like Clemens who's paying it forward. "I can't describe what it's done for me," said Clemens. I can't believe it wouldn't be worthwhile." She also says Logan's Law has helped add 975 new names to Iowa's donor registry since September of 2019. If people want to learn more or if they want to register as donors, they can go to Iowadonornetwork.org. The commission conducting inquiry into the 2018 Koregaon Bhima violence on Friday asked the Maharashtra government to wind it up, saying it can not function due to "want of money" and the government did not seem to be "serious" about it. The commission, comprising former chief justice of Kolkata High Court Justice J N Patel and former IAS officer Sumeet Mullick, was set up to probe the caste violence near Koregaon Bhima war memorial in Pune district on January 1, 2018. In a letter to the state Chief Secretary, additional Chief Secretary and principal secretary of the Home Department, the commission said the government had not paid salaries of its staff and reimbursed their bills for months. "...after exhausting initial budget of about Rs 52 lakh which was hardly adequate, the government either committed delay in sanction of supplementary budget or sanctioned less amount than was required," read the letter. "...some of the officials of the commission have not received their salaries since November 2019. Salaries and honorarium of all including the chairman are due from December 2019 onward," it stated. "Most of the staff members are hired on a contract basis. They would starve for want of money," the letter said. A home department official, summoned by the commission, stated that funds would be provided only after the budget session, it said. "The circumstances indicate that the government is not serious about the commission. The commission is unable to function for want of money even for day-to-day expenses," it added. Violence broke out near the Koregaon Bhima memorial during the bicentennial celebration of an 1818 battle where the East India Company's forces, which included sepoys of Mahar caste, a Dalit community, defeated the army of the Brahmin Peshwa ruler of Pune. Dalits commemorate the victory as a symbol of defeat of the old Brahmanical order. Pune Police had claimed that inflammatory statements made a day earlier at Elgar Parishad conclave, allegedly backed by Maoists, led to the violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement Two patients with coronavirus have been released in New South Wales as seven people remain hospitalised around Australia. The patients, who were treated at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, have safely recovered and are no longer infectious. Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed their release in a press conference on Friday afternoon - as he ruled out banning flights from China to Australia. Thousands of people could have been exposed to coronavirus in Australia by the country's nine confirmed patients alone Flat-out: Exhausted health professionals in the Chinese province of Hubei where the coronavirus is spreading Members of a medical team prepare to leave for Wuhan in Hubei Province on 27 January to help treat patients He said: 'We still have two in New South Wales that are being treated here at Westmead Hospital. The other two that were being housed here have been released after it was determined that they were medically clear to go home.' Mr Hunt also said that preparations are under way on Christmas Island which will house Australian citizens who request to be evacuated from Wuhan, where the virus was first detected on 12 December. There are around 600 still in China's Hubei province - but it is not known how many will request evacuation. 'I have spoken with the director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Centre this morning and he has confirmed they have a team of 24 and the first members of those will arrive today,' he said. Ministers do not yet know when Australians can be evacuated from China because negotiations are still ongoing with Beijing. The plan is to fly them to Christmas Island off WA and keep them quarantined until they are safe to return to the Australian mainland. Up to 49,000 people land on flights from China per week but Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said there were no plans to stop the planes. He said: 'The World Health Organization strongly recommends that nations do not ban flights from China because unless you lockdown exit from the country, banning direct flights, doesn't stop people coming from China. 'They could come from all sorts of other ports and at least we know who is coming from China and we can meet and do very intensive border measures for those flights.' Meanwhile, there are fears thousands of people could have been exposed to the coronavirus in Australia by the country's nine confirmed patients alone. Four people in Sydney, three in Melbourne, and two on the Gold Coast have been struck down with the deadly virus in recent weeks. Each one flew in from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak began, on planes packed with hundreds of potential victims. At least a day passed after they arrived before they developed flu-like symptoms and eventually went to hospital. A passenger wearing a protective mask (pictured) is seen at Sydney Airport on Thursday, getting off the last flight to Australia from Wuhan before they were shut down Mission evacuate: How will Christmas Island plan work? The executive director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, Professor Len Notaras said the doctors, nurses and allied health officials being sent to Christmas Island were of the 'highest calibre' and were being drawn from every state and territory. A demountable hospital will be set up including diagnostic and protective equipment and negative pressure facilities. However, Prof Notaras told reporters in Darwin it was important to note those people who will be placed in isolation were not sick at this stage and would likely not become sick. He said they would not be held in detention, although their movements would be restricted. Should any begin to show symptoms or become seriously ill the medical team on the island would make the initial call on their continued treatment. Anyone who became critically ill would likely be repatriated to Australia, possibly to WA or to a hospital close to where they live, Prof Notaras said. Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia's actions were driven by medical advice, and the World Health Organisation was strong in its support for quarantine measures to stem the spread of the virus. 'Our job is to protect Australians and provide support for citizens overseas and the best way to do that is to find a place which was designed to deal with people who were coming (from) overseas ... and to do that in a way which is humane,' Mr Hunt said. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended the Christmas Island plan, saying it would help keep Australia safe. 'I can't clear a hospital in Sydney or Melbourne to accommodate 600 people. We don't have a facility otherwise that can take this number of people,' he told the Nine Network on Thursday. Christmas Island administrator Natasha Griggs said residents had expressed some concerns but had been assured that all necessary measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of locals. 'By and large, the Christmas Island residents understand that this is a humanitarian mission and they're generally supportive,' she said. 'We've got a fantastic team of people that have got experience in doing this, a track record of success so the residents of Christmas Island have no need to worry.' But Australian Medical Association boss Tony Bartone said there were better alternatives to sending evacuees to Christmas Island, with some medical specialists suggesting the Woodside army barracks near Adelaide and another facility just north of Katherine in the NT. Advertisement During this time when they didn't know they were sick, they interacted with hundreds of people each, some of whom could now be infected. One patient was even allowed out of isolation to celebrate Australia Day at a restaurant with his family while he was waiting for test results. People they infected will be going about their lives on crowded trains and buses, having business meetings, and sharing meals - potentially passing the virus on. This is just from the nine confirmed cases - more than a dozen other people are being tested after developing symptoms associated with the virus. It comes as China's coronavirus death toll hits 170 and the World Health Organisation declares a global health emergency. Speaking to reporters, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: 'The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. 'Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.' Russia, which has no cases of the virus, is closing its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against the outbreak. Train traffic between the countries was halted except for one train connecting Moscow and Beijing, but air traffic between the two countries continued. On Thursday Israel banned all incoming flights from China and 6,000 people in Italy were prevented from leaving a cruise ship while tests were carried out on a passenger from Macau. Australia and New Zealand are planning a joint evacuation of citizens from Wuhan while Singapore is setting up a quarantine facility on an island to the city's north-east. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea confirmed their first cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. The man in the US is married to a 60-year-old Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the epicentre of the outbreak. Shoppers cover their faces with masks at Asian markets in Cabramatta in Sydney's southwest on Thursday out of fear of coronavirus A pamphlet handed out by the Australian Government providing travellers with information on the deadly coronavirus (pictured) In Australia, the first men were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus on January 25 - three in NSW and another in Victoria. Two arrived on direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney on separate China Eastern Airlines flight MU749, one on January 20 and another on an unknown date. Both these flights had up to 250 passengers plus several crew on board who are prime candidates for infection. Another man, diagnosed on the same day, flew in to Sydney via Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, on January 6 on a plane that carries up to 277 people. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES: 4 Four people in NSW have been diagnosed with coronavirus, including three men and one woman. January 25 Three men aged 43, 53, and 35 who had recently travelled to China are confirmed to have contracted the disease. Two flew in from Wuhan while the other arrived in Sydney from Shenzhen, south China. They are being treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital and are in stable condition. January 27 A 21-year-old woman is identified as the fourth person to test positive for the illness in NSW. The woman, a student at UNSW, flew into Sydney International Airport on flight MU749 on January 23 and presented to the emergency department 24 hours later after developing flu-like symptoms. She is being treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital. VICTORIA: 4 January 25 A Chinese national aged in his 50s becomes the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Australia. The man flew to Melbourne on China Southern flight CZ321 from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19. He is now in quarantined isolation at Monash Hospital in Clayton in Melbourne's east. January 29 A Victorian man in his 60s is diagnosed with the coronavirus. He became unwell on January 23 - two days after returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. The man was confirmed as positive on January 29 and was subsequently seen by doctors at the Monash Medical Centre. He was assessed as being well enough to stay at home. January 30 A woman in her 40s falls ill with the coronavirus. She was visiting from China and mostly spent time with her family. She is being treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital. February 1 A Melbourne woman aged in her 20s is at home recovering. She returned from Wuhan on January 25 and fell ill two days later. She was not infectious on the flight, and has remained in isolation since being tested. QUEENSLAND: 2 January 29 Queensland confirms its first case after a 44-year-old Chinese national wass diagnosed with the virus. He is being treated at Gold Coast University Hospital. January 30 A 42-year-old Chinese woman who was travelling in the same Wuhan tour group as the 44-year-old man tests positive. She is in Gold Coast University Hospital in stable condition. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 2 February 1 A Chinese couple were placed in isolation in a public hospital. The man and a woman both aged 60, were from Wuhan and visiting relatives in South Australia. SA Health said the pair isolated themselves at home when they developed symptoms and awaited the results of the coronavirus test. Australia has raised the travel alert level to 'do not travel' for the city of Wuhan - the epicentre of the outbreak - and for the entire Hubei province. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says unless people have contact with someone who is unwell and has come from that part of China, there is no need for current concern. Advertisement The fourth arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19 on a an A388 carrying up to 525 passengers. A total of 167 flights that can carry 48,999 people are landing in Australia from mainland China per week as coronavirus spreads around the world. Based on those figures, as many as 342,993 people may have entered Australia from China since the deadly virus was first detected in Wuhan seven weeks ago. On Thursday, major airlines suspended or reduced services to China including British Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines, KLM, and United. But the airlines that fly from China to Australia - including eight Chinese airlines and Qantas - made no changes to their routes, except for China Eastern cancelling its flight from Wuhan to Sydney last week. The flights include 62 planes from Guangzhou, 42 from Shanghai and 18 from Beijing per week, with direct routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. On Wednesday, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline was considering scrapping its Sydney to Beijing route due to low demand. The airline had already announced plans to axe that service from March, but Mr Joyce suggested that could happen sooner. NSW Health advice states that people are at risk of catching the virus if they spent 15 minutes in close contact, such as a face-to-face conversation, or two hours in the same confined space. Chinese health authorities have confirmed that, contrary to earlier belief, patients are contagious even before they develop symptoms. On Monday, it was confirmed that a 21-year-old University of NSW student who arrived on a different MU749 flight was infected. The university told students in an email that she became unwell soon after her flight and isolated herself in her on-campus dorm room for 24 hours before going to hospital. UNSW is not in semester but there are still some students and staff on campus she could have interacted with, along with on public transport and at the airport. Many students are terrified they could be infected next, especially with thousands of Chinese classmates due to arrive on campus in coming weeks. The second Melbourne patient landed on January 21, though it is not clear which flight he was on, and wasn't diagnosed until Wednesday. The man in his 60s went to hospital two days later but was allowed out of isolation to celebrate Australia Day with his family. He was with five family members - three adults and two children - at The House of Delight in Glen Waverley between 5.30pm and 7pm. Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton urged other diners to contact the health department and watch for coronavirus symptoms. Other businesses in the same building as the restaurant on 52 Montclair Avenue have closed until February 9 and others are thinking about shutting up shop. A cleaner was brought in to disinfect buttons in the building's lift. One of the patient's adult relatives and one of the children have tested negative so far, and all five are in isolation with him. The seventh victim has the most capacity to have infected hundreds of others. The 44-year-old Chinese tourist arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Singapore on January 22 and spent several days travelling with a tour group. On Thursday night it was confirmed that one of them, a 42-year-old woman, contracted the virus herself, while three others were sick. All eight of his fellow holidaymakers are now in isolation with him at Gold Coast University Hospital. They all took Tiger Air flight TT566, landing on the Gold Coast about 8pm on Monday on a plane that carries up to 189 passengersQueensland Health chief officer Dr Jeannette Young on Thursday said she was concerned about everyone on the plane. ST. PAUL Minnesota Democrats are saying they've reached a compromise on insulin legislation for the 2020 session, but Republicans are pumping the brakes. At a Thursday, Jan. 30 news conference in St. Paul's Capitol, House Democratic leaders, joined by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, introduced a new version of the Alec Smith Affordability Act. A similar Democratic measure failed in 2019, but Minnesota state Rep. Michael Howard, D-Richfield, said this year's version merges Democrats' and Republicans' ideas from this year's closed-door task force meetings. The bill would establish systems to get Minnesotans with diabetes emergency supplies of insulin, as well as long-term pathways to affordable insulin for those most in need: uninsured, low-income and Medicare patients. Howard told Forum News Service following Thursday's news conference that the crux of Democrats' and Republicans' disagreement remains whether pharmaceutical companies should foot part of the bill. Howard said he thinks it's "only fair" that manufacturers be partially responsible, with the price of some insulin tripling over the past decade despite no comparable change in manufacturing cost, but that Democrats' concession to Republicans in 2020's bill is including state funds in the plan, as well. Asked about Republicans' reluctance to pass a bill with pharmaceutical companies included, Howard said, "No Minnesotan that I've talked to thinks the pharmaceutical companies should be off the hook." ADVERTISEMENT Minnesota State Sen. Eric Pratt, R-Prior Lake, said he was surprised by Democrats' claims to compromise on Thursday. In a discussion with Forum News Service following Democrats' news conference, he said he still hadn't seen Democrats' bill. "I frankly find it disgusting the way the governor and speaker and Rep. Howard turned this into a political side show," he said, saying they are more focused on "punishing" pharmaceutical companies than on reaching an agreement with Senate Republicans. Pratt said like Democrats' proposal, the Republicans' plan would still include both emergency and long-term insulin plans for diabetes patients. He said he is unsure of a timeline for a bill come legislative session in February, but that it's a top priority of Senate Republicans. Approximately 330,000 Minnesotans have been diagnosed with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, per the state Department of Health, with roughly 18,000 new cases diagnosed annually. In recent months, several Minnesotans have reported rationing insulin due to skyrocketing prices, with some experiencing fatal complications like the Democratic bill's namesake, Alec Smith, who died in 2017 at age 26 when he could not afford his insulin. An Orthodox Jewish couple who were removed from an American Airlines flight over their body odor last year are now suing for discrimination. Yehuda Yosef Adler and his wife Jennie are seeking unspecified damages in the suit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division. The suit names American Airlines as the defendants. The couple and their at-the-time 19-month-old daughter had been attempting to fly back home to Detroit from a vacation in Miami last January when the incident took place. Scroll down for video Yehuda Yosef Adler and his wife Jennie are seeking unspecified damages in relation to the suit they filed against American Airlines The couple and their at-the-time 19-month-old daughter had been attempting to fly back home to Detroit from a vacation in Miami last January when the incident took place (stock) Court documents claim that the pilot for the flight was 'nasty and humiliating' towards the family when they boarded the plane and asked for headphones. Taking their seats, the couple claim that they had not been seated for more than five minutes when they were instructed by a gate agent who told the family that there was an 'emergency' and they needed to 'deplane.' The agent reportedly told the family that they needed to deplane because they had 'extremely offensive body odor,' but would only tell the Adlers that the direction came from the pilot. Offended by the sentiment, the Adlers expressed shock and informed the agent that they had never been informed about problems with their odor - adding that they had showered that very morning. They claim that a pilot instructed a gate agent to have them exit the plane because of their 'extremely offensive body odor' It was then that the gate agent 'made disparaging and derogatory statements telling the Adlers that he knew that Orthodox Jews bathe once a week,' the lawsuit states. The lawsuit adds that the family embarrassingly approached people in the boarding area and asked them to confirm whether or not they had a bad smell. More than 20 people answered in the negative, according to the suit. In addition to being kicked off the aircraft, the family asserts that their luggage stayed on the plane and went to their destination. The family was without clothing and most of the things needed for the baby. 'The delay deprived the Adlers of their contractual right to fly based on their purchased ticket with American Airlines,' the lawsuit reads. 'The Adlers were seriously inconvenienced, treated as criminals, humiliated, insulted, defamed, missed appointments, incurred incidental expenses, and suffered trauma and emotional distress.' The family also takes issue with the airline's continuation of the narrative that they smelled. They claim that now when 'body odor' is searched online, results show the Adler name. The couple say that the defendants discriminated against them as Orthodox Jews, identifying their clothing with their religion and race. At the time of the incident, American Airlines confirmed that Adler and his family were removed from the flight after 'several passengers' complained about their body odor 'The Adlers suffered and will continue in the future to suffer trauma, stigmatization , severe mental and emotional distress, depression, despair , repugnance, embarrassment, public humiliation, damage to personal reputation, anxiety, fear and apprehension associated with airports and flying, loss of appetite, insomnia and migraines,' the suit reads. 'The Adlers are being pressured to see their race and religion as inferior to that of Whites, dirty and unwelcome.' American Airlines deny the claims, and said the family were removed from the plane after several complaints. In a statement to Fox News, the airline said: 'The Adler family was asked to deplane after multiple passengers and our crew members complained about Mr. Adler's body odor. 'The decision was made out of concern for the comfort of our other passengers. Our team members took care of the family and provided hotel accommodations and meals, and rebooked them on a flight to Detroit the next morning. 'None of the decisions made by our team in handling this sensitive situation were based on the Adlers' religion.' January 31 : The year 2020, is raining happy days for the Panga director Ashwini Iyer Tiwari. At present, she enjoys the immense acceptance, that the film had received since its release over the past few days. She had shared a few thoughts about the film and about her lead star Kangana Ranaut during a short interview. Ashwini stated that Kangana was the mouthpiece of the character Jaya. She portrayed a loving mother very well. She had brought out the soft side in her character beautifully and that is what made this film so special. She went on to say that she and Kangana are individuals with the same thinking but people with different personalities. They both think about life on the same lines, but often present the matter through different angles. Ashwini chuckles off after saying this. Image Source: IANS Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and actors Kangana Ranaut and Jassie Gill Ashwini felt that Kangana had even surpassed her expectations and expressed admiration for her actor. She said, She is the perfect actor who fits in well for the role. She had been dwelling on these thoughts for the past two years even before the film had taken shape. And, nobody could play the role of Jaya better than her. She affirmed that An actor is the mouthpiece of the director. Only if the actor brings in a connection with the character they are playing, then that would add meaning to what the director envisioned or dreamt about. Panga is the story of a common middle class woman Jaya, which has been played by Kangana Ranaut. The story shows how she works hard to achieve her long lost dream of being a Kabbadi player at an age of 32 years. The film focusses on women's life, their dreams and how their life partners support them at every phase of pressure. Dear Editor: Needless to say I was quite disappointed to learn only a couple of days before the presentation by well-known speaker Laurie Cardoza-Moore, to be held at The Roth Family Jewish Community Center, that it was cancelled. No reason was given. I have had the opportunity to hear Laurie speak locally several times. Each was a very educational and enlightening experience. I know there is a group of influential locals within the Jewish community that are afraid to hear the truth; afraid to learn about the reality of life in the United States today in the year 2020. They want to be politically correct even at the cost of their own freedoms. They support the likes of censoring groups such as the SPLC and even ADL who vilify organizations that think differently from themselves such as ACT for America. It is unfortunate that they want to remain in the dark, be uninformed, and perpetuate the shtetl mentality by avoiding reality. The topic matter that Ms. Cardoza-Moore was going to discuss was the current anti-Israel BDS movement; the anti-American, anti-Israel subject matter being taught in our public schools nationwide and the increasing radical Islamization of America. Apparently to some, these are topics of discussion to be avoided even at the cost of abridging the First Amendment of our United States Constitution. Shame on them! We are today in a similar situation that existed in Germany in the early 1930s. Jews have assimilated. Jews have reached new heights in all manners of activities. Jews are being targeted for being Jewish. Anti-Semitism is on the rise. Yet, some still have forgotten. Programs like the recently canceled discussion led by Laurie Cardoza-Moore is a prime example of if you ignore the problem, it will go away. Guess what, Bubbalah, it didnt happen that way in the past and I have serious reservations that ignoring the situation today will make the problem disappear and go away. Its time to face up to reality. Time is running out. Ignorance is NOT bliss. If we do forget, it will happen again. Therefore, NEVER FORGETNEVER AGAIN !!! Laurence Morrell Maitland The Department of Education and Training in Hanoi has demanded that school students skip classes for health checks, in a bid to contain the spread of a novel coronavirus that has hit China, Vietnam, and many other countries around the world. Schools in the Vietnamese capital are required to step up measures to prevent viral transmissions that cause upper acute respiratory infection, the department said in a dispatch on Thurday. The department asked that schools monitor student numbers, students and teachers health conditions, and any suspected infection. Those catching a fever have to skip classes and work in order to have their health checked, the dispatch reads. They are required to notify their schools of their medical check results. In case of any confirmed infection, schools are banned from covering it up and are required to report it to higher authorities while cooperating with local healthcare agencies to deal with the outbreak. Symptoms of a new coronavirus infection can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students and teachers are advised against going to fresh meat markets and crowded places, the department said, adding that avoidance of contact with live animals and their waste is strongly recommended. Avoid contact with patients of acute respiratory infection, keep the body warm, maintain personal hygiene, wash hands with soap regularly, rinse the mouth with antiseptic mouthwash, and cover the nose and mouth when coughing, the department advised. Schools must ensure food and water safety for their students, teachers, and employees while frequently disinfecting classrooms, it noted. School students in Hanoi resumed their studies on Thursday after a long Tet holiday. Vietnam has confirmed four active cases of the novel coronavirus, including one Chinese and three Vietnamese. China has reported nearly 10,000 cases and 213 deaths, while the virus has spread to 18 countries since the first outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, according to Reuters. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! WA Premier Mark McGowan has indicated he would oppose Prime Minister Scott Morrisons proposal to hand the Commonwealth powers to declare a national state of emergency. Responding to the bushfire crisis which has led to the deaths of 33 people in the eastern states, Mr Morrison used a major speech in Canberra this week to announce he would examine Australias constitutional and legal framework for ways to allow the federal government to deploy troops to deal with disasters and emergencies. Mr McGowan said coordination between the tiers of government was the key in responding to national disasters and emergencies Credit:Wolter Peeters This would come with clear authorities and appropriate safeguards for Commonwealth action on its own initiative. Any change would likely be achieved by the states passing legislation to cede powers to the Commonwealth rather than through a referendum to change the constitution. The moment last year's celebration ended, the countdown to Fiesta 2020 began. And now, San Antonio's biggest annual party is less than three months away. Fiestas executive director Amy Shaw said the Alamo City has been planning for months for the event and reminds residents they too should start making plans. Here is what Shaw said attendees may want to do now to be Fiesta ready: Plan your schedule With nearly 100 events happening during Fiesta's 11-day run and others happening before the April 16 official start date, it is best to know what you want to attend. There is so much going on, you just have to decide what it is that you like to do, Shaw said. READ ALSO: Early Fiesta medal parties for 2020 From family-friendly events like the Fiesta Carnival to adult-only parties like the Champagne and Diamonds Brunch, there is something for everyone. There are even events for pet lovers like the Pets and Pooch Parade. There are plenty of events that dont require buying a ticket like Incognito: Fiestas Masquerade Dance Party or Fiesta Fiesta. Try something new this year, Shaw said. There are so many cool cultural things that give you the chance to go to the areas where you dont live to see more of San Antonio. Shaw recommends requesting time off work now because it is likely you wont be the only one doing so in the office. That last Friday (of Fiesta) is usually a school holiday anyways so you can take the day off and spend it with the kiddos at Battle of Flowers, she said. Start buying your tickets Many ticketed events have already started selling, so make sure to get yours before they sell out. Some of these events are used to raise money for the community and non-profit organizations in San Antonio. Oyster Bake, for example, raises money for scholarships at St. Mary's University. The WEBB party benefits the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. Tickets for the Texas Cavaliers River Parade and Battle of the Flowers Parade are on sale now and Shaw said tickets for one of Fiestas biggest events the Fiesta Flambeau Parade will be available for purchase any day now. Plan your outfits As long as you have got some bright pinks, turquoise and orange, you really cant go wrong. Fiesta, of course, is all about bringing out your colorful side. Shaw said a lot of people will wear T-shirts with the Fiesta poster on it and match with their entire families. New this year, San Antonians can also get their own cowboy boots from Texas Western Warehouse that has the official Fiesta poster printed on them. It is all about comfort lightweight clothes, closed toes shoes and sunscreen are the way to go, Shaw said. One foolproof outfit Shaw recommends for the ladies is a plain black dress with a colorful scarf and big, colorful jewelry. And dont forget to pick up a sash to show off all your medals. Start thinking about your medals It is important to figure out what medals you want to display and how much you want to spend. One of Fiesta's most popular traditions can get pricey. A lot of people spend a lot of money on medals, Shaw said. From spinning ones to sparkly ones and everything in between, San Antonio loves its medals. You can already start buying your medals now from the Fiesta store or from individual organizations and public figures. Editor's note: An earlier version said Miss Margarets Victorian House Tour was a free event, but it is not. Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway Mark Nuccio, principal clarinetist with the Houston Symphony, parked his car in Midtown for fewer than five minutes on Jan. 28. Just enough time for a thief to steal his prized clarinet, which he spent two decades and thousands of dollars assembling. Nuccio said the instruments components make it virtually impossible to replace. Even with a lot of wheels in motion, it could take a year or two to even get remotely close to what I was playing just on Tuesday, he said. A day after the theft, a backpack that had contained the clarinets case surfaced in a garbage bin, but the instrument remains missing. The Houston Symphony said that HPD is investigating. The symphony expressed hope that a no-questions-asked policy will result in the clarinets return to Jones Hall, where security has been instructed to receive it without intervention. Each symphony orchestra instrument has its own curiosities in construction that make it favored by top-tier players. The clarinet has several key pieces that the artist curates into a final singular instrument. For Nuccio, getting his clarinet right has been a 20-year pursuit to find the sound that I had been seeking. Clarinets dont carry price tags that prompt the same eye-popping fervor that violins do. A centuries old Stradivarius violin can sell for tens of millions of dollars. But Nuccios instrument contained pieces both vintage and more recent, all of which he selected to create a particular sound. Everyone is searching for their Holy Grail, said Gregory Raden, principal clarinet with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. For those of us who occupy solo chairs, everything counts, everything makes a difference. We are all searching for that thing that really helps us find our voice and convey our artistic voice with the most ease. Every piece of wood is different, so we do a lot of work with people to customize them and voice them to our liking. Its a long process and a detailed process. For him, this is like losing an appendage. Gwen Watkins, chief marketing officer for the Houston Symphony, said Nuccio made three trips to Paris and another 20 to Jacksonville, Fla., both headquarters for the Bureaux de Buffet-Crampon, the renowned maker of clarinets. Such a meticulous process is not uncommon for a principal in a major symphony orchestra. He thinks hes tried 4,000 or more clarinets, she said. That speaks to the bespoke nature of the instrument: the time he put into it. Hes among the best clarinet players in the world. And part of his talent is the ability to select and create the finest instrument possible. Years spent foraging different parts from all over the world. Theres a value there that cant be put into numbers. Nuccio spoke not of the instruments capabilities but rather the painstaking work that goes into the construction of its components. Just one key might have taken days of work, he said. Or one tone hole. Nuccio issued a statement about the theft that included an inventory of the instruments components. The case included two gold ligatures which hold the reed to the mouthpiece made by Momo, a specialist and artisan based in Japan. It also held a Moennig barrel made my Mark Jacobi. Hans Moennig is a legend for his work with Grenadilla wood in his barrels for Buffet-Crampon, and Jacobi is renowned for his work with clarinets. The instrument likely remains in its Legende case, which is so distinctive Nuccio thinks other clarinet players would notice it, should it surface online or in a pawn shop. He used a Tile tracker and found the backpack that had been holding the case and instrument in a Dumpster Thursday morning. Nuccio and his custom clarinet joined the Houston Symphony in 2016 after 17 years with the New York Philharmonic. Here hes played with the symphony while also working at the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston. He also works at the Northwestern University of Chicago. Nuccio has offered a reward for the instruments return. andrew.dansby@chron.com After a week spent in the newborn 'baby bubble', Casey Batchelor has taken her family-of-four on their first outing together. Taking to Instagram the reality star, 35, shared an adorable snap of herself kissing her one-week old daughter on the head in a restaurant on Thursday. The former CBB star is yet to announce her second daughter's name and has said she will be taking a break from social media to 'recover' from the birth. Little Bunny: After a week spent in the newborn 'baby bubble', Casey Batchelor has taken her family-of-four on their first outing together Casey looked sensational in a grey sweater with her raven locks held back from her face with a black hairband as she cradled her adorable daughter. Dressed in a little pink bunny outfit the newborn babe slept soundly in her mum's arms on the day out with dad, Casey's fiance Dane Goodson and sister Florence, 18 months. She captioned the snap: 'First outing for my little one. First outing as a family of 4.' On Sunday Casey announced the happy news that she had given birth to her second child with fiance Dane on Sunday - sharing a sweet post holding her newborn daughter's hands to Instagram. When 3 become 4: Casey announced she has given birth to her second child with fiance Dane Goodson on Instagram on Sunday Over the moon: The former CBB star said she and Dane welcomed their little girl on Wednesday and are enjoying the 'baby bubble' (pictured earlier this month) Casey said she and Dane welcomed their little girl last Wednesday and are enjoying the 'baby bubble'. The television personality captioned the post: 'So Ive been a bit busy.... 'On 22/01/2020, we became a family of 4. 1- Daddy + Princess 1. 2- Mummy + Princess 2. 'I wont be very active on here for a little while as Im enjoying my baby bubble and recovering.' The former CBB star captioned the Polaroid photos: 'When 3 become 4'. Casey announced she was pregnant with her second child in July- 14 months after welcoming first daughter Florence, 19 months, into the world. The yoga instructor said although she and salesman fiance Dane wanted to expand their family, they weren't prepared for how quickly it would happen. Expecting: Casey announced she was pregnant with her second child in July- 14 months after welcoming first daughter Florence, 19 months, into the world 'I'm going to have two babies 20 months apart I can't quite believe it!' Casey told Closer magazine. 'It'll be tough, but I'm going to ride the storm we're just so thrilled we're having another baby!' 'Dane and I wanted more children we're both turning 35 and we got engaged in January, so we didnt want to wait much longer, as time is ticking on. 'We decided to start trying, and I got pregnant straight away. I do feel very lucky.' But Casey and Dane won't be stopping there when they welcome their baby girl in 2020, and plan to carry on trying until they have a son. More to come: Casey said although she and salesman fiance Dane wanted to expand their family, they weren't prepared for how quickly it would happen (pictured November 2018) Doting mummy: Announcing her news to Closer magazine, she said: 'I'm going to have two babies 20 months apart I can't quite believe it! The couple have been together for almost three years and announced their engagement in February. Casey told The Sun: 'I'm having another girl which is so lovely because I never had a sister, I had two older brothers and they always had each other. 'So it will be nice for Florence to have a little sister. I was adamant I was having a boy, everyone convinced me. [They said] "You're carrying differently, and you're all at the front, with a girl it's at the back". 'Dane's so happy that he's having a little girl, but he would like a little boy obviously. 'If we had a boy this time, we would have the choice if we wanted to go again, but because we're having a girl well definitely try again.' In the run-up to the birth, the reality star kept her fans updated with her pregnancy journey, showcasing her growing bump in a number of Instagram snaps. Chefs (from left) Dylan Sweeney, Nicholas Elmi, and Jonathan Cichon in the kitchen at the James Beard House. Read more NEW YORK Over bay scallop with truffle and pickled roses, Dungeness crab over bolted wheat pastina, and smoked maitake mushrooms with malted grains, plum pipian, and black truffle, Philadelphias love-in with the James Beard Foundation continues. This week, Philadelphia chefs took over the landmark James Beard House, a brownstone in Greenwich Village, for the first two of four takeover dinners this year attended by influencers. It is part of a new partnership between Visit Philadelphia, the citys tourism-marketing agency, and the nonprofit organization of food professionals. The goal: Talking up Philadelphia as a culinary-travel destination. Philadelphians have been hitting the world food radar in the last several years, particularly among the Beard organization. The city made a solid showing in the 2017 Beard Awards, in which winners included Stephen Starr, Michael Solomonov, and Greg Vernick. In addition to the four Beard House dinners, Philadelphia will host the 2020 Beard Awards nomination announcement on March 25 (at the Barnes Foundation) as well as a Taste America dinner (at Spice Finch) that will feature chef-owners Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle with chef Vishwesh Bhatt of Snackbar in Oxford, Miss. In addition, a new series called the James Beard Restaurant Collective will be held in the Philadelphia area in August. It is a partnership between the Center City District and the foundation. Visit Phillys total financial commitment has not been calculated, a representative said. As part of the Visit Philly-Beard partnership, last year a gaggle of Philadelphia chefs were shipped to Pier 60 in New York City to cook for the foundations annual media awards, putting Philadelphia in front of hundreds of journalists and food and travel influencers from around the country. Visit Philly had, in effect, bought itself a place at the PR table in a first for a city tourism agency. This years four-dinner series will bring the partnership closer to home, as it were. Beard, the prolific cookbook author and teacher, lived in the house on West 12th Street for 12 years before his death in 1985. Its a food lovers dream setting. You walk through the front door directly into the kitchen and proceed to a two-story atrium for cocktails. Upstairs in his former apartment are two dining rooms, plus a nook with a single table in his former bedchamber. Look up. The mirrored ceiling, pointed out during the opening remarks at the Jan. 29 dinner, drew titters from the 55 attendees. Jan. 29s headliners were Nicholas Elmi (Laurel, In the Valley, Royal Boucherie), Jon Cichon (Lacroix at the Rittenhouse), and Jon Nodler and Samantha Kincaid (Cadence). On Jan. 30, the guest chefs were Ed Crochet and Justine MacNeil (Fiore), Anthony Andiario (Andiario), and bartender Michelle Cudia (Tria). At Jan. 29s dinner, hors doeuvres included foie gras and potato snacks with cocoa nib and Concord grape; bay scallop with truffle and pickled roses; and duck and foie gras pates en croute. Each chef had a course, with Elmi preparing the Dungeness crab dish, Nodler the mushroom, Cichon doing lamb two ways, and Kincaid wrapping with ricotta mousse cake. Rival Bros. sent the coffee, and restaurateurs Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney, whose culinary empire includes Marcie Blaine chocolates, provided boxes of Philly-themed chocolates. Jan. 30s dinner included vitello crudo, with blue cheese, Tardivo radicchio, and Jewel raisins (from Andiario); Swiss chard pansotti (Fiore); caombas (dove-shape pasta, by Andiario); peposo (a Tuscan stew, Crochet), and dolce di riso with citrus, yogurt, and orange-swirled gelato (MacNeil). The third dinner, April 21, will be vegan-themed including Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby (Vedge, V Street, Fancy Radish), Aimee Olexy (Talulas Table, The Love, et al.), Rachel Klein (Miss Rachels Pantry, my daughter), and bartender Richie Tray. June 11s will include Kiki Aranita (Poi Dog Philly), Judy Ni (Baology), Ange Branca (Sate Kampar), and bartender Resa Mueller. Three women who say they were sexually assaulted by fellow students or faculty at UC Berkeley in 2012 may sue the school for an alleged policy of deliberate indifference to claims of assault and harassment, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. Two women said they were assaulted by students, and the third said she was repeatedly groped by a man who was a visiting lecturer at the university. One of the students was criminally tried and convicted of assault, but his victim said he was later allowed to return to campus while she was still a student. All three women said they received little or no information from UC Berkeley about its investigation of their complaints. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the university may have been negligent, lazy and careless in failing to follow its own policies or guidance from the U.S. Department of Education in investigating the incidents. But civil rights law requires evidence that the institution was deliberately indifferent to complaints of sexual wrongdoing. The court said the women had failed to allege that UC Berkeley, despite sometimes-shoddy investigations, had been deliberately indifferent to their individual complaints but they might be able to make that showing about the schools overall policy. The ruling cited a 2014 report by the California state auditor that said UC Berkeley referred nearly all complaints of sexual misconduct to an informal process in which students were not told how their complaints were being handled and sometimes were kept in the dark about the outcome. The audit also found that UC Berkeley did not sufficiently educate its employees and students about preventing sexual harassment, the court said. A university is not responsible for guaranteeing the good behavior of its students, Judge Jay Bybee said in the 3-0 ruling, which partially reinstated a lawsuit that a federal judge had dismissed. But at least at this stage of the case, he said, the women were entitled to argue that the university had a policy of deliberate indifference that heightened the risk of sexual harassment on campus. The court returned the case to U.S. District Judge William Orrick III of San Francisco to decide whether the women had adequately alleged flaws in UC Berkeleys policies that contributed to the attacks. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The womens lawyer, Alexander Zalkin, said the ruling allowed at least a possible civil rights claim for an institutions cover-up or ignoring of sexual misconduct on campus. He said he was disappointed that the court had rejected the womens claims that UC Berkeley had brushed off their individual complaints, but were hopeful that well get to a jury to decide whether the university can be held to account for its policy. UC Berkeley spokeswoman Janet Gilmore said the university recognizes that the responses in these cases could have been better and that we could have done more to keep survivors informed about the status of their investigations. Since 2012, Gilmore said, UC Berkeley has improved training and education for students, faculty and staff on issues of sexual harassment and violence, provided more resources for victims, and made sure that they are kept informed at every step of the investigatory and disciplinary process. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Physicians Association Sues Rep Adam Schiff for Vaccine Censorship A national medical association is suing Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). The case accuses the California Congressman of abuse of power, claiming that he bullied tech companies into censoring information about vaccines. The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) filed the suit in a U.S. District Court in D.C. on Jan. 20, 2020. The complaint points to letters Schiff sent to Google, Facebook, and Amazon in February and March of 2019 urging those companies to discredit or deplatform any content that suggests vaccines may be harmful. The letters express Schiffs concerns about the nations declining vaccination rates, and requests that companies take steps to stop what he calls a growing problem. If a concerned parent consistently sees information in their YouTube recommendations that casts doubt on the safety or efficacy of vaccines, it could cause them to disregard the advice of their childrens physicians and public health experts and decline to follow the recommended vaccination schedule, Schiff wrote. Repetition of information, even if false, can often be mistaken for accuracy, and exposure to anti-vaccine content via social media may negatively shape user attitudes towards vaccination. Information Blocked Schiffs suggestion gave quick results. Within 24 hours after Schiff posted one of his letters, Amazon removed the popular documentaries Vaxxed and Shoot Em Up: the Truth About Vaccines from its streaming platform. A few months later, Twitter added a disclaimer above search results for an AAPS article discussing vaccine mandates, and a Facebook search for AAPS articles on vaccinations now leads users to links from the World Health Organization, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within months of Schiffs letters, traffic to the AAPS website fell significantly. Information found on the site includes a resolution to put a moratorium on vaccine mandates, an article highlighting the importance of informed consent in vaccine administration, and an open letter to the California legislature opposing SB 276a law passed in 2019 that removed previous exemptions for parents who chose to opt out of the states vaccine program. Schiff states that his aim is to crackdown on medically inaccurate information that interferes with vaccine compliance, but the AAPS consists of board certified doctors, many of whom administer vaccines. The organization blames Schiffs letters of inflicting a reputational injury on AAPS by creating a false dichotomy in consumers minds by dividing all speech on vaccinations into two categories: pro-vaccination or anti-vaccination giving the latter an air of anti-science, ignorance, or fake news. In creating that arbitrary binary divide, Defendant Schiff ignores all the valid medical, economic, and legal points in AAPSs speech on vaccines, states the suit. Defendant Schiffs false dichotomy does not recognize either the merits of AAPSs speech on the existence of positionsincluding AAPSs position in favor of informed discourse and informed consentoutside Defendant Schiffs simplistic binary division While he is entitled to his opinion, his proposed censorship of other opinions is inimical to both the First Amendment and the scientific method. False Dichotomy Attorney Andy Schlafly, general counsel for AAPS, states that his organization is not anti-vaccine. Rather, their aim is better educated patients. [AAPS] is not for a one-size-fits-all rule by government, and certainly not for distorting information by censorship, Schlafly said. Once we censor information, how are new discoveries about vaccinations supposed to get out there in the public? Once you start to allow censorship, then you lock in an ignorant status quo, and theres no way for new revelations to become public. Governments urge some sort of vaccine compliance, but mandates are the strongest method. This involves enforcing the procedure by law. The United States has no federal mandate, but in all 50 states, vaccinations are required for children to enter the school system. Most states offer exemptions due to either religious or philosophical objections, but Mississippi, West Virginia, New York, and California only allow vaccine exemptions for verifiable medical reasons. But with a growing list of immunization requirements and easier access to information that questions the safety narrative, increased efforts forcing parents to vaccinate their children have resulted in push back. Schiff blames websites and videos found online for the growing resistance to mandated vaccination. He says these sources spread false information and create unwarranted fear. The scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are both effective and safe. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases, and the dissemination of unfounded and debunked theories about the dangers of vaccinations pose a great risk to public health, Schiff writes. But Schlafly says its actually Schiff who spreads misinformation. The vaccine manufacturers themselves acknowledge that there are many serious harms, sometimes including death, that are caused to some people by their product. Its right on the insert for a vaccine product. Theres also a fund that has paid out over a billion dollars to people for harm caused by vaccines. Its enormously difficult to recover that money, but theyve paid out more than a billion dollars, Schlafly said. This is why AAPS supports a policy of informed consent: so patients can gain an understanding of the full range of medical, legal, and economic considerations relevant to vaccination and any other medical intervention, which inevitably involves risks as well as benefits. While all state laws do allow for legitimate medical exemptions, Schlafly said that many parents may not know how to identify if their child could be eligible. Some people are more vulnerable to vaccine harm than others, and people need to be able to get that information on the internet, he said. A loss of trust in public institutions combined with the rise of fake news has made it difficult for the public to tell truth from falsehood. Even statements made by trusted institutions seem to conflict. For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration states that vaccines are are extremely safe and effective, while The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that vaccines are unavoidably unsafe. Pressure to Censor Schlafly says that companies who complied with Schiffs request also share in the censorship, but he believes their move was made under duress. Schlafly argues that letters written by a powerful congressman currently leading a campaign to impeach the president carries considerable weight, and a very real threat of reprisal. He can force through legislation that takes away Big Techs immunity from lawsuits, and can cut into their profits through integration and trade policies, Schlafly said. He can also subpoena them, require them to come to Congress before hearing, and answer a bunch of tough questions. The Epoch Times contacted Schiffs Washington and Burbank offices for a statement and allowed two days for a response regarding the AAPS lawsuit. No response was received. The Epoch Times contacted Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook and asked if Schiffs letters influenced company policy. No response was received. Even if Schiffs claim of untarnished safety in regard to vaccines was verifiably true, federal law prohibits the government from censoring an opinion that is demonstrably false. The AAPS lawsuit aims to protect a fundamental aspect of the American experience, according to Schlafly. He says that Schiffs letters represent the worst kind of censorship: one that aims to kill ideas. Were not talking about limiting where somebody can hold a protest in a city. Thats a restriction that does not have a huge impact, Schlafly said. But when somebody starts to censor content, and block or disallow speech because they disagree with what is being said, all Americans should be outraged by that. A Royal Jordanian Boeing 787 aircraft departed from Wuhan Airport today evacuating Jordanians, Palestinians and Arabs residing in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The direct 11-and-a-half-hour flight to Amman was requested personally by King Abdullah. The flight is scheduled to land at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) on Saturday, February 1, at 02:15 local time, carrying 71 passengers, among whom Jordanian students. The move was taken in view of the recent spread of corona virus in China. The Chinese medical authorities had carried out medical checks for the Jordanian nationals at Wuhan Airport before boarding the RJ aircraft. A Jordanian medical cadre are also onboard the flight. Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski has announced she will vote against further witnesses during Donald Trump's impeachment trial, all but assuring a swift ending to the affair that began last year in the House. Ms Murkowski was among a handful of Republicans viewed as potentially willing to side with Democrats to force subpoenas for further witnesses with a simple majority of senators. Democrats needed to attract four such votes, but that possibility became increasingly unlikely, however, on Thursday night when Tennessee senator Lamar Alexander signalled he would not vote for more witnesses, bringing a potential vote on the matter closer to a tie which would have then required input from Chief Justice John Roberts, who is overseeing the Senate trial. Senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney, meanwhile, have come forward as the only Republicans to call for further witnesses, after revelations from former national security adviser John Bolton's upcoming book allege that the president was personally involved in the effort to compel Ukraine to open an investigation into Joe Biden, a domestic political rival. In a statement, Ms Murkowski suggested that House Democrats' impeachment investigation was "rushed and flawed", and claimed that she had "worked for a fair, honest, and transparent process" even as she announced she would not vote to hear more evidence. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS "Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate," Ms Murkowski wrote. "I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed." With Ms Murkowski's decision, the Senate is likely to hold a vote on further witnesses before ultimately continuing on to closing arguments from the House impeachment managers and Mr Trump's legal team. Mr Trump's acquittal has appeared all but certain throughout this process, even if further witnesses are called upon. That's because Republicans control more than 50 per cent of the chamber's votes, and the constitution requires a two-thirds super majority of the 100 person body to convict a person being impeached. It is unclear when, exactly, the final vote may take place, but insiders have indicated it is likely not to be held until sometime in early February. The United States is working closely with China and other countries on the coronavirus outbreak, President Donald Trump said on Thursday (local time). Trump said that in total, all five people who have been tested positive for coronavirus in the US are in "good recovery". "Working closely with China and others on Coronavirus outbreak. Only 5 people in the US, all in good recovery," Trump tweeted. Trump tweets come just after the Health Organisation (WHO) announced a public health emergency of international concern over the coronavirus crisis in China and other countries. His tweet also follows Washington authorising the voluntary departure of non-emergency diplomatic staff from China, Sputnik reported. Trump has established a coronavirus task force that is set to lead the US response to the outbreak of the disease, the White House announced on Wednesday. According to White House spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, the task force, led by Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, has already held three meetings since Monday. Grisham also pledged that the "risk of infection for Americans remains low". As many as 170 people have died of the virus, while around 7,700 cases have been registered in China alone. There are now 98 cases in 18 countries outside of China. Health authorities around the are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US and several Asian countries besides China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trumps speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week contained no surprises: half an hour of chest-thumping self-praise, although without the xenophobia and dog-whistle racism. It was, after all, an audience of the ultra-rich and powerful in which most of the movers and shakers were not American. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion U.S. PRESIDENT Donald Trumps speech to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week contained no surprises: half an hour of chest-thumping self-praise, although without the xenophobia and dog-whistle racism. It was, after all, an audience of the ultra-rich and powerful in which most of the movers and shakers were not American. There was no point in insulting them, and he didnt. Presumably for the same reason, he downplayed his climate denial at a conference whose theme this year was sustainability: just two minutes denouncing climate scientists as "the heirs of yesterdays foolish fortune tellers," and then back to the boasting. Most of them are owners or senior managers of businesses with a global reach, and their views on economic issues often chime with Trumps. In the past they echoed his views on climate change as well, because taking it seriously threatened their business models, but they are not stupid. Some of them knew the science was right, and just muddied the waters deliberately to win a few more decades of profit. Others drank the Kool-Aid and believed for a while that it was a hoax, but they know its not the Chinese who are melting the glaciers and setting Australia on fire. So a majority of the people who were in that audience now realize the climate threat is real, and some are starting to take serious action against it. One of the worlds three biggest asset-management firms, BlackRock, has just started pulling its investments out of the coal industry. Its a small start, but the wind is clearly changing. Over the past few months, Goldman Sachs, Liberty Mutual and the Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. have all taken similar steps. The European Investment Bank has announced it will stop lending to fossil-fuel projects altogether. But beyond wondering when and how to take their own businesses in the same direction, a lot of the CEOs who were at Davos will be asking themselves: is it time to start shredding the evidence? I am speaking metaphorically, of course. There are doubtless still megatons of paper documents that contain incriminating material about how companies deliberately subsidized climate-denial campaigns in the past, but much of it was "restricted circulation" and never saw a photocopier. Just call in the shredders. But the real problem is the electronic evidence. The most damning evidence for how Boeing slid the now-grounded 737 Max past the FAA regulators is not the official documents, but the internal email chat about the plane that Boeing has had to release. "This airplane is designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys," said one. "I still havent been forgiven by God for the covering up I did last year," said another. There will be metaphorical tons of damning internal email chatter about how a great many companies conspired to cast doubt on the scientific evidence for global warming over decades. Tracking it down and killing it will be hard. In fact, it will be close to impossible. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. People do what they have to in order to make a living. Many people who profoundly disapproved of what the guilty companies were doing nevertheless took the job and kept their mouths shut. But a few of them, at least, will have been quietly saving documents and emails for the day when the lawsuits start. In fact, the class-action lawsuits are getting underway, especially in the worlds most litigious country, the U.S. Its unexplored legal territory, and it may be some time before one of the cases makes it in court, but the model everybody has in mind is the Tobacco Master Settlement of 1998, in which the four major cigarette companies ended up paying out $206 billion over 25 years. They were also legally obliged to stop advertising aimed at young people, limit their lobbying and fund anti-smoking campaigns. That was a case where the main victims were people who used their products. The public pressure to punish companies whose activities have harmed everybodys future will be far greater: if new and retrospective legislation is required, it will be passed. In this case, we are not just talking about fines, we are also talking about criminal liability. Even if we finally start taking serious measures against global warming now, a lot of people are going to die from the damage that has been done: millions at least. Most of them live in developing countries, and have no access to the legal systems of the countries where the headquarters are. But enough people will die in the rich countries that those who led or financed the denial campaign will almost certainly end up facing criminal charges 10 or 20 years from now. Time to get shredding. Gwynne Dyers latest book is Growing Pains: The Future of Democracy (and Work). Cambodia's health minister has been rebuked for claiming that the country is too hot for a coronavirus outbreak. Mam Bunheng claimed to a Phnom Penh newspaper that the virus cannot spread in temperatures higher than 86F (30C). Research suggests it is not that simple, and opposition politician Rainsy Sam was quick to point out that the human body temperature is usually around 99F (37C). In any case, data from US meteorologists shows that temperatures in Cambodia have dipped as low as 71F (22C) in recent days, and one case has already been confirmed in the country. Many people have hurried to buy face masks to fend off the virus but governments have sent mixed messages about their effectiveness. Cambodian students wear protective masks at a school in Phnom Penh earlier this week. The country's health minister was rebuked for suggesting the country was too hot for coronavirus In China, where nearly 10,000 cases have been reported so far, top medics say that people need to wear masks when taking public transport. The masks are widely worn in Taiwan's capital Taipei where the government has imposed purchase limits and an export ban on masks. The Taiwan Railway Administration said on Friday that if the virus continues to spread it will refuse to carry passengers not wearing masks. Australia says that healthy people do not need masks, but has nonetheless released a million masks from the national medical stockpile. Mask supplies have also been running low in Singapore, where authorities have announced plans to give four of them to every household. The country's main newspaper plastered a warning - 'Do not wear a mask if you are well' - across its front page today. However, the warning was met with scepticism by some in Singapore who compared the advice to abolishing the army in peacetime. 'Wearing a mask only when you feel unwell? Then why do you need soldiers when there isn't war? It's better to be safe than sorry', said Kenny Chan Wai Kong. A cyclist wears a protective mask in Beijing on Wednesday, with China imposing a quarantine on Wuhan and the surrounding area Cambodia's health ministry reported the country's first case of the virus on Monday, a 60-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan and is now stable. In parts of Asia, wearing face masks is common when people are sick or to counter urban pollution. Official guidance from the World Health Organisation and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention makes no mention of wearing a face mask, but does not advise against it. Coronavirus can be transmitted from person to person, although it is not clear how easily. Most cases have been in people who have been in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the centre of the outbreak, family members of those infected, or medical workers. Transmission is likely through contact with an infected person via particles in the air from coughing or sneezing, or by someone touching an infected person or object with the virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes. Previous research has shown that coronavirus becomes inactive more quickly at higher temperatures, but not immediately. 'Situations that require a mask are when you are in a crowd...or if you are caring for a sick person,' said virologist Angela Rasmussen of Columbia University. 'If it makes you feel better, wear a surgical mask,' she said on the Reuters Global Markets Forum. Commuters with protective facemasks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday Other experts have said disposable surgical masks may not fit the face tightly enough to prevent infection. Some have even suggested that incorrect handling of masks such as touching the front could actually increase the likelihood of infection. In Hong Kong, a lawmaker who chairs the city's government health services panel was slammed over a short video she posted showing people how to steam and re-use disposable face masks. More unusual advice has seen India's government suggest a traditional concoction that includes ginger and holy basil as virus protection. A Myanmar minister was rebuked for sharing a Facebook post that advised people to eat more onions. Some overseas Chinese have been buying masks to send to friends and relatives in China, where some stocks have been running out. Chinese citizens living in Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia sent 150,000 masks back to their home province of Gansu on Thursday, China's Xinhua news agency reported. The jury in the murder trial of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shown a crime scene image of his official firearm inside his holster after he was shot dead. Aaron Brady (28) is on trial charged with the murder of Det Gda Donohoe, who was then a member of An Garda Siochana acting in the course of his duty, at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. Mr Brady is also charged with the robbery of around 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date. The accused, of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Yesterday at the Central Criminal Court the 15-person jury was shown images taken at the Lordship Credit Union hours after Det Gda Donohoe was shot dead, as well as pictures of a burnt-out vehicle that was recovered in Northern Ireland. Det Gda Eoin Conway, an official photographer based at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park, gave evidence of taking pictures at the credit union on the morning of January 26, 2013. He said a photograph of the scene was taken at around 1.30am and agreed with prosecuting counsel Lorcan Staines SC, that this was in "close proximity" to the shooting which happened at around 9.30pm the previous day. Det Gda Conway gave evidence of taking a picture of a spent cartridge recovered close to a Toyota Avensis in the car park. Images were also shown of the Toyota, described by Det Gda Conway as an unmarked Garda car, partially covered by a crime scene tent. He earlier said this tent was set up around Det Gda Donohoe's body. Inside the tent, Det Gda Conway said, he photographed a Samsung mobile on the ground and a phone cover. The next photograph the jury saw showed Det Gda Donohoe's official firearm on his belt and in its holster, the witness said. Only the belt and the bottom of his shirt were visible in the image. Det Gda Conway also said the rear wall of the Lordship Credit Union had been covered with plastic sheeting "in the belief there may have been evidence" gained from there. Evidence was later heard from a number of civilian staff attached to the PSNI about a burnt-out vehicle. Gareth Caldwell, a major crime forensic adviser with the PSNI, said he was tasked to attend the scene of a burnt-out vehicle on January 27, 2013. He said he noted "a completely burnt-out vehicle parked a considerable distance down a stone laneway off a single carriageway". Mr Caldwell described the area as "very rural" and said his colleague took images of the vehicle. The trial continues. Close Donald Trump launches blistering attack on 'radical Democrats just down the street' in Iowa Donald Trump looks all but certain to be acquitted by the Senate as Republicans rejected a Democratic effort to force new evidence and witnesses ahead of the president's impeachment vote. Just two Republicans broke rank to vote with Democrats in favour of further witnesses, which will likely allow Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell to make good on his previous promise not to act as an impartial juror. In response, Chuck Schumer cast the results as making it impossible for Mr Trump to be truly vindicated. "If the president is acquitted with no witnesses, no documents, the acquittal will have no value because Americans will know that this trial was not a real trial," Mr Schumer said. Two potential swing vote Republicans, who Democrats had hoped to break from their party line and ask to hear from witnesses, ultimately decided against the proposition. Senators Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski ultimately rejected the motion. Following the vote, and his desired outcome, Mr McConnell said that the senators will "confer among ourselves, with the House managers, and with the president's counsel to determine next steps as we prepare to conclude the trial in the coming days". Before his departure to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend as the Senate debated the next steps in his impeachment trial, the president announced an expansion of his travel ban, adding six additional countries to a list of seven others with travel restrictions under guidance from his Department of Homeland Security. Many of the impacted countries have majority Muslim populations. The White House also announced the US will deny entry to foreign nationals attempting to enter the US within two weeks of visiting China in the wake of a rapidly developing coronavirus outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in a dozen countries. The US has declared a national emergency as it responds to 200 quarantined people, including six infected patients, in the US. Follow our live coverage as it happened: A midstate high school student has filed a federal lawsuit, claiming his school district is violating his civil rights, including his right to free speech, by punishing him because he wont stand to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The 16-year-old junior, identified in the U.S. Middle District complaint only by his initials, X.F., claims Lebanon High School officials have repeatedly placed him on in-school suspension for his stance. X.F. claims in the suit, filed by New Jersey attorney Judith A. Gran, that he refuses to stand for the pledge because of his religious and political beliefs. School district officials declined to comment on the suit Friday morning, saying they have not yet seen it. According to the suit, X.F.s battle of wills began during his first-period math class on Oct. 7. When his classmates stood to recite the pledge X.F. sat quietly and respectfully, causing no disturbance, the suit states. He claims his teacher told him to stand, and when he refused, he was sent to the principals office. The principal interrogated him about his actions, X.F. claims, and told him teachers check students for compliance with the districts dress code while they are standing for the pledge. X.F. was in compliance with the dress code, the suit states. His offer to stand for a dress code compliance check before or after the reciting of the pledge was rejected, X.F. contends. What followed, he claims, was a pattern of his refusal to stand followed by in-school suspensions. X.F., an honor student and a student-athlete, says he ended up spending every first period in the principals office, missed math class and flunked that course. In November, as the deadlock dragged on, X.F. was for the first time given a copy of a district policy on participation in the pledge, the suit states. An exhibit attached to the suit that X.F. claims is a copy of that policy states: Each student shall be required to salute the flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance during each days opening exercises. If a student has conscientious objections which interfere with full participation in the flag salute or Pledge of Allegiance, said student shall maintain a respectful attitude throughout the ceremony. Parents of students refusing to salute the flag shall be informed by the building principal and the parent or guardian shall be required to furnish the school with a written statement of their childs conscientious objection. In addition to academic harm, F.X. claims he has suffered stigma and embarrassment. Each day that the school enforced its policy, he was singled out in front of his peers, and he was forced to languish in a segregated in-school suspension classroom for exercising his rights, the suit states. X.F. and his father Javier Fuentes are asking Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to declare that the districts policy and its punishment of him are unconstitutional. They want the judge to expunge the discipline from his record and provide him with remedial math instruction. They seek unspecified financial damages as well. Asia markets were mixed on Friday as fears over the ongoing coronavirus outbreak in China continued to weigh on investor sentiment. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency over the the coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 200 in China. Japanese stocks closed higher as the Nikkei 225 rose 0.99% to 23,205.18, with shares of Tokyo Electron jumping 2.3%. The Topix index also added 0.58% to end its trading day at 1,684.44. South Korea's Kospi, on the other hand, dropped 1.35% to close at 2,119.01. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index shed earlier gains as it fell into negative territory, declining 0.13% as of its final hour of trading. Shares in Australia rose on the day, with the S&P/ASX 200 up 0.13% to 7,017.20. Overall, the MSCI Asia ex-Japan index was 0.3% lower. China manufacturing activity meets expectations Chinese manufacturing activity was unchanged from the previous month in January, according to official Chinese data released Friday. The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 50, said China's National Bureau of Statistics. January's PMI reading of 50 came in line with expectations of economists polled by Reuters. The 50 level for PMI readings separates expansion from contraction. The release comes amid Beijing's efforts to contain an ongoing virus outbreak in the country that has sent jitters across global markets in recent days. "The full impact of the coronavirus has yet to be inflicted on PMI and other monthly activity indicators because the Chinese government shut down Wuhan city and imposed draconian measures in other regions from around 23 January," economists at Nomura wrote in a note dated Friday. "The data for January PMI was collected before those drastic measures were introduced." The economists warned that both the manufacturing and services PMI figures in February could plunge to a range of 40-45 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. "The services PMI could be hit harder than the manufacturing PMI, as a number of service sectors have come to a grinding halt since 23 January," they said. Furthermore, concerns remained over China's consumer sector, which one analyst described as a "huge unknown at this point." "You've got a situation where retail sales have basically been churning out significant 8% plus growth year-over-year. Meanwhile, the consumer has leveraged up, added a lot of debt in the mortgage area," Andrew Collier, managing director at Orient Capital Research, told CNBC's "Street SIgns" on Friday. That comes as small businesses in the country are short of capital and the trade war between Washington and Beijing has "heavily impacted" high-end imports, Collier said. "You've got a situation now with the virus, so you've got to wonder at what point there's gonna be a fairly significant decline in consumer purchasing activity as a result of all these different forces," he said. "Whether the virus is the catalyst or just as a pylon until all the other bad stuff happening in China is still unknown." Currencies Aircraft sold to U.S.-based Fargo Jet Center, which will convert spacious interior into cutting-edge medevac suite Bombardier's newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty (https://businessaircraft.bombardier.com/en/aircraft/learjet-75-liberty), delivers best-in-class speed and range and the smoothest ride at an exceptional value Learjet aircraft have a proud history of service in medevac configuration, with room for up to three stretchers and adherence to more stringent safety standards than other light jets U.S.-based Spectrum Aeromed will supply air medical equipment MONTREAL, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier is proud to announce the sale of two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to North Dakota-based Fargo Jet Center (FJC). The aircraft are to be converted to dedicated medevac configuration and delivered to air ambulance service provider Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR), based in Warsaw, Poland. Following an extensive international competitive tender, LPR selected the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with FJC's proposed medevac interior, to serve its expanding operations. Bombardier will enter its newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty, into service this year. This spacious and powerful light jet features a next-generation flight deck and optimized operating costs, with enough range to reach any European destination nonstop out of Warsaw.* "The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with its best-in-class spaciousness, speed and range, is an excellent choice for medevac missions," said Stephane Leroy, Vice President, Sales, Bombardier Specialized Aircraft. "Learjet aircraft have long been a trusted platform for all types of special missions, and the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft gives operators even more reasons to choose the world's best light jet." The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft adheres to more stringent safety standards than most light jets, meeting the same rigorous certification requirements as commercial aircraft, for the ultimate peace of mind on emergency medical service (EMS) missions. Fargo Jet Center has extensive experience converting aircraft interiors for medevac use. FJC is expected to take delivery of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft from Bombardier in late-2020, then deliver the converted EMS aircraft to LPR in Poland in 2021. Spectrum Aeromed, also based in Fargo, has been selected as the air medical equipment provider on the project. The Spectrum Aeromed team will contribute to a highly customized, state-of-the-art dedicated air ambulance interior for the two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft. "It is a pleasure to be working with Bombardier, LPR and Spectrum Aeromed to develop one of the most capable light jet EMS aircraft in the world today," said Patrick Sweeney, CEO, Fargo Jet Center. "Our team brings a unique skill set to this project through our extensive history in modifying aircraft for special missions. From initial conception to design, fabrication and installation, our experts will transform the interior of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to meet LPR's specifications." In operation since 2000, Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe provides 24/7 air ambulance services throughout Poland via a fleet of 27 rotary wing and two turboprop aircraft. The addition of the Learjet platform will mark the expansion of LPR's operations to include jet aircraft. "The acquisition of the new Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft fits perfectly into our strategic plans for growth in Poland and will provide the necessary combination of speed and range to drive the expansion of our operational capabilities and EMS transport availability into international operations," said Wojciech Wozniczka, LPR Director of key project management. With a flat floor and the longest cabin in its class, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is ideal for EMS conversion. It has room to accommodate up to three stretchers and sophisticated medical equipment, as well as seating for medical staff. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft also has the smoothest ride among light jets, which on EMS missions adds to the comfort of patients receiving care. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft delivers superior performance at an exceptional value proposition, for the same operating costs as those of competitor aircraft that offer less. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is the fastest aircraft in the light jet segment with longer range than the competition. With its range of 2,080 nautical miles, out of Warsaw this aircraft can reach all of Europe, including Iceland, and beyond into Northern Africa, Russia and the Middle East. In civilian configuration, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft features a six-seat layout that gives light jet passengers unprecedented freedom to stretch out. A standard pocket door delivers a quiet flight, while retractable side tables and stowable ottomans ensure productivity and comfort. About Fargo Jet Center and associated companies Fargo Jet Center About Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkoweor https://www.facebook.com/latamybyratowac/. About Spectrum Aeromed Spectrum Aeromed is a leading global designer and manufacturer of custom air medical and air ambulance equipment for fixed and rotor wing aircraft. Spectrum Aeromed's modular and custom-built air medical equipment is used by all segments of the aviation industry, including charter services, private/VIP operators, royal families, emergency medical services. About Bombardier With over 68,000 employees, Bombardier is a global leader in the transportation industry, creating innovative and game-changing planes and trains. Our products and services provide world-class transportation experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier has production and engineering sites in 28 countries as well as a broad portfolio of products and services for the business aviation, commercial aviation and rail transportation markets. Bombardier shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchangeor follow us on Twitter @Bombardier . Notes to Editors Visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website for more information on our industry-leading products and services. Follow @Bombardierjets on Twitter to receive the latest news and updates from Bombardier Business Aircraft. To receive our press releases, please visit the RSS Feed section. Bombardier, Learjet and Learjet 75 Liberty are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. *Performance is based on the following assumptions: ISA+15C takeoff temperature, 4 passengers, 2 crew, long range cruise speed, 3% airways allowance, ISA conditions en route, 85% Boeing annual winds, NBAA IFR (100 NM) fuel reserve, standard configuration BOW. For Information Louise Solomita Bombardier Aviation Louise.Solomita@aero.bombardier.com + 1 514-855-5001, ext. 25148 USA Gymnastics has filed a plan to pay a $215 million settlement to the group of victims who were sexually abused by the organization's former national team doctor Larry Nassar. The proposal, which was made public on Thursday, would allow USA Gymnastics to emerge from bankruptcy - a year after they revealed that they were financially struggling under the weight of lawsuits filed by more than 350 women sexually abused by Nassar. Now, the women, as a group, may vote to accept the $215 million to settle all their claims or continue pursuing their own litigation. Chief Executive Li Li Leung said Thursday that she was 'hopeful' that the organization could reach an agreement with the Committee representing Nassar's victims. 'Our hope, in terms of filing this plan, is that this will get all the parties back to the negotiating table and we will continue discussions,' she stated. However, according to a new report from USA Today, it appears unlikely the women will accept the new proposal. USA Gymnastics has filed a plan to pay a $215 million settlement to the group of victims who were sexually abused by the organization's former national team doctor Larry Nassar. The doctor is pictured during trial in 2017 "This amount wont even cover the therapy that these women need, probably for the rest of their lives, and the excruciating emotional toll and pain,' said lawyer John Manly, who represents several of Nassar's victims. "Its just one more punch in the gut,' he bluntly added. Many gymnasts who suffered abuse at Nassar's hands have accused USA Gymnastics of failing to investigate earlier complaints about his misconduct. Manly says the new plan the organization filed on Thursday does not include the release of documents that could show the extent of Nassar's abuse. 'It lacks any disclosure, it lacks any accountability. Theyre still treating this like a public relations problem, not the systemic rape of young women and girls,' he told USA Today. USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy in December 2018, revealing that they were struggling under the weight of lawsuits filed by more than 350 women sexually abused by Nassar The $215 million settlement proposed by USA Gymnastics is less than half the amount Michigan State reached with Nassar's survivors. The university - where Nassar was employed - offered to pay $500 million to the victims. Nassar was sentenced to up to 300 years in prison in 2018 after more than 350 women accused him of sexual abuse. Victims included Olympians Simone Biles and Aly Raisman. Among Nassar's victims was Olympian Simone Biles (pictured in 2016) On Thursday, Raisman spoke with the Today Show about how she is managing to cope in the aftermath of her abuse at the hands of Nassar USA Gymnastics proposal came on the same day that Raisman spoke with the Today Show about how she is managing to cope in the aftermath of her abuse at the hands of Nassar. Host Hoda Kotb asked Raisman how is was able to 'find magic' after overcoming the abuse she experienced at the hands of the Olympic doctor. 'Every day I feel differently,' Raisman said. 'Ive done so much therapy, I continue to do a lot of therapy. Working on myself. Just finding things that make me feel good.' One word of advice Raisman offered up was to always embrace each day instead of falling into the trap of routine. 'You can wake up and live every day as if its a miracle,' she said. 'Everything you see is really special and trying to be present and cherish the moments.' Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (L) speaks with people at a supermarket in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, on Jan. 27, 2020. (Li Tao/Xinhua via AP) Chinese Officials Get Preventive Treatment for Coronavirus, While Ordinary Citizens Are Turned Away by Hospitals After two high-ranking government officials in Chinas Hubei Province died from the new form of viral pneumonia, many officials in Hubei are getting special intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) injections at medical facilities to protect themselves against the disease. Meanwhile, locals who have symptoms of the deadly virus are being turned away by hospitals. The outbreak first occurred in Wuhan City, the capital of Hubei Province, in early December last year. Officials did not confirm the outbreak until Dec. 31. Special Treatment The information was made public when Chongqing-based Upstream News published a report about an official named Huang Tongzheng in Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, a neighboring province of Hubei, who recently developed symptoms similar to Wuhan pneumonia. However, the report was soon revised. The current version is only a short announcement of Huangs case, and the section about Hubei officials receiving IVIG injections was completely deleted. After the recent deaths of two Hubei officials due to the coronavirus, Chinese authorities in Hubei started to rush to medical centers to get their immune systems boosted with IVIG injections, according to the news report, which was also confirmed by an insider who spoke to Radio Free Asia. IGIV enhances the immune system, and thus helps a person to fight off infections. Cases Prior to Huangs case, Chinese state media reported the deaths of two high-ranking officials who died of Wuhan pneumonia in Hubei. The first was Wang Xianliang, a former Director of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of Wuhan. The main responsibilities of this committee are to ensure that members of the various ethnic and religious groups follow Party regulations; and to persecute adherents of Falun Gong, a peaceful meditation practice persecuted in China since 1999. Wang was said to have always executed his supervisors orders. He died on Jan. 26. The second reported death was of a Hubei official named Yang Xiaobo, who was the mayor of Huangshi City between 2008 and 2014. Cao Shanshi, a well-known financial blogger and whistleblower, wrote on Twitter that Yang was infected during the provincial Two Sessions. He developed symptoms after the Two Sessions and died only two days after getting his diagnosis. The Two Sessions are parallel administrative meetings of the government and Communist Party, held annually at various levels of government. In Hubei Province, the meetings were held this year between Jan. 11 and 17. State-run media reported that officials did not wear facial masks during the meetings. In total, 1,348 people participated in the Two Sessions. On Jan. 30, Huang Xianglong, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) secretary of Songzi City in Hubei, began receiving treatment at a local hospital. Upstream News reported that he is suspected of contracting the coronavirus, but the hospital would not confirm. He was promoted to his current position in September 2018. The deputy director of the Hubei commerce department Huang Mouhong is also being treated at a hospital in Wuhan. According to Chinese state-run media, Huang started to feel sick on Jan. 19, and visited the provincial institute hospital on Jan. 21, where he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. He then was transferred to another hospital. The Hubei provincial institute hospital especially serves government officials. However, it does take ordinary civilians when there is availability. Ordinary Citizens Turned Away by Hospitals Meanwhile, several individuals from Wuhan disclosed to the Chinese-language Epoch Times that their family members who experienced coronavirus symptoms couldnt get admitted into the hospital for treatment. Mr. Wang, who currently lives in Toronto, Canada, told The Epoch Times that his mother in Wuhan had a fever on Jan. 15. When over-the-counter medication failed to relieve her symptoms, she went to the No. 4 Hospital in Wuhan on Jan. 19 and learned that she was infected by the virus. However, she couldnt receive treatment. Wang, who tried to help his mother by phone from Toronto, was told that any patient seeking treatment for Wuhan pneumonia needed to register with their community service director first. The director will then report the case to upper levels. After approval, the patient will be put on a waiting list. We dont know how many people have been waiting to get treatment before my mother, Wang said. We can only wait. And the director refused to tell us who the upper level is. Another woman from Wuhan said she and her husband sent her father to the hospital for treatment on Jan. 25. They literally knelt down to beg the hospital staff to admit him, but the hospital refused to admit her father, she said. My father passed away on Jan. 29 and was immediately cremated on the same day, the woman said. Now my husband also has symptoms. No one came to help us disinfect the room my father used to stay. We tried to purchase disinfectants to do it ourselves, but they are all sold out, she added. The Chinese-language Epoch Times called Jinyintan Hospital, a designated hospital for the treatment of Wuhan pneumonia, to inquire about the hospitals current guidelines for admitting patients. A hospital staff stated that the hospital now only admits patients who were selected and approved by the Wuhan Health Commission. Any patient who wants to seek treatment in our hospital will have to communicate with the Wuhan Health Commission, he said. A Mexican conservationist known for championing the protection of monarch butterflies was found dead two weeks after his disappearance, authorities said. Homero Gomez, 50, who ran a sanctuary for the iconic orange and black insects, had been missing since January 14. His body was found at the bottom of a well in the western state of Michoacan, where monarch butterflies often spend the winter. The cause of death was not immediately known. Michoacan is home to several crime gangs and their presence has helped prompt the formation of self-defense groups in recent years. Other conservationists in the region said Gomez's death could be linked to his opposition to illegal logging in the area. Monarch butterflies travel up to 4,500 kilometers (3,000 miles) each year from Canada and the United States to establish colonies in the temperate oyamel and pine forests of west-central Mexico. The butterfly (Danaus plexippus) faces threats from deforestation, the use of herbicides -- which targets the milkweed on which monarchs lay their eggs -- and climate change. Monarch butterflies travel up to 4,500 kilometers (3,000 miles) each year from Canada and the United States to establish their colonies in the temperate oyamel and pine forests of west-central Mexico Orv And Willa Find A Home: a fascinating and entertaining account of two bald eagles first days in a new and atypical habitat. Orv And Willa Find A Home is the creation of published author, Jim Weller, a photographer and eagle expert at Carillon Historical Park. Weller states: This is the true story of two wild American bald eagles named Orv and Willa, who arrived in Dayton, Ohio, on New Years Day 2018. They eventually nested in a tree on the grounds of Carillon Historical Park on the south edge of the city. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Jim Wellers new book is a highly amusing tale of two bald eagles who chose to make their home in Dayton, Ohio, on New Years Day in 2018. In addition to stunning photography, the book comes to life thanks to the authors entertaining and heart-warming invented dialogues between the birds as they meet with the areas locals and get used to the peculiarities of their new environs. View a synopsis of Orv And Willa Find A Home on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Orv And Willa Find A Home at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Orv And Willa Find A Home, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. (JTA)Half of American adults are unaware of basic facts regarding Nazism and the Holocaust, including the number of Jews who were killed and how Nazis came to power. Those are some of the findings of a new study by the Pew Research Center released on Tuesday, about a week ahead of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The study asked nearly 13,000 respondents, Jewish and non-Jewish adults and teenagers, four questions about the Holocaust. Most knew that the Holocaust took place between 1930 and 1950, and that Nazi ghettos were areas of cities where Jews were forced to live. But only 45 percent knew that 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust. About 12 percent each thought that the number was lower or higher, and 29 percent did not know the answer. Among the teens, only 38 percent knew the number of Jews killed. Those numbers, however, are higher than those reported in a 1993 survey of U.S. adults commissioned by the American Jewish Committee. That survey found only 35 percent of adults knew the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust, and only a slim majority said the word Holocaust referred to the extermination of Jewsas opposed to 84 percent of U.S. adults in the Pew survey. In the Pew study, 43 percent of the American adults knew that Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany through a democratic process. A quarter of adults thought Hitler came to power through violence and another 25 percent did not know. Only a third of the teenage respondents, ages 13 to 17, knew Hitler assumed the position democratically. Overall, in the Pew study, nearly half of the adults knew the answers to three or four of the questions, while 16 to 18 percent knew the answers to zero, one or two questions. Teens answered all four questions correctly at lower rates than adults. College graduates answered all four questions correctly at above-average rates. Jewish respondents to the Pew survey answered all the questions correctly at higher rates than the overall sample. Ninety percent knew the era when the Holocaust happened, 86 percent defined ghettos correctly and knew 6 million Jews were killed, and 57 percent knew that Hitler became chancellor democratically. The survey was conducted in February 2019 with a total sample of 10,971 U.S. adults. The total sample had a margin of error of 1.5 percent, while the Jewish sample of 429 respondents had a margin of error of 8.6 percent. The teens were surveyed in March and April 2019, and the total sample of 1,811 had a margin of error of 3.1 percent. One thing that stood out over the few days I spent exploring Malmos restaurants and bars is the way large and small food and drink businesses work together to spotlight one another. Its a practice evident at Bishops Arms, a Swedish chain with more than 40 outposts around the country. It has all the trappings of a classic English pub, but the beer on tap veers wildly from the standard ales and lagers one expects at a pub chain. I was stunned to spot an IPA from Alewife Brewing Company, a brewpub just a few miles from my apartment in Queens. But more intriguing were the hyperlocal beers. Sure, brewpubs serving beers made in-house proliferate in most cities. But this particular Bishops Arms locale has exclusive rights to the beers produced at Minus-1, a brewing cooperative located downstairs from the bar. Eight brands brew at the facility on a revolving schedule, much like a commissary for food start-ups. And the beers are excellent. Four of the eight producers, including the women-run Secret Sisters, make beer that landed them one of the 30 coveted spots on a best of list from Untappd, a popular beer app. The Centre for African Economic Watch (CAEW), an African economic research group has stated in a report that the management of the Cedi exchange rate by the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is the second best in the country since the 4th Republic which started in 1992. The group, using data from the Central Bank of Ghana, analysed the Cedi-Dollar exchange rate management performance of all seven regimes that have govern Ghana under the 4th Republic from 1992. According to the report, which focused mainly on the annual average rate of the Cedis depreciation under each regime, the exchange rate management by the current government is the second best the country has recorded in 27 years. As at December 2019, Bank of Ghana data which the Centre for African Economic Watch analysed, indicated that the current Government of Ghana, under the leadership of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, has recorded the second best record of the annual average rate of Ghanaian Cedi depreciation against the United States Dollar since 1992 under the 4th Republic, the report stated. From the data analyzed, the best record of the annual average rate of Cedi depreciation was 6.77%, which was recorded between 2005-2008 under the government of John Agyekum Kufuor. And the current rate of 8.73% from 2017-2019, recorded under the current government led by Nana Akufo-Addo, represents the second best record in 27 years, the Centre for African Economic Watch Added. From the analysis, the worst period of annual average depreciation was between 1993-1996, which registered annual average depreciation rate of 27.95%, and the figure slightly improved to 25.19% between 1997-2000; all under the NDC government of Jerry John Rawlings. According to the economic groups findings, the Central Bank of Ghana data rated the government of the late John Evans Atta Mills as the best performing NDC government in terms of managing the exchange rate with an annual average depreciation rate of 10.09 between 2009-2012. For the last NDC government under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, the report was not complimentary of the governments exchange rate management record. However the Cedi depreciated at a faster rate under the last NDC government, headed by John Dramani Mahama, with an annual average depreciation rate of 18%, which remains the third highest Cedi depreciation rate in the 4th Republic, In its commentary of the report, CAEW commended the government of Nana Akufo-Addo for being able to manage the annual depreciation rate of the Cedi from the 18% it inherited to 8.73% in three years. To reduce the annual rate of depreciation from the previous depreciation rate of 18% recorded between the period (2013-2016) under the previous government, is a remarkable feat by the government of Nana Akufo-Addo, even-though the government couldve-done better, the report stated. But for other external factors beyond the control of the Government, as well as internal pressures such as bailouts in the financial sector within the period, the Government could have performed much better in managing the rate of depreciation of the Cedi than the second best record. The report assessed the current Cedi-Dollar exchange rate, stating that without the second best exchange rate record of the current government, the Cedi wouldve slumped further down at an alarming rate. On face value, traders may not be happy with the current Cedi-Dollar exchange rate, but the current rate is Ghanas second best depreciation rate under any government in the 4th Republic. Clearly, but for this second best record, the Ghanaian Cedi wouldve lost so much value to the US Dollar. 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 Rome, Jan 31 : The Italian government on Friday declared a six-month state of emergency a day after the deadly coronavirus was diagnosed in two visiting Chinese tourists and the UN World Health Organisation declared global health emergency. The government said it was earmarking five million euros for measures to safeguard Italy against the virus, which has now claimed at least 213 lives in China, where almost 10,000 people have been infected. There have been 98 cases in 18 other countries, according to the WHO, but no deaths. "Italy's measures are precautionary and are the most extensive in the world," Health Minister Roberto Speranza said after Friday's cabinet meeting. Premier Giuseppe Conte announced late Thursday that the deadly disease was diagnosed in two Chinese tourists in Rome, but said the situation was "absolutely under control." "We are almost completely sure that has been no further contagion," the Scientific Director of Rome's Spallanzani hospital, where the two Chinese tourists are being treated, told Radio Capital. Italy has suspended all flights connections to China, and Conte said the country was the first in the European Union "to take such a precautionary measure." Nearly 7,000 people were confined for hours in a cruise ship at the port of Civitavecchia near Rome on Thursday after a suspected coronavirus case was ruled out in the evening. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Indian Gold February futures plunged nearly 1 percent as traders booked profits after data showed Chinese manufacturing activity held steady in January, but concerns over the coronavirus supported safe-haven buying. On the MCX, gold contracts for February were trading lower by Rs 369, or 0.90 percent, at Rs 40,606 per 10 gram at 09:20 hours. Gold prices gained by about 1 percent on Thursday and silver prices gained around 3 percent in the domestic market amid Coronavirus outbreak. The World Health Organization declared on Thursday that the coronavirus epidemic in China now constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, said a Reuters report. Gold & Silver Rates Gold Rate in Mumbai 10g of 24K gold in Mumbai 10g of 22K gold in Mumbai View more Silver Rate in Mumbai 10g silver in Mumbai 1kg silver in Mumbai View more Show International Gold tested the resistance levels of $1584 per troy ounce and silver also test $17.80 per troy ounce. At MCX, Gold prices made a high of 41068 and silver made a high of 46966. Experts see some profit-taking at higher levels, but weak rupee, and fears of Coronavirus outbreak into other countries will lend support. The metal could get support near 40,500 levels. We expect some profit-taking in both the precious metals at higher levels in early trading session today. Gold could test $1580-78 and silver could test $17.70-17.60 levels again, Manoj Jain, Director & Head of Commodities, IndiaNivesh Securities told Moneycontrol. Ahead of Union Budget on Saturday and coronavirus outbreak would keep prices volatile, he said. Track live Gold price here Trading Strategy: Expert: Jateen Trivedi, Sr Research Analyst - Commodity & Currency, LKP Securities Ltd On the daily chart, Gold prices inched lower in the morning trade after surveys showed Chinese manufacturing activity held steady in January and services firmed, although concerns over the coronavirus and its economic impact kept the metal on track for a second monthly gain. 20,50,100EMA are signaling positive range bound movement ahead. But, the zone of 41100-40900 clearly is a major resistance zone which will likely act as strong selling point. RSI & MACD are signaling basing. For the day 40800-41050 will act as resistance whereas 40500-40700 as supports. Hareesh V, Head Commodity Research at Geojit Financial Services Fears about the economic impact of the virus outbreak in China remain supporting gold safe haven demand. Concerns over the performance of equities and a slightly weak U.S dollar may also send investors to safe assets like gold. However, higher level profit booking cannot be ruled out as prices are hovering near its multi month highs. Technical outlook: while prices stay above $1560 expect to continue the momentum towards $1592 initially followed by $1610 levels. However, an unexpected drop below $1554 could weaken the sentiments. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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. Nigel Farage is to speak at the Leave Means Leave Brexit Celebration in London (Yui Mok/PA) Remainers and Leavers alike are set to mark the moment Britain leaves the European Union with a series of events across the country. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson hails the dawn of a new era, Nigel Farage will lead the celebrations with a rally in central London on Friday evening. The Leave Means Leave Brexit Celebration at Parliament Square will feature singalong hymns and speeches from Mr Farage, Ann Widdecombe and Julia Hartley-Brewer. Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin and Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice are also expected to speak at the rally, which takes place between 9pm and 11.15pm. Expand Close Ann Widdecombe is due to speak at the event in London (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ann Widdecombe is due to speak at the event in London (Victoria Jones/PA) While Big Ben will remain silent, despite a high-profile campaign fuelled by Mr Johnson for repair works to be halted, the gathered crowds will count down to 11pm before rounding off the celebrations with the national anthem. Earlier in the day at Parliament Square, the civil rights group New Europeans is to host a discussion about the rights of EU citizens in the UK. This will be followed by a candlelit vigil outside Europe House on Smith Square, Westminster, in the evening. The Government is to mark the event with a commemorative light display in Downing Street just before 11pm, with a countdown clock projected on to its black bricks from 10pm. Expand Close Andrea Jenkyns is hosting the Big Brexit Bash in Morley (Aaron Chown/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Andrea Jenkyns is hosting the Big Brexit Bash in Morley (Aaron Chown/PA) Union Jack flags will line Parliament Square and The Mall, while Government buildings in Whitehall will be lit up in red, white and blue colours throughout the evening. Outside the capital, the Sedgley Working Mens Club in Dudley, West Midlands, is hosting an Independence Day Disco from 7pm, with guests invited to wear English fancy dress. Meanwhile, Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns is staging The Big Brexit Bash in Morley, West Yorkshire, from 7.30pm. The event will feature music, singing, dancing and fireworks. In Scotland, the Edinburgh Yes Hub is hosting a Missing EU already rally outside the Scottish Parliament Building between 5pm and 7pm. And in Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit is to stage a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. The scheduled execution of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case was deferred till further orders by a Delhi court on Friday. Additional Sessions judge Dharmender Rana at the Patiala House court complex passed the order on a plea by one of the convicts seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for 1 February. The scheduled execution of the convicts in the 2012 Delhi gangrape and murder case was deferred till further orders by a Delhi court on Friday. Additional Sessions judge Dharmender Rana at the Patiala House court complex passed the order on a plea by one of the convicts seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for 1 February. The convict's counsel, advocate AP Singh, asked the court to defer the executions 'sine die', that is, without an appointed date for resumption. Among the convicts represented by Singh Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma and Akshay Kumar Singh Vinay's mercy plea is pending before the president, the report said. While passing the order, the court observed, "The sourts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelson's eye towards him." Asha Devi, the mother of the victim, said that soon after the order was passed, the lawyer "challenged" her that the convicts "will never be executed". She added, "I will continue my fight. The government will have to execute the convicts. Devi also told reporters that her "hopes are dashed" but she will continue her fight. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also said that is sad that the convicts are "escaping the death sentence" by using legal loopholes, stressing that there is an urgent need to amend the laws to ensure hanging in cases of rape within six months. Kejriwal tweeted his reaction to the stay on the execution and said, "It saddens me that convicts in Nirbhaya case are escaping death sentence by using legal loopholes. They should be immediately hanged. We are in dire need to amend our law so that in cases of rape, hanging takes place within 6 months. Earlier on Friday, a Delhi court reserved its order on the application of three death row convicts seeking a stay on their execution. Rana had reserved the order after completion of hearing of arguments of the Tihar jail authorities and the convicts' lawyer. Saying only one convict's plea is pending and the others can be hanged, Tihar Jail authorities challenged the application of three condemned prisoners in the case seeking a stay on their execution. The convicts' lawyer disagreed with the jail authorities and said rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. The fourth person sentenced to death in the case is Mukesh Kumar Singh, whose mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on 17 January. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The trial court on 17 January issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on 1 February. Earlier, on 7 January, the court had fixed 22 January as the hanging date. The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the president only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. A 23-year-old physiotherapy inter was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of 16 December, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. A drunk woman threw her high heel at a punter before kicking a police officer in the groin after a day of drinking at the races. Danielle Ghirxi, 32, had consumed 'a fair bit of alcohol' when she went on a incredible rant after losing her handbag and phone at the Newcastle races last year. She had to be restrained by security after she ran towards another woman screaming: 'I'll f***ing kill you, you f***ing piece of shit'. Danielle Ghirxi, 32, had consumed 'a fair bit of alcohol' when she went on a incredible rant after losing her handbag and phone at the Newcastle races last year She had to be restrained by security after she ran towards another woman screaming: 'I'll f***ing kill you, you f***ing piece of shit' She then knocked over chairs and continued to hurl abuse at other guests in the members lounge. 'You f***ing dog c**ts. You aren't f***ing helping. That c**t stole my stuff,' she yelled. Police then attempted to escort her out of the venue but she resisted - tossing her high heel at another woman before kicking a senior constable in the pelvis, the Daily Telegraph reported. During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, solicitor Harrison Foulcher claimed his client had 'blacked out' on the day of the incident and did not remember what had happened. During a sentencing hearing on Thursday, solicitor Harrison Foulcher claimed his client had 'blacked out' on the day of the incident and did not remember what had happened She had been drinking in the members lounge at the Newcastle Jockey Club (pictured) when she went on her incredible rant 'Her behaviour was obnoxious, but she has cleaned up her act. She is disgusted in her behaviour and can't believe she did this.' He said 'something may have been given to her'. Magistrate Robert Stone said assaulting a police officer was a serious offence. 'They're just doing a job. They don't expect to be kicked in the groin.' Ghirxi pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, resist arrest and using offensive language in a public place. She will be sentenced in March. He has said he could pardon himself and vowed to systematically stonewall all congressional subpoenas. Mr. Trump broke with a long-held norm by personally ordering an investigation into the Russia investigators, and he repeatedly tried to impede the special counsel inquiry, boasting that he has an absolute right to do what I want to with the Justice Department. After William P. Barr, a longtime believer in a maximalist interpretation of presidential power, privately provided the Trump administration with a legal theory by which obstruction of justice laws do not apply to presidents who abuse their power over the Justice Department, Mr. Trump appointed him attorney general. In domestic policy, Mr. Trump has pushed the limits of emergency powers laws to claim a right to spend more taxpayer money on a border wall with Mexico than Congress was willing to appropriate. In foreign policy, he launched strikes at the Syrian government without permission from Congress, and nearly brought the country to war with Iran by killing a senior Iranian general without consulting lawmakers. Against the backdrop of all this and more, critics of Mr. Trump seized on Mr. Dershowitzs remarks. The leader of the House impeachment managers, Representative Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, told the Senate on Thursday that Mr. Trumps team had embraced the vision of a presidency that exists above the law when the president does it, that means it is not illegal that Richard Nixon famously articulated to defend his conduct after Watergate. We are right back to where we were a half-century ago and I would argue we may be in a worse place because this time, this time that argument may succeed, Mr. Schiff said, accusing Trump defenders of embracing the normalization of lawlessness by a president. Mr. Dershowitz did not attend the impeachment trial on Thursday, but another member of the presidents defense team, Patrick Philbin, also distanced himself from the impression Mr. Dershowitz had left. At one point he invoked something else Mr. Dershowitz had said, hastening to add, And I dont mean in the more radical portion of his explanation of his theory. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Hundreds of Second Amendment advocates carried rifles, flags and signs Friday as they rallied outside the Roundhouse and urged lawmakers to reject a proposed red flag law. They cheered and prayed for President Donald Trump, and booed at the mention of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other Democrats. The rally came amid tightened security at the Capitol where firearms, normally permitted, were prohibited in some areas, such as the galleries overlooking the House and Senate. Stefani Lord of the advocacy group Pro-Gun Women led the rally, calling on sheriffs and others to speak to the crowd of roughly 500. As a survivor of domestic violence, she said, she understands the importance of women being able to keep firearms to protect themselves. Stop infringing on our rights, she said, looking up at the Capitol. Were drawing a line in the sand. Shouts of vote them out surfaced repeatedly when Democrats were mentioned. We will put you in our political crosshairs, said Otero County Commissioner Couy Griffin, founder of Cowboys for Trump. Some in the crowd waved American and Dont Tread on Me flags, and carried rifles and pistols. Some of the firearms on display were semiautomatic rifles modeled on the AR-15 and AK-47. New Mexico lawmakers this session are considering a proposed Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, sometimes called a red flag law. The legislation, backed by Lujan Grisham, would allow law enforcement or household members to petition a court for the temporary seizure of firearms from individuals deemed an immediate threat to themselves or others. Supporters say its a sensible way to save lives, especially for family members who want to prevent a suicide death. Opponents describe it as ripe for abuse and dangerous for law enforcement officers, who would seize the guns under a court order. Estancia Mayor Nathan Dial, a military retiree, said he and other veterans are particularly at risk of being red flagged because of health care services they receive. He added that he has a crazy ex-wife. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat in her first term, has made the firearms legislation a priority this session. This is, very simply, a tool for family members and law enforcement to protect themselves and our communities when an armed individual is making verifiable threats, Tripp Stelnicki, a spokesman for the governor, said Friday. Due process is ensured; the subject of a temporary extreme-risk order has the chance to make their case before a judge. The legislation, Senate Bill 5, cleared the Senate Public Affairs Committee on a party-line vote Tuesday and was sent to the Judiciary Committee, where it could be heard next week. : - . . - : - , ? : , , . , , , . , , , . : ? : , , , , , , , , , , . - , , , , . , - . , , . , , .. : , , , ? : , . , . , . , - , . - , , . : ? : 5,6%, , , 8,3%. 4,6 2005 . - - , , . : ? : , . - - , . : , . ? : , , , , 15% , , , , , , , . : , ? : . The Prince Andrew scandal continues, and the whole royal familyu is not happy. In fact, it is not only Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Prince Philip who are embarrassed with the Duke of York. Apparently, according to a report by The Sun, Meghan Markle is disgusted with his "ultimately embarrassing uncle." "Meghan is not enamored of Andrew at all," a royal insider told the publication. "She doesn't view Andrew as one of the family's great assets, and he's not going to be one of the people she's going to miss on her time away from the Windsor's," the source furthered in reference to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new life in Canada after quitting the royal family. Disappointing Uncle! The former "Suits" actress was already disappointed by the Duke of York's "stuffy" behavior when they met. Still, the Jeffrey Epstein issue made her feel horrified by Prince Andrew's description of sex as a positive act for men and that all women were "conquests." According to The Daily Telegraph, Meghan was horrified by the manner in which Prince Andrew dismissed the allegations that he had sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre. Giuffre claims that she was forced by Epstein to have sex with the prince when she was still 17 years old. "The Duke's explanation is understood to have left Meghan, who has championed the cause of female victims of violence, and her team feeling uncomfortable," the source added. The relationship between Meghan and Prince Andrew never took off, according to the report, with Meghan telling her friends that the duke "wasn't exactly welcoming to her" and that he was "pompous." On the other hand, Prince Andrew also reportedly "kept making awful, puerile jokes - which he seemed to find hilarious." Meghan reortedly complained this to her friends. The royal insider further told the publication that Prince Andrew is the only member of the royal family that Meghan would not miss after she and Prince Harry decided to step back as senior royal members to move to Canada and lead a private and more peaceful life. Prince Andrew was allowed to step down from royal duties after his ill-judged BBC interview last year, during which he said he does not regret being friends with Epstein while also failing to symphatize with the victims of the convicted sex offender. As of present time, both Prince Andrew and the Buckingham Palace continues to deny the accusations against him. Zero Cooperation This latest scandal involving Prince Andrew comes after the FBI claimed that the royal prince has provided "zerop cooperation" so far in their investigation of Epstein's crimes. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman took the rare step of calling out the uncooperative Prince Andrew during a press conference outside Epstein's Upper East Side mansion. Berman claimed that they have already reached out to the royal, but the prince has yet to respond. "The Southern District of New York and the FBI have contacted Prince Andrew's attorneys and requested to interview Prince Andrew, and to date, Prince Andrew has zero cooperation," Berman furthered. Though Prince Andrew has publicly offered to help in the investigations, Berman said he had no other choice but to reveal that Prince Andrew is not cooperating. This is in reference to the Duke of York's statement in November 2010 that said, "I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations." Despite Prince Andrew's non-cooperation, Berman assures that the investigation is moving forward. The 34-year-old woman's testimony, which is set to continue Monday,is a pivotal moment in the rape case against the once-powerful movie producer who became one of the #MeToo movement's top targets. He is charged in New York with the March 2013 rape and also sexually assaulting Mimi Haleyi, a former Project Runway production assistant, in 2006. A conviction could put him behind bars for the rest of his life. WASHINGTON Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, said late Thursday that although he believed that Democrats had proved their case that President Trump acted inappropriately in his dealings with Ukraine, he did not think the presidents actions were impeachable and would vote against considering new evidence in the impeachment trial. Mr. Alexanders statement was a strong indication that Republicans had lined up the votes to block a call for more witnesses and documents on Friday and press toward a quick acquittal in the third presidential impeachment trial in history. His opposition was a significant victory for the White House and Republican leaders. The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did, Mr. Alexander said in a late-night statement after the conclusion of a second marathon day of questioning by senators. I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday. In announcing his stance, Mr. Alexander effectively conceded that the president had engaged in a corrupt effort to leverage taxpayer money to advance his own political objectives the basis of the abuse-of-power charge against him but said he had concluded such actions were not impeachable. He called the second charge, obstruction of Congress, frivolous. Afghanistan will need vast amounts of foreign funding to keep its government afloat through 2024, a US agency said Friday, even as foreign donors are increasingly angry over the cost of debilitating corruption and the US seeks a peace deal with Taliban to withdraw its troops from the country. International money pays for roughly 75 per cent of all of Afghanistan's costs while government revenue covers barely a quarter of Afghan public expenditures. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, which issues reports quarterly to US Congress, monitors all US spending in the 18-year war in Afghanistan, America's longest war. The agency's latest report was sharply critical of the Afghan government's efforts to curb corruption, saying it is one of the biggest concerns among frustrated donors. President Ashraf Ghani's administration "is more interested in checking off boxes for the international community than in actually uprooting its corruption problem," the report said, referring to the Afghan government's failing anti-graft drive. Ghani's future is uncertain as final results of last year's presidential election have yet to be announced, though the preliminary results gave Ghani the win. His main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as the country's chief executive in a fragile national unity government with Ghani, has claimed fraud. Afghanistan ranked last in the Asia-Pacific region for corruption, a global watchdog said earlier in January. According to Transparency International, Afghanistan's global ranking last year at 173 of 180 countries it surveyed was the worst since the group began ranking the country in 2005. Even as the international community is paying billions of dollars annually, the poverty rate in Afghanistan is climbing. In 2012, 37 per cent of Afghans were listed below the poverty rate, surviving on less than USD 1 a day. Today that figure has risen to 55 per cent of Afghans. According to the SIGAR report for the last quarter of 2019, international donors, led by Washington, provide the Afghan government with USD 8.5 billion annually to cover everything from security to education and health care, as well as economic reconstruction. The United States is paying USD 4.2 billion yearly just for Afghanistan's security and defense forces. SIGAR added that the overall value of opiates available for export in Afghanistan in 2018 estimated to be between USD 1.1 billion and USD 2.1 billion far outstripped the total value of all the country's legal exports at USD 875 million. The report's findings come ahead of a U.N.-hosted international donors conference this year that could be critical for Afghanistan's future. In 2016, world donors meeting in Brussels pledged USD 15 billion for Afghanistan. The US agency said the problem of corruption should be the central issue in the 2020 donor conference. It recommended that international donors use its Afghan anti-corruption audits as a guide to directing funding more effectively, as well as monitoring actual results and exerting constructive influence on the Afghan government. "Working together, the international community and its Afghan partners can stem the rot of corruption in Afghanistan. But it will take a greater commitment than we have seen so far to make transformative change," the report said. The US agency's report also documented an uptick in violence in Afghanistan's war, as well as a drop in the number of missions completed independently by internationally-funded Afghan forces. Casualties for Afghan troops increased slightly from May through October 2019, compared to the same period the previous year, it said. There were also more attacks against Afghan security forces by militants than in any other three month period since the agency began keeping statistics in 2010. The Taliban today control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks. They usually target Afghan and US forces, as well as government officials and those seen as linked to the government, but scores of civilians die in the crossfire. The report added that Afghan special forces conducted fewer ground operations than in any other quarter last year. Only 31 per cent of those missions were completed independently, without US or coalition support. Less than half of all Afghan security operations last year were completed independently, compared to 55 per cent in 2018. The Taliban and the US are currently holding peace talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The negotiations have become bogged down over agreeing on how to end or substantially reduce hostilities. A reduction in violence would allow the US and Taliban to sign a final agreement, which in turn would open the way for America to bring its troops home, and for starting broader Afghan negotiations over the country's post-war future. Roughly USD 132.49 billion has been appropriated for Afghanistan relief and reconstruction since 2002, SIGAR says. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) AN investment company controlled by management of Dublin's Brightwater Recruitment has paid at least 9.1m to buy Cork-based pharmaceutical and engineering recruitment business PE Global. It marks the first acquisition by the Brightwater management team following their buyout of their firm in 2018. PE Global employs almost 60 people between offices in Cork, Dublin and London. It is primarily focused on the technical and healthcare sectors, and has long-term contracts in place with the HSE in Ireland and the NHS in Britain. It will continue to operate as an independent business following the acquisition. The Cork firm was founded by Michael O'Brien in 2005. Until recently, he was its managing director. He has been succeeded by Keith McDonagh, but will remain as a consultant to the business. Records at the Companies Registration Office show that Mr O'Brien owned almost 50pc of PE Global, while Mr McDonagh also had a small stake in it. The remainder was owned via a British Virgin Islands company called Abbeyvale Group. PE Global posted a turnover of more than 50m in the financial year to the end of May 2019, and made a 1.5m pre-tax profit. The takeover of PE Global has been bankrolled by UK-based alternative capital provider Duke Royalty and supported by Bank of Ireland. Brightwater's group managing director is Barbara McGrath and the firm employs more than 80 people. Brightwater Selection, the company behind Brightwater, made a 1.2m profit after tax in 2018, down slightly on 2017. It also paid a 1m dividend to shareholders in 2018, compared with almost 1.3m during 2017. The firm posted turnover of 15.6m in 2018, virtually unchanged compared with 2017. John Lacy, one of the directors of the Bakhchysarai (Ireland) vehicle used to acquire PE Global, said the platform would continue with its buy-and-build strategy across Ireland and the UK. Massachusetts State Police is in the midst of updating its records-keeping systems for citations in the wake of the agencys overtime scandal, according to Colonel Christopher Mason, superintendent of the department. Dozens of troopers were found in 2018 to have allegedly paid for hours they did not work, sometimes fabricating traffic tickets to do so. Forty-six troopers were referred by state police for criminal prosecution in January 2019. Ten were charged by the U.S. Attorneys Office or the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey, and eight of the 10 have been convicted and sentenced. Of the remaining 36 investigated by state police, 14 have retired and 22 are still within the department but may face termination and financial restitution. All who were involved in the scandal will reimburse the taxpayer dollar for dollar," Mason announced during a press conference Friday at the state police headquarters in Framingham. These notifications signal the beginning of the process to administer discipline for the 22 members charged," Mason said. The alleged abuses by some of those in the recently-dissolved Troop E included skipping overtime shifts, falsifying citations and destroying records. Before 2015, the quality of record-keeping at various state police barracks was inconsistent," and the agency has taken steps since to improve how it stores records, according to department spokesman David Procopio. Audits of records kept from 2015 to 2017 helped the agency identify that the alleged overtime abuse was being committed as part of a pattern by the same people each year, he said in a statement. The department recently turned over boxes of citations to the U.S. Attorneys Office that were associated with Troop E and dated before 2015. Prosecutors used the materials to calculate how much money was lost in 2013 and 2014 due to overtime abuse by Daren DeJong, one of the convicted troopers. There were a number of records that were found later in the summer, this past summer, that were forwarded over to the U.S. Attorneys Office," Mason said during Fridays press conference. They were part of a broader subpoena that had been applied to the state police earlier, looking for records relative to Troop E. State Police has produced thousands of records as part of the overtime abuse investigation, which spans a number of years, according to Mason. The superintendent said he is not trying to shy away from the fact that the agencys records-keeping systems were less than adequate. Clearly, that is the case, he said. I think there is the perception that many of these records are stored electronically, and you just push a button, and they are all produced very quickly. They are not. "Theyre paper records. Theyre stored in bankers boxes. Theyre stacked up in backrooms, boilers and thats not the retention scheme that I would have designed to have. Among the improvements made to how the agency stores its records is the adoption of the state Registry of Motor Vehicless eCitation system, a piece of technology that allows state police to create and store traffic tickets electronically. Around 90% of the departments citations are issued through the software, according to Mason. We have directed a number of things: one, that the records will be stored in a more responsible manner [and] that the records will be stored to provide a historical look back in the event that we ever have an unfortunate incident like this, the superintendent said. Related Content: SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) A federal appeals court in San Francisco today upheld a lower court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by the father of a schizophrenic transgender woman who died in Berkeley police custody in 2013. Kayla Moore, 41, collapsed in the early morning of Feb. 13, 2013, during a struggle with police who were summoned to her Berkeley apartment by her roommate. She was declared dead at a hospital shortly afterwards. A lawsuit filed against the city of Berkeley and the officers by her father, Arthur Moore, included claims of false arrest, excessive force and wrongful death. A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer's dismissal of the lawsuit. The panel said police were justified in seeking to take her into custody for a mental health evaluation because she appeared to be experiencing paranoia and her roommate said he feared for his safety. It said the police use of force had not been proved to be unreasonable. The judges said, "It is undisputed that Moore, who was a very large and strong person, resisted vigorously when defendants tried to take her into custody." Moore's family claimed she died of asphyxiation when several officers sat on her after handcuffing her while attempting to subdue her. The city contended she died of cardiac arrest resulting from a combination of a toxic amount of methamphetamine in her system and heart disease. The panel said there was no evidence police applied force in a way that restricted her breathing and noted that experts on both sides opined that Moore's death was at least partly caused by her preexisting heart condition. Moore, who weighed 347 pounds, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, according to a 2013 Berkeley police report. The appeals panel said in the ruling, "We recognize how distressing it is for an effort to check on an individual's welfare to end with the death of the person whom the check was intended to protect. "We also recognize that a large community continues to grieve Moore's death. But whatever role defendants may have played in her death, we cannot say on the evidence before us that they acted unlawfully," the court said. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Adults living with HIV in Washington, D.C., were more likely to feel higher levels of emotional and physical well-being if they attended religious services regularly, prayed daily, felt "God's presence," and self-identified as religious or spiritual, according to research published online Jan. 29, 2020, in Psychology of Religion and Spirituality. By contrast, patients living with HIV who had the lowest levels of quality of life and more mental health challenges were privately religious, potentially eschewing organized religion due to fears about being stigmatized or ostracized. "These findings are significant because they point to the untapped potential of encouraging patients living with HIV who are already religious to attend religious services regularly. Scientific evidence suggests that religions that present God as all-powerful, personal, responsive, loving, just and forgiving make a difference in health-related quality of life. By contrast, belief systems and religions that see God as punishing, angry, vengeful and distant and isolate members from their families and the larger community do not have health benefits or contribute to health-related quality of life. People who identify as spiritual also benefit from improved overall health-related quality of life," says Maureen E. Lyon, Ph.D., FABPP, a clinical health psychologist at Children's National Hospital, and senior study author. "In general, patients living with HIV have reported that they wished their health care providers acknowledged their religious beliefs and spiritual struggles. Additional research is needed to gauge whether developing faith-based interventions or routine referrals to faith-based programs that welcome racial and sexual minorities improve satisfaction with treatment and health outcomes," Lyon adds. More than 1 million people in the U.S. live with HIV, and in 2018, 37,832 people received an HIV diagnosis in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2017, the Washington, D.C., region recorded one of nation's highest rates of new cases of HIV: 46.3 diagnoses per 100,000 people, according to the CDC. A research team that includes current and former Children's National faculty wanted to learn more about the degree of religiousness and spirituality reported by people living with HIV and the interplay between religion and health-related quality of life. They recruited patients to participate in a clinical trial about family-centered advance care planning and enrolled 223 patient/family dyads in this study. Fifty-six percent of patients were male. Eighty-six percent were African American, and their mean age was 50.8. Seventy-five percent were Christian. The researchers identified three distinct classes of religious beliefs: Class 1, the highest level of religiousness/spirituality, applied to people more likely to attend religious services in person each week, to pray daily, to "feel God's presence" and to self-identify as religious and spiritual. Thirty-five percent of study participants were Class 1 and tended to be older than 40. Class 2 applied to privately religious people who engaged in religious activities at home, like praying, and did not attend services regularly. Forty-seven percent of study participants were Class 2. Class 3 participants self-identified as spiritual but were not involved in organized religion. Nearly 18 percent of study participants were Class 3, the lowest overall level of religiousness/spirituality. Class 1 religiousness/spirituality was associated with increased quality of life, mental health and improved health status. "Being committed to a welcoming religious group provides social support, a sense of identity and a way to cope with stress experienced by people living with HIV," Lyon says. "We encourage clinicians to capitalize on patients' spiritual beliefs that improve health - such as prayer, meditation, reading spiritual texts and attending community events - by including them in holistic treatment programs in a non-judgmental way." What's more, the research team encourages clinicians to appoint a member of the team who is responsible for handling religiousness/spirituality screening and providing referrals to welcoming hospital-based chaplaincy programs or community-based religious groups. "This is particularly challenging for HIV-positive African American men who have sex with men, as this group faces discrimination related to race and sexual orientation. Because HIV infection rates are increasing for this group, this additional outreach is all the more important," she adds. ### In addition to Lyon, study co-authors include Biostatistician Jichuan Wang, Ph.D., and Yao I. Cheng, MS., both of Children's National; and Lead Author Katherine B. Grill, Ph.D., the former clinical coordinator for this randomized clinical trial who is currently an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies. Financial support for research described in this post was provided by the National Institutes of Health under award Nos. R01NR014-052-05 and UL1RR031988. The much younger boyfriend of an antiques dealer who was found dead in his New York City apartment has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Alex Ray Scott, 24, surrendered to police shortly after midnight on Friday, two days after 64-year-old Kenneth Savinski was found dead in his own apartment on the Upper East Side. Scott faces charges of murder, five counts of grand larceny and five counts of criminal possession of stolen property. He was found in possession of five stolen credit cards, according to the New York Post. Alex Ray Scott, 24, of Tulsa, Oklahoma is taken into custody by police in Manhattan on Friday Victim Kenneth Savinski (center) is seen with two friends in 2006. He moved his antique store to NYC from Maryland in 2000 and received a favorable mention in the New York Times Victim Kenneth Savinski, 64, was found dead in the living room of his first floor apartment on E. 83rd St. near Park Ave. about 5.20 p.m. Wednesday A friend who hadn't heard from Savinski for a long time went to check on him at his apartment The grim murder case first unfolded at about 5.20pm on Wednesday, when a friend who hadn't heard from Savinski for a long time went to check on him at his apartment on 83rd Street near Park Avenue. Cops rushed to the scene and found Savinski with a deep gash in his head and neck wounds. He was declared dead at the scene. Initially, police were uncertain whether Savinski had tripped and suffered accidental injuries. But closer examination revealed that the antique dealer's throat had been slit, and blood splatter indicated he had been attacked. Police searched for a motive in the case, and it was not immediately clear if investigators had identified Scott as a suspect before he surrendered at the 19th Precinct on East 67th Street. Scott made incriminating statements to investigators after his surrender, a police source told the Post. Murder victim Kenneth Savinski (left) is seen with a friend at an event at Bergdorf Goodman's Restaurant "BG" in 2006. Savinski was an antiques dealer and decorator Neighbors were shocked at the murder in the normally quiet area near Central Park An antiques dealer found dead in his Upper East Side apartment with a deep head wound was killed - possibly by someone he knew, police said Thursday Homicides are rare in the wealthy 19th Precinct, which last year had no murder cases Scott is seen in a November mugshot during his arrest on lewd molestation charges in Tulsa Savinski and Scott had been in a romantic relationship, sources told the New York Daily News. Originally from Oklahoma, last fall Scott was under investigation for child molestation in that state. Investigators said that Scott inappropriately touched a child he knows inside of a home in Tulsa. Police in Tulsa say that before they could interview Scott about the allegations, he quit his job, left his apartment and rented a car that he never returned. In October, cops on Long Island made contact with Scott, who told them he had driven there in order to kill himself. Scott was taken to a psychiatric hospital for observation and later transported back to Tulsa to be charged there with two counts of lewd molestation. Social media posts indicate that Scott previously worked for a property management firm in Tulsa. In 2017, he was pictured at a fashion show event to raise funds for the Children's Abuse Network of Tulsa. His employer at the time said the event raised $30,000. Developing story, check back for updates. Scott (above) fled Tulsa last fall, and police found him on Long Island in October, where he said he had driven in order to kill himself after facing child molestation allegations Photo: GUILLERMO ARIAS/AFP via Getty Images The presidents claim that the wall on the Mexican border is virtually impenetrable has taken a lot of damage this week. Yesterday, CNN reported that a section of the barrier in California which Trump claimed is not something that can be really knocked down was knocked down by a gust of wind as its foundation settled. Though the blustery embarrassment was localized and easily fixable, on Thursday, the Washington Post revealed a more structurally important concern: President Trumps border wall likely will require the installation of hundreds of storm gates to prevent flash floods from undermining or knocking it over, gates that must be left open for months every summer during monsoon season in the desert, according to U.S. border officials, agents and engineers familiar with the plans. At locations along the U.S. southern border where such gates already are in operation, Border Patrol agents must manually raise them every year before the arrival of the summer thunderstorms that convert riverbeds into raging torrents that carry massive amounts of water and debris, including sediment, rocks, tree limbs and vegetation. Trumps wall, which features 30-foot metal bollards spaced four inches apart, effectively acts as a sewer grate that traps the debris; when clogged, the barriers cannot withstand the power of the runoff. Already, these unmanned gates have been destinations for coyotes, smugglers, and undocumented migrants: Due to their remote location, Border Patrol agents have to keep the gates open for months, allowing the portals location to spread among those traveling north. They know as soon as the Border Patrol opens them, John Ladd, an Arizona rancher whose property abuts the border, told the Post, referring to Mexican traffickers. Once at the compromised boundary, migrants can use the stream channels on the U.S. side to travel further into the states, while avoiding detection. Overlooking the hydrology of the desert Southwest is one of several examples of how the Trump administrations neglect of the specific demands of the region has undermined the project. The White House has failed to account for just how long it takes to acquire private property along the border a key reason for the massive delay in wall-building thus far. (Despite $18.4 billion allocated to the project, just 100 miles of barrier have been built, the majority of which serves as a replacement of existing structures.) Federal and state parks may also have to be divvied up including major sections of the wall carving up the biological hotspot of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which has been 40 years in the making. As the White House rushes the long-delayed project to have something to show to the base before the November election, other natural barriers are going to get in the way of the wall. As the Post notes, as the Trump administration pushes for construction beyond established areas, it will be forced to build on mountainous and ever-more-remote terrain, requiring larger and more frequent storm gates to accommodate waterflow. Bengaluru: Two workers from Bihar killed, three injured after boiler blast at food factory in Magadi road Explosion in UP fireworks factory kills 5 India oi-PTI Muzaffarnagar, Jan 31: At least five people were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said Fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the situation was brought under control, a police officer said. Superintendent of Police Vineet Jaiswal said the incident took place when manufacturing of firecrackers was on in the unit. Factory owner Intezar and four workers Rocky, Sarasvati, Nareshu and Nirmala were killed in the explosion, he said. The roof of the unit blew away due to the explosion, police said. Major Republic Day terror attack averted in Valley The factory is located on the Shamli-Delhi highway in Kandhla. Jaiswal said factory owner was a licence holder and he was authorised to manufacture crackers till 2022. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, January 31, 2020, 23:59 [IST] A Sydney mum at the centre of a bizarre online spat about the coronavirus claimed another mother slapped her in the face and threatened to 'pull her mouth off'. The woman, known only as Maggie, is covered in black bruises after being battered by another irate mother who took offence to her views on the virus. She claims another mother arrived at her Brookvale home and attacked her while her husband and six-year-old on watched on in horror. Both women were taken to hospital with injuries after the physical fight which took place on Tuesday at around 8pm. The row started after Maggie criticised a woman for not going into quarantine after returning from Wuhan a Northern Beaches Facebook group. Northern Beaches Police shared the story to their Facebook on Thursday, where it quickly went viral (pictured) Wuhan is the epicentre of the fatal virus, which has killed more than 200 people and infected nine Australians. One mother took offence to Maggie's views and arrived outside her home after another person posted Maggie's address on the group. Maggie told the Daily Telegraph she thought they were meeting 'for a chat' but it soon turned violent. 'She said "Ill pull your mouth off", and I said, "I dont want to waste my time with you" - then she slapped me,' she said. 'We pulled each others hair and fell to the floor.' Maggie claimed she tried to defend herself, but the aggressive woman snapped off her gold necklace, which cut her neck. Two women have ended up in hospital after an online argument over the coronavirus turned violent (stock image) The woman, aged 33 and 36, decided to settle their argument about the coronavirus each bringing with friend for support. 'The argument quickly escalated from verbal to physical; pushing, slapping, hair pulling and finally both on the ground, briefly unconscious, all despite the efforts of bystanders trying to intervene,' police said. The two women accompanying them, who were also from the group chat, tried to separate the pair. The 36-year-old required a scan for a possible brain injury and was treated for a shoulder injury and a cut to her arm. So far nine Australians have tested positive for the coronavirus, amid fears the virus could soon spread across the country The younger woman underwent X-rays for a shoulder injury as well as treatment for cuts, bruising and swelling to her arms, upper body and neck. Police have taken out a Personal Violence Order for one of the women as investigations continue. Both women have since been released from hospital. Facebook users were quick to comment, with many suggesting the women weren't setting a good example for their kids. 'Bloody hell! How dumb can people be? Let's hope that both of them knocked some sense into each other because that's appalling behaviour,' one person wrote. 'Now I know why I avoid mother's groups.' Many Oregonians in households earning up to $56,000 a year are missing out on tax money they could claim, Oregon Labor Bureau officials said Friday. They were referring to the Earned Income Tax Credit, a federal and state tax credit that can give families as much as $6,557 back when they file taxes. Labor bureau leaders said deserving taxpayers too often arent getting that cash either because they dont know about it or because they dont file a tax return. According to the Oregon Department of Revenue and Department of Human Services, 245,000 Oregonians received an average of $2,139 from the Earned Income Tax Credit in 2019. But many more people likely qualified but did not receive the refund, leaving millions of dollars on the table, the labor bureau reported. Information is available in Spanish to help taxpayers most fluent in that language. According to data from the IRS, western states for years have lagged behind the rest of the nation in claiming their share of the tax credit for low-income working families. Its worth it to check and see if you qualify, state Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle said in a statement. Even if youre not required to file taxes because of your income level, you may be able to get a refund on taxes you did pay during the year or through credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. Oregon employers are required by law to notify all employees of this tax credit. Were working hard to make sure everyone knows about this tax credit, says Hoyle. Its part of your job as an Oregon employer to let your staff know this credit could be available to them. Oregonians can learn more and see if they can get this tax credit by visiting eitcoutreach.org. -- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @OregonianPol Its not just about building trust, its about taking ownership of our work and doing the right thing to make sure our work exceeds our customers expectations Boak & Sons, Inc. is an exterior contracting company in Youngstown, Ohio that specializes in the commercial and residential installation of roofing, siding, gutters, sheet metal and insulation. Being in the heart of the Mahoning Valley, the company has always held a strong position in the community. With a service area ranging from Cleveland to Pittsburgh, Boak & Sons completes thousands of exterior contracting jobs every year, and they heavily emphasize the importance of customer satisfaction. With the start of the new decade, the company is dedicating this year to having 20/20 Vision to make sure they remind their customers that they are committed to exceeding their expectations. Sam Boak, president and founder of Boak & Sons, Inc., says customer satisfaction and quality work is their top priority. If clients are unhappy with the companys service, his commitment has always been to rectify the situation in a timely fashion. We complete well over 5,000 jobs in a single year, said Boak. We push our crews to be the best of the best and a huge part of that is going back to a job site after the work is done and making sure that client is completely satisfied. If there are any questions or concerns about a completed job, we address them right away. Boak & Sons has committed to answering calls and returning to jobsites to answer any questions and make sure customers are fully satisfied. This allows them to build lasting relationships with customers, which they believe is what sets them apart from other contractors. For Boak & Sons, new leads are not the only priority. They also focus on keeping former customers satisfied for years to come. Its not just about building trust, its about taking ownership of our work and doing the right thing to make sure our work exceeds our customers expectations says Chris White, vice president of operations at Boak & Sons, Inc. On the rare occasion that there is a question or concern about a project, were more than willing to work with our customers till they are happy with the outcome. In our book, the project is not complete until that happens. In addition to taking care of their customers, Sam Boak is also instilling the message of 20/20 Vision in his employees. Boak has made it clear to them that no matter the issue, whether it be personal or job-related, they can come straight to him and he will support them. My employees are my family, said Boak. If theyre not being taken care of, Im not doing my job as their employer. Having 20/20 Vision this year means that our company will work together to make sure every concern both internally and at a job site is handled appropriately. Thats how you get quality customer satisfaction, but also employee satisfaction. Boak & Sons, Inc. encourages their previous customers to contact them if they have any questions or concerns about the work the company has done for them. Customers should visit their website to fill out a contact form at http://www.boakandsons/contact or call their office directly at 330-793-5646. About Boak & Sons: Boak & Sons, Inc. was founded by Sam Boak in 1974 as an insulation contractor. With the high energy costs of the 70's, Boak & Sons expanded early on into the roofing business. They offered economical roof installations through cutting edge technology and equipment, allowing customers to recoup even more in energy savings. Today, Boak & Sons is a residential and commercial contractor for roofing, insulation, sheet metal, siding, and gutters. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, the company serves customers in surrounding areas from Cleveland, Akron, and Canton to Cranberry and Pittsburgh. For more information on Boak & Sons, visit their website at: https://www.boakandsons.com/ Gibraltar to Mark EU Departure Tomorrow Gibraltar will mark our departure from the European Union tomorrow with a short and solemn ceremony at midnight. The focus of the ceremony will be the three flagpoles at the northern end of Gibraltar which are located just a few metres from our land border with the EU. The flag of the European Union will be lowered at midnight to the tune of Ode for Joy, which is the EU anthem, as a sign of respect and affection to Europe. It will be immediately replaced by the flag of the Commonwealth which will be raised to the tune of the National Anthem, God Save The Queen. The ceremony will then come to an end. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo will receive the EU flag when it is lowered, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, who is the Minister for relations with Europe and the Commonwealth, will hand over the Commonwealth flag. This will happen in the presence of His Excellency the Governor Lt General Edward Davis as well as the Speaker of the Gibraltar Parliament Melvyn Farrell and the Leader of the Opposition Keith Azopardi. The music will be provided by the Gibraltar Band and Drums Association. Due to extremely limited space at the frontier, members of the public are asked not to go to the frontier at midnight and to instead watch the ceremony live on GBC Television. Before the event, at 2030hrs, the Chief Minister will deliver a Ministerial Statement on GBC Television. The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: This is the end of an era. There are many whose memory only stretches back to the time when UK and Gibraltar were both in the EU. However, we are determined to make a success of our departure and to overcome any challenge that may come our way as we have done throughout our long and turbulent history. It is right and proper that we should intensify our relationship with the Commonwealth and the raising of this flag at all Government sites and offices will send a powerful message. The Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said: In the 2016 referendum, the people of Gibraltar voted 96% to remain in the European Union. The Government has therefore chosen to mark our departure from the EU in a way which is appropriate and relevant. The inclusion of Gibraltar in the Withdrawal Agreement, including in the transition period, means that at this time very little will actually change for the ordinary citizen, including fluidity across the border. We want to continue to interact with citizens and businesses in the EU and all parties need to ensure that those bonds are not disrupted by our departure. The present prosperity that Gibraltar already generates for many thousands of businesses and persons must continue to thrive and to grow in the future. Gibraltar can look forward to that future with confidence. Pilots and flight attendants are demanding airlines stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus, with American Airlines pilots filing a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt. China has reported nearly 10,000 cases and 213 deaths, but the virus has spread to 18 countries often by plane passengers. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, cited serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus in a lawsuit filed in Texas, where the airline is based. American said it was taking precautions against the virus but had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. On Wednesday it announced flight cancellations from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai starting next month, but is continuing flights from Dallas. APA President Eric Ferguson urged pilots assigned to U.S.-China flights to decline the assignment. In a statement, the American Airlines flight attendants union said they supported the pilots lawsuit and called on the company and the U.S. government to err on the side of caution and halt all flights to and from China. Pilots at United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China, concerned for their safety will be allowed to drop their trip without pay, according to a Wednesday memo from their union to members. United announced on Thursday another 332 U.S.-China flight cancellations between February and March 28, though it will continue operating roundtrip flights from San Francisco to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The American Airlines pilot lawsuit came as an increasing number of airlines stopped their flights to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germanys Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. Factbox on Flight Cancellations REUTERS Airlines are suspending flights to China in the wake of the new coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed more than 200 people and infected nearly 10,000 people. Here is the latest on their plans (in alphabetical order): AIR CANADA Air Canada said on Jan. 28 it was canceling select flights to China. AIR FRANCE Air France said on Jan. 30 it suspended all scheduled flights to and from mainland China until Feb. 9. AIR INDIA Air India said it was canceling its Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 14. AIR NEW ZEALAND Air New Zealand said on Jan. 31 it was temporarily reducing flights between Auckland and Shanghai to four return services a week from Feb. 18 to March 31 rather than the usual daily flights. AIR SEOUL South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul said on Jan. 28 it had suspended all flights to China. AIR TANZANIA Tanzanias state-owned carrier said it would postpone its maiden flights to China. It had planned to begin charter flights to China in February. AMERICAN AIRLINES The largest U.S. carrier said it would suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27. BRITISH AIRWAYS BA said on Jan. 30 it had canceled all flights to mainland China for a month. CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS Hong Kongs Cathay Pacific said it would progressively reduce capacity to and from mainland China by 50% or more from Jan. 30 to the end of March. DELTA AIR LINES The U.S. airline said on Jan. 29 it was reducing flights to China to 21 per week from 42, starting Feb. 6 through April 30. EGYPTAIR Egypts flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would suspend all flights to and from China starting Feb. 1. EL AL ISRAEL AIRLINES El Al Israel Airlines said on Jan. 30 it was suspending flights to Beijing until March 25. Israels Health Ministry said it will not allow flights from China to land at its airports. ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES The African carrier on Jan. 30 denied reports it had suspended all flights to China. The airlines statement contradicted its passenger call center, which told Reuters earlier in the day that flights to China had been suspended. FINNAIR Finlands Finnair said on Jan. 31 it was canceling all flights to mainland China between Feb. 6 and Feb. 29 and to Guangzhou between Feb. 5 and March 29. KENYA AIRWAYS Kenya Airways said on Jan. 31 it has suspended all flights to China until further notice. LION AIR Indonesias Lion Air Group said on Jan. 29 it would suspend all flights to China from February. The airline has suspended six flights from several Indonesian cities to China so far and will suspend the rest next month. LUFTHANSA Germanys Lufthansa said on Jan. 29 it was suspending Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China until Feb. 9. The airline continues to fly to Hong Kong, but it will stop taking bookings for flights to mainland China until the end of February. ROYAL AIR MAROC Moroccan airline Royal Air Maroc (RAM) has temporarily suspended its direct flights to China, the company said on Jan. 30. RAM had on Jan. 16 launched a direct air route with three flights weekly between its Casablanca hub and Beijing. RWANDAIR Rwanda carrier RwandAir has halted flights to and from China until further notice, the airline said in a statement on Friday. The decision will be reviewed later in February, it said. SAS Nordic airline SAS said on Jan. 30 it has decided to suspend all flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing from Jan. 31 until Feb. 9. SAS offers 12 regular weekly connections from and to Shanghai and Beijing. SHANGHAI AIRLINES Shanghai Airlines said on Jan. 31 it would suspend its Chengdu-Budapest flight between Feb. 4 and March 28 and its Xian-Budapest flight between Feb. 6 and March 26 according to a statement on the website of the Budapest Airport operator. The airlines Shanghai-Budapest flight is unaffected. SINGAPORE AIRLINES Singapore Airlines Ltd said on Jan. 31 it would reduce capacity on some of its routes to mainland China in February. The cuts include flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing, some of which are flown by regional arm SilkAir. Its budget carrier Scoot is also cutting back on flights to China. TURKISH AIRLINES Turkeys flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would decrease frequency on scheduled flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xian between Feb. 5 and Feb. 29. UNITED AIRLINES Chicago-based United said it would implement a second phase of flight cancellations between its hub cities in the United States and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, resulting in 332 additional round trips being called off through March 28. The cancellations will reduce the carriers daily departures for mainland China and Hong Kong to four daily departures from 12. United had previously suspended 24 U.S. flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 because of a significant drop in demand. UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC UPS has canceled 22 China flights, as a result of the Wuhan quarantines and normal manufacturing closures due to the Lunar New Year holiday, UPS Chief Executive David Abney said on Jan. 30. He did not specify how many flights cancellations were due to the virus. VIETJET Vietnams Vietjet will suspend all flights to and from China from Feb. 1, the company said on Jan. 31. VIRGIN ATLANTIC Virgin Atlantic said on Jan. 30 it would suspend its daily operations to Shanghai for two weeks from Feb. 2. It cited declining demand for flights and the safety of its customers and staff. (Compiled by Jagoda Darlak and Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Jason Neely) Copyright 2020 Reuters. Click for restrictions. Other major carriers have kept flying to China, but protective masks and shorter layovers designed to reduce exposure have done little to reassure crews. A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern is catching the virus and spreading it to families, or getting quarantined while on a layover. I didnt understand the gravity of the situation until I went there, she said on condition of anonymity, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. Now I feel like Im on a 14-day countdown. Thai Airways is hosing its cabins with disinfectant spray between China flights and allowing crew to wear masks and gloves. Delta Air Lines is operating fewer flights and offering food deliveries so crew can stay in their hotels. The carrier is also allowing pilots to drop China trips without pay, a memo from its union to members said. Korean Air Lines Co Ltd and Singapore Airlines are sending additional crew to fly each plane straight back, avoiding overnight stays. The South Korean carrier also said it was loading hazmat suits for flight attendants who might need to take care of suspected coronavirus cases in the air. Airlines in Asia are seeing a big drop in bookings along with forced cancellations because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd said, adding the impact could last for some months. The outbreak poses the biggest epidemic threat to the airline industry since the 2003 SARS crisis, which led to a 45% plunge in passenger demand in Asia at its peak in April of that year, analysts said. Fitch Ratings said airlines with more moderate exposure to China and the Asia-Pacific region were likely to be able to re-deploy capacity to alternative routes to mitigate the effect on traffic, but that could increase competition on those routes and reduce airfares. Air France, which maintained China flights throughout the SARS epidemic, suspended its Beijing and Shanghai flights on Thursday after cabin crews demanded an immediate halt. When the staff see that other airlines have stopped flying there, their reaction is Why are we still going?, said Flore Arrighi, president of UNAC, one of the airlines four main flight attendants unions. (Reporting by Tracy Rucinski, Laurence Frost and David Shepardson; Additional reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal, Aradhana Aravindan, John Geddie and Anshuman Daga in Singapore, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok, Caroline Pailliez in Paris, Josephine Mason in London, Jamie Freed in Sydney and Joyce Lee in Seoul; Writing by Jamie Freed and Tracy Rucinski; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Lisa Shumaker) Topics Carriers USA China Aviation France (JNS)-Barbara Birch, 45, of New York was tapped last month as the new president and chief executive officer of ORT America. She most recently served as vice president of development at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, managing strategic planning, fundraising and business development. Her work focused on managing relationships with lay leadership and connecting constituents to the organization's mission to create a culture of giving. Previously, she held leadership roles in development at Yeshiva University, including as assistant vice president for alumni affairs and annual giving, and director of alumni affairs at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York City. Birch will be going to Israel in February to see firsthand the work and progress of ORT schools and programs. Q: What did you know about ORT before you became president and CEO? A: Before I started my recent exploration of ORT, I was aware of the fact that the organization was focused on education, and I associated it with Israel. Primarily, though, I knew my grandmother had been a member and a proud supporter. As a teacher, ORT's educational mission spoke to her, and as we know, American Jews of her generation were eager to support Israel; they lived through one of the most dramatic moments in Jewish history-seeing the Jewish state become a reality. As I became more familiar with ORT, I was amazed to learn that it works in more than 30 countries, and is a significant global organization impacting hundreds of communities and hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Q: What was ORT known for in the early years, and how did it work to change Jewish lives? A: From its beginning in 1880 in Russia teaching Jewish farmers new technology following the Industrial Revolution, ORT has remained tuned in to changing economies. It has stayed a step ahead of what the world's Jewish communities need to support social mobility and not let those in lower socio-economic environments get left behind. Early on, ORT succeeded in building a strong reputation for providing vocational training to the huge numbers of new immigrants to Israel, who came in large numbers to the new state after World War II. It was a direct line to getting jobs for those individuals, and it helped build the State of Israel by training a much-needed skilled workforce. Q: How has ORT evolved over the decades? What is it known for now, and how does it impact lives around the world? A: For 140 years, ORT has adapted to meet the needs of the communities it supports. Its evolution is reflective of a changing job market, and our priority is to teach the most relevant skills to support learning, professional development and preparation for meaningful careers that respond to a rapidly changing economy. For our students, science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) comes to life through course offerings that include robotics, computer science and coding, ecology and emerging agricultural technologies, digital skills, media arts and medicine. When students from under-resourced communities have access to high-quality education, they are better positioned to enter the job market with marketable skills, become leaders in their own right and invest back into their communities. In Israel, World ORT Kadima Mada strengthens Israeli society by bridging the economic gap between the center and the periphery. ORT offers innovative educational programs and state-of-the-art schools and facilities for students with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), creating a path to success and economic independence, and supporting Israel's strong economy by training a workforce for the future. In the former Soviet Union and other Diaspora Jewish communities, ORT invests in Jewish schools, making them appealing to Jewish families by offering STEM education and a curriculum that instills in students a strong sense of Jewish values and culture, leading to the renewal of Jewish communal life and deepened connections to Jewish identity for generations to come. Q: Can you describe an anecdote where ORT has played a significant role in helping people? A: There are so many ORT success stories (or stories of transformation), but Polina is reflective of many of the students at World ORT Kadima Mada's Kfar Silver Youth Village, a boarding and day school for at-risk youth in southern Israel. Now 17, she left her home in Ukraine at the age of 14 without her parents and made aliyah to Israel. Her life in Ukraine was filled with immense economic challenges and an uncertain future. Polina and her family made the choice for her to move to Israel and live at Kfar Silver, which would provide her with the best opportunities for her future. A young teen, she was scared to come to Israel without her family. When she arrived at Kfar Silver, she was not able to read, write or speak a word of Hebrew. She was enrolled in an intensive introductory Hebrew course; now in her third year there, she is fluent in Hebrew with an average score in her work at 90 percent. Polina shares, "I'm really proud of myself for advancing so far in Hebrew. I have made a very close group of friends here who have become my family. They support me in everything I do. I love the teachers here-they work hard to give me everything I need. I know that if I need help with anything, I can easily go to them, and they will always be there to help me in my academic subjects and with any other issue I'm experiencing. I can honestly say that my life here in Israel is much better than it was in Ukraine; that Kfar Silver has changed my life completely." Polina enjoys English and diplomacy, which includes a focus on negotiation and communication. She says she would like to work in the field of international relations. Q: What are your immediate and future goals for the organization? A: My goal for ORT is to rebuild the strong American base of support that existed years ago. I see three key ways to begin that process. First is to retell ORT's incredible story of 140 years of meaningful, impactful work. Not enough people know its long history, and we want to show them how ORT's work impacts the Jewish world and addresses the issues they care about, such as strengthening and sustaining Jewish life, and ensuring that Israelis in the periphery have the best opportunity possible to be active and successful Israeli citizens. Polina made "aliyah" by herself from Ukraine at age 14. Now 17, she resides in Kfar Silver Youth Village, a boarding and day school for at-risk youth in southern Israel. Second, we need to respond to a Jewish philanthropic landscape that has changed significantly in the last 15 to 20 years. Funders today are thinking differently about how they give; they want to know a lot more about what they are investing in and why. We need to meet them where they are in the conversation about Israel, Jewish life and the various social-justice issues that matter to them today. And finally, we need to expand our presence and visibility in Jewish communal spaces more broadly. By joining in the national conversation with other Jewish organizations, both old and new, we can support each other in our work, and compare and contrast our respective roles to play in world. I hope to make progress towards all three of these goals in May, when we will explore our work in Israel together as part of ORT America's Mission to Israel and the World ORT General Assembly in Jerusalem. These travel opportunities enable our supporters to experience our impact up close through the eyes of our students and teachers, and it all coincides with our milestone 140th anniversary celebration. I can't think of a better way to celebrate such an important time in this organization's history. MDC Alliance Makokoba legislator Mr James Sithole together with two accomplices who were accused of embezzling US$4 250 and R10 000 belonging to a local burial society he chaired, were yesterday acquitted by the courts. Sithole (45), Jacob Manyange (64), Raymond Gombedza (47) all from Makokoba suburb and Manyara Muzamani (49) of Cowdray Park appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Shepherd Munjanja facing theft of trust property charges. The four men were alleged to have diverted to their personal use R10 000 which belonged to Makokoba Burial Society after collecting the money from the treasurer Ms Margaret Sibindi. They were also accused of squandering US$4 250, which was restituted by Ms Sibindi following her conviction and sentence for dipping her fingers into the coffers of the burial society.The burial society was founded in 2010 by MDC party supporters in the constituency to assist members during funerals. Mr Munjanja acquitted Sithole, Gombeza and Muzamani on both counts. He however, dismissed Manyanges application for discharge at the close of the State case and placed him on his defence in relation to the second count. In acquitting the three men, Mr Munjanja ruled that the State failed to prove a prima facie case against them. The State witnesses did not give convincing evidence and clearly, the State case was like flogging a dead horse. Accordingly, the three accused persons are discharged at the close of the State case and acquitted, he said. It was the States case that between 2010 and 2011, the accused persons acted in common purpose and sent Manyange to collect R10 000 which was being kept by Ms Sibindi who was the treasurer of the burial society at the time. It was, however, not stated in court papers why the accused persons had requested the money from Ms Sibindi. They allegedly converted the money to their personal use and the money was not recovered. In 2011, Ms Sibindi, who was responsible for keeping the money, stole US$4 250 from the burial society and she was arrested and taken to court and convicted of theft. She was ordered to restitute the money and she complied with the court order by paying the money through the Clerk of Court at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court. The prosecutor, Mr Leonard Chile, said Manyange went to the Clerk of Court at Tredgold building where he signed for the money and took the cash. Manyange signed and collected the money which was restituted by Margaret Sibindi. The four accused persons, acting in common purpose, converted the money to their personal use, said Mr Chile. In her testimony, Ms Sibindi told the court that the four accused persons embezzled the funds belonging to the society. A protester damages a photo of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harri Harris during a rally near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on Dec. 13, 2019. Korea Times file By Jung Min-ho U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris is gaining the status of persona non grata among the Korean public, if not yet officially designated as such by the Korean government. His words and acts that defy diplomatic protocols dismay and make Koreans feel humiliated. Conservatives and progressives agree on this assessment, which is rather unusual in the extremely polarized nation. Since he took up the post in July 2018, Harris, a former admiral who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a U.S. Navy officer, has been under fire by even many conservatives, who in general view the United States and its representatives far more favorably. The latest controversy came after he told foreign correspondents here on Jan. 17 that South Korea should consult the United States about its plans to resume individual tours to Mount Geumgang in North Korea if the South wants to avoid misunderstandings that could trigger sanctions. His remark has drawn stinging criticism from Cheong Wa Dae and ruling party lawmakers as well as a street protest over the weekend. Some denounced Harris for "being rude" and "acting like a governor general" during Japanese colonial rule (1910-45). Nirbhaya: Still sad, but at peace knowing that justice has been delivered Nirbhaya: Delhi court reserves orders on plea seeking stay on hanging India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: A Delhi court has reserved its orders on a plea seeking a stay of the executions in the Nirbhaya case. The court will pronounce its order later today. The convicts had sought a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. The court had on Thursday issued notices to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts. Irfan Ahmed, the public prosecutor told the court that this was complete mockery of justice. Nirbhaya: Hangman arrives at Tihar ahead of uncertain hanging Counsel for the convicts, however, told the court that under Section 854 of the revised Delhi Prison Rules, none can be hanged till the last one has exhausted all options in case of multiple death row convicts, held guilty for the same crime. He also told the court that the Supreme Court in 2014 had said that death row convicts should be given 14 days time after the rejection of their mercy plea before hanging them. NEWS AT 3 PM, JAN 31st JAN, 2020 Meanwhile, Pawan Jallad, a hangman from the Meerut Prison, reported to the Tihar Jail administration Officials said Pawan, a third-generation hangman, will be staying on the jail premises and check the strength of rope and other related things on Friday. DENVER, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RLH Corporation (NYSE:RLH) (RLHC or the Company) today announced a strategic plan to go back to basics in 2020 and beyond with a renewed commitment to franchisees and a tactical focus on growth opportunities. With a refreshed outlook, RLHC is approaching the next months with a focus on what matters most to its franchisees: the evaluation and implementation of common sense brand standards which focus on ROI for owners; amplifying marketing spend to increase brand contribution; targeted campaigns with input from franchisees; digital enhancements and expansion; and a commitment to development opportunities in markets that resonate with RLHC brands. Corporate efforts will be rooted in R.O.A.R Recruit, Onboard, Add value and Retain. R.O.A.R is vital to our effort of heading back to basics in 2020, said RLHC Interim CEO John Russell. This approach will help reinforce the foundation of the RLH Corporation business, show a commitment to strengthening bonds with our franchisees and partners, and amplify the Companys growth opportunities. Franchisee relationship building with an increase in owner engagement is the primary focus of the Companys back to basics approach. The comprehensive and multifaceted plan relies heavily on the overhaul and addition of operational and marketing programs. To begin, the Franchise Operations team will spend more time in the field, increasing the number of Town Hall meetings across the nation by 50% over 2019. The Company is also refining the Brand Advisory Board program to enhance the franchisee role in the decisions that impact the brands. The Company also plans to strategically expand its digital and targeted marketing program in 2020, primarily in local and regional markets, putting a larger focus on community engagement, franchisee revenue sources, and with the intent to increase contribution to owners. Aggressive regional market penetration will also drive lodging development for the Company. We are taking a close look at further infiltration of geographic markets that are most important for our various brands, as well as the guests who continue to show loyalty to our brands and franchisees, said Harry Sladich, EVP of Franchise Development. We are confident this will create new opportunities with existing franchisees and will lead to relationships beyond our current RLHC family. The Company will also continue to emphasize its low cost, high visibility loyalty program, Hello Rewards. To further support and engage with franchisees this year, the RLHC Women in Leadership and Learning program (WiLL) in partnership with AAHOA, is inviting female franchisees, property leaders and affiliates to quarterly leadership development courses. The Company is committed to empowering women in the hospitality business, providing inspiration and a support network as well as learning and personal growth opportunities, said SVP of Brand Strategy Amanda Marcello. It is crucial to our success that we offer the rising stars in our industry the space to grow and learn. To learn more about franchising with RLH Corporation, visit franchise.rlhco.com . We dont wait for the future. We create it. About RLH Corporation RLH Corporation is an innovative hotel company focused on the franchising of upscale, midscale and economy hotels. The Company maximizes return on invested capital for hotel owners across North America through relevant brands, industry-leading technology and forward-thinking services. For more information, please visit the Company's website at www.rlhco.com . Social Media: www.Facebook.com/hotelrl www.Twitter.com/hotelrl www.Instagram.com/hotelrl www.Linkedin.com/company/rlhco Media Contact: FINN Partners 212-561-6454 rlhcorp@finnpartners.com Several new volunteers, and some familiar faces, have stepped up to serve on various boards and commissions in the borough. Council unanimously approved a long list of 2020 appointments Tuesday night, and announced several more spots still seeking applicants. All of the people who were appointed this evening we appreciate your work for the borough, said council President Jim Sando. Appointed unanimously were the following volunteers to the boards and terms as follows: Civil Service Commission Herbert Schlegel, for six years, through Dec. 31, 2025. Historical Architecture Review Board Ray Tschoepe, for five years, through 2024. Historic Commission Mike Szilagyi, for five years, through 2024. Nor-Gwyn Pool Commission Andy Dzeidic, for five years, through 2024. North Wales Water Authority Donna Mengel, for five years, through 2024. Parks and Recreation Board Lisa Byrne, for five years, through 2024. Pension Committee Jim Sando, for one year, through 2020. Pension Committee Lisa Hollister and Lynne Custer, both for one year, through 2020. Planning Commission Greg DAngelo, for four years, through 2023. Shade Tree Commission Lisa Byrne, for five years, through 2024. Zoning Hearing Board Gregory Lord, for five years, through 2024. Several positions still remain vacant, as follows: Parks and Recreation Board three seats open, for one year through 2020; for three years through 2022 and for four years through 2023. Historical Architectural Review Board One seat open for a real estate broker, for four years, through 2023. Zoning Hearing Board one seat open, for four years, through 2023. If you know anyone who you think might be interested in any of those, please have them contact Christine (Hart, Borough Manager) and we will revisit that at a future meeting, Sando said. Those interested can send letters of interest with a resume to Hart at 300 School Street, North Wales PA 19454. The only requirements for any of the positions are that the member be a borough resident, except for the real estate broker position for HARB. Donation to memorial approved: Council also voted unanimously to approve a $100 donation to the Montgomery County Police Officers Memorial. We received a letter, as many municipalities do, asking if we could contribute to the police officers memorial fund, said Borough Manager Christine Hart. The leaders gather each year at the center of Norristown, the courthouse, and theyre asking for a nominal donation from each municipality, she said. That ceremony is held on the first Friday of May in each year at the monument, and the donations will be used to maintain a memorial for 28 law enforcement officers recognized for giving their lives in the line of duty, according to a letter to council from Montgomery County Police Officers Memorial Committee President Joseph Regan. Regardless of whether your community is currently represented by one of these heroes, we all know it could happen anytime, anywhere. We need your help to maintain this sacred place, so the families know that they are not forgotten, and for all of us to reflect on the sacrifices of the men and women who protect and serve, said Regan. Historic home upgrades get OK: Council also unanimously approved two request for certificates of appropriateness as recommended by the boroughs HARB board. A request from the owners of the 200 block of Walnut Street, formerly known as Jennys Hair Salon but recently vacant, has been purchased by a new owner seeking to add new asphalt shingle roofing, a new door, and new signage, according to Hart. Amato asked why the documentation referred to that as a noncontributing building, and Hart said that designation is applied to those that have no major historic value, or have been stripped of their historical integrity, but still fall within the towns historic district. A different request, from the owners of a house on the 200 block of Shearer Street, asks for a new asphalt shingle roof due to extensive leaking from the older one. Both were approved unanimously by borough council. Arts Alliance planning programs: Several art classes and programs are now scheduled to be hosted by the North Penn Arts Alliance at the North Wales Arts and Cultural Center, located within the borough-owned classroom and offices at 125 N. Main Street. Instructor Jill Fielding will host a fused glass workshop from noon to 2 p.m. on Feb. 8, for ages 15 to adult, for $55 per person plus an $18 supply fee payable to the instructor. On Feb. 20, Fielding will also host a glass sun catcher workshop from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., also for $55 per person plus an $18 supply fee. Instructor Barbara Moss Buscher will host a pen and ink workshop for kids ages 12 and over on Feb. 4 and 11 from 4 to 5:30 p.m., for $50 per person, and a watercolor for beginner and intermediate class on Tuesdays from Feb. 25 through April 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a $130 per person fee. Tricks of the Trade: advanced watercolor workshop will be offered by instructor Kass Morin Freeman on March 7 and 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at a cost of $80 per person. Other offerings include Make Art Mondays on the third Monday of each month; a free speaker series on the first Wednesday of each month; Paint & Sip Parties on April 2 and June 11, both from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information on the programs and offerings there call (215) 393-9110, visit www.NorthPennArts.org or email info@northpennarts.org. North Korea on Saturday stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of a new strain of the Chinese coronavirus with the cancellation of a flight between Pyongyang and Beijing, and a temporary restriction on foreign residents' trips to China. The Rodong Sinmun, the daily of the North's ruling Workers' Party, also carried an article on the coronavirus that originated from Wuhan in central China, in an apparent effort to call for caution among North Koreans. The North has not reported any confirmed case yet. "Recently, the damage from the new strain of the coronavirus has been expanding," the article reads. "Media outlets in many countries have reported that its impact on the world economy could potentially be greater than that when the severe acute respiratory syndrome spread in the past," it added. Citing a Chinese official's explanation, the paper pointed out that when one has early symptoms of the coronavirus infection, such as breathing difficulties, he or she needs immediate medical treatment. The Russian Embassy in Pyongyang reportedly said in its social media post that the North's foreign ministry had notified it that an Air China flight between Pyongyang and Beijing would be canceled until Feb. 10. The British government also said on its website that North Korean authorities have temporarily restricted travel of foreign residents to China, and tour operators have reported a government suspension of tourism to the North. (Yonhap) A man who was filmed defecating on the steps of a law firm after they complained about his smoking before stealing the CCTV footage has pleaded guilty. Michael Makdessi, 33, pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour and larceny at Parramatta Local Court, on Wednesday. The court heard how Makdessi, a barber, refused to stop smoking outside Astor Legal, in Parramatta west of Sydney's CBD. Michael Makdessi, 33, pleaded guilty to offensive behaviour and larceny at Parramatta Local Court, on Wednesday Makdessi was caught defecating on camera in October 2019 after he failed to steal one of the Arlo Pro cameras worth $345 that had filmed his dirty protest. Footage of the incident shows Makdessi, wearing a hooded jumper and jeans, walk up to the law firm before pulling down his pants and defecating. Makdessi cleaned himself up before he then tried to pull one of the cameras down. The firm's director found the droppings and discarded tissue on October 14 and it was photographed and forensically cleaned. 'He identified himself as the person depicted in the CCTV footage before making full and frank admissions to the offences before the court,' police facts said. 'The accused admitted to defecating on the doorstep of the law firm and stealing the CCTV camera.' Makdessi was caught defecating on camera in October 2019 after he failed to steal one of the Arlo Pro cameras worth $345 that had filmed his dirty protest Makdessi has been banned from entering the law firm but is allowed to go to the restaurants and shops it shares the building with. He is currently on a two-year corrections order due to expire in May 2020 after he was found with an unauthorised firearm. Makdessi will be sentenced in Parramatta Local Court on March 11. The bag of the 17-year-old minor shooter who opened fire on an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protester at Delhi's Jamia was recovered on Friday containing several inflammatory slogans. The shooter had a red bag, which was left back the road after the attack. A guard of Jamia picked it up from the road believing it to a student's bag and gave it to the Chief Proctor of Jamia. When this bag was opened on Friday some books, mark sheets and a purse were found. Live TV According to Zee News sources, besides some of the provocative sloganned posters, banners saying 'Mandir wahi banayenge' (We will make the temple there) was also found. According to Jamia's Chief Proctor, "Some test papers have also been found, in which the name of the attacker is written. These papers also include the address of the attacker. Apart from this, a purse and some photographs were also found. The bag was found by the guard of Jamia University and it was later handed over to the police." On January 30, while the Jamia Milia Islamia University students were marching from Jamia to Rajghat, an attacker shot a student named Shadab while raising slogans. Demonstrations against the CAA and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have been taking place in Jamia and Shaheen Bagh for the last nearly 50 days. A Delhi court sent the minor to 14-day protective custody on Friday. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has, meanwhile, applied to carry out an ossification test of the Jamia shooter to ascertain his age. The minor, who is a resident of Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, had triggered panic in the area by opening fire in broad daylight in presence of policemen deployed there. The entire drama, which was captured by television cameras, showed the young man in light coloured pants and a dark jacket, walking away on an empty road barricaded by police, turning around and shouting at the protesters in Hindi, "Here, take this freedom." Behind him, a group of policemen could be seen in the frame. Seconds later, he was apprehended by the police. The United States on Thursday extended exemptions to let an internationally backed nuclear deal with Iran go forward, even as it announced new sanctions to step up pressure. President Donald Trump in 2018 pulled out of the accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama, sending tensions soaring with Iran and leading Tehran to curb compliance, but European powers still back the deal. Brian Hook, the US pointman on Iran, said that the United States would for another 60 days issue exemptions in its sweeping sanctions to let Russian and other companies implement it without fear of punishment by Washington. The extension will "permit the continuation of nonproliferation projects that constrain Iran's nuclear activities," Hook told reporters. "We will closely monitor all developments in Iran's nuclear program, and Secretary (Mike) Pompeo can end these projects as developments warrant," he said. The exemptions affect the Bushehr nuclear power plant and the Arak heavy water reactor, with the nations in the accord working to ensure they are not put to military use. The Trump administration has repeatedly extended the waivers but stopped doing so in November for another site, Fordo, in retaliation for Iran's lifting its level of uranium enrichment. Iran's step, which still leaves its uranium well below weapons-grade, aimed to pressure Europeans to show tangible benefits of the nuclear deal despite the US imposition of sanctions. Just as it extended waivers, the United States announced new sanctions on the head of Iran Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi. The nuclear chief "personally inaugurated the installation of new, advanced centrifuges to expand its uranium enrichment capacity," Hook said. The new sanctions freeze any US assets Salehi may have -- a move with little practical effect as Iran is already under severe sanctions. Hook also announced the first transaction with Iran under a new financial channel aimed at easing humanitarian trade, with the sale to the country of cancer and transplant drugs. Since Trump imposed sanctions on Iran, the United States has insisted that humanitarian goods are exempt. But with the United States vowing to end virtually all trade with Iran, many companies have been hesitant, fearing they could get caught up in US sanctions. The United States announced the humanitarian channel in a joint initiative with Switzerland last year. Critics voiced skepticism over the move as the United States was seeking exhaustive paperwork for each transaction and warning that it could use the documentation to impose sanctions if it finds wrongdoing. Trump, a close ally of Iran's rivals Saudi Arabia and Israel, has vowed to fight Iran's regional role and earlier this month ordered the killing of Iran's most powerful general. A handout picture provided by Iran's Atomic Energy Organization in December 2019 shows the nuclear water reactor of Arak, south of capital Tehran ATLANTA, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Rollins, Inc. (NYSE: ROL), a premier global consumer and commercial service company, announced today that its subsidiary, Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire Clark Pest Control, Inc., based in Bakersfield, CA. The transaction is expected to be completed in the first quarter. Clark Pest Control was founded in Fresno, California in the 1940's by two brothers, Jim Sr. and Charlie Clark. Early in the development of their business, the brothers decided to build separate businesses by splitting up - Charlie went north to Stockton while Jim Sr. went south to Bakersfield. They continued to share the Clark Pest Control name, and their respective businesses grew. Rollins acquired Charlie Clark's business, Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Inc., in the second quarter of 2019. Today, Jim Clark Sr.'s business, Clark Pest Control, Inc., has more than 160 employees operating from offices in Bakersfield, Fresno, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, and Visalia. Completion of this acquisition will rejoin the two companies. Once integrated, Clark Pest Control will have over 1,300 dedicated employees providing exceptional customer service from 28 locations throughout California and northern Nevada. "It has been a long-held dream of ours to bring the two Clark Pest Control companies back together," says Robert Baker, President of Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Inc. "We are happy that as one combined company going forward, we will be optimally positioned to serve our markets in California and Nevada with the finest pest management and associated services." About Rollins Rollins, Inc. is a premier global consumer and commercial services company. Through its family of leading brands, Orkin, HomeTeam Pest Defense, Clark Pest Control, Orkin Canada, Western Pest Services, Northwest Exterminating, Critter Control, The Industrial Fumigant Company, Trutech, Orkin Australia, Waltham Services, OPC Pest Services, PermaTreat, Rollins UK, Aardwolf Pestkare, and Crane Pest Control, the Company provides essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects to more than two million customers in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, the Mediterranean, Europe, Africa, Mexico, and Australia from more than 700 locations. You can learn more about Rollins and its subsidiaries by visiting our web sites at www.orkin.com , www.pestdefense.com , www.clarkpest.com, www.orkincanada.ca , www.westernpest.com , www.callnorthwest.com, www.crittercontrol.com , www.indfumco.com , www.trutechinc.com , www.orkinau.com , www.walthamservices.com , www.opcpest.com , www.permatreat.com , www.safeguardpestcontrol.co.uk , www.aardwolfpestkare.com, www.cranepestcontrol.com and www.rollins.com . You can also find this and other news releases at www.rollins.com by accessing the news releases button. CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements about the Company's expectation that the acquisition of Clark Pest Control will be completed in the first quarter of 2020; the Company's expectation that Clark Pest Control will have over 1,300 employees following the integration of Clark Pest Control, Inc. with Clark Pest Control of Stockton, Inc.; and the Company's belief that following the integration, Clark Pest Control will be optimally positioned to serve its markets in California and Nevada with the finest pest management and associated services as one combined company. The actual results of the Company could differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, economic and competitive conditions which may adversely affect the Company's business; the degree of success of the Company's pest and termite process, and pest control selling and treatment methods; the Company's ability to identify and integrate potential acquisitions; climate and weather trends; competitive factors and pricing practices; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled workers, and potential increases in labor costs; uncertainties of litigation; changes in various government laws and regulations, including environmental regulations; and the impact of the U. S. Government shutdown. All of the foregoing risks and uncertainties are beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict the risks and uncertainties that could cause its actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements. A more detailed discussion of potential risks facing the Company can be found in the Company's Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2018. For Further Information Contact Eddie Northen (404) 888-2242 SOURCE Rollins, Inc. Related Links http://www.rollins.com This is the Impeachment Briefing, The Timess newsletter about the impeachment investigation. Sign up here to get it in your inbox every weeknight. What happened today The fate of President Trumps impeachment trial is likely sealed. Late Thursday, Senator Lamar Alexander, seen as the deciding vote on whether new witnesses would be heard in the trial, said he would vote against the measure. The announcement dealt what was widely seen as fatal blow to Democrats, who needed four Republicans to sign on to the idea. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Mr. Alexander said in a statement. Senator Susan Collins, another key Republican vote, announced Thursday night that she would vote to support hearing from witnesses, joining Senator Mitt Romney. Even if Senator Lisa Murkowski, another moderate, were to form a trio with them, Democrats wouldnt have the votes they need: A 50-50 tie in an impeachment trial means a motion fails. Chief Justice John Roberts could decide to break that tie while impeachment rules are vague, there is some precedent but its unlikely he would do it. Democrats responded on Thursday with defiance and some limited resolve. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that if the Senate refused to call new witnesses, an acquittal would not be legitimate. Representative Adam Schiff, the lead House manager, tried to rebuff the idea that witnesses would substantially prolong the trial by suggesting limiting depositions to one week, the same length of time used during the Clinton impeachment trial. Read our full story on the day and some key takeaways. The questions, continued Mr. Alexanders statement came just minutes after the conclusion of the second and final day of senators questions, which touched on whether its acceptable for a president to accept dirt from a foreign country and the nature of a political crime, among many other topics. There were even several bipartisan questions. Heres a sampling of what the senators inquired about. Ms. Collins asked if there was there a proper way to ask the Ukrainians to investigate the Bidens. Mr. Schiff said that under a mutual legal assistance treaty, the Justice Department can request Ukraines help with investigations. In the first bipartisan question of the trial, four senators from both parties asked about whether Mr. Trump would pledge that private citizens not be directed to conduct foreign policy without being formally designated by the president and the State Department an implicit condemnation of Rudy Giuliani. Patrick Philbin, a deputy counsel to Mr. Trump, denied anything like that had taken place. Does the fact that the chief justice is presiding over an impeachment trial in which Republican senators have thus far refused to allow witnesses or evidence contribute to the loss of legitimacy of the chief justice, the Supreme Court and the Constitution? Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, asked the House managers. Mr. Schiff said that Chief Justice Roberts had presided admirably over the proceedings. Members of Parliament react during plenary session on BREXIT vote of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, 29 January 2020. EPA BRUSSELS - The European Parliament gave final approval to Britain's divorce from the European Union on Wednesday, paving the way for the country to quit the bloc on Friday after nearly half a century and delivering a major setback for European integration. After an emotional debate during which several speakers shed tears, EU lawmakers voted 621 for and 49 against the Brexit agreement sealed between Britain and the 27 other member states last October, more than three years since Britons voted out. Thirteen lawmakers abstained and the chamber then broke into a rendition of Auld Lang Syne, a traditional Scottish folk song of farewell. Britain's 73 departing EU lawmakers headed for an "Au Revoir" party in the EU chamber after the vote. Earlier on Wednesday, Britain's ambassador to the EU handed documents formalising Brexit to a senior EU official. Against a backdrop of British and EU flags at the bloc's Brussels headquarters, Tim Barrow, smiling, passed over a dark blue leather file embossed with the emblem of the United Kingdom. After protracted divorce talks, Britain will leave the club it joined in 1973 at midnight Brussels time (2300 GMT) on Friday, when British flags will be removed from EU offices and the EU flag lowered on the British premises there. With a status-quo transition period running only until year-end, fresh talks - covering everything from trade to security - will begin soon on a new relationship. "We are considering a zero-tariff, zero-quotas free trade agreement. But the precondition is that EU and British businesses continue to compete on a level playing field. We will certainly not expose our companies to unfair competition," European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen told the chamber. Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier told envoys of the remaining 27 members earlier on Wednesday that a loose association agreement like the EU has with Ukraine should serve as the basis for new relations, diplomatic sources said. "We will not give ground on issues that are important to us," Barnier said, according to sources briefed on the closed-door meeting. On his last working day as a member of the European Parliament, leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage told reporters there was "no going back" once the UK leaves. "The UK didn't fit, we'd be better off out," he said, describing euroscepticism as a settled view in the UK, where "Leave" won the 2016 referendum by a narrow 52 to 48 percent margin. He said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised him there would be no so-called 'level playing field' clauses on fair competition in the new EU-UK deal, highlighting a major point of contention with the bloc in the coming talks. As Farage beamed, his Brexit Party lawmakers waved goodbye to the chamber with mini Union Jack flags and chanted "Hurray!", but their Socialist compatriot Jude Kirton-Darling choked back tears. "It's probably the saddest day of my life so far. Brexit is something that attacks the very foundation of our identity," said Kirton-Darling, who plans to stay in Brussels with her Belgian husband. Guy Verhofstadt, a liberal EU lawmaker from Belgium and a staunch europhile, lamented Brexit as a historic debacle: "It's sad to see a country leaving that twice liberated us, twice gave its blood to liberate Europe." As a new reality dawns on Europe from Saturday, the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU, or UKRep, will become a foreign mission - already dubbed "UKmissEU" by some. ((Reuters) The two convicts in the 2012 gang rape case, who have approached a Delhi court for stay on their execution on February 1, want the matter to be adjourned sine die. These convicts are not terrorists, said their lawyer AP Singh. He is representing Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta. The lawyer cited Rule 836 of the Prison manual which says that in a case where more than one person has been handed over the death penalty, the execution cannot take place unless all the convicts have exhausted their legal options. Pawan Kumar Gupta has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on the rejection of his juvenility claim, Singh said. Akshays curative has been rejected and I would file the mercy plea after I have got the order from the Supreme Court, he further said. Lawyer Vrinda Grover, who is representing Mukesh Singh, also joined AP Singh and saying that there is a common sentence in which the accused have been convicted. The execution order is a common order. My client cannot be hanged and the execution of one cannot be separated from other. Hence, the execution should be stayed, she said. Mukesh is out of legal options after his plea against the presidential order was rejected by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The arguments were made in response to prosecutions argument against staying the February 1 execution who said that the application is not maintainable. Public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said, The execution date of February 1 still holds good for all convicts barring Vinay Sharma since his mercy petition is pending before the President. So, all the other convicts except Vinay can be hanged and no law prevents their hanging. The court will pronounce its order at 2.30 pm. Thakur and Sharma had filed the petition on Thursday seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1 (Saturday). The court had issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on the petition and asked the prison officials to submit a status report. The trial court had on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. The four convicts - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - were sentenced to death by a fast-track court in just about a year of the gruesome crime that had brought thousands of people on the streets to protest. It led to a major overhaul of laws surrounding sexual assault. Their victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Staff at Reillys Daybreak in Naul, where last years 175m EuroMillions jackpot was won by the Naul Family Syndicate Dublin punters are being urged to check their Lotto tickets after Wednesday night's 7.7m draw was won by two lucky players. Ireland's newest millionaires will split the jackpot, with each player receiving a cool 3,886,999. The winning Lotto numbers were: 01, 03, 20, 22, 39, 44 and the bonus number was 16. This is the first Lotto jackpot won in 2020. A National Lottery official said it hopes to reveal the name of the two winning stores in Dublin later today. "It is incredible luck for our Dublin players. Two people woke up [yesterday] as brand new millionaires - sharing the 7,773,998 jackpot," they said. "We are now appealing for anybody who may have purchased their Lotto tickets in Dublin in the last number of days to check their tickets carefully to see if they have won one of these tickets, worth 3,886,999 each. Space "With a Lotto jackpot win of this amount, it is important that we inform the winning retailer and give the winning ticketholder the time and space they need to let this truly life-changing win sink in," the National Lottery spokesperson added. This is the first time the Lotto jackpot has been shared since May 2017, when a 12.3m win was split between two players in Donegal and Westmeath. Wednesday's jackpot was close to being shared three ways as another Lotto player matched five numbers and the bonus ball - one number short of splitting the jackpot with these two lucky Dublin winners. The winning ticket, worth 46,714, was sold online. In total, over 79,000 players won prizes on Wednesday's draw alone. The spokesperson said: "If you are the winner of one of these truly life-changing prizes, be sure to sign the back of your ticket, keep it safe and contact the National Lottery prize claims team as soon as you can on 01 836 4444 and we will make arrangements for you to come to collect your prize. "Also, if you play online be sure to check your emails to see if you are the lucky winner of the tidy sum of 46,714." Thirty lucky punters became millionaires last year, with 640m won overall. The biggest National Lottery prize paid out last year was the record-breaking 175m EuroMillions jackpot won by the 'Naul Family Syndicate'. In total, 266m in EuroMillions prizes was won in Ireland last year. Digital media workers in North Macedonia have won a groundbreaking new charter for decent work and model fair work contracts, thanks to a campaign launched by IFJ affiliates. On Wednesday, January 30, the Trade Union of Macedonian Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) was joined by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) and the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia (SEMM) at the signing of a new charter for good working conditions and a model for fair working contracts for workers in digital media. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomed it as a "massive step" towards improving the labour rights and conditions of the country's digital media workers. This campaign for fair working conditions for digital media journalists formed part of the IFJ's drive to unionise digital media workers, funded by Swedish solidarity organisation UniontoUnion. Both the charter and the draft for fair working contracts are a part of the introduction of a self-regulation process for digital news media in North Macedonia. The charter will commit online media to respect the Code of Journalists and publish decisions by the Council of Media Ethics. North Macedonian citizens are able to report media who breach the ethical codes on a special web platform. When working on the draft fair agreements for journalists we tried to protect the rights of the journalists and media workers as much as possible. We hope that with this we will raise awareness that without social and economic stability, and proper working conditions, professional and objective journalism cannot be practised. Only journalists with integrity can be proper watchdogs of the public interest, said Darko Duridanski, project coordinator of SSNM. The new charter is based on the EFJ charter on journalists working conditions, which sets out key criteria for creating fair labour conditions for journalists and the values private or public authorities should apply when dealing with journalists. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger said: This is a massive step forward for digital media workers in North Macedonia by making fair working conditions a key part of a new self-regulation process. It is an excellent sign for the future of journalistic integrity in the country. We welcome this step and encourage online media to sign the charter for the good of journalists and the public good and urge digital media journalists to join the union, get organised and secure improved working conditions. Ensuring healthy, safe and fair working conditions for digital news journalists has been a central part of the IFJ's and affiliates' work in recent years. A recent campaign highlighted the successes of unions in winning higher pay and better contracts for digital media workers. Last year, with support of the European Union, the IFJ organized a digital and trade-union workshop in Istanbul and Bursa. India's ties with Cuba have not been impacted by the deepening of the Indo-US relationship, Cuban envoy here Oscar Martinez Cordoves said on Friday. He said that in a global world it was important to have relations with all countries and the chill in ties between Cuba and the US was an exception. Cordoves said his country's relations with the US are at their worst under the Donald Trump administration as the American President was bent on reversing everything that his predecessor Barack Obama had done to normalise bilateral ties. "This issue (Cuba's ties with the US) does not interfere with our friendly and sincere relations with India," the Cuban envoy said at an interaction at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia here. In 2014, then Cuban President Raul Castro and the Obama administration had started a process of normalization of relations that allowed for the opening of embassies in the two respective capitals and the signing a score of cooperation agreements. However, those achievements were undone under Trump with the US tightening the blockade imposed on Cuba for nearly six decades. Cordoves said ties between Cuba and India were expanding in the healthcare sector and their was enormous potential to advance cooperation in sectors such as renewable energy and tourism. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Burma Mandalay to Screen Chinese Visitors Amid Coronavirus Scare Mandalay International Airport on Jan. 30, 2020. / The Irrawaddy Mandalay The Mandalay regional government will investigate the activities of 73 Chinese citizens from Wuhan where the coronavirus outbreak began in order to detect any suspected cases, according to acting Chief Minister U Zarni Aung. A tour group arrived by plane in Yangon from Wuhan on Jan. 23 and then visited Mandalay. After most of the airlines operating between Mandalay and China suspended flights, the Chinese Embassy contacted the Chinese Foreign Ministry, which sent a plane and took the visitors back on Jan. 28. On Wednesday, the Mandalay regional authorities met to discuss any threat that the coronavirus might pose to the region. At the meeting, U Zarni Aung ordered that the places where Chinese travelers stayed and visited be recorded so that the authorities could take preventative measures. The regional government has formed a surveillance response team in response to the coronavirus in China. The team is led by Mandalay Mayor Dr. Ye Lwin and includes officials from the Health Department, General Administration Department and Directorate of Hotels and Tourism. The team is tasked with screening Chinese travelers who enter the region and to raise public awareness about the virus. U Zarni Aung also urged the owners of hotels with Chinese guests to inform the authorities if they find suspicious health conditions. As the virus has spread across China, for the time being we are not accepting Chinese guests. We have even canceled reservations from Chinese guests, operations manager Ko Thet Swe Oo of the Sakura Princess Hotel in Chanayethazan Township told The Irrawaddy. According to the National Health Commission of China, the number of confirmed infections of the virus climbed to 9,692 by Jan. 30, including 213 deaths, on the Chinese mainland. There were also 4,812 new suspected cases reported on Jan. 30, pushing the total to 15,238, according to the commission. The virus has spread to at least 15 other countries. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. No confirmed case has been reported in Myanmar, according to the Ministry of Health and Sports. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Myanmar Home Affairs Minister to Retire; Military to Pick Successor Resistance Struggle Not Over Yet for Myanmars Karen, KNU Chief Says Myanmar Police Call on Thailand, Laos in Case Against AA Chiefs Relatives New Delhi: At least three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested on Friday (January 31) from Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow for their alleged links in the violence that had erupted in the city during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests on December 23, 2019. The three accused have been identified as Shakilurraham, Shabi Khan and Mohammad Arshad and have been charged of instigating violence during the anti-CAA protests and National Register of Citizens in the state capital last month. Apart from Lucknow, five other members of PFI have also been arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police on similar charges in Kanpur. According to an IANS report, the five arrested persons, according to sources, were planning to disrupt the function being held to mark the culmination of the 'Ganga Yatra' from Bijnor and Ballia in which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is the chief guest. "We received a tip-off and have arrested these five persons. We will get more details after interrogation. They have links with the PFI that instigated the anti-CAA violence in December in which three persons were killed," said a senior police official. The names of the arrested persons are yet to be ascertained. It may be recalled that the Enforcement Directorate is also probing the bank accounts of the PFI members to ascertain the source of funding for the anti-CAA protests. Photo: The Canadian Press President Donald Trump speaks about the new North American trade agreement at Dana Incorporated, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Warren, Mich. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) President Donald Trump regaled a friendly New Jersey campaign crowd with his thoughts about his impeachment, the economy, the border wall, local politics and much more. But he was conspicuously quiet Tuesday about one big issue keeping much of the globe on pins and needles: the spread of a deadly new type of coronavirus. It has killed more than 170 people in China, sickened thousands more there and led to a handful of confirmed cases in the U.S., including the first U.S. case of person-to-person transmission reported Thursday by health officials. The State Department on Thursday advised all U.S. citizens against travelling to China. Trump, a self-described germaphobe, generally has discussed the virus in broad terms, but he offered some of his most extensive comments on the issue to date during an appearance Thursday at a Michigan manufacturing plant. Hopefully, it won't be as bad as some people think it could be, but we're working very closely with them (Chinese) and with a lot of other people and a lot of other countries," he said. We think we have it very well under control. Trump described the handful of U.S. cases as a very little problem and said those people were recuperating successfully. But we're working very closely with China and other countries and we think it's going to have a very good ending for us. That I can assure you, he said. Trump also has discussed the situation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Aides and confidants say Trump's careful approach is part of a political strategy crafted to avoid upsetting the stock market or angering China by calling too much attention to the virus or blaming Beijing for not managing the situation better, according to a White House official and a Republican close to the White House. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations. Late Wednesday, Trump tweeted photos from a White House Situation Room briefing on the virus, writing that we have the best experts anywhere in the world and they are on top of it 24/7! In keeping with the low-profile approach, the White House announced by email Wednesday night that the meeting included members of a task force that will lead the U.S. response. The 12-person team is chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and co-ordinated through the National Security Council. The president's comments contrast sharply with the fierce criticism he lobbed at his predecessor, President Barack Obama, during the 2014-15 Ebola crisis, which left more than 11,000 dead in three West African nations. At the time, Trump ripped into Obama as a dope and incompetent" and called for a travel ban on visitors from Ebola-infected countries. Trump also advocated preventing infected American health care workers from coming home for treatment. Obama faced some criticism from public health officials for being slow to address the Ebola crisis initially but also received plaudits for eventually attacking it with vigour. He nudged Congress to make a $5.4 billion emergency appropriation to aid the fight and sent 3,000 U.S. troops to West Africa to help with the international response. Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, said hes taken a measure of comfort in the fact that Trump, so far, hasn't overreacted and has resisted fanning the flames as he did with his rhetoric during the Ebola crisis. That leaves the room, Gostin said, for public health professionals to take the lead. "As long as that continues and as long as there isnt political interference or mass quarantines in the U.S. or outright travel bans, I will feel comfortable with how the White House is handling it, Gostin said. He added that he'd like to see Trump ask Congress for a $1 billion emergency appropriation to help agencies battling to contain the virus. Trump is well aware of the virus outbreak in China could create a wild card for the U.S. economy during an election year. And he has long prioritized the U.S. economic relationship with China, especially during trade negotiations, and similarly largely held his tongue during widespread protests in Hong Kong. He also takes enormous pride in the personal relationship he's developed with Xi and has commended him for demonstrating transparency" as he deals with the crisis. Asked about the virus while travelling abroad last week, Trump said, we have it totally under control. In a separate Twitter posting, he offered reassurance but scant detail for his confidence. China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus," Trump tweeted. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well." But some public health experts say Trump's rosy assessments of the situation don't match the ground truth. Gostin pointed to Chinese government bureaucratic delays that led to tens of thousands of people travelling outside of Wuhan province, increasing the likelihood that the virus will travel far beyond China. Its not accurate at all, Gostin said of Trumps assessment of Chinas handling of the outbreak. China manifestly does not have this under control." Trump's budgets have proposed cuts to public health, only to be overruled by Congress, where there's strong bipartisan support for agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indeed, the money government disease detectives are tapping to fight the latest outbreak was a congressional idea REIDSVILLE Police here believe Larry Wayne Inge of Danville is the masked man who recently committed five robberies here. And they think he may be linked to other crimes in the Triad and Virginia. Reidsville Police arrested Inge, 38, who they termed a serial robber, Thursday night after he fled on foot from a cash grab at Food Lion at 1130 Freeway Drive, according to a Friday RPD news release. The elusive suspect, who allegedly robbed Loves Travel Stop at 2105 Barnes Street three times on Dec. 29, Jan. 1 and Jan. 14, as well as Quality Mart at 1121 Freeway Drive on Dec. 30, was charged with five counts of common law robbery. He is being held in the Rockingham County Jail in Wentworth on a $500,000 secured bond and is scheduled to make his first Rockingham County District Court appearance on Feb. 12. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Inge used a similar modus operandi in each of his alleged crimes, official reports show. And security footage from Loves chronicled his signature wardrobe of a scarf-like mask and a dark ensemble of shirt, jacket, toboggan and pants. SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE OSCE Briefing Expected Council Action In February, Albanian Prime Minister and Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Edi Rama, the current Chairperson-in-Office for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is expected to provide a briefing to the Security Council on the activities of the organisation. Background The Council has received annual briefings by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office since 2004. The chairmanship of the OSCE rotates yearly, and on 1 January, Albania succeeded Slovakia in this function. Februarys debate will give the Chairperson-in-Office an opportunity to inform the Council about Albanias main priorities as chair and discuss possible avenues for cooperation. Albania announced that its agenda will include efforts to combat corruption, human trafficking and the spread of hate speech across the region. Prime Minister Rama further indicated that the conflict in eastern Ukraine would be a top priority on his agenda in the upcoming year. The OSCE is the leading organisation responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements, which outline a roadmap for resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine and were endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2202 (2015). The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) gathers daily information related to ceasefire violations and the withdrawal of heavy weapons in eastern Ukraine. Given the OSCEs access to information on the ground, Ramas briefing will serve as an important opportunity for Council members to hear about developments in the implementation of the Minsk agreements. In late 2019, political negotiations led to incremental progress on some elements of the agreement, which in turn helped facilitate a gradual easing of tensions in eastern Ukraine. On 9 December 2019, a meeting of the Normandy formata group consisting of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine that was created in 2014 with the aim of resolving the conflict in Ukrainetook place in Paris. The summit, which was the first gathering of the Normandy format in over three years, also served as a platform for the first meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While the summit did not facilitate major breakthroughs in the political stalemate between Russia and Ukraine, agreements were made on several confidence-building measures, such as prisoner exchanges, creation of new disengagement areas, and the opening of new crossing points along the contact line. On 29 December 2019, the OSCE monitored and facilitated an exchange of 200 prisoners between Russia and Ukraine in line with the agreements made at the Normandy format summit. The leaders of the Normandy format agreed to meet again within four months after the December 2019 summit to discuss such issues as control of the Ukrainian-Russian border and the organisation of local elections in eastern Ukraine. These issues, along with the question of the status of the rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine, remain the most contentious points of disagreement between Russia and Ukraine. While the Minsk agreements call for the holding of local elections in eastern Ukraine, each side has a different interpretation of the conditions that should be met before such elections can take place. At the Normandy format summit, President Zelenskyy emphasised that elections cannot take place in eastern Ukraine until all foreign military forces and equipment are withdrawn and Ukraine regains control of the border. However, President Putin maintained that under the Minsk agreements, Ukraine can regain control of the border only after the holding of the elections. If these disagreements are resolved and elections are held in eastern Ukraine, the OSCE will be responsible for facilitating the elections, in accordance with the terms outlined in the Minsk agreements. According to OSCE figures, the past year has seen a decrease in the level of violence in eastern Ukraine, with civilian casualties in 2019 falling to the lowest level since the beginning of the conflict in 2014. Violations of the ceasefire agreement in eastern Ukraine continued in 2020, despite the agreement reached between the leaders of Ukraine and Russia at the Normandy format summit to commit to full implementation of the ceasefire. While the number of violations in January dropped sizeably compared to the figures in late 2019, these violations continue to destabilise the situation on the ground in eastern Ukraine. Following incidents on 18 and 19 January, in which two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and ten wounded, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko expressed Kyivs intention to discuss the recent uptick in violence with Germany and France. In addition to the situation in Ukraine, the Chairperson-in-Office is likely to address other conflict situations in the OSCEs area of operations during Februarys briefing. The OSCE plays a role in international efforts regarding frozen conflicts in Georgia, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria. Given that these conflicts are not regularly discussed by the Council, some members might want to use the opportunity of the briefing to hear about the OSCEs mediation efforts in these situations. UN DOCUMENTS ON THE OSCE There is a lingering suspicion that everybody in Thursdays TV leaders debate was administered a high dose of adrenaline as they entered the studio. All were out of the blocks as if theyd been pumped up on something, and none more so than co-presenter Ivan Yates. He began proceedings by suggesting that the lot of them were chancers and charlatans, which would sound the business if issued from a barstool. Younger people may be unaware that Mr Yates had a previous career as a politician. The 60-year old media presenter has been drawing an index lined ministerial pension worth over 75,000 for the last eighteen years. He knows what makes politicians tick. There followed twenty minutes during which much heat was pumped into the studio but little light emerged. The seven leaders bumped and grinded in their efforts to answer a question before the next was fired at them. They spoke over each other. They interrupted and wagged fingers and all the time Mr Yates and his co-presenter Matt Cooper kept sticking it to them. Eventually, things calmed down and a fair to middling debate ensured for last hour or so. Earlier the seven arrived in dribs and drabs to the Virgin Media Studio. Another debate, another ninety minutes wired for sound and on guard for a slip or stray word. Three days after their last clash they came together again, down two of the original compliment. Catherine Murphy had her turn at being the leader of the Social Democrats, taking over from her co-leader, Roisin Shortall. And People Before Profits Richard Boyd Barrett handed the hard left baton to Mick Barry, the Solidarity TD. Boyd Barrett had been one of the shining lights the first night but there was no chance that he would be put out again. The PBP/Solidarity alliance is still together against all previous form on the left and that takes a lot of delicate balancing. On arrival, all except the Taoiseach stopped to throw a few morsels out to the waiting media pack. Mick Barry said he was looking forward to debating tweedledum and tweedledee, leading to fears that his contribution would be heavily informed by cliches. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA Wire) Mary Lou McDonald said she would go on the attack and in the debate she was true to her work. And then Eamon Ryan was asked about his strategy. Be honest, speak the truth, speak your mind, he said. The election has not been as green as some thought it would be, but Ryans blunt honesty about where the planet is heading has always been refreshing. Yates kicked off with his insult and suggested this is a fundamentally dishonest election in terms of the auction politics on offer. Leo asked not to be put on the bold step with the others as he had overseen a government that had been prudent. That set the tone for the evening. Matt Cooper got stuck into Micheal Martin who was having none of it. Matt, you interrupted me twice now, he said. Then Mary Lou came in for it. Her figures were not endorsed by the Department of Finance, Yates told her. She said she didnt accept that giving a break to people was some kind of a reckless giveaway. That was a signal for Martin and Varadkar to jump in to tear apart the Shinners manifesto. And on it went with skin and hair flying but little in way of cogent points being made. Eamon, get a grip, Yates said, when the Greens leader suggested we should increase the size of the state apperatus. You have been less promiscuous, Yates told Brendan Howlin and then asked him whether the election was dishonest. Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin. (Niall Carson/PA Wire) What quickly became obvious was that the moderators were operating on the basis that the campaign had not yet really come to life and this was an opportunity to see the leaders get down and dirty. The theory was soundly based but the execution turned out to be unwieldy and shouty. During the first add break rumour has it that the man with the adrenaline shots ran around the studio stabbing everybody with a syringe full of downers. When they came back, the debate was a little more enlightening, although it may have been too late for some fleeing viewers. Everybody did ok on their own terms. Varadkar was assertive as was Howlin. Mick Barry made clear points and managed to throw in anecdotes from his own constituency. Catherine Murphy made sense on health and Mary Lou McDonald emerged unscathed from attempts to tear apart her partys economic policies. Martin was firm and clear and Eamon Ryan finally got a chance to put climate change on the table. The emerging narrative was the antipathy that exists between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein, or more specifically their respective leaders. While there was little of substance for the undecided voter in this debate, the outcome of the election was brought into focus through the testy exchanges between the pair. There is no way that Martin will lead a Fianna Fail into a coalition with the Shinners should the numbers dictate. Whether that shuts off the possibility of the two parties coalescing in any circumstances remains to be seen. ALBANY, NY -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo is one of nine U.S. governors to earn an "A" rating from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, one of the nations leading supporters of legal weed. Thats despite Cuomos failure last year to win support for his plan to legalize adult recreational marijuana use in New York. NORML may have taken that into account by giving Cuomo an A- rating. Cuomo this year is once again pushing for legal adult-use of marijuana, but may face many of the same obstacles that led to the state Legislatures failure to agree on a bill in 2019. NORML gave Cuomo credit for signing a marijuana decriminalization law late last year. That law expanded the amount of weed you can possess without facing a criminal charge, lowered the fines for simple possession and set up a process for those convicted of low-level marijuana crimes in the past to have their records expunged. Inside New Yorks marijuana decriminalization law: How it works In its assessment of Cuomo, NORML did not mention another bill he signed into law: This one clarifies and strengthens some of the rules for the manufacture and sale of hemp and hemp products like CBD. NORML notes that Cuomo once again championed marijuana legalization in 2020, in both his State of the State programs and in his proposed budget. Since last year, Cuomo has proposed working together with a group of neighboring states to coordinate marijuana laws and has called for a centralized state office to oversee marijuana, CBD and related issues. Last year, it looked like New York might join the dozen or so states that have legalized recreational marijuana. (New York is among 30-plus states that have already legalized medical marijuana). Cuomo, previously opposed to legalization except for medical use, threw his support behind it last year and attempted to have it included in the 2019-2020 budget. But it failed to win enough support even though Cuomo, a Democrat, found his party in the majority of both houses of the Legislature. It was hindered by disagreements over such questions as how retail sales should be handled, how to provide justice for minority communities ravaged by the drug wars, whether to allow counties to opt out of retail sales and whether to allow home-grown plants, among others. Many of those disagreements over details remain. Last week, the Assembly Speaker, Crystal Peoples-Stokes of Buffalo, threw her support behind a bill that would increase the amount of marijuana that a person could legally possess to three times the amount that Cuomo has supported. All nine of the govenors earning an "A" rating from NORML are Democrats. The states they represent are Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon and Washington. Heres more on the breakdown of NORMLs scorecard for governors: Thirty-two US governors received a passing grade of 'C' or higher (22 Democrats, 10 Republicans); last year, only 27 Governors received a grade of 'C' or higher. Of these, nine US governors -- all Democrats -- received an 'A' grade. Twelve governors received a 'B' grade (11 Democrats, 1 Republican) Eleven governors received a 'C' grade (9 Republicans, 2 Democrats) Ten governors -- nine Republicans and one Democrat -- received a 'D' grade Eight governors -- all Republicans -- received a 'F' grade Among Democratic Governors, 39 percent received an 'A.' Ninety-six percent of Democratic Governors received a grade of 'C' or higher. Among Republican Governors, only 37 percent received a grade of a 'C' or higher. Thirty percent received a failing grade. Screen shot of the A- grade given to Gov. Andrew Cuomo by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). Read more: -- New Yorks new CBD law leaves status in food uncertain Don Cazentre writes for NYup.com, syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Reach him at dcazentre@nyup.com, or follow him at NYup.com, on Twitter or Facebook. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 Labor groups, business players and experts may disagree on much over the governments planned omnibus bills. However, they all agree on one thing: Transparency is key to ensuring a win-win outcome from the deliberations over them. Representatives from business groups, labor unions and economists at a forum on Thursday highlighted the need for the government to be transparent, inclusive and flexible when deliberating over the bills. Timboel Siregar, the secretary-general of the Indonesian Workers Organization, called on his labor union colleagues, business players, the governments all stakeholders in the omnibus bills on jobs creation and taxation to be fair and provide constructive input, as opposed to strongly resisting them without clear information about the bills. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login 31 January 2020 BWA GROUP PLC ("BWA" or the "Company") Total Voting Rights In accordance with the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules, BWA hereby announces that the Company has 274,285,065 ordinary shares of 0.005 each in issue ("Ordinary Shares"), each share carrying the right to one vote. The Company does not hold any Ordinary Shares in Treasury. The above figure of 274,285,065 Ordinary Shares may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the content of this announcement. For further information please contact: BWA Group plc Richard Battersby (Non-Executive Chairman) 07836 238 172 Peterhouse Capital Limited Mark Anwyl 020 7469 0930 Elon Musk has released his first electronic dance music track 'Don't Doubt Ur Vibe' but is scorned by followers on Twitter who urged him to 'stick to rockets'. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO has also changed his Twitter name to 'E "D" M' in acknowledgement of the song, which can be listened to on SoundCloud. The track which features vocals written performed by Mr Musk himself has already been played online more than 363,000 times. Scroll down for video Elon Musk, pictured, has released his first electronic dance music track 'Don't Doubt Ur Vibe' but is scorned by followers on Twitter who urged him to 'stick to rockets' Mr Musk, 48, released the track on the internet under the flag 'Emo G Records'. 'Just wrote a song called "Don't doubt yer vibe",' the entrepreneur wrote on Twitter. 'I wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals!!' he added. These lyrics performed by Mr Musk in a stylistically disjointed manner amount to three repeated lines and a rhyme between the words 'true' and 'you'. 'Be cause its true', 'Be cause its you,' Mr Musk tweeted, repeating part of the song. 'Maybe stick to rockets,' Twitter user @BnOrdhaug responded. The SpaceX and Tesla CEO, pictured, has also changed his Twitter name to 'E "D" M' in acknowledgement of the song, which can be listened to on SoundCloud Mr Musk, 48, released the track on the internet under the flag 'Emo G Records'. 'I wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals!!' he said The track which features vocals written performed by Mr Musk himself has already been played online more than 363,000 times 'Just wrote a song called "Don't doubt yer vibe",' the entrepreneur wrote on Twitter 'Don't Doubt Ur Vibe' is not Mr Musk's first offering in the realm of music. In the March of 2019, the billionaire released 'RIP Harambe', a rap track in honour of the Cincinnati Zoo gorilla killed in 2016 after a child climbed into his pen. The lyrics for that song were recorded by LA-based artist Yung Jake. ELON MUSK'S DISCOGRAPHY RIP Harambe (2019) Performed by Yung Jake. Don't Doubt ur Vibe (2020) Performed by Elon Musk. Advertisement MTN has re-entered the South African mobile money market after shelving its previous offering over three years ago. The operators CEO Godfrey Motsa trumpeted the social benefits offered by the MoMo service, which will allow users to transfer cash and make online payments with retailers via an app for smart devices or SMS for other devices. The launch has adhered to the timeframe that the operator laid out in December 2019. MTN partnered with financial services provider uBank to develop Momo, with Motsa noting that at a group level, MTNs mobile money offerings have delivered value to its other markets. The group has long aimed to resume mobile financial services in South Africa, having shuttered its previous service after proved commercially unviable. We want to compliment the current banking system. In so doing, we help job creation and we also diversify the MTN portfolio, said Motsa. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan.30 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Trends exclusive interview with Zaur Gahramanov, CEO of SOCAR Turkey Summing up 2019 results for SOCAR Turkey 2019 is of special importance for SOCAR Turkey as a year when the company started to get the results of its investments, said Gahramanov. As you know, in June 2018, we opened the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which is a great step towards ensuring energy security. Since then the commercial natural gas supplies to Turkey began. The construction of the entire 1,850-kilometers long TANAP was completed in late 2019, thereby bringing natural gas to the European gate with the ceremony held in Ipsala, he added. He noted that after the commissioning of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), Azerbaijani natural gas will be supplied to Europe. Another huge investment is Star Refinery worth $6.3 billion, which was opened in October 2018. Star Refinery that produces diesel, naphtha, jet fuel and LPG, which play an important role in Turkey's current account deficit, started to operate at full capacity in 2019 and began sales to the domestic market, said Gahramanov. The CEO went on to add that another important step was the acquisition of Bursagaz, Kayserigaz, SOCAR Enerji Ticaret, Enervis, and Millenicom in June 2019. Thus, SOCAR Turkey also became involved in natural gas distribution, thereby completing the whole refinery-petrochemical-energy-logistics-distribution-supply chain, he added. We launched an integration process covering all of our group companies and created SOCAR Turkey Refinery and Petrochemical Business Unit, SOCAR Turkey Natural Gas Business Unit, SOCAR Turkey Innovation and Technologies Business Unit and SOCAR Turkey Logistics Business Unit. I believe that Star Refinery was the first concrete proof of what kind of advantages this integration will bring us. We saw the benefits of the integrated operation of Star Refinery and Petkim in the financial results of Petkim in the third quarter of 2019. We will continue to increase synergy and profitability in our business processes with the common infrastructure we have created in our business units and common services, which will be provided, Gahramanov said. Transportation via TANAP The volume of gas transportation to Turkey via the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP), which is the most important part of the 3,500 kilometers long Southern Gas Corridor that will supply Azerbaijani natural gas to Turkey and Europe, reached 3.7 billion cubic meters as of late 2019 [since the start of commercial gas supplies on June 30, 2018], Gahramanov said. TANAP, which has a total capacity of 16 billion cubic meters [per year], will supply 6 billion cubic meters of gas to Turkey and will deliver 10 billion cubic meters to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) on Turkey-Greece border, he added. Gahramanov pointed out that with this project, Azerbaijan will play an effective role in ensuring Europes energy supply security. Petkim petrochemical complex Petkim petrochemical complex, the majority stake of which we acquired in 2008, is still the first and only integrated petrochemical plant in Turkey. Petkim, which is the the most reliable supplier of Turkeys petrochemical market, produces nearly 60 different petrochemical products at 15 major and six auxiliary facilities. We are constantly evaluating investment options to process intermediate products and convert them into different products at Petkim, he said. With Petkim's 55 years of experience and R&D Center, we continue our research and business development activities to expand our petrochemical portfolio with our established facilities or additional investments. In this year's focus, there are alternative evaluation options for our products and synergies as a result of integration between STAR Refinery and Petkim, noted Gahramanov. He pointed out that despite the contraction both in general terms and in the petrochemical field in the world markets in the third quarter of 2019, Petkim's financial results were quite good. Petkim petrochemical complex broke production records with 3.4 million tons of gross production in 2019 and the aim is to continue this success in 2020. He went on to add that exporting to more than 78 countries, Petkim petrochemical complex stands out in the world markets with high quality of its products. Gahramanov noted that within the scope of the Turquality program, a target market study was carried out for each product of Petkim. In this study, countries with GDP of over $50 billion in 2017 were ranked according to geographical location, political instability, difficult-to-enter markets criteria and countries with economic potential were selected as target markets. Malaysia and Pakistan, which are among the countries with high economic potential, are also in the list of our target markets, added Gahramanov. After acquiring the majority stake in Petkim petrochemical complex, SOCAR Turkey has invested in it on average nearly $100 million each year. Our total investments in Petkim stood at around $1 billion in 2008-2018, he said. Gahramanov noted that priority in making investments was given to modernization of the factories, general improvement, digitalization, energy and environmental issues. We will continue making investments in digitalization journey of Petkim and modernization of our factories in 2020, he added. Star Refinery The volume of refined crude oil at Star Refinery, which started the production at full capacity in September of 2019, reached 7.2 million tons as of late 2019, said Zaur Gahramanov, He reminded that Star refinery, which is the biggest investment project of the real sector in Turkey, started to operate after the opening ceremony held in October 2018 with participation of Azerbaijani and Turkish presidents. Star Refinery, which has a capacity of refining 10 million tons of crude oil per year, produces 4.8 million tons of diesel, 1.6 million tons of naphtha, as well as jet fuel and LPG, which play an important role in Turkeys current account deficit, added Gahramanov. He pointed out that SOCAR Turkey uses the most modern technologies in the world at Star refinery, which was built with $6.3 billion worth investment. While continuing our operations, we do modeling studies and process the products with the best prices and quality according to the market conditions. Naturally, the countries, wherefrom we purchase the products and the quantities of products also change. In addition to Russia and Iraq, we started to import from more sources as of the end of 2019. We plan to add more import sources Joint project with BP on building a petrochemical complex in Aliaga He pointed out that preliminary engineering and design works still continue on the petrochemical complex project that is planned to be implemented in the Private Industrial Zone in Aliaga, Izmir. We will give updates regarding the final investment decision in 2020. As a result of commissioning of this facility, Turkeys imports of pure terephthalic acid (PTA) are expected to come down to zero and at the same time, it will be possible to produce paraxylene (PX) products in Turkey, which are now imported in the amount of 800,000 tons, Gahramanov concluded. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey exported steel and cement worth $104.3 million to Turkmenistan in 2019, a source in the Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 31. Export of steel from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 84 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and amounted to $92.1 million, the ministry said. "Export of cement from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 49.1 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $12.2 million," the ministry said. Export of the Turkish steel to Turkmenistan increased by 70.9 percent in December 2019 compared to December 2018 and reached $4.9 million. "Export of cement from Turkey to Turkmenistan increased by 3.9 times in December 2019 compared to December 2018 and amounted to $1.6 million," the ministry said. Export of steel from Turkey decreased by 10.6 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $13.8 billion. Export of cement from Turkey increased by 17.8 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $3.5 billion. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:11:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close A demonstrator poses at the Parliament Square in London, Britain on Jan. 31, 2020. Britain will leave the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31, 2020. (Xinhua/Han Yan) LONDON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Hours before the offical Brexit deadline, crowds begun to gather in Parliament Square in central London to mark Britain's exit from the European Union (EU) on Friday along with other planned celebrations and protests across the country. After 47 years of membership, Britain is to exit the regional bloc at 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT). Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to hail "dawn of new era" on the historic night when he speaks to the whole country. In a video message to be released at around 10 p.m. (2200 GMT), Johnson will promise that he would "bring this country together" and seek to eradicate inequalities between regions. The prime minister and his cabinet are due to hold a symbolic meeting in strongly pro-leave Sunderland on Friday afternoon, marking the city's role as the first place to declare a leave vote on EU referendum night in 2016. In another development, a series of protests have been planned along the Irish border in the final hours before Britain officially leaves the EU. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned. Protests are also expected in the British capital, where some protesters were seen in the downtown area. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, anti-Brexit campaigners will hold a demonstration at Stormont, seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, on Friday afternoon. Brexit backers will later hold a celebration party at the gate of Stormont from 10:30 p.m. (2230 GMT) for a countdown to 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT). Besides, the Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow and Stirling, among other locations, and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland, local media reported. At the other side of the English Channel, a sense of sorrow has been felt on the Grand Place in Brussels, seat of the EU headquarters, as Britain prepares to end its nearly half-century EU membership. Followed by a transition period, the Friday night will bring very little in the way of tangible change. Among those changes, British Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay will become a backbench member of the parliament -- at least until an imminent cabinet reshuffle, said the English newspaper The Guardian. Labour shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer, one of the frontrunners to become the new Labour leader, called for Jan. 31 to be marked as a new political beginning. "Now the leave/remain divide must end," he wrote in an article for the Guardian newspaper Thursday. "Defining people by how they voted in June 2016 merely upholds a divide that we must overcome." "There are no leavers or remainers anymore...In 2024 there will be no leave or remain constituencies," he said. For the Liberal Democratic's acting leader Ed Davey, Jan. 31 would be "a heartbreaking day" for his party. "I am determined that pro-Europeans can and must play a leading role in our country's future ... Britain's European story does not end tomorrow," Davey said in a speech in Manchester Thursday. Although Britain will no longer be an EU member as the day closes, the clock will start ticking on a new deadline of Dec. 31, the end of an agreed transition period starting from Feb. 1. During the period, Britain will continue to obey EU rules and pay money into the EU budget. Johnson has repeatedly said that he will not allow the transition period to be extended beyond Dec. 31. The SS Cotopaxi, a ship that disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle is thought to be discovered approximately 95 years after it vanished by a diver. On November 29, 1925, the ship was reported to have disappeared while on its way to its destination. It carried 32 passengers. After its disappearance, no bodies of the passengers were recovered. Its shipwreck was also not found. The Discovery of a Steam-powered Shipwreck When Michael Barnette went for a dive during the summer of 2019, he believed that he found the shipwreck of the SS Cotopaxi in the seas of St. Augustine, Florida. Barnette dives in the sea to primarily determine shipwrecks of local ownership. He was not specifically looking for the SS Cotopaxi shipwreck. The place where the suspected shipwreck of the SS Cotopaxi is called the Bear Wreck. According to a statement given by Barnette to ABC News, he was confident that it was the SS Cotopaxi's shipwreck. His claim was strongly supported by his observation that it was the largest steamship wreckage he had found in the location. He asked assistance from a historian and other research bodies to support his claim. Guy Walters, the British Historian who had swept through archives of ship documentation to help Barnette find the identity of the suspected Bermuda triangle wreckage he found in the summer of 2019. Walters found that the SS Cotopaxi had issued distress signals through a wireless mechanism on December 1, 1925 (two days after leaving Charleston). The signals were caught in Jacksonville, Florida where a shipwreck was discovered approximately 35 years ago. Barnette swam around the suspected Bermuda triangle shipwreck. He failed to find any clues that may show that it is the SS Cotopaxi's wreckage. Barnette had also partnered with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum to look for clues involving the shipwreck he found. St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is a not-for-profit group that focuses on the study and preservation of the maritime past and history of the region. Two of the top maritime scientist archaeologists from the group accompanied Barnette to look for additional clues. The additional research that Barnette conducted with experts had led him to strongly believe that the suspected Bermuda triangle shipwreck that he found was that of the SS Cotopaxi. He described his discovery as "incredibly exciting." He shared that he had already conducted multiple shipwreck diving expeditions in the past. His discovery of the SS Cotopaxi's shipwreck was the one that stands out from the rest of his finds. His discovery and dives will be described in detail on 'Shipwreck Secrets', a series aired on the Science Channel. Its episode will air on February 9. Before and After the SS Cotopaxi Disappearance The SS Cotopaxi was a steam-powered vessel that was named after the Ecuadorian volcano named Cotopaxi. It was scheduled to travel from Charleston, South Carolina to Havana, Cuba. It was fully loaded with coal as it made way to its destination. Two days while on the sea, it was reported that the ship had encountered a terrible storm while 35 miles near the coastal area of St. Augustine, Florida before it disappeared out of thin air. The Expedition 61 crew's schedule was packed today as they researched space biology and packed a pair of spaceships for departure. Wednesday morning also saw the deployment of an experimental satellite outside the International Space Station. Blood draws and eye checks are part of the crew's regimen of biomedical activities to help doctors keep astronauts healthy during long-term space missions. Commander Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) collected his blood samples this morning before spinning them in a centrifuge and stowing them in a science freezer for later analysis. NASA Flight Engineer Jessica Meir had her eyes scanned in the afternoon by fellow NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan using optical coherence tomography gear. Meir and Morgan started the day finishing up packing the Cygnus space freighter with trash and discarded gear before it leaves at the end of the week. Cygnus will be detached from the Unity module with the Canadarm2 robotic arm and released into Earth orbit on Friday at 9:35 a.m. EST. NASA TV will cover the release and departure live as mission controllers on the ground remotely command all the robotics work. Cygnus has another mission to deploy eight CubeSats for communications and atmospheric research once it reaches a safe distance away from the orbiting lab. The space station also saw the deployment early this morning of a Department of Defense CubeSat that is testing space weather and satellite sensor technology. That satellite was deployed outside of the Kibo laboratory module using the specialized Cyclops deployer. Christina Koch of NASA is returning to Earth next week after 328 days in space on her first mission. She will land in Kazakhstan with Parmitano and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. The trio will board the Soyuz MS-13 crew ship, undock from the Poisk module and parachute to a landing Friday, Feb. 6, at 4:13 a.m. (3:13 p.m. Kazakh time). Koch will be second only to former astronaut Scott Kelly who lived in space 340 days for the single longest spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut. On-Orbit Status Report CAL (Cold Atom Lab): The crew inspected, replaced when needed, and reconnected the Fiber Optics Cabling and ports. The CAL produces clouds of atoms that are chilled to about one ten billionth of a degree above absolute zero, much colder than the average temperature of deep space. At these low temperatures, atoms have almost no motion, allowing scientists to study fundamental behaviors and quantum characteristics that are difficult or impossible to probe at higher temperatures. In microgravity, researchers may be able to achieve even colder temperatures than what is possible on the ground, and observe these cold atom clouds for longer periods of time. Confined Combustion: The crew continued the experiment using an acrylic samples with black baffles to ignite and observe combustion results. This project aims to study flame spread in confined spaces, specifically the interactions between spreading flames and surrounding walls. Flame spread in confined spaces (such as buildings and vehicles) may pose a more serious fire hazard than flame spread in open spaces because of acceleration caused by radiative heat feedback from the surrounding walls and a tunnel flow acceleration effect. However, several aspects of flame spread are difficult to study in normal gravity conditions. Gravity-driven buoyancy flow complicates the fire growth process and prohibits a fundamental understanding of the underlying physics. However, in microgravity, buoyancy is eliminated, allowing scientists to better study the physics of flame spread. EXPRESS Rack (EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments for Space Station Racks): The crew verified the BIOS parameter setting for the Express 6 laptop and updated the software. The EXPRESS Racks support science experiments in any discipline by providing structural interfaces, power, data, cooling, water, and other items needed to operate science experiments in space. Electro-static Levitation Furnace (ELF): The crew configured the Gas Bottle Unit to the open supply valve position and the ground initiated an experiment run. ELF is an experimental facility designed to levitate, melt and solidify materials by containerless processing techniques using the electrostatic levitation method. With this facility thermophysical properties of high temperature melts can be measured and solidification from deeply undercooled melts can be achieved. Rodent Research-19 (RR-19): The crew stowed the Rodent Research Habitats 1 and 3. Mighty Mice in Space: Preclinical evaluation of a broad spectrum Myostatin inhibitor to prevent muscle and bone loss due to disuse uses rodent models on the ISS to investigate the potential benefits of targeting the Myostatin and Activin signaling pathways to prevent skeletal muscle and bone loss during spaceflight and on the recovery of muscle and bone following return to Earth. This research could provide valuable preclinical data to support clinical trials for Myostatin therapies for a wide range of conditions that affect muscle and bone health. Such research is particularly important for conditions that involve disuse muscle atrophy (muscle wasting due to immobility or lessened activity) for example, patients recovering from hip fracture surgery, intensive care patients, and the elderly. SlingShot: The crew reviewed procedures for the Slingshot deployable installation onto the Cygnus hatch. SlingShot is a small satellite deployment system that fits inside the Cygnus spacecraft's Passive Common Berthing Mechanism (PCBM). SlingShot can accommodate up to 18 satellites that are deployed post Cygnus unberth. STPSat-4: The crew performed video and still imagery photography of the STPSat-4 satellite deployment via the Cupola windows. One of the four arrays (Modular RF Tiles experiment) did not deploy as expected after the satellite was launched. It is hopeful that free flying thermal conditions will eventually allow the array to mechanically deploy. Launched from the ISS, Space Test Program Satellite-4 (STPSat-4) is a suite automated for robotic space tools and sensors that test new equipment configurations and monitor space conditions. STPSat-4 specifically includes space weather sensors, solar panels, an antenna array and devices for tracking location of both satellites and their astronomic surroundings. This project demonstrates how a range of new technologies can be integrated on nanosatellite platforms. Vascular Aging: The Crew ingested the glucose drink and later performed blood draws which were processed and placed in cold stowage. Emerging data point towards linkages among cardiovascular health risk, carotid artery aging, bone metabolism and blood biomarkers, insulin resistance, and radiation. Data indicate that aging-like changes are accelerated in many ISS crew members, particularly with respect to their arteries. As part of the Vascular Aging investigation, ultrasounds of the arteries, blood samples, oral glucose tolerance, and wearable sensors from ISS Crew members are analyzed. AstroRad Vest: The Crew took photos of the AstroRad vest hardware during a day pass in the Cupola and Lab. The AstroRad Vest is a personal protective equipment (PPE) device which functions as a radiation shield for astronauts. The AstroRad shields astronauts from space-borne ionizing radiation in an efficient way, provides operational simplification, and allows for the use of recycled material on-board the vehicle. The concept behind the AstroRad evolved from a commercially available device (360 Gamma Shield), which is an effective wearable shield for first responders to radiation incidents on the Earth. Systems: Northrop Grumman 12 (NG-12) Departure Preparation: With the NG-12 Cygnus spacecraft planned for departure this Friday January 31st, the ISS crew completed the final cargo transfers and close-out procedures including inspecting the packing straps, tucking-in loose straps, and taking images of the final cargo configuration. On-Board Training (OBT) Soyuz Descent Training: In preparation for 59S departure scheduled for February 6th, Luca and Sasha performed an OBT using the Soyuz simulator. During the drill, they practiced a nominal descent and the transition to Manual Entry Control []. Responses to emergencies caused by nominal decent hazards were also reviewed. Completed Task List Activities: Dzus Fastener Photo Document Rodent Research Sample Trash Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Thermal Amine de-activation Lab CDRA activation EPS ORU 5 year prefreshes RWS power cycle Thursday, 1/30 (GMT 030) Payloads: Vascular Echo Leg Scans and Blood Pressure Measurements (CSA) HISUI data recover unit relocated to the Forward side of JPM106 panel (JAXA) ELF Cartridge retrieve, clean and install (JAXA) Standard Measures -Post sleep - (NASA) Slingshot Deployer Install (NASA) Saliva and blood collect for Standard measures and Vascular Echo (NASA) Food Acceptability Survey (NASA) Confined Combustion Ops (NASA) ISS Experience H/W Stow (NASA) Systems: 59S Crew Departure Preparations Cygnus Egress and Hatch Close N1n CPA Installation PMD Setup N1 Nadir Depress Cygnus Vestibule Depress Friday, 1/31 (GMT 031) Payloads: Vascular Echo Leg Doppler scan (CSA) DOSIS-3D passive detectors de-install (10 PDP and 1 TDP) (ESA) CIMON procedures review and battery charge (ESA) HOURGLASS removal from CBEF (JAXA) CYCLOPS hardware JEM table retract and stow (NASA) CBEF Disinfect prep and Humidifier 2 installation (JAXA) JEMAL Slide Table retract and Cyclops hardware stow (NASA-JAXA) Food Acceptability Survey (NASA) VEGGIE Monitoring Review and surface Sample collect Photo (NASA) MIS-RECYCLER Print removal and photo and material kit A insertion (NASA) CAL Removal and Fiber Optics Inspection part 2 (NASA) ISS Experience H/W Stow (NASA) Systems: 59S Crew Departure Preparations Cygnus Command Link Verification Cygnus Release Command and Monitoring N1 Nadir VOK Stow PMD Teardown Saturday, 2/1 (GMT 032) Crew Off-Duty Payloads: CIMON unstow and sound-cam chk (ESA) Probiotics Fecal collect (JAXA) HRF Saliva setup (NASA) Systems: 59S Crew Departure Preparations Portable Computer System (PCS) Connect ISS Housekeeping Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. Reminder Probiotics Intake & Operations KORREKTSIYA. Venous blood collection Reminder 3 Vascular Aging CSA Generic Frozen Blood Collection Reminder 3 Vascular Aging Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Reminder 1 Vascular Aging Resting Ultrasound Scan KORREKTSIYA. Processing venous blood sample using Plasma-03 centrifuge. Insertion of Russian experiments blood samples into MELFI KORREKTSIYA. Handover to USOS for MELFI Insertion Vascular Aging MERLIN Sample Removal HRF Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection KORREKTSIYA. Closeout Ops Satellite Deploy Video Setup Vascular Aging Glucometer Reading And Drink Consumption KORREKTSIYA. Data transfer from Actimeter device to data storage device Waste Hygiene Compartment (WHC) to Internal EDV Sampling condensate water [] upstream of [-2] Gas-Liquid mixture filter () to drink bags, end Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis HRF Generic MELFI Sample Insertion Transfer Cygnus Cargo Operations [] Configuration for MRM1 Cell Biology Experiment Facility-Left (CBEF-L) and Video Compression and Recording Unit 2 (VRU2) Cable Reconfiguration 2 PROBIOVIT. Plugging into power outlet and activation of - No.04 thermostat at +37 deg C Collecting condensate water samples [] up to -2 , equipment setup, sampler installation JEM Water Recovery System (JWRS) Bag Check PROBIOVIT. Insertion of Probiovit kit No.3 in Glovebox-S and turning the light on. ISS Crew departure preparation CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Operator Cygnus Cargo Closeout Vascular Aging HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection 15 Minutes Subject PROBIOVIT. Filling Kit No. 3 Water container from []. Vascular Aging Glucometer Reading And Data Transfer CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Configuration PROBIOVIT. Filling Kit No.3 "Product" container in Glovebox-S. Collecting condensate water samples [] up to [-2] , sampler replacement CSA Generic HRF Centrifuge Frozen Blood Collection Spin Conclude CSA Generic MELFI Sample Insertion EXPRESS Rack 6 ELC6 BIOS check PROBIOVIT. Insertion of Probiovit kit No.4 in Glovebox-S. Crew Departure Preparations for Return to Earth Electrostatic Levitation Furnace (ELF) Gas Bottle Unit (GBU) valve opening PROBIOVIT. Filling Kit No.4 Water container from []. ISS Experience Solid State Drive Change out ISS Experience Z-Cam Setup on the MWA PROBIOVIT. Filling Kit No.4 Product container in Glovebox-S. Setup and Activate Crew Onboard Support Kit () Equipment for Soyuz 746 Descent OBT Mpeg2 TV coverage from SM Countermeasures System (CMS) Treadmill 2 System (T2) Monthly Inspection Soyuz 746 Descent OBT, Returning Equipment & Stowage Consultation. Soyuz descent training EXPRESS Rack ZBook Setup PCS Laptop Relocate PROBIOVIT. Kit retrieval from Glovebox-S, Transfer and insertion of Priobivit kits No.3 and No.4 in - No.04 at +37 deg C. Photography. Robotic Workstation (RWS) Setup Hourglass Box installation to Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF) Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record Confined Combustion Test Operations Glacier Desiccant Swap On MCC Go Deactivate camcorder, TV system monitoring equipment, close applications HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Hardware Setup Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Initiation SlingShot Procedure Review 2 Relocate SSC6 from CUP to NOD2S6 to support OCT2 ops. Sampling condensate water [] upstream of [-2] , removing sampler, equipment disassembly Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC) Manual Fill Termination Cold Atom Lab Remove And Replace Fiber Optics Inspection Part 1 COLUMBUS Bay 1, 2, 3 restow Soyuz 746 stowage operations Recharging Iridium EXTREME 9575 phone in Soyuz 744 - configuration setup, start recharge EDV Build for Water Balance Thermal Amine Scrubber Powercycle Gather Vestibule Outfitting Kit (VOK) Metal Oxide (METOX) Regeneration Initiation Food Acceptability Data Conference Countermeasures System (CMS) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Cylinder Flywheel Evacuation Recharging Iridium EXTREME 9575 phone in Soyuz 744 - battery status check Health Maintenance System (HMS) - OCT2 Exam Recharging Iridium EXTREME 9575 phone in Soyuz 744 - Photography of configuration setup, disconnect the charge, disassemble the setup and stow Standard Measures Pre-sleep Questionnaire Reminder 2 Vascular Aging Resting Ultrasound Scan Reminder HRF Generic Frozen Blood Collection Reminder Standard Measures Multi-day Saliva Collection HRF Generic Saliva Collection 10 Minutes Reminder Max CEVIS Exercise E-1 Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Congressman John Moolenaar recently announced office hours to be held by constituent relations representatives at locations throughout the Fourth District. The purpose of the office hours is to help residents in need of assistance with a federal agency including the IRS and the VA. Office hours are held monthly by constituent relations representatives when Congressman Moolenaar is in Washington voting on legislation. United is canceling all flights to mainland China, including SFO routes, starting Feb. 6, the airline said in a statement Friday, in the wake of a State Department no-travel advisory as the coronavirus outbreak intensifies. The last flight from the U.S. to China will be Feb. 4. The last flight from China to the U.S. will be Feb. 5. All flights will cease Feb. 6. The airline expects to resume operations on March 28. In a statement Friday, United said it would continue to operate one flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong to make sure its U.S. based employees as well as customers have options to return home. As always, the safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops, the statement read. China Southern Airlines already canceled three weekly SFO nonstops to and from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak. The U.S. is tightening travel restricitons on China: On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that starting Sunday afternoon, the U.S. will temporarily bar entry of foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus. Americans returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine. Others returning from elsewhere in China will be allowed to self-monitor their condition for a similar period. SFO usually has around 100 flights a week going to/from China and Hong Kong and the same number returning this time of year. Most are run by United, which is the largest carrier at SFO. United airlines already announced reductions in its flights to/from China and Hong Kong earlier this week, including its hub SFO, because of a drop in demand. No other airline out of SFO (other than China Southern) has announced cancellations of direct China flights yet. Delta has canceled flights to China effective Feb. 6 through April 30. American, which connects from SFO to China through LAX, canceled flights to China effective immediately. America Airlines pilots association sued the airline Thursday to force it to end flights to China. Lori Bassani, the National President of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said in a statement: We are pleased that our airline has suspended all flights from our US cities of LAX and DFW to mainline China through March 27, 2020. ... The health and safety of our crew members and customers are always our main concern. As the number of flights in and out of China dwindles, passengers on the planes that are still flying face an eerie scene. On a flight from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs. Flight attendants donned masks to serve drinks to passengers, who were also wearing masks. A woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York said she changed her white face mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes On a flight from Amsterdam to China, frightened passengers protested when they realized that a man from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, the man was allowed to fly. Flight cleaning crews are taking extra steps to protect themselves. Crews already fully disinfect arm rests, window shades and other hard surfaces after international flights on United Airlines. But if a plane carried a passenger with suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will don face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they clean with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. A plane would be taken out of service and fumigated if a passenger had a confirmed case of coronavirus, he said. Bill Chen, who arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai on Wednesday, said his temperature was quickly screened at the Shanghai airport before he departed. He also filled out a health questionnaire that asked if he had traveled to Wuhan or had any contact with someone who had been in the city. I feel a little bit sorry for people traveling on the plane, Chen said. People have to be nervous. The Associated Press contributed reporting. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench The High Commissioner of Malta has expressed his country's interest to support entrepreneurs and businesses in Ghana. Jean Claude Galea, Paid a working visit to the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme-NEIP to deliberate on how best Malta as a country, can help in President Akuffo Addo's drive of support the Entrepreneurship ecosystem and businesses to grow through NEIP. The High Commissioner in the company of his deputy, Ms Marsim Cassar commended the President for the steps taking by NEIP to support entrepreneurship in the country. He assured the government of Malta's commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and businesses in Ghana. He revealed a team made up of Business moguls from Malta Enterprise will be in Ghana in March 2020 to network and also find possible areas of investment. The Chief Executive Officer of NEIP, John Kumah on behalf of the management of NEIP commended the High Commissioner for taking steps to support the President's Vision of promoting entrepreneurship. He took the opportunity to brief the High Commissioner and his deputy on the activities of NEIP and progress chalked in few years of taking office. This article by Paul Szoldra originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. "The Afghanistan Papers," a confidential trove of interviews with top U.S. national security officials obtained by the Washington Post that showed a years-long effort to hide the truth about the war in Afghanistan, is getting the Hollywood treatment. Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney will executive produce the joint venture between Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, Stephen Spielberg's Amblin Television, and the Post. In a press release, the Post said the companies would work together closely to develop "both an explosive limited documentary series and limited scripted series" based on At War With the Truth, the Post's six-part secret history of the war that was published in December. The December investigative series was written by Post reporter Craig Whitlock and based on more than 2,000 pages of interviews with people who had a direct role in the war and spoke to the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction for its "Lessons Learned" project. The documents were obtained by the Post after a three-year legal battle. The interviews included damning quotes from a number of high-ranking officials, such as Douglas Lute, the former three-star Army general who served as the Afghan war czar under Presidents Bush and Obama: "We didn't know what we were doing. What are we trying to do here? We didn't have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking." "Every data point was altered to present the best picture possible," said Bob Crowley, an Army colonel who served as a senior counterinsurgency advisor in 2013 and 2014. "Surveys, for instance, were totally unreliable for reinforced that everything we were doing was right and we became a self-licking ice cream cone." "Our policy was to create a strong central government which was idiotic because Afghanistan does not have a history of a strong central government. The timeframe for creating a strong central government is 100 years, which we didn't have," said an unidentified former State Department official. As part of the deal, the Post will share its files, recordings, and research materials, and reporter Craig Whitlock will work closely with the filmmakers. The Afghanistan project "is a vital story at a critical moment," Gibney told The Hollywood Reporter. "For once we will hear an honest, intimate account from insiders of the epic tale of the forever war. Politicians regale us with victory speeches while day by day, casualties mount and the battle for hearts and minds are lost. Why? Because no one bothered to wonder why we are there." Gibney has been a director or producer on hundreds of projects, to include Zero Days, a documentary about the Stuxnet cyber attack on Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, Going Clear, which revealed shocking revelations about the Church of Scientology. More articles from Task & Purpose: Ernest Hemingway's fiery rant against stolen valor is still relevant almost a century later We salute the all-women Air Force team that crushed a weapons loading competition dressed as Rosie the Riveter A former Army Guardsman is documenting the murals troops left behind during the Global War on Terror Deborra-Lee Furness and Naomi Watts lent their high profiles for a worthy cause on Thursday night. The A-list stars were pictured arriving together at the AAA Arts Awards 2020 event in New York, in aid of Australian bushfire relief efforts. Dressed in tailored navy ensembles, the actresses and longtime friends posed for photos outside the venue. Doing their part! Deborra-Lee Furness (left), 64, and Naomi Watts (right), 51, arrived together at an awards night in New York on Thursday, benefiting Australian bushfire relief efforts Deborra-Lee, 64, looked chic in a fitted top and pleated pants, with a matching suit jacket on top. The wife of Hugh Jackman added a sheer white scarf, embroidered stockings and platform shoes, and carried her belongings in a leather handbag. Her blonde and orange streaked locks were styled in an up-do, and her makeup included defined brows, lashings of mascara, a touch of blush and a soft pink lip. Deborra-Lee warmly embraced Naomi, 51, who showed off her effortless style in a plunging blouse tucked into slim fit trousers. Chic: Deborra-Lee wore a fitted top with pleated pants, a matching suit jacket and platform heels. The wife of Hugh Jackman added a sheer white scarf to the look The Mulholland Drive star draped a coordinating suit jacket over her shoulders, and added heels and an envelope clutch to the look. Her cropped blonde locks fell in waves and she added a slick of bold red lipstick. Joining Deb, she too had fun colourful streaks in her hair. The American Australian Association's Arts Awards 2020 night saw Australian author Peter Carey, Kylie Minogue and Australian actor Jacob Elordi honoured. Style: Longtime friend Naomi showed off her effortless style in a plunging blouse tucked into slim fit trousers. The Mulholland drive star draped a coordinating suit jacket over her shoulders Proceeds raised from the dinner will help support the Australian Red Cross for the Australian Bushfire Relief Fund. Australia's bushfire season arrived early in October 2019. So far, a total of 34 people have died in the horror blazes, and more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed. It's been estimated that over a billion animals have died across the country. If you would like to donate to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief, click here. After acting as an international drug lord based in Medellin, Colombia since the early 1970s Pablo Escobar was finally shot dead by a special police unit on a rooftop in the same city in December 1993. Over his lavish tenure as a crime boss he had accrued assets beyond the average person's wildest dreams. He was once the owner of a grand estate, Hacienda Napoles, just under 100 miles east of Medellin. After acting as an international drug lord based in Medellin, Colombia since the early 1970s Pablo Escobar was shot dead by a special police unit on a rooftop in the same city in 1993 Pictured: A man looks for Escobar's hippos at Hacienda Napoles. Most of the exotic animals Escobar housed in the on site zoo were re-homed. Except the hippos, who then bred wildly After his death it was seized by the government and now acts as a safari theme park. Most of the exotic animals that he housed in the on site zoo were re-homed. Except the hippos. Now, scientists say, the four original hippos now number around 80 and are having a detrimental effect on Colombian waters. While some remain in the current theme park, some slipped through the flimsy gate and are now feral. Escobar bought the hippos from a zoo in California and flew them to his ranch in the early 1980s. Left to themselves on his Napoles Estate, they bred to become supposedly the biggest wild hippo herd outside Africa. The four original hippos now number around 80 and are having a detrimental effect on Colombian waters. Pictured: a vet preps one of Escobar's hippos for dental treatment Researchers spent two years studying the water quality and microbiomes - bacteria, archaea, fungi, as well as viruses - of lakes with hippo populations and compared them to those without The entrance gate to 'Hacienda Napoles'. The airplane above the entrance was the first airplane Escobar used to smuggle cocaine Visitors feed a hippo at Escobar's former Hacienda Napoles estate Researchers spent two years studying the water quality and microbiomes - bacteria, archaea, fungi, as well as viruses - of Colombian lakes with hippo populations and compared them to those without. 'This unique species has a big impact on its ecosystem in its native range in Africa, and we found that it has a similar impact when you import it into an entirely new continent with a completely different environment and cast of characters,' said UC San Diego Biological Sciences Professor Jonathan Shurin, who worked on the study. 'It's clear that this effect might include negative consequences for water quality and water resources by fueling harmful algae and bacteria.' Hippos are nocturnal and spend their days sleeping on land before retreating to water at night and excreting - changing the water's chemistry and oxygen levels, and fertilizing harmful algae and bacteria. Escobar bought four hippos from a zoo in California and flew them to his ranch in the early 1980s This can lead to algae blooms that are problematic for both people and animals. Escobar's hippos have become feral, living in at least four lakes in the area and spreading into neighbouring rivers - confounding the problem. The crime lord's hippos are also much more sexually active than their cousins in Africa because of the perfect conditions, shallow water and no drought. All the fertile females are reported to be giving birth to a calf every year, the BBC said in 2014. And this is a problem for the water, if not local farmers who risk their wrath while working. 'If you plot out their population growth, we show that it tends to go exponentially skyward,' Jonathan Shurin. 'In the next couple of decades there could be thousands of them.' Measures have been introduced in two African states aimed at stopping the spread of the new coronavirus, joining countries worldwide who have imposed restrictions since the disease surfaced in central China last month. No verified infection has been reported to date in sub-Saharan Africa, but elsewhere countries have stopped flights to China and airlifted their citizens out of the area where the virus emerged. Equatorial Guinea on Tuesday quarantined four travellers who arrived from Beijing, the government said. The four had arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight at the airport in the capital of Malabo, the government of the small central African state said in a statement on Wednesday. On Monday, the prime minister's office had announced that all passengers from China would be placed in quarantine for 14 days, "corresponding to the incubation period of the disease." China has also asked its nationals who have recently arrived or returned to the West African state of Mauritania to remain confined for at least 14 days to prevent the possible spread of the virus, the Chinese embassy in Nouakchott said. There was no indication that the message was motivated by any specific situation in Mauritania. The embassy also advised Chinese planning to travel to Mauritania to postpone their trip. It said those already in the country should communicate daily about their health and avoid public gatherings. Experts say the potential spread of the virus in Africa is a concern because of the poor healthcare infrastructure in many parts of the continent. An oil-rich state with an entrenched record of authoritarian rule and poverty, Equatorial Guinea has developed close economic ties with Beijing. Chinese companies have been awarded a string of contracts for infrastructure projects. The Mauritanian government has set up a crisis unit and placed thermal cameras at the airports of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou. Many of the Chinese in Mauritania work in technical assistance, Chinese projects and trade operations, but there no direct flights between the two countries. No verified infection has been reported to date in Africa, but elsewhere other countries have stopped flights to China HOUSTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tech-enabled real estate innovator Offerpad completed its first year in Houston, Texas in January. The direct home buyer and seller launched in the area in January 2019 as Offerpad's second Texas market. At the close of a successful first year of service, Offerpad now operates in 52 cities throughout the Houston market including Conroe, Jersey Village, Katy, and Pasadena. The company's Houston operation both buys and sells condos, townhomes and single-family homes with values averaging about $215,000. They often have a square footage averaging 2,200 with three or four bedrooms and two baths, but Offerpad evaluates and makes offers on homes in Houston with varying specifications. When Offerpad initially launched in June 2015 in Arizona, the company immediately became recognized for its streamlined and direct consumer real estate solutions. In Texas and around the country, iBuying is growing quickly in popularity for its departure from the unpredictability and hassle associated with other methods. While best known for simplifying home buying with its signature solution, Offerpad today, is able to provide the best possible experience in real estate thanks to an expanding portfolio of consumer-centric products and services. In total, Offerpad is present in about 800 cities across the country. About 200 of them are Texas cities, including Houston; Offerpad also operates in the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio metro areas. The company's first launch into Texas was in November 2018 with Dallas-Fort Worth. Houston opened the following January and Austin and San Antonio each launched in March 2019. In its four Texas markets, the company offers the direct-for-cash home selling solution as well as others including innovative consumer home buying options, home loans, home customization, renovations, and more. Also, Offerpad is now partnered with Keller Offers, the iBuyer offering of Keller Williams; Keller Offers has been powered by Offerpad in Houston since October 2019. Offerpad has achieved much in its first year in Houston, both locally and nationwide: "Since even before our Houston market launched one year ago, Offerpad was receiving home offer requests here. Now, after serving the metro area for a full twelve months, we are proud to have helped hundreds of home sellers have better real estate experiences," said the company's Houston market director, Carey Maher. "With recently announced solutions and partnerships centered on making this process even smoother for consumers, we're sure to build on our first year's success going into our second year in Houston." About Offerpad Offerpad is a leading technology and real estate company with a mission to provide the best way to buy and sell a home. Leading with firsthand real estate experience and utilizing powerful technology developed in-house, Offerpad provides direct home offers to deliver modern, consumer-centric home buying and selling solutions that help more people move freely. On average, Offerpad receives a new offer request from homeowners every 30 seconds and acquires a home every 20 minutes throughout regular business hours. Offerpad is a privately held company headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, operating across the country in 800 cities and counting. Visit Offerpad.com for more information. Media Contact: David Stephan, (602) 825-3135, [email protected] SOURCE Offerpad Related Links http://offerpad.com/ On Friday, as House managers began making their formal arguments urging the Senate to call new witnesses in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, Sen. Lisa Murkowski confirmed that the debate couldnt make a difference. In a statement, she declared that she was voting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to close the trial with no witnesses or document production, giving Republicans the 51 votes they needed to shut it down. The night before, Sen. Lamar Alexander had issued a statement nudging the door shut on witnesses and documents, arguing that they were unnecessary because Trump had already been proved guilty, and that he would nonetheless refuse to remove him. Murkowski managed to outdo even that breathtaking display of cynicism. Advertisement Murkowski explained that she would join her party in rejecting new evidence because the impeachment process was too unfair and too divided along party lines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, she wrote. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed. This is the trick that Republicans in both chambers of Congresswith the exceptions of Rep. Justin Amash, who switched parties after offering his support for impeachment, and perhaps Sens. Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, who still appeared poised to vote for witnessesplayed throughout the impeachment proceedings: We cant vote for impeachment because its partisan, and its partisan because were not voting for impeachment. Advertisement Advertisement Partisanship is whatever partisans say it is. The same procedures that Republicans now deem unfair have been used in past presidential investigations, such as the Benghazi probe, with Republicans behind them. The Trump administration complained about the House interrogating executive branch witnesses without their department counsel presenta rule created and implemented by Republicans when they were in charge of the House and its intelligence committee. What carried Murkowski beyond the standard Republican impeachment cynicism, though, was her willingness to acknowledge the purely political motives behind her vote. If Murkowski were to have supported calling witnesses, it would have produced a 50-50 Senate tie, forcing Chief Justice John Roberts to decide whether to break it or not. The self-styled umpire of American justice would have had to choose whether to personally side with the president, joining a one-party vote against what opinion polls say are the preferences of large numbers of the American people, or to oppose him. Murkowski said she would vote against witnesses in part because she didnt want Roberts placed in this bind. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process, and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the Chief Justice, Murkowski said. I will not stand for nor support that effort. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another. Rather than a standoff between two branches of government, then, to be resolved by the third, the impeachment trial was a standoff between the two parties. There was nothing Roberts could do to bring it in line with constitutional order, and so Murkowski would not make him try. We are sadly at a low point of division in this country, Murkowski concluded. That was one point on which her Democratic colleagues were likely to agree. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump's administration on Friday added six countries to the controversial travel ban he put in place early in his term, a move that could potentially trigger another legal battle in a highly volatile election year. Department of Homeland Security officials said the administration will suspend issuing overseas visas for nationals of Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria. The agency said it would also place additional restrictions on Sudanese and Tanzanian nationals. The White House said the new countries fail to conduct "proper identity management" procedures or fail to "comply with basic national security" requirements. "It is fundamental to national security, and the height of common sense, that if a foreign nation wishes to receive the benefits of immigration and travel to the United States, it must satisfy basic security conditions outlined by Americas law-enforcement and intelligence professionals," the White House said in a statement. The new restrictions will not apply to tourist or business travel, the White House said, but rather to visas that are issued to immigrants who intend to live in the U.S. Trump's travel ban, which the administration re-worked after a series of court challenges, already suspended the issuance of immigrant and non-immigrant visas to applicants from Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea and Venezuela. The initial ban triggered a 17-month political and legal battle in which critics accused Trump of unconstitutionally targeting Muslims. The uproar included protests in cities and chaos at airports where some passengers from affected countries were detained. After several revisions, the Supreme Court upheld the ban on a 5-4 vote in 2018. More: Supreme Court upholds Trump's travel ban against majority-Muslim countries Critics slammed Trump's move to expand the ban. "Reviving this ban, and the anti-Muslim sentiment in which it originated, is a violation of the values of human rights and human dignity, and it must be overturned," said Margaret Huang, Amnesty International USAs executive director. "The policies this administration has enacted towards people seeking safety have been cruel, inhumane, bigoted." Story continues President Donald Trump Contributing: John Fritze, Deirdre Shesgreen This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump expands controversial travel ban to six new countries CASH-STRAPPED luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin has announced major plans to raise a substantial emergency sum of funds worth 500million. A consortium led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll will invest 182million into the struggling carmaker, with the rest of the money coming from current investors. As part of the rescue deal, the Racing Point Formula One team, which is partly owned by Mr Stroll, will be branded Aston Martin from 2021 for at least ten seasons. The move comes after Gaydon-based Aston Martin said they had experienced challenging trading conditions in 2019, with the underperformance of the company prompting a financial review of the business. Mr Strolls consortium will take a 20 per cent stake in the firm, with the 60-year-old joining the board and becoming its executive chairman. Because of this, Penny Hughes has confirmed she will step down as director once the rescue deal is complete. She said: The difficult trading performance in 2019 resulted in severe pressure on liquidity which has left the company with no alternative but to seek substantial additional equity financing. Without this, the balance sheet is not robust enough to support the operations of the group. Notwithstanding recent weak trading, the strength of the Aston Martin brand and our expanding portfolio of cars has allowed us to attract a strong new partner in Mr Stroll to support the turnaround of the business. Mr Strolls consortium has agreed to provide 55million of short-term working capital and Aston Martin will pay that money back once the share placement is complete, the firm said in a statement today, Friday. The emergency cash injection means the manufacturer, which is synonymous with the James Bond franchise, will no longer need to draw down $100million of high-interest debt. I am very pleased that I, and my partners in the consortium, have reached an agreement with the board and major shareholders to make this significant long-term investment, said Mr Stroll, who has invested in high-end clothing brands Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. Our investment underpins the companys financial security and ensures it will be operating from a position of financial strength. On completion of the 500million of fundraising, I look forward to working with the board and management team in Aston Martin Lagonda to review and improve each aspect of the companys operations and marketing; to continue to invest in the development of new models and technologies, and to start to rebalance production to prioritise demand over supply. I, and my partners, firmly believe that Aston Martin is one of the great global luxury car brands. I believe that this combination of capital and my experience of both the motor industry and building highly successful global brands will mean that, over time, we fulfil Aston Martin Lagondas potential, he added. As part of the deal, Aston Martin has announced it will pushback its investment into electric vehicles from 2022 to 2025. Instead, the company will now focus its attentions on a V6 hybrid engine to help reduce the carbon emissions from its cars. Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer added: We are focused on turning around performance, restoring price positioning and delivering a more efficient operational footprint. The actions announced will allow us to implement and deliver on our reset plan and provide Aston Martin Lagonda with a sustainable platform for the future. In a stock exchange filing, Kotak Bank said the RBI has given an in-principle acceptance for reducing the promoter shareholding to 26 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital (PUVESC) of the bank within six months from the date of the final approval. This brings to end a year long battle over a decade-old issue between the two on promoter shareholding in the bank. Mumbai: Private lender Kotak Mahindra Bank on Thursday said that it would be withdrawing a writ petition filed a year ago in the Bombay High Court against the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) direction on dilution of promoter shareholding in the bank. In a stock exchange filing, Kotak Bank said the RBI has given an in-principle acceptance for reducing the promoter shareholding to 26 per cent of the paid-up voting equity share capital (PUVESC) of the bank within six months from the date of the final approval. This brings to end a year long battle over a decade-old issue between the two on promoter shareholding in the bank. With respect to our proposal vide our letters dated August 19, 2019 and January 10, 2020 relating to dilution of promoters shareholding in the bank, RBI vide its letter dated January 29, 2020 has conveyed its in-principle acceptance for the following: (a) Promoters voting rights in the bank to be capped to 20 per cent of paid-up voting equity share capital until March 31,2020; (b) Promoters voting rights in the bank to be capped to 15 per cent of PUVESC from April 1, 2020 onwards. (c) Promoters shareholding in the bank to be reduced to 26 per cent of PUVESC of the bank within six months from the date of final approval of the RBI; (d) Thereafter, the promoters will not purchase any further paid-up voting equity shares of the bank till the percentage of promoters shareholding reaches 15 per cent of PUVESC of the bank or such higher percentage as may be permitted by RBI from time to time; (e) The promoters will be entitled to purchase paid-up voting equity shares of the bank up to 15 per cent of the PUVESC of the bank or such higher percentage as may be permitted in the future, and exercise voting rights on such shares. Our board of directors has resolved to abide by the above. The bank is withdrawing writ petition No. 3542 of 2018 filed by it in the Honble High Court of Bombay, said the lender. As on date, the shareholding of promoter Uday Kotak, who is also the MD & CEO of Kotak Bank, and the promoter group, istands at 29.96 per cent. The RBIs bank licencing norms require private banks to ensure the promoter groups holding does not exceed 40 per cent in the first three years of bank operations, 20 per cent in 10 years, and 15 per cent in 15 years. In August 2018, Uday Kotak had pared his stake to 19.70 per cent from about 30 per cent by issuing preference shares instead of bringing down his share of common equity. Within 10 days of the proposal, the RBI said the stake dilution using the perpetual non-convertible preference shares (PNCPS) route was not acceptable as it does not meet its regulatory norms. The Bank in December 2018 filed a writ petition to protect its interests as a matter of abundant caution. That religious thought which may be described as distinctly Reformed is not marking time is shown by the marked revival of interest in Reformed literature, both classical and modern, and also by the formation in recent years of the International Association for Reformed Faith and Action. The story of this latter venture is well worth recounting. In 1952 a small group of young and youngish men from half-a-dozen different countries met at the Free University of Amsterdam in order to discuss the situation of the Reformed faith in our world today and to lay plans for the strengthening of the Reformed cause in this generation. One tangible outcome of their deliberations was the decision to hold an international Reformed congress in the summer of the following year, and this congress was duly organized and convened at Montpellier in the South of France in July, 1953. Lectures and discussions centered around the theme: The Secularization of the Modern Worldthe Reformed Answer. Those attending this congress represented nationalities from every quarter of the worldEurope, Near and Far East, Africa, Americaand the proceedings were conducted in three languages: English, French and German. At this same congress the organizing group presented a draft scheme for the formation of an international organization, and this scheme was accepted in principle by the members present and a provisional executive committee appointed for the further elaboration of the project. Two years later a second international congress was held at Detmold in Central Germany. At this gathering, even more widely representative than the former, it was formally resolved to found an international organization, and a constitution which ... 1 You have reached the end of this Article Preview You have reached the end of this Article Preview To continue reading, subscribe now. Subscribers have full digital access. Have something to add about this? See something we missed? Share your feedback here. MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, January 30, 2020 Thomson Reuters will provide customers with a detailed overview of new enhancements to HighQs intelligent work and client engagement solutions at Legalweek New York. In this latest release, scheduled to be rolled out to customers in March 2020, HighQ 5.3 will continue to transform the user experience and build on the successful first iteration of solutions templating, introduced with HighQ 5.2 in November 2019. HighQ 5.3 also introduces numerous enhancements that help clients manage projects, matters and transactions; create client portals and intranets; leverage desktop and mobile applications; and much more. A few of the key customer-driven improvements in HighQ 5.3 include: Addition of workflow rules and HighQ AI engine configurations to solutions templates More workflow rules that enable users to manage files and folders automatically The ability to create custom site metadata to improve matter management The power to produce data visualizations from data aggregated across multiple iSheets, a spreadsheet-like database that allows users to share, collaborate on and track dynamic data. We are pleased to continue raising the bar with our advanced collaboration, workflow and project management technology, said Stuart Barr, chief product and strategy officer of Product Management, Thomson Reuters. Solutions templating was a very important advancement that enabled our customers to create repeatable solutions built within HighQ. We look forward to continually advancing those capabilities in addition to all the other important enhancements that drive increased efficiencies for our clients in law firms and corporate legal departments. HighQ briefing details: Where: Rendezvous Trianon Room, Hilton Midtown, New York City Rendezvous Trianon Room, Hilton Midtown, New York City When: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 from 12:00 1:30 p.m. Thomson Reuters Thomson Reuters is a leading provider of business information services. Our products include highly specialized information-enabled software and tools for legal, tax, accounting and compliance professionals combined with the worlds most global news service Reuters. For more information on Thomson Reuters, visit tr.com and for the latest world news, reuters.com. CONTACT Jeff McCoy +1.651.687.4091 jeffrey.mccoy@thomsonreuters.com Nigerian soldiers on Thursday arrested a Daily Trust reporter in Maiduguri, Borno State, over a report about the Boko Haram war. The soldiers who stormed the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) at New GRA, handcuffed the reporter, Olatunji Omirin, forced him into a Hilux van and drove away. Mr Omirin was driven to Maimalari Barracks of the 7 Division Nigeria Army were an officer, a deputy director military intelligence was waiting, PREMIUM TIMES learned. Mr. Omirin was kept in detention till about 7 p.m. when the military released him after coming under pressure from other journalists who promptly boycotted a major military function scheduled for 5 p.m. The Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Olusegun Adeniyi, a major general, who was to host the event, said he was not aware of the journalists arrest. Mr. Omirin told PREMIUM TIMES he was kept handcuffed for some time. The reporter said he was arrested in connection with his recent reporting on the increasing attacks along the dreaded Kano-Maiduguri highway. Not happy with reports He said the officer that ordered his arrest told him the military was not happy with some of his reports, and that the officer demanded to know his sources. The officer was furious with his boys for bringing me without my phone, said Mr Omirin. When they took me by force at NUJ secretariat, my phone was not with me; that actually infuriated the man. The journalist said the deputy director, whose name he could not immediately determine, did not bother about Mr Tunjis cuffed hands, until he protested. He said the military was not happy with some of my report particularly that of 20th January, and I said is that why you have to handcuff me?. It was then he apologised and said that it was his boys that acted in an overzealous, the reporter narrated. Mr Omirin said the military was interested in getting his mobile phone to possibly get his sources of information. Since that objective was not achieved, he was reluctantly released after his colleagues and office complained. Mr Omirins arrest is the latest of such attacks on journalists. The military, locked in a decade-old war against the terror group Boko Haram, has repeatedly harrassed journalists over reports it considers critical. In January 2019, armed soldiers invaded the Daily Trust regional office in Maiduguri, and arrested the papers regional editor, Uthman Abubakar, and a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab. Their arrests were followed up with countrywide raid on Daily Trust offices by soldiers. Journalists in Borno State, the epicentre of the crisis, say the intermittent arrests make them carry out their duties of reporting the insurgency and its attendant challenges with fear. A school in Mandla in Madhya Pradesh has filed a complaint against the Congress' National Students Union of India for allegedly vandalising property over a dispute related to the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, police said on Friday. While the Bharat Jyoti School management told Mandla police that an NSUI team came to the school and vandalised property, the Congress' youth outfit has alleged a teacher in the school had spoken in support of CAA and NRC to Class IX students and made disparaging remarks against a particular community. "The school's manager Father James D'Souza has given a complaint that NSUI activists created ruckus and vandalised school property in Thursday after a dispute," Sub Divisional Officer of Police AV Singh said. D'Souza confirmed the submission of a complaint and demanded that police conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter. However, NSUI district president Akhilesh Thakur said the teacher had told Class IX students on Wednesday that the CAA and NRC were good moves made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "After inquiring whether there were students of a particular community in that class, the teacher went on to say that this particular community should be expelled from the country. Some parents approached us after which our delegation went to talk to school authorities on Thursday," Thakur claimed. He said the NSUI had demanded that the school management take action against the teacher. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Details of Russia-Ukraine gas transit contract revealed 23:45, 31.01.20 2176 Transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian GTS will have totaled 225 billion cubic meters (bcm) by 2024. The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to calls by the Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe a... The Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to calls by the Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnaya Abaribe asking President Muhammadu Buhari to resign following the high level of insecurity in the country.The minister said such a call can never be obeyed, stressing that the opposition was only asking the President to do more in meeting the yearnings of Nigerians.Recall that Abaribe, while contributing to a debate on the level of insecurity in the country on the floor of the Senate, claimed that President Buhari had failed to proffer solutions to the high rate of insecurity across Nigeria and so should resign.The Senate while also deliberating on the challenge of insecurity in the country, had passed a vote of no-confidence on the Military, police and other security structures in Nigeria.The lawmakers had unanimously agreed that the security structure in the country has totally collapsed.However, Keyamo in a series of tweets wrote: Campaign periods are times for attacks, propaganda, bickerings and recriminations by ALL SIDES struggling to get hold of the minds of voters.When campaigns are over, it is one country, one people & we must all get off our high horses & begin to respect the views of one anotherThe hullabaloo over the call by the opposition for the resignation of the President is unnecessary. Its the usual singsong of opposition all over the world.They know its not going to happen. Its just a way of telling govt to do more and we in govt. should see it in that light. The rescue flight carrying 83 British nationals along with 27 foreigners has flown out of the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak on January 31. The virus has reportedly claimed 213 lives and there are 9,356 confirmed cases in China including 1,200 new cases that were recorded within the past 24 hours. According to government's official website, the civilian aircraft charted by British Foreign office left Wuhan for the UK at 09:45 am (local time) and is estimated to land at RAF Brize Norton at 1330 (UK time). The aircraft has also been equipped with a small number of medics to provide support to all passengers and will make a stopover in Britain before landing in Spain where the home countries of European Union citizens will take responsibility for the remaining passengers. Read - China: Dead Body Found On Empty Street Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak The official release quoted Dominic Raab, foreign secretary of UK saying, Its welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan. We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities. International reports have stated the British government spokesperson has said any citizens who had already been infected with the novel virus were not allowed to leave China, while others will be provided with a seat. Individuals who will be returning through the evacuation flight will also be quarantined for two weeks at the National Service facility. Read - US Raises Travel Advisory Over Coronavirus; Asks Citizens To Not Travel To China WHO recommends no restrictions to trade While the United States government has warned Americans to not travel to China as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak a Global Health Emergency on January 31. The WHO has however also said that there is no reason to restrict travel and trade. Meanwhile, the first case of the Coronavirus has been confirmed in India on January 30. A student in Kerala, who was studying at Wuhan University, has been tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja has said that 20 samples were sent for tests out of which one was found to be positive. The patient had returned from China after the outbreak and has tested positive. She is now kept in isolation at General Hospital in Thrissur and is said to be in stable condition. Read - Kerala To Launch Awareness Campaign After Positive Case Of Novel Coronavirus Detected Read - Kerala To Launch Awareness Campaign After Positive Case Of Novel Coronavirus Detected (With Agency Inputs) Bollywood veteran Hema Malini on Friday morning visited Buddha temple in Bihar's Gaya and sought blessings. The 71-year-old actor took to Twitter to share a picture of herself from the spiritual destination and also shared that she visited the temple after performing at an event in the holy town of Gaya. "After a performance in the holy town of Gaya, visited the beautiful, serene temple of the Enlightened Buddha in Bodh Gaya," the actor tweeted. "I loved the whole ambience & the famous Bodhi tree. Maintained by the Japanese it is as a temple should be-a haven of calm where one can meditate in peace & quiet," Malini's tweet further read. The actor who is also an ace Bharatanatyam dancer is known for her devotion and is often seen performing at various religious events. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zhang Dingyu, president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital. [Photo by Ke Hao/For China Daily] "As my life is counting down, I desperately make full use of every single minute," said Zhang Dingyu, president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, in the capital of Hubei province. The 57-year-old, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which attacks nerve cells that control muscles, in October 2018, has been working with more than 600 others at the hospital for a month since it received the first few cases of pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus. "All my colleagues know my short temper," he said in a recent interview with Hubei Daily. "I've become shorttempered because I don't have much time left in my life. "My leg muscles have become weaker because of atrophy, then my body will lose sensation gradually... I have to run, competing against time to finish important missions. I have to run faster to get more patients back from the critical pandemic." In the past month, Zhang has usually gone to bed at about 2 am and then risen two hours later to answer a steady stream of calls about patient emergencies. What makes the unyielding man weep is that his wife was infected with the novel coronavirus while working at another hospital in Wuhan. She received treatment and has now recovered. "I remember it was Jan 13. I went home very late and talked with her about a patient who was struggling for breath after a seizure," he said. "My wife told me that she had the same symptoms." He said he felt guilty when she was confirmed as having been infected. "Maybe I'm a good doctor but not a qualified husband," Zhang said, adding they'd been married for 28 years and he was afraid of losing her. Zhang was on high alert in December after some cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause began to be reported in the city's hospitals. The Jinyintan hospital received the first seven infected patients when they were transferred there on Dec 29. It later set up a separate area to handle such cases. He said the wife of one of the first seven infected people had wanted to be hospitalized, even though her symptoms were rather light. "I suggested she stay at home, taking medicines. She recovered in the next two weeks," Zhang told Hubei Daily. "The most important thing is to enhance the immunity. Infectious disease is not incurable and what we need to do is to quell fears." Zhang and his team got some relief on Friday, when medical aid in the form of 150 people from Army Medical University arrived at the hospital. "In the past month, we were overloaded," he said. "Normally, nurses change their shifts every two hours but the time period has been lengthened to four or even five hours, not to say the doctors. Physical exhaustion will increase risks of being infected. Now, the situation is getting better. "Our nation is strong in scientific research and economically, and we have Chinese people's wills united like a fortress. I believe that we'll conquer this disease." Zhang, who has worked at Jinyintan for six years, has been on the front line of medical emergencies and overseas medical relief missions in past decades. He joined the medical team supporting victims of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008 and has also helped patients in Algeria and Pakistan. (ASX:LCL) For the Finance News Network, I'm James Lush. Joining me today from Los Cerrosis Managing Director Jason Stirbinskis.Jason, first of all, can you start with a little bit of background about the company?Sure. Los Cerros Limited has about 100,000 hectares in the gold-rich Mid Cauca Porphyry Belt of Colombia. It formed through the merger of Andes Resources Limited, which is an unlisted company that I was the Managing Director of, only 80 shareholders, the major shareholder being Sandfire Resources, and we merged with Metminco, which is a listed company on the ASX and holds a portfolio of assets below us in Colombia.So, that 100,000 hectares is divided into two parcels. We have the Andes parcel. As the name would suggest, it's in the Andes region. And mainly undeveloped projects, early-stage projects. And we have the Metminco portfolio, which is called the Quinchia Project, and as the name suggests, it's in Quinchia, and that's a smaller parcel of projects, but far more advanced, including a mineral reserve at Miraflores of about a half million ounces.And before we talk about some of those projects, let's talk about why you changed your name.The merger with Metminco and Andes happened last year, and the company now is a completely new company, so rebranding the company to reflect that re-energising, rejuvenation of the company is appropriate.We chose the name "Los Cerros" because it means "the hills", and both projects are in the Andes mountains, and also the local village, Quinchia, is also known as "the village of the hills" or "the village of Los Cerros". So there was a local relevance as well.What's it like working in Colombia?I get this question a lot. It's a lot of history in Colombia, obviously, and a lot of it not all that great, but that's the history. Colombia at the moment is a very easy place to work. About four years ago, there was a peace agreement signed with the FARC, and ever since then the risk profile of the country has been improving greatly. So, now our colleagues in the area are all blue chips and mid-tiers, so we have Newmont Mining Corporation, Newcrest Miningand AngloGold Ashantiand Agnico Eagle Mines, etc, all there now alongside us.And just on that, if we were to try and build that portfolio that we have, that 100,000 hectares of prime real estate now, we wouldn't be able to do that, I don't think, because our competitors are companies with far deeper pockets than a little junior explorer.And let's talk about some of the results, in particular with Chuscal. What have you learned from those?So, we just finished four holes. The last hole completed just before Christmas and the last of the results were put out in early January. There were interesting results. The first hole was quite spectacular. The entire hole, all 450m of it, contained gold, which caught us by surprise. We weren't expecting that. In fact, the first 350m of the hole graded 0.57 grams per tonne with five grams per tonne at the surface.What it told us, and was later consolidated by holes two, three and four, is that the porphyry mineralisation we see at Chuscal is much, much bigger than everyone thought for the previous two decades. It's a much bigger system.And the second part of the story is the system contains vein gold as well, and that's what makes Chuscal so interesting and why everyone was so excited by it. It's a porphyry story, so low-grade mineralisation, but that's been cut by epithermal higher-grade vein. So it's a vein story inside a porphyry story.So we drilled through those massive intercepts of porphyry-related gold, but every now and then we hit these high-grade veins, these epithermal veins, and we took a boost in the grade as we went through those veins, and we hit those in every single hole.How does Chuscal fit into the overall strategy?Chuscal is part of the Quinchia project, so Chuscal's to the south, and then Tesorito, which is a near-surface porphyry, it's 2m below the surface. And massive intercepts, 300+ metres that are gram per ton, and things like that, from the surface.And they're all anchored to a discovery called Miraflores, and that contains a half million ounce reserve with $1400 an ounce. NPV of about $90 million and an internal rate of return of 28%.So, from a feasibility perspective, it's borderline interesting, but it doesn't need much. Any sort of a boost from Tesorito or from Chuscal instantly realises that half million ounce reserve as well sitting at Miraflores.So it's an exciting little parcel. All those projects are within 2km of each other.And you also have the Andes Project, which is even larger.That's about 90,000 hectares, but it's all very early stage, and we look forward to getting back to the Andes ground the second half of this year. But at the moment we've taken an extensive number of surface samples there, 14,000 surface samples over the last three or four years, and what's really amazing is 2% of that database is over a gram per ton, so we know there's an enormous amount of gold in that area, and we look forward to exploring that in H2 of 2020.So, exciting times. What do you think is going to happen over the next six months?Well, first of all, we need to understand this recent drilling data and incorporate that into the significant database we have regionally. I suspect that will generate 3D models and those sorts of things over the next 4-6 weeks, and then we'll talk about drilling.The results from Chuscal have given us a strong signal of where the porphyry source of all this gold might be, so that's obviously a very exciting drilling target, but we also want to return to Tesorito. We believe the geology of Tesorito's not been fully understood yet, and hitting 300+ metres several times of a gram per tonne from surface means there's something really exciting there and we want to return to that program as well. So, in the next six months I would say we'll be drilling, subject to funding, at those two targets.The other line of work that we want to progress fairly quickly is understanding Miraflores better. Yes, there's an established reserve there, but as we learn more about the structure of Miraflores, we see that there's great opportunities there, not just in the reserve itself and understanding the high-grade distribution within that reserve that remains open at depth, so we don't know what happens after 60m, and there's also some anomalism to the north-east that no one's ever tested, so we want to go there and test that as well.Jason, thank you very much.You're welcome. The sprawling rental home at the end of Southeast Dickerson Lane in Gladstone has 12 bedrooms, seven refrigerators, and a fierce survival ethic. Im a secular humanist but theres something sacred about these houses, Chandler Kerns, one of the residents, says. You dont get loaded in an Oxford House. Ardalee Dickerson who takes understandable pride in the cul-de-sac that bears her family name remembers the early rumors about the drunks and addicts who were moving into the house aside hers. We werent thrilled, Dickerson, 87, says, and I went down to City Hall to complain. Then we found out what Oxford House is. My kids are so happy now that these boys are next door. Because, Ill tell you, I am really old. And whenever I need help, the boys are there for me. There are just over a hundred Oxford Houses in the Portland metro area, and another 47 across the river in Clark County. They are self-governing irritatingly democratic, Kerns says self-sustaining, and sufficiently focused on self-preservation to give the boot to anyone who relapses. Three of the seven refrigerators at the Oxford House in Gladstone. With a little more encouragement from the state of Oregon, Jason Renaud believes, Oxford Houses might provide even more relief for the regions homeless. Recovery residences are the most effective dollar philanthropy can spend on homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty, says Renaud, who runs Mental Health Association of Portland. Oxford Houses in the city, he adds, provide more clean and sober housing than Central City Concern and Home Forward combined. Oxford House was the brainchild of Paul Molloy, memorably introduced in a 1989 profile by Peter Carlson in The Washington Post magazine: Paul Molloy former associate Republican counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, former Republican counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee, former corporate attorney, former drinker of two fifths of Canadian Club a day, former wife-beater, former mental patient, former street drunk is now, at 51, a man driven by a grand vision: He wants to see thousands of self-supporting, self-governed homes for recovering alcoholics and addicts operating all over America. The first Oxford House was a halfway house on Fiddler Lane in Silver Spring, Md. When Montgomery County moved to shut it down in 1975, says Molloy, now 82, thirteen of us decided to run it, kind of like a college fraternity. They eliminated the curfews and the six-month residency limit that dumped so many in recovery back on the doorstep of the local bar. But the remaining rules were sacrosanct, Molloy says: You needed to be democratically self-run. You needed to pay your monthly share of the rent and bills on time. And with the help of random urinalysis, the group needed to vote out anyone who relapsed. Self-reliance bred self-respect, Molloy discovered. Everyone in the house took pride when we paid the rent. We made it again this month! When the recovery frat survived six months with a surplus, they decided to rent a second Oxford House. By 1987, Molloy says, there were 13 in the DC area, and 80% of the residents whod lived there over the years were still sober. Molloys vision expanded dramatically in 1988 when he convinced an old friend, Rep. Ed Madigan, R-Ill., to slip a provision into an anti-drug bill that provided each state with $100,000 in start-up funds to encourage self-supporting recovery housing. Chandler Kerns in the Oxford House kitchen. Oxford Houses sprang up across the country, Molloy says, particularly in the four states Oregon, Washington, Louisiana and North Carolina where the directors of the state alcohol-and-drug treatment programs were in recovery themselves: They bought into the notion that the inmates could run the asylum. Molloy now counts 2,792 Oxford Houses, 535 in Oregon and Washington. Men live in some of the homes, women in others. Many are parked in the best neighborhoods. Once we get there, the neighbors tend to like us, Molloy says. Heck, all drunks and druggies are con artists. If a neighbor doesnt like you, you mow her lawn every week. Kerns, 52, moved into the Gladstone house in 2009. He has a long-running battle with anxiety and alcohol, highlighted, he said, by a stint at a Portland DoubleTree: I was the beverage captain, and the inventory was in my office. A little sprite, a little Vodka, and youd get your Dean Martin on. When he lost the job, Kerns didnt have many options. Im not the kind of person who wants to learn the skills of living on the street, he says. Oxford House spared him that. He warmed to the daily democracy, the relative quiet (some houses have a house band), the excess fridge space, his $450 share of the monthly expenses, and Groucho, the cat that sleeps on his bed. He took a job at Cinema 21, served as an Oxford House chapter chairman, and grew increasingly confident in his public speaking. He helped move Ardalees piano, and latched onto a calm that doesnt require alcohol. No, Groucho the cat doesn't pay a share of the living expenses. As Renaud notes, Oxford House is just one model of residential recovery. There are 100 other models in Oregon, public and private. But this model dramatically cheaper than low-income apartments is providing shelter, community and order for hundreds of men and women whose addictions would otherwise relegate them to the streets. And if Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Legislature can find $4 million in one-time funding, Renaud believes that would be enough for the down payments and closing costs on another 70-80 houses, and beds for another 1,000 Oregonians in early recovery. If thats not argument enough, Governor, Paul Molloy would be happy to mow the Capitol Mall. CLEVELAND, Ohio Two masked men with guns stole a 40-year-old mans lottery scratch-off ticket winnings after they burst into his home. The robbery happened about 3:15 p.m. Thursday at a home on Storer Avenue near West 45th Street on the citys West Side. No arrests have been made. The 40-year-old man was seated on the couch when the gunmen burst through the door. Four others a 12-year-old boy, 3-year-old girl, 20-year-old man and 69-year-old woman were also in the home at the time of the robbery. The gunmen ordered the 69-year-old woman to take the two children into a back bedroom and shouted wheres the cash? at the 40-year-old man, according to police reports. The duo ordered the 40-year-old man to the ground. They rummaged through his pockets and stole the $520 he won on the scratch-off lottery ticket, police reports say. The duo also searched the couch cushions for money before running away. Cleveland police and Cuyahoga County Sheriff deputies searched for the robbers with the help of a sheriff dog. The dog tracked the scent of the robbers west on Storer, and north on West 46th Street, according to police reports. The dog lost scent on Hyde Avenue. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more from cleveland.com: Alabama victim connected to Cleveland-area arrest died of drug overdose, reports say Former Berea-Midpark football player pleads guilty to felony charges in hazing case Security guard shoots man smashing his car outside Cleveland store Cleveland police officer hurt after suspected intoxicated driver crashes into two cruisers, police say Northampton County prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a man accused of killing a 97-year-old Palmer Township woman and her 61-year-old son, and then setting their house on fire. Drew Rose, 38, was in court Friday morning for his formal arraignment on homicide, arson, abuse of a corpse and related charges in the deaths of Virginia Houck and Roger Houck in January 2019. Rose, wearing a red prison jumpsuit and shackles, showed no emotion as Judge Jennifer Sletvold read each charge. At the hearing, District Attorney Terence Houck filed notice he will seek the death penalty if Rose is convicted of first-degree murder at trial. Houck was elected district attorney last year and this is the first death-penalty case he has filed as DA, though he prosecuted death penalty cases as first deputy district attorney and is set to try a death penalty case, against Jacob Holmes Jr., later this year. Defense attorney Matthew Potts declined to comment after the hearing. He did have a mitigation expert in the courtroom; mitigation experts advocate for defendants in death penalty cases, and research their past in preparation for a possible penalty phase of a case. The aggravating circumstances to seek the death penalty listed for Rose allege he murdered multiple people; that he killed Virginia Houck because she was a witness to her sons murder; that she was killed in the commission of a felony, specifically arson, burglary and robbery; and that she was killed by means of torture. There were a number of aggravating factors here, from multiple murders to the arson and (a murder) in the course of committing a felony, Houck said. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf put a moratorium on executions when he took office in 2015, though DAs still seek the death penalty and killers have been sentenced to death in cases since then. Recent death penalty verdicts include Eric Frein and Jacob Sullivan. Roger Houck lived in Seattle, and at the time of the killing was visiting his mother at her home at 2901 Stephens St., Palmer Township. Terence Houck is not related to the victims. The deaths of Virginia Houck and son Roger Houck were ruled homicide after an arson Jan. 4, 2019, at her Palmer Township home. She was 97, and he was 61. Authorities on Aug. 2, 2019, charged Drew Alan Rose, 37, of Bethlehem, with killing them. Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com The investigation into their deaths went to the county grand jury. There, Amanda Rouselle, Roses girlfriend, reportedly testified that Rose confessed the killings to her. Rose was charged in the case on Aug. 2, and has been held without bail since then. On Jan. 3, 2019, Rose baked cookies and told Roger Houck he was a family friend who worked for Virginia Houck in order to get into the house, according to Rouselles testimony. Once inside the home, he ordered Roger Houck to buy items online for him, according to grand jury testimony. When Roger Houck refused, Rose allegedly punched him in the stomach and strangled him with his hands. Rose allegedly made off with $280; he told Rouselle he needed rent money, according to police. Rose came back to the home the next day, where he is accused of dragging the bedridden Virginia Houck and the body of her son to the basement and setting the home on fire. Roger Houcks body was burned beyond recognition, authorities said. Rose drove Roger Houcks car two blocks away to make it appear no one was home, according to court papers. An early morning fire Jan. 4, 2019, destroyed a home at 2901 Stephens St. in Palmer Township.Courtesy Palmer Fire Pix on Facebook Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. SPRINGFIELD The first U.S. case of the coronavirus spreading from one person to another was reported in Chicago on Thursday, the husband of a woman who caught the disease while in China. The case is the first confirmed person-to-person transmission of the virus in the U.S. and the sixth confirmed case in the country. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike hosted a news conference with county and city health officials in Chicago and said the risk to the general public remains low. The second case is a Chicago man and is the husband of the first confirmed case in Illinois, she said. The woman, in her 60s, returned from Wuhan, China the city at the center of the outbreak in mid-January. Her husband did not travel to China. All those who had close contact with the woman were being monitored, and her husband began displaying symptoms in recent days. When he did, he was admitted to the hospital and placed in isolation. Ezike said there are 21 individuals in Illinois who are considered persons under investigation for the virus, which is considered novel because not much is known about the new strain. She said health officials are taking other actions to guard against the spread of the virus and they continue to work with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The virus is not spreading widely across the community at this time, Ezike said. Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said the news was a continuation of last weeks news conference in which the first case in the state was reported. She remains hospitalized and in isolation, primarily for infection control, Arwady said, adding the womans husband is hospitalized and in stable condition as well. She said the CDC believes it can take between two and 14 days for someone who has had contact with coronavirus to show symptoms of it if they contract it. Macon County Health Department spokeswoman Marisa Hosier said they're monitoring the situation. "We have had members of our team participating on the calls with the CDC and IDPH. We are following the guidance from IDPH regarding this specific situation and always have teams responding to communicable diseases and emergencies," she said. The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern after calling an emergency committee meeting Thursday. TRACKING THE NEWS WHAT HAPPENED: A Chicago man is the second Illinois case of coronavirus and first instance of person-to-person spread in the U.S., the Illinois Department of Public Health said Thursday. THE BACKGROUND: There have been 7,818 cases of coronavirus reported worldwide, mostly in China, and 170 deaths from the illness in China, according to the World Health Organization. THE SYMPTOMS: Fever, cough and shortness of breath. Its believed symptoms appear anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure. A WHO situation report dated Jan. 30 said there are 7,818 confirmed global cases of the virus, with all but 82 cases in China. The virus has caused 170 deaths. This week, the CDC advised Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China. The WHO urges the general public to take the same steps to protect against the virus that are taken against the flu. This includes frequently washing hands with sanitizer or soap and water; covering ones mouth when coughing or sneezing; avoiding close contact with anyone who has a fever and cough; and seeking medical care early when symptoms show. Those with symptoms should relay travel histories to their medical professionals. When visiting live markets in areas experiencing cases of novel coronavirus, the public should avoid direct unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in contact with animals. The Chicago Tribune and Herald & Review reporter Analisa Trofimuk contributed to this report. BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hull Street Energy has signed an agreement to acquire thirty-one hydroelectric facilities with 255 MW of capacity from EGPNA Renewable Energy Partners (EGPNA REP), a joint venture between Enel Green Power North America and GE Energy Financial Services. The transaction will close in two phases. The first phase, which closed this week, includes thirty hydro projects totaling 175 MW. The second phase, which includes the remaining 80 MW of capacity, is expected to close during the first quarter of 2020, pending regulatory approval. The plants supply reliable, low-carbon energy to regional electricity customers in Vermont, Washington, Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, South Carolina, Idaho, California, North Carolina, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Hull Street Energy affiliates own fifty-one power generation stations providing more than 815 MW of renewable, gas-fired, and dual-fueled generation capacity to support grid operations throughout the United States. BNP Paribas Securities Corp. served as sole placement agent and ancillary facility provider on a private placement financing for the transaction, and Baker Botts LLP acted as legal counsel to Hull Street Energy. About Hull Street Energy Hull Street Energy is a private equity firm that specializes in deploying capital into the power sector as it transitions to a more sustainable future. Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the team leverages its decades of experience and unique knowledge of North American electricity infrastructure, fundamentals and grid operations, including fuel inputs, commodity contract structuring, renewable and fossil powered generation assets, energy storage, transmission and distribution systems, and electricity demand-side businesses to build value for stakeholders. For further information about Hull Street Energy please see www.hullstreetenergy.com. Media Contact: Matthew Willis 240-800-3218 [email protected] SOURCE Hull Street Energy, LLC Related Links http://www.hullstreetenergy.com More than 3 million of public funds has been spent replacing more than 400 cell windows the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise which inmates smashed to smuggle contraband into and around the big jail in Portlaoise. The IPS confirmed the cost and the work involved to the Leinster Express. The Irish Prison Service can confirm the replacement of windows in the Midlands Prison. We have been actively progressing a major programme of work since 2017 to replace cell windows at the Midlands Prison. For obvious security and operational reasons, this work can only be done on a phased basis. The project is nearing completion with work with on the final phase of the project currently in progress and scheduled to be completed later in the year. We have replaced 409 windows to date. The cost of the project is 3,342,057,05 to date, said the statement. While there was a health and safety element to the work, the chief motivation to replace the new windows was to clamp down on the circulation of drugs, phones and other phones in the jail. The contract was originally tendered in 2015. An IPS tender document said the Midlands Prison had a latent defect in the design structure of the cell windows. The polycarbonate inserts in these windows have been damaged and have resulted in security, hygiene, and health and safety problems. The docutment said this project is for the manufacture and installation of new security external windows for 500 cells in the original Midlands Prison Wings on a phased basis to meet the operational requirements of the prison. The Midlands Prison was officially opened in 2000 after being built at a cost of more than IR40 million. A spokersperson could not say ifan attempt at been made to recoup replacement costs. It was built as a public-private partnership basis. SALEM The Oregon Legislature may convene its 2020 session on Monday without Senate President Peter Courtney, who has been in a Portland hospital for nearly a month receiving treatment for a staph infection in his replacement hip and other serious complications. The 76-year-old Salem Democrat told the Statesman Journal Thursday that his condition first described as a workout accident was worse than even members of his staff knew. While attending a reception at a conference in Arizona the first weekend of January, Courtney said he suddenly couldnt walk. This sent him to the emergency room and later, via medical transport back to Oregon, to OHSU Hospital. Courtney said his doctors arent certain how the bacteria got into his hip, which was replaced in 2009. There was speculation Courtneys workout on a stationary bike before the conference contributed. Courtney said he has seen at least 10 doctors in the past month, undergone two surgeries, received a new component in his replacement hip and dealt with blood clots. Courtney said his doctors were pleased with his progress and they hope to send him home this week. He said there is a better chance than not that he will be in the Capitol on Monday, but there is still a chance he misses the first day. Did it knock me down? Youre darn right it knocked me down, Courtney said. This is a very difficult, unpleasant experience. Im getting through it. Its been hard. Im grateful I have the medical personnel in the state of Oregon that can get me through it. -- Statesman Journal via Associated Press At least three terrorists travelling in a truck towards Srinagar were killed in a gunfight with security forces at a toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday, officials said. A policeman was also injured after the terrorists opened fire at the security team when the truck was stopped around 5am for a checking at the Ban toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway. This is the first terror attack in Jammu since Article 370, which granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir, was revoked on August 5 last year. One terrorist was killed in the morning. Two others have been neutralised in the adjoining forest area. Their bodies are being brought up to the road, J&K director general of police Dilbagh Singh said while speaking to HT. Four to five terrorists were believed to be in the truck. It is suspected that they might have infiltrated from Hiranagar sector in Kathua district, he said. The injured policeman has been shifted to a hospital. Inspector general of police (Jammu Zone) Mukesh Singh said an AK 47 assault rifle, magazines and grenades were recovered from the truck. We have arrested a truck helper. The terrorists are most likely foreigners, who were being helped by locals, he said. A spokesperson of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had earlier said that security personnel immediately took the position after the firing and a cordon and search operation was launched, he said. We have a joint post of CRPF and J&K police at the toll post, Shivnandan said. The spokesperson said that additional reinforcements have been sent to the spot and traffic movement has been suspended on the highway. Authorities have also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Udhampur zone. Nagrota is an Indian Army cantonment where seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in November 2016 when terrorists dressed as policemen stormed a military camp. Box Truck driver is Pulwama suicide bombers brother Ravi Krishnan Khajuria ravi.khajuria@htlive.com JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday evening said that they have arrested three persons including truck driver Sameer Dar, who was ferrying armed terrorists to Srinagar from Dayalachak in Hiranagar area of Kathua district, before they were intercepted at Ban toll plaza in Jammu early morning. Dar is the cousin brother of Aadil Dar, the suicide bomber, who rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama on Jammu-Srinagar highway on February 14 last year in which 40 personnel were killed. Talking to Hindustan Times, inspector general of police Mukesh Singh said, We arrested truck driver Sameer Dar of Pulwama, who is cousin of Aadil Dar, suicide bomber responsible for the February 14 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy. The IG said Mohammad Maqbool of Pulwama was the owner of the truck in which the terrorists were travelling. Singh also said two truck cleaners Omar and Asif who were also detained, also belong to Pulwama. The IG also said two to three suspects have also been picked up from Rehmbal area of Udhampur for their possible involvement. NIA sleuths are questioning Sameer Dar. At the moment 1053 persons are under observation and 15 are admitted in isolation ward across Kerala. Thiruvananthapuram: With a student studying in Chinas Wuhan University being tested positive in Kerala for novel Coronavirus (nCov), the state government has sounded high alert in all districts and stepped up surveillance and prevention activities. This is the first case of novel Coronavirus in the country. Health Minister K K Shailaja told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that the medical student from China Wuhan University has been kept in an isolation ward in Thrissur general hospital. She will be shifted to Thrissur medical college hospital soon where a special ward has been set up. She does not have severe symptoms. Her condition is stable, the minister added. Four persons, who were in contact with the infected student, have also been kept in isolation ward. Of the 20 samples sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, 15 were negative, one positive and results of four are awaited. Health Minister, health secretary and senior officials have left for Thirssur for a high level meeting to review the situation. At the moment 1053 persons are under observation and 15 are admitted in isolation ward across Kerala. The preliminary result on the medical student had confirmed coronavirus. The second result is awaited. However, without waiting for that the health department has put in place all precautionary measures. Earlier union health ministry had conveyed the confirmation of coronovirus during a video conference with Kerala chief secretary and principal secretary health. Since coronavirus has affected more than 20 countries and the virus has been transmitted by people who arrived from China, the health authorities called for stepping up surveillance. There is a need to check the spread of virus in the society. In case of any suspected symptoms, the person should seek medical assistance to rule out the virus. They should not mingle with the family members or other people. It is in this backdrop that the state government had called for monitoring of people coming from outside the country especially China. The health department had already issued a directive that those coming from China should voluntarily report to the respective district medical officers. While some people have voluntarily reported to the health authorities, there are many who are yet to report . Those who have returned from China should either report to district medical officers or call health departments emergency number Disha 1056. The experts said the symptoms of coronavirus are similar to common viral fever. The main symptoms include fever, cough, respiratory distress and breathing difficulty. Britain's EU departure on Friday marks a "sea change" for the bloc, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said. "It is clearly a sea change for Europe because the UK was an important member of the EU for 47 years -- nearly half a century," said Steffen Seibert said at a government press conference. Berlin hopes Britain will continue to be a "close partner and friend", Seibert added. "We regret (Brexit), and we think the majority of the German population feel the same, but we respect the decision made by the British people." In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month, Merkel said Brexit was a "wake-up call" for the EU. "That means that we will work even more intensively on being strong and innovative," said Seibert. "European integration has brought Europe peace and prosperity... We and the other 26 remaining member states are determined to continue this success story." Britain is due to officially leave the European Union at 2300 GMT -- midnight in Brussels and 11:00 pm in London. The country will initially remain under EU rules for trade, travel and business during an 11-month transition. The two sides have until the end of the year to negotiate their future relationship and trading arrangements. Speaking on German TV earlier Friday, the British ambassador to Germany Sir Sebastian Wood said he believed an agreement could be reached by December. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the highest-ranking US official to travel to Ukraine since the impeachment began. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo underscored Washingtons support for Ukraine on Friday during a visit to Kyiv, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the US to play a greater role in settling the conflict with Russian-backed separatists. Pompeos visit to the Ukrainian capital on Friday came as both countries sought to smooth over relations buffeted by the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Today, Im here with a clear message: The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waiver, Pompeo said at a news conference after he met Zelenskyy. The US understands that Ukraine is an important country, Pompeo said, in a clear reference to reports that he had told a US journalist that Americans did not care about the country. Ukraine was thrust centre stage in a domestic battle in Washington, DC, last year as Trump faced allegations of withholding military aid to push Kyiv into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden. The US president has denied any wrongdoing. Trump temporarily froze nearly $400m in US security assistance shortly before speaking to Zelenskyy in a July phone call, prompting accusations from Democrats he had misused US foreign policy for personal gain. On the call, Trump asked Ukraine to announce investigations into Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. The aid was eventually released. Very significant visit Pompeo is the highest-ranking US official to travel to Ukraine since the impeachment began. His visit comes as Trumps impeachment trial was set for a climactic vote on Friday or Saturday that is likely to lead to Trumps acquittal. 190929080949133 Ukraine counts on Washington for diplomatic support and military aid to buy Javelin anti-tank missiles and other hardware as it battles Russian-backed fighters in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people. Zelenskyy, who has taken a series of steps aimed at resolving the conflict since coming to power last year, said he wanted Washington to be more involved. I expressed the hope that the United States will be more actively involved in the peace process in eastern Ukraine, he said, calling for the US to appoint a special representative on the conflict. Pompeo said the US had provided more than one billion dollars in security assistance to Kyiv since the start of 2017, adding: We will maintain financial support for Ukraines security. Analysts say Pompeos visit is very significant for Ukraine. President Zelenskyy is using an old rhetoric of the previous president which is aggressively anti-Russian, while at the same time he tries to make moves towards finding a compromise with Russia in resolving the international conflict in the east of Ukraine, Valentin Yakushik, professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, told Al Jazeera. Ukraine needs peace and America can provide for a new efficient effort for a peaceful solution and Ukraine can do a lot for American democracy, Yakushik added. After another tie vote Tuesday night, the Boyertown Area School Board abandoned its plan to narrow its seven applicants for a board vacancy down to two finalists, and instead picked from the entire list, thereby choosing Marianne Scott as the newest member. The two-day nationwide strike called by bank unions to press for a salary revision saw over 31,000 staff from Madhya Pradesh staying away from work on Friday, a union functionary said. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). "Operations in 7,000 out of 7,428 branches of public and private, old commercial and other banks were affected in the state due to the strike. Out of 32,000 bank staff in MP, 31,000 are participating in the strike," secretary of Madhya Pradesh Bank Employees Association (MPBEA) MK Shukla told PTI. The strike had also affected cash flow in some 9,700 ATMs in the state, besides routine functions like withdrawals and deposits, Shukla added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While the Nineties teen drama My So-Called Life only ran for one season, Claire Danes still has some awkward memories of having to kiss her older, more experienced co-star Jared Leto. While speaking with Dax Shepard, 45, on the Armchair Podcast, the 40-year-old Homeland star got candid about being 'clueless' on set and navigating a seven year age gap with Leto. The beauty admitted her older co-star had to guide her through the kissing process - she was only 14 at the time and he was 21 - and she was afraid to fall for him because he was so much older. Age gap: Claire Danes got real about being 'clueless' on set and navigating a seven year age difference with Leto while filming romantic scenes 'I think I made it clear too from the beginning that - you know, 14 years old,' she said on why she never crushed on Leto 'Is it true that you had your first real life kiss on that show?' the podcast host asked the Golden Globe winner, who played Angela Chase. 'That's not true. But it was true that it was more of an involved kiss than I had ever had,' the actress answered. At the time, Leto had to awkwardly guide her through romantic scenes and kissing stage directions. High school days: Unlike her older co-star, she was being tutored between scenes and still finishing school, which she described as 'really weird' No hard feelings: When Kristen Bell's husband, and father of two, asked if Danes crushed on Leto during filming, she was quick to deny 'I was supposed to kiss Jordan Catalano's face, like not his lips, and I didn't understand that at all,' she said. When Kristen Bell's husband, and father of two, asked if Danes crushed on Leto during filming, she was quick to deny. 'No, he was way too old,' she said. 'I was way too terrified. It was very fraternal. And he was actually pretty protective of me.' A last was asked of her at a young age: She also kissed Leonardo DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet; seen here in 1996 She reminded the host, 'I think I made it clear too from the beginning that- you know, 14 years old.' Unlike her older co-star, she was being tutored between scenes and still finishing school, which she described as 'really weird.' 'Going back to high school and making sense of those two identities was stressful and I don't miss that,' she explained of her days on the adolescent drama. While the series was not renewed for a second season, it helped launch both of the stars' careers after wrapping in 1995. One season: While the series was not renewed for a second season, it helped launch both of the stars' careers after wrapping in 1995 In April 2018, Danes first reflected on those cringe-worthy kiss scenes, on The Howard Stern Show, saying. 'He had to try to teach me. Its ridiculous.' She also remembered thinking 'he seemed ancient' and 'shockingly good,' before adding she still has great affection for him. Next month the eighth and final season of the hit drama series on Showtime will debut on Homeland on Sunday, February 9 at 9 PM ET. FILE - In this June 24, 2019, file photo a Delta Air Lines aircraft makes its approach at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Grapevine, Texas. Delta Air Lines reports earns Tuesday, Oct. 8. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, FIle) Associated Press Delta Air Lines said on Friday that it was suspending all its flights to China from February 6 to April 30. Delta joined United Airlines and American Airlines in cutting China capacity. American and United also said on Friday that they were expanding previously announced cancellations. Demand for China travel has plummeted because of the coronavirus outbreak. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Delta Air Lines said on Friday that it was suspending all its flights to China, becoming the first US airline to suspend all its routes to the country. Delta's suspension, from February 6 to April 30, is also the longest announced by any airline to date. American Airlines also announced on Friday that it would cancel all China flights beginning immediately. Earlier this week, the airline said it would cancel only some of its flights to China from February 9 to March 27. American Airlines' pilots' union filed a lawsuit on Thursday to stop all flights to and from China amid the outbreak. United Airlines said earlier this week that it would cancel several flights in February due to decreased capacity. On Friday, it said it would suspend all of its flights to mainland China from February 6 to March 28. The US State Department issued an enhanced Level 3 travel warning for China, before upgrading it to a Level 4, which represents "do not travel." The temporary halting of China flights across the airline industry reflects plummeting demand as people and businesses rethink travel to China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Ken Herbert, an analyst at the financial-services firm Canaccord Genuity, said on Tuesday that the outbreak posed a "substantial" risk to airlines. Earlier this week, federal health officials expanded coronavirus screenings to 20 US airports. The government also evacuated diplomatic staff from Wuhan, China, the center of the outbreak. More than 9,700 people have been infected with the virus, and at least 213 people have died. The virus is believed to have originated in the city of Wuhan but has been found throughout China and spread to more than 20 other nations, including the US. Read the original article on Business Insider Two held for sharing fake news on coronavirus THAILAND: Two people were arrested yesterday (Jan 30) in a crackdown on misleading information being posted on social media in relation to the new coronavirus, Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said. crimepolicetechnologyCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Friday 31 January 2020, 10:53AM The anti-fake news centre is set up at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society to monitor social media. Photo: Apichit Jinakul He said officials from the DES Ministry and the Royal Thai Polices Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) obtained court warrants to search 15 locations and found six suspected cases related to fake news that have been causing fear and confusion. Of the six suspects, two were charged under the 2017 Computer Crime Acts Section 14 (2), he said. The charges were in relation to a false report about infections in Pattaya and an edited video clip of a Chinese man collapsing. Section 14 (2) concerns the uploading of false information into the computer system, which is bound to damage national security and cause public disorder. The authorities did not disclose the names of the pair arrested yesterday. Mr Buddhipongse said the other four suspects were only given a stern warning because they did not have any malicious intent. As for another nine cases, a special task force is working on locating them because they had provided false locations. The minister said the Anti Fake News Centre, supervised by the DES Ministry, has received 7,587 items of suspected fake news from Saturday (Jan 25) to Wednesday (Jan 29). Most of them involved fake patients, the alleged scrapping of thermal screening at airports, allegations of the number of infections being covered up and claims that some products can kill the virus. To counter the spread of fake news, he said the ministry was working with health authorities to produce easy-to-understand infographics for public distribution. When it comes to health, people will believe and share anything, he said, urging people to check facts before they forward any content. He also said that the Public Health Ministry has been transparent with information and is continuing to step up surveillance to prevent the spread of the virus. The DES ministrys anti-fake news centre, which was launched on Nov 1, intends to speed up detection and is also looking into the misuse of social-media platforms to deceive people. These developments come after Phuket Governor Phakaphong Tavipatana on Wednesday lambasted false reports online about people in Phuket being infected with the Wuhan coronavirus (see full story here). Water is sprayed on half-burnt materials at Rang Dong light bulb warehouse, September 12, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. Light bulb maker Rang Dong, whose Hanoi warehouse was gutted by a fire, has reported Q4 losses of almost VND36 billion ($1.5 million). It was the second quarter that Rang Dong Holding Plastic Jsc has reported losses since it RAL stock was listed in 2006. "The loss reflects the damage of the warehouse fire on August 28, 2019," the company said in its financial report to the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE). A five-hour blaze caused by a short circuit destroyed a third of Rang Dongs stocks at its warehouse in Hanois Thanh Xuan District, releasing an estimated 15.2-27.2 kilograms of mercury into the environment, which forced residents in the area to evacuate. The company received an insurance payment of VND150 billion ($6.47 million), close to the loss it had quantified after the fire. For the whole 2019, Rang Dongs revenue rose 17.5 percent year-on-year to VND4.26 trillion ($183.8 million), with an after-tax profit of VND125 billion ($5.4 million). Last November, the company approved a plan to build a VND2.5 trillion ($107.9 million) factory in Hanois Hoa Lac Hi-tech Park. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed Friday that the Trump administration would not waver in its support for Ukraine and denied charges at the heart of the President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. Pompeo met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday and denied allegations that vital military aid and a White House visit were or continue to be conditioned on a probe into former Vice President Joe Biden's family. 'It's just simply not the case. We will find the right time, we will find the appropriate opportunity (for the visit),' Pompeo said at a press conference after meeting with Zelensky. Pompeo is the highest-ranking American official to visit Ukraine since the impeachment process began last year. That process started with revelations about a July 25 phone call between Zelensky and Trump. Zelensky said the impeachment had not had a negative effect on U.S.-Ukraine relations and thanked the Trump administration for its financial and military support that impeachment prosecutors say the president withheld in order to extract a personal favor from Ukraine. Cordial: Mike Pompeo and Volodmyr Zelensky exchanged a handshake as they held a joint news conference in the presidential palace in Kiev. Pompeo visited as his boss Donald Trump appears to be hours away from the end of his impeachment trial, which centers on Ukraine Grand setting: Pompeo and Zelensky spoke in the presidential palace and the Secretary of State said that the Ukrainian leader would get a White House invitation Memorial: Mike Pompeo went with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko (left) and Metropolitan Epifaniy, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to a memorial to Ukrainian soldiers killed in conflict in the Donbass region with Russian and Russian proxy forces Round of visits: Pompeo went with and Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, to the the Mikhailovsky Zlatoverkhy Cathedral, or the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral, in Kiev, as well as meeting the country's president On the agenda? Mike Pompeo declined to tell reporters if he planned to raised Joe and Hunter Biden and the vice-president's son's former role on the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma with Zelensky Pompeo's meetings in Kyiv came as the GOP-majority Senate prepared to vote on whether to hear witnesses who could shed further light on Trump's actions toward Ukraine. The vote appeared likely to fail, however, as a key Republican said he would vote against allowing new testimony, boosting odds the Senate will vote to acquit in a matter of days. A senior U.S. official in the meeting said Pompeo and Zelensky mainly discussed investment and infrastructure and that there was no talk of impeachment or corruption investigations. The official was not authorized to publicly discuss the private conversation and spoke on condition of anonymity. At a press conference after the meeting, Pompeo assured Zelensky of Washington's unwavering support. 'The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver,' he said. 'The United States understands that Ukraine is an important country. It's not just the geographic heart of Europe, it's a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in eastern Europe. Its fields feed the European continent and its pipelines keep Europe warm in the winter,' he said. Zelensky, in turn, expressed hope that the U.S. would more actively participate in resolving a separatist conflict in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 14,000 people in the past five years. Zelensky also said he still wanted to meet Trump in DC as long it would be productive. 'I am ready to go tomorrow,' he said. Pompeo's trip is a 'hallmark visit that shows the United States has and will remain our key ally in defending territorial integrity and sovereignty,' Zelensky said. 'For Ukraine, there is no doubt whatsoever in the state of the relationship.' In addition to Zelensky, Pompeo met with Ukraine's foreign and defense ministers as well as civic leaders, and toured several Ukrainian Orthodox churches. Furious tirade: NPR host Mary Louise Kelly revealed how the Secretary of State had her summoned to his private quarters where he shouted the f-word at her, threatened her, and demanded she point to Ukraine on a blank map after she asked when he had actually defended Marie Yovanovitch, the ousted ambassador to Kiev after messages from Rudy Giuliani's indicted sidekick Lev Parnas suggested she was under surveillace The man Donald Trump doesn't know: Lev Parnas, who has a string of photos with the president, has handed messages from his phone to the House Intel Committee, among them some which suggest Marie Yovanovitch was under surveillance Surveillance? Some of the messages from Lev Parnas' phone which revealed an exchange between Parnas and Rob Hyde, a Republican congressional candidate, and Hyde and Dutch Trump supporter Anthony de Caluwe which suggested Marie Yovanovitch was being watched Trump is accused of obstructing Congress and abuse of office for withholding a White House meeting with Zelensky and critical military aid to the country in exchange for an investigation into Biden, a political rival, and his son, Hunter. Ukraine has been an unwilling star in the impeachment proceedings, eager for good relations with Trump as it depends heavily on U.S. support to defend itself from Russian-backed separatists. Trump, who has still not granted Zelensky the White House meeting he craves, has offered that support to some degree. Although the military assistance was put on hold, it was eventually released after a whistleblower complaint brought the July 25 call to light. Intervention: Katie Martin, Pompeo's press aide, shouted 'thank you' repeatedly to stop the interview with NPR which was followed by him saying 'do you think Americans care about Ukraine?' during f-word tirade The Trump administration has also supplied Ukraine with lethal defense equipment, including Javelin anti-tank weapons. Pompeo has stressed the importance of the U.S.-Ukraine relationship, a sentiment long shared by Republicans and Democrats who see the former Soviet republic as a bulwark against Russian ambitions. But its a view that now has partisan overtones, with Democrats arguing that withholding aid from such a critical ally for political purposes is an impeachable offense. The Senate is to vote on hearing impeachment witnesses later Friday. Democrats want to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton, whose forthcoming book reportedly says that Trump withheld the aid in exchange for a public pledge of a probe into the Bidens. That would back witnesses who testified before the House impeachment inquiry. Ukraine has been a delicate subject for Pompeo, who last weekend lashed out at a National Public Radio reporter for asking why he has not publicly defended the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch. She was removed from her post after unsubstantiated allegations were made against her by Trump's personal attorney, Rudolph Giuliani. Pompeo has been criticized for not publicly supporting Yovanovitch, her now-departed successor as chief of the Kyiv embassy, William Taylor, and other diplomats who testified before House impeachment investigators. Yovanovitch and Taylor have been attacked by Trump supporters and, in some cases, have been accused of disloyalty. In the NPR interview, Pompeo took umbrage when asked if he owed Yovanovitch an apology, and maintained that he had defended all of his employees. In an angry encounter after the interview, he also questioned if Americans actually cared about Ukraine, according to NPR. That comment prompted Taylor and Pompeo's former special envoy for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, who also testified to the impeachment panel, to write opinion pieces discussing the importance of the country to U.S. national security and why Pompeo should be explaining its role to Americans as their top diplomat. Pompeo's comments at the news conference appeared aimed at making amends for the reported comment. And, he told reporters aboard his plane that his message to American diplomats in Ukraine would be the same he gives to those at other embassies about 'how much we love them, appreciate them, appreciate their family members and their sacrifice.' Pompeo twice postponed earlier planned trips to Ukraine, most recently in early January when developments with Iran forced him to cancel. Pompeo said he plans to discuss the issue of corruption but demurred when asked if he would specifically raise the Bidens or the energy company Burisma, for which Hunter Biden worked. 'I don't want to talk about particular individuals. It's not worth it,' he told reporters. 'I's a long list in Ukraine of corrupt individuals and a long history there. And President Zelensky has told us he's committed to it.' All creative young artists and art educators in Connecticut are invited to enter the 2020 Connecticut Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition, part of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) environmental education program administered since 1987 by the Connecticut Waterfowl Association (CWA). As part of a concerted effort to encourage more young people to explore the natural world and increase conservation awareness, the CWA and CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) have announced a change in the annual program. Starting this year, in addition to being the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Contest Entry, the CT Junior Duck Stamp Best in Show winner will also be featured as the 2021 Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamp. This contest is open to all Connecticut residents in grades K-12. To enter, students create and submit a drawing or painting featuring native waterfowl (ducks or geese). There is no cost, and submissions are due by March 15. Submitted artwork will be judged in four groups according to grade level, encouraging artists of all ages and ability levels to be inspired and join in the contests creative fun and learning. Three first, second- and third-place entries will be selected from each group, and prizes will be awarded. Guidelines, entry forms and additional information about the Connecticut Federal Junior Duck Stamp Art Competition can be obtained through the DEEP website: www.ct.gov/deep/CTDuckStamp and the CWA website: www.ctwaterfowlers.org/junior-duck-stamp.html As both a required purchase for waterfowl hunters, and as artwork sought by collectors, conservationists and other nature enthusiasts, Connecticut Migratory Bird Conservation Stamps have great visibility and generate substantial revenue for conservation and environmental education in the state. The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Program is a unique, multidisciplinary curriculum aligned with national science and visual arts education standards. Through art, it teaches students about wetland and waterfowl conservation, migration and land stewardship. It encourages youth to explore their natural world with a new perspective by inviting them to investigate biology and wildlife management, and challenging them to express and share what they have learned with others. More about the USFWS Junior Duck Stamp Conservation Program, including helpful youth and educator guides, is available at: www.fws.gov/juniorduck. Entries for this years contest must be postmarked by March 15, and mailed to Christopher Samorajczyk, 29 Bowers Hill Road, Oxford, CT 06478. Questions can be directed to Chris at: 203-888-0352, or csamor16@att.net. Judging of the Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest submissions will take place at an event, open to the public, March 23 at 7 p.m., at Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, Connecticut. The Connecticut Waterfowl Association is a non-profit volunteer group whose mission is to conserve wetlands and waterfowl in Connecticut, and only in Connecticut. Markets regulator Sebi on Friday barred Rana Sugars Ltd and its six directors from the securities market in a matter related to manipulation in issuance of global depository receipts (GDR) issuance. Sebi also directed the firm to bring back a sum of USD 2.27 million, which was diverted to Seazun, into the company's bank account in India within a period of three months. The regulator, after conducting a probe between April 2006 and May 2006, noted that the company had issued 2.45 million GDR worth USD 18 million on May 15, 2006. It was also observed that the entire 2.45 million GDRs were subscribed by only one entity, Seazun, on obtaining a loan from Banco Efisa S.A. Besides, the company acted as guarantor and deposited the entire GDR proceeds received from Seazun with Banco Bank as security against the loan that for subscribing to the GDRs issued by the company. Sebi noted that "the GDR issue would not have been subscribed, if the company had not given such a security against the loan taken by Seazun." Additionally, the GDRs were subsequently converted into equity shares and were sold in the Indian securities market. Sebi further noted that "an amount of USD 2.27 million has been diverted for no bonafide reason by the company from its GDR proceeds to Seazun". The company also failed to make requisite disclosures pertaining to the GDR issue. Accordingly, the regulator has restrained the firm from accessing the securities market for 5 years. The directors -- Rana Ranjit Singh, Rana Inder Pratap Singh, A. S. Sodhi, S.A.S. Bajwa, Rana Veer Pratap Singh and Baljit Singh -- have been barred for varying time periods. Through separate orders, Sebi levied a fine of Rs 25,000 each on seven entities for violating provisions of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act. The entities had transferred and received shares of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd to and from a client in off-market transactions for which they were required to receive and make payment considerations. However, they failed to do so. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Are you daydreaming about making over your out-of-date kitchen? What if you had $85,000 to spend and the help of a designer with seriously good taste in modern fixtures and furnishings? This New York City kitchen renovation featured on Architectural Digest and Remodelista can provide some inspiration, even if youre on a much smaller budget. A sleek renovated NYC kitchen from designer Diego Rincon. Diego Rincon of Diego Alejandro Design approached this project with an unusual source of inspiration in mind: the sense of peace and calm you find in art galleries. When imagining a space that feels highly functional, spacious, and clean but with a creative edge, Rincon thought of artist Yves Kleins posthumous Propositions Monochromes exhibition, which famously paired a single distinctive shade of blue with the blank white gallery walls. Yves Kleins posthumous Propositions Monochromes exhibition. The before image shows a fairly standard contemporary kitchen with mid-grade appliances, green Formica countertops, white subway tile, and off-white cabinetry that doesnt match the white walls. The new custom-designed cabinetry is a cooks dream, with each cabinet and drawer outfitted with special partitions and trays for pots and pans, cutting boards, cooking tools, colanders, and more. The new cabinets have no hardware or milled details for a more streamlined look, not to mention the fact that there are fewer doors overall, making the space look larger. Diego Rincon's renovated NYC kitchen makes ample use of marble countertops and clean lines. Open Shelving makes parts of Rincon's kitchen renovation feel extremely open and airy. Thick, open shelving allows a curated selection of objects to set a mood while clutter is kept hidden away. Rincon took the door off the pantry to the left of the stove and transformed it with extra counter space and a pull-out cabinet to physically enlarge the kitchen. Lighter marble countertops make a big difference, too, with the extension of the marble pattern up onto the backsplash giving the space a more harmonic feel. Rincon explains: When I started designing this custom kitchen for my client an avid cook with a busy schedule I wanted to give him an efficient and functional space. But I also wanted to create a space for him that had a sense of peace and calm resembling an art gallerys atmosphere. Cerused Oak wood with a natural grain mixed with custom, high-gloss lacquered cabinetry, alongside calacatta lilac marble from Italy were some of the materials carefully sourced for the redesign of this kitchen in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York. Story continues Cabinets in Rincon's renovated kitchen help hide the clutter. I removed an old set of upper cabinets to make the space feel airier. Two floating shelves took their place. To me, this is perhaps one of the most graceful parts of the kitchen. I wanted to highlight the craftsmanship that was put into every little detail that makes up the kitchen. I designed a small spice cabinet six inches deep, to store herbs from different regions plus a selection of olive oils and vinegar bottles, which is especially convenient in New York. A sleek renovated NYC kitchen from designer Diego Rincon. Obviously, not everyone can take their pick of Viking appliances and luxury surfaces, but just seeing how Rincon changed certain elements to alter the ambiance and functionality of the space can help spur your own ideas. Plus, if youre a renter or on a serious budget, you can always try recreating some of these elements with IKEAs LACK wall shelves, sleek handle-free cabinet doors, self adhesive marble film, and some organizing inserts. All photos courtesy of Gieves Anderson (TNS) Two bills aimed at making it easier for electric co-ops to build fiber-optic broadband networks and for telecoms companies to use co-ops poles have plenty of support so far.Traverse City Light & Power Executive Director Tim Arends and Cherryland Electric Cooperative General Manager Tony Anderson both said they support the bills. Thats despite the fact that the proposed laws dont apply to municipally owned utilities like TCL&P, and that Cherryland Electric Co-op has no plans to build a fiber network.But both Arends and Anderson said the bills would facilitate building out high-speed Internet in areas that need it.If you have kids going to school, you need it, so youre not having to drive to a coffee shop in Interlochen and sit in the parking lot so your kids can do their homework, Arends said. I support it, I think it should be available to everyone as fiscally affordable.The bills could help TCL&P some day if it opts to expand the fiber network its currently building beyond its footprint, Arends said. The utility is expanding on an existing network to serve 2,200 of its customers in city limits as its first foray into broadband, as previously reported.Sen. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona, sponsored both bills, which passed the state House of Representatives on Jan. 22, legislative records show. That was by a 105-1 vote.The first aims to remove potential obstacles for electric co-ops using their own poles to string fiber, Anderson said. Cherryland Electric Co-op, for example, has nearly 3,000 miles of line but its easements are for power lines, not fiber-optic line.The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association asked for the bills to ensure cooperatives that want to build fiber-optic networks wouldnt have to spend years getting thousands of new easements, Anderson said.New legal protections would protect the utilities looking to use their own pole space against trespass, unjust enrichment or other claims so long as they stay within certain guidelines, according to a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis. Those include installing within what the National Electric Safety Code defines as the electric or communications space.Cole said Michigan co-ops havent run into any issues yet. But they have in other states, and co-ops wanted to head off any problems.He likened adding broadband to expanding electricity to rural areas, and agreed high-speed Internet has become an essential utility just as power was then.Look, if you talk to homeowners, you talk to realtors, you talk to small businesses, for that matter you talk to large businesses, public entities road commissions, your courthouses its more and more important that we get a good, quality solid connection for our rural constituents and rural residents in Michigan, particularly when we focus on the education side, he said.Cherryland Electric Cooperative considered building its own fiber-optic network, but after drafting a business plan and commissioning a study, its leadership decided otherwise, Anderson said. About 10 percent of its 35,000 customers across six counties have no broadband access, too few to make it worth the financial risk. The utility also would have to pull employees away from its electric operations.Meanwhile, private businesses are building out their own fiber networks at various places in Cherryland Electric Co-ops service area, Anderson said.Still, the bill would facilitate other co-ops that do decide a fiber network is worth the effort and cost, Anderson said.They would also help private businesses in doing the same.Were not going to be in the fiber business, but we sure can help somebody else easier than we couldve otherwise, he said.Telecoms would have uniform access to electric co-ops poles under the second bill. Cole said its to ensure co-ops dont play favorites when cutting deals with telecom companies.Anderson said that bill came at the request of telecom companies. Giving uniform access wouldnt be a big deal for Cherryland Electric Cooperative, he said.Both bills are in the state Senate, where Cole said he expects them to have support. Upon his decision, Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan annulled his own Decision NO-16-L of 30 January 2020 On convening an extraordinary session of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, as reported the National Assembly. Yesterday the National Assembly posted news on its website according to which the National Assembly will convene an extraordinary session on February 6 to consider the package of bills on making amendments and supplements to the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, the law on referendum and the law on the Constitutional Court in the first and second readings. Head of the Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly Edmon Marukyan touched upon the agenda of the February 6 extraordinary session and particularly stated that such fundamental amendments shouldnt be made through an extraordinary procedure. Just as it is important that news organizations seeking your trust make a clear distinction between news and opinion content, so too is it imperative that we make it easy for you to know what is journalism and what is advertising and other forms of paid content. Our readers should never be confused about the distinction between news and other editorial content and paid content one source of advertising that funds journalism. That is one of the five core Torstar trust commitments this news organization has enacted in recent years to address the reality of declining trust in media around the world. To that end, I am happy to tell you that the Star has recently completed a new labelling project to ensure consistency across all platforms in the way that advertising and other forms of paid content what is sometimes called branded content or sponsored content are identified. 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Please let me know what you think about this new initiative to clearly distinguish news from advertising. NE Lower Peninsula Burt Lake: Had a good deal of fishing activity for walleye and perch. Catch rates were moderate. Mullett Lake: Had a few anglers beginning to fish; however, caution needs to be used as there were several areas that were not safe. Catch rates were unknown. Presque Isle County: Grand and Long Lake were producing walleye and perch. Thunder Bay River: Had some shelf ice but no safe ice. Montmorency County: McCormick Lake had lots of activity, but low numbers of trout being caught. West Twin had few anglers, but East Twin had plenty of activity, with most catching perch and a few bass. Higgins Lake: Is iced over; however, there was still not much in the way of safe ice. The ice had a layer of slush on top as well. Anglers would be wise to wait longer. Houghton Lake: Anglers should still use caution near the inlets, outlets and pressure cracks, which change daily. The ice was bad near Flint Road. Those fishing up on the north end were getting perch, crappie and pike with minnows or wigglers on a treble hook in 8 to 12 feet. The walleye bite was on and off for those using jigging raps with a minnow head or when dead sticking in 14 feet or less. Bluegills and perch were found in the weed beds. Lake St. Helen: Is producing crappie, bluegills and a few walleye. Tawas: There was very limited ice fishing just outside of Jerry's Marina. A couple anglers were targeting pike, but no fish were caught. Tawas Lake: Did not have safe ice, and no one was fishing. Au Gres: Several ice anglers were seen at Northport Marina, which is just north of the boating access site. They were doing good on pike when using tip-ups. At Eagle Bay Marina, small perch, bluegill and crappie were caught when jigging minnows and wax worms. A few pike were taken on tip-ups. A few walleye were taken off Whites Beach. Au Gres River: Had several surf anglers targeting steelhead down near the Singing Bridge. Most were using spawn bags, but no fish were caught as the water was too muddy. SE Lower Peninsula Lake Erie: Is still open. A few launches were iced over, so boat anglers could not get out. Lake St. Clair: Had very little ice, and what remained was not safe. The perch bite was slow. Panfish were caught in the canals and marinas. St. Clair River: Fishing was slow. The 12th Street launch at Port Huron was iced in. Saginaw Bay: Had some ice on both the west and the east side; however, it was mainly shore ice so those fishing were in shallow waters only as you cannot get out very far. A few yellow perch were caught at Vanderbilt Park. The warmer temperatures and rain were taking a toll on the ice. Some of the cuts between Sebewaing and Caseville were starting to open up as was the Sebewaing River. The ice at the end of the pier in Caseville blew out. Those heading out need to use extreme caution. Fishing was slow between Sebewaing and Caseville, with very few perch caught. Those looking for pike found a few but overall the action was slow. Saginaw River: Had a few anglers catching perch at the Bay Harbor Yacht Club. They are doing lots of sorting and fishing all day to take home 20 or so fish ranging from 7-9 inches. Minnows worked best. Tittabawassee River: Boat and shore anglers were starting to target walleye near the Caldwell Boat Launch; however, catch rates were slow. Flint River: Walleye angler activity increased. NW Lower Peninsula Emmet County: Fishing was slow on Crooked and Pickerel Lakes. Anglers were sorting through the small ones to get a few keepers. Thumb Lake: The ice was slowly getting better. There was a lot of slush and water on top that had since hardened up, creating a layer of crust. Anglers were catching a good number of perch when jigging a teardrop with minnows, wigglers, spikes and wax worms in 8 to 15 feet. Many were fishing off the beach access, but some were fishing off the boat launch and around the island. Smaller fish were caught, but most were able to harvest fish that were 7-9 inches. No word on splake, though anglers were fishing in 3 to 10 feet and jigging blues or perch minnows along the beach access or around the island. Lake Charlevoix: The main basin of the lake remains wide open with no ice. The South Arm was frozen over and had some anglers out fishing; however, ice thickness was unknown. Traverse City: Had very little to report. A couple steelhead were caught in the Boardman River. Crystal Lake: In Benzie County did not have much in the way of safe ice. Betsie River: Steelhead were caught on spawn and jigs. Lakes Cadillac and Mitchell: Crappie and a few perch were caught on Lake Cadillac. Lake Mitchell was producing panfish near the coves. Walleye were found along the drop-offs. Manistee River: With the mild weather, steelhead fishing continues, with anglers reporting some decent catches. Osceola County: A few panfish were caught on both Center Lake and Sunrise Lake. Ice conditions were questionable due to heavy slush on most lakes in the area. Mecosta County: Bluegills, crappie and small perch were caught on Lake Mecosta. Small bluegills and a few decent-size pike were taken on Jensen Lake. Those on Pretty Lake caught bluegill, crappie and even a few pike on tip-ups. Bluegill and perch were taken on Chippewa Lake. Ice on the Martiny Chain of lakes was spotty and not safe. SW Lower Peninsula Same old story for this area of the state. For the most part, there is no safe ice, especially in the southern sections. Updates have been very hard to come by due to lack of angler participation. Van Buren County: Fishing was very slow. Ice conditions continue to be unsafe. Berrien County: River conditions have made fishing difficult. A few coho were caught on the Galien River in New Buffalo and off the piers at St. Joseph. Ice conditions on the inland waters were poor. Kalamazoo River: Anglers were starting to catch walleye at the Allegan Dam. Grand River near Grand Rapids: Walleye were caught even with the high water. Most are using jigs and minnows up near the 6th Street Dam. The occasional steelhead can still be found here and in the Rogue River when using jigs and wax worms or spawn. Muskegon Lake: With barge and freighter traffic going in and out, the main lake is now open water. Some bluegills were caught up near the state park. Anglers may still find some ice in the marinas. Muskegon River: Was producing some steelhead below Croton Dam. South of M-20 to Hardy Dam, small walleye and a few perch were caught. Upper Peninsula Lake Gogebic: Anglers caught a few big perch and some walleye. Cowboy Lake: In Dickinson County has ice along with deep slush and water on top, which made travel difficult as four-wheelers were getting stuck. There was no word on catch rates. Little Bay De Noc: Ice conditions worsened with additional snowfall and warm temperatures. Heavy slush made travel difficult even by foot. The better ice was found in the northern areas. Anglers were taking vehicles out, but this is NOT recommended. Anglers should avoid certain dangerous areas such as the "Narrows" between Gladstone and the Stonington Peninsula, near the mouth of any river and near any drainage ditch. Walleye catches were mostly undersize fish along with the occasional keeper. The better fishing was near Gladstone in 30 to 35 feet and near the Second and Third Reefs in 20 to 32 feet when jigging raps or using tip-ups. Perch catches remain good, although some anglers are struggling. The better catches were in the Kipling area in 20 to 30 feet with minnows or wigglers. Manistique Lake: Perch, pike and walleye were caught mainly on sucker minnows. St. Marys River: Ice conditions on Mosquito Bay, which is west of Sault Ste. Marie, were not ideal, but a few local anglers venturing out caught whitefish. Extreme caution needs to be used as ice thickness was not uniform. Cedarville and Hessel: Only one angler was seen in the Cedarville East Channel off Hill Island; therefore, ice conditions and fish harvest were unknown. There was no fishing reported in Government Bay. In Musky Bay, a couple anglers were perch fishing near the channel and off the point. Anglers reported some weak spots in the Middle Channel. Anglers need to use extreme caution and be aware of strong currents in the channels and around the Les Cheneaux Islands. In Hessel Bay, perch fishing was steady when jigging minnows, wax worms or spikes in 12 feet. No word on splake, but anglers have been jigging minnows in 5 to 10 feet. While Hessel Bay had ice, anglers reported 6-8 inches of slush along the shoreline. Millecoquin Lake: Was producing pike and walleye. Brevoort Lake: Catch rates were slow, but anglers were getting a few perch. This report is intended to give you an idea of what is going on around the state. Updates come from Fisheries staff and conservation officers. With more than 11,000 inland lakes, the Great Lakes and thousands of miles of rivers and streams, not all locations can be listed. However, it is safe to say if a species is being caught in some waters in the area, they are likely being caught in all waters in that section of the state that have that species. Fishing Tip: Targeting walleye? Wait until the sun goes down! While many anglers pack up their gear and head off the ice after dusk settles in, some anglers will stick it out - especially if they've got a lighted shelter. This can be an ideal time to target walleye and to see some angling success. Many anglers adopt a simple presentation when targeting walleye in the dark - they jig a spoon to catch the fishes' attention and then offer them a setline with a minnow nearby. Focus on baits that glow to appeal to the walleye's senses, and keep the minnows small to accommodate their slower appetites. Want even more tips for targeting walleye? Visit the walleye page on the DNR's website. A fan of the Jurassic Park franchise has correctly guessed what the next film - Jurassic World 3 - will be called, during a casual discussion on Twitter. Responding to a thread which saw movie buffs speculating what the film - set for a summer 2021 release - will be officially called, one fan's guess proved to be right, according to screenwriter/director Colin Trevorrow. The filmmaker was tagged in the debate and replied: 'Wow, somebody in this thread actually got it. Respect.' Next chapter: A fan of the Jurassic Park franchise has correctly guessed what the next film - Jurassic World 3 - will be called, during a casual discussion on Twitter Fans then begged him to reveal the movie's subtitle - the last sequel in 2018 being called Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. The only information the director teased was when he clarified that the film will not be called Jurassic World: Extinction - the title many have believed it to be previously. This left 25 other possible guesses, ranging from the more fathomable 'Survival' and 'Chaos Effect' to the less-realistic 'Rex In The City' and 'You Asked for It Humans'. Via the process of elimination, fans seemed to think they'd whittled the options down to two front-runners: 'A New Era' or 'Edge Of Chaos'. What to expect? Fans were excitably speculating what Jurassic World 3 - which will see Laura Dern and Sam Neill [pictured] return to the franchise for the first time since 2001's Jurassic Park 3 - will be subtitled Correct! Responding to a thread which saw movie buffs speculating what the film - set for a summer 2021 release - will be officially called, one fan's guess proved to be right, according to screenwriter/director Colin Trevorrow The filmmaker was tagged in the debate and replied: 'Wow, somebody in this thread actually got it. Respect' 'A New Era' refers to the fact that the movie will pick up after the events of Fallen Kingdom, where dinosaurs finally made it onto the mainland to run freely in the wild. 'Edge Of Chaos' is a nod to the famous Chaos Theory that runs through the franchise. Jurassic World 3 is the sixth film overall in the series and details are sparse regarding the plot. Director Trevorrow - the man responsible for rebooting the franchise in 2015 with fourth instalment Jurassic World - first waded into the fan speculation on the new film's name when he confirmed on Twitter that he has settled on a title. He took to the micro-blogging site to comment that he was enjoying seeing all the guesses people were making. They're back: Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt will return to their roles for the next chapter The 26 Titles Fans Guessed For Jurassic World 3 The Jurassic World Jurassic World: The Jurassic Park of Jurassic World Jurassic World: Survival Jurassic World: Clash of Worlds Jurassic World: Illusion of Control Jurassic World: New Era / A New Era Jurassic World: Dawn of a New Era Jurassic World: Rise of New Era Jurassic World: Rise of the New Kingdom Jurassic World: Edge of Chaos Jurassic World: Chaos Effect Jurassic World: When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth Jurassic World: Reverie Jurassic World: War for the Planet Jurassic World: Ancient Futures Jurassic World 3: Long Live the Dinosaurs Jurassic World 3: Rex in the City Jurassic World 3: Illusion of Control Jurassic World: Extinction Jurassic World: New King Jurassic World: The Return of the King Jurassic Park: Dinotopia Jurassic World 3: You Asked for It Humans Jurassic World 3: When Worlds Collide Jurassic World: Coexistence Jurassic World: This Series Needs to Throw in the Towel Advertisement One fan asked him directly: 'By any chance, do you already have a potential title in mind -- or is that something that evolves over time?' To which he answered: 'Ive got it.' The first film - Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park - was released in 1993, based on the novel of the same name by author Michael Crichton. Other details have leaked in recent days, as production is set to kick off this year. It's said that the west coast of Canada's British Columbia will serve as a location, as will Malta, including the capital Valletta. Teasers: While Trevorrow has not elaborated, he previously confirmed on Twitter that he has a name in mind Production is also set to continue at Pinewood Studios, in Buckinghamshire, as well as O'ahu, Hawaii. The latter suggests an island-setting will be involved, despite the destruction of Isla Nublar in Fallen Kingdom. The plot is expected to focus on the dinosaurs escaping on mainland USA. Could they be rounded up and returned back to the tropics in the film? Casting for Jurassic World 3 has set fans of the franchise buzzing, after it was confirmed original stars Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum will star alongside Bryce Dallas Howard and Chris Pratt. Goldblum will be back as Dr. Ian Malcolm for the fourth time and said in a recent interview on Virgin Radio that he 'can't wait' to get started on the movie with original Jurassic Park stars Neill and Dern. Next year: The movie serves as the second sequel to Jurassic World, and is the sixth film overall in the series. It will be released in June 2021 and follow on from the events of 2018's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom He said: 'We're gonna do another one of those [Jurassic Park films] around these parts come this summer. Colin Trevorrow as the great director is going to be writing and directing it. And I can't wait.' Trevorrow, 43, admitted recently that he always wanted to include the original cast in the new trilogy, but there needed to be a logical reason to get them back. Speaking in Empire Magazine's 2020 preview issue, he said: 'We'd have had to come up with a reason why Ellie, Malcolm and Grant all went to the theme park on the exact same day it broke down - again. Back again: Jeff Goldblum is set to return to the dinosaur franchise as Dr. Ian Malcolm for the fourth time and he 'can't wait' to get started [pictured in Jurassic Park] 'The next film allows the legacy characters to be part of the story in an organic way. I call it Jurassic Park VI because it is.' Colin went on to admit that the filmmakers have also been considering how the characters have changed since their last appearance in 2001's Jurassic Park III. He said: 'You start asking the most basic questions: who are those people now? What do they make of the new world they're living in, and how do they feel about being part of its history?' Jurassic World 3 is set for a 2021 release. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a setback for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly on Friday rejected the Opposition notice to the Speaker for a moving a resolution to seek the recall of Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. The notice given by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala was rejected by the committee on the grounds that there was no such precedent. The government had taken a strident position against the Opposition motion during the meeting of BAC and called for its out right rejection. Law and parliamentary affairs minister A.K. Balan slammed the Opposition move saying that the UDF was trying to take advantage of the situation especially in the wake of the controversy over CAA. We may have divergent opinions but we want a healthy relationship with the Governor. There is no precedent of House passing a resolution against the Governor, he added. The minster claimed that the Opposition had not given the notice under appropriate rules. Mr Chennithala refuted the claims of the minister. The notice was given under Section 130 of Assembly rules of Procedure. The Speaker is on record saying that the motion moved by me was admissible, he told reporters. He contested the government argument about lack of precedent. The Kerala Assembly had passed resolution against the Governor. In 1969, during when E.M.S. Namboodiripad was chief minister the Assembly had passed resolution against the Governor. In 1995, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had moved a resolution during when J. Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister for the recall of the then Governor M. Chenna Reddy. During E.K. Nayanars tenure as Chief Minister, CPM member O. Bharathan moved resolution against the then governor Ram Dulari Sinha. At that time the then Speaker Varkala Radhakrishnan had categorically stated that Assembly can pass a resolution seeking the recall of a Governor, Mr Chennithala said. By proposing a resolution, the Opposition leader had tried to exploit the differences between the LDF and Governor. Though the Governor had taken strident position against the government on the issue of Assembly resolution against the CAA and suit filed in Supreme Court against the central law, he read out the controversial portions during the policy address in Assembly which came as big relief for the LDF. With the Opposition leader saying that the UDF would take up issue of recall of Governor during coming days, the Assembly is likely to witness stormy days ahead . Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., delivers a tight stump speech usually about 12 to 15 minutes long that is heavy on his big thematic idea of ushering in a new era in American politics. Hes a gifted storyteller but typically offers few specifics, instead aiming to inspire audiences with lofty rhetoric his fans see as reminiscent of how Barack Obama campaigned in 2008. His remarks are laced with contrasts with both President Trump and his leading Democratic primary opponents, though it is very rare for him to mention anyone else by name. Mr. Buttigieg was introduced by Representative Dave Loebsack, Democrat of Iowa, who had endorsed him that morning. Im here to talk about a day that is coming in our near future that is going to come one way or the other, but we got to make sure it comes sooner rather than later. And that is the first day that the sun comes up over Iowa and Donald Trump is no longer the president of the United States. Analysis Pete Buttigieg aims for inspiration, beginning with the very top of his remarks, when he paints a picture of the end of the Trump era, with Americans of divergent political persuasions being civil to one another. Are we ready for that day? Ready to put the chaos behind us? Ready to put the meanness behind us? Are we ready to put the tweets in the rearview mirror once and for all? Me too. You know, Im meeting an awful lot of folks from around the country and certainly around the state of Iowa who cant wait to bring that day about. Fellow Democrats, independents, and an awful lot of what I like to call future former Republicans, who are equally eager to make sure that we change whats going on in this White House, and they are welcome to be part of this effort. Analysis This line cuts to Mr. Buttigiegs key electability argument: That his more moderate positions can win over more Republicans than those of his liberal rivals, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. But heres the thing. If you really picture that day, if you form that image in your mind and visualize what it would be like, its a reminder that that is not the day that our work is done. That is the day that our work begins. Because on that day, were gonna need the president more than ever. Were gonna need the White House and the right values to be in the White House more than ever. Think about it. The suns coming up that day over a country thatll be even more divided than we are today, even more torn up over politics, even more exhausted from fighting than we are right now. That means were gonna need a president capable of unifying the American people, and determined to use the powers of the office to help do that. And at the same time, something else will be true, which is what our country will be up against. The issues that have brought us to this point will be as urgent as ever. Theyre not going to take a break during the impeachment process or during the election process. The suns gonna be coming up in a climate that is this close to the point of no return, and thats gonna be crying out for action. The sun will be coming up over an economy where one job is not enough, no matter how good the stock market is looking. Thats gonna be crying out for action. The suns gonna be coming up over schools where kids are learning active shooter drills before theyre old enough to learn how to read. So were gonna need a president who is capable of dealing with those kinds of issues, rising to meet them with urgent, bold action, and do it in a way thats actually going to have us more unified, ready to galvanize and not polarize an American majority that insists on that kind of action. And thats why we have a presidency. Analysis This is another not-very-subtle shot at Mr. Sanders and Ms. Warren, the idea their progressive proposals would leave the country just as polarized as it is now. So the reason that I am asking you to caucus for me three weeks from tomorrow is because I believe the presidency has a purpose. And the purpose is the presidency is not the glorification of the president; it is the unification and empowerment of the American people to do big things, and come together as we get it done. Thats why Im running for president. Thats why I need your help. Im running to be the president who can open up the road map to getting these things done, where the guideposts are the American values that we share, values that dont belong to one party but could lead us in a progressive direction if we pay attention to what those values require. Analysis Here Mr. Buttigieg taps into two powerful ideas at once: 1. The thought that Democrats beliefs are also widely held by Republicans and 2. That enough Republicans can be persuaded to vote for a Democrat to defeat President Trump in November. A lot of those values Ive been thinking about, and I think we all have the last couple of weeks, have to do with love of country, patriotism, security, honoring service, honoring troops and doing it in a way thats actually true to our deepest values. But theres a lot more to that than the chest-thumping militarism of a president who thinks throwing himself a military parade or pardoning war criminals makes you pro-America. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg, a former naval intelligence officer, often contrasts his record with Mr. Trumps performative appreciation for the American military. If were serious about honoring our troops, lets honor them by making sure they are never sent to sacrifice in a conflict that couldve been avoided. Thats part of patriotism and national security too. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg, as a college student, opposed the Iraq war, a contrast he has drawn with former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who voted in 2002 to authorize it. If were serious about honoring that flag, then lets remember that part of what it stands for is a country known to keep its word, that our lives depend on our allies and our adversaries knowing that were a country that keeps its word. And when I am your commander-in-chief, no one will ever question whether it is a good bet to bet your life on the credibility of the United States of America. That is a matter of security. If were serious about protecting this country, that means protecting each other. A love of country that begins with the understanding that our country consists of people. And you cannot love a country if you hate half of the people in it. Im for a richer sense of what it means to love our country. Analysis This line from Mr. Buttigieg addresses both Mr. Trump and Mr. Buttigiegs progressive rivals, who have made their distaste for the wealthy and corporate interests a centerpiece of their appeal. [At this point, Mr. Buttigieg was interrupted by Black Lives Matter protesters who argued that he did not meet his lofty goals during his eight years as mayor of South Bend. He sought to defuse the conflict by offering to speak with them later. Im sorry, he said to the protesters, but this is not the best way for us to have this conversation.] Lets talk about what were up against as a country. Because these problems are real. The problems that we have faced in our community are real. The problems that we face in this country are real. And we cant wave them away. We cant pretend theyre not real, and we cant pretend that were going to get over them without painful conversations the way we do in a family. But I believe this is a family, and we owe one another the love and respect that family members pay, especially when were in pain, especially when we dont see things the same way. Analysis In June, Mr. Buttigiegs struggles to diversify the South Bend Police Department became a political problem for him after a white officer shot and killed a black man, Eric Logan. Its the kind of country that we are. Its the kind of country that we seek to be, and we need to remember that what is on the line now is the ability for us to deal with these issues. Its not gonna happen overnight, but its also not gonna happen if we cant all look one another in the eye and speak truth, and if we cannot hear one another, and hear one another speak. You will never see me saying I alone can fix it the way this president did, because thats not true. And you will never see me describing a political opponent or a volunteer for a political opponent as the enemy of the people just because they dont see things the same way. Analysis Mr. Trump said this while accepting the Republican Partys presidential nomination in 2016. Think about what our country is up against. This isnt just a question of whats happening overseas; this is a question of whats happening right here at home. National security starts at home. Thats why we gotta do something about the epidemic of gun violence. If we mean business when it comes to protecting each other, that starts with making sure the Second Amendment can no longer be turned into an excuse to do nothing at all when it comes to gun violence. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg, like his Democratic rivals, has adopted a muscular position on gun control and would seek to put in place vast new restrictions on gun ownership. If we are serious about protecting our country, we gotta protect our countrys future, and that means rising to meet the challenge of climate change as the global security threat of our time and leading the world to doing something about it. Lets look at the values that they are using to try to tell people they dont belong, and think about what it means to actually take them seriously. Faith right now, religion, is being used to tell some people they dont belong, people who have treated differently according to their religion. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg was raised Catholic and now identifies as an Episcopalian. Some people are even being told that being religious requires you to be part of a certain political party. Lets send the message once and for all that God does not belong to a political party in the United States of America. When I think about the values of multiple religious traditions, Im thinking about all of the teaching that says that we are to treat one another the way we would want to be treated. Im looking at the news right now and thinking, What ever happened to, I was hungry and you fed me? Analysis The Buttigieg campaigns TV advertisements in South Carolina have used clips of him repeating this line in an effort to appeal to religious Democrats. Well, look at Texas saying that theyre not gonna take refugees anymore, and I have to think about, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me. Surely, we can do better, no matter what faith tradition, if any, you belong to. And we can offer those who are guided by religious values a choice, even while upholding the bedrock principle of the American Constitution that this country belongs to people of every religion and of no religion equally. These are the values that could light the way. Democracy as a value, not just as a system. But what does democracy really require of us? Are we a democracy if dollars can outvote people? I think we can do better than Citizens United, even if that means a constitutional amendment to clear that up and defend our democracy. How about a democracy where voters choose politicians instead of districts run by politicians picking out their voters. How about we reform that and become more of a democracy? Analysis When he began his campaign early in 2019, Mr. Buttigieg drew attention from progressives by speaking out about partisan gerrymandering, calling for eliminating the Electoral College and adding justices to the Supreme Court. He since has dropped the Supreme Court language from his stump speech, though he still favors an expansion. Some folks say Im far out on this, but I dont need to go so far as to argue that in a democracy, one day we should start choosing our nations leader by just counting up all the votes and giving it to the person who got the most, like we would in every other election in this country. Lets let the value of democracy lead the way. These are the values that could show the way forward. Im thinking in particular about the value of freedom, American freedom. This is not as simple as cutting every regulation and every tax and every government program thats out there. Thats not enough to make us free. Im not interested in preserving Amazons freedom to pay zero dollars in federal income taxes next year. Im pretty sure theyre gonna be fine, even when they pay their fair share. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg is one of several Democratic presidential candidates who have made Amazon a regular punching bag, promising to force the online retailer to pay more in taxes. Im talking about the freedom to live a life of our choosing. Sometimes, that does mean getting government out of the way. Im a big fan of keeping government, for example, out of the business of telling you who you ought to marry. Thats part of my freedom. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate to run a major campaign for the presidency, married his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, on June 16, 2018. Lets make sure were keeping government out of the business of dictating to women what their reproductive health choices ought to be. In order to be more free, we need the public sector to step up. Thats why we have cities. Thats why mayors exist, cause youre not free if you cant get access to clean, safe drinking water, or a road that gets you where youre going thats paved and plowed. I didnt get this many nods when I talked about snow plowing in Las Vegas. Its not as relevant for them out there, but you know what Im talking about. Analysis Des Moines that night was in the midst of a storm that dumped several inches of snow on central Iowa. If you cant get to where youre going, youre not free. Thats what we expect of local government. And its why we expect our school systems to educate our children, because freedom comes by way of education. And how about we back them up with a secretary of education in Washington who believes in public education and supports our teachers. Im pretty sure thats an American value most of us can get on board with. And yes, the time that has come to make sure the public sector steps up to deliver answers on health care, cause youre not free if you dont have it. Thats why we need to offer Medicare for all who want it, while preserving your freedom to decide whether you want it, because I think youre gonna make the right choice for yourself and for your family. Analysis The biggest policy difference between Mr. Buttigieg and his progressive rivals comes on health care: They advocate a single-payer system that eliminates private insurance, and he would keep most of the current system in place but allow people to opt in to Medicare if they choose. These are the values that could light the way forward, and this cant wait. This is not something that can wait for 10 years. Its not something that can wait for four years. Weve got to act now. We cant wait to do something about the climate, because if the scientific deadline is 2030, that means the political deadline is 2020. So were gonna need a president who actually believes in climate science now in order to hit any of those goals by 2030. It cant wait. We cant wait to act toward becoming a society where your race has no bearing on your health, or your wealth, or your life expectancy, or your relationship with law enforcement. Thats a nationally urgent priority weve gotta act right now to do something about. Analysis After the South Bend police killing, Mr. Buttigieg introduced his Douglass Plan for black empowerment in America. He has struggled to win over black Democrats, and people of color who have worked on his campaign have said the workplace culture was disrespectful. And with millions of lives on the line in the rise of deaths from despair, we cant wait to take the very same energy and openness that we bring to talking about and dealing with physical medical issues, and finally do the same for mental health and addiction. We could save a million lives over the next decade if we cut deaths from despair in half. Its not right. Nor in my view can our country wait to do something about the crisis of belonging that we are experiencing in different ways, reaching people in different forms, but telling so many people because of where you are in the economy, because of your race or your religion, or who you love, what language you speak at home, people are getting told they dont belong. The time has come for us to send a message that the only thing that our great country doesnt have room for is hatred and exclusion. This is our chance. [Mr. Buttigieg usually takes questions for about 20 minutes, then finishes his remarks with a call to support him in the upcoming caucuses or primary, depending on which state he is in.] And now I have something to ask of you. First of all, the obvious: Im really hoping that you will be willing to caucus for me three weeks from tomorrow. But also, if what were trying to do speaks to you, if you see how this country can get better and quickly if we do the right thing, if we have this vision carry the day, then we could also really use your help. Im asking you to reach out to people in your life who may be this close to switching the whole thing off. Because when you watch the news, its exhausting. Right? I mean, watching this impeachment thing, figuring it will go to the Senate, it might be a foregone conclusion before it even arrives, its just one more moment that I think is designed to beat the hope out of us and beat the joy out of us. But the moment we give up hope is the moment that cynics win and nothing is more powerful than somebody in your life reaching out to you and letting you know why theyre involved. So if youre involved enough to be here, in other words, if you have enough hope to have propelled you on this snowy night into spending some time with us talking about how our country could be better, then that means you also have the power to spread it. Analysis The Buttigieg campaign has embraced what it calls relational organizing. It asks supporters to comb through contacts in their cellphones friends, relatives, co-workers and evangelize to them about Mr. Buttigieg. Its one thing for somebody to see a commercial for me, its another for them to hear from you your story of what brought you through these doors. And we have an organization that is ready and eager to engage you in that work. Let me ask our precinct leaders and our organizers to just give a wave, so you can see around the room who our precinct leaders and organizers are. Analysis Mr. Buttigieg has more than 170 staff members in Iowa, among the largest paid campaign staff in the presidential field. Theyve got the buttons, theyve got the shirts, thank you for your help. They would be delighted to talk with you, even if youve never been anywhere near the caucus process or if youre a veteran of this process, they would be delighted to engage you in how to make sure that were building the strongest possible organization to reach out and invite others to be part of this. This is our chance. This is where we say no to the hopelessness and helplessness and the exhaustion and take it into our own hands. Thats what 2020 is. Our chance to take control and it begins, Iowa, with you three weeks from tomorrow. So are you ready to start that sense of hope? Are you ready to bring about that sunrise that I was talking about where we can put the Trump administration behind us and build a better day? Are you ready to make history together, Iowa? Iowa, I believe you are going to make me the nominee and the next president of the United States and I will work every day to make you proud if you do. Thank you for being here! If you've ever entered a company's office as a visitor or contractor, you probably know the routine: check in with a receptionist, figure out who invited you, print out a badge and get on your merry way. Brussels, Belgium and New York-based Proxyclick aims to streamline this process, while also helping businesses keep their people and assets secure. As the company announced today, it has raised a $15 million Series B round led by Five Elms Capital, together with previous investor Join Capital. In total, Proxyclick says its systems have now been used to register more than 30 million visitors in 7,000 locations around the world. In the U.K. alone, more than 1,000 locations use the company's tools. Current customers include L'Oreal, Vodafone, Revolut, PepsiCo and Airbnb, as well as a number of other Fortune 500 firms. Gregory Blondeau, founder and CEO of Proxyclick, stresses that the company believes that paper logbooks, which are still in use in many companies, are simply not an acceptable solution anymore, not in the least because that record is often permanent and visible to other visitors. Proxyclick's founding team. "We all agree it is not acceptable to have those paper logbooks at the entrance where everyone can see previous visitors," he said. "It is also not normal for companies to store visitors digital data indefinitely. We already propose automatic data deletion in order to respect visitor privacy. In a few weeks, well enable companies to delete sensitive data such as visitor photos sooner than other data. Security should not be an excuse to exploit or hold visitor data longer than required." What also makes Proxyclick stand out from similar solutions is that it integrates with a lot of existing systems for access control (including C-Cure and Lenel systems). With that, users can ensure that a visitor only has access to specific parts of a building, too. In addition, though, it also supports existing meeting rooms, calendaring and parking systems, and integrates with Wi-Fi credentialing tools so your visitors don't have to keep asking for the password to get online. Story continues Like similar systems, Proxyclick provides businesses with a tablet-based sign-in service that also allows them to get consent and NDA signatures right during the sign-in process. If necessary, the system also can compare the photos it takes to print out badges with those on a government-issued ID to ensure your visitors are who they say they are. Blondeau noted that the whole industry is changing, too. "Visitor management is becoming mainstream, it is transitioning from a local, office-related subject handled by facility managers to a global, security and privacy-driven priority handled by chief information security officers. Scope, decision drivers and key people involved are not the same as in the early days," he said. It's no surprise then that the company plans to use the new funding to accelerate its roadmap. Specifically, it's looking to integrate its solution with more third-party systems with a focus on physical security features and facial recognition, as well as additional new enterprise features. Dubai Customs has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Rochester Institute of Technology, as part of its efforts to enhance ties of cooperation between government sector and private educational institutions in order to develop the employees skills. The private university in Dubai, under the MoU, will provide Dubai Customs with researches and studies around customs field, along with academic programs and access to libraries and labs for Dubai Customs employees. The MoU supports scientific research on customs field and exchange of knowledge around technology and supply chain. The MoU was signed by Mohammed Al Ghaffari, director of HR Department in Dubai Customs and Dr Yousef Al Assaf, president of Rochester Institute of Technology-Dubai. Under the agreement, the university will provide different academic services to Dubai Customs including access to innovation labs, technological studies and programs and engaging Dubai Customs in sessions and conferences organized by the university. A joint team from Dubai Customs and the university will coordinate the efforts for a perfect application of the agreement. Mohammed Al Ghaffari said: Dubai Customs saves no effort to develop the skills of its employees to keep abreast with the technological advancements through mature academic programmes. This follows our wise leaderships vision and the national strategy of preparing a well-educated and trained generation able to drive development forward in all sectors, he added. Director of HR Department said there is diversity in the academic programs that the department provides to its people. These can be very specialized such as courses in supply chain and customs, customs investigation, customs training, etc. Dr Al Assaf said: We are happy to cooperate with Dubai Customs on scientific research and exchange of supply chain, customs and IT information. Its exciting to start this new chapter with Dubai Customs to hit new roads for innovation, future technologies and big data. Hussam Juma pointed out that Dubai Customs has an integrated sustainable innovation system in place which includes highly sophisticated technologies and involves AI and blockchain applications. These advancements will fuel our future and pave the way for more advanced services and products towards an even better global standing and status, he said. In 2019, Dubai Customs also organised 149 workshops which helped employees gain hands-on experience in their respective fields, it stated. TradeArabia News Service What Is a Tax Haven? A tax haven is simply a country that offers individuals or businesses little or no tax liability. According to our research, the Caribbean offers some of the most popular tax havens in the world, providing benefits such as very low tax liability and financial privacy. Among the most used Caribbean tax havens are the Bahamas, Panama, and the Cayman Islands. Key Takeaways Most of the Caribbean nations boast tax security for business owners and individuals due mainly to their financial privacy laws and low tax implications. The only cost for most of these countries is an annual business license fee, with a 0% tax rate. It is advisable to work with a seasoned tax professional before setting up an offshore account or business. Many of the Caribbean tax havens are what is sometimes known as pure tax havens, in that they impose no taxes at all. A number of Caribbean nations were motivated to become tax havens so they could reduce dependence on foreign countries and maintain their own economies. The Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands is one of the five largest offshore financial centers worldwide, providing services such as offshore banking, offshore trusts, and the incorporation of offshore companies. Offshore companies are not taxed on income earned abroad, and there is no taxation of Cayman international business companies (IBCs). The Cayman Islands has no income tax, no corporate tax, no estate or inheritance tax, and no gift tax or capital gains tax, making it a pure tax haven. The Caymans have very strict banking laws designed to protect banking privacy. Offshore corporations in the Caymans are not required to submit financial reports to any Caymans government authority. Incorporation in the Caymans is a very simple, streamlined process. There are no exchange controls in the Caymans restricting money transfers in any way. Offshore businesses are not required to pay stamp duty on asset transfers. Panama The Republic of Panama is considered a very secure pure tax haven. One noteworthy characteristic of Panama offshore jurisdiction law is that offshore companies are allowed to conduct business operations within and outside of the offshore jurisdiction. Offshore Panamanian companies and their owners are not subject to income taxes, corporate taxes, or local taxes, and people of any nationality may incorporate within Panama. Panama strictly protects the privacy of offshore trusts and foundations by law. As a provider of offshore banking services, Panama has strict banking secrecy laws designed to protect the privacy of account holders. Panama has no tax treaties with any other country and no exchange control laws. The Bahamas The Bahamas became widely popular as a tax haven in the 1990s after passing legislation that enabled the incorporation of offshore corporations and IBCs. It remains one of the preferred tax havens for residents of the United States and European countries. The Bahamas provides offshore banking, registration of offshore companies, registration of ships, and offshore trust management. The Bahamas was the first Caribbean nation to adopt strict banking secrecy laws. Information on offshore bank account holders can only be disclosed by the specific order of the Bahamian Supreme Court. The Bahamas is a pure tax haven, with no tax liability at all for offshore companies or individual offshore bank account holders on income earned outside of the jurisdiction. The British Virgin Islands The British Virgin Islands (BVI) is an ideal place to establish an offshore bank account. The country does not impose any taxes on offshore accounts, and it has no tax treaties with other nations, thus protecting the financial privacy of bank account holders. There are no taxes on offshore companies, and BVI IBCs pay no taxes on profits or capital gains generated from outside of the BVI. An advantage to offshore banking customers and offshore companies incorporated in the BVI is that there are no exchange controls. This makes it much easier to transfer funds from one place to another for trading and investment purposes while protecting financial privacy. Dominica Often confused with the Dominican Republic, the Commonwealth of Dominica has initiated legislation that facilitates the creation of offshore corporations, trusts, and foundations, providing tax-friendly and privacy-protected offshore banking services. Dominica is a pure tax haven that imposes no income taxes, no corporate taxes, and no capital gains tax on income earned abroad. There are also no withholding taxes and no estate taxes, including inheritance taxes or gift taxes. Offshore companies and trusts do not have to pay any stamp duty on transfers of assets. People of any nationality may form offshore corporations in Dominica. The nation has privacy laws that shield the identities of owners and directors of offshore companies incorporated in Dominica. There is no taxation of interest earned on offshore bank accounts, and information on offshore account holders is not shared with tax authorities of any other country. Dominica's asset protection and financial privacy laws are very strict, making Dominica a secure offshore tax haven. Nevis Nevis, together with St. Kitts, forms the St. Kitts and Nevis Federation. Nevis offers tax-friendly formation of offshore limited liability companies (LLCs), trusts, and foundations, along with excellent offshore banking and insurance services. Nevis provides financial privacy by not making public any information regarding owners and directors of offshore companies. Incorporation in Nevis only requires one director and one shareholder, who can be the same person. A Nevis exempt trust is exempted from taxation on any income earned outside of Nevis, including dividends and interest. Nevis trusts do not have to pay stamp duty on transactions. Nevis doesn't impose any local taxes on income earned outside of the jurisdiction. Offshore companies and their owners do not have to pay withholding taxes, capital gains taxes, or estate taxes, and they are not subject to corporate taxes or local taxes on income generated outside of Nevis. There are no exchange controls in Nevis, and the country has steadfastly refused to sign any taxation treaties with other countries. Anguilla Anguilla is a part of the Britain Overseas Territory, and it has become a respected tax haven. The offshore jurisdiction of Anguilla levies zero-taxation on all income generated outside of the jurisdiction by offshore companies. Anguilla is a pure tax haven that does not impose income taxes, estate taxes, or capital gains taxes on individuals or corporations. All offshore entities incorporated in Anguilla are exempt from paying stamp duty. Anguilla financial legislation strictly protects the privacy of offshore bank accounts and business entities. The Offshore Banking Act of 2005 prohibits all bank employees or agents from disclosing any financial information without the express consent of the account holders. There are no exchange controls regarding monetary or asset transfers. Costa Rica Costa Rica, bordered by Nicaragua and Panama, is not considered a pure tax haven, but it is recognized as tax-friendly enough to have been referred to as the Switzerland of Central America. Through a number of tax incentives, the country has been extremely successful in attracting some of the world's largest corporations. Companies incorporated in Costa Rica are allowed to conduct business both within and outside of the jurisdiction. No local taxes are imposed on revenue generated by companies that do not conduct business in the jurisdiction. As a business incentive, Costa Rica grants eight-year exemptions from any taxation to many corporations. Corporate entities that are required to pay taxes pay extremely low rates and are generally exempt from taxes on interest, capital gains, or dividend income. Offshore companies incorporated in Costa Rica do not have to file any financial reports with Costa Rican tax authorities and are not required to disclose the names of owners to the registrar of companies. Costa Rica tightly protects the privacy of offshore banking. Money or other financial assets can be transferred in or out of Costa Rica without any limitation on the amount and without having to disclose the source of funds. Belize Belize offers offshore banking and the easy incorporation of offshore companies or the formation of trusts or foundations. Offshore businesses incorporated in Belize do not pay any taxes on income earned abroad. Belize-incorporated companies and trusts are exempt from paying stamp duty. Offshore bank accounts are not taxed on earned interest, nor subject to repatriation or capital gains taxes. Banking legislation guarantees strict confidentiality for offshore banking. The names of account holders and any other financial information can only be disclosed by court order in relation to a criminal investigation. Belize does not have any exchange controls, nor does it have any tax treaties with foreign governments. The government of Belize is strongly committed to protecting financial privacy. Barbados Barbados offers a thriving offshore financial sector providing offshore banking, incorporation of offshore corporations, and exempt insurance. Barbados is not a pure tax haven, but it is a very low-tax environment for offshore corporations incorporated in Barbados. Taxes on profits of offshore companies are generally in the range of 0% to 5.5%, and the tax rate decreases as the profits earned increase. Offshore companies can import the necessary machinery or business equipment without paying any import duty. There are no withholding taxes or capital gains taxes. Unlike most Caribbean tax havens, Barbados does have double taxation treaties with a number of other countries, including Canada and the U.S. Love Island has confirmed the return of the classic second villa twist, Casa Amor. And fans are already reeling that this may mark the end of Callum and Shaughna, as they suspect he may stray the minute he meets a new set of six girls. At the end of Friday's episode, Iain Stirling announced that Casa Amor would make its return next week as a sign with the name of the villa flashed up on screen. Casa is BACK! Fans are already reeling that this may mark the end of Callum and Shaughna, as they suspect he may stray the minute he meets a new set of six girls Viewers immediately rushed to Twitter to predict which couples wouldn't last after being separated and introduced to a batch of new singletons. Many predicted that Callum would soon ditch his partner, despite hinting he would like her to be his girlfriend during the most recent episode of the show. Sharing a picture of crying Amy Hart from last years show, one fan said: 'The UK after they realise Callum's head will most likely be turned in Casa Amor. Tense! At the end of Friday's episode, Iain Stirling announced that Casa Amor would make its return next week as a sign with the name of the villa flashed up on screen 'We'll all really just traumatised from Amber and Michael and Josh and Georgia.' Another said: 'Callum is going to move mad in Casa Amor week when Shaughna leaves him for 5 seconds. The man is going to try and break out of prison lol.' Another said: 'We all know Callum will recouple in Casa Amor and I'm not ready to see Shaughna be heartbroken.' Reaction: Viewers immediately rushed to Twitter to predict which couples wouldn't last after being separated and introduced to a batch of new singletons Part of the reason fans were so concerned about Shaughna and Callum may be due to the fact that she almost revealed that she loves him. A slip of the tongue may have revealed her true feelings for the scaffolder, which left Sophie Piper asking: 'You love him?' However she quickly backtracked and said: 'I love 'it'. I love it.' But, Sophie joked: 'You love him, you love him!' What! A slip of the tongue may have revealed her true feelings for the scaffolder, which left Sophie Piper asking: 'You love him?' Elsewhere, other fans were simply excited for the twist to spice things up on the show as they shared their joy on their social media pages. One fan said: 'AAAA CASA AMOR NEXT WEEK WOOO!' Another added: 'I want drama in Casa Amor @LoveIsland so please be writing up all the scripts well. Thanks #LoveIsland.' A third begged for another Ovie Soko, and wrote: 'Ok so it's time for Casa Amor it's time Love Island is supposed to surprise us with a Ovie 2.0 #LoveIsland.' Celebrate: Elsewhere, other fans were simply excited for the twist to spice things up on the show as they shared their joy on their social media pages Casa Amor is a second villa situated near the original house, where the couples are separated from each other and get to know a new set of boys and girls. The Sun reported earlier this week that the 'sexiest singles yet' have landed and are ready to enter the show, while bosses are determined to stir up trouble among the couples. A source told the website: 'The new Cape Town Casa Amor is just a short distance away from the main villa and as the girls and boys split, there'll be tons of temptation in the form of gorgeous bombshells hoping to turn heads. Bombshells: Models Molly Smith (L) and Priscilla Anyabu (R) are reportedly heading into Love Island for Casa Amor and hoping to turn heads 'The decor will feature phrases from this year's series such as 'Shoot Your Shot' and 'Trust In Your Sauce' written on the walls. Three stunning models heading into Love Island's Casa Amor have reportedly been revealed. Molly Smith, 25, Priscilla Anyabu, 25 and Josh Kempton, 21, are said to have been snapped up by producers to turn heads in the villa, as a whole host of new Islanders arrive in South Africa to cause a stir. According to The Sun, Molly, Priscilla and Josh are among the new faces bosses are hoping will throw temptation the Islanders' way in an 'explosive' few days. Casa Amor has historically been full of drama on the ITV dating series, as it sees the original Islanders faced with the idea of striking up romance with somebody new. Michael Griffiths brutally dumped Amber Gill for Joanna Chimonides last year, while Jack Fincham was faced with ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones - much to the annoyance of now ex Dani Dyer in the 2018 series. This year, bosses are said to be hoping blonde beauty Molly from Manchester will give the boys something to think about when she arrives in the villa. Eye candy: Marine and model Josh Kempton will be trying to woo the girls in the main villa and is one of the names reported for the line-up Gorgeous: Molly is signed with J'Adore models and isn't shy when it comes to flaunting her assets and incredibly toned frame on Instagram Molly is signed with J'Adore models and isn't shy when it comes to flaunting her assets and incredibly toned frame on Instagram. Her page is littered with posts of her sizzling in lacy lingerie, pulling sultry poses and oozing body confidence. Reportedly joining her is stunning model and operations manager Priscilla. Priscilla is based in London and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads. Saucy: Her page is littered with posts of her sizzling in lacy lingerie, pulling sultry poses and oozing body confidence Beauty: Priscilla is based in London and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads Confident: One shot sees her posing in her bikini, while showing off her derriere by the pool, and reads: '10 out of 9 on a cute day' One shot sees her posing in her bikini, while showing off her derriere by the pool, and reads: '10 out of 9 on a cute day.' As the girls join a slew of other beauties who will try to entice the boys in Casa Amor, an army of buffed up boys will be hoping to ruffle feathers in the main villa. Among the guys hoping to steal one of the original girls away is reportedly marine and model Josh, from Surrey. Josh appears to split his time between Manchester and London and isn't afraid to show off his ripped physique in many a shirtless photo. Hunk: Josh appears to split his time between Manchester and London and isn't afraid to show off his ripped physique in many a shirtless photo LOVE ISLAND 2020: Meet the models heading into Casa Amor Saucy: Blonde beauty Molly will no doubt cause a stir in Casa Amor Name: Molly Smith Age: 25 Location: Manchester Occupation: Model - Molly is signed with agency J'Adore Models Molly is seen sharing stunning test shots from modelling shoots and sizzling lingerie shots to her Instagram page. Beautiful: Priscilla is a university graduate hoping to catch an islander's eye Name: Priscilla Anyabu Age: 25 Location: London Occupation: Model and Operations Director Priscilla is a university graduate and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads from high fashion shoots. Model behaviour: Josh has taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and premium underwear brand House of Hames Name: Josh Kempton Age: 21 Location: Surrey Occupation: Marine and Model Josh has taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and former Love Island star Jordan Hames' underwear brand House of Hames. Advertisement He's taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and House of Hames - an underwear brand set up by former Love Island star Jordan Hames. Traditionally, it's seen some couples savagely split up, when one person has chosen to couple up with a newcomer instead. In 2018 Joshua Denzel shocked viewers when he chose to get to know Kaz Crossley despite appearing committed to Georgia Steel. Twelve new islanders - six boys and six guys - will debut on Love Island this weekend, with viewers waiting to see who's heads will be swayed by the twist. Drama: 12 new islanders - six boys and six guys - will debut on Love Island this weekend, with viewers waiting to see who's heads will be swayed by the twist (pictured: Callum Jones and Shaugna Phillips) Smitten: Nas Majeed and Demi Jones seem smitten after their first kiss, but will they be rocked by the temptation of new arrivals? While couples like Finley Tapp and Paige Turley, Nas Majeed and Demi Jones, Siannise Fudge and Luke Trotman seem solid, tensions are already arising between the others. Shaughna Phillips and Callum Jones recently came to blows over Sophie Piper, when Shaugna questioned Sophie's desires to stay on the show, following Connor Durman's exit. Sophie was chosen by Mike Boateng in the last re-coupling, after making her case to stay in the villa despite not having a romance, but Mike is now going head to head with Luke Mabbott to win the affections of solo twin Jess Gale. Wallace Wilson and Rebecca Gormley are in the very early stages of their romance and just getting to know each other. Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV2. The prewar duplex had five bedrooms, two fireplaces and herringbone-patterned floors. But the co-op apartment at 730 Park Avenue was, nonetheless, a flop with buyers. There were no takers at $6.75 million in 2017, when Corcoran first listed it. There were still none at $5.95 million, in 2018, when Sothebys got the listing. Or, at $5.5 million. Or, at $4.95 million. In fact, the magic number would be $4 million, which is what the apartment sold for in mid-January after being marketed for three years. Welcome to the new normal, said Nikki Field, the Sothebys agent behind the deal. While the Upper East Side apartment was hindered by a ground-floor location and dated interiors, a bigger challenge was pricing, she said. Weve been behind the market and chasing it downward. As the citys real estate market continues to struggle, with values seeming to erode within the course of months, figuring out how much to charge for apartments has become increasingly difficult, according to sellers, brokers and appraisers. F orecasters have warned of strong winds and heavy rain across many parts of the country as people prepare to take to the streets to mark Brexit day in the UK. Downpours sweeping across south-west England on Friday morning could cause some disruption to travel for commuters, Met Office meteorologists said. The powerful gales that sparked a yellow weather warning on Thursday are easing off but the north-east could still face winds packing speeds of up to 50mph. There will be a mild, grotty feeling to the day certainly in the south, Met Office forecaster Luke Miall said as he warned a band of rain would strike in the morning. But the skies should clear as the afternoon arrives, with a mild but dry evening ahead as Britons prepare to mark the UKs historic divorce from the EU at 11pm. Heavy rain is working through south-west England this morning, potentially causing difficult travel for people going to work, Mr Miall said. Most of the rain will turn lighter and patchier in the afternoon. This evening there is possibly going to be some light drizzle affecting the far south-east of the UK. Most parts will be dry, but we will have a few showers pushing through Scotland and Northern Ireland. Brexit day is expected to be greeted with both protests and celebrations. In the final hours before the UK officially leaves the EU, a series of protests have been planned along the Irish border. Anti-Brexit campaigners will also hold a demonstration at Stormont on Friday afternoon, before Brexit backers later hold a celebration party at the gates of the seat of Northern Ireland's devolved government from 10.30pm for a countdown to 11pm. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alianza Minerals Ltd. (TSXV: ANZ OTC: TARSF) (Alianza or the Company) is pleased to report that it has arranged a financing of $250,000 to further advance its projects in BC, Yukon, Nevada and Peru. The financing is comprised of 5 million units at 5 cents per unit. Alianza has three very active projects in Yukon and Nevada, two of which are funded by by partners Coeur Mining and Hochschild Mining. Hochschild will fund drilling at the Horsethief gold project in south-eastern Nevada this spring. Jason Weber, President and CEO of Alianza, noted that this year we are building off of a very successful 2019, where we delivered on our key projects. We made a new silver-bearing vein discovery at Haldane in Yukons famous Keno Hill Silver District. And together with our partner Hochschild Mining, we defined targets for our spring drill program at Horsethief to test this sediment-hosted gold target and its potential to host Long Canyon-style gold mineralization. With Coeur advancing our Tim Project, just 12 km north of their Silvertip Mine and exploration of some of our earlier-stage projects, we anticipate another very busy year for Alianza with plenty of opportunity for positive results to deliver to investors. Financing Terms 5,000,000 Units Each Unit is comprised of one common share and one common share purchase warrant at $0.05 per unit. The warrant is valid for three years from the date of closing of the offering and is exercisable at $0.10 to acquire one common share. Finders fees of 7.5% in cash and 7.5% in finders warrants will be paid to eligible parties. Members of Alianzas board of directors and management team may be participating in this offering. All securities are subject to a four-month hold from the date of closing. About Alianza Minerals Ltd. Alianza employs a hybrid business model of joint venture funding and self-funded exploration to maximize opportunity for exploration success. The Company currently has gold, silver and base metal projects in Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Nevada and Peru. Alianza currently has three projects optioned/leased out in Nevada and Yukon Territory, and is actively exploring on two others. Alianzas current partners include Hochshild Mining PLC (HOC.L) and Coeur Mining, Inc. (CDE). Story continues The Company has 82.4 million shares issued and outstanding and is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ANZ and trades on the OTC market in the US under the symbol TARSF. Mr. Jason Weber, P.Geo., President and CEO of Alianza Minerals Ltd. is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Weber supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this release. For further information, contact: Jason Weber, President and CEO Sandrine Lam, Shareholder Communications Tel: (604) 687-3520 Fax: (888) 889-4874 Renmark Financial Communications Inc. Melanie Barbeau mbarbeau@renmarkfinancial.com Tel: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989 www.renmarkfinancial.com To learn more visit: www.alianzaminerals.com NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. STATEMENTS IN THIS NEWS RELEASE, OTHER THAN PURELY HISTORICAL INFORMATION, INCLUDING STATEMENTS RELATING TO THE COMPANY'S FUTURE PLANS AND OBJECTIVES OR EXPECTED RESULTS, MAY INCLUDE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE BASED ON NUMEROUS ASSUMPTIONS AND ARE SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES INHERENT IN RESOURCE EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT, ACTUAL RESULTS MAY VARY MATERIALLY FROM THOSE DESCRIBED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. COVID-19 Vaccines Resources to learn more about the available vaccines. Student Testing Information about testing available at MSU for students who are showing symptoms of COVID-19. Quarantine/Isolation Guidelines and resources to help students complete their quarantine or isolation successfully. Spring Semester Details For spring semester 2022, Montana State University will offer in-person, traditionally formatted instruction, campus activities, non-remote campus operations, and cultural and athletic events, as we did for the fall semester. All classes that were held in-person before the pandemic will be conducted in-person. Courses that are part of online programs will continue to be offered fully online if that was how those courses were delivered before the pandemic. COVID-19 Vaccinations MSU is offering doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to its eligible students and employees free of cost at this time. Following guidelines set forth by the Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, MSU is not requiring students to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and the university is not asking for COVID-19 vaccination records. Face masks and coverings Given the elevated rate of transmission of COVID-19 and its variants in our community, including the omicron variant, face masks or coverings are required in all indoor spaces on the Bozeman campus, with the exception of the fitness center, where strenuous physical activity makes optional masks a better practice. This requirement applies to all students and all members of the faculty and staff and is in place until further notice. Vaccine Availability MSU University Health Partners has the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine available, including first, second, third, and booster doses. Vaccine clinics are located in the MSU SUB on the lower floor between the Allen Yarnell Center for Student Success and Bobcat Grill. Walk-ins are welcome. Currently, vaccine clinics are scheduled for the following dates and times: Thursday, Jan. 13, 9 a.m. to noon; and Friday, Jan. 14, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. COVID-19 booster shots: CDC recommends that everyone 18 years or older should get a booster shot five months after completing a Moderna or Pfizer primary series of vaccines, or two months after a Johnson & Johnson vaccination. For more information, please review this CDC website: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots. If you are an MSU student, faculty, or staff member who is 18 years or older and would like to receive any of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses, please log into the following website using your MSU NetID and password: https://www.montana.edu/health/coronavirus/vaccine-waitlist/index.html Once logged in, fill out the brief form confirming your interest in receiving a vaccine and updating your contact information. You should then receive an email and/or text within 48 hours containing a link to sign up for a specific appointment time at the next available clinic. Please do not share that link with others - it is only valid for one user. If you have any difficulty filling out the form or have questions about vaccine appointments, please call 406-994-3798. If you prefer to receive Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccinations (initial or booster doses), or need a Moderna vaccine but you are unable to come to an MSU vaccine clinic, please use the website vaccines.gov to make an appointment at a site near you. Self-Checker MSU's COVID-19 Self-Checker can help students determine whether testing may be approprate and where to go for a test. Learn more Know the symptoms Latest Messages and Updates Here are the latest messages and updates related to COVID-19. You can read all the prior updates on our news archive page. Important If you believe you have been exposed to COVID-19 in the last 14 days and feel ill, please call your health care provider to discuss further. Students can call University Health Partners at 406-994-2311. Where can I learn more about COVID-19? For basic information about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, you can view our background page. For the latest updates, consult the links below: About this Page Montana State University's goal is to provide clear, concise and timely information to students, faculty, staff and visitors on what MSU is doing to protect our community. The university is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic with information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization and in consultation with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Gallatin City-County Health Department and our own health professionals on campus. The information provided on this website is not intended to be all-encompassing and should not be considered medical or legal advice. We encourage proper hygiene and health precautions, but we urge you to consult with a relevant expert for guidance specific to your circumstances. Flash Amid continuing public concerns over uncertainties, Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) on Friday after its Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal was given final seal of approval in the European Parliament Wednesday. There were emotional scenes in the European Parliament as MEPs voted by 621 to 49 in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement and linked hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. British MEPs are packing up their offices in Brussels, as 3 million Brexit commemorative 50p (about 65.5 U.S. cents) coins, promising "friendship with all nations", will go into circulation across Britain on Friday to mark the exit at 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT). Johnson is expected to deliver a speech next week saying he is willing to accept border checks after Brexit, with sovereignty prioritised over frictionless trade, according to English newspaper The Daily Telegraph. However, British citizens living in the EU remain confused and worried about their post-Brexit healthcare and pension provision, despite the fact that both issues were considered settled satisfactorily in the Withdrawal Agreement, a Guardian callout suggested. More than 100 of over 600 British nationals on the continent, who responded to the callout, cited fears of shrinking pensions and losing the right to medical treatment. Much of the confusion has arisen due to the announcements last year about the rules that would apply in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The signing of the Withdrawal Agreement, a legally binding international treaty, means these announcements are no longer valid. In September, the British government announced that if Britain left the EU without a deal it would continue to fund the healthcare costs of Britons living abroad, mainly pensioners, who benefit from reciprocal healthcare arrangements for a maximum of six months, or 12 for people with pre-existing conditions. Public concerns have not been assuaged by the fact that some EU states have not updated their Brexit information online to take account of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Guardian newspaper reported. Under the agreement, at the end of the transition period in December 2020, anyone with an existing British S1 reciprocal healthcare form will continue to have their healthcare costs met by the government, as long as they remain legally resident in their host country. An S1 form will also entitle the holder to a "UK European health insurance card" for treatment when travelling within the EU. Pensioners living on the continent will also continue to be entitled, under Britain law, to free treatment in Britain, said the Guardian. With 80 percent of the estimated 1.3 million Britons on the continent of working age or younger, the Withdrawal Agreement's failure to guarantee continued rights to freedom of movement, cross-border working and cross-border recognition of professional qualifications for Britons was of real concern, said the newspaper. After 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT) Friday, the British passport is expected to change color. Blue passports will be making a return, more than 30 years after they were replaced by the current burgundy design. Announcing the change in 2017, then British immigration minister Brandon Lewis praised the return to the "iconic" blue-and-gold design, first used in 1921. The new color will be phased in over a number of months, with all new passports issued in blue by the middle of the year. Existing burgundy passports will continue to be valid, local media reported. During the transition period starting from Feb. 1, Britain will continue to obey EU rules and pay money to the union. Johnson has said that he will not allow the transition period to be extended beyond Dec. 31. By PTI NEW DELHI: Top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi on Friday staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, NRC and NPR. The Congress MPs in both Houses also attended the joint sitting of Parliament in Central Hall wearing black bands on their arms during the President's address. The MPs wearing the bands were sitting together in one block after giving up their designated seats. The bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India by the passage of the amended citizenship act by the Modi government. Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by party leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. They held placards on Save the Constitution and raised anti-government slogans. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who "paid" the Jamia shooter, a day after a man opened fire at a group of anti-CAA protesters in the area. Asked by reporters to comment on the incident as he was entering Parliament, Gandhi said, "Who paid the Jamia shooter?" On Thursday, Gandhi had tweeted a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, "I cannot teach you violence, as I do not believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone, even at the cost of your life." Tensions in the Jamia area spiralled on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence. Disneyland's Avengers campus (Credit: Disney/Marvel) The new Avengers Campus at Disneyland in California will feature an animatronic Spider-Man, which will swing above visitors to the amusement park. DisneyParks unveiled the plans for the sophisticated, multi-jointed model yesterday. Read more: Brie Larson back for Captain Marvel 2 It will be fired into the air, and thanks to some pretty impressive articulation, will be able to perform all manner of Spidey-like moves as it glides over the crowds. According to the DisneyParks blog, it will also be wearing a new suit, designed by Ryan Meinerding, Marvel's head of visual development. The park posted video of the impressive model in action to YouTube, giving a taster of what visitors will see. The attraction will be part of the World Engineering Brigade, or WEB, section of the Avengers zone, and will be online by the summer. Also debuting will be the Pym Test Kitchen restaurant on the Campus, which will feature super large and super small foods, as well as 'heroic encounters', with heroes like Black Widow, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther, Thor, Loki and Iron Man. Read more: Joker sets Oscar record As for what's happening next for the actual Spider-Man, news broke last summer that talks between Sony which owns Spider-Man and Disney's Marvel Studios had broken down. But it's since emerged that Tom Holland's Peter Parker will be back in the MCU, following a drunken chat with Disney boss Bob Iger. The so-far untitled sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home is slated for 2021. Vikaspuri Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Vikaspuri constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Vikaspuri Assembly Elections 2020 | AAP's Mahinder Yadav has raced ahead of BJP's Sanjay Singh in the Vikaspuri constituency, with the former getting 5,265 votes and the latter getting 3,472 votes. Yadav and Singh's vote shares are 56.97 percent and 37.57 percent respectively. Situated in West Delhi, Vikaspuri is one of the biggest constituencies in terms of electorate in the Union Territory. AAP candidate Mahinder Yadav is looking to win a third term in the Assembly, while BJPs Sanjay Singh will try to wrest the seat from the ruling party in his second attempt. This year, the Congress has fielded Mukesh Sharma from Vikaspuri, which began as a Punjabi resettlement colony in West Delhi before undergoing growth in the 1990s, as per reports. The constituency goes to the polls on 8 February. The AAP would seek to retain power on the back of the development agenda it pursued in the last five years. On the other hand, the BJP, which controls the Centre as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), would look to dislodge the AAP from power. The Congress, meanwhile, would look to put up a tough fight after its improved performance in the recently concluded state elections in Haryana and Jharkhand. Here is a brief profile on the constituency: Constituency Name: Vikaspuri Constituency Number: 31 District Name: West Delhi Total Electors: 3,25,246 Female Electors: 1,41,905 Male Electors: 1,83,313 Third Gender: 28 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Created in 2008, the constituencys first representative was Nand Kishore of the Congress party. Since 2013, Mahinder Yadav of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the incumbent MLA. In the 2013 polls, he defeated his nearest rival, BJP's Krishan Gahlot by a narrow margin of 405 votes. Yadav proved mettle in the 2015 Assembly polls when he defeated BJP candidate Sanjay Singh by a massive margin of over 77,000 votes. Demographics: Primarily dominated by the Jats, Vikas Puri also has significant Punjabi and Yadav communities. The Vikaspuri Vidhan Sabha is located in South-West district of Delhi and comes under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 13.76 and 0, respectively of total population. As per the voter list of 2019, there are 3,25,246 electorates and 374 polling stations in this constituency. Jamia Millia student Shahdab Farooq, who suffered injuries after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters outside the university, was discharged from AIIMS on Friday morning. Al-Ameen, a student of Jamia's Mass Communication department and Farooq's friend, said he was discharged from the hospital around 8 am. "His father reached Delhi on Thursday night, but Shahdab won't go back home in Kashmir. He will stay at the university," Al-Ameen said. Farooq underwent a surgery at the hospital, he said. Tension spiralled in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring mass communications student Farooq, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. Farooq, who received bullet wound on his left hand, was admitted to AIIMS. No injury to blood vessels or nerves were sustained, a doctor said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Tanya Gazdik , January 30, 2020 While celebrity influencers have become increasingly common in automotive advertising, automakers using medium- and micro-influencers are receiving an exponentially higher average engagement rate, per influencer marketing platform CreatorIQ, which analyzed results. Mega automotive influencers (those with over 1 million followers) command an average engagement rate on sponsored content of 2.97%, while medium-sized creators (100K-1M) receive a 5.75% average engagement rate. The rate moves even higher with micro creators, who have 10K-100K followers: 8.21%. Creators with smaller followings tend to have more authentic audiences (fewer bots or fake accounts), and are connecting with dedicated and engaged users, according to CreatorIQ. advertisement advertisement The kind of content that influencers share matters. Videos are often day in the life, how-tos, or simply look at this awesome car I tricked out. Thats what many audiences want to see: a true glimpse inside the life of the influencer, says Nate Harris, director of marketing at CreatorIQ. Acura is having success with a YouTube content creator. With 235,000 subscribers, CreatorIQ considers vlogger and auto enthusiast Zosh a medium-sized influencer with a good average engagement rate of 6.96% on YouTube. His audience skews heavily male (95%), with 61% between the ages of 18-24. When it comes to brands his followers are interested in, its automakers all around, with Honda topping the list, followed by Acura and Mazda. Acura is sponsoring a series of videos from Zosh, and three of them have received notably high engagement rates. The first one is a raw, unfiltered chronicle of the journey Zosh takes to pick up his new Acura RSX. It has a 10.58% engagement rate. The next one has an even higher engagement rate -- 10.78% -- and aside from the final few seconds, consists entirely of a confessional-style video during which Zosh is driving around, talking about how his 2019 was overall. Zosh also documented the arrival and installation of a new set of wheels for his vehicle. This video, mostly consisting of handheld footage plus some time-lapse shots, generated an engagement rate of 8.80%, according to CreatorIQ. The Washington Post via Getty KYIVMany Ukrainiansespecially those in the government were nervous on Thursday as they awaited the arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the first high-ranking U.S. government official to visit since the infamous phone conversation last July between Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Donald Trump. Pompeos Ukraine Trip Hasnt Begun, but Its Already Ugly As the impeachment storm that grew out of that phone call continues to swirl around Trump, Kyiv fears that Ukraine will be dragged even deeper into the maelstrom, weakening its defenses against Russia, and perhaps undermining the fight against pervasive corruption. While on the surface, official Washington policy is supportive of Ukraine in both those efforts, Trump has tried to equate the struggle against corruption with his explicit desire, expressed in that July 25 phone call (PDF), to have investigations focus attention on his political rival Joe Biden and various conspiracy theories pushed by Russian propaganda. As he was promoting that narrow program, he also withheld vitally needed military aid from Ukraine. Led by Trumps personal lawyer, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, several Ukrainians out to curry favor with the U.S. president and undermine their own rivals here helped promote Trumps pet theories. They also worked successfully to get veteran U.S. Amb. Marie Yovanovitch removed from her post and may have tried to put her under surveillance. Lev Parnas Reveals Why He Turned on Trumpworld So perhaps its not surprising that as Pompeos arrival was awaited, some of the messaging coming out of Kyiv sounded confusing. When the issue of illegal surveillance targeting Yovanovitch first surfaced earlier this month, Ukraines interior minister announced there would be a joint investigation by Ukrainian investigators and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service at the embassy here. But on Thursday morning, Gen. Ruslan Ryaboshapka, Ukraine's prosecutor general, said there is no joint group with the U.S. embassy, and probably there never will be. Story continues Ryaboshapka told Ukrainian Interfax news agency that U.S. security specialists are in Ukraine to investigate the surveillance, but the American side has no intention of participating in a joint effort. Why make such an announcement on the day Pompeo arrives? This message is confusing, it might mean only one thing: Ryaboshapka, who is a Zelensky appointee, intends to show Washington that Ukraine is doing its best to distance itself from the impeachment process, says Taras Semenyuk of the KyivStratPro consultancy firm. Zelensky and his conversation with Trump was the trigger of the entire impeachment process, then we heard about the surveillance over U.S. Ambassador Yovanovitch on the territory of Ukraine, so currently our leadership are doing their best to stay away from the U.S. internal political tensions. Pompeo, speaking to reporters en route to his previous stop in London, sidestepped the problematic Trump demand that Ukraine specifically investigate Joe Bidens son Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. I dont want to talk about particular individuals, Pompeo said. Its not worth it. Its a long list in Ukraine of corrupt individuals and a long history there. And President Zelensky has told us hes committed to it. The actions hes taken so far demonstrate that, and I look forward to having a conversation about that with him as well. Pompeo suggested Ukraine corruption has been a big issue for him in his role as secretary of state and, before that, as CIA director, developing the facts and data about corruption in Ukraines government and private sector. But Ukrainians who knew Yovanovitch as a dedicated corruption fighter saw her removal as a bad sign, and her testimony at the House impeachment hearings, along with that of several other top U.S. government experts on Ukraine, did nothing to reassure them. So it is now more important for Kyiv than ever to see that Washington is actually serious about supporting Ukraines vital reforms. According to the U.S. State Departments announcement, Pompeo is planning to demonstrate that the U.S. government cares about peace in Ukraine and highlight U.S. support for Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity at his meetings with Zelensky as well as with the foreign minister and defense minister. Pompeo is also planning to lay flowers at the memorial to thousands of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the now almost six-year war with pro-Russian forces in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. The memorial, just outside the gold-domed St. Michael Monastery in the heart of Kyiv, is a long wall with thousands of young faces: Ukrainian men and women killed in eastern Ukraine. Pompeo will also meet with religious, civic society, and business leaders. Novoye Vremya magazine, one of the news outlets closely covering Washingtons impeachment scandals, referred to the visit as the Day of Pompeo. The Secretary of State is coming to make sure there will be no bad surprises from Zelensky during Trumps trial at the Senate, Novoye Vremya political observer, Ivan Yakovina, told The Daily Beast. If we hear today or tomorrow that Ukraine is going to get more military aid, that would mean that Pompeo and Zelensky have come to a mutual agreement. Olena Trigub, leader of the independent Defense Anti-Corruption Committee, NAKO, says she looks forward to passing an important message to Washington at the meeting with the Pompeo and Ukrainian civic society leaders. We dont dismiss the fact that there is corruption in Ukraine but in spite of the impeachment scandal involving some Ukrainian citizens, we believe that the U.S. government should recognize and support Ukrainian anti-corruption efforts, Trigub told The Daily Beast. NAKO has focused particularly on the Ukraine Defense Ministrys procurement system, and concludes that out of some $1 billion allocated to procurements, up to 40 percent has been lost to corruption and inefficiency. The average percentage we hear most often is 30 percent, Trigub said. The Ukrainian government is now demonstrating the political will to clean up the defense sectorcurrently, two new bills are being developed on defense procurement and on state secrecy. Ukraines civic leaders hope Washington will demonstrate strong support for what they see as Zelenskys game-changing reforms in the defense sector. Despite the political will, we see that reformers in the government and in civil society lack the capacity and the support of Ukraine's international partners, such as the USA. It is needed badly at this important time. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. A clerk explains a product from LG Household & Health Care's luxury brand "The History of Whoo" to customers at a department store in Shanghai, China, in Jan. 2019. / Courtesy of LG Household & Health Care By Kim Jae-heun LG Household & Health Care has become a "serious competitor" with AmorePacific as a whopping sales increase of its signature products significantly helped it narrow the gap in sales here. LG's two luxury cosmetics labels "The History of Whoo" and "SU:M37" were the "right contributors" in helping the LG affiliate continue its bullish run in Chinese sales, according to officials and analysts, Thursday. Right after China's apparent retaliatory measure against South Korea banning Chinese tourist groups from visiting the country in 2016, the LG affiliate made a swift decision to keep its business momentum alive by beginning the sale of its products in Chinese department stores. In the third quarter of 2019, LG Household & Health Care's sales in China increased by 35 percent, year-on-year. A source in the cosmetic industry said the company's focus was on how to appeal to customers with high purchasing power in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping's wife Peng Liyuan also bought Whoo items when she visited Seoul in July 2014. The Chinese first lady has reportedly been recommending Whoo cosmetics at social parties there since then. LG Household & Health Care launched its popular high-end brand in China in 2006 as a follow-up to "Sulwhasoo," another Korean luxury label by the country's No.1 cosmetics maker AmorePacific. The brand opened shops in major department stores in Beijing and Shanghai to grow as a global firm and it owns 206 stores now. In 2018, it became the first Korean brand to reach sales over 2 trillion won ($16.8 billion). Last year it marked a new record, achieving annual sales over 2.58 trillion won. LG Household & Health Care's total sales have already beat its rival AmorePacific, but LG's cosmetics sector only contributes to 57 percent of the firm's profits. However, it seems it will only be a matter of time until LG Household & Health Care's cosmetics sector alone outperforms AmorePacific given the continued sales increase of its two flagship brands, officials and analysts said. Whoo, in particular, saw a 208 percent sales growth during Singles' Day, or the Chinese version of America's Black Friday, last year compared to that in 2018. It now ranks fourth in the luxury cosmetics sales in China after Estee Lauder, Lancome and SK-II. Heavy dependence on China is cited as the biggest challenging factor for the LG affiliate as rival AmorePacific is on track to expand its product lineups to the United States, Europe and countries in Southeast Asia. Park Hyun-jin of DB Financial Investment said both LG Household & Health Care and AmorePacific will now need to come up with the next luxury brand to succeed Whoo and Sulwhasoo. "It is hard to compare two brands directly in how much they are contributing to the success of their mother companies in the cosmetics sector. Luxury cosmetics lines are definitely the main businesses that contribute to both beauty firms' sales but they own different channels. What is important is that both LG Household & Health Care and AmorePacific need new luxury brands as growth engines," Park said. Fifty-three cancer researchers from eight different academic institutions around the country and their federal agency partners met in Chapel Hill on January 27 and 28 to launch the next five years of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN). In September 2019, the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $3.375 million over the next five years to continue serving as the CPCRN coordinating center as well as to continue participating in the network as one of its eight collaborating centers. For the 2019-2024 cycle of funding, two new collaborating centers have joined CPCRN and six centers will rejoin or continue to participate in the network with renewed funding. The centers and their principal investigators are as follows: Emory University: Cam Escoffery, PhD University of Iowa: Natoshia Askelson, PhD New York University-City University of New York : Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DrPH University of Arizona: Cynthia Thomson, PhD University of South Carolina at Columbia: Daniela Friedman, PhD and James R Hebert, ScD Colorado School of Public Health: Betsy Risendal, PhD University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill: Jennifer Leeman, DrPH, MDiv and Alison Brenner, PhD University of Washington: Peggy Hannon, PhD and Linda Ko, PhD CPCRN Coordinating Center: Stephanie Wheeler, PhD Initiated in 2002, CPCRN is the largest and longest-standing thematic research network of the Prevention Research Center (PRC) program, the CDC's flagship program for preventing and controlling chronic diseases. Eight PRCs from around the country participate in CPCRN, including UNC-Chapel Hill's PRC, the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, which also hosts the coordinating center. Researchers from each PRC collaborate within and across their centers to produce research related to the implementation of evidence-based approaches to reduce the burden of cancer, especially in disproportionately affected populations. Since 2004, CPCRN members have produced 1,796 publications and obtained over $669 million in grant funding. "We are delighted to be in our 16th year of continuous funding as the Coordinating Center for the CDC Prevention Research Centers' largest thematic research network," said Stephanie Wheeler, the principal investigator for the CPCRN Coordinating Center. "CPCRN has made a profound impact on the science and practice of cancer prevention and control research translation over the years, and we are excited about the new and returning centers that are part of the network in this current cycle." Over the next five years, CPCRN researchers will contribute to cross-center projects to extend research findings across the cancer control continuum into practice. At this week's meeting, researchers developed consensus around potential thematic areas for the projects, to be coordinated by cross-center workgroups. The proposed areas of focus include cancer survivorship; cancer among rural populations; organization theory in implementation science; applied systems science; a CPCRN scholars trainee program; implementation, quality improvement, and technical assistance; health behaviors; health equity and social determinants of health; and mental health and well-being. Each center will also complete a five-year core center project that will study the implementation of cancer control interventions directed at one or more levels of the health care context, which may include the patient, a health system, a community, or a wider political or economic context that impacts health outcomes. For its core project, UNC-Chapel Hill's collaborating center will study a pilot program to distribute colorectal cancer screening tests in rural areas through pharmacies. People living in rural areas are less likely to be screened for colorectal cancer than urban residents, but distribution of fecal immunochemical test (FIT) kits through pharmacies may improve rural screening rates. In North Carolina, pharmacies are more equally distributed across the state than primary care facilities, and communities with limited access to primary care may have one or more pharmacy which could distribute FIT kits. "As a CPCRN center, we have the opportunity to develop strategies to prevent and control cancer in North Carolina" said Jennifer Leeman, principal investigator for the UNC-Chapel Hill collaborating center. "Through our partnerships with the other network centers, we also are able to advance the science of what works across diverse populations and settings nationwide." To better understand how a pharmacy-based distribution program could work, researchers will interview primary care providers, pharmacy staff, and patients, as well as administer a national survey to pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. After using this information to develop a FIT kit distribution program, they will conduct a small pilot of the program in up to five pharmacies in North Carolina. "CPCRN collaborating centers are geographically distributed all over the US and work together, leveraging strengths in community-based partnerships, implementation science and population health, to tackle persistent problems in cancer prevention and control and advance health equity," said Alice Ammerman, director for the UNC Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, UNC-Chapel Hill's PRC. "We are proud to host the Coordinating Center at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and to continue the excellent work of our own collaborating center." ### The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) is a national network of academic, public health, and community partners who work together to reduce the burden of cancer, especially among those disproportionately affected. Its members conduct community-based participatory cancer research across its eight network centers, crossing academic affiliations and geographic boundaries. The CPCRN is a thematic research network of the Prevention Research Centers (PRCs), which are CDC's flagship program for preventing and controlling chronic diseases. The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number (U48 DP006400) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Startup Minister Park Young-sun, fourth from left, poses with Simon Kahn, fourth from right, chief marketing officer of Google APAC, and other officials during a startup support event in Seoul, July 25, 2019. / Courtesy of Google Korea By Baek Byung-yeul The government is seeking to launch a state-run startup accelerator program with renowned IT companies Microsoft, Amazon and Nvidia among others in a bid to offer burgeoning local firms scalable opportunities to compete with the technology giants, the startup ministry said Tuesday. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups, which supervises the business growth of small enterprises here, said it is considering seeking partnerships with the U.S.-based tech giants to set up a support program that funds local firms and helps them make inroads into overseas markets. "We are currently in talks with Microsoft, Amazon and Nvidia to set up startup accelerator programs. The plan is not finalized yet but we are making progress," a ministry official said. The government has been trying to create disruptive innovation and bolster the sagging economy by strengthening support for local startups. In its operational plan for 2020, the startup ministry announced Jan. 2 that it will set up an accelerator program for companies, with those in the manufacturing and smart factory sector receiving support from Microsoft, and firms in logistics and commerce being assisted by Amazon. Seeking cooperation with Nvidia is also in line with its plan to nurture firms in artificial intelligence and graphic processing. The official added the startup ministry has decided to expand the support program as the initial program launched with Google Korea in 2019 has created many successful examples. "In conjunction with Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development and Google, we launched a startup accelerator program and those companies supported by the program made forays overseas. So we are trying to expand the scope of the program with other IT giants," the official added. In March, 2019, the startup ministry launched the "ChangGoo Program" and provided financial and technical support to local startups specializing in developing mobile apps and mobile games. Through the support program, 60 firms that had been up and running from between three and seven years received 700 million won ($600,000) of funds for research and development activities, as well as consulting and marketing support from Google. Google played a significant role in making the program a success as it provided consulting services to the startups. CatchItPlay, the developer of the mobile English learning app "Catch It English" was able to secure a Series A investment of 3.5 billion won from investors and advanced into Asian countries such as Japan and Vietnam. Thanks to the successful cases, the total budget of the ChangGoo Program in 2020 will be 40 billion won, a 10 billion won increase from 2019. The startup ministry allocated a budget of 1.5 trillion won in 2020 to help startups develop technologies. Of the budget cost, 200 billion will be used for firms in non-memory semiconductor, biotechnology and AI sectors, areas which the government has tried to foster. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: As of January 1, 2020, the biggest share of credit investments in Azerbaijan accounted for those in the household sector, amounting to 45.6 percent, Trend reports referring to the statistics report of Azerbaijans Central Bank (CBA). The volume of loans in the household sector increased by 31.2 percent (1.7 billion manat or $1 billion) and reached over 6.9 billion manat (over $4 billion) compared to 2018. The volume of loans in the sphere of trade and the services sector increased by 4.7 percent (111.8 million manat or $65.7 million) in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached 2.3 billion manat ($1.3 billion); the share of the total volume of credit investments in the real sector amounted to 15.5 percent. The volume of loans in the field of transport and communications amounted to 1.2 billion manat ($705.8 million), which is 8 percent of a total volume of loans in the real sector. This figure decreased by 12.1 percent or 166.4 million manat ($97.8 million) for the year. Distribution of the loan portfolio by sectors of the economy: Trade and services sector Energy, chemistry and natural resources sector Agriculture and processing Construction and property Industry and manufacturing sector Transport and communications Households Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) Volume of loans Share (%) 2019 2.5 billion manat ($1.5 billion) 16.3 619.4 million manat ($364.3 million) 4 543.4 million manat ($319.6 million) 3.6 477.1 million manat ($280.6 million) 3.1 872.6 million manat ($513.2 million) 5.7 1.2 billion manat ($705.8 million) 7.9 6.9 billion manat (over $4 billion) 45.6 2018 2.4 billion manat ($1.4 billion) 18.3 419.2 million manat ($246.6 million) 3.2 470 million manat ($276 million) 3.7 388.8 million manat ($228.7 million) 3.2 706.6 million manat ($415.6 million) 5.4 1.4 billion manat ($823.5 million) 10.5 5.3 billion manat ($3.1 billion) 40.9 (1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Jan. 31) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili The WCO, in cooperation with Saudi Customs and with the financial support of the WCO CCF Reserves, organized a regional workshop on cross-border E-Commerce for MENA from 13 to 16 January 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The workshop was aimed at assisting WCO Members of the MENA region with the implementation of the Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce to build capacities for addressing the challenges presented by growing cross-border E-Commerce. The workshop brought together more than 30 participants coming from 14 Member Customs administrations of the MENA region and the private sector. The WCO experts explained the Customs perspective on the Cross-border E-commerce and presented the different business models, global and regional trends and the key drivers/ requirements for its development. Industry experts shared business perspectives, elaborating potential opportunities for enhancing collaboration between Customs and E-Commerce stakeholders, as well as successful projects such as the establishment of a pre-arrival processing system in some countries of the region. After outlining the opportunities and challenges presented by the cross-border E-commerce for Customs administrations in the region, experts introduced the WCO Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce and explained each of the Standards contained therein. The underlying intent and expectations stemming from various standards were discussed with a view to implementing the Framework in a harmonized and expeditious manner. The Experts elucidated different aspects of the Framework such as advance electronic data, risk management, and expedited shipments, and presented relevant WCO tools such as the Immediate Release Guidelines. Additionally, the workshop discussed several cross-cutting issues concerning security and safety and illicit trade in the E-Commerce environment, as well as cooperation mechanisms between Customs and postal operators with regard to establishing interconnectivity of Customs and postal IT systems and the exchange of electronic advance data for an effective risk management. Furthermore, the participants gained deeper insight into different models of revenue collection on E-commerce shipments and associated issues such as valuation, classification and rules of origin. There was also a wide-ranging discussion on de minimis regimes that varied from one Member to another. Throughout the workshop, several Members shared their implementation experiences and initiatives within the context of various standards of the Framework under four broad themes: trade facilitation and simplification; risk management and control measures for curbing criminal exploitation of E-Commerce including safety and security threats; postal issues, and revenue collection. IDSA joined the Dutch Data Sharing Coalition IDSA and the Data Sharing Coalition officially announced that IDSA will be part of the Dutch initiative. ?We need a lot more of these activities and harmonization efforts involving more domains and data sharing ecosystems. This will really make data sovereignty happen and enjoyable?, said Lars Nagel, CEO IDSA, during the kick-off event of the Data Sharing Coalition in Utrecht on January 30th, 2020. Realizing data sovereignty is the target of the IDSA as an industry driven and not for profit organisation. The IDSA therefore decided to commit itself to the Data Sharing Coalition (DSC). The DSC and IDSA are a perfect fit and complement each other: The DSC focuses on harmonisation and scheme level. It focuses on developing a trust framework for data sharing initiatives based on cross-sectoral principles. Through this, the DSC aims at enabling sectoral and cross-sectoral data sharing between companies and creating use cases of data sharing ? to support the digital economy and to drive value by enabling efficiencies and new products and services. The IDS Reference Architecture developed by the IDSA and its member companies is an inter-operable standard for data sovereignty. The IDS architecture is considered as an enabler of data sharing ecosystems and data-driven business processes. It is the core element of more than 50 use cases, which can now be adopted by companies from multi fold domains: The standard is now established as DIN SPEC and on the way to becoming an ISO standard. The launch of the Data Sharing Coalition was mainly initiated by Innopay. In addition to IDSA, 15 further organizations have committed themselves to the Data Sharing Coalition, amongst them the IDSA member University of Amsterdam. For the news post on our webpage: www.internationaldataspaces.org/idsa-joined-the-data-haring-coalition The International Data Spaces (IDS) are a peer-to-peer network, a virtual data space that supports the secure exchange and the simple linking of data in business eco-systems on the basis of standards and by means of common governance models. IDS is managed by the International Data Spaces Association, a European non-profit association with currently more than 100 members from numerous industries, ICT and research across 20 countries, predominantly European. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More ICICIdirect.com The Nifty rolls stood near 66.30 percent compared to the 3-Month average of 72.13 percent. The Marketwide rolls stood at 86.45 percent against the 3-M average of 90.19 percent. The highest rollover was seen in United Breweries, Torrent Power, Adani Power, Biocon, and Glenmark. On the other hand, rollover activity was relatively low in Divis Lab, HPCL, CESC, PFC, and Pidilite Industries, data showed. Among index stocks, Grasim (97%) Sun Pharma (96.5%) and JSW Steel (96%) are witnessing high rolls into the next series while Hero MotoCorp (53%), Titan Company (69%) and Reliance Industries (69%) are seeing relatively low rollover into the February series. The Nifty is starting the new series with just 10.2 million shares, which is the lowest OI at inception in more than a decade. The continued lower OI can be attributed to the closure seen among short positions in the last couple of weeks. Moreover, the upcoming Budget may have prompted the closure of positions. The roll spread has also remained under pressure and did not move above 40 points due to a lack of fresh long additions. The Bank Nifty is starting the new series with relatively high OI with almost 1.2 million shares. The continued weakness seen in private sector banking heavyweights may have triggered some fresh positions. The recent underperformance of the banking index over the Nifty can be attributed to marginal increase in OI. However, roll spread in the banking index stayed subdued and was seen around 130 points for most of the week. The Nifty remained broadly weak during settlement but the highest Put base of 12000 strikes helped it to remain above these levels. In the last hour of the trade, some VWAP buying pushed Nifty and Bank Nifty marginally higher. Overall, the broader participation was seen in the recent up move whereas heavyweights from banking and technology have remained muted. Metal and PSU banks turned out to be most volatile space of the January series The low rollover was seen across sectors where midcaps, as well as heavyweights, have seen below-average rollover into the next series. Union Budget during the weekend might be a reason behind low rollover and fresh positions are likely to build post-event. On the options front, the new series is starting with the major Call and Put base at 12500 and 12000 strikes, respectively. We expect Nifty to find support around its previous lows near 11950 levels amid volatility and above which one should trade with positive bias. On the higher side, we expect the Nifty to test fresh highs in the coming weeks. Among heavyweights, select metal and Pharma stocks are starting the new series with relatively high open interest. On the other hand, major short covering was seen in Cement and Auto space. : The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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. Three homicides and two nonfatal shootings within six days had Harrisburg residents rattled Thursday and wondering whether any of the violent outbursts were connected to each other or shootings earlier this month. Two shootings reported Thursday that injured two males appear to be connected, investigators said. A male suffered non life-threatening gunshot injuries Thursday morning near South 13th and Kittatinny streets, and a teenager sustained critical injuries Thursday afternoon near North 13th and Walnut streets. The teen was rushed into surgery. While those shootings appear to stem from a feud, investigators said, there were no obvious connections between those shootings and a series of homicides this month, including a fatal shooting Wednesday night. The city is off to a deadly start this year, logging the most homicides in January dating back at least 10 years. The city last recorded four killings in the same month in November 2017. One of those cases included a double-homicide. The death toll this month represents nearly one-third of the 14 total killings recorded in 2019. So far this month, the city has recorded four homicides and four nonfatal shootings, which represents an unusual spike in violence for this time of year, according to Police Deputy Chief Deric Moody, who addressed reporters at a shooting scene Thursday. Of the killings this year, none of them have revealed any connections at this time, said Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Zawisky. None of the cases have been solved either, which makes it more difficult to identify any potential connections. The first killing of the year was a brutal scene: Brian Hall, 21, was tied up and shot in the head Jan. 9 in an apartment where he had been staying in the 1400 block of South 15th Street in Allison Hill. The next two killings were reported on the same day: Jan. 25. Alrahman Williams, 34, of York, was fatally shot about 3:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Benton Street. Later that night, about 8:40 p.m., police found Tonya Dorsey, 28, dead of traumatic injuries inside her apartment in the 1200 block of Oyler Street. The fourth killing occurred just before 5 p.m. Wednesday when someone shot Jason Hill, 21, in the 500 block of Curtin Street. It was the only homicide or nonfatal shooting reported in uptown this month. The rest of the violence occurred in Allison Hill or the south side of the city. Hall and Hill were both 21 and Thursdays shooting victims also were young, with one reportedly a 17-year-old boy. Thats something were taking into consideration right now, Moody said. We dont have an exact answer or exact reason why this is occurring now but we have some theories we are working on. Zawisky, who specializes in prosecuting homicides, said he couldnt explain why the city had experienced so much violence this month, and this week, in particular. We may go two to three months without a homicide and then all of a sudden we get three in five days, he said. But I dont see a trend. Now if it continues, then we will have a major issue. I hope that doesnt happen. In general, Zawisky said some killings are motivated by a domestic issue or a deep hatred for the victim. There is some underlying motive that has developed over time, he said. But most are simply drug-deal arguments or drug-deal robberies where the bad guy and the victim get into some dispute and it quickly escalates into deadly force. The premeditation is instantaneous. The murder is not planned but a decision to use deadly force is made. One trend Zawisky spotted last year was violence related to marijuana deals. The city recorded at least three homicides in 2019 that were related to marijuana, all of them ending in robberies. Even though many municipalities are relaxing penalties on marijuana, Zawisky noted its still a dangerous drug because the transactions involve money and carry the potential for ripoffs. The lack of respect for human life that is apparent in Harrisburgs shootings and homicides is incredibly discouraging, Zawisky said. Some people simply put no value on their own lifelife in jail isnt a concernor the lives of others whom they try to kill, he said. Its a who gives a flip attitude and its disturbing. READ: Half of last years killings in Harrisburg went unsolved He's the captain of many women's hearts. And Ewan McGregor appeared to be taking the role very seriously on Thursday evening as he donned a captain's hat after arriving at JFK Airport in New York. The 48-year-old actor went for a smart casual corduroy workman's shirt layered over a grey cardigan, white t-shirt, joggers and a pair of vintage leather boots. Captain Hollywood: Ewan McGregor donned a captain's hat after arriving at JFK Airport in New York on Thursday amid press for his new movie Birds of Prey Resembling the Leonardo DiCaprio classic Catch Me If You Can character Ewan made his way through arrivals accompanied by airport staff. Keeping a lid on his long locks with a handy hat the Moulin Rouge actor brought a touch of the theatrical to his comfortable look. The star was seen in Hollywood last Thursday at the premier of Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn. Playing villain Roman Sionis a.k.a. Black Mask in the Warner Bros.' DC Comics superhero movie Ewan took to the red carpet with Chris Messina - who plays co-villain Victor Zsasz. A man in uniform: Keeping a lid on his long locks with a handy captain hat the Moulin Rouge actor brought a touch of the theatrical to his comfortable airport look The pair hinted at a 'more-than-friendship' relationship between their characters in an interview with Variety, saying that their characters are, 'probably gay.' Variety's Marc Malkin mentioned there was talk online that the characters seemed to be more than just friends, before asking outright if they're gay or not. 'Its very complicated. Their relationship is very much basedtheres a want and a need in there for sure,' McGregor said. Sexuality: When Warner Bros.' Birds of Prey hits theatres, it will feature a pair of villains who may actually be gay (Pictured: Chris Messina (left) and Ewan McGregor at the Hollywood premiere last Thursday) More than likely: 'Theres like a real love of anarchy,' added Messina, when McGregor added that, 'More than likely, yes,' as the actors both laughed 'Theres like a real love of anarchy,' added Messina, when McGregor added that, 'More than likely, yes,' as the actors both laughed. Both of their characters, Black Mask and Victor Zsasz, have a long history in the DC Comics, with Black Mask debuting in 1985 and Victor Zsasz in 1992. While neither character is mentioned as gay in the comics, it's possible they could be portrayed as gay in the movie. There is one character who has been confirmed as gay, though, Rosie Perez's Renee Montoya, whose ex-girlfriend is played by Ali Wong. Long history: Both of their characters, Black Mask and Victor Zsasz, have a long history in the DC Comics, with Black Mask debuting in 1985 and Victor Zsasz in 1992 McGregor also opened up about filming Birds of Prey, with production taking place last summer in Los Angeles. 'It was incredibly bonkers to shoot,' McGregor said. 'Every take was like a new experience.' When asked why they shot it as an R-rated movie, McGregor said, 'It's a bit nasty' and Messina said, 'I think you cant do a Harley movie and not make it rated R.' Filming: McGregor also opened up about filming Birds of Prey, with production taking place last summer in Los Angeles Birds of Prey is set in the aftermath of 2016's Suicide Squad, after Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn parts ways with The Joker (Jared Leto). Quinn teams up with Helena Bertinelli a.k.a. Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Dinah Lance a.k.a. Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) to save a young girl from a crime lord. Birds of Prey, directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, hits theaters on February 7. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The Russian General Prosecution has refused to submit to court the case of the three Russian-Armenian teen sisters who killed their father on grounds of having suffered severe physical and sexual abuse. The General Prosecution ruled that their actions constitute self-defense, Interfax reported. The prosecution is noting that they have acted in a state of necessary defense, one of the lawyers of the young women said. The lawyer, Alexey Liptser, further argued that now the criminal proceedings against his clients must be dropped. Maria, Angelina, and Kristina Khachaturyan bludgeoned and stabbed their 57-year-old father, Mikhail to death in 2018, and claimed theyve done so in an attempt to escape from abuse. They were 17, 18 and 19 years old at the time of the killing. The sisters reported the attack to police and admitted carrying it out. They claimed their lives were in danger if they didnt take the action. Detectives determined that the Khachaturyan sisters were beaten almost daily by their father, and also suffered sexual abuse. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Everyone needs a vacation, but many Americans feel guilty taking time off work in fact, its one of the top reasons people dont travel. But Belize wants to change that by giving you a free vacation as well as a second trip for a co-worker to thank them for picking up the slack while youre off galavanting with Caribbean reef sharks. The Belize Tourism Board is celebrating paid time off by giving away three five-day trips for two people to paradise. Winners of the Belize Guilt Trip giveaway can then nominate a co-worker to receive the same trip for them and a guest. %image1 With so much to see and do in Belize, there is no time to waste feeling guilty about work, Karen Bevans, the tourism boards director of tourism, said in a statement. Too many travelers feel indebted to the colleagues who make their time away from work possible. What better way to enjoy a guilt-free Belizean getaway than to reward those same colleagues with a free trip of their own? Many Americans 55 percent, in fact have reported not using all of their paid vacation days, according to the U.S. Travel Association. And while American workers are not guaranteed paid time off (unlike many other countries), many still receive two or three weeks of vacation. But taking a break can be good for your health -- especially one where youre surrounded by awe-inspiring stalagmite formations while caving or swimming next to loggerhead turtles at the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (a UNESCO World Heritage Site). Courtesy of Belize Tourism Board To enter for a free trip, stressed workers need to head to belizeguilttrip.com by Feb. 18 and write why they feel guilty taking a vacation and why they deserve a trip. Next, they need to nominate one co-worker who could use a vacation too because when it comes to taking a much-deserved break, why not spread the wealth. Peacefmonline.com can confirm that Akorli Ameh, 46 is in police custody for allegedly killing a young man nicknamed Rapperholic 33, at Franco Estates, suburb of Accra. The suspect is said to be an electrician while the wife is a trader. The deceased, according to the Accra Regional Police Public Relation Officer [Pro], D.S.P Afia Tengeh, was caught red-handed by Akorli bonking his wife [name withheld] in a toilet opposite his house at Franco Estate at ACP Junction. Akorli reported himself to the police on January 27, 2020 [the same day he committed the crime] and narrated the incident to the police. According to him, he met the deceased having sex with his own wife in their toilet opposite the house when he returned from work, D.S.P Afia Tengeh told Peace FMs reporter, Isaac Oduro. The pit latrine, according to our reporter, is a wodden structure cited a few metres away from the house. According to the police, the wife fled the scene upon seeing her husband, but the deceased was unlucky in his escape attempt. The deceased attempted to flee but Akorli kicked him to the ground and he allegedly hit his head against an object and died, D.S.P Afia Tengeh said. The suspect, Akorli is currently in police custody assisting in investigation, whiles the body has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary awaiting identification and autopsy. Source: Isaac Oduro, Peace FM ( [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 Michael Gove has warned businesses they will face greater friction at borders with some "bureaucratic processes" in post-Brexit trade with Brussels as the government gears up for the UK's future outside of the EU. In a frank admission, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said it would be impossible to secure fully frictionless trade with the EU without accepting its rules and laws, which the government is determined to avoid. As the UK prepares to leave the EU at 11pm on Friday, attention on both sides of the Channel has shifted to the all-important trade talks which are likely to dominate the rest of the year. Boris Johnson has set himself on a collision course with Brussels by refusing to extend the transition period to hammer out an agreement beyond December - allowing himself only 11 months to negotiate a deal that traditionally takes years to secure. He is said to be eyeing a basic trade deal similar to Canada's agreement with the EU, a model which was rejected by Theresa May in favour of a bespoke agreement. Mr Gove made it clear that the UK was interested in a Canada-style agreement and said businesses may need to brace themselves for added checks as the UK could diverge from EU standards. Asked if he could guarantee frictionless trade, Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast: "No. We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear that you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all their rules, you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures. "We voted to be independent. We want to have as close as possible a relationship with the EU and the approach we want to take is based on the relationship they have with Canada." He added: "That may mean that when it comes to trading with Europe there are some bureaucratic processes there that aren't there now but we will do everything possible to minimise the friction in terms of our economy." It comes as the three presidents of EU institutions warned the government the nature of the future relationship would hinge on decisions to be taken in the transitional period, that "every choice has a consequence". Front pages mark Brexit Day Show all 13 1 /13 Front pages mark Brexit Day Front pages mark Brexit Day The Independent Front pages mark Brexit Day The Sun Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mail Front pages mark Brexit Day The Daily Telegraph Front pages mark Brexit Day The Guardian Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Express Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Star Front pages mark Brexit Day The Times Front pages mark Brexit Day Metro Front pages mark Brexit Day i Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mirror Front pages mark Brexit Day Financial Times Front pages mark Brexit Day The Scotsman In a symbolic move, Mr Johnson will chair a meeting of his cabinet in Sunderland, the city which was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum. And in what No10 billed as an "address to the nation" an hour before the moment the UK leaves the EU, Mr Johnson will attempt to sound an optimistic note about the future and promise to heal the divides which have been caused in the bitter Brexit battles. He will say: "Our job as the government - my job - is to bring this country together and take us forward." He will call Brexit "the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act". "It is a moment of real national renewal and change. "This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances - your family's life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up in." Kwadwo Sarkodie 40-year-old farmer has been killed in a motor accident on the Huni-Valley Damang road. The deceased and his colleague Kwadwo Grumah who was riding an unregistered Haojin motorbike hails from Kurantin Number two in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality and were on an errand from Huni-Valley towards Damang. On reaching a popular spot called Chief Nkwanta, Grumah runs into a stationary Nissan Sunny taxi cab with registration number GW 3874-12. The pillion rider was pronounced dead on arrival at the Apinto government hospital as he sustained a severe head injury. Chief Inspector George Kwabena Osei, of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) in Tarkwa, who confirmed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said that the accident occurred at about 1530 hours on January 27 and that the rider was on admission at the same health facility. He said the body of the deceased was deposited at the same hospitals morgue awaiting autopsy. The taxi cab and motorbike have been confiscated at the Huni-Valley police station for testing, adding that, efforts are underway to arrest the driver of the stationary vehicle. 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 Problems on construction of the $6.7 billion toll road centre around soil contamination that everyone knew was there before the big dig got underway. The debate over the contamination that builders CPB Contractors and John Holland are digging up centres around rules introduced by the states Environment Protection Authority last October. The building firms say the volume of soil contaminated with PFAS, chemicals historically used in firefighting foams and other industrial products, is greater than expected, and that the rules around how to dispose of it have become stricter since work began. Loading While Transurban still expects the two construction giants to treat and deal with the soil, they say its not their fault the rules have changed. CPB Contractors and John Holland are refusing to pay for new waste sites around Victoria to be upgraded so they have somewhere to put contaminated soil. One construction insider at the firms puts the price of compliance at around $500 million. I wonder if the governments big rush to get it signed off and started meant some things were overlooked? observes William McDougall, a respected transport planner and engineer hired by the Andrews government in 2015 to help assess Transurban's proposal. McDougall questions whether the government and Transurban's shared determination that the project should proceed quickly meant not as much attention was paid to the extensive soil testing works undertaken. In general, due diligence in determining the ground conditions is a fundamental requirement and if you are getting samples up that show something is wrong, then you go back and do more research and boreholes. It ought to be more straightforward [than what has transpired], he says. McDougall, who also worked as a transport engineer on bids for CityLink and EastLink, was removed from the governments assessment team for the project after he raised doubts about the wisdom of proceeding. Hes hardly alone in having questioned the logic of building a road that will funnel thousands of extra private vehicles into the city centre each day, via new city off ramps and an expansion of Wurundjeri Way. In late 2017, a group of 28 academics told the government just as it was about to sign its contract with Transurban that the project would not fix the citys transport woes, and that its benefits had been vastly overstated by both the toll road giant and the government. They also warned that the secrecy surrounding the opaque market-led process that had brought about the plan meant no real scrutiny of it had taken place. Premier Daniel Andrews and the Minister for Transport Infrastructure Jacinta Allan at Carrum Station on Thursday. Credit:Jason South Everyone other than a small cadre of experts (most of whom are within Transurban, but also state officials within Treasury and [the transport department]) were shut out of the process of asking whether this project should be undertaken, the experts wrote. While their warnings were on the planning and development side of the ledger, on the financial side the verdict from the states Auditor-General once the deal had been signed was scarcely more positive. In a scathing report released last November, Victorias Auditor-General Andrew Greaves found the government had approved the new tunnel without sufficient proof that Transurban's proposal, embraced by Pallas, demonstrated value for money and "unique qualities". The Treasurer, who was the key backer of the Transurban deal within Cabinet, simply waved away more than a years work by Greaves, dismissing it as "subjective opinion". Transurbans share price has barely budged in the wake of this weeks mess, even when Daniel Andrews threatened to rewrite the legislation that dictates the toll road operators relationship with the Victorian government. The Premier came under extensive questioning on Thursday over whether he had met with Transurban (he hadnt, but his officers had), if he thought the project would run late (the opening date of 2022 remains unchanged, he said), and whether this meant trouble for the states bottom line (it didnt). Andrews was adamant the claims by CPB and John Holland were opportunistic. Their tactics are completely obvious and they will be unsuccessful, he said, under questioning over what a walkout by the builders would mean for the state - which has had to bail out its fair share of public-private partnerships gone wrong over the past two decades. This includes train and tram privatisation, the myki ticketing system, and the calamitous East West Link, for which $1.1 billion was paid by the state for little tangible benefit, the states auditor-general found. We expect the contract, all of the terms and provisions of the contract, the project and its delivery in 2022, will be honoured, Andrews said, before floating the idea that the concession deed - the contract that governs the states financial relationship with Transurban - could be altered in response to the problems. A West Gate Tunnel construction site in Footscray. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui When Transurban floated in 1996 after it won the contract to build CityLink, the fledgling firm raised just $500 million. Today the behemoth is worth $43 billion and, from that one Melbourne toll road, has built an empire of 18 Australian motorways and three North American expressways. One former senior Victorian politician says their business model is simple: once you get control of the contract to operate a toll road, work relentlessly on the government that it helps to convince it to extend the contract. That is their business model, nothing more, he says. But when Labor came to office, the company was staring down the potential that a clause in its existing contract - which allowed termination of its CityLink tolling as early as 2025 - could wipe out its most lucrative toll road. Last year, motorists on CityLink handed Transurban $813 million in tolls. The company used all its connections in 2014, prior to that years state election, to convince then shadow treasurer Tim Pallas it had a plan to tackle congestion in Melbournes west and - helpfully for Transurban - to extend its contract to run CityLink for a decade at the same time. After Labor won office that year, two of Pallas former staff members then working for Transurban helped to convince the government it was onto a winner by cutting the deal. The fledgling government, which never mentioned meeting Transurban or its West Gate Tunnel project before the state election, promptly dumped the (by comparison) modest plan it was elected with: a set of on- and off-ramps for trucks on the West Gate Bridge. That projects total cost? Between $400 million and $500 million. Today, so extreme has been the blowout in costs associated with soil contamination in this project that $500 million is the figure floated by the builders for dealing with the problem while building the road. (Bloomberg) -- The increasing likelihood that Bernie Sanders could win Mondays first-in-the-nation caucus threatens to fundamentally redraw the path to the Democratic presidential nomination and challenge the conventional wisdom that there are only three tickets out of Iowa. Iowa often acts more as a bar bouncer than a kingmaker, culling the field but not anointing a leader. Candidates strive to finish in at least the top three to seize some momentum as they speed toward later nominating contests. But there are reasons to question whether that thinking still applies. Four candidates are closely clustered at the top of the polls. National front-runner Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and Senator Elizabeth Warren are all polling well enough to have a chance at securing delegates. You may need more than a four-passenger car for all these folks to get out of here, said Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price at a Bloomberg News breakfast of political reporters Friday. He said as many as six could move on, including Amy Klobuchar and Andrew Yang. A top finish would give Sanders, a senator from Vermont, an early lead going into New Hampshire, a state that gave him a 22-point win over Hillary Clinton in 2016 and a consistent lead in 2020. And wins in both of the first two contests would provide him undeniable momentum. But he is a polarizing figure in the Democratic Party, with both fierce supporters and voters who find his ideas too liberal to be viable. That could prompt a Stop Sanders movement -- putting increasing pressure on lower-polling candidates to drop out and throw their support behind a more moderate alternative. Things tend to boil down to a person whos leading, and the alternative to the person whos leading, said political scientist Josh Putnam, an expert on party nominations who runs the blog Frontloading HQ. There are differences in every cycle, but these things tend to operate in a similar fashion. Yet its not like any of the three moderates in the race -- Biden, Buttigieg or Klobuchar -- are ready to fold and anoint one of the others as the Bernie-stopper. Story continues The most recent RealClearPolitics average of Iowa polls shows Sanders leading Biden by 3.2 percentage points. But polls arent unanimous: One Monmouth poll Wednesday had Biden leading by 2 points, well within the margin of error. Also complicating the storyline are rule changes that will give greater transparency into the performance of the entire field. In previous years, Iowa reported only the number of state delegates each candidate was expected to win. This time, the party will reveal how many Iowans backed each candidate in the first round of voting even if that candidate didnt meet the 15% threshold thats a major hurdle for lower-polling candidates. Those reporting rules, written in the aftermath of Sanders complaints about his narrow loss in Iowa in 2016, could ironically blunt the impact of his finish this year. Candidates who come in second, third or even fourth in the final tally could claim much better standing if they do well in the first round. Still, Iowa punditry is partly an expectations game. A front-runner who stumbles into second place can be judged more harshly than a second-tier candidate who unexpectedly comes in third. So the candidates are already working to blunt any blow from a poor showing. Despite investing early and extensively in an Iowa organization, Warren is not polling well, and her campaign is trying to make clear she will carry on regardless. We expect this to be a long nomination fight and have built our campaign to sustain well past Super Tuesday and stay resilient no matter what breathless media narratives come when voting begins, campaign manager Roger Lau wrote in a memo last week. Yang said this week that regardless of how he finishes in Iowa, he expects to do even better in New Hampshire where the states libertarian streak might be more receptive to his message. Iowa awards 41 delegates to the Democratic National Convention, or just a little more than 1% of the total delegates. But its importance far outweighs the delegate count, given it is the first actual votes of the 2020 election year and gives Americans a chance to see which candidates are living up to their claim of electability. A Front-loaded Calendar Most candidates may have little incentive to drop out after Iowa, regardless of their showing, given that contests in New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina quickly follow in February. Biden has built a firewall in South Carolinas Feb. 29 primary, where his support among black Democrats could make up for any early stumbles. And its not just Biden: The Martin Luther King Day events there this month became virtually mandatory for any serious candidate for president. South Carolina has come into its own this time, said Elaine Kamarck, author of Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates. Its the last, best stop before Super Tuesday. Super Tuesday a 14-state primary on March 3, three days after South Carolina will award 34% of all delegates. And unlike Republicans, who allow states to award delegates on a winner-take-all basis, Democratic delegates are awarded proportionally. Any candidate getting at least 15% statewide or in a congressional district is eligible to win delegates. That could increase the likelihood that the front-runner could divide and conquer the opposition. Let me put it this way: The Democrats can choose to repeat the Republican folly of 2016, said Kamarck, a member of the Democratic National Committees rules committee. They all stayed in the race. They did not rally around the alternative, and Donald Trump became the nominee. Another harbinger of a drawn-out nomination fight: money. The importance of Iowa is as much about fund-raising as it is about delegates, said Jeff Link, a Democratic Iowa political strategist. Klobuchar, a senator from neighboring Minnesota, may feel the most pressure if she doesnt do well, but Warren and Buttigieg could also struggle with donors if they have a poor showing, Link said. But candidates sustained by small-dollar donors like Sanders and Yang can keep going as long as the recurring monthly donations continue. If Bernie got seventh, hed move on, Link said. And the two billionaires in the race Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg have already spent hundreds of millions on states that vote after Iowa and New Hampshire. Bloomberg is skipping the early states entirely and isnt seeking any delegates until March 3. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. Age, too, might be a factor in keeping more candidates in the race longer. Younger candidates often have more incentive to drop out early in the interests of party unity -- and their political futures. For candidates over 70 Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg and Warren waiting four to eight years for another chance at higher office is an unlikely option. (Adds quote from Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price in fourth paragraph) --With assistance from Ryan Teague Beckwith and Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou. To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Korte in Des Moines at gkorte@bloomberg.net;Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Magan Crane For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Several staff members of a small community health clinic in L.A.'s historic Chinatown spoke on the phone with patients Tuesday while wearing face masks that muffled their voices. The masks are a recent phenomenon at the clinic, located inside the Chinatown Service Center, a nonprofit community assistance organization that serves mainly Chinese immigrants. Staffers showed up for work wearing the masks Monday, a day after public health officials confirmed the first two California cases of the new coronavirus, in Los Angeles and Orange counties, said Dr. Felix Aguilar, the clinic's chief medical officer. "Fear, at this moment, is the greatest epidemic that we have," Aguilar said. As China grapples with the growing coronavirus outbreak, Chinese people in the Los Angeles area home to the third-largest Chinese immigrant population in the United States are encountering a cultural disconnect as they brace for a possible spread of the virus in their adopted homeland. The use of face masks is common in China, to protect against both germs and pollution. But when Chinese immigrants wear them in the U.S., it often conflicts with guidance from officials, who warn that they offer minimal protection and could lull wearers into a false sense of security. It can also draw suspicious gazes from passersby. "In the U.S., if you've got a mask, people will sort of look at you like you're doing something unusual, whereas in Asia it's fairly common to do this, and people don't give it a second thought," said Dr. Bryant Lin, co-director of the Center for Asian Health Research and Education at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Alhambra Unified School District in Los Angeles County, where a significant proportion of students are from Mandarin-speaking families, is getting a lot of pushback against school rules that ban face masks for students, said Toby Gilbert, a spokesperson for the district. "There is no evidence that the mask-wearing in a school setting does anything but create fear," Gilbert said. "It keeps people from remembering that the primary defense is hand-washing." The Los Angeles County Office of Education, which encompasses 80 school districts, notes that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the L.A. County Department of Public Health do not recommend the use of masks for preventive purposes. It reiterates the view of the county health department that there is "no immediate threat to the general public and no special precautions are required." Nonetheless, local stores have run out of masks. Mike Mai, 29, a recent transplant from Boston, wore a mask Tuesday as he shopped with his maskless girlfriend at San Gabriel Square, an outdoor shopping center in the San Gabriel Valley, which has a high concentration of Chinese immigrants. Mai said he wore the mask for "personal protection," asserting that local public health officials didn't seem sufficiently concerned about the new virus despite the confirmed cases in California. They seem to think it has limited contagious levels, which is not true from what Ive read in Chinese news outlets, he said. Apparently there have been cases where people show no symptoms, but then test positive for carrying the virus. Its a concern to me. The concern is understandable: Many Chinese immigrants in this community regularly fly back and forth between the U.S. and China, or are in close contact with people who do. The rumor mill is working overtime, as friends text each other unverified reports of people recently returned from China whom they suspect of having the virus. So far, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States, including the two in Southern California, stands at five. On Wednesday, a plane evacuating more than 200 Americans from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, landed at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, Calif. The passengers were screened before transport and will be monitored for signs of the virus for two weeks, which is thought to be the virus's incubation period. Joe Lee, training and technical assistance director at the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations in San Leandro, urged officials and the public to refrain from criticizing families who send their children to school with masks. "Instead of blaming the Chinese American community for spreading fear, we really encourage the general public to practice cultural humility," Lee said. Cherry Tang, who leads young adult ministries at Sunrise Christian Community in Rosemead, a largely Asian city just east of Los Angeles, worries about a shortage of masks. Tang, 29, said that as soon as she can get more masks, she wants to put them, along with hand sanitizer, in the part of the church that is open to the public. "Maybe we should have some regulations, or remind people if they've just come from China within the last 14 days, they should put a mask on," Tang said. "We shouldn't treat them differently, but we should still be cautious about it." This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are some stocks that are in the news today: Quarterly results: Hindustan Unilever, ITC, State Bank of India, Tech Mahindra, Vedanta, J&K Bank, Power Grid, Alembic, Arvind, Balkrishna Paper Mills, Bank of India, Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation, Birlasoft, Unitech, V-Guard Industries, Castrol India, Kamdhenu, Coromandel International and Jubilant Life Sciences are among the companies that will release their quarterly numbers today. TVS Motor launches TVS Apache BS-VI 2020 motorcycle Majesco US arm to acquire US-based co InsPro Tech for USD 12 million Wipro - Chief executive officer and managing director Abidali Z Neemuchwala decided to step down due to family commitments Nocil: The company approved the amalgamation of Suremi Trading and Sushripada Investments with it. Blue Star Q3: Net profit came at Rs 19.6 crore against the loss of Rs 0.9 crore and revenue rose 12.5 percent at Rs 1,236 crore against Rs 1,099 crore YoY. Kotak Mahindra Bank: RBI accepts promoters' voting rights in the company to be capped to 20 percent till March 31, 2020. Tata Motors Q3: Consolidated net profit at Rs 1,738 crore against the loss of Rs 26,992.5 crore and revenue went down 6.8 percent at Rs 71,676.1 crore YoY. Persistent Systems Q3: Net profit came up at Rs 87.9 crore against Rs 86.1 crore and rupee revenue up at Rs 922.7 crore against Rs 884.6 crore QoQ. Bajaj Electricals: The board will meet on January 31 to consider and approve the right issue of equity shares. Brooks Laboratories: The board will meet on January 31 to consider and approve the right issue of equity shares. Indostar Capital Finance: The board will meet on January 31 to consider and approve the preferential issue of shares. SICAL Logistics: Yes Bank on Thursday said it has sold more than 15 lakh shares, constituting 2.68 percent of equity stake, of SICAL Logistics in various tranches. Hindustan Aeronautics: The government is planning to sell a 15 percent stake in Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) through an offer for sale, which could fetch about Rs 4,000 crore to the exchequer. MCX: Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) reported a 32 percent increase in net profit at Rs 55.57 crore for the quarter ended December. The company's net profit stood at Rs 41.99 crore in the year-ago period. Carborundum Universal: The Murugappa Group company recorded consolidated net profits for the October-December 2019 quarter at Rs 61.36 crore. Total income for the October-December 2019 quarter slipped to Rs 653.75 crore from Rs 699.50 crore. JK Tyre: The company reported a 61.8 percent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 10.27 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019. Bharti Infratel: The company posted a 23 percent jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 798.7 crore for the third quarter ended December 2019. Dalmia Bharat: Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries reported a 33 percent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 26.68 crore for the quarter ended on December 31, 2019. Thomas Cook: Travel services provider Thomas Cook (India) reported an 18.88 percent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 9.97 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019. Marico: FMCG firm Marico reported a nearly 10 percent increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 276 crore for the quarter ended December 2019 helped by gross margin expansions. Laurus Labs: Drug firm Laurus Labs posted a four-fold jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 73.47 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019. Equitas Holdings: The company reported a 51 percent jump in net profit at Rs 94 crore for the third quarter ended December BEL Q3 (Standalone): Net profit down 57.6 percent at Rs 215.1 crore versus Rs 507.6 crore, revenue down 16.4 percent at Rs 2,271 crore versus Rs 2,716.5 crore, YoY GSFC Q3: Net loss at Rs 56.3 crore versus Rs 97.9 crore, revenue down 11.3 percent at Rs 1,807.4 crore versus Rs 2,036.6 crore, YoY Amber Enterprises Q3: Consolidated net profit at Rs 23 crore versus Rs 3.8 crore, revenue up 52.2 percent at Rs 788.4 crore versus Rs 518.1 crore, YoY Bharat Bijlee Q3: Net profit up 7.7 percent at Rs 14 crore versus Rs 13 crore, revenue up 9.8 percent at Rs 246.9 crore versus Rs 224.8 crore, YoY Balaji Amines Q3: Consolidated net profit down 21.3 percent at Rs 21 crore versus 26.3 crore, revenue down 4.7 percent at Rs 227.5 crore versus Rs 238.8 crore, YoY Laurus Labs Q3: Consolidated net profit at Rs 73 crore versus Rs 17.8 crore, revenue up 37.8 percent at Rs 729 crore versus Rs 529.4 crore, YoY MOIL Q3: Net Profit down 53.9 percent At Rs 55.4 crore versus Rs 120.3 crore, revenue down 23 percent at Rs 256.2 crore versus Rs 332.8 crore, YoY Jubilant Industries Q3: Net profit at Rs 3.9 crore versus Rs 1.3 crore, revenue down 13.8 percent at Rs 120.4 crore versus Rs 139.7 crore, YoY Thomas Cook Q3: Net profit down 18.7 percent at Rs 10 crore versus Rs 12.3 crore, revenue up 11 percent at Rs 1,727 crore versus Rs 1,555 crore, YoY PNC Infra - NHAI has re-invited bids the project. The earlier bidding, where the company emerged as the lowest bidder stands cancelled ICICI Bank - RBI approved the re-appointment of Anup Bagchi as executive director of the bank for a period of two years Paisalo Digital allotted Unlisted Unsecured 12% NCDs on the basis of private placement worth Rs 6 crore Strides Pharma approved the Scheme of Amalgamation for merger of Vivimed Life Sciences with the company She's coming into a new phase where she's putting herself out there, raw and vulnerable, more than ever. And Taylor Swift has surprised-dropped a new song to go along with her brand new Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and hits Netflix on Friday. The song is called Only The Young, and its message is a political one a topic area Taylor, 30, has recently started to engage with more. More from Taylor: Taylor Swift has surprised-dropped a new song to go along with her brand new Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, which hits Netflix on Friday The song is not on the track list for Swift's latest album Lover, but it has a similar sound and feels like a (welcome) b-side. Among other things, the track seems to directly call out Trump, with lyrics like, 'the big bad man | and his big bad clan | their hands are stained with red,' and later, 'they aren't gonna help us | too busy helping themselves'. It also directly references the crisis of gun safety in American schools, with the following passage: 'So every day now, you brace for the sound | you've only heard on TV | You go to class scared, wondering where | the best hiding spot would be.' Siren: The song is called Only The Young, and its message is a political one a topic area Taylor has recently started to engaged with more Accompanying the doc: The song is not on the track list for Swift's latest album Lover, but is featured in Miss Amerciana, Taylor's new doc The chorus of the song is a simple and galvanizing call to arms, with the repeated phrase 'only the young' leading up to the completion of the thought: 'can run.' And in the background, an echo is heard underneath that chorus, saying, 'Don't say you're too tired to fight | it's just a matter of time | up there's the finish line.' Finally, at the end of the lyric video uploaded by Taylor's YouTube account on Friday, a reminder to vote is posted, just in time for the primaries: 'Register to vote and get election reminders. Go to VOTE.org to learn more.' Not quiet: Among other things, the track seems to directly call out Trump and gun safety Political: At the end of the lyric video uploaded by Taylor's YouTube account on Friday, a reminder to vote is posted Miss Americana has largely been well-received by critics, citing its engaging nature in spite of its tendency to be somewhat 'opaque' at times, and it has so far pegged an impressive 86 percent on meta review site Rotten Tomatoes. The trailer for the film also shows the pop star making a foray into the national political conversation, when at one point she is seen saying, 'I need to do this, I want to be on the right side of history.' At that point, the icon is seen at home on her sofa as she reacts animatedly to her smartphone as news reporters can be heard saying Swift is making comments on politics and 'using her voice in a whole new way.' 'I feel really good about not feeling muzzled anymore and it was my own doing,' says the You Need To Calm Down hitmaker. Film moment: Miss Americana has largely been well-received by critics, citing its engaging nature in spite of its tendency to be somewhat 'opaque' at times Just as Miss Americana has come out, it has also been revealed that Taylor and her family are 'going through a really hard time,' as her mother Andrea has recently discovered she has a brain tumor, on top of undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Andrea's recent diagnosis is the reason why Taylor's tour 'Lover' which was expected to last all year long has been shortened to just a few select dates across the US and Europe as she wants to be there as much as possible for her. Explaining why she condensed her upcoming tour, she said: 'That's the reason. I mean, we don't know what is going to happen. 'We don't know what treatment we're going to choose. It just was the decision to make at the time, for right now, for what's going on.' Tough times: Just as Miss Americana has come out, it has also been revealed that Taylor's mother Andrea discovered a brain tumor, on top of undergoing treatment for breast cancer Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday, 29th January 2020 has throws out Criminal Investigation Department (CID) ex parte application for the search of Sammy Gyamfis mobile phones and disclosure of Facebook records. The attempt by the CID of the Ghana Police Service to annex the phone records of the National Communications Officer of the NDC has suffered a blockade. The judge has described the CIDs application as frivolous. The ex-parte application was seeking the courts order for the search of Mr. Gyamfis mobile phones and disclosure of Facebook records but the judge has denied same. ASP John Aduko who swore an affidavit on behalf of the Inspector General of Police in support of the application stated, among other things that the police had commenced investigations into a case of publication of false news with the intention to cause fear and alarm to the public contrary to section 158 of the criminal and other offences act. The affidavit also said the NDC man was being investigated for forgery of judicial or official documents contrary to the same act 158 of the criminal and other offences act. But the judge did not find merit in the ex-parte application hence the decision to throw it out. More soon... Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Visva Bharati university said any public statement, which teaching, non-teaching staff wish to air, should be sent to assistant registrar and public relations in-charge Anirban Sircar in writing from now on Kolkata: The Visva Bharati university on Thursday told its teaching and non-teaching staff not to speak to the media on varsity-related matter without prior permission of the authorities. Only the official spokesperson will speak to the media on varsity-related matters. A notification issued by Acting Registrar, dated 30 January, said the teaching and non-teaching staff should not air any public statement they may wish to the media from now on. The university said any public statement, which the teaching and non-teaching staff wish to air, should be sent to the assistant registrar and public relations in-charge Anirban Sircar in writing from now on. "To seek public limelight and self-importance through media for oneself is unworthy of any teacher or employee of the university. Visva Bharati itself seeks no publicity. The genuine grievances of the staff will be sympathetically attended to by the concerned officers and the higher authorities and anyone can reach the registrar or the Vice-Chancellor through the above officers," the notification said. Sircar has also been named as the 'Social Media Champion' in the notification which says no other staff member will make any statement on any university-related matter to media without prior permission of the university "as per the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964." The notification was sent to all directors and principals of bhavans, all heads of academic and administrative departments, deputy registrars among others. Sircar could not be contacted for his comments about the circumstances which prompted such a clampdown. However, Visva Bharati University Faculty Association president Sudipta Bhattacharya described this directive as a 'strong-arm tactics' and claimed it was against the act and statute of the higher educational institution, which is an autonomous body and "not bound by the Central Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964." The SFI, Visva Bharati unit in a statement alleged the notification is aimed at curbing the freedom of expression. The notification was preceded by incidents like anti-CAA protests in the campus, the six-hour long agitation against BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta, the clash between two groups of students inside the campus, circulation of two purported videos of Vice-Chancellor Bidyut Chakraborty on social network in past one and half month. Sircar had earlier alleged that the videos were doctored and aimed at maligning the image of the VC and the institution bearing Tagore's name and vitiating the peceful academic atmosphere in the campus. ANNAPOLIS (Jan. 31, 2020)Maryland lawmakers overrode Gov. Larry Hogan's vetoes five times on Thursday, but had to give up on three other bills, including a bill one designed to make freight rail safer. A major economic development project played a role in that bill's doom. The concurrent votes in the two chambers of the Maryland General Assembly were the first time this session Democrats have exercised their veto-proof majorities after postponing these votes several times this session. The votes passed generally along party lines. Democrats were successful in overriding vetoes on five bills, including a "ban the box" measure that will make it illegal for employers to ask about an applicant's criminal history before the first interview, and a "Dream Act," which eases restrictions on when an undocumented immigrant can pay in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. But Senate Democrats ultimately did not have the votes to require a minimum of two workers on freight trains. A much-anticipated Howard Street Tunnel expansion in Baltimore would allow double-stacked rail cars through it, greatly increasing the flow of goods out of the Port of Baltimore. Hogan, R, has allocated $80.3 million in his proposed 2020 budget to match $125 million in federal grant dollars. CSX Transportation, a major freight train operator, is also contributing to the project. House Minority Leader Nicholaus Kipke, R-Anne Arundel, told Capital News Service that the prospect of CSX pulling out of the deal led to the two-man crew bill's demise. He said lawmakers didn't want to risk it. The project is touted by officials on both sides of the aisle as one of the most important economic development projects in the state. Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore, told Capital New Service that the project "certainly came into play as part of the discussion," but suggested that it or the two other vetoed bills whose votes were postponed indefinitely could come back in future sessions. "I think it was a collective decision that, in some cases, the timing wasn't right, or there were ways to hone the policy even more moving forward," Ferguson said. "The good news is that we are here every year for 90 days. I think these are issues that are very important and may come up in the future, but this year wasn't the right time." The Senate also indefinitely postponed a bill that would require the governor's office to submit an annual report on personnel matters. The House indefinitely postponed a bill that would require the governor to appropriate at least $3.8 million annually to fund a network of bike trails in the Maryland Department of Transportation's budget. Spending mandated by legislators is one of Hogan's most-often repeated complaints. The bike bill's sponsor, Delegate Brooke Lierman, D-Baltimore, told Capital News Service it was postponed because Hogan has already proposed the spending in each of the next two years. "And If we need a bill in the future (to get the funding), we will put it in," Lierman said. The General Assembly veto overrides also reestablish the Oyster Advisory Commission and require a new fishery management plan for oysters. Another measure approved Thursday expands when some state employees can file a dispute through the state's grievance proceedings instead of going to an arbitrator, of which they had to split the costs with the state. Lawmakers votes also abolished the state's Handgun Permit Review Board. Democrats had complained that the boardfilled with political appointeeswielded its power to overturn handgun permit denials from the State Police too generously. Republicans argued that the change wasn't needed because they said no one who won on appeal before the board had since committed a violent crime and that a criminal wouldn't actually go through an appeals process. The bill cuts the board out of the process. Appeals will now go directly to the Office of Administrative Hearings. Current law already allows some undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition in Maryland as part of the Maryland Dream Act. But there are restrictions. Legislation approved Thursday removes the requirement that such a student earn an associate's degree or at least 60 credits at a community college before attending a four-year university, increases the number of years allowed for a student to register after earning a diploma or its equivalent, and relax requirements on the number of years a student attended high school in the state. In-state students paid $26,111 less than out-of-state students at the University of Maryland, College Park Campus in 2019. Out-of-state students paid $36,918. The difference ranged from $4,800 to $26,847 at other public universities in Maryland. The "ban the box" bill drew arguably the most passionate debate on the House floor Thursday. Republicans argued that the bill would waste time and money for Maryland businesses that now have to wait until after they have interviewed someone to ask about their criminal history. "If this body is serious about public safety, we must become serious about recidivism," Delegate Nick Mosby, D-Baltimore, the bill's sponsor, said on the House floor. Violent crime in Baltimore has dominated much of the dialogue in the first 23 days of the 2020 legislative session. Mosby said the bill provides felons with a "fighting chance for gainful employment." "Why should they wear a scarlet letter on their chest for the rest of their life?" WWE ANNOUNCES FIVE NEW NXT UK SIGNINGS WWE announced the following this afternoon via their website: NXT UK signs five new Superstars Five new Superstars Pretty Deadly, Levi Muir, Candy Floss and Dani Luna have joined the NXT UK roster. They will join other NXT UK Superstars in training at WWEs United Kingdom Performance Center in North London. Pretty Deadly, the confident tag team of Sam Stoker & Lewis Howley, have impressed in recent showings on NXT UK television, taking on the likes of The Hunt and Kenny Williams & Amir Jordan. Sugary sweet 20-year-old grappler Candy Floss has plenty of experience across Europe and Japan. In her previous sojourns on NXT UK, the pink-haired Superstar has battled competitors like Rhea Ripley, Kay Lee Ray and Toni Storm. Levi Muir is a British powerlifting champion-turned-Superstar with plenty of in-ring experience in the UK, including promotions like PROGRESS. Camden native Dani Luna comes to NXT UK with several years of in-ring experience across the United Kingdom in promotions like PROGRESS, and has crossed paths with the likes of Ripley, Storm, Nina Samuels, Piper Niven and Meiko Satomura. Stay tuned for these new signees when NXT UK streams every Thursday at 3 ET/8 GMT on the award-winning WWE Network! If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here! Sri Lanka on Friday chartered a special plane to evacuate 33 students stuck in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of coronavirus epidemic that has claimed 213 lives so far. Sri Lankan Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said the special aircraft departed from Negombo's Katunayake airport. "Hopefully they would be able to return tonight. They will be arriving at the special section of the arrival terminal," Wanniarachchi told reporters here, without mentioning which airport would the aircraft land. "Sri Lanka Army will take them in a special bus which will provide all required health facilities to Diyathalawa, a military facility in the central region," Wanniarachchi said. The death toll rose to 213, mostly of elderly people, after 43 new deaths all but one in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, China's national health authorities said, adding that 1,982 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 9,692. The departure of the special flight comes after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had requested that the Sri Lankan students be evacuated. The Sri Lanka Embassy in Beijing submitted an application to land a Sri Lankan Airlines aircraft in Wuhan city airport to airlift the 33 Sri Lankan students including their family members, the Colombo Gazette reported. The government put in place special measures as precaution against coronavirus. So far only one positive case had been reported - a Chinese woman tourist. Local people have reacted apprehensively to the threat as there are large number of Chinese construction workers employed in Chinese funded infrastructure projects in the island nation. The government has imposed nation put price control on face masks as the threat led to panic buying. India and the UK also have sent chartered flights to Wuhan to evacuate their citizens amid the virus outbreak. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EDWARDSVILLE The Edwardsville Rotary Club honored Edwardsville High School student Nathan Greenland with the Student of the Month Award for the month of January. Greenland was nominated by Science teacher, Ms. Grace Bannon. Greenland is a member of the National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society, along with being a Commended Scholar for PSAT. He also serves as a Drum Major for the Edwardsville High School Marching Band and plays saxophone in the Marching and Symphonic bands and Pit Orchestra. Additionally, Greenland is involved in the Edwardsville Peer Influence Club (EPIC) and EHS Broadcasting. The Alabama Library Association announced its Author Awards Program winners earlier this month, and one of the recipients is Ashley M. Jones, an author and instructor at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and the founding director of the Magic City Poetry Festival. Jones received the Poetry Award for her book Magic City Gospel," which published in 2017. The Authors Awards Committee of the Alabama Library Association Alabama seeks to promote interest in local authors and their work. Each year, the committee selects Alabama authors to receive awards in nonfiction, fiction, juvenile, young adult, and poetry. The winners of this years awards include: Fiction Award Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan, Nonfiction Award The Story of Alabama in Fourteen Foods by Emily Blejwas, Young Adult Fiction Award " Turtles All The Way Down" by John Green, Juvenile Award Meet Miss Fancy by Irene Latham. The Alabama Library Association also awarded Charles Ghigna, popularly known as Father Goose, a lifetime honor for his career authoring books, poems, and encouraging reading in children. In 2019, Jones released dark / / thing, her second book of poetry. In addition to writing the blurb for the book, celebrated poet, educator, activist, and Birmingham native Sonia Sanchez also selected Jones to receive the 2019 Lucille Clifton Legacy Award from St. Marys College of Maryland. The Magic City Poetry festival became a 501 C-3 nonprofit in 2019. Jones says she has a lot of plans for the celebration of spoken word, which is now entering its third year. She is also now a co-director of PEN Americas Birmingham chapter, serving alongside Alina Stefanescu. Jones says the pair is working on a number of literary and social activism programs in the city, including more local events for the Magic City Poetry Festival. This year, we are renewing our focus on local projects, so this years festival is community-created, community-implemented, said Jones in an email. We want to serve as a source for resources for the amazing projects already in process in Birmingham, and for those ideas that just need a little support to get off the ground. RELATED: I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed, said Murkowski, who also cited attacks on Roberts as a factor in her decision. An NHS nurse has given birth to a baby girl after funding IVF treatment with her share of a 1 million family lottery win. Having been told by doctors she should have children sooner rather than later Rebecca Brown chose to spend 12,000 of her 250,000 windfall to try to get pregnant. In a twist of fate, the 39-year-old new mum gave birth to her daughter, Ethel, on Friday in the Queen's Medical Centre, the same hospital she works as an orthopaedic nurse. READ MORE: Cheryl Tweedy is considering sperm donation to have more children but how does it work? Rebecca Brown used 12K of her lottery win to fund IVF [Photo: PA] I couldn't believe that she was my baby, Rebecca says of the moment she gave birth. I thought it was a dream I was going to wake up from. Miss Brown won her share of the 1m jackpot from a family syndicate, sharing it with her 63-year-old mother Yvonne, 64-year-old father David and her sister Julie, 37 in 2016. Rebecca and her family won 1 million on the lottery in 2016 [Photo: PA] READ MORE: Single mum, 39, who used sperm donor, explains choice to her baby boy in moving video In February 2018 she was told to think about having children after a smear test revealed abnormal cells, which turned out to be pre-cancerous cells in her cervix. Remembering what her doctor had told her, Rebecca said: She just said with this history, and my age as well, I should think about having children sooner rather than later. It just made me realise what I wanted more than anything. So I just went straight for it. My dad said I needed a man and I proved that you don't you don't have to be in a relationship. Rebecca Brown gave birth to baby Ethel on Friday [Photo: PA] READ MORE: Woman considers divorcing husband who fathered 47 children through sperm donations Miss Brown said she required a sperm donor as part of her IVF treatment, but as she didnt have any specific requirements in terms of donor traits she matched pretty quickly. Recalling the moment she discovered the IVF treatment had been a success, Miss Brown said: The first thing I did was Facetime my sister and she told my mum and dad that [the IVF had been] a success. Story continues Then I cried a little bit I never really thought Id get to this stage. Miss Brown admitted she would have probably been able to ask her family for help to fund her fertility treatment, but the lottery win meant she could pay for the IVF herself. Baby Ethel was born in the same hospital Rebecca works as a nurse [Photo: PA] Little Ethel was born weighing seven pounds and 10 ounces on Friday. Dr Abraham Francis, from the IVF clinic where Miss Brown had treatment, said: We are delighted to hear of the safe arrival of Rebecca's much-wanted baby. A little bit of science and some lottery luck is a magical combination. Asked if she could put a value on her new baby, Miss Brown said: She is priceless but she's worth every penny. Additional reporting PA. The pensioners in Kaduna state are in jubilation mood over the unexpected increase in their monthly benefits by Governor Nasir El-Rufai. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that El-Rufai had promised to raise pension to N30,000 during a live media chat he recently hosted at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Kaduna. The governor had expressed surprised that some pensioners on the old defined benefits scheme receive as low as N3,000 to N7,000 stipend monthly, saying that he considers that as unacceptable. In a statement signed by his spokesman, Muyiwa Adekeye, on Thursday, January 30, 2020, El-Rufai announced the increasement of pensioners benefits from N3,000 to N30,000. He promised that the proposed increase will be tabled before the State Executive Council meeting and that the payment of the new pensions will commence once the approval is secured. The governor said although the new minimum pensions will increase the wage bill of Kaduna state by N200 million, it is important to let pensioners receive decent pensions. The State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), had written a letter to the governor commending him for raising the minimum pension payment in the state to N30,000 monthly. The Pensioners statement, signed by its state chairman, Alhaji Abdu Ramalan Kwarbai noted that Malam El-Rufai is the first governor to announce the payment of minimum pension and that it shows his concern for the senior citizens in the state. According to the NUP, Governor El-Rufais decision to raise pension shows the level of your concern for the aged and senior citizens of Kaduna State. The pensioners union also acknowledged that Malam El-Rufai is the first governor to pay the new national minimum wage. Meanwhile, Governor El-Rufai has fulfilled his promise by enrolling his son as primary one pupil at Kaduna Capital School in order to lead by example and also show his commitment to fixing the educational sector in the state. AFRICA Libya Expected Council Action In February, the Council is expected to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and renew the measures related to the illicit export of crude oil from Libya ahead of their expiry on 15 February 2020. The mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expires on 15 September 2020. Key Recent Developments Libyas capital, Tripoli, has been the scene of fighting for over nine months, starting on 4 April 2019 when General Khalifa Haftar, head of the eastern-based militia known as the Libyan National Army (LNA), launched an offensive towards Tripoli and against the internationally recognised and UN-backed Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) based there. Libya does not have professional security forces, and the GNA currently relies on armed groups for its security. In his 15 January report on UNSMIL, the Secretary-General described Libya as having endured a downward spiral of conflict. In July 2019, the Special Representative and head of UNSMIL, Ghassan Salame, proposed three steps to end the conflict: a truce, a high-level conference of concerned countries, and a Libyan meeting of leading and influential personalities from all over the country. The proxy dimension of the Libyan conflict keeps intensifying in breach of UN sanctions. Reportedly, Turkey and Qatar support the GNA militarily while Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates provide military support to the LNA, and different Chadian and Sudanese armed groups support both sides. According to Libyan and US officials, mercenaries of the private but reportedly Kremlin-affiliated Russian military company Wagner Group are also involved on the ground in support of the LNA. On 2 January, the Turkish parliament approved the deployment of troops to Libya. Following a request by the GNA, Turkey started sending troops on 5 January. The latest report by the Secretary-General says that the dangers and direct consequences of foreign interference are increasingly evident. To increase the number of fighters, there has been growing involvement of mercenaries. The presence of such professional fighters has been linked to an escalation in violence. Speaking at a press stakeout following Council consultations on Libya on 6 January, Salame directed his remarks to the countries involved in Libya: Take your hands out of Libya. The country is suffering too much from foreign interference. On 8 January, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for a ceasefire in Libya starting on 12 January. An attempt to have both the head of the GNA, Fayez al-Sarraj, and Haftar sign a ceasefire agreement in Moscow failed, with Haftar leaving Moscow without signing. Briefing the Council on 30 January on the latest developments in Libya, Salame reported that the truce holds only in name. At the Berlin Conference on Libya, high-level representatives from Algeria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Turkey, the Republic of the Congo, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US, and High Representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union, and the League of Arab States, adopted conclusions on 19 January on six areas (baskets) related to the conflict in Libya. The conference represented the second of Salames three steps. With these conclusions, the participants committed to refraining from interference in the armed conflict or in the internal affairs of Libya and urged all international actors to do the same. They further called upon the United Nations to facilitate ceasefire negotiations between the parties, including through the immediate establishment of technical committees to monitor and verify the implementation of the ceasefire. They also called on the Council to impose appropriate sanctions on those who are found to be in violation of the ceasefire arrangements and on Member States to enforce these. Regarding the arms embargo, participants committed themselves to unequivocally and fully respect and implement the arms embargo established by the Council and called on all international actors to do the same. The participants further agreed to establish an International Follow-Up Committee (IFC) to coordinate efforts to implement the conclusions. Sarraj and Haftar were both in Berlin but not formally a part of the conference. Shortly before the conference, forces allied with the LNA effectively shut down nearly all of Libyas oil fields and terminals, leading to massive revenue loss for the Libyan state. UNSMIL began to work on the six baskets before the conference. The six baskets are: political, economic and financial, security, arms embargo, international humanitarian law and international human rights law. Sarraj and Haftar have each nominated five representatives for the military 5+5 committee (part of the security basket). At the time of writing, a first meeting, initially anticipated for 28 January, had not taken place. Council members met in consultations on Libya on 6 January and 21 January. They adopted press elements at both meetings. On 21 January, the Council was briefed by the Secretary-General on the Berlin conference. Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy (Viet Nam), president of the Council in January, read out press elements, saying that Council members welcomed the conclusions, reiterated their support for Salames work, and urged the parties to the conflict to engage in the 5+5 committee to conclude a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible. He added that the members of the Council would follow up on the conclusions in the coming days. At a press stakeout following the consultations, the Secretary-General emphasised that one of the parties of the conflict has not yet expressed publicly support to the conclusions, referring to Haftar. According to the Secretary-Generals latest report on UNSMIL, 140,000 people have fled since Haftars assault on Tripoli, 284 civilians have been killed, and 363 have been injured. The UNs 2019 humanitarian response plan for Libya of $201.6 million has been funded at less than 50 percent, with 50.2 percent or $101.3 million outstanding. Key Issues and Options An immediate issue for the Council is the renewal of both the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee and the measures related to the illicit export of crude oil from Libya. Upon renewing the panels mandate, an option for the Council would be to make sure that the panel has the necessary gender expertise, as requested in resolution 2441. Another option would be to request the panel to increase its written reporting to the Council to closely monitor the implementation of the Berlin conference conclusions. An ongoing issue is the military conflict, which threatens to deepen long-standing political and economic divisions between different parts of Libya, contributing to the overall instability of the country. At the time of writing, the Council was considering an endorsement of the Berlin conference conclusions. Council members will continue following closely the progress made by Salame in his proposed three steps and in implementing the six baskets of the Berlin conference conclusions. Council members are eager to see a permanent ceasefire between the parties to enable further progress on the Berlin conference conclusions. In the longer term, a Council visiting mission to Libya or a full-fledgedcovering the whole countryvisit by the Libya Sanctions Committee could be considered. Council and Wider Dynamics Libya has been a divisive issue within the Council. Council resolutions and presidential statements routinely call upon UN member states to cease support for parallel institutions in Libya, but some countries, including permanent members of the Council, fail to respect these calls. Now that the various countries, including Council members, that support the conflicting parties have signed up to the Berlin conference conclusions, there may be prospects for more unity in the Councils approach to the Libya file. The UK is the penholder on Libya, sharing the pen with Germany on the sanctions file. Jurgen Schulz, Germanys Deputy Permanent Representative, chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYA Ahram Online sat down with the French ambassador to Egypt to discuss the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, security cooperation with Egypt in combating terrorism, and close consultations with Egypt on the Libyan file. French Ambassador Stephane Romatet is one of the most active ambassadors in Egypt. He has great passion for Egypt and the Egyptians. Despite long experience as a diplomat in Jordan, Canada, Senegal and Australia, as well as his work as a consultant to the French prime minister from 2014 to 2017, Romatet considers his assignment in Egypt as a dream come true. In interview with Ahram Online, he confirmed that French-Egyptian coordination is intense, especially on the Libyan file, and that France does not take any position except after close consultation with Egypt. Romatet said that the agreement between Al-Sarraj-Erdogan agreement is illegal, illegitimate and void. He said that Turkish interference and Russia's role in Libya is a wake up call for the European Union to take responsibility and a lead on Libya, because its future is at stake. He underlined that his country is working with Britain and in consultation with Egypt to issue a Security Council resolution based on the Berlin Declaration. He added that France supports the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the Palestinians cannot be deprived of their right to a state. The French ambassador also revealed that President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi invited President Macron to attend the opening of the Egyptian Museum, and that there is a partnership between the Egyptian Museum and the Louvre in Paris. Ahram Online: How do you view Egyptian-French consultations on Libya? Ambassador Stephane Romatet: First, we have to understand why the Libyan issue is so critical and important for our two countries. For France and all the Mediterranean countries, Libya is really a kind of strategic crossroads. This a place where you could have a new platform for terrorism that would be a major threat for European countries, for France and for Egypt, as the security of Egypt is very closely connected to the security of Libya, because of the long borders they share. So treating the Libyan crises is certainly is a topmost priority for our two countries. For months, France and Egypt have heavily intensified their political dialogue and cooperation on the Libyan issue, and nothing we undergo on the Libyan issue no initiative we take, no decision we make is without prior consultation with our Egyptian friends. For France, Egypt is a key partner in dealing with the Libyan crisis. But the European vision towards dealing with the Libyan conflict is not united. Italy, for instance, has a different position from France, and this gives us contradictory messages. You are absolutely right. The future of Libya is a major concern for all European countries, so we have to have a common approach. Of course, we could have sensitivities and different approaches, because some EU countries have closer historical ties with Libya, like the case of Italy. France, of course, because of its own responsibilities as a Security Council member, and as part of the international coalition in 2011 that intervened in Libya, has high stakes in Libya. The situation today is very simple: whether the Europeans take their responsibility in a united way, or if we fail this will open the gate to other countries that will impose their own vision for the future of Libya. And what you see now on the ground with Turkish intervention and the role of the Russians is a major factor, a kind of a wake up call for the European Union to take our responsibility, to take the lead on Libya because our future is at stake. I think it is very important for France to work with the Italians, the Germans and the British. We have to find a common position, a common roadmap for Libya. We have now the Berlin communique, entailing 55 points, and we are all now committed to implement this communique, which represents the only option to secure the future of Libya. Do you think the Berlin communique is enough as a commitment for countries and parties playing in Libya? This is not a commitment but an engagement where we were all present in Berlin. It was not easy to put all those leaders and people in the same room. It was complicated. But I think there is a moment where we have to go beyond; we have to have a kind of higher level of general interest because this is the future of a country of six million people, this is the security of the Mediterranean Sea, this is the security that is so important for us, for North Africa and Egypt. Do we need to have a Security Council resolution to bolster the Berlin communique? We have the Berlin communique and we have worked a lot with our Egyptian partners to make sure that we will find every thing we need in this communique, the ceasefire, the embargo, the dismantling of the militias, the control of vital resources of the country, oil, the political process and state institutions of Libya. So we have everything we need in this communique. Now what we have to do is, first, every partner that has endorsed the communique has to take his responsibility in engagement and implement the communique; second, how to give the backing of the Security Council: we are now working on a draft resolution that will be voted on in the council, as Britain is submitting the resolution and we are working with them on it. And we are working very closely and intensively with our Egyptian partners in New York and in Cairo to make sure that the Egyptians find in this resolution everything they need in terms of implementing the Berlin communique. How do you view the Turkish role in Libya, and is the Syrian scenario repeating? There is a risk. This is why it is our responsibility to take back control on Libya. The EU ought not to leave the treatment of the Libyan crisis to others. This is our upmost responsibility, so we have to take the lead and to be very consistent, very coherent between EU members. We have to work intensively with each and every one of the 55 points of the communique. We are having now discussions between EU members on how to implement the arms embargo and other points in the communique. It's our duty and responsibility. If not, the future of Libya will be decided by others. And what we see on the ground, with Turkish interventions and with the militarisation of the conflict there, is a risk of losing control of the situation, and this is not in the interest of the EU. Some articles criticised the French position as it is backing General Khalifa Haftar behind the curtain, while backing Fayez Al-Sarraj openly. The situation is complicated and you have to take into account this complexity. Of course, if you want to decide to only work with Al-Sarraj and ignore Haftar you will go nowhere. And if you want to work with Haftar, ignoring Al-Sarraj, it will lead nowhere. We have to work with everybody. Of course, none of them are the solution; not Haftar and not Al-Sarraj by themselves. They are part of the solution. So the position of France is very simple: we work with the two main sides of the Libyan political landscape, and this is why we have our own set of relations with both. So, we are not one-sided country. Do you think the agreement signed by Al-Sarraj and Turkeys Erdogan is legal? It is illegal and illegitimate and France stated very blankly, loud and clear, that these agreements or memoranda are void. Egypt took a very good decision on 8 January when it convened the foreign ministers of Egypt, France, Cyprus, Greece and Italy, and the communique that came out with the approval of four foreign ministers, excluding Italy, recognised that the Al-Sarraj-Erdogan memoranda are absolutely void and illegitimate, and create a lot of difficulties, are contrary to maritime law and European interests, especially regarding Greece and Cyprus that we fully support, and that is our position. Concerning the ideas that US President Donald Trump is putting on the table now related, to the Middle East peace process, do you think the time is right for that? It is a bit difficult to comment because we don't have all the details. We have some questions on how these decisions would match up with the core values of any agreement between Palestine and Israel, especially recognition of the two-state solution. There is no other option. You can't deprive the Palestinians of a state, or their aspiration to have a state. How do you view the course of economic and cultural cooperation between Egypt and France, especially over the past few years? In this so troubled region with so many tensions and crises, Egypt is a pool of stability in the region and is a major partner for us. Working with Egypt on trying to ensure stability in the region is essential and of high importance. Egypt is the key partner to France. Egypt is one of the few countries currently stable in the region and we have strategic relations that we consider very important to France. And that is why we also care about economic cooperation, especially that conditions are much better and there is an increase in growth rates. We hope to increase French investments in Egypt, especially as conditions are encouraging to increase investments. We have investments in Egypt of about five billion Euros. France is the third largest European investor in Egypt, and we want to attract more investments, especially in the field of energy, transportation, smart cities and health. There is a 20 percent increase in French investments last year on the year before, and we hope to increase this. My message to French businessmen is always that the time is right for them to come and invest in Egypt, What about cultural and tourism cooperation? The number of French tourists has reached about 700,000, which is a number close to that of 2010, and I feel happy when I meet with French tourists in different places in Egypt. Egypt and France are countries that are interested in culture and are influential in this field, and we had a very successful exhibition in Paris on Tutankhamen, which a million and a half visited, and this is the largest number of visitors to any exhibition held in Paris. The French people have a passion for Egyptian civilisation, which we are studying in the first chapter of the history book in French schools. We have around 40 French archaeological excavation missions in Egypt. There will be a very big event this year, the great opening of the new Egyptian Museum, and we want to be part of this event. We would like to be part of the management of the museum, and we look forward to this cooperation, including founding a partnership between the Egyptian Museum and the Louvre in Paris. Do we expect the French president to attend the museum's opening ceremony? President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has already invited President Emmanuel Macron and certainly France is interested in attending with the highest French presence in this event. Are there any upcoming visits between officials of the two countries? Certainly France is interested in strengthening relations and there are continuous contacts and regular meetings between President Macron and President El-Sisi. They met in the Berlin conference and I trust that they will meet this year on the sidelines of other conferences, whether in Paris or Cairo or other countries. France has a constant interest in discussing regional issues with officials in Egypt. To what extent is there cooperation between France and Egypt in the field of combating terrorism? Egypt and France are two countries that are heavily targeted, threatened and injured by jihadis. They hate Egypt and the stability of the country. They hate the region and they hate France. So for France and Egypt, combating terrorism and having the strongest security cooperation are really a top priority to both of us, and that's why we have high-level security cooperation with Egypt to combat terrorism. How do you see Egyptian efforts to prevent illegal immigration? Egypt has played strong role to stop the waves of illegal immigration to Europe. In the fall of 2015, we suffered from waves of cross-Mediterranean migration through Greece, the Balkans, Libya, and even some came from Egypt. At that time, Egypt decided to have a strong policy to prevent illegal immigration from Egypt to Europe, and since 2016, Egypt is doing huge work to control its borders and prevent illegal immigration, especially since there are gangs that smuggle and traffic in human beings. Frankly, I would like to contribute to the role of Egypt in securing migration issues on its borders. The past months have witnessed an American escalation in the Iranian file, especially after the death of Qassem Soleimani. What is France's view of this escalation and how it affects the nuclear agreement? We were, a few weeks ago, on the edge of an escalation that could have led the whole region off the cliff, especially after the elimination of Soleimani and the downing of the Ukrainian plane. Our first priority was to stop the escalation, to make sure that this cycle of possible escalation that could lead to kind of loss of control of the situation, would not happen. Fortunately, this escalation has stopped for the time being, and we will continue in our efforts, especially that we have the privilege as France because of our diplomacy to be able to speak to everybody. We speak with the Iranians, we have channels of discussions with them, and we can pass messages of easing tensions, calming matters down, de-escalating. The first priority is de-escalation. The second priority is to make sure that Iran will never be a nuclear power. Let us imagine that the 2015 nuclear agreement in Vienna between Iran and France, Germany, Britain and the United States, that offered a framework to make sure that Iranian nuclear activities are under control and monitored, was not on the table. The US has decided to withdraw from the agreement and since then the Iranians have taken some decisions to reduce some of their engagements. But the agreement is still there. Let us consider what could have happened if this agreement wasn't signed in 2015. Of course, we want to make sure that this agreement remains, because this is the only way to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. So we think that this is the option and will continue exerting all pressure on Iran to stick to the agreement and maybe also update the agreement, to make sure that Iran is not developing its weapons of mass destruction. To engage with Iran you have to have a kind of incentive, because if there is no incentive and there is only pressure and sanctions it will not work. So, the approach is what we call "more for more; the more we can get from Iran in terms of commitment the more we have to offer in terms of easing sanctions. I think Iran is a great country of 70 million people with a national pride, and I don't think that trying to humiliate the Iranians and asking them to bow is something that will lead us to any positive results for the region. So easing the tension, coming back to the agreement, even by reopening discussions with the Iranians, is something French diplomacy is trying to promote. Search Keywords: Short link: A day after West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh courted yet another controversy when he said that a woman anti-CAA protester was lucky to have escaped his party's rally with just a torn poster, an FIR was lodged against him at a city police station on Friday. A senior police officer confirmed that a complaint has been filed against the BJP leader, and said that the matter was being looked into. Sudeshna Dutta Gupta, a student of Sanskrit University, faced the ire of Ghosh and his partymen on Thursday when she stood next to a BJP rally, holding aloft 'No CAA, No NRC' poster. Gupta claimed she was heckled and verbally abused by the BJP men, who also snatched her poster and tore it. Ghosh, who was leading the rally from Patuli to Baghajatin area, later told the media that his party supporters did the right thing. "She should thank her stars that she was only heckled and nothing else was done to her. Why do they (protestors against the CAA) always come to our rallies to protest? They can go to other events. We have tolerated enough and won't put up with any such nuisance again," he added. The varsity student, after filing the complaint at Patuli police station, alleged that Ghosh made "sexual remarks and showed murderous intent" while talking to the media. "The women in our country are not safe. Every 22 minutes, a woman is raped in India. I am not surprised by Ghosh's comment," she said. Earlier this month, too, Ghosh, the BJP MP from Midnapore seat, had stirred up a storm when he said "anti-CAA protesters who destroyed public property were shot like dogs in BJP-ruled states". On Thursday, he claimed that one cannot become a good political leader unless he has been jailed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shes not alone, said Candace Corlett, president of WSL Strategic Retail. When it comes to nonessential shopping trips, like buying clothes for a new season, picking out holiday gifts or meeting friends to shop, between 32 and 38% of shoppers her firm surveyed last fall said they arent going to stores as often or no longer go to stores for those reasons at all. US Warns Americans Not to Travel to China By VOA News January 30, 2020 The Trump administration is warning Americans not to travel to China as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases grows rapidly. The State Department issued what it calls a Level 4-Do Not Travel advisory. It also is recommending that anyone currently in China leave. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Tuesday a Level 3 notice, advising Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China. The CDC said none of the 195 American passengers evacuated Wednesday from Wuhan show symptoms of coronavirus. They will remain at a U.S. military base in California at least through the end of the week. Earlier Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan and has spread from China to 18 other countries, a global health emergency. Thursday's announcement from Geneva means the WHO regards the outbreak as an "extraordinary event" needing a coordinated international response. Person-to-person transmission Experts say there is evidence of people-to-people transmission of the virus. The CDC Thursday reported the first case of human transmission in the U.S. Doctors say a Chicago man caught the virus from his wife who had been in Wuhan. He is the sixth confirmed coronavirus case in the United States. India and the Philippines announced their first confirmed cases Thursday, joining a growing list that includes Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong Japan, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. China's health commission said early Friday that number of confirmed cases now exceeds 9,000, up more than 1,000 in just a day. About 200 people have died. The WHO said earlier that nearly all of the world's reported cases were in China, as were all the deaths. Just 98 cases had been confirmed outside China, including eight cases of human-to-human transmission in four countries: Germany, Japan and Vietnam, plus the U.S. The United States has evacuated more than 200 people from Wuhan. Several other countries have also evacuated their nationals, and some international airlines have suspended direct flights to China. A Ukrainian exchange student in Wuhan, Monika Rustamova, told VOA that people in the city were generally calm, but all people were wearing masks. She said she and the other students are screened before they leave the campus and again when they return. Another Ukrainian student, Dmytro Yatskovsky, in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, said it was the foreign exchange students who were panicking and spreading lots of false information something he said could bring punishment under Chinese law. But Yatskovsky said he trusted Chinese authorities, saying they acted quickly and had all the resources needed to keep things under control. The White House has said it is considering further restrictions on U.S. airlines flying to China, in addition to the voluntary restrictions implemented by some air carriers. It has not yet decided whether to impose a travel ban. The CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said the symptoms of a cold or the flu and the coronavirus were the same, but the risk factors for the latter involved having visited China's Hubei province or having close contact with those who had been there. Lisa Schlein contributed to this report from Geneva. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New photorealistic renderings of the B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber have officially landed. The Air Force together with the bomber's manufacturer, Northrop Grumman, published three new concepts of the next-generation bomber, showing the stealth aircraft in various hangars at bomber bases across the U.S. One shows a concept of the B-21 tucked away in a hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, currently a B-1B Lancer base; a second shows the aircraft at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, which currently houses the B-2 Spirit; and a final photo presenting the B-21 at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, also a B-1 base. Last year, the service announced the B-21's first operational base would be at Ellsworth and would also host the bomber's first formal training unit. Whiteman and Dyess are expected to receive B-21 Raiders "as they become available," the service said at the time. Related: With B-1 Aging and B-21 Still Years Out, Air Force May Soon Have No Go-To Bomber The B-21 is still years away. Officials have said first deliveries should begin in the mid-2020s, but have been careful not to broadcast too many other details in order to protect details about the B-21's technology. This is an artist rendering of a B-21 Raider concept in a hangar at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. Ellsworth AFB is one of the bases expected to host the new airframe. (Courtesy graphic by Northrop Grumman) While enthusiasts have compared the squat, sleek profile of the B-21 to the B-2 stealth bomber -- also developed by Northrop -- a specialist for military aviation at the Congressional Research Service was quick to point out one potential difference. Altering the photo's contrast, "it becomes evident that what looks like the 'beak' is the port leading edge. The nose (as depicted) is not as sharp as B-2," Jeremiah "JJ" Gertler tweeted Friday. The Air Force plans to buy roughly 100 bombers, but could end up purchasing more depending on the service's needs. Officials are conveying the program's planned milestones and schedule of events to lawmakers on congressional defense committees, as well as top brass at the Pentagon. In August, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen "Seve" Wilson said he's counting the days until the bomber's first flight in December 2021. In 2016, the Air Force announced it would name its next-generation LRS-B the Raider after the service's legendary Doolittle Raiders. The late World War II veteran Richard E. Cole, the last surviving Doolittle Raider, made the announcement that year. The Air Force awarded Northrop the contract, initially worth $21.4 billion, in 2015. Total costs are expected to exceed $55 billion over the life of the program. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Read More: Former Reporter Sues Navy Times, Claiming He Was Fired for Reenlisting in the Navy A Carnival Princess Cruise has quarantined 3,700 people aboard a ship in Yokohama, Japan, for at least 14 days, after 10 people tested positive for the coronavirus Tuesday. Another cruise operated by Genting Dream Cruises carrying close to 2,000 passengers that left from Taiwan is being held in Hong Kong while tourists and crew members are tested for the virus. This comes after a cruise ship was held in lockdown in Italy on Jan. 30 because a passenger from Macao developed a fever and respiratory symptoms. (It was later determined not to be coronavirus.) And airlines including Delta, American Airlines and United have suspended flights to mainland China. The United States State Department told Americans not to travel to China Friday because of the coronavirus outbreak that has infected over 24,000 people in 24 countries and killed more than 490 people worldwide. The Trump administration announced a mandatory 14-day quarantine for any Americans who have visited Hubei province in China in the last two weeks, and urged Americans who have been to China to self-quarantine for 14 days and be on the lookout for symptoms. So what does that mean for Americans traveling or visiting highly populated tourist spots? While World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Jan. 29 that the "continued increase in cases and the evidence of human-to-human transmission outside of China are, of course, most deeply disturbing," the immediate risk of this virus to Americans is still considered low, the CDC said Jan. 30. Simply, put the U.S. has had time to be proactive and prep for the arrival of coronavirus, which is one reason why experts say Americans can be calm. "If you give a virus a head start, and hide it in the midst of flu season, it's going to spread more widely," Adalja says, describing the way coronavirus began spreading in China. But the Centers for Disease Control has been proactive from the beginning, setting up protocols to screen travelers who are returning from China, and pushing out information to clinicians about how to be alert for the virus, he says. Travel restrictions around the world and lockdowns in China have been implemented to stop the virus from spreading. At 20 airports in the United States with quarantine stations, passengers from China will be screened for the virus and health officials will decide whether it's safe for them to enter the U.S., according to the CDC. So if you have a flight or cruise planned to somewhere besides China, there's no need to cancel, Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security and member of the Infectious Disease Society of America, tells CNBC Make It. The same is true for highly populated areas, such as theme parks or shopping malls, Adalja says. In China, popular tourist sites such as the Forbidden City in Beijing and Walt Disney's Shanghai Disney Resort, have closed until further notice in response to the outbreak. And for travel on public transportation like buses or subways in the U.S., the general risk of coronavirus is low, Geoffrey Gottlieb, professor at the University of Washington who specializes in infectious disease and travel medicine, tells CNBC Make It. Of course, people should still follow standard respiratory hygiene practices, including washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, the CDC suggests. If you're sick, you should stay home, cover your cough and clean any surfaces you touch frequently. And if you visited China in the last 14 days and develop a fever, cough or trouble breathing, the CDC says you should seek medical care and tell your doctor about your travel before you visit a doctor's office or ER. "There are other viruses circulating around so if you do get cold and flu like symptoms it's more likely it's going to be one of those viruses and not this novel coronavirus," Adalja says. Flu activity is considered high in the U.S., and will likely continue for weeks, per the CDC. Ultimately, information is developing quickly about coronavirus, so it's wise to be alert and watch for any changes, Adalja says. "But right now it's not a major threat to the average American," he says. The virus first emerged in Wuhan, China on Dec. 31. Though there are still a lot of questions about how the virus is spreading, and how it behaves, it's believed to spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. The first human-to-human transmission of the virus within the United States was detected on Thursday in Chicago, making the U.S. the fifth country where the virus is spreading between humans. This story has been updated to include the most recent information on coronavirus as of Feb. 5. Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! Don't miss: At least four Jersey City Recreation Department employees have filed federal lawsuits against a former director and the city, and the city appears ready to settle, according to court documents. Sabrina Harrold, Dan Wiley, Tiara Vanterpool and Keesha Taylor filed their suits during the last week of November, all through attorney Christopher Roberts of East Orange. Harrold, who helped uncover an alleged payroll-padding scheme in 2018, also filed a federal lawsuit in April 2019. Harrold, 52, Wiley, 67, and Vanterpool based their lawsuits in part on successful Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints Harrolds and Wileys on age discrimination and Vanterpool on gender discrimination. Harrold has worked for the city for 30 years and is currently a supervising administrative analyst. Wiley has worked for the city 17 years. The lawsuits filed by Harrold and Wiley, a former city councilman, say they were told by then-Recreation Director Artie Williams that they were too old to work in the rec department. In Harrolds case, the EEOC found she was was subjected to derogatory comments in regards to her age such as but not limited to You should retire. I need younger people working in Recreation or words to that effect; ... and to sex/gender based harassing comments such as Ms. Harrold is about as useless as t--- on a bull! and l need to set that b---- out of this office or words to that effect. In Wileys case, the EEOC found he was subjected to severe and pervasive hostile work environment, harassment, differential treatment and adverse employment terms and conditions and retaliation based on his age and on disability. In Vanterpools case, the EEOC found she was similarly discriminated against based on her gender and that Williams treated her harshly in comparison to male employees. The EEOC rulings were issued in June, and a month later the city announced that Williams was resigning from the director position to return to the Jersey City school district, where he is a supervisor with student life and service. City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said Williams was disciplined for his behavior, but she declined to provide details, citing the ongoing litigation. Williams did not answer an interview request made through the school district. Williams tenure as the head of the recreation department began with controversy. Williams was paid for up to 24 days by the school district after he joined the city payroll as recreation director in January 2018. He eventually worked out a deal to pay back the $12,000 he was incorrectly paid. In May 2019, he was suspended for three days for taking home a city car and two months later he resigned. Schools district officials declined to answer whether they were aware of the multiple EEOC decisions against Williams when they allowed him to return in a supervisory role. The timing of the scheduled lawsuit settlement talks coincided with news that payroll-padding charges were filed against six recreation department employees. Among the six workers charged were Angela Rivera and her daughter Ashley Cuevas, who Harrold named in her initial lawsuit in April 2019 as two people involved in falsifying rec department timesheets. Rivera was accused by the state Attorney Generals Office of stealing more than $80,000 in a scheme that authorities say was executed between July 2015 and February 2018. Authorities said she falsified timesheets to pay family and friends in the rec department for hours they did not work. In a lawsuit filed in April, Harrold claimed she was retaliated against because she uncovered the fraud in the payroll of the Recreation Department as part of an audit and brought it to the citys attention. In court documents filed earlier this month, attorneys for the city asked the federal court to stay any action on the citys motions to dismiss the lawsuits because the sides agreed to discuss settlements. The settlement talks are scheduled for next month. Fotis Dulos, who was charged with killing his estranged wife, was declared dead Thursday, his attorney said. Authorities believe Dulos made an apparent suicide attempt Tuesday, according to two law enforcement sources. He was in "dire" condition Wednesday at a New York hospital, his attorney said, and he was in a hyperbaric chamber. "His family came in from Greece and decided today to donate his organs so that he will live on in some form in the assistance that he can provide to others in their own individual struggles," Norm Pattis told reporters Thursday. The estranged husband of Jennifer Farber Dulos failed to appear at an emergency bond hearing Tuesday after one of the properties used to secure his $6 million bond was determined to be in foreclosure and didn't meet the bond requirement set by the court. Officers later found him at his Farmington, Connecticut, house in distress and called for an ambulance. Fotis Dulos, 52, was initially taken to a local hospital for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning and then transferred to the hospital in New York. A Superior Court judge Wednesday ordered three re-arrest warrants for Dulos and increased his bond to $6.5 million because he missed his court hearing. At the hearing, Pattis agreed to waive extradition proceedings to allow Dulos' family to have access to him during his hospitalization. 'A horrific tragedy' Pattis said Thursday "was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion." "Now, he has been executed," Pattis said. He added: "We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer." Dulos' sister, brother in-law and a close friend were in the room when he was declared dead, along with Kevin Smith, another attorney representing him, Pattis told CNN. "This is a horrific tragedy all around," Carrie Luft, a spokeswoman for Jennifer Farber Dulos' family and friends, said in a statement. Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old mother of five, disappeared in May 2019 in New Canaan, Connecticut, after she dropped her children off at school. Investigators found her car near a park not far from her home, but she has not been seen or heard from since, and officials now believe she is dead. She and Fotis Dulos were in the midst of a bitter custody battle. Jennifer Farber Dulos moved out in 2017 to a home in New Canaan and filed for divorce, court records show. She told officials she was afraid of her husband, according to court documents obtained by CNN. "I know that filing for divorce and filing this motion will enrage him," she said, according to the documents. "I know he will retaliate by trying to harm me in some way." Fotis Dulos denied making any threats or bullying her, according to court filings. He and his then-girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were arrested in June and charged with tampering with or fabricating evidence after investigators found blood stains and evidence of attempts to clean the crime scene, officials said. They pleaded not guilty. He was arrested on murder and kidnapping charges earlier this month and again pleaded not guilty. Troconis, as well as Dulos' friend and former attorney, Kent Mawhinney, have also been arraigned on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder. Neither has entered a plea yet. Pattis had said he was shocked after learning of his client's apparent suicide attempt. "I saw nothing that led me to believe that," he said. "I look back and wonder what I missed." The term 'professional doctorate' is itself a matter of debate. These doctorates can also be referred to as taught, by practice or industrial. There are broadly two types of 'professional' doctorates: 1) Those providing qualifications for professional registration Numerous fields of study, notably (but not exclusively) medicine and allied health professions have professional doctorates. For example; those working in dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, psychology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and health science usually require such degrees for professional registration. 2) Those which are a professional development qualification A professional development qualification will provide the holder with the ability to apply for more senior positions in their field, as well as in academia, but is not necessarily required for professional registration such as Doctorate of Education (EdD). Professional doctorates have been around in the UK since the early 1990s, although some more established doctoral programmes have also been brought under the professional doctorate umbrella. The aim of these programmes is to find novel approaches to integrating professional and academic knowledge. According to the UK Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), students undertaking a professional doctorate are expected to: ".... make a contribution to both theory and practice in their field, and to develop professional practice by making a contribution to (professional) knowledge." There is a good definition comparing industrial PhDs and EngD on the website of the Centre for Innovation Manufacturing in Composites at the University of Nottingham: PhD research can vary from abstract/theoretical to applied industry research. EngD research usually concerns a topic related to the business activities of the industrial sponsor. All time spent on EngD programmes are recognised by relevant institutions as contributing towards Chartered Engineer (CEng) status. The EngD is mainly a UK doctorate, but there are similar doctorates such as the European Industrial Doctorate (funded by the European Commission Marie Curie Actions). EIDs are joint-doctoral training projects between an academic participant and a company established in two different EU Member States. Creative PhDs can be awarded by practice, portfolio or composition in disciplines which include music, film, theatre, architecture or design. These degrees are called 'Doctor of Arts' in the USA and Canada. They generally carry additional requirements (University of East Anglia definition): The Nationalist Congress Party, on Friday, appointed Deepali Dhumal as the leader of opposition in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). Ajit Pawar, Pune district guardian minister, on January 17, instructed opposition leader in PMC Dilip Barate to resign so as to give a chance to another member to hold the post. Barate resigned from the post on January 20. NCP is the second largest party in the civic body after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to NCP officials, at least eight people had shown keen interest in the post, but Dhumal was chosen as the party wanted to give this opportunity to a woman leader. I thank the party for giving me the opportunity to hold the key position of the opposition leader. I will try my best to give justice to this post and fight for the rights of the citizens, said Dhumal. The tenure of the opposition leader is five years, however, instead of letting one leader keep the post for five years, the NCP will give opportunities to more leaders and appoint them for a tenure of one year each, said officials. NCP had previously appointed city unit president and corporator Chetan Tupe. Tupe had contested the polls from Hadapsar constituency. Trump Lawyers Say Pressuring Ukraine, Even If True, 'Cannot Be Impeachable' By RFE/RL January 30, 2020 U.S. President Donald Trump's legal team has argued that even if he did attempt to trade military aid to Ukraine in exchange for political favors, it was not grounds for his impeachment and removal from office. Retired professor Alan Dershowitz, a member of the Trump defense team, asserted that every politician equates his or her own interests with the public good and, therefore, "it cannot be impeachable." The argument came during the first day of the question-and-answer segment of the historic impeachment trial of the president in the Senate, only the third such trial in U.S. history. The previous two cases ended with acquittals, and this one appears set for the same result, given that the Republicans control the chamber and that a two-thirds majority is required for conviction. Democrats in the House of Representatives charged on January 18 that Trump "used his official powers to pressure" Ukraine's government to "interfere in a United States election for his personal political gain and then attempted to cover up his scheme by obstructing Congress's investigation into his misconduct." They accuse him of pressuring Kyiv to investigate his political rivals by withholding aid approved by Congress and a desired White House visit until the Ukrainian government made a public announcement of a probe. His team's argument that there is nothing wrong with withholding aid for political favors appears to be a major shift from the previous defense. Until now, Trump and his defenders denied he pressured Kyiv, said there was no "quid pro quo," and called his dealings with Ukraine "perfect." In the Q&A session, Texas Republican Ted Cruz asked if it mattered if there was a quid pro quo -- an exchange of military aid and a White House visit for a political favor. Dershowitz answered that it did not matter because many politicians equate their own reelection with the public good. "That's why it's so dangerous to try to psychoanalyze a president [over his intentions]," he said. Adam Schiff, the Democrat leading the House prosecutors, appeared shocked by Dershowitz's remarks. "All quid pro quos are not the same," he said, adding that some might be acceptable but others not. "And you don't need to be a mind reader to figure out which is which. For one thing, you can ask John Bolton," Schiff said, referring to the former U.S. national-security adviser whose explosive allegations in an upcoming book have shaken up the proceedings. In the book, Bolton quoted Trump as telling him in August that he wanted to withhold $391 million in military aid to Ukraine until Kyiv helped by launching investigations into Democrats, including his potential election opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, and son Hunter Biden, according to The New York Times, which cited the unpublished manuscript. Democrats want to call Bolton to testify, but the White House has opposed the move. A vote is likely over the matter in the Senate, but Republicans have said they are also against calling witnesses to testify. Chuck Schumer, the senior Democrat in the Senate, asked whether the chamber could really deliver a fair verdict without hearing from Bolton or other White House aides. The publication date of the book is now in question, after the White House on January 29 released a letter to Bolton's lawyer objecting to "significant amounts of classified information" in the manuscript, including at the top-secret level. Bolton and the lawyer have insisted that the book does not contain any classified information. Meanwhile, Republicans expressed hope that the trial could end on January 31, without calling witnesses. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican senator in seniority, said that "the momentum is clearly in the direction of moving to final judgment on Friday." "We still have a couple members who said they want to listen to the answers to questions, but that's where the momentum is," Barrasso said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/trump -lawyers-ukraine-pressure-not -impeachable/30406178.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Chinese woman puts a protective mask on a young girl as they tour the grounds of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China, which remained open during the Chinese New Year and Spring Festival holiday on Jan. 27, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Beijing Reported First Death From Wuhan Pneumonia, Patient Co-mingled With Countless People Beijing reported its first death from Wuhan coronavirus on Jan. 28. Yang Jun, 50, attended a conference in Wuhan on Jan. 8. After returning to Beijing, he developed a fever on Jan. 15. Yang did not seek treatment until Jan. 21; and was confirmed to have been infected with Wuhan pneumonia at Haidian District Center of Disease Control the next day. His situation deteriorated and he died on Jan. 27 due to respiratory failure. Chinese state media expressed concerns that Yang had been exposed to or in contact with a large number of people before he was diagnosed. Yang attended a parent meeting at High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China, his daughters school, on Jan. 20. More than 600 parents were at this meeting and seated in the same auditorium. Yang is a high-level figure at Shanghai Electric Group and executive president of China Commercial Value Association. Chinese state media did not reveal his current position at Shanghai Electric Group, but did say that he is former vice president of Trina Solar, a solar energy company. An internal document from Shanghai Electric Group indicated that after Yang left Wuhan, he took a high speed train to Shanghai on Jan. 12, left Shanghai for Zhengzhou in Henan Province the same afternoon, and then returned to Beijing. His travels covered five provinces in central China, eastern China, and northern China. The number of people he exposed to the virus at the meeting and on the trains could be considerable. A Twitter user with the account name An revealed additional details. Yangs daughter is also infected with the virus. She is in grade 12 now. If the authorities had informed the public of the outbreak earlier, Yang could have gone to a hospital earlier and taken precautions to protect his daughter. Seeking medical care earlier may even have saved his life. Now Yang has passed away, his daughter has been infected, and I am concerned about his wife. Not sure if she can withstand the pain. Chinese authorities initially denied that the disease could be transmitted between humans, although there had already been several cases of human-to-human infection. On Jan. 20, Zhong Nanshan, a leading scientist for Chinas Health Commission, officially announced at a press conference in Beijing that the disease can spread from human to human. Yang sought treatment the day after the announcement. The members of Winnipeg indie band Royal Canoe are no strangers to working with experimental sounds, but figuring out how to create instruments from ice and make music with them is unlike anything theyve tackled in the past. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The members of Winnipeg indie band Royal Canoe are no strangers to working with experimental sounds, but figuring out how to create instruments from ice and make music with them is unlike anything theyve tackled in the past. Event preview Click to Expand Glacial by Royal Canoe Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m. The Forks Free In the last month, the six-piece group has carved blocks of ice into instruments, including a xylophone, kick drum and hi-hat. The sounds they make will be used in reimagined versions of 10 of the bands songs, which will be performed at two free shows at The Forks on Friday and Saturday. "We were in (guitarist) Bucky Driedgers garage during the first week of January. We got a whole shipment of ice and we were just throwing ice around and recording it and scraping it and banging it, but also being mindful of the things we could actually do live, because thats what people are most interested in, and what were most interested in, too," says vocalist Matt Peters. Michael Jordan (left), Matt Peters, Bucky Driedger and Matt Schellenberg of Royal Canoe test out their ice instruments at The Forks. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Sputnik Architecture had asked the band to be the invited artist at the Warming Huts v2020: An Art + Architecture Competition On Ice. The band was asked to create a concert similar to one performed by Norwegian ice musician Terje Isungset at the Winnipeg New Music Festival in 2019. "It seemed like the perfect idea for the kind of things we like to do, and the challenges we like to have, and how difficult we like to make things for ourselves," Peters says with a laugh. A week before the show, dubbed Glacial, Royal Canoe seems to have a handle on at least two acoustic icy elements as they rehearse in an empty train car at The Forks. It was the only spot they could find that wasnt heated and was fully contained. Every sound, aside from vocals, heard during the rehearsal had originated from ice and was processed through electronic equipment. Some concept sketches the band used before carving instruments out of blocks of ice. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) A few steps away, Italian-Norwegian ice architect Luca Roncoroni, famous for the Icehotel in Sweden, was building the stage he had designed for the show. The original plan was to hold the concert on the frozen river, but it didnt freeze uniformly because of high water levels in the fall. So, a Fortress-of-Solitude-esque ice stage is being constructed on the stairs of the Johnston Terminal instead. Peters, Schellenberg form production team Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg of Royal Canoe have long collaborated outside of the band. Earlier this month, the pair made things official with the launch of Deadmen, their new music production company. The culmination of two years of writing trips and work in Winnipeg including co-writing credits on Begonias debut album, Fear, as well as work in film scoring and band production Deadmen is a way to formalize a partnership that has strong roots. click to read more Matt Peters and Matt Schellenberg of Royal Canoe have long collaborated outside of the band. Earlier this month, the pair made things official with the launch of Deadmen, their new music production company. The culmination of two years of writing trips and work in Winnipeg including co-writing credits on Begonias debut album, Fear, as well as work in film scoring and band production Deadmen is a way to formalize a partnership that has strong roots. I would say thats exactly what it is, says Peters. Matt and I did the Begonia album together with Alexa Dirks and Marcus (Paquin), and doing that was this feeling of like, Oh yeah, writing songs with people, producing songs with people together, working with other artists for them, and maybe even for our own project, is something that we really want to do more of, and taking that as a focus. It was a bit of an epiphany for us. Deadmen released its debut single, I Could Spend a Lifetime featuring Begonia and E.GG, and the plan is to continue releasing singles every six weeks. The next track on deck will likely feature Emily Wells, a multi-instrumentalist and experimental musician based in New York City. In addition to the music they are releasing as Deadmen, Peters and Schellenberg produced a number of records that are expected to be released in 2020 and wrote tracks that will appear on other artists albums. They are planning another writing trip to New York City in the fall. I think well just put out singles and slowly group them into EPs and albums and see what happens, says Schellenberg. Close To create the staging and the instruments, 125 massive blocks of ice, one-metre long by one-metre wide by 50 centimetres thick, were harvested from a lake at FortWhyte Alive. During the show, which will run about 45 minutes to an hour and and will start promptly at 7 p.m., images will be projected onto the ice surfaces and a "full, elaborate" series of lights will be triggered when the band hits specific instruments. Despite the obvious challenges of working with a material as temperamental as ice, Peters says the music-creation aspect of the project was relatively simple once they figured out how to raise or lower tones (by changing the length or depth of the pieces of ice) and after Roncoroni clued them in to using ice as mallets to make the loudest, clearest sound on the frozen xylophone. "We knew what we wanted to do, we knew we wanted to deconstruct these songs, do something more minimal, lower in key, slower in tempo. We dont want it to be a sleepy set, and it wont be by any means, but just the idea of reapproaching the songs with a blank slate and a completely different set of instruments, what will come out of that process and that mindset? That process came pretty naturally," he says. "There will be someone there to make sure there are triplicates of all the xylophone notes tuned and ready to go, though," he adds. "So all of the things outside of the music, on the technical side, are the hard part. As it usually is." erin.lebar@freepress.mb.ca The band and ice stage crew members work on the outdoor stage at The Forks (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Twitter: @NireRabel YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan met with Prime Minister of Moldova Ion Chicu in Almaty, Kazakhstan. At the beginning of the meeting the Armenian PM congratulated Ion Chicu on assuming office. Of course, there are very good political relations between our countries. Our countries have a very rich history of humanitarian, cultural ties, but, unfortunately, we cannot be proud of our commercial ties. But, of course, there are objective and subjective explanations for that, Pashinyan said. Pashinyan emphasized that Armenia and Moldova should raise the level of economic relations, trade turnover, expressing his readiness to work on that path. Why I especially emphasize the issue of commercial relations, because we do not have any problem in other matters and will not have, he added. The Moldovan PM said Armenia and Moldova have a great potential to develop the economic relations because both Armenia has some advantages in certain directions and Moldova has such advantages. I think its necessary to restart the works of the inter-agency commission. Its a good platform for discussing various issues and an opportunity to develop the cooperation, the Moldovan PM said. Ion Chicu invited PM Pashinyan to visit Moldova. The session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council was held today in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The session was also attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The next session of the EAEU Inter-Governmental Council will take place in Minsk on April 9-10. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that Berkeley police did not use excessive force against Kayla Moore, a black transgender woman who died during a struggle with six officers in her apartment in 2013. Police were called to the apartment on Allston Way late at night by Moores roommate, who said Moore, 41, had kicked him out of the residence, had been drinking and using drugs all day, and was schizophrenic and might need a mental health evaluation. Two officers arrived, said they found her incoherent and tried to handcuff her. They said that she resisted and it took six officers to subdue her. Moore then stopped breathing and could not be revived. The Alameda County coroners office said the death was an accident, caused by acute drug intoxication, as well as morbid obesity Moore weighed nearly 350 pounds and cardiovascular disease. A lawsuit by Moores family accused the police of illegally seizing her and using excessive force. Family members cited a private physicians report that found pressure on Moores chest was a contributing factor in her death. The citys Police Review Commission said one of the officers had not consistently monitored Moores vital signs. And the family claimed discrimination based on her gender identity. But U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the suit in 2018, and the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld his ruling Thursday. Officers were justified in entering the apartment and arresting Moore, the court said, based on her roommates report and his fears for his safety, and the anger she expressed after police arrived. And the court said the evidence showed that Moore, a very large and strong person, resisted vigorously when (officers) tried to take her into custody. The officers testified that they used only the amount of force needed to restrain Moore, did not apply pressure to areas that might have restricted her breathing, and moved her into a recovery position as soon as she stopped struggling, the court said. Such accounts must be scrutinized closely because the only other person present is no longer alive, the court said, but there was no evidence that contradicted their narrative or indicated that they were trying to harm Moore. We recognize how distressing it is for an effort to check on an individuals welfare to end with the death of the person, the three-judge panel said. We also recognize that a large community continues to grieve Moores death. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. But whatever role (the officers) may have played in her death, we cannot say on the evidence before us that they acted unlawfully. John Burris, a lawyer for the family, said they would consider asking the full appeals court for a new hearing. The Berkeley community (is) very upset about what happened to Kayla, Burris said. We knew it was a challenging case. Whether deadly force was used was a factual question. We thought it was sufficient (evidence) to go before a jury. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Chinese container ship "Cosco Shipping Aries" is unloaded at a loading terminal in the port of Hamburg Germany on July 27, 2018. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters) US Lifts Iran Sanctions on One Unit of Chinese Shipping Giant COSCO WASHINGTONThe United States on Jan. 31 lifted sanctions on one of two units of the Chinese tanker company COSCO, the U.S. Treasury said, partially reversing its punishment on the company for transporting Iranian oil after China complained about the measure in trade talks with Washington. President Donald Trumps administration on Sept. 25 blacklisted two units of COSCO, named after the northeastern Chinese port of Dalian. The U.S. Treasury Department said on Friday it deleted from its sanctions list COSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Co., but continues to blacklist the second unitCOSCO Shipping Tanker (Dalian) Seaman & Ship Management Co. Ltd. of COSCO. A U.S. official said lifting sanctions on only one of the COSCO subsidiaries would allow the Trump administration to retain leverage on China and COSCO to stop taking Iranian oil. A top Chinese official had raised the COSCO issue in the U.S. trade talks, said one source who spoke on condition of anonymity and is familiar with the Chinese regimes position. The trade talks earlier this month resulted in a Phase One deal, defusing an 18-month trade war that hurt global growth. Daniel Pilarkski, a sanctions expert and partner at Watson Farley & Williams law firm, said the delisting would likely work as a chit for Washington as trade talks move to the next phase. Working in the backdrop of all of this are the U.S. trade discussions with China that seems to be going better now with the deal, theres been a little bit of a thawing on that front. State Department Took Lead, Treasury Cleaned Up The delisting was also the administrations latest effort to soften the impact of the Sept. 25 sanctions, which sent shock waves through shipping markets. The Dalian COSCO units have only about 40 tankers, but Washingtons sanctions last year led to confusion about whether they applied to the parent companys fleet of more than 1,000 ships. The Treasury Department had twice issued waivers to allow companies to wind down dealings with the COSCO units. The latest was set to expire on Feb. 4, but shipping markets remained unnerved. The goal of the administration is to balance sending a message to the marketplace that it wants to drive down Iran oil exports without devastating world trade, Pilarski said. Trump had given Secretary of State Mike Pompeo new powers on sanctions relating to Iranian oil in a 2018 executive order. Analysts said political appointees at the State Department drove the COSCO sanctions, which came just 11 days after drone attacks on the heart of Saudi Arabias oil production that Washington blamed on Iran. State Department officials pushed Trumps maximum pressure policy and left it up to the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Asset Control to adjust the impact on markets, they said. China is the worlds only major importer of Iranian oil despite sanctions Trump unilaterally reimposed on Tehrans petroleum exports in 2018 after withdrawing the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal between Tehran and six world powers. Trump hopes the sanctions will also limit Tehrans ballistic missile program and influence across the Middle East. Tehran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Chinese customs data showed on Friday that China took in 14.77 million tonnes, or 295,400 barrels per day, of Iranian oil in 2019, about half the imports of 2018. Most of the oil likely went into Chinese government stockpiles, according to Refinitiv Research. The potential return of some of COSCO Dalians fleet of supertankers will likely cause shipping rates for oil tankers to continue to fall, adding pressure to a market showing signs of weakening demand, a U.S.-based shipping source said. By Humeyra Pamuk and Timothy Gardner A neon swastika hanging outside a residential property in the Northern Territory has been removed after police intervened. The Nazi emblem was on show outside a Stuart Park property in Darwin for several weeks, with Darwin City Council saying they were powerless to remove it. However, mounting public pressure resulted in the home owner taking it down after a visit from police on Wednesday. The hate symbol's display has led the head of the Anti-defamation Commission to claim the nation is facing an 'epidemic of antisemitism'. The Nazi emblem was on show outside a Stuart Park property in Darwin for several weeks Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich told Daily Mail Australia it's concerning to see these types of extreme views are still being represented. 'It is spine-chilling to think that walking amongst us are 'Final Solutionists', individuals who are proud to celebrate Hitler's evil legacy of exterminating six million Jews and millions of others,' he said. He said it was disgraceful someone would consider showcasing the swastika when it has such a strong meaning for communities around the world. 'This malicious act, dripping with venomous and dangerous hate, is a punch in the gut of every Holocaust survivor, and a spit on the memory of the victims and the diggers who gave their lives to vanquish that monstrous dictator,' he said. The head of the Anti-defamation Commission, Dr Dvir Abramovich, said the symbol's display shows Australia is facing an 'epidemic of antisemitism The sign was designed to light up at night and shine a neon pink colour. Despite multiple complaints from outraged residents, it stayed up for several weeks. A Darwin Council spokeswoman told the Northern Territory News requesting the sign's removal was out of their jurisdiction. Likewise, a lack of anti-vilification laws in the Northern Territory mean state authorities also lacked the power to enforce its removal. But a visit by the police was enough of a deterrent for the property owner. A spokesperson for Northern Territory police told the Daily Mail Australia the symbol has now been removed. 'Police are aware of the matter and spoke to the resident on Wednesday 29 January. The sign has been taken down and no further police action will be taken,' the spokesperson said. Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sally Siever (pictured) said the symbol's display was 'reprehensible' Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Sally Sievers told the NT News seeing the swastika on display 'was reprehensible'. She said it could cause serious harm to Darwin's Jewish community. 'There is a need for widespread community condemnation, police, council and others,' Mrs Sievers said. The latest incident comes only weeks after a Victorian couple displayed a Nazi flag outside their home in Beulah, four hours from Melbourne. The flag has been flying over the street for a month, despite an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor living across the road Bill and Cheryl Lawdorn were condemned across the country for the decision to showcase the Nazi paraphenalia, resulting in an eventual directive by police to remove it. The two stood by their decision to put up the flag- despite complaints from the community, including an 83-year-old holocaust survivor neighbour. Both public displays of the symbol have reignited calls from the Anti-defamation Commission for a national ban on the sale and display of Nazi materials and insignia. Anti-Defamation Commission chairman Dr Dvir Abramovich said he wants to see it written into legislation. 'I repeat my call for the state and federal governments to rise to the challenge, and to do the honourable and righteous thing by banning the public display of all Nazi insignia genocidal symbols that stand alone in the annals of human barbarity,' he said. (Reuters) - Several deaths and potentially hundreds of illnesses tied to e-cigarettes, which allow users to inhale nicotine vapor, often flavored, without smoking, have been reported by the U.S. public health agency. Lawsuits on behalf of young consumers have targeted leading e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. Altria, which holds a stake in Juul, said the number of cases pending against the e-cigarette maker has surged by more than 80% since October. Several states have instituted partial or total bans on vaping devices, and retailers and industry groups have challenged those bans in courts. The following is a summary of how the litigation is playing out across the United States: - Young adult Juul users and parents of teenage users have filed dozens of lawsuits over vaping-related injuries, including both individual lawsuits and class actions. The lawsuits target Juul, which markets a nicotine-vaping device and controls about 75% of the e-cigarette market. Some have also named Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc, which has a minority stake in Juul, as a defendant. - Most of the lawsuits say that users became addicted to Juul, but at least two go further. A Connecticut man said in a lawsuit filed in California state court that he suffered a massive, debilitating stroke as a result of Juul use, while the parents of a teenage girl said in a proposed class action in Florida federal court that their daughter has suffered seizures linked to the device. - One set of legal claims in the cases focuses on fraudulent marketing. In these claims, plaintiffs accuse Juul of claiming its e-cigarettes are meant to help adults stop smoking cigarettes, while marketing them to minors and young adults who have never used nicotine. They also say Juul has claimed its products are a safe alternative to cigarettes, when in fact they can deliver higher doses of nicotine. - Another set of claims focuses on product liability, saying that Juul's products are defectively designed because they are inherently dangerous, and that Juul failed to warn about the danger or both. Story continues - Juul said in a statement last year that its products are meant as a less dangerous alternative for adults who already smoke. "We have never marketed to youth and do not want any non-nicotine users to try our products," the company said. - Altria has said that the conduct alleged in the lawsuits occurred before it acquired its financial stake in Juul. "Our minority stake in Juul provides no basis for liability against Altria," it said in a statement. - More lawsuits are expected. Joseph VanZandt, a lawyer with the firm of Beasley Allen, said his firm has been hired by more than 200 clients for vaping-related claims, of whom at least eight have already filed lawsuits. "We fully expect that there will be hundreds if not thousands of individual cases filed," he told Reuters earlier this month. - Lawsuits filed in federal court are likely to be consolidated in so-called multidistrict litigation before a federal judge. Juul has moved to consolidate the lawsuits in the Northern District of California, which includes San Francisco. A federal judicial panel in Los Angeles is scheduled to hear arguments on that motion Thursday. Separately, a motion has been filed in a Los Angeles state court to consolidate the California state court cases there. - North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein in May sued Juul and has asked a state court to limit the flavors of Juul e-cigarettes sold in North Carolina. - Other state attorneys general, along with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, are investigating Juul's marketing practices. Some states, including New York, Michigan and Rhode Island, have moved to restrict the sale of flavored e-cigarettes; Massachusetts has gone further, instituting a four-month ban on all vaping products. - These regulations have faced challenges from e-cigarette retailers and industry groups. On Friday, a New York judge blocked a state ban on most flavored e-cigarettes from taking effect after an industry group sued to challenge it, while a Massachusetts judge upheld that state's ban. A lawsuit by retailers in Michigan challenging that state's restriction is pending in a state court there. (Compiled by Brendan Pierson in New York and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Grant McCool and Sriraj Kalluvila) South Sudan believes that Russian companies can help it to develop its oil, natural gas, and refining industries, the foreign minister of the small African oil producer has told Sputnik. Awut Deng Acuil, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan, visited Russia earlier this week, where she met with Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to discuss areas of potential cooperation. The ministers followed up previous contacts from the Russia-Africa summit last October. We informed our colleagues about the Russian companies working in the oil and gas, infrastructure, railway and transport sectors that are ready to discuss possible mutually beneficial projects with our South Sudanese partners. We have agreed to promote direct contacts between our economic operators, minister Lavrov said at the meeting, as carried by the Russian foreign ministry. South Sudan, one of the newest countries in the world, currently pumps around 170,000 bpd, but aims to raise that production to 200,000 bpd this year, the South Sudanese foreign minister told Sputnik. South Sudan broke from Sudan in 2011 and took with it around 350,000 bpd in oil production. But then civil war in South Sudan broke out in 2013 that further complicated oil production. Earlier this month, South Sudans the government said that the country looks to have a full environmental impact audit of all its oil-producing fields and conduct such audits ahead of any new exploration and drilling. And while the government is eager to welcome new exploration and production, companies would be held to a high standard. The era of bad business was coming to an end, South Sudans President Salva Kiir said in August last year. Russian oil companies, for their part, look at investment opportunities in Africa, the second-biggest Russian oil producer, Lukoil, said earlier this month. Russian companies, including Lukoil, are looking for deals in Africa, especially in West Africa. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Emergency services spent nearly two hours trying to free a teenager from underneath a bus after he was hit by the vehicle while walking home from school in Arklow, Co Wicklow. The accident, involving a second-year student from a local school, occurred in the town's Upper Main Street during rush hour at about 4.30pm yesterday. Major traffic delays developed in the town while the ambulance and fire service battled to free the youth from underneath the vehicle. Gardai also attended the scene. More than one-and-a-half hours later, the teen was safety removed and subsequently rushed to hospital. The extent of his injuries is currently unknown, but a senior source told the Irish Independent his condition was non-life-threatening. "A male youth in his teens was hit by a bus," a Garda spokesperson said. "No further information is available at this time." Local councillor Tommy Annesley offered his sympathies to the teenager and wished him a speedy recovery. "This was an awful thing to happen to anyone," he said. "Thankfully, the emergency services managed to safely remove him from under the bus. "My heart goes out to this young lad and I hope his injuries aren't serious. "The whole town was gridlocked with traffic and I got an awful fright when I heard that a child was injured. "I would advise anyone to take the utmost caution when walking on our roads," he added. What the papers say January 31 Not surprisingly, on the last day of Britains membership of the EU, Brexit dominates the nations front pages on Friday. The Daily Telegraph adopts a jubilant tone, with a picture of Boris Johnson under a Churchillian headline of This is not an end, but a beginning. Tomorrows Brexit Day @Telegraph front page: This is not an end but a beginning#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/lrO93HOX9s The Telegraph (@Telegraph) January 30, 2020 The Daily Mail hails it as a new dawn for Britain, The Sun says the nations course will change for the better, and the Daily Express is also euphoric. The Times looks at business, leading on Mr Johnsons desire for a Canada-style trade pact with Brussels. The Independent carries the word for goodbye in a multitude of European languages, but ponders whether it is inevitable Britain will one day rejoin the EU. Metro opts for a simple Thank EU and goodbye, while the i calls it the UKs leap into the unknown. Friday's front page of i UK's leap into the unknown >> 47 years of European membership come to an end >> Brussels mourns loss of pragmatic friend >> New chapter in British history - with a nation in search of its identity#TomorrowsPapersToday #BrexitDay #BrexitEve pic.twitter.com/gAwhBI7TeC Oly Duff (@olyduff) January 30, 2020 And The Guardian strikes a distinctly downbeat tone, with a headline of Small Island over a story about the biggest gamble in a generation. Guardian front page, Friday 31 January 2020: Small island pic.twitter.com/P1xYAy0h9d The Guardian (@guardian) January 30, 2020 And the Financial Times plays it straight and perhaps sums all other papers up with a headline: Britain bows out of the EU with a mixture of optimism and regret. FT: Britain vows out of the EU with a mixture of optimism and regret #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/eHDUqm1Yiz Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) January 30, 2020 Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror leads with the coronavirus and the evacuation flight taking Britons from Wuhan. And the Daily Stars front page heralds a truly historic day for Britain the end of Dry January. MEMOIR DEAR LIFE by Rachel Clarke (Little Brown 16.99, 336 pp) Growing up in the 1970s, Rachel Clarke loved hearing her fathers tales of his career in medicine. But one story, from his days as a naval anaesthetist lingered uncomfortably in her mind. He was only a young man himself when an explosion ripped through the boiler room of his ship. Two junior ratings were caught in a blast of steam that burned most of the skin from their bodies. With their eyes bandaged and their nerve endings destroyed so they felt no pain, the two teenagers laughed and chatted with their doctors. Rachel Clarke who followed her father Mark (pictured together) into a career in medicine, reflects on her time spent working for an Oxford hospitals palliative care unit They thought theyd had a lucky escape, but Clarkes dad knew their injuries were fatal. All he could offer them was a peaceful end, so he lied about the future, about their reunion with friends and family once they docked in Hong Kong. I tried to make them feel positive, the doctor told his daughter. After 24 hours they started to become groggy, and not long after that they lost consciousness. The story taught Clarke two lessons: doctors are only human and sometimes words are the more powerful medicine. As an adult, Clarke followed her father into the medical profession and noticed, during her training, that death was conspicuous by its absence from the student curriculum. Colleagues wanted to focus on the thrill of saving lives, ignoring the less glamorous work involved in alleviating the suffering of the dying. But, having witnessed the distress caused by bad deaths in busy hospital wards, Clarke knew her calling lay in palliative care, supporting her patients and their families through more dignified and even enjoyable exits. Clarke likes to see her hospice, part of an Oxford hospitals palliative care unit, as being a kind of hybrid of medicine and domesticity. It is bathed in natural light with French windows offering views of trees strung with bird feeders. There are plants, colours, textures and paintings on the walls. The dying are offered massages, art and music therapy, ice cream and smoothies. Teenagers deliver pizza. There are weddings and date nights. Pets are smuggled in. Theres even a drinks trolley wheeled from room to room, says Clarke. What better way, for those who fancy a drink, of remembering normal life back home? Much of Clarkes work lies in alleviating a patients terror. She sees patients at their most angry and desperate, and is honest about what they can expect to feel in the dying process. I would dearly love to claim that, with good palliative care, no-one ever suffers when they die, she says. Were I to do so I would be propagating a lie . . . But the one thing I can assert with confidence, based on the thousands of patients for whom I have cared, is that rarely, in a hospice, do peoples fears of the manner in which they will die match the lived reality . . . modern palliative drugs are a match for almost anything. DEAR LIFE by Rachel Clarke (Little Brown 16.99, 336 pp) I sobbed over the little boy who brought his sixth birthday party forward a couple of weeks so his grandfather would be alive to celebrate it with him. In the centre of the singing, laughter and flying wrapping paper sat a painfully haggard man whose eyes nonetheless seemed to glow. He died two days later. He had been dreading his final moments in which he pictured himself fighting for air. In the event, There was no panic or fighting or flailing to breathe, just the ebbing of life like a tide in retreat, quietly unveiling cold sand. There can often be a relief in the decision to stop debilitating treatment a relief Clarkes own father found after two gruelling rounds of chemotherapy. The cessation of treatment can give the gift of life relished in the present, and some find themselves happier and more peaceful than they have ever been. Clarkes patients are free to be their purest selves in their final days. One grand old lady with days to live tells the doctors to buzz off so she can read her newspaper. A burly old farmer visited daily by his devoted wife and family waits until the end to tell Clarke he has hidden his homosexuality from them and that he misses his long-term lover. A skeletal woman in acute pain is transported from agony to ecstasy by a nurse administering entonox [laughing gas] while singing her favourite disco hits. Clarke is understandably furious that the NHS funds only a third of hospice care in England, with the rest being propped up on the wobbly pillows of charity. In the past two years, 73 per cent of hospices have had their NHS funding frozen or cut. We owe the terminally ill better than that, she says, calling on her readers to lobby their MPs to shout out on behalf of those who can speak only in whispers. Perhaps, when we write our letters, we should consider quoting the end of the poem, My Lifes Stem Was Cut by writer Helen Dunmore, who died in 2017: I know I am dying/ But why not keep flowering/ As long as I can/ From my cut stem? Students who were agitating outside the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO after a man fired at anti-Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) protestors near the Jamia Millia Islamia were detained. New Delhi: Students who were agitating outside the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO after a man fired at anti-Citizenship Amendments Act (CAA) protestors near the Jamia Millia Islamia were detained and removed from the area on Friday morning, police said. The students were protesting since Thursday night against Delhi Police over the incident. The police later closed the road outside the headquarters but later opened it. Traffic Alert Road is open for traffic movement. https://t.co/XFUED8ngUT Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 31, 2020 A man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday, injuring a student, before calmly walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. Delhi: Protesters continue to sit outside Police Headquarters(old) at ITO against the firing incident in Jamia area yesterday. pic.twitter.com/w5ZJe2VeoH ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 The man was subsequently overpowered by police and taken into custody. Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that medical tests so far have not confirmed the infection with the novel coronavirus in a Romanian citizen from Italy, whose case the media reported on Friday. "The Romanian Embassy in Italy has taken, as a matter of urgency, steps with the relevant authorities to obtain information regarding the nationality of the person concerned and his health status. According to preliminary data obtained by telephone, the representatives of the local diplomatic mission confirmed that the person concerned is a Romanian national and that the medical tests to which he was subjected have so far not confirmed a coronavirus infection. The Romanian Embassy in Italy stays in touch with the hospital where the Romanian citizen is hospitalised, being ready to provide consular assistance if the situation so requires," MAE said Friday in response to a request for information filed by AGERPRES.The media reported that a Romanian citizen, an employee of a hotel in Rome, had been infected with the new coronavirus.The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday to speed up the fight against the new type of coronavirus and to avoid a possible contagion of the population, a day after the announcement regarding the detection of the first two cases in Italy, a couple of Chinese tourists, according to the AFP and DPA news agencies. The contaminated couple arrived in Italy in the city of Milan, and then stayed in Rome, where the two Asian tourists were when the first symptoms appeared. Their hotel room was isolated and they were placed under observation at the Spallanzani Hospital in Rome. Donald Trump's travel ban is set to expand to include six additional countries, revising a policy that sparked nation wide protests and confusion at American airports three years ago. The White House announced the changes on Friday afternoon, capping off a major week for the president that saw him sign a signature trade renegotiation and face down an impeachment trial in the Senate. The new policy would ban travel to the US for citizens of Nigeria the most populous country in Africa as well as travel for citizens of Nigeria, Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgzstan. In announcing the expansion, the Trump administration said that the new limitations were designed to tighten security for countries that do not comply with American minimum security standards for combatting illegal immigration. The visas targeted by the new rules are distinct from the non-immigrant visas that are typically issued to visitors, which won't be impacted, said acting Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf during a call with reporters. Mr Wolf said during the phone call that problems facing those countries range from sub-par passport technology to a failure to sufficiently share information related to terrorism suspects, according to Reuters. New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Show all 27 1 /27 New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Ethnic Yemenis and supporters protest against President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban Men pray during a protest by ethnic Yemenis and supporters over President Donald Trump's executive order temporarily banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen on February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. At least 1,000 Yemeni-owned bodegas and grocery-stores across the city shut down from noon to 8 p.m. today to protest the order. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People gather for evening prayer at a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally with flags at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest US President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban People rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall as Yemeni bodega and grocery-stores shut down to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen, on February 2, 2017 in New York. Bryan R. Smith/AFP/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner places a sign on the gate of his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 02: Yemeni business owner Musa closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty New York City bodegas strike to protest Trump's travel ban A Yemeni business owner closes the gate to his store February 2, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Across the city, Yemeni owned bodega and grocery-stores will shut down from noon to 8 p.m. to protest President Donald Trump's Executive Order banning immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Yemen. It is expected that over 1000 stores will be closed in protest with workers and owners participating in an afternoon rally in Brooklyn. Spencer Platt/Getty "These countries, for the most part, want to be helpful," Mr Wolf said. "But for a variety of different reasons simply failed to meet those minimum requirements that we laid out." The new policy will not impact the terms of the original travel ban, which was first issued during Mr Trump's first week in office in January 2017. That advisory barred travellers and nearly all immigrants coming form seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen. North Korea and Venezuela have also been targeted for visa restrictions, but those measures have impacted relatively limited numbers of travellers. The original travel ban was swiftly met with protests at airports around the US, and legal challenges. But, it was ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court, citing the president's inherent concern with issues of national security. The new policy would also see the US ending "diversity visas" for nationals of Sudan and Tanzania. Reuters contributed to this report Fotis Dulos, Connecticut man charged with killing wife, dies by suicide originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Fotis Dulos, the Connecticut man charged with killing his estranged wife, has died by suicide, according to his lawyer. Dulos was found unresponsive in his garage after a suicide attempt on Tuesday. He had been in "dire" condition in a hospital in the Bronx, New York, for two days after being flown there by helicopter from UConn Health Center. "Fotis Dulos was declared dead tonight at 5:32," his lawyer, Norm Pattis, said at a press conference Thursday. "His family came in from Greece and decided today to donate his organs so that he will live on in some form -- in the assistance that he can provide to others in their own individual struggles." MORE: A Connecticut mystery: A timeline of the Jennifer Dulos, Fotis Dulos case Pattis called it a "truly horrific day for the family." "As to those who contend that Mr. Dulos' death reflects a consciousness of guilt, we say 'no,' we say it was more a conscience overworn with the weight of a world that was too busy to listen and that wanted a story more than it wanted the truth. We're not bitter and we're not accusing anyone of having driven him to his death, we wonder why -- in the court of public opinion -- the presumption of innocence was so quickly satisfied." PHOTO: Fotis Dulos stands during a hearing at Stamford Superior Court, June 11, 2019 in Stamford, Conn. (Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool via AP, FILE) Dulos' estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, disappeared in May 2019 amid a contentious custody battle. Her body has never been found. The two have five children together. Authorities allege Jennifer Dulos was killed at her home on May 24, 2019 between 8:05 a.m. and 10:25 a.m -- after she returned from taking her children to school, according to an arrest warrant. Police claim he bound Jennifer Dulos with zip ties, put her inside her own car and cleaned the garage, according to an arrest warrant. His lawyer said he will continue the fight to clear Dulos' name. Story continues "The family is adamant that his name be cleared," Pattis continued. "As we are speaking we have filed an unusual motion in the Connecticut courts asking to substitute an estate for Fotis Dulos for him as a defendant to force the state to show its hand in a trial filled with evidence, we think amounts to no more than innuendo and unsupported suspicion. ... It will be a difficult challenge to persuade the state of Connecticut to go forth with a trial in the absence of a defendant, but having maligned the man for all time from coast to coast, and if not there, around the world, we're asking for the right to clear his name. We intend to proceed on as if he were alive to vindicate him, because we think he's wrongfully accused. MORE: Accused killer Fotis Dulos in 'dire' condition after suicide attempt: Attorney No suicide note was found in the home of Fotis Dulos nor any other evidence of significance, law enforcement sources told ABC News. However, police did find a document in which Dulos reiterates his innocence, the sources said. Its unclear when that was written. "Upon information and belief, in the course of executing a search of Fotis Dulos's car, law enforcement officials recovered a note in which he declared his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the State has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it," a motion to preserve evidence filed Thursday in superior court said. PHOTO: Police in Connecticut are looking for Jennifer Dulos, 50, who was last seen on May 24, 2019. (New Canaan Police Department) The Connecticut State Police said Thursday they searched Dulos home as part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Jennifer Dulos. CTSP declined to comment, citing the gag order imposed on the case. Pattis also released a statement to ABC News calling it an execution: "Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Now he has been executed. We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer. ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Emily Shapiro contributed to this report. Photo courtesy the Montgomery Police Department The Montgomery Police Department announces an upcoming Citizens Police Academy. Any citizen in Montgomery or the surrounding area is welcome and encouraged to participate in this inside look into the Montgomery Police Department. The purpose of this Academy, is to foster better communication between citizens and the Montgomery Police Department through education. The Academy will consist of six weeks of classes starting April 1 and continuing through May 6. Classes will take place every Wednesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Each class will be three hours in length and will cover all aspects of policing as it pertains to the city of Montgomery and the state of Texas. A graduation ceremony will be at the end of the course. But thanks, perhaps, to the overindulgence of her publisher (Flatiron Books) Cummins reportedly received a seven-figure advance and a high-profile rollout, Cummins earned the contempt of critics who considered her unworthy of her topic, not because the book wasnt quite good enough (as some critics have noted) but because she wasnt sufficiently Latina. Poor Cummins had only one Latina grandmother. And, get this: Her Irish husband, once an illegal immigrant, wasnt quite underdoggish enough. (Never mind that many Irish immigrants came to the United States as indentured servants, or that it was common for signs on stores and restaurants and for job listings to say: No Irish. Or No Irish Need Apply.) National Police in Marbella have arrested a 41-year-old Briton who was wanted in the UK on drugs related offences. The man was held in San Pedro in a routine police check. Officers asked the occupant of a vehicle for identification, and on running a search on his details, the live European Arrest Warrant for him was found on the system. The maker of Marlboro cigarettes is distancing itself from Juul after losing billions on its investment in the vaping giant amid a federal vaping ban and a flurry of lawsuits. Tobacco giant Altria Group is also leaving a path open for itself to get back into the vaping business on its own. Altria said Thursday that it will no longer provide marketing and retail distribution services for Juul, which is facing a ban on most e-cigarette flavors in pre-filled pods, numerous lawsuits and government investigations. Previously, Altria helped promote Juul through the insertion of Juul coupons in Marlboro packs, for example. Now, it will only provide regulatory assistance as of March. The shift comes amid criticism from anti-tobacco watchdogs who say that Juul lured young people into vaping and that Big Tobacco covets the burgeoning market for e-cigarettes. Altria's 35% stake in Juul has quickly deteriorated in value. The $12.8 billion investment, which occurred in December 2018, was worth $4.2 billion as of Dec. 31, 2019, Altria said Thursday. That included a $4.1 billion charge recorded in the fourth quarter due to Juul's troubles. Vaping crisis: Juul suspends all US sales of fruity e-cigarettes amid scrutiny Federal ban: FDA bars mint- and fruit-flavored vaping products but exempts menthol and tobacco "Its a real black eye for management just a major strategic mistake," said Garrett Nelson, a CFRA Research stock analyst who tracks Altria. "But hindsight is 2020 they didnt see the issues with e-cigarettes on the horizon at the time." Altria appears to be taking steps to minimize the risk that it could also become the subject of the many lawsuits and investigations targeting Juul, said Robert Jackler, an industry watchdog and Stanford University professor. "Altria is now working hard to distance themselves from a deeply tarnished brand that potentially links them to an enormous litigation liability," said Jackler, who is serving as an adviser for some attorneys general and for plaintiffs in some of those cases. Story continues Juul products are displayed at Smoke and Gift Shop on October 17, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Juul announced plans to immediately suspend sales of its fruit flavored e-cigarettes ahead of a policy by the Trump administration that is expected to ban all flavored e-cigarettes. On a conference call with analysts and investors, Altria's Chief Financial Officer Billy Gifford said the write-down was related to the "legal environment" surrounding Juul, including "slower future e-vapor category growth due to likely regulatory action." "We did not assess the merits of the cases, whether they would be successful or not against Juul," Gifford said. "We really looked at assessing the risk of the uncertainty related to the litigation." Central to Juul's challenges is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has banned prefilled e-cigarette pods with any flavors except for tobacco and menthol. Experts blame flavored e-cigarettes for the national boom in youth vaping, which can lead to nicotine addiction and smoking. Vaping companies say that their product is safer than smoking combustible cigarettes, which cause cancer and other diseases. A Juul spokesman did not respond to a request seeking comment. Matthew Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, cautioned against believing that Altria is sidelining Juul altogether. "My concern is that the revised agreement is designed to put all of Altria's muscle and expertise into convincing the FDA to allow the very products that fuel the e-cig epidemic back onto the market," Myers said. "No one should conclude that they have given up on the e-cigarette market." Altria spokesman David Sutton denied that the company's announcement was aimed at getting Juul's wide range of flavors, such as mint and mango, back onto the market. Vaping companies must submit applications to the FDA by May 12 in an attempt to get approval to sell prefilled, flavored vaping pods. Refillable pods are still legal. Altria could also decide to re-enter the vaping market under certain conditions, according to its renegotiated deal with Juul. Altria can resume selling its own brand of e-cigarettes after agreeing to stop doing so as part of its Juul investment if Juul is banned from selling in the U.S. for at least a year or if the value of Altria's Juul investment drops to $1.28 billion or lower. While reducing its direct ties to Juul, Altria is also pursuing a new path to bolster its revenue. The company wants to attract Juul users to its own smoking alternative, a heat-not-burn device called IQOS, which was recently approved for sale in the U.S, Jackler of Stanford said. Altria recently began selling the battery-powered IQOS which heats tobacco, creating an inhalable aerosol containing nicotine in the Atlanta market and Richmond, Virginia, market. The company plans to expand into other areas soon. "We think IQOS is going to sell very well because it's going to benefit from former Juul users switching," said Nelson, the CFRA Research stock analyst. Altria's Sutton said it's "completely off base" to suggest that the company is trying to get Juul users to convert to IQOS, which, he said, is sold in dedicated retail stores where workers will only sell the product to smokers. IQOS comes from Philip Morris International, which sells Altria products in foreign markets and allows Altria to sell its products in the U.S. through a reciprocal agreement. "Their goal is to control the three categories that are emerging in the tobacco market traditional combustible, the vapor category and the heated tobacco category," Jackler said of Altria. Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Juul: Altria distances itself from e-cigarette maker amid scrutiny Stanford MSx ($$) vs Cambridge Judge ($$) [ #permalink Hey GMAT Club! I wanted to update on my previous GMAT Club post (I can't post the link but it's titled 'Stanford MSx vs MIT Sloan Fellows vs Cambridge Judge w/scholarship : Admitted - Which BSchool to Choose?') Im down to the wire now and am still struggling with my decision, would love to hear you guys advice. I only just heard back from GSB on their financial aid package. At 60% tuition, I didnt expect it to be quite so generous, and so now Im reconsidering the MSx program where before I had been pretty much decided on Cambridge due to lower debt burden & proximity to London where I'll be seeking employment. Im 31 (32 at 2020 matriculation), just coming out of 7 years of non-profit and social enterprise entrepreneurship experience in China. I applied R1 and got accepted to a few schools, my decision has been whittled down to two: A nearly fully-funded Cambridge Judge MBA and the Stanford MSx with an ~$80K fellowship. My goals: * Career transition. Maybe tech, maybe impact investing, but looking to explore options and see where I can go from my entrepreneurial experience that is a little more stable. Thinking finance or tech, but to be honest, another shiny object might catch my eye. Would love to leverage my China experience and social impact background too. I know this makes it harder to give good advice and life would be easier if I had one clear direction in mind, but what can I say - Im working on it! But either way, my plan is to network & hustle up my own opportunity more than it is to rely on the traditional campus recruiting framework. * Ill be moving to London after this program & settling my family in the UK long-term I figure that the cost shouldnt be the main decision-maker. The difference of ~30K-40K will be overshadowed by other factors if I decide GSB is the better choice. Also, both are one year programs, though GSB has an extra summer term which I like. Im definitely excited about both programs. The biggest pros / cons that Ive boiled it down to: GSB pros: * Reputation * Strong tech (one main path Im considering), strong social impact, strong finance * More experienced cohort * Strong China network GSB cons: * MSx instead of MBA, diluted MBA, less known, not the headline program of the school * Heard some negative stuff about MSx (like this mystanfordmsxexperience wordpress guy) * More of a break for mid-career successful types as opposed to a career transition / typical MBA * Far from London * MSx recruitment not as strong as for the MBA Cambridge pros: * Proximity to London and post-MBA employers * Traditional MBA as opposed to MBA-lite / unfamiliar MSx degree * Less expensive tuition, less expensive cost of living, overall lower debt burden * Great UK/worldwide reputation and network Cambridge cons: * B-school is younger with less of a reputation & all the negatives associated with not being a tip-top school * Younger class in the MBA cohort * Heard some mixed things on its recruiting So yeah, what do y'all think? More than 20 years after it debuted on Broadway, the Tony-award winning musical Aida from Elton John and Tim Rice is going on tour, and the show will launch in New Jersey. Disney Theatrical Productions announced in a press release Friday that a reimagined version of the show is touring in 2021 throughout North America, with the show premiering at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn from Feb. 4 to March 7. The tour will also feature stops in Charlotte, Chicago, Fort Worth, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Nashville, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., with more to be announced as well. Schele Williams, a member of the shows original cast, will direct the new production. A passionate and timeless story for todays audiences, Aida is the compelling tale of star-crossed lovers belonging to feuding nations, torn between their conflicted loyalties to their countries and to each other," according to the press release. "With its stirring contemporary score and its powerful love story, Aida reveals that we have the power to change history, but only when we make brave choices and embrace our destiny. Aida came to Broadway in 2000, earning five Tony Award nominations and winning four, including Best Original Score. The cast recording won the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album as well. It toured in 53 North American cities from 2001 to 2003. Jeremy Schneider may be reached at jschneider@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. By Trend Turkey continues to make efforts towards finding ways to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a meeting with representatives of the International Federation of Journalists in Ankara, Trend reports Jan. 30. The minister stressed that the Turkish side will pay special attention to the Karabakh issue this year as well. If Russia uses its influence in this issue, we will solve it, Cavusoglu said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. B ritish nationals who were trapped at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China have caught their evacuation flight back to the UK. Their plane left Wuhan, where the deadly illness is believed to have originated, on Thursday night and were expected to arrive at 1pm on Friday (UK time). The flight, which had military medics on board, will land at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and passengers will then be placed in quarantine for 14 days. More than 80 Britons were on board the flight, which departed after an international health emergency was declared over the spread of the deadly illness. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP Passengers posted images on their Instagram stories of themselves wearing masks as they arrived at Wuhan airport and then on board the rescue plane. The UK's four chief medical officers raised the risk level of the illness from low to moderate. So far, the virus has caused 213 deaths, although there have been none outside of China. There have been 9,692 confirmed cases worldwide. Upon their arrival at RAF Brize Norton the passengers on the evacuation flight, who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, will be taken to an NHS facility on the Wirral for a quarantine period. Passengers wear protective masks as they walk he their luggagein the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport / Getty Images It is understood they will be taken to a former student accommodation block in the grounds of Arrowe Park Hospital, where passengers will have access to the internet in order to contact relatives. After the British passengers disembark, the flight will continue to Spain, where EU countries will process the non-British evacuees. "It's welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. "We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities." On Thursday evening, WHO declared coronavirus as an international public health emergency due to fears of the virus spreading to countries with weaker health infrastructure. The new virus has now infected more people in China than fell ill during the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Coronavirus: The confirmed cases around the world As of Thursday, 161 people have tested negative for the virus in the UK and 124 people have recovered and have since been discharged from hospital in China. Mr Raab said he had been working tirelessly to get British citizens out of Wuhan, where the majority of coronavirus cases have been found. A British man in Wuhan has said he is "losing faith" in the Government after he could not board an evacuation flight because it was unclear if he would be allowed to bring his young daughter. Chris Hill, 38, chose not to board the flight back to the UK after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) could not say if four-year-old Renee would be allowed on board because she is a Chinese national. The Chinese government does not recognise dual nationality, and it is thought that people with Chinese citizenship are unable to leave the affected area. Mr Hill lives in Wuhan with his wife Caitlyn Gao and their daughter, who are both Chinese nationals. He said: "When [the FCO] called me they said they would not be able to say if my family could go with me or not. "I said 'Oh OK so you cannot confirm in any way that they could travel with me', and they said 'We're trying our best but we can't guarantee anything,' so I said 'No, I'm not going'. "The whole point of saying you can go to the airport and try is like going well, it may happen, it may not. So it means if you take your family to the airport, and then they turn around and say no, what would happen? "With the current situation and the way the FCO is handling the diplomatic side of things, I'm just losing faith." The rescue flight was set to take off as Virgin Atlantic suspended its flights between Britain and China due to fears about the spread of the coronavirus. The airline said in a statement it would suspend its daily operations between the UK and Shanghai for two weeks from Saturday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney said there was no use of force during the arrest nor arrest processing of Harold Jermaine Easter, the man who fell unconscious in police custody and died four days later. Easters death is under investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. His family has called for transparency and asked for an outside agency to investigate. The 41-year-old Easter was arrested by CMPD on Jan. 23 on drug and traffic charges, according to police. His family has said doctors told them Easter suffered a heart attack while inside a police substation in west Charlotte. According to police, Easter fell unconscious while in the process of being interviewed and booked. CMPD officials have said officers rendered medical aid to him before he was taken to a hospital by Medic. Initially, CMPD began two internal investigations, one by homicide detectives and another by internal affairs. On Thursday, the department announced the SBI will review Easters death and CMPD officers actions. Four CMPD officers and one sergeant are on administrative leave. Following the SBI investigation, Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather will review the findings to determine whether the officers followed the law. CMPD will determine whether its officers followed department policy and procedures. Since November, Merriweathers office along with CMPD have used a new policy that establishes an external police investigation whenever a police officer shoots and seriously injures or kills someone. Easters case is being investigated as an in-custody death, not as a police use of force case, Putney said. This is an extension of the intent of our protocols, Putney said Friday. We want to be independent when independence is needed and the family (has) requested. SBI investigations Earlier in the week, family members and friends gathered outside of the CMPD substation where Easter was held before he was transported to the hospital. His loved ones say there are many unanswered questions about his death. Story continues Harold Jermaine Easter, 41, died on Jan. 26, 2020 in Charlotte, N.C. Police have not said how long Easter was in their custody before he fell ill or whether he was alone when he lost consciousness. Fridays news conference was the first time CMPD officials said publicly that officers had not used any type of force when arresting Easter or interviewing him. Independent investigations involving CMPD officers have become more common since the policy change in November. In determining the policy that we put forth a few months ago, this was all about trying to make sure that public trust was at the forefront, Merriweather said Friday. We want justice. Family of man who died in CMPD custody demands external investigation Just like before, the loved ones of a person killed or injured by a police officer still has the right to request an outside investigation. The policy change has long been requested by local activists, especially since 2016 following Keith Lamont Scotts death. And, the Citizens Review Board recommended the change last summer. National experts have recommended independent reviews in the case of police shootings. Prior, CMPD was the only police department in North Carolina to routinely conduct its own inquiries of officer shootings. Recent cases from Charlotte currently under SBI review include: A shooting this year when an off-duty CMPD officer discharged her gun. Multiple people were attempting to rob her and her husband when she fired her CMPD-issued gun, police said. Aside from a 17-year-old with non-life threatening injuries, no one else was hurt. Two CMPD officers working off-duty at the Epicentre, who fired their guns in responding to an altercation, according to CMPD. Treon McCoy died and one other person was injured, police said. A Gastonia officer who was shot while working with FBI agents and assisting CMPD officers in a pre-dawn operation to serve a search warrant. Authorities have not said who shot the police officer but have said one CMPD officer fired her gun and has been placed on administrative leave. YEREVAN. We expect that on the basis of the killing or causing the death of a person held captive in Azerbaijan, the ECHR will make similar decisions in the cases of Karen Petrosyan and Mamikon Khojoyan with a precedent right, given that one was killed and the other died of torture. Armenia's first ombudsperson, human rights activist Larisa Alaverdyan told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am. In her words, one can sometimes question the absolute impartiality of the ECHR judges' decisions. "But in this case, the European Court's ruling in the case of Manvel Saribekyan should be highly appreciated," she noted. Only the amount of 60,000 as compensation for the moral damage done to the family of the victim is surprising. I would have liked the ECHR to more adequately assess the amount of compensation for human life. " As reported earlier, the ECHR yesterday delivered a judgment in case of Saribekyan and Balyan v. Azerbaijan. The Court held that there has been a violation of Article 2 of the Convention (right to life) in respect of the death of Manvel Saribekyan; a violation of Article 2 of the Convention in respect of the inadequacy of the investigation into the death of Manvel Saribekyan and there has been a violation of Article 3 (prohibits torture, and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment) of the Convention in respect of the torture of Manvel Saribekyan. The Court obliged Azerbaijan to pay 60,000 euros in respect of non-pecuniary damage and 2,200 euros in respects of costs and expenses. Manvel Saribekyan, resident of Ttu Jur village of Armenia, was taken into Azerbaijans captivity in September 2010. Saribekyan was a civilian, a shepherd, while Azerbaijan persistently called him an Armenian saboteur. Later it was reported he allegedly hang himself on October 5. The Armenian side claimed he was either killed or forced to commit a suicide. It was proved by the fact that the Azerbaijani side refused to return his body for a month. On November 4, Azerbaijan handed his body to the Armenian side under agreement reached by Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian leaders during their meeting in Astrakhan last October. Mamikon Khojoyan, 77, a resident of Verin Karmiraghbyur village of Armenias Tavush Province, was killed in Spring 2014, as a result of an injection made while in an Azerbaijani prison. And in the summer of 2014, Karen Petrosyan, 3, a resident of Chinar village of Tavush Province, had accidentally crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and ended up in Azerbaijani captivity. Sometime thereafter, information was received about his death. A top Netflix official has said the streaming giant is keen to work with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Following a bombshell statement a fortnight ago , Harry and Meghan will be stepping down as senior royals and move to Canada. In line with their "progressive new role", the couple will drop their HRH title and relinquish an annual Sovereign Grant which currently makes up 5% of their income. Instead, they will work to be "financially independent" and pursue their own sources of income. While it's not yet known how they will make their cash, some brand experts have predicted they could be bigger than the Beckhams and their friends the Obamas. Former US president Barack and his wife Michelle signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix back in 2018 to make their own movies, series and documentaries. The couple also have their own production company, Higher Ground, gaining their first Oscar nod this year.Now, Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos has said he'd like to work with the soon-to-be former royals. Speaking at an event in Los Angeles, he told the PA news agency: "Who wouldn't be interested? Yes, sure." Former Suits-star Meghan is already rumoured to have signed a voiceover deal with Disney in return for a donation to an elephant charity. Earlier this year Prince Harry was caught on camera touting his wife for a voiceover job to Disney chairman Robert Iger at the Lion King premiere. Harry has some steaming giant experience already, having worked with Oprah Winfrey on a documentary on mental health for Apple TV+. There is also speculation that Harry could work the lecture circuit, sharing his travel experiences and giving insights into his military career. 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 INDEPENDENCE, Iowa Is Senator Amy Klobuchar the key to the Iowa caucuses? Maybe. But not for the reason you might think. Sure, Ms. Klobuchar is running a vigorous campaign in the state. Stuck in the Senate for the impeachment trial most of the week, she flew back for a hastily scheduled event in Council Bluffs on Tuesday night. Her daughter, Abigail Bessler, has been traveling across Iowa in her stead, wooing voters with Ms. Klobuchars family hot dish recipe. But in poll after poll, Ms. Klobuchar still hasnt hit the 15 percent threshold needed to win delegates. Her standing hints that her supporters could be up for grabs on the second ballot in many precincts. And four days before the caucuses, rival camps are already coming courting, trying to increase their margins by scooping up some of her caucusgoers. Call it the second-place shuffle. Second choice matters, said Norm Sterzenbach, a caucus adviser to Ms. Klobuchar. You have to be careful in how you talk about not only your own candidacy and your strengths but the strengths of the other candidates as well. Seven top European universities join forces to improve citizens' well-being Rectors, Presidents and Vice-Chancellors from seven of Europes leading universities launch their shared vision The Rectors, Presidents and Vice-Chancellors from seven of Europes leading universities met in Koln (Germany) to launch their shared vision for improving European citizens quality of life by creating a European University for Well-Being. Through top level education and research, the alliance will help to create an environment that allows for European citizens and their global neighbours to be well-educated, socially responsible, healthy, inclusive and diverse all critical aspects of well-being. The leaders of the Universities of Birmingham, Firenze, Koln, Leiden, Linnaeus, Nantes and Semmelweis confirmed the shared missions and values of the partners, and outlined the benefits to be gained from bringing together such a rich diversity of institutions. To launch the alliance, which will be known as European University for Well-Being (EUniWell), the leaders announced an initial joint seed fund to stimulate research, teaching and policy development partnerships. This will support multilateral projects involving the universities 255,000 students and 44,000 staff members across seven European countries. The initial focus of the alliance is well-being, especially of those people living in cities. In the longer term, the collaboration will define how a modern, civic and entrepreneurial university can support social and individual well-being in a global setting. Well-being is one of the cornerstones of the European Union and a common European value. Since understanding and improving well-being requires a holistic approach, the collaboration will span research, education, and policy engagement. It will support learning at all ages: not just for university students, but also for life-long learners, and the training of teachers. It will foster equality and diversity, including multilingualism and multiculturalism. In coming together at this scale and reach, the partner universities in EUniWell recognise their responsibilities for training the next generation of Europeans, enabling scientific breakthroughs and ensuring successful knowledge transfer to benefit society as a whole. As Europes next generation, students are the core of the alliance and are involved in all its aspects including governance. On launching the collaboration, the leaders of the universities in the alliance said: We are delighted to combine the forces and strengths of our seven universities. We are creating an ambitious, visionary and distinctive alliance, that will support the well-being of our students, staff, cities and regions, and Europe more broadly. This alliance will show how diversity and working across national boundaries, bringing together diverse but complementary universities, is the best way to address the key issue of the well-being of Europes population." Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Birmingham, UK. Professor Luigi Dei, Rector, Universita degli Studi di Firenze, Italy. Professor Axel Freimuth, Rector, Universitat zu Koln, Germany. Professor Carel Stolker, Rector Magnificus and President, Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands. Professor Peter Aronsson, Vice-Chancellor, Linnaeus University, Sweden. Professor Olivier Laboux, President, Universite de Nantes, France. Professor Bela Merkely, Rector, Semmelweis University, Hungary. Notes to editors: NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has exuded confidence that his party - BJP - will win at least 40 seats in the crucial Delhi assembly election 2020. ''BJP will win 40 seats in Delhi assembly election,'' Shah said on Friday. However, the Home Minister said this ''off the record'' while speaking to Zee Media. According to party insiders, the Bharatiya Janata Party has recently carried out an inside survey to determine its standing in the upcoming assembly election in Delhi. The finding of the party's internal survey shows the party to be winning somewhere between 35-40 seats. Though no official word has come regarding the party's internal survey, but if the predictions come true, BJP can win nearly 40 seats in Delhi. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has earlier claimed that his party will win more than 47 seats on this election. Earlier on Friday, BJP released its election manifesto (Sankalp Patra) for the February 8 assembly polls in the city and promised better education and clean air, along with several other things for a better Delhi. Live TV Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari were present at the Delhi BJP office to release the `Sankalp Patra` titled `Desh Badla, Ab Delhi Badlo` (the country has changed, now change Delhi). Tiwari said the party will form a colony development board for the development of the new authorised colonies in the national capital. The party promised it will formulate a scheme to encourage and provide financial assistance to the cycle rickshaw pullers to switch to e-rickshaws. `House for all by 2022` and better connectivity are also BJP`s promise to the city. "An `Economic Backward Classes Commission` will be set up for the development of the economically backward people (EWS) in the general class," said the BJP manifesto. It promised 10,000 green buses, a Green Industry Corridor to check air pollution. It also promised Delhi Yamuna Development Board for cleaning the Yamuna. On the education front, the manifesto promises 10 new colleges, a cycle for EWS girls in Class 9 and 12 and an e-scooter and helmet for EWS girls under the `Beti Bacho, Beti Padhao` scheme. The party promised piped drinking water for all by 2024 along with the implementation of Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Awas schemes in the city. The people from the EWS category will get wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg if the BJP came to power, says the manifesto. The 56-page document in Hindi has a large picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- the face for BJP for the Delhi Assembly elections. The cover page also has the picture of BJP President J.P. Nadda and city chief Manoj Tiwari. Delhi goes to the polls on February 8 and results will be declared on February 11. The Geothermal Project is all part of governments thrust towards increased exploitation of renewal energy sources. The tested temperatures at the three drilling sites of the Geothermal Project here are adequate for geothermal power. This assurance was given by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves during the last session of Parliament, in response to a question by Parliamentary Representative for West Kingstown, Daniel Cummings. In his response, Gonsalves explained that as of December 31, 2019, there were three wells - SVG01, SVG02 and SVG03 - and the amount spent so far was US$32.94 million. Drilling at SVG01, April to July 2019, went to a depth of 2700 metres, but the well was proved unstable at 1880 to 1890 metres and collapsed, the PM reported. The temperature results from this site, though, reached 105 degrees Celsius. At the second site, SVG02, which was worked on between August and October 2019, the same challenges as the first site developed at 2800 metres and it too collapsed. Temperatures of 220 degrees Celsius were recorded at this site and, according to Dr. Gonsalves, the planned action is for continued stimulation with increased pressure to open fractures and increase flow capacity. And at the third site, SVG03, which was conducted between November 2019 and January 15, 2020, similar permeability challenges developed at 2990 meteres however the temperatures recorded measured 230 degrees Celsius and were calculated to go as high as 250 degrees. Going forward, Gonsalves said that the rig will be relocated to SVG01 where work will be done to rectify the collapsed well by sidetracking. Given the success of stimulation at SVG01, it is expected that the rig will be moved to SVG03 where the procedure will be done again using the packer, and further stimulation will commence following the work on SVG03 if that is deemed successful. Following the well testing, which is expected to be done in July this year, the well capacity will be known and the economic analysis updated, Gonsalves said. Organisers of the Bafta Awards have announced that this years ceremony will be carbon neutral. As is the same with many industries, awards shows which are renowned for flying in guests from afar and gifting lavish goody bags are coming under close scrutiny over their environmental footprint. This season, the Baftas are making a number of changes to their approach in an attempt to become more sustainable with organisers claiming the entire event will be carbon neutral. Dame Pippa Harris, Bafta chair, told the PA news agency: Like everyone, we are increasingly concerned about the impact of climate change and it just feels like we can no longer do nothing, that is just not acceptable. She added: For the last year and intensively over the last eight months, everyone has been working across every area, not just the ceremony itself, the red carpet, the Grosvenor House dinner, every element that makes up the Baftas, to make sure that by the end of the day, the whole thing will be carbon neutral. Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Show all 13 1 /13 Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Zendaya The Euphoria actor opted for a futuristic look at the Critics Choice Awards, wearing a striking hot pink breastplate by Tom Ford and matching high-waisted skirt REUTERS Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Jennifer Lopez The Best Supporting Actress nominee oozed elegance in an embellished, cream, cut-out gown by George Shobeika, accessorising with drop earrings REUTERS Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Saoirse Ronan The Little Women star wore a frilled, floral Erdem creation straight from the Spring 2020 catwalk, wearing her hair in a glamorous side-swept style Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Lupita Nyong'o The Oscar winner stunned in a brown Michael Kors design, featuring a high-waisted, flowing skirt, a gold belt and a halter-neck top REUTERS Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Charlize Theron The actor, who portrays news anchor Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, stood out at the awards ceremony in a dazzling, pinstriped gown by Celine and a sharp black jacket EPA Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Nicole Kidman The Big Little Lies star and co-producer looked every inch Hollywood royalty in a strapless ballgown by Armani REUTERS Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Anne Hathaway Hathaway emulated the gold Oscars statue at the Critics Choice Awards, wearing a standout sequinned creation by Versace Getty Images Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Cynthia Erivo The Harriet actor made a lasting impression at the star-studded occasion, wearing a regal, geometric design by Fendi Getty Images Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Renee Zellweger The actor, who won the Best Actress Critics Choice Award for her performance in Judy, opted for simplicity at the awards show, wearing a black Dior design AFP via Getty Images Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Phoebe Waller-Bridge The Best Actress in a Comedy Series winner was a vision of glamour at the Critics Choice Awards, wearing a sheer, black Dior dress and opting for minimal accessories Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Florence Pugh The Little Women star unleashed her inner ice queen at her debut Critics Choice Awards, wearing a custom, silver design by Prada REUTERS Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Awkwafina The actor, who was nominated for Best Actress for her performance in The Farewell, shone brightly at the awards ceremony in a marigold Elie Saab gown AFP via Getty Images Critics Choice Awards 2020: Best-dressed stars on the red carpet Kate Beckinsale The actor, who revealed on Instagram that she 'skidded on a vegan burrito' after presenting an award, embodied old-school Hollywood glamour in a silver Julien Macdonald creation Getty Images The move will signal the end of the traditional goody bag, which often contains a number of expensive gifts such as beauty products and bottles of champagne. However, Harris said that the Baftas felt it was not a very sustainable thing to be doing and that this year celebrities will be given a gifting wallet made from recycled plastic instead. Similarly, attendees are being encouraged to make more sustainable fashion choices on the red carpet such as re-wearing an outfit they already own, hiring something rather than buying it, or opting for an eco-conscious designer. Harris also revealed that guests are being asked to consider how they are making their way to the ceremony and that if they do have to fly, to offset their travel. Its not just Bafta, I think Ampas (which organises the Oscars) and the other awards boards all realise that youre under the spotlight, Harris explained. Particularly in this day and age, you cant simply be having a glitzy party and then people are getting up on stage to talk about climate change but actually the ceremony and the event itself have had a negative impact on the environment, thats just not acceptable. Additional changes being made to this years ceremony include a ban on single-use plastic and a red carpet made from recycled materials. Guests will also be served a vegan starter and pudding as part of the awards meal. Bafta is not the first awards show to encourage its guests to make more sustainable choices this season. Earlier this month, the Golden Globes served an exclusively vegan meal during the awards ceremony. We are going vegan! a statement published on the Golden Globes Facebook page said at the time. At the 77th Golden Globes Awards ceremony, a 100 per cent plant-based dinner, including a chilled golden beet soup and king oyster mushrooms with risotto, will be served. The decision was praised by a number of attendees including Joker star Joaquin Phoenix who thanked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) for recognising and acknowledging the link between animal agriculture and climate change. It really sends a powerful message, he said while accepting an award for best actor for a motion picture. [January 31, 2020] HomeServe to Offer Home Repair Service Plans to PSO Customers HomeServe USA (HomeServe), the leading provider of home emergency repair service plans, today announced the expansion of its agreement with American Electric Power (AEP) with the launch of service to customers located in AEP's operating unit Public Service Company of Oklahoma's (PSO) territory. The new warranty services program will begin with an offer for the Exterior Electric Line service plan to PSO's residential customers located in Oklahoma. HomeServe's Exterior Electric Line service plan offers homeowners protection against the expense and inconvenience of repairs to the home's exterior electrical components that connect to the PSO electric system. This can include repairs to the weatherhead, riser pipe, insulators, meter base and service entrance cable. These repairs can be costly and are not typically covered by basic homeowners insurance. HomeServe plan holders will have access to a Repair Hotline that is accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to bring local, licensed and insured electricians right to their home for repairs. The plan costs $4.99 a month. PSO homeowner customers will also have access to other HomeServe service plans, including interior electrical lines, heating and cooling systems, water heaters and household plumbing. Customers will be able to pay for these service plans with convenient payment options directly on their PSO bill or directly with HomeServe. The program is completely optional and the coverage can be cancelled at any time. "We are pleased to be able to introduce these service plans for PSO customers. It's important for homeowners to know that if they have an electrical or other repair emergency, they have an option available to which they can turn," said John Kitze, CEO of HomeServe USA. "Our plans not only provide timely repairs homeowners need, they also help relieve the financial burden." PSO customers will be receiving details about the new program in the mail over the coming weeks. When the customers receive the mail from HomeServe, it will include PSO's loo, which will demonstrate the validity of the trusted partnership between the companies. For more information visit psoklahoma.com/HomeWarranty or call HomeServe toll-free at 833-989-0074. About HomeServe USA HomeServe USA Corp. (HomeServe) is a leading provider of home repair solutions serving more than 4.2 million customers across the US and Canada under the HomeServe, Home Emergency Insurance Solutions, Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA) and Service Line Warranties of Canada (SLWC) names. Since 2003, HomeServe has been protecting homeowners against the expense and inconvenience of water, sewer, electrical, HVAC and other home repair emergencies by providing affordable repair coverage, installations and quality local service. As an A+ rated Better Business Bureau Accredited Business, HomeServe is dedicated to being a customer-focused company supplying best-in-class repair plans and other services to consumers directly and through over 750 leading municipal, utility and association partners. HomeServe is teamed up with television personality and author Mike Rowe, best known as the creator and host of the series "Dirty Jobs." For more information about HomeServe, a Connecticut Top Workplace winner and recipient of thirty-three 2019 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, or to learn more about HomeServe's affordable repair plans, please go to www.homeserve.com. Connect with HomeServe on Facebook (News - Alert) and Twitter @HomeServeUSA. For news and information follow on Twitter @HomeServeUSNews. About PSO Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 554,000 customers' accounts across 30,000 square miles in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO has nearly 3,800 megawatts of primarily gas-fired generating capacity, 22-thousand miles of distribution lines, 37-hundred miles of transmission lines, and is one of the largest distributors of wind energy in the state. Find news releases and other information about PSO at www.PSOklahoma.com. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter (News - Alert) and Instagram @PSOklahoma. About American Electric Power (AEP) American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP's more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation's largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation's largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP's family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005043/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Naga issue faces an uncertain future with no progress being made on the Naga Peace Accord three months since the supposed conclusion of the peace talks between the NSCN-IM and the Central Government Three months since the supposed conclusion of the Naga peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM), the Nagas face an uncertain future with no progress being made on the Naga political issue. The Government of India had imposed a deadline to strike a deal with the Isak-Muivah faction of the NSCN Nagaland governor RN Ravi had announced in July 2019 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi desired to conclude the talks within three months however, the two sides are still negotiating to reach an agreement. Drawing comparisons between Government of Indias policies and the recently signed Bodo Accord, C Singson, a senior leader of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Unification (NSCN-U), another faction of the NSCN, said that the Bodos could achieve their dream because the State of Assam did not object to the creation of Bodoland. The Centre and Assam government on Monday signed the Bodo Accord with the four factions of the insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the All Bodo Students Union. Bodoland was given because people of Assam did not oppose, but we are still trying to convince the Meiteis in Manipur to let us have our Territorial Council in the state, which will uplift the economy of the tribal people without affecting the territorial integrity of Manipur, Singson told this correspondent. In Manipur, where the Nagas have a sizeable population, the Meiteis (the majority ethnic group in Manipur) have made it clear that the final Naga Peace Accord should not hurt Manipurs interests. Earlier, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), the apex body of seven civil society organisations had called for a 'cease work agitation', and launched public alert rallies across the state, demanding disclosure of the Naga Framework Agreement signed between the Centre and the NSCN in August 2015. Almost 70 percent of land in Manipur belong to the tribal people. So, the Meiteis are naturally insecure But, they must understand that there is no hidden agenda. It is for the welfare of the people. And if the territorial integrity is intact, I don't see what problem they have, added Singson, indicating that the land factor is predominantly important for the Meitei community, and is another hurdle left to clear for the Nagas. On Thursday, an 11-member team of NSCN-IM leaders led by ato kilonser (prime minister)' and chief negotiator Thuingaleng Muivah met with the Naga peace talks interlocutor RN Ravi in Dimapur to discuss the issue. Sources said there will be more talks in the coming days. Though not present in the meeting convened on Thursday, senior NSCN-IM leader and deputy kilonser Kehoi said that the Government of India is trying to mislead the Naga people, with no intent to work out the differences. We have already submitted our final list of competencies, and discussing the points. But the Government of India is trying to betray its commitment to the Nagas and the NSCN government by avoiding core issue. If it cannot solve the Naga problem, we will stay away from India, said Kehoi. The government will have to recognise the rights of the Nagas the sudden appointment of RN Ravi as the Governor of Nagaland when he was already the talks interlocutor is a sinister idea and a policy of the Government of India. He had been meeting with civil society leaders and using them against us, but those in the grassroots support us. We have been fighting since the past 70 years, we cannot let anyone betray our rights, he added. It has been 22 years since talks between NSCN-IM and the government officially began in 1997. In August 2015, the Union government signed a framework agreement to seek a final solution with IM faction of the NSCN. The six Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) joined the talks later by signing a Deed of Commitment with the government in 2017. The NNPGs have submitted their charter of demand to the Government of India the talk was on, and it has been finalised. We have also shared the same with civil society (groups). There should be no confusion among the people, said one of the NNPG members on condition of anonymity. In November last year, 17 NSCN-IM members including one of its top leaders had quit the group to join the Working Committee of the NNPGs. The NSCN-IM was against the 1960 16 Point Agreement and the Shillong Accord in 1975 they cannot repeat history. In the 21st Century, the political scenario is totally different. An armed confrontation will not bring any solution, said a senior NSCN leader. In his Republic Day address to the people of Nagaland conveyed through All India Radio and Doordarshan Kendra Kohima last Saturday, Governor Ravi said, Some people, using guns, have tried to undermine the historical reality of the Nagaland state and its unique constitutional status. On this day, I remind them that violence has never succeeded and shall never succeed. Power through the barrel of gun is a proven failed ideology." Terming "guns and corruption" as the"two evils that have taken an unacceptable toll on the Naga people", Ravi added, "In democratic India, the people are supreme. We resolve our differences through peaceful dialogue, not under the shadow of guns. I remind those with guns that any attempt to subdue the people with fear is doomed to fail and bound to recoil. I urge them to read the bold writings on the wall and reformat themselves in tune with the reality before it is too late." Governor Ravi also pointed out that in order to ensure that our road projects do not suffer due to rampant extortion by gangs using guns, the state government has constituted a Highway Construction Protection Force in Nagaland Police. Also, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted for focused and determined investigation of extortion cases to bring the culprits to book. On the issue of taxation on trade and commerce in Nagaland, the NSCN-IM has maintained that "legitimate taxation would continue by a legitimate government". In 2019, the NNPGs and the NSCN-IM have had as many as 18 meetings with the chairman of the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG), Nagaland, Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan. This year, meetings on ceasefire monitoring and other ground rules were held on 28-29 January between the NSCN groups and the ceasefire body. The recruitment of cadres in various NSCN factions was once again discussed NSCN repeated that cadres have "willingly" joining the outfit and that there has been no forceful recruitment. While asserting its commitment for 'territorial integration of Nagas under one political roof', the NSCN-IM had earlier said that the proposed pan-Naga Hoho will be a "common platform for Nagas to inculcate and foster the spirit of oneness and unity of all Nagas". Observing the current situation in northeast India, a defence analyst said, Such sandpaper agreements do not end anything. They will need another refinishing. The approach should be to find forever solution to the problems. WASHINGTON - After more than two weeks out of the impeachment spotlight, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., returned Thursday to the battlefield she had previously ruled. At a weekly news conference Pelosi spent more than 7 1/2 minutes talking about a range of domestic policy issues. Finally, she praised the team of seven House managers who have spent the past two weeks leading the prosecution in the Senate against President Donald Trump. She pleaded for Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to weigh in if the pending vote on additional witnesses ends in a 50-50 deadlock. Then, in an echo of her "impeached for life" declaration earlier this month, Pelosi said the most likely outcome would never be accepted by the public. "He will not be acquitted. You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial. And you don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation," Pelosi told reporters. It's been an odd few weeks for Pelosi. From the day she reclaimed the speaker's gavel a little more than a year ago to the Jan. 15 vote to transmit the impeachment articles to the Senate, Pelosi dominated that debate. For almost nine months, she held off her liberal flank against impeaching the president over Russian interference efforts in the 2016 election. Then, in late September, Pelosi pivoted once the Trump-Ukraine issue emerged. She took over the impeachment process in a way no speaker ever had before, deputizing her close ally, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as the lead investigator and dictating that the charges against the president would not go beyond Ukraine matters. For 33 days after the Dec. 18 impeachment vote, Pelosi held the articles in the House, demanding that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., allow for more witnesses to appear at the trial. But she has since drifted into the backdrop ever since Schiff led his team of impeachment managers across the Capitol two weeks ago and into the Senate chamber to read the two articles - on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - and commence trial proceedings. Pelosi still shadows the trial. As his defense began their presentation Saturday, Trump blasted "lyin', cheatin', liddle' Adam "Shifty" Schiff, Cryin' Chuck Schumer, Nervous Nancy Pelosi" on Twitter. But Republicans have really focused far more of their legal and political outrage at Schiff and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., searching for any poorly turned phrase to claim outrage. Partly by design, partly by necessity, Pelosi has taken a background position that allowed the managers to take the lead as she went about the duties of being speaker. Over a 10-day break Pelosi led a delegation to Poland and Israel for ceremonies commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. As the managers presented their case last week to the Senate, Pelosi maintained regular contact with Schiff and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. She returned to the Capitol Monday and she convened her first in-person meeting with Schiff and the mangers since the trial started, continuing her behind-the-scenes role in person. After the meeting, she decided she needed to drill home to the rest of the Democratic caucus that lawmakers keep a dignified tone in their own media appearances, avoiding mishaps that would make the managers' job even harder during the trial. "We have to maintain the dignity, the tone and the focus that our managers have brought to it. Our audience is, of course, the American people. But, the challenge is to change the minds of a few senators," Pelosi said Wednesday, according to a Democrat inside the closed-door caucus meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity to freely describe the comments. Instead of engaging in the hourly impeachment combat, Pelosi has tried to refocus House Democrats on their policy agenda. On Wednesday she and several committee chairmen unveiled a $760 billion infrastructure plan - yes, the running-joke issue of the Trump era, always overshadowed by some presidential controversy - and every media question actually focused on highway and bridge funding. She displayed a chart at her Thursday news conference to highlight the new plan, turning from that to the ongoing talks about legislation to lower prescription drug costs and blasting the administration's latest proposal on turning Medicaid into a block grant formula to states. It was one of the most lightly attended news conferences of her second run as speaker, with just two TV cameras on hand. Not a single network TV correspondent was there to pose questions to Pelosi. She poked fun at the absent Chad Pergram, the Fox News congressional correspondent who she enjoys a cordial relationship with, mocking his love of the Cincinnati Bengals as her hometown San Francisco 49ers head to the Super Bowl. The big action was across the Capitol, in the run-up to Thursday's final question-and-answer session in the trial before a pivotal debate and possible vote late Friday on whether to call more witnesses. Behind the scenes, Pelosi and Schiff are talking about everything from the team's legal presentations to the type of message that needs to be delivered. Late Wednesday, Schiff's answers to senators' questions began to focus increasingly more on Roberts, fully aware of the potential for him to play a big role as the trial moves on. So Thursday, Pelosi deflected a question about whether Trump would emerge from a Senate acquittal emboldened and turned it into a chance to latch onto Schiff's theme the night before. She called on Roberts to break a tie. "I would think that they would have confidence in the chief justice of the United States, that's really his title," she said. "And that's interesting to me, that they're afraid of breaking a tie with a chief justice of the United States." Still, as the days go forward, Pelosi remains a behind-the-scenes figure after an entire year when the spotlight shined almost singularly on her. "We did our job. We had a strong case of impeachment of the president of the United States," Pelosi told reporters Thursday. "No matter what the senators have the courage or not to do, he will be impeached forever." >>> PM hails efforts of Cho Ray Hospital in successfully treating patient with nCoV infection Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam is the head of the Steering Committee, while the Ministry of Health (MoH) is its standing body. The Steering Committee is tasked to assist the PM in directing, operating and coordinating ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and other concerned units and localities in nCoV prevention and control nationwide. It was also assigned the task of directing and coordinating with the relevant authorities to mobilise resources to support the implementation of the MoHs emergency plan for the prevention and control of the disease. The Steering Committee is responsible for organising the implementation, urging ministries, sectors, localities and concerned agencies to implement the PMs directions, as well as making daily reports to the PM and competent authorities regarding the current situation of the spread of the disease. * On Thursday morning, Chairman of Hanoi Municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung chaired a meeting to discuss solutions to deal with acute respiratory infections caused by nCoV. Chung said that as there is ample evidence that the disease spreads from person to person even during the incubation period, it is important for Vietnam to strengthen its disease prevention and control. * As a province with Chinese workers in local projects, the central province of Ha Tinh has proactively built plans and regimes to be fully repaired to cope with nCoV with the motto of boosting proactive control, timely treatment and not spreading the disease in case it arrives. Officials of Ha Tinh Department of Health examine the response to nCoV. (Photo: NDO) The functional forces in Ha Tinh will focus on controlling migrants at Cau Treo international border gate, Vung Ang port, Son Duong port and Xuan Hai port. The Ha Tinh Department of Health has assigned the Ha Tinhs Centre for Disease Control to arrange three mobile teams, while actively providing information to locals about the virus. * Information from the Can Tho Municipal Department of Health said that a family of four Chinese nationals from Wuhan currently reside at a local hotel. They are tested twice daily and have reported no signs of nCoV infection. However, they asked to stay in Can Tho because flights to Wuhan were cancelled to avoid the disease spreading even further. * Also on Thursday morning, information from the Quang Nam Central General Hospital said that the test results from the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang determined that a flight attendant, who had received isolated treatment because of suspected nCoV infection, was in fact only infected with the common and less dangerous influenza B. Currently, the hospital is carrying out the procedure for the 29 year old to be discharged from the hospital and continue her work. * Facing the complicated nCoV-related situation, Long An authorities have directed the provinces local governments to quickly implement prevention and control measures and set up a mobile team to respond rapidly to the epidemic. The Provincial Department of Health and Long An General Hospital have assigned disease prevention and control tasks to all departments, while preparing sufficient resources to serve the work and ensure occupational safety and health for health workers. Leaders of Long An Provincial People's Committee inspect the response to nCoV at Long An General Hospital. (Photo: NDO) * Recently, the Border Guard High Command has implemented the inspection, control and prevention of this disease on the Vietnam-Sino land border. In recent days, the Border Guard High Command has directed its units to closely coordinate with other domestic and foreign functional forces to strengthen inspection, control and application of special control measures. * On January 30, the MoH issued two official letters sent to all 63 provinces and cities and news agencies on promoting communications for the prevention and control of nCoV outbreak. In order to proactively prevent acute respiratory infection caused by the virus, the ministry also provided recommendations and advices for people and communities to be aware of how to deal with the virus. * The Ministry of Industry and Trade has said that its Agency for Foreign Trade is closely monitoring the epidemic situation to assess the potential impact on import and export activities. * On January 30, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam issued the fourth directive on the prevention and control of acute respiratory infection caused by nCoV, asking airlines to proactively adjust their flight schedules and suspend all flights from coronavirus-affected areas to Vietnam. The authority ordered airlines to not conduct regular flights and require additional licences for flights from Vietnam to Chinas affected regions. Flights from and to affected areas in China must be restricted. The administration requested airports to step up inspection and coordinate with relevant agencies to carry out plans to prevent and cope with a possible outbreak of the virus. They asked the air transport department to suspend the approval of new flights from Vietnam to Chinas affected areas and vice versa. In its previous directive, the CAV ordered airlines to immediately report suspected cases to service supply agencies for prompt isolation and prevention. As of January 30 morning, the pneumonia outbreak caused by nCoV caused at least 170 deaths and more than 7,700 infected in China. The outbreak first occurred in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, and has now spread to 15 other countries with roughly 60 current cases in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Commercial motorcycles and tricycles operators in Lagos State have expressed displeasure over the ban imposed on them by the state government. PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported how the state government banned the operation of motorcycles (popularly called Okada) and tricycles (Keke) across the state. Gbenga Omotosho, the commissioner for information and strategy, in a statement Monday, said the decision was taken after a robust assessment between the government and the state security council. The assessment, he said, focused on the safety of using motorcycles and tricycles as a means of transportation. The statement said the casualty figures arising from their use are scary. The ban, according to the statement, will be enforced in 15 local governments and local council development areas across the state. The full enforcement will begin on February 1, the statement said. Life on the fast lane Lagos has one of the worst traffic gridlocks across the world. To avoid spending hours in traffic, commuters often patronise faster and potentially riskier- alternatives like commercial motorcycles. In recent years, bike companies such as Gokada, ORide, and Max.Ng have sprung up across the city to help residents navigate the incessant traffic snarls. The governments statement did not state specifically if the ban affects bike companies. Operators lament A female keke rider, who pleaded for anonymity, told PREMIUM TIMES that the directive is not only unreasonable but inhumane. How do they expect many of us fending for our families through this job to survive? The government has provided no employment, yet, they want to deprive us of your means of livelihood. She said the government should prepare for an increase in crime once the ban is effected. Many people are not into crime because of this job they are doing, How do they expect them to earn a living without a job, she added. Another Okada operator, Jude Eben, said the development is not welcome. He said the decision of the government will not only affect the operators but also Lagosians who patronise them. Mr Eben said he hopes the government will reconsider its decision. See the rate of traffic on this Ikorodu road, if not for Okada operators, many people would have lost their jobs. People who cannot afford to lose their jobs or have important things to do patronise us after spending hours in the still traffic, he said. Franchis Osagie, an Opay rider lamented he will be unable to take care of his family any longer. Mr Franschis, who hails from Edo, Benin State, said he became a bike rider as a result of the situation of the country. He appealed to the government to rescind the decision. There is no work. If the government can provide work for us, nobody wants to be an Okada rider but its not that I dont like it, it is what I used to take care of my family. I dont think banning this Okada will be okay for people, he said. A Gokada rider, Ojo Oluwaseun, said the ban is not the best decision. Mr Ojo said he resorted to the job as a result of unemployment. This issue of banning Okada, I dont think its the right thing to do because we that we are riding this bike we dont have any other source of income. It will affect a lot of people including the passengers. The government should change its decision. Advertisements Olaoluwa Bakare, a Max Ng Okada rider, also decried the decision of the government. He said the ban will now allow him to take care of his family. Also, Chinedu Ndugalu, a keke man in his late 60s said the decision will affect both the riders and passengers. He appealed to the government to rescind its decision and establish stringent laws to punish defaulters I have been riding keke for 2 years now, so the thing will affect both the operators and the passengers because this is the way we used to get money to take care of our family, he lamented. Police react Meanwhile, Bala Elkana, the Lagos police spokesperson, told PREMIUM TIMES about the readiness of the Lagos Police to curb any upsurge of crime that might result from the ban. He said the command is ready to deal with all kinds of crimes in the state. There is no government that will naturally create hardship for the citizens, whatever decision that is taken, it is for the overall good of everyone, he said. Despite acknowledging that there are genuine Okada and Keke operators, Mr Elkana said there are some elements that infiltrated their groups creating troubles and hardships, violating traffic, causing accidents and using their Keke and Okada for crimes. We are not lawmakers, ours is to enforce the law, and we are prepared to do that, Mr Elkana said. A couple has died of suffocation at a sauna in the outskirts of Kathmandu, days after a similar incident took the lives of eight Indians at a resort in the country's Makawanpur district. According to preliminary investigation, the couple died after inhaling carbon monoxide which was emitted from a gas water geyser inside the sauna of a fitness club in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. According to Metropolitan Police Range, Lalitpur, the deceased were found unconscious in the sauna locked from inside on Thursday night. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Metropolitan Circle, Mitra Bandhu Sharma said, "The couple used the gas water geyser to shower after using the sauna in the bathroom attached to it. Excessive use of the geyser might have raised the level of the toxic gas, which suffocated the couple." The couple were regular members of the health club, officials said. The health club staff alerted the police and rushed the couple to Patan Hospital, where they were declared brought dead, police said. Juna Basnet, owner of the sauna, said, "They (couple) were well informed about the procedure to operate the sauna and gas geyser. The police have launched further investigation into the matter." The incident comes after eight Indian tourists, including four children, died of suffocation in a resort in Makwanpur district, 70 km south of Kathmandu. In the incident, the victims inhaled toxic gases from a leak in the room heater. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aligarh, Jan 31 : Two former students of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) have been externed from the district for a period of six months by the district administration. The two former students are Nadeem Ansari, former AMU Students Union president, and Mohammad Aamir. Aligarh District Magistrate, C.B. Singh, said that the two have been expelled from Aligarh for a period of six months, as they have become a threat to the general public due to their criminal activities. A case under the Uttar Pradesh Control of Goondas Act, 1970, was undergoing in the Additional District Magistrate (city) court, which has ordered their expulsion. According to an administrative official, Ansari was booked four times under various sections of IPC in three consecutive years in 2017, 2018, and 2019, which comes under the category of habitual criminal. Similarly, Aamir was booked for three consecutive years under various sections of IPC including attempt to murder in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. Singh said that the district administration is committed to ensuring continuous strict action against people with criminal backgrounds. Therefore, similar action will be taken in the future against the mafia and criminals under the Goonda Act, besides considering their expulsion from the district. A former Ohio TV weatherman pleaded guilty to the possession of child pornography after nearly 16,000 images were traced back to his email address. The 60-year-old faces a prison sentence of 29 years and will have to register as a sex offender. His defense team claims the pornography was used as self-medication for the man's mental health issues. Fired Ohio weatherman and father-of-three Mike Davis faces 29 years jail time after pleading guilty on Thursday to four counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor Chief meteorologist Mike Davis was fired from 1OTV after 31 years for the child porn crimes Courtesy of WBNS Mike Davis, 60, pleaded guilty in Franklin County Common Pleas Court in Columbus on Thursday to all four counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, the Beacon Journal reports. Three of the counts are second-degree felonies which carry the presumption of prison. His attorney Terry Sherman is seeking probation but Davis faces having to serve 29 years in prison when sentenced. Davis will also have to register as a tier-2 sex offender every six months for he next 25 years. The former WBNS-TV weatherman and father of three was fired from his job as chief meteorologist in September 2019 after he was indicted on the child pornography charges. 'Mike Davis has been employed at 10TV for 31 years. We will cover this story with the same ethical standards we would any other case,' the station said following his arrest. Mike Davis, 60, pleaded guilty to downloading 16,000 child pornography images Mike Davis is due to face sentencing from Judge Karen Phipps (pictured) on March 25 He was arrested after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children informed the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force that almost 16,000 had been traced to a Central Ohio email address. Local detectives confirmed the email address belonged to Davis. Investigators said they were investigating him for weeks before raiding his home and the news station where he has worked for 30 years. Over the course of seven years, Davis had downloaded thousands of images of child pornography and sent them to multiple devices to view. His cell phones, computers and thumb drives were all seized by authorities. Many of the images downloaded involved young girls exposing themselves or engaging in sexual acts with adults. His attorney asked the judge that Davis be considered for a therapy program instead of prison, arguing that there is no evidence that Davis has ever has any inappropriate contact with a minor. Last week, Sherman filed a motion that Davis 'did not create, distribute or share these images. Furthermore, there is no indication that Mr. Davis ever had any inappropriate contact with any minor children on any level. 'Mr. Davis has never engaged in predatory behavior and is certainly no threat to the community.' The defense team also argued that Davis attempted to use the child pornography as a form of self-medication for severe depression and anxiety. Davis is due to face sentencing from Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Karen Phipps on March 25. County prosecutors will be requesting a prison sentence. The father of three has been ordered to not have any unsupervised contact with underage children and no access to the internet while free on bond. Davis refused to speak to the TV station where he worked about the child porn charges Married father-of-three Mike Davis claims that the child pornography he viewed was used as a form of self-medication for mental health issues including severe anxiety and depression 'It's a reminder that these kinds of cases span across all professions, we've arrested clergymen, we've arrested cops, folks from the media we've arrested everybody,' Sheriff Deputy Minerd said of the case. 'It's a reminder for the community how dangerous the internet is, and how we need to protect our children.' Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Sergeant Jeff Zech said high-profile cases such as this have become the face for a much larger problem. 'We could have 100 investigators or detectives up here in our office and we would still be swamped with the amount of activity that occurs of this nature,' he told NBC 4. 'It's just a drop in the bucket, what we're getting of what's going on. 'It's just like a constant cat and mouse game of trying to figure out what these individuals are using, where they're located at, how they're trading things, how they're trying to keep things secret, that sort of thing.' A decision by An Bord Pleanala to grant planning permission for a proposed electricity generating solar farm in Co Cork has been overturned by the High Court. In judicial review proceedings Environmental activist Peter Sweetman sought orders against both An Bord Pleanala and the State aimed at quashing the November 2018 decision giving the go-ahead for the solar farm on a 67.8 hectare site at Fiddane, Ballyhea, Co Cork. An Bord Pleanala opposed the application arguing its decision should remain undisturbed. It had granted planning permission fir the solar farm after Mr Sweetman appealed an earlier decision, by Cork County Council, to grant permission for the development. The developer of the proposed solar farm, IGP Solar 8 Ltd was a notice party to the High Court proceedings. In his judgement on Friday Mr Justice Denis McDonald found an Bord Pleanala did not carry out a proper screening exercise for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in relation to the proposed development. This failure the Judge added, rendered its decision to grant permission invalid. Other arguments advanced on behalf of Mr Sweetman including that the proposed solar farm required to be assessed under the European Environmental Impact Assessment Directive were dismissed after the judge found the arguements had not been properly made out. The judge also held the proceedings against the State must also fail on the grounds that the case against Ireland and the Attorney General was not properly pleaded as is required. Mr Sweetman had argued if An Bord Pleanala had made its decision to grant planning permission for the solar farm under Irish law, then it must follow that the State has failed to adequately transpose EU directives on Habitats and EIAs. No provision of Irish law was indentified by the plaintiff which it is alleged fails to properly transpose the provisions of those directives, the judge said. The court, after hearing submissions from the parties, will rule at a later date if the matter can be remitted back to An Bird Pleanala for a fresh consideration. The judge adjourned the matter to allow the parties consider his decision. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692, China's national authorities announced on Friday. Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported. A total of 213 people have died of the disease as of Thursday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Chinese health authorities announced that 9,692 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Thursday. About 20 countries, including India, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show China said it has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the epidemic. The WHO has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. The UN health agency on Friday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China -- a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Reacting to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, "Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health." Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations, she said. "We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic," said the spokesperson. She said that at the same time, the Chinese side informed relevant sides and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner with openness, transparency and a responsible attitude. "WHO and many countries have recognised and commended this," she said. Hua said China has been in close communication and cooperation with WHO. "WHO experts recently conducted a field trip to Wuhan. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also visited China and discussed containment and mitigation of the 2019-nCoV with the Chinese side," she said. Noting that Tedros commended China's efforts and spoke highly of China's great contribution to the world by fighting against the novel coronavirus, Hua said the country will continue working with WHO and other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xinhua quoted her statement. The Costa Crociere liner carrying some 7,000 people was in a lockdown at the Italian port of Civitavecchia. AFP Photo Thousands of stranded tourists were free to disembark from a cruise ship at an Italian port after authorities said two Chinese passengers feared to have the coronavirus tested negative Thursday. Italy's institute for infectious diseases examined samples taken from a Chinese woman ill with a fever, as well as her travelling companion, and both were negative for coronavirus, the health ministry said. It was not immediately clear whether passengers, who had been stranded for 12 hours, would disembark from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship on Thursday or Friday. Some 1,000 new passengers were due to board the ship in Civitavecchia and 1,400 were due to permanently disembark. The news came as the UN health agency declared an international emergency over the deadly coronavirus from China, which reported its biggest single-day jump in coronavirus deaths. Costa Cruises said a 54-year old woman from Macau "was placed in solitary confinement in the on-board hospital last night with her travel companion". Some 750 other Chinese passengers were on board and all appear to be in good health. Costa Cruises was offering to pay for food and hotels for some 1,140 people who had been due to go ashore at the Civitavecchia port near Rome, and the ship was to set sail again Friday, Italian media said. "People are irritable and exasperated," one passenger who was on board with his wife said. "They've given us rooms to use as a base while we wait, but there's no privacy," he said. The Smeralda, the company's flagship and the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world, had sailed in from Palma de Mallorca as part of a one-week trip in the western Mediterranean. Cautious Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte earlier said the government was "not worried, but vigilant and cautious". The couple flew in to Milan from Hong Kong on January 25, before getting on board at Savona in northern Italy, according to media reports. The ship also stopped at Marseilles and Barcelona, as well as Parma de Mallorca, according to an itinerary on its website. It had been due to sail for La Spezia in north Italy late Thursday, but would skip that stop and head straight for Savona, the media said. An initial plan to disembark those who had been due to leave the ship Thursday morning had been put on hold after Civitavecchia mayor Ernesto Tedesco protested. "Are you mad? Who gave you the order to disembark? I'll take you all to court," he shouted at officials after racing to the port in his Fiat 500, according to the Repubblica daily. Carnival, the company which owns Costa Crociere, saw its stock price plunge nearly 11 percent Thursday morning. Silvio Brusaferro, president of the Italian national health institute, said that all suspected cases in Italy so far had turned out to be false alarms, but the health service was "ready should any cases of infection emerge". Beijing has taken extraordinary steps to halt the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. The pathogen is believed to have emerged in a market that sold wild game, and spread by a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel domestically or abroad. There still is at the Trade Institute of Pittsburgh (TIP) that Shelton launched. There, in what used to be a Westinghouse Electric factory, some men, many in their 30s looking for their first legal jobs, and a few women learn to wield trowels and mortar, thereby deriving from bricklaying (and welding, carpentry and painting) a dignity they did not feel when they grew up on this citys meanest streets, or when, for 85 percent of them, their incarcerations ended. New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday postponed the hanging of the four convicts of the December 16 gang-rape case until further orders stating that the Delhi Prison Rules, 2018, command that if an appeal and application is made by one convict, then the execution sentence of all co-convicts will be postponed as well. ...I am of the considered opinion that the execution warrant issued by this court vide order dated January 17 deserves to be postponed till further orders, additional sessions judge Dharmendra Rana said. The court also said that according to the Delhi Prison Rules (DPR), 2018, the execution sentence of all convicts of the case will be postponed pending receipt of orders from the President of India. The court was hearing a plea filed by one of the convicts, Vinay Sharma, who had sought that the death warrant issued by the court on January 17, for the second time, be stayed in the wake of the mercy petition pending before the President. Therefore, I have no hesitation in observing that the execution of warrant qua accused Vinay ought to be postponed (sic), the judge said in his 10-page order. The court also postponed the execution of the other convicts Akshay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh. Just as the court pronounced the order, the victims mother Asha Devi broke down and said either the convicts should be hanged or the government should declare that there are flaws in the law, which were causing a delay in the execution of the convicts. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal later tweeted, I am saddened that the convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape case are using legal tactics to delay the hanging. They should be hanged immediately. There is a strict need to bring changes in the existing laws, so that the hanging in rape cases can be conducted within six months. While postponing the matter without specifying any date, the judge observed, Without commenting upon the dilatory tactics adopted by the convicts, suffice it would be to state that seeking redressal of ones grievances through procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelsons eye towards him (sic). In a day -long hearing at the Patiala House court complex in the national capital, arguments were advanced by the counsels for all parties concerned. Appearing for the state, additional public prosecutor Irfan Ahmed opposed Vinays application seeking a stay and contended that it is not legally maintainable according to the DPR, 2018. He contended that since Vinays mercy petition is pending before the President, his execution could be stayed pending the decision. However, the other three convicts could be hanged since none of their applications or petitions was pending before any court of law. Countering these submissions, advocate AP Singh, counsel for the three convicts, said a review petition of Pawans juvenility claim is pending before the Supreme Court. He also submitted that another appeal by the convicts in a connected robbery case is pending before the Delhi high court. He also said Akshay wants to move a mercy petition after his curative petition was dismissed Thursday. These convicts are not terrorists. I would request you to kindly postpone the matter sine dine, Singh said. Appearing for Mukesh, his counsel Vrinda Grover told the court that all accused were convicted by a common judgment and awarded a common sentence. She said her client cannot be hanged as the execution of one cannot be separated from the others. Advocates Jitendra Kumar Jha and Seema Kushwaha, counsel for the victims parents, contended that the convicts were using delaying tactics. However, the court said it cannot discriminate between convicts and postponed the matter till further orders. The trial court, on January 17, had issued black warrants for all four convicts and decreed that they were to be hanged at Tihar jail at 6am on February 1. The four were sentenced to death by a fast-track court within a year of the gruesome crime that had brought thousands of people to the streets in demand of better safety for women and stricter laws. The protests eventually led to a major overhaul of all laws surrounding sexual assault. The victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was gang-raped and assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of injuries a fortnight later at a Singapore hospital. Meanwhile, the hangman Sindhi Ram, who goes by the moniker Pawan Jallad, who hails from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, had reported at Tihar on Thursday to carry out the execution. He also conducted a dummy hanging on Thursday. But a Tihar jail spokesperson said he will now be sent back on Saturday. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam wears a mask, following the outbreak of a new coronavirus, during a news conference in Hong Kong, China on Jan. 31, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Hong Kong Leader Rejects Calls to Close Border Despite Virus Fears HONG KONGHong Kong leader Carrie Lam rejected calls from a medical union on Jan. 31 to close the border with mainland China to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, and urged health staff not to go through with a threatened strike. The recently formed Hospital Authority Employees Alliance said earlier on Friday that 6,500 of its members would go on strike if the frontier stayed open, a day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global emergency. The WHO recommended all countries try to prevent or reduce cross-border spread of disease, which originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. But it said measures should avoid unnecessary interference with trade or travel. I am afraid (closing the border) contradicts the WHO suggestion which asks governments not to take any measures that may fuel discrimination, Lam told a news conference. She announced a raft of new measures against the disease and said any industrial action by medical staff would only make the situation worse. At the end of the day those who will suffer will be our Hong Kong citizens and the public health system, she said. Authorities have announced 12 confirmed infections in Hong Kong but no deaths. Lam said that on Jan. 30, only 9.7 percent of arrivals into Hong Kong, excluding those at the airport, were from mainland China, and most of the rest were returning Hong Kong citizens. She said she expected the flow to shrink as many mainland cities were under lockdown. About 37,000 Hongkongers crossed the mainland border the other way into China that day, she said. New Measures The health scare comes after months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong triggered by fears its high degree of autonomy, guaranteed under a one country, two systems formula, is being eroded by Beijing. Protesters frustrated by the governments refusal to make concessions on demands for full democracy have in recent months formed about 40 unions to keep up the pressure on the authorities. In a news conference earlier on Friday, Winnie Yu, the chairwoman of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, said its members may go on a strike next week unless the border was closed. Other new unions have pledged support. Lam had previously ordered the suspension of the high-speed rail service between the city and mainland China and all cross-border ferry services, but the unions said it was not enough. The new measures announced on Friday included checks on peoples temperatures as they left Hong Kong. Lam extended school holidays until at least March 2 and said civil servants not providing urgent or essential services would work from home next week in an arrangement which will be reviewed weekly. She urged private sector employers to do the same. Immigration officials have identified 48 visitors from Chinas Hubei Province, whose capital is Wuhan, and said they will either leave the city or be quarantined. By Felix Tam and Clare Jim For 80 years, news and views aired on BBC Hindi reached audiences in the remotest parts of the country. For millions of its followers, the signature line yeh BBC hai (this is BBC) -- has been like a morning alarm, and the bulletins a vital link between India and the world. That link, which began when there was no mobile phone or internet, is about to break as the radio service will fall silent after January 31. And for many living in smaller towns and in rural areas, life wont be the same again, writes Nivedita Mookerji. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com. Whether its English breakfast tea, fish and chips or the royalty, tradition is a way of life for the British, perhaps more than anywhere else in the world. That explains the wide coverage that Harry and Meghan got for quitting royal life. Closer home, shutting down of BBC Hindi service end of this month is no less a jolt to the British tradition. For 80 years, news and views aired on this platform reached audiences in the remotest parts of the country. For millions of its followers, the signature line yeh BBC hai (this is BBC) -- has been like a morning alarm, and the bulletins a vital link between India and the world. That link, which began when there was no mobile phone or internet, is about to break. And, as a recent chat broadcast on this station among some of the well-known anchors on BBC Hindi revealed, listeners are resisting the shutdown. Many of them have even made offers to part-fund the service if financing is an issue, only to be told that the era of shortwave radio has passed. BBC Hindis first transmission on May 11, 1940, almost coincided with Winston Churchill becoming the prime minister of Britain. It was then known as BBC Hindustani Service. Those were the days of World War II and the service targeted soldiers from the subcontinent, serving the British empire. Founded by eminent Indian broadcaster Zulfiqar Bokhari, the Hindustani Service was re-launched as Hindi Service in January 1949. BBC Hindi, known for its all-round coverage of news ranging from Indo-Pak war to Bangladeshi independence, Emergency to Operation Blue Star and Indira Gandhi's assassination, has also been a platform for several star broadcasters. Among the prominent names whove been presenters on BBC Hindi include former Bollywood star Balraj Sahni and I K Gujral, who later became the prime minister of the country. Other prominent names associated with the service included Onkar Nath Srivastava, Himanshu Kumar Bhaduri, Kailash Budhwar and Bhagwan Prakash. In the recent past, Achala Sharma, Pervaiz Alam and Rehan Fazal were among those who carried on the tradition. As a presenter pointed out, the service has been so popular in the Hindi-speaking belt of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand that a presenters voice was often recognised without any prompting. In one such instance, a presenter was travelling by train and joined in with his comment when others in a compartment were discussing a current issue. One of them asked if he was the same person presenting news on BBC Hindi the other day. Apart from a cash crunch that started surfacing in 2011, technology-related issues came in the way for the service. As FM radio became all pervasive, operating shortwave broadcasting service became increasingly difficult. Tuning in to a shortwave transmission got equally tough. In fact, radio manufacturers mostly stopped producing devices with a shortwave band. Its not a coincidence that even All India Radio (AIR) has been toying with the idea of phasing out shortwave radio services. Reams and reams of material on the subject explain the workings of shortwave radio. Its a transmission using shortwave radio frequencies. Radio waves in the shortwave band can be reflected or refracted from a layer of electrically charged atoms in the atmosphere called the ionosphere, a website on the subject explains. Therefore, short waves directed at an angle into the sky can be reflected back to earth at great distances, beyond the horizon. And that exactly makes shortwave radio useful for very long-distance communication over very large areas (sometimes covering an entire continent), as against radio waves of higher frequency. Besides news, shortwave has often been found effective for emergency purposes and disaster management. including in aviation and marine communication. Ruxandra Obreja, chairman of Digital Radio Mondiale, in a recent write-up posed these questions: When is the last time you heard a shortwave radio transmission? And why should you put up with possible crackly audio and some interference when we now have internet, satellites, FM and all forms of digital radio? Her own response to that was: This holds true if you are in London, Boston, Paris or Toronto. But what if you are on an island in Indonesia, or find yourself in West China, in Kashmir or in Brazilian Amazonia? Whether we like it or not, there are several remote places in this vast world, many of which still depend on shortwave broadcasting. Well, whatever shortwave may stand for, BBC Hindi will fall silent after January 31. For many living in smaller towns and in rural areas, life wont be the same again. San Francisco, Jan 31 : Aiming to divert users from Google Maps, Waze and other rivals, Apple has rolled out its redesigned Maps for all users in the US. The company said its revamped app is now available for US users and will arrive in Europe "in the coming months." Apple Maps' redesign makes navigation faster and more accurate and gives users "comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, malls and more", CNET reported on Thursday. The iPhone maker was working for over an year on the revamped Apple Maps and had rolled out the revamped version in central and southeast US in December 2019. The revamped Apple Maps, which uses only the data collected by the iPhone maker, can push updates in realtime and has much more detailed features for users. Along with the new Maps apps, real-time transit will be available in Miami starting Friday, in time for the upcoming Super Bowl, the report added. In June 2018, the company had said the results of this effort would show up first in the next iOS 12 beta for San Francisco and the Bay Area, before being expanded to northern California later in the year. The end-goal for the new Apple Maps, according to the company, was to be based entirely on Apple-collected data, and not a combination of external data providers. Cervical cancer could be eliminated worldwide as a public health issue within the next 100 years, according to two studies which may lead to better strategies for screening and vaccination against the malignant disease. According to the studies, published in the journal The Lancet, more than 74 million cervical cancer cases, and 60 million deaths could be averted, and the disease eliminated in the 78 countries which have the highest disease burden. The researchers, including those from Laval University in Canada, said cervical cancer is the second most frequent cancer among women in low-income and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) with 2,90,000 (51 per cent) of the 5,70,000 new cases worldwide reported in women living in LMICs. In the current studies, the scientists used the WHO draft strategy of cervical cancer elimination which defines plans for vaccination against the disease's causative agent, the human papillomavirus (HPV). These plans, they explained, call for 90 per cent of girls to be vaccinated against HPV by 2030, and for 70 per cent of women to be screened for cervical cancer once or twice in their lifetime. About 90 per cent of women with precancerous lesions, or cervical cancer are also advised to receive appropriate treatment, according to the WHO draft strategy, the scientists said. In the second study, the research team analysed the impact of three elements of the WHO strategy on deaths from cervical cancer -- modelling the impact of scaling up cancer treatment, as well as vaccination and screening "Our findings emphasise the importance of acting immediately to combat cervical cancer on all three fronts," said Karen Canfell from the University of Sydney in Australia, who co-led both the studies. "In just 10 years, it's possible to reduce deaths from the disease by a third and, over the next century, more than 60 million women's lives could be saved. This would represent an enormous gain in terms of both quality of life, and lives saved," Canfell said. By adding the two screening tests, and with the treatment of precancerous cervical lesions, cases of the cancer may drop by 97 per cent, and 72 million cervical cancer cases could be averted over the next century, the researchers said. Scaling-up of appropriate cancer treatment could avert 62 million cervical cancer deaths, the study noted. "For the first time, we've estimated how many cases of cervical cancer could be averted if WHO's strategy is rolled out and when elimination might occur," said Marc Brisson, study co-author from Laval University. "Our results suggest that to eliminate cervical cancer it will be necessary to achieve both high vaccination coverage, and a high uptake of screening and treatment, especially in countries with the highest burden of the disease," Brisson added. Based on the results of the studies, WHO's cervical cancer elimination strategy has been updated which will be presented for adoption at the World Health Assembly in May 2020, the scientists noted. "If the strategy is adopted and applied by member states, cervical cancer could be eliminated in high income countries by 2040, and across the globe within the next century, which would be a phenomenal victory for women's health," Brisson said. "However, this can only be achieved with considerable international financial and political commitment, in order to scale-up prevention and treatment," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) T wo jurors who carried out illicit research during an Old Bailey murder trial have been spared jail. Dharamjeet Digpal and Richard Wellings both googled the legal definition of manslaughter while the jury was deliberating over a fatal stabbing. A fellow juror a retired police officer and magistrate overheard the pair in a court corridor talking about what they had done and informed the judge. Digpal, a 34-year-old accountant from Ilford, and Wellings, 42, of Romford, then found themselves in the dock for ignoring strict instructions not to carry out their own research. Sentencing the pair at Inner London crown court yesterday, Judge Silas Reid said they had put the trial at risk and caused the victims family anxiety and worry. He told them: Any research by a juror is a serious matter in a murder case its all the more so. This case, as you knew well, involved a defendant who was just 16 at the time Your behaviour risked the discharge of the jury and him having to wait months for another trial. There was also the family of the deceased how would they feel if that trial was aborted for months? Judge Reid handed Digpal and Welling three-month prison terms suspended for a year, saying they had been spared jail because of the potential impact on their families and the fact the trial had not been derailed. I take into account the significant amount of shame both of you feel, he added. The men had been on a jury for the trial of Lewis Simpson, a drug dealer accused of stabbing to death Osman Shidane, 20, in Ruislip in May 2018. Simpson was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter, and ultimately jailed for six-and-a-half years. Digpal and Wellings carried out the internet searches after the jury was sent home for the weekend in November 2018. Digpal told police he was too embarrassed to ask the judge about the legal terms again, but prosecutor Charlotte Godber said he also admitted googling the defendants name at home. Wellings said he had been motivated by a desire to do his job well. Both are Chinese citizens. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova has said two persons infected with coronavirus were identified in Russia. Read alsoWHO representative says Ukraine able to cope with coronavirus "The Rospobrebnadzor [Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare] services have identified two persons infected with the coronavirus in Russia in Trans-Baikal and Tyumen regions. They are under strict surveillance. They have been isolated, and necessary assistance has been provided to them. Both are Chinese citizens," she said, according to Russian news agency TASS. As UNIAN reported earlier, the coronavirus was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. The death toll in China is 213 people now. On 27 January, Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) Commissioner General, Doris Akol, announced the launch in Uganda of the Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS), an advance passenger data risk assessment system that enables advance passenger information (API) and passenger name record (PNR) data to be collected and analysed electronically. In so doing, Uganda is joining the growing number of countries that effectively leverage API and PNR to risk assess passengers in advance of arrival to the country. The WCO considers the analysis of API and PNR to be an effective means for enhancing border security whilst facilitating travel for low-risk passengers. Pre-arrival and pre-departure risk assessment provides benefits to Customs and other border security agencies, as well as air carriers, airport authorities, and in turn, also additional security for the passengers themselves. As part of its Security Programme, the WCO Secretariat has been assisting Members through the provision and deployment of free targeting software known as the Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS) to support their efforts. GTAS is a software that allows targeting officers to collect and analyse API and PNR data and conduct risk assessment well in advance of a passengers arrival. In October 2017, under the leadership of Commissioner Dickson Kateshumbwa, the URA approached the WCO Secretariat to discuss its needs and the possibility of installing the GTAS. A pilot implementation team was then set up who diligently started working with representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority, air carriers operating in the country, and a data service provider. After a successful pilot period and official launch of GTAS, the data is now analysed by officers from the Uganda National Targeting Centre, who have received training on how to use the software. Training was also provided to other Customs officers, URA business and strategic analysts, and information and technology (IT) specialists. The implementation of GTAS will enable Uganda to comply with its international commitments and obligations, including the 2012 WCO Recommendation Concerning the Use of API and PNR for Efficient and Effective Customs Control, the WCO Punta Cana Resolution of December 2015 on the role of Customs in the security context, and the United Nations Security Resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017), which create a new policy framework for international action in response to the threat from foreign terrorist fighters. Customs administrations wishing to know more about GTAS are invited to contact the WCO Secretariat at GTAS@wcoomd.org. Outside of his fiefdom, Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is best known as the elected official who has mocked African-Americans, older women, handicapped children and homosexuals. He has done this, according to tape recordings released to the media, by using the N-word, referring to blacks as chimpanzees, calling older women all dried up and labeling gays as fags. The first tape was made public in 2016 and released tapes continued into 2019, when Fouts was re-elected for a third four-year term when absentee votes carried him to a 57.5 percent to 42.5 percent victory over former councilwoman Kelly Colegio. It seems the 76-year-old Fouts can do no wrong, at least thats the opinion of a majority of Warren voters. Through all the controversies, Fouts denied making the comments and said the tapes were manufactured. Like most who have heard the mayor at speeches or press briefings, I felt certain it was Fouts on the tapes. I still do but its not a certainty for the more recent or future recordings. Thats because a Canada-based company is a leader in artificial intelligence and can replicate and create human voices using just 60 seconds listening to a sample audio. The company, founded by three students from the University of Montreal, is Lyrebird, named appropriately after a bird known for perfect mimicry of other creatures. This should be an alert to all of us, particularly as we prepare for the 2020 presidential election. Earlier his year, social media was in a frenzy over a manipulated video of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that made it seem as if she was stumbling over and slurring her words. Think drunk or mentally impaired. President Donald Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani even tweeted about the video. Yet, it was a fake. And if Lyrebirds ability to clone anyones voice spreads to the U.S., it could be a rough year for voters. Even Lyrebird admits the problem of misuse. In the Ethics section of the companys website it is acknowledged that the technology raises important societal issues this could potentially have dangerous consequences such as a misleading diplomats, fraud, and more generally any other problem caused by stealing the identity of someone else. Any damage will be lessened because everyone will soon be aware that such technology exists. Tell that to those who bought into 2016 internet posting that the Pope endorsed Trump. Artificial intelligence has put us in a world where we can no longer believe what we hear or what we see. This year Ill wait for a call from Barack Obama endorsing Trump because he hasnt succeeded in ending the Affordable Care Act, but the socialist Democrats would under Medicare-for-all. Ken Kish, a retired Macomb Daily editor and contributing columnist, may be reached at Kennetkish12@gmail.com. The Warren Historical Society will hold a program on one-room schooling and Warrens Brick School Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. The program will be offered in the lower level meeting room of Warren Town Hall. The Brick School was Connecticuts longest-operating one-room schoolhouse, from the late 18th century until the 1920s. The Warren Historical Society, in partnership with the Town of Warren, will be working to restore and preserve the Brick School; those plans will be part of the presentation. MIDDLETOWN The former mayor and lifetime Middletown resident, among three running for South Fire District commissioner, will focus on communication and cooperation as well as the stations tax-exempt status if elected to office. He will face off against Republican Town Committee chairman William Wilson and resident Daniel Penney for a single seat on the Board of Commissioners during all-day voting Monday at 445 Randolph Road. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and results will be announced during the annual meeting which follows voting. Giuliano, mayor of the city from 2005 to 2011, lost his mayoral bid in November. He sat on the Common Council from 2013 to 2019 and was minority leader from 2015 to 2019. Also an attorney, Giuliano earned his juris doctor from The Catholic University of America in 1978. He is most concerned with the safety of Middletown residents, Giuliano said in a press release. If elected, Giuliano pledged to work with neighboring fire districts, in particular, the Middletown and Westfield fire departments. He would insist on the highest professional standards and levels of training for firefighters, as well as improve coordination with neighboring fire districts, especially the Middletown and the Westfield Fire departments, the release said. Giuliano will work on the latter for the purposes of joint planning, operations, preparedness and economies of scale, wherever practical, he said in a prepared statement. Hed also like to see funding of the tax districts capital and capital nonrecurring budgets and accounts in an effort to stabilize future budgets, and develop a comprehensive long-range plan to maintain the departments equipment and physical plant, the release said. Giuliano also hopes to advocate for closing the loophole in the states Payment In Lieu Of Taxes program, as specially chartered fire districts receive no funding. The applicable laws provide for PILOT payments to municipalities. The fire district is not a municipality, and, therefore, not eligible for funding. Since the city fire grand list does not include exempt properties in the South and Westfield districts, the state avoids paying altogether, Giuliano said in the release. The candidate has sat on many boards and commissions over the years, including as president of the Xavier High School Alumni Association, board member of the St. John Paul II Regional Catholic School, and membership in the Kiwanis, Knights of Columbus, Republican Town Committee, and others. Hes also participated in the Hal Kaplan Mentor Program since 2006. On Thursday afternoon, the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. Its a reverse from their position just a week ago, when they had declined to, on the grounds that the disease was mostly only spreading within one country. But that is no longer the case, as you may have seen in the breathless headlines announcing the first case of person-to-person spread in the United States, the first person to be diagnosed in India, and the news that, within China, the total number of cases has now surpassed those of SARS worldwide in the early 2000s. Advertisement Every move the coronavirus makesor may have, potentially, madehas been documented. Some news organizations have created continually updated pages with headlines that read like ticker-tape from a pandemic movie. Thousands of people were trapped on a cruise ship in Italy after a passenger whod flown in from Hong Kong had a fever. They were held even after early tests suggested she was negative for the virus. (Theyve now been released, and its been confirmed she has the flu.) The newness of this coronavirus, and the mayhem it has created, continues to provide a steady supply of pegs for stories. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It all sounds a little scarier than it is. In America, the number of potential cases of coronavirus under investigation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention keeps rising, currently at 92 people with pending results. And yet so does the number of people that have been determined to be negativecurrently thats at 68, with only 5 confirmed cases. That may be because the bar for a person to be under investigation, or a suspected case, is low. A cough, a fever, and a recent travel history to Wuhan, China, are enough to get you in the investigation pile; if youve recently come in close contact with someone who has the new coronavirus, just the cough will do. Luckily, the investigation here involves a nasal swab, since speedy sequencing of the coronavirus genome means we already have a test to accurately check. Even if the virus is confirmed, in the vast majority of cases, treatment means riding out the symptoms as you would with a common cold; the mortality rate, still something of a question mark, seems to be 4 percent, most of them people who already are not in good health. Advertisement Advertisement Still, even as scientists learn more about the new coronavirus at an astonishing speed, its hard to disseminate reassuring pieces of information that arent overwhelmed by warnings. This is one of the precise reasons WHO was hesitant to name the global health emergency, something its done just five times. As the New York Times reports: Advertisement Declaring emergencies is always a hard decision, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the W.H.O.s director general, because closed borders and canceled flights lead to personal hardships for millions of healthy people near the epicenter and can cause massive economic disruption. In the worst cases, supplies of food and medicine can run short and panic can spread, threatening to do more damage than the disease does. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The panic is indeed spreading. Multiple stories have addressed the legitimate question that packages shipped from China might carry the virus and therefore infect people; in Chile, health officials recommended opening them with gloves out of an abundance of caution. Theres no evidence that similar virusesand even though the new coronavirus is new, it appears in many ways similar to other virusescan survive outside a host for more than a few hours. The idea that it could be shipped from Wuhan to Chile seems nearly impossible. But who can say, technically, that this one wouldnt? Science is good at gesturing to the potential capabilities of a virus, whats harder and takes more time is figuring out exactly what it cannot and will not do. One place where we could be overestimating damage is in early calculations of something called R0, which estimates the number of people each infected person will, on average, go on to infect. Basically it describes how quickly it could spread. The current R0 pegs it somewhere around SARS (2 to 5 people per person). But as Ed Yong notes in The Atlantic, these estimates are not destiny, but rather a measure of a diseases potential. Its capable of being lowered by even judicious hand-washing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The new coronavirus is not harmless; it has killed people and will kill more. But we dont yet know what the scope of the problem is. As we all sit simmering in the news alerts and emergency announcements, its useful to remember that nearly all of this is about global health rather than your own personal risk. And sure, it feels better to at least try to understand what the scope of the problem is, even if that means assuming the worst. Thats because humans deal very badly with the idea of chance and contingency, as sociologist Robert Dingwall wrote in Wired. Dingwall called for us to stand down with efforts like useless face masks. Advertisement That seems smart. But to simply adjust ones expectations to a new normal of outbreaks, as Dingwall further suggests, might be too far. Calmness is not the same as inaction. The phrasing of the WHOs declaration might be panic-inducing: the new coronavirus is now a public health emergency of international concern. But the WHO declaration is more about enabling better funding to help contain and address the problem than it is about alerting the whole globe. This points to just about the only, albeit small, measure individuals can take in the face of this outbreak: They can support politicians (and policies) who care about global health and cooperating with other countries, and funding for science. Sure, its a slow way to enact change. In the meantime, it helps to remember that perhaps were so worried about the coronavirus because to worry feels like a way to engage. Harper, in his filing, notes that the nature of the alleged offense, by a 15-year-old with no criminal or juvenile history, raises legitimate questions about his mental health, cognitive abilities and stability. It must be determined, therefore, prior to making a best interests determination, whether the child suffers mental illness, serious physiological limitations or disorders, cognitive issues or otherwise. A determination of such facts is crucial in determining the proper course of treatment and/or punishment for the juvenile. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Attacking the BJP for calling him an outsider, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said the people from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana settled here can be an outsider for the saffron party but they are family for the city. Kejriwal was responding to a tweet from Union Minister Harsh Vardhan where he said while Kejriwal was born in Hisar in Haryana, he was settled in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. "How can he be Delhi's son?" The Chief Minister said the BJP leader hated him. "Doctor Sahib, you hate me. You can abuse me. How can you call all those born in UP and Haryana and settled in Delhi an outsider? They may be outsiders to the BJP. But they are part of our Delhi family. We Delhiites adopted them all, made them our family," the AAP chief tweeted in Hindi. HARDIN, Montana In honor of missing and murdered indigenous women, a group of relay runners who took off from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation on January 24, joined others at the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation on January 25, and journeyed through the Crow Indian Reservation for a total 350 miles to Selena Not Afraids memorial service here January 26. A Crow tribal member, Not Afraid, 16, perished from hypothermia, according to officials who found her body on January 20 , after friends and family reported she had gone missing from a van at a rest area on New Years Day. Crow Tribal Chairman Alvin A.J. Not Afraid, Jr. formally requested assistance with the investigation into her death from Montana Attorney General Tim Fox on January 22. Rural communities across the state often require greater resources and personnel similar to the Montana Department of Justice DCI unit during complex investigations and that is true in this particular case, the chairman said in announcing his request the following day. Selenas death and the unsolved cases of so many other missing and murdered indigenous people, can no longer be the result of segregated resources and divided communities, he said. A unified approach amongst our communities is long overdue and it may be the only way to keep our children safe. Let us work together at every level, to bring closure and justice to our region. Selena and her family deserve no less. Oglala Lakota Tribe runners running for Selena and all #MMIW ! They pulled into Ashland around 11 this morning! Kevin... Posted by Joanna J. Shane on Saturday, January 25, 2020 The chairman, who is Selenas uncle, collaborated with Oglala Lakota 5th Council Member Rick Gray Grass and Northern Cheyenne President Rynalea Whiteman Pena to facilitate the prayer run for her as well as all missing and murdered indigenous community members. The non-profit Mitakuye Foundation for Lakota youth provided support. Grassroots mobilization for accountability has spurred community awareness as well as legislative efforts at federal and state levels to coordinate law enforcement resources to improve the justice system for at-risk and tribal citizens and crime victims in Indian country. Nationwide, womens day marches on January 19 highlighted the issue. South Dakota Attorney Gen. Jason Ravnsborg has asked the 2020 State Legislature to approve a data base in his office after last years session paved the way with passage of An act to establish the duty to collect data and share information on missing and murdered indigenous persons, introduced by Pine Ridge Village Rep. Peri Pourier. The Senate approved the request and sent it to the House of Representatives on January 24. In the U.S. Congress pursuit of federal legislation, it established that: (1) On some reservations, Indian women are murdered at more than 10 times the national average. (2) American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times as likely to experience violent crimesand at least two times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimescompared to all other races. (3) More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women, or 84.3 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime. (2) American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.5 times as likely to experience violent crimesand at least two times more likely to experience rape or sexual assault crimescompared to all other races. (3) More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women, or 84.3 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime. (4) More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native men, or 81.6 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime. (4) More than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native men, or 81.6 percent, have experienced violence in their lifetime. (5) Homicide is the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women between 10 and 24 years of age and the fifth leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women between 25 and 34 years of age. (5) Homicide is the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women between 10 and 24 years of age and the fifth leading cause of death for American Indian and Alaska Native women between 25 and 34 years of age. (6) Investigation into cases of missing and murdered Indian women is made difficult for tribal law enforcement agencies due to a lack of resources, such as necessary training, equipment, or funding; a lack of interagency cooperation; and a lack of appropriate laws in place. (6) Investigation into cases of missing and murdered Indian women is made difficult for tribal law enforcement agencies due to a lack of resources, such as necessary training, equipment, or funding; a lack of interagency cooperation; and a lack of appropriate laws in place. (7) The complicated jurisdictional scheme that exists in Indian country has a significant negative impact on the ability to provide public safety to Indian communities; has been increasingly exploited by criminals; and requires a high degree of commitment and cooperation among tribal, federal, and state law enforcement officials. (7) The complicated jurisdictional scheme that exists in Indian country has a significant negative impact on the ability to provide public safety to Indian communities; has been increasingly exploited by criminals; and requires a high degree of commitment and cooperation among tribal, federal, and state law enforcement officials. Contact Talli Nauman at talli.nauman@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation When the newish boss of the International Monetary Fund, Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva, contemplates the challenges of the new decade, she thinks of many things: increasing uncertainty, climate change and increasing inequality particularly the role the financial sector in making it worse. Georgieva foresees increasing uncertainty over geopolitical tensions, uncertainty that the trade truce between the US and China will last, and uncertainty that governments can fix the frustrations and growing populist unrest in many countries. "We know this uncertainty harms business confidence, investment and growth," she said in a recent speech. Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. Credit:Bloomberg On climate change, after observing that the "brush fires" blazing across Australia are a reminder of the toll on life that climate change exacts, she avoids saying that we are possibly the most vulnerable among the rich countries (something that might have surprised the shell-be-right Scott Morrison). But she did note that its often the poorest and most vulnerable countries that bear the brunt of "this unfolding existential challenge". "The World Bank estimates that unless we alter the current climate path an additional 100 million people may be living in extreme poverty by 2030," she says. Dr Ludi Koekemoer was recently named the new Acting CEO of AAA School of Advertising. Dr Ludi Koekemoer was recently named as the new Acting CEO of AAA School of Advertising. The one thing that remains unchanged is the purpose and founding ethos of the institution. To continue to deliver on our brand promise which is to produce students ready for the world of work. To build on the successes of the past, a decision was made to bring someone on board with considerable expertise coupled with brand knowledge. The institutions history and unrivalled industry reputation will be embraced by Ludi. AAA is, therefore, pleased to announce Dr Ludi Koekemoers return. Dr Koekemoer is no stranger to AAA; he led the organisation as CEO for 15 years before retiring in 2015. The institution has since changed, with new owners, the adoption of new digital technologies and a whole new outlook of catering to the millennial generation and beyond.The AAA said in a statement that:Dr Koekemoer is the only South African member of the American Advertising Academy and contributed a chapter on South Africa in their 2015 edition of Advertising Education Around The World. He has been an adjudicator at the IAA Global Inter-Ad Competition, New York and has also served on numerous academic, stakeholder and industry bodies including, amongst others, the Apex Awards jury, the ACAs Education Portfolio Committee, the Advertising Standards Authority, Saarf, UJ and Unisa Advisory Boards for Marketing education and as an external examiner for UJ, Wits and University of Pretoria. The first trailer is here for an HBO miniseries set in New Jersey that spent a lot of time filming in the state. The Plot Against America, an adaptation of Philip Roths 2004 novel, will premiere March 16. David Simon, creator of The Wire, produced and wrote the series with Ed Burns. Before Roths death in 2018, the author served as another executive producer. In the book, Roth, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Newark native, imagines an alternate history of the United States in which Charles Lindbergh wins the presidency over Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. He tells the story of rising anti-Semitism and fascism through a Jewish family living in Newark. The limited series stars Winona Ryder, John Turturro, Zoe Kazan, Morgan Spector (Homeland), David Krumholtz, Jacob Laval, Azhy Robertson, Anthony Boyle, Caleb Malis and Ben Cole. The drama takes on a special sense of urgency given recent hate crimes and anti-Semitic attacks in the United States. What if Lindbergh does win? Kazans character, Elizabeth Bess Levin, asks in the preview. Everyone sees what he is, argues Spectors character, Herman Levin. Later, he becomes alarmed when Lindbergh calls Jews war agitators and a crowd roars back its approval. Theres a lot of hate out there," Herman says. And he knows how to tap into it. This is how it starts, he continues. Since everywhere he goes Hitler beats down and shoots the Jews, there may be a time when he comes here to America, to beat down and shoots us. What will our president do then?" Ryders character, Evelyn Finkel, Bess older sister, refuses to believe Lindbergh is stirring up anti-Semitic and fascist sentiment and seems to believe he is nothing short of a hero. Its a feeling shared by a Lindbergh supporter from Charleston, South Carolina, Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf (Turturro). In April, the series filmed in Newark, transporting city streets to the 1940s with old cars and actors sporting coats, hats and other signs of the vintage wardrobe. Ryder and Turturro were also in town as the series filmed at Beth-El Synagogue in Jersey City, among other local places. In October, the state Economic Development Authority approved $10.2 million in film tax credits for The Plot Against America. The limited series will premiere at 9 p.m. March 16 on HBO. Have a tip? Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Alex_Schmidt ODESSA Two pets died in a structure fire early Thursday morning in Odessa, according to a press release from the citys spokeswoman. Odessa Fire and Rescue and fire marshals Investigators responded to the fire at about 6:17 a.m. at 2720 Halifax. The residence sustained major damage in the fire that also caused minor damage to a home next door, according to the release. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-30 16:44:59|Editor: zyl Video Player Close Photo taken on Jan. 30, 2020 shows paramilitary vehicles on a street ahead of the Dhaka city polls in Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed in parts of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, as the country is all set to hold its first major all-EVM (electronic voting machine) polls slated for Feb. 1. (Str/Xinhua) by Naim-Ul-Karim DHAKA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of paramilitary troops have been deployed in parts of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, as the country is all set to hold its first major all-EVM (electronic voting machine) polls slated for Feb. 1. "A total of 65 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed at different strategic points in Dhaka Thursday morning," BGB spokesman Shariful Islam told Xinhua. He said that the BGB personnel will continue to patrol Dhaka streets till Feb. 2. He further said 10 more platoons (around 35 members in each platoon) of BGB personnel will also remain ready as reserved forces to boost colleagues' efforts in maintaining order during the elections to the posts of two mayors and 111 councillors on Feb. 1. Apart from BGB men, around 50,000 law enforcers including members of anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) will be deployed in the city. Bangladeshi Election Commission has decided to deploy paramilitary troops in purview of a spate of attacks upon poll candidates and their activities in parts of the city, ahead of the elections seen as test for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's popularity. In the elections, Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League party is as always facing challenges from ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) which is against the use of EVMs. Leaders of the largest opposition party on several occasions termed the EVM "a tool for robbing votes". BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said use of EVMs in the elections is a part of the conspiracy to snatch people's voting rights permanently. Ruling party's General Secretary Obaidul Quader, however, said they are in favor of use of EVM in the elections as they believe in modern technology to build a "Digital Bangladesh". However, Quader, also the Road Transport and Bridges Minister, made it clear that they won't mind if the commission decides to hold the elections in the previous system. Despite opposition from the largest opposition party, the Election Commission remained in its decision to use EVMs. Chief Election Commissioner KM Nurul Huda brushed aside BNP's concerns over EVMs in Dhaka city polls, saying they are of high quality and it won't be possible to cast fake votes using EVM. Around 1,000 candidates are contesting in the elections to Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation. Candidates are now neck and neck hanging a huge number of banners and posters in every nook and corner of the capital city. Of the aspirants, 13 are mayoral candidates and 980 are vying for ward councillor posts in the elections to the two city corporations. A reportedly unsafe blasting operation in Spokane, Wash., that put workers and the public at risk has resulted in an Idaho-based drilling company losing its license to perform similar work in Washington. The Washington Department of Labor & Industries has also cited and fined North Idaho Drilling Inc. of St. Maries, Idaho, for several willful and serious violations for the June 2019 blasting incident. In total, the company faces $92,144 in state penalties. A crew from the drilling contractor was performing a blasting operation on North Grant Street in Spokane when the incident happened on June 21, 2019. Because the blast wasnt planned or conducted properly, it resulted in rocks being thrown as far as 490 feet from the site in all directions, according to the department. Some of the rocks struck buildings, some fell on the street and some struck vehicles. Though no one was hit, several people ran for cover. L&I has cited this employer at least two other times for similar hazardous situations, so in addition to the large fine, the department revoked North Idaho Drillings license to conduct blasting operations in This recent citation is for 11 violations, including three willful/serious and five serious, as well as repeat and willful general violations. Among other things, the blaster in charge used more explosives than needed, which hurled rocks in all directions from the blast. Also, blast mats were not used properly to contain the explosion. The rocks thrown were large enough to cause serious injuries, permanent disability or death. Some did cause property damage, according to L&I. Because this was the third time L&I has cited this employer for creating serious hazards, North Idaho Drillings Inc.s license has been revoked in Washington. Topics Washington Contractors In response to the announcement of coronavirus as a global health threat, the Nigerian government said it has started scaling up its preparedness and response to prevent the importation of the virus into the country. This is coming less than 24 hours after the World Health Organisation (WHO) had declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a global threat. The minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, in a press conference in Abuja on Friday said the government has set up an intersectoral committee to assist the government in its prevention and response efforts. Mr Ehanire said the committee will oversee the national response to prevent importation of coronavirus. READ ALSO: He assured Nigerians that the government was taking adequate measures to address the challenges posed by the virus which first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The committee comprises many sectoral agencies including Health, Aviation, Transport, Information and Culture, Police Affairs, Internal Affairs, Agriculture and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Measures Mr Ehanire said the committee was formed because Nigerians are looking up to the government to protect their health. He said the committee will coordinate the prevention and response activities in preparation for the eventuality of an outbreak in the country. The committee was put in place to oversee the countrys coordination in prevention and response to the novel coronavirus in the country in the event of it being imported into the country. The committee has been set up to develop an action plan to drive governments intervention, he said. Mr Ehanire added that the country would be sharing any relevant information with WHO and other health agencies. He added that Nigeria will also determine if the existing nations laboratories can be used to test samples (of virus) or if the samples would be sent to the U.S. Scourge WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus had on Thursday announced that the novel coronavirus had attained a global health emergency. This implies that all countries should be on high alert and improve their surveillance. The disease was first detected in Wuhan, China in December, but as at January 30, the disease had spread to all but one province in the country. Also, as at the time the disease was declared a public health emergency, the disease has been exported to 18 countries and there are uncertainties as to how many countries would be reporting confirmed cases of the disease any time soon. Many nations have taken precautionary measures to protect their citizens in the wake of the crisis. Poor attention to base security left U.S. troops in Kenya vulnerable when the militant group al-Shabaab attacked, killing three Americans and destroying six aircraft, Army Gen. Stephen Townsend said Thursday. "I think it's self-obvious we were not as prepared there at Manda Bay as we needed to be," said Townsend, commander of U.S. Africa Command. On Jan. 5, the Somalia-based fighters managed to maneuver to their target about 150 miles south of the Kenya-Somalia border and "penetrate onto that airfield," Townsend said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The attack killed Army Spc. Henry "Mitch" Mayfield, Jr., 23, of Hazel Crest, Ill., and two Defense Department contractors: pilots Dustin Harrison, 47, and Bruce Triplett, 64. Related: US Military Response Force Arrives in Kenya After Terrorist Attack Mayfield was assigned to1st Battalion, 58th Aviation Regiment, 164th Theater Airfield Operations Group, out of Fort Rucker, Alabama, and was supporting Operation Octave Shield, the U.S. mission to assist African forces in the fight against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab. In the attack on Manda Bay airfield, near a resort town on the Kenya coast, al-Shabaab fighters using mortars and small arms "were able to get access, kill three Americans and destroy six aircraft. We are digging into that to find out why that is the case," Townsend said. A variety of aircraft fly out of Manda Bay, but the U.S. military has not identified the types of aircraft that Townsend said were destroyed. Townsend an investigation into the incident was ongoing, leaving open the possibility that the lack of adequate defenses could lead to disciplinary action. "Al-Shabaab has shown their reach," Townsend said, "and the danger that they pose" to the U.S. mission in East Africa. "I think we need to take that serious. I am looking with a clear eye at every location in Africa now." The mistake at Manda Bay may have been in underestimating al-Shabaab and thinking that the airfield was in a relatively safe location, Townsend said. "It's a resort area," Townsend said. "We viewed it, and the Kenyans viewed it, as a safe area." AFRICOM has deployed an East Africa Response Force of about 120 troops to Manda Bay since the attack to bolster defenses, Townend said. He said the troops were "putting in the appropriate level of defenses. I'm confident that by the time they're done, Manda Bay will be much more properly defended." The base is home to the 475th Expeditionary Air Base Squadron and also serves as a training site for Kenyan forces. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Marine Aviator Relieved for Flying Too Low and Too Fast During Ceremony New York, Feb 1 : Republicans have sealed the majority to block Democrats' attempts to call witnesses to the Senate trial of President Donald Trump, short-circuiting their attempts prolong the impeachment process. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, the last fence-sitter from the party, announced on Friday that she will vote against the bid to call witnesses, locking the 51-vote advantage for Trump's supporters in the 100-member Senate despite the defection of two Republicans. Her announcement came minutes before the Senate trial resumed and Democrat prosecutor Adam Schiff made the call for calling witnesses. The Senate is expected to vote on witnesses after about four hours of arguments at the trial by Trump's lawyers and the prosecutors from the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives that impeached him. It was a forgone conclusion that Trump will be acquitted because a two-thirds majority is required to convict him. But the Democrats, who pressed on with the impeachment as a vehicle for election propaganda for the November elections, could have embarrassed him further by prolonging the trial with witnesses like John Bolton, who was fired as national security adviser by Trump last year. On Thursday night another wavering Republican, Lamar Alexander, announced he will vote against. Two others, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Susan Collins had said they will vote with Democrats to call witnesses. While the Republicans wanted to wind up the trial on Friday night, the indications when the trial resumed were that it may drag on into next week in order to allow senators to speak about their votes. The Senate is not likely to sit on Monday or Tuesday. Iowa will hold the selection process for the Democratic Party's presidential candidate -- the first state to do so - on Monday. Three front runner for the nomination - Bernie Sanders, Warren Elizabeth and Amy Klochuchar - are members of the Senate. Trump is scheduled to give the State of the Union Address on Tuesday to a joint session of the Senate and the House. Republicans had hoped to remove the cloud of impeachment over his head in time for the ceremonial event. Murkowski's statement said she did not believe there fair trial because of the extreme partisan nature of the impeachment and continuing it will change anything. "It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed," she said. Trump is facing trial on charges that he abused power by asking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelentsky to investigate the dealing of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in that country. The Democrats say that this was inviting a foreign country to intervene in US elections and was compounded by freezing military aid to Ukraine. The Senate had voted down Democrat demands for calling witnesses at the start of the trial last week, but it received renewed momentum from disclosures that Bolton had written in a manuscript for a yet to be published book that Trump had linked the aid freeze to the probe of Bidens. The news about the book was broken by The New York Times on Sunday in the middle of the trial. Trump has denied that he had linked aid to the probe and Bolton was saying that sell his book. Trump's lawyers said that the aid was withheld only to ensure that the new president was committed to fighting corruption and getting other European countries to pitch in. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) French newspapers have marked Britains departure from the EU, but a number have questioned how much will actually change after Brexit. Calais own local newspaper, in the town which has been one of the focal points for those concerned about trade and movement of goods, played down concerns about alterations or disruption. Nord Littoral noted on its front page that its today that the United Kingdom officially quits the European Union but the headline stated: Brexit: the change is not now. The regional paper for the northern region led with the divorce, and also carried a large image of the towns port, which a large proportion of British and European freight passes through. Brexit : ce qui change apres le 31 janvier 2020 https://t.co/TmUeSfp3RW Les Echos (@LesEchos) January 31, 2020 The sentiment was echoed in the national press, as Aujourdhui, one of the countrys most popular daily papers, bid farewell with the headline Bye Bye, alongside a man draped in a Union flag. However, it also asked: What will this historic divorce really change? Expand Close A general view of the Gare du Nord in Paris, France (David Davies/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A general view of the Gare du Nord in Paris, France (David Davies/PA) Among others, there was some concern about the future relationship between Britain and France post-Brexit, as Le Monde called today Europes entry into the unknown and said Brexit diplomatically weakens the whole union. It also described French businesses as suspended as they await a trade deal between Britain and the bloc. The front page was dominated by an image of a diplomat crying, with an EU and Union flag scarf around his shoulders, as the exit deal was ratified in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, and quoted British historian, Ian Kershaw, as saying identity has taken precedence over everything. Les Echos also paid tribute to Europe without them, but proposed that the heavy consequences of Britain quitting could help Europe bounce back. The UKs official departure will come at midnight French time on Friday. Expand Close Brexit will occur at midnight in France (John Walton/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brexit will occur at midnight in France (John Walton/PA) Across the Channel, at 11pm in the UK, Brexiteers will gather in Londons Parliament Square for a party led by Nigel Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show and a new 50p coin will enter circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. Japanese electronics and IT giant NEC confirmed a security breach suffered by its defense business division in December 2016. The IT giant NEC confirmed that the company defense business division has suffered a security breach back in December 2016. The Japanese firm confirmed the unauthorized access to its internal network after Japanese newspapers disclosed the security incident citing sources informed of the event. NEC is a contractor for Japans defense industry and was involved in various defense projects. Roughly 28,000 files were found by the company on one of the compromised servers, some of them containing info about defense equipment. In July 2018, we succeeded in decrypting encrypted communication with an infected server and an external server that was performing unauthorized communication, and stored it on our internal server for information sharing with other departments used by our defense business division 27,445 files were found to have been accessed illegally. As a result of investigations conducted by the Company and external specialized organizations, no damage such as information leakage has been confirmed so far. reads the statement from the company. These files do not contain confidential information or personal information. In addition, since July 2018, the situation has been individually explained to customers related to files that have been accessed illegally, The situation is different according to the N ikkei newspaper that reported that the Japanese Ministry of Defense said that the exposed files contained information on contracts with NEC, not defense secrets, and there is no impact on Japans defense system. NEC was informed of the intrusion in July 2017 by a security company contracted by the electronics company to investigate alleged unauthorized accesses to the internal network. In July 2018, the company was able to decrypt unauthorized communications between an internal server and an external machine and discovered further comprom i se . NEC announced it has taken steps to improve the security of its infrastructure and prevent future intrusions. Recently another Japanese multinational electronics giant disclosed a data breach, last week Mitsubishi Electric disclosed a security breach that might have exposed personal and confidential corporate data. According to the company, attackers did not obtain sensitive information about defense contracts. The breach was detected almost eight months ago, on June 28, 2019, with the delay being attributed to the increased complexity of the investigation caused by the attackers deleting activity logs. Mitsubishi Electric disclosed the security incident only after two local newspapers, the Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei, reported the security breach. The attackers have exploited a directory traversal and arbitrary file upload vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2019-18187, in the Trend Micro OfficeScan antivirus. Trend Micro has now addressed the vulnerability, but we cannot exclude that the hackers have exploited the same issue in attacks against other targets. After the security firm patched the CVE-2019-18187 flaw in October, it warned customers that the issue was being actively exploited by hackers in the wild. Pierluigi Paganini Bridget Malcolm embodied boho chic as she stepped out in New York City on Thursday. The 28-year-old was attending the 2020 American Australian Association Arts Awards Dinner on Thursday with her husband Nathaniel Hoho. The former Victoria's Secret Angel opted for an ethereal, embroidered white maxi-dress with lace edging that skimmed her famous physique. Boho babe! Model Bridget Malcolm (pictured) attended the 2020 American Australian Association Arts Awards Dinner with her husband Nathaniel Hoho on Thursday The Freemantle-born model kept warm in a soft, silver-grey toned faux-fur coat, adding a hippy chic element to her look. Bridget styled the ensemble with a turquoise Chanel purse and finished her look with a pair of pointed-toe black ankle boots. The blonde bombshell's golden locks were worn down, and flowed past her shoulders, framing her face. Stunner: The former Victoria's Secret Angel opted for an ethereal, embroidered white maxi-dress with lace edging that skimmed her famous physique. Pictured with Nathaniel Hoho She kept her makeup natural, with a hint of pink blush, a glossy pink lipstick and warm eye-shadow. Meanwhile, her musician husband looked casually bohemian with a hipster beard on display and his long hair worn down. Nathaniel cut a casual figure in white collared shirt and sweater, styling the simple look with a black overcoat. The loved-up couple were married in Pennsylvania in 2016, after dating for two years. What a pair! The Freemantle-born model kept warm in a soft, silver-grey toned faux-fur coat. Meanwhile, her musician husband looked casually bohemian in a white collared shirt and sweater, styling the simple look with a black overcoat Bridget made headlines in August last year after speaking out about her struggles with Body Dysmorphia. After a long recovery journey, Bridget revealed she was at a 'healthy weight' at the end of last year. 'I am so thankful that all this is behind me. It has taken a lot of work and recovery. But I am so grateful that there is a place in the industry for me now, at my healthy weight,' she wrote. Ella Chi, daughter of Vincent Chi who was killed in his Lower Templestowe home on Friday night. Credit:Nine News "[I'm] still like dreaming and can't believe it's real," she said. "He [her younger brother) just found his body in front of the door. "Only three of us left as a family ... finally he can meet my mum at the heaven." Detective Solomon said the Mr Chi lived at the property alone but was frequently visited by family, including his adult children. As far as we know the deceased lives alone here and the only people that come and go are members of his family. Police search the area near where a 57 year old man was been found dead. Credit:Nine News We still dont know a lot about this homicide, were just speaking to known associates and trying to trace his movements during the evening. Detective Solomon appealed for anyone who might have seen or heard anything in the vicinity of Michael Street between the hours of 9pm and midnight on Friday to contact Crimestoppers or their local police station. Upon arrival police located a deceased male person inside the premises, who resides here... Ambulance Victoria also attended and it was quickly established that he had sustained some significant injuries and that the death is being treated as suspicious, he said. The Templestowe Lower crime scene where a 57-year-old man's body was found. Credit:Nine News The investigation is in its very early stages. We have forensic crime scene investigators here conducting a forensic examination of the scene. Its too early at this stage to make any determination at all as to a motive or the identity of the person or persons responsible for the death of the victim. A woman, who said her daughter owned the property and rented it to the deceased man, arrived in the street mid-morning. She said the victim worked at a very famous Chinese restaurant at Northland. He was a very nice man. He was softly spoken. He wasnt a violent man. I am very sad, she said. "His children were living here but they moved out a few weeks ago or a month, Im not sure." She said they had been living at the property for a few years". Neighbour Teresa Scilipoti said she was woken by sirens at about 11.30pm. When she looked down the street there were police everywhere. She said a short time later three carloads of people arrived at the house. They were Asian in appearance. They could have been family. We dont know. But they left about half an hour later. We didnt know the man who lives there. We walk the dog all the time but we had never seen him. Its usually a very quiet street and neighbourhood, said Ms Scilipoti, who has lived in the area for four years. Other neighbours said they didnt know what was unfolding in their neighbourhood until police knocked on their doors around 2.30am. I heard sirens just after 11 and then I got a knock on the door at 2.30, said another neighbour Bill Rama, who has lived in the street for 40 years. But apart from that I didnt hear anything, he said. I dont even know who lives there. Ive never seen him, so its a bit of a surprise, he said. Next door neighbour Graeme Floody said they were perfect neighbours. We never had a hassle. They are so quiet you wouldnt even know they were there. For the most part I think there was only one gentleman [living] there but they were perfect as far as neighbours were concerned. "We never heard any arguments. We never heard any noise." Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Friday said the convicts have made a mockery of law and the court should dismiss their plea seeking a stay on their execution on February 1. "I believe and I hope that the execution will take on February 1. The convicts have made a mockery of the law. The court should also dismiss their plea," Asha Devi told ANI. "I do not believe in the miracle. I believe in the law. They have never followed the law and order of the country," she added. Delhi's Patiala House Court is scheduled to hear a plea filed by two of Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. The plea was moved in the Delhi court by advocate AP Singh, who is representing convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma. "According to the Delhi Prison Rules, none of those convicted can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options including the mercy petition," said Singh in the plea. Responding to the petition filed by Singh, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad told the court that this is "clearly a mockery of justice." "Convicts' lawyers are taking too much time to use their legal remedies," he said. The matter will be heard by Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain today at 2 pm. The court on Thursday issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts and asked the prison officials to submit a status report before 10 am today. The four convicts in the matter -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CHICAGO - Democratic presidential hopeful Amy Klobuchar released a plan Thursday to prevent and respond to global outbreaks like the new virus that has sickened people in China and spread to more than a dozen countries, including the U.S. The World Health Organization has declared a global emergency, saying the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. China, which first informed WHO of cases of the new virus in December, has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have reported cases. Klobuchar said she would invest in early-warning systems to help stop outbreaks before they become pandemics, increase stockpiles of existing vaccines and invest in the development of new vaccines. The Minnesota senator also would recommit the U.S. to the Global Health Security Agenda, an Obama administration initiative to respond to the threat of infectious diseases; work with organizations like WHO to help at-risk countries and regions improve local health services; and fully fund departments and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered her own plan Tuesday, criticizing cuts to the CDCs budget under President Donald Trump, including to emergency funds and programs formed after the 2014 Ebola crisis in West Africa. In an email, Klobuchars campaign said the new virus is a a stark reminder of the persistent threats posed by infectious diseases and touted the senators work to secure funding to fight Ebola and address the spread of the Zika virus, which was mainly spread by tropical mosquitoes. Klobuchar is working to break into the top tier of the Democratic primary with just days before Mondays Iowa caucuses, when voters will have the first say in who should be the partys nominee. She has been trailing Warren, former Vice-President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. Klobuchars campaign has seen larger crowds and increased enthusiasm in recent weeks, and she has qualified for next weeks debate in New Hampshire. But she is also hampered by Senate impeachment hearings, which have kept Klobuchar and other senators in Washington during the crucial final days of campaigning in Iowa. Auditor-General(A-G) Daniel Yao Domelovo is pleading with the Senior Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo for more time to access, collate and file evidence and documents he claims to have based his purported disallowance and surcharge decision on against Osafo-Maafo and four other eminent public officers. Mr. Domelovo has refused to file the said documents in the high court 14 days after service of the appeal filed by Mr. Osafo-Maafo and the four others contrary to the provisions of the applicable law which deems such conduct a contempt of the High Court. This prompted the Senior Minister and the others to comply with the law by citing the A-G for contempt of the Accra High Court. Subsequent to the publication of the contempt application, the A-G, in a letter sighted by this media platform is pleading with Mr. Osafo-Maafo and the four others for further period of 14 days after he has failed to comply with the law more than a month ago. It is yet to be known whether the Senior Minister and the four others have the power to grant the plea being made by the Auditor-General Daniel Domelovo. BACKGROUND The Auditor-General was mandated to file with the Registry of the High Court copies of all documents he was required to rely on before making a decision on disallowance and surcharge 14 days from 13th December, 2019, when, according to the court registry, he was served with the said notice of Appeal. Based on information already in the public domain Mr. Osafo-Maafo and the four others believe that the Auditor-General could not produce any document in accordance with the provisions of Order 54A rule 5(1) within the period provided by the law because he did not have any audit working papers, since if he did, he could have readily accessed and filed them within 14 days. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Police in Ohio are looking for the person who decapitated a woman's beagle and left the dog's head in her backyard earlier this month, and now a $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest. According to the East Palestine Police Department, Barbara Greaves reported her female beagle named Trouble missing from her yard on January 3. Trouble had been on a 'cable run' for an hour before her disappearance at around 9pm, Greaves told police. Grisly crime: This female beagle named Trouble was snatched from her owner's home in East Palestine, Ohio, on January 3 and then beheaded Trouble's detached head was discovered in her owner's backyard two days later (pictured) Two days later, Greaves' adult son, Scott, discovered the animal's detached head on the family's property in the 100 block of East North Avenue. Next-door neighbor Diane Kelly recalled seeing something white in the Greaves' yard out of her window on Sunday, but initially she did not realize what it was. Scott Greaves, the owner's son, found the beagle's remains and alerted the authorities 'I thought they got a new ball to play with because I saw a white ball then Scott later on told me...that was Troubles head you saw,' Kelly told the station KDKA. 'I cant get it out of my head. Its all I can think about.' More than three weeks later, no arrests have been made in connection to Trouble's slaughter. The Columbiana County Humane Society is now offering an $8,000 reward for information leading to the perpetrator's capture and conviction, and the Mahoning County Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $2,000, according to Fox 19. Meanwhile, concerned residents have launched a Facebook group called 'Justice for Trouble' to bring awareness to the case and help track down the dog's killer. 'This is vile and cowardly behavior,' East Palestine Village Manager Mark McTrustry wrote in a Facebook post decrying the dog killing. 'This does not represent what we stand for, or what it means to be a part of this community.' Monash University has pushed back exams and the start date of the first semester over fears regarding the coronavirus outbreak. The Melbourne university announced the new starting date for classes in 2020 will be March 9, and ordered students to stay home for 14 days if they spent any time in China. They posted a statement to Facebook on Friday announcing the 'difficult decision' following the global health emergency. Monash University has pushed back exams and the start date of the semester over fears of the coronavirus outbreak (Clayton Campus) The university took to their Facebook page and announced the 'difficult decisions' 'We've had to make some difficult decisions for the safety and wellbeing of our staff, students and the wider community due to the novel coronavirus,' they wrote. 'Among the difficult decisions made, all exams scheduled for February and the commencement of semester one have been postponed. 'Were continuing to monitor the rapidly evolving novel coronavirus situation and acting accordingly with the advice from the Department of Human Services.' The first week of semester will see classes live streamed and students are expected to participate before face-to-face teaching resumes the following week. Postponed exams have also been moved to March 9 - 13, providing enough time for any students who were in isolation. People wearing face masks walk by Flinders Street Station after cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Melbourne on January 29 So far, the coronavirus that began in China last month has spread to over 6,000 people in more than a dozen countries. Its source hasn't been officially identified, but most evidence points to animals sold at a seafood market in Wuhan. The outbreak in mainland China is now bigger than the 2003 SARS epidemic, when 5,327 cases of the killer virus were confirmed. However, it is still behind the total toll of the outbreak, which infected 8,000 people. In New South Wales, coronavirus testing is ramping up as authorities await lab results for 16 new possible cases referred for investigation. Two people confirmed to be infected in NSW have improved significantly and could soon be released from hospital isolation, Dr Chant added. There have been more than 40 people tested for the infection in NSW. There are now seven confirmed cases of the virus in Australia, including four in NSW, two in Victoria and one in Queensland. Australians trapped in the Chinese city of Wuhan due to the viral outbreak will be evacuated to Christmas Island. Former President Jerry John Rawlings has endorsed the Ghana rice brand as stakeholders in the sector called on him to support the campaign to consume rice produced in Ghana. A delegation of key players within the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body (GRIB) visited Mr. Rawlings at his office on Friday, December 20, 2019, in Accra. The visit aimed at seeking his support for the promotion and marketing of Ghana rice. The delegation briefed Mr. Rawlings about the prospects, challenges of Ghana rice millers, farmers and marketers. Rice brands from Keta in the Volta Region were presented to Mr. Rawlings. Nana Adjei Ayeh II, President of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body told Mr. Rawlings we know you are a very good advocate of made in Ghana products. He informed the former military ruler that there were over 20 rice brands in Ghana now. In response, Mr. Rawlings lauded the works of the Ghana Rice Interprofessional Body and the rice consortium in promoting the consumption of Ghana rice. He, however, encouraged them to take advantage of the Year of Return initiative to introduce their rice brands to the international community. He also urged them not to be carried away by the quality of foreign rice brands but rather remain resolute in their campaign. 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 Bank employees in Hyderabad on Friday joined the two-day nationwide strike, seeking early wage revision settlement and other demands. The strike coincides with the Budget Session of the Parliament, which commenced today. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on Saturday. The protesters said the government has always treated them as second class citizens. "The government has always treated the bankers as second class citizens, with regard to employment, wages, pension and other aspects," Sukaiaah, General Secretary SBI Officers' Association told ANI. "Today the economic status of this country is because of the banking industry. With regard to demonetisation, we made it successful. Both the Prime Minister and Finance Minister said these are the financial soldiers. They applaud us, appreciate us but when it comes to the wages and other demands they say no," he added. SBI Bank Manager Kalpana Madhav said they have been fighting for two years for increment in basic pension. "We are fighting for two years, primarily for an increase in the basic pension, it is very low. We are seeking the merger of special pay with basic pay. The second demand is about five-day banking, most of the officers are working late, till 8 pm or even longer." Banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13. Also, an indefinite strike will be held from April 1. Some of the demands of the protestors are merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Department of Justice announced on January 28, 2020, that the Chair of Harvard Universitys Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department and two Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with aiding the Peoples Republic of China. The statement issued by the justice department of USA as follows; Harvard University Professor and Two Chinese Nationals Charged in Three Separate China Related Cases The Department of Justice announced today that the Chair of Harvard Universitys Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department and two Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with aiding the Peoples Republic of China. Dr. Charles Lieber, 60, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, was arrested this morning and charged by criminal complaint with one count of making a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement. Lieber will appear this afternoon before Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts. Yanqing Ye, 29, a Chinese national, was charged in an indictment today with one count each of visa fraud, making false statements, acting as an agent of a foreign government and conspiracy. Ye is currently in China. Zaosong Zheng, 30, a Chinese national, was arrested on Dec. 10, 2019, at Bostons Logan International Airport and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to smuggle 21 vials of biological research to China. On Jan. 21, 2020, Zheng was indicted on one count of smuggling goods from the United States and one count of making false, fictitious or fraudulent statements. He has been detained since Dec. 30, 2019. Dr. Charles Lieber According to court documents, since 2008, Dr. Lieber who has served as the Principal Investigator of the Lieber Research Group at Harvard University, which specialized in the area of nanoscience, has received more than $15,000,000 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Defense (DOD). These grants require the disclosure of significant foreign financial conflicts of interest, including financial support from foreign governments or foreign entities. Unbeknownst to Harvard University beginning in 2011, Lieber became a Strategic Scientist at Wuhan University of Technology (WUT) in China and was a contractual participant in Chinas Thousand Talents Plan from in or about 2012 to 2017. Chinas Thousand Talents Plan is one of the most prominent Chinese Talent recruit plans that are designed to attract, recruit, and cultivate high-level scientific talent in furtherance of Chinas scientific development, economic prosperity and national security. These talent programs seek to lure Chinese overseas talent and foreign experts to bring their knowledge and experience to China and reward individuals for stealing proprietary information. Under the terms of Liebers three-year Thousand Talents contract, WUT paid Lieber $50,000 USD per month, living expenses of up to 1,000,000 Chinese Yuan (approximately $158,000 USD at the time) and awarded him more than $1.5 million to establish a research lab at WUT. In return, Lieber was obligated to work for WUT not less than nine months a year by declaring international cooperation projects, cultivating young teachers and Ph.D. students, organizing international conference[s], applying for patents and publishing articles in the name of WUT. The complaint alleges that in 2018 and 2019, Lieber lied about his involvement in the Thousand Talents Plan and affiliation with WUT. On or about, April 24, 2018, during an interview with investigators, Lieber stated that he was never asked to participate in the Thousand Talents Program, but he wasnt sure how China categorized him. In November 2018, NIH inquired of Harvard whether Lieber had failed to disclose his then-suspected relationship with WUT and Chinas Thousand Talents Plan. Lieber caused Harvard to falsely tell NIH that Lieber had no formal association with WUT after 2012, that WUT continued to falsely exaggerate his involvement with WUT in subsequent years, and that Lieber is not and has never been a participant in Chinas Thousand Talents Plan. Yanqing Ye According to the indictment, Ye is a Lieutenant of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the Peoples Republic of China and member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). On her J-1 visa application, Ye falsely identified herself as a student and lied about her ongoing military service at the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), a top military academy directed by the CCP. It is further alleged that while studying at Boston Universitys (BU) Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering from October 2017 to April 2019, Ye continued to work as a PLA Lieutenant completing numerous assignments from PLA officers such as conducting research, assessing U.S. military websites and sending U.S. documents and information to China. According to court documents, on April 20, 2019, federal officers interviewed Ye at Bostons Logan International Airport. During the interview, it is alleged that Ye falsely claimed that she had minimal contact with two NUDT professors who were high-ranking PLA officers. However, a search of Yes electronic devices demonstrated that at the direction of one NUDT professor, who was a PLA Colonel, Ye had accessed U.S. military websites, researched U.S. military projects and compiled information for the PLA on two U.S. scientists with expertise in robotics and computer science. Furthermore, a review of a WeChat conversation revealed that Ye and the other PLA official from NUDT were collaborating on a research paper about a risk assessment model designed to decipher data for military applications. During the interview, Ye admitted that she held the rank of Lieutenant in the PLA and admitted she was a member of the CCP. Zaosong Zheng In August 2018, Zheng entered the United States on a J-1 visa and conducted cancer-cell research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston from Sept. 4, 2018, to Dec. 9, 2019. It is alleged that on Dec. 9, 2019, Zheng stole 21 vials of biological research and attempted to smuggle them out of the United States aboard a flight destined for China. Federal officers at Logan Airport discovered the vials hidden in a sock inside one of Zhengs bags, and not properly packaged. It is alleged that initially, Zheng lied to officers about the contents of his luggage, but later admitted he had stolen the vials from a lab at Beth Israel. Zheng stated that he intended to bring the vials to China to use them to conduct research in his own laboratory and publish the results under his own name. The charge of making false, fictitious and fraudulent statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of visa fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of smuggling goods from the United States provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Field Division Joseph R. Bonavolonta; Michael Denning, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; Leigh-Alistair Barzey, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office; Philip Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and William Higgins, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys B. Stephanie Siegmann, Jason Casey and Benjamin Tolkoff of Lellings National Security Unit are prosecuting these cases with the assistance of trial attorneys William Mackie and David Aaron at the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. These case are part of the Department of Justices China Initiative, which reflects the strategic priority of countering Chinese national security threats and reinforces the Presidents overall national security strategy. In addition to identifying and prosecuting those engaged in trade secret theft, hacking and economic espionage, the initiative will increase efforts to protect our critical infrastructure against external threats including foreign direct investment, supply chain threats and the foreign agents seeking to influence the American public and policymakers without proper registration. Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has shaded Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia for his inability to keep the cedi locked down in prison permanently. This follows a Forex Committee that has been formed by government to deal with the depreciation of the cedi. The Committee, which is headed by Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, is to review the current Forex (FX) regime, offer workable alternatives by way of policy interventions and save the cedi from a free fall. The membership of the committee is drawn from the Bank of Ghana, Agriculture Ministry, Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Association of Ghana Industries, some universal banks among other key stakeholders. But critics have concluded that the desperate situation necessitating the committee's formation has exposed the double standards of the Akufo-Addo administration when Dr Bawumia made the popular statement that "if the fundamentals are weak, the exchange rate will expose you". The current Vice-President made the infamous statement prior to the 2016 election when he was taking a jab at what he described as the economic mismanagement of the erstwhile administration of then President John Dramani Mahama. Contributing to Peace FM's morning show Kokrokoo, Kwesi Pratt said "Ghanaians want the cedi to be stabilized adding rather sardonically that, the cedi has run away from Bawumia; the cedi was stronger than Bawumia so it pushed him aside and escaped. The cedi over-powered the vice president and because of that they've had to call on stronger men to arrest it . . . now we have 40 stronger people to arrest the cedi since Bawumia was not able to do it. 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 The pseudo-left Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) in Sri Lanka has cynically blamed workers and the poor for the victory of Gotabhaya Rajapakse in the November 16 presidential election. Rajapakse, a former military officer, served as defence secretary during the final stages of the communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and was responsible, along with his brother, then President Mahinda Rajapakse, for the slaughter of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians and other atrocities. The NSSP at one time claimed to be Marxist and Trotskyist. Today it functions as nothing more than a political apologist for the right-wing United National Party (UNP) and promoted this bourgeois party in the election as a democratic alternative to the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) of the Rajapakses. Writing about the election outcome, NSSP leader Wickremabahu Karunaratne declared: By the fascistic campaign [of Rajapakse], the country is divided. By that Sinhala only, they have a monopoly on what passes for patriotism. A majority of the Sinhala-Buddhists have accepted this politics freely, [the SLPP] as their sole representative. On December 7, Karunaratne again blamed the electorate for the Sinhala communal politics of Rajapakse, writing: The Sri Lankan people are divided into several nationalities and remain aversive to being united as One Lankan, signifying the further polarisation within the voter base There is no doubt that the election outcome reflected a certain polarisation along communal lines. Rajapakse was able to garner about 52 percent of the overall vote, above all from the islands Sinhala majority. The countrys Tamil and Muslim minorities overwhelmingly voted for the UNP candidate, Sajith Premadasa. However, the chief responsibility for this outcome lies not with the electorate but with all those parties, especially the pseudo-left organisations such as the NSSP, that sought to keep voters trapped to the parliamentary framework dominated by the major parties of the Sri Lankan ruling classthe SLPP and the UNP. The vast majority of those who voted for Rajapakse did so as a protest vote against the previous unity government of President Maithripala Sirisena of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of the UNP which ruthlessly implemented the austerity program dictated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Sirisena ousted Mahinda Rajapakse in the 2015 presidential election in what amounted to a US-orchestrated, regime-change operation. Washington had backed Mahinda Rajapakse during the war against the LTTE that came to a bloody end in 2009. The US turned a blind eye to the militarys war crimes. According to UN estimates, at least 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final months of the war, around 300,000 were rounded up and put in detention camps, and thousands of missing were abducted and killed by military-sponsored death squads. However, the Obama administration, as it ratcheted up its aggressive confrontation with China, was not prepared to tolerate the close relations that the Rajapakse regime had developed with Beijing. As soon as the election was announced, Sirisena, a senior government minister, stood against Mahinda Rajapakse with the backing of the UNP as well as various trade unions, NGOs and the pseudo-lefts and the Tamil bourgeois parties such as the TNA. The new so-called good governance government ruthlessly imposed the dictates of the International Monetary Fund for cuts to jobs, wages, conditions, essential services and price subsidies, provoking widespread opposition including strikes and protests. Significantly, in these class struggles workersSinhala, Tamil and Muslimunited in fighting for their common class interests but those strikes and protests were sabotaged by the trade unions. NSSP leader Karunaratne played a particularly vile role. He denounced the workers struggles and student protests as conspiracies against the government aimed at helping the fascistic Mahinda Rajapakse camp. Other pseudo-left groups, such as the United Socialist Party (USP) and Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), backed the trade unions in limiting the struggles to futile protests to pressurise the government for concessions. In last Novembers presidential election, the NSSP openly advocated a vote for the liberal democrat UNP candidate as the only alternative to the fascist Rajapakse. Karunaratnes use of the term fascist has nothing in common with that of the Marxist movement. While Rajapakses campaign was based on virulent anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim chauvinism and a call for a strong government and anti-democratic measures, he has as yet not been able to build a mass fascistic movement based on the petty-bourgeoisie as Hitler did in Germany and Mussolini in Italy. Moreover, the entire Colombo political establishment, including the UNP, has been deeply mired in communal politics which has been exploited time and again to divide the working class. Sajith Premadasas father, President Ranasinghe Premadasa, presided over a government that carried out the brutal suppression of Sinhala rural youth, killing an estimated 60,000, in the period 19881990, then restarted the vicious communal war against the LTTE. In April last year, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe unity government mobilised the military and imposed sweeping emergency laws in the wake of the Easter terrorist bombings. All of the parties, including the pseudo-left, endorsed the measures and ignored evidence that the top government and military officials had advanced warning of the attacks but did nothing. NSSP leader Karunaratne attended the all-party conference and shamelessly praised the armed forces and police. As the Socialist Equality Party warned at the time, the chief target of the emergency measures was the struggles of the working class that had provoked deep fears in ruling circles. The main political beneficiary was Gotabhaya Rajapakse who exploited the bombings to push for a strong government and even tougher measures in the name of national security. The role of the NSSP and other pseudo-left groups in the November presidential election was above all to block the SEPs campaign for the political independence of the working class from all bourgeois partiesthe SLPP and UNP alikeand a unified struggle of all workersSinhala, Tamil and Muslimfor a workers and peasants government to implement socialist policies. The emergence of the new Rajapakse regime in Sri Lanka is an expression of a turn by the ruling classes in every country towards dictatorships and fascism in response to the revolutionary upsurge of the working class. The only way to fight the danger of fascism is through the mobilisation of the working class at the head of a revolutionary movement of the masses to put an end to capitalismthe source of the drive to war, austerity and police state methods of rule. The NSSP, however, is determined to keep the working class confined to the parliamentary arena and shackled to the UNP. With a general parliamentary election looming, Karunaratne advises workers and the poor: Think of the next struggle. The parliamentary election is of critical importance. It can be won. Surely the SLPPs victory can be reduced to a marginal one. In other words, the best that the NSSP hopes for is a marginal victory for the SLPP under conditions in which the UNP is in deep internal crisis, he declares: Everything depends on the UNP not fragmenting and the non-SLPP forces not turning against each other. The Sinhala chauvinist JVP must be included in this front, he emphasises. The NSSPs parliamentary cretinism leaves the working class bound hand and foot to the bourgeoisieeither the UNP or the SLPP. The SEP calls on workers, youth and intellectuals to reject this bankrupt political outlook and to turn to the methods of class struggle. We urge the formation of independent action committees to unite workersSinhala, Tamil and Muslimin workplaces and neighbourhoods to oppose the attacks on living conditions and democratic rights. The struggles of the working class and rural poor can only be united in the fight for workers and peasants government as part of fight for a union of socialist republic of South Asia and internationally. This is the perspective for which the SEP fights. N ot with a bang but a whimper. Who would have predicted that this was the way Britain would end its five-decade membership of the European Union? Today, as the 11th hour approaches, there will be no street parties or pealing of bells in celebration, nor are there angry demonstrations and defiant protests of outrage. The exhausted nation is hardly aware that, after all the acrimony, the moment of departure is upon us. Brexit is done. The best the governing party can manage to mark the event that has consumed all its political energies, and dispatched two of its leaders, is a commemorative mug and tea towel. Why? Because whatever side you have taken in the debate that has cleaved our society in half, today represents a failure. For the Remainers the defeat is absolute. We can lament the mistaken decision to call a referendum, and the lacklustre, unemotional campaign. We can rue the errors that followed, as overly-moderate Tory rebels pitched their fight on the method rather than the substance of our departure; while the extremist Labour leadership and naive Liberal Democrats proved unwitting handmaidens to our exit and their own destruction. But the facts are these: after half a century of membership, appeals in the 2016 referendum to a common European identity fell on millions of deaf ears; and after three years of economic stagnation since, and transparent evidence that the promises of Brexit were false, the voters reaffirmed their decision in a second vote in the election last month. So the truth must be faced by all who wanted Britain to remain in the EU, including the Evening Standard: we did not convince our fellow citizens. If the failure of pro-Europeans is obvious, why are the celebrations of Brexiteers so muted? In part, because they too know they have not convinced the nation. Britain walks through the exit door with a feeling of melancholic resignation rather than excitement about the future. The nation knows it has chosen the poorer path the estimates produced by the Bank of England yesterday show an economy barely growing, with a trend rate not seen since the Seventies. The country also knows it has greatly diminished its voice in the world already our views on everything from climate goals to the taxation of big tech matter far less. The more thoughtful leaders of the Brexit campaign know too that they prevailed by harnessing a nativist opposition to change and a resentment at the success of others in parts of the country, outside the cities of the North and South, that felt left behind. They talk of levelling up, but they won on the argument of levelling down: if you cant enjoy the fruits of globalisation, then nor should anyone else. No one beyond the offices of a few deluded hedge funds in Mayfair believes Brexit was a vote for less red tape and more free trade. The party that now represents Sedgefield and Blyth Valley champions more government intervention, higher spending and extra regulation. Yesterday, the Conservatives were trumpeting their re-nationalisation of the Northern railways, the kind of state involvement in the economy that we joined the EU to get away from. Global Britain may be the slogan, but neither the globe nor Britain believe a word of it. So what lies ahead? Ignore those who say that Brexit isnt done. It is. Yes, theres a trade agreement to be negotiated and the details matter a lot to businesses but its a much less important decision than the existential one weve just taken about whether we are members of the EU. There will be an argument about divergence but the truth is that, in most areas, global standard-setting and the European markets will force us to be a taker of the rules we have until today participated in making. Thats why the hard Brexit on paper will feel much softer in practice. Even the hour of our departure midnight Central European Time is set by others. It will take time for this loss of control to become apparent but when it does, the same questions that faced Britain 50 years ago will confront us now: how do we exert our influence in the world? How do we sustain support for the free markets and the open society? US Secretary of State Dean Acheson famously said of post-war Britain that we had lost an empire but not yet found a role. Back in 1972, we thought we had by joining the European community. In 2020, as we leave, its time to come together because we still havent found what were looking for. Listen to today's episode of The Leader: As a college student, I made some extra money by house-watching and dog-sitting. When one of my professors and his wife were away from home for a few days, they paid me to sleep in their house under the assumption that my presence would lessen the chance of a break-in burglary. The mere sight of my car parked in the driveway at night must have been sufficient to thwart any would-be criminals, which was fortunate for me. I honestly dont know what I would have done had I been confronted by a burglar. Intimidated him by using strong language, perhaps? While I enjoyed reading my way though the professors extensive library, the part of the job I most enjoyed was providing companionship as well as full food and water bowls for the family dog and cat. We bonded and became fast friends, but I knew they missed their humans and eagerly awaited their return. I hadnt thought of those animals for years until I read an article in The Forward, a Jewish publication, written by Rabbi Jonathan Miller and titled Letter from Alabama: Rabbi, will you take my dog when the Rapture comes? Perhaps a brief explanatory note is in order. The Rapture is an event that many evangelical Christians believe will levitate believers into the air so they can join Jesus. These men, women and children will be snatched up regardless of where they are or what they happen to be doing at the moment. Although the term rapture appears nowhere in The New Testament, the occurrence itself is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Matthew 24:40-41 has Jesus saying, Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left. Luke 17:34-36 records Jesus words as I tell you, in that night, there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left. Jesus words contain no mention of an airborne journey, however. For that we must go to Paul, who wrote: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:17). In his article, Rabbi Miller wrote about an evangelical Christian who told him during a telephone conversation that, following the Rapture, the only people left on earth are gonna be the Jews and the atheists. He evidently isnt aware of other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. This gentleman has a dog named Millie of whom he is very fond. Since he wont be around to care for Millie, he told Miller that he needs a Jew to take care of my dog because I dont want my dog being raised by no atheist. Much to the gentlemans delight, Miller agreed to accept Millie. Still, shell so miss her original human and wonder why he suddenly abandoned her. Nothing could possibly induce me to abandon my dear companion animals not even a one-way ticket to heaven. I love them too much. The knowledge that I had abandoned my beloved critters and would never see them again would make heaven seem more like hell. I would much rather remain here with the Jews and other non-Christians, who will suddenly have so many orphaned companion animals to care for. Ill pass on the Rapture. Loving and being loved on earth by a plethora of dogs and cats will be my heaven. John J. Dunphy is an author, the Godfrey 15th Precinct Democratic Committeeperson and recording secretary for the Godfrey Democrats. The United States sees Ukraine as a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe and as a country that fights for its freedom, democracy and prosperity. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said this at a joint press conference with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday, January 31, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "Ukrainians should know that Ukraine is an important country. It is not just the geographical heart of Europe, it is actually a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe ... Today I want to say that we have a clear message. The USA sees Ukraine as a country which is fighting for its freedom, democracy and prosperity," Pompeo said. In this context, he emphasized that almost 14,000 Ukrainians died for the freedom of their country, and many people continue to suffer because of the conflict in Donbas. ish Salud Natural Entrepreneur of Waukegan, Ill., is voluntarily recalling Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder) and Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (capsule) products because of possible salmonella contamination in one of the ingredients. According to the announcement on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website, the products being recalled are: Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder, 1 lb. bags) UPC 890523000720 Lot # 62.19 / 9 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/7/21 Lot # 62.19 / 2 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/7/21 Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder, 1 lb. bags) UPC 890523000720 Lot # 64.19 / 3 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/21/21 Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder, 1 lb. bags) UPC 890523000720 Lot # 65.19 / 1 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/24/21 Lot # 65.19 / 2 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/24/21 Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder, 2 lb. bags) UPC:890523000843 Lot # 64.19 / 2 # 52.1 Best if used by 10/21/21 Lot # 64.19 / 2 * 2Lb # 52.1 Best if used by 10/21/21 Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (capsules, 120 count) UPC 890523000867 Lot # 23.19 1C120 # 07 Best if used by 10/7/21 Lot # 23.192C120 # 02 Best if used by 10/7/21 Lot # 23.19 / 2C120 # 02 Best if used by 10/7/21 Lot # 23.19.2C120 # 02 Best if used by 10/7/21 Lot # 23.19.3C120 # 02 Best if used by 10/7/21 According to the announcement, the recall is the result of an FDA sampling of senna leaves powder, an ingredient used to manufacture the Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber. The senna leaves powder "tested positive for three types of salmonella including salmonella gaminara, salmonella Kentucky, and salmonella Oranienburg." Salmonella is an organism that cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In children, the elderly or frail people the infection can be fatal. There have been no reports of illness. The products in question are distributed throughout the United States and Puerto Rico and on the companys website. For more information, readers may call the company at 877-296-6845, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Salud Natural Entrepreneur, Inc. of Waukegan, IL is voluntarily recalling Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (powder) and Nopalina Flax Seed Fiber (capsule) products due to possible Salmonella contamination Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Jamia Teachers Association on Friday blamed BJP MP Anurag Thakur for the firing incident outside the varsity, saying nothing can be more "anti-national" than a minister inciting citizens to indulge in violence from a public platform. The teachers body also appealed to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh to allow passage of traffic on one side of the road as an act of "civic responsibility" and "sensitivity". During an election rally held earlier, Thakur egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan -- "shoot the traitors" -- after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. On Thursday, protestors and police personnel faced off against each other near the Jamia Millia Islamia after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student before walking away while waving the firearm over his head shouting "Yeh lo Aazadi". "We are convinced that this shooting, which could have been fatal, was the direct result of the call to 'goli maro' or 'shoot' by an elected Member of Parliament who is also the country's Minister of State for Finance. "Nothing can be more anti-national than a Minister inciting citizens to violence from a public platform, and we severely condemn his words and action," JTA said in a statement following a general body meeting called to discuss the situation in the varsity. It also appreciated the restraint shown by the students after the incident. "Given that this elected representative violated both our constitution and law by exhorting the public to violence, we acknowledge and record our appreciation of the restraint shown by our students in the face of the grave provocation of their batchmate being injured in a shooting before their very eyes. "It is a shame and irony that the cult of the bullet continues to predominate the national discourse in the world's largest democracy," it added. Condemning the firing, the JTA said the unprovoked firing was under the eyes of Delhi police whose men looked on casually while the bullet was fired and only one uniformed policeman walked over to gently guide the shooter away from the students. "We also appeal to our fellow citizens at Shaheen Bagh to allow the passage of traffic on one side of the road. It would be an act of civic responsibility and sensitivity, and also a gesture of facilitation to all whose destinations would be easier to access," the JTA said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sen. John McCollister of Omaha argued Thursday that it's time to apply Nebraska's state sales tax to purchases of candy and soft drinks and direct that new revenue to the state's health care cash fund. Only 11 states do not tax those products now, he told the Legislature's Revenue Committee during a public hearing on his proposal. McCollister removed a provision from his bill (LB810) that would have also applied the sales tax to bottled water. The revised bill would raise an estimated $20 million to $25 million in annual revenue, he said, and perhaps more. The proposal prompted opposition from a number of organizations, including the Nebraska Beverage Association, the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association, the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce, the Nebraska Retail Federation and the Nebraska Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores Association. The bill represents "a tax increase on food," Kathy Siefken, executive director of the grocers' group, told the committee. And, she said, it would be "burdensome for retailers" to comply with the new tax. Nicole Fox, speaking for the Platte Institute, said her organization believes that any effort to expand the tax base should be directed at reducing tax rates. Other opponents told the committee they consider the proposal to be a tax on groceries and that it would damage sales at convenience stores and supermarkets. The Nebraska Medical Association provided the committee with a written statement of support for the bill. Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has turned several chiefs of Sikh terror outfits based in Pakistan into drug smugglers who are destroying a generation of youth of Punjab and other parts of India, informed sources have revealed. Smuggling of weapons and drugs by Pakistan-based chiefs of Sikh terror groups haz resulted in a rivalry among the militant Sikh Groups who are competing for the ISI's patronage and each one of them is trying to outperform the other in smuggling drugs like Heroin in India. In the biggest-ever narcotics haul in June 2019, the Indian customs department had seized 532 kg of heroin worth Rs 2,700 crore, which was smuggled into India from Pakistan in a truck through the trade route at the Attari border. The National Investigation Agency had termed the recovery of lethal drugs as a case of 'narco-terrorism'. It was the result of rivalry among the Sikh militant groups based in Pakistan that on January 27, a top leader of Khalistan Liberation Force, Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, was killed at the Dera Chahal Gurudwara near Lahore by a local gang over financial disputes stemming from drug smuggling. Harmeet, who was also allegedly involved in the murders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders in Punjab in 2016-2017, was wanted in India in several cases, and was involved in the smuggling of weapons and drugs from Pakistan. According to informed sources, India submitted a 23-page dossier of 15 pro-Khalistani activists residing in Pakistan, containing events from the past four years, during the second round of Kartarpur Corridor talks between the two countries in Wagah in July last year. The dossier had year-wise pictorial details of Gopal Singh Chawla, a key Khalistani element, and his anti-India activities on social media. The dossier also included the details of Jagroop Singh Rupa, who went with a "jatha" to Pakistan in 2016, and was given arms training by fugitive Sikh militants Lakhbir Singh Rode and Harmeet Singh to carry out terror attacks in India. Sources reveal that the ISI is also using many pro-Khalistan militants based in Pakistan for promoting terror and terror ideology by luring the youth, spreading hatred and propaganda, through social media. There are growing indications that Pakistan is orchestrating much of this activity as part of a wider campaign to fuel instability in Indian Punjab. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Injured Jamia student Shadab Farooq discharged from AIIMS India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 31: Jamia Millia student Shadab Farooq, who suffered injuries after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters outside the university, was discharged from AIIMS on Friday morning. He suffered a bullet injury in his left arm during the protest, a call for which was given to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Al-Ameen, a student of Jamia's Mass Communication department and Farooq's friend, said he was discharged from the hospital around 8 am. "His father reached Delhi on Thursday night, but Shadab won't go back home in Kashmir. He will stay at the university," Al-Ameen said. Farooq underwent a surgery at the hospital, he said. Tension spiralled in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring mass communications student Farooq, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. Jamia firing: UP teen who opened fire on anti-CAA protesters is a 'minor' NEWS AT 3 PM, JAN 31st JAN, 2020 Farooq, who received bullet wound on his left hand, was admitted to AIIMS. No injury to blood vessels or nerves were sustained, a doctor said. 31 January 2020 Early Equity Plc ("Early Equity" or "the Company") AUDITED RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 AUGUST 2019 Chairman's Statement and Strategic Review Business Review The Directors are pleased to present the financial results for Early Equity Plc ("the Company") for the year ended 31 August 2019. The total comprehensive loss for the year was 721,671 (2018 - 97,475). The loss per share was 0.01p (2018 - 0.01p). The loss before tax of 702,554 (2018 - 190,826) largely reflects the costs of maintaining a public listing, administration costs and the impairment of investments that have not performed in line with expectations. On 22 February 2019 the Company announced that it acquired 60% of the issued share capital of MEI Home (M) Sdn. Bhd (Meihome) for a total consideration of one million five hundred thousand-ringgit Malaysia(RM1,500,000), which is approximately 281,955. On 28 January 2019, the Company raised a total of 187,500 through the issue of 25 million ordinary shares of 0.001 at a price of 0.0075 per share. Change from investment Company to Operating Company With the appointment of Chua Siew Lian on the 1 March 2015 and subsequent appointment of Tee Lian Hing on 1 August 2016 the Company gained access to the Asian Market through the Directors network and skills in direct marketing and online sales. The Company's investment strategy was initially not geographically or sector focussed, however since 2015 has played to its strengths in Asia. In December 2015 Early Equity's current strategy began to evolve when it acquired an initial 32% stake in Yicom Global Sdn Bhd ("Yicom") with a further 15% stake acquired in August 2017 (totaling the current stake of 47%). Yicom is the sole importer and patent holder of a series of healthcare products from various countries and in particular China. Following this acquisition, the Management have focused more specifically on developing the sales of products in Asia, with a focus on Malaysia, Thailand and China. Products include food and beverage, skincare products and nutritional health supplements. This was followed up by an acquisition of a 4% minority holding in Early Infinity Holding Sdn Bhd ("EI") in August 2017, which is the core distribution company which Yicom uses to sell its products. As the health supplements and distribution model has developed and shown signs of strong growth, the Company has expanded its involvement and the management team has become more involved in the activities of Yicom and EI and has made further acquisitions in the sector. As a result of the acquisition of Meihome the Board reviewed the activities of the Company. Whist the Company had acted as an investment company with a generalist acquisition policy in recent years the acquisitions tended to be in one generic area. Most of the businesses have a focus on products for the Asian market with an emphasis on direct and indirect sales. In addition to the investments the Company has made the Board is now working on a more active basis with the directors of the existing investments of Yicom, EI and Meihome. As a result, on 1 September 2019 the Board entered into relationship agreements with MEIhome and Yicom to reflect the management time spent on these activities. In addition, as the Executive Directors are now engaged with the operations, the Company notified NEX Exchange that it now believes it should be treated as an operating company, not an investment company for the purpose of the NEX Exchange Rules. The minority interest stakes that the Company holds in the companies that no longer form part of the Company's strategy are therefore now classed as "non-core assets" which the Company is seeking to dispose of at a time that it can acquire the best possible value for the same. Outlook Following the Company's acquisition of a controlling stake in Meihome it has focused on further developing and growing Meihome's e-commerce platform through the facilitation of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions. The Company has reported year on year substantial increases in the growth of Yicom, however the accounts reflect a downturn in sales this financial year which has had a detrimental effect on the balance sheet of Yicom. Therefore the value of our 47% stake has been written down to reflect the position within these accounts. On 1 September 2019, the Company entered into a relationship agreement with Yicom and the board are working actively with them to integrate new product lines and routes to market On 1 September 2019, the Company entered into a relationship agreement with Meihome and have been working with them to develop the e-commerce platform to support merchant upload of their own products (versus Meihome staff administering changes). This new business model is easily scalable and the Board are optimistic that hereon Meihome sales will gain momentum. For the purposes of valuing this subsidiary, the latest balance sheet figure of Meihome has been used. The Board are continuing with the application for a Standard Listing of the Company's Ordinary Shares on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange. Due to the evolution of the Company from an investment to an operating company, the process has taken longer than anticipated. The Company will update the market with further news in this respect in due course. On behalf of the Board, I would like to take this opportunity to thank shareholders and professional advisers for their continued support of the Company. Gregory Collier Chairman and non-executive Director 31 January 2020 CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 AUGUST 2019 2019 2018 GBP GBP CONTINUING OPERATIONS Turnover 83,677 - Cost of Sales (31,812) - ------------------- ------------------- Gross Profit 51,865 - Other Income 42,153 16,016 Administrative expenses (799,267) (203,118) Finance costs (1,754) (3,724) Share of loss of associate (16,596) - Fair value movement on financial assets 21,045 - ------------------- ------------------- LOSS BEFORE TAX (702,554) (190,826) Income tax (19,117) - ------------------ ------------------ LOSS FOR THE YEAR (721,671) (190,826) ========= ========= OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Fair Value movement on available for sale assets - 93,351 TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS FOR THE YEAR (721,671) (97,475) ========= ========= Attributable to: Owners of the parent (718,009) (97,475) Non-controlling interests (3,662) - ------------------ ------------------ (721,671) (97,475) ========= ========= BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER SHARE (PENCE) (0.09) (0.01) ========= ========= CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION AS AT 31 AUGUST 2019 2019 2018 GBP GBP ASSETS NON-CURRENT ASSETS Goodwill 97,540 - Fixtures, fittings and equipment 49,104 - Investments in associates 416,237 - --------------------- -------------- 562,881 - CURRENT ASSETS Inventories 26,386 - Available-for-sale financial assets 266,807 1,010,762 Trade and other receivables 156,444 10,549 Cash and cash equivalents 174,042 437,326 --------------------- -------------- 623,679 447,875 --------------------- -------------- TOTAL ASSETS 1,186,560 447,875 CURRENT LIABILITIES Trade and other payables (211,051) (14,309) --------------------- ---------------- NET CURRENT ASSETS 412,628 433,566 --------------------- ------------------ NET ASSETS 975,509 1,444,328 ========== ========= EQUITY Share capital 819,387 972,123 Share premium 1,658,590 1,496,090 Non-controlling interest 60,084 - Fair value reserve - 142,382 Foreign exchange reserve 5,268 - Accumulated losses (1,567,820) (1,166,267) --------------------- --------------------- SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS 975,509 1,444,328 ========== ========= This financial information has been extracted from the audited financial statements of the Group for the year ended 31 August 2019. The financial statements are prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). A copy of the Company's financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2019 will be posted to shareholders and will be delivered to the Registrar of Companies. The Directors do not propose to pay a dividend for the year. The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement. --ENDS-- Amid the outbreak of coronavirus in China, Singapore will close its borders to all new visitors from the nation, thus becoming the first country in Southeast Asian country to so. South China Morning Post reported that the move aimed to curb the spread of deadly virus includes foreigners who have been there within the past 14 days. While the visa suspension will come into effect immediately, the travel restriction will start at 11:59 pm on Saturday. According to SCMP report, residents and citizens of Singapore who have been to China will be able to come into the city-state, but they will be subject to a 14-day leave of absence during which they are encouraged to stay at home. This comes even as CNN reported, citing Chief Medical Officer for England that the first two cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK. In Germany, the fifth case of deadly coronavirus has been confirmed, according to a DW report. Chinese state media reported that the country's premier Li Keqiang stressed speeding up the development of vaccine and medicine against pneumonia caused by a novel coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MICHAEL ODwyer, who chaired the Fine Gael Limerick City constituency when Michael Noonan was first elected to the Dail could tell he was a natural politician and a future leader from very early on. As the Finance Minister prepares to step out of public life, Mr ODwyer and the two other Fine Gael officers, Eddie Butler and Tony Brazil, who were instrumental in his first three Dail elections in 1981 and 1982 have shared their memories of the Loughill-born politician. The trios mission was to secure Fine Gael two Dail seats in the old Limerick East constituency, which they duly did, with Mr Noonan joining Tom ODonnell in the Oireachtas. We were left in no uncertain terms by [then FG leader, and later Taoiseach] Garrett FitzGerald that he wanted two seats here, he said. Mr ODwyer had met Mr Noonan at an ASTI meeting in the former Glentworth Hotel in the mid-1970s. Even then, Mr Noonan had a remarkable achievement under his belt, being part of a Fine Gael ticket which helped secure the party two seats in a Fianna Fail stronghold in the local elections in county Limerick. Something that struck me even back then was how articulate and professional he was, the former constituency chair said, I was reminded about that this week. His exit statement, in terms of not going forward as the Minister for Finance and TD was dealt very professionally. Eddie Butler was the constituency organiser first met Mr Noonan in the Stella Ballroom in Shannon Street. He seemed to be very assertive and astute. Very much with it, he said. Businessman Tony Brazil was the last of the trio to lay eyes on Mr Noonan in the early 1980s and even then, he could see he was something special. He said: Michael was always the man passing the finishing post when the others were only jumping the last hurdle. He has a great strategic mind and he is able to see down the track as to whats coming. Recalling an exchange Mr Noonan had with a supporter in 2011, Mr Brazil said: When he got the job as Minister for Finance, someone went up to commiserate him, and said God, youve got a terrible job. Michaels response was Not at all, Ive the best job in Ireland. Im going to turn the economy around. And he did. In his senior political career, spanning almost 40 years, it is very easy to focus on these latter years in the finance ministry. But Messrs Brazil, Butler and ODwyer say there is merit in going further back than this. I remember when I came to town in the 1970s, we had very run down garda stations. Michael became the Justice Minister in 1982, and very rapidly, he initiated a great programme of building garda stations. Henry Street had just been opened. He commissioned the work at Roxboro Road, and the updating of Mayorstone garda station. It was greatly appreciated at the time, Mr ODwyer recalled. A personal strength of the Minister, Mr Brazil adds, is an unwavering ability to manage stressful affairs. We bought John Cushnahan to a function of the party in 1985 to talk about Northern Ireland. At the time, Michael was Minister for Justice, and he hosted the function. Only three days later, it emerged [Noonan] was dealing with a major money laundering crisis. He always had this great capacity to attend to his constituency duties despite the fact he was always under immense pressure at ministerial level, Mr ODwyer adds. Interjecting, Mr Brazil added: A lot of people wouldnt have appreciated at the time as Minister for Justice, his own personal freedom was curtailed. Michaels chance to lead his party came in 2001 when he succeeded John Bruton but following a disastrous general election the following year, he stepped down. This, the three men believe, must rank as a major regret. He didnt get a decent enough period to stamp his mark on it. If he were doing it again, he would be doing things a lot differently, Mr Brazil said. Mr ODwyer added: Very early on, I travelled to a by-election with him in 1980. I had hours in the car with him. In those days, going to Donegal was a days work. That night I dropped him home, and I thought This is a future leader. I felt he always wanted to be leader. But he was very unfortunate when he got the leadership that there was an internal feud. And a lot of people are reminiscing on that now as theyre worried the current campaign could lead to division. Despite this setback, and an initially icy relationship with his successor, Enda Kenny, the pair formed a strong bond which maintains to this day. And the former party chairman Mr ODwyer says it is through this relationship the pair have been able to exploit the strong relationship Fine Gael had with the European Peoples Party at a time when Ireland needed it the most. A lot of people in Limerick dont know that Michael Noonan is a fluent French speaker, which was a huge asset when going to Europe and talking to the likes of Christine Lagarde. When he worked in Justice, he used to always take the month of August off and went to France, and during these months, he picked up the French. Twenty years later it came of enormous benefit to us in the country, Mr ODwyer exclaimed. Privately, Mr Noonan carried many great stresses which only came to light in the later stages of his career. The most heartbreaking of these, no doubt, was being his late wife Florences battle with Alzheimers disease. While those close to him knew of his struggle, it was only in an interview with RTE in 2010 it fully came to light. Mr ODwyer recalled how the Finance Minister would race home from meetings to be by his wifes side. He would be in Brussels or Paris, or wherever. He would arrive into Baldonnel on the aircorps jet and he would get off at 10pm or 11pm and drive back down to the Regional Hospital, spending hours holding her hand, and going straight back to Dublin and carrying on with work, he said. Mr Butler adding: Nobody knew how difficult it was. He kept it all to himself. How he endured it is hard to understand. Going back to his days as a secondary school teacher at the Crescent, Mr Noonan was always a fan of swimming with the three men recalling his running a very successful club among his students. To get away from the pressures of professional life, the Finance Minister still returns to his family home in Loughill, and swims in the bay, Mr Brazil said. Summing him up, Mr ODwyer said: He was the first truly professional politician I met. Mr Butler added: He was very honest. He had great integrity, very organised, and he would tell you the truth. Mr Brazil concluded with the words honesty and integrity. At a time when politics and politicians have a very low rating, he would stand head and shoulders above the field. There is no back story behind Michael. What you see is what you get. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 14:40:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's response to the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV outbreak in its central Hubei province has been remarkably swift, Brazilian health experts have said. "Chinese authorities reacted swiftly when they became aware of the seriousness of the matter, closing off Wuhan (the epicenter of the outbreak and capital of Hubei province) to avoid more infections," Joao Guimaraes, of the Santa Maria Hospital in Rio de Janeiro, told Xinhua. "Everything I have read about what is being done seems reasonable and right to me," said Guimaraes. Jose David Urbaez Brito, scientific director at the Federal District branch of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases, said China has taken actions at an unprecedented speed. "The response has been swift. As a result of (China's) technological development, for example, the sequencing of the virus was carried out in the span of a week. That does not usually happen in these situations," said Urbaez. "I think they are handling things very systematically, very properly in scientific terms," Urbaez noted. Infectious disease expert Ana Ferreira said China's rapid response to the novel coronavirus outbreak will serve as a model for countries' future handling of virus outbreaks, including curbing virus spread. "The example to follow is after identifying the epicenter of the virus (outbreak), the Chinese government succeeded in isolating millions of people to prevent new infections," Ferreira said. "Acting swiftly is vital in such a case," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 01:22:12|Editor: zyl Video Player Close Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attend a joint press briefing in Kiev, Ukraine, on Jan. 31, 2020. Ukraine is ready to expand cooperation with the United States in the field of defense and security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday during a joint press briefing with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. (Photo by Sergey Starostenko/Xinhua) KIEV, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is ready to expand cooperation with the United States in the field of defense and security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday during a joint press briefing with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "Ukraine is ready to develop new forms of partnership with the United States in the field of security," Zelensky said during the briefing, according to the website of the Ukrainian president's press service. Zelensky noted that the parties also discussed strengthening the Ukrainian Naval forces and the national air defense through the procurement of necessary weapons. The president emphasized that Ukraine is actively working with American partners to implement the successful reform of the defense industry. "I am sure this will provide an impetus for mutually beneficial cooperation with top U.S. defense companies," noted Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader also said that the comprehensive support that the U.S. Congress provides to Kiev through the assistance programs to Ukraine for 2020 amounts to almost 700 million U.S. dollars, about half of which is for defense and security. (CNN) China marked its most fatal day yet during the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak Thursday as the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global health emergency. Chinese authorities reported more than 40 deaths Thursday, all of them in Hubei, the province at the center of the outbreak of which Wuhan is the capital, bringing the total death toll to 213, with almost 10,000 cases confirmed worldwide. As of Thursday night, there were more than 9,600 coronavirus cases confirmed in China, authorities said, an increase of almost 2,000 from the previous day. That surpasses the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak that began in southern China, which infected 8,098 people worldwide, killing 774. More than 20 countries and territories outside of mainland China have confirmed cases of the virus -- spanning Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East -- as India, Italy and the Philippines reported their first cases on Thursday. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Thursday. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it." The decision by the WHO has prompted governments to upgrade their own response to the virus, with the US State Department raising its travel advisory for China to it's highest level: Do not travel. The WHO defines a public health emergency of international concern as "an extraordinary event" that constitutes a "public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease," and "to potentially require a coordinated international response." Previous emergencies have included Ebola, Zika and H1N1. Ghebreyesus, who met this week with Chinese President Xi Jinping, said the WHO "continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak." "We would have seen many more cases outside China by now -- and probably deaths -- if it were not for the government's efforts," he added. Much of China goes back to work on Monday, after the Lunar New Year holiday was extended in an attempt to rein in the virus. The fear now -- as tens of millions of people travel across the country and cities return to usual business -- is that new self-sustaining epidemic spots will rear up. Many schools and universities across the country will remain closed for much of next week. Evacuation and spread As Wuhan and much of Hubei remains on lockdown in a bid to contain the virus, many countries have begun extracting their citizens from the city. A charter plane carrying more than 350 South Koreans landed at Gimpo International Airport near Seoul on Friday, following flights organized by the US and Japan to evacuate their citizens. Multiple other governments, including the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are still arranging flights. Meanwhile, more cases of the virus have been reported worldwide. Singapore confirmed three additional cases Thursday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections in the city to 13. Health officials said all 13 cases are in a stable condition and "most are improving." They also advised citizens to "defer all travel to Hubei Province and all non-essential travel to mainland China." The Singapore government said it will distribute four masks each to 1.3 million households in the city from Saturday. Other Asian territories, particularly Hong Kong, have struggled to maintain supply of masks, with many stores running out following an initial rush by residents to stock up. More than 200 infections with the virus -- but no deaths -- have been reported outside mainland China. Italy has confirmed two cases of coronavirus, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a news conference in Rome on Thursday. The individuals affected are two Chinese tourists who arrived in Rome a couple of days ago, Conte said. Earlier on Thursday, around 6,000 people were kept on board a cruise ship docked at a coastal town northwest of Rome after two passengers were suspected of having the virus. They eventually tested negative, Italian health ministry officials said. Two of China's neighbors have instituted emergency measures to try and stop the virus spreading there. Russia said it was closing its border in the Far East, and limiting rail services from all of China from January 31. Meanwhile, North Korea declared a state of emergency and said it was instituting a "hygienic and anti-epidemic" response. Facing a long quarantine Much of Hubei has been under effective quarantine for weeks now, with almost every city facing travel restrictions in a province home to nearly 60 million people. Wuhan has been completely locked down, with residents cooped up in their homes and the streets abandoned. Foreigners being airlifted out of the city are also facing up to two weeks of mandatory or voluntary quarantine once they land in their home countries. Australia's plan to house evacuees in a former detention center for migrants on Christmas Island, has sparked controversy within the country. Public broadcaster ABC spoke to some Australians in Wuhan who said they would rather remain in the city than face two weeks on what has been described by some opposition lawmakers as a "leper camp," even as Canberra defended its decision as the only place capable of quarantining hundreds of people. At March Air Reserve Base in Southern California, where US evacuees were flown earlier this week, one man said he was willing to remain under quarantine "as long as I need." Jarred Evans said that the US Centers for Disease Control told evacuees that the initial 72-hour quarantine that was suggested "is really not enough time, but you know, they're not obligated to keep us here." "You're not obligated to leave (when the 72 hours are up), so they're saying that the best thing for you, your people, your family and the community is to stay as long as possible," Evans said. After flying out of near-freezing temperatures in Wuhan, Evans said he and the other passengers were spending time outdoors enjoying the sunny, 22 degrees Celsius (72F) weather. "We're all still taking major precautions. So it's not like we're around here hugging each other and shaking hands and things like that," Evans said. "We're wearing our masks ... But honestly, you know, everyone is enjoying themselves because what we experienced, what we've seen, is very serious, you know, people are dying. So when you see that and think about things like that, try to take as much appreciation of what is in front of you." What happens next? Speaking on Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said the country had full "confidence and capability" in winning the fight against the virus. "Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health," said ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in a statement. "Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations. We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic." China has taken major measures to try and contain the epidemic, locking much of Hubei down, partially closing the border with Hong Kong and extending the Lunar New Year holiday, all of which could have a severe drain on the country's economy, already vulnerable due to the US-China trade war. With most people due to go back to work on Monday, it remains unclear whether more measures will be announced, and if not, how this will influence the spread of the virus. Health experts previously estimated that the number of cases could be far higher than currently confirmed. Researchers at Imperial College London have estimated that at least 4,000 people were infected in Wuhan by January 18, almost a week before the lockdown began. Their model suggests a low national figure of 20,000 infections by the end of the month, potentially as high as 100,000. Speaking to state media Tuesday, Zhong Nanshan, one of China's leading respiratory experts and a hero of the 2003 fight against SARS, said he expected the peak to come in up to 10 days. "It is very difficult to definitely estimate when the outbreak reaches its peak. But I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be no large-scale increases," Zhong said. If more restrictive measures are announced before the end of the holiday on Monday, the question will be instead how long the country can bear such economic punishment, and how much individual people -- many of them already stretched financially due to holiday celebrations -- can go without returning to work. This story was first published on CNN.com, "China marks deadliest day as WHO declares global health emergency in fight against Wuhan coronavirus." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Fri, January 31, 2020 16:45 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e8bd7 2 SE Asia coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus,Thailand,patients Free Thailand has seen its first case of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus inside the country, a health official said on Friday. The case is a Thai taxi driver, said Tanarak Pipat, deputy director-general of the Department of Disease Control. "The Thai person who got infected does not have the record of traveling to China and it is likely that he was infected from a sick traveler from China," Tanarak said. Thailand's previous cases have all been either Chinese tourists or Thais who had visited China, where the virus originated. Brexit Day is expected to be greeted by both protests and celebrations (Niall Carson/PA) Brexit Day is expected to be greeted with both protests and some celebrations on the island of Ireland. In the final hours before the UK officially leaves the EU, a series of protests have been planned along the Irish border. Anti-Brexit campaigners will also hold a demonstration at Stormont on Friday afternoon, before Brexit-backers later hold a celebration party at the gates of the seat of Northern Irelands devolved government from 10.30pm for a countdown to 11pm. Last September, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) announced that a contingency plan was in place to restrict police leave following the previously planned October 31 Brexit Day. It came after warnings about challenges the PSNI may face following Brexit, including an uplift in dissident republican violence and potential public order situations. Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke described it as a sensible operational contingency, adding that it would be kept under review. Expand Close PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke. (Rebecca Black/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke. (Rebecca Black/PA) In the Irish Republic, the UKs departure from the EU is a campaign issue in the ongoing General Election campaign. Fine Gael Government ministers hosted a 5am tour of Dublin Port as the first ships of Brexit Day dock and unload. Fine Gaels main rival, Fianna Fail, branded the early-morning visit a stunt, accusing the Government of politicising Brexit. Deputy Premier Simon Coveney rejected those claims on Friday morning. Whether we like it or not, Brexit is going to dominate Irish politics for at least the next 12 to 18 months, he said. I know the public are fed up talking about Brexit so am I, quite frankly but we dont have the luxury of not talking about Brexit and preparing for it. Simon Coveney denies his party are politicising Brexit, and says Micheal Martin and Lisa Chambers dont want to speak about Brexit at all. pic.twitter.com/tXgH2xEJsX aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) January 31, 2020 It has such an impact potentially on the future of the Irish economy and the future of the Irish fishing industry, on the future of Irish agriculture, on the future of the Irish tourism industry. Put quite simply, all of the plans, all of the manifestos that are being debated and discussed in this election campaign, much of that is just aspirational if we dont maintain and protect a strong economy through the challenges of Brexit. We felt it was important to be in Dublin Port where 60% of everything that comes into Ireland comes through, and the port, working with other agencies in the state, have spent 30 million euros to prepare for the new realities of Brexit. We are, as of today, Brexit-ready, and we are prepared for the new realities should there be no transition period in place. Later on Friday morning, Irelands premier, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, will give an address on Brexit in Dublin. Expand Close A Sinn Fein poster proposing Irish unity as a solution to Brexit on the N3 road outside Co Cavan near the border with Northern Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A Sinn Fein poster proposing Irish unity as a solution to Brexit on the N3 road outside Co Cavan near the border with Northern Ireland (Brian Lawless/PA) The Irish border, which will become the only land frontier between the UK and the EU after Brexit, dominated negotiations over three years for a withdrawal agreement, proving a sticking point amid opposition to a reinforced boundary. Unionists have also opposed checks on the Irish Sea amid claims and counter-claims over what the reality will be for goods crossing the channel after Friday. As 11pm draws closer, there will be protests at six points along the Irish border by the organisation Border Communities Against Brexit, from Carrickarnon just south of Newry to Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone, Aghalane and Blacklion in Co Fermanagh, the Strabane/Lifford border, and Bridgend in Co Londonderry. The hour of the UKs departure will be marked with a celebration event at Stormont at which Union flags are expected to be waved and toasts made. The family of a mechanic shot dead in his Dublin home 11 years ago has called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to review the investigation into his death. It follows a verdict of unlawful killing by an unknown assailant returned by a jury yesterday at the inquest into the death of Liam Murray (42) at Rockbrook Cottages, Cruagh Road, Rathfarnham, on a date between March 17 and March 20, 2009. Mr Murray's family urged Mr Harris to consider referring his death to the garda cold case unit or to take any other steps that would "put a fresh impetus" into the investigation. In a statement issued on behalf of the Murray family, solicitor Robert Purcell said: "Liam was a hard-working, law-abiding man who was loved very much by his family and many friends. He was assassinated in his bed by an unknown gunman. "If this could happen to Liam it could happen to any citizen in this State." The inquest was told Mr Murray, a single man with no children, was probably killed on the evening of St Patrick's Day as he lay in bed. However, his body was not found until three days later. Intimidation Dublin Coroner's Court heard evidence that he had been subjected to ongoing threats and intimidation, including an attempt on his life when shots were fired into his bedroom in November 2006. Detective Inspector Garrett Billings said Mr Murray had made a statement in which he admitted being in dispute with a man who had made a threatening phone call to his sister eight months earlier. Det Insp Billings said he obtained a recording of the call made to Fiona Murray in March 2006 but added that she declined to make a statement to gardai. He told the inquest he met the individual who made the call, who admitted he was involved in a dispute with Mr Murray but said he denied any knowledge of the shooting. Detective Superintendent George McGeary, who took over the investigation in late 2010, said that two suspects had been identified and that they were arrested in July 2011. Although a file was prepared on the case, he said the DPP ultimately directed that there was insufficient evidence to sustain any charges. Det Supt McGeary said gardai had followed 1,900 lines of inquiry and taken nearly 700 statements in the case, while the investigation remained open. Retired State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy said that a post-mortem examination had revealed that Mr Murray died from gunshot wounds to the head. Prof Cassidy said the victim had been shot three times in the head and once in the right elbow, rendering him unconscious immediately. His death would have been rapid, she added. Outgoing British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith also said British side is 'very interested' to visit Kashmir valley New Delhi: Amid anti-CAA protests in India, the United Kingdom on Thursday said it hopes that the Indian government will address concerns of the people over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as its manifesto commitment is "with all, development for all and trust of all". Outgoing British High Commissioner to India Dominic Asquith also said the British side is "very interested" in a visit to the Kashmir valley and has a standing request for it. He also said the British side had not received any request from the Indian side to visit Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370 provisions. At an interaction with journalists, the British envoy also expressed "regret" over violent protests on the premises of the Indian mission in London last year. Asked about the protests in India over CAA, Asquith said, "We have noted what the government and Mr. Modi say about together with all, development for all, and trust of all (reference to sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishvas) and I believe that is the manifesto commitment of this government." "There is protest in every single democracy...I refer back to the 'with all, development for all, and trust of all' as the objective set by this government and I am sure that in that 'trust of all' (is) the trust that it will be addressing the concerns that have been expressed about the CAA. But that is for the Indian government to deal with," Asquith said. On the anti-CAA resolutions in the European Parliament, he said parliaments as key democratic institutions have the habit to debate a variety of subjects. On the eve of Britain's historic departure from the European Union, Asquith stressed that the UK will remain the most important European partner of India. There will be an expansion of diplomatic and trade activity, he said. Asquith also expressed support for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for India. Asked when will British prime minister Boris Johnson visit India, the envoy said he would visit some time this year. "He (Johnson) said he wants to come. I would be very surprised if you don't see him or meet him sometime this year," Asquith told reporters. Talking about the issue of security of the Indian High Commission in London, he reiterated the UK's commitment to the obligations to make sure that diplomatic premises and staff are not threatened. He also expressed regret over "any threat the Indian diplomats may have felt as a result of protests in August and September". "I am glad to note that the last two protests have passed off without any serious concern. That balance between the right to protest which in a democratic society is very important and ensuring that protests don't cross the line to illegality is a balance that is always difficult to maintain," he said, adding that the Metropolitan Police has the responsibility to do. Amid coronavirus scare, Kerala Health Minister K.K Shylaja on Friday said that there is no need to panic as precautions will be taken in the state in collaboration with the private sector to deal with the virus. "Those who come from infected areas should stay away from others for 28 days. Further precautions will be taken in collaboration with the private sector. As part of it, we met officials of Indian Medical Association (IMA). No need to panic," Kerala Health Minister told reporters. Shylaja on Friday chaired a meeting with the health department officials in Thrissur after a person was tested positive with the novel coronavirus. Earlier in the day, the patient was shifted from Thrissur General Hospital to the isolation ward of Thrissur Medical College. The Health Minister said that the patient's condition is stable. "The patient who had returned from Wuhan (China) and had tested positive for coronavirus is stable. She will be shifted to Thrissur Medical College from Thrissur General Hospital today," the minister had said earlier. "Another person has been admitted to Thrissur General Hospital with symptoms of coronavirus. 15 persons are under surveillance in the State. Of these, nine are in isolation wards and the rest are being monitored at home," she added. The central government has also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from travelling to China. In addition, the thermal screening facilities, as a precautionary measure, have been extended to 21 airports now, including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi, and Goa. The deadly virus has so far claimed 213 lives in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A would-be thief was crushed to death when a car fell on him as he tried to steal its catalytic converter. Gary Gray, 38, died after the jack holding up the Vauxhall Astra came loose - causing the full weight of the vehicle to slam down and suffocate him in Swindon, Wiltshire. He had been attempting to steal a part of the car's exhaust after breaking into the garage compound after hours, an inquest heard. The piece could then be sold for around 60. Would-be thief Gary Gray, 38, was crushed to death when a car fell on him as he tried to steal its catalytic converter in Swindon, Wiltshire. Pictured: A police cordon at the scene A backpack containing a spanner and cooking oil and a lit torch were also next to the body - with a cutting tool still attached to the blue vehicle. Mr Gray's body was discovered by Vilfredo Fernandes, an employee of JB Autos, as he opened up for work on November 15 last year. A police investigation determined the incident was non-suspicious and a coroner concluded that the death was accidental. Mr Fernandes had also shut up the property the night before and told the inquest that it was empty then. Mr Gray died after the jack holding up the Vauxhall Astra came loose - causing the full weight of the vehicle to slam down and suffocate him. Pictured: An ambulance at the scene He said in a statement: 'I finished work on the 14th at the usual time, around 6pm. 'Prior to finishing, I locked up the compounds, making sure that there were no customers around. 'The next day, I arrived around 8am and I could see a pair of legs on the floor sticking out from under a car which had a black car-jack near the front wheel. 'I called my boss, told him what happened, and he told me to call an ambulance.' Paramedics then arrived and pronounced Mr Gray dead at the scene. James Brown, manager of JB Autos, suggested that this was not the first time someone had tried to sneak into the garage compound, located on an industrial estate. A backpack containing a spanner and cooking oil and a lit torch were also next to the body - with a cutting tool still attached to the blue vehicle. Pictured: The scene at Marshgate Industrial Estate He said in a statement: 'There is a six-to-eight feet-high fence around each compound and I keep scrap cars for spare parts inside the second. 'Over the years I have had a number of thefts, so I keep the vehicles unlocked to stop people damaging them and smashing the windows before they realise there's nothing valuable inside them. 'The vehicles are left in gear with the handbrake off to stop the brakes seizing.' It is believed that this caused the car to move while Mr Gray was fiddling with the Vauxhall's underside. Sergeant Scott Anger, of Wiltshire Police, investigated the death. Mr Gray's body was discovered by an employee of JB Autos as he opened up for work on November 15 last year. Pictured: Police at the scene He said in a statement: 'He was in the process of stealing a catalytic converter but his chest had been compressed. He had gained entry illegally overnight. 'This was not an industrial accident and was filed as a non-suspicious sudden death. 'The car jack had been dislodged. He had placed a wooden panel under him to prevent him lying on the cold ground. 'This raised his body closer to the car, which was left in neutral and would have rolled off the car jack because it was not secure.' Mr Gray lived in Swindon, Wiltshire, working as a mechanic. A pathologist ruled that he had no obvious external injuries but his left rib had been fractured. The car pressing down upon him had restricted his chest movements and caused him to asphyxiate. No toxicology report was available but a printout from his GP surgery suggested that he had a drug dependence problem. Assistant coroner Ian Singleton ruled that the death had been accidental. If we think about homeownership and retirement savings, two of the characteristics of those programs are to encourage people to build wealth through our tax system, she said. And the fact that black and brown families are not benefiting from them means theyre not accessing some of the ways that people largely build their wealth over time. The hostage crisis here ended early Friday after 23 children held captive for eight hours were rescued by police and the captor shot dead, while his wife was lynched by angry villagers Eight policemen and a local resident were hurt when Subhash Batham, 40, opened fire at them during the siege in Kasaria village, police said. "The accused had invited the children for his daughter's birthday party and held them hostage, Director General of Police O P Singh said. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," the Uttar Pradesh DGP said. The crisis continued past midnight. Police said Batham, who was a murder accused and appeared mentally unstable, initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to a neighbour from a balcony. They said Batham, who was out on bail, had demanded the withdrawal of a murder case against him. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am on Friday. Batham's wife died in hospital late on Thursday night. She had tried to escape from the spot, but was caught by angry parents who thrashed her and pelted stones at her, Kanpur Inspector General Mohit Agarwal said. She suffered a head injury in the attack, but the exact cause of death would be known after post-mortem, he said. The children were confined to the basement of the house. Agarwal said Batham wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to him when he arrived, Agarwal said. Police recovered a country-made gun, a rifle, about two dozen cartridges and two dozen country-made bombs. The IG said this indicated that he could have kept the children hostage for days, and perhaps planned to blow up the house. When Batham demanded the withdrawal of the murder case against him, police assured him that they would consider it. They also talked about offering a government house to him. While this conversation was going on, a police team entered the house by breaking open the back door. Batham fired two bullets to scare them away. We thought he had fired at the children and stopped midway, Agarwal said. His wife then tried to escape from the front door but the children's parents who had collected there attacked her. Agarwal said she was seriously injured before police could rescue her. Sensing that he was surrounded from all sides, Batham opened fire, injuring four policemen. He was killed when police retaliated, the IG said. Four other policemen were injured when Batham had fired earlier from the terrace and a villager shot in the leg when he was sent to negotiate with the hostage taker. In a tweet, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the Uttar Pradesh Police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "It is laudable to get all the children held hostage in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh safely rescued through the efficient strategy and planning by the police, he said. Earlier, Adityanath had called a meeting of the state's crisis management committee and monitored the situation from capital Lucknow, about 200 km away, an official said. The CM announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the police team that carried out the rescue operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Staff at ITN are demanding that bosses explain to them why they forced Alastair Stewart out as 41,000 sign a petition to reinstate the veteran journalist. Colleagues at the broadcaster are demanding an explanation following the newsreader's departure over the 'angry ape' race row. The 67-year-old resigned after 40 years of presenting the news and in doing so referenced a 'misjudgment' on social media. Journalists furious at the resignation confronted their bosses in an editorial meeting yesterday, The Telegraph reports. It came as even the Twitter user who had accused Stewart of racism said that there was no need for him to step down. Mr Stewart, who is married with four children, was the nation's longest-serving male newsreader. He started on Southern Television in 1976 and joined ITN in 1980. An OBE came in 2006 for services to broadcasting Pictured: ITN chief executive Anna Mallett, who allegedly wanted Stewart out and is now facing questions from staff Martin Shapland (pictured) was in a debate with Mr Stewart on Twitter when the veteran newsreader quoted a passage from Shakespeare that included the words 'angry ape'. Mr Shapland described this as a 'disgrace' Stewart's decision to step down comes after a black Twitter user claimed he 'called him an angry ape' three weeks ago. Martin Shapland later branded Stewart a 'disgrace' Sources also slammed ITN's new chief executive Anna Mallett, telling Buzzfeed that she and 'wingman' editorial director Chris Shaw must 'explain why they have hung him out for a public shaming'. It follows ITN's insistence that Stewart breached social media guidelines 'multiple times' and was warned accordingly. Martin Shapland, 34, accused him of racism during a row on Twitter over the Crown and the taxpayer. The former Liberal Democrat activist was angered by Stewart's use of a Shakespearean quote from the play Measure for Measure. Shapland slammed Stewart and accused him of referring to him as an 'angry ape' due to the phrase appearing in a longer quotation. But it then emerged that Stewart had quoted the same passage to a white Twitter user in 2018. An army of colleagues and associates have come out to defend Stewart, rubbishing claims that he intended the quote in a racist manner. Good Morning Britain's Political Editor Ranvir Singh (left) and Alastair Stewart (right) Even his accuser said: 'An apology and commitment to be more careful about language was all that I would have asked.' And thousands have flocked to sign a petition demanding that he is reinstated as one of the nation's most recognisable news presenters. The Change.org petition describes the race row as 'ridiculous'. News of his resignation almost reduced co-presenter Mary Nightingale to tears as she was forced to announce it on Wednesday's bulletin. Good Morning Britain's political editor, Ranvir Singh, also turned out to defend him, saying: 'I would never use the word racist and his name in the same sentence.' Veteran BBC presenter Andrew Neil suggested that cynical reasons pushed him out of the job. 'The only explanation can be the ITN suits wanted him out - and seized their chance,' he tweeted. Mr Neil, 70, said his ITN peer is 'the only person to be fired for quoting Shakespeare accurately' after Mr Stewart posted a tweet that his bosses claim was a 'breach of social media policy and editorial guidelines'. Mr Stewart and Mr Shapland were debating the Royal Family's finances online when the news anchor cited a passage from Shakespeare's Measure for Measure that included the phrase 'angry ape'. Mr Stewart wrote: 'But man, proud man, Dress'd in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he's most assur'd His glassy essence like an angry ape.' Describing Stewart as a disgrace, Mr Shapland shared the tweet and said: 'Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape.' One ITN insider told the Mirror: 'Alastair was already drinking in the last chance saloon over his social media comments and this was simply the final straw. This is not about one Tweet that has become public, but multiple breaches. It's a real shame.' They added: 'This is not the first time he's been spoken to about the way he conducts himself on social media. The suggestion that he's lost his job over one Tweet is simply wrong.' A man has described jail as 'the worst possible place on Earth' after he was put behind bars for not bringing all his documents to a property settlement hearing. The father, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars for contempt of court on December 6, 2018, at the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane. He was sentenced after he failed to provide documents he was ordered to bring to a property settlement hearing, and was taken immediately to prison. The father, who cannot be named due to legal reasons, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars for contempt of court on December 6 The man told ABC's Background Briefing he immediately felt terrified during his first night in custody, saying it is the 'worst place on Earth'. 'Being fed through a hatch with my roommate who is an ice and heroin addict, who was sh**ting and vomiting and we have no toilet paper and realising that there's no way I'm getting out,' he said. When he and his wife decided to divorce, he believed the property settlement would result in an easy division of assets. He was asked to bring documents to the hearing stating what he owned, his earning and his investments so the court could divide assets equally. But when he walked into the property hearing without the documents needed because he couldn't access them, the judge told him he hoped the man 'brought his toothbrush'. The judge told the father not bringing his documents put him in contempt of court, and he was sent straight to jail. When he realised he wasn't going to be leaving jail for 12 months it took a major toll on his mental health. It only took three nights for him to decide he had enough and was considering taking his own life. 'It was lunch time and one particular watch-house staff, when he opened the hatch to feed us our Red Rooster, he's supposed to put it in the hatch and close it back up, but he left it open which gave me the opportunity to do what I needed to do,' he said. Just as he was about to do it, the man's cell-mate had a 'moment of clarity' and told him he couldn't take his own life. A man has described jail as 'the worst possible place on Earth' after he was put behind bars for not bringing all his documents to a property settlement hearing As he continued contemplating the decision he heard a radio playing George Ezra's Shotgun, his daughter's favourite song. 'If it wasn't for the Shotgun song on the radio at that moment... that's what stopped me from doing it and that's the only reason,' he said through tears. The father spent seven days in custody, three of those in a maximum security prison, before his conviction was overturned. The full bench of the Family Court has described what happened to the man as 'an affront to justice' and called it a 'disturbing example of prejudgement'. It has since been found that the judge involved took on the role of a prosecutor rather than a judge, prejudged the man's case and decided he would be going to jail. WASHINGTON House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, one of the lead architects of Democrats' impeachment case against President Donald Trump, announced Friday that he would not be present for the final phase of Trump's Senate trial. "I am sorry to not be able to stay in Washington for the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial but I need to be home with my wife at this time," Nadler wrote in a tweet Friday. "We have many decisions to make as a family. I have every faith in my colleagues and hope the Senate will do what is right." Less than a week earlier, Nadler, D-N.Y., issued a statement explaining that his wife had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December. "She has undergone surgery and is taking further steps to address the spread of the cancer," Nadler said on Jan. 26. "On Monday, I will be in New York with her to meet with doctors, determine a path forward, and begin her treatment. I am sorry to miss some of the Senate Impeachment Trial, which is of critical importance to our democracy. I plan to return to Washington late Monday and appreciate the support of my colleagues and staff as I take this time to be with my wife and begin the long fight against her cancer." Nadler, along with House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., has led the impeachment managers as they laid out their case in the Senate for Trump's conviction and removal from office. He offered the Democrats' closing statement in the proceedings Thursday night, hours before the Senate was expected to vote on whether to subpoena new witnesses and documents in the trial. Budget Session 2020: President Ramnath Kovind praised the government for taking historic decisions like the Citizenship Amendment Act, Ayodhya verdict, abrogation of Article 370, the opening of Kartarpur Corridor and others. President Ramnath Kovind started the Budget session 2020 by addressing Members of Parliament on Friday. In his speech, President Kovind talked about the achievements of the government and lauded the Modi government for its schemes, historic decisions and amendments in laws. On the burning and debatable citizenship law, President Kovind said the Citizenship Amendment Act was Mahatma Gandhis wish. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, President Kovind said Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and other religious minorities who stayed in Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) should be welcomed to India if they come seeking refuge. President Kovind said he is happy the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha had passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) to make it a law. On the recent increase in violence during protests, he said any incident of violence in the name of protests weakens society and the nation, adding the Government believes in discussions and debates that strengthen democracy. He praised the government for resolving the long time pending Ayodhya title suit, the abrogation of Article 370, the opening of Kartarpur Corridor and other key decisions. The President congratulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, asserting that they will now benefit like the other parts of the country. Development activity will take pace and both the union territories will prosper significantly, said the President. When BJP MPs thumped their desks to the praise lavished on the government, the President paused his speech. Members of the Opposition took this opportunity to shout shame-shame for the linking of CAA to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Barring former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, no other Opposition leader was in the front row. The others had boycotted the day to mark their protest. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi too accompanied her MPs at the back in solidarity with the protest. The country is awash with protests against the CAA and the National Population Register, which has sharply divided people. Though there are supporters of CAA, they seem to be less in numbers compared to the camp that is against the new law. Delhis Shaheen Bagh has been the centre of protests against the CAA and they have been holding their protest since December 15, the protest is showing no sign of being called back despite the Supreme Court giving notice to the Centre on pleas challenging the constitutionality of the law. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Top Khalistan terrorist Happy PhD cremated in Pakistan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: Top Khalistan terrorist, Harmeet Singh has been cremated in Pakistan. He was cremated in the presence of a superintendent rank police officer and the station house officer of the Dera Chahal station. The cremation took place at the Babu Say Chowk cremation grounds. While the parents of the slain terrorist had urged that his body be returned, officials had indicated that it would not happen. Top sources tell OneIndia the body was not returned vowing to the fact that Singh was living under a fake identity at the Nankana Sahib in Punjab, Pakistan. From narcotics to killing Hindus: Why the death of Happy PhD is a major relief The Punjab police had got nine red corner notices issued against him. He was killed by a local gang over a financial dispute that stemmed out of a drug deal, sources said. The source said that he was shot by a local gang near the Dera Chahal Gurudwara near Lahore. Harmeet alias Happy PhD took over as the chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force in 2014 after the outfit's boss Harminder Mintoo was arrested by the Punjab Police from Thailand. Mintoo had managed to escape from jail, but he was arrested again. He died of a cardiac arrest in 2018. Budget Session 2020: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tables the Economic Survey | Oneindia News Singh, who was killed was living in Pakistan for the past 20 years under the patronage of the ISI. Singh was accused of radicalising the youth in Punjab. He would raise funds for the terrorist group and was a key player in the narcotics world. A district court here sentenced a 25-year-old man to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old girl from Wada taluka in Maharashtra's Palghar district. In an order passed on January 28, district and special POCSO judge R R Vaishnav convicted Rakesh Hiralal under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The judge sentenced the accused to seven years of rigorous imprisonment and also fined him Rs 4,000. Additional public prosecutor Ujjwala Moholkar informed the court that the accused, who hails from Dausangabad district of Madhya Pradesh, lived in the same locality as the victim and worked in a factory there. In March, 2016, the victim left her home on the pretext of going to school and instead met the accused, Moholkar said. The minor's parents, who went in search of her, discovered a love letter she had written to the accused and lodged a complaint of kidnapping against him with the local police, she said. The duo, who were on the run, subsequently ended up in Bengaluru, where they were nabbed by the police, she said. The court observed that the prosecution had proven that Hiralal had taken the minor victim away from the lawful guardianship of her parents and raped her. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Business consultant Jeff Nock, from Iowa City, Iowa, explains how to get the right people in the right seats at your company. IOWA CITY, IA / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / Getting the right people in the right seats is essential for the success of any company. That's according to business consultant Jeff Nock, from Iowa City, Iowa, as he outlines a number of key ways to both attract and retain the best people, and to ensure that they're in precisely the right seats for success. Attracting the right people is Jeff Nock's first area of focus. "I often recommend that any company or organization should aim to boast at least five benefits tailored toward attracting the right people in the first instance," says the business consultant and marketing expert, speaking from his office in Iowa City, Iowa. Business owners are, he says, free to choose the five or more benefits which they see most fit. As a business consultant and expert in the field, however, Jeff Nock has, he believes, whittled down dozens of possible benefits to the five which he believes have the best potential in getting the right people in the right seats of a company. "These," he reveals, "are culture, fair pay, recognition, variety, and rewards." "People want to be happy in their work," Jeff Nock continues, "and from establishing a winning corporate culture to ensuring variety, fair pay, and recognition more generally, a truly rewarding working environment is, I believe, the best way to get the right people through the door." The secret, meanwhile, to ensuring that people are, and remain, in the right seats at your company is, according to Jeff Nock, also partly down to cementing in place effective processes, supported, wherever possible, by the appropriate tools, software, and other systems. It's essential, he says, that clear roles are defined if people's skills are to be utilized as best as possible. "Define clear roles at all levels and match the appropriate skills to each of these," suggests the Iowa-based business consultant. "The correct structure and defined skills and roles will, then," he adds, wrapping up, "allow a company's systems and processes to, as a result, operate as effectively as possible, with just the right people in exactly the right seats at your business." Founder and CEO of Prescient Consulting, LLC, based in Iowa City, Iowa, Jeff Nock boasts a demonstrated history of growing nonprofit organizations, startups, and established companies alike. Skilled in business and strategic planning, branding, sales, and marketing, now-established Iowa resident Nock also holds a master's degree in management from Colorado's Regis University and is a specialist in management development. To learn more, visit https://prescient.us/. CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7862338220 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/574863/Jeff-Nock-demonstrates-how-to-get-the-right-people-in-the-right-seats-of-a-company Henderson County poised to become Second Amendment sanctuary Declaring support for the right to bear arms, Henderson County commissioners are poised to join the growing list of elected officials making their county a "Second Amendment Sanctuary." A resolution on the county commission's agenda Monday night expresses broad support for the North Carolina and U.S. constitutions, and goes on to single out the Second Amendment and order that the county may expend no public money "in contravention of the mandates" of the state and national constitutions. Numerous counties in Tennessee and Virginia have become so-called "Second Amendment sanctuaries" in response to movements seeking tighter gun control and measures like red flag laws, that would allow law enforcement authorities to confiscate firearms from people deemed a threat. Henderson County Commission Vice Chair Bill Lapsley said Thursday that after a constituent brought the matter to the county, Chairman Grady Hawkins circulated the idea among commissioners and received unanimous support for moving ahead with the resolution. County Attorney Russ Burrell drafted the "Resolution Reconfirming that Henderson County will support and maintain the Constitution of the United States." The Second Amendment provides that, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." While Second Amendment sanctuary counties have proliferated in surrounding states, the political statement has just recently begun getting traction in North Carolina. Cherokee and Rutherford counties have adopted pro-Second Amendment resolutions. North Carolina's constitution echoes the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. The resolution before the Henderson County Board of Commissioners cites a state Supreme Court ruling that strongly upheld individuals' right to have a firearm. "For any lawful purpose either of business or amusement the citizen is at perfect liberty to carry his gun," the state's highest court said. Photo Illustration by Kristen Hazzard/The Daily Beast/Getty The web of connections between Donald Trumps convicted campaign manager and an indicted man who tried to dig up dirt on his political rival runs tighter and longer than previously understood. Rudy Giuliani ally Igor Fruman and ex-Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort have been friendly for years, two sources familiar with their relationship tell The Daily Beast. And that relationship stretching from New York to London to Kyiv long predated Rudy Giulianis wide-ranging attempts to discredit the evidence that played a key role in kicking off Manafort's political downfall and eventual incarceration. Joseph Bondy, the lawyer for Fruman associate Lev Parnas, said Manafort and Fruman were friendly for years before their respective indictments. A friend of Manaforts, who spoke anonymously to discuss non-public matters, confirmed that Fruman and Manafort have known each other for years. He said Fruman invited Manafort to the opening party for Buddha-Bar in Kyiv many years ago, and that the two men have discussed business. Buddha-Bar opened in the summer of 2008. Bondy said the pair also spent time together in London and New York. Lev Parnas Dishes on Kushner, Maduro, and Soros Kevin Downing, a Washington attorney who represented Paul Manafort, initially represented both Parnas and Fruman after their arrests for campaign finance-related charges. According to Bondy, he told the two men that Manafort sent them greetings and was glad to hear he was representing them. Bondy also said Giuliani communicated with Manafort and his lawyers after his incarceration, including about a document alleging illegal payments to Manafort known as the black ledger. There was a hope that if the document could be proven to be a fraud, it could help Manaforts legal case and get him released from prison, Bondy said. A lawyer for Fruman declined to comment for this story. Downing did not respond to requests for comment. Giuliani and members of his legal team did not respond to requests for comment. Story continues Giuliani told The Washington Post in October that he discussed the ledger with Manafort through his lawyer. He also told the paper he did not think he could exonerate Manafort and didnt push Trump to pardon him. In late 2018, as the Mueller investigation was drawing to a close, Giuliani and his allies worked to draft a counter-report that would rebut Muellers work. (Manafort was one of the first targets of Muellers probe, and was convicted of multiple charges related to work he did in Ukraine for a Russia-friendly political party.) Giuliani never released that report. But he also didnt toss it; he told The Daily Beast in October that materials he gave the State Department came from his effort to find information in Ukraine that could exonerate Trump. Relations with Ukraine have shadowed Trump and his allies even before he was elected president. On August 14, 2016, The New York Times reported that Manafort may have received millions of dollars in illegal, off-the-books cash from the pro-Russia political party he worked for. The story was a body blow to Manafort, who left Trumps campaign five days after it was published. Serhiy Leshchenko, then a Ukrainian parliamentarian, played an instrumental role in the black ledger. In the years after the publication of the story, Manaforts life fell apart. Nine months after Trumps inauguration, he was arrested and charged with a host of crimes. By March 2019, he had been sentenced to a seven-year prison term. He and his allies blamed the black ledger for starting the calamity. And given that Leshchenko was a government official when he shared the documents, Trumps allies have said their release was an example of election meddling by Kyiv. Parnas told The Daily Beast that Giuliani tried to push Leshchenko away from Zelensky; Giuliani himself has called him an enemy of the United States. Giuliani has said his scrutiny of the black ledger fed directly into his focus on the Bidens. GOP Pushes an Impeachment Conspiracy That the FBI Debunked Years Ago What happened is that I was investigating, going back to last year, complaints that the Ukrainian people, several people in Ukraine, knew about a tremendous amount of collusion between Ukrainian officials, and Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee, including a completely fraudulent document that was produced, in order to begin the investigation of Manafort, he told CNNs Chris Cuomo on September 19 of this year. They were trying to get to us. But they were being blocked by the Ambassador who was Obama-appointee, in Ukraine, who was holding back this information. In the course of investigating that, I found out this incredible story about Joe Biden that he bribed the President of the Ukraine in order to fire a prosecutor who was investigating his son. In other words, Giulianis efforts to undermine the Mueller probeand stand up for Manafortled directly to his Biden dirt-digging endeavors. Parnas has said he and Fruman were right there to help. Parnas has said he put Giuliani on speaker phone at the beginning of meetings with Ukrainian officials to prove he had clout with Trump. He also said he told an aide to Ukraines then-President Elect Volodymyr Zelensky that he needed to announce such investigations if they wanted to receive an already-promised delivery of U.S. military aid. Parnas, Fruman, and Manafort have one notable shared acquaintance: Ukrainian oligarch Dmitryo Firtash. Parnas briefly worked for Firtashs American lawyers Joe diGenova and Victoria Toensing, who helped Giuliani on the Biden effort. Manafort and Firtash, meanwhile, once considered going into business together to buy a New York hotel for $800 million (the investment did not materialize). In an interview last year with The Daily Beast, Firtash said Manafort had a reputation for being very successful, and very smart. Ukrainian Oligarch Seethed About Overlord Biden for Years Like Fruman, Parnas, and Manafort, Firtash has some American legal problems. Not only have U.S. officials claimed he has ties to Russian organized crime, the Justice Department charged him years ago with conspiring to bribe Indian government officials. Firtash maintains his innocence and is fighting extradition from his home in Vienna, Austria. Fruman and Parnas were arrested in October on their way to Vienna and charged with a number of campaign finance crimes, to which they have pleaded not guilty. Fruman has kept his head down in the months since then. Parnas, however, has shared reams of documents, photos, and audio clips with Congressional impeachment investigators. And he has publicly discussed his work with Giuliani, including in interviews with MSNBC, CNN, and The Daily Beast. While Giuliani lambasted Mueller for his treatment of Manafort, he has largely kept mum about Parnas and Fruman. Parnas has said that silence informed his decision to go public about his misadventures in Trumpworld. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. South Carolina will be the fourth U.S. state to hold a presidential nominating contest in 2020 and the first in which African Americans comprise a major portion of the electorate. Statewide polls show former Vice President Joe Biden leading a crowded Democratic field competing to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election. VOA's Chris Simkins traveled to South Carolina to gauge black voter sentiment ahead of the February 29th primary election. VOA Khmer's Seourn Vathana narrates. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size So here we are. After all the huffing, puffing and stuffing around, it's finally happening: Britain is leaving the European Union on January 31. Kind of. The Brexit saga has strangled the nation ever since the Conservative Party first promised a public vote on whether to break up with the EU. It has been going on for so long that babies born on referendum day will start school later this year. Having claimed the political scalps of Tory leaders David Cameron and Theresa May, the Brexit chaos helped Boris Johnson seize the prime ministership and win the December 12 general election with a simple but devastatingly effective "Get Brexit Done" message. It was a powerful promise that delivered the biggest Tory parliamentary majority since Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s more than enough to sweep away the House of Commons gridlock that had stood in the way of implementing what British people voted for in June 2016. Brexit will now take effect at 11pm on the last day of the month. There was even talk of rushing through restoration works on Big Ben so it could chime to celebrate the moment, but the government backed down on this, saying more muted celebrations would "heal divisions and reunite communities". But "bongs" or not, Brexit will be far from over on January 31. Emotions are still running high over Brexit. Brexiters want Big Ben to chime; others don't. Credit:Getty Images Advertisement Hold on, what is the European Union? The EU is a grouping of 28 countries whose citizens have the right to work and live in whichever of the 28 they like. It also allows the free movement of goods between all members. Brexit is uncharted territory because Britain will be the first member state to leave the EU as it is now structured. Boris Johnson greets EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen at No. 10 Downing Street. Credit:Getty Images What will be different on February 1? Not much. After all the hype, little will change immediately in Britain or Europe. That's because Britain will, technically, stay part of the EU for another year. The simplest way to get your head around Brexit is to think of it as two parts. The first part is the Withdrawal Agreement the deal between Britain and the EU that covers some of the big process questions about how the January 31 split will happen. The Withdrawal Agreement was repeatedly blocked in the House of Commons but passed earlier this month thanks to Johnson's new majority. Advertisement The second and more relevant part now is what's known as the transition period. This is where the hard work really begins. The EU and Britain will use the period to thrash out how they work together in the future on trade, human movement, security, data sharing and all sorts of other really tricky issues. The problem is the transition period is incredibly short. It starts on January 31 and ends on December 31, 2020. Britain and the EU spent 34 months settling the terms of the exit but have now given themselves just 11 months to map out the terms of their new relationship even less, really, considering EU officials probably won't begin negotiations until March and want the deal settled on paper by the end of November. The clock is ticking. During the transition period, Britain's trading relationship with the EU will remain as is and Britain will continue to make financial contributions to the bloc. Boris Johnson speaks to British troops stationed in Estonia during a visit to the Baltic country on December 21. Credit:Getty What happens if they can't work out a deal? Critically, Johnson has ruled out asking for any extension to the December 31 deadline. A British-EU summit set for June will give Johnson the opportunity to seek more time, but there's no way he will ask for it because an extension would be an extraordinary breach of faith with voters who just want Britain to leave. Unlike other trade talks, where a failure to strike a deal would mean the status quo prevails, a collapse of talks here would mean Britain defaults to trading with the EU on World Trade Organisation terms, causing mass chaos with the business community and long queues at the border. Basically, it would be the "hard" Brexit so many have feared throughout this saga. Advertisement Many trade experts believe that Britain will struggle to strike a deal by December 31. "Given how much effort this will involve, the proposed timeframe looks positively heroic," says Institute for Government senior researcher Maddy Thimont Jack. But Johnson has a history of exceeding expectations and believes the tight deadline will actually force the EU's hand at the negotiating table. One possible outcome is a basic trading agreement that will minimise the potential economic damage of "no deal" but kick the big issues well down the road into 2021. What are the most pressing things to sort out? Trade and security top the list. Advertisement There is a lot at stake if tariffs return or new customs checks interrupt the free flow of goods across the English Channel. According to a House of Commons briefing paper, the EU is Britain's largest trading partner. In 2018, British exports to the EU were worth 291 billion ($556.8 billion), or 45 per cent of all British exports. British imports from the EU were worth 357 billion. There is also the hugely complex issue of the island of Ireland. Under the current system, goods move uninterrupted between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. But Brexit will introduce a new set of customs rules between the two. Part of the Good Friday peace agreement guarantees no physical division between Ireland and Northern Ireland. To get around that problem, customs checks and controls will apply for goods moving from mainland Britain into Northern Ireland. This ensures no physical checks or controls on the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Goods moving directly from Britain to Northern Ireland wont be subject to tariffs unless the good is at risk of then moving on to the EU. This new regime requires a huge amount of planning work and poses serious challenges for Downing Street. There are already fears a massive new computer system needed to regulate the new scheme won't be ready in time. On security, a failure to secure access to the Second Generation Schengen Information Scheme could leave Britain without access to a database of tens of millions of alerts that help authorities identify serious offenders. There are also questions to solve on warrants, terrorism, international crime, cyber-security and hybrid threats. Advertisement Pilots and flight attendants have been demanding that airlines stop flights to China. Delta Air Lines Inc and American Airlines Group Inc decided on Friday to temporarily suspend all remaining United StatesChina flights after the US Department of State elevated a travel advisory over concerns about the coronavirus. The US told citizens on Thursday not to travel to China due to an epidemic that has infected nearly 10,000 people and been declared a global emergency. Pilots and flight attendants have been demanding that airlines stop flights to the country, with American Airlines pilots filing a lawsuit on Thursday seeking an immediate halt. The decision to file a lawsuit was made out of concern for the safety of our pilots, said Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents Americans pilots. As of Thursday, United Airlines Holdings Inc was still planning to operate some flights from San Francisco to China, even after its pilots union told its members they would be allowed to drop their trip without pay if they were concerned about flying to the country. Delta and American had both announced lighter schedules to China earlier this week. On Friday, American said operations to and from China would be halted starting on Friday through March 27. The carrier will continue to fly to Hong Kong. Delta said its last China-bound flight departing the US will leave on Monday, February 3, with the last US return flight departing China on February 5. The Delta suspension is set to last through April 30. Other airlines that have stopped their flights to mainland China include Air France-KLM SA, British Airways, Germanys Lufthansa AG, and Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited. Amid nationwide protests against the amended citizenship law, BJP MLA Sangeet Som has triggered a possible controversy stating that people like JNU student Sharjeel Imam, who made the "break Assam from India" remark, should be shot dead publicly. "As far as people like Sharjeel Imam, who talk of breaking India are concerned, such people should be shot dead publicly," said Som while speaking to ANI on Thursday. On Wednesday, a Delhi court sent Imam to five-day custody under Delhi Police Crime Branch. He was booked for sedition for his provocative speeches in which he made the "cut off Assam from India" statement. While commenting on the protestors agitating against citizenship law at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, he said that the area has become a "picnic spot" for these people. The BJP legislator from Sardhana alleged that the women sitting on protests have "no work" and a probe is required to determine the source of funding of these protests. "The opposition parties are giving thousands of rupees to all these people in exchange for anti-CAA protests, as well as funding is being received from abroad," the BJP MLA said. Responding to the firing incident near Jamia on Thursday, he said: "Some people are spreading chaos everywhere in the country and firing at the protestors was also the trick of those people." He claimed that the man accused of firing will be soon proved as "one among the protestors". On Thursday, a person brandished a gun in presence of heavy police force deployment and fired towards the marching students. Shahdab Farooq, a student, who sustained injuries in the incident was taken to hospital where he was given medical aid and is currently undergoing treatment. Som further cornered Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opposing the citizenship act and alleged that the Gandhi scion was protesting against the CAA since he is afraid of losing his own citizenship. "Rahul stands against the CAA because he is afraid of losing his own citizenship. Perhaps he does not have any valid documents to prove his citizenship. When his documents will be checked, everything will come out," he said. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FREMONT, Calif., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Baton Systems ("Baton"), a provider of distributed ledger-based post-trade solutions for capital markets, has received a $4 million investment from Illuminate Financial Management. Baton's total of $16 million in funding, which also includes investors Trinity Ventures, Alsop Louie and Commerce Ventures, will be used to accelerate its global roll-out, particularly in EMEA, where Baton recently opened a London office. The addition of London and New York-based Illuminate Financial to the Board adds industry specialization and regional focus as the Baton business seeks to deploy its post-trade settlements platform across top-tier banks and infrastructure providers, including the major clearing houses. The platform already enables banks, such as JPMorgan, to drastically reduce the payments and settlement process from days to under three minutes. "Baton was created to solve inefficiencies in global payments systems, and we've made great progress working through the structural challenges the industry faces," said Arjun Jayaram CEO and Founder at Baton Systems. "An increasing number of banks and clearing houses are realizing that a fast, standardized, and immutable approach to transferring assets is the only viable path forward. The confidence shown by an industry focused investor such as Illuminate Financial along with our existing stakeholders is further validation of our vision for a streamlined and efficient settlement model." "Baton's speed and accuracy is eliminating many of the problems that legacy systems have burdened the global settlements ecosystem for decades," said Mark Beeston at Illuminate Financial. "We are excited to play a role in Baton's journey as the Company modernizes the settlement landscape and scales its business across major financial institutions in Europe and North America." In October 2019, Baton appointed Alex Knight, an FX banking industry veteran, as Head of EMEA. The funding also follows several high-profile wins for the Company in Europe, including a successful pilot with the Bank of England, which delivers a renewed real-time gross settlement (RTGS) service to enable their systems to connect and achieve settlement in central bank money. About Baton Baton Systems is reforming how payments are made in the world's largest financial markets. By delivering on-demand synchronization and orchestration of asset movements through its distributed ledger-based platform, it is liberating balance sheets and eliminating the need for capital-intensive pre-funding of FX and margin requirements. Founded in 2016 by technology, payments and capital markets veterans, and backed by venture capital, Baton Systems works with numerous market participants including major global banks, custodian banks and exchanges to meet today's demands for capital efficiency, regulatory compliance and operational superiority. Find out more at www.batonsystems.com. About Illuminate Financial Management Established in 2014, Illuminate Financial Management (Illuminate) is a London and New York based specialist venture capital fund focused on enterprise technology and software solutions for financial services. Our deep networks and partnerships with key industry participants from banks to infrastructure providers and buy side wealth managers, allow us to gain real insight into what the industry needs, and help the companies we back achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.illuminatefinancial.com. SOURCE Baton Systems Related Links http://www.batonsystems.com But it was by no means an unimpressive debut; Anthony Tommasini, reviewing the premiere for The New York Times, described it as taut, teeming and inspired. The baritone Rod Gilfry, who starred as Whitman and has returned to play the heroines father in Eurydice, said he admired that Mr. Aucoin was already keenly tuned to what a voice can do. And it taught Mr. Aucoin a lot about himself. Its quite challenging to be your own librettist, he said. You have to be your own harshest critic and enemy, and you really have to bisect your brain: You work as a playwright first to create something that has a bone structure, and then return to it with a composers eyes. And I learned over the course of creating Crossing, I have an instinct for musical form and poetic form. But Im not a playwright. That feeling changed the course of his next opera. He knew he wanted to expand on his Orpheus-theme cantata, The Orphic Moment. But that 17-minute piece, with his own text, is a dark consideration of whether Orpheus looks back at Eurydice and damns her to a second death because it might be fruitful inspiration for his music. The full operatic version was shaping up to be just as cynical. Its a quite twisted view of their relationship, and it felt like a difficult place to live in for two hours, he said. Also, the tortured-male-artist perspective became more depressing for me. Then Mr. Aucoin read Ms. Ruhls Eurydice, first performed in 2003. He didnt think it would take much to turn it into a libretto: The script is plain-spoken, concise and naturally musical. (In an interview, Ms. Ruhl recalled a phrase she once wrote in a poem: small words with purpose.) When you think whether something can be set to music, Mr. Aucoin said, you tap it to test its acoustics. That has to do with the emotion behind it and what happens in the silences, and Sarahs text has the acoustic of a cathedral. You tap almost any word, and there are wells of emotion underneath it. Its aware of what it cant say, and that invites music to complete the sentence. Dordogne in south-western France has the largest British expat community outside Paris. Some 20,000 people have settled there, drawn to the climate and quality of life. In Eymet, where one out of 10 of the 2,600 inhabitants are British, people are concerned over their "unsettled" status now the UK is officially leaving the European Union. "Inexplicable", "stupid", "dangerous", "baffling" are just some of the epithets Brits in Eymet come up with to describe Brexit. They regularly meet up in the local pub; or in the Cafe des Arts run by Julia Mainwaring who retired to Eymet eight years ago. "Half my clients are British, half are French," Mainwaring says. The town is quiet in the winter months but she does a roaring trade in the summer with "tourists from all over the world". She wants to stay and carry on business as usual but is worried how her pension and access to France's healthcare system will be affected post-Brexit. "I'm concerned like everybody, I have a house here, work here, pay taxes here, I use the health service, have a French car, so I would like to stay here," she explains serving her steady stream of locals. "But I'm worried that Brexit might interfere particularly with my health and my pension because I draw my English pension here." As a small business-owner Mainwaring is lucky not to be entirely reliant on her state pension, but many of her customers are. And that's a source of worry. "The exchange rate is difficult for people, especially my customers who're on the minimum state pension. The value of their pensions is dropping and they're struggling to buy food and heat their houses. So it's very difficult and that could get much much worse." 'It leaves us feeling unstable' Many expats were drawn to places like Eymet for its reasonably-priced, characterful old stone houses. And in the lead-up to Brexit local estate agent Julia did a lot of business as europhile British customers were keen to get a foothold on the continent. But she too is worried about the impact Brexit could have on exchange rates. "At the moment the exchange rate is relatively stable but if it weakens then house buying is going to be more difficult, holidays are going to be more expensive so it affects my work here in the agency and it affects my work at home with our gites. It leaves us a little bit unsure, a bit unstable." She regrets Brexit but prefers to look to the future. "I wish it had never happened, but I'm also hoping that it's being built up to be more than it's actually going to be, so once the dust has settled life will return to normal as it was for the UK before the European Union." 'They have the right to ask you to leave' Teacher Susan Woodbridge is less optimistic. She moved to Eymet two years ago, doesn't have French citizenship, and has lost a good deal of sleep over what happens now. "I feel completely betrayed," she says over a drink at the Cafe des Arts. "And it's not a nice feeling now to feel I'm not part of the union that I really wanted to remain part of." She says she's already had some administrative issues online relating to health insurance and fears this could be just the beginning. "I'm not convinced that it will be an easy, smooth process. And the problem is now, because we're in a situation where we're obliged to present ourselves to the authorities in order to have permission to live here, that in itself is worrying to me. "It may all be fine, but they do have the right to ask you to leave and that's the bottom line. That's what makes me so unhappy and so angry that I'm in that position." No intention of returning to England Eymet's mayor, Jerome Betaille, is doing his best to chivvy people along. He recognises the British expats have helped inject new life into the small town, keeping schools and small businesses open, or indeed opening their own. He's relieved that despite concerns expats would pack their bags in big numbers, this hasn't happened. "This transitional period has been extremely complicated for them, but for us nothing has changed. We haven't had a big increase in the number of applications for nationality, but neither have we seen an increase in the number of people leaving, as some feared. "So I'm not worried. We have to wait and see whether they'll need visas, what the impact on access to healthcare and exchanging euros into pounds will be. Everything needs to be sorted out and we'll help people with the procedures so they can overcome those hurdles." Lisa, like so many of her compatriots would like to remain in Eymet... or in Europe at least. "Eymet's been very welcoming to us [...] life in France has helped us as a family change for the better so we have no intention of going back to England," she says. "But whether we stay in this area or in France or somewhere else in Europe we don't know." "The ones who are staying on in Eymet now really want to be European," says Tim Richardson, a British-born local councillor who obtained French nationality. He wasn't in favour of Brexit, but sees at least one positive side. "We'll no longer talk about 'the English of Eymet' but 'the Europeans of Eymet'. This report is part of the Spotlight on France podcast. Listen here. (Newser) The union representing 15,000 American Airlines pilots has told members they should refuse to fly to China during the coronavirus outbreak. In a lawsuit filed Thursdaybefore the State Department issued a Level 4 warning for Chinathe Allied Pilots Association requested a restraining order to halt flights between the US and China, CNBC reports. The airline said this week that flights between Los Angeles and China will be suspended from Feb. 9 for at least seven weeks, but the union says there are still more than 50 flights a month departing from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to cities in China. The lawsuit cites the "serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus." story continues below "Due to the known and unknown risks associated with traveling to China right now ... we are directing all American Airlines pilots assigned to flights between the United States and China, other than those on return trips to the United States, to decline the assignment," APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson said. United Airlines said Thursday that in a second round of flight reductions, it is cancelling 332 flights to China between Feb. 9 and March 28, the Chicago Tribune reports. Delta Air Lines says it is cutting flights to China from 42 to 21 a week. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Funding has been announced to support digital infrastructure investments by eligible livestock auction markets, collection centres and abattoirs. Half a million pounds worth of funding will be made available to small and medium-sized businesses across Wales. The fund has been awarded by the Welsh government as part of moves to strengthen and simplify digital animal traceability through a single multi-species database. Over the next three months, from February 1, eligible businesses which serve as Central Point Recording Centres (CPRCs) can apply for funding to upgrade their digital infrastructure. This will allow an increased use of technology, and support the required future introduction of Bovine Electronic Identification alongside the similar successful system for sheep, which is administered by Hybu Cig Cymru Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) subsidiary company EIDCYMRU. Once Bovine EID Tags are introduced, cattle can be scanned and the data transferred to a tablet or PC and uploaded to EIDCymru. CPRCs therefore play a central role in a robust system of animal traceability which gives consumers confidence and allows swift action to be taken in case of any outbreak of animal disease. Rural affairs minister, Lesley Griffiths said: We are pleased to announce funding to help a significant number of small and medium sized businesses which are important to the rural economy in Wales in their capacity as CPRCs. This funding will offer the support needed to upgrade IT infrastructure, allowing for the increased use of technology to further strengthen Waless already robust system of animal traceability. Our announcement will provide an innovative solution to some of the potential issues which could deter some facilities from operating in the future. Supporting CPRCs to embrace technology will also help make the next generation of farmers entering the sector aware of the advantages of EID in managing livestock. Gwyn Howells, Chief Executive of HCC, said the 500,000 funding is a significant investment for the industry. It will help a range of businesses to access the latest technology which will streamline the process of reporting animal movements, and add to the resilience and sustainability of the whole sector. Advertisement The Union Jack was symbolically removed from a display of EU member state flags in Brussels tonight with just hours to go until Brexit takes place. The red, white and blue national emblem was taken out of the line-up outside the European Council in the Belgian capital this evening. Similar removals took place at other EU buildings and the blue European flag was taken down from a pole outside the UK mission in the Belgian capital, as EU leaders admitted the bloc must change to be 'better loved' if it wants to stop other countries leaving. EU chiefs have been voicing sadness as the historic moment looms, and also setting out their desire to overhaul the bloc once it is reduced to 27 member states. Council president Charles Michel admitted they will work to make sure that a united Europe is more popular in member states, amid growing disquiet in countries like Greece and Italy. 'We want them to be keener about the European project and so our concern is to stop using jargon and to cut down the red tape,' he told a Brussels press conference. However, Mr Michel, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament president David Sassoli could not resist a swipe, as they warned Britain that 'size matters' and claimed only the EU can address the world's problems. The red, white and blue national emblem was taken out of the line-up outside the European Council in the Belgian capital this evening The union flag was taken down from outside the European Parliament in Brussels as the UK's membership came to an end The UK emblem was also removed from the European Parliament's building in Strasbourg this evening ahead of Brexit Reporters in Brussels have noticed that a UK flag is missing from the visitors' atrium at the EU Parliament building - although others are still fluttering outside The EU flag was taken down from a pole outside the UK mission in the Belgian capital, hours before the UK's departure Charles Michel (left), Ursula von der Leyen (right) and David Sassoli (centre), pictured in Brussels today, have said 'size matters' in a parting shot at Brexit Britain In a joint newspaper article, the trio spoke of their 'fondness for the United Kingdom' and praised Britons for their 'creativity, ingenuity, culture, and traditions'. But they suggested on its own Britain will not be able to influence global affairs in the way that it has been able to as a member of the bloc. They then used the joint press conference to double down on the jibe as Ms von der Leyen said 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation'. Their hostility was in contract to an olive branch held out by Donald Tusk to his departing UK 'friends'. Ahead of the historic moment at 11pm, the former European Commission president used an online message to say: 'We will always be a community. And no Brexit will ever change that.' The comments came as Britain's MEPs left the European Parliament for the final time. The Brexit Party's contingent marked the occasion this morning with a show of strength as they marched out of the building carrying a 'Brexodus Express' banner as Ann Widdecombe said: 'The MEPs leaving here today, our duty is done, our harvest is home and now we're off.' Britain's MEPs will leave the European Parliament for the final time today. Brexit Party MEPs took part in a march out of the building this morning carrying a banner reading 'Brexodus Express' Ann Widdecombe led the march for the Brexit Party after Nigel Farage left Brussels for the final time as an MEP on Wednesday after the European Parliament voted for the Brexit deal Driving seat: Boris Johnson during a visit to the Industry Centre at the University of Sunderland, ahead of holding a Cabinet meeting in the city Ms von der Leyen said 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation' but insisted she wanted to have the 'best possible' relationship with the UK after Brexit Britain's EU marks a 'sea change' for the bloc, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman said. Nigel Farage claims UK will never rejoin the EU Nigel Farage today claimed that 11pm tonight is 'the point of no return' for Britain's relationship with the EU, insisting there is no way the UK will ever rejoin. The Brexit Party leader claimed Brexit was 'an incredible victory for ordinary people against the establishment' as he spoke of his joy at seeing it happen. Appearing on Good Morning Britain he also praised Boris Johnson, despite running candidatures against the Tories at the general election, arguing in December the Prime Minister would not get a proper Brexit. He spoke as preparations continued in London and across the nation for Britain to leave the EU later tonight. 'There's lots of work to come, but think of this, what happens tonight at 11 o'clock, we pass the point of no return,' Mr Farage said this morning. 'Once we're out, there's no way this country will ever rejoin and I think this is the big moment in history. 'As for the next phase, all I can say is right now, Boris Johnson is saying all the right things and if he delivers those things, we will be truly, genuinely independent.' Advertisement 'We regret (Brexit), and we think the majority of the German population feel the same, but we respect the decision,' Steffen Seibert said at a government press conference this morning. Berlin hopes Britain will continue to be a 'close partner and friend', he added. Britain's split from Brussels has prompted a great deal of soul searching in the EU about its status and its position on the world stage. Critics of the EU like Nigel Farage have predicted that Brexit will signal the beginning of the end of the political union. But writing in The Times, Ms von der Leyen, Mr Michel and Mr Sassoli said Brexit will 'mark a new dawn for Europe' as well as the UK. They claimed that the years since the result of the 2016 EU referendum had 'brought us closer together as nations, as institutions and as people'. 'They have reminded us all that the EU is more than a market or economic power but stands for values that we all share and defend,' the trio wrote. 'This is why the member states of the EU will continue to join forces and build a common future. 'In an age of great power competition and turbulent geopolitics, size matters. 'No country alone can hold back the tide of climate change, find the solutions to the digital future or have a strong voice in the ever-louder cacophony of the world. But together, the EU can.' A massive banner by the campaign group Another Europe is Possible is hung off Westminster Bridge in London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm A pro-Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament as celebrations began in Parliament Square ahead of a major rally this evening The comments are likely to spark anger among Brexiteers and reinforce their belief that leaving the EU is the correct course for the UK. Varadkar: Ireland 'firm' on fishing after Brexit Ireland will take a very firm line in post-Brexit trade talks, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said. Fishing and farming communities will be protected during the upcoming negotiations, the Irish premier pledged. Around a third of Ireland's fish like mackerel and prawns comes from UK waters and almost three quarters of UK fish is exported to the EU. Mr Varadkar told Irish broadcaster RTE: 'Having control of their own fishing grounds is not going to be much use to them unless they can export to the EU. 'That is why it gets tied up with trade and we are going to take a very firm line on that to make sure that we protect our coastal communities and our fishing industry.' Advertisement The remarks also risk souring trade talks between Britain and Brussels before formal negotiations on the future partnership agreement have even begun. The EU trio addressed the media in Brussels this morning as Mr Michel said the EU would become stronger after Brexit. He said: 'It is never a happy moment when someone leaves but we are opening a new chapter and we will devote all our energy to building a stronger and more ambitious European Union.' He also delivered a trade talks warning as he said: 'The more the UK will diverge from EU standards, the less access to the single market they will have.' Meanwhile, Ms von der Leyen said she was not 'optimistic' or 'pessimistic' about Brexit but 'determined' to make the best of it. She reiterated the trio's 'size matters' jibe as she said 'strength does not lie in splendid isolation'. 'During all these years, 47 plus years, our union has gained political impetus and has become a global economic powerhouse,' Ms von der Leyen said. Ireland will take a very firm line in post-Brexit trade talks, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said this morning ahead of trade talks with the UK due to start after Brexit Brexit Party members of the European Parliament, including Jonathan Bullock (4th R) holding a British flag, depart from the Parliament to return to Great Britain Brexit Party MEPs were played out of Brussels by a piper after the emotional scenes on Wednesday when the European Parliament ratified the Brexit deal British member of the European Parliament (MEP) Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament Brexit Party members made their way to the Brussels Midi train station as they prepared to journey back to the UK for Brexit celebrations tonight Tim Barrow, the UK's permanent representative to the EU, was pictured leaving his office in Brussels this morning. At 11pm he will become the UK's ambassador to the EU The comments risk souring trade talks between the EU and UK before they even begin. Ms von der Leyen is pictured alongside Boris Johnson in Downing Street on January 8 'Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation but in our unique union. David Cameron insists UK can make a success of Brexit David Cameron today insisted he believes the UK will be able to make a success of Brexit as he hailed the 'very big day' for Britain. The UK will split from Brussels at 11pm this evening after more than three years of tortuous wrangling over the terms of Britain's divorce. It will likely represent a moment of sadness for Mr Cameron given that he unsuccessfully led the campaign to keep the UK in the bloc at the 2016 EU referendum which he decided to call. He quit as PM after his Remain side was defeated by Leave, and this morning he said he 'knew this day would come' eventually despite repeated Brexit delays. Mr Cameron told Sky News: 'It is obviously a very big day for our country. Obviously I led the campaign to stay in but I always accepted the referendum result and knew this day would come. 'As I said at the time of the referendum we are one of the biggest economies in the world, perhaps the sixth biggest economy in the world. 'We can make a success of the choice that we make and I am sure that is exactly what we will do and I wish the government well in all their endeavors to make sure that happens.' Advertisement 'Nowhere else in the world can you find 27 nations of 440 million people speaking 24 different languages, relying on each other, working together, living together. 'And this is not by accident or by chance. This is grounded in centuries of shared history, decades of shared experience and a determination and confidence to shape our common future together.' She insisted the EU wanted to have the 'best possible' relationship with the UK after it leaves 'but it will never be as good as membership' of the bloc. When the UK leaves the EU this evening the two sides will enter into a standstill transition period during which they will hammer out the terms of a trade deal. The transition period will end in December 2020. Boris Johnson is adamant he will not agree to extend the transition but the EU does not believe there is enough time to strike a comprehensive deal by the end of the year. The trio's remarks came as Britain's MEPs walked out of the European Parliament for the final time. Ms Widdecombe said: 'I have a mixture of feeling very, very jubilant and full of celebration but also profound relief because there was a time when I wondered if this day was ever going to come. 'Indeed it was at that point that I joined the Brexit Party to try and help to make it come.' Ms Widdecombe led the Brexit Party's march out of the party after leader Mr Farage left Brussels for the last time as an MEP on Wednesday evening following the final vote on the Withdrawal Agreement. She said she would be joining the rest of the party in Parliament Square for the stroke of 11pm on Friday evening. She added: 'And that's it. That is the moment when Brexit has been Brexited.' The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This weeks issue is written by Isabella Kwai, a reporter with the Australia bureau. Recently, when Andy Miao takes the train to work in Sydney, he has noticed other peoples disapproving looks if he does not wear a face mask. Although he does not have the coronavirus, Mr. Miao, who is of Chinese heritage and grew up in Australia, knows its because of one reason: his ethnicity. It makes people like me who are very, very Australian feel like outsiders, said Mr. Miao, 24, who returned from a trip to China earlier this month and has since seen jokes degrading Chinese people. Its definitely invoking a lot of past racial stereotypes. But as the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency after the virus spread to countries including Australia, he is worried about an outbreak of misinformation, panic and xenophobia. The virus has killed more than 200 people, with nearly 10,000 cases reported, though in Australia there are just a handful of cases, and health officials have said that the risk of catching it for many Australians is low. Film Review: The Last Full Measure: A True Tale of Vietnam War Valor R | 1h 50min | Drama, War | 24 January 2020 (USA) The Last Full Measure is a true story about valor. Its based on Vietnam War hero William H. Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), an Air Force parajumper who flew on helicopters into hot landing zones and airlifted out wounded soldiers. During the vicious Operation Abilene on April 10 in 1966, Pits waved off his chopper and fought alongside 60-some soldiers from the Armys First Infantry Division, pinned down in a jungle ambushnone of whom he personally knew. He was killed by a sniper. Movie poster of The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) Valor Valor is one of those words thats currently anchoring itself in the public consciousness, just like warrior did in the early 1980s. The 2012 film Act of Valor, starring active-duty Navy SEALs, had a lot to do with that. Currently, valor can be stolen, but there are now personnel who track down and prosecute those civilians falsely claiming to have had careers as elite special operations warriors. Theres clearly a spiritual movement afoot thats restoring our eroded American values by shining a light on the great deeds that often go unnoticed. The Last Full Measure is a tribute to our armed forces and the valor that accrues just by being of service, as well as from actssuch as Pitsenbargersof great heroism. Actual burial ground plaques of Airman 1st Class William H. Pitsenbarger, in The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) Pitsenbargers story is told by the telling of a different story, namely, the quiet, 30-year, post-service war fought by his brothers in arms to get Pitss sacrifice the recognition it deserved, aided by Defense Department staffer Scott Huffman (Sebastian Stan). In 1999, the young Mr. Huffman was ambitiously negotiating Pentagon bureaucracy with the customary ruthlessness required for that career. He was assigned by his boss to review a longstanding request to replace Pitsenbargers less-than-appropriate Air Force medal with a posthumous Medal of Honor. This is the highest military medal of all, the one Eisenhower would have forgone his presidency to possess. The classic character arc ensues: Firstly, its an annoying dead-end assignment for an ambitious ladder-climber; Huffman would rather not be hounded by Tulley, one of Pitsenbargers fellow pararescuemen (William Hurt) into beginning the investigation. Sebastian Stan (L) and William Hurt in The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) Because out of approximately 248 Vietnam War Medals of Honor issued, only 14 have gone to Air Force personnel. And only three were awarded to Air Force enlisted men like William Pitsenbarger. Huffman doesnt like those odds. Secondly, Huffman finally gets perspective on what hes up against; theres a conspiracy afoot, the revelation of which could cost him his job. He doesnt feel up to that task. This leads to one of the films most powerful moments: the archetype of the excellent spouse, bolstering her man in his time of fear and need when hes on the verge of quitting. Huffmans wife giving him the strength to carry on is similar to Jean Arthurs character in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, providing resolve to Jimmy Stewartsand for the same reasonto honor the truth whatever the outcome. Sebastian Stan (L) and Samuel L. Jackson in The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) Thirdly, as Huffman journeys to visit the soldiers whose lives Pitsenbarger saved (Ed Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, and Peter Fonda) and listens to their war stories, and as he also visits Pitss parents (Christopher Plummer and Diane Ladd), Christopher Plummer and Diane Ladd in The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) and hears their stoic heartbreak about the Flexible Flyer thats still in the shed, hes overwhelmed with resolve to lay it all on the line, to stand alongside the friends who toiled for 30 years, and to facilitate the honoringwith all parties involved presentof the blinding light and heat of Airman Pitsenbargers sacrifice. (LR) Sebastian Stan, Diane Ladd, Asher Miles Fallica, Christopher Plumber, Alison Sudol in The Last Full Measure. (Roadside Attractions) After all, one soldiers recollection of Pitsenbarger rappelling into the firefight to save him was of seeing an angel. That type of thing tends to not be a physical vision; people of faith know thats a straight-up vision of the higher beings that are present in times of such incandescent selflessness. Seeing the Repercussions of Ones Deeds Theres a bit of a conspiracy and cover-up subplot regarding Operation Abilene, but to tell it would be a spoiler. Suffice it to say that its of a similar nature to this one from Top Gun: Viper (Tom Skerritt): What Im about to tell you is classified; it could end my career. We were in the worst dogfight I couldve dreamed of. There were bogeys like fireflies all over the sky. His F-4 was hit; he couldve made it back, stayed in, it killed three of them before he bought it. Maverick (Tom Cruise): How come I never heard that before? Viper: Well, thats not something the Navy tells families, especially when the fight happened over the wrong line on some map. The military covers up things for various reasons: some to lessen the grief of relatives, some to keep egg off its face, some to avoid lawsuits. Regardless, The Last Full Measure will undoubtedly be seen by veterans and their families, because they already understand sacrifice and the need to honor and pay tribute to it. The nonstop streams of biker-veterans roaring across our great nation, performing rituals of remembrance at burial grounds, is testimony to a mindset that really needs to be felt daily by all Americans againnot just on Veterans Day. Statue of Airman 1st Class, William H. Pitsenbarger, posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. (Roadside Atractions) Self-help gurus stress living in the moment, and gratitude. Not taking for granted the brilliant sacrifices made by our armed forcesso that we can wander about with our faces in our phones, worrying about first-world problemswould go a long way toward dissipating the depression, loneliness, and isolation that is the resultant paradox of not holding our hard-won freedoms near and dear enough. The last scene, of the award ceremony when group after group of servicemen and women, family members, and various and assorted people touched by this courageous airmans valorous deed are asked to standand one can see how vast the repercussions of good deeds areits truly moving. The real-life William Pitsenbarger. (Roadside Atractions) The Last Full Measure Director: Todd Robinson Starring: Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris, William Hurt, Peter Fonda, Christopher Plummer, Diane Ladd, Linus Roache, John Savage, Amy Madigan, Bradley Whitford, Jeremy Irvine Rating: R Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes Release Date: Jan. 24, 2020 Rated: 3.5 stars out of 5 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Time is running out, as March 2, 2020 is the last day you can contribute to your RRSP. Here are five tips from the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) to help you maximize the benefits of your RRSP: 1. Gain some tax savings when you contribute to your RRSP If you have an RRSP deduction limit (as shown on your 2018 Notice of Assessment), and you are a B.C. resident, you may be able to realize the following income tax savings from making an RRSP contribution: If your taxable income is A $1,000 RRSP contribution would reduce your 2019 taxes by $12,069 - $47,630 Up to $227 $47,631 - $95,259 ~$227 to $328 $95,260 - $147,667 ~$328 to $407 $147,668 - $210,371 ~$407 to $458 $210,372+ ~$458 to $498 2. Use your RRSP contribution as a tax deferral vehicle Remember, an RRSP is a tax deferral vehicle you will be taxed on the funds once you make a withdrawal from your RRSP. That said, would you rather pay $1 of income tax tomorrow or $1 of income tax today? Since you likely will be in a lower tax bracket when you retire, actual tax savings should result if you wait until retirement to withdraw from your RRSP. 3. Take advantage of a spousal RRSP A spousal RRSP can help shift future income from a higher income spouse to a lower income spouse. This can provide some tax savings when the receiving spouse withdraws funds from his or her RRSP, RRIF, or annuity. Using a spousal RRSP might also reduce the clawback on Old Age Security payments from the higher income spouse and allow the lower income spouse to claim the pension income tax credit. Spousal RRSPs provides immediate tax savings, since the higher-income spouse making the contribution gets the tax deduction while the lower-income spouse, rather than the contributor, is taxed on any withdrawals at a future date. 4. Cant make the deadline? Make an early contribution for 2020 If you dont have additional funds to make an additional RRSP contribution right now, consider making an early contribution for 2020 after February 29. In fact, it is better to contribute at the beginning of the year to start tax-free compounding of earnings within your RRSP. A tip to help you remember to save into your RRSP is to set up monthly contributions throughout the year. That way, you wont have to worry about making a lump sum contribution at the end of the year. Lastly, remember that any unused contributions can be carried forward indefinitely. 5. Consider ways to grow your RRSP Dont let your RRSP sit there. You can hold the majority of publicly traded investment in your RRSP, including: public stocks, term deposits, eligible mutual funds, GICs, and bonds. This is a good way to grow your money without tax implications at least until you make a withdrawal. Remember, the interest you earn on your RRSP investments is not taxed as long as it stays within your RRSP. Learn how to maximize your RRSP benefits with CPABCs RRSP and Tax Tips at rrspandtaxtips.com . If you have more questions regarding your RRSP, consult a chartered professional accountant or a financial advisor. NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: CPAs are available for interview. Share this RRSP infographic with your audience. Please credit Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (CPABC) for use of the content and include the following disclaimer: Tax rules relating to these RRSP tips are complex. This is not intended as tax advice, and you should not make tax decisions based solely on the information presented in these tips. You should seek the advice of a chartered professional accountant before implementing a tax plan or taking a tax filing position. About CPA British Columbia Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 23:01:57|Editor: yan Video Player Close ZAGREB, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Croatian parliament on Friday approved Vili Beros as the new health minister. Beros, voted in parliament with 81 in favor and 43 against, is succeeding Milan Kujundzic, who was sacked this week after media revealed that he misstated the real value of his properties. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic explained earlier this week that one of the reasons for dismissing Kujundzic was challenges in Croatia's presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), which Croatia took over from Jan. 1. The new health minister, who was the assistant minister of the health ministry, knows the system from the inside and the problems facing Croatian healthcare, Plenkovic said. The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Friday lodged a police complaint against Union Minister Anurag Thakur for his "inflammatory" speech during an election rally here. IYC president Srinivas B V claimed the complaint was lodged against Thakur at Parliament Street police station for his inflammatory speech after which a man fired at peaceful protestors at Jamia Millia Islamia on Thursday. "We want immediate action against Thakur to prevent further escalation of such violent incidents in the country," Srinivas said. A man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student near the JMI before walking away while waving the firearm over his head shouting "Yeh lo aazadi". "The ideology which killed Gandhiji is still prevailing and people like Thakur are provoking the people," IYC national media in-charge Amrish Ranjan Pandey said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reach key decision makers with sales-ready leads that shorten your sales process. Move the needle by delivering funnel qualified leads to your sales team. Learn more Cybersecurity is a very serious issue for 2020 and the risks stretch far beyond the alarming spike in ransomware. In addition to the daily concerns of malware, stolen data and the cost of recoveringfrom a business network intrusion, there is the very real danger of nefarious actors using cyberattacks to influence or directly impact the outcome of the 2020 U.S. general election. Today, every company that has a computer or any connected devices or software should see itself as a tech company. Everyindividual with a smart TV, virtual assistant or other Internet ofThings (IoT) device could be at risk as well and the risks include beingvictimized by cyberstalkers or having personal data compromised. We are seeing growing attack surfaces for example, automotive, drones,satellites and hardware components, said Michael Sechrist, chieftechnologist at Booz Allen Hamilton. There is also increased obfuscation fromsophisticated actors that is, malware code reuse and similarities, he told TechNewsWorld. Several major domestic and international events will likelyprovide attackers opportunities for digital disruption across largeand small companies and governments alike, Sechrist said. Although everyone whos connected in this increasingly connected world is a potential target, understanding the risks can help alleviate the overall threat. The main threat companies face is in not adequately keeping pace withthe ever-evolving security threat landscape, said Ellen Benaim,information security officer at Templafy. It is a constant battle to keep abreast of the latest issues. Tomake matters worse, we predict that in 2020 cyberthreats will becomemore frequent and sophisticated, spanning a wider attack surface andcausing a more deadly impact, she told TechNewsWorld. Old Threats Still Have Teeth Many of the same threats that have been around for years willcontinue to pose real problems in 2020. Among them are phishing attacks. Phishing is essentially tricking others into taking an action thatcan be profited from, said Tom Thomas, adjunct faculty member inTulane Universitys Online Master of Professional Studies in Cybersecurity Management program. Since all those millions are still sitting in a bank in Nigeriafor over 20 years now, I am sure phishing is here to stay as long aspeople are greedy and easily tricked, he told TechNewsWorld. Education is quite common, but these scams are evolving as well and some of these email scams are very believable unless you lookclosely, which most people do not, warned Thomas. Another cybersecurity threat is one that isnt really an attack, butrather a problem due to overworked and at times underpaid softwaredesigners. This is the issue of software errors, and those errors canresult in exploits that hackers and other criminals can target. These are valid concerns, and with the rise of software as king in theIT space, this means that developers are going to have to addresssecurity within their code, new and old, said Thomas. Threats From Within One overlooked area of cybersecurity is who has legitimate access tothe data, and whether those individuals can be trusted. Edward Snowdenis just one example, but the issue has plagued tech companies foryears. In the spring of 2018, Apple had to fire an employee forleaking details of the companys software roadmap. This problem is likely to get worse, as there is now a cybersecurityworker shortage, and companies are being less diligent when it comes tonew hires. A big threat facing companies in 2020 is the insider threat, saidTemplays Benaim. Whether it is deliberate or not, the impact of these threats can bedevastating, she added. Insider threats can manifest in a number of ways for example, anovertired employee might simply forward confidential data to thewrong recipient, Benaim said, or a disgruntled former employee might downloadcustomer records from a CRM tool with malicious intent. Both scenarios could lead to a severe data breach, triggering inordinate fines for your company under GDPR. Pointed Attacks Even trusted employees can make critical mistakes. Hackers usesocial engineering techniques to breach a network and gathersensitive data as well as tools to encrypt data or break security systems. A D V E R T I S E M E N T In 2020 we could see more multi-layer spearphishing, where multipletargets inside a business are used to gather information and gainaccess, warned Laurence Pitt, global security strategy director atJuniper Networks. The delivery mechanisms will also be more complicated, he told TechNewsWorld. Any threat that costs money, and especially where it affects publicmoney government and healthcare will remain newsworthy, Pitt added. Well see more attacks using common vectors, such as phishing,download via malvertising, etc., he predicted, but also attacks that use old methodswith new vectors. The Masad Stealer attack, reported by Juniper ThreatLabs in late 2019, is a good example of this, where data and money wasstolen via malware injected into a used and respected piece of software. Malware Hangups It isnt just computer networks that could be at risk in 2020. Alreadyweve seen that little has been done in recent years to ensure thatmobile devices are protected adequately from cyberattacks. In the case of smartphones, devices could become infected simply bydownloading apps even from what should be trusted platforms. The StrandHogg malware is using malicious but popular apps on thePlay store as a delivery mechanism, and until Google closes thevulnerability that allows this to work, any device and user issusceptible, said Pitt. Mobile phones have become a gateway to our most sensitive andpersonal information, and yet the offer of a free application stillgets millions of downloads without a thought as to whether itssafe,' he added. Users need to stop blindly accepting device requests for access toresources; stop downloading free apps that they do not need andprobably will only use once; and, finally, deny if an applicationrequests access to something that seems strange or unnecessary forexample, a PDF reader wanting access to SMS messages, advised Pitt.This will help keep devices and data more safe. Fake Out Another major concern for 2020 might not affect data directly, but it should be on everyones radar nonetheless: the rise of deepfakes, manipulated videos that have been used to discredit individuals, to spread misinformation, and to cause harm in seemingly endless ways. Deepfakes have increased in sophistication. Ever more powerfulcomputers and even mobile devices are making it all too easy to create convincing fakes. One concern is how they might be used in conjunction with fake news across mobile platforms. Deepfake technologies will be used to attempt to influence the 2020elections in the United States and beyond, predicted Erich Kron, securityawareness advocate at KnowBe4. Fake videos and audio will be released close to the election time inorder to discredit candidates or to swing votes, he warned. While these will be proven as fakes fairly rapidly, undecided voterswill be influenced by the most realistic or believable fakes, Kron added. Securing the Cloud One misconception about cybersecurity is that off-site or hostedstorage comes with greater risks. The cloud may have certainadvantages, in fact. There is a common misconception that the cloud is inherently lesssecure than traditional on-premises solutions, said AndrewSchwarz, professor in the Information Systems & Decision Sciences program in the E. J. Ourso College of Business Administration atLouisiana State University. The problem is that when there is a cloud breach such as the breachover the summer at AWS it makes huge headlines, and skeptics point tothese examples as reasons why companies should be reluctant to movetheir own systems into the cloud, he told TechNewsWorld. The problem with these examples is that network security issubject to the principle of the greatest weakness your data will bevulnerable in the interface that is the weakest, he added. Cloud security is going to continue to improve as the cloud itselfmatures, said Tulanes Thomas. In fact cloud, if implemented correctly, can increase security risks so ensuring that these risks are mitigated is critically important,he pointed out. Last summers AWS breach showed that the cloud isnt the fundamental problem. Itwasnt the cloud provider that was at fault but a misconfigured firewall, which was due to a decision the client made. Furthermore, cloud providers will only survive if their clouds aresecure and are investing R&D in providing new approaches to securitythat will push the boundaries of security as we know it, saidLSUs Schwarz. Any breach means a certain death to providers. Thus it is intheir best interests to keep systems secure. The answer is thereforethat the cloud is not only secure, but is more secure than most, ifnot all, on-premises data centers. Security in Real Time Cybersecurity isnt just about computer networks or consumer devices. There are several significant upcoming happenings that hackers could target, and what is at stake goes well beyond money or data. There are three major events in 2020 that will certainly be a magnetto cybercriminals and nation state actors: the U.S. presidentialelection; the first-ever online U.S. census; and the Olympic games inTokyo, noted Mounir Hahad, head of Juniper Threat Labs at Juniper Networks. We will identify meddling attempts on social media; attempts atinfiltrating campaign staff; security holes in the census process, andattempts to exploit them; and that some attack on the Olympicsinfrastructure will probably succeed to some extent, he told TechNewsWorld. I am very concerned about the election. Government IT Security iswoefully lacking, especially when you get down to the county andprecinct level, which is where these machines are accessible, notedThomas. Electronic voting is still evolving slowly and that is what concernsme, as we have seen in the news that electronic ballots are far easierto subvert than paper ballots, he said. None of these problems will be easily addressed this year, or even inthe years to come. Cybersecurity remains a field that has too manyopenings and too few candidates. It requires constant diligenceand neverending training. The cost of not doing enough, however, could be even greater. The fact of the matter is that as long as criminals can gain accessto data, they can impact the confidentiality, integrity oravailability of it and theres little a company can do at that point,said KnowBe4s Malik. Companies should appropriately protect datawith cryptography, so that even if criminals gain access to the data,they cannot impact the integrity or confidentiality, he recommended. Finally, thetrend we will likely continue to see is the breaching of companiesthrough the supply chain or other trusted third parties. A stalker compiled a 50-page spreadsheet using dozens of Victorian women's phone numbers and photos from social media then used it to leave some of them sexually explicit voicemails, a court has heard. Richard Awad, 37, allegedly left the women messages including the terms "skanky pants", "butter legs", "sex machine" and "dirty little tart" and described in explicit detail the sexual acts he would do to them. On Friday he appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with stalking 11 women aged between 14 and 24. Mr Awad allegedly told one victim he would "f--- the brains out of her", while he said to another he wanted to "smell [her] panties". The court heard each page of Mr Awad's spreadsheet had a photo of a woman next to her name and mobile number. Glen Alan Shorey reported chest pains and feeling ill while working at a Whataburger restaurant in San Antonio two years ago. Supervisors told Shorey to sit in the lobby. A lawsuit alleges no one checked on him for four hours. Colleagues eventually discovered Shorey slumped over, with no heartbeat. A co-worker called paramedics, who took him to a local hospital from the Whataburger on Brook Hollow. Shorey had suffered cardiac arrest and died four days later, on Feb. 23, 2018, after a decision was made to take him off life support. He was 37. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox Shoreys widow, Margarito Levario, now alleges in a wrongful-death lawsuit that Whataburger Restaurants LLC breached its duty of care to Shorey. She is seeking more than $1 million in damages from the San Antonio company, including punitive damages for its reckless, heedless, and intentional conduct, and to set an example for others that such conduct will not be tolerated. We believe that had Whataburger responded appropriately to Mr. Shoreys medical emergency, he would not have passed away or at least would have had an opportunity to have survived, said Lara Brock, an attorney Levario. Shorey and Levario had two children, son Magik and daughter Maeaja. Magik was 8 and Maeaja was 6 when he died. If Levario prevails, any award would go to the children. Whataburger officials didnt address any of the allegations, saying in an email they were actively reviewing the facts in the case. Whataburger takes seriously the well-being of our employees and is deeply saddened by the loss of a valued employee, they said. The suit was filed Jan. 24 in state District Court in San Antonio. Whataburger has yet to file an answer to the complaint. Shoreys death occurred about 16 months before Whataburgers founding family the Dobsons agreed to sell a controlling stake in the burger chain to Chicago investment firm BDT Capital Partners for an undisclosed price. Shorey worked as a cook and was an 11-year Whataburger employee who held a second job at 7-Eleven to support his family, said Brock, a lawyer with the Espinoza Law Firm in San Antonio. Shorey previously had suffered chest pains while at work at another Whataburger restaurant and an ambulance was called, Brock said, though she didnt have the date when that happened. Whataburger should have responded in a similar fashion in 2018, she said. A doctor prescribed Shorey blood-pressure medication after the first incident. Whataburger does not carry workers compensation insurance, so it did not pay for any of Shoreys hospital bills or funeral arrangements, Brock said. She acknowledged that based on Shoreys cardiac arrest, theres no guarantee that workers comp would have provided any benefits even if Whataburger carried it. Ultimately, Whataburger has chosen not to subscribe to workers compensation insurance in the state of Texas, which means that the only way Mr. Shoreys family is entitled to receive any compensation as a result of his death is to sue Whataburger and establish that Whataburgers negligence, however slight, caused their damages, Brock said. Fast-food restaurants generally dont carry workers compensation as a way to save money, Brock said. The Texas Department of Insurance reported that 28 percent of companies operating in the state didnt carry workers compensation insurance in 2018, up from 22 percent in 2016. Nevertheless, the subscription rates for both years were the highest since 1993. While the number of participating companies is low, the state said 82 percent of workers were employed by businesses that carried the insurance in 2018. To encourage companies to subscribe, Brock said, state lawmakers in the early 1900s acted to penalize employers that dont provide workers comp benefits. That means if an employers negligence, however slight, was a cause of an employees injuries, that employer must pay 100 percent of all damages resulting from that injury including (for) past and future medical care, earnings, and pain and suffering, Brock said. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio nonprofit wants to buy family businesses without succession plans The suit doesnt allege that any work-related activity caused Shorey to have chest pains, just that Whataburger failed to appropriately respond to his medical condition, Brock said. Shoreys family may have a viable claim given that employers have duties to aid ill and injured workers, said Vincent Johnson, interim dean of St. Marys University School of Law. The big battle will be over whether there was a breach of the duty of reasonable care, Johnson said. Whether the employer acted reasonably is going to be very fact-intensive. Its going to depend on what (Shorey) said about his symptoms and what the employer said. Proving gross negligence will be difficult because of increasing restrictions on punitive damages, Johnson added. Shorey signed an an agreement to arbitrate any claims against Whataburger. Brock said she is not sure the agreement extends to his heirs. Just to be safe, though, an arbitration claim simultaneously was filed with the American Arbitration Association. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD The world of entrepreneurship can seem extremely complex. After all, entrepreneurs have a lot of different responsibilities on their plates. From developing products and services to managing contractors and marketing campaigns, the to-do list can seem never-ending. Despite this, the oft-quoted cliche, Keep it simple, stupid, still has great meaning for entrepreneurs especially those who bring a do-it-yourself attitude to their work. By streamlining your focus and keeping things simple, you will avoid getting stressed out and burned out. Here's a guide for tapping into your inner DIY entrepreneur. 1. Focus on the one thing your business does best One of the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs make is trying to be all things to all people. They want to provide an incredibly wide range of products and services in an effort to draw in a huge audience from their target industry. The problem is that this usually results in doing a mediocre job in a lot of areas, rather than doing one thing really well. This is perfectly illustrated in a case study from George Deeb, managing partner at Red Rocket Ventures. As he notes in an article on this site, the difference between a failed and successful pitch was having a single area of focus. The company that was successful had a clear vision: being an e-commerce seller of restaurant furniture. The company that was rejected had five different areas they wanted to focus on, including ad sales, e-commerce and artificial intelligence. Having so many diverging services requires several distinct business strategies. Its a sure way to spread your resources too thin. Focusing on a single core competency will allow you to innovate and specialize so you can offer something better than the competition. Related: 4 DIY Marketing Tips for Empty-Wallet Entrepreneurs 2. Automate whenever possible You only have so many hours in a day. Which entrepreneurial tasks are most deserving of your time? You dont want to waste precious hours digging through analytics data or doing mundane tasks that take your focus away from the activities that will help you better appeal to your target audience. Automation tools can help entrepreneurs better use their time and even take over for tasks that might otherwise be too complex to figure out on their own. For example, one tool that Ive seen work for many entrepreneurs who sell digital products is Kajabi, an all-in-one solution that streamlines website design, marketing campaign launches and more. In a case study found on the companys website, motivational speaker Chalene Johnson created a 30-day push challenge, providing a series of videos to help students with goal-setting. The Kajabi system automatically delivered the sequence of videos to students, regardless of when they signed up, allowing Johnson to put more focus on creating quality video content. The resulting campaign inspired more than 75,000 people join and ultimately became a successful list-building tool that she used again for the next five years. 3. Make things easy for your target audience In a guest blog for Virgin, Charlie Marshall, founder of Loaf, explains that his company uses what they call the Mum test: Is the website so simple that even my mum can use it? Would this newsletter make her smile? Would she get what were trying to say? If functionality is intuitive for the non-tech savvy, the likelihood is that the majority of customers will have an enjoyable and easy experience. Lead generation is just one area where the value of simplicity becomes readily apparent. Many landing pages will feature a form asking customers to submit information to sign up for a newsletter, schedule a call and so on. While gathering information is an essential part of the sales process, asking for too much data can easily cause customers to give up on filling out the form entirely. According to Dan Shewan of WordStream, landing page form-conversion rates experience a sharp drop-off when they include more than seven fields. Only asking for the information you absolutely need simplifies the process for your audience and will improve conversion rates. This same principle applies to online checkout and other customer-facing areas the fewer steps your target audience has to go through, the more likely they are to convert. 4. Have a plan for future growth You may be able to handle the bulk of the work now, while your company is still relatively small. But what happens when you start to grow? The more hats you take on as your business expands, the harder it is to excel in all areas. Youll end up with less and time and energy for the things that matter most. You may even lose passion for your startup as your work-life balance starts to slip away. This is where having a plan makes all the difference. Will you hire full-time employees? Bring in a partner? Outsource? Working with a co-founder can be a great way to spread the load so that you can both specialize in your areas of expertise and avoid burnout. According to data from SmallBizTrends, startups with two founders enjoy three times the user growth of single-founder businesses. They are also 19 percent less likely to fall victim to premature scaling, which is a common contributor to startup failure. Related: 8 DIY Tools You Need to Get Your Business Off the Ground Simplicity should ultimately become a way of being for your business. By taking steps to streamline your internal operations and make things easier for your customers, you will be able to enhance productivity and do a better job of reaching your target audience than ever before. Related: How Startup Challenges are Helping Fintech and Agri Sectors Trade License Zone Inks Partnership With RAKEZ To Offer Its Company Formation Services At The UAE Free Zone Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Zach Gibson/Getty For nearly two weeks, Democrats took to the floor of the Senate in the hopes that GOP lawmakers would support the call for additional witnesses as part of impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. To a person, party members believed that the evidence they gathered and case they presented was compelling and nearly flawless in its execution. Their convictions only hardened after several rounds of massive news breaksfrom audio recordings of the president to seeming confirmation from his former national security adviser, John Bolton, that Trump sought a quid pro quo with Ukraine. But as the days rolled by and Republican after Republican publicly declared theyd heard enough, a sense of dismay has begun to set in. Increasingly, Democrats believe and concede, there was simply no argument they could have made that would have moved the needle. The arguments that have been asserted by the White House are nonsense, said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA). There's plenty of evidence to move anyone who's listening. But I think what we're seeing is there is no amount of evidence that will move the Senate Republicans in this political environment. I think we expected that if they followed their constitutional oath, they would actually have a real trial. I think it's really just a failure of courage. Asked whether there was any frustration in the Democratic ranks about the lack of movement to call witnesses, Scanlon joked, What? I dont sound frustrated? The Secret Reason Republicans Wont Impeach Trump A final vote on whether to hear new evidence or witnesses is set for Friday. Publicly, Democrats on both sides of the Capitol had held out hope that four GOP senators will side with them on, among other things, the need to call Bolton as a witness. Increasingly, however, Democrats acknowledge that their efforts are likely to fail and that the impeachment proceedings will be wrapped up shortly thereafter. An announcement late Thursday night from Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) that he would vote against calling more evidence basically sealed the deal, leaving no path for a prolonged trial. Story continues Its more than frustratingit's pathetic, said Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO). If you had any regard at all for the prerogatives of the legislative branch, to allow the White House to stonewall the House of Representatives in a completely unprecedented way, and then accept a set of rules that are just a cover-up for what the president has done, I think demonstrates a complete lack of regard for what this institution is supposed to be about. Inside the party, there is little sense that the House managers of the Trump impeachment did anything wrong in advocating their case. Though the White House defense team has repeatedly pointed to the Houses impeachment process as inadequate and therefore illegitimateleaning especially on their declining to take the step of issuing a subpoena for Bolton, and the way they handled the subpoena authorization process more generallyfew if any Democrats view those arguments as good-faith in nature. The Republicans are hiding behind the process because they know on the substance, the facts look really bad, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a member of the Intelligence Committee. Still, there are some in the party who wonder if Democrats could have extracted a bit more political pain from Republicans in the process of getting to a Senate acquittal. One Democratic aide told The Daily Beast that impeachment investigators could have engaged in more box-checking. But on the things that actually mattered, the aide said, Democrats got it right. For example, on the White Houses procedural arguments that Democrats subpoenas were illegitimate, the aide asked, Is there a single voter, Senate or American, who that moves? Max Bergmann, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and one of the think tanks sharpest advocates for impeachment, argued that if House managers made a misstep, it was in sticking too closely to the constitutional framing of the charges (abuse of power) and not the visceral ones (bribery). You needed to call this a crime. Calling it a crime was essential. And I think theyve done it in the course of the hearing. But from a messaging perspective they should have said the president committed crimes, said Bergmann. For the country a trial is about crimes and i just think that was an important message that didnt quite break through. Still, Bergmann said, House managers delivered a masterful performance over the course of the past week that convincingly made the case against Trump. Ultimately, he and others argued that the White House would have picked apart their impeachment process no matter how it was prosecuted. Whatever the House would have done, it would not have been adequate, said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). It was clear that President Trump had given instructions for no cooperation and the lawyers found out ways to accommodate that. Judge Napolitano Schools Fox & Friends on Impeachment: Schiff Just Following the Rules Written by GOP Left to assess the likelihood that no witnesses would be called, some Democrats have tried to find some silver linings. While the impeachment trial may have not moved Senate Republicans, it had offered the public additional clarity about where those lawmakers stood on matters such as foreign election interference and deference to the president. It also, they argued, had not proved to be the catastrophic political misstep that many Democratic prognosticators had initially feared. If anything, some felt that it would prove electorally beneficial. I just think for some of the senators, there will never be enough, said Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA). They truly would acquit him for shooting someone on Fifth Avenue. It's just, they believe this person who can do no wrong. I think they're wildly out of... sync with, you know, who we are as Americans. I'm still hopeful that they will allow witnesses, but I'll just say that I think the American people will have the last word... at the ballot box. And yet, even if Democrats did stand to benefit from Republican lawmakers aligning themselves so closely with Trump, it was notthey concededwithout a cost. There was fear that the institutional prerogatives of Congress had been damaged by the willingness of GOP lawmakers to not demand more witnesses and documents from the White House. We expected that new additional evidence would come forward, said Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), and what normally happens is you present that evidence at the trial. But beyond that was the fear that the very type of presidential behavior that had led to Trumps impeachmentthe solicitation of foreign help to dig up dirt on his opponentscould become codified by his acquittal; or, even worse, that it would become accepted practice for every presidential candidate going forward should he not be voted out of office in November. At that point, said Bergmann, it is a disaster. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Students at three schools have been placed in isolation after they flew home from holidays on board a Tiger Airways flight with a man infected by the coronavirus. Queensland's Crestmead State School, Kingston State College and the Pacific Pines State High School have confirmed one pupil each was in isolation on Friday. The Brisbane and Gold Coast students' quarantine is purely as a precautionary measure, officials said. The students - in Year 1 at Crestmead, Year 8 at Kingston and Year 10 at Pacific Pines - were on board a Tiger flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast on Monday. A fellow passenger, a 44-year-old Chinese national, has tested positive to coronavirus. A text message sent to parents at Crestmead State School on Friday afternoon, notifying parents that a Year 1 student was on board the same Tiger Airways flight as an infected man The schools blasted out newsletters to parents, using similar language, to inform them the pupils were in isolation - but it's not suggested they have the illness (stock photos) Crestmead State School: A Year 1 student was on board the same flight as an infected man from Wuhan. The student is in isolation purely as a precaution The man had travelled from Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak in China, to Melbourne, and then on to Queensland on board the domestic flight. The schools each blasted the news out to parents in special newsletters to parents this afternoon. 'Today we received information that a member of our school community - a Year 1 student ... - was on that flight,' the Crestmead newsletter said. 'In accordance with the established protocol, they are now in isolation purely as a precautionary measure.' The newsletter stressed 'there is very little likelihood of transmission within our school community and there is no need for other students or staff to be isolated'. A separate text message to parents said the school remains open and is functioning normally. The Kingston and Pacific Pines newsletters likewise confirmed a Year 8 and Year 10 student were respectively on board the flight. The newsletters said: 'The Department of Education has been liaising with Queensland Health on this matter and there remains extremely low risk in relation to possible transmission.' A newsletter blasted out by Kingston State College on Friday afternoon Despite the official reassurances, several parents and members of the community shared panicked posts on Friday afternoon. As a Facebook post quickly went viral, one parent said: 'Everyone needs to take a deep breath ... the student does not have the virus'. Only nine people in Australia have tested positive to the virus, plus an additional two Australian citizens in China. Two people - a 44-year-old Chinese man and a 42-year-old woman - have tested positive in Queensland and are receiving treatment. More than 150 people were on board the Tiger flight, with health officials attempting to contact every passenger on board. A Department of Education spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'Crestmead State School and Kingston State College sent precautionary letters to families today about novel coronavirus (Friday 31 January). 'All Queensland state schools continue to follow advice from Queensland Health regarding coronavirus. 'As of 4pm today no Queensland state school student has a confirmed case, and no Queensland state school has been closed.' Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed and a policeman injured in an ongoing encounter at Bann Toll Plaza on Srinagar-Jammu national highway in Jammu and Kashmir. Security forces have stopped vehicular movement on the highway linking Jammu with Srinagar. Today morning; 03 Pakistani terrorists killed near Nagrota Jammu when a truck they were travelling in was intercepted by J&K Police. One policeman has sustained injuries in this encounter. Imtiyaz Hussain (@hussain_imtiyaz) January 31, 2020 A police spokesman said police intercepted a Srinagar bound truck at Bann Toll Plaza on Jammu-Srinagar Highway in the early hours today. He said the militants travelling in the truck fired on police. The fire was returned by the policemen, triggering an encounter. The spokesman said in the ensuing encounter, which is going on, three militants have been killed. A policeman was injured, who has been hospitalized. Sources said after the initial gunfight, some militants travelling in the truck fled from the area and ran away into nearby areas. Immediately after the shoot out, police, CRPF and army men rushed to the spot and cordoned the entire area and its adjoining areas. The security personnel were conducting searches, which was going on when reports last poured in. Sources said security agencies are suspecting that militants might have recently infiltrated and were travelling to Kashmir, maybe to south Kashmir to hide there As a precautionary measure, authorities have suspended vehicular traffic on Srinagar-Jammu national highway. ALBANY Eleven people were hospitalized Friday after a toxic substance was discovered by staff in the Clinton Correctional Facility's mail room in Dannemora, according to the office of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. While officials are still testing the substance, Cuomo said it was apparently fentanyl that sickened the staff who were all in stable condition Friday afternoon. [January 31, 2020] Huami's Amazfit Donates $1.5 Million to Help Combat the Coronavirus Outbreak in China Huami - (NYSE: HMI), the world's second-largest health wearables company, announced today that has donated $1.5 million (USD) to help combat the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in the capital city of Wuhan, located in China's Hubei Province. The funds will be dispersed to purchase medical supplies that are in urgent need by both medical professionals and people residing within the affected province. Funds that were originally set aside for Huami's annual corporate meeting in China, which management elected to cancel (for the first time) due to the severity of the Coronavirus outbreak, are now being allocated to prevent and contain further spread of the virus. In addition to the monetary donation, the tech company will also utilize its global supplier network and channel partnerships to try and obtain much needed medical supplies outside of China to distribute within Wuhan and its province. "The coronavirus outbreak in China continues to rage on, disrupting people's lives," said Wang Huang, founder and CEO of Huami. "We are keenly aware of the devotion and courage with which thousands of healthcare professionals and many others are fighting to contain the contagion and care for those affected. As a health conscious brand, Huami cares, and we have organized an effort to obtain medical supplies to donate to those in critical need. It is the least we can do to express our heartfelt gratitude to those brave souls fighting on the front line. We wish a speedy recovery of those affected." Huami's mission is to champion an interoperable health ecosystem that improves thequality of its customers' lives. By designing cutting edge technology centered around the health of people, Huami has helped reshaped the lifestyles of millions of customers. Huang remarked, "We encourage other global brands to help fight the spread of the virus in the capital city of Wuhan and the Hubei province, whether it be with a monetary donation or providing much needed medical supplies including medical masks." About Huami Huami is a wearable technology company that believes everyone should be able to take advantage of technology to achieve amazing results in everything they do. Its global brand, Amazfit, prides itself on offering consumers wearable products with advanced intelligence, quality craftsmanship, and, most importantly, great value. Since its inception in 2013, Huami has quickly established its global market leadership and recognition by shipping millions of units of smart wearable devices. In 2017, Huami shipped 18.1 million units of smart wearable devices. In 2018, Amazfit grew its global market share 4x YoY, and established itself as a new challenger brand to be taken seriously with the success of their sub-$100 Bip smartwatch - the third highest-selling model in the world. For more information please visit https://us.amazfit.com/ and follow along with on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amazfit_us/) and Twitter (News - Alert) (https://twitter.com/amazfit). To learn more about becoming an authorized Amazfit dealer, please contact Jeff Bello at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005401/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A North Carolina city has become the first in the state to declare a climate emergency and has now set goals on warming greenhouse gases and renewable energy. Asheville City Council unanimously voted for the declaration Tuesday after months of negotiations between officials and young climate activists, news outlets reported. The council committed to an equitable and just citywide mobilization to end greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The council also agreed to accomplish already existing goals, such as switching municipal operations to 100% renewable energy by 2030 and the whole community by 2042. Members of Sunrise Asheville and other local groups inspired by Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg had pushed for a resolution for months. Sunrise Asheville member Alex Lines said Asheville joins 1,300 local governments in 25 countries committed to lowering emissions quickly. The declaration is a compromise between the city and climate activists. Without the persistent efforts of this vitally important youth-led movement, this resolution does not happen, City Councilman Brian Haynes said. The City Council also agreed to dissolve a joint environmental task force after Duke Energy agreed not to build an additional fossil fuel powered plant. The city will work with the private sector to find effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet 100% renewable energy goals. The declaration did not give cost details for the goals. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics North Carolina A special Air India jet flew from Wuhan with 366 Indians on Friday night, the first of two flights that will evacuate Indian citizens stranded in the central China city that is the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. On Friday, the number of deaths due to the pathogen reached 213 and confirmed infections globally neared 10,000. The speed of the spread coronavirus infections have now surpassed the total number of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) cases seen in 2003 prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) late on Thursday to declare the outbreak a global health emergency. According to Indian aviation officials, a Boeing 747-400 one of the largest in Air Indias fleet arrived in Wuhan on Friday evening with a team of doctors to take back the Indians who had been stranded in a city of nearly 11 million people now completely locked down over the outbreak. The jet left India with 20 crew members, five doctors from Delhis Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and an Air India paramedic with stocks of medicines, masks, protective gear and packed food. The aircraft, which can seat 423 people, also had on-board a team of engineers and security personnel. No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction between the cabin crew and passengers, said Ashwani Lohani, the chairman and managing director of Air India who was present during the departure. Among the 366 are 280 men while the rest are women and children. All of these passengers will be allowed to board the plane only if they do not show symptoms of an infection cough, fever, etc. Once they reach Delhi, the men will be taken to an Indian Army-managed camp in Manesar that has been turned into a special quarantined facility. The women and children will be taken to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) operated Chhawla Camp in southwest Delhi. They can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members to watch for any signs of infection, an official in the defence ministry aware of the plans said, asking not to be identified. HT reported on Thursday that defence forces were preparing special facilities to isolate the people being brought back from Wuhan on the request of the Union health ministry. A joint team of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority will screen the evacuees in a two-step process at the Delhi airport. The first one being screening at the airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC), said an army press release. The passengers will be classified into three groups: suspect cases showing any sign of fever, cough, or respiratory distress; close contact and non-contact cases which will include anyone who has no symptom but visited the Wuhan seafood and animal market, a health facility or came into contact with a someone exhibiting such symptoms in the last 14 days; and non-contact cases that will include people who neither show symptoms nor had any suspect contact. After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the district/state surveillance units for further surveillance, the army statement said. Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for nCoV, it added. The statement also said no one civilian or a serving personnel working at the facility will be allowed to go outside unless it is an extreme emergency. An ITBP spokesperson said that at the Chhawla Camp, the passengers will have access to services such as wireless internet. The outbreak was first confirmed on December 31, when authorities in Wuhan detected cases of pneumonia caused by an unknown pathogen, and has in the period since infected people in at least 25 countries outside of mainland China. The overwhelming majority, and all of the deaths, are in China. India has till now one confirmed case, that of a woman in Kerala who tested positive on Thursday. New assessments by some experts released on Friday pegged the actual number of infections in Wuhan at close to 75,000. In our baseline scenario, we estimated that the basic reproductive number for 2019-nCoV was 2.68... and that 75,815 individuals... have been infected in Wuhan as of Jan 25, 2020, said a report published online by the medical journal Lancet. The researchers who prepared the report are from a WHO-affiliated research centre in Hong Kong. The condition of Indias first Coronavirus-affected woman in Keralas Thrissur is stable and she is responding well to treatment, state health minister K K Shailaja said on Friday even as the government sounded a high alert across the state. Health authorities later shifted the medical student, who had returned from Chinas Wuhan last week, to an isolation ward of the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for better observation and care, health officials said. The minister had rushed to Thrissur on Thursday night after the union health ministry confirmed the first positive case in the country. The minister said the medical college has been upgraded with a special isolation ward that can treat at least 24 patients at a time and doctors and paramedical staff deployed there were specially trained. Earlier the patient was admitted in the government general hospital. The minister said 1056 people are under observation in the state and 20 are in isolation wards. Many people who came in direct contact with the first patient have been put under observation that is why the number of those under observation rose steadily. The condition of the student is stable. She is responding well to symptomatic treatment. We have constituted a medical board and a bulletin will be issued every evening, she said. She requested people not to panic but cooperate with health officials and listen to their directives carefully. She has also sought the help of private hospitals and doctors to tide over the crisis. Many private hospitals in the state have opened isolation wards as a precaution. The virus, which has killed 213 people all in China, is said to have originated from a seafood market in Wuhan. The World Health Organisation has declared an international public health emergency in view of the prevailing condition. At least 20 countries have reported the infection so far. Back home, some reports suggest the affected student was first screened and found negative and allowed to go home but she was later rushed to the hospital after she complained of breathlessness and throat pain. Three more results are awaited from the National Virology Institute in Pune. Among three, two of them had reportedly travelled with the first patient when she returned home last week. The state health ministry has asked suspected patients to go by the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO) and not to take homoeopathy or unani medicine now. Earlier, there were reports that these two alternate medicines were effective in treating the dreaded virus. The Coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a new strain, said health experts. T wo people have been confirmed as having coronavirus in the UK. Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, announced the infections this morning and detailed that the pair were members of the same family. They are being treated in Newcastle, in a high consequence infectious disease unit. It is reported the infected pair had recently travelled to the UK from China and been staying in a hotel in Yorkshire. Coronavirus - In pictures 1 /106 Coronavirus - In pictures A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" is seen on an underground station platform Getty Images Customers wearing face masks shop at the pork counter of a supermarket following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province Reuters Westminster Bridge is deserted in London the day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the UK in lockdown PA Canadian passengers Chris & Anna Joiner ask for help onboard the MS Zaandam, Holland America Line cruise ship, during the coronavirus outbreak, off the shores of Panama City via Reuters A man crosses a nearly empty 5th Avenue in midtown Manhattan during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New York City Reuters The London Eye is pictured lit blue in support of the NHS, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Commuters cope with Coronavirus Jeremy Selwyn Milan's Piazza del Duomo empty AFP via Getty Images People in protective clothing walk past rows of beds at a temporary 2,000-bed hospital for COVID-19 coronavirus patients set up by the Iranian army at the international exhibition center in northern Tehran, Iran AP Martina Papponetti, 25, an ICU nurse at the Humanitas Gavazzeni Hospital in Bergamo, Italy poses for a portrait at the end of her shift AP Pope Francis celebrating a daily mass alone in the Santa Marta chapel at the Vatican, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the new coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Imag Vysheyshaya Liga - FC Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino v FC Belshina Bobruisk - Torpedo Stadium, Zhodino, Belarus, March 27, 2020 Players in action during the match despite most sport being cancelled around the world as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Hanks and Wilson both have coronavirus Tom Hanks General view of an emergency makeshift field hospital as it is set up at Pacaembu Stadium for coronavirus (COVID-19) patients with a capacity of 200 beds in Sao Paulo, Brazil Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling on people to stay away from pubs, clubs and theatres, work from home if possible and avoid all non-essential contacts and travel in order to reduce the impact of the coronavirus pandemic PA Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit with goggles, a surgical mask and rubber gloves @naomi Sophie and Emily Ward pose for a photograph with their hand-drawn picture of rainbows and a message on their window in St Helens, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Corona virus outbreak. PA Shoppers queue outside a branch of Costco, in Croydon, south London, on the weekend after Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs and restaurants across the country to close PA Charing Cross Tube Bakerloo Line very quiet at 8.15am Jeremy Selwyn A woman with a plastic box over her head on the London Underground. PA A Racegoer attend Cheltenham Festival on Ladies Day wearing a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits a laboratory at the Public Health England National Infection Service in Colindale PA A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A couple kiss in Milano Centrale railway station in Milan on March 8, 2020 AFP via Getty Images A combination picture shows visitors wearing protective face masks following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) looking at blooming cherry blossom nd a pigeon walking at an closed cherry blossom viewing spot during the first weekend after Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike (not pictured) urged Tokyo residents to stay indoors, in a bid to keep the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) from spreading Reuters This combination photo created on March 5, 2020 shows tourists visiting Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap province on March 16, 2019 (top) and on March 5, 2020 AFP via Getty Images Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump looks at the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence stand by during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House Reuters A satellite image shows an empty South Beach during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Miami, via Reuters General view inside the empty stadium as the two teams line up prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes UEFA via Getty Images A Sainsbury's supermarket in Cambridge is among those to sell out of antibacterial hand sanitizer PA Tents and ambulances are set up next to the Princess Cruises Grand Princess cruise as it sits docked in the Port of Oakland on March 09, 2020 in Oakland, California. The Princess Cruises Grand Princess has been held from docking until today as at least 21 people on board have tested positive for COVID-19 also known as the Coronavirus Getty Images Medical staff produce traditional Chinese medicine to treat patients infected by the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images Army soldiers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant as a precaution against the new coronavirus at a shopping street in Seoul, South Korea AP Russian President Vladimir Putin wearing protective gear walks at a hospital for patients infected with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the outskirts of Moscow via Reuters A woman who has recovered from the COVID-19 is disinfected by volunteers as she arrives at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine AFP via Getty Images Passengers on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship are seen as the ship arrives at Daikoku Pier where it is being resupplied and newly diagnosed coronavirus cases taken for treatment as it remains in quarantine after a number of the 3,700 people on board were diagnosed with coronavirus Getty Images Dave Abel pictured in hospital in Japan Manchester United fans in the stands during the Premier League match at Old Trafford PA Police officers wearing masks stand in front of the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in La Caleta, in the Canary Island of Tenerife AP Carnival revellers wear protective face masks at Venice Carnival Reuters A general view is pictured of Burbage Primary School in Buxton, Derbyshire after the closure of the school as a pupil's parent has tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 AFP via Getty Images People wearing face masks walk past the Olympic rings in front of the new National Stadium, the main stadium for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Game Getty Images People leave Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre in Milton Keynes where Coronavirus evacuees are due to be released from quarantine today and allowed to go home PA Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA A woman wears a mask while crossing London Bridg Getty Images A general view of Worthing Hospital in West Sussex PA Passengers relax on board the Holland America-operated Westerdam cruise ship, which has been denied permission to dock in Thailand over coronavirus fears via Reuters A child waves as she sits in a vehicle carrying residents evacuated from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong Reuters A woman wearing a Minnie Mouse face mask looks at her mobile phone in Beijing on February 11, 2020 AFP via Getty Images The Costa Smeralda cruise ship of Costa Crociere, carrying around 6,000 passengers, is docked at the Italian port of Civitavecchia after a health alert due to a Chinese couple and a possible link to coronavirus on board, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters A patient covered with a bed sheet at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital as it starts to accept patients displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan AFP via Getty Images A medical official takes the body temperature of a man at the departure hall of the airport in Changsha, Hunan Province, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, China Reuters The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Passengers wear face masks as the push their luggage after arriving from a flight at Terminal 5 of London Heathrow Airport AFP via Getty Images French citizens arrive and settle aboard of an evacuation plane with destination southeastern France, before departure from Wuhan Airport (WUH), China AFP via Getty Images Police stand at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge that crosses from Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, China Reuters A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA Doctor Paul McKay, who is working on an vaccine for the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus, poses for a photograph with bacteria containing fragments of coronavirus DNA, at Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) in Londo AFP via Getty Images Workers produce masks at the Thai Hospital Product Company Ltd. factory in Bangkok AFP via Getty Images Passengers wearing face masks are seen on a bus after disembarking from the Costa Smeralda cruise ship, after tests on a woman from Macau with suspected coronavirus came back negative, in Civitavecchia, Italy Reuters People hoard bottles of alcohol after the Philippine government confirmed the first case of the new coronavirus in the country, in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Reuters Taking precautions: with fears growing that the coronavirus will spread from China, a health official checks a womans temperature on the underground in Beijing Getty Images An empty road is seen in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020, amid a deadly virus outbreak which began in the city AFP via Getty Images Students wearing masks meditate prior to a lesson at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia AP Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital wear protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus AFP via Getty Images Staff move bio-waste containers past the entrance of the Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, where some infected with a new virus are being treated, in Wuhan, China AP Workers driving excavators at the construction site of a field hospital In Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The builders will complete the 1,000-bed hospital by February 3 to cope with the surge of 2019-nCoV patients in the city Getty Images Buddhist monks wear masks as they walk near Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodi AP A woman and a child wearing protective masks walk toward check-in counters at Daxing international airport in Beijing AFP via Getty Images An employee sprays disinfectant on a train as a precaution against a new coronavirus at Suseo Station in Seoul, South Korea AP A policeman wearing a mask walks past a quarantine notice about the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China at an arrival hall of Haneda airport in Tokyo, Japan Reuters Paramilitary police wear face masks as they stand guard at Tiananmen Gate adjacent to Tiananmen Square in Beijing AP The resident wear masks to buy vegetables in the market in Wuhan Getty Images Staff sell masks at a Yifeng Pharmacy in Wuhan AP Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV AP Prof Whitty said: We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread." The Department of Health said 177 tests for coronavirus have now been conducted, with 175 coming back negative and two confirmed positive, as of Friday. Prof Whitty, alongside the infection announcement, said: We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities. Women wearing face masks leave the Staycity Hotel in the centre of York which was put on lockdown after a man was taken ill / PA The two cases are not linked to the repatriation flight and Prof Whitty said they did not increase the risk in the UK, which had already been raised to moderate. The risk, he added, is if the situation in China gets out of control. The mortality rate of the coronavirus appears to be around two per cent, far lower than ebola, and mainly affecting older people with underlying medical conditions. But Prof Whitty added: If we got very large numbers ,that is obviously a concern and something we would have to take seriously. In a bid to prevent the illness spreading an outbreak investigation team has been formed, to trace anyone who has been in contact with the pair. Sharon Peacock, director for national infection service at Public Health England Professor, said: We were able to stand up an outbreak investigation team immediately and that team is working now, and what theyll be doing is aiming to contact everybody who has been in contact with these two cases and prevent onward transmission. The announcement came as 83 British nationals who were trapped at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China were returning to the UK. Coronavirus: Wuhan-RAF Brize Norton Flight - In pictures 1 /16 Coronavirus: Wuhan-RAF Brize Norton Flight - In pictures British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China amid the novel coronavirus outbreak disembark a chartered passenger jet at the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire PA Screenshot from Flightradar24 showing the flight track of the aircraft that brought UK citizens from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. PA British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China amid the novel coronavirus outbreak disembark a chartered passenger jet at the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton Police outriders arrive at the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton AFP via Getty Images A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Sky News A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. PA A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside prepares for a bus carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA A police vehicle enters the gates of the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton in Carterton AFP via Getty Images Base personnel patrol inside a gate at the Royal Air Force station RAF Brize Norton AFP via Getty Images Coaches enter RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where a plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China PA A plane carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, arrives at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire PA They will now be transported to a quarantine centre in the Wirral, where they will stay for 14 days. There is no indication the coronavirus case is any of the passengers on the plane. Coronavirus outbreak: World Health Organisation declares global emergency On Friday morning Chinese health officials said the death toll in the country from the virus had risen to 213, up from 170 a day earlier. The number of known cases in the nation had risen from 7,711 to 9,692, officials said. No deaths have occurred outside China. However, at least 82 cases had been confirmed across 18 different countries ahead of the announcement of the infection in the UK. Prior to this, the UK's four chief medical officers raised the risk level of the illness from low to moderate. The body declared the virus a "Public Health Emergency of International Concern" which is defined as an "extraordinary event which is determined to constitute a public health risk... through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response". Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said: Hopefully, as seen elsewhere, the case numbers will be very limited. The key concern will be if there is significant human-to-human transmission. More than 1,400 people are believed to have returned to the UK from Wuhan since January 10 and health officials have been seeking to trace them. Official advice was extended for people to self-isolate for 14 days if they had returned from Wuhan, to now apply to all people who had come back from mainland China and were displaying coronavirus symptoms, which are similar to flu. An upcoming government report has criticized what it sees to be a series of safety failures at Southwest Airlines that saw 17 million passengers flown on planes with 'unconfirmed maintenance records'. The Transportation Department report highlighted how the airline - one of the country's biggest domestic carriers - had failed to prioritize safety and the Federal Aviation Administration had not responded accordingly. A draft audit, published in the Wall Street Journal detailed a number of safety lapses at the carrier, whilst criticizing the aviation administration's lack of oversight as lax, ineffective and inconsistent. A file image shows a Southwest Airlines jet on a runway. The airline has been criticized for a series of safety failings It showed how despite a number of safety slip-ups and alleged hazards the FAA's overall approach was enabling 'continued noncompliance with safety regulations'. The detailed report described a February 2019 incident where a plane attempted to land twice at Bradley International Airport, near Hartford Conn, despite major turbulence and wind gusts stronger than the pilots were trained to handle. In a subsequent investigation the audit said Southwest management failed to question the pilots' judgment in the landings, which saw both wings of the plane damaged. Instead they deemed the incident, in which no passengers were hurt, was the result of a random gust. The government audit said the FAA had in this case subsequently failed to establish if the airline's safety system was robust. The report, the result of an 18-month inquiry, said FAA managers routinely allowed Southwest to fly craft with unresolved safety concerns, and failed to address shortcomings raised by nearly two-thirds of its staff. It further criticized the FAA for allowing the airline to assess its own hazard-risk, rather than federal inspectors, over its 'chronic failures' to accurately monitor the weight of checked baggage loaded into its planes over the last two years. It said a case that was supposed to deal with this issue was closed despite the fact agency inspectors continued to find weight discrepancies. However, the airline has reportedly long believed that heavier-than-expected baggage loads fall within its planes operating safety margins and its weighing systems were robust and therefore did not pose a safety risk. It also said it had added new plane-side scanning equipment and a new scanning system to more accurate assess weights. The audit also revealed how an initial FAA approval of mandatory maintenance certificates for 71 of 88 used aircrafta process that is said to typically take three or four weeks - happened in just one day. After problems with this process was identified the aviation authority gave the airline two years to fully inspect planes - including a number that were already phased into the airborne fleet - and ensure they met all safety requirements. The government report recommends the FAA should provide its inspectors with guidance materials to make better safety assessments. In a statement released on Thursday the FAA said that after learning of concerns about it took 'comprehensive action'. In addition to actions aimed at ensuring the safety of the aircraft, the FAA appointed a new leadership team' at the FAA office that oversees Southwest. Officials also said they planned to respond to recommendations about the agency's oversight of the industry. Despite the criticism in the report the airlines disputes it is putting its passengers on board its planes at risk Meanwhile, a Southwest spokeswoman said the company disagreed with the audit's findings. 'We have communicated our disappointment in the draft audit report to the Office of Inspector General and will continue to communicate any concerns directly with its office,' Southwest said in a statement. 'Any implication that we would tolerate a relaxing of standards is absolutely unfounded. 'Our friends, our families board our aircraft and not a single one of us would put anything above their safety.' The airline also said that all of the 88 Boeing 737 used planes cited in the inspector general's report 'have either completed a comprehensive physical inspection, from nose to tail, or are currently in the inspection phase.' Southwest said it 'has completed a thorough review of 75 aircraft and we are in the process of inspecting the remaining 13 aircraft which are currently in heavy checks.' In this student-made video, students at Richland High School in Richland, Washington were asked what they thought of their mascot, which is a mushroom cloud. The Richland Bombers were in agreement that the logo is awesome. The video then features a statement by a Japanese exchange student attending Richland. She is from Fukuoka, close to Nagasaki, which was hit by an atomic bomb in WWII. She says, "It is ironic that I ended up a Bomber. My city was initially targeted to be destroyed by the bomb. My grandparents would have been incinerated." She concludes with an articulate and moving request for her fellow students to think about what the logo represents to other people. Laura Kuenssberg and Adam Fleming appear on BBC's Radio Theatre "Brexitcast" in London, Jan. 30, 2020. Reuters A 50p Brexit coin is displayed after pressing at the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Pontyclun, Wales, during production of the new 50p Brexit coin, which bears the inscription 'Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations' and the date the UK leaves the EU. Tuesday Jan. 28, 2020. Although Britain formally leaves the European Union on Jan. 31, little will change until the end of the year. AP BLUE BELL, Pa., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that Chief Trust Officer Tom Patterson received the Trust Across America-Trust Around the World (TAA-TAW) Lifetime Achievement Award for his ongoing work on security initiatives, including the National Cyber Moonshot , as well as his security-related work each year with world leaders in Davos and with key organizations in government, academia and the private sector. Each year for the past 10 years, TAA-TAW has reviewed hundreds of nominations for "professionals who are transforming the way organizations incorporate trust as an intentional business strategy." Of those nominees, the organization this year selected three for its Lifetime Achievement recognition for demonstrating that they "walk the talk" when it comes to promoting the concept of trust in government, business and society. TAA-TAW recognized Patterson for his many contributions in 2019 and previous years. In particular, the judges noted his tireless work supporting the National Cyber Moonshot to develop recommendations for a "whole of nation approach" for a safer, more resilient internet to deliver government and critical infrastructure services. The White House National Security Telecommunication Committee's Cyber Moonshot subcommittee was co-chaired by Peter Altabef, chairman and chief executive officer of Unisys. Patterson was also recognized for his annual support of cybersecurity events held in Davos. In January 2020, for example, he participated in a panel discussion on the role of trust in the digital economy and how developing talent and improving education is critical for the future of cybersecurity. At another Davos event, he worked with world leaders from business and government in collaborative activities to help shape their cybersecurity agendas for the coming year. For 10 years, TAA-TAW has been working with a growing team of global cross-functional professionals to study, define and quantify interpersonal trust and organizational trustworthiness. The organization notes that its list of leaders is the only to address the concept of trust, which it defines as "the outcome of principled behavior." "As the chief trust officer for Unisys, Tom leads with trust in many key efforts around the world, including the White House's National Cyber Moonshot and with global business and government leaders at Davos," said Ann Sung Ruckstuhl, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Unisys. "He has worked tirelessly on many fronts to make our world safer and to instill trust in the institutions and programs citizens around the world rely upon each day." For more information on Unisys' activities focused on trust, visit www.unisys.com/trustcenter. About Unisys Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. For more information on how Unisys builds better outcomes securely for its clients across the Government, Financial Services and Commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn. RELEASE NO.: 0131/9744 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. UIS-C SOURCE Unisys Corporation Related Links http://www.unisys.com A Ghanaian company that has developed the first ever local antidote to combat the fall armyworm has called on the government to support the company by patronising the product to ensure food security. Equatorial Healthcare Services, based at Sakumono in the Greater Accra Region, is the manufacturer of the concentrated liquid chemical known as Equatorial Agro Blaster. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Equatorial Healthcare Services, Professor Kwasi Adomako Ohemeng, urged the government not to look beyond the borders of the country for a solution to the fall armyworm menace because we have a locally proven solution. He said if the locally made chemical was well patronised, the company, which currently has 50 employees, would be enabled to expand its operations and employ more people, especially the youth. He said unlike most of the agro-chemicals imported into the country which were synthetic and toxic and had devastating effects on humans, animals and plants, the Equatorial Agro Blaster was organic, biodegradable and did not leave the chemical in the environment after use. Product Prof. Ohemeng made the call when he visited the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, in his office in Accra as part of measures to solicit support and promote the Equatorial Agro Blaster and other agro-chemical products manufactured by the company. A team from the Daily Graphic, subsequently, followed up with a visit to the factory of Equatorial Healthcare Services, where its workers were seen busily undertaking quality control processes in a laboratory with modern facilities. The team also visited the Production Unit, where the chemicals and other products the company produces were being bottled and labeled by machines. The factory has a warehouse where some of the companys products are stored. Apart from producing an agro-chemical against the fall armyworm, the company also produces other solutions, such as Equatorial Super Agro Blaster for fumigation, Equatorial methylated spirit, povidine iodine, surgical scrub and rubbing alcohol used as hospital disinfectant. It also manufactures household disinfectants, namely, Equatorial Cockroach Blaster, Housefly Blaster and Tick and Flea Blaster. Other products the company produces and which are cosmetic in nature include Equitex Nail Polish Remover, Equitex dissolvent, Equiclean hand sanitiser and Equatorial bodyguard. Prof. Ohemeng said the fall armyworm attacks food crops and, therefore, any chemical that is applied to control the worm must not be toxic. We have worked with the Environmental Protection Agency the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate in the Ashanti Region, and between January and May last year, scientists from the University of Ghana tested our Equatorial Agro Blaster on three crops, namely, maize, okro and cabbage on the University Farm at Kpong and the results were positive, he said. Marketing He said the companys biggest challenge, after it had developed the Equatorial Agro Blaster, was how to sell it. Prof. Ohemeng said the company had contacted the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to purchase the product for distribution to farmers, saying it hoped to receive a favourable response. Fall army worm The Fall Armyworm (FAW), also known as Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating pest that invaded parts of Africa in 2016. It mainly attacks the maize crop at different stages of growth, from early vegetative to physiological maturity. It can cut down young plants and also damage leaves, giving them a ragged, torn appearance. The pest feeds inside whorls of plant leaf and can destroy silk and developing tassels. The worm can also feed on developing kernels and reduce yields through exposure of cobs to secondary infection. Even though the worm prefers maize, it can feed on more than 80 plants. Source: Daily Graphic 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 by Sara Guaglione , January 30, 2020 Travel + Leisure is updating its print magazine. The monthly will have a tweaked logo (wider and bolder), upgraded paper stock and larger trim size, starting with the March 2020 issue, on newsstands February 21. The cover story features "The Best New Hotels in the World," chosen by the editors. According to Meredith Corp, Travel + Leisures print advertising revenue for 2019 was up 7% year over year. While many in the media industry are pulling back, we are doubling down on our luxury lifestyle offering, stated Giulio Capua, senior vice president-group publisher of the Luxury Group at Meredith. Travel + Leisure is the only remaining monthly travel publication in the U.S., according to Capua. As we begin a new decade, the timing is right for a fresh look and feel, stated Jacqui Gifford, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure. advertisement advertisement In September,is teaming up for the second time with its sister publication,, for the annual Worlds Best Restaurants report , a first-person guide on the best places to eat around the world Maura Higgins is fearful she may be forced to pull out of Sunday night's live Dancing On Ice show after falling unwell. The Love Island star, 29, is currently competing on the ITV series, yet was unable to train with her skating partner Alexander Demetriou on Friday after suffering a high temperature. Taking to her Instagram story, Maura revealed that it 'might take a miracle' to see her perform live in two days time, as she is concerned she may have to sit out from Sunday night's show. Under the weather: Maura Higgins, 29, is fearful she'll have to pull out of Sunday night's live Dancing On Ice show after cancelling her training session due to a 'high temperature' Sharing a bare-faced selfie of her wrapped up in a fluffy robe, Maura looked downcast as she broke the news to fans on social media. She admitted she was feeling 'absolutely dreadful', as she wrote: 'My training was cancelled today as my temperature was too high!' Maura added: 'Praying I'm good for Sunday but might need a miracle.' MailOnline has contacted a spokesperson for Dancing On Ice. The Irish beauty is performing on this year's series of Dancing On Ice alongside the likes of Joe Swash, Diversity star Perri Kiely, Corrie star Lisa George and Steps star Ian H Watkins. Concerned: The Love Island star revealed that it 'might take a miracle' to see her perform live in two days time with her skating professional partner Alexander Demetriou (pictured above earlier this month) Last week's live show saw Maura perform to Jessie Ware track Say You Love Me - a song she described as one of her favourites and recalled it playing in the car on the way to her first date with Curtis. Her Love Island beau had been in the audience watching Maura skate and said he thought her latest routine had been 'amazing'. A nervous Maura admitted to having a 'stumble' during the performance and she was given 25 points out of 40 when scored by the judges. Busy week: Maura seen at the National Television Awards, where she hosted the red carpet alongside boyfriend Curtis Pritchard, in London on Tuesday night Judge and pro skater Christopher Dean told Maura: 'You [and Alexander] have a real great connection on the ice, you didn't take your eyes off him, which is great. 'When you have a fast tune your skating gets better.' Days later Maura was then seen at the National Television Awards, where she hosted the red carpet alongside boyfriend Curtis. However, it sounds like her night didn't go as smoothly as she hoped, as she posted a cut on her knee after injuring herself during the awards after party and reports surfaced claiming she had left the bash in tears after an explosive row with Curtis. Ouch: Her night didn't go as smoothly as planned, however, as Maura revealed she had cut her knee at the awards after-party, while showing off her injury on social media According to The Sun, Maura and Curtis were involved in a heated exchange which she later told pals 'ruined her night'. Insiders have said Curtis, 23, claimed he and Maura only landed the red carpet gig at the ceremony because of his fame, despite the pair both landing in the spotlight on last year's Love Island. 'He said I only got the NTAs gig because of him. It was actually my management that sorted it,' Maura was allegedly overheard telling friends. 'He likes to think that he is the one people are after him not me. Hes totally ruined my night.' The insider also insisted minders attempted to escort the ballroom pro out the bash, with Curtis refusing to leave and letting loose with his pals instead. Tense: Reports also surfaced claiming she had left the bash in tears after an explosive row with boyfriend Curtis inside They added: 'Things were clearly very frosty between them. Curtis seemed to be so drunk he had no idea Maura was just meters away from him.' MailOnline contacted representatives for both Maura and Curtis. The duo began dating last summer, after meeting in the Love Island villa, and have continued their romance on home soil. During an appearance on Heart FM Breakfast, Maura outlined why she thinks herself and Curtis have managed to stay together following the show. 'I think trust one another, don't believe everything you read in the press and one main thing don't let fame get to your head,' she said. 'You just need to stay grounded.' English French In line with April Groups refocusing strategy initiated in 2018 involving a withdrawal from certain direct distribution channels, April Mon Assurance (AMA) is planning to restructure its business. Despite the investments and action plans implemented by the Group in an effort to return to break-even, AMA has faced significant financial losses for a number of years, impacted by a highly competitive market. April Group has tried to find a total or partial buyer for AMA. After an 18-month search and without a takeover solution, AMA therefore plans to cease its direct distribution of insurance products in mainland France. It will however continue to operate in the French overseas territories. This is expected to result in the loss of 203 currently active jobs. This may be however limited to around 180 through reclassification opportunities identified within the April Group. The planned restructuring was presented to staff representatives on 30 January 2020 at the AMA Social and Economic Committee meeting. The project provides for an Employment Protection Plan, including employee support in accordance with industry best practices and a series of measures to promote a return to work, such as support for employees wishing to take over the business of one or more agencies. The terms of the plan, which includes maintaining the AMA network and brand in French overseas territories (French Antilles, Reunion Island), will be discussed and negotiated with staff representatives as part of the process launched on 30 January. About the APRIL Group Founded in 1988, APRIL is an international insurance services group operating in 28 countries, whose primary goal is to offer its clients a simpler and more accessible insurance experience. Its 3,900 staff members design, distribute and manage specialised insurance solutions (Health & Personal Protection, Property & Casualty, Mobility and Legal Protection) and assistance services for its partners and customers, including private individuals, professionals and businesses. Listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment B), the group posted sales of 997.2m in 2018. Attachment Heroism is defined as having characteristics of courage, bravery, fortitude and unselfishness. Ancient heroes like Achilles, Odysseus, Perseus and Hercules easily come to mind. They performed heroic acts. Because of them, curses were removed, and nations and lives were saved. But although their deeds were often phenomenal acts of bravery, strength and determination, they werent so much out to save mankind as they were on a quest for personal glory. Whom do we see today as our heroes? Whom do we most admire for their bravery, self-sacrifice and incredible achievements? Our military? Our first responders? Our athletes? Our political leaders? What qualities do they possess that compel our admiration? Are they heroes or role models? Are we surrounded by heroes? Or do we have to hunt for them? Author/minister Samuel Rodenhizer writing about heroes suggests that these days anyone can be a hero. Fathers are heroes. Mothers are heroes. Teachers are heroes. Soldiers are heroes. Police officers are heroes. Doctors are heroes. People with illnesses are heroes. Those who take care of aging parents are heroes. Is this, he asks, because theres a shortage of heroes in modern times? He adds: If everybody is a hero, then nobody is a hero. Rodenhizer believes real heroes are extraordinary people and not everyone can be extraordinary. He describes true heroes as selfless in their service not self-serving, brave when others cower, strong when others are weak, determined when others quit, take risks and face potential loss not for themselves but on behalf of others. They are self-sacrificing, courageous, and humble. It is humility that provides us the opportunity to listen and learn. It is bravery, in facing our fears, meeting a challenge or taking risks, that allows us to grow. And it is selfless sacrifice that can teach us the power of compassion. Ernest Hemingways definition of a hero is: a man who lives correctly, following the ideals of honor, courage and endurance in a world that is sometimes chaotic, often stressful, and always painful. Are heroes and role models the same? Author Alykhan Gulamali makes the distinction. A hero is someone who inspires you. A role model is someone you want to be like. They might be the same person, or they may not. Spider-Man, for example, is a hero. He is amazing. He does amazing things. But would you want to be like him? Many comic book and Hollywood heroes have embarrassing human flaws. We recognize and praise as a hero the person who dashes into a burning building to save another. And indeed we should. In that moment, that person was a hero. But is that heroism enduring? Would the person do it again? Because of that single act of heroism, does that person become a role model? Gulamali says: For role models we look for people who are examples of how to be honest, decent, hardworking individuals who put family first. They usually arent celebrities. Maybe theyre our parents. They are people we want to model ourselves after because we want to live like they did. My role model and my hero has always been my mother. She never knew it. I never told her. But I am what I am today because of her. I will honor her on her birthday, Feb. 5. Let heroes inspire you, but let your role models guide you. And thats how I see it. Larry Johnson is an author and inspirational/motivational speaker. He is available for luncheons, small group programs or conferences. Contact him by email at larjo1@prodigy.net. USG Insurance Services Inc., a national wholesaler and MGA, has added Faryl Teague as producer/broker, commercial lines, to its Arlington, Texas, team. Teague joins the USG team with 11 years of underwriting and brokerage experience. As producer/broker at USG, Teague will focus on building her agency network in the South Central region. USG Holdings Inc. has six divisions: USG Insurance Services Inc. a national wholesale/MGA operation with 21 offices writing in all states; BFS Brokers Financial Services, a premium finance company; BFS Inspections, an inspection company operating in 25-plus states; AAU Allied American Underwriters, a program manager and specialty division offering commercial lines, personal lines, and surety; Into Innovations a full service marketing and advertising for the industry; and Aureate Technology Solutions, an information technology company. Source: USG Insurance Services Topics Agencies Texas Ian Bailey is to face drug driving charges in the district court arising out of his arrest near Schull last August. Mr Bailey is due before Bantry District Court, most likely on March 12 next, on a charge of drug driving, two summonses in relation to possession of cannabis, and for allowing a vehicle to be used for a drugs offence. The journalist and writer, 62, was found guilty in absentia by a court in France last year of the murder of French filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier near her holiday home in Schull in December 1996. Mr Bailey has consistently denied any involvement in her death and refused to attend the trial, the holding of which was also strongly criticised by his solicitor, Frank Buttimer. Late on August 25 last year, Mr Bailey was arrested not far from his home on a Sunday evening. While not referring to Mr Bailey by name, at the time gardai said the arrest was in relation to an alleged drink driving offence. Mr Bailey was later released without charge. The following day Mr Bailey told reporters that he had been stopped at a garda checkpoint and failed a roadside breathalyser test. He said when he was taken to Bantry Garda Station he passed the electronic test. It has now emerged that he faces four summonses in connection with that August 2019 arrest. It is understood one of the charges for possession of cannabis relates to having the drug at Bantry garda station. It is expected he will appear before a sitting of Bantry District Court in March. His solicitor, Frank Bailey, told the Irish Sun his client would not be making any comment on the matter. More recently Mr Bailey has faced a fresh threat of extradition after French authorities renewed their attempts to bring him to France. Last December, following the endorsement of a European Arrest Warrant by Mr Justice Donald Binchy, Mr Bailey was arrested outside a courtroom at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. The High Court was subsequently told that the warrant was on foot of his conviction in absentia in France, where he was subsequently sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Ms Toscan du Plantier. Mr Bailey has reiterated that he had no involvement in the death of the Frenchwoman and he and his solicitor have both described the legal proceedings in France last year as a "show trial". A Northern Ireland man has told of his relief after being evacuated from coronavirus-hit Wuhan. Ben Pinkerton was on board the evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the devastating outbreak, which has killed more than 200 people. The plane, carrying 83 Britons and 27 non-UK nationals, landed at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire this afternoon. The passengers, including Mr Pinkerton, were taken on to hospital where they will spend the next 14 days in quarantine. Expand Expand Previous Next Close British evacuees repatriated from Wuhan arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital for quarantine procedures in Wirral, Merseyside PA British evacuees repatriated from Wuhan arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital for quarantine procedures in Wirral, Merseyside Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp British evacuees repatriated from Wuhan arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital for quarantine procedures in Wirral, Merseyside It came as the first two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the UK. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph tonight, Mr Pinkerton (23), an English teacher from Dungannon in Co Tyrone, told of his relief. "I'm very happy to be back in the UK. "I'm eating cheese and onion Walkers crisps and that's already perking up my mood. "I'm a lot more comfortable and I can actually lie down now after the travelling." The convoy of six coaches arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral shortly after 7.15pm tonight. The vehicles were led by a police escort to the rear of the hospital and on to a side road leading to the accommodation block. A medic wearing a protective suit was sitting next to the driver of each coach. Asked about conditions at the hospital, Mr Pinkerton said: "It is kind of like an apartment with three bedrooms and a shared lounge kitchen. We will be in there for the whole two weeks." Describing the mood on the coaches heading to the hospital, he added: "People were bored and just slightly uncomfortable." It was initially estimated that some 150 Britons would be on board the flight out of Wuhan. An "exhausted" Mr Pinkerton said that take-off had been delayed, with many of those due to fly not present. "It was supposed to take off at 7am but it was much later than that. I can't even remember the exact time. I'm exhausted, I just want today to end," he added. "The atmosphere on the flight was great and the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) guys were very helpful, nice and friendly and checking up on us and chatting." Images posted on social media revealed rows of empty seats throughout the cabin. Mr Pinkerton added: "It wasn't mentioned directly but when they did a roll call to give people their tickets, the first maybe 20 names before me, nobody was there. "My room-mate said after me there was maybe one person for every three names called that actually was present." A spokesperson for the FCO said that around 80 UK nationals were on board the flight, with a further 27 foreign nationals and some governmental staff. In response to claims that some passengers had missed the flight, they explained that the situation on the ground "was a fast moving and complex" one and was relying on permission from Chinese authorities for the flight to depart "at very short notice". They added: "There was unfortunately always going to be people under those circumstances who couldn't make the flight. "We are still in touch with people in Hubei province who may want to get home and we are still confident that we will have the resources to arrange transport for those who want to come back." The evacuation flight came as the first two cases of coronavirus in the UK were confirmed by Public Health England (PHE). PHE confirmed that the two people taken ill - who are members of the same family - had been staying at the Staycity apartment-hotel in York when they became unwell. The firm has said the apartment involved has been thoroughly disinfected and PHE has been providing support. Around 10,000 cases of the virus have been confirmed in China with more than 200 fatalities. More than 100 cases have been reported in 22 other countries. Dr Connor Bamford, a research fellow at Queen's University Belfast, explained that the emergence of these cases in England was to "be expected" and said a similar discovery in Northern Ireland was possible. Meanwhile, for those still in China, the lockdown within the country has seen many confined indoors for multiple days. Min Shen (43) from Belfast relies on mobile phone communication to keep in contact with his 68-year-old mother Yan Yang who lives in Hankou in Wuhan. "The last time my mum was outside was on January 20," he explained. "The only two kinds of shop currently open are for medicines and food. Since the lockdown order was given, people were kind of panicked to increase their daily supplies of food. However, it is pretty calm now. "I talk with her at least two times every day. She is keeping busy reading books, watching TV and she gets to see her grandson, which keeps her morale up." US senators wrapped up two days of exhaustive questioning of House prosecutors and White House lawyers at President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, setting the stage for a showdown vote on Friday on Democratic demands for new witnesses. Chief Democratic prosecutor Adam Schiff, in a last-ditch bid to win over Republican senators wary of a drawn-out process, proposed a one-week time frame to secure new witness testimony. "Let's have a reasonable accommodation here," the California lawmaker told the 100 senators sitting as jurors at the historic trial. "We'll take one week, and you'll continue with the business of the Senate." Trump's defense team rejected the Democratic calls for more witnesses, saying the move would be challenged by the White House, sending the matter to the courts and paralysing the Senate for months. "They said for weeks it was an overwhelming case," said White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin. "If that's their position, why do they need more witnesses?" Democrats are particularly eager to hear from former national security advisor John Bolton, who reportedly claims in an upcoming book that Trump personally told him that military assistance to Ukraine was tied to Kiev investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden. The charge is at the heart of the December 18 impeachment of the 45th US president for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives. Republicans hold a 53 to 47 seat edge in the Senate, and four Republicans will have to side with the Democrats for new witnesses to be introduced into the proceedings. In the event of a 50-50 tie, US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could be called upon to vote to end the deadlock. If he declines to vote, the motion calling for witnesses would fail. A vote on witnesses will be held on Friday following four hours of debate, and it is unclear whether Democrats have mustered the necessary Republican support. Utah Senator Mitt Romney said this week he would "very likely" vote for more witness testimony but only fellow Republican Susan Collins of Maine has also voiced support for the move. If the demand for new witnesses is rejected, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could conceivably call for a vote to convict or acquit the president as soon as Friday. A two-thirds majority -- or 67 senators -- is needed to remove a president from office, and the solid Republican majority in the Senate means Trump is virtually certain to be acquitted. "A final judgement of acquittal would be the best thing for our country," White House counsel Pat Cipollone said. "We're dealing with a purely partisan impeachment." Democrats were using impeachment "as a political weapon," he added, and voters -- not the Senate -- should decide Trump's fate in the November presidential election. "We're talking about removing a president of the United States from the ballot in an election that's occurring in months," he said. During the occasionally testy eight-hour question-and-answer period on Thursday, the House impeachment managers warned that acquitting Trump would amount to the "normalization of lawlessness." They also expressed outrage over an assertion by one of Trump's lawyers, Harvard professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz, that a president can do almost anything he wants if he believes his re-election was "in the public interest." "If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment," Dershowitz said. Schiff said the claim echoed the Watergate case of disgraced president Richard Nixon 45 years ago. "What we have seen in the last couple of days is a descent into constitutional madness," Schiff said. "Almost half a century ago, we had a president who said, 'Well, when the president does it that means it is not illegal.'" "Have we learned nothing in the last half century?" Schiff asked. "It seems like we're back to where we were. "That is the normalization of lawlessness," he said. "I would hope that every American would recognize that it's wrong to seek foreign help in an American election." Trump's defense team has argued alternatively that the impeachment is politically driven, that Trump did not tie Ukraine aid to the investigations he sought, that he had reason to seek a probe into his political rival and that he had the legal right to do so as president. The president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing, calling the entire process a politically driven "witch hunt" and a "disgrace." Speaking at a campaign rally on Thursday in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump said, "We're having the best years in the history of our country and I just got impeached." Democrats are to hold their first vote in Iowa on Monday in the process of selecting a candidate to face Trump in November's presidential election. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Indian Space Research Organisation is readying low-cost satellite launch vehicles costing about Rs 30-35 crore each, which can put into orbit satellites weighing 500 kg. The first such launch from the country is expected to take place in the next four months. This capability will give a big commercial boost as it will be able to cater to micro, mini and medium segments of the market, Haridas T V, Deputy Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre said, taking part in the panel discussions at 'EDGE 2020, The Space Conclave', here on Friday. "The biggest advantage is that now can manufacture these vehicles in a turnaround time of just three weeks," he said. has earmarked $1,600 million for launch vehicles, of which $870 million will be for PSLV and the remaining for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, he revealed. ISRO has planned some 500 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launches in the next five years, a press release quoting Haridas said. The Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) model is picking up very well in the space and defence sectors. "We want to leverage it to the maximum in the coming days," he added. Earlier, in his keynote address at the session, titled 'Navigating Space Industry Through Innovation, Agility and Collaboration,' Dr Rabin Giles, Director Innovation, CNES Connect said there is tremendous scope for cooperation between France and India in the development of space technology. "India and France can work to set up a model for the Moon programme," he said. Elaborating on the cornerstones for a space deal, Dr Giles said partnerships are the solution. Next come science, which is the DNA and thirdly, the connect needed to the downstream sector. Dr Giles said the space industry is a sector where 'patience and dream' play a big part. "Innovation needs trust and failure is an option" is the dictum that he follows when he works with start-ups, said he said adding the key factor was trust. Dr Daniel Baker, Director of Americas LASP Programme, stressed the need for students from Universities to take part in space research programmes. In this context he lauded the new Space Park, which will be a launch-pad for exploration. The seeds of success will be in replicating the success of the LASP here, he said. Collaboration, Innovation and Agility are the key to a successful space programme, said Raqib Islam, UK Space agency. Taking collaboration forward, the UK Space Trade Mission had visited India last week to explore areas of cooperation, he said. P S R Sastry, Director DSP, Defence Research and Development Organisation said DRDO was trying to make cost- effective technologies work for them. Later, in a session titled 'Enablers of Space Industry Challenges and Insights into Space Regulations and Policies,' Dr Ranjan Kaul, Partner, Dua Associates, Shri Abhishek Malhotra, MD, TMT Law Practice and Shri Nitin Pai, Co-Founder, Takshashila Institution,concurred on the need to encourage the private sector to play a potent role in the country's space sector and the need for enacting legislation for the same. Space is an engine of growth. Liberalisation of space is needed in the national interests, they said, adding that the private sector should be allowed in all the sectors of the space industry. "Treat private and government players on a level playing field," they added. General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, John Boadu, has asked all aspirants who are facing challenges in acquiring forms to exhaust all avenues in their constituency and regional levels before proceeding to the national headquarters. According to him, they have empowered regional executives to resolve all challenges confronting the acquisition of forms, so there is no need to rush to the national executives to seek redress. Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that they have given some special dispensation to some constituencies in the Ahanti Regional capital, Kumasi. He also charged aspirants who are finding it difficult to purchase forms from the constituencies to go to the regional offices to pick them. "When it becomes difficult then you can come to national to purchase your forms," he advised. He, however, cautioned constituency executives who are creating artificial shortages to desist from doing so as it undermines the democracy in the party. The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has settled on 25th April, 2020, as the date to hold parliamentary primaries in all the 169 constituencies where the party has sitting Members of Parliament to elect its parliamentary candidates for the 2020 general elections. The party will equally hold its 2020 presidential primaries on the same date. These decisions were taken by the party at a joint National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Council meeting held on Monday, 21st October, 2019 at the Alisa Hotel in Accra. 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 The special Air India aircraft is set to take off from the Cornonavirus-hit Wuhan city in central China with more than 370 Indians early on Saturday. The Indians were taken to the designated airport from different parts of locked down Wuhan in buses on Friday evening and were screened for symptoms of the disease before being allowed to board. A second flight is likely to be dispatched later to evacuate the remaining Indians in the Hubei province. As many as 213 have died and more than 9600 have been infected in the Coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Wuhan and then spread across China and in several other countries including India. A city of around 11 million people, Wuhan has been under an unprecedented lockdown for more than a week to contain the spread of the virus. All non-essential entry and exit into the city is currently banned and private vehicles are not allowed to ply within the city. Earlier this week, the US and Japan were the first countries to evacuate their citizens from the city; UK flew out around 200 nationals earlier on Friday. The Indians being evacuated from Wuhan will have to be mandatorily quarantined for 14 days after they return. The quarantine is to ensure that in case anyone among them is a carrier, she or he is not able to infect another person. Experts say person can be a carrier even without showing symptoms of the disease and can possibly infect another within a 14-day incubation period. The Indian embassy got the clearance from the Chinese governments foreign ministry to fly out its citizens after days of negotiations. The Chinese were not in favour of evacuating foreign nationals possibly because the government doesnt want the disease to spread. The foreign ministry told HT in a statement earlier this week China would make appropriate arrangements if any country insists on evacuating its nationals. China attaches great importance to protecting the lives and health of citizens of all countries in Wuhan, Hubei province, and will continue to take active and effective measures to address their legitimate concerns and demands in a timely manner, the ministry said. If a country insists on evacuating its citizens in Wuhan, China will make appropriate arrangements and provide necessary assistance and convenience in accordance with international practice and Chinas relevant provisions on epidemic prevention, the ministry added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington United States Fri, January 31, 2020 11:45 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061dd507 2 World citizens,#China,#coronavirus,US,travel-ban Free The United States told its citizens Thursday night "do not travel" to China, raising its advisory status to the highest level of alert because of the coronavirus epidemic. The State Department issued a level four warning -- up from urging Americans to "reconsider" travel to China -- and said any nationals in China now "should consider departing using commercial means." In the travel advisory, the department cited the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision that the "rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern." The WHO declared the global emergency earlier Thursday over the new coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, as China reported the death toll had climbed to 213 with nearly 10,000 infections. The UN health agency based in Geneva had initially downplayed the threat posed by the disease, but revised its risk assessment after crisis talks. In the updated travel advisory, the State Department recalled that last week it had ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan. "The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Hubei province," the advisory said. The US reported its first case Thursday of a person catching the virus from another person on American soil -- a man in Chicago who contracted the illness from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan. Many other countries have also urged their citizens not to visit China, while some have banned entry for travellers from Wuhan. Airlines began cancelling flights servicing China on Wednesday, and more followed suit on Thursday. Israel barred all flights from China, while Russia said it was closing its far eastern border with China over the outbreak. More than 6,000 tourists were temporarily put under lockdown aboard a cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers were isolated over fears they could be carrying the virus. They later tested negative for the illness. In its advisory, the State Department warned US travelers they should "be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice." "In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air, road, and rail travel in the area around Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel and other activities throughout the country," it said. Beijing has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. Thousands of foreigners have been trapped in Wuhan since it was sealed off last week. The pathogen is believed to have emerged in a market that sold wild game, and spread during a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home or abroad. About 20 soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn attack on an army camp in central Mali on Jan. 26, the government said. The identity of the attackers was not immediately clear. In a statement, the government said terrorists entered the camp near the village of Sokolo, killed the soldiers and caused significant material damage. Reinforcements have been dispatched to the scene and an aerial reconnaissance is underway in the area to track down the attackers, it said. Islamist groups with links to al Qaeda and the ISIS terrorist group operate in arid central and northern Mali and have used the area as a base to attack soldiers and civilians in neighboring Burkina Faso, Niger, and beyond. Former colonial power France intervened in 2013 to drive back terrorists who had seized northern Mali in 2012 and the U.N. Security Council deployed a peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSMA. The terrorists were pushed back initially but have since regrouped and strengthened. As a sign of their success, MINUSMA has become the U.N.s deadliest mission. French President Emmanuel Macron attends a tribute ceremony at the Invalides monument for the 13 French soldiers killed in Mali, in Paris, France, on Dec. 2, 2019. (Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images) Large areas of the Sahel, the band of scrubland south of the Sahara, are no longer controlled by soldiers and police, to the dismay of local governments and their international partners, including the United States, which have struggled to contain the spread of jihadist groups across West Africa. Soldiers hold the UN and Malian flags during the ceremony of Peacekeepers Day at the operating base of MINUSMA in Bamako, Mali, on May 29, 2018. (Michele Cattani / AFP via Getty Images) Twenty-four Malian soldiers were killed and 29 wounded when terrorists attacked a patrol in northern Mali in November. Twenty people were wounded earlier this month in the north, including 18 U.N. peacekeepers from Chad, in a rocket attack on a military base used by U.N., French, and Malian forces. Frances armed forces minister Florence Parly will travel to Washington this week amid fears that U.S. forces could pull out of the region. France has 4,500 troops in Mali and the wider Sahel, but the United States provides much-needed intelligence, logistical and drone support. By Tiemoko Diallo; Additional reporting by Paul Lorgerie in Bamako By PTI NEW DELHI: Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Friday said she will continue her fight till the convicts in the 2012 gangrape and murder case are hanged, shortly after a Delhi court postponed the execution of death warrants till further order. Devi told reporters her "hopes are dashed" but she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. "These convicts have no right to live. We keep getting disappointed by the system. I will continue my fight till the convicts are hanged," she said. ALSO READ: Nirbhaya case - Delhi court defers execution of four convicts until further orders Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on a plea by the convicts seeking a stay on their execution on Saturday, February 1. Asha Devi, who was deeply depressed over the postponement of the convicts' hanging for the second time said that due to loopholes in the law, the convicts' lawyers bragged to her that "the hanging will never happen". The black warrants for execution of the death sentence against Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Akshay Kumar and Mukesh Kumar Singh, were issued on January 17. Hours before the execution, the four convicts got another last-minute reprieve despite Pawan Jallad, the hangman who was supposed to hang them, practising a dummy execution at Tihar Jail earlier today. Multiple petitions have been filed by the four in their attempts to delay their execution, which had first been set for January 22 and then moved to Saturday, February 1. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (With Online Desk inputs) Representatives from University of Maryland, other universities, federal government labs and industry--founding members of the Maryland Quantum Alliance--gather for a kickoff event in Annapolis. The Maryland Quantum Alliancea regional consortium of quantum scientists and engineers from across academia, national laboratories and industrylaunched with an event in the Maryland House of Delegates Office Building, and was recognized on the floor of the Maryland House of Delegates. Led by the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), members of this alliance will drive quantum science discovery and innovation, develop pioneering quantum technologies and train the quantum workforce of tomorrow for the state of Maryland, the region and the nation. The announcement comes at a pivotal time when quantum science research is expanding beyond physics into materials science, engineering, computer science and chemistry. Scientists across these disciplines are finding ways to exploit quantum physics to build powerful computers, develop secure communication networks and improve sensing capabilities. In the future, quantum technology may also impact fields like artificial intelligence and medicine. The state of Maryland already leads the way in this crucial transition, with an existing workforce that spans academia, government and private-sector companies. Scientists and engineers at the University of Maryland, College Park and other institutions in the state and region already are collaborating across these areas to tackle the challenges associated with deploying quantum technology. With our great strength in quantum science, computing and innovation, we are well positioned to lead this initiative, said University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh. By combining the strength of neighboring universities, federal labs and businesses, this initiative can make the whole region into a quantum powerhouse. Already a major hub for quantum science and technology, UMD hosts five collaborative research centers focused on different aspects of quantum science and technology: The Joint Quantum Institute (JQI) and the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) are collaborations with the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Quantum Technology Center (QTC) brings together UMD engineers and physicists to work on translating quantum physics into transformational new technologies. The Condensed Matter Theory Center has made pioneering contributions to topological approaches to quantum computing, and the Quantum Materials Center explores superconductors and novel quantum materials to enable new technology devices. UMD played a key role in advocating for last years National Quantum Initiative Act that positions quantum information science and technology at the top of the U.S. science and technology agenda and provides $1.275 billion over five years for research. The university also is part of the Quantum Information Edge, a new nationwide alliance of U.S. national labs, universities and industry launched to advance the frontiers of quantum computing systems. Maryland Quantum Alliance is currently comprised of the University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Morgan State University; Johns Hopkins University; George Mason University; MITRE; Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory; CCDC Army Research Laboratory; Northrop Grumman; Lockheed Martin; IonQ; Qrypt; Booz Allen Hamilton; and Amazon Web Services. In the alliance, government and academic researchers will look for new ways to work with companies both large and small to support steady progress on quantum technology research and enable its move into the marketplace. "Quantum information science will provide important capabilities for our Warfighter, said Dr. Pat Baker, CCDC Army Research Laboratory Director. We are excited about a Maryland Quantum Alliance of strong regional institutions in this field to help accelerate research and transformational impact as part of persistent Army modernization." Maryland Quantum Alliance members will also work on developing cross-disciplinary educational programs in physics, engineering, materials science and computer science that will produce the necessary workforce educated in quantum science. Photo: Anthony Quintano/Flickr Missed the most recent top news in New York City? Read on for everything you need to know. DNA evidence exonerates New York City man for 1985 sex assault After spending a full 25-year sentence in prison for a crime he did not commit, a Bronx, NY man was exonerated by the first prosecutorial conviction review unit on the East Coast. Read the full story on Yahoo News. 'Tremendous' amount of drugs seized at New York City storage facility Police seized what they described as a "tremendous" amount of illegal drugs, while executing a search warrant at a storage facility on Staten Island Wednesday. Read the full story on ABC New York, WABC. New York City Council homeless agenda focuses on housing, prevention City Council Speaker Cory Johnson unveiled a report called "Our Homelessness Crisis: The Case for Change" that includes nearly 90 recommendations aimed at preventing homelessness and increasing access to permanent housing. Read the full story on ABC New York, WABC. Lactation rooms available for parenting students in New York City schools: Department of Education The change is one of several made to the chancellor's regulation that deals with pregnant and parenting students and reproductive privacy. Read the full story on ABC New York, WABC. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Carrying permits demanding fast passage, truck drivers rushed a 560-ton shipment of disinfectant from eastern China to Wuhan, the locked-down city of 11 million people at the center of a vast effort to contain a new viral disease. Outside the metropolis in central China, the cargo was shifted to local trucks with drivers in masks and protective suits, part of a tightly controlled flow of food and other supplies through checkpoints that have blocked most access to Wuhan since Jan 23. As global anxiety about the new virus rises, authorities have blocked 50 million people from leaving Wuhan and nearby cities at the center of the outbreak. That in turn requires a massive effort to keep them supplied with food and other necessities. Wuhan is not an isolated island, declared a state newspaper, the Yangtze Daily. Few governments could attempt such drastic restrictions on a population bigger than South Korea's or Australia's. They are made possible by the ruling Communist Party's extensive controls on society and experience combating the 2002-03 SARS epidemic. Some trucks are allowed to leave the 17 locked-down cities to collect food. Photos in state media show them lined up at checkpoints, their drivers wearing face masks. Police, shrouded in white protective suits, examine the drivers for the virus's telltale fever. Those without passes are turned back. Schools, cinemas and restaurants are closed in Wuhan, an industrial center with a population 1 1/2 times that of New York City. To keep people at home and reduce chances for infection, subway and bus services are shut down and private vehicle use is banned in downtown areas. The government of Hubei province, where all the cities are located, has promised adequate supplies of vegetables, rice, meat and medical supplies. It said authorities were working with retailers to bring food from as far away as Yunnan province in the southwest and Hainan island in the South China Sea. A crackdown on hoarding and price-gouging by merchants was announced after food costs spiked. Please do not panic, do not hoard, so as not to cause waste, said a government announcement. China on Friday reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. So far 213 have died. The shipment of disinfectant last Saturday was moved by drivers from two trucking companies in the eastern province of Jiangsu, according to the manager of one of the companies, Huai'an Hazardous Goods Transport Co. With official passes, the 18 teams of drivers cut the normal 20-hour travel time to 15 hours, according to the manager, Liu Hankang. "Enterprises must take on this responsibility, Liu said by phone. The government has released no details of how it is enforcing travel curbs on smaller roads and villages on the outskirts of the vast locked-down area. Residents contacted by phone said most supermarkets still have adequate food supplies. They can meet our needs for the time being, said a 40-year-old father of two in Wuhan who would give only his surname, Cai. Residents are wary of talking to reporters after authorities said eight doctors were punished in December for warning about the emergence of the virus. Authorities can draw on an extensive surveillance network involving thousands of video cameras, smartphone tracking, monitoring of social media and other technology developed with the help of Western tech companies to protect the party's monopoly on power. Hospitals are straining to cope with thousands of virus patients while doctors also treat other cases. State media say police in protective gear are stationed at hospitals to separate people arriving with fevers and other possible virus symptoms from other patients. Rui Zhong, a Wuhan native who lives in Washington, D.C., said that her mother's elderly cousin died in the city in the past 10 days after a delay in the arrival of an ambulance. A 73-year-old man with a lung problem, he died on the way to the hospital, Zhong said. It's hard to know for sure: could he have been saved?" said Zhong, who works at the Woodrow Wilson Center. But my family will always wonder. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Creating new space for housing, schools and hospitals is a priority as Egypts population soars. Sitting in her sisters apartment on a noisy Cairo street, Rania Sayed says she one day hopes to leave a city that is becoming more congested as Egypts population ticks up to 100 million, a milestone it will pass next month. Like many others, she wants to move to one of the new satellite settlements being built for a booming population whose rapid growth President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has identified as one of Egypts biggest challenges alongside violent campaigns. I want to move them [her two children] to a place where people have better mentalities, where there is education, said the 36-year-old resident of the Ard Al Lewa district, where rows of apartment blocks rise above dusty, unpaved streets. Unfortunately, things are very difficult in places like this so I hope to be able to live to a good social standard. Egypts 100 millionth person is expected to be clocked up on the official statistics agencys digital counter in central Cairo in February. The newborn will join a nation where six people in 10 are under 29 years old, said Aleksandar Bodiroza, representative of the United Nations Populations Fund in Egypt. Many Arab and African countries are struggling with rising populations. But in Egypt, the pressures are acute, because 97 percent of its people live on just eight percent of its territory, crowded along the Nile River, Bodiroza added. Creating new space for housing, schools, and hospitals is a priority as Egypts population grows by 2.5 million people a year, he said. In inhabited areas, 1,400 people are packed into every square kilometre. Growth for jobs The biggest problem is jobs. The workforce will reach 80 million within 10 years, says the World Bank. But to create enough jobs, annual economic growth needs to be at least triple the population growth rate, said Radwa El-Swaify, head of research at Pharos Holding for Financial Investments, a Cairo financial firm. Based on population growth of 2.5 percent, this would require 7.5 percent growth in gross domestic product (GDP), compared with the governments forecast of up to 5.9 percent for the current fiscal year. In addition, Egypts economy could be hit by water shortages caused by climate change and by a dam on the Nile River being built upstream by Ethiopia. Infrastructure, including roads and public transport, will also come under pressure as the population grows. Thirty years ago, this whole area was agricultural land, said Nabil Rawash, 60, who also lives in Ard El Lewa. But with the overcrowding and population growth, people started coming here to build, he added, standing in a street packed with people and cars. New cities Officials say they have managed to bring down fertility rates thanks to a Two is Enough public health campaign challenging the tradition of large families in rural areas. The campaign is aimed at more than 1.1 million poor families with up to three children. The Ministry of Social Solidarity has trained volunteers to encourage people to have fewer children. During 2019, we have conducted 2,680,000 home visits, said Desiree Labib, project director at the ministry. Among these visits, 407,000 women have asked to be referred to family planning clinics. She pointed to a UN study that found the fertility rate dipped to 3.1 in 2018 from 3.5 in 2014. If we apply more discipline so that families have less children, we can reach fertility rates of 2.1 by 2032, said Abdelhamid Sharaf El Din, a senior statistics official. That still means the population will grow to 153 million by 2052, but if the fertility rate were 3.4 it would hit 191 million, he said. Either way, the government needs to do something about congestion in Cairo, home to about one in five Egyptians. It is planning to start relocating ministries as soon as June. But for many, moving there is not an option due to lack of transport and jobs, said Timothy Kaldas, non-resident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. The over-centralisation of Egypts state and economy has led to this overwhelming concentration of Egyptians in one metropolis, he said. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday expressed the United States' unwavering support for Ukraine after he met President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev. "Today I'm here with a clear message: the United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," Pompeo told a press conference. "The US understands that Ukraine is an important country," Pompeo said, in a clear reference to reports that he had told a US journalist that Americans did not care about the country. Pompeo is the most senior US official to visit Ukraine since the start of the impeachment process against US President Donald Trump, who is accused of withholding military aid to push Kiev into investigating his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Washington has been an important backer of Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow-backed separatists in the country's east, providing both military aid and diplomatic support. Zelensky, who has taken a series of steps aimed at resolving the conflict since coming to power last year, said he wanted Washington to be more involved in resolving the conflict. "I expressed the hope that the United States will be more actively involved in the peace process in eastern Ukraine," he said, calling for the US to appoint a special representative on the conflict. Pompeo called Ukraine "a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in eastern Europe" and said the country was also a "growing market for US exports". He said the US had provided more than $1 billion in security assistance to Kiev since the start of 2017, adding: "We will maintain financial support for Ukraine's security". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party will hold silent marches across all 70 Delhi Assembly constituencies to protest against BJP MP Parvesh Verma's "terrorist" remark against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP sources said on Friday. Parvesh Verma had said, "Terrorists also work like this, they misguide people. If you see those who are damaging public property in Delhi they are no less than terrorists". Responding to Verma's verbal attack on Thursday, Kejriwal in an emotional address, said the people of Delhi will decide in the elections whether he is a terrorist or a son. A party insider said the date, timings and the routes of the proposed marches were yet to be decided. The AAP has already filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Verma on the issue. The Assembly elections in Delhi will be held in a single phase on February 8 and the results will be announced on February 11 after counting of votes. A 1965 Aston Martin DB5 driven by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in the 1995 film GoldenEye (John Stillwell/PA) Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll will take an up to 20pc stake in Aston Martin for nearly 200m (238m) as the ailing carmaker raises funds after a sales drop put pressure on its finances. Famed for being fictional secret agent James Bond's car of choice, the 107-year old company's share price has plummeted since floating in October 2018 and it has come late to the lucrative sport utility vehicle (SUV) market which boosted rivals. The company will raise a total of 500m (595m), including a rights issue from existing major shareholders, it said on Friday, as it begins building its first SUV. Aston had also held talks with Chinese carmaker Geely, a source has previously told Reuters. Chief executive Andy Palmer said Stroll and the consortium he will lead bring several benefits to the automaker. "He brings with him his experiences and access to his Formula 1 team," Palmer told Reuters. "We've talked a lot in the past few years about wanting to be clearly rooted in luxury and obviously Mr Stroll knows an awful lot about luxury." Stroll, who made his money through investing in fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors, has been involved in Formula One and motor racing for years and also owns Canada's Mont Tremblant circuit in Quebec. Under Friday's agreement, Aston Martin said Stroll's Racing Point will become the Aston Martin F1 works team from the 2021 season. Stroll will join the board as executive chairman, replacing Penny Hughes, who will step down. Channel Seven have blamed 'human error' after kissing scenes between two gay characters on Home and Away were cut from episodes aired Australia. While the tame kisses between Willow Harris and Alex Neilson - played by Sarah Roberts and Zoe Ventoura respectively - were edited out for local audiences, the full scenes were aired in New Zealand. In one version of the scene, which went to air in New Zealand, Alex and Willow are seen having a conversation and share a kiss at a bar, before Alex orders them drinks. Censoring Australian audiences? Channel Seven have blamed 'human error' after kissing scenes between two gay characters on Home and Away were cut from episodes aired Australia But in the version aired in Australia, the couple have their conversation and just as Alex leans in, the scene cuts to her leaning back and heading for the bar. In another scene between the characters, which was aired in New Zealand, Willow gives an big emotional spiel to Alex who then leans in to kiss her. In the Australian version, Willow gives her speech and Alex looks touched by her heartfelt words, but the scene is abruptly cut to another showing a car speeding down the road. The New Zealand version of the scene continues on for 40 seconds longer, showing the couple discussing plans for a romantic weekend away. In one version of a scene which went to air in New Zealand, Alex and Willow are seen having a conversation before sharing a kiss at a bar, before Alex orders them drinks But in the version aired in Australia, the couple have their conversation and just as Alex leans in, the scene cuts to her leaning back and heading for the bar In a statement to the ABC, Channel Seven said it was because of 'human error' that those scenes in two different episodes aired in Australia were not aired. Daily Mail Australia has approached Channel Seven for comment. The network also said that it's streaming service 7Plus would show the final versions of the two episodes in question. In 2018, the soap portrayed a same-sex kiss between Ty Anderson and his friend Ryder Jackson. Breaking boundaries: In 2018, the soap portrayed a same-sex kiss between Ty Anderson (right) and his friend Ryder Jackson (left) Confusion: The scene showed Ty kiss Ryder on the lips after admitting that he 'liked' him, prompting Ryder to pull away in confusion (left) The scene showed Ty kiss Ryder on the lips after admitting that he 'liked' him, prompting Ryder to pull away in confusion. Back in 2009, Channel Seven censored a lesbian kiss between Joey (Kate Bell) and Charlie (Esther Anderson). The network pulled the scene after conservative lobby groups and parents criticised the inclusion of an LGBT storyline in a 'family' show. PG television allows for adult themes with limitations, and a soap can depict romance as either heterosexual or homosexual. Most bespoke tailoring in New York is structured differently to the old houses of Europe. It tends to be based around a designer or salesman - with extensive bespoke experience - rather than a cutter. There are exceptions of course, including Leonard Logsdail and (in Brooklyn, Jersey and Sackets Harbor respectively) Joseph Genuardi, Yosel Tiefenbrun and Frank Shattuck. But most outside of visiting Europeans are more designer-led. There is an extensive list (and 229 comments with experiences from readers) for those that want to dive into it, on the New York tailors article. There are cultural reasons for the difference - and it isnt necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I find there is just as big a risk the other way: that a lot of tailors are craftspeople with little awareness of design or style. But it is crucial that the person leading the house has a deep understanding of bespoke, the ways it can be used and the intricacies of fitting. Paolo Martorano is one person that - from what Ive seen - definitely qualifies. (Even if some of his customers have a fondness for flash linings...) I first knew Paolo when I started working with Paul Stuart several years ago. I wrote about them a few times, and we did a book launch there. Paolo did briefly work with Alan Flusser, but his tailoring education came at Paul Stuart, where he worked under Mark Rykken in the custom department for seven years. It was there that he gained his love of bespoke shirts and tailoring, which he took to Dunhill before setting up on his own. Most tailoring brands in New York also offer some form of made to measure as well as bespoke. Again cultural reasons - perhaps New Yorkers lack of patience, or more generously, a lack of familiarity with the bespoke process - makes it a business necessity. But Paolo wanted to do only bespoke in order to try and separate himself. Theres a lot of made to measure in New York, and it rather swamps the market, he told me in New York last year. This felt like one way to say we were different. The quality of the work I saw was certainly high: nice, neat jettings and fine buttonholes; hand-padded collars; interior pockets cut into the cloth of the jacket rather than the lining. The taping inside is all sewn by hand, the linings felled nicely by hand, and trousers are offered with a hand-sewn lap seam. The trousers have some other nice touches too, like the shape of the single-button bearer on the fly, flaps for braces, and the holster-shaped side adjustors shown above. (Although the finishing on those could perhaps be a touch finer.) Paolo also offers two types of hand-padded chest (shown below), which is interesting. One rather loose and large, the other small and tight. Theyre intended to create a softer, more drapey chest and a harder, more structured one respectively. This is symptomatic of Paolos approach, which offers variety wherever possible. One customer, for example, likes a very strong and structured jacket - so Paolo uses overcoat-weight canvas, plus two layers of pocketing on the lapels. Its very stiff - the jacket could stand up on its own, he says. But I do see the appeal. Its a very sharp look. On other jackets, he runs the domette (felt) all the way down the front of the jacket rather than just under the chest. Paolo also tends to do the first fitting in just cloth, without any canvas - which is unusual. One reason is that customers are often only in town for a day or two, and this way he can quickly put together a fitting quickly. But other customers have plenty of time, and prefer to see how the commission will look earlier on, so he fits those with the suit more put together. I find this kind of flexibility interesting, because in most of Europe its generally associated with tailors in small markets, where they have to offer variety to survive. And the need to just make whatever the customer wants usually drives down quality. Top-end tailors in New York, however, are trying to be innovative rather than flexible, and its an interesting contrast to the very tradition-driven tailors of Savile Row, Naples or Milan. Very few of those would ever offer such a variety of canvassing options. Theyre only just getting comfortable with the fact there could be more than one house style. The cutter and tailors that Paolo uses work off site, as they do in most similar tailors in New York. There isnt room to do much else in these city blocks - and apparently licensing laws are a pain too. Even Leonard Logsdail, despite doing the cutting himself in his studio, uses tailors based outside. The only reason to want to see tailors on site, really, is to be assured that the work being done is bespoke. That its not being outsourced to a large, assembly-line factory. I can attest to the quality of the work - so I would have no concerns there. The only thing I cant pass any comment on, or direct recommendation, is the fitting, having not had anything made myself. But we took a few measurements while I was there, just in case we can arrange to do so around a coupe of transatlantic trips in the future. Youll notice that Paolo is a big fan of measuring devices - alongside normal measurements. According to him, these were derided at Dunhill when he was there, until they saw the results he could achieve with them. Pictured are devices for measuring shoulder slope, shoulder hunch, and trouser rise. Paolo does seem to be doing well, with a few customers carried from Paul Stuart and several that had previously used New York greats like Bill Fioravanti and Raphael Raffealli. Readers have also recommended him to me personally. Hes travelling regularly around the US (details at the bottom of this article) and when we met, was about to travel down to Palm Beach with Gaziano & Girling. G&G actually share the space shown on West 57th street with Paolo. Its the same building (number 130) that has been described as the menswear ghetto in New York, given everyone from Huntsman to Domenico Spanno, 18th Amendment to Cad & The Dandy, are based there. I was also pleased to hear how much Paolo emphasises aftercare with his tailoring. He offers a full clean, press and repair service himself - which US tailors sometimes dont. Customers regularly pop in to have something pressed before an occasion. Those silks on display are old Marinella ones that Paolo collects, and likes to make into bespoke ties. And the bearded gentleman is old friend Thomas Mastronardi, long Chief Marketing Officer at Paul Stuart and now his own man, helping small operations such as Paolo. As I said, I should emphasise that I cant attest to Paolos fitting skills or the quality of his finished tailoring, as a result. But hes certainly doing all the right things, and readers should have no qualms about whether this is real bespoke. It's worth saying that Paolo does offer two types of service though - what he terms 'bespoke' and 'bench made'. But the only difference is that the latter is made entirely by one tailor, whereas the first is made by more than one. The former starts at $6500 for a suit, the latter $8500. Personally I'm not sure why someone would pay such a large extra for that difference. Some would argue sectional work leads to more specialisation and therefore quality; others that the eye of one person makes a difference. I've lost count of the number of times brands have argued one side or the other to me. In reality it's the quality of the worker and management that makes a difference, not the system. A 'bespoke' jacket starts at $4500, trousers have just one level at $1500, shirts are $500 and bespoke ties $275. Upcoming trunk shows are: Boston: April 1, 2 Chicago: April 3, 4 Los Angeles: April 19, 20 San Francisco: April 21, 22 Washington, DC: April 2,3 Palm Beach: February 7, 8, 9 and March 15, 16, 17 Miami: February 10 Houston: March 20, 21 Photography: Jamie Ferguson Victorians are preparing for potential blackouts as the state's electricity network strains to keep up with demand with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. Energy network company Jemena sent out a text to its customers just after 3pm on Friday warning of potential power outages in the form of "load shedding" at short notice. Jemena serves north and north-west Melbourne. The market operator orders localised load shedding or enforced blackouts when demand outstrips supply to protect the broader grid. Victorians are being warned about power outages. Credit:Carla Gottgens The warning came after the main interconnector linking the Victorian and South Australian power grid suddenly tripped earlier in the afternoon, reducing available power supply just as temperatures crossed the 40 degree mark. Rajesh Kumar Thakur By Express News Service PATNA: Amid the ongoing scare of Coronavirus in the country, Ekta Kumari, who was admitted in an isolation ward of Patna Medical College and Hospital for her novel virus-like symptoms, was discharged on Friday after all her pathological tests came out negative. Ekta Kumari is pursuing research from the Tingian University in China and had returned to India on January 22. According to official sources, she has not been diagnosed positive with the coronavirus. Officials of the state health department have also reviewed the preparedness in seven districts of Bihar, which share a border with Nepal to curb the cases of coronavirus. There have been 98 cases of the virus in 18 countries, including in India. Purchases made via links on our site may earn us an affiliate commission By PTI MUMBAI: A special POCSO Act court here on Friday sentenced an 86-year-old man to three years' rigorous imprisonment for stalking and molesting a 15-year-old girl in September 2018. Omprakash Lalaram Kulshreshta, the accused, was convicted under IPC section 354, 354-D (stalking and molestation) and also the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act. According to the prosecution, the accused and the complainant girl lived in the same locality in the city. On the day of the incident, the girl ran into the accused in a park where she had gone for a morning walk. He caught hold of her hand and kissed it. The girl ran away from the spot. Later, when she went to the park in the evening with her mother, the accused again accosted her and touched her inappropriately. When she raised alarm, her mother and a friend came to her rescue while the accused fled. Later people caught him and handed him over to the police. Ghana's tax system has been described as unfair to the poor as it places huge burden on them in terms of revenue mobilisation compared to the rich. Dr Steve Manteaw, Co-Chairperson of the Ghana Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, who stated this, mentioned the value added tax saying it was not a good instrument for addressing inequality because it made the poor and the rich to pay the same prices for goods, a situation, which further widened the inequality gap in the country. He was making a presentation at a capacity building workshop on tax and public financial management reporting for media organised by the Tax Justice Coalition, Ghana with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa. The two-day workshop held over the weekend in Accra, was to build the capacity of the media to help improve the state of public financial management and revenue mobilisation, and how the revenues so mobilised were utilised. Dr Manteaw argued that the poor were rather contributing more in terms of taxes for national development adding subsidies in the energy sector, meant to cushion the poor, rather tended to benefit the rich compared to the poor. He expressed the need for a tax system that ensured that people paid taxes based on their abilities to help address inequality in the country. He also called for efforts to block loopholes that allowed especially big and multinational companies to avoid taxes using transfer pricing amongst other accounting systems to increase revenue mobilisation. Mr Leonard Shang-Quartey, Coordinator of Tax Justice Coalition, Ghana assured of more collaboration with the media to strengthen their capacity on issues of tax justice to improve media coverage of the sector. Some of the participants said while tax avoidance was not a crime, the processes leading to it such us over-invoicing and under-invoicing amongst others were crimes and must be singled out for prosecution to help curb the practice for the country to increase revenue mobilisation. 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 WASHINGTON Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced Friday she will not vote to call witnesses in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, virtually assuring that Democrats wont have the 51 votes needed to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton or others. Murkowski criticized the House's investigation as "rushed and flawed" and said the proceedings were not fixable. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, Murkowski said in a statement. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything. Murkowski was the last of a handful of Republicans who had expressed a potential openness to witnesses. That likely sets up a 51-49 split in the closely divided chamber against considering additional evidence. Democrats need four Republicans to side with them to continue the trial. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, walks in the basement of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, while leaving at the end of a session in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) ORG XMIT: DCJC150 More: GOP Senator 'disturbed' with McConnell 'total coordination' with the White House for impeachment trial If Murkowski had gone the other way, that could have resulted in a 50-50 tie that wouldve raised the difficult question of whether Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could or would break the tie. The Alaska senator indicated she had Roberts on her mind, saying in her statement that she would not stand for or support efforts to drag the Supreme Court into the fray. That comment may have been a reaction to a question posed Thursday by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who asked whether the fact that Roberts is presiding over a trial in which Republicans are blocking witnesses "contribute to the loss of legitimacy of Roberts and the court. As the Senate reconvened Friday for what could be the final day of the trial, all eyes were on Murkowski. Other pivotal senators Maines Susan Collins and Utahs Mitt Romney had indicated they wanted witnesses. Swing voter Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said late Thursday he did not. Story continues Leaving the Senate chamber around 11 p.m. Thursday, Murkowski told reporters she was still weighing her options. Pointing to her two volumes packed with notes, she said: Im going to go back to my office and put eye drops in so I can keep reading. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, talks with reporters as in the basement of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, while leaving at the end of a session in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. During Thursdays session, Murkowski asked Trumps defense team why senators should not call Bolton to testify. In an upcoming book, Bolton reportedly contradicts a key defense of Trumps team: that there are no eyewitnesses to the allegation that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to get the country to investigate Democrats. Patrick Philbin, a deputy White House counsel, warned that agreeing to call additional witnesses would establish new standards for impeachment, if the House can send "half-baked" cases and leave the Senate to complete the investigation. Philbin also said Bolton hadn't confirmed the newspaper report about whats in his manuscript. Shortly before Murkowski announced her decision Friday, The New York Times reported additional details about Bolton's manuscript. Bolton wrote that Trump asked him in May to make sure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would meet with Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to talk about the investigations Trump wanted, the Times reported. That request was made during an Oval Office meeting that included Giuliani, acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel leading Trumps defense team in the Senate impeachment trial. Trump, in a statement, denied Bolton's claim. He has also denied telling Bolton that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations. But the White House ordered Bolton and others not to testify during the House investigation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned Republicans Friday morning that "the truth will eventually come out." We could vote to see the truth in this trial, or it could come out in a few weeks or a few months," Schumer said. "And on that day, every Republican who voted to hide the truth in an impeachment trial of the president, will have to answer for it." Murkowski, one of the Senate's few moderates, has been in the hot seat before. In 2018, she was the only Republican senator to oppose the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. (Murkowski ended up voting "present' on Kavanaugh's confirmation, to offset the absence of Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican who was attending his daughter's wedding.) In 2017, Murkowski joined Collins and Arizona's John McCain in killing the GOP effort to get rid of the Affordable Care Act. Murkowski entered the Senate in 2002 after being appointed to the seat by her father, Frank Murkowski, when he resigned his Senate seat to become Alaska's governor. During her second re-election bid in 2010, Murkowski lost the GOP nomination to a Tea Party challenger but went on to win the general election as a write-in candidate. Murkowski was re-elected in 2016 with 44% of the vote in a multi-candidate race. Contributing: Nicholas Wu and Bart Jansen. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump impeachment trial: Lisa Murkowski's a 'no' vote on witnesses The coverage on this live blog has ended but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC's Asia-Pacific team. All times below are in Eastern time. 7:45 pm Walmart temporarily limits 'non-business critical travel' to China Walmart on Friday said it is temporarily limiting "non-business critical travel" to China amid the coronavirus outbreak. "(Walmart is) temporarily limiting all non-business critical travel to, from, and within mainland China, and conducting all planned meetings virtually," Walmart International Chief Executive Judith McKenna said. 6:20 pm China reports 46 new deaths with total at 259 The total number of deaths from a coronavirus epidemic in China had reached 259 by the end of Friday, an increase of 46, state broadcaster CCTV reported Friday, citing numbers from the country's National Health Commission. There were 2,102 new confirmed infections in China during the day, bringing the cumulative total to 11,791. Hubei Province's local health commission reported 45 new deaths from the outbreak on Friday, bringing the total to 249. The province confirmed 1,347 new cases of infection on Friday, with the total reaching 7,153 by the end of the day. 4:30 pm CDC confirms new case of virus in California The Santa Clara Public Health Department said an adult man tested positive for the new coronavirus, marking at least the seventh case in the U.S. as the outbreak spreads across the globe. The patient contracted the virus in Wuhan and has been isolated at home since, county officials said at a press conference Friday. 3:50 pm: Trump issues mandatory quarantine, denies foreign nationals entry The Trump administration is issuing a mandatory quarantine for U.S. citizens who've visited Hubei province in the last 14 days and denying entry to foreign nationals who "pose a risk of transmitting" the virus in the U.S., administration officials said in declaring the coronavirus a public health emergency. "Any US citizen returning to the United States who has been in the Hubei province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine to ensure they're provided proper medical care and health screening," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. 3:30 pm: White House coronavirus task force to hold news briefing The White House is expected to address the widening outbreak of the coronavirus. The briefing will involve members of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, which includes national security advisor Robert O'Brien, Health Secretary Alex Azar and other leading officials. The briefing comes hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantined 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, which has become the epicenter for the spread of the virus. Watch the live briefing here. 2:31 pm: The slow race to make a coronavirus vaccine is on U.S. and international health officials are speeding work to create a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus spreading throughout Asia, which has already outpaced the 2003 SARS epidemic and killed at least 213 people in China. Hopes to get a vaccine to market are high, but doctors want to set expectations for how quickly that can happen low. Developing, testing and reviewing any potential vaccine is a long, complex and expensive endeavor that could take months or even years, global health experts say. 1:15 pm: The CDC quarantines 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan U.S. health officials have quarantined 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, taking the rare step of issuing a mandatory order for the first time in more than 50 years to help contain an outbreak of a new coronavirus that's spread to roughly 10,000 people across the globe. "While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a conference call with reporters Friday. 11:34 am: Pentagon issues travel guidelines to troops The Pentagon issued guidance to U.S. troops and civilian personnel serving abroad on how to respond to the coronavirus as a growing number of countries evacuate their citizens and diplomats from parts of China. "We're aware of the concerns. The safety of our service members, civilian employees, and our citizens both here and abroad is of the utmost concern," Army Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn wrote in an emailed statement to CNBC. 10:30 am: Swedish health authority confirms first case Sweden's Public Health Agency said a woman tested positive for coronavirus and was being kept isolated at a hospital in southern Sweden, the country's first confirmed case. The woman visited Wuhan and experienced symptoms after her return to Sweden, the agency said. 10:15 am: Delta, American will suspend all China flights starting Feb. 6 Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are planning to suspend their already reduced service to China as the rapid spread of coronavirus hurts demand to the country for airlines around the world. Delta said its China service suspension will begin Feb. 6 and last through April 30, but it will continue to operate the service until then to "ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so." Dozens of carriers including United, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and others have slashed or suspended service to China because of the outbreak. Delta was the first in the U.S. to suspend service altogether. 10 am: Italy declares coronavirus emergency Italy declared a six-month state of emergency after two Chinese tourists in the country tested positive for the coronavirus in the first cases detected in the country. The move will enable authorities to make rapid decisions if needed. Italy has already banned all flights to and from China. The two patients came from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, and fell ill during their trip to Italy. 7:30 am: China says confirmed cases of coronavirus climbs to nearly 10,000 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases has risen to 9,782 in mainland China, according to Chinese authorities. The new cases in China bring the global total to nearly 10,000 cases with at least 213 deaths. British health officials confirmed the first two cases of the coronavirus in the U.K., less than 24 hours after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency. 6:50 am: Singapore, Mongolia ban Chinese travelers Singapore's health ministry banned entry to all Chinese visitors and foreigners with a recent history of travel to China. The move, which effectively shuts out the island's largest group of visitors, takes effect Saturday. It is the first Southeast Asian country to implement a travel ban for China travelers to contain the outbreak. The announcement came after the U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory on Thursday for China from Level 3 to Level 4. Mongolia also said it's closing all ports of entry to and from China, giving citizens until Feb. 6 to get home. 6:46 am: Chinese movie to premiere online after virus outbreak SAN FRANCISCO A House subcommittee is investigating popular dating services such as Tinder and Bumble for allegedly allowing minors and sex offenders to use their services. Bumble, Grindr, The Meet Group and the Match Group, which owns such popular services as Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid, are the current targets of the investigation by the U.S. House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on economic and consumer policy. In separate letters Thursday to the companies, the subcommittee is seeking information on users ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. It is also asking for the services privacy policies and details on what users see when they review and agree to the policies. It also seeks information on what data is collected on people, including sexual orientation, drug use and political views. Although the minimum age for using internet services is typically 13 in the U.S., dating services generally require users to be at least 18 because of concerns about sexual predators. Our concern about the underage use of dating apps is heightened by reports that many popular free dating apps permit registered sex offenders to use them, while the paid versions of these same apps screen out registered sex offenders, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Illinois Democrat who heads the subcommittee, said in a statement. Protection from sexual predators should not be a luxury confined to paying customers. Match Group said it uses every tool possible to keep minors and bad actors off its services and continues to invest in technology to keep users safe. In an emailed statement, the company said the problem was broader and requires other parties, including app stores that know who their users are, to do their part as well. Match added that the national sex offender registry needs to be updated so that perpetrators digital footprints can be tracked and blocked by social media and dating services. Grindr and The Meet Group did not respond to messages for comment on Thursday. Bumble had no immediate comment. Besides safety issues, the investigation also seeks to address concerns about data the services request to make matches. Such information may include sexual orientation, gender identity, political views, and drug, alcohol and tobacco use. The subcommittee cited a report by a Norwegian consumer group this month that found that dating apps including Grindr, OkCupid and Tinder leak personal information to advertising tech companies in possible violation of European data privacy laws. The Norwegian Consumer Council said it found serious privacy infringements in its analysis of how shadowy online ad companies track and profile smartphone users. In response to that report, Match had said that it sha res information with third parties only when it is deemed necessary to operate its platform with third party apps. The company said it considers the practice in line with all European and U.S. regulations. SANTA FE New Mexico would make legal settlements public immediately under bipartisan legislation moving forward in the state Senate. The proposal, Senate Bill 64, cleared its first committee Thursday and heads next to the Senate Judiciary Committee. State law now requires a six-month wait before settlements are revealed, though it isnt always clear when the confidentiality period is supposed to begin. New Mexico taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, Sen. Sander Rue, R-Albuquerque, said in a written statement . This bill closes a loophole that could extend the release of information about a claim indefinitely. The bill is sponsored by Rue and Democratic Reps. Linda Trujillo of Santa Fe and Christine Chandler of Los Alamos. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved the bill for consideration this session. The United States has never been a socialist country, even when it most likely should have been one, during the robber baron tyranny of the Gilded Age or the desperation of the Great Depression, and it never will be. Which isnt to say that American capitalism is working; it needs Teddy Roosevelt-style trustbusting and restructuring. Were coming for you, Facebook. Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play. The next month presents the last chance for serious scrutiny of Sanders, who is leading in both Iowa and New Hampshire. After that, Republicans will rip the bark off him. When theyre done, you will not recognize the aging, mouth-frothing, business-destroying commie from Ben and Jerrys dystopian dairy. Demagogy is what Republicans do best. And Sanders is ripe for caricature. Im not worried about the Russian stuff Bernies self-described very strange honeymoon to the totalitarian hell of the Soviet Union in 1988, and his kind words for similar regimes. Compared with a president who is a willing stooge for the Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, a little vodka-induced dancing with the red bear is peanuts. Nor am I worried about the legitimate questions concerning the candidates wife, Jane Sanders, who ran a Vermont college into the ground. Again, Trumps family of grifters from Ivanka securing her patents from China while Daddy made other promises to Beijing, to Don Jr.s using the White House to leverage the family brand give Democrats more than enough ammunition to return the fire. Trump bragged about sexual assault, paid off a porn star and ran a fraudulent university. He sucks up to dictators and tells a half-dozen lies before he puts his socks on in the morning. A weird column about a rape fantasy from 1972 is not going to sink Bernie when Trump has debased all public discourse. All eyes will be on on Saturday as she will present her second budget as the country's Trade pundits and businesses are waiting with a baited breath, expecting her to bail out the economy of the ongoing slump. On a lighter vein, it also remains to be seen if she would carry documents in a briefcase or a traditional bahi-khata which she used for her maiden Check Budget latest news here On the day of the Union in 2019, Sitharaman broke away from long-standing traditions of colonial-era when she ditched the briefcase and opted for traditional bahi khata, which is a kind of a ledger wrapped in a red coloured cloth. The word 'budget' has its origin in the French word Bougette, which means leather briefcase. Traditionally, budget documents -- which primarily include papers related to revenue receipt and expenditure as well as the speech of -- were carried in a brown briefcase, a legacy passed on by the British. However, traditional Indian businessmen used bahi-khata to maintain their books of account. ALSO READ: FM Nirmala Sitharaman to present Budget 2020 in Parliament today Commenting on the shift from a briefcase to bahi-khata during the 89th Union Budget, Chief Economic Advisor, had told ANI in July last year: "The government is following Indian tradition and bahi khata symbolises our departure from the slavery of Western thought." On being asked about the replacement of the briefcase, Subramanian had said: "It is not a Budget, but a Bahi-Khata (ledger)." "Sitharaman believes that leather made products are not auspicious for the big occasion, so she avoided the leather bag and took the bahi khata wrapped in the red cloth. This is considered to be auspicious," he had said. In July last year, Sitharaman had said that Modi government is not a "suitcase-carrying government". In a veiled attack on Congress, she connected her idea of carrying budget documents wrapped in a red cloth instead of a briefcase with alleged corruption in the previous UPA government at the Centre. "For Budget 2019, I did not carry a suitcase. We are not a suitcase-carrying government. A suitcase also denotes something else: suitcase-taking, suitcase-giving. Modi ji's government is not a suitcase government," she had said at the International Business Conference of Nagarathar in July 2019. Before Sitharaman, a long-standing tradition in connection with the was broken during the Atal Behari Vajpayee government with the then Yashwant Sinha presenting the budget at 11 am rather than at the traditional time of 5 pm. Since then all governments have been presenting the budget at 11 am. During the first nine months of 2019 Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan imported around 108,000 tons of olive oil, mostly with European Union origin. It is worth mentioning that Greece, the largest consumer per capita in the world, consumes around 125,000 tonnes per year. Japan stands out as the first consumer of olive oil in Asia. Up to September it had imported 53,890 tons of olive oil, 26.16% more than in the same period in 2018. The growing success of Spanish olive oils among Japanese consumers has played a major role in these spectacular figures. Spain exported 33,917 tons to Japan, 35.78% more than in the first nine months of 2018. This achievement placed oils from Spain with a 62.94% share over total imports, consolidating their leadership since 2014. This share has grown around 20 points during the last decade. Additionally, these outstanding figures endorse the important commitment that Olives Oil from Spain has made for this market, which has materialised in an ambitious promotional campaign, carried out in collaboration with the European Union and launched at the beginning of 2018. The Olive Oil World Tour (https://oliveoilworldtour.jp/) has been focused on Japan, with a series of activities that have been well received by the Japanese public: Promotional videos shown on digital billboards (March, October and November) Shown on the five digital billboards at the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo . This programme reached a cumulative total of around 130 million passers-by. Shown on the five digital billboards at the Shibuya Crossing in . This programme reached a cumulative total of around 130 million passers-by. Booth at Haneda Airport (9-17 Oct.) Among other activities, introducing more than 300 types of extra virgin olive oil. This programme reached around 1.4 million booth visitors and passers-by. Among other activities, introducing more than 300 types of extra virgin olive oil. This programme reached around 1.4 million booth visitors and passers-by. Cooking show for the press (9 Oct.) Mr. Daisuke Nomura , Chef and Owner of acclaimed shojin restaurant Sougo in Roppongi, cooked an original Washoku menu incorporating extra virgin olive oil for the Japanese press, with the exposure translating to about 7.5 million viewers and readers. Mr. , Chef and Owner of acclaimed shojin restaurant Sougo in Roppongi, cooked an original Washoku menu incorporating extra virgin olive oil for the Japanese press, with the exposure translating to about 7.5 million viewers and readers. Original Washoku menu offered at Sougo (10-31 Oct.) This menu prepared by Mr. Nomura at his cooking show was made available at his restaurant, Sougo, for three weeks. The campaign website and social media accounts in Facebook and Instagram were also used alongside the above programmes to promote European olive oil. They provided a constant stream of related information including recipes and the health benefits of olive oil. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084183/Olive_Oil_World_Tour.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084184/Olive_Oil_Showcooking.jpg SOURCE Olive Oils from Spain As Army tricks go, you would be hard-pressed to find one more devastating. Take one old-style grenade, remove the pin and insert it delicately into a wine glass so the glass holds down the lever to keep it from exploding. Then throw the deadly cocktail from a helicopter. When the glass shatters, the lever will spring back and detonate the grenade. Simple, cheap, indiscriminate and deadly, it was a favourite of a shadowy mercenary company which operated with impunity across the planet for years, making rich men of the former SAS officers who controlled it. The targets of these wine glass bombs, along with waves of bullets fired from the machine guns mounted on the helicopters? Tamil guerrillas in Sri Lanka, supposedly. Sri Lankan Air Force Bell 212 carries a national flag at an Independence day parade in 2019 while a door gunner keeps watch Yet the victims were often women, children and the elderly innocent civilians caught up in a brutal civil war that raged across the Indian Ocean state during the final decades of the 20th century. KMS Ltd was the sober, business-like name of this private military company, which offered lessons in professional killing to those willing to pay for them. But within the secretive international mercenary world (referred to by insiders as The Circuit), KMS was better known as Keenie Meenie, a name variously sourced to Arabic, for covert operation, and Swahili slang, for the movement of a snake through the grass. Keen and mean in equal measure, KMS operated behind the scenes in the Seventies and Eighties in places as far flung as Sri Lanka, Nicaragua and Oman, usually with the tacit agreement of Her Majestys Government, doing jobs that would cause a diplomatic fall-out if carried out by regular troops. KMS Ltd was the sober, business-like name of this private military company, which offered lessons in professional killing to those willing to pay for them. A live grenade in a wine glass is pictured above I know this [wine glass tactic] was happening because I went to Trincomalee [a Sri Lankan port] and had lunch there and there were no wine glasses at all, says retired Lieutenant Colonel Richard Holworthy, defence attache at the British High Commission in Sri Lanka from 1985 to 1987. The whole bloody lot had been dropped on Tamils with grenades inside them! Indiscriminate bombing of the Tamils, who were seeking independence from the Sinhalese majority backed by Britain, was a feature of this dirtiest of wars. Raging through the Eighties and beyond, the conflict was characterised by random massacres, torture and necklacing putting rubber tyres around the necks of prisoners then setting them alight. The [Sri Lankan] air force was strafing, using rockets and, eventually, blanket bombing, says Lt Col Holworthy, who now lives in France. They had no worry as to where they were dropping them. These were war crimes. Their deleterious impact is still felt to this day. Dirty war: A Soviet Hind helicopter gunship is pictured above. For all KMSs secrecy, however, its participation in conflicts across the globe was tricky to keep out of the spotlight Just this month, the Sri Lankan government acknowledged for the first time that more than 20,000 people who disappeared during the brutal civil war were in fact killed. Now, a new book, Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes, by Phil Miller, lifts the lid on KMSs activities and the men behind it upstanding officers in the regular Army and patrons of Londons exclusive gentlemens clubs, where money-making plots were hatched over whisky in smoke-filled rooms. They were not so gentlemanly, though, when it came to the business of privatised war. KMS helicopter pilots were supposedly flying as co-pilots to Sri Lankan pilots, says Miller. But often, when the shooting started, the British had to take control. They would sit in the helicopter on the ground while the soldiers they were carrying went off and committed atrocities. But KMS was more than that. It was involved at a senior level in the military operations in Sri Lanka, helping to direct the war. Senior KMS staff were complicit in atrocities and have never been held to account. One of the KMS helicopter pilots in Sri Lanka was Tim Smith, a former member of the Army Air Corps. In need of money after leaving the force, he applied for a job with KMS and says one of those vetting him was a Ministry of Defence official. Smith recounts how, during one anti-guerrilla mission, his Sri Lankan co-pilot machine-gunned a harmless old man on a push bike, simply on a whim. He later wrote in his memoirs that KMS regarded anyone in the area following an attack on government forces as in season open to summary execution from the air or on the ground. In another incident, a bus thought to be carrying insurgents, but actually full of women and children, was thoroughly peppered with bullets. A Keenie Meenie instructor is pictured above teaching Sri Lankan Special Task Force recruits As well as carrying out their own atrocities, KMS was contracted to teach Sri Lankan combatants about its dirty tactics. It trained the Special Task Force (STF), a Sri Lankan paramilitary police unit responsible for numerous massacres, most notoriously in January 1987, when an army and STF contingent helicoptered into a prawn farm near the village of Kokkadichcholai in a dawn raid and allegedly murdered 85 people. Many of the bodies, including those of teenage boys, were thrown into a well. But KMSs murky tentacles of death werent simply confined to the Indian subcontinent. Thousands of miles away in Central America, KMS earned more dirty money, this time from the American government. It was 1984, the height of the Cold War, and the Reagan administration was obsessed with removing Nicaraguas Marxist Sandinista government. Enter U.S. Marine Lt Col Oliver North, member of the U.S. National Security Council, arch cold warrior and the architect of a plan to topple the Sandinistas by financing a secret war against them, ostensibly conducted by its Right-wing Nicaraguan opponents, the Contras. But a secret war required expertise beyond that possessed by the Contras, so North called in KMS boss David Walker. A graduate of Cambridge University and Sandhurst military academy, Walker had been an SAS troop commander, along with other founding members of KMS, during Britains undeclared involvement in a civil war in the Dhofar region of Oman in the early Seventies. North decided that the best course of action was to get rid of the Sandinistas Soviet-supplied Hind helicopter gunships, which gave the regime a crucial advantage over the Contras. Walker was happy to oblige and, in March 1985, KMS carried out a bomb attack against a military complex in the Nicaraguan capital Managua. But it soon emerged that the complex contained a hospital treating civilians and some 150 patients had to be evacuated as explosions rocked the city. Luckily, no one was killed. KMSs chief man on the ground in Colombo, Sri Lankas capital, was another SAS veteran, Major Brian Baty, who had led operations against the IRA in the Bandit Country of South Armagh. Known as The Baron in SAS circles, he operated in Sri Lanka under the name of Ken Whyte and gradually assumed a central role in orchestrating the anti-Tamil campaign. Files show that when Baty was quizzed about the Sri Lankan STF police force by British officials in the Eighties, he defended the blood-soaked unit. Naturally that did little to allay the concerns of the British government, which was torn between shutting down KMS and utilising the unit to its own ends. With its SAS heritage, declassified Foreign Office files unearthed by Miller reveal that MI5 regarded it as a go-to source for steely bodyguards required to defend embassies in hostile countries. Supporting Sri Lankas government was also a key priority for the Thatcher government, which feared a Tamil victory would allow the expansionist Soviet Union to gain a foothold on the island. And so KMSs operations in Sri Lanka allowed Britain to support the embattled government without providing overt military aid, which would cause friction with neighbouring India. Miller also suggests that KMS may have been used by MI6 to supply weapons and advice to the anti-Soviet Mujahideen, made up of militant Islamist fighters, in Afghanistan during the Cold War. For all KMSs secrecy, however, its participation in conflicts across the globe was tricky to keep out of the spotlight. And, in 1987, Labour MP Dale Campbell-Savours questioned Thatcher directly on what she knew about the mercenary unit. The PM simply responded: It has been the practice of successive governments not to answer questions about the details of discussions which may have taken place with foreign governments. Despite her reticence which in itself spoke volumes we know for certain that KMS had direct access to Downing Street in the form of one of its secret backers, former Army officer Tim Landon. Thousands of miles away in Central America, KMS earned more dirty money, this time from the American government. It was 1984, the height of the Cold War, and the Reagan administration was obsessed with removing Nicaraguas Marxist Sandinista government. The former US President is pictured above Landon, whose son Arthur is a socialite and friend of Princes William and Harry, was on close terms with Thatcher, which may have dissuaded concerned mandarins in Whitehall the previous Labour government had considered banning all mercenary companies from kicking up a fuss. KMS also had a friend in Lord Royle, the Tory vice-chairman in the Eighties, who acted as its informal link with the Foreign Office. But for all its links to people in high places, not every KMS trooper was comfortable with its blatant disregard for military ethics. One KMS contractor who couldnt turn a blind eye to the mercenary groups atrocities was former SAS trooper Robin Horsfall, a veteran of the Iranian embassy siege operation in London in 1980. He accepted a KMS job in Sri Lanka in 1986 aged 27 after working as a bodyguard for Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed. Imagining KMS to be a responsible organisation, he hoped it would be different to the Dogs Of War-style mercenary outfits that had rampaged through Angola and the Congo in the Sixties and Seventies. But after just four months as a battle school commander in Sri Lanka, he quit, appalled at the ethnic slaughter taking place around him. The tipping point came when a South African helicopter pilot described to him how his Sri Lankan door gunner had on one occasion mown down every living creature in sight. However, when asked by the Mail about what he witnessed, Mr Horsfall insisted that he does not believe former British military personnel were directly involved in war crimes as they themselves didnt fire weapons at civilians. I have no knowledge of that and never heard of anything like it and Im sure I would have heard, he says. But there is no doubt that the Sinhalese commanders perpetrated genocide against the Tamils. By 1985, KMSs name curiously disappeared from government documents, but its subsidiary company, Saladin Security founded in 1978 by Walker lives on, and to this day has strong links with Saudi Arabias despotic regime. And what of those who made money from their involvement in these secretive wars? Major Baty lives in retirement in England. When visited by Miller and asked about his role in the dirty war in Sri Lanka, his reply was short and to the point: Bugger off! As for Walker, he re-invented himself as, of all things, a local Tory councillor on Elmbridge Council in Surrey for a time. Before his election, he reportedly told voters that he was a man of action and involved in defence matters at a national level. In 2017, on learning of a ceremony commemorating the STF, he penned a letter to its then commandant, praising its founders. Describing Keenie Meenies role in Sri Lanka from 1983, he wrote: It continues to be a matter of great pride that I frequently heard STF described as the most effective force in the country. Effective is one way to describe it. The loved ones of those butchered by it may disagree. Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away with War Crimes is published by plutobooks.com at 12.99. Virus inflection point could emerge in one month: expert Global Times Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/1/31 0:58:35 With measures taken to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, an inflection point is likely to appear within the next one or two incubation periods, according to one expert on Thursday. Incubation periods last 12 to 14 days, so it could take a month until we see an inflection point, said Wen Yumei, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Engineering at a press conference in Shanghai on Thursday. As Wen explained, during the virus infection stage, the human body produces antibodies, which reduces the level and capability of the virus. It also becomes less pathogenic and contagious. If a vaccine can be made quickly and with improved intervention measures, like early detection and quarantine, inflection points would appear even earlier, Wen said. Wen noted it is essential to prevent the virus from mutating. "Chances of such mutating is not much, but it may still cause some serious problems." Shanghai government officials also delivered their latest progress on efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. City officials said they ordered local businesses like pawnshops and leasing companies to remain closed through February 9, said Wu Jinglei, director of the Shanghai Health Commission. Larger financial-based businesses like banks will resume work earlier but are required to improve staff management and protection against the virus, Wu said. The initiatives were implemented to strengthen price management on products like medicine and face masks during the virus outbreak. Xu Jin, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Market Supervision and Administration, said Shanghai has made 9,314 inspections and investigated 10 incidents involving price hike violations. On Thursday, another 16 novel coronavirus cases were reported in Shanghai. By noon Thursday, 112 cases had been confirmed in the city, with five patients in recovery, four in critical condition, and one fatality. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). 31 January 2020 WALCOM GROUP LIMITED ("Walcom" or "the Company") Trading Update Further to the announcement on 13 January 2020, the Board of Walcom provides an update on current trading and its working capital position. The Company is pleased to report that it has received a number of orders during January 2020 which has enabled it to repay the two bank loans totalling RMB 450,000 (c.HK$508,000) that were due for repayment before the end of this month. Following repayment of these loans, the Company currently has adequate working capital to meet its liabilities as they fall due until mid-February 2020. In its announcement dated 13 January 2020, the Company indicated that Mr Chi intends to provide a loan of HK$1,230,000 to Walcom Bio-Chemicals Industrial Limited, Walcom's wholly owned subsidiary, by the end of January 2020 (the "Loan Agreement"). The Loan Agreement has not yet been entered into, but the Company remains in discussions with Mr Chi regarding the provision of the proposed funding. Whilst the Board remains confident that the discussions with Mr Chi will have a successful outcome, there can be no guarantee that the Company's working capital position will be stabilised. Further announcements will be made in due course. Further enquiries: Recent wildfires in California Wine Country, particularly those that devastated parts of Napa and Sonoma counties in October 2017, have focused attention on whether insurance covers smoke taint damage to grapes and wine. Many wineries and grape growers have notified their insurers of possible smoke taint damage claims. However, smoke taint in certain cases may present itself only after some time following the smoke exposure has passed. As a result, there was uncertainty at the time some claims were made about whether there actually would be damage and, if so, whether insurers would cover it. Now that we are just over two years past the 2017 wildfires, it is a good time to review how this issue is developing. Property insurers covering the wine industry often assert that they cover damage to harvested grapes or wine in process, but not damage to grapes while they are on the vine. Crop insurance is supposed to cover damage to the vines and grapes on them, though it often is limited in scope and amount. This distinction may seem simple enough at first glance, but reality often is not be confined so easily to cleanly drawn categories. The October 2017 wildfires in Napa and Sonoma started and continued to burn around the time many wineries and growers had planned to harvest their grapes. Some were lucky and had completed their harvests before fires broke out. Others not so. They were in midst of picking their grapes or had not yet started when the smoke appeared. Some rushed to complete their picking during the fires in the midst of heavy smoke. For most of the grapes picked before the fires broke out, there should be no insurance issue. If there was no possibility that smoke touched the grapes until they were on the ground, in transit or in process, most insurance policies should cover the damage, even if the damage presents itself well after the fires were extinguished. As to the other grapes, however, questions abound. The fires had started, but had the smoke arrived by the time they were picked? If so, how thick did the smoke become by the time they were picked, and could the smoke have caused damage to the grapes while they were on the vine? Or did the thicker smoke arrive after they were picked? Could the smoke have damaged them both before and after they were picked? In other words, insurers attempted clean lines of distinction can quickly become hazy when it comes to smoke taint. It can be unclear when the process of damage started. Even if the damage arguably started while the grapes were on the vine, and there are disputes over whether that is possible, it may be the case that any such damage was made worse by exposure to additional smoke after they were picked. There is also a question of when the insured reasonably could have discovered any damage during this process. These kinds of questions have led to one lawsuit already. Kunde Enterprises, Inc. v. National Surety Corp. was filed in October 2019 and is pending in federal court in Oakland. Kunde alleges that its insurer wrongfully denied coverage for smoke taint damage arising out of the October 2017 wildfires. The insurer claims that some of the allegedly damaged grapes were exposed to smoke while they were on the vine. The parties presumably will have to dig deep into the factual issues above while litigating this case. Wineries and grape growers that have potentially suffered smoke taint losses would be wise to painstakingly gather and analyze their insurance policies and the facts surrounding their particular situations. Each claim will be unique. Its critical to completely answer the questions above and others before decisions are made about whether to pursue claims and how such claims should be pursued. Further, wineries and growers should be vigilant in reviewing their policies each year to ensure that they obtain the broadest coverage possible. Some insurers surely will react to the recent spate of smoke-taint claims by adding new exclusions to their policies in an attempt to eliminate all coverage for them. About the photo: Smoke generated by wildfires fills the air in a vineyard Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, near Napa, Calif. Gusting winds and dry air forecast for Thursday could drive the next wave of devastating wildfires that are already well on their way to becoming the deadliest and most destructive in California history. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) New Delhi, Jan 31 : Expecting strong recovery in the economy, Economic Survey 2019-20 has projected 6-6.5 per cent GDP growth in FY21. This signals that the Union Budget would be growth-oriented and announce fiscal stimulus to spur growth and investment in the country. The projection also suggests that the slowdown has bottomed out and growth would pick up in coming quarters. The higher GDP forecast for FY21 has come at a time when the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has estimated the real GDP to grow at 5 per cent in the current financial year. The GDP in July-September had fallen to over six year low at 4.5 per cent putting pressure on the government to take measures to revive it. The Economic Survey authored by Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Krishnamurthy Subramanian has suggested to relax fiscal deficit target to boost growth. Presenting her maiden budget in July last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had lowered fiscal deficit target to 3.3 per cent from 3.4 per cent for FY20. "The growth forecast is aspirational. However, one should also agree that slowdown in the Indian economy has bottomed out and we have already seen some kinds of recovery from the past quarter but the extent of recovery is not so strong," said N.R. Bhanumurthy of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). Some of the global agencies have projected real GDP growth in FY21 to be less than 6 per cent in FY21. The World Bank, in its January 2020 release of the World Economic Prospects and the IMF in its World Economic Outlook Update January 2020 projected India's real GDP growth at 5.8 per cent for FY21. With most macro economic indicators such as exports, electricity consumption and auto sales showing decline, the government faces major challenge in reversing the trend. The Economic Survey has advised the government to deliver expeditiously on reforms. "As has been argued earlier, the government has to prioritise growth. Once the momentum picks up, the government can take action to consolidate its expenses. Several economies have done this in the past," said Rumki Majumdar, Economist, Deloitte India. She observed that AGermanya"a strong proponent of a balanced budget -- incurred a strong fiscal deficit during 2008-09 to help the economy come out of the crisis. The Survey noted that the year 2019 was a difficult year for the global economy with world output growth estimated to grow at its slowest pace of 2.9 per cent since the global financial crisis of 2009. It said that uncertaintities had been declining but remain elevated due to protectionist tendencies of China and USA and rising USA-Iran geo-political tensions. Amidst a weak environment for global manufacturing, trade and demand, the Indian economy slowed down with GDP growth moderating to 4.8 per cent in the first half of 2019-20, lower than 6.2 per cent in the second half of 2018-19. "A sharp decline in real fixed investment induced by a sluggish growth of real consumption has weighed down GDP growth from 2nd half of 2018-19 to 1st half of 2019-20," the Survey tabled in the Parliament on Friday said. The Survey pointed out that real consumption growth had recovered in Q2 of 2019-20 on the back of higher government spending. "At the same time, India's external sector gained further stability in 1st half of 2019-20, with a narrowing of Current Account Deficit (CAD) as a percentage of GDP from 2.1 in 2018-19 to 1.5 in 1st half of 2019-20, impressive Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), rebounding of portfolio flows and accretion of foreign exchange reserves," the Survey said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text CLEVELAND, Ohio A masked man shot a 32-year-old man as he walked out of a barber college in a strip mall in Clevelands Lee-Harvard neighborhood. The shooting happened about 3 p.m. Thursday at the Lee-Harvard shopping plaza on Lee Road and Harvard Avenue. No arrests have been made in the case. The man told police he walked out of the Keratin Barber College and spotted a man wearing a mask following him. The masked man pulled out a gun and the 32-year-old man dove for cover behind several cars. The gunman fired at least nine shots, hitting the man once in the left leg, and ran away. The man was taken to Marymount Hospital, where he was treated. He told police he did not know the shooter, nor why he was shot. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more from cleveland.com: Woman attacked by armed man at ATM in Clevelands Edgewater neighborhood Armed duo robs man who recently won lottery during home invasion in Cleveland Armed robbers steal Cleveland mans car he tried to sell through OfferUp, records say Cleveland police officer hurt after suspected intoxicated driver crashes into two cruisers, police say Top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi on Friday staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, NRC and NPR New Delhi: Top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi on Friday staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, NRC and NPR. The Congress MPs in both Houses also attended the joint sitting of Parliament in Central Hall wearing black bands on their arms during the President's address. #WATCH Delhi: Opposition leaders including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament premises, against #CAA_NRC_NPR #BudgetSession pic.twitter.com/wolQCzvz0Q ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 The members of Parliament wearing the bands were sitting together in one block after giving up their designated seats. The bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India by the passage of the amended citizenship act by the Modi government. Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by party leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. They held placards on Save the Constitution and raised anti-government slogans. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Berlin, January 31, 2020 Greek authorities should overturn the conviction of journalist Kostas Vaxevanis on appeal and reform the countrys outdated criminal defamation laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 21, a court in Athens found Vaxevanis, editor of the local newspaper Documento, guilty of criminal insult for tweeting an image mocking former Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, according to a report by his employer. The court sentenced him to a suspended sentence of five months imprisonment; if he is found to commit a similar offense over the next three years, that sentence will be enforced, according to the Documento report. Vaxevanis told CPJ via email that he filed an appeal in the case, but said a date has not been set for a hearing. In 2017, he was detained by police after the wife of the countrys former central bank governor, a Samaras appointee, sued him for libel over his 2012 reporting, according to reports. Vaxevanis was acquitted of those charges on February 26, 2018, according to reports, and was arrested immediately afterwards in response to Samaras complaint, which was filed on February 25, according to a copy of the indictment against Vaxevanis, which CPJ reviewed. Vaxevanis told CPJ that he believed the suit is retaliation for his coverage of the former politician and those around him. Politicians should expect and endure criticism, and should not pursue criminal charges against journalists, said CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Gulnoza Said in New York. Authorities should overturn journalist Kostas Vaxevaniss conviction on appeal. Greeces criminal defamation laws are out of place in a liberal democracy and should be scrapped. The image that Vaxevanis tweeted on February 25, 2018, which is still public on his account, is a meme depicting Samaras threatening that anyone who opens their little mouth will share the same fate as Mavrikos. Panagiotis Mavrikos, a newspaper publisher, died in 2016 in a car accident, according to reports. In the indictment, Samaras called the image extremely slanderous, defamatory and offensive. CPJ emailed Samarass lawyer for comment, but did not receive any reply. According to the report by Documento, the court rejected the defenses argument that the meme was not defamatory because it was satire. Vaxevaniss account has more than 400,000 followers, and he frequently posts political commentary and links to his journalism. Previously, while editor of Hot Doc magazine in 2012, Vaxevanis published leaked information alleging that members of Samaras party were hiding money in Switzerland, for which he was briefly arrested on misdemeanor breach of privacy charges, according to news reports from the time. He was later acquitted, according to reports. [Editors Note: This article has been corrected in its second paragraph to reflect that Vaxevanis was convicted on insult charges.] Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 31.01.2020: Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan paid a working visit to Kazakhstan to attend the subsequent meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Expressing gratitude to Kazakh PM for successfully holding the meeting today, PM, in his speech, noted its necessary to intensify efforts for the creation of common energy and transport markets within the EEU. He once again noticed that we considered the course of activities for elimination of the obstacles within the operation of the internal market. Priority attention is paid during the meeting to eliminating obstacles in the EEU domestic market, integrating national information systems, interacting in the areas of customs regulation and forming common union markets. PACE has welcomed the organisation of Armenias parliamentary elections in line with international standards, a resolution adopted on Thursday says. A resolution was adopted based on a report by Sir Roger Gale. The delegates welcomed Armenias commitment to combat corruption and to reform the judiciary with a view to strengthening its independence. Assembly, however, expressed concern on the challenges faced by the judiciary from all sides in ensuring its independence, impartiality. It noted continuing prevalence in the Armenian society of intolerance, negative stereotypes regarding LGTBI persons and other minorities as well as the obstacles over the Istanbul convention ratification. Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs as well as Minsk Group Co-chairs held an intensive discussion amid three days meetings in Geneva, the joint statement said. The sides discussed possible next steps to prepare the populations for peace, principles forming the basis of a future settlement, as well as timing and agenda for advancing the settlement process. The Co-Chairs reiterated their full commitment to helping the sides find a peaceful solution to the conflict, while the FMs agreed to meet again in the near future under Co-Chairs auspices. Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has signed a decision to set up an interdepartmental commission to coordinate the activities to prevent the spread in Armenia of the new coronavirus, which has already killed 213 people globally. The expediency of temporarily suspending visa-free travel with China was discussed during the meeting on Friday, chaired by Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan. Thus, given the epidemic situation due to the coronavirus, the visa-free travel to Armenia is suspended for Chinese citizens, from February 1 to March 31. Meanwhile, Armenia has reached a deal with one of the Chinese companies producing lad tests for the diagnosis of the virus, health minister Arsen Torosyan told reporters. A pack with 50 tests cost about $ 1,500, but given the situation with coronavirus, these tests are necessary, he said adding that Armenia may restrict entry for Chinese citizens amid the risk of virus spread. The letter by Nairi Hunanyan, who is serving a life sentence on criminal case into the 1999 deadly attack on Armenias parliament, has been forwarded from the Prosecutor General's Office to NSS, said Prosecutor General's Office spokesperson Arevik Khachatryan. Earlier, Hunanyan had written that letter to PM, and the latter had forwarded it to the Prosecutor General's Office. According to Khachatryan, it was sent by them to the NSS to make it a subject of examination, along the lines of the proceedings that reopened with the separated part of the October 27 case. The opening ceremony of the laboratory of the Environmental Monitoring and Information Center SNCO took place on Friday in Yerevan. Work has been carried out to strengthen the lab's capacity under the Water Initiative Plus for Eastern Partnership Countries (EUWI+) program. EU envoy Andrea Wiktorin, in her turn, also spoke about the water issue. According to her, efforts should be made to ensure that water quality meet the requirements of the people as much as possible. She also noted that it is envisaged to implement projects to restore Lake Sevan ecological balance. The Bundestag on Thursday, January 30, stripped parliamentary immunity of MP Karin Strenz, who is accused of taking a bribe of at least EUR 22 thousand to lobby for the interests of Azerbaijan in the PACE. MP Eduard Lintner was also accused over the case. Lintner, according to the prosecutor's office, received about EUR 4 million from Azerbaijan from 2008 to 2016 through British shell companies. He redirected some money to individual PACE members to speak positively about the elections in Azerbaijan and oppose the demands for the release of political prisoners. 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Available in Virginia at City Vino in Fredericksburg, Cheesetique (Alexandria), Classic Wines in Great Falls, Farm Fresh in Richmond, Heather Market and Westover Market in Arlington, Streets Market (Alexandria, Arlington). Representative Image The spend on healthcare, as percentage of total expenditure, has remained flat at 5.3 percent in last two consecutive financial years, according to Economic Survey 2020. The overall budgetary expenditure by Centre and states in FY20 budget estimates stood at Rs 60.72 lakh crores. In terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) the government spend on healthcare is 1.6 percent in FY20 budget estimate a small rise from 1.5 percent in FY19. Expenditure on health includes expenditure on medical and public health, family welfare and water supply and sanitation. Primary healthcare accounts for 52.1 per cent of India's current public expenditure on health as per the National Health Estimates, 2016-17. The National Health Policy - 2017 stated that health spend by government should be 2.5 percent of GDP by 2025. The policy recommended to spend at least two third of Governments health expenditure on primary healthcare, in addition to setting a target to reduce the proportion of households facing catastrophic health expenditure from the current levels by 25 percent by 2025. Reducing out of pocket expenditure Out of pocket expenditure on health is one of the biggest reasons for people falling into poverty in India. As per the latest National Health Accounts (NHA) 2016-17, the out of pocket expenditure (OoPE) as a percentage of total health expenditure has declined from 64.2 percent in 2013-14 to 58.7 per cent in 2016-17. The government was able to achieve the reduction in OoPE by combination of policy initiatives that includes launching Ayushman Bharat and price controls of medications. Through Ayushman Bharat, the government aims to cover half to provide health cover to 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families upto ` 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalisation. The government is planning to set up 150,000 setting health and wellness by 2022. It had already set up 28,005 such units. Dichotomy on drug price control The Economic Survey said the fixation of ceiling prices of medicines resulted in a total saving of Rs 12,447 crores to the public. This includes the saving of Rs 4,547 crores on account of fixation of ceiling price of coronary stents, Rs 1,500 crores on account of price fixation of Knee implants and Rs 984 crores on account of Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR) on Anti-cancer drugs. In case of cardiac stents, post price capping period over the period of two years, the Survey said it has been observed that there is 26 per cent increase in the sales of the cardiac stents in the Indian market. It has also been observed that indigenous manufacturers have benefited from the price capping of the cardiac stents as their share in the production has increased by 10 per cent in post price capping period, the Survey added. However the same Economic Survey contradicts saying that the regulation of prices of drugs through the DPCO 2013, has led to increase in the price of a regulated pharmaceutical drug vis-a-vis that of a similar drug whose price is not regulated. "Our analysis shows that the increase in prices was witnessed for more expensive formulations than for cheaper ones and those sold in hospitals rather than retail shops, reinforcing that the outcome is opposite to what DPCO aims to do - making drugs affordable.," Economic Survey says. Medical infrastructure The doctor-population ratio in India is 1:1456 against the WHO recommendation of 1:1000. To address the shortage of doctors. The government said it has embarked on an ambitious programme for upgradation of district hospitals into medical colleges. In last 5 years, government said it has sanctioned 141 new medical colleges, and revised the norms for graduate and post graduate seats in medical colleges. The maximum intake capacity at MBBS level has been increased from 150 to 250, the norms for setting up of Medical colleges in terms of requirement of land, faculty, staff bed strength etc have been rationalized. "The Government operates Centrally Sponsored Schemeestablishment of New Medical Colleges attached with existing District/Referral Hospitals with fund sharing between Centre and States. As a result, the number MBBS and PG seats have increased by 27,235 and 15,000 respectively. These efforts would go a long way in addressing the shortage of doctors," the Survey said. Through Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), the government had augmented the tertiary healthcare capacity in clinical care, medical education and research in underserved areas of the country, under which AIIMS like institutions are built and Government Medical Colleges are upgraded by setting-up Super Speciality Blocks. The Survey also mentioned the introduction of a common entrance test NEET-UG for admission to all MBBS courses including AIIMS and JIPMER. Residents in an outlying district of Malaga city have been counting the cost of extensive flood damage last weekend. Emergency services, council workers and locals have been working all week to get back to normal in the Campanillas area, near the technology park between the city centre and Cartama. On Saturday morning water poured into homes and garages during heavy rains across the Guadalhorce valley. Early estimates from insurers are that 6.6 million euros of damage was caused on the Costa del Sol in the freak weather, with 1,200 potential claims. These are mostly in Campanillas but also in nearby Torremolinos, Cartama, Coin, Alhaurin de la Torre and Marbella. On Wednesday local officials visited damaged homes in Campanillas along with deputy prime minister, Maria Jesus Montero. Many residents complained to the visitors that they were receiving little support and asked for more people to help out. In reply, Montero said that aid had been approved so that "families can sort out what they have lost in financial terms, although, unfortunately, in personal terms, [the damage] cannot be put right." She added that aid across Spain for flood victims in last week's Storm Gloria should start to be paid out this week. Two local schools remained closed all week after the Campanillas river, a tributary of the Guadalhorce river, burst its banks, filing them with water. Officials said at a public meeting that the situation was not more serious in the Campanillas area as the Casasola reservoir dam upstream had held back the worst of the runoff water from the hills. However some residents were skeptical that the dam gates had not been opened at the peak of the storm, when rain was falling at the rate of 50mm an hour. Sole Serrano, owner of a local florists was affected by the flood. "Now we have to start again from scratch; the water has taken everything we had," she said on Sunday. Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Nine judge SC Bench set to wrap up Sabarimala issue in ten days India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: The 9 judge bench of the Supreme Court will constitute legal questions relating to the entry of women into the Sabarimala Temple. The Bench which will sit on February 3 will also frame questions on other gender-related questions in other religions as well. The court had earlier said that its nine-judge Constitution bench would wrap up within 10 days proceedings in the matter relating to discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple. A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde made it clear that questions to be dealt with would be purely legal in nature and it would not take more time in concluding the hearing. "It cannot take more than 10 days. Even if someone wants more time, it cannot be given," said the bench which also comprised justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant. The observations came when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the case before the bench, saying that in pursuance of the court's earlier direction a meeting of lawyers took place but it could not finalise the common legal questions for consideration of the nine-judge bench. 9 Judge SC Bench clarifies it is not hearing Sabarimala review case "We could not finalise common questions for consideration of my lords. The Supreme Court can consider framing the questions," the law officer said. The bench then asked Mehta to furnish issues dealt by lawyers in the meeting. The court will consider issues related to the entry of Muslim women into mosques, female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and barring of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, from the holy fireplace at Agiary. LONDONBritain formally exits the European Union on Friday night, casting off from the Continent after nearly half a century and ending a debate that had convulsed the country for more than three years. Yet for all the gravity of the moment, there is a palpable sense of anticlimax. Now that Britain has finally reached this point of no return one that millions of Britons had long either dreaded or dreamed of, marched against or eagerly prepared for the prevailing emotion is neither sadness nor excitement. Rather, it is a characteristically British reflex: Get on with it. In time, the British are likely to discover that getting on with it isnt so easy. For the next 11 months, Britain will continue to abide by the EUs rules and regulations, while it decides what sort of Brexit it wants for itself. That will be hammered out in talks with the blocs leaders in Brussels over trade relations negotiations that could prove as divisive and traumatic as the political fight over the withdrawal. But that, for now, lies in the future. For most people, nothing will be all that different when the sun rises Saturday morning. To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate. Since the day Britons narrowly voted to leave the EU in June 2016, the issue has divided families, cast a shadow over businesses, and paralyzed the government. Parliament, that venerable symbol of British democracy, became a gladiatorial arena, at once riveting and horrifying to those who tuned in to the daily combat. When Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised during the recent election to get Brexit done, British voters, exhausted and fed up, gave him the largest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher in 1987. Everyone but everyone including the most passionate Remainers like me, had a get Brexit done corner in our souls, said Timothy Garton Ash, a professor of European studies at Oxford University, referring to the choice between leaving the EU or remaining in it. Weve had 3 1/2 years of this, so we were well into the fourth or fifth stage of grief. Mark Malloch Brown, another prominent Remainer and a former No. 2 official at the United Nations, said, Even though its not the outcome I wanted, it returns government to its proper place. Brexit has already left a deep imprint on the country. Financial firms have moved some of their operations to other European cities, workers from other EU countries have begun leaving, and the fierce national debate over whether, and how, to leave has radically realigned the countrys politics. Since Johnsons victory, however, the British have given themselves a kind of holiday from history. Brexit has largely vanished from the front pages, replaced by the saga of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, whose decision to leave Britain seems to fascinate people more than Britains decision to leave the EU. Even the ceremonies to mark the moment speak to the ennui. The government will project a countdown clock on the walls of 10 Downing Street and mount a red, white and blue light show in nearby Whitehall. Brexiteers plan to throw a party in Parliament Square, where the weather forecast calls for rain showers. But the bell in Big Ben will not ring; the government decided not to ante up the 500,000 pounds ($650,000) necessary to make the bell usable during renovations of the Houses of Parliament. Even if it had rung, Big Ben would have served only to underscore the attenuated nature of the celebration. Because the EU dictates Britains departure, Brexit will be official at the stroke of midnight, Brussels time, which is only 11 p.m. in London. Johnson has vowed to heal the rifts left by the Brexit debate, and his government has begun taking steps in that direction. The simplest way is to steer public money toward people for whom voting in favor of Brexit was a protest against what they perceived as an economy that had left them behind. And so the government seems likely to approve a costly high-speed railway project that would connect London with Manchester, Leeds and other cities in northern England. Voters in the Midlands and north helped fuel Johnsons election victory. Many of them were traditionally Labour Party supporters, who voted to leave the EU and seethed as Parliament failed to carry out their wishes. The railway, its advocates say, could help reinvigorate those parts of the country. Yet Johnson will have to reconcile this kind of big-ticket project with the small-government ideology that drives the Brexiteers in his Cabinet. Focused on free trade and deregulation, their goal is to turn Britain into a nimble free agent in the global economy Singapore-on-Thames, in the words of the evangelists. That is a starkly different vision of Britain than that held by the Conservative Partys new voters in the north. They yearn for a country whose automobile industry and fishing grounds are protected from the ravages of global competition. Johnson, analysts said, hopes to manage that tension by, in effect, giving both what they want: public spending in the north and deregulation in London. In an excerpt from remarks he plans to deliver Friday evening, Johnson cast Brexit as not just a unifying force, but also a remedy for generations of economic inequity between Britains north and south. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in, he was scheduled to say. This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up. Critics predict Johnson will have trouble reconciling the buccaneering Britain he wants with the northern voters who swept him to victory. By leaving Europe, he is punishing exactly those parts of the country, because it is those parts of the country that will lose residual manufacturing jobs, said Brown, the former U.N. official. Johnson faces a similar dilemma in foreign policy. His ministers speak grandly of a global Britain, a respected player with friends on both sides of the Atlantic but free to strike trade deals with anyone. Theres a great opportunity for this country to be an even stronger force for good in the world, said the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, in a briefing with reporters this week. As an example, he cited the next U.N. climate change summit, which Britain will host in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Without the leverage of EU membership, however, some analysts said Britain would be a diminished power, overly dependent on its alliance with the U.S. Johnson fended off heavy pressure from the Trump administration to bar the Chinese telecommunications firm, Huawei, from its broadband network. But with Britain embarking on a trade negotiation with the U.S., it is not the last time Johnson is likely to face difficult trade-offs. Boris Johnson does want to have a global foreign policy, said Simon Fraser, a former head of the British diplomatic service. But a lot of this talk of a global Britain is very glib, not very substantial, and needs to be filled out. Read more about: January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - In a flimsy hospital gown, injured, barefoot and confused, without food or water, with a catheter attached and wearing a diaper, Gaza resident Omar Abu Jeriban was tossed on the side of the road on June 13, 2008 and left to die. Chaim Levinson reported the story in Haaretz at the time, David Grossman was appalled by it. The other day, the entire Palestinian people became Abu Jeriban. The role of the police who tossed out a wounded man in the middle of the night was taken by the American president, Donald Trump, and the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The role of the hospital that just stood by was taken by the world. In 2008 it was a human tragedy; two days ago, it was a national tragedy: The White House declared the start of the third Nakba. The Palestinians were tossed by the side of the road and abandoned to their fate. Right-wing Israel is delighted, left-wing Israel is lost as usual, and the world is silent. Its the end of the world. The White House looked like Habayit Hayehudi the other day, awash in kippot and Yiddishkeit. Does one have to be an anti-Semite to wonder about this? With all the wheeler-dealer peacemakers all these Friedmans, Adelsons, Greenblatts, Kushners and Berkowitzes, these supposedly fair and unbiased mediators, its impossible to even think about the start of a fair accord. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Its not hard to guess what goes through the mind of every Palestinian and every seeker of justice at the sight of this all-Jewish and all-right-wing class picture. But the Palestinians werent just missing entirely from the ceremony, they were also nowhere to be found in the plan that could seal their future and that heralds the elimination of their last chance for some belated decency, for a bit of justice, for a drop of compassion. They were left bleeding on the side of the road. This is their third Nakba. After losing most of their land, property and dignity in the first and their liberty in the second, now comes the third to crush whatever is left of their hope. Theyve tried everything. Diplomatic struggle and armed struggle, nonviolent protest and economic boycott. Nothing has helped. The deal of the century only reconfirms what was known: The evil thrive, this time in a particularly extreme edition of one-sidedness, racism and arrogance. The mighty take all. All. The Palestinians get a caricature of an independent state after many years, if ever, and only as long as they agree to a series of degrading surrender conditions that even the lowest collaborator would never agree to. Israel, on the other hand, gets almost everything, and right away. Why do only the Palestinians have to prove themselves before they get anything? Has Israel proven itself in the half-century of occupation? Has it obeyed international law at all? Has it heeded the international community? Should there be a prize for the brutal occupier? For the settlers? For what, and why, America? Israel gets everything and without conditions, while the Palestinians, a fairly restrained people given the terrible abuse it endures, still have to prove themselves in order to receive the little crumbs of justice that the American president throws to them. Why does Israels security have to be guaranteed over and over again, throughout the generations and against all risk, without anyone so much as lifting a finger to ensure the security of the Palestinians, whose blood is so cheaply shed by Israel? A little girl in Gaza also deserves a secure nights sleep, but who cares about her in Habayit Hayehudi, the Jewish Home, at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? If this plan is fulfilled, God forbid, it will be the end of the Palestinian people. Not the physical end, the national end. Whoever thinks this is reason to celebrate is invited to join the celebration in Rabin Square for the release of Naama Issachar, and to vote Likud or Kahol Lavan whats the difference? But anyone who still has a drop of moral commitment should be aghast at this terrible peace of the victors that may end well for Israel but will never end well for Israelis. Israel never assumed responsibility for the first and second Nakbas, perhaps it will also evade its responsibility for the third. But it will never be able to escape the blame and disgrace for stamping out another people. This article was published by "Haaretz" - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Pentagon Identifies Airmen Killed In Afghan Crash, Denies Hostile Action January 30, 2020 The Pentagon has identified the two U.S. Air Force officers killed in the crash of their Bombardier E-11A electronic-surveillance plane in Afghanistan and restated that there was no indication the plane was downed by hostile fire. The U.S. military on January 29 said the victims were Lieutenant Colonel Paul Voss, 46, of Guam and Captain Ryan Phaneuf, 30, of New Hampshire. The cause of the crash in Afghanistan's Ghazni Province remains under investigation. "I'm pretty confident there was no enemy action involved. Aircraft mishaps happen," General Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters at the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The Taliban claimed that its forces had shot down the U.S. plane. McKenzie added that he did not believe U.S. troops suffered any resistance going to the crash site. "The main resistance was from the weather, which was really significant back there," he said. He added that "appropriate precautions" were taken by U.S. recovery forces at the site "because the last thing you want to do is have another mishap or have other people lose their lives in attempt to get up there." Afghan officials had said their forces initially were driven back by Taliban snipers when they attempted to approach the wreckage. The crash came as the Taliban and United States have been in talks on ending the 18-year war in Afghanistan. The two sides had been negotiating the deal for a year and were on the brink of an announcement in September 2019 when U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly declared the process "dead," citing Taliban violence. Based on reporting by AP and Daily Beast Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/pentagon-identifies -airmen-killed-in-afghan-crash-denies- hostile-action/30406417.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address An Air India special flight departing from Delhi on Friday will evacuate around 400 Indians trapped in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, the national carrier's Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said. Speaking to ANI, Lohani said that the Boeing 747 Jumbo aircraft will take off at 12 pm from Delhi today and will return by 2 am on Saturday. "We are sending a Boeing 747 Jumbo aircraft. Around 400 Indians will be evacuated today from Wuhan in China by Air India flight. It will take off at 12 pm today and will return by 2 am tomorrow," Lohani said. An Air India special flight will depart on Friday from Delhi to the Chinese city of Wuhan for the evacuation of Indians trapped in the region amid coronavirus outbreak, the national carrier's spokesperson said. The flight will include all necessary resources like masks, medical equipment, packed food, prescribed medicines, along with a team of five doctors from the Health Ministry, and paramedical personnel from Air India. Twenty crew members, including 15 cabin crew and five cockpit crew will be on board. The flight, which is led by Air India's Director of Operations Captain Amitabh Singh, will return to New Delhi tomorrow (Saturday). The development comes three days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved the Air India flight to Wuhan -- a Chinese city of more than 11 million people which has been the epicenter of the new strain of coronavirus. China has imposed a lockdown in the city following the outbreak of the virus. Coronavirus has claimed the lives of as many as 213 people in China alone, while cases have been reported in several countries across the world. Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and several Asian countries besides China. HOLYOKE Just six days after Lt. Michael McCoy retired following a long career as a police officer, his son John McCoy was sworn into the same department. I think it is a great thing. Im sure hell love it like I did, the elder McCoy said as his son and three other men were sworn in as full-time police officers on Thursday. John McCoy, who has been a reserve officer since March 2017, is the latest generation of his family to be hired by the Holyoke Police Department. His grandfather, father, mother, at least two uncles and at least two of his parents cousins have all served as police officers in Holyoke, he said. I grew up around it and you can see the impact they can have in the city, John McCoy said, explaining why he wanted to follow the footsteps of his parents and so many other relatives. McCoy was joined by Jan C. Diaz, John Viet and Steven E. Negron in taking the oath to become new officers, while friends and family looked on in the mayors conference room at City Hall. Emmanuel Andujar was also hired as a new officer but is a U.S. Marine Corps reservist deployed to Japan, so he could not attend, Police Chief Manuel Febo said. Diaz, McCoy and Negron will enter the police academy immediately and will spend the next six months in intensive training before starting as patrolmen in July, the chief said. Viet and Andujar will enter the academy for the next class starting in August. In the meantime Viet will train with the department, and Andujar will join him when he returns from his deployment in May, Febo said. This is a great career with so many opportunities to learn specialized skills and advance to any rank that you choose, Febo said. You will each have the opportunity to help people in the community and make differences in their lives. Mayor Alex B. Morse said he has interviewed multiple police officer candidates and never heard one of them say they want to make someones day worse. They have all said they want to make peoples lives better and improve the community, he said. I want to thank all four of you for choosing such a noble profession, Morse said. All five new officers have served as part-time reserve police officers for anywhere from nine months to nearly three years. Each has already graduated from an academy designed for part-time officers, said Capt. Matt Moriarty. The reserve officer program serves as a training ground for the department. The part-time officers are paid and work a minimum of two eight-hour shifts a month alongside full-time officers, Moriarty said. The reserve officers work in dispatch, records, on patrol and in community policing to get hands-on experience. They drive cruisers accompanied by a lieutenant so they can learn how to handle the vehicle and learn the layout of city streets so they know the quickest route to any location. Eventually, the lieutenant will sign off that the officer has the skills to operate alone, Moriarty said. As they gain experience, the reserve officers handle calls and write reports. They are always accompanied by an experienced officer who offers advice and critiques their performance. The officers also read and correct reports, he said. A lot of it is learning how to be safe, Moriarty said. If the officer is safe in a situation, everyone is usually safe. The reserve officer program benefits the department in many ways. The chief can try out people to ensure they are a good fit for the department without the time-consuming and expensive process of sending new hires to the academy. The program also cuts down on overtime because reserve officers usually work some of the busiest shifts such as Saturday evenings, Moriarty said. Its a great program because we know we are getting a good officer, he said. There have been a few cases where reserve officers are told they just arent cut out for policing, and several reserve officers have worked for a time and quit, saying the job just isnt for them. But most stay and develop valuable skills even before they enter the academy, Moriarty said. After they graduate from the academy, the new officers will be paired with another officer until they are ready to patrol alone. Seela Subba Rao By With the industry witnessing stagnant growth and given the global challenges, the Central government should undertake structural and fiscal reforms in the upcoming Union Budget to steer India towards a $5 trillion economy. Taxpayers expect the government to announce bold policy initiatives and further rationalise the direct tax structure that will leave more money in consumers hands. Moreover, Indian companies are required to pay 21.17 per cent Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) on the declaration of payment of dividends under the current tax regime. This is a dual tax collected from the firm over and above the corporate income tax of 25.17 per cent (including surcharge and cess). Together, it works out to 41 per cent in case a firm announces a 100 per cent dividend payment ratio. Hence, DDT may be abolished or may be substituted by TDS at a lower rate. Likewise, the government may consider increasing the minimum holding period requirement for qualifying as a longterm capital asset from the current one year to three years to ensure that funds remain in the system for a relatively longer time. Currently, capital gains tax stands at 10 per cent on sale of long-term (held for more than one year) listed equity shares and equity-oriented mutual funds if the gains exceeded Rs 1 lakh. ALSO READ | 45 bills on government's agenda during budget session of parliament Agriculture remains a significant contributor to GDP as well as a principal employment provider. So measures like the inclusion of agri-warehousing under priority sector lending, subsidy schemes, availability of easy credit for farmers, and tax sops may be taken up. Similarly, the SEZ benefit, which expires in March may be extended further to prop up Make in India initiative. Consumer appliances industry sought a waiver of import duty inputs used to make components locally and a stimulus package will be helpful. Importantly, budget 2021 should provide incentives for manufacturers to produce energy-efficient products such as refrigerators and air conditioners to increase adoption of sustainable appliances. As for housing, with the governments goal for Housing for All by 2022, the affordable housing is expected to flourish next fiscal. ALSO READ | Budget 2020: 7 key changes brought by Modi government since 2014 But, in line with market prices in metros, theres a need for raising the limit of affordable housing to Rs 1 crore from the current Rs 45 lakh. Similar initiatives should also be taken in urban and semi-urban areas to spur demand. Meanwhile, of the total expenditure incurred by the Centre, 85-90 per cent comprises revenue expenditure, and such high spending is often blamed for low-income growth. Hence, theres a need for a reasonable hike in the capital expenditure in the budget to boost growth. Lastly, Indian companies should be allowed to list overseas, which will provide additional funds for business expansion. (The author is former asst. general manager, NABARD) Although not a traditional campus event, the Iowa caucuses demand excessive time and energy on the part of the Colleges Office of Communication. Rachel Bly, Director of Operations and Events, has certainly had her hands full. In addition to planning the Ward One caucus happening in Darby Gymnasium, she is also assisting in the planning of the Ward 3 caucus. I am mostly in charge of Ward 1 (which includes the College) because it is my job, said Bly. However, I am the also Director of Conference Operations and Events, so all the events that happen on campus go through our office. Basically, I make sure that people get all the resources they need. For the last week or so, Bly has been in constant communication with Poweshiek County Democrats, the local chapter of the Democratic Party. Her role, besides her day-to-day responsibilities as Director of Operations and Events at the College, is to serve as an intermediary between politicians and Grinnell College bureaucrats. She is also helping her friend Joni Schmidt, general manager and on-site event coordinator at Hotel Grinnell, plan the Ward 3 caucus. On Monday afternoon, the two met and discussed the logistical side of the caucuses that is often forgotten by caucus-goers. The most important item on their docket? How to effectively set up Hotel Grinnells ballroom. According to an email sent by Ward Three caucus host John Clayton, the Poweshiek County Democrats were hoping to set up nine folding tables in the gym area itself. It is up to Schmidt and Bly though to make the room both accessible and maneuverable, a problem that frequently pops up before and during a caucus. After deciding where to station the entrance and registration table, Bly and Schmidt discussed possible accessibility concerns. As part of Ward 3, Hotel Grinnell has an even mix of young and elderly voters. Therefore, Bly and Schmidt wanted to make sure that seating would be available but not hinder the caucus process. Accessibility and room set-up, it turns out, are major components to running an efficient caucus. While talking this through with Schmidt, Bly mentioned the 2016 caucuses, specifically the one held in the Harris Center. One of the problems in 2016 was that we had way more people than we ever had before, and our sites were so small. We used to be in Harris, but we literally burst the seams at Harris. We had to split people into two groups which went into the cinema or the concert hall because our attendance was over the fire code [limit]. According to Bly, Ward 1 continues to be the second largest caucus in Iowa. Bly also predicts that more than 1,000 people will be attendance this coming Monday. In an effort to accommodate the number of expected attendees, the 2020 Ward 1 caucus will be held in Darby Gymnasium. According to Bly, the risers will make the process of separating groups and counting votes much easier. Over at the Mayflower Community, Nancy Wolff is undergoing the same process as Bly and Schmidt. However, as the caucus coordinator for a senior living center, she is always thinking about accessibility and comfort on behalf of her attendees. The caucus will be held in the Carmen Center, said Wolff. Its a fairly big room, and everyone will be brought in with their wheelchairs and walkers and canes, and those who can will stand up and walk will be able too. Its nice because we all will be able to be in the same room. We are also setting up tables so people can have a table to lean on and be more comfortable when signing their preference cards. Wolff also explained that unlike many other events in the area, voters must be pre-registered before caucusing at the Mayflower. We will just check them off as they come through the door. Its already been verified, so we are hoping that we can make it as comfortable as possible. Wolff is expecting exactly 71 pre-registered caucus-goers and has prepared for all possible accommodations, including equipment for the hearing impaired and handicap accessible furniture. Working behind the scenes, Wolff, Bly, Schmidt and many others are tirelessly figuring out the logistical side of the upcoming caucuses. While they may all be organizing events in separate locations, their planning styles all have one thing in common: making the caucuses accessible to all who are interested. Climate activist Vanessa Nakate, right, speaks via video-link as Ell Ottosson Jarl and Greta Thunberg, center, also attend a press conference with climate activists and experts from Africa in Stockholm, Sweden, Friday Jan. 31, 2020. Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations on Friday made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. (Pontus Lundahl/TT via AP) Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations have made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. The Fridays For Future movement and activist Greta Thunberg held a news conference with the activists in Sweden to spotlight the marginalisation of African voices. Ms Nakate, Makenna Muigai of Kenya, Ayakha Melithafa of South Africa and climate scientist Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa pointed out the challenges in combating climate change on the booming continent of 1.2 billion people, and in inspiring the worlds response. African activists are doing so much, Ms Nakate said. It gets so frustrating when no one really cares about them. Expand Close Greta Thunberg in front of a video link featuring figures including Makenna Muigai, Ndoni Mcunu Vanessa Nakate and Ayakha Melithafa (Pontus Lundahl/TT/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Greta Thunberg in front of a video link featuring figures including Makenna Muigai, Ndoni Mcunu Vanessa Nakate and Ayakha Melithafa (Pontus Lundahl/TT/AP) Ms Muigai pointed to a recent locust outbreak in parts of east Africa which threatens food security for millions of people in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and is moving towards South Sudan and Uganda. Challenges include everything from deforestation to bad energy policies, she said. They also include changes in storm intensity that brought two devastating cyclones to Mozambique a year ago, Ms Mcunu said, and a recent drought crisis in South Africas Cape Town region, highlighted by Ms Melithafa. The narrative we have is Africans can adapt to this. That is actually not true, Ms Mcunu said. The warnings have been stark for Africa. No continent will be struck more severely by climate change, the UN Environment Programme has said. Africa has 15% of the worlds population, yet is likely to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, the African Development Bank has said, noting that seven of the 10 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change are in Africa: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Energy-related CO2 emissions in Africa to date represent around 2% of cumulative global emissions, the International Energy Agency said last year. In some cases it is difficult to persuade people to care more about climate change because there are so many other pressing everyday issues such as poverty, unemployment and gender-based violence, Ms Melithafa said. Thats hard for the global north to understand. Instead people should work to hold more developed countries accountable for producing the bulk of emissions that contribute to global warming, the activists said. Expand Close The photo that Vanessa Nakate was cropped out of (Markus Schreiber/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The photo that Vanessa Nakate was cropped out of (Markus Schreiber/AP) Ms Thunberg firmly kept the spotlight on the activists from African countries. Im not the reason why were here, she said, later adding: We are fighting for the exact same cause. The press conference came a week after the Associated Press cropped Ms Nakate out of a photo at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The AP has apologised and acknowledged mistakes in sending out the cropped photo on January 24 and in how the news organisation initially reacted. The AP has said it will expand diversity training worldwide as a result. Ms Nakate said she was sad the photo incident occurred but added she was very optimistic about this as it has drawn global attention to climate activists in Africa and the crises there. Who is the current president of the Catalan government? Up until fairly recently, there was a perfectly clear answer to that question, namely - head of the centre-right 'Together for Catalonia' party (JxCat) Quim Torra. But this week, after the region's parliament decided to uphold a provisional ruling by the Spanish Supreme Court that strips Torra of his role as a regional MP, the answer is not so clear. Although Torra's alleged "offence" was innocuous in itself (he failed to remove pro-independence banners from Barcelona's streets during electoral campaigning last March), his position as Catalan president has become untenable. A leader can't lead if there's legitimate doubt over whether he or she actually is a leader. The ambiguity surrounding Torra's status is mainly owed to the fact that several institutions have been or are still involved in the legal process, from the Catalan High Court and Spain's National Electoral Board (which instructed Torra to take down the banners in March 2019) to the Spanish Supreme Court and, most recently, the Catalan parliament. Bizarrely, the latter's decision to uphold the Supreme Court's ruling doesn't necessarily mean that Torra has to step down as Catalan president. According to the country's highest court, which has yet to give its definitive ruling on Torra's appeal, that's up to the Catalan parliament. Yet the reaction of the regional congress to Torra's defiant speech this week - in which he refused to give up his seat and announced a regional election, likely to be held in the spring - shows a crippling lack of unity, especially within the pro-independence coalition government. Last weekend, meetings between the Catalan Republican Left, JxCat and other, smaller, pro-independence groups that support their coalition, failed to result in agreement about how to proceed. The opposition, in the form of the conservative Popular Party and centrist Ciudadanos, has already stated that it no longer recognises Torra as the president of Catalonia. It is unfortunate that, in a supposedly healthy democracy, a politician can be penalised for failing to remove street banners expressing a political ideology. However, the resulting confusion over Torra's status has seriously weakened his claim to power in Catalonia. He's right to call a snap election to try to restore unity, but it's uncertain whether pro-independence parties will be victorious again: recent polls show that around 43.7% of Catalans want the region to be an independent state, down from 48.7% in October 2017, when the Catalan parliament held an illegal referendum on secession. It's starting to look like Torra will be yet another casualty of what his predecessor Carles Puigdemont called the "electric chair" of the Catalan presidency, as indeed was Puigdemont's predecessor Artur Mas. Given the uncertainty surrounding Torra's future, perhaps it's time for the Catalan parliament to find someone else who's willing to be strapped in. Quarantine checks undergone at Mong Cai border gate. (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh has banned all travel over cross-border trails and closed auxiliary border gates. The province will also impose strict penalties for the illegal transport of animals and unlawful border crossings. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Xuan Ky said the province has stopped sending workers to China while Chinese workers at local industrial parks and border economic zones must undergo medical checks. Border localities, particularly Mong Cai city, must keep a close watch on the situation, he said. Ky also assigned the Health Department to prepare facilities and personnel for any emergency cases. The department will also work with border localities and the provincial Military Command to complete quarantine areas and construct a field hospital if necessary, he said. Local police and border guards have been instructed to strictly monitor the entry and exit of people over the border with China. Quang Ninh, home to Ha Long Bay, shares a border with China and has become increasingly popular among Chinese tourists. Marilyn Joyce Vaughn Sims, 69, of Chattanooga passed away Saturday evening, January 25, 2020, at Memorial Hospital, surrounded by an abundance of family and friends. A native of Winchester, Tn., Marilyn had lived in Chattanooga since 1999. She was a 1968 graduate of Franklin County High School and was the first Homecoming Queen elected by the student body. In the early 1970s, she worked for Genesco Inc. and was honored as Miss Genesco. Marilyns gracious and caring personality combined with her quick sense of humor and ready laughter endeared her to her many friends from all walks of life. Marilyn had an amazing green thumb like her father, Willie, and took pleasure in growing flowers, enjoyed watching and feeding birds and loved all animals especially her loving cat, Blur. She was of the Catholic faith and was honored to receive last rites by her high school classmate, Father Mike Creson. She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie & Ruth Vaughn and her loving husband, Eric Sims. She is survived by her sons, Rob Majors (Ed Wolf), Chattanooga, and Troy (Jennifer) Page, Winchester, TN; sister, Kathy (Dewey) Garner, Estill Springs, TN; nieces, Wendy Hicks, Maryville, TN and Misty Frame, Estill Springs, TN. The family would like to thank the staff at Memorial Hospital for their wonderful care along with her cardiologist, Dr. Robert Berglund, her pulmonologist, Dr. Harsha Shantha, and her primary care physician, Dr. Anthony Avitabile. The family will be hosting a Celebration of Life filled with drinks, laughter and shared memories on Saturday, Feb. 29, from 3-6 p.m. at the Hunter Museum of American Art. Visit www.heritagechattanooga.com to share condolences and view the memorial tribute. The family asks if you have a story to share, please post it on this site or on Facebook so it may be shared during her Celebration of Life. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 519 E. 4th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37403; McKamey Animal Center, 4500 N. Access Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37415; or the Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403. For those living in the Winchester area, please make contributions to Animal Harbor, 56 Nor-Nan Rd., Winchester, TN 37398. Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home, 7454 E. Brainerd Road. There had been a great deal of lobbying in Washington to stop the latest waivers. The administration of United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said it will allow Russian, Chinese and European companies to continue work at Iranian nuclear sites, arguing their presences would make it harder for the Islamic Republic to develop a nuclear weapon a decision that drew ire from Iran-hawk Republicans. But the Trump administration also imposed sanctions on Irans Atomic Energy Organisation (AEOI) and its chief, a move described by the entitys spokesman as a sign of Washingtons despair, who said Tehrans civilian nuclear work would continue full force. The Trump administration, which, in 2018, pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran, will let the work go forward by issuing waivers to sanctions that bar non-US firms from dealing with the AEOI. The waivers renewal for 60 days will allow nonproliferation work to continue at the Arak heavy-water research reactor, the Bushehr nuclear power plant, the Tehran Research Reactor and other nuclear cooperation initiatives. There had been a great deal of lobbying in Washington to stop the latest waivers as Trump sought to exert more pressure on Iran. We will closely monitor all developments in Irans nuclear programme and Secretary [Mike] Pompeo can end these projects as developments warrant, Brian Hook, US special representative for Iran, told a news briefing. The moves come weeks after the US and Iran came to the brink of war. Washington assassinated Iranian military commander Qassem Solemani in a drone strike in Baghdad on January 3. Under the 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers the UK, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States Tehran agreed to curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of economic sanctions that had crippled its economy. Trump unilaterally abandoned the deal in May 2018, and reimposed US sanctions in a maximum pressure campaign designed to force Iran to return to the negotiating table. In November, Washington terminated the sanctions waiver related to Irans Fordow nuclear plant after Tehran resumed uranium enrichment at the underground site. There was a difference of opinion between the US Treasury and State Department. The Treasury won, a Western diplomat told Reuters News Agency. There is an appetite for more sanctions, so this was a surprise; but others argue that these waivers are vital to ensure nonproliferation. More sanctions Washington, on Thursday, also placed Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the AEOI, and the organization itself under US sanctions, Hook said. The decision to sanction Salehi and the AEOI would have an impact on Irans civilian nuclear programme because it has operational control over it, including purchasing parts for nuclear facilities. Republican Senator Marco Rubio expressed discontent over the waiver renewal. While I am glad to see new sanctions imposed against Irans Atomic Energy Organization and its chief, the administration should terminate the controversial sanctions waivers on Irans civil nuclear programme and exert maximum pressure on the regime in Tehran, he said in a statement. Last week, three Republican senators known to be close to Trump Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina had called for the remaining civil nuclear waivers to be rescinded. Enough is enough, the senators and Republican legislator Liz Cheney said in a joint statement. The diplomat said the US had likely opted to extend the Bushehr waiver because the Russian company targeted also provides nuclear fuel to US facilities, causing a potential sanctions headache for the administration. Imposing sanctions is a political game played by Washington. These sanctions have no value and are childish measures, AEOI spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi told Irans Fars news agency. It is widely accepted that sometimes even a blind hog finds an acorn but, perhaps by the same blind luck, I happened across an intriguing article the other day that was written by a theologian from Birmingham. On the website www.firstthings.com, Dr. Timothy George wrote eloquently about Jesus getting mad right before He raised Lazarus from the dead. Because I really enjoyed the story, The Roar Heard Round The World, I glanced at a list of other stories Dr. George had written and came across one entitled, Ghosts of the Walnut Street Bridge. Oh, boy, now we got a game! It turns out Dr. George graduated from UTC, this before earning a Masters and a doctorate from Harvard. He founded (1988) and then nurtured the Beeson Divinity School of Samford University as its Dean until just recently when he stepped back from his lifes work. He is a contributor to First Things magazine, that purports itself as Americas Most Influential Journal of Religion and Public Life. Where the blind hog comes in is with the discovery of Dr. Georges essay on the Walnut Street Bridge. Much of what he wrote on July 13, 2015, I already knew * * * GHOSTS OF THE WALNUT STREET BRIDGE By Dr. Timothy George, in the July 13, 2015, issue of First Things magazine On a sweltering summer afternoon in July 1998, my friend and Beeson colleague Robert Smith Jr. and I drove from Birmingham to Chattanooga, where we planned to meet the next day with local pastors and church leaders. The next morning we arose at five oclock to take a walk around the city before the heat had become unbearable. As we drove down Market Street toward the Tennessee River, we passed the building that used to house Woolworths Five-and-Dime, the scene of ugly lunch counter confrontations between whites and African Americans during the early stirrings of the Civil Rights Movement. We parked near the Tennessee Aquarium and began our walk along the riverbank. In the distance, blood-stained Lookout Mountain, the site of a famous battle during the Civil War, was barely visible in the haze of the early morning light. Soon we came to the historic Walnut Street Bridge, which at 2,376 feet is one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. There we were, a white man and a black man, walking together across this bridge, the swift currents of the Tennessee swirling beneath our feet. We both knew that this bridge had a history and that we were a part of it. Robert Smith is the great-grandson of slaves from Washington County, Georgia. Some of their children may well have crossed this very bridge, built in 1890, on their trek toward what they hoped would be a better life in Cincinnati and Detroit. Chattanooga is my hometown. I grew up in a section of the city called Hells Half Acre, where poor whites and poor blacks lived side-by-side in the 1950s simply because they could not afford to live anywhere else in town. When I was a boy, my great-uncle Willie Nash recalled when, as a teenager some fifty years before, he had personally witnessed the lynching of an African-American man at Walnut Street Bridge. The name of that man was Ed Johnson, a 24-year-old laborer. The little-known story of his tragic death has been told in a book by Leroy Phillips and Mark Curriden, Contempt of Court: The Turn-of-the-Century Lynching That Launched a Hundred Years of Federalism. Accused of assaulting and raping a blonde and beautiful twenty-one-year-old white woman named Nevada Taylor, Johnson was convicted on flimsy evidence in a hastily arranged trial that left many wondering about the validity of the verdict. On appeal, the United States Supreme Court stepped in to stay the scheduled execution in order to allow further consideration of the case. But an angry mob of some seventy-five men stormed the county jail where Johnson was held. They seized him and then dragged him to Walnut Street Bridge, only a few blocks away. (Alfred Blount, another African-American man, had been lynched at the same spot in 1893.) Johnson was hoisted onto the second span of the bridge. When asked whether he would like to make a final statement, he responded: God bless you all. I am an innocent man. When the lynching rope gave way before the strangulation was complete, Johnson fell onto the pavement below. Uncertain that he was dead, one of the sheriffs assistants fired multiple shots into his body. It was eleven oclock at night, and the murderous mob dispersed as quickly as it had assembled. Around midnight, a horse-drawn cart from a colored funeral home came, and three men scooped up the mortal remains of Ed Johnson and carried them away. According to the coroner, his body had been riddled with more than fifty bullets from assailants. Today, Walnut Street Bridge is a popular site for recreation and family outings. There is no marker to remind pedestrians and bikers about the lynching that took place there on the night of March 19, 1906. At the time, however, this event created quite a sensation and led to the only criminal trial ever conducted by the United States Supreme Court. President Theodore Roosevelt condemned the lynching and sent two Secret Service agents to Chattanooga to investigate the situation. As a result, Chattanooga Sheriff Joseph F. Shipp, a former officer in the Confederate Army, was charged with criminal contempt. Shipp denied active involvement in the plot, but evidence indicated that he had connived in the lynching. He was tried by the Supreme Court, found guilty, and was sentenced to ninety days in a federal prison in Washington, D. C. After serving two-thirds of his sentence, Shipp was released early (for good behavior). He returned home to Chattanooga, where a crowd of some 10,000 local whites turned out to give him a heros welcome while a band played Dixie and Home Sweet Home. On the Sunday before the lynching, several hundred Christians from St. James Baptist Church, a leading black congregation in the city, had gathered at the jail to worship and to minister to Ed Johnson. On this occasion, Johnson professed his faith in Christ and was baptized according to the Baptist stylepresumably in the jailers bathtub. Johnson was received into the church by acclamation amidst rejoicing over the salvation of a new child of God. Many of those who witnessed the jailhouse baptism would be among the two thousand who trudged to Pleasant Grove Cemetery later in the week for Johnsons funeral and burial. We do not know what was said in African American pulpits on that first Sunday after the lynching. But we do have the text of a sermon preached by Pastor Howard E. Jones at the all-white First Baptist Church in Chattanooga on March 25, 1906. In a rhetorically charged address titled Is Lawlessness a Cure for Crime? Jones compared the lynching of Ed Johnson to the crucifixion of Christ: Take your place in the gray dawn of that fatal Friday outside the Pretorium, where Pontius Pilate stands before the fury of a mob and presents the only sinless One who ever lived, and say, Behold the man. Hear the hoarse cry of that awful creature, the mob, as with gathering force it answers back, Crucify Him! Crucify Him! And then stand forth and tell me if you hope by the force and fury of a mob to accomplish anything but to destroy the best and crucify the holiest! Later, Joness house was set on fire. Despite his defense of the rule of law and his stirring protest against mobocracy, Pastor Jones, like almost every other respected community leader in the South at the time, was a white supremacist. He began his sermon by noting simply as a matter of fact that the white man rules in this community . . . he always has and he always will. Ninety-four years after Johnson was brutally murdered on Walnut Street Bridge, another trial took place in Chattanooga. This time his conviction and death sentence were overturnedalas, posthumouslyin a Tennessee court of law. Criminal Judge Doug Meyer remarked, It really is hard for us in the white community to imagine how badly blacks were treated at that time. Its still a continuing struggle. Sheriff Shipps grandson, who was alive at the time, expressed a contrary view. Its water under the bridge, as far as Im concerned, he said. We cant go back and undo things that were done ninety years ago. Two years after Robert Smith and I had first walked together across Walnut Street Bridge, we published a volume of sermons on racial reconciliationan equal number of sermons by white and African American ministers. In the foreword he wrote for this book, the late Gardner C. Taylor referred to the anomaly -- he used the word absurdity -- of the nations attempt to be sincerely religious and stubbornly racist at one and the same time. The ghosts of Walnut Street Bridge are witnesses to that absurdity. We titled our book A Mighty Long Journey, from the traditional African-American prayer-chant: Its a mighty long journey, But Im on my way It is a mighty long journey But Im on my way . . . Timothy George is the founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and, with Robert Smith Jr. and James Earl Massey, editor of Our Sufficiency Is of God: Essays on Preaching in Honor of Gardner C. Taylor (Mercer University Press, 2010). * * * In order that our modern-day builders will always be cognizant of our self-inflicted atrocities, a Memorial to Ed Johnson is to be installed at the south entrance of the Walnut Street Bridge. None among us can be sincerely religious and stubbornly racist at one and the same time, nor should even our most loathsome ever try. * * * The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) is readying a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to be launched at some point during the current fiscal quarter. Chea Serey, NBCs director-general, told the Phnom Penh Post this week the central bank was developing the national payment gateway for Cambodia as a blockchain-based, peer-to-peer platform with its own specially designed cryptocurrency. She did not give a definite date on when the CBDC would be launched. Known as Project Bakong and first trialed by NBC in July 2019, the CBDC will work on a closed system supported by its banking members, one of them, Phnom Penh Commercial Bank (PPCBank) President Shin Chang Moo, told The Post. Related: Japan Must Be Ready if Demand for Digital Yen Soars: Central Bank Official Compared to conventional payment and transfer methods including credit and debit cards, Bakong is cheaper and more convenient, Chang Moo said. His bank is rolling out the system at all branches. We are in the final stages of the deployment, he told The Post. It has taken a little longer than expected because we were ensuring that the system is as useful and convenient for the users as possible. We will offer the service as soon as it launches, he said. There is zero possibility of speculation using the CBDC, Chang moo added. Users will be able to set up a Bakong wallet that will be automatically linked to their bank accounts, allowing easy fiat currency exchange into the new CBDC in real time. NBC says it will store all transaction data from the platform, suggesting payments may be fully traceable. Related: Davos, CBDCs, and the Rise of Bitcoin Art Users will be able to use the quasi-form CBDC for everyday payments from their mobile devices. The initiative is expected to support the governments push to introduce QR-based transactions throughout the country. Bakong was designed by the Japanese blockchain company Soramitsu. CEO Makoto Takemiya told CoinDesk that the CBDC is simply a tokenized version of the USD and Riel fiat money in NBCs reserves. Story continues [T]he system can support any type and number of currencies, including cryptocurrency, he added. Soramitsu is currently working on implementing similar systems for other countries around the world. Although Cambodian authorities have cracked down on cryptocurrency trading, NBC had been testing blockchain technology for an interbank payment solution since at least 2017. In October, the bank signed an agreement with a Malaysian bank to begin experimenting with digital wallets for cross-border transactions. Designed initially for domestic payments in Cambodia, NBC plans to integrate a cross-border payments facility into the Bakong platform, Serey said. Bakong already has the support of 11 national banks, with others expected to join soon, according to Serey. Bakong will play a central role in bringing all players in the payment space in Cambodia under the same platform, making it easy for end-users to pay each other regardless of the institutions they bank with, she said. Although this could hit the banking business in the short term, Cambodias financial system is relatively immature, Chang Moo told The Post. Bakong will create financially inclusive ecosystems that all the stakeholders in the industry can benefit from. UPDATE (Jan. 30, 19:10 UTC): This article has been updated with additional information about the nature of the CBDC. Related Stories This live blog has ended. For more of CNBC's coverage on the coronavirus, read today's blog from CNBC's U.S. team. All times below in Beijing time. 9 pm: Russia reports its first two cases of coronavirus Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova told reporters on Friday that the country had confirmed its first two cases of the coronavirus. The two people that contracted the virus were Chinese citizens who had been isolated, Golikova said, before adding all flights to China from Russia would be halted from 5 a.m. Beijing time on Saturday. However, national airline Aeroflot will continue to operate as normal. 7:50 pm: Singapore bans Chinese travelers Singapore's health ministry has banned entry to all Chinese visitors and foreigners with a recent history of travel to China. The move, which effectively shuts out the island's largest group of visitors, will take effect from Saturday. It is the first Southeast Asian country to implement a travel ban to Chinese travelers in order to contain the outbreak. The ban exempts residents and long-term pass holders. 6:30 pm: China ambassador says confirmed cases of coronavirus climbs above 9,800 China's envoy to the United Nations said Friday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had risen to 9,809, up from 9,692 as reported earlier in the day. Speaking through an interpreter in Vienna, Switzerland, China's Wang Qun said the number of deaths remained unchanged at 213. 6:15 pm: Italy reportedly set to declare coronavirus emergency Italy's government is poised to declare a state of national emergency, Reuters reported Friday citing a cabinet statement. It comes shortly after the country confirmed the first two cases of the coronavirus. Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said two Chinese tourists visiting Italy had contracted the virus. Italy's civil aviation authority has closed air traffic to and from China. 5:40 pm: Britain reports its first two cases of the coronavirus England's chief medical officer has confirmed the first two cases of the coronavirus in the U.K., less than 24 hours after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global emergency. "We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus," Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, said in a statement on Friday. Tweet 1 The patients are receiving specialist care from the state-run National Health Service (NHS), Whitty said, before adding that medical staff would use "tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus." 4:45 pm: Mongolia closes all ports of entry from China until March 2 Mongolia's government announced Friday that it would close all ports of entry into and from China until March 2., as the country seeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Mongolia has reportedly given its citizens until Feb. 6 to return home. The country, which is landlocked between Russia and China, has not yet reported any cases of the virus. 4:25 pm: The latest on airlines suspending China flights These are the airlines which have suspended all flights to China amid the outbreak: Air France (Until Feb. 9), British Airways, Air Seoul, Egyptair, Lion Air, Lufthansa, Swiss Airlines and Austrian Airlines (until end February), Kenya Airways (till further notice) and Vietjet (effective Feb. 1). Airlines which suspended some flights, or reduced capacity: - Singapore Airlines: reduced capacity on flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing. - American Airlines: suspended flights from Los Angeles to Bejing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27. - Delta Airlines: reducing flights to 21 a week from 42, from Feb. 1 to April 30. - Cathay Pacific: progressively reducing capacity to and from mainland China by 50% or more, from Jan. 30 till end March. - Finnair: suspended flights to Nanjing and Beijing until end March. - Turkish Airlines: reducing frequency of flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xian from Feb. 5 to Feb. 29. 2:30 pm: Shanghai imposes face mask purchase limit The Shanghai government announced that from Sunday onward, residents must register to buy face masks. Each household will be initially limited to buying five masks. 2:25 pm: China sends chartered planes to bring home Hubei residents from overseas The Chinese government will send chartered planes to bring back Hubei residents who are overseas, according to state media, citing the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That's in view of the "practical difficulties" that residents in Wuhan or Hubei the epicenter of the outbreak have been encountering overseas, the ministry said, according to the report. In the latest update, it has dispatched two planes to fly back Wuhan citizens from Bangkok, Thailand, and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, according to a Reuters report. 1:00 pm: Pakistan suspends all China flights Pakistan has suspended all flights into and from China immediately, until Feb. 2, according to a Reuters report. 12:30 pm: Japan raises infectious disease advisory warning for China Japan's Prime Ministry Shinzo Abe said Friday that the government is raising its infectious disease advisory level for the whole of China to 2, which means citizens should avoid non-urgent trips to the country. It has already told its citizens not to take any trips to China's Hubei, the epicenter of the virus outbreak. The government earlier also said it would refuse entry to anyone who is infected. The country now has 14 confirmed cases. 11:50 am: SK Hynix says prolonged outbreak could threaten chip production Top chipmaker SK Hynix warned that a prolonged coronavirus outbreak could pose a threat to its chip production, and said it would bring down its annual investment after it announced a sharp fall in quarterly profit on Friday. It said it is preparing a contingency plan 10:00 am: US raises travel warning advisory for China to level 4 The U.S. Department of State raised its travel advisory for China from Level 3 to Level 4, which means "do not travel to China." That came just days after it changed its alert level to 3 on Monday, which means "reconsider travel to China due to the novel coronavirus." "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China," the notice said. "Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus." 10:00 am: UK, South Korean citizens evacuate from Wuhan A plane carrying 83 U.K. citizens and 27 foreign nationals left the virus epicenter of Wuhan after a delay on Thursday, according to a Reuters report citing the U.K. embassy in China. A flight carrying 368 South Koreans from Wuhan also returned to Seoul earlier in the morning. Five new cases in the country were confirmed on Friday, bringing the total to 11. 9:30 am: China issues recommendation to cancel marriage registrations on Feb. 2 China's Ministry of Civil Affairs announced Friday morning it recommends localities to cancel marriage registrations on Feb. 2, a popular date among couples as it was deemed to be auspicious. The ministry also recommended funeral agencies take precautions in handling remains of patients infected with the coronavirus. 9:20 am: Italy discovers first coronavirus cases The first two coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Italy, according to the country's health ministry, adding that they are Chinese tourists. A day earlier, India and the Philippines confirmed their first cases. Italy has also blocked all flights into and out of China. Italy tweet 8:15 am: China's Shandong province delays start of work China's Shandong province told companies not to go back to work until Feb. 10, in a bid to tackle the spread of the coronavirus. Shandong joins other provinces and cities in delaying the start of work. Hubei authorities have announced that businesses are not to resume work till midnight on Feb. 13. Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Suzhou, Inner Mongolia and Zhejiang told businesses not to resume work till midnight on Feb. 9. 8 am: China says death toll hits 213, cases rise to 9,692 China's National Health Commission said there have been an additional 43 deaths and 1,982 new confirmed cases, as of the end of Thursday. That brings the country's total to 213 deaths and 9,692 confirmed cases, the government said. All times below in Eastern time. 5:35 pm: Hubei province reports 42 additional deaths The Hubei Province Health Commission on Thursday reported an additional 42 deaths along with an additional 1,220 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the region as of Jan. 30. That brings the total to 204 deaths and 5,806 cases in the province. 3:52 pm: Pilots union files suit to halt American Airlines flights to China The union that represents American Airlines' pilots said Thursday it's suing American Airlines to halt service to China amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more than 170 people in China and infected more than 8,000 around the world. The Allied Pilots Association represents "15,000 professional pilots who fly for American Airlines," according to its site. The suit seeks a temporary restraining order that, the APA said, would halt all American Airlines service between the U.S. and China. 12:37 pm: First human-to-human transmission of coronavirus confirmed in US The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois public health officials confirmed Thursday the nation's first person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. The new patient is the spouse of the Chicago woman who brought the infection back from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, Illinois health officials said during a CDC press briefing. The transmission makes the U.S. at least the fifth country where the infection is now spreading through human-to-human contact. 2:43 pm: WHO declares global health emergency A press release from the British Chamber of Commerce for Luxembourg (BCC) details the longstanding relationships and connections formed here in the Grand Duchy. For over 25 years, the BCC has facilitated business and personal connections between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Great Britain. The former, a founding member of what is now the European Union. The latter, becoming a significant partner before opting to leave in 2020. "Britain is leaving the European Union today. The BCC is here to stay!" As members of the European Union, "Britain and Luxembourg shared rules and regulations, a working environment, travel opportunities, and global responsibilities. There were of course challenges and differences of opinion as well.W As of Saturday 1 February, this will no longer be the case, following Britain's formal departure from the European Union. Changes for businesses seeking to trade or invest between Britain and Luxembourg will be limited at the outset, as foundations are yet to be set for the end of the withdrawal period at the end of the year. "What is clear," says Eischen, "is the British Chamber's determination to meet the challenge of this new trading environment head-on." Eischen indicates that far from reducing their role, the BCC will stay true to their values; "More than ever, we are committed to doing whatever we can to help our members navigate the new regulatory waters between Great Britain and the Grand Duchy as they develop." WASHINGTON Former Vice President Joe Biden holds a substantial national lead over his opponents in the Democratic presidential campaign, buoyed by support among voters whose top priority is to beat President Trump, according to a new University of Southern California-Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. The nationwide poll comes just days before the first votes of the 2020 nominating contest are cast in the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses, and many voters are agonizing over which candidate would be best equipped to beat Trump. Even as polls in Iowa and other early voting states, as well as California, show a much closer race in those places, where Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has gained ground, Bidens support among black voters and people who want a candidate who can beat Trump have kept him in the lead nationwide, the new poll finds. Backing from those groups, which significantly overlap, could help Biden weather political storms if he has a weak showing in Iowa on Monday and, a week later, in the New Hampshire primary, where polls show the former vice president also faces stiff competition. If he could win Iowa, he would have a pretty good path to the nomination, said Bob Shrum, director of the Center for the Political Future at USC, which sponsored the poll. But if he loses Iowa or performs poorly there, will these (national) numbers change, or are they a firewall? The new poll, however, also backs up a key argument made by Bidens top rivals that he is not the only one who could beat Trump. The survey found that Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also outpolled Trump in hypothetical head-to-head matchups, although by narrower margins than Biden. Bidens electability argument is not faring so well in delegate-rich California, where the Democratic electorate is especially liberal. A new UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies poll for the Los Angeles Times put Sanders in the lead, backed by 26% of people likely to vote in the states March 6 Democratic primary, followed by Warren with 20% and Biden trailing with 15%. Overall, the nationwide poll finds the top-tier candidates aligning in much the way they did when USC last polled in October. Among likely Democratic primary voters, 34% say they support or are leaning toward Biden. Sanders and Warren are essentially tied, with 18% and 16%, respectively; Pete Buttigieg trails with 9%; Amy Klobuchar gets 3%. The poll finds that 53% of black voters support Biden, compared with 19% for Sanders and 10% for Warren. The poll was conducted Jan. 15-28 among 5,860 adult U.S. residents nationwide. The margin of error is 2 percentage points. The biggest change in the candidate lineup comes in the emergence of Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and former New York mayor, who in November made a late entrance into the race. He has already caught up to Buttigieg, the poll found, drawing support from 9% of likely Democratic primary voters. Janet Hook is a Los Angeles Times writer. The St. Louis plaintiff litigation law firm of Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C., has named Kaitlin A. Bridges a principal in the firm. Bridges primary areas of practice are consumer class actions, commercial litigation, and mass torts. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions Plaintiffs. She was named the Best Lawyers 2018 St. Louis Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions Plaintiffs Lawyer of the Year. Ms. Bridges was also named a Rising Star by Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers magazine an Up and Coming Lawyer by Missouri Lawyers Weekly. She was the 2015 recipient of BAMSLs John C. Shepherd Professionalism Award and the 2008 recipient of the Leader of Tomorrow Award at the St. Louis Daily Record Womens Justice Awards.. Ms. Bridges is a 2008 graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law, where she graduated with honors (cum laude and Order of the Coif) and served as Managing Editor of the Missouri Law Review. She also received the William H. Howard Legal Research and Writing Award. About Gray, Ritter & Graham, P.C. The new BS6 Lexus ES 300h is the Japanese luxury brands first locally-assembled product. Lexus India has launched the 2020 BS6-compliant range of the ES 300h sedan and NX 300h crossover, alongside the exclusive LC 500h grand tourer (GT). The Japanese luxury car manufacturer under Toyota also announced its commitment to the Indian market with the introduction of the locally-manufactured version of the Lexus ES 300h (available from February 2020). All prices mentioned below are ex-showroom. Prices for the Lexus ES 300h start at Rs 51.90 lakh for the base Exquisite trim while the higher Luxury trim costs Rs 56.95 lakh. The ES 300h is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine coupled to an electric motor. Put together, the mid-size luxury sedan delivers around 218bhp and 221Nm of torque while mated to a 6-step e-CVT that sends power to the front wheels. It primarily rivals the 2.0-litre petrol avatars of the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Jaguar XF. The 2020 version of the bigger Lexus NX 300h crossover is available in three formats: Exquisite (Rs 54.90 lakh), Luxury (Rs 59.90 lakh) and F Sport (Rs 60.60 lakh). The all-wheel-drive NX gets the familiar 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol motor coupled to an electric motor on either axle. Output figures stand at 194bhp and 210Nm. Transmission is the same 6-step e-CVT as in the ES 300h. The NX 300h is a rival to the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, Volvo XC60 and Range Rover Evoque. Finally coming to the top-of-the-line two-door hybrid grand tourer (GT), the Lexus LC 500h is priced at Rs 1.96 crore ex-showroom and caters to a niche luxury/performance-focused market. The CBU (Completely Built Unit) GT model comes only with a 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 engine that runs on the Atkinson cycle. In the global market, there is a bigger 5.0-litre NA V8 on offer. Lexus India BS6 Price Rs ex-sh ES 300h Exquisite 51,90,000 ES 300h Luxury 56,95,000 NX 300h Exquisite 54,90,000 NX 300h Luxury 59,90,000 NX 300h F Sport 60,60,000 LC 500h 1,96,00,000 The V6 petrol engine alone makes 295bhp and 348Nm of torque. Combined with the two 110kW electric motors, the power figure jumps to 355bhp. The rear-wheel-drive power train gets a state-of-the-art 10-speed transmission that combines a 3-step CVT with a 4-speed torque converter. There are no direct rivals to the LC 500h in India, but a lot of expensive alternatives. Lexus India also utilised the venue to announce the opening of four new exclusive dealerships (or Guest Experience Centres) in the coming months: Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi and Hyderabad. At present, Lexus India has exclusive outlets only in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore, while the remaining sales network is formed by major Toyota dealerships spread across the country. FILE - In this Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, file photo, British Ambassador Kim Darroch hosts a National Economists Club event at the British Embassy in Washington. Britain's ambassador to the United States resigned Wednesday, July 10, 2019, just days after diplomatic cables criticizing President Donald Trump caused embarrassment to two countries that often celebrate having a Associated Press Donald Trump will insist the NHS pays more for American drugs after Brexit as the price of any free trade deal, the outgoing British ambassador to Washington has claimed. Kim Darroch said Trump would prioritise the demands of American pharmaceutical firms and farmers, who want more liberal access to UK markets. 'They ... want us to pay the same for American pharmaceuticals as they pay in their own market. Do they want us to pay more for their pharmaceuticals? Do the pharmaceutical companies want to use this leverage? Of course they do," he said. The UK currently caps the price of drugs used by the NHS, which means US pharmaceutical firms have to sell their drugs more cheaply in the UK He said it would be "impossible" for Congress to approve a free trade deal by the end of 2020, the point at which Johnson aims to have wrapped up a deal. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Donald Trump will demand that the NHS pays higher prices for US drugs as part of any trade deal, the departing British ambassador to Washington has said. Kim Darroch, who announced his resignation in July, said that Trump would put corporate American interests first and reward US farmers and drugs firms who insist that he should seek to open up the UK. He also suggested it would be difficult for the UK to negotiate free trade deals with the EU and US at the same time, something that Boris Johnson is keen to do to maximise leverage in Brussels. "I know what the US will be pitching for when they negotiate a free-trade deal with us. They will pitch for massively greater access for agricultural products. People talk about chlorinated chicken it is a lot more than that. Farmers in America vote for Trump, pretty much all of them vote for Trump," Darroch told the Guardian. "They also want us to pay the same for American pharmaceuticals as they pay in their own market. Do they want us to pay more for their pharmaceuticals? Do the pharmaceutical companies want to use this leverage? Of course they do," he said. Story continues He said it would be "impossible" for Congress to approve a free trade deal by the end of 2020, the point at which Johnson aims to have wrapped up a deal. The UK currently caps the price of drugs used by the NHS, which means US pharmaceutical firms have to sell their drugs more cheaply in the UK. Boris Johnson was forced to deny claims by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that the NHS would be "for sale" as part of any trade negotiations with the US. Darroch resigned in July, just days after diplomatic cables written by him criticising Trump were leaked to a British newspaper. The resignation came a day after the president lashed out on Twitter, describing the ambassador as "wacky" and a "pompous fool." Darroch denied that the NHS would be "up for sale" but said Trump would simply seek to negotiate a deal that pleased his voters and people who support him. "He believes in America first. And he believes, particularly, in rewarding people who vote for him and that is American farmers and big American corporations," he said. Darroch's words came as US secretary of state Mike Pompeo warned that trade talks with the UK would be contentious, particularly over issues like food safety. The US follows lower food safety standards than EU countries but insists its products, which include chlorine-treated chicken, should be allowed into the UK after Brexit. "There will be real contentious issues around agriculture," Pompeo told LBC Radio on Thursday. "Our ask will be as it has been in the other negotiations. We need to be open and honest about competitiveness. We need to make sure we don't use food safety as a ruse to try and protect a particular industry." Read the original article on Business Insider Greta Thunberg highlighted the 'under-reported' impact of climate change on Africa today as she spoke alongside a Ugandan activist who was cropped out of a press agency photo at Davos. The Swedish teen protester hosted a press conference in Stockholm with video links to eco warriors from across the continent, including 23-year-old Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda. Vanessa was pictured alongside Greta and three other white activists at the Swiss climate event last week but she was edited out by the Associated Press agency, sparking outrage. Greta Thunberg (right) hosted a press conference with a video link to 23-year-old Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate (on screen at rear) who was cropped out of a press agency photo Vanessa Nakate (left) was cropped out of this photo before it was released by a press agency Greta said she wanted to highlight the disproportionate impact of climate change on Africa The agency later apologised, claiming the photo was changed for reasons of 'composition' and later issued a different photo with Vanessa in. Greta said today: 'We're doing this press conference today so that people who need to be heard can share their stories to the media. 'Today we will be focusing on Africa as the African perspective is always so under-reported.' Vanessa Nakate raged on Twitter when she was cropped out of a photo with white activists The agency later amended the article online to include this image of Vanessa (centre) Speaking of what happened to Vanessa at Davos, Greta said: 'Since Vanessa is my friend, it was very hard to see what she had to experience there, and we tried to support each other through that.' So far, Africa is essentially blameless when it comes to climate change. The continent is home to 17 per cent of the world's population and more than a quarter of its nations, but only accounts for about five per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking from Kampala with her image on a giant video screen behind Greta, Vanessa said: 'This is the time for the world to listen to the activists from Africa and to pay attention to their stories.' Greta was joined via video link by activists from Uganda, Kenya and South Africa today She said of being cropped out of the photo: 'This is something that has been going on for a long while and African activists are trying so hard to be heard. 'It gets so frustrating when no one really cares.' She added: 'It's really sad that the incident happened. 'But when I look at it in a more positive way, it has actually made the world set their eyes on the activists in Africa and try as much as possible to listen to their stories. 'So I'm actually very optimistic about this and I believe that it is going to change the stories of different climate activists in Africa.' Makenna Muigai, an activist from Nairobi, Kenya, said: 'Africa at large is being affected by the negative impacts of climate change. 'A great example is the locust infestation in east Africa, which will soon lead to food insecurity. 'The sad thing is, lots of people from western countries are unaware as to why this is happening.' Ndoni Mcunu, a climate scientist from the Global Change Institute at the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, South Africa, said the impact on Africa was huge. She said: 'Due to drought and other effects of climate change, we have seen almost 52 million people become food insecure in our continent. 'How is it that we're not being spotlighted in stories? That's the main challenge we have as a continent. 'It is said that Africa only contributes five per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, yet we are the most impacted.' As demonstrators mark martyrdom of iconic freedom fighter by holding protests, many accuse BJP of doublespeak on Gandhi. New Delhi, India Dozens of people, carrying placards and Indias tricolour flags, formed a human chain near a Mughal-era gate in the capital, New Delhi, to mark the death anniversary of iconic freedom fighter, Mahatma Gandhi. As more people on Thursday afternoon joined the chain and a call to observe silence in memory of Gandhi was issued by the organisers, a contingent of police stationed nearby rushed to the spot and detained them. While the police officers were bundling detainees into buses parked there, another group of people carrying a large Indian flag stretching up to several metres emerged from the other side of the road. Led by activist Yogendra Yadav and senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, the group chanted Indias national anthem and raised slogans. Bapu, we will fulfil your dream of a secular India, they shouted. Gandhi is fondly referred to by many Indians as Bapu (father in Hindi). Delhi police officers detaining people gathered to form a human chain on Gandhis death anniversary [Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera] Police resorting to excesses Within minutes, the new group of demonstrators was also detained. These [policemen] are violating law and resorting to excesses, Bhushan told reporters while he was whisked away. 200129191551760 Nand Kishore Shukla, a protester, said the police prevented them from remembering Bapu. We assembled here in memory of Gandhi, but police are not allowing us to make a human chain, he told Al Jazeera. Organisers said thousands of people were expected to participate in the human chain. They alleged police revoked permission at the last moment and detained people instead. Authorities even closed three metro stations in the area and deployed policemen at several places in the capital to stop people from gathering for the protests. We had expected 15,000 to 20,000 people to turn up, said Amrita Johri, one of the activists. However, a few hundred managed to gather near the Mughal-era Red Fort and held a peaceful protest. Anti-CAA protesters forming a human chain at the Mughal-era Delhi Gate in the capital [Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera] Why Gandhi matters Indians observe January 30 every year as a day to honour Gandhis death, with the countrys top leaders paying their tributes at Raj Ghat, a sprawling memorial on the banks of River Yamuna in New Delhi. However, this year, the day gained more significance for tens of thousands of protesters across India, who have been hitting the streets for more than a month to demand the withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which critics say violates Indias secular constitution and is anti-Muslim. Gandhi is considered a symbol for a secular and inclusive India. His model of truth-telling and peaceful resistance by holding fasts is frequently emulated by Indian protesters. Gandhi lived and died for Hindu-Muslim harmony. Ramachandra Guha, Historian On Thursday, several civil society groups and student bodies across India called for protests to save secularism which they say is under threat under Prime Minister Narendra Modis government. On January 30, 1948, Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu zealot who accused the freedom fighter of pandering to Muslims and held him responsible for the countrys partition in 1947, which led to the formation of Pakistan. Born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar in the western state of Gujarat, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhis non-violent resistance not only led India to a successful campaign for independence from the British in 1947, but also inspired movements for civil rights and freedoms across the world. Gandhi stood for a secular India, and was killed for saying India should be a secular country where we provide rights to everyone, including minorities, especially Muslims, Johri told Al Jazeera. Modi, second left and Home Minister Amit Shah, centre, with other BJP leaders holding a portrait of Gandhi presented to them during an election campaign rally in New Delhi [Altaf Qadri/AP] Right-wings doublespeak on Gandhi Despite Godse, believed to be a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), killing Gandhi, Indias right-wing has, ironically, always appropriated Gandhi as a national figure. RSS, which draws inspiration from European fascism between the two world wars, is the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and leads a network of organisations accused of inciting hatred and violence against Indias Muslim and Christian minorities. Since Modi came to power in 2014, he has invoked Gandhi not only in his public statements, but also in various policies started by his government, the most famous being the Clean India campaign. Modi has also used Gandhi to defend the CAA. I repeat again, the citizenship act is not to revoke anyones citizenship, but to give citizenship. After independence, Mahatma Gandhi and other big leaders of that time believed India should give citizenship to persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan, he said earlier this month during a speech in the eastern state of West Bengal. Many in India accuse Modi and his party of doublespeak on Gandhi. Several BJP leaders and supporters have openly expressed their admiration for Godse, calling him a patriot, including a hardline member of parliament Pragya Singh Thakur, who was once charged with terrorism. [Gandhi] was murdered by the vicious ideology of hate and today the same ideology is ruling India, Kawalpreet Kaur, a left-wing student activist, told Al Jazeera. CAA a step towards Hindu nation Speaking to Al Jazeera, Indian historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha accused the BJP of distorting and falsifying Gandhis views on a subject like the CAA. Gandhi lived and died for Hindu-Muslim harmony. Gandhi wanted that Muslims in India should have equal and full rights. The new legislation puts them under threat and makes them vulnerable and insecure, he said. Guha said the anti-CAA demonstrators have adopted non-violent means of protest, which is in line with Gandhis principles. But it is the government that is betraying Gandhi at every step, he said. CAA is a step towards making India a Hindu nation and that Gandhi would have totally opposed. Gandhi and other big leaders of that time believed India should give citizenship to persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan. Narendra Modi, Indian prime minister BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain rejected the allegations, saying his party believes in sabka saath, sabka vikas (a BJP poll slogan that means fraternity and development for all). Had India wanted to be a Hindu state, it would have become one long ago, but India chose to be a secular, democratic nation, he said. Hussain said the BJP has fulfilled Gandhis dream by bringing in the CAA. Today, Gandhis soul would be happy, he said. Nationwide anti-CAA protests Last month, Indias parliament passed the CAA to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who came to India before 2015. The BJP called it a humanitarian gesture. 200128065459553 However, opposition parties and critics say the law goes against Indias secular constitution and is meant to turn the countrys 200 million Muslims, who form nearly 15 percent of its 1.3 billion population, into second-class citizens. Seen together with a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) and an ongoing National Population Register (NPR) exercise, many fear the moves will force people to prove their nationality by showing the required documents. A large number of Indians, mainly its poor, say they do not have legacy documents to prove their citizenship. Muslims fear the moves are aimed at their marginalisation. Fears over CAA, NRC and NPR have prompted significant protests across India, in which at least 29 people have lost their lives since December 11. On Thursday, a gunman, who cannot be identified for being a minor, opened fire at a crowd of protesters in New Delhi, wounding a student from Indian-administered Kashmir. The second seven-way leaders debate of the 2020 general election took place at Virgin Media headquarters last night in Dublin and proved to be a very loud affair indeed initially before descending into a more discursive second half. The debate, chaired by Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates, saw the two presenters making more noise in the first two minutes than had been seen in both televised debates broadcast thus far put together. It saw Sinn Feins Mary Lou McDonald come out swinging regarding accusations that her partys budgetary promises, which include 4 billion in additional taxes and lavish spending on public services, do not stand up to scrutiny. Our figures were run by the Department of Finance, our plan produces a surplus of 3.4 billion after a five year term of Government, she said. Youre working on the presumption that providing relief for people is reckless, I am not. Ordinary, working people deserve a break. Micheal Martin himself, when asked had he learned nothing from his 14 years in Government in presenting Fianna Fails own financial plans, said that he had learned lots of lessons in working constructively for nine years in opposition. He said that his own party is the only one that has not allocated the entire 11bn figure in additional funding which the Department of Finance may make available. Our priority is housing. Our priority is the issues that matter most to people, he said. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin (Niall Carson/PA) The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar asked Mr Yates not to put me in the same basket as the others in terms of financial recklessness, and said that last Octobers budget had been deemed to be prudent by one journalist. Maybe we will have more money, maybe we wont, but in either scenario who are you going to trust, he said. Labours Brendan Howlin chose to attack those promising tax cuts, such as Fine Gael itself, as perpetrating a con job. If we want to fix this country we cant give massive tax cuts, he said. Solidarity-People Before Profits Mick Barry said he would spend even more than the 11 billion figure. We have 17 billionaires who have 40 billion between them. Were owed 14.3 billion by Apple, who are in my constituency. They need to pay their taxes, he said. When asked whether or not hes a landlord the Taoiseach replied that he isnt but that if you dont have landlords people dont have anywhere to rent and prices rise uncontrollably. Micheal Martin said he is in favour of rent controls but that the biggest way of dealing with the housing crisis is to increase supply. A key facet of the debate, heralded in advance, hinged on the enmity between Fianna Fail and the resurgent Sinn Fein. Mary Lou McDonald decried the flip flopping of Micheal Martin on a rent freeze, which he previously supported Sinn Fein upon in the Dail but then declared it to be unconstitutional, as astonishing. She said that Fianna Fail were the party of the developers, and Fine Gael are the party of the landlords. Possibly Mr Martins strongest moment of the night came when asked about his attitude to a border poll. The greatest barrier to a united Ireland over the past 40 years has been Sinnein. They supported a campaign that murdered people. They went for a border poll after Brexit. When people hear that it threatens them, he said. Ms McDonald countered that nobody needs a homily from Micheal Martin. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said families and workers are struggling (Niall Carson/PA) In terms of coalition-forming, the Social Democrats Catherine Murphy said we havent ruled out anyone. The Taoiseach once more said that he would not go into coalition with Sinn Fein not because of what theyve done in the past, but because of what they might do in the future. For me the best possible outcome of the election is a Government without either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael. The worst is a coalition of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, Ms McDonald said. Mr Varadkar pointed out that there is one fundamental difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael: My party stands behind me in opposing coalition with Sinn Fein, Micheal Martins party does not stand behind him, he said, citing the examples of TDs Pat The Cope Gallagher, Darragh OBrien, and Kevin OKeeffe. On the subject of healthcare, Mr Varadkar defended the spend on the new National Childrens Hospital and repeated his previous soundbite that the only money wasted on the project was the 35 million spent by Fianna Fail in not building on the Mater site. Micheal Martin meanwhile said that the difference between us and every other party here is that were not hanging about on health. Were saying we will double the National Treatment Purchase Fund immediately to get people off waiting lists, he said. Meanwhile, no one would be drawn on a timeline for a possible border poll, with Mary Lou McDonald coming the closest to giving a timeframe. We need it in the next five years, she said. A former top Trump official has defended leading witnesses who have testified against the US president in his impeachment inquiry, according to local media. John Bolton reportedly said the ex-members of the Trump administration acted in the best interest of the country as they saw it as Democrats push to hear his own testimony. Donald Trump is currently on trial in the Senate after being impeached by the House for withholding aid money from Ukraine while pushing for the country to investigate Joe Biden, a political rival. Speaking about the inquiry, Mr Bolton a former national security adviser said White House officials should feel they are able to speak their minds without retribution, according to KXAN, a TV station in Texas. He reportedly said at a private event: The idea that somehow testifying to what you think is true is destructive to the system of government we have I think, is very nearly the reverse the exact reverse of the truth. Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Show all 26 1 /26 Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Donald Trump Accused of abusing his office by pressing the Ukrainian president in a July phone call to help dig up dirt on Joe Biden, who may be his Democratic rival in the 2020 election. He also believes that Hillary Clintons deleted emails - a key factor in the 2016 election - may be in Ukraine, although it is not clear why. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Whistleblower Believed to be a CIA agent who spent time at the White House, his complaint was largely based on second and third-hand accounts from worried White House staff. Although this is not unusual for such complaints, Trump and his supporters have seized on it to imply that his information is not reliable. Expected to give evidence to Congress voluntarily and in secret. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal The Second Whistleblower The lawyer for the first intelligence whistleblower is also representing a second whistleblower regarding the President's actions. Attorney Mark Zaid said that he and other lawyers on his team are now representing the second person, who is said to work in the intelligence community and has first-hand knowledge that supports claims made by the first whistleblower and has spoken to the intelligence community's inspector general. The second whistleblower has not yet filed their own complaint, but does not need to to be considered an official whistleblower. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rudy Giuliani Former mayor of New York, whose management of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001 won him worldwide praise. As Trumps personal attorney he has been trying to find compromising material about the presidents enemies in Ukraine in what some have termed a shadow foreign policy. In a series of eccentric TV appearances he has claimed that the US state department asked him to get involved. Giuliani insists that he is fighting corruption on Trumps behalf and has called himself a hero. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Volodymyr Zelensky The newly elected Ukrainian president - a former comic actor best known for playing a man who becomes president by accident - is seen frantically agreeing with Trump in the partial transcript of their July phone call released by the White House. With a Russian-backed insurgency in the east of his country, and the Crimea region seized by Vladimir Putin in 2014, Zelensky will have been eager to please his American counterpart, who had suspended vital military aid before their phone conversation. He says there was no pressure on him from Trump to do him the favour he was asked for. Zelensky appeared at an awkward press conference with Trump in New York during the United Nations general assembly, looking particularly uncomfortable when the American suggested he take part in talks with Putin. AFP/Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pence The vice-president was not on the controversial July call to the Ukrainian president but did get a read-out later. However, Trump announced that Pence had had one or two phone conversations of a similar nature, dragging him into the crisis. Pence himself denies any knowledge of any wrongdoing and has insisted that there is no issue with Trumps actions. It has been speculated that Trump involved Pence as an insurance policy - if both are removed from power the presidency would go to Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, something no Republican would allow. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Rick Perry Trump reportedly told a meeting of Republicans that he made the controversial call to the Ukrainian president at the urging of his own energy secretary, Rick Perry, and that he didnt even want to. The president apparently said that Perry wanted him to talk about liquefied natural gas - although there is no mention of it in the partial transcript of the phone call released by the White House. It is thought that Perry will step down from his role at the end of the year. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Joe Biden The former vice-president is one of the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination, which would make him Trumps opponent in the 2020 election. Trump says that Biden pressured Ukraine to sack a prosecutor who was investigating an energy company that Bidens son Hunter was on the board of, refusing to release US aid until this was done. However, pressure to fire the prosecutor came on a wide front from western countries. It is also believed that the investigation into the company, Burisma, had long been dormant. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Hunter Biden Joe Bidens son has been accused of corruption by the president because of his business dealings in Ukraine and China. However, Trump has yet to produce any evidence of corruption and Bidens lawyer insists he has done nothing wrong. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Barr The attorney-general, who proved his loyalty to Trump with his handling of the Mueller report, was mentioned in the Ukraine call as someone president Volodymyr Zelensky should talk to about following up Trumps preoccupations with the Bidens and the Clinton emails. Nancy Pelosi has accused Barr of being part of a cover-up of a cover-up. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Mike Pompeo The secretary of state initially implied he knew little about the Ukraine phone call - but it later emerged that he was listening in at the time. He has since suggested that asking foreign leaders for favours is simply how international politics works. Gordon Sondland testified that Pompeo was "in the loop" and knew what was happening in Ukraine. Pompeo has been criticised for not standing up for diplomats under his command when they were publicly criticised by the president. AFP via Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Nancy Pelosi The Democratic Speaker of the House had long resisted calls from within her own party to back a formal impeachment process against the president, apparently fearing a backlash from voters. On September 24, amid reports of the Ukraine call and the day before the White House released a partial transcript of it, she relented and announced an inquiry, saying: The president must be held accountable. No one is above the law. Getty Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Adam Schiff Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee, one of the three committees leading the inquiry. He was criticized by Republicans for giving what he called a parody of the Ukraine phone call during a hearing, with Trump and others saying he had been pretending that his damning characterisation was a verbatim reading of the phone call. He has also been criticised for claiming that his committee had had no contact with the whistleblower, only for it to emerge that the intelligence agent had contacted a staff member on the committee for guidance before filing the complaint. The Washington Post awarded Schiff a four Pinocchios rating, its worst rating for a dishonest statement. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman Florida-based businessmen and Republican donors Lev Parnas (pictured with Rudy Giuliani) and Igor Fruman were arrested on suspicion of campaign finance violations at Dulles International Airport near Washington DC on 9 October. Separately the Associated Press has reported that they were both involved in efforts to replace the management of Ukraine's gas company, Naftogaz, with new bosses who would steer lucrative contracts towards companies controlled by Trump allies. There is no suggestion of any criminal activity in these efforts. Reuters Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal William Taylor The most senior US diplomat in Ukraine and the former ambassador there. As one of the first two witnesses in the public impeachment hearings, Taylor dropped an early bombshell by revealing that one of his staff later identified as diplomat David Holmes overheard a phone conversation in which Donald Trump could be heard asking about investigations the very day after asking the Ukrainian president to investigate his political enemies. Taylor expressed his concern at reported plans to withhold US aid in return for political smears against Trumps opponents, saying: It's one thing to try to leverage a meeting in the White House. It's another thing, I thought, to leverage security assistance -- security assistance to a country at war, dependent on both the security assistance and the demonstration of support." Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal George Kent A state department official who appeared alongside William Taylor wearing a bow tie that was later mocked by the president. He accused Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps personal lawyer, of leading a campaign of lies against Marie Yovanovitch, who was forced out of her job as US ambassador to Ukraine for apparently standing in the way of efforts to smear Democrats. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Marie Yovanovitch One of the most striking witnesses to give evidence at the public hearings, the former US ambassador to Ukraine received a rare round of applause as she left the committee room after testifying. Canadian-born Yovanovitch was attacked on Twitter by Donald Trump while she was actually testifying, giving Democrats the chance to ask her to respond. She said she found the attack very intimidating. Trump had already threatened her in his 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian president saying: Shes going to go through some things. Yovanovitch said she was shocked, appalled and devastated by the threat and by the way she was forced out of her job without explanation. REUTERS Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Alexander Vindman A decorated Iraq War veteran and an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, Lt Col Vindman began his evidence with an eye-catching statement about the freedoms America afforded him and his family to speak truth to power without fear of punishment. One of the few witnesses to have actually listened to Trumps 25 July call with the Ukrainian president, he said he found the conversation so inappropriate that he was compelled to report it to the White House counsel. Trump later mocked him for wearing his military uniform and insisting on being addressed by his rank. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Jennifer Williams A state department official acting as a Russia expert for vice-president Mike Pence, Ms Williams also listened in on the 25 July phone call. She testified that she found it unusual because it focused on domestic politics in terms of Trump asking a foreign leader to investigate his political opponents. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Kurt Volker The former special envoy to Ukraine was one of the few people giving evidence who was on the Republican witness list although what he had to say may not have been too helpful to their cause. He dismissed the idea that Joe Biden had done anything corrupt, a theory spun without evidence by the president and his allies. He said that he thought the US should be supporting Ukraines reforms and that the scheme to find dirt on Democrats did not serve the national interest. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Tim Morrison An expert on the National Security Council and another witness on the Republican list. He testified that he did not think the president had done anything illegal but admitted that he feared it would create a political storm if it became public. He said he believed the moving the record of the controversial 25 July phone call to a top security server had been an innocent mistake. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Gordon Sondland In explosive testimony, one of the men at the centre of the scandal got right to the point in his opening testimony: Was there a quid pro quo? Yes, said the US ambassador to the EU who was a prime mover in efforts in Ukraine to link the release of military aid with investigations into the presidents political opponents. He said that everyone knew what was going on, implicating vice-president Mike Pence and secretary of state Mike Pompeo. The effect of his evidence is perhaps best illustrated by the reaction of Mr Trump who went from calling Sondland a great American a few weeks earlier to claiming that he barely knew him. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Laura Cooper A Pentagon official, Cooper said Ukrainian officials knew that US aid was being withheld before it became public knowledge in August undermining a Republican argument that there cant have been a quid pro quo between aid and investigations if the Ukrainians didnt know that aid was being withheld. Getty Images Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Hale The third most senior official at the state department. Hale testified about the treatment of Marie Yovanovitch and the smear campaign that culminated in her being recalled from her posting as US ambassador to Ukraine. He said: I believe that she should have been able to stay at post and continue to do the outstanding work. EPA Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal Fiona Hill Arguably the most confident and self-possessed of the witnesses in the public hearings phase, the Durham-born former NSC Russia expert began by warning Republicans not to keep repeating Kremlin-backed conspiracy theories. In a distinctive northeastern English accent, Dr Hill went on to describe how she had argued with Gordon Sondland about his interference in Ukraine matters until she realised that while she and her colleagues were focused on national security, Sondland was being involved in a domestic political errand. She said: I did say to him, Ambassador Sondland, Gordon, this is going to blow up. And here we are. AP Trump impeachment: Who's who in the Ukraine scandal David Holmes The Ukraine-based diplomat described being in a restaurant in Kiev with Gordon Sondland while the latter phoned Donald Trump. Holmes said he could hear the president on the other end of the line because his voice was so loud and distinctive and because Sondland had to hold the phone away from his ear asking about the investigations and whether the Ukrainian president would cooperate. REUTERS Former White House staff, advisers and diplomats, including Fiona Hill, Alexander Vindman and Marie Yovanovitch, gave damning testimonies detailing Mr Trumps dealings with Ukraine during the impeachment inquiry. The investigation has now progressed to the Senate, where Mr Bolton, who resigned as a national security adviser last year, is a sought-after witness for many Democrats. Leaked manuscript for his upcoming book seemed to strengthen the case against Mr Trump. Recommended Senate ready to acquit Trump as key senator drops witness support Mr Bolton wrote that he heard the US president say he wanted military aid withheld from Ukraine until it agreed to investigate the Bidens the abuse of power charge that is the first article of impeachment. Mr Trump has responded angrily to the memoir, calling the claims nonsense and saying his ex-national security adviser would have started World War Six if he had remained in the role. Democrats hopes to hear Mr Bolton testify may be dashed as the Senate, which has a Republican majority,prepares to decide whether to call more witnesses for their investigation into Mr Trump. The vote, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end of the trial and the US presidents expected acquittal. The White House has been approached for comment about Mr Boltons remarks. Additional reporting by Associated Press American presidents have their famous speeches, remembered long after they leave office. JFK said: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and told Mikhail Gorbachev to: Tear down this wall. Some speeches are memorable in other ways. George W. Bush, days after 9/11, ironically announced that: Islam is peace. Barack Obama proclaimed himself the messiah: This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow, and our planet began to heal. President Trump has certainly given strong speeches, such as at the recent March for Life. But he may be remembered more for his raucous rallies and hilarious tweets. Yet one speech has flown under the radar. On Oct. 13, 2016, just weeks before the election, Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Florida. Leading up to the election, he was holding several rallies each day, giving numerous speeches, but this seemingly random speech stands out. The enigmatic Q group refers to it as the speech that got Donald Trump elected. As it was one of many pre-election speeches he gave and at a Florida rally, it may have only been heard by a fraction of Trump voters before the election, but it certainly encapsulates his philosophy, both before and after the election, toward government corruption. The speech explains the resistance by the Washington, D.C. ruling class to Trumps candidacy, election, and presidency. Trump attacked the foundation of deep state power, wealth, and corruption. Trump was indeed an existential threat to the cabal. Before even being elected, and years before Joe Biden decided to run for president, Donald Trump was focused on corruption. Not to influence his reelection, as House Democrats accuse, since he wasnt even president yet. But because rooting out corruption was part of his plan to make America great again. Everything that followed his election, from the Russian collusion accusations, White House leaks, special counsel investigation, and now impeachment, is a reaction to the ideas Trump explains in this 6-minute speech. Watch it here or read the transcript. YouTube screen grab The opening lines are prescient, becoming painfully obvious now almost four years after he laid out the scale of corruption. Our movement is about replacing a failed and corrupt political establishment with a new government controlled by you, the American People. There is nothing the political establishment will not do, and no lie they will not tell, to hold on to their prestige and power at your expense. The Washington establishment, and the financial and media corporations that fund it, exists for only one reason: to protect and enrich itself. The establishment has trillions of dollars at stake in this election. As an example, just one single trade deal theyd like to pass, involves trillions of dollars controlled by many countries, corporations and lobbyists. For those who control the levers of power in Washington, and for the global special interests they partner with, our campaign represents an existential threat. Protect and enrich. This is a perfect encapsulation of the Clinton Foundation and the Obama book and television deals. Then there is the Biden family corruption, followed closely behind by similar abuses of power and office by the Warren and Sanders families, as Peter Schweizer described in his recent book Profiles in Corruption. These names just scratch the surface of government corruption. Candidate Trump then went on to say: Its a global power structure that is responsible for the economic decisions that have robbed our working class, stripped our country of its wealth, and put that money into the pockets of a handful of large corporations and political entities. This is money given to corrupt foreign countries, disguised as aid, only to be returned to the political elite by hiring their unqualified family members for do-nothing jobs, as in Hunter Biden, or funneling these U.S. taxpayer dollars back into political foundations, consultancies, or campaign contributions. Once upon a time, journalists investigated such corruption. Now they ignore it, aiding and abetting the deception. As Trump said in his speech: The corporate media in our country is no longer involved in journalism. They are a political special interest, no different than any lobbyist or other financial entity with an agenda. Speak up against the cabal and you will be destroyed, or even commit suicide. Trump went on: The establishment and their media enablers wield control over this nation through means that are well known. Anyone who challenges their control is deemed a sexist, a racist, a xenophobe and morally deformed. They will attack you, they will slander you, they will seek to destroy your career and reputation. And they will lie, lie and lie even more. Its amazing that Trump predicted exactly what happened a few days ago when Republican political strategist Rick Wilson called the group of you mentioned above, credulous boomer rubes with CNN hack Don Lemon laughing so hard he almost fell off his chair. President Trump has been impeached for drawing back the curtain on deep state malfeasance. Before handing over millions of hard earned U.S. taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, the most corrupt country in Europe, he wanted to know the money was necessary and going where promised, rather than into the pockets of oligarchs and U.S. politician grifters. He acted as he was required to under the Treaty with Ukraine on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, ratified in 2000, 15 years before Trump announced his run for president. He was doing his job, fulfilling his Constitutional oath of office. His reward for pouring roach killer in the nest of Democrat crooks and knaves was impeachment and a concerted effort by Democrats, the media, and nasty NeverTrump Republicans, all heads on the same toxic hydra, to overturn the last election and rig the next one. Its not about Trump enriching himself, despite what Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler say, its for the country. Again, from the famous speech: I didnt need to do this. I built a great company, and I had wonderful life. I could have enjoyed the benefits of years of successful business for myself and my family, instead of going through this absolute horror show of lies, deceptions and malicious attacks. Im doing it because this country has given me so much, and I feel strongly it was my turn to give back. Its all about corruption, exposing it, rooting it out, and destroying it. Those who are the most threatened are those who scream the loudest. Given the Democrat and media apoplexy, Trump must be getting closer to the truth. He ended his speech by throwing down the gauntlet: We will vote to put this corrupt government cartel out of business. We will remove from our politics the special interests who have betrayed our workers, our borders, our freedoms, and our sovereign rights as a nation. We will end the politics of profit, we will end the rule of special interests, we will put a stop to the raiding of our country and the disenfranchisement of our people. Its not about abuse of power or obstruction of Congress. Its not about quid pro quo or bribery. Its simply a new sheriff in town, bringing law and order to drain a swamp of greed and corruption. Its President Trump doing exactly what he said he would do if elected, making America great again. He is doing what past presidents have talked about and promised, but then either looked the other way or became active participants in the graft. And those milking the system are petrified over exposure and their long overdue reckoning. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and QuodVerum. A wildfire threatening property glows on the hills near Clear Range, south of the Australian capital, Canberra, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Rick Rycroft/AP Photo) Australias Capital Declares State of Emergency Over Wildfire Australias capital declared a state of emergency and total fire ban over a raging wildfire. Its the first fire emergency for the Australian Capital Territory area since 2003 when wildfires killed four people and destroyed almost 500 homes in a single day. The threat is posed by a blaze on Canberras southern fringe known as the Orroral Valley Fire that has razed more than 53,000 acres since it was sparked by heat from a military helicopter landing light on Monday, the Emergency Services Agency said. The state of emergency sets a clear expectation for our community that we need you to be vigilant, Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman told reporters on Friday. This is the worst bushfire season in the [Australian Capital Territory] since 2003. The Orroral Valley Fire was at the WATCH AND ACT level warning, the Emergency Services Agency said Friday around 1:45 p.m. UTC. People living in Tharwa Village, Boboyan Road, Apollo Road, Top Naas Road, and Nass Road need to remain vigilant, it said. The fire is out of control and traveling slowly in a southeastern direction, the agency said. A pyrocumulonimbus cloud is generated by the intense Orroral Valley bushfire burning to the south of Canberra, Australia, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) You need to plan for when you will leave. You need to plan for where you will go. And you need to plan for what you will take, Canberra Chief Minister Andrew Barr said at a press conference late Thursday. A state of emergency gives the government extra power to manage the declared emergency, such as directing or regulating movement of people and taking control of a persons property. A change in wind direction caused smoke to blow across the capital region. Residents were told to call emergency services if they saw an unattended fire. They were directed to the Bushfire Survival Plan, which guides people to discuss what to do in a bushfire, be prepared to leave, know the bushfire alert levels, and keep informed through websites and applications. The plan is just four simple steps: DISCUSS PREPARE KNOW KEEP, Emergency Services state on its website. Not needing to use that plan is a far better outcome than not having a plan at all, Barr said at the press conference. The current fire is burning at emergency levelthe highest on a three-tier scale of dangerand embers have created dangerous spot fires nearby, agency officials said. The fire is the most dangerous of dozens of blazes burning Australias drought-stricken southeast. Unprecedented fires across southern Australia have claimed at least 33 lives since September 2019, destroyed more than 3,000 homes and razed more than 26.2 million acres. The fire danger is forecast to escalate across the southeast in the Australian Capital Territory and the states of New South Wales and Victoria as summer temperatures rise over the weekend. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pakistan on Friday halted flights to and from China until February 2 as a precautionary measure after the death toll due to coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213, with the WHO declaring it a global health emergency, officials said. The death toll rose to 213, mostly of elderly people, after 43 new deaths all but one in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, China's national health authorities said, adding that 1,982 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 9,692. "We have decided to suspend flights to China until February 2," Abdul Sattar Khokhar, Senior Joint Secretary of Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, told reporters here. He said the decision would be reviewed later depending on the situation. The step was taken after the World Health Organisation declared that the coronavirus threat was a global health emergency. As part of the measures against the deadly virus spread, the national carrier Pakistan International Airlines on Thursday suspended its flights to Beijing. On Thursday, Pakistan government decided not to evacuate its citizens from the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city to show "solidarity" with China though four Pakistani nationals have contracted the deadly disease in China. There were up to 800 Pakistanis studying in various universities in Wuhan - a city of 11 million people which has been quarantined by the Chinese authorities in an effort to stem the spread of the deadly virus that has killed 170 people and infected nearly 8,000 others. Meanwhile, a Pakistani student who returned to Karachi from China on his own has been quarantined at a private hospital, officials said. A top official of the Sindh Health Department said that the student Arsalan had returned privately from China as he resided in the low income Lyari area. "But we moved him to the private hospital and placed him in quarantine in a isolation ward on Thursday itself," the official said. He said samples of nose fluid had been obtained from Arsalan and sent for testing to the national health organisation in Islamabad. "If the tests of the sample come negative, Arsalan will be immediately released from hospital but right now we can't take any risks," he said. Pressure is growing on the Pakistan government to repatriate Pakistani students and citizens from China specially those who were in Wuhan. Dr Qaiser Sajjad, the secretary general of the Pakistan Medial Association, said on Friday that the students should be brought back immediately and they can be placed in quarantine in isolation wards set up in government hospitals and if their tests are negative they can be sent home. Pakistan set up a high level committee to suggest measures to counter the threat of coronavirus. A number of airlines from various countries have imposed temporary ban on its operation to and from China, including Germany's Lufthansa, UK's British Airways and India's Air India and Indigo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Friday said there must be a debate on how the convicts in heinous crimes continue to delay execution of death penalty by exploring the judicial process even after the Supreme Court upholds their conviction. His remarks came in the wake of a Delhi court postponing the execution of death warrants of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang grape and murder case till further order. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on a plea by the convicts seeking a stay on their execution on Saturday, February 1. "There must be a debate on how the convicts in heinous crimes, even after Supreme Court upholds their conviction, continue to delay execution of death penalty by exploring the judicial process," Reddy, Union minister of State for Home, told reporters here. The Delhi court did not agree with the Tihar Jail authorities, which had challenged the application of the three condemned prisoners in the case, seeking a stay on their execution. The black warrants for execution of the death sentence against Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Akshay Kumar and Mukesh Kumar Singh, were issued on January 17. The convicts' lawyer argued that the rules dictate that when one a convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Airlines, travel industry worst hit by corononavirus The spread of the new coronavirus from China to more than 16 countries across the world has frozen the travel industry while forcing airlines across the world to halt flights to China and alter flight schedules. British Airways (BA) halted all flights to China and American Airlines suspended flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing as fears spread about a new virus that has killed more than 130 people in China. The carriers on Wednesday joined several Asian carriers that are either suspending or significantly cutting back service there as fears spread about the coronavirus. South Korean budget carrier Seoul Air is also halting all flights to the country, and Indonesias Lion Air plans to do the same. Other carriers, including Finn air, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, and Singapore-based Jetstar Asia are slashing service. Lufthansa is suspending its flights while Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China have been halted until 9 February, raising concerns about the broader economic impact of the virus outbreak. Hotels, airlines, casinos and cruise operators are among the industries worst hit by the outbreak of the coronavirus in China. BA said it was immediately suspending all flights to and from mainland China after the UK government warned against unnecessary travel to the country. The airline operates daily flights from Londons Heathrow Airport to Shanghai and Beijing. US officials said the White House had decided against suspending all flights to China for now, but it could revisit the decision if events warrant. Air Canada, which planned earlier this week to cancel just a select number of its 33 weekly flights to China, said on Wednesday it would suspend all direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai. Among European carriers, Germany's Lufthansa suspended its own, Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China until Feb. 9, while Air France said it would reduce its flight schedule to Beijing and Shanghai this week. Iberia, part of the IAG group along with BA, said it was temporarily suspending all flights to Shanghai. "The airline industry has proven resilient to shocks in the past," S&P Global Ratings said. "However, the impact on Asia-Pacific airlines and other operators will depend on how quickly the virus is contained and the extent to which it spreads beyond China." Indonesias Lion Air said on Wednesday it would suspend all direct flights to China. Indias IndiGo is also suspending flights to Chengdu and Hong Kong. Carriers, including Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways, said on Wednesday amenities such as hot towels, blankets and magazines would not be offered on flights to and from mainland China from Thursday until further notice. Cathay Pacific and other airlines are allowing their flight attendants to wear face masks and gloves on flights to protect against fears of contagion. Still Golden Social House isnt going anywhere. After the entire block northeast of Broadway and East Grayson Street was purchased to make way for Jefferson Banks new headquarters, with Still Goldens building at 1900 Broadway set to be demolished, the popular bars future turned hazy. But Jefferson Bank and Milam Real Estate Capital, the firm developing the project, announced this week that Still Golden will be moving into the banks tower. Reaching an agreement for Still Golden to continue their business is what Jefferson Bank is all about, Paul McSween, Jefferson Banks president, said in a statement. We want to see small businesses be successful. Still Goldens final day of business will be May 23, the lease ends May 31 and its building will be demolished in June. Construction on the banks headquarters is expected to wrap up in spring 2022 and the bar will move into the ground floor. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox We are in the process of installing a wind-down clock counting down until May 23, said Jeret Pena, a managing partner at the Boulevardier Group, who opened the bar last year. Expect to see regular parties and events that get bigger and bigger as we get closer to the end. Were going to have some fun with it. When Still Golden returns, Pena said its unlikely the bar will have major changes to its current atmosphere. Until it re-opens, he said hes developing two additional concept properties near the Pearl in 2020: one with a Tiki bar feel to it, with a full Thai-style kitchen, and another that he wants to keep secret. Stil Golden has been displaced by a financial institutions headquarters before. In 2017, an earlier incarnation, Stay Golden Social House, was knocked down to make room for Credit Humans new headquarters. That site, where Credit Human is building its corporate offices and a second building for Bank of America and other tenants, is a block over from Still Goldens current location. Jefferson Banks new building will include about 15,000 square feet of retail and 190,000 square feet of offices, though its unclear how much of that space the bank will occupy and how much of it will be leased to other tenants. The bank is moving from its current headquarters off Loop 410 near Harry Wurzbach. madison.iszler@express-news.net After a nine-hour hostage drama, the UP police rescued all the 24 children held hostage by a murder accused in Farrukhabad. The women who were held captive were released too while the person who had held the women and children hostage was killed by the police. The murder accused has been shot dead, said IG Kanpur Range Mohit Agarwal. Earlier in the day, a murder accused on bail had taken 23 kids hostage along witg a few women. The incident was reported from Karthiya village of Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh (UP). The ATS was rushed to the spot. UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath called for an emergency meeting to take stock of the situation. IG Range Kanpur too was at the hostage site reviewing the situation. Additional Director General of Police P V Rama Shastri said, Twenty children are being held hostage at Kathariya village." We are ensuring their safe rescue. If needed, NSG (National Security Guard) will also be called for the operation, said the DGP. The man who is holding kids hostage was said to be a murder-accused and fired from inside to shoo away parents who came to get their children. Among the hostages were the man's wife and his one-year-old daughter. The police begun negotiations with the man, who had been identified as Subhash Batham. The entire hostage drama lasted for nine hours in UP's Farrukhabad. Police said that Batham invited a few kids to his house saying he was celebrating his daughter's birthday. However, he soon held them at gunpoint after everyone had assembled inside his house. Neighbours complained to the police after they heard fire shots. Paper Mill Playhouse has announced plans to premiere a reimagined version of Elton John and Tim Rice's hit musical Aida during its 2020-21 season. The premiere, directed by Schele Williams (original Broadway cast member) and choreographed by Tony nominee Camille A. Brown, will run at Paper Mill Playhouse from February 4-March 7, 2021. The production will feature a book revised by David Henry Hwang, who coauthored the original production with Linda Woolverton and Robert Falls. Following the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere, the show will launch a national tour playing Charlotte, North Carolina; Chicago; Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia; and Washington, DC, among other cities to be announced. The creative team will include sets and costumes by Bob Crowley and lighting by Natasha Katz, both of whom won Tonys for their work on Aida in 2000. The music department includes Jason Michael Webb (musical supervision), Michael McElroy (vocal arrangements and co-incidental arranger), Jim Abbott (orchestrations), and Zane Mark (dance arrangements). "Aida is in my DNA in ways I had never imagined until I began the journey for this production," said Williams. "I have a rich history with the show that I am very proud of, but when I recently made some discoveries about the history of its time period, the show broke open for me. It truly is the butterfly effect; subtle shifts have taken a story I love and turned it into an adventure I can't wait for audiences to discover." Aida tells the story of star-crossed lovers belonging to feuding nations, torn between their conflicted loyalties to their countries and to each other. The musical opened at the Palace Theatre on March 23, 2000, and closed on Broadway on September 5, 2004 after nearly 2,000 performances. The show was nominated for five Tony Awards, winning four, including Best Score. Casting will be announced later this year. The General Election is next Saturday and I have a small plea to make ask election candidates you encounter what they will do for small businesses such as your local wine merchant. Remind them that supermarkets sold alcohol at deep discounted prices before Christmas, and they got their money back by selling household necessities at full price. The Public Health (Alcohol) Act became law 14 months ago but it has not been acted upon. Minimum pricing will have no effect on the cost of wine in your local wine merchant but it will stop predatory pricing by the multiples. I love my wine, beer and whiskey, and I love a bargain, but I am also aware that alcohol should be sold responsibly. The family-owned, local wine merchant that knows their customers and the actual age of their teenage kids will disappear if curbs are not put on deep discounting. The Off-Licence of the Year Awards were announced recently, a competition that celebrates quality and customer service, not price gouging. The National Winner was Jus de Vine in Portmarnock. Father and daughter Tommy and Julie Cullen have never stopped looking to improve. Jus de Vine has very fair pricing (Northside price, as Tommy says), even on their rare collection of Bordeaux Cru Classe (Mouton Rothchild, Lynch Bages, etc). The shop has lots of on-trend natural and organic wine but also rarities such as old vintages of Guigals La Landonne and La Mouline, Penfolds Grange, Sassicaia, and Vintage Ports dating to the 1970s. Rare Champagnes include Krug Clos de Mesnil and large format Bollinger from Mathusalem (6 litre bottle) to Nebuchadnezzar (15 litres). Munster Off-Licence of the year went to Galvins Carry Out in Carrigaline, another gem of a shop with a range of rare whiskies and vintage Bordeaux. The Wine Centre Kilkenny won Leinster, Mitchell & Son CHQ won Wine Specialist and Deveneys Dundrum for Spirits. Selections this week are available in Independent Off Licenses only, support your local shop or it wont be there much longer. For the diary: Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Dinner, Maryborough Hotel, February 5, 85, Tel: 021-436-5555. Best value under 15 El Perdiguero Barrica Cigales, Spain 14.95 Stockists: Independent Off-Licences, ODonovans, Vintry, World Wide Wines, Jus de Vine, Wine Centre Kilkenny, Deveneys This was the gold medal winner in the 2019 Gold Star Awards run by the National Off-Licence Association. From the small region of Cigales in north west Spain. Concentrated dark plum and cedar aromas, rich and full flavoured and punching well above its price point. Ohh Poitou Sauvignon Blanc, Loire, France 14.99 Stockists: World Wide Wines, Jus de Vine, Martins, Independents This is from the Haut Poitou region of the Loire near Poitiers and you will find a few different Poitou Sauvignons in independents (ODonovans have one as does ODriscolls). This is probably my favourite Haut Poitou around at the moment, pristinely fresh and zingy with gooseberry and tropical aromas and lovely crisp citrus flavours. Chateau Vaugelas, Corbieres, France 14.95 Stockists: Jus de Vine and selected independents This wont be so easy to find but Jus de Vine always have it in stock. Corbieres in the Languedoc is not as well known as it should be this is a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan with some new oak ageing and ripe red and black fruit aromas with a touch of vanilla, ripe and smooth with good texture and length. Best value over 15 Galius Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2016, Bordeaux, France 34.99 Stockists: ODonovans, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, Vintry, Independents Solid example of Saint Emilion, Merlot-dominated Bordeaux, a wine that will drink nicely for the next 10 years. While still a little young this is fruit forward as you would expect with bright plummy fruits, textured cedar and spice edges and good grip and texture. Perhaps decant for an hour. Marques de Riscal Reserva Rioja, Spain 24.95 Stockists: Galvins Carry Out, JJ ODriscolls, Ardkeen Stores, Molloys, Donnybrook Fair, Independents This classic Rioja house has been on Irish shelves for decades. Riscal Rioja spends time in oak and in bottle until it is ready to drink toasted oak, spice and red fruit aromas, blackberry fruits on the palate with elegance and structure. Talmard Macon Uchizy, Burgundy, France 17.95-18.95 Stockists: Jus de Vine, World Wide WInes, Vintry, Searsons, Independents A proper classical white Burgundy with layers of flavour and complexity. From a good producer Macon can thrill this has creamy lemon and melon aromas, ripe white fruits on the palate with floral-tropical touches and lingering complexity. 30 former foreign policy and national security officials from three administrations published an open letter harshly criticizing the Trump Israeli-Palestinian peace plan. Why it matters: The signatories, who served under George W. Bush, Clinton and Obama, criticized the plan as harming U.S. interests, giving Israel a green light for annexation in the West Bank and possibly turning Israel into a binational state. The letter is also an indication that the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has become a divisive domestic political issue in the U.S., after years of relatively consistent Mideast policy under both Republican and Democratic administrations. The big picture: The letter says the Trump plan is abandoning longstanding U.S. principles, such as excluding solutions by outside parties, resolving the conflict only through direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians and avoiding unilateral steps that prejudice a final outcome. Abandoning those principles will have enduring and deleterious effects on U.S. interests, Israel's security, Palestinian aspirations, and the stability of a key Arab partner, Jordan, they said in the letter. Trumps plan could strike a fatal blow to the two-state outcome, and lead inexorably toward a binational state in which Palestinians do not have equal rights. The administration seems to be giving a green light to unilateral Israeli annexation in the West Bank, which would accelerate that process. Driving the news: The letter states the timing on unveiling the plan appears aimed primarily at burnishing President Trump's domestic political standing and at intervening in the highly competitive Israeli elections to help re-elect Benjamin Netanyahu. Who signed the letter: THEMATIC ISSUES Counter-Terrorism Expected Council Action In February, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, the head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT), and Michele Coninsx, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), are expected to brief the Security Council on the Secretary-Generals tenth strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Daesh). In the past, Council members received these reports every four months; however, several Council members felt that was excessive, and so the report has been submitted biannually since the adoption of resolution 2368 in July 2017. Background and Key Recent Developments Under the terms of resolution 2368 of 20 July 2017, the Secretary-General submits a strategic-level report on ISIL to the Council biannually. The reports are intended to reflect the gravity of the ISIL threat as well as the range of UN efforts to support states in countering that threat. In his July 2019 report, the Secretary-General found that despite its territorial defeat in Syria, ISIL remains committed to the global relevance of its so-called caliphate. According to the report, it continues to draw upon its affiliates and inspires attacks, and possesses an estimated residual wealth of $300 million. The report also highlights acute concerns about the challenges posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), returnees and relocators, and the increasing number of attacks in areas controlled by the Syrian government. Beyond the Middle East, there has been a noticeable increase in ISIL- and Al-Qaida-linked recruitment in Africa, according to the report. The West Africa Province is now one of the strongest ISIL offshoots, with approximately 4,000 fighters. ISIL also presents an evolving threat in Central Africa. In Europe, radicalisation in prisons and the risk presented by returnees upon their release from prison remain significant concerns, particularly given their direct input into home-grown terrorism and domestically inspired attacks. Asia continues to experience the ISIL threat despite military pressure: the jihadist group is estimated to have between 2,500 and 4,000 fighters there, including FTFs. In Southeast Asia, the report notes two troubling developments among ISIL affiliates: the role of women in planning and executing attacks and explicit targeting of places of worship. The report warns that the decline in attacks directed by ISIL may only be temporary. Briefing the Council on the report on 27 August 2019, Voronkov underscored that the fall of Baghouz, ISILs last stronghold in Syria, did not remove the threat posed by ISIL, which continues to evolve into a covert network and remains the international terrorist group most likely to conduct a large-scale attack in the near future. He also emphasised that despite significant challenges concerning the repatriation of their nationals, especially women and children, from ISIL territories, several member statesincluding Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistanhave repatriated women and children, including orphans, from Iraq and Syria. He also highlighted three new initiatives being spearheaded by the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) that address law enforcement and border security, protection of vulnerable targets such as places of worship, and a global capacity-building programme to counter the financing of terrorism. During his briefing, Voronkov furthermore presented key principles developed by the UNOCT that focus on screening, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of suspected terrorists and their families, as well as the related practical implementation and customised support being provided by UNOCT, other United Nations entities, and various regional and field presences to the states that request it. During the same briefing on 27 August, Coninsx stressed that the international community must pay urgent attention to the large numbers of women and children who are detained because of their association with ISIL. She was also adamant that any post-repatriation strategies include short-, medium- and long-term components, addressing prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of the returnees. She emphasised that CTED remains fully engaged with its partners and stands ready to assist member states in addressing these challenges. In other ISIL-related developments, some detainee camps in Syria serve as incubators for possible ISIL resurgence, according to Michael Stephens of the Royal United Services Institute, an independent think tank in London focused on defence and security research. After the fall of Baghouz in March 2019, the al-Hawl camp admitted 64,000 women and children, many of whom have links to ISIL, with the camp rapidly falling under the control of a group of radicalised women. While official numbers are not available, several prisoners fled when Turkey began its shelling offensive against the Kurdish forces in the area in October 2019. In December 2019, ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack in Nigerias north-eastern Borno state in which 11 people were killed. A 56-second video released by the ISIL news agency Amaq said the attack was part of ISILs campaign to avenge Abu Bakr al-Baghdadis targeted killing in October 2019. On 9 January, ISIL assaulted a Niger military base, leaving 89 Nigerien soldiers and 77 ISIL militants dead. There have also been developments regarding the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/ISIL (UNITAD), established by resolution 2379 of 21 September 2017 to support Iraqi domestic efforts to hold ISIL accountable for crimes it committed in Iraq. On 20 September, the Council unanimously renewed UNITADs mandate for another 12 months. On 26 November, Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, the Special Adviser and head of UNITAD, briefed the Council on his third report and most recent developments. Kachi Amo Saloh, a Yazidi survivor who joined the discussion from Iraq via video teleconference, spoke about losing family members to ISIL crimes and his support for UNITAD and the implementation of its mandate. (For more, please see our 25 November 2019 Whats In Blue story.) During the briefing, Khan discussed UNITADs evolution from start-up to real operations over the previous six months. He also addressed significant progress in collecting, gathering and analysing evidence of ISIL crimes in Mosul, Sinjar, and the Tikrit Air Academy (also known as Camp Speicher). Khan elaborated on UNITADs two field-based missions conducting active investigations in the Ninawa governorate, where ISIL targeted judges, religious clergy, journalists and health-care officials. Through these missions, UNITAD identified several individual ISIL members as primary targets for further investigations in relation to the three areas, which were discussed during his previous briefing in July. On staff recruitment, Khan said that his team had grown to 107 members and represented all geographical groups at the UN. Women occupy half of the senior leadership positions. In other counter-terrorism-related developments, the Council held a ministerial-level debate on 25 September 2019 on counter-terrorism cooperation in Central Asia. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasised that efforts to counter terrorist ideology must be founded on respect for the dignity and human rights of all. Several speakers embraced that sentiment and, in their statements, focused on the need to fully respect international law, especially human rights law, in the context of counter-terrorism operations. Some stressed that success in countering terrorism lies in respect for human rights principles within the UN framework. Key Issues and Options A key issue for the Council is to maintain the necessary flexibility and adaptability to address the evolving global threat posed by ISIL as well as ensuring the overall implementation of the 1267/1989/2253 Al-Qaida/ISIL sanctions regime as part of wider counter-terrorism efforts. However, it is important that states do not hinder humanitarian activities, as highlighted in resolution 2462. Council members may want to address the key principles developed by UNOCT and presented by Voronkov during his briefing in August 2019 and hear about their practical impact. Council Dynamics Counter-terrorism is one of the issues where there is a high degree of consensus among Council members, who are in overall agreement about the importance of receiving strategic analysis on ISIL, which can then feed into other counter-terrorism efforts or serve as background for the Councils counter-terrorism agenda, even if no specific course of action is foreseen. Council members differ, however, in their approach to FTFs and their families. For example, during negotiations over resolutions 2395 and 2396 in December 2017, renewing the mandate of the CTED and addressing the threat of FTFs, respectively, several Western states argued that screening processes need to reflect some discernment between FTFs and their families rather than an automatic assumption that the families are complicit. However, Russia argued that FTFs should be held criminally liable and that family members travelling with FTFs are complicit by default and should be held accountable. UN DOCUMENTS ON COUNTER-TERRORISM Donald Trump's impeachment trial on Thursday concluded with some confusion over the final question and resulted in Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar approached Chief Justice John Roberts to clarify her inquiry. It offered a rare moment of levity for senators who had spent the day in the chamber. There was laughter as Roberts, who had been presiding for nine and a half hours Thursday, struggled to read the card. 'I think this is the right question,' he said scrutinizing the card. Then he put it down. 'We don't have the question before us,' he said. Klobuchar then approached the desk where Roberts sat in the well of the Senate to fix the card. Under Senate procedure, Senators write their questions on a card that includes their name, state and what they are asking. Roberts reads the questions aloud. The card senators fill out to ask their questions Chief Justice John Roberts studies the question card Senator Amy Klobuchar, in red, goes to the desk to fix her question card The Minnesota senator, who's running for president, later explained to reporters what happened and got in a pitch for her White House campaign. She explained that she submitted one question but noticed the time was running out on the Q&A period. Her question - Number 89 - ended up being the last of the evening. So she submitted another inquiry but only signed it with her initials - A.K. Adding to the confusion, it also featured with Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland's name when it was Klobuchar who Roberts called on to submit an inquiry. Senators can jointly submit questions 'I had a different question, but we only have four minutes left, so I did the closer question,' she told reporters at the end of the evening. 'And it had a Cardins name on it. I put my name on it,' she said. 'I wrote AK but it wasn't enough so I went down there and fixed it myself in a very hands on manner.' 'It technically was probably not with the rules. The funniest part was that I hands on took care of the problem myself as I would as president,' she said, getting in part of her campaign pitch. Sen. Klobuchar said she signed the card with her initials - A.K. - instead of her full name Klobuchar asked the last question of the Thursday's session Senate pages have been taking the question cards from senators and bringing them to the Senate clerks to hand to Roberts. Senators had been staying at their desks during the question and answer process. Klobuchar is running for the Democratic presidential nomination and has had her husband and daughter Abigail campaigning in Iowa for her ahead of Monday's caucus vote. Iowa has the first vote in the primary contest and the senators running to be the nominee against Donald Trump - Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bennet - have been at the president's trial in the Senate instead of on the campaign trail. Klobuchar said she expects to be back in the state on Sunday. Senators are scheduled to resume Trump's trial at 1 p.m. on Friday. Her plans could change if the trial wraps on Friday night. 'Well I can't tomorrow because we're going to be there at one and so unless I teleported in. I've got my daughter there,' she said. 'Im going to go on Sunday for sure.' Compounding to the confusion in the trial's final moments, Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead manager for House Democrats, got up to answer Klobuchar's question but Rep. Jerry Nadler, one of his fellow managers, beat him to it. Schiff rose and was walking toward the lectern but Nadler was ahead of him and beat him to it. 'Jerry, Jerry,' someone was heard whispering. Amy Klobuchar shows reporters photos of her daughter Abigail campaigning for her in Iowa Amy Klobuchar said she expects to back in Iowa campaigning this weekend Day 10 of the trial had a few memorable moments. In the opening minutes, Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday that would have named the alleged whistleblower. Roberts looked at the card containing Paul's question carefully and then set it aside, saying: 'The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted.' Paul immediately left the impeachment trial to hold a press conference on Roberts' move. 'I can tell you that my question made no reference to the whistleblower or any kind of person,' the senator from Kentucky said. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday that would name the alleged whistleblower Senator Rand Paul immediately left the trial to hold a press conference Rand Paul holding his question that Chief Justice Roberts wouldn't read He read his question to the press but DailyMail.com is not naming the alleged whistleblower, whose public identity has not been disclosed. Here is Senator Paul's question with the names in it redacted: 'Are you aware that House Intelligence Committee staff ... has a close relationship with ... when at the National Security Council together. Are you aware and how do you respond to reports that ... and ... may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?' Roberts - who is tasked with reading senators' questions aloud - had told the lawmakers he would not say the name of the whistleblower during the Q&A session. The person has not publicly identified themselves and is protected by federal law from having their identity revealed. Democrats don't want the whistleblower named publicly to protect the person and several Republicans agree with them. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to reassure Roberts the lawmakers would support his position amid reports Paul was going to try to name the person in his question. 'We appreciate the judge reading our questions, and I want to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue,' McConnell said before the Q&A period began. But Paul made his inquiry and then left the trial to talk to the press. 'I don't know who the whistleblower is,' Paul told reporters. 'My question is not about the whistleblower. My question is about two people who are friends who work together the National Security Council, who are having overheard talking about impeaching the president years in advance of a process that then was created,' he said. He said he was 'still contemplating' trying to ask his question or some other form of his question again. He was asked if he shouldn't be in the trial instead of holding a press conference. 'Yeah, I will be there very shortly. Thanks for the question,' he said. Republican Senator Joni Ernst said it was 'concerning' that Roberts would not read Paul's question. 'That's concerning. I think that all questions need to be considered,' she told reporters during a break in the trial. LONDON - So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu. With little fanfare, Britain left the European Union on Friday after 47 years of membership, taking a leap into the unknown in a historic blow to the bloc. The U.K.s departure became official at 11 p.m. (2300GMT), midnight in Brussels, where the EU is headquartered. Thousands of enthusiastic Brexit supporters gathered outside Britains Parliament to welcome the moment theyd longed for since Britains 52%-48% vote in June 2016 to walk away from the club it had joined in 1973. The flag-waving crowd erupted in cheers as Big Ben bonged 11 times on a recording. Parliaments real bell has been silenced for repairs. In a message from nearby 10 Downing St., Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Britains departure a moment of real national renewal and change. But many Britons mourned the loss of their EU identity, and some marked the passing with tearful vigils. There was also sadness in Brussels as British flags were quietly removed from the blocs many buildings. Whether Brexit makes Britain a proud nation that has reclaimed its sovereignty, or a diminished presence in Europe and the world, will be debated for years to come. While Britains exit is a historic moment, it only marks the end of the first stage of the Brexit saga. When Britons wake up on Saturday, they will notice very little change. The U.K. and the EU have given themselves an 11-month transition period in which the U.K. will continue to follow the blocs rules to strike new agreements on trade, security and a host of other areas. The now 27-member EU will have to bounce back from one of its biggest setbacks in its 62-year history to confront an ever more complicated world as its former member becomes a competitor, just across the English Channel. French President Emmanuel Macron called Brexit a historic alarm signal that should force the EU to improve itself. Its a sad day, lets not hide it, he said in a televised address. But it is a day that must also lead us to do things differently. He insisted that European citizens need a united Europe more than ever, to defend their interests in the face of China and the United States, to cope with climate change and migration and technological upheaval. In the many EU buildings of Brussels on Friday, British flags were quietly lowered, folded and taken away. This is the first time a country has left the EU, and many in the bloc rued the day. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen lamented that as the sun rises tomorrow, a new chapter for our union of 27 will start. But she warned Brexit day would mark a major loss for the U.K. and said the island nation was heading for a lonelier existence. Strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union, she said. Johnson insisted post-Brexit Britain would be simultaneously a great European power and truly global in our range and ambitions. We want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly co-operation between the EU and an energetic Britain, Johnson said in a pre-recorded address to the country broadcast an hour before Britains exit. In a break with usual practice, independent media outlets were not allowed to film Johnsons speech, which the government recorded Thursday at 10 Downing St. Johnson won an election victory in December with a dual promise to get Brexit done and deliver improved jobs, infrastructure and services for Britains most deprived areas, where support for leaving the EU is strongest. On Friday, he symbolically held a Cabinet meeting in the pro-Brexit town of Sunderland in northeast England, rather than in London. Johnson is a Brexit enthusiast, but he knows many Britons arent, and his Conservative government sought to mark the moment with quiet dignity. Red, white and blue lights illuminated government buildings and a countdown clock projected onto the prime ministers Downing Street residence. There was no such restraint in nearby Parliament Square, where arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage gathered a crowd of several thousand, who belted out the patriotic song Land of Hope and Glory as they waited for the moment that even Farage sometimes doubted would ever come. This is the single most important moment in the modern history of our great nation, Farage told the crowd. The war is over, said Farage, who often describes Britains relationship with Europe in martial terms. We have won. Londoner Donna Jones said she had come to be part of history. It doesnt mean were anti-Europe, it just means we want to be self-sufficient in a certain way, she said. But Britons who cherished their membership in the bloc and the freedom it bought to live anywhere across of 28 countries were mourning. Many of us want to just mark our sadness in public, said Ann Jones, who joined dozens of other remainers on a march to the EUs mission in London. And we dont want trouble, we just want to say, well you know, we didnt want this. Britains journey to Brexit has been long, rocky and far from over. The U.K. was never a wholehearted EU member, but actually leaving the bloc was long considered a fringe idea. It gradually gained strength within the Conservative Party, which has a wing of fierce euroskeptics opponents of EU membership. Former Prime Minister David Cameron eventually agreed to hold a referendum, saying he wanted to settle the issue once and for all. It hasnt worked out that way. Since the 2016 vote, the U.K. has held fractious negotiations with the EU that finally, late last year, secured a deal on divorce terms. But Britain is leaving the bloc arguably as divided as it was on referendum day. By and large, Britains big cities voted to stay in the EU, while small towns voted to leave. England and Wales backed Brexit, while Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain. Candlelit vigils were held in several Scottish cities, government buildings in Edinburgh were lit up in the EUs blue and yellow colours, and the blocs flag continued to fly outside the Scottish Parliament. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Brexit was a moment of profound sadness. And here in Scotland, given that it is happening against the will of the vast majority of us, that sadness will be tinged with anger, she said in a speech in Edinburgh. Sturgeons Scottish National Party government is demanding the right to hold a referendum on independence from the U.K., something Johnson refuses to grant. London, which is home to more than 1 million EU citizens, also voted by a wide margin to stay in the bloc. Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was heartbroken about Brexit. But he insisted London would remain that welcomed all, regardless of the colour of your skin, the colour of your flag, the colour of your passport. Negotiations between Britain and the EU on their new relationship are due to start in earnest in March, and the early signs are not encouraging. The EU says Britain cant have full access to the EUs single market unless it follows the blocs rules, but Britain insists it will not agree to follow an EU rule book in return for unfettered trade. With Johnson adamant he wont extend the transition period beyond Dec. 31, months of uncertainty and acrimony lie ahead. In the English port of Dover, just 20 miles (32 kilometres) across the Channel from France, retiree Philip Barry said he was confident it would all be worth it. My expectation is that there may be a little bump or two in the road but in the end it will even out, he said. Somebody once said: short-term pain but long-term gain. ___ Associated Press video journalists Jo Kearney and Philipp-Moritz Jenne contributed. Casert reported from Brussels. ___ Follow APs full coverage of Brexit and British politics at: https://www.apnews.com/Brexit In the Philippines and Singapore, the bishops say communion must be distributed by hands. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines launches an Oratio Imperata for victims of the virus. In Malaysia, people with flu-like symptoms who cannot attend Mass are encouraged to perform an act of spiritual communion. Manila (AsiaNews) In a world anxious over the health crisis caused by the 2019-nCoV outbreak, the Catholic Church in Southeast Asia is taking a number of steps to avoid contagion among the faithful, including prophylactic measures touching prayers and the holy communion. In the Philippines, no case of coronavirus-related pneumonia has been reported yet; however, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has issued some directives. Communion must be distributed by hands to help prevent further fear from people, reads a notice sent to all of the countrys dioceses by CBCP general secretary Fr Marvin Mejia. All other forms of contact between Mass participants are also discouraged. This includes holding hands when reciting Our Father or shaking them during the sign of peace. The CBCP urges parishes to regularly change holy water at the entrance to churches and install "protective cloth" on the grills of confessional. The Filipino bishops also released an Oratio Imperata for people affected by the virus and the prevention of a global epidemic. The prayer will be recited at weekday and festive Masses after the communion, on one's knees, starting next Sunday (2 February), feast day of the Presentation of the Lord. In Singapore, health authorities have confirmed ten cases of coronavirus infection so far. The local archdiocese is urging the faithful to be "socially responsible" and "comply with health advisories and control measures issued by the authorities. It has also posted specific steps on its website. For instance, Alcohol hand rubs are to be made available near entrances of churches and confessionals. Holy Communion is to be received by hand and Holy communion by Chalice is to be suspended till further notice. No holy water in fonts at entrance of churches as this could be a vehicle for infection. The advisory goes on to say that catechists and students should have their temperature taken before class. It also urges Catholic parishes and associations to postpone to a later date those initiatives that are not essential to the life of the community. In Malaysia, seven people have reportedly contracted the infection. Here the three bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Peninsular Malaysia Archbishop Julian Leow of Kuala Lumpur, Bishop Sebastian Francis of Penang, and Bishop Bernard Paul of Melaka-Johor issued a number of pastoral recommendations. Persons displaying flu-like symptoms, e.g. fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, cold, etc are advised to stay home and avoid public places including churches. For those not able to attend mass for these reasons, they are encouraged to make an act of spiritual communion (offer a prayer at home accompanied with a desire to be in union with the Eucharistic Lord). The bishops invite the faithful to pray for all the victims of the outbreak and the medical staff treating them. They add that The local church will continue to closely monitor the development of the situation and issue further updates and guidelines, if and when it is deemed necessary. The prelates call upon all the faithful to remain calm, to trust official announcements, and follow the general precautions issued by the Ministry of Health. "I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed," Collins said in a statement. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah will also vote for the motion Friday, an aide said, while Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has not said how she'll vote, telling reporters as she left the Senate late Thursday night that she would read back through the two volumes of notes she's taken during the trial. "I'm going to go back to my office, put some eye drops in so I can keep reading," she said, adding that she plans to announce her decision on Friday morning. But even if Murkowski joins Collins and Romney to back witnesses, the Senate vote would end in a 50-50 tie, and Chief Justice John Roberts is seen as highly unlikely to intervene, meaning the vote would fail. Democrats had hoped Alexander and a handful of other GOP senators would join them in calling for witnesses in the wake of former national security adviser John Bolton's revelations in his draft book manuscript about Trump conditioning US aid to Ukraine on investigations into Democrats. But Democrats' options for a fourth Republican to join them in Friday's witness vote appear to have evaporated. Amanda St. Amand 314-340-8201 @mandystlpd on Twitter astamand@post-dispatch.com Review at a glance F inally, the last former member of One Direction to release a solo debut. Walls sees Louis Tomlinson grapple with the tragic events of the last four years: the loss of his mother Johannah and sister Felicite. Turning his back on the dancier vibes of his early solo songs, the 28-year-old reaches for pop sensibilities and indie-rock to provide a backdrop for his grief. Never afraid to confront the tough subjects, he lets his feelings take centre stage on Two of Us as he sings about his mum: The day that they took you/I wish it was me instead. Musically, hes taken inspiration from Oasis, with nods to the bands stylings packed in. His vocals have developed a Gallagher-like swagger and Manchester drawl, evident from the first line of Kill My Mind. And he has Noels approval the temperamental rocker has a writing credit on Walls, which borrows from Oasiss Acquiesce and has the best lyric on the album: Nothing wakes you up like waking up alone. But while Tomlinson attempts to embrace a slightly edgier sound, he often falls back on what worked for 1D. Dont Let it Break Your Heart boasts a catchy chorus, stripped-back ballad Too Young could be a 1D album track and Habit namechecks the bachelor pad he and Harry Styles once shared. Despite his insistence otherwise, Tomlinson hasnt quite shaken off his boyband past. RAMALLAH, West Bank Israeli Minister of Energy Yuval Steinitz said Jan. 16 that talks are ongoing between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (PA) to supply the PA with natural gas. The Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted Steinitz as saying during his participation in the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum in Egypt that talks with the Palestinians are also covering the development of the Gaza Marine gas field facing the Gaza shores on the Mediterranean. In response to Steinitzs statements, head of the Palestinian delegation participating in the forum and Chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) Mohammad Mustafa said during the forum, Talk about the PA importing Israeli gas is inaccurate, without giving further clarification. He added, The Palestinian government is making efforts to resolve the electricity crisis in Gaza by shifting the reliance of the power production station in the Gaza Strip on natural gas [from Israel] instead of diesel. He explained that there is a difference between the government-led efforts to resolve the electricity crisis in Gaza and developing the Gaza Marine field, implying that talks with Israel aim to solve Gazas power crisis although he did not say it explicitly. Al-Monitor tried to get a comment from Mustafa, but he refused to make any statements. A Palestinian official told Al-Monitor that no new developments have emerged in the Gaza Marine issue, but that there has been progress in extending pipelines to transfer gas from Israel to operate the power station in the Gaza Strip. The source, who refused to reveal his identity and place of work, noted that the electricity crisis in Gaza is a problem the government wants to solve. The Israeli Calcalist economic newspaper reported Jan. 13 that Steinitz gave instructions to put the final touches on a long-term project to extend gas pipelines to Gaza. The newspaper said that the planning phase funding, provided by the Netherlands, is estimated at 10 million Israeli shekels ($2.9 million). Qatar will play a pivotal role in funding the gas pipeline extension from Israel to Gaza. At the end of October, Qatar received the approval of President Mahmoud Abbas to extend the gas pipeline, provided that Qatar gives financial guarantees to Israelis to settle the gas payment. According to the newspaper, the pipeline will transfer 1 billion cubic meters of gas to Gaza per year, thus allowing the operation of a power generation station with a capacity of 400 megawatts and meeting the electricity needs of the Gaza Strip. The PA has been discreet regarding the situation in the West Bank and has not revealed whether negotiations with Israel to buy gas are ongoing like in Jordan and Egypt. The gas would operate a power station that is currently being built in Jenin, in the northern West Bank. Work on the station, which would have a capacity of 450 megawatts, began in 2016 and is expected to cost $620 million. According to the plan set for the station, power generation would begin by the end of 2021, and it would rely on gas extracted from the Gaza Marine field. However, with the date of operation nearing, there are still no signs of gas extraction from the field to fuel it. The PA might resort to buying gas from Israel to operate the station until gas extraction kicks off. In January 2014, the PA had signed a deal worth $1.2 billion with Israel for 20 years to supply gas to the power station being built in Jenin. However, the deal was not implemented because of the war on Gaza in the same year. The PA has sought to benefit from the Gaza Marine field that is 36 kilometers (22 miles) west of Gazas coast since its discovery in 1999 by British Gas Corporation, but its attempts to develop the field and extract gas hit a wall, due to Israeli refusal. The Gaza Marine gas field reserves are estimated at 32 billion cubic meters. The PA is counting on these reserves as a main source to solve the power crisis in the West Bank and Gaza and to supply energy, which would ultimately help the government in its electricity and energy disengagement from Israel. The PA has two key projects connected to the gas field. The first project consists of supplying gas to the power station in Gaza, which currently operates at a capacity of 140 megawatts. The second project focuses on providing gas to the Jenin station, whose construction the PIF the investment arm of the PA is overseeing. The cost of developing the Gaza Marine field is estimated at $1.2 billion, as per Massader Company, which is one of the PIF companies specialized in strategic projects aimed at developing natural resources and infrastructure in the Palestinian territories. The PA signed an agreement with the British Gas Company in 1999 to develop the field, which is entirely located in the Palestinian territorial waters. As per the agreement, the PA gave the company the exclusive right to drill for any natural resources, like petroleum and gas, in Palestine and develop them. In 2015, the PA relaunched the negotiations regarding the agreement, canceled the British Gas Companys exclusive right and increased Palestinian investment from 10% in the old agreement to 17.5% in the amended one. With that, Shell acquired British Gas on April 8, 2016. PIF announced on April 4, 2018, that Shell exited the agreement to develop the field, and that a new alliance between PIF and the Consolidated Contractors Company-Palestine was forged giving each 27.5%. Another 45% was allocated to an international company to develop the field. A government source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that no agreement has so far been reached with any company instead of Shell. Israel canceled operations to develop the field with the outbreak of Al-Aqsa intifada in 2000. With Hamas victory in the legislative elections in 2006 and its control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel did not resume operations. Consequently, Israel is the main hurdle preventing the PA from benefiting from the gas field. Economics professor at the Arab American University Nasser Abdel Karim told Al-Monitor, Israel will not allow the Palestinians to benefit from the gas field for economic and political reasons. Israel might allow this in one case if this plan is part of a bigger project to develop Gazas economy so that it splits from the PA and the West Bank. The daily death toll from the rapidly spreading coronavirus hit a record high in China on Thursday, health authorities said, with 43 more fatalities 42 of them in Hubei province, the outbreaks epicentre. Of the newly reported deaths, 30 were in Hubeis provincial capital Wuhan, where the virus was first reported, according to the Hubei health commission. The other death was in Heilongjiang province, in the countrys northeast, as Thursdays toll took the total number of deaths nationwide to 213, with none so far reported outside mainland China. A total of 1,982 new cases were confirmed on the mainland on Thursday, bringing the countrys total to 9,692, far exceeding that of the 2002-03 Sars epidemic, which killed almost 800 people worldwide. No more square-dancing Medical experts on Friday warned that patients who had recovered from the virus were still at risk of being infected again, and said people should avoid any mass gathering, even dancing in public parks and squares a popular activity for exercise in China. Zhan Qingyuan, head of infectious diseases at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said in a press briefing on Friday that people who had already had the virus would have developed antibodies but should remain on alert so they did not get ill again. The antibodies may not remain for a long time, so there is still a risk that these recovered patients will be infected again, Zhan said. They should continue to keep themselves protected. The National Health Commission said 47 patients had recovered from the virus on Thursday. Zhan said people could still go for a walk in the park, but they should avoid group dance activities. Dancing itself increases the risk of cross-infections. It uses a lot of oxygen, so it will be hard to breathe with a mask on while youre dancing, he said. Joining in square-dancing with a mask on is risky, especially for people with hypertension and heart disease. Taiwanese on mainland get virus Story continues Two Taiwanese who were stranded on the mainland have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, the islands Mainland Affairs Council said on Friday night. One of them is a businessman in Wuhan, and the other worked in the city but was diagnosed after flying to Shenzhen earlier this month. The council called for the two patients to be given proper treatment, and for Beijing to allow the evacuation of Taiwanese. Hubei residents to fly home Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying confirmed on Friday that China was to arrange chartered flights to take Hubei residents stranded abroad to Wuhan. Considering the difficulties facing Chinese citizens overseas, especially those from Wuhan, the Chinese government decided to send chartered flights as early as possible to take them back to Wuhan, Hua said in a one-sentence statement. The Civil Aviation Administration of China said it would arrange two chartered flights on Friday, operated by Xiamen Air, to repatriate Wuhan residents from Bangkok in Thailand and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. US: dont go to China Following the decision of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a global public health emergency over the spread of the coronavirus, the United States advised against travel to China. Do not travel to China, due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, a travel advisory issued by the US said. Travellers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. Those already in China should consider departing using commercial means, and the US State Department has requested that all non-essential US government personnel defer travel to China, the advisory said. The US embassy in Beijing said its consulates in China were cancelling visa appointments for the next week. The German foreign ministry also issued a travel warning on Friday morning, advising against travel to Hubei province. The ministry recommended that non-essential travel to China be postponed if possible. Wuhan in need As the Chinese government scrambles to contain the outbreak, the contagion has spread to all 31 of mainland Chinas provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and at least 19 other countries or territories. Beijing has sent more than 7,000 medical workers to Hubei to help fight the disease. As of Thursday, the province had reported 5,806 confirmed cases, with 32,340 people still under observation for infection. A total of 804 patients were in severe condition and 290 in critical condition. Two coronavirus hospitals Huoshenshan and Leishenshan were under construction and expected to be completed next week, adding 2,300 beds to help ease an acute shortage in the central city of Wuhan. A satellite image of a hospital under construction in Wuhan. Photo: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters Meanwhile, China has imported more than 56.228 million masks in the past week, according to the General Administration of Customs. Some 290 million yuan (US$41.8 million) worth of protective gear was imported from January 24 to 30, it said on Friday. That included the masks, 69,000 pairs of goggles, and 738,000 items of protective clothing. Flights out Despite the WHOs upgraded assessment on Thursday, as cases continued to spread outside China, WHO officials said they opposed any move to close Chinas borders or restrict Chinese travellers movement. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organisations director general, said the move was not a vote of no confidence in China but was intended to prevent the damage this virus could do if it were to spread to a country with a weaker health system. However, more than a dozen countries have started to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. On Thursday, the US State Department allowed American diplomatic staff and their families in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou to leave the country. The Department of State made the decision to put the US embassy and consulates general on authorised departure status out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care related to the novel coronavirus, the department said in a statement. Pakistan on Friday halted flights to and from China with immediate effect, Reuters reported. A civil aviation official was quoted as saying that flights were suspended until Sunday, when the situation would be reviewed. Kenya Airways also suspended flights to China until further notice. And Finnish carrier Finnair said it would suspend all flights to and from mainland China for most of February. Other major airlines such as United, Lufthansa and British Airways had already cut down or halted their flights to China, and there have been reports of people from Hubei being refused permission to board flights. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific said it would halt all Italy flights with immediate effect after Rome imposed a flight ban on all Greater China flights. The sweeping ban, announced by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Thursday, will last until April 28. Italy reported its first coronavirus cases on Friday. It also had a scare with a cruise ship when two passengers fell ill, but they were later cleared of the virus. British health officials also announced the countrys first two confirmed cases, while Russias Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said two people had also been diagnosed with the coronavirus there. Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. More from South China Morning Post: This article Coronavirus: Chinese health experts warn patients can get reinfected first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Passengers wearing protective facemasks start to arrive from the provinces at the Beijing Railway Station on January 30, 2020. A virus similar to the SARS pathogen has killed 170 people and spread around the world since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. (Photo: AFP/Noel Celis) The vast majority of infections are in China where the virus originated in an illegal wildlife market in the city of Wuhan and has also claimed 170 lives, latest official data showed. More than 100 cases have emerged in other countries, from Japan to the United States. The World Health Organization (WHO), which has so far held off declaring the flu-like coronavirus a global emergency, began another meeting in Geneva to reconsider. Such a declaration would trigger tighter containment and information-sharing guidelines, but may disappoint Beijing, which had expressed confidence in defeating the "devil" virus. It could also further spook markets, already shuddering at the ripple effects of damage to China's economy. "The fear is that they (the WHO) might raise the alarm bells ... so people are taking money off the table," said Chris Weston, head of research at Melbourne brokerage Pepperstone. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome also came from China, killing about 800 people and costing the global economy an estimated US$33 billion, or 0.1 per cent of world GDP, in 2003. Economists fear the impact on global growth could be bigger this time as China now accounts for a larger share of the world economy. One Chinese economist has forecast the crisis would lop a percentage point off China's first-quarter growth. LOCKDOWN IN WUHAN Almost all the deaths have been in Hubei province - of which Wuhan is the capital - where 60 million people are now living under virtual lockdown, only venturing outside with masks. "Most of the shops are closed. We cannot go out and buy food," Si Thu Tun, one of 60 students from Myanmar trapped in Wuhan, told online news outlet the Democratic Voice of Burma. "Honestly, I have one big potato and three packs of instant noodles and some rice," he said. Myanmar plans a special flight to get the students out within three days. Australia, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand and Indonesia were quarantining evacuees for at least two weeks, though the United States and Japan planned shorter, voluntary isolation. Three Japanese, from 206 evacuated on Wednesday, were infected, and worryingly two of them had not shown symptoms, Tokyo said. A second Japanese flight included nine people showing fever or coughing symptoms, broadcaster NHK said. India was the latest nation to report a case, a student of Wuhan University. And South Koreans protested at facilities earmarked as quarantine centres, throwing eggs at a minister. "The weapons that will protect us from the new coronavirus are not fear and aversion, but trust and cooperation," said South Korean President Moon Jae-in as Seoul prepared to evacuate the first of about 700 citizens from Wuhan. An Italian cruise ship's 6,000 passengers were kept on board while tests were held on two Chinese travellers. The crisis has stoked a wave of anti-China sentiment around the globe, from shops barring tourists to online mockery. "WHEN CHINA SLOWS, WE FEEL IT" In the corporate world, Alphabet Inc's Google and Sweden's IKEA were the latest big names to close China operations. South Korea's Samsung Electronics extended holiday closure for some Chinese production facilities. Airlines to suspend flights to mainland China include Lufthansa, Air Canada, American Airlines and British Airways. Air France cabin crew unions were demanding the same, sources said, though the company has already allowed pilots and crew to opt out of China flights. Fuelling concern over damage to productivity, thousands of Chinese factory workers on Chinese New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week, due to travel restrictions. Policymakers are anxious, with China dominating US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's news conference on Wednesday. "China's economy is very important in the global economy now, and when China's economy slows down we do feel that," he said. Streets in many Chinese cities were largely deserted and tourist attractions shut. Starbucks coffee shops were requiring temperature checks and masks. Cases of human-to-human transmission outside China are of particular concern to medics, but it is too early to determine how lethal the coronavirus is, as there are likely to be many cases of milder infections going undetected. It has an incubation time of between one and 14 days. With local officials facing a backlash from China's public, especially over their early response, the health chief of Huanggang city - also in Hubei province, with a population of 7.5 million - was dismissed, authorities said. No explanation was given. Update 5:53 p.m.: McIntyre has been found safe, according to Hartford police: SILVER ALERT HAS BEEN CANCELLED...Ms. McIntyre has been FOUND!! The Hartford Police Department is asking for the... Posted by Hartford Police Department on Friday, January 31, 2020 Original story: Police in Geneva County are asking for the publics help in finding a 72-year-old woman who went missing Friday. Vanda Delayne McIntyre, who may be suffering from a condition that impairs her judgment, was last seen at Second Avenue South in Hartford, Alabama around noon Friday, police said. She was last seen wearing a gray zip-up hoodie, pink pajama undershirt and bright blue leggings. McIntyre was described as 5-feet 8-inches tall, weighing 125 pounds with brown eyes and gray or partially gray hair. Anyone with information on McIntyres whereabouts was asked to contact the Hartford Police Department at (334) 588-2222 or call 911. Air India's jumbo B747 plane took off from the Wuhan airport in the early hours of Saturday for Delhi, evacuating 324 Indian nationals from China as the neighbouring country continued to deal with the outbreak of novel coronavirus, said officials. "With 324 passengers, special flight has taken off for India from Wuhan. It may reach Delhi at 7.30am," said an Air India spokesperson at 1.19 am on Saturday. There are five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital and one paramedical staff on board, said the Air India spokesperson. The flight had departed from Delhi airport at 1.17 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals from China, where more than 200 people - none of them Indian - have died due to novel coronavirus. On Friday evening, the Air India spokesperson had stated that another special flight may take off from Delhi airport on Saturday to evacuate Indians from Wuhan. About Friday's flight, the spokesperson had said earlier during the day, "A team of five doctors from RML hospital, one paramedical staff from Air India, with prescribed medicines from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are in the aircraft. A team of engineers, security personnel are also there in this special aircraft. Whole rescue mission is being lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director (Operations), Air India." The spokesperson had added that there were five cockpit crew members and 15 cabin crew members on Friday's flight. Before departure at Delhi airport on Friday morning, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani had said, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." "Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he had added. "Total five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going... The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours," Lohani had said. Air India has done such evacuations earlier also from countries such as Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Nepal. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Want to visit the top of the Mackinac Bridge this summer? Here's your chance: Gladwin County Community Foundation is offering a tower tour in a fundraiser raffle to be held Saturday, Feb. 1. The raffle winner will get one certificate granting access for two people to visit the top of the 552-foot-tall north tower of the Mackinac Bridge. The certificate is valid from May 1 through Oct. 15 of this year. VANCOUVER, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Pacton Gold Inc. (TSXV: PAC, OTC: PACXF, FSE: 2NKN) (the "Company" or "Pacton") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding letter of intent (the "LOI") with TomaGold Corporation (TSXV: LOT) ("TomaGold"), whereby the Company will acquire all of TomaGold's interest, being 39.5%, in a joint venture it currently holds with Evolution Mining and Newmont Corporation (formerly GoldCorp when TomaGold entered into the joint venture) on the Sidace Lake Property (the "Property"). Located in the Red Lake District, Ontario, Sidace Lake is contiguous to Pacton's current claim package (Figures 1 and 2) and is an advanced gold project with over 81,600 meters if historic drilling. Pacton will enter the joint venture as project Operator and plans to aggressively expand the mineralized zones at the project with exploration drilling. About the Sidace Lake Property The Sidace Lake Property is located 28 km north east of the town of Red Lake, at the northern extent of the Red Lake Greenstone belt. Historic drilling highlights are summarized in Table 1. Pacton intends to commence a expansion drilling program at the Sidace Lake Property while continuing the ongoing exploration program at its current Red Lake properties. Dale Ginn, Executive Chairman commented "This is a great opportunity for Pacton. Sidace Lake is an exciting gold project with a clear path for potential growth. It is directly adjacent to our existing Red Lake land package and we look forward to entering the JV, as operator, and working with Evolution Mining to advance the project." Table 1. Historic drill hole highlights from the Sidace Lake Project Hole ID Year From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au (g/t) Zone RL-06-136 2006 553.0 576.0 23.0 24.9 Main Discovery Zone RL-07-139 2007 335.2 338.8 3.6 36.5 Upper Duck Zone RL-06-112 2006 523.0 541.0 18.0 11.7 Main Discovery Zone RL-06-136 2006 691.0 692.0 1.0 83.2 Main Discovery Zone RL-05-77 2005 249.0 253.0 4.0 12.0 Upper Duck Zone RL-06-128 2006 468.0 500.0 32.0 5.8 Main Discovery Zone RL-05-102 2005 252.0 254.0 2.0 11.3 Anderson Zone RL-05-104 2005 40.0 43.0 3.0 4.0 Anderson Zone Terms of the LOI Under the terms of the LOI, which will be formalized by a definitive agreement to be entered into between the parties, the Company must pay and issue the following to TomaGold: Upon final acceptance of the transaction by the TSX Venture Exchange (" TSXV "), pay $250,000 and issue 10,000,000 common shares; "), pay and issue 10,000,000 common shares; Within six months of TSXV acceptance, pay $250,000 and issue $800,000 worth of common shares at a price per share equal to the greater of $0.16 and the 5-day VWAP of the Company's shares immediately preceding the date of issuance; and and issue worth of common shares at a price per share equal to the greater of and the 5-day VWAP of the Company's shares immediately preceding the date of issuance; and Upon the Company filing a National Instrument 43-101 technical report on the Property showing a gold resource estimate of 750,000 oz AU or greater, issue 4,166,666 common shares. TomaGold must receive the written approval of Newmont Corporation to the acquisition prior to entering into the definitive agreement. The transaction is subject to the acceptance of the TSXV. About Pacton Gold Pacton Gold is a Canadian exploration company with key strategic partners focused on the exploration and development of high grade conglomerate and orogenic gold properties located in the district-scale Pilbara gold rush in Western Australia and the Red Lake District, Ontario. The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dale Ginn, P.Geo., Executive Chairman and a director of the Company and a Qualified Person pursuant to National Instrument 43-101. The Qualified Person has not yet verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical, and test data underlying the information or opinions contained in the written disclosure. Verification of the data is underway as part of the due diligence investigations taking place in respect of the transaction. On Behalf of the Board of Pacton Gold Inc. R. Dale Ginn Executive Chairman This news release may contain or refer to forward-looking information based on current expectations, including, but not limited to the Company achieving success in exploring its properties and the impact on the Company of these events, including the effect on its share price. Forward-looking information is subject to significant risks and uncertainties, as actual results may differ materially from forecasted results. Forward-looking information is provided as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances. References to other issuers with nearby projects is for information purposes only and there are no assurances the Company will achieve similar results. Neither TSX Venture Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Pacton Gold Inc. Dallas, Texas, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global K-12 Education Market Global K-12 Education market can be fabricated on several types such as product type, applications, regions/regions and renowned companies. Global K-12 Education market on the basis of product types classified into three types as Private K-12 education, Public K-12 education and Online K-12 education. Furthermore on the basis of applications Global K-12 Education market can be divided into four types as Pre-primary School, Primary School, Middle School and High School. The Global K-12 Education Market size was xx million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a high CAGR of during 2019-2025. K-12 is the term commonly used for talking about a persons first 13 years of schooling before entering university. It is also called as Elementary and Secondary education of a student. At the age of five or six years Elementary education starts. And the education of student between the ages of 12 to 18 is defined as the Secondary education. Elementary education is generally takes place in primary school. After primary school, secondary education takes place in high school. It can be further segmented into junior high and senior high education. Students between 12 to 15 ages are junior high and students between the ages 15 to 18 are senior high students. Education industry provides training and learning experience in different types of subjects. Their primary duty is education which includes profit and non-profit establishments. As in huge amount students are going to abroad for higher study. Thus Education industry is growing rapidly. In developing countries especially like India and china this education market is booming at higher rate. Among technology, Education industry is one of the fastest growing industry globally as it provides employment and revenues at large scale. Due to foreign education demand, Advancement in technology as E-learning or corresponding education and test preparation there have been major change in the education industry in recent years. Urbanization, Globalization are some major driving factors for the education market growth. The demand for better education is increasing through increase in private participation. E-education is booming in the market with high rate. K12 stands for kindergarten to 12th grade, indicates the sum of primary and secondary education in several nations, such as Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Iran, Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States, for publicly supported school grades prior to college. Request a PDF Sample of K-12 Education industry report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2521576 Top Companies: Chungdahm Learning, Dell, Educomp Solutions, Next Education, Samsung, TAL Education Group, Tata Class Edge, Adobe Systems, Blackboard, BenQ, Cengage Learning, D2L, Ellucian, IBM, Intel, Knewton, Mcmillan Learning, McGraw-Hill Education, Microsoft, Oracle, Pearson Education, Promethean World, Saba Software, Smart Technologies Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Public K-12 education Private K-12 education Online K-12 education Market segment by Application, split into Pre-primary School Primary School Middle School High School Market segment by Regions/Countries, this report covers United States Europe China Japan Southeast Asia India Central & South America Place a Direct Purchase Order @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase-single-user/2521576 The study objectives of this report are: To analyze global K-12 Education status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. To present the K-12 Education development in United States, Europe and China. To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their development plan and strategies. To define, describe and forecast the market by product type, market and key regions. Another Report: Global K-12 Instruction Material Market A collection of materials which includes human and non-human resources and animate and inanimate objects are known as Instructional materials. These Instructional materials are used by the teachers in learning and teaching situations. These materials helps students to achieve desired learning objectives. This gives students more exciting, interactive and interesting learning experience. Therefore these K-12 instruction materials are used by the teachers and student for better learning experience. This report focuses on the Global K-12 Instruction Material Market status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the K-12 Instruction Material development in United States, Europe and China. The huge shift from traditional learning process to digitalized format process is the major factor driving the growth of global K-12 digital instruction material market. Education industry provides training and learning experience in different types of subjects. Their primary duty is education which includes profit and non-profit establishments. Thus Education industry is growing rapidly. In developing countries especially like India and china this education market is booming at higher rate. Due to foreign education demand, Advancement in technology as E-learning or corresponding education and test preparation there have been major change in the education industry in recent years. Urbanization, Globalization are some major driving factors for the education market growth. The demand for better education is increasing through increase in private participation. E-education is booming in the market with high rate. Due to the low price of digital content many schools and governments are encouraging the use of digital instruction materials in many countries worldwide. Therefore it is expected to grow K-12 digital instructions material market rapidly in next few years. Also due to better engagement, interactivity and access market will further boost at high rate on a global level. Request a sample of K-12 Instruction Material industry report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/2521587 Instructional Materials are any collection of materials including animate and inanimate objects and human and non-human resources that a teacher may use in teaching and learning situations to help achieve desired learning objectives. Instructional materials may aid a student in concretizing a learning experience so as to make learning more exciting, interesting and interactive. Top Companies: Hachette, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Macmillan, McGraw-Hill, Pearson, Scholastic, Cengage Learning, Mastery Education, Santillana, Franz Cornelsen, Follett, Gakken, Kyowon Market segment by Type, the product can be split into Traditional instruction material Digital instruction material Market segment by Application, split into Pre-primary School Primary School Middle School High School Request for discount @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/discount/2521587 Some Points From Table of Contents: Chapter One: Report Overview 1.1 Study Scope 1.2 Key Market Segments 1.3 Players Covered 1.4 Market Analysis by Type 1.4.1 Global K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2014-2025) 1.4.2 Traditional instruction material 1.4.3 Digital instruction material 1.5 Market by Application 1.5.1 Global K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Share by Application (2014-2025) 1.5.2 Pre-primary School 1.5.3 Primary School 1.5.4 Middle School 1.5.5 High School 1.6 Study Objectives 1.7 Years Considered Chapter Two: Global Growth Trends 2.1 K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Size 2.2 K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Growth Trends by Regions 2.2.1 K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Size by Regions (2014-2025) 2.2.2 K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Share by Regions (2014-2019) 2.3 Industry Trends 2.3.1 Market Top Trends 2.3.2 Market Drivers 2.3.3 Market Opportunities Chapter Three: Market Share by Key Players 3.1 K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Market Size by Manufacturers 3.1.1 Global K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Revenue by Manufacturers (2014-2018) 3.1.2 Global K-Chapter Twelve: Instruction Material Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2014-2018) 3.1.3 Global K-Chapter Twelve Continued.... About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. A major tragedy was averted when an alert policeman, who was injured in a gunbattle with a group of militants at a toll plaza here on Friday, uncovered a cavity inside the truck meant to ferry the armed terrorists to the Kashmir Valley. Three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants were killed in the gunbattle that broke out after a group of terrorists, travelling in a truck, opened fire at a police team at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here. Bhom Raj, who is a constable with the Nagrota police station and deployed for checking at the Bann Toll plaza, said he was unarmed and could not retaliate. "Around 5 am, we intercepted a truck, JK03F-1478, for a routine checking. The driver, along with two more persons, was in the front seat of the truck and told us that they are carrying medicine and other items to Kashmir. But we were not satisfied," Raj, who is undergoing treatment at the Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here, said. The police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel asked the driver and two others to remove the cover and open the door of the truck, he said. "I started checking the vehicle and saw a blanket and shoes near the gate, when I peeped inside the middle door of truck, I grew suspicious. I thought the truck is fully loaded with white bags, how come blanket and shoes are there," he said. As soon as they removed the cover, some men, hiding in the cavity formed inside the truck, started firing at us, the policeman said. "The CISF retaliated and gunned down a terrorist. The militants jumped down into the gorge and disappeared in thick forest area," he said. He said there were three policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and four CISF personnel, at the check post but they were unarmed. "Had I got a weapon, I would have killed more terrorists. I feel that this was an opportunity," Raj said. The L-shaped cavity was formed inside the truck to hide the terrorists and ferry them to Kashmir, officials said. Police said the terrorist group is suspected to have infiltrated from along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district to carry out an attack. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh met the injured policeman in the hospital and praised him for his bravery. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haiti - News : Zapping... Towards a selective increase in fuels ? B> Prime Minister a.i. Jean Michel Lapin said that the government was considering an increase in kerosene and diesel while maintaining the subsidy on gasoline, the price of which should also drop. He claims that the Government can no longer continue to spend two billion Gourdes each month to subsidize all petroleum products, a choice is necessary and a national dialogue is necessary on the end of subsidies on diesel and kerosene insisting that at the level of the Government "These are only reflections. There is no final decision" emphasizing that the decision will belong to the next government. TNH : First national Kompa dance competition The first national dance competition Kompa "Konpa Dance Challenge" will be on your small screen from February 7, 2020. Follow the programs on TNH and Tele 20. An initiative supported by the Ministry of Culture. Plans of the new National Palace On Wednesday, President Moise met the members of Raco Deco, the winning firm of the architecture competition https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29750-haiti-flash-raco-deco-will-carry-out-the-plans-of-the-new-national-palace.html which will carry out the plans for the new National Palace. They explained to the Head of State the different facets of the project. Education : 177 inspectors in training Launch at the Plaza Hotel of a training seminar for 177 inspectors and coordinators from the West on education sector governance for better management of school life in the country this Thursday January 30, 2020. The different themes chosen for this training seminar are : school supervision, leadership and ethics, which include the key aspects of the mission of inspectors and coordinators. Boat People, an avoided tragedy On the evening of January 28, the authorities of the Turks and Caicos Islands intercepted near Providenciales, another ship dangerously charged with Haitian migrants which could easily have ended in tragedy like the sinking of January 21 in the Bahamas archipelago https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29872-haiti-flash-shipwreck-off-the-bahamas-31-survivors-several-haitians-missing.html . The United States urges Haitians not to undertake these dangerous and unnecessary trips that are not worth risking their lives. See also : hhttps://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29872-haiti-flash-shipwreck-off-the-bahamas-31-survivors-several-haitians-missing.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29886-haiti-flash-shipwreck-a-4th-haitian-body-found-off-double-breasted-cay-bahamas.html Delmas : distribution of hot dishes The distribution of hot dishes continued this week in the town of Delmas (Delmas 40-B), in Zamor alley (Delmas 65) and in rue Faustin 1er (Delmas 75) where thousands of people in difficult situations were able to eat a hot meal at a ridiculous price. HL/ HaitiLibre The National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa on Friday voided the sack of eight Permanent Secretaries by Gov. Nyesom Wike o... The National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa on Friday voided the sack of eight Permanent Secretaries by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers state.News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rivers government in 2015 sacked eight permanent secretaries, the state Head of Service and the Accountant General, among others.The Permanent secretaries are: Samuel Woka, Kadilo Brown, Augustine Orlu-Orlu, Muka Nwikosi, Minabelema Michael-West, Ngozi Abu, Kingsley Hart and Mrs Justina Jumbo.Delivering the judgement, Justice Basha Alkali, described the sacked as unconstitutional, null and void since it did not follow the set down procedures in the public service.The sack was in contravention of the civil service rules and therefore unlawful.The court, however ordered that all salaries and allowances accrued to the permanent secretaries since 2015 should be paid to them.Counsel to the claimants, Odum Eyiba described the judgment as well-considered.The judgment is a product of industry, researched and well-considered. We instituted this action back in 2015, Eyiba stated.Henry Amadi, lawyer to Rivers state government noted he will study the judgment.That is the judgment of the court and we have to go through it and know the way forward. The way forward is not what I will disclose here, thank you, he said.(NAN) Massachusetts State Police announced plans to terminate 22 Massachusetts State Police troopers identified by state officials as having participated in the overtime scandal, the head of the state agency said Friday. Massachusetts State Police Colonel Christopher S. Mason held a press conference at state police headquarters in Framingham Friday to share the update on the disciplinary process of former Troop E members. In an overtime scheme, dozens of troopers were allegedly paid for hours they did not work. State police previously referred 46 troopers for criminal prosecution for their alleged participation in the overtime scandal. Of those, 10 were charged criminally by the U.S. Attorneys office or the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Eight of the 10 have been convicted and sentenced. Of the remaining 36 flagged in the state police investigation, 14 have retired. Twenty-two are still within the department. Mason said the departments internal administrative investigation sustained charges against all 22 and that he is seeking termination and restitution from each. The highest penalty they can face from the department is termination. Its important to remember that each case has its own facts and circumstances that we expect will be brought forward by counsel during this disciplinary process. As well, each member has a right to due process, codified by statute and contact, and to seek a Trial Board," Mason said. With respect to the fourteen now-retired members, the Department requests that the Board use the information provided to pursue restitution and any other change in status the Board deems appropriate, Mason said in a letter to the state board of retirement. That action will include potential forfeiture of their pensions or the recollection of overtime pay. In January 2019, the department forwarded the names of 10 criminally charged in connection with the overtime scandal to the retirement board. Mason said they will pursue dollar for dollar restitution of pay received for shifts not worked and financial penalties. He described the action as the next necessary step in the disciplinary process and nothing less than the public trust depends on it. This action follows previously announced reforms within the department laid out in 2018. The reforms included the immediate dissolution of Troop E, which primarily managed patrols of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Additional planned reforms included a review of Troop F staffing, developing a body camera program for troopers and activating GPS technology in police cruisers that will allow the agency to locate troopers. Earlier this month, state police announced the activation of Automated Vehicle Locator technology in cruisers, increased supervisory oversight, regular auditing of time and attendance and ongoing training for employees. Related Content: BEIJING The U.S. today advised against all travel to China after the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of a new virus that has spread to more than a dozen countries a global emergency. The number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported today. The State Departments travel advisory told Americans currently in China to consider departing using commercial means, and requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel in light of the novel coronavirus. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases with a death toll of 213, including 43 new fatalities. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak. No deaths have been reported outside China. Meanwhile, Chinas foreign ministry said it will send charter flights to bring home residents of Hubei from overseas. The one-sentence statement gave few details, but said those from Hubei and especially Wuhan would be sent directly back to Wuhan as soon as possible in light of the practical difficulties they were encountering. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine, while foreign countries have cut back severely on travel to the country and quarantined those who recently passed through Wuhan. The virus is believed to have a two-week incubation period, during which those infected can pass on the illness even if they show no symptoms such as fever and cough. In the seven days ending at midnight Thursday, the National Health Commission reported 596 cases have been cured and discharged from hospital. The U.N. health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. A doctor attends to a patient in an isolation ward Thursday at a hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. China counted 170 deaths from a new virus Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical observation and even isolation. AP Today, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care related to the novel coronavirus, the embassy said. The level 4 Do Not Travel advisory is the highest grade of warning. Mike Wester, an American businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave. I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel, said Wester. He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks. Speaking by Skype from Utah, Kelly Flanagan, 36, a school counselor in China since 2011, said she is planning to stay out of China as she watches the virus spread. This is probably going to be awhile, said Flanagan, who said her Type 1 diabetes added to her health concerns. From the U.S. she is working remotely with her students to help them pass English proficiency exams. Among other countries, Japan advised against travel to China and Britain against all but essential travel to the country, not including Hong Kong and Macao. British Airways has already suspended all flights to and from mainland China. If you feel that you may want to leave China soon, you should consider making plans to do so before any further restrictions may be imposed, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement. Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries, he said. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it. This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China, he said. On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in Chinas capacity to control the outbreak. A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. Chinas U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun said Thursday evening in New York that we are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus but stressed that the epidemic is still mainly confined to China and urged the international community against any overreaction. Zhang told reporters we are still making our assessment of the WHO declaration. Funeral workers disinfect themselves after handling a virus victim Thursday in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province.AP While we understand the concerns of other countries, we should also listen to advice of the director-general of WHO who said he had full confidence in Chinas efforts in fighting the epidemic and there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with the international travel and trade, Zhang said. He said China appreciated the friendly gesture made by the international community in providing medical equipment, and what are needed urgently, especially in Hubei province, are masks and other protective medical supplies including glasses. In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and businesses including Starbucks and McDonalds temporarily closing hundreds of shops, Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus in Japan and Germany is worrying. In Japan, a man in his 60s caught the virus after working as a bus driver for two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, a man in his 30s was sickened after a Chinese colleague from Shanghai, whose parents had recently visited from Wuhan, came to his office for a business meeting. Four other workers later became infected. The woman had shown no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. Thats the kind of transmission chain that we dont want to see, said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHOs emergency committee. The new virus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. For long, Hyundai has been unable to crack the segment due to Maruti Suzuki's strong product portfolio. According to the data from the industry, the Indo-Japanese car-maker's product Swift Dzire has a 55 percent market share of the segment. With Maruti opting to quit the diesel segment, Hyundai feels the Aura will provide customers the option to shift from Dzire. Pricing the Aura at less than Rs 6 lakh, South Korean car-maker Hyundai took a firm step to grab market share in the compact sedan segment, which has so long been ruled by rival Maruti Suzuki. With India's largest car-maker deciding to quit the diesel segment, Hyundai feels it can rule the segment, thanks to its efficient engineering and economy of scale. From April 1, Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission norms for automobiles will become mandatory across the country. Passenger vehicle-makers, such as Maruti Suzuki India, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Motors, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Volkswagen India, and Renault India, have announced plans to pull the plug on smaller diesel variants (those powered by 1.2-1.3-litre engines) due to the high cost of transition from BS-IV to BS-VI. According to industry estimates, the prices of smaller BS-VI-compliant diesel cars could rise by Rs 1.3 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh per unit. Most carmakers believe buyers will not loosen purse strings. "While the prices of BS-VI diesel vehicles will rise, we are trying to ensure this increase will be tolerable. We are trying to reduce the expected burden on consumers by rationalising costs. Our procurement and research and development did an excellent job to control costs. The price of the Aura is a reflection of that initiative and effort," said S S Kim, chief executive officer and managing director, Hyundai Motor India. For long, Hyundai has been unable to crack the segment due to Maruti Suzuki's strong product portfolio. According to the data from the industry, the Indo-Japanese car-maker's product Swift Dzire has a 55 percent market share of the segment. With Maruti opting to quit the diesel segment, Hyundai feels the Aura will provide customers the option to shift from Dzire. "The overall diesel sales reflect the changes, except that the percentage of sale of diesel in the industry has been sliding. In the first half, it has come down to almost 22 per cent for Maruti, and for the industry overall, it has come down from 38 per cent to 33 per cent," said Shashank Srivastava, executive director (marketing and sales), Maruti Suzuki. But Hyundai instead is looking to monopolise the compact diesel car segment, which includes sedans and sport utility vehicles smaller than 4 metres. "Yes, there is a feeling that diesel may not be popular in the entry-level segment. But there is still a 30-40 per cent market for diesel in the sub-4 metre segment in personal vehicles. That segment is up for grabs because those customers will be looking for a good diesel option. We have been able to develop a 1.2-litre with good emission and full efficiency. Now, the Aura will be the only diesel vehicle in the compact segment," said Tarun Garg, director (sales and marketing), Hyundai. However, experts warned that the scope of making money in that segment is extremely limited for automakers, but Hyundai's economy of scale -- thanks to its presence in multiple markets -- may give it the edge. "The market share and profit may not be in tandem for the compact sedan segment because companies find it difficult to maximise profit. However, a global company with volumes and expertise can really make the most of it, if the pricing is correct," said Kavan Mukhtyar, partner and leader-automotive, PwC India. Photographs: Kind courtesy Hyundai India. She detailed her heartbreaking tale of how she risked her life to become a transgender woman in a tell-all interview earlier this month. And following her candid reveal, Rodrigo Alves exclusively told MailOnline how her 'life is so much better now with breasts' after having implants at the Comfort Zone Surgery in Istanbul, Turkey. The media personality, 36, looked fantastic while filming content prior to her surgery as she showed off her chest in a plunging nude blouse, which boasted oversized sleeves. Pre-surgery pose: Rodrigo Alves, 36, exclusively told MailOnline how her 'life is so much better now with breasts' after having implants at the Comfort Zone Surgery in Istanbul, Turkey Rodrigo looked incredible as she posed for photos and filmed content while picking out her implants at the clinic of her surgeon Dr. Serkan Balta, days before going under the knife. Wearing her revealing top, she continued to flaunt her physique with dark green skin-tight leggings which boasted ruched detailing down either side. With her platinum hair extensions styled poker straight, the former Big Brother star enhanced her beauty with a glamorous make-up look. Glam: The media personality looked fantastic while filming content prior to her surgery as she showed off her chest in a plunging nude blouse, which boasted oversized sleeves Pretty: Rodrigo looked incredible as she posed for photos and filmed content as she picked out her implants at the clinic of her surgeon Dr. Serkan Balta Glam: Wearing her revealing top, she continued to flaunt her physique with dark green skin-tight leggings which boasted ruched detailing down either side Preened: With her platinum hair extensions styled poker straight, the former Big Brother star enhanced her beauty with a glamorous make-up look Rodrigo explained to MailOnline that, despite enjoying her new breasts, she still has a long way to go in her transition journey. She said: 'I'm loving every moment of it [having my breasts], but it's not even half of what I've got to do to be a woman.' The star previously told MailOnline: 'I have chosen 800cc of round super high projection implants under the muscle and I cant wait to be able to wear nice dresses and outfits showing my new cleavage.' Happy lady: Rodrigo explained to MailOnline that, despite enjoying her new breasts, she still has a long way to go in her transition journey (Pictured with Dr. Serkan Balta) More to come: 'I'm loving every moment of it [having my breasts], but it's not even half of what I've got to do to be a woman' she said Making her selection: The star previously told MailOnline: 'I have chosen 800cc of round super high projection implants under the muscle' Rodrigo Alves made her debut as a transgender woman on Italian chat show Live Non e la D'Urso earlier this month following her break. She said: 'During the show, I was introduced still as Rodrigo Alves, my birth name which I will carry on using until March 2020. 'I came onstage to Shania Twain's song, Man I feel Like A Woman. I was full of energy feeling very happy and confident. 'The host, Barbara Durso was speechless and asked me to do a catwalk for her which I loved and had much fun.' So ready: 'I cant wait to be able to wear nice dresses and outfits showing my new cleavage' she said Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 05:51:21|Editor: yan Video Player Close RABAT, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan Head of Government Saad Dine El Otmani and the visiting Chilean Senate president Jaime Quintana agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation Thursday in Rabat . The talks focused on the means to further develop the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, said an official statement. The two officials underscored the good relations of friendship between the two countries, and ways to boost trade and cultural as well as scientific relations to meet the challenges of globalization and climate change, it added. Both countries stressed the necessity of establishing a partnership that could also benefits the African continent. We called 75,299 Iowans. 584 took our poll. We flew to Iowa to meet 15 of them. ALL OVER IOWA Erika Derrick was feeding her peacocks in Springville, Iowa, when the phone rang. It was us, The New York Times, on the other end of the line. Hers was one of 75,299 numbers called as part of a poll conducted in January by The Times and Siena College. A small subset of these likely Democratic caucusgoers including Ms. Derrick said they would talk to us in person. So we flew to Iowa to meet 15 of them (plus a 9-year-old) in their homes, dorm rooms, a coffee shop and two public libraries. Colleen Sheely said she could still be persuaded to caucus for a different candidate. 39 percent of likely caucusgoers felt the same way. Meet her and 14 other Iowans below. Results from all likely caucusgoers 59% said their mind was made up. 39% could still be persuaded. 59% said their mind was made up. 39% could still be persuaded. Source: The New York Times/Siena College poll conducted Jan. 20-23. Closed captions Tap to unmute Iowa Democrats are split on whether to support a candidate they agree with most, or one with the best chance of beating President Trump. So is our group. Results from all likely caucusgoers Would you be likelier to support a Democrat who ... 48% ... you agree with most on the issues. 49% ... has the best chance to beat President Trump. Would you be likelier to support a Democrat who ... 49% ... has the best chance to beat President Trump. 48% ... you agree with most on the issues. Source: New York Times/Siena College poll conducted Jan. 20-23. Closed captions Tap to unmute Most people we met said they had previously attended an Iowa party caucus and would attend this year, even if the weather was bad. That included Richard Mendenhall, 82, who has not caucused since John F. Kennedy. Results from all likely caucusgoers 71% have attended an Iowa party caucus before. 29% have not. 71% have attended an Iowa party caucus before. 29% have not. Source: New York Times/Siena College poll conducted Jan. 20-23. Closed captions Tap to unmute A number of worries keeps these Iowans up at night: getting a job, losing health care, racism. Some noted the lack of diversity in Iowa, which is more than 90 percent white. This question was not in the poll, but we asked it in person. Closed captions Tap to unmute What is the best thing about Iowa? The people. The worst thing? The weather, by far. These questions were not in the poll, but we asked them in person. Closed captions Tap to unmute The New York Times/Siena College Research Institute survey of 1,689 registered voters in Iowa, including 584 Democratic caucusgoers, was conducted from Jan. 20 to Jan. 23. The margin of error due to sampling is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points for the Democratic caucus electorate and plus or minus 2.8 percentage points for registered voters. To ensure a representative sample, the types of voters least likely to respond to telephone polls were more likely to be called. A Delhi court on Friday sought a response from the city police on a plea claiming that the agency was not conducting a fair probe into the violence during an anti-CAA protest near Jamia Millia Islamia University last month. The petitioner also sought a court-monitored investigation into the incident. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur directed the Delhi Police to file its reply by February 5. The plea was filed by All India Students' Association (AISA) secretary Chandan Kumar who was booked in connection with the violence on December 15 last year. Advocate Adit S Pujari, appearing for Kumar, had earlier claimed before the court that police were not carrying out a "fair" probe in the case. Pujari had also said that the Delhi Police's Crime Branch should investigate personnel of the Jamia Nagar police station who allegedly entered the varsity's campus without permission on December 15 and attacked students. "Police cannot enter a library on a university campus and start hitting people. Let the Crime Branch also investigate the police personnel of Jamia Nagar Police Station. Police are not conducting a fair investigation. They are only seeing one side of the coin, not the other," Kumar's counsel had said. He had said that, according to media reports, 102 arrests have been made so far in the case and police should be directed to produce footage from at least one CCTV camera that shows the arrested were involved in the violence. Pujari also claimed that the seizing of Kumar's mobile phone by police violated his fundamental rights. He claimed that Kumar was not allowed to consult his lawyer when he was called for questioning by police. Kumar's plea, filed through advocates Pujari and Kriti Awasthi, sought monitoring of the investigation "as the investigating agency, while shielding its own policemen who wreaked havoc in the premises of Jamia Millia Islamia University, has proceeded to name the applicant (Kumar), who is a peace-loving citizen/student leader". Protests in Jamia Nagar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act had turned violent on December 15 last year. Four DTC buses, 100 private vehicles and 10 police bikes were damaged in the violence. Police had also entered the university's campus and had allegedly attacked students. The petitioner also sought directions to police to return Kumar's mobile phone. The plea claimed that Kumar had to unlock his mobile phone due to pressure from the members of the investigating agency. "The continued possession of the mobile phone with the investigating agency is a direct and immediate violation of the right to privacy of the applicant," it said. It further alleged that Kumar's lawyer was not allowed to meet him during his interrogation by the police. The plea also sought directions to police to ensure that a fair investigation be conducted, and appropriate material be made available before any decision to take coercive action is taken. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Posted on Thursday, January 30, 2020 KINGSVILLE (January 30, 2020) Students from the College of Business Administration at Texas A&M University-Kingsville will again offer free income tax preparation through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. VITA provides free basic income tax preparation for taxpayers with incomes below $56,000. This year volunteers will be at two different locations. Beginning Monday, Feb. 3, and continuing every Monday and Tuesday through April 14, taxpayers may visit room 107 of the College of Business Administration building from 4 to 8 p.m. Free parking is available in the lot north of the building. The second location is at the Texas Community Federal Credit Union, 605 E. Caesar Ave. in Kingsville. Volunteers will be at the credit union from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursdays and from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays beginning Jan. 30. Taxpayers may drop off their returns. Citizens should bring their tax information, photo identification and Social Security card. For more information, call 361-593-3787. -TAMUK- As part of efforts to draw attention to the economic opportunities in some of Nigerias industrial clusters and grow the Made in Nigeria mindset, Ford Foundation and a group of experts and industrialists have come together to organize and sponsors an investment summit for Nnewi the manufacturing hub located at south-eastern part of Nigeria. Pioneered by leading marketing communications agencies, TBWA\Concept Unit and C & F Porter Novelli, the Investment Summit, themed; Revitalizing the Manufacturing Hub of Africa, is designed to leverage the already thriving industrial and commercial activities in Nnewi and harness them for the wider economic development of Nigeria. Expected to lead the conversations at the inaugural edition of the summit, which will hold on February 6 and 7 2020 in Nnewi, Anambra State Nigeria include: former Presidential candidate and Development Economist, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu; Ike Chioke, CEO Afrinvest Ltd and Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, West Africa Regional Director, Ford Foundation. Speaking on the Summit, CEO, TBWA\Concept Unit, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, said the Nnewi Industrial hub should further developed and should bepromoted as a model for economic growth in Anambra state andNigeria in general. Nwosu noted that Nnewi is a unique town where young entrepreneurs and courageous artisans with limited formal education exploit their wit to create amazing stories of manufacturing and industrialization in Nigeria. The overall agenda of the summit is to draw the attention of stakeholders to the benefits of revitalisation and rebranding of Nnewi as an industrial hub in Africa by leveraging on its past glory and current potential. We are also expecting this Summit to startthe formation of alliance development that will create a blended intervention programme involving Policy makers, Private investors and Donor Organization (Philanthropists) the marketing communications guru stated. Sponsored by the Ford Foundation in partnership with the Nnewi Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Anambra Broadcasting Service, the two-day Summit is envisioned to drive the growth agenda for young indigenous businesses by outlining how they can scale with the right exposure, branding and capacity building projects. Also speaking on the Summit, Chairman C & F Porter Novelli, Chief NnaEmeka Maduegbuna said the event will be important in fostering collaboration among businesses to increase comparativeadvantage within Nnewi and environ. While raising expectations that the Summit will attract foreign and local investors that would create jobs and have an impact on businesses in Nnewi and Nigeria at large, Maduegbuna said it will also seek to sensitize and create awareness for a new way of thinking that will create opportunities for young men and women within and outside the region while also generating better quality and quantity employment opportunities for young men and women via entrepreneurial activity and direct employment. Seoul/Tokyo, Jan 31 : Evacuees from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that has killed 213 people in the country, arrived in South Korea and Japan on charter flights on Friday as further international travel bans went into place. The first group of 367 South Korean nationals that arrived in Seoul at 8 a.m. on Friday were undergoing strict health evaluations before being sent to two facilities in the centre of the country where they will remain in quarantine for 14 days, reports Efe news. The South Koreans underwent medical examinations before boarding the charter flight. One passenger was excluded from travelling when he was found to have a fever, according to Yonhap news agency. This first group constituted half of the approximately 720 South Koreans who have requested to be evacuated from Wuhan. The South Korean government plans to send another charter flight as soon as possible. In Japan, where 14 cases have been confirmed, a third charter plane landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo from Wuhan, this time with 149 people onboard, according to national broadcaster NHK. All passengers will be sent to medical centres for testing. The previous evacuation flight on Thursday brought back 210 people to Japan, with 26 hospitalized. The government was making arrangements for the evacuation of 300 more Japanese nationals. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also announced on Friday that it his government would prohibit entry to people who have been confirmed to be infected with the virus. Meanwhile, various other countries were implementing strict travel bans. The Philippines on Friday banned the entry of travellers from Hubei, a day after the country confirmed its first case. The regional government in the Malaysian state of Sabah, Borneo island, has suspended all flights from China. The government of Vietnam had previously announced that it would stop issuing visas to Chinese tourists after detecting three new cases in its territory. North Korea was closing all air and rail routes with China from Friday, British Ambassador to Pyongyang, Colin Crooks, said. In Singapore, where three new cases have been confirmed, low-cost airline Scoot announced in a message that it will suspend flights to 11 Chinese cities from February to March and reduce flights to another eight. Singapore Airlines and SilkAir also announced a reduction in capacity on selected routes between the city-state and Chinese cities. Russia, which so far has not reported any cases of coronavirus, has closed its eastern border with China. The US government raised its China travel alert to the maximum "Level 4: Do Not Travel" on Thursday, a category reserved for the situations it considers most dangerous, such as major crises or armed conflicts. The US, which already has five confirmed cases, announced the first instance in the country of a person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus, hence raising the total to six patients. Outside of China, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, other countries with confirmed cases include Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, the US, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Italy, Vietnam, Cambodia, Finland, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Two decommissioned satellites sped past each other Wednesday after experts had warned they may collide at a combined speed of 33,000 miles (53,000 kilometers) an hour, sending thousands of pieces of debris hurtling through space. The satellites -- a pioneering international space telescope and an experimental US craft traveling in opposing orbits -- "crossed paths without incident," a spokesman for US Space Command told AFP. The crossover took place at 2339 GMT about 900 kilometers (560 miles) above the US city of Pittsburgh and came after experts had placed the risk of impact at between one and five percent, considered high in the space community. Crashes involving large satellites at very high speeds (known as hypervelocity) are rare and dangerous, generating clouds of debris that endanger spacecraft around the planet. The first time it happened was in 2009 when the active communication satellite Iridium 33 struck the decommissioned Russian satellite Cosmos 2251, resulting in a debris field of about 1,000 large objects in low Earth orbit. The Infrared Astronomical Satellites (IRAS) space telescope was launched in 1983 as a joint project of NASA, Britain and the Netherlands, and its mission lasted only 10 months. It weighs one tonne (ton), according to data provided by the European Space Agency and is about the size of a truck with measurements of around four meters by three meters by two meters (12 feet by 11 feet by seven feet). The experimental US satellite, GGSE-4, was launched by the US Air Force in 1967 and weighs just 85 kilograms (190 pounds) but has an unusual shape -- just 60 centimeters (two feet) wide but 18 meters (60 feet) long, and it flies vertically. If they had hit, they could have created around a thousand pieces of debris larger than 10 centimeters, and more than 12,000 fragments bigger than one centimeter, astrodynamicist Dan Oltrogge told AFP. There are around 20,000 catalogued pieces of debris bigger than a softball orbiting the planet, traveling at speeds up to 17,500 miles (28,000 kilometers) per hour, and satellite operators have to frequently adjust their trajectory accordingly, which isn't possible once a satellite dies. The Infrared Astronomical Satellites (IRAS) space telescope was launched in 1983 as a joint project of NASA, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, and its mission lasted only 10 months And now, all eyes turn to Iowa. O.K., we dont really need to say that. Feels as if all eyes have been on Iowa forever. Right now, the little state in the middle of the country has more political punch than the United States Senate. Plus no Mitch McConnell. What more can you ask? The quadrennial ritual known as the Iowa caucuses is here. On Monday, Democratic voters will march off to a local gym or school auditorium or hotel ballroom and do their thing. When the results are announced, one or two candidates will be propelled into semiofficial front-runner status. One or two others will survive to trudge again through New Hampshire. Eight or nine will be gone for good. They wont all admit it, of course. But well know. Weve now gotten to the point, which comes in almost every story about the Iowa caucuses, when its time to complain about the system that gives one smallish, rather homogeneous state so much political clout. Most of us live in non-first places where the candidates are spotted mainly at fund-raising events. But you get the impression a lot of people in Cedar Rapids not only get to shake hands with all their favorites; they expect a positive response when they invite them over for dinner. How did Iowa get all this power? It started back in the 1970s, when the Democratic candidate-picking system moved from the party leaders to the regular voters. Iowa wound up going first and really enjoyed the attention. Its going to keep that spot even if it has to start holding the caucuses in August. We take this very seriously, said Troy Price, the state Democratic Party chairman, in a phone interview. Marcy Hammerle, DVM, DABVP is a 2003 graduate of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine. She is the owner of The Pet Doctor, an AAHA accredited, three doctor small animal practice in OFallon, MO. She is a member of the AVMA, MVMA, ABVP, AAHA and attends over 50 hours of medical and management continuing education yearly. In 2017, Dr. Hammerle also became certified in canine rehabilitation (CCRP). She has been active in the MVMA since graduation and has been involved in organized veterinary medicine by serving on many different committees and task forces. She is currently chair of the MVMA Veterinary Technician and Practice Staff committee and is on the board of the MVMF (Missouri Veterinary Medical Foundation). Dr. Hammerle is also a past president of the Greater St. Louis Veterinary Medical Association. She has served on several charity boards and is a current executive board member for Treehouse, a therapeutic riding program that pairs horseback riding with children and adults with developmental needs. She is also involved in Boy Scouts and is a merit badge counselor for several veterinary related merit badges. A few weeks ago, the outspoken Labour MP Jess Phillips, at the time a leadership candidate, was asked by Andrew Marr about the possibility of Britain rejoining the European Union in a few years time. She said this: You would have to look at what is going on at the time ... so if we are living in an absolute paradise of trade, and were totally safe in the world, and were not going to worry about having to constantly look to America for our safety and security, then maybe Ill be proven wrong. But the reality is that if our country is safer, if it more economically viable to be in the EU, then I will fight for that, regardless of how difficult that argument is to make. Not long after, lacking some support across the party, Phillips withdrew from the race, and the other candidates seem disinclined to spend much time considering re-entry while the country was still technically a member of the EU, and after all the traumas of the past few years. British re-entry, which we might dub Bre-entry, will not replace Brexit as a national obsession for some time, if ever. Still, the European issue is not going to go away, and the debate about Britains relationship with the rest of the continent is not going to suddenly disappear entirely. It has been around in its current form since the end of the Second World War, and in other iterations for many centuries before that, all the way past Hitler, the Kaiser, Napoleon, the Spanish Armada, Henry VIIIs break with Rome, the Norman Conquest, the Anglo Saxons, Viking incursions all the way back to the Romans. As Boris Johnson once said, Brexit does not mean Britain is about to be towed out into the Atlantic (much as some might like it). In fact there are perfectly plausible cases to be made for Bre-entry being inevitable; and for it being inconceivable. As Phillips indicated, it all depends. Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Britain votes to leave the European Union - 23 June 2016 A referendum is held on Britain's membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving AFP via Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? David Cameron resigns - 24 June 2016 David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Theresa May takes the reins - 13 July 2016 Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit - November 2016 - 3 November 2016 The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Article 50 triggered - 28 March 2017 The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May calls snap election - 18 April 2018 Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain - 8 June 2017 After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Negotiations begin - 19 June 2017 David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament - 13 December 2017 The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a 'meaningful vote' on the deal Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary - 11 July 2018 Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Draft withdrawal agreement - 15 November 2018 The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain's divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May resigns - 24 May 2019 After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson takes over - 24 July 2019 Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Parliament prorogued - 28 August 2019 Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK's agreed departure date of 31 October. Stephen Morgan MP Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Prorogation ruled unlawful - 24 September 2019 The High Court rules that Johnson's prorogation of parliament is 'unlawful' after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar - October Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar - making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Final Say march demands second referendum - 19 October 2019 As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson wins 80 seat majority - 12 December 2019 The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Withdrawal deal passes parliament - 20 December 2019 The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124 Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal - 29 January 2020 Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain's departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne AFP/Getty The case for inevitability is primarily an economic and trading one. In an extreme scenario, it is possible that the UK will have failed to secure any meaningful free trade deals with the EU or with America, let alone China and India, by the time of a general election in 2024 or 2029. Indeed it is also possible that the British could find themselves embroiled in low-level trade wars with both the EU and the US, with matters such as citizens rights, fishing, extradition, or Chinese access to UK 5G infrastructure complicating the already complex talks. There are obvious signs of such diplomatic tensions simmering already. For a medium-sized but very open economy dependent on trade and investment for its prosperity, such a turn of events would imply a catastrophic loss of markets and inward investment, depressing growth and employment and thus living standards and public services. Britain, in effect, would be forced into abandoning its great Brexit adventure and begging the EU to let it back in, on whatever terms could be agreed. They would not be as advantageous as now; nor as yummy as multiple free trade deals across all the biggest and fastest growing economies in the world; but much better than having to survive without frictionless access to our closest neighbours. If Donald Trump survives in office and grants the UK the sort of amazing deal he brags about, well that would help (Getty) Thus if the promised economic advantages of Brexit fail to materialise, and the economy stagnates, there will be seen to have been little advantage gained by taking back control. As in the 1970s, Britain would be the sick man of Europe; a sclerotic nation with its citizens fighting like rats in a sack over what little money is around an even more divided and unequal society than today. Indeed such unhappy economic times would be exacerbated if there was a more generalised world downturn (which Brexit could not be blamed for, but would nonetheless be linked). Again, given trade wars and geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, this is a quite realistic possible outcome of current trends. By the same token it is perfectly conceivable, indeed more conceivable, that the housing crisis, the care crisis and the illegal migration crisis will show no signs of abating. If the 2016 referendum and Brexit was won partly in the immigration issue, it might be lost again (though illogically) if Brexit fails to result in managed migration. After all, that is the record on non-EU migration over the past decade or more. The pressures on the union from Scottish separatism and Irish nationalism could turn quite ugly, and be impossible for Westminster to resist, without, that is, reversing Brexit. There would be some tough choices to make; a rump state of England and Wales outside the EU, or the present UK back inside it? Lastly, Europe itself might conceivably evolve, in a direction that would make it easier for the UK to join with some dignity. Naturally Brexit has been discussed in a totally British-centred, if not Anglocentric, way. Little attention has been paid to what it will do to the balance of power within the continuing bloc of 27 nations. The working assumption must be that it will strengthen the position of the European integrationists. With Angela Merkel retiring soon, France seems destined again to assume a leadership role in Europe. President Macron believes the answer to the European Unions problems is more Europe. This means a fiscal union and banking union to match the monetary union and single currency. Yet that is something that nations such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Germany, as richer, more solvent nations, will never find acceptable. Put bluntly, it means putting their taxpayers in a permanent obligation to rescue bankrupt nations and banks south of the Alps. Meantime the rise of the nationalists in Italy, Poland and Hungary, driven by hostility to Brussels and failures in immigration, means the EU project is unpopular even in places where it has been of huge net economic benefit. Could a bunch of anti-EU German nationalists effectively become the official opposition in the Bundestag? (Getty) It is not unthinkable that the EU would become less a political union and more the kind of Europe of nation states the British always preferred. That is to say, no more unthinkable than to see a bunch of anti-EU German nationalists effectively become the official opposition in the Bundestag, or fascistic parties in or close to government in the Netherlands, Italy or Austria. A new looser EU, dropping free movement of labour, restoring national vetoes and liberalising its markets to the wider world, might well be one the British would love to be part of. Yet that might not happen, and the same centripetal forces that have exerted themselves so relentlessly will continue undisturbed by public disquiet, as they have since the Treaty of Rome set up the EU in 1957. The absence of the British will indeed strengthen them. If so, then it would make Bre-entry far less likely. Thus, if the UK had to accept a commitment to join the euro as the price of membership, even the most Europhile might have second thoughts. For the euro, itself an inflexible economic discipline, is a mere portal into a world of EU-run tax and public spending and borrowing controls a quantum leap in loss of sovereignty and control. It has certainly something few in either main party could advocate. On top of that, Britain might also have to sacrifice its old EU budget rebate and agree to submit UK budgets to the EU Commission. Thats assuming, of course, that the French dont veto a British application again, as they saw fit to twice in the 1960s. Besides the economic disaster might not happen. If global growth picks up, then it might offset some of the damage from Brexit. If Donald Trump survives in office and grants the UK the sort of amazing deal he brags about, well that would help too, especially if the new talks with Michel Barnier go well. The UK could swiftly hitch itself to fast-growing China, India and other Asian and African markets. Of course, any economist can argue, with some force, that any outcome will be worse than if we had stayed inside the EU; but that is an improvable, parallel-universe sort of case that the voters may not have much time for. No one will be able to point to the absent factories and office blocks that would have been built in a hypothetical scenario. The UK might just bumble along growing at 1.5 per cent a year. It would be uncomfortable, and far lower than the averages in the 1990s and 2000s; but maybe better or around the past decade or in the 1970s. Jeremy Clarkson calls Brexit voters 'coffin-dodging idiots' and slams young people for not voting in the referendum One oddity of Brexit might be that a sudden restriction on immigration in an already tight labour market would give a short-term boost to wage rates. If so it will be seized on by the Brexiteers that they were right all along (even if that rise in labour costs pushes firms out of business and means more machines, computers and AI replace more expensive humans in workplaces). That leads us to the poor but happy argument. During the great Brexit debate there arose one of many urban legends the Leave voter who declared theyd still vote Leave even if it meant theyd lose their own job. For them the idea that theyd be 400 a year better off (or whatever) in some parallel would where wed stayed in the EU is for the birds. Like it or not they will applaud lower immigration (if it can be achieved) and the restoration of political sovereignty. For that section of the population, as in 2016 and after, economic arguments are less relevant than an emotional appeal to retain control, and not lose it again to Brussels. It is also difficult to imagine the British embracing another great debate on Europe, tearing up new EU and US trade deals just as soon as they are signed, just so we can go through the whole thing again in reverse. After the 1975 and 2016 referendums set the precedents, it is hard to see the electorate contemplating returning to the EU without popular consent. The question would be what the terms would be; and how would we know that the terms agreed might evolve uncontrollably so they are unrecognisable (as arguably happened after the UK joined a common market with national vetoes in 1973). It would be a Brenda from Bristol moment not another one. And if Britain would be in poor shape by the mid-2020s, whos to say the EU might be in even greater difficulties? Greece: A new age of austerity and anger dawns Show all 2 1 /2 Greece: A new age of austerity and anger dawns Greece: A new age of austerity and anger dawns 364833.bin GETTY IMAGES Greece: A new age of austerity and anger dawns 364834.bin EPA All the economic and financial stresses induced by the euro on weaker banks and economies are still there, and the migrant crisis might easily flare up again. Those TV images, of Greek riots, of nutty extremists winning elections and pitiful refugees trying and sometimes dying crossing the Mediterranean, were powerful factors in reinforcing negative British opinions about the EU in the years before the 2016 referendum. It is often thought that the rising generation overwhelming Remainers will one day come to reverse Brexit, as their more Eurosceptic parents and grandparents fall off the electoral registers, to put it sensitively. Psephological expert Peter Kellner has said that demographic change (euphemism) means that the 2016 result would be reversed even now, under certain assumptions. Yet the young Europhile idealists of today are only the older, more cynical voters of tomorrow. Above all they will, as Philips says, have a very good hard look at what is happening at the time. Bre-entry for the mostly pragmatic British, is neither inevitable nor inconceivable. West Bengal: 63 Indian fishermen freed from Bagerhat jail January 31,2020 | Source: New Age BD Sixty-three Indian fishermen arrested for illegal entry into Bangladesh maritime boundary in October last, were freed from jail here on Wednesday following a court order. The jail authorities handed them over to officials of Indian embassy on Wednesday in presence of the representatives of district administration and police. The fishermen, residents of different areas of South Chabbish Pargana of West Bengal, will leave for their country from Mongla in their own trawlers, said Golam Dastagir, superintendent of Bagerhat district jail. Members of Bangladesh Navy detained the Indian fishermen along with five trawlers near Fairway Boya area in the Bay of Bengal on charge of intruding into Bangladeshi maritime boundary in different times of October last. They were handed over to police and separate cases were filed against them. Later, they were sent to jail from October 2-23 last year. Additional District Magistrate Md Shahinuzzaman said that the arrested were freed from jail following an order from the home ministry after completing all the legal procedures. The jail officials said 54 other Indian fishermen were now in the jail and legal procedure was underway to send them back to their country. Iran Halting All Arrivals From China, Repatriating Iranians Grounded In Wuhan 01/31/20 Source: Radio Farda Iran's Health Minister on Friday said Iran is imposing a ban on all arrivals from China. Authorities say the six people suspected of coronavirus infection have all been cleared. Travelers from China being screened for coronavirus Imam Khomeini International Airport, Tehran In a tweet on Friday Dr. Saeed Namaki said he has asked First Vice-President Es'haq Jahangiri to officially communicate a ban on all air, land and sea arrivals from China to the Ministry of Roads and Transportation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prevent an outbreak of coronavirus in the country. In his tweet, Saeed Namaki also said all healthcare facilities are at full alert at all borders points. According to Alireza Raeesi, Deputy Health Minister, in his letter to Es'haq Jahangiri the Health Minister has asked all "unnecessary" trips to China be cancelled. Another Health Ministry official, Kianush Jahanpour, in a tweet on Friday said no confirmed cases of coronavirus have been detected in Iran. Jahanpour in another tweet said special procedures and medical precautions will be employed to return more than 70 Iranian residents of Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic. The Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeesi on Friday said about 200 Iranian students live in China and nearly 100 Chinese nationals work in Asalouyeh in southern Iran. They will be quarantined when they return from New Year holidays in China, he said. The death toll from coronavirus in China has now reached 213 and more than 9700 have been diagnosed with the illness. There are now 128 confirmed cases of the virus outside mainland China. The World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30 declared coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. The United States told its citizens Thursday night "do not travel" to China, raising its advisory status to the highest level of alert because of the coronavirus epidemic. The State Department issued a level four warning -- up from urging Americans to "reconsider" travel to China -- and said any nationals in China now "should consider departing using commercial means." In the travel advisory, the department cited the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision that the "rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern." The WHO declared the global emergency earlier Thursday over the new coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, as China reported the death toll had climbed to 213 with nearly 10,000 infections. The UN health agency based in Geneva had initially downplayed the threat posed by the disease, but revised its risk assessment after crisis talks. In the updated travel advisory, the State Department recalled that last week it had ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan. "The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Hubei province," the advisory said. The US reported its first case Thursday of a person catching the virus from another person on American soil -- a man in Chicago who contracted the illness from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan. Many other countries have also urged their citizens not to visit China, while some have banned entry for travellers from Wuhan. Airlines began cancelling flights servicing China on Wednesday, and more followed suit on Thursday. Israel barred all flights from China, while Russia said it was closing its far eastern border with China over the outbreak. More than 6,000 tourists were temporarily put under lockdown aboard a cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers were isolated over fears they could be carrying the virus. They later tested negative for the illness. In its advisory, the State Department warned US travelers they should "be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice." "In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air, road, and rail travel in the area around Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel and other activities throughout the country," it said. Beijing has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. Thousands of foreigners have been trapped in Wuhan since it was sealed off last week. The pathogen is believed to have emerged in a market that sold wild game, and spread during a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home or abroad. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kikuyu gospel musician Karangu wa Muraya has come out to defend his new political song praising Uhuru Kenyatta following backlash from Kenyans. The Akorino faithful released the song titled Hongera Raisi Uhuru on Monday, lauding the Head of State for the Building Bridges Initiative. Karangu, who composed the song alongside Job Ayub and Charles Konde, said they are representing the Akorino fraternity, who have always been left behind in matters concerning the country. We are not a sect but Christians, and so our views count in this country. We follow everything that is happening and this time around, we have to speak our part, which is supporting the President by embracing the BBI, he said. After the handshake, the country has been peaceful and even in our places of worship, we now have people from all tribes unlike before, Karangu added as quoted by Word Is. Speaking about the public backlash, Karangu said, We cannot be intimidated by any troll because that is our personal opinion and in Kenya, we have freedom of speech. There comes a time, we put facts in front. We are not fighting Ruto but what we are saying is because there is peace in our estates right now, then lets embrace the handshake. Even if everyone will be against the song, we will continue supporting the BBI. He also dismissed speculation that the song was funded by politicians. Below is a video of the song. Most Remain supporters still do not accept Brexit, according to a survey (AP) With just one day to go until Britain finally leaves the EU, it seems most Remainers still have not accepted Brexit. According to a YouGov survey, nearly one in five (19%) of those who support remaining in the EU do not believe Brits really wanted to leave the EU when they voted in 2016. While this figure is a drop from the 32% who answered that way in November 2016, the results nevertheless paint a stark picture into the various stages of grief that Remain supporters still inhabit. Some 16% of respondents said they still felt angry about the result, while a quarter are in the depression stage. The stages of Brexit grief for Remain supporters (YouGov) The survey also shows that, even with Brexit certain to happen on Friday, 3% still believe it can be averted if they put their case to the public. Overall, 30% of the 2,050 adults surveyed say they now accept that Brexit will happen an increase of 10% from 2016. Britain will leave the EU at 11pm on 31 January after the European Parliament voted overwhelmingly to back Boris Johnson's Brexit deal on Wednesday. Read more from Yahoo News UK: EU anthem Ode to Joy tops UK singles charts in latest Brexit battle Nigel Farage launches one final attack on 'bullying' EU British MEP throwing 'Brexit's s**t' party in Brussels to cheer up Remainers MEPs, sitting in Brussels, voted by 621 to 49 in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement, paving the way for Britain to leave on Friday with a deal in place. The vote in Brussels follows the completion last week of the passage of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill through the British Parliament at Westminster. The agreement settles the terms of Britain's departure, including future citizens' rights, the arrangements on the Northern Ireland border and the UK's divorce settlement. Campaigners had hoped to stop Brexit altogether (AP) It also allows for an 11-month transition period, during which the UK will continue to follow EU rules while talks take place on a free trade agreement. Mr Johnson has said he wants a comprehensive deal covering all aspects of Britain's future relationship with the EU, including security by the end of the year. Story continues He has been adamant that he will not contemplate any extension of the transition period beyond the end of 2020. However, senior EU figures have repeatedly warned that reaching such a wide-ranging agreement will not be possible within such a tight timetable. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Workers install the chassis along a production line at a truck factory of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd. (JAC Motors) in Hefei, Anhui Province, China on May 5, 2014. (Reuters) Frost on Top of Snowfall: Virus Piles Pressure on Chinas Industrial Machine SHANGHAI/BEIJINGThe coronavirus is threatening to disrupt large parts of Chinas manufacturing machine and its global supply chains as the spread of infection and strict public health measures force companies and workers to remain idle. Chinas most important holiday was due to end on Jan. 31, when many companies planned to get back to work after a week-long vacation, but authorities have ordered businesses in many areas to stay shut longer in a bid to contain the disease. Widespread travel restrictions, meanwhile, mean millions of migrant workers may be unable to return to what has often been called the worlds factory floor. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Brian Miller, 32, owner of Easy China Warehouse and a bluetooth speaker company in the southern city of Shenzhen, said labor and production disruptions could ripple through supply chains, from raw materials to final assembly. If we cant get back to production quick enough, Ill run out of inventory, and Ill have a few months where we wont be able to sell anything. And thats the catastrophe that we all dont want, Miller told Reuters. In Eastern Chinas Suzhou, one of the countrys largest manufacturing hubs, companies have been told to stay shut until at least Feb. 8 and in Shanghai until Feb. 9. Factories in the southern manufacturing hub of Dongguan in export-oriented Guangdong Province have also been told not to open before Feb. 10. The threat of significant disruptions comes as China was already undergoing the biggest supply chain shift in a generation as companies grappled with the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war and an economic slowdown. A woman surnamed Chen, who co-owns a garment factory in Huizhou in Guangdong Province, described the virus and shutdowns as being like frost on top of snowfall. Her domestic focused factory already had to lay off almost half its workers from over 70 to around 40 due to the slowing economy, and she fears more jobs may be lost in coming months. The outbreak is definitely causing great damage to our business, as everyone will worry about a resurgence in the virus even if it is curbed, she said. The risk of a shock to business and consumer activity prompted one Chinese government economist to forecast economic growth may drop to 5 percent, or lower, from 6.1 percent in 2019. During the SARS epidemic in 2002-03, growth fell two percentage points but rebounded quickly once that outbreak was brought under control. The worst thing is the uncertainty Whole parts of the supply chain could stop, said Nicole Peng, vice president of mobility at Canalys, an IT research firm. Patchy Restarts Extended closures are rippling across China. Coal mines in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, the top two coal producing areas, have been told not to resume full-scale production until at least Feb. 9, though some workers believe the shutdown could last longer. A liquefied gas trader in Tangshan in northeast Hebei Province said truck drivers were due back on Thursday, but none had returned. While some steel mills in Hebei, Chinas top steelmaking hub, were still operating due to the hefty cost of shutting and restarting, some workers were advised to stay home until Feb. 9, as no one wants to take the risk, a purchasing manager at a mid-sized mill said. A growing number of multinational companies have warned of a hit to their businesses, with firms such as Starbucks Corp. and Levi Strauss shutting many China stores. Scores of airlines have also suspended or reduced flights to China, which Miller said could disrupt air freight. Some industry veterans said the virus could be the last straw for companies doing business in China. Labor and operating costs had already been steadily rising before the trade war brought higher tariffs. You dont know how many (workers) are going to come back and you dont know how many of the suppliers in your supply chain are affected, said Larry Sloven, president of Capstone International HK Ltd., who has been doing business in China for more than three decades supplying big-box U.S. retailers. By Josh Horwitz and Muyu Xu Pompeo to discuss ways to develop strategic partnership between Ukraine, U.S. United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss ways to develop a strategic partnership between Ukraine and the United States. "Good to be in Kyiv today. U.S. support for Ukraine is unwavering, and I'm intent on underscoring this as I meet with Ukrainian government leaders to discuss ways we can advance our strategic partnership and reinforce Ukraine's position as a free and democratic state," Pompeo wrote on Twitter. As previously reported, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Kyiv on Thursday evening. On Friday, Pompeo will hold a series of meetings, in particular with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko, and Minister of Defense of Ukraine Andriy Zahorodniuk. He will also take part in the ceremony of laying flowers at the memorial "Wall in memory of those killed for Ukraine" in the St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery. Restaurants in South Korea have put up signs turning away Chinese clients. A student in Britain wrote in the Guardian that commuters have avoided sitting next to him because of his ethnicity. And after 7,000 people were held on a cruise ship in an Italian port over unfounded fears that two of its Chinese passengers were infected with the virus, officials have warned of latent and widespread racism against the Chinese community. Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay $344 million for misrepresenting the risks of vaginal-mesh implants to consumers in California, the first state to bring its claim against the company to trial after thousands of U.S. women sued and some products were recalled. Lawyers for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra proved J&J and its Ethicon unit deceptively marketed their pelvic mesh products for years to doctors and consumers without fully disclosing the risks of the devices, misleading users in violation of state consumer-protection laws, San Diego Superior Court Judge Eddie Sturgeon concluded in his ruling Thursday. The company had faced more than 100,000 lawsuits over the products, which were intended to bolster sagging organs or treat incontinence in women. Many of those cases have been settled. Becerra had sought a fine of as much as $800 million, even though J&J resolved similar claims by 41 other states for $117 million. J&J officials vowed to appeal the finding of the California judge, who heard the trial last year without a jury. Ethicon responsibly communicated the risks and benefits of its transvaginal mesh products to doctors and patients, and the decision disregards the companys full compliance with federal law governing medical-device communications, Mindy Tinsley, an Ethicon spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. California was the first of the states that sued J&J to get its case to trial. Officials in Washington agreed to a $10 million settlement last year on the eve of trial. J&J withdrew some of its vaginal-mesh lines from the market in 2012 after facing complaints by thousands of women that the products threaded into place through incisions in the vagina eroded over time, causing pain and injuries. Surround-Sound Marketing J&J was accused by California of wrongfully engaging in a surround-sound marketing campaign to both patients and doctors that trampled state law, according to court filings. The company still faces lawsuits filed by the attorneys general of Oregon, West Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi. Marketing efforts included thousands of sales calls in which J&J officials misled doctors about the devices risks at meetings in their offices or at dinner, the filings show. J&J also made false or misleading statements about the safety of vaginal-mesh products in magazine ads, on the internet and in brochures, the state alleged. Sturgeon arrived at his damage award by imposing a penalty of $1,250 for each of the 153,351 violations of the states unfair competition law and 121,844 violations of false advertising statutes. The fine represents less than 1% of J&Js $70.4 billion total net worth and is not unconstitutionally excessive or disproportionate, the judge said in his ruling. Side Effects Known During closing arguments in the California case, Deputy Attorney General Jinsook Ohta told the judge that the evidence showed J&J officials aggressively marketed mesh even though they knew it could have long-term and devastating side effects, and that they were aware of the problems before the product went on the U.S. market in 1998. They knew then that these products had life-threatening complications, Ohta told Sturgeon. This case turns on the fact that the defendants concealed and misrepresented facts to California women and California doctors. Ohta played videos of a woman who testified, I feel like damaged goods and that her husband blamed her mesh failure operation for the death of our sex life. Defense attorney William Gage told the judge J&J and Ethicon didnt mislead consumers or physicians about the risks, and noted the state didnt produce testimony from any doctor who said he was duped. He said the state relied on language in mesh safety labels and random comments by sales reps to make its case. Gage said its laughable to argue doctors base their treatment decisions on warnings printed on a devices packaging. Reasonable surgeons practice evidence-based medicine, J&Js lawyer said. A physicians treatment is based on clinical experience, medical literature, conversations with other doctors and medical conferences, he said. The case is People of the State of California v. Johnson & Johnson, No. 37-2016-00017229-CU-MC-CTL, Superior Court of the State of California (San Diego). Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. The Palestinians are scrambling to mobilize the Arab States against the Trump peace plan with very little success, Arab and U.S. officials told me. Many Arab states are privately and publicly pressing the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table for a better deal. Why it matters: The foreign ministers of the Arab League member states will convene tomorrow in Cairo at the request of the Palestinians. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to call on the Arab foreign ministers to back the Palestinians and pass a resolution criticizing the Trump plan. Behind the scenes: Negotiations are quietly going on among the Arab countries about the text of the resolution that will be voted on at tomorrow's meeting. The Palestinians, together with Lebanon and Qatar, are pushing for a text the criticizes the Trump plan, Arab officials told me, while Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia want a more neutral text that calls for resuming peace talks but does not criticize Trump. The Trump administration has also asked several Arab countries to make sure the Arab League meeting tomorrow doesnt end with a resolution against the White House peace plan, U.S. officials told me. What they are saying: The UAE's foreign minister, Abdullah Bin Zayed, wrote a very unusual tweet today criticizing the Palestinian position on the Trump plan, evidence of the growing pressure many Arab states are putting on the Palestinians to accept the Trump plan. A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted. Between the lines: The UAE is one of the Trump administrations staunchest allies in the Arab world. It was one of three Arab countries that sent ambassadors to the unveiling ceremony of the Trump plan on Tuesday, together with Bahrain and Oman. The UAE also issued a statement calling the Trump plan a good start and called the Palestinians to re-engage with the US. The intrigue: Many Arab states have issued statements that were balanced or even and supportive of the U.S. peace plan. Arab governments offered very little criticism of the plan. Of note: Jordan who was the only Arab ally of the U.S. to raise publicly reservations about the plan, and it avoided criticizing Trump. A long day of silence had passed from the moment US President Donald Trump revealed his "deal of the century" Jan. 28 until Chairman of the Blue and White party Benny Gantz responded to it by declaring that it reflects the basic principles of his party. Gantz called the plan a historic opportunity to reshape the boundaries of the State of Israel for generations to come. He then went on to explain that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be unable to implement the plan because of the indictment looming over him. That is why it will be up to Blue and White to implement it. Gantzs remarks reflect the views of the senior Blue and White party leadership. They think that the plan meets all of our security concerns and creates an opportunity for a different approach to the conflict, as No. 2 party member Yair Lapid put it. The problem facing the Blue and White party is that the deal of the century is identified more with Netanyahu than it is even with Trump. One month before the third round of the March 2 election against Netanyahu, it is incumbent upon them to find a way to embrace the Trump plan and Trump himself, while at the same time removing Netanyahu from the equation. It is not at all sure that this is possible. What can be said with the utmost confidence is that after three years of headlines and hot air, the elusive deal of the century, which once looked like it would never be reached, came as a big surprise. It is a formative event in Israels political debate, changing agendas from top to bottom. It officially announces that the era of Oslo the years in which debate centered on support or opposition to a two-state solution is now over. The big turnabout took place on the evening of Jan. 28, when the 45th president of the United States put a plan on the table that shattered the old Oslo paradigm. The new plan clearly meets Israels demands. It dismisses key issues in advance, like the right of return for Palestinian refugees and the partition of Jerusalem; it determines that West Bank settlements will not be evacuated; and it sketches new borders for the partition of the land. Even before giving Israel the green light to annex 30% of the West Bank, it forces the various streams in Israeli politics to formulate their positions vis-a-vis the plan. Over the last three decades, multiple peace plans have been developed and put on the table by various American presidents. In each case, the Israelis and Palestinians engaged in direct negotiations, based on the initial assumption that Israel will have to give up territory, evacuate settlements and partition Jerusalem. All of Israels prime ministers after late Yitzhak Rabin Shimon Peres, Netanyahu, Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert negotiated with the Palestinians based on the vision of a two-state solution. The right opposed this categorically, while the center-left supported it. In fact, it was the direction they chose from the outset. As for Netanyahu, it will be remembered that during his first term as prime minister (1996-99), he made a commitment to continue implementing the Oslo Accord, largely as a result of enormous pressure from US President Bill Clinton. Despite panicked cries on the right, Netanyahu went on to sign the Hebron Protocol and the Wye River Memorandum, too. In 2009, during his second term as prime minister, Netanyahu delivered his Bar Ilan speech, expressing support for the idea of a two-state solution, this time due to pressure from US President Barack Obama. Prime ministers Barak and Olmert went very far, each in their own way, in their concessions to the Palestinians, who even expressed a willingness to partition Jerusalem. Trump turned everything around. From now on, his plan offers a fresh new perspective on the problem. From the moment an American president adopted an approach that removes the old principles of the negotiations, it has been difficult to see how an Israeli prime minister could ever return to the idea of partitioning the country and even Jerusalem on the basis of the old outlines. In that sense, the Trump plan is historic. Netanyahu is the power behind it. It was written on the basis of his vision, but it is not at all certain that he will be able to implement it. And so, for the first time in quite a few years, it looks like the current election will focus on the diplomatic process. The left opposes the Trump plan, claiming that there is no alternative to direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The No. 2 member of the Labor-Gesher-Meretz party, Nitzan Horowitz, described the annexation of the territories as a destructive move. The Arab Joint List also rejects the Trump plan unequivocally. This is not a peace plan. It is a war plan, said Knesset member Ofer Cassif in response. Senior members of the party were of the opinion that given the Blue and White partys support for the plan, chances are slim that the Joint List will recommend Gantz to form a new government. On the other side of the political spectrum, supporters of the ideological right particularly among the settlers oppose the plan, too, claiming that it includes recognition of a Palestinian state. The leaders of the Yamina list Defense Minister Naftali Bennett and former Minister Ayelet Shaked called on Netanyahu to annex the settlements and the Jordan Valley immediately, even before the election. While the Blue and White party was apparently caught unready, they have decided to embrace the plan. Of course, they would have preferred to have the plan presented after the election. The release of the plan now foils their campaign strategy of focusing on Netanyahus indictment and reduces the attention it would otherwise have paid to Netanyahus criminal behavior. Meanwhile, Netanyahu will not let the Trump plan die out, even if he is unlikely to impose Israeli sovereignty on the settlements and the Jordan Valley before the upcoming election as he hoped. What all of this shows is that the political implications of the Trump plan are significant, even if polls conducted after its release continue to show the two blocs in a dead heat, with no decisive outcome. The Likud has gotten a little stronger, but not enough to ensure that Netanyahu will continue as prime minister. Pollsters believe that this will be the situation on election day as well. Given these circumstances, the Trump plan can serve as the platform for a unity government. Both the Blue and White party and the Likud see the plan as a once-in-a-lifetime historic opportunity. It looks like Netanyahu wants to see that unity government happen, too. After all, he requested the Trump administration for Gantz to be kept in the loop for the past few months, based on his assessment before the Knesset was dissolved and a third round of elections was called that the plan would form the basis of a unity government. The burden of criminality weighing down on Netanyahu will once again make it difficult to form such a government, but on election night, once it is obvious that no party has won a decisive victory, it seems as if the plan for a unity government will be raised again. In that case, the historic Trump plan could be the bridge needed to achieve that. A large number of protesters, mostly students, gathered outside the Delhi Police Headquarters on Thursday night to voice their anguish against the attack on a student near the Jamia Millia Islamia during an anti-CAA protest earlier in the day. The large gathering outside the Delhi Police Headquarters, mostly comprising Jamia students, alleged that the police were hand in glove with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. They also alleged that the police were "mere spectators" when the assailant opened fire on the protesters near Jamia. During the day, a youth opened fire with a country-made .315 bore pistol just when Jamia students were about to start a march protesting the new citizenship law from Jamia Millia Islamia to Rajghat. It left a journalism student, Shadab, with injuries on arm. The policemen, who were watching the march passively, overpowered the assailant. Before opening fire, the assailant had shouted, "If you people want to stay in India then you will have to say 'Vande Mataram'." He also shouted 'Deta hu tumhe azadi' (Let me give you freedom). He then shouted 'Jai Shri Ram' and opened fire, said a protester. The Crime Branch of Delhi Police has been handed over the probe into the incident. According to sources, the decision was taken after Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and spoke with Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik. "I talked to Delhi Police Commissioner over Delhi firing incident and directed him to take strict action," Shah tweeted. An FIR under the Arms Act and a case of attempt to murder have been registered against the youth. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 06:42:26|Editor: Liu Video Player Close Protesters shout slogans during a demonstration in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 30, 2020. Greek lawmakers ratified on Thursday an updated agreement with the United States on defense cooperation, while thousands of protesters were chanting slogans outside the parliament building opposing it, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Greek lawmakers ratified on Thursday an updated agreement with the U.S. on defense cooperation, while thousands of protesters were chanting slogans outside the parliament building opposing it, Greek national news agency AMNA reported. A total of 175 MPs in the 300-member strong assembly voted in favor of the bill on the ratification of the protocol of amendment to the Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA) between Greece and the U.S.. The updated agreement was supported by the ruling conservative New Democracy and the center-left Movement for Change (KINAL) opposition party. The update of the agreement which paves the way for an upgrade of bilateral defense cooperation was signed last autumn in Athens during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Under the updated agreement there will be increased cooperation at military bases across Greece, where U.S. forces already have a presence, as well as in new facilities. "This agreement is an update of the agreement which had been first signed in 1990," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis noted, delivering a speech before the vote. It has been updated many times ever since. "You are rejecting an agreement you had been praising until recently," Mitsotakis told Alexis Tsipras, leader of main opposition Coalition of Radical Left (SYRIZA). The negotiation of the latest amendments started under the previous SYRIZA government, but the party on Thursday did not vote in favor of the agreement, arguing that the government should have secured more "tangible support of Greece's sovereign rights." SYRIZA on Thursday repeated a call for suspension of the agreement, saying that in recent months many factors have changed, citing increased tensions in the Mediterranean Sea over Libya and a memorandum of understanding signed between Tripoli and Ankara in November over the establishment of maritime boundaries. Approximately 7,000 protesters, according to Greek police, demonstrated against the agreement on Syntagma square on Thursday. The protest was organized jointly by leftist parties, students' associations, and labor unions. Protesters held banners with slogans such as "NATO and Brussels, killers of nations, down with the new order of imperialists" and "No to the U.S.-Greece agreement for the bases". "We are here tonight to oppose the new deal the government is promoting, which is a deal pushing our peoples towards wars serving the interests of capitalists," Kostas Ifantis, a demonstrator, told Xinhua. Thomas Zarogiannis, another protester, believed that the agreement has to do with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) military bases in Greece and "poses risks in case of a NATO attack on neighboring countries." Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Friday should bring a feeling of spring to San Francisco as hanging fog dissipates and gives way to warm temperatures across the region that wont last long a dry cold front is expect to suck temps back down Super Bowl Sunday. The shallow layer of fog and low-hanging clouds, mostly hovering around San Francisco, will dissolve as temperatures increase, mixing the air and spreading out dense moisture, according to the National Weather Service. Japanese Government Creates Task Force to Fight Spread of Coronavirus Reports Sputnik News 05:05 GMT 30.01.2020(updated 09:23 GMT 30.01.2020) MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Japanese government decided on Thursday to create a task force to prevent the further spread of a new coronavirus, the NHK broadcaster reported. According to the broadcaster, the task force will hold its first meeting later on Thursday. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his government are going to confirm their determination to fight the spread of the disease. Earlier in the day, the Japanese Health Ministry said that three out of 206 people, who had been evacuated from China, were infected with the new coronavirus. A man and a woman tested positive despite having no symptoms of the disease, while another man had a sore throat and a fever. The novel strain of coronavirus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since spread within China and to at least 15 other countries, including Japan. The epidemic has already left 170 people dead in China as well as 7,711 more infected. The coronavirus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, or more commonly the Wuhan coronavirus, has prompted authorities around the globe to impose special screenings at airports for flu- and pneumonia-like symptoms, particularly for passengers arriving from China. A number of major international airlines announced the suspension of flights to and from China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BILOXI, Miss., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Peoples Financial Corporation (OTCQX Best Market: PFBX), parent of The Peoples Bank, today announced directors Rex E. Kelly and Dan Magruder will not stand for reelection at the annual shareholders meeting on April 22, 2020 and will retire from the holding company ("Company") board when their current term is completed at that time. Accordingly, Messrs. Kelly and Magruder tendered their resignations on January 31, 2020 from the board of directors of The Peoples Bank, Biloxi, Mississippi ("Bank"). They have both indicated their resignations are for personal reasons. "We are very grateful to these highly-regarded gentlemen for their many years of wise counsel, commitment and loyalty to The Peoples Bank and Peoples Financial Corporation," said Chevis C. Swetman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. He added, "We will miss them yet understand their desire to fully enjoy retirement. I appreciate their leadership in identifying outstanding additions to the Bank board during the last two years as a part of our succession planning." Mr. Kelly, 72, has served as a director of the Bank since 1996 and as a director of the Company since 2002. Until his retirement in 2005, he was Director of Corporate Communications for Mississippi Power Company, a subsidiary of The Southern Company, Gulfport, MS. Subsequently, he worked as a consultant in the area of strategic communications/corporate and public relations. Mr. Magruder, 72, has served as a director of the Bank since 1993 and as a director of the Company since 2000. Mr. Magruder joined Rex Distributing Company, Inc., a beverage distributor headquartered in Gulfport, MS, in 1987 serving as president until his retirement in 2016. Founded in 1896, with $595 million in assets as of December 31, 2019, The Peoples Bank operates 18 branches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Stone counties. In addition to offering a comprehensive range of retail and commercial banking services, the bank also operates a trust and investment services department that has provided customers with financial, estate and retirement planning services since 1936. The Peoples Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peoples Financial Corporation, listed on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol PFBX. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.thepeoples.com. This news release contains forward-looking statements and reflects industry conditions, company performance and financial results. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risk factors and uncertainties which could cause the Company's actual results and experience to differ from the anticipated results and expectation expressed in such forward-looking statements. SOURCE Peoples Financial Corporation Related Links www.thepeoples.com The Gift (Theatre Royal Stratford East and touring) Verdict: Invigorating, if perplexing, multi-racial brew Rating: Of all the great British institutions in decline, it's the loss of afternoon tea that I lament the most. Gone are the days when we downed tools between three and four to sip a milky brown brew from china cups, and eat a buttered teacake. Tepid green tea, drunk from a paper cup at your desk, doesn't cut it for me. Yet afternoon tea is the institution chosen by writer Janice Okoh to illustrate her delightful but at times perplexing play about racial conflicts in Victorian Britain and today. Of all the great British institutions in decline, it's the loss of afternoon tea that I lament the most. Yet afternoon tea is the institution chosen by writer Janice Okoh to illustrate her delightful but at times perplexing play about racial conflicts in Victorian Britain and today, writes PATRICK MARMION Okoh starts with the real-life young black Nigerian woman Sarah Bonetta Davies, who was adopted by Queen Victoria. She is throwing a tea party in 19th-century Brighton for a vicar and a social-climbing parishioner. We then shift to a modern Cheshire village, where a black couple with an adopted white daughter are visited by new neighbours bearing gluten-free muffins. It's an exercise in traditional British awkwardness, as we learn the husband has been assaulted by police, who believed him to have kidnapped his own child. And finally it's back to Windsor Castle and the 1860s. Queen Victoria is taking tea with Sarah, as the 21st-century woman urges her to avenge the legacy of colonialism, unseen. Tea parties often mask murky undercurrents, but Okoh is more interested in using them to explore what it means to be black and white. This is sometimes obvious, such as when it comes to adoption. But it is also sometimes so convoluted that I didn't always get it. The pace of Dawn Walton's production, on Simon Kenny's chic, white-panelled set, can be too sedate, but there are some terrific performances, writes PATRICK MARMION Even so, the image of a modern black woman baffling her neighbours by saying that she identifies as white was one I will treasure for some time. The pace of Dawn Walton's production, on Simon Kenny's chic, white-panelled set, can be too sedate, but there are some terrific performances. Shannon Hayes is a model of grace as Sarah, while Donna Berlin blazes as her nervy maid, then as the Cheshire woman who's being sent on a job to Lagos due to her race. Rebecca Charles is also gorgeously excruciating as her PC neighbour. But Joanna Brookes took the rich tea biscuit by turning Queen Victoria into a fusion of Patricia Routledge and England rugby star Joe Marler. That alone was as satisfying as a builder's cuppa and a bun. Faustus: That Damned Woman (Lyric Hammersmith and touring) Verdict: Doctor Who with hell, damnation and junior school feminism Rating: There is time-travel, too, in the Lyric's new show. This is not Doctor Faustus and his usual pact with Satan. It's more like Doctor Who, with Jodie Whittaker replaced by a 17th-century herbalist who hopes to see if her mother is in hell after she was hanged for witchcraft. Her mission is accomplished by summoning the Devil, and so to fill her 144-year deal, Johanna Faustus (Jodie McNee) decides to do good by ending death. Credit to writer Chris Bush her play is ambitious. Our heroine is headstrong and, after revenge castrations and other assaults on men, founds a high-tech institute to procure universal immortality. I tired of Bush's sophomoric feminism hitching a ride on what should have been a more subversive romp, writes PATRICK MARMION. Pictured: Jodie McNee as Johanna Faustus But there is a lot of woke piety along the way. Faustus expresses anachronistic disgust that it will be 200 years before there's a woman doctor, and complains that Marie Curie isn't allowed to vote. It's the sort of history lesson my nine-year-old gets at school. I tired of Bush's sophomoric feminism hitching a ride on what should have been a more subversive romp. Nor is Faustus allowed to raise the personal stakes by getting emotionally involved with anyone. Still, McNee makes an engagingly wilful hellraiser, and has an amusingly camp, infernal sidekick in Danny Lee Wynter's Mephistopheles. Caroline Byrne's production is not up to theatre company Headlong's usual showy standards, with Ana Ines Jabares-Pita's dingy set looking like a whale's belly. With an ending that appears to revoke the trip we've been on, I was left wishing Ms Bush had been more concerned with disturbing us than telling us what to think. For tour details visit eclipsetheatre.org.uk for The Gift, and headlong. co.uk for Faustus. Lady Cora's a hoot in this punchy satire God Of Carnage (Theatre Royal, Glasgow, and touring) Verdict: McGovern is still Reza sharp Rating: Downton's Elizabeth McGovern is back in Yasmina Reza's send-up of right-thinking middle classes. She's a hoot. First seen in this production two years ago, McGovern, pictured, steals the show as the mother of an 11-year-old boy attacked by the son of another middle-class couple. The bid to find a civilised solution escalates into marital breakdown as social mores, interior design and cupcake recipes become weaponised. The play was written in 2006 and is slightly showing its age. The middle-class obsessions then were the war in Darfur and phone etiquette. Now we can add Trump and political correctness to that list. And there is one unprintable word in Christopher Hampton's translation which should be cut. Downton's Elizabeth McGovern is back in Yasmina Reza's send-up of right-thinking middle classes. She's a hoot, writes PATRICK MARMION Otherwise Lindsay Posner's production is still painfully recognisable, on Peter McKintosh's elegant set. McGovern is refined but volatile. As the mother with all the right opinions on geo-politics, she has the manner of one talking to aliens. And Nigel Lindsay, as her paunchy husband, is a surprisingly good match. As the father of the offending child, Simon Paisley Day is a corporate stick insect. His blood temperature appears low until his phone falls in a vase and triggers an impressive Basil Fawlty-style meltdown. But even more impressive is Samantha Spiro, as his wife, vomiting (over McGovern's precious collection of art books) when it all gets too much for her. At 90 minutes without an interval, it could do with being broken up. But this middle-class cage fight is very satisfying indeed. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ALNY) said the Committee, CHMP, of the European Medicines Agency has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of givosiran, an RNAi therapeutic in the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria in adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older. Givosiran is an investigational, subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic targeting aminolevulinic acid synthase 1 in development for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyria. The company noted that the positive CHMP opinion follows the recent approval of GIVLAARI by the FDA in November 2019. If approved by the European Commission, givosiran will be commercialized under the brand, GIVLAARI. 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. Sukhbir Singh Badal The Shiromani Akali Dal on Friday reiterated its stand that the Citizenship Amendment Act should not specify any particular religion, but should be for all religious communities. The party had voted in favour of the contentious law in Parliament, but it maintained that it was against keeping out any religious community from the act's purview. "Rather than specifying the religion it should be for all religions, including Muslims, that's what SAD president Sukhbir Badal had said in Parliament as well," SAD Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral said. "We abide by the coalition dharma and that's why we decided not to contest elections in Delhi, but later the BJP approached us, so we extended support to them," he said. Another party MP Balwinder Singh Bhunder raised the issue in the all-party meeting on Thursday called by the government. "I repeated my party's stand that all religions, including Muslims, should be included in the CAA," he said. Both leaders, however, said the party supported the law as it also benefits members of Sikh communities from Afghanistan and Pakistan. BJP president J P Nadda on Wednesday had said that its ally, SAD, which had decided not to contest the Delhi assembly polls over differences with the saffron party, will support his party in the February 8 elections. The Akali Dal's decision to not contest the polls had triggered concerns in the BJP that it may alienate a section of Sikh voters, which can influence more than a dozen seats in the national capital. Srinagar, Jan 31 : Former Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday urged the Central government to issue a notification providing 100 per cent reservation to J&K candidates in allotment of Post Graduate seats in different medical/dental colleges of the erstwhile state. In a statement issued here, Bukhari expressed serious concern over the prevailing obscurity around the whole exercise of filling post-graduate seats in different disciplines in SKIMS-Deemed University and other Medical Colleges of Jammu and Kashmir. "The candidates of Jammu and Kashmir appeared in the examination conducted through NEET after facing tremendous hardships including Internet shutdown. They braved all odds with a hope that they will get their share of seats through the same procedure which was in vogue before August 5, 2019," Bukhari said while soliciting the personal intervention of Prime Minster Narendra Modi in this regard. He appealed to the Prime Minster to convey to the Ministry of Home Affairs that Jammu and Kashmir should not be a part of the All India Quota for PG medical courses and keep 100 per cent of Jammu & Kashmir's seats reserved for its local students. "This has been one of our top most political demands submitted before the government of India that our residents/students should have 100 per cent reservation to professional courses in various streams and disciplines offered in medicine and engineering by our medical colleges, engineering colleges and deemed universities of Jammu and Kashmir," Bukhari observed. He urged the Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) not to go for counselling of All India Quota seats of Jammu and Kashmir for all medical/dental colleges, institutes as per merit of PG NEET 2020 till the Central government comes up with clarity in this regard. "The reconstitution of Board of Professional Entrance Examinations has made students in Jammu and Kashmir anxious amid larger worries that the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A has stripped them of their special status. This will eventually fuel a surge of outsiders into medical and engineering colleges in Jammu and Kashmir," Bukhari remarked. He urged the Centre to rebuild and regain the lost trust and confidence of Jammu and Kashmir students by ordering 100 per cent reservation for them in various professional courses as has been promised by the Prime Minister and Home Minister on the floor of Parliament. The former finance minister echoed the concern of the people of Jammu and Kashmir saying that earlier, J&K had 100 per cent of seats reserved for its students in its own medical colleges and now, after its bifurcation into two union territories, it is not clear whether it will have that reservation or not. "As a goodwill gesture and a confidence building measure, the Central government must restrict all the professional seats available in different medical colleges of the erstwhile State, for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir and address their genuine concerns about losing career opportunities," Bukhari said. A convicted drug dealer who tricked sellers on Gumtree and caused a horrific head-on crash has walked free from court. Teneil Lee Hassan, 22, appeared in Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday facing 44 fraud, drug and dangerous driving charges. The court heard how Hassan stole $3,000 worth of phones and other goods off sellers on Gumtree by providing false transactions, the Courier-Mail reported. The former childcare worker also dodged police after they found her and her friend using drugs in a car park in 2018. Hassan didn't have a driver's license and recklessly drove onto oncoming traffic where she collided head-on with another car leaving the driver with whiplash. Teneil Lee Hassan (pictured), 22, faced a staggering 44 fraud, drug and dangerous driving charges Police searched her home in July 2018 and discovered 23.5g of ice and a notebook filled with the personal details of people she stole from. She stole a rental car using one of the names and used several fake plate numbers on it leading to 28 toll debts. She was arrested and spent weeks in custody before being released on bail. In November 2018, Hassan's home was searched again and police found a stolen double-barrelled shotgun, $3,000 and 20g of ice. Defence barrister Penny White told the court her client was making changes to her life. A letter written by Hassan convinced Justice Martin Burns she was serious about moving on and changing her life. 'It revealed someone who was truly remorseful who had dedicated herself for now over 12 months to rehabilitation,' he said. Hassan was sentenced to four years' jail and was released on parole after already serving 15 months behind bars. She was also disqualified from driving for two years. Quarantine workers in protective suits check identity documents as tourists from the Wuhan area walk off of a chartered plane taking them home from Bangkok at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Jan. 31, 2020. (Chinatopix via AP) Pentagon Issues Guidance to Troops as Coronavirus Continues to Spread The Department of Defense issued guidance to troops about the Novel Coronavirus spreading around the world, it said on Friday. I approved a directive apprising our forces about precautions they should take, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the virus, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. The Department of Defense continues to work closely with our interagency partners as we monitor the situation and protect our service members and their families, which is my highest priority. Troops should take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs and take medicine if prescribed, the guidance (pdf) stated. Actions include washing hands often, avoiding touching the eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands, and avoiding close contact with those who are sick. Pentagon personnel who recently returned from China in the past 14 days or had close contact with someone infected with the coronavirus and feel sick with a fever, coughing, or having difficulty breathing should immediately seek medical care but should call ahead so preparations can be made by the medical facility theyre going to, the guidance stated. Esper said at a press conference on Thursday that there would probably be at least one more directive issued to troops. Force protection for our service members, our civilians and their families is a priority. So we want to make sure we stay in front of it with regard to information and other precautions that would be taken, he said. I know the INDOPACOM (United States Indo-Pacific) Command will also be taking measures given that this virus is emanating from that theater so they will be providing additive information as well. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper addresses the media at U.S. Southern Command in Doral, Florida, on Jan. 23, 2020. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The entrance to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. on Jan. 29, 2020. (Matt Hartman/AFP via Getty Images) Earlier in the week, the Department of Defense said it was providing housing at the March Air Reserve Base in Southern California for approximately 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus. Health and Human Services (HHS) is responsible for all care of the evacuees, and DoD personnel will not be directly in contact with the evacuees and evacuees will not have access to any base location other than their assigned housing, Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said in a statement on Wednesday. Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian hospital. DOD will work closely with our interagency partners and continue to monitor the situation. The Departments primary responsibility at this time is the safety of our force, our families, and our base communities. All of the evacuees were being quarantined so officials could continue isolating them and monitoring for the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday. The State Department raised the travel advisory for China on Thursday to level four, the highest. Do not travel, the advisory stated. Previously, people were told to avoid nonessential travel to Hubei Province and told to take precautions when traveling to other parts of China. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared a public health emergency of international concern over the coronavirus, which has spread to countries across the world but caused no deaths outside of China as of yet. A Bellaire High School student charged in the January shooting death of a classmate was ordered to remain in custody again Friday, based on a juvenile detention officers finding that hes a danger to the community. The 16-year-old, whose identity the Houston Chronicle is not disclosing because he is a minor, stood briefly before Associate Judge Samantha Davis in handcuffs and a detention uniform with a thermal undershirt. His mother stood behind him in the first row of the court gallery next to a translator. The alleged victims were all aged in their teens and 20s and were from Melbourne, Ballarat and Pakenham A man has been charged with stalking after he allegedly used personal details found on his victims' social media profiles to leave them explicit voicemails. The 37-year-old man was charged with 11 counts of stalking on Friday. Detectives from the Family Violence Task Force allege the man found personal details on the online profiles of 11 women between September 3, 2018 and October 4 last year. He allegedly used this information to contact the women and leave them a number of explicit messages and voicemails. The Chinese Flu. The Wuhan virus. The Wuhan coronavirus. These are some of the names major media outlets have applied to a new illness originating in Wuhan, China, whose official name doesnt exactly roll off the tongue 2019-nCoV. Mainstream media more often refer to it as a novel coronavirus or new coronavirus, while tweeters and bloggers have been more willing to posit their own colourful and often culturally inappropriate labels. The World Health Organization says it temporarily dubbed this new virus 2019-nCoV (pronounced 20-19 EN-koh-VEE), a step the WHO employs for very new diseases so that inappropriate names do not become established. Despite those intentions, the absence of a snappy handle is the very reason weve seen an array of monikers that are not always politically correct or accurate, say observers. The problem is its (2019-nCoV) a little clunky to use and people arent really going to adopt it. And the longer the WHO wait before they come up with a conventional name that people use, the greater the risk that theyll lose control over naming it, says Steven Taylor, a clinical psychologist and author of The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the next global outbreak of infectious disease. Taylor says names in general hold great psychological importance because they operate on several levels: They impart information about the disease, can imply the degree of threat involved, and invite the general public to learn about often complex health issues. But they can also cause unnecessary cultural, regional or economic offence. Wuhan is already suffering a financial blow from the quarantine and a name like Wuhan Flu is unlikely to help. In the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath first, do no harm, experts agree the name of a new disease should not single out ethnic or racial groups, geographic locales, trade and industry groups, or negatively impact animal welfare. This is the presiding principle of the WHOs 2015 guidelines on naming infectious diseases, which stress the importance of picking names that dont offend while balancing science, communication, and policy. Thats a difficult bar to meet, says Nicola Bragazzi, a medical doctor and research chair at York Universitys Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. Just look at the substantial number of names in wide circulation that are inspired by towns, cities, people, animals, jobs and groups: the Spanish flu, Legionnaires disease, Japanese encephalitis, and bird flu, among them. Controversies abound, but these names are so well-established in the public consciousness theres no way to roll them back now, says Bragazzi. Even inadvertent offence is tough to avoid, he adds, noting that norovirus drew ire for unintentionally containing the widespread Japanese family name Noro. And this was after the diarrhea-causing flu bug was initially named the Norwalk Agent, in reference to the town of Norwalk, Ohio, where an outbreak emerged among schoolchildren in 1968. In 2011, the flap pushed the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses which oversees the creation and naming of virus species, genus and families to strongly encourage the media, national health authorities and scientific community to use the name Norwalk virus instead. Naming viruses after the scientists who discovered them would seem to be a safe bet such as the Epstein-Barr virus, named after Michael Anthony Epstein and Yvonne Barr. But this too, was problematic, because it failed to acknowledge the contributions of a third scientist, Bert Achong, says Bragazzi. According to the World Health Organization guidelines, most names of viruses sound inappropriate, he says, suggesting it may be best to stick to characteristics of the illness rather than where it originated or who it first affected. This is tough for something as new as 2019-nCoV, whose exceedingly clinical moniker was derived from the few irrefutable facts at hand: It emerged in 2019, it is novel or new, and it is part of a family of coronaviruses that can cause a variety of conditions. Of course the problem with calling something novel is that it becomes obsolete as soon as another new pathogen of that type appears, says Taylor. Allison McGeer, director of the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit at Mount Sinai Hospital and a professor at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health, says there are bigger issues to contend with than a viruss name. The truth of matter is that we call bacteria by very complex and difficult names and we live with that all the time, says McGeer, who contracted SARS when she was on the front lines of the Toronto outbreak in 2003. I understand the desire for acronyms that roll off your tongue, but its not necessarily what we should be doing. McGeer says there is an international coronavirus group that has named new illnesses including SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome but there is no formal body that is responsible for new human viruses and its not clear when, or if, a new name for 2019-nCoV is coming. The WHO says final names for diseases are set by the International Classification of Diseases. Most agree that if you want a new disease to resonate with the general public its name should be memorable, short and easy to pronounce, such as rabies or polio. It all gets down to what you want your name to do, or what impact you want it to have on people. If you give it a technical name, its only going to have meaning to the people who are involved in the study and treatment of the disease, says Taylor, also a professor in the University of British Columbias psychiatry department. If we want people to stop eating wild animals, which are a reservoir of viruses, (then) you can call it something like Wild Meat Coronavirus. Theres little chance that would fly, Taylor quickly adds, noting that name could lead some fearful citizens to start culling wild animals to avoid the viruss spread. Naming a new virus in this day and age is no easy task, he agrees. There are all kinds of complexities that need consideration. Read more about: A group of Hong Kong restaurant owners has joined the chorus of calls for the borders complete closure, saying the deadly Wuhan coronavirus has hit businesses even harder than months of civil unrest. Gordon Lam Sui-wa, convenor at the 40-member Hong Kong Small and Middle Restaurant Federation, on Friday warned of a potential wave of eatery shutdowns, saying business at some restaurants has been nearly halved from last years post-Lunar New Year holiday period. Lam demanded the government shut the border completely to prevent mainlanders from entering in large numbers, and said the city should provide masks and hand sanitisers not only for medical staff, but public and private sector employees who deal with the public. Restaurant owners who spoke to the Post said buying high-priced masks for staff amid the shortage had increased operational costs, with one saying he had only enough masks to stay open five or six more days. Legislator Tanya Chan speaks a press conference on the coronavirus affect on Hong Kong restaurants. Photo: Xiaomei Chen If the government still does not close the borders completely to shut out the virus source, Hong Kong will only become an epidemic area. By then, no one will spend money in the streets, Lam said at a press conference joined by other food sector representatives. The food and drinks sector will only face a severe environment, just like a repeat of 2003, when severe acute respiratory syndrome [struck Hong Kong], or even worse. Hong Kong confirmed on Friday its 12th case of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 200 people in mainland China and infected 9,800 people globally. On Thursday, the World Health Organisation declared a global public health emergency over the virus spread. From Thursday, the government had closed six of 15 border checkpoints. The scramble for masks in Hong Kong continued this week, despite the government revealing on Thursday that more than 32 million of them would be available for public use. Lam said while some restaurants in residential areas were largely unaffected by the protests triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill, people were more likely to stay home if they feared infection. Story continues When there is a community outbreak of the disease, we are very worried that over half of the restaurants will no longer be able to operate any more, he said, referring to those in tourist areas such as Causeway Bay and Mong Kok. He said if officials failed to address their calls, they could not rule out taking more concrete action, such as urging the citys restaurants to switch their lights off for an hour. Pressed on the possibility of a strike, he said that was a question that would require liaising with other unions, though running out of masks would make staying open impossible. The lack of masks is very serious. Without masks, we will be forced to stop working, he said. Still, Cat Hou Chui-shan from Bartenders and Mixologists Union also refused to rule out a strike, saying if officials kept neglecting the health of locals, her union, which also has about 40 members, and other groups could launch collective action. Ma Ming-hei, who owns a cha chaan teng, a local Chinese cafe, said his business needed 90 masks a day for his 30 employees and that he spent as much as HK$280 for boxes of masks that normally sell for HK$50. Now, he has only enough stock for five to six days. He said one employee had requested to take a day off to buy masks. Hongkongers need to go as far as taking a day off and queue hours for a box of masks at 4am, he said. Thai restaurant boss Sae Ngow Vasunt said he paid a deposit to purchase masks from Thailand, only for the company to give back the money, something numerous Hongkongers have experience in recent days. He suspected it was related to the mass demand in the mainland. This article Coronavirus: Hong Kong restaurant group calls for border closure, says virus fears hurting business more than protests first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. An anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protester, a student of the Sanskrit University, was allegedly heckled by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers amidst the partys Abhinandan Yatra held on Friday in south Kolkatas Patuli area. The students from Sanskrit University was holding a poster that read--No NRC, No CAA. When the rally was approaching the barricades put by Kolkata Police, she was immediately surrounded by partymen and they reportedly started heckling her. Live TV Soon after, with the help of media persons, the student was rescued by cops of Kolkata Police and escorted to safety. It is my democratic right to protest against the CAA and NRC, they cannot stop me from doing so. I was heckled and abused by BJP workers. It was even worse when party state president Dilip Ghosh said that it was my good luck that I was saved, next time I will not be spared. I have filed a complaint of assault and verbal abuse complaint with Patuli police station, said the student who was allegedly heckled during the rally. Acting on the complaint, Patuli police station converted it into an FIR and slapped the charge of 354A of the IPC against Ghosh and others. A day ago, reacting to the protester being heckled, Ghosh had said, It is for her forefathers' luck that we only snatched the banner held by her and nothing was done to her. If one wants to protest, there are many circuses and baghs. Why come in front of us? Did she want to come into the news or wanted to become a martyr? We will not tolerate it the next time." Portland tech upstart Jama Software replaced CEO Scott Roth on Friday, the latest in a series of changes at the company since its sale to a private equity firm two years ago. The new CEO is Marc Osofsky, a veteran business executive who previously ran a Massachusetts marketing company called Aberdeen. Companies go through different stages of growth. Different stages need different skills, Osofsky said Friday. Osofsky said his background is well suited for a company with a strong customer base and a high rate of subscription renewals. Weve come off another really successful year here, Osofsky said. He will continue living in Boston; Jama says he will travel to Portland frequently. Jama makes software used in planning large projects, from software development to rocket ships. It has historically employed about 200, the vast majority at its downtown Portland headquarters. Jama is among the most prominent companies to emerge from a resurgence in Portland tech that began during the Great Recession. But like other companies from that era, Jama has been unable to maintain the rapid growth that marked its early years. Roth joined the company in 2016, succeeding Jama co-founder Eric Winquist as CEO. Roth had previously been a vice president at Return Path. He also worked at Salesforce, ExactTarget and Webtrends. After its 2018 sale to New York private equity firm Insight Venture Partners, a $200 million recapitalization that included new investment in the company, Winquist and other top executives left. Last April, Jama laid off 17 employees, 8% of its workforce, and other executives left in the ensuing months. On Thursday, Insight said it chose Osofsky in expectation of him leading further growth at Jama. A key pillar of our strategy is bringing onboard top leadership to accelerate the trajectory of core brands in our portfolio, including Jama Software, Richard Wells, Insight managing director, said in a written statement. Privately held Jama doesnt disclose financial results, but Osofsky said the company is in a solid position and has a number of open jobs: The growth is quite strong. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has denied reports suggesting that some students of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the university have successfully created and tested a Coronavirus vaccine. There were reports that an 8-member medical student team from the KNUST completed works on the vaccine last week and travelled to Ivory Coast when the first case of coronavirus was reported in that country over the weekend. According to the reports, the students told the press that two of them were in China on an exchange program when the first case of the virus infection was reported. They allegedly collected samples of the virus from China to their laboratory on campus where they found a cure to it. However, a press release signed by the University Relations Officer, Dr Norris Daniel Bekoe, said the KNUST had made no such discoveries. It indicated that the supervisor who is alleged to have supervised the project, one Professor Dr Isreal Nluki, has no affiliations with the university. Management thus urges the general public to disregard such publication, the statement added. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A wonderful individual try from fly-half Jack Crowley capped a man of the match performance as Ireland got the defence of their Under-20 Six Nations title off to a flying start with a bonus-point win over Scotland. The Munster sub-academy playmaker scored his second try of the match on the stroke of half-time with a brilliant showcase of his vision, footwork, pace, and power as he picked up the ball in front of his own five-metre line, stepped two Scottish defenders on the Irish 22, sprinted into the visitors 22 and then fended off full-back Ollie Smith before touching down behind the posts. It was the high point of an entertaining match that saw the class of 2020 continue the winning streak for Noel McNamaras Under-20s having won the Grand Slam in 2019. If that had put pressure on his latest squad, there was little sign of it at Musgrave Park last night. Ireland were intent on laying down a marker, a point evident by the decision of captain David McCann to turn down the opportunity of three points from in front of the posts after just 11 minutes. Ireland instead took a scrum and from the set-piece scored seven instead of three. Crowley, who was playing for Bandon Grammar a year ago, collected them all, with a sharp line to take a pass from prop Charlie Ward for the try, which he then converted. The second try also came from a scrum on 23 minutes but not before Scotland had levelled, with a try from hooker Ewan Ashman, converted by Nathan Chamberlain. This was enjoyable fare and Ireland added to the show by again taking a scrum rather than kick at goal inside the 22, forward power getting them to the line with vice-captain and Grand Slam ever-present tighthead Thomas Clarkson converting possession into five points. Crowley converted but again Scotland found a reply, six minutes before the interval and this time through an excellent finish in the corner from left wing Jack Blain after a prolonged period of pressure which saw Ireland concede a number of penalties before their line was breached. Chamberlain could not convert from the touchline, leaving Scotland trailing by 14-12 and before the half was out their deficit was nine points at 21-12 thanks to Crowleys brilliant score and conversion. Ireland wasted little time racking up the bonus point just three minutes into the second half as Leinster wing Andrew Smith followed up his hat-trick for the U20s against a Munster development side on the same pitch over Christmas with an excellent finish in the left-hand corner to widen the gap further, Crowleys conversion making it 28-12. McNamaras team were not done, though, and it was another great score, hooker Tom Stewart making a blistering break down the right wing with lock Tom Ahern matching him for pace on his shoulder. Stewart timed his pass outside to perfect and Munsters Ahern found another gear to accelerate from the 22 to the try line and over. Crowley missed his first kick of the night with his fifth conversion attempt from the right touchline and it appeared to matter little with Ireland holding a 33-12 lead after 48 minutes. Yet Scotland had not given up and to their credit hit back with a try from Chamberlain on 61 minutes, the fly-half converting his own score to close the gap to 14 points. Yet Ireland were not about to blow their advantage and a late try off a driving maul rubber-stamped victory, replacement prop Ciaran Ryan grabbing the sixth try. Scotland kept fighting and replacement fly-half Cameron Scott earned his side a bonus point themselves with an 85th-minute try. Duncan & Duncan Rugby: Everest in underpants, Irelands transition, mystery of leadership groups IRELAND U20: O McNulty; E McIlroy, D Kelly, H Hyde (L Faria, 52), A Smith; J Crowley (T Corkery, 74), L Finlay (B Murphy, 76); C Ward (C Ryan, 40-43 & 58), T Stewart (J McKee, 58), T Clarkson (R McMahon, 76); B Deeny, T Ahern (J McCarthy, 69); S OBrien, M Hernan (L Soroka, 74), D McCann - captain. SCOTLAND U20: O Smith; J Henry, M Currie, R McCallum, J Blain (R McLean, 46); N Chamberlain (C Scott, 75), R Frostwick (K McGhie, 65); M Wilson (G Breese, 65), E Ashman (R Jackson, 33 & 78), D Gamble; K Watt (J Campbell, 60), C Henderson; J Hill (G Brown, 60), C Boyle, R Darge - captain. Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan and Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Medan and Jambi Fri, January 31, 2020 08:16 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061d19a2 1 National coronavirus,Langkat,North-Sumatra,Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia,Jambi Free Amid the expanding coronavirus outbreak, authorities in Indonesia have been increasing monitoring of Chinese workers, especially those who recently arrived in the archipelago from mainland China, where the fast-spreading virus has killed at least 170 since it first emerged in the city of Wuhan, Hubei province. In North Sumatra, a team from Langkat Health Agency conducted a medical check-up on 13 Chinese workers employed at PT Sinohydro coal-powered plant (PLTU) Pangkalan Susu, who recently arrived in Langkat regency from China. Langkat Health Agency secretary Muhammad Ansyari said the agency organized the health check to anticipate a spread of the coronavirus. Although the PLTU employs some 95 Chinese workers, only the 13 workers had to undergo the tests because they had arrived in the regency between Jan. 7 and 22 from China, a period that saw an escalation in the virus outbreak, he said. "As of now, the test results show that the Chinese workers are in a healthy and stable condition. However, we still need to put them under observation for 14 days," Ansyari said on Wednesday. Separately, North Sumatra Health Agency secretary Aris Yudhariansyah said the provincial administration would be collecting data on foreign workers, especially those who came from China, who resided in the province. Langkat had also started to collect data on the foreign workers, he said. "We hope other areas will follow suit as soon as possible." In Central Java, the Manpower and Transmigration Agency has also coordinated with relevant agencies to carry out health checks on some 5,778 Chinese workers who were employed in various companies in the province. Chinese citizens make up the majority of 16,871 foreign workers in Central Java, the remainder of whom include Japanese, South Korean and Indian citizens, according to the agency's data. "From our coordination with several institutions, including the Central Java Health Agency, we haven't found any foreign workers confirming positive for the virus," Central Java Manpower and Transmigration Agency head Sakina Rosellasari said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Thursday. Similar measures have also been implemented in other regions, including in Pinrang regency in South Sulawesi and in West Java, where authorities have collected the data on foreign workers, especially Chinese citizens, and have conducted health checks on those who have recently traveled to China. The novel coronavirus, which causes a pneumonia-like sickness, had killed 170 people in China as of Thursday, while the number of confirmed cases globally has spiked to more than 7,000, a majority of whom are on the Chinese mainland, AFP reports. According to Health Ministry data, 16 patients in Indonesia were "under observation" for suspected infection as of Jan. 29, five of whom have been declared free of the virus. Indonesia has yet to confirm any case so far. One such patient has been identified only as WDZ, 26, who was admitted to Raden Mattaher Hospital in Jambi on Saturday and had been receiving treatment in the hospital's isolation room as she showed signs of breathing difficulties and a fever. She was in Wuhan the epicenter of the coronavirus from Dec. 20 to 27, 2019. On Wednesday, Jambi authorities had conducted an inspection of Kanaan Global School in Jambi city, where WDZ was employed Jambi Employment and Transmigration Agency secretary Bahari said nine foreign workers were employed in the school, four of whom were Chinese citizens and the rest were Filipinos. All of them have complete travel documents. This is only a routine check," he said. (dpk) Germany expects the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will be launched no later than the first quarter 2021, German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr said. The diplomat noted that he had discussed this issue with Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee Alexey Miller. "I can say that the project should be completed," TASS cited him as saying. "Its launch should take place at the end of 2020 or in the first quarter of 2021 at the latest," the ambassador said. A senior analyst of 'Uralsib', Alexei Kokin, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that Berlin does not risk much, waiting for Russia to complete the Nord Stream-2 project on its own, without Europe's help. "Stopping the construction of Nord Stream-2 is undesirable, but not so critical for Germany, because the existing Russian gas supply routes have not gone away. Naturally, a stop is a negative for companies participating in the consortium implementing the project, but Germany doesn't have problems with getting Russian gas because of this," he explained. Deputy director of energy policy of the Institute of Energy and Finances, Alexey Belogoriev, in turn, noted that the deadline for completing the project doesn't depend on only Russia. "The fact is that the Akademik Chersky pipe-laying vessel will not be able to participate in the laying of Nord Stream-2 - it was bought for the Sakhalin-3 project," he said. This means that Gazprom has only the Fortuna barge. "The question is being solved with the Danish authorities: do they agree to the option of technical escorting Fortuna by other vessels that will ensure its dynamic positioning in the open sea. If the Danish authorities agree, then in May or June Fortuna will be able to begin construction, in this case the remaining section will be finoshed by the end of the year," Alexey Belogoryev explained. In December 2019, sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump entered into force. On December 21, Switzerland-based Allseas, which is laying pipes for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, announced the suspension of its work. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he hoped the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be completed by the end of 2020. On January 28, Gazproms deputy head Elena Burmistrova, speaking at the European Gas Conference in Vienna, said that the Nord Stream 2 project will be finished by the Russian side. (Alliance News) - Hansteen Holdings PLC on Friday said its acquisition by Potter UK Bidco Ltd was approved near-unanimously at a court meeting and general meeting. Potter UK Bidco is indirectly owned by investment funds advised by Blackstone Group Inc affiliates. Blackstone is a US-based private equity firm and will pay 116.5 pence per share for industrial property portfolio manager Hansteen in a GBP500 million takeover. Overall, 99% of votes at the court meeting were in favour, as were 99% of general meeting votes. The acquisition still requires sanction by the court at a court hearing on Tuesday next week, the acquisition scheme is set to become effective two days later. Shares in Hansteen were flat at 116.40 pence in London on Friday shortly before close. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2019 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Donald Trump got in a jab at the House Democratic impeachment managers on Friday ahead of the vote in the Senate that is expected to acquit him of the charges they brought against him. The president mocked a moment during the final question of the senators' Q&A period on Thursday evening, when both Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler got up to answer Senator Amy Klobuchar's question. Klobuchar asked the Democratic team to 'provide any other comments the Senate would benefit from hearing before we adjourn for the evening.' Both men were walking to the podium in the well of the Senate but Nadler was ahead of Schiff and got there first. 'Jerry, Jerry, Jerry,' someone was heard whispering. Senate staffers and members of the president's legal team are seen chuckling during the incident. Donald Trump got in a jab at the House Democratic impeachment managers on Friday ahead of the Senate vote on his impeachment articles Both Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler got up to answer a senator's question But Jerry Nadler went to the podium as Adam Schiff followed Jerry Nadler ended up giving the response and Adam Schiff sat down Nadler proceeded to make the case for Democrats and Schiff sat back down. Trump retweeted a video of the incident and added this jab: 'Nadler ripped final argument away from Schiff, thinks Shifty did a terrible job. They are fighting big time!' There is no indication the two managers are fighting. And both are expected to be in the Senate Friday to present their case for calling more witnesses. That vote is predicted to fail and then the Senate will proceed to deciding Trump's fate. The president is expected to be acquitted in the Republican-controlled chamber. The final moments of Day 10 of Trump's trial was filled with confusion and resulted in Klobuchar approaching Chief Justice John Roberts to clarify her inquiry. It offered a rare moment of levity for senators who had spent the day in the chamber. There was laughter as Roberts, who had been presiding for nine and a half hours Thursday, struggled to read the card. 'I think this is the right question,' he said scrutinizing the card. Then he put it down. 'We don't have the question before us,' he said. Klobuchar then approached the desk where Roberts sat in the well of the Senate to fix the card. Under Senate procedure, Senators write their questions on a card that includes their name, state and what they are asking. Roberts reads the questions aloud. The card senators fill out to ask their questions Chief Justice John Roberts studies the question card Senator Amy Klobuchar, in red, goes to the desk to fix her question card The Minnesota senator, who's running for president, later explained to reporters what happened and got in a pitch for her White House campaign. She explained that she submitted one question but noticed the time was running out on the Q&A period. Her question - Number 89 - ended up being the last of the evening. So she submitted another inquiry but only signed it with her initials - A.K. Adding to the confusion, it also featured with Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland's name when it was Klobuchar who Roberts called on to submit an inquiry. Senators can jointly submit questions 'I had a different question, but we only have four minutes left, so I did the closer question,' she told reporters at the end of the evening. 'And it had a Cardins name on it. I put my name on it,' she said. 'I wrote AK but it wasn't enough so I went down there and fixed it myself in a very hands on manner.' 'It technically was probably not with the rules. The funniest part was that I hands on took care of the problem myself as I would as president,' she said, getting in part of her campaign pitch. Sen. Klobuchar said she signed the card with her initials - A.K. - instead of her full name Klobuchar asked the last question of the Thursday's session Senate pages have been taking the question cards from senators and bringing them to the Senate clerks to hand to Roberts. Senators had been staying at their desks during the question and answer process. Klobuchar is running for the Democratic presidential nomination and has had her husband and daughter Abigail campaigning in Iowa for her ahead of Monday's caucus vote. Iowa has the first vote in the primary contest and the senators running to be the nominee against Donald Trump - Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bennet - have been at the president's trial in the Senate instead of on the campaign trail. Klobuchar said she expects to be back in the state on Sunday. Senators are scheduled to resume Trump's trial at 1 p.m. on Friday. Her plans could change if the trial wraps on Friday night. 'Well I can't tomorrow because we're going to be there at one and so unless I teleported in. I've got my daughter there,' she said. 'Im going to go on Sunday for sure.' Amy Klobuchar shows reporters photos of her daughter Abigail campaigning for her in Iowa Amy Klobuchar said she expects to back in Iowa campaigning this weekend Day 10 of the trial had a few memorable moments. In the opening minutes, Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday that would have named the alleged whistleblower. Roberts looked at the card containing Paul's question carefully and then set it aside, saying: 'The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted.' Paul immediately left the impeachment trial to hold a press conference on Roberts' move. 'I can tell you that my question made no reference to the whistleblower or any kind of person,' the senator from Kentucky said. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday that would name the alleged whistleblower Senator Rand Paul immediately left the trial to hold a press conference Rand Paul holding his question that Chief Justice Roberts wouldn't read He read his question to the press but DailyMail.com is not naming the alleged whistleblower, whose public identity has not been disclosed. Here is Senator Paul's question with the names in it redacted: 'Are you aware that House Intelligence Committee staff ... has a close relationship with ... when at the National Security Council together. Are you aware and how do you respond to reports that ... and ... may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?' Roberts - who is tasked with reading senators' questions aloud - had told the lawmakers he would not say the name of the whistleblower during the Q&A session. The person has not publicly identified themselves and is protected by federal law from having their identity revealed. Democrats don't want the whistleblower named publicly to protect the person and several Republicans agree with them. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to reassure Roberts the lawmakers would support his position amid reports Paul was going to try to name the person in his question. 'We appreciate the judge reading our questions, and I want to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue,' McConnell said before the Q&A period began. But Paul made his inquiry and then left the trial to talk to the press. 'I don't know who the whistleblower is,' Paul told reporters. 'My question is not about the whistleblower. My question is about two people who are friends who work together the National Security Council, who are having overheard talking about impeaching the president years in advance of a process that then was created,' he said. He said he was 'still contemplating' trying to ask his question or some other form of his question again. He was asked if he shouldn't be in the trial instead of holding a press conference. 'Yeah, I will be there very shortly. Thanks for the question,' he said. Republican Senator Joni Ernst said it was 'concerning' that Roberts would not read Paul's question. 'That's concerning. I think that all questions need to be considered,' she told reporters during a break in the trial. 30.01.2020 LISTEN The year 1886 in history marks the birth of cars, first to be developed by the German inventor Karl Benz. He developed several identical copies with petrol or gasoline fuel transmissions even though some prototypes were earlier developed in 1796, 1808 and 1870 fueled by steam-power, hydrogen, and gasoline respectively. However, not until the early part of the 20th century, precisely 1908 did cars become widely available to the masses, courtesy of the Ford Motor Company that designed the 1908 Model T. Today, cars have become a necessity in the modern world making movement from one destination to the other a lot easier and convenient. Car types on the global market range from sedan, coupe, SUV, convertible, hatchback, crossover, etc. manufactured mostly across Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Oceania by different automobile companies. These different vehicle types have different target groups and appeal to different masses based on their specs and price range. In Ghana, the native car brand at the moment is the Kantanka brand. All others are imported into the country hence there are basically two main issues to deal with when buying a car. Firstly, knowing the history of the car and secondly, verifying the documentation of the car. Importation of cars to Ghana According to oec.world, Ghana is the 81st largest import economy with cars among its top 5 imports (Ghana trade hub). There are 3 types of cars imported into the country; brand new cars commonly referred to as tear rubber, clean cars, that is, vehicles used in their home countries without any dent or damage and finally, salvage vehicles commonly known as accident cars. If the price of a brand-new car is 100% the cost price, a clean car depending on the condition will have about 20 to 30% depreciation of the cost of a brand-new car. The salvage car depending on the extent of damage could have about 10 to 50% depreciation of the cost price of a brand-new car. As a result, salvage cars tend to be among the popularly imported type of vehicles in some developing economies like Ghana, since they are quite affordable as compared to the brand new and clean cars imported into the country. Also, salvage cars are popular in Ghana because acquiring the replacement parts are easier and relatively cheaper to fix since Ghana has a thriving hub of car spare parts dealers in Abosiokai and Kokomlemle all suburb in the Greater Accra region and an equally thriving hub at Suame Magazine in Kumasi, the Ashanti region of Ghana amongst others. Easy access to these spare parts hubs has made the purchase of salvage vehicles one of the choicest types of cars imported into Ghana. History of Vehicles So far as one is not buying a brand-new car, knowing the history of a car before a purchase may go a long way to saving time, money and if not far-fetched; human life. The auto business in Ghana and most parts of the world is characterized by information asymmetry, that is, decisions in transactions where one party has more or better information than the other. Some car dealers tend to hide the history of cars from the buyers just to avoid a price slash. For consumers who can't afford brand new or clean cars, salvage cars are their next choice. Not all damaged salvage cars to some extent are bad. Some popular damages found on salvage cars are as follows; damage to the rear, side, front, roof, minor dent and scratches, vandalism, burn, mechanical, damage history, rollover, stripped and undercarriage. Other damages caused by nature also includes flood and hail. Some damages are better since they can easily be repaired with less risk. When buying a salvage car, the best damage that can offer a consumer value for money is salvage to the rear, side, hail, minor dents, and scratches. Therefore, it is essential to know, check and double-check the history of a car before purchasing. There are lots of information hubs both paid and unpaid that provide the history on cars using the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) popularly known as Chassis Number. This provides a condition report of the car from the home country and gives a fair idea of the problems the car came in with. It makes one prepare and takes away the surprise factor in the future. Some common free platforms easily accessible to check any car's history are as follows; vehiclehistory.com, vincheck.info, autodna.com, carfax.com, and lemonchecks.com. Combating documentation issues In Ghana, there is a tall list of both solved and unsolved cases of fake car documentation. Some car dealers, people in the country tend to use fake documentation due to several reasons. The first being either unpaid or underpaid duty done by reducing the home delivery value (HDV) of the cars. Perhaps this is in order to gain more profit as people tend to look for diverse means of increasing their profit margins. This phenomenon tends to affect innocent buyers a lot as such cars are impounded at the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) during the car registration process. The reason being there are customs officers who make sure vehicles come with the right documents and duties are duly paid for before clearance is given for cars to be registered. Another reason for issues with documentation is due to car smuggling. Some people/ dealers tend to forge documents when they smuggle the cars into Ghana from neighboring countries having low duty tariffs. Buyers are advised to verify the documents of vehicles before purchase using Ghana's free online platform (Vehicle Duty Status) on ghanasinglewindow.com. Finally, buyers are encouraged to seek expert advice or opinion before purchasing any car other than brand new cars. A safer way for some buyers to ensure original documentation is to import their own cars in their names and follow through the buying process to ensure the right documentation is received. About Andcorp Autos Andcorp Autos is a fully owned Ghanaian automobile company and Ghana's first on-demand auto purchasing company, which offers the best option for purchasing and importing quality vehicles (brand new, clean, salvage) from the USA, Japan, Canada upon demand by clients in West Africa. In partnership with experienced auto body artisans, Andcorp Autos also offers a complete value chain to its customers by not only importing vehicles but also getting them (salvage cars) in a usable condition of very high quality. Andcorp Autos is a one-stop-shop of vehicle purchasing and shipping services with vehicles imported via either RORO (roll-on/roll-off) or container services oversees. By: Janice Osei-Essah Anderson/[email protected] By Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina Stories Continues after ad Africa is where the focus of the world is right now as the growth and investment frontier. Just last week, I was in London for the UK-Africa Summit. There has been China-Africa Summit, Japan-Africa Summit, India-Africa Summit, Korea-Africa Summit, Russia-Africa Summit, US-Africa Summit and several others. What do all these countries see? They see opportunities that Africa offers. With a population of 1.2 billion people that is expected to rise to 2.5 billion by 2050, a rising middle class, rapid urbanization and a labor work force that will rise from 705 million today to well over 1 billion in the next 10 years Africa offers huge market and investment opportunities. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area makes Africa a market worth $3.3 trillion. Africa can no longer be ignored. African economies are growing well, higher than the global average. Our African Economic Outlook estimates show that growth is projected to rise from 3.4 per cent in 2019 to 3.9 per cent in 2020 and 4.1 per cent in 2021. This aggregate growth rate masks highly diversified and resilient growth patterns. Indeed, 20 countries are projected this year to grow at 3-5 per cent, while 20 countries are projected to achieve growth rates of 5 per cent and above. Thats impressive! Even more impressive is that 6 of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world are now in Africa: Rwanda (8.7 per cent), Cote dIvoire (7.4 per cent), Ethiopia (7.4 per cent), Ghana (7.1 per cent), Tanzania (6.8 per cent) and Benin (6.7 per cent). Some regions are growing faster than others. East Africa is the fastest growing region with growth rate of 5 per cent in 2019, followed by North Africa (4.1 per cent), West Africa (3.7 per cent), Central Africa (3.2 per cent) and Southern Africa (0.7 per cent). For the first time in more than one decade, growth in Africa is due largely to expansion of investments rather than consumption, as well as from exports. Just think of the following: Foreign Direct Investment to Africa rose by 11 per cent in 2019, compared to just 4 per cent in Asia, while it declined by -13 per cent globally and by -23 per cent for developed economies. However, Africa faces important economic headwinds that could affect future growth. Global trade tensions have weakened global trade volumes, whose growth rate declined from 5.7 per cent in 2017 to just 1.1 per cent in 2019. Another challenge has been the impact of climate change, especially from the extreme weather patterns such as cyclones that devastated Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, as well as widespread drought across southern Africa and East Africa. The African Development Bank provided $106 million to support Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in the immediate aftermath of the cyclones, in addition to other emergency support. African countries cannot continue to reel from one emergency to another emergency. The African Development Bank has used its Africa Disaster Risk Insurance Facility to pay for insurance premiums for countries facing extreme weather events that have helped to provide $36 million in payout to countries. It is time now for the international community to help scale up this facility to reach many more countries. We must also address issues of insecurity. Growth in West Africa, which improved as Nigerias economy recovered from recession, has been dampened by the rising insecurity challenges, especially in the Sahel. Several countries in West Africa, such as Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Chad are spending a very high share of their budgets on security. It is now time for the African Development Bank, IMF and the World Bank to work out a financial support system that will help address these exogenous security shocks, which if left unaddressed, will have broader spillover effects that will lower growth and investment in the region. In this context, I wish to commend the ECOWAS Heads of State and Governments for their bold decision to set up a fund to help address these insecurity issues in the sub-region. We must tackle rising debt levels. Total debt stock (external and domestic) currently stands at $500 billion. Median Debt to GDP has risen from 38 per cent in 2008 to 54 per cent in 2018. But there is no need for the panic button. Let me be clear: Africa does not have a systemic debt crisis. However, we must watch the quality of debt, the mix of debt in terms of concessional and non-concessional, the potential negative effects of rising domestic debt in crowding out private sector access to finance, the increasing level of non-Paris Club bilateral debt, and rising volumes of Euro bonds. While there is no cause for alarm, greater prudence is needed. We all must now collectively focus on sustainable debt management and greater reliance on domestic resource mobilization to finance rising fiscal deficits. The bulk of the debt is actually spent on infrastructure, which remains a major challenge for many countries. Governments can improve the cost effectiveness of their expenditures on infrastructure by sharply focusing on quality infrastructure, improved efficiency of public expenditure on infrastructure, while promoting greater participation of private sector in the provision of infrastructure. Physical infrastructure, while important, is not enough to drive much needed greater growth and productivity of African economies. African countries should accelerate investments as well in the development of human capital. Youth unemployment must be given top priority. With 12 million graduates entering the labor market each year and only 3 million of them getting jobs, the mountain of youth unemployment is rising annually. Given the fast pace of changes, driven by the 4th industrial revolution from artificial intelligence, to robotics, machine learning, quantum computing Africa must invest more in re-directing and re-skilling its labor force, and especially the youth, to effectively participate. The youth must be prepared for the jobs of the future not the jobs of the past. Especially critical is training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The Bank is already working on this, with our support to build scientific centers of excellence, such as the African universities of science and technology all part of the Mandela Institute of Science and Technology. We have invested in the Kigali Institute for Science and Technology that is providing world-class training in ICT at the Masters level in collaboration with the Carnegie Mellon University. As part of our Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy, the Bank launched the establishment of Coding for Employment Program, designed to develop young digital entrepreneurs. We hope to develop 130 centers of innovation over the next five years to help create 9 million direct and indirect jobs. Our experience so far from ongoing programs in Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya and Senegal has been impactful. Some 2,000 youth (46 per cent women) were trained in just three months, between March and June 2019. Without any doubt, there is need to expand financing for education at all levels, primary, secondary and tertiary. The educational system must adequately prepare the youth for the labor market. Priority must be placed on improving access to vocational skills training, reducing the mismatch between training and needs of the labor market, and providing greater incentives for the private sector to support young people with on-the-job training opportunities, as well as entrepreneurship. At the end of the day, it is not GDP growth that matters. Nobody eats GDP. Growth must be visible. Growth must be equitable. Growth must be felt in the lives of people. That is why the African Development Bank places particular emphasis on one of our High 5s: Improving the Quality of Life of the People of Africa. We are a People-focused Bank. People are our core business; and their quality of life is our greatest return. It is the people of Africa who motivate us to keep doing what we do best: making prosperity a reality for all. I hope that the findings of this African Economic Outlook will further challenge us that, while much has been achieved on growth, we still have ways to go to make that growth much higher, more equal and impactful in the lives of people, everyday. And every single day we work, lets look at the real lives behind the statistics. Lets hear their voices. Lets feel their aspirations. Lets do a better job to make the dreams of improved quality of life for millions of Africans a reality. Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, is the President, African Development Bank. The article is an abridged version of the speech he delivered at the launch of the African Economic Outlook on Thursday at the banks headquarters in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja held a high-level meeting at the medical college hospital here on Thursday midnight to take stock of the situation after a positive case of novel coronavirus was detected in the state and the patient was kept in an isolation ward. Shailaja, who met the media after the meeting, said an awareness campaign would be launched among people to identify the possible infection and that the health department had alerted all district authorities. "The condition of the female medical college student from Wuhan University, who has been tested positive for the virus, is stable and she will remain in the isolation ward of the general hospital. The medical college here is well equipped (to deal with such cases)," the minister said. Kerala ministers hailing from the district -- A C Moideen, C Raveendranath and V S Sunil Kumar -- also participated in the meeting along with senior officials of the health department. The health minister said a meeting with representatives of private hospitals have been convened at 11 am on January 31. "We need to create awareness among the people. Strong action will be taken in case anyone attempts to spread any fake We will hold high-level meetings every day and issue medical bulletin with updates," the minister said. The medical college here has been upgraded with a special isolation ward with full facilities to treat at least 24 patients at a time. At least, 1,053 people are under observation in the state as the Left Democratic Front government scrambled for tackling the emergency. "Of the four students who returned from China, one of them has been tested positive. We have taken all precautionary measures and there was no need to panic," Shailaja had said earlier. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This is no cause for urgent panic in any way in the United States, Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of health, told reporters at the White House on Thursday. This is currently under control. But really, this is a dynamic and rapidly changing event, and the news can change at any moment. But the resources are deployed, the government is mobilized and we feel confident we know the right steps to take to contain it. While the outbreak of the coronavirus has caused a great deal of panic in the financial markets, Indian exporters believe they would have reason to worry only if the situation in China deteriorates further and the virus isn't brought under control in the near future. The real impact on trade with China will be known after February 8, when the Chinese New Year holidays end. That said, many New Year celebration events have been cancelled across China, following reports of coronavirus spreading and claiming more lives. Fertiliser imports may cost more Fertilisers, organic ... New York, NY (January 31, 2020) - The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on supporting brilliant, early career researchers, named 16 new Damon Runyon Fellows. The recipients of this prestigious, four-year award are outstanding postdoctoral scientists conducting basic and translational cancer research in the laboratories of leading senior investigators across the country. The Fellowship encourages the nation's most promising young scientists to pursue careers in cancer research by providing them with independent funding ($231,000 total) to work on innovative projects. The Committee also named six new recipients of the Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists who will each receive $100,000 toward their research. This award provides additional funding to scientists completing a Damon Runyon Fellowship Award who have greatly exceeded Damon Runyon's highest expectations and are most likely to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that transform the way we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. 2020 Recipients of the Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists: Lindsay B. Case, PhD (Damon Runyon Robert Black Fellow '16-'19) University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dr. Case is investigating the mechanisms that regulate focal adhesion formation, growth, physical properties and subsequent downstream signaling. Focal adhesions are large protein complexes that connect the cell cytoskeleton to the extracellular membrane, which is the connective material holding cells in place. She is using a unique in vitro system in parallel with live cell imaging and cellular perturbations to dissect the specific molecular interactions that contribute to integrin signaling and focal adhesion function. Dr. Case's research has the potential to identify new strategies for disrupting integrin signaling in cancer, which may provide a deeper understanding of how multivalent interactions and protein phase separation regulate cellular communication with the external environment. Ivana Gasic, PhD (Damon Runyon Merck Fellow '16-'20) Harvard Medical School Dr. Gasic is investigating the fundamental principles of tubulin autoregulation and the Microtubule Integrity Response, a mechanism that detects and responds to changes in the microtubule cytoskeleton in interphase cells. Microtubules are frequent chemotherapy targets when treating various cancers, such as leukemia, lymphomas, melanoma, lung, ovarian, and breast cancer. Microtubule-targeting chemotherapeutics kill cancer cells by blocking cell division and inhibiting cell growth. Dr. Gasic's work reveals how the microtubule-targeting drugs may work, independently of cell cycle, and suggests potential new pathways to specifically target cancer cells. Natasha M. O'Brown, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '16-'20) Harvard Medical School Dr. O'Brown is investigating the molecular mechanisms that govern the blood-brain barrier (BBB) which acts as the gatekeeper for the brain. While the BBB protects the brain from pathogens and maintains the environment for normal brain function, the BBB also acts as an obstacle to drug delivery for neurological diseases, including brain tumors. Dr. O'Brown has established the timeline of zebrafish BBB functional development using reporter lines and tracer assays. She is using CRISPR technology to create mutants that will shed light on details of BBB biology. A better understanding of the molecular determinants underlying BBB properties may provide new therapeutic avenues for drug delivery. Benjamin M. Stinson, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '16-'20) Harvard Medical School Dr. Stinson focuses on a cellular DNA repair process called non-homologous end joining (NHEJ), which repairs most DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) in vertebrates. Failure to repair DSBs properly can lead to new mutations, which are a central feature of cancer initiation and progression. Dr. Stinson has discovered one way the NHEJ machinery modifies DNA at DSBs and minimizes errors when re-joining broken ends of the DNA molecule. He will further investigate the basic mechanisms of the two main DSB repair pathways, which are critical to understanding the causes of many cancers and informing therapeutic approaches. Iva A. Tchasovnikarova, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '16-'20) Massachusetts General Hospital Dr. Tchasovnikarova has developed an unbiased, broadly applicable method to identify cell-based reporters of any epigenetic process inside the nucleus. Epigenetic modifications do not change the DNA sequence, but affect which genes are turned on or off, ensuring that only necessary proteins are produced. Disruption of epigenetic regulation, a hallmark of cancer, can result in malignant cellular transformation. Dr. Tchasovnikarova will utilize her novel technology to better understand the fundamental biology underlying these epigenetic mechanisms and identify optimal targets for novel therapies. Yi Yin, PhD (Damon Runyon Fellow '16-'19) University of California, Los Angeles Dr. Yin has developed single-cell assays that will be combined with statistical modeling to understand homologous recombination (HR). Cells use the process of HR to accurately repair harmful breaks that occur on both strands of DNA. Failure to correct such DNA damage can play a role in cancer initiation and progression. Dr. Yin aims to understand this critical mechanism to help guide treatment approaches for many cancer types. November 2019 Damon Runyon Fellows: Tess C. Branon, PhD [Robert Black Fellow], with her sponsor Gregory M. Barton, PhD, at the University of California, Berkeley, is exploring the relationship between the human body and the microbes that inhabit the gut, which affects physiology, development and disease. Recently, scientists discovered that cancer patients with a greater abundance of the bacteria Akkermansia muciniphila in their guts respond better to checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapies. Dr. Branon is using transcriptomic and metabolic profiling, as well as genetic manipulation of both the host and microbe, to elucidate the molecular interactions that underlie this protective effect. Zibo Chen, PhD, with his sponsor Michael Elowitz, PhD, at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, is creating the molecular language of cell signaling from the bottom up. Intra- or extra-cellular signals vary continuously and are often interpreted combinatorially in cells. Neural networks in biology and computer science offer a powerful way to interpret signal combinations. Dr. Chen will combine protein design and synthetic biology approaches to build a protein-based cellular circuit that can sense multiple inputs and carry out diverse functions based on pre-programmed instructions. This work will create a powerful "molecular computing" model that may provide insight into biological systems and open new capabilities for personalized cell-based therapies. Steven W.M. Crossley, PhD [AGBT-Elaine R. Mardis Fellowship in Cancer Genomics], with his sponsors Christopher J. Chang, PhD, and Daniel K. Nomura, PhD, at the University of California, Berkeley, is developing reaction-based chemistry to address the problem of "undruggable" targets in cancer therapy. These proteins lack grooves or "pockets" on the surface that can potentially bind small molecule drugs. A small molecule that can react with an amino acid in the target protein, forming a covalent bond, may circumvent the problem of poor binding pockets. Dr. Crossley aims to find drugs that will target the most problematic cancer-causing proteins, expanding the potential to treat cancers that currently have few therapeutic options. Erin E. Duffy, PhD, with her sponsor Michael E. Greenberg, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, is investigating how neuronal activity can regulate gene expression through a potentially novel mechanism in the developing brain, called RNA turnover. This mechanism may enable gene expression to be rapidly and locally controlled at individual connections between neurons based on neuronal activity. There is evidence that neuronal activity may contribute to pediatric malignant glioma brain tumors. Dr. Duffy aims to characterize this process and identify new therapeutic targets for pediatric brain cancer. Courtney Ellison, PhD, with her sponsors Joshua Shaevitz, PhD, and Zemer Gitai, PhD, at Princeton University, Princeton, is investigating how single bacterial cells join together to form complex, multicellular structures called biofilms. Biofilms protect bacterial cells from antibiotics and antimicrobial agents, making them difficult to eliminate. Some biofilm-forming species may cause certain cancers, and biofilms of infectious bacteria threaten immunocompromised patients such as those undergoing chemotherapy. Dr. Ellison focuses on bacterial appendages called type IV pili that play a crucial role in biofilm formation. Understanding the role of pili and their contribution to biofilm progression may lead to novel therapies to eliminate biofilms. Keelan Z. Guiley, PhD [HHMI Fellow], with his sponsor Kevan M. Shokat, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, is focusing on the tumor suppressor protein p53, which is inactivated in half of all cancers, making it the most frequently mutated gene in cancer patients. Normally, when DNA is damaged, p53 stops cell division to allow the cell to repair acquired mutations. Without this safety measure, cells continue to divide and become cancerous. Dr. Guiley aims to develop a novel small molecule drug approach to target a common mutation in p53 and restore its function. These studies have the potential to benefit patients with many different types of cancer. Julia Su Zhou Li, PhD, with her sponsor Don W. Cleveland, PhD, at the University of California, San Diego, focuses on how cells become cancerous when they have an abnormal number of chromosomes or broken parts of a chromosome. The centromere, which joins two arms of a chromosome, is essential for faithful chromosome segregation during cell division and genome stability. When chromosomes fail to be delivered correctly to each new cell, the abnormal chromosomes may form "neocentromeres" which have been discovered in developmental disorders and cancer. Dr. Li is developing tools to examine and manipulate these neocentromeres, which may lead to a better understanding of how cancer cells evolve and potentially novel anti-tumor strategies. Kaixian Liu, PhD, with his sponsors Scott N. Keeney, PhD, and Shixin Liu, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, is combining single-molecule fluorescence and force spectroscopy to study dynamic interactions between meiotic double-strand break (DSB) proteins and DNA. Meiotic recombination initiates with DSBs that are generated by the protein Spo11. Spo11 and its partner proteins ensure that DSBs occur at the right chromosome sites and at the right time. Dysregulated DSBs lead to chromosome instability, a hallmark of cancer cells. Dr. Liu's study will elucidate the dynamics of DSB formation during meiosis, which will shed light on cancer formation and pave the way for new therapeutic alternatives. Jon McGinn, PhD, with his sponsors Rebecca Lamason, PhD, and Michael Laub, PhD, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, studies how bacterial pathogens sense and manipulate their human hosts. Dr. McGinn is focusing on the tick-borne bacterial pathogen Rickettsia parkeri, which can only survive within eukaryotic host cells. By uncovering novel interactions between host and pathogen, his work may reveal new insights into how human cells work and what goes awry in disease states. He is also developing tools to manipulate key virulence pathways in Rickettsia parkeri that can be used to transform the bacteria into a vehicle for delivering antigens or new drugs directly to cancer cells. Colleen N. McLaughlin, PhD [HHMI Fellow], with her sponsor Liqun Luo, PhD, at Stanford University, Stanford, is using the developing nervous system to study metastasis, the primary cause of cancer-related fatalities. In metastasis, cell surface and secreted molecules enable cells to travel through diverse environments and invade distant tissues. Likewise, growing axons in the developing nervous system use similar sets of cell surface proteins to traverse long distances to form precise connections with their synaptic partner cells. Dr. McLaughlin aims to define the mechanisms used by cell surface proteins to promote axon targeting, which will provide critical insight into how these molecules are harnessed by malignant cells during metastasis. Ryan H. Moy, MD, PhD [Robert Black Fellow], with his sponsor Sohail Tavazoie, MD, PhD, at The Rockefeller University, New York City, is focusing on key genes and pathways that control metastasis of colorectal cancer to the liver. Dr. Moy's research could potentially lead to new treatment strategies that can block or delay metastatic progression of colorectal cancer and other gastrointestinal malignancies. Understanding this process at the molecular level has the potential to impact patient survival. Ysbrand M. Nusse, PhD [Robert Black Fellow], with his sponsor Paul Kubes, PhD, at the University of Calgary, Calgary, studies how immune cells contribute to liver regeneration after injury. Injuries to mammalian tissues are typically repaired through a stepwise process of inflammation and debris clearance, followed by proliferation of progenitor cells and tissue reorganization. During chronic injury, this process can malfunction leading to excessive inflammation, uncontrolled tissue growth and cancer initiation. Dr. Nusse is investigating the role of eosinophils, a type of disease-fighting white blood cell, in liver damage and repair using mouse genetics and imaging within living tissues. This project aims to uncover how liver cancers arise from chronic liver damage and may also reveal insight into other forms of cancer. Katy Ong, PhD [The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research Fellow], with her sponsor David Bilder, PhD, at the University of California, Berkeley, is investigating the molecular basis of paraneoplastic syndromes, which occur when a cancer causes unusual symptoms due to hormones produced by the tumor or antibodies produced by the immune system. They can affect the function of various distant tissues and organs in cancer patients, with deadly consequences. Dr. Ong is utilizing a new genetic tumor model in Drosophila that simulates many human paraneoplastic disorders: cachexia, immune dysfunction and early lethality. She aims to uncover how tumor cells impose physiological changes in host tissues at a distance with the hope of uncovering footholds for novel treatments. Nikit Patel, PhD, with his sponsor Allon Klein, PhD, at Harvard Medical School, Boston, is focusing on hematopoiesis, the process by which stem cells in the bone marrow differentiate into all the blood and immune cells in our bodies. Breakdown of this process is linked to cancers including myelomas and leukemias. Dr. Patel aims to determine critical components driving hematopoiesis by studying this process in different vertebrate animals and comparing evolutionarily conserved regulators. He will then use gene-editing methods to test if these regulators play a role in mammalian hematopoiesis. This work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets and novel strategies for combatting blood-related cancers. Veronika Shoba, PhD, with her sponsors Amit Choudhary, PhD, and Stuart L. Schreiber, PhD, at the Broad Institute, Cambridge, aims to develop a new class of small molecules that will target transcription factors, which regulate gene expression. These proteins are mutated in many cancers but are considered undruggable because current compounds fail to block the interaction between transcription factors and their binding partners. Dr. Shoba aims to disrupt these functional interactions by recruiting enzymes called kinases found in the human body to chemically modify the transcription factors and thus inhibit oncogenic activity. This strategy has the potential to diversify cancer-targeting approaches and become an essential tool in drug development. Kouki Touhara, PhD [Robert A. Swanson Family Fellow], with his sponsor David Julius, PhD, at the University of California, San Francisco, is focusing on enteroendocrine cells which are found in the wall of the gut and secrete hormones that regulate glucose levels, food intake and stomach emptying. Abnormal activity of these cells often causes common gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and carcinoid tumors. Dr. Touhara aims to elucidate interactions of the enteroendocrine cells with the enteric nervous system which controls gut motility and communicates with the brain. This research may lead to new drug targets and treatments for disorders of the gut. ### About the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation To accelerate breakthroughs, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation provides today's best young scientists with funding to pursue innovative research. The Foundation has gained worldwide prominence in cancer research by identifying outstanding researchers and physician-scientists. Twelve scientists supported by the Foundation have received the Nobel Prize, and others are heads of cancer centers and leaders of renowned research programs. Each of its award programs is extremely competitive, with less than 10% of applications funded. Since its founding in 1946, the Foundation has invested over $375 million and funded more than 3,750 young scientists. Last year, we committed over $22 million in awards to brilliant young investigators. 100% of all donations to the Foundation are used to support scientific research. Administrative and fundraising costs are paid with revenue from the Damon Runyon Broadway Tickets Service and our endowment. For more information visit damonrunyon.org. Students at the University of Houston will no longer have to worry about where their next meal is coming from thanks to the efforts of the university and the Houston Food Bank. While the expense of tuition, fees, textbooks and a place to live, among others, hanging over their heads, some students put food further down the list of where to spend their money. Now, the Cougar Cupboard hopes to help with necessary food for U of H students. Food insecurity is associated with reduced academic performance and lower rates of degree completion. At UH, we believe sharp minds are powered by healthy bodies, said Richard Walker, UH vice president for student affairs & enrollment services, said in a news release. We are committed to supporting not only the academic needs of our students, but even their most basic needs, including proper nutrition for those who are struggling. According to the release, the cupboard is available to all enrolled undergraduate or graduate students who may need access to additional food. The Cougar Cupboard is on the first floor of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center in UH Wellness, suite 1038 (4500 University Dr.). It is stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen and refrigerated foods, and dry goods. Students can receive up to 30 pounds of free groceries every week from Cougar Cupboard or one of the Houston Food Banks other 14 Food for Change markets in Houston. As our vision for the future of food banking, Food for Change is an innovative strategy that goes beyond emergency food assistance to address the root causes of hunger, the Houston Food Bank reported. The Houston Food Bank is at the forefront of efforts by food banks to use food as a catalyst - in partnership with social service programs - to help individuals achieve their life goals. To use the Cougar Cupboard, students must attend a one-time market orientation hosted by Cougar Cupboard staff and complete a short application for the Houston Food Banks Food Scholarship Program. Market orientation sessions are held Tuesdays at 2 p.m. and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. in the UH Wellness classroom. We get deliveries from the Houston Food Bank every week, so our shelves will be consistently stocked and available to students on a first come, first served basis, said Reuben Parrish, assistant director for health education at UH Wellness. Its our hope that by eliminating the barrier to healthy food options, our students will thrive in the classroom. During the spring 2020 semester, the market will be open Monday and Wednesday from 2-6 p.m., and Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. It is closed on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The Houston Food Bank strives to create partnerships that have the most impact in the community, says Regi Young, senior director of strategic partnerships, Houston Food Bank. We provide food for better lives, which helps students to stay engaged and focused making the most of the academic excellence that University of Houston provides. Cougar Cupboard is the second free food pantry on campus. PEEPS Pantry is operated by the College of Education in Farish Hall and is supported by direct donations and volunteers. For more information on the Houston Food Bank go to www.houstonfoodbank.org. rkent@hcnonline.com NASA's Artemis program aims to put people on the moon beginning in 2024. A few years before the program was announced, author Andy Weir released his book of the same name. Andy Weir, the best-selling author of "The Martian" and "Artemis," was just as surprised as the rest of us when NASA gave its new crewed moon landing program a familiar name: "Artemis." Weir found himself fielding a lot of puzzled queries from friends and families after NASA announced the program's name in May 2019 , about 18 months after Weir's novel was published. "It turns out that Apollo had a twin sister, Artemis. She happens to be the goddess of the moon," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said, referring to Greek mythology, in a discussion with reporters at the time. "Our astronaut office is very diverse and highly qualified. I think it is very beautiful that 50 years after Apollo, the Artemis program will carry the next man and the first woman to the moon." Related: NASA graduates new class of astronauts to join Artemis-era missions Artemis: A Novel (Crown, 2017) by Andy Weir | $7 on Amazon Artemis: A Novel (Crown, 2017) by Andy Weir | $7 on Amazon Science fiction author Andy Weir envisions what life is like on the moon base Artemis in his follow-up novel to "The Martian." However, Weir told Space.com, NASA's program is not a reference to his fictional moon city "Artemis," (Crown Publishing, 2017), which is set in the 2080s and discusses matters such as commercial space ventures, space tourism and space smugglers. "It was pretty cool; it was pretty funny," Weir said. "But they didn't name it after my book. It was just pure coincidence." Weir added that Artemis is a natural name not only because she is the sister of Apollo, but as a goddess, one of her responsibilities was the moon. The Trump administration tasked NASA with landing astronauts on the moon by 2024 in preparation for crewed missions to Mars in the mid-2030s . NASA aims to launch an uncrewed test mission called Artemis I in late 2020 or early 2021, during which an Orion spacecraft loops around the moon and returns to Earth. Crewed Artemis missions will follow later in the program. The Martian author Andy Weir, seen at NASA's Mission Control in Houston in May 2015, is writing the script for Mission Control, a new TV series for CBS. (Image credit: NASA/James Blair and Lauren Harnett) Weir said he wasn't sure if NASA could meet the 2024 deadline, or if these planned moon landings will happen. "I hope so, but we'll see," he said. "The problem with U.S. space policy is it's so heavily influenced from administration to administration you can't do a major space program in four to eight years." He added that each president is eager to define their own space policy but, by doing so, "NASA gets whiplash." Since 2000, for example, George W. Bush had a program to send crewed missions to the moon and Mars, Barack Obama canceled that in favor of a "flexible destination" program that could include asteroid missions and Donald Trump canceled Obama's asteroid plans in favor of a new moon program with possible Mars landings. In 2019, NASA also paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the first such venture by humans. Weir said that he didn't closely follow the anniversary programming "they did a lot of stuff" but added that he is a "huge fan" of the Apollo program , which sent 12 people to the moon's surface between 1969 and 1972. "I've never been too motivated by pomp and circumstance and ceremony, but it was an amazing accomplishment and we people, as a planet, are proud of it," he said. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . SIOUX CITY -- Two prayers preceded the event, and once Vice President Mike Pence was nearly done speaking to 400 people in Sioux City, he also encouraged people to pray for a good outcome as the long year of the 2020 election plays out. Speaking in the Evangelicals For Trump event that he called "this great new coalition," Pence said people should connect with neighbors to push for the re-election of President Donald Trump. "I would encourage you to have that other kind of faith. If you are inclined, to bow the head and bend the knee, over the next year to this election, I would encourage you to do it... Let's pray for America and pray for all of the American people." Thirty minutes earlier, Pence began the event by setting the tone at Country Celebrations Event Center, saying, "I am a Christian, I am a conservative and I am a Republican, in that order." Not that there wasn't a good dose of touting the Republican Trump administration in a crowd where red "Make America Great Again" caps were worn. Pence rolled through a list of accomplishments over the three years of the Trump administration. He said that includes a booming economy, the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years, the 2017 tax cutting package, high military and defense spending, beginning to build a wall on the Mexican border to aid a tough stance on immigration and "standing shoulder to shoulder" with Israel as an ally. "We've made America great again. But to keep America great," Pence said, citing the campaign slogans for 2016 and 2020, Iowans need to participate in the Monday caucuses. A chant of "Four more years, four more years, four more years," broke out, and Pence continued, "It is going to take at least four more years to drain that swamp." Pence turned to more talk on the role of religion. "We have stood for all the values that have made America great, and that includes the first freedom, the freedom of religion. And I promise you, with this president and this vice president, we will always defend the freedom of religion of every American, of every faith, so help us God," he said, Pence touched briefly on the high-profile machinations in the U.S. Senate, as the impeachment trial of Trump continues. He called the impeachment attempt by Democrats a "sham" and "shameful." "They are trying to impeach this president, because they know they can't defeat this president," said Pence, who was governor of Indiana prior to becoming vice president. The House impeached Trump over allegations he withheld military aid to Ukraine to pressure the country's president to investigate a potential political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, in the 2020 election. Important Senate votes are happening over upcoming days. The second prayer in the event came from The Rev. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor for the 14,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas. Jeffress derided how Democrats "believe in abortion for any reason" and praised how Trump has nominated two U.S. Supreme Court justices who are anti-abortion. President Donald Trump is the most pro-Israel, pro-religious, pro-life president in history," Jeffress said. Jeffress added that Trump and Pence "are on the right side of almighty God." Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds was the person to introduce Pence. Reynolds cited pride in signing a fetal heartbeat bill and her nominations reshaping our courts. Grady Marx, of Sioux City, was glad he saw Pence speak in his first-ever event in Sioux City, and liked all he heard. "Everything -- everything was great, everything was true, no spin," Marx said. Pence was the latest member of Trump's team deployed to Iowa to make sure Republicans don't forget they have caucuses also on Monday, that it's not just a Democratic competition with a huge field of jockeying candidates. Trump himself spoke Thursday night at a rally in Des Moines. Two weeks ago, Trump's daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, was in Sioux City to boost his campaign at Trump for Women event, also held at Country Celebrations. Trump faces competition for the Republican nomination from former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh. Both face long odds. At a visit to Sioux City in January, Weld portrayed himself as a good alternative to a president he says sought election interference from a foreign country and demeans many groups of Americans. Walsh, who sent out a Wednesday release promoting eight events he has scheduled in Iowa through Sunday, asserted Trump was "fearfully" sending surrogates to the Hawkeye state. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 China virus death toll rises to 169; over 1,000 new cases reported Iran Press TV Thursday, 30 January 2020 12:21 AM The number of confirmed deaths from China's viral epidemic has risen to 169, the government said on Thursday, as hard-hit Hubei province reported 37 new fatalities. Meanwhile, many foreign governments have began flying their citizens out of Hubei, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak,. Although the majority of cases have been in Hubei, cases have been detected elsewhere in China and in at least 15 other countries. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Emergency Committee is set to reconvene behind closed doors in Geneva later on Thursday to decide whether the rapid spread of the virus now constitutes a global emergency. "In the last few days the progress of the virus, especially in some countries, especially human-to-human transmission, worries us," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Wednesday, naming Germany, Vietnam and Japan. "Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak." The United States flew about 200 Americans out of Wuhan, capital of Hubei where most of the cases are concentrated. They were being screened on arrival in California. France, Britain and Canada also have organized evacuations. The effects of the virus are already weighing heavily on China's economy, the world's second-biggest, with companies cutting corporate travel and tourists cancelling trips. Various airlines are cutting flights, from British Airways and Lufthansa to Air Canada and American Airlines. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LANSDOWNE, Va., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced the selection of 477 high school seniors as semifinalists for the prestigious Cooke College Scholarship Program. This highly selective scholarship provides high-achieving students with financial need up to $40,000 annually for four years of college, to enable them to attend a top college or university. The semifinalists were chosen from a pool of over 5,300 applicants. Approximately 60 semifinalists will be selected to receive the scholarship. The 2020 Cooke College Scholarship recipients will be announced in April. "These semifinalists represent some of the most passionate, driven, and hard-working students across the country," said Executive Director Seppy Basili. "It is an honor to recognize these semifinalists for their persistence and achievements." Students applied from all 50 states, as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico representing 402 schools. A list of the semifinalists can be found here. Learn more about the College Scholarship Program here and sign up to be notified when next year's application opens in August 2020. Cooke College Scholars are selected based on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others and leadership. Students must be current high school seniors residing in the United States. Scholarships are awarded without respect to religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship status, geographic region, race or ethnicity. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $200 million in scholarships to over 2,700 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $110 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Related Links http://www.jkcf.org The councillor for Foreign Residents in Mijas, Arancha Lopez, has announced further initiatives to inform the municipality's 8,842 British residents of their rights and obligations during and after the transition period. "The British in Mijas are one of the pillars of our residential tourism and a fundamental part of the Mijas society and economy," she said, stressing that residents will find "information and support" at the Foreign Residents Department in La Cala. Email frd@mijas.es for more information. As well as sequencing the whole genome of coronavirus 2019-nCoV, the Institut Pasteur continued to work on the samples taken from the first confirmed cases. The quality of these initial samples enabled rapid cell-culture isolation of the new virus. The Institut Pasteur's scientists now have access to the virus responsible for the infection. The isolation of the virus paves the way for new diagnostic, therapeutic and prophylactic approaches. With the whole viral genome of coronavirus 2019-nCoV having recently been sequenced at the Institut Pasteur, the isolation of strains of coronavirus 2019-nCoV detected in France has now been successfully finalized, in a very short space of time, using the samples taken from the first confirmed French cases. Coronavirus 2019-nCoV, responsible for the cases of pneumonia that emerged in China (see the Institut Pasteur's fact sheet on the Wuhan coronavirus - page in French), differs from two other viruses that are well known for causing respiratory outbreaks in recent years: the SARS-CoV virus, responsible for the SARS outbreak in 2003, and MERS-CoV, responsible for an outbreak that has been under way since 2012 in the Middle East. The Institut Pasteur was actively involved in tackling these previous outbreaks, which yielded valuable lessons for the current situation. "For both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, cells known as Vero E6 were identified to culture the two coronaviruses," explains Sylvie van der Werf, Director of the National Reference Center (CNR) for Respiratory Viruses at the Institut Pasteur. "In January 2020, we brought them out of our collection, which is kept under strictly controlled conditions, so that we would be ready as soon as we detected a positive sample for coronavirus 2019-nCoV." Extremely rapid growth of the virus in culture The Institut Pasteur was therefore well prepared, and on Friday January 24, 2020, the very day that the first cases were confirmed, it began the process of culturing the samples that had tested positive for the virus on Vero E6 cells. "Using detection methods, we had observed a high viral load in the samples taken from the patients in hospital in Paris. This enabled us to identify which samples should be cultured first," says Sylvie Behillil, Deputy Director of the CNR at the Institut Pasteur. The viruses continued to be cultured over the weekend of January 25-26, 2020. By the morning of Monday January 27, the culture had already grown! "We didn't think that it would grow so quickly," continues Sylvie Behillil. The rapid growth of the culture may be explained by "the high viral load in the samples," but also by "the quality of the samples," adds Vincent Enouf, Deputy Director of the CNR at the Institut Pasteur. "We could see the cells becoming damaged and then grouping together, which can indicate that they have been infected. But we did not observe this cytopathic effect for all the inoculated samples; that reassured us that we had managed to isolate the strains, and this was then confirmed by additional analyses." Virus 2019-nCoV now available for research Now that the Institut Pasteur's scientists have access to coronavirus 2019-nCoV, they can set out to improve scientific knowledge about the virus. Research will focus on four main areas. Serology. Analyzing antigen-antibody reactions based on the antibodies found in patients' blood serum, and developing an effective serology test to screen for the infection among the population. NB: This is not a rapid diagnostic test for hospital use; it is a test to identify seroconversion in the population. Analyzing antigen-antibody reactions based on the antibodies found in patients' blood serum, and developing an effective serology test to screen for the infection among the population. NB: This is not a rapid diagnostic test for hospital use; it is a test to identify seroconversion in the population. Development of specific treatments . Testing known antiviral molecules that act on the replication cycle of some viruses to assess their therapeutic or even prophylactic potential, and looking for antibodies that may have therapeutic applications. . Testing known antiviral molecules that act on the replication cycle of some viruses to assess their therapeutic or even prophylactic potential, and looking for antibodies that may have therapeutic applications. Vaccination. Based on the virus, developing vaccine approaches that have already been explored for other viruses Ebola, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV , with the aim of proposing a vaccine candidate. Based on the virus, developing vaccine approaches that have already been explored for other viruses Ebola, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV , with the aim of proposing a vaccine candidate. Viral pathogenesis. Understanding how the virus works, how it replicates and interacts with the cell and the host organism, to gain a clearer picture of its pathogenic nature and identify biomarkers for infection or new targets for the development of treatments. ### The National Reference Center (CNR) for Respiratory Viruses at the Institut Pasteur in Paris is one of WHO's reference laboratories for coronavirus 2019-nCoV. A total of eight people from the CNR and two from the P2M sequencing platform have been working on the virus this week and will continue to monitor the outbreak in France. In response to the announcement of the first cases and the declaration of the outbreak by the Chinese authorities, the Institut Pasteur has set up a task force for the novel coronavirus The isolation of coronavirus 2019-nCoV clears a vital hurdle for research, which has now begun. The Institut Pasteur immediately set up a task force to mobilize its experts with the aim of developing diagnostic, prevention and treatment tools as quickly as possible to tackle the novel coronavirus. Several Institut Pasteur teams are represented on the task force, which will focus its research on various scientific areas: By Jarrett Renshaw NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders are leading a crowded field of candidates days before Monday's Iowa caucuses, the first contest in the process of picking a Democratic presidential candidate, according to a poll released on Wednesday. Biden was the choice of 23 percent of likely caucus-goers, the Monmouth University poll shows, slightly ahead of the senator from Vermont at 21 percent. Biden's lead was well within the survey's margin of error, meaning the two men were essentially tied. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, at 16 percent, and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, at 15 percent, followed close behind. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota was at 10 percent, the only other candidate within striking distance of the top candidates. Like other recent polls, the survey showed the candidates bunched together at the top, suggesting a tight finish as the caucus nears. Biden was the choice among older, more moderate voters, while Sanders attracted younger, more liberal voters, according to the poll. The Monmouth University poll was conducted by phone from Jan. 23-27, surveying 544 likely Iowa Democratic caucus-goers. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points, meaning results could vary that much either way. (Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Fidelity Bank Ghana, Societe Generale and Frontclear, completed a USD 40-million repo trade, using Ghanaian Cedi government bond collateral. This trade is the first ever Global Master Repurchase Agreement (GMRA)-documented trade in Ghana and has been made possible thanks to positive regulatory developments such as the recent Bank of Ghanas Guidelines for Repurchase Agreements in Ghana as well as improved capacity within the local market. The one-year cross-currency repo transaction is documented under standard GMRA 2011, as now mandated by Bank of Ghana (BOG) for any repo trades in Ghana. The successful conclusion of this landmark trade, just one month after the publication of the repo guidelines, demonstrates firsthand the benefits of using internationally accepted documentation and the importance of providing clarity on key aspects such as title transfer of collateral and enforceability of GMRA provisions in a close-out scenario. Frontclear is proud to play a role in delivering the first ever true repo trade documented under standard GMRA with our partner banks. Our success in closing this trade is testament to the commendable efforts of the Ghanaian authorities and market participants to develop Ghanas capital markets, efforts which Frontclear has been contributing to via its technical assistance program over the past three years. We hope that this trade sends a strong statement of support that will spur further activity in the repo space. Hugh Friel, Vice President, Frontclear Another first for Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited as we continue to work hand in hand with our global partners, local regulators and the Central Securities Depository to drive local market development. Not only does the new GMRA framework afford us the ability to tap new funding sources (local and offshore) but also more importantly, it achieves this in a timely, cheaper and more predictable manner. This gives leading banks in Ghana like Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited, the needed flexibility to continue to support a number of industries that drive Ghanas real economy. As we continue to build global partnerships, we see the importance of leading the way in providing access to secure and flexible short-term investment opportunities for global partners in Ghana while simultaneously accelerating the widespread adoption of internationally acceptable standards such as the GMRA in Ghanas financial markets. Sam Kwame Aidoo, Deputy Managing Director, Wholesale Bank, Fidelity Bank Ghana Following the first cross-currency total return swap in Ghana closed one year ago, Societe Generale is pleased to extend its capabilities and to be part of this first ever GMRA-documented repo transaction in Ghana with Fidelity Bank Ghana and Frontclear. This cross-currency repo adds to the existing set of collateralised financing solutions proposed by the Bank in this country and illustrates its tailor-made approach to serve its clients with innovative market solutions. Jerome Sabah, Global Head of Rates, Credit and Forex Sales for Financial Institutions, Societe Generale 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 Which is precisely why Republican senators seem so desperate not to hear it and so willing to entertain a false reading of the Constitution that would effectively render the impeachment clause a nullity. Should they do that, they will have sacrificed their own oaths to protect their own electoral prospects, and the country and the Constitution will have been saddled with a terrible precedent. The Senate will have told Trump that, indeed, he can do whatever he wants. In a unique initiative to create awareness among voters to exercise their voting rights, Delhi Chief Electoral office in association with Indian Railways is making an announcement regarding polls, at all seven Railway stations of Delhi. The announcement is being made at the railway stations through Railway Public Announcement System. Also, Delhi Electoral office is using Auto Tippers to encourage people to cast their votes across North, East and South Municipal Corporations. The seven railway stations where voter awareness campaigns are being carried are- New Delhi, Nizammudin, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar, Shahdara, Delhi Cantonment and Sarai Rohilla. Public address systems at all these stations have begun playing the appeal since Thursday. Similarly, the Automated Garbage Collecting Vehicles, Auto Tippers- 400 in North, 360 in East and 1066 in South municipal corporations are also playing the recorded appeal for people to come out and exercise their voting right on the day of assembly polls. The recorded announcement in Hindi will be made 24X7 for commuters at the seven railway stations. The listed railway stations have nearly 10 lakh footfall on a daily basis. Delhi will go to polls on February, 8 and the results will be declared on February 11. There are 13750 polling stations in 2689 locations of Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India: Climate emergency message resonates at worlds largest literature festival UN News special report from Jaipur January 31,2020 | Source: UN News Against the backdrop of Indias famed pink city of Jaipur, the worlds largest literature festival hosted the UNs top representative in the country on Monday, who told audience members attending a special session on the climate emergency, that the Organization is working flat out to slow the pace of damaging climate change. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. It is estimated that over 600 million Indians are likely to be impacted adversely by climate change if we dont change course now. Jaipur is the capital of the picturesque, almost magical Indian state of Rajasthan. It is known as the Pink City due to the colour of the stone used for many of its glorious palaces and historic monuments. Acclaimed as the greatest literary show on Earth, the five-day Jaipur Literature festival attracts more than 400,000 book lovers; around 2,000 speakers addressing more than 200 sessions; and authors from 20 different countries. The books being discussed are penned in more than two dozen languages. Questioned over whether the UN is doing enough to resolve the climate crisis, the UNs Resident Coordinator in India, Renata Dessallien, quipped that the Organization could not act as a global police force. We are also not a global Government, so there are limits, to which the UN is mandated and on what it is able to do. In fact, she added, we are pushing the limits on many fronts. The best way to describe the United Nations is that we are the world persuader persuading people to do what is fundamentally right. She lauded the UNs pioneering role in the science relating to the impact of climate change, in the late 1980s, when a panel was established on climate change by the UN known as the IPCC, which provides governments at all levels with trusted scientific information they can use to develop climate policies. So the science is out there and as an inter-governmental body we bring the nation states together to address the problem thats staring us in the face, validated by the science. The session heard some startling stories of people living in Indias Ladakh region who are gravely affected by Climate crisis. Solar Energy Innovator, Educationist and Managing Director of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives in Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk said: Up in the mountains, across the Himalayas, particularly in Ladakh, our glaciers are melting and while we always had water shortages, now we are seeing droughts in the spring season. I know at least two villages where people had to abandon the whole village due to water (shortages). These droughts are now accompanied by flash floods in autumn. In 2006, while volunteering in one such village that was washed away, leading to many deaths, he had asked villagers when the last flash flooding had occurred, but they didnt remember. The same village had another flash flood in 2010, then in 2015 and then another one in 2017. So its now becoming as frequent as that. He appealed to the people living in the plains and the cities to be responsible and live simply so that the people of the mountains in turn, can simply live. Managing Editor of online journal PARI, Namita Waikar, who is chronicling the stories of how vulnerable populations across India are being most affected by climate change for the upcoming UNDP Human Development Report, chimed in with other first-hand accounts of how life is being adversely affected in the coastal cities. In the rural areas, there are communities in Tamil Nadu where seaweed farmers are forced to change livelihoods due to fast disappearing seaweeds. Similarly, in places like Delhi, inland fishing communities are catching dead fish. What they told me was heart breaking. Fisherman told her that if they lay the net at night, all they catch are the freshest of the dead fish in the morning. Keeping sewage and industrial waste out of rivers and coastal areas in an urgent priority, she said Another fisherwoman said that some of the fish they caught earlier are now only seen on the Discovery channel. That clearly explains the gravity of the situation. Writer, educator and filmmaker, Shubhangi Swarup, who is exploring ecology in her fiction, explained how she is integrating climate change themes into her work. Our stories have become human-centric, self-obsessed and obnoxious. We dont have appreciation of nature and universe in our stories. So, I tried to write a novel where a geological fault line is the thread of the narrative. It begins with the Andaman (islands), goes to Myanmar, then Nepal and ends in Ladakh. While telling the story, I realised how ridiculous the political borders are when we are talking about solving local problems, she said. Civil Society Activist, Apoorva Oza, reiterated the need to take profit considerations out of the climate change debate: Theres this excessive focus on measuring everything in economic terms. When I write a proposal they ask me whether Ill double the farmers income. All I can tell you is that they will protect nature, theyll sustain the environment, theyll not over-exploit groundwater. But I cant guarantee that I can double their incomes. I can only guarantee their progress. The session took a sombre turn when the famous Bollywood Actress and UN Advocate for Sustainable Development, Dia Mirza reached out to the audience and asked, Do you have time? We just have a decade. Listen to women, listen to mothers, listen to children. And if you dont understand science, just watch nature. The message was clear: everyone is responsible for creating a more environmentally sustainable world And the arts and cultural sector is no exception. As Moderator, Sameer Saran aptly concluded: Since this festival is attended by the literati, stories come out of such places. If climate change becomes a part of these stories, well be inspired to take better steps in mitigating climate change. Stories we tell about ourselves define our actions. And if our stories are green, then probably our future will also be green and prosperous. United Nations Theme(s): Others. US President Donald Trump continues with his harsh sanctions and has openly said that American forces in Syria are there to take Syrian oil writes Al-Watan. I will directly address Mr. Donald Trump, President of the United States of America. I do not think there is anything preventing me from doing this, especially given that I consider Mr. Trump to be a personal enemy, and who I could even sue in the American courts they tell us are so fair. An urgent question has not left me, and I desperately want an answer: With whom are you fighting in the war in Syria? The ruling system that displeases you, or the Syrians themselves? I can inform you with full honesty that you are entering into your war with us, the Syrian people, all our segments, religious beliefs, and ethnic brancheswith the exception of those who have sold their souls to the devil. You must ask people, Mr. President, who that devil is! All of my Syrian brothers and sisters and I are living below the imaginary poverty line set by the worlds experts. Below the poverty line means that a family lives on a insufficient amount of money to buy bread, and that this family must live on subsistence, because youMr. Presidenthave imposed an asphyxiating blockade on the Syrian people as a whole, and deprived them of food, medicine and oil. If you could, you would deprive us of air. Meanwhile, as you declare explicitly that you have put your hands on our oil and that you will disburse it as you please, what is the appropriate term for this action? Let me remind you of the words thievery, theft, piracy and thuggishness. I ask that you translate these words. I want my share of the stolen Syrian oil. I want it from you personally. I ask that you do not delay in delivering it by any means. Given that the banks which work with Syrian banks have been cut off, I recommend that you come to Damascus and bring my money before I die from hunger due to your siege and your sanctions. You can come in your presidential plane and land at the Damascus International Airport. I will accompany you to the Nafoura coffeehouse behind the Umayyad Mosque. I will invite you to share a cup of coffee at the sound of the call to prayer. I will walk with you in Old Damascus, the first populated capital in the world. There have passed rich civilizations of which you know nothing, for you believe in no civilization but the current American civilization of heavy and light manufacturing and Superman and Hollywood and variously-named bombs, from nuclear to cluster to cruise missiles and Tomahawks, which you distribute across the devastated world. I will accompany you to the market where the Apostle Paul walked before heading to Europe to preach the word of the messiah. I will teach you about the Hanania Church, which they say is the oldest in the world. I will invite you to shop in the Hamadiyeh market and advise you on the damask fabrics which Damascus gave to the British Queen Elizabeth and which she wore on her wedding day. It will be a walk in a country of civilization which may not be repeated. Your private guards will not accompany you, since the situation in Damascus is more safe than at the White House, which rules over the world and punishes the people and countries whose entire sin is living in freedom, while the Statue of Liberty in New York has become a symbol of despotism and cruelty and the subjugation of peoples. Will you come Mr. President? I await your reply. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. A wild turkey that decided to make a home for himself in a suburban bedroom community in Camden County was euthanized Thursday after being confiscated from a farm Wednesday 43 miles away where he had been taken to live out his life. The nearly 20-pound bird -- who locals in Haddon Heights had named Glenny, because it had frequently been spotted in the vicinity of the Glenwood Elementary School -- was killed after he was determined to be a nuisance wild animal, a federal wildlife official said Thursday. The turkey was captured and sent to the Funny Farm Rescue Animal Sanctuary after it was determined to be a local nuisance due to pecking at cars and blocking traffic, Tanya Espinosa, a spokesperson for the federal Department of Agriculture said in an email. In at least one instance, the police were called out to divert traffic for public safety. The turkey was humanely euthanized since it had been in contact with domestic birds and presented a disease risk to native wildlife. Espinosa said the Funny Farm animal sanctuary in Mays Landing is only a center for domestic farm animals. The wild turkey was placed with domestic fowl prior to being quarantined for disease, Espinosa said. Laurie Zaleski, the owner and founder of Funny Farm, said she cried after Glenny was confiscated Wednesday. She was not on the property at the time. A volunteer farmhand was. I thought it was ridiculous they took him, Zaleski said. We wanted him to live at the farm happily with 500 other brothers and sisters. She wasnt the only one. A Facebook group had started around the wayward fowl and the locals were so worked up over his fate the borough council added a wild turkey agenda item in a recent meeting. He was anthropomorphized, made a social media star and a mascot for the town, Councilwoman Asiyah Kurtz said Thursday. Its really sad. People should treat wild animals as wild animals. Dont feed the wild turkeys. Glenny Day - CANCELLED The Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary was contacted over 2 weeks ago by several concerned... Posted by Funny Farm Rescue on Wednesday, January 29, 2020 Kurtz said the borough did not take any action to deal with Glenny. She said their animal control officer deals with domesticated animals. I hope people would not take this hubbub as a negative against the borough, Kurtz said. Were doing as much as we can. Zaleski said neighbors in Haddon Heights had reached out to her because they knew of her rescue farm. She said her sister also lives in the borough and was familiar with the problem. A wild turkey Haddon Heights residents called Glenny was euthanized Thursday by state and federal wildlife officials. Zaleski said she reached out to wildlife officials near her farm in Atlantic County and felt she was would be able to capture Glenny and relocated him within 50 miles to her farm. She captured him last week. She even planned to have a celebration Sunday to welcome Glenny and invite Haddon Heights residents through social media to come visit him at his new home. Instead, state and federal wildlife officials showed up first. I cared about animals, Zaleski said. Thats why I did it. I wanted to give him one little piece of happiness. Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:46:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An article by President Xi Jinping on the protection and exchange of the Chinese culture, especially the Dunhuang culture, will be published Saturday on Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The article is the transcript of a speech by Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, at a symposium at the Dunhuang Academy in August, 2019. The article hails the Dunhuang culture as a result of the long-term cultural exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese civilization and other civilizations, and points out that the Dunhuang culture shows the Chinese nation's confidence in its culture. It also emphasizes the need for advancing the study of Dunhuang culture to serve the joint construction of the Belt and Road. Efforts should be made to further promote the Chinese culture, cultural exchanges between China and countries along the Belt and Road, as well as people-to-people exchanges, says the article. (Newser) The producer of Corona has expressed faith that its customers know the beer has nothing to do with the virus. Internet search data hints at confusion: Google Trends reports a 2,300% increase in searches for "corona beer virus" from Jan. 18 to Jan. 26, Business Insider reports. Those searchers may have meant "Wuhan coronavirus," which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on Thursday. "We believe, by and large, that consumers understand there's no linkage between the virus and our business," said a spokeswoman for Constellation Brands. story continues below That's a big jump for "corona beer virus," but there are still far more searches for "beer" or "coronavirus" alone, per the Hill. And the increase could be self-fulfilling: Google automatically suggests particular searches based on terms in heavy use at the time. "Corona beer virus" made its move about the same time that searches using coronavirus terms rose, per Forbes. The results certainly look like internet confusion: The most popular questions Googled on Jan. 21 include "Is Corona deadly" and "How does Corona the beer spread?" (Read more coronavirus stories.) Congressman Tom McClintock giving House Floor speech View Photo Congressman Tom McClintock spoke on the U.S. House Floor yesterday in opposition to Amendments on Iran and Iraq. McClintock was Fridays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Mr. Speaker: The Khanna amendment forbids the President from taking action that he cant take anyway. With or without this amendment, the President cannot attack Iran or any country without congressional authorization, unless it attacks us. Even then, his powers are limited to ordering defensive actions until Congress acts. The attack on Soleimani in Iraq was against an enemy combatant in a war zone authorized by Congress. It was not an attack on Iran. The only practical effect of this amendment is to send a message of irresolution to our enemies and to take a cheap shot at the President by implying he would do something he cannot do. The Lee amendment repeals the AUMF that Congress adopted when it foolishly authorized the Iraq war in 2002. Under our Constitution ONLY Congress can start a war, but after that, ONLY the President can wage it or conduct the negotiations to end it. You cannot un-ring a bell and you cannot un-start a war. Once unleashed, the war-making authority continues until it is terminated by treaty or agreement. Here are the lessons of this whole sorry saga in Iraq: Congress should only declare war when our nation is attacked. When we declare war, we must put the full resources, resolve, attention, fury and might of the nation behind it and see it through as quickly and decisively as possible. And most of all, having handed the President that power and having sent troops into battle, Congress must stand behind its decision no matter how long or hard that road may be. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Sports & Recreation, Local News, Business & Finance, Health & Wellness, Press Releases By Chris Boyle Published: January 31 2020 The Port Jeff Salt Cave is centered around the intense healing and therapeutic benefits of an actual salt cave, as well as many other holistic health remedies. The Healing Center at Port Jefferson Salt Cave offers a plethora of unique and fascinating options to address both your inner and outer well-being, and its waiting for you to try it out today. Looking to harness a holistic and spiritual approach to health and healing in ways you never thought possible? The answer lies not online or in books, but right here within the confines of our very own Long Island;offers a plethora of unique and fascinating options to address both your inner and outer well-being, and its waiting for you to try it out today. Having opened their doors for business four years ago at 320 Main Street in Port Jefferson, New York, the Port Jeff Salt Cave is centered around, as the name would suggest, the intense healing and therapeutic benefits of an actual salt cave a cool and darkly atmospheric man-made alcove comprised of three tons of pure salt located right on the premises. The salt cave is a room constructed out of several tons of pink Himalayan salt, for aesthetics. There are fiber optic lights on the ceiling to produce a starry night effect along with a full moon mural, and it's very soothing, said owner Marcy Guzman. In addition, the floor is covered with several inches of granular pink Himalayan salt in addition to being heated, and around the room they're also 1-to-200 pound salt boulders that are also heated. When you breathe in a concentrated amount of salt air, it has numerous therapeutic effects, as reported by theNew England Journal of Medicine. Photo Credit: Port Jeff Salt Cave All of this combines to make for an otherworldly and soothing environment. However, Guzman notes, all of that would be for naught if it were not for the heart of the salt cave- the halo generator. If there's no halo generator, there's no therapy in the room aside from the aesthetic portion of it. The Halo generator channels micro-particularized, purified, pharmaceutical grade salt into the air for inhalation therapy, also known as halotherapy, she said. When you breathe in a concentrated amount of salt air, it has numerous therapeutic effects. The salt air is antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and even antimicrobial. It eases congestion in the respiratory tract, so it will clean out the sinuses, the lungs, and even bring down inflammation, in addition to boosting the immune system. It's pretty powerful stuff. In addition, the heated salt in the cave provides additional benefits- it causes the salt to release negative electrical ions that will subsequently capture anything in the air that is positively charged; this, Guzman said, would include most bacteria, viruses, molds, dust, and other things harmful to your well-being. The typical salt cave session consists of the participant reclining into one of the comfy chairs within the dimly-lit cave; the door is closed, and they are left to the sounds of soothing music throughout the course of their stay as aerosolized salt gently fills the air. It makes for an immensely relaxing experience in a variety of ways- mentally, physically, and even spiritually. Guzman has a background in the medical field, being a registered nurse; formerly employed by a private company in Manhattan, she began finding her busy job very stressful, and vowed to start making more downtime for herself. To that end she took the suggestion of an acquaintance to check out the benefits offered by salt caves; after experiencing one first-hand with her husband, she began to do research and decided to open up one of her own. I'd been working in the city with its poor air quality, and here I was in the cave and I could finally breathe through both of my nostrils. And my husband is allergic to pretty much everything and that stopped, and we noticed these effects continue for a couple of days, she said. And so we decided to do our homework and open up our own salt cave. My husband had been pushing me to do something along these lines already, since I'm a Reiki Master and I'm very holistic, and when we found the salt cave we both knew that this was it. In addition to the salt cave, the establishment also offers many other holistic services, including yoga, cryoskin fat-loss therapy, Reiki, and more. Photo Credit: Port Jeff Salt Cave A local resident, Marcy wanted to remain in the Port Jefferson area due to its ideal location. She discovered a good storefront to set up in on Main Street, and began the long process of renovating it to suit her needs. I wanted to be close to the water, but not too close for insurance reasons, and Port Jeff is my town so to be able to work where I live is a blessing, she said. The building we found was from the early 1800s, so we had to improve the support to hold up the weight of the salt cave, and then we began the process of building the cave itself with a professional cave builder...every stone you see in there was placed by hand, all three tons of it. While the centerpiece of the Port Jeff Salt Cave is, of course, the salt cave, the establishment also offers a plethora of other helpful and holistic services, including yoga, cryoskin fat-loss therapy, soundtherapies, naturopathic remedies, and an array of body treatments, including Reiki, aroma touch therapy, EFT/tapping, salt bed skin therapy, facials, and much, much more. Float Away Emotional Wellness Spa. A slight departure from her Port Jefferson location, Float Away features a "salt lounge" with color-changing LED lighting, putting a sleek and modern spin on the salt cave concept. The establishment also has salt float pods, which allows participants to float in an Epsom salt-heavy solution of water, providing an incredible sense of relaxation to the body's musculature while decompressing the joints and removing tension overall. Due to the success of the Port Jeff Salt Cave, Guzman opened up a second location this past September in Riverhead called. A slight departure from her Port Jefferson location, Float Away features a "salt lounge" with color-changing LED lighting, putting a sleek and modern spin on the salt cave concept. The establishment also has salt float pods, which allows participants to float in an Epsom salt-heavy solution of water, providing an incredible sense of relaxation to the body's musculature while decompressing the joints and removing tension overall. The response to the Port Jeff Salt Cave has been overwhelmingly positive, Guzman said, and the joy she feels for being able to get out of the big-city rat race and make a living embracing her true love and passion is immense. It's so humbling...we've literally served thousands and thousands of people here. People actually come to us from the boroughs. We're here to serve, heart, mind, and soul, she said. I'm doing what I love and I love what I'm doing...it's hard to feel stressed out when all you're doing is giving yoga classes and sound healings in a salt cave. It's a really nice life...I'm blessed. WESTBROOK More than 100 soldiers assigned to the 643rd Military Police Company, based out of Westbrook, returned to Connecticut Jan. 30 after a year-long deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and demobilization period in Texas. The unit was deployed in early spring 2019 to support a variety of military police functions, according to a press release from Connecticut National Guard Public Affairs Officer Capt. Dave Pytlik. Members of the 103rd Security Forces Squadron, Connecticut Air National Guard, are also back in Connecticut following a six-month deployment to the Middle East supporting Operation Inherent Resolve and Operation Resolute Support, the release said. We are so happy to welcome home our soldiers and airmen, members of our team, but nothing can match the excitement of their family, friends, and loved ones, Maj. Gen. Francis Evon, adjutant general of the Connecticut National Guard said in a prepared statement. We also thank the community who supported them, sent care packages, and reached out while they were gone. Without our community and our employers support, it makes our jobs much more difficult. To them, we cannot say thank you enough, Evon added. It was an honor to visit the 643rd during the holiday season to learn more about their operations and tell them thank you on behalf of our state, Gove. Ned Lamont said in the release. Deployment means many months away from families, friends, and personal responsibilities. Their service is appreciated, and we enthusiastically welcome them home after a job well done. Operation Inherent Resolve is the mission to militarily defeat ISIS in the Combined Joint Operations Area in order to enable whole-of-coalition governmental actions to increase regional stability, according to Evon. Resolute Support is a NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and institutions. The mission was launched Jan. 1, 2015, immediately following the stand down of the International Security Assistance Force. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that President Trump supports Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression but signaled Trump is not yet ready to meet with Ukraines president. Well find the right time, Pompeo said at a press conference in Kyiv after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said he was ready to visit the White House for a meeting with Trump. However, the secretary reaffirmed U.S. commitment to supporting Ukraines independence, calling Ukraine a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe. Today Im here with a clear message: The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one, Pompeo said. Our commitment to support it will not waver. A controversial phone call between Trump and the Ukrainian president in July spurred the impeachment inquiry last fall. During the call, Trump appeared to dangle $391 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine in exchange for Zelenskys promise to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Trump faces a Senate trial considering two articles of impeachment charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Lawmakers are set to vote Friday on whether witnesses will be called for the trial. I dont think these friendly and warm relations have been influenced by the impeachment trial of the president, Pompeo reassured. The United States under President Trump has been the worlds fiercest defender of Ukraines sovereignty. If there is anything we can negotiate and discuss, and if I can bring something back home, I am ready to go straight away, Zelensky said at the press conference. Pompeos visit was the first between a Trump cabinet member and Zelensky since the impeachment process kicked off in September. Since then, the secretary of state has canceled two planned trips to Ukraine, one scheduled for November and once for earlier this month. More from National Review By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 10:27 AM | GRAVES COUNTY Former Marshall County Emergency Management Director Curt Curtner has accepted a position in a neighboring county. Tracy Warner, Director of the Graves County Emergency Management Agency, says Curtner has accepted a position in her office as a volunteer deputy. Curt is a great guy, Warner said. I have worked with him over the past 7-8 years on other stuff. He brings experience to the table, and he is always willing to help his community. We are blessed that he wants to continue helping in Graves County. Curtner was let go last week after serving as Marshall County's Emergency Management Director since 2015. This will allow me to keep active in Kentucky Emergency Management and also stay certified., Curtner said. Tracy is fairly new to her position and anything I can do to assist Graves County and her, I will, just as I have done for years in Marshall County. Curtner said he chose to assist in Graves County because he already has a great working relationship with many agencies there. Passengers wear protective masks as they walk their luggage in the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing, China, on Jan. 30, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) No Doubt Coronavirus Can Spread Without Symptoms: Top US Infectious Disease Doctor The United States top infectious disease doctor said a new study published Thursday shows people can spread the Wuhan coronavirus before symptoms are exhibited, after people who showed no signs of sickness were diagnosed with the virus in five instances. Theres no doubt after reading this paper that asymptomatic transmission is occurring, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, reported CNN. This study lays the question to rest. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Thursday night showed that four German business associates became infected through asymptomatic infection. The coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, China, has prompted lockdowns, travel bans, and quarantines across the city and other parts of Hubei province. The World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency while the U.S. State Department called on Americans to altogether avoid traveling to mainland China. The study said a German businessman had attended meetings with a Chinese business partner at his company near Munich on January 20 and 21. The business partner, a Shanghai resident, had visited Germany between Jan. 19 and 22. During her stay, she had been well with no signs or symptoms of infection but had become ill on her flight back to China, where she tested positive for [the Wuhan coronavirus] on Jan. 26. Dr. Camilla Rothe, an infectious disease specialist and the lead author of the paper, told CNN that the Shanghai woman hosted her parents, who came from Wuhan. They appeared healthy during their visit but were later diagnosed with the virus. The Shanghai woman then left Shanghai and headed to Germany. She met with employees of a Munich company but still showed no signs of the viruss symptoms. She became ill on the plane days later, Rothe said. An airline staffer guides Chinese tourists from Wuhan standing in line to get a seat to return to Wuhan, China, at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP) Two days later, according to Rothe, two German employees became sick. Rothe said one German worker was ill for a few days but recovered. The other one had a mildly sore throat and a minimal cough, Rothe told CNN. He was clinically unspectacular. Two more employees got sick about a week after the Shanghai woman infected the two German workers. Those employees didnt attend the meetings with the Shanghai woman but spent time with the infected German employees before they had begun displaying symptoms, Rothe said. They both tested positive for coronavirus but were mildly ill, Rothe said. Despite these concerns, all four patients who were seen in Munich have had mild cases and were hospitalized primarily for public health purposes. Since hospital capacities are limitedin particular, given the concurrent peak of the influenza season in the northern hemisphereresearch is needed to determine whether such patients can be treated with appropriate guidance and oversight outside the hospital, according to the study. The study comes after a top Chinese health official claimed that the virus could be transmitted without a patient exhibiting symptoms, although he provided no evidence. Rothes revelation will likely prompt more stringent measures around the world in curbing the spread of the virus. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control identified the sixth patient in the United States, saying that a woman who had traveled from Wuhan transmitted the virus to her spouse in the first person-to-person case in the country. With about 10,000 posters printed overnight and more than a million pamphlets likely to arrive in a day, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Friday launched a new campaign to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over MP Parvesh Vermas remark that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is a terrorist. The counter campaign, launched just a week before assembly elections on February 8, is a digression from the partys core election campaign that has, so far, focussed on development and welfare issues. On Friday, a group of AAP supporters marched through the lanes of west Delhis Dashrathpuri but they did not chant the partys poll slogan, Achhe Beetein Paanch Saal, Lagey Raho Kejriwal (The past five years have gone well, carry on Kejriwal). Instead, they waved placards that had slogans such as Kejriwal is our son, not a terrorist, Kejriwal is our brother, not a terrorist and We are the common people of Delhi, not terrorists. Another poster, which had images of Verma and Union home minister Amit Shah, read, The BJP said Kejriwal is a terrorist. Now people of Delhi will decide. If you do not think Kejriwal is a terrorist, vote for the broom (the election symbol of the AAP). Such campaigns were seen across all 70 constituencies Friday. The AAPs Rajya Sabha MP and election campaign in-charge Sanjay Singh said, We have not digressed from our core campaign. This is rather a special campaign within the macro campaign, which will continue across all constituencies till Sunday. Kejriwals core campaign and the new campaign, both have been designed by election campaign strategist Prashant Kishors agency I-PAC, which teamed with the AAP last year. The party got 10,000 posters made overnight Thursday. This morning, they were turned into placards and distributed among teams across all constituencies. The idea is to ensure supporters in each of the 70 constituencies have around 150 placards each. The first batch of a million pamphlets is likely to arrive by tomorrow (Saturday), an associate of I-PAC, who did not wish to be identified, said. In his response to the AAPs new campaign, Verma said, Kejriwal himself has used words such as terrorist for the Prime Minister and now he is crying victim. On February 8, the people of Delhi will tell him what they think of him. According to Praveen Rai, political scientist with the Centre for Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, the new campaign is a smart move by AAP, but it was too soon to ascertain its impact. With a personal remark like that, the BJP has taken its ongoing poll campaign in Delhi which was largely based on the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests to another level. It is a smart move on part of the AAP to counter the narrative. It can be productive, but how productive thats difficult to ascertain at this point. This election is turning into a see-saw perception battle, Rai said. NEW CAMPAIGN In the new campaign, candidates were told not to speak and supporters were asked to sport a black band on their arms. In several constituencies, door-to-door campaigns followed silent marches. Unlike the earlier door-to-door campaigns, in which the party workers engaged with residents over achievements and assurances of the AAP, the engagements in the new one revolved around the terrorist remark. Supporters in some constituencies walked with lighted candles, their mouths covered by black cloth. Parvesh Verma is the representative of the parliamentary constituency under which my assembly segment comes. People are upset by his shameful terrorist remark. It is necessary on our part to reach out and engage with them, AAPs Dwarka candidate Vinay Mishra said during a rally. On Thursday, the Election Commission of India had imposed a four-day campaign ban on Verma, for his terrorist remark against Kejriwal. The chief minister also highlighted the issue in all his road shows throughout Thursday. In a press conference heald early Thursday, Kejriwal urged people of Delhi to decide, citing his political journey, his diabetes and how his parents were hurt by the terrorist remark. Kejriwal and the AAP have been on the receiving end of criticism from the BJP since he expressed solidarity with the anti-CAA protesters in Delhis Shaheen Bagh and accused the BJP of failing to have engaged with them. IMAGE: A person (face blurred as his being an adult could not be ascertained), brandishes a gun towards people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act, near Jamia Millia Islamia University, in New Delhi, on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo The youth who fired a pistol at a group of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters near the Jamia Millia University, in which a student was injured, was on Friday sent to a 14-day protective custody by the Juvenile Justice Board, police said. The accused was presented before the Board in the afternoon, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Rajesh Deo said. The police said they have also urged the Board to form a medical panel to conduct a bone ossification test that will verify the age of the youth. On Thursday, the accused fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring Jamia student Shadab Farooq, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting 'Yeh lo Aazadi' amid heavy police presence. The Crime Branch is probing the case. Bags of sugar are on display at a supermarket in Bangkok By Rajendra Jadhav PUNE, India (Reuters) - Thailand's sugar production is likely to fall 28% year-on-year in 2019/20 to a nine-year low of 10.5 million tonnes as drought curtails cane supplies, the head of a leading trade body told Reuters on Friday. The lower production will limit exports from the world's second-biggest exporter and support global prices which are trading near their highest level in 2-1/2 years. Thailand could export between 6 and 7 million tonnes of sugar in the current year, down from 11 million a year ago, Rangsit Hiangrat, director general at Thai Sugar Millers Corp., said. "Drought has badly affected cane plantations. It will have a negative impact on production this year and next year," he said. Thailand's sugar production in the next marketing year starting in October 2020 could fall below 10 million tonnes, he said. Thailands dry season started in November and usually lasts through April, although this year authorities say it could go on through June. A drought has been declared in 14 provinces in the central, northern and northeastern farming regions. With reservoir levels low, the government has also asked farmers in some provinces near the Chao Phraya River basin not to grow off-season rice. Thai sugar mills usually crush cane until early May, but this year they could stop crushing in early March due to limited supplies of cane, Hiangrat said. Like Thailand, India's sugar production could fall nearly 18% in 2019/20 as a drought followed by floods is expected to curtail output in the country's second-biggest producing state, a trade body said on Friday. Raw sugar futures are expected to rise a further 3% by the end of the year, boosted by a tightening in supplies, a Reuters poll of 12 traders and analysts showed on Friday. (Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Arun Koyyur and David Holmes) The guests have been revealed for tonight's RTE Late Late Show. Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster, author Marian Keyes and Eurovision legend Johnny Logan are among this week's Late Late Show guests. At 11pm this Friday night, the bell will toll on the UK's membership of the EU, and Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster - whose DUP party backed Brexit - will be live in studio with Ryan. Best-selling novelist Marian Keyes will be calling in to discuss her latest work, as well as give her hilarious takes on modern life and the pressures of everyday living. Tomi Reichental and Suzi Diamond, two Holocaust survivors who went on to create lives for themselves in Dublin, will join Ryan to discuss their harrowing childhood concentration camp experiences, 75 years after Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz. It's hard to believe, but this year marks 40 years since Johnny Logan's Eurovision glory with What's Another Year, and the King of Eurovision will be in studio to celebrate the milestone with a special performance of the song. Legendary songwriter and TV presenter/producer Shay Healy, who penned the 1980 winning entry, will also be in for a chat. The show's other music slot will be provided by Somebody's Child. All this and more on The Late Late Show, Friday January 31, on RTE One. When teachers use more praise and fewer reprimands in the classroom, it seems to help students stay on-task and behave better, according to a new study. Researchers who led the study, published this week in the journal Educational Psychology , found that there was no magic ratio of praise to reprimand that worked best. Instead, they found a positive linear relationship between the two. The higher the teachers [praise to reprimand ratio], the higher the students on-task behavior percentage, Paul Caldarella, a professor of counseling psychology and special education at Brigham Young University, wrote in the report on his teams work. In a randomized controlled study, Caldarellas team spent three years observing teachers and students in 151 K-6 classrooms in Missouri, Tennessee, and Utah. Half of the teachers were asked to do what they normally do, and the other half were asked to use Class-Wide Function-related Intervention Teams, CW-FIT , a classroom management system that reinforces good social skills with praise, as their main management tool at times of the day when students misbehaved most. The researchers watched for praise, which they defined as a verbal indication of approval, such as Way to go, Robyn! or Well done, class, you all followed directions and got in line quietly!. They didnt consider simple acknowledgements of correct answers to be praise. They also tracked teachers reprimands, such as Everyone needs to keep their hands and feet to themselves, and Kevin, I told you to stop throwing paper. There is a body of research that finds praise can be an effective way for teachers to produce better behavior and academic performance. This is particularly true when teachers praise specifies and describes the behavior. But research contains a lot of caveats on the practice of praise and feedback, too. Educators Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski, in a video for Education Week , said its important that teachers praise students competence, rather than their natural ability. Alfie Kohn, who writes a lot about motivation, points out that research shows praise can undermine intrinsic motivation by leading people to work for praise itself. Researcher John Hattie, whos got a huge following among teachers, zeroed in on praise and other forms of teacher feedback in his 2018 book Visible Learning: Feedback. In an interview with Education Week just before the book came out, he said many teachers think more feedback, and better feedback, will improve their students learning. But the practice needs to be more rigorous than that. When teachers spend hours and hours writing comments, if theres no feedback providing concrete steps for the students to improve, students will argue themselves blue in the face that they never received anything, he said. The key question is, does feedback help someone understand what they dont know, what they do know, and where they go? Thats when and why feedback is so powerful, but a lot of feedback doesntand doesnt have any effect. Praise and feedback can also come into play as teachers work on cultivating a growth mindset"the belief that intelligence can be developedin their students. Carol Dweck, whos known for her work to define growth mindset, said in a 2015 commentary in EdWeek that one of the most common misunderstandings about growth mindset is that its about praising students effort. But praise is only one slice of that work, she said. Students need to try new strategies and seek input from others when theyre stuck, Dweck said. They need this repertoire of approachesnot just sheer effortto learn and improve. Effort is a means to an end to the goal of learning and improving, Dweck wrote. Too often nowadays, praise is given to students who are putting forth effort, but not learning, in order to make them feel good in the moment: Great effort! You tried your best! Its good that the students tried, but its not good that theyre not learning. The growth-mindset approach, she said, is designed to help children feel good in the short and long terms, by helping them thrive on challenges and setbacks on their way to learning. When students are stuck, teachers can recognize what theyve accomplished so far, but also help them move forward, by making comments like, Lets talk about what youve tried, and what you can try next, Dweck wrote. Art: Getty Images WASHINGTON John Bolton, the former White House national security adviser, said Monday that he was willing to testify at President Donald Trumps impeachment trial if he was subpoenaed. I have concluded that, if the Senate issues a subpoena for my testimony, I am prepared to testify, Bolton said in a statement on his website. The development is a dramatic turn in the impeachment proceeding, which has been stalled over Democrats insistence on hearing from critical witnesses Trump blocked from testifying in the House inquiry into his pressure campaign on Ukraine. Bolton is a potential bombshell of a witness, with crucial knowledge of the presidents actions and conversations regarding Ukraine that could fill out key blanks in the narrative of the impeachment case. His willingness to tell the Senate what he knows ratchets up pressure on Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, who has refused to commit to calling witnesses at the impeachment trial, to change his stance. It is unclear how the White House will respond to Boltons declaration, but his statement strongly suggested that he would testify regardless of whether Trump sought to prevent him. A spokesman for McConnell declined to comment Monday afternoon shortly after the announcement. It now falls to the Senate to fulfill its constitutional obligation to try impeachments, and it does not appear possible that a final judicial resolution of the still-unanswered constitutional questions can be obtained before the Senate acts, Bolton wrote. Accordingly, since my testimony is once again at issue, I have had to resolve the serious competing issues as best I could, based on careful consideration and study. If he did appear under oath in the Senate, Bolton would be the closest adviser to the president to testify about what Trump said behind closed doors as he pressured the Ukranians to investigate his political rivals as he was withholding nearly $400 million in military aid from the country. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, charging him with a corrupt scheme to solicit help from Ukraine in the 2020 election and concealing his actions from Congress. Trump has repeatedly sought to block his most senior aides, as well as former advisers who have left the White House, from speaking to Congress, and has gone to court to stop several of them from cooperating. Bolton declined to say Monday precisely what he would be willing to tell Congress. But former White House officials and people close to Bolton have indicated that his testimony would likely be damning to Trump and put additional pressure on moderate Republicans to consider convicting him. MORNING REPORT | NEWSLETTER Get all the news you need to start your day in Houston. See More Collapse That could fundamentally change the dynamics around the impeachment trial in the Senate, where a two-thirds vote 67 senators is needed to remove Trump. Democrats, the minority party, control 45 seats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has so far declined to send the Senate the charges against Trump, which would trigger the start of the trial, saying that she wants assurances that McConnell will run a fair process. Although Bolton never spoke with House investigators, his aides provided them with a portrait of how he viewed Trumps dealings with Ukraine. The aides said that Bolton was deeply concerned about how Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, pressured the Ukranians to investigate Democrats. Other officials testified under oath that Bolton told White House colleagues that Giuliani was a hand grenade whos going to blow everybody up. Late last year, the chances of Bolton testifying looked bleak. In October, the House subpoenaed Boltons deputy, Charles Kupperman, but the White House tried to block him from testifying. Kuppermans lawyer, Charles Cooper, who also represents Bolton, filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to decide what Kupperman should do. The House withdrew the subpoena, as leading Democrats argued it was not worth awaiting the outcome of a lengthy potentially yearslong legal proceeding before moving to impeach Trump. The judge ruled late last month that the issue was moot, leaving the question of whether the presidents closest advisers had to testify unresolved. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Journalists in Pakistan are facing a widespread crisis of unpaid salaries, causing financial instability, trauma and stress-related deaths in the industry. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) strongly condemns the wage theft epidemic led by media companies and calls on Pakistans government to review the industry and ensure all outstanding salaries are paid immediately. The practice of delaying salary payments has become increasingly common in Pakistan with some of the worst offending media companies delaying payments by as much as ten months, despite journalists continuing to work and provide professional services. The term death by stress is now well-known. The IFJ and PFUJ have documented more and more cases of the extreme repercussions of non-payment of wages on media workers in the country in the past year. On January 21, Capital TV cameraman Fayyaz Ali died of a cardiac arrest, attributed to the severe mental and financial pressures he faced at work. Fayyaz had not been paid for more than ten months and was fired the evening of his death. On November 27, 2019, SM Ifran, a journalist for News One television, died from a stress-related heart attack related to stress. He had not been paid for seven months. Approximately 3,105 of Pakistans media workers had employment terminated in 2019. In November 2019, BBC Pakistan unlawfully terminated four employees in Islamabad and Peshawar without cause. News outlets ARY News and AAJ News terminated 150 journalists in October 2019 as part of a downsizing strategy, as did Dunya News Lahore where 70 journalists were terminated in August 2019. Journalists at Dawn had salaries cut by 1040% in early 2019 resulting in country-wide protests. In 2018, Pakistans largest publication house, the Jang Group of Newspapers shut its operations, leaving more than 2,000 journalists unemployed. To date, calls to address withheld salaries and financial pressures being foisted upon media workers have gone unheard, according to the PFUJ. Last year, the PFUJ recognized July 16 as a Black Day for media in the country, protesting mass layoffs, wage cuts and unprecedented censorship in Pakistan. In February 2019, it also supported a protest with Geo News employees demanding withheld salaries be paid. As well as large, documented cases of unpaid salaries to journalists, the PFUJ notes a rise in stress-related deaths in the industry. While both government and some companies are reported as offering some levels of compensation to families, there are cases where promised compensation is not given. The IFJ said an urgent inquiry was needed in terms of the duties of media employers to pay staff as well as a review into labour laws and practice in the country. Read more on how death by stress has become a systematic crisis in Pakistan here. The PFUJ said: We express profound grief upon the tragic demise of Capital TV cameraman Fayyaz Ali and S.M Irfan, of News One, and urge the government of Pakistan to take stringent action to address the issue. The IFJ said: We condemn the ongoing wage theft crisis and unlawful terminations being led by media owners in Pakistan. The IFJ stands with Pakistans media workers, unionists and advocates to address the pervasive erosion of labour rights that has crippled Pakistans media industry. Divorce seems to be not the only thing London and Brussels have agreed on with each other recently. On Wednesday, the European Union (EU) issued a set of guidelines for 5G security, which stress the importance of diversified vendors and rule out bans on any specific company or country. Brussels' decision came just one day after the British government approved a limited role for Chinese telecom company Huawei in the country's 5G network construction. These almost synchronized decisions by Britain and the EU to allow Huawei to participate in the building of their 5G networks, albeit with some restrictions, are an apparent vote for open-mindedness when it comes to international technological cooperation. The moves also show that Britain and the EU have kept cool-headed and determined to make independent choices in line with their vital interests, rather than being coerced by some zero-summers in Washington to dig trenches and erect barriers against Chinese tech firms. Undoubtedly, a stronger 5G partnership can benefit both China and the European countries. The 5G technologies not only promise a ultrafast data transimission speed, but can also open up new possibilities in mankind's future way of life such as autonomous vehicles and remote surgeries, whose benefits are too far-reaching to be declined. Huawei, a trailblazer and leader in the next generation of mobile telecommunications technologies, can offer its partners quality products and services at competitive prices. Embracing Huawei will also help bolster the overall cooperation and mutual learning between China and Europe in science and technology, which in recent years have seen continous headway. In late 2017, Beijing and London launched a joint strategy for cooperation in science, technology and innovation, the first of its kind China has developed with another country. At the heart of Europe, the China-Belgium Technology Center project situated near Brussels has been making steady progress and is scheduled to open in autumn. It is expected to provide a gateway for cooperation in innovation, investment and industrial partnerships between China and Europe. With respective strengths in advanced technology, digital economy and the new generation of information technology, China and the EU can jointly breed remarkable changes in areas like smart cities, artificial intelligence, life sciences and smart manufacturing. That being said, both the British government and the European Commission still have not completely cleared up their doubts about 5G cooperation with China. Britain said it would exclude Huawei from sensitive core parts of 5G and cap Huawei's market share of non-core 5G network. The EU, meanwhile, urged its member states to apply restrictions "for suppliers considered to be high risk." It is fine for governments around the world to take pre-cautionary measures, especially when such modern technologies as the 5G are becoming increasingly integrated with almost everybody's everyday life. However, these measures should be grounded on facts, not fabrications. In fact, London's and Brussels' decisions to allow a limited role for Huawei in their 5G development attest to the Chinese firm's credible track record in serving its customers' interests. Now that London and Brussels have made their decisions, it is hoped that they can provide a rather fair and open business environment for Huawei and other Chinese businesses seeking to invest in Europe, and open up even wider. Ultimately, Chinese firms like Huawei will prove their European partners' remaining concerns are unfounded and unnecessary. In his final rally before the Iowa caucuses, President Trump greeted Iowans Thursday by saying: "If we don't win, your farms are going to hell, I can tell you right now." Flashback: The U.S.-China trade war was estimated to have cost farmers roughly $1.7 billion in losses last year, as the government paid $973 million in aid to Iowa farmers. Background: As Trump hits the campaign trail before the caucuses which is the first real test of candidates' appeal to voters three 2020 Democratic contenders are sitting in the Senate impeachment trial for Trump. Go deeper: Health care and abortion are the top issues being searched in Iowa I read the recent news report on Castanet about YLW in partnership with Canucks Autism Network hosting a successful Autism Accessibility Tour day. While the focus of the day was around families and children, these same children eventually become adults on the autism spectrum, and hopefully days like these make it easier for them to feel safe while travelling. As a parent of an autistic young adult, I was pleased to see the airport focusing on the special challenges faced by travellers with autism. My daughter lives in Chilliwack and flies to Kelowna a few times per year. I have been meaning to contact YLW over a situation that happened to my daughter at the airport, and was reminded of the incident when I read the article, so I decided to contact those involved. She flew out of Abbotsford on Jan. 2 and flies with a special weighted blanket for her autism disorder combined with being diagnosed with very high anxiety. These blankets are medically recognized as being a great aid for people on the autism spectrum and having anxiety disorders. She was allowed to travel with her blanket on the plane (in cabin) from Abbotsford to Edmonton and from Edmonton to Kelowna. On the day of the return flight (Jan. 12), I escorted her to the security screening area, where she was met with some very kind YLW staff who again allowed her to take the blanket through security so that she could use it on the airplane. The weather that day had caused several delays and some cancellations. Unfortunately, her flight was cancelled and I was contacted to come back to the airport to pick her up and reschedule a new flight. The next flight I was able to get for my daughter was on Jan. 16. After checking her bags with the airline that day, I again escorted her to the screening area, and when I saw her make her way to the screening line, I left the airport. She contacted me later to say that the screening agents on this day wouldn't allow her to bring the weighted blanket onto the plane. The agent told her go back to the airline check-in and have the blanket checked in as extra baggage. They told her they couldn't tell for sure what the blanket was made of, and it was a safety concern. Why the discrepancy? My daughter needed to take medication to calm her nerves for the flight. As an Indigenous counsellor in our school district, I am a strong proponent of acceptance and understanding of others with disabilities and challenges. I look forward to hearing what YLW will do to improve the accessibility of other young people and adults on the autism spectrum. Richard Gauthier, Kelowna Thousands of Instagram accounts had their passwords exposed due to a vulnerability in an app claiming to boost follower numbers. Social Captain was revealed as storing passwords of its users in an unencrypted file which could be easily accessed by hackers. Criminals who accessed the site would have been able to simply read an account's username and password in plain text. It is unknown if any details were seized by hackers but users are urged to change their password and details urgently. Scroll down for video Criminals who accessed the Social Captain site would have been able to simply read an account's username and password in plain text (stock) Instagram users that signed up to the Social Captain site to boost their numbers had to link their accounts. This information, TechCrunch revealed, was poorly stored. An unnamed security researcher found the vulnerability and reported it to TechCrunch, who in turn informed Social Captain. 'Any user who viewed the web page source code on their Social Captain profile page could see their Instagram username and password in plain sight, so long as they had connected their account to the platform,' the report claims. 'Making matters worse, a website bug allowed anyone access to any Social Captain user's profile without having to log in simply plugging in a user's unique account ID into the company's web address would grant access to their Social Captain account and their Instagram login credentials.' Some of the users were also paying users, and the breach exposed their billing address. David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky, said: 'While it's understandable that people might want to boost their Instagram following, this shouldn't be at the expense of their online security. 'The fact Social Captain or indeed any online service stores login credentials in plain text is of great concern. An unnamed security researcher found the vulnerability and reported it to TechCrunch, who in turn informed Social Captain An Instagram spokesperson said: 'As soon as we finalise the internal investigation we will be alerting users that could have been affected in the event of a breach and prompt them to update the associated username and password combinations' 'In this particular case it's even scarier to think that someone else could view these credentials without even having to log in to the Social Captain site. 'Anyone who has signed up to Social Captain should change their Instagram passwords.' Anthony Rogers, chief executive at Social Captain, told TechCrunch that it is believed the vulnerability is a recent issue. 'Early analysis indicates that the issue was introduced during the past weeks when the endpoint, meant to facilitate integration with a third-party email service, has been temporarily made accessible without token-based authentication,' he said. An Instagram spokesperson said: 'As soon as we finalise the internal investigation we will be alerting users that could have been affected in the event of a breach and prompt them to update the associated username and password combinations.' 'While it's understandable that people might want to boost their Instagram following, this shouldn't be at the expense of their online security. 'The fact Social Captain or indeed any online service stores login credentials in plain text is of great concern. 'In this particular case it's even scarier to think that someone else could view these credentials without even having to log in to the Social Captain site. 'Anyone who has signed up to Social Captain should change their Instagram passwords.' By Easton Sanders Jan. 30, 2020 | 04:15 PM | PADUCAH At the Thursday trial the jury deliberated for about 45 minutes before delivering their verdict. The commonwealth then recommended a one year sentence with the next court date set for March 12 at 1:30 pm. Christian County Commonwealth's Attorney Rick Boling told West Kentucky Star that he believes the outcome was appropriate. "The recommendation of the sentence is appropriate based on the totality of the circumstances." Boling continued, "She was eligible for one to five years, but based on the fact that she has no criminal record, she ends up with a felony conviction and potentially a one year sentence the judge could have her serve." Ray's defense attorney Thomas Clay shared his thoughts on the result of the trial. "We were very disappointed, although in all of the trials I've had I respect the jury system, I respect their decision." Clay continued, "But it was devastating to Mrs. Ray to get the result we got today." Ray's perjury charge related to her testimony in an October 2017 hearing for former deputy jailer Ben Green, who was charged with official misconduct for moving inmates without permission, which led to some inmates saying they were assaulted. After her testimony, Kentucky State Police found evidence that contradicted Ray's assertions that Green did nothing wrong, so she was indicted by a McCracken County Grand Jury in December 2017. Ray is also facing a charge of violating the Kentucky Whistleblower Act, related to the firing of employee David Knight, who reported a possible misuse of force at the jail in February 2018. Knight was re-instated by the Fiscal Court, and then won the race for jailer in November 2018. A McCracken Circuit Court jury has found former McCracken County Jailer Tonya Ray guilty of first-degree perjury.Graves County Circuit Judge Tim Stark presided over the trial and Boling prosecuted the case, since McCracken County officials recused themselves. The Ontario housing market has been getting increasingly difficult for would-be homebuyers to crack into, and Ontario lawyers have been put on high alert for buyers who will do anything to purchase a propertyincluding commit mortgage fraud. LawPRO, an insurer that protects Ontario lawyers from legal malpractice claims, is warning lawyers to be on the lookout for fraud for shelter, due to housing prices on the rise, more rigorous mortgage rules, and the resulting difficulty for some Ontarians to purchase property. Fraud for shelter includes buyers willing to make fraudulent claims in order to purchase a house to occupy. The intentions are sincere in that they intend to make the mortgage payments once they get into the home, but for whatever reason, the initial barriers to homeownership are insurmountable. By Trend Connectivity is clearly Azerbaijans priority and Belgium can be an important partner, accredited to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkmenistan since August 2016, Belgian Ambassador in Baku Bert Schoofs told Trend. He acknowledges that a lot has been done by the authorities since his arrival: "Azerbaijan took very effective decisions on improving railroads and highways. The level of connection between Azerbaijan and Georgia today is much more developed than it was three years ago. This kind of infrastructure is necessary for better regional cooperation. In this regard, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) is a flagship project, as it provides links to other existing railway networks towards Europe. Technically containers from Belgium could now arrive in Azerbaijan by rail and vice-versa." In maritime transport the Belgian Port of Antwerp, one of the largest in Europe, and Port of Baku in Alat cooperate already for many years. With APEC, the Antwerp Port Training Centre, there are exchanges of knowledge and best practices. Alat is definitely the port of reference in the Caspian Sea region. Moreover, last summer a TAIEX project with Belgian expertise was realized in Baku. Together with colleagues from the Ministry of Environment of Azerbaijan and Natural Resources and representatives from the ports, seminars were hold on how to take effective measures concerning ship waste management in the Caspian Sea region. Other similar initiatives are foreseen in the near future. TAIEX is the Technical Assistance and Information Exchange instrument of the European Commission. TAIEX supports public administrations with regard to the approximation, application and enforcement of EU legislation as well as facilitating the sharing of EU best practices. The New Port in Alat is a transportation hub linking the west (Turkey & EU), south (Iran & India) and north (Russia). Situated in the vicinity of the regions of Azerbaijan, it will also increase its connectivity as an efficient hub and so increase the volume of cargo being handled. In addition, new port location is linked to existing highways and railways, connecting the port to the inland regions of the country. On Oct. 30, 2017, a solemn ceremony on the occasion of the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held at the Baku International Sea Trade Port. The BTK railway has been built on the basis of the Azerbaijani-Georgian-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. At the initial stage, the volume of freight traffic will be at the level of 6.5 million tons of cargo, and up to one million passengers will be transported through this railway. The BTK can greatly reduce the time of delivery of goods from China to Europe via Azerbaijan, which makes this route especially attractive The SAS is advertising for female reservists for the first time. An advert on the Army's job website says applicants must be prepared 'to commit to intense and extended training demands'. The first course will begin in June. And online advertising for Special Forces reservists has been updated to state 'male and female' recruits are welcome. The SAS is seeking volunteers for its 21 and 23 reserve squadrons, who must be aged between 17 years and nine months and 42 for those with no previous experience, or up to 50 years old if they have previously served in the Forces. An advert on the Army's job website (pictured) says applicants must be prepared 'to commit to intense and extended training demands' Applicants of both sexes must be able to pass the same tough tests, including a controversial eight-mile march carrying rucksacks weighing 22kg (48lb). Former SAS reservist and author Andy McNab backed the move to advertise and added he was 'all for' women joining the Special Forces as long as they can pass the relevant tests. But former SAS officer Colonel Tim Collins said: 'This is... the Army attempting to be popular. Former SAS reservist and author Andy McNab (left) backed the move to advertise and added he was 'all for' women joining, but Colonel Tim Collins (right) branded it 'pointless' 'The point is, it's pointless. There already are females badged within the SAS. They are there for particular roles but do not do the same selection test. 'We don't want Geoff Capes (the former shotputter) with a wig on.' Women were allowed into front-line fighting roles from last April. The first woman joined the regular SAS in May. Geoff Smith, who lives near Lancing Beach in West Sussex, found a ring from 1834 lying on the beach in the shingle A metal detectorist who found a ring on a beach has handed it back to the family almost 200 years later. Geoff Smith, who lives near Lancing Beach in West Sussex, found a ring from 1834 lying on the beach in the shingle. He this week met family of Liz Honywood, the woman named on the ring, who were overjoyed to accept it. Alexina Berwick, Mrs Honywood's four times great niece, said her family were now considering donating it to a museum to tell the amazing story. Mr Smith has been a hobbyist metal detector since 2015 and often goes out scanning nearby land with his wife Kay. Several weeks ago he was on a night scan of Lancing Beach in West Sussex when his head torch picked out a gold band glimmering in the light. Picking it up, he was astounded to see it was an old ring with an inscription still clearly visible. Although it had been fashioned into what looked like a top fitted onto a cane, the words Liz Honywood and the date - 29th September 1834 - were still etched deeply into the gold. It is thought to be a mourning ring - made for widows who want to remember departed spouses. Mr Smith, who lives near the beach, said: 'It was just poking out of the sand. Amanda Edwards, who is Liz Honywood's three times great niece, said being told of the ring's existence was a 'day I will never forget.' Alexina Berwick, Mrs Honywood's four times great niece, said her family were now considering donating it to a museum to tell the amazing story 'I saw it with my headlamp as it was dark. At first i thought it was the bottom end of a lightbulb as it's a memorial ring that's been reshaped to go on the end of a walking cane or something like that. 'It's 18-carat gold and was made in 1834. Inside the ring you have all the hallmarkings. I was astounded.' Mr Smith, who uses an 800 Minelab Equinox model of metal detector, immediately set about trying to find the family of its original owners. He initially posted on a UK Facebook site for hobby metal detectors, where a member discovered that Elizabeth Morth had married Thomas Honywood in 1810 in Horsham, West Sussex. They had no children and she died in 1834, the same year the ring was made in Sheffield. Tracing all the way back, Ms Hartwell came to Vivian Garner, who died in Horsham in 2013 and had three grandchildren, Alexina, Stephen and Emmi. Mr Smith met up with Alexina and her mother, Amanda Edwards, to hand her the ring on Tuesday Distraught Thomas perhaps had the band inscribed with her name and date of death and then remodelled it to fit on top of a walking cane which he kept with him. Mr Smith put out a plea on a Facebook page for Horsham and although he received no messages from relatives of the Honywoods at that point, he was contacted by a former Horsham resident, Jennie Hartwell, who now lives in Australia. She managed to build the entire Honywood family tree - which turned up living relatives still in the county of West Sussex. Liz Honywood had two sisters, one of which was Anna Morth, born in 1875, who married George Simpkin on March 1, 1819. Tracing all the way back, Ms Hartwell came to Vivian Garner, who died in Horsham in 2013 and had three grandchildren, Alexina, Stephen and Emmi. Mr Smith met up with Alexina and her mother, Amanda Edwards, to hand her the ring on Tuesday. He said: 'I was chuffed when I found the ring but I always return anything that's returnable. 'And when you have the name written right across it you have to make the effort to give it back.' He now says several people in Horsham have found they're related thanks to the story. Mr Smith put out a plea on a Facebook page for Horsham and although he received no messages from relatives of the Honywoods at that point, he was contacted by a former Horsham resident, Jennie Hartwell, who now lives in Australia. She managed to build the entire Honywood family tree - which turned up living relatives still in the county of West Sussex He added: 'It's good because it has brought people together. It's very moving for me. 'I didn't think I'd find anyone to be honest. But I had to at least try. And it all came alive. ' Mr Smith's wife Kay, 51, said she had a theory about what had happened. She said: 'The fact that we found something and we can return it is amazing. It's incredible what you can find on the beach after all these years. 'They must have come down to Lancing for their holidays, that's the only thing i can think of. 'They'd come to the beach in their time off. Maybe he came with his cane and it got left on the beach.' Amanda Edwards, who is Liz Honywood's three times great niece said being told of the ring's existence was a 'day I will never forget.' She said: 'My elder daughter contacted me to say that a very old family ring had been found on Lancing beach and our family had been traced by the gentleman who had found it, and a colleague in Australia who was a genius in tracing family history. 'The ring was a mourning ring dating back 176 years and originated from a Horsham family. 'Through amazing networking my daughter was found on Memories of Horsham and from then on we have been overwhelmed with family history that none of us knew about. 'What a find!! 'We cannot thank Geoff and Jennie enough for their time spent tracking us and for the gift of our unknown family history, and of course the ring which is now in my safe hands!' He took office in a time of tension and uncertainty on both sides of the 38th Parallel, the border that divides Korea into north and south. South Korea had just experienced the ordeal of impeachment and removal from office of a sitting president, Park Geun-hye. North Korea greeted the inauguration of President Moon by launching a long-range missile four days later. Stay classy, Senator. There was no shortage of attempts to gin up outrage. The House managers raised questions about who had been paying Rudy Giuliani, the presidents personal attorney and point man on the Ukraine scheme. More than one member of the defense team went after the Biden family. Pam Bondi, the former Republican attorney general of Florida, reprised her breathless account of Hunter Bidens gig with Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company. He was paid $83,000 a month, she reminded everyone. He had a very fancy job description. One of the more fascinating moments came when defender Eric Herschmann launched into what could have been a campaign ad for Mr. Trump. He ran through a list of the presidents accomplishments, from cutting taxes to replacing NAFTA to building the wall or at least getting it started before gushing, that, if all that had been done solely, solely in their words, for his personal and political gain, then I say, God bless him! Keep doing it! Keep doing it! MAGA comes to the floor of the United States Senate. And after all that back and forth? The battle lines remained exactly where they were the day the process began. The key takeaway from the presidents legal team: Nothing to see here, folks! Plus, the House managers have done such a shoddy job of uncovering and presenting that nothing that this entire exercise is a travesty. Validate it at your peril. Director General of Police (DGP), Jammu and Kashmir, Dilbagh Singh said that the three terrorists killed in the encounter which broke out in the morning on Friday, belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). "The truck was stopped by our personnel for checking. As our personnel were about to enter the truck, the terrorists opened fire and our jawans also retaliated. One of our jawans got injured in his arm due to a bullet, a terrorist was killed on the spot," Singh told reporters here. He further said, "An operation was carried out with the support of CRPF and Army. During this, two more terrorists have been killed. As per preliminary reports, they all appear to be Pakistani terrorists and belonged to JeM, this group had crossed the International Border (IB) from Dayalachak area last evening and they were on the way to Srinagar." The police official said that six weapons had been recovered from the killed terrorists. He also added that the driver and conductor of the truck have been arrested by the police at another checkpoint. "Truck driver and conductor were arrested at a further checkpoint by our forces. Questioning is underway with the two," Singh said, adding that the search operation was being continued as some inputs had suggested that the number of terrorists could be higher. The encounter had broken out between the security forces and terrorists earlier today during checking of vehicles near the Bann toll plaza. The local traffic movement has been stopped following the encounter. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trump impeachment trial may end soon as Senate blocks efforts to call new witnesses. The impeachment trial of US President Donald Trump may be nearing its end after the Senate voted to reject calling new witnesses. There was early on some disagreement, however, about when the trial will come to an end. By Friday night, however, the final votes were set for Wednesday afternoon. As the trial rounds out its 11th day, here are all the latest updates as of Friday, January 31: Senate adjourns The Senate trial has adjourned until Monday. Senate sets final vote on Trump impeachment charges for Wednesday The final votes on the articles of impeachment will take place on Wednesday at 4pm (21:00 GMT). McConnell presents motion on next steps Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented a resolution that laid out the final phase of the trial. According to the resolution, closing arguments would take place on Monday, with a vote on impeachment on Wednesday. That means if the resolution is adopted, Trump will give his State of the Union address while still technically on trial. Senate blocks witnesses The Senate has rejected calling witnesses in Trump impeachment trial. The vote was 51-49 to block witnesses. Two Republicans Mitt Romney and Susan Collins voted with the Democrats in favour of witnesses. Senate now voting on question of witnesses After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate will stand in recess. Parnas lawyer sends letter to McConnell outlining his testimony The lawyer for Lev Parnas, an associate of Trumps personal lawyer who worked on efforts in Ukraine, has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in a last-ditch effort to be called as a witness in the impeachment trial. Below is the letter Stephanie Schuman @LeafLegal and I sent to Senator McConnell earlier today, (202) 224-2541, summarizing the testimony Lev Parnas would be able to provide, were he called as a witness. #LetLevSpeak #AmericansDemandWitnesses #CallTheWitnesses #LetBoltonTestify pic.twitter.com/WPn7ppz2rG Joseph A. Bondy (@josephabondy) January 31, 2020 Parnas would testify that he worked on behalf of Rudy Giuliani and that the president and a number of the people in his administration and the GOP were aware of the demands being imposed upon Ukraine, according to a letter submitted by Parnass lawyer, Joseph Bondy. Philbin: Calls for new evidence used to disguise weak case Trump defence lawyer Patrick Philbin, beginning the arguments against allowing new evidence, including witnesses, into the trial, said that calls for new evidence were being used to disguise defective articles of impeachment. Philbin told senators the question of introducing new documents and witnesses is a trope being used to disguise the real issues, the real decisions youd be making. He said new evidence is not relevant because these articles of impeachment on their face are defective. Giuliani denies new Bolton report The presidents personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has denied newly reported revelations in a draft of former National Security Advisor John Boltons unpublished book. Bolton details a May meeting in which Trump instructed him to call the newly-elected president of Ukraine to ensure a meeting with Giuliani so the presidents lawyer could push for politically motivated investigations, according to the New York Times. Boltons account says Giuliani, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and the lead of Trumps impeachment defence, Pat Cipollone, were all present for the exchange. https://twitter.com/RudyGiuliani/status/1223335046704193537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw The meeting the Times describes is a lie, Giuliani tweeted. If Bolton is the source and he believed this was so bad, why didnt he quit? How much integrity and honor will a man sacrifice for greed and revenge? Schumer denies report he and McConnell agreed on end of trial schedule Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has denied reports that he and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had agreed on a resolution that would see a final vote on Wednesday of next week. We are going to use whatever power we have to prevent [the vote] from being rushed through, said Schumer. But right now there is no agreement. Schiff concludes argument for witnesses Lead House manager Adam Schiff, in his closing arguments in favour of allowing witnesses in the trial, said a trial without witnesses is no trial at all. He told senators: You know as well as we, that there are others you should hear from. Schiff speaks during a debate ahead of a vote on calling witnesses during the impeachment trial against Trump [File: Senate TV/AP Photo] McConnell, Schumer agree to Wednesday acquittal vote: Report Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have agreed to a proposal that would lead to Wednesday vote on acquittal, an NBC correspondent reported on Twitter, citing two Democrat and two Republican sources. Kelly: Impeachment trial without witnesses job only half done John Kelly, President Donald Trumps former chief of staff, has again commented on the ongoing impeachment proceedings, saying a trial without witnesses is a job only half done. Kelly, in an interview with New Jersey Advance Media, also said if there are no witnesses in the trial you open yourself up forever as a Senate that shirks its responsibilities. Kelly had previously said he believed revelations in former NSA Boltons draft book. If John Bolton says that in the book I believe John Bolton, Kelly said during a lecture in Sarasota, Florida. Vote on acquittal could be put off until next week Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is considering passing a resolution that would structure the end of the impeachment trial, with a final vote on whether the president will be removed from office as late as Wednesday, according to US media. The resolution may include a period that allows senators to voice their views on the floor in an open session, CNN reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is reportedly considering a measure that would delay final vote in impeachment trial [Steve Helber/The Associated Press] Murkowski: House articles of impeachment rushed and flawed Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, whose announcement that she will vote no on allowing new evidence in the trial has scuttled Democrats hopes, said she made her decision because the articles of impeachment sent by the House to the Senate were rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its [the Houses] process, but ultimately decided I will vote against considering motions to subpoena, Murkowski said in a statement. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, she added. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed. Closely-watched Republican Murkowski says she will vote no on witnesses Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, who could potentially have been the tying vote in the upcoming vote on allowing new witnesses, has said she will vote no on Friday. The announcement largely scuttles Democrats hopes of introducing new evidence in the impeachment trial of President Trump, including testimony from former NSA Bolton. The announcement leaves just two of the 53 Republicans in the Senate planning to vote for more witnesses, giving Republicans a simple majority for a no vote. Senator Lisa Murkowski has said she will vote no on witnesses [File: Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press] Schiff begins debate on witnesses referencing new Bolton report Lead House manager Adam Schiff began Fridays proceedings by referencing a report, in a draft of a new book, former NSA John Bolton details a May 2018 meeting in which the president instructed him to help in a pressure campaign against Ukraine in pursuit of political investigations. Schiff pointed out that the New York Times reported on Friday that the lead of President Trumps defence team, Pat Cipollone, was among the officials in the meeting described in Boltons manuscript. Theres a new fact that indicates that Mr Cipollone was among those who were in the loop, said Schiff. Just another reason why we need to hear from witnesses. He added: The facts will continue to come out. Tlaib urges Murkowski to vote for witnesses Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, in a tweet on Friday, urged Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski to vote to allow witnesses in the trial. Murkowski is one of the four Republicans considered open to breaking from party ranks in voting to allow more witnesses. So far, Senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney have said they will vote in favour of allowing witnesses, while Senator Lamar Alexander has said he will vote against. Read the transcript of the call and the testimony of those who testified before the House Intelligence Committee. Your notes arent enough, tweeted Tlaib with an article on Murkowski, who said she will make up her mind on witnesses on Friday. Read the transcript of the call and the testimony of those who testified before the House Intelligence Committee. Your notes aren't enough. Do your job! https://t.co/Hm1XkP0iEW Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) January 31, 2020 Nadler to miss end of trial to be with ill wife Jerrold Nadler, a House manager and chairman of the chambers judiciary committee, has said he will miss the remainder of the impeachment trial to be with his wife, who has pancreatic cancer. I am sorry to not be able to stay in Washington for the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial but I need to be home with my wife at this time. We have many decisions to make as a family, wrote Nadler. I am sorry to not be able to stay in Washington for the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial but I need to be home with my wife at this time. We have many decisions to make as a family. I have every faith in my colleagues and hope the Senate will do what is right. Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) January 31, 2020 I have every faith in my colleagues and hope the Senate will do what is right, he added. Bolton book says Trump asked him to help in Ukraine pressure campaign President Trump asked then-NSA John Bolton to help in a pressure campaign on Ukraine to extract politically damaging information on Democrats in May of 2018, Bolton wrote in a draft of his upcoming book, the New York Times reported on Friday. Trump told Bolton to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to ensure that the newly elected president would meet with Trumps personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who was at the time planning a trip to Kyiv to push for the investigations, Boltons manuscript recounts, according to the newspaper. The president gave the command during a meeting that included Giuliani, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and White House lawyer Pat Cipollone, who is leading the presidents impeachment defence team. Revelations in a draft of former National Security Advisor John Bolton book have renewed calls for him to testify [File: Luis M Alvarez/The Associated Press] The meeting reportedly detailed by Bolton is the earliest known evidence of Trumps involvement in using the government to push for his own political interest in Ukraine, and, if accurate, shows that top Trump officials had early knowledge of the campaign. Schumer: Disturbing some Republicans wont vote for witnesses Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he found it disturbing that some closely watched Republicans have said they will not vote for witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, but added the results of a vote is still an open question. If witnesses are not allowed this country is headed towards the greatest cover-up since Watergate, Schumer said, referencing the scandal that led to the resignation of former President Richard Nixon. The vote on new evidence will be the difference between seeking the truth or covering it up, between a fair trial and a farce, between country and party, Schumer said. Romney to vote for witnesses Republican US Senator Mitt Romney will vote in favour of allowing witnesses to testify, his spokeswoman said. Romney had previously been the only Republican senator to say he wanted to hear testimony from former NSA John Bolton one of the four witnesses requested previously by Democrats. Republican Susan Collins, on Thursday, said in a tweet that she would also vote for witnesses. Pompeo visits Ukraine, addresses aid at heart of impeachment trial US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo became the highest-ranking US official to visit Ukraine since the impeachment process began last year and addressed the military aid at the heart of the impeachment inquiry on Friday. The support that this administration has provided, and we talk about the assistance, thats important, its certainly helpful for the Ukrainian people and it makes the difference for [the] United States as well, and to our benefits as well, Pompeo said at a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Ukraine during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump [Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press] But what really matters is the relationship thats developing between the two counties, politically and diplomatically, commercially and economically, he added. Witness math? Democrats were served a significant blow on Thursday after Republican Senator Lamar Alexander, considered a possible and key swing vote, said he would not vote to hear from new witnesses. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Alexander tweeted. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the U.S. Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense.1/15 Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020 On Wednesday, Senators Martha McSally and Cory Gardner, Republicans facing re-election in swing states, also said they would not vote for more witnesses. Only three Republicans appear to be possible swing votes at this point, with only two having explicitly said they support hearing from new witnesses. If all three vote with Democrats, it would create a 50-50 tie. If Chief Justice John Roberts does not intervene to break the tie, the vote would fail to meet the majority needed to call more witnesses. Who is on Trumps defence team? Read more about the key players in the impeachment trial of President Trump here. Who are the House managers? Seven Democratic House managers presented the case for removing President Trump from office. What happened during the Q and A? With Democrats largely posing questions to House managers and Republicans largely posing questions to Trumps defence, the questions period of the trial spanning Wednesday and Thursday largely gave both sides the chance to shore up their arguments and rebut their opponents. In one particularly noteworthy moment on Wednesday, Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz appeared to argue that a president could not be impeached for soliciting help in re-election from a foreign government if the president believed their re-election was in the public interest. Dershowitz later refined the much-pilloried argument on Twitter, claiming his words were mischaracterised. Read more about Wednesdays proceedings here. On Thursday, Chief Justice John Roberts refused to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul that included the name of a person that right-wing media have accused of being the whistle-blower. Paul denied the question was meant to out the whistle-blower. Read more about Thursdays proceedings here. This artist sketch depicts White House counsel Pat Cipollone speaking in the Senate chamber during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump [File: Dana Verkouteren/AP Photo] Catch up on what happened since the start of the trial As the 11th day of the impeachment trial begins, catch up on what has happened over the last two weeks. The trial officially began with a ceremonial start on January 16 that saw the swearing-in of Chief Justice Roberts, who is presiding over the proceedings, and the 100 members of the Senate. The next week began with nearly 12 hours of debate culminating in senators voting along partisan lines to approve Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells rules resolution. Meanwhile, 11 amendments introduced by Democrats were blocked. Read more about that day here. The Democratic House managers then presented their arguments for three days on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, followed by Trumps defence arguments on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. China has imposed a lockdown in the city following the outbreak of the virus An Air India special flight departing from Delhi on Friday will evacuate around 400 Indians trapped in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, the national carrier's Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said. Speaking to ANI, Lohani said that the Boeing 747 Jumbo aircraft will take off at 12 pm from Delhi today and will return by 2 am on Saturday. "We are sending a Boeing 747 Jumbo aircraft. Around 400 Indians will be evacuated today from Wuhan in China by Air India flight. It will take off at 12 pm today and will return by 2 am tomorrow," Lohani said. An Air India special flight will depart on Friday from Delhi to the Chinese city of Wuhan for the evacuation of Indians trapped in the region amid coronavirus outbreak, the national carrier's spokesperson said. The flight will include all necessary resources like masks, medical equipment, packed food, prescribed medicines, along with a team of five doctors from the Health Ministry, and paramedical personnel from Air India. Twenty crew members, including 15 cabin crew and five cockpit crew will be on board. The flight, which is led by Air India's Director of Operations Captain Amitabh Singh, will return to New Delhi tomorrow (Saturday). The development comes three days after the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) approved the Air India flight to Wuhan a Chinese city of more than 11 million people which has been the epicenter of the new strain of coronavirus. China has imposed a lockdown in the city following the outbreak of the virus. Coronavirus has claimed the lives of as many as 213 people in China alone, while cases have been reported in several countries across the world. Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and several Asian countries besides China. Consider Speaker Nancy Pelosi's break from reality answering a reporter's question Thursday on whether President Trump will become emboldened after he is acquitted by the Senate: You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial. You don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation and that [sic]. I would hope that the senators, if it comes to a tie or if there's a question of hearing testimony or receiving documents, would leave it up to the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Everyone knows that Trump will be acquitted, and those familiar with the legal system also know that in a court of law, the case would already have been thrown out on a defense motion to strike and dismiss the case because of the unconstitutional irregularities in the House proceedings. The consensus among Republicans is to vote on the sham impeachment without calling additional witnesses. I understand the argument. Legally, I agree with it. But this is a partisan, political impeachment. If the president is acquitted without calling additional witnesses, the Democrat Party will claim, and hence the news media narrative will be, that Trump obstructed and beat the system because the Republicans have a majority in the Senate. The Democrats and their media will scream bloody murder. To the low-information crowd, Trump will have cheated again. Trump had something to hide, and justice was not served. You can hear it now because they have been saying it all along. When Joe Biden called a potential supporter a "damn liar" at a campaign event in Iowa for daring to bring up his Burisma-Ukraine corruption, most in the audience were not even aware that Joe had turned his Ukraine opportunity into an ATM for Hunter Biden. For many in our country, their knowledge of the presidential race is based entirely upon the reporting of the Democrat Party news media. We all know that a special prosecutor should be appointed to look into Joe Biden's corruption in Ukraine and China. But after acquittal without additional witnesses, I don't believe that Trump's Justice Department will have the stomach to appoint a special prosecutor. (James Comey has yet to be prosecuted even though he was referred for prosecution.) Two things must happen in the Senate first. Firstly, the Democrats must be utterly vanquished in the Senate. Let them have John Bolton testify as the Republicans call the so-called whistleblower, the Bidens, and Adam Schiff's staff. Let the sham impeachment play out. Let's find out whether the so-called whistleblower is a Democrat Party activist who had been scheming with Schiff to take out Trump. You know that Senators Warren and Sanders do not want to be tied to their Senate seats for months when they could be campaigning. But that should be the price of the Democrats' sham impeachment for them. The Democrats cannot be allowed to have any post-impeachment political life. They cannot be allowed to hide their bumps and bruises and walk out of the chambers claiming victory but for the cheating of Trump. Their deceitful rhetoric of Trump "cheating" and "hiding evidence" and "obstructing justice" must die an ugly death in the U.S. Senate. Their impeachment scam must be exposed for what it is: yet another plot to take out the president. Anything short of total victory for the Republicans in the Senate could end up hurting the president and helping the Democrats in the long run. Secondly, so far as Joe Biden is concerned, the case for a special prosecutor to investigate him and his illegitimate beneficiaries must be fully made in the Senate. The evidence of corruption is overwhelming. If the trial concludes after witnesses are called, the Democrats and their media friends will have nothing to fall back on. Once the president's defense team is finished with the Bidens, a criminal investigation will follow naturally after the president is acquitted. For those reasons, I would like to see the Republicans call Shifty Schiff's bluff and let everything come into the light. The truth helps Trump. The truth will most likely make the Democrats unelectable in 2020. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. An interview with Professor Hornblum appeared on Inside Higher Ed.com . To read the interview, click on the link . To read the interview that appeared on Philly.com on October 27, 2007, click here . Professor Hornblum also recently wrote an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer . To read that article, click here . Sentenced to Science retells the story of the Holmesburg experiments more dramatically through the eyes of one black man, Edward Butch Anthony, who suffered greatly from the experiments for which he volunteered during multiple terms at the prison. This is not only one black mans highly personal account of what it was like to be an imprisoned test subject, but also a sobering reminder that there were many African Americans caught in the viselike grip of a scientific research community willing to bend any code of ethics in order to accomplish its goals and a criminal justice system that sold prisoners to the highest bidder. The story of the Holmesburg trials was documented by Allen Hornblum in his 1998 book Acres of Skin . The more general history of African Americans as human guinea pigs has most recently been told by Harriet Washington in her 2007 book Medical Apartheid . The subject is currently a topic of heated public debate in the wake of a 2006 report from an influential panel of medical experts recommending that the federal government loosen the regulations in place since the 1970s that have limited the testing of pharmaceuticals on prison inmates. From 1951 until 1974, Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia was the site of thousands of experiments on prisoners conducted by researchers under the direction of University of Pennsylvania dermatologist Albert M. Kligman. While most of the experiments were testing cosmetics, detergents, and deodorants, the trials also included scores of Phase I drug trials, inoculations of radioactive isotopes, and applications of dioxin in addition to mind-control experiments for the Army and CIA. These experiments often left the subject-prisoners, mostly African Americans, in excruciating pain and had long-term debilitating effects on their health. This is one among many episodes of the sordid history of medical experimentation on the black population of the United States. Allen M. Hornblum is Lecturer of Geography and Urban Studies at Temple University. He is the author of Confessions of a Second Story Man: Junior Kripplebauer and the K&A Gang (2005) and Acres of Skin: Human Experiments at Holmesburg Prison: A True Story of Abuse and Exploitation in the Name of Medical Science (1998). 1 My Back Is on Fire There were three of us in a cell at the time. I had been in the jail only a few days and had just gotten assigned to work in the tailor shop. They make socks, underwear, and other clothing for the inmates, but I hadn't actually started to work yet, so I thought I could take my time that morning while my cell buddies left for their jobs. But I soon heard my name being called out on the block. It was time for guys who had signed up for the medical tests to go down to H block. By then I wasn't too afraid of the experiments. My homeys said they had taken care of me and I'd be okay. They said they had made sure I wouldn't be put on any of the experiments where I'd get hurt. They told me I'd be able to make some money and wouldn't be hurt too bad. To tell the truth, I was more afraid of being sexually assaulted down there than the experiments. I had heard all sorts of bad shit about guys getting solicited for sex and fucked down on H block. I got my pass to get off of G block where I was celled and went over to H block, where the University of Pennsylvania doctors were doing their tests. The guard opened the gate and let us in. There must have been about twenty of us. We were all looking around, checking things out, trying not to look concerned. You could see where cell walls had been broken out to make larger rooms for the doctors to do their research experiments. Strange-looking medical equipment was all over the place. There were a bunch of doctors walking around doing stuff, but then I realized the guys in white smocks weren't doctors at all, but inmates. There were inmates doing all the work. In a way I felt better. I thought the tests couldn't be that bad if they had prisoners doing them. If the experiments were really something serious, I would've seen more real doctors on the block. An inmate took my pass and checked my name off on a clipboard he was holding. He directed some of us, about five or six, to a room and told me to sit on a stool and to take my shirt off. They then gave me a paper to read and told me to sign it. It basically said if anything should happen to me I'm not going to hold the University of Pennsylvania responsible. I said, 'Hey, why you giving me this? I thought these tests were safe.' 'They are,' said the inmate. 'It's just a formality.' He said it was a bubble bath test for Johnson & Johnson and they were testing it to see if it's harmful to someone with an open wound. He said the test would run about two or three weeks and we'd make about $37. The money sounded good to me. I signed my name on the paper. One of these inmates in a white lab coat comes over to me and tells me to lean forward and then starts to put fresh tape on my back and then just as quickly pulls it off. He did this over and over again. He must have done it eight or ten times until he had pulled the first layer of skin off. He did this to six different spots on my back. He then got an eye dropper and put it in a little glass jar and drew up some of the solution that was in there, the bubble bath I guess, and then squeezed some of it onto a small, square gauze pad. He then placed the gauze pad on one of the spots he had just rubbed raw and taped it onto my back. He did this to each one of the six spots on my back. Then he placed a larger piece of tape over each spot, and I'm thinking, this ain't too bad. I can handle this. He tells me we're just about done, and I'm not feeling any pain or anything. I'm thinking my guys really took care of me. I'm making money for nothing. The inmate then picked up a green spray can and starts to spray my entire back. I asked what he was doing and he said, 'Oh, it ain't nothing. This is just to ensure that the patches stay on your back. It'll keep your pores closed.' It was sure something, though, 'cause as soon as the spray hit my back it was cold and I began to taste it in my mouth. It tasted bitter and I swear I could feel it seeping in my body. I thought it was toxic or something 'cause I started to feel dizzy. 'Man, what the fuck is that stuff?' I said. He didn't say anything and started to put large pieces of tape on each side of my back. 'If this come off,' he said, 'you don't get any money.' I was really getting dizzy. It tasted like mentholated alcohol. My tongue was beginning to get cold like my back. It was all making me feel really nauseous. The inmate in the white smock doing this to me said we were done and goes on to say he'd call me down the next morning to change the bandages. He then sends me back to my cell block. While crossing center I'm feeling even more nauseous. I get onto G block and wobble to my cell with this disgusting taste in my mouth and all this stuff on my back, and as soon as I lift my leg to step in my cell I fell out. I passed right out. When I came to, Youngie and Ruben, my cell mates, are putting water on my face and helping me to my bunk. That's when I screamed out, 'Man, my fuckin' back is on fire. It's killing me. Fuck this test. Take this shit off my back.' Ruben tried to calm me down. 'Butch, you can't do that,' he said. 'If you take this shit off, you won't get paid.' 'I don't give a shit, man,' I cried out. 'My back is on fire. It's burning the hell out of me. Get it the fuck off. It's killing me.' 'Don't worry,' says Youngie, 'I'll hook you up.' He then carefully peeled off the tape sealer and taped the upper edges of it to the cell wall. Then he took the smaller patches off and stuck them on the wall as well. He said that's what everyone does who is having a bad reaction but still wants to earn that money. I didn't give a shit about the money at that point, though, 'cause my back was screaming. I really felt like my back was on fire. Youngie then got a bucket of water from the shower room and washed my back with soap and water. There was little relief, though. My back burned all night long. I'm thinking hour after hour, what the hell did I do to myself? What did those damn people do to me? When morning finally comes, I can't wait to see a doctor and have this thing taken care of, but Youngie tells me he's got to hook me up first. He says he got to put that shit back on me, so I'll be ready when they call me. He was thinkin' more about the money than I was. I just wanted the pain to end. I tell you, I'm countin' the seconds. I get out of bed and turn around for the patches to be put back on, and Youngie says to Ruben, 'Damn, look at this shit here.' 'Man,' says Ruben, 'that's some nasty-lookin' shit. Whadda they do to you?' I couldn't see what they were talkin' about, but I sure as hell could feel it. Large blisters the size of nickels and filled with pus had formed where the patches had been. I just shook my head at the mess I had gotten myself into. I was weak, in pain, and my back had this constant burning. The block runner came down with my pass and I went over to H block. I was hoping to see a doctor, but it was the same ol' inmate in a white lab jacket who looked at me. All he said was, 'Wow,' when he saw my back. 'Does this normally happen?' I asked him. 'sometimes,' was all he replied. He grabbed what looked like a pair of tweezers and a little scalpel-type instrument and cut the blisters off and drained the pus outta the wounds. He then cleaned each of the six blistered areas, put new patches on, and sprayed the area once again before putting large swathes of tape on. That same chemical taste filled my mouth, but I didn't get as nauseous this time, just a little lightheaded. As I'm walking back to my block I'm wondering when this pain is gonna subside. The blisters were cut off, but my back still felt like it was on fire. I got back to my cell and the guys helped me take the shit off again. They washed my back, but it still felt like I was lying on hot coals. There was no relief; it was terrible. All day and all night I'm in pain. I ain't getting no sleep. I'm moaning and keeping the other guys from getting any sleep. I'm really feelin' miserable, and now a new problem comes up. My back is turning red, as red as a strawberry. The blisters didn't come back, but now I'm a black guy with a fire-engine-red back. And it still feels like it's on fire. On the third day I get a pass to go down to H block, and once again I see this inmate doctor or whatever he's supposed to be and say to him, 'Don't you have the results of this goddamn test yet? My back is on fire. Look man, I can't take any more of this shit. You guys are killing me. Look at my back. It's blood red. I want you to take care of this shit now.' The inmate knew I was serious this time and was probably afraid I was gonna hurt 'im, so he went down the block and talked to a University of Pennsylvania doctor, a short, light-skinned black guy in a suit and tie. He comes over to me and I show him my back. 'Hmm,' he says, lookin' all puzzled and shit. 'Look,' he says, 'I tell you what. You can take the patches off. You don't have to wear them anymore.' 'You throwing me off the test?' I ask him. 'Under the circumstances it may be for the best.' 'What about my money,' I said, concerned they might try to cheat me. 'You'll get paid. We'll make sure you get the full amount that's coming to you.' As I'm walking back to my block I'm feeling somewhat relieved that I'm off the test and still gonna get paid, but then I realize my back is still killing me. The doctor didn't treat me at all. He didn't do shit. The motherfucker didn't even give me anything for the pain. They were just a bunch of sadists. All that day and into the night it starts getting worse. It was unbearable. My whole fuckin' body is reacting. It was like something was crawling under my skin. Under my arms and between my legs it's getting real hot. I'm moaning. My cell mates can't do anything for me, and I'm keeping them from getting any sleep at night. I'm thinking the whole time, what the hell did I get myself into? I'm blaming my cell partners, the damn doctors, myself, I don't know who to blame. The only thing that seemed to relieve the itching and the pain was hot showers. I mean, real hot. Guys couldn't believe I was able to stand under scalding hot water like I was, but it was the only thing that eased the pain and itching. They must have thought I was losing my mind. The nights were terrible, though; I just laid there in agony. The next morning Ruben and Youngie look at me and can't believe their eyes. I got fine little red bumps all over my face, arms, legs, head, chest, all over. Some were white and filled with pus. The guys thought I had German measles or some dreaded tropical disease. Youngie tells the block guard I'm messed up bad and got to see one of the H block doctors, but the turnkey comes back and tells us I'm off the tests. He can't send me down to the Penn research unit. I can't believe what's happening to me. I'm in pain. I look like a goddamn strawberry. And now I'm off the tests and the doctors won't even look at me. Youngie and me start raising a ruckus, demanding I see a doctor, and the guard says he'll see what he can do. In the meantime, he tells me to go down to the visiting room. He says I got a visit. That's when I really found out just how bad I looked. You don't have any mirrors in prison, so I didn't really know what I looked like. That visit told me just how bad things had gotten. My sister Edna had come up to Holmesburg to see me. She was already seated behind the screen when I got to the visiting booth. She took one look at me and started screaming. She jumped out of her chair in horror. She was jumping up and down, yelling, 'Oh my God, oh my God, what did they do to you?' She was holding her hand to her mouth like she was trying to keep from vomiting. The guards immediately rushed me and tackled me to the floor. They thought I had done something to her to cause such a commotion. Edna started to yell at them, 'stop, he didn't do anything. Leave him alone. He didn't do anything. Can't you see he's hurt? Look at him. Leave him alone.' They let me get up. Edna was still hysterical and started yelling, 'What the hell did they do to you? What are they doing to you in here?' I told her, 'I got on the tests.' 'What tests?' she asked. 'What are you talking about? What kinds of tests do something like that? Is you crazy?' I told her I needed the money. Nobody at home was sending me anything. She said, 'Don't get on any more tests. We'll send you money. Promise you won't get on any more of those tests. They're killing you.' It was pretty bad. The thing with my sister really shook me up. Back on the block, me and Youngie are still tryin' to get the guard to give me a pass to go down to H block to get checked out. The guard can see for himself I'm in need of medical attention. He tells me to go down to the chow hall for breakfast and he'll try to have some news for me by the time I get back. But when I get down to the chow hall everybody starts staring at me and making comments and moving away. They're looking at these little bumps on my face and arms and how red I am. Guys don't want to get too close to me. They don't want me next to them in the chow line. They think I got some deadly disease and they're goin' to catch it. They tell me to get the hell away from them. Some of 'em start threatening me if I get too close. Even the cooks and kitchen workers start eyeballing me and aren't sure if they should serve me. They're thinking just by putting that mush on my plate they're serving they're gonna get contaminated. Finally a guard comes over to me and says, 'What the fuck is wrong with you?' I tell him, 'I got on the tests.' He called me a stupid motherfucker, and said, 'Look man, you better take it on the hop. Better take your sick ass outta here before you cause something to jump off.' 'But whaddabout my food?' He says, 'I'll have a cook make up a platter for you and send it to your block.' Man, can you believe it? I couldn't even go down to the mess hall now. They didn't want a disturbance with me lookin' the way I did and said they'd send my food to my cell. It was that bad. Back in my cell I'm still in pain. It feels like something is crawling under my skin. The itching was terrible. My armpits and groin are startin' to heat up and be on fire like my back. I couldn't keep my arms down by my side and I'm having trouble walking. Any sort of movement hurts. And I'm wondering if it can get any worse. I was an introvert. I never wanted to stand out or draw attention to myself and now I look like a neon sign. I can't believe what those Penn doctors did to me. I'm thinkin' those doctors gave me some toxic poison and now I'm all fucked up. Maybe dying. What the hell did they do to me? Twenty years old and already a veteran of illicit drugs, gang wars, and the ever-present and explosive street violence that is so common to life in the hood, Edward Butch Anthony was reaping a health crisis of unimaginable proportions-all due to his decision to become a human guinea pig. What had been described as a safe and easy way to earn a few dollars while incarcerated in a big-city jail had become a physical and psychological nightmare. Literally overnight, Butch Anthony, a healthy, vibrant black man and survivor of one of the most unforgiving ghettos in America, had unknowingly embarked on a confidence-searing and health-shattering journey as harrowing as any landmine-laden trip one could envision. As a test subject in Holmesburg Prison's medical research program in the mid-1960s, he would become a particularly unlucky experimental lab rat. Probed with needles transferring mysterious solutions, bathed in strange chemicals, and paid to swallow experimental compounds, Anthony-by his own admission a functional illiterate-was a most receptive and compliant guinea pig for hire. An unquestioning dollar-a-day human vessel willing to endure a barrage of physical affronts, not to mention a paternalistic relationship with single-minded researchers that only former prisoner test subjects could truly understand. The upshot was a series of strange and inexplicable medical maladies and conundrums that would last a lifetime. Although the physical problems Anthony accumulated in these experiments were considerable, and his repeated decisions to become a brother for science difficult to comprehend, one can be assured he was not alone-there were thousands of desperate, incarcerated men and women just like him in postwar America. Imprisoned Americans who shockingly discovered that they had not only been sentenced to prison, but sentenced to science as well. And for the vast majority of these formerly imprisoned test subjects-in addition to the scars and regrets-there remains a lasting enmity toward doctors, hospitals, and the medical establishment in general. This residual skepticism-antipathy would be more accurate-toward physicians and medical researchers is especially prominent in the African American community. Past revelations surrounding the infamous Tuskegee syphilis study, combined with their own personal indignities and the more recent revelations regarding the Holmesburg Prison medical experiments, have left several generations of black Americans with a profound distrust of the American medical establishment. For the many black Philadelphians who had loved ones in Holmesburg, the cynicism is practically palpable. Butch Anthony's story is more than a tale of physical torment and personal failure-an urban melodrama focusing on one individual's descent into drugs, crime, and imprisonment. More important, it is also a cautionary tale for a proud, prosperous nation that espouses democratic principles and egalitarian notions of fairness and justice but for far too long found it convenient to use its weakest, most vulnerable populations-the retarded, the indigent, orphans, and prisoners-as raw material for medical experimentation. Anthony, no doubt, has to shoulder the burden for his own self-destructive decisions and troubled behavior. But America has some self-assessment to do as well. The nation has yet to truly grapple with its own sordid history of using people as throwaway objects, and with the wide chasm between lofty proclamations of honorable goals and ethical conduct and the many embarrassing acts of greed, self-interest, and cavalier behavior that have pockmarked our history. Butch Anthony's story reveals the dark underbelly of American medicine. And though his personal account may prove an uncomfortable revelation to many unaware of the treatment accorded warehoused individuals during the second half of the twentieth century, he was not alone-there were many others like him. Nameless, faceless institutionalized test subjects, human grist for the research mill that a God-fearing, freedom-loving, but uninterested country repeatedly turned its back on. Anthony's story is their story, and it is long overdue that we allow at least one of them to voice what it was like to be an incarcerated human guinea pig. More than 400 Chinese workers of a Taiwanese steel plant in the north-central Vietnamese province of Ha Tinh have been told not to go back to work after spending their Lunar New Year holiday in China to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Formosa Ha Tinh, the Vietnamese steel business of Taiwans Formosa Plastics Group, will temporarily refuse to let some of its employees get back to work over concerns of spreading nCoV, Duong Tat Thang, vice-chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, confirmed on Thursday. The firm has approximately 700 Chinese workers, of whom over 400 went back to China to celebrate the 2020 Lunar New Year, which lasted roughly a week around January 25. In a bid to prevent the spread of nCoV, these over 400 workers will not be allowed to resume work for the time being. The temporary ban will last until at least February 15, and can be further extended depending on new developments on the virus spread, Thang said. Before returning to the plant, the employees will be required to undergo a three-step heath examination. They will first need confirmation from a Chinese medical center that they do not show signs of coronavirus infection within 14 days. After arriving in Vietnam, the workers will undergo another health check carried out by Vietnamese authorities. Upon their arrival at Formosa Ha Tinh, their body temperature will be measured before they can resume work. The firm has already equipped infrared thermometers at all of its entrances to measure the body temperature of all employees. The Ha Tinh center for disease control previously established three units specializing in the prevention of the new coronavirus. These units work around the clock and strictly follow the protocols of the Ministry of Health. Vietnam is among more than a dozen countries and territories with confirmed infected cases of nCoV, which first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. The pneumonia outbreak has killed 213 and infected more than 9,600 people in China as of Friday, according to the Chinese National Health Commission. Eighty-three cases in 18 other countries have also been reported as of Friday, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which declared on the same day that the coronavirus epidemic in China now constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Three Vietnamese nationals have been infected with nCoV, increasing the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to five, the Ministry of Health said on Thursday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 13:20:00|Editor: zyl Video Player Close SEOUL, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least two people have been confirmed dead, with eight others injured, as an explosive fire occurred in a South Korean leather factory, Yonhap news agency reported Friday. The fire, which was likely to be caused by an unidentified explosion, broke out at about 11:25 a.m. local time at the leather factory in Yangju, 30 km north of the capital Seoul. Two people have been confirmed dead, and eight others were taken to the hospital after suffering injuries. The fire was extinguished about 25 minutes later. It was believed to have been caused by an explosion in the boiler room of the leather factory. Nirav Modi custody in UK extended Fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, who is wanted by Indian authorities in the Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam appeared before a UK court on Thursday through video link from his London prison and was further remanded in custody till February 27. Nirav Modi, who was arrested from Holborn here on March 19 and is fighting extradition proceedings since then was called for routine "call-over" hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court which was presided over by Judge David Robinson, who told the businessman that his case is proceeding in accordance with the directions for a final hearing on May 11. His extradition trial is scheduled for five days starting May 11, with the case management hearings in the case set to begin once all the evidence has been handed in to the court for the trial. The fugitive diamantaire will remain in judicial custody pending a full extradition trial scheduled and must appear for call-over hearings until the case management for the trial starts from May. Nirav Modi was proclaimed by a special PMLA court as a 'fugitive economic offender' on December 5 last year. Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi of the Geetanjali Group are being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation after the PNB alleged that they cheated it of Rs 13,500 crore with the involvement of some bank employees. The ED has filed a chargesheet against Choksi in a Prevention of Money Laundering Act Court in Mumbai. India is currently making efforts to extradite Nirav Modi from the UK and his uncle Choksi from Antigua and Barbuda where he is now a citizen, to come and face the law here. Facebook, Twitter suspected of breaching Russias personal data storage rules pixabay.com 16:45 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor has instituted administrative proceedings against Facebook and Twitter over alleged breaching of user data storage requirements. The proceedings were commenced as the companies failed to provide in time information on fulfilment of requirements on the localization of databases of Russian social media users on servers located in Russia, as stipulated by the Law On Personal Data, the watchdogs statement reads. The companies could face fines ranging from 1 to 6 million rubles ($16,000 - 94,000) each, according to the Code on Administrative Offenses. The violation protocol was drawn up in the presence of a Twitter representative; a Facebook representative failed to turn up for the protocol signing. The document is to be forwarded to court within 3 working days, the watchdog says. by Emanuele Scimia Xi Jinpings mammoth project to improve trade connections along the ancient Silk Road between China and Europe has funding problems. Nonetheless, Beijing continues to offer only crumbs for non-Chinese firms. More and more Europeans are growing disillusioned about the BRI and irritated by Chinas diplomacy. Rome (AsiaNews) Combined trade between China and European countries involved in the New Silk Road project increased 8% in 2019, the Chinese ministry of commerce emphatically said in a recent press conference. However, the leaders in Beijing were careful to avoid saying that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is struggling to find new investors. In a paper released on January 17, Business Europe said the BRI presented an evident opportunity for European businesses. The biggest organization representing European companies argues that while the Chinese seem ready to lend huge sums for Belt and Road projects, the funding requirements of infrastructure initiatives across Eurasia far exceed their financing capacities. According to the China Global Investment Tracker, Chinas BRI-related investment was worth $ 730 billion between 2013 and 2019. The Beijing government said on January 22 that the cumulative investment of Chinese companies in countries linked to the BRI stood at some 106 billion yuan (US$ 16 billion) in 2019, roughly on par with 2018 figures. European companies have shown interest in the BRI since its inception, but their level of participation is still limited and confined mostly to niche contributions as subcontractors. They are dwarfed by their Chinese counterparts, which get the biggest share of the cake, the EU Chamber of Commerce in China said in a report published on January 16. But the most disappointing aspect of the Belt and Road scheme, at least for those in Europe who have bet big on Chinas financial largesse to prop up their faltering economies, is that the flow of Chinese money is slowing. Chinese investment in Europe reached US$ 20 billion in 2019, fewer than half of the amount it had been the previous year. Transport development, which is at the core of the BRI, was especially hit by this decline. Czech President Milos Zeman, until recently a staunch supporter of the BRI, has accused Beijing of not delivering on its investment promises. The Czech Republic is member of the 17+1, an informal grouping that brings together China and 17 eastern, central and southern European countries. The Berlin-based Mercator Institute for China Studies notes that Chinese investment is focused on Western and Northern Europe. For example, Eastern Europe accounts only for 1.5 percent of all Chinas investment in the European Union. With a few exceptions, people around Europe have an unfavorable opinion of China and its paramount leader, the Pew Research Center wrote on December 5, 2019. Growing skepticism over the benefits of the BRI explains only partially why the Europeans do not trust China. The EU has often lambasted China for its unfair commercial and investment practices, and raised security problems about the use of Huaweis 5G technology. Furthermore, many European chanceries have become increasingly irritated by Chinas diplomatic attacks on leaders and institutions critical of its repressive policy in Tibet and Xinjiang, handling of the socio-political crisis in Hong Kong and ostracism of Taiwan. Open source Ex-prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin said he was poisoned with mercury five months ago, after which he had two cardiac arrests. Shokin said this in an interview with TSN. Shokin said that for the past five months he has been fighting for life. According to the television story, for the first time, the ex-Prosecutor General became ill last September in Greece: he lost consciousness on the street. It happened at about 11:40, there was a hospital nearby, an ambulance and very good specialists. According to the conclusion of the Greek clinic, where I was first in intensive care, I had two cardiac arrests. In order to return me from that light, stun guns were used for my resuscitation. Then I spent eight days in intensive care, and then I was transferred to the ward. I could not walk, I learned to walk there again, " Shokin said. Later, according to Shokin, it was found that he was poisoned with mercury. In support of this, he presented extracts from the medical history made in Vienna at the Rudolfinnerhaus clinic. Now Shokin calls his condition satisfactory, the next visit to doctors in Vienna is scheduled for February. He also said that he hoped for the competence of law enforcement in Greece. I have no obvious enemies, whom I know for sure that this is the enemy. Of course, one of the versions, but this version requires investigation, but there is the possibility of Bidens involvement in some way in these matters. I officially addressed the Greek law enforcement authorities on this the question, there is my official statement, he asked them to investigate. As far as I know, the criminal case has been opened and is being investigated, but this is just my information. Officially, I have not received a reply, although I contacted a long time ago regarding the initiation of criminal proceedings you in connection with my intentional murder, " Shokin says As we reported before, Former prosecutor general of Ukraine Viktor Shokin demands from the State Investigation Bureau to open the criminal proceeding against former vice president of the U.S. Joseph Biden for illegal influence on him as the prosecutor general An official Dutch government account has shared a poll asking people if they will boycott British products and holidays after Brexit because the UK no longer wants to belong. The Twitter post from the Netherlands Ministry of Finance suggested a boycott with the hashtags Brexit and VRIJstelling which means exemption in Dutch. If the United Kingdom / England no longer wants to belong, I also no longer spend money on English products or holidays to England, a translation of the post said. The poll has since been deleted with no further comment from the account. It came after a mixed response in the EU to Britains long-delayed departure from the bloc, with a mixture of affectionate tributes to the UK and criticism. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA On Thursday evening, Brussels put on a festival of Britishness as the city was lit up in Union Jack colours while bands played British music and two city employees dressed up as Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson to take pictures with visitors. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, wished Britain well in its exit from the bloc but warned that strength does not lie in splendid isolation. Of course, we have lukewarm feelings about what is happening, but what is the dominant feeling for me is that its important to look to the future of the European project, Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, added. However, there have also been moments of tension, such as when Brexit Party MEPs were scolded for waving Union Jack flags during Nigel Farages final speech in the European Parliament. Please sit down and take your seats, put your flags away, and take them with you, Mairead McGuinness, the presiding speaker, told Mr Farage and his fellow MEPs. The Independent has approached the Dutch Ministry of Finance for comment on the Twitter poll. In a separate Twitter post, the Netherlands minister of foreign affairs expressed his sadness at seeing Britain leave the EU and warned of potential difficulties in the next phase of negotiations. Dear #Northseaneighbours, how we hate to see you go, Stef Blok said. There is only little time for the important negotiations on our future relationship. Its crunch time again before we know it. The UK will now enter a transition period with the EU until 31 December 2020, during which EU rules will still apply and Britain will remain a member of the single market and customs union. Boris Johnsons government has repeatedly ruled out extending the transition period, even if an agreement with the EU cannot be made this year. Only weeks after San Francisco's all-girls Catholic Mercy High School shared on Jan. 10 that it was closing at the end of the year, all-boys high school Archbishop Riordan announced Wednesday that it will become coeducational in fall 2020. The plan to accept girls at the city's oldest, male-only high school is being met with some resistance. By Thursday evening, a Change.org petition had been signed by more than 200 people asking the school to reverse the decision. Multiple parents contacted for this article said students are planning a walkout on Friday morning to protest. "Riordan has been promoting the benefits of a single-gender education for 70 years," said Deidre Von Rock, a parent of a sophomore and a freshman applicant. "Its name, brand and reason to be are all tied to the all-boys education. Thats what all the students there now wanted. They have choices to go to about any other coed school, but they chose this for the brotherhood." Not all parents are opposed. San Francisco native Mike Farrah said his son has applied to Riordan for his upcoming freshman year and thinks switching to coed is a step in the right direction. "With Mercy failing, there needs to be a high school for both girls and boys that serves the middle-class Catholic community in San Francisco." Should Riordan save Mercy? On the edge of the city's Ingleside neighborhood, Archbishop Riordan has accepted only male students since it was founded 70 years ago by the Society of Mary. The school of 690 students is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco. When Riordan begins admitting girls, Stuart Hall High School will be the city's only all-boys high school. Riordan President Andrew Currier said the school has long discussed moving to coed, and the closure of Mercy was the impetus to finally take the step. "We looked at this potential change from many angles, and are fortunate that we were in a place of strength to do so, both financially with the structures we have in place and general support we receive from our community," Currier wrote in an email. The school issued a survey to parents after news of the Mercy shutdown, and Currier said the results supported integrating girls into the school. "We have heard from parents and students, alumni and the greater community via email, surveys, in person, and calls that they support this new direction," Currier said. "Of course, there were those who brought their questions and concerns, which was expected, and certainly important feedback for us." Some parents felt the community wasn't given enough forewarning about the change, and wished there was more discussion and opportunities to provide feedback. They also said they never saw the survey results. "The note on the website says the feedback was favorable about going coed, but I'm not sure what the survey results were," said Kathleen Hughes, a parent of a sophomore. "I think there was one person I spoke with who thought we should support Mercy in that way. Most of the folks I spoke with said they werent in support of it." Another parent, Lee Harbert, feels the sentiment to help Mercy is good, but thinks there's a better way to do it. Founded in 1952, Mercy said it was closing due to decreasing enrollment and lack of endowment. Harbert wishes the option for Riordan to take over Mercy and keep it running at its separate campus was discussed. "Ive been a big believer that theres a branding with Riordan being an all-boys school," Harbert said. "There are a number of people who seek that out, and I think Riordan is doing a fantastic job on being an all-boys school. I never saw anything at all that we were contemplating going coed. We had this dilemma with Mercy. And I think there are a number of ways to solve that problem. And one of them is to not make Riordan coed. Why dont we run dual campuses?" Riordan's Board of Trustees voted on whether to admit girls on Jan. 28, and the board voted 14-4 in favor. "While there are still many things to work out, President Currier presented compelling data as to why a move to co-education makes sense now with enrollment trends locally and nationally, and the possibility of a multi-year integration model with students from Mercy San Francisco," board chairman Steven Herrera wrote in a statement. While Riordan makes a change to welcome Mercy students onto its campus, other local Catholic schools have offered to help including Mercy High School in Burlingame. (Neither Mercy San Francisco or Mercy Burlingame was available for immediate comment on this story.) When Saint Ignatius switched to coed Riordan isn't the first single-sex high school in San Francisco to switch to coed. Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory was the city's first catholic coeducational high school, with the merging of Sacred Heart and Cathedral high schools in 1987. In 1989, Saint Ignatius began accepting young woman in its freshman class. Mike Farrah is a San Francisco native and S.I. alum and remembers when the school first announced its decision. "I was originally opposed to the integration of the school and after a conversation with my two sisters, I realized there was no reason they should be denied the opportunity to get a Jesuit education," said Farrah, who graduated from S.I. in 1985. "It changed my mind as an alum. Joey Cannata saw the S.I. transformation first-hand as he was a sophomore at the school when girls were accepted into the first freshman class. "It was fun to see that transition and to see how the school handled it," Cannata said. "They did a great job. Only 40 percent of the freshman class came in girls. They all had junior boyfriends immediately. They all bypassed the freshman." Cannata recalls that the boys looked out for the girls and tried to protect them. He also felt the girls brought a calming energy to the school. "It subdued a little bit, probably for the better," he said. Brian Cassenego graduated from SI in 1996 and he was at the school when all grades had fully converted to coed. He can't imagine what it would have been like to go to an all-boys school. "The world is coed," Cassenego said. "It would be strange to have a full four-year experience without being around women. That would be odd. And then all of a sudden you go to college and then there are girls." While there may be benefits to a coed education, some Riordan parents feel the upsides of a same-sex merit keeping the school as an all-boys institution "Riordan offers an atmosphere where boys can be who they are," Von Rock said. "They thrive. Children who have never loved school before are all of a sudden involved in five activities. Now that will be gone." This story was updated at 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 31, 2019. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. Despite the international fears over coronavirus, it is influenza that is hammering the region around Cincinnati, where at least seven school districts have been temporarily closed after more than 1,000 students were absent with flu symptoms. In southern Ohio, schools in Reading, Wilmington, Manchester and Three Rivers were closed on Friday. Three Rivers was also shut down Thursday after more than 600 students and 50 teachers were absent. In northern Kentucky, Bracken County schools were closed Thursday and Friday, while Pendleton and Grant Counties shut down on Friday and will not re-open until Tuesday, February 4. 'We were at 360 students absent with more being sent home on Thursday,' Grant County Superintendent Matt Morgan told DailyMail.com. 'Staff was being affected as well, with staff being sent home throughout the day.' At least seven school districts have been temporarily closed in northern Kentucky and Southern Ohio on Friday after more than 1,000 students were absent with flu symptoms Pendleton County had over 150 absences on Thursday due to flu or flu-like symptoms, said Superintendent Joe Buerkley. Among the symptoms being reported are high fever, vomiting, and body aches. All of the affected schools plan to deploy custodial staff to thoroughly disinfect and sanitize their campuses during the closures, in an effort to prevent the additional spread of germs. Students, visitors and staff, with the exception of custodians, are barred from from the campuses until the cleaning is complete. 'Although our goal is to protect as much instructional time as possible, we also need to do everything we can to ensure our students and staff are healthy and in the best environment to foster learning,' Three Rivers Local School District said in a statement. Schools are not required to alert public health authorities about closures due to flu. Grant County Middle School is among the many schools closed on Friday in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio due to an outbreak of flu-like symptoms Although the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China has been making headlines, influenza season regularly sickens millions and kills thousands in the U.S. every year, according to the CDC. So far this season, the flu has killed at least 1,500, including 68 influenza-associated pediatric deaths, according to the CDC. Ohio has had one pediatric death from flu so far, a Cuyahoga County teenager, and Kentucky has two child deaths. Experts say that the best way to prevent getting the flu is frequent and thorough hand-washing. Anyone with symptoms should avoid going to work or school to avoid spreading the virus. >>> Tourism sector focuses on effectively controlling nCoV >>> Da Nang temporarily stops receiving tourists from coronavirus-infected regions On behalf of the hospital's officials and employees, Doctor Nguyen Tri Thuc, Director of Cho Ray Hospital, thanked PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam and leaders of the Ministry of Health (MoH) for their urgent instructions in nCoV prevention and control. Thanks to the crucial guidance from the Government, the MoH and the whole political system, so far the nCoV prevention and control has remained stable nationwide, and at Cho Ray Hospital in particular. One of the factors that resulted in the successful treatment of a Chinese national was prompt quarantine. Upon isolation, the hospital treated both Chinese patients infected with nCoV according to the guidelines issued by the MoH, which have been strictly adhered to by the hospitals doctors. In addition to the case of successful treatment, Cho Ray Hospital is focusing on treating its second patient, who broke his fever four days ago but is still awaiting the results of the fourth virus test (sample taken on January 28). According to the infectious disease surveillance system from the MoH, as of 8 am on January 30, there were 7,809 nCoV infected cases reported around the world, 7,714 of which are in China. There have been 170 deaths, with all of the fatalities reported in mainland China. There are 95 cases of nCoV outside China, which have been recorded in Thailand (14), Australia (5), Singapore (7), the United States (5), Japan (7), Malaysia (7), the Republic of Korea (4), France (5), Vietnam (2), Cambodia (1), Canada (2), Germany (4), Nepal (1), Sri Lanka (1), United Arab Emirates (4), Finland (1), Hong Kong - China (10), Macau - China (7) and Taiwan - China (8). In dealing with the risk of nCoV spreading across Vietnam, various localities and agencies have issued plans and directives to tighten disease control. Hai Phong City leaders on January 29 issued an official dispatch urging for stiffening the management of Chinese workers and travellers to enter the northern port city, especially those from Chinese Hubei Province and other high-risk localities in the neighbouring country. Hai Phong City leaders examine the nCoV prevention procedures at Cat Bi International Airport. On the same day, the Department of Education and Training of Da Nang City asked local schools to boost sanitation after the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival and promote communications on winter-spring disease prevention and control, as well as acute respiratory illness caused by nCoV, for local students and teachers. The Minister of Education and Training has also sent a dispatch to the departments of education and training, universities, institutes, colleges and professional secondary schools nationwide, urging for strengthened efforts in preventing nCoV. Currently, the majority of overseas Vietnamese students in China have returned home to celebrate Tet, but there are still 141 students in 20 localities across China. The Ministry of Education and Training has sent an official letter to the Embassy of Vietnam in China to ask for support in ensuring their safety and preventing epidemics for Vietnamese students amidst complicated nCoV-related movements. On January 29, Deputy Director of Tay Nguyen Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Le Thanh Hien, said that the results of test samples from two patients isolated at the Central Highlands General Hospital are negative to nCoV. These two patients were identified with normal bacterial pneumonia and the institute has proposed that the Central Highlands General Hospital provide them with a normal treatment plan without isolation. At present, the hospital has also developed an epidemic response plan for nCoV. In recent days, the Department of Health of Can Tho City has implemented a range of measures to prevent and treat acute respiratory infections caused by nCoV. Can Tho authorities are monitoring the body temperature of passengers at Can Tho International Airport 24 hours a day, while developing plans and preparing all necessary means and forces to actively prevent and fight the disease. On January 29, Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee issued Decision No. 320/Q-UBND on the establishment of a steering committee for the prevention and control of disease caused by nCoV. The steering committee is responsible for helping the Provincial People's Committee to develop a plan, direct other departments, branches and localities to implement prevention and control of nCoV in Quang Ninh. On the afternoon of the same day, Cao Bang Provincial People's Committee held a meeting to discuss the urgent tasks in preventing nCoV. According to the Cao Bang Department of Health, up to now, the province has not recorded or detected any cases showing signs of nCoV infection. The provincial health sector has collaborated with other sectors and localities to implement nCoV disease prevention measures, focusing on deploying strict medical quarantine for Chinese citizens and preparing all necessary means and forces for the implementation of nCoV disease prevention plans. On January 29, the Ministry of Public Security sent an urgent telegraph to the heads of the units attached to the Ministry and directors of police departments of provinces and centrally-run cities, urging for intensifying the prevention and fight against nCoV. The Ministry of Transport also issued a directive requesting the relevant agencies to closely coordinate with the health sector and other units to effectively implement prevention and control recommendations for passengers on all means of transport. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam was required to temporarily suspend flights from Vietnam to the epidemic areas in China and stop all flights from the Chinese epidemic areas to Vietnam, while considering the implementation of preventive measures on flights and strictly controlling passengers at the border gates. The Kerala Assembly will not discuss the notice for resolution moved by the leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala asking the President to recall Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over his stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act, sources said. The matter was taken up by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the House on Friday and it was decided not to take up the matter for discussion. "The opposition had asked for time to discuss the content of the resolution. The BAC came to the conclusion that due to the short session of the assembly there was lack of time to discuss the matter," assembly sources told PTI. Government had not agreed to the content of the debate, the sources said, adding in effect the discussion will not happen. The resolution had sought recall of the governor for "violating all democratic principles and publicly questioning the pride of the legislature." Law minister A K Balan told reporters that the government wishes to go only by rules and did not want to go against the spirit of the constitution. Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan earlier held that the notice for UDF resolution was permissible under law and a final call will be taken after discussing it in the BAC. Reacting to the development, Chennithala said he would demand discussing the matter in the BAC once more. The government decision was a challenge to the people of the state, he told reporters. "If this government respected the people's sentiments, it would have allowed the discussion on the resolution," he added. Chennithala had accused the governor of publicly challenging the unanimous resolution passed by the state Assembly against the CAA. Asked about the decision, governor Khan said "that does not come under my jurisdiction. That comes under the Honourable speaker's jurisdiction. Ask him." The governor, who had been at loggerheads with the left government after the assembly unanimously passed the resolution and moved the Supreme Court challenging the CAA, had read the reference to the new law in his policy address on January 29, despite disagreeing with it. It was read out amid a high voltage protest and boycott by the opposition Congress-led UDF. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Born in Brooklyn, New York, the rap artist Maino (Jermaine John Colman) takes his experiences not only from growing up in the famous borough, but also the 10 long years he spent behind bars at Riker's Island Penitentiary. A new dialogue paper, by two academics and co-founders of HIP HOP PSYCH (HHP) in Forensic Science International: Mind and Law, published by Elsevier, review Maino's time behind bars using his lyrics, and exploring the connections between hip-hop, mental health and resilience. Hip-hop has opened up new conversations around mental health with hard-to-reach groups around the world. Which is being driven in part by influential hip-hop artists, like Maino, speaking openly about their own struggles." Akeem Sule, MD and Becky Inkster, DPhil, HHP co-founders The co-founders hold affiliations with Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge, UK The global influence hip-hop has and its particular relevance to youth culture means it must continually find new ways to reach its audience by creating innovative solutions. Hip-hop dominates music streaming services and connects with listeners around the world; the lessons of past mistakes some hip-hop artists tell through their music is often a hardship that listeners can find some commonality with. Several mental health disorders can also be tied back to such adverse social and environmental experiences (including incarceration, financial difficulties or loss of a loved one). Depression may often result and is projected to be the second-leading cause of disability in 2020, according to the World Health Organization. The dialogue paper specifically focused on the resilience factors exhibited in Maino's most well-known track, 2009's 'All the Above', and others including his latest release, 2019's 'Motivation'. As a public figure with well-documented life experiences such as interviews circulated through social channels like Instagram and Twitter, the researchers were able to gain further insights as to what resilience factors shaped Maino's journey and what might inspire others to discover their own resilience. "Our views of Maino's lyrics do not necessarily imply a permanent level of success for his life's trajectory. Sometimes his lyrics reference positive outcomes, but it does not limit the possibility that Maino could still be exposed to critical life events in the future," said the co-founders. They also want to emphasize the intention of their paper is to not present a forensic psychiatric opinion of Maino, nor a diagnosis of a mental disorder or providing a prognosis of his reoffending chances. The co-founders make connections between his lyrics and various concepts relevant to mental health such as stress inoculation, locus of control, cognitive reframing, positive visual imagery, turning points and psychometric tools for measuring resilience. While Drs. Inkster and Sule cannot say for certain that Maino may, or may not reoffend, they highlight the critical need to examine opportunities to use hip-hop as part of already established restorative justice programs, both inside prison and out in the community, to help limit reoffending and improve the chances of successful rehabilitation. It is as summer as the sound of cicadas, as summer as the wash of another lazy wave on the Tay Street Beach. This summer sound is the rumble of ZK-AWP - one gracious old lady, a DC-3 which at weekends, trundles across the Bay of Plenty skyline at 500 metres (1,500 feet), her cabin chocka with tourists, plane spotters and nostalgia. Shes one old girl decked out in all her flash retro NAC finery and being flown by an old dog. They always ask if this plane is safe, says Keith Mitchell. Then they look at me, an old pilot of 76, and think: oh thats good, hes obviously been round the block a few times. He knows what hes doing. The punters probably wouldnt appreciate some young buck in the cockpit. It needs an old man to fly an old aeroplane. Most summer weekends, Keith Mitchell throws on a crisp white shirt with the striped epaulettes of a pilot and travels from home in Christchurch to Tauranga for an assignation with the other woman in his life the Air Chatham DC-3. I certainly have a special relationship with this aircraft. He talks to her come on ol girl sort of thing. And I pat her. He doesnt love her like he would his wife. But theres certainly an attachment and much more than there would be for a modern aircraft. The love affair with the DC-3 is a global phenomenon. It was September 17, 1935, when the DC-3 first went into service. And theres nothing on land, rail, sea or in the air that can match it. In another 15 years the DC-3 will have been working commercially for 100 years. They are easy to love and respect. And ZK-AWP is living, flying proof still turning an honest buck flying fanciers from Tauranga to Katikati and Waihi Beach, round Mauao and then over the backyards of Te Puke. McDonnell Douglas built 16,000 DC-3s and they must be looking down thinking they got that one right. And they might also be looking down in awe at Keith Mitchell. Maybe, laughs the pilot. An old bloke in an old aeroplane? A DC-3 is low-spec, no frills flying. No auto-pilot so you are committed to flying it. Hands on flying and you dont get much hands on flying today. Everything is automated. Its 9.30am on a Saturday morning and tucked in behind Classic Flyers Museum, ZK-AWP is being shaken from its slumber. Those big 14-cylinder Pratt and Whitney radial piston engines on this big badass plane are winding up, then explode into life. Theres smoke, lots of it. Thick clouds of oil laden smoke. If you wear labelled clothes, then DC-3s arent for you, says Keith Mitchell. Theres lots of oil. You get deacked out. He means you can get caught with your pants down when aviation oil, lots of it, spatters, sprays or drips unexpectedly. Its a game DC-3s like to play. The DC-3 has many nicknames Gooney Bird or albatross, Dumbo, Spooky, Puff the Magic Dragon all names pointing to the aircrafts reputation for reliability, versatility and power. And its timelessness would inevitably lead to verse and songs being written. They patched her up with masking tape, With paper clips and string, And still she flies, she never dies, The Methuselah with wings. And if you ask a DC-3 to do something, Keith says it will do its best ever. I can assure you of that. And never a scary moment. Blown a few cylinders, but the radial just keeps going. And you are too busy getting back on the ground to worry about it. Its a magical experience for Keith Mitchell when the ZK-AWP moseys down the runway and eases into the air. Sometimes people dont even know they have left the ground. Then theres that wonderful sense of freedom. With DC-3s there is a delicious amalgam of noise and nostalgia. I have flown them extensively in Australia and New Zealand. And you often meet people who heard the radial engine, thought it might have been a DC-3 and immediately drove to the airport to see. There is a lot of noise for an aircraft thats trundles along at just 300 km/h. And everyone, it seems everyone, has a story about a DC-3. They got proposed to on a DC-3, they got engaged on a DC-3. And then a bloke corners Keith Mitchell and tells him his father was piloting a DC-3 in 1945 when it collided with a Lockheed. The DC-3 lost a wing and crashed but the pilot survived and lived until he was 102. Great DC-3 stories. The aviation icon was also a war hero. It helped win WW2 not as a fighting machine but as a workhorse. But it did transform into warhorse in Vietnam. They armed them with Gatling guns to counteract the Vietcong moving at night through the jungles. Obliterated them. But on ZK-AWP theres nothing more aggressive than a running commentary. Although it did serve in the RNZAF before turning out for NAC from 1953 to the late 1960s. Flash people got dressed up to travel in AWP. Later it was a top-dresser, breaking in some of New Zealands toughest farmland, some more commercial work and then to Tonga. It ended up mothballed in a hangar and when Air Chathams got the chance to bring it home, they jumped. We spent a year getting it going. But I wanted to bring it home because unlike other DC-3s it had New Zealand history. And AWP rumbles with a New Zealand accent. So it had to come home. Keith Mitchell has the unerring knack of tweaking the rudder to bring any talk of himself back to ZK-AWP. She makes people cry. He is referring to the 1948 Berlin airlift when the DC-3 transported in more than 6000 tons of supplies to the blockaded West Berlin each day. Sons and daughters of West Berliners involved in the blockade would later climb into Keiths DC-3 and cry. They would tell us the DC-3 won the war, that it helped them survive through dark days. Keith Mitchell scratches his chin thoughtfully. You know, I treat it as a privilege to fly the DC-3. And the DC-3 probably feels the same about Keith Mitchell. A centuries-old painting of the Madonna and child, reverence and lustre still evident in their faces, hangs on a limestone wall in Willie Frosts foyer. The top half of the artwork is in stark contrast with the lower half, an opaque representation of its former radiance. This was the high watermark in the Memorial Drive Acres home Frost has owned for 20 years. His was one of thousands of west side homes ravaged by Hurricane Harvey flooding, suffering nearly 6 feet of standing water for 10 long days. Before the storm, Frosts life was just starting to get interesting again. A widower since 2013, hed met a woman Dinah Watts through a mutual friend, and their romance was blossoming. In fact, Watts, a widow who lives in Naples, Fla., was planning her first visit to see him in Houston over Labor Day weekend in 2017. Delayed a week, she arrived to a city in trauma: schools closed, many businesses shut down and volunteers filing in to help cleanup efforts. Frosts home still had 3 feet of water, and hed been staying in his office or with his son, who lives nearby. Others might have turned and run, but the experience was familiar to Watts, who lived with her daughter in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. And if Frost wondered how Watts, a retired ICU nurse, would feel visiting the home he had shared with his late wife, those worries vanished: All that was left was a shell of a home. More than two years later, the new, modernized ranch-style home that replaced it is as much Watts as it is Frosts. Time for Home 2.0 Emotions were high when the couple finally made it to his 1954 ranch-style home. Within days, volunteers stripped it down to its studs, and nearly everything Frost owned was in a soggy pile at the curb. His C-shaped driveway was a bumpy mess, and in the backyard was a swimming pool and 500-square-foot cabana where Frosts son, Robbie Frost, used to hang out with his friends in high school. One of those friends was Roxanne (Sadeghpour) Wimmel, who earned a masters degree in architecture at Columbia University, where she met her husband, Jonathan Wimmel, who was also a grad student. The Wimmels returned to Houston, launched Wimmel Design and Construction and reconnected with Robbie. Willie Frost and his son work together at the transportation, delivery and logistics companies Frost owns, and Robbie urged his dad to talk to his friends. Impressed by a spec home the Wimmels had just finished in West University Place, Frost hired them to reinvent his home for a new era. People remodel houses, but typically in a house this size, you sell your house, and somebody else comes in and does this, Willie Frost said. Very few people get to live in their own home in 2.0, but I do. I thought I had a great house before, but this is so much better. When Frost and his late wife bought the three-bedroom home in 2000, it was nearly 50 years old and had a few previous owners, each of whom remodeled and tinkered with the floor plan. The Frosts did, too, adding a new front porch and elevated foyer along with an internal gut job. Until the hurricane forced him into another remodel, the 4,500-square-foot home had decor that Frost described as Hill Country rustic, with earthtones, heavy trim and long-leaf pine floors. Contemporary makeover Frosts 2.0 would be a cleanup job, getting rid of odd hallways to make room for bigger closets and opening up the kitchen for a huge main living area. Yellow-white limestone on the homes exterior looked fine, but it was repeated inside, too, clashing with the goal of a lighter-and-brighter home. The Wimmels covered the interior limestone in the foyer, dining room and around two fireplaces with white slurry to hide its yellow tones. A pony wall separating the wide foyer from the living room prompted difficult conversations that are part of the process of letting go. Everything I owned just got taken away from me, and now they wanted to take away something else. I was trying to hold onto something, Willie said of initially wanting to keep that wall. Even my son looked at me and said, Why are you fighting over this wall? It was a natural instinct, a survival mode. Once I could vocalize why I was fighting it, once I said it, I was able to let go of it. Older doors and windows throughout were replaced with black steel versions, which immediately and dramatically affected the exterior look of the home. The driveway, decades old and with tree roots interrupting the asphalt like natural speed bumps, delivered another bigger-than-expected payoff. It desperately needed to be redone, and when a new patio took shape in the backyard, the team needed to do something to mitigate drainage issues of the additional concrete. The Wimmels devised a new C-shaped drive thats much more complicated than its black gravel surface suggests. Its 2 feet deep and has a French drain the whole thing drains all the rain, Willie said, as excited as a kid with a new toy. When it was going in, people in the neighborhood said, It looks like youve got the engineers from the Katy Freeway in your yard. It has changed the complete look of the front of the house. Our company slogan is dirt work to art work, and the driveway was such a significant amount of dirt work, Jonathan Wimmel said. It was an intense project. It looks like a novelty, but it has a lot of layers below it. Dinahs kitchen Frost and Watts are in their 60s and are as committed as any married couple. Rather than talk about his home here and her home in Florida, they describe themselves as splitting their time between Naples and Houston, though Frosts work keeps them here much more. This renovated home reflects them both, with an office that satisfies Frost and the pottery he collected while living in Ecuador years ago and a kitchen that lives up to the expectations of Watts, who loves to cook and bake. Before, the kitchen had a small island and an L-shaped counter covered in black granite counters. Off to the side was a breakfast table, predictable and traditional. The renovation stripped all of that out, replaced by a wall of modern cabinetry that includes a bake station and a pair of islands, topped waterfall style in Neolith porcelain that looks like Cararra marble. Instead of eating their breakfast at the small table, they use the second island. Roxanne Wimmels interesting finishes include satellite-style midcentury chandeliers over the islands, and dark-gray marble that looks more like soapstone in guest bathrooms. A freestanding bathtub in the master bathroom sits in front of bookmatched slabs of gray marble that conceal a wide shower behind them. In the end, the Wimmels transformed a nearly 70-year-old home into one that looks like it could have been built today. Ive always wanted to live in a modern house and have been intrigued by that, Frost said, but I didnt think it would be anything I would ever get to check off my list. diane.cowen@chron.com Sign up for Cowens Access Design newsletter, delivered to your inbox Tuesdays, at houstonchronicle.com/accessdesign To improve behavior in class, teachers should focus on praising children for good behavior, rather than telling them off for being disruptive, according to a new study published in Educational Psychology. Researchers spent three years observing 2,536 students, across three US states, from kindergarten age through to sixth grade (5 to 12 years of age). The children observed were shown to focus on tasks up to 20% to 30% more when teachers were required to consider the number of praise statements given, compared to the number of reprimands. The study lead by Dr Paul Caldarella, at Brigham Young University, involved a research team that sat in 151 classes, in 19 elementary schools across Missouri, Tennessee and Utah. In half of the classrooms, teachers followed a behavioral intervention programme called CW-FIT, where students are told about the social skills they are expected to show in lessons and rewarded for doing so. In the other half of the classes, teachers used their typical classroom management practices. The study showed a relationship between the ratio of praise to reprimands (PRR) used by the teachers and the extent students focused on class activities. In other words, the more teachers praised and the less that they scolded, the more students attended to the teacher, or worked on assigned tasks. advertisement The difference was such that children in classes where the PRR was highest, the pupils spent 20-30% longer focusing on the teacher or task compared to those in classes where the praise to reprimand ratio was lowest. This relationship was present across both CW-FIT and ordinary classes. "Unfortunately, previous research has shown that teachers often tend to reprimand students for problem behavior as much or more than they praise pupils for appropriate behavior, which can often have a negative effect on classrooms and student behavior," says Dr Caldarella, from the David O. McKay School of Education at Brigham Young. "Praise is a form of teacher feedback, and students need that feedback to understand what behavior is expected of them, and what behavior is valued by teachers. "Even if teachers praised as much as they reprimanded, students' on-task behavior reached 60%. However, if teachers could increase their praise to reprimand ratio to 2:1 or higher, they would see even more improvements in the classroom." The results suggest that praise is a powerful tool in a teacher's arsenal, inspiring students to work harder -- particularly those difficult to reach children who may struggle academically or be disruptive in class. Previous studies have shown a clear link between the time spent by students attending to lessons and their academic achievement, suggesting that praise could boost learning and improve children's grades too. "Everyone values being praised and recognised for their endeavours -- it is a huge part of nurturing children's self-esteem and confidence," Dr Caldarella adds. "Also from a behavioral perspective, behavior that is reinforced tends to increase -- so if teachers are praising students for good behavior -- such as attending to the teacher, asking for help appropriately, etc -- it stands to reason that this behavior will increase, and learning will improve." Although the study shows that praise plays an important role in boosting student's focus in class, the researchers are keen to stress that sound instructional techniques and other evidence-based classroom management strategies must also be used to maintain children's attention. The Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana Ltd, Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo, has said the Northern sector is very important to the bank and therefore the bank cannot take for granted the norths contribution to the growth of its business. He explained that, the North is one of the few regions that has abundant natural resources and as a bank, CBG is seeking to partner its customers to explore the opportunity, by providing safe, secure and differentiated banking services. Mr. Addo was speaking in Tamale when he and his team paid a working visit to the new overlord of Dagbon, Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II at Naa Gbewaa Palace, Yendi, as part of the banks policy of engaging stakeholders on CBGs vision and commitment to aid national development. Addressing the CBG Team led by the Managing Director (MD), Daniel Wilson Addo, the King of Dagbon commended the bank for paying a courtesy call on him and the Dagbon Kingdom. He said his doors are open and his Majestys prayers will follow CBG, to enable the bank achieve its mission and vision. I appreciate you for showing respect to me and the people of Dagbon with your noble visit. I pledge to support the bank fully both physically and spiritually he said. Ya Naa Abubakari Mahama II expressed the Norths recognition of CBGs effort to deliver differentiated services to the sector and pledged his support for Consolidated Bank Ghanas (CBG) demonstration of commitment to build trust and providing seamless banking services to its customers since inception. Mr. Daniel Wilson Addo, expressed appreciation to the King and his leadership for receiving the CBG team. Mr. Addo added that the bank has invested greatly in the North by providing seven branches as part of its commitment to make banking all-inclusive and accessible to all with its 114 branches across Ghana. Consolidated Bank of Ghana (CBG) recently reported it has moved from a negative position to post profit, in a challenging banking environment in less than a year because of prudent management practices. The Banks 2019 second quarter results show a profit after tax of 41.1 million, representing about 280 percent improvement on performance over the 2018 financial results. The total assets of the bank also went up from 7.5 billion to 8.3 billion, representing a growth of 11%, thereby cementing CBG, as one of the largest financial brands in Ghana. 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 An analysis of voter identification cases by university researchers reported by The Post in 2017 found: Before 2006, no state required photo identification to vote on Election Day. [In 2017] 10 states have this requirement. All told, a total of 33 states representing more than half the nations population have some version of voter identification rules on the books. The analysts added, Our research shows that these laws lower minority turnout and benefit the Republican Party. Voter ID laws are spreading around the country and knocking down turnout by blacks, Hispanics and mixed-race Americans. Vietnam is entering a new development decade amid global changes, with disruptive Industry 4.0 technologies widely influencing society and economic development, which requires growing demand in qualified human resources. Simon Matthews, country manager of ManpowerGroup in Vietnam Simon Matthews, country manager of ManpowerGroup in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Middle East, talks about the labour recruitment trend, and how to prepare for the requirements of automation and digitalisation. Vietnam has seen some recent improvements in labour quality. According to the Total Workforce Index 2019 from ManpowerGroup, the Vietnamese highly-skilled workforce in 2019 makes up 11.6 per cent of the local total workforce of 57.5 million, an increase from 10.8 per cent the previous year. Vietnam ranked 57th across the globe in 2019 (down from 43rd in 2018) and 13th across the Asia Pacific region (compared to 12th in 2018) for sourcing, hiring, and retaining workforce skills. Despite the improvement, the quality of the local workforce remains a big challenge. While the country has an abundant young workforce, skills remain low thus not yet meeting with national development and global integration. In fact, training and education have yet to satisfy market demands. Unemployment among young people, especially among university graduates, remains high and is an alarming issue. This has urged Vietnam to take more actions to upskill its workforce. Preparing for a new decade This year marks a new decade of development which will see the rapid scaling of digital initiatives across industries. It is also the last year of Vietnams current development period, and comes while preparing for the new 2021-2025 term in which Vietnam will sets a number of socio-economic development targets. In particular, the country is working on a new foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction strategy in a move to increase its quality. Thus, to achieve these all development goals, Vietnam needs a strong enough workforce to increase its attraction. Among the governments policies to develop and upskill its workforce, training and education should be listed among the top priorities. Moreover, businesses should take initiatives in working with training institutions to meet their labour demands. Nowadays, automation is changing the skills companies need from workers, yet the speed with which this is happening across functions within organisations varies. The demand for IT skills is growing significantly and with speed: 16 per cent of companies expect to increase headcount in IT five times more than expect a decrease. Meanwhile the availability of tech talent is increasingly scarce, and the education and experience employers require versus what exists is presenting a mismatch. According to ManpowerGroups annual survey in over 40 countries, in 2019 talent shortages sat at 54 per cent, the highest in a decade from a mere 30 per cent in 2009. With new skills appearing as quickly as old ones disappear, more companies are planning to build talent than ever before. Companies are realising they can no longer expect to find just-in-time talent, on tap. To cope with this talent shortage, the role of human resources needs to continue to evolve to help organisations drive growth and profitability. We need a new talent strategy to help all companies integrate automation with human skills in Industry 4.0. Companies need to be able to adapt to quicker talent cycles than they have done in the past. They need to create agile teams, multi-functional and multi-skilled. People need to use quality assessments and data to predict performance and have full transparency of others capabilities. Thats how they can know an individuals skills, strengths, and styles, beyond just the manager-worker perspective. And thats how they can know where to move talent around so people can perform to their potential. People will need to do new work with new skills. This will require continuous learning and it is why learnability is so important. People with high learnability will be able to develop in-demand skills, while those without will need to be developed in their job or helped to move elsewhere. Companies can no longer be purely consumers of talent. They need to be builders of talent, helping people develop their resilience and ability to move from this role to that. In the skills revolution, this is how people will augment robots rather than be replaced by them. Talent strategies for the skill revolution focus on the 4B solutions of build, buy, borrow, and bridge. More companies are planning to build talent within their workforce than ever before. Around 84 per cent plan to upskill employees this year an exponential increase from 21 per cent in 2011. Companies are realising they can no longer expect to find last-minute talent, even if they are willing to pay the premium for it. By 2022, over half (54 per cent) of all employees will require significant reskilling and upskilling. Of these, about 35 per cent are expected to require training of up to six months, 9 per cent will take from six to 12 months to reskill and 10 per cent will require additional skills training of more than a year. Learning will be essential, and companies are deploying a myriad of approaches to address this. To really compete in the skills revolution, companies need to promote a culture of learning, provide career guidance, and offer short, focused upskilling opportunities. People need to know how to prepare for high growth roles of the future and that their employer supports their learning. The return on investment for upskilling is clear: in North America the cost of turnover and replacement can exceed 30 per cent of wages, while the cost of training remains less than 10 per cent of wages. Wages are rising for those in demand. 79 per cent of employers plan to buy the skills they need, either paying higher market prices or improving compensation for existing staff. Organisations have long been used to being able to spend to find the skills they need, when they need them but not so today. Companies are happy to pay more for sought-after skills. Nearly a third (29 per cent) are offering higher salary packages to solve recruitment problems and 46 per cent are paying more to attract and retain existing staff. The challenge comes when those skills are not available. Regarding the borrow solution of the 4Bs, digitisation has created new ways of working and new generations of workers who are increasingly comfortable clocking in part-time, working on a contract or project basis and pursuing other forms of alternative labour. But heres the rub: 87 per cent of workers say they are open to these next-generation work approaches yet only 32 per cent of employers are offering alternative ways of working. Companies need to address this disconnect to be able to attract next-gen workers while retaining and motivating those they have today. The bridge solution, meanwhile, refers to redeploying, reassigning, or releasing. Over half of organisations (56 per cent) are helping people move on, move up, or move out to new roles inside or outside the organisation. Bridging requires tools including assessment, big data, and predictive performance to define adjacent skills, identify strengths, and help workers create clear career paths. Companies need to treat workers fairly and with compassion if their skills are no longer required. Recruitment trends Talent shortage is growing around the world, and Vietnam is not an exception. Our Talent Shortage 2020 report shows that in 2019, 36 out of 44 countries (82 per cent) reported talent shortages. Slovenia, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, and the United States reported the greatest increases compared to 2018. In Vietnam, the country was estimated to lack 70,000-90,000 IT workers last year when it saw a trend of digital transformation among businesses in Vietnam, thus resulting in an increase in recruitment of IT workers. The top 10 most in-demand roles in 2019 globally are trending each year: 80 per cent of them were also in short supply in 2018. Healthcare professionals enter the top 10, reflecting an ageing population. Meanwhile office administrators, contact centre staff, project managers, lawyers, and researchers fall out of the short list, reflecting the rise in automation of routine tasks. And as technology disrupts work the most in-demand roles may look similar, yet the skills required continue to evolve rapidly. The demand for tech and digital skills is growing across all functions yet employers place increasing value on human strengths as automation scales and machines prove better at routine tasks. While 38 per cent of organisations say it is difficult to train in-demand technical skills, 43 per cent said it is even harder to teach the soft skills they need such as analytical thinking and communication. Candidates who can demonstrate higher cognitive skills, creativity, and the ability to process complex information together with adaptability and likeability can expect greater success throughout their careers. According to ManpowerGroups report Humans Wanted: Robots Need You, by 2030, demand for human strengths both social and emotional will grow across all industries by 26 per cent in the US and by 22 per cent in Europe. We believe that Vietnam will be no exception. VIR 31.01.2020 LISTEN The Greater Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service has ordered its officers in the region to stay off the National Democratic Congress (NDC) durbar scheduled on Friday to mark the first anniversary of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election bloody violence. Friday, January 31, 2020 marks one year since the unfortunate incident happened during the by-election at the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency. The by-election was to find a replacement for the then sitting Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko, who had passed on. During the exercise, some National Security Operatives fired gunshots at the polling centre at La Bawaleshie, injuring about six persons believed to be NDC supporters. There were also acts of police brutality caught on camera by journalists. The NDC subsequently opted out of the race claiming it took the decision to avoid further attacks on their members. To mark this day, the NDC and other sympathizers will hold a commemorative durbar in remembrance at the La Bawaleshie Presby school. But according to an internal memo sighted by Citi News and signed by the Second in Command for the police in the Greater Accra Region, Emmanuel Afriyie Sakyi, no police officer should be detailed to provide security for the event. The memo further stated that indeed all police officers within the region must dissociate themselves from the event and warns that any police officer found at the event will be severely sanctioned. It is unclear why such a decision had been taken by the police. Sam George reacts to police memo Unhappy with the directive by the police, Sam George, Member of Parliament for the Ningo-Prampram constituency, and one of the people who suffered from the brutality during the by-election, on his Facebook page insisted that the police were duly notified of the event. The NDC has announced a programme to commemorate the 1st year anniversary of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election tomorrow. The Police have been duly notified of the programme in accordance with the Public Order Act. Why then has the Police hierarchy issued a wireless message barring any Police Officer from providing security at the programme? I am deeply disappointed at the Ghana Police Service. We shall overcome but let those who think they stand take heed. Power is transient, he wrote. NDC donates to victims The Welfare Committee of the NDC ahead of the one-year anniversary paid a visit to persons who were injured during the by-election. The victims were given items and cash worth GH12,000. The chairperson of the NDC's Welfare committee, Dzifa Aku Attivor condemned the incident and called on the government to duly compensate the victims. About commemorative durbar The one-year anniversary to be held in remembrance of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence has former President John Mahama as the keynote speaker. The program which is themed, Towards Election 2020, Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, never again, has other speakers such as Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Dr. Basit Bamba and Adam Bona. ---citinewsroom The suburban communities strung along the Southwest Freeway on the far edge of town are forever playing Jan Brady to the looming Marcia that is Houston: perpetually feeling passed over, marginalized and just plain ignored, they constantly strive to present some compelling feature, some noteworthy accomplishment, some George Glass, her fictional boyfriend, to show the world that they are just as interesting as their insufferable big sister. Sugar Land did it with a grandiose City Hall, built to look like an old-timey Texas courthouse, right up to the cupola, and fronted by The Father of Texas, an expansive sculpture featuring huge rocks, gushing water and a horse-backed Stephen F. Austin in bronze, bravely pulling a terrified pack horse out of the Brazos River. Its quite dramatic and highly improbable. A bout with malaria in 1812 left Austin frail and sickly. He was a skilled diplomat, an able lawyer and a stirring speechmaker; he wasnt one for yanking frightened livestock out of rivers. But the sculpture is top notch: a heroic installation depicting The Father of Texas preparing a legal brief wouldnt have the same elan. Up the road in Stafford, youll find The Gateway Monuments, four skinny pyramids marking the city boundaries along Highway 90 and Highway 59. Theyre brightly colored and emblazoned with City of Stafford in a friendly sans serif type. They also light up at night, when the lights are working, with dancing blues and reds enchanting the passing motorists. Imagine a Dalek from Doctor Who thats three stories high and was designed by the mighty Pharaoh Cheops, and you have a pretty good mental image of the Gateway Monuments. The newest effort to out-Marcia Houston might be the most audacious, the most gobsmacking, the George Glassiest of them all. From postage stamp-sized City of Meadows Place we have The Kirkwood Project, a bold reimagining of a short segment of one of the main north-south thoroughfares on the southwest side. For decades, the stretch of Kirkwood running through Meadows Place has been punctuated by four consecutive blocks of four-way stops. No more. The street was aging and due for a major renovation, and $3 million in funds from the Fort Bend Mobility Project was already earmarked for Kirkwood renovation. Instead of simply pouring fresh concrete, Meadows Place went for the gusto: forget boring old stop signs, they replaced the intersections with (wait for it) four consecutive roundabouts! The Meadows Place website argues that Kirkwood was at the end of its life expectancy and ready for an overhaul, and that Modern Roundabouts are safer, move cars more effectively, [and] cause less pollution than traditional intersections. What Houstonian (or Meadows Placer, for that matter) would object to safety, efficiency or improved air quality? Its the next part that gives pause. The city promises that the roundabouts will create a beautiful new buffer that will separate us from Alief/SW Houston. This promise was repeated in several city council meetings. In a town hall meeting on June 9, 2018, Meadows Place Mayor Charles Jessup IV promised that the roundabouts would make Meadows Place unique and separate from Alief and Houston. (The transcript also states that the mayor noted that studies have shown that roundabouts are safer for pediatricians, which Im pretty sure is a typo.) Fanciful statuary and strange, skinny pyramids are absurd, but inoffensive. Those pricey Meadows Place roundabouts are something darker. Theyre saying Keep Out. I live in Alief, a couple of blocks north of Meadows Place. Why, I can practically see Meadows Place from my front lawn. The roundabouts-to-keep-them-out argument has me shaken and puzzled. For 35 years, Meadows Place has been part of our lives. We shop in Meadows Place, get our truck repaired in Meadows Place, buy gasoline in Meadows Place. We have friends in Meadows Place, bunches of friends. We go to church with these folks and socialize with them. Our daughters piano teacher lived in Meadows Place. I had no idea Meadows Place was a forbidden zone for us Alief/SW Houston types. As for providing separation, there are a few holes in the braintrusts theory. Kirkwood between West Bellfort and West Airport bisects Meadows Place. The roundabouts arent separating Meadows Place from Houston: if anything, the roundabouts are separating Meadows Place from itself. Its not like the folks in Alief are planning mayhem in the Meadows. We arent crouched in front of campfires, silently polishing our broadswords and casting gimlet-eyed glances in the direction of the West Bellfort CVS, silently waiting for nightfall, muttering to one another, Tonight, we ride. Were just trying to get to the Aldi for groceries. The Meadows Place website is awash in promises of the bright new day that completion of the roundabouts will bring. There are breathtaking drawings, showing a veritable Eden of trees, flowing plants and pleasing shrubbery, all enjoyed by happy joggers and frolicking children and a kindly grandfather type, dispensing wisdom from a shaded park bench. What the drawings dont show is cars, not a one of them. Presumably, the motorists have all opted for Dairy Ashford Road, which also connects Meadows Place to Alief, and never demands you yield to cars already in the circle. The roundabouts opened earlier this month. The landscaping is not quite finished, but so far, the projects aesthetics are wanting. Theres potential, sure. There are also signs, lots and lots of signs. There are yield signs and pedestrians ahead signs and white signs with black arrows forming a circle, which I know means roundabout ahead but makes me think DANGER! BIOHAZARD IMMINENT! and all sorts of placards with yellow and black alternating stripes. On my way to the In-N-Out Burger the other day, I counted 23 traffic signs at just one intersection. I know its early, but so far, its less Xanadu than a Department of Public Works garage sale. I wish Meadows Place nothing but good things with the newest effort to prove to the world that just because youre in metro Houston, you arent of metro Houston. You go, Meadows Place! Be the best Jan Brady you can be! May all of the jinking Jeeps and slaloming Subarus inching their way down the serpentine, sign-studded short and winding road that is The New Kirkwood ever remind you that youre special, unique and not like those Houston people, not at all. Ill be doing my shopping in Stafford. Those crazy pyramids are growing on me. McMurray is a Houston businessman and a frequent contributor to Gray Matters. The Crown is stepping into the modern era with its fifth and final series. The lavish Netflix dramas creator Peter Morgan has said its denouement will take The Crown into the 21st century. Morgans comments suggest the show will cover the aftermath of Diana, Princess of Wales death and her sons early years. Here are some the events The Crown could explore. Duke of Sussex, the party prince Expand Close Harry and William in 2002 (Barry Batchelor/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harry and William in 2002 (Barry Batchelor/PA) Harry enjoyed his fair share of bad behaviour during school and university. He brawled with a paparazzi photographer, dabbled with cannabis, sparked worldwide outrage by dressing up as a Nazi and stripped off in Las Vegas during a racy game of billiards. Chelsy Davy Expand Close Chelsy Davy (Jamie Wiseman/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Chelsy Davy (Jamie Wiseman/PA) Video of the Day Harrys relationship with Chelsy Davy could feature. Zimbabwean-born Davy spent around six years dating Harry and many believed she would become a royal bride. They coped with a long-distance relationship while the duke was training in the Army and overseas, and while Chelsy was at university in South Africa. The pair are believed to have split in early 2009. Romance between William and Kate Expand Close Kate in 2002 (Tim Ockenden/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate in 2002 (Tim Ockenden/PA) The pair met at St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland, and became flatmates. They dated for more than eight years before finally marrying in the grand surrounds of Westminster Abbey in central London in front of 1,900 guests, watched by a global television audience of millions. The rehabilitation of the Duchess of Cornwall Expand Close Charles and Camilla after the church blessing of their civil wedding (Reuters/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Charles and Camilla after the church blessing of their civil wedding (Reuters/PA) Just before midnight on January 28 1999, the Prince of Wales and his long-term love stepped out in public for the first time as a couple. They were photographed in front of Londons Ritz Hotel as they left a 50th birthday party for Camillas sister, Annabel Elliot. Dubbed Operation Ritz, the event was the beginning of Camillas transformation from the other woman to royal bride. The pair were married in 2005. The Queen and Tony Blair Expand Close Tony Blair (Yui Mok/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Tony Blair (Yui Mok/PA) The Queens relationship with Tony Blair during his time as Prime Minister spawned a number of speculative books and films, including a Michael Sheen-starring film series by Morgan. Their discussions could be further explored in The Crown. The Queen Mothers death Expand Close The Queen Mothers funeral (PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen Mothers funeral (PA) In 2002, the Queen Mother died in her sleep at the Royal Lodge aged 101 after suffering a four-month cold. The Queen, who was at her bedside when she died, was left as the familys main matriarch. The same year the Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee marking the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- During an early-morning raid in Elm Park, police apprehended a man and woman who allegedly had cocaine they intended to sell. Officers armed with a search warrant swarmed an apartment on the 200 block of Trantor Place at about 6 a.m. last Friday as part of a Narcotics Borough Staten Island investigation, according to the criminal complaint. Tito Kee, 41, and Maria Baez, 36, were inside a bedroom in the apartment where they live when police arrived, the complaint states. Officers allegedly recovered three small, clear twist bags of cocaine and a scale containing residue of that drug on a shelf in the headboard of the bed. Loose cocaine and a variety of bags typically used for packaging that drug were on a dinner plate in the bedroom, according to the complaint. Both suspects have been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminally using drug paraphernalia. Kee and Baez have been released on their own recognizance and are due back in Criminal Court on March 12, according to public records. Attorneys for both defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comments. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs-up while walking on the South Lawn as he returns to the White House in Washington early on Jan. 31, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Trump Confident Some Democrats Will Vote to Acquit in Impeachment Trial Republican President Donald Trump said hes confident that some Democratic senators will vote to acquit him in the Senate impeachment trial. Trump told Fox News before a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night that he watched a little bit of the trial and that it was very boring. Its very boring. I call it the impeachment hoax, and thats what it is, its a hoax, he said. It should have never taken place, should have never been allowed to happen, but I have great confidence in Republican senators and probably some Democrats, from what I understand. President Donald Trump talks with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) during an event at the White House on April 10, 2019. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Trump was impeached on Dec. 18, 2019, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. The Senate heard days of arguments from House impeachment managers and Trumps legal team before submitting questions over two days, a phase that ended on Thursday night. Convicting Trump on an article of impeachment and removing him from office requires a supermajority vote by the Senate, which Republicans hold 53-47. Dismissing the articles, or acquitting the president, requires a simple majority. A growing number of Republicans said this week theyll vote to acquit Trump, with few signaling they have any doubts about the case. Several Democrats were considering voting to acquitSens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), and Doug Jones (D-Ala.)Manchin told Politico. I know its hard to believe that. But I really am [undecided]. But I have not made a final decision. Every day, I hear something, I think this is compelling, thats compelling, Manchin said. Everyones struggling a little bit. Sens. Sinema and Jones didnt immediately return requests for comment. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) talks to reporters as he walks to attend the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. (Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo) Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) walks in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 1, 2019. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The impeachment trial appeared to near its end after two more moderate Republicans said they wouldnt side with Democrats in a crucial vote. Senators will gather again on Friday afternoon. After each side presents for two hours, senators will vote on whether to call witnesses and obtain additional documents. Two Republicans considered potential swing votesSens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.)announced in the last two days theyd vote against calling additional witnesses and seeking more documents. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, Alexander said Thursday night. I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness, Gardner said on Wednesday, referring to the 17 witnesses calling during the House impeachment inquiry. If the witness measure is voted down, the Senate could decide to hold votes on both articles of impeachment later in the day or wait until Saturday or next week. Trumps State of the Union is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 4. While they didn't hit the red carpet together, Zendaya and Jacob Elordi were seen sharing a few laughs in New York City. Both Zendaya, 23, and Elordi, 22, were spotted at the American Australian Association dinner at Skylight Modern on Thursday. Elordi was seen touching Zendaya's arm and standing over her table, though it isn't known if they were seated together, then they were spotted sharing some laughs at the Soho House after the dinner. Smiles: While they didn't hit the red carpet together, Zendaya and Jacob Elordi were seen sharing a few laughs in New York City Stepping out: Both Zendaya, 23, and Elordi, 22, were spotted at the American Australian Association dinner at Skylight Modern on Thursday Fun: Elordi was seen touching Zendaya's arm and standing over her table, though it isn't known if they were seated together, then they were spotted sharing some laughs at the Soho House after the dinner Zendaya was wearing rocked an elegant gunmetal dress with billowing sleeves and cutouts exposing her midriff. She also wore black and white earrings and black pumps to compete her look at the event. Her Euphoria co-star Elordi opted for a black-on-black suit with a skinny black tie, black shoes, black sunglasses and several rings. Zendaya's look: Zendaya was wearing rocked an elegant gunmetal dress with billowing sleeves and cutouts exposing her midriff Black on black: Her Euphoria co-star Elordi opted for a black-on-black suit with a skinny black tie, black shoes, black sunglasses and several rings Zendaya and Elordi both starred on HBO's hit series Euphoria, with Zendaya playing the recovering drug addict Rue and Elordi playing conceited jock Nate. There were rumors that they have been dating since last summer, with the co-stars spotted catching a train together in Sydney. The duo were spotted in Sydney weeks later, holding hands while walking together, though Elordi has shot down rumors they are dating. Co-stars: Zendaya and Elordi both starred on HBO's hit series Euphoria, with Zendaya playing the recovering drug addict Rue and Elordi playing conceited jock Nate Rumors: There were rumors that they have been dating since last summer, with the co-stars spotted catching a train together in Sydney During an interview with GQ Australia in December the Brisbane, Australia native insisted they're just friends, stating, 'She's like my sister.' 'Zendaya is an amazing creative, you know? She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist and a very caring person to all of us,' he added. ''But we're all really close. There is not one weak link in that show. We've spent so much time together and everyone is just so cool to work with,' he added. Interview: During an interview with GQ Australia in December the Brisbane, Australia native insisted they're just friends, stating, 'She's like my sister' Amazing: 'Zendaya is an amazing creative, you know? She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist and a very caring person to all of us,' he added Close: ''But we're all really close. There is not one weak link in that show. We've spent so much time together and everyone is just so cool to work with,' he added Euphoria has been renewed by HBO for a second season back in July, just after the series premiere. The first episode averaged over 5.5 million viewers over all of HBO's viewing platforms, leading to the renewal. The series also stars Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith and Sydney Sweeney. Renewed: Euphoria has been renewed by HBO for a second season back in July, just after the series premiere Premiere: The first episode averaged over 5.5 million viewers over all of HBO's viewing platforms, leading to the renewal Co-stars: The series also stars Maude Apatow, Angus Cloud, Eric Dane, Alexa Demie, Jacob Elordi, Barbie Ferreira, Nika King, Storm Reid, Hunter Schafer, Algee Smith and Sydney Sweeney KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2020 - 22:24 | All, Japan, World, Coronavirus Japan's government is facing criticism that its initial response to the outbreak of a deadly coronavirus was too lax, as other countries have taken stronger steps to prevent a spread within their borders. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said his government is doing what it can but has been limited by legal constraints and considerations for human rights. Japan has so far evacuated 565 of its citizens on charter flights out of Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak. All have been asked to take a voluntary test for the coronavirus and remain in government-provided lodgings for up to two weeks, regardless of whether they have symptoms. But two persons initially refused to be tested, something Abe said was "extremely regrettable" but could not be legally enforced. "It's also a matter of human rights and there's only so much we can do," he said in parliament on Thursday. The two, however, later agreed to be tested. The coronavirus has continued to spread, killing at least 213 people and infecting more than 9,800 in China as of Friday night, according to its health authorities. There have been 17 confirmed infections in Japan. The government on Friday moved to take further steps to contain the outbreak, announcing it will prohibit holders of Chinese passports issued in Hubei Province, of which Wuhan is the capital, from entering Japan as well as moving forward an ordinance that would allow it to forcefully hospitalize people with symptoms. "Why did it take so long?" opposition lawmaker Kazunori Yamanoi asked in a lower house committee. Social media users have raised similar concerns, and even some lawmakers from Abe's Liberal Democratic Party have questioned whether the government is doing enough, pointing to more drastic measures taken by other countries. Australia plans to quarantine hundreds of evacuees from Wuhan for two weeks on Christmas Island, lying some 1,500 kilometers off the northwestern coast of the mainland. The plan has its own controversy, as the island is known for being used to keep refugees. The United States has flown some 200 evacuees to a California military base to be evaluated, although they are not technically obligated to stay. South Korea is requiring the nearly 370 citizens it airlifted out of Wuhan to be quarantined at facilities more than 50 km from Seoul. Meanwhile, experts warn that overreacting to the outbreak could lead down a dark path. "It's natural to be afraid of things you can't see," said Mitsuo Kaku, a professor of infection control and prevention at Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University. "The history of infectious disease is a history of discrimination," he said, pointing to the stigma long attached to leprosy despite its relatively low risk of spreading. Related coverage: More Japanese evacuated from virus-hit Wuhan as WHO declares emergency Viral outbreak emergency to take toll on Japan economy: analysts WHO declares int'l emergency as coronavirus spreads globally Most people sit through countless orientations on the first few days of their job, but one teen discovered a planet on his third day. Wolf Cukier, 17, of Scarsdale, N.Y., had wrapped up his junior year of high school when he headed off to intern at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., where he discovered a planet orbiting two stars. The planet, now known as TOI 1338 b, is nearly seven times as large as Earth and has two stars one thats about 10% more massive than our sun and another only a third of the suns mass and less bright, according to NASA. It was the second time he had interned at the space research laboratory, having spent the summer of 2018 working on a project related to the Goldilocks Zone (an atmospheric zone round a planet that may indicate the possibility of water on the planet), under the mentorship of NASA aerospace technology researcher Ravi Kopparapu. Cukier was invited back to intern at the spaceflight complex, but Kopparapu was not available to provide guidance. Cukier was placed under the tutelage of NASA research scientist Veselin Kostov, who had never had a high school intern, Kostov told the Washington Post. READ MORE: At 11, she started college. Now, at 18, shes on the verge of a Penn degree I gave him a brief outline of what we do, and he learned everything by himself, Kostov said. He learned really quickly. He really developed a very good understanding of the field. The summer was the first time Cukier had worked with NASAs Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, known as TESS, the teen said. TESS monitors the brightness of stars for periodic drops caused by planetary transits, according to NASA. Cukier had a framework of what to look for based on his exploration of the Planet Hunters TESS citizen science project, which allows people to comb through TESS data and categorize star systems, he said. While looking at an image during his internship, he thought something looked suspicious, he said, noting that the image had an additional feature that made him alert Kostov. After we saw the original transit, we looked at the full light curve and saw three transits, Cukier said. Cukier and Kostov spent hours verifying that the additional features they were seeing were real, by looking through multiple data sets. It was just Wolf and me in the first couple of hours, and when we were 99% certain the two traits we saw were real, we started reaching out to colleagues, Kostov said. It definitely colored the rest of the internship, Cukier said of his planet discovery. Now, not only was I working on searching for additional planets, I was learning the full verification that goes into verifying a planet when we suspect it to be one. That process included using different data tools and involving researchers from the University of Chicago, MIT, and San Diego State. The process was much faster than normal, taking about two to three months to confirm Cukiers discovery as a planet, Kostov said. The finding is a positive sign for the TESSs capabilities, Kostov said, adding that he believes there will be more planets to be found. TESS is the only instrument that would allow us to discover this type of planet, Kostov said. Cukier cowrote a paper about his internship find with scientists from Goddard and other institutions; it has been submitted for scientific review. TOI 1338 b was featured in a panel discussion at the 235th meeting of the American Astronomical Society, in Honolulu, according to NASA. Cukier couldnt give the planet a name, so his brother offered this sobriquet: Wolftopia. Now a high school senior, Cukier has his sights set on colleges such as Princeton University, Stanford University, and MIT where he can major in astrophysics or physics. Hes still figuring out his summer plans, he said. Shianne Davis-Chairets grandmother was a shipyard welder and she wanted to follow in her footsteps. She was taking welding classes at Clackamas Community College, but the high cost of school supplies and gear was a problem. I would grab a few cheap tools when I would get a paycheck, but the list was just too much, Davis-Chairet said. Fittingly, a grant from the heavy metal band Metallica helped get her the supplies she needed for her career as a metalworker. Shianne Davis-Chairet, a 2019 Metallica Scholar. Photo Courtesy of Clackamas Community College. Davis-Chairet was a recipient of the Metallica Scholars Initiative Grant. The initiative comes from a partnership between Metallicas All Within My Hands Foundation and the American Association of Community Colleges, an organization representing more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide. In 2019, Clackamas Community College, where Davis-Chairet was a student, received a grant to support low-income students enrolled in automotive, industrial technology, and welding programs. Of the 84 students who received funds, 9% received public assistance and 5% were homeless. Additionally, 8% were single parents and 7% had disabilities. The Metallica Scholars program had a 90% hiring rate. For many of the students the costs of supplies and gear needed to participate in classes and get hired can prevent them from getting jobs or completing the program. Welding gear such as boots, welding helmets and welding aprons typically runs about $1,200. The scholarship helped me get ahead in a way that I could not have done on my own, said Davis-Chairet. Davis-Chairet wrote to funders about how the grant affected her life for the better, describing her experiences working as a security guard, wildland firefighter and a kids train operator. I come from a financially tight family, said Davis-Chairet. Very few of my family members can work due to health reasons. In 2019, Clackamas Community College collaborated with ICC Northwest, a company that manufacturers mixers, reactors and steel tanks, to develop a paid training program for welding students that would provide an opportunity for work experience. Davis-Chairet went through the training program at ICC Northwest and got hired. It was, she said, life-changing. I can finally get to the point in life where I can be self-sustaining and even help my folks along the way, said Davis-Chairet. Clackamas Community College has received a second round of funding for 2020 and anticipates 80 recipients. The college will get $50,000 to provide tools, textbooks, and personal protective equipment. The recipients will also receive professional development advising, help with job and internship placements and funds for travel, books and supplies. Our 2019 Metallica Scholars have exceeded expectations and inspired us in more ways than we could have possibly imagined, Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said in a news release. Were really excited to be able to expand the initiative in its second year, assisting more students in achieving their dreams and transforming their lives in 2020. -- Piper McDaniel; amcdaniel@oregonian.com; 503-221-4307; @Piperamcdaniel Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom Fri, January 31, 2020 12:04 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061de331 2 People Prince-Harry,royals,Britain,media,Meghan-Markle,Harry-and-Meghan Free Britain's Prince Harry on Thursday lost a complaint against tabloid newspaper the Mail on Sunday about a story criticizing wildlife photographs he posted on Instagram. The prince alleged the newspaper had run the inaccurate headline "Drugged and tethered... what Harry didn't tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos" in an article about pictures he had posted online of himself and an elephant. The weekly reported that another picture showed the animal was tethered with a rope. Harry complained that the paper had made it seem he had deliberately cropped out the rope, and that he had posted the full picture in 2016. He also said the website of the conservation organisation explained how it tranquilized and tethered the animals. But the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) watchdog rejected the complaint. "The complainant (Harry) said the article was inaccurate as it reported that... he had intentionally misled the public to give the impression that he was a superior wildlife photographer who had captured the images in dangerous circumstances," said IPSO. "The Committee did not consider that it was significantly misleading to report that the photographs posted on the complainant's Instagram account did not quite tell the full story and that the complainant had not explained the circumstances in which the photographs had been taken," it added in a ruling. The prince, 35, has launched multiple complaints against newspapers recently, ramping up hostilities with the media that he blames for his mother Diana, princess of Wales' death and for unfair reporting on his wife Meghan. The couple stunned the country earlier this month when they announced they were stepping back from frontline royal duties to spend more time living in North America. The female medical student from Wuhan University who tested positive for deadly Coronavirus has been shifted to government medical college, Thrissur from the government general hospital where she was admitted earlier. The condition of the student is stable and there is no room for panic, assured health minister K.K Shylaja. The health authorities have initiated measures to trace the travel history of the patient. National Institute of Virology, Pune has instructed the health authorities to identify and examine the students fellow travellers. All persons in the contact list of the student are being traced and those with symptoms will be admitted to isolation wards. Blood samples of the suspected will be sent to Pune. The Thrissur Medical College is equipped with an isolation ward and all the required facilities where 24 patients can be treated at a time. Meanwhile, more persons with recent travel history to virus infected countries have been quarantined in hospitals and their homes. As per latest data, 1,503 persons are under observation including 15 in hospitals. The WHO has declared Coronavirus outbreak as a global health emergency. Diners looking for Outback Steakhouse in Cumberland County shouldnt have any problem finding the Aussie restaurant. After two decades of serving Bloomin Onions and steaks from the Gateway Shopping Center in Hampden Township, the restaurant has relocated to a more prominent spot. On Jan. 29, it reopened in the parking lot at the Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township. A ribbon cutting was held on Jan. 30 for officials and employees. READ MORE: Cajun seafood boil restaurant to replace Empire Asian Bistro in Dauphin County This was an opportunity to reposition the restaurant front and center where there is a significant volume of traffic, said Jeff Swafford, Outback joint venture partner. The original restaurant, located at the end of the strip center, had run its course after 20 years of operation, he added. Franchise owner Joanne Reyes said she was impressed by the area and economic growth of the area. She relocated from suburban Philadelphia to oversee the outpost. The 266-seat restaurant was constructed at the corner of Lower Allen Drive and Hartzdale Drive. Many of the restaurants employees made the move and an additional 80 employees were hired, she said. Everyone who has come in the door the past couple of days for friends and family preview events has loved the restaurant, she said. Outbacks parent company Bloomin Brands has been renovating some of its restaurants, returning to a down under theme based on Australian cities, according to the Business Observer. Murals of Australian landmarks including the Sydney Opera House and harbor and Ayers Rock are pictured on the restaurants walls. The remodeling projects are designed to bring more relevancy to the chain in an attempt to gain more marketshare from millennials and capitalize on the growing delivery sector. Capital City Mall announced in 2018 Outback had signed a lease. The mall has also welcomed other new restaurants including Primanti Bros. and Dave & Busters. For now, the Outback is open for dinner only. Lunch hours will be added on Feb. 10. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Odisha on Friday reported the first suspected case of novel coronavirus as a medical student, who recently returned from China, presented himself before the health officials at Kandhamal on Friday for tests after he developed certain symptoms. The 21-year-old from Phulbani town studies MBBS at Southwest Medical University in Luzhou City of Sichuan Province. He had returned from China on January 11. He was not screened at the airport as it started only after January 20. He has been moved to an isolation ward. "He reported at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kandhamal after he developed symptoms such as cough, sneezing and headache. He self-declared his travel history and requested the Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO) for tests," said his father, a pharmacist. Interestingly, the first case itself has exposed the preparedness of the health administration as the officials have not yet collected his blood and swab samples. This is because the District Headquarters Hospital in Kandhamal does not have kits for the specialised tests. Though Odisha has sought 100 kits from the Centre, those are yet to reach the state. ALSO READ: Amid growing fears of spread of coronavirus, airlines cancel China flights; check the list here Kandhamal CDM&PHO Dr Rajyashree Patnaik said the medical student has been kept in an isolation ward. "He developed symptoms three days ago. We have not yet collected blood samples as it requires special kits. We are planning to shift him to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for the tests," she said. Asked why is he being referred to SCB MCH and not MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur which is closer to Kandhamal, the CDM&PHO said Cuttack hospital is well-prepared as Berhampur's was declared a nodal centre just a day ago. "Though nothing is confirmed yet and the symptoms appear to be that of common cold, we can not take any chance," she said. ALSO READ: After Kerala student tests positive, TN issues advisory on preventive measures to be taken As per the health department decision, the blood samples will be initially sent to Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) from where it will be sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for tests. Director (Public Health) Dr Ajit Mohanty said the CDM&PHO has been asked to verify his travel history from his passport and shift the patient to SCB MCH as soon as possible. "There is no reason to panic. Since SCB is our apex health institution, we have advised to shift him to that hospital so that the patient will be under close watch," he added. WATCH While only one case in Kerala has been confirmed so far, five other suspected cases from other parts of the country tested negative. Odisha has intensified screening of passengers returning from China directly or indirectly, at the airports in Bhubaneswar and Jharsuguda. Two persons who returned from China recently have been advised to remain at home isolation as they didn't show any symptoms. A frugal mum best known for saving $30,000 within 12 months has shared the travel hacks she swears by to score a cheap family holiday and how not to blow the budget when you're away. Olivia White, 30, from Melbourne, is well-versed in trips abroad - with her Instagram feed showing that in the past six months alone she and her family have gone away to London, Singapore and Tokyo. Olivia said that while she makes travel a 'big priority' in her family's budget, over the years she has found many ways to make it happen on a shoestring. 'It doesn't always have to be a big lavish beach holiday somewhere overseas,' the mum-of-two wrote on her blog. So how does Olivia make cutbacks while travelling the globe? Olivia White (pictured with her family at the departure gate), 30, from Melbourne, has in the past six months alone gone away to London, Singapore and Tokyo with her family Olivia's tips for travel (pictured with her kids in London) include always booking your flights mid-week - as they will save you cash 1. She always books flights on a weekday While it might suit you best to fly out on a Friday night or Saturday morning, Olivia said you should always opt for mid-week if you can. 'Flights are always more expensive at the weekend,' she wrote. 'I know for families, juggling leave and school holidays can be hard work, but it can also save you thousands.' Olivia recommends checking which day the public holidays fall on for the year ahead, and working out the 'maximum' amount of leave you can wrangle with the least amount of days taken. 'This also helps with booking flights in mid-week times. Just do some research and be strategic,' she said. The 30-year-old also puts flight alerts on for the places she wants to go - just in case they go on sale (pictured in Tokyo) 2. Choose somewhere you can afford While you might fancy somewhere like the Maldives, your budget might beg to differ. Olivia said you always choose your destination based around what you want to do and what you can afford. 'I sign up to newsletters and travel websites,' she said. That way, you will get frequently told about the best deals and offers. The 30-year-old also puts flight alerts on for the places she wants to go - just in case they go on sale. But, Olivia said it's important to remember that the best holiday isn't always the most expensive. Sometimes, you'll have just as much fun going on a camping trip up or down the coast. The Whites earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points and have booked several flights - with the odd business class upgrade - through their Classic Reward program (Olivia pictured) 3. Use your points to pay for flights and hotels Olivia said that one of the best ways to save on travel is by not spending any of your own money. The Whites earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points and have booked several flights - with the odd business class upgrade - through their Classic Reward program. Olivia said she was also able to use her Qantas American Express Ultimate Card while travelling around Sentosa Island recently. 'This meant I was able to earn up to 1.25 Qantas points for every $1 spent on eligible card purchases including small souvenir stalls at Universal and even the small boutique cafes,' she said. Olivia highlighted that there are always offers available for new joiners - such as the current one where you can receive 55,000 bonus Qantas points when you apply online and spend $3,000 on your new card within three months. When you're on holiday, it can be tempting to eat out all the time and justify it by saying that you will pay for it when you're home later - but by stocking up on breakfast foods and snack essentials, you can save cash (the Whites pictured in Tokyo) 4. Stop eating out for every meal When you're on holiday, it can be tempting to eat out all the time and justify it by saying that you will pay for it when you're home later. But Olivia said there is no need to do this, and by visiting the local supermarket the day you arrive somewhere, you can save lots of money by stocking up on breakfast items, milk, water and snacks. 'I usually suss out what is close to our accommodation before we arrive as well, and pop Google pins to save them,' Olivia said. This means you'll always know where the closest and best budget bites are on hand. Olivia (pictured) said that by planning your itinerary early, you can get the best deals on tours, activities and amusements 5. Book ahead It always pays to be organised - especially on holiday. And Olivia said that by planning your itinerary early, you can get the best deals on tours, activities and amusements. Make websites like Groupon your best friend, so you can see what deals they have and speak to travel agents for tips too. Lastly, the mum-of-two (pictured with one of her kids) said you should always think about how you pack - and whether you've got too much or too little with you 6. Pack smart Lastly, the mum-of-two said you should always think about how you pack. Whether it's because you pack too much and it costs you more to fly with or you pack too little and have to buy phone chargers and clothing items while you're away, you can save valuable cash by packing just the right amount. Olivia recommends checking the weather forecast just before you fly, so you're not caught out. To read more from Olivia White, you can visit her website here. Salamat Hussain, the grandson of legendary painter M F Hussain, chats about his recently concluded exhibition. When you find the perfect frame amidst pristine hills and lush green valleys, youd want to capture the beautiful scenery for posterity. But what happens when you are not allowed to take photographs of the place? Mostly you would want to capture it in your memory and move away. But this isnt the case with legendary painter M F Hussains grandson Salamat Hussain. For him, the prohibition allows him to explore new visions and imaginations and his recently concluded solo exhibition titled Not Allowed, is an example of his shifted imaginations from the existing, tempting but prohibited locations. There were so many places where I wanted to shoot but I wasnt allowed. That gave me different imaginations about what I actually want to capture. I looked for other spaces, which were open and welcoming for shooting, says Hussain, who grew up learning to paint and sketch from his grandfather and later found his calling for photography during his school days in the USA. His recent photography work of vibrant landscapes was interspersed with intriguing colour combinations, drama and shades, making it an interactive work of art. With multiple layers and shades, Hussains work appears like a moving painting that follows strong aesthetics of colours and canvas. Hussain shares that his process is much akin to a painters course of action. I take a lot of time to finish my photography. I add a lot of drama and strength in it. My camera is my blank canvas and then, I think about colours to bring the vibrancy, reveals the photographer whose exhibition was displayed at Nine Fish Art Gallery in association with Dot Line Apace Art Foundation. Growing up in the US, Hussain graduated in visual arts and has developed a knack for experimenting with various art forms. I am an expressionist than a card-carrying activist for the medium of photography. I constantly shoot and sharpen my eyes. I also deviate from photography to other arts like sketching, sculptures, books to sharpen my photography, shares Hussain. Being the grandson of the master painter does come with a lot of expectations but the photographer believes that each person has to forge his own path. I am blessed to be his family and there were, of course, a few things which were laid out but the real struggle of proving yourself as an artist starts when your journey begins, opines the photographer and adds that it is difficult for a person hailing from a family of a known stature to make people understand that the journey is different. He (M F Hussain) was genius and there is no one like him, so it is wrong to see the other person in the same light, he adds. Talking about his relations with the grandfather, Hussain recalls how his grandfather taught him to view places from their roots. He would motivate Hussain to follow his passion for art and photography. He would always tell me to keep doing what I love. He asked me to carry a camera with me the way he would carry his brush with him. He would look at my photography and suggest that I need to look at the roots and aesthetics of the subject, Hussain reminisces and adds that he still misses the family meeting that M F Hussain would call for whenever he was in town. He would always encourage all of us to engage in conversations. He would recite his Urdu poetries and engage us in intellectual conversations. I miss those get-togethers, rues the photographer, and adds that it is impossible to have another artist of his stature. Its a faraway thing to be an artist like him. He had determination, curiosity and courage to take failures. He was a self-critic and was a man of immense patience, he muses. Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Rosa told me it was his biggest challenge at the Air Force Academy in 2004. In 2008, the next superintendent, Lt. Gen. John Regni pledged to stamp it out. We must have a positive learning environment and at its basis is to have one thats free from discrimination and assault, Regni told me. In 2012, academy boss Lt. Gen. Mike Gould wanted it eliminated. One sex assault is one too many, he told me. In 2015, Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson, the academys first female superintendent, said the academy remained committed to stamping out sexual assault but noted that less than 1 percent of all cadets even have significant disciplinary issues. Last week, Lt. Gen. Jay Silveria echoed his star-wearing, bemedaled predecessors. The bottom line is that one sexual assault is too many, and a culture and climate that allows any prevalence of these harassing and assaultive behaviors is corrosive to our academy and our militarys ability to accomplish its mission, he told me. For 17 years I have covered the academy, through five superintendents. And, while they were all highly qualified, dedicated and hard-working, none of them won their battle against sexual assault. The failure was highlighted in a Pentagon report that revealed a still-alarming number of sexual assault reports, 130, at U.S. service academies during the academic year that ended in June. Air Force had 40 reports. And with just 12% of cadets reporting sexual assaults, the problem is far larger an estimated 293 unreported attacks at the Air Force Academy and 1,083 unreported attacks across the nations service academies, and 953 of those victims suffer in silence, according to Pentagon estimates. Its not that Air Force has a lock on ineffectiveness. Superintendents from West Point and the Naval Academy have pledged to end sexual assault in the past 17 years, and they failed, too. I have covered dozens of courts-martial in the academys Harmon Hall courtroom. The tales are gut-wrenching. A young, clean-cut high school superstar sits at the defense table flanked by lawyers. On the witness stand, a young, clean-cut high school superstar holds back tears while describing the worst day of their life. They were full of potential and too often they are ruined by what happened in just a few minutes. I do not know how the military can fix it. Im having enough of a hard time protecting my kids, and I dont envy the men and women at the academy charged with protecting 4,000 of them. I have seen the common factors in the academys sexual assault cases. Booze is most prevalent. Back in the days when I covered the courts-martial alongside reporters from The Denver Post and the now-defunct Rocky Mountain News, we reporters counted the number of alcoholic beverages that would be elicited in testimony. I have also seen that the blurry line of consent is almost always a factor. I have watched jurors and judges mull whether an embrace or kiss was actually a green light. Lawmakers have created reforms. The academy has stacked program on program to warn cadets of the dangers and consequences of what can happen in a dorm room, on a team trip or in the backseat of a Toyota. But theres a simple issue. And the military cant fix it. The academies are full of young Americans, and sexual assault is an American problem. Young people are raised in a world of sexual spontaneity in movies and across the spectrum of our culture. You dont watch actors pause and ask Do you want to do this? before they are shown horizontal in a bedroom. But popular culture is also not to blame. We are. Relatives and mentors have too often let down young people and this country by not teaching kids how intimacy and love really work. Yes, I hate the sex talk. Still, I have tried to do my part as a father of two teenagers, Laura and William. They dread the days when I come home from yet another sexual assault court-martial and remind them again of my rules: Unless you are both sober, dont do it. If you have been drinking, keep your pants on and head home. Love will wait until your hangover has cleared. No one has lost a boyfriend or girlfriend by asking permission. So, if your date heads in that direction, ask: Can I hug you? Can I kiss you? And someday, probably too soon for me, my kids will contemplate more intimacy. And that absolutely requires permission. Its trite, but no means no. If someone says no, that means stop what you are doing. If you dont give permission, say no and run like hell. Fight back, and report it. Yes, we are in a society where sex has become more casual. But old rules apply. And if you know someone who is reaching that age, be a patriot and teach them those rules. It might save our military and win future battles. Contact Tom Roeder: 636-0240 Twitter: @xroederx The MSU Union Building on the Michigan State University campus in East Lansing, Michigan on May 28, 2006. (Jeffness/CC BY-SA 2.5) MSU Creates Website to Reduce Anxiety of Illegal Aliens Michigan State University unveiled a controversial new website earlier this month to provide assistance to undocumented students, refugees, and DACA recipients with a goal to reduce apprehension. The Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives of the East Lansing-headquartered school announced the launch of the Undocumented Student Resources microsite on Jan. 24. An internal memo obtained by The Morning Watch, an independent conservative student newspaper at the campus, states the new web pages were created to provide information and resources for undocumented students, refugees and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA was created in 2012 by then-President Barack Obama by executive fiat after Congress refused to approve legislation authorizing it. Since its inception, the program has shielded from deportation 700,000 or more individuals brought to the United States as minors, and has become a flashpoint in American politics. President Donald Trump tried to shut down DACA but was rebuffed by the federal courts. The Supreme Court heard the Trump administrations challenge to the program on Nov. 12 but has yet to issue a ruling. MSU recognizes that students, staff and faculty with mixed-immigration status often face barriers and challenges as they navigate campus policies requiring support services to address their unique needs, according to the memo. Our goal is to reduce apprehension, confusion, and make more transparent our resources for those who live, learn and work at Michigan State or desire admission to MSU. Although the word apprehension can refer to anxiety or fear that something bad will happen, in the context of illegal aliens it generally refers to the arrest or detention of those suspected of violating U.S. immigration laws. Asked to explain what the university meant by the word apprehension in the Undocumented Student Resources web pages, MSU spokesperson Emily Gerkin Guerrant told The Epoch Times after press time, In this context, the word is being used to describe anxiety or fear. A conservative student leader at the campus was upset that MSU created the microsite devoted to helping students present in the country without legal authorization. I am sickened to my stomach that my money is going to the education of those who broke the law, Sam Larey, president of MSU chapter of Turning Point USA, told The Morning Watch. By aiding undocumented aliens, we spit in the face of immigrants who followed our laws, Larey said. In the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section of the microsite, the university indicates that it does not honor detainer documents, or administrative warrants, from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An ICE detainer serves to advise another law enforcement agency that ICE seeks custody of an individual for further investigation or removal from the U.S. An ICE detainer is a request from ICE and not a court order. State and local law enforcement, including the [campus police], are not obligated to enforce ICE detainers. The campus police department operates with the premise that it is the responsibility of the federal government to enforce federal immigration law, not local police departments. Sony is preparing to launch new smartphones at MWC 2020, including its new flagship. Sonys new flagship will include a really powerful camera setup, if a new report is to be believed. The device was referred to as the Xperia 5 Plus in the past, but this new report mentions the Xperia 1.1. Those two are basically the same phone, if the provided info is to be believed. The new flagship may actually be called the Xperia 1.1, instead of the Xperia 5 Plus. That actually makes more sense, as last years flagship was the Xperia 1. In any case, this new report, which surfaced in Japan, details the phones rear camera setup. Advertisement Sonys upcoming flagship will include a powerful penta camera setup This handset will include five cameras on the back, and the camera module design already leaked a while back. Well talk more about that a bit later. According to AndroidNext, the Xperia 1.1 will sport two 12-megapixel cameras, a 64-megapixel module, a periscope camera of some kind, and 2-megapixel ToF camera. Both 12-megapixel cameras will include huge sensors, one will be located at the top, and one on the bottom. The one on the top will include a 1./1.5 sensor, while the one on the bottom will sport a 1/3.4 sensor (ultra-wide unit). Advertisement A 64-megapixel camera will be second in line from the top, and this will be a telephoto camera. This camera will be used for shorter telephoto distances, up to 5x probably. Everything else will be handled by the periscope camera, which will be second-to-last. A periscope camera will also be included The remaining sensor, next to the periscope camera, is reserved for a 2-megapixel ToF (Time-of-Flight) camera, if the provided report is to be believed. Now, AndroidNext used one of OnLeaks renders in order to share these details, confirming that those renders were was accurate, in a way. OnLeaks partnered up with Slashleaks earlier this month in order to reveal the design of the Xperia 5 Plus / Xperia 1.1. Advertisement One of those renders, which you can check out above this article, shows a phone made out of metal and glass. The device includes really thin bezels, and no display holes or notches. It has some bezel above and below the display, but not much. Many people will accept that tradeoff, so that they dont have to deal with display holes / notches. The phone will include front-facing stereo speakers, and it has a dedicated camera shutter on the right. Its fingerprint scanner is right-facing as well, and were talking about a regular capacitive fingerprint scanner here. The phones rear cameras will be vertically aligned, at least most of them. The periscope and ToF units will be included side-by-side (horizontally) in that vertical alignment. Sony is hosting its press conference on February 24, and that is when this flagship is expected to arrive. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan insisted Thursday Jerusalem was "not for sale" in response to a Middle East plan unveiled by US counterpart Donald Trump. "They say, 'the deal of the century', what deal? This is a project of occupation," Erdogan said in Ankara. "Jerusalem is our red line... Jerusalem is not for sale. "No one should attempt to shamelessly say 'we'll give something and you leave this to us'," he added. Erdogan, who sees himself as a defender of Palestinians' rights, had previously said the plan was unacceptable. Trump on Tuesday unveiled the long-awaited plan aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying Jerusalem would remain Israel's "undivided capital". This is not the first time Jerusalem has been a sore point in US-Turkey relations, already tense over multiple issues. When Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and moved the embassy there, Turkish officials angrily and repeatedly criticised the move. Actor and politician Urmila Matondkar stoked a controversy on Thursday by comparing the Citizenship Amendment Act with the Rowlatt Act enacted by the British. She was speaking at a public meeting in Pune on the theme Non-Violent Peoples Movement against NRC, CAA, NPR. She contended that the British had brought in the Rowlatt Act to crush the dissent that had spread in India after the culmination of World War II. Matondkar opined that both this legislation and the CAA would go down as black laws in history. Activist Teesta Setalvad was one of the other speakers on this occasion. Read: Raman Singh Says There Would've Been No Reason To Write To PM If Baghel Had Read CAA Urmila Matondkar:After end of the WW II in 1919, British knew that unrest was spreading in India&that may rise after war was over. So, they brought a law commonly known as Rowlatt Act.That 1919 law&Citizenship (Amendment)Act of 2019 will be recorded as black laws in history(30.1) pic.twitter.com/qYFNamxrEe ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 Comparison of the two Acts Passed by the Imperial Legislative Council on March 21, 1919, the Rowlatt Act paved the way for detention and incarceration without trial for two years. This gave tremendous powers to the British authorities to apprehend any person involved in the freedom struggle. It also sought to severely censor the press in India. The Non-Cooperation Movement was a reaction to oppressive legislation such as the Rowlatt Act. Read: Feel Foreign Forces Behind Creating Misunderstanding Over CAA To Weaken India: Rajnath Singh On the other hand, the CAA is a law passed democratically by both Houses of Parliament in December 2019. The CAA seeks to provide citizenship to the minority communities namely Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This will be applicable to the members of these communities having arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Moreover, they will not be considered as illegal migrants. Read: 'Aazaadi De Raha Hun, Shaheen Bhag Khel Khatm': Man On FB Minutes Before Firing At Anti-CAA Protesters Matondkar's political career Matondkar joined the Congress party ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. She was immediately given a ticket to contest from the North Mumbai constituency. However, she lost to her BJP opponent Gopal Shetty by a margin of more than 4 lakh votes. Thereafter, the actor resigned from Congress citing infighting in the party ranks. Read: CPI Leaders D Raja & Binoy Viswam Detained By Delhi Police During Anti CAA, NRC Protest The death toll in China is now 213 people. WHO Representative in Ukraine Jarno Habicht has said the country will be able to cope with the novel coronavirus in case of an outbreak. Read alsoCoronavirus: China starts repatriating people to Wuhan as death toll hits 213 media According to him, the WHO is most concerned about the spread of the virus to countries with a weak healthcare system. "Taking into account our work with the Ministry of Health, I cannot say Ukraine is a country with a weak healthcare system," he told the Ukrainian online newspaper Ukrayinska Pravda. Habicht says the risks of the disease still exist and doctors should be more informed. As UNIAN reported earlier, the coronavirus was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. The death toll in China is now 213 people. Dir: Melina Matsoukas. Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloe Sevigny, Flea, Indya Moore, Sturgill Simpson. 15 cert, 131 mins. Queen & Slim is simultaneously beautiful and troubling. It is the feature film debut of director Melina Matsoukas, who famously merged staggering visuals with political urgency via her music video for Beyonces Formation. She treads similar ground here, but the results arent as cohesive. The duo of the title, left unnamed on-screen until the films climax, are played by Daniel Kaluuya and Jodie Turner-Smith. They meet on a Tinder date, both more interested in the food than in each other, and drive home together mutually grouchy. Then horror strikes: they are pulled over by a police officer, who is immediately threatening and confrontational, and a scuffle ensues. Queen (Turner-Smith) is injured and Slim (Kaluuya) shoots the cop dead in self-defence. The pair decide they have no other option but to go on the run to Cuba, ideally. As they cross the country, from their native Ohio to the bayous of Florida, Queen and Slim become folk heroes figureheads for black radicalism and icons of resistance. They seek shelter with Queens pimp uncle (an electric Bokeem Woodbine) and later a wealthy white couple (Chloe Sevigny and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea), and begin to fall for one another. There is a luminous magic to much of Queen & Slim, particularly when it focuses on its leads merely existing riding horses, dancing at a slinky nightclub filled with smoke and neon, and sourcing affection amid mutual trauma. Matsoukas has a deep love for landscapes and textures. The initial bartering between Slims respectful, prayer-before-eating good ol boy and Queens cool, feminist professional feel lived-in and real. The many black faces the pair encounter issue little nods of recognition or shared commonality, regardless of their very different careers or lifestyles. 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast Show all 17 1 /17 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 17) Angelina Jolie and Colin Farrell Alexander, 2004 Age gap: 1 year In one of the worst cases of Hollywood maligning any woman over the age of 30, Angelina Jolie was cast as Colin Farrells mother in the box-office bomb Alexander, despite the fact that the actors are just a year apart. That was probably the smallest of the films issues however, the biggest being Farrells appalling hair, and the fact that his Macedonian Greek king came with a thick Irish accent. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 16) Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart Sabrina, 1954 Age gap: 24 years In one of her most memorable and best roles, Hepburn starred as Sabrina Fairchild, the young daughter of the Larrabee familys chauffeur, Thomas. While she begins the film in love with David Larrabee (William Holden), she ultimately falls for Davids older brother, Linus (Bogart). And by older, we mean a whole lot older. Bogart was 24 years older than Hepburn at the time, but by then, he was no stranger to age gaps. His marriage to his To Have and Have Not co-star Lauren Bacall, whom he met when she was 19 and he was 44, is one of the most famous Hollywood love stories of all time. Paramount Pictures 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 15) Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jeff Bridges Crazy Heart, 2009 Age gap: 28 years Bridges stars as former country music star Blake, who is attempting to rebuild his life and career when he encounters reporter Jean Craddock (Gyllenhaal). The fact that Bridges is more than old enough to be Gyllenhaals father is never addressed in the film. Fox Searchlight Pictures 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 13) Woody Allen and Juliette Lewis Husbands and Wives, 1992 Age gap: 37 years If Manhattan hadnt established him as the king of creepy age gaps, Husbands and Wives will have done it. Allens character, Gabe, leaves his wife Judy (Mia Farrow) so he can flirt with his student, Rain (Juliette Lewis). This film was released shortly before Allen left Farrow in real life to marry her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn, who is 34 years his junior. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 14) Colin Firth and Emma Stone Magic in the Moonlight, 2014 Age gap: 28 years Woody Allen strikes again. Stone stars in this whimsical American-French comedy set in the Twenties, about a magician (Firth) who falls in love with a young clairvoyant (Stone) he has been tasked with debunking. Sony Pictures Classics 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 12) Johnny Depp and Amber Heard The Rum Diary, 2011 Age gap: 23 years Since Edward Scissorhands, Johnny Depp has rarely starred opposite a woman his own age from a then-19-year-old Winona Ryder (when he was 28) to Keira Knightley in Pirates of the Caribbean. The biggest age gap, however, was opposite his now ex-wife Amber Heard in The Rum Diary Heard was 25, while Depp was 48. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 11) Audrey Hepburn and Gary Cooper Love in the Afternoon, 1957 Age difference: 28 years Audrey Hepburn was almost three decades younger than her co-star Gary Cooper in Billy Wilders movie. She played a young student who overhears a plot to murder an adulterous business magnate (Cooper), and decides to warn him. The pair eventually fall for one another. Allied Artists Pictures Corporation 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 10) Woody Allen and Mariel Hemingway Manhattan, 1979 Age gap: 26 years In a classic case of art intimidating life, Woody Allen wrote and starred in this story about TV writer Isaac who embarks on a relationship with 17-year-old Tracy (Hemingway). Around two decades later, he was vilified after his then-wife Mia Farrow discovered he was having an affair with her adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 9) Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones - Entrapment, 1999 Age gap: 39 years While Zeta-Jones, 47, is married in real life to 72-year-old Michael Douglas, this is nothing compared to the age gap of almost four decades between her and co-star Sean Connery in the action heist Entrapment. He is quite literally old enough to be her grandfather. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 8) Tom Hanks 38 and Sally Field 47 Forrest Gump, 1994 Age gap: 9 years While male actors often get to play the love interest of much younger women, women of a certain age are immediately assigned the role of even a slightly younger mans mother. In this case, Sally Field was cast as Tom Hanks mother in Forrest Gump, despite being just nine years older than him. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 7) Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft The Graduate Age gap: 6 years While Hoffman is brilliant in arguably his most iconic role, the fact he looks far older than the teenager he's supposed to be playing softened the shock of his relationship with an older woman. Even more so when you remember that Anne Bancroft, his co-star and the older woman in question, is actually only six years older than Hoffman. Moviestore Collection/REX 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 6) Liam Neeson and Olivia Wilde - Third Person, 2013 Age gap: 32 years Its creepy enough that Liam Neeson was 32 years older than his co-star Wilde when they appeared together in this film about a man who has a steamy affair; worse when you realise that Wilde was just seven months old when Neeson released his breakout film, The Bounty. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 5) Jack Nicholson and Amanda Peet Somethings Gotta Give, 2003 Age gap: 35 years Although this film starring Jack Nicholson was about a music mogul, Harry, who has a thing for much younger women, its still pretty stomach-churning to see a then-66-year-old actor with Amanda Peet, who was 31 at the time. In a rare instance of Hollywood self-awareness, however, Harry realises how ridiculous his behaviour has become and pursues a woman closer to his own age, instead: his ex-girlfriends mother (Diane Keaton). Its noteworthy that Nicholson had a number of sexual scenes with Peet, while Keaton who also dates someone younger (hi, Keanu) didnt get anywhere near that much action. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 4) Keanu Reeves & Ali Wong Always Be My Maybe, 2019 Age gap: 18 years To be fair, Reeves was cast in a cameo for this film as a kind of iconic, and desirable, film star, so it wouldnt really have worked with a younger (and therefore less established) actor. Still, considering the film is supposed to be about the relationship between childhood friends Marcus (Randall Park) and Sasha (Ali Wong), Reeves role took up a lot of space. Netflix 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 3) Richard Gere and Winona Ryder Autumn in New York, 2001 Age gap: 26 years Gere is Will in this tale about a rich 48-year-old playboy who meets Charlotte (Ryder), a terminally ill 22-year-old and begins a relationship with her, even knowing shes the daughter of one of his ex-lovers. Even more gross? The two are introduced in the film by Wills longtime friend Charlottes grandmother. Getty Images 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 2) Ben Kingsley and Mary-Kate Olsen The Wackness, 2008 Age gap: 42 In this film about a teenage drug dealer who trades marijuana for therapy sessions, Olsen had to film a steamy scene with a then-63-year old Kingsley (when she was 21). Kingsley, for his part, said kissing Olsen was quite wonderful. Not weird at all. Rex Features 17 times films had ridiculous age gaps between their cast 1) Michael Keaton and Andrea Riseborough Birdman, 2014 Age gap: 30 years Birdman was a phenomenon, a joy and a perfect example of weird and unexplained age gaps between male and female characters in this case, the 30-year chasm between Keatons faded American actor and his girlfriend, Laura (Riseborough). Getty Images But as assured as Matsoukas often is, she also has a tendency to fill the screen with impactful visuals that feel discordant and bizarre when placed alongside a deeper narrative. One scene, at a Black Lives Matter protest that spirals out of control, is intercut with Queen and Slim having sex for the first time in the back of a parked car. It is baffling. The films politics are similarly uncertain. Twice, Queen and Slim encounter black police officers who break protocol to assist them, pushing an ideology that feels unwieldy and troubling. The film seems to argue that the answer to preventing police brutality, specifically against black bodies, is merely to recruit more black cops that the problem with law enforcement isnt institutional but personal, and to be untangled on a case-by-case basis. Even if such messaging is unintentional, neither Matsoukas nor screenwriter Lena Waithe are clear enough in their political goals to confirm either way. Queen & Slim ultimately proves slightly hollow in its efforts to be both a deeply romantic lovers-on-the-run movie and a political statement. There are thrilling moments of heightened fantasy here, such as Queens decision to disguise herself in a skin-tight zebra-skin dress and go-go boots, but more often the film abandons its pulpier leanings in favour of melodrama. Still, Kaluuya, far and away one of the most exciting young actors the UK has produced in recent years, is spellbinding. And newcomer Turner-Smith is a quietly forceful presence in her first starring role. You just wish they were surrounded by something that hung together less peculiarly. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Ultimately, Queen & Slim is much like a russian doll, each additional layer made up of glorious wonder and slightly bad taste. The leaders of the two largest opposition parliamentary parties - Mikheil Saakashvilis United National Movement (UNM) and ex-speaker Davit Bakradzes European Georgia (EG) - warned the authorities about the imminence of mass protests if Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in Tbilisi on May 15 to participate in the meeting of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CE). Since November last year, Georgia (selected in alphabetical order) has been chairing the Council of Europe and is obliged to host a meeting of its highest body, the Committee of Ministers of 47 member states. In other circumstances, the ruling Georgian Dream party would consider the event a huge success on the eve of the fateful parliamentary elections scheduled for October 31, when the issue of power is decided. After all, it is prestigious to head the oldest European organization and host a meeting of its highest governing body. This can be used as an argument in heated discussions with opponents, who strive to accuse the ruling party of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili of secretive pro-Russian position. But such accusations would not be avoided if the government of Georgy Gakharia for the sake of holding the Committee in Tbilisi violates the Georgian law On Occupied Territories. According to this document, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has no right to visit Georgia, as he repeatedly violated the above-mentioned law by coming to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Tbilisi still considers its regions. (ed.: the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is recognized by Russia and several other UN member states). But the entry ban of the main diplomat of the largest member state of the Council of Europe can result in the international scandal and cost Georgia European sanctions instead of political bonuses: having headed the Council of Europe, the Caucasian country has made clear obligations and cannot violate them without consequences. Thus, the Georgian Dream faces a difficult choice: either to take the risk of violent opposition rallies threatening to repeat the June Gavrilovskys night when fierce clashes took place during the visit of the State Duma delegation, or, on any pretext, refuse to host the European meeting. The latter option, judging by the statements of GMs influential deputies, is gaining more and more supporters. For example, a former vice-speaker Tamara Chugoshvili offers the government a way out of this difficult situation. According to her, Georgia, as chairman of the Council of Europe, has already refused to hold a number of events in Tbilisi, asking to move them to Strasbourg. The only reason was the fact that some Russian deputies representing the Russian Federation in the Council of Europe and wishing to arrive in the Georgian capital to participate in the work of various bureaus and committees, visited Sukhum and Tskhinval, thereby violating the notorious law On Occupied Territories, and the relocation of events to Strasbourg removed all these risks. "The same can be done with the CE supreme body meeting, Chugoshvili and some other deputies who do not want new shocks said. However, this approach is not acceptable for everyone: recently speaking at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), President Salome Zurabishvili puzzled many by saying that she was ready to step over the Georgian law On Occupied Territories only to fulfill its obligations. This statement fueled the oppositions determination to rally in May against Sergey Lavrovs arrival. However, no one in Georgia knows whether the head of Russian diplomacy intends to go to Tbilisi, where he has not been since the 2008 five-day conflict. That is why the local authorities are not in a hurry to officially announce the relocation of the meeting of the Committee of Ministers to Strasbourg: if Moscow does not confirm that Georgia is in the May agenda of the head of Russian Foreign Ministry, then there is no need to relocate the event. But Moscow is in no hurry to clarify the situation, and its representatives in PACE only urge their Georgian colleagues to remember the need to fulfill all international obligations. US, at least 17 countries to launch first-ever International Religious Freedom Alliance Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Government officials from the United States and several countries will convene in Washington, D.C., next week on the eve of the National Prayer Breakfast for the inaugural meeting of the new International Religious Freedom Alliance. U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback told reporters on Wednesday that the alliance is essentially like an "activist club" of countries that are serious about pushing religious freedom globally. The alliance was first announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last July and touted by President Donald Trump at the United Nations General Assembly in September. It is said to be the first-ever alliance of nations devoted to confronting religious persecution around the world. The alliance comes at a time when most of the world's population lives in countries where religious freedom is limited in some way. "I have not seen this type of organization or push on a human right that I am aware of before," Brownback explained this week. "This is the first effort really to get a group of nations that will be the activist on a particular human right to try to champion and pursue that cause more aggressively." He stressed that there is strong support for religious freedom around the world even though there is much "encroachment" on it. "We will be looking at things we can work collectively on and [how] we can push for religious freedom efforts around the world," he said. "We are excited about the countries and their enthusiasm." According to Brownback, at least 17 countries so far have committed to the alliance. But he hopes that the number of countries represented at the Wednesday event will be in the "upper 20s." The former Kansas governor and U.S. senator could not yet disclose which countries will participate in the meeting. "We got a pretty high bar for joining it, honestly," Brownback detailed. "We want nations that respect religious freedom in their own country and are willing to push religious freedom in international venues. This is the activist club of countries." Brownback believes that the "right crew" is assembled and believes a difference will be made. "The United States pushes [religious freedom] but we need other allies to push it too," Brownback said. "The fortunate thing is that it isn't going to be just us. It is going to be a group of nations to push on this." While the International Religious Freedom Alliance will bridge like-minded nations on the issue, some global interfaith efforts have been formed by religious leaders to promote religious freedom globally. Brownback traveled to Rome for a Jan. 16 meeting of the Abrahamic Faiths Initiative, a coalition of Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders looking to reduce violence in the name of religion. "One of the key statements that that came out is this group committed to resolutely declare that religions must never incite war, hateful attitudes, hostility and extremism," he explained. "This was a statement from the Document on Human Fraternity that Pope Francis signed along with the President of Al-Azhar, the top Muslim university in the world. This group endorsed [the statement] and wants to put legs under these documents. It wants to get out and have a practical impact in places around the world where there is a conflict between the Abrahamic faiths." Through the Abrahamic Faiths Initiative, there will be trips to various countries to try to "reduce violence between Christians, Muslims and Jews," he added. The Balkans, Sudan and Nigeria are among other areas where theologians are calling for peace. "Unfortunately, much of the world looks at religion as the cause of wars," he said. "This group and the people they are working with see religion as an instrument of peace. They want to make it that way." Last September, plans were announced for the Abrahamic Family House, an interfaith complex that will house a church, synagogue and mosque in the United Arab Emirates. The idea is to promote religious harmony among the Abrahamic faiths. A multitude of billboards for cosmetic surgery clinics line a street in Apgujeong, southern Seoul in this 2012 file photo. / Korea Times file By Celeste Kriel Banobagi Plastic Surgery and Aesthetics have teamed up with medical concierge company Seoul Cosmetic Surgery to assist in bridging the Korean cosmetic surgery industry and the unique medical and aesthetic needs of expats in Korea, as well as tourists coming to Korea specifically for cosmetic treatments and surgeries. They have recently been hosting events specifically for foreigners in Korea to educate them on safe practices within the industry. With "K-everything" (K-pop, K-drama, K-beauty) becoming a ubiquitous rising trend in many facets of culture around the world, the Korean beauty industry has been making a name for itself in various facets including makeup, skincare and cosmetic surgery, while Seoul has become one of the most desired destinations for plastic surgery because of its highly experienced doctors, and advanced techniques and technology. While social media has influenced the normalization of cosmetic surgery, it is still relatively taboo in most countries. However, here the streets of Gangnam District are dotted with aesthetic dermatology clinics on almost every corner, and it's not uncommon to spot heavily bandaged tourists walking nonchalantly among the crowds in areas such as Myeongdong, the most popular of Seoul's shopping districts. Banobagi is situated in the upscale area of Cheongdam-dong, also in Gangnam. It is an advanced medical center offering all specialties of plastic surgery and aesthetic treatments including some non-invasive procedures unique to Korea, and they have joined hands with Seoul Cosmetic Surgery, a government licensed medical tourism agency that curates the best doctors and clinics for their foreign customers. While some of those customers specifically come to Korea because they aspire to Korean beauty standards, patients from outside of Asia coming to Seoul for the city's sought-after doctors and advanced technology often have very different beauty ideals. The beauty experts at Seoul Cosmetic Surgery serve to bridge the gap between the patient's desired outcomes and the doctor's expertise. Mona Lisa Hanson, CMO of Seoul Cosmetic surgery believes the quality of cosmetic surgery in Korea is perhaps unrivaled. "Korea is one of the best places, if not the best, for cosmetic surgery and many medical procedures. The competition in this industry drives excellence and innovation, which is passed on to the customer," Hanson told The Korea Times. The boutique agency works with foreign patients from all over the world but largely caters to patients from Western countries, who may have different aesthetic expectations. "A good percentage of medical tourism agencies target Asia, specifically China, however we knew that there was a viable market in the West of people who would be interested in coming to Korea because of the growing interest in K-pop, K-beauty and other Hallyu categories. As a woman of color, I wanted to bridge the gap between the East and the West," she said. "Our vision was to effectively bring the best of Korean beauty, surgical know-how and innovation to a Western market." Hanson and her Korean business partner CEO Young Min Seol, a product development specialist, have their fingers on the pulse of the local market and know which doctors and clinics are especially foreign friendly. "Oftentimes, when people come by themselves without an advocate, there are a lot of things that can fall between the cracks," Hanson said. She noted one benefit of her partnership with Young is that "we are able to communicate well with the doctors since I understand more of the customer's Western beauty standards which is conveyed to my partner, which he then translates to the doctors." Irene Ji, a representative from Banobagi agreed that more and more patients from Western countries are looking to Korea as a cosmetic surgery mecca. The clinic and its doctors strive to provide individualized surgery based on maintaining the patient's ethnicity, as well as safety. "Ever since the opening, we have been focused on not only great surgery results customized to the individual's situation and desire, but also the safety for our patients. Our good reputation also has been constantly growing with zero accidents for almost 20 years now. Even doctors from overseas visit our clinic to learn from our surgeons," said Ji. Amid the increased risk of cancer associated with a certain type of textured breast implants, the latest presentation hosted by Seoul Cosmetic Surgery and Banobagi aimed to educate participants on the risks of breast implants and to introduce what they believe is a safer alternative. Visit engbanobagi.com/ and seoulcosmeticsurgery.com/ for more information. celeste.gabrielle.kriel@gmail.com Priyanka Chopra Jonas has been making headlines recently due to her presence at the 2020 Grammy Awards night with husband, Nick Jonas and the Jonas Brothers. The actress was slammed for her dress post the event on social media. Trolls went on to body shame and age-shame her choosing a bold dress that may have been inspired by Jennifer Lopez's jungle print dress from Grammys 2000. Many celebrities came to PeeCee's rescue and defended her style, later one of the J sisters, Danielle Jonas also took to her Instagram and praise the actress (PeeCee) and showed support. She shared a picture of the two, showing off their gowns with long trains. In the caption, Danielle went on to call themselves a couple of Disney princesses. "Disney princess moment at the Grammys." The post got a lot of praise for fans and some also warned, that there should be no negative comments for the post. "This post deserves only love and support and positive please god,". Another user also praised Danielle for showing support, the comment read, "Its really sweet of you to post this pictures Dani," Designer Wendell Rodricks earlier slammed the dress and said, "neckline goes all the way from LA to Cuba." He and also claimed people who are older should not dress like that, adding, "If you don't have it, don't flaunt it". Rodricks has since taken down the post from his Instagram account. On the work front, Priyanka just returned to the US after shooting for Netflix's The White Tiger with Rajkummar Rao. She will be seen next in another Netflix project by Robert Rodriguez, the film is titled, We Can Be Heroes. According to the latest reports, Priyanka Chopra is all set to join the Matrix saga, with Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Neil Patrick Harris for the upcoming instalment, Matrix 4. ALSO READ: Priyanka Chopra Copied Jennifer Lopez's Iconic Grammy Outfit: Here's Why It Didn't Work ALSO READ: February 2020: Birds Of Prey, Little Women, Sonic the Hedgehog And Other Releases New Delhi: Hours after Bharatiya Janata Party released its 'Sankalp Patra', the Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh called it a 'Jumla Patra' through which BJP is trying to fool people. He said, the manifesto clearly states that BJP wants to eliminate all the 'Yojanas' launched by the AAP government for the benefit of Delhites. Taking a jibe at BJP, the AAP leader said, '' Manifesto of BJP proved that if you vote for them then your free electricity upto 200 units, water supply, travel benefits to females or Farista Yojana will be stopped '', adding, ''This declaration by BJP will destroy the ntional capital so think and vote.'' Sanjay Singh along with other AAP leaders held a press conference at AAP headquaters in Delhi were he was seen critising BJP at every point mentioned in their 'Sankalp Patra'. Live TV On Friday, BJP released its manifesto in the presence of senior party leaders Nitin Gadkari, Harsh Vardhan, Prakash Javadekar and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. The BJP manifesto promises to change Delhi's future, provide clean air and drinking water and 10 lakh jobs for youths apart from other freebies. In its manifesto, BJP has promised to reduce pollution in Delhi by pushing for the use of electric vehicles, along with it the saffron party has also promised good quality flour for poor at Rs 2 per kg, clean drinking water for every household if elected to power. The party further committed that they will set up a Yamuna Development Board to clean the polluted river. Delhi will go to polls on February 8, with results due to be announced three days later on February 11. The main contest in Delhi is between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP and the Congress. Opinion polls have put the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in the driver's seat. The royal family has been facing its own Megxit crisis, but life post-Brexit for the Windsors will mean their roles as ambassadors, charged with maintaining and strengthening ties to Europe and beyond, will be more crucial than ever. Using their brand of soft diplomacy, the royals all important overseas tours, undertaken at the request of the Foreign Office, will be key opportunities to launch a charm offensive on behalf of the UK. And nothing quite matches the allure of a state visit to the UK, with pomp and ceremony, a stay in Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle, an opulent state banquet and the chance to spend some one-on-one time with the Queen, as a way of building bridges with foreign leaders. Expand Close US President Donald Trump and the Queen during American leaders state visit to the UK (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump and the Queen during American leaders state visit to the UK (Dominic Lipinski/PA) With the Queen, 93, no longer carrying out overseas visits and the Duke of Edinburgh having retired, Brexit diplomacy trips fall to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The Firm will no longer be able to call on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to share the burden of overseas tours. Harry and Meghan had pledged to focus on the Commonwealth in their royal duties, but now are quitting the monarchy for a life of personal and financial freedom, mostly in Canada. Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer be carrying out tours like their visit to South Africa (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will no longer be carrying out tours like their visit to South Africa (Dominic Lipinski/PA) The Duke of York is also out of the picture following his disastrous Newsnight interview about the Epstein scandal. But the monarchs other children the Earl of Wessex, along with Edwards wife the Countess of Wessex, and the Princess Royal will continue their own less high profile overseas trips. In the run up to and following the triggering of Article 50 in March 2017, the start of the UKs formal withdrawal from the EU, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate carried out a string of official visits to the continent. William and Kate visited France, took their children to Germany and Poland, and also journeyed to Belgium, and the duke made a solo trip to Finland, followed by visits to Sweden and Norway with Kate in 2018. Expand Close The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte on a five-day tour of Poland and Germany (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Prince George and Princess Charlotte on a five-day tour of Poland and Germany (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA) Heir to the throne Charles was on a nine-day tour to Austria, Italy and Romania when Article 50 was triggered. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said at the time: Royal visits play a very important role in the United Kingdoms bilateral diplomacy. The Royal Family are excellent and experienced ambassadors for the United Kingdom. Expand Close The Prince of Wales meeting President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on the day Theresa May triggered the start of the UKs formal withdrawal from the EU (Chris Jackson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Prince of Wales meeting President of Romania Klaus Iohannis on the day Theresa May triggered the start of the UKs formal withdrawal from the EU (Chris Jackson/PA) Whilst every royal visit is unique, each visit is designed to support foreign policy objectives and promote closer ties across a range of areas, for example cultural, economic or political, between the UK and the host country. Incoming state visits to the UK in recent years have included King of Spain King Felipe VI, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and US President Donald Trump. In the spring, the Queen will welcome Emperor Naruhito of Japan to Windsor Castle for an official state visit. Expand Close US President Donald Trump and the Prince of Wales inspect the Guard of Honour during the Ceremonial Welcome during the US state visit to the UK (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp US President Donald Trump and the Prince of Wales inspect the Guard of Honour during the Ceremonial Welcome during the US state visit to the UK (Victoria Jones/PA) In her Christmas Day address, the monarch acknowledged the bumpy path her family and the country has faced during the past 12 months. Following a year of bitter debates in Parliament and the country over leaving the bloc, she said the Christmas message of peace and goodwill still had relevance and was a reminder of what can be achieved when people abandon their differences and come together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation. The Honourable Minister for Special Development Initiative, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has stated that the Akufo-Addo Government is in the process of procuring 10,000 hospital beds for various health centres across the country. Speaking on the back of the successful procurement and commissioning of the 307 ambulances to augment the few ones in the country, the Minister emphasized that Government has seen the need to procure these beds to fill the various hospitals, polyclinics, clinics and other health facilities across the country. Having completed the acquisition of these 307 ambulances, we see it needful to look at another critical area in our health delivery, and that is lack of hospital beds. We are, therefore, procuring ten thousand of these beds for our various health facilities since we have identified shortages in that area she said. Many hospitals and other health facilities have been complaining about inadequate beds for patients who patronize hospitals, polyclinics, clinics and other health centres. The decision to provide the 10,000 beds has been precipitated by the reported incidents of patients having been forced to sleep on the floor when they attend hospitals due to inadequate beds. Mavis Hawa Koomson who is also a Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East Constituency made this known when she appeared on Asempa FMs afternoon talk show, Ekosii Sen on Wednesday, 29th January, 2020, with Philip Osei Bonsu as host of the programme. The Ministry of Special Development Initiative, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health saw to the procurement and acquisition of the fully equipped 307 ambulances under the One Constituency, One Ambulance promise by the Akufo-Addo administration. Though the ambulances were procured in collaboration with the Health Ministry, Hawa Koomson spearheaded it. Prior to the arrival of all the 307 ambulances and their subsequent distributions to the various constituencies, the Special Development Initiative Minister received flak for the delay in the processes. Though the ambulances procurement has been hailed as unprecedented, the Member of Parliament believes going a step further to procure 10,000 beds would go a long way into helping to improve healthcare delivery in the country. 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 Coming down heavily on Fawad Chaudhry for his tweet against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that he will not tolerate any interference from Pakistan in India's internal matters and that Modi is my PM as well. "Narendra Modi is India's Prime Minister; he is my Prime Minister as well. Delhi election is our internal issue, and we have zero tolerance for interference by the biggest sponsor of terrorism. No matter how hard Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of our country," said Kejriwal in a tweet. Kejriwal was responding to Choudhry's tweet in which he had said, "Under pressure to lose another State Election (Delhi on February 8th), he (PM Modi) resorts to ridiculous claims and threats endangering Region." Chaudhry had posted the tweet in response to PM Modi's recent comment that India can defeat Pakistan in a war within 7-10 days. "We know that our neighbouring country has lost 3 wars against us, our armed forces don't need more than 7-10 days to defeat them. They've been fighting proxy wars against India for decades. It claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, jawans," said PM Modi during an event in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Turkey exported steel and cement worth $70.3 million to Uzbekistan in 2019, a source in the Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 31. The export of steel from Turkey to Uzbekistan decreased by 14.8 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and amounted to $56.8 million, the ministry said. "The export of cement from Turkey to Uzbekistan increased by 123.4 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $13.4 million," the ministry said. The export of the Turkish steel to Uzbekistan decreased by 6.8 percent in December 2019 compared to December 2018 and reached $4.4 million. "The export of cement from Turkey to Uzbekistan increased by 29.3 percent in December 2019 compared to December 2018 and amounted to $844,000," the ministry said. The export of steel from Turkey decreased by 10.6 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $13.8 billion. The export of cement from Turkey increased by 17.8 percent in 2019 compared to 2018 and reached $3.5 billion. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Imperial guards wear protective face masks during a reenactment of the Royal Guards Changing Ceremony in front of Deoksu Palace in Seoul, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. AP South Korea reported its seventh new coronavirus case Friday as the country is struggling to contain the rapid spread of the novel virus with enhanced quarantine efforts. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a 28-year-old South Korean man who visited Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the virus outbreak, returned home via Qingdao on Jan. 23. But he did not show any related symptoms upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The patient complained of a mild cold three days later and visited a clinic Tuesday when he had a fever at which time doctors checked him for the novel virus. The patient was quarantined immediately. The KCDC said it is trying to track those who have been in contact with him. WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) releases Bernie Sanders Magnet for Anti-Semites, a fast-paced 9.5-minute video, on its website and YouTube channel. The video spotlights the abjectly anti-Semitic views publicly espoused by several of the top campaign advisers and surrogates with whom 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has chosen to officially associate. There is a definite and ironic anti-Semitic streak to those who speak for, support, advise and officially endorse the country's potential first Jewish presidential nominee. This video includes insights on Sanders' official stance on anti-Semitism and the meaning of anti-Semitism, along with provocative and disturbing comments made by some of his surrogates, supporters and campaign staff. In his November 19, 2019 op-ed in Jewish Currents, How to Fight Antisemitism, Bernie Sanders wrote: "I will always call out antisemitism when I see it." Not always, it seems. Not with those closest to him. As just one example, Sanders campaign surrogate Linda Sarsour, who has a long record of anti-Israel rhetoric which crosses into anti-Semitism, said this at a November American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) conference: "Ask them this: How can you be against white supremacy in the United States and the idea of living in a supremacist state based on race and class, but then you support a state like Israel, that is built on supremacy, that is built on the idea that Jews are supreme to everybody else..." "We were quite shocked in discovering the number of brazenly and openly anti-Semitic advisers and surrogates who have embraced Senator Bernie Sanders or whom he has embraced," said Steven Emerson, Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, "especially since Mr. Sanders so adamantly claims to condemn anti-Semitism." Available now on the IPT website and YouTube channel. SOURCE Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Related Links https://www.investigativeproject.org Steel and iron manufacturing magnate, B5 Plus Company Limited and Delhi Private School (DPS) International have joined the Indian community in Ghana to celebrate the 71st Indian Republic Day. In India Republic Day is a national holiday. The Day marks the date on which the Constitution of India came into effect on January 26, 1950. The Constitution replaced the Government of India Act as the governing document of India and subsequently turned the Asian populous nation into a newly formed republic. Annually, Indian communities around the world rallied to celebrate Republic Day. The Celebration in Ghana has been an annual ritual over the last few years, with both DPS International and B5 Plus featuring prominently in every year's celebration. The annual celebration in Ghana, like across other Indian communities worldwide, is often characterized by the hoisting of Indian flag, singing of the national anthem of India and dance and drama performances, that tell the story of India's Independence struggles and attainment of Republican status. This year, there were drama performances from students of DPS International during the celebration held on Sunday, January 26, 2020, at the official residence of the new High Commissioner of India to Ghana, Comm. Sugundh Rajaram, in Accra. Speech by President of India High Commissioner Rajaram in a speech read on behalf of the President of India, Ramnath Kovind, urged patriotic spirit among Indians. He encouraged Indians to support their government's efforts in addressing the increasing water crisis facing India. The High Commissioner observed that the Indian Government remained committed to promoting the welfare of all Indians. In recent years, he said, the Government has launched a number of welfare programmes for Indians. He described India as a land of diversity but expressed the view that respect for the country's Constitution and fundamental human rights were key in building a decent and just society for all of Indians. Attendance In attendance at the ceremony were the Director and Principal of DPS International, Mukesh Thakwani and David Raj, respectively. About DPSI Ghana DPS International Ghana was founded in September 2010 by renowned Indian industrialist and philanthropist, Mukesh Thakwani, under the aegis Delhi Public School a chain of schools all around the globe known for its holistic education. Mr Thakwani's mission is to champion the cause of education in the West African sub-region, by providing a world-class educational system. DPS International Ghana is affiliated to the University of Cambridge International Examinations and Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi (CBSE). 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 Hubert Bonnet, creator of the CAB art foundation in Brussels, has lived in the mountain resort town of Verbier, Switzerland, since 1999. There, Bonnet has lots of space that is more about design, with lots of [Jean] Prouve, he says. Always interested in architecture, he was looking for another residence in Geneva with an interesting profile. So a friend who was helping with the patient search finally brought him to a colorful hillside house on the far side of town. "I said this was too far from Verbier, but we went to see it anyway," Bonnet recalls. "We arrived and I couldnt breathe. It was a ruin, but I made an offer and got it. What Bonnet saw and bought on the spot was a villa, named Les Ailes ("The Wings"), with spectacular views overlooking the lake. Built in 1932, the perfectly proportioned house has three levels including an underground garage. After securing architect Antoine Ris, Bonnet commenced a two-and-a-half-year renovation with an eye toward restoration, keeping everything as it was originally intendedthe wall colors, the floors, even the windows. For the interiors, Bonnet called on designer India Mahdavi, who was recommended by his friend, the art dealer and curator Edward Mitterrand. Shes a magician and understood the house immediately," says Bonnet. "India got the idea in two minutes and provided all of the new furniture. In harmony with the home's architecture, Bonnet asked Mitterrand to help with the art. The group ultimately resolved to select works exclusively by Swiss artists from Bonnet's private collection. A Swiss Retreat With India Mahdavis Magic Touch See the video. Preferring to spend his summers at the five-bedroom, four-bath villa, Bonnet installed a pool, beneath the watchful gaze of a winged figurehead sculpture preparing to take flight. The view is beautiful and everything looks outthe house is long and narrow like a boat, he says of the home's setting, before a contemplative pause. But I'm dying for a new project. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Flash The year 2019 closed out a decade of abnormal global heating, with the last 10-year period almost certain to be the hottest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Climate scientists believe this warming is related to increased levels of carbon dioxide, or CO2, in the atmosphere which, at 415 parts per million, are at their highest since the Pliocene Epoch. That's around 3 million years ago, well before the evolution of modern human beings. Most will be aware of the extreme events linked to the so-called climate crisis, and some are playing out as we speak. Following its hottest and driest year on record, Australia is currently battling a swarm of destructive and fatal wildfires. This backdrop has set the stage for what is arguably the most critical year for climate policy since 2016, when 195 nations-including China-signed the Paris Agreement and pledged to prevent global temperatures from rising 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Several key events in 2020 will influence our collective chances of meeting that goal. Multiple studies indicate that, as things stand, the 2-degree threshold will be breached, so signatories of the Paris Agreement will be challenged to adjust emissions targets at a climate conference in November. That same month, the United States-one of the world's biggest emitters both in absolute terms and per capita-is set to officially withdraw from the Paris Agreement. And in October, the Communist Party of China is expected to convene for a plenary session to review proposals and offer recommendations for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) before it is delivered in early 2021. "For climate change, 2020 is a crucial year," said British economist Nicholas Stern, who is chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics. "And of course, China's 14th Five-Year Plan is a big part of the story." China's Five-Year Plans are a set of social and economic initiatives that act as a blueprint for national development strategies over a five-year period. And when it comes to climate change, the Five-Year Plan is arguably one of the most important documents on the planet. Around the turn of the century, Chinese investment in renewable power accounted for less than 6 percent of the global total. But transformative measures in the 11th, 12th and 13th Five-Year Plans-including setting binding indicators for energy consumption and emissions-ushered in an unprecedented period of green development. According to the UN Environment Program, China invested $758 billion in renewable energy capacity between 2010 and mid-2019, more than any country or region and representing 29 percent of the global total of $2.6 trillion. China's contribution alone during that period was just shy of the worldwide total for the previous decade. This investment created economies of scale and spurred advancements in technology, which in turn drove down the cost of several forms of renewable energy generation, making them competitive with fossil fuels for the first time. In recent years, Chinese CO2 levels have flattened for sustained periods, creating what Stern calls a "bumpy plateau" for carbon emissions. Hu Angang, director of the Center for China Study, or CCS, which is a think tank connected with Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, says that China laid much of the groundwork for this plateau in the drafting of the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20). "We project that the total volume of carbon emissions shall decrease during the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan, which should also greatly affect global emissions," Hu told China Daily. Hu expects that this next Five-Year Plan will once again have a strong commitment to emissions reduction and clean energy, a prediction supported by the nation's leadership. A report delivered by President Xi Jinping during the 19th National Congress of the CPC in 2017 mentioned "climate change" three times, "low-carbon" four times, "green" 27 times, and "environment" 43 times. Precisely how China will go about controlling emissions over the next five years will only be revealed when the 14th Five-Year Plan is published, and divergent strategies are currently being analyzed. In the lead up to the Paris Agreement, Premier Li Keqiang said China was committed to peaking its CO2 emissions by 2030. A 2019 study published in Nature, led by researchers from Nanjing University and Harvard University, found that China may be on course to meet that target by as early as 2025. But a report released by Chinese think tank the National Center for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, or NCSC, warned that on its current trajectory, China could risk missing its emissions target, with CO2 emissions potentially rising from 11 gigatons this year to 14.3 gigatons in 2030. The NCSC also said that, under current policies, China could narrowly miss its commitment to produce 20 percent of its energy through nonfossil fuels by 2030. The NCSC said the government should consider committing to a cap on CO2 emissions in the 14th Five-Year Plan, limiting CO2 emissions to 10.6 gigatons by 2025. The 13th Five-Year Plan set targets for total energy consumption, though these limits do not take into account the carbonintensity of sources of energy, so an emissions cap would be a noteworthy development. The CCS proposes writing a unified national carbon tax into the plan, and it too recommends exploring limits on carbon volume. "As a university think tank, we have been intensively involved in the first steps of providing background research and decision-making consultation for the designation of Five-Year Plans," Hu said. "In terms of the 14th Five-Year Plan, one of the major challenges faced in China is climate change, because China itself is a big victim of frequent natural disasters and abnormal conditions induced by climate change. "Our suggestion," Hu added, "is that, apart from the obligatory reduction both in total volume and intensity of energy consumption-which was proposed in the 13th Five-Year Plan-the 14th Five-Year Plan should propose the same for carbon emissions, reduction in both volume and intensity." Looking beyond China's borders, Stern said he hopes for measures which encourage green development in countries within the Belt and Road Initiative, which is a China-proposed economic and infrastructure development plan. Stern said that if the multitude of developing nations along the BRI continue with coal-driven industrial development, it would make the 2-degree target an impossibility. "The countries in the Belt and Road are independent countries who will make up their own minds about development, but increasingly they are recognizing both the dangers of high carbon development and the opportunities in doing things differently," Stern said. Last year saw the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition, which is a voluntary UN-backed international network which aims to ensure that the Belt and Road brings long-term green and sustainable development to member countries. Many of the BRI countries will already be making plans to adjust emissions targets ahead of the 2020 UN Climate Change Conference, which is a meeting of Paris Agreement signatories scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, this November. As well as agreeing to the 2-degree target in 2016, signatories also submitted climate action plans, known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs. These NDCs are reviewed and adjusted in five-year stock-taking sessions, the first of which will occur in Glasgow. Nations will be expected to come up with more ambitious measures to reduce emissions, as the 2-degree threshold will almost certainly be passed as things stand. By then, China and the European Union will likely represent the two largest economies coordinating on international climate change policy, as the US is scheduled to exit the Paris Agreement on Nov 4, exactly one year after Washington announced plans to withdraw. Former UK environment minister Tim Yeo said this will call for close cooperation between China and the EU going forward. He suggests that China and Europe agree to a common set of standards on energy measures, which would in turn encourage the rest of the world to follow suit. "China holds the key here," said Yeo, who is chairman of UK energy company Waste2Tricity. "I think it's up to China and the EU to get together and solve this problem, as the US administration has opted out. China can be a leader, and I think the EU could partner. And I say that because the EU has been very forward thinking in its approach to climate change. I think the new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is clearly very committed on the climate change agenda and I strongly welcome that." Late last year, Von der Leyen announced the so-called European Green Deal, which details the first EU-wide law on climate change. Von der Leyen describes the deal as "Europe's man on the moon moment" and said she will bring forward proposals in her first 100 days in office, which commenced on Dec 1. With a view to make Europe the world's first "carbon neutral" continent, Von der Leyen wants the EU to cut carbon emissions by 50 to 55 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, a significant improvement on the current target of 40 percent. In December, 27 of the EU's 28 member states committed to the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. Two nations-the Czech Republic and Hungary-agreed to the target on the provision that there would be an increased role for nuclear power, while Poland-which relies heavily on coal-abstained. One of the proposals in the deal is to establish a carbon border tax on imports from countries that fail to act on emissions. The European Green Deal has sparked criticism on both sides of the debate-some critics argue its measures are too drastic and industry will suffer, while environmental groups say the emissions target is too low. Social Commentator and former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says there is nothing wrong with how the ruling government, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) commissioned 307 ambulances, Tuesday. The Akufo-Addo administration, on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, commissioned and distributed 307 state-of-the-art ambulances under the government's flagship programme, "One Constituency, One Ambulance", to be added to the woefully inadequate fleet that existed and became a source of worry to Ghanaians. The ambulances, fitted with advanced life support systems, as well as tracking devices, are to be distributed to the 275 constituencies in Ghana under the management of the National Ambulance Service (NAS). The development, which is expected top spurn some 4,000 new jobs, is the single largest intervention provided by any administration to improve Ghana's pre-hospital emergency services. Some members of the NDC have spoken out against how the commissioning was done. Ranking member on Committee on Health in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has described it as needless. "The jamboree and funfair was needless and a waste of resources," he said in an interview on Okay FM. However, Allotey Jacobs believes since it's a promise the ruling govenrment has fulfilled, they have every right to celebrate and 'showcase' their achievement. "Why blame the government for having a fanfare with the commissioning of the ambulances? It is within their prerogative to do it because we are in an election year and from now to December 7; if you dont showcase anything youve done, then its up to you and thats what they did and I dont blame them for it. They have done it in such a way that all eyes are on these ambulances," he said on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'. Listen to him in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 A Kansas man found a six-foot boa constrictor under his couch cushions while looking for his keys. The man, who has lived in the duplex for four years, has no idea where the 'terrifying' snake came from. Police are now hunting for the owner of the reptile which they believe to be somebody's pet. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Butler County Fire District Deputy Chief Melvin Linot was the 'resident snake charmer' who saved the day by removing the snake from the couch and bringing it to a local pet store Justin Bailey (pictured outside his home) discovered the snake under his couch cushion Justin Bailey, from Rose Hill, Kansas, was getting ready for work on Monday, January 27, and searching for his keys after the weekend. Thinking they may have slipped between the cushions of his couch, he began to feel around but something felt a little off. Removing the couch cushion to have a better look, he was confronted with the six-foot reptile and immediately panicked. 'So, I reach into the right side, and I feel something. That doesn't feel right,' Bailey told KSN. 'Thankfully, I did not yell or have any visible reaction, but I'm telling you I was panicking on the inside.' Butler County Fire District Deputy Chief Melvin Linot (left) removed the boa constrictor The boa constrictor is believed to be a pet by authorities because of its docile nature He immediately called 911 and Rose Hill Police Department arrived with Butler County Fire District to remove the animal. The fire department called on their very own 'resident snake charmer' Deputy Fire Chief Melvin Linot to handle the animal. 'He was very docile. So, I took my gloves off and just picked him up,' Linot said. Authorities still have no idea how the snake, which was identified as a red-tailed boa constrictor, came to be in Bailey's couch or just how long it had been there. 'At this time there is no update on the snake. An owner has not been identified and as of the last report I had the snake is doing well,' Lt. Taylor Parlier from Rose Hill Police Department told the Daily Mail. As for Bailey, he would be very glad never to see the boa constrictor again. 'Hopefully, never have to deal with that ever again,' he said. 'I would very much like to know the story of how their snake got into my couch.' The snake is currently in a temporary home at a pet store until an owner or new home is identified. Locals commenting on the picture had mixed reactions as to whether they would be delighted or terrified to have made the discovery themselves. 'I would of been so excited to see that beautiful snake under our couch! We love snakes!' one Facebook user wrote. 'Thank you to the owner of the couch. So many people would have just grabbed a hoe or shovel thank you for calling someone to pick it up,' stated another. If anyone is missing a pet boa constrictor and believes this may be it, they are asked to contact the fire department at 316-776-0401. Pakistan on Friday assured US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad that it would continue to play its role to facilitate the Afghan reconciliation process. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in a meeting with Khalilzad, "reiterated Pakistan's support and facilitating role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process", the Foreign Office said in a statement. Khalilzad also met Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, according to statement by Army. "During the meeting, matters of mutual interest including overall regional security situation and ongoing Afghanistan Reconciliation Process were discussed," it said. Khalilzad thanked Pakistan for facilitating the process towards the mutual objective of peace in the region. Officials said that the visit of Khalilzad was part of efforts to bring a lasting peace in Afghanistan by arranging ceasefire and agreement between insurgents and the US as well as peace deal with the current Afghanistan government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rush University Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital again earned high marks in one of the nation's most respected assessments of health care quality. Both hospitals received five-star ratings, the highest possible, from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Rush Copley Medical Center received four stars from CMS. The CMS ratings are widely considered a key indicator of quality, along with other measures such as Vizient ratings and Magnet designation. Rush University System for Health hospitals regularly score high or at the very top of these assessments. In fact, Rush University Medical Center received the highest ranking for quality of care among 93 U.S. academic medical centers last fall from Vizient, a health care performance improvement organization. This latest CMS designation makes Rush University Medical Center the only academic medical center in the Chicago area with five stars. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality care with the best patient experience, and we continuously look at our processes for opportunities to improve. This rating affirms the work we do each and every day for our patients. This honor is not the result of individuals, or teams, or departments, but rather the shared vision and purpose of all 12,000 employees to provide the highest quality, patient-centered care." Dr. Omar Lateef, chief executive officer of Rush University Medical Center CMS star ratings are based on data on mortality; readmissions; safety, effectiveness and timeliness of care; and patient experience. This new rating is another example of the external recognition of excellence at Rush. In 2018, Lateef, Dr. Bala Hota, the Medical Center's chief analytics officer, and Thomas Webb, associate vice president for quality analytics, performed an in-depth analysis at Rush of CMS methodology. They found that it used a complex statistical model that put tremendous weight on small, often insignificant numbers of events, resulting in downgrading academic and other larger medical centers that treat medically complex patients, as well as patients with socioeconomic issues who are more likely to be readmitted. "We want to focus on the measurements that are the most meaningful in tracking patient outcomes and experience." Lateef says. "This is about doing what is best for the patient. We are hoping to continue working with rating organizations to create meaningful measures that help patients find the care they are looking for and provide valuable data for hospitals to guide internal improvement." CMS ratings are among the most cited in the industry, and five stars are meant to be indicative of the highest quality, most positive outcomes and a patient experience that only a small fraction of hospitals are able to demonstrate. Only seven percent of hospitals in the United States have earned five stars. "Delivering the highest quality of patient care has always been a priority at Rush Oak Park Hospital," said Bruce Elegant, president and CEO of Rush Oak Park Hospital. "Earning a five star rating from CMS is recognition of the excellent care we provide on a daily basis." "Our patients and their families may not know names like CMS or Vizient, but they are measures that consumers can have confidence in, as a mark of quality in a crowded health care marketplace," said Dr. Ranga Krishnan, chief executive officer of Rush University System for Health. "This year, we will continue to focus on patient care and patient experience, using the measures outlined by CMS and other rating agencies and that we at RUSH have determined most directly impact patient outcomes." For more information about CMS ratings and the methodology, visit, CMS's Hospital Compare website. Top Vizient score the latest in steady stream of honors for Rush hospitals The five-star CMS rating is the latest in a consistent stream of honors for Rush University Medical Center and the other Rush system hospitals that are unique among U.S. academic health systems, including the following: GMs $2.2 Billion Investment in Electric Vehicles to Bring 2,200 Jobs to Detroit Future all electric as GM bets big on pickups, 'Super Cruise' autonomous driving ride-shares General Motors has announced it is investing $2.2 billion in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly facility, devoting the entire plant to electric trucks and self-driving vehicles and creating some 2,200 jobs in the process. GMs first all-electric pickup truck will be built there, the company said, and production is scheduled to begin in late 2021. According to a statement released this week, the battery-electric pickup will be followed by the Cruise Origin, a self-driving shuttle intended for use on ride-share platforms that is currently undergoing testing in San Francisco. The autonomous vehicle is designed to combat urban congestion and air pollution issues, while reducing accidents as self-driving technologies mature, GM says. Detroit-Hamtramck currently operates with one production shift and builds the Cadillac CT6 and the Chevrolet Impala, with approximately 900 people employed at the plant. The factory will be idled for several months beginning at the end of February as renovations begin. A further $800 million will be spent on equipment for component suppliers and related projects. Through this investment, GM is taking a big step forward in making our vision of an all-electric future a reality, said GM President Mark Reuss during a press event at the plant with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other local and state officials. Our electric pickup will be the first of multiple electric truck variants we will build at Detroit-Hamtramck over the next few years. Reuss also stated that the plant will have the capability to produce multiple brands and multiple styles, including electric pickups, SUVs, and the Cruise Origin, which will not be made available to the public initially but will feature in GM ride-share projects. General Motors President Mark Reuss announces a $2.2 billion investment at its Detroit- Hamtramck (MI) assembly plant to produce a variety of all-electric trucks and SUVs. (Steve Fecht for General Motors) In November 2018, General Motors had announced that the company planned to close the Detroit-Hamtramck facilityone of four it had planned to shutter across the United States. However, GM promised to reopen the factory in the course of its negotiations with the United Auto Workers union in late 2019. According to a statement from UAW vice president Terry Dittes, General Motors announcement of new electric truck production at Hamtramck maintaining 2,200 UAW jobs, is a testament to the perseverance of our UAW members and UAW Region 1 under the direction of Frank Stuglin. Over 2,200 jobs and a new technology product will deliver job security and a bright economic future for UAW members for decades to come at Hamtramck. On Dec. 5, GM announced that it would be teaming up with Koreas LG Chem to invest $2.3 billion in development and a battery cell factory in Lordstown, about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland, Ohio, creating 1,100 jobs in the process. According to GM, the state-of-the-art 50:50 joint venture will help the company to benefit from economies of scale and bring down the cost of electric vehicles (EVs) for consumers. State support On Jan. 22, the Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) stated that it had approved amendments to the Global Retention MEGA tax credit agreement with General Motors that would foster the companys continued investment in Michigan and ensure the states position as the global leader in automotive design, manufacturing, and future mobility. The amendments were designed to enable the company to have more flexibility to manage its operations within Michigan, and to lock-in GMs commitment to developing and constructing electric vehicles and future mobility solutions in Michigan for the long term. Electric trucks, SUVs and the @Cruise Origin all built here in our hometown. This is what the future of transportation looks like. #Detroit #ZeroEmissions https://t.co/7Ht4itRIOu pic.twitter.com/1nis05YnuQ General Motors (@GM) January 27, 2020 To support the companys commitments, the Michigan Strategic Fund had required GM to invest at least $3.5 billion in Michigan over the next 10 years, including investment at the Detroit-Hamtramck facility. The MSF also approved a downward revision of GMs MEGA tax credits by $325 million to a remaining value of $2.27 billion. The company agreed to increase the average weekly wage from $650 to $1,300 statewide for the remaining credit term, while changing job retention rules across the state to allow more flexibility for GM to allocate more jobs to its Detroit headquarters. GM must also retain a minimum of 34,750 jobs in Michigan, though it currently employs around 45,000. The 2,200 jobs promised for Detroit-Hamtramck should prove a welcome boost for Michigan: The Center for Automotive Research estimates that every job in an automotive assembly plant has a multiplier of eight jobs throughout the supply chain. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 18:32:02 AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of AVLA Peru Compania de Seguros S.A. Eli Sanchez Associate Director +52 55 1102 2720, ext. 122 eli.sanchez@ambest.com Alfonso Novelo Senior Director, Analytics +52 55 1102 2720, ext. 107 alfonso.novelo@ambest.com Christopher Sharkey Manager, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5159 christopher.sharkey@ambest.com Jim Peavy Director, Public Relations +1 908 439 2200, ext. 5644 james.peavy@ambest.com AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of bbb of AVLA Peru Compania de Seguros S.A. (AVLAP) (Lima, Peru). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) remains stable. The ratings reflect AVLAPs balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management. AVLAP is a Peru-based property/casualty insurer that began operations in 2015. It specializes in surety, with complimentary lines of credit insurance and engineering, and ranks No. 8 among non-life carriers in Peru and No. 2 in the countrys surety market. AM Best views AVLAPs business profile as neutral. Since its creation in 2015, AVLAP has been able to capitalize on a guarantee market with limited capacity in Peru successfully, becoming one of the main participants for credit insurance and surety, but current development of its niche market still leaves room for implementation risk. In AM Bests view, this is mitigated partially by the successful implementation to date of its business plan. Additionally, AM Bests assessment of the companys business profile is limited by the small size of the operation within a small segment in Peru, which currently is in Country Risk Tier 3, per AM Bests country risk evaluation. AM Best considers the companys operating performance to be adequate despite its recent creation. AVLAP has been able to promote its products in a profitable manner and maintain adequate underwriting metrics since 2017; however, the operation remains small and needs to converge to an adequate and less volatile cost structure, for which adjustments are taking place at a group level. Operating performance and balance sheet strength are supported strongly by a panel of reinsurers with excellent security. AVLAPs balance sheet assessment is strong given its solid capital base for the risks it undertakes, as reflected in its strong risk-adjusted capitalization. The strong assessment also recognizes the willingness and proven history of capital contributions made by its shareholders to support AVLAPs growth, with the latest capital contribution of PEN 8.5 million taking place in 2019. The stable outlooks reflect the companys growth prospects, supported by the willingness of its shareholders to continue to support the companys commercial and financial development with capital contributions. In July 2019, Germany-based Landsberg Investment S.L, owned by the DEG-Deutsche Investitions-Und Entwicklungsgessellschaft Mbh and Colombia-Based Altra Investments II GP, Inc. acquired 38% of AVLA S.A. AVLAPs ultimate parent providing additional capital to support the growth of the company and to improve processes and governance. Positive rating actions could take place if the company continues to develop its business in a profitable and planned fashion, while further strengthening its capital base and maintaining adequate underwriting. Negative rating actions could take place if the company fails to achieve its growth objectives profitably while at the same time negatively affecting its risk-adjusted capitalization. Additionally, if there are important capital outflows to its holding company that weaken AVLAPs risk-adjusted capitalization, the ratings could be downgraded. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Bests website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Bests Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Bests Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Bests Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper [..]. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005 WASHINGTON Demands by Democrats to call witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of President Trump evidently failed Friday when Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she would oppose the motion. The Senate was headed toward a late afternoon vote on the witness question, with little doubt about the outcome. No more than two Republican senators, Mitch Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine, had indicated they would support seeking additional testimony, so the only question remaining was when the final vote on the presidents guilt would occur. A tentative deal between the two parties began to leak mid-afternoon in which the Senate would take the weekend off, conduct the last two days of the trial on Monday and Tuesday, and hold a final vote on Wednesday, the day after Trump delivers his State of the Union address to Congress. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, surrounded by reporters, leaves a session of the impeachment trial of President Trump. (Julio Cortez/AP) Removing Trump from office was always a near impossibility, but the prospect of calling witnesses such as John Bolton, the presidents former national security adviser, could have prolonged the trial and resulted in new disclosures that, Republicans feared, might have damaged the president further. Murkowskis announcement deprived Democrats of their last hope that they could find enough Republicans to make a majority in favor of witnesses, or reach a tie that might allow Chief Justice John Roberts, the presiding officer in the trial, to make the decision. A ruling by Roberts in the Democrats favor was considered a remote possibility at best. Murkowskis statement indicated part of her motivation in voting against calling witnesses was to protect Roberts from being put into that difficult position. Murkowski said it was clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the Chief Justice. I will not stand for nor support that effort, Murkowskis statement said. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another. Story continues Sen. Lisa Murkowski takes an elevator to the Senate floor. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Murkowskis statement also made the cryptic assertion that she had come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial. Democrats have argued that without witnesses the trial will not be fair. But Murkowski seemed to conclude that even with witnesses the trial would not be fair, leaving open the question of what a fair trial would look like in her opinion. I dont believe the continuation of this process will change anything, she said. It is sad to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed. Even before Murkowskis statement Democrats were on the verge of defeat as of Thursday night, when Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., briefly raised hopes he might vote in favor of witnesses before deciding that they werent necessary because the case against Trump had already been proved. But, evidently accepting the constitutional argument made by Trumps lawyer Alan Dershowitz, Alexander said he didnt believe the presidents actions warranted his removal from office. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: (Alliance News) - Old Mutual Ltd on Friday named new managing directors for its Wealth and Personal Finance units. Kerrin Lane shifts to managing director of Old Mutual Personal Finance, having previously held the MD role for Old Mutual Wealth, the investment advisory arm. She replaces Karabo Morule, whose departure from Old Mutual Personal Finance was announced in October. She also joins the company's executive team. Old Mutual said: "Since joining Old Mutual in 1995, Kerrin has gained exceptional experience across a range of portfolios and roles. These include investment product development and portfolio management, IT and operations, distribution and marketing, business strategy and planning, as well as actuarial pricing and valuations. Her most recent role has been as MD of Old Mutual Wealth, where she led the team in delivering world-class solutions to the financial needs of our wealth clients." Farhad Sader replaces Lane as the managing director of the Wealth unit. The company said: "Like Kerrin, Farhad has spent his entire career at Old Mutual since joining in 2004. He has delivered outstanding results in his various roles across IT and operations strategy, as MD of Investment Administration, general manager in Personal Finance and as chief operating officer of Old Mutual Wealth. "These senior appointments from within the company highlight Old Mutual's commitment to developing and growing an internal and diverse line of succession of senior leaders." Old Mutual shares were 3.2% lower at 88.70 pence each in London on Friday afternoon. In Johannesburg they closed 2.7% lower at ZAR17.30. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The bill would allow banks to put a 30-day hold on certain transactions, such as withdrawing or transferring money, changing the owner of an account or changing beneficiaries, when they see signs that a vulnerable or older customer may be the target of financial exploitation. It would also allow them to notify someone close to the customer of their concerns. Williams has said the bill would give legal protection to banks, credit unions and other financial institutions if they dont carry out transactions requested by their customers because of concerns about financial abuse. It also would protect them for breaching the customers privacy. Banks nationally reported more than 24,454 cases of suspected elder financial abuse in 2018. That is more than double the number in 2013 and losses have been estimated to total up to $30 billion annually. Williams bill has been supported by the Nebraska attorney generals office, the state Banking Department, the Nebraska Home Care Association, AARP Nebraska and banking and credit union organizations. According to Jina Ragland with AARP Nebraska, older people account for 12% of the nations population but 30% of the victims of financial exploitation. LAST STORIES, by William Trevor. (Penguin, 213 pp., $17.) These 10 tales from the Irish virtuoso of the short story, who died in 2016, center on ordinary people whose lives veer in surprising directions. In this small, final, seemingly quiet but ultimately volcanic book of stories, Trevor denies and defies maybe spites the promise of decline, Cynthia Ozick wrote here. INHERITANCE: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, by Dani Shapiro. (Anchor, 249 pp., $16.95.) The memoirist and novelist Shapiro recounts her shocking discovery, via a DNA test after both of her parents had died, that she is biologically unrelated to her beloved father. Setting out to find the sperm donor, she reframes her notion of family and her Jewish identity. Our reviewer, Ruth Franklin, called the book beautifully written and deeply moving. DOING JUSTICE: A Prosecutors Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law, by Preet Bharara. (Vintage, 345 pp., $17.) Bharara, a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and a popular podcaster, explains our justice system and shows the crucial role played by law in society. In these pages, Jennifer Senior wrote that Bharara, as usual, makes a very strong case. THE DECENT INN OF DEATH, by Rennie Airth. (Penguin, 353 pp., $16.) This sixth book in the series by the South African-born Airth has Chief Inspector John Madden, along with another detective, investigating the seemingly accidental death of a church organist near Winchester. Our Crime columnist, Marilyn Stasio, called the Madden series well worth reading, and rereading. The National Student's Union of India (NSUI) on Friday filed a complaint with the director general of police (DGP) against a school in Porvorim for allegedly brainwashing students and making them participate in a pro-CAA march. The action has come hours after the police registered a criminal case against a wing of Goa Church and an NGO for allegedly making children take part in a rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). NSUI Goa chief Ahraz Mulla filed a complaint with the DGP alleging that Porvorim-based school Vidya Prabhodini had brainwashed students and made them participate in a pro-CAA rally at Porvorim on December 18 last year. In its complaint, the NSUI said the management of Vidya Prabhodini has been brainwashing young students and had reportedly asked them to participate in a rally supporting CAA and National Register of Citizens. The management exposed children to political ideology and aggressive language, and also exposed them to psychological abuse and an unsafe environment, the NSUI alleged. "There have been complaints that students from the institution are forced to be part of such rallies, failing which strict action is taken by the management against students who oppose NRC and CAA," the complaint states. The NSUI has requested the DGP to file an FIR against the school management for psychological abuse and also keep a close watch on the management's activities. The NSUI further said brainwashing students could lead to incidents like the shooting near Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, where a man opened fire at anti-CAA protesters on Thursday. "To avoid such incidents in Goa, I request your kind authority to investigate the matter with seriousness and not allow such activities by any institution in future," the NSUI added. The Goa police's women and child protection unit on Thursday registered a case against Goa Church's Council for Social Justice and Peace and National Human Rights Organisation (Goa Chapter) for using children in an anti-CAA rally at Margao on January 24. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China's coronavirus outbreak has disrupted travel plans for millions of people and could cost Australian universities millions of dollars. Within China itself, the virus epicentre in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, is in lockdown. Tens of millions of others have been prevented from travelling during the Chinese New Year holidays. And of course more than 600 Australians are trapped in Hubei province, awaiting evacuation. Passengers from Wuhan arrive at Sydney Airport on the last flight out of the city last week. Credit: Janie Barrett For students threatened by a deadly and fast-spreading virus, classes may be the last thing on their minds. But university administrators are running scared. The University of NSW has been hit by a student infection and the academic year hasn't even started. With more than 30,000 Chinese students due to arrive soon at Sydney and UNSW, and another 8000 or so at UTS (none of the universities publish exact numbers), the threat of a public health crisis is real, but manageable. Universities can closely monitor classes and dormitories. Infected students can be quarantined and treated. Much harder to manage will be the financial impact if 40,000 students simply don't show up. Chinese students account for more than 10 per cent of total revenue at many Australian universities, and more than 20 per cent at the University of Sydney and UNSW, according to my estimates published by the Centre for Independent Studies last August. Revenue losses on that scale could be catastrophic. TOKYO, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Olive Oil Council (an institution belonging to the United Nations Organization dedicated to the olive tree and its products) estimates that for the period 2019/2020 the consumption of olive oils will grow by 6.4% worldwide, reaching more than three million tons. These figures confirm the unstoppable progress of the consumption of this product. During the first nine months of 2019 Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan imported around 108,000 tons of olive oil, mostly with European Union origin. It is worth mentioning that Greece, the largest consumer per capita in the world, consumes around 125,000 tonnes per year. Japan stands out as the first consumer of olive oil in Asia. Up to September it had imported 53,890 tons of olive oil, 26.16% more than in the same period in 2018. The growing success of Spanish olive oils among Japanese consumers has played a major role in these spectacular figures. Spain exported 33,917 tons to Japan, 35.78% more than in the first nine months of 2018. This achievement placed oils from Spain with a 62.94% share over total imports, consolidating their leadership since 2014. This share has grown around 20 points during the last decade. Additionally, these outstanding figures endorse the important commitment that Olives Oil from Spain has made for this market, which has materialised in an ambitious promotional campaign, carried out in collaboration with the European Union and launched at the beginning of 2018. The Olive Oil World Tour (https://oliveoilworldtour.jp/) has been focused on Japan, with a series of activities that have been well received by the Japanese public: Promotional videos shown on digital billboards (March, October and November) Shown on the five digital billboards at the Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo . This programme reached a cumulative total of around 130 million passers-by. Shown on the five digital billboards at the Shibuya Crossing in . This programme reached a cumulative total of around 130 million passers-by. Booth at Haneda Airport (9-17 Oct.) Among other activities, introducing more than 300 types of extra virgin olive oil. This programme reached around 1.4 million booth visitors and passers-by. Among other activities, introducing more than 300 types of extra virgin olive oil. This programme reached around 1.4 million booth visitors and passers-by. Cooking show for the press (9 Oct.) Mr. Daisuke Nomura , Chef and Owner of acclaimed shojin restaurant Sougo in Roppongi, cooked an original Washoku menu incorporating extra virgin olive oil for the Japanese press, with the exposure translating to about 7.5 million viewers and readers. Mr. , Chef and Owner of acclaimed shojin restaurant Sougo in Roppongi, cooked an original Washoku menu incorporating extra virgin olive oil for the Japanese press, with the exposure translating to about 7.5 million viewers and readers. Original Washoku menu offered at Sougo (10-31 Oct.) This menu prepared by Mr. Nomura at his cooking show was made available at his restaurant, Sougo, for three weeks. The campaign website and social media accounts in Facebook and Instagram were also used alongside the above programmes to promote European olive oil. They provided a constant stream of related information including recipes and the health benefits of olive oil. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084183/Olive_Oil_World_Tour.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084184/Olive_Oil_Showcooking.jpg THEMATIC ISSUES Small Arms Expected Council Action In February, the Council will hold a briefing to consider the Secretary-Generals sixth biennial report on small arms, submitted in accordance with the presidential statement adopted on 29 June 2007, which requested a biennial report to the Council, beginning in 2008. Background and Recent Developments As a thematic issue, small arms was first considered by the Council in September 1999. However, the Councils attention to this issue has been somewhat inconsistent. It adopted six presidential statements on small arms between 1999 and 2007, but there were no discussions about the issue from 2008 to 2013 with the exception of a briefing in a closed meeting on the Secretary-Generals 2011 report on small arms. The Council adopted its first thematic resolution on small arms, resolution 2117, in September 2013. In it, the Council sought to strengthen its response to small arms-related threats to international peace and security. In May 2015, the Council adopted resolution 2220, which urged member states to enhance their cooperation in curtailing illicit arms transfers and the accumulation and misuse of small weapons while focusing on the effects of these activities on civilian populations. It emphasised the role of UN peacekeeping operations relating to arms embargoes and capacity-building for host governments, encouraged information-sharing and cooperation among relevant actors, and called on states to support weapons collection, disarmament, demobilisation, reintegration and stockpile management. The Secretary-Generals most recent report underscores that the destabilising accumulation, illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons continue to initiate, sustain and exacerbate armed conflict and pervasive crime. The report presents an overview of recent trends and developments, including the Secretary-Generals launch in May 2018 of a new disarmament agenda, Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament, which among other things calls for deeper efforts at the national level and the establishment of a new trust facility, the Saving Lives Entity fund, to support country-level work on this issue. The report also deals with how small arms issues can be constructively and effectively mainstreamed into the work of the Security Council. In this regard, it provides specific recommendations for ensuring that matters pertaining to small arms and light weapons and ammunition are effectively integrated into several thematic areas, namely the protection of civilians, peace operations, arms embargoes, women and peace and security, children and armed conflict, counter-terrorism, and transnational organised crime. The report concludes that [c]ompartmentalized treatment of the small arms and light weapons issue is not sufficient to address the seriousness and magnitude of the challenges. On 18 December 2017, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, briefed the Council on the Secretary-Generals fifth biennial report on the spread of small arms, light weapons and their ammunition. Women, Peace and Security The Secretary-Generals report on small arms and light weapons stresses that the women, peace and security agenda is most pertinent in integrating issues related to small arms and light weapons among the Councils overall agenda. The report further emphasises that the small arms and light weapons agenda should be included in all four of the main pillars of the women, peace and security agenda: protection, participation, prevention, and relief and recovery. As a possible starting point, the report suggests the inclusion of language about how small arms and light weapons facilitate acts of sexual and gender-based violence and, in relation to the participation aspect of the agenda, how they may impede the political participation of women in political processes. The Secretary-General also refers to resolution 2242 on women, peace and security, which encourages the empowerment of women to participate in the design and implementation of efforts related to the prevention, combating and eradication of the illicit transfer, and the destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons. The resolution further calls upon Member States, United Nations entities, intergovernmental, regional and subregional organizations [] to mitigate the risk of women from (sic) becoming active players in the illicit transfer of small arms and light weapons. In that context, the Secretary-General addresses the general need for effective small arms and light weapons policies to include a gender dimension. By way of example, he points out that because an insufficient number of women work in national security forces, together with traditional stereotyping, women and girlsout of choice or through forceare employed as arms smugglers as they do not undergo security screenings similar to men. In terms of member states engagement, the Secretary-General suggests the synchronisation of the women, peace and security national action plans with the small arms and light weapons national action plans. Issues and Options A key issue for the Council is the implementation of previous outcomes on small arms, most notably resolutions 2117 and 2220. Another key issue is considering the recommendations made in the Secretary-Generals report to more effectively integrate small arms and light weapons considerations into the Councils work, both thematically and in country-specific contexts. An option for the Council would be to adopt a resolution or presidential statement that would welcome the Secretary-Generals report and endorse some of its recommendations. Furthermore, the Council could request the Secretary-General to consistently integrate small-arms issues into all planning and review processes for UN operations at the earliest possible stage, address small-arms issues in all relevant reports, and provide further recommendations to the Council as appropriate. Council Dynamics Council dynamics on small arms tend to be complicated. This was particularly evident during the Councils negotiations on its two most prominent outcomes on this issue, resolutions 2117 and 2220. In the first attempt to pass a resolution on small arms, an initiative of then-Council member Argentina in 2006, the Council failed to adopt it because of strong objections by the US, which at the time argued that the issue was best dealt with in the General Assembly. When resolution 2117 was adopted in 2013 at the initiative of then-Council member Australia, Russia abstained, citing the omission of an amendment it had proposed aimed at preventing the transfer of small arms to non-state actors. When resolution 2220 was adopted in 2015, Russia and China abstained, along with then-Council members Angola, Chad, Nigeria and Venezuela. Once again, the core issue during negotiations was the transfer of small arms to non-state actors. Russia also objected to certain provisions of the resolution regarding the expansion of the power of specialised committees and UN missions in controlling the transfers of small arms, which Russia believes should be the sole responsibility of the government concerned. Another issue that tends to be contentious is any suggestion that the Council call on states to ratify or accede to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Among the current Council members, six have not joined the ATT: China, Indonesia, Russia, Tunisia, the US, and Viet Nam. (While the US is a signatory, it has not ratified or acceded to the ATT.) At the briefing on 18 December 2017, Russia referred to the ATT as a weak document that is not capable of fully enabling the implementation of its own provisions. The US expressed some concerns about the Secretary-Generals report, including on issues related to domestic misuse of small arms in non-conflict settings and references to the tracing of small-arms ammunition. UN DOCUMENTS ON SMALL ARMS BEIJING, Jan. 30 -- In recent days, many leaders of various countries and international organizations have spoken positively of and supported China's efforts to battle the novel coronavirus outbreak through letters and other means. First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba Raul Castro Ruz and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said that the rapid and vigorous measures taken by China have given them full confidence in the ability and wisdom of their Chinese friends. They expressed their belief that with its rich experience, China will overcome the epidemic, adding that Cuba stands ready to provide all assistance within its capacity to their Chinese brothers. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the Vietnamese people are very concerned about the present challenges confronting the Chinese people and share their feelings, adding that the great efforts made by the leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the government as well as the Chinese people to fight against the epidemic, and the spirit of international cooperation have contributed to protecting the health of people in the region and around the world. He believed that under the wise leadership of the CPC and with its experience in fighting Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), China will secure an early victory against the epidemic. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said that Cambodian students and diplomats studying and working in China should remain calm, and the Cambodian people will work with the Chinese people to overcome the epidemic and weather the hard times together, adding that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that the strong measures taken by China have fully demonstrated the determination and confidence of the Chinese government in preventing and controlling the epidemic. Sri Lankan Prime Minster Mahinda Rajapaksa commended China for helping Sri Lankan students in Wuhan during difficult times, adding that Sri Lanka will work with China to deal with the epidemic. South Korean President Moon Jae-in spoke positively of the Chinese government's efforts to deal with the epidemic and expressed his belief that the epidemic will be brought under control at an early date, adding that South Korea stands ready to do its best to support and cooperate with China. U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States appreciates China's efforts and transparency in preventing and controlling the epidemic, adding that the U.S. side is in close communication with China on the issue and is willing to provide necessary assistance. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison highly commended the measures taken by the Chinese government to combat the epidemic, adding that Australia looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in this regard to jointly tackle the epidemic. Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno spoke highly of the Chinese government's timely and proactive measures and transparency in controlling the epidemic. He thanked China for helping Ecuadorian citizens in China and said that all Ecuadorian people hope the epidemic will subside soon. Other leaders, including Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Comorian President Azali Assoumani, President of Senegal Macky Sall, President of Central Africa Republic Faustin-Archange Touadera, and Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Keith Christopher Rowley, praised China's efficient and effective measures to prevent and control the epidemic, and believed that the great Chinese people are fully capable of overcoming it. United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations stands firmly with the Chinese government and people, has full confidence in China's ability to prevent and control the outbreak, and is willing to provide China with all possible support and assistance. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that China's approach reflects openness, transparency and international cooperation. Noting that the Chinese government is doing its best every day to protect the Chinese people not only for its own sake but also for the world's, he said that China deserves the international community's gratitude and respect. He added that China needs the world's solidarity and support. Vast Resources plc / Ticker: VAST / Index: AIM / Sector: Mining 31 January 2020 Vast Resources plc (Vast or the Company) Completion of Tranche 1 Atlas Capital Markets Drawdown Vast Resources plc, the AIM-listed mining company, is pleased to announce that the Tranche 1 drawdown process of the Atlas Capital Markets Ltd adjoined with Atlas Special Opportunities LLC (jointly Atlas) facility under the Bond Issue Deed announced on 24 October 2019 has been completed and that confirmation of payment has now been received. The par value of the Bond is US$7,101,947 providing net cash proceeds before costs of US$6,391,752. As part of the transaction, the Company has executed a tripartite intercreditor agreement (ICA) with Mercuria Energy Trading SA (Mercuria) and Atlas. The main terms of the ICA are as follows: Upon completion of the Conditions Precedent (CPs), Mercuria will agree to a standstill period for the duration of the Atlas facility subject to certain terms and conditions. Full repayment of balance of debt to Sub-Sahara Goldia Investments (SSGI) and release of security following payment to SSGI of US$1,000,000 out of drawdown of Tranche 1. $1,000,000 cash payment to Mercuria upon drawdown of Tranche 1. Subject to certain terms and conditions and completion of CPs the remaining principal and interest, fees and costs accrued on the remaining existing Mercuria Tranche A facility will be recovered from future cash flow. Offtake agreements will remain with Mercuria. It should be noted that AP Mining Group Ltd, the owner of a 20% interest in Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine (Baita Plai) in Romania, is a party to the ICA and has pledged its 20% interest in Baita Plai. The Directors of Vast who own shares in the Company have also executed a Share Escrow Agreement with Atlas whereby the Directors are offering, for no monetary reward, substantially the whole of their personal shareholdings in the Company, amounting in aggregate to 143,140,500 shares (Shares), as guarantees for certain of the Companys obligations under the Bond Issue Deed together with the achievement of certain milestones. The Shares will be released back to the Directors upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. Atlas have agreed that the Shares will remain in the beneficial ownership of the Director concerned and they will not in any circumstances deal in or encumber the Shares in any way during the escrow period. Details of the individual participations in the form of PDMR disclosures are set out in the Appendix below Andrew Prelea, CEO of Vast Resources PLC, commented: We are pleased that Tranche 1 of the Atlas Capital Markets facility has been achieved and with the opportunity that this unlocks. The Board of Directors and Management have worked extremely hard restructuring the Company in order to get to this point which gives the Company a clear path to production at the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine. We look forward to updating the market, as and when, on our progress at Baita Plai. **ENDS** For further information, visit www.vastplc.com or please contact: Vast Resources plc Andrew Prelea (Chief Executive Officer) Andrew Hall www.vastplc.com +44 (0) 1491 615 232 Beaumont Cornish - Financial & Nominated Adviser Roland Cornish James Biddle www.beaumontcornish.com +44 (0) 020 7628 3396 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Broker Richard Morrison Caroline Rowe www.spangel.co.uk +44 (0) 20 3470 0470 Blytheweigh Tim Blythe Megan Ray www.blytheweigh.com +44 (0) 20 7138 3204 The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). ABOUT VAST RESOURCES PLC Vast Resources plc, is an AIM listed mining company with mining and exploration interests in Romania and Zimbabwe focused on the rapid advancement of high quality brownfield projects by recommencing production at previously producing mines in Romania and commencement of the joint venture mining agreement on the Chiadzwa Community Concession Block of the Chiadzwa Diamond Fields in Zimbabwe. The Companys portfolio includes an 80% interest in the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania, where work is now currently underway towards developing and recommissioning the mine and the Community Concession Block in Chiadzwa, Zimbabwe. Vast Resources owns the Manaila Polymetallic Mine in Romania, which was commissioned in 2015, currently on care and maintenance. APPENDIX The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation, provides further detail in respect of the arrangements with Directors as described above. DIRECTOR/PDMR DISCLOSURES 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Roy Clifford Tucker 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Director b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Vast Resources plc b) LEI 213800QXLO766CMGCQ60 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Vast Resources plc (Vast Shares) Nature of the transaction Roy Tucker has placed into Escrow 66,925,587 shares as a guarantee for certain of the Companys obligations and milestones under a Bond Issue Deed signed by the Company which will be released back upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. The shares remain in the beneficial ownership of Roy Tucker. The market value of the shares at a current price of 0.28p is 187,391.64. c) Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.28 pence 66,925,587 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 29 January 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Richard Andrew Prelea 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Chief Executive Officer b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Vast Resources plc b) LEI 213800QXLO766CMGCQ60 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Vast Resources plc (Vast Shares) Nature of the transaction Andrew Prelea, Director, has placed into Escrow 43,179,476 shares as a guarantee for certain of the Companys obligations and milestones under a Bond Issue Deed signed by the Company which will be released back upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. The shares remain in the beneficial ownership of Andrew Prelea. The market value of the shares at a current price of 0.28p is 120,902.53. c) Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.28 pence 43,179,476 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 29 January 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Brian Michael Moritz 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Chairman b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Vast Resources plc b) LEI 213800QXLO766CMGCQ60 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Vast Resources plc (Vast Shares) Nature of the transaction Brian Moritz, Director, has placed into Escrow 10,000,000 shares as a guarantee for certain of the Companys obligations and milestones under a Bond Issue Deed signed by the Company which will be released back upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. The shares remain in the beneficial ownership of Brian Moritz. The market value of the shares at a current price of 0.28p is 28,000.00. c) Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.28 pence 10,000,000 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 29 January 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Paul Edward Fletcher 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Finance Director b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Vast Resources plc b) LEI 213800QXLO766CMGCQ60 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Vast Resources plc (Vast Shares) Nature of the transaction Paul Fletcher, Director, has placed into Escrow 17,381,437 shares as a guarantee for certain of the Companys obligations and milestones under a Bond Issue Deed signed by the Company which will be released back upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. The shares remain in the beneficial ownership of Paul Fletcher. The market value of the shares at a current price of 0.28p is 48,668.02. c) Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.28 pence 17,381,437 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 29 January 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market 1 Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Craig James Harvey 2 Reason for notification a) Position / status Chief Operating Officer b) Initial notification /Amendment Initial 3 Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Vast Resources plc b) LEI 213800QXLO766CMGCQ60 4 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code Ordinary shares of 0.1 pence each in Vast Resources plc (Vast Shares) Nature of the transaction Craig Harvey, Director, has placed into Escrow 5,650,000 shares as a guarantee for certain of the Companys obligations and milestones under a Bond Issue Deed signed by the Company which will be released back upon the achievement of these obligations and milestones. The shares remain in the beneficial ownership of Craig Harvey. The market value of the shares at a current price of 0.28p is 15,820.00. c) Price(s) and volumes(s) Price(s) Volumes(s) 0.28 pence 5,650,000 d) Aggregated information n/a e) Date of the transaction 29 January 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market Attachment John Kelly, the former chief of staff to Donald Trump, said any kind of impeachment hearing without witnesses is 'half a trial.' His remarks come as senators are hearing arguments for and against calling additional witnesses, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton. 'In my view, they kind of leave themselves open to a lot of criticism,' Kelly told NJ Advance Media of the lawmakers. 'It seems it was half a trial,' he noted. John Kelly, the former chief of staff to Donald Trump, said any kind of impeachment hearing without witnesses is 'half a trial' John Kelly said the Senate would do a disservice without hearing from witnesses 'If I was advising the United States Senate, I would say, 'If you don't respond to 75 percent of the American voters and have witnesses, it's a job only half done,' he said. 'You open yourself up forever as a Senate that shirks its responsibilities.' Kelly also said he believed Bolton's assertion that President Trump withheld U.S. aid to Ukraine to pressure that government into investigating Joe and Hunter Biden. And new revelations out from Bolton's book on Friday, reported in the New York Times, claim Trump told Bolton in early May of last year to help his campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. If true the timing indicates Trump was concerned about the Ukraine months before his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky but after Joe Biden entered the presidential race in April of 2019. Bolton, who made the claims in an unpublished book reported by the New York Times, was 'a copious note taker' and was 'an honest guy and an honorable guy,' Kelly told the New Jersey news website. Kelly, a retired Marine Corps General, served as White House chief of staff from July 2017 to the end of 2018. The latest details from Bolton's forthcoming memoir - 'In the Room Where It Happened' - come as Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she is a 'no' on calling witnesses, hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he would vote against calling them. Their decision indicates Republicans have the votes to block Democrats' wish to call Bolton to testify. Joh Kelly said he believes the claims made by former National Security Adviser John Bolton in his book Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said Friday she would vote no on calling additional witnesses in President Trump's trial That left just two Republicans saying they would vote for witnesses Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Bolton, who has written a book that the White House National Security Council has told him not to publish for classification reasons, describes an Oval Office meeting where Trump gave the instruction. Also present was White House counsel Pat Cipollone who has been leading Trump's defense. Also there was Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Bolton writes. Mulvaney is the other senior figure Democrats have been demanding be called as a witness after he was implicated in emails as potentially having knowledge of holding up military aide for investigations, which Mulvaney denies. Democratic impeachment managers have relentlessly played a public statement Mulvaney made to White House reporters, when he acknowledged a quid pro quo and said it happens 'all the time' in foreign policy, only to walk back the statement. According to the Times story on the manuscript, which Bolton has submitted to the National Security Counsel for classification review, Trump told Bolton to talk to the then-new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky to get him to meet with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani has been zealously heading a months-long investigation to dig up information on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine. Bolton says he never made the call Trump was seeking. President Trump issued an immediate denial. 'I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened,' he said. Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she would support the call for more witnesses Republican Senator Mitt Romney said he would vote for calling more witnesses Giuliani told the Times Bolton was making up 'some' of the information, and stopped short of an outright denial while labeling him a 'scumbag.' 'I think he's making some of it up. He's sure making up I wouldn't call it making it up, but he's acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, and then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something,' he said. 'Let's put John Bolton under oath. Let's find out who's telling the Truth,' said House manager Rep. Adam Schiff in floor debate on witnesses Friday. Trump made the request for an investigation into the Bidens in an infamous July 25 call that the president calls 'perfect.' Giuliani is quoted in the initial Times story calling the account 'categorically untrue,' and he and Mulvaney and weren't around for Ukraine meetings. The latest bombshell comes as the Senate met Friday to hear arguments on the witness question. Shortly before they gathered, Murkowski issued a statement against the motion, calling the impeachment 'partisan.' She put it out minutes after the report on Bolton's account that Trump directed him to push Ukraine on investigations. 'The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena,' Murkowski she said. 'Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed.' INDEPENDENCE With just days to go until the first state chooses its partys nominee for president, Pete Buttigieg made the case for why he should be Iowa Democrats pick Monday night. Its extraordinary to think were just four days away from the Iowa caucuses after more than a year of campaigning, Buttigieg told a crowd of 182 at the Heartland Acres Agribition Center in Independence on Thursday afternoon. I think a lot of us most of us think we can do better than the guy in the White House right now. Currently polling at an average of third place behind both U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden Buttigieg sought to frame himself as more moderate and unifying than Sanders and, at the same time, a Washington outsider who wont go back to the same playbook like Biden. What we need in order to win, and what we need in order to govern, is to unify the country and a president to guide us to get these big things done, he said. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was polling at an average of 15.8% as of Thursday, according to RealClearPolitics. Sanders is at an average of 23.8%, with Biden at 20.2% and U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 14.6%. Politics is not about who got the best zinger off on the debate stage, and it is not about the ups and downs in the polls, Buttigieg said. Instead, he stressed, it was about unifying the country. I went through three Republican governors and found a way to work with all three of them, and I think thats what Americans expect of Washington, Buttigieg said. And so the whole challenge of this election is to get to where Washington meets our expectations, and part of that is sending in someone who hasnt been there. Joseph Shea, a high school student from West Union, was on his way to a college visit in Chicago with his mother when they decided to stop off to see Buttigieg. Shea will be old enough to vote in November and asked Buttigieg about his plans to combat the climate crisis. As the youngest presidential candidate, I take this very personally, Buttigieg said, outlining his plans for the country to go carbon neutral by 2050, adding 3 million new green jobs and a volunteer Climate Corps, and funding new regulations on farmers to help in the effort. We need to think about it as a matter of pride. Shea said after the event he was initially torn between Buttigieg and candidate Andrew Yang, but said hell probably now caucus for Buttigieg. I feel like the things he wants to do are a lot more realistic, he said, noting Buttigiegs stances on issues also align more with what I believe. Dave Mueller of Quasqueton, a U.S. Navy veteran who served two tours in Vietnam in the late 1960s, said it was the first time hed seen Buttigieg in person. It was enough to convince him to caucus for Buttigieg, a fellow veteran. Hes one of the only veterans running for office, and hes also a young man with a lot of drive, Mueller said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. There is great arrogance in Fine Gael claiming success in the Brexit negotiations, the Labour party leader Brendan Howlin has said. "The success of the Irish negotiations was down to the civil service team," he told RTE radios Today with Sean ORourke show. All politicians wore the green jersey. Mr Howlin dismissed opinion polls that placed the Labour party at 4%. He said the party had achieved 10 % in the recent by elections. "The opinion polls were not reflecting what was happening on the ground," he said. Im very optimistic that were going to have a good result. The Labour party was setting housing and health as priorities as they wanted to be forensic about spending. Child care was an important issue and 60m would be allocated to that. "The Sinn Fein manifesto just did not add up," he said. "The Labour partys plan for taxes is to index them as would social welfare payments. "Labour would implement Slaintecare and the embargo on appointing nurses must end," he added. Mr Howlin said there was not much difference between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, but Fine Gael was even more reckless when it came to taxes. SharingStories then organised a team of sound, film and visual artists and producers to work with the children under the guidance of elders. The kids were taught the digital skills to make the content and a year later SharingStories artist facilitators returned to help them edit and finish production. Atkinson said what moved her most was seeing the kids being proud of what they were doing and their culture and not being shy or ashamed but proud to talk together with our community elders. Anne Atkinson with her father at the Murray River (Dunggula) near Cummeragunja Mission, where many Bangerang people lived. Credit:SharingStories Foundation The elders were very happy that the story was continuing in our area for our people and with the Bangerang language that was being lost. Now with this story it has come alive again, she said. Daen Sansbury-Smith, Victorian program manager for SharingStories, said Aboriginal communities have always adapted their cultural expressions to the times. Back in the '70s, elders were saying we need to paint on canvas to save and protect our songlines and our stories. Back then painting with acrylic on a square canvas was modern. Now the elders are saying this is the way forward. The process also benefits the schools. SharingStories founder and CEO Dr Liz Thompson said: We help teachers understand how to get custodians into the classroom and how to get children out on country. The community sees the school valuing culture. Its a place that respects their culture. That builds trust between schools and the communities that they serve. The foundation works with communities as far-flung as Warburton in Western Australia, the Kimberley and Arnhem Land as well as eight communities in Victoria, with two more - the Yuin and Bidwell communities in south-east NSW - to commence programs this year. Since it was founded in 2011, the foundation has co-produced 15 bilingual touch books, including the Wurundjeri creation story of Birrarung (the Yarra River), and seven new digital touch books will be launched in 2020, including the Dunggula story. The evolution of story Aboriginal culture is rooted in story and stories have always been enacted in many art forms - song, dance, pattern and ceremony. The multimedia touch books combine old and new arts and media - song, dance, claymation, shadow screen performance, Photoshop and Garage Band, for example - to add layers to stories that have always been multidimensional. Sometimes elders and adults help children illustrate the stories. The story of the Giant Green Sea Turtle, from the Liya Dhalinymirr people in East Arnhem Land, was illustrated by a senior man using traditional cross-hatching paintings. Now they are being animated. Digital content often integrates drone footage, photographs, traditional imagery and songs relating to important sites. Apps use augmented reality to show users elements of traditional story and key sites as they walk through country. Liya Dhalinymirr community members in East Arnhem Land dancing the Hermit Crab dance for a SharingStories touch book about Mukarr, the Giant Green Sea Turtle. Credit:Liz Thompson One remarkable animation, Wati Kutjarra and Tjintjintji at Nyirrnyirrpungu (Two Men and the Bat People at Nyirrnyirrpungu), superimposes silhouetted dancers moving across a traditional dot painting. All culture is fluid, said Tim Goodwin, co-chair of SharingStories, barrister and member of the Yuin community in south-east NSW. Theres no sense that Aboriginality or our cultural expression is a concept that is frozen in time. And [our digital formats] still incorporate all those ancient traditions of painting and art, dance and language that are the bases of storytelling. To think that one Aboriginal person holds everything is wrong, said Sansbury-Smith. Because there are storytellers, there are song people and visual artists ... everyone has their role. When we go to communities we always ask who can guide the students best in relation to the multiple art forms that are explored. Every program is driven by the community and choices of content, story and images are guided by elders. Annie Nayina Milgin, senior Nyikina cultural custodian, directing a drone in the Kimberley as part of research into the story of Woonyoomboo the Night Heron. Credit:SharingStories Foundation Stories have grown, from 12 to 85-page digital touch books, because each time theres a journey on country and groups of elders together, they recall fragments of stories that are pieced together, said Thompson, who has helped Indigenous people publish their stories for over 30 years. That term used now about awakening sleeping languages is accurate about stories, because they are also laying there. Thats why its so important to facilitate those experiences and journeys because ... if [the story] is not catalysed and recalled and recorded, if the sites arent located while custodians are able to, then a lot of that knowledge could be lost. Children at St Georges Road Primary School in Shepparton making a mosaic from the painting they created for the Dunggula digital touch book. Credit:Emma Solofa Gunyuk yama wuta yenbena yakapna malnha damanmy, gona yurratha ganya Baiami ngarrnhang. Gunyuk asked for all the tribes to sing and dance to the sky, hoping Baiami would hear. Every SharingStories digital touch book is recorded in traditional language and English and the foundation works with a linguist and/or community language worker to ensure translation is accurate. Many of the languages the foundation works with are on the UNESCO endangered languages list. The Bangerang language has not been spoken widely since missions banned people from speaking it 100 years ago. But Kobe Atkinson, now 21, narrated the Dunggula story in Bangerang for the digital touch book and the project inspired him to work with his cousin Roland Atkinson and the Bangerang Nation Language Circle to finish a 700-word dictionary of Bangerang language, to be published later this year. The SharingStories program provided motivation to bring the language back, Kobe Atkinson said. We have grown up with a few words, but not speaking the language. So to know my kids and their grandkids and the whole Bangerang nation will grow up with language is everything. Cyril Dhambutjawa Bukulatjpi taking part in a SharingStories program on Elcho Island, Northern Territory. Credit:Liz Thompson He gave a welcome to country at a community event recently and said aunties cried when they heard it spoken in traditional language. Bangerang means people of the tall trees. The dictionary and the touch book are fitting tributes to Dunggula story custodian, the late John Uncle Sandy Atkinson, who sadly died before the book was finished. Atkinson founded the Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages 25 years ago to help revive Aboriginal languages. SharingStories will return to help produce more language resources with his community later this year. Every community program produces 10 to 20 hours of teacher resources as well as the digital content. The foundation is building an online education portal to be launched later this year, so resources approved by communities can be shared with schools and teachers around Australia. Funding comes from federal government Indigenous Languages and Arts, the Australia Council and various philanthropic organisations and is mostly tied to programs. SharingStories would like funding for First Nations managers and to expand the education and culture portal, Thompson said. Goodwin said the first stage for SharingStories is to impart skills to help communities keep recording their stories and the next stage is to share education resources approved by communities with all Australians. The stories inhabit this place we call home. Thats why its important for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to know them, he said. Feeling satisfied that the country was no longer thirsty, Gunyuk lay down on the banks of Lake Alexandrina. Her baka (dog) played along the beach and kicked sand up ... forming enormous hills, now known as the Adelaide Hills. KYODO NEWS - Jan 31, 2020 - 23:11 | All, Japan, Coronavirus TOKYO - The government said Friday that Japan will bar foreign nationals who visited China's Hubei Province from entering the country as an additional precautionary step to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus from Wuhan, the province's capital. The emergency measure, effective Saturday, covers foreigners who stayed in the province within two weeks prior to their arrival in Japan even if they do not show symptoms. The government will also prohibit holders of Chinese passports issued in Hubei from entering the country in principle. The steps, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said will be in place "for the time being," come on top of Tokyo's decision not to allow foreign nationals infected with the virus to enter the country. Japan has been battling to contain the pneumonia-causing virus as the number of infections continues to rise in the country and over 560 Japanese nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan on government-charter flights. The government raised caution following some cases where people were found to be infected but are showing no symptoms. "We need to make our steps to prevent (the spread) more effectively," Abe said at a meeting of government officials who discussed how to respond to the deadly virus. The total number of people infected with the virus in Japan, including foreign nationals, has risen to 17 including four without symptoms such as fever and coughing, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. The Foreign Ministry raised its travel advisory for all of China to level 2 on Friday, warning its nationals to avoid "nonessential" trips after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak spreading from Wuhan a global emergency. (Tourists wear masks in Kyoto on Jan. 30, 2020, amid the spreading coronavirus.) The United States has similarly raised its travel alert for China to the highest level, urging its citizens not to visit the country. Japan has already raised the advisory for Hubei to level 3 or "avoid all travel" as the death toll topped 200 and the number of people infected with the virus has eclipsed 9,800 in China. Japanese nationals in China were also advised to consider returning home amid prospects that travel restrictions in Wuhan could be extended to other parts of the country. Following the decision, travel agency JTB Corp. announced it will cancel all package tours to China, including Hong Kong and Macao, in February. Japan brought back an additional 149 nationals from the central Chinese city on a third government-chartered flight in the morning. Of them, 25 were taken to hospital, according to the government. It followed the return of more than 400 Japanese on two flights earlier this week, as several other countries, including Britain, South Korea and the United States, also sent planes to pull people out of the city that has been placed under a virtual lockdown since last week. As some of the earlier returnees tested positive for the virus despite having no symptoms, the Japanese government will monitor the health of all returnees for up to two weeks. The government is expected to send a fourth chartered flight next week for some 140 people still in Wuhan and nearby areas wishing to return to Japan. It has decided to shoulder the cost of the flights, reversing its earlier stance to make the returnees pay 80,000 yen ($735) each. As part of emergency steps, Japan will put into effect on Saturday an ordinance that allows it to forcibly hospitalize those infected with the virus and bar them from working. The ordinance was scheduled to enter into force on Feb. 7, but the government decided to bring it forward in the face of the WHO's emergency declaration. Friday's returnees from Wuhan will stay at the National Institute of Public Health in Wako, Saitama Prefecture, and the Customs Training Institute in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, both near Tokyo, according to the government. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Taro Kono said the government is considering using a private ferry as temporary accommodation for the returnees, based on his ministry's contract with the operator of the vessel that enables its use for activities of the Self-Defense Forces. Related coverage: WHO declares int'l emergency as coronavirus spreads globally U.S. OKs some diplomatic mission employees in China to evacuate Japan PM Abe calls for Taiwan's participation in WHO as coronavirus spreads Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui also said nobody should underestimate Pakistan's resolve to effectively thwart any aspiration of aggression against country Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday claimed that India is making "desperate attempts" to divert attention from the domestic and international criticism of the government's policies. Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui also said that nobody should underestimate Pakistan's resolve to effectively thwart any aspiration of aggression against the country. She urged the international community to take cognizance of the situation in Kashmir and said Pakistan is effectively raising the issue at the international level. "Our missions abroad have also prepared a comprehensive plan to fully observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day (5 February) and draw world attention to the dispute," she said. She also said that all measures were being taken for the assistance, safety and welfare of Pakistanis in China after the outbreak of coronavirus that has killed 170 people and infected 7,711 others. "Our embassy and consulates in China have reached out to all the Pakistani students. We are also in touch with the Chinese officials who have assured us about the safety and wellbeing of our nationals," she said. Pakistan on Wednesday said that four of its students have been infected with the coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. Farooqui said that the prime minister has setup a high powered committee to constantly monitor the situation emerging from the outbreak of the virus. The German police extradited a 57-year-old German and a 44-year-old Croatian to Luxembourg. A European arrest warrant had been issued against the two men for property crime. The Head of Technical Operation of the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company, Mr. William Tetteh has advised the public to be mindful of the quality of their cylinders to ensure safety. He explained that every cylinder comes with its serial number and the company which manufactured it. According to him the Ghana Cylinder Manufacturing Company undertakes remodeling of old cylinders instead of swapping it for users. He said, every cylinder has its own lifespan of 10 years of continuous use, where it can be remodeled for additional five year usage. Speaking with Peace FM's News reporter Erica Eyifah, Mr. William Tetteh explained that they take the cylinders through a process before they advise customers on whether to remodel or buy a new one, according to the Ghana standard authority certified billing. Mr. William Tetteh stressed that, every cylinder has its own maximum capacity to be filled and must not exceed its limit. Also on his side, the Assistant Director of Safety at Ghana National Fire Service Headquarters; Mr. Michael Ato Korsah advised the general public not to fill their cylinders above the maximum capacity. He urged Ghanaians to avoid indoor storage of gas cylinders. He said whether full or half empty, Gas cylinders should be kept upright at all times in a well-ventilated area. Store gas cylinders away from ignition sources such as open flame, or heat, he said. He noted again that cylinders must be kept at least 20 feet from combustible materials in a dry, ventilated place. However, a gas cylinder sprayer, Abdul Rashid also in an interview with Erica Eyifah, said, he usually advises his customers to buy a new cylinder rather than repair the old one if it is damaged. Source: Erica Eyifah/Peace News 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 Delhi High Court on Friday set aside a single judge's order restraining e-commerce majors like Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal from selling health and beauty products of direct sellers -- Amway, Modicare and Oriflame -- without their consent. A bench of justices S Muralidhar and Talwant Singh quashed the July 8, 2019, interim order of the single judge, saying no case was made out for providing such a relief to the direct selling entities (DSEs). The court also imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the direct sellers to be paid to the e-commerce platforms in each of their six appeals. The e-commerce majors, represented by senior advocate Gurukrishna Kumar and advocates Saikrishna Rajgopal and Rajshekhar Rao, had contended in their appeals that the single judge gave broad findings on issues which were not raised in the suits filed by the DSEs. The single judge, Justice Prathiba M Singh, in her order, had observed that the goods of the DSEs being sold by the e-commerce giants had inflated MRPs and were tampered with, and that expired products were being given new manufacturing dates. Justice Singh had also observed that the e-commerce majors have the obligation to maintain sanctity of the contracts and should not encourage or induce a breach. Disagreeing with the Singh's decision, the division bench said that "many issues on which findings were returned are of a nature which necessitate evidence to be led by the parties and the matter having to go for trial to test the veracity of the cases of the respective parties". "In fact, the issues that have been framed in the impugned judgment for the purposes of relief appear to travel far beyond the pleadings in the suits and, in fact, at a stage when the issues in the suits themselves are yet to be framed." The bench further said that the single judge took into account submission on behalf of the Union of India when it was not even a party to the suits. "These are suits governed by the Civil Procedure Code. The procedure adopted by the learned single judge in requiring the additional solicitor general to address arguments on behalf of the Union of India at an interlocutory stage, without it being party to the suits themselves, was, therefore, untenable," the court said. The bench also disagreed with the single judge's finding that the direct selling guidelines (DSGs) were binding law to be followed by the DSEs as well as the e-commerce majors. It said,"The DSGs are not meant to be treated as laws... It was only to be a model framework and advisory in nature. It was for the state governments to adopt it into a law." The bench said that "there was no occasion" for the single judge to, at the stage of considering applications for interim injunction, return a conclusive finding that Amazon was a massive facilitator and plays an active role in the sales process. "These are too sweeping and definitive a set of findings which have to be properly rendered at the conclusion of the trial. Here again there is prima facie merit in Amazon's contention that merely because it packs and ships the product does not mean that the sale is consummated by Amazon," the court said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Proposed religious discrimination laws could put businesses in a "perilous" and "very expensive" position as they try to balance the rights of religious and non-religious employees. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's concerns come as doctors push back on the draft bill's conscientious objection provisions, with the Australian Medical Association warning they could cause "serious confusion in the real world". The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says elements of the Morrison government's religious discrimination bill will be "perilous" for business. Credit:AAP As submissions to the second draft of the Morrison government's religious discrimination bill closed on Friday, ACCI said the "statements of belief" provisions potentially created "a serious issue for employers". Under the proposed laws, it would not be considered discrimination under any Australian anti-discrimination law for "merely expressing ... genuinely held religious beliefs in good faith". National carrier Air India is all set to undertake one of the riskiest yet critical missions by it in recent times when it flies to China on Friday. The Air India B747 which has a seating capacity of 423 passengers will take off from Mumbai and will make a stop in Delhi before it flies to Wuhan. "The B747 plane is all set to depart from Delhi at 12.30 pm. It came from Mumbai on Friday morning only," said a senior airline official told PTI. There are some 325 Indian citizens who are stranded in Wuhan, the city worst hit by the Coronavirus outbreak. "Only Air India has wide-body aircraft and so we can operate a special flight with a B747. We are awaiting directions from the government," an airline official had said earlier. With the risk of flying passengers who could possibly be infected, Air India which has an incredible track record of evacuations is not taking any chances. The flight took a stopover in Delhi on Friday morning to load medical kits and other essentials like disinfectant sprays, masks and gloves. Also onboard are two doctors and engineers. The crew will remain inside the aircraft while it is in Wuhan airport and won't be even stepping out to prevent any chances of getting infected. AFP Only passengers who do not show any symptoms of the infection will be allowed to board the flight. Once inside the flight, items like food and drinks will already be placed on the seats to avoid any unnecessary contact with the passengers. The passengers who will arrive in India after a six-hour flight will be allowed to go home after quarantine procedures at the airport. Indian nationals who will be evacuated from Wuhan will be kept in quarantine for 14 days. Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the embassy in Beijing is in close touch with all Indians in Wuhan and elsewhere in Hubei province. "We have begun the process to prepare for evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of Corona-2019 virus outbreak in Hubei Province, China," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs said on Twitter. AFP India had also launched a helpline at +91-11-23978046 for any technical queries on the coronavirus. The government has asked its citizens to avoid travel to China unless absolutely essential. Passengers coming from China and Hong Kong are being subjected to thermal screening at seven Indian airports to detect any signs of the respiratory virus. ROME, N.Y. Congressman Anthony Brindisi stopped by Copper City Community Connection in Rome Friday to discuss his Gray New Deal, a plan that prioritizes policies that protect older Americans. Brindisi says the Gray New Deal policies will allow seniors to retire with some financial security. This Gray New Deal is black and white. There are people in Washington that want to gut programs older Americans here in New York need to pay the bills, buy the groceries or afford elder care, said Brindisi. The Gray New Deal will serve as a new agenda in Congress and let Washington politicians know that they cant balance the budget on the backs of older Americans. Brindisi outlined his agenda including his plan to protect Social Security and Medicare. Residents of the 22nd Congressional district receive more than $2.5 million in earned Social Security benefits every year and more than 117,000 people are enrolled in Medicare Part D. Strengthening and protecting Social Security and Medicare, bringing down health care costs, expanding caregiver benefits, and defending seniors from scams and fraud is something everyone should be able to get behind, said Brindisi. He believes seniors should reap the benefits of programs theyve contributed to for many years. Older Americans have paid into these programs all their lives and I will fight to stop Washington politicians from trying to pull the financial rug out from under them, he added. Read the full Gray New Deal below: An Alabama mother and her male friend have been arrested on manslaughter charges after police say the woman's two-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself inside a motel room. Dynesha Harris, 29, and Tony Fowler, 25, were both charged after the shooting in Mobile on Thursday morning. Police were called to the Red Roof Inn around 8.25am after reports of a shooting. Scroll down for video Dynesha Harris, 29 (left), and her male companion Tony Fowler, 25 (right), have both been charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of Harris' toddler son, Corey Davis J Police in Alabama believe the two-year-old boy (pictured) was left alone when he found a loaded gun inside a motel room and accidentally shot himself to death Upon arrival, officers were unable to locate the victim. A short time later, police got a call that a two-year-old boy had just been brought to the hospital suffering from a gunshot wound. The child, identified as Corey Davis Jr, later died from his injuries. Detectives believe that the toddler was left alone in the room with the loaded gun and accidentally shot himself. Police responded to the Red Roof Inn at 1 East I-65 Service Road in Mobile on Thursday for a report of a shooting Witnesses at the motel reported hearing Harris yell 'call the police' and seeing her running half-naked and covered in blood Guests at the motel reported to NBC15 hearing Harris frantically yell 'call the police' and seeing her running half-naked and covered in blood with her dying son in her arms. Harris was released from jail less than five hours after her arrest after posting $7,500 bond, according to news outlets. Fowler was reportedly still in jail as of Friday morning. He was also charged with marijuana possession and had four outstanding arrests warrants. Police did not say what his relationship with the mother was. Bahrain Bourse (BHB) held an awareness workshop for the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship (BAE) award winners to showcase the opportunities available for scale-ups seeking growth capital to list on the Bahrain Investment Market (BIM). This came as part of BHBs participation and support of the 4th edition of the Bahrains Award for Entrepreneurship that was held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Chairman of the Economic Development Board and organized by Bahrains Labour Fund (Tamkeen). The winners of the seven categories were congratulated by BHB CEO Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa. They were introduced to the Bahrain Investment Market, an innovative equity market designed specifically to offer fast-growing companies an alternative cost and time-effective means for raising capital. The workshop highlighted the benefits of listing on the BIM and outlined the process of listing and registration. Through the Bahrain Investment Market Workshop, we aim to present a unique opportunity of capital growth for the award winners and support potential scale-ups to further explore listing on the Bahrain Investment Market, BHB CEO said. The seven categories winners which included: Doctori Online Services founded by Ahmed Abdulhameed Alawadhi and Ahmed Wafeeq Mahmood winners of Micro-Enterprise of the Year, Shepherd Design Studio Co WLL founded by Rashed AlAraifi, Ahmed AlMannai and Abdulla Binhindi winners of Start-Up of the Year, LalaBella Events founded by Nahla Almahmood winner of SME of the Year, Kalaam Telecom Bahrain B.S.C founded by Nezar Al Saie winner of Enterprise of the Year with International Footprint, All Food for Food Stuff founded by Mohamed Abdulaal winner of Sustainability in Business Award, Clever Play founded by Sh. Latifa Mohammed Al-Khalifa winner of Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and VillaMamas founded by Roaya Saleh winner of Global Enterprise of the Year. Bahrain Investment Market is an innovative equity market designed for fast-growing companies seeking growth capital. Currently, the BIMs network of authorized consulting firms includes Grant Thornton, KPMG, Key Point, BDO Consulting, SICO, and Almoayyad Chambers. Authorized sponsors provide support and guidance services to companies interested in listing on the BIM to ensure that listing and disclosure requirements are met. Bahrain Investment Market is supported by Tamkeens Business Development Program to extend support for growth businesses interested in listing on the BIM. Bahrain Bourse listed the first Global FinTech Company on the Bahrain Investment Market Sprinkle Holding BSC (closed) in December 2019. Zinedine Zidane has said he is "not contemplating" Gareth Bale leaving Real Madrid on Friday before the end of the January transfer window. Bale came close to joining Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning last summer and English newspaper the Times reported on Friday the Welshman was in talks to rejoin his former club Tottenham. But a source at Spurs has told AFP they are not in negotiations to sign Bale this month. Another source close to the player insisted earlier this week that "nothing has changed" and he would not be leaving Real Madrid in January. Asked about the possibility of Bale being sold on Friday, Zidane said in a press conference: "Gareth is with us, I'm counting on him. I do not contemplate this possibility." Bale was left out of the squad to face Real Zaragoza in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, having completed only one full training session following an ankle injury. Zidane would not say if he would return for the city derby against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday. "I'm not going to tell you who is going to play," Zidane said. "The players all have to be prepared." There was also a positive update regarding the fitness of Eden Hazard, who has recovered from his foot injury and could feature against Atletico. "We'll see but he has been training with us all week," Zidane said. "He could be included tomorrow but we will never take any risks." Hazard has not played since fracturing his foot against Paris Saint-Germain on November 26. Real Madrid face Atletico on the back of a 20-game unbeaten run. They sit top of La Liga, three points clear of Barcelona. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (JNS)Once again, talk of regime change is in the air inside Iran. Not since the crushing of the 2009 student-led protests has the Islamic Republic, as of this year entering the fifth decade of its existence, looked so vulnerable. The immediate cause of the latest spate of protests was, of course, the shooting down by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of a Ukrainian International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kiev on Jan. 8, killing all 176 passengers on boardmore than 100 of whom were Canadian citizens intending to catch a connecting flight to Toronto. The downing of the Ukrainian jet followed the audacious military operation five days earlier in neighboring Iraq, in which Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Irans best-known and most widely feared commander, was successfully targeted by a U.S. airstrike. Critics of that operation, up to and including the Democratic Party leadership in the U.S. Congress, fretted that assassination of Soleimani would inflame the anger of the Iranian people against the United States. One Canadian CEOgrieving for the tragic loss on the downed jet of the wife and children of an Iranian colleaguegrabbed headlines with a flurry of tweets excoriating the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump (a narcissist in Washington). The passengers were all dead, charged Michael McCain, the boss of Canadas Maple Leaf Foods, because of an ill-conceived plan [the assassination of Soleimani] to divert focus from political woes. He was referring to the impeachment proceedings against Trump on Capitol Hill. However, thousands of Iranian citizens regard the same matter in very different terms. In the view of the protesters now on Iranian streets, it was Soleimanis foreign adventures in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza that were designed to divert focus from political woes that were enveloping the Islamist regime at home. Indeed, this has been a key complaint over the last decade whenever protests inside Iran have broken out. In 2018, demonstrators coalesced around the chant Not for Gaza. Not for Lebanon. I give my life for Iran; in 2019, as the protests got angrier, some marchers even snarled the worlds Death to Palestine at the lines of riot police ranged in front of them. As unsettling as Death to Palestine might sound to Western ears, the hostility here was not directed at the Palestinian people so much as on the Islamic Republics ideology, which has invariably portrayed the Palestinian struggle as the most critical test of Muslim resistance to Western domineering. Ironically, it is the regimes fixation with the cause of Palestine that has spurred domestic Iranian resistance to the domineering of the mullahs. In 2015, a few weeks after the United States and five other world powers reached their ill-fated deal with Iran on its nuclear program, Ayatollah Ali Khameneithe Islamic Republics so-called Supreme Leaderpublished a long book of speeches on the evils of Jews and Zionism titled Palestine, which was dutifully promoted by Irans official media. In one speechdelivered at the shrine of the Islamic Republics founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah KhomeiniKhamenei declared: [N]o other international issue is more important than Palestine in the world of Islam. As Khamenei explained in another speech contained in the same volume, the Islamic revolution would be compromised as long as the Jewish state remained in existence. Without winning the battle of Palestine, our victory is incomplete, he declared. Since the first days of his mission and struggle in Iran, our deceased great imam [Khomeini] gave the first priority to the issue of Palestine. This last observation is certainly true. As the late Professor Robert Wistrich pointed out in A Lethal Obsession, his final book on anti-Semitism, in Khomeinis eyes, Jews were a major cause of Westoxification in Muslim society, an important obstacle to the recovery of its pristine Islamic identity. He associated them with American materialism, the acquisitive mania that had seized Irans middle classes during the 1960s, and the shahs repressive rule which favored Western interests and Israel. In a tract he published in 1970, Khomeini articulated these principles even more succinctly. We must protest and make the people aware that the Jews and their foreign backers are opposed to the very foundations of Islam and wish to establish Jewish domination throughout the world, he wrote. Anti-Semitism, then, forms an integral part of the Khomeinist political theology that has driven Iran since the 1979 revolution. The thousands of Iranians who have been caught on camera in the last few days refusing to trample the U.S. and Israeli flags (another ritual as old as the revolution itself) are not, therefore, simply waving a middle finger at their rulers on their most sacred concern: They are rejecting the basic principles and worldview of the Islamic Republic. And they are proving, yet again, that the people of Iran should not be confused with the Islamic Republic that rules them. In a famous essay of 1859, John Stuart Mill, one of the foundational thinkers of modern Western liberalism, argued stridently against military interventions in the affairs of other countries, insisting that there were virtually no circumstances that could justify one country invading and overthrowing the regime of another. Even so, Mill continued, discussion of foreign engagement was at least warranted in circumstances where the people of the country in question had shown themselves willing to brave... danger for their liberation. During the course of this month, growing numbers of Iranians have shown themselves prepared to do exactly that. There are no obvious answers to the question of what Western countries should do in Iran, as there are all sorts of good reasons why they should avoid full-scale war. For most of the last 40 years, America has sought to contain the Islamic Republic through economic sanctions and its military presence in the wider Middle East. It has now added to that pressure by confirming that the option of eliminating Iranian leaders is a part of its arsenal. Compared to five years ago, then, an uprising of Iranians against the regime is taking place in much more favorable international environment, thanks to the radical shift in Iran policy under Trump. Irans rulers certainly know how vulnerable they are, which is why they want the rest of us to believe that they will take any measures necessary to survive, even as their revolutionary mission dies. Ben Cohen is a New York City-based journalist and author who writes a weekly column on Jewish and international affairs for JNS. Beijing: Chinese authorities have confirmed 213 deaths due to the novel coronavirus outbreak with as many as 9,692 confirmed cases. Hubei province has reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported. Even though China has expressed full confidence and capability to successfully fight the epidemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. The UN health agency hoped the declaration -- a rarely used designation, could lead to combined co-ordination of the international community in tackling the disease. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Live TV The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, "Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health," adding, "We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic," said the spokesperson. China will continue working with the international health agency and cooperate with other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xinhua quoted Hua as saying. Meanwhile, on Thursday, India reported its first confirmed case of the Coronavirus in Kerala. The patient was a student at China's Wuhan University. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan assured that the authorities were closely monitoring the situation and that there was no cause for panic. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday (January 28) confirmed that India has started the process to prepare for the evacuation of Indian nationals affected by the situation arising out of coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan City, which is located in Hubei Province of China. The virus has been detected in 20 countries. (With agency inputs) Were sure that if you live in a crowded Indian metro, you can almost hear the following image. Reuters Its a dilemma thats surely come across the mind of anyone whos had to survive Indian traffic - why do people keep honking at red lights? With no space to move ahead, its not like the horns can actually do anything - and yet, decibel levels on the streets are deafening for absolutely no reason. Fortunately, the Mumbai Police have figured out a solution, and its nothing less than genius. Horn not okay, please! Find out how the @MumbaiPolice hit the mute button on #Mumbais reckless honkers. #HonkResponsibly pic.twitter.com/BAGL4iXiPH Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 31, 2020 The premise is simple - in a world of Horn OK Please, its going to be impossible to get the masses of Mumbais roadways to give up this long-standing habit. Therefore, provide them with a simple choice - either keep honking, or watch your signal reset. The system seems quite simple to implement and install - consisting of a decibel-measuring unit, a sign explaining the new system to drivers, and a decibel-meter. On crossing 85 decibels, the signal would simply reset, with the intention to give the citys drivers a little lesson in patience. According to The Times of India, vehicle horns contribute to an absolutely ridiculous level of noise pollution in cities - on average, traffic generates a deafening 100db of noise - thats 10 more than that of firecrackers. Concrete structures such as ever-expanding metro networks also magnify sound sources, boosting the volume by an additional 3db. It comes as no surprise then, that Mumbai Polices move was greatly appreciated by both the public and by officials in other cities - Bhaskar Rao, Commissioner of Police for Bengaluru, also appreciated the experiment on his Twitter handle. Very good idea of fixing decibel meters, will try Bhaskar Rao IPS (@deepolice12) January 31, 2020 Other Indians also joined in, supporting the police: Very Nice SirG Good work Aisa pure maharashtra mein laga di jiye Please It's humble Request sir G Bahut horn bajta hai road par Niraj Bagdiya (@NBagdiya) January 31, 2020 Very nice! Much needed! Should add this concept all over India. Just curious.. What would happen when Fire Brigade and Ambulance going pass these signals with loud sirens? Harshit Mehta (@DynamicHarshit) January 31, 2020 Excellent step to discipline the people, pollution control, consideration of the patients. Step taken by the #MumbaiPolice is commendable. In Mumbai, everyone is in a hurry bt horn is not the way for move. Everyone will know that if they horns, has to stop there. #HonkResponsibly R Jay (@ErJay_R) January 31, 2020 However, a few others raised their own doubts, pointing out that the system penalises drivers who remain quiet due to the actions of a few others: Why don't we introduce a cut off switch like when you exceed speed of 120 we have a nagging beep? If you honk more than 2 times a minute the same nagging beep will return inside the car also. Same for auto and motorcycle Asktherightquestions (@icareabtu) January 31, 2020 The entire activity is wrong. Few who are culprits but most others are stuck due to this. Focus your energies in catching offenders ( trucks buses bikers) who often don't have tail lights , or jump signals mostly bikers in our country are allowed to enter in wrong way!! Stop this Rohan Shah (@RohanShah31) January 31, 2020 Either way you look at it, taking a serious step towards reducing noise in the city definitely spells good news for Mumbais mental health and general well-being. Would you want to see this in your own hometown, or have your own suggestions? Tell us in the comments! BJP leaders, including party president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, launched an all out attack on the AAP and its chief Arvind Kejriwal on issues ranging from the Shaheen Bagh protests to failures of the outgoing Delhi government. Addressing back-to-back election rallies in Shakoor Basti, Trinagar, Wajirpur and Model Town, Shah asserted that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are committed to national security. "On the other hand the AAP and the Congress, who are supporting the Shaheen Bagh protests, are against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)," he said. Attacking Chief Minister Kejriwal, Shah alleged that the Delhi Jal Board(DJB) is running into losses to the tune of Rs 800 crore, although Kejriwal himself is its chairman. Senior BJP leader and Defence minister Rajnath Singh slammed the AAP government, saying "Kejriwal did not do anything in the past five years except create confusion." Addressing an election rally in the Mahrauli assembly constituency, Singh warned the Opposition parties against "miselading" Muslims on the CAA. BJP president Nadda asked people to first draw a comparison between the works of the Modi government and the AAP dispensation in Delhi and decide whom to vote for on February 8. Addressing an election in Delhi's Ghonda area, Nadda alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government has failed to fulfil its promises made in the run up to the 2015 assembly elections. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in an election meeting in Shalimar Bagh, claimed that his state always cooperated with Delhi but the Kejriwal government never acknowledged it. "The AAP and the Congress are together in supporting those who raise slogans against the country and wish to break it," Khattar alleged. Union minister Smriti Irani seeking votes for the BJP in Tughlaqabad constituency, said that people should dethrone the government which has failed to solve their problems. "Our Prime Minister is making efforts to ensure safety and security of coming generations, while the political parties in Delhi are supporting Tukde-Tukde gang and protesters in Shaheen Bagh, against him," she said. The BJP, which is out of power in Delhi for more than two decades, is hinging on twin issues of Shaheen Bagh and "failures" of the outgoing Kejriwal government, to upstage the ruling AAP in February 8 polls. The BJP is contesting the polls in alliance with JD(U) and LJP. It is contesting on 67 seats, leaving two for JD(U) and one for LJP. The AAP romped home in 2015 polls winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. The BJP swallowed the crushing defeat managing to win just three seats. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Trend The populist statements of the Armenian current leadership are usually voiced for the sole purpose of resolving numerous domestic political problems in Armenia, Head of the Baku Network Expert Council, PhD Elkhan Alasgarov told Trend. In this sense, recent remarks made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at a press-conference in Armenias Kapan town once again confirmed this. Referring to the Armenian media, the expert reminded that Pashinyan actually accused Armenian ex-President Serzh Sargsyan that during his power, a document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement was adopted, which, according to Pashinyan, was on the negotiating table. In accordance with the document, Armenia was to transfer seven occupied districts to Azerbaijan. Pashinyan thereby accused his opponents, the Karabakh clan, including Sargsyan, of allegedly agreeing to withdraw the Armenian troops from the occupied Azerbaijani territories, in particular, to return seven Azerbaijani districts with the condition of preserving the corridor between Armenia and Karabakh, Alasgarov said. Obviously, Pashinyan wants to solve various socio-economic problems, including those related to the purchase of Russian gas, and at the same time, he is trying to win Sargsyans associates, the Karabakh clan to his side, the expert said. In fact, he is trying to divert the attention of Armenian people from economic problems to those on the political agenda." Further, the expert drew attention to the negative reaction of the OSCE Minsk Group to the statements of the Armenian Prime Minister, calling it reasonable. "The dissatisfaction of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs is quite justified, since the Armenian prime minister struck the blow not only to the negotiation process, but also to the position of international mediators that has been developed over many years. In my opinion, Pashinyan framed the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs with this statement. Thought in the framework of the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers with the participation of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, international mediators expressed dissatisfaction with the Armenian foreign minister," Alasgarov said. The Azerbaijani expert suggested that at the negotiating table in Geneva, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs might invite Mnatsakanyan to make a statement that would disavow Pashinyans recent statements on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict. "If the Armenian minister is not proactive on this issue, it is quite possible that the international mediators will issue a new statement confirming the fact that the Armenian side behaved incorrectly, making the OSCE Minsk Groups long-term activity useless and worthless," Alasgarov said. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. It was a nightmare they would never be able to forget, residents of Karthia village said on Friday, several hours after the nine-hour hostage crisis ended with the rescue of all 25 children and the killing of their captor in Farrukhabad district of Uttar Pradesh late Thursday night. It was evident that the villagers were still struggling to recover from the shock and finding it difficult to return to their daily routines as more frightening details of the hostage crisis kept emerging. The police revealed that they had recovered around 300 crude bombs from the hostage taker Subhash Bathams house, apart from other weapons. The crude bombs included some high-intensity ones and were in various stages of assembly, said police. A country-made pistol and a rifle were also recovered from the house. Karthia, the village where the kids were taken hostage, is 40km from the Farrukhabad district headquarters. Bathams neighbours and other villagers said that while the scenes on Thursday night were like an action-packed Bollywood film, unfortunately it was all too real for them. We are still finding it hard to believe what happened. Although we all knew about Bathams criminal background and we socially boycotted him for the same reason, we could never imagine that he could commit such a crime. The act has maligned the name of our village that was so far known for its potatoes and peace-loving people, said Harveer Singh, the head of Karthia village. People from the neighbouring districts of Mainpuri, Kannauj and Etah also began reaching the village on Friday morning as the news of the hostage drama spread. What happened was unimaginable. We strongly condemn the act (of taking the children hostage), said Raj Kamal Yadav, a farmer from Farrukhabad. Police said the search at Bathams house had to be suspended after crude bombs were found there. But since the team noticed two sacks of live bombs, we called a bomb disposal squad (BDS) from Moradabad to defuse the bombs first. The squad reached on Friday morning after which the search operation resumed, said Tribhuvan Singh, additional superintendent of police, Farrukhabad. A rifle, pistol, cartridges, crude bombs, a five-litre LPG gas cylinder that was transformed into a live bomb, and other explosive materials were recovered from the house, said Singh. Singh said the explosive found at Bathams possession was enough to blow up other houses nearby. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Drinking alcohol at any point in pregnancy leads to poorer brain function in babies, a new study has confirmed. Researchers at the University of Bristol compared 23 published studies on drinking during pregnancy and found evidence it can also lead to lower birth weight. The findings backed up UK Chief Medical Officer guidelines not to drink during any trimester. Scientists compared children from the same families whose mothers cut down or increased their alcohol consumption between pregnancies. They also used randomised control trials instead of the traditional 'observational' approach where participants are already exposed to the risk factor and do not intervene to change who is or isn't exposed. All the studies included in the review tried to compare like-with-like groups of people, who were only different in terms of exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. The study fell short of being able to establish what level of alcohol leads to brain damage. Study lead Dr Luisa Zuccolo, from the University of Bristol, said: 'The body of evidence for the harm that alcohol can do to children before they are born is growing, and our review is the first to look at the full range of studies on the issue. 'This is unlikely to be a fluke result, as we took into account a variety of approaches and results. 'Our work confirms the current scientific consensus: that consuming alcohol during pregnancy can affect one's child's cognitive abilities later in life, including their education. It might also lead to lower birth weight. 'Our study reinforces the UK Chief Medical Officers' guideline: DRYMESTER is the only safe approach. 'This message is more important than ever, given recent research which shows the alcohol industry promoting confusing information about the real health implications of drinking during pregnancy.' The research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council. Deputy chief medical officer Professor Jenny Harries added: 'If you are pregnant or you are planning to become pregnant, national guidelines recommend the safest approach is to not drink at all, to keep the risk to your baby to a minimum. 'We have been clear with the alcohol industry that we expect these guidelines to be reflected on the labelling of all alcoholic products. 'Public Health England, the NHS and local authorities continue to reinforce this advice through public health messaging.' The paper, Evidence of detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on offspring birth weight and neurodevelopment from a systematic review of quasi-experimental studies, is published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. Source: Dailymail.co.uk 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 Its not the economy, stupid. At least thats what the recent Franklin & Marshall poll of Pennsylvania voters seems to be telling us. Republican analyst Jeffrey Lord has long argued people vote their pocketbooks. On the Battleground PA podcasts and in his Fox News comments, hes insisted that as long as the economy stays strong, most Pennsylvania voters will stick with President Donald Trump. But the recent F&M poll suggests things may be changing. The economy does not seem to be the sole factor motivating voters as they look ahead to the 2020 elections. While most of the voters polled said theyre doing just fine financially, many also want to see change in the White House. Fifty seven percent of them said its time for President Trump to go. But even more surprising -- 87 percent of that number said theyll vote against President Trump no matter who runs against him. That means theyd vote for Elizabeth, Bernie, Biden or even one of the notorious squad rather than give the president four more years in office. Its important to note that 38 percent of registered voters believe the president is doing an excellent or good job leading the nation but most of those expressing positive views of his performance are Republicans. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans think President Trump is doing at least a good job as commander-in-chief. But the majority of Pennsylvania voters disagree. Only eight percent of Democrats and 31 percent of independent believe the president is doing a good job. These numbers come despite what most of the people polled said are good economic times for them personally. Most voters 87 percent -- said they were financially better off or the same, and most expect to do even better next year. So why are so many voters not happy with President Trump? Could it be all of the impeachment drama has taken a toll on the presidents standing with Pennsylvania voters? Could it be the near war with Iran has eroded some of his support in this battleground state? Could it be Pennsylvania voters want a little more stability and less drama on Pennsylvania Avenue? What is clear is Pennsylvania voters are paying attention to whats going on in Washington, D.C. and the events leading up to the elections in November 2020. According to the poll, nearly two-thirds 67 percent of the states registered voters Republicans, Democrats and independents -- say they are very interested in the 2020 elections. The numbers are almost as high as they were in the lead up to the 2018 mid-term elections, when 71 percent expressed the same sentiment. Thats good news. It means voters in our state are taking the time to be informed about everything from the impeachment in the House to the trial in the Senate to whos emerging victorious in Iowa. Jeffrey Lord, Rogette Harris and Joyce Davis, hosts of Battleground PA. Martin Boutros | mboutros@pennvideos.com Martin BoutrosMartin Boutros In the latest Battleground PA podcast, Democratic analyst Rogette Harris said her constituents are glued to whats happening with the impeachment trial in the Senate, as well as who emerges as the Democratic winner in the Iowa caucus next week. The F & M poll supports that. It showed 76 percent of Democrats are very interested in the elections, while somewhat fewer Republicans at 63 percent said the same thing. Forty-seven percent of independents express the same sentiments. These are good numbers for citizen engagement, but they ought to be even higher. True, it is impossible to watch every minutes of every day of the impeachment trial underway in the Senate. But every American voter should realize the historic significance of whats going on now in Washington and how it will inevitably impact their daily lives. In this image from video, Ken Starr, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. (Senate Television via AP)AP Every Pennsylvania voter should be paying attention to whether our senators are acting in the interest of the American people and not just siding with their political friends. Nows the time voters should demand their elected leaders lay aside partisan bickering, diligently seek the truth and follow its path -- wherever it leads Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. And subscribe for free to Battleground PA! The United States told its citizens to avoid China after the World Health Organization declared a global coronavirus emergency, as the Chinese death toll rose Friday to 213 and total infections surpassed the SARS epidemic of two decades ago. The State Department raised it warning alert to the highest level, telling Americans "do not travel" to China and urged those already there to leave. Hours earlier, the WHO, which was criticised for initially downplaying the virus threat, changed tack after crisis talks in Geneva. Graphic on the different evacuations plans for foreigners in China.. By (AFP) "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as the emergency was declared. "We must all act together now to limit further spread... We can only stop it together." Taking action Tedros said travel and trade restrictions involving China were unnecessary. But, with the disease spreading to more than 20 nations, authorities, businesses and worried people around the world were taking matters into their own hands. Japan on Friday urged its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China, following similar warnings by Germany, Britain and other nations in recent days. Those warnings are not as definitive as the US directive against all travel to China. Among the array of other extraordinary containment efforts, many major airlines this week suspended or reduced flights to China. Ambulances are seen at Seoul Gimpo airport waiting for a plane carrying South Korean citizens repatriated from the Chinese city of Wuhan. By Jung Yeon-je (AFP) Mongolia also halted cross-border traffic with its huge neighbour and Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier. Some countries banned entry for travellers from Wuhan, the city in central Hubei province where the virus first surfaced. Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China. Impoverished Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from "Asian ports". Growing panic China said Friday it planned to send charter planes to bring back Hubei residents who are now abroad, citing the "practical difficulties" that they have encountered overseas. Those from Wuhan will be returned to their quarantined city, the foreign ministry said. The US reported its first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus on American soil -- a man in Chicago who got it from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan. A man wearing a mask, goggles and gloves buys beverages at a supermarket in Beijing. By NICOLAS ASFOURI (AFP) In a sign of growing global fears, more than 6,000 tourists were temporarily confined aboard their cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers fell ill. They later tested negative for the coronavirus. And a pilot union in the United States sued American Airlines to demand it halt all flights to China. Death toll grows China has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. But the number of new deaths and cases continues to swell. The death toll was hiked on Friday to 213 after 43 new deaths, all but one in Hubei. Most deaths have been elderly people. Medical staff of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health prepare to screen passengers at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. By Michael Tewelde (AFP) China's National Health Commission also said Friday that 1,982 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 9,692. That exceeds the 8,096 cases from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) a similar pathogen that spread to more than two dozen countries in 2002-03, and killed 774 people, mostly in China and Hong Kong. Another 102,000 people are under medical observation in China with possible coronavirus symptoms. The new virus is believed to have emerged in a Wuhan market that sold wild game, and spread by a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel domestically or abroad. China has suspended school nationwide and extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to limit people travelling. Airlifts continue Thousands of foreigners have been trapped in Wuhan since it was sealed off last week, and countries have been scrambling to organise evacuation flights for their nationals. France on Friday airlifted around 200 of its citizens from the city. They will be placed under two-week quarantine back home. Britain followed suit within hours, extracting 110 British and foreign nationals. France became the latest country to evacuate some of its citizens from the locked-down city of Wuhan. By Hector RETAMAL (AFP) "It's sad to leave a country which you're attached to," Adrien, a 26-year-old French auto industry employee, told AFP before the flight. "We're also relieved because we don't know how things will turn out in China." Japan and the United States were the first to fly citizens out on Wednesday. Others that have done so include South Korea and India. Three people aboard Japan's first evacuation flight tested positive after landing back home, two of whom showed no symptoms, underscoring the difficulty detecting the coronavirus. Japan has drawn criticism by allowing its evacuees to "self-quarantine". Men wearing masks smoke outside a Pakistan-based Chinese company in Islamabad. By Aamir QURESHI (AFP) Economic worries The WHO has declared a global health emergency five times since the practice began in 2007 -- for swine flu, polio, Zika and twice for Ebola. It allows the UN health body to issue recommendations that the international community is expected to follow. Global stock markets have been pummelled after corporate giants including Toyota, IKEA, Starbucks, Tesla, McDonald's and others temporarily froze production or closed large numbers of outlets in China. But investors took some heart Friday after the WHO recommended against trade and travel restrictions for now, with Asian markets opening higher. Throughout China, evidence of fear multiplied, with makeshift barriers going up in some residential neighbourhoods. burs-dma/lth/kma U.S. Secretary of State will discuss strategic partnership with members of the Ukrainian government U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo came to Kyiv on a working visit. According to him, U.S. support for Ukraine is "unwavering". He also told what would be discussed with the Ukrainian government. Pompeo wrote about it on his Twitter page. Good to be in Kyiv today. U.S. support for Ukraine is unwavering, and I am intent on underscoring this as I meet with Ukrainian government leaders to discuss ways we can advance our strategic partnership and reinforce Ukraine's position as a free and democratic state, U.S. Secretary of State stated. As we reported earlier, the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight individuals and one entity in response to Russias continued aggression toward Ukraine and attempted occupation of Crimea. Treasurys action, taken in close coordination with our international allies and partners, reiterates our unwavering support for restoring free and fair democratic political processes in Crimea, Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said. The Madhya Pradesh police arrested a Rajasthan resident, with 18 criminal cases lodged against him, on Friday, a day after he and his family was provided with VIP security and government accommodation in Ujjain on the basis of forged documents claiming that he was the cultural advisor to the vice president of Nepal, police said. Police said the gang leader had been impersonating as a special adviser to Nepals vice-president in several states and documents in the name of Indian and Nepal embassies were found in his possession. The gang members -Mahavir Prasad Sharma, his son Kuldeep Sharma and his brother Pramod Sharma, all residents of Jaipur, Rajasthan were arrested in Ujjain from the government circuit house. Gang leader, Mahavir Prasad, has as many as 18 criminal cases lodged against him in different police stations of Rajasthan, police said. Superintendent of police (SP), Ujjain Sachin Atulkar, said, The main accused is a history-sheeter of Rajasthan. He claims to enjoy Z category security on the basis of documents issued from Indian embassy (in Nepal) and Nepal embassy (in India). The documents were found to be forged. Several other forged documents and business cards were found from the possession of the gang members. SP Atulkar said, While Mahavir Prasad introduced himself as a special advisor to Nepals vice-president to enjoy his stay at the circuit house in Ujjain. His son Kuldeep Prasad introduced himself as a secretary to Mahavir Prasad. The accused have been enjoying government facilities by misleading police and administration in various states for several years. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. After repeated provocations by Iran, President Trump expressed resolve to protect American lives, while at the same time offering Iran the opportunity for future cooperation and diplomatic engagement. Dylann Roofs attorneys appealed the death-sentence citing their clients incompetence to stand trial after a federal court sentenced him in 2017 for killing nine black congregants in South Carolina in 2015. When Dylann Roof represented himself at his capital trial, he was a 22-year-old, ninth-grade dropout. Diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder, autism, anxiety, and depression, who believed his sentence didnt matter because white nationalists would free him from prison after an impending race war, a court filing of last Tuesday says, CNN reported. Roof stood trial for federal murder and hate crimes charges because he assaulted a peaceful, unarmed congregation during bible-study in Charleston. He shot and killed nine innocent people at the Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina in 2015. Roof committed a hate-crime, the federal court ruled in January 2017. He deliberately picked a traditionally African-American church and shot nine people when they were in prayer after he had joined their bible study for about forty minutes. Given no reason to do otherwise, jurors sentenced Roof to death, the lawyers argued in their brief. However, at the penalty phase of his federal trial, the court clearly erred in finding Roof competent to stand trial and sentencing, and it violated his due process rights by holding inadequate competency hearings, Roofs attorney stated in the 321-page-motion, filed with the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals. At the time of his trial, Roof jettisoned his attorneys to prevent evidence of his mental illness from coming to light, the document says. Even though Roof attested, theres nothing wrong with me psychologically, his attorneys maintain that none (of them) had (ever before) represented a defendant so disconnected from reality, Time reported. They say that, given Roofs mental condition at that time, their client should have never gone to trial in the first place. Roofs crime was tragic, but this Court can have no confidence in the jurys verdict, it said. Therefore, the filing said, this Court should vacate Roofs convictions and death sentence. His appellate lawyers also pointed out that initially, the case was to be taken by a state court, but then a federal court took over in a rush to move the case along. Consequently, state officials viewed the federal prosecution as unnecessary and disruptive, the filing said, according to the newspaper. Roof would be the first to be executed on federal charges since 2003 and the first under the federal hate-crimes act since the Attorney general, William Barr, sought to reinstate the federal death penalty last year. The plan was thwarted, however, by the Supreme Court in December. Meanwhile, Roof so far hadnt shown any signs of remorse. I still feel like I had to do it, Roof said in his closing argument in 2017. Anyone who hates anything in their mind has a good reason for it, he added according to Time. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Avast's data analytics unit has stopped collecting information about people using the company's free antivirus software following revelations that the data was sold to companies such as Google, Home Depot, Microsoft, and Pepsi. In a Thursday blog post, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said the unit, known as Jumpshot, will immediately stop collecting data and begin to wind down operations. Privacy and security experts said the move is a step in the right direction, but noted that Avast is still allowing third parties to collect user data for use in targeted advertisements. They're also concerned that the data sent to Jumpshot wasnt properly stripped of personal identifiers, which could put the digital privacy of users at risk, even allowing hackers to target them. In the blog post, Vlcek apologized, saying he realized the Jumpshot revelations, which stemmed from stories originally published by Motherboard and PCMag, has hurt the feelings of many users. Protecting people is Avasts top priority and must be embedded in everything we do in our business and in our products, Vlcek said. Anything to the contrary is unacceptable. Avast's antivirus software is used by more than 400 million people around the world, the company says. And, according to Consumer Reports testers, it ranks among the best free security software options available to PC and Mac owners. The same goes for Avasts AVG-branded software. But according to the original Motherboard and PCMag reporting, Avasts antivirus software appears to track users' clicks and movements across the web, collecting data on things like Google searches and visits to LinkedIn pages, YouTube videos, and pornography websites. After being de-identified, meaning information like name and email address is removed, the data reportedly was repackaged and sold by Jumpshot. CR privacy researcher Bill Fitzgerald said that while the shutdown of Jumpshot is generally positive, its not clear what measures, if any, were put in place to prevent the data from being re-identifiedby Jumpshot or clients that acquired data from Jumpshot. Avasts own consent policy says data was shared with a common internal identifier, which could make it easier for Jumpshot and others to re-identify it. Story continues Richard Henderson, head of global threat intelligence for the cybersecurity firm Lastine, said de-anonymization is a real concern. With enough data from differing sources, eventually no data can be truly anonymous, he said. I dont think anyone thinks Avasts intentions were nefarious or malicious, but they really shouldnt have chosen this path. Fitzgerald said Avasts consent policy spells out a range of additional third partiesincluding companies such as Amazon, Facebook, and Twitterthat use personal data for targeted ads. In a statement, Avast acknowledged that its free mobile antivirus software serves ads that are powered by partners like Google and others. But it said Avasts data has never been used in the targeting of those ads. In Fitzgerald's view, it's hard to accept a statement like that, given the many ways the data could be de-anonymized. Members of the digital security community said there also needs to be an accounting of where the data shared with Jumpshot went. Doug Britton, chief technology officer for the malware protection company RunSafe, said its not uncommon for hackers working for foreign governments or criminal enterprises to buy data from such companies, de-identify it, then use it to target individuals. The lay person doesnt have to worry that the Chinese government is going to steal secrets from them, but they may have $10,000 or $20,000 in a bank account, Britton said, pointing out that money can be a tempting target for hackers like those, too. If other antivirus companies are collecting user data for sale, Henderson said, we need to know. They need to fess up, delete all the data they collected, he explained. And come clean about who has been purchasing that data. More from Consumer Reports: Top pick tires for 2016 Best used cars for $25,000 and less 7 best mattresses for couples Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright 2020, Consumer Reports, Inc. The CSIRO will start growing large batches of coronavirus on Friday in the race to create a vaccine against the deadly infection. The leading scientific agency intends to use the samples to begin testing vaccines for the virus on animals within six weeks. Scientists working in the secure area at CSIRO's Australian Animal Health Laboratory. Credit:CSIRO/Supplied A sample of the pathogen is due to arrive at the CSIRO's highly secure laboratory in Geelong on Friday. Meanwhile, the agency is preparing to manufacture pilot doses of the vaccines at a separate lab in Clayton. The new agreement with Mexico and Canada includes a 16-year sunset clause meaning the terms of the agreement expire after 16 years. The deal is also subject to a review every six years, according to the Financial Times. Farmers have a renewed export market for many years to come. Ninety-five percent of consumers are outside U.S. borders, Reuter said. When 95 percent of the people America wants to sell something to live outside the United States, foreign markets must be opened to American goods and services. This is done primarily through trade agreements. A trade agreement is a signed document(s) between two or more countries that agree on certain terms of trade with each other. These agreements are meant to loosen trade restrictions to help businesses prosper in each country. The agreement is somewhat like two ranchers agreeing on terms of pasture use you can bring your cows across my land to your rotation grass as long as I can drive my cattle across your land if and when needed. US Working With Baghdad to Deploy Patriots in Iraq After Iran Missile Strike - Pentagon Sputnik News 16:03 GMT 30.01.2020(updated 16:53 GMT 30.01.2020) Iran launched retaliatory strikes targeting US military bases in Iraq on January 8 in response to the US drone strike assassination of Revolutionary Guard Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3. The US is working on delivering Patriot missile systems to Iraq in the wake of Iran's ballistic missile attack, but needs "permission" from the Iraqi government to do so, Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said Thursday. Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley confirmed that the US was "working with the Iraqi government" on the issue, but said that "the mechanics of it all" still need to be worked out. That process is "ongoing," Milley said. Pentagon to Brief Congress as Traumatic Brain Injuries Mount Commenting on the new DoD report released this week which revealed that some 50 US servicemembers required treatment for traumatic brain injuries following the January 8 Iranian strikes, Secretary Esper said President Trump was fully aware of the seriousness of these injuries, and promised to brief Capitol Hill on the matter later in the day. On Tuesday, the Pentagon revised upward earlier released figures regarding traumatic brain injuries sustained during the Iranian missile strike, with the US military previously estimating that only 34 troops had received injuries. Last week, President Trump appeared to play down the extent of the traumas, telling reporters that he had been told that they were limited to "headaches and a couple of other things." Trump said he didn't consider the injuries "very serious" relative to other injuries he'd seen, such as "people with no legs and no arms." On the morning of January 8, Iran launched several dozen missile at US military bases in Iraq, hitting the Erbil Airbase in the country's north, and the Ayn al-Asad Airbase west of Baghdad. Iran is reported to have provided advance warning to Iraq, who presumably warned the US forces stationed in the country, allowing them to take shelter in prepared bunkers. Although they did not kill any US troops, the missile strikes did cause substantial damage to base infrastructure. The US military later said that no air defences were deployed at either of the bases. Tehran launched the missile strikes after warning that it would exact revenge for the assassination of Maj. Gen. Soleimani, the senior Iranian commander responsible for carrying out Iranian military operations abroad. Although an adversary of US occupation forces in Iraq and an enemy of Israel, Soleimani was also responsible for coordinating multiple Iranian anti-terrorist operations across the Middle East, targeting Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda* in Afghanistan in 2001, and providing assistance to the Syrian and Iraqi governments in their campaigns against Daesh (ISIS)* between 2014 and 2017. In recent weeks, Iraqi Shia militia forces have repeatedly targeted US troops stationed in the country, with these attacks typically consisting of rocket artillery attacks against the US Green Zone Embassy compound area in the centre of the Iraqi capital. Iraq's parliament voted to expel the estimated 5,000 US troops stationed in Iraq following Soleimani's killing, but US officials have repeatedly ruled out a total withdrawal. White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien has said that the US would leave Iraq 'on its own terms', while President Trump demanded that Iraq pay the US back for a multi-billion-dollar airbase, and threatened the country with sanctions which would make those placed against Iran "look pale in comparison." * Terrorists outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address World-renowned chef Heston Blumenthals scandal-plagued Australian restaurant appears doomed after its landlord and financial backer, Crown Casino, said it had moved to terminate its lease. The company behind the Dinner by Heston restaurant appointed provisional liquidators just before Christmas. It came just days after it missed a deadline with the Fair Work Ombudsman to pay back staff the millions it owed them for underpayment. Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal. Credit:Wayne Taylor In a statement Crown said due to the appointment of the provisional liquidator it has taken action to terminate the lease of restaurant owner Tipsy Cake Pty Limited. While this is disappointing, Crown is working to provide assistance to Tipsy Cake employees looking for employment within Crown, a Crown spokeswoman said. The provisional liquidator of Tipsy Cake, however, will need to deal with employee matters at the first instance. The Department of Defense issued guidance Friday to all troops and civilian personnel on the coronavirus outbreak, warning against travel to China while stating that the risk of infection currently was low. The general directive approved by Defense Secretary Mark Esper aligned with guidance already issued by the Centers for Disease Control, the State Department and other agencies, and will be followed up by more specific instructions from the regional combatant commands, DoD said. Although the risk of infection outside China remains low, troops and DoD civilian personnel needed urgent advice on "precautions they should take, how to recognize the signs and symptoms of the virus," Esper said in statement accompanying the DoD directive. Related: Coronavirus Case Suspected in Djibouti, Where US and Chinese Base Troops He said that DoD continued "to work closely with our interagency partners as we monitor the situation and protect our service members and their families, which is my highest priority." The directive reinforced warnings from other agencies against travel to China and added that "This outbreak is of high-risk to travelers and there are no precautions available to protect against the identified increased threat." Following CDC guidelines, the directive advised all DoD personnel to wash their hands frequently for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and avoid contact with those who are sick. If they've recently returned from China in the last 14 days, and feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing, they should "seek medical care immediately," the directive said. However, "Before going to a doctor's office or emergency room, call ahead and them about the recent travel and symptoms." To date, six confirmed cases of coronavirus, officially called novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), have been detected in the U.S. According to Chinese authorities, the death toll in China from coronavirus has risen to at least 213, and the number of confirmed cases was approaching 10,000. On Friday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced that China was prepared to send charter flights worldwide to take home residents of central Hubei province, which includes the city of Wuhan, considered the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, China's Xinhua news agency reported. Wang also expressed confidence in China's ability to contain the epidemic during a phone call with Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, who has been trying to arrange a charter flight to Wuhan to evacuate Canadian citizens, Xinhua reported. On Wednesday, the U.S. evacuated about 200 citizens from Wuhan, mostly State Department employees and dependents, via a charter flight that took them to March Air Reserve base in southern California where they were being monitored at base housing. During their stay at March, which will last at least three days, the evacuees will have no contact with DoD personnel and will be supervised by the Department of Health & Human Services, officials said. Officials initially said that the Wuhan evacuees were not under quarantine. Dr. Cameron Kaiser, health officer for California's Riverside County, said in a Thursday release that one of the evacuees was placed in quarantine when he or she tried to leave the base early. That individual will now have to remain at March for at least 14 days, the incubation period for coronavirus, Kaiser said. The State Department said Thursday that "additional evacuation flights" were being planned for hundreds of U.S. citizens still stranded in Wuhan. Those flights could begin departing as early as Monday. The Defense Department has not yet responded to queries on whether additional evacuees would be temporarily housed at March or other military facilities. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Marine Aviator Relieved for Flying Too Low and Fast During Ceremony The US saw the first rise in life expectancy in 2018 after three consecutive years of decline. As life expectancy is one of the key measures of the health of a society, the news has been welcomed. However, as the figures show that life has been extended by just over a month, it would be a mistake to draw the conclusion that the change signals the beginning of a significant upward trajectory in US lifespans. [Credit: pxhere.com] The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported on Thursday that US life expectancy increased from 78.6 years in 2017 to 78.7 years in 2018, or by about 37 days. This is still below the peak of 78.9 years in 2014. For males, life expectancy changed from 76.1 in 2017 to 76.2 in 2018an increase of 0.1 year. For females, life expectancy also increased 0.1 year from 81.1 years in 2017 to 81.2 years in 2018. Life expectancy at age 65 for the total population was 19.5 years in 2018, an increase of 0.1 year from 2017. For males, life expectancy at age 65 increased 0.1 year from 18.0 in 2017 to 18.1 in 2018. For females, life expectancy at age 65 increased 0.1 year from 20.6 years in 2017 to 20.7 in 2018 The NCHS attributes the increase to falling heart disease and cancer death rates, the two leading causes of mortality, as well as a 4 percent decrease in fatal drug overdoses. Death rates increased for only two of the 10 leading causes of death, suicide and influenza. The top 10 leading causes of death remained the same. With the current corona virus outbreak and predictions of a particularly virulent strain of the flu this season, there is every reason to believe that deaths from influenza and other infectious diseases will continue to rise. An estimated 61,000 people died of influenza during the 2017-2018 flu season. A report released in October by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the suicide rate for Americans ages 10-24 increased by 56 percent between 2007 and 2017. During this same period, suicide ideation, or thoughts of suicide, and suicide attempts doubled for adolescents and young adults. There is every reason to expect these figures to continue to rise, as unemployment, tenuous employment, low wages, rising college debt and bleak future prospects for youth continue unabated. We should be cautiously optimistic, Regina LaBelle of the ONeill Institute for National and Global Health Law Georgetown University Law Center told BuzzFeed News. Optimistic because it appears that life expectancy didnt decrease again and overdose deaths are down slightly. But cautious because this is a one-year snapshot of a moving picture. While the 2018 figures show a 4 percent decline in drug overdose deaths, these gains were spread unevenly across the country. Drug overdoses dropped in 14 states and the District of Columbia, but they continued to increase in California, Delaware, New Jersey and South Carolina. And while overdose deaths are down, deaths from cocaine, after holding steady for many years, increased a staggering 52 percent between 2015 and 2016, according to the CDC. The trend has continued in the most recent federal data. Cocaine-involved overdoses now kill approximately 13,000 people a year, threatening to compete with deaths from opioid pills and heroin. Researchers point to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid pain reliever that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, as a cause of the rise in cocaine deaths. Illegally or illicitly made fentanyl is often mixed with cocaine to increase its addictive qualities, often without the knowledge of the user. The CDC reports that as recently as 2012, fewer than 200 of reported cocaine overdoses involved fentanyl; by 2016, that number had increased to more than 4,100about 40 percent of all cocaine deaths. The tainting of cocaine with fentanyl is much more common on the East Coast, particularly in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. On the West Coast there appears to be little mixing of cocaine and fentanyl. An accompanying NCHS report on drug overdose deaths found that from 2012 through 2018 the rate of fatal overdose deaths involving cocaine more than tripled and methamphetamine death rates increased nearly fivefold. Despite the 4 percent drop, overdose deaths still claimed 67,000 lives in 2018. Life expectancy declines in recent years have been much more pronounced in former industrial cities, much of Appalachia and in many small rural towns and cities in the Midwest. Over the past decade (2010-2019), an estimated 534,000 lives were claimed by drug overdoses. The overdose epidemic has overtaken both vehicular accidents and gun violence as a leading cause of death nationwide. Far more deaths are claimed by overdoses than AIDS did at its height. The Trump administration has touted the reduction in overdose drugs as the outcome of its public health policies. This news is a real victory, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. The drop in overdose deaths shows that the Presidents new level of focus on the opioid crisis, and the administrations science- and community-based efforts to combat it, are beginning to make a significant difference. The reality is that the use of Narcan to reduce opioid overdose deaths has much more to do with the reduction in overdose deaths than the Trump administrations initiatives. In September, the administration announced a mere $1.8 billion in new funding to combat the opioid crisis. By contrast, according to a 2017 Reuters report, the Department of Homeland Security estimates that Trumps proposed border wall will take three and a half years to build and cost $21.6 billion12 times of the amount allocated for new funding to fight opioid addiction and resulting deaths. The infant mortality rate (IMR), which is the ratio of infant deaths in the first year to live births in a given year, decreased 2.3 percent, from 579.3 infant deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 to 566.2 in 2018. The 10 leading causes of infant deaths remained the same for the two years. The only statistically significant decreases in IMR were for unintentional injuries, which decreased by 9.9 percent from 2017 to 2018, and cord and placental complications, down 12.8 percent. According to historical life expectancy data compiled and estimated by the United Nations from 1950 to 2020, life expectancy in the United States has just begun to surpass 2011 figures, which was two years after the Obama administration declared the end of the Great Recession. The UN estimates that US life expectancy will only rise to 78.93 in 2020, just .23 years over present figures. The UNs projected 2020 life-expectancy rate for the US lags behind that of 35 other nations, including much of Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, Israel, Canada, New Zealand, Taiwan, Qatar, Chile, Guam, Barbados and Curacao. It is a stain on the record of the US that in the country that spends more per person on health care than any other, more people die prematurely than in the vast majority of the worlds industrialized and growing economies. The particularly extreme levels of social inequality in Americaand the subordination of medical care and social infrastructure to the profits of the health care industry and wealth of the oligarchylie at the root of the stagnation of US life expectancy. This crisis can only be addressed through the genuine socialization of medicine and health care delivery that establishes health care as a basic social right. Vice Minister of Economy and Finance Kim Yong-beom, left, speaks during a special meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, Friday, to discuss the potential economic impact from the spread of the coronavirus. He said the respiratory virus has so far had a limited impact on the Korean economy, but that the financial authorities would keep monitoring how the virus develops and do their utmost to minimize potential economic fallout. Yonhap IT has become commonplace for veteran actors to make public appeals for support to take care of their health or general well-being. And while for veteran actor, Fred Amugi, it is unfortunate, he believes some of the actors are the architects of their own woes. Speaking with Graphic Showbiz last week, Fred Amugi, who at 71 is still in active business, encouraged actors to be honest and live good lives. Its heartbreaking, its sad to hear or see it happening but some come from us and with some, nature takes its course as we grow. I am saying this because look at my good friend Emmanuel Armah who suffered a stroke, this is something that has happened to him because of old age. However, there are others whose names I dont want to mention that have caused their own situation as it is now. "If you go about taking monies from producers /directors and you dont work or you take money from a sponsor and fail to work then naturally, bad words from such mouths can have an effect on you. If you throw a ball to the wall, it bounces back at you so you reap what you sow. Some have gone about degrading others thinking that it will make them rise but instead of rising, they fail because they dont want their fellow actors to move forward. God being who He is, if you dont make your friend move forward, you dont move. Some are stuck because they have done damages to their fellow actors/actresses and nature is taking a toll on them. Sometimes, I pity people but when I hear what is happening to others, I tell myself they have brought it upon themselves. Being truthful to the job also helps you live long and saves you from certain bad happenings. If you are truthful with people you work with, if you are humble enough to do things that will benefit everybody, that is the way to go, he stated. When Graphic Showbiz asked Fred Amugi what measures he was putting in place to ensure he wouldnt have to beg to put food on his table, this was his response. I have two sons; one is an architect, the other is a self-made business man so now, even if I dont depend on acting fees, I think I have done enough for them to do something to make me live longer in comfort. I am somebody who is quite religious and I believe that when you do the right thing, God keeps you well. I know I have never left my God in all the things I do, I may be a bad person, but when it comes to my religion, I never leave Gods work. He is part of everything that I do; I am a chorister, I am a church elder, a Presbyter and I think God keeps me because I have time for Him. "Im not boasting but no matter what I do, I have time for Gods work as well. Just have time for God and He will hold you up when things are not going well. To up and coming actors, Fred Amugi had this word for them. Never rush; luckily in this industry, age is not counted, you have a role to play when it comes to acting. Look at the soap operas from South America that people rush to watch, we have actors of all ages in them. There is a parlance here in Ghana that a home without an elder is not a home and a home without a child is not a home. If we have an industry and we dont have all ages to play roles that will make the community know that they can see themselves in there, then we are not doing well. To producers and directors, I would say use people of the right ages to play roles instead of painting faces of young men and women to play old folks. You cant cheat nature, about 98 per cent of the time, your voice will even give you away because you cant sustain who you are not, he said. Source: graphic showbiz 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 Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says risk from the novel coronavirus is low for British Columbians despite one confirmed case of the virus in the Vancouver Coastal Health region. B.C.'s top doctor joined host Stephen Quinn on The Early Edition Wednesday morning to answer questions about transmission, symptoms and protection against the virus, which broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last month. What do we know about this one case? I'm very confident the tests we have at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control have identified this case. It is a man in his 40s who visited Wuhan on a business trip and had limited contact with others after flying back to B.C. Could the virus have been transmitted to others on the same airplane? The person did not have any symptoms on the flight and didn't develop symptoms until he returned home, so we do not believe there is risk to anybody who was on that flight. Is it possible for people to transmit the virus before showing symptoms? We haven't seen evidence of that yet. I think we don't know for sure and there may be some very limited people who might transmit it slightly before they develop symptoms, but that certainly is not what is driving the outbreak in China. It is clearly from people who are symptomatic and in close contact with others. When you have the virus in droplets that get into the air, and other people breathe them in or contact them, that's how this virus is transmitted. It is very rare or unlikely that people will transmit it before they have symptoms. Ben Nelms/CBC Should employees who travelled to areas where the virus is affecting people have a medical check-up before returning to work? I don't think at this point that is something we need to do. People who have been in the area where the outbreak is happening should monitor themselves for symptoms and the moment they have any call their health care provider to let us know and we can safely get you to a place where you can be assessed, tested and cared for if need be. Story continues We think the maximum incubation period for this virus is 14 days, but most people start having symptoms between day three and day six. Should people travelling anywhere right now be taking extra precautions? Right now, the risk to those of use outside of China is very low. I wouldn't take any other precautions than what we normally do clean your hands regularly, cover up your cough and sneezes and if you have a fever or feel unwell stay away from others. You're much more likely to come in contact with influenza at this time of year. What does RO mean? It's the reproduction number, so the number of people that are affected from each case. Every person who is affected with influenza infects one or two people and for SARS it was around three to five. The coronavirus rate is probably around two to three. What is the mortality rate? When you have a new outbreak and a new disease you see the most severe cases first and the mortality rate can look quite high initially. Based on information from the World Health Organization, it looks like the number of people who die based on the number of those infected is possibly less than SARS, which was around 10 per cent. This virus looks like it is around three to four per cent. This interview aired on The Early Edition on Jan. 29 and has been edited for clarity and structure. To hear the complete interview, tap the audio link below or watch the Twitter video above: Ukrainians believe that the Poles started a fight because of their nationality fight Open source Opole District Court of Poland sentenced five men who started a fight with students from Ukraine. Polske Radio reports this. The incident happened back in December 2018 in Pruszkow near Opole, where students from Ukraine live in a boarding school, attending a local high school. The Ukrainians said they had been attacked by the local Poles. They believe the fight could have happened because of their nationality. Instead, the Poles blame the incident on Ukrainians, claiming they were provoked and calling Ukrainians aggressive foreigners. The defendants denied that they had a negative attitude towards persons of other nationalities. The court ruled that the defendants had started a fight but not based on national hatred and five Polish citizens were sentenced to 6 to 10 months of imprisonment. As it was reported earlier, two Ukrainians nominated for award for labor proactivity in Poland. Dziennik Baltycki announced the competition Gdansk city of proactive 2019. As part of the government's proactive measures to rescue Indian citizens from China's Wuhan and keep them at an isolated place for a fixed period as a precautionary measure, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has created a residential facility in the capital. The facility which has been readied swiftly by the ITBP is situated in Chhawla Camp area of New Delhi. The accommodation can house approximately 600 Indian families arriving from Wuhan, China. The families being rescued from China will be taken to this facility from the Airport and they will be hosted by ITBP. They will be quarantined and will be monitored by a qualified team of doctors, to watch for any signs of infection. The fully-functional residential facility boasts of a squeaky clean dining hall, a large number of rooms and different floors each with Wi-Fi facility. Earlier in the day, Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani had said that the carrier's special flight departing from Delhi on Friday will evacuate around 400 Indians trapped in the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan. The flight will include all necessary resources like masks, medical equipment, packed food, prescribed medicines, along with a team of five doctors from the Health Ministry, and paramedical personnel from Air India. Twenty crew members, including 15 cabin crew and five cockpit crew will be on board. Lohani said that the team of doctors and crew will be led by Air India's Director of Operations Captain Amitabh Singh. China has imposed a lockdown in Wuhan following the outbreak of the virus. Coronavirus has claimed the lives of as many as 213 people in China alone, while cases have been reported in several countries across the world. Health authorities around the world are taking action to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and several Asian countries besides China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After another televised debate with leaders from the seven main political parties present, we assess how each of the them fared in the Virgin Media debate as General Election 2020 edges closer. Here are their marks out of 10: Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The Taoiseach took a back seat again during this debate. He decided not to get involved in the shouting matches between the party leaders and instead set out his stall when he was allocated time. He differentiated himself from the others by noting that he has actually been in government and implemented policies. But didnt show any of the charisma he displayed during the RTE debate. Micheal Martin 4/10 Expand Close Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Mr Martin once again teamed up with Leo Varadkar in attacking Sinn Fein. He was vulnerable to Mary Lou McDonald's attack over Fianna Fail's "flip-flop" on bringing in a rent freeze and was bad tempered in parts of the debate at one point telling the hosts to "calm it". He was strong on his argument that the greatest barrier to a United Ireland was Sinn Fein's support for the IRA's campaign of violence and murder. But his performance was down on the last debate. Mary Lou McDonald 5/10 Expand Close Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Ms McDonald was noticeably more reserved than the last debate and she came under sustained attack from Varadkar and Martin on Sinn Feins tax plans, struggling to dismiss the notion that her party was proposing Jeremy Corbyn-style taxes. She was also light on detail when it came to explaining who would build all the houses Sinn Fein is promising. Eamon Ryan 4/10 Expand Close Green Party leader Eamon Ryan arriving for a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Green Party leader Eamon Ryan arriving for a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire The Green Party leader showed more energy during this debate than earlier in the week. However, he failed to assert himself and when he had a chance to give his views he got bogged down technicalities rather than pitch voter friendly ideas. Mr Ryan did not take the opportunity to point out the other parties failing on environment issues. Mick Barry 3/10 Expand Close Solidarity TD Mick Barry during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Solidarity TD Mick Barry during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The Solidarity TD reminded voters for the first time in this election that Apple owes the State 13bn according to an EU ruling currently being adjudicated in the courts. Unfortunately, many of constituents depend on the tech firm for their employment. Stood between the Taoiseach and Micheal Martin, Mr Barry was immovable on his socialist principles, but struggled to assert himself throughout. Brendan Howlin 7/10 Expand Close Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The Labour leader showed his mastery of the fine detail of the budget figures and was sharp on the key issues with a coherent argument for rent freezes bolstered by the fact his party did it in government. However, his opponents frequently cited that record to denounce him. We had no money then and you know that! he insisted to Mick Barry at one point. He was also spoke the most sense and sounded the most credible on the United Ireland question. Catherine Murphy 2/10 Expand Close Irish Social Democrats politician Catherine Murphy during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Irish Social Democrats politician Catherine Murphy during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Social Democrats co-leader's argument that childcare and health insurance amount to extra taxes will hit home with many. She said there's a real problem with trust in politics and hit out at other parties claims they can cut taxes while investing more in public services. Ms Murphy may be right but she did not make an impact and its unlikely voters will flock to her party in droves on the back of the debate. LONDON: Brexit is the United Kingdom`s biggest geopolitical move in decades. What will change and what will stay the same when Britain officially leaves the European Union on Friday at 2300 GMT? POWER While the United Kingdom remains a member in all but name, it loses its vote in the meetings in Brussels that ultimately decide EU policy on matters ranging from financial services to the definition of a European-made car. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is confident of clinching a new trade agreement with the EU during a transition period that begins on Saturday and runs until the end of 2020. But mindful that Britain remains subject for now to EU rules and regulations over which it has no say - and Brexit was sold to voters as `taking back control` from Brussels - Johnson has ruled out extending the transition period beyond this year. Live TV The United Kingdom accounts for about 15% of the EU`s economy and is its biggest military spender, and the City of London is the worlds international financial capital. But the United Kingdom`s economy is worth about $2.7 trillion while that of the EU is currently worth $18.3 trillion. Brussels will try to discern exactly how Johnson plans to overhaul the United Kingdom: will he try to build a competitor just outside the EU by turbo-charging the economy and the City of London, or will he seek closer alignment with the EU? PEOPLE British and EU citizens will continue to have the right to live and work in each other`s countries until the end of the transition period. The British government has told the estimated 3.5 million EU citizens living in Britain that they have until at least the end of December to register to retain their rights. Johnson has said he will introduce an Australian points-based immigration system after Brexit which he says would allow talented people into the country while barring entry to low-skilled workers. COMPANIES AND CUSTOMS Customs and regulations for companies trading with the EU will also remain unchanged until the transition period ends. UK customs will then apply for goods coming from the EU as from other third countries. Under the UK`s withdrawal agreement with the EU, however, British-ruled Northern Ireland will remain aligned with EU rules to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland, an EU member, that could undermine a 1998 peace deal. This means there will be no customs checks on the island of Ireland. UK authorities will be in charge of applying EU customs rules in Northern Ireland. TRADE As soon as the United Kingdom formally leaves the EU on Jan. 31, it can start negotiating trade deals with other countries. The European Union - which accounts for about half of the United Kingdom`s trade - and the United States are the government`s top targets for securing new trade deals. A sticking point in U.S. talks will be a British proposal for a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. MONEY There will in effect be no change for Britains vast financial services industry dealing with customers in the EU for the next 11 months because of the transition period. All EU financial rules will still be applicable in Britain until the end of December. Banks, asset managers and insurers in Britain will continue to have full, unfettered access to investors in the bloc during that period. The sector`s future access to investors in the EU will be one of the first issues to be discussed and must be finalised by the end of June. The government will be looking for the EU to make what is known as an "equivalence" ruling to allow those firms to continue trading with the bloc. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the Pentagon does not intend to remove all its forces from Africa, amid concerns from allies that Washington could abandon the continent militarily while China and Russia aggressively look to increase their influence and as the extremist threat remains. "We are not going to totally withdraw forces from Africa...I know that is the concern of many folks, but again I would say that no decisions have been made yet. This is a process," Esper said on January 30. Esper is carrying out a global troop review meant to find ways to free up more resources to address challenges from China's military in Asia. France especially has expressed concerns about a dramatic U.S. pullout of its 6,000 forces from various troubled areas in Africa. Paris relies on U.S. intelligence and logistical support for its 4,500-strong mission in the Sahel region, which has been hit by deadly extremist violence. Separately, in a congressional hearing on January 30, General Stephen Townsend, the head of U.S. Africa Command, said Africa is key ground for competition with China and Russia who are aggressively using economic and military means to expand their access and influence." He also pointed out the first visible sign of cooperation we've seen in Africa between the militaries of China and Russia, including their joint naval exercise off the coast of South Africa last year. China and Russia are seeking to counter the strategic access that we need for American security and American prosperity, he said. Moscow has been pursuing ventures involving the continent's rich mineral resources. Meanwhile, he said China has been offering African countries smart cities technology equipped with facial-recognition technology and using that information for itself before delivering it to the host countries. The general told lawmakers that U.S. security at home depends on what is happening in places elsewhere in the world, given the threat from terror groups that have been pressured by U.S. forces but remain active. A secure and stable Africa remains an enduring American interest, Townsend said. In the past, maybe weve been able to pay less attention to Africa and be OK in America. I dont believe thats the case for the future, he said. We cannot take pressure off major terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and [Islamic State], he said. "These groups and many others remain an inconvenient reality in Africa. Townsend also said intelligence has suggested Iran and Iran-backed forces were looking at opportunities to hit back at the United States after the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq and that one of those places could be in Africa With reporting by AP, Reuters, military.com, and dpa New Delhi: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy said that the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had spoken about granting citizenship to Hindus and Sikhs coming to India from Pakistan even after the partition of the country, but the Congress party is opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) due to the wishes of interim president Sonia Gandhi. Big relief to Mamata Banerjee from Supreme Court, refuses to hear Governor's petition Swamy has told the press people in the Parliament House premises that former PM Manmohan Singh also said that Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan should be granted citizenship in India, but now on the will and direction of Sonia Gandhi, the Congress is opposing this law. He said that he was happy that President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the Citizenship Act while addressing a joint session of Parliament today. P Chidambaram on the Jamia shootout, says, "Who was suspended" When President Ram Nath Kovind mentioned the Citizenship Amendment Act in his address today, the ruling party welcomed it by thumping the table for a long time, while the members of the opposition parties made a noise which caused a disturbance in the address for some time. done. Congress members went to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi and protested. Budget session 2020: Opposition creates ruckus outside Parliament Journalist and poet Ian Bailey (62) will appear before Cork District Court in March on summonses issued over alleged drug driving. Mr Bailey - who is fighting extradition to France after he was convicted in absentia last year of the murder of film executive and mother of one Sophie Toscan du Plantier (39) in 1996 - faces a total of four summonses. The counts all arise from an alleged incident on August 25 last year outside Schull. Mr Bailey was stopped by Gardai while driving outside Schull and taken to Bantry Garda Station after he failed a roadside alcohol breathalyzer test. He was subsequently released without charge. Mr Bailey issued a statement 24 hours after the incident to The Irish Independent in response to media reports. "I can confirm that on Sunday evening last, I was stopped at a garda checkpoint outside Schull," he said. "I failed a roadside breathalyzer test." "At that point, I was taken to Bantry Garda Station where I subsequently passed the electronic (alcohol) test. The treatment by gardai towards me was courteous at all times," he said. Mr Bailey declined to comment further. The alleged incident occurred in Schull around 9pm on Sunday, August 25. However, Mr Bailey now faces four summonses on the basis of samples which were taken by gardai and sent for further analysis. Mr Bailey faces one summons over alleged drug driving, two summonses over the alleged possession of cannabis and one summons for allegedly allowing his vehicle to be used for the possession of drugs namely cannabis. The summonses are expected to be dealt with before Bantry District Court in March. The journalist, poet and law graduate has lived in west Cork with his partner, Welsh artist Jules Thomas, for almost 30 years. He sued the State for wrongful arrest after claiming his life had been destroyed through the wrongful association with the du Plantier murder investigation. Mr Bailey also insisted that "sinister attempts" were made to frame him for the crime. He also lodged a complaint with the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) over his alleged treatment by some gardai. The French mother of one was found beaten to death by her holiday home outside Toormore on December 23 1996. Mr Bailey was arrested for questioning by Gardai in respect of their investigation in 1997 and 1998. He was released without charge on both occasions. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) later ruled out any prosecution in Ireland over the killing. However, following a lengthy investigation launched in France under Magistrate Patrick Gachon in 2007, Mr Bailey was tried in absentia before a Paris court last May. He was convicted before the non-jury trial and sentenced to 25 years in prison for Ms du Plantier's killing. The French have twice failed in attempts to have him extradited from Ireland under European Arrest Warrants. A third extradition hearing is due before the High Court next month. Mr Bailey was also ordered by the Paris court last May to pay over 225,000 in compensation to Ms du Plantier's family and the French State. He has consistently denied the charges, and did not attend the week-long trial in Paris. Mr Bailey rejected the French prosecution as "farcical" and "a show trial." He warned that he was convicted before the trial even opened. The journalist previously confirmed he has "absolutely no intention" of paying anything on foot of the French court order. Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020 LIVE updates, Delhi Assembly Polls: Check constituency-wise poll-results, candidates, winners, losers The BJP launched a multi-pronged attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday as it fielded a battery of leaders, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J P Nadda, to take on the ruling AAP on a range of issues but Shaheen Bagh dominated the barrage. Shah, who addressed four rallies, said the Delhi polls are a contest between Prime Minister Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through surgical strikes inside Pakistan and those supporting the Shaheen Bagh protest. To counter the BJP offensive, Kejriwal addressed 'jansabhas' (public meetings) and held four roadshows. The Congress on the other hand got some start power for its campaign. Actress Nagma canvassed for Congress' Gandhi Nagar candidate Arvinder Singh Lovely. Seeking votes for the BJP during an election meeting at Bhatti Mines Sanjay Colony(Chhatarpur), Shah said the refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have as much right over the country as its other citizens. "Two forces are face to face in the assembly elections in Delhi. On one side is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through air and surgical strikes inside Pakistan and on the other hand are those supporting Shaheen Bagh. You have to decide whom do you support," he said. Shah said a vote for the BJP in the February 8 polls will ensure security of Delhi and the country. Shaheen Bagh in south Delhi has emerged as the epicentre of anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country. A large number of women protesters have taken the centrestage at the protest in Shaheen Bagh since mid-December last year. Addressing an election rally at Mangolpuri, Nadda hit out at the AAP for pursuing "politics of appeasement" and accused it of being "hell bent on burning Delhi". "Entire Delhi is troubled because of Shaheen Bagh and AAP's politics of appeasement is hell bent on burning Delhi," he said. Campaigning for party candidate in Jangpura, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that he felt "foreign forces" were trying to "weaken" India by "misleading" people against the amended citizenship law. "No Indian citizen including Muslims will loose their citizenship due to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Still, if the citizenship of a Muslim is questioned by anyone, the BJP will stand with him," he said. "Misunderstanding is being spread to mislead the people. I feel there certainly is the hand of foreign forces behind this, who want to weaken India. The decision is to be made by you, where do you want the country to head," Singh said. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Haryana Jairam Thakur, Pramod Sawant and M L Khattar also addressed rallies canvassing support for the BJP candidates. Slamming Kejriwal, Khattar said the AAP chief did nothing but a "drama" over key issues like education and health. Thailand has so far detected 14 cases of the new coronavirus AFP/Mladen ANTONOV The Southeast Asian country has detected 14 cases, the second-highest number outside China where 170 have been killed since the outbreak emerged in the city of Wuhan. Thailand's digital economy minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta told AFP that a man and woman were charged with violating the computer crimes act - which can carry up to five years in prison - for separate social media posts about the SARS-like virus. One was a misleading video clip while another promoted false information about an alleged case in a beachside city. "They already admitted that they created fake news," Buddhipongse said, adding that more suspects are being investigated and others should take note. "You better think a lot more and look for sources of where news comes from." The Internet has unleashed a deluge of misinformation over the virus, from misleading death tolls to quack remedies and even prejudice against Chinese people. Thailand, which relies heavily on Chinese tourism, has come under a barrage of criticism online for its perceived slow response to the crisis. But it has also ramped up efforts to monitor misinformation online, arguing it is trying to avoid panic. Much of the effort is being run out of a new anti-fake news centre that opened in Bangkok late last year. The centre has come under fire from rights groups for stifling free expression but Thai authorities have said the monitoring is needed to counter a spike in online misinformation from health to politics. 'Twas a time not so long ago when backing up an Android phone was a massive, migraine-inducing undertaking. It's true: A mere matter of years back in our mobile device saga, a proper Android backup required physical computer connections, complicated third-party software and more than a few adult beverages. But my, what a difference a few years makes. These days, backing up an Android device and keeping your data synced takes little to no actual effort. Most of the work happens seamlessly and automatically, behind the scenes either without any involvement on your behalf or with a one-time opt-in when you first set your phone up. And restoring your data is typically as simple as signing into a device and letting Google's systems work their magic. Still, your data is important, especially if you use your phone for business. With all the stuff we tend to have on our phones (or at least accessible from our phones), it's worthwhile to know where and how everything's being saved. That way, you can understand what's happening and confirm it's all functioning as intended and the next time you need to move to a new device, you can rest easy knowing your data will be there and ready. Here's a section-by-section breakdown of Android's backup systems and how they operate. [ Further reading: 8 ways to turn Android into a productivity powerhouse ] General settings and preferences When you powered up your Android device for the first time, you probably signed in with your primary Google account. This is critical because that same account is your key to the vast majority of your automatically backed up data. On the system level, that includes most of your Android settings and preferences everything from approved Wi-Fi networks and passwords to your language and input settings, date and time settings, and display preferences. You can confirm all of that's being backed up by going into the System section of your phone's settings, tapping "Advanced," and then tapping "Backup." On Samsung phones, you'll instead tap the Accounts and Backup section and then select "Backup and restore" and look for the "Google account" area of the screen. Samsung confusingly offers the option to back up your data to its own service via your Samsung account in addition to backing it up with the standard Android backup system. Disregarding that and going with the standard, Google-associated setup is the most advisable option, as that'll allow you to restore your data to any phone you might use in the future, whereas Samsung's superfluous setup will work only with other Samsung-made phones. You should see an active toggle next to "Back up to Google Drive" (or "Back up my data," on Samsung phones) at the top of that screen, and below that, you'll see the Google account that's associated with all of your system backups. Make sure you use that same account when signing into any devices in the future and if you ever need to change which account is associated with your backups, just tap the line showing the account on this screen; that'll bring up a list of all the Google accounts connected to your phone, and you can select whichever one you want to take over. If you tap the name of your phone (or the line labeled "Google account" on a Samsung device), meanwhile, you'll see a breakdown of the specific types of data connected to your device and when they were last backed up. JR Raphael/IDG You can monitor and control your phone's system-level backups within the aptly named Backup section of your device's settings. You can also look in the Backups section of Google Drive on the web to find this same information and see precisely how much space is being taken up by your backed up settings for any devices associated with your account. Apps and app data The list of apps you've installed from the Play Store is always synced with Google's servers, and when you first sign into any new Android device, you'll be given the opportunity to restore that complete set of applications or to cherry-pick certain titles from within the list. (That option typically comes up if you opt not to restore everything via a physical, USB-cable connection between your new and old phones.) If you've had more than one Android device active on your account recently, you'll be able to choose which device you want to use as the source. Google also provides an expanded app backup system that saves and restores app-specific data everything from sign-ins to preferences and any other relevant elements from within your actual apps. It's worth noting that this requires some level of integration and support on the developers' parts, however, so it works more effectively with some apps than others. Calendar, contacts, and email Backing up these business-critical areas is actually quite easy because nowadays, almost all calendar, contact, and email data is inherently cloud-based (or at the very least cloud-connected). In other words, you don't have to back up your phone's email or calendar data because it's already stored in the cloud; you can simply open the email or calendar app from another device to retrieve it. (Google's own email and calendar apps Gmail and Google Calendar, respectively, both of which come preinstalled on many phones and are readily available for anyone to download store data with Google's servers by default but can also work with Exchange and other third-party accounts. You can add third-party accounts directly into the Gmail app; with Exchange, once your account is added into Gmail, it should then show up in Google Calendar as well.) The one asterisk worth mentioning is contacts, as some manufacturers and even carriers provide their own interfaces for organizing contact information and those interfaces don't always sync with Google's Contacts system by default. Suffice it to say, this isn't ideal: If your data is set to sync with, say, Verizon's system instead of Google's, you'll be in a pickle if you ever try to sign into a non-Verizon phone in the future. Similarly, if your contact data is being stored only on the device's local storage or SIM card by default, you're asking for trouble down the line. Go into your phone's Contacts app and look in its settings to see if there's any option for where your contacts are being synced or stored. The specifics vary from one device to the next, depending on the manufacturer and carrier but often, when a company puts its own solution in place of Google's, it'll give you the ability to switch to Google's Contacts system if you want. Some phones' Contacts apps may also ask where you want to store a contact every time you add someone new. Be sure to always select Google for maximum consistency and accessibility moving forward. JR Raphael/IDG The Contacts app on many Samsung phones asks where you want to save a new contact every time you create one. You can confirm that your contacts are, in fact, being synced with Google Contacts in that same aforementioned Backup section of your system settings (after you tap your phone's name or tap "Google account" on Samsung devices). You can also always access Google Contacts via its dedicated website to see that your data is there. Messaging Backing up and saving your SMS data so you can restore it on a future phone is generally pretty painless on Android, but there are lots of layers involved and it's a little confusing to figure out what exactly is backed up and how. In a change from the recent past, Google now automatically backs up all SMS data from all Android devices. This happens regardless of who made your phone or what messaging app you're using. That backup, however, is limited to 25MB of data and does not include MMS messages things like photos and videos sent via text. If you want your multimedia messages to be saved, you'll need to sign up for a paid Google One plan. Those start as low as $2 per month and also include extra storage space that can be used across all Google services. Then, you'll need to install the Google One app onto your phone and look for the Device Backup section within the app to turn that option on. You'll need to be sure to repeat that process with any new phone you sign into in the future (or even with your existing phone, should you ever reset it and sign in anew). Google says the MMS backups work best when you use its own Messages app. Google also notes that multimedia messages sent via the new chat-like RCS standard may or may not be backed up, depending on what phone and carrier you use. So, yeah: It's a bit of a convoluted mess at the moment one that isn't aided by the presence of conflicting info within the company's official help documents (some of which still list SMS backups as being Pixel-exclusive features as of this writing). Sheesh! If you want something a bit more straightforward and without any ongoing fees or limitations, the third-party Pulse SMS app is an excellent next-level option. In addition to providing its own universally available automatic backup and sync system, it offers plenty of opportunities for customization and also lets you send, receive, and manage messages in real time from multiple devices including any combination of phones, tablets, and laptop or desktop computers. (The basic phone app is free to use, though the multi-device messaging capability requires a paid in-app upgrade of $11 for a lifetime subscription.) There are also third-party utilities like SyncTech's free SMS Backup & Restore that can manually back up and restore SMS data, but using a messaging setup that handles that task continuously and seamlessly is the simpler and more effective way to go. Files The easiest way to keep files on your device backed up is to save them directly to a cloud-based storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. All of those services provide a reasonable amount of free storage with additional space available for a nominal monthly or annual fee and all of them make it simple to access files from your device whether you're online or not. If you'd rather store files locally on your Android phone, snag an app called Autosync, which is available for use with Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, and Box. It'll let you continuously sync folders on your phone with matching folders on whichever cloud storage service you choose and once you set it up, you'll never have to think about it again. JR Raphael/IDG AutoSync allows you to keep specific local folders continuously synced with cloud-based equivalents. AutoSync is free for use with a single synced folder pair and with files smaller than 10MB in size. You can eliminate those restrictions (and also eliminate some irksome ads within the app's setup interface) by making a one-time $5 in-app upgrade. Photos and music OK, so they aren't technically work-related but even if you use a business-connected phone, odds are you're taking some pictures and listening to the occasional hackle-soothing jam. Thankfully, keeping your photos and music backed up is a fairly thought-free process at this point. On the photos front, Google's free Google Photos app will automatically sync every image and video you take and make it available on any other device mobile or otherwise. And for music, the free Google Play Music app lets you upload your entire personal MP3 collection up to 50,000 songs, if you still own that much music and then access it from any Android device or from any computer via a web browser. (The service is expected to be merged with the newer YouTube Music app eventually, but Google swears that won't happen until YouTube Music is able to support the same sort of storage-locker capability.) If streaming's your thing, of course, just download the appropriate app for whatever service you prefer and listen away without worry. This article was originally published in August 2017 and most recently updated in January 2020. AFRICA Central African Republic Expected Council Action In February, the Council will meet to discuss the latest Secretary-Generals report on the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), which is due by 15 February. The Council will be briefed by Special Representative for the Central African Republic (CAR) and Head of MINUSCA Mankeur Ndiaye. Representatives from the AU and the European External Action Service may also brief. The mandate of MINUSCA expires on 15 November 2020. The mandate of the Central African Republic (CAR) sanctions regime expires on 31 July 2020. Key Recent Developments The Political Peace Agreement in the CAR was signed in Bangui by the CAR government and 14 armed groups on 6 February 2019. Since then, there has been a notable decrease, compared to the previous year, in military confrontations between armed groups, CAR security forces and MINUSCA and in human rights violations linked to the conflict. However, the final report of the Panel of Experts assisting the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, which was presented to the committee on 2 December 2019, determined that the implementation of the peace agreement remained limited. The report said that many civilians continue to experience general insecurity as armed groups violate the agreement in large numbers, including through violence against civilians, illegal taxation, and obstruction of the deployment of state institutions and security forces. In recent incidents, clashes that broke out on 24 December 2019 in the PK5 neighbourhood in Bangui between local traders and armed gangs resulted in at least 40 deaths, according to media reports. On 9 January, clashes between members of an armed group associated with the ex-Seleka coalition and CAR armed forces in the city of Alindao led to the death of two servicemen from the CAR armed forces and the displacement of 400 civilians. Inter-tribal clashes were reported on 20 January in the north-eastern town of Birao near the CAR-Sudan border, raising concerns that more civilians from the CAR will seek refuge in Sudan in the coming weeks. Furthermore, clashes between armed groups in the eastern city of Bria on 25 January resulted in at least 50 deaths, according to media reports. The humanitarian situation in the CAR remains dire, with OCHA estimating that approximately 2.6 million peopleover half of the populationwill need humanitarian assistance in 2020. In December 2020 and early 2021, the CAR is set to hold presidential, legislative and local elections. Regional and international partners view these elections as a crucial juncture in the CARs political development. The Security Council therefore decided last year in resolution 2499 renewing MINUSCAs mandate until 15 November, to authorise a role for MINUSCA in supporting the CAR authorities in preparations for the elections. The return of former presidents Francois Bozize and Michel Djotodia to the CAR on 15 December 2019 and 10 January, respectively, has raised concerns about their possible destabilising effect on the already fragile political climate in the CAR. Bozize, who was listed under Security Council sanctions for engaging in or providing support for acts that undermine the peace, stability or security of CAR in 2014, stated during a press conference on 27 January that he sees no reason that would prevent him from becoming a candidate in the upcoming elections. Such a dynamic can serve to increase political tensions and undermine the authority of incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadera, further complicating the implementation of the peace agreement. On 21 January, Touadera met with Bozize and Djotodia, along with former heads of state Catherine Samba-Panza and Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet. In a joint press release issued after the meeting, the AU, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the UN welcomed the exchanges between Touadera and the four former heads of states and stated that these exchanges will contribute to the peace and reconciliation process in the CAR. They further urged the acceleration of the implementation of the peace agreement, and called for the holding of free, credible and transparent elections in the CAR. In that regard, the statement appealed to the international community to mobilise around funding and support for the electoral process. Sanctions-Related Developments In resolution 2488 of 12 September 2019, the Council amended the arms embargo on the CAR government. The resolution exempts, after notifying the committee, supplies of non-lethal military equipment intended for humanitarian or protective use and supplies to the CAR security forces of weapons with a calibre of 14.5mm or less that are intended solely for the support of or use in the CAR process of security sector reform. The resolution also requested that the Secretary-General update the Security Council on the progress achieved by the CAR authorities on the key benchmarks established in its presidential statement of 9 April 2019, such as the effective implementation of the National Program for Disarmament, Demobilization, Reintegration and Repatriation. In his report of 31 December 2019, the Secretary-General determined that the government of CAR made some progress on the arms embargo benchmarks while emphasising the need for continued support by the Council and international and regional partners. Progress was made between June and December 2019 in the disarmament and demobilisation of 1,094 combatants in the western CAR. The Secretary-General reported that notwithstanding these developments, disarmament and demobilisation timelines are not being met since several groups have yet to demonstrate their commitment to disarm. On 31 January, the Security Council adopted resolution 2507 which renewed the mandate of the CAR sanctions regime for a period of six months, until 31 July 2020. The resolution incorporates the provisions of resolution 2488 (2019) and provides for a further easing of the arms embargo on the CAR government. The resolution exempts, after notifying the CAR sanctions committee, supplies to the CAR security forces of unarmed ground military vehicles and ground military vehicles mounted with weapons with a calibre of 14.5 mm or less that are intended solely for the support of or use in the CAR security sector reform process. Key Issues and Options Monitoring the implementation of the CAR peace agreement and ensuring that credible and transparent elections are held remain vital priorities for the Council. Monitoring the process leading up to the elections will also be a priority. Members might consider adopting a statement urging the parties to fully implement the peace agreement. Such a product might also seek to demonstrate the Councils unified support for MINUSCA and its work to facilitate the electoral process. Council and Wider Dynamics All Council members share the hope that the peace agreement will improve the situation and restore peace and security in the CAR. Several Council members are of the view that the sanctions regime continues to promote security in the CAR and can also serve to pressure the parties to implement the peace agreement. The difficult negotiation on the resolution renewing the mandate of the CAR sanctions regime ahead of its 31 January expiry demonstrated that opinions continue to diverge regarding the further lifting of the arms embargo on the CAR authorities. While Russia and China hold the view that more progress should be made towards the complete lifting of the embargo, other members feel that easing the arms embargo does not correspond with current realities in the country. Such a dynamic might make it difficult for the Security Council to maintain unity on issues relating to the CAR portfolio. France is the penholder on the CAR, and Ambassador Abdou Abarry (Niger) chairs the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON THE CAR Oskina curiously observed the thin slabs of meat and sliced vegetables between buns of bread. When it was her turn, she nervously asked the cashier for a Big Mac because she wanted the fabulous box it came in. She saved that carton and her drink cup and brought it to work the next day to show her co-workers, telling them stories about how the employees were smiling and wiped tables after guests left. Yet more civilians have died in airstrikes, as Russian and the regime continue to assault the northwestern province of Idleb reports Zaman Al Wasl. At least 10 people, including children, were killed in airstrikes that rocked a marketplace in Idleb province, as regime forces and their Russian allies intensified an air offensive on the countrys northwest, activists and rescue workers said. Russia has renewed attacks on marketplaces in rebel-held Idleb province, killing 10 and wounding 20 in the town of Kafr Latah west of Idleb city. Two weeks ago, 19 civilians were killed in Russian airstrikes on the main market in Ariha town. Two more civilians were killed Wednesday in airstrikes on the western region of Aleppo province. The heavy aerial bombing targeted most of the western and southern countryside of Aleppo. The regime forces have been on the offensive for more than a month in northwestern Idleb province and parts of Aleppo, the last rebel stronghold in the country. But in recent days, the regime captured more than a dozen villages in the area as the insurgents defenses began to crumble. Al-Qaida linked rebels control much of Idleb province and small parts of the adjacent area in Aleppo. On Wednesday, the state-run news agency said that regime troops took Maarat al-Numan, a key rebel-held town in the countrys northwest. Zaman al-Wasls reporter said the regime forces had also seized the town of Khan al-Sobol near Maarat al-Numan. According to Syrias Response Coordination Group, 40,000 displaced people have headed to areas near the Turkish border due to the attacks that violate a cease-fire agreement between Turkey and Russia. Mohammad Hallaj, the director of the group, said the civilians left their homes in Idleb provinces Saraqib city, Ariha town and Mt. Zawiya area. In Aleppo, two civilians were killed on Wednesday in airstrikes on the western region of the province as Russian-backed regime forces made rapid gains in the last rebel stronghold in northern Syria. The heavy aerial bombing targeted most of the western and southern countryside of Aleppo. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. New Delhi: Accusing the government of being arrogant by not addressing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters concerns and trying to reach out to them, the Opposition on Thursday raised the issue of nation-wide protests across the country against the legislation. The Prime Minister is said to have told Opposition parties during the all-party meeting convened by the parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi, that the government was ready to discuss all matters during the Budget Session of Parliament, which is due to start from January 31. He called for a greater focus on economic issues in the session and how India can gain in the prevailing global situation, Mr Joshi told reporters after the meeting, attended by 26 parties. They raised a host of issues, including the nationwide protests against the CAA, the worsening economic situation and rising unemployment. They also demanded the release of detained political figures in Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that Opposition parties sought immediate release of former state chief minister Farooq Abdullah. Anand Sharma of the Congress added that the issue of some incendiary statements made by BJP leaders during the Delhi poll campaign was also raised. See Full Image Gallery >> Mercedes-Benz is getting out of the pickup truck game not long after it got into it. The brand confirmed that it will cease production of the X-Class midsize pickup in late May due to poor sales. Mercedes unveiled the X-Class, the brands first-ever pickup, in South Africa in 2017 as a 2018 model with no immediate plans to sell it in the U.S. Its based on the Nissan Navara chassis but is given a number of ride and handling upgrades and is built alongside the Navara and the Renault Alaskan at a Renault-Nissan plant in Barcelona. From the onset, it was targeted for Latin America, Europe and South Africa, with plans at one time to build the truck in Argentina to serve the local market. Already in the first quarter of 2019, we decided the the X-Class would not be built in Argentina as planned, a Mercedes spokesman wrote in a statement sent to Autoblog. The reason for this was, above all, that the price expectations of the Latin American customers have not been economically viable. Now it has been decided that from the end of May 2020, we will no longer produce this relatively young model. The news was first reported by German publication Auto Motor und Sport, which says Mercedes sold just 15,300 X-Class trucks globally in 2019. Mercedes launched the X-Class starting at 37,294 (about $41,227) for the X220d, which used a 2.3-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that made 163 horsepower. It also offered a biturbocharged, 190-hp version of the same engine, available with either a manual or seven-speed automatic. Both of those versions are reportedly no longer on offer, however, so the starting price for the pickup is now 48,790, or just under $54,000. The remaining X-Class is the X350d, which features a 258-hp 3.0-liter diesel V6 and permanent four-wheel drive and a small 166-hp gasoline-powered X200 in limited markets like the Middle East. Mercedes said it would continue to offer service and warranty coverage for the truck through Mercedes-Benz Vans. Story continues Related Video: Click here to See Video >> Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Friday hit out at Union minister Harsh Vardhan for calling him an "outsider", saying the people from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana settled here can be outsiders for the saffron party but the city has "adopted" them. Kejriwal was responding to Vardhan's tweet in which the BJP leader questioned the chief minister for calling himself "Delhi's son". The Union minister said while Kejriwal was born in Hisar in Haryana, he was settled in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. "How can he be Delhi's son?" Vardhan asked. "Doctor Sahib, you hate me. You can abuse me. How can you call all those born in UP and Haryana and settled in Delhi outsiders? They may be outsiders to the BJP. But they are part of our Delhi family. We Delhiites adopted them all, made them our family," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet, Kejriwal responded to the recent "sting" of the BJP on mohalla clinics, saying the party has again "mocked" the people of Delhi by issuing "fake" videos. "The BJP once again mocked the people of Delhi by issuing fake videos. Delhiites worked hard to build 450 World Class mohalla clinics. Mohalla clinics have brightened the name of Delhi all over the world. Today, BJP's lie was caught in media investigation. People of Delhi are very happy with mohalla clinic," he said, tagging a news report. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov received U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan today, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported. The sides discussed the prospects for Russian-U.S. relations. "The current state and prospects for the development of Russian-American relations, as well as some pressing international problems, were discussed. Sergey Lavrov expressed the hope that the new US ambassador would contribute to the normalization and strengthening of relations between our countries in various fields," the statement says. The Economic Survey 2020 says that growth in exports provides a much-needed pathway for job creation in India and integration of 'Assemble in India for the World' into 'Make In India' can raise India's export market share to about 3.5 per cent by 2025 and 6 per cent by 2030. It says specialisation and quantity expansion can help India become a major exporter. The surveys says that growth in exports provides a much-needed pathway for job creation in India. "In just five-year period 2001-2006, labour-intensive exports enabled China to create 70 million jobs for workers with primary education. In India, increased exports explain the conversion of about 8,00,000 jobs from informal to formal between 1999 and 2011, representing 0.8 per cent of the labour force," the pre-budget survey says. The survey suggests that India must focus on a group of industries, referred to as "network products", where production processes are globally fragmented and controlled by leading Multi- Enterprises (MNEs) within their "producer driven" global production networks. According to Finance Ministry release, the survey notes that China's remarkable export performance vis-a-vis India is driven primarily by deliberate specialization at large scale in labour-intensive activities, especially "network product"where production occurs across Global Value Chains (GVCs) operated by multi- corporations. "By integrating "Assemble in India for the world" into Make in India, India can raise its export market share to about 3.5 per cent by 2025 and 6 per cent by 2030, which is highly feasible. In the process, India would create about 4 crore well-paid jobs by 2025 and about 8 crore by 2030," the release said. The pre-budget survey says that the incremental value added in the economy from the target level of exports of network products, which is expected to equal $248 billion in 2025, would make up about one-quarter of the increase required for making India a $5 trillion economy by 2025. The Survey finds that China-India gap in world market share is almost fully driven by the effect of specialization. It says India is clearly catching up with China in terms of diversification across products and markets. However, high diversification combined with low specialization implies that "India is spreading its exports thinly over many products and partners, leading to its lacklustre performance compared to China", the Survey says. According to the Survey, the specialization effect can change over the years, due to changes in the quantity and/or the prices of exported commodities. The survey suggests, if India wants to become a major exporter, it should specialize more in the areas of its comparative advantage and achieve significant quantity expansion. It says China's export composition shows a strong bias towards traditional labour-intensive industries and labour-intensive stage of production processes within capital-intensive industries (in particular, assembly of electronics and electrical machinery). "Dominance of capital intensive products in the export basket along with a low level of participation in GVCs have resulted in a disproportionate shift in India's geographical direction of exports from traditional rich country markets to other destinations," the survey says. It notes that driven by the nature of its specialization, India has gained a competitive advantage in relatively low and middle-income country markets, but at the cost of losing the much bigger markets in richer countries. The Survey suggests that given India's comparative advantage in labour-intensive activities and the imperative of creating employment for a growing labour force, there are two groups of industries that hold the greatest potential for export growth and job creation. It says there exists a significant unexploited export potential in India's traditional unskilled labour-intensive industries such as textiles, clothing footwear and toys and India has huge potential to emerge as a major hub for final assembly in a range of products, referred to as 'network products'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oral Surgeons, Drs. John Wewel, Jerome Wees, and Benjamin Anderson, Offer Permanent Dental Implants in Omaha, NE The dental implant is the closest thing to a natural-born tooth. The benefit of a dental implant is that it is treated like a real tooth. Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants provides a long-term and highly beneficial tooth replacement solution to Omaha, NE, with permanent dental implants. Dental implants mimic the appearance and function of natural teeth, restoring patients oral and overall health to an ideal state. Drs. Jerome Wees, John Wewel and Benjamin Anderson, respected oral surgeons, combine advanced technology and their years of experience when replacing missing teeth with dental implants in Omaha, NE. Since implants are placed within the jawbone, they offer the same strength as natural teeth, allowing patients to bite and chew like normal. The dental implant is the closest thing to a natural born tooth. The benefit of a dental implant is that it is treated like a real tooth, says Dr. Wewel. A dental implant will restore you to full form and function and you can eat whatever you ate with natural teeth. In fact, a dental implant may be stronger than some of your natural teeth. Dental implants are composed of three separate and biocompatible parts; a titanium post inserted into the jawbone to act as a tooth root, a lifelike dental crown and an abutment to connect the two. A patients general dentist will provide them with a dental crown to cover the implant post placed by the oral surgeons. This crown is designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding teeth for a natural smile. With proper oral care, dental implants can be a lifelong tooth replacement solution for patients. Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants offers cutting-edge dental implants surgery. With over three decades of medical education and surgical experience, this team of oral surgeons can successfully provide new teeth to patients who are missing any number of teeth. When performed by Drs. Wees, Wewel or Anderson, dental implants have a 98 percent success rate thanks to the use of advanced technology, like digital cone beam scanners and handheld intraoral scanners. The practice also offers Zirconia implants for those seeking the strongest and most natural looking implants. Having dental implants placed by the oral surgeons at Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants offers a multitude of advantages, including: State-of-the-art technology IV sedation and general anesthesia options High moral and ethical care Experience from thousands of successful cases Those seeking a lifelong tooth replacement solution in Omaha, NE are invited to contact Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants for a dental implant consultation. To schedule an appointment, visit http://www.midwestoms.com or call 402-397-7777. About the Oral Surgeons Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants is a full scope oral and maxillofacial surgery specialty practice serving patients in Omaha, NE. Dr. Jerome Wees has been practicing oral and maxillofacial surgery for over 20 years and is the current President of the Omaha District Dental Society. Dr. John Wewel completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Nebraska and is a Diplomat with the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Both Dr. Wees and Dr. Wewel maintain hospital privileges at the surrounding Omaha hospitals. Dr. Benjamin Anderson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Nebraska and completed his oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at the University of Mississippi. Midwest Oral Surgery & Dental Implants utilizes state-of-the-art technology and offers a full spectrum of oral surgical procedures including full mouth reconstructions, dental implants, and wisdom teeth extractions. To learn more about Drs. Wees, Wewel, and Anderson and the services they offer, visit http://www.midwestoms.com or call 402-397-7777 to schedule a consultation. Commuters and taxi drivers in Nigeria's notoriously congested business capital Lagos have reacted with dismay after authorities announced a ban on commercial motorcycles and three-wheelers across nearly the entire city. Lagos state government said it would ban the taxi bikes, known as okadas, and three wheelers, known as kekes, from February 1 because of what it described as their "chaos and disorderliness" and "scary figures" of fatal accidents. But for Lagosian commuters like Folarin Bosun, okadas and kekes are essential for zipping through the thick congestion that bogs down larger vehicles. (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMUTER, FOLARIN BOSUN, SAYING: "It's an easier way for me to beat the traffic so if they ban them I don't know what the plan of the government is but whatever the plan is, it's not going to be good enough. It's not going to be as good as the bikes and the keke." And for drivers like Johnson Ekubi, his maruwa, or tuk tuk taxi, is his livelihood. He says those who are banning the vehicles don't care because they never use them. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAXI DRIVER, JOHNSON EKUBI, SAYING: "It's not easy to get a job. Imagine that I park my maruwa, where would I get a job? It means I am going to spend the little money I have." There are an estimated eight million okada drivers across the whole of Nigeria, many of them employed by commercial motorcycle companies like Max.ng and Gokada. They've been trying to capitalize on Lagos's congested roads by expanding their operations - both Max.ng and Gokada raised around $5m in investment last year. But such companies are included in the ban, a Lagos state official has said, with only courier services exempt. Gokada founder Fahim Saleh said the decision was disappointing, but he was not sure how it was going to be enforced. Chinedu Azodoh, cofounder of Max.ng, said he had not heard directly from the government but said the ban amounted to a "restriction on poor people". Even if they are not of SHIA faith, anyone can state they are Bahai, please question further to determine this is the case, the document states. What NTC [CBPs the National Targeting Center] is looking for is membership in a specialized unit QUDS forces; however, this group is so elite and well trained to evade. Anyone can state they are from a different faith to mask their intentions. TAU recommends scrutiny on military questions. We have not yet had anyone admit being in IRGC or Quds forces yet. T here will be one fewer familiar face at the carousel of parties and dinners across London ahead of the Baftas this weekend that of Peggy Siegal, who until very recently was one of the most audacious movie publicists in Hollywood. She is in London now, but no celebrities will be posing beside her. Before, those on her speed dial read like a whos who of the worlds most glamorous and powerful. I admit I know Peggy; not intimately. I like ambitious women and she is one of them. Nothing would stand in the way of this fast-talking connector, who through sheer chutzpah pulled the right levers to get the films she was hired to promote to win their Oscar. But now her career is in tatters: every job cancelled, shunned by the glitterati amid a media feeding frenzy. Because the toxicity surrounding sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein has engulfed her too. As Vanity Fair wryly notes in a profile this month: Siegals ensuing fall may illustrate the extent of public disgust for the leeway Epstein enjoyed. Or, depending on whom you ask... the velocity of media judgment; the perils of false friends, sexism, ageism or how easy it is to dismiss notoriously dismissive people. Peggy looked decades younger than her 72 years thanks to her facelifts (she is blisteringly honest about them), and I knew that, when in her presence, I might be brushed aside if a more tantalising person was near. So what? It was her job. Her work was her life. No husband, no children; she ruthlessly zeroed in on delivering shiny statues. Every time she came here, she would invite me to one of her dinners I was delighted to chat to Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, or the cast of The Crown. That will not happen again. Like many billionaires or movie moguls, Epstein passed in and out of Peggys evolving circle, attending a few of her events; they swapped favours. Epsteins Rolodex included Bills Clinton and Gates. She remained friends, as did many, after he did jail time in 2008, insisting repeatedly in her defence that she hadnt focused on his faults a cry repeated by hundreds of those who knew Harvey Weinstein. Nothing would stand in the way of Peggy Siegal but now her career is in tatters she has been totally shunned It wasnt until 2018, when Julie Brown of the Miami Herald re-examined Epsteins 2008 guilty plea for soliciting sex from a minor, and printed evidence that hed molested teenagers that the attention on Epstein blew up. After a New York Times interview she was advised to give last summer, her life, as she knew it, disintegrated. Peggy hosted a dinner in 2010 for Prince Andrew in Epsteins New York apartment. This along with her name mentioned alongside Epsteins, quotes she had given to the press in the past for profiles on him, according to Vanity Fair meant no amount of denial on her part was going to wash. Who cares, you think? A woman hoisted by her own petard of naked ambition. Except that it does matter. History is littered with women taking the blame for the horrors created by men. There are no accusations being levelled that Peggy helped procure girls or massages, or that she knew of his horrific crimes. Unlike Prince Andrew, she is not accused of having sex with a 17-year-old (an allegation he strongly denies). Many of the billionaire guys who were actually involved with Epstein financially and socially were not affected by his criminal acts. Epstein, a manipulative paedophile, hanged himself in prison. The world needs someone else to take the stand. And a lone, self-employed woman, with a few disgruntled enemies, is easy prey. Pucker up, Mr Pitt, this is our moment Can we please talk about Brad Pitt? Aged 56, after many acting reincarnations, we have reached peak Brad. Theres a relaxed ruffled looseness to the actor, now single again, that feels natural. Hes on the Oscar circuit and not many can pull off the tuxedo with the kind of cool insouciance that translates into total hotness. Brad-mania has taken hold again and has uncharacteristically led me to place a bet with a girlfriend that I will kiss him at the weekend. I know this sounds outlandish but our planets should momentarily collide at Charles Finchs Chanel Bafta party on Saturday. I have purchased three inches of Saint Laurent velvet, which will be masquerading as a dress (yes, yes, mutton, lamb, mid-life crisis; kissing Brad is definitely on the bucket list). I am confident I can win, because despite my adversary being a Bardot lookalike, I only have to gain a peck on the cheek, while she has foolishly agreed her side of the bargain is a full snog. Adieu to Europe but vive lamour Were finally leaving Europe. And it feels like the anticlimactic dribble end of a lovely, if complicated, romance, where everyone was intent on telling you that finishing the relationship with this handsome foreigner was for your own good. A Connecticut man accused of murdering his estraged wife died on Thursday (January 30). According to his lawyer, Fotis Dulos had been in critical condition in a Bronx hospital following a suicide attempt earlier in the week. Local media report Dulos had been due for a bond hearing on Tuesday (January 28). When he didn't show up, police went to his house and found him unresponsive in a car running in his garage. Dulos's lawyer, Norm Pattis, lashed out at the public for being "too busy to listen." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NORM PATTIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, SAYING: "And we are not bitter and we are not accusing anybody of having driven him to his death, but we wonder why in the court of public opinion the presumption of innocence so quickly satisfied." According to court documents, police searched Dulos's home following the suicide attempt and found a note written by the suspect. In it, Dulos reportedly declared his innocence and said his lawyers had evidence to prove he had nothing to do with his wife's murder. Jennifer Dulos disappeared more than seven months ago. She and her husband were in the midst of divorce proceedings and what media called a "bitter" custody battle over their five kids. Jennifer's body has never been found. But Fotis was charged with her murder and kidnapping earlier this month. His girlfriend was also caught up in the case - charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Police allege the couple went to Hartford to dispose of garbage bags containing items with Jennifer's blood on them. According to Dulos's lawyer, his family has flown in from Greece to see if his organs can be donated. ENDS A possible terror attack was averted by alert personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police early Friday when they intercepted a truck, being driven by the cousin of the 2019 Pulwama attack bomber, near Jammu in which three Jaish terrorists were hiding, officials said. Around 5 am, a truck bearing a registration number of Pulwama in South Kashmir was intercepted at Bann Toll Plaza near Nagrota, about 28 km from Jammu city. The driver and the cleaner of the truck escaped when the truck was stopped by police and CRPF personnel. But the occupants opened fire at the joint team, injuring a policeman, police said. The security personnel killed a terrorist in retaliatory fire but two others managed to escape to a nearby forest area. A police party chased the terrorists and they were also neutralised, police said. The militants belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad, they said. A large quantity of arms and ammunition was recovered from the terrorists, which included five AK rifles, one US-made snipper rifle, wire cutter, codex wire and deadly explosive RDX. As security forces were engaged in the gunbattle with the militants, a police team started looking for the driver, his helper and another person who had escaped from the encounter site. Eventually, they all were arrested. "The truck driver (the main handler) was identified as Sameer Dar of Pulwama. His brother Manzoor Dar was killed in 2016. He is cousin of Adil Dar," Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told PTI. Adil Dar, who belonged to the JeM, had rammed an explosive-laden SUV into a bus carrying CRPF personnel in Lethpora area of Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, killing 40 troops, in February last year. Sameer, conductor Asif and another over ground worker (OGW) are being interrogated, Singh said. Sameer was sent to joint interrogation centre where he was being questioned by several security agencies' personnel and during his initial questioning he claimed that the militants had freshly infiltrated and and that he had picked them up near Hira Nagar, police said. Singh said Dar picked up the terrorists around 2 am in the Dayala Chak area of the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district after they crossed into this side from across the International Border (IB). The officials suspect that the terrorists might have planned to carry out attack at vital installations as well as security camps along the nearly 300-km highway as they were carrying wire cutters and bulletproof jackets. The Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed as the entire forest belt was cordoned during the gunbattle, they said. The traffic was resumed at 2 pm. The truck was carrying polyvinyl and a cavity was created inside it to hide the terrorists, the officials said. All schools and colleges were closed in Udhampur district as a precautionary measure, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mr. Bloombergs campaign manager, Kevin Sheekey, called the extraordinary use of Mr. Bloombergs personal wealth a down payment in a statement. Our first months filing represents a down payment and commitment in all 50 states to defeat Donald Trump, and it shows we have the resources and plan necessary to take him on, Mr. Sheekey said. But in a party defined in no small part by concerns about inequality and economic power concentrated in the hands of the wealthy, Mr. Bloombergs fortune estimated at well above $50 billion is also a source of discomfort to many Democrats, and his lavishly funded candidacy has drawn sharp criticism from populist liberals, like Mr. Sanders and Ms. Warren. Mr. Bloombergs finances are largely opaque, and they are almost certainly the most complex of all the Democratic presidential candidates. He has not released any tax returns since entering the Democratic primary, and his campaign has postponed filing a personal financial disclosure form until late March, after many of the states he is contesting will already have voted. The way that Mr. Bloomberg has structured some of his payments offers limited visibility into his spending, including $15 million paid to his company, Bloomberg L.P., that mostly covered the period before he declared his candidacy, and another $12 million to Hawkfish, a technology firm he formed last year. Still, the report offered a partial window into just how many consulting firms and strategists Mr. Bloomberg is employing and how much some his longtime advisers are paid. One of the biggest payments went to Doug Schoen, a longtime pollster for Mr. Bloomberg and a Democratic strategist who has appeared often on Fox News. He was paid $3.2 million for polling and is owed nearly $4 million more for a total of almost $7.2 million in less than two months. Ghanas High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK) Papa Owusu-Ankomah has urged Ghanaian garment and textile manufacturers to take advantage of the numerous opportunities that exist in the UK and European markets following UKs decision to leave the European Union. Brexit has opened up new markets, and it is my hope that you use the opportunity to manufacture more in order to create wealth and generate employment in Ghana, Mr. Owusu-Ankomah advised. The high commissioner made these revelations at an event hosted by the Ghana High Commission to introduce Ghanaian garment manufacturers to potential buyers in the UK and Europe. It was organised by Ethical Apparel Africa, a UK-based garment sourcing and development organisation, in collaboration with Ghanas Ministry of Trade and Industry through their UK office and supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Mr. Owusu-Ankomah further urged the Ghanaian manufacturers to find out what the expectations of the market were in order to live up to them. Patrick Nimo, Chief Director, Ghanas Ministry of Trade and Industry, urged participants to make the most of Ghanas position as the Headquarters of the African Continental Trade Area and to use Ghana as a base to access the bigger African market. Keren Pybus, Founder and CEO of Apparel Africa, disclosed that she chose Ghana as her base because of the stable political and economic environment, as well as a youthful and hard-working industrial population. She, therefore, called on the major international brands in the UK and Europe to consider Ghana as their manufacturing base. Others present at the event included Kofi Addo, Head of Strategic Anchor Industries and Special Initiatives at the Ministry of Trade; Paakow Bartels, Head of Trade and Investment at the Ghana High Commission; Dodzie Numekevor, Head of Public Affairs and Information; Mr. Peter McAllister of the Ethical Trading Initiative and Naana Frempong Arhin from the DFID. Some of the manufacturers who exhibited their products were Adjo Asare of Alfie Designs, Mrs. Linda Ampah of KAD Designs and Maa Grace Designs. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Earlier this month, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced that they were stepping back as senior royals. Following the news, Meghan retreated to Canada and has been there ever since. However, she was supposed to attend an affair with her husband, which would have their first public appearance together post-Megxit, but that didnt happen. Read on to find which event the duchess backed out of and what Harry told the audience about their decision to leave royal life behind. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry | DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS WPA Pool/Getty Images The duchess dropped out of this event following Megxit Reports have surfaced that Markle was supposed to join Harry at a dinner for his Sentable charity, which he founded in 2006 to honor his late mothers legacy by supporting people affected by HIV and AIDS. According to a report via the Daily Mail, the duchess was supposed to be at the Sentebale charity event in London on Jan. 19 with her husband but left him at the last minute to face the worlds cameras alone. One source claimed they were led to believe Meghan was going to be there and even had to sign a non-disclosure agreement so those details wouldnt be leaked to the press in advance. It was this big, crazy NDAd thing, thats how we knew Meghan was involved from the off, the source told the publication. It was always billed as a Meghan and Harry event behind the scenes with hopes the Duchess might speak or play a part in the speech. All of a sudden we were told Meghan wasnt going to be making an appearance after all, let alone making the speech. Harry addressed the couples decision to step back at the event During the ceremony, Prince Harry spoke candidly about the decision he and his wife had made to leave royal life behind and why they chose to do so. Once Meghan and I were married, we were excited, we were hopeful, and we were here to serve, the duke told those in attendance. For those reasons, it brings me great sadness that it has come to this. The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. And I know I havent always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. He added, What I want to make clear is were not walking away, and we certainly arent walking away from you But I hope that helps you understand what it had to come to, that I would step my family back from all I have ever known, to take a step forward into what I hope can be a more peaceful life. Harry and Meghan will be spending much of their time in North America going forward and have been looking at properties in Kitsilano located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Read more: This Royal Family Member Just Broke Their Silence About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stepping Down LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gov. Pete Ricketts proclaimed Jan. 26-Feb. 1 Nebraska School Choice Week today at a rally celebrating school choice at the state capitol today. In doing so, he joined more than two dozen other governors and hundreds of city and county leaders nationwide in issuing similar proclamations. School Choice Week in Nebraska features 209 events and activities, independently planned by parents, schools, and other community organizers across the state. The rallies, school fairs, open houses, and roundtable discussions aim to foster conversation about the education choices that parents want for their children. More than 50,000 events have been planned for the week nationwide, raising awareness about opportunity in education. "We're grateful Gov. Ricketts issued this proclamation and we're encouraged by Nebraska families' involvement," said Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week. "Parents know their children best, and choices allow parents to tailor education to their children's unique personalities, talents, and needs." As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com. For more information, visit schoolchoiceweek.com/nebraska . SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links www.schoolchoiceweek.com The play, close to two hours without intermission, has its indulgences and needs cuts. And Gomez certainly is young to be writing one of those plays saying you cant go home again even though you always are going home again. The downside of this genre is its popularity among playwrights who come from intense communities, head to a bigger city for college or graduate school, are showered with success at a young age and then start to feel alienated, and maybe guilty, at their growing remove from the people they love. Ive reviewed that play many times, especially in the last couple of years. Often times I sit there and think some version of, well, you had to get that one of your system so you can get past yourself and create from your imagination. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) The weekend is here. WLFI has you covered with your News 18 This Morning Weekend Planner for 01/31 to 02/02. Pink Floyd Light Spectacular The Long Center will be celebrating 50 years of Pink Floyd with a multi-media laser and light show this Saturday. The music event promises to feature Pink Floyd's music "like you've never seen before." Laser glasses will also be included to take the show over the top. Doors open Saturday at 7 p.m. The show begins at 8 p.m. Main floor tickets are $32.50 a person and second floor tickets cost $28.50. Lunar New Year 2020 The Purdue Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center is hosting their annual Lunar New Year Celebration over the weekend. Join the Purdue community Saturday in a celebration full of activity booths, a Chinese performing arts troupe, rtaekwondo and a lion dance. Bring an empty stomach. Event leaders say there will be plenty of new food to try out. AAARCC Director Pamela Sari says her favorite part of the event is showcasing the diversity of how people celebrate across Asia. " I think it's very important for me and for the AAARCC to showcase that diversity" she told News 18. This year marks the year of the rat. According to the Chinese zodiac, the rat's personality is outgoing, cheerful and sociable in character. The celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Purdue CoRec Feature Gym. The event is free and anyone is welcome to attend. Purdue Ag Alumni Fish Fry The Purdue Ag Alumni Association is hosting their annual fish fry Saturday. It will be held at the Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Ranveer Chandra will be this year's guest speaker. Chandra is the Chief Scientist as Microsoft Azure Global. Tickets for the event are on sale for $25. Doors open at 10 a.m. Round-trip bus transportation is available from West Lafayette for $10 per person. MAZDA MARKS ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY HIROSHIMA, Japan. (Jan. 30, 2020) Today Mazda Motor Corporation celebrated its 100th anniversary with an employee event at its headquarters in Hiroshima, Japan. Centenary official comment by Akira Marumoto, Representative Director, President and CEO: Mazda originated as a company producing cork and then took the path to manufacturing automobiles. Now, our cars have found friends with many customers from over 130 countries and regions. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the customers, dealers, suppliers, business partners and the local community, who have supported us over the years through good and bad times, to whom we owe our 100 years of existence. As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we will continue to put people first and cherish our uniqueness of co-creating with others. As we strengthen co-creation and cooperation with all those connected with the company, we will continue to challenge ourselves to create unique products, technologies, and experiences that our customers love. Mazda plans to continue celebrations throughout the year, including at the Geneva International Motor Show in March with anniversary themed exhibits and during Mazda Open Day 2020 in May an open house event at Mazdas headquarters. A ceremony to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its foundation took place today at an auditorium in the companys headquarters in Hiroshima to express appreciation to all stakeholders who have supported the company and reaffirmed resolution for the next one hundred years of future. Approximately 500 people including executives, employees and representatives of workers union and affiliated companies attended the ceremony. Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. In a nutshell: Cybercriminals have long used unscrupulous means to trick people, including playing on their fears. Such is the case with a new campaign that spreads malware via emails claiming to offer information on how to protect against the Coronavirus. There are now almost 10,000 confirmed global cases of the Coronavirus, with 213 total deaths. The situation recently led the World Health Organization to declare a public health emergency of international concern. Bleeping Computer reports that spammers associated with the Emotet group have been sending emails to Japanese targets, warning them of infections in various prefectures from across the country. The messages look like official notifications from disability welfare service providers and public health centers; they use stolen emails as a template to make them appear more legitimate. The emails claim to offer advice on how to protect against the Coronavirus in their attachments. Opening these Word documents brings up an Emotet Office 365 document template, which asks victims to enable content to view everything. Once the computer is infected, its used to send malicious spam messages to other targets and drop other malware onto the device. A secondary payload allows attackers to harvest user credentials, browser history, and sensitive documents that will be packed and sent to attacker-controlled storage servers. Emotet malicious document template via Bleeping Computer The Emotet gang has used subjects in the public eye to spread malware in the past. In December, it sent out malicious emails that invited people to join Greta Thunberg at a climate change protest. The Coronavirus has seen tech giants cancel events and restrict workers from traveling to China. The outbreak has also seen a surge in popularity for simulator Plague Inc., leading devs to warn that it's "a game, not a scientific model." Image credit: nobeastsofierce via Shutterstock Two cadres of insurgent outfit People's Democratic Council of Karbi Longri (PDCK) were apprehended by locals in Assam's Karbi Anglong district when they came to collect extortion money, an Assam Police headquarters release said on Friday. They were caught in Virvar Sai Teron village of the district around Thursday midnight, the release said. The duo were identified as Jirsong Hanse and Clarbong Teron hailing from places under Dokmoka police station area of the district. The two men sustained injuries as locals assaulted them before handing them over to police, the release said. Stating that the two cadres are close aides of PDCK 'chief of army staff' David Mukrang, the release said a money receipt book and 18 note pads of the group were recovered from their possession. A case has been registered and further investigation is on, it stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Corporate Real Estate Game Targets Local Workers Kansas City Companies Use Real Estate To Retain Talent | AllWork.Space Kansas City employment is nearing cyclical lows of 3.5% and the competition to retain talent is fierce. This is leading companies to find new ways to use their real estate to attract and retain top talent. Many companies are using new workplace strategies to provide premium space for workers, but this comes with a hefty price. Classy Kansas City Preview Arts News: Bach Aria Soloists Presents Bach Extravaganza - KC STUDIO Bach Aria Soloists continues the group's 20th-anniversary celebration by going back to their origins with "Bach Extravaganza," an all-Bach program Feb. 22. When Elizabeth Suh Lane, BAS' founder/violinist/artistic director, started the group, there were very few established chamber groups in Kansas City. KC Hip-Hop Tribute Tech N9ne Mourns Death Of Ces Cru Producer Info Gates Kansas City, MO - The Strange Music family is in mourning after learning Ces Cru producer Justin "Info Gates" Gillespie has passed away. Tech N9ne broke the news on Thursday (January 30) via Instagram with a tribute post dedicated to his late friend. "I just can't right now!" Show-Me KC Weed Money MO medical marijuana facilities looking to fill jobs KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Medical marijuana cultivation sites and dispensaries are looking to hire employees to get their businesses up and running. This comes as the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services approved 60 cultivation sites and 192 dispensary locations. As of Monday, DHSS approved more than 31,000 patient and caregiver applications with another 2,200 awaiting review. EPIC Pull Out Of Panties?!??! Billionaire founder of Victoria's Secret may sell the company L Brands' stock jumped 12% Wednesday on a report that billionaire founder and CEO Leslie Wexner is in talks to step aside or sell the struggling lingerie brand. Afghanistan FOREVER Attacks in Afghanistan spike as US weighs troop drawdown As the Trump administration weighs significant US troop reductions in Afghanistan, the number of attacks carried out by the Taliban and other anti-government forces reached a record high in the last three months of last year, according to a new report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Recipe For Disaster?!?!? Don't Blame Bat Soup for the Wuhan Virus As news of the Wuhan virus spread online, one video became emblematic of its claimed origin: It showed a young Chinese woman, supposedly in Wuhan, biting into a virtually whole bat as she held the creature up with chopsticks. Media outlets from the to RT promoted the video, as did a number of prominent extremist bloggers such as Paul Joseph Watson. Big Bucks Against Prez Trump Bloomberg Has Spent $100+ MILLION on Anti-Trump Ads: Drudge Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has already dropped a fortune in support of his 2020 presidential bid - including, reportedly, $10 million for ad time during Sunday's Super Bowl. Now, the exact figures are coming to light. And they are staggering. Politiocs Endure 2020 Paranoia AP-NORC poll: GOP more fired up for 2020, Democrats anxious When it comes to the 2020 presidential election, Democrats are nervous wrecks and Republican excitement has grown. That's according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research as Americans look ahead to a high-stakes election that is 10 months away but still very much top of mind. Kansas Wants Walkabout Space Enthusiasts encourage creation of more trails in Kansas by: Lindley Lund Posted: / Updated: TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - Volunteers from across Kansas gathered at the Capitol on Thursday for the Sunflower State Trail Appreciation Day to encourage legislators to create more trails in Kansas. There are currently state and federal grants available to communities who wish to create a trail, but they typically have to fundraise and work with volunteer groups instead. NextGen Learns To Code We Code KC teaches coding to kids in the urban core KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As the tech industry continues to grow, one local organization is working to make sure kids in the urban core don't get left out. We Code KC offers free classes to expose kids and teens to cyber security and computer programming. Kansas City Winter Heat Up Finally Sunny, very warm for the weekend ahead Hide Transcript Show Transcript THE REST OF HIS CAREER HERE BECAUSE HE'S TREATED LIKE FAMILY. NICK: WE ARE SHOWING OUR CHIEFS PRIDE. EVERY BUILDING THAT HAS LIGHTS TURNING THEM RED. 32 DEGREES WITH WIND CHILL VALUES IN THE LOW 20'S. This morning we celebrate and educate ourselves on hottiealong with more pop culture items, community news and info from across the nation and around the world . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . Nirbhaya gang rape, murder case: A Delhi court on Friday canceled the executions of convicts in the Nirbhaya case till further orders. Nirbhaya's mother said that convicts have been taking advantage of the legal system. A day ahead of the hangings of the convicts of Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, a Delhi court put stay on the February 1 execution order. Reports said all 4 convicts-Pawan Gupta, Mukesh Singh, Akshay Singh and Vinay Sharma- will not be hanged till Courts next order. This was the second time that the executions have been halted due to review, curative and mercy petitions. Convict Mukesh Singhs lawyer, AP Singh told the media that the death warrant has been cancelled and court hasnt given any new date yet. The courts order to halt the hangings was not less than a heart breaker for Nirbhayas mother who has been fighting for justice from last 7 years. One can easily notice fromher face that she was very much upset with the courts decision. While talking to the media, she said a convicts lawyer had challenged her in court that there would be no hanging. It is clear that the convicts have been misusing the legal system that the government says is skewed. Lawyer AP Singh had filed a new petition in the Supreme Court today, asserting Pawan Guptas claim of being a minor in 2012, when the incident had happened. The same claim was dismissed by the Supreme Court earlier also and today the convict requested the court to review its decision. Last week, the top court had said that the age claim cannot be raised again and again. But it was Vinay Sharmas mercy petition that forced the court to halt the hangings. Reports said even if the President would have rejected the plea, the convicts would get 14 days time before execution as per the Indian judicial system. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App Fourteenth person on business ombudsmans London List returns to Russia RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 14:36 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) Mikhail Yershov, the fourteenth businessman entered on the so-called London List, has returned to Russia, the press service of business ombudsman Boris Titov reports. In December, charges against the co-founder of Uvarovo Buttermaking Plant Elevator were dropped after then Prosecutor General Yury Chaika issued an order declaring the case illegal. The order read that investigators conclusions on involvement of Yershov and the factorys CEO Naumov countered collected case materials, the statement reads. According to Titovs office, the businessmen were charged with lowering the VAT amount in the butter dairys tax declarations by 79.8 million rubles ($1.3 million) between 2012 and 2014, and by 57 million rubles in 2015-2016. They were also accused of fraudulent acquisition of state funds by organization of illegal VAT refund from the budget. The so-called London List is a conventional name for a register of ex-Russian entrepreneurs residing abroad while under criminal investigation in the Russian Federation, who wish to return to their home country if provided guarantees that they are not to be placed in detention. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin ordered then Prosecutor General Yury Chaika, Chairman of the Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin, Director of the Federal Security Service Alexander Bortnikov and Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev to elaborate concerted decisions on all defendants includer in the London List. Researchers at Microsoft have developed a new augmented reality prototype called Project Tokyo, which helps people with visual impairments navigate group conversations. Project Tokyo uses Microsofts HoloLens AR headset to give subtle sound cues to identify different speakers in group settings and convey where in the room they are. The feature also has a spatialized sound cue that will sound when someone is looking at the person in the headset, potentially trying to get their attention via eye contact in the way most conventionally sighted people do. Microsoft Researchers have developed a new AR tool for their HoloLens headset, which helps the blind or people with low vision identify speakers in group settings All of the systems sound effects are engineered to convey spatial information, so, when identifying a speaker thats five feet away, the small chime sound as if its coming from five feet away. Closer people will be preceded by nearer and more forceful chimes, and distant speakers will be preceded by slightly fainter and more distant chimes, according to a Microsoft Research blog post. Whenever I am in a situation with more than two or three people, especially if I dont know some of them, it becomes exponentially more difficult to deal with because people use more and more eye contact and body language to signal that they want to talk to such-and-such a person, that they want to speak now, Peter Boscher, an audio engineer who contributed to the project and who is also blind, said. It is really very difficult as a blind person. Another feature will help the person in the headset adjust the angle of their head to match the person speaking with them, using the an elastic audio cue. As the person's gaze and head position drifts further out of sync, they'll hear the sound of an elastic band stretching tighter and tighter, toward a breaking point, and when they move back into sync, it'll sound like pressure's being relieved. The project originated in 2016, when Microsoft researchers accompanied a group of athletes from the United Kingdom to the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The headset will give several different types of audio cues that convey spatial information about how near or far a person is, and what direction they're holding their head in The athletes all had different levels of vision, and the team noticed how many situational challenges they encountered in airports and other public spaces during the trip. It is not about saying, Lets build something for blind people, Microsoft researcher Cecily Morrison said. We are working with blind people to help us imagine the future, and that future is about new experiences with AI. Project Tokyo is currently just a prototype, with no immediate plans for a public release. Three people have been arrested in connection with burglaries in the Blackrock area of Dublin. Last night Gardai on patrol in Tallaght noticed a car acting suspiciously, before beginning to follow it on the M50. He went on to suggest that it was Joe Biden who could stand behind the attempt. Former Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin claims he survived mercury poisoning in September 2019. He felt unwell while on a trip to Greece where he went after his brother died, Shokin told the TSN news service. "This happened on September 10, 2019. It was in Greece, where I was on a private trip. It wasn't a vacation. Unfortunately, my brother died, and we buried him. After this, you know, no one would really like to have a vacation. But I did want to spend some time on my own. I have very good friends in Greece. I went over to visit them. And on September 10, when I got out of the car, I lost consciousness and fell on the ground. I don't quite remember what happened next, but those who were around later told me that I was very lucky that this happened in that place and at that time. It happened at approximately 11:40, and the hospital was nearby, as well as the ambulance and great professionals," Shokiin said. The former PG added he had suffered two cardiac arrests, could not walk, so he had to learn to walk again. "According to the conclusion of the Greek clinic, where I was first admitted at intensive care, I had two cardiac arrests. In order to revive me, defibrillators were used in intensive care. Then I spent eight days there before being transferred to the ward. I couldn't walk, so I had to learn to walk there again," he said. Read alsoUkrainian prosecutor comments on Yovanovitch surveillance allegations The ex-official says he was discharged from hospital on September 20 and that he arrived in Kyiv on September 22. "There was a need to continue treatment in order to return to normal life. They advised me to go to a clinic in Vienna. When I arrived in Vienna on October 9, 2019, I went to Nikolai Nikolaevich Korpan, a physician. He told me about [former president of Ukraine Viktor] Yushchenko and that he actually took part in curing him [Yushchenko had been poisoned]," said Shokin. According to the former head of the Prosecutor General, he suffered mercury poisoning. "On October 11, a doctor came to me and asked me: 'Are you aware that you have mercury in you?' "The findings indicate that mercury content in my body is 9.7%, that is, five times over the maximum limit. Then I found out that the methods of mercury poisoning vary greatly they can poison you with mercury vapor, and there are other ways. As my friends at the SBU told me, this poisoning method is somewhat outdated, but it is sometimes used," he said. Read also"I don't trust any word he is now saying": FM Prystaiko on Giuliani associate's statements on Ukraine Shokin suggests "there is a possibility of Biden's involvement" in his poisoning. "I have no obvious enemies, of whom I'm positively aware that they are my enemies. Of course, one of the versions although this version requires probing is that there's a possibility of [Joe] Bidens involvement in all of this in some way. I officially contacted the Greek law enforcement on this matter they have my official statement as I asked them to investigate. As far as I know, a criminal case has been opened and is being investigated, but this is just my information. Officially, I haven't received a response, although I contacted them quite a while ago regarding the launch of criminal proceedings in connection with my premeditated murder [attempt]," he said. Earlier, Rudy Giuliani, U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, spoke about the alleged assassination attempt on Viktor Shokin and called the latter one of the main witnesses in the U.S. internal political confrontation. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 14:00:42 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 964 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / Sky Gold Corp. (TSX-V: SKYG) (US:SRKZF) ("Sky Gold Corp." or the "Company") is pleased to announce the acquisition of the "Mustang Property", comprising two non-contiguous blocks of claims, in Central Newfoundland. The eastern claim block hosts the "Outflow Prospect", comprised of the Mustang and Piper mineralized zones, located adjacent to New Found Gold Corp. ("New Found Gold") who recently announced New Found Gold drill hole ("NFGC-19-01") on their Queensway Gold Project which intersected 92.86 g/t Au over 19.0 meters (see Mexican Gold Corp., Press Release dated January 26, 2020)*.The eastern claim block is contiguous to New Found Gold's Queensway Gold Project and approximately 5 km from New Found Gold's discovery hole. The claims comprise approximately 420 ha on the western shore of Gander Lake. The western claim block comprises approximately 150 hectares and is located approximately 2.2 kilometers west-northwest of the eastern claims. The claim blocks are located approximately 6.5 km south-southeast of the village of Glenwood, with abandoned logging road accessing the area. Glenwood is located on the Trans-Canada Highway 25 kilometers west of an international airport in Gander.Gold mineralization was discovered at the Outflow Prospect in 1987 by Noranda Exploration Company Limited, whom completed geologic mapping, trenching and shallow (average 84 m) diamond drilling (12 holes totaling 1007.6 m). In late 2001, Altius Minerals Corp. held the current claim area, with the Mustang zone anchoring a major NE-SW structural feature of prospective geology covered by a large property project known as the "Mustang Trend." Altius optioned the property to Barrick Gold Corporation who undertook reconnaissance exploration in 2002 which resulted in the discovery of several new gold showings, including the Road Breccia, Barite, Jasperoid, and Gervase's Lane showings. Exploration on the property was curtailed in late July 2003, when Barrick terminated their option.Highest gold values, up to 28 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over 0.8 metres, occur in dark gray hydrobreccia units, associated with higher arsenopyrite concentrations. Selected diamond-drill assay results from Noranda's drill program include 1.27 g/t Au over 11.3 m, 0.67 g/t Au over 18.3 m and 0.92 g/t Au over 9.0 m.**Gold values on adjacent properties in similar rocks, and assays based on historical work, are not representative of the mineralization on the property, have not been verified, and should not be relied upon.Two geologic models have been proposed for the gold mineralization at the Mustang Prospect. A low-sulphidation epithermal model is proposed, based on the silicified zones, locally in association with fault zones, and consist of chalcedonic silica in association with comb-textured and crustiform quartz and hydrothermal breccia. However, Altius Mineral Corp., considered the Mustang prospect as a possible example of Carlin-style mineralization (Altius Minerals Corporation, press release, August 21, 2003), supported by typical enriched trace-element assemblages (As, Sb, Tl, Hg, and Ba) of Carlin deposits, and barite veins, breccia matrix and stockwork hosted by calcareous sedimentary rocks.President, Mike England states: "We are pleased to be acquiring the Mustang Property in an active, emerging gold district, led by the recent success of New Found Gold. At this point the Newfoundland claim staking system is making a transition therefore no staking is possible however we will be looking to add to our land position when it is back up and running." Mr. England further commented "With multiple targets already known, and only limited, shallow drilling to date, we feel there is excellent potential for a significant gold discovery. Our technical team is well suited with expertise on both epithermal and Carlin-type gold mineralization. Data compilation has been initiated to define targets for drill permitting this summer." To earn a 100-per-cent interest in the "Mustang Property" from an arms-length party, the Company will make a one-time payment of $100,000 cash, the issuance of 3.25 million common shares of the company and expend cumulative $425,000 over a 3 year period. The underlying vendor retains a 3 per-cent net smelter royalty (NSR), 50 per cent of which is purchasable by Sky Gold for $1.5 million at any time.This transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval.The Company further announces that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 4 million units ("Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $320,000.00 (the "Offering").Each Unit will be comprised of one common share ("Share") and one-half transferable common share purchase warrant of the Company ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the Subscriber to purchase one common Share for a 24-month period after the Closing Date at an exercise price of $0.15 per share.Proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for general working capital.Finders' fees may be payable on the private placement, subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange.This offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.Qualified PersonCatherine Fitzgerald, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, is the Qualified Person responsible for reviewing and approving the technical contents of this news release as they pertain to the Mustang property.About Sky Gold Corp.Sky Gold Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties in Canada and the USA.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD"Mike England"Mike England, CEO&DIRECTORFOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASECONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995Toll Free: 1-888-945-770Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the We wanted to begin 2020 with a fun, engaging website that reflects the full experience our young students enjoy at our Montessori schools. Learn and Play Montessori, a best-in-class childcare, daycare, preschool, and kindergarten experience at https://www.learnandplaymontessori.com/, is proud to announce an upgraded review system to its new website. The new layout allows parents to browse reviews for what are arguably the best-reviewed preschool programs in key cities such as Fremont, Danville / San Ramon, and Dublin. "We know that choosing the right type of preschool or kindergarten is critical to a child's future," explained Harpreet Grewal, director of Learn and Play Montessori. "We believe it's essential to understand exactly what to expect when making such an important decision. The new reviews page on our Montessori website displays real heartfelt experiences from the families we serve in Fremont, Danville, and Dublin." The new page is available at https://www.learnandplaymontessori.com/reviews/. Bay Area parents can also learn more about the Montessori school program on a site-by-site basis. For example, they can review videos of parent testimonials for the Niles, Fremont, location at https://www.learnandplaymontessori.com/niles-fremont/reviews/. Parents who are interested are encouraged to visit the website and reach out for a school tour to find the best preschool program for their child. PARENTS NEAR FREMONT, DUBLIN, AND DANVILLE FIND THE BEST PRESCHOOL REVIEWS ARE 'FROM THE HEART' Here is the background for this release. Bay Area daycare, childcare, preschool, and/or kindergarten programs might provide a range of different experiences. Parents in the areas of Fremont, Dublin, and Danville could search for reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and websites for information. Personal experiences about a Montessori program can offer the details needed to make an informed choice. A new review page lists several positive posts about preschool curriculum, highly-trained childcare teachers, and an abundance of fun, learning activities. Choosing the right early education program can be a critical decision for children. Trustworthy preschool reviews sharing personal experiences and detailed, positive feedback can make a difference. For these reasons, Learn & Play Montessori has announced a listing of preschool reviews 'from the hearts' of Bay Area parents. ABOUT LEARN AND PLAY MONTESSORI Learn and Play Montessori (https://www.learnandplaymontessori.com/) aims to be one of the best Montessori schools in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Whether parents are looking for a Montessori School in Danville, a Blackhawk preschool, or a top-rated Montessori School in Dublin / San Ramon, Learn and Play has a campus for their child or children. Bay Area parents searching for Walnut Creek preschool options could find the right fit in Danville. All schools use the famed Montessori method, offering programs from childcare to daycare, preschool to kindergarten, in not only Danville, Fremont, Dublin, or San Ramon but also in nearby towns such as Alamo, Blackhawk, Diablo or San Ramon on the I-680 corridor as well as Walnut Creek. Learn and Play Montessori Media Relations https://www.learnandplaymontessori.com/ The Congress on Friday condemned the FIR filed against a Goa Church wing and an NGO over the presence of children at anti-CAA protest, terming it an "assault on a religious institution". The Goa police's women and child protection unit on Thursday filed an FIR against Council for Social Justice and Peace (Goa Church's wing) and National Human Rights Organisation (Goa Chapter) for using children to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at a rally in Margao on January 24. "The politically dictated FIR by the Goa Police is not only an attack on freedom of expression and speech, but also a direct assault on a religious institution," Goa Congress chief Girish Chodankar said. Talking to reporters here, Chodankar accused the BJP- led state government of creating "fear psychosis" among the anti-CAA protesters, who have been fighting to save the Constitution. The FIR was completely "politically dictated" by BJP leaders to suppress the voice of masses, he said. "When the BJP realised that people are against its ulterior motive of passing CAA, they are resorting to such actions," the Congress leader alleged. The police has kept several complaints against corruption in the state in cold storage, while it was quick to file an FIR in frivolous and mischievous complaint by an NGO against a Goa Church body, he alleged. Speaking about the issue, BJP's Goa general secretary and former MP Narendra Sawaikar said, "There is no point in dragging children on the street for this issue. The person who has filed the complaint must have found something unconvincing in the rally," he said. Citizens have the right to agitate but it should be for a genuine cause and students from school should not be brought on the streets, he said. "It has happened even in Delhi. Where is this heading? Why are we trying to pollute minds of children?" he questioned. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) REUTERS Two Manhattan jail guards charged with falsifying records after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell will face trial in June, a federal judge ruled Thursday. Tova Noel, 31, and Michael Thomas, 41, who worked inside Metropolitan Correctional Centers (MCC) Special Housing Unit, are accused of failing to conduct mandated checks on inmates in the hours before the multi-millionaire sex-offender killed himself in August 2019. Both corrections officers have pleaded not guilty. In Manhattan federal court on Thursday, defense lawyers asked to delay the trial until Octobera request U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres promptly denied. Torres set a trial date for June 22, despite the protestations of Noels lawyer, Jason Foy, who said the schedule would interfere with his family vacation. The defense attorneys also requested a later date because of what they described as voluminous discovery materials, including some they said they hadnt received. Its necessary, Foy told the court. This isnt about us laying back and taking our time. Thomas attorney, Montell Figgins, added, It took the federal government 90 days to investigate its going to take us more than 90 days to do the same amount of work. Indictment Against Jail Guards Reveals News Details From Jeffrey Epsteins Final Hours Figgins also told Judge Torres hed likely file a motion to dismiss the indictment due to selective prosecution, and that he needed to obtain a report from the Department of Justices Inspector General which, along with the FBI and Bureau of Prisons, was tasked with investigating Epsteins death in a federal facility. Prosecutors had argued against delaying the trialpreviously slated for Aprilwhich they said will last a week. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Lonergan said the facts in the criminal case only relate to a 14-hour period of time. This is a very focused, single-incident indictment, Lonergan said, adding that broader working conditions at MCC were just not relevant. Story continues Foy disagreed, saying MCCs environs and alleged failures in security measures are directly related to his clients case. (Both guards were working overtime shifts, and the union representing the officers told The Daily Beast that MCC is constantly understaffed, forcing some guards to work mandatory overtime shifts totaling 16 to 18 hours.) After Thursdays court appearance, Figgins told reporters that the feds want to put my client in jail for the same conduct thats happening with other officers on a daily basis. He said Thomas is on leave without pay pending an administrative hearing. He said his selective prosecution defense will center around the fact that other corrections officers within the Bureau of Prisons system, outside of the Epstein case, have also fallen short with required checks but without criminal consequences. The Bureau of Prisons allowed guards to work nearly 24 hours straight, creating a system where guards could fall asleep on the job, Figgins claimed; guards might end a shift only to be told they couldnt go home for another eight hours because of staff shortages. How can they allow that type of work to go on and not expect something like that [Epsteins death] to happen? he said. Now when a billionaire dies, they want to make [Noel and Thomas] a scapegoat, Figgins continued. He pointed out Noel and Thomas werent the only officers working the night before Epstein died; a lieutenant had to sign off on paperwork for their rounds, and a control room held other guards, too. Why are these the only people charged? Figgins asked. Last November, federal prosecutors charged Noel and Thomas each with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. Noel is also charged with five counts of making false records, while Thomas was slapped with three counts of making false records. According to prosecutors, the corrections officers face five years in prison for each count of the charges. Prosecutors say the guards never conducted their mandated checks on inmates, including Epstein, on the night he hanged himself. Instead, for substantial portions of their shifts, Noel and Thomas sat at their desk, browsed the internet, and moved around the common area of the SHU [Special Housing Unit], the indictment alleged. To conceal their failure to perform their duties, Noel and Thomas repeatedly signed false certifications attesting to having conducted multiple counts of inmates when, in truth and in fact, they never conducted such counts. Epstein was found dead in his cell around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10one month after he was arrested for trafficking minor girls. Hed previously attempted to hang himself on July 23, officials said, but was taken off suicide watch after 24 hours. He was under psychological observation until July 30. Later in August, Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd said a jail psychologist removed Epstein from suicide watch. In a letter to the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Boyd said a doctoral-level psychologist had determined that a suicide watch was no longer warranted. According to the indictment, no SHU guards conducted counts from about 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 until Epsteins body was discovered the next morning. Both Noel and Thomas had been working overtime shifts the day Epstein died. A cellmate of the multi-millionaire had been transferred out of MCC on Aug. 9, and despite the MCCs psychological staffs direction that Epstein have a cellmate, no new cellmate was assigned to Epstein's cell, the indictment stated. Noel worked a shift from 4 p.m. on Aug. 9 to 8 a.m. on Aug. 10, while Thomas started his shift at 12 a.m. on Aug. 10. They were the only corrections officers on duty in the Special Housing Unit from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Aug. 10, prosecutors say. The guards were collectively responsible for two prisoner checks on Aug. 9, at 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., as well as three checks on Aug. 10, at 12 a.m., 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. When a supervisor whod just gotten to work responded to an alarm that went off in MCC at 6:33 a.m. on Aug. 10, Noel allegedly announced, Epstein hung himself. Noel was said to admit later, We did not complete the 3 a.m. nor the 5 a.m. rounds. We messed up, Thomas allegedly told a supervisor. I messed up, shes not to blame, we didnt do any rounds. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. This Jan. 29 file photo shows screens warning about a new coronavirus in a subway train in Seoul. A total of 11 cases have been confirmed in Korea, the government said Friday. AP South Korea reported four more cases of the new coronavirus Friday, bringing the total number of infected people to 11 as the country struggles to contain the outbreak that is sweeping across the world. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), the eighth case involved a 62-year-old South Korean woman who visited Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and came home on Jan. 23. It said information on the other three are being checked and will be released in the future. The announcement comes just hours after the public health agency confirmed the country's seventh case involving a 28-year-old South Korean man who visited Wuhan and returned via the Chinese port city of Qingdao on Jan. 23. But he did not show any related symptoms upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. A Member of Parliament cannot engage in any business transaction with the Government directly or indirectly and on behalf of him or any other member of his family. by Victor Ivan From an architectural point of view, Sri Lanka had a parliamentary building near Galle Face which looked majestic and fitting for a Parliament. The affairs of the old Parliament were carried out in this building in an optimum and dignified manner from 28 January 1930, when it was declared open, up until the time it was shifted to the new parliamentary complex at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte on 24 March 1982. The new Parliament complex, despite being equipped with modern amenities and having an artistic look, lacked the majestic appearance that a Parliament should have. Presumably, this difference can be said to have symbolically signified the decline of Parliament. A similar transition of symbolic significance occurred to the Judiciary as well. From an architectural standpoint, Sri Lanka had an equally imposing judicial complex with an aura appropriate for an institution which metes out justice. But in the eighties, the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal were shifted to a new court complex built in Hulftsdorp. Although it is equipped with modern facilities, its exterior can be said to resemble a beautiful Chinese lantern. Japan cannot be regarded as a country which bears a strong record of democracy over its distant past; it was quite recently that it became a democratic country. Similarly, China does not possess a good history as far as the subject of the Judiciary is concerned. The shifting of buildings can be said to have served as symbolically depicting the subsequent decline of the two institutions. What is more important in Parliament is the authority it exercises as the supreme institute of State rule, legislation and policy formulation, and above all to what extent it has discharged its responsibilities, rather than the buildings of the Parliament and the facilities and amenities available. Similarly, the importance of the Judiciary is dependent upon the extent to which it has performed its supervisory role in monitoring the activities of the Legislature and the Executive, in addition to effectively exercising justice in ordinary legal proceedings. Attack on Parliament Parliament came under major attack on two occasions. The first attack took place on 18 August 1981 while all the MPs of the ruling party, including the President and the Cabinet of Ministers, were engaged in a discussion on the Indo-Lanka Accord. The first grenade was hurled at the table at which President J.R. Jayawardene was seated. It rolled over the carpeted floor and exploded. The second grenade flew over the heads of those sitting at the table, fell on an empty seat on their left, rolled to the ground and exploded. Miraculously, President Jayewardene was unharmed. However, Kirti Abeywickrema, a District Minister, died while Lalith Athulathmudali, the then-National Defence Minister, was seriously injured. It was an attack perpetrated by a supporter of the JVP aimed at destroying the group of ruling party MPs. Twenty years later, on 21 January 2020, a Parliamentarian launched a frightening verbal onslaught from the floor of Parliament, disclosing the current deplorable state of the Parliament which can be considered a far more devastating assault than the previous grenade attack. The recent tirade delivered by MP Ranjan Ramanayake can be said to have robbed Parliament of its political legitimacy and sounded a death knell for the institution. According to Ranjan, there are 100 liquor licenceholders, four ethanol licenceholders, 75 sand licenceholders and one horseracing licenceholder among the present batch of Parliamentarians. The data presented by Ranjan is imperfect. There are MPs possessing more than one liquor licence. His list does not include the number of MPs possessing rubble permits, timber permits, passenger transport permits, the number who have acquired state lands, obtained re-export permits, filling stations and Government contracts in various ways and the number who have acquired licences for radio and TV frequencies. We gain a clearer picture of the extent to which Parliament has degenerated only when these deficiencies are completed and the list updated. Against this backdrop, the present Parliament can be described as an illegitimate institution comprised of a vast majority of MPs who are not entitled, both legally and ethically, to serve as parliamentarians. Loss of conscience Although the general public of Sri Lanka is unaware of the legal aspects of these issues, Ranjans speech seems to have left people flabbergasted. Surprisingly, parliamentary authorities seem not to be concerned or shaken by this speech. Neither the Speaker nor anyone representing Parliament has come forward demanding an inquiry into the matter to safeguard the dignity of Parliament. The Speaker has not stressed the need for an investigation. Similarly, both the ruling party and the Opposition have refrained from making such a request. In other words, none of the political parties, big or small, representing Parliament, made any attempt to present a proposal to investigate these serious allegations. What does this indicate? Although the degeneration of Parliament remains a secret to the country, it has not been so to the authorities of Parliament and the MPs.They all knew the extent of this degeneration. They have gotten used to it; the repulsive stink emanating from it and the putrid leachate oozing out of it. They have gotten themselves acclimatised to this ugly condition and acquired the ability to endure it without any sense of disgrace so long as it is kept a secret from the public. So much so, that what Ranjan has disclosed was nothing new to them. Perhaps it might have left them with a slight sense of shame as this disclosure was made in public. Yet, one cannot expect it to have shocked them. Apparently, none of them had the courage to demand an inquiry as almost every one of them, to a lesser or greater degree, is likely to be affected and become guilty. This shows that Sri Lankas Parliament has not only degenerated but has lost its conscience as well. Legal status Although Sri Lanka had adopted two constitutions, one in 1972 and the other in 1978, subsequent to the enactment of the Soulbury Constitution, there was no legislation enacted by both these constitutions in relation to the contracts entered into with the Government by the MPs. However, both constitutions specifically state that the provisions in the Soulbury Constitution are valid unless and until new laws are enacted in regard to this issue. Therefore, Article 13 (3) (c) of the Soulbury Constitution is presumed to be the valid law for this subject. This position had been confirmed by two previous judgments passed by the Supreme Court - one in respect of MP Albert Silva (Dahanayake v. De Silva 1978/79/80 18 LR-41) and the other against MP Rajitha Senaratne (2000-2SLR-79). Article 13 (3) (c) of the Soulbury Constitution is as follows: A person shall be disqualified from being elected or appointed as a Senator or a member of the House of Representative or for sitting or voting in the Senate or House of Representative if he, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any person on his behalf or for his use or benefit, holds or enjoys any right or benefit under any contract made by on behalf of the Crown in respect of the Government of the Island for the furnishing or providing money to be remitted abroad or of goods or services to be used or employed in the service of the crown in the Island. Accordingly, a Member of Parliament cannot engage in any business transaction with the Government directly or indirectly and on behalf of him or any other member of his family. It is not possible for him to buy or lease State land or other State property; he cannot act as a Government contractor or one who sells goods to the Government or buys goods from the Government. The ugly compromise Anyone who does such things cannot contest Parliamentary Elections, cannot get elected to Parliament, cannot sit or vote in Parliament. Under the circumstances, Sri Lankas Parliament is in a serious crisis. The existence of the Parliament is totally unconstitutional. A vast majority of Members of Parliament can be regarded as those who have committed the offences outlined above. Therefore, the Parliament of Sri Lanka can be considered a Legislative Council comprised of a majority of parliamentarians who are not qualified to represent Parliament or sit and vote within this August institution. This is not a situation which has arisen recently or by accident. It can be described as an outcome of repulsive and unconstitutional actions initiated deliberately, which have persisted over a considerable period of time, with the consequential degradation and distortion of the entire parliamentary system. Another important characteristic inherent in this horrific cancer is the consensus with which all parties and individuals that represent Parliament act in the face of this ugly scenario, regardless of their position, class, ethnicity, religion or education. All of them can be said to have sprayed tons of perfume at the publics expense to suppress the bad odour emanating from this putrid cancer. The most surprising thing is the ignorance and appalling silence of the intelligentia and the public media over this ugly situation, let alone the general public. The 19th Amendment was intended to transfer all powers of the President to Parliament while keeping the degenerated state of Parliament as it was. I ventured to point out this situation when the idea of the amendment was first brought to the fore; but the intellectuals who appeared for the amendment lacked even the basic political intelligence to properly comprehend the situation. Just as the presidential system established by President Jayewardene was extremely corrupt, so too was the parliamentary system built into the presidential system of governance. Therefore, the transfer of presidential powers to Parliament or transfer of powers vested in Parliament back to the President, I should stress, will not be a solution to the degenerated situation of the system of governance. JRs role President Jayewardene can be considered the one who triggered this horrible cancer within the countrys political body. Although he was not a greedy person inclined to amassing wealth, the role played by him in corrupting the political system was immense. He pushed Government MPs into a corrupt stream and in the process, he too had smeared himself with dirt. He enacted certain absurd changes in parliamentary traditions to please his fellow MPs. He increased the allowances of MPs and introduced a system to give better vehicles to them. The most popular method that he adopted to please his MPs was to create a system where they could obtain valuable State land at a nominal price. The Government owned more than one million acres of estate land divested under the Land Reform Act. It was this reserve of public land that was used to make the MPs of the ruling party landed proprietors. It would not be possible for him not to know that granting State land to MPs was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and parliamentary ethics. This predatory program necessitated that its beneficiaries were stripped of their sense of shame and ethical values. Even if there was the slightest doubt or suspicion in them, President Jayewardene himself set an example, exchanging a barren coconut estate of 50 acres owned by him with a fertile coconut land of 50 acres belonging to the Land Reform Commission. That was how the disgraceful plunder of land commenced. Following the footsteps of their big boss, the ministers and MPs of the ruling party earmarked fertile land that belonged to the Land Reform Commission and had it bought with the bungalows that stood on them at a nominal price, thereby becoming landed proprietors and planters. JR did a lot of things for the members of his family circle and his cronies, which were not superficially and immediately apparent. They too can be treated as unconstitutional and degrading acts. It was he who started the practice of setting up museums for himself or his family members at the States expense. The successors of JR The Presidents who succeeded JR pursued the corrupt system introduced by him, by protecting and nurturing it and adding new elements to it. It was President Premadasa who initiated a system of offering radio broadcasts frequencies to his friends. President Chandrika introduced the system of granting liquor licences to MPs. Thus, under this corrupt system, all Presidents, with or without their knowledge, allied themselves with ruling party MPs and adopted a policy of plundering public property in the country. The number of liquor licences issued to MPs during Chandrikas rule numbered beyond 1,200. There were certain MPs who had obtained four to five liquor licences. While a large number of Government MPs had become landed proprietors and planters under the regime of JR Jayewardene, a substantial number of Government MPs had become bar owners under Chandrikas rule. The Presidents and powerful MPs used huge development schemes, large-scale purchases and sales as important sources of income for them and earned large sums of money. The process of looting public property and wealth moved forward rapidly, leaving nothing to be looted anymore. The massive bond scam, which everyone knows about, is only one example. Paradoxically, when the country goes bankrupt, the political regime thrives, getting richer. Against this backdrop, what is most tragic is the inability of the educated people of the country to understand the true nature of the plunder of public treasures. At least they were unaware that MPs transacting business with the Government was a violation of the Constitution. The solution they foresaw to this problem was to send educated people or professionals to Parliament. They failed to see the need for serious structural reforms to the system of governance. Even after Ranjans shocking revelation, they do not seem to have entirely opened their eyes. They have not demanded an inquiry into the conduct of MPs who engaged in business with the Government. I have not seen a single editorial written about it. In a crisis situation like this, the role of the Judiciary as well as the Auditor-General should also come under discussion. Director Cathy Yan, right in front row, talks about the new film "Birds of Prey" at a live video conference held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul, Tuesday. / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea By Kwak Yeon-soo "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn," which is told entirely from Harley's point of view, is an ensemble film where each of the characters has many shining moments, according to director Cathy Yan. In a video conference held at Yongsan CGV in Seoul, Tuesday, the director and cast discussed adapting characters from DC Extended Universe comics and the theme of sisterhood. "A big takeaway from the film is that it shows raw, imperfect characters becoming empowered in the end. All characters go on their own, similar journey and later join forces to defend a young girl from a villain," Yan said. Talking about the film, Yan said that it pays homage to the entire history of the comic book, but has original elements too. "What's lovely is that although the film is inspired by the entire history of the character in the DC comic, a lot of it is based on an original story," she said. In the upcoming film, Harley is depicted as an antihero after splitting up with the Joker, with whom she first appeared in 2016's "Suicide Squad." The film is about Harley trying to push past a painful breakup, joining superheroes Black Canary, Huntress and Renee Montoya to save a young girl, Cassandra Cain, from crime lord Roman Sionis, aka Black Mask. On returning as Harley Quinn, Margot Robbie said there was so much to explore about the character that is different from what is seen in "Suicide Squad." "I didn't want to stop playing Harley because such a female ensemble action film is rare, and I love hanging out with the girl gang," Robbie said. "In the beginning of the film, Harley is in a vulnerable state, not coping well after the breakup with the Joker. However, she tries to become independent and finds herself joining forces with other female superheroes." Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who plays Black Canary, said she loved how her character encompasses duality. "There is a quality of Black Canary that's grounded, but at the same time she has compassion. As an actor, it was fun to play out both her strength and vulnerability," Smollett-Bell said. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who plays Huntress in the film, shared that it was fascinating to learn about her character. "Physicality is much of Huntress's identity, so I spent months in physical training," Winstead said. Ella Jay Basco, who plays Cassandra Cain, explained that she tried to express the character's vulnerability until she finds Harley, her new "mother figure." Director Yan said she tried to cast actors who embody the soul of their characters. "Mary's personality shines by the end of the film and Jurnee is the moral compass in the story," she said. "It's difficult to separate Margot from Harley as both are unpredictable, willing to take risks and fully committed. Ella brought authenticity to the role." Poster for "Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn" / Courtesy of Warner Bros. Korea An FIR has been lodged registered against West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh at Patuli police station here on the complaint of a woman who alleged harassment by Ghosh and BJP workers at a rally on Thursday. Ghosh has been booked under Sections 354A, 509, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR came a day after Ghosh, the Lok Sabha MP from Medinipur, said that the woman who was displaying a placard that read 'No CAA, No NRC', should thank her stars for having escaped "with just a torn poster". The woman had come to Ghosh's rally at Patuli on Thursday and held aloft the placard with slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Register of Citizens (NRC), which apparently irritated the BJP workers. Gupta alleged she was heckled and verbally abused by BJP workers. Ghosh later questioned as to why anti-CAA protesters come to BJP events to cause "nuisance" and not go somewhere else. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As it stands, cyber offensive teams run by spy agencies in places like China, the US and Australia must expend considerable time and effort to penetrate a secure network. The costs are very high and it takes a huge amount of work by a big team, Gilding says. But if a cyber offensive team government-employed hackers can compel the actual company that is running the network to follow its orders, then the task becomes much, much easier. We are not anti-China by any means. It is just that China has form over a decade of large-scale hacks of our networks. Former intelligence chief Simeon Gilding Huawei argues that despite being headquartered in an authoritarian country where the Chinese Communist Partys intelligence and military apparatus reign supreme, it operates free of government influence. But Gilding doesnt buy this. He also insists his problem is not with Huawei, but with the Chinese states record of cyber attacks on Australia - and the fact that it has the power to direct private firms to follow its commands. We are not anti-China by any means. It is just that China has form over a decade of large-scale hacks of our networks. Mistaken assumptions The British decision to involve Huawei was, according to Gilding, based on the mistaken assumption that a country can apply traditional defences to stop a cyber attack launched with the help of a company running part or all of a 5G network. Gilding says this underestimates the capability of Chinese state hackers, who he calls top tier. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discuss the role of Huawei in British 5G networks at Downing Street on Thursday. Credit:Getty Images In carrying out Australia's assessment, his own team concluded that if they could coerce a network controller such as Huawei to insert complex code during a system update, they could gain control of parts of a 5G network and never be detected. They [the British] think they can manage the risk but we dont think that is plausible given Huawei would be subject to direction from hostile intelligence services. Huawei Australias spokesman Jeremy Mitchell says ASDs assessment relied on at outdated understanding of how 5G will work. He argues that multiple vendors can help run parts of a 5G network, mitigating the risk of compromise. We think the UK decision has been based on a long investment in finding how this technology works by Britains intelligence experts, says Mitchell. ASD had relied on a old version of 5G technology. Mitchell also says that if ASDs concern is really about China, then it should equally apply to the other key players in the 5G debate, Nokia and Ericsson, as both manufacture in China and could also theoretically face demands from the government. Huawei is hoping the British decision will be replicated across the world and may even force a rethink in Australia and the US. But in Canberra, Gilding thinks this is unlikely. Contrary to multiple press reports that assert Malcolm Turnbull simply followed US president Donald Trumps lead when banning Huawei in 2018, Gilding insists the decision was made on his teams advice about how to best protect Australia. That advice has not changed and is unlikely to, given the man who signed off on Gildings work, former ASD director Mike Burgess, now heads ASIO. Sources close to Malcolm Turnbull also point out it was Turnbull who forcefully briefed Donald Trump about the need to ban Huawei from 5G, rather than the other way around. Despite this, Huawei continues to push the line that Australia has been dancing to Trumps tune when it comes to Huawei. I think the Australian intelligence agencies are more in line with the US approach than anyone else, says Mitchell. The international view Gilding says the decision in Britain appears political, a view also shared with the Australian government and intelligence services. It is Russia, rather than China, that most occupies the minds of British counter-espionage chiefs while Britain's desire to win a post-Brexit trade deal with Beijing may have also influenced this weeks decision. Huawei is embedded in Britains telecoms infrastructure and removing it from the next-generation project would have been expensive and caused delays in delivery. European countries such as Germany, which was incensed at the USs hacking of Chancellor Angela Merkels phone and which has not seen a debate about CCP interference on the scale it has been in Australia, may well follow suit. While Britain's decision places strain on the "Five Eyes" intelligence relationship, those who have worked in or with Australian intelligence say it will have no impact on intelligence sharing at least not in the short term. The Morrison government was hoping the Five Eyes partners would stick together on the Huawei ban, and not just to protect their networks in the short term. It also hoped to encourage investment in other service providers to take on Huawei's dominance in 5G a position the Chinese company has achieved with the help of huge state subsidies amid accusations of intellectual property theft. Misinformation Since leaving ASD in December, Gilding has watched the debate about Huawei and 5G be muddied my misinformation from all sides. He will not comment on the company directly, or its employment of former politicians and military personnel to spruik its claims. However, he is adamant that claims that any large Chinese company could resist an order from the Chinese government are implausible. Huaweis backers are similarly adamant, saying those who accuse the firm of spying are over-reaching given the absence of verified evidence on the public record. But Gildings concerns are about what could happen if Huawei was given the keys to the kingdom. The EUs longest-serving MEP says he is very worried for the man on the street after Brexit if the UK is hit by job losses and price hikes. Liberal Democrat Bill Newton Dunn, who served in the first European Parliament in 1979, said he feared ordinary people would be abandoned by the Tories. Speaking to the PA news agency, he said: I think the rich Tories will look after themselves theyve got the tax havens. But it is the man in the street in the UK who may lose his job or the prices might start rising if sterling falls, so I am worried. So many challenges ahead for the UK. Our relationship with the EU will be key. Good to discuss this with @guyverhofstadt and Lib Dem colleagues today pic.twitter.com/RpKl6m19h7 Bill Newton Dunn (@billnewtondunn) January 28, 2020 He added: I am very, very worried for the UK. I think it is a profound mistake in history, if you are going to do something you need to have a plan for what you are going to do next. He compared Brexit to the invasion of Iraq by British and US forces without a plan to govern the country after Saddam Hussein was toppled. Boris Johnson doesnt appear to have a plan its just Its going to be glorious, a new dawn, he said. The MEP for the East Midlands revealed he thinks of Nigel Farage as Del Boy from the hit comedy Only Fools And Horses staring David Jason. He is quite an amusing, witty guy but hes the man who just sees an opportunity and goes for it and tries to make a buck. My guess is that Farage will go off and help Trump in his election campaign this year and make a future there. Story continues Nigel Farage at the Leave EU party in London, where he claimed victory for the Leave campaign in the EU referendum (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He added: He says weve seen the back of him but I doubt it really because he hasnt got anything else to do. Mr Newton Dunn served as an MEP for Lincolnshire between 1979 and 1994 when he lost his seat following a boundary shift. He was re-elected as a Conservative MEP for the East Midlands in 1999 but quit the party and joined the Liberal Democrats in 2000 because of the deepening Euroscepticism among the Tories. After two re-elections as a Lib Dem, he lost his seat in 2014 only to return to the EU Parliament last July following Mays elections. Mr Newton Dunn is the only member of the first parliament still to hold a seat, and says successive British governments have never understood the need to work with the UK delegation in Brussels. MEPs are still denied an access pass into Westminster. In Westminster there is still this belief that we are the mother of parliaments, the mother of empires, he said. The real facts have never been given to the public for 40 years. Thats why we are paying the price now. When asked if he could see a positive future relationship between the UK and the EU, or even see the UK rejoining, he said: Weve got to get over this lack of understanding and this suspicion. We have this mentality of we are a superpower, we dont need anybody, they need us more than we need them. CalBank Limited has organized a Thanksgiving service at it's head office in Accra as part of activities to mark the end of the year 2019. The mammoth event was to "thank God for seeing them through the year 2019," organizers have said. Sunday's event, which was under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Kpanie Addy SJ., saw the full participation of management and staff of the bank, amid prayers and awards session. It was a day, which was also used to mark a farewell ceremony for the outgoing Managing Director Mr. Frank Adu Jnr, who leaves after 30 years of service. Theme for this year's Thanksgiving was picked from Psalm 3:3. Outgoing MD, Mr Adu Jnr shared fond memories of his stay in office with a team of workers he described as very youthful, anxious and passionate. Delivering his last address, Mr Adu Jnr said he is available to mentor and guide the youth. I see those (youth) who will borrow money to take a trip to Dubai, US, wherever to go and have fun because others are doing it. If you can't afford it, dont try it," he said. "Dont borrow to go and have fun. You must rather invest because if you dont invest and you retire, you will go looking for a job." The incoming MD Mr. Philip Owiredu was awarded for his 15 years of service to the bank as well as the head of marketing Mr. Kofi Siabi with 10 years of service. Awards were given to staffs who have served from ten,fifteen and twenty five years respectively. 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 By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 01/30/2020 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Jason Carrion has married British actress Roxanne Pallett Jason, who starred on Season 1 of , tied the knot with Roxanne on Sunday, January 26, the U.K.'s The Sun newspaper reported The couple reportedly exchanged handwritten vows during an intimate ceremony at Lutheran Evangelical Church in New York in front of ten of their closest friends and family.Roxanne, 37, donned a strapless ivory, mermaid gown with embellishments as well as an ornate Grecian headpiece and veil, and Jason, 30, wore his firefighter suit, dress shirt and tie."I couldn't have asked for a more memorable and incredible wedding day. Watching her walk down the aisle as I took her hand in marriage was one of the most significant moments in my life," Jason told The Sun."I have finally found my person, the one who I want to spend the rest of my life with."And Roxanne gushed she was "floating on a cloud" on their big day, and the feeling lasted for a while afterwards."To walk down the aisle in such a perfect fairy-tale setting towards my dream man, was the happiest moment of my life," Roxanne said.Roxanne reportedly walked down the aisle holding a single white rose as "The Prayer" by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion played in the church.The groomsmen and bridesmaids all wore black for the wedding.Jason got engaged to Roxanne -- who has appeared on several U.K. reality series including Celebrity Big Brother -- in December 2019, only 10 months after divorcing Cortney Hendrix, whom he wed in 2014 on .Jason gushed about his new fiancee on Instagram at the time, "When I said you're the love of my life I truly mean that.""You get me more than anyone ever has and ever will," he added. "I know that my mom is looking down on us smiling because she knows that her son has someone I can truly call family."Jason met Roxanne in Brooklyn, NY, when Roxanne exited a taxi and seemed to be lost, the U.K.'s Daily Mirror reported.According to insiders, the pair reportedly felt "love at first sight" and decided to grab coffee together -- an outing which turned into a week-long date.Reports Jason and Roxanne were dating first surfaced in August 2019, when Roxanne confirmed their romance on Instagram.The Sun reported Roxanne and Jason began dating seven months after she was dumped by her fiance Lee Walton. She was then apparently living with Jason and his roommate in New York City by August.Jason moved on with Roxanne after being married to Cortney for five years after they tied the knot as strangers on .Jason and Cortney quietly filed for divorce in February 2019 following a six-month separation.Cortney had initially announced the divorce and explained she and Jason wanted to "move on in different paths" but the makeup artist still had love for her ex and would always have "a special place in [her] heart" for him."We asked for privacy this entire time bc we were trying to figure it all out. At one point we thought we were going to divorce in order to date and start all over the right way," Cortney continued."We have decided together to move on in different paths, but that doesn't mean we don't have love for each other. He will always have a special place in my heart and life."Jason subsequently told People in a March 2019 statement he and Cortney had decided to separate "with a heart full of sadness .""We fell deeply in love, and had very much a fairytale story being married as complete strangers in the docu-series, ," Jason said."We both had such an incredibly magical journey together these past few years, making this that much harder to write and even harder to live. These last few months, we asked for privacy to reevaluate things. It has been a very difficult time for me especially with all the rumors, as well as the public wanting updates about our marriage."Jason therefore thanked fans for respecting the former couple's privacy, especially in light of the fact he and Cortney had fallen in love on television."Although we've decided to go our separate ways, we continue to love and support one another and still share a common goal to remain friends," Jason added at the time."I think the best way I could summarize how I feel is through a quote that has stayed with me for some time by Joseph Campell, 'We must be willing to let go of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.'"During their season, Cortney found it difficult to be married to a firefighter and Jason was dealing with his mother's failing health.However, the couple decided to stay together at the end of the experiment on "Decision Day."Jason and Cortney later starred on : The First Year, along with fellow Season 1 lovebirds Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner, who are still happily married and expecting their second child together.: The First Year wrapped in 2016.Following Jason and Cortney's split, Cortney moved to North Carolina and debuted her new boyfriend Sherm on Instagram in June 2019.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group A father sparked a 10-hour police siege after inviting more than 20 children to his daughters birthday party before holding them hostage. The man, named in reports as Subhash Batham, was shot dead as officers burst into his home in Kasaria village in Uttar Pradesh state. Home Secretary Avanish Awasthi said Bathams wife was also killed in an exchange of gunfire, although it was reported that she had been beaten to death by locals. All of the children, aged between six months and 15 were brought to safety. Local reporter Deepak Kumar Srivastava told the BBC that residents spent the night in terror. The police tried to convince him to surrender for several hours. They called special forces when their attempt failed, he said. Batham was said to be a suspect in a murder case and was on bail. According to India Today, he had written to a district magistrate complaining about the lack of toilet facilities in his house. He kept the children captive for 11 hours, and two officers were injured in a shoot out after surrender negotiations failed in Kasaria village, Uttar Pradesh state. Seven hours into the siege, a six moth girl was released from the hostage situation when Batham handed her to a neighbour from a balcony. Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Om Prakash Singh said: "On learning that he had firing capabilities and after his bomb-threats, all senior police officials decided to attack him. We tried entering the house...Subhash was killed during the encounter." The incident occurred in Farrukhabad, a small town 300 kilometers (200 miles) southwest of Lucknow, the state capital. CONCORD S&D Coffee & Tea has been acquired by the Arkansas-based Westrock Coffee Co., both companies announced Friday. The deal to acquire S&D Coffee is worth $405 million, Westrock announced. The company will be based in Little Rock. I am very excited about this new direction for the business, S&D Coffee & Tea President and CEO Ron Hinson wrote in a statement on the companys website. Combining two significant coffee companies will open new opportunities and help us continue to provide you with the innovative products, quality and service you have come to expect. The two companies share many of the same values, particularly around people and sustainability. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the best next step to helping us achieve our vision of being the worlds leading beverage innovator and solution provider. S&D Coffee & Tea is based in Concord, and it is unclear if anything will change going forward at this time. Hinson mentioned that there are still some details to be worked out. The deal will not be finalized for a few weeks. Westrock CEO Scott Ford said the deal should be done March 1. "We are proud to help grow the Tony Roma's brand, offering outstanding dining experiences in Spain and beyond," said Beer & Food CEO Sergio Rivas. "Whether you are a first-time guest or a lifelong fan, Tony Roma's has a unique way of drawing people in from around the world with its quality food, excellent service and relaxed environment that keeps guests coming back again." The brand-new restaurant is located at Plaza Republica de Ecuador and is 261 square meters. It is surrounded by both businesses and bustling residential areas, making it a hotspot for travelers, families and anyone looking to enjoy great food and refreshing drinks. This Tony Roma's location seats up to 119 people throughout an expansive main dining room, a bar complete with multiple TVs, and an outdoor patio area. "We're proud to call Madrid home to more than 20 restaurants," said President and CEO, John Brisco of Romacorp, Inc. "Tony Roma's has been a guest favorite in Spain for more than two decades, and we are proud to work with such a dedicated team, as they continue to bring the Tony Roma's brand experience and our World-Famous Baby Back Ribs to new fans throughout the country." The grand opening welcomes guests to enjoy a rib tasting to sample their World-Famous Baby Back Ribs, a recipe and technique that has been perfected for more than 48 years. The menu will include favorites like juicy Filet Medallions, Grilled Shrimp Scampi Pasta and the World-Famous Onion Loaf. Guests can also enjoy the full-service bar to try signature cocktails like the Tony Roma's Romarita as well as other liquor, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks. The new restaurant will be open every day beginning at 1:00 p.m. and offers lunch and dinner. Closing hours vary by the day. To learn more about Tony Roma's, please visit www.tonyromas.com. ABOUT BEER & FOOD: The Beer & Food group, capitalized by the investment fund Abac Solutions, is a leading multi-brand company operating in the restaurant business in Spain. The company, founded in 2008, currently operates more than 400 restaurants under prestigious brands, including Carl's Jr., Tony Roma's, Tommy Mel's, La Chelinda, Gambrinus, Official Irish Pub and Cruz Blanca. ABOUT ROMACORP, INC.: Romacorp, Inc., is the parent company of Tony Roma's restaurants, the world's largest casual dining concept specializing in ribs. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Romacorp, Inc. has more than 135 restaurant locations in more than 25 countries and is one of the most globally recognizable names in the industry. The first Tony Roma's restaurant opened 46 years ago in North Miami, Florida. For more information about Romacorp, Inc. and Tony Roma's, visit www.tonyromas.com. Please visit www.tonyromasfranchise.com or call (866) 628-1694 for information about Tony Roma's franchising opportunities. For information about retail sales licensing opportunities with the Tony Roma's brand, contact Bill Cross, SVP, Broad Street Licensing Group at (973) 655-0598. SOURCE Romacorp, Inc. Related Links http://www.tonyromas.com She's been on cloud nine since confirming her romance with a new billionaire beau. And Lizzie Cundy looked in high spirits as she attended the opening of the Reign Club Lounge in Piccadilly, London on Thursday night. The 51-year-old media personality, who recently announced she is dating Donald DJ Friese, 47, couldn't keep the smile off her face as she sashayed into the venue. Night out on the town: Lizzie Cundy looked in high spirits as she slipped into a skintight leather mini dress at the opening of the Reign Club Lounge in Piccadilly, London on Thursday night Lizzie looked phenomenal as she slipped into a skintight leather mini dress. The high-necked dress showcased her svelte frame, whilst she boosted her petite frame with a pair of thigh high leather boots. Completing the look with some ornate statement silver earrings and bangle, the presenter showed off her toned body in the ensemble, opting to forgo a coat despite the cold winter weather. Sultry and seductive: The 51-year-old media personality flaunted her svelte frame in the high-necked panel dress and thigh-high leather boots Lizzie confirmed her blossoming romance with DJ Friese while appearing on the Jeremy Vine show back in December. She admitted that while she's 'having fun' with Brandi Glanville's ex she wants to 'play it cool' as 'it's early days' between the pair, following a 'tough' break-up from businessman Jeremy Gordeno, 53. Lizzie blushed as she was teased about her relationship by her fellow panellists - host Jeremy, journalist Angela Epstein, and Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner. Pasta please: The star popped into Italian restaurant Cicchetti Piccadily for some dinner before hitting the club The media personality - who was first spotted with the hunk in late November - enthused: 'Well I have someone who is rather interested in me, so we'll see what happens. When asked about whether he boasts a 'solid' physique, a shy Lizzie nodded before sharing more details about her new partner. The This Morning star explained: 'It's early days. You have to play it cool. They are new beginnings, fresh start, it's going to be a great year... it's all fun.' Protecting her modesty: The presenter nearly risked a wardrobe malfunction as she was lifted up by the waiters of Cicchetti Piccadilly, home of celebrity chef Aldo Zilli Lizzie's outing comes after she was left terrified when she started to go blind after having filler injected into her eye sockets. She said she opted to have the Harley Street procedure after her ex Jeremy Gordeno developed a close friendship with his former fiancee's daughter, 21. Admitting she was ridden by fear at the side effects, the media personality told MailOnline: 'I have never been so frightened as to think I could nearly have lost my eyesight by not doing my research and just wanting to look and feel better!' Lizzie had the procedure in a bid to get rid of her eye bags after a friend had the same procedure and looked great and she too, wanted a quick fix. The model said that within minutes, she knew that something was awry. She said her eyes puffed up and as time went by, her vision started to go blurry. Unstoppable: The model recently had a 'tough' break-up from businessman Jeremy Gordeno, 53, but has picked herself up and found a new beau A toast to Lizzie: Taking to social media the star said that she was 'celebrating good news' while out in central London Luckily Lizzie was able to enlist an experienced eye doctor who was able to save her sight, but she wants others to think twice before having similar procedures. Detailing her recovery, Lizzie told MailOnline: 'As soon as he put the dissolving solution in, I could see it all disappearing and literally my eyesight came slowly back within minutes. 'I am a very lucky girl and would warn others to think twice before having any filler as it actually travels and I nearly lost my eyesight!' The TV star also admitted she feared she wouldn't be able to see her two sons, Josh and James, again. France is preparing to airlift hundreds of its citizens from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, but one Frenchman is staying put. Philippe Klein is head of the International SOS Hospital in Wuhan, the first city to be locked down by Chinese authorities as they battle the spread of the virus. Its not an act of heroism. Its been well thought out, its my job, Klein said of his decision to stay. I think Ill be much more useful here than in France. The new coronavirus has killed 170 people so far in mainland China, with thousands infected across the country. The virus has been detected in more than a dozen other countries, including as far away as the United States and Canada. Klein told AFP he wants to help the local French community. Some 500 French nationals are registered with the nations consulate in Wuhan. French auto giant PSA and Renault have factories in the city, and the local universities run exchange programmes with institutions in France. Not all French nationals are leaving -- some for professional or family reasons, and others do not want to spend 14 days in quarantine upon their return to France. But Klein, a father of four who has been based in China for six years, recommends they do leave. The concern now is that the Chinese hospitals are currently one hundred percent mobilised in controlling this coronavirus epidemic, so there are lots of ways humans could contract other infections or diseases, the Metz native said. It would therefore not be appropriate at this time to go to a Chinese hospital under these circumstances. Thats why I strongly recommend the French people in Wuhan go back to France. The coronavirus has sparked fear of a wider, global outbreak. In addition to controlling the flow of people from affected areas in China, face masks have also been made mandatory in many areas, including Wuhan. Many stores in big cities like Beijing have run out of stock in recent days. But Klein suggests keeping the outbreak in perspective. He says its important to remember that the flu can kill up to 550,000 people on the planet in one season in normal times. I wear the mask regularly when I go out. Its an obligation imposed by the local authorities, so everyone here in Wuhan is wearing a mask, he said. But it is mostly sick people who need to wear the mask, so that they dont spread the virus. Psychologically, its an interesting thing, wearing a mask. Of course, its reassuring and it probably stops you from putting your hands up to your mouth, he added. The most important thing is to have good hygiene and wash your hands frequently. For Klein, staying in China is his job, and what he has been trained to do. I am a virus tamer, he says, and staying in China, it is as if I was with a lion in its cage. (JTA)-The latest episode of PBS' celebrity genealogy show "Finding Your Roots" was a lesson in Jewish history. Titled "Beyond the Pale"-a reference to the Pale of Settlement, the region of what was then Imperial Russia where many Ashkenazi Jews have roots-the episode that aired Tuesday night explored the family trees of actor Jeff Goldblum, NPR host Terry Gross and comedian Marc Maron. As host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explained, each of them has "deep Jewish roots," but they all knew next to nothing about their ancestors. Here's a quick breakdown of their individual Jewish histories. Jeff Goldblum On Goldblum's mother's side, his great grandfather Abraham Temeles left his hometown of Zloczow, a town in the Austrio-Hungarian empire, in the early 1900s because of the rampant anti-Semitism. Historians on Gates' team believe that like many Jewish migrants at the time, he likely traveled 1,000 miles across Europe by train to the Dutch port of Rotterdam, where he boarded a ship for Halifax, Novia Scotia. The trip wasn't easy. Temeles, who was 50 at the time, likely stayed in steerage for several days during the journey. He traveled on the SS Vulturno, which sunk two years later, killing over 100 Jewish migrants. "It's just a random piece of luck that I'm here at all I guess," Goldblum said. On his father's side, great-great-grandfather Zelik Povartzik left his hometown of Starobin, Russia, in 1911, just a year before it was overcome by anti-Semitic violence. In 1941, when the Nazis invaded Russia, they killed most of the remaining Jews in Starobin, wiping a large chunk of Goldblum's family out of the historical record. The only descendant Gates' team could track down was a second cousin once removed who died fighting for the Soviet army against the Nazis. "It's moving, it's very moving," Goldblum said as he held back tears at the end of the episode. Terry Gross All Terry Gross knew about her grandparents' Jewish history was that they all hailed from what they called the "old country." When she and her parents once visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., her father teared up seeing part of a fence from a Jewish cemetery in Tarnow, Poland. As Gates' researcher discovered, both of her paternal grandparents were born there in the 1880s and immigrated to the U.S. in early 1900s. Each had family that chose to stay, despite the rising anti-Semitism around them. When Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, Tarnow's Jewish population of about 25,000 quickly found itself cloistered in a ghetto. In 1942, Nazis began slaughtering them-a firsthand account said that the Nazis knocked children's heads against cobblestones and bayoneted adults, killing 7,000 people in days. Most of Gross' relatives from Tarnow disappeared from the record at that point-except for one survivor named Nathan Zeller, who only lived a few more years until his death at the Flossenburg concentration camp in Bavaria. "It's made everything I know about the Holocaust very specific and concrete," she said. "I always ask myself if it was time to flee, would I know, would I have the courage to leave?" Marc Maron Maron spent most of his segment expressing shock at the details revealed about his family, such as the fact that his maternal grandmother spent 13 days in steerage on a ship to migrate to the United States before World War I. "I don't know how they did it... just the idea that you're gonna leave your country, you're gonna pack up, everybody's gonna go... and get on a boat? Are you kidding?" he said at one point. "A boat? I can't be on a boat for an hour without getting sick." Maron's maternal great-great-grandfather worked in a petroleum factory in Drohobycz, in what was then part of the newly formed republic of Poland. In 1914, at the outset of World War I, Russia invaded the Galicia region of which Drohobycz was a part of. Russian soldiers beat, raped and killed many of its Jews. Gates traced Maron's father's side back to a great-great-grandfather named Morris Mostowitz, who owned a chain of grocery stores in the Charleston area in the late 19th century. Mostowitz had moved there with a wave of other Jews looking to fill needs for merchants and tradesmen in the wake of the Civil War. But Morris was no saint-he was involved in at least a dozen crimes, including horse theft and illegal liquor sales, and wound up getting sued by his son Barney over a loan he never paid back. Maron comically found some similarities in personality between himself and Morris, before ending his segment on a self-reflective note. "It does resonate, the fact that no matter how religious you are or what makes you a Jew in your particular life, the fact that you are defined on some level in a very real way by the reality of anti Semitism... there's something about that awareness that is still and currently tremendously important," he said. Gold, with 3.95 percent gain, has outperformed benchmark Nifty (down 1.8 percent) and Sensex (down 1.6 percent) in January on safe-haven buying amid economic slowdown concerns due to the fast-spreading Coronavirus in China. The virus has taken the lives of 213 people so far, with 9,809 confirmed cases as many countries stated plans to evacuate their nationals from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak. Gold prices dipped Rs 57 to Rs 40,791 per 10 gram in the Mumbai bullion market on rupee appreciation. The yellow metal slipped after the World Health Organisation (WHO) came out against travel and trade restrictions in declaring global emergency over the spread of coronavirus that originated in China last year. The rate of 10 grams 22-carat gold in Mumbai was Rs 37,365 plus 3 percent GST, while 24-carat 10 gram was Rs 40,791 plus GST. The 18-carat gold quoted at Rs 30,593 plus GST in the retail market. According to Abhishek Bansal, Chairman and MD, Abans Group of Companies, Gold prices are marginally lower after the World Health Organization (WHO) said measures taken by China could control the coronavirus outbreak. The comments have eased fears among investors, and the risk premium has reduced marginally from gold. It is premature to predict the actual impact of the coronavirus. Fed Chairperson Jerome Powell is acknowledging the risks of a short-term slowdown in China due to the virus. Still, the economic impact is not quantifiable; if we see an escalation in the situation from the current levels, then a significant rally could be seen in precious metal prices, which are considered as a safe-haven during such a scenario. The virus has claimed 213 lives so far in China and has spread to at least 22 countries. Many cities in China are still facing a lockdown, and business activities are closed completely. Gold is considered a safe-haven during such situations. The gold/silver ratio currently stands at 87.92 to 1, which means the amount of silver required to buy one ounce of gold. Silver prices jumped Rs 225to Rs 46,395 per kg from its closing on January 30. The precious metal has gained Rs 634, or 1.58 percent for the week, while silver rose Rs 250 or 0.54 percent in the same period. In the futures market, gold rate touched an intraday high of Rs 41,014 and an intraday low of Rs 40,571 on MCX. For the February series, the yellow metal touched a low of Rs 36,098 and a high of Rs 41,293. Gold futures for delivery in February eased Rs 224, or 0.55 percent on the MCX trading at Rs 40,751 per 10 gram in evening trade in a business turnover of 575 lots. Gold contracts for April delivery slipped Rs 268, or 0.65 percent, at Rs 40,805 per 10 gram in a business turnover of 19,231 lots. The far month June contract was trading down by Rs 238, or 0.58 percent at Rs 40,930 per 10 gram with a business volume of 4,293 lots. The value of the February contract traded so far is Rs 2,326.75 crore and April contract saw the value of Rs 2,326.79 crore. Similarly, Gold Mini contract for March slipped Rs 210, or 0.51 percent at Rs 40,710 in a business turnover of 8,139 lots. The gold price has seen a strong pullback after testing 50 percent retracement level and the price is expected to trade positive. Sustaining above Rs 40,820 next leg of the positive rally would push the price higher towards Rs 41,000-41,100 levels, according to Axis Securities. On an hourly chart, the price has been trading above 60 EMA which is a bullish sign for price. The broking firm advised its clients to April gold at Rs 40,820 with stop loss at Rs 40,700 and target of Rs 41,000. MCX Gold has support at Rs 40,640-40,500 whereas resistance is at Rs 40,950-41,100. Sideway to positive movement is expected for the day, according to Motilal Oswal. The broking firm advised its clients to buy on dips targeting resistance at Rs 40,950-41,100. The brokerage firm said spot gold has key support at $1,560 whereas resistance is at $1,600. At 12:59 pm (GMT), spot gold was up $5.57 at $1,579.51 an ounce in London trading. Bob Ball passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 30, 2020, with his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth, by his side at The Bridge Assisted Living Community in Ooltewah, Tennessee. Bob was a retired 20-year veteran of the U. S. Air Force. After retirement he served over 30 years in the Hamilton County Court System, most recently as bailiff in criminal court for the Judge Don Poole. Bob was a long time member of the Church of God. He was a 50 year Mason serving as Sec. /Treasurer and Master of Hill City Masonic Lodge #603. In addition to his wife, Liz, he is survived by brothers-in-law, Pat (Mary) West, Paul (Barbara) West of Chattanooga, sister-in-law, Geneva Devine, of Acworth, Georgia; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews who loved and adored him. His was a life well lived. Visitation will be from 12-1:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3, at Chattanooga Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel. The funeral service will follow at 1:30 p.m. Interment with military honors will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery. Please share your memories of Bob with the family at www.chattanoogaeastbrainerdchapel.com. Arrangements are by the East Brainerd Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 8214 E. Brainerd Road, Chattanooga, Tn. 37421. The brother of one of San Antonios most prominent pastors was arrested on two felony charges after a female relative accused him of sexually abusing her as a child for eight years beginning in 1989, Harris County court records show. Jack Thomas Hagee, 74, of Trinity, the younger brother of Cornerstone Church Senior Pastor John Hagee, is charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14 and indecency with a child. The accused man is a former captain with the Harris County Precinct 3 Constables Office and previously worked at the Baytown Police Department. The latter agency investigated the allegations that led to his arrest. The victim, now in her 30s, told Baytown police the sexual abuse started when she was 4 or 5 years old, arrest affidavits filed against the former officer state. She informed police it continued around three times a week until she was 13 years old. She said the first person she confided in about the abuse was her aunt. The aunt passed the information on to her husband, John Hagee, who then called Jack Hagee and confronted him on the phone, the affidavits state. The aunt told police she heard John Hagee say Oh my God, Jack, before telling his brother he no longer was welcome at their home. The arrest affidavits dont specify when that conversation happened. John Hagee told police that when he confronted his brother about the allegations, Jack Hagee admitted he had touched the victim. Police found the pastor and his wife to be credible and reliable, the affidavits say. When police tried to interview Jack Hagee by phone, he refused to answer questions, records show. A spokesperson for John Hagee confirmed Thursday that he is the brother described in the affidavits. Since Pastor Hagee was made aware of this situation, he and his wife have offered and given their full and unconditional support to the victim, including respecting their decision when to go to law enforcement and also speaking to law enforcement on the victims behalf, statement released by the spokesperson said. That statement shed no light on when the pastor learned of the allegations. In January 1991, Jack Hagee had five adopted children ranging from 7 years old to 13 years old, according to a Houston Chronicle article about an honor he received at that time. The victim told her aunt about the abuse decades after it occurred, according to a source familiar with the investigation. It wasnt clear who first reported the allegations to police or when police became aware of the accusations. But the case number assigned to the reports suggests the investigation began in 2018. Jack Hagee faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault of a child charge. He was arrested in Trinity a small town about 90 miles north of Houston around noon on Tuesday, booking records on the Harris County district clerks website indicate. He since has been released from jail after posting bonds totaling $65,000. He has been ordered to avoid any contact with the victim and anyone in her household. He also is forbidden from having any contact with children under 17 years old. Hes prohibited from using any cellphones or computers that can access the internet, court papers show. He is scheduled to appear in a state district court in Houston on Monday. More than 22,000 people worship at the nondenominational Cornerstone Church, according to its website. John Hagee has been a minister for more than 60 years. Staff Writer Jay R. Jordan and Staff Researcher Misty Harris contributed to this report. The mega bank merger of ten public sector banks, announced in August 2019, is set to take effect from April 1. While Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) and United Bank of India (UBI) will be merged with Punjab National Bank (PNB), Syndicate Bank will be merged with Canara Bank. Likewise, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank will be taken over by Union Bank of India, while Indian Bank and Allahabad Bank will become one consolidated entity from April 1. This follows the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) go-ahead that came through on Wednesday. These grand mergers have implications for merged entities account holders and borrowers, including those who are covered under group insurance policies. Last year, the merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB) caused a lot of heartburn for the formers customers who had signed up for their group health insurance schemes. Many group policyholders, particularly senior citizen account holders, had to port to individual health policies or lose cover after the one-year term expired, as the acquiring bank had tie-ups with other insurers. Succour on offer To alleviate their distress, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in January outlined certain relaxations that can be extended in such cases. It gave acquiring banks the option to continue with the acquired banks insurer even after the end of the policy tenure. At the end of the current policy period of the group insurance cover of the merged bank, the acquiring bank, at its option, may continue with the same group insurance policy with the same insurance company, for the customers of the merged bank, the IRDAI stated. The current corporate agency guidelines allow a bank to have a tie-up with three life, three general and three standalone health insurers. The acquired banks group policies offered through partnership with other insurers were discontinued, leaving the latters customers in a lurch. Thanks to the insurance regulators guidelines, banks will be free to continue with the erstwhile banks insurance partner and the group policy, in order to safeguard customers interests, says Amit Chhabra, Business Head, Health, Policybazaar.com. The acquiring banks group covers through its existing insurance partners, too, can continue. The acquiring bank can also offer this insurance coverage to customers of the merged bank with the consent of its insurer, IRDAI added. Several state-owned banks offer group health insurance schemes to their account holders, credit card holders and also borrowers at rates much cheaper than regular, individual health covers. For example, a 51-year-old account holder of Corporation Bank, enrolled under its Corp Mediclaim plan, offered through a tie-up with New India Assurance, has to pay a premium of just Rs 6,757 for a Rs 5-lakh cover. If she were to buy an independent cover from the same insurer, she would have to shell out Rs 14,418. Moreover, such covers tend to be lenient when it comes to medical check-ups and pre-existing diseases coverage. For example, Corp Mediclaim exempts those up to the age of 55 years from pre-issuance medical check-ups. The group plans offered comfort to such policyholders. Partial grievance redressal This, however, does not mean that all concerns of such customers have been addressed. The final decision on continuing with the merged banks policy still rests with the acquirer. The insurance regulator has not issued a directive, but has given an option to the new entity to continue with the older group policies and the insurer. The arrangements of the merged banks can be continued with the respective insurance companies for a period of twelve months from the date of merger, subject to willingness of the acquiring bank to function as the corporate agent for the respective insurance companies, IRDAIs guidelines say. Finally, it will boil down to the banks negotiations with the insurer, and the terms, including commissions, they agree upon. The real recourse The acquired PSB customers plight holds important lessons for other insurance buyers. The former, especially senior citizens, find themselves in a bind. They will find the option to port to the same insurers individual policy expensive compared to premiums they had been paying. At the same time, they are likely to find it difficult to buy a fresh individual cover, given their age and history of ailments. Moreover, the new policy will cover their pre-existing illnesses only after a waiting period of one to four years, depending on ailment and the insurer. So, they can either switch to the retail policy offered or hope that IRDAIs guidelines will prompt the acquiring banks to continue with the old cover. Group policies come with their set of advantages. For example, a bank could extend the group cover to its fixed deposit holders, irrespective of their age. The premiums will be uniform, as also relatively lower, says consumer activist Jehangir Gai. Also, usually, such policies have no waiting period for coverage of pre-existing diseases. However, there is a flipside to relying on group health covers to finance your medical needs. For one, it does not come with lifelong renewal assurance, unlike individual policies, so it can be withdrawn after the one-year tenure draws to a close. The terms and conditions, too, can change drastically when it comes up for renewal. It is a good idea to have an independent health cover in place. The regulatory safeguards that apply to these standalone policies are not applicable for group covers, says Gai. Group policies can supplement your protection portfolio. "They can come in handy. You should, however, always remember you cannot rely on solely on group policies as they can be discontinued in the subsequent years," says Chhabra. Photo: Armature Works/Yelp Looking to try the best bars in town? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top bars in Tampa, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fulfill your urges. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1. Zudar's On Platt photo: nikki m./yelp First on the list is Zudar's on Platt. Located at 201 W. Platt St. in North Hyde Park, the bar, traditional American and breakfast and brunch spot is the highest-rated bar in Tampa, boasting four stars out of 207 reviews on Yelp. 2. On Swann Photo: Marissa F./Yelp Next up is North Hyde Park's On Swann, situated at 1501 W. Swann Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 974 reviews on Yelp, the bar and New American spot, serving desserts and more, has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Armature Works Photo: Christopher G./Yelp Tampa Heights's Armature Works, located at 1910 N. Ola Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the venues and event space, food court and bar 4.5 stars out of 920 reviews. 4. Besito Mexican Restaurant photo: besito mexican restaurant/yelp Besito Mexican Restaurant, a bar and Mexican spot in West Shore Palms, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 900 Yelp reviews. Head over to 205 Westshore Plaza to see for yourself. 5. Coppertail Brewing Co Photo: Carlos H./Yelp Over in East Ybor, check out Coppertail Brewing Co, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 383 reviews on Yelp. You can find the bar and brewery at 2601 E. Second Ave. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. Unfortunately, high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Fonciere Volta (EPA:SPEL). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath. See our latest analysis for Fonciere Volta Fonciere Volta's Improving Profits In a capitalist society capital chases profits, and that means share prices tend rise with earnings per share (EPS). So like a ray of sunshine through a gap in the clouds, improving EPS is considered a good sign. You can imagine, then, that it almost knocked my socks off when I realized that Fonciere Volta grew its EPS from 0.28 to 3.31, in one short year. When you see earnings grow that quickly, it often means good things ahead for the company. But the key is discerning whether something profound has changed, or if this is a just a one-off boost. I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Not all of Fonciere Volta's revenue this year is revenue from operations, so keep in mind the revenue and margin numbers I've used might not be the best representation of the underlying business. The good news is that Fonciere Volta is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 26.2 percentage points to 94%, over the last year. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book. Story continues The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image. ENXTPA:SPEL Income Statement, January 31st 2020 Since Fonciere Volta is no giant, with a market capitalization of 81m, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects. Are Fonciere Volta Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Fonciere Volta insiders own a significant number of shares certainly appeals to me. In fact, they own 47% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. I'm reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. In terms of absolute value, insiders have 38m invested in the business, using the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value! It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but I find myself wondering if remuneration policies are shareholder friendly. Well, based on the CEO pay, I'd say they are indeed. For companies with market capitalizations under 181m, like Fonciere Volta, the median CEO pay is around 285k. The Fonciere Volta CEO received total compensation of just 123k in the year to December 2018. That's clearly well below average, so at a glance, that arrangement seems generous to shareholders, and points to a modest remuneration culture. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally. Should You Add Fonciere Volta To Your Watchlist? Fonciere Volta's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. The cherry on top is that insiders own a bucket-load of shares, and the CEO pay seems really quite reasonable. The strong EPS improvement suggests the businesses is humming along. Fonciere Volta certainly ticks a few of my boxes, so I think it's probably well worth further consideration. Of course, profit growth is one thing but it's even better if Fonciere Volta is receiving high returns on equity, since that should imply it can keep growing without much need for capital. Click on this link to see how it is faring against the average in its industry. Of course, you can do well (sometimes) buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But as a growth investor I always like to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Developers, landlords, Facebook, construction unions, the state Chamber of Commerce, Realtors, environmental groups and even the AARP wanted to see the bill pass. So did big city mayors including San Francisco's London Breed and San Jose's Sam Liccardo. Not to mention Sen. Toni Atkins, Democratic leader of the state Senate, who typically has a pretty big say in which bills make it out of her chamber. Nonetheless Senate Bill 50, a measure that would have forced cities to allow more mid-rise apartment buildings around public transit and next to some single-family homes, failed to get enough votes in the California Legislature to survive in 2020 before time ran out. The question now is how Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to meet one of his signature campaign goals: building millions of new homes. And if cities, anti-gentrification activists and suburban homeowners could stymie the assortment of powerful interests backing that bill, what pro-development policy options are left? "California's housing affordability crisis demands our state pass a historic housing production bill," Newsom said in a statement shortly after the bill was voted down by Democratic and Republican lawmakers. So what does that housing production bill actually look like? Here are some options. The governor may not like many of them. Put Zoning Changes In A Bill Package -- With Redevelopment The governor set a campaign goal of 3.5 million new housing units by 2025 to help relieve the state's crippling affordability crisis. In his first year in office, California was on pace to permit roughly 120,000 units -- nowhere near Newsom's audacious rate or what experts say is needed to offset rising rents and home prices (final numbers for 2019 are expected soon). After intervening to help pass a tenant protection bill last year, Newsom vowed to focus on housing production in 2020 -- legislation that would make it easier for developers to create new market-rate and low-income housing. Despite never receiving the governor's explicit endorsement, backers of the housing-near-transit bill presumed it would serve as the de facto legislative vehicle for the governor's ambitions. A UCLA analysis found that cities across California would likely have to dramatically "upzone" -- allow much denser development where it is legally prohibited now --for Newsom to come close to 3.5 million new homes. That's exactly what SB 50 attempted to do. "A housing production agenda without zoning reform is incomplete," said Sen. Scott Wiener, the San Francisco Democrat who authored the bill. "Restrictive zoning puts a mathematical cap on the new housing you can build." In order to lift that cap, upzoning may now have to be combined with a sweetener for cities who resent the state encroaching on local control over housing decisions. That sweetener could be redevelopment -- a state program that cities used and misused to fund affordable housing before former Gov. Jerry Brown dissolved the program nearly a decade ago. Cities have desperately clamored for that lost revenue ever since. "A hard production bill can pass the Legislature, and if you pair it with funding it makes it even much less challenging," said Wiener. "I would love to see major zoning reform paired with SB 795," a bill from San Jose Democratic Sen. Jim Beall that attempts to revive redevelopment. But redevelopment is the kind of sweetener that could nauseate Newsom. The governor vetoed Beall's redevelopment bill last year, and is loathe to commit the state to the billions in ongoing spending it would entail. Wiener also hinted that any production bill would benefit from being included in a broader package of other housing bills -- some serving tenant and anti-gentrification groups, others serving cities. Ironically, Newsom's housing achievements last year may have doomed SB 50 in 2020. "The idea was to pair SB 50 with a renter protection bill and with a funding bill and the (accessory dwelling unit) bills...and have a real package," said Wiener. "Once the renter protection bill passed without SB 50...the leverage diminished significantly." Wait For Your New Housing Sticks And Carrots To Kick In On and off the record, Newsom administration officials asked about their housing plans invariably offer up some version of the following: Just wait until the stuff we've already done starts kicking in. They're referring mostly to administrative efforts -- some of which happened under the Jerry Brown administration -- to force cities to allow more housing. Newsom's housing department has tripled the number of units Southern California have to plan for. Huge new housing quotas are on the horizon for the Bay Area. "Since we are already getting much larger numbers, our cities are going to have to contemplate greater density and greater height anyway just to comply with these laws," said Jason Rhine, assistant legislative director for the League of Cities, which opposed Wiener's bill. "A lot of the objectives of SB 50 will be realized just based on existing law." But there are legitimate questions about whether new state penalties will effectively coerce California cities, which have a long history of flouting state housing law. Newsom's original proposal to withhold gas tax revenue from cities stubbornly failing to meet their state-imposed housing goals failed to garner much support. A replacement scheme that allows a judge to fine non-compliant cities has yet to be tested. Reform The California Environmental Quality Act Good luck. If Wiener's bill was comparable to climbing Half Dome, so-called CEQA reform would equate to ascending the Himalayas. His bill was the rare piece of housing legislation that united developers, unionized labor and most environmental groups. Those groups -- major sources of campaign donations for Democratic lawmakers would go to war against each other over changing the California Environmental Quality Act. Developers have long contended the act is a burdensome tool that labor and neighborhood groups use to block and delay new developments, adding unnecessary costs to projects. "It is difficult," said Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Association, the lobbying group for developers in the Capitol. "If labor and the environmental community and trial lawyers and local governments are opposed to it, it's very difficult to get it passed." Newsom tried to broker a deal between developers and labor to modify the law last year, to no avail. And reports of ongoing tension between construction workers' unions and the Newsom administration make the prospects of compromise increasingly remote. The Legislature isn't yet considering any proposal to seriously alter the act. Cut Impact Fees Another cost that developers constantly say inhibits new housing from being built? Fees that local governments impose on new developments for parks, schools and other infrastructure to serve a new development's residents. Here Newsom may find some wiggle room. Cities could be receptive to lowering how much they're allowed to charge as long as they get that revenue from another source. "There's probably no avoiding a conversation about impact fees," said Rhine, the League of Cities' lobbyist. "We are open to finding new ways of funding it. We just have to make sure we're made whole. You can't build a house without sewer and infrastructure and roads." There may be a legislative vehicle for Newsom to push here -- a bill from Concord Democratic Assemblyman Timothy Grayson to bring more transparency to how much cities charge per new unit of housing. Supporters want to expand the bill to have it cap how much cities can charge. Even so, the impact such a cap would make on California's housing shortage falls far short of more sweeping options. "We strongly support that bill," said Louis Mirante, legislative director for California "Yes in My Backyard", which sponsored the defeated Wiener bill. "But I want to be clear that nothing in the Legislature responds to the housing crisis with the proportionality of SB 50." Since the result of the referendum became clear in the early hours of 24 June 2016, the 300,000 Brits in Spain, along with their counterparts across the EU 27 and European citizens living in the UK, have faced uncertainty, grief, hope and resolve: a rollercoaster of emotions. It has since been argued that Remainers were complacent prior to the vote. Many thought that, while the result would be close, they would win. However, in the final days leading up to the referendum the balance seemed to be tipping and the improbable idea that the UK would vote to leave the EU after 43 years started to look like a reality. Almost immediately Britons living across the EU started to rally and organisations sprang up. Brexpats was founded by Mijas resident, Anne Hernandez, who saw a need to keep Britons in Spain informed and to campaign to protect their rights. These aims were shared by Bremain in Spain, founded in Barcelona, although this pro-EU organisation also set itself the goal of fighting for the ultimate endgame, to persuade the British government to stop Brexit altogether. The groups forged alliances with similar pan-European groups and Britain in Europe and The People's Vote were born. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in London and other European cities to demand a second referendum or to revoke Article 50, choosing significant dates such as the second anniversary of the referendum, on 23 June 2018, and the end of March 2019 to coincide with when the UK should have left. October 2019's march was on another supposed departure day that came and went, and on 22 September the streets of Malaga were awash with EU flags and banners as local UK residents were joined by Malaguenos whose family members live in the UK in a bid to 'Stop Brexit'. Remainers saw their hopes raised again when the UK in EU Brexit challenge took the government to court; Bremain in Spain Chair Sue Wilson was the lead claimant in a case against then prime minister Theresa May on the legal conduct of the Leave campaign in September 2018. At the time the group was "hopeful that Brexit might not happen". While for many, losing their status as EU citizens has been a hard pill to swallow, the immediate concerns have surrounded guaranteeing rights such as access to free healthcare, pensions and residency. On 18 June 2019 Alberto Costa MP, the son of Italian immigrants, was forced to resign as a minister after tabling an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement to secure citizens' rights. He may have lost allies in the political world but he gained thousands of friends across the EU who knew someone was really listening to their plight. As the possibility of crashing out of the EU seemed ever more likely in 2019, Spanish ministers gathered to discuss Brexit contingency plans in order to reassure the British community in Spain. On 27 February 2019, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a Royal Decree which guaranteed customs procedures, access to Spanish healthcare, residency rights for those living in Spain legally, even in the case of a no-deal. UK government funding was freed up and a series of Brexit pop-up meetings were held across Spain to inform Brits of their rights and responsibilities in the light of Brexit. When Boris Johnson won an absolute majority in the December general election, Brexit was all but inevitable. However, the unrelenting work of those fighting for citizens' rights paid off and Brits legally resident in the EU and vice versa retain their rights to healthcare, pensions, residency and working arrangements according to the Withdrawal Act which comes into force tonight. File image of the Delhi Legislative Assembly (Image: Twitter/@DelhiAssembly) Delhi is voting to elect its seventh Legislative Assembly. The tenure of the current Assembly is scheduled to end on February 22. Voters in all 70 constituencies will head for polling in a single phase on February 8 (Saturday). Counting of votes will happen on February 11 (Tuesday). In the 2015 Assembly election, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won a whopping 67 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the remaining three. The Indian National Congress failed to win any. Also read: Key factors that will impact the capital contest Heres a quick look at how the outgoing Legislative Assembly functioned, based on analysis by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Delhi Election Watch (DEW): The Delhi Assembly sat in session for around 20 days per year. Its longest session ran for 16 sittings from March 16 to April 10, 2018. There were multiple one-day sessions between 2015 and 2017. The Assembly was adjourned 34 times during the five-year period. While the least number of adjournments came in the year 2016 (three), the highest number of adjournments happened in 2018 (12). AAP MLA Ram Niwas Goel is the Speaker of the sixth Assembly. Legislative business As many as 44 Bills were tabled in the Assembly during the tenure. All of these were passed. In fact, 23 of these Bills were passed on the same day as they were introduced on. Eleven other Bills took one day to get passed. There were four Bills that took seven or more days to be cleared by the Assembly. As many as 23 Bills were passed in the first year if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The number fell to six in 2016, before rising by one in 2017. Sessions in year 2018 led to passing of six Bills. Two Bills were passed by February 2019. Some of the key Bills passed by the Delhi Assembly were: The Delhi School Education (Amendment) Bill, 2015; The Delhi Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services Amendment Bill, 2015 and Delhi Janlokpal Bill, 2015. On an average, a Delhi Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) asked 215 questions during the tenure. These came during the average 77 of the total 101 sittings they attended. The analysis is based on information (up to February 2019) received from the Delhi Assembly Secretariat in response to an RTI application filed by ADR and DEW. Benzer Pharmacy, a Tampa Bay-based chain of independent retail pharmacies, proudly announces the latest addition to its franchise division with a newly branded location in the Bull City of Durham, North Carolina. According to Vinesh Darji, President of Benzer Franchise, Durham was a natural fit for the companys expansion plans, leading off the first of several acquisitions currently in the works for the early part of the new year. At the helm of the new franchise will be University of North Carolina alumnus, Doctor Keith Hersey, a pharmacist, who brings more than 30 years of health care experience and an unmatched level of passion to the community. I am truly excited to provide the Durham community with a brand-new option in pharmacy service, and cordially invite all my friends, family, and customers that I have previously worked with to give Benzer a try, Hersey said. What theyll find is a place where they will receive the attention and care that they deserve, only potentially greater savings, and a friendlier greeting at the service counter. Benzer is all about getting to know people on a first-name basis, while helping them get better and live healthier lives, Darji explained. Thats why we offer things like free delivery, medication therapy management, and immunizations, among other wellness services. We see it as an honor to serve the Durham community, Hersey added. And were here to give you our best effort every day. Benzer representatives have announced plans for a special two-hour, grand opening event to be held on Thursday, February 6th from 8am to 10am at the new storefront, located at 4711 Hope Valley Rd., Ste. 5F in Durham, North Carolina. For store hours and additional information, customers are encouraged to call at 919-346-4880 (Fax: 919-346-4009). All major insurances accepted. To learn more about Benzer Pharmacy, visit http://www.benzerpharmacy.com. To find the nearest Benzer location near you, log on to https://www.benzerpharmacy.com/find-a-store/. About Benzer Pharmacy Founded in 2009, Benzer Pharmacy is a chain of independent retail pharmacies specializing in compounding and specialty medication. Currently, there are 82 corporate-owned and 35 franchise locations situated throughout 29 states, including Florida, Michigan, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Nevada, Louisiana, New York, Missouri, Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, and Idaho. Projections call for continued rapid growth as the organization seeks to substantially increase its customer base, while ensuring experiences match expectations at every touchpoint. Benzer Pharmacy has made five straight appearances on Inc. Magazines 5,000 Fastest-Growing list of private companies in America from 2015-2019, and has recently earned recognition from the Tampa Bay Times as a Top 50 workplace and the Tampa Bay Business Journal as a Best Places to Work honoree. Benzer was also awarded a Business Observer Top 500 ranking among southwest Florida businesses and voted Independent Pharmacy of the Year by the American Pharmacy Purchasing Alliance in 2018. The organization is PCAB compounding accredited with Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC). All Benzer Pharmacy medications require a doctor's prescription. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BenzerPharmacy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/benzerpharmacy Instagram: https://instagram.com/benzer_pharmacy SOURCE: Benzer Pharmacy Rating: Solid neighborhood option Pizza might be the official food of rock n roll. It is at Sofias Pizzeria on the Far West Side, anyway, where Bad Company, Queen and the Black Crowes hold court, thanks to classic rock radio piped in direct from Pittsburgh, owner Alan Whites old stomping grounds. Named for Whites daughter, Sofias Pizzeria opened in October, operating from a seven-table joint notched into a Potranco Road strip center that includes a convenience store, gas station and a Mexican restaurant. The menu spans the casual Italian cafe playlist: pepperoni rolls, lasagna, calzones, salads, wings, chicken parmigiana, spaghetti, meatball subs and, more to the point, pizza. You know, the classics. Rock on. Best pizza: Besides classic rock radio, another import from Whites home state is the spirit of the Philly cheesesteak on a pizza loaded with shaved sirloin, onions, peppers, cheese, mushrooms and a white sauce that artfully bridges the gap between sandwich and pizza ($19.99 for a 14-inch). The crust helps to foster that relationship, baked between 575 and 600 degrees in a Marsal deck oven for even toasting and a bite like fresh bread. On ExpressNews.com: 52 Weeks of Pizza launches search for San Antonios best pizza restaurants Sofias Pizzeria Location: 15284 Potranco Road, 210-354-7618, Facebook: @SofiasPizzeriaTx Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday See More Collapse Other pizzas: The namesake Sofis Pie brings the guilty pleasure of pizza and the wholesome aesthetic of a salad together on one pizza, with fresh spinach and baby portobello mushrooms sharing space with tender chicken and ricotta cheese ($19.99 for a 14-inch). The Supremes a more chaotic thing, a freewheeling collection of pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon for strength and mushrooms, bell peppers, olives and onions for character. A good pie, but one that stretched my willingness to pay a penny shy of $20 for a 14-inch pizza. If values a thing, lunch offers a remedy from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, when a slice with a salad and a drink costs $7.49. The downside is that you pick from whatever slices are sitting in the case, and my slice of the Luau pie with smoked bacon, Canadian bacon and pineapple was stiff and dry, even after a run through the oven. Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking The Armenian-American military cooperation is actively developing. Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russian, Ukrainian, and Eurasian affairs in the office of the US Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, stated this in her speech at an event dedicated to the Armenian Army Day at the Armenian Embassy in Washington, the Voice of America reports. She noted, in particular, that the actively developing cooperation between the Armenian and the US Armed Forces is generating true excitement, and it is an honor to them to receive students from Armenia, and providing them with military education. She added that this year they also plan to develop cooperation with the National Defense Research University of Armenia, as well as to continue to train current and future leaders of the Armenian Armed Forces. Cooper noted that the foundation of the bilateral defense cooperation between Armenia and the US is the expanding partnership between Armenia and the US state of Kansas. She said that the ongoing program with Kansas allows increasing the capacity of Armenia and NATO, and facilitating defense reforms in Armenia. Armenian Ambassador to the US Varuzhan Nersesyan, for his part, said that Armenian-American military cooperation is taking place both in bilateral and multilateral contexts. He said that the strategic dialogue that launched last year between Armenia and the United States provides a platform for general negotiations, too. WASHINGTON - The Senate narrowly rejected Democratic demands to summon witnesses for President Donald Trumps impeachment trial late Friday, all but ensuring Trump's acquittal in just the third trial to threaten a president's removal in U.S. history. But senators pushed off final voting on his fate to next Wednesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, talks to reporters as he arrives at the Capitol for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON - The Senate narrowly rejected Democratic demands to summon witnesses for President Donald Trumps impeachment trial late Friday, all but ensuring Trump's acquittal in just the third trial to threaten a president's removal in U.S. history. But senators pushed off final voting on his fate to next Wednesday. The delay in timing showed the weight of a historic vote bearing down on senators, despite prodding by the president eager to have it all behind him in an election year and ahead of his State of the Union speech Tuesday night. Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke by phone to lock in the schedule during a tense night at the Capitol as rushed negotiations proceeded on and off the Senate floor. The trial came to a standstill for about an hour. A person unauthorized to discuss the call was granted anonymity to describe it. The president wanted to arrive for his speech at the Capitol with acquittal secured, but that will not happen. Instead, the trial will resume Monday for final arguments, with time Monday and Tuesday for senators to speak. The final voting is planned for 4 p.m. Wednesday, the day after Trump's speech. Trump's acquittal is all but certain in the Senate, where his GOP allies hold the majority and there's nowhere near the two-thirds needed for conviction and removal. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Nor will he face potentially damaging, open-Senate testimony from witnesses. Despite the Democrats' singular focus on hearing new testimony, the Republican majority brushed past those demands and will make this the first impeachment trial without witnesses. Even new revelations Friday from former national security adviser John Bolton did not sway GOP senators, who said they'd heard enough. That means the eventual outcome for Trump will be an acquittal in name only, said Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., a House prosecutor, during final debate. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., walks to the Senate chamber prior to the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the Capitol, Friday,Jan 31, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) Trump was impeached by the House last month on charges that he abused power and obstructed Congress as he tried to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, using military aid as leverage as the ally fought Russia. He is charged with then blocking the congressional probe of his actions. Senators rejected the Democrats' effort to allow new witnesses, 51-49, a near party-line vote. Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah voted with the Democrats, but that was not enough. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called that decision a tragedy on a very large scale. Protesters' chants reverberated against the walls of the Capitol. In this image from video, presiding officer Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts gets a card with the question submitted by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., aside as declines to read the question as written during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30 2020. (Senate Television via AP) But Republicans said Trump's acquittal was justified and inevitable. The sooner the better for the country, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump confidant. Let's turn the page. The next steps come in the heart of presidential campaign season before a divided nation. Democratic caucus voting begins Monday in Iowa, and Trump gives his State of the Union address the next night. Four Democratic candidates have been chafing in the Senate chamber rather than campaigning. The impeachment proceeding is on display on a television hanging at the bar as Ben Groves prepares drinks at Gauchos Churrascaria, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) The Democrats had badly wanted testimony from Bolton, whose forthcoming book links Trump directly to the charges. But Bolton won't be summoned, and none of this appeared to affect the trial's expected outcome. Democrats forced a series of new procedural votes late Friday to call Bolton and White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, among others, but all were rejected. In an unpublished manuscript, Bolton has written that the president asked him during an Oval Office meeting in early May to bolster his effort to get Ukraine to investigate Democrats, according to a person who read the passage and told The Associated Press. The person, who was not authorized to disclose contents of the book, spoke only on condition of anonymity. In the meeting, Bolton said the president asked him to call new Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and persuade him to meet with Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, who was planning to go to Ukraine to coax the Ukrainians to investigate the president's political rivals. Bolton writes that he never made the call to Zelenskiy after the meeting, which included acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House Counsel Pat Cipollone. In this image from video, Senators cast their vote on the motion to allow additional witnesses and evidence to be allowed in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The motion failed with a vote of 51-49. (Senate Television via AP) The revelation adds more detail to allegations of when and how Trump first sought to influence Ukraine to aid investigations of his rivals that are central to the abuse of power charge in the first article of impeachment. The story was first reported Friday by The New York Times. Trump issued a quick denial. Tally for vote to subpoena witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. ; "I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, to meet with President Zelenskiy," Trump said. That meeting never happened. Key Republican senators said even if Trump committed the offences as charged by the House, they are not impeachable and the partisan proceedings must end. "I didn't need any more evidence because I thought it was proved that the president did what he was charged with doing," retiring GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a late holdout, told reporters Friday at the Capitol. But that didn't rise to the level of an impeachable offence. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., right, walks to meet with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, after the Senate voted to not allow witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/ Jacquelyn Martin) Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she, too, would oppose more testimony in the charged partisan atmosphere, having "come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate.'' She said, "The Congress has failed. Eager for a conclusion, Trump's allies nevertheless suggested the shift in timing to extend the proceedings into next week, acknowledging the significance of the moment for senators who want to give final speeches. To bring the trial toward a conclusion, Trump's attorneys argued the House had already heard from 17 witnesses and presented its 28,578-page report to the Senate. They warned against prolonging it even further. The House impeached Trump largely along party lines after less than three months of formal proceedings, making it the quickest, most partisan presidential impeachment in U.S. history. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., center, walks with reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, at the end of a session in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Some senators pointed to the importance of the moment. What do you want your place in history to be? asked one of the House managers, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger. To hear more witnesses, it would have taken four Republicans to break with the 53-seat majority and join with all Democrats in demanding more testimony. But that effort fell short. Chief Justice John Roberts, in the rare role presiding over the impeachment trial, could break a tie, but that seemed unlikely. Asked late Friday, he told senators it would be inappropriate. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Murkowski noted in announcing her decision that she did not want to drag the chief justice into the partisan fray. As protesters chanted outside the Capitol, some visitors watched from the Senate galleries. Bolton's forthcoming book contends he personally heard Trump say he wanted military aid withheld from Ukraine until it agreed to investigate the Bidens. Trump denies saying such a thing. The White House has blocked its officials from testifying in the proceedings and objected that there are significant amounts of classified information" in Bolton's manuscript. Bolton resigned last September Trump says he was fired and he and his attorney have insisted the book does not contain any classified information. ___ Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Andrew Taylor, Matthew Daly, Laurie Kellman, Deb Riechmann and Padmananda Rama contributed to this report. Trump rolls out 'deal of the century' with Israel, annexation of West Bank Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Trump rolled out what is being called the "deal of the century" with Israel that includes annexation of parts of the West Bank and creates the possibility of a Palestinian state. The proposal has reportedly been in development since 2017 and consists of over 50 pages of the administration's ideas about resolving border disputes and Jerusalem's status. "[T]he plan envisions Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, including areas Palestinians claim as the capital of a future independent state. The Palestinians would have control over some neighborhoods on outer parts of East Jerusalem and might control 70% to 80% of the West Bank," The Wall Street Journal reported. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in Washington, D.C., meeting with Trump this week, has pledged that Israel will annex much of the Jordan Valley, which borders Jordan and would effectively encircle any future Palestinian state. Under the proposed plan, according to Trump administration officials, neither Israelis nor Palestinians will be forced to leave their homes as Israel expands its borders. Trump also met with Benny Gantz, Israel opposition leader, in a separate meeting. The president reportedly told both Netanyahu and Gantz, according to one U.S. official, that "you have six weeks to get this going if you want it." This is an opportunity for peace, Trump said Monday, standing beside Netanyahu at the White House. Well show a plan that has been worked on by everyone. Well see if it catches hold. If it does, thatd be great. If it doesnt, its OK. In the East Room of the White House Tuesday afternoon, Trump said in a joint address with Netanyahu that the agreement "is a historic opportunity for the Palestinians to finally achieve an independent state of their very own." "These ancient lands should not be symbols of conflict but eternal symbols of peace. All humanity should be able to enjoy the glories of the Holy Land," he noted. According to The Jerusalem Post, Trump is hoping to have support from both Netanyahu and Gantz for what he is calling The Deal of the Century as the two men face off in an upcoming March 2 election. The state of Israel has been roiled in contentious politics in the past year. Parliamentary coalitions have not been able to be maintained as Netanyahu faced charges of corruption. The Israeli prime minister was formally indicted Tuesday on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust with the Jerusalem District Court. The move came mere hours after Netanyahu said he was withdrawing his request for parliamentary immunity in the case. Under Trump's plan, any Palestinian state would have to be demilitarized and a tunnel is to be built connecting the West Bank and Gaza. Some evangelical supporters of Israel are hailing the development. Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Museum in Jerusalem and a faith adviser to Trump, was quoted as saying in The Jerusalem Post Monday that the plan does not give the Palestinians any air space [or] the ability to establish treaties and that for evangelicals the proposal is everything we were hoping for everything. In December 2017 Trump took the historic step of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and subsequently moved the U.S. embassy there, officially opening it on May 14, 2018, the 70th anniversary of former president Harry S. Truman's recognition of Israel as a sovereign nation-state. In March 2019, the United States also formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Reacting to the announcement, Messianic Jewish scholar Michael Brown said that he knows some believers in Jesus are against any potential two-state solution because dividing the land is, as some interpret it, would violate God's Word. And yet, because it has the support of Israeli leaders and the U.S. ambassador to Israel, he tends to view it favorably. "Overall, I know that lasting, true peace can only come to the region through Jesus the Messiah. But if there can be temporary respites that help all the inhabitants of the region, so be it," Brown commented. He added, however, that in light of history and the requirements the Palestinians would have to abide by, he does not expect them to accept the proposal. "Frankly, without massive pressure from the populace as a whole, joined by other Muslim nations, I do not see this happening. And that is the crux of the problem." A woman who told a court she was injured when she slipped on milk in a Lidl supermarket has had her 15,000 compensation claim thrown out. Cassie McDonagh, 19, St Marys Park, Dunsink Lane, Finglas, Dublin 11 was left facing hefty legal bills after she sued Lidl Ireland for damages for personal injuries as well as inconvenience and expenses she suffered. She claimed the store was negligent and failed to have regard for her safety. However, her civil action at Dublin District Court was dismissed by Judge John Brennan who was shown CCTV footage of her returning to the spillage a number of times before she fell. McDonagh claimed she slipped at the supermarket in Glasnevin in Dublin on August 10, 2016 because of the liquid on the floor near refrigerators and suffered back pain. She was then aged 16. A medical report stated she had lower back pain for three to four months after the fall and had intermittent back pain since. She made a full recovery, the court heard. CCTV footage was shown and she was cross-examined by Lidl's barrister Fred Gilligan. She agreed she did not tell the doctor she had been in two previous road traffic accidents over the previous nine-month period. In the video evidence she was shown entering the store at about 6.45pm. She appeared to walk past the spill but after speaking to another person she looked back towards it before she returned. She appeared to say something to another girl about the liquid on the floor. On the third time she walked over it and slipped, the court heard. Questioned by counsel, she could not explain why she went back toward the spillage. The case was fully contested by Lidl which had offered her a chance to drop the action but she refused. Dismissing the case, Judge Brennan noted she had walked past the spillage on a number of occasions prior to the accident and he held she had to have seen it. Costs were awarded to Lidl. Donald Trump: Michael Reynolds/EPA Donald Trump has lashed out at lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff, again calling him mentally deranged, as Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell claims to have seen off the threatened Republican rebellion on subpoenaing new witnesses and hopes to press ahead with the presidents acquittal on Friday after a final question-and-answer session in the upper chamber today. US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross is meanwhile in hot water after saying during an interview with Fox Business, with a staggering absence of basic compassion, that China being struck by the coronavirus will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. In a further embarrassing development for the president, a section of his US-Mexico border wall which he once promised would be impenetrable has been blown over in El Centro, California, after being hit by strong desert winds. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load Boeing on Wednesday reported its first annual loss since 1997 as costs from the worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX plane rose sharply. The aircraft manufacturer lost $636 million in 2019 compared with a profit of $10.46 billion in 2018. It also lost its ranking as the world's largest aircraft manufacturer to European rival Airbus. "We recognize we have a lot of work to do," CEO David Calhoun said in a statement accompanying Boeing's earnings report. "We are focused on returning the 737 MAX to service safely and restoring the long-standing trust that the Boeing brand represents with the flying public." Boeing's stock has fallen about 25 percent since March 2019, when the MAX was grounded, but rose Wednesday as investors bet the company will overcome its problems. Shares closed on the New York Stock Exchange at $322.02, up $5.46, or 1.72 percent. The stock hit an intraday high of $327.17. Robert Mann, president of R.W. Mann & Co, an aviation consulting firm in Port Washington, New York, said that if the MAX is recertified in a timely manner, the company can recover. "The Federal Aviation Administration said it's comfortable with progress being made," Mann said. "That's good because they didn't say that a month ago. If the European Union Safety Agency, China and other regulators say the same thing, that would be even better. Ultimately, the MAX will be recertified, and planes will be delivered from inventory in early 2021." Analysts agreed that Boeing must strive to rebuild its reputation. "If I were a stockholder, I'd be concerned about Boeing's executive leadership and whether it's taken adequate steps to address past mistakes," James Hall, managing partner of Hall and Associates in Washington and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, told China Daily. "I hope Calhoun will address those obvious flaws and the company's failure to listen to the safety concerns of its employees. I'm hopeful that will happen and concerned about working people who have lost their jobs because of the failure and greed of people at the top." Mann also said that the aircraft industry must understand that it is moving into markets where pilots may not have a great deal of experience. "I think Calhoun made it clear that the plane's design, while safe, perhaps did not reflect the low experience of some pilots who might fly the aircraft," he told China Daily. In 1997, Boeing reported its first loss in nearly 40 years stemming from production problems in the 737 and 747 jets and the cost of inventory acquired in its $16.3 billion merger with McDonnell Douglas. Total costs from the MAX's grounding are now about $19 billion, or twice the amount Boeing initially anticipated. Boeing set aside an additional $9.2 billion in fiscal year 2019 to cover expected compensation to airlines that canceled flights normally handled by MAX aircraft. The company temporarily halted production of the plane earlier this month and expects to spend heavily to restart the line this summer. Boeing has set aside $100 million to compensate family members of the 346 people killed in crashes in Indonesia in October 2018, and in Ethiopia in March 2019. Boeing had completed about new 400 MAXs but couldn't deliver them after 380 jets in commercial service were grounded worldwide. Investigators believe the MAX's automated anti-stall device, called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MACS), erroneously pointed the nose of the planes down to avoid a midair stall and into a fatal plunge. Boeing has updated the system's software, but the FAA hasn't yet approved it. Boeing hopes the MAX will be recertified this summer, but it will take months to get the grounded aircraft back in the air. In a reversal, the company said pilots should receive flight-simulator training before flying the MAX. But it's unclear if there are enough of the ground-based, computer-driven mockups of the jet's cockpit to meet a surge in demand and that could delay the plane's return to service. Boeing has not furloughed any workers. But some of its subcontractors most notably Spirit AeroSystems, which builds fuselages for the MAX earlier this month cut 2,800 jobs when production was halted. General Electric, which builds the engines for the MAX, laid off 70 temporary workers earlier this month. Boeing announced that it will cut production of its wide-body 787 Dreamliner to 12 jets a month from 14 later this year and to 10 in 2021, before returning to 12 in 2023. Analysts said the production cut appears to reflect reduced orders from China. Nevertheless, the Chicago-based company said it has orders for about 5,400 planes valued at $377 billion. But overall, commercial jet deliveries declined to 380 last year from 806 in 2018. Earlier this month, Boeing completed the first test flight of its wide-body, fuel-efficient 777X. Boeing has received orders for 340 planes from Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Lufthansa, Qatar and Singapore airlines. Boeing expects to deliver the first plane in 2021. What do we really know about reasons attributed to the success or failure of wildlife management efforts? A new study originating out of UVM suggests a disquieting answer: much less than we think. A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that ecological systems might contain a lot of inherit randomness that makes them difficult to manage. One of the most difficult parts of managing an invasive species or a fishery is determining whether or not the management strategy was effective. If a management strategy failed to reach some goal, was this because it was the wrong strategy or because of inherit randomness in the system? Perhaps, that particular management strategy would have been the right choice 9 times out of 10 and managers were simply unlucky. Led by Dr. Easton White from the University of Vermont, in collaboration with scientists in California and Colorado, the study used mathematical models to first demonstrate that there could be high levels of variability in species management outcomes. They then tested these ideas with an experimental invasive species, the flour beetle (Tribolium confusum). "In nature, we might only have a single study site we are concerned with managing," White says. "This means we typically only have a single replicate under study, making it difficult to determine the ultimate cause of management success or failure. The combination of mathematical models and laboratory experiments provide replication and a measure of ecological management variability." The team also found that the highest levels of management variability occurred at intermediate levels of management effort. In other words, unless a large amount of effort is used to control a system, we are likely to fail or succeed simply by chance. This is concerning for real systems where we have limited budgets. "Our results suggest that much of ecological management is bound to succeed or fail simply because of good or bad luck," notes White. "In our experiment we were able to control the laboratory conditions precisely, reducing variability caused by the environment. Thus, we might expect that managing natural systems might lead to higher levels of variability." The team also investigated the combination of different management strategies. To control the invasive species, they tried direct harvesting and controlling the beetle movement. They found that combinations of strategies, as opposed to only using a single strategy, were often more effective. Collins, who indicated earlier this week that she was likely to back witnesses, has said since December that she wants to follow the Clinton model for impeachment, which included a phase to question witnesses in closed-door depositions. Throughout the trial she has refused to comment on Trumps behavior or the charges leveled against him, explaining to reporters that as an independent juror she must stay silent until the end. More than 1,000 tram drivers and public transport customer service staff in Melbourne staged two four-hour long strikes this week, and several hundred yesterday participated in a demonstration organised by the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU). The RTBU rally in Melbourne The industrial action marks the fifth shutdown of Melbournes tram system, the worlds largest operational network, in 20192020. The strikes are part of protracted negotiations for a new industrial agreement. Melbournes privatised tram network is run by Yarra Trams, owned by Keolis Downer, a joint corporate venture between Downer Group (annual revenue $12.6 billion) and French transport giant Keolis (annual revenue $9.7 billion). Yarra Trams management is demanding that workers accept a 3 percent nominal annual wage rise, about equivalent to cost-of-living increases, and productivity concessions, including a vast increase in the number of part-time drivers. The company is also demanding that the current cap of 4 percent part-time drivers be ratcheted higher, as a means of slashing overtime and penalty rates for full-time drivers and boosting its profits by tens of millions of dollars. Yarra Trams initially demanded a 35 percent part-time workforce before lowering this to 15 percent. A section of the crowd at the protest in Melbourne The tram workers have shown their determination to resist this attack on their wages and conditions. They have repeatedly voted down Yarra Trams proposed agreements, authorised industrial action through overwhelming majority ballots, and taken strike action on five occasions. The RTBU, however, has done everything within its power to isolate the tram drivers and subordinate them to both the state Labor government in Victoria and the anti-democratic Fair Work industrial regime. The union bureaucracy has divided the tram workers from their colleagues working for the regional V/Line network and the Melbourne Metro Trains lines. Train drivers, who are also covered by the RTBU, are locked in stalemated negotiations for new industrial agreements and are confronted with near-identical demands for greater workforce flexibility and other concessions. Despite this, the union has erected Chinese walls between the three sections of transport workers, with not a single combined strike, demonstration, or even meeting of the regional and metropolitan train and tram workers. Yesterday, V/Line workers went on strike for 24 hours on the Geelong-Warrnambool lines, and will strike again on February 7 on the Bendigo and Swan Hill lines. The state government-owned train operator has offered a miserly 2 percent annual salary increase, a real wage cut. Metro Trains, Melbournes privatised train network that is majority owned by the Hong Kong-based giant MTR Corporation, also wants to cap nominal wage rises to 2 percent annually. Like Yarra Trams, Metro management is desperate to undermine restrictions on the exploitation of part-time labour. On December 6, the Federal Court approved a Metro Trains legal case effectively prohibiting all industrial action using the powers of the draconian Fair Work industrial regime. In the aftermath of this ruling, the RTBU has attempted to shut down the train drivers fight. An anonymous public transport worker reported, in an article published by the pseudo-left group Socialist Action (formerly Socialist Party, affiliated with the Committee for a Workers International): In meetings with activists after the [Federal Court] decision, RTBU officials tested the mood by softly suggesting that perhaps we should just accept the bosses demands. [] The union leaders suggested that some members were greedy and might be bought off by a pay increase. The officials also focused on the less-than-ideal turnout at some union meetings and suggested that the mood for struggle is low. If fewer train drivers are now attending union meetings, this reflects growing suspicion and antipathy towards the bureaucracy rather than a low mood for struggle. According to recent media reports, around 50 Metro Trains drivers have been stood down in recent days pending management investigations, after they refused to operate trains along a new section of track over safety concerns. Metro Trains showed drivers a 10-minute video, simulating conditions on the new track between South Yarra and Hawksburn stations, instead of allowing the usual practice of first-time drivers on a new track being joined by an experienced colleague in order to gauge the line and signals. In refusing to drive on the new track without proper preparation, the drivers have courageously defied the Fair Work Commission, whose deputy president Val Gostencnik ruled last Sunday that Metro Trains 10-minute video was sufficient and that workers could not legally refuse to drive on the new line. In an extraordinary demonstration of contempt for these now victimised workers, none of the seven union officials who spoke at yesterdays rally outside Melbournes Flinders Street train station even once mentioned the issue. A procession of bureaucrats from the RTBU, Victorian Trades Hall, and the Transport Workers Union said nothing about the fight by either Metro Trains or V/Line workers for a new industrial agreement. The entire affair was carefully stage managed. One tram driver explained to the World Socialist Web Site that the workers had been given strict instructions by union officials not to speak with anyone at the rally, directing all inquiries to the bureaucracy. Union speakers engaged in empty demagogy about fighting Yarra Trams until its demands for greater part-time labour were defeated. At the same time, the RTBU promoted reactionary nationalism, distributing several Australian flags to tram workers at the demonstration and complaining that profits from the privatised network had ended up in other countries. An especially foul anti-French sentiment was promoted, on the basis of French company Keoliss part-ownership of Yarra Trams. Some of the union-printed banners featured a picture of Napoleon Bonaparte holding bags of cash, with the caption, Stop Multinational Corporate Greed. Secretary of the RTBUs Tram and Bus Division Tarik Koc declared: We will not allow them [Yarra Trams managers] to destroy our culture and our industry. If theyre not comfortable with the way it is, they can piss off back to France. The unions yesterday made no mention of the recently concluded six-week rail and mass transit workers strike against the administration of Emmanuel Macron, the longest continuous strike in France since the 1968 general strike. The RTBUs central focus throughout the tram and train drivers disputes in Melbourne has been to encourage the state Labor government of Premier Daniel Andrews to intervene and impose a rotten compromise deal that will entrench the unions position in the industrywhile doing nothing to secure decent workers wages and conditions. At yesterdays rally, the bureaucracy painted the state Labor governmentwhich lies behind the assault on tram and train driversin the brightest colours. The RTBUs womens officer, Kathryn Breakwell, declared that in last state election, workers voted for a blue collar government who would have the backbone to protect workers livelihoods and support us for safer working conditions. The problem, as far as the union is concerned, is the reluctance of Transport Minister Melissa Horne to intervene. Numerous union banners declared her missing in action, while RTBU official Mario Mizzi declared that the minister was in a coma. The RTBU is collaborating with the Labor government to inflict a serious defeat on tram and train drivers across Victoria. In order to break out of the straitjacket that the bureaucracy has imposed, public transport workers need to take the struggle into their own hands. This would mean the formation of rank-and-file committees in every depot and station that will develop the maximum unity of tram drivers and metropolitan and regional train drivers through combined mass meetings, demonstrations, and industrial actions. Yarra Trams, Metro Trains, and V/Line workers are engaged in a political fight against the big business-backed state government and its pro-privatisation agenda. They can win the active support of the entire working class by developing a campaign for the abolition of the widely despised transport privatisation measures and turning out to other workers confronting similar attacks on their jobs, wages, and conditions. GOODHUE The bigger you get, the more you get. That's been the story for Knobelsdorff Enterprises Inc. , a Goodhue-based electrical engineering, design and construction firm that has seen itself grow as the company gets the call for bigger and bigger projects across the Upper Midwest. "We currently have 176 people," said Karl von Knobelsdorff, president and CEO of the company. "It ebbs and flows with project work. During construction season, we're above 200." That was never more apparent than last year as KE crews served as the electrical contractor for the largest construction of a grain mill in the United States. The Mendota (Ill.) Archer Daniels Midland plant, Knobelsdorff said, is likely the second-largest overall mill in the United States, but the largest built from scratch. Getting the bid on a project this size doesn't just happen, Knobelsdorff said. ADVERTISEMENT KE started working on grain mills when it did service work on a Cargill mill in Lake City in 2002, he said. That job led to work for Horizon Milling, which joined with ConAgra Mills in 2013 to form Ardent Mills, the largest milling company in the country. As executives have left Ardent Mills and gone to other grain mill companies, they remembered the work done by the electrical engineering firm from Goodhue. That eventually led to work with ADM on projects from Winona to western Minnesota. When the job on the new Mendota ADM plant came up, KE had a track record of trust with the company. "Compared to what we had been doing, this was huge," Knobelsdorff said. "We've never done a project like that before." The Right People Born in Goodhue, Knobelsdorff grew up in the company founded by his father, Juergen von Knobelsdorff, in the early 1980s. By the time Karl von Knobelsdorff joined the company in 2005, the company boasted five employees. Today, said Jamie Kells, KE's sales and marketing manager, there are 35 employees in the Goodhue office, another 16 based in the Eagan office, and the rest are field employees. With a staff that focuses on electrical work and construction, Knobelsdorff said finding people has at times been a struggle. But KE works to find the right people first, then makes sure they are trained to do their jobs. "Weve been pretty fortunate, but I think it goes back to our focus on our people," Knobelsdorff said. "We take care of our people. Our people take care of our customers. And our customers take care of us." ADVERTISEMENT A new step to ensuring the company can take care of its customers is what Knobelsdorff calls KE University, a training facility on site in Goodhue where employees can meet to improve their skills and learn to use new techniques and new equipment. "Our program is tailored to what we need our people to know for the work we do," Knobelsdorff said. "They can practice before going out into the field." Ongoing training is one thing, but Knobelsdorff admits he'd like to see more technical education in schools and a new mindset that technical careers are good careers. And while schools have started making that shift, he said, it's about 10 years too late. "I've got a journeyman electrician, he's 23 years old," Knobelsdorff said. "I guarantee he's making more money than anyone he went to school with who's got a four-year degree." Furthermore, that young employee can sit down at any time to map out a bright future, Knobelsdorff said. One Big Mill KE's hard work and expertise in the industry helped lead the company to one of the biggest ag-related projects around. "Their deep knowledge and experience in working with milling equipment made them a good partner to ADM, helping to make sure that we completed work on time," said James Harper, manager of the ADM Mendota mill. ADVERTISEMENT That new mill runs at a capacity of 30,000 cwt (hundred-weights) of spring, winter and soft wheat varieties, plus two whole wheat types. The plant also includes a loop track that can handle 110 rail cars, three bulk truck load-outs, a high-speed packer with 30,000 square feet of warehouse space, and a lab with state-of-the-art quality control, according to ADM. Chris Cuddy, ADM's senior vice president and president of carbohydrate solutions, said the plant is part of ADM's commitment to setting the standard in technical innovation. "ADM has a long history of leading-edge innovation," Cuddy said. Keeping the project on time, Knobelsdorff said, meant managing the work on a site where not only KE crews were doing their jobs, but steel and concrete workers, painters, and other crews were busy doing their jobs. The key, he said, is experience. "We were on time and on budget," Knobelsdorff said. "The building was open through winter, so that meant working with no heat. That provides a challenge. We were waiting on equipment from Italy." That meant embedding conduits under the floor to help keep the project on time. "Weve been involved in the flour milling industry since 2002," KNobelsdorff said. "Thats what set us apart." Armenias Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China in Armenia Tian Erlong to discuss the coronavirus situation, as reported the Ministry of Healthcare of Armenia. The Ambassador informed that the situation is complicated, yet stable. According to Chinese specialists, trepidation may last a week and become stable. Tian Erlong stated that the disease is now at its peak, but controllable. He assured that all the necessary measures are being taken to overcome the situation and emphasized that China is open for international cooperation. The minister expressed gratitude for providing information regarding the actions being taken in China and added that the Prime Minister of Armenia has decided to set up an inter-agency commission that held its session today and discussed the coronavirus situation, as well as the completed and upcoming actions. The situation in China is still tense due to the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), China has recorded 12,167 suspected and 7,736 confirmed cases of death caused by the coronavirus. Cases have also been recorded in other countries, including Europe. Taking into consideration the epidemic due to the coronavirus, the visa free regime for citizens of the Peoples Republic of China to enter the Republic of Armenia is being temporarily suspended between February 1 and March 31, 2020. President Donald Trump has implemented his threat to restrict the ability of immigrants to travel to the United States from Nigeria and five other countries. It visa ban will be effective from 22 February. According to reports from Washington D.C, Trump will sign a proclamation approving the restrictions on Friday afternoon. The proclamation will curb the ability of citizens of Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania to get certain immigration visas, according to officials with the Department of Homeland Security and State Department, but it is not a blanket travel ban. The officials cited national security concerns in identifying those countries, saying those governments do not meet requirements for information-sharing and passport security. The announcement comes just over three years after Trump first announced he would impose a travel ban targeted at several Muslim-majority nations. An altered version of that ban was later upheld by the Supreme Court, and travel from Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, North Korea, Venezuela and Yemen is still restricted. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case will not be hanged on Saturday as scheduled after a Delhi court postponed their execution indefinitely giving the condemned prisoners a reprieve for the second time in two weeks. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana while passing the order on Friday on the plea by the convicts seeking adjournment of the executions "sine die" (with no appointed date for resumption), however, took note of their "dilatory tactics" but did not comment on them. Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar jail, were ordered to be hanged on February 1 at 6 am. With Advocate A P Singh, the counsel for Pawan, Vinay and Akshay contending that their legal remedies were yet to be exhausted, the hanging date remains uncertain. As of now, only Mukesh has exhausted all his legal remedies including the clemency plea which was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17 and the appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the Supreme Court on January 29. Reacting in anguish to the delay in the hanging, Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi said she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. Devi told reporters her "hopes are dashed" but she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. "These convicts have no right to live. We keep getting disappointed by the system. I will continue my fight till the convicts are hanged," she said. This is for the second time that the execution of the death warrants has been deferred. The first order for execution of death sentence, issued on January 7 for January 22, was stayed on January 17. The second warrant, issued on January 17, for February 1 was stayed on Friday. The Tihar jail authorities challenged the application of the convicts, saying it was not maintainable and they can be hanged separately. But the argument was not accepted by the court. The convicts' lawyer argued that rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. In the order, the judge noted that if an appeal or an application is made by only one convict, the execution of sentence shall be postponed in the case of co-convicts also. "Without commenting upon the dilatory tactics adopted by the convicts, suffice it would be to state that seeking redressal of one's grievances through procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelson's eye towards him." "As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the considered opinion that the execution of warrants issued by this court vide order dates January 17, 2020 deserves to be postponed till further orders," the judge said. The delay in the hanging prompted junior home minister G Kishan Reddy to say there must be a debate on how the convicts in heinous crimes continue to delay execution of death penalty by exploring the judicial process even after the Supreme Court upholds their conviction. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said it is sad that the convicts are "escaping death sentence" by using legal loopholes, stressing that there is an urgent need to amend the laws to ensure hanging in cases of rape within six months. "It saddens me that the convicts in Nirbhaya case are escaping death sentence by using legal loopholes. They should be immediately hanged. We are in dire need to amend our law so that in cases of rape, hanging takes place within 6 months," he said in the tweet in Hindi. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, agreed to examine the Centre's plea for laying down victim and society-centric guidelines in heinous offence cases where death penalty has been awarded. The Centre on January 22 moved an application contending that the prevalent guidelines framed by the apex court are only accused and convict-centric. It observed that heinous crime convicts are taking the "judicial process for a ride" and urged the court for fixing a seven-day deadline for execution of condemned prisoners after issuance of black warrant, amid the delay in the hanging of the Nirbhaya case convicts. The advocate representing Nirbhaya's parents told the court that for last one year the convicts have been asked repeatedly to avail their legal remedies but they were avoiding. "They are using delay tactic one by one. The convicts have been misused entire system," the advocate said. During the argument, which lasted for over two hours, advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Mukesh, too sought stay of execution. She told the court on Friday, "If the mercy plea of Vinay allowed, it will open a chance for me to file another mercy plea. In Yakub Memon's case there were talks of filing second mercy plea. It's wrong to say that there's no legal remedy left." The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Vinay's mercy plea before the President is pending while Akshay has not filed a mercy plea yet. Pawan is the only one yet to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the President only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court dismissed Pawan's plea seeking review of the decision by which his application claiming to be a juvenile at the time of the commission of offence was rejected. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Friday released its manifesto for the Delhi assembly polls, promising wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg for the poor, cycles and scooties for girl students as well as an 10 per cent increase in the health and education budget annually. The BJP, in its 'Sankalp Patra 2020' (manifesto), also said it would focus on women empowerment, traders, infrastructure development and housing for all by 2022. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the outgoing AAP government's subsidy schemes for power and water will be continued by his party if it is voted to power. The 'Sankalp Patra' was released at the Delhi BJP office by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, election in-charge Prakash Javadekar and manifesto committee convener Harsh Vardhan. Party MPs Vijay Goel, Meenakshi Lekhi, Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Hans Raj Hans and Gautam Gambhir were also present. The manifesto booklet also created a flutter as it mentioned Raj Kumar Chauhan as the manifesto committee's co-convener, when he has joined the Congress. The BJP will run the "bullet train" of development in the national capital, Gadkari told reporters. "BJP's history is linked to Delhi. The future of Delhi will be changed by the BJP," the Union minister said. Supply of clean drinking water to every household will be ensured when the BJP comes to power, the manifesto stated. In the document, the BJP asserted that as soon as it comes to power, it will implement the Modi government's Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Delhi. City BJP chief Tiwari said each poor family will be provided good quality, subsidised 'atta' (wheat flour) at a rate of Rs 2 per kilogram. The BJP will bring an ambitious 'Samridh Delhi Infrastructure Scheme', with a provision of Rs 10,000 crore, to ensure "focussed and priority" development of roads, flyovers, foot over-bridges and other key infrastructure projects, the manifesto stated. The manifesto promises to set up a 'Colonies Development Board' for undertaking development of various civic amenities. It also said that 10 lakh offices and shops of traders in Delhi will be converted from leasehold to freehold on priority basis. "Necessary changes will also be made in the existing law to provide relief to traders from the ceiling drive," Tiwari said. In order to improve connectivity in Delhi, 10,000 new green buses will be added to the public transport. Double decker buses will also be introduced with video and free Wi-Fi schemes, the party promises. High quality free Wi-Fi will be provided on public transport vehicles and at stations and bus stops, it said. The AAP government has launched a free Wi-Fi scheme that provides 1.5 GB data and the services is being expanded. "We will ensure access to high quality health services for the people of Delhi by increasing the health budget by 10 per cent every year," the BJP said in its 'Sankalp Patra'. The manifesto also promised 400 health and wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat and a 'Mission Zero' to check dengue, chikungunya and malaria. It said an annual health screening will be conducted for every citizen and a 'Smar Health Card', with fully digitised information, will be issued. The BJP, which has been slamming the Kejriwal government for failing to fulfil its promises to open new schools and colleges, said it will open 200 new schools and 10 new colleges. The education budget will be increased by 10 percent every year, the party said. The manifesto also promised quality power supply and added that the BJP will ensure annual audit of all power companies. "We will ensure adequate and affordable availability of power to residents of JJ clusters by installing Suryajyoti Domes," it said. The manifesto also promises to evolve a comprehensive strategy to combat air pollution in Delhi. Installing WAYU equipment at polluted traffic junctions, 'Pari-Yantra' air purification systems on rooftops of public buses, incentivising use of electric vehicles and setting up charging stations, are also among the BJP's promises. Scientifically designed barriers to prevent schoolchildren from air and noise pollution, vapur recovery systems at petrol pumps to prevent benzene pollution, are among the measures the BJP will take to combat air pollution, the manifesto said. The manifesto also listed various promises for women empowerment and safety, including for girls born in poor families. It said a fixed amount would be deposited in an account on the birth of the first two girls in every economically weaker family so that they receive Rs 2 lakh after attaining 21 years. Girls belonging to poor families studying in class 9-12 will be provided free bicycle while those pursuing higher education will be provided electric scooty, Tiwari said. Free sanitary napkins for school girls, a women security cell at the chief minister's office, more fast track courts for redressal of crimes against women, Rani Laxmi Bai Suraksha Yojna, deployment of women home guards and CCTV cameras at crowded areas, and parity of wages, are some other promises made by the BJP in its manifesto. Tiwari also said that BJP will ensure job security of contract workers, provide arrears to sanitation workers, create 10 lakh job opportunities, fill the vacant government posts, if it comes to power in Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just as there is mixed opinion over Brexit in the UK, British residents in Spain sit firmly on both sides of the debate. While many don't think that their lives will be directly affected by the UK's departure and especially in view of the inclusion of citizens' rights in the Withdrawal Agreement, opinion is divided on issues such as the relationship between the UK and EU as well as future travel and working arrangements. Retired Scottish resident Joyce Harvey, who has lived in Torremolinos for 45 years, said she was not pleased that Brexit would finally take place on Friday. The former British Airways employee, who claims she had become "pretty bored with the whole thing", could not vote in the referendum, but declared that she would have voted to remain if given the chance. She believes that Theresa May was "treated badly", and that the "eccentric" Boris Johnson now needs to prove his ability to lead the country after Brexit. "Boris Johnson had no competition. Time will tell whether he knows what he is talking about," she added. Although she no longer resides in Scotland, Joyce claims she would back another vote for Scottish independence. No worries Financial consultant Steve McGann, a resident of Benalmadena for the last 15 years, is extremely pleased that the UK will finally leave the EU today. He is aware that the process is not expected to be completed until the end of this year, but he believes that the UK could have secured a deal quicker if the government had have received backing from members of parliament. "I did not vote because I was in the Middle East at the time, but I would have voted Leave," said Steve who added that he was "fed up with the lawmakers not respecting the referendum result and trying to reverse the decision". Steve is not particularly worried about the effect Brexit will have on expats living in Spain, as he feels the Spanish economy depends heavily on tourists and expats. "It may be different in Madrid, but on all the Costas, the British expats are an integral part and I don't think the Spanish government, national or regional, will want to harm the economy. "The issue is mainly one of currency: Sterling has fallen but it is recovering from the lower levels. People with pensions and income from the UK will see an improvement. However, if you are selling property here, the value has increased in sterling terms," he said. Steve believes that the British People made the right decision back in 2016, and he also thinks that Boris Johnson is the "right man for the job". "Without doubt, the people made the right decision to leave. The detachment of Brussels from the realities of the people, not just the British, was becoming more and more evident and the referendum result showed it." He does not, however, believe that Brexit is reason for another vote on Scottish independence. "How many times can you hold a 'once in a lifetime' vote on independence. The majority of Scots want to stay in the Union. Sturgeon is making a Horlicks of running Scotland," he concludes. Cross-border issues For Hayden Burge, who is a cross border worker based in Barcelona, there is a "lack of clarity" on whether he will be able to continue to work in IT services in different countries and even if he is, the additional paperwork and cost might make him "uncompetitive". He is uncertain about his rights should he need to return to the UK in the future to care for elderly parents. For Hayden the worry is about the implications of moving to the UK without guarantees of settled status for his partner. "I have no clarity, despite having read the Withdrawal Agreement, that my Spanish partner would be able to come with me and work in the UK. Currently I have the right to move back and have my EU citizen partner join me and work." Hugh Whittam, who has lived in Malaga for 14 years, voted to leave. He says he is "happy with the Withdrawal Agreement" and is "positive" about Britain's future outside the EU. "We should all get behind our government now, as we should have done after the referendum, instead of being so doom-laden and negative," he said. The development perhaps also indicates that diplomatic ties at the highest level between India and Pakistan are not going to resume anytime soon. New Delhi: Senior career diplomat and former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria who was expelled by Islamabad in August last year following the revoking of article 370 by New Delhi was Friday appointed Indias high commissioner to Canada. Mr Bisaria is a 1987 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer. He succeeds another senior career diplomat, Vikas Swarup, who has already taken over as the ministry of external affairs secretary (west) in New Delhi. The development perhaps also indicates that diplomatic ties at the highest level between India and Pakistan are not going to resume anytime soon. Mr Bisaria had earned praise from all quarters, even in Pakistan, for his diplomatic efforts to improve ties between the two neighbours when he was posted in Islamabad as high commissioner. He had returned to India a few days after the Pak-istani governments decision. Ajay Bisaria (IFS: 1987), high commissioner of India to Pakistan, has been appointed as the next high commissioner of India to Canada. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the MEA said Friday. On August 7 last year, in a major escalation of diplomatic hostilities, Pa-kistan had announced the downgrading of diplomatic relations with Ind-ia, with Islamabad asking New Delhi to withdraw the then Indian hi-gh commissioner Mr Bisaria. India had then regretted Islamabads decision and urged it to review the same but Pakistan refused to do so. Islamabads move had come after the Indian Parliament decided last August to bifurcate Jam-mu and Kashmir into two union territories, J&K and Ladakh, besides revoking article 370 of the Indian Constitution which effectively ended J&Ks special status. The Pakistan government had then officially said, Pursuant to the decision of the national security committee today, the government of India has been told to withdraw its high commissioner to Pakistan. Campos High School, founded in 1972 by Puerto Rican activists in the neighborhood and later brought under the umbrella of the Alternative Schools Network and YCCS, exemplifies the power of the school environment in connecting young people with services and opportunities lacking in other areas of their lives. Over and over, educators and researchers have emphasized to us the importance of wraparound services counselors, mentors, on-site child care, programs to address trauma and depression, meals. Those services support students emotionally and physically so they can stay on track academically, graduate and live productive lives. Essentially, its using the in-school setting to help kids deal with out-of-school issues, such as poverty, family turmoil and gun violence. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Washington wants Israel to wait until after its March 2 election before making any moves toward settlement annexation in the West Bank following the announcement of a US peace plan. Mr Kushner, an architect of the peace proposal hailed by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians, raised the stop sign in a video interview, posted on the internet yesterday, with GZERO Media, a subsidiary of risk analysis firm Eurasia Group. In the interview he also voiced US displeasure with the Palestinians, who rejected the plan announced by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, accusing them of playing "the victimhood card" and passing up an opportunity for a state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has hailed the US proposal, told reporters on Tuesday that he would ask his cabinet next week to approve applying Israeli law to Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Such a move could be a first step toward formal annexation of the settlements and the Jordan Valley - territory Israel has kept under military occupation since its capture in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians seek for a future state. "Well let's see what happens," Mr Kushner, who is Mr Trump's son-in-law, said when asked about the possibility Israel would begin an annexation process as early as this weekend. "The hope is that they'll wait until after the election and we'll work with them." As for the Palestinians, Mr Kushner said: "Basically what we're saying... is 'put up or shut up'. "If you want to actually make a difference, if you actually care about helping the people, you now have a golden opportunity to do that." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has called Mr Trump's blueprint an "onslaught against the national rights of the Palestinian people". He plans to speak against the proposal in the UN Security Council in the next two weeks. It gives Israel much of what it has long sought, including recognition of its West Bank settlements and Israeli sovereignty over the Jordan Valley. A redrawn, demilitarised Palestinian state would be subject to Israeli security control, receiving tracts of desert in return for arable land settled by Israelis. Asked in the interview whether Washington would be supportive of Israel if "they go ahead and annex", Mr Kushner said: "No. What the administration is doing is we've agreed with them on forming a technical team to start studying, taking the conceptual map." Most countries consider Israeli settlements on land captured in war to be a violation of international law. Mr Trump has changed US policy to withdraw such objections. Israel's attorney general still has to weigh in on whether Mr Netanyahu's present caretaker government has the legal authority to carry out annexation moves. In London yesterday, a Foreign Office minister said any steps by the Israeli government to annex Palestinian land would be illegal, Andrew Murrison welcomed the publication of Mr Trump's plan, and encouraged Palestinian leaders to "get back around the negotiating table". But, he insisted "these are not our plans", and while he conceded it was "not perfect" he said they should be seen as "baby steps" towards a negotiated settlement between the Israeli government and Palestinian authorities. Tory former minister Crispin Blunt challenged the Government over any endorsement of Israel's action. Mr Blunt said: "He (Mr Murrison) might want to remember what our manifesto said: that 'Britain will be a champion of the rule of law, human rights, free trade, anti-corruption efforts and a rule-based international system'." (Alliance News) - Henderson European Focus Trust PLC said Friday it has appointed Robert Jeens as chair with immediate effect, succeeding the outgoing Rodney Dennis. In addition, Directors Alec Comba and Alain Dromer have retired after 17 and 6 years in their roles respectively. Also, Henderson European has appointed Tom OHara as co-fund manager, alongside John Bennett. Shares in Henderson European Focus Trust closed 1.6% lower at 1,270.00 pence on Friday in London. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Friday that the Senate impeachment proceedings for President Trump seem "like a half trial" without witnesses, according to NJ.com. Context: Kelly's statement comes on the same day the New York Times detailed a portion of former national security adviser John Bolton's unpublished book in which he reportedly writes that Trump asked Bolton to ensure that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would meet with Rudy Giuliani. Kelly described Bolton as a "copious note taker" and "an honest guy and an honorable guy." What he's saying: Speaking at an event in New Jersey, Kelly said, "If I was advising the United States Senate, I would say, 'If you don't respond to 75% of the American voters and have witnesses, it's a job only half done [...] You open yourself up forever as a Senate that shirks its responsibilities." Kelly previously said he believes Bolton's account that Trump withheld congressionally approved aid to Ukraine to pressure their government into investigating political rival Joe Biden. Go deeper: Trump headed for fast acquittal NEW YORK Fotis Dulos clung to life for more than 48 hours after his apparent suicide attempt before he died late Thursday afternoon, according to his attorney. Attorney Norm Pattis said his client died at 5:32 p.m. Thursday at Jacobi Medical Center in New York, where he had been on life support and surrounded by family, friends and his legal team. A source close to him confirmed earlier on Thursday that Dulos left a note proclaiming his innocence in the death and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. Pattis said Dulos family decided to donate his organs, and wants to have him cleared of the charges against him. The family is adamant that his name be cleared, Pattis said. Pattis said he plans to file an unusual motion to have Dulos replaced as a defendant by his estate to make the state show its hand in the case. Itll be a difficult challenge, Pattis said of the motion. We intend to proceed on as if he were alive to vindicate him. Pattis claimed the states evidence in the case amounts to nothing more than innuendo. He did not take any questions following his statement. Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, Pattis said in a statement later Thursday. Now he has been executed. We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer. Carrie Luft, a spokeswoman for the family of Jennifer Dulos said in a statement later Thursday, This is a horrific tragedy all around. Please respect the privacy of the families and loved ones involved. The news came after more than two days of media crews crowding Pelham Parkway South in the Bronx, N.Y., near Jacobi Medical Center, where Dulos was flown late Tuesday afternoon. Dulos had been transferred to the New York hospital from UConn Health in Farmington, where he was initially brought after Farmington police responded to his home on a welfare check and found him unresponsive in his garage. Dulos had been on house arrest on $6 million bond after being charged this month with murder, felony murder and first-degree kidnapping charges in the May 24 death and disappearance of his estranged wife. EXCLUSIVE: Source: Note proclaiming his innocence found in Fotis Dulos home SOURCE: Woman who posted Fotis Dulos bond remains by his side at hospital READ MORE: Concerned Fotis Dulos called bondsman before apparent suicide attempt After being notified of an emergency bond hearing where a judge could have sent him back to jail, Dulos attempted an apparent suicide Tuesday in his garage. When he didnt show up for the hearing, Farmington police conducted a welfare check and said they found him inside his running Chevy Suburban. Dulos was initially considered dead after police and medics administered CPR for 30 minutes before a faint pulse was detected. He was taken to the UConn Health center before being flown in critical condition to Jacobi Medical Center. Last week, Judge Gary White ordered Dulos to be on strict home confinement after States Attorney Richard Colangelo said he removed items from a memorial for his estranged wife that was set up near his home. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. White threatened to double the bond amount if Dulos violated the terms of his release again, pointing out he was previously warned about the battery running too low on the electronic device that is monitoring his movements. This month, 469 pages of search warrants in the case were unsealed for the first time since the investigation began eight months ago. The documents outline how police believe Fotis Dulos and his former girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, 45, and his close friend and former lawyer, Kent Mawhinney, 54, allegedly conspired to kill Jennifer Dulos and cover up the crime. Fotis Dulos and Troconis were charged last year with two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. On the same day Fotis Dulos was charged with murder this month, Troconis and Mawhinney were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Troconis has been released on house arrest on $1.5 million bond, while Mawhinney remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bond. According to arrest warrants, Jennifer Dulos was last seen on a neighbors security camera at 8:05 a.m. May 24, returning to her Welles Lane home after dropping off her children at a nearby school. Police believe Fotis Dulos was lying in wait and attacked her in the garage, the warrants indicate. Dulos and Troconis were caught on video that night in Hartford dumping bags that were later determined to contain Jennifer Dulos blood and clothing, according to arrest warrants. Jennifer Dulos blood was also found on the seat of a pickup truck belonging to an employee of Fotis Dulos, according to arrest warrants. Police say Fotis Dulos used the truck on the day his wife was killed, arrest warrants said. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 31, 2020 The Federal Communications Commission's enforcement bureau has determined that one or more wireless carriers' practices for handling location data violated the law, Chairman Ajit Pai told Congress Friday. Pai added he intends to circulate an order for fines. I am committed to ensuring that all entities subject to our jurisdiction comply with the Communications Act and the FCCs rules, including those that protect consumers sensitive information, such as real-time location data, he said in letters sent to 11 House members. Pai didn't offer any other details, such as the size of the potential fine or the names of the carriers that unlawfully handled location data. The move comes more than one year after publication Motherboard reported that the largest carriers sold customers' location data to aggregators and other third parties. Motherboard's report detailed how a reporter paid a bounty hunter $300 to track a phone's location to a neighborhood in Queens, New York. advertisement advertisement All four major U.S. carriers have said they no longer sell location data. Potential FCC fines aren't the only fallout from the revelations. The digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation is also suing AT&T for allegedly violating the Federal Communications Act. That law requires telecoms to preserve confidentiality of customer proprietary network information -- including location data they obtain via their role as carriers. The digital rights organization is seeking a court order prohibiting AT&T from sharing their location data. The telecom says the lawsuit should be dismissed, arguing that it stopped providing geolocation data to aggregators last March. Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Aaron Mackey called Pai's letter to Congress welcome news. I'm very pleased that Chairman Pai has determined that this practice of disclosing customers' real time location data violates federal law, he says. We at EFF have been saying the same thing for quite a while. Rose Byrne is the rapidly decompensating Medea of this stylishly updated version at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, replete with such modernizing gewgaws as roving cameras and giant video screens. Here renamed Anna, her brokenhearted character fidgets and stews and laughs nervously from the start, and in such demonstrative ways that you cant believe no one notices shes unhinged and still prone to violence. After all, what put her on the psych ward was her effort to season the food of her husband, Bobby Cannavales Lucas, with ricin, a potent poison. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo Fri, January 31, 2020 12:42 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e05ab 2 World China,health,Wuhan-coronavirus,Japan,travel Free Japan is advising its citizens to avoid non-essential travel to all of China over the risks of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday. The move raises the travel warning for China to a level two on Japan's four-point warning system, advising people to "avoid travel that is not urgent or is not necessary". Japan had already raised its travel alert for Hubei province where the outbreak began to a level three, warning against any travel to the region. The top end of the scale advises against all travel and calls for immediate evacuation. The move comes after Washington also raised its travel warning for US citizens, calling on any nationals in China to "consider departing using commercial means". Catching sharks, cutting off their fins and tossing them in the ocean is not allowed in Colombia, but its happening. Bogota, Colombia Whenever a businessperson in Hong Kong or mainland China wants to impress a client over dinner, shark fin soup is likely to be on the menu. The demand for shark fins on the other side of the world is at the heart of a raging debate in Colombia over efforts to stop the controversial practice of shark finning removing the fins from a shark and discarding the rest of the fish. Many hope the ongoing debate will help stop shark fishing altogether. But an effort over the past couple of months to make explicit caps on shark finning has fallen flat. The large fishing industry, which profits from the shark trade, objected as did environmental activists who said the caps were too high. Though shark finning is technically not allowed in Colombia, it is hard to stop. A kilogramme of top-quality shark fins can be bought from a Colombian fisherman for about $24, but sold in Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Malaysia or Singapore for 25 times that amount. Every fisherman with a second-grade education knows that a fin makes money I have discovered shark fins for $2,000 per kilo, said Andrea Richey, education director at the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) that advocates against the trade and the consumption of shark fins. Some of the species that are regularly plucked out of Colombias waters, including thresher and silky sharks, are listed in the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES, of which Colombia is a signatory. Still, the practice continues despite the potential for sanctions. Colombia is very likely to export these species because they are the most commonly caught by the fishery industry, said Felipe Ladino, a marine ecologist at the Malpelo Foundation, an NGO focused on marine conservation, preservation, research and education. We want to call for a ban on exports of shark fins that are supplying the international market, Ladino told Al Jazeera. We want that door to be shut because we dont really see an efficient control mechanism for it. A fisherman butchers sharks to be sold after returning from a fishing trip in Malaysia [File: Stewart Woods-Tayo/Bloomberg News] Hard to stop shark finning Over the past few months, legislators in Colombia introduced and were then forced to walk back a measure that would set out specific caps for the catching and export of shark fins. In early December, the ruling Centro Democratico party proposed legislation that would turn shark finning into a crime punishable by four to nine years in prison. Fishing employs 147,000 people in Colombia, and about 250,000 families rely on artisanal fisheries. The National Aquaculture and Fisheries Authority (AUNAP) estimates that the industry moves about 350,000 tonnes of fish and seafood every year, including 156,000 tonnes that are imported. Colombias existing quotas cap shark catches at 125 tonnes from the Pacific Ocean and 350 tonnes from the Caribbean Sea. Colombia technically prohibits shark finning, but efforts to set explicit caps were met with fierce criticism and forced the government to explain itself. Incidental capturing of sharks is allowed as long as it does not exceed 35 percent of the catch in any one fishing trip. Still, AUNAP data shows that in 2018, more than 48 tonnes of sharks were accidentally caught by industrial fisheries. Shark fishing is a global industry, and these dogfish sharks were pulled aboard the Ocean Sunset commercial fishing boat in the Pacific Ocean off of Ucluelet, British Columbia in Canada [File: Ben Nelms/Reuters] Accidentally caught Sharks that are accidentally caught are expected to arrive at port intact and with their fins attached. Finning is only allowed afterwards, which also makes it possible to use the rest of the sharks meat in mixes or sell it as the meat of other fish species, such as tilapia. This is also a common practise because a kilogramme of shark meat costs about 2,500 Colombian pesos ($0.74) in the coastal areas, but a kilogramme of tilapia in Bogota can cost 15,000 pesos ($4.43). When a shark is caught incidentally, its use is allowed, because it is a kind of accident in the fishing activity. Colombian Congressman Juan Espinal This government has not modified or increased this quota and in no way, by means of the resolution issued for 2020, is the export of the shark or its fins being encouraged, Minister of Agriculture Andres Valencia said during a press briefing. Valencia declined Al Jazeeras request for further comment. The intention of establishing a volume for fins of some species within the established quota was not to promote indiscriminate catches or to legalise practices, the Colombian government said in an official statement. Instead, the statement clarified, it is to generate monitoring and control instruments that help the competent authorities to promote the sustainable use of shark species. Congressman Juan Espinal said the proposal would advance shark conservation and not, as many suggested, open a back door for the illegal trade of shark fins. There is something fundamental in the regulation and that is that global quotas are established, which have the purpose of controlling the species that are used for consumption and commercialisation for the benefit of all Colombians, Espinal told Al Jazeera. When a shark is caught incidentally, its use is allowed, because it is a kind of accident in the fishing activity. Shark finning in Colombia is completely forbidden, and now we filed a project to specifically include that practice in the criminal code, Espinal added. Many of the critics of the proposed measures see the current quota as too generous. It is a quota that we consider too high, because sharks, unlike bony fish, have a slower life cycle and are therefore much more susceptible to overfishing, said Ladino. What environmental activists want is for Colombia to stop shark fishing altogether. That may prove difficult as long as the demand stays strong. Sharks play an important role in maintaining the oceans populations and [keeping] the ocean water clean, says Richey. When the buying stops, then the killing will stop, too. We can stop the buying, and thus stop the killing. When Rolls Royce in December unveiled its new electric plane, it said it would be the fastest electric aircraft, capable of achieving a top speed of 300 mph. It also said the plane will be able to fly from London to Paris on a single charge. The battery pack of ACCEL, as the aircraft is called, standing for Accelerating the Electrification of Aircraft, is the most energy dense pack ever made for a plane, its developers say. It is also among the lightest--lighter than many EV battery packs. The ACCEL aircraft has three battery packs that power its three electric motors. Each pack weighs 450 kg and has a capacity of 72 kWh. To compare, the battery pack of a Tesla Model X has a capacity of 75 kWh and weighs over 500 kg. Smaller EVs do have much lighter battery packs, but they do have much lower range. The challenge with the ACCEL seems to be striking a rather fine balance between weight and capacity. And according to the tram behind the project, they succeeded. In an article devoted to ACCEL, IEEE Spectrums Prachi Patel writes that among the challenges the team was facing in the area of batteries, what form of battery cell to choose and how to arrange them for maximum density and minimum weight were the toughest. According to the project manager, Matheu Parr, the best battery cell shape for the aircraft battery pack turned out to be the cylinder. These, Parr told Patel, could hold a lot of energy and could release it quickly at high power. The secret to the weight was the packaging materials: using as little as possible of those and only the lightest-weight. Inspiration came from Formula E the all-electric cousin of Formula 1 that now also has an aircraft version. Formula E cars and planes need to be as light as possible in order to be faster, and this lightness comes from the battery packaging. According to Parr, Formula E planes have a packaging-to-battery cell weight ratio that is half as much as the packaging-to-battery cell weight ratio of electric cars. So, can the Rolls Royce racing plane take on a commercial jet? Not yet. The specific energy of the ACCEL aircraft batteries is just 165 Wh/kg, a standard measure used for the energy density of batteries, and it needs to rise to 500 Wh/kg for the plane to compete with jet propulsion-powered aircraft. But it is certainly an important step in the electrification of planes even if for the time being only small planes can be electrified. The thing is that batteries are heavy. Even with lightweight packaging and the most efficient arrangement of battery cells inside the pack, they are heavier than jet fuel. They are also less efficient for the time being, as CNBCs Andrew Evers and Katie Schoolov wrote in a December 2019 article. Yet there are some 200 companies working on electric aircraft technology. The promise is big: electric motors require a lot less maintenance than jet fuel engines, which means they are cheaper over their lifetime; they are also, of course, a lot more environmentally friendly. This latter factor is a concern of growing importance for airlines. Flight shaming has yet to affect passenger numbers in any noticeable way, but it is there and is a source of pressure for the industry even though it only accounts for 2.5 percent of global CO2 emissions. Road transport, in comparison, accounts for 28 percent of emissions in the United States alone. Rolls Royce has the ambition to be a pioneer in the transition to what some call the third age of aviation, the first two being the propeller age and the jet age. It is not setting itself unrealistic goals. The company believes all-electric aircraft will continue to be small for quite a long while yet, with hybrid systems for larger planes. But small planes could be useful, too. Were learning an awful lot that we want to see packed into a future aircraft. Innovations in the battery and system integration, packaging and management will all help us shape any future electric product, be it all-electric or hybrid, Parr said. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Wyndham Destinations became the third major company in three days to announce it will stop donating millions of dollars to Florida's private school voucher program after a newspaper investigation found that some of the program's beneficiaries discriminate against LGBTQ students. Wyndham said that it told the organization last year that it would "halt funding if concerns about the voucher program were not addressed." "As we have not seen any further action to address our concerns, we are today discontinuing our support and funding for Step Up For Students and hope that the organization will quickly work with the Florida Legislature to immediately end any discriminatory practices existing within the voucher program," the company told NBC News and CNBC on Thursday afternoon. The timeshare company also said it would re-evaluate its support if the concerns are addressed, adding, "we remain in agreement with the value in providing low-income families with the opportunity to choose the best education for their children." The Orlando-based hotel company's announcement comes just two days after a similar announcement by Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank and one day after an announcement from San Francisco-based Wells Fargo. "We have reviewed this matter carefully and have decided to no longer support Step Up for Students," Wells Fargo said of the voucher program, noting the bank's employees "highly value diversity and inclusion, and we oppose discrimination of any kind." Waste Management said in a statement to NBC News that it would be looking into the issue but said any discrimination is unacceptable. "Waste Management is committed to Inclusion and Diversity and believes that discrimination of any kind is simply unacceptable. We are deeply concerned about the allegations and are investigating this issue before we make further funding decisions," Waste Management spokesperson Dawn McCormick said in an emailed statement. The decisions by the three companies which had donated to the voucher program in exchange for write-offs on their state tax bills come within a week of the Orlando Sentinel investigation that found that 156 private Christian schools with anti-gay views educated more than 20,000 students across the state with tuition paid for by Florida tax dollars. "Florida's scholarship programs, often referred to as school vouchers, sent more than $129 million to these religious institutions," the Sentinel reported Jan. 23. "That means at least 14 percent of Florida's nearly 147,000 scholarship students last year attended private schools where homosexuality was condemned or, at a minimum, unwelcome." The Sentinel investigation found that 83 of the 156 schools with anti-gay views do not permit LGBTQ students to attend and that some of the schools prohibit students whose parents are gay. For example, Trinity Christian Academy, located in the northeastern corner of the state, received nearly $4 million in school vouchers last year despite having a policy that states "homosexuality" is "in opposition" to the school's beliefs and a homosexual student "would be required to withdraw," according to the Sentinel's findings. However, when asked whether Step Up for Children, the nonprofit that administers the majority of Florida's school vouchers, would reevaluate which schools it works with following the Orlando Sentinel's findings, a spokesperson told NBC News that neither the organization nor the Florida Department of Education is "aware of any systemic discrimination against scholarship students, including LGBTQ students." "We have no evidence of students being denied enrollment or expelled from private schools due to their sexual orientation or gender identity," Step Up for Students' public affairs manager, Patrick Gibbons, told NBC News. "It's also important to note that among the students being helped by the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship are LGBTQ students." An email seeking comment from the state Education Department did not get a response. Last July, before the Sentinel's investigation, a columnist for the paper wrote about the voucher program. Following the column's publication, at least one company, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, an Orlando-based hospitality chain, stopped donating to the program. The column also led state Sen. Darryl Rouson to file a bill last year that would prohibit private schools that deny enrollment to students based on "race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity" from benefiting from the program. Rouson's bill, which was officially introduced this month, has not yet been considered by the Legislature. The economy is in a boom cycle, and that means it's a great time for business. Uniform Solutions, the leading service for online employee uniforms at http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/, is proud to announce a new post for restauranteurs anticipating a competitive 2020 business year. A strong economy can result in a surge of folks dining out. Restaurant owners from hamburger stands to high-end chophouses might decide to upgrade staff uniforms to impress new guests. As the new post explains, a listing of on-trend restaurant employee uniform ideas can help. "The economy is in a boom cycle, and that means it's a great time for business. It can also mean there are more customers to compete for," explained Bruce Bagley, Manager of Uniform Solutions for You. "Restaurants owners may be ready to step up their game and re-think how their front line employees look to the public. We are ready to help get them started brainstorming incredible employee uniform ideas!" Restaurant leaders searching for new employee uniform ideas to make the difference in 2020 can visit the new post at http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/more-restaurant-competition-means-better-restaurant-uniform-ideas/. A robust economy can signal an uptick in dining out. Managers of bistros, breweries, and family-style restaurants might search for new strategies to stand out to the public. Well-dressed employees and serving staff could make a difference. Employee clothing ideas range from hostess staff to back-of-the-house chefs whites. Restaurant employee uniform ideas for a variety of brands and styles are also updated and available at http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/restaurant-uniform/. FRESH RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE UNIFORM IDEAS CAN HELP 'BRING HOME THE BACON' FOR DINING ESTABLISHMENTS Here is the background for this release. The current robust economy could continue through the end of the 2020 year. People with more money in their pockets might decide to spend more evenings dining out. Restaurateurs open for business might be concerned about the stiff competition. Main streets and cities lined with a variety of eateries can increase the pressure to stand out. Patrons could walk past several eateries and bistros before making an 'eye-catching' choice. Customers might decide to step inside if they identify the friendliest, best-dressed staff in the window. To compete in the New Year, restaurant leaders may be searching for smart strategies to turn customer's heads. For these reasons, Uniform Solutions has announced an updated listing of restaurant employee uniform ideas. ABOUT UNIFORM SOLUTIONS FOR YOU Uniform Solutions (http://www.uniformsolutionsforyou.com/) is a division of Santa Rosa Uniform & Career Apparel, Inc. The division focuses on online sales of employee uniforms in key industries: restaurant, hotel, and casino. Clothing includes restaurant uniforms such as uniforms for waiters, bartenders, cocktail servers, and cooking staff. Uniform searches may be broken down into categories such as aprons, vests, server shirts, maid uniforms, and kitchen apparel. Owners and managers searching to buy employee uniforms online may find the website has a unique consultation request feature. Interested parties can reach out to a human uniform idea consultant to brainstorm employee uniform ideas. Dogs at the American gold mining concession in northern Korea, circa 1901-1905. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Westerners living in Korea kept dogs. They were used in hunting, for protection and companionship. For many, they were treated almost like family. But not everyone liked dogs especially Horace N. Allen, the American Minister to Korea. Allen described dogs as "very dangerous pets" and, on reading a letter from his sons in which they described the passing of their uncle's dog, declared that he was "glad the dog has gone to the happy hunting grounds, for old dogs are apt to get cross and bite when not expected to." Allen took great delight in the drama generated between dog lovers in Seoul. One such incident involved Dalzell A. Bunker and his wife, Annie. The Bunkers had resided in Korea since 1886 (he worked as a teacher and she worked in the hospital) and had seen many of their fellow Westerners raise large families. They, however, remained childless. Perhaps it was only natural that Annie filled the void in her life with a pet dog she named Gordon. She loved and coddled it and even slept with it as if it were her child. Many of the other Westerners were fond of this particular dog including Muriel, the American wife of Philipp Jaisohn (Seo Jai-pil). Muriel used to kiss and caress Gordon whenever she was around him much to Allen's disgust. And, although he referred to Gordon as a "stupid dog" and a "mere cur" in his letters to his sons, he probably didn't voice his opinion to the Bunkers. Gordon had other enemies. Harry R. Bostwick [an American businessman who helped establish the streetcar system in Seoul, along with several other projects] also had a large dog he called Jack. One day Jack and Gordon happened to meet and a fight ensued in which Jack evidently came out on top and "tried to eat up Gordon." Annie was so furious that she lodged a complaint with the American legation and it later became "quite a social matter" when she refused to attend a party at another Westerner's residence out of fear that "she might meet the man who let his dog hurt her dog." Allen thought it amusing that Messrs. Bunker and Bostwick nearly came to blows over the incident. Allen may not have liked dogs but other diplomats did. The Russian Minister Aleksandr Ivanovich Pavloff had several little dogs that he and his family doted on. But things changed when one of his staff was bitten by one of the dogs and it was discovered to have rabies. A dog seen in the streets of Busan in 1908. The Bozoky Dezso Exhibit at the Seoul Museum of History Museum. Robert Neff, November 2019 North Adams Schools to Review Dress Codes The Policy Subcommittee had a rare turnout of the public on Thursday, prompted by the agenda item on dress codes. NORTH ADAMS, Mass. School officials are hoping to update dress code regulations in the city's schools and will be looking for participation from stakeholders. The Policy Subcommittee on Thursday voted to recommend the establishment of an ad hoc committee to aid in making the regulations more consistent across the district. Superintendent Barbara Malkas said the rules had gradually differentiated as the school councils had been the ones to develop student handbooks, which are approved annually by the School Committee. Last fall, committee member Tara Jacobs had noted how different each handbook was and it was decided to wait until the new committee was seated to review them. Thursday's agenda had been widely shared on social media and eight members of the public attended the meeting and nearly all stood up to say they were there specifically because of the dress code conversation. While none of the audience expressed particular concerns, many of the comments on Facebook had related to the use of dress codes in discriminating against students and shaming girls. Jacobs has been outspoken in the need for more inclusive and less restrictive dress codes. "The social media responses to this have been very strong," said subcommittee Chairman Ian Bergeron. "I've received any number of emails ... and there's been so much interest in making a body positive policy. I think the interest is there." The policy states that "the responsibility for the dress and appearance of the students will rest with individual students and parents. They have the right to determine how the student will dress providing that attire is not destructive to school property complies with requirements for health and safety and does not cause disorder or disruption." However, the administration may recommend appropriate dress for school or special occasions and may step in if the dress promotes illegal activity, discrimination or hate speech. Malkas, in answer to questions, said that might mean clothing with sayings that promote drug use or, in some schools, the banning of gang colors. The schools' attorney, Adam Dupre, she said, advised that policy language "should be very philosophical, that it should set the tone of the expectations for the district specifically around dress code. And that the regulations of what that would actually look like in practice should be determined separate from policy language." So the dress code policy itself is very broad, somewhat ambiguous and similar to the template language of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. But the actual dress codes are much more specific and are different at each school. Malkas said they tended to focus on what is prohibited than what is allowed. "The language that I think was discussed on Facebook, that is very prohibitive," she said. "That, I think, people had issues with, that is language that is within the student handbooks. And that is language that is inconsistent across the district and so subject to interpretation." The subcommittee was asked why it needed yet another committee to review the language since the those attending had expected discussion of the rules on Thursday. School officials said it was important to have the input of students, parents and staff in formulating regulations. "We need to get community involvement and stakeholders in each school and discuss how this plays out in real life, I guess would be the long and short of it," said committee member Karen Bond. Bergeron said that format had been used several years ago in developing the electronic use policy, which had turned out fairly successful. Malkas noted that the School Committee has a student representative and that she would ask Drury High Principal Timothy Callahan for a couple names of students who might be interested in participating. "[The policy] reads as discrimination avoidance, it doesn't read as anything that informs," Bergeron said. "School handbooks are interpreted by the staff and we need to give them something more to work with, because this doesn't do it." The superintendent believed she could have the names for a committee by March and invited those in attendance to leave their contact numbers if they wished to participate. In other busines, the subcommittee also voted to recommend to the full School Committee the separation of the district's homeless student policy into three separate policies for homelessness, military children and waiting foster children. Thomas Simon, director of student support services, said homelessness had been categorized as "lacking a fixed regular, adequate housing" that tentatively covered the transiency of each situation. But the 5-year-old federal Every Student Succeeds Act views the three statuses as distinct situations and the state has recommended that the district develop the new policies to come into compliance. Simon said the school district provides supportive practices in all three categories that will not change. "We actually act, North Adams, as the technical assistance provider for all of the districts in Western Mass," he said. Baguio City (CNN Philippines, January 31) The opening parade of the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio on Saturday has been canceled as a precautionary measure against the novel coronavirus, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said Friday. "After due deliberation, I am canceling the Panagbenga Street Parade tomorrow (February 1)," Magalong said in a briefing at the Baguio City Hall. He later clarified that he will only postpone the opening parade. The Panagbenga Festival, which has been celebrated in the Summer Capital for over two decades, is known as a flower festival. Panagbenga means "season of blooming" in the local language. Magalong said there is no decision to postpone the three main events -- Grand Street Dance, Float Parade and Session Road in Bloom. The mayor said he is also postponing all crowd-drawing activities for the next 3 weeks (February 1 to 23). He has already suspended sports events on February 16 to 21 of the Cordillera Regional Athletic Association. Magalong said Sunday "pedestrianization" and art activities along Session Road have been cancelled. He said class suspensions in college in February was also lifted. The decision comes a day after the Philippines reported its first case of the 2019-nCoV, a 38-year-old Chinese woman who arrived in the Philippines from Wuhan via Hong Kong. Wuhan is the Chinese city at the center of novel coronavirus outbreak She and her boyfriend are in "absolute isolation" in a referral hospital for infectious diseases in Manila, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said over CNN Philippines' Newsroom on Friday. Magalong said he made the decision as they are "very much concerned about the health of our residents and visitors." "We're doing this because we want to be proactive about it. We're just making sure that we're doing everything preemptive," he added. Early this week, the Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region reminded locals to practice good hygiene to mitigate the spread of respiratory infections during festivities such as Panagbenga Festival. DOH-CAR recommended the following preventive actions: -Wash hands often -Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands -Practice cough etiquette -Avoid contact with sick person, especially individuals with respiratory conditions -If not feeling well, restrict activities at home, except if getting medical care -Wash and cook food thoroughly -If handling animal meat, make sure to wash hands and clean utensils properly DOH monitors man from China The Department of Health-Cordillera Administrative Region is monitoring a man from China as fear of the 2019-nCoV grows. The Chinese visitor whom the DOH-CAR did not name in its January 27 advisory, does not have any travel history to Wuhan the Chinese city at the center of novel coronavirus outbreak. He also did not have known contact with a person infected with the new virus or severe acute respiratory illness and sick animals, it added. But the DOH-CAR said the throat samples of the man and his two roommates were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Muntinlupa for testing. They are currently well and under quarantine, the DOH-CAR added. The DOH regional office also also called on their health workers to remain vigilant when dealing with patients who have acute respiratory infection as well as travel history to Wuhan as they are at greatest risk of contracting the virus. The virus has left 213 people dead in mainland China and sickened over 9,000, CNN reported. The cases in China exceeded the number infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002 and 2003, but SARS has a higher mortality rate so far. SARS is caused by the SARS coronavirus, which is of the same family of viruses as 2019-nCoV. BEIJING, Jan. 30 -- China's efforts to prevent the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic from flowing out of the country have been proven effective, a Chinese expert said Thursday. So far, the number of confirmed cases reported overseas only accounts for less than 1 percent of the total number worldwide, said Wu Zunyou, an expert on epidemiology at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, at a press conference held by the National Health Commission (NHC). As of Wednesday, China had reported a total of 7,711 confirmed cases while the number of all cases reported outside the country stood at 68. Wu cited the case of a woman in Shanghai who was diagnosed with the virus after returning from a business trip to Germany. Before leaving for Germany, she had spent time with her parents who traveled from Wuhan to see her in Shanghai. Upon learning the information, Chinese health authorities immediately contacted their German counterparts, which helped Germany take effective measures to prevent possible transmissions. "This case shows that the Chinese government is responsible and that China's response to the epidemic has been transparent," Wu said, adding that China is currently enforcing the toughest preventive measures and they are proven effective. "We are confident that we can effectively curb the epidemic and eventually defeat it," Wu said. Since the epidemic broke out, China has maintained close communication with the World Health Organization (WHO), relevant countries as well as the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions to timely report on the epidemic and share the genome sequence of the new virus, said Mi Feng, spokesperson of the NHC, at the press conference. China has also shared information with the United States in a timely manner, Mi said, adding that disease prevention centers of the two countries have maintained active technical coordination. "China is fully confident in and capable of winning this battle against the epidemic," said Mi. "We will do our best to reduce the risk of transmission." Mi said China will continue to step up information sharing with the WHO, relevant countries and the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan regions on the monitoring, prevention, treatment and risk evaluation of the epidemic. "We will also actively collaborate with the WHO team of international experts and make concerted efforts to safeguard global health," Mi added. The logo of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) sits outside its headquarters in Vienna By Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - OPEC oil output plunged in January to a multi-year low as top exporter Saudi Arabia and other Gulf members overdelivered on a new production-limiting accord and Libyan supply dropped due to a blockade of ports and oilfields, a Reuters survey found. On average, the 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries pumped 28.35 million barrels per day (bpd) this month, according to the survey. That is down 640,000 bpd from December's revised figure. Despite the drop in supply, crude prices have slipped to below $60 a barrel on concern that the coronavirus outbreak could cut China's oil demand. This has prompted OPEC and its allies to discuss holding an early meeting and taking further steps to support the market. OPEC, Russia and other allies, known as OPEC+, agreed to deepen an existing supply cut by 500,000 bpd from Jan. 1 2020. OPEC's share of the new reduction is about 1.17 million bpd, to be made by 10 members, all except Iran, Libya and Venezuela. The 10 OPEC members bound by the agreement easily exceeded the pledged cuts in January thanks to Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies cutting more than called for to support the market. OPEC complied with 133% of the pledged cuts in January, the survey found. In December, the group implemented 158% of the promised curbs. January's output was the lowest by OPEC since 2009, the year in which the group implemented its biggest-ever supply cut due to the financial crisis, excluding membership changes that have taken place since then, according to Reuters surveys. LIBYAN PLUNGE Oil output in Libya has plunged since Jan. 18 due to a blockade of ports and fields by groups loyal to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar. Production in Libya averaged 760,000 bpd during the month, the survey found, down from 1.15 million bpd in December. Saudi Arabia trimmed supply from December's rate, voluntarily going beyond the reduction it is required to make under the OPEC+ accord. Gulf ally the United Arab Emirates also overdelivered, sources in the survey said. Story continues The January survey suggests Nigeria and Iraq, both laggards in making cuts in 2019, achieved some progress. Both countries reduced output although they have more to do in later months. Among countries pumping more, Venezuela, which is contending with U.S. sanctions imposed on state oil firm PDVSA and a long-term decline in output, managed a small boost to supply with exports increasing in January. Production from the other exempt producer Iran, under U.S. sanctions, was steady. Ecuador left OPEC at the end of 2019, lowering OPEC production by about 500,000 bpd. The country has been removed from December's total to compare more easily production by remaining members. The Reuters survey aims to track supply to the market and is based on shipping data provided by external sources, Refinitiv Eikon flows data and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants. (Editing by Susan Fenton) WASHINGTON Before he defended the president, White Counsel Pat Cipollone spent years fighting for Christian expression in Connecticut. Cipollone was one of the top lawyers representing the Trumbull Knights of Columbus in a 1995 case against the town of Trumbull that was appealed up to the U.S. Supreme Court. From 1996 to 2001, Cipollone did legal work for the New Haven-based Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization and insurance company. He lived in Cheshire. Since 2001, Cipollones legal work has reshaped its focus from religion to business to politics. Now, he is the lead lawyer defending Donald J. Trump, the fourth U.S. president to be impeached. He has spent hours in the U.S. Senate chamber arguing and strategizing in favor of Trumps acquittal. Hes well-known and respected in legal circles, said U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. We probably see eye-to-eye on 1/100 of our politics. A devoted Catholic, Cipollone, 53, is a founding member of the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast and reportedly participates in the anti-abortion March for Life. Cipollone grew up in New York and Kentucky, before attending Fordham University and the University of Chicago Law School. He clerked for a judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Kentucky and then worked as a speechwriter for U.S. Attorney General William Barr, when Barr was attorney general in the George Bush administration. Then, Cipollone joined the law firm Kirkland and Ellis in Washington, D.C. It was working for Kirkland and Ellis that Cipollone joined the Trumbull case. In the 1980s and 1990s, each year at holiday time, the Trumbull Town Green hosted a decorated Christmas tree and a menorah. In 1993, the Knights of Columbus sought to add a creche to the display. The towns first selectman denied the display because the permit application came too late. The next year, the Knights of Columbus tried again. They were awarded a permit, but then 11 days before Christmas, the town revoked the permit noting the creche was religious content. Two days later, the Knights filed suit with U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut challenging the towns decision. Shortly before Christmas, the District Court denied the Knights motion. Cipollone argued before the District Court on behalf of the Knights of Columbus, said Martin Margulies, professor of law emeritus at Quinnipiac University, who represented the town of Trumbull in the case. Margulies met Cipollone in the office of the Trumbull town attorney. He struck me as a self-righteous little prig, whose self-imposed mission was forcing his religion on other people, Margulies said. One day after the District Courts denial, the Knights of Columbus appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, which also promptly denied their case. The Knights of Columbus then brought their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the early 1990s, the Supreme Court was wrestling with several cases regarding religious expression in public spaces. In late June 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that members of the Ku Klux Klan could place an unattended cross on the lawn of the Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio at Christmas time. Margulies said lawyers on both sides of the Trumbull case filed amicus briefs in the Ohio case. The Ohio decision caused the Trumbull case to be remanded to the lower courts, which then supported the Knights right to place a creche on the green. After the Trumbull case concluded, Cipollone took a job with the Knights of Columbus in New Haven as assistant supreme advocate in 1996. In 1998, he was added to the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors (Cipollone no longer holds this position). In 1999, he was made supreme advocate and general counsel of the Knights of Columbus. He left their employ in 2001. With his wife Rebecca, Cipollone lived in Cheshire from 1997 to 2002, town land records show. The Cipollones have 10 children. Cipollone then left Connecticut to rejoin Kirkland and Ellis and then take a position with corporate litigators Stein, Mitchell, Beato and Missner in Washington, D.C. Cipollone has been known in D.C. legal circles for years, before he joined the Trump administration. Blumenthal spoke with Cipollone briefly before the start of the Senate trial on the first day of the Senate impeachment trial on Jan. 21. Hes not a social friend, but Ive run into him professionally, said Blumenthal. Blumenthal and Cipollone did not know each other when Cipollone worked and lived in Connecticut, Blumenthal said. Cipollone advised Trump in an outside role during presidential debates in 2016 and then during Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation. Trump hired him as White House Counsel in December 2018. Now, Cipollone is heading up of Trumps legal team that has spent the past two weeks arguing for the presidents acquittal in the Senate. He made headlines last week when House Democrats informed Cipollone they believed he was a material witness to the presidents actions toward Ukraine and he should disclose what events he has first-hand knowledge of to reveal any conflicts of interest in his arguments. The White House shrugged off this challenge and Cipollone has continued his work on the case without such disclosures. But on Friday, Cipollone role in the Ukraine campaign gained new attention after more of the manuscript of former National Security Adviser John R. Boltons book was leaked. The New York Times reported Boltons book says Cipollone participated in a May meeting in which Trump told Bolton to ensure Ukraine would meet with his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to discuss the investigations Trump wanted. House impeachment managers discussed this development in their closing arguments Friday, advocating in favor of Boltons testimony to the Senate. Cipollone has had fewer minutes at the Senate podium than some other lawyers on the presidents team, like his deputy Patrick Philbin. But Cipollone took the star spot when concluding the White Houses opening arguments Tuesday. He urged Senators to quickly end the trial. You know what the right answer is in your heart, Cipollone said. You know what the right answer is for your country. You know what the right answer is for the American people. The Israel military on Friday admitted that it launched wide-scale airstrikes on militant targets in the Gaza Strip shortly after Palestinian militants fired three rockets into the Israeli territory. According to international media reports, two out of the three rockets were intercepted by the Israeli armed forces. No casualties There havent been any reports of casualties from the exchange of the fire overnight. This came after the US President Donald Trump released his mid-east plan which is a US initiative to solve the crisis and heavily favours Israel. The plan was rejected by the Palestinians. Read: Israeli Army Says 3 Rockets Fired From Gaza Read: Gazans Reject White House Peace Plan Gaza has been relatively calm in recent months as Egyptian and UN Mediators have worked to bring the Israeli government and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules the coastal territory, at the negotiating table. Its midnight in Palestine. Israel is currently bombing Gaza. Dont forget about your brothers and sisters who fear to sleep every night. pic.twitter.com/tOER1yjcXS yousef (@yousefslym) January 29, 2020 Read: Israel Headed For Clash With ICC Over West Bank Settlements Read: Indictment, A Plan And A Pardon: Israeli PM Has A Wild Week Both Hamas-the militant organisation that controls Gaza strip, and Palestinians have rejected Trump's plans which would allow Israel to annex all of its Jewish settlements, along with the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians were offered limited self-rule in Gaza, parts of the West Bank and some sparsely populated areas of Israel in return for meeting a long list of conditions. Hamas has curbed rocket fire and rolled back weekly protests along the frontier that had often turned violent. In return, Israel has eased the blockade it imposed on Gaza after Hamas seized power from forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority in 2007. The Israeli prime minister visited Moscow on Thursday to discuss the U.S. Mideast peace plan and take an Israeli woman who had been jailed in Russia back home. Benjamin Netanyahu made a stopover in Moscow after visiting Washington where President Donald Trump as he unveiled his long-awaited Mideast peace plan Tuesday. (With inputs from agencies) Jade Lewis, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident which occurred on the 2400 block of West Esplanade Avenue at around 12.30pm A 38-week pregnant woman and her unborn child died when their car tragically crashed into utility pole in a massive accident in New Orleans that may have involved road rage, police say. Jade Lewis, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident which occurred on the 2400 block of West Esplanade Avenue at around 12.30pm. Both Lewis and another female driver had been driving east bound on West Esplanade Avenue when the pregnant woman's gray Chevrolet sedan swerved off the roadway and struck a power pole, a press release from the Kenner Police Department states. The second vehicle - a silver SUV - lost control and struck a second power pole at the intersection of West Esplanade Avenue and Lake Trail, cutting the pole in half. Police say the driver of that vehicle has been treated at the scene. Both Lewis and another female driver had been driving east bound on West Esplanade Avenue when the pregnant woman's gray Chevrolet sedan swerved off the roadway and struck a power pole Lewis and her unborn child were pronounced dead at the scene The driver - an unidentified female - has been transported to a local hospital and charges against her are pending, Kenner PD spokesman Lt. Michael Cunningham explained to NOLA.com. The police spokesman also shared that the unborn child did not survive the crash. Authorities are still investigating the crash and are interviewing witnesses. An eight-hour hostage crisis involving 23 children in Uttar Pradeshs Farrukhabad ended early on Friday as police shot dead a man in a dramatic operation but failed to prevent an angry crowd from allegedly lynching his wife, people aware of the developments said. Forty-year-old Subhash Batham, a murder accused out on bail, held the children hostage in Karthia village and opened fire at policemen who laid siege to his house on Thursday. He invited the children on the pretext of his daughters birthday party in the afternoon and locked them in, according to the police. His wife and children, too, were inside the house, nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow, when the gunfight broke out. Late on Thursday, while a team of officials engaged Batham, a police team entered his house by breaking open a door. When Batham fire two bullets at the team, he was killed in retaliatory firing, the police said. Anil Kumar Mishra, superintendent of police (SP) of Farrukhabad, said Subhashs wife, Ruby Batham (40), was severely injured after an angry crowd attacked her while she was trying to run out of the house. We rushed her to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, said Mishra. The crowd thrashed her in a fit of rage before the police could rescue her, he added. Eight policemen and a villager were injured when Subhash opened fire during the siege, the police said. The police action against Batham to rescue the children was launched late on Thursday night. The police said Batham, who was out on bail, demanded the withdrawal of a murder case against him. During the siege, Batham also sent out a letter addressed to the district magistrate, according to people present at the spot. In the letter, he is said to have complained that he was not allowed to make use of government schemes for housing and building toilets at home. He also alleged that he was being troubled by the police. In 2001, he allegedly stabbed a villager to death in a dispute over a drain. He was also accused in three robbery cases. When Subhash demanded the withdrawal of the murder case against him, the police assured him they would consider it. They also talked about offering a government house to him. While Subhash initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to a neighbour from a balcony, he continued to hold the other children hostage late into the night. The children were confined to the basement of the house. It (the crisis) started at about 5.45pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours, Uttar Pradesh director general of police OP Singh said. At a news briefing at 1.20am on Friday, additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Awasthi said: The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely. According to doctors at Farrukhabads Lohia Hospital, where she was admitted, Ruby suffered severe head injury in the attack by the mob. She was later referred to the Saifai Medical Institute after her condition deteriorated, but died at around 6am on Friday before she could reach there. Mohit Agarwal, IG of Kanpur Range, said the cause of death will be clear after a postmortem examination. The police said they recovered a country-made gun, a rifle, about two dozen cartridges and two dozen country-made bombs from Subhashs house. The IG said this indicated that he could have kept the children hostage for days, and perhaps planned to blow up the house. Harveer Singh, the head of Karthia village, said: We are still finding it hard to believe what happened. Although we all knew about Bathams criminal background and we socially boycotted him for the same reason, we could never imagine that he could commit such a crime. The act has maligned the name of our village. In a tweet, Union home minister Amit Shah congratulated the Uttar Pradesh Police and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. It is laudable to get all the children held hostage in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh safely rescued through the efficient strategy and planning by the police, he said. Adityanath earlier called a meeting of the states crisis management committee and monitored the situation from capital Lucknow, about 200 km away, an official said. The CM announced an award of ~10 lakh for the police team that carried out the rescue operation. (With inputs from agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A lawyer and an opposition politician who has worked with Putin's nemesis Alexei Navalny have launched a legal challenge against Moscow's attempt to roll out facial recognition technology. Activist Alena Popova and politician Vladimir Milov of the Solidarnost party say in court papers filed against Moscow's Department of Technology (DIT), which manages the capital's CCTV network, seeking for the technology to be banned at mass events and protests over privacy fears. Moscow has stepped up its drive to roll out facial recognition technology over the past year, spending or allocating at least 3.3 billion roubles (40.6million) on hardware for the project. Activist Alena Popova and politician Vladimir Milov of the Solidarnost party filed the legal case. (Pictured: Stock image of CCTV cameras in Russia) With Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin aiming to have 200,000 cameras across the city -- 175,000 of which are already in place -- the 12.5 million inhabitants of Russia's capital fell under the watchful eye of one of the world's most comprehensive surveillance systems when it became fully operational on Jan. 1. On Thursday, the European Union scrapped the possibility of a ban on facial recognition technology in public spaces, according to the latest proposals seen by Reuters. The case is Popova's second attempt to ban facial recognition technology in Moscow after a November lawsuit was dismissed. Popova was fined for appearing at a protest in Moscow in 2018, but she alleged that the authorities only established her identity using facial recognition technology. They say the cameras negatively impact people's privacy. (Pictured: Cameras in Moscow) On its website, the DIT says it uses video surveillance in crowded areas to 'ensure safety', and that video footage is deleted within five days of an incident, unless a request by the public or law enforcement is made. Popova alleges that the use of private data means this constitutes 'illegal surveillance'. The DIT not respond to a request for comment. Growing demand is increasing ambulance response times across NSW, with fears the state's population boom will exacerbate the problem. The Productivity Commission report on Government Services 2020 found across NSW ambulance response times for emergency code 1 incidents in the 90th percentile were 24 minutes in 2018-2019, up from 23.2 minutes the year before. The only state with a longer response time was Tasmania, with 29.2 minutes. Ambulance response times in NSW have increased, according to a new productivity commission report. Credit:Isabella Porras On average, patients in NSW waited 11.4 minutes for an ambulance in 2018-2019, compared to 11.2 minutes the year before and 11.1 minutes in 2016-2018. Health Services Union NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said what worried him was that as a trend, response times were increasing. Thanks to a leak to the press, we all now know that John Bolton has written an explosive account of President Trumps fateful decision to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in security assistance from Ukraine. But it is far from clear how much of this story the public will be permitted to read, and when. Like millions of others who once held a security clearance, Mr. Bolton, President Trumps former national security adviser, is barred from publishing a book or blog post about his experience in government without first submitting it to official censors. As a result, what the public will see of Mr. Boltons account of malfeasance and corruption in the White House is, to a disturbing extent, up to the White House itself to decide. The logic behind the requirement of prepublication review is easy to understand. Public servants with security clearances have access to classified information. The review system allows agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency and Defense Department to ensure that former employees who write books and other public materials dont disclose secrets inadvertently. (Those who actually intend to disclose classified information dont submit their manuscripts for government review, of course and they can be prosecuted for revealing secrets.) The system amounts to a prior restraint on speech, because it gives the agencies the chance to censor manuscripts before their publication. Though prior restraints are usually unconstitutional, including in the national security context, the government argues that they are justified because they are imposed through nondisclosure agreements signed by employees. A whopping 40 percent of registered vehicles that plies the roads are using fake motor insurance stickers or are uninsured. According to the Commissioner of Insurance, Justice Yaw Ofori, this is based on information his outfit has received from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). Statistically, based on information we have from DVLA we believe that 40 percent of the vehicles on our roads are not insured, its a lot, so something needs to be done, Justice Ofori intimated. He emphasized: Our interest is to protect the policy holder and the general public as well as building a very strong insurance market. We think that we have to be transparent, if you are buying an insurance you need to find out whether the insurance policy is genuine or not. He mentioned that one gets an instant notification from the NIC acknowledging receipt of the authenticity of a motor insurance acquired from an insurer. Information received includes class of insurance, the name of insurance company, the registration number of the car and the premium or amount charged. He further explained that no excuse will be entertained when people purchased the wrong motor insurance policy. The move by the NIC is to help curb the spate of accidents on the countrys roads, primarily due to the use of fake motor insurance by motorists or otherwise. Justice Yaw Ofori said though there is a compensation fund to cater for the innocent third parties in case of injuries during accidents, motorists who acquire fake motor licences will be dealt with by law. We as regulators it our responsibility to make sure that we tighten the nuts if not eliminate reduce drastically the bad guys on the market, he added. Statistically, there are about 4.5 million vehicles that ply the roads of Accra daily. Source: thefinderonline.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 death toll from China's coronavirus outbreak has surpassed 250, the government said Saturday, as foreign nations tightened restrictions on travellers from China in response to the rapid spread of the illness. At least 258 people have died and more than 11,000 people have been infected in China by the new coronavirus, according to new figures from officials in hard-hit Hubei province. Fresh cases have been detected abroad, with more than 20 countries now affected. The top Communist Party official in Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where the virus first emerged in December, on Friday expressed "remorse" because local authorities acted too slowly. Last week, China's central government finally jumped into action, effectively sealing off Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province, and curbing travel across the nation of 1.4 billion people. But the epidemic has spread far and wide as Chinese people travelled across the country and abroad over the Lunar New Year holiday that started last week. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, but said it was not recommending any international trade or travel restrictions. Countries nonetheless intensified travel curbs. The United States told its citizens not to go to China and urged those already there to leave -- drawing a sharp rebuke from Beijing, which said the move was "certainly not a gesture of goodwill." On Friday, Washington doubled down, declaring its own public health emergency and temporarily barring entry to any foreign nationals who have travelled to China in the past two weeks. Japan has joined the US, Britain, Germany and other nations that have recommended that their citizens avoid China. Singapore's government barred arrivals from China and transit passengers who visited the country in the past 14 days. Mongolia will ban Chinese nationals and foreigners coming from the neighbouring country until March 2. World markets tumbled Friday on the mounting concerns. - Flights suspended - The WHO's rare declaration of an emergency allows the UN health body to issue recommendations that the international community is expected to follow. But it warned Friday that closing borders was probably ineffective in halting transmissions of the virus -- and could even accelerate its spread. China's ambassador to Geneva said his country was controlling the outbreak and insisted there was no need for "unnecessary panic". Beyond government travel advisories, businesses and worried travellers have been taking matters into their own hands, with airlines suspending or reducing flights with China. The virus is believed to have originated in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals. It then jumped to humans. Wuhan officials have been criticised online for withholding information about the outbreak until the end of last year, despite knowing about the new illness weeks earlier. "Right now I'm in a state of guilt, remorse and self-reproach," said Ma Guoqiang, the municipal Communist Party secretary for Wuhan. "If strict control measures had been taken earlier, the result would have been better than now," he told state broadcaster CCTV. People in China have so far directed their anger at local officials in Wuhan and Hubei, but the crisis could pose a challenge to President Xi Jinping, who has called the epidemic a "demon" that China can defeat. Countries have scrambled to evacuate their nationals from Wuhan, with hundreds of US, Japanese, British, French and South Korean citizens evacuated so far, and more countries planning airlifts. A flight carrying more than 300 Indian nationals left Wuhan in the early hours of Saturday for New Delhi. About 200 US evacuees who landed in California on Wednesday have been put under a rare mandatory quarantine order for 14 days. US carriers American, United and Delta joined other airlines suspending flights to China, following the State Department travel advisory. Russia said it would evacuate more than 2,500 of its citizens holidaying on China's Hainan island, far from the epicentre of the outbreak, a day after sealing its remote far-eastern border. - Global anxiety - The health crisis has also dented China's international image abroad and put Chinese nationals in difficult positions abroad, with some communities complaining of "latent racism" in Italy. China on Friday sent charter planes to Thailand and Malaysia to bring Hubei residents back to Wuhan, citing the "practical difficulties" that they have encountered overseas. More than 40,000 workers at a vast Chinese-controlled industrial complex in Indonesia's Sulawesi island have been quarantined, although Indonesia has not reported any cases. Britain and Russia each reported their first two cases Friday, and Sweden announced its first infection. The number of cases in China now far exceeds the 8,096 cases from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), a similar pathogen that spread to more than two dozen countries in 2002-03 and killed nearly 800 people, mostly in China and Hong Kong. burs-lth/sst/bfm Anutin urges Chinese visa chop, health of Thais most important priority THAILAND: Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said that he will ask the government to consider scrapping visas-on-arrival for Chinese travellers in a bid to curb the spread of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus. healthtourismChinesedeathdisastersCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Friday 31 January 2020, 09:38AM Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he prioritises the health of Thais. Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb The health of Thais is the most important priority, said Mr Anutin, who chairs the newly-appointed national committee assigned to tackle and prevent the spread of the disease. Mr Anutin added the government is ready to send an aircraft to bring Thais in Wuhan back home immediately if and when it is given the green light by Chinese authorities. So far, there have been no reports that Thais in Wuhan have been infected with the virus, Mr Anutin said, adding the committee will be briefed on the latest situation at a meeting today (Jan 31). Tanarak Plipat, the deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, said that it is hard to say whether and when the severity of the virus outbreak in China will ease because Chinese authorities are focusing on those with severe symptoms and are not monitoring those patients who show mild symptoms or have no symptoms. The number of cases with mild symptoms or without any symptoms in China remains unclear, Dr Tanarak said. When asked how long the monitoring of the outbreak will continue, Dr Tanarak said that in cases of flu outbreaks, it could take six to nine months. Since the coronavirus just broke out in China this month and the spread of the disease is still ongoing, it may take a long time before the situation in China improves, Dr Tanarak said, adding it is important to slow down the spread of the virus or hospitals will have to deal with more patients than they can handle. Meanwhile, another coronavirus-infected patient has been cleared, discharged and sent back to China, bringing the total number of cleared patients to six. Sopon Iamsirithaworn, director of the general communicable diseases bureau at the Disease Control Department, said 14 cases of coronavirus infections had been detected in Thailand as of noon yesterday (Jan 30). All those infected are believed to have contracted the disease abroad and are being treated at Bamrasnaradura Infectious Disease Institute in Nonthaburi, he said. Six of the 14 patients were treated and discharged yesterday. However, the other eight remain in hospital, Dr Sopon said. He insisted no one had contracted the virus in Thailand. Between Jan 3 and Jan 29, a total of 202 people have been sent for observation. Of them, 31 were found to have suspicious symptoms at airport screenings while the remaining 171 sought treatment voluntarily. Doctors have allowed 67 of them to return home as they were found to be suffering from the influenza virus, he said. Regarding rumours that two taxi drivers were infected with the coronavirus, the department chief said the pair, who were among the 202 people under observation, sought treatment two days ago after they came down with a fever and respiratory symptoms. However, the doctor said their conditions were not severe. Results of lab tests on the 202 patients, conducted by the Department of Medical Service and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, are expected to be known within two days, Dr Sopon said. In Phuket, 10 patients were waiting for the results of coronavirus tests. However, to date no infections have been detected. Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, director of state-owned Vachiraphuket Hospital in Phuket, said yesterday that since Jan 5, local health officials have found 23 people with suspicious symptoms but 13 of them have already been cleared. The other 10, who are all Chinese nationals, are being monitored at Vachiraphuket, Patong, Thalang and two other hospitals. The death toll from the coronavirus has increased to 213, with the number of cases rising to 9,692, Chinese health officials say. The figures show an increase of 1,981 cases and 81 deaths since Wednesday. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the outbreak, which has spread to more than a dozen countries, a global public health emergency. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. No deaths have been reported outside China. The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Speaking to reporters in Geneva on Thursday, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries, he said. People wear masks at a metro station in Taipei, Taiwan (Chiang Ying-ying/AP) Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it. This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in Chinas capacity to control the outbreak. A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. Story continues The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and businesses including Starbucks and McDonalds temporarily closing hundreds of shops, Dr Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. Despite this, the United States state department has advised against all travel to China due to the coronavirus outbreak while Russia said it was closing its 4,185-kilometre (2,600-mile) border with China. The new virus has now infected more people in China than were sickened there during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Unearthing a major heroin supply racket having overseas connections, Punjab Polices Special Task Force (STF) recovered 194 kg heroin from a house in Sultanwind area of Amritsar. Police have arrested seven people, including the owner of the house and a 24-year-old woman. The operation was carried out on the disclosure of one Sukhbir Singh alias Happy, who was arrested with 6kg heroin. The kingpin has been identified as Ankush Kapoor, who runs a cloth store on Queens Road here. He and his accomplices have been booked under Sections 21/61/85 of NDPS Act and 25/54/59 of the Arms Act at Special Task Force police station in SAS Nagar. Another FIR was registered on Thursday under Sections 21/25/27-A/29/61/85 of NDPS Act. Other accused have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh of Naushehra Khurd village of Amritsar district, Major Singh, Tamanna Gupta, Arman Basharmal of Afghanistan and the house owner Anwar Masih. During the raid at the house, 188.4kg heroin was recovered in the presence of an executive magistrate, said Harpreet Singh Sidhu, ADGP, STF, Punjab, at a press briefing here. Besides heroin, suspected 38.2kg dextromethorphan powder, 25.9kg caffeine powder and a laboratory, along with six drums of chemicals, were recovered from the house. Among those arrested is an Afghan national, Arman Basharmal of Achin, Nangarhar, Sidhu said. The woman was arrested from the house itself. However, her role is yet to be ascertained, said the ADGP. He said the heroin may have been smuggled from outside the country, but it is a matter of investigation. The processing of the heroin at the house started about a month ago, said IGP, STF, Kaustubh Sharma. The Afghan national had travelled to India recently and was helping the kingpin in processing the contraband. A gas burner, commercial cylinders and utensils of steel and aluminium were also found at the place, police said. The accused would adulterate the heroin with other ingredients to increase its volume for more gains, police said. Italy link of accused held by Interpol Police said Ankush Kapoor worked in tandem with Simranjit Singh Sandhu, who stays in Italy. Currently a proclaimed offender (PO) in a case registered by Gujarat police in connection with 300kg heroin haul. He was arrested by the Interpol after a red corner notice was issued by Gurjrat Police. Sidhu said, We came to know of the arrest through the media and have not got any official information yet. House owner a former SSS Board member House owner Anwar Masih is a former member of the Subordinate Selection Service Board (SSSB) and a local SAD leader. Today is the first day of the investigation in the case. We will investigate the role of the owner and act accordingly, police said. Speaking to the media, Anwar said, I was in the process of selling off the house when rented it out to Sukhwinder a month ago. I had no idea that it will be misused for such activities. Gurpartap Singh Tikka, city president of the SAD, said, Anwar was active in the party till last assembly elections but not now. However, Anwar associates himself with the SAD on his Facebook page. He had also shared his pictures with senior SAD leaders after the elections. When asked about his political affiliation, he said, Before association with any party, I am a leader of the Christian community. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Bloomberg Opinion) -- For Palestinians, a long-dreaded day of reckoning is fast approaching. The so-called peace plan unveiled by the Trump administration on Tuesday invites Israel to immediately annex large chunks of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wasting no time in doing just that, possibly as early as next week. For Palestinians, that would signal the end of all hope for a genuinely independent state alongside Israel. The Trump proposal envisages an Israeli-dominated, non-sovereign Palestinian state that is an enclave within a hyper-empowered greater Israel. And even that can only be accomplished after Palestinians meet an unheard-of set of conditions to Israels satisfaction. When the Camp David summit in July 2000 failed, my father asked me what I thought. I said Israelis would eventually enforce the highly circumscribed statehood Palestinians had just rejected. They would try to use their overwhelming power to gobble up large parts of the occupied territories, without absorbing the Palestinian population or allowing genuine Palestinian independence. Until this week, they were blocked from doing this because the U.S. was a third signatory to the 1993 Declaration of Principles that prohibits unilateral annexation. Now David Friedman, the American ambassador to Israel is openly encouraging Israel to annex big chunks of Palestinian territory. The Palestine Liberation Organization for decades sought to negotiate a two-state agreement with Israel. If the Israelis go ahead with this annexation and Washington perseveres with the new Trump policies, they will look like the biggest dupes imaginable. Hamas, which insists on armed struggle, will appear vindicated despite the continuous disasters their violence have wrought on Palestinian lives and fortunes. How should Palestinians respond? The clever move would be to thank Trump for his ideas, and welcome the opportunity to sit down with the other parties to discuss how, if at all, these new proposals fit with the formal and binding framework signed and agreed to in 1993. (Spoiler: they dont.) Story continues If life were a debating society or courtroom, all Palestinians need do is hold up the signature page of the Declaration of Principles and win the argument every time. But life isnt like that. For years Palestinians were harangued and punished by Israelis and Americans for supposedly violating the spirit of the Oslo agreements by unilaterally seeking greater international recognition. Now Israel and the U.S. have blithely wrecked those agreements, which evidently arent sacred after all. Besides, Palestinian politics wont allow the PLO to play that game. Their constituents are too outraged to be satisfied with debate-hall arguments, and Hamas will capitalize on any perceived PLO weakness. Palestinians might be able to recuperate their diplomatic position if Israel doesn't go ahead with annexations in the coming weeks and Trump is defeated in November. Then it would be up to the Democrats to urgently restore sanity to U.S. policy. That is not impossible, but it requires Palestinians to simply wait and see what happens. Beyond that, Palestinian options are highly limited. Unless the international community moves quickly to restore hope for genuine Palestinian statehood through diplomacy, the arguments against another major uprising will be crippled. If it becomes obvious that Palestinians are indefinitely trapped as noncitizens in a formalized, apartheid-style greater Israel, and that the international community isnt going to rescue them from such a fate, they are essentially left with two choices. In the abstract, what would make most sense would be to, in effect, declare themselves conscripted Israelis and fight through uncompromising but nonviolent means for full political as well as civil rights in the de facto greater Israel. But Palestinian nationalist narratives dont provide the basis for such a strategy. And there is little historical precedent for a people securing their rights in this way. Armed struggle is the other option; Hamas and others will be clamoring for it. If Trump and Netanyahu get their way, Hamas will probably succeed at last in taking over the Palestinian movement. Or, to prevent that, the PLO itself will return to armed struggle. The only thing that may give the Palestinians pause is the fear that any violence might invite disproportionate Israeli response, including a widening of the annexation horizon and mass expulsions of people from these areas. But its hard to imagine any people simply accepting the fate to which Trump and Netanyahu are sentencing the Palestinians. If my father were to ask me about the likeliest outcome of the latest peace plan, I would tell him that violence is coming, if not right away then soon enough. Effective arguments against such a path, reckless and self-destructive as it is, are dwindling rapidly. To understand this, ask yourself if you would accept a permanent subjugation. If the answer is no, then you can anticipate the disastrous consequences of Trumps peace plan. To contact the author of this story: Hussein Ibish at hussein.ibish@gmail.com To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bobby Ghosh at aghosh73@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Hussein Ibish is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The FBI is investigating the role of Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group Technologies in possible hacks on American residents and companies as well as suspected intelligence gathering on governments, according to four people familiar with the inquiry. Earlier this month, a security firm contracted by Jeff Bezos implicated NSO in hacking the Amazon CEO's nude photos, and Facebook in a lawsuit accused the company of hacking 1,400 users. NSO denied the allegations. The FBI probe was underway by 2017, when Bureau officials were trying to learn whether NSO obtained from American hackers any of the code it needed to infect smartphones, said one person interviewed by the FBI then and again last year. NSO said it sells its spy software and technical support exclusively to governments and that those tools are to be used in pursuing suspected terrorists and other criminals. NSO has long maintained that its products cannot target U.S. phone numbers, though some cybersecurity experts have disputed that. A security firm contracted by Jeff Bezos (above with girlfriend Lauren Sanchez) implicated NSO in hacking the Amazon CEO's nude photos Shalev Hulio is the CEO of NSO Group. NSO said it sells its spy software and technical support exclusively to governments and that those tools are to be used in pursuing terrorists The FBI conducted more interviews with technology industry experts after Facebook filed a lawsuit in October accusing NSO itself of exploiting a flaw in Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service to hack 1,400 users, according to two people who spoke with agents or Justice Department officials. NSO said it was not aware of any inquiry. 'We have not been contacted by any U.S. law enforcement at all about any such matters,' NSO said in a statement provided by Mercury Public Affairs strategy firm. NSO did not answer additional questions about its employees conduct but previously said government customers are the ones who do the hacking. A spokeswoman for the FBI said the agency 'adheres to DOJ's policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of any investigation, so we wouldn't be able to provide any further comment.' Reuters could not determine which suspected hacking targets are the top concerns for investigators or what phase the probe is in. But the company is a focus, and a key issue is how involved it has been in specific hacks, the sources said. Part of the FBI probe has been aimed at understanding NSO's business operations and the technical assistance it offers customers, according to two sources familiar with the inquiry. Facebook filed a lawsuit in October accusing NSO itself of exploiting a flaw in Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service to hack 1,400 users (stock image) Suppliers of hacking tools could be prosecuted under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) or the Wiretap Act, if they had enough knowledge of or involvement in improper use, said James Baker, general counsel at the FBI until January 2018. The CFAA criminalizes unauthorized access to a computer or computer network, and the Wiretap Act prohibits use of a tool to intercept calls, texts or emails. NSO is known in the cybersecurity world for its 'Pegasus' software other tools that can be delivered in several ways. The software can capture everything on a phone, including the plain text of encrypted messages, and commandeer it to record audio. A business strategy firm retained on behalf of Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos, FTI Consulting, said this month that NSO could have supplied the software it said Saudi Arabia used to hack Bezos' iPhone. The phone began sending out more data hours after it received a video from a WhatsApp account associated with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, FTI said. Saudi Arabia called the FTI allegation 'absurd,' and NSO said it was not involved. Other security experts said the data was inconclusive. The FBI is investigating and has met with Bezos, a member of his team told Reuters. A Bezos spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. UN investigation suggests Israeli spyware may have been used in Saudi hack of Jeff Bezos' phone A report issued by the United Nations suggests that malicious spyware created by Israeli company NSO Group may have been used by Saudi Arabia to hack Jeff Bezos' phone and steal his nude selfies. The report issued on Wednesday by UN Special Rapporteurs suggested that NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was the 'most likely' explanation for data that was stolen from Bezos' phone. A video file that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent Bezos on WhatsApp on May 1, 2018 was identified in the report as the likely source of the malicious code. The report notes that the Saudi Royal Guard acquired the Pegasus-3 spyware from NSO Group in a November 2017 contract. The logo of the Israeli NSO Group company on a building where they had offices in Herzliya, Israel is seen in a file photo. A UN report ties the company to the suspected Saudi hack of Jeff Bezos' phone The firm's wares have been used by governments to target journalists in Mexico, opposition figures in Panama and human rights activists from the Middle East. The U.N. experts said Bezos' phone hacking occurred during a period in which the phones of two close associates of Jamal Khashoggi were also hacked, allegedly using the Pegasus malware. Khashoggi was killed by a Saudi hit squad in October 2018 after writing columns critical of bin Salman in the Washington Post, which Bezos owns. NSO Group said in a statement it was 'shocked and appalled' by the reports linking its software to the Bezos phone hacking. 'If this story is true, then it deserves a full investigation by all bodies providing such services to assure that their systems have not been used in this abuse,' the company said. 'Just as we stated when these stories first surfaced months ago, we can say unequivocally that our technology was not used in this instance,' the company said. In October, WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, sued NSO in the U.S. federal court in San Francisco, accusing it of helping government spies break into the phones of about 1,400 users across four continents. Targets of the alleged hacking spree included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists and senior government officials. NSO has denied the allegations, saying it solely 'provides technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime'. Amnesty International will ask an Israeli court on Thursday to order Israel to revoke the export licence of NSO Group, whose software is alleged to have been used by governments to spy on journalists and dissidents. Advertisement FBI leaders have indicated that they are taking a hard line on spyware vendors. At a briefing at FBI Washington headquarters in November, a senior cybersecurity official said that if Americans were being hacked, investigators would not distinguish between criminals and security companies working on behalf of government clients. 'Whether you do that as a company or you do that as an individual, it's an illegal activity,' the official said. In the counterintelligence aspect of the probe, the FBI is trying to learn if any U.S. or allied government officials have been hacked with NSO tools and which nations were behind those attacks, according to a Western official briefed on the investigation. Outside of government, journalists, human rights activists and dissidents in several countries have been victims of attacks using NSO spyware, according to the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab researchers. In the past, NSO has denied involvement in some of those instances and declined to discuss others, citing client confidentiality requirements. The argument that the House Democrats have been pushing in favor of calling witnesses is that it will resolve a factual disagreement. The Democrats claim that Trump withheld military aid in order to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son Hunter. The Republicans claim that the evidence shows that the Ukraine officials were never pressured and in fact did not even know that the aid had been withheld until an August 28 article in Politico revealed that a hold had been placed on the aid. The House managers claim that if John Bolton testifies to what is alleged to be in his book, it will prove that Trump blackmailed Ukraine to start the desired investigations. But there is a clear distinction between what the House managers are alleging and what Bolton is alleged to have written. The problem with this argument is that telling his national security adviser at some point that he is holding the aid while awaiting the start of investigations is not the same as demanding them from Ukraine. In fact, the evidence from the hearings was overwhelming that the officials were never told about the hold and thus could not have been pressured by it. Evidence at the trial revealed contemporaneous holds on U.S. aid to south Korea, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Lebanon. These delays were accompanied by specific demands and explanations of what the United States was asking for in return for the release of the funds. No such demands were issued for the release of the funds to Ukraine. If Trump had intended to use the aid as leverage to obtain the desired investigations, he would have had to inform the Ukraine officials that he was doing so. When decisions are delayed, it is generally because the decision-maker is undecided. There is evidence from various officials that Trump was concerned about burden-sharing. That has been a theme of his foreign policy. He has also been skeptical about spending on foreign aid, and there is evidence that he has put pressure on State Department officials to look into how generally the aid is being spent. We also know from the July 25 phone call that Trump was concerned about Ukraine's actions during the 2016 election and also the connection of the Bidens with corruption in Ukraine. We also know from his rhetoric about foreign policy that he wants to reduce the U.S. role in military conflicts over issues that he feels don't directly impact U.S. national interest. At different times, he expressed these concerns both publicly and privately. Trump has a tendency to think out loud and to bounce his opinions of the moment off his various advisers. It is quite possible he indicated to Bolton at some point that the hold on aid was connected to the requested investigations. But he clearly at other times told aides it was tied to burden-sharing as well as concerns about corruption in general. We don't really know which one of his concerns was most important, but we do know that in the end, the aid was released. There is a huge distinction between withholding the aid as a club to be used to demand an investigation of the Bidens and a temporary hold on aid while Trump worried about a number of issues before making the decision to release it. Trump did ask President Zelensky to investigate Ukraine's involvement in the 2016 election and the possible corruption of the Bidens and their dealings with Burisma. What's more, he has been emphatic in believing that he was justified in doing so. The only real questions before the Senate is whether it was appropriate to ask for the investigations and, if not, was the offense serious enough to warrant Trump's removal from office? Given what Bolton is alleged to have written in his book, it is hard to see how his testimony will add anything important to what is already known. Neanderthal genes found for first time in African populations Guardian (Kevin W) NSFs newest solar telescope produces first images NSF (Dan K). See video. Whitewashy background: How the worlds largest solar telescope rose on Maui while nearby protests derailed a larger scope Science Magazine Harry Goes Rogue London Review of Books Artificial Intelligence Will Do What We Ask. Thats a Problem. Quanta (David L) Climate change calls for action, not adaptation Sydney Morning Herald. Kevin W: Mostly of local interest but the cartoon at the top says a lot about how to respond to climate change for our leaders. Immune systems not prepared for climate change PhysOrg (David L) Genetically engineered moths could be crop protection solution CNN (furzy) Irish team question new US blood pressure threshold RTE (PlutoniumKun) Brexit. Today is the big day! Please also see our post. The far-right Bolsonaro movement wants us dead. But we will not give up Glenn Greenwald and David Miranda, Guardian (Bob K) Coronavirus. Important factoid: SARS was contained and then it just stopped (see short account and long account). There was never a vaccine. A vaccine would take many years to go through the clinical trial process, so absent luck (the disease mutating into a less lethal variant) the lines of defense are not getting infected and existing drugs. The World Health Organisation just declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency because it could spread to countries that arent prepared Business Insider (Kevin W) CDC records coronavirus case that spread within US The Hill Airlines remove hot food, blankets, magazines and more amid coronavirus outbreak Fox News (Kevin W) Global Nurses United Leaders Demand World Health Organization Strengthen Its Guidance on Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Global Nurses United Limited data may be skewing assumptions about severity of coronavirus outbreak, experts say StatNews. While this is probably true, one assumption in this piece is that severe cases are being reported pretty accurately, mild cases not. That may not be the case, given multiple reports, including long form ones in the press about the difficulty of particular individuals who were very sick getting any attention, simply being sent away or sent to another hospital that similarly didnt test or treat them. In other words, at least in Wuhan and perhaps in other cities in Hubei, the health care system is severely overloaded and it appears pretty much everyone is being sent away, meaning overload results in an inability to take in (as in even bother testing) any more than trivial additional numbers of the worst cases because the hospitals cannot handle any more. Even from five or six days ago there were reports of vastly fewer doctors and tests needed even to handle the very sick, as opposed to the moderately sick and worried. However, the numbers are almost certainly more accurate for people outside the epicenter, so any analyses that parse those out should be given a great deal of weight. For a contrary reading, note what Victor Shih said he was hearing from doctors on the ground (Shih is not an MD but is very connected and does understand statistics): Mr. Shih said he puts very little faith in this prediction, and believes it will take at least another 2-to-3 quarters for the Chinese government to get control of the viral pandemic. In fact, Mr. Shih noted that the ratio of serious cases (i.e., people who needed to be treated in the intensive care units [ICU] of hospitals) to the total infected is actually closer to 30%. Also note the definition of serious cases: it may be more serious than most laypeople assume. So the bottom line is there is still a big informational fog. Trump Transition Condoleezza Rice to lead Stanfords Hoover Institution Stanford News. Resilc: War criminal makes good. FAC Wins Important Ruling for Police Transparency in California First Amendment Coalition. See ruling here. Impeachment Alexander to vote no on witnesses, bringing trial close to end The Hill. I wonder if Doug Jones (D-AL) will abstain. He has to act like a Republican to have any hope of being re-elected, and the Democrats have no other horse to ride. In Defense of Dershowitz: Critics Slam Harvard Professor For Ethical Representation and Intellectual Opinions Jonathan Turley (Chuck L) 2020 Our Famously Free Press This is seriously chilling. The vise is tightening, just slowly enough to avoid too much outrage.https://t.co/aoTCSB1ggw Mark Ames (@MarkAmesExiled) January 31, 2020 City of San Diego Pension Debt Now Over $3 Billion San Diego News Desk (JPR) Delivery Apps Keep Adding Restaurants Without Their Consent Eater (Chuck L) Flight attendants sue Boeing over design they say causes toxic cabin air Chicago Tribune. Now that Boeings technical chops are in doubt, suits like this are more viable. Fed moves to ease some restrictions under the Volcker rule CNBC (allan). Hard on the heels of Volckers death. Health-Records Company Pushed Opioids to Doctors in Secret Deal With Drugmaker Bloomberg (Dan K). A must read. Guillotine Watch Has Davos Man Changed? Project Syndicate (David L) Class Warfare Antidote du jour. MGL: Lifted this lovely photo from the Juneau Empire: And a bonus video (Janet M): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Many African Americans who begin the quest to find their ancestors are psyched when they view, for the first time, the names of their people in the 1870 Census, the first one in which all blacks in the United States were legally free. I can attest to that soul-stirring experience because years ago, I found my ancestors Henry and Julia Giles in Walton County, Georgia, with their children, including one who would become my great grandmother Maggie Giles Holden. And I felt chills in early December when I found Wash and Jane Allison in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, in 1870. Until then, Id seen their names only in North Carolina records: They were married in Rowan County on Jan. 18, 1870, and appeared in the 1880 Census with their children one of whom would become another of my great grandmothers, Caroline Isabella Allison Moore Williams. Beginning with the first official census in 1790, some blacks appeared here and there as free men and women. But most were enslaved and therefore not listed as human beings; they were chattel property counted in inventories among the pigs, farming tools and household furnishings. Thus their names are missing from records white family researchers can rely on: family Bibles chronicling generations, historical society archives, newspapers, local histories, and digests culled from public records, to name a few. Aletia Knightner poses for a picture with FamilySearch's Thom Reed. African Americans have been absent from inclusion in the records for too long, and there was a lot of intentionality in that, said Cassandra Newby-Alexander, a professor of history and dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Norfolk State University. Until recently, 1870 was the wall through which few African Americans could pass. The few who have include Alex Haley, whose acclaimed novel "Roots" told the story of his family descended from Gambian-born Kunte Kinte, who was kidnapped and enslaved in Maryland and Virginia. More recently, the Tucker familys connection to the first captive Africans who landed in the Virginia colony in 1619 has been a source of wonderment and envy. Story continues 1619: The US is grappling with its history of slavery. The blueprint for dealing with it? Some say Brown University 1619: Hundreds of thousands of Africans were enslaved in America. Wanda Tucker believes her relatives were the first As interest in genealogy expands, the greater availability of digitized public documents makes it possible to begin the process of African Americans being able to recapture what was taken from them, Newby-Alexander said. In February, FamilySearch International, which bills itself as the largest genealogical organization in the world, will help further that process by highlight one of its collections each day at FamilySearch.org. Aletia Knightner holds a book of family history. She had reached out to FamilySearch and the African American genealogical community for help connecting with her enslaved second great grandfather, Lewis Elliott. Knightner was able to connect Lewis Elliott, who she knew to be from Arkansas, to his slaveholder, John Elliott, from South Carolina. FamilySearch is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints he Mormons. The black history initiative is part of a concerted effort to move on from a past that included blatant racism and, until 1978, the restriction of black participation in the church. Over the last decade, FamilySearch has become an influential resource for African American genealogy. In 2016, for instance, it presented an indexed database of Freedmans Bureau records to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Some 25,000 volunteers worked on the project, uncovering 1.8 million names of formerly enslaved people. Regardless of race or ethnicity, the 16 million Mormons worldwide are expected to follow church tenets about strengthening family relationships with relatives, both living and dead. To accomplish this, they do family history, as some put it. The Genealogical Society of Utah, out of which FamilySearch has grown, recently marked its 125th anniversary of collecting, preserving and making available billions of records. In addition to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, there are more than 5,000 family history centers open to the general public. To those who wonder if this generosity is a subtle way to proselytize, Thom Reed, deputy chief genealogical officer for FamilySearch, said there is a strict prohibition against that. Its not about religious affiliation; its about connecting generations, he said. This 'slave schedule' shows the inhabitants of slaves in an Arkansas county, listed under their owners. Aletia Knightner used historical records to trace her family's history. Using the documents, she was able to trace her second great-grandfather, Lewis Elliott, to his slaveholder in South Carolina. Reed is overseeing efforts to collect oral histories and digitize public records in Africa, and seeking ways in the USA to make more resources available for African Americans. Among the newly searchable records that will be highlighted in February are Virginia slave births, 1853-1866; U.S. military pensions, 1861-1934; Freedmens Bureau marriage records, 1861-1872; and voter registration records from 1867 to 1869 for Florida, North Carolina and Texas. The records are samples of what is available; however Sydney Bjork, another member of the team, advises: No collection in and of itself is going to be the cure-all for all your genealogical questions, but were hoping that what we highlight will provide a lot of leads for people to make some discoveries for their families. FamilySearch's partner in this initiative is the Center for Family History, the operational part of the International African American Museum that is scheduled to open in winter 2021 in Charleston, South Carolina. Toni Carrier, the centers director, is in charge of daily blog posts about each featured collection. Our role is to give an overview of the collections and then help people learn how to use them. She is working with another genealogy group, Black ProGen, to provide YouTube video how-tos for researchers. There are so many legacies of slavery in our country that we cant do anything about, but not knowing the names and life stories of your ancestors doesnt have to be one of them because the records do exist, Carrier said. Visit familysearch.org/blackhistorymonth to gain access to FamilySearch materials. Accounts are free. To locate a FamilySearch physical location near you, visit https://www.familysearch.org/help/fhcenters/locations. For more on the International African American Museum, go to https://iaamuseum.org. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: FamilySearch releases new trove of African American records Sonny Aguirre Jr. didnt mind his manners very often until he joined the boys-only etiquette club at Briscoe Elementary School. Id talk back, said Sonny, 10, a fifth-grader. When someone sneezed, I wouldnt even say, Bless you, and I didnt open doors for my mom. But when two teachers asked which fourth- and fifth-grade boys wanted to learn the social graces, practice personal elegance and cultivate leadership skills, Sonny signed right up. I knew it was going to help me to be polite more, he said. Anna Ulate, the clubs founder, is a fourth-grade dual-language teacher and a single mother of three boys. They didnt know how to shake hands or look people in the eye, she said, which gave her the idea to start the group. John Davila, a Spanish teacher, helps her run the club, which they named Caballeros Distinguidos, or distinguished gentlemen in Spanish. They crowdfunded $1,100 in a day for supplies and clothes: crisp white shirts, black suit vests, dress slacks and ties in different colors and patterns. There only was enough money for 15 boys, so those interested had to apply and interview for a place in the club. To the teachers shock, they ended up with a lengthy wait list. Shattering the stereotype of boys being happiest when yelling and throwing mud at each other, many begged their parents rather than the other way around to sign the permission form, Ulate said. I think they already were gentlemen, she said. Somebody just had to give them the chance. ... They really wanted to be respected. Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox The club meets every other Tuesday. After the dismissal bell rings, the boys file into Ulates room wearing their dress outfits. They practice tying neckties, some proudly helping each other. Theyve learned handshake and dining etiquette. Theyve been planning service projects. Club members will deploy at the Pearl next month to serve as greeters at San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinezs annual speech to local business leaders. They have a spring in their step now when they wear the attire, Davila said. Of course, were clear to them thats not all it takes to be a gentleman. Briscoe has an enrollment exceeding 450 students. Its located across from art galleries in the gentrifying neighborhood around the old Lone Star brewery south of downtown, but more than 91 percent come from families with low enough incomes to qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a percentage close to the SAISD average. Nearly all are Hispanic. Some of the Caballeros Distinguidos are being raised by grandmothers, and some have incarcerated parents, Ulate said. The clubs lessons will help them navigate advanced academic or professional settings, but its not about socioeconomics, Ulate said. Its always about being leaders, she said. It doesnt matter where you come from. At Tuesdays meeting, Ulate asked the boys to think of questions to ask state Rep. Diego Bernal, a Jefferson High School graduate, when he comes to visit next month. Ask him just about anything, she said. Even what he did when he was little, howd he get in trouble. He will be honest about it. The boys also voted to choose a fundraising cause from among four options: the homeless, stray animals, clean water and car wash. Sitting on Ulates rug in dress clothes and sneakers, they cheered every time Davila tallied another vote for car wash, which won overwhelmingly. The car wash wasnt a cause, so Davila told them to form small groups and think of who it might benefit. Suggestions included the American Red Cross, St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, and victims of the wildfires in Australia. The girls could maybe use something like this, Ulate said later. Maybe they can do, like, car washes together, she added, although she conceded girls might pick a different activity. Ulates son Daniel Franco, 11, is in the club. He sat with three other fifth-graders Tuesday brainstorming charities. One of them, Christopher Rodriguez, 10, said he joined the Caballeros because he wanted to treat people better. I wanted to learn how to tie a tie and how to shake a persons hand, he said. Elijah Flores, 10, said his favorite lesson was on dinner manners and setting the table. I joined it so I could become more mature, Elijah said. Were good people. Ruben Patlan, 11, said his parents tried to teach politeness, but the lessons carried more weight coming from teachers. With your mom youd be like, silly, or act different than with a teacher, Ruben said. Just then distracted by Christopher, he snapped, I swear to God. Then he added, He keeps saying my name wrong, proving that even Caballeros still can lose their tempers. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN Finance and economic ministers and central bank governors in West Africa, including Ghana's Mr Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr Ernest Addison, have taken issue with the recent renaming of the common currency for member countries in the Francophone zone to Eco. They described the action as a "unilateral" decision that was outside the requirements for the adoption of a proposed common currency for the sub-region, reports Graphic Onlines Maxwell Adombilla Akalaare. In a communique issued Thursday, January 16 after an extraordinary meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, the Convergence Council of the West Africa Monetary Zone (WAMZ) said it was "concerned" by the December 21, 2019 declaration by Ivorian President, Mr Alasane Outtarra, that the CFA had been renamed Eco -- the proposed single currency that has eluded the ECOWAS region since 1990. "WAMZ Convergence Council wishes to emphasise that this action is not in line with the decision of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS for the adoption of the Eco as the name of the ECOWAS single currency," the communique said. It was signed by the six finance and economic ministers and the six central bank governors from the six member countries of the WAMZ. The communique also called for an extraordinary meeting of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of WAMZ Member States to be conveyed "soon to further discuss this matter and other related issues." The communique is the first action by Anglophone West Africa to the decision by some of their Francophone peers to rename their currency the Eco. The announcement by Mr Outtarran in December last year said the change of name would take effect January this year. Source: Daily Graphic 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 (Newser) The mother of two children missing since September failed to meet a court-ordered deadline to bring the kids to authorities in Idaho on Thursday. That clears the way for a judge to potentially hold Lori Vallow in contempt of court, a legal move that could allow prosecutors to seek to have her extradited from Hawaii to Idaho to face charges, the AP reports. Seven-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan haven't been seen since late September, and police in Rexburg, Idaho, have said they "strongly believe that Joshua and Tylee's lives are in danger." "The only word coming to mind right now is 'monster,'" Kay Woodcock, JJ's grandmother, said during a press conference Thursday evening. "All this has just been very disheartening ... I'm a lot less optimistic at the moment." story continues below Police have said Lori Vallow and new husband Chad Daybell, who were located in Hawaii this week, have lied about the children's whereabouts and even their very existence. The tangled case includes rumors of cult involvement and investigations into three separate deaths. Lori Vallow's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in Phoenix in July by Lori's brother, Alex Cox. Cox, who claimed the shooting was in self-defense, died of unknown causes in December. In August, Lori Vallow moved her family to Idaho. In October, Chad Daybell's wife Tammy Daybell died of what her obituary said was natural causes. But when Chad Daybell married Lori Vallow just two weeks after Tammy's death, law enforcement became suspicious and ultimately had Tammy Daybell's remains exhumed. Test results have not been released. (Read more missing child stories.) Ximen Mining Corporate Update Posted by Publisher Internet Ximen Mining Corp. (TSX.v: XIM) (FRA: 1XMA) (OTCQB: XXMMF) (the ?Company? or ?Ximen? https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/ximen-mining-corp/) is pleased to announce that it is proceeding with a shares-for-debt filing to pay outstanding debts of $270,000.00.? Approximately 771,428 shares in the capital stock of the Company will be issued to pay these outstanding payables. The shares-for-debt agreement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance and, if issued, will be subject to the customary four-month hold period.??? The Company also announces that it has closed a tranche of its drawdown equity financing facility with Alumina Partners (Ontario) Ltd., an affiliate of New York-based private equity firm Alumina Partners LLC. In this tranche closed on January 29, 2020, the Company drew down $150,000 from Alumina with Alumina receiving 500,000 units of Ximen consisting of a common share priced at 30 cents per share and an 18-month warrant exercisable at 45 cents per share. The hold expiry date for the placement is May 28, 2020. The net proceeds from the private placement will be used for the further exploration on the Company?s British Columbia mineral properties and general working capital. The investment agreement will provide the Company with up to $8-million over a 24-month period to finance its exploration and continuing acquisition of gold assets in British Columbia. The investment agreement is structured to provide Ximen with relatively quick access to private placement financing as and when required. Under the investment agreement, the company has the right to draw down on the facility, at its sole discretion, through equity private placement tranches of up to $500,000 each. Each tranche will be a placement of units, with each unit comprising one Ximen common share and one common share purchase warrant. The units will be priced at a discount of 15 per cent to 25 per cent from the then most recent closing price of the shares on the TSX Venture Exchange at the time of the applicable company drawdown notice to Alumina. The warrants will be issued at a 25-per-cent premium over the market price of the shares and will have a term of 18 months. There are no standby charges or other upfront fees associated with the investment agreement. Each tranche of units issued under the investment agreement will be subject to the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange and the securities issued will be subject to the customary four-month hold period. On behalf of the Board of Directors,? ?Christopher R. Anderson? Christopher R. Anderson, President, CEO and Director 604 488-3900 Investor Relations: ????Sophy Cesar, ?????????604-488-3900, ???????????ir@XimenMiningCorp.com About Ximen Mining Corp. Ximen Mining Corp. owns 100% interest in three of its precious metal projects located in southern BC.? Ximen`s two Gold projects The Amelia Gold Mine and The Brett Epithermal Gold Project. Ximen also owns the Treasure Mountain Silver Project adjacent to the past producing Huldra Silver Mine.? Currently, the Treasure Mountain Silver Project is under a option agreement. The option partner is making annual staged cash and stocks payments as well as funding the development of the project. The company has recently acquired control of the Kenville Gold mine near Nelson British Columbia which comes with surface and underground rights, buildings and equipment. Ximen is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XIM, in the USA under the symbol XXMMF, and in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin Stock Exchanges in Germany under the symbol 1XMA and WKN with the number as A2JBKL. This press release contains certain \forward-looking statements\ within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval and the exercise of the Option by Ximen. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words \expects,\ \plans,\ \anticipates,\ \believes,\ \intends,\ \estimates,\ \projects,\ \aims,\ \potential,\ \goal,\ \objective,\ \prospective,\ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions \will,\ \would,\ \may,\ \can,\ \could\ or \should\ occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company\-\-s management on the date the statements are made and they involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management\-\-s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include the possibility that the TSX Venture Exchange may not accept the proposed transaction in a timely manner, if at all. The reader is urged to refer to the Company\-\-s reports, publicly available through the Canadian Securities Administrators\-\- System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) at www.sedar.com for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any state in the United States in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Ximen Mining Corp 888 Dunsmuir Street Suite 888, Vancouver, B.C., V6C 3K4??? Tel:? 604-488-3900 Local residents claim there was a method to the madness of Subhash Batham, the man who held 23 children hostage for hours before the episode ended with police shooting him down and a mob lynching his wife. Villagers said the hostage-taking appeared to have been planned. Batham, who was out on bail for a year and a half in a 2001 murder case, had invited the children for his daughter's birthday party. The hostage drama started before 6 pm on Thursday and ended well past midnight. Batham apparently kept the children confined to the basement of his home till police and local residents barged in. As local people and policemen laid siege to the house in Kasaria village, Batham initially demanded the "withdrawal" of criminal cases against him. His wife Ruby Katheriya allegedly asked for Rs 1 crore for each child, if the villagers wanted them released. During the siege, Batham also sent out a letter addressed to the district magistrate, local people said. In the letter, he reportedly complained that he was not allowed to make use of government schemes for housing and building toilets at home. He also alleged that he was being troubled by the Special Operation Group of police. In 2001, he had allegedly stabbed another villager, Meghnad, to death in a dispute over a drain. He was also accused in three robbery cases.. According to local people, Batham had sold off his four-bigha piece of land and had no regular income. Though they accepted the invitation to the birthday party for their children, the villagers described Batham as mentally unstable and claimed that people generally kept away from him. Around 1 am, police and local residents broke open the door of Batham's house. While Batham was shot dead by police, local people caught hold of his wife, thrashing her and pelting stones at her, police said. Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Misra said she was initially rushed to a local hospital and later referred to Lohia hospital. She succumbed to her injuries there. All children were rescued safely from the basement,police said. The 23 children are aged between six months and 15 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite the chilly weather, it was still a perfect day for the beach. And on Wednesday, Sofia Richie headed to Malibu for a low key, relaxing day on the sand with a pal and a canine companion. The social media star skipped out on a bathing suit and prepped for the cool weather with cozy workout gear. Midweek trip: On Wednesday, Sofia Richie, 21, headed to Malibu for a low key, relaxing day on the sand with a pal and a canine companion Sofia dressed her trim figure in a cropped, grey hoodie. The 21-year-old paired her sweater with a set of light-colored joggers. The pretty blonde wore her hair down and straight. Sofia accessorized minimally with a pair of shades. Her pal, Hayley Carling, kept warm in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants. Her look: Sofia dressed her trim figure in a cropped, grey hoodie. The model paired her sweater with a set of light-colored joggers 'Thursday with the girls': The pretty blonde wore her hair down and straight. Sofia accessorized simply with a pair of shades Stunning: Sofia shared this beautiful view on Instagram Stories Her look: Sofia's pal, Hayley Carling, kept warm in a black hoodie and gray sweatpants Beating the wind: While on the beach, the pretty blonde attempted to light candles Since May 2017, Sofia has been in a relationship with reality star, Scott Disick. The couple have a 15-year age gap between them. Prior to their relationship, Scott was with the mother of his children, Kourtney Kardashian, 40. The duo dated on-and-off from 2006 until 2015. Like Scott, Kourtney is also in a relationship with a much-younger man. She is dating model Younes Bendjima, 26. He is 14 years her junior. Ex-confectionary owner gets to know sentence in murder case on February 10 Moskva city news agency, Andrey Nikerichev 15:47 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on February 10 will read out a sentence to ex-owner of Moscows confectionary Menshevik Ilya Averyanov acquitted by jury in a guard murder case, a RAPSI correspondent reported from the courtroom on Friday. On Tuesday, jurors acquitted Averyanov of killing a guard during the shooting on the factorys premises in 2017 and beating a passerby, who burnt up poplar wool near the factory in 2016. Thus, Averyanov was found not guilty of intended infliction of severe bodily harm and murder. Investigators claimed that on December 27, 2017, a conflict arose between former and current owners of the factory. Ex-owner Averyanov allegedly took out the gun and shot several times, fatally wounding a guard. The defendant insisted that he used the gun for the purposes of self-defense, and a shot was fired recklessly. Bank employees from across the country on Friday participated in the two-day nationwide bank strike to press for wage revision and other demands. Several states including West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu are witnessing the protests, hitting services like cash deposits, withdrawals and cheque clearances. All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) claimed that around 31 lakh cheques amounting to ~23,000 crore remained uncleared across the country on the first day. Close to 10 lakh bank employees and officers of various public sector banks, some old generation private banks and a few foreign banks are on a two-day strike, starting Friday, after the negotiation on wage revision under 11th bipartite settlement failed, unions said. However, private sector lenders like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were operational. Bank branches will continue to remain closed on Saturday, adding to woes of the public on the salary day. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). In Patna, protesters were seen carrying placards that read, At the call of UFBU, All India Bank Strike and a banner that said, Today the bank is on strike. The contribution of a bank employee is never considered in the countrys economic growth. The income is not efficient enough. We had demanded an increment of 20 per cent in the salary but there has been only a 12 per cent increase in the salary, a protester was quoted as saying in Patna by news agency ANI. All the nationalised banks even the private banks are supporting us. The impact can be seen here as the ATMs are also shut. North Bengal has been facing a huge impact, a protestor Sanjay Das, general secretary, All India Bank Officers Confederation, said in West Bengal. The Union flag will fly at the European Parliament for the final time (Yui Mok/PA) After years of bitter wrangling since the 2016 referendum, Brexit finally becomes a reality at 11pm on Friday. But will anyone notice? Here are some of the things that will change. The UK will have no MEPs The 73 MEPs elected from the UK in 2019 will no longer attend the sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels. A total of 27 new MEPs from the existing states will take their place, with the remaining 46 seats kept empty in case another country joins the EU in future. The UKs highest profile MEP, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, left in a show of flag-waving triumphalism after the vote to back the Withdrawal Agreement on Wednesday. No seat at the European Council table From February 1, there will be 27 national leaders at the regular summits in Brussels. The UK will also be absent from ministerial-level meetings on issues ranging from home affairs to the economy. Britain is too big to bully. We're off! pic.twitter.com/cBfycWfsN7 Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) January 29, 2020 Europe Minister Christopher Pincher was the last member of the UK Government to attend a meeting with EU counterparts on Tuesday. The Department for Exiting the European Union will be axed The department led initially by David Davis, then Dominic Raab and, finally, Steve Barclay will be wound up. While the civil servants will be found jobs elsewhere in Whitehall, Mr Barclay will lose his seat at the Cabinet table. A new taskforce will lead the UKs trade negotiations with the EU, led by Boris Johnsons chief Europe adviser David Frost, reporting directly to the Prime Minister. The UKs passport will turn blue To Brexiteers, the symbolically important blue UK passport will be a tangible sign of the break from the EU. The contract to produce them was, however, awarded to a Franco-Dutch firm. Boris Johnson said people will be entitled to a beautiful new blue passport. Will Brexit affect my holiday? Ive answered some of your top searched questions about Brexit and what happens when we leave the EU on Friday. pic.twitter.com/3LelRgfFPb Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 28, 2020 Trade talks can begin Just when you thought youd had enough of Brexit negotiations, a whole new set can start. A new deal needs to be in place by the end of the year as the Prime Minister has insisted he will not extend the transition period which keeps trade and travel arrangements largely the same. But as well as the battles with Brussels, the UK will also be able to start talks with other countries most notably Donald Trumps United States. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo used a visit ahead of Brexit to stress that the UK would be at the front of the line for a deal. R ichard Jewell was an American security guard who discovered a backpack containing three pipe bomb during the 1996 Sumer Olympics in Atlanta Georgia. Although one person died and 111 people were injured, he saved countless peoples lives by evacuating the Centennial Olympic Park area and alerting police. A new film, directed by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood and starring Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, and Olivia Wilde, explores events surround the explosion. Initially hailed a hero, Mr Jewell was later considered a suspect in the bombing before eventually being cleared. At one time, Jewell was considered by the FBI to be the leading suspect in the bombings / AFP via Getty Images Who was Richard Jewell? Richard Jewell was born in Danville, Virginia on December 17, 1962, and was originally named Richard White. But when his parents divorced and his mum Bobi remarried John Jewell, he was adopted by his step-father and switched surnames. According to Mrs Jewell, her first husband, who has since died, was irresponsible and a ladies' man, Vanity Fair reported. When Mr Jewell was six the family moved to Atlanta. Mr Jewell was a bit of a teachers pet and had few friends in high school, his mother said. Jewell looks through stairs outside his complex while FBI and local police agents search his apartment / AFP via Getty Images He loved anything to do with the military and history and would like to talk about Napoleon, the Vietnam War and the first and second world wars. Mr Jewell later decided he wanted to work with cars, and he enrolled in a technical school in southern Georgia. However, after his mothers second marriage broke down he moved back home to look after her. He then managed a local yoghurt shop, once stopping a burglary in progress, before becoming a clerk at the Small Business Administration at 22. When his contract finished he became a hotel detective before joining Habersham County Sheriff's Office as a jailer. Jewell was later cleared as a suspect / AFP via Getty Images He worked his way up to the role of deputy and passed his exams graduating in the top 25 percent of his class - at Georgia Police Academy to become a law enforcer. Mr Jewell was said to be unlucky in love, focusing instead on his careers. Vanity Fair reported: He presented one woman with an engagement ring, and later, in Habersham County, he would give another a large wooden key with a sign that read, THIS IS THE KEY TO UNLOCK YOUR HEART, but both relationships came apart." He instead worked nights and became heavily invested in his job, working 14-hour shifts. However, in 1995 he wrecked his patrol car and was demoted to working in a jail. He decided to resign and took a police job at Piedmont College, a liberal-arts school. Richard Jewell (2020) - In pictures 1 /29 Richard Jewell (2020) - In pictures Despite college police only having a jurisdiction of the campus and an extending 500 feet, Mr Jewell chased cars speeding down the highway and had arguments over turf with other officers. He was instrumental in several arrests, including that of a suspected burglar he discovered hiding at the top of a tree Vanity Fair said, and was awarded citizen of the year. However, his relationship with school turned sour after he was told off for a number of controversial arrests and he once more resigned. Site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombings / REUTERS As his mother was going to have an operation on her foot he headed home to Atlanta and decided to work security at the Olympics as it would be good for his CV. It was during one of his 12-hour shifts on July 27 that he spotted a bomb in a rucksack at a concert. After the attack, Mr Jewell was made a person if interest due to his lone-wolf profile. He was subject to intense media scrutiny, and his home was besieged by camera crews. He was later exonerated and went on to file lawsuits against several news companies about how he was portrayed in the media. How did he die? Mr Jewell died on August 29, 2007 at the age of 44. He had suffered serious medical problems related to diabetes. What happened during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing? Shortly after midnight, a backpack was placed beneath a bench containing three pipe bombs surrounded by three-inch long masonry nails. The nails caused the majority of the injuries in the explosion. Street scene of the aftermath of the bombings / Getty Images Mr Jewell cleared the area and alerted the police which no doubt saved countless lives. A Canadian bookstore is helping rescue kittens cats get adopted by letting the furry felines roam the stacks and cuddle with customers while they look for their forever homes. Located outside of Halifax in Nova Scotia, Otis & Clementines Books and Coffee takes in cats provided by the South Paw Conservation Nova Scotia, a local rescue group. The shop's owner, Ellen Helmke, started the fostering program last year, and she has already helped 30 cats get adopted, according to Global News. Cute: Otis & Clementines Books and Coffee in Novia Scotia, Canada, lets rescue cats run free Safe haven: The bookstore serves as a temporary home for the cats, which are provided by local rescue group South Paw Conservation Nova Scotia It's a hit: The shop's owner, Ellen Helmke, started the fostering program last year 'People come here specifically to see the cats, and then some people just wander in to look at books and discover there are kittens,' she said. Helmke noted that being around customers helps the cats learn to socialize with people, which likely makes it easier for them to get adopted. 'We have a hundred per cent adoption rate, which is fantastic,' she said. Fans of the store have taken to Instagram to share adorable photos of kittens climbing on bookshelves and curling up on the chairs and couches inside the shop. Aww! Many customers can't resist cuddling the kittens in the bookstore Hard to resist: Fans of the store have taken to Instagram to share adorable photos of kittens climbing on bookshelves and curling up on the chairs and couches inside the shop Fast friends: Helmke said being around customers helps the cats learn to socialize with people Amazing: Helmke said the store has a 'hundred per cent adoption rate' 'OMG there are KITTENS at the local bookstore, a WHOLE LITTER of kittens! Ellen, the owner is fostering them,' one fan wrote. 'I went in for a local organic coffee and a book and came out with the added bonus of a heavy dose of feline therapy.' 'Met a couple cuties at the book store today, sadly only one could come home with me,' another customer captioned a photo of herself posing with a kitten in the shop. Helmke told Narcity in an email that in the store they typically 'have several kittens and usually a mama cat as well.' The owner warned that if one of the cats catches your eye, you should act fast because 'all the kittens are in and out fairly quickly, as they are adopted.' Success: The owner said and she has already helped 30 cats find forever homes In charge: South Paw Conservation Nova Scotia manages the adoption process, which costs $255 Canadian dollars ($194 U.S. dollars) Hard to resist: The owner warned that if one of the cats catches your eye, you should act fast Temporary home: Helmke said 'all the kittens are in and out fairly quickly' Loving it: Fans have been taking to the bookstore's Facebook page to praise Helmke for making her shop a safe haven for rescue cats South Paw Conservation Nova Scotia manages the adoption process, which costs $255 Canadian dollars ($194 U.S. dollars). The fee also covers medical expenses for the cat. Fans have been taking to the bookstore's Facebook page to praise Helmke for making her shop a safe haven for rescue cats. 'This is FANTASTIC!!! What a kind soul you are to help these beautiful cats and kittens find their furever homes,' one person wrote. 'I cant wait to come for a visit, find a good book and have some kitten snuggles. THANK YOU!' 'What a wonderful story. You have to be terrific people for taking in these kittens. I have to make a point of visiting soon,' another added. 'Thank you for what you do.' In 2017, Professor Burstow donated $50,000 to the University of Toronto to establish an anti-psychiatry scholarship there a move that rankled some on the faculty. Theyre trying to claim that theres no such thing as psychiatric illness, and I think she did a lot of damage with the publicity she got surrounding that, Edward Shorter, a professor of psychiatry at the university and a longstanding critic of anti-psychiatry, said in a phone interview. The university, he said, made a big mistake in setting up a special scholarship fund in her name; its an anti-psychiatry fund that legitimizes the movement. Professor Burstow was not a psychologist; she studied philosophy and English as an undergraduate at the University of Manitoba, received a masters in English from the University of Toronto, and then went to England to begin a doctorate in English. But she returned to Canada before finishing her doctorate and resumed her studies at the University of Toronto, where she received a masters in education. She began practicing as a psychotherapist in 1978 as she pursued a doctorate in educational theory with a psychology minor. As she worked with patients while completing her doctorate, she noticed a pattern that would push her into the anti-psychiatry movement. A lot of what was causing women these problems was patriarchy, Professor Burstow said in the oral history. A lot of things that were seen as problematic were reasonable ways for women to cope in a patriarchal, traumatizing world. By 1979 she was referring to herself as a feminist therapist and publishing research that emphasized the importance of talk therapy. In 1992 she published Radical Feminist Therapy, a book that discusses, among other things, violence against women and their responses to it, including depression and eating disorders. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hagens Berman urges investors in Sasol Limited ADRs (NYSE: SSL) who have suffered significant losses to submit their losses now . The firm is actively investigating whether the Company and senior executives violated federal securities laws, and certain investors may have valuable claims. Relevant Holding Period: Before Jan. 13, 2020 Sign Up: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/SSL Contact An Attorney Now: SSL@hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895 Sasol Limited (SSL) Investigation: The investigation centers on whether Sasol misled investors regarding the development of its $13 billion chemicals plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Previously, the Company touted the smooth development and execution of the Lake Charles project. But on May 22, 2019, Sasol shocked investors when it raised the projects cost estimate by $1 billion and disclosed an internal review into the projects costs and construction schedule. The Company admitted to weaknesses in the projects integrated controls, as well as significant additional concerns related to the projects forecasting process. Then, on Oct. 27, 2019, Sasol terminated its co-CEOs following an internal probe showing that the Lake Charles project management team acted inappropriately, lacked experience and was overly focused on maintaining cost and schedule estimates instead of providing accurate information. On a call with reporters, Sasols Chairman stated, There was a culture of fear that was prevailing at the project fostered by previous management, which prevented people from coming forward. Finally, on Jan. 13, 2020, Sasol disclosed an explosion and fire at its Lake Charles projects low-density polyethylene unit, requiring the Company to shut down the unit. Each of these disclosures caused the price of Sasol ADRs to decline sharply. Were focused on investors losses and whether Sasol misled investors about the Lake Charles projects cost, timing and internal controls, said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation. If you purchased Sasol ADRs and suffered significant losses, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman . Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Sasol should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email SSL@hbsslaw.com . About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a national law firm with nine offices in eight cities around the country and eighty attorneys. The firm represents investors, whistleblowers, workers and consumers in complex litigation. More about the firm and its successes is located at hbsslaw.com . For the latest news visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @classactionlaw . After the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the new coronavirus outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), Japan has advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to China. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe informed that Japan has raised the travel warning for China to a level two, on its four-point warning system, urging people to avoid travel that is not urgent or is not necessary. The United States has already raised its travel advisory to level 4, asking its citizens to not travel at all. The US State Department advised its nationals, currently in China, to consider departing using commercial means. It also requested all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China, said the department in a statement. Read: China: Dead Body Found On Empty Street Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak India ready to evacuate nationals Meanwhile, the Government of India has also requested to operate two aircraft to China to evacuate Indian nationals from Hubei province. Speaking at the weekly press briefing, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the government is waiting for formal approval from the Chinese side after which the evacuation will start. According to media reports, an Air India special B747 flight is kept ready for evacuating Indian citizens from Wuhan city in China. Kumar said that the government has been conducting a regular review of the situation arising due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus in China. We have established contacts with over 600 Indians living in coronavirus-hit Hubei province in China, added Kumar saying they have asked Indians in living in Hubei Province whether they want to return to India. Read: US Raises Travel Advisory Over Coronavirus; Asks Citizens To Not Travel To China Counselor Ji Rong, the spokesperson to the Chinese Embassy in India, said that it has maintained close communication with the Indian government and timely briefed on the development of the epidemic. Rong said that the Chinese side is playing close attention to the report of the emergence of one confirmed case of coronavirus in India. Read: Kerala To Launch Awareness Campaign After Positive Case Of Novel Coronavirus Detected Read: 'Vietnam Is Tackling The Rampant Respiratory Disease Coronavirus Well', Assures PM Phuc (With PTI Inputs) Former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Raman Singh took a dig at current CM Bhupesh Baghel for asking the Prime Minister to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Singh said that it would not have been required if CM Baghel had read the Act. READ: CAA Internal Matter Of India, Will Continue To Remain Engaged With European Parliament Members: MEA Former CM hits back Singh said, "There would have been no reason to write the letter if he had read the Act." Baghel wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to revoke the Act since it was discriminatory in nature against certain minorities. "Chhattisgarh is witnessing massive protests against the act. The state originally has inhabitants belonging to Scheduled Tribes, Scheduled Castes, OBCs..A huge chunk of the state's population lives below the poverty line, are landless and illiterate. They will surely face difficulties in fulfilling the formalities required by the Act. The CAA erodes the Constitution's fundamental structure on secularism," Baghel wrote in the letter. He further wrote wrote, "The Act is appearing to be discriminatory towards illegal immigrants based on their religious beliefs, contradictory to Article-14 of the Indian Constitution. It also has no provision for people of neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan living in India." READ: CPI Leaders D Raja & Binoy Viswam Detained By Delhi Police During Anti CAA, NRC Protest Referring to the multiple protests in the state and the difficulty in producing documents, in the letter, Bhagel added, "Number of demonstrations have taken place in Chhattisgarh in protest of this Act and all those demonstrations were peaceful. People from various sections participated in these peaceful demonstrations. People to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (SC, ST and OBC), reside in the state, and most of these people are poor, illiterate and unequipped, which will make it extremely difficult for them to complete the formalities under this Act." READ: 'Aazaadi De Raha Hun, Shaheen Bhag Khel Khatm': Man On FB Minutes Before Firing At Anti-CAA Protesters The state is also expected to pass a resolution to block the CAA and will be the fifth state to do so after Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Punjab. The CAA was passed in the Parliament in December and ever since there have been countrywide protests against the Act, with many calling it to be discriminatory against the certain religions and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee claiming it to be against the poor. READ: PM Modi Says Govt Ready To Discuss All Issues; Oppn Talks Of Anti-CAA Protests, 'worsening' Economy [January 31, 2020] Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, a Leading National Securities Fraud Law Firm, Commences Investigation Into Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. on Behalf of Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM"), a leading national shareholder rights law firm, today announced that it has commenced an investigation on behalf of Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. ("Spirit" or the "Company") (NYSE: SPR) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of the federal securities laws. If you suffered a loss on your Spirit investments or would like to inquire about potentially pursuing claims to recover your loss under the federal securities laws, you can submit your contact information here or contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, via email [email protected] or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com to learn more about your rights. On January 30, 2020, Spirit issued a press release announcing executive officer changes. Theein, Spirit stated that it "did not comply with its established accounting processes related to certain potential contingent liabilities that were received by Spirit after the end of third quarter 2019." Moreover, the Company stated that, "[i]n light of these findings," Spirit's Chief Financial Officer, Jose Garcia, and Principal Accounting Officer, John Gilson, resigned from their positions. On this news, the Company's share price fell $2.56, or nearly 4%, to close at $65.08 per share on January 30, 2020, on usually heavy trading volume. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Whistleblower Notice: Persons with non-public information regarding Spirit should consider their options to aid the investigation or take advantage of the SEC (News - Alert) Whistleblower Program. Under the program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Charles H. Linehan at 310-201-9150 or 888-773-9224 or email [email protected]. About GPM Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP is a premier law firm representing investors and consumers in securities litigation and other complex class action litigation. ISS Securities Class Action Services has consistently ranked GPM in its annual SCAS Top 50 Report. In 2018, GPM was ranked a top five law firm in number of securities class action settlements, and a top six law firm for total dollar size of settlements. With four offices across the country, GPM's nearly 40 attorneys have won groundbreaking rulings and recovered billions of dollars for investors and consumers in securities, antitrust, consumer, and employment class actions. GPM's lawyers have handled cases covering a wide spectrum of corporate misconduct including cases involving financial restatements, internal control weaknesses, earnings management, fraudulent earnings guidance and forward looking statements, auditor misconduct, insider trading, violations of FDA regulations, actions resulting in FDA and DOJ investigations, and many other forms of corporate misconduct. GPM's attorneys have worked on securities cases relating to nearly all industries and sectors in the financial markets, including, energy, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, real estate and REITs, financial, insurance, information technology, health care, biotech, cryptocurrency, medical devices, and many more. GPM's past successes have been widely covered by leading news and industry publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, Reuters, the Associated Press (News - Alert), Barron's, Investor's Business Daily, Forbes, and Money. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005079/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Democratic National Committee has dropped grassroots fundraising qualifications for the party's February 19 debate before the Nevada caucuses, opening the possibility that billionaire Michael Bloomberg could make his first appearance on stage. The party announced Friday three different ways for candidates to reach the debate stage that involve reaching certain polling thresholds or banking a convention delegate in the first two nominating contests held in Iowa and New Hampshire. All previous debates have included a fundraising element, and since September, candidates have had to reach both polling thresholds and grassroots fundraising marks. Bloomberg, a former New York City mayor, has not yet hit the polling marks, but he will have until Feb. 18, the day before the debate, to do so - a prospect that pleases some rivals and incenses others. Bloomberg contributed more than $200 million of his own money to his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination as of the end of 2019, according to disclosures his campaign filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission. Of that, Bloomberg's campaign spent $188 million, according to the disclosures. Boost for Bloomberg: New debate rules allow a self-funding candidate to take part in Democratic debates, with the first one he can qualify for on February 19. His shock and awe advertising campaign has propelled him into the polls which would allow him to qualify Ready for Bloomberg? The Democratic debates have consistently featured (from left) Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders That number has likely swelled in January as he has continued to pump millions of dollars into television ads and the costs of running a campaign. Bloomberg, a late entry to the Democratic competition to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November, has pledged not to take any donations and finance his campaign by dipping into his estimated $60 billion fortune. While he trails Democratic front-runners Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders in public opinion polls, his level of support is rising as he spends heavily on a national election campaign. Bloomberg is not competing in the first four states in the nominating contest, including Iowa, which holds caucuses on Monday. Instead, Bloomberg is campaigning in the states that hold nominating contests in March and beyond. He is also blanketing national airwaves with political ads. Independent trackers estimate he has spent at least $250 million on television ads. Under the DNC rules, candidates have multiple paths to the stage: reach 10% support in some combination of four national polls or early state polls from Nevada or South Carolina; reach 12% support in two polls from Nevada or South Carolina or both; or bank a convention delegate in Iowa or New Hampshire, which host the first two nominating votes in early February. Can Mike do it? The billionaire former New York mayor finally has a path to the national debate stage after the Democratic National Committee tore up their rules $10 million ad slot: This is the 30-second slot Mike Bloomberg has bought at the Super Bowl Party Chairman Tom Perez and his aides have said for months that the DNC would likely shift to qualifying standards based on actual results once voting began. But the move is nonetheless significant given Bloomberg's unique presence in the race. The ultrabillionaire is self-funding his White House bid and thus never could have qualified had Perez continued to require debate participants to reach a certain number of donors. The Bloomberg campaign praised the DNC's decision to change the debate rules. 'We are thrilled that voters could soon have the chance to see Mike Bloomberg on the debate stage, hear his vision for the country, and see why he is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country together,' campaign manager Kevin Sheekey said in a statement. Rival campaigns have complained for weeks that Bloomberg has been avoiding scrutiny as he spreads his personal fortune across Super Tuesday states, part of his unusual campaign that is skipping the first four states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. Bloomberg donated more than $100,000 to the DNC just days before he entered the race. But how to treat him on the debate stage is a tricky proposition for the campaigns. Some candidates have argued he should be subjected to the same questioning they've endured for months, yet rival campaigns also are wary about validating Bloomberg as a legitimate threat. And they already privately acknowledge that his personal fortune makes him a variable they must consider, regardless of the debates, as they try to amass the nearly 2,000 delegates that will be necessary to win the nomination. Relaxing rules that govern debates almost certainly will leave some former candidates unhappy. Julian Castro and Cory Booker, in particular, have complained that the DNC's rules unfairly targeted minority candidates because even grassroots donor bases are whiter than the Democratic electorate. In response to the rules change, Booker's former campaign manager Addisu Demissie sent out a tweet with a GIF of Justin Timberlake looking incredulous. Asked for additional comment, Demissie pointed back to the tweet. Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser for Bernie Sanders, said it would be 'wrong' to change rules that would 'accommodate Mayor Bloomberg, who has raised no grassroots donations and is instead flooding the airwaves across the country funded by his billions of dollars of personal assets.' 'Now, at this late hour, to change the rules to accommodate a billionaire who wants to buy his way into the party would be unconscionable,' Weaver said. 'No one should be allowed to buy their way onto the debate stage or the nomination.' Other Democrats have encouraged the DNC to allow Bloomberg's participation. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said this week that she'd be 'fine' with Bloomberg being on the debate stage. 'I think that instead of just putting your money out there, he's actually got to be on the stage and be able to go back-and-forth so voters can evaluate him in that way,' she said on MSNBC. Liberal groups like the Progressive Change Candidate Committee, which is supporting Sen. Elizabeth Warren, also want Bloomberg on the debate stage. The group's co-founder Adam Green fears that Bloomberg is rising without having to face media and voters. 'Were now at the stage where a billionaire is spending a quarter billion dollars to buy his way into the polls,' Green said. 'He needs scrutiny.' The Baltimore County Police Department released bodycam footage of the controversial arrest of a 76-year-old grandmother earlier this month after video was circulated showing her being body slammed by a cop. Baltimore County Police Corporal Brennan can be seen grabbing Rena Mellerson in the clip and dragging her outside of the Windsor Mill home on January 10. It is then that Officer Schmidt is seen taking her by the upper torso and slamming her to the ground. Scroll down for video The Baltimore County Police Department released bodycam footage of Rena Mellerson's arrest on Tuesday Prior to Mellerson getting body slammed, officers had to deploy their Tasers to try to get access to the woman's home. They were trying to arrest her granddaughter, Cierra Floyd, for disorderly conduct. 'The reason I put you on the ground mam, was because I saw taser probes in you, he tried to tase you, and I was seeing that you were the immediate threat at the time,' the officer explained to Mellerson. 'Okay. I just wanted to get you out of the way... no hard feelings... nothing personal.' Police also released audio of the initial call made to authorities that caused them to rush to the scene. Baltimore County Police Corporal Brennan can be seen grabbing Rena Mellerson in the clip and dragging her outside of the Windsor Mill home on January 10. It is then that Officer Schmidt is seen taking her by the upper torso and slamming her to the ground. A woman had called and reported that a boy was being violent toward people in the area. The woman can be heard telling the authorities that she has a knife. 'He's trying to hurt people. I will cut this little boy; somebody better come f***ing get him,' she declares. When police arrived, they found Floyd and another woman yelling. Floyd retreated to Mellerson's home as police moved to detain her, WJZ reports. For County Executive Johnny Olszewski, the videos are hard to watch. Mellerson was charged with interfering with an arrest as police were trying to detain her granddaughter 'I will tell you that for me personally and for my family, it's not what I would expect in terms of interactions with the police department,' he said to Western Mass News. 'It's not what I expect for residents of Baltimore County.' Mellerson was charged with interfering with an arrest. An investigation was launched into Mellerson's arrest after video went viral showing an officer hurl her to the ground. 'I didn't do nothing,' the woman is heard saying as one of the officers attempts to handcuff her. This is the horrifying moment 76-year-old Rena Mellerson (left and right) was thrown out of her Maryland home and onto the ground by police who were searching for her granddaughter According to WBAL, Mellerson was not seriously injured in the incident. She was arrested and taken into custody. Authorities went to Mellerson's home looking for Floyd following a traffic stop on Friday. Floyd was also arrested on Friday and charged with similar violations as her grandmother as well as disorderly conduct. Mellerson's daughter, Barbara, told WBAL: 'My mother is a 76-year-old woman, lives alone, minds her business, never broke the law. She doesn't even have a moving violation.' 'For her to go through something like this is ridiculous, and every time she thinks about it, she starts shaking. I had to take my mother to the hospital.' Following the incident, Baltimore County police chief Melissa Hyatt released a statement on social media. 'A video that revealed a portion of an interaction between Baltimore County Police Department officers and two individuals Friday afternoon has garnered public attention and concern. The video is unsettling to watch and raises concerns.' 'I didn't do nothing,' the woman is heard saying as one of the officers attempts to handcuff her Following the incident, Baltimore County police chief Melissa Hyatt released a statement on social media. Hyatt said that she has 'ordered a thorough investigation of the incident in its entirety' Hyatt said that she has 'ordered a thorough investigation of the incident in its entirety'. 'Part of the review includes viewing body-worn camera footage of the entire incident, along with interviews and review of other documentation. 'Upon the completion of this expedited investigation, the body-worn camera footage will be released.' Hyatt went on to thank the individual who taped the incident, saying 'our residents are important partners in our communities'. 'We hold our officers t a high standard of accountability. Maintaining the trust of those who live, work and visit Baltimore County is paramount as we continue to work together to keep communities safe,' she added. A former employee of a longstanding New Jersey radio station says she was fired for speaking out about race-related issues. Josie Gonsalves, a development officer at WBGO (88.3 FM) in Newark, told NJ Advance Media Wednesday that some employees at the station which for decades has presided not only as the New York metro areas premier jazz platform but as a place for community-focused discourse felt it was straying too far from its original mission as an amplifier for minority voices in the Brick City and beyond. When I first arrived (in April 2019), and I noticed that the executive team was filled only by white people, I raised concerns to the CEO about having a person of color on the executive team. And she said to me that there was not a training program or such," Gonsalves, a Black woman, said. I said this was blatant racism. Gonsalves said her concerns were dismissed and she was abruptly terminated Monday without explanation. When asked Thursday as to the cause of Gonsalves firing, WGBO said their organizations "policy is not to disclose personnel issues. The station experienced further turmoil on Tuesday when WBGO CEO Amy Niles resigned from her position in the wake of a recently completed internal review of the stations practices. The Board of Trustees appointed the stations founder, Robert G. Ottenhoff, as the new interim CEO. Gonsalves termination has sent waves of outrage throughout Newark, culminating Tuesday with city Mayor Ras Baraka pressing WBGO to rehire Gonsalves. In a letter sent to the station, Baraka said he has heavy concerns" about racial unrest at the station. It has come to my attention that tensions between the African-American employees of WBGO and management have escalated and peaked with the abrupt termination of Josie Gonsalves," Baraka said in the letter addressed to the stations Board of Trustees. "I have heavy concerns about the environment at WBGO on many levels due to the stations impact and presence in my life and that of my community. In response to the mayors support, Gonsalves said she believed Mayor Baraka was standing up for the authentic history of New Jerseys largest city. WBGO was created in 1979 by a coalition of community members hoping to create change following Newarks race riots in the 1967, according to the stations website. Over time, it would become one of the most respected jazz stations in the country. The New York Times reports WBGO is one of the two most successful stations in the country spinning records from John Coltrane, Miles Davis and local legends Sarah Vaughan and Wayne Shorter. The only other station matching WBGOs nearly 300,000 regular broadcast listeners is KKJZ in Los Angeles. Gonsalves, whose job involved managing grants at the publicly-funded station, said she was one of the organizations more vocal employees, but added that race-related issues also bothered some white employees. Although she was not part of the on-air team at WBGO the station has provided a 24-hour broadcast since 1980 Gonsalves wrote a column last year about race relations for the station as a guest commentator. The commentary published in August titled Taking a Closer Look at the Race War on Americas Streets proved to be controversial, as it pinned the blame of several recent mass shootings in the U.S. on white home-grown terrorists." People discussed the opinion piece on various discussion boards including Reddit, where some commenters decried her views as extreme. Gonsalves said Niles suggested the column be taken down shortly after it was posted. However, the column can still be found in the station websites archives. WBGO said in a statement provided to NJ Advance Media Wednesday that it has recently taken strides to more closely examine its organizations behavior regarding discrimination. The station added these measures were taken in response to an op-ed published on NJ.com in November titled Is there a Blackout at WBGO? WBGO said it brought in national law firm Lowenstein Sandler LLP to conduct an independent review of WBGOs management practices. All employees were invited and urged to take part in voluntary interviews conducive to Lowensteins review. It said 20 current employees and six former employees were interviewed, including 14 people of color. The station said it acknowledged concerns voiced by employees, which included complaints of perceived racial bias in the workplace and "a human resources function that did not facilitate prompt reporting and response by senior management to employee concerns. Recommendations made by Lowenstein were approved by WBGOs Board of Trustees Tuesday and include the following: All staff, senior management, and the Board of Trustees will be required to undergo workplace discrimination training, including an implicit bias component, that includes race, sex, physical/mental disability, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, and other protected classes. WBGO will establish a more formal human resources function and create a dedicated email and/or phone number for staff to communicate grievances directly to the Board of Trustees. Management will establish consistent methods of communication regarding non-sensitive, non- confidential topics, and promote more fluid communication between staff and management, potentially through town hall type meetings. Mandatory executive leadership training will be implemented to improve managements ability to address staff concerns, demonstrate appreciation for staff effort, and acknowledge accomplishments. In the wake of the independent review, Niles resigned from her position on Tuesday. Its unclear whether Niles resignation is related to Gonsalves firing. It is with mixed emotions that I depart WBGO, an organization that I love and where I have dedicated over 13 years, Niles said in a statement WGBO sent to NJ Advance Media Wednesday. After consultation with the Board, I made the decision to depart, and the Board will bring in new leadership. This has been a rewarding professional chapter, and I look forward to my next challenge. Tennyson Donnie Coleman may be reached at tcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @TennysonTV. Find him on Facebook. Have a tip? Let us know at nj.com/tips. The White House will come under unprecedented siege in the coming weeks, spearheaded by aircraft carrier Ron Dermer (Israels ambassador in Washington) and including the David Friedman (US ambassador in Jerusalem) task force along with many other units. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will throw everything he has into this fray: Sympathetic members of Congress, evangelical lobbyists, associates, rabbis, anyone who knows how to exert pressure on President Donald Trump. All will be mobilized for the campaign with the express goal of eliciting a green light from the president for some sort of territorial annexation in the West Bank prior to Israels March 2 elections. The defensive ring around the White House and the commander-in-chief will be no less impressive, led by his son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner, with the flanks covered by former Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, State Department officials and others. This group invested significant energy over the past two years in mobilizing the support of pragmatic Arab states for Trumps Israeli-Palestinian deal of the century, despite its unprecendented pro-Israel bent. Kushner and Greenblatt know that a lightning settlement annexation move will sound the death knell for Trumps plan and lead most of the Arab world to disavow it. They will not allow this to happen, but they are facing the most determined, focused, wily and desperate rival ever: Benjamin Netanyahu who is in the throes of the battle of his life. Netanyahu must have annexation now. He sold the Trump plan to his right-wing supporters with the promise that it would include West Bank land annexation. He was quick to put the cart before the horses when he declared Jan. 28, right after the White House unveiling ceremony, that on Feb. 2 he would bring before the government the proposed annexation of all Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Jordan Valley and the northern shore of the Dead Sea. His associates rushed to issue victorious tweets, but the celebration turned out to be premature. Netanyahus eagerness had tripped them up. Had he resisted temptation of making an early announcement and taken the government by surprise at its upcoming weekly session with the proposed annexation resolution, he would have perhaps been able to get away with it and deal with the fury of the White House later. However, the premature announcement prompted an immediate White House backlash that stopped Netanyahu in his tracks. Ambassador Friedman had been vanquished by Kushner and Greenblatt. Friedman serves in two capacities, perhaps even three. His official day job is US ambassador to Israel; unofficially he has also assumed the roles of Netanyahus personal ambassador in Washington and the settlers special envoy to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. On Jan. 28, he was forced to give up the latter two, at least for now. Friedman was the one who pushed Netanyahu to announce immediate annexation, a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Not that Netanyahu needed this push after all, he needs this annexation like oxygen but Friedman was the one who promised him a tail wind and hinted the White House would look the other way. Friedman was wrong and Netanyahu is paying the price. And the price is heavy. The settlers, leaders of the political right and Netanyahus Likud party had agreed to swallow the bitter pill of a future Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem by washing it down with the elixir of annexation. On the morning after, they found themselves facing Israeli recognition of a Palestinian state, but without the annexation, which had been postponed to an unknown date after the elections. The latest polls suggest that despite expectations to the contrary, the unveiling of the deal of the century did not significantly change support for the two major parties Likud and the opposition Blue and White. Even after Netanyahus victory laps in Washington and Moscow, the opposition, led by three former army chiefs, is still leading the Likud by two to four Knesset seats, and the tie between the right-wing bloc and the center-left persists. If these numbers hold up, Netanyahu is finished. He will not be able to demand first place in a rotating premiership with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz given the three criminal charges filed against him this week in the Jerusalem District Court. He is therefore focusing on one goal only: restoring the support of 300,000 Likud and right-wing voters who abandoned ship in the September 2019 elections (after voting for Netanyahu in the April elections), and fighting for soft-right swing voters who account for two to three Knesset seats and are undecided whether to vote for him or for Gantz. This crowd will only come home to the Likud if annexation takes place now, a senior Likud figure told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Netanyahu knows this and that is why the annexation is now his only lifeline. If he can deliver, he has a chance of getting through this, if he does not, he is done for. The centrist Blue and White party also understands this. Almost two months ago, Gantz appointed Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Eshel, former Israel air force commander, as his special envoy to the White House. Eshel kept Gantz and the other generals abreast of developments regarding the deal of the century and they were not caught by surprise when it turned out the plan would be unveiled prior to the elections. At none of these meetings, including the Jan. 27 Gantz meeting with Trump, was there any hint that the Americans would allow Netanyahu to carry out the annexation plan before March 2. When Netanyahus intention came to light, right after Trumps East Room speech, Blue and White went into an internal state of emergency mode. The party which consists of hard-core left wingers (such as Knesset members Ofer Shelah and Yael German) as well as right-wing ideologues (former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and one-time Netanyahu aides Zvi Hauser and Yoaz Hendel) is torn over the annexation issue. Should it come up for a Knesset vote, party leaders would face a tough decision and risk dissent in its ranks. For now, the White House is saving Gantz and company this embarrassment. At the same time, however, Gantz dropped an embarrassing bombshell of his own, announcing that he would present the Trump plan for Knesset approval at the earliest possible opportunity. Such a move would set off a riot within Netanyahus government coalition. How would right-wing Likud lawmakers and other coalition members vote for a plan that establishes a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem? Embarrassment will be met with embarrassment, a senior Blue and White source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. We have no intention of giving Netanyahu carte blanche to embarrass us. Blue and White supports Trumps plan but does not believe in unilateral measures on the eve of elections. Blue and White is now reenforcing the inroads it made into the White House. The conversation between Benny Gantz and the president was good and there was chemistry between them, another senior source in Blue and Whites Knesset faction told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. True, as far as Trump goes, Gantz cannot be Netanyahu, but for now it is important to show the Israeli public that even after Netanyahu, ties with Trump will continue and the sun will keep shining. The fact that he was welcomed to the White House against accepted protocol helped us prove this. Nonetheless, and despite the photo of Gantz with Trump in the Oval Office, Blue and White knows that one photo of Netanyahu annexing territory before the elections will wipe out everything else. We hope the Americans will not let this happen, one of the party leaders told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. Publishing a plan that was in the works for three years is quite OK, execution of irreversible moves on the eve of elections is already blatant intervention. WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hon. US Attorney General, William Pelham Barr, is the only US executive official authorized to regulate the conduct of US Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jrs. Otherwise, Americans are forced to rely on the political will of the US Office of the Presidency and US Congress. Manuel P. Asensio, the founder of The Institute of Judicial Conduct, Inc., has filed certain petitions with US Attorney Barr concerning Chief Justice Roberts. One of the petitions concerns Chief Justice Roberts's obstruction of essential proceedings in determining whether the political associations of certain federal judges impermissibly influenced judicial conduct proceedings related to the granting of Devon Archer's motion for a new trial. Attorney General Barr has presented his policy towards judicial misconduct. Attorney General Barr has remarked that federal judicial misconduct leads to government with "no liberty, just tyranny," and judges that act as a "battering ram to break down traditional moral values and to establish moral relativism as a new orthodoxy," who "take a delight in compelling people to violate their conscience," who claim to be on a "holy mission" and to be "virtuous people pursuing a deific end." Previously, former US Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions remarked that "Judicial activism is . . . a threat to our representative government and the liberty it secures." The conduct proceedings against Chief Justice Roberts pertain to his handling of certain judicial conduct complaints filed under the "Judicial Council Reform and Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980 [US Code, Title 28 Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, Part I: Organization of Courts, Chapter 16 titled "Complaints Against Judges and Judicial Discipline" ( 351364)]. Chief Justice Roberts is the sole US official with authority to administer the Conduct Act under the "Conferences and Councils of Judges Law." The Conference Act is contained in the "21st Century Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act" enacted under Pub. L. 107-273 and incorporates the "Judicial Improvements Act of 2002" codified at USC Title 28 Chapter 16 and amends 331, 332, 372, 375, and 604. For the legislative history, see H.R. Rep. 107-459 (2002). Chief Justice Roberts is also the sole US official with authority to administer the "Rules Enabling Act of 1934" (US Code [USC] Title 28 2071 to 2077) and the creation of rules codified in the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Under the above laws, Chief Justice Roberts has exclusive control of the enforcement of all laws that are applicable to federal judicial misconduct. Chief Justice Roberts has the opportunity to act as a grand jury and then try the very judges accused of acting in bad faith without consultation or review, or disclosure. This includes judges who blatantly act based on this political interest and who act deliberately and maliciously. These are federal judges that deliberately act in clear absence any authority or jurisdiction, without any legitimate state purpose, without codified neutral principles or authorization. Therefore, Chief Justice has the opportunity to act undemocratic and unconstitutional matter, and without any consultation, binding or otherwise, and to allow federal judges to in the same matter. The American freedoms at issue cannot be codified, regulated or administered by the US government, including the purportedly non-political judicial branch, "at all, no matter what process is provided." These are liberties that are recognized as being far more precious than property rights, with which neither public power nor majoritarian views can interfere, liberties that cannot be codified under neutral principles. The judicial conduct proceedings against Chief Justice Roberts concern his interference with complaints filed under the Conduct Act at the US Judicial Council for the Second Circuit. These were transferred under applicable law to the US Judicial Conference. The matter concerns events that occurred in the civil rights cases entitled Asensio et al. v. DiFiore et al. and Asensio et al. v. Roberts et al. These civil right actions concern Chief Justice Roberts's unauthorized use of the so-called "domestic relations [and domestic violence] exception [DRE] to federal subject matter jurisdiction." The DRE lacks any foundation in the Constitution or law. It is an act of deliberate federal judicial misconduct, and an unauthorized denial of Americans' Articles I and III rights, including religious, speech and political liberty, and constitutional rights to access US judicial power to protect their rights under the First, Fifth, and Tenth Amendments from state interference. Despite the above, Chief Justice Roberts is allowing the federal judge to use the DRE in US courts under the false predication that the DRE is a legitimate judicial doctrine of deference to federalism in family law. Under this false predicate, Chief Justice Roberts has organized federal judges assembled at the US Judicial Conference to lobby Congress in favor of the DRE without notice to the American people of US Office of the Presidency. This has closed all avenues of review to Americans seeking to protect their religious, speech and political freedoms from state infringement, and deliberately makes US Courts futile, hollow, and deceptive to these Americans. For further information please email Manuel P. Asensio, individual and as founder of the Institute of Judicial Conduct at [email protected] SOURCE Manuel P. Asensio; The Institute of Judicial Conduct, Inc. On Jan.27, Liu Yingjie, a construction worker from Shanxi Province, along with his seven colleagues, drove 800 kilometers to Wuhan, in an effort to support the construction of Huoshenshan Hospital, an emergency specialty field hospital being built in response to the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Theyve only rested four hours before going out to start work at the construction site on the hospital wards. With an average age of 30, the eight-people team is led by Liu, who is only 28 years old. According to Liu, his team signed an application to support the hospitals construction work, without thinking too much about their payment. We shall work first, and talk about the money issue later, he said. Lius father is also a construction worker, who went to Wenchuan for disaster relief in 2008, when a huge earthquake took place in the area. Liu was a school boy back then. According to Liu, with the help of social media, he also summoned two construction teams from Xian to help the construction work, with ten workers in total. MANILA, Philippines The current outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) is likely to slow down trade between the Philippines and China. China is one of the top importers and exporters of various products not only to the Philippines but across the globe. According to former Trade Undersecretary now president of consumer group, Laban Konsyumer, Atty. Vic Dimagiba, trade relations between the two countries are facing hurdles especially in terms of food shipment as the Bureau of Quarantine is enforcing stricter measures on entry of products from China. Among them are garlic, onions, canned and processed goods as well as flour-based products such as noodles. Several brands of herbal medicines being sold in the Philippines are also from China. I guess na may slow down sa kalakalang export at import sa Philippines and China, (I guess there will be a slowdown of trade, export and import between the Philippines and China), Dimagiba said. Such development may reflect a huge impact on major infrastructure projects that the Chinese government agreed with the Philippine government such as the Kaliwa Dam considering the limitations on travel of Chinese workers to the country. Hindi naman niya ititigil ang proyekto. Idedelay lang (China will not cancel the project but surely, it will delay the construction), the former official said. But Dimagiba said the Philippines will surely bounce back once it discovers a treatment for nCoV. As a rule naman ang (As a rule, the) global economy is very resilient, he said. Pagka naka-recover na in the sense na under control na ang epidemic na yan babawi din agad ang ating economy (Once the country recovers, in the sense that the epidemic is under control, our economy will also recover), he added. However, if the situation goes out of hand and the virus further spreads, the country may not be able to cope with only limited resources and shortage of face mask that are actually imported from China. MNP (with details from Rey Pelayo) The post China-PH trade seen to slow down due to novel coronavirus former official appeared first on UNTV News. Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography STATEN ISLAND. N.Y. -- Sophia Isabella O'Grady, 7, of New Dorp is making it big in the modeling world, and will be appearing in New York Fashion Week next week. Sophia is represented by CPTALENT talent agency. Modeling since the age of 4, young Sophia's resume already includes modeling for 2017's New York Fashion Week, for both the February and September shows, and appearing on "Good Morning America" several times. Beautiful as can be, Sophia, a second-grader at PS 38 in New Dorp, is making Staten Island proud with her poise and growing modeling resume. Don't Edit Courtesy Darlenis Jimenez O'Grady Sophia got her start in modeling when someone contacted her mom in 2017 through Facebook, recommending she contact a designer for a photo shoot. The photo shoot led to an invitation for Sophia to walk in New York Fashion Week for the Red Umbrella, and the rest, as they say, is history. Sophia has been doing shows and photo shoots ever since. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography "Sophia has been modeling for three years and really enjoys it," said mom Darlenis O'Grady. "She has appeared in many magazines and will appear on the billboards in Times Square for New York Fashion Week, which will take place Feb. 6 to 9." Don't Edit Courtesy Darlenis Jimenez O'Grady "Modeling is more demanding on me than it is on her," added Sophia's mother. "Its a lot of work to get from location to location. As it starts approaching New York Fashion Week, there are lots of photo shoots and things to prepare for." But despite the stress that goes with a busy schedule and traveling to appointments, O'Grady said she wouldnt trade it for anything. "I love seeing her face and reactions when shes doing a photo shoot or a show. The memories and the friends she has made are priceless." Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Although her modeling career keeps young Sophia busy, her mom said she tries to maintain normalcy in the second-grader's daily routine. "A normal day consists of school then home," explained O'Grady, who also has two sons, ages 19 and 14. "Unless she has a casting or a photo shoot, she enjoys just being a kid." O'Grady said she hopes Sophia can resume dance lessons in the fall, or perhaps start gymnastics lessons. "She loves to draw, paint and play with her dolls, as well as playing teacher," she added. Scroll below for glimpses into Sophia's modeling photo scrapbook. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Don't Edit Courtesy Dani Geddes Photography Sophia O'Grady, 7, will appear on a New York Times billboard for Fashion Week next week. Photo: Portillo's Hot Dogs/Yelp Looking to sample the best burgers around town? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top burger hot spots in Chicago, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture next time you're on the hunt. Winter is the top season of the year for consumer spending at restaurants across the Chicago area, according to data on local business transactions from Womply, a software provider that helps small businesses manage customer relationships. The average amount spent per customer transaction at Chicago-area restaurants grew to $30 for the metro area in the winter of last year, 2% higher than the average for the rest of the year. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1. Rudy's Bar & Grille Photo: Andrew M./Yelp First on the list is Rudy's Bar & Grille. Located at 69 E. Madison St. (between Dearborn and Clark streets) in the Loop, the bar and New American spot, which offers burgers and more, is the highest-rated burger spot in Chicago, boasting four stars out of 354 reviews on Yelp. 2. Portillo's Hot Dogs Photo: Portillo's Hot Dogs/Yelp Next up is River North's Portillo's Hot Dogs, situated at 100 W. Ontario. With four stars out of 5,475 reviews on Yelp, the spot to score hot dogs, salads and burgers has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Kuma's Corner Photo: Francis R./Yelp Avondale's Kuma's Corner, located at 2900 W. Belmont Ave. (between Richmond Street and Francisco Avenue), is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the pub, which offers burgers and more, four stars out of 5,001 reviews. 4. The Chicago Diner Photo: Parker S./Yelp The Chicago Diner, a vegan and breakfast and brunch spot that offers burgers and more in Logan Square, is another much-loved go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 859 Yelp reviews. Head over to 2333 N. Milwaukee Ave. (between Belden and Medill avenues) to see for yourself. 5. Flub A Dub Chub's Story continues Photo: Sam A./Yelp Over in Lake View East, check out Flub A Dub Chub's, which has earned 4.5 stars out of 666 reviews on Yelp. You can find the spot to score hot dogs and burgers at 3021 N. Broadway (between Wellington and Barry avenues). This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Gardai have seized 1.6m worth of drugs and 700,000 in cash after a number of searches in Dublin and Meath. Two men have been arrested and are in garda custody, with one of them charged. Members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly have been entreated to always resort to laid-down internal mechanisms to address their grievances rather than going public to seek redress. If there are issues we are not clear about, let us find out the facts from the relevant quarters instead of taking to the media to debate such issues, Mr Osei Assibey Antwi, the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, advised. He cautioned against the use of public platforms to raise unfounded allegations against fellow members and staff of the assembly and condemned such practices as it contravened the assemblys Standing Orders. Mr Assibey Antwi was addressing an inaugural ceremony of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to usher in the 60 newly constituted members at the Rattray Park. He reminded the 40 elected members and 20 government appointees that they occupied honourable positions and would be required to work assiduously to earn the respect and dignity of the public. He indicated that their duties entailed a lot of sacrifice as stated in Section 16 (2) of the Local Government Act, 2016 (Act 936). Consequently, it was expected of them to discharge their duties dispassionately and in a nonpartisan manner working effectively with all stakeholders in order to achieve the collective objectives of the assembly. Allowing ourselves to be divided into factions will be detrimental to our common goal, Mr AssibeyAntwi, urged, adding, Let us discuss issues based on facts and not trivialities and controversies. After two rounds of voting supervised by the Electoral Commission (EC), members elected Mr Stephen Ofori, the Assembly Member for Amakom as the Presiding Member for the eighth Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. Notable personalities that witnessed the inaugural ceremony included Baffour Owusu Amankwatia, the Chief of Bantama in Kumasi, who chaired the occasion, the Majority Leader and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei-KyeiMensah Bonsu, who represented President Nana Addo Dankwa AkufoAddo. 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 Enis joint venture with the Libyan National Oil Corporation is losing 155,000 barrels of oil per day of production because of the continued blockade of oil export terminals and fields, according to NOC, as quoted by Reuters. Mellitah Oil and Gas as the joint venture is called operates the El Feel and Abu Attifel fields, both of which have been shut down following the blockade. Adding the loss of daily gas production, NOC said, Mellitah is incurring losses of $9.4 million in revenues on a daily basis. Earlier this week, NOCs Mustafa Sanalla warned that Libyan oil production could stop completely if the blockade continued. A group of paramilitary formations affiliated with General Khalifa Haftars Libyan National Army occupied the export terminals last week along with pipelines and fields. The blockade came amid continued fighting between the LNA, which is loyal to the eastern Libyan government and the forces loyal to the Government of National Accord, which is recognized by the United Nations. NOC declared force majeure on the oil terminals, with production losses at the time estimated to reach between 500,000 and 800,000 bpd. Thats down from over 1.2 million bpd that Libya was producing before the LNA blockade. However, by Tuesday, production had dropped to just 300,000 bpd with Sanalla telling Bloomberg it could drop further to just 72,000 bpd. Eni, which stayed in Libya throughout the ordeal that followed the removal of Muammar Ghadaffi in 2011, accounts for as much as 45 percent of the countrys oil and gas production. Libyan operations contribute 15 percent of the companys global total output. According to Energy Voice, the Mellitah oil and gas complex is currently outside of the LNAs control, but the group is trying to expand its presence in the area. Eni is seeking to expand its presence in Libya as well. Last year, the Italian major said it was going to restart an exploration program with BP, but later decided to postpone the restart because of the deterioration in the security situation in the North African country. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The first U.S. case of the new coronavirus spreading from one person to another, the husband of a woman who caught the disease while in China, was reported in Chicago on Thursday. Its the second case thats been confirmed in Illinois, and the sixth case in the U.S., since the new respiratory virus started to spread in Wuhan, China. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Congress' former Delhi MP Mahabal Mishra has been suspended from the party for "anti-party" activities, a party statement said on Friday. "Mahabal Mishra, ex-MP, has been suspended from the Congress with immediate effect for anti-party activities with regard to the ongoing Delhi assembly elections," party's Delhi in charge P.C. Chacko said in a statement. A prominent Purvanchali face in the party, Mishra had been campaigning for his son, Vinay Mishra, who is contesting as an AAP candidate from Dwarka in the February 8 Assembly elections, a Congress leader said. The Congress, which ruled Delhi from three consecutive terms (1998-2013) before falling to eight seats in the 2013 polls and none in 2015, faces a tough battle as many leaders have deserted the party. Shoaib Iqbal, Vinay Mishra, and Harnam Singh are among those who have left the party to join the AAP. In a statement issued January 29, Senator Elizabeth Warren, a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, called for a massive effort to impose internet censorship during the 2020 presidential election. Elizabeth Warren, proponent of economic nationalism, campaigning in Las Vegas [Credit: Gage Skidmore] She also pledged that a President Warren would push for tough civil and criminal penalties on social media platforms and web sites that publish misleading information about when, where and how to vote, or that engage in any conduct to suppress or discourage voter participation. While billed as an effort to bar voter suppression and other dirty tricks frequently engaged in by right-wing groupssuch as sending emails to minority voters giving them the wrong date for an election, so they miss the opportunity to votethis initiative has far more sweeping implications. Disinformation and online foreign interference erode our democracy, and Donald Trump has invited both, Warren said in a tweet Wednesday, which effectively portrayed her initiative as an extension of the impeachment trial in the Senate. Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take this onand Ive got a plan to do it. In a further statement, she declared, Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump in the 2020 election must be fully prepared to take on the full array of disinformation that foreign actors and people in and around the Trump campaign will use to divide Democrats, suppress Democratic votes and erode the standing of the Democratic nominee. This language is so vague that it could easily encompass criticism of the Democratic Party and its nominee, appeals to vote for a third-party candidate, or declarations that the difference between the Democrats and Republicans is so insignificant that it is not worth casting a ballot. Warren called on Facebook, Google, Twitter and other social media platforms to step up their efforts against disinformation and fake or manipulated content. Who decides what is false content, however, she did not specifybut obviously, that would be the corporate-controlled media monopolies and the US intelligence agencies. And she said that if elected president, she would seek sanctions against countries, including Russia, that used online propaganda to undermine US elections. She said nothing about the operations of the US military-intelligence apparatus, which engages in propaganda, subversion, electoral manipulation and outright criminality in countries around the worldas well as at home. Warren placed her plan to combat online disinformation within the context of the anti-Russia campaign waged by the Democratic Party for the last three years, in part directed against Trump, who was said to be the beneficiary of Russian intervention in the 2016 election, but aimed more generally against opposition to the Democrats from the left, including socialist candidates and the Greens. Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has ascribed her electoral defeat in 2016 to Russian intervention, despite the fact that the alleged Russian electoral operations on Facebook involved a total expenditure of $70,000, a drop in the bucket in a $5 billion campaign, in which Clinton substantially outspent Trump because she had much greater support from Wall Street and corporate America. Clinton also branded the 2016 Green Party presidential candidate, Jill Stein, a Russian asset, claiming her campaign took votes from the Democrats in key states like Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which were critical for Trumps victory in the Electoral College. The Washington Post, in describing the alleged online propaganda efforts to which Warren was responding, included the activities of Warrens Democratic rivals, noting particularly that backers for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT.) and his 2020 bid have been some of the most aggressive online, weaponizing features on Facebook to share viral, hostile memes about his fellow Democratic contenders. The choice of words is significantaggressive, weaponizing, hostileeffectively accusing Sanders supporters of engaging in criminal conduct for voicing their political opposition to Warren, Biden and other candidates. The Post also reported that the Democratic National Committee is sending top cybersecurity and disinformation experts to Iowa to help protect the caucuses against digital attacks from Russia and other US adversaries. This effort is aimed not merely at protecting the infrastructure of the caucus voting and vote-reportingwhich is highly decentralized and unlikely to be hit by any outside intrusionbut against political criticism of the Democratic Party by the supporters of any of the candidates. The Post referred without qualification to the need to protect the Iowa caucuses from the fate that befell Hillary Clinton in 2016 when her campaign was upended by a Russia-backed hacking and disinformation effort. In reality, Clinton went down to defeat because her own right-wing campaign alienated significant numbers of workers and youth, particularly in the Midwest, many of whom stayed home, while others voted for Trump or for third-party candidates. The emails from DNC servers and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, released by WikiLeaks, were not disinformation, but gave a true and accurate picture of two significant aspects of the Clinton campaign: her groveling speeches to Wall Street audiences, in which she promised friendly treatment by her administration; and the coordinated effort by the DNC and the Clinton campaign to rig the primaries against Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The Post article cited the concerns of DNC security coordinator Nellwyn Thomas, not only about supposed foreign disinformation, but about domestic complaints, including efforts that seek to undermine public confidence in the results, including by suggesting caucus results were tallied wrong or that a candidates supporters were disenfranchised. Those could come from disgruntled Republicans or even from Democrats who arent happy about how the night is going for their preferred candidate, she said. The DNC is working with the federal Department of Homeland Security to monitor online commentary on the vote-counting and react to any false narrative about the legitimacy of the results, Thomas said. In other words, for all their anti-Trump invective, the Democratic Party establishment is working with the Trump administration to crack down on Democratic dissidents who might object to efforts to once again manipulate the outcome of the nomination contest. The Aam Aadmi Party will hold silent march across all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi till Sunday to protest against BJP MP Parvesh Verma over his alleged remarks that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is a "terrorist". AAP candidate Raghav Chadha led one such march in Rajender Nagar on Friday. The AAP, in a statement, said it will go door to door to tell people that if they feel that Kejriwal is a son of Delhi, they should vote for him and if they believe that he is a terrorist, they should vote for the BJP. Over the next few days, the party volunteers will be on the ground, connecting with the voters and seeking their disapproval of the "hate remarks" made by the BJP. Verma, addressing an election meeting in Madipur Assembly constituency, had reportedly said, "Kejriwal jaise natwarlal, Kejriwal jaise atankwadi is desh mein chhupe baithe hain (Natwarlals and terrorists like Kejriwal are hiding in this country). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A senior living community in the Harrisburg area has a new managing company, a new name and will soon have a new memory care wing. Commonwealth Senior Living took over management and operations of Greenfield Senior Living at Harrisburg at 150 Kempton Ave. in Swatara Township last month. The community is now known as Commonwealth Senior Living at Harrisburg and has 96 personal care beds and Commonwealth Senior Living is adding new memory care units as well. Commonwealth Senior Living is undertaking a $400,000 renovation and expansion of the community by adding the 12 new memory care units. . Existing space at the community is being converted into the new memory care wing. The new wing is expected to be completed in April. The company is also adding features like farm to table dining and Eversound - a wireless headphone system. The company says it will also be evaluating opportunities to add additional services at Commonwealth Senior Living at Harrisburg. The community has a Travel the World program that brings the culture, music, food and art of different countries to the community. The community also has art and music programs and offers off-site excursions. The facility also has a beauty salon and barber shop, a restaurant-style dining room and physical therapy offices. Activities are scheduled daily. The community was founded by Yingst Homes Inc. in 1997 and management has changed hands a number of times over the years. Commonwealth Senior Living recently took over the operations and management of 10 senior living communities from Greenfield Senior Living in Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. All 10 buildings are are owned by Invesque, a real estate investment trust. Commonwealth Senior Living was founded in 2002 and is based in Virginia. --Business Buzz --Sign up for PennLives newsletters Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like PennLives business page on Facebook at @PennLiveBusiness The officials said Sudan remained a state sponsor of terrorism, even though the country has transitioned to a civilian-run government from one ruled by its military. While Nigeria has partnered with the American military, the officials noted an elevated risk and threat environment in the country, when justifying the travel restrictions. But before the announcement on Friday, an American government official said the administration planned to add Nigeria and Tanzania to the list because of the number of people coming from those countries on a visa who end up staying in the United States illegally. Lai Mohammed, Nigerias Minister of Information and Culture, said earlier this week that Nigerian officials had not been advised that their country would be included in the ban. It would be quite unfortunate if for any reason Nigeria were on the list, Mr. Mohammed said, noting the two governments cooperation in combating terrorism. It would be a double jeopardy: The country has committed a lot of resources to fight terrorism. Any travel ban cannot but be inimical to the growth of the country. He added, Once a travel ban is imposed on a country, the consequences are not always pleasant. The extension of the travel ban comes at a delicate time for international travel amid a coronavirus outbreak in China. The administration also announced on Friday that most foreign citizens traveling from China would be temporarily suspended entry in the United States. But it also comes as the 2020 election heats up. Mr. Trump is expected to use his travel ban, as well as his efforts to cut refugee admissions, to rally his political base as his administration contends with a Senate impeachment trial. Some of the most vulnerable populations in the world had one door to the United States shut last fall when Mr. Trump lowered his cap on refugee admissions to 18,000, down from 30,000 in the year prior. The administration has also severely restricted the ability for migrants to obtain asylum at the southwest border. In countries like Myanmar, which is also called Burma, the expansion of the travel ban closes off another avenue for many seeking safety or family reunification. A reporter for Nine News has been quarantined after being on the same flight as two people who were later confirmed as having coronavirus. Maggie Raworth was on board Tigerair flight TT566 from Melbourne that landed on the Gold Coast on the evening of January 27. Despite Health Minister Greg Hunt saying contact details for those on board had been passed onto Queensland Health, Ms Raworth said she was not notified and the only contact she has had with the agency has been her calling them. 'My producer called up and asked a few question like 'what flight were you on on Monday night?' and that's when I learnt that the person that tested positive for coronavirus was also travelling on that flight with me,' Ms Raworth told Today. Maggie Raworth (pictured) was on board Tigerair flight TT566 from Melbourne that landed on the Gold Coast on the evening of January 27 'I don't really know what to do, I've been told a few different things. I called Queensland Health and they told me I was at risk and I needed to self-isloate,' Ms Raworth said. She then called back the department only to be informed there was a low risk of infection and she should carry about her business as usual. Ms Raworth said she was told to leave work but is concerned because she had been interviewing people throughout the week. More than 150 people were on board flight TT556. The two passengers with coronavirus on the flight are Chinese nationals who had been part of a tour group from the city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. 'Physically I feel perfectly fine but it is definitely quite concerning to know that I could just so easily get on a flight with what has now turned out to be two people [with coronavirus],' Ms Raworth said. Ms Raworth said that only at 7.30pm on Thursday night, three whole days after the flight landed, did she receive any contact - in the form of an email from the airline. Ms Raworth told the Today program that the messages from QLD Health were unclear and contradictory AUSTRALIANS WITH THE CORONAVIRUS NEW SOUTH WALES: 4 January 25 Three men aged 43, 53, and 35 who had recently travelled to China are confirmed to have contracted the disease. Two flew in from Wuhan while the other arrived in Sydney from Shenzhen, south China. They were treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital January 27 A 21-year-old woman is identified as the fourth person to test positive for the illness in NSW. The woman, a student at UNSW, flew into Sydney International Airport on flight MU749 on January 23 and presented to the emergency department 24 hours later after developing flu-like symptoms. VICTORIA: 6 January 25 A Chinese national aged in his 50s becomes the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Australia. The man flew to Melbourne on China Southern flight CZ321 from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19. He was quarantined at Monash Hospital in Clayton in Melbourne's east. January 29 A Victorian man in his 60s is diagnosed with the coronavirus. He became unwell on January 23 - two days after returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. The man was confirmed as positive on January 29 and was subsequently seen by doctors at the Monash Medical Centre. January 30 A woman in her 40s is found to have coronavirus. She was visiting from China and mostly spent time with her family. She is being treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital. February 1 A woman in her 20s in Melbourne is found to have the virus February 22 Two passengers taken off the Diamond Princess cruise ship test positive QUEENSLAND: 8 January 29 Queensland confirms its first case after a 44-year-old Chinese national was diagnosed with the virus. He is being treated at Gold Coast University Hospital. January 30 A 42-year-old Chinese woman who was travelling in the same Wuhan tour group as the 44-year-old man tests positive. She is in Gold Coast University Hospital in stable condition. February 4 An eight-year-old boy has been diagnosed coronavirus. He is also from the tour group where the other Queensland cases came from February 5 The case was found in a 37-year-old man, who was a member of a group of nine Chinese tourists in quarantine on the Gold Coast February 6 A 37-year-old woman has been diagnosed with coronavirus from the same travel group that flew to Queensland from Melbourne on January 27 February 21 Two Queensland women, aged 54 and 55, tested positive for COVID-19 and will be flown to Brisbane for further treatment. A 57-year-old woman from Queensland also tests positive for the virus SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 3 February 1 A Chinese couple in their 60s who arrived in Adelaide from Wuhan to visit relatives are confirmed to have coronavirus. A 24-year-old woman from South Australia has been transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital WESTERN AUSTRALIA: 1 February 21 A 78-year-old man from Western Australia was transferred to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth JAPAN: 15 As of February 15, 47 Australians are among 219 confirmed cases of the coronavirus contracted on board Diamond Princess cruise ship at Yokohama. Two more Australians who were on board tested positive after they were evacuated to Darwin on February 22 Advertisement The new strain of coronavirus has infected more than 7,000 people worldwide and more than 200 people have been killed in China. The World Health Organization has declared the virus an emergency. Australia is leading the charge to develop a vaccine for the virus after the Doherty Institute was the first laboratory to replicate the virus outside of China. The CSIRO is now working with the Doherty Institute and the University of Queensland with the goal to develop a vaccine in a matter of weeks. After UK formally leaves the EU, there is still a lot to talk about and months of negotiation will follow, but Boris has his cards up his sleeve. by Victor Cherubim On the 10 May 1940, a dark shadow of war swept across Europe engulfing France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The relentless advance of Hitlers forces overwhelmed everything in their path. The world had suddenly become a much darker place. PM Boris On the very same day as the Continent echoed to the marching jackboots, the man who would inspire a nation stepped up to become the Prime Minister of Britain. That man was none other than Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill. 2020 represents the 80th anniversary of that momentous year. One of the gifts that Churchill had was the force of his rhetoric as a way of uniting the nation after the Battle of Alamein in November 1942 after Montgomerys Desert Rats routed Rommels Africa Korps, turning the tide of the North African Campaign. He summed the feeling of Britain echoed in his words: Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps, the end of the beginning. A moment of significance in history is set to happen at midnight CET, 23.00 hrs GMT on 31 January 2020. After 3 extensions and 3 and a half years after the Referendum, Brexit is actually going to happen. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will no longer be a member of the European Union. Nothing big will happen. Big Ben will not bang or bong, but Friday the 31stJanuary 2020 will mark the end of the beginning of the Brexit saga. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, an Eton and Oxford toff, previously elected Mayor of London serving two terms (2008-16). was elected leader of the Conservative Party in July 2019 and became Prime Minister of Britain in a bid to take the UK out of the EU with or without a deal. Within six months he won convincingly at the election in December 2019 with a majority of over 80 Members of Parliament and sealed the Brexit Deal he negotiated with the EU in early January 2020. Bo Jo as he is known is alive to the mindset that rhetoric cannot make a difference. He has a big battle ahead. After UK formally leaves the EU, there is still a lot to talk about and months of negotiation will follow, but Boris has his cards up his sleeve. During the transition period due to end 31 December 2020, the UK will continue to follow all of the EU rules and its trading relationship will remain the same. A Trade Agreement will have to be worked out between UK and the EU. This is needed because UK will leave the single market and the Customs Union at the end of the transition period. A Free Trade Agreement if negotiated, will allow goods to move around to the EU without checks and extra charges and may mean tariffs (taxes) on UK goods to the EU and possibly, other trade barriers. Luckily for UK,although there are prophets of doom circling like Irelands Taoiseach Leo Varadkar,who on the strength of a Trade Agreement for UK with the EU has sought his own re-election in the coming days, and perhaps, Michael Barnier, the EU negotiator stating that Brexit is only a matter of damage limitation. Besides, Boris has also critics in UK. But does it worry him? Prime Minister, Boris Johnsonhas decided not to make any victory parades yet. He has expressed that he wants a calming influence to soothe the divisions within the UKand to unite the corners of the British Isles before any big celebration. However, the Brexit Party of Nigel Farage is going ahead with plans to spend 100,000 for a party in Parliament Square on 31 January 2020 to mark UKs triumphantexit from the EU.Citizens of Britain will eat humble pie and accept the circulation of anew Commemorative 50 Pence Coin as a token in their pockets. This is the way Britain works history or historic occasion. No fanfare, no tamashas, no rubbing of noseswhich many around the world are generally accustomed. It is the beginning of the end of Brexiton 31 January 2020 and the word Brexit will no longer be used in future in IUK. It will now be up to Team Boris to negotiatea comprehensive Trade Agreement with the European Union in the 11 months ahead, a tough job but if theres a will, there will be a way to do it. A new beginning awaits us and the European Union? RICHFIELD SPRINGS, N.Y. A woman has been charged with felony identify theft for allegedly spending $2,300 using a stolen credit card. New York state police say Crystal G. Ray, 38, of Richfield Springs, was arrested on Jan. 8 and is charged with first-degree identity theft and two counts of grand larceny, as well as unlawful possession of personal identification. State police received a report of fraudulent charges made on a credit card in November 2019. Troopers investigated and determined Ray illegally took credit card information from a person she was hired to assist in their home. Ray was arraigned in Otsego County Central Arraignment and Processing, and released on her own recognizance. Bloomberg to counterprogram Iowa caucus day with California delegate rush originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The starting bell of 2020 is about to ring. And while the rest of the 2020 Democratic field is in Iowa, slogging through the snow and unruly fervor of caucus-eve, Mike Bloomberg will be touring across California. Most of the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders--including the sitting senators who find themselves juggling time between the impeachment trial and the trail-- are vying for the 41 Hawkeye State delegates up for grabs. However, the former mayor of New York City will be sweeping through the Golden State as he prospects for the 415 California pledged delegates that are there for the taking. (MORE: Bloomberg courting voters with letter to 2.5 million across every Super Tuesday state) He'll pan south through the state, starting in Sacramento at an event with supporters and organizers, then head to Fresno where hell participate in a Ganamos con Mike event on early voting. Then he'll head to Compton where hell be kicking off the bus tour. Those three cities are dynamic, diverse, and very different in their demographics; it remains to be seen whether, and how, Bloomberg will tailor his message toward voters in each city who are already primed for their say in the 2020 primary come March 3. Then, come Tuesday, as the other candidates head to New Hampshire for the ABC News/WMUR-TV debate and then the state's primary, Bloomberg will head to Michigan and Pennsylvania for counterprogramming. President Donald Trump won both of those key battleground states in 2016 by a slim margin, and is investing time and energy in those states now. PHOTO: WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks about affordable housing during a campaign event on January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) It's all part of Bloomberg's overall campaign gambit: Bypass the four early states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada -- and key in on the Super Tuesday spots with a high delegate yield. Moreover, hes specifically honing in on the swing states Trump picked up in 2016 that Democrats should have won, like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Story continues Meanwhile, Bloomberg's surrogates will be kicking off a "Get It Done Express" bus tour, which will spend the next ten days heading from California to North Carolina, with surrogates and supporters making stops along the way. Bloomberg himself will not be there, making it a dipartite campaign strategy with a wingspan from coast to coast. (MORE: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/abc-exclusive-bloomberg-courting-voters-letter-25-million/story?id=68560751) Bloombergs energetic efforts at outreach demonstrate his appetite for seeking voters where they live; he has visited every single one of the Super Tuesday states upon which he's staking his entire 2020 bid. Bloomberg's campaign points directly to the delegate math that's central to their strategy. PHOTO: WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 30: Democratic presidential candidate, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks about affordable housing during a campaign event on January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Iowa and New Hampshire have 65 delegates. California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have 726," Galia Slayen, a national spokeswoman for the campaign said in details shared first with ABC News. With impeachment proceedings looming large over the current election efforts, Bloomberg is looking to benefit from the lush state spread that he's been investing in with his vast fortune. His campaign has already fanned out across 35 states, and he has a staff of more than 1,000, including more than 700 field staff across all the Super Tuesday states, as well as 300 staffers in his New York headquarters. Bloomberg has also faced some criticism from his 2020 rivals who have questioned how he has leveraged his wealth in his unorthodox bid. He has poured over $300 million into ad buys, all from his personal funds. Moreover because he does not accept donations, he cannot under current rules qualify to meet the thresholds to participate in a Democratic National Committee-sponsored debate. This means he has yet to stand on a national stage and face tough questions from moderators and competitors in a setting aired across the country. "He's skipping the Democracy part of this," Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said of Bloomberg's unconventional gambit. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size If the laws of basic arithmetic applied, Boston should be the happiest little town in Britain right now. It was here that three in every four voters stormed the ballot box in 2016 and demanded a split from the European Union. Fuelled by a potent cocktail of anti-immigration sentiment and anger over government austerity measures, the revolution was so overwhelming that Boston ended up recording the highest pro-Brexit vote in the United Kingdom. Nearly four years later, the unassuming Lincolnshire market town three hours north of London has finally got its way: the UK will formally leave the EU at 11pm on Friday, January 31. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to mark the moment by addressing the nation with his trademark optimism from Downing Street. The country's ruling Conservative Party opened online sales for a limited edition 15 ($24.60) "I got Brexit done" coffee mug. Giant Union Jack flags have been strung above The Mall between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. And in the European Parliament, outgoing British members were farewelled with a spontaneous rendition of Auld Lang Syne. "Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depth of love," said a beaming European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, quoting British novelist George Eliot. "We will always love you and we will never be far. Long live Europe!" But in Boston, the mood is less celebratory. "People aren't exactly overjoyed," says local mayor Anton Dani, a cafe owner who joined the UK Independence Party following a chance handshake with Brexit agitator Nigel Farage but later switched to the Conservatives. Advertisement "We might be leaving on January 31 but that is just the start of it. We still don't know what Brexit will actually look like. People who supported Brexit are also worried that it will not be delivered on time. "Boston and other parts of England voted the way [they] did because of the impacts of migration and the pressures of immigration on infrastructure. Leaving the EU on January 31 doesn't automatically solve those concerns for Leave supporters." Boston, a three-hour drive directly north of London, is the Brexit capital of Britain. Credit:Getty It's also a fairly unhappy scene on the other side of the fence. Asked to nominate which stage of "grief" they were in, only 30 per cent of Remain voters told pollster YouGov that they had now accepted the 2016 referendum result. The rest were wallowing in "depression", "anger" and "denial". And 3 per cent still thought Brexit could still be stopped. "The results show that many Remain voters still havent come to terms with the decision," says the polling firm's Matthew Smith. Britain's formal departure is the biggest milestone yet in the decade-long Brexit battle that has torn the country apart, given new momentum to Scottish independence, claimed the political careers of Conservative prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May and shaken international faith in the UK as a modern global power. Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, put it this way: "Its sad to see a nation leaving - a great nation - that has given us so much: culturally, economically, politically, even its own blood in two world wars. Its sad to see the country leaving that liberated Europe twice." Advertisement There is, though, a palpable sense of relief in Britain that Johnson's thumping December election win has brought an end to the parliamentary paralysis that threatened to sink Brexit entirely. His victory rewrote the political map by flipping pro-Leave, blue-collar constituencies in England's north firmly into the Tory column. The circuit-breaker poll has washed away some - but not all - of the anxiety and anger that had infected the British public. But the split has also thrown the UK headfirst into a new era of uncertainty. Britain is conducting a national exercise in patience as it waits to see what the fine print of the separation from Europe looks like, and whether the terms meet, exceed or fall short of the expectations of the people of Boston and 17.4 million others who voted to abandon the EU experiment. Johnson, a shrewd operator who has been one of the few politicians to capitalise on the turmoil, has sensed the division that still exists in Britain. Having initially suggested Big Ben could toll to mark the 11pm departure, the notorious stunt master has increasingly toned down the jubilant rhetoric. Prime Minister Boris Johnson recording his address to the nation for Brexit night. Credit:Downing Street "Our job as the government - my job - is to bring this country together and take us forward," Johnson will say in his speech. "And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. "It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up." A December opinion poll for Ipsos MORI detects the early signs of "changing public priorities for 2020" as Britain's troubled public health system overtakes Brexit as the biggest issue worrying voters. Advertisement But in a sign of anxiety over the possible outcomes of the transition period, the percentage of people who rank Brexit as a top issue is still at near-record levels and even larger than at the height of the divisive 2016 referendum itself. "Brexit is subsiding as an issue to some degree, but it is clearly still a really big one for the public," says Mike Clemence, a researcher at Ipsos MORI. Loading The UK and EU are now effectively a divorced couple still living under the same roof while they sort out who gets what. All aspects of the existing relationship continue for an 11-month transition period as officials from both sides scramble to strike new agreements covering trade, security, immigration and a myriad of other complex issues by a hard deadline of December 31, 2020. "The negotiation task is huge," warns Institute of Government senior researcher Maddy Thimont Jack. "'Taking back control' was the slogan of the referendum campaign but what that means is actually having to set up entirely new domestic policies in areas like agriculture, fisheries and the environment and get the UK ready for managing those areas at the end of a relatively short transition period," she says. "There has been a realisation that this is all more difficult than people had first thought." The two most likely options by the end of this year's transition period are a bare bones goods-only trade agreement, or no agreement at all. Commonwealth Bank analysts point to Bank of England projections of a 0.75 per cent dip in GDP by the end of 2023 under a basic agreement, and a whopping fall of between 2.5 and 8.5 per cent down should there be no deal. The stakes are high. Advertisement "There's a question about whether the can has just been kicked down the road," says Australia-UK Chamber of Commerce chief executive Catherine Woo. "Given we'll be in that transition period until the end of the year, I think the psychological impact of leaving ... is softened and people are already thinking ahead to whether we are headed to a cliff edge on the 31st of December." Woo says "lingering conservatism" on spending is likely until the outcome of "fraught negotiations ahead" become clear but predicts Johnson's election win will see capital released in 2020 that had been held back during years of political uncertainty. Union Jack flags hang outside Parliament near a statue of former prime minister Winston Churchill. Credit:AP She points to other positives on the horizon, including an impending free trade agreement between Australia and the UK that will be thrashed out this year and implemented in 2021. Alex Dawson, a senior adviser to May during her stint in Downing Street, says the technical and political debate about trade will "mostly take place in the background of national consciousness but that has the potential to explode into relevance in future". "The free trade agreement talks with the EU, the US, Japan and Australia could change the rules around entire sectors of the UK economy at the stroke of a pen," Dawson says. "This impact of these deals should not be underestimated by the Westminster class as they could easily determine whether future generations see Brexit as a success or a failure." London's business community is also eagerly waiting smoke signals from Downing Street about what the country's new immigration scheme will look like. Johnson is pledging to make it easier to bring in exceptional labour talent, however a clampdown on migration and labour rights looms amid community concerns about the impact of the EU's free movement regime. Advertisement "My goal for this next decade isn't to be liked, but to be understood," Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors during an earnings call on Jan. 29. "In order to be trusted, people need to know what you stand for." Mark Zuckerberg Philanthropist George Soros thinks he knows what Zuck stands for: an unholy alliance with Donald Trump. In the Jan. 31 New York Times, Soros wrote that Zuckerberg stands for the re-election of Trump in return for the president's support of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 is a venerable "stay out of jail card" for Facebook. It shields it and all social media platforms from legal liability for the misinformation, disinformation and fake news they run on their sites. It's the old: "Don't blame me." Soros sees "an informal mutual assistance" pact between Trump and Facebook. "I believe that Mr. Trump and Facebooks chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, realize that their interests are aligned the presidents in winning elections, Mr. Zuckerbergs in making money," he wrote. Nicely put, George. The president sings the praises of Zuck, which must be a tough task for the self-centered one. During the Davos World Economic Forum, Trump said he saw no need for Facebook to fact-check political ads. Duh! Team Trump sure runs some doozies. "I'd rather have him just do whatever he is doing," said Trump. "He's done a hell of a job, when you think of it." Wall Street though is not as gung-ho. During the analyst call on Jan. 29, they bemoaned Facebook's slowing growth. To be fair to Facebook, it's pretty hard to keep on the pace when you have a user base of 2.9B, accessing Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp. Brian Wieser, global head of business intelligence at GroupM, said growth has to "decelerate" at Facebook simply because "the market can only be too big." Zuckerberg needs to be careful because his alliance with Trump may turn out to bite Facebook. There will be an anti-Facebook revolt in the US if the 2020 presidential election turns out to be a repeat of the 2016 one, where Vladimir Putin's trolls put Trump in the White House with a big assist from Facebook. Kudos to Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, who wants the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to investigate Saudi Arabia's involvement in the hacking of the phone of Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. The Senator believes the Saudis may have been out to silence further reporting on the torture, murder and dismemberment of dissident and WaPo contributor Jamal Khashoggi. The Democratic politico fears Khashoggi's murder may have been part of a broader campaign to "intimidate and silence opponents of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." The United Nations on Jan. 22 released a report with "medium to high confidence" that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a dear friend of presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner, delivered the spyware via WhatsApp (Hello Facebook) to Bezos' phone. Other critics of the Kingdom received the same malicious code. Murphy is the ranking member of the Foreign Relations Committee's Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism. He also wants to know if any US government officials or citizens were involved in the sale or deployment of the software to Saudi Arabia. Advertisement 'Keep pushing the nose down, bank to the left a little, now keep straight, keep straight, keep straight!' Crash. It's my first time attempting to land a plane and I've just clipped the top of some trees before the view out of the windscreen goes totally blank. MailOnline Travel's Jennifer Newton is shown the ropes inside Aeroflot's Boeing 737 simulator alongside Aeroflot captain Ivan Lavrentev While in the simulator Jennifer was given a quick tour of the controls before attempting a landing Luckily, I'm not flying a real plane - it's a Boeing 737-800 flight simulator at Russian airline Aeroflot's pilot training school at Sheremetyevo Airport on the outskirts of Moscow, housed inside a vast multi-million-pound facility. After arriving at the complex, I meet Ivan Lavrentev, an Aeroflot captain and aircraft commander who flies the Boeing 737 and he leads me to a huge hangar-like space, where the simulators are located. There are simulators here for every aircraft Aeroflot has in its fleet and they run around the clock. As we walk through the simulator space, I notice a gap in between two of the simulators. Ivan proudly tells me it's where Aeroflot's new A350 simulator will go. The Russian carrier will be the first in Eastern Europe to take delivery of this Airbus model, next year. We reach the Boeing 737 simulator just as a group of pilots exit. After crossing a small drawbridge, we step on board the simulator, where Ivan insists I sit in the left-hand seat, the captain's seat. He walks over to a computer at the back of the machine and programmes it so I can have a go at an approach and landing at Sheremetyevo Airport in perfect weather conditions. But before I start, I get a rapid lesson on the thousands of controls, levers and switches I'm surrounded by. Basically, all I'll need is the steering wheel in front of me (known as the control column), the thrust levers to my right and the rudder pedals, which I'll control with my feet. Ivan will press all the other buttons and switches needed. Jennifer with Ivan, who is also an aircraft commander, in the cockpit. Jennifer managed one successful landing out of two The simulation begins and it's exactly like being in a cockpit - everything is replicated from the view out of the window towards Sheremetyevo Airport to the engine noise. The final approach starts and Ivan, who is sitting in the first officer's seat next to me, tells me that the key to a perfect landing is keeping the aircraft straight, not making any sudden movements. I push down on the control column to point the nose down and nothing happens - turns out you really have to push hard. After pushing down even harder, the aircraft starts to descend and the runway starts to get closer and closer. Ivan tells me to pull up slightly and bank to the right to make sure I'm dead centre with the runway. But I bank too far and he tells me to go to the left to straighten up while at the same time pushing the nose down. 'Push, push, a little to the left, now straighten up, straighten up, Ivan tells me. The cockpit radio altimeter shouts out the altitude, I battle to keep the aircraft straight and I totally forget what I'm meant to do with the thrust lever. The runway is just below me but for some reason, I veer to the left and before I know it I'm flying across some treetops hurtling towards the terminal building. A view of the runway from inside the Boeing 737 simulator. The simulator replicates precisely what it's like being in the cockpit - from the view out of the window to the noise of the engine The computer at the back of the simulator, which can be programmed so pilots can practice flying in a range of conditions The real thing: An Aeroflot Boeing 737 at Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow, pictured in November The exterior of Aeroflot's Boeing 737-800 simulator. Aeroflot has a simulator for every aircraft in its fleet There's no time to correct it as all of a sudden there's a beeping noise and the screen goes a sinister dark red colour - I've crashed. Seems landing a plane isn't as easy as Ivan told me. Then again he has probably done it hundreds of times - that was my first attempt ever. But the beauty of a simulator is that no harm is done and within minutes, the 737 captain has reprogrammed the computer and I'm attempting the manoeuvre again - this time with his help on the thrust lever. And what a difference it makes, together we guide the aircraft towards the runway with gentle movements. Before I know it, the landing gear is coming down and we are just feet from the runway. It's a very bumpy landing and the plane veers from side to side as I get to grips with the rudders. Most importantly though, we are down on firm ground and Ivan applies the brakes before we come to a halt. I suppose one successful landing out of two isn't bad for a total beginner - though I suspect the pilot helped me a lot more than he let on. Of course, Aeroflot pilots honing their skills in these simulators aren't novices like me. They have to come through a strict selection process and undergo rigorous training to be able to fly one of the 249 planes in the airline's fleet. After finishing my very basic training session I say goodbye to the 737 pilot, who is rushing off to a meeting. 'You should definitely get your pilot's licence. You could work for MailOnline and fly planes at the same time, he tells me. Kind words. But I think I almost certainly need a lot more simulator time before I go anywhere near piloting a real aircraft. The cause of a deadly fire at a Scottsboro boat dock remains under investigation as officials continue working to remove destroyed boats from the Tennessee River. The State Fire Marshals office and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are still working to determine the origin and cause of the blaze, which killed 8 people and destroyed 35 boats at Jackson County Park early Monday, said ATF spokesman Michael Knight in a statement to AL.com Efforts to reach the state fire marshal for comment werent successful. Asked at a news conference whether he believed the deadly fire could have been prevented, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency Director Paul Smith said, Thats always a question that comes up any time you have a fire. Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how the fire started. Smith said he believes changes to improve safety will be implemented at the park, though he declined to comment on any specific plans. I would anticipate as far as the park goes, there will be some modification of the rules, he said. I anticipate there will be some changes to how the docks are utilized. [Full coverage of the deadly fire] Cleanup and investigative efforts will continue indefinitely, local officials said today. But portions of the park will reopen beginning Monday. KCs Bar-B-Q restaurant, and Lakeshore Watercraft Rental and Store will be open to the public, Smith said. People who have boats docked at the park can have access to the docks, Smith said, but they will remain closed to the public. The south end of the park, including the boat ramp, will also remain closed. As of Friday morning, crews were still working to remove from the water four boats that were destroyed in the fire. Earlier in the week, crews found the boat on which the fire is believed to have originated. [Heres how you can help the fire victims and emergency workers] Some people lived on their boats and lost all of their belongings in the blaze. Smith said today that crews had found photos and documents, which belonged to some of the victims, in the river. Officials are asking any professionals who might be able to salvage the items to provide their services. Clothing can be replaced. Furniture can be replaced, Smith said. But photographs, pre-digital, those cant be replaced. Smith said the community has rallied in support of the fire victims. The way this community has come together is absolutely remarkable, he said. My favourite slogan about Brexit over the past three years is written in large white letters on a red gable wall in the Tigers Bay district of Belfast. It was painted before the referendum of 2016 and, below a union flag, reads: Vote Leave EU. Rev 18:4. The biblical reference is to a verse in the Book of Revelations that reads: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. These seemed to me, when I first saw a picture of the mural, to be compelling reasons for leaving the EU and about as truthful as many other reasons advanced by those in favour of doing so. The verse cited is, in fact, more pertinent to the issue of resisting a large and oppressive international organisation than the muralist may have realised. Revelations is filled with mysterious references to monsters, such as the beast from the land and the beast from the sea who has seven heads and 10 horns. But experts consider these weird creatures to be coded hostile references to the Roman Empire and to Roman Emperors who were persecuting the early Christians, of whom the author of Revelations was one, in Asia Minor at the end of the first century AD. The Belfast muralist has finally got their way as the UK escapes from the supposedly diabolical clutches of the EU. Leavers consider today to be one of liberation and Remainers lament a self-inflicted disaster that they see as being against the flow of history. But in both cases, this is a very west European view that gives a very partial and misleading view of recent history: if we include the eastern side of the European continent from the Atlantic to the Urals over the past 30 years, the trend towards the greater integration within the EU is more than counter-balanced by disintegration to the east. The break-up of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia in the 1990s are seldom considered to have any lessons for the EU: the Soviet Union was believed by much of the rest of the world as an evil empire and Yugoslavia similarly as a sort of mini evil empire, the demise of both being both inevitable and a good thing. Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Show all 20 1 /20 Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Britain votes to leave the European Union - 23 June 2016 A referendum is held on Britain's membership of the European Union. Fifty-two per cent of the country votes in favour of leaving AFP via Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? David Cameron resigns - 24 June 2016 David Cameron resigns on the morning of the result after leading the campaign for Britain to remain in the EU Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Theresa May takes the reins - 13 July 2016 Theresa May becomes leader of the Conservative party and prime minister, winning the leadership contest unopposed after Andrea Leadsom drops out Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? High Court rules parliament must vote on Brexit - November 2016 - 3 November 2016 The High Court rules that parliament must vote on triggering Article 50, which would begin the Brexit process Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Article 50 triggered - 28 March 2017 The prime minister triggers Article 50 after parliament endorses the result of the referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May calls snap election - 18 April 2018 Seeking a mandate for her Brexit plan, May goes to the country Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May loses majority as Labour makes surprise gain - 8 June 2017 After a disastrous campaign, Theresa May loses her majority in the commons and turns to the DUP for support. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party makes gains after being predicted to lose heavily AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Negotiations begin - 19 June 2017 David Davis and Michel Barnier, chief negotiators for the UK and EU respectively, hold a press conference on the first day of Brexit negotiations. Soon after the beginning of negotiations, it becomes clear that the issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will prove a major sticking point AFP/Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? MPs vote that withdrawal deal must be ratified by parliament - 13 December 2017 The government suffers a defeat in parliament over the EU withdrawal agreement, guaranteeing that MPs are given a 'meaningful vote' on the deal Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary - 11 July 2018 Following a summit at Chequers where the prime minister claimed to have gained cabinet support for her deal, Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary along with David Davis, the Brexit secretary Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Draft withdrawal agreement - 15 November 2018 The draft withdrawal agreement settles Britain's divorce bill, secures the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa and includes a political declaration commiting both parties to frictionless trade in goods and cooperation on security matters. The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? May resigns - 24 May 2019 After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns Reuters Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson takes over - 24 July 2019 Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. He later heads to Buckingham Palace where the Queen invites him to form a government Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Parliament prorogued - 28 August 2019 Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK's agreed departure date of 31 October. Stephen Morgan MP Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Prorogation ruled unlawful - 24 September 2019 The High Court rules that Johnson's prorogation of parliament is 'unlawful' after a legal challenge brought by businesswoman Gina Miller Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson agrees deal with Varadkar - October Following a summit in Merseyside, Johnson agrees a compromise to the backstop with Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar - making the withdrawal agreement more palatable to Brexiteers Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Final Say march demands second referendum - 19 October 2019 As parliament passes the Letwin amendment requiring the prime minister to request a further delay to Brexit, protesters take to the streets in the final show of force for a Final Say referendum Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Johnson wins 80 seat majority - 12 December 2019 The Conservatives win the December election in a landslide, granting Boris Johnson a large majority to pass through his brexit deal and pursue his domestic agenda Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? Withdrawal deal passes parliament - 20 December 2019 The withdrawal agreement passes through the commons with a majority of 124 Getty Brexit timeline: How did we get here? EU parliament backs UK withdrawal deal - 29 January 2020 Members of the European parliament overwhelmingly back the ratification of Britain's departure, clearing the way for Brexit two days later on 31 January. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne AFP/Getty But the forces favouring disintegration that broke up the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have ominous points in common with those now threatening the EU. Fairly or unfairly, people outside the decision-making hub in Moscow, Belgrade and Brussels felt that their wishes were being ignored and power monopolised by unrepresentative elites at the centre. Local politicians rode a nationalist wave, claiming that all sorts of good things would happen once self-determination had been achieved. In some cases, these promises were kept; in others they were soon discarded and forgotten, at least by those who made them. In many senses, we have long been living in an era of disintegration without quite realising it, as multinational federations break up and international organisations, such as the UN and World Trade Organisation (WTO), fragment or become moribund. President Emmanuel Macron was lambasted for describing Nato as braindead, but it is scarcely alone. This trend is obscured because academics and politicians in western Europe have tended to be enthusiasts for the EU and for the integration of nation states, as if there was no chance of a shift in the opposite direction. Timothy Less, of the Centre of Geopolitics and Grand Strategy at Cambridge, formerly a diplomat at the Foreign Office specialising in eastern Europe, points out that there have always been plenty of expert institutions in Europe focusing on integration, but very few study disintegration. Along with others with experience of eastern Europe in recent decades, he is sceptical about the prospects for the EU surviving the permanent crisis stemming from the diverging national interests of its members. The nation state is being re-energised because multinational entities like the EU failed to cope successfully issues like immigration, deindustrialisation and globalisation. But the process of disintegration happens within as well as between states, producing winners and losers in close proximity to each other. In the UK, the referendum and two general elections highlighted the political and economic split between metropolitan cities plugged into the global economy and the hinterland around core urban areas. The gilets jaunes in France draw on a similar pattern of support, as does Donald Trump in the US. A central question for both the UK and the EU post-Brexit is whether or not this impulse towards disintegration will continue, or whether it will be counterbalanced by a contrary trend towards consolidation. The Brexit crisis fostered the growth of nationalism in England and Scotland, as well as of nationalist/Catholic and unionist/Protestant nationalism in Northern Ireland. The Scottish National Party leaders were jubilant at their success in the general election in December as were Irish nationalists in Northern Ireland, encouraged by the Tories abandoning the DUP and proposed tariff barrier down the Irish Sea. But the break-up of the UK may be further off than many believe at the height of the crisis because a strong Tory majority makes Scottish and Irish separatism less of a practical possibility. The SNP might have been better off avoiding a general election and keeping a weak minority Tory government in office, whose feebleness would have further disillusioned Scots with the union. In Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein is very much a constitutional party these days, looking for Irish unity to be delivered by demographic change and a border poll. As for the EU, it has looked strong when negotiating with weak UK governments, but in other tests of strength, such as defending the nuclear deal with Iran from demolition by Trump, it has been pathetically ineffectual. For all its commercial clout, it appears incapable of withstanding pressure from the US, Russia and China. The decay of multinational institutions and alliances may not lead to an apocalyptic crisis, as the author of Revelations foretold, but it will certainly produce a more dangerous world. CALGARY - Imperial Oil Ltd. has ramped up crude-by-rail shipments to more than 100,000 barrels per day from zero in October and plans to continue to add railcars as profitability of the transportation option strengthens. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Imperial Oil logo at the company's annual meeting in Calgary on April 28, 2017. Imperial Oil Ltd. reported a fourth-quarter profit of $271 million, down from $853 million in the same quarter last year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY - Imperial Oil Ltd. has ramped up crude-by-rail shipments to more than 100,000 barrels per day from zero in October and plans to continue to add railcars as profitability of the transportation option strengthens. Earlier this week, rival oilsands producer Cenovus Energy Inc. said it had met its year-end goal of taking its crude-by-rail shipments to 100,000 barrels per day, crediting a decision in Alberta to exempt rail-exported crude from production quotas. Higher local discounts for western Canadian oil make moving it to the U.S. Gulf Coast to win higher prices more profitable, encouraging companies to use rail in spite of its higher cost compared with pipelines. Imperial co-owns a rail terminal in Edmonton with capacity to move 210,000 barrels per day but it has cut its usage to zero or near zero at least three times in the past year as price differentials tightened with Alberta production curtailments, storage levels and rail and pipeline disruptions. "With the current differentials and arbitrage, it makes good economic sense for us to ship barrels on the rail," said Imperial CEO Brad Corson on Friday during a conference call to discuss fourth-quarter results, his first such call since replacing Rich Kruger this month. "We started in October at zero. We ramped up very quickly in November and December, finished the year in December at 88,000 barrels per day and now in January ... it's slightly above 100,000 barrels a day and I think we're going to see that trend continue in the near term." The difference between Western Canadian Select bitumen-blend heavy oil and New York-traded West Texas Intermediate oil prices had widened to as much as US$52 a barrel in October 2018 before the then-NDP government implemented Alberta production limits to better match growing output with limited pipeline space, thus drawing down overflowing storage. On Friday, oil brokerage Net Energy Exchange said the WCS-WTI differential had averaged US$23.19 per barrel in January for February delivery, up from US$20.68 in the previous month. Imperial's production is set to rise after it completed the installation of supplemental ore crushers at its Kearl open pit oilsands mining operations in December and January. The project will allow the company to improve reliability and throughput to average gross production from Kearl of about 240,000 bpd in 2020, up from the current 200,000 bpd, said Corson. On the call, Corson told analysts his priority as Imperial chairman and CEO is to efficiently manage its existing portfolio of assets, declining to speculate on changes that might come to the company which is 70 per cent owned by Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. "I want to take a great company and make it greater. That's the bottom line," he said. Corson has worked for Exxon for 36 years. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Imperial reported a fourth-quarter profit of $271 million, down from $853 million in the same quarter last year, as revenue and other income totalled $8.16 billion, up from $7.89 billion. Analysts said the results beat their forecasts mainly due to better-than-expected performance from the downstream, which was impacted by maintenance shutdowns at the company's Nanticoke and Sarnia, Ont., refineries. Imperial reported a downstream profit of $225 million, compared with $1.14 billion a year earlier, due to lower margins and planned turnaround activities. Imperial's upstream operations recorded a profit of $96 million in the quarter compared with a loss of $310 million in the final quarter of 2018, thanks to higher oil prices as production fell to 398,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day from 431,000 boe/d in the same period of 2018. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:IMO, TSX:CVE) Three drugs have been added to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, saving some patients up to $250,000 a year. The PBS listing for cystic fibrosis drug Symdeko has been extended so the 10 to 15 Australians living with an ultra-rare cystic fibrosis gene mutation will now be able to access it without having to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. A drug for patients with chronic kidney disease has also been listed on the PBS. Credit:Michelle Mossop Adam Simeoni said the new cystic fibrosis drugs have "changed my life for the better". "I used to be going into hospital once every six months for two weeks, apart from the smoke this year I hadnt been in for two years," he said. Good news for those men and women who lives in Oklahoma. It is projected over the next 10 years; they will have a shortage of 7,000 skilled workers each year for the next decade according to an Oklahoma Works study. The Smithsonian reports out of the roughly 1000 malls currently open 9.3 percent of available space sits vacant. A slaughterhouse in Jaru, Rondonia can kill one cow every eight seconds. If you are driving in rural America around dawn and between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., you should be an alert driver. The odds of hitting a deer in California are one in 1125, in Georgia one in 131, in Maine 1 in 135, in South Dakota 1 in 75. Slap me across my face, because I just cannot believe the cowboy legislators in Wyoming collected over $1 Billion in sales and use taxes in fiscal year 2019 up 12 percent. Get out your check book, because the United States deficit grew to almost $867 Billion for the first ten months of the fiscal year exceeding the figure for all last year. Republican tax cuts impressed federal spending, and an aging population have contributed to the strain. Due in Los Angeles sometime in the first quarter of 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department will begin testing a device that gives officers an alternative to firing a taser or a gun. The Bola Wrap 100 fires a Kevlar cord that wraps around and snares a person 10-25 feet away. Here is another, Grand Theft Wallet Starting finance a $45 Billion construction plan has Illinois lawmakers taking a second look, the State Journal Register reports the tax taking effect January 1, 2020 is 9 percent on spaces rented by the month or year. Its 6 percent for spaces rented hourly, daily or weekly. From Cure Magazine, men with advanced prostate cancer may benefit from genomic testing as BRCA and other gene mutations play a bigger role in guiding treatment. Scientific American wrote we should end vaccine exemptions based upon religious and philosophical differences, because they are too dangerous to public health. As of late August 2019, there had been more than 1200 cases of measles across the United States. Little Richard was 87 on December 5, 2019. Happy Birthday to the King of Rock and Roll and all his family and friends in Macon, Georgia. When do you think President Trump will learn there are people one can mess with and there are others you better not rile? One such person is an old dear person my wife and I met years ago at an organized labor breakfast. Congressman Walters is just a fighter. The lady and her two Joe Lewis have so many facts on her fingertips. Regardless of the day or time many is the time when driving in the Inglewood area I would stop at Randys Donuts for a sugar rush. Are you one of the millions who pay excess fees to file taxes online? A future item in the column just might keep money in your wallet. When you and I were kids we clearly remember Jesse Jackson traveling all over this great country leading the charge for Civil Rights, voting rights, etc. etc etc. The question of the day where is Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow Coalition? By Jon Healey How interesting an impeachment witness would John Bolton have been? It looks like were going to have to wait a while to find out. Maybe a long while. In a huge win for the publishers of Boltons forthcoming book, Senate Republicans reportedly have lined up the votes to block Democrats from calling the former national security adviser or any other witnesses to testify at President Trumps impeachment trial. That vote is expected to happen Friday. Theres just one wrinkle. Boltons book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, was set to be released by Simon & Schuster in March. But Pat Philbin, Trumps deputy White House counsel, told the Senate on Wednesday that the National Security Council was reviewing a draft of the book and had found it contains a significant amount of classified information so that in its current form, it cant be published. The NSC has offered to help Bolton on revisions that would allow him to tell his story, Philbin added. How nice. By the way, Philbin said that the review is being done by career employees at the NSC, not political appointees, and that the White House has played no role in it. I thought the leak from Boltons book his assertion that Trump told him the security aid to Ukraine was on hold until the Ukrainian leaders announced two investigations that would help Trump politically would force the Senate to hear from him before voting on Trumps fate. Not because I thought he would change any minds, but because it would be hard for senators to explain to voters why theyd refused to hear from a central White House figure who is just about to tell the world (or rather, the book-buying public) everything he knows about Trumps actions on Ukraine. Besides, one problem for both sides here is the publics suspicion that senators made up their minds before the trial started. Calling zero witnesses would only feed that suspicion. But from the GOP perspective, maybe calling Bolton is all pain, no gain. As the leak and the testimony of other witnesses indicate, Bolton was not a fan of how the new Ukrainian government was being treated by the Trump administration. An attorney for Bolton also told lawmakers last year that his client had a lot to say about other, as yet unexplored aspects of the whole Ukrainian affair. Assuming Bolton would testify, as expected, that Trump admitted to withholding vital aid from an ally at war with Russia-backed separatists until he got the investigations he was seeking, that would force Trumps defenders to shift tactics. No longer could they argue that there was no persuasive evidence of a quid pro quo; instead, theyd have to argue, as Trump lawyer Alan Dershowitz has been doing lately, that such a quid pro quo is A-OK. Ugh. So it must seem far more palatable for Republicans to explain to their constituents why Boltons testimony wouldnt have fundamentally changed the contours of the case. And that has the benefit of being true: Bolton would merely shore up an assertion that House Democrats have been treating as if it were already proved. They impeached Trump in part because they believed that hed withheld the aid to Ukraine as potential leverage in his effort to extract the investigations he sought, and that he released the aid only because someone within the White House blew the whistle on him. Still, if the Senate decides to not call witnesses, it is a reminder of the short-term thinking that pervades even such consequential issues as impeachment. Because even if they dont think Trump should be removed from office, they shouldnt buy the argument that a president can flatly withhold documents and witnesses from Congress unless the House conducts an impeachment process by the presidents rules. Theyre setting a precedent here that will provide a road map for future obstruction. With the witness question apparently decided, the proceedings seem even more like Kabuki theater than before. Its been clear for some time how the trial would end; the main question was how Republicans would justify the vote to not remove Trump. Happily for them, they dont have to rely on the weak tea offered by Dershowitz. A stronger argument, at least in terms of how it will resonate with the public, is that even if Trump had a personal interest in seeking an investigation by Ukraine into former Vice President Joe Biden, there were legitimate policy reasons for him to delay the aid and pursue allegations of corruption. As Philbin argued Thursday, If theres both some personal motive but also some legitimate public interest motive, it cant possibly be an impeachable offense . Theres always some personal interest in the electoral outcome of policy decision, and theres nothing wrong with that. The hole in that argument is the notion that there can be any legitimate public purpose in a president asking a foreign government to investigate a U.S. citizen who is that presidents political rival. Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) noted that there are legitimate avenues within the United States to investigate the sort of allegations raised here, but Trump did not pursue them. I cant imagine any circumstance where we would want to say, the president of the United States can target his rival, can solicit foreign help in an election, can help him cheat, and thats OK, Schiff told the Senate. As wrong as it would be for the president to seek political prosecutions by the Justice Department, Schiff added, its all the more egregious if he asks a foreign government to do it. Besides, Schiff argued, the evidence showing that Trump just wanted the investigation to be announced betrays the fact that there was no legitimate basis to the inquiry the president sought. Boltons testimony would have cut to the heart of the question of Trumps motives. It seems certain now that well have to wait for his memoir to learn more. Jon Healey is the Los Angeles Times deputy editorial page editor. The Star-Ledger/NJ.com encourages submissions of opinion. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Amber Heard admits to 'hitting' ex-husband Johnny Depp and pelting him with pots, pans and vases in an explosive audio confession obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. The Aquaman actress, 33, opens up about her violent tantrums in a series of taped conversations the estranged couple made in 2015 as they tried to talk through their marriage problems. 'I'm sorry that I didn't, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you're not punched,' Heard tells Depp, attempting to downplay her outburst the previous evening. 'I don't know what the motion of my actual hand was, but you're fine, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you.' Heard - an ambassador for women's rights and outspoken domestic violence advocate - taunts Depp for fleeing the late night dust-up, telling him: 'You are such a baby. Grow the f**k up Johnny.' She warns the 56-year-old Oscar nominee: 'You poke an animal enough, it is eventually, it doesn't matter how friendly it is, it's not cool.' The troubling episode is one of numerous clashes the couple argue over during the informal two-hour 'therapy' session recorded consensually on Heard's cell phone and supplied to DailyMail.com by a well-placed source. Amber Heard admits to 'hitting' Johnny Depp in an explosive audio confession obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com. The estranged couple tried to talk through their marriage problems and Heard opens up about her violent tantrums in a series of taped conversations from 2015. Pictured: The former couple in September 2015 As part of Depp's $50 million defamation case against Heard, he included images of his own bruised and battered face (left and right ) following Heard's alleged attacks There's a veiled reference to a possible incident in Australia where Depp suffered a severed finger one month into their marriage. Depp claims he severed his finger because Heard was enraged she was asked to sign a post-nuptial agreement, that she threw bottles at him. He claimed one of those bottles hit a marble countertop and exploded, ripping off the tip of his finger in the process (pictured) It's understood there are several more tapes out there, each promising further bombshells as the former lovers trade blood-curdling allegations of domestic violence in a civil defamation case brought last year by Depp. 'I left last night. Honestly, I swear to you because I just couldn't take the idea of more physicality, more physical abuse on each other,' an exasperated Depp pleads in the recording. 'Because had we continued it, it would have gotten f**king bad. And baby, I told you this once. I'm scared to death we are a f**king crime scene right now.' But Heard - who filed for divorce in May 2016 accusing Depp of beating her during their toxic 18-month marriage - warns: 'I can't promise you I won't get physical again. God I f**king sometimes get so mad I lose it.' Depp filed his $50 million defamation suit in Virginia after Heard penned an op-ed for the Washington Post detailing her experiences as an alleged domestic violence victim. Baby, I told you this once. I'm scared to death we are a f**king crime scene right now. Johnny Depp to Amber Heard 'I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out,' she wrote in the December 2018 article, which didn't mention the Pirates of the Caribbean actor by name. Depp claimed, nonetheless, that it implicated him as the abuser, damaging his reputation and causing him to lose his prized role of Captain Jack Sparrow. His suit says he's the victim of an 'elaborate hoax' instigated by Heard to generate positive publicity and advance her career. 'Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator,' it claims. 'She hit, punched and kicked me. She also repeatedly and frequently threw objects into my body and head, including heavy bottles, soda cans, burning candles, television remote controls and paint thinner cans, which severely injured me.' Heard responded with a lurid 300-page filing of her own, cataloging the 'horrific' abuse she claims to have suffered at Depp's hands, describing him as 'the monster' and recalling many of the allegations she made during their divorce. The filing included photos of bruises and scars, clumps of hair apparently torn from Heard's head and pictures of smashed up furniture to illustrate the violence she was allegedly subjected to after hooking up with Depp, her co-star in The Rum Diary, back in 2011. Amber Heard is pictured during her 2016 deposition where she described punching Depp in the face in attempt to stop him from hurting her sister, she said Heard cataloged the 'horrific' abuse she claims to have suffered at Depp's hands, describing him as 'the monster' and recalling many of the allegations she made during their divorce. The filing included photos of bruises and scars (left and right) This is one of the clumps of hair left on the ground after Depp tore it from Heard during a December 2015 fight, she claims in legal filings Timeline of Amber Heard and Johnny Depp's relationship February 3, 2015 Johnny Depp and Amber Heard marry in a private civil ceremony at their LA home, four years after they met as co-stars on the set of The Rum Diaries. The couple celebrate with a lavish reception on an idyllic private island in the Bahamas that Depp bought in 2004 for $3.6 million. April 21, 2015 Heard breaches Australia's biosecurity laws after she and Depp fail to declare their two Yorkshire terriers when they arrive Down Under on a private jet for the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Charges of illegally importing animals are dropped but Heard admits falsifying quarantine documents and is placed on a $1,000 one month good behavior bond. May 23, 2016 Heard files for divorce after 15 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Four days later a judge issues a temporary restraining order against Depp over domestic violence allegations. Pictures of Heard's alleged injuries hit the tabloids but the LAPD finds no evidence of a crime. August 16, 2016 Heard retracts her allegations as she and Depp reach a $7 million divorce settlement. Their marriage was 'intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love,' the former actors say in a statement. 'There was never any intent of physical or emotional harm'. December 18, 2018 The Washington Post publishes an op-ed by Heard, an ambassador for women's rights at for the American Civil Liberties Union, urging support for women who suffer domestic violence. 'Two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out,' Heard writes. March 1, 2019 Despite not being named in the article, Depp files a $50 million defamation suit in Fairfax Circuit Court, Virginia saying it insinuated he was an abuser and got him fired from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Depp dismisses Heard's allegations as a 'hoax' and claims he was actually the victim of her violence. April 10, 2019 Heard files a motion to dismiss the complaint, cataloging more than a dozen instances of abuse between 2012, when she moved in with Depp, and the May 2016 bust up that preceded their divorce. She refers to him as 'the monster' in the 300-plus page filing. May 20, 2019 Depp hits back against the motion to dismiss claiming Heard painted bruises on her face, scrubbed metadata and fabricated evidence against him. He denies ever abusing any woman and says of her allegations: 'I will continue to deny them for the rest of my life.' Advertisement The pair married in February 2015 but split less than two years later when Heard had a restraining order slapped on Depp over claims he threw a cellphone in her face at their downtown Los Angeles loft. Heard claimed police had evidence of the May 27, 2016 attack but two LAPD officers later said in a deposition that they found nothing to suggest a crime took place. The estranged couple eventually agreed to a $7 million divorce settlement in August 2016 - which Heard says she donated to charity - but their back-and-forth feud was only getting started. DailyMail.com's exclusive tape recording was made around a year earlier when the caustic marriage was rapidly crumbling. Their heart-to-heart quickly descends into bickering as Heard accuses Depp of taking her for granted, behaving like a 'vacation husband' and 'splitting' every time they have an argument. Depp complains he's forced to leave when she becomes 'manic and angry', telling Heard: 'I'm not going be in a physical f**king altercation with you... you f**king hit me last night.' He goes on to add: 'I'm not the one who throws pots and whatever the f**k else at me.' Heard responds: 'That's different. That's different. One does not negate the other. That's irrelevant, that's a complete non sequitur. 'Just because I've thrown pots and pans does not mean you cannot come and knock on my door. ' When Depp cuts in to suggest he's also had vases hurled at him, she replies: 'Just because there are vases does not mean that you come and knock on the door.' 'Really, I should just let you throw?' Depp replies, tailing off as they carry on sniping. 'The only time I ever threw anything at you was when you f**king threw the cans at me in Australia,' he admits. Heard asks: 'Why are you trying to justify who throws things based on whether or not you come knocking on the door? I don't get why one informs the other.' Depp says, raising his voice: 'Because that is a f**king irrational and violent f**king maneuver. So a man would want to get out of that area so that he doesn't get so f**king angry that he actually does pop the f**king wife.' The exchange doesn't point to any specific event but it has a possible reference to the contentious and bloody incident in which Depp suffered a severed finger one month into their marriage in Australia. He claimed his then-wife 'went berserk' when he asked her to sign a prenup and hurled a Vodka bottle at him which shattered on a marble counter-top, ripping off the tip of his finger. Heard maintained, however, that Depp cut the digit off himself during an argument while he was 'drunk and high on ecstasy.' Their taped conversation moves on to dissect the previous evening's bust up, with Depp accusing Heard of getting 'f**king violent' and punching him in the jaw. 'You hit back. So don't act like you don't f**king participate,' she tells Depp, who replies: 'I pushed you'. He says he texted his building manager Travis to come to their home because he was afraid the fight would escalate. 'I said to you, ''hey tell Travis what just happened'... And that you that you punched me in the f**king thing... In the face''. And you said, ''no I f**king didn't. What the f**k are you talking about?''' And I watched you lie,' he says. Heard replies: 'I didn't punch you. I didn't punch you, by the way. . . I'm sorry that I didn't, uh, uh, hit you across the face in a proper slap, but I was hitting you, it was not punching you. Babe, you're not punched. ' Depp cuts in to protest: 'Don't tell me what it feels like to be punched.' Heard sarcastically replies: 'I know, you've been in a lot of fights, been around a long time. I know, I know. Yeah.' Getting audibly upset, Depp fires back: 'No! When you have a f**king closed fist.' Heard responds: 'You didn't get punched. You got hit. I'm sorry I hit you like this. But I did not punch you. I did not f**king deck you. 'I f**king was hitting you... I don't know what the motion of my actual hand was, but you're fine, I did not hurt you, I did not punch you, I was hitting you.' As the argument rumbles on, Heard questions whether Depp's 'edgy' mood is prompted by his use of Adderall. She also attacks his 'chronic' moods swings from 'Up, down, like really aggressive, then really cool and calm.' Dad-of-two Depp lists at least three 'physical fights' they have had in the previous month and a half to two months. 'If things get physical, we have to separate. We have to be apart from one another,' he pleads. 'Whether it's for f**king an hour or 10 hours or f**king a day. We must, there can be no physical violence towards each other. 'All I'm saying is we need to take whatever time we need. You need, I need, to kind of let things settle for a minute. 'So that we don't f**king kill each other or f**king worse, you know, f**king really kill each other or f**king break up or whatever.' Both Heard and Depp concede their wild marriage fails to offer security or a 'safe environment' for either star despite rare moments that are 'wonderful' and 'beautiful'. Using language similar to her later court submissions, Heard also questions whether the 'monster' with Depp is gone. 'What are we going to do different in the moment when you're mad, and you go f**k it and you decide all bets are off?' she asks Depp. He replies: 'Look what I did in Australia, look what I accomplished. I put the f**ker away. I told myself every f**king day, no, he's gone. No he's f**king, put him away.' The vodka bottle Heard allegedly threw, exploded and tore off Depp's finger (above after surgery). He said he had to undergo multiple surgeries and almost died after contracting MRSA three times The tape eventually leads to a moment of reconciliation, with Depp urging Heard: 'Let's do our best to fix what's broken within the machine. The machine that is us. 'I love you and I want you to be my wife. And I want to be your husband. And I want to be a good husband.' Heard responds, tenderly: 'I love you. I know so we can be so good.' She filed for divorce months later. Heard has thus far failed to have Depp's defamation case thrown out or moved from Virginia, where the Post is based, to California. However she did succeed in having it pushed back from last December to August of this year. 'Amber Heard recorded multiple conversations between her and Johnny Depp,' Depp's attorney Adam Waldman told DailyMail.com in a statement. 'These tapes containing Amber Heard's chilling confessions of violence further expose and destroy her abuse hoax.' A spokeswoman for Heard accused Depp of 'vindictively' leaking the tape and trying to victim-blame their client. 'Anyone familiar with the dynamics of domestic abuse would immediately recognize what is really going on here. Throughout the extended tape recording that Johnny Depp vindictively turned over to the press, Ms Heard repeatedly attempts to placate Mr Depp, ignore his accusations, and force him to acknowledge what was really happening in their relationship,' the spokeswoman said. 'For Mr Depp, who lived and lives in an echo chamber of his own making, to try to twist this private conversation to suggest either that he didn't abuse Ms Heard or that she somehow 'deserved it' is nothing more than the latest misogynistic effort at victim-blaming.' Three young activists from different countries were invited to participate in a panel discussion hosted by the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves le Drian and Minister of Ecological Transition Elisabeth Borne in Paris on Thursday. The event was organised by the French Institute for its fifth edition of the annual Night of Ideas (Nuit des Idees) which was hosted at the Quai d'Orsay, and open to the public. The theme of this year's debate, Being Alive aimed to discuss biodiversity and climate change in the presence of the three young activists, considered representatives of the youth involved in environmental protection. Kristin Rodrigo, one of the guests, is a student in zoology an environmental activist from Canada. She was present at the COP24 summit in Poland, and is involved in a number of intiatives in favour of environmental protection in the Toronto region where she grew up. Speaking to RFI ahead of the panel, she outlined how her work in zoos and pedagogy has made her all the more aware of our presence in relation to other living things and she said however small the gesture, every effort counts. By PTI NEW DELHI: India on Thursday said it has noted the European Parliament's decision to not put to vote a resolution against the new citizenship law, asserting that the legislation was enacted following the due process. External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India has also noted the European Commission's clarification that the EU Parliament's views don't reflect the official position of the grouping. "As I have mentioned earlier, CAA is an internal matter of India. It has been adopted through due process and democratic means," Kumar said, adding India will continue to engage with the European Parliament and other stakeholders on the issue. The European Parliament delayed a vote on Thursday on a resolution against the new citizenship law, a move seen as an attempt to not jeopardise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Brussels in March for a bilateral summit with the 28-member bloc. The European Parliament on Wednesday decided to take up the voting against the Citizenship Amendment Act during its new session beginning March 2. "We have noted the decision of the EU parliament not to put the CAA resolution to vote on Thursday," Kumar said. India reached out to almost all countries of the powerful bloc, trying to persuade them against going ahead with the resolution against the CAA. Sources said the European lawmakers agreed to delay the voting to get a direct perspective from on the CAA from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who is scheduled to visit Brussels to prepare the ground for Modi's visit in mid-March. The EU lawmakers also wanted to wait for judicial review of the contentious law by India's Supreme Court. Diplomatic sources said the vote on the resolution against the CAA may take place between March 30 and 31, but a debate on it will go on as scheduled later on Wednesday. Six political groups of members of the European Parliament had moved a joint resolution against India's citizenship law, calling it discriminatory. Getty Let the people decide for themselves! cried White House Counsel Pat Cipollone Wednesday, warning senators not to even think about pushing Trump out less than 10 months before an election. Hmmm: Where have I heard that one before? Alan Dershowitz Defends Trump With an Unapologetic Embrace of American Fascism Flash back four years, to when Justice Antonin Scalia died and, while his corpse was still warm, Mitch McConnell said: The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president. That was a blatant abuse of legislative branch power, one of the most corrupt procedural moves any senator has made since the days when the old segregationists used whatever tricks they could to hold up civil rights bills. Also a total Hail Mary pass, because as McConnell spoke those words in February 2016, no one thought for a second that Trump was actually going to become president and most everyone thought it would be Hillary Clinton. But the bet came up a winner, and McConnell got away with the kind of black-is-white/up-is-down logic at which the Republicans have become so skilled. He cloaked his anti-democratic maneuver (denying a constitutional prerogative to a duly elected president who won by a very comfortable margin) in the language of democracy (let the people decide). So it is here. They can thump on all they want about Federalist this or Hamiltons letter that, but the fact is that impeachment is in the Constitution. Theres no time frame on it. The Constitution doesnt say, Of course, we think you shouldnt do it to a president within 10 months of an election. It says the Senate may convict, period. Just like it says the President shall nominate people to fill Supreme Court vacancies, and the Senate shall vote on that nominee. Nothing about short-circuiting that process in a presidents last year. Its total nonsense. Suppose that in, oh, July of a presidential election year, a president had a political opponent killed. Caught in flagrante delicto, as it were. Open and shut. And suppose that like Trump most of the time, he didnt even bother denying it. Story continues Under current law, the president couldnt be arrested. That would have to wait until he left office. So the nation would be faced with two choices. Keep a murderer in the Oval Office, as the leader of the free world, or impeach him and remove him from office. In that case, should the Senate just wait and let the people decide? Actually, if the president-murderer were a Republican, Midnight Mitch and Lawless Lindsey would undoubtedly say yes, which would give them and Fox plenty of time to concoct a story that the president was acting in self-defense, boldly preempting some deep state conspiracy. But the vast majority of Americans would presumably not want a murderer in the White House and would want him impeached and convicted. And, of course, if it were a Democratic president, Mitch and Lindsey and the gang would be all for impeachment and conviction. Theyd stand there before the very same cameras they stand before today solemnly telling us that it doesnt matter whether its 100 days before Election Day or one, the Constitution imposes upon them this grave duty and they have no choice but to carry it out. So let the people decide is not a principle. Its an excuse. But to people paying only fleeting attention, it sounds like principle. Which they know. Which is what makes it so manipulative and cynical. This isnt a hypothetical question. Alan Dershowitz flat-out claimed this as a legal principle Wednesday, asserting that, If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. If only Nixon had known about this get-out-of-jail free card that Republican senators look ready to punch now for Trump. But thats not even the worst part of it. The worst part of let the people decide is that in our system as it now stands, the people dont decide. In 2016, the people chose Hillary Clinton by nearly 3 million votes. They decided. They wanted Hillary Clinton to be the next president (and nominate that Supreme Court justice). But people dont count in our system. States do. Cipollone knows this, as do all the Republicans from McConnell on down whove taken to parroting the defense counsels line. And they know a couple other things, too. One, they know that after they acquit Trump, hes going to go right back to cheating and trying to rig the 2020 election. Dershowitz just gave him constitutional carte blanche to do it if Republican senators accept this logic. And not only do they know Trump will go back to cheating; they quietly hope he will. This is because of the second thing they know. Two, they know theres a sporting (or better) chance that Trump is going win on the cheap again, but this time even worse. Trump could lose the popular vote this time by 5 million or more and still eke out an Electoral College win, as experts like David Wasserman and various others have written. Assuming a vote of perhaps 145 to 150 million (about 137 million voted last time, and Im guessing interest will be higher), 5 million is a lot. More than 3 percent. In any other election in this country, thats case closed. The state laws that allow recounts typically allow them if the margin is less than 1 percent, or even .5 percent. Not 3.33 percent. So no, in the United States of America, or the United States of Republican America, the people do not decide. The people chose Al Gore. The people elected Barack Obama to eight years in office, not seven, canceling out his appointment powers in the eighth year. And the people chose Hillary Clinton. This is not partisan sour grapes. This is a crisis of a Constitution that was the product of compromises made with slaveholders. Today, the slaveholders descendants likewise have us by the throat and hide behind the people. Poor Merrick Garland learned that the hard way. But so have we all. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Americans are watching with alarm as a new coronavirus spreads in China and cases pop up in the United States. They are barraged with information about what kinds of masks are best to prevent viral spread. Students are handing out masks in Seattle. Masks have run out in Brazos County, Texas. Hang on. I've worked as an emergency room physician. And as a New York Times correspondent in China, I covered the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003 during which a novel coronavirus first detected in Guangdong sickened more than 8,000 people and killed more than 800. My two children attended elementary school in Beijing throughout the outbreak. Here are my main takeaways from that experience for ordinary people on the ground: Wash your hands frequently. Don't go to the office when you are sick. Don't send your kids to school or day care when they are ill, either. Notice I didn't say anything about masks. Having a mask with you as a precaution makes sense if you are in the midst of an outbreak, as I was when out reporting in the field during those months. But wearing it constantly is another matter. I donned a mask when visiting hospitals where SARS patients had been housed. I wore it in the markets where wild animals that were the suspected source of the outbreak were being butchered, blood droplets flying. I wore it in crowded enclosed spaces that I couldn't avoid, like airplanes and trains, as I traveled to cities involved in the outbreak, like Guangzhou and Hong Kong. You never know if the guy coughing and sneezing two rows ahead of you is ill or just has an allergy. But outdoors, infections don't spread well through the air. Those photos of people walking down streets in China wearing masks are dramatic but the subjects appear uninformed. And remember if a mask has, perchance, intercepted viruses that would have otherwise ended up in your body, then the mask is contaminated. So, in theory, to be protected maybe you should use a new one for each outing. The simple masks are better than nothing but not all that effective because they don't seal well. For anyone tempted to go out and buy the gold standard, N95 respirators, note that they are uncomfortable. Breathing is more work. It's hard to talk to people. On one long flight at the height of the outbreak, on which my few fellow passengers were mostly epidemiologists trying to solve the SARS puzzle, many of us (including me) wore our masks for the first couple of hours on the flight. Then the food and beverage carts came. Though viruses spread through droplets in the air, a bigger worry to me was always transmission via what doctors call "fomites," infected items. A virus gets on a surface a shoe or a doorknob or a tissue, for example. You touch the surface and then next touch your face or rub your nose. It's a great way to acquire illness. So after walking in the animal markets, I removed my shoes carefully and did not take them into the hotel room. And, of course, I washed my hands immediately. Remember, by all indications SARS, which killed about 10% of those infected, was a deadlier virus than the new coronavirus circulating now. So keep things in perspective. Faced with SARS, many foreigners chose to leave Beijing or at least to send their children back to the United States. Our family stayed, kids included. We wanted them with us and didn't want them to miss school, especially during what would be their final year in China. But equally important in making the decision was that the risk of getting SARS on an airplane or in the airport seemed greater than being smart and careful while staying put in Beijing. And we were: I stopped taking my kids to indoor playgrounds or crowded malls or delicious but densely packed neighborhood Beijing restaurants. Out of an abundance of caution, we canceled a family vacation to Cambodia though my fear was less about catching SARS on the flight than that one of the kids would have a fever from an ear infection upon our return at a border screening and would be stuck in a prolonged quarantine in China. We instead took a vacation within China, where we carried masks with us but didn't use them except on a short domestic flight. In time, during the SARS outbreak, the government shut down theaters and schools in Beijing, as it is doing now in many Chinese cities because these viruses are more easily transmitted in such crowded places. But there was also a lot of irrational behavior: Entering a village on the way to a hike near the Great Wall, our car was stopped by locals who had set up a roadblock to check the temperature of all passengers. They used an oral thermometer that was only minimally cleaned after each use. What a great way to spread a virus. The International School of Beijing, where my children were students, was one of the few in the capital perhaps the only one that stayed open throughout the SARS outbreak, though the classes were emptier, since so many kids had departed to their home countries. It was a studied but brave move because a parent at the school had gotten SARS at the very beginning of the outbreak on a flight back from Hong Kong. She recovered fine, but it was close to home and families were scared. The school instituted a bunch of simple precautionary policies: a stern note to parents reminding them not to send a child to school who was sick and warning them that students would be screened for fevers with ear thermometers at the school door. There was no sharing of food at lunch. The teacher led the kids in frequent hand washing throughout the day at classroom sinks, while singing a prolonged "hand washing song" to ensure they did more than a cursory pass under the faucet with water only. If a family left Beijing and came back, the child would have to stay at home for an extended period before returning to class to make sure they hadn't caught SARS elsewhere. With those precautions in place, I observed something of a public health miracle: Not only did no child get SARS, but it seemed no student was sick with anything at all for months on end. No stomach bugs. No common colds. Attendance was more or less perfect. The World Health Organization declared the SARS outbreak contained in July 2003. But, oh, that those habits persisted. The best first-line defenses against SARS or the new coronavirus or most any virus at all are the ones that Grandma and common sense taught us, after all. Pakistan on Friday offered to send a field hospital and a team of doctors to China to help fight coronavirus that has killed over 200 people and infected thousands of others. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives. "On behalf of the government of Pakistan, the Foreign Minister extended the offer of sending a field hospital to China as well as sending a group of doctors to the brotherly people of China to assist them in the recovery efforts," the Foreign Office said. Qureshi also thanked China for helping Pakistani students in Wuhan. Wang, on behalf of Premier Li Keqiang, conveyed a special message of gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan's support and solidarity with the Chinese people and thanked Qureshi for Pakistan's offer. The Pakistani students in China were being treated "like our own", Wang said, adding that China was doing everything to ensure their safety, health and well-being. The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trumps administration on Friday cited security reasons for banning immigrants from six countries, including Nigeria a move that could significantly impact Houstons large African community. The metropolitan area is home to 35,000 Nigerians, the biggest population in the country after the New York- Newark- Jersey City area, which is home to 44,000 people from the West African country, according to Census data analyzed by the Migration Policy Institute, a think tank in Washington D.C. Its pandemonium, said Houston immigration attorney Ral Obioha, who fielded calls from families with relatives in Nigeria waiting for permission to immigrate. The announcement comes nearly three years to the day after Trump signed his first travel ban, spurring chaos at international airports around the world until it was quickly blocked and eventually ended up at the Supreme Court. The justices in 2018 upheld the third version of what critics called a Muslim ban, restricting entry from five Muslim-majority countries Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen as well as Venezuela and North Korea. Chad was initially included in the list, but was later removed after authorities in the United States said the Central African country had improved its screening. Officials from the Departments of State and Homeland Security told reporters in a press briefing Friday that the expanded ban on immigrants from the six additional countries almost all with a large Muslim population was again necessary for security reasons. Either those countries were insufficiently checking for criminals and terrorists or inadequately scrutinizing stolen passports and not sharing enough information with the United States, they said. The U.S. government on Feb. 22 will stop issuing visas that can lead to permanent residency for people from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar and Nigeria, the officials said. The government will also stop issuing diversity visas to those from Sudan and Tanzania. Those green card lottery visas are typically available to countries with low rates of immigration to the United States and have been criticized repeatedly by the president. About 12,400 people from those six nations were granted immigrant visas in fiscal year 2018, officials said. They said they would consider waivers for applicants in certain cases, but did not elaborate for what reasons people could be exempt. People from those countries coming to the U.S. on non-immigrant visas including to study or temporarily work will not be impacted for now. Refugees are also not included. The bans effect on Nigeria, Africas most populous country, could be severe. The U.S. State Department issued over 7,900 green cards to Nigerians in 2018. Some of the nations on the expanded list, including Nigeria and Eritrea, also have a high percentage of citizens who come to the U.S. with temporary permission and end up overstaying their visas. Last year Trump issued a presidential memo that declared such numbers unacceptably high and instructed federal agencies to consider action against countries who overstay at a rate higher than 10 percent. U.S. officials said the decision to only restrict immigrants seeking to live here permanently rather than include visitors was made because the six countries are capable of making improvements on their security procedures. If we dont see improvement in their practices, the president could decide to impose additional restrictions, they said. Obioha, the immigration attorney, said many of her clients have been waiting for years to bring their relatives here, including an American citizen who moved to Houston from Nigeria for work, leaving behind his wife and three children. With this ban, hes going to have to choose between the job or staying with his family in Nigeria, Obioha said. That is heartbreaking. Uche Chinwuba, a 33-year-old nurse and U.S. citizen, said she married her Nigerian husband last year and has been waiting for him to be able to join her in Houston. They met several years ago while she was on a trip to Nigeria. We have been apart for how many months now and I was looking forward to him hopefully being here by this year and now I dont know where it lays, she said. Suddenly their whole life seemed at risk. I would like to live in America, but if its not possible, I dont want to get a divorce, Chinwuba said. Im just shocked. Its actually giving me anxiety. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat whose district includes the largest Nigerian community in the nation, said the administrations expanded ban was pure discrimination and racism. She noted that the House Homeland Security Committee, of which she is a member, had not been consulted or briefed on the security risks the administration claimed these nations pose and questioned such assertions. There are bad actors in Russia, bad actors in China, and none of those places have been put on any kind of ban, she said. Eleven foreignborn terrorists from those six countries attempted or committed attacks on U.S. soil between 1975 and 2017, killing six people, according to an analysis by Alex Nowrasteh, an immigration analyst with the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank in Washington D.C . The Tsarnaev brothers who killed five people and injured hundreds in the Boston Bombing in 2013 were born in Kyrgyzstan. Emanuel Kidega Samson, who killed a woman and wounded seven people in a Nashville church in 2017, was born in Sudan. The chance of being killed in the U.S. by a foreign-born terrorist from those nations is about 1 in 1.9 billion per year, the Cato analysis found. By comparison, the annual chance of being slain in another homicide during that period was about 1 in 14,383. The hazard posed by terrorism is real, but the terrorist threat from the six countries on the new travel ban list is small, Nowrasteh said in a statement. Advocates recalled the presidents curse word to describe African nations during a private conversation that was leaked in 2018, in which Trump reportedly complained that Nigerians who entered the United States on visas would never go back to their huts. They said this decision was another example of the administrations discrimination toward people of color and Muslims. As Africans we are not unfamiliar with heads of states who consider themselves to be above the law and use tribalism to turn our communities against each other and bolster themselves in power, said Amaha Kassa, executive director of African Communities Together, an international advocacy group. We dont sit quietly when it happens in our homeland and we wont sit quietly when it happens in our new homes in the United States. lomi.kriel@chron.com Nearly three years since the tragic fire in Guatemala that killed 41 teenage girls, the country is still embroiled in a fight for justice. In the aftermath of the fire, there have been reports of sex trafficking and egregious abuse by the officials responsible for protecting the children in their care. As legal efforts work their way through the Guatemalan courts to hold responsible actors accountable, this meeting marks a turning point in the US' commitment to justice. Earlier this week, Reps Espaillat and Gonzalez sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urging him to call on the Guatemalan government to investigate the whereabouts of the surviving children and take steps to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. Academy Award nominated filmmaker, Bryan Buckley has released a docu-drama called SARIA, that powerfully visualizes the story. With the film now nominated for this year's Oscars in the Short Film (Live Action) Category, Buckley is joining forces with Reps Espaillat and Gonzalez to call for justice for the surviving victims. Said SARIA Director Bryan Buckley, "Those who prey on the young and the vulnerable must not be allowed to walk freely. No matter what corner of the world they are in. The Guatemalan officials who are accountable for the deaths of the 41 orphaned girls must pay for their unthinkable crimes. I am encouraged by the meeting with Congressmen Espaillat. A trial must happen. And justice served. I directed SARIA because the world needed to see the story of what happened to these girls and with the efforts of the Congressmen and advocates within Guatemala, we truly have hope of bringing justice." "The wounds left from the fire at Virgen de la Asuncion Safe Home have continued to manifest across Guatemala and the rest of Latin America nearly three years later," said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. "The orphans who lived in that home suffered systemic abuse, exploitation and terror, with the fire marking a tragic miscarriage of a primary tenet shared throughout the international community: the safety of our children is paramount. I am optimistic that President Giammattei will refocus the gaze of lady justice, and ultimately compel the answers that the victim's families, the Latino community, and the survivors deserve." "A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable," said Congressman Vicente Gonzalez. "The new Giammattei administration has the unique opportunity to seek long overdue justice for the victims of the fire and secure the welfare of the survivors of this horrific accident. It is my hope that President Giammattei and Secretary Pompeo will seize this opportunity to address the safety and health needs of children and orphans in Guatemala and prevent such tragedies from happening ever again." SARIA opens Friday in theaters across the nation through "Shorts TV Presents 2020 Oscar Nominated Shorts" screening program. The film's wider release coincides with an effort to raise awareness in the US and serve as a catalyst for action in Guatemala. Check here for local theaters and times. Contact: Erika Tannor, 917-626-2487 SOURCE Hungry Man Productions YARDLEY BOROUGH >> The Yardley Borough Police Department report the following incidents and arrests: WARRANT (DOMESTIC ASSAULT) >> At approximately 7:55 p.m. on January 11 a victim fleeing a domestic assault in her vehicle was entering the parking lot at police headquarters when her car was struck by another vehicle. The striking vehicle fled prior to police arrival. A follow-up investigation... In a democracy, nothing is more sacred than the mandate given by the people, said President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday, adding that the people of the country have given 'this mandate to my government for the making of a new India.' "In a democracy, nothing is more sacred than the mandate given by the people. The people of the country have given this mandate to my Government for the making of a new India," he said in his address to the Joint Session of Parliament at the beginning of Budget Session. "A new India which takes pride in the glory of our ancient culture and which enriches the 21st-century world with the power of its knowledge. A new India, in which besides finding solutions to old problems, new chapters of development are written," he said. "A new India, in which adequate facilities and new opportunities for growth are available for the poor, Dalits, women, youth, tribals and minorities," he said, adding "a new India, where every region develops, no region is left behind, where the benefits of modern technology reach the farthest end of society, and a new India, which is at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution and which attains new heights at the global stage." "The Constitution of India is the guiding light for all of us in fulfilling these dreams. Just a few weeks ago, on 26th November, 70 years of the Constitution have been completed. On that day, 12 crore citizens of the country, publicly read out the Preamble of the Constitution and renewed their commitment to the Constitution," he said. "In addition, to protect the rights of every citizen of our country, our Constitution makes the citizens of the country mindful of their duties. Further, our Constitution also places an expectation that the decisions taken through democratic processes will be accepted by the countrymen. At the same time, our Constitution expects the Parliament and every member present in this House to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen and make the necessary laws, keeping the interest paramount," he said. He said that "due to my Government's strong commitment, the law against Triple Talaq ensuring justice to Muslim women and safeguarding their rights; the Consumer Protection Act providing new rights to the citizens; the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act for protecting the savings of the poor; the Chit Funds Amendment Act protecting the poor from fraudulent chit fund schemes; the law enhancing punishment for sexual offences against children; Motor Vehicles Amendment Act aimed at reducing road accidents; and the law protecting the rights of the transgender persons - several such historic legislations have been enacted." "The faith reposed by the people of our country in our democratic institutions strengthens the foundation of our democracy. The maturity displayed by the countrymen after the Supreme Court's verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi is also laudable. My Government is of the firm view that mutual discussions and debates strengthen democracy. At the same time, any kind of violence in the name of protests weakens the society and the nation," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lithuanian English The Management Board of PLLC Kauno Energija (hereinafter the Company) (code 235014830) approved on January 30, 2020 a non-audited Set of Consolidated and Companys Financial Statements of 12 months of the year 2019, prepared according to International Financial Reporting Standards, as adopted by the European Union. The result of Companys activities of 12 months of the year 2019 according to International Accounting Standards is profit in amount of EUR 278 thousand (profit of 12 months of the year 2018 is EUR 4,414 thousand), turnover from sales is EUR 54,659 thousand (turnover of 12 months of the year 2018 is EUR 61,328 thousand). The result of activities of the Group which as at December 31, 2019 consisted of PLLC Kauno Energija and of its subsidiaries LLC Kauno Energija NT (code 303042623) and LLC Petrasiunu Katiline (code 304217723) is profit in amount of EUR 507 thousand (the result of 12 months of the year 2018 is profit in amount of EUR 3,963 thousand), turnover from sales is EUR 54,650 thousand (the result of 12 months of the year 2018 is EUR 61,316 thousand). EBITDA of 12 months of the year 2019 is as follows: Companys EUR 7,600 thousand it is at 37.8 per cent less, than in the year 2018 (in 12 months of the year 2018 it was EUR 12,227 thousand), Groups EUR 8,471 thousand it is at 31.8 per cent less, than in the year 2018 (in 12 months of the year 2018 it was EUR 12,417 thousand). Companys profit of 12 months of the year 2019 decreased in comparison with the result of the same period of the year 2018 due to the new base heat price constituents, which became valid from December 1, 2018 and due to the applied additional heat price constituent decreasing heat price by 0.29 ct/kWh (excl. VAT), which emerged due to the Companys additional income, earned on the difference between prices of fuel purchase and consumption, actual and included in the price of heat, and between prices of purchase of heat. A sum in amount of EUR 3323.3 refunded to consumers during the year 2019. Companys turnover from sales decreased by 10.9 per cent due to the 3.3 per cent decrease in the average heat selling price and due to the 5.3 per cent less amount of heat sold in comparison with the year 2018. We hereby present the non-audited interim financial statements of 12 months of the year 2019 together with Confirmation from responsible persons. Loreta Miliauskiene, Senior Economist of Technology and Economic Analysis Department, tel. +370 37 305 855 Attachment The marriage institution in all climes is revered and adored because it is at the core of human existence. The Glorious Koran and Holy Bible speak glowingly of the benefits of marriage and human beings are admonished to take the institution very seriously. In African society, marriage is seen as a sign of responsibility as unmarried adults are treated with social scorn and could not be given positions of responsibility. If a man or woman is able to accommodate the excesses of the spouse, such a person is given leadership roles in politics and business world. But today the sacred institution is under severe attack by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. In a recent advertorial for employment, the agency said that only unmarried persons should apply for positions in the organization. This is as scandalous as outlandish. This is the position of EFCC on job recruitment :`Recruitment of Detective Assistants, Detective Inspectors and Detective Superintendents, which dated January 15, 2020, the EFCC stated that all the applicants must be single`. If the advertorial is true, then the EFCC is operating outside the provisions of the 1999 constitution. To say that marriage is hindrance to getting jobs in government departments is to pierce the fundamental rights of those affected and Nigerians of good conscience should condemn the act and work towards its abrogation. Some Nigerians have spoken vehemently against the move as it goes against natural justice and labour law. The director-general of the Nigeria Employers` Consultative Association, an affiliate of the Nigeria Labour Congress , Timothy Olawale argued that it was clear contravention of the International Labour Organizations conventions. Said Olawale :`The issue of inclusion is one of the problems we have in this country. We always find a way to exclude people. One of the principles of fair recruitment is fairness. What the EFCC has done is in contravention of ILO conventions. During recruitment, you don`t segregate any class. Even if you will apply some factors discretionally in the course of recruitment, you don`t make it public. What offence have married people committed? ` This is the question the acting chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu and his management team must answer. The EFCC is a common patrimony of all Nigerians and not a private firm. If Magu were running his private firm and decides to employ only bachelors and spinsters, nobody will question his decision. But here this agency belongs to all Nigerians and they are entitled to work there just as the present workers are doing without discrimination. This decision must not be allowed to stand. True that Airlines operators insist that all air hostesses must be single and should be attractive and pleasant to the eyes of air travellers. Nobody will break his head over that. Similarly, some banks in the country operate anti-marriage policies. Married couples are not expected to work in the same bank branch and spinsters and bachelors who express desire to marry are advised that one of them must quit the job. Even more disturbing is the trend in some banks to give unmarried ladies targets to meet and by implication pushing them into prostitution. This is bad and this is what the organized labour should fight. If the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC )is also embarking on recruitment of personnel and not talking about the marriage status of the applicants, there is no reason in the world why EFCC should embark on this infamous road. The Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress should take up this fight and insist that the right thing should be done. Furthermore, the army of human rights lawyers in Nigeria should test the matter. Finally, President Muhammadu Buhari should call the acting chairman of EFCC to order and cancel this obnoxious policy. Marriage is a noble and time honoured institution and no government official not matter how highly placed should rubbish it. That is certainly how not to control population which I know is not one of the functions of EFCC. Buhari and the national assembly should call the leadership of EFCC to order. Marriage is neither crime nor corruption by any stretch of logic. Julius Oweh, a journalist, Asaba, Delta State. The views expressed by public comments are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the TERMS OF USE and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Your comments may be used on air. Be polite. Inappropriate posts or posts containing offsite links, images, GIFs, inappropriate language, or memes may be removed by the moderator. Job listings and similar posts are likely automated SPAM messages from Facebook and are not placed by WFMZ-TV. (Newser) The coronavirus fallout continues. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines say they will stop flying to mainland China, reports CNBC. American's move is effectively immediately through at least March 27, though the airline will continue to fly into Hong Kong. Delta's suspension will begin Feb. 6 and run through April 30. Expect United to follow suit, especially in the wake of the State Department's warning to American travelers to avoid China. The viral outbreak has sickened more than 9,690 people in China, where most of the 213 deaths to date have taken place. The US currently has six patients being monitored, according to the latest world tally from the AP. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Ahead of this session, we worked with Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow, to develop the Equity Investment Act. The program would offer a 60% tax deduction on investments to qualified, in-state companies. This incentive encourages investment in entrepreneurship and technology ventures and will attract out-of-state dollars into Oklahoma coffers. Incentivizing this angel investment will support entrepreneurs with the capital they need to build sustainable, successful companies in Oklahoma. For health care, there is no greater opportunity facing Oklahoma than the full expansion of Medicaid eligibility. This long-standing OneVoice priority is the most effective and efficient way to improve the health of Oklahomans and ensure the vitality of the states $12.5 billion health care industry, which employs more residents in primary jobs than any other industry. Increasing coverage will decrease Oklahomas high rate of uninsured workers and help maintain an effective and productive workforce. Oklahoma is one of only 14 states that has not accepted federal funds to expand Medicaid eligibility. Our state stands to receive more than $1 billion annually from the federal government by expanding Medicaid, which would provide insurance to an additional 200,000 people. A Browning woman reported missing on Tuesday has been found, according to the Glacier County Sheriff's Office. She was found Thursday afternoon a day after she was reported missing by family members. Trisha Alexander, 23, was last seen around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in Browning. She had dropped her mother off at a casino, according to a social media post from the sheriff's office made Wednesday evening. She was last seen driving a red, 2007 Ford F-150 truck with a grill guard. The license plate number is CSZ940, according to the post. Alexander is described as Native American, with brown eyes and hair, weighs 118 pounds and is 5-feet and 4-inches tall. According to her family, she was supposed to return to the casino at 8 p.m. Her direction of travel is unknown, or whether it's thought she is in danger. Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services confirmed that she was still missing as of Thursday morning, but would not comment on questions surrounding her disappearance. The Glacier County Sheriff's Office did not return calls Thursday morning asking for more information on Alexander. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff's office at 406-873-2711, or the Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services at 406-338-4000. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Michigan will allow US Ecology to expand its hazardous waste facility in northeast Detroit, a move resulting from a proposal that neighbors had challenged over several years. The 10-year permit was approved on January 29 by the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). It allows US Ecology, formerly Dynecol, Inc., to continue existing operations, construct and operate two new buildings for storage and treatment, and repurpose an existing building, according to the state. The news angered Theresa Landrum, an environmental activist living in the city, who said shes concerned about contamination risks. Look at the history we have now, she said. "Green ooze stored in places, hundreds of (contaminated) places they know about but cant clean up. It seems like Detroit is the dumping ground." However, EGLE said in its series of responses to public concerns that it does not have authority to deny a license based on public support or opposition." US Ecology spokesman David Crumrine said the company has not timeline yet for the expansion. He adds that the services there are performed under oversight, which should protect residents. This facility provides safe and compliant waste treatment for industrial customers in the Michigan area, he said. This and other facilities in the US Ecology network provide important public and private remediation and cleanup efforts including PFAS remediation and cleanup of the green ooze waste spill along I-696 in Madison Heights. This facility is a vital part of the solution to provide safe and compliant waste management options. The site is located on 6.5 acres zoned for heavy industry at 6520 Georgia Street, northwest of Van Dyke and I-94. Its also about one mile east of Hamtramck. The company provides waste segregation, consolidation. packaging and transportation services on the property, according to its website, along with disposal of unneeded, out-of-date or unknown chemicals. Changes now allowed, according to state documents: The Container Management Facility will be able to accept a total volume of 52,800 gallons, an increase of 11,800 gallons. The Treatment Facility can now store up to 176,200 gallons of hazardous wastes, following a conversion of existing tanks from chemical storage. It treats up to 144,000 gallons of hazardous wastes per day, an amount that does not represent an increase. That treatment generates 300,000 gallons of treated effluent that goes to the Great Lakes Water Authority wastewater system; that number also is not an increase. The proposed Stabilization Expansion in building 4 will involve an enclosed 20,250 square foot building with three in-ground concrete stabilization/processing treatment tanks totaling about 90,000 gallons. The solid hazardous waste treatment will be limited to 600 tons per day. The proposed Bulking and Consolidation building will be about 20,000 square feet. The maximum number of drums containing waste material that will be allowed to be stored in this building is 4,160, for a total volume of no more than 228,800 gallons of hazardous wastes. A storage area will be used for containers, including roll-offs, that will be shipped to other sites. The maximum volume of hazardous wastes allowed to be stored in containers here will be 121,184 gallons. The new permit continues the companys waiver from testing ground water. According to the state, that " is based upon existing geology and hydrogeological information surrounding the facility. The groundwater monitoring requirement was waived as there was then and now, no potential for migration of liquid from the facility to the uppermost aquifer. " However, EGLE could independently test the groundwater. Effluent monitoring is done by US Ecology and GLWA before the treated wastewater reaches the Detroit River. There were three times in the first six months of 2019 that the company exceeded maximums. The contaminants involved were mercury, suspended solids and copper. US Ecologys Detroit North facility had been working on a permit originally issued in 1998. The permit renewal was filed in September 2007, then in March 2013 the company made a revised license and expansion request. Public comment started in 2015, then another period was started in 2019, in part due to concerns raised that enough nearby residents who are not native English speakers did not have access to the information in other languages. US Ecology has a contract with EGLE to collect and dispose of 37,000 gallons of fire-fighting foam that contains PFAS. That effort started in late 2019, following the award of the $1.4 million contract. The company also operates a landfill in Van Buren Township and a waste recycling facility in Romulus. Meanwhile, Landrum said that shes seen EGLE push things through too rapidly, and shes watching for signs that the agency is changing its approach when it receives public concerns. The recent evaluation of the air quality plans for the new Fiat Chrysler plant in Detroit was a positive step, she said, after EGLE demanded better monitoring. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer just announced the states first Michigan Advisory Council for Environmental Justice. Landrum joins 20 other state residents on the panel. For the past two years, C.Y. Stephens Auditorium in Ames has been showcasing local singing and songwriting talent in conjunction wit Additional reporting Digital Desk Staff The chief medical officer at the Department of Health, Dr Tony Holohan has confirmed that there is a strategy in place to contain the coronavirus should any cases arrive in the country. Dr Holohan told RTE radios Morning Ireland that there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Ireland. He welcomed the classification on Thursday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the coronavirus outbreak that started in China was a public health emergency of international concern. "Such a categorisation will allow the WHO to give more effective assistance to China," he said. "Early detection and prevention of spread of the virus are the key components of the Department of Healths plans to combat the coronavirus," explained Dr Holohan. The plans have been in place for some weeks and are based on similar campaigns for Sars, Mers and the flu pandemic of 2009-2010. Frontline services such as GP surgeries, hospitals, ambulances will all be informed on how to detect and deal with any suspect cases. There are no certainties, we will prepare for the worst case scenario and hope for the best. It was important that if a person who had travelled from a region where the virus was present felt unwell, they would identify themselves at an early stage., he said. The evidence from China was that good prevention measures such as masks appeared to help. If basic preventative procedures are put in place, they are effective. Meanwhile, the National Public Health Emergency Team says Ireland will continue to monitor the situation regarding coronavirus. It said Ireland is well-positioned to detect and respond to any case that might arise here. As yet there have been no confirmed cases in Ireland. The NPHET will continue to monitor the situation and to participate in the international assessment of response to it, through the European Centre for disease control and the WHO. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 13:05:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zhang Jun (C), China's permanent representative to the UN, speaks at a UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and ASEAN at the UN headquarters in New York, Jan. 30, 2020. The Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the United Nations and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work together to safeguard multilateralism in international and regional affairs. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called on the United Nations and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to work together to safeguard multilateralism in international and regional affairs. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and ASEAN, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, said the relationship between the UN and ASEAN has become increasingly close in recent years, the cooperation mechanism has been continuously improved, and the areas of cooperation have been continuously expanded. At present, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and unstable and uncertain factors are increasing, impacting the international order and the global governance system, the Chinese envoy noted. "It is even more important and urgent to strengthen multilateralism," said Zhang. The Chinese ambassador noted that all ASEAN countries are developing countries and for them, accelerating development is the top priority and the fundamental way to prevent regional risks and challenges. Zhang added that the UN should make better use of its institutional, resource and capacity advantages and strengthen coordination with the ASEAN to provide more support to its members in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, narrow the development gap, and promote youth employment and social stability in the region. Furthermore, as ASEAN countries are deeply affected by terrorism and violent extremism, the international community should support them in carrying out counter-terrorism cooperation, implementing Security Council resolutions and the UN global counter-terrorism strategy, and working together to combat terrorist financing, drug trafficking and transnational crimes. China is ready to work with other countries to strengthen cooperation between the UN and ASEAN and other regional and sub-regional organizations, firmly support multilateralism and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said. Oxford University has cracked down on vicars and tarts and 'pimps and hoes' parties in case they are deemed offensive to non-binary students. Other fancy-dressed gatherings - known as bops - set to be outlawed are 'pimps and hoes' and 'fox hunts'. The prestigious university body said they could be deemed 'problematic' and may stereotype men or women in a highly objectified or sexualised role. Oxford University Student Union published guidance called 'Inclusive Practice for Events'. The Student Union has also warned dressing in drag should be handled 'sensitively' It added 'Cowboy and Indian' themed nights could also be seen as mocking ethnic minority students. The Student Union has also warned dressing in drag should be handled 'sensitively'. It published guidance called 'Inclusive Practice for Events'. It said: 'This advice does not seek to repress student self-expression through the clothing they choose to wear but is here to help everyone feel able to have a good time. 'Entz events with highly gendered themes are a welfare issue because there is usually an implicit or explicit gender divide. And for anyone who does not identify with traditional binary gender roles, this may be problematic. 'Often such themes will stereotype men and women in a highly objectified and/or sexualised role (e.g. vicars and tarts, pimps and hoes, fox hunts).' Regarding drag events, it added: 'Attendees shouldn't seek to dress as another gender for the purposes of ridicule or to make light of the experiences of people of that gender. 'However, students should not be restricted from dressing in drag in a way which expresses themselves or to demonstrate admiration for individuals. Anisha Furak, the President of Oxford University Student Union, which is cracking down on vicars and tarts and 'pimps and hoes' parties 'If handled sensitively, themes that involve drag have the potential to be friendly and positive for all students.' It continued: 'Cultural appropriation is defined as an act by which a member of a dominant culture uses the clothing, traditions, aesthetic customs or other cultural markers of a marginalised culture to their own benefit, ignoring the history and context of these cultural markers and failing to give credit to their origins and proper use. 'Entz events with culturally appropriative themes (such as 'Cowboys and Indians', 'Arabian Nights') or that are otherwise racially or culturally insensitive can cause Black, Asian and minority ethnic and international students to feel excluded, mocked or distressed in JCR and MCR spaces.' One former student said: 'Oxford University Student Union is always seeking to be more accommodating for students. This new policy is surprising.' An Oxford University Student Union spokesman said they had loose guidance on ensuring events are inclusive and don't offend anyone. The guidelines come months after University of Sheffield students were urged not to wear sombreros to ensure Halloween costumes are not 'sexist, racist, ableist or transphobic'. The University of Sheffield Students' Union issued new guidelines on costumes in 2019 which included banning sombrero's as they are deemed 'offensive' and inappropriate. The Union also recently banned clapping as applause noise could trigger anxiety. Undergraduates who are officers at its Student Union wanted it replaced with jazz hands. The idea was suggested at the Student Union's first union meeting of the year. TEMPE, Ariz. A Waymo self-driving minivan operating in manual mode was involved in a rear-end collision in a Phoenix suburb caused by a sedans reckless driving, the company said Friday. The collision occurred late Thursday night in Tempe when the sedan erratically swerved in front of the Waymo vehicle, braking aggressively and abruptly slowing down to a full stop on a 45 mph (72 kph) road, the company said in a statement. The Waymo driver tried to avoid a collision but the minivan rear-ended the sedan as a result of the reckless driving of the other individual, the company said. Tempe Police Department spokeswoman Sara Soldo said in an email the Waymo driver, who was in the minivan alone, was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries described as not life threatening. The sedans driver did not report being injured, she said. The police spokeswoman said video from Waymo was being reviewed as part of its ongoing investigation, and may be released to the public in the coming days. In the meantime, no citations have been issued and there were no signs of impairment by either driver, Soldo said. Waymo said its driver reported neck pain, and was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for minor injuries and released. Incidents such as this one reinforce the importance of Waymos mission: to make it safe for people to get where theyre going and to help save the thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes caused by humans, the company said. Waymo, a Google spinoff, is among several companies testing autonomous vehicles in metro Phoenix. An Uber self-driving vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian in Tempe in a 2018 crash that the National Transportation Safety Board said was caused by the distracted human safety driver. Uber halted its self-driving vehicle testing program in Arizona after that crash. ___ This story has been corrected with an updated police statement saying there was no passenger in the Waymo vehicle as initially reported. This story has been updated with the correct spelling of the police spokeswomans last name as Soldo, not Saldo. AN APPLICATION to transport five warhead rockets via Shannon Airport was refused by the Department of Transport this May. Documentation obtained by the Limerick Leader shows that the Ukraine Air Alliance sought a special exemption to transport the rockets from Turkey to the United States this May 5. Figures provided by the department show that a total of 6,761 permits for munitions of war were granted for flights travelling through Irish airspace from 2010 up to this May, including 377 exemptions to date this year. Sixteen applications have been refused given the nature of the weapons, including in one case the personal weapons of troops on a flight from the US to Qatar, which was due to land at Shannon. A total of 135 flights with personal weapons on troops on board landed at Shannon Airport up to this May, while only five exemptions were sought to transport weapons via Dublin Airport. Forty-six flights carried weapons, largely the personal weapons of troops, en route to Kuwait, while others were destined for Jordan, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Turkey and Qatar. There have been repeated concerns raised about Irelands neutrality given the use of Shannon Airport, in particular, as a stop-over for the US military. However, senior gardai in Limerick said they have no intelligence whatsoever to suggest it is at risk as a terrorist target. John Lannon, of the group Shannonwatch, which monitors the use of Shannon by foreign military, said the refusal of some permits is to be welcomed, but said it has to be questioned what is being transported on the hundreds of planes that arent being inspected? Shannon Airport was always meant to be a civilian airport; it was not designed as a military base. It is now a major security risk for the airport and the entire region. We need to stop Ireland's involvement in the ongoing carnage across the Middle East, Mr Lannon told the Limerick Leader. Other applications to transport class one explosives and bombs on a number of flights through Irish airspace from the United States to Germany and the United Arab Emirates were also refused. That applicant, Atlas Air Inc, a global airfreight company with military customers, made a total of 216 applications this year. Aer Lingus also made several applications to transport glock pistols, ammunition, Sig Sauer pistols and carbine pistols, which were all granted by the department. The Air Navigation (Carriage of Munitions of War, Weapons and Dangerous Goods) Order 1973 provides that no munitions or weapons of war may be carried by an aircraft in Irish airspace without an exemption granted under the order. Minister for Transport Shane Ross said that he recently decided that his department should conduct an internal review of this Order, given the changes to international law in the past 44 years. Thousands of miscarriages a year in the UK could be prevented with a daily hormonal capsule, according to a study. Experts say women with a history of miscarriage or early bleeding in their pregnancy could benefit from progesterone. The hormone is naturally secreted by the ovaries and placenta in early pregnancy and is essential for maintaining the lining of the womb and boosting the immune system in expectant mums. Progesterone was given twice a day to thousands of mothers who were either suffering with vaginal bleeding or had three or more miscarriages. Birth rates improved up to five per cent - which would result in an additional 8,450 babies a year in the UK, researchers estimated. Whether to start doling progesterone out has been debated for more than 60 years. But up till now, there has not been the evidence to recommend its use, the researchers said. Experts have urged the NHS to consider giving the hormone as a standard treatment to women at risk. A simple hormone therapy during pregnancy could save thousands of babies' lives a year, according to a new study (stock image) Between 20 and 25 per cent of pregnancies end in a miscarriage, having a major clinical and psychological impact on women and their families. A miscarriage occurs when a pregnancy is lost within the first 23 weeks after conception. During the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, vaginal bleeding can be a sign of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy - but not always. The latest study, led by Professor Arri Coomarasamy, of University of Birmingham and Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage, examined the findings of two major clinical trials - Promise and Prism. Promise analysed 836 women with unexplained recurrent miscarriages at 45 hospitals in the UK and the Netherlands. 'Recurrent miscarriages' is a medical issue defined as the loss of two or more consecutive pregnancies. The study found the hormone - put inside the vagina as a pessary - increased the birth rate by three per cent. The second study, Prism, included 4,153 women with early pregnancy bleeding at 48 hospitals in the UK who were given progesterone, or a dummy pill (placebo), until 16 weeks into their term. The number of babies born to those on the drug who had previously had at least one miscarriage rose by five per cent. The benefit increased threefold to 15 per cent for those who who had suffered three or more. Dr Adam Devall, who co-authored the study, said the role of progesterone in the treatment of high risk pregnancies has been debated for '60 years'. How at least one in six pregnancies ends in a miscarriage One in six pregnancies in women who know they are pregnant become miscarriages. But even more happen among women who don't know they have conceived. Miscarriage occurs when a pregnancy is lost within the first 23 weeks after conception. The main symptoms are bleeding from the vagina, which may be accompanied by lower abdominal pain. There are various reasons women may have a miscarriage it is common and is not usually caused by something they have done. If a miscarriage happens in the second trimester between weeks 14 and 26 it may be a sign of an underlying problem. Often, miscarriages are isolated events and women will go on to have successful pregnancies. The majority of miscarriages can't be prevented, although being generally healthy will help reduce the risk. Losing three or more pregnancies in a row - known as recurrent miscarriages - is uncommon but still affects around one in 100 women. Advertisement But he said that up till now, there has not been the evidence to recommend that women take the drug as a supplement. However, he added that the Prism and Promise studies suggested that the drug can be beneficial for women who have had early bleeding and a history of previous miscarriages. 'The role of first trimester progesterone supplementation in the treatment of pregnancies at high risk of miscarriage is a long standing research question that has been debated in the medical literature for over 60 years,' Dr Devall said. 'Thus far, policy makers have been unable to make evidence-based recommendations on the use of progesterone supplementation to improve outcomes. 'The PRISM and PROMISE Trials found a small but positive treatment effect, dependent on the number of previous miscarriages. 'We believe that the dual risk factors of early pregnancy bleeding and a history of one or more previous miscarriages identify high risk women in whom progesterone is of benefit. The question is, how should this affect clinical practice?' A second study, published in BJOG: an international Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, examined the cost of using progesterone. It found that progesterone is cost-effective and costs around 204 per pregnancy. Tracy Roberts, professor of economics at the University of Birmingham, said miscarriage costs the NHS around 350million per year. Dr Pat O'Brien, consultant and vice president of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: 'We welcome the findings from this well-researched trial which supports the use of progesterone among women with early pregnancy bleeding and a history of miscarriage. 'This treatment offers an increased chance of a successful birth and appears to be cost effective for the NHS, so we hope NICE will consider this important research in their next update of the guidance.' A spokeswoman for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which regulates medicines in the UK, said: 'We are currently updating our guideline on the diagnosis and initial management of ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage to consider new evidence on progesterone in treating threatened miscarriage. 'These updated recommendations will be subject to consultation in due course.' The research, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Theresia Sufa (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java Sat, February 1 2020 Lets speak: Children study English with Irmanda Sri Amri, a student of Jakarta State University (UNJ) who volunteers at the Sempur English Camp, in Bogor, West Java, on Jan. 21. (JP/Theresia Sufa) Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. One afternoon, a group of children practiced saying these words in Rambutan hamlet in Sempur, Bogor, West Java. Ranging in age from 6 to 9, they sat on bamboo chairs in a residents house and all seemed eager to learn English. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login 31.01.2020 LISTEN A valid register of voters is the starting point of a credible and inclusive democracy. The register of voters distinguishes between those who can be allowed to vote from those who cannot. Proper planning for elections in a country like ours must be preceded by establishing whether or not we have a credible and comprehensive voter register. In the 27 years of the Fourth Republic, massive, systematic electoral fraud has denied Ghanaians their right to freely elect their government. Today, Ghana stands as a beacon of light on the African Continent due to its participatory democracy. The eighth national elections, will be held on December 7, 2020 and this needs the attention of every well meaning citizen. And if the election is free and fair, Ghana would have further become stronger its political freedom and the restoration of the national confidence. But a free and fair election cannot be held without fundamental changes in the deeply flawed Ghanaians electoral process. Even with the introduction of "The Biometric Voters Registration Kit (BVR)" for the 2012 registration, the system had challenges during the registration period and on the elections. In 2012, I had the privilege to be recruited by Electoral Commission as a Registration Coordinator for the Voter Registration exercise and as a Presiding Officer for the December elections. The registration exercise was fraught with fraudulent insertion of people who were not qualify to be registered on the voters list. The two main parties were guilty and the need to remedy is now. Those resisting the new voters list were guilty and same for those insisting a new voters list to be compiled. From observation, the country's current electoral machinery have over the years been ideally suited for manipulation -- an opportunity for fraud which "governments" have repeatedly seized. If the election is to be free and fair and perceived as such, the entire process must be opened to public scrutiny, in two fundamental ways. First, the entire electoral process must be opened to neutral observers to negate the mistrust. Although polling agents of the opposition parties are permitted by law to observe all aspects of the voting, allegations of police and electoral officials acting at the behest of the governing party have in the past prevented these polling agents from witnessing crucial portions of the electoral process. Second, the presence of trained and able neutral observers to witness every aspect of the electoral process, from the creation of the new list of voters through the balloting on Election Day to the final counting of the votes, is indispensable to bolster domestic monitoring efforts. No one can be denied or disenfranchised if the person meet all the requirements of a voter. Those claiming that the Elections could be compromised aren't being honest. Any such claim is a mirage. The days when people could snatch ballot boxes, stacked with ballots are over. Because any incident of a kind renders the votes of the polling station null and void. So it is not possible for anyone to rig elections no matter what. Notwithstanding I support the idea and a need for purging the voters list. The idea should be encouraged as it will greatly correct the bloated perceptions. The arguments against the Electoral Commission concerning the procurement entire system is really worrying. As to the credibility of the vote register in respect to the current "BVR" my response is "Yes and No". Every system has a lifespan no matter how robust. Technology is very dynamic and highly transitional. Manufacturers develop software applications and hardware for specific duration. Each has a terminal point, therefore any integration or migration of old and new demands prudent planning and prudent use of resources. I think, the approach of the Electoral Commission from reasoning point by far is very good and convincing. For anyone to link the procurement and the new voters registration to the ongoing feud or stand off between the Electoral Commission and the NDC is grossly mistaken. The entrenched attitude is absolutely nonsense because it is all about personality clashes. The arguments about the financing are a facade of deceptions. The undercurrent bubbles is between Asiedu Nketia and Jean Mensah. I'm inclined to believe that Asiedu Nketia has a bone to pick up with the Jean Mensah and is manipulating the NDC for a personal vendetta. Before the process of voting we should remind ourselves that a valid register of voters is the starting point of a credible and inclusive democracy. The register of voters distinguishes between those who can be allowed to vote from those who cannot, so any enhancement of the system must be welcome. Below is the process at a polling station that makes "THE BALLOT BOXES NOT OF MUCH RELEVANCE AFTER THE COUNTING OF THE BALLOTS". The arguments rigging is untenable because it is not possible. Elections are won at Polling Stations. Let's proceed with the steps and stages that happens at the close of polling. Once the total ballots have been determined by counting at the places of poll, the ballot boxes in actual fact do not matter much any longer. The concern over the integrity of ballot boxes and the need to keep safe from attack after the count are of no importance than useless blunder. At the end of polls (voting), the Presiding Officer at each and every polling station initiates the process for the counting of the ballots or the ballot papers. The counting of the ballots are done in the presence of polling agents representing their respective political parties. Each party is allowed a counting agent to witness the counting of the ballots. At the end of counting, the totals for each party are compared with that which the polling agents and counting agents would have recorded. This is to ensure that there is no dispute as to the number of votes which each party receives. The next step after the authentication, the result would be recorded on a Statement of Poll. On the Statement of Poll, the Presiding Officer will record the number of valid votes cast for each list of candidates, the number of electors voting at the Polling Station, the tendered ballot papers used, the spoiled ballot papers, the destroyed ballot papers and the rejected ballot papers with the reasons for rejection. Those who are witnesses to the counting of the ballots are then required to sign the Statement of Poll, copies of which are then given to them. Once a political party has a representative in the polling station that party should have a copy of the signed and certified Statement of Poll. The Statement of Poll is the official record of the result of the election at each polling station and not the ballot box. It is then transmitted to the Deputy Returning Office, Returning Officer and the Chief Elections' Officer. The Statements of Poll are used to compile the results for every region, not the ballot boxes. This foolish or unacceptable behavior, about having supporters outside of the polling stations to work the dayshift and nightshift is nonsense. There is no need for anyone outside of the polling stations to protect the ballot boxes after counting, because the principal document for the count is the Statement of Poll which bears the signatures of the Presiding Officer and those who witnessed the count, including the party representatives. Copies of the Statements of Poll are to be pasted at each of the polling stations so that the public can view the results. As mentioned before, the party polling agents also receive copies and this result is often transmitted by them to their command centers where they do their own tallies. It should be noted that the political parties therefore know by the next morning who won the elections. Therefore the call for people to protect the ballot boxes is nothing other than absurdity and nonsense. The ballot boxes become unimportant under the circumstances as soon as the Statements of Poll have been finalized and finished. Any call for the protection of the ballot boxes is mischievous and can lead to unnecessary agitation as was the case in 2019 at Ayawaso where ignorants spread malicious and false rumours about arms and ammunition being stored at a location. There is also no need for party supporters to congregate outside of any polling station during the hours of polling. In fact, it is not lawful for them to be within a certain perimeter of the polling station. Their presence can constitute more than just campaigning; it can place voters under duress. The call for the massing of party supporters at polling stations caused the problems that was witnessed during the Ayawaso bye-elections. When the party supporters outside of a polling station in the Lodging of a candidate, were accosted for allegedly plotting to cause or disrupt the elections, the end result was disturbing and this should inform supporters to be wary of their leaders and guard against their lives. The incident should deter Political Parties to be thinking about having their supporters work the 'dayshift' and the 'nightshift' to protect what? Why must you get yourself to tango with the law? Why get injured for some irresponsible people - someone who doesn't love you more than himself or herself? The 'Politicians' must abstain from careless and useless talk. In 2012, there was all manner of loose talk about ballot boxes been tempered with. The poor people and the people on the fringes that suffers. We fail to see through the careless and useless talk which present thugs the fertile ground to launch their nefarious activities. My caution to everyone - whichever "Party" we support, we have to remind ourselves that the troublemakers are out there looking for a reason to cause problems. They are anxious to seize the chance to burn, beat, loot and rob. The politicians must not inadvertently create the environment for them to do so because innocent people will suffer. That's my admonition to you. By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited a hospital in Brasilia on Thursday night, leaving without speaking to reporters, with a source familiar with the matter saying the president had felt discomfort in his abdomen. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a medical team was weighing whether to replace mesh that was put in Bolsonaro's abdomen to treat a prior hernia. Government representatives could not be reached for comment on the reason for the visit By Lisandra Paraguassu BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited a hospital in Brasilia on Thursday night, leaving without speaking to reporters, with a source familiar with the matter saying the president had felt discomfort in his abdomen. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a medical team was weighing whether to replace mesh that was put in Bolsonaro's abdomen to treat a prior hernia. Government representatives could not be reached for comment on the reason for the visit. Bolsonaro, 64, was stabbed by an attacker on the campaign trail in 2018 and has repeatedly sought follow-up treatment for the injury and related issues. He has undergone four surgeries since the attack, with the most recent operation using the mesh to correct a hernia in the area where he was stabbed. Thursday's hospital visit was not on Bolsonaro's official agenda for the day, which was set to end after he visited the state of Minas Gerais where heavy rains and flooding last week led to the deaths of more than 50 people. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu; Writing by Jake Spring; Editing by Peter Cooney) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. A national group of military sexual assault survivors is enlisting the public's help to convince presidential candidates to commit to military justice reform in cases of sexual assault and rape. Eleven of the 15 candidates running for president have signed onto Protect Our Defenders' pledge to eliminate chain-of-command prosecutorial authority in "non-military crimes like rape and murder." President Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Joe Walsh and Mike Bloomberg have not signed on. "We cannot rely on the military to institute its own reform," said Paula Coughlin, the whistleblower for 87 women who were sexually assaulted at the Navys Tailhook Association symposium in 1991. "I certainly could not rely on the military in the wake of my assault. The time has come to demand real, lasting change. I am heartened that the majority of presidential candidates have signed the pledge." Notably, the effort to change military prosecutorial authority has some stalwart opponents. Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., a retired Air Force colonel who revealed her own account of military sexual assault last year, has defended the status quo, saying its important that military commanders remain involved in the process of bringing offenders to justice. Related: Sexual Assault Reports Increased Last Year Across Military Academies, DoD Says The Defense Department reported to Congress in 2018 that active-duty reports of sexual assault and rape had increased about 38% overall since 2016; the number was 50% for servicewomen. Military women reporting sexual assault are 12 times more likely to experience retaliation than their attacker is of being convicted of a sex offense, according to a 2015 report from the group. "The epidemic of sexual assault is just as bad -- if not worse -- than when I first entered the military," Harmony Allen, who was raped 20 years ago in the Air Force, said in a news release. "The next president of the United States must protect the women and men who serve our country by committing to fundamental military justice reform." Part of the pledge states, "As a core part of this commitment, I will make fundamental reform of the military justice system a priority, empowering independent military prosecutors rather than commanders with the authority to make prosecutorial decisions for serious criminal conduct including rape, murder, sexual assault, and domestic abuse while leaving unique military crimes in the hands of commanders." The group is encouraging the public to tweet and email their support for the pledge to the remaining candidates through its website. "Protect Our Defenders and countless brave survivors have been fighting toward that end for years, but we need our lawmakers, and particularly the next commander-in-chief, to take action," retired Col. Don Christensen, president of the group, said in a statement. "Until we institute true reform and put serious crimes in the hands of trained professionals, the epidemic of sexual assault will persist." The pledge reads: "As president and commander-in-chief, I pledge to create in our armed forces a safe and healthy environment where perpetrators are held accountable for their criminal actions." -- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at dorothy.mills-gregg@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg. Read More: DoD Releases Video Explaining Traumatic Brain Injuries After Trump Comments By Jeff Murphy, January 30, 2020 Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, third from left, on Jan. 30 announced the MO ABLE program investment account partnership with the University of Central Missouri. Joining him were, left to right, Bill Hawley, UCM vice president for finance and administration; Roger Best, UCM president; Allison Easterwood, assistant executive director of West Central Independent Living Solutions, Warrensburg; David Pearce, UCM executive director for governmental relations; and Ranea Taylor, YCM associate vice president of human resources. WARRENSBURG, MO - Missouri State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick today announced a partnership with the University of Central Missouri and the MO ABLE program. UCM will begin offering payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts for employees on Feb. 1. Payroll deductions make it easier for individuals with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities to save for the future, Treasurer Fitzpatrick said. I am committed to making MO ABLE more accessible so Missourians can make the best use of this program. I thank the University of Central Missouri for this commitment and hope other universities across the state will follow their example. Consistent with our longtime commitment to making the University of Central Missouri a great place to work, we are pleased to partner with Treasurer Fitzpatrick to make payroll deductions for MO ABLE accounts available to our faculty and staff, said UCM President Roger Best. MO ABLE accounts enable individuals with disabilities and their families to save and invest, tax-free, providing peace of mind for families and new opportunities for individuals with disabilities. We are proud to support MO ABLE, knowing its potential to positively impact the future of eligible UCM employees. Launched in 2017, MO ABLE allows individuals with disabilities and their families to save up to $15,000 per year, tax-free, without losing federal benefits like Medicaid and SSI. For more information about the MO ABLE program and to take an eligibility quiz, visit moable.com. UCM employees should contact Human Resources or Payroll Services to establish their payroll deduction once they open an account. Stonebwoy has started making viable business moves aside his successful music career. The president of Burniton Music Group, bought the franchise and brand of Big Boss Energy Drink. He has, as a result, joined the league of few Ghanaian musicians who are building business empires with proceeds from their music career. Did you know #1GOD Bought @bigbossghana Franchise and Owns it Now While its still Produced By @belbeverages #BO$$ITUP, Stonebwoy confirmed the big move in a post on Instagram. The reggae dancehall musician, who had about 19 international features in 2019, was recently unveiled as the brand ambassador of the energy drink. But he has made an extra effort to buy it while the beverage is still manufactured by Bel Beverages. Bel Beverages is a Ghanaian producer of a variety of non-alcoholic drinks with factories around the country. Expectations are that Stonebwoys next move should be owning a manufacturing company to produce the drink in the not-too-distant future. 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 Students have been left shocked and upset by an insensitive reminder of a bus crash in a pre-Leaving Cert exam. Two years ago this February, 36 John the Baptist Community School pupils and a male were taken to UHL after a bus ended up on its side in a ditch. Teachers and staff in the secondary school have put every possible support in place for all the 46 teenagers who were on the bus since the accident occurred. Some of those boys and girls are now in Leaving Cert and on Wednesday, January 23, sat a French aural exam from an outside company during their mocks. Students are asked to listen to a CD and answer questions on a subject. In this case the topic was a school bus crash that was eerily similar to what happened in Caherline on Wednesday, February 7, 2018. A parent contacted the Limerick Leader to say there was silence in the classroom. Everybody was shocked. It triggered those terrible memories. One girl stopped writing and couldnt continue. She had to go home. She was very upset, everybody was, students and teachers. The school and staff have been brilliant since the accident. It was incredibly insensitive by whoever prepared this paper. Of all the things they could have talked about they chose a school bus crash. It beggars belief. It is understood that three teenagers were particularly affected by what they heard. The parent continued: The teachers immediately took action and looked after everyone. The same exam was to take place in the afternoon but they made sure it wasnt played again. They couldnt do enough for the students. Staff were brilliant on the day it happened and have been brilliant every day since. Noreen Rafferty, principal of John the Baptist Community School in Hospital, confirmed that at the end of the aural component of the pre-French Leaving Certificate exam, a scenario was described that caused particular upset to some of our students. In our own house exams, every effort is made that our students are protected and that nothing offensive or hurtful appears. As this exam paper was from an outside company and teachers were trying to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of the exam, the same parameters may not have been applied, said Ms Rafferty. As soon as they became aware of the upset, they replaced the paper. We contacted the company immediately, as we are mindful that this may be an issue for other schools and students, and measures may need to be taken. We regret that the aural component of this exam caused such hurt and distress to our students, as the school has always looked after these students, cognisant of their particular need as a consequence of their experience in a bus crash in February 2018, said Ms Rafferty. Sir Keir Starmer, the frontrunner in the Labour leadership contest, has said he will bring back freedom of movement if he becomes prime minister. At a speech to mark Brexit day, the shadow Brexit secretary said that the divisions between Leave and Remain must end, and made a passionate defence of EU freedom of movement. He said: I want families to be able to live together, whether thats in Europe or here, and I want people in this country, in the United Kingdom, to be able to go and study in Europe just as they can now, and people in Europe to be able to come and study here. We have to make the case for freedom of movement. Asked if he would bring it back if he were in No 10, Sir Keir said: Yes, of course. Bring back, argue for, challenge. Front pages mark Brexit Day Show all 13 1 /13 Front pages mark Brexit Day Front pages mark Brexit Day The Independent Front pages mark Brexit Day The Sun Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mail Front pages mark Brexit Day The Daily Telegraph Front pages mark Brexit Day The Guardian Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Express Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Star Front pages mark Brexit Day The Times Front pages mark Brexit Day Metro Front pages mark Brexit Day i Front pages mark Brexit Day Daily Mirror Front pages mark Brexit Day Financial Times Front pages mark Brexit Day The Scotsman Boris Johnson has ruled out allowing freedom of movement to continue after Brexit, making a new immigration policy a key part of the Tory election manifesto. Sir Keir also defended his support for a second referendum, which has been blamed by some in the party for Labours catastrophic electoral defeat in December. Asked if he had any regrets, he said: Theresa Mays deal was a bad deal. It didnt protect workplace rights, environmental rights, consumer rights. It was a bad deal which would lead to a very, very hard Brexit and we were right to oppose it. Lets not rewrite that. Lets not pretend it was a good deal somehow. Recommended Internal Labour report excuses Jeremy Corbyn for election defeat Brexit was one of many reasons why Labour lost the election, he said, but arguing that Brexit alone was the cause was plain wrong. If we go down that route we will not get to the bottom of the challenge we face and we will lose another general election, he said. Sir Keir used his speech to call for voting rights for EU nationals remaining in the country, as a statement of support. We need to give our EU citizens rights, not tolerance, and that starts with the right to vote, he said. I challenge the government to give EU citizens the right to vote and be properly citizens of our country ... We welcome migrants, we dont scapegoat them. He did not rule out extending the right to people from other countries, when pressed by the audience at an event in central London. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA The frontbencher is through to the final stage of the leadership contest, in which members will cast their ballots, alongside MP Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary. Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, is struggling to make up ground with trade unions and constituency parties, whose support she needs to get on to the ballot paper. The new Labour leader and the deputy will be announced on 4 April. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:19:06|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinian protesters burn tires during clashes with Israeli soldiers after a protest against the U.S. Middle East peace plan, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Jan. 31, 2020. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) GAZA/RAMALLAH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least 50 Palestinian demonstrators were injured on Friday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, medics said. The clashes happened during demonstrations against the U.S. Middle East peace plan, known as the Deal of the Century. Earlier on Friday, an Israeli army tank fired several shells on central Gaza Strip in response to three mortars launched from eastern Gaza into southern Israel. No injuries were reported. Actor Arshad Warsis attempt to make a joke of the deadly Coronavirus outbreak did not land well on Twitter. He shared a meme on steps to follow to stop Coronavirus from spreading, which has received criticism online for its racist undertones. The meme shows a scene from Arshads hit film Munna Bhai MBBS in which his character, Circuit, cons a Chinese tourist, beats him up and presents him as a dead body to his friend, played by Sanjay Dutt. The meme, essentially, jokes that one must beat up Chinese citizens to stop the virus from spreading. My friend just sent me this very valuable info, Arshad wrote in his tweet. My friend just sent me this very valuable info... pic.twitter.com/QKAlH7rttS Arshad Warsi (@ArshadWarsi) January 31, 2020 While many laughed at Arshads meme, others found it to be in bad taste. Racist remark...pls dlt this one, wrote one. This is racist actually! Everywhere around people are putting notices to not let the Chinese in which is very absurd, wrote another. Delete immediately. We cant be racist and support attacks on Chinese nationals . Most of northeasterners will be targeted because of this stupid meme, read another tweet. World Health Organization has declared Coronavirus spread a global health emergency. As many as 213 people have died so far, all of them in China, where the outbreak first appeared in Wuhan, capital of the central Hubei province. The number of confirmed cases in China has risen beyond 9,800. Chinas Health Ministry said there were 15,238 suspected cases in China at the end of Thursday. Also read: Saif Ali Khan scolds Kapil Sharma for flirting with Kareena Kapoor, asks arent you married? Watch In addition, Hong Kong has 12 cases and Macao has five. Indian government also confirmed the first case of Coronavirus in the country on Thursday. A student of Wuhan University who returned to Kerala was admitted to a hospital and is under care in the isolation ward of Thrissur Medical College. The central government has also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from travelling to China. In addition, the thermal screening facilities, as a precautionary measure, have been extended to 21 airports now, including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi, and Goa. Follow @htshowbiz for more Princess Beatrice is getting ready to tie the knot with Italian mogul Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in what should be a star-studded wedding. But with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping away from the royal family, they might not get invited to the royal ceremony. Heres a look at who will attend Beatrices wedding and whether or not Harry and Meghan will be invited to the event. Princess Beatrice | David M. Benett/Getty Images for Mazi and Venyx World Princess Beatrice to tie the knot Beatrice and Mozzi actually met when they were children. The two grew apart over the years before reconnecting at Meghan and Harrys wedding in 2018. Their romance heated up quickly and this past September, Beatrice confirmed her engagement on social media. The couple has not announced when they are planning on tying the knot but the wedding will likely be scheduled for this year. Whether it happens in the spring or fall, of course, is yet to be seen. While Princess Beatrice has not released any details about the wedding, she has probably ironed out a guest list for the ceremony. The two have not released the official guest list, but attendees will likely include members of the royal family, friends of the bride and groom, and a few celebrities. Princess Beatrice announces her engagement Although Beatrice has been very quiet about her wedding plans, she did release a slew of engagement photos on social media. Taking to Instagram, the couple posted the images along with a special message about their engagement. We are extremely happy to be able to share the news of our recent engagement, they wrote. We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and cant wait to actually be married. The pair added that they share a lot of interests and are confident that they will enjoy many years together. Based on the photos, there is no denying that they share a lot of love. Why Prince George is odds on for a starring role at Princess Beatrice's wedding https://t.co/TWBlbrLsfS pic.twitter.com/P83jpPywrI Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) January 30, 2020 For those that do not know, Mozzi made a name for himself in the real estate business in the UK. He also comes from Italian nobility, and his father is Count Alessandro Mapelli-Mozzi. Princess Beatrice, meanwhile, is the oldest daughter of Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew. Because Andrew was forced to step down from his post in the royal family, it is unclear how involved he will be in the wedding plans. Who will make it to Beatrices wedding? The guest list, of course, remains one of the biggest mysteries about Princess Beatrices upcoming wedding. According to Express, we know for sure that most members of the royal family will be invited to the ceremony. Beatrices parents, Andrew and Sarah, are almost guaranteed to attend the event, along with Queen Elizabeth. Beatrice was present for Prince William and Kate Middletons wedding in 2011, so there is a good chance they will also get an invite. When it comes to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, chances are they will also be invited to the wedding. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited Beatrice to their nuptials in 2018, so it would be a big surprise if she did not return to the favor. The only hiccup is that Meghan and Harry are no longer senior members of the royal family. The pair announced their exit earlier this year and are currently living in Canada. They stepped down to avoid being in the spotlight, though we have a feeling they would show up for the wedding if Beatrice asked them. Inside Princess Beatrices wedding Aside from the guest list, we know that Beatrices wedding is going to be a lavish affair. After all, Beatrice is an important member of the royal family and having the wedding of her dreams is well within her means. Like royal weddings in previous years, Princess Beatrice will likely wear a tiara from Queen Elizabeths jewelry collection, though she may switch things up when it comes to her wedding dress. More exposure for royals Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie now! https://t.co/UvabCbUwlp Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) January 30, 2020 Like Kate and her sister, Princess Eugenie, Beatrice might have her dress designed by someone outside of the U.K. It is also unclear which tiara Beatrice will choose, though she will likely look back at other royal weddings for ideas. Unfortunately, we probably will not know more about Princess Beatrices wedding until we get closer to the date. If Beatrice and Mozzi tie the knot this spring, then we shouldnt have to wait long for more details. While it may feel as if the Democratic primary has been going on for 84 years, I regret to inform you that its really only just getting started. Ours is an era of grotesque polarization ground through a seemingly endless electoral process. We are a country that has been gaslit to exhaustion and divorced from anything even remotely resembling unity, and so I submit to our search for consensus a question of public interest: My fellow Americans, can we at least agree that the Iowa caucus is a joke? On Monday, February 3rd, eligible citizens from the more-than-90%-white state will gather in 1,678 precincts across those 99 counties between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. Youd be forgiven for not knowing what the hell a caucus is. Indeed, the process is so complex, the Davenport Public Library hosted a training session with fruits as stand-ins for primary candidates. The whole thing is mind-numbingly complex even for Iowans, but you dont need a political science degree to know its bonkers that American governance is significantly impacted by a handful of white people huddling in high school gyms, private living rooms, and at least one grain elevator. For the Democratic party, the Iowa caucus occurs in the open, with eligible citizens gathering in the corners to signal allegiance to their preferred candidates. Any campaign that receives support from 15% of the people in attendance is guaranteed delegates, calculated by a formula that is sent off to the county level. If a candidate receives less than 15% of attendees, their voters must choose a new candidate, and thats where the caucusing happens, as friends and neighbors attempt to convince each other to stand in support of their pick. Its basically a fun little block party that could forever change the course of American history. As legend has it, there are "three tickets out of Iowa, which really just means that a lot of the media is already gearing up to make declarations about the viability of the top three delegate-getters, despite those results being swayed by a few thousand people in either direction. Think about it. Iowa has a population of less than three million, and only a minority participate in the caucus. In 2016, less than 16% of eligible voters showed up. That means that the preferences of roughly 0.00000625% of the US population could make the difference between a supposedly legitimate candidate and the end of a campaign. There is a laundry list of reasons why the Iowa caucus is absurd, and not the least among them is that snacks are allowed. Indeed, the most consequential election in a generation may hinge partly on whether or not Karen has time to make brownies. Over the past half-century, Iowa has been granted increasingly outsize significance in the Democratic primary. The state is now a Holy Grail of political speculation, regularly discussed with such microscopic fascination that it sometimes seems as if were about two articles away from deducing election results through forensic analysis of a leftover pork chop. National publications cover the size of Iowa campaign operations with consistent updates, logging the hours each candidate spends on the ground, and dispatching reporters to steakhouses and bowling alleys, as if the fate of the nation hangs on the outcome of a ritualistic scavenger hunt. And, really, maybe it does. But if you trace the story back to its origin, youll find the whole thing is based on a lot of made-up bullsh*t. Donald Trump launches blistering attack on 'radical Democrats just down the street' in Iowa The Iowa caucus started in 1972, after the 1968 Democratic National Convention erupted in riots spurred by the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. Faced with unrest, Democrats decided they needed a more accessible means of picking a nominee. They changed the caucus procedure to move from precincts to districts to counties and finally the state and national level, a process that was complicated by figuring out venues for each event, and the pesky fact that the party only had one old mimeograph machine to work with. Based on those logistics, an Iowa Democratic official suggested it would take about a month between each stage, and spit out a date. With that singular guestimate, Iowa claimed first-in-the-nation status, though it wasnt until 1976 that the caucus stepped into its mythical proportions. That year, then-peanut farmer Jimmy Carter travelled around the state chatting with Iowans, debuting one of the earliest playbooks for the one-on-one schmoozing of retail politics. He came second in the caucus, losing to the uncommitted category. Yep, those people who showed up and said IDK with total conviction outnumbered any of Carters fans, but soon enough, that didnt matter. Carter seized on the results in interviews the next day, leveraging his win for legitimacy, and the rest is history. The Iowa caucus is a painfully excellent example of American political lore. It should be maddening that less than three million mostly white people are given precious time and resources by candidates seeking to lead the entire American population. Its bonkers that the whole thing is conducted in weird rooms of friends packing snacks. Its ridiculous that were meant to buy into Iowa as an event of hallowed national significance, despite the fact that it started with some dude looking at a calendar. Reflecting on the myth-making of Iowa makes for a much-needed paradigm of critical thinking. There are many ideas so thoroughly baked into Americana that weve forgotten to question them, and this era presents a rare opportunity to re-interrogate how we live together. Our ongoing democratic crisis means that all of our norms and values are up for debate. Ive heard that phrase stated with the qualifier, for better or for worse, and while I think its clear this chapter in history could most accurately be called America and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, its crucial that we expand our imagination to include possibilities that are better than what weve seen thus far. The whole thing is made of cardboard. The key to building the equitable future we all deserve is to constantly ask questions of authority, and of ourselves. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Often, the people of Iowa are treated as if they are some rare, exotic species, as if their DNA is comes preloaded with Aesops Fables. Former DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile espoused this notion in a recent interview with the New York Times. While it doesnt look like America, when they take into consideration the qualities and values were looking for in a candidate, I believe that they represent what is truly best about our country, she said. Theyre smart and they take this seriously. Its ludicrous to presume that critical thinking might be bestowed by anything as arbitrary as a zip code. What truly distinguishes Iowans is that they are given a real stake in shaping the future of the nation, and one has to wonder if that might be true for the average American, if we could reasonably feel as if our votes made a difference. The arcane absurdity of the Iowa caucus spotlights the alienating mechanisms that box out the majority from even the most basic understanding of governance. As the status quo continues to perish in the flames of impeachment, it is imperative that we rise from the ashes insistent on building a system of government in which each and every person in this nation is on equal political footing in the process of selecting our most powerful leader. Either that, or maybe we can let a groundhog decide. Britain's exit from the EU is not an end but a new beginning, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is set to deliver a message of unity to mark Brexit Day on Friday when the country finally leaves the bloc, over three years after the landmark Brexit vote. In a video message recorded in Downing Street on Thursday and to be aired at 2200 GMT on Friday, an hour ahead of the UK's scheduled exit time, the Conservative Party leader who took charge as UK prime minister last year with a do or die Brexit pledge will characterise the historic moment as a new beginning for the country. "This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. It is a moment of real national renewal and change," Downing Street said in a read-out of Johnson's address to the nation. "Our job as the government my job is to bring this country together and take us forward. And the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginning, it reads. In keeping with the message of unity, Johnson is chairing his first Cabinet meeting on tour in the north of England and has chosen the city of Sunderland the first city to declare support for leaving the EU in June 2016. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your family's life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up, says Johnson, who has vehemently campaigned for Brexit over the years. The UK's formal end to its membership of the economic bloc, the so-called divorce, comes into effect at 2300 GMT on Friday, after which it ceases to be part of any of the EU institutions, including the European Court of Justice. However, the UK will continue to follow EU rules and procedures until the end of a pre-agreed transition period, which runs until December end 2020. During that period, both sides are bound by a Political Declaration signed alongside the EU Withdrawal Bill to strike a new agreement for their future trading relationship. "We on the UK side want this to be an opportunity to demonstrate that we can be even greater neighbours, allies and friends. Our vision for the future relationship, for which we have a template in the Political Declaration, will define that, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab told reporters ahead of Brexit Day. "We genuinely see this as turning a page, looking forward to forging even stronger ties about reaching out to the rest of the world and be an even stronger force for good, said Raab, another hard Brexiteer in Johnson's Cabinet. The end to the UK's 47-year membership of the economic bloc, which will now be made up of 27 European countries, will be marked by pro-Brexit celebrations at Parliament Square in London as well as some anti-Brexit marches in London and Northern Ireland. The UK's Union Jack flags are lining up the Mall, which leads up to Buckingham Palace in London, and all major government buildings in the political hub of Whitehall will be lit up in its red, white and blue colours as a similarly themed light display in Downing Street counts down the final Brexit hour. A new commemorative 50-pence coin with the message Peace prosperity and friendship with all nations will also go into circulation at that moment. Opposition Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is due to stand down as party leader in April after a bruising General Election last month, described the historic moment as a "crossroads" for the nation. "We can build a truly internationalist, diverse and outward-looking Britain. Or we can turn inwards, and trade our principles, rights and standards to secure hastily arranged, one-sided, race-to-the-bottom trade deals with Donald Trump and others," he said. Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, will mark the day with candlelit vigils. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon used a Brexit Day speech to set out the next steps in her mission to seek a second referendum for Scottish independence. "To achieve independence, a referendum, whenever it happens whether it is this year as I want, or after the next Scottish election must be legal and legitimate. That is a simple fact, she said. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU buildings, with one Union flag expected to make its way to a museum in Brussels. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen paid tribute to the UK, "contributed to the European Union and made it stronger". "It is the story of old friends and new beginnings now. Therefore it is an emotional day, but I'm looking forward to the next stage," she said. "We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership," Leyen said. "Our union has gained political impetus and has become a global economic powerhouse. Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KYIV, Ukraine Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday that the Trump administration was committed to supporting Ukraine in its defense against aggression by Russia, which invaded and annexed part of the country and is supporting a separatist insurgency. Today Im here with a clear message: The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one, Mr. Pompeo said at a news conference after meeting with Ukraines leader in Kyiv. Our commitment to support it will not waver. Ukraine is a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe, Mr. Pompeo added. His visit, in which he met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, was aimed at calming unease among Ukrainian officials about the relationship between Washington and Kyiv, which has been thrust into the spotlight because of the impeachment of Mr. Trump, based on charges of abuse of power and obstruction over the presidents actions on Ukraine. Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Zelensky met before noon in the presidents office in central Kyiv, and the Ukrainian leader said they had talked about new steps to strengthen the partnership between the two nations. [January 31, 2020] Karma Debuts New Design Studio At Global Headquarters - New Design Studio Represents Multimillion-Dollar Investment in Karma's Irvine, Calif., Home Base - New Studio Further Establishes Karma Design as Dedicated Business Unit - Studio Tasked with Guarding Karma's Unique Design Language for Current and Future Vehicle Programs, and Offering Design Services to Others IRVINE, California, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California-based luxury electric vehicle automaker and high-tech incubator Karma Automotive unveiled its new dedicated design studio at its global headquarters in Irvine, Calif., before a group of local stakeholders, business leaders, and employees. The state-of-the-art studio further establishes Karma Design as a dedicated business unit for the company, to both drive the company's unique design identity and syndicate its styling services. The 12,000-square-foot design studio represents a multimillion-dollar investment and underscores Karma's efforts to enhance and grow its design services. The new studio strengthens the company's design capabilities as it readies itself for both future Karma design projects and those on behalf of other OEMs and startups. The new business unit is also tasked with offering luxury-lifestyle design services beyond automotive and developing and guarding the unique Karma's design language. "Karma Design plays an important role in Karma's diversification efforts as we embrace new market opportunities and evolve toward the next phase of our future," says Dr. Lance Zhou, Karma CEO. "Our dedicated in-house design team will lend their expertise to other OEMs, startups and those seeking to leverage our luxury- ifestyle design services beyond automotive." The new studio is designed to offer Karma's signature luxury offerings to others and features a customization room for clients to tailor jewels, colors and materials to their unique specifications, in addition to a trim shop. A floor-to-ceiling power wall provides designers the opportunity to show full-scale concepts digitally, while clay modeling is completed on a new surface plate and state-of-the-art measuring towers. "As Karma moves forward in new and excited directions, our new Design Studio is equipped to deliver luxury design services to both discerning Karma customers and business enterprises," says Andreas Thurner, Karma's Global Vice President, Design and Architecture. "The architecture of the new studio is minimalistic and modern; it is certain to bring fresh inspiration to our designers, partners and customers." Led by Thurner, Karma Design's dedicated team encompasses skilled designers from across the globe with experience in a variety of industries including automotive, fashion, luxury goods and more. In addition to designing future Karma product, Karma designers will also lend their creative expertise and signature luxury offerings to OEMs, startups and design projects beyond automotive. Karma's design team is responsible for the iconic design language exhibited in the company's striking SC1 and SC2 concept cars, and its reimagined 2020 Revero GT, which recently received the 2020 Luxury Green Car of the Year Award. The new design studio is part of a wider investment of more than $10M in new infrastructure at Karma's Global Headquarters in Irvine, Calif., including a new dynamometer test facility and conference center. About Karma Southern California-based Karma is more than just a car company. Although we are best known as a creator of soul-stirring luxury electric vehicles, Karma has emerged as a high-tech incubator offering innovators a perfect platform to prove their emerging technologies. Founded in 2014, Karma is reinventing the traditional retail-based automotive business model by opening its engineering, design, customization and manufacturing resources to other companies looking to speed product development, access new technology, or make their products more luxurious. The Revero GT is a luxury electric vehicle powered by dual electric motors that embodies Karma's goals of offering leading automotive design, technology, customization and an outstanding customer experience. Our retail partners in North America are now delivering the Revero GT to retail customers and will begin offering a performance-version of that car, the Revero GTS, during the first quarter of 2020. Every Revero is created with great individual care and world-class craftsmanship at the Karma Innovation and Customization Center in Moreno Valley, Calif. For more information, visit www.karmaautomotive.com, or www.karmanewsroom.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084561/Karma_Design_Studio.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/846369/Karma_Automotive_Logo.jpg SOURCE Karma Automotive [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The crucial Iowa caucuses are set for Monday, and the hype is justified. In fact, the race in the Hawkeye State actually deserves a little more hype. That's because the state is telling us an important story not just about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but it's also flashing important signs for how the general election will turn out in November. Most of the polls in Iowa point to Sen. Bernie Sanders as the favorite to win. The Sanders surge in Iowa began a few weeks ago and have been true-to-form in serving as a key indicator of how the national polls would follow. The latest NBC/WSJ poll of Democatic voters nationally now has Sanders in the lead. If Sanders can win Iowa, he should feel confident about his chances to win the nomination. In 2016, his narrow loss to Hillary Clinton presaged the similarly historic narrow loss he suffered to her in the race for the Democratic nod. Iowa Democrats also handed caucus victories to eventual Democratic nominees Barack Obama in 2008, John Kerry in 2004, and Al Gore in 2000. Yes, Iowa is that important in this nomination race. It's also crucial for former Vice President Joe Biden to at least have a good showing Monday night. Much of his cachet in Democratic circles is his purported strength in Midwestern swing states that went for Trump in 2016. But if Biden can't even make it very close against Sanders in Iowa, it will be more than fair to question Biden's supposed Midwestern allure. But too many people get it wrong when it comes to where Iowa stands after Monday night. Once the caucus is over, everyone seems to move on and forget the state. That's not wise, because Iowa is a true swing state in the general election. Over the last 12 presidential elections, Iowa has gone to the Republican nominee six times and six times to the Democrat. Iowa is also much more likely to be won by the overall presidential election winner than most other states. Iowa has gone to the general election winner in six out of the last seven presidential contests, just like the much more attention-getting state of Florida. In other words, Iowa is a good indicator of how other key swing states are likely to vote. That's especially true in the Midwest. That's where the news seems to be getting very good for President Trump. A poll released last Saturday by the New York Times contains a number of ominous signs for the Democratic presidential candidates. The poll asked Iowa voters about their choice for president in a series of hypothetical general election matchups between Trump and five leading Democrats. Trump came out ahead in each case. Looking back at similar surveys conducted since this time last year, Trump has either erased his polling deficits in Iowa or increased his leads against most of his Democratic challengers over the past year. Against Biden, Trump trailed by six points last March but now leads the former vice president by an average of three points in the Real Clear Politics average. Sanders led Trump in the Iowa polls as recently as October of last year. But unlike his surge against his fellow Democrats, he's fallen behind Trump in a series of polls taken over the last three months. This is very likely the result of something many Democratic campaign experts and even rank-and-file voters have been fearing for some time. That is, that none of the Democrats running for president inspire much enduring support. Worse than that, remember that Iowa voters have had the most exposure to the Democratic candidates than voters in any other state in the U.S. since last year. What those highly-exposed voters seem to be saying is that the more they see of the Democratic candidates, the less they like them. The idea of a "generic Democratic candidate" is still very popular when held up against Trump in any given poll. But the reality is, there is no such thing as a generic candidate. When matched up against real people with their own unique set of pros and cons, Iowa voters are likely to stick with the president. That could be the trend nationwide. Democrats may brush off Iowa in November because it brings just six electoral votes to the table, and they want to focus on bigger prizes like Florida. But remember that in addition Iowa's great track record in choosing general election winners, it also borders battleground states with bigger electoral college totals like Wisconsin and Minnesota. That's one reason why the Trump campaign has made Iowa such a priority lately, even though he's not facing any serious challenge for the GOP nomination. Iowa is also a key farm state, where Trump wants to shore up support in light of farmers bearing the brunt of the trade war with China. A strong turnout by Iowa's rural voters and evangelical Christian Republicans would be a good sign for Trump in the other farm states and the South in November. A weak turnout means his campaign has more work to do. All of this adds up to the fact that Monday's Iowa results are very likely to prove that the state is more than a launching pad when it comes to elections. It's also a crystal ball that both parties would be foolish to ignore in the months ahead. Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer. You can follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny. The Kremlin has fired back at Turkeys complaints that Moscow is violating its commitments in the northeastern Syrian province of Idlib. "Russia is in full compliance with the Sochi agreements on the Idlib zone. At the same time, we regret to say that the situation is far from perfect," Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the press Jan. 31. He added, A large number of terrorists remain in the area and continue aggressive attacks on the Syrian army and Russias Khmeimim air base. It causes us huge concern." Why it matters: On Jan. 29, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan lashed out at Russias actions in Idlib and argued the Astana process had become moribund. Erdogan said Moscow doesnt comply with the 2018 Sochi agreement establishing a demilitarized zone around the area. Al-Monitors Ezgi Akin observed this is the first time perhaps since 2016 the Turkish president had openly criticized Moscow. On Jan. 31, speaking in Ankara, Erdogan doubled down on his warnings and concerns over a new influx of migrants, threatening that Ankara may resort to military power in order to avert new threats near its borders. Erdogan alluded to previous cross-border operations in northern Syria, which at the time were coordinated with Russia and primarily targeted Kurdish militias. The stark difference this time is that the Turkish president is after the Russia-backed Syrian army, which may create a whole new set of risks for each side involved. Keep calm and carry on: Moscow operates on the legal and moral premise that the Idlib memorandum between Russia and Turkey doesnt apply to terrorist groups, only moderate opposition groups. Since Turkey Russias argument goes has so far failed to separate the moderate wheat from the jihadist chaff, theres every reason to apply force to those groups Moscow and especially Damascus see as terrorists. As Al-Monitor reported earlier, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been pushing Moscow for full control of Idlib, and now that previous Russian and Turkish compromises seem to have been exhausted, a new set of realities on the ground is needed to develop a new deal. Yevgeny Satanovsky, head of the Moscow-based Institute for the Middle East who is known for his ties with Russian security, argued the trigger for the recent rise in Russian-Turkish tensions is the latest activity of the Idlib-based militants. About 25,000 al-Qaeda-type terrorists whove been sitting in their nests have recently decided to take action shelling Aleppo and other towns. They broke the [Russia-Turkey] agreements, Erdogan pledged to not let them out [of the nests]. [Where] there are Turkish posts, civilians are not being hurt. The perimeter of the zone is patrolled by Russian and Turkish military, and the Turks themselves act adequately, Satanovsky noted Jan. 30. But what happened over the last day the militants tried to break through the circle the Syrian army created [with its offensive]? [The Syrian army] hit eight tanks, 49 jeeps, 15 armored infantry fighting vehicles, and seized trucks loaded with explosives. So its just crazy to hear that some foreign ministers including [US Secretary of State Mike] Pompeo are crying wolf over the al-Qaeda guys sitting there, he argued. Whats next: When things get hot between Moscow and Ankara, Putin and Erdogan tend to turn it into manual operation mode either by having a direct phone call or a personal meeting. The fact that Erdogan went public in his criticism of Russia suggests the parties either have so far run out of backstage options to deal with the issue or the Turkish president wants to reinforce his concerns to Putin over the domestic pressure he may be facing should a new flow of refugees hit Turkey. Russians, on the other hand, have been demonstratively cordial in the public rhetoric vis-a-vis Erdogan. They signaled concerns for the militants attacks on Syrian and Russian forces but also conveyed the desire to settle the matter without military confrontation with Turkey. Know more: Keep up with the developments with more details from both sides by following Al-Monitors Russia-Mideast page and Turkey Pulse. In view of the coronavirus outbreak in China, the Airports Authority of India, North East Region, has set up counters at the international airport here to screen for infected passengers, according to a release issued on Friday. The Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi airport is the only in the North East region with international flight movement from Singapore and Bhutan, it said. Special screening, testing and checking counters have been set up with the help of the Assam government, the release said. The coronavirus screening team a the airport has been equipped with infrared thermometer to check body temperature, it said. No case of Corona Virus has been detected at the airport Assam Health Minister Pijush Hazarika told media on Friday that a 30- member team from the state health department has been put on duty in batches of 10 at the airport to screen for coronavirus affected passengers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As Britain departs the EU, here is the wish list from chief executives for those crunch negotiations... Retail Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay has said the Government is aiming to secure a zero-tariff, zero-quotas deal from the talks, which begin on March 3. Such a deal is the key hope in retail, as is keeping the current state of the UKs internal market between countries. Remain backer and Superdry founder Julian Dunkerton says: Free trade is obviously the biggest issue. If we want a stable economy thats where we have to go. Anything else will destabilise the economy. Free movement is important as well. That will ensure GDP growth for a long time to come. Mulberry chief Thierry Andretta adds: We need the government to focus on delivering clarity. We ask agreements are finalised within the next 11 months as UK businesses need certainty. UK businesses should not be required to pay duties on raw material and components sourced from within the EU. Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, says: The Government needs to put consumers first, agreeing a comprehensive deal with the EU that continues zero-tariff trade and minimises any new barriers to trade. Without these, it will be the public who will face higher prices and reduced choice on the shelves." Technology Data and immigration are at the heart of the tech industrys demands. The sector is keen Britain does not diverge from regulations like GDPR while there are also fears there could be interruptions to data flows. Russ Shaw of industry body Tech London Advocates warns: Without an adequacy decision from the EU, organisations will have to rely on costly, ad hoc legal mechanisms to allow lawful data transfers. This would create a significant challenge for smaller businesses that want to do business in Europe but cant afford to absorb legal costs. An immediate abolition of the Tier 2 visa cap for skilled workers is also a priority. Energy Working with Europe to combat climate change while keeping prices low for consumers is top of the agenda for the energy sector. Audrey Gallacher, Energy UKs interim chief executive, says her industry is looking forward to working with the UK government to achieve a deal that will support the energy sector in its mission to carry on its decarbonisation, while supporting other parts of the economy and society on that same journey in order to reach net-zero by 2050, creating new opportunities across the country. Banking For banking and the wider City, equivalence would make life easier. But hardliners in the Square Mile actually want banks to go for it outside Europe, to facilitate the expansion of global trade. One banker says: Reform of the ill-conceived 8% UK banks corporation tax surcharge has been on the industrys agenda ever since its creation maybe the Brexit dividend will act as a catalyst for progress. Nationwide chief Joe Garner says: We are concerned by the divisions between and within communities and would like to see a period of reconciliation. Property London's property businesses want Boris Johnson to focus efforts on skills and frictionless trade. Helen Gordon, chief executive of residential landlord Grainger, says: It will be key to ensure, through the Brexit negotiations, that we have arrangements in place in relation to construction skills and resources, to enable property and construction businesses to achieve the UKs housing and infrastructure goals. West End landlord Shaftesburys Brian Bickell adds: We need a close relationship with the EU, which will always be our most important trading partner, with the frictionless arrangements the Brexiteers promised in the referendum. Anything less would be economic madness. Allan Lockhart, at retail landlord NewRiver urges the government to refocus attention on "addressing the major issues facing the country". Lockhart says: "The Government has been distracted for 3 years dealing with Brexit, meaning key issues have been neglected including infrastructure, greater regional investment, more homes, town centre regeneration and addressing the gross unfairness of the business rate system. Thats what the retail real estate sector, and the wider UK community, need from the Government. Savills chief executive Mark Ridley says: We need the government to grasp the opportunity for a more comprehensive sector based approach, respecting the importance of our key sectors including financial, TMT and manufacturing, and Londons leading position in these markets. We now have a real opportunity to seize this initiative without lurching towards another cliff edge deadline, which delays occupiers, investors and developers from making the decisions they need to make for their business. Manufacturing Britain's makers have been among the most vocal in warning of the impact of a cliff-edge Brexit with complex, just-in-time supply chains. Paul Everitt, boss of the body for aerospace, defence, security and space ADS, says: Our sectors are looking to the Government to secure a good deal that continues our participation in successful EU regulatory regimes covering aviation safety and chemicals. Future collaboration with the EU on research and development is also a priority. Tim Figures from the trade body Make UK adds: For UK manufacturers, an ambitious free-trade agreement is a necessity. Advertising Ensuring that businesses remain confident to spend on marketing is the broad desire for Londons throng of media agencies. The & Partnerships Johnny Hornby says: My hope is that with a comfortable majority Boris can now return to being a One Nation Tory, and in so doing despite all the bluster in the end sense prevails and he does the softest most closely aligned Brexit possible - thereby creating the least damage to our and our clients businesses Rival Sir Martin Sorrell plans to shift his business S4 Capitals focus towards faster-growing markets beyond the European Union but adds: I live in hope that the new entrenched government will develop a Singapore on steroids approach embodying low-tax, regulation-lite policies that attract digital giants like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Alibaba and Tencent, rather than discourage them. Investment Investors will be keen to have no interruption to their access to European markets post-Brexit. The UK government and EU need to ensure that our industry can continue to seamlessly manage savers money across Europe, says Chris Cummings of the Investment Association. Richard Buxton, of Merian Global Investors, believes that if investors decide that Brexit will be drawn out then its relevance to markets and significant parts of the economy could fade quite quickly. Such a result could be a real boon for UK equity investors, even if the route to this point has been long-winded and tortuous. Consumer and Leisure Firms want to ensure they can have straightforward trading with the EU. Marnie Millard at Vimto maker Nichols says: International businesses such as Nichols benefit from clarity regarding trading regulations. Our hope for both businesses and consumers is that trading with the EU remains straightforward and seamless." Meanwhile City Pub Group chairman Clive Watson reckons: We need to ensure the food supply chain remains frictionless so the hospitality sector has access to fresh food." Business bodies Edwin Morgan, director of policy at the Institute of Directors, says: On the whole our members have tended to favour aligning with the EU to get access to the Single Market. Throughout the negotiations, communication will be key. The Government has signalled it favours a looser relationship, but it needs to get much clearer about exactly what it wants. The more we know about the intended direction of travel, the more chance business has to get ready in time. Alongside the Brexit talks, the Government should also take firm steps to protect Northern Irelands place within the UKs own internal market. British Chambers of Commerce Director General Dr Adam Marshall adds: "For business, Brexit is far from done. The negotiations that are beginning now will have an impact on the business environment, both in London and all across the UK, for decades. Business and government now need to work hand-in-hand to get the details right on trade, customs, regulation, access to people and so much more." Republicans have introduced a draft bill to ban end-to-end encryption after Apple failed to unlock the Pensacola shooter's iPhone despite Attorney General Bill Bar ordering them to. The bill was proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham and it is titled the 'Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 6 2019' or the 'EARN IT Act of 2019'. It comes less than two weeks after AG Barr slammed Apple for not cooperating with his department's inquiries into the Penscaola shooter's iPhone. Barr ordered Apple to unlock and decrypt shooter Mohammed Alshamrani's two iPhones but it said it could not. The company said it did everything it could but that even it could not bypass some of its own encryption and privacy settings. Barr fumed over the result. The draft bill titled 'Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 6 2019' or the 'EARN IT Act of 2019' which would give law enforcement a backdoor to access encrypted information on phones The new bill proposes a backdoor for law enforcement to be able to overrule some of the companies' privacy laws if a commission agrees with it. Three American sailors were killed and eight other people were wounded when Saudi military trainee Mohammed Alshamrani (pictured) It would not only affect Apple but Facebook too, which applies encryption to its messaging services on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. In his draft bill, Graham outlines that the commission would be chaired by Barr. Major tech companies including Facebook and Apple have not yet responded to the proposed bill. Earlier this month, Barr demanded that Apple unlock two cellphones used by a gunman who carried out a mass shooting at a Florida military base. Barr made the high profile request at a press conference where he branded the attack an 'act of terrorism'. Three American sailors were killed and eight other people were wounded when Saudi military trainee Mohammed Alshamrani opened fire in a classroom at the US Naval Air Station in Pensacola on December 6. Alshamrani, 21, who was training to be a naval flight officer, was then killed in a shoot-out with police. Federal officials are still investigating the shooting and examining evidence. Investigators have been unable to access the two devices - an iPhone 7 and an iPhone 5 - because they are locked and encrypted, according to a letter from the FBI's general counsel, Dana Boente. Apple has long touted security as a major feature of its phones and in 2014 began building encryption into devices that can only be unlocked with a password or fingerprint reader Barr's latest appeal for Apple's cooperation marked an escalation of the Justice Department's ongoing fight with the tech giant over the balance between personal privacy and public safety. 'This situation perfectly illustrates why it is critical that the public be able to get access to digital evidence,' Barr said, accusing Apple of providing no 'substantive assistance'. The attorney general indicated that he intends to use the Alshamrani case to push for a solution to the DOJ's struggle to get around Apple security features. 'We don't want to get into a world where we have to spend months and even years exhausting efforts when lives are in the balance,' he said. 'We should be able to get in when we have a warrant that establishes that criminal activity is underway.' Riana Pfefferkorn, a member of the Stanford Law Schools Center for Internet and Society, said it would give Barr too much power. A man who had just been arrested for allegedly driving a stolen vehicle managed to steal the police cruiser in which he was incarcerated Friday morning, authorities say. A veteran Pasadena police officer pulled over the stolen vehicle along Texas Highway 225 near Shaver Street around 2 a.m., according to Pasadena Police Department spokesperson Luis Garcia. The officer put handcuffs on the driver and placed him in the backseat of his patrol SUV, Garcia said. NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WNET, America's flagship PBS station, parent company of New York's THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey, announced the acquisition of WPPB-FM, a National Public Radio station based in Southampton, New York that serves the East End of Long Island. The purchase, which was approved by the FCC and the New York State Attorney General's office, will make WLIW a dual licensee, operating both a PBS television station and NPR radio station. Long-serving WPPB-FM General Manager Dr. Wally Smith will become General Manager Emeritus. "With the acquisition of WPPB-FM, WNET is bringing together the only NPR station and only PBS station on Long Island," said Neal Shapiro, President and CEO of WNET. "We see the marriage of these stations as an important step in securing the future of public broadcasting for the Long Island community. We are grateful to WPPB General Manager Wally Smith, who helped build the station into a beacon for the community and whose guidance we'll continue to count on." "We are excited about the potential that adding an NPR radio station to the WLIW family will bring," said Long Island native and resident Diane Masciale, Vice President & General Manager of WLIW21 and Executive Producer of local productions at WLIW. "Now that public media on Long Island is truly multi-platform, we'll have a new entry point to create deeper connections in the community through the quality local programming, conversations and community events for which WLIW, WPPB and public media are known. Wally Smith and his staff created a wonderful foundation on which we'll continue to build." "We are proud to have built and maintained WPPB as an important and valuable home for NPR on Eastern Long Island," said Wally Smith, General Manager of WPPB, "and we could not have done it without the support of our board, staff and supporters who provided guidance all along. The station's 40-year legacy of excellent programming and community service will live on and thrive with WNET and WLIW21." The station call letters will be changed from WPPB-FM to WLIW-FM in the coming months. About WNET WNET is America's flagship PBS station: parent company of New York's THIRTEEN and WLIW21 and operator of NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its new ALL ARTS multi-platform initiative, its broadcast channels, three cable services (THIRTEEN PBSKids, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each month. WNET produces and presents a wide range of acclaimed PBS series, including Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, and the nightly interview program Amanpour and Company. In addition, WNET produces numerous documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings, as well as multi-platform initiatives addressing poverty and climate. Through THIRTEEN Passport and WLIW Passport, station members can stream new and archival THIRTEEN, WLIW and PBS programming anytime, anywhere. About WLIW21 WLIW21 is one of America's most respected and innovative public media providers. A member of the WNET family of companies, WLIW21 is a unique cultural and educational institution that harnesses the power of television and electronic media to inform, enlighten, entertain and inspire. Since the first broadcast in 1969, public media station WLIW21 has been serving residents of Long Island and the greater tri-state community by delivering quality arts, education and public affairs programming on-air and online. In addition to presenting a range of popular PBS programming, including Nature, NOVA, Antiques Road Show and American Masters, WLIW21 also features such British television favorites as Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, and Doc Martin as part of WLIW21's High Tea daily program schedule. WLIW21 also produces acclaimed local programs such as MetroFocus, WLIW Arts Beat, Treasures of New York and Long Island Screening Room. With a broad reach across three states, WLIW21 is viewed by approximately 1 million people each week throughout New York City's five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, and Connecticut. WLIW21 maintains a newly renovated production studio in Plainview, NY. SOURCE WNET Related Links https://www.wliw.org The European Union and Britain are further apart in rhetoric than substance as they begin future trade talks, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said ahead of Britain's departure from the bloc on Friday. The United Kingdom leaves the European Union on Friday for an uncertain Brexit future, the most significant change to its place in the world since the loss of empire and a blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to wrap up a trade deal by a year-end deadline and while EU members are skeptical, Varadkar said it was possible to do so, particularly if the new deal is very similar to the current arrangements. "I am confident we can get a good deal. The good news is that I don't think the two parties - the EU on one side and Britain on the other - are all that far apart. Further apart in rhetoric than substance," Varadkar said in a speech. "We broadly agree that we want there to be no quotas, no tariffs, no taxes and the minimum amount of bureaucracy and checks as possible. And that's really important particularly in Ireland." Varadkar said both sides needed to start a new relationship on a firm and honest footing and for him, that meant a level playing field on standards. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota's "Uncertain Journey" is currently on view at the Busan Museum of Art through April 19. Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art By Kwon Mee-yoo BUSAN Artist Chiharu Shiota is often compared to a "human spider" as the artist weaves webs around objects and bodies. Her life-size installations engulf the space and the viewer, stirring up sensations of both uneasiness as well as coziness. The 47-year-old Japanese artist unraveled her life's path ridden with pain and uncertainty at "Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles" at the Busan Museum of Art in Korea's southern port city. The exhibit, originally presented at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan last year, is one of the largest solo exhibitions of the artist to date. The Busan edition features four large installations as well as sculptures, drawings, photographs and videos of performances. Unfortunately, "Where Are We Going?," a cluster of boats suspended from the ceiling above the Mori Art Museum's iconic entrance, couldn't come to Busan, but still this marks the largest exhibition of the artist in Korea. Born in Osaka, Japan, Shiota is now based in Berlin. Busan holds a special place in Shiota's heart as the port city is her husband's hometown. She was worried that the touring exhibition might fall through amid souring relations between Korea and Japan, but art won over politics and "The Soul Trembles" was able to successfully open in Busan. Chiharu Shiota's "In Silence" is currently on view at the Busan Museum of Art through April 19. Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art The most significant event in Shiota's life that had a profound impact on her personal and artistic career was being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005 and again in 2017. Battling with cancer brought death to the artist's foreground. "Death forms a part of my work. I view it not as an end, but rather as a new beginning. For me, death represents a new state of existence within the cycle of life. Death is a state that moves towards a larger universe," Shiota said. For Shiota, creating works out of her passion and love is the only thing she could live for. "Helpless conflicts of minds, uncommunicable emotions and my inexplicable existence; these feelings give all my works form and shape. The year before last, I was diagnosed with cancer again after 12 years, but it struck me that perhaps the painful treatment along with the confrontation with death is a tribulation to create honest works... It is a dialogue with my unveiled, naked soul," the artist said. Upon entering "Uncertain Journey," viewers will encounter bare boat frames and red threads covering the space and the unseaworthy vessels. The experience of walking into the maze of red threads is immersive and awe-inspiring. The bright red threads sprawling from the boats resemble blood vessels as well as the Red Thread of Fate, an imaginary thread that connects from one's pinky finger to one's future lover. Over 280 kilometers of thread was used for this installation. This is an the extension of "The Key in the Hand," a site-specific installation of two Venetian boats and hundreds of keys weaved through red threads Shiota created for the Japan Pavilion during the Venice Biennale in 2015. The keys are gone and the shape of the boats has become more abstract, but the artist still explores the same theme of expedition, insecurity and relations. "The interconnectivity of threads represents relationships among people. A ship is an unstable object that could capsize in the sea, but they are weaved with the thread. The ship has become a recurring motif in my works as I think they are connected and can go anywhere," Shiota said. "In Silence" consists of a blackened piano and burnt audience chairs covered in webs of black threads. The piece was inspired by Shiota's childhood memory of a fire at a neighbor's house in the middle of the night. "When I was nine, there was a fire at the house next to ours. The next day, there was a piano sitting outside the house. Scorched until it was jet black, it seemed an even more beautiful symbol than before," Shiota explained. "There are things that sink deep into the recesses of my mind and others that fail to take either a physical or verbal form, no matter how hard you try. But they exist as souls without a tangible form." Chiharu Shiota's "Out of My Body" is currently on view at the Busan Museum of Art through April 19. Courtesy of Busan Museum of Art "Out of My Body" is one of the latest works she created for "The Soul Trembles." As she was diagnosed with a recurrence of ovarian cancer while preparing for this exhibit, Shiota went through surgeries and chemotherapy which she described as a "mechanical" procedure. She felt like a product on a conveyer belt. She interpreted her struggles against the cancer with sculptures of severed body parts such as arms, hands, legs and feet scattered under shredded red cowhide. While her large-scale installations immediately draw the attention of visitors, the exhibit sheds light on various aspects of the 25 years of Shiota's artistic career from her early works to her stage designs. "Try and Go Home" is a 1998 video Shiota created while trained by renowned performance artist Marina Abramovic, in which Shiota climbs up and tumbles down a muddy hill repeatedly. The endurance shown in the video is one of the elements that shapes Shiota's iconic style visualizing the unseen. Shiota also has designed stage sets of a number of dance and opera productions, including "All Alone," "Tattoo," "Oedipus Rex" and "Tristan and Isolde." Her signature style "web of threads" and suspended objects can be seen on stage as well and is shown in this exhibit through archival photographs and scale models. The exhibit runs through April 19. After Busan, Shiota's retrospective will tour Australia and Indonesia. A Winnipeg massage parlour is shuttered, and two people face prostitution-related charges in the wake of a city police raid this week. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Winnipeg massage parlour is shuttered, and two people face prostitution-related charges in the wake of a city police raid this week. On Tuesday, police armed with a search warrant swarmed the business on the 800 block of Notre Dame Avenue, after receiving a complaint it was illegally offering sexual services. On Thursday, Sgt. Rick McDougall, of the Winnipeg Police Service counter-exploitation unit, said a man and woman who were operating the business were arrested, and there could be even more arrests to come. "A message to those seeking/obtaining sexual service," he said. "We are still analyzing that evidence. If that evidence gives us reasonable grounds to believe persons are obtaining sexual services for consideration, and we can identify them, we may be laying additional charges." A 48-year-old man and a 41-year-old woman face numerous charges, including four counts of procuring a person to perform sexual services and three counts of getting a material benefit from sexual services. The woman is also charged with a count of assault. (Police said it is in connection with an alleged assault of an employee.) The pair have been released on a promise to appear in court. McDougall said the alleged offences all took place at the Notre Dame Avenue location. He said the four current or past employees were hired for jobs, including receptionist, but were then told they not only had to provide massages, but also sexual services for customers "including touching of sexual areas." When asked why the women hired, all adults, would work under those alleged conditions, McDougall responded: "In a word: money." "People need employment. They have bills to pay and this was offering employment and money... These were simply employees who were misguided in terms of what employment services they were expected to perform. They were allowed to come and go as they please. They probably could have quit if they wanted to." The doors to the massage business were locked Thursday, and all the lights were off. A phone call to the number shown on the window went to a recording, which stated the voice mail box was full. The sign over the window, which advertised an earlier business being there, was spraypainted over, while on the window were large red letters saying "Massage" and a phone number. Tricia Weidenbacher, executive director of the 1,200-member Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba, said the group began receiving complaints about the business last spring. "They said they did insurance billing, but when I looked at the ad, I could tell it wasn't massage therapy here, it was something else," she said Thursday. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Weidenbacher said a typical sign a massage therapy business isn't legitimate is when the advertisement shows "a photo of a pretty woman in the ad, and says the therapist's name and they are 21... We don't advertise like that. You won't find that on a real massage therapist's website." Weidenbacher said one issue making it harder to weed out such businesses is massage therapy is currently not regulated by the province. She said the profession is in the process of being brought under the Regulated Health Professions Act, which was proclaimed in 2014, but the Manitoba health department says it only has the capacity of transitioning two to three professions per year. Health Minister Cameron Friesen told the Free Press in 2018 massage therapists were in the queue to come under the act, but it was a line three-to-five-years long at the time. "We are disappointed," Weidenbacher said. "This will help make things less confusing for the public and it will offer the public a level of protection." In a statement, a provincial spokeswoman said massage therapy "is in line to move forward to transition to the Regulated Health Professions Act," after six other professions are added, including psychology, physiotherapy, medical laboratory technologists, and licensed practical nursing. kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca Georgia-Pacific to Invest $145 Million in Expansion of Darlington, SC, Dixie Plate and Bowl Operations The investment at Darlington will not create new jobs but will modernize and expand the plate and bowl capacity of the facility. The expansion will kick off in March with a targeted completion of first quarter 2022. Jan. 31, 2020 - Georgia-Pacific [on Jan. 29] announced that it will make an investment of more than $145 million at its Darlington, South Carolina, Dixie plant that will expand plate and bowl making operations. This investment is based on customer and consumer demand for these well-known household products. "This truly is an investment in our customers and consumers who use our products and value the Dixie brand," said David Duncan, executive vice president for Georgia-Pacific's Consumer Products Group. "The demand for our plates and bowls continues to grow as consumers value the Dixie brand's unique combination of convenience and performance." The investment at Darlington will not create new jobs but will modernize and expand the plate and bowl capacity of the facility. The expansion will kick off in March with a targeted completion of first quarter 2022. During this time, the plate plant will continue to operate. Over time, the site will add new machinery, including a new plate printing press. A new, modern warehouse also will be part of the expansion. Abraham Adkins, plant director for the Darlington Dixie operations, added, "This is an exciting investment for our employees and our community. It will transform the Darlington plant into a modern and competitive operation." At the same time, the company also announced that it will shut down its Darlington cup plant by September and current distribution center sometime in 2021. Moving forward, cup customers will continue to be served from Georgia-Pacific Dixie plants in Lexington, Kentucky, and Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. During the coming months, Georgia-Pacific will work with affected employees on transitions to roles in plate operations, other opportunities within GP or other Koch companies or opportunities outside of the company. All of the future Darlington operations will be clustered on the Old Florence Road property, using the existing plate operation as the building block for the expansion. About Georgia-Pacific Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world's leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paper-based packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, nonwoven fabrics, building products and related chemicals. To learn more, visit: www.gp.com . SOURCE: Georgia-Pacific Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughter has been arrested on charges of harassment and resisting arrest. Lyssa Chapman, 32, was arrested and booked on Thursday night in Honolulu, and has already been released on bail, TMZ reported. It's unclear whom the alleged victim in the case is, or whether the incident is related to the family drama that exploded this week when Dog appeared to propose to his son's ex-girlfriend less than a year after his own wife's death. In a clip from the Dr. Oz show released on Tuesday, Dog asks his son's ex, Moon Angell, 'Moon Angell, will you marry me?' as she and Dr. Mehmet Oz look on in apparent shock. Dog the Bounty Hunter's daughter Lyssa Chapman, 32, was arrested and booked on Thursday night in Honolulu, and has already been released on bail n a clip from the Dr. Oz show released on Tuesday, Dog asks his son's ex, Moon Angell, 'Moon Angell, will you marry me?' as she looks on in apparent shock Dog appeared on the show to address rumors he was dating his son's ex-girlfriend The full episode of Dr. Oz is not due to air until Monday, and it's unclear how Angell responded to Dog's shock proposal. It comes just seven months after Dog's beloved wife and reality show co-star Beth tragically died of cancer at the age of 51. Lyssa has not been shy in sharing her anger at her father's new relationship. 'If someone who met your family by dating your brother, tried to date your father after your stepmom died what would you do?' Lyssa tweeted earlier this month. It comes just seven months after the death of Dog's beloved wife Beth (with him above) Lyssa has not been shy in sharing her anger at her father's new relationship 'If you went to your mothers closet and saw she moved all her clothes and replaced them with her own, what would you do?' she said. 'My dad is a GROWN A** MAN. His money. His dynasty,' she wrote. 'But you can guarantee that my name is not going down in history as a person who supported this.' When the Dr. Oz clip aired on Tuesday, Lyssa appeared to be suppressing her rage, writing on Twitter: 'I will not tweet. I willl not tweet I will not tweet. I will not tweet.' Lyssa was born the ninth of twelve children of Duane 'Dog' Chapman. Her biological mother is his third wife, Lyssa Rae Brittain, and she now owns a tanning salon Lyssa is seen with her late stepmother Beth Chapman. She is known as 'Baby Lyssa' to distinguish her from her mother, 'Big Lyssa' On Thursday, Lyssa spent just 25 minutes in custody before bailing out, according to PageSix. Her bail was $500 for the harassment charge and $100 for the resisting arrest charge. Both are misdemeanors. Soon after her release from jail, Lyssa posted another cryptic message on Twitter, reading 'Keeping it classy' along with an image captioned 'I tried to follow my dreams but now I have multiple restraining orders'. New Delhi: After spending nearly two weeks in the hospital, veteran Bollywood actress Shabana Azmi has been discharged and finally headed home. Shabana Azmi suffered a massive car accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on January 18, 2020, when her car rammed into a truck near Khalapur toll-plaza. She was rushed to Mahatma Gandhi Mission Medical College and Hospital (MGM-MCH) at Kamothe, Navi Mumbai for immediate treatment and later shifted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Andheri, Mumbai. After being admitted for nearly 13 days, the veteran actress was discharged from the hospital this morning, reportedly. The actress is recovering well and has been advised rest for some time. Shabana Azmi was grievously injured in the major car accident. Her husband and noted lyricist Javed Akhtar was also travelling with her at the time of the accident. Several prominent Bollywood celebrities and politicians rushed to meet the ailing actress while she was at the hospital. Here's wishing her a speedy recovery! A Korean chartered plane carrying evacuees from Wuhan, China, taxis after landing at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. AP Ambulances waiting to carry Korean people from the locked-down city Wuhan at Kimpo International airport in Seoul, Jan. 31, 2020. More than 360 Korean people were repatriated following the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan City of China. EPA About 370 South Korean evacuees from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan headed in 36 police buses for two government-designated accommodations in central parts of the nation Friday after arriving at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul in the morning. The first batch of 368 South Korean residents of Wuhan, who landed in Gimpo aboard a chartered Korean Air plane, will be asked to stay at two government-run facilities -- the National Human Resources Development Institute in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, and the Police Human Resources Development Institute in Asan, South Chungcheong Province -- for the next 14 days. The facility in Jincheon, about 90 kilometers southeast of Seoul, will house about 200 of them, with the rest to be admitted into Asan's institute. The plane carrying about half of some 720 South Koreans who applied for evacuation landed at Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul at about 8 a.m. South Korea wants to send another plane to bring the remaining citizens home. A total of 369 people were supposed to board the plane, but one person was excluded at the last minute after being found to have a fever, according to a source. Of those who arrived in Gimpo, 18 people showed signs of fever when they were put through additional health screenings at the airport, some of whom were taken to state-designated hospitals for further examination. Evacuees with no symptoms are to be put into isolation for 14 days at two provincial public facilities. Before boarding the Korean Air Boeing 747 plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport, the passengers went through rigorous quarantine checks that took longer than expected and caused a delay in their departure, a Seoul official said. A South Korean chartered aircraft, carrying more than 300 South Koreans from Wuhan, arrived at Gimpo Airport in Seoul on Friday amid the new coronavirus outbreak. Led by foreign ministry officials, the chartered plane left Wuhan late on Thursday night. The returnees will be quarantined at two different temporary facilities in Jincheon and Asan. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak, sparked by a new virus in China that has spread to more than a dozen countries, as a global emergency on Thursday after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week. The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. To date, China has reported more than 7,800 cases including 170 deaths. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries - including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam - where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. (Image Credit: AP) A six-year-old boy dubbed "The Shirley Temple King" which has gone viral for his thought-provoking and accurate reviews of the iconic childhood drink. Leo Kelly had ordered a Shirley Temple when he was out to eat something with his parents. The mocktail is often made up of ginger ale, grenadine, and maraschino cherries and the little expert has become famous for his reviews on Instagram. READ: The Boys Season 2: Everything You Need To Know About The New Season Instagram account filled with reviews His Instagram account named @theshirleytempleking is filled with photos and videos of his reviews of various Shirley temple he has tried. Kelly's favourite Shirley Temple comes from Hoodoo Brown BBQ in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He used to begin all his videos by saying, Hey guys, it's the Shirley Temple King." READ: Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Times When Charles Boyle Proved To Be A Great Friend Boy has more than 120,000 followers on Instagram In the latest video, he describes the picture of what is going on in the restaurant before diving into his review. He said, I wish you could smell how good it is in here, but anyway, I'm here to try their version of a Shirley Temple. As you can see there's cherries on the outside and inside and there's an American flag. USA!". He ended up giving a rating of 9.5/10 to the drinks. A user wrote, "this might just be my new fav kid". The second user wrote, "i love this kid". The third user wrote, "Someone get this kid a Shirley Temple that wows him!!! Stat!". Another user wrote, "This little man is adorable". Another user wrote on Instagram, Its not, like, wowing me!! The video was posted by Spence on Twitter in which Kelly reviews Longhorn Steakhouse's version of a Shirley Temple. He has more than 120,000 followers on his Instagram account and promised more epic reviews to follow. READ: Tabu On "reconnecting" With Her 'A Suitable Boy' Director After Their 'The Namesake' Days READ: 'Bad Boys For Life' Review: Movie Receives A Thumbs-up By Long-time Franchise Fans A Ghanaian, Mathias Kissward, has disclosed that Ghana risk recording its first case of the deadly coronavirus which has allegedly killed many in the Wuhan Chinese province. He has, therefore, called on the government and the Ministry of Health, to intensify its screening process at the airport to prevent a possible outbreak of the disease. Speaking to Peace Fm's William Gentu at the Kotoka International Airport where he had returned from China, he expressed worry about the porous nature of the screening process at the airport. "I just returned from China and I was not taken through any thorough screening by the immigration and health officials here. The screening process is far below standards, and authorities must act quickly to improve the situation," he stated. He stated categorically that, people could easily get infected in Ghana if the current screening process is not reviewed. Every single worker here is at risk if they are not provided with protective gear to carry out their duties, he added. However, the Ministry of Health has issued an alert message and guidance information to health facilities in the 16 regions following the confirmation of the outbreak of Coronavirus in China. It said enhanced surveillance at the points of entry, especially at the Kotoka International Airport has begun and enhanced screening procedures on all passengers from China, including; administration of health questionnaire. It said the virus was linked to a local animal market but was also found to spread from one person to another when an infected person coughs or sneezes on another. A statement signed and issued by Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Health Minister, in Accra, said following the notification of member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the outbreak of the disease, Government had initiated measures to protect the public from it. In addition, there was an in-country capacity to diagnose through laboratory testing of the appropriate samples by the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research. The World Health Organization has declared the epidemic an international public health emergency. Chinese officials say 170 people have died. Chinese health authorities have said that the coronavirus outbreak has killed 106 people and infected 4,515. The officials also said 60 people had been discharged. The majority of the reported cases are in mainland China, where local authorities have quarantined several major cities and canceled Lunar New Years events in Beijing and elsewhere. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday expanded its Level 3 travel advisory for China, asking Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to China. The advisory was previously just for Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the diseases outbreak and where the majority of cases have been reported. Source: William Gentu/ Peace FM News Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A woman whose sister was found dead in a Toronto stairwell two years ago sobbed in court Friday as she recalled her mothers screams on the phone after making the discovery. Tess Richeys mother found her daughters body four days after she vanished in November 2017, Rachel Richey testified. She was screaming and she told me that she found her and she just kept saying it, Rachel Richey said through tears at the first-degree murder trial of Kalen Schlatter, who has pleaded not guilty. I said Is she alive? She said No. It was Nov. 29, the day before Tess Richey would have turned 23 years old. Her mother, Christine Hermeston, and another sister had driven down from North Bay, Ont., several days earlier to look for her. Upon hearing from her mother, Rachel Richey tore out of her Toronto home clutching her baby, but forgot her shoes, she said. She ran back and grabbed them before getting in a cab. She arrived at a building under construction in the citys gay village, where a police officer guarded the scene. She was directed to a waiting ambulance and found her mother inside. I got into the ambulance with my mom and theres not really much to say, Rachel Richey said. The next few minutes, I just cried a lot and hugged my mom. The families had been scouring the area since Tess Richey vanished in the early hours of Nov. 25. The young woman had gone out with a friend after spending the day with Rachel. Rachel Richey had been comforting Tess Richey, who had recently broken up with her boyfriend. Tess Richey then left to meet up with a friend at Crews and Tangos, a bar in the gay village, Rachel Richey testified. The prosecution alleges Schlatter met Richey on Nov. 25, 2017, outside a bar in Torontos gay village and sexually assaulted then strangled her after she refused his advances. Rachel Richey said she last heard from her sister at 12:01 a.m. that night in a text saying she had gotten to the bar. In the prosecutions opening address to the jury on Thursday, Bev Richards said Schlatters DNA was found on Richeys pants and bra. She said surveillance video shows Schlatter leading Richey to a stairwell of a building under construction around 4:14 a.m. around the same time she was supposed to get into an Uber. She said the video, which is expected to be presented at trial, will then show Schlatter leaving alone 45 minutes later. Rachel Richey said she first knew something was wrong when her sister did not respond to her phone calls and texts a day later. She became more worried when she looked at Uber messages that said Tess Richey missed her ride. She said she sent messages to her sisters friends, posted pleas for her whereabouts on social media and began searching the neighbourhood for her in the days that followed. The family plastered the area with missing person posters, she said, including a photograph of Tess Richey taken earlier that day at a park. She was my sister, my best friend, she was my soulmate, Rachel Richey said. Toronto police were criticized for their handling of the case, along with others in the citys gay village, and the force has since launched a review of how it handles missing persons investigations. It was supposed to wrap last year but is now expected to finish this spring. Two police officers are facing internal disciplinary charges for their roles in Tess Richeys missing persons investigation, but their cases were put off until the criminal trial is resolved. Bitcoin startup Casa is charging into 2020 with a new look by winding down its hardware product and shuffling its front office. CEO Jeremy Welch is stepping down from the role with current head of product Nick Neuman taking the helm. CTO Jameson Lopp will remain in his current position but will join the board along with Neuman. Welchs decision to step away from his position was linked to personal matters and not the firms product decisions, Welch and Neuman said. Related: Few Banks Will Touch Crypto Firms, but Silvergate Wants to Touch Bitcoin Itself Meanwhile, Casa is getting rid of its node; well, at least its physical implementation. Neuman told CoinDesk in an interview the firm will ditch its purple-and-white hardware product in favor of bolstering its subscription service. Welch told CoinDesk in October the company had shipped more than 2,000 devices to buyers in over 65 countries. Casa Node will now be run on open-source software available on most any computer which can be paired with a $10 monthly subscription to its key service. As Neuman said, its equivalent to bitcoin key management for the cost of a Netflix subscription. When asked about possible revenue concerns given that the lowest Casa Node package currently runs for just under $400 Neuman said the firm is looking to capitalize on a strong 2019. For Casa, that means learning from its customers. Related: Coinbase Custody Goes International With New Entity in Ireland A lot of people werent coming to us for the cost. They were coming to us for the security, the peace of mind, Neuman said. We dont expect this to materially affect our revenue as a company. As for other Casa Node features, Neuman said the firm is close to integrating with Coldcard, a bitcoin-only wallet. Generational bitcoin payment plans via inheritance services and different service accounts similar to a checking and savings account are also in the lineup, he said. Our main focus is around the success that weve seen so far and the growth that we expect to continue to see through this year, Neuman said. Related Stories Cairo, Feb 1 : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit have discussed the developments on the Palestinian issue, especially the recent US peace plan. During their meeting in Cairo, Aboul-Gheit affirmed that "the Arabs represent a supportive backup to the Palestinians," according to an statement by AL. The meeting came days after US President Donald Trump revealed the long-awaited political aspect of his controversial Middle East peace plan, calling for a two-state solution while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital." The US President outlined the 80-page plan at the White House along with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it proposes a "realistic" two-state solution, Xinhua news agency reported. Abbas completely rejected Trump's peace plan, saying the plan "will not pass and will end in the dustbin of history." The Trump administration has postponed several times the publication of its "Deal of the Century," a proposal that has been criticized repeatedly by the Palestinians who have little engagement in it. The Palestinian president arrived in Cairo earlier in the day to participate in the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers that will be held on Saturday to discuss Trump's deal. "The timing of the plan and the way of proposing it raise doubts and require a firm response from the Arabs," Aboul-Gheit told Abbas. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 11:10 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061dc41a 1 Business tourism,travel,China,coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia,Astindo,travel-warning,US,WHO,international-emergency Free Chinese tourists are starting to cancel their trips to Indonesia over fears of an acceleration of the spread of a deadly coronavirus in the Asian nation and around the world, as the World Health Organization declared it an international emergency on Friday. The chairwoman of Indonesia Travel Agent Association (Astindo), Elly Hutabarat, said on Thursday that there were cancellations both ways, from China to Indonesia and Indonesia to China. Yes, there are a lot of cancellations. Yesterday, 10,000 Chinese tourists canceled their trips to Bali and from here [Indonesia], there were also trips to China that all got cancelled," Elly said on the sidelines of the release of Travelports 2019 global digital traveler research in Jakarta on Thursday. Elly said that many trips were canceled because several airlines, such as Singapore Airlines, Lion Air, Cathay Pacific and Asiana Airlines, decided to limit or suspend their flights to several Chinese cities. Read also: Indonesia tourism, trade prone to Wuhan coronavirus impact The United States also told Americans do not travel to China as the WHO declared an international emergency on Friday. The US State Department also urged in an updated travel advisory any Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means, AFP reported. Furthermore, Elly said the coronavirus outbreak would definitely affect Indonesias tourism. However, the severity of the impact would depend on how long it would take medications or vaccines for the virus to be developed, she added. SARS [severe acute respiratory syndrome] also affected tourism back in 2003. Now, probably the medicine can be found faster because of more advanced technology, but we do not yet how long the process will take, she added. Once, its discovered, we will get back to normal soon. Chinese tourists account for the second highest number of foreign tourist visits to Indonesia, after Malaysia. From January to November 2019, 1.9 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia, representing nearly 13 percent of overall foreign tourist visits, Statistics Indonesia data shows. President Joko Jokowi Widodo has set a target to attract 10 million Chinese tourists annually to Indonesia, which has become even more difficult to achieve as the coronavirus has claimed 213 deaths in China with 9,816 cases reported around the world since the beginning of the year. Washington, Jan 31 : US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said that the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China, that has so far killed 213 people and infected nearly 10,000 people in the Asian giant, could be positive for the American economy, a media report said on Friday. While responding to a question in a TV interview on Thursday about whether the outbreak was a risk to the US economy, Ross said: "I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease." "The fact is, it does give business yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain... So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America," the BBC quoted Ross as saying in the interview. Later theCommerce Department echoed the Secretary's comments, saying : "As Secretary Ross made clear the first step is to bring the virus under control and help the victims of this disease. "It is also important to consider the ramifications of doing business with a country that has a long history of covering up real risks to its own people and the rest of the world." The remarks have been heavily criticised, with Democrat congressman Don Beyer taking to Twitter to question finding business advantages during the deadly outbreak, which has prompted the World Health Organization to declare it as a global health emergency. As of Friday, China's National Health Commission has confirmed 213 death, with 9,692 infected people in the country's 31 provincial-level regions. A total of 98 confirmed cases have been reported from 18 countries so far. Outside of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, other countries with confirmed cases include the US, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Korea, India, Japan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Finland, Australia, France and Germany. There have been no deaths recorded outside of China. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, Microbix), a life sciences innovator making critical ingredients that enable the production of clinical diagnostics and creating medical devices that help ensure test accuracy, announces that it has completed a non-brokered private placement financing with gross proceeds of $2,355,000, by issuing an aggregate of 11,775,000 units (Units) at a price of $0.20 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share (Common Share) of Microbix and one warrant (Warrant) to purchase one Common Share. Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Common Share at a price of $0.36 for five years. All securities issued under the private placement will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of closing. The private placement was carried out pursuant to prospectus exemptions and is subject to final acceptance by the TSX. The proceeds of the private placement will be broadly used to support Microbixs ongoing growth in total revenues, which have increased by 28% since its last equity funding in 2017. More specifically, the funds are intended to enable Microbix to accelerate the development, registration, and launch of new quality assessment products (QAPs) and improve the overall working capital position of the Company. Cameron Groome, President and CEO of Microbix, commented, These additional funds will be used to accelerate Microbixs transformation into a developer and marketer of innovative, proprietary, and branded medical devices that are important to health outcomes around the world. We deeply appreciate the support from our many stakeholders, internal and external, as we advance our stated goals. The private placement was supported by a number of institutional investors, retail investment advisors, and individuals. Pursuant to such participations, Microbix has paid cash commissions of approximately $104,000 and an aggregate of 519,750 compensation warrants (the Compensation Warrants). Each Compensation Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.36 per Common Share for five years. Eleven Directors and Officers of the Company (collectively, the Insiders) invested in Microbix via this private placement, subscribing for an aggregate of 3,300,000 Units, for gross proceeds of $660,000.00. The participation of Insiders in the private placement constitutes a related party transaction within the meaning of the Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101) and the policies of the TSX. The Company is relying on the exemptions from the formal valuation and minority approval requirements contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that participation in the private placement by insiders will not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Companys market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report at least 21 days prior to the completion of the private placement since the existence of any placement or Insiders participation therein was not determined at that time. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Microbix Biosystems Microbix develops proprietary biological and technology solutions for human health and well-being, with sales exceeding $1 million per month on average and approximately 80 skilled employees. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure quality control of clinical diagnostic tests. Microbix antigens and QAPs are sold to many customers worldwide, at present primarily to multinational diagnostics companies and laboratory accreditation organizations. Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably Kinlytic urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is a publicly-traded company, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Forward-Looking Information This news release includes forward-looking information, as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of the private placement or its uses of proceeds, the consequences of the private placement funding, Microbixs business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect managements current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Companys control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Companys judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information. Please visit www.microbix.com or www.sedar.com for recent Microbix news and filings. For further information, please contact Microbix at: Cameron Groome, CEO (905) 361-8910 Jim Currie, CFO (905) 361-8910 Deborah Honig, Investor Relations Adelaide Capital Markets (647) 203-8793 ir@microbix.com Copyright 2020 Microbix Biosystems Inc. Microbix, Kinlytic, and QAPs are trademarks of the Co. Press Release One of the largest operators in Europe opts for Nokias end-to-end 5G offering Deal includes RAN, software, automation tools and professional services Unique Single RAN technology will enable smooth evolution to 5G 31 January 2020 Espoo, Finland Nokia has been selected by Orange France, one of the largest mobile operators in Europe, to evolve its mobile access network towards 5G. Building on its existing market share and long history with Orange, Nokia will provide Orange, for a broad part of France, with a range of products and services from its end-to-end 5G portfolio, including Single Radio Access Network (RAN) technology, advanced automation tools, a state-of-the-art network management solution and associated professional services. The infrastructure investment will allow Orange France to significantly improve customer experience, boost network capacity, enable further automation and create new innovative services that require ultra-high bandwidth and low latency. The new network will provide improved mobile broadband services as well as allow Orange to provide ultra-low latency applications in areas such as industrial IoT, health, public safety among others. Nokia will initially support Oranges 5G commercial launch by enabling the rollout of its state-of-the-art SRAN network to 5G through software upgrades, streamlining the initial steps to build 5G. It will also introduce 5G New Radio (5G NR)-based AirScale hardware, and software for the new 5G frequency bands. Fabienne Dulac, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and CEO of Orange France, stated: For Orange, the deployment of 5G represents a huge challenge and is one of the main priorities of our Engage 2025 strategic plan. We are delighted to be pursuing our partnership with Nokia, a key long-term partner, in order to develop a powerful and innovative 5G network. 5G will enable the development of new use-cases and new services, and will provide an enriched experience for our customers - both in the consumer and business segments. Through this agreement, Orange reaffirms its ambition to being network leader. Nokia is thrilled to bring 5G to France with Orange, a key European operator, said Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia. Nokia has exactly the right technology for this project, given our excellence in SRAN, 5G and end-to-end network infrastructure leadership. This deal builds on our long-standing trusted relationship with Orange and will deliver a superior experience for businesses and consumers alike." Resources: Web page: Nokia 5G solutions About Nokia We create the technology to connect the world. We develop and deliver the industrys only end-to-end portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing that is available globally. Our customers include communications service providers whose combined networks support 6.1 billion subscriptions, as well as enterprises in the private and public sector that use our network portfolio to increase productivity and enrich lives. Through our research teams, including the world-renowned Nokia Bell Labs, we are leading the world to adopt end-to-end 5G networks that are faster, more secure and capable of revolutionizing lives, economies and societies. Nokia adheres to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. www.nokia.com Media Inquiries Consumers here have been enjoying a season of good fortune as they cash in on the extraordinary reduction in the price of eggs. It is now a well-established fact that this countrys poultry farmers and wholesalers and retailers have had to reduce the asking price for their eggs. THE VINCENTIAN understands that eggs are now going for $10.00 a flat (30 eggs,) with indications that it could get as low as $6.00. This is the result of a demand and supply situation in which the supply far exceeds the demand, even at Christmas when the demand for eggs traditionally increases. And because of the glut, the price of eggs did not increase at Christmas as is the normal occurrence. According to well-known businessman Leon Bigga Biggs Samuel, who is a restauranteur and exporter of agricultural produce to neighbouring islands, there is an overpopulation of laying birds in the state, with as many as 100,000 still laying, he estimates. Whatever, according to Minister of Agriculture Saboto Caesar, as he addressed Parliament on January 22, discussions have commenced with egg importers in Trinidad and Tobago to establish a line of sale of eggs to that country. These discussions hit something of a snag, when it was discerned that the two main importers had already signed contracts with suppliers in the US up to December 2019. Further, transportation cost for eggs from SVG was comparatively higher and irregular. According to Caesar, poultry and egg production has been emphasized as the ministry encouraged farmers to diversify their produce. He said that in 2019, 24,000 layer chicks were provided to local farmers from the government hatchery, and that between January and September last year, 60,000 layer chicks were imported from Barbados. As such, he said, his ministry, as early as April, had identified an increase in production and begun to address the potential of export. It is anticipated, according to one poultry farmer,that the knock down price for eggs could continue well into the first quarter of the year. The Individual Deposits Guarantee Fund on January 30 received a second request from Oleg Bakhmatyuk with a proposal to resume negotiations on debt settlement on loan portfolios of VAB Bank and Financial Initiative Bank to the Fund and NBU. Thus, the Fund is now studying the proposal. That's according to a report by Ukrainian News referring to the Fund press service. It is noted that in recent years, Oleg Bakhmatyuk repeatedly appealed to the Fund with proposals for the voluntary settlement of debts to the Fund and the NBU. In particular, in October 2019, a proposal was submitted to repay UAH 8 billion over seven years in favor of the Fund and the NBU. "The Fund did not make a final decision on the acceptability or unacceptability of the proposal, since it requires a deep analysis of alternative scenarios of debt repayment and possible cash flows, as well as determination of mechanisms for repayment," the Fund said. On January 30, 2020, the Fund received a second appeal from Oleg Bakhmatyuk with a proposal to resume negotiations on debt settlement on loan portfolios of VAB Bank and Financial Initiative Bank, as well as to the Fund and NBU. The letter notes that now an analysis is being carried out of the financial capabilities of Ukrlandfarming PLC group of companies to repay the debt in a short time, after which a proposal will be provided for specific amounts and terms. For the Fund to make a decision on the offer, the mandatory step yet to be taken is to evaluate alternative scenarios and the ability to repay the proposed amounts and terms. The Fund emphasizes that in matters of recovering damage from persons affiliated with banks, the main goal is to obtain the maximum cash flow for repayment of funds to creditors of banks and the state. The lawyers of E Jean Carroll have asked Donald Trump to provide a DNA sample after the celebrated journalist publicly accused the president of raping her. They want to compare it with an unidentified male sample on a dress Carroll wore to a New York department store in the mid-1990s. This is according to an exclusive report from the Associated Press, which was published as the presidents lawyers stood in front of the Senate and defended him against being removed from office. Carroll claims the president pulled down her tights in a Manhattan dressing room, and raped her. The Donna Karan coat-dress still hangs on the back of my closet door, unworn and unlaundered since that evening, she wrote in a New York magazine piece last June. Trump denies this ever happened, and says shes "not his type". It will never cease to be unbelievable to write, but this is of course not the first time an American president has been asked for DNA in order to compare with a womans soiled dress. In 1998, Bill Clinton was asked to provide exactly this by Ken Starr. Yes, Ken Starr Trumps very own partisan guard dog. The man who without even a hint of irony recently claimed that impeachment has become nothing more than a weapon to be wielded against ones political opponent. The man who pushed for Clinton to be removed from office. The man whose report stated that having an extramarital affair was enough for a president to lose his job. All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters The fact that the same star (pardon the pun) of this ongoing saga was central to proceedings around 20 years ago makes the deja-vu even more grating. Impeachment, Senate trials, sexual misconduct, DNA samples, soiled dresses the details swirls round and round, making the cases, on the surface, seem like-for-like. The fact that the same man can demand a sample from one president and lambast him for his affair then defend another president accused of rape shows just how little politics cares about allegations of sexual misconduct. Whenever a politician is accused of such things, the alleged victims become pawns in a game of chess us girls aren't allowed to play. Their voices are often drowned out in favor of brazen, blatant, embarrassing party politics, with people like Starr leading the pack. Carroll said in a statement today: Unidentified male DNA on the dress could prove that Donald Trump not only knows who I am, but also that he violently assaulted me in a dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman and then defamed me by lying about it and impugning my character. Trump says Carroll is "totally lying". These are the facts: A person has credibly accused another person of rape. It doesnt matter who either of them are the allegations need to be investigated properly and thoroughly, with no exceptions. But this president has shown time and time again he can worm his way out of anything he likes, and I dont see why this will be any different. As Trump heads to his Des Moines rally to presumably try and spin the tumbling economy in his favor and boast about his hugely divisive Middle East peace plan, I feel confident in predicting he will avoid giving that DNA sample and be left to continue his presidency, ultimately untouched. Senior BJP leader and former state water supply minister Babanrao Lonikar on Friday warned of an agitation if the Uddhav Thackeray government scrapped the water grid project for Maharashtra's Marathwada region. Marathwada, with eight districts, has traditionally been a low-rainfall area and the grid project aims to create an integrated piped network linking 11 dams to supply water for drinking, industrial and agricultural purposes all through the year. Addressing a press conference here, Lonikar said the project, for which the previous Devendra Fadnavis government had sanction Rs 4,293 crore, would solve drinking water woes and provide all-year irrigation. On Thursday, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had said the project's feasibility had to be examined, though he added that the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government would not scrap the project. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) My first job as a TaskRabbit was easy. A woman who lived in my Brooklyn neighborhood needed someone to wait in her apartment, just a 10-minute walk from mine, for her new bed to be delivered while she was at work. For around $20 an hour, I sat in her kitchen typing on my laptop and hoping the delivery guys would arrive at the end of the window so Id make more money. I cannot believe Im getting paid to do this, I thought. I was in luck: I left $72.45 richer. Advertisement Afterward, the client offered to take me out for a glass of wine as a thank-you. That would be great! I texted back, and I meant it, sort of. It was a nice gesture, and I liked the idea of getting to know one of my neighbors, but the premise for getting drinks also struck me as odd. This wasnt a favor between friendsId been paid for my time. We never actually met up. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gig-economy apps like TaskRabbit, Rover, Uber, Postmates, and others promised to revolutionize the future of work. But theyre also changing our concept of community and not in the idealized way some startups sell, where hiring a neighbor to run an errand or hosting strangers in our spare bedrooms is supposed to bring us closer together. Advertisement Advertisement We are witnessing a financialization of activities that used to be an expression of social capital, writes Trebor Scholz, a professor of culture and media at the New School, in Uberworked and Underpaid: How Workers Are Disrupting the Digital Economy. What used to be favors among friends now has a price tag: the pickup from the airport, hauling clothes to the laundry, or helping to paint the apartment. Social capital, as defined by Robert D. Putnam in Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, is the value of our interpersonal relationships and the norms of reciprocity they engender. If I bring in my neighbors mail while shes on vacation or pick up my brothers kids while hes stuck at work, the thinking goes, theyll be there for me when I need it. Advertisement Of course, taxis, movers, handypeople, and cleaners arent new, and wealthy people have always hired help. However, smartphone apps have made it possible for people who arent richbut have enough disposable income to throw some money at a problemto hire someone on demand at a relatively accessible price. When these companies affluent, city-dwelling target market is increasingly strapped for timeor at capacity in one sense or anotheroutsourcing can become an attractive option. For those who can afford it, or run in circles with people who do, paying for these services often goes from a backup plan or a special treat to a social expectation. It can be jarring to realize your peers arent dealing in pizza and beer anymoreespecially when youre not as flush as they are. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gig-economy apps promised to revolutionize the future of work. But theyre also changing our concept of community. Instead of asking a friend or relative for a favor thats repaid with a pizza or a couple of beers, a homeowner or renter using TaskRabbit gets a jack-of-many-trades who might bill, in this market, $35 an hour, Martha Quillin explains in North Carolinas News & Observer. Originally launched as RunMyErrand in 2008, TaskRabbit once billed itself as an old school conceptneighbors helping neighborsreimagined for today. Founder Leah Busque came up with the idea after she and her husband were headed out to dinner one night and realized they were out of dog food. Wouldnt it be nice to go somewhere online and say, We need dog food, name a price wed be willing to pay, and find someone in our neighborhood, maybe at the store that very moment, who could help us? she recounted in a 2011 interview with Business Insider. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I find her choice of words interesting: not someone who could do the job, but someone who could help. This frames the task almost as a favor, while simultaneously acknowledging that it should be compensatedbecause few of us would run a strangers errand for free, and without getting money involved, Busque wouldnt have a business model. Many Americans no longer have the kind of relationships where we can ask a neighbor to borrow a cup of sugar, let alone pick up a bag of dog food. According to a 2015 report by the think tank City Observatory, a little more than one-third of us have no interactions with our neighbors, compared with about 20 percent of Americans in the mid-1970s. Besides, those of a certain class can Postmates that missing sugar mid-recipe if they really need it. Advertisement But favors like feeding your neighbors cat or helping the college kids downstairs put together their new kitchen island can build social ties. I once responded to an urgent TaskRabbit request to pick up a dog from the groomers; I took the subway to get there and walked the nervous pup back to his owner, who was stuck at home watching a sick kid. It felt good to be helping a mom out on a rough day. If wed been connected socially, this might have been the start of a deeper relationship. Instead, it was just a job, for which I received $40.80. Advertisement Advertisement Whether between neighbors or friends, favors make us feel like part of a community. A friend of mine recently moved to a small city in Oregon, where she reconnected with a grad school classmate. She told me shed be flattered if this woman hit her up for a ride to the airport, because it would confirm theyve moved out of acquaintance territory: It means they feel our friendship is deep enough that theyre willing to ask. I felt the same when my colleague at a relatively new job asked if I wanted to housesit for her. In many cases, people really enjoy helping, and our fears well be rejected if we ask for a favor are overblown. Advertisement Despite this, I often feel awkward approaching my friends for help. I hate feeling like a burden, and the hassle of getting across New York means even a small favor might require two hours of someones time. As a member of the generation suffering from what Anne Helen Petersen dubbed errand paralysis in her viral essay on millennial burnout, Im conscious of how much other stuff my friends have on their plates. A favor? In this economy? Advertisement Advertisement So sometimes when Ive had the money to do so, Ive turned to TaskRabbit. Rather than asking a friend to help me put in my air conditioner and coordinating a time that works for both of us, I paid someone to install it on my schedule. Hesitant to ask my friends to help me move again, only eight months after theyd hauled my stuff up three flights of narrow, hard-to-maneuver stairs, I hired someone to do it instead. Advertisement Outsourcing these tasks was freeing but also felt somewhat shameful: its a waste of money, and anyway, I should have more people in my life who can help when I need it. TaskRabbit can get the job done, but it can also save you from depending on others outside of economic exchanges, Sarah Sharma writes in Time to Care Less, a chapter in the anthology Appified: Culture in the Age of Apps. Yet relying on others is what holds us togetherin families, romantic relationships, friendships, and as a society at large. Instead of worrying about putting someone out, Im trying to think of it this way: If I dont ask for help, people may not ask me to help them and my social network will weaken. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of course, its possible to take advantage, and some favors really should be paid gigs. People would ask: Can you help me move? Can you run to the store? Can you pick me up spaghetti sauce? a former pilot with a flexible schedule told the Wall Street Journal. Eventually, I felt, Why am I doing this for free? As a freelancer, I can relate. I was happy to pick up a friend from a medical appointment recently, but I cant always rearrange my entire day to help out. Now more than ever, my time is money. In one sense, apps can enable us to maintain needed boundaries with loved ones and acquaintances alike. Sorry, I cant come over and help you move that couch, but this TaskRabbit I hired was great. No, I cant meet your flight at two in the morning, but lets get you an Uber. On the flipside, as Scholz writes, these apps have monetized some of the ways weve traditionally showed one another we care. When its possible to summon a stranger with the touch of a button, a favor from someone you actually know can feel extra special. Another friend of mine who works for the foreign service says she asks for and offers help much more often when shes living overseas. I love to take soup and meds and tea to friends when they are sick, especially because I had a stockpile of American soup and meds, she told me. Back in the U.S., she says, Im more like, There are 700 delivery apps and 57 CVSes, meh. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Nearly two-thirds of churches have plan for shooting attack, but divided on arming members: LifeWay Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Nearly two out of every three Protestant congregations in the United States have a plan in place for an active shooter incident but remain divided on whether to have armed members, according to a new LifeWay Research report. The LifeWay report, released Tuesday, found that 62 percent of Protestant pastors said their churches had an intentional plan for an active shooter. However, a smaller percentage, 45 percent, reported having armed church members and 27 percent reported having a no firearms policy for the building where you meet. Overall, 80 percent of pastors responded that they have some kind of security measures in place for worship, while 18 percent reported no measures, and 2 percent said they were unsure. Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, said in a statement released Tuesday that he believed the findings showed that most pastors recognize that Churches are some of the most common gatherings in any community, and that makes them targets. While methods vary, most churches start with the resources they have to prepare for what they hope will never happen, McConnell said. With planning, a church can be prepared without being distracted or paralyzed by the threat. Pastors are trying to balance two responsibilities protect those on the inside, while being as welcoming as possible to those on the outside. Other findings included evangelical pastors being more likely to report having armed church members than mainline Protestant pastors (54 percent versus 34 percent), and African-American pastors being the most likely to report having a no-firearms policy for their churches (50 percent). The report drew from a survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors conducted over the phone from Aug. 30, 2019, to Sept. 24, 2019, with a sampling error of plus or minus 3.3 percent. LifeWay Researchs report comes amid many high-profile mass shootings at Christian churches and other houses of worship across the U.S. over the past few years. On Dec. 29, 43-year-old Keith Thomas Kinnunen, opened fire at West Freeway Church of Christ in White Settlement, Texas, killing two people before he himself was shot by a security guard. The events at West Freeway Church of Christ put me in a position that I would hope no one would have to be in, but evil exists and I had to take out an active shooter in church, Jack Wilson, the 71-year-old security guard who shot Kinnunen, said in a Facebook post. Im thankful to GOD that I have been blessed with the ability and desire to serve him in the role of head of security at the church. I am very sad in the loss of two dear friends and brothers in CHRIST, but evil does exist in this world and I and other members are not going to allow evil to succeed. Last week, President Trump signed a bill authorizing $375 million in federal grants for the protection of houses of worship and other faith-based nonprofits. "In the face of attacks on synagogues, mosques, and churches in our community ... we must work together to reject the monstrous evils of anti-Semitism and anti-religious bigotry," the president said. "We are committed to building a nation where every community is secure, every family is safe, and every child can grow up in dignity and in peace." The hostage situation in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad has been resolved after the accused was killed in an encounter by the police. As many 23 children who were being held as hostage inside the accused's house have been rescued safely. The operation lasted for more than 11 hours. The incident happened at Karthia village of Mohammadabad town in Farrukhabad. According to reports, the accused Subhash Batham, a murder accused out on bail, had invited the children to his house on the pretext of his daughter's birthday and held them hostage. Live TV It is not clear if made any demands but he fired several times at the police and villagers, injuring two policemen and a few locals. He even lobbed a low-intensity hand grenade when people tried to enter his house to rescue the children. His wife too sustained injuries in the encounter and she has been admitted to a hospital, confirmed ADG (Law & Order) PV Ramashastry. Sharing more details, Ramashastry said, ''The man had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case and he was out on a bail. He had called the children on the pretext of a birthday party and held them hostage. He opened fire on the villagers. DM, SSP and police force are present near his house.'' Senior officials of the UP Police were present at the site, UP ATS was also deployed in Farrukhabad, state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had conducted an emergency meeting with senior UP officials in Lucknow and had instructed that the children be rescued at the earliest. As Ghana prepares for general election in December, Speaker of Parliament Aaron Michael Oquaye, has urged parliamentarians to leave a mark, rather than allowing undue interventions of politicking to mar the dignity of the House. The sitting, the first of the First Meeting of the Fourth Session of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana would run for eight weeks before it breaks at the end of March 2020, for the Easter holidays ahead Ghanas elections December. Since we are in the election year, I will implore that we do not allow undue interventions into this House, by the politicking that sometime go on outside..We still want to maintain the dignity and decorum of this noble house," Speaker Oquaye said, as he welcomed back the Members of Parliament (MP)from the Christmas and New Year break. He commended the MPs to continue to exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their parliamentary duties, reminding them that the meeting would be demanding and business would move on as a briskly as possible. As members of the 7th Parliament, we need to have exceptional zeal and commitment to deliver this mandate; and leave a mark in the history of Parliament of Ghana. Speaker Oquaye announced that the House had agreed on the principles and modalities on Private Members Bill. He said the House had received bills, for which he urged all Members to collaborate with the Majority and Minority Leaders and Clerks and Legislative and Drafting Sections in working on them to fruition. Speaker Oquaye commended the clerks of the House for the reports they produced on trips and assignments during the break, stressing the need to for the Members to do same, and preserve the documents for posterity. The Speaker reminded the House that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would be delivering the State of the Nation Address during the meeting, and urged them to continue with the dignified and decorous behaviour they gave him last year. Mr Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business said the meeting would be a challenging one as essential bills were before the house for consideration. He admonished Ministers of State to be punctual with government business, although they had to campaign for the primaries slated for April, 2020. He urged Members to be charitable to one another; and commit to speak to issues rather than engaging in settling personal scores, as well as helping to retain sitting members for the growth of the House. Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu admitted that the year is critical year for us all, since our democracy will be put to a test again come December 7 to elect President and Members of Parliament." He asked the security agencies to demonstrate neutrality this year, and reminded The EC to organise free, fair and transparent election. Mr. Iddrisu also entreated the media to adequately resource themselves for the coverage of the elections, and stressed the need to be circumspect in their reportage in the interest of Ghana to maintain the existing peace of the nation. Among the pieces of legislation to be worked on during the meeting are: Affirmative Action Bill, 2019, Rent (Amendment) Bill, 2019, Ghana Petroleum Hub Development Corporation Bill, 2019; National Ambulance Service Amendment Bill, National Blood Service Bill and Wildlife Bill. Treaties, conventions and protocols would also be worked on. The meeting would also feature a number of motions for debate and referrals to committees 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Fri, January 31, 2020 19:34 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061ebe5f 1 World coronavirus,Batam,outbreak,Wuhan-coronavirus Free More than 100 Chinese tourists shouted Jia you, Wuhan! (Stay strong, Wuhan!) in unison while standing in line at Hang Nadim International Airport in Batam, Riau Islands, to depart for their home in Shenzhen, China, on Thursday afternoon. They shouted those words as a form of encouragement for the city of Wuhan, which is currently in the spotlight for being the origin of the coronavirus outbreak, Suwarso, the head of the airport, told The Jakarta Post on Friday. Beyond just shouting some words of encouragement, the tourists were also carrying 30 boxes of masks, each containing 50 facemasks, bought from pharmacies and drugstores all over Batam. They are to be given to Wuhan citizens after their arrival in China. The airports authority, he said, had granted the tourists authorization to carry the masks without further inspection of the items. Its their form of solidarity and support for fellow Chinese who are currently enduring a rough time because of the outbreak, he added. Suwarso said the tourists made up the third and final batch of Chinese tourists departing from Batam after their travel agents had shortened their holiday period in Indonesia due to the recent upsurge of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in China. The first outflow of Chinese tourists from Batam occurred Monday with 145 tourists returning home that day, followed by 127 tourists the next day. In total, our figures show that 399 Chinese tourists have returned to China this week alone, Suwarso said. Suwarso also said the airport terminated on Tuesday two direct flights to and from two cities in China Shenzhen and Xian even though the flights were recently added to the airports newest flight schedule. He said the direct flight connecting Batam and Shenzhen launched on Dec. 28 while the flight between Batam and Xian opened on Jan. 1. We finally terminated both flights after many requests from travel agents in China, Suwarso said. Meanwhile, the head of the Batam chapter of the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA), Andika Lim, said the coronavirus outbreak in China would hit the tourism sector in Batam since the majority of international tourists there came from China. So far, we are still calculating the losses in the tourism sector as the coronavirus outbreak has caused a major drop in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Indonesia, Andika said. (glh) San Francisco firefighters rescued a man surrounded by flames in his crumpled car early Friday after he plowed into a fuel storage tank at a Chevron gas station, officials said. The accident occurred at about 3 a.m. on the 1100 block of Junipero Serra Boulevard, according to the San Francisco Fire Department. Until recently, craft lager might have sounded like an oxymoron. After all, lager you know, like Budweiser, Coors and Corona was the very thing that the craft beer revolution defined itself against. The industrial lagers were flavorless, wan and dilute; craft beer, by contrast, would be rich, complex and delicious. But over time, that desire for intense flavor turned beer drinking, once a leisure activity, into an endurance sport. Aggressively hoppy IPAs now dominate tap handles at Bay Area beer bars. Everything is aged in bourbon barrels, infected with brettanomyces or brewed with sour cherries or pineapple or lactose. Its no longer uncommon to see alcohol levels creep into the double digits. These craft beers are much more flavorful than Budweiser and Coors. But is there such a thing as too much flavor? Theyre palate wreckers, says Rob Lightner, co-founder of East Brother Beer Co. in Richmond, of the current craft-beer landscape. His brewery is part of a growing movement in California to provide an antidote: craft lager. Open since 2017, East Brother is the rare craft brewery that actually specializes in lager (which includes subcategories like pilsner). That means it doesnt often get to participate in the craft-beer hype machine. Weve watched the glitter beers, the brut IPAs, the hazy IPAs all take off, Lightner says. But theyve stuck to their guns, and its working not just for East Brother, whose lagers outperform in their taproom, Lightner says but for craft beer as a whole. Lager remains the most popular beer style in the U.S., but the macro-lagers the Coors and Buds are on a downward trajectory, shrinking 2% by volume in 2018, according to industry analyst IWSR. Within craft, however, lager is a growth segment, says Bart Watson, chief economist for the Brewers Association. Lager is a way for craft breweries to reach this light, refreshing portion of the beer market, Watson continues. Craft has reached a certain market share where it has to reach out to different consumers so theyre moving into the biggest space in the U.S. beer market, which is still light lager. Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle A lagers greatness comes from subtle complexity. It should be bright, crisp and clean, finishing dry. Some Bay Area craft lagers are emphatically hoppy (Russian River Brewings STS Pils comes to mind), while others are less so (think of North Coast Brewings Scrimshaw Pilsner). Recently, weve seen a spate of specifically light lagers, even from hazy IPA havens like Fieldwork Brewing and Humble Sea Brewing. But the major defining trait of the current wave of California craft lagers is maltiness, which can come across as a subtly grainy or biscuity flavor. That maltiness is also what differentiates craft from industrial lager. Craft versions like Local Brewings SF Lager and East Brothers Bo Pils are brewed entirely from malted barley. Meanwhile, the macro-lagers rely heavily on adjuncts, like corn and rice, which are cheaper. (Bud Lite has been flaunting its use of adjuncts in a recent ad campaign. To promote the fact that it doesnt use corn syrup, it spells out its ingredients: hops, barley, water and rice.) And lager is a broader category than many drinkers realize. The style invites plenty of experimentation: San Franciscos Local Brewing Co. produces a red lager, a black lager, a dry-hopped Mexican lager and, as a Beer Week special, a whiskey- and oak-influenced lager. East Brother has a seasonal lager series, which includes maibock, festbier and even Baltic porter (which, yes, is also a subcategory). Of course, pilsner may be the breakout star; everyone from Lagunitas to Firestone Walker is making one now. Still, lager isnt sexy. It doesnt drive cool Instagram posts. It garners mediocre scores on the beer-rating site Untappd. No one in my circle is ever sitting around and saying, Hey, have you had this lager? says Regan Long, founder and brewmaster of Local Brewing Co. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Leah Millis / The Chronicle 2017 For a brewery, in fact, lager can feel like a thankless labor. Its more difficult and more time-consuming to produce than many other beer styles. Because lagers must be fermented at colder temperatures, they take considerably longer than ales. The reality is you can turn a standard West Coast IPA in two weeks, but a lager is taking four to six weeks, says Long. They take up a lot of space. For a lot of breweries, they just dont make a lot of sense. Unlike an IPA, whose assertive hops might be able to mask other flavors, lagers are unforgiving. If theres an off flavor, if you rushed things, theres nothing to hide behind, says East Brother head brewer Paul Liszewski, whose license plate reads LAGER. He likens it to the difference between making a barbecue sauce just throw together ketchup, chile powder, Worcestershire, brown sugar and a beurre blanc sauce, which has fewer ingredients but relies on precise technique. Craft lager may look like a new trend, but Watson, the Brewers Association economist, sees lager as having been in craft beers DNA from its inception; think Sam Adams Boston Lager. For much of its history, craft brewing hasnt been avoiding lagers so much as its been trying to go in an opposite direction of American lager and light lager, he says. Then, as now, the difference, says Watson, is just that craft has been trying to add a little more flavor. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob BRIDGEPORT - A 15-year-old male has been arrested in the assault of a 67-year-old mentally disabled man on Sunday. Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said the assault happened immediately after the shooting and homicide on Highland Avenue. 34 Shares Share Wiley Boynton is dead. I first heard the news when Katie, a colleague, called me on my cell phone. Wiley had been taken to the hospital with a knife wound. I asked her right away: Self-inflicted? I think so, she said. A self-inflicted knife wound might be possible, I figure with someone like Wiley, considering the violent world he came out of. I know quite a lot about him. Wiley is around 40 years old. Most of his adult life was spent in prison, some very hard prison time, too. First thing in the morning, I call the coroners office, identified myself, and asked after Wiley. Weve been trying to get you, the man tells me. They had found an appointment card on Wiley with my name on it. I inform the coroner I am a case manager for Wiley. The body is about to undergo an autopsy, and the coroner tells me while Wiley has a knife wound to the abdomen, it is not deep. He had recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver (I hadnt heard this), and if the knife penetrated the diseased liver, even slightly, that could be the cause of death. The coroner found frothing of the mouth and that is often a sign of an overdose When a death is ruled an overdose, an investigation often follows. Our agency makes you feel as if they are looking for a culprit, a determination of who screwed up. The truth is, community mental health (what we are) is a loose operation at best. Lots of medicine is floating around, and not so many checks and balances exist (labs and the like). Probably it has something to do with the people we serve very poor, uneducated people and often people with serious physical ailments as well as severe mental illness. We see much heart and lung disease. Diabetes abounds, hepatitis is rampant, and obesity and alcoholism are very common. Did I leave anything out? Yes, almost everyone is a heavy smoker. Treating such people can often seem futile, although no one in our agency would admit to such a thought. Then there are the sheer numbers, staggering numbers of such folks. Next, I phone Wileys sister, Molly, in Indianapolis. I had met her before. I remember her as a dark-haired woman who looked younger than her 30s. She has four children, at least one grown, so she had to have begun having children fairly early in her teens. Molly is sobbing on the phone. She had spoken already to the coroner, and he had told her that the knife wound had not killed Wiley. Probably it was the pills, he said. They said they found pills in his throat and in his stomach. I just know he didnt kill himself (with a knife, I guess she meant). He was so hopeful all the time. He talked about moving to Indianapolis to be with me and the kids. He loved the kids. I tell Molly what I know that the coroner has not yet ruled a suicide. And I remind her of what she already knows that Wiley was in poor health overall, especially for a man barely forty years old. Wiley could not climb a set of stairs without being exhausted, I say to her. I know, she sobs. So it is entirely possible the coroner will rule Wiley suffered a heart attack while ingesting the pills. You said yourself he was very agitated and had called you at 4:30 a.m. Yes, he was. She had also said he told her he loved her, and that might indicate a man saying goodbye. I change the subject. I have the name and number of the funeral home in Floyd County. The Ferguson Home. Do you have money for the funeral? I knew Wiley had no insurance and little money in the account we kept for him. I am sorry we dont. None? No, none. I had hopes Wiley had a bit of money left in his account. He does, maybe as much as four hundred dollars. I am only guessing, though. I assure her that I will do what I can to locate some money for funeral costs. I plan to call a woman I know in Frankfort at the state mental health offices and try to scare up seven hundred dollars. My goal is to locate one thousand dollars total to put toward the funeral (thats counting what is already in Wileys account). As I am about to make the call, my phone rings. It is the Ferguson Funeral home in rural Kentucky. I speak to the owner, Sandra. Soon we are talking about money. You know there isnt much money in this case? I say. I know, she says. How much do you need to bury him? She doesnt answer me directly. Well, we are sending a car for the body, and that and embalming will cost $562.00. $562.00, a curious figure I think. I havent yet met the family, Sandra tells me. I guess she means Molly in Indianapolis but I know there are others. Wileys mother is still alive in the mountains someplace, and he has a son who is a Marine. Last I heard he was in Iraq. She continues. I have no information about the deceased. Well, I can help you there, Sandra. And I do. Look, we have about 300 dollars. I believe that that money can be spent, dont hold me to that though. And I am about to call Frankfort to see if more can be found, maybe a total of a thousand dollars. It is simply my goal. I tell her: I am worried that you wont have enough money to collect the body, and he will remain in the morgue until all of this gets sorted out. Wiley had his troubles and caused his share of trouble, but he deserved more than I sensed he might get. My worries were misplaced. That wont happen, sir, Sandra says to me, getting very formal. I have already sent the hearse for him, and if we dont get a penny, he will be taken care of. Please understand, though, that we know this family, not the deceased, just the family he comes from, and feel if any more money is allowed and it is given to them to pay us, it wont arrive. I almost laugh at the way she says this. No chance that will happen, I say, and I am sure there is a laugh in my voice. Any payment made to you will be by check and by mail with nobody in between. Thank you, sir, and she hangs up. It is Friday afternoon. I cannot get through to my Frankfort connection. Her secretary promises me she will call me on Monday first thing. Come Monday, I talk to my friend. We find a way to send the funeral home the 700 dollars (on top of the three hundred we have), what is required for Wileys burial. Wiley was short and stout like the proverbial teapot. He was a mountain boy, largely uneducated, although he could read a little. He told me this a bit proudly one day, and how it was he came to learn to read and write. It happened in prison. A black Muslim inmate taught Wiley to read using the Bible, the only book available. The Muslim man said he didnt believe in the Bible, but words were words and so it would do. Wiley learned the rudiments of reading from this fellow, but at something of a price. The white prisoners disliked the association between these two, and as a consequence, Wiley was assaulted with a knife. He managed to avoid the attack and then picked up an iron bar and clobbered his attacker. He was thrown into solitary and shortly thereafter transferred to another facility to Eddyville, Kentuckys maximum-security prison. It was more than this one assault that got Wiley sent to Eddyville. Prior to this incident, and while drunk, he had attacked a guard. He described to me the ride to Eddyville. There is this steep road down a hill to Eddyville, he said. God it was depressing, he continued. It looked like some dark, scary castle, an awful looking place, someplace from hell, and I was going there and to solitary confinement, and I didnt know for how long. Raymond Abbott is a social worker and novelist. Image credit: Shutterstock.com A security researcher gained access to one of the airline's systems by brute-forcing an easily-guessable password. The database backup file on the system was unencrypted. India's privately-owned airline SpiceJet has confirmed data breach of over a million of its passengers after a security researcher highlighted a security lapse in its systems. According to TechCrunch, a security researcher, who described their actions as 'ethical hacking', gained access to one of the airline's systems by brute-forcing an easily-guessable password. The database backup file on the system was unencrypted, allowing access to private information of more than 1.2 million passengers last month. The details included flight information and details of each passenger, including their name, phone number, email address, and date of birth. The researcher had alerted SpiceJet about the database, but it was only after they informed government-run cybercrime agency CERT-In that the airline took necessary steps to protect its user database. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in identifying the suspects in attempted holdup in Metairie and an armed robbery in Waggman. Detectives don't believe the incidents are related, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the department. The first incident occurred just before 5 p.m. on Jan. 3 in the 1200 block of Lake Avenue in Metairie. A male suspect is accused of trying to rob an employee of an unnamed business, according to Rivarde. The Sheriff's Office did not say why the robbery was foiled, but the suspect drove off in a red Honda CR-V with a spare tire attached to the rear door, Rivarde said. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Detectives obtained photos of the suspect and his getaway vehicle taken by surveillance cameras. The second holdup was reported about 9:15 p.m. in Waggaman on Jan. 18. A cab driver told investigators he picked up a man who hired him to drive to the intersection of Megehee Court and Jefferson Drive in Waggaman, Rivarde said. But once they arrived, the passenger brandished a gun and robber the driver. Investigators released photos of the suspect, who had tattoos on his neck and arm, Rivarde said. Anyone with information about the identity of either robbery suspect is asked to call the Sheriff's Office investigations bureau at 504-364-5300. The public can also call Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-7867. Callers do not have to give their names or testify and can earn a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an indictment A group, Ray of Hope Empowerment Foundation, on Thursday distributed school shoes, bags, books and other writing materials to pupils of a public secondary school in the FCT. Christybelle Sylva-John, the foundations lead, at the presentation of the gifts at the Government Junior Secondary School, Shadadi, Kuje, said the back to school initiative was launched in 2017 to cater for necessary school supplies and accessories to less privileged kids. Ms Sylva-John, who was accompanied by members of a partner group, Skin101, led by Hilda Titiloye, said the donations were aimed at enabling the kids continue their educational pursuit. I know how tough it could be for parents who can barely pay their childrens school fees and at the same time, get them school supplies this can be a blocker for these kids in continuing their education successfully if their parents are unable to do so, she told PREMIUM TIMES. Ms Sylva-John harped on the importance of pupils welfare and linked it to getting the best out of them in their academic pursuits. Having the basic tools they need to educate themselves will go a long way as they form the human infrastructure of our future civilisation, she said. Participants at the presentation In similar fashion, Ms Titiloye stressed the need to see education as a ticket to success in life and as such, basic needs of pupils should be provided to gear them towards attaining the peak of greatness. Education is a ticket to success in life; we need to work the little we can to provide basic school supplies to our pupils as they are future leaders, she said. As a medical doctor, she noted that shabby appearance of pupils without basic school needs would not guarantee self-esteem and confidence needed for excellence in academic work. Ms Titiloye urged the pupils to be serious in their academics and not make excuses of challenges and limitations. Asides providing the pupils with the instructional materials, the foundation also gave ten indigent pupils of Junior Secondary School 2 (JSS2) scholarships. According to Ms Sylva-John, the pupils were selected based on their parents incapabilities to send them to school and they had at a point, stopped schooling before they were recalled. READ ALSO: Receiving the gifts with elation, the school principal, Abiodun Babalola, expressed gratitude for choice of the school despite its location a sunbaked, vast land situated at the far end of Kuje community. For your labour of love and humanity, we appreciate you greatly. Thank you, may God bless you always, Mrs Babalola said. KALAMAZOO, MI The city of Kalamazoo will hold public meetings to get feedback on adult use (recreational) marijuana, to develop a framework for the creation of an ordinance to regulate sales of the substance. The first set of meetings has been scheduled for early February: Wednesday, Feb. 5, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both meetings will be held at Kalamazoo City Commission Chambers at City Hall, 241 W. South Street, in downtown Kalamazoo. The public is encouraged to attend and give input as the city works to create an ordinance regarding recreational marijuana businesses in town. Topics of discussion will include the differences between medical marijuana regulations and the adult use (recreational use) permitted under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act. The meeting will touch on the new facility types allowed via the act, social equity components, and local licensing. Both meetings will cover the same material, the city said. In October, the Kalamazoo City Commission approved an action to delay the option to allow recreational marijuana businesses in town, setting a target date of June 1 to reconsider the issue. The city said in a news release that adoption of the ordinance permitted city staff to bring proposed zoning and licensing ordinances to the Kalamazoo City Commission in conformance with the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, which was adopted by voter initiative in November 2018. Additional meetings/engagement opportunities will be scheduled in early March to review draft sections of the ordinance. For more information visit www.kalamazoocity.org/adultusemarihuana. Contact Pete Eldridge, Assistant City Planner, with any questions at 269-337-8806. As Kalamazoo gathers input on the topic, recreational marijuana businesses are approved and selling product to customers 21 and older in nearby communities such as Niles and Battle Creek, as well as other places aground Michigan. More on MLive: Stoner from Michigan interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live Michigan medical marijuana seller gets prison: Federal law has not changed, judge says A growing number of fictitious employers are showing up on loan applications, according to a fraud alert issued by Fannie Mae. In 2018, the GSE issued three fraud alerts warning lenders of apparently nonexistent companies showing up on loan applications in California. There were 30 apparently fictitious companies on the initial list. Now, Fannie Mae warned, that number has grown to 65. The latest list is available here. Prudent origination, processing, and underwriting practices should include looking for red flags in the loan documents that raise questions about the transaction, Fannie Mae said. Verify that the borrowers place of employment actually exists and obtain supporting documentation. Foreign visitors to the central city of Da Nang (Source: VNA) The number of foreign visitors to Vietnam in January is estimated to expand 16.6 percent month-on-month and 32.8 percent year-on-year, reaching 1.99 million, according to the General Statistics Office (GSO). This marked the highest figure so far due to high travel demand for the traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. Of the total, those travelling by air increased by 38.9 percent, while arrivals by sea rose by 231.5 percent. In January, tourists from Asia accounted for 77.4 percent of the total, 39.9 percent higher than that of the same period last year. Arrivals from China surged by 72.6 percent, while those from Thailand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Malaysia climbed 40.1 percent, 20.4 percent, 19.3 percent, 11.4 percent and 5.5 percent, respectively. The number of European visitors in the reviewed period witnessed a yearly increase of 11.5 percent. Of which, those from Russia saw the highest rise of 16.1 percent, followed by Germany, the UK and France with respective expansions of 9.6 percent, 8.7 percent and 5.3 percent. Meanwhile, the number of tourists from America was up 19 percent year-on-year, mainly from the US, the GSO said. It added that in the last days of January, Vietnamese travel agencies attended the International Tourism Fair (FITUR 2020) in Spain. Vietnams participation at the event is hoped to actively contribute to attracting more Spanish-speaking visitors to the Southeast Asian nation./. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on Thursday that the first person-to-person spread of the new coronavirus in the United States has been reported between an Illinois couple in their 60s shortly before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Illinois Public Health Director Ngozi Ezike said during a telebriefing that it is the second novel coronavirus case reported in Illinois and is the first case reported in the United States where an individual confirmed to have the virus did not travel to affected parts of China where the virus has been diagnosed in over 7,700 people. Ezike said the transmission of the virus was spread between two with very close contact" in this case, a husband and wife and that the risk to the general public in Illinois remains low. The wife, according to officials, recently traveled to China and was one of the first five cases of novel coronavirus confirmed in the United States. Public health officials are actively investigating other possible individuals the couple came into contact with after they became symptomatic, which the CDC said occurs between two and 14 days after exposure. While officials did not explicitly state how many people the couple could have come into contact with, Ezike said that 21 people are currently under investigation and are being tested for the virus in the state. Jennifer Layden, chief medical officer and state epidemiologist with the Illinois Department of Public Health, said that the couple is in stable condition in the hospital, adding that health officials are continuing to check on others who came into contact with the pair, including hospital workers, since the two began displaying symptoms. The virus, called 2019-nCoV, has caused severe illness and dozens of deaths, according to the CDC. Symptoms of the respiratory illness caused by the virus include include fever, cough and trouble breathing. Coronaviruses are typically common in many different species of animals, according to the CDC, though it is rare for animal coronaviruses to infect people and then spread. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, said that person-to-person spread was expected in the United States before adding, based on what we know ... immediate risk to the general public is low. Redfield said the full picture of how easily and sustainably the virus can spread is currently unclear, adding that the CDCs goal is to contain the outbreak and prevent sustained spread. The CDC encourages anyone who traveled to Wuhan, China within the past two weeks and who has symptoms of the coronavirus fever, cough or difficulty breathing to seek medical care. Earlier this week, the CDC said over 100 domestic patients were under investigation from 26 states because they traveled to Wuhan, China, or had contact with individuals who had the virus and had relevant symptoms. Twenty-five of those people have tested negative for the virus, according to the CDC. Dr. Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases called the spread of the virus a very serious public health situation, but said the CDC wants its response to the outbreak to be evidence-based and appropriate. Messonnier said there is a possibility that more cases of person-to-person spread will occur in the United States but said actions like wearing masks in public are not recommended at this time. The WHOs declaration of a global health emergency serves as a notice that the worlds top health body thinks the situation is grave, as China said on Thursday that an additional 38 people died from the disease bringing the total to 170 the New York Times reported. So far, no cases have been reported in New York; however, Staten Island hospital physicians are on heightened alert, health officials on the borough told the Advance. We are on very, very high alert for coronavirus now, said Dr. Harry Kopolovich, chairman of the emergency department at Richmond University Medical Center. "Our local health services are fully aware and prepared to deal with a pandemic if one does in effect occur. At all three Staten Island hospital sites, physicians are keenly on the lookout for patients exhibiting flu symptoms who have recently traveled in China. Precautions in play at both RUMC and Staten Island University Hospitals Ocean Breeze and Princes Bay sites include more robust triage screenings for patients, the wearing of surgical masks by staff and patients, and the use of isolation rooms when appropriate. The CDC, in an effort to reduce the number of people looking for treatment for symptoms that could be mistaken for the new coronavirus, recommends that individuals get vaccinated and take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, along with taking flu antivirals if prescribed. Jaipur, Jan 31 : Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma has allegedly been blatantly misusing NHM funds in buying ACs, water bottles and recharging cable TV connections at his residence flouting all norms of the scheme, instituted to provide universal access to equitable, affordable and quality health care to common people. The minister has been allegedly making continuous requests to the National Health Mission to get disposable glasses, furniture and top-end vehicles available to him right from January last year, soon after the Congress formed the government in Rajasthan. In the documents which are with IANS, it has come to fore how Sharma asked the NHM's Chief Engineer to install six split ACs and one tower AC in his official bungalow on January 23, 2019 at a cost of Rs 8,04,962. Intervening in the matter, the Additional Chief Secretary, in the note sheet, wrote that the "residence of honourable ministers are furnished by the PWD as per my knowledge". Later, the minister withdrew the letter and in a fresh communication, removed the reference to his residence 'Bungalow number 18' in it and replaced it with 'office situated in residence', officials told IANS. The minister did not stop here and on March 12, 2019 sought that the NHM provide a HD box Recorder, two Dish HD Tata Sky, a Dish HD Airtel and a table lamp. Thereafter, on May 1, 2019, a request was again made to Chief Engineer to get the TV connections recharged for his house - an annual cost of Rs 36,000. Also on January 1, 2019, sub-divisional officer Rajiv Kumar Shukla requested the NHM Chief Engineer for getting an Innova car available for the minister. The vehicle, as per norms, is being given by the government's motor garage. However, this vehicle was demanded by Sharma from the NHM for his son, who has been driving it since last one year, an official said. The minister already has a Bolero and other vehicles allotted to him from the government. The average cost of this rented vehicle is Rs 60,000 per month, but if the distance crosses the fixed mark, then the cost touches Rs 70,000 per month. Officials of the department, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said that the minister had also ordered for 2 more ACs from the Rajasthan Medical Service Corporation and the Rajasthan Nursing Council too, while as per the norms, only three ACs are permitted for any minister's residence and have already been allotted by PWD. The misuse of NHM funds was not limited to TV recharge and AC allotment only but also in getting Cello steel bottles (three pieces), disposable glasses (200 pieces), mosquito racket (four pieces), computer table (two big and two small) and other furniture, including big and small Godrej almirahs. The demands come even as it is the PWD which bears the responsibility to furnish ministers' bungalows and so all these come over and above the expense already made by it. The NHM is intended to strengthen the health system in rural and urban areas for reproductive-maternal-neonatal-child and adolescent health, and to tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases. However, in Rajasthan, the state Health Minister for availing lavish facilities at his bungalow. IANS tried contacting the minister several times by calling him and texting him, but he did not respond. A month back, Sharma drew sheer criticism for the death of over 100 children in JK Lon Hospital for the want of warmers which were non-functional in the hospital and required just a few thousands rupees to get rectified. Meanwhile, an NHM official, on condition of anonymity, also said that minister has giving verbal orders to get food packets, rental cabs, accessories and many other stuff which go unrecorded in note sheets. "His activities truly prove the Rajasthani phrase, 'Muft ka chandan, ghise mera nandan' (free of cost facilities are availed by this happy-go-lucky man)," the official told IANS. (Archana Sharma can be contacted at archana.s@ians.in) For years, New York State has operated one of the most generous Medicaid programs in the country, a point of pride in a state with a long tradition of investing in the social safety net. The program provides health care and other services to more than six million people, largely low-income New Yorkers, and the costs are shared between the state and federal government. But profligate spending has sent costs spiraling in recent years. The Medicaid program has become a driving force behind a $6.1 billion hole in New Yorks budget next year, and a brewing political battle over what to do about it. Though Medicaid costs are rising across the United States, in New York among the countrys largest programs, and long one of its most expensive spending has surged. From 2015 to 2019, annual spending grew by an average of 6 percent, according to a report last year by the Empire Center for Public Policy, a conservative nonprofit research organization. Thats roughly double the rate of growth in the previous several years, even as enrollment remained flat. (Kitco News) - After more than three years of back-and-forth uncertainty, the United Kingdom is on the cusp of history as it prepares to officially leave the European Union. However, investors might not want to assume the story has ended just yet. after 47 years, as of 6 p.m. EST, Britain will no longer be a member of the EU, but the two sides now have an 11-month transition period in which to define their long-term interactions. Its going to be a long and painful 11 months, said David Madden, senior market analyst at CMC Markets. Madden added that this next stage in Brexit will be even more important than the initial divorce as the negotiations this year will determine the future of trade and economic growth between Britain and Europe. The future relationship between Britain and the EU is about to be defined, so there is a lot at stake here, he said. However, Madden added that he doesnt expect markets will react to this new negotiation phase until the end of the year. The biggest issue on the negotiation table is the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, the only land border between the EU and the U.K. I think the two sides will just muddle along with no clear message until the very end. We wont see Brexit volatility until the end of the year, he said. Madden added that Brexit uncertainty at the end of the year could be positive for gold prices; however, investors have to wait to see how negotiations progress. Jasper Lawler, head of research at London Capital Group, said that he does not expect Brexit to have much impact on gold prices. He added that negotiation headlines could create some sporadic volatility in markets and support gold prices, but it wont create any long-term momentum. I think in the end, we will get a deal. It might not be the best deal but it will be something everyone can live with, he said. Lawler added that he doesnt expect gold will get much of a Brexit boost as the nation is now one step closer to certainty, after three years of torturous indecision. Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said that he doesnt expect Brexit headlines to have much impact on gold, as investors have much bigger issues to deal with. Brexit is still not resolved but the coronavirus is taking a lot of the spotlight away from potential negotiations, he said. Lukman Otunuga, senior research analyst, at FXTM, also said he does not expect to see major moves in gold due to Brexit. This event has already been heavily priced in, with investors redirecting their attention back towards U.K. fundamentals, he said. There is even a small possibility that gold slightly weakens after Brexit, as a layer of uncertainty is removed from the complicated equation. Brexit and gold Although analysts are mixed as to the impact the next stage of negations between the U.K. and the EU, the issue has had an erratic impact on gold prices. On June 23, 2016, British citizens surprisingly voted in favor of leaving the European Union. In response to the results, gold prices rallied more than $59 during the session, its biggest one-day move since 2008 and one that has been unmatched in the last three years. Brexit uncertainty has supported strong European gold through the last three years. Last year, European gold exchange-traded funds saw their gold holdings grow by 188 tons, with the value rising to $8.8 billion a nearly 14% increase from the previous year and nearly matching inflows into North American markets. Ben Southwood is an independent researcher. A tradition of conservative philosophers from Burke through Chesterton to their successor, the late great Sir Roger Scruton, has emphasised the hidden wisdom in the rituals, traditions, laws, and institutions surrounding us. Societies tend to slowly evolve a culture that deals with their problems shocks can push things out of whack for a time, but cultural norms adapt. According to a groundbreaking report from the government commission which Scruton chaired, the post-war changes to the UKs planning regime were another such shock. He suggests a few ingenious tweaks that can make the system work for society again, enhancing beauty while providing housing needs. Readers of ConHome will probably know the story of Sir Rogers chairmanship of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission. Appointed amidst controversy, Scruton was dismissed in April after seeming to make unacceptable remarks in an interview with the New Statesman. It later transpired that those remarks had been misrepresented: the New Statesman apologised and Scruton was reappointed, only to be diagnosed with lung cancer in the very same week. Scruton poured his remaining energy into finalising the Commissions report, attending meetings in a wheelchair and working closely on drafting the text with his friend and Co-Chair Nicholas Boys Smith. I am told that he was still working on the finishing details in the final days of his life. The result of this labour, entitled Living with Beauty, was published this week. It is a triumphant vindication of Scrutons appointment and in many ways, a fitting culmination of his lifes work, uniting depth of vision with a wealth of empirical evidence and policy detail on one of the great issues of our time. The fundamental thesis is stated in its introduction: Our proposals aim for long-term investment in which the values that matter to people beauty, community, history, landscape are safeguarded. Hence places, not units; high streets, not glass bottles; local design codes, not faceless architecture that could be anywhere. The reports core insight is that beauty is important. The aesthetics of buildings affect others: you are forced to see eyesores whether or not you built them yourself, while you can enjoy beautiful buildings, villages, and towns whose construction you had no part in. Towns have even larger effects on others: if built well, they free their residents with clean air, public commerce in squares and streets, walkable amenities, and the ability to build community through easy resident interaction. If built poorly, green space is forbidding and unused, roads are dangerous and tedious to cross, and commerce encourages anonymity rather than interaction. Beautiful buildings are conserved and adapted, like the Victorian public buildings that survive long after their initial uses have gone. Ugly buildings are torn down and replaced, at a huge cost. Scruton argues that, in some ways, the Victorian and Edwardian system served this goal well. Rules were simple with six-storey height limits and rules over design, but not much else. The arrival of new materials, new modes of transport, and new design ideologies changed this. But the report is no paean to the past. We cannot abolish the car, or work without modern materials, or return to the unthinking belief that there is only one possible style in which to build. Nor ought we to do these things, even if we could. Instead, we must learn to live with the changes that they have wrought, to preserve the many blessings while overcoming or mitigating the difficulties. The solution is not to wish away the modern world, but to work to humanise it. How, though, to build new traditional towns, given the changes of the 20th century? And how to improve and expand those we already have? And further, how to make sure our cities and suburbs can provide the living space demanded by their larger and richer populations? Throwing cash at people is not always enough to get the right sort of changes. Even if it were, the main current techniques Section 106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy dont necessarily mean money where the public actually want it, nor do they guarantee the development will improve, rather than worsen, the place overall. Scrutons report proposes forty-five tweaks to the current regime to create a structure that allows us to protect and enhance the beauty we are bequeathed plus make our own contributions for posterity. By enshrining beauty, it hopes also to raise faith in the planning system and new developments and create more support for development that ameliorates housing shortages in parts of the country. One suggestion is removing the distinction in the tax system between demolishing constructing new buildings (which is zero-rated) and improving or adapting old buildings, which faces 20 per cent VAT. A second is that local design codes could be simplified, but based on local tastes and preferences through consultation. Another could be more transformative. Since 1947, homeowners have been mainly banned from extending their properties as they could before then. The planning system has effectively frozen a particular form of suburbia in place. It has done this by nationalising the ancient right to extend ones home: even when there is an acute shortage of homes, the planning system effectively bans people from, say, redeveloping their bungalows as five-story Georgian-style terraces. This is one of the root causes of the housing shortage, and of the failure of the twentieth century to reproduce the rich fabric of older cities. This solution of allowing streets to vote on whether residents would all like to have the right to expand their properties, in line with local preferences echoes a recent proposal from Jacob Rees-Mogg, among others. The government should investigate ways of facilitating gentle suburban intensification and mixed use, with the consent of local communities [and] allowing individual streets to vote to opt in to limited additional permissions, subject to design codes. In time, we can repair areas that have become dilapidated; rejuvenate high streets that have lost custom and strengthen communities. In the older areas of English cities, it is still common that one can walk, not only to shops for groceries and household goods, but to primary and secondary schools, a library, a post office, a church, several pubs and cafes, a war memorial and a town hall. Neighbourhoods like this bring well-known health benefits to their residents by encouraging walking. But they also feel different since, to put it simply, they are alive. In these public spaces, strangers become neighbours, and a community is formed. In short, the report shows us how this country can be cherished, not bulldozed; enhanced, not uglified or preserved in aspic. Its themes of heritage and community may appeal to conservative minds like those of Robert Jenrick, the Housing Secretary and Esther McVey, the Housing Minister. So far, Sir Rogers contribution to Britains institutional development has primarily been theoretical. His final gift is more practical. In the post-war period, housing policy was socialist: the state erected concrete slab blocks and master-planned New Towns like Stevenage and Basingstoke. Since the 1980s, the state has stepped back from building new towns or big council blocks, but the housing market has come to be dominated by the likes of Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey. Scrutons legacy offers an alternative that will allow people to conserve and improve the places where they live. Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh on Friday said that the state government will soon bring Muslim reservation since it was a part of the alliance government's common minimum programme. "Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to soon bring Muslim reservation as it was a part of the grand alliance's common minimum programme," Shaikh told ANI. He also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the country is being divided, people don't have jobs and the media is being misused. "The country is fed up, the country is being divided, people don't have jobs, media is being misused, and the BJP is completing the work left unfinished by the Britishers," said Shaikh The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) -Congress-Shiv Sena coalition formed the government in Maharashtra last month, after BJP and Shiv Sena who fought the elections together could not agree on the '50-50 formula' which led to a split. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EPSOM, England, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With the transition period starting and the food & beverage industry still unclear as to the future alignment of the UK and EU regulatory machines, Leatherhead recommends members take advantage of their membership services to keep abreast of Brexit developments through 2020. Leatherhead membership benefits include: Free places on Brexit events such as a webinar on 27 February Dedicated Brexit monthly newsletter which summarises key Brexit developments for certain member companies Discounts on scenario planning workshops to prepare for possible Brexit outcomes Email/telephone on demand access to skilled, experienced regulatory consultants to submit ad hoc Brexit queries "Leatherhead is well positioned to assist members through 2020 on all things Brexit," says Mark Butcher, Commercial Director, Leatherhead Food Research. "The Brexit challenge is unique and whilst much of the industry was expecting regulatory alignment after the transition period, recent developments suggest that may be less certain. As we get towards the end of 2020 and the specifics of any divergence become clearer, it is likely that regulatory services will be in high demand. We are therefore encouraging our members to be sure they have anticipated and planned ahead for both the most likely and significant scenarios." Further information about Leatherhead is available at www.leatherheadfood.com. About Leatherhead Leatherhead Food Research provides expertise and support to the global food and drink sector with practical solutions that cover all stages of a product's life cycle from consumer insight, ingredient innovation and sensory testing to food safety consultancy and global regulatory advice. Leatherhead operates a membership programme which represents a who's who of the global food and drinks industry. Supporting all members and clients, large or small, Leatherhead provides consultancy and advice as well as training, market news, published reports and bespoke projects. Alongside the Member support and project work, our world-renowned experts deliver cutting-edge research in areas that drive long term commercial benefit for the food and drink industry. About Science Group Leatherhead Research is a Science Group company. Science Group plc (AIM:SAG) is an international, science-led services and product development organization. Its specialist companies, TSG Consulting, Sagentia, Oakland Innovation, OTM Consulting, Leatherhead Food Research and Frontier Smart Technologies, support the product innovation lifecycle, enabling clients to deliver on their investments in R&D. Science Group's services fall into four broad categories: Applied Science, Product Development, Technology Advisory and Regulatory. These services are combined with vertical market expertise in the Medical, Consumer, Food & Beverage, Industrial, Chemical and Energy sectors. With offices throughout Europe, North America and China/Hong Kong and with over 30 languages written and spoken, Science Group supports a global client base. www.sciencegroup.com U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has vowed Washingtons unwavering support for Ukraine as it battles Russia-backed forces in a deadly war in its easternmost regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. "The United States understands that Ukraine is an important country. Its not just the geographic heart of Europe, its a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe," Pompeo said after talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on January 31. "The United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy, and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," he added. Along with aid provided by European countries, Kyiv counts on Washington for diplomatic support and military aid to buy Javelin anti-tank missiles and other hardware in the conflict. Pompeo is the highest-ranking U.S. officials to visit Ukraine since lawmakers in Washington began the impeachment process of President Donald Trump. Democrats accuse Trump of abusing his power of office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival by withholding congressionally approved military aid and a highly desired invitation to the White House for Zelenskiy. Pompeo rejected the notion that vital aid had been held back, adding he did not believe that our warm and important relations have been influenced by the question of the impeachment." He said no conditions had been put on a White House visit for Zelenskiy and that it would come at the right time. We'll find the appropriate opportunity," he said. He did not elaborate on when that could be or if an invitation had already been extended to the Ukrainian leader. The visit also comes days after Pompeo reportedly asked an NPR journalist in anger, Do you think Americans care about Ukraine? Prior to meeting with Foreign Minister Vadym Prystayko, Pompeo attended a ceremony honoring those who have died in the nearly six-year war in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 13,000 people since April 2014. Russia also seized and annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula on March 2014 in a move not recognized by the international community. Pompeo also underscored the importance of continued strong bilateral relations between the two countries, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. "At the same time, the U.S. side emphasized the importance of maintaining the high dynamics and effectiveness of reforms in Ukraine," it said. Two-way trade between the United States and Ukraine reached nearly $4 billion in 2018, with particularly high volumes in mineral fuels, vehicles, iron and steel, and agricultural products. Pompeo, who began his regional tour in London, will also travel to Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. Parents have been left furious after their children returned to school find unisex toilets had been installed without teachers consulting them. St Eugene College, north of Brisbane, recently built the gender-neutral toilets into it's Marian building for its year 3 and 4 students. It was only when students came home complaining about the toilets that parents were finally aware of the change, according to the Courier Mail. Parents said they were furious after their children discovered they would now have to use gender-neutral toilets at St Eugene College St Eugene College principal Marisa Dann sent a letter to parents on Thursday that said the move was a trial and compared the situation to toilets used in family homes. Parents said they had a range of concerns including hygiene and the potential for sexual assault, but felt forced to complain in secret as they feared backlash from their own children. 'None of the parents were told, none of them were consulted, it was a tyrannical move,' a mother said. 'I have no issue with them building a unisex toilet block; my issue 100 per cent lies with the fact that it's the only option available for my child.' After several complaints Ms Dann back-flipped on the move and said in another letter to parents that the school would assign girls and boys toilets from Monday. But parents complained that the toilets were still in the same complex, which would make the policing the use of each cubicle difficult. 'There's still a space at the top of the cubicle, you could still stand, or climb, and see right over,' a parent said. It comes after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk killed off a plan to introduce unisex toilets into Fortitude Valley State Secondary College. She claimed that boys and girls should have separate private spaces. St Eugene College has been contacted by the Daily Mail Australia for comment. 2019 was full of many outstanding products from top industry brands, our panel of experts had a tough time voting on the best of each category, said Meghan OLaughlin, campaign manager at OpticsPlanet, Inc. OpticsPlanet.com, the leading online destination for technical and high-performance gear, has announced the winners of the 2019 Brilliance Awards. Over 1 million products were evaluated by product experts in an effort to narrow down the best products of 2019 in their respective categories. Industry brands whose products are chosen are honored with the prestigious Brilliance Awards. This year there were 18 winners selected as the 2019 Brilliance Awards Winners: 2019 was full of many outstanding products from top industry brands, our panel of experts had a tough time voting on the best of each category, said Meghan OLaughlin, campaign manager at OpticsPlanet, Inc. We are proud to recognize each of the 18 winners with an award that showcases their dedication to creating highly-rated dependable products. For more information on the 2019 Brilliance Awards visit GearExpert.com. About OpticsPlanet, Inc. Founded in 2000, OpticsPlanet, Inc. is the leading online destination for technical and high-performance gear. OpticsPlanet, Inc. serves demanding enthusiasts and professionals who are passionate about their jobs, serious about their recreation, and devoted to their service. Currently offering over 1 million items from over 3,500 brands in over 500 specialty categories, OpticsPlanet.coms wide selection of outdoor sporting goods, military and law enforcement gear, as well as scientific products and eyewear. In 2019, the company was recognized for the 12th straight year by Internet Retailer Magazine as one of the top 200 e-retailers in the United States. OpticsPlanet, Inc. has also been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the country. Other stores in OpticsPlanet, Inc.s portfolio include OpticsPlanet.com, Dvor.com the worlds first members-only store devoted to gear and Tactical-Store.com. For more information, visit http://www.OpticsPlanet.com, and follow OpticsPlanet.com on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is heeding widespread calls to apply some British stiff-upper-lip resolve to the United Kingdom's Friday exit from the European Union. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Brexit supporter demonstrates in Parliament Square in London, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. Britain officially leaves the European Union on Friday after a debilitating political period that has bitterly divided the nation since the 2016 Brexit referendum. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is heeding widespread calls to apply some British stiff-upper-lip resolve to the United Kingdom's Friday exit from the European Union. The advice from business groups stresses that Canada should not rush to negotiate a new trade deal with Britain, and to not be in a hurry to simply incorporate a made-in-London version of Canada's current pact with the EU. In other words, keep calm and carry on. Despite the bluster and tears surrounding Friday's Brexit, nothing essentially changes for the remainder of the year between Canada, Britain and the EU, says Brian Kingston, vice-president of the Business Council of Canada. Until Dec. 31, Britain remains a member of the EU, and is still bound by the continent's sweeping free trade deal with Canada on goods and services, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. Canada and the EU have completed what has been billed as informal preliminary talks about rolling over elements of CETA into a bilateral deal, but no date for formal negotiations has been set. "Any future trade agreement between Canada and the U.K. would be influenced by the U.K.-EU trade relationship, as well as any unilateral U.K. approaches," said Ryan Nearing, a spokesman for International Trade Minister Mary Ng. The British High Commissioner to Canada, Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque, said her country is now free to negotiate with whatever country it chooses, but formal talks with Canada aren't ready to start just yet. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to reporters during a visit to a clothing factory in Montreal, Friday, January 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes "I think very much depends on how fast we can move ahead with the discussions with the EU, about our future relationship with the EU because. That's obviously a crucial element in whatever we work out with Canada," she said "I wouldn't want to put a date on it." That's a good call, say Kingston and others, because rushing to negotiate with Britain now including adopting a new, bilateral version of CETA would be a tactical mistake. "It's difficult to negotiate a trade deal with the U.K. when we don't know what the relationship with Europe will be," he said. "That is their most attractive feature that they're part of this massive common market." Britain and the EU now have 11 months to negotiate their own new deal that would include trade, fisheries, education, transportation and other areas, to avoid a so-called "hard Brexit." Many economists, notably the Canadian-born head of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, have predicted dire economic consequences for Britain if a hard Brexit occurs. If that comes to pass, Britain has said it would offer tariff-free access to trading partners starting for one year in 2021 to insulate the British economy from the no-deal shock. "That changes the negotiating dynamics for Canada. If we're getting this tariff-free access for a year, do we really want to negotiate for it?" said Mark Agnew, director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Jason Langrish, the executive director the Canada Europe Roundtable for Business, said that gives Canada a distinct negotiating advantage because Britain will need a deal more. "If this doesn't work out well for the U.K. and they crash out and have no deal effectively with the EU, and they don't have any deals in place with anybody else, how strong of a negotiating position are they going to be in? Canada is going to have an advantage." Le Jeune d'Allegeershecque said the current Boris Johnson government hasn't formally carried over that position, which was put forth by former prime minister Theresa May. "There would be more tariffs than there are now, quite clearly, but whacking on massive great tariffs is not in line with what the government's vision of who we are and where we want to be," she said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he was confident that Britain's departure from the EU would be marked by "an orderly transition" with minimal disruption to Canadian trade and investment. "The greatest threat was on a so-called no-deal Brexit. They've avoided that," Trudeau told reporters Friday in Montreal. "We are very confident that we will minimize any disruptions to investment, to trade, to people-to-people ties with the United Kingdom." In addition to negotiating with the EU and Canada, Britain is also planning to negotiate a series of bilateral deals with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand before the end of the year. "We have actually been engaged with the United Kingdom over the past few years working on that transition plan," Trudeau said. Kingston said there is one potential dark side for Canada if there's a hard Brexit: some Canadian companies based in London that are using the financial hub as an entry point into Europe could be negatively affected. But many firms, particularly in the highly mobile financial services sector, are opening "satellite" offices in Ireland and Germany, to maintain their European access, he said. Le Jeune d'Allegeershecque said those offices "are more of a hedging their bets option rather than a desire to move elsewhere." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Get ready to roll, because The Jesus has been reborn. A full 22 years after the Coen brothers introduced John Turturro's bit part, the convicted sex offender Jesus Quintana in The Big Lebowski, he is now set to return to the lanes in The Jesus Rolls. Read more: Fiennes in the frame for Matilda musical Turturro is both behind the camera and behind the script of the new movie, actually a loose remake of the 1974 French comedy Going Places, but with Quintana inserted into the action. The original movie, written and directed by Bertrand Blier, was hugely controversial on its release. The Jesus Rolls (Credit: Screen Media) Starring Miou-Miou, Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere, the movie centred on a trio of sexually depraved misfits embarking on a crime caper. Joining Turturro on the bill for this new take is an impressive ensemble, including Audrey Tautou, Bobby Cannavale, SNL's Pete Davidson, Jon Hamm, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Walken, and J.B. Smoove. The Jesus Rolls (Credit: Screen Media) Though the Coen brothers aren't involved in the movie, they gave Turturro their blessing to use the character, who appears in only a couple of short but memorable scenes in The Big Lebowski. Speaking to The Independent last summer, he said: Its a bit of a racy movie. It shows how stupid men are. Thats what the movie is kinda about the women are the stronger, more together characters. Read more: Trailer for In the Heights reveals all-singing, all-dancing tale I had to tweak it a little bit but now I feel really good about it. Its basically an exploration of Jesus getting out of jail. Its a comedy but a very human comedy. Per the official synopsis: Jesus Quintana (Turturro) pairs up with fellow misfits Petey (Bobby Cannavale) and Marie (Audrey Tautou) and embarks on a freewheeling joyride of petty crime and romance. As yet, there's no official UK release date, but it lands in the US later this year. (Photo : Samsung) Samsung Galaxy Book S Isn't Balanced and Has Cheap-Looking Keyboard But Still Worth the Price (Photo : Samsung) Samsung Galaxy Book S Isn't Balanced and Has Cheap-Looking Keyboard But Still Worth the Price Samsung has a new device to offer! Its latest laptop model called Samsung Galaxy Book S, is now on pre-order on its website, starting at the price of $999. This device will start shipping on Feb. 13 and promised to have an ultra-thin, ultra-lightweight, and an impressive almost 24-hour battery life-- one of a kind feature for a laptop. However, is the price worth its specs and design? Samsung Galaxy Book S: all negative things you must know According to a Mashable review of Galaxy Book S, though, the device does have a lot of positive specs to make you purchase it totally. There are also things that users must know about their boasted specs. As mentioned by tech writer Raymond Wong, the Galaxy Book S does not have a 'unique' design behind it. If you're thinking about something new to expect its exterior design, you might be disappointed. With its standard 13.3-inch touch screen and certainly thin size of 11.8 mm, Galaxy Book S seemed to be just an average looking ultra-thin and light laptop. Nothing unusual. Wong also noticed that the keyboard installed on the laptop does not have that special look. He even described it as a 'cheap-looking keyboard' since it has a lot of mushiness when you press its keys. Though the touchscreen and trackpad "seemed fine." The last major thing that he noticed on the device is that it looks 'unbalanced.' When the demo was shown, the laptop cannot be opened with one hand since the screen is heavier compared to the keyboard. Despite all these, why should you purchase Samsung's newest Galaxy Book S? Here's why. Samsung Galaxy Book S has an insanely thin size and lightweight for a laptop Though Samsung had been late to released Galaxy Book S to the public since it was first announced in August. The official pre-order is now available to the United States users. Samsung's new laptop device has an extremely thin size and ultra-lightweight design that weighs only 0.96 kg. This is impressively lighter compared to Apple's lightest laptop MacBook Air with its 1.25 kilograms. Though having a normal-size screen, this laptop has a 1080p resolution, a 10-point multi-touch screen, and runs Windows 10. To top all that, it also uses the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx chip, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage-- though it can expand storage by up to a 1TB using its microSD slot. Samsung Galaxy Book S battery and LTE technology If that can't push you to buy this laptop now, maybe its battery and LTE technology will force you to. One of its boasted specs is having a 42Wh battery that said to lasts up to 25 hours of local video playback without having to charge it again. However, that might be kind of challenging since the laptop is also equipped with LTE connection for users to connect to the internet even you're far away from nearby wifi spots. Samsung will give out $100 gift cards for Samsung PCs, tablets, and accessories if you buy one now. More than this, customers of Microsoft Store and Verizon can also avail the pre-order on the same day, with Sprint opening it for Feb. 14 (Valentine's day). ALSO READ: 20 Ways You Are Slowly Destroying Your Laptop Without Realizing It 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Harley Bird has voiced Peppa since she was five-years-old. (Photo by Ian West/PA Images via Getty Images) Harley Bird has announced she will no longer be voicing Peppa Pig in the show of the same name after 13 years in the role. The 18-year-old began lending her voice to the character when she was just five-years-old as the third actor to take on the part of the feisty pig. "Becoming the voice of Peppa Pig at the age of five was the start of an incredible journey, and I'll never forget my time on the show," she told the PA news agency. Read more: How Disney incorporates political messages into its children's films Her replacement has now been revealed as nine-year-old Amelie Bea Smith who will make her debut in a Peppa Pig episode set to air on Valentine's Day. Harley Bird attends a gala screening of "Peppa Pig: Festival Of Fun" at Vue Leicester Square on March 17, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images) Smith's agent Mark Jermin said: "Amelie has been a huge fan of the show since she was little, so voicing the title role is like a dream come true and shes thrilled to become part of the voice cast. The first Peppa voice belonged to Lily Snowden-Fine who was on the show for the first series before handing over to Cecily Bloom for series two. Bloom was succeed by Bird who is the show's longest-serving Peppa. Peppa Pig has been a huge international success. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images) Newcomer Smith will be heard as Peppa in the UK, the US, Australia as well as other international territories that air the episodes in English. It comes as the huge popularity of the anthropomorphic pig has had an unusual international impact as it was reported last year that it had led to US children developing British accents. CORUNNA, MI-- Staff Sgt. Kenny Wekwert, of Onaway, met his 7-month-old daughter Natalie for the second time yesterday when he returned home from his deployment to Cuba. His other daughters, Morganne, 5, and McKenzie, 7, clung to his legs as he smiled at his baby, who he met briefly when she was a newborn. Im glad to see shes still taken to me, Wekwert said. Im happy to be home with them, its been a long time coming. I just want to spend as much time as I can just soaking it up. More than 150 soldiers from the 46th Military Police Company, based out of the Corunna Armory, Michigan Army National Guard, were reunited with their family and loved ones when they returned from their deployment to Cuba on Jan. 30 at Corunna High School. The soldiers, who come from all over Michigan, deployed to Cuba in April 2019 as part of Joint Task Force Guantanamo. Before the soldiers arrived, the gymnasium bleachers were full of their family and friends, some waving homemade Welcome Home signs and American flags. Sgt. Gerald Williamsons 13 family members all wore matching red T-shirts which had the number 304 on the back -- the number of days theyd gone without seeing him. Its a feeling you really cant explain. Its just a huge relief, said his wife Amber Williamson, of Marshall. Her children, Connor, 7, and Hallie, 3 waved little American flags as they waited for their dad and the other soldiers to arrive. Connor said he was excited to see his dad and go out to eat Chinese food with him. The soldiers filed into the schools gymnasium, getting into formation for the homecoming ceremony as their loved ones watched anxiously. Capt. Daniel Ramos, the company commander who led the unit in Guantanamo, thanked the soldiers for all of their work and dedication during the deployment. You guys were ready. I dont think at the time really any of us knew just how ready you were, but excellent job, Ramos said. You guys killed it out there. Welcome home. First Sergeant, lets go home. Bollywood actor Aamir Khan has is now sporting a clean-shaven look for his upcoming film Laal SIngh Chaddha. It is just one of his many looks in the film. The first look of the film, helmed by Advait Chauhan, had Aamir sporting a long beard. Now, the new image from Gurgaon schedule of the movie shows him with a clean-shaven face and a crew cut hairstyle. A Mid Day report quoted a source as saying, The movie an official adaptation of Forrest Gump [1994] traces the protagonist as he unwittingly influences important political and cultural events in India over a span of 30 years. In the latest stint, Aamir shot for the sequence where his character gets officially discharged from the army after serving during the Kargil war. Like in the original, he then goes on to endorse a company and earns enough money to fulfil his promise to his fellow soldier. The actor filmed the scene over two days under the supervision of Advait. Also read: Ma Anand Sheela to Neha Dhupia: I worked for a mad man, and I loved every minute Last year in December, Kareena and Aamir were stationed in Chandigarh for a long shooting schedule of the film. Pictures of both Aamir and Kareena got leaked, in which Aamir could be seen in a plain pair of pants and a shirt, with a lilac pagdi (Sikh headgear) while Kareena was in a simple pink and purple salwar kameez. Aamir was also spotted in Rajasthans Jaisalmer region shooting for the film, in a rather dishevelled look. He was later spotted in Himachal Pradesh as well where he had a long beard. Laal Singh Chaddha is the official Hindi remake of Tom Hanks 1994 Hollywood hit, Forrest Gump. The Hindi film will star Aamir and Kareena in lead roles. Laal Singh Chaddha is written by Atul Kulkarni and is slated to hit the big screens on December 25, 2020. Follow @htshowbiz for more COLUMBUS, Ohio State lawmakers have talked to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, an advocate of school choice, as theyve been negotiating how to change Ohios private school voucher program, according to sources with information on the matter. People who favor private school scholarships in Ohio first reached out to DeVos, asking for her help. DeVos made the first call to lawmakers, and offered counsel that the Education Choice program shouldnt be dismantled, according to one source. The Ohio House and Ohio Senate are at an impasse over how to fix a possible explosion in the number of students who will use EdChoice next year. About a third of Ohios schools, over 1,200 schools, are considered low-performing, so students in their boundaries are eligible for EdChoice next fall, up from the current approximately 500. The Senate passed a measure earlier this week that would trim that number to around 425, while increasing the income eligibility part of EdChoice from 200% of the federal poverty level to 300%, or $78,600 for a family of four. But the House unanimously rejected the Senates proposal. Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder said he would prefer the number to be around 188 schools, and more recently said that hed like to use family income and not school report card scores as a measure for who gets vouchers, which would be a rewrite of the program. Discussions continue, but the clock is running out. Open enrollment in EdChoice begins Saturday, and families need to know whether they will qualify for scholarships. For school choice advocates, DeVos is considered a champion for private schools and other alternatives to public schools. A member of President Donald Trumps cabinet, DeVos on Wednesday rallied at the Wisconsin Capitol with Vice President Mike Pence for school choice. DeVos and others in the administration are working on a $5 billion national tax credit to help parents cover tuition at private schools. Other stories from Columbus: Will Ohio embrace Trumps Medicaid plan? Lawmakers reactions are mixed. Ohio universities eye spread of coronavirus: Capitol Letter With possible cases at Miami U., what are other Ohio colleges doing to protect students from coronavirus? Man who requested Ohio medical marijuana for Browns, Bengals fans says it could help them cope Ohio vaping illnesses approach 100, though appear to be leveling off Ohio requiring doctors, hospitals, clinics to report suspected coronavirus as it spreads from China to U.S. Bloom Medicinals investigating reported Ohio medical marijuana patient data breach Airline check-in staff wear face masks to protect against the spread of the 2019 nCoV coronavirus at Los Angeles International Airport on January 29, 2020. Photo: Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty Images On Thursday night, the State Department raised its travel advisory a formal warning system designed to inform Americans of possible dangers abroad for China to its highest level, due to the outbreak of coronavirus that spread originally from the city of Wuhan. Do not travel to China, the level-four advisory states. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. The warning was issued on the same day that the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a global health emergency. For Americans already in China, the State Department advises that they consider departing using commercial means. Nonessential U.S. government personnel have also been asked to defer travel; last week, State ordered the departure of nonemergency U.S. personnel from the inland city of Wuhan. Within the worlds most populous nation, authorities have restricted air, car, and rail travel in the area surrounding Wuhan resulting in the lockdown of an estimated 60 million people. As of publication, 213 people have died in China, and almost 10,000 have contracted the virus. Across the globe, there have been over 100 cases reported in more than 20 countries; on Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the first case of person-to-person transmission in the U.S. Examining the 13 other nations with level-four travel advisories reveals the high degree of concern with which the State Department is treating coronavirus: China is joined on the list by Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Reasons for barring travel include arbitrary arrest, armed conflict, civil unrest, crime, kidnapping, landmines, long-term detention, and terrorism. Only Somalia, Venezuela, and Yemen are included with China as potential health risks. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Student infected with coronavirus in Kerala was on Friday shifted from Thrissur General Hospital to the isolation ward of Thrissur Medical College. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said that the patient's condition is stable. "The patient who had returned from Wuhan (China) and had tested positive for coronavirus is stable. She will be shifted to Thrissur Medical College from Thrissur General Hospital today," said the Health Minister who also held a high-level meeting at Thrissur Medical College earlier in the day. "Another person has been admitted to Thrissur General Hospital with symptoms of coronavirus. 15 persons are under surveillance in the State. Of these, nine are in isolation wards and the rest are being monitored at home," she added. The Central government has also issued a travel advisory, asking people to refrain from traveling to China. In addition, the thermal screening facilities, as a precautionary measure, have been extended to 21 airports now, including Gaya, Guwahati, Vizag, Varanasi and Goa. The deadly virus has so far claimed 213 lives in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SIOUX CITY -- Al Gore. Dick Cheney. Joe Biden. And, on Thursday, Mike Pence. The number of sitting vice presidents who have visited Sioux City over the last 30 years has grown to four, following a stop by Pence, the vice president working with President Donald Trump. Pence drew a sizable crowd in the event called Evangelicals For Trump, in the morning before the vice president joined Trump for a rally later in the day in Des Moines. Journal chief photographer Tim Hynds was helpful in researching when Gore had been in Sioux City, as that was his input over years before I joined the staff in 2002. Sure enough, Hynds found old photos that showed Gore in Sioux City in both October and December of 1999, when he was running for president as the Iowa caucuses approached. Gore --the vice president of President Bill Clinton -- won the Jan. 24, 2000, caucuses with 63 percent of the vote, and Democrat Bill Bradley only won five counties in Iowa. In the administration of President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney was vice president and visited Sioux City on Oct. 28, 2004. Introduced by his wife, Lynne, Cheney spoke before 350 people at the Sioux City Convention Center in a town hall setting five days before the Nov. 2 election. The vice president was well received by the Republican crowd, and all of Cheney's 25 minutes speaking before taking six questions was spent on defense/security matters, in a time when the Iraq War was a huge national issue. Biden campaigned in Sioux City in 2007 prior to the Iowa caucuses, but didn't get the nomination, a mantle that was seized by fellow Democrat Barack Obama, who won the presidency in 2008 and 2012. Biden became vice president with Obama's team, and he came back in Sioux City on March 28, 2012. Biden spoke with Democratic Party supporters in a private campaign event at the Sanford Community Center after he made a 45-minute stop at the Boys Club of Sioux City that was not on his public schedule. In taking questions at the Boys Club on how he got to be vice president, he memorably said it came after "I got beat like a drum by Barack Obama" in the 2008 race. Coincidentally, Biden was back in Sioux City on Wednesday, although he's obviously not still holding the vice president title. This year, Biden is one of 12 Democrats seeking the presidency, in the quest to deny the re-election of Trump. He spoke to 350 people at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Concluding the rally, he said, "Everybody knows who Donald Trump is, we need to let them know who we are. We choose hope over fear. We choose science over fiction. We choose unity over division and, yes, we choose truth over lies." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Amit Shah, who addressed four rallies, said the Delhi polls are a contest between Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through surgical strikes inside Pakistan and those supporting the Shaheen Bagh protest. New Delhi: The BJP launched a multi-pronged attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday as it fielded a battery of leaders, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda, to take on the ruling AAP on a range of issues but Shaheen Bagh dominated the barrage. Shah, who addressed four rallies, said the Delhi polls are a contest between Prime Minister Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through surgical strikes inside Pakistan and those supporting the Shaheen Bagh protest. To counter the BJP offensive, Kejriwal addressed 'jansabhas' (public meetings) and held four roadshows. Congress, on the other hand, got some star power for its campaign. Actress Nagma canvassed for Congress' Gandhi Nagar candidate Arvinder Singh Lovely. Seeking votes for the BJP during an election meeting at Bhatti Mines Sanjay Colony(Chhatarpur), Shah said the refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan have as much right over the country as its other citizens. "Two forces are face to face in the assembly elections in Delhi. On one side is Prime Minister Narendra Modi who eliminated terrorists through the air and surgical strikes inside Pakistan and on the other hand are those supporting Shaheen Bagh. You have to decide who do you support," he said. Shah said a vote for the BJP in the 8 February polls will ensure the security of Delhi and the country. Shaheen Bagh in south Delhi has emerged as the epicentre of anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the country. A large number of women protesters have taken the centre stage at the protest in Shaheen Bagh since mid-December last year. Addressing an election rally at Mangolpuri, Nadda hit out at the AAP for pursuing "politics of appeasement" and accused it of being "hell-bent on burning Delhi". "Entire Delhi is troubled because of Shaheen Bagh and AAP's politics of appeasement is hell-bent on burning Delhi," he said. Campaigning for the party candidate in Jangpura, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh claimed that he felt "foreign forces" were trying to "weaken" India by "misleading" people against the amended citizenship law. "No Indian citizen including Muslims will lose their citizenship due to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Still, if the citizenship of a Muslim is questioned by anyone, the BJP will stand with him," he said. "Misunderstanding is being spread to mislead the people. I feel there certainly is the hand of foreign forces behind this, who want to weaken India. The decision is to be made by you, where do you want the country to head," Singh said. Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Haryana Jairam Thakur, Pramod Sawant and ML Khattar also addressed rallies canvassing support for the BJP candidates. Slamming Kejriwal, Khattar said the AAP chief did nothing but a "drama" over key issues like education and health. By PTI NEW DELHI: Services of public sector banks were impacted as employee unions went on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday to press for wage revision. However, private sector lenders like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank were operational. Many banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), had informed customers in advance that operations may be impacted to some extent due to the strike. Cash deposit, withdrawal, cheque clearances, instrument issuance and loan disbursement were affected. With this strike, banks would be closed for three days including Sunday. Banks will open only on Monday, February 3. The strike coincides with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of Union Budget 2020-21. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). Unions claimed that about 10 lakh staff and officers of public sector banks and some private sector banks are participating in the strike. Branches of public sector banks were closed in many parts of the country, as per initial reports. Wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period November 1, 2012, to October 31, 2017, employees got a hike of 15 per cent. During discussions, the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on Thursday improved their offer to 13.5 per cent, but this was not acceptable, the unions said. However, IBA in a statement said despite the revised offer of up to 19 per cent hike, including performance-linked incentive, made by it during the meeting on Thursday, the unions decided to go ahead with the all-India bank strike. A section of bank employees had gone on a day-long strike on January 8 in support of 10 major trade unions' protest call against the government's "anti-people" policies. SAN DIEGO, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP is investigating potential violations of the federal securities laws by V.F. Corporation ("VF") (NYSE: VFC). On January 23, 2020, VF announced third-quarter fiscal 2020 results. V.F. Corp reported net revenue of $3.38 billion for the three months ended December 28, 2019, but fell short of the average analyst estimate of $3.43 billion. Additionally, the Company estimated annual revenue of $11.75 billion, compared with its prior forecast of $11.8 billion. It projected adjusted profit per share to be about $3.30, lower than its previous range of $3.32 to $3.37. On a conference call that same day, CFO Scott Roe, disclosed that the Company intended to sell "the Occupational Work Brands." Roe stated, "From a financial standpoint the occupational work brands contributed about $865 million of revenue and $130 million of adjusted operating income in fiscal 2019." Following this news, the price of VF common stock plunged, declining $9.16 per share, or 9.69%, to close at $85.41 per share on January 23, 2020. If you have information that could assist in this investigation, including past employees and others, or if you are a VF shareholder and are interested in learning more about the investigation, please contact Mike Fistel ([email protected]) by email or phone at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number. Additionally, you can [click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Johnson Fistel, LLP: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com . Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP Mike Fistel, 619-814-4471 [email protected] [click here to join this action]. SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP Related Links http://www.johnsonfistel.com A yoga studio has moved to a new location in Carlisle. Anahata Yoga & Mindful Movement relocated to 2 E. Liberty Ave. this month. The company relocated from 401 E. Louther St. in Carlisle. Anahata Yoga offers a variety of classes to include gentle yoga with meditation, vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, slow flow and restorative yoga. The studio also offer aerial yoga, a style of yoga where the postures are done with the support of an aerial hammock. Anahata Yoga also offers teacher training. The owner is Lena Hershey. The new studio opened on Jan. 13, according to the companys Facebook page. Anahata Yoga is holding a grand reopening celebration and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Feb. 7 with the Greater Carlisle Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Carlisle Association. --Business Buzz --Sign up for PennLives newsletters Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like PennLives business page on Facebook at @PennLiveBusiness Teens have found a loophole in the Food and Drug Administration's ban on most flavored e-cigarettes, The New York Times reported on Friday. The Trump administration outlawed the sale of flavors like fruit and mint for e-cigarettes that use refillable cartridges earlier this month. While the policy targets teen-friendly flavors, it does not include tobacco and menthol varieties. The regulation has other exemptions allowed by President Donald Trump, who received political pushback after suggesting a federal ban on all flavored e-cigarettes in September. The policy does not apply to non-refillable devices designed to be discarded, which teens have quickly taken advantage of, according to the Times. Teens are now switching from cartridge-based brands like Juul to disposable e-cigarettes such as those made by Puff Bar, the report said. Puff Bar sells flavors like banana ice and watermelon, while Juul pulled all of its mint and fruit varieties in 2019. Juul currently faces litigation concerning the company's role in the rise of teen vaping and is undergoing a $1 billion restructuring. Tobacco giant Altria, which partially owns Juul, announced yesterday that it took a $4.1 billion hit from its investment in the e-cigarette company. Read more about the flavor ban in Times' report. BERKELEY (BCN) Police arrested a suspect in a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a woman early last week in Berkeley, police said Thursday. Alexander McGee, 29, of Oakland, was arrested Wednesday night following the crash Jan. 20 on a sidewalk near University Avenue and Sixth Street. McGee was allegedly fleeing in a car from a University of California police officer when the crash occurred shortly after 10:30 a.m. The name of the victim, who was 58 years old and homeless, is not being released because her family hasn't been notified, according to the Alameda County coroner's bureau. Before McGee allegedly fled, police were approaching McGee's gray four-door Nissan sedan because the university police officer saw a woman inside that car and the woman was apparently screaming for help. As the officer approached the Nissan, McGee allegedly drove onto the sidewalk, hitting and killing the female pedestrian, Berkeley police Officer Byron White said. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Staffline has issued its fourth profit warning in less than a year. It comes after the struggling recruiter said it and Big Four auditor Grant Thornton, which is reviewing its books, found the business will need to reduce the book value of some assets. We have already identified that it is appropriate to increase certain provisions and make further write-downs, the company said in a statement. It added: Due to these net charges, the board now expects the group to report full-year adjusted operating profit (being profits before interest, tax and non-underlying charges) for the period ending 31st December 2019 materially below our previous guidance. The expectations for the 2020 financial year remain intact. The business said it has a strong relationship with bank lenders, so is unlikely to face any covenant issues. However, Joe Brent, an analyst at Liberum, said the relationships are hard to evidence. There are plenty of strategic options available to improve the balance sheet position, including the sale of the Irish business, he added. The companys shares have plummeted over the last year, losing nearly 95% of their value since the beginning of 2019. It follows a series of profit warnings from the struggling business. In May last year, it nearly halved profit forecasts, blaming Brexit uncertainty. Shares lost half their value in the wake of the news. Just a month later the business was forced to scrap its dividend and announced plans to raise 37 million in a bid to cut debt. It also warned that the bill for not properly following minimum wage rules between 2013 and 2018 was set to almost double to 15.1 million. This time shares lost almost a third of their value. In September, Staffline issued its second profit warning in four months as the business slumped to a pre-tax loss of 7.7 million for the six months to June 30. Shares lost another quarter that day. And late last month, Staffline slashed profit forecasts again as demand dived. It shaved another quarter off the companys share price. On Friday, after the fourth profit warning within a year, shares dropped 7.9p, or 10.7%, to 66.1p. The first parents got in line well before the sun rose on Jan. 27. By 4:15, four people were waiting to register their children for one of the 90 coveted spots in kindergarten classes at Greenfield Elementary in Center City. By 7 a.m., it was close to 50. Parents were eventually issued numbers based on their position in line and assigned times to come back to complete registration paperwork. It was mass panic for no reason,"one parent said. Were not promoting free for everyone with public school if this is how were going to roll. Another was incredulous that there is no sibling preference or ability to complete paperwork online, and upset there was no lottery at Greenfield. You needed a network to get the inside information about the line, and flexibility with work to be able to stand out there, and then to come back later in the day to register, the parent said. The line was more evidence of the growing demand for spots in some Philadelphia public schools and a significant long-term change in public perception of the Philadelphia School District among middle-class families. Ten years ago, 20 years ago, some people wouldnt even consider sending their kids to Philadelphia public schools, said one Greenfield parent, who like many, declined to be identified, citing fears of blowback on their family. This is a revolution in terms of demand and appeal. The appeal, the parent said, lies in the reputation of a group of good schools, which generally educate more white students and fewer low-income students than the rest of the district. Greenfield, for instance, is a National Blue Ribbon award winner, a place where parents aim to raise $125,000 per year to fund enrichment programs, grants for teachers, and other extras. Nearly 60% of its students are white, and just 20% live in poverty, setting it apart from the majority of Philadelphia public schools, which educate mostly poor students of color. READ MORE: Read more: In Philadelphia schools, there are haves and have-nots For several years running, parents at Penn Alexander the West Philadelphia neighborhood K-8 school enriched by extra funding from the University of Pennsylvania camped out for days before kindergarten registration, renting RVs and erecting temporary structures with space heaters. Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. halted that lineup in 2013, saying it promoted inequity and disadvantaged low-income parents who could not afford to make such arrangements. Officials said at the time that lotteries would be employed in every school where demand outstripped supply, and in 2017, another well-regarded elementary school adopted a lottery: Meredith, in Queen Village. Though more and more families in the Greenfield catchment, or attendance zone, have been choosing the school, the district has not opted for a lottery there because demographic predictions indicated that every eligible kindergartner would get a seat in the school, said Karyn Lynch, the districts chief of student support services. Ninety children were registered on Monday, Lynch said, and any subsequent children would be put on a waiting list. But given the typical rates of attrition, Lynch said she expects every in-catchment child will be able to attend the K-8, which enrolls about 622 kids, in September. READ MORE: Read more: Philly school district will spend millions on asbestos cleanup Lynch said the district has been slower to move to lotteries lately because of the panic that typically ensues when that word is uttered: It indicates some will get in, and some will not. But some parents who waited in line said the panic was greater and the inequity starker because no lottery was employed. Several years ago, there was no urgency to sign up children for kindergarten the day registration opened; the schools seats were never filled with in-catchment kids. In 2014-15, for example, just 250 students who lived in Greenfields neighborhood attended the school at 22nd and Chestnut Streets, between Rittenhouse Square and the Waterfront; 330 came from other parts of the city, admitted through the districts voluntary transfer process. That has changed dramatically. Every kindergarten seat is expected to be filled this year with children from the neighborhood, where home prices $519,278 in the 19103 zip code, according to Zillow are nearly triple the city average and Realtors advertise homes in the Greenfield school catchment one of the most coveted in the city. (Average income in the schools zip code is $78,638, 93% higher than the citys average, according to the Census.) The run-up to registration day was tense, some parents said, with some gamesmanship. People traded texts: When are you planning on arriving? Do you think thats early enough? Parents worried about landing on a waiting list and ultimately having their children steered to other schools. They worried about the Philadelphia School Districts lack of sibling preference, meaning families could end up having children in two different schools that start at the same time. READ MORE: Read more: A kindergarten lottery stirs worries, and larger issues If its an allocation of taxpayer resources and educational opportunity, it cant be about whos willing to get out there first this is not concert tickets," said the parent who described a revolution in terms of demand for some public schools. It shouldnt be a function of who has the financial and physical wherewithal. Lynch, of the School District, said it was possible that if many more children were registered for Greenfields kindergarten class, the district could try to find space to accommodate another kindergarten class. READ MORE: Read more: Does Philly need more schools? Should some close or expand? The district recently launched a citywide planning process that will examine every schools enrollment and demographic trends, possibly resulting in catchment changes, new schools, or school closures. That process, Lynch said, should result in smooth enrollment processes going forward. The good news is that we have schools that people are eager to send their children to, Lynch said. I dont know that was the case in 2012 when Dr. Hite first arrived. Sindhu Chandrasekaran By Online Desk Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian on Friday said India has jumped 79 positions in the World Banks Doing Business rankings, improving from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019. However, the survey observes that the country is still lagging behind in parameters such as the ease of starting a business, registering property, paying taxes and enforcing contracts. The survey's chapter about 'Targeting Ease of Doing Business in India' throws light on how difficult it is to set up a restaurant in India when compared to other countries. The survey pointed out that while China and Singapore require only four licences to open an eatery, India requires more. ALSO READ: Governments have no business to be in business, suggests CEA. Now, it's over to Nirmala! The survey said Delhi requires 26 documents while Bangaluru and Mumbai ask for 36 and 22 respectively. Apart from that, to open a restaurant in Delhi, one must have a Police Eating House License from the Delhi Police which asks for 45 documents when compared to just 19 needed to buy a gun. "Although India has significantly reduced the time and cost of starting a business, a lot more needs to be done," it said. Further, it said that when one looked at the performance of India's peer nations like China, Brazil and Indonesia on the same parameters, it can be seen that China fares much better than India on virtually all parameters. ALOS READ: Lavender Economic Survey says growth has bottomed out, pegs GDP for FY21 at 6-6.5% "An entrepreneur has to go through 10 procedures to set up a business in India taking 17-18 days to do so. On the other hand, Indonesia and Brazil require one extra process than India to open a business," it said, adding that Indonesia took four days less than India while Brazil took almost the same time. - Details of how Isabel Dos Santos, daughter of a former president of Angola, conducts her business have surfaced online - It has been revealed that she is Africa's richest woman and built her wealth with the use of the country's resources - Together with her husband, they manage over 400 companies in various countries Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in YEN.com.gh has learned that Isabel Dos Santos, described as Africas richest woman, built her business empire through unorthodox means. Her strategy to acquire wealth for herself and grow her business has reportedly left the oil and diamond-rich Angola as one of the poorest countries in the world today. Dos Santos, per a report by icij.org, teams up with her husband, Sindika Dokolo, to oversee a web of over 400 companies and subsidiaries in 41 countries, as well as 94 secret businesses in places such as Malta, Mauritius and Hong Kong. Isabel Dos Santos Source: dw.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Video of young school children using cement blocks as tables pops up online In the course of her business ventures, she has reportedly directed millions of dollars of loans and contracts to her companies. YEN.com.gh understands that all along, she packaged herself as a self-made billionaire who rose in a male-dominated business world in an African country ravaged by civil war and poverty to the world. The details she left out included deals handed to her by her father in order to grow her empire. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has however discovered that the businesswoman has amassed for herself luxurious homes as well as other properties. In other news, prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Boris Johnson, has revealed that Chinese technology firm, Huawei, can operate its 5G network in the country. This comes in the wake of an attempt by the United States of America (USA) to ensure that the Chinese company is excluded from next-communication generation plans by the West. In apparent defiance to Americas stance on the eve of Brexit, UK stated that Huawei, one of the high-risk vendors, would be allowed into the non-sensitive parts of the 5G network. It has been disclosed that the involvement of such operations in UKs telecommunications space would be capped at 35%. Per a report by reuters.com, Huawei's service would be excluded from all critical networks and locations such as nuclear sites and military bases. USA is concerned that Huawei could be used as a conduit to steal Western secrets. It has however been confirmed that Johnson and Trump spoke shortly after UKs decision was made public. Before the call, however, an official of the Trump administration stated that There is no safe option for untrusted vendors to control any part of a 5G network. We look forward to working with the UK on a way forward that results in the exclusion of untrusted vendor components from 5G networks. READ ALSO: Startup raises over GHc100,000,000 in funds after massive support from Toyota Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana How convenient is it to use the new GHC 200 note at the market? | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh Belarus's longtime ruler ordered a major shake-up of the country's military and security command on January 20, installing a new defense minister, a new general staff chief, and a new head of the Security Council. A few days later, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka ripped into the country's eastern neighbor, whose oil exports are a major part of Belarus' creaky economy. Russia had "screwed us," he said, using an even more explicit phrase. On January 30, Belarus's military went on alert after the new commanders ordered snap exercises to "check combat readiness" and "their readiness to fulfill their mission in a rapidly changing environment." Oh, and the U.S. secretary of state arrives in Minsk on February 1 -- the highest-level visit by a U.S. official since John Bolton, then the White House national-security adviser, traveled there five months ago. Something's up in Belarus. "There is a general feeling that something is going on. The situation is probably more serious on the whole than before," said Arkady Moshes, a researcher and director of the Russia and European Program at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. "However, if you deconstruct all of these thingsnone of these things that [Lukashenka] is doing is unprecedented." The authoritarian Lukashenka, who has held power for more than 25 years, has no visible rival and no apparent plans to step aside willingly: He will run for a new term this year and is almost certain to win given his control over the levers of authority. He has been ostracized in the West for his government's crackdowns on political protests, civil society groups, and independent media. He's also managed to oversee the evolution of Belarus's economy into an unusual hybrid, heavy on Soviet-style central planning but allowing small-scale entrepreneurship, particularly the IT sector in Minsk. But the economy is heavily reliant on agricultural exports to Russia, and, more importantly, cheap imports of oil from its eastern neighbor, which Belarusian refineries then process and resell at a significant markup to European markets. Push For Integration For years, Moscow has pushed Minsk to integrate more closely with Russia, fleshing out a Union State that exists largely on paper. Lukashenka has showed little enthusiasm, mainly because of expectations he would lose his job, or worse. His wariness increased after 2014, when Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. Last year, the Kremlin signaled a new push for integration, and in December, Lukashenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in St. Petersburg to sign documents to that effect. Lukashenka balked. Since then, Russia has turned up the pressure on Lukashenka. It turned off oil exports on New Year's Eve, then turned them partly back on five days later. Minsk then turned to Norway for oil. On January 24, Lukashenka openly criticized Russia for its oil-export policies, in language that was blunt even for a man known for colorful language. "Excuse me, but they screwed us with hydrocarbons," he said, seemingly admonishing officials for failing to fight off Russian pressure. Belarus should "spit on all these unions and so on," he added. "And we're trembling, like we're afraid to protect our country." Heads did not roll after that outburst. But four days earlier, Lukashenka caught outside observers off guard when he abruptly shuffled three of the most senior military positions in the country. Defense Minister Andrey Raukou was promoted to become head of the national Security Council, a coordinating body comprising several security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. He replaced Slanislau Zas, who became head of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a six-nation alliance dominated by Russia. The commander of the country's Western Operational Command, Major General Viktar Khrenin, replaced Raukou as defense minister. And Major General Alyaksandr Valfovich was tapped to become chief of the general staff, and Khrenin's first deputy. "Times are hard now," Lukashenka said as he made the announcement on January 20. "This doesn't mean there's going to be a war tomorrow and we'll have to fight someone, not at all. But a military organization cannot tolerate uncertainty." Military Drills Lukashenka did not explain what he meant. Belarus borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania on the west and has close military and security ties with Russia. Since Moscow seized Crimea, however, he has often hinted of a threat from Russia and stressed that Belarus would defend itself to the death if attacked from any side. Then on January 30, the Defense Ministry announced snap military exercises. The goal: To "assess the capability of the military command to control their subordinate military units and to evaluate the readiness of the military units to tackle the assigned tasks in a fast-changing environment." The ministry did not specify the scale of the exercises, or how many units, or which units, would be involved. However, the ministry also issued an unusual traffic warning about weaponry and military units traveling on roads from January 31 to February 1, in the Minsk region, as well as the eastern Mahileu and Homel regions, which border Russia, and Hrodno, which borders Poland and Lithuania. Units "will have to cross water barriers and accomplish combat training missions day and night both in forests and in population centers," it said. The timing of the exercises appeared to signal an effort by the Belarusian leadership to send a message to Russia. But they also come on the eve of U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's trip to Belarus. Rapidly Warming Ties Though brief --- he is expected to be in Minsk for just a few hours Pompeo's stopover makes him the most senior U.S. government official to travel to Belarus since John Bolton went there in August. And the first secretary of state to do so since 1993, before the Lukashenka era. The visits by Pompeo and Bolton follow a notable shift in relations between the United States and Belarus. Lukashenka's government had kicked out the U.S. ambassador and much of the U.S. diplomatic staff in 2008, as Washington hit Belarus's main oil refinery with sanctions, and imposed financial restrictions on companies doing business with Belarus. Belarusian state TV aired a program that alleged the U.S. Embassy was running a spy ring in the country. Now, the U.S. administration is rapidly warming its ties with Minsk. And during his trip, Pompeo intended "to underscore the U.S. commitment to a sovereign, independent, stable, and prosperous Belarus, and affirm our desire to normalize our bilateral relations," according to the State Department. There is still no ambassador, however. Yury Tsarik, director of the Russia program at the Center for Strategic and Foreign Policy Studies in Minsk, said Pompeo's visit shouldn't be blown out of proportion. He and Belarusian officials are expected to discuss the return of ambassadors, possibly the purchase of American oil shipped in via Polish ports, he said. "It won't be a breakthrough, not something that will save Belarus from Russia's pressure and Lukashenka understands that, so he doesn't have overly high expectations of this visit," he said. Lukashenka's colorful rhetoric isn't out of the ordinary. It's how he conducts diplomacy and negotiations for at least the past 15 years, Moshes said. "He speaks this way in hopes Moscow will make concessions," he said. "He still thinks he has an audience in Russia, in the Russian government. He's still popular within Russia, he still thinks he has audiences that he can appeal to." Pompeo's visit, Moshes said, is about signaling. Washington signals to Moscow that it's deepening ties with Minsk. Lukashenka gets to signal to Moscow that he is important to the United States and is willing to make concessions to Washington. But in the end, Moshes said, the money and subsidies that he needs to keep Belarus's economy afloat will come from Russia, not the United States or Europe and Moscow knows that. "You can have all the meetings you want, but the money doesn't come from the West," Moshes said. VANCOUVER - The Federal Court of Appeal is set to release its decision on the latest challenge of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Pipe for the Trans Mountain pipeline is unloaded in Edson, Alta. on Tuesday June 18, 2019. The Federal Court of Appeal is set to release its decision on the latest challenge of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on Tuesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson VANCOUVER - The Federal Court of Appeal is set to release its decision on the latest challenge of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion on Tuesday. Four First Nations from British Columbia filed court challenges after the federal government approved the project a second time last June. A court hearing in December was specifically focused on the government's consultation with the First Nations between August 2018 and June 2019. The consultation took place after the Court of Appeal struck down the first project approval in August 2018 in part because of insufficient dialogue with Indigenous groups. At the hearing last month, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, Squamish Nation, Coldwater Indian Band and a coalition of small First Nations from the Fraser Valley argued that the government came into the consultations having predetermined the outcome. The federal government responded that consultations were meaningful, saying that instead of just listening and recording the concerns it heard, it instead incorporated them into broader programs to protect the environment. The project will triple the capacity of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline to carry diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to a shipping terminal on Metro Vancouver's coast. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government purchased the pipeline and related infrastructure for $4.5 billion in 2018 and construction of the expansion is underway. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of Canada rejected B.C.'s attempt to regulate what can flow through the expanded pipeline from Alberta. Premier John Horgan said Wednesday that he accepts the court ruling even though he is "not enamoured" with the prospect of a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Salish Sea. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2020. CDC issues federal quarantine orders for 195 Americans evacuated from China, who are being housed at March Air Reserve Base First CDC quarantine in 50 years. Last federal quarantine was issued in the 1960s for smallpox. The repatriated individuals will remain quarantined for 14 days, starting from when the flight left China. FRIDAY, 1PM EASTERN, JAN 31 2020: The United States Centers for Disease Control, under the authority of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, says 195 American citizens are quarantined at a military base after having been evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of a growing global coronavirus outbreak. The 195 quarantined persons arrived earlier this week at March Air Reserve Base in California. Here is the CDC's tweet: The CDC, under statutory authority of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has issued federal quarantine orders to all 195 United States citizens who repatriated to the U.S. on January 29, 2020. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. CDC (@CDCgov) January 31, 2020 From the Washington Post: BREAKING: The quarantine authority, rarely used in the United States, would restrict the travelers' movements for 14 days from when they left Wuhan, China, because officials say they're still uncertain about how readily the virus spreads. All American citizens returning to the United States from Wuhan, China, will be quarantined, according to the Friday announcement. Last time the CDC imposed a quarantine order was in the 1960s, for a smallpox evaluation, the CDC official said on a Friday call with reporters. The official said that "isolation" applies to people who are already sick, while "quarantine" is for those who are believed to have been exposed but who are not yet sick. This is a developing story. It will be updated. BREAKING: U.S. to quarantine all U.S. citizens evacuated from Wuhan, as CDC raises pandemic possibility https://t.co/SfUItuotnS STAT (@statnews) January 31, 2020 CDC has issued federal quarantine orders for the 195 Americans at March Air Reserve Base. This legal orderthe first in 50 yearsmeans the repatriated individuals will remain quarantined for 14 days, starting from when the flight left China #nCoV2019/#2019nCoV #coronavirus https://t.co/j63NJ5k6sS Nsikan Akpan (@MoNscience) January 31, 2020 "This is part of their civic responsibility to protect their communities," says CDC's Dr. Marty Cetron. Says 14 day quarantine covers incubation period and should reassure those quarantined that they'll be tested and treated fast if they do get sick. Maggie Fox (@maggiemfox) January 31, 2020 Photo: CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images Even if his name is unfamiliar, youve probably watched (or at least heard of) one of the TV classics Fred Silverman helped put on the air. Between 1970 and 1981, Silverman headed three different networks, green-lighting major hits at all of them: All in the Family, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Good Times, and M*A*S*H for CBS; Charlies Angels, Roots, Fantasy Island, and The Love Boat at ABC; Diffrent Strokes, The Facts of Life, and The Smurfs on NBC. His success was such that in 1977, Time magazine put him on its cover, dubbing him The Man With the Golden Gut. Silverman, one of the most influential and successful television programmers of all time, died Thursday. He was 82. Silverman began his network career in 1963, when he joined CBS. His string of hits started in 1970, when he was put in charge of program development at the Eye network and quickly put in place a major philosophical shift. He engineered what would be known as the Rural Purge, in which CBS canceled a slew of series (many still successful) that were deemed to be too alienating to younger viewers and those outside the heartland shows such as Green Acres and The Beverly Hillbillies. Instead, Silverman started looking for shows which would appeal to the then- up-and-coming baby-boomer generation (no, really, boomers used to be hip!) being chased by advertisers. The result was decade-defining hits such as All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore, plus populist faves such as Canon, Kojack, and Sonny & Cher. The success Silverman had at CBS caught the eye of the bosses at ABC, who recruited Silverman in 1975 to rescue the perennial ratings loser that was the network. Silverman leaned hard into the youth strategy hed explored at CBS, but this time without aiming first for quality. He green-lit a wave of bright, bouncy comedies and dramas which critics loathed but young America loved. Shows such as the aforementioned Charlies Angels, plus Threes Company, Wonder Woman, and the Battle of the Network Stars series of specials so-called Jiggle TV played up the sex appeal of female stars (or, as wed put it today, objectified women in crass pursuit of ratings). Somehow, amid this push to lowest-common-denominator television, Silverman managed to put Roots on the air, too. Silvermans combined efforts worked, pushing ABC to the top of the Nielsens for the first time in its history. His success also hastened TVs decision to start focusing on demographics, by programming for adult audiences under 50 rather than trying to appeal to all audiences. Silvermans talents were then noticed by his rivals at NBC, which had been pushed to the bottom of the ratings after Silverman had revived ABC. He joined the Peacock in 1978, but this time, Silvermans streak of successes hit some bumps. He injected new life into NBCs comedies with shows beloved by middle-school Gen-Xers of the day (Diffrent Strokes, Gimme a Break, Heres Boomer), and worked similar magic on Saturday mornings with Smurfs and a new version of The Flintstones. Silverman also was ahead of his time, anticipating the reality boom of the 2000s with Real People, and giving a daytime show to a young comic named David Letterman. But Silvermans NBC tenure was just as notable for some legendary, big-budget bombs: variety show Pink Lady and Jeff; comedy Hello, Larry; and most notoriously, Supertrain. You dont even have to Google those shows to know they stunk. After nearly a dozen years as one of TVs most powerful executives, Silverman transitioned to a career as an independent producer. He had a string of middlebrow hits such as In the Heat of the Night, The Father Dowling Mysteries, Diagnosis: Murder, and Matlock, all of which lived for decades in syndication following long network runs. Silverman briefly returned to the network fold in the early 2000s as an adviser at ABC, and he was still selling shows until about a decade ago. But it was clear to anyone who talked to him that he still missed the days of running a network. You dont have the accouterments of power, Silverman told the New York Times in 1989, recounting the glory days, while, as the paper put it, lighting up a Salem over a low-key Chinese lunch in the restaurant of his Wilshire Boulevard office building. Instead of running the show, You are just one of several hundred people trying to do the same thing to earn a living. Still, even long gone from being in charge of a major company, Silverman told the Times he never considered doing anything other than TV. This is what I do, he said. What was I going to become, an architect? One person was killed and three others were injured on Jan. 29 in the blowout of a Central Texas oil well. All four were contractors working at a Chesapeake Energy well site on a county road near Deanville, Texas, 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Bryan, when flames erupted from the wellhead about 3:30 p.m., Chesapeake spokesman Gordon Pennoyer said in an email. A blowout is an eruption of oil or gas from the wellhead that can erupt in flames if there is an ignition source, such as a spark. Pennoyer provided no information on the conditions of the three injured workers, who he said were airlifted to hospitals in Austin and Houston. The cause of the incident at the well site is under investigation. Chesapeake Energy is based in Oklahoma City. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Energy Oil Gas Epidemic turning point expected Global Times By Chen Qingqing and Leng Shumei Source:Global Times Published: 2020/1/30 23:43:40 Last Updated: 2020/1/30 23:52:50 China motivates itself to fight with strengthened confidence The Chinese people have just experienced an unforgettable Spring Festival as the whole country has been forced to endure the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has resulted in more than 170 deaths and 8,152 confirmed cases in all of the Chinese mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Chinese experts forecast that now with the approach of the end-of-holiday travel rush, the focus of the nationwide battle may shift from Wuhan to first-tier cities Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. It has been a tough week for Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province and the epicenter of the deadly novel coronavirus. With the abrupt lockdown of the city on January 23 - the first such quarantine of its kind in the history of the People's Republic of China - some residents have expressed fears at a steadily worsening situation involving the separation of families and shortages of daily necessities. But authorities insist that the lockdown, at a cost to the local economy, will help contain the spread of the virus. The message has gone out in support of Wuhan and Hubei making this considerable sacrifice for the whole country. Meanwhile, the Chinese central government has launched a national campaign to counter the spread of the disease. Hubei leads the country with 4,586 confirmed infection cases, while provincial authorities in East China's Zhejiang, South China's Guangdong and Central China's Henan all reported more than 200 confirmed cases each. All governments in provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities had implemented "Level I" public health emergency response measures as of Wednesday night. The number of new cases Tuesday suggested a possible slowdown in the daily rate of infection, prompting Chinese experts to speculate on a turning point. Significant progress in containing the virus could be "expected soon" said Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the holiday return travel rush begins, cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou remain on high alert to try to contain the spread of the infectious disease amid a massive global human migration. The State Council has extended the Spring Festival holidays from Thursday to February 2 as part of its efforts to delay the travel peak in line with expert knowledge that the incubation period of the virus is about 10 to 14 days. It was too early to say when the epidemic would reach a turning point, said Zhou Zijun, a professor at the Peking University school of public health, but he remained cautiously optimistic about Hubei's future path. Cities nationwide stepped up their preparations to prevent a potential outbreak. Beijing mobilized residents to participate in an "inch-to-inch community search" and to report people coming from provinces with a high rate of coronavirus infection. Beijing's Xiaotangshan Hospital, which became famous as a dedicated hospital for SARS patients in 2003, is being refurbished and expected to reopen for the medics to move in. National battle Chinese experts noted that since the lockdown of Wuhan, the whole country has been mobilizing itself from central government to local authorities to basic communities. Thousands of medical staff from all over the country have been flying to Wuhan during the Spring Festival holidays to join the frontline battle against the virus. They included military medical staff who arrived at the city on Chinese New Year's Eve on January 24. Companies, individuals and institutions have also been raising funds and donating supplies to support the city and Hubei. The Ministry of Finance said Thursday that 27.3 billion yuan ($3.9 billion) has been allocated to support the nationwide battle and health staff would receive a subsidy of 300 yuan ($43) a day. China's aviation authority said 86 flights to Wuhan had delivered "115,000 pieces of materials and 5,129 medical personnel" for the battle against the virus as of Wednesday. Some international media and social media reports have portrayed Wuhan as a ghost town, but the city's community workers, cleaners, nurses, retailers and taxi drivers have been working hard to help the city retain basic operation and return to normal. "When authorities announced the lockdown, nobody was well prepared, which of course made us panic," a Wuhan resident surnamed Huang told the Global Times on Tuesday. "Now the whole country is cheering us up, giving us much support, and we believe we could get through this." State broadcasters have been airing nonstop special coverage of the battle against pneumonia in the past week, popularizing general health knowledge and offering prevention tips. Virus-related topics have been among top 10 mostly read posts on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo social media platform, where users have published articles, videos and messages. Turning point China deserves the international community's gratitude and respect for having taken serious measures to contain the outbreak and trying to prevent the export of more cases overseas, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), according to a statement the WHO sent to the Global Times on Wednesday. Ghebreyesus was quoted as saying he appreciated the seriousness with which China was approaching the outbreak, especially the commitment from top government leadership. China's relentless battle against the spreading novel coronavirus outbreak is likely to make marked progress by February 8, Zeng Guang, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in an exclusive interview with Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin on Wednesday. Chinese experts said China's efforts at containing the deadly virus would continue to be recognized by the international community and they forecast significant results will show up soon as the country steps up its efforts to contain the disease at community level and authorities at different levels launch measures to contain the spreading infection. The authorities at the basic level of Chinese society have designated officials to monitor the physical condition and arranging psychological counseling for residents returning from Wuhan. In Geneva, the Emergency Committee on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) under the International Health Regulations was scheduled to reconvene 8:30 pm Thursday Beijing time and advise Ghebreyesus on whether the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. Whether or not the WHO should declare a global emergency mostly depended on the virus' death rate and contagiousness, Zhou said. The death rate for the novel coronavirus was comparatively lower than SARS, Zhou believed, meaning in his opinion the WHO was unlikely to declare an emergency. Even if the WHO did declare an emergency, the practical impact would be mostly economic as travel between China and other countries and regions would be suspended. More than 7,700 confirmed cases have been reported globally with "only 68 outside China," Wu Zunyou, head of CDC AIDS and HIV prevention, told a press conference in Beijing on Thursday. The figures indicated that China's measures to prevent the virus from spreading were "effective," Wu said, noting that "we are confident to control and overcome the epidemic." This reflected the advantages of a socialist system in unifying forces to overcome difficulties, Chinese experts said, which have occurred in previous natural disasters and major public health crises. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kuwait is mulling plans to lay off around 25,000 foreign workers in a move to create job opportunities for citizens. The plan in preparation was announced by parliamentary manpower committee chairman MP Khalil Al-Saleh who reportedly said the committee is planning to set up a timeline for layoff operation. There is a plan to set a timeline to priorities appointing Kuwaiti womens children in various state bodies, Kuwait Times quoted Al-Saleh as saying. We are in real trouble in view of the increasing number of unemployed graduates and the lack of clear policies to enroll them in the labor market, he told the newspaper. The Arab Gulf country is one the largest recruiters of expats in the region, both in private and public sector. However, the country has begun gradually replacing expats by trained Kuwaitis. According to the Kuwaiti lawmaker, there are currently 6,000 Kuwaitis desiring to work in the public sector. Saleh also indicated that in line with the replacement policy, 3,140 expats were terminated from their services in 2017 and 1500 expats in 2018. In the private sector, which accounts for more than 90 per cent of the work force, 14,697 citizens, including 55 percent with university degrees, were waiting to get jobs in the private sector in 2019 compared to 15,600 in 2018, the Kuwait Times said. Invasive iguanas burrowing into the soft dirt around an aging dam cost a Florida city $1.8 million in emergency repairs. Employees noticed last year that water was seeping round the edges of a decades-old weir that controls water delivery in West Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Post reported. The sheet piling was getting pretty old and needed to be replaced, but the digging by the burrowing animals like iguanas made it more vulnerable, said Poonam Kalkat, director of public utilities for West Palm Beach. I cant say how much the iguanas were the cause because its an older structure, but they definitely made the situation worse. South Floridas green iguana population has exploded since the last prolonged cold spell in 2010 reduced their numbers. Theyve become infamous for nuisance pool pooping and munching on ornamental landscapes, giving rise to a cottage industry of iguana-removal experts. They are also becoming an issue for agencies in charge of managing the hundreds of miles of canals that channel water throughout South Florida, said William Kern, an associate professor in the entomology and nematology department at the University of Floridas Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. Kern told the newspaper that female iguanas dig burrows to lay their eggs. If the burrows are in canal banks, it can cause erosion, and eventually lead whole sections to collapse. Iguanas begin digging new burrows in February and March to lay their eggs, he said. The iguanas are the start of the problem, Kern said. Its going to be an ongoing situation now that they are established. West Palm Beach contracted with Murray Logan Construction in April for emergency repairs. A request for additional expenses submitted in August includes $8,500 to install more of a material to deter burrowing animals from making holes or tunnels. The material, called Geogrid, is used to prevent erosion, but Kern said its increasingly being added to projects to protect against iguana holes. Kalkat said the city is reviewing all its stormwater control structures to see if there is iguana damage, and discussing ways to manage the citys iguana population. Some people have suggested spraying water on them, but they like the water, she said. Someone suggested hanging CDs, but Ive seen iguanas and their whole families sitting next to where the CDs are. The 2010 die-off included a 12-day period of the coldest temperatures since at least 1940, according to the National Weather Service. It was also cloudy for several consecutive days, meaning iguanas couldnt bask in the sun to raise their temperatures, Kern said. Homeowners trying to deter iguana digging should fill existing burrows with dirt or rocks and then cover them with heavyweight plastic or chicken wire. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida City Council members clashed Thursday over plans to give incentives to a developer to build more townhouses and condominiums near the Pearl at prices some said would be out of reach for many San Antonio residents. SOJO Urban Development has built clusters of townhomes in Tobin Hill and King William aimed at people who want to live and work in the urban core. The firm wants to add another 48 units along Locust and Grayson streets, injecting more for-sale housing into one of San Antonios hottest neighborhoods. In exchange for tax breaks, fee waivers and a loan, some of that housing would be sold to residents making up to 120 percent of the area median income roughly $68,000 for a couple or $85,200 for a family of four. I dont think I could afford to move down there, District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry said. SOJO is seeking incentives from the Center City Housing Incentive Policy, which funds housing in the urban core with property tax rebates, utility fee waivers and grants for infrastructure improvements. On ExpressNews.com: Character on the west, gentrification to the east. Meet San Antonios Euclid Avenue. Fifteen of the 48 units would be reserved for residents making up to 120 percent of the area median income and priced in the high $200,000s, said developer Steve Yndo of SOJO. Under CCHIP, half of the 48 units must be priced below the Federal Housing Administrations forward loan limit, which is roughly $360,000. Other units would go up to the $400,000s and $500,000s. CCHIP applications can be approved administratively, meaning the City Council doesnt weigh if the projects meet the programs requirements, which SOJOs project does. Under an agreement expected to be executed in February, SOJO would get $44,864 worth of city fee waivers, $151,248 worth of San Antonio Water System fee waivers and a 10-year tax increment reimbursement grant. SOJO has also received CCHIP incentives for some of its other projects. By a 7-3 vote, council members OKd a forgivable loan agreement Thursday for up to $282,225 for SOJOs development which isnt part of CCHIP. But several members raised questions about the loan and CCHIPs guidelines, which were revised in 2018. Some housing activists have been critical of CCHIP and developments that receive city incentives in return for housing reserved for residents earning 80 to 120 percent of the area median income, arguing that its essentially market rate or above market rate. Maria Berriozabal, a former councilwoman who served on Mayor Ron Nirenbergs Housing Policy Task Force, said housing is needed for residents earning below 60 percent of the area median income. On ExpressNews.com: Nix building owners consider turning River Walk property into apartments The issue is what is it that were subsidizing, she said. I dont think were solving the problem. Developers have pushed back, saying high construction costs and scarce labor make it difficult to build affordable housing in certain neighborhoods. For-sale housing is in demand in Tobin Hill and more jobs are being added downtown, but its difficult to build affordable units because of land prices and other costs, Yndo said. Constructing affordable housing often means projects that are more compact, and infrastructure costs are high. From a feasibility and financial standpoint, you can get it done, but youre going to be four or five miles out of downtown, he said. There are other cost-of-living aspects to consider, too. For example, living near work could enable a family to cut down on the number of cars they own, Yndo said. Were trying to get it in close, where theres lots of jobs, he said. Im not aware of any other for-sale projects that have been done at this level. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox To receive incentives through the program, SOJOs $15 million project must include 10 affordable housing units, but the loan facilitates five more, city staff said. The loan will also be used for underground utilities conversion, new sidewalks, lighting and other public improvements the developer plans to make in the area. Itll come from the Inner City Incentive Fund in the citys budget. District 3 Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran said theres already economic development happening in Tobin Hill, and District 9 Councilman John Courage said he would prefer to see units set aside at 60 or 80 percent of the area median income. Homes at 120 percent of the area median income are not affordable housing for the majority of San Antonians, Courage said. But the development would provide missing middle housing in the area, said District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino, who supported the loan. SOJOs project aligns with recommendations laid out in a 2018 report by Mayor Ron Nirenbergs Housing Policy Task Force, said Veronica Garcia, assistant director of the Center City Development and Operations Department. The report calls for creating or rehabilitating nearly 2,800 for-sale units over 10 years for families earning 80 to 120 percent of the area median income. The median is $71,000 for a family of four in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metropolitan area, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The citys median household income is $50,980, according to census data released in December. The development also is in midtown, one of the regional centers highlighted in the SA Tomorrow plan, Garcia added. The city of San Antonios incentives for this project are really helping this become a mixed-income homeownership project, she said. When programs like CCHIP were formed under former Mayor Julian Castros Decade of Downtown initiative, there was little housing in the area, Nirenberg said. They sparked the development of thousands of apartments and condos in the urban core, but council members later retooled CCHIP and another program after critics questioned whether the focus should shift to creating affordable housing and whether the city needed to continue subsidizing development around downtown and the Pearl. The mayor said he supports returning to the policy to look at tweaking it further. The discussion at Thursdays meeting highlighted the tension that we still have between the need for infill development and affordable housing, Nirenberg said. madison.iszler@express-news.net This is the first time a French multinational was taken to court under Frances 2017 Corporate Duty of Vigilance law. Paris, France A French court ruled on Thursday that it didnt have the right to hear a complaint against French oil giant Total. The decision comes as a blow to the French and Ugandan rights organisations including Friends of the Earth that filed a lawsuit against Total in June. In their legal claim, the organisations state that the multinational company failed to come up with a vigilance plan to address the human and environmental impact of its operations at its Tilenga site in Uganda, as required by French law. The three judges who reviewed the case sided with Total and ruled that their court did not have the competence to make a decision, which should instead be pursued by a commercial court, which activists see as an almost certain win for Total. [In a commercial court] you have judges from the corporate world judging other corporations, so usually that means they side with the companies, Juliette Renaud, a spokesperson for the French chapter of Friends of the Earth, told Al Jazeera. Renaud added that there would almost certainly be an appeal pending the commercial courts final ruling. Its just the beginning, she said. We will continue to support the people impacted by this project and Uganda and we will fight this fight until the end. Total did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment on the ruling. According to the rights groups, Total intimidated local farmers into signing compensation agreements and forced them off their land before they received any money. Rights groups also say the oil giant failed to take appropriate measures to minimise its environmental impact in the region. Total says 5,000 people have been displaced, but the groups say around 50,000 could be affected by the project. In December, two Ugandan witnesses who testified against Total in France said they returned home fearing for their lives. Fred Mwesigwa, a displaced farmer, said unknown men locked him into his house after making two attempted break-ins. Jealousy Mugisha, a local community leader, was arrested and questioned for nine hours upon his arrival at the Kampala airport. Both men had to be moved to undisclosed locations due to safety concerns. First test for duty of vigilance law The Tilenga lawsuit marks the first time a French multinational corporation is being taken to court under the countrys 2017 Corporate Duty of Vigilance law, which states that large companies must come up with vigilance plans to minimise the impact of their activities on local communities and the environment. While international rights groups praised the laws passing, many see this case as providing the first real test as to whether or not it will be applied. Thomas Bart, an activist with the France-based nongovernmental organisation (NGO) Survie, told Al Jazeera that Thursdays ruling sent a signal that multinational companies would fail to be held accountable. Its incredibly disappointing, Bart said. The judges didnt take into account the human and environmental risks that caused this lawsuit in the first place. In a statement on Totals website, the company claims the vigilance plan requirement does not apply to individual projects, such as the one in Tilenga. The French Law on Corporate Duty of Care takes a general approach by type of risk, the statement reads. It does not require disclosure of risks specific to individual projects. On Tuesday, 14 French towns and several NGOs filed a separate landmark lawsuit against Total as part of an effort to get the company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The second suit also references the duty of vigilance law, stating that Total didnt provide enough detail in its report about how it planned to cut its emissions. This suit marks the first climate change case brought against a multinational company in France. According to the filing, Total represents around one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If a judge rules the oil giants activities unsatisfactory, it could mark a broader shift in environmental accountability for multinationals around the world. Experts at cyber security firm Cypher conducted a study on Portuguese domains during 2019 and concluded that Emotet and Ryuk were the most active threats Emotet , the most widespread malware worldwide and Ryuk, a ransomware type, are growing threats and real concerns for businesses and internet users in 2020. This is the conclusion of a study by Cipher Portugal, which studied Portuguese domains during 2019. This study also concludes that a total of 377 Portuguese domains to spread different types of malware in the same period. Analyzing the general distribution of the compromised domains, grouped by category, it is possible to verify that the most affected were as follows: professional/companies (20.2%), personal (13.5%), retail (12.7%) and industry (11.9%). Social media/communication organizations, health care and non-profit organizations were less impacted. It was also possible to conclude that Emotet was the most widespread Malware worldwide and it has been enhanced with new capabilities that include the Ryuk Ransomware. This enhancement appeared in the middle of September 2019. Ryuk infects computers by encrypting all local and shared files, not allowing the users access without paying the ransom. This ransomware is difficult to stop and does not have known execution flaws at the present time. We live in an era where we increasingly hear about malware and the impact it has on companies and people. The term malware has been gaining prominence as a result of the wave of malware and phishing campaigns that anyone is subject to, says Cipher. Portugal still lacks information about compromised Portuguese domains (.pt) and the kind of the malware used to perform these attacks. This report pretends to show how the .pt domains were used in malware campaigns, through the analysis of the first to the third quarter of 2019, he concludes. Malware is malicious software intended to wreak havoc and damage on target networks and systems, having the ability to spread on these systems while remaining undetectable, avoiding antivirus detection, causing changes and critical damage to the infected systems or networks. For additional technical studies, visit Cipher Labs. Pierluigi Paganini There are cases of the coronavirus within the United States, but the CDC seems to have it under control, and while there doesnt seem to be a threat of the virus locally, Utica College infectious disease specialist Dr. Larry Aaronson says theres a reason people are concerned. "Im more concerned about the flu thats going around than coronavirus, but every time a new outbreak appears somewhere in the world, especially one were not prepared for, people get nervous." Dr. Juleen Qandah is the Director of Faxton Hospitals Urgent Care. She says theres a good reason people get nervous. "Usually coronaviruss just cause mild upper respiratory infection. Also known as the common cold, and as you know theres no treatment for the common cold, so as of right now there is no treatment but supportive care for the coronavirus. Its just symptom control." The numbers of people whove contracted coronavirus are likely much higher than being reported. Thats because there are areas in China that just havent been accounted for. The United States may be preparing for the worst, but Dr. Larry Aaronson explains why it doesnt make the concerns any less. "Your chances of contracting it when youre in contact with someone who has it is about 1 in 3. So its about the same as with flu, but its just exploding tremendously in a local area, and thats what makes it frightening." What should be frightening is the number of people dying from the flu. Flu deaths far outnumber the coronavirus rates. Local hospitals are seeing flu patients, but its not too late to get a flu shot. "We can see flu patients in the urgent care every day, but you know when you do get diagnosed and you get sent home, please do not immediately go back to work or school. Even if you have a low-grade fever and you feel good enough." Experts say the best way to avoid picking up any virus is to avoid large crowds, and wash your hands using soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. FMCG major Marico inched 0.36% higher to Rs 339.05 after declaring Q3 December 2019 result after market hours yesterday, 30 December 2020. On consolidated basis, Marico's net profit rose 10.6% to Rs 272 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against Rs 246 crore reported in Q3 December 2018, supported by growth in international business. Net sales declined 2% to Rs 1824 crore. Profit before tax (PBT) for Q3 December 2019 stood at Rs 358 crore, up by 5% from Rs 341 crore reported in Q3 December 2018. Tax expenses declined 33% to Rs 71 crore in Q3 FY20 from Rs 106 crore posted in Q3 FY19. Consolidated EBITDA grew by 4% to Rs 373 crore in Q3 December 2019 as against Q3 December 2018. EBITDA margin jumped 116 basis points to 20.4% in Q3 2019 over Q3 2018. The company further added that benign input costs in the domestic and Bangladesh businesses led to gross margin expansion of 286 bps on a YoY basis. International business delivered 10% constant currency growth, led by strengthening momentum in Bangladesh and healthy growth in exports to diaspora and other markets. The business in Bangladesh grew by 15% in Q3FY20 in constant currency terms. The India business recorded a volume decline of 1%. Amidst the bleak consumption sentiment, especially in rural, the domestic business clocked a turnover of Rs 1,380 crore, down 5% on a year-on-year basis. The company reported that Marico brands' offtake grew ahead of the category, resulting in market shares gains across most segments. Persistent liquidity constraints in the traditional channel, especially wholesale and in rural led to a further correction in trade channel inventories. In its outlook, Marico said, "We will continue to invest behind brand building to support market growth initiatives in core categories and expansion into adjacent categories. A&P spends are expected to be circa 9% of sales on an annualized basis. The company will continue to drive cost excellence across the organization to extract savings that will be redeployed towards igniting profitable growth and pricing. Operating margin is expected to be maintained at 18-19% over the medium term." Meanwhile, Marico said its board declared an interim dividend of Rs 3.25 per share. Marico is a leading Indian group in consumer products in the global beauty and wellness space. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORK - A New York man who spent 25 years in prison for a violent rape he did not commit said he lost his youth and now, at 60, does not know what kind of a future lies ahead. I am free, but I am broke and I cant get a job, Rafael Ruiz said during an interview with The Associated Press. Ruiz was exonerated Tuesday in state Supreme Court in Manhattan of sexual assault charges after he was accused of taking part in the violent gang rape of an 18-year-old woman in 1984. He was 25 when he entered prison. He served the entirety of the sentence and was released in 2009, but it took 10 years more to demonstrate his innocence and get exonerated. Now, the Bronx native born to Puerto Rican parents does not know if he will sue for wrongful conviction, he said. The rape victim in the case had told officials that a man named Ronnie had driven her to a building in a public housing complex in East Harlem. She said this man took her to one of the apartments in the building and then up to the roof where she was raped and beaten by at least three men. One of Ruizs brothers lived in the same building, which Ruiz visited often. The victim identified Ruiz in a photo array of possible suspects as one of the men involved in her assault, even though he had not fit her original description. The woman had initially said all of her attackers were black, but Ruiz is Hispanic. Ruiz was offered a plea deal of one and a half to three years in prison but he maintained his innocence and went to trial. He was convicted and sentenced to eight to 25 years in prison. During his time in jail, his parents and several siblings died, Ruiz said. Prison was a violent place, where he always had to watch his back, he said. He was in four different prisons and a medium-security correctional facility in New York state. For 37 years I thought about that moment, he said, referring to his exoneration. After his release, he wasnt able to find work because of his conviction so he did off-the-books maintenance and cleaning jobs while he lived with his sister Maria in the Bronx. He said it was also hard to find a wife because of his life story. I dont want to keep anger in my head. I dont want to keep hate, he responded when asked whether he still feels those feelings. William Tendy, a lawyer who assisted Ruiz while he was in prison, began to reinvestigate the case and made the startling discovery that around the time of the crime a woman lived across the hall from Ruizs brother and had a boyfriend named Ronnie. Tendy concluded that the victim identified the wrong apartment on the 16th floor. Tendy referred the case to the Innocence Project. The non-profit and the New York County District Attorneys Offices Conviction Integrity Program arranged for DNA testing of the victims sexual assault kit, which took a long time to find. Ruizs DNA and samples from the kit did not match. Seema Saifee, senior staff attorney at the Innocence Project, said that no one has been able to find Ronnie, for whom there is no last name. That, however, is a different case than Ruizs, who is now trying to move on. I feel like a 1-year old, like a baby, he said. I am going back into society again, to catch up. Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'SETAM: Analysis of Company's Work for Five Years. Sale of Seized Property Online in Ukraine' On Tuesday, February 4, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference entitled "SETAM: Analysis of Company's Work for Five Years. Sale of Seized Property Online in Ukraine" with the participation of SETAM state-owned enterprise Director General Viktor Vyshniov (8/5a Reitarska Street). Accreditation of journalists is obligatory by phone: (094) 823 9710 or at: http://bit.ly/38UhSnS. In this UGA police blotter, a man harassed students at a bus stop, an intoxicated man was found passed out in a parking garage and students were caught with marijuana and alcohol in their dorm room. The Spanish program at Lee University has experienced significant growth in recent years, adding students continually and working to expand opportunities for school trips abroad and work opportunities for its alumni network. Despite a nationwide decrease in Spanish majors, Lee Universitys Spanish program enrollment continues to increase. Research by the Modern Language Association shows Spanish majors in the U.S. dropped by 17 percent from 2009 to 2016, while at Lee, the number of students involved with Spanish has continued to expand, with 50 majors and 50 minors already a part of the program and 16 additional students declaring majors in fall 2019. Much of the interest is generated by our amazing faculty who go above and beyond the demands of the classroom to offer exciting opportunities for our students here and internationally, said Dr. Donna Summerlin, chair of the Department of Language and Literature. Students experience events that are fun and culturally enriching while building a strong sense of community for the program. Its thrilling to see so many of our students recognizing the importance of learning a language well so that they can be better equipped to live, work, and serve in a global society. The Spanish program, which is a part of Lees Department of Language and Literature, has incorporated ways for students to spend time visiting and experiencing life in a Spanish-speaking culture. Spanish majors are required to study abroad as part of their degree. Summer trips to Colombia and Ecuador are offered or students can arrange their own study trips to universities across Latin America and Spain as well. Our Ecuador and Colombia trips are amazing opportunities for students to learn language and experience the culture simultaneously, said Dr. Summerlin. The summer trip to Colombia has amplified in popularity, growing from 13 students in 2015 to 24 students in 2019. Everyone involved with the program works diligently to help students experience not just the language, but the culture and the academic opportunities, said Dr. Alexander Steffanell, associate professor of Spanish at Lee. The professors and students in the program focus on Spanish not just as another skill, but as an opening to a new world of possibilities. Faculty commonly emphasize that studying Spanish brings not only a new culture to explore, but a range of new scholastic and professional opportunities that otherwise would not be available. These students are more than just faces to me, said Dr. Steffanell. This program is a family, and we are committed to seeing them succeed. Lee hosts many events both on and off campus for Spanish students to learn, practice, and share their knowledge. Every spring semester Lee hosts the Latin American and Iberian Studies Undergraduate Conference, inviting students from colleges around the region to present and learn. The program also takes language field trips to other colleges such as Emory University for students and faculty to attend conferences. According to Dr. Sara Ortega-Higgs, professor of Spanish and French, the goal is to help students integrate meaning and life purpose with their language learning experience, and this has been a key factor in the Spanish programs success. We work toward that goal from the elementary levels by providing as many opportunities of interaction and service as possible with and to the Hispanic community locally and later overseas, said Dr. Ortega-Higgs. We also invite speakers to our classrooms who are currently using the language they learned with us in their businesses, schools, jobs, and different ministries. Faculty members also commonly host fiestas at their houses for students to hang out and interact with each other outside of class. Additionally, the Spanish program sponsors Leetinos, a club on campus dedicated to celebrating diversity, culture, and heritage. According to club sponsor Dr. Jose Minay, the club is open to all students regardless of background or major. Leetinos meets every Wednesday night and holds a variety of events on campus, ranging from heritage presentations by students and sharing culture and community with each other. Leetinos also partners with other clubs in the Diversity Council to host events throughout the semester. Lee University has recently added 13 new members to the Spanish Language Honor Society this past year, an honor society focused on Spanish language excellence in higher education and promoting a continuity of interest in Spanish studies. The faculty in our program realize that speaking another language can benefit anyone regardless of their career, said Caiden Weber, junior Spanish major. There is such a need for bilingual professionals in all fields, so a Spanish program thats as flexible and inclusive as ours is an invaluable asset. After Lee, Spanish majors have gone on to many different fields. Several Lee Spanish alumni are studying in masters and doctoral programs around the country like Emory, Florida, and the University of Kansas. Other former students work around the world and continue to use what theyve learned to better themselves and the world around them. Currently I am a teacher for refugee youth from Central America, says Jill Elizabeth, a Lee alumna. Ive also spent time helping and learning in Chile, Nicaragua, and Mexico. My Spanish education has opened doors I never imagined would be available to me. Jessica Whitter Hanson, a 2006 alumna and recipient of the 2019 Department of Language and Literatures Alum of the Year award, earned a double major in Spanish language and communications, with an emphasis in journalism, and now directs the Casa Shalom Orphanage ministry with her husband, who is also a Lee graduate. Jessica exemplifies our department mission, said Dr. Ortega-Higgs. We are proud to send forth students who not only are highly prepared to thrive in the academic and/or the professional fields, but who also find an enduring frame of meaning and purpose for their life within their language learning. The Spanish program at Lee is a part of the Department of Language and Literature and offers a major and minor in Spanish as well as a minor in Latin American Studies. Its goal is to prepare students for graduate work in the target language or for work in a variety of careers, including political science, business, and academia. These former students and community members are changing the world one person at a time, because they decided to learn a second language, said Ortega-Higgs. It is a powerful testimony to the next generation of students that it can be done. Once our students believe they can learn the language, and see the potential this learning process carries within, nothing seems impossible. For more information on Lees Spanish program, contact the Department of Language and Literature at 614-8210 or email languageliterature@leeuniversity.edu. NEW DELHI - Indias security forces early Friday killed three insurgents in an exchange of gunfire on a highway in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The encounter occurred early Friday after the police signalled a truck carrying the rebels to stop on the highway that links the Himalayan regions two main cities, Srinagar and Jammu, according to a police statement. Security forces shut the highway and were combing the area for one insurgent they believe was hiding nearby. The statement said one police officer was injured when the rebels fired at Indian security forces. India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents who have been fighting for Kashmirs independence from India or its merger with neighbouring Pakistan since 1989. Both India and Pakistan claim the Himalayan region, which is divided between the nuclear-armed rivals. India and Pakistan have fought two wars over control of Kashmir since they won independence from British colonialists in 1947. Moriba Jah, an orbital mechanics expert at the University of Texas at Austin, said of the increasing possibility of collisions as satellites are being dumped into Earths atmosphere. The U.S. militarys 18th Space Control Squadron has a catalog of approximately 26,000 objects, which includes the 200 satellites that SpaceX has added to the atmosphere since November. Many experts think that a serious collision is only a matter of time, But I think its going to be reactionary, unfortunately. ( NPR January 29, 2020) Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. This year's theme at Tech Manitoba's annual Disrupted conference, is exploring the human side of technology. The two-day conference that wraps up today at the RBC Convention Centre is an opportunity for a convergence of business, technology, government and educational worlds to think about how technology is impacting the world. JASON HALSTEAD / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS University College of the North business administration students Kellie Bickel (middle) and Charla McKenzie chat with Stewart Russell, regional co-ordinator (Toronto) of Makers Making Change at Tech Manitoba's Disrupted: The Human Side of Tech conference at the RBC Convention Centre, Thursday. Charla McKenzie and Kellie Bickel are exactly the kind of people that organizers hope the conference can have an impact on. The two first-year business administration students at University College of the North in The Pas said exposure to the bigger tech picture is important for them as they start their post-secondary education. "We don't feel like we are being left behind (being from the North) even if we don't have have all the technology," said McKenzie who was born and grew up in The Pas. "Being at a conference like this we get a sense of what is going on." "We know that it's important to get prepared for the innovation and that if we don't keep up to date with technology there is the risk of being lost," said Bickel. Kathy Knight, the CEO of Tech Manitoba, said there is an aspirational element to the conference but there is also a pragmatic side. As much as technology in and of itself can create amazing opportunities it will depend on how we, as humans, are able to deploy it in a way that's healthy and beneficial to the community. "Technology is just a tool in service of human beings," Knight said. "As long as people understand that then it creates more opportunities for us to expand what the possibilities are." The guest speaker at the gala dinner that preceded the two day conference, Alfredo Tan, the chief digital and innovation officer at WestJet Airlines, is the poster child for the notion that the new tech worker needs to be flexible and open to learning different disciplines and being aware that just about every enterprise needs to be a tech company now. In addition to working at WestJet, Tan also teaches at the business school at McMaster University and is doing his law degree on the weekends. While he is focused on digital and innovation projects at WestJet, Tan also understands that regardless of an enterprise's ability to innovate fast, it needs to nurture its workforce to successfully make the transition. "Technology is hard but the people and cultural transformation is even harder," he said. Tan uses the analogy of the concept of escape velocity, the speed needed to pull away from earth's gravitational pull. Companys need to allow their workers to be able to pull away from whatever the workplace traditions are. "It's hard to escape the institutional gravity of an organization or even one's personal gravitation pull," he said. For Doug Louvstad, president and vice-chancellor of University College of the North, has an even larger weight to deal with, that of an entire region to change. "It is different in the North. Our economy has traditionally been resource-based," he said. "But the world is changing and technology is disrupting. We in the North need to be on side with that. We need to bring Northern Manitoba and its economy and people into the digital world that exists right now." As challenging as that would be with everything else being equal, he said Northern Manitoba still needs to overcome the hurdle of getting a proper broadband infrastructure in place. UCN is part of a multi-million project currently underway to deal with that underlying issue. Knight believes that while people not familiar with what's going on in Manitoba may be surprised at the tech scene here, when they do find out they are not dismissive. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "There is something interesting happening in Manitoba and it's a confluence of all the different players contributing to the elevation of the tech sector here," she said. Haider Al-Saidi, the chairman of Red River College's department of applied computer education, is part of that effort. He said there is a growing waiting list to enroll in the college's computer department and he is always trying to increase the department's capacity. The college recently doubled the size of its industry-student partnership called the ACE Project where students work with entrepreneurs to help solve the problems they're working on. More broadly, the college is adapting on the go. Among other things, Al-Saidi said the college is starting to change the way it delivers programming away from classroom-dominated scenarios to a more mission-based approach. It's also currently in the process of designing a new data management and machine learning post-graduate program with the hope of doing its first intake in January 2021. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca As the novel coronavirus toll climbs to 213 in China and several forced into quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday hoped the people in the neighbouring country find courage and strength to persevere through the ordeal. "In China, the coronavirus has killed hundreds of people. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and the millions who have been forced into quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus. May they find the courage and strength to persevere through this terrible ordeal," said Gandhi on Twitter. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced a public health emergency of international concern over the coronavirus crisis.The virus originated in China's Wuhan city. Since then confirmed cases have been reported from several countries across the world.Health authorities around the world are taking efforts to prevent a global pandemic as the virus continues to spread, with cases reported in Australia, France, the US, and India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump speaks about the United States - Mexico - Canada agreement, known as USMCA, during a visit to Dana Incorporated, an auto supplier manufacturer, in Warren, Michigan, January 30, 2020. Pro-Trump outside groups America First Action and America First Policies combined to raise $50.4 million in 2019 giving the president a boost going into an election year. President Donald Trump, whose campaign raised $46 million last quarter, will also be seeing an advantage from his flagship super PAC in 2020 with America First Action finishing 2019 raising just over $19 million, according to the groups' spokeswoman. The nonprofit, America First Policies, which focuses on promoting many of the president's policy accomplishments, brought in $31 million. The two organizations combined have $42 million on hand. The spokeswoman, Kelly Sadler, also noted they have $48 million in outstanding donor pledges. The success of these external organizations comes as Trump has been on trial for impeachment in the Senate and while he looks to move ahead with a variety of policy goals, including a "phase two" trade deal with China. "America First Action is well-positioned to help the President deliver a crushing victory in 2020. All of our operating expenses have been covered for this year, so every penny we raise from this point out will be used to hammer our Democratic opponent and advance the President's agenda. No other outside group is more ready and able to help the President win reelection," America First Action's chairwoman, Linda McMahon, said in a statement. McMahon resigned as head of the Small Business Administration in March. We have $48 million in outstanding donor pledges. Combining our year end fundraising, fundraising to date and total pledges, this places us at $106 million, well on our way to achieve our fundraising goal for the election year. Some of the top donors to the PAC from July until the end of the year include UFC President Dana White, who gave $1 million, Richard DeVos, husband of Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, and venture capitalist Walter Buckley. Trump was met with boos when he attended a UFC match in November, however, White continues to be a staunch defender of the president. More details on the super PAC's activity will be revealed by the end of Friday's filing deadline. Full list of donors to America First Action (7/1-12/31): Linda McMahon $1.74M Dana White $1M Ronald Cameron $800K Eliezer Scheiner $750K Walter Buckley $640K Elizabeth Uihlein $525K Warren Stephens $500K Richard DeVos $400K Cherna Moskowitz $300K Foster Friess $250,000 Mark Stitzer $250K Nearly 18 months has passed since the shooting death of 23-year-old Brampton man Jason Ramkishun killed in a tragic case of mistaken identity. On Friday, Peel Region police held a press conference to announce an arrest and release what they believe led to Ramkishuns death. On Nov. 10, 2018, an altercation occurred between a number of people on Delmonte Crescent in Mississauga, according to Insp. Marty Ottaway. Police said that Travon Edwards-Bryan fired multiple shots at a male victim who fled that scene in a 2013 Honda Accord. Edwards-Bryan was arrested the following month and charged with attempted murder and several firearm-related offences. Police called this incident on Delmonte the catalyst for what happened next. On Nov. 13, 2018, while travelling in his own 2013 Honda Accord, Ramkishun was shot on Highway 410 near Courtney Park in Mississauga. He was brought to hospital but later died of his injuries. Jason was murdered purely because he was driving the same vehicle as the intended target on Delmonte Crescent, said Ottaway. Seven days later, on Nov. 20, that male victim from Delmonte was driving on Highway 410 in Brampton when two suspects started shooting at him and his vehicle. He drove himself to the hospital and was treated for his injuries. This week, the homicide bureau executed search warrants in the GTA and made several arrests in relation to the shootings. Adrian Williams, 25, of no fixed address, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ramkishun and attempted murder in the Nov. 20 shooting. Williamss brother, 28-year-old Akeem Williams, was charged with attempted murder in the Nov. 20 shooting. Police said the two brothers were friends or associates with Edwards-Bryan. Janeque Elwood, of Markham, was charged with accessory after the fact of murder. Police said the .45 calibre handgun used to kill Ramkishun was located in August 2019 during an investigation in Mississauga. Police said that the gun is believed to be linked to Jarrett Phillips, who is currently wanted for the firearm-related offences. Phillips is not associated with the homicide or attempted murders, police noted. Multiple firearms were seized during the investigation, including an assault rifle. Police said all of the seized firearms were traced back to the United States. Fifteen people have been arrested as part of the investigation and are facing a total of 115 firearm-related charges. The Ramkishun family was not present at the announcement, but wanted to remind everyone that Jason had a passion for law enforcement and was focused on achieving that goal, said Ottaway. Though arrests have been made, the investigation is still ongoing, and police are asking the public to come forward if they have any information. This investigation illustrates our organizations commitment to stopping gun violence. Not only will we arrest those responsible or involved in homicide cases, we will arrest and prosecute anyone whos associating with people involved in gun and gang violence for any criminal offenses, said Ottaway. Exum tells Colorado Politics: "We think it's just one less problem for foster kids to have to think about ... to have somebody in their corner to help them with driver education." A businessman at the heart of an inquiry into alleged Libyan financing of French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign was charged Friday with bribery, judicial sources said. Alexandre Djouhri, 60, was handed over to authorities in Paris on Thursday after being extradited from Britain. The businessman, who has ties to Sarkozy's former right-hand man Claude Gueant, among other French politicians, was arrested at Heathrow airport in January 2018 under a European warrant issued by French judges. He is charged with bribing a foreign public servant, being complicit in and concealing the embezzlement of public funds by a person in a position of public authority, and laundering the proceeds of tax fraud and bribery. The allegations that Sarkozy's campaign received up to 50 million euros ($53.3 million at current rates) from Moamer Kadhafi's regime, first emerged during his failed 2012 re-election bid. Sarkozy would later help remove Kadhafi from power when France and Britain led a NATO-backed military offensive in 2011. In 2018, Sarkozy was charged with taking bribes, concealing the embezzlement of Libyan public funds and illegal campaign financing. He denies the allegations, claiming that an explosive Libyan document presented by investigative French news site Mediapart as proof of the corruption is a fake. Investigators are examining Djouhri's alleged involvement in the 2009 sale of a villa on the French Riviera to a Libyan investment fund managed by Bashir Saleh, Kadhafi's former chief of staff. Djouhri is suspected of having been the true owner of the property, which was registered in someone's else name. He is accused of selling the villa at a vastly inflated price to mask payments allegedly made by the Libyan regime towards Sarkozy's campaign. Djouhri has denied ever being the villa's owner. He is further accused of paying 500,000 euros to Gueant to ensure his assistance in various business affairs. Gueant, who has also been charged with laundering the proceeds of tax fraud, claimed the money came from the sale of two paintings. (Alliance News) -A Kibo Energy on Friday noted that investee Katoro Gold PLC has entered into a "strategic gold production opportunity" in South Africa. London-listed Katoro, in which Kibo holds nearly a 55% stake, has entered into a 50-50 joint venture with Blyvoor Gold Operations (Pty) Ltd and its holding company, Target Mine Consulting (Pty) Ltd. The venture plans to target potentially viable deposits of gold from six tailings dams owned by Blyvoor. The project already has the necessary mining license and environmental impact assessment needed for the reprocessing of the tailings. Subject to funding, the joint venture partners are targeting initial production of up to 250,000 tonnes per month of material from the tailings as part of a plan to ramp-up output to 500,000 tonnes per month within two years. At 500,000 tonnes per month of tailings, the project would be producing around 35,000 ounces of gold per year, Katoro said. Under the agreement, Katoro will provide a ZAR15.0 million, around GBP790,000, to fund ongoing development work on the project. The first payment, of ZAR5.0 million, is due by Monday. To fund this, Katoro has raised GBP397,000 in the form of a convertible loan note. Katoro has also set up a facility with Sanderson Capital Partners Ltd in which the company may require Sanderson to subscribe for up to GBP400,000 in the form of a convertible loan note. "Katoro shareholders should note that whilst the company has a binding commitment from Sanderson to subscribe, on Katoro's request, for up to GBP400,000 to enable it to meet the additional tranches requested under the Katoro loan facility, in the event that any amount so requested is not provided and the additional tranches are sought in full, there can be no guarantee that the company will be able to provide the additional tranches as and when required, in which event the agreement will fall away and the Company will have no interest in the JV," Katoro noted. By Lucy Heming;A lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Wednesday 15th January was a revealing day as far as the health of the teachers at the St. Martins Secondary School (SMSS) was concerned. On that day, the teachers received free Diabetes screening, compliments Beverly Reddock and Cheril Dixon, vice president and member respectively of the Diabetes and Hypertensive Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mrs. Lucy Theobalds, Counsellor at the School, expressed delight with the initiative. "Yes, there is only one student at this school diagnosed with this condition, she said, "but today, our teachers will be screened. We usually have a health day for the teachers, and this comes just in time. As it was, teachers seized the opportunity to be screened, doing so in an orderly manner. Rev. Colin Jackson, recently ordained Deacon of the Roman Catholic Church and Religious Education teacher at the SMSS, was the first to be screened. In a show of gratitude and acknowledgement, he said, "The presence of representatives from the Diabetes and Hypertensive Association at SMSS caused a buzz of excitement among members of staff, as a wave of encouragement flowed through for all to participate. I was very happy to receive a blood sugar result that was normal. What a relief! Association reaching out In response to why the drive was organized, Reddock told THE VINCENTIAN, "Diabetes is a very serious disease that is prevalent in SVG. Our main goal is to assist persons with the condition. Schools are always on our agenda. We have testing supplies here that have been donated by the SVG Be Fit Movement, and these we give to students identified in schools who suffer from Type One diabetes. There is only one such child at this school, and we will hand these (supplies) over to the Principal for that child. The Diabetes and Hypertensive Association of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been around for a long time, according to Reddock, but had become dormant. It was revamped five or so years ago and, according to Reddock, its purpose can be seen in its outreaches. "We go out into the communities to screen persons to find those who do not actually know that they are diabetic. Those who know could sometimes be very careless, but to find those who dont know is very important. We could get them to be aware of their condition, and send them to a medical facility where they could be put on a management programme, Reddock elaborated. She was adamant that the number of persons suffering with the condition outweighed the facilities available to establish and document that reality, so the Diabetes and Hypertensive Association was playing its part in assisting identifying persons with the disease. These outreaches have now been reinforced by donations from the local Be Fit Movement which is committed to be advocates in the fight against diabetes, more specifically Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes. The SVG Diabetes and Hypertensive Association next move? To another community in search of those who are not aware of their condition, and to encourage those suffering from it, to manage it properly. Addressing the joint sitting of the Parliament on Friday, President Ram Nath Kovind praised the government for completing the work on the Kartarpur corridor in record time. "The countrymen had been wishing for easy access to the Kartarpur Sahib. My government completed the work on the Kartarpur corridor in record time, and dedicated it to the country on the 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev ji," Kovind said. He further said that the government will also celebrate the upcoming 400th Prakash Parv of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji with great fervour. "Getting the opportunity to celebrate the 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Devji in the country and the world with proper dignity is a matter of pride and good luck. The government will also celebrate the 400th Prakash Parv of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji with grandeur," he added. The much-awaited Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, a 4.7-kilometre-long passage that connects Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in India's Gurdaspur and Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan's Kartarpur, was formally opened for pilgrims on November 9, 2019, three days ahead of the 550th anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev. An agreement on the modalities for operationalising the corridor signed between India and Pakistan had paved the way for the inauguration ahead of the Prakash Parv. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A stunning series of images showing war, natural disasters and both the best and worst of humanity have been selected as part of a worldwide photo contest. More than 12,000 photos were submitted to the competition titled #Photojournalism2020 run by free-to-use photography app Agora. Self-taught Filipino photographer, @renebernal, captured winning shot 'Young Guns.' He won $1,000 for winning the international photojournalism competition with his spectacularly moody shot, showing children playing with toy guns in a dumpster in the Philippines. Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information about CERN's rationale for moving away from Facebook Workplace. Research organization CERN will replace Facebooks Workplace with an open-source alternative after deciding not to move to a new free version of the collaboration software that would eliminate enterprise management features. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, first rolled out Workplaces free Standard version in 2016. The organization has since been testing the premium version of the enterprise social network with staff, including CERNs HR and IT teams. About 1,000 staffers currently use Workplace, with around 150 active weekly users on the platform. Facebook initially waived the costs of Workplace Premium, but then unveiled new payment plans last July. CERN was told to either begin paying for the full service or move to the free Essential version of the app. That change would have ended access to single sign-on and other enterprise features, CERN said. Paying for such features, for a tool that was not part of our core offering for the CERN community and where the existing level of control of our data did not correspond to CERN's needs, was not suitable. Therefore, we will end the trial of this platform, the organization said in a blog post. CERN now plans to use Mattermost, an open-source tool, for instant messaging; it will join several other internal communications tools already available to staffers. It requested that all content hosted on Facebooks servers be removed. CERN had initially said it planned to ditch Workplace because moving to the Essential tier would result in the loss of control of its data, which it said would be sent to Facebook. That statement was changed on Friday, with that claim retracted. According to Facebook, a customer retains control over their data. A community admin manages the community and the company owns and controls the data. The community admin can modify, delete or export your data at any time. Facebook called CERNs fears about data control inaccurate and argued that cost was the primary reason CERN opted for Mattermost. Last year we announced an update to our pricing and packaging, a Facebook spokesperson said. As part of this we moved from two tier offerings (one free, one paid) to three (one free, two paid). CERN [was] originally on our Premium tier for free, and we asked them to either pay for the technology or downgrade to our free tier. They declined for cost reasons. Alongside the free tier, Workplace now has two paid plans: Workplace Enterprise, which costs $8 per user per month, and Workplace Advanced, at $4 per user per month. The latter has limits on certain features such as storage and the number of people who can join group calls. On all three tiers, Facebook acts as the data processor, and our customers act as the data controller, the spokesperson said. Our customers retain all rights, title and interest (including intellectual property rights) to their data. CERN saying that they were given a choice to pay or lose their administrative and data rights to Workplace is not accurate. They could join Workplace today on our Essential tier, which would allow them to use Workplace for free and retain the same admin and data rights. CERN declined to discuss the move to replace Workplace in more detail. Concerns over Facebooks use of data There are 3 million paid Workplace customers, according to the most recent data on the app. That number includes deployments at large enterprise such as Nestle and the Royal Bank of Scotland. However, concerns have arisen in the past about how controversies around handling of data in Facebooks consumer business might affect its enterprise operations. A survey by CCS Insight last year showed that 42% of employees felt their trust in Facebook had decreased in the last 12 months. This is something weve seen become an increasing issue over the last couple of years following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Angela Ashenden, a principal analyst at CCS Insight, said before CERN changed its explanation for the move to Mattermost. Overall, the Workplace team has done well to manage the impact of this on its enterprise business, but its inevitable that there will be some fallout as a result, she said. Ashenden added that, while the Workplace free trial attracted a lot of interest from a range of companies and helped to kick-start its traction in the collaboration market, a move to a revenue model was inevitable, with most organizations accepting they have to pay for enterprise-grade security, governance and full control. Raul Castanon-Martinez, senior analyst at 451 Research, said its not unusual to see data management concerns among large organizations. This highlights that SaaS services like Workplace might not be a good fit for every company; this is further reinforced by the fact that CERN stated they are relying on services like Mattermost, which does provide companies with full control of their data. It is also notable that several members publicly stated that they did not trust Facebook in terms of data privacy, he said. While Facebook has stated that its enterprise solution functions as a separate entity to their consumer services, they could benefit from expanding their efforts to address these concerns. Karnataka police late on Thursday arrested the headmistress of a school and the mother of one of the students for allegedly tutoring the girl student (who is in class VI) to make derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a school play against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The action came days after the management of Shaheen School in Karnatakas Bidar was booked for sedition and promoting enmity between religious groups. The anti-CAA play was staged on January 21 by students of classes 4, 5, and 6, as a part of the schools annual day celebrations. A video of the play went viral. The police booked the school management on January 26 on the basis of a complaint filed by a person named Neelesh Rakshyala. While the school management said that the student inadvertently used the objectionable phrase and they had no role in it, the police on Thursday arrested the headmistress, Farida Begaum, and the girls mother, Navida Anuja Minsa. A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was clear that the student was tutored to say what she did. He added that the headmistress and the students mother have been arrested under IPC section 124A (sedition) and 504 (promoting enmity between communities). Shaheen Group CEO Thouseef Madikeri said: It is unfortunate that the police have decided to arrest the headmistress and the parent of a child. This is to mentally harass them as they cannot arrest a child. Both the arrested are currently in jail. We have every intention to contest this legally as we have done no wrong. He said the school authorities will co-operate with the investigation. Media reports said lawyers have not been able to bail out the arrested women because the district court judge is on leave till early next week. A Republican Senator from Tennessee could extinguish Democrats' attempts to bring witnesses into Donald Trump's impeachment trial, effectively ending countless hours of debate and delivering the president his acquittal from the charges levelled against him. Lamar Alexander, a key swing vote in the battle to introduce witnesses into the president's trial, said he believes it was "inappropriate and wrong" for president Mr Trump to pressure Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden's son to unearth potentially politically damaging information on the former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate but he says "it didn't rise to the level of an impeachable offence". His decision follows lengthy testimony and evidence finding in Congress before the president's impeachment in the House, and more than 70 hours of debate, questioning, and arguments in the Senate as the prosecution team and Mr Trump's legal defence presented their cases. "I didn't need any more evidence to make my decision", he told reporters on Friday. "I thought about it, but I wanted to wait until the very last minute because around here, you never know what might happen. You might get a surprise during the question-and-answer period". Mr Alexander who does not plan to seek re-election this autumn told CNN that "an error in judgment, an inappropriate and improper telephone call or action, doesn't add up to treason, bribery or high crimes and misdemeanours". All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Show all 6 1 /6 All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Alan Dershowitz Dershowitz is a controversial American lawyer best known for the high-profile clients he has successfully defended. Those clients have included OJ Simpson, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein. One longtime Harvard Law associated told the New Yorker Dershowitz "revels in taking positions that ultimately are not just controversial but pretty close to indefensible." Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Ken Starr Starr became a household name in the 1990s as the independent counsel who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment. That investigation began as a look into a real estate scandal known as Whitewater, and eventually led to impeachment after Mr Clinton lied under oath about having an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. AP All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Jay Sekulow Sekulow is the president's longtime personal attorney, and, now, personal lawyer in the White House. He has been accused by former Rudy Giuliani associate Lev Parnas of being "in the loop" during the Ukraine scandal. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pam Bondi Bondi is the former attorney general in Florida, and a longtime backer of the president's. She made a name for herself in Florida for taking hyper partisan stances on issues, and her penchant for publicity. She is likely to be a prominent public-facing figure during the trial. AFP/Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Pat Cipollone Cipollone is the White House counsel, and leading the president's defence team. Getty All the president's lawyers: The team fighting Trump's impeachment Rudy Giuliani While not officially named as one of the president's impeachment lawyers, it is hard to ignore Giuliani's outsized role in this process. The former mayor of New York has been making headlines for months as he defends his client, and for his apparent role in the effort to compel Ukraine to launch the investigation into Joe Biden. We'll see how he figures in the actual trial, which he has said he would like to be a part of. Reuters Friday's expected vote on whether to introduce witnesses into the proceedings likely including former national security chief John Bolton, whose eyewitness account corroborates witness testimony that the president wanted to withhold Ukraine aid unless it opened the investigation at the urging of Rudy Giuliani and the president's other private interests hinges on several Republican defectors from the party line. Without those votes, the president, who is the third to endure an impeachment trial in US history, could be swiftly acquitted by his Senate allies as he approaches his third State of the Union address next week, held inside the body that voted to impeach him last month. It would take four Republican votes to break the party's majority to agree to call witnesses. On Thursday, Maine's Susan Collins announced that she would support a motion. Utah's Mitt Romney has already indicated he would likely vote to bring up witnesses. Alaska's Lisa Murkowski said she will not support a vote to bring witnesses, saying on Friday that "given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate." If the vote came to a tie, Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could break it although observers say he may choose not to make a casting vote. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested Democrats had a plan to press the trial into next week to delay Republicans' sought-after acquittal. Mr Alexander filled the seat held by longtime Republican Senator Fred Thompson in 2002. Previously, he served as Tennessee's governor for nearly a decade, and he was appointed as US Secretary of Education under President George HW Bush in the early 1990s. Trump lawyer's defence is a 'descent into constitutional madness' says Schiff Once a top choice for the party's Minority Whip, his name has frequently surfaced as a candidate for key party leadership positions. In 2018, Mr Alexander announced he would not seek re-election in 2020. Late on Thursday, Mr Alexander called the impeachment a "shallow, hurried and wholly partisan" effort that would "rip the country apart, pouring gasoline on the fire of cultural divisions that already exist". He said it would set a precedent to allow "perpetual impeachment" in presidencies to follow. But he didn't dispute that what Mr Trump did was wrong, saying that the case against him was "proved". "The question is whether you apply capital punishment to every offence", he said on Friday. "In this case, I think the answer is no. Let the people make that decision." Local election date still not confirmed but PEC told to start planning PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (PEC) confirmed yesterday (Jan 30) they have been instructed to start preparations for local elections, even though a definite date has still yet to be determined. politics By Tanyaluk Sakoot Friday 31 January 2020, 11:17AM PEC Acting Director Sub Lt Passakon Siripakayapon yesterday (Jan 30) confirmed the Election Commission of Thailand in Bangkok has instructed them to begin preparations for local elections, despite a concrete date being set. Photo: PEC PEC Acting Director Sub Lt Passakon Siripakayapon stated the PEC received the order from the Election Commission of Thailand in Bangkok on Monday (Jan 27). As part of the preparations, the PEC are looking to recruit volunteers to assist with helping run the election, even though the date has itself has yet to be confirmed. No exact number as to how many volunteers are required was confirmed. Sub Lt Passakon explained, The PEC will be open between 8:30am to 4:30pm on Feb 3-7 for people interested in working as part of the local election to register their applications. Prerequisite qualifications are that the individual is a Thai national, over 30-years-old, politically neutral and honest in nature. All 19 local authorities in Phuket are seeking to recruit people to assist this comprises nine municipalities, nine Tambon Administration Organisations (OrBorTor) and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO, or OrBorJor). Sub Lt Passakon confirmed that all the necessary equipment such as ballot boxes, polling booths and other relevant supplies, is available and in place. These are ready from last year, he commented. Now we can only wait for the cabinet to announce the confirmed date. The most important thing right now is for us to prepare effectively so we can conduct the election and ensure the right candidate for Phuket is elected, concluded Sub Lt Passakon. The latest announcement comes after previous PEC Director Nutthawat Wongitsaraphap received an order from the Election Commission of Thailand in Bangkok back on May 27, 2019, to start preparations for local elections for Sept 1 onwards (see full story here). Zelensky: Ukraine ready to expand cooperation with U.S. in defense sector, considering possibility of purchasing new weapons President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine is ready to expand relations with the United States in the field of defense and security, and to consider the possibility of purchasing new weapons. "Ukraine is ready to develop new forms of partnership with the United States in the field of security. This confirms the first ever contract for the direct purchase of Javelin anti-tank missile systems," he said at a briefing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. Zelensky noted that the strengthening of the Naval forces of Ukraine with the help of Island class boats was also discussed. "And the strengthening of the air defense of Ukraine, where we are ready to consider the options for the procurement of necessary weapons," he added. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine is actively interacting with the U.S. partners for the successful reform of the defense industry. "I am sure this will provide an impetus for mutually beneficial cooperation with top U.S. defense companies," he said. The president of Ukraine also noted the importance of the fact that system support for Ukraine has a broad bipartisan consensus in the U.S. Congress. Zelensky pointed out that this is evidenced by the volume of U.S. assistance programs to Ukraine for 2020, which amounts to almost $700 million, of which $365 million is provided for defense and security, which will significantly strengthen this area. A preliminary report recently released by the chief states attorneys officer doesnt shed much new light on the deadly police shooting that began with an alleged carjacking in Norwalk and ended with a fatal trooper-involved shooting in West Haven. The report, dated Jan. 24 and submitted by Middlesex States Attorney Michael A. Gailor, indicated that 19-year-old Mubarak Soulemane died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during an encounter with troopers from the Connecticut State Police on Jan. 15. The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. A new piece of information did emerge from the report: confirmation that officers from the town of West Haven were also on the scene, Gailor said. An autopsy by the chief medical examiner on Jan. 16 indicated that the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the torso and extremities, Gailor said. The manner of death was ruled a homicide. The New London States Attorney was initially tasked to lead the investigation into whether Trooper Brian Norths use of force was appropriate. But, Gailor said, due to caseload considerations and in order to ensure the timely completion of the investigation, the matter was reassigned to the Middlesex States Attorney on Jan. 21. The Division of Criminal Justice extends its condolences to Mr. Soulemanes family and will work to complete this investigation in a timely manner for the benefit of both the family and the police officers involved, Gailor said. Until all investigations related to the case are completed, state police confirmed earlier this month, North will not interact with the public or be assigned to a barrack. North will be on desk duty and will not be permitted to drive a police cruiser. North fatally shot Soulemane on Jan. 15 after the teen allegedly carjacked a rideshare driver in Norwalk and engaged police in a high-speed chase that ended when he crashed into a vehicle under an overpass in West Haven. The state police trooper as well as others pursuing Soulemane had been alerted by Norwalk police that he was armed with a knife during the carjacking. Footage of the shooting released by state police on Jan. 18 appears to show Soulemane moving in the car, but it doesnt exactly show what prompted the trooper to fire into Soulemanes vehicle seven times. Following the deadly shooting, Soulemanes family said the teen battled schizophrenia. Newton Trailer Centre, run by Tony and Fiona Blackburn at Newton Reigny near Penrith, is already part of the Argo Tractors nationwide dealer network, having supplied Landini products for several years. But a review of the tractor market in the county has resulted in the business switching to Argos McCormick range. Well continue to wholeheartedly support our Landini customers with parts, servicing and anything else they need, emphasises Tony Blackburn. But there are more McCormick users across the county who need this support and were now able to provide it. Ben Agar, sales director at Argo Tractors operations for the UK and Ireland, said: This strategic move will ensure continuity of parts and service support for farmers and contractors running McCormick tractors, from a dealership that already has the product knowledge and technical know-how needed to provide the best possible back-up. The new franchise arrangement and latest McCormick tractors were presented to local farmers during an open day event at Newtons premises just off the M6. The presentation has already proven fruitful one farmer who attended placed an order for a 100hp McCormick X4.60 the following day; and another ordered a 90hp version a couple of weeks later. This very encouraging response suggests weve made the right decision, says Tony Blackburn. Individual tractor makes represent different things to different people, and although there is nothing at all wrong with the Landini products, I think McCormick is better known and perhaps has a more modern image in a lot of peoples minds, which gives them added confidence to run the tractors. The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Anthony Kobina Kurentsir Sam has hinted that measures have been put in place to redevelop the Takoradi market circle into an ultra-modern facility. He said it was imperative to get an ultra-modern market similar to that of Kejetia in Kumasi to meet the demands of traders in the Metropolis. The MCE in an interview said he was motivated to redevelop the Takoradi market circle into an ultra-modern facility when he visited the newly constructed kejetia market two years ago. He said the Regional Minister Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah was also in support of the plan and that everything possible would be done to redevelop the Takoradi market. Some market women the GNA spoke to concerning the MCE's intention, said they zealously look forward to the Metropolitan Assemblys plan to redevelop the market. Daavi Ama, a beans seller said the redevelopment of the market to suit the status of the oil city was very important and pleaded with the authorities not to be biased in the allocation of stalls and stores if the facility is completed. Another market woman pleaded with the Assembly to give early notice and provide them with alternative places to trade when the reconstruction exercise starts. Mr Abu Raman, a butcher suggested that the redeveloped market should have suitable structures such as cold stores for them to preserve fresh meat and fish. Who does not appreciate good things? We patiently wait on them to redevelop our market. As you can see, the sanitary conditions will improve in our butchery if this is done, he added. A vegetable expressed concern about the security situation in the market now, stressing that theft has been a major headache for them in the market. She, therefore, suggested that security should be Paramount in the redevelopment of the market. The market women, however, complained about the marginal decline in sales as compared to that of January last year. They appealed to the government to help create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive by providing subsidies to farmers and tax waivers on commodities to encourage patronage of goods and services. 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 Photo credit: Image courtesy of Apple From Popular Mechanics According to a report in Japan's Nikkei Asian Review, Apple's planned hike in iPhone and AirPods production is facing "massive uncertainties" due to the Coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. Production of a new, cheap iPhone, rumored to be called the iPhone SE2, was supposed to take place during the third week of February. An Apple exec said that this schedule is now unclear due to the outbreak. Foxconn, which produces the iPhone in China, said it would not be closing any factories in the country and that it was "closely monitoring" the Wuhan coronavirus spread. Next month, Apple had planned to ramp up production of its cheap successor to the iPhone SEvariously referred to as iPhone 9 and iPhone SE2by up to 10 percent. Then, the devastating, tragic, SARS-like Coronavirus broke out across Wuhan, China, putting the tech company's Asian production facilities in a bind. Now, executives tell Nikkei Asian Review the company's production schedule is facing "massive uncertainties." Obviously, this is the least of the world's worries. With that being said, Apple informed suppliers in China it wanted to produce up to 80 million iPhones during the first half of 2020, representing about a 10 percent increase. According to the report, about 65 million of those orders are for older iPhones, while the other 15 million are for the forthcoming iPhone SE successor. In addition to iPhones, Apple also planned to hike up AirPods production by 45 million units due to demand. Suppliers warned the company that the neck-breaking pace of production would almost certainly be complicated by the coronavirus outbreak in China's Hubei Province, since Apple's primary production facilities there are in nearby Henan and Guangdong provinces. "The [coronavirus] situation in China could affect the planned production schedule," one supply chain executive told Nikkei. That person's trip to China was postponed due to the outbreak. Story continues Here's where it gets weird, though. Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics behemoth that produces iPhones in China, said it would not be closing down any of its factories as a result of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak, nor would would it be changing manufacturing timelines. The company said that it was "closely monitoring" the Wuhan coronavirus spread. "Foxconn is closely monitoring the current public health challenge linked to the coronavirus and we are applying all recommended health and hygiene practices to all aspects of our operations in the affected markets. Our facilities in China are following holiday schedules and will continue to do so until all businesses have resumed standard operating hours," the company said in full. The "holiday" Foxconn is referencing is the Chinese government's extended Lunar New Year, which is actually a measure meant to help mitigate the spread of the virus. "As a matter of policy and for reasons of commercial sensitivity, we do not comment on our specific production practices," the company added. "But we can confirm that we have measures in place to ensure that we can continue to meet all global manufacturing obligations." While it's not clear exactly what Apple is up against, the Wuhan Coronavirus is certainly deadly. As of Thursday afternoon, the number of cases across the globe has skyrocketed to 9,700. You Might Also Like Lucknow, Jan 31 : Two suspected patients of coronavirus from Uttar Pradesh have tested negative for the deadly virus. One of the patients was in Maharajganj and the other was from Ghazipur. Both were studying medicine in the Chinese city of Wuhan and had returned to their homes some time ago. Director, communicable diseases, Mithlesh Chaturvedi, said that while the reports of the two suspects had been received, the report of the third suspect from Ghaziabad is awaited. "The Ghaziabad patient has been quarantined in her home. We will wait for next 28 days before they are declared healthy," Chaturvedi said. The blood, mucus and spit samples of the suspects were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the reports were received late on Thursday. Chief Medical Officer, Ghazipur G. C. Maurya stated the patient in his district was also a medical student at Wuhan. "The student reached home on January 15. After the alert by the Union Health Ministry, a medical team was dispatched to screen her. But the girl was asymptomatic to coronavirus," he said. A high-level team of health officials and experts from World Health Organisation has reviewed the situation in the state. Doctors were imparted virtual training to combat the disease and apprised about the WHO guidelines." Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A payroll audit by the Auditor General has uncovered that over 10,000 employees have either no justification or sufficient information to continue drawing salaries from the public purse. It has therefore asked the affected employees to make themselves available for enumeration from January 28 to February 11, 2020 at the Audit-Service Headquarters (Payroll Audit Branch), Accra to avoid disallowance and surcharge. This was contained in a press statement signed by Mr. George Swanzy Winful, the Deputy Auditor-General of the Central Government Audit Department. It said: Notice is hereby given that, the Auditor-General intends to disallow the continuous existence of all un-accounted for employees on the payroll and surcharge the amounts involves against heads of departments, heads of the management units and the persons involved. The affected persons are required to carry with them to the Audit Service Headquarters Biometric Registration Form, SSNIT Biometric Card, Payslip, Appointment Letter, Recent Promotion or Upgrade Letter, all academic certificates and at least two National Identity Cards (Voters ID, Passport, Drivers License, and the National Health Insurance Scheme). Additionally, they should provide approval letter for study leave with pay or without pay, gazette or affidavit for change of name, contract renewal letters for pupil teachers or contract employees and any other relevant documents relating to their employment. The statement warned that failure to honour this final invitation will result in the Auditor-General exercising his powers under Article-187(7) to disallow the existence and surcharge such persons on the payroll. 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 A Police officer who turned scores of young people away from gangs and crime has died aged 37 from a suspected stroke. Met Pc Andy Taylor became ill at work and was sent home last weekend from his role in the CID team in north-west London. Pc Taylor was then rushed to Addenbrookes Hospital, in Cambridge, where he died on Tuesday. He joined the Met in 2008 and became a popular figure on social media as well as in north-west London. The father-of-three was known as Big Andy and amassed almost 54,000 Instagram followers. Using humour to talk to young people, he was credited with changing attitudes to the police and steering teenagers away from knife crime. A JustGiving site has reached 12,000 after it was set up this week to benefit his young family a son and two daughters. His wife Holly Taylor, who is also a Met police officer, posted a tribute on the fundraising page. She said: You left me too early but you made an impact on everyones life you touched. Delawares Supreme Court has overturned a judges ruling that an insurance company must extend liability coverage to a teenager who was convicted of criminally negligent homicide after a school bathroom attack that left a 16-year-old girl dead. Wednesdays ruling reverses a judges determination last year that USAA Casualty Insurance Company had to indemnify Trinity Carr under her mothers homeowners policy, which covers claims for bodily injury. Carr was named as a defendant in two lawsuits filed by the family of Amy Joyner-Francis. An autopsy found that Joyner-Francis, who had a rare, undetected, heart condition, died of sudden cardiac death, aggravated by physical and emotional stress from the April 2016 fight captured on cellphone video at Howard High School of Technology in Wilmington. Video of the attack, which gained national attention, shows Joyner-Francis struggling to fight back and escape as she is repeatedly hit and kicked in the head while her assailant holds on to her hair. To label an intentional assault, as the parties agree occurred here, an accident is to disregard the ordinary, everyday meaning of accident,' the Supreme Court noted. We thus hold that whether an assault is an accident is determined by the intent of the insured, and not by the viewpoint of the victim. Further, even though Carr may not have intended to cause Franciss death, she certainly intended to cause injury to her, Justice Gary Traynor added in writing for the court. Therefore, the provision that excludes coverage for intended injuries would bar coverage in any event. Carr, who is now an adult, was adjudicated delinquent by a Family Court judge and sentenced to six months in a juvenile facility in 2017. Delawares Supreme Court upheld a conspiracy verdict against Carr in 2018 but overturned her homicide conviction, saying no reasonable fact-finder could have found that she acted with criminal negligence. USAA argued that it had no obligation to defend or indemnify Carr under the provisions of her mothers insurance policy, which covers bodily injury and property damage claims caused by an occurrence. The policy, which defines occurrence as an accident, excludes coverage for injury or damage which is reasonably expected or intended by any insured' including injury or damage that is of a different kind, quality or degree than initially expected or intended In his decision last year, Judge Noel Primos ruled that the bathroom fight qualified as an occurrence under the policy, and that USAA had failed to show that an exclusion regarding intentional conduct applied. Primos also noted that the video of the attack, while disturbing, confirms that the harm resulting from Carrs intentional conduct was not reasonably foreseeable. At the same time, Primos acknowledged the public policy implications of the insurance dispute. On the one hand, there is the well-established Delaware rule that an insured shall not profit by way of indemnity from his own wrongdoing,' he wrote. On the other hand, there is an innocent victim, Ms. Francis, whose heirs and family members would be negatively affected by the denial of coverage for Ms. Carr. Prosecutors traced the bathroom assault to an online group chat the day before, when Joyner-Francis had offered advice to a friend about a problem involving a boy, telling her friend to just be careful. Joyner-Francis warned that someone might switch up, or betray another person. A police detective said Carr thought Joyner-Francis was talking about her as the possible traitor. A Snapchat posting that same day by one of three girls charged after the incident shows Joyner-Francis talking to Carr in the bathroom, purportedly to try to defuse the situation. The posting notes that Carr was bouta fight her, followed by several emojis indicating that a person was laughing so hard she was crying. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. With Vietcombank making up 40 percent of total profit of four state-owned banks, the competition among the big four banks has been reduced to the big two. Four state-owned banks last week released the 2019 finance reports. As the bank with the lowest total assets and outstanding loans, Vietcombank saw profit twice as much as the other three. In 2015, Vietcombank ranked second to VietinBank in profit, but it has been growing since then. Its profit proportion increased from 25 percent of the big four to 40 percent just within five years. The figures about bad debt, credit room and non-credit earnings all show that Vietcombank has advantages to grow in the next years. In 2019, it made a consolidated profit of over $1 billion, adding itself to the list of the 200 top financial groups aroundthe globe. Its profit growth rate was 35-40 percent a year in the last four years, which includes profit from divestment deals in 2018. As for VietinBank, after 2018 when it restructured, the bank surpassed BIDV in 2019 with the reported separated profit of VND11.5 trillion. However, the bank was cautious when setting a modest target of 10 percent growth rate in 2020. Four state-owned banks last week released the 2019 finance reports. As the bank with the lowest total assets and outstanding loans, Vietcombank saw profit twice as much as the other three. Meanwhile, BIDV reported consolidated profit of VND10.8 trillion in 2019, an increase of 14 percent over the year before, while it plans the 17 percent growth rate in 2020. In the last four years, VietinBank lagged behind the big four with average profit growth rate of 10 percent per annum, the lowest among the four banks. The growth rate of Agribank was nearly 40 percent, which allowed the bank, whose profit was just half of BIDV in 2014, to catch up with BIDV in 2019. Credit quality was the key behind the big differences in the business results of the four state-owned banks. The clean lending portfolio allowed Vietcombank to control the cost for credit risk provisioning, thus helping increase pre-tax profit. Vietcombank reported the low ratio of bad debt, just 0.77 percent in 2019. It was also the first bank which cleared the bad debts sold to the Vietnam Asset Management Company (VAMC) in 2016. Agribank was the second bank among the big four that finalized the bad debts sold to VAMC in 2019. The other two banks still cannot clear the bad debts at VAMC and have to continue to make provisions against VAMC special bonds, which partially affects its profit growth. While Vietcombanks provisioning against credit risks is just equal to 25 percent of net profit from business activities, the figures are higher at the other three banks. At BIDV, the figure was 70-80 percent at times. Thanh Mai The big four banks thirsty for foreign capital Initial encouraging results have occurred after efforts were made to reduce the need for capital from banks where the state holds the controlling stake. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto 31.01.2020 LISTEN President Akufo-Addo has said the country is looking forward to generating US$1 billion from vegetable production for the international market within seven years with the expansion of the greenhouse technology in Ghana. According to him, the technology is envisaged to produce enough fresh horticultural produce for local consumption, particularly in urban centres such as Kumasi, Accra and Tema, and create employment opportunities for the youth, beside the international market. Speaking at the inauguration of a greenhouse village at Akomadan, in the Offinso North District of the Ashanti Region, the president said the application of the greenhouse technology would not only help the nation to produce enough vegetables for local consumption, but also could propel it to overtake Ethiopian and other East African nations in foreign exchange earnings from the global vegetable market. The Akomadan Greenhouse Village, which is situated on a 120-hectare land, is the third of such technology in the country, with the two others at Dawhenya in the Greater Accra Region and Bawjiase in the Central Region. An Israeli company, AgriTop, a subsidiary of STL Group, is partnering Government to make the modern agricultural technology available to farmers in the country. The technology has proven to be an efficient and profitable modern production method under controlled environment that is not dependent on natural rains, and therefore ensures productivity all year round. The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, said the Greenhouse Village projects formed part of the government's flagship programme, 'Planting for Food and Jobs'. The Chief Executive of STL Group, Ofer Tamir, asserted that the Akomadan Greenhouse Village would impact positively on agricultural production in the Ashanti Region. According to him, the Akomadan Greenhouse Village has a training centre with classrooms for technology transfer, residential facilities, drip irrigation facilities, pack houses for the production of selected vegetables from nursery up to maturity among others. It currently produces sweet pepper, cucumber, tomatoes and squash, and has since trained 28 people, who graduated last year December. The second batch has been enrolled for the training programme being facilitated by Ghanaians trained in Israel in 2018. ---Daily Guide A Fine Gael election candidates comments about autism were ignorant, the Taoiseach has said. Catherine Noone was quoted as describing Leo Varadkar as autistic-like, hes on the spectrum, theres no doubt about it by The Times while out canvassing. Ms Noone initially denied the report, before apologising when it was revealed her comments had been recorded. She explained she meant her party leader could be a bit wooden and lacking in empathy. I said to her that she did not need to apologise to me, she needed to apologise to the autism communityLeo Varadkar It emerged her party had decided against letting Ms Noone appear in a televised interview to explain her actions. Fine Gael has said it is backing her bid for a seat in Dublin Bay North. On Friday, the Taoiseach told RTE: I think what she had to say was ignorant. It did hurt a lot of people, people with autism and their families and friends. She spoke to me about it yesterday morning and I said to her that she did not need to apologise to me, she needed to apologise to the autism community and (she) is making contact with the autism organisations to do exactly that. Last November, a deranged 26-year-old man, Devin Patrick Kelley, opened fire on worshipers inside a church in Sutherland, Texas, killing 26. High-casualty mass shootings are tragic in human terms but anomalous statistically, at least in terms of the portion of total U.S. homicides that they represent. The vast majority of murders, which take place disproportionately in Americas low-income and minority neighborhoods, dont get nearly the same attention. The Texas church shooting does have an important point of commonality with the majority of American murders, however: its perpetrator had a troubling criminal record. The deincarceration movement, which would return thousands of convicts to American streets, presents a threat to public safety. Repeat offenders already commit a substantial portion of the nations violent crimeaccording to one study, 53 percent of killers have at least one prior felony conviction. They will be walking the streets in greater numbers if deincarceration advocates have their way. Consider a few examples. In October 2017, Radee Prince shot and killed three people in Maryland. Prince, it turns out, had 42 prior arrests and 15 prior felony convictions. About a month earlier, a police officer in Yonkers was shot in the face by an 18-year-old assailant not unknown to police. He had recently been sentenced to probation and classified as a youthful offender, despite being caught with an illegal firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a machete, and brass knuckles. Earlier in 2017, Baltimore police named Cortez Wall, an 18-year-old murder suspect, Public Enemy No. 1. Wall had already been convicted of a gun charge, for which he was on probation. That didnt stop a Maryland judge from releasing him on bail on a drug charge; he had allegedly murdered someone before his release, though police did not yet suspect him. Had bail been denied, Wall would have been in custody when he became the prime suspect in the deadly shooting. Most recently, on February 13, a Chicago Police Department Commander, Paul Bauer, was shot and killed while off-duty. Bauer was responding to a radio call that he overheard regarding a suspicious-person report in a downtown Chicago office building. The alleged shooter is 44-year-old Shomari Legghette. It should come as no surprise that this was not Legghettes first run-in with the law, Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson said at a press conference held the day after Bauers murder. Legghette has an extensive criminal history that includes charges for drugs, armed robbery, and gun possession. Johnson called the tragedy a devastating reminder of repeat gun offenders who are out on the streets of Chicago and need to be held accountable. Yet proponents of deincarceration want to make it easier for hardened criminals to sidestep prison and roam the streets. The ACLU, an outspoken supporter of bail reform, cheered the fact that, in New Jersey, judges required defendants to post bail in just three of 3,382 cases processed in January 2017. In an article for Time, two scholars at NYUs Brennan Center for Justice criticized harsh sentences, not just for nonviolent drug offenders but also for those committing more serious offenses, calling mass incarceration the greatest moral and racial injustice of our time. Citing a report showing that longer sentences do not reduce recidivism more than shorter sentences, the authors called for the immediate release of nearly 40 percent of Americas prison population. Do crime statistics support the claim that such a high percentage of Americas prison population wouldnt pose a danger to the publicparticularly in high-crime neighborhoods of cities like Chicago, which have driven a national increase in violent crime rates? To answer this question, I consulted Chicago Police Department records of the last 200 people arrested for actual or attempted first-degree murder, as of November 21, 2017. That someone has been arrested does not mean that he is guilty, of course, though arrests suggest probable cause. I found that an outsize number of the most serious violent crimes were allegedly committed by individuals who used to be, and perhaps should have remained, behind bars. Of the 200 individuals arrested for murder in the period examined, the vast majority were people of color, particularly black males, with previous arrests. The CPD had arrested two-thirds (133) at least once before; the average number of prior CPD arrests was more than two, and some individuals had as many as 20 priors. Seventy-four (37 percent) of the 200 had at least one prior CPD arrest for a violent or weapon-related offense. These numbers dont include arrests made by agencies other than the CPDsuch as police departments in other states and in neighboring countiesor federal or juvenile arrests. Indeed, for ten of the 200 individuals arrested in the examined time frame, the first listed arrest is for violation of parole conditions, or for possession of a weapon as a felonmeaning that those individuals had been convicted of felonies not listed by the CPD, likely because the offenses occurred in another jurisdiction or before the individuals were legal adults. According to a recent University of Chicago study, of those arrested for a homicide or shooting in Chicago in 2015 and 2016, around 90 percent had at least one prior arrest, approximately 50 percent had a prior arrest for a violent crime specifically, and almost 40 percent had a prior gun arrest. On average, someone arrested for a homicide or shooting had nearly 12 prior arrests, with almost 45 percent having had more than 10 prior arrests, and almost 20 percent having had more than 20 prior arrests. The CPDs 2011 report on murders in Chicago found that over 87 percent of suspects arrested for murder that year had prior arrest histories. That proportion remains consistent, going back at least 20 years. And the trend isnt limited to Chicago. In a study of the 75 most populous American counties, conducted from 1990 to 2002, the DOJs Bureau of Justice Statistics found that more than half of murderers (53%) had a [felony] conviction record. These numbers belie the notion that the criminal-justice system in cities like Chicago is systematically denying people of color second chancesa potent talking point for deincarceration advocates. Fifteen percent of the 200 suspects whose records I examined had at least five prior arrests before they were arrested for murder. Further, these numbers seriouslyif not whollyundermine the claim that the public does not benefit from the incapacitation of violent or chronic criminals. The data confirm that the most serious crimes are mostly committed by repeat offenders whom the criminal-justice system has failed to obstructsuggesting that, at least in some cases, sentencing and pretrial detainment practices are too lenient, not too harsh. Yet deincarceration supporters remain committed to putting dangerous individuals from correctional facilities back on public streets. To imagine that this will have no public-safety ramifications is folly. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images FP Studio Amazon started in India about 6 years ago with about 100 sellers and today the company has more than 5.5 lakh sellers registered with them. These sellers include hundreds of thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from across tier 1. 2 and 3 cities in India. The Company has rolled out a host of programs and initiatives in the last six years to spread awareness on the adoption of technology and e-commerce amongst MSMEs and also help them come online and be part of the Digital Economy. The Company recently hosted a mega SMB event called Smbhav (read possible) at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi where hundreds of MSMEs, senior leaders from Amazon and industry stalwarts from India Inc. came together to discuss new opportunities that technology and Amazons global footprint provide for entrepreneurs. Spread over two days, Smbhav featured a fireside chat with Jeff Bezos, Amazons Founder and CEO as well as perspectives from industry leaders and success stories of a host of MSMEs. On the previous day, Bezos had gone and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat and even participated in Makar Sankranti festivities. I flew kites yesterday with a bunch of kids! he exclaimed. Jeff Bezos: the 21st century is the Indian century In a fireside chat with Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Country Head of Amazon India, Bezos claimed the 21st century would belong to India. He said, I predict that the 21st century is going to be the Indian century. The dynamism, the energy, everywhere I go here is amazing. I meet people who are interested in self-improvement and growth. Bezos spoke with remarkable candor about his earlier days as an entrepreneur, saying, It's hard to remember, but 25 years ago, Amazon was a tiny little company. And you know, not only was I driving the packages to the post office myself, but I was wrapping them and, and preparing them and, you know, doing all the things that small entrepreneurs do. Answering Amits question on why Amazon is the best place to experiment and fail at, Bezos said, See if you know in advance that something is going to work, then it is not an experiment. So, you want to be doing many experiments per unit time, as many experiments per day, per week, per month, per year as you can because that's how you get innovation. Innovation is all about maximizing the rate of experimentation. And so you have to organize to be able to experiment and you have to have a culture that supports failure. Amit and I together, we've been working together for two decades and I have failed together so many times and that is that is, it's another way of learning. Bezos then made a series of announcements. He said, Were committed to being a long-term partner of India. And actions speak louder than words. Over the next five years, Amazon will invest an incremental US$ 1 billion to digitize 10 million MSMEs across India, helping them reach more customers than ever before. This initiative will use Amazons global footprint to create US$10 billion in India exports by 2025 and will help create 1 million new jobs in the next five years. We will also establish 100 Digital Haats in cities and villages throughout India. Bezos also spoke at length about his passion for space travel and his work with Blue Origin. He explained, We have to take care of this planet, and if we want to continue to grow as a civilization, we need a dynamic, entrepreneurial civilization with space entrepreneurs that will use the resources in our solar system. Blue origin wants to reduce the cost of access to space by a large magnitude. And we need reusable rockets to do that. India Inc and SMBs meet at Smbhav Amazon SmBhav also had industry leaders like NR Narayana Murthy, Co-Founder Infosys, Kishore Biyani, Founder and CEO of the Future Group, and others sharing their experiences and interesting anecdotes from their professional journeys. In his fireside chat, Mr. Biyani said, The most memorable days for us were when we started. It became a journey of learning after doing something. Recounting the start of Big Bazar, he said We created multiple brands, then we thought we should have a family store. So we thought of a concept called Big Bazar. Explaining his companys rapid pan-Indian growth, Biyani said, We decentralized on day one. We thought of the country in terms of four zones. We created multiple offices within each zone. That allowed us to grow. Mr, Narayana Murthy delivered a stirring keynote address on day one. Talking about the Indias vision of becoming a $5 trillion economy, he said, The responsibility of achieving this vision lies with Indian SMBs. He explained that 85% of the country's business output came from the unorganized sector, 10% from SMBs, and 5% from large businesses, which made SMBs a vital part of Indias economy. Mr Murthy shared five points that he believed would help SMBs achieve success: a differentiated business value proposition; attracting the best quality of people; a good balance of skills, expertise and experience; a durable value system that sustains growth; and ensuring that communities, and the country at large, become better. The keynote by Sonal Dabral, COO South Asia & Vice-Chairman (India) of Ogilvy explained how some of the largest Indian brands today started off as humble SMBs. These companies achieved billion-dollar net worth, he said, due to belief, commitment, identity, and effective communication. Sudhir Sitapati, Executive Director of Foods & Refreshment with Hindustan Unilever and Vice President of Unilever, delivered the keynote on day two. He said, It is easier to grow a category than to grow market share because it is easier to solve an unsolved problem than to solve a problem that someone has solved better. He added, Sales is not a revenue function. The main function of sales is to fulfil a demand for a product. And, in the long run, integrity pays. Ronaldo Mouchawar, Amazons VP for Consumer Retail Business in the Middle East, said, Amazon has been good for sellers in the Middle East. We now sell products from all over the world. Many of the sellers here are now able to list their products there. Smbhav also had very interesting and informative panel discussions on subjects crucial to MSMEs, like Physical Retail and eCommerce: Growing in Harmony, Growing Your Business With Bharat Potential & Challenges, Is Cashless economy for SMBs a distant dream?, Blurring Geographical Boundaries for SMBs etc. The masterclass series at Smbhav, named eDucate, also proved quite popular. Industry experts shared their insights into how Indias SMBs can tackle problems that crop up in areas like eCommerce logistics, communication behind the scenes, accounting, GST compliance etc. A new way forward for Indias SMBs Amazon recognized and awarded the 10 most impressive and innovative SMBs in India. Vahdam Teas was named Global SMB of The Year while hygiene product startup Pee Safe was awarded Best SMB Brand of The Year. Tanvi Johri of Carmesi was recognized as the Women Entrepreneur of The Year and Loom Solar was named the Fastest Growing SMB of The Year. Anuj Saxena of Knowledge Ridge, an SMB from Pune that collaborated on research for the event, said, We want all SMBs in India to leverage this technology and take their business from small scale to large scale. Utheja Rao of Bedeck Woods Pvt Ltd, a seller on Amazon India, enjoyed his time at Smbhav. He said, The two days have been very engaging. Riding on Amazons international presence and becoming a global business is a great strategy for companies like us. Smbhav was attended by over 3000 SMBs, and if the participation was anything to go by, it could pave the way for a more unified SMB ecosystem in India. And this commitment to Indian SMBs comes from the very top. Bezos reiterated this when he said, Our hope is this investment will bring millions more into the future prosperity of India, and expose the world to products that represent India. Disclaimer: This is a sponsored article published in partnership with Amazon India. The mining industry remains a key enabler of industrialisation and broad-based economic development of the country, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh, has said. He said the industrys contribution to gross domestic product (GDP), internal revenue generation and socio-economic development was very significant to the development of the economy. As a result, he said the ministry would this year partner local assemblies to improve infrastructure development in mining areas through the Minerals Development Fund (MDF). That, he said, would create an enabling environment for the mining sector to thrive. There is the need to do more for the country by continuing to create the needed partnerships that bring the kind of benefits to be associated with a blossoming mining industry, he said. New office complex The minister made this known in a speech read on his behalf by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Benito Owusu Bio, at the inauguration of a permanent office complex to accommodate the Ghana Chamber of Mines in Accra. The three-storey structure, located within the Gulf House Enclave in Accra, will house all the chambers operational units as well as serve as a centre for mining information in Ghana. The estimated cost of the edifice which started in 2017 is US$1.2 million. It has conference rooms, boardroom, mining library for research, a gymnasium, refreshment parlour and a secretariat for the ECOWAS Federation of Chambers of Mines (EFEDCOM) and the Local Network of the United Nations Global Compact centre. It is also is disability friendly with the aim of promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the mining industry. Mr Benito Owusu Bio and a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the chamber, Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee, jointly inaugurated the facility. Social projects Mr Asomah-Cheremeh indicated that the ministry was aware of the numerous social projects member companies of the chamber were undertaking, including the construction of schools, health centres and electrification projects. He commended the chamber for introducing a tertiary education fund, which was expected to transform research and education in the mining industry, noting that the initiative would go a long way to complement the governments Free SHS policy. The ministry will also continue to partner local assemblies to improve infrastructure development in mining areas through the Minerals Development Fund (MDF) and I call on you to support the local assemblies with the needed expertise in undertaking projects under the MDF to help improve the lives of the host communities. There is also the need to do more for the country by continuing to create the needed partnerships that bring the kind of benefits to be associated with a blossoming mining industry, he added. Adherence to governance principles The President of the chamber, Mr Eric Asubonteng, said the chamber would ensure that its members adhered to stringent but progressive globally accepted governance principles that ensured that businesses were responsive to the needs of the changing world. Through useful partnerships, the chamber has continued to maintain its position as the foremost anchor to Ghanas economy and despite the challenges we face daily, we continue to prove our commitment beyond all reasonable doubts, he said. Mr Asubonteng also urged the minister to pay attention to the value chain of mining and continue to deepen efforts and create opportunities for locals to benefit from the industry. For his part, the CEO of the chamber, Mr Sulemanu Koney, paid glowing tribute to past executives for mooting the idea. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Five members of an interstate auto-lifters' gang were arrested and 15 two-wheelers recovered from their possession here, police said on Friday. The five were nabbed by a police team near Hindon canal Thursday night, they said. They have been identified as Sonu alias Krishna Pal, Rakesh, Imran, Saleem and Noor Hasan, police said. Sonu, the mastermind of the gang, told police that they stole over 500 two-wheelers, police added. Fifteen two-wheelers were recovered from them, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Five directors of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), sacked by the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Abiola Ajimo... Five directors of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), sacked by the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Abiola Ajimobi have been reinstated by the incumbent Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde. Recall that the directors were sacked on 26th February, 2016 by Ajimobi. The five directors were, however, reinstated back to the civil service by Governor Makinde on Thursday. The reinstated directors included Mr. Peter Ajayi of the Commercial Services Department, Mr. Segun Lawale of the Administration and Supply Department, Engineer Akinniyi Akinlabi of the Engineering Services Department, Mr. Oyeboade Oyewole of the News and Current Affairs Department and Mr Ademola Adeniyi of the Programmes Department. Our correspondent gathered that Makinde then a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement issued from his Campaign organisation and signed by his spokesman, Prince Dotun Oyelade who is now the Executive Chairman of BCOS promised to revisit the cases of the BCOS directors who were sacked without proper recourse to the civil service rules and legality if he emerged the Governor. It was gathered that the recall of the sacked directors was in fulfilment Makindes promise during the campaign. Executive Chairman of BCOS, Prince Dotun Oyelade while speaking, said the steps taken by Makinde was in line with justice for those that were sacked without following the civil service rules. Oyelade who addressed the reinstated workers on Thursday, advised them to justify their reinstatement to the civil service and contribute positively to the on going efforts of repositioning the corporation. He congratulated the directors, adding that the Governor expects them to get to work immediately without any kind of disruption to the system presently on ground. Oyelade noted that what is expected is a total cooperation from those on ground and the recalled officers so that the projects of the BCOS can move forward unabated. SARATOGA SPRINGS Joel Reed, the executive director of Saratoga Arts, is stepping down. Effective March 2020, Reed said he will retire in order to spend more time with his elderly father in Georgia as well as enjoy the outdoors and the arts as an audience member, not a presenter. Ive been here a long time, Reed said. Its cliche to say Im spending more time with my family Im feeling like this is a good time for the organization to bring in a fresh perspective and energy. Reed, who is 58, succeeded Saratoga Arts founder Dee Sarno who retired in January 2007. He joined the staff, coming from Syracuse, in June 2003 as associate director and has overseen the organization's growth by developing revenue-generating programs that include the citys First Night celebration in 2009. He also expanded the education programs and its regrant program as well as shepherded the commission and installation of the High Rock Park sculpture Tempered by Memory, which commemorates the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The organization has an annual budget of $700,000, Reed said, and has built a reserve that has grown 250 percent since 2007. He added that although the nonprofit has experienced deficits over the years, especially after a few years of foul weather that kept revelers from its big First Night money maker, it is now in good financial shape thanks to its reserves and careful spending. Saratoga Arts also got a boost this year from the business community to help fund the fireworks over Congress Park on New Year's Eve. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. At the time of his departure, Saratoga Arts directs $123,010 to arts programs in Saratoga, Fulton and Montgomery counties, leads school break programs that attract more than 1,200 young artists of all ages. The board will undertake a search for a new director. Board member Meaghan Golden, principal of MGolden Design + Photo and the co-founder of the Womens Art Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, will serve as interim director until a replacement for Reed can be found. Its a fantastic job and a great community, Reed said. Saratoga Arts is in good shape and I think they will get a super pool of applicants. LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GSL) (the Company) today announced that it has delivered notice of partial redemption of its 9.875% First Priority Secured Notes due 2022 (the Notes) to Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee, paying agent (in such capacity, the Paying Agent) and registrar (in such capacity, the Registrar). The Company has elected to effect an optional redemption (the Optional Redemption) of $46,000,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes (the Redeemed Notes) at a redemption price equal to 104.938% of the principal amount thereof (the Redemption Price) plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date of February 10, 2020 (the Redemption Date). The Redeemed Notes will be selected by the Paying Agent or Registrar in accordance with the applicable rules and procedures of The Depository Trust Company. Notes and portions of Notes selected for redemption will be in principal amounts of $200,000 or integral multiples of $1,000 in excess of $200,000. Interest on the Redeemed Notes will cease to accrue on and after the Redemption Date. All Redeemed Notes must be surrendered to the Paying Agent to collect the Redemption Price plus accrued interest. A Notice of Optional Partial Redemption has been, or will be, sent to the registered holders of the Notes on January 31, 2020, pursuant to the requirements of the indenture governing the Notes. Upon completion of the Optional Redemption, approximately $276,723,000 aggregate principal amount of the Notes will remain outstanding. About Global Ship Lease Global Ship Lease is a leading independent owner of containerships with a diversified fleet of mid-sized and smaller containerships. Incorporated in the Marshall Islands, Global Ship Lease commenced operations in December 2007 with a business of owning and chartering out containerships under fixed-rate charters to top tier container liner companies. On November 15, 2018, it completed a strategic combination with Poseidon Containers. Including two 6,650 TEU containerships and two 6,080 TEU containerships that the Company has contracted to purchase, Global Ship Lease owns 45 ships, ranging from 2,207 to 11,040 TEU, of which nine are fuel efficient new-design wide beam, with a total capacity of 249,622 TEU and an average age, weighted by TEU capacity, of 12.6 years as at September 30, 2019. Including the four containerships that the Company has contracted to purchase, the average remaining term of the Companys charters at September 30, 2019, to the mid-point of redelivery, including options under owners control, was 2.7 years on a TEU-weighted basis. Contracted revenue on the same basis was $826 million. Contracted revenue was $913 million, including options under charterers control and with latest redelivery date, representing a weighted average remaining term of 3.0 years. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Companys expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as anticipate, believe, continue, estimate, expect, intend, may, ongoing, plan, potential, predict, project, will or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or expectations included in these forward-looking statements will come to pass. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the factors described in Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F and the factors and risks the Company describes in subsequent reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investor and Media Contact: The IGB Group Bryan Degnan 646-673-9701 or Leon Berman 212-477-8438 Today the UK moves to the point of no return with Brexit. There will be no marches on the streets to stop it, and no more votes in the Houses of Parliament to delay it. The UK remains a divided kingdom on this issue; however, after the landslide victory of the Conservatives in the general election, theres been a stoic inevitability that has perhaps dampened the zeal of both Leavers and Remainers. To marknot celebratethe occasion, a commemorative 50-pence coin has been minted, with this inscription: Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations. A bold hope for the UKs new relationship with the world? Or salt in the wounds for the 48 percent who voted to remain in the European Union? What does Brexit mean for the church? Considering only 1 in 10 UK Christians told pollsters last month that they have prayed about Brexit, does it make any difference at all? Or does it signal a fracture for many of us between our spiritual lives and our political lives? I believe Brexit offers us three unique opportunities to reintegrate our faith and politics: 1) An opportunity to model a unity that transcends political diversity Too often Christians struggle to find a unity in Christ first and in culture and political ideology second. We too easily join in with the polarization of our culture, and our churches end up divided along ethnic, class, and political lines indistinguishable from those of our neighbors. We were called to something higher. We follow the Jesus who welcomed both Levi the tax collector and Simon the Zealot into his family of disciples. These men represented diametrically opposed political visions: One sought to collaborate with the Roman Empire, while the other sought to overthrow it through violent means. Both found challenge and welcome from Christ. In Christ, there is neither blue nor red, Brexiteer or Remainer. In Christ comes a willingness to see the best in the others political vision and to recognize the flaws in our own. In Christ, we might agree that there is a common hope and vision, and accept that we have different tactics in order to get there. In Christ, we choose to see beyond political point scoring and prejudice and instead engage with the best articulation of our opponents position. In Christ, we renounce the cheap, unhelpful stereotypes that see Brexiteers as hard-hearted xenophobes and Remainers as naive fearmongers. In Christ, we model a unity with our brothers and sisters that overrides our position on Brexit, forgives mistakes in the past, and looks together to the future. In Christ, we canand shouldpray for our political leaders and our political opponents, especially when they are also our spiritual brothers and sisters. 2) An opportunity to model a generous internationalism Traveling within Europe since the UKs 2016 decision to leave the EU, I have felt the need to apologize. The referendum result has given the impression that the UK wants a divorce from the wider continent so it can pursue new global bedfellows. Some of the rhetoric has demonized Europe, while the UK has been portrayed as a lone ranger with no interest in contributing to the wider collective good of the European project. The final European Parliament meeting that UK members were eligible to attend saw some colleagues in tears, while others in a group led by Nigel Farage bid farewell by breaking the rules on flag waving and chanting no more being bullied. Have we hung our European neighbors out to dry, or have we shot ourselves in the foot? Or is there yet the possibility that the UK could initiate an improved global set of relationships where poorer nations are not excluded and all can benefit? However it lands, the church within the UK cannot afford to be aligned with any kind of nationalistic separatism. Whatever our relationship with the European Union, we are first and foremost Christians and members of the global body of Christ. Indeed, biblically we recognize that we have more in common with brothers and sisters in Christ in Europe than we have in common with those from the UK who dont share our Christian faith. Article continues below I have long bemoaned how the British church infrequently collaborates at wider European eventsunless we are organizing them. It is also unusual for us to have speakers from across the wider continent come and speak in our churches or at our conferences. In these times, when the UKs role in Europe is open to question and criticism, it is time to double down on our relationship with our neighbors. This week a letter signed by the leaders of 10 UK-based denominations helpfully declared: We greatly value the love and friendship of our sisters and brothers in other European churches, and a group of us are writing to them publicly today to assure them that these relationships will continue. In that spirit, I believe Christians must rise above political lines to urgently and loudly declare that the UK church has not divorced itself from our European brothers and sisters in Christ. 3) An opportunity to renegotiate our relationship with the world The UKs foreign policy has always had a complex relationship with world missions. The British Empire on which it was said the sun never set was both a blessing and a curse for the church. The national church was arguably the chaplain to an exploitative, brutal conquering force. But the now-international church, with strength and indigenous leadership around the Commonwealth, has been a blessing to the UK. So where do we go from here? While everyone else is figuring out how to renegotiate their international relationships in light of Brexit and who will have influence and bring good to the world, the church has a unique opportunity to learn from the past and ensure that we lead the way, avoiding the exploitation of others and offering blessing to all nations. The timing of the referendum result to leave the EU alongside the news headlines of the global refugee crisis was not a coincidence. One of the most well-known advertising campaigns during the referendum was a picture of a large caravan of refugees snaking its way across the European landscape with the caption: Breaking Point: the EU has failed to protect us all. We must break from the EU and take back control. Separation from the EU began with the promise of guarding our borders against refugees. When the Brexit withdrawal bill went through the House of Lords, one of the agreed amendments was put forward by Lord Alf Dubs, a veteran politician who had been evacuated from the Nazis on the Kindertransport in 1939 that saw 10,000 Jewish refugee children welcomed to the UK, where they found hope and hospitality. The latest Dubs amendment sought to maintain the rights for refugee children to be reunited with their families. But this seemingly most humane of provisions was voted down in Parliament by the Conservative majority. At the same time, the UK is expressing ambition to be a world leader in the care and resettlement of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Thanks to the generosity of a Jewish philanthropist, teenagers who are currently inappropriately housed in refugee camps in Greece, France, and Italy are due to be welcomed in a first-of-its-kind initiative. Many of the UKs major cities are wonderfully cosmopolitan. A friend of mine in Birmingham has seen 19 churches planted over the last 10 years with a city-wide collaboration across different denominations. They have seen a wide diversity of ethnicities join majority-white churches as well as ethnicity-specific churches such as an Ethiopian church and a Spanish-speaking congregation. I am keen to see how the UK church will continue to adapt its commitment to international ministry once the changes in our immigration policy become clearer. International student ministry has thrived in Europe in recent years: 31,727 EU nationals came to the UK and 16,561 UK students went to study on the European mainland in 2017 (the most recent data available). This has led to many opportunities, not just for cultural exchange and language learning but also the authentic sharing of Christian faith in nations where often the church is in decline. Article continues below In this new post-Brexit Britain, the question remains: Was it just a xenophobic nationalistic reaction, or are we truly ready to seek peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations? And will the church just go with the political flow, or will weas of todaybegin to seize the opportunities to promote peace and partnership, blessing the nations around us in the way we offer welcome and hope and dignity to all? Krish Kandiah is a UK-based speaker and author. Speaking Out is Christianity Todays guest opinion column and (unlike an editorial) does not necessarily represent the opinion of the magazine. MOBILE, Ala., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Families will explore an array of local school options and educational resources at the Mobile School Choice Fair, which will also feature balloon artists, face-painting, a DJ, and refreshments. WHAT: School fair showcasing many school types during School Choice Week WHO: Mobile area families area families Representatives from area schools WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday , Feb. 1 WHERE: The Mobile Convention Center | 1 South Water St. The school fair is hosted by Alabama Scholarship Opportunity Fund. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links http://www.schoolchoiceweek.com The Vice President of European Parliament Mairead McGuinness has warned that Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage will not stop trying to destroy the EU. Speaking ahead of the UK officially leaving the EU, Ms McGuinness said Mr Farage will continue his campaign to break up the Union from outside the parliament. I am afraid Nigel Farage has used the platform of our parliament in Europe to destroy the European Union and that was his ultimate objective, she said. Hes not going to stop now, hes not retiring, hes going to keep going, not just in the UK but right throughout the European Union, she added. Ms McGuinness said she was sure Mr Farage did not care if she would miss him or not before adding: I dont think weve seen the back of him. Read more: The Fine Gael MEP clashed with former Ukip leader on the UKs final day in the European Parliament. Expand Close Nigel Farage: Wine bar-style exit. Photo: AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Nigel Farage: Wine bar-style exit. Photo: AFP via Getty Images Ms McGuinness cut off Mr Farages microphone when he and his colleagues began waving miniature Union Jack flags in the parliament. The only flag permitted the chamber is that of European Union. Ms McGuinness said she cut of f the Brexiteer MEP because he was causing a circus . When youre not in the chamber it can be hard to judge the moment but I have to judge the moment carefully and we have a rule in the house that no flags are to be shown except the two behind the podium and the president insists on that and Im under orders, she said. She said some of the other MEPs in Mr Farages grouping told her they were not impressed with his antics in the parliament. Th UK officially left the EU at a 11pm last night. Mr Farage was instrumental in securing a vote for Brexit. FIANNA Fail leader Micheal Martin says if the proposed Cork-Limerick motorway does not start soon it will become untenable. Mr Martin was in Limerick at the weekend as Ogra Fianna Fail held its national conference at the South Court Hotel (see story below). He blamed former Transport Minister Leo Varadkar for the scandalous decision to scrap the road adding if Fianna Fail returns to office, it will be green-lit immediately. All projects are incremental. But this was at An Bord Pleanala stage, and it was pulled. I think they have lost 15m to 16m potentially on this, as they have to start it all over again, he said. Linking Limerick and Cork, he added, is more than just about a road. "To me, it is a key part of changing the story about Irelands economic development into the future. If they are serious about an alternative pull, and magnet of economic activity from the Dublin region, it has to be Cork-Limerick-Galway, and even Waterford. It is so important for the economic development of the country, never mind the region. Finance Minister Michael Noonan recently said that while government is committed to the link, it cannot proceed at the moment due to lack of money. The opposition leader rejected this, saying: With the best will in the world, a project of this kind can take ten years. It is about planning, you have land acquisition. The building is the easier part. Theres no universal law mandating that beautiful women living under the same roof a collection of roofs, in this case must hate each other. And yet, thats exactly what we were led to believe about Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton during their time at Kensington Palace. As journalist Helen Lewis wrote in The Atlantic recently about the royal wives, there is a long tradition of regulating female behaviour by defining women in opposition to one another. Where Markle and Middleton are concerned, the British press made a living off this tradition. Even if rumours of their mutual dislike for each other are accurate, the press and, by extension, their rabid fans, dialed up the alleged hostility by a hundred degrees. After all, bad news is more interesting than good news, or no news. Hence, whereas Harry and William were said to be in a perpetual state of falling out, Meghan and Kate, we were told, were practically pulling each others hair out. But its hard to pull out your sister-in-laws hair when youre 5,000 km. away from her. One of the consequences of so-called Megxit is that Markle hasnt just moved far away from the royal family; shes moved far away from her alleged nemesis. And its difficult to gin up discord between duchesses when theyre not even in the same country. Rest assured, people will try. For proof, look to this months incident involving, not only the rabid fans and haters of Markle and Middleton, but Canadas very own Ben and Jessica Mulroney. Earlier this week, Jessica Mulroney, a Toronto stylist and close friend of Markle, posted a vague, inspirational statement to Instagram reading, Pretty pictures are pretty pictures. Strive to use your platform for good and spread stories of incredible people striving to make this world a better place. The statement, it turns out, was in reference to a campaign raising funds for those affected by the tragic downing of Flight 752. But this is not how some of Kate Middletons most passionate (and possibly unhinged) fans interpreted the statement. Instead, they perceived it to be a direct slight against Middleton who showcased her impressive photography skills this week. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust, the Duchess of Cambridge took a series of beautiful portraits of Holocaust survivors posed with their grandchildren. Her fans interpreted Mulroneys Instagram post as somehow mocking Middletons good works. Thus, while Markle and Middleton got on with their lives, thousands of miles away from each other, their most obsessive fans waged war online. They attacked the Mulroneys and they attacked each other. Jessica Mulroney entered the fray on Twitter. In what world does a Jewish woman, or anyone for that matter, call a Holocaust picture pretty, she wrote. This interpretation of my Instagram story is truly devastating to me and my Jewish family. So did her husband who tweeted in his wifes defence: Yesterday, my wife @jessicamulroney posted a call on her IG to raise funds/awareness for the families of the victims of Flight 752. It was accompanied by an IG story that conveyed that actions trump thoughts & prayers. Shame on anyone who has tried to twist it into anything else. Unsurprisingly, these pleas for civility have fallen on deaf ears because there is but one hope that keeps this particular faction of blindly loyal and loony fans going: that wherever they are and whatever theyre doing, Kate and Meghan hate each other. The British tabloid press and its engine of rabid royal-watchers arent merely mourning the end of the Harry and Meghan era in England; theyre mourning the end of a cat fight that probably never took place. On Thursday, the following hashtag was trending in Canada: New jobs for Harry and Meghan, the joke of course being that the royal couple will have to find a new gig in their new home. But they are far from the only people who need a new gig. Read more about: The Super Bowl ads that caused the corntroversy, as it was hashtagged on social media at the time, were not teased beforehand, and caught the maker of Miller and Coors off guard. The company responded with a full-page ad in The New York Times defending its use of corn syrup, which gets converted into alcohol during fermentation, and clarifying that it is not the same as high-fructose corn syrup. The company maintains there is no corn syrup in the finished product. The plague of "deaths of despair" may be finally abating. American life expectancy was up in 2018 for the first time since 2014, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. That gain was in part due to the first drop in drug overdoses in almost three decades. We should all hope and pray these aren't statistical blips and that progress continues. But if you think the root cause of deaths of despair in the 2000s defined as suicide, as well as fatalities from drug and alcohol poisoning is fundamentally one of "late capitalism" economics, why would one expect these reversals to stick? Has modern America somehow suddenly become less unequal, with workers less vulnerable to disruption from technology and globalization? Hardly, say those making this argument on the left and right. "We must put an end to the obscene income and wealth inequality in our country or, a whole generation will be condemned to early death," says Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). "Despite three years of robust economic growth, millions are unable to find dignified work; they feel forgotten and left behind," says Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). "The repercussions have extended far beyond the economy [and include] an increase in drug dependency, suicides, and other deaths of despair." But the economic explanation for the rise in deaths of despair isn't so obvious to many economists. This is particularly true when it comes to the fatal drug epidemic afflicting America. In the 2018 study "Deaths of despair or drug problems?," University of Virginia economist Christopher Ruhm concedes the superficial plausibility of the economic explanation. Since 1999, U.S. counties experiencing economic decline have shown larger increases in drug, suicide, or alcohol mortality than those with more robust growth. As such, Ruhm notes, "the particularly large rise in drug mortality in Appalachia and the Rust Belt seems consistent with the deaths of despair hypothesis." Story continues But other things seem curiously inconsistent with that economic explanation. Non-whites, for instance, have faced far tougher economic times and greater insecurity than whites, but the increase in drug mortality has been far greater for the latter. Moreover, plenty of other rich economies have seen a decline in their manufacturing bases and the emergence of their own rust belts. What they all haven't seen is a wild surge in drug deaths. Ruhm's best estimate is that "changes in economic conditions account for less than one-tenth of the rise in drug and opioid-involved mortality rates." The problem, he concludes, isn't the economic environment but rather the drug environment due to overprescription of opioids and the availability of cheap synthetic drugs. Ruhm's work has been backed up by more recent research, including the November 2019 working paper, "Origins of the opioid crisis and its enduring impacts." Researchers focused on the 1996 introduction and marketing of OxyContin as the possible leading cause of the opioid overdose crisis. Key to their work were recently-unsealed court documents involving Purdue Pharma, which showed the company avoided marketing Oxycontin to states with especially stringent drug monitoring programs that used special state-issued prescription forms. And while those states had higher overdose rates before 1996, they saw "substantially slower" growth on overdose rates afterward, even extending out 20 years. "Our results show that the introduction and marketing of OxyContin explain a substantial share of overdose deaths over the last two decades," the researchers conclude. Self-reported despair and unhappiness has been rising for maybe 30 years in America, predating the explosion in deaths from despair by at least a decade. That may well have increased the demand for drugs and alcohol as emotional numbing agents. But as a recent report from the Senate Joint Economic Committee's Social Capital Project argues, it was "the proliferation of a uniquely addictive and deadly class of drugs" that made despair relief so deadly and "would have increased mortality even absent an increase in despair." If so, the focus for policymakers should most immediately be on treating deaths of despair as a continuing public health problem with an emphasis on treatment and prevention. It's a mistake to instead try fighting the epidemic by fashioning a sort of cozier capitalism of less change and disruption and almost certainly less economic growth and opportunity. Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats New Delhi, Jan 31 : As the coronavirus scare runs across the world with one confirmed case in India, Hindu Mahasabha has proposed bizarre treatment for the dreaded virus infection. Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, president of Hindu Mahasabha, on Friday said cow urine and cow dung can be used for treating novel coronavirus disease. He also said that a special yagna will be performed to "kill the novel coronavirus and end its effects on the world". "Consuming cow urine and cow dung will stop the effect of infectious coronavirus. A person who chants Om Namah Shivay and applies cow dung on body, will be saved. A special yagna ritual will soon be performed to kill coronavirus," said Chakrapani. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency after the death toll in China rose to 213 on Friday, with 9,692 confirmed cases in the country's 31 provincial-level regions. An Air India flight service will evacuate Indians stuck in the city Wuhan due to the outbreak of the virus. The new virus, which is of the same genre as SARS which broke out in 2003, was first reported in the WHO Disease Outbreak news on January 5, 2020. It has progressively spread across many countries from its epicentre in Wuhan. As the number of people diagnosed with the new coronavirus tops 8,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) took the rare step to declare it a global emergency on Thursday. The Geneva-based UN agency, has only made the declaration five other times. The status of global emergency was established as a way to signal a serious worldwide public health threat in 2005, under a binding international legal agreement involving 196 countries, including all of its member states. The designation did not exist at the time of SARS, but was developed after both that outbreak and bird flu made the need for better international co-operation clear. The WHO held off on calling an emergency last week because of the limited spread of the virus outside of China. There have been cases reported in more than a dozen countries of the disease, called 2019-nCoV virus, and 170 deaths. So far, we have not seen any deaths outside China, for which we must all be grateful. Although these numbers are still relatively small compared to the number of cases in China, we must all act together now to limit further spread, said WHO director general, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in a statement. The vast majority of people outside of China who have contracted the virus have a history of travelling to Wuhan or have had contact with someone who has recently travelled there. But, said Ghebreyesus, we dont know what sort of damage this 2019-nCoV virus could do if it were to spread in a country with a weaker health system. We must act now to help countries prepare for that possibility, he said. The WHO defines a global emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a co-ordinated international response. (It can also be called for other types of public health risks across borders, such as nuclear accidents.) The declaration triggers non-binding, but practically and politically significant measures that can address travel, trade, quarantine, screening, treatment. WHO can also set global standards of practice, the agency tweeted after the meeting of its emergency committee Thursday afternoon. The designation increases the level of urgency, and is designed to rally the international community to form a co-ordinated response, and apply more money and resources to it. Heres a look at when the WHO has decalerd a global emergency in the past: Swine Flu 2009 The first time the WHO invoked a global emergency was in 2009 for the Swine Flu, also known as H1N1, which started in Mexico. It took the agency only a month after labs isolated the virus to declare the emergency, in April of that year. The WHO was later accused of overreacting and creating unnecessary alarm with its declaration. Polio 2014 Polio was discovered in 1894, and theres been a safe and effective vaccine for decades. But, in May 2014, the WHO announced that the spread of the disease represented an extraordinary event, after cases in a few countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan. The virus can cause permanent paralysis and death. If unchecked, this situation could result in failure to eradicate globally one of the worlds most serious vaccine-preventable diseases, the emergency committee wrote at the time. Ebola 2014 The agency was criticized for not acting fast enough to address the spread of the deadly virus, which eventually killed more than 11,000 people in West Africa The 2014 epidemic started in Guinea and quickly spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The virus was first detected in March of that year, but an emergency was not declared until August, by which time almost 1,000 people had died. Zika 2016 The Zika virus was first detected in Uganda in 1947, and, as is malaria, is spread by mosquito bites. It usually doesnt cause serious illness in adults, but can have devastating consequences for pregnant women. Brazil declared a national emergency in November 2015, over the virus, after an alarming spike in microcephaly cases, a condition where babies suffer from abnormally small heads and incomplete brain development. WHO faced some criticism for not declaring an emergency until February of the following year. Kivu Ebola 2019 The WHO last made an emergency declaration in July 2019 in response to an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo that continues. According to Doctors Without Borders, the outbreak is centred around the northeast region of the country, and is the second-biggest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, after the West Africa outbreak of 2014-2016. As of this month, there are 3,395 cases and 2,235 deaths, although the number of cases stabilized somewhat at the end of the year. with files from Star wire services New Delhi: The SC on Friday sought response from UP government on a PIL seeking the quashing of the notices issued to alleged protesters for the recovery of damages caused to public property during anti-CAA-NRC protests in the State. Issuing notice on a PIL by one Parwaiz Arif Khan, a bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice K.M. Joseph gave UP government four weeks time to respond to the PIL which has contended that notices were being issued in an arbitrary manner and contrary to the guidelines issues by the top court. The court also permitted the PIL petitioner Parwaiz Arif Khan move an application for making the Centre a party in the matter. As the lawyer Nilofar Khan appearing for the PIL petitioner sought liberty of the court to make the Centre a party in the case, the bench asked him to move an application. He cited instances where the notices have been issued for recovery of damage caused to public property in the course of the anti-CAA agitation to the people long dead or to those who are nonagenarian. The PIL petitioner has also sought an independent judicial probe, on the lines ordered by the Karnataka high court, into the incidents of alleged violence during protests against CAA and NRC. Lawyer Nilofar Khan said that the course that has been adopted by the UP government was in breach of the guidelines issued by the top court in 2009 and reiterated in 2018, the Parwaiz Arif Khan that the issuance of notices for the recovery of damage to public property are being dealt with by the additional district magistrate, especially appointed for the purpose, where as the top court by its guidelines had said that retired judges should deal with it. London is leaning toward a tougher American stance on sanctions, while the EU may start easing pressure following the UK withdrawal. Companies operating in Europe face a headache as the UK prepares to diverge from the European Union's sanctions regime, making it even more complex to avoid doing business with blacklisted people, businesses and countries. A framework of EU restrictions against countries from Venezuela to Russia, designed to support goals such as defending human rights and fighting terrorism, is initially set to be largely mimicked by the UK following the end of the Brexit transition period, scheduled for the end of this year, the Financial Times reports. But UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab is expected to outline a new British sanctions regime in February, targeted at individuals deemed responsible for human rights abuses. This is to be followed by the publication of a list of people whose assets in the UK are to be frozen. And compliance lawyers see signs that the UK will eventually gravitate closer to the US stance on sanctions. Meanwhile, the EU, shorn of a UK that has been the driving force behind much of the blocs sanctions regulations, could start to soften its approach. Read alsoPompeo assures Ukraine of U.S. support in countering Russian aggression MFA "I see the UK drifting to more of a mid-Atlantic position," says Sunny Mann, who co-leads law firm Baker McKenzie's UK compliance and investigations practice. He adds: "I can see the EU drifting below the current benchmark if the UK is not at the table pushing for tougher sanctions." The UK is also expected to slap travel bans and asset freezes on Russians responsible for human rights abuses, similar to steps taken in the US following the 2012 Magnitsky act named after a whistleblowing Russian lawyer beaten to death in a Moscow jail in 2009 after uncovering a $230m fraud by tax officials. Currently, the UK sanctions policy is largely determined by the EU. Some of these sanctions are mandatory, arising from membership of the UN. Others, however, are set by the EU itself. Two Royal Bengal tigresses have arrived at the tiger safari near Amaltas village here, while preparations are on to receive the third guest from the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, or Chhatbir Zoo, in Chhat village near Zirakpur. The third Bengal tiger is expected to reach the safari next week. The wildlife department has shifted the big cats to the safari from the zoo and, currently, are monitoring their behaviour and helping the big cats in acclimatising to their new habitat. The zoo officials said the animals needed to be quarantined for some time, so that they could comfortably adapt to their new habitat. A cat, Chirag, was born in the safari and her parents Paras and Chorni are now dead. While Chirag was released in the safari, the other tigress has been kept in a cage. Initially, Chirag showed some aggressive behaviour and attacked a bus ferrying wildlife department officials and guards. But, now she is comfortable with the presence of the bus inside the safari and shows no such signs of aggressiveness, said a zoo employee. The big cats have been brought here to attract more visitors. The safari has a forest area of over 10 hectares and tigers are released in the safari in shifts. Zoo authorities keep food in the cage and ring the bell, which is an indication for the animals to come back to their enclosures to have food. The tigresses are currently being trained for this process. The zoo authorities have renovated all the eleven cages for a cosy stay of the guests. Divisional forest officer (DFO, wildlife) Khushwinder Singh Gill said the safari at the Ludhiana zoo attracts people from the state, especially from districts of Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Phagwara and Phillaur towns. The safari had witnessed the death of three tigresses Mohini, Elaichi and Shanti in 2013 within a few months, leaving only two male tigers, Deepak and Mani, in the safari. Both Deepak and Mani and one of the deceased tigresses were also found to have been infected with leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that mainly affects the liver and kidneys. Following this, the state government had decided not to introduce any new tigers in the safari till the infection was completely wiped out. Deepak, an 18-year-old tiger, had died on December 19 last year. As the third Bengal tiger is expected to reach the tiger safari next week, the safari will have four tigers. Mani, the lone male tiger in the safari, has also turned 18. An official at the Chhatbir Zoo said the Bilaspur zoo had agreed to give a tigress to the Ludhiana safari and We are in the process of taking another healthy male for breeding. About tiger safari The foundation stone of the safari was laid on September 23, 1988, by the then additional chief secretary of Punjab Dr MS Gill. Spread across 59 hectares near Jalandhar Bypass on the National Highway (NH-1, also called NH-44), the safari was thrown open to public in 1992. Since then, it has remained a huge attraction among visitors, especially on weekends. Recently, the department had launched an animal adoption scheme under which any resident could adopt an animal or bird kept in the zoo by paying an annual care taking fee and could also avail a tax benefit as well. A South Dakota representative compared medical procedures for transgender youths to Nazi experiments in concentration camps, before backing down and calling the remark 'pretty stupid' after intense backlash. Rep. Fred Deutsch made the controversial comparison during an interview with Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, a conservative activist group, on January 22. Rep. Fred Deutsch of South Dakota (pictured) apologized for comparing medical surgeries performed on transgender youth to Nazi experiments Deutsch said: 'To me, that's a crime against humanity when these procedures are done by these so-called doctors...that dance on the edge of medicine...' 'You know, I'm the son of a Holocaust survivor. I've had family members killed in Auschwitz. And I've seen the pictures of the bizarre medical experiments.' Before that, Deutsch said he's blown away by photos transgender children share of themselves on the internet with 'terrible' scars. Deutsch, a Republican in the South Dakota House of Representatives, created House Bill 1057. If fully approved, it would effectively prohibit hormone treatment, puberty blockers and gender confirmation surgery for children under 16 years old. Those treatments would be considered a Class 1 misdemeanor for doctors, which could result in one year of jail time and a maximum fine of $2,000. However, the bill will allow doctors to perform surgeries on babies who are intersex, a term used to describe people with 'reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesnt seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male.' Deutsch began drafting the bill after meeting people on social media who underwent hormone treatment or surgery, but later regretted it. The South Dakota House passed the bill on a 46-23 vote on Wednesday afternoon. Previously, Deutsch sponsored the nation's first 'bathroom bill' in 2016, which would have banned transgender students from using their preferred bathroom at public schools. Since his comments, Deutsch has backtracked on his statement and apologized for his 'regrettable' words. 'I regret making the comparison. I regret saying anything at all. It was pretty stupid,' Deutsch told The Washington Post. Deutsch, sitting with former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (right) said he drafted HB 1057 after speaking with people who had undergone hormone treatment or surgery, but later regretted it However, he doubled down on his comments about photos of transgender children's sex-reassignment surgeries. He said: 'You look at photos of the Holocaust and theyre gross. And then you look at the scars of these children and theyre equally I dont know if theyre equally theyre also gross. Sometimes you see a picture, you hear a sound, you smell something that reminds you of something else and thats all it was.' During the Holocaust, Nazi doctors and scientists forced Jewish people in concentration camps to suffer horrific medical experiments that often killed or permanently disabled them. Rep. Jamie Smith, the House's Democratic Leader, called Deutsch's comments 'ridiculous' and 'not a fair statement.' Similarly, activists have slammed Deutsch's HB 1057 Bill and the Human Right Campaign have condemned the approval. Gillian Branstetter of the National Womens Law Center said: 'It is heinous that #HB1057 is solely crafted to prevent fictional nonconsensual surgeries on young trans children while exempting actual, quite real nonconsensual surgeries on young intersex children.' Chase Strangio, a lawyer and transgender rights activist, said: 'If we don't stop #HB1057 we are complicit in letting this happen. We are complicit in predictable deaths...being trans is not a crime.' 'These anti-trans politicians want to discriminate against transgender & gender non-conforming South Dakotans, full stop,' said Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign. Gillian Branstetter of the National Womens Law Center spoke out against HB 1057 on Twitter and said it 'is solely crafted to prevent fictional nonconsensual surgeries on young trans children' Chase Strangio, a lawyer and transgender rights activist, said: 'If we don't stop #HB1057 we are complicit in letting this happen. We are complicit in predictable deaths...being trans is not a crime' Alphonso David, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, also spoke out against HB 1057 and said it is a 'devastating' message to transgender minors Studies show that hormone treatment, which is used to delay puberty, is reversible and evidence suggests that allowing children to undergo this process until their 16 can lower the risk of mental illness. In South Dakota, fewer than four physicians offer hormone treatments to patients, none of who Deutsch has met. The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ suicide prevention group, released a 2019 survey that found more than half of transgender and non-binary minors have seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months. Deutsch's HB 1057 will now move to the Senate for consideration in committee, which could then advance to the Senate floor if approved. Afterwards, the bill would transfer to South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem who has not revealed if she supports it. On the Frontline Against China, the US Coast Guard Is Taking on Missions the US Navy Can't Do Competition with China has drawn more Pentagon resources to the Pacific, but the most visible U.S. military presence there... Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 22:22:52|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani senior officials on Friday assured support to visiting U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad for his peace efforts in war-shattered Afghanistan. Khalilzad met Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan on Friday morning after holding a series of meetings with Taliban political representatives in Qatar on a proposal of violence reduction. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that Khalilzad and Qureshi had reviewed efforts for peace in Afghanistan and also reviewed the overall regional situation. "While exchanging views on efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan, the foreign minister reiterated Pakistan's support and facilitating role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a tweet. Meanwhile, a foreign ministry statement said Khalilzad briefed the foreign minister about the on-going peace talks with the Taliban and appreciated Pakistan's role. For his part, Qureshi said the signing of the peace deal between the Taliban and the United States will pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue, which will be a good omen not only for Afghanistan but also for the peace and security of the whole region. He said Pakistan will continue to support the establishment of peace in Afghanistan in accordance with the collective responsibility. Both sides agreed to continue consultations for the joint peace efforts, the statement said. The U.S. envoy also met with Bajwa and discussed matters of mutual interest including the overall regional security situation and the ongoing Afghan reconciliation process. An army statement said Khalilzad "thanked Pakistan for facilitating the process towards the mutual objective of peace in the region." Khalilzad's visit to Pakistan is amid reports that the Taliban and the United States are holding talks on details of a proposal for a brief "reduction of violence" that will create an environment for the signing of a peace deal. Juul Labs, the San Francisco-based company that dominates the e-cigarette market, has been widely blamed for igniting the youth vaping epidemic with its fashionable, sleek devices and flavors like mango, mint and creme. The company was feeling so much pressure it voluntarily discontinued all its flavors but menthol and tobacco in the fall. But the holes in the governments flavor ban have merely opened the door to an array of competing brands that produce disposables, like Puff Bars, blu, Posh and Stig. The precharged, prefilled devices are made by domestic companies and imported from China. Some have a higher nicotine level than Juul. The Pentagon disclosed on Jan. 18 that 34 U.S. service personnel had sustained brain injuries from the Iranian ballistic missile attack on their base in Iraq. Half of the service members were returned to Iraq with concussions, while the rest remained under medical care in the U.S. or Germany. Ten days later, it was disclosed that 16 more soldiers had sustained such injuries in the attack, 15 of which returned to duty in Iraq. Asked how this squared up with his earlier pronouncement that the January 8 attack did not harm any American troops, President Trump trivialized the brain injuries. I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things. But I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious, not very serious. Trump went on to say he did not consider traumatic brain injuries to be serious. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, of which I am a long-time member, rightfully called for Trump to apologize for minimizing the severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI). After all, it has been recognized for years as one of the serious, long-term injuries inflicted on U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan from explosive blast concussion. The President could be excused for not knowing the serious nature of TBI. After all, he was excused from serving during the Vietnam War because of elusive bone spurs somewhere in the vicinity of his feet. I could easily have avoided military service on medical grounds but, like many patriotic Idahoans, I volunteered for combat. It soon became clear in Vietnam that debilitating injuries not apparent to the eye can be sustained in the combat setting. Unfortunately, this nation has had a long history of denying the serious nature of non-physical combat injuries that have plagued many honorable service members. During World War One, it was called shell shock and derided as inconsequential. In WW2, it was called combat exhaustion or battle fatigue. General George Patton famously slapped two soldiers who apparently suffered from the ailment. Many Korean War veterans suffered from various manifestations of combat stress, which were often, but wrongly, attributed to weakness or cowardice. Vietnam produced complaints of post-traumatic stress and a variety of ailments related to exposure to Agent Orange. Since no physical injuries were apparent, the Veterans Administration strenuously denied compensation and treatment for these conditions for years. PTSD is now accepted as a legitimate diagnosis and injuries related to Agent Orange are officially recognized. Along came the First Gulf War and its attendant ailments that came to be known as Gulf War syndrome. Again, the government denied compensation and treatment from the get-go and the Department of Veterans Affairs still denies over 80% of the claims based on the condition. When TBI surfaced as a medical condition during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the government was again sluggish to respond with identification and treatment of the affliction. After years of disorganized response, the condition has been recognized and taken seriously. The Pentagon now has an office devoted to tracking the ailment and promoting awareness of it. Over 400,000 service personnel have been diagnosed with TBI since 2000. The Presidents callous response to the injuries sustained from the Iranian attack is symptomatic of the government response to non-physical combat injuries over the long haul. It is destructive of the obligation we have as a country to make sure that those who put themselves at risk for all of us receive compensation and the best care possible for all of the injuries they sustain for their selfless sacrifice. When it appears that service members have suffered any type of injury, whether or not it is apparent to the eye, the proper response is a good-faith examination of the ailment to see whether it is genuine and related to service to the country. Anything less is a gross abdication of our responsibility to those who protect our nation. When the Commander in Chief trivializes serious medical ailments afflicting service members, it jeopardizes the health and well-being of the troops. Jim Jones served as an artillery officer in the Vietnam War (1968-1969). Jones has published a book about that experience VietnamCant get you out of my mind. Jones is an Eden native and former Idaho Attorney General and former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice. His previous opinion work can be found at JJCommontater.com. Love 8 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Diplomacy and hostage negotiation are both subtle businesses. The training, culture and professional instincts of diplomats and negotiators make them inclined to operate behind the scenes to solve problems. Better to work relationships to sort things out quietly, they argue, than get all shouty in public where the messaging can get out of hand. Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a Melbourne University academic specialising in Islamic studies, was imprisoned in Iran in October 2018. So it is with the case of Australian-British academic, Kylie Moore-Gilbert, who has been in ward 2-A of Irans notorious Evin prison since October 2018, where she is serving a 10-year sentence for espionage. The Australian government unequivocally rejects the charges as baseless. Asked by reporters what his government was doing to get her out, Prime Minister Scott Morrison vaguely said "were doing everything that we can do to bring her home". Foreign Minister Marise Payne wasnt much more forthcoming. In response to a question about Moore-Gilbert, she said: "Our view is that we dont accept the charges upon which she was detained, held, charged and convicted, and we want to ensure the conditions in which she is held are appropriate." Hundreds of beer-centric events will take place during San Francisco Beer Week (Feb. 7-16), and theyre no longer limited to the typical fare of trivia nights, tap takeovers and home brew competitions. This year youll find beer events featuring dog adoptions, Presidio nature tours and quite a few doughnut collaborations. Of course, for those of you who have developed Beer Week traditions, mainstays like the California Craft Brewers Associations Celebration of Craft party at Trumer and Sour Sunday at Triple Rock and Jupiter will return. You can search through all Beer Week events at www.sfbeerweek.org. Since the sheer number of listings can be a little intimidating, heres a collection of some events that caught our eye. For lovers San Francisco Beer Week 2020 wont coincide with the Super Bowl, as it sometimes does, but it will overlap with Valentines Day. Dessert and Beer Night: On V-Day, Rosamunde Sausage Grill will offer a special flight of four desserts paired with beers. Feb. 14 at 5 p.m., 911 Washington St., Oakland, and 2832 Mission St., S.F. Pay as you go. Valentines Pig Roast: Tigers Taproom will be roasting a whole hog and serving up pints of Ambitious Ales beers. Feb. 14 at 6 p.m., 308 Jackson St., Ste. 4, Oakland. Pay as you go. Chocolate-making class: ThirstyBear is teaming up with Tcho chocolate company and Pete Slosberg of Petes Wicked Ales to host a chocolate-making class with plenty of beer. Proceeds go to the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research. Feb. 8 at 6 p.m., 661 Howard St., S.F. $50. Valentines pairing dinner: A few days before the big holiday, Elevation 66 Brewing will host a four-course dinner with paired beers at its El Cerrito brewery. Feb. 10 at 6 p.m., 10082 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito. $75. For drinkers with an appetite Beer Week is an occasion for some of the Bay Areas wackiest beer-and-food collabs. Tank to table barbecue feast: Pomponio Ranch, which uses Barebottle Brewings spent grain to feed its livestock, will descend on the brewery for a barbecue feast featuring the farms ham, sausage, brisket and more. Feb. 16 at noon, 1525 Cortland Ave., S.F. Pay as you go. Pacifica beer dinner: Pacifica Brewery will put on a serious five-course meal with beer pairings. Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., 4627 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacifica. $110. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2015 Ice cream and beer: Humphry Slocombe ice cream is teaming up with Harmonic Brewing for a night of ice cream pairings. For $25, youll get three scoops of ice cream with three tasters of beer. Feb. 14 at 5 p.m., 1050 26th St., S.F. $25. Chilaquiles and chill: Sunday brunch will be all chilaquiles and micheladas at Cleophus Quealy Beer Co. Feb. 16 at 11 a.m., 448 Hester St., San Leandro. Pay as you go. Oysters and beer: You know about oysters and Champagne, but what about oysters and beer? Pond Farm Brewing in Marin County will have a local fishmonger on-site to shuck oysters and dress them to pair with beers. Feb. 15 at 8 p.m., 1848 Fourth St., San Rafael. Pay as you go. For people who want to do something cool while drinking Not all beer events are just about the beer. Landmarks bike tour: Fort Point Beer Co. and the S.F. Bike Coalition will lead an 11-mile bike ride starting at the Dutch Windmill and ending at the Ferry Building, with pit stops at landmarks whose likenesses appear on Fort Points beer cans; beer included. Feb. 9 at 10:30 a.m., starting at 1691 John F Kennedy Dr., S.F. $10. Red and White Fleet bay cruise: San Francisco Brewing Co. has organized a three-hour, 1980s-theme cruise around the bay with music, food and drinks. Feb. 15 at 4:30 p.m., departing from Pier 43, S.F. $55. Laura Morton / Special to The Chronicle Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Pinball and pints: The Pacific Pinball Museum will be pouring beers from more than 20 local breweries while visitors compete in a tournament on the nonprofit museums 100 antique machines. Feb. 9 at 2 p.m., 1510 Webster St., Alameda. $50. Retro game show night: Become a contestant in a game inspired by shows like The Price Is Right at Original Pattern Brewing. Bring up to six people for your team. Good to Eat Dumplings will be popping up to provide dinner. Feb. 13 at 7 p.m., 292 Fourth St., Oakland. Pay as you go. For students of beer Nows your chance to get that brewing education. Off-flavors tasting: Master Cicerone Rich Higgins will teach a course at the Beer Hall to help you identify 12 of the most common off-flavors found in beers, like acetaldehyde and lactic acid. Feb. 8 at noon, 1 Polk St., S.F. $75. Laura Morton / Special to The Chronicle Grain to glass: Craft malting facility Admiral Maltings will host a special tour featuring farmers, maltsters and brewers to give a sense of the full process of craft beer production, starting in the barley field. Feb. 8 at 2 p.m., 651A W Tower Ave., Alameda. $20. Brew it yourself: Beer Week has no shortage of home brew competitions, but what if you dont know how to home brew? Mercurius Beer Lab is offering an intensive beginners brewing course. Two weeks later, youll walk away with at least half a case of your own beer. Feb. 8 at 11 a.m., 726 15th St., S.F. $125. UC Davis talk: Join UC Davis director of fermentation science Jim Brown for an intensive talk at Laughing Monk Brewing, followed by geeky beer trivia. Feb. 9 at noon, 1439 Egbert Ave., Unit A, S.F. Pay as you go. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob CAIRO - A 12-year-old girl died this week in southern Egypt after her parents brought her to a doctor who performed female genital mutilation, a criminal practice that remains widespread in the region, according to a judicial statement. The girls death in the province of Assiut prompted Egypts public prosecutor to order the arrests of her parents and the physician who preformed the procedure, also known as female circumcision, said the statement released late Thursday by the prosecutors office. Since the mid-1990s, Egypt has been battling the centuries-old practice, which is misguidedly believed to control womens sexuality. In 2008, a law banning the cutting of female genitalia was passed in Parliament despite strong opposition from conservative voices. But a 2015 government survey found that 87% per cent of all Egyptian women between 15 and 49 years of age have been circumcised. Many more Egyptian girls will be forced to undergo the procedure, and many of them will die as long as there is no clear strategy from the state and a true criminalization of the practice, Amel Fahmy, managing director of Tadwein Gender Research Center, said Friday. In 2016, Egyptian lawmakers adopted amendments to the law, redefining FGM from a misdemeanour, where offenders typically receive up to two years in prison, to a felony, which draws tougher sentences and punishments. However, womens rights advocates argue the law still contains loopholes. According to Reda el-Danbouki, a human rights lawyer, the penal code criminalizes the cutting of female genital organs only in cases where there is no medical justification. This clause opens the door to parents as well as physicians to claim that they were not conducting female circumcision but simply removing allegedly discomforting skin growth, he said. In recent years, cases where girls bled to death after the horrific procedure have made newspaper headlines in Egypt. In December 2016, an Egyptian criminal court had sentenced two doctors and the mother of a 17-year-old girl who died after FGM to only one year suspended sentence each, a verdict that drew sharp criticism from activists. Judges themselves are not convinced that female circumcision is a crime that should be punished, said Danbouki, who runs the Womens Center for Guidance and Legal Awareness. Judges are lenient when it comes to cases entailing violence against women. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday said the panchayats that report 100 per cent drug-free villages will be given special grants. He said the state had witnessed a "massive decline" in the number of deaths due to drug abuse as a result of the efforts of the government and police. "As part of the incentives programme, panchayats that report 100 per cent drug-free villages will be given special grants," Singh told a press conference here. Replying to a question, he said, "As far as rehabilitation was concerned, the Buddy and DAPO programmes (aimed at wiping out drug menace) were working well and so far around 3.5 lakh drug victims had visited the rehabilitation, OOAT (Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment Centres), and de-addiction centres." The deaths due to drug abuse have come down from 114 in 2018 to 47 in 2019, the chief minister said. He was sharing details of the seizure after the Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police seized 194.15 kg heroin and other contraband with an estimated value of Rs 2,000 crore from a rented house in Akash avenue in Sultanwind village of Amritsar district. Admitting that use of drones by Pakistan in recent months to smuggle weapons and drugs into Punjab was a matter of serious concern for the state, the chief minister said his government had sought anti-drone devices from the Centre to tackle the problem. "They send drones during night. Using a rope, these drones drop payload and fly off again. We recovered four of them in the recent past. These are Chinese-made drones, with payload capacity of 5 kg. They were carrying semi-automatic weapons, AK-47 rifle, heroin and Indian currency and hand grenades . Now, we have taken this matter up with the Centre and we are trying to get anti-drone devices to deal with them," he said. Unfortunately, Punjab, along with Delhi, had over the years emerged as a lucrative market for drugs, encouraging smugglers from other states and narco terrorists from Pakistan to push narcotics into the state, he said. Singh said his government was working closely with other northern states, sharing regular information with them to combat the problem. With the holding of meetings with DGPs of these states every month, there was significant progress in cracking down on the drug smugglers, he said, pointing out that the chief ministers had also agreed to meet every six months. Referring to the Amritsar seizure, Singh when asked about the value of heroin seized said it was estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore in the international market. "One good thing is that the market prices are going very high, which shows that our success in enforcement is working. The moment there is shortage in the market, the prices shoot up, so this is a good thing that's happening," he said. He recalled that his government had given a list of drug dealers to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier, which had led to some change for the "positive", with the Canadian authorities taking action against the smugglers. "I am told that some clampdown is coming on that score," Singh said. In response to a question, the chief minister emphasised that industrial development and employment generation were the key to weaning youth away from the drugs menace, which was affecting the whole world, including the advanced nations. Replying to another question, he said he will look into the need to revise and add more chapters about drug abuse awareness in school curriculum. To another question, he said that during the past over two years, 32 Pakistan-sponsored modules have been eliminated in the state. 154 terrorists or radicals have been arrested, 41 rifles including AK-47, 156 revolvers and 35 hand grenades seized, he said. About 4 kg RDX and other explosives was recovered and five satellite phones seized, he added. Singh also said the government has been going hard after gangsters. Of the 'A' category gangsters, 10 have been arrested while five who refused to surrender were neutralised, 23 of category 'B' gangsters arrested and one neutralised, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: In the backyard of Manyata Tech Park, one of Bengalurus topnotch IT Parks, amid luxury high-rises and infrastructure of Thanisandra Road that reflect the glitz of Bengalurus 24/7 economy, is a small settlement of families, near a government primary school. They are IT City's manual scavengers, who earn their living cleaning the citys cesspools filled with sewage and faecal sludge. Narayanswamy (58) is the most experienced of the workers living in the area, and has spent more than half his life inside septic tanks, which he cleans with bare hands and loads on to tempos for petty money. "My two sons died cleaning septic tanks. I am used to the filth and sewage and this my life now," said Narayanswamy, demonstrating how they clean single-pit latrines. There is Muniyappa, who goes down the septic tank with a gangrene infested leg, whenever the pain is not that bad, and the doctors threat is downed at the nearby watering hole with a prized pint. Back home are his two children, who need the money. Gangrene is a lesser threat than hunger. "The reality of manual scavengers is bleaker than their health and the conditions they live in," said Shakuntalamma, member of Safai Karmachari Kavalu Samithi (SKVS) -- a watchdog committee on sanitation workers in Karnataka. She is right. Inside a rundown mud hut opposite the government school, lives another manual scavenger Ramdas, his wife Sujathamma and their teenaged son. "I first cleaned a septic tank 18 years ago, when I came to the city from my village in Chikkaballapur, looking for work. I had no experience cleaning a septic tank. The stench and gases had made me sick for many days. I am used to this now," said Ramdas (50). Sujathamma cooks their meal on a clay oven and spends a fortune on wood (saudey). The couple is aware of government schemes on cooking gas but seems to be too bogged down by their poverty and ramshackle lifestyle to complain. Ramdas and Sujathamma have their assets: a pile of government documents -- Aadhaar card, ration card, voter ID card and a recent certificate from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSB) for Ramdas, on training of sanitation workers, which they have kept neatly in a jute bag. "Weve got all our documents, even this flier on health insurance," the couple chimed. The soot on the wall and Ramdass routine visits inside septic tanks give away the prognosis of their incessant cough. But they dont cough alone. Outside their hut are Ramdass colleagues -- Thirumala Venkatesha, Balakrishna, Narayanswamy and others, who cough as much. It doesnt sound right. Nothing does. A dusty bulb hangs lifelessly from the thatched roof of Ramdass hut. "We dont have electricity or water connection," said Sujathamma, with a grin. The couple pays Rs 2,000 for the hut, which is half eaten by termites and threatens to collapse any time. Manual scavenging is prohibited, but the reality of our poor underground drainage system defeats the purpose of the law. "No government agency cleans private septic tanks. In Bengaluru, only 79.3 per cent households are connected to the underground drainage (UGD). The rest are single-pit or septic tank latrines, which are manually cleaned. This translates to over 4 lakh toilets," said Siddhartha of SKKS. BWSSB recently trained some sanitation workers (safai karmacharis) in batches, but has left it to them to buy their safety kits, said Narayanswamy. "I spent Rs 2,000 to buy gloves, cap, mask and boots," he laughed, spat and held the sewage pipe with a certain amount of camaraderie and piety. Three Big W stores are closing today with 27 more set to shut their doors. The stores closing are in the Sydney suburbs of Chullora, Auburn and Fairfield. Hundreds of staff will be offered jobs in other Big W stores or Woolworths branches. The discount department store chain, owned by Woolworths Group, made the closures after losing $85million in 2019 and $110million in 2018. The Chullora store is becoming a Coles, the Auburn store is being replaced by an Aldi and the Fairfield store will be a car park. Big W managing director David Walker said he understood the impact the closures would have on staff. 'These are not decisions we take lightly and we regret the impact the closures will have on affected team members,' he told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. 'We would like to acknowledge the support of the communities of Chullora, Auburn and Fairfield and the hard work and commitment of our store team members.' Woolworths has announced its plans to close 30 Big W stores and two distribution centres over the next three years 'Supporting our team remains our priority and we are committed to doing the right thing by them.' 'Over the next six months, we will support our team and explore redeployment opportunities with team members who choose to continue their career at Big W or with other Woolworths Group brands in the months ahead.' Woolworths Group announced in April it would close 30 Big W stores and two distribution centres over the next three years. The supermarket giant said the move was brought on by 'current trading and the outlook for the broader sector, including the continued customer shift to online.' The company has not revealed which other specific stores will close but confirmed distribution centres in Monarto in South Australia and Warwick in Queensland will be shutting down. There are currently 186 Big W stores across the country which have been around for four decades. The number of employees of Big W across Australia and Asia was estimated at about 22,000 in 2015. The 30 stores the brand is closing amount to about 16 per cent of the retailer's store network. Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said in a statement earlier this year the company would try to avoid employee layoffs by offering staff 'alternative employment options' within the Woolworths Group where possible. 'This decision will lead to a more robust and sustainable store and DC network that better reflects the rapidly changing retail environment,' Mr Banducci said. 'It will accelerate our turnaround plan through a more profitable store network, simplifying current business processes, improving stock flow and lowering inventory.' Big W said they would provide employees at least three months' notice before the closure of any stores. WASHINGTON As he weighed the evidence against President Trump, Senator Lamar Alexander reached an unavoidable conclusion: Mr. Trump had done what he was accused of, pressuring a foreign power to investigate his political rival. But however inappropriate his conduct, another conviction overrode the first: Americans would not tolerate the Senate stepping in to substitute its own judgment for that of the voters fewer than 10 months before the next election. The Senate reflects the country, and the country is as divided as it has been for a long time, Mr. Alexander said Friday during an interview in his Capitol office. For the Senate to tear up the ballots in this election and say President Trump couldnt be on it, the country probably wouldnt accept that. It would just pour gasoline on cultural fires that are burning out there. With that logic, Mr. Alexander delivered a victory to Mr. Trump and to Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, with whom Mr. Alexander has been friends for more than a half-century. In announcing he would vote to block witnesses at Mr. Trumps impeachment trial, he set Mr. Trump on a quick course to his inevitable acquittal. Many Republicans appeared to be following Mr. Alexanders lead on Friday, saying the Tennessee senator had echoed the feelings of their caucus and the country. Italy suspends all flights with China amid concerns over coronavirus. Italian premier Giuseppe Conte announced today that two cases of coronavirus have been detected in Rome, in what are Italy's first confirmed cases of the deadly virus. Two Chinese tourists, from the coronavirus epicentre Wuhan, have reportedly been in Italy for 10 days, landing in Milan on 23 January before arriving in Rome a few days ago. The tourists were hospitalised on 30 January after falling ill while staying at Hotel Palatino in the capital's central Monti district near the Colosseum. Conte stressed that there was no reason to "create social alarm or panic" over the news, adding: "We have already prepared all the precautionary measures to isolate these two cases." Conte also announced that Italy has suspended all flights to and from China. The premier is convening an emergency meeting with Italy's council of ministers on 31 January to consider further measures. The two Chinese tourists are being treated at Rome's Spallanzani hospital, a specialist centre for infectious diseases, where they are being kept in isolation but said to be in "good condition". Health authorities are now attempting to retrace the tourists' travels in Italy, according to Italy's health minister Roberto Speranza, who added: "The situation is serious, but absolutely under control." The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global emergency as the number of cases of coronavirus worldwide passes 8,000 - most of them in China - with more than 170 deaths. Fuel poverty is a problem that affects thousands of Britons every year, resulting in an estimated 16,500 deaths in the winter of 2017 to 2018 - an average of 175 a day. The latest annual fuel poverty statistics for England reveal 11 per cent of households suffer from fuel poverty; in Wales it is 12 per cent whilst in Scotland, the number rises to 25 per cent. And according to government estimates, the average fuel poor household would need 321 cut from their fuel bill to move them out of fuel poverty. Fuel poverty is still affecting thousands of Britons a year - with many unable to afford heating When Britain suffers periods of snow and freezing temperatures, those who are unable to afford adequate heating will be worry the most about how to keep warm without racking up their bills. But there are steps you can take to help manage your heating costs. This is Money, with help from Victoria Arrington at the Energy Helpline, reveals what you can do to keep your energy bills down - and warm your house up. 1. Check you are receiving the help you are entitled to There are a number of schemes that can help vulnerable people with their energy bills. The first is Winter Fuel Payments, which are automatically credited to those who receive a state pension or certain other benefits those eligible are typically paid between 100 and 300. The other main scheme is the Warm Home Discount. This is a 140 one-off payment for you to use on energy bills. However, it is an opt-in scheme, so you will need to check if your supplier runs the scheme and if you fit their eligibility criteria. Finally, if the temperature falls below zero Celsius for more than seven consecutive days, you may be able to get access to a 25 Cold Weather Payment from the Government for each seven day occurrence of sub-zero temperatures between 1 November and 31 March. 2. Switch tariff You could lower your bill by 280 just by switching to a bargain tariff. If you combine this action with claiming the discounts listed above, it could lower your bill by a total of up to 720. Arrington says: 'There are some fantastic deals from some top-notch suppliers out there and even the Big Six are currently offering some ultra-cheap deals.' BEST BUYS ENERGY TABLE Supplier Plan name Tariff type End date Green? Exit fee? () Average price () Utility Point Just Up 20 Wk04 Direct v2 fixed 12m N 72 816 Outfox the Market Fix'D 20 3.0 fixed 12m Y 0 825 People's Energy People's Energy 2 Months Upfront Winter 20 Tariff fixed 12m Y 60 828 Gulf Gas and Power Gulf Home Renewable 12 February 21 v1 fixed 28/02/2021 Y 60 831 Avro Energy Simple and SuperFlow fixed 12m N 0 8345 Yorkshire Energy Green Swaledale - Fixed until 28th February 2021 fixed 28/02/2021 Y 60 854 Entice Energy Direct Only v2 fixed 12m N 60 865 Green Oak variable Y 0 867 EDF Energy Simply Online May21v9 fixed 31/05/2021 N 70 872 Green Network Energy GNE Snow Surprise V2 fixed 12m N 50 873 Source: Uswitch (correct as of 27 January 2020) 3. See if your supplier can help If you are worried about getting behind on your bills, don't hide it from your supplier. Many energy suppliers will restructure your payments or put you on a special programme for customers in need to make things more manageable for you. This might mean moving to a system where your energy bill is paid ahead of other utilities, to ensure you don't fall back into the red. 4. Don't let heat leak out Be sure to block any draughts which may come from under the door, your letterbox, and even from the keyhole. Making sure you close the curtains at night can also help keep heat in the heavier the fabric, the better insulation it provides. 5. Control the heat flow Certain gadgets aim to redirect the flow of heat emitted from a radiator. This can include a simple 'cap' which goes on top of your radiator to direct the heat more into the room, or even devices that use fans to push the flow of the heat inwards. Households are advised to put a cap on their radiator which directs the heat into the room 6. Use radiator foil to prevent heat loss Poorly insulated rooms may benefit from foil put behind radiators and even on windows. For maximum effectiveness, you could opt for a specialty radiator foil which you can apply yourself - coming in at under 10 per roll. Even a high-quality roll of kitchen foil can make a positive impact. If placed carefully behind your radiator, it can be both well-hidden and highly effective. 7. Close off your chimney Depending on the design and/or age of your chimney, this can be as simple as installing a chimney balloon or wool chimney blocker. These can be relatively inexpensive, so it might be worth asking your landlord to install one for you. However, there are safety precautions to work out in advance these may include buying a carbon monoxide alarm, clearly notifying others that the fireplace is not to be used, and more. If you need specific types of ventilation, for example when using a gas fire or back boiler, this may not be an option for your home, so check first. 8. Consider window insulation film This low-cost answer to double glazing can be added to your windows with tape and a hair dryer. Though it isn't as effective as traditional double glazing, it can make a difference for far less of an investment. Electric blankets are advised as they often use much less energy than other forms of heating 9. Bundle up Wearing warm clothes and using blankets can make a huge difference to how warm you are. Remember, wearing several thin layers will trap in heat next to your body and be more beneficial overall than one thick woolly jumper. 10. Use an electric blanket These typically use much less energy than other forms of heating and when combined with a high-tog rated duvet, they can keep you nice and warm all night without needing to heat the whole room. 11. Switch off electronics on standby Televisions, appliances, and computers on standby mode could cost 100 or more in wasted energy over the course of the year. When these items are not in use, consider switching them off at the mains, so they are not sucking energy, and increasing your bill. 12. Book a powerflush for your boiler regularly Many people don't realise how much sediment build-up can affect the performance of their boiler. Having it flushed regularly can reduce bills and increase efficiency. Assuming you go with a local company, prices are estimated to be around 500 for an average sized-house. If you rent, you may want to ask your landlord about doing this. Some boiler cover plans also include this service. English Lithuanian AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius (hereinafter ESO or the Company), code 304151376, registered office address Aguonu St. 24, Vilnius. The total number of the registered ordinary shares issued by AB Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius is 894 630 333; ISIN code LT0000130023. Following a planned investigation concerning ESOs accounting and financial statements: IFRS 9 Financial Instruments, IFRS 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers, and annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report with the legislation, conducted by the Supervision Service of the Bank of Lithuania (hereinafter SSBL), the Company informs no infringements have been found. Additional notes on information quality improvements related to the calculation and disclosure of alternative performance indicators provided by SSBL have been acted and rectified by the Company during and before the end of investigation. Any remaining recommendations and guidance on regulatory compliance of the Corporate Social Responsibility Report will be implemented in the Annual Report 2019. SSBL will be informed on the recommendation implementation progress and status in accordance with the procedure established by law. SSBL conducts annual investigations on compliance with international standards and Lithuanian legislation. Tomas Kavaliauskas, tomas.kavaliauskas@eso.lt, tel. +370 617 51616. Bar at Trevi Fountain: No entry for Chinese visitors. A bar near the Trevi Fountain in Rome is causing controversy after placing a sign on its door forbidding the entry of people coming from China, following two confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the capital. "Due to international security measures all people coming from China are not allowed to have access in this place. We do apologise for any inconvenient." Written in Chinese and English, the sign outside the bar on Via del Lavatore comes amid increasing reports of cases of racism and xenophobia against Chinese people in cities across Italy. state of emergency has been declared in Italy, with all flights to and from China suspended. Photo Corriere della Sera - Guaitoli Prime Minister Narendra Modi was going to rally in Punjab's Ferozepur today. But the protesting farmers stopped their convoy on the road. Which is a big lapse in PM Modi's security. At present, PM Modi is said to be very angry with this incident. Targeting CM Channi, he said that to say thanks to your CM that I was able to return alive to the airport. BENGALURU: in the Ramayana, Kumbhakarna, brother of Ravana, sleeps for six months a year. While Kumbhakarna's case is due to a curse, there are many who suffer from a similar sleeping disorder, which in the modern world is referred to as hypersomnia. Now, a Kannada movie titled Gentleman, which is set for release on February 7, revolves around the tale of a man who sleeps for 18 hours a day. Talking about his sleepy venture, director-turned-producer Guru Deshpande says it was his long-time assistant director Jadesh Kumar who penned a script about a man who sleeps for long hours which gets him entangled in a strange situation. "Ever since we started this project, a lot of people suffering from sleeping disorders contacted us to give us their inputs. One man in particular, a 44-year-old man from Mumbai named Rajeev Bhasin, who has been suffering from hypersomnia from the age of 16, shared his personal experiences. He is presently undergoing medication," says Jadesh Kumar. Rajeev Bhasin sleep episodes last for 4 to 10 weeks. "Doctors say that there quite a number of people who face similar problems but only a few of them realise it is an illness that requires medical attention. Sleeping for long hours in a day lasting up to 16 weeks takes a toll on my day-to-day life," Rajeev Bhasin says. He adds that sometimes his sleeping pattern is almost 15-16 hours a day with the longest being 20 hours which results in fatigue, disorientation and cognitive disorders. Rajeev learnt about the movie and contacted Guru Deshpande to help in creating awareness of hypersomnia. Directed by Jadesh Kumar Hampi, Gentleman stars Prajwal Devaraj, Nishvika and others. The jury in the trial of a Northern Irish man accused of murdering a police officer in the Republic was shown a crime scene image of his official firearm inside his holster after he was shot dead. Aaron Brady (28) from Co Armagh is on trial charged with murdering Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe in the line of duty at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. Brady is also charged with the robbery of around 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date. The accused, of New Road, Crossmaglen, has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Yesterday, at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin, the 15-person jury was shown images taken at the Lordship Credit Union hours after Mr Donohoe was shot dead, as well as pictures of a burnt-out vehicle that was recovered in Northern Ireland. Detective Garda Eoin Conway - an official photographer based at Garda headquarters in the Phoenix Park - gave evidence of taking pictures at the credit union on the morning of January 26, 2013. He said a photograph of the scene was taken at around 1.30am and agreed with prosecuting counsel Lorcan Staines SC, that this was in "close proximity" to the shooting, which had happened at around 9.30pm the previous day. Mr Conway gave evidence of taking a picture of a spent cartridge recovered close to a Toyota Avensis in the car park. Images were also shown of the Toyota, described by Mr Conway as an unmarked Garda car, partially covered by a crime scene tent. He earlier said this tent was set up around Mr Donohoe's body. Inside the tent, Mr Conway said he photographed a Samsung mobile on the ground and a phone cover. The next photograph the jury saw showed Mr Donohoe's official firearm on his belt and in its holster, the witness said. Only the belt and the bottom of his shirt were visible in the image. Mr Conway also said the rear wall of the Lordship Credit Union had been covered with plastic sheeting "in the belief there may have been evidence" gained from there. Evidence was later heard from a number of civilian staff attached to the PSNI about a burnt-out vehicle. Gareth Caldwell, a major crime forensic adviser with the PSNI, said he was tasked to attend the scene of a burnt-out vehicle on January 27, 2013. Mr Caldwell said he noted "a completely burnt-out vehicle parked a considerable distance down a stone laneway off a single carriageway". Mr Caldwell described the area as "very rural" and said his colleague took images of the vehicle. The trial continues. Amid rising tension over City Council staffers getting paid less on average and having fewer benefits than regular city employees an attorney has warned a lawsuit could be coming the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved increasing the fund set aside to pay their aides by 15 percent Thursday. Although no council member specified at the meeting exactly how and when they will use the increased funds, some council aides said their bosses have said they will be seeing raises shortly, while others are still waiting to learn whats going to happen next. This effort has been years in the making and I am happy to see the funds requested finally made available, said Councilman Roberto Trevino, who proposed the increase last year. Each council member will now get $592,556 for staff salaries and expenses, including benefits such as health insurance, parking allowance, vehicle allowance, phone allowance, student loan repayment and matching contributions to an individual retirement account. Including the mayor, who gets the same amount, the council staff compensation fund now totals $6.5 million across the board. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio City Council takes up aide salaries amid concerns over low pay, allegations of labor law violations Council members are now limited to staffs of 7.5 full-time equivalent positions each; the mayor, who has three positions paid from another budget, can hire four full-time equivalent positions with the same sum. Each council member can decide what to pay each member of his or her staff, which accounts for the major wage differences among the council offices. On the payroll as of Jan. 15, the lowest paid full-time staffer gets an annual salary of $30,000. The highest paid gets $100,000. Both work for Councilman Manny Pelaez. Hes also the only council member who is fully staffed. Ive told my staffers, I will not be able to afford the quality professional you become as you work here, because of the weird caps weve got and limits placed on us, Pelaez said. The sheer amount of work that is done outside of the four walls of this building is stunning, he added. In order to be a chief of staff you have to give up almost every one of your nights to deliver and manage these large teams. At Thursdays meeting, the City Council approved a salary cap of $116,737. The council aides are contract workers hired by individual council members and the mayor. There are currently 73 council aides. In addition to chief of staff, their roles include directors of event services, policy, communications, neighborhood engagement, zoning and constituent services. Unlike hourly city employees, council aides dont get overtime, dont get the same level of health insurance and arent eligible for the citys pension plan. They also arent subject to the same rules; council aides can participate in political campaigns which regular city employees cant do. For all council members, the chief of staff is by far the highest paid staffer in the office. Salaries for chiefs of staff range from $77,250 in Sandovals office to $100,000, in Pelaezs office. The average salary of a chief of staff is $89,637. The staff salary average, not including the chief of staff or part time employees, ranges from $42,638 in Pelaezs office to $60,000 in Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrdas office. That compares to the median salary of San Antonios 13,881 city employees which includes department heads and first responders of $50,441, according to the city data collected by the Texas Tribune in July 2019. The average salary in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area was $46,650 in May 2018, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. We have a floor, in terms of the salary, that we pay full-time employees, Councilwoman Ana Sandoval said. I think that if we are going to use public funds for that, then every employee who is full time should be making a living wage. The second highest salary average is in Councilman Clayton Perrys office at $57,153. The third was Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcias office at $56,444. During this process it became clear that there is no comparable model that encapsulates the unique structure and role of our City Council offices and our city council aides, Rocha Garcia said. I am proud to say that our city is leading in these efforts to ensure our council aides are offered equitable compensation doing the work they do in serving the community. This is a stepping stone to other conversations we should be having. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio grapples with fair compensation for City Council aides In October, several unnamed aides through labor attorney Javier Espinoza sent a letter to City Attorney Andy Segovia listing grievances including seeking overtime pay and a salary that matches that of city employees. Espinoza said if council aides demands are not met they could take the city to court. A lawsuit has not been filed. The coalition wants to resolve the pay disparity dispute in mediation without opening the floodgates of potential litigation to hundreds of current and former employees, Espinoza said. While increased pay is an improvement, City Council members said they want to continue to look at improving benefits for their aides. What I would have hoped to see was a benefits package, Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales said. It was my understanding that what the council staff was complaining about was not necessarily the compensation but the benefits. Members of the committee charged with studying council aide compensation said earlier this month that there simply wasnt enough time to get into benefits, noting they faced a tight deadline to made recommendations on how to divide the more than three-quarters of a million dollars that the council set aside last year for pay raises this year. Rocha Garcia, the chairman of the committee, said her panel will continue to look at benefits, keep aides informed of any updates and issue recommendations before the mid-year budget review. sara.cline@express-news.net A no-deal Brexit could disrupt European supply chains. [Photo: Getty] The UK will leave the European Union at the strike of 11pm on January 31. A transition period will ensure business as usual until the end of 2020. READ MORE: 'Do I need a new passport? The ways Brexit could affect you During this time, politicians will be busy negotiating trade deals - including the licensing and regulation of drugs manufactured in the EU and shipped to the UK. While many need antibiotics or prescribed painkillers as a one-off, millions rely on repeat medication to control everything from diabetes to asthma. How could Brexit threaten prescriptions? During the transition period, the UK will continue to follow all of the EUs rules and maintain trading arrangements. Trade in products between the UK and the EU will not change, so medicines supply will not be affected, Professor Tamara Hervey, professor of EU law at the University of Sheffield, told Yahoo UK. The transition period is needed while a free trade agreement is negotiated, which would allow goods - including drugs - to move around the EU without checks or additional fees. If an arrangement cannot be settled in these 11 months, it will be no deal. If there is no agreement at that time, we can expect disruption to medicines supply, Professor Hervey said. The supply of medicines is one sector where distribution chains involve multiple border crossings, which rely on EU law for 'frictionless' trade. If new paperwork is needed, there will logically be increased costs associated. The main channel crossing between the UK and France is feared to be worse affected, with three quarters of medicines arriving via this route, The BMJ reported. READ MORE: Happy Brexit Day!: Nigel Farage says EU departure a victory for ordinary people against establishment Writing in a public letter on December 7 2018, secretary of state for health and social care Matt Hancock said: The European Commission has made it clear that, in the event of a no deal scenario, it will impose full third country controls on people and goods entering the EU from the UK. Story continues Whether this happens or not is in their hands, not ours. Even while in the EU, medicine supply and transportation to the UK and other member states was complex. As things stand, the process is a finely balanced one, Ash Soni, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, wrote in The Guardian. At each step things can, and sometimes do, go wrong. Medicines can be discarded due to a risk of contamination or transport containers overheating. These issues pale into insignificance compared to the problems Brexit has the potential to create, Mr Soni wrote. The UK reportedly does not have the manufacturing capacity to meet the countrys medicine demand. Increasing capacity would take time, with facilities first having to be approved for safety and efficacy. Longer term, it might be new medicines are launched later in the UK, if the UK requires different regulatory standards to the EU's, because the EU is a much bigger market for launch of a new medicine, Professor Hervey said. What is the government doing to ensure medicines reach the UK after Brexit? On August 23 2018, Hancock reportedly contacted all pharmaceutical companies that supply prescription-only medicines and pharmacy medicines to the UK from, or via, the European Union or European Economic Area. The secretary of state asked the companies to ensure they have a minimum of six weeks additional supply in the UK, over and above existing business-as-usual buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019. The Royal Pharmaceutical Society reported the department of health and social care (DHSC) asked these extra stocks to be in the UK by April 29 last year. On February 26 last year, The Pharmaceutical Journal wrote how the government has identified 7,000 medicines that need to be stockpiled for a six week buffer. This is out of the 12,300 licensed drugs used in the UK. For medicines with a short shelf-life - like EpiPens - the DHSC has arranged a freight service to ensure they can be flown in quickly if a no-deal goes ahead. The Express Freight Service will run on a 24-hour basis and a two-to-four-day pallet delivery service. The government has also arranged extra warehouse space, including refrigerated storage, to hold buffer stock. It also has extra shipping in place on a variety of routes to ease pressure on the short straits crossings to Dover and Folkestone. Medicines will be prioritised on these routes. READ MORE: 'Our time has come': How the national newspapers reacted to Brexit day If a patient is left without a prescription, the Serious Shortage Protocol could come into play. This allows pharmacists to dispense a suitable alternative, rather than sending the patient back to their doctor. Not all drugs are eligible, however, for example those used to treat epilepsy. While a deal is negotiated, patients and pharmacies alike are urged not to stockpile medicine. The Government has plans in place to ensure a continued supply of medicines to patients from the moment we leave the EU, Hancock previously said. Any incidences involving the over ordering of medicines will be investigated and followed up with the relevant chief or responsible pharmacist directly. A patients prescription is subject to change according to how their condition progresses. Stockpiled medicines may no longer be needed and have to be discarded, going to waste. They also deprive others who need the same drug, creating a stockpiling issue in itself. Health minister Stephen Hammond previously said there is no hard evidence Brexit will cause medicine shortages. While we never give guarantees, we are confident that, if everyone - including suppliers, freight companies, international partners and the health and care system - does what they need to do, the supply of medicines and medical products should be uninterrupted in the event of exiting the EU without a deal, he said. If a no-deal occurs, the UK will push member states hard to introduce pragmatic arrangements to ensure the continued full flow of goods which would be to their benefit as well as ours, Hancock added. Arizona has the strongest religious freedom laws in the country, which I support, she said. All were asking for is fairness in employment housing and public accommodations. And Brophy McGee, who is a foe of abortion, said she would not support any legislation that affects that issue. Herrod does agree with sponsors of the legislation on one issue: It would effectively overturn that Brush & Nib decision. The court made clear that the government must not be allowed to force persons to express a message contrary to their deepest convictions, Herrod said, quoting from the ruling. But Brophy McGee said she views the issue in a different way. She uses the example of what would happen if she, as a Catholic, were to go into a Muslim-owned bakery to order an Easter cake, complete with three crosses and inscribed God our Savior, He is Risen. I would expect them to bake it for me and decorate it for me, Brophy McGee said, saying they had opened their business to the public. KENT The Kent Memorial Library recently hosted renowned sculptor Peter Woytuk for a special appearance in the Kent town hall. After taking the lectern, Woytuk immediately turned the mike over to Virginia Bush Suttman, who he termed the historian. She talked about Jacques Kaplan, a French designer famous for his creation of fun furs and known locally as a pioneering art dealer and gallery owner in Kent; Philippe Staib, who opened galleries of contemporary sculpture in New York City and Kent, and Suttmans late husband Paul Suttman, a sculptor best known for impressionistic figurative works in bronze. Suttman said these three artists, as well as Peter Woytuk, were responsible for the town of Kent becoming a thriving art center. Woytuk acknowledged that he was still jet-lagged from a trip to Dubai, and encouraged the audience to ask him questions. This proved to be very popular, and his talk quickly segued into a Q&A session with him often stopping mid-sentence to acknowledge a raised hand. Inquiries ran the gamut from Whats the difference between ravens and crows? (Answer: Ravens are larger and smarter than crows, but he likes the coarseness and raucous qualities of both blackbirds, one of his favorite sculptural motifs.) to What are you working on now? (Answer: After creating four life-size bronze elephants weighing 5,000 pounds each for the entrance to the North Carolina Zoo, the worlds largest natural habitat zoo, which required 100 people to create and transport on a boat from Shanghai (his most herculean effort to date), he is working on something more lighthearted large scale popcorn in bronze.) Born in 1958, Woytuk was submersed at a young age in the architectural properties of form, space and art, according to his online biography. His mother is a talented textile artist and his father was a prominent Boston architect who designed the Citicorp Center in New York. Together, they took the family on numerous trips to Europe to seek out great art and architecture. Peter later went on to major in art at Kenyon College in Ohio where his focus was in photography. However, he was not introduced to the formal art of sculpting until he apprenticed with Connecticut sculptor Philip Grausman in the early 1980s. This experience helped Woytuk develop the technical knowledge and skills needed to transform his artistic vision into sculptural form. Ultimately, he found himself fascinated with sculpting the various forms of animals, birds in particular, according to his statement. He has since developed a highly original range of styles that explore a unique sense of volume and suspended motion. His impressionistic ravens, for example, demonstrate remarkable liveliness. His ravens, totaling over 50 individual sculptures, play off the inquisitive, mischievous nature of these birds. Also of note are his abstracted representations of hens. Their brightly patinaed, ovoid shapes are whimsically reminiscent of Easter eggs. He later experimented with life-size and monumental sculpture. His group of bulls, in particular, were first selected because he was attracted to the sprawl of mass displayed by seated and reclining bulls on the farms surrounding his former studio in New England. In his interpretation, Peter has somewhat altered their shapes. As he explains, Theyre basically large volumes of simplified bovine forms. Their backbone contours, the overlapping silhouette lines of bull groupings, mirror the shapes of the hills surrounding my studio. I kind of like to think of them as the cow as landscape. Ultimately for Peter, the end result is not only the objects themselves but also the way other people respond to and interact with them. He is pleasantly surprised that the bulls have become sort of a playground for children. Theyre inviting and great to climb on, the sculptor said in a statement. His work has been displayed in such collections as Dean Witter Reynolds in New York, Diane Von Furstenburg in New York, Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey, the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut, Kenyon College in Ohio, the North Carolina Zoological Park in Ashboro, the Weisman Museum at The University of Minnesota in Saint Paul and Texas Tech in Lubbock. SELBYVILLE, Del., Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the latest report "UCC Market by Platform (Telephony [IP Phones, IP PBX], Collaboration [Mobile, Social Network, Video Platform], Unified Messaging [Voicemail, Email, Fax], Conferencing [Audio, Video, Web], Services & Tools), Deployment Model (On-premise, Cloud, Hybrid), Application (IT & Telecom, BFSI, Public Sector, Retail, Healthcare, Education), Regional Outlook, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2026", by Global Market Insights, Inc., the market valuation of unified communication and collaboration (UCC) will cross $60 billion by 2026. The hybrid deployment model is set to witness over 15% CAGR in the UCC market till 2026 due to combined features of scalability and enhanced data control. The unified communication and collaboration market growth is attributed to steadily growing uptake of UCC systems by enterprises for enhanced business connectivity and reliable communications. In scenarios, where users cannot efficiently use complex communication systems or when customers are unable to reach traveling account executives, UCC systems can play an important role in facilitating such business communications efficiently. Request a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/402 The conferencing segment in the UCC market will witness a growth rate of over 10% CAGR from 2020 to 2026 as multi-user connectivity becomes increasingly important for making quick business decisions and increasing operational efficiency by real-time information sharing. Conferencing solutions provide a connection, where multiple employees can communicate on the same call. The purpose of call conferencing can be successfully implemented by audio, video or web conferencing, depending on the requirements & convenience of users participating in it. UCC service providers leverage conferencing technologies to ease communication among businesses with customers and personnel, which are either free of cost or on a subscription basis to access services. The hybrid deployment model is set to witness over 15% CAGR in the UCC market till 2026 due to combined features of scalability and enhanced data control. Hybrid UCC solutions integrate the benefits of both cloud and on-premise cloud to enable secure & scalable communications infrastructure and provide on-demand access to manage workloads for enterprises. The hybrid model is increasingly becoming popular due to its workload mobility capabilities along with network optimization and easy capacity expansion. Hybrid UCC solutions are being extensively used in mobile & web development, providing robust disaster recovery services. The BFSI segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 10% over the forecast period due to the increasing proliferation of unified communications in the banking sector to improve customer experience. It is estimated that about 34% of customers continue to visit banks while approximately 36% of customers use smartphones to perform transactions. The remaining users comprise unengaged customers, who are dissatisfied with bank services. BFSI enterprises are rapidly up taking UCC systems to create new avenues for targeting unengaged customers, offering them personalized facilities. The Europe unified communication & collaboration (UCC) market is set to witness approx. 10% CAGR during the forecast period due to the extensive adoption of BYOD technologies by European business corporations. The integration of personal BYOD devices with unified communication solutions has added to the benefits of the market. This has improved the productivity of employees by enabling efficient communication over organizational wireless networks or cellular networks. It is estimated that nearly 40% of the mid-sized firms in Europe have deployed unified communications. This has resulted in improved project management, better team collaboration, faster problem solving, and improved customer experience. Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/402 Some major findings of the unified communication & collaboration (UCC) market report include: - The increasing adoption of mobile devices and web-based communication solutions in enterprise environments has created a positive outlook for the UCC market. - Cloud-based UCC solutions offer excellent flexibility to users to pay only for the resources used by them. This significantly reduces the capital investment for communication infrastructure. - The IP phones segment will secure a larger share of the telephony market over the forecast period as it has numerous benefits over analog phones and costs much less than traditional telephone services. - Due to the rising trend of outsourcing certain business processes in the IT industry, the need for effective communication and collaboration solutions is likely to increase consistently over the forecast timeline. - Some of the key players operating in the UCC industry include 8x8 Inc, Alcatel Lucent Enterprise (Nokia Networks), Avaya Inc. (Avaya Holdings Corporation), BT Group, Cisco Systems Inc., Genesys (Permira), Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Mitel Networks Corporation, NEC Corporation, Nextiva (UnitedWeb), Orange Business Services (Orange), RingCentral Inc., Star2Star Communications, Verizon Communications, Vonage (Vonage Holdings Corp.), Unify (Atos SE), and West Corporation. Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3. UCC Market Insights 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Benefits of UCC 3.2.1. Single, flexible infrastructure 3.2.2. Reduced costs 3.2.3. Increased business productivity 3.2.4. Enhanced customer satisfaction 3.2.5. Improved mobility 3.3. Industry segmentation 3.4. Industry landscape, 2015 - 2026 3.5. Evolution of UCC technology 3.6. Industry ecosystem analysis 3.7. UCC architecture analysis 3.8. Technology & innovation landscape 3.8.1. Mobile-first models for UCC 3.8.2. AI, AR, and IoT 3.8.3. WebRTC 3.8.4. Application and workflow integration 3.9. Regulatory landscape 3.9.1. Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) 3.9.2. The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 3.9.3. The Dodd-Frank Act 3.9.4. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) 3.9.5. The Protection of Personal Information Act (2013) 3.9.6. Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 3.9.7. Nigeria Communications Act (2003) 3.10. Industry impact forces 3.10.1. Growth drivers 3.10.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.11. Industry news 3.12. Porter's analysis 3.13. PESTEL analysis 3.14. Growth potential analysis Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/unified-communications-market-report About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights, Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: [email protected] Related Images global-ucc-market-growth-predicted.png Global UCC Market growth predicted at 8% till 2026: GMI The hybrid deployment model is set to witness over 15% CAGR in the UCC market till 2026 due to combined features of scalability and enhanced data control. Related Links UCC Market Statistics Hosted Private Branch Exchange (PBX) Market Statistics SOURCE Global Market Insights, Inc. Related Links https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/unified-communications-market-report (Bloomberg) -- Michael Bloomberg reaffirmed Thursday that he wont be accepting contributions just to qualify for the Democratic presidential debates. The Democratic National Committee has required candidates to have a certain number of individual donors to qualify for debates, and Bloomberg is self-funding his campaign. The DNC has said candidates could make the Feb. 7 debate in New Hampshire by winning at least one pledged delegate in Mondays Iowa caucuses, but the former New York mayor is not competing in the early nominating contests. I always said Id like to participate in the debates. But the rules are the rules, and its up to the Democratic Party to set those rules, Bloomberg told reporters after a speech in Washington, according to The Hill. Some Democrats who believe that Bloomberg is avoiding scrutiny by not participating in televised debates with other candidates are pushing the party to allow the billionaire on stage. Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a group thats endorsed Elizabeth Warren, has said hes proposed that the party add an exception for candidates who exceed some of the other criteria, such as doing very well in a number of recognized polls. Bloomberg is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar told MSNBC this week that she would welcome Bloomberg to the debate stage. Id be fine with him being on the debate stage because I think that instead of just putting your money out there, hes actually got to be on the stage, and be able to go back and forth so that voters can evaluate him in that way, Klobuchar said. But Bloomberg has said he wont accept even token $1 donations just to qualify for the debate stage because hes never accepted contributions and doesnt want the appearance he can be bought. He has said he made his fortune building a business that allows him to spend money on the race and issues he cares about, and that his rivals had the same opportunity but are using money from contributors who expect something from them. Story continues This post is part of Campaign Update, our live coverage from the 2020 campaign trail. To contact the reporter on this story: Mark Niquette in Columbus at mniquette@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Wendy Benjaminson at wbenjaminson@bloomberg.net, Max Berley For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday that the virus that has killed 170 people in China and sparked global health fears could help create jobs in America. Ross said the virus, which has spread to at least 15 countries, was "very unfortunate" but that it was also a "risk factor" for businesses weighing up whether to operate in China. "I don't want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease but the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider," he told the Fox Business TV channel. "So I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America, some to (the) US, probably some to Mexico as well." His comments triggered immediate criticism on social media and from health experts. "You have somebody of that stature who makes an irresponsible comment, speaking on matters in which he has no expertise," Georges Benjamin, of the American Public Health Association, told the Washington Post. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show "There's no scientific or historical evidence to what he's saying." The World Health Organization was due to meet Thursday to decide whether to declare a global emergency over the disease, which is believed to have emerged from an animal market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Many governments have urged their citizens not to visit China, while some have banned entry for travellers from Wuhan. US President Donald Trump waged a bitter trade war for several years with China over jobs and subsidies, though he recently signed a "phase-one" deal to ease tensions. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said the SARS-like coronavirus poses a risk to the world economy. Toyota, IKEA, Starbucks, Tesla, McDonald's and tech giant Foxconn have been among corporate giants to temporarily freeze production or close large numbers of outlets in China. The London Metropolitan Police sure loves its facial recognition tech. But its an unrequited love. The tech doesnt appear to have done anything for the Met during its past deployments. Documents obtained by Big Brother Watch in 2018 showed the Mets deployments had rung up a 98% false positive rate in May of that year. Nothing improved as time went on. Subsequent documents showed a false positive rate of 100%. Every "match" was wrong. Not exactly the sort of thing you want to hear about tech capable of scanning 300 faces per second. This followed an earlier report covering a test run by the South Wales Police at a handful of public events. In comparison, the South Wales tests were a success: a mere 92% of its matches were false positives. The Mets tech showed some slight improvement in 2019, moving up to a 96% false positive rate. This continued failure to recognize faces -- along with a number of privacy concerns -- prompted a UK Parliamentary Committee to call for an end of the use of facial recognition tech by UK government agencies. This advice was ignored by the Home Office, which apparently believed UK law enforcement would be able to fail upwards towards a brave new world of facial recognition tech worth the money being spent on it. Weve apparently reached that inflection point. Test runs are a thing of the past. Its time for Londoners to put their best face forward. British police are to start operational use of live facial recognition (LFR) cameras in London, despite warnings over privacy from rights groups and concerns expressed by the governments own surveillance watchdog. First used in the capital at the Notting Hill carnival in 2016, the cameras will alert police when they spot anyone already on "wanted" lists. "The use of live facial recognition technology will be intelligence-led and deployed to specific locations in London," the citys Metropolitan Police said in a statement. "Intelligence-led," says the agency that has so far only managed to incorrectly identify people almost 100% of the time. Theres more "intelligence" further on in the article when the Met says the software thats hardly managed to correctly identify people will help "identify and apprehend suspects." Gun and knife crime top the list of things expected to be curtailed by unproven tech, followed by the sexual abuse of children and "protecting the vulnerable." Also lol a bit at this, which uses a trite phrase made even triter by the abysmal performance of the Mets AI: Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave said in a statement: "We are using a tried-and-tested technology, and have taken a considered and transparent approach in order to arrive at this point." Hes technically correct. Its has been tried and tested. What it hasnt been is accurate and thats what counts most when peoples rights and freedoms are on the line. But better an unknown number of innocent people be misidentified than allow a single suspect to go unscanned, I guess. Related Articles: Thursday, January 30, 2020 - How the West built Huaweis genocidal surveillance complex in China Britains capitulation to Chinas Huawei is nothing new for years, Western firms have profited from the worlds largest authoritarian surveillance project Saturday, January 25, 2020 - London Police Deploy Advanced Facial-Recognition Cameras Across City London Police Deploy Advanced Facial-Recognition Cameras Across City Beijing has already allowed the world a glimpse of the lengths that an authoritarian state armed with digital surveillance technology will go to stamp out any and all behavior deemed "undesirable" - even if its as mundane and harmless as wearing pajamas in public. Friday, January 24, 2020 - London cops announce citywide facial recognition cameras In 2018, Londons Metropolitan Police Force announced trials of a facial recognition system that could be married to the citys legendarily invasive CCTV thicket; the tests failed 98% of the time and led to arrests of people who opted out by covering their faces. Over the years, I have written about the possible dangers of firefighters carrying weapons and being trained like SWAT teams. But this latest story will leave you scratching your head and wondering what the CIA's "Signature School" has done to America's firefighters. Thursday, January 23, 2020 - Surveillance is the new blooming onion at Outback Steakhouse The friendly surface-level rationale behind any mass data collection via surveillance is improved efficiency through metrics. With the right amount of the data, and the right analysts working through it, you can optimize pretty much any process. From a business perspective, this could potentially present new ways to work smarter, instead of working harder increasing profits and productivity through better decision-making, which ultimately makes everyone happier. Monday, January 20, 2020 - Amazon Echos Privacy Issues Go Way Beyond Voice Recordings Amazon Echo and the Alexa voice assistant have had widely publicized issues with privacy. Whether it is the amount of data they collect or the fact that they reportedly pay employees and, at times, external contractors from all over the world to listen to recordings to improve accuracy, the potential is there for sensitive personal information to be leaked through these devices. Sunday, January 19, 2020 - The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It Federal and state law enforcement officers said that while they had only limited knowledge of how Clearview works and who is behind it, they had used its app to help solve shoplifting, identity theft, credit card fraud, murder and child sexual exploitation cases. Thursday, January 16, 2020 - Rentable Facial Recognition Robots Coming To A Conference Near You Conference goers now have to be wary that robots will identify them everywhere they go. Corporations can now rent Chinese-made CloudMinds robots that can identify everyone on the conference floor. (To learn more about CloudMinds and China click here & here.) Wednesday, January 8, 2020 - America Is The 4th Worst Abuser Of Biometric Privacy Rights In The World Does anyone really believe America is still the land of the free? Since 9/11, DHS, the FBI, the CIA, and countless other alphabet soup agencies have turned the United States into a public surveillance monstrosity. As we start the year of the once-a-decade US Census, its an appropriate time to start looking at some of the ways and the purposes for which data including drivers license data is used and shared by the Bureau of the Census. Thursday, January 2, 2020 - 2019: Facial Recognition And Corporate Surveillance Become Commonplace 2019 will go down as the year facial recognition and corporate surveillance became commonplace. Saturday, December 21, 2019 - The Hidden Military Use of 5G Technology At the London Summit, the 29 member countries of NATO agreed to guarantee the security of our communications, including 5G. Why is this fifth generation of mobile data transmission so important for NATO? Friday, December 20, 2019 - San Francisco Amends Facial Recognition Ban After Realizing City Employees Could No Longer Use Smartphones In May, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban facial recognition tech by city agencies. Being on the cutting edge has its drawbacks, as the city has now found out several months later. Tom Simonite and Gregory Barber of Wired report the citys legislation inadvertently nuked many of its employees devices. The town of Brookline overwhelmingly voted to ban government use of facial recognition technology in the city on Wednesday, December 11th . The growing movement to prohibit the use of facial recognition at the state and local levels could hinder the operation of a growing national facial recognition network. Tuesday, December 17, 2019 - NEC Uses Customer Experience Centers To Expand Government-Run Facial Recognition Want to convince our politicians to use facial recognition? How about opening a biometric customer experience center near the Congress and the Senate? That is exactly what the Nippon Electric Company or the NEC Corporation has created in Washington DC. Wednesday, December 11, 2019 - Police Use Internet Surveillance Zones To Monitor Private Purchases Or Swaps Police departments across the country are creating "Safe Exchange Zones" in front of police stations or inside them to monitor internet purchases or swaps 24/7. According to Newsweek, police have been encouraging the public to conduct internet purchases or swaps at police-run Internet Exchange Zones since at least 2016. This week, GEDmatch, a genetic genealogy company that gained notoriety for giving law enforcement access to its customers DNA data, quietly informed its users it is now operated by Verogen, Inc., a company expressly formed two years ago to market next-generation [DNA] sequencing technology to crime labs. Monday, December 9, 2019 - Bill Gates Wants to Export Indias National ID System Around the Globe The Gates Foundation has pledged to fund the World Bank in an effort to take the ID program to other countries. Despite Gates plea that there are no privacy issues with Aadhaar, several court cases have gone to Indias supreme court on grounds of privacy violations. Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. However, it isn't easy to find a great growth stock. In addition to volatility, these stocks carry above-average risk by their very nature. Also, one could end up losing from a stock whose growth story is actually over or nearing its end. However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects. Imperial Oil (IMO) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank. Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better. While there are numerous reasons why the stock of this oil and gas and petroleum products company is a great growth pick right now, we have highlighted three of the most important factors below: Earnings Growth Earnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration. While the historical EPS growth rate for Imperial Oil is 5.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 17.4% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of -4.9%. Impressive Asset Utilization Ratio Asset utilization ratio -- also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio -- is often overlooked by investors, but it is an important indicator in growth investing. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales. Story continues Right now, Imperial Oil has an S/TA ratio of 0.8, which means that the company gets $0.8 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 0.58, it can be said that the company is more efficient. In addition to efficiency in generating sales, sales growth plays an important role. And Imperial Oil looks attractive from a sales growth perspective as well. The company's sales are expected to grow 13% this year versus the industry average of 4.9%. Promising Earnings Estimate Revisions Beyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. The current-year earnings estimates for Imperial Oil have been revising upward. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 17.5% over the past month. Bottom Line Imperial Oil has not only earned a Growth Score of B based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #2 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. This combination indicates that Imperial Oil is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Imperial Oil Limited (IMO) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The coronavirus has also roiled global commodity markets, raising fears of weaker demand and disrupting raw material supply chains in China. Just as the outlook for the global economy had begun to brighten up in recent months, a new threat has suddenly emerged in the form of the viral outbreak in China's Wuhan. The deadly virus, which many fear is taking the shape of a global epidemic, has killed 213 people so far and spread to at least 22 countries, with 9,692 confirmed cases. However, the direct human cost of the epidemic aside, it couldn't have come at a worse time. The world's second largest economy, China, was decelerating even before the coronavirus hit. And the world's No 7 economy, India, was also coping with an unexpectedly sharp slowdown, which prompted the International Monetary Fund last week to downgrade its outlook for global growth this year. Asian stocks and currencies fell as the death toll rose and more cases were reported with fears growing that the hit to Chinas economy will ripple around the world in coming months. India became the latest country to report a case a student of Wuhan University while anger and fear brought protests in South Korea and threats of strikes in Hong Kong. "Markets will remain highly volatile as long as they feel that they only have an incomplete picture of what is going on, and what is going to happen next," said Agathe Demarais, global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit told Reuters. What happens in China means a lot more to the world economy than it did when the SARS outbreak struck nearly two decades ago. In 2003, China accounted for 4.3 percent of world economic output. Last year, it accounted for 16.3 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund. A government economist said that the first-quarter growth could fall by one point to five percent or lower due to the epidemic, Reuters reported. In a sign of alarm over possible damage, Bank of Japan deputy governor Masayoshi Amamiya said Chinas huge presence in the world economy must be taken into account in gauging the impact the outbreak could have on global growth. Alphabet Incs Google and Swedens IKEA joined other major firms in closing operations in China. Concern is also growing that thousands of Chinese factory workers on Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week, due to extensive travel restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the virus. South Koreas Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said it had extended the holiday closure for some Chinese production facilities. Tourism slumps across Asia Businesses around the world that have grown increasingly reliant on big-spending tourists from China are taking a heavy hit, with tens of millions of Chinese residents restricted from leaving their country as the coronavirus spreads. Hotels, airlines, casinos and cruise operators were among the industries suffering the most immediate repercussions, especially with the outbreak occurring during the Lunar New Year, one of the biggest travel season in Asia. Tourism from China was already down before the virus hit due in part to the Hong Kong protests and the trade dispute between Beijing and Washington. But about 134 million Chinese travelled abroad in 2019, up 4.5 percent from a year earlier, according to official figures. Before the outbreak, the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute predicted some 7 million Chinese would travel abroad for the Lunar New Year this year, up from 6.3 million in 2019. Hong Hong, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam were top destinations, but Chinese tourists are big spenders in cities like London, Milan, Paris and New York. Economist and tourism industry officials said the biggest threat so far is to China's closest neighbors, with the US and Europe likely to face major repercussions only if the coronavirus outbreak proves long-lived. In Thailand, a favorite destination for Lunar New Year travel, officials estimate potential lost revenue at 50 billion baht ($1.6 billion). Many drugstores in Bangkok ran out of surgical masks and the number of Chinese tourists appeared to be much smaller than usual for the Lunar New Year. The government announced it was handing out masks, and that the airport rail link would be disinfected. A spillover is also likely in Vietnam, Singapore and the Philippines, Tommy Wu and Priyanka Kishore, of Oxford Economics told The Associated Press. Hong Kong is especially vulnerable because its economy and its appeal to tourists have already been weakened by months of sometimes-violent political protest. By November, inbound tourism to Hong Kong was already down 56 percent from a year earlier, reported SCMP Visitors from mainland China to the autonomous Chinese gambling capital of Macau was down 80 percent on Sunday from a year earlier, a threat to a regional government that depends on gaming revenue. Oil prices dip Oil prices slumped to three-month lows this week in response to the widening spread of the virus in China, the worlds top oil importer, prompting OPEC to look to extend current oil output cuts until at least June from March, as well as consider deeper cuts if oil demand is badly hit. China is the second-largest oil refiner and a critical growth engine for the global economy, so any material contraction in Chinese economic activity is expected to have far-reaching repercussions across several industries. The aviation sector was a high-profile coronavirus casualty, with scores of flights to and from China cancelled this week. Jet fuel prices and production margins in Asia slumped in response, hurting refiners and fuel exporters.. Greatly reduced mobility within China also hit gasoline demand, with Asias benchmark gasoline price falling the most in four years on Tuesday. Commodities market takes a hit The coronavirus has also roiled global commodity markets, raising fears of weaker demand and disrupting raw material supply chains in China. Palm oil prices slumped as much as 10 percent on Tuesday as traders reacted to the widening shutdowns of offices, malls and factories within China. Palm oil is used mainly in food courts and by catering companies in China, the second-largest palm importer behind India. Base metals have also taken a hit as manufacturing plants and factories take protracted Lunar New Year breaks while they assess the fallout from the virus. Toyota Motor Corp and other firms announced extended plant shutdowns. Industrial bellwether copper fell to near a fourth-month on Thursday and was set for an 11th straight session of losses on fears of an economic slowdown in the worlds top metals consumer. Commodities futures exchanges have also remained shut longer than planned due to the virus, with the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) and Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) announcing extended closures. Safe haven gold has won some support during a time of uncertainty, hitting a three-week high early in the week, and analysts expect the precious metal to remain bid while worries about the virus persist. With inputs from agencies An FIR has been registered against 37 persons for protesting outside an event and raising slogans in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Pune. They were detained by the state police after an FIR was registered against them under section 143 (Unlawful Assembly) of the Indian Penal Code. They had assembled outside Gandhi Bhavan in Kothrud area of Pune on Friday and were protesting by raising slogans, without permission. Actor Urmila Matondkar was attending an event at Gandhi Bhavan against CAA, NRC, NPR on the occasion of the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Citizenship Amendment Act grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three terrorists were killed in a gunbattle that broke out after a group of militants, travelling in a truck, opened fire at a police team at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here on Friday, officials said. Police said the terrorist group is suspected to have infiltrated from along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district to carry out an attack. The group of three-four terrorists was on their way to Srinagar when the police team intercepted it at theBann toll plaza, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told PTI. Bann toll plaza in Nagrota is about 28 kilometers from the Jammu city. One of the terrorists was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the rest managed to escape to the adjacent forest area, Singh said, adding that a policeman was injured and has been hospitalised. They are suspected to be a newly infiltrated group and were on their way to Srinagar, the DGP said. "It is suspected that they infiltrated from Hiranagar border (of Kathua district)," he added. The Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed and traffic halted and entire forest belt was cordoned off and terrorists were intercepted, resulting in a fierce gunbattle, the officials said. The terrorists also fired grenades, they said. Two more terrorists were killed in the gunbattle, taking the toll to three, the DGP said, adding that one more is probably in trap. Four weapons and large quantity of ammunition and explosives have been recovered, the DGP said. He said the terrorists might be foreigners. IGP Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh told reporters that the truck on its way to Kashmir was intercepted at the toll post at 5 am by a joint team of police and CRPF. There was firing from the truck resulting in injuries to one policeman, he said. Police and CRPF jawans retaliated, killing a terrorist while the rest managed to escape towards the forest area, IGP said. The truck driver, Maqbool, who is an over ground worker, has been arrested and is being questioned, the IGP said. The truck was carrying polyvinyl and a cavity was created inside it to hide the terrorists, officials said. The terrorists were armed with bullet-proof jackets, they said. The officials suspect the terrorists might have planned to carry out attack at vital installations as well as security camps along the nearly 300-km highway. Senior police officials were at the spot to oversee the combing operations. All schools and colleges have been closed in Udhampur districts as a precautionary measure. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In Fairfield County, we know all too well how serious Connecticuts transportation problems are. We also know that our problems go beyond our roadways, and mass transit needs to be a focus when talking about any kind of solution to make transportation in Connecticut an economic asset. Weve also heard some lawmakers pitch tolls as a comprehensive solution to invest in roads, mass transit and rail. Weve been told that tolls would transform the commuter experience. We were assured that commute times between Stamford and Grand Central would be reduced to a half-hour, and when that didnt seem likely, we were promised that at the very least rail commuters could count on more time at home with their families if tolls were installed. We were shown lists of rail projects to be funded under a previous tolls proposal that is no longer on the table. We were promised that any tolls bill would make mass transit a top priority because rail in Fairfield County is an economic engine supporting residents and businesses. But the tolls bill set to be voted on next week delivers on none of those promises. The latest tolls bill would be damaging to our state in many ways. Just as concerning as whats in the bill is whats not included and this bill contains no mention whatsoever of rail improvements that Fairfield county was promised. When asked this week about what the latest tolls plan would do for public transit, a Democrat legislative leader pointed to a new transportation oversight board that would have one bus transit advocate and one rail advocate. The board would put pressure on DOT to not ignore mass transit needs. After all the talk, we have nothing more than a single rail advocate telling DOT please dont ignore mass transit. Where is the transformative vision? Where is the guarantee that specific projects will ever be completed? How exactly will commute times be reduced? Wheres the comprehensive plan for rail? The bill contains none of the language regarding investments in rail we have seen in previous tolls bills. The governors toll website remains out of date, showing projects funded by a previous plan that has long been abandoned. No new numbers have been released to show which projects will be protected and which will be cut under the governors scaled back trucks-only tolls plan. The bill contains no protections to ensure rail promises will be fulfilled. We have other major concerns about the tolls bill Democrat legislative leaders intend to vote on next week. The bill does nothing to legally stop tolls from being expanded to passenger vehicles. It sets us up for costly and risky legal challenges from the trucking industry and our neighbors in the state of New York. It also does nothing to stop the expansion of tolls to more locations in the future. But its especially disappointing that this tolls package fails to deliver on the many assurances we have all heard that mass transit will be a priority. We oppose this bill for all these reasons. And we also think the public deserves the truth about what this bill will do and wont do. Whats clear is that this bill is a tolls bill, not a transportation vision by any means. When it comes to rail investments there are no guarantees in this bill, only an empty promise to do better. State Sen. Tony Hwang (R-28) represents Easton, Fairfield, Newtown, Weston and Westport. State Rep. Laura Devlin (R-134) represents Fairfield and Trumbull and serves as Ranking Member on the General Assemblys Transportation Committee. Three people were arrested on drug-related charges after a search warrant was served at a home directly across the street from an elementary school Thursday afternoon. According to the Grand Island Police Departments media sheet, Brooke Arends, Carlito Tapia and Chrissi Yeck were all arrested after a search warrant was served by the Central Nebraska Drug and Safe Streets Task Force at 3 p.m. Thursday at 3015 College St. The residence is across the street from West Lawn Elementary School. GIPD said that when the search warrant was served, methamphetamine, prescription pills and drug paraphernalia were located inside the residence. The items were allegedly easily accessible to two minor children who lived at the residence. During their search, GIPD said, they located evidence to support a drug distribution incident in which Tapia was allegedly involved. Arends, 26, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, while Tapia, 24, was arrested for distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia. Yeck, 37, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and negligent child abuse. Grand Island Police Capt. Jim Duering said children at West Lawn were never in any danger and he does not believe that the school went in lockdown while the search warrant was being served. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Trickling Springs Creamery in Franklin County closed in 2019, and now one of the founders has been charged criminally. Read more An accountant allegedly defrauded his company of $60 million and stole from his fellow Mennonites and Amish neighbors, according to the feds. Philip Elvin Riehl, 68, of Bethel Township, Berks County, was charged this week with conspiracy, securities fraud, and wire fraud, as part of a federal investigation into a scheme that took in about $60 million. Over a decade, the accountant allegedly targeted more than 300 members of his Mennonite church and neighboring Amish communities in Pennsylvania before his Chambersburg-based Trickling Springs Creamery went into bankruptcy in late 2019. Its unclear where the $60 million went or if investors will be refunded, but most of the victims were members of the Little Mountain Mennonite Church or were Amish, said U.S. Attorney William McSwain in an interview. Thats a very tight-knit community. Sometimes they dont interact with law enforcement much, but the allegations were so egregious that many have cooperated. Mennonites and Amish victims of Riehls alleged crimes also are hurting financially. They have strict religious beliefs and part of that is they dont accept government assistance, such as Social Security, unemployment, or welfare, McSwain said. However, they dont complain. Part of the reason were being so public is that we want to spread the word that other victims should contact us. Riehls attorney, Christopher Sarno, had no comment on behalf of his client. Riehl allegedly solicited tens of millions of dollars in phony promissory notes from accounting clients and others, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District in Philadelphia and the Securities & Exchange Commission. Many of these clients were members of his Mennonite church and neighboring Amish religious communities, who often loan money to one another as a form of financial support. But Riehl allegedly diverted those funds to Trickling Springs Creamery, a failing Franklin County creamery of which he was the majority owner. Riehl allegedly lied about the safety and performance of the promissory notes, as well as the creamerys dire financial condition, the federal criminal complaint says. Trickling Springs Creamery closed permanently in September 2019 and petitioned for bankruptcy in December 2019. Investor losses in this case appears to constitute whats referred to as affinity fraud scams that prey upon members of identifiable groups, such as religious or ethnic communities, by exploiting their trust and friendship. In this case, the victims were generally members of the Mennonite or Amish religious communities who wanted a safe and secure investment, operated within their community, and in a manner consistent with their religious principles. If convicted, Riehl faces a maximum possible sentence of 45 years in prison, a $5.5 million fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, forfeiture, and mandatory restitution. Hes expected to appear for a hearing in February. According to a separate SEC complaint, Riehl falsely claimed he required two co-signers on every loan, and would personally guarantee repayment. The SEC further alleges that, in late 2018, Riehl diverted money against one investors wishes. In a 2019 letter, Riehl allegedly apologized for his dishonesty, including repeatedly stating that he required two co-signers on each loan, which gave a false sense of security, in that such a considerable percentage of the funds were channeled into my personal projects," the SEC said in a statement. Copies of the U.S. Attorney and SEC allegations are available here and here. The criminal investigation began as far back as 2010 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Rinaldi and the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities. The SECs civil investigation was conducted by Paulina Jerez of the Philadelphia Regional Office and supervised by Kelly Gibson and Kingdon Kase. The litigation was led by the SECs Mark Sylvester and supervised by Jennifer Chun Barry. This article is written for those who want to get better at using price to earnings ratios (P/E ratios). We'll apply a basic P/E ratio analysis to American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.'s (NYSE:AEO), to help you decide if the stock is worth further research. Looking at earnings over the last twelve months, American Eagle Outfitters has a P/E ratio of 9.72. That corresponds to an earnings yield of approximately 10.3%. View our latest analysis for American Eagle Outfitters How Do You Calculate A P/E Ratio? The formula for P/E is: Price to Earnings Ratio = Share Price Earnings per Share (EPS) Or for American Eagle Outfitters: P/E of 9.72 = USD14.88 USD1.53 (Based on the trailing twelve months to November 2019.) Is A High Price-to-Earnings Ratio Good? The higher the P/E ratio, the higher the price tag of a business, relative to its trailing earnings. That is not a good or a bad thing per se, but a high P/E does imply buyers are optimistic about the future. Does American Eagle Outfitters Have A Relatively High Or Low P/E For Its Industry? One good way to get a quick read on what market participants expect of a company is to look at its P/E ratio. We can see in the image below that the average P/E (16.6) for companies in the specialty retail industry is higher than American Eagle Outfitters's P/E. NYSE:AEO Price Estimation Relative to Market, January 31st 2020 This suggests that market participants think American Eagle Outfitters will underperform other companies in its industry. Since the market seems unimpressed with American Eagle Outfitters, it's quite possible it could surprise on the upside. If you consider the stock interesting, further research is recommended. For example, I often monitor director buying and selling. How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios P/E ratios primarily reflect market expectations around earnings growth rates. Earnings growth means that in the future the 'E' will be higher. That means even if the current P/E is high, it will reduce over time if the share price stays flat. A lower P/E should indicate the stock is cheap relative to others -- and that may attract buyers. Story continues American Eagle Outfitters shrunk earnings per share by 3.0% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 59%. Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet Don't forget that the P/E ratio considers market capitalization. Thus, the metric does not reflect cash or debt held by the company. Hypothetically, a company could reduce its future P/E ratio by spending its cash (or taking on debt) to achieve higher earnings. While growth expenditure doesn't always pay off, the point is that it is a good option to have; but one that the P/E ratio ignores. American Eagle Outfitters's Balance Sheet American Eagle Outfitters has net cash of US$265m. This is fairly high at 11% of its market capitalization. That might mean balance sheet strength is important to the business, but should also help push the P/E a bit higher than it would otherwise be. The Verdict On American Eagle Outfitters's P/E Ratio American Eagle Outfitters has a P/E of 9.7. That's below the average in the US market, which is 18.4. The recent drop in earnings per share would almost certainly temper expectations, the relatively strong balance sheet will allow the company time to invest in growth. If it achieves that, then there's real potential that the low P/E could eventually indicate undervaluation. When the market is wrong about a stock, it gives savvy investors an opportunity. If it is underestimating a company, investors can make money by buying and holding the shares until the market corrects itself. So this free report on the analyst consensus forecasts could help you make a master move on this stock. But note: American Eagle Outfitters may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20). If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Jozef Janczura has been jailed for raping a university student in Southampton's Riverside Park (Pictures: PA) A man who raped a university student in a park in Southampton has been jailed for 14 years. Jozef Janczura, 34, carried out the wicked attack after hunting for a lone female. Southampton Crown Court heard that his 18-year-old victim had gone for a late night walk alone after socialising with friends at her hall of residence when Janczura attacked her from behind and dragged her into Riverside Park in Southampton. She was listening to music on her headphones when he grabbed her, the court heard. He was convicted of the rape and assault causing actual bodily harm against the teenager in the attack, which happened on December 2, 2018. Jozef Janczura was convicted at Southampton Crown Court of the rape and assault causing actual bodily harm against an 18-year-old student (Picture: PA) CCTV footage shows Jozef Janczura following a university student (Picture: PA) Janczura was given an extended sentence of 20 years, meaning he will serve 14 years in prison and a further period of six years on licence. Judge Peter Henry said: I am satisfied that there is evidence you were hunting for a lone female that night. When you finished, you left her in the mud suffering what were described as noticeable injuries. It has changed the life of a young woman substantially, she says that she wishes she could go back to her old self badly. Read more Britons evacuated from China coronavirus outbreak region will be quarantined in Wirral hospital Prince Harry Instagram complaint about Mail on Sunday article rejected by press regulator Man found guilty of attempting to steal Magna Carta from Salisbury Cathedral You knew what you were doing was wicked and wrong, you said sorry when you finished before leaving her lying in the mud. I have no doubt that you do pose a substantial risk of causing serious harm to women. Martyn Booth, prosecuting, said: She was raped, she was brutalised physically and it has had a significant and lasting impact on her. She was walking down that path, she still had her headphones on, she was still listening to music and all of a sudden she was attacked from behind her. The man grabbed her from behind, he had an arm around her neck and with the other dragged her off the pathway into the park. Story continues Jozef Janczura has been given an extended sentence of 20 years (Picture: PA) She struggled, she tried to fight back her attacker but he was able to overpower her and he forced her to the floor. She described the man as being on top of her while she was on the floor and the man strangling her to the point she was in and out of consciousness, in that fuzzy state of mind. He added: This was a terrifying incident, one in which she genuinely thought she was going to die. Mr Booth said that DNA taken from the victim matched the defendant, who is from Southampton, with the chances of it belonging to someone not related to him being a billion to one. He added that he was recorded on CCTV following another woman before trailing the teenager prior to the attack. Mr Booth said Janczura, who has learning difficulties, has previous convictions for minor matters of dishonesty in his home country of Poland. Delhi to ease restrictions, if Covid cases come down in next 2-3 days: Health Minister Lata Mangeshkar health update: Doctor says,'She in ICU with Covid-19 and pneumonia, will be under observation' Coronavirus: 14 students who returned from Wuhan to Maharashtra tests negative India oi-Mousumi Dash Akola, Jan 31: Fourteen students who were studying at the epicenter of novel coronavirus outbreak, Wuhan in China, have returned to Akola district in Maharashtra in the last two weeks and the health officials said on Friday none of them had symptoms of coronavirus. Reportedly, the students were screened at the Mumbai airport and also again at local hospitals, and all of them had tested negative, none of them have symptoms of coronavirus. After their return, each of them underwent medical examination at least four times, but none was hospitalised as they did not show infection symptoms. Speaking to PTI, one of the students who did not wish to be named said a large number of youngsters from the state opt for universities in China for medical education. Deputy Director of the Health Department Dr Riyaz Farukhi told to PTI, an isolation ward has been set up at the Government Medical College for suspected coronavirus patients. Patients from Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Washim districts would be kept in the ward. 423-seater Air India jumbo plane ready for evacuation of 250 Indians stuck in virus-hit Wuhan Across the state, a dozen people have been admitted to hospitals in Mumbai, Pune, Nanded and Nagpur and kept under observation for possible exposure to the virus. Coronavirus shuts down Chinese market for live lobsters sending industry into panic mode by Kathy Johnson January 31,2020 | Source: The Chronicle Herald The sudden and unexpected temporary loss of the Chinese market for Nova Scotia live lobsters due to the coronavirus epidemic is creating a panic situation for the lobster industry. Its a real, real mess, said Lockeport lobster dealer Mike Cotter, Cotters Ocean Products. We were at $10.50 Friday (Jan. 24) and Monday (Jan. 27) the shore price went to $8. Whats happened is China is completely shut down. We have nothing going to China now. Whats going on has caused sales everywhere to drop. Cotter said it isnt so much cancelled air freight shipments as it is the cancelled orders that has closed the market. Its not so much the airlines that cancelled. Its the customers that have cancelled. Theres no live lobster going to China, he said. Tiffany Chase, director of public affairs and marketing for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport Authority, said cargo shipments transported directly into China by air cargo carrier Skylease are temporarily impacted as a result of travel restrictions in place within China connected to the coronavirus. This could impact two to three weekly cargo flights containing seafood products that normally go out of Halifax Stanfield to the Chinese market. Skylease has advised they expect these flights to be impacted at least for the next few weeks and we continue to be in close contact with all our freight forwarding partners as we monitor the situation, said Chase. Cotter said there is a lot more inventory around than what people anticipated there would be. Some people had inventory put away for the Chinese New Year that never got all their product over there in time, he said. Ive been talking to a lot of guys since Friday and theres not one person that isnt going to lose money being a dealer on whats happening. Its a panic situation. A lot of people dont realize how bad it is. If you only had 50,000 pounds of lobster and lost $2.50 a pound thats a lot of money; $125,000 to be exact. Everybodys trying to push lobsters into the U.S. now so they flooded that market on Monday. To be honest we have no sales at all for our lobsters at this point, said Cotter. The European customers see the price coming down and seeing everybody with a big inventory. They dont want to buy lobsters from me today. Theyre able to but they dont want to because if they think the price is going to drop to $6 then theyre stuck with a $2 price on inventory," said Cotter. "Everybody is kind of laid back including the Americans to get what they can get as cheap as they can get it. Theres only so much you can put into the market. We have to hold tight and see what happens. Things could change in another week. Geoff Irvine, executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada said he would urge everyone to remain calm." "These types of market gyrations are unforeseen and this is a good opportunity to remind ourselves how important it is to have a diverse market around the world for our lobster products and the importance of marketing and promotion," he said. "Anyone who was in the industry through the last 20 years with 9/11, SARS, the H1N1 flu pandemic and the great recession knows that these things happen, often out of the blue and once again remind us how important it is to have diversified portfolio of customers. According to Statistics Canada data, for the first 11 months of 2019 a total of 23,624,875 kg of live lobster worth $409,487,924 was shipped to China, making it number one for the volume of Canadian live lobster exports. The volume of lobster export to the U.S. for the same time period was 20,569,649 kg with a value of $448,939,432. Chase said during peak times of year, we typically see seven to eight weekly cargo flights depart Halifax Stanfield for Asian markets with seafood products. The value of these flights varies by market price a 747 freighter can transport around 100 tonnes of product when its full. In 2018, Nova Scotia seafood exports by air were valued at $232 million annually. SaltWire Network 2020 Theme(s): Fisheries Resources. FLINT, MI -- A retired educator and advocate for lower prescription drug costs has been chosen to attend President Donald Trumps State of the Union address by U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint. Chris Burrows, a retired Flint Community Schools teacher, was invited to the event after Kildee heard him speak about the rising cost of prescription drugs, including insulin, during a roundtable discussion with the congressman in Burton. I am honored to welcome Chris Burrows as my guest to President Trumps State of the Union address, Kildee said in a statement released by his office. High prescription drug costs affect nearly every family in Michigan. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Chris and hear his personal story about living with diabetes, and how the high cost of insulin impacts his daily life. "In the richest country in the world, people shouldnt have to ration their life-saving medications or choose between putting food on the table and picking up a prescription. That is why the House has passed bipartisan legislation to lower prescription drug prices for every Michigan family. Burrows said hes been to Washington, D.C. before but never to an event like the State of the Union. He said he hopes his story contributes to a broader understanding of the hardships faced by many who cant afford medication they need. I just retired. I lost the insurance I had while I worked and Im on Medicaid," Burrows said. I have felt the impact of the rising cost of medicine. If I didnt have Medicaid, I couldnt afford it." Even with Medicaid, Burrows said his prescriptions cost him hundreds each month. The total cost is about $1,000 monthly. Prescription drug coverage is one of the optional benefits that individual states may choose to provide to Medicaid recipients, according to the program website. Currently, all states offer outpatient prescription drug coverage, but that doesnt mean all prescriptions are completely covered. Kildee said in a statement from his office that hes committed to lowering health care costs for individuals. In December, the congressman voted for the passage of H.R. 3, called the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would end a ban on Medicare negotiating directly with drug companies. Allowing Medicare to negotiate would lower drug prices for all, including individuals with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries, Kildees office said in a news release announcing the congressmans State of the Union guest. President Trump has said he wants to deliver the State of the Union as scheduled on Tuesday, Feb. 4, even if his impeachment trial is ongoing, according to The Associated Press. SPRINGFIELD, Ore. A man is accused of setting a veterinary hospital on fire after a billing disagreement regarding his cat. Ten employees and several animals were inside the Emergency Veterinary Hospital, 103 W. Q St. when it caught fire Jan. 22. Eugene Springfield Fire responded and put the fire out. No people or animals were injured. RELATED: FIRE SPARKS AT EMERGENCY VETERINARY HOSPITAL IN SPRINGFIELD The fire burned through an electrical box on the back side of the hospital and damaged the building. The interior was filled with smoke. Officials at the scene determined that the fire was arson and that some time of accelerant had been used. Investigators later learned that Mathew Rossi, 41, of Junction City had been at the vet hospital before the fire and had been disruptive. He was asked to leave the building, and Springfield police was called. Surveillance footage showed Rossi returning to the vet hospital and running away at the time the fire started, police said. Rossi was found in Junction City on Thursday and arrested. He faces one count each of first-degree arson and criminal mischief and ten counts of reckless endangering. The investigation is ongoing. More charges are possible in the case, police said. Rossi was previously convicted of arson in Eugene in 2010. When Britain leaves the European Union at midnight on Friday the bloc loses the second-biggest net contributor to its budget, leaving a 12-billion-euro ($13-billion) hole in its finances. The United Kingdom will continue making budget contributions this year under an agreed post-Brexit transition period. But from 2021 Europe will have to look elsewhere. This further complicates an already fraught debate between the remaining member states over the EU's 2021-2027 long-term budget, called the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The European Commission has had a proposed MFF on the table since May 2018, and its new president Ursula von der Leyen is keen to get it approved soon. But a so-called "Frugal Five" of wealthy mainly northern countries -- Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden -- are seeking to limit EU expenditure. And a rival "Friends of Cohesion" group of 16 eastern and Mediterranean countries wants to defend the budget rules. Charles Michel, president of the European Council which represents member state governments, has called an MFF summit that will "begin" on February 20 and likely drag on. - Farm subsidies under pressure - According to European Commission estimates, Britain's net contribution -- the amount it pays in less EU spending on UK projects -- would have been 12 billion euros a year. Over the period of the upcoming seven-year MFF that leaves an 84-billion-euro shortfall in the Commission's financial plans. The previous finance commissioner, Gunther Oettinger, wanted to fill the gap by increasing member state contributions and cutting traditional big spends: cohesion and farm subsidies. This would allow Europe to switch funds to more "modern" areas, like investing in green technologies, coping with migration and moving into the defence field. But much of this is very sensitive in EU capitals, and Michel has trekked all over the continent for talks without much sign of a breakthrough. "We might have hoped that Brexit would be a shock to the system, but I think we'll just go on as before," laments Nicolas-Jean Brehon, of the Robert Schuman Foundation. Some of the richest members of the union want to limit contributions to only one percent of each member state's GDP. "It's obviously a symbolic threshold. It's also a political threshold that Germany and the British were insisting on," Brehon told AFP, noting that Brexit cost Berlin an ally. - Big spenders - The European Commission, meanwhile, wants to set the level at 1.114 percent of EU GDP, which would imply a 1.134-trillion-euro budget at 2018 prices, or 1.279 trillion at current levels. The European Parliament would like an even higher 1.3 percent. Taking into account the British departure, the current multiannual budget represents 1.16 percent of European Union GDP. Another Commission idea is phasing out the "rebates" that late British premier Margaret Thatcher famously demanded, taken up by some of the other bigger spenders. After Brexit these reductions in budget contributions will only apply to Austria, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden -- perhaps not un-coincidentally, the Frugal Five. For the Commission and the countries that are net recipients of EU funds, it is wrong that -- thanks to these rebates -- the frugals spend less in percentage terms of their per capita GDP. But Germany, for one, has noted that even if spending is reduced and capped at one percent as it demands, it will still end up paying more after Brexit. The debate will continue and has given new impetus to calls for the European Union to develop its own revenue streams, perhaps by a tax on plastics or on EU carbon trading. (Sharecast News) - Vast Resources announced on Friday that the first tranche drawdown process of the Atlas Capital Markets, adjoined with Atlas Special Opportunities, facility under the bond issue deed that it announced on 24 October, had been completed, with confirmation of payment now received. The AIM-traded firm said the par value of the bond was $7.1m, providing net cash proceeds before costs of $6.39m. It said that as part of the transaction, it executed a tripartite intercreditor agreement with Mercuria Energy Trading and Atlas. The main terms of the agreement were that, upon completion of the conditions precedent, Mercuria would agree to a standstill period for the duration of the Atlas facility, subject to certain terms and conditions. They also included full repayment of the balance of debt to Sub-Sahara Goldia Investments, and the release of security following payment to Sub-Sahara Goldia of $1m out of the drawdown of the first tranche. It would also see a $1m cash payment to Mercuria upon the drawdown of the first tranche. Subject to certain terms and conditions and completion of conditions precedent, the remaining principal and interest, fees and costs accrued on the remaining existing Mercuria Tranche A facility would be recovered from future cash flow, the board said. Offtake agreements would remain with Mercuria, it added. Vast Resources noted that AP Mining Group - the owner of a 20% interest in Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine in Romania - was a party to the intercreditor agreement, and had pledged its 20% interest in Baita Plai. "We are pleased that tranche one of the Atlas Capital Markets facility has been achieved and with the opportunity that this unlocks," said chief executive officer Andrew Prelea. "The board of directors and management have worked extremely hard restructuring the company in order to get to this point which gives the Company a clear path to production at the Baita Plai Polymetallic Mine. "We look forward to updating the market, as and when, on our progress at Baita Plai." At 1419 GMT, shares in Vast Resources were up 0.31% at 0.33p. On behalf of Buy A Tree. Change A Life. (BATCAL), Lee Universitys Dr. William Lamb and Nate Tucker presented a check for $7,882.38 to Tori Livesay, president of Backyard Ministries during a chapel service. This amount represents 15 percent of monies raised at the BATCAL Christmas tree sale in December on Lees campus. Its not about the tree sales, said Mr. Tucker, director of IT systems at Lee and BATCAL co-site director. Its really about changing lives locally and globally. We appreciate all those who contributed to make the amount raised a reality for local kids and cant wait to see how the lives of our kids will be touched by Backyard Ministries. Lee University partnered with People for Care and Learning (PLC) and BATCAL, raising over $50,000 as a result of the Schimmels Park tree sale. The money will go to support efforts in Cambodia and around the globe. Fifteen percent of that money is committed to serving a local project and will be used to convert a school bus into a mobile classroom. The bus will provide a place for children to be tutored each week by the Lee University Backyard Ministries volunteers. Dr. Lamb, director of the Leonard Center and BATCAL co-site director, along with Mr. Tucker, headed the December fundraising. Backyard Ministries is a Lee University ministry program aimed at tutoring kids in Bradley County. This year marks the 25th anniversary since Backyard Ministries founding. PHOTOS: (1) Tori Livesay is pictured here receiving the check from BATCAL sales for Backyard Ministries. (2) The school bus being converted into a mobile classroom is shown here filled with Backyard Ministries volunteers, along with (standing in front, left to right) Nate Tucker, Tori Livesay, Cole Marshall, and Dr. William Lamb. Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office(FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, N.J.) -- A New Jersey woman who was killed allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend was mourned at a hometown funeral Friday morning. Stephanie Parze, a 25-year-old living in Freehold Township, disappeared on the night of Oct. 30, 2019, sparking a months-long search organized by her grief-stricken parents. Her body was found on Sunday in a wooded area of nearby Old Bridge. "I can't imagine how we are going to get through this," Ed Parze wrote on Facebook on Thursday. Stephanie Parze's ex-boyfriend, John Ozbilgen, who died by apparent suicide on Nov. 22, was named Monday as a suspect in her murder. Ozbilgen's death came before any charges in connection with Stephanie Parze's disappearance, but police did find a suicide note which Monmouth County Prosecutor Christoper Gramiccioni said "reaffirmed" his "responsibility" for her death. Ed Parze's Thursday Facebook post addressed his daughter directly, saying, "When I'm at my worst, Momma is at her strongest and when she's at her worst it seems my strength appears." A sober morning here in freehold, as people arrive for the Funeral Services for Stephanie Parze. @njnntv pic.twitter.com/BUvW0ZUvuJ Heather Fordham (@heatherfordham_) January 31, 2020 "You are so loved baby girl," he said. "You will live in everyone's hearts forever and ever. We will make sure your legacy lives on." Ed Parze said Monday that his family plans to launch a foundation to bring "awareness to battered women and missing people." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Northampton Countys election commission voted Thursday to recommend against buying new electronic pollbooks in time for Pennsylvanias April 28, 2020, primary election. County Executive Lamont McClure's administration says the ePollbooks are critical to meeting new state election timelines, including the deadline to register to vote that's been pushed back from 30 to 15 days before an election. They would also save time on ensuring anyone who votes by mail doesn't vote again at a polling place. Without the ePollbooks, the countys elections office will be working for weeks just to get unofficial results tallied, Director of Administration Charles Dertinger said. That would mean the county will miss the states tighter deadline to complete the post-election canvas of votes required to certify the vote, he said. County council has the final say on the purchase and is scheduled to take up the matter Feb. 6 with a narrow window to make a decision ahead of the primary. Council President Ron Heckman attended Thursdays election commission meeting and noted he has yet to even see the ePollbook proposal. Dertinger said it was being sent to council members Thursday. "We're in a time crunch," Heckman said. "That's definitely a problem." The administration is recommending the county buy the ePollbooks from Tampa, Florida-based Tenex Software Solutions Inc. at a cost of about $250,000, plus around $40,000 in annual support costs. The paper pollbooks are said to cost about $15,000 to print each election. With ePollbooks, poll workers can see in real-time whether a voter is eligible to vote at a particular polling place. Voters would sign using their finger on a special iPad. The countys printer cant get complete paper pollbooks ready under the tighter election timelines included in Act 77 that overhauled Pennsylvania election law, Dertinger said. Election commission Chairwoman Maudeania Hornik said the county would have to print out supplemental lists of voters who register after the paper books are prepared. The delay in getting election results will come from cross-checking votes at polling places against mail-in ballots available to any resident under Act 77, not just absentee voters, and provisional ballots, Dertinger has said. This is the only way for us to make sure were not counting votes twice, said Amy Cozze, the countys chief election registrar. Hornik said she researched other counties' use of ePollbooks and found only six of 67 counties in Pennsylvania have adopted them. "My recommendation is for us to be patient," Hornik said on the decision to buy the ePollbooks, which neighboring Lehigh County has used for six years. Dertinger said he appreciates "the sentiment," but noted that candidates on election night want to know which speech to prepare and voters want to know who won. Problems with electronic tabulating on new touchscreen, paper-ballot machines last election delayed the release of election results until the following morning, frustrating campaigns and the public alike. "I didn't see a modicum of patience," Dertinger said. Commission member Daniel Lopresti reiterated concerns about cybersecurity raised when the advisory body first discussed the ePollbook purchase a week ago. Commission member Gail Preuninger cast the lone vote Thursday to recommend their purchase. Opposed along with Hornik and Lopresti were commission members Alan Brau and Frank DeVito. Editors note: This article was updated to correct the date of Northampton County Councils meeting to consider the electronic pollbook proposal. A committee review is scheduled 3:30 p.m. Feb. 6, followed by a possible council resolution vote at 6:30 p.m., both in county councils meeting room on the third floor of the courthouse/government center in Easton. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. DETROIT (TNS) Izzy stood on a light blue mat, as 16-year-old Marley placed her left hand on the top of the Goldendoodles head and turned to face the juvenile court referee. The teen listened as a probation officer spoke to the Macomb County Juvenile Court referee. She occasionally petted Izzy or glanced at her, and sat calmly, as the pooch silently laid on her mat beside the teens seat at a table. Izzy was present when Marley learned the referee was going to release her from the countys juvenile justice center and place her on intensive probation. Though the teens mom was sitting on the other side of her, Marley said Izzy was more comfort there. I didnt feel so alone. Thats one of the goals of the juvenile courts new therapy dog program, which started in October. Izzy provides comfort and stress relief to youths and their families who are receiving services, particularly those who are vulnerable, fragile or anxious victims or litigants. We deal with a lot of kids with mental health problems. Court itself is kinda scary for those kids. She can be in on the office visit or a calming influence in the courtroom, said Nicole Faulds, juvenile division administrator. She said Izzy who was rescued from a hoarding situation and was recommended by the countys chief animal control officer because of her temperament has reduced stress for some children and built rapport with others, particularly those who have experienced trauma in their lives. Izzy is handled by Amy Mitchell, a case work supervisor for the court, and comes to work daily with her since she finished training. The use of trained dogs and handlers in criminal justice settings including courthouses, prosecuting attorneys offices, child advocacy centers and domestic violence programs is a growing trend. As of December, there were 234 accredited facility dogs working in legal agencies in 40 states, as well as in Canada, Australia, Chile and Europe, according to Courthouse Dogs Foundation. Two are accredited through the group in Michigan: the Leelanau County Prosecutors Office in Suttons Bay and the Sexual Assault Services of Calhoun County in Battle Creek. There also are an untold number of other dogs providing support in these types of settings, including dozens in Michigan. Ellen ONeill-Stephens, a retired deputy prosecuting attorney in Seattle and founder of Courthouse Dogs Foundation, said she saw a lot of emotional trauma that people suffered with while involved in an investigation and testifying in court. This is one way to mitigate that trauma, she said. Especially for children, its very important they go through this without causing additional lifelong trauma. The growth of dogs in legal areas is happening despite reports that some judges and defense attorneys have raised concerns about dogs in courtrooms, potentially bringing bias against the defendant or prejudicing juries. In a 2018 article in the Chicago Tribune, a Denver defense lawyer said he has unsuccessfully fought the use of dogs in criminal trials several times. The lawyer, Christopher Decker, told the newspaper that he believes it distracts jurors from determining the truthfulness of the testimony, tends to engender sympathy and is highly prejudicial. ONeill-Stephens said she is trying to use her groups model to set the standard in this area so the presence of the handler nor the dog should create a problem on appeal or be unfair to the defendant. Personally, Ive had defense attorneys say its not fair to their client, said Dan Cojanu, program director and founder of Canine Advocacy Program in West Bloomfield, which has 29 dogs working in courts in Oakland County and throughout Michigan. If you look at the flip side, if you prepare a child properly to testify, theyll get the opportunity to cross-examine this child. If the child is upset, rolls into a ball and is crying, its not good for their client, either. Were offering a service for everyone, said Cojanu, a retired victim advocate supervisor with the Oakland County Prosecutors Office. When a child is up there and theyre not as anxious as they were coming in, theyre going to be able to give the information and answer the questions everybody wants. The Lake County Public Defenders Office in Illinois was the first and may still be the only public defenders office in the country to have a dog, starting in 2018, said Keith Grant, chief of the offices Guardian ad Litem Division. He said the Lake County States Attorneys Office also has two dogs. When Grants office has clients in need, especially delinquents and those in abuse and neglect cases in non-trial settings, the certified facility dog, Simba, helps calm them. He said Simba has been in interviews and courtroom settings, but not trials. Juveniles waiting for a case to be called have petted Simba; and in one surprising instance, a very agitated juvenile smiled and petted the dog during his entire proceeding. Everybody in the room was like something had just exploded, Grant recalled. He was gonna blow up the court, yell and scream, and tell the judge his mind before Simba came in and changed the entire thing. Since then, the juvenile has worked more with the office and is formulating plans for his future, Grant said. The Labrador retriever gives the youth a reason to come in. Thats the kind of thing he can do, Grant said of Simba. Amber Depuydt-Goodlock, supervisor of the Child Advocacy Center Program at Sexual Assault Services/Bronson Battle Creek, said the dog she handles Matty has helped ease many kids through the legal system over the years. Matty, a cross between a golden retriever and a Labrador, has been in counseling settings and at courts, waiting with victims before they testify. He now primarily works in the Child Advocacy Center, greeting children when they arrive and spending time with them before they leave. When they leave, the last memory of the case is not things that happened with them, Depuydt-Goodlock said, but time they spent with Matty. Michigan statute allows for a courtroom support dog, meaning a dog that has been trained and evaluated as a support dog pursuant to the Assistance Dogs International Standards for guide or service work and that is repurposed and appropriate for providing emotional support to children and adults within the court or legal system or that has performed the duties of a courtroom support dog prior to Sept. 27, 2018. It allows a courtroom support dog and its handler to be with, or in close proximity to, children and vulnerable adults during testimony. A notice of intent to use a courtroom support dog is required if the dog is to be used during trial, but not during other courtroom proceedings. A court must rule on a motion objecting to the use of a courtroom support dog before the date when the witness needs to use the dog, according to the statute. In 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals in a 2-1 ruling overturned a sexual assault conviction because an adult complainant was allowed to testify with a support dog and its handler. It stated there was legal precedent to allow children and developmentally disabled adults to testify with a support dog, but not a fully abled adult. ONeill-Stephens, with Courthouse Dogs Foundation, said the ruling was complete nonsense. While state laws may vary on the use of dogs in court, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas announced on his website that the Senate passed his Courthouse Dogs Act, which could clarify federal judges authority to allow certified facility dogs in courtrooms during legal proceedings. The act allows for any party in a federal criminal proceeding to request an order authorizing an available certified courthouse dog to accompany a witness while testifying in federal court, according to Cornyns website. It states that in order to be certified facility dogs, they must have graduated from an assistance dog organization that is a member of an internationally recognized assistance dog association whose primary purpose is based on excellence in the areas of dog acquisition, training and placement. The dog also must be accompanied by a trainer who is trained to manage the dog and has knowledge about the legal and criminal justice processes. The act was supported by Courthouse Dogs Foundation among others. Twenty-four dogs are registered as courthouse therapy dogs in courts throughout western Michigan, with four more in training through West Michigan Therapy Dogs, Kent County Circuit Court Chief Judge Pro Tem Kathleen Feeney said. She said the dogs help ease childrens fears, allowing them to stand up and tell their story things you and I dont want to tell as adults. A 39-year-old woman was arrested in a shooting that killed a teen nearly 15 years ago while he slept in an Antioch apartment following a dispute between the suspect and men she believed were rival gang members, authorities said Thursday. Officers from Antioch and Pittsburg police took Candice Carter into custody Thursday afternoon with a high-risk arrest warrant after determining she was responsible for the death of 17-year-old Edgar Martinez, who is not believed to have played any role in the original argument. Police officials said the conflict started on March 27, 2005, when Carter argued with a group of men she thought were rival gang members on the 300 block of West 20th Street in Antioch. Carter allegedly returned about 11:37 p.m. with two men and fired into Martinezs West 20th Street apartment, striking him in the chest as he slept next to his father. At least one other person is suspected of firing shots and authorities said they expect to make more arrests. The Chronicle reported at the time that Martinez had recently arrived in the U.S. from Mexico and worked in construction to send money to his mother and brother in Michoacan. A dozen or more bullets were fired into the apartment building, where Martinez and his father lived with cousins, one of whom was a Sureno gang member who had trouble with local Nortenos, according to several people The Chronicle interviewed at the time. Officials booked Carter into the Martinez Detention Facility on $2 million bail. Antioch police credited the arrest to advancements in technology and help from the community. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Chief Tammany Brooks III declined to comment on the ongoing investigation, but lauded his detectives persistence. I will just say our detectives have been doing an amazing job of constantly reviewing cold cases, following up on new leads, and utilizing advances in DNA and technology to give life to previously stalled investigations, Brooks said. Alejandro Serrano is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alejandro.serrano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @serrano_alej Sicilian cultural sites among most visited in Italy Valley of the Temples, ancient theater Taormina among top 7 (ANSAmed) - PALERMO, JANUARY 31 - The Valley of the Temples in Agrigento and the Ancient Theater of Taormina are among Italy's most-visited sites, above the Egyptian Museum, Turin's Venaria Reale, the Reggia of Caserta, Villa Adriana and Villa D'Este in Tivoli, according to data released on Friday by the regional cultural department led by Sergio Alessandro. Siracusa was at the top with the la Villa del Casale of Piazza Armerina, the parks of Segesta and Selinunte and the Cloister of Monreale. The cultural ministry in recent days released a national ranking without including Sicilian sites, due to the region's autonomy in the sector. Seven Sicilian locations were among the top 37 most visited destinations in Italy. They included the archeological park of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, which in 2019 attracted more than 940,000 visitors, the Ancient Theater of Taormina, with just under 890,000 visitors, close to the colosseum in Rome, the Uffizi in Florence and the archeological park of Pompeii. The archaeological park of Neapolis in Siracusa had nearly 700,000 visitors ahead of the archaeological museum of Naples, the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the archaeological park of Paestum, the Pinacoteca in Brera and the royal museum in Turin, registering significant growth also thanks to recent measures implemented by the regional government that has reorganized the system of archaeological parks. ''Sicily's culture and sites like archaeological parks, museums, galleries, libraries - stressed Governor Nello Musumeci - are a common heritage that needs to be preserved and valorized. They certainly are places that need to attract tourism and create a productive and employment cycle while being an integral part of the territory, its identity, and generate our community's civil growth''. (ANSAmed). A border battle within the tolls battle is brewing at the state Capitol even as the fate of tolls remains unclear. A handful of New York elected officials signed up early to testify in a public hearing Friday at the Legislative Office Building, to speak against a single toll within Governor Ned Lamonts transportation plan that would primarily affect New York drivers. Bedford Town Supervisor Chris Burdick and Barbara DiGiacinto, representing the town supervisor of the Town Of North Castle, New York, arrived at the Capitol early in the day but were not called to begin their testimony until after 6 p.m. For over 64 years, New York has not requested nor received financial contributions from Connecticut with respect to the maintenance of the roadway or with respect to the emergency calls, Burdick said in his plea for Connecticut lawmakers to remove the proposed toll from the plan. New York lawmaker, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, submitted written testimony opposing the toll, and has previously instructed County Attorney John Nonna to consider suing Connecticut if the plan moved forward. The toll would be placed on a bridge on Interstate-684 in Greenwich where the highway crosses the Byram River but has no on or off ramps in the state of Connecticut, has been a sore subject between lawmakers in the neighboring states, even prompting New York lawmakers to threaten retaliatory tolls on Connecticut drivers. Lamont isnt backing down on the toll that is estimated would generate roughly 85 percent of its revenue from out-of-state drivers. The money raised would go toward the $13 million needed to repair the bridge there, according to Lamonts transportation plan. Rep. Harry Arora, R-Greenwich, testified against the tolls bill in one of his first acts as a state Representative after winning a special election Jan. 21. He didnt specifically criticize the I-684 toll, but said, an overwhelming majority of residents in my district are agains tolls. In 1966, New York and Connecticut passed an agreement that New York would pay to maintain and patrol the 1.5 mile stretch of I-684 that passes through Connecticut, while Connecticut would pay to maintain the bridge and associated costs. The governor kept the controversial toll in place even after he downsized the plan he rolled out in the fall, in favor of tolling large trucks only. New York lawmakers said truck drivers would avoid the toll by rerouting onto local roads. The highway crosses through a corner of Greenwich for about 1.5 miles, but New York handles snowplowing on the entirety of I-684, including the Connecticut stretch, and New York State Police troopers patrol the highway, which travels 28.4 miles and connects I-84 in Brewster, New York, near Danbury, to I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkway in White Plains, New York. The Connecticut General Assembly could vote on tolls as soon as the week of Feb. 10, top Democrats said Friday. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) CMD Kapil Wadhawan, arrested in a money laundering case involving gangster Iqbal Mirchi, has been hospitalized and undergoing tests for suspected swine flu, his lawyer told a court here on Friday. Wadhawan was admitted to the state-run J J Hospital here after he was diagnosed with lower respiratory tract infection and hypertension on Thursday. He was not produced before the special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act on Friday after the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) ended. The central agency didn't press for his further remand. Judge Prashant Rajvaidaya sent Wadhawan in judicial custody till February 3 or till he is discharged from the hospital, whichever is earlier. During the hearing, Wadhawan's lawyer Amit Desai told the court that his client was being tested for suspected swine flu. Desai requested the court that Wadhawan should not be shifted from the ICU so as to avoid spread of the disease. The court said it will hear his bail plea on Monday. In a related development, the Bombay High Court refused to grant any relief to Wadhawan on his plea challenging his ED custody. His lawyer argued that as long as person is cooperating with the probe, there is no need for arrest. The agency's lawyer Hiten Venegaonkar opposed the plea and sought time to file an affidavit in reply. Justice A M Bader then adjourned the matter to Monday. Wadhawan (46) was arrested by the ED in a money laundering case involving dead gangster Iqbal Mirchi on Monday. According to the ED, he created shell companies and diverted money which was used to buy properties belonging to Mirchi, late aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, in south Mumbai's Worli area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man who was caught in possession of over 4,300 images of child pornography and distributed a video of child pornography via email has been jailed for 18 months. Kevin Maguire (29) sent an email with an attachment depicting an approximately 10-year-old girl being orally raped by an adult man to two separate email addresses. He has no previous convictions. Maguire of The Hedgerow, Foxrock, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography at Castlefarm, Shankill, on May 7, 2015 and to distribution of child pornography at the same address on an unknown date between August 2, 2011 and October 22, 2011. Passing sentence today Judge Melanie Greally said the volume of images was very substantial and it was evident Maguire was accumulating the material over a four year period, which only came to an end when he was detected. Judge Greally said that there had been a three year delay in analysing the material due to a lack of resources. She noted that Maguire has been assessed as being at a low risk of re-offending and has been in a committed relationship for two-and-a-half years. She said that bearing in mind the ease of which child pornographic material was accessible and the high volume of material in this case, it was her view that the principle of general deterrence could not be achieved other than with a custodial sentence. Judge Greally sentenced Maguire to two years' imprisonment, but suspended the final six months of the sentence on strict conditions. At an earlier sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Bernard Dunne told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that on foot of information received from Interpol regarding the exchange of images on a Russian website, the IP address of a Hotmail account, associated with a user name on the website, was traced to Shankill. Det Gda Dunne said that on the date in May 2015, gardai searched the house where the accused lived with his parents. Maguire admitted he had child pornography on his computer and two laptops were seized for analysis. The first laptop contained 1,070 images and 55 videos of child pornography. This material included both boys and girls ranging in age from babies of a few months old to teenagers under the age of 17 being sexually abused and with their genitals exposed. Gardai also discovered records of search terms directed towards finding child pornography and records of the Russian website being accessed. The second laptop contained 3,310 images and 65 videos of child pornography. This material included boys and girls of the same age range being sexually abused and with their genitals exposed. An email was sent from this laptop with a file attached to two email addresses. The file was a seven minute video depicting an approximately 10 year old girl being orally raped by an adult man. Det Gda Dunne agreed with Philip Rahn BL, defending, that there was no suggestion of contact with children or financial transactions in this case. He agreed the distribution charge related to the sending of the email and Maguire was not a systematic distributor for gain. Mr Rahn said his client attended counselling and group therapy following the search of his then home in 2015. He said his client had spent the last five years with this case hanging over his head. Judge Greally noted that there was no need to pay for child pornography when it was so easy to access and so many people were quite happy to trade the material. The Herald reports: A white supremacist jailed for sharing disturbing footage of the Christchurch mosque shootings has been banned from the citys two mosques and from having any contact with all Muslims. Philip Neville Arps, 45, who was sentenced to 21 months in prison last June for spreading disturbing footage of the Al Noor Mosque massacre, will be released from custody today. Arps will be electronically monitored with a GPS tracker, an ankle bracelet that will trigger alerts if he enters exclusion zones around Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Masjid in Christchurch where the shootings happened. These seem like sensible restrictions. Arps is a neo-Nazi. He isnt just a critic of Islam (which is legitimate), but he hates Muslims. He celebrated the mosque massacre and asked for a kill count to be added to the video. Judge ODriscoll today approved extra special release conditions, which includes a ban on Arps entering or loitering near any mosque, prayer room, or any other place where the Muslim community congregates, without prior written approval from his probation officer. The Christchurch businessman, who owns a Nazi-themed insulation company, is also not allowed to contact or associate with any Muslims without approval. Presumably this means deliberate contact, not accidental such as being in a supermarket at the same time etc. Arps, who does not hold a gun licence and has more than 30 previous criminal convictions for indecent assault, guns, drugs, burglary, and fraud, is also not allowed to possess or use firearms, or to be involved in airsoft or BB gun activities. Sounds like hell be back in prison sooner or later. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Irish author Declan Henrys new book Forbidden Fruit: Life and Catholicism in Contemporary Ireland looks at what he calls the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church towards the LGBT community. He spoke with Donal OKeeffe There's a lovely line at the start of Declan Henrys book, Forbidden Fruit: Life and Catholicism in Contemporary Ireland. I sometimes wonder if Im Irish anymore, he writes, when I compare Ireland now to how I remember it from my adolescence and early adulthood. Speaking on the phone from London, his home for over 30 years, Henry says he still feels very much a part of Ireland, and is a frequent visitor here. Im originally from Co Sligo. I grew up on a farm in the west of Ireland, doing my Leaving Cert in 1981, so I got the full blast of Irish Catholicism. Henry says that when he began writing his book, he had thought he knew all about the decline in the Catholic Church in Ireland following the clerical sex abuse scandals, but he says he was shocked to learn the extent of that collapse. Its a really crumbling empire, its pretty much on its knees, and I perhaps didnt realise the extent of the disinterest rather than disdain in Catholicism these days. There are a lot of middle-aged people I spoke with who said Its a habit, we go to Mass, but the enthusiasm isnt there. The purpose of Henrys book, he says, was to ask why the Catholic Church produced so many paedophile priests, and to look at what he calls its hypocrisy toward the LGBT community. Of Pope Francis he says: Hes not a stupid man, and by papal standards hes very popular and likeable, but he can say incredibly foolish things. He has been known to say gay men arent welcome in the priesthood. There are 400,000 priests in the world, probably less than 4,000 in Ireland. If you look at the statistics, at least 60% of Catholic priests are gay, so if gay men arent welcome, thats a lot of priests who should be packing their cases tonight and leaving their parishes. Might Francis have meant gay men who are not celibate, the same as heterosexual priests are unwelcome if not celibate? Perhaps, but I think theres still that distorted view of gay men, that theyre all promiscuous, that they will bring scandal on the Church; and some of the older priests would not be able to differentiate between homosexuality and paedophilia. Henry says his research shows the Catholic Church has a reputation for accepting men who would be battling what he calls internalised homophobia, men uncomfortable with their sexuality. The priests that Ive spoken with, very well-educated men, they would have gone through all that training in the seminary and sex was never, ever mentioned. Young men, 17 and 18, going into the priesthood had to just park their sexuality at the door, and from that moment onward they never had any freedom to express any intimacy. It was a forbidden aspect. You can only imagine the years and years of profound loneliness and repression, and the compulsory celibacy, you wonder what it leads to, and did lead to, and can still lead to. One of the things I wanted to do in this book was to look at the reasons for paedophilia. I think the church is reluctant to engage in debate around the reasons for paedophilia because there are psychological studies which state that celibacy leads to an unhealthy and perverted pathology about sex, intimacy etc. The change in Ireland, especially since the 2015 marriage equality referendum, has been phenomenal, Henry feels. I talk in the book about meeting a gay priest who had come out during that referendum. I went to one of his Masses, and it was one of the best-attended Masses that Ive been to in Ireland in recent years. Hes had no problems with his parishioners accepting him as a celibate gay priest. "I think hes a very good role model to other gay priests who might be thinking about coming out. Declan Henry Might those parishioners have been so accepting, though, were the priest not celibate? Thats difficult to know, but given how progressive Ireland is now, you wonder how that would go. Everybody has somebody in their family who is LGBT. People are not so removed. "We have uncles, sisters, cousins. I had grand-uncles who werent married. Its the same in every family. Itsalways been there. In conversation, Henry is enthusiastic and engaging. When advised that a passing reference in his book to Irelands myriad abortion referendums confuses the 1983 Eighth Amendment with the 2018 36th Amendment, which repealed the Eighth, the author is apologetic and promises to amend the error in the second edition. He describes himself as still on good terms with the Catholic Church, even though he has lapsed: I think we just have to have a more realistic, honest debate, particularly about homosexuality in the priesthood. Asked his own religious philosophy, he is sanguine. As a Christian, you have to transcend the Catholic Church and find your own faith, your own God, your own Jesus. And remember that you can read all of the Gospels and you will find that Jesus never once condemned homosexuality. - Forbidden Fruit: Life and Catholicism in Contemporary Ireland is in bookshops now and available on Amazon. The phrase 'elected representatives of Artsakh' has been an internationally accepted term since 1992. This is stated in the commentary of Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Anna Naghdalyan in regard to the meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan held in Geneva. Question: Mrs. Naghdalyan, in your commentary regarding the meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, you stated that Minister Mnatsakanyan has stressed the need for involvement of the selected representatives of the people of Artsakh in the peace process. Can you clarify the definition of the term elected representatives of the people of Artsakh? Answer: The phrase 'elected representatives of Artsakh' has been an internationally acknowledged term since 1992. The authorities of Artsakh have participated in the peace process under that name since 1992. The authorities of Azerbaijan oppose this and consistently restrict the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and oppose the participation of the elected representatives of the people of Artsakh (the authorities) in the peace process. The customers of gold dealership firm Menzgold Company Limited have totally rejected the 36-month payment plan proposed by the company within which it promised to refund their locked-up investments in full. The Public Relations Officer of the Coalition of Aggrieved Customers of Menzgold, Mr Fred Forson, told Joshua Kojo Mensah on Class91.3FMs mid-day news on Thursday, 19 December 2019 that: We do not believe in it, we totally reject it. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the troubled company said it will, from 27 December 2019, begin paying its clients locked-up investments. Payments start on Friday, 27 December 2019 with funds at hand now, as we proceed to go recover the debt owed Menzgold overseas, especially in Dubai and Europe, to augment the kitty, so as the payment sessions continue, the company said in a statement. It added that the claims shall be settled in full and shall be subject to an invitation from the companys legal team. The statement noted that payments will be based on a formula and schedule, saying: Payments shall be made strictly following a 'reverse mechanism', which implies from the last day [month] of our business operations to the very first day when our business commenced. Thus; from 12 September 2018 to 18 March 2013. To this end, Menzgold said it will start to settle all investors transactions in September 2018 and those who did not access any extra values. Menzgold said it is committed to settling all claims in not more than 36 months, as it follows, strictly, the reverse payment mechanism. The company, however, expressed worry that its assets remain frozen, saying neither can it access any of our offices nationwide nor credit or debit any bank account in Ghana. In view of these constraints, our lawyers shall agree with the claimants, upon invitation, as to where and how to legally receive payment. Menzgold appealed to its customers to cooperate with them in carrying out the payments. However, barely 24 hours after issuing that statement, Menzgolds lawyers, Kwame Akuffo & Co. Unlimited, issued a statement saying it lacked the capacity to make any payments on behalf of the company. After rejecting the payment plan, Mr Forson told Class News that: We are meeting this morning then well take a decision on it, because we already sounded the warning that we had wanted him [CEO Nana Appiah Mensah] to meet with us but if he was not ready to meet with us, it means whatever he brings should be in the interest of all the customers where we called for the 100 per cent and total payment of all customers before the end of the year. But what he has brought, a 36-month payment plan, Mr Forson noted, is even unsustainable because he is not able to even tell us the source of funds that he is going to use to pay the money. He added: Even just a moment after he himself brought out the payment plan, his lawyer, who he said was the person who is going to pay the customers, has come out to say that he has nothing to do with that, he doesnt have the capacity. Source: classfmonline.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 Leader of the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register [IPRAN], Bernard Mornah, has said the coalition was advised to seek further advise from former Presidents, John Agyekum Kufour and John Dramani Mahama when they called on former President Jerry John Rawlings to seek his counsel. The coalition led by the People's National Convention [PNC] National Chairman, Bernard Mornah, met the two former Presidents [yet to meet John Mahama] on the brouhaha surrounding the compilation of the new voters register ahead of the December 7, polls. According to the group, the Electoral Commissions refusal to listen to wise counsel particularly from persons who have participated in the electoral process for a very long time has led to very painful but wrong decisions. Speaking on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie, Mr Mornah raised concerns of excessive funds that will be used for the compilation and the possibility of disenfranchising about eight million [8m] Ghanaians. This will bring chaos in the country, he told host Mac-Jerry Osei Agyemang. Bernard Mornah prayed the EC will at least heed to advice from the former leaders to call off the compilation process. We must all come to one agreement to save the nation, he noted. Listen to interview below . . . Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Irish politician who went viral after cutting off Nigel Farages microphone in the European Parliament says some of his party colleagues disagreed with his actions. Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness, who is First Vice-President of the European Parliament, turned off Mr Farages mic mid-sentence during a speech about leaving the EU this week, for disobeying parliament rules by waving a Union flag. Ms McGuinness can be heard saying: Please sit down, resume your seats, put your flags away, youre leaving. And take them with you if youre leaving now. Goodbye. The video immediately went viral on social media with both criticism and praise for Ms McGuinness, who says she was duty bound by the rules of the chamber to cut off the Brexit Party leader. The reason I cut the mic off was to stop a circus, its a parliament, not a circus, she said. Politics is a serious business and Nigel Farage has used the platform of our parliament to destroy the European Union. If by doing what I did reinforces the dignity of the parliament, thats my job. Chairing the Parliaments debate on the #Brexit Withdrawal Agreement before the final vote this evening. Follow online: https://t.co/BaUSn1uzIO pic.twitter.com/sqd29vQ3Vv Mairead McGuinness (@McGuinnessEU) January 29, 2020 I would say that afterwards, some of the people in his grouping came over and said that they disliked what he did and that he did it. When youre not in the chamber it can be hard to judge the moment, but I have to judge the moment carefully, and we have a rule in the house that no flags are to be shown except the two behind the podium, and the president insists on that, and Im under orders. On whether she would miss Mr Farage in the parliament, Ms McGuinness said that Europe should be worried that this is not the end of Mr Farage. I dont think Ive seen the back of him, she said. Because I think hes going to continue, just not in the European Parliament. If you listen to what Nigel Farage says, hes not going to stop now, hes not retiring, hes going to keep going not just in the UK but right throughout the European Union, so the challenge we face might be greater from a European perspective. Im sure Nigel doesnt care whether I miss him or not. On the wider level I think well miss the UK colleagues hugely, particularly those who are from the pro-European parties. An American Airlines Airbus A321 plane takes off from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, U.S. on March 28, 2018. (Mike Blake/Reuters) Pilots, Flight Attendants Demand Flights to China to Stop as Virus Fear Mounts Worldwide CHICAGO/PARISPilots and flight attendants are demanding airlines to stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus, with American Airlines pilots filing a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt. The coronavirus has spread to 18 countries, mostly, presumably, by airline passengers. The United States has advised its citizens not to travel to China, raising its warning to the same level as those for Iraq and Afghanistan. U.S. airlines, which have been reducing flights to China this week, were reassessing flying plans as a result, according to people familiar with the matter. It is possible the White House could opt to take further action to bar flights to China in coming days, but officials stressed that no decision has been made. The Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents American Airlines pilots, cited serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus in a lawsuit filed in Texas, where the airline is based. American said it was taking precautions against the virus but had no immediate comment on the lawsuit. On Jan. 29, it announced flight cancellations from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai, but is continuing flights from Dallas. APA President Eric Ferguson urged pilots assigned to U.S.-China flights to decline the assignment. In a statement, the American Airlines flight attendants union said they supported the pilots lawsuit and called on the company and the U.S. government to err on the side of caution and halt all flights to and from China. Pilots at United Airlines, the largest U.S. airline to China, concerned for their safety will be allowed to drop their trip without pay, according to a Wednesday memo from their union to members. United announced on Thursday another 332 U.S.-China flight cancellations between February and March 28, though it will continue operating round trip flights from San Francisco to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. The American Airlines pilot lawsuit came as an increasing number of airlines stopped their flights to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germanys Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. Other major carriers have kept flying to China, but protective masks and shorter layovers designed to reduce exposure have done little to reassure crews. Countdown A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern is catching the virus and spreading it to families, or getting quarantined while on a layover.I didnt understand the gravity of the situation until I went there, she said on condition of anonymity, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. Now I feel like Im on a 14-day countdown. Thai Airways is hosing its cabins with disinfectant spray between China flights and allowing crew to wear masks and gloves. Delta Air Lines is operating fewer flights and offering food deliveries so crew can stay in their hotels. The carrier is also allowing pilots to drop China trips without pay, a memo from its union to members said. Korean Air Lines Co. Ltd. and Singapore Airlines are sending additional crew to fly each plane straight back, avoiding overnight stays. The South Korean carrier also said it was loading protective suits for flight attendants who might need to take care of suspected coronavirus cases in the air. Airlines in Asia are seeing a big drop in bookings along with forced cancellations because of the coronavirus outbreak, the head of aircraft lessor Avolon Holdings Ltd. said, adding the impact could last for some months. The outbreak poses the biggest epidemic threat to the airline industry since the 2003 SARS crisis, which led to a 45 percent plunge in passenger demand in Asia at its peak in April of that year, analysts said. Fitch Ratings said airlines with more moderate exposure to China and the Asia-Pacific region were likely to be able to re-deploy capacity to alternative routes to mitigate the effect on traffic, but that could increase competition on those routes and reduce airfares. Air France, which maintained China flights throughout the SARS epidemic, suspended its Beijing and Shanghai flights on Thursday after cabin crews demanded an immediate halt. When the staff see that other airlines have stopped flying there, their reaction is Why are we still going?,' said Flore Arrighi, president of UNAC, one of the airlines four main flight attendants unions. By Tracy Rucinski and Laurence Frost All India Sainik Schools entrance exam (AISSEE) 2020 results for class 6 and 9 have been released on its official website. Candidates can check their results on its official website at https://www.sainikschooladmission.in/ The PDF released on the website carries a list of roll numbers of candidates who have qualified for the admission. The selected candidates are shortlisted for the next phase of exam i.e., the medical examination. The written exams were conducted on January 5, 2020 at various centres of India. The final roll number- wise merit list and admit card will be uploaded on the website from February 3 to February 7, 2020. Medical examination will be held from February 20 to March 10, 2020. The merit list and waiting list will be published on March 20. The admission process will be done from March 28 to 30, 2020. AISSE Sainik School Results 2020: Heres how check Visit the official website of the Sainik school of your region Click on Admissions tab Click on the AISSEE Click on Results of Class 6 or 9 The merit list of shortlisted students will open Check for your name and roll number Download and take its print out. Click here to check the addresses of various centre SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Boston)--For the first time, researchers describe the genetic program behind primordial lung progenitors--embryonic cells that give rise to all the cells that form the lining of the respiratory system after birth. They believe this study has long-term implications for the treatment of diseases affecting the respiratory system, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and cystic fibrosis. Diseases affecting the lungs are not easily treatable and result in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Specialized stem cells with the potential to self-renew have been proposed as a critical component of tissue homeostasis for many organs, including the lung. Similar cells can be engineered in vitro and used in the future in cell replacement therapies for respiratory diseases. Using a genetically modified experimental model, researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) of Boston University and Boston Medical Center, were able to isolate and describe the genetic program of the earliest lung progenitor cells and understand the signals that instruct them. They then used computational methods that helped them define how similar their engineered lung cells are to the in vivo progenitors. "Our findings define in great detail a rare, transient cell, namely the primordial lung progenitor. The knowledge generated from this study will be of great value in the derivation of human primordial lung progenitors in culture, since the equivalent stage in human lung development is not accessible," explained corresponding author Laertis Ikonomou, PhD, assistant professor of molecular and translational medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Respiratory system diseases, such as COPD, cystic fibrosis and lung interstitial disease severely affect quality of life. "We hope that our findings will eventually lead to more protocols for, transplantable lung epithelial cells for treatment of such diseases and for drug development," added Ikonomou. This work is the result of close collaboration with the laboratory of Darrell N. Kotton, MD, director of the CReM (last and co-corresponding author). Other coauthors include BU investigators Michael J. Herriges, PhD; Sara L. Lewandowski, PhD; Robert Marsland III, PhD; Carlos Villacorta-Martin, PhD; Ignacio S. Caballero, MBA; Reeti M. Sanghrajka, PhD, Keri Dame, PhD; Maciej M. Ka?du?a, PhD; Julia Hicks-Berthet; Matthew L. Lawton; Constantina Christodoulou, PhD; Eric Kolaczyk, PhD; Xaralabos Varelas, PhD and Pankaj Mehta, PhD. University of Pennsylvania investigators David B. Frank, PhD and Edward E. Morrisey, PhD; John M. Shannon, PhD from Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Attila J. Fabian from Biogen. These findings appear online in the journal Nature Communications. ### Funding for this study was provided by a Boston University Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) training grant (S.L.L) (TL1TR001410). M.M.K. is a Marshall Plan Scholar supported by the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation. R.M. and P.M. were supported by NIH NIGMS grant 1R35GM119461 and a Simons Investigator Award in the Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems (MMLS) to P.M. L.I. was supported by NIH grants (R01 HL111574, R01 HL124280), a chILD Foundation/American Thoracic Society award, an Evans Junior Faculty Research Merit Award and a CTSI Pilot Award (1UL1TR001430). D.N.K. was supported by NIH grants U01HL134745, R01HL095993, R01DK105029, R01GM122096, R01HL122442, R01HL128172, and U01HL134766. The Rodgers family run a 280-acre pedigree and commercial beef farm between Ballynahinch and Dromara in the Mourne Mountains. Geoff (49) inherited the farm from his father and runs it with his wife Lizzie (44), who is also a special needs classroom assistant at Spa Primary School, and their three children Emma (22), Martin (20) and 14-year-old Lucy. They look after 300 Limousin, Charolais, Blonde, Shorthorn and British Blue cattle. Geoff shares the concerns of many local farmers as the UK leaves the EU without a negotiated agreement. "Some farmers are hopeful about Brexit but I'm not one of them. I'm afraid of inferior products coming into the UK from other countries," he said. "I know the politicians are trying to do trade deals with various countries for other parts of the industry but I hope farming won't be sacrificed because of that. "We're leaving without a deal and it will take a few years for everything to be worked out, but there's that added uncertainty as we try to plan years ahead in terms of the breeding of our cows." He added: "The costs in this industry certainly haven't got any easier in recent years and we have seen increased prices in terms of diesel and fertiliser due to the currency exchange rates. "There are other contributing factors like the single farm payment being less but, in our experience, beef prices have come back a bit, but not in terms of suckler calves." Lizzie says the absence of an Assembly at Stormont for three years has been an added stress and in that time she has seen many beef farmers leaving the sector. "During the time we had no government here, there was no direction or planning for the years ahead in terms of what the subsidies will be which we need, otherwise beef production is finished," she explained. "Unfortunately, we know of so many beef farmers in Northern Ireland who have sold out because they could no longer make ends meet. "We don't want to encourage our own children to go into full-time beef farming as they will need another income to support them. "We have brought them up to go and seek their own careers in the hope they will all come back to the farm because it's still a great way of life. "Geoff and I want to continue doing a good enough job that we won't have to sell up and this farm will still be here for our family in the future." DAYTON, Ohio, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Winsupply Inc., one of the nation's largest distributors, has opened Quad Cities Winwater, serving waterworks and utilities contractors in the Quad Cities including eastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Christopher Burgmeier is the president of Quad Cities Winwater. A resident in the area over the past 14 years, Burgmeier has been in the waterworks and utilities industry since 2002. Most recently he was in sales at Lincoln Winwater, a Winsupply company in Nebraska. Before joining Winsupply, he was territory manager for A.Y. McDonald Mfg. Co. based in Dubuque, Iowa. "In addition to his deep knowledge in the waterworks industry, Chris has the entrepreneurial spirit we look for in individuals to lead his own company," said Rob Ferguson, president of Winsupply Local Company Group. "I've learned many things during my 17 years in the waterworks industry," said Burgmeier. "One of the most important things is the customer is the boss. I want to develop a partnership with our customers and help them grow their business and be successful." The Quad Cities Winwater location has been operating as part of Lincoln Winwater, whose president is Eric Leatherman, for the past year. The location is now a separate company with Winsupply Inc. as majority owner and Burgmeier as minority owner. In the Winsupply co-ownership business model, Winsupply Inc. has majority equity in each of its locations, while the local company presidents and sometimes employees own substantial equity. With this model, local company presidents have the autonomy and flexibility to decide how best to meet the needs of the customers in their markets. They also share uncapped financial rewards and risks of ownership. Winsupply Inc. provides the local company locations purchasing power, distribution, and other support services such as business consulting, accounting, payroll, IT and marketing. About Winsupply Inc. Winsupply Inc. ( www.winsupplyinc.com ) is a leading supplier of residential and commercial construction and industrial supplies and equipment headquartered in Dayton, Ohio. The privately-held company has more than 600 wholesaling locations in 45 states and offers entrepreneurs the unique opportunity to own a meaningful part of the local business. Collectively, Winsupply is known as "The Winsupply Family of Companies" and includes Win-branded locations, Noland Company, Carr Supply, Security Plumbing & Heating Supply, APCO, and other regional suppliers the company has acquired. In the family are companies conducting business-to-business wholesale distribution of supplies and equipment in plumbing and heating; hydronics; pipe, valves and fittings; HVAC and refrigeration; electrical; fastening hardware; waterworks and utility; pumps; turf irrigation and landscape; and fire system fabrication. Follow Winsupply on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Contact: Winsupply Maury Williams [email protected] 937-531-4554 SOURCE Winsupply Inc. China's top envoy to the United Nations appealed to the international community Thursday for "solidarity" in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said that in this difficult time it is crucial that the international community be united. He addressed a large media gathering at UN headquarters in New York and provided a briefing on measures China has taken in controlling and preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. On Thursday, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The virus had killed 213 people on the Chinese mainland as of Friday morning. Zhang emphasized that the director-general said the main reason for the declaration is "not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries". The organization's greatest concern is "the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it". "WHO continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak", Zhang said, in quoting Tedros, and said "there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade". Tedros also pointed out that the WHO doesn't recommend limiting trade and movement. Zhang said the "director-general's recommendations should be seriously considered". Zhang called for all countries to adopt a responsible attitude, work together to combat the virus, and avoid overreaction. He told the reporters that the Chinese government has always put the lives, health and security of the people first. The government has already adopted "rapid, powerful and scientific" measures. Right now, "the whole nation is in action", Zhang said, adding that China will spare no effort to save lives and curb the virus' spread. "As WHO Director-General Tedros said, China's response is unprecedented," Zhang said. "China has demonstrated its speed, strength and effectiveness and won praise from the international community. "We are confident, and we do think we are capable of defeating this virus and making our lives normal again," the envoy said. "As the situation remains challenging, meanwhile, the measures we have taken are becoming effective, and we are really making progress," he said. He told the media that medical teams from other provinces have arrived in Central China's Hubei province, whose provincial capital, Wuhan, is the epicenter of the outbreak. Medical supplies are being delivered; new hospitals are being built. Zhang said that more than 130 patients have been treated and discharged, including people in their 80s. Moreover, with strict measures controlling the movement of people, the momentum of the virus is being curbed inside and outside China. He said that China has been "open, transparent and responsible" in communications about the outbreak. Zhang said State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has had telephone conversations with his foreign counterparts, and that foreign embassies and consulates will be kept informed through various channels. Journalists from nearly 20 media organizations, including China Daily, Xinhua News Agency, The Associated Press, AFP, Reuters, Kyodo News, Tass, Bloomberg, Al Jazeera and RIA Novosti attended the briefing. Flights connecting Da Lat to mainland China have been canceled to bar novel coronavirus transmission. A Qingdao Airlines plane took off at Lien Khuong Airport in Da Lat, a famous resort town in Vietnams Central Highlands, at 2:50 am on Thursday to bring 175 Chinese tourists back to China, Nguyen Thi Hong Phuong, director of the airdrome, said on Friday. These visitors hail from Gansu, a province in north-central China. The plane operated by the Chinese carrier had landed empty at Lien Khuong to pick up the Chinese passengers. Qingdao Airlines has announced the suspension of its flights to Lien Khuong from February 1 to 9, Phuong said. Lien Khuong used to host flights to the Chinese city of Wuhan the core of an ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak that has infected almost 10,000 people and killed 213 others in China since it was first reported in December but they were ceased on December 20, 2018. Da Lat has stopped taking in Chinese tourists by plane since Thursday morning, given the departure of the 175 passengers. Thermometers have been installed at Lien Khuong to measure the body temperature of arrivials but no suspected case has been detected at the airport so far. All tourists who had visited Da Lat by plane have already left the city, according to the Peoples Committee of Lam Dong Province, of which Da Lat is the capital. Local authorities are pooling data on the number of tourists coming to Da Lat by road from Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang in south-central Khanh Hoa Province, and Phan Thiet in south-central Binh Thuan Province. Vietnam has reported five postive cases so far, including three Vietnamese and two Chinese patients, with one of the Chinese having been cured. Symptoms of a new coronavirus infection can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Steps to prevent the viral spread include wearing a face mask, covering ones coughs and sneezes, washing their hands, and avoiding sharing household items. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Veterans of the Second World War have had their emotional Brexit Day message in support of the EU beamed on to the White Cliffs of Dover. The Kent landmark was lit up early on Friday by the faces of Stephen Goodall and Sidney "Sid" Daw, who lamented the UK's imminent departure from the European Union on Friday night in a heartfelt video. The message was projected on to the same stretch of coastline that provided a welcoming sight for soldiers returning from Dunkirk in 1940. After the touching words from the two veterans, the video ended with the stars on the EU flag slowly disappearing. Brigadier Stephen Goodall talking about the prospect of Brexit in a video projected on to the side of the White Cliffs of Dover (Picture: PA) The video was broadcast on the side of the cliffs of Dover by the anti-Brexit campaign group Led By Donkeys (Picture: PA) With just one star remaining, the line read: "This is our star. Look after it for us." The message comes after a poll found that many Remainers are still refusing to accept Brexit. The video was the brainchild of Led By Donkeys, a group of four anti-Brexit activist fathers famed for their giant billboards of politicians' tweets. A message to Europe, this morning on the White Cliffs of Dover. Sound on. pic.twitter.com/E3VY8BaGjK Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) January 31, 2020 In the tribute - also translated into French and German - Mr Goodall spoke of his sadness about Brexit. The 97-year-old, who served in the Army for 32 years, said: "I feel really depressed at the idea that we are leaving Europe because it has meant so much to me. Read more Nigel Farage says EU departure a victory for ordinary people against establishment 'Our time has come': How the national newspapers reacted to Brexit day The chart that shows how many Remainers are still refusing to accept Brexit "I like to be called a European. And the feeling that one has of comradeship as one goes round Europe is really quite something." He added: "At my age I shan't be living much longer but I hope that, for the sake of my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, that England, Britain will move back to be much closer to Europe than what we have done now." Story continues The message was shown just after midnight on Friday. Mr Daw, 95, fought in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany during the war. He said: "I feel very, very sad about it all because we don't know which way things are going." World War Two veteran Sidney Daw discusses his regret over Brexit in a video beamed on to the White Cliffs of Dover (Picture: PA) Appealing to fellow Europeans on the continent, he said: "Look from your side to this side, see these white cliffs, and we're looking across at you feeling we want to be together and we will be together before long, I'm sure." Ben Stewart, 45, one of the organisers from Led By Donkeys, said the group wanted to do something to mark the day. He said: "It was a real honour to put their words up there. "We really want people in Europe to know that the display that they saw of a kind of crass Nigel Farage and Brexit Party MEPs goading the European Parliament is not the country that we live in and not the country that we love. "There seems no better choice of people for the nation that we are than Steve and Sid." KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The first time she used kratom, Ashley McCaughan was scared. Someone had suggested she try the controversial herbal supplement to fend off the aches and pains of her job managing a personal watercraft company in Florida. Shoving those heavy machines from the dock all day left her tired all the time. But with the first drink, she "noticed a positive effect on not only pain relief, but my mood," said McCaughan, who is 27 and now lives in Blue Springs. "I was like a better version of myself." As the country tries to stop a deadly epidemic of opioid abuse, more Americans - an estimated 15 million now - are turning to kratom to ease pain, quell anxiety and lift themselves out of depression. But federal health officials want to ban it, warning that kratom, like opioids, can be addictive and lead to abuse. Three kratom-related deaths in the St. Louis area last year led local governments in the region to consider prohibiting the product. ADVERTISEMENT Now one of its most vocal proponents is fighting to get states to pass strict regulations for kratom products instead of banning them outright. The Virginia-based American Kratom Association is taking its case from statehouse to statehouse - including Kansas' and Missouri's. It wants states to adopt its Kratom Consumer Protection Act, which would regulate the preparation, distribution and sale of kratom products. The group's lobbyists met with Kansas legislators last year, and this month pitched the regulations in Jefferson City. Kratom is legal to use in Kansas and Missouri. Four states - Utah, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada - have adopted versions of the proposal that would also ban the sale of adulterated kratom products, blamed for recent deaths, said C. McClain Haddow, the group's senior fellow on public policy. "Today, we have 21 states that are considering it. Missouri is one of them," Haddow said. "We're seeing real progress going forward. "We're encouraged by the response from the state legislators. We wish the FDA would align itself with the right public policy." --- You can buy kratom and kratom products on the internet and in mom-and-pop vitamin and health food stores, vape shops, head shops and convenience stores. Still, many people have never heard of it, much less know how to pronounce it. Some people say "KRAY-tum," some say "KRA-tm." ADVERTISEMENT And they certainly don't know this: "It tastes like dirt," McCaughan said. "At first glance, kratom doesn't seem like anything special: a light green plant with red veins, about two meters tall," Vice, a culture and news website, wrote in July. Its botanical name is Mitragyna speciosa, a member of the coffee family that is native to Southeast Asia, "with leaves that contain compounds that can have psychotropic (mind-altering) effects," according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Kratom is not currently an illegal substance and has been easy to order on the internet. It is sometimes sold as a green powder in packets labeled 'not for human consumption.' It is also sometimes sold as an extract or gum." Most people, users say, take kratom in a pill or capsule, or brew it to make tea. Hardcore users mix the powder into water, but McCaughan said it doesn't dissolve, just floats on the top like cinnamon would. "There are no historical records indicating when humans began consuming kratom, but the plant's benefits have been widely known for ages," wrote Vice, calling kratom "a magical leaf of sorts, having a calming and painkilling effect. "The only downside? It's extremely bitter." "That's why a lot of people take it in the pill form," McCaughan said. ADVERTISEMENT In Florida, "kratom is absolutely huge," she said. "They have kratom bars. You walk in and they have different flavors. ... They flavor it with different syrups. It's almost like a hipster tea bar." She didn't feel comfortable taking kratom pills because both of her parents battled addiction. So she brews kratom tea, but it's no ordinary cup of tea. The brew relieves her physical pains and helps relax her without making her feel depressed, she said. "There's a little bit of science to it," she said "To really bring out the 'euphoric effects,' to actually feel something, it has to basically sit out and go to room temperature after you brew. "Then you basically put it in the fridge for 24 hours, put lemons and stuff in it to make it taste better, because a lot of people won't get into kratom because of the flavor. "It's a really interesting taste, and most people will try it for the first time and go 'Oh my gosh, no, never again.'" Kratom's nasty flavor comes up often in online conversations. In a recent back-and-forth between users on Reddit, one person wrote that "I think it's an acquired taste, like spicy food or scotch. Not many people like it the first time, but it gets better." Another said that adding Crystal Light helps mask the nasty. Others suggested adding Gatorade, squirts of honey and chocolate milk. "I find the taste pretty abhorrent and I had just been toughing it out," the Crystal Light user wrote. "I was really surprised at how easily the taste was covered up." Dexter Blackmer of Smithville is one of those folks who takes his kratom straight up, with no sweet enhancement like Crystal Light. On April 2, 2017, Blackmer and a friend were cruising down Wornall Road on their motorcycles when a car pulled out in front of them. Blackmer swerved, hit the curb and during the violent clash of skin and pavement, a street sign cut off his foot. During the 44 days he spent in the hospital, half that leg was amputated. A few months after the crash, Blackmer, who is 40, and his wife, Andrea, watched a Netflix documentary about kratom, "Leaf of Faith," that explores its use as a natural alternative to opioid painkillers. Andrea started Googling. "Wow, this would be great for you," she told her husband. They had been looking for an alternative to the nerve blocker his doctors had prescribed, a medication that interfered with his sense of touch, a side effect that got in the way of his job repairing semis at their company, Elite Truck Repair. The kratom, which he took for more than a year, relieved his phantom leg pains with no side affects, the couple said. He stopped taking it a few months ago so it wouldn't interfere with a new medication. "I tell everyone about it," said Andrea. "It did great things for him." She started taking it, too, for arthritis pain in her ankle. It made her feel "better," but she "just couldn't get past the taste of it. It tastes like eating grass." --- People with fibromyalgia, back pain, PTSD, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, debilitating headaches and depression use kratom as a substitute for prescription drugs. But is it safe? The Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly warned that kratom offers no medical benefits but could become addictive or even kill you. It says that people who are using it to self-treat pain, anxiety, depression and other medical conditions should instead be seen by licensed health care providers. An FDA spokesman directed the Kansas City Star to an official statement on its website: "There are no FDA-approved uses for kratom, and the agency has received concerning reports about the safety of kratom. "We continue to evaluate the available safety information about the effects of kratom and continue to work with the Department of Justice to enforce regulations that pertain to kratom. "Selling unapproved kratom products with claims that they can treat opioid withdrawal and addiction and other serious medical conditions is a violation of federal law." In 2016, the DEA announced plans to use its emergency authority to add kratom to its Schedule I list, which would effectively ban it. The DEA deemed kratom an "imminent hazard to public safety." The American Kratom Association mobilized its then-8,000 members, who protested and flooded the DEA's website with their opposition. The agency withdrew its plan and ordered the FDA to research kratom more. In 2017, "the FDA identified at least 44 deaths related to kratom, with at least one case investigated as possible use of pure kratom," the National Institute of Drug Abuse says on its website, noting that "most have involved other substances." Many of the kratom-associated deaths "appeared to have resulted from adulterated products or taking kratom with other potent substances, including illicit drugs, opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol, gabapentin, and over-the-counter medications, such as cough syrup," the drug abuse agency noted. A medical expert hired by the American Kratom Association to examine those deaths found that "every one, with the exception of one - for which there was no blood sample available, so no one knows - were adulterated kratom products where you had fentanyl, morphine, heroin, spiked into the kratom," Haddow said. "It's not surprising there would be kratom detected in an autopsy if that patient were in the process of using kratom to try to wean off of or reduce their opioid use. So the question is, what really killed the person?" The FDA says it is "actively evaluating available scientific information" about kratom and "continues to warn consumers" not to use products that contain it. Six states banned kratom between 2012 and 2016, Haddow said. Between 2016 and 2018, 14 states considered banning it, and his group successfully lobbied against those proposals. "But we realized this is a fool's errand because we keep playing whack-a-mole," Haddow said. "So we developed this concept of the Kratom Consumer Protection Act." While the FDA tells people that kratom is bad and should be avoided, "in fact the right policy ought to be harm reduction," Haddow said. The act asks states to register all kratom products and require that they not be adulterated with any substance that could harm consumers. "So they have to sell the pure kratom product," said Haddow. "And it cannot be spiked with anything, and it has to be labeled with all ingredients, and include a specific identification of the manufacturer so if there is an adverse event that happens it can be tracked back and we can check the status of that product and whether it was formulated and manufactured properly." Another requirement: Independent, third-party certification of what the contents are. And, Haddow's group wants states to set age limits for kratom use, either 18 or 21. "We favor 21 because it conforms with the feds on tobacco policy," Haddow said. "Not because there is any documented use of kratom by children, there isn't because it tastes so bad. And they wouldn't take it because it doesn't give you a high unless it's adulterated. "But we think that it's a good policy to let parents consult with any child who is trying to manage their pain to be part of that process." With good labeling, and restrictions to ensure that the product is pure, "then I think that the consumer is protected," Haddow said. --- (c)2020 The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) Visit The Kansas City Star (Kansas City, Mo.) at www.kansascity.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (TNS) New money has been made available for bringing to Springfield the same kind of high-speed Internet available in downtown Eugene.US Ignite, a nonprofit funded by the National Science Foundation, recently awarded a nearly $100,000 grant to be used in replicating the process that established EUGNet , the fiber-optic network that connects buildings in downtown Eugene. The Technology Association of Oregon proposal that secured the grant suggests construction of the Springfield expansion could take place between June and August."With Springfield's renaissance and downtown explosion, it's a really great next step to creating economic opportunity for residents and businesses, small and large," said Lane County Economic Development Manager Austin Ramirez. "If we're talking about economic opportunity and equity, it's hard to find something better than open-access fiber infrastructure like this."The grant is designed to build a fiber-optic Internet hub in Springfield that would connect to the hub in Eugene that is the central node for EUGNet.There are more than 80 Eugene buildings connected to EUGNet, which does not expand beyond downtown but was built in a way that leaves open the possibility for wider connection in the future. The Eugene Water and Electric Board owns the fiber-optic cables, and they all are routed through an underground hub facility in downtown owned and managed by the Lane Council of Governments. Core pieces of that hub facility infrastructure were donated to Eugene by US Ignite.The proposal for the US Ignite grant calls for building a similar hub in Springfield and connecting it with the Eugene hub. The connection would give Springfield a site from which to build out a fiber-optic network that its residents and businesses then could use.Construction of that facility would cost about $15,000 and it would cost about $63,000 to fill it with equipment, according to the TAO proposal. The money Springfield spends on infrastructure would be up for reimbursement through the US Ignite grant, according to former TAO Vice President Matt Sayre, who wrote the grant proposal.It's not yet been decided how the money would be spent, according to Amber Fossen, City of Springfield public information officer."We are only just assessing this opportunity, and it is something our elected bodies still need to review and discuss," Fossen said in an email.EUGNet is not an Internet service provider but rather an open-access Internet source to which ISPs can pay to connect in order to offer their customers access to the high speeds that fiber-optic cables provide. Springfield access would work in much the same way.The grant for expanding fiber-optic connection into Springfield was one of four issued this month by US Ignite. Austin, Texas; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Lafayette, Louisiana, also received grants to replicate successful digital programs in their cities."Over the last several years, the National Science Foundation has invested in fundamental research that is enabling smart and connected communities throughout the U.S., including identifying pathways for scaling and sustaining the results that are emerging," Erwin Gianchandani, NSF's acting assistant director for computer and information science and engineering, said in a news release. A Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling at a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border (Brian Lawless/PA) Tonight, after 47 years of membership, the North will leave the European Union. This decision is entirely contrary to the democratically expressed wishes of a cross community majority of the electorate in the North, the majority of elected members of the devolved Assembly and the recently elected MPs. Brexit has been foisted upon the people of this island without our consent. This is absolutely unacceptable to our communities, businesses and the agriculture industry. The European Union isn't without flaws; it does have imperfections - Sinn Fein is not naive to this. We believe there needs to be a radical reform of the European Union as it currently stands, however, it is indisputable that the European Union has been a critical partner of peace in Ireland. The European Union has provided political and financial aid which has led to greater economic and social progress across all of the island. Reflecting the critical role of the EU in advancing our society and the role that it can still play in doing so, Sinn Fein developed the case for designated special status for the North. Designated special status took into account and respected the democratically expressed wishes of the majority of citizens in the North to stay in the European Union. Sinn Fein has worked constructively with the Irish government and has led the pro-remain parties in the North in common cause and defence of the interests of citizens since 2016. We have taken Irish interests to the heart of political institutions in Brussels, Washington, Dublin and London. Boris Johnson has committed to concluding the transition period for Brexit before 2021 - this tight timeframe to successfully negotiate a deal poses a significant challenge for the British government and the European Union. On this basis, a no-deal is a real risk. If this happens, it is absolutely vital that the provisions to prevent a hard border come into effect and the Good Friday Agreement is protected in all of its parts. As Deputy First Minister and Joint Head of Government, I will again work with the Irish and British governments, the pro-remain alliance and European Union to ensure that their commitments to protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent a hard border in Ireland are lived up to. It is my firm objective to avoid slowing down trade for businesses - both on an East/West and North/South basis. While Brexit poses many challenges to this island, there also exists an opportunity to build a new Ireland. I see no contradiction in declaring and delivering on our firm commitment to power sharing with unionism in the Stormont Assembly while also initiating a mature and inclusive debate about new political arrangements which examine Ireland's future beyond Brexit. Irish unity has taken on a new dynamic as a result of Brexit. In April 2017, the European Union made an important and ground-breaking declaration. It declared that in the event of Irish reunification that the North would automatically re-join the EU with the rest of Ireland. Many citizens of a British or unionist identity are now considering the merits of reunification - not to become republicans, but to remain European. Citizens of all traditions are considering which union best serves their interests - the European Union or the United Kingdom. The choice is clear - a new, inclusive and open Ireland or an inward-looking, insular Britain. A referendum on the constitutional future of our island is coming. The basis for this referendum is within the Good Friday Agreement - this agreement cannot be cherry-picked. An incoming Taoiseach cannot continue to bury their head in the sand, as Leo Varadkar has done, they cannot ignore the stark reality. The Irish government must not be a passive or neutral actor on Irish unity, it must be an active advocate for unity. There is an obligation on the Irish government to prepare and to plan for Irish unity. A failure to do so is a derogation of duty by the Irish government to safeguard the interests of the Irish nation - defending the interests of all of this island against Brexit is paramount. This means the Irish government needs to begin to plan for a referendum, promote the discussion and build a vision for a new and united Ireland. The only people not talking about Irish unity is the Irish government. In government, Sinn Fein will not be passive. Without hesitation, we will establish a national citizens' assembly that encompasses all traditions on this island. This assembly will actively encourage discussion and plan for the unity referendum. The simple reality is that Brexit has exposed the failure and undemocratic nature of partition - a political problem, which requires a political solution. HOLLISTER A semi crash that closed U.S. Highway 93 for much of Thursday was caused when the truck driver slammed on his brakes to avoid wildlife, Idaho State Police said. Demetrius Moore, 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, was driving south on U.S. 93 in a 2019 Freightliner truck when he hit the brakes and the truck overturned on the highway at 7:09 a.m. about two miles north of Hollister. Moore was wearing his seat belt and was not injured, officials said. All lanes of travel were blocked for about seven and a half hours while crews investigated. The Twin Falls County Sheriffs Department and Idaho Department of Transportation assisted ISP. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 2 WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - The remaining potential case of coronavirus in Washtenaw County tested negative, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials said Friday. The third case in Washtenaw County was identified Monday, Jan. 27. It was sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab in Atlanta -- the only lab capable of testing for the 2019 novel coronavirus that was named a global health emergency Thursday. The case is the fourth in the state to test negative. Three specimens -- two from Washtenaw and one from Macomb County -- were determined to not have the virus on Monday. No other cases in Michigan have been referred to the CDC as of Friday morning, DHHS spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin said. The virus is a new strand of a coronavirus that caused a deadly outbreak beginning in Wuhan, China. The United States reported the first confirmed instance of person-to-person spread with this virus on Thursday, Jan. 30, the CDC reported. There are five confirmed cases in the country of Friday morning, according to the CDC. Local health departments are referring any possible cases for testing, officials previously said. Washtenaw County Health Department Spokeswoman Susan Ringer-Cerniglia said specimens are tested when the patient has symptoms of lower respiratory illness and fever, as well as travelled to Wuhan or had contact with someone who is being investigated for the infection. There is not a high level of concern" for the statewide spread of coronavirus, though health officials do not currently know how efficiently the virus travels, Ringer-Cerniglia said in a previous article. New potential Michigan coronavirus case being investigated, officials say Coronavirus is a respiratory illness common in animals and humans, but the new strand, called novel coronavirus 2019, had not been previously detected, according to the CDC. Public health screenings for travelers from Wuhan, about 12 hours south of Beijing, are in place multiple U.S. airports, including Detroit Metro Airport. Health officials warn patients to call a health care provider before seeking treatment for potential coronavirus symptoms so the appropriate preventive measures can be taken. Officials also recommend frequently washing hands, covering coughs and taking other precautions similar to flu prevention. MORE ON THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Ice fishing, Boogie Woogie Kid and egg drop: 5 activities around Ann Arbor Jan. 31-Feb. 2 Ann Arbor hosts affordable housing meeting to review 2 potential locations Thousands of census jobs paying $23 an hour available in Ann Arbor area A special flight to evacuate a large number of Indians stranded at China's coronavirus-hit Wuhan city is scheduled to leave on Saturday morning for home. The flight arrived at Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport on Friday evening. India announced plans to operate two flights from Wuhan to airlift around 400 students stranded in Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus, officially known as 2019-nCoV. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei province. Over 700 Indians, mostly medical students and research scholars, study in the local universities. Many had left for home earlier to avail the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Holidays. While the official number of students to be airlifted in the two flights is not known, Indians who reached the Wuhan airport on Friday said they were told that 374 were expected to be airlifted by the flight. Ahead of the Indian flights, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi flights have been listed to leave with their nationals. The airport, which was earlier closed for all air traffic, has been opened in the last two days to allow a number of countries to evacuate their nationals. India announced plans to operate a second flight on Saturday. While Friday's flight is scheduled to take mostly those stranded in Wuhan, Saturday's flight is expected to take those held up in Hubei province. Though the Indian officials have made elaborate arrangements to evacuate the Indian nationals in coordination with their Chinese counterparts, the travel to the airport became arduous for the stranded Indians as the city is under lockdown for about a week with all internal and external travel banned. The Indians were picked up by special buses operated by the Chinese government from designated spots. For many, it turned out to be a long wait in the cold in the virus-hit city due to the delay in arrival of the buses. At the airport, they were screened on arrival and waited for the gates to open to go to the terminal. India has taken an undertaking from the Indians travelling in the two flights that they would be quarantined for 14 days after their arrival, besides undergoing special checks at the Wuhan airport. The 423-seater jumbo B747 plane, which took off from the Delhi airport at around 1.20 pm (local time), is likely to return early on Saturday, officials said. "Some of us have reached the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport while some others are on their way," a student, who did not want to be identified, told PTI over phone. There are five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and one paramedical staff onboard, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated. About Friday's flight, the spokesperson said, "A team of five doctors from RML hospital, one paramedical staff from Air India, with prescribed medicines from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are in the aircraft". Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." A team of engineers, security personnel are also there in the special aircraft. The whole rescue mission is being lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director (Operations), Air India, the spokesman said, adding that there are five cockpit crew and 15 cabin crew on Friday's special flight. The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. UW-Madison published this week its first campus-wide policy for research assistants, the largest group of graduate student workers on campus whose work conditions are under heightened public scrutiny. Graduate students called the new policy an important step in the right direction, but said it doesnt go far enough to protect them from overwork and exploitation, such as what a report indicates research assistant John Brady experienced in the years leading up to his 2016 suicide. A Wisconsin State Journal story last fall first reported on a university investigation that described a toxic environment in the College of Engineering lab where Brady worked that went unnoticed by leadership until Bradys death. It wouldnt have protected John, graduate student union co-president Sara Trongone said, referring to the new policy published Tuesday. Theres still so much work to be done on this (policy), but were glad research assistants are not completely in limbo anymore. Research assistants were already protected by other campus-wide policies banning, for example, hostile and intimidating behavior and sexual assault and harassment. But employment matters could be tricky for individual students because different departments, college and schools maintain their own policies or practices. Compounding the complexity is the unique role research assistants play on campus. Much of their paid work for professors overlaps with their own academic studies, creating opportunity for exploitation. The new policy, which has been under discussion for several years, specifies a full-time appointment to be 40 hours per week, a detail that graduate students praised the administration for including. Most research assistants operate on a half-time appointment, meaning they are paid to work 20 hours, though many report working 60 or 70 hours a week. A group of students in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where Brady worked under professor Akbar Sayeed, has taken a more public role alongside the universitys graduate student union in pushing for more workplace protections. Grad workers need campus-wide protections that specifically acknowledge the power imbalance between (research assistant) and adviser, the departments Graduate Student Association said in a statement. As it stands, the current policy does not address this, and it continues to leave enforcement of safe, harassment-free workplaces up to individual departments. University spokeswoman Meredith McGlone said enforcement is not left to individual departments and that there are multiple avenues for students and employees to report bad behavior. She said the new policy operates in tandem with existing policies, at least one of which specifically acknowledges the power imbalance between graduate students and advisers. No formal complaints were filed against Sayeed, in part, because students in his lab said they did not know what the process entailed. Language in the new policy directs students to have an informal discussion with their supervisor, consult their program director or seek guidance from their department handbook. In response to students objections with portions of the new policy, McGlone said that all policies are subject to review and a student committee advising the dean of the Graduate School will provide feedback on this policy and other related ones. Sayeed, who was put on a two-year unpaid suspension, returned to work this month. He has not returned multiple requests for comment, including one left Wednesday, but denied abusing his authority in a written response to the investigation. UW-Madison officials initially said in the fall that Sayeed would return to teaching, but with increased oversight of his interactions with students. A few weeks after the case became public, College of Engineering Dean Ian Robertson reassigned Sayeed to unspecified administrative work. Sayeeds assignments this semester include gathering data and benchmarking best practices at other top engineering colleges in areas such as faculty training and recognition, along with student tuition and cost of attendance, McGlone said Thursday. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The capital of Finland, Helinski was found in the 16th century. The city though took shape in the 1800s. This was back when the Russians laid out in Helsinki along with similar lines to St Petersburg with its streets and neo-classical mansion. If you happen to visit this place, here is a list of things to do and places to visit in Helsinki. Also Read: Honeymoon In USA: Places Worth Visiting For A Memorable Trip Pic/Shutterstock Things to do in Helsinki, Finland Suomenlinna From Kauppatori, board a ferry and in a few minutes, you will be on one of the most amazing man-made places in Scandinavia. Suomenlinna is a giant maritime fortress spread across seven islands. It was built by the Swedes in the 1800s to defend their eastern territories. The Russians took over in the 19the century but nothing has changed in Suomenlinna. Also Read: Best Islands In Maldives For A Memorable Honeymoon You Must Check Out Helsinki Cathedral Helsinkis most attractive monument is the Helsinki cathedral, a whitewashed neoclassical cathedral. It has a tall green dome that soars up the Helsinki city space and during the night it looks like a beacon. It was built in the 19th century and as called St. Nicholas Cathedral. Temppeliaukio Church Let alone Finland but there are not many churches like Temppeliaukio in the world. This church was the result of the post-war design competition won by the Suomalainen brothers and was inaugurated in 1969. The building is partly underground and has been hewn from the bedrock. Every piece of decoration and furniture inside this church is designed by the architects which make it so incredible. Also Read: Karnatakas Culturally Preserved Towns That Will Transport You To An Ancient Era Seusaari island Just a few kilometers away towards the north of the city center is an open-air museum that has a collection of typical Finnish buildings from around the city. This museum is open all summer and the guides will take you around the museum and tell you the history over the last 400 years. Old Market Hall The Old Market Hall is open from Monday to Saturday and is near water in Etelaranta and has been around since 1889. Before 1889, there were no permanent buildings for Helsinki markets and they used to be in open-air squares. Try the fresh produce of meat, fish, fruit and Finnish cakes in the market. Also Read: Maharashtra's Most Renowned Historical Sites And The Story Behind Them The Supreme Court Friday said the issue of penalising political parties or candidates for not disclosing criminal antecedents has to be dealt with carefully as allegations of sedition and anti-national are often made with "political overtones". The apex court was dealing with a contempt plea which has raised the issue of criminalisation of politics claiming that directions given by the top court in its September 25, 2018 verdict, relating to disclosure of criminal antecedents by candidates, were not being followed. "Now, charges with political overtones are brought in. It is easy to frame charges on this....it is very easy to frame charges in cases which may be filed by political opponent including of sedition and anti-national. We have to be very careful," a bench of Justices R F Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat said. The Election Commission told the court that increase in number of MPs having pending criminal cases was "disturbing" and as per the statistics, there were 43 per cent MPs in the current Parliament who have criminal cases against them. "The number (of MPs having pending criminal cases) has gone up and that is the disturbing part," said senior lawyer Vikas Singh, appearing for the poll panel. Singh said the EC has agreed with the suggestions of senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing BJP leader and petitioner Ashiwini Upadhyay, including that all political parties should mandatorily upload on their website details of candidates with criminal antecedents along with the reasons as to why those without any criminal record could not be selected. However, the EC said it was not agreeable to the suggestion regarding penalising the political party or its candidates under Article 324 of the Constitution for their failure to disclose criminal antecedents, as it does not have this power. Sankaranarayanan told the bench that the Constitution bench judgement of September 2018 should be complied with and without penalty or sanction, the political parties or their candidates would not act accordingly as mandated by the top court. "Let the political process take care of itself. Let us be practical," he said. He then referred to section 33-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which stipulates that a candidate has to furnish details, including as to whether he is accused of any offence punishable with jail term of two years or more in a pending case in which charges has been framed, in his nomination paper. The bench, which had earlier asked the EC and petitioner to sit together and come up with suggestions, said it would pass order in the matter. At the fag end of hearing, Singh, while referring to rise in number of lawmakers having pending criminal case, said: "There is no debate today on this. Nobody is bothered." He said that EC has agreed with the suggestion that political parties may be asked to furnish details on its website regarding criminal antecedents of candidates and give reasons as to why he or she has been given the ticket. "The reasons shall have to be justifiable with reference to qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned and 'winnability' shall not be a sufficient justification," the suggestion said. "The above information shall also be published in: one local vernacular newspaper and one national newspaper; on the official social media platforms of the political party including Facebook and Twitter," it said. It further said that these details shall be published within 48 hours of setting up of the candidate and allowing usage of symbol reserved for the political party. "The political party shall submit a report to the Election Commission regarding the above publications within 24 hours of the nomination of the candidate," it said. Last week, the EC had told the top court that direction asking poll candidates to declare their criminal antecedents in the media has not helped curb criminalisation of politics, and political parties should be asked not to give tickets to those with criminal background. On March 29 last year, the apex court had sought response from the Centre and EC on Upadhaya's plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged violation of its judgment directing all candidates to declare their criminal antecedents to the poll panel before contesting elections. On October 10, 2018, the EC had issued notification regarding the amended Form-26 and directions to political parties and candidates for publication of criminal antecedents. However, the plea filed by Upadhyay alleged that the EC neither amended the Election Symbol Order, 1968 nor the model code of conduct (MCC) so the said notification has no legal sanction. In September 2018, five-judge Constitution bench had unanimously held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the EC before contesting polls and called for a wider publicity, through print and electronic media about antecedents of candidates. It had left it to Parliament to "cure the malignancy" of criminalisation of politics by making a law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter the political arena as the "polluted stream of politics" needs to be cleansed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just over a year ago, Bay Area Italian restaurant Montesacro quietly opened in the former home of Pearl District pioneer Fratelli, packing a coveted spot on the San Francisco Chronicles top 100 restaurants list along with its prosciutto, Parm and pinsa, its Roman flatbread specialty. As fate would have it, it wasnt the only prominent San Francisco-area restaurant to plant stakes in Portland. The Star (1309 N.W. Hoyt St.), which opened in May less than a calzones throw from Montesacro, is as an offshoot of an offshoot of one of the best Chicago-style pizzerias in the second-best Chicago-style pizza city in America. As such, it brought something Portland has long been lacking: deep dish worth changing out of your pajamas. Considering the state of Chicago-style deep dish in Portland, that makes The Star, with its deep, cornmeal-crusted kiddie pools filled with melted cheese, chunky tomato sauce and meat, the bigger local game-changer of the two. And yet, Montesacro is the more interesting restaurant. Thats due in large part to that pinsa, the sandpaper-rough ellipsoids of puffed dough that get topped with sauce, good mozzarella and the kind of quality Italian ingredients little seen outside of Ava Genes (the restaurant studiously avoids calling it pizza, but I dont mind if you do). One pie holds black kale and the spicy spreadable sausage nduja, another crispy guanciale and chestnut honey, a third tuna belly and caper mayonnaise, with each hiding a pizza wheel for DIY cutting. The ingredients work well together because theyre delicious. But fans of traditional Italian food will find just as much to love on the antipasti, formaggi and salumi menus, which run more than a dozen items deep with roasted veggies, a cuttlefish and tomato stew, braised meatballs, slices of cured beef under a salad of baby arugula and mushroom and the signature Focaccia der Muratore, a plain pinsa stuffed with mortadella. Not long ago, a top San Francisco restaurant expanding to Portland would have been cause for intrigue, if not celebration. And Montesacro looks to have the recipe for a hit. But over three visits, including two lunches and a very good dinner this month, Ive found the restaurant mostly quiet, if not empty. If youre the kind of person who mourned the departure of Via Tribunali, you owe it to yourself to give Montesacro a try. Montesacro is open from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 4 to 9 p.m., Sunday; 1230 N.W. Hoyt St.; 503-208-2992; montesacropdx.com -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Vietnams budget carrier Vietjet will join many international airlines to suspend flights to mainland China from next month, at a time when a novel coronavirus pandemic is raging in the country. Vietjet will stop flying to China, starting on Feburary 1, the carrier said on Friday. National carrier Vietnam Airlines and its subsidiary Jetstar Pacific Airlines have yet to make any annoucement regarding their cessation of flights to China. However, Vietnam Airlines has provided its crews with medical gloves and face masks for use on flights to and from China. Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Pacific Airlines, and Vietjet Air together operate 87 regular and charter flights to 54 destinations in China, averaging 401 services a week. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam has ceased flights to and from Wuhan, the epicenter of the ongoing novel coronavirus epidemic, since January 23. Since the outbreak in December last year, many carriers have canceled their flights to China until late March. Beijing and Shanghai have been hit the hardest by the cancelations. British Airways was the first carrier to announce a cut-off of its China flights. Passengers wear face masks, checking in at Da Nang International Airport in Da Nang, Vietnam. Photo: Cong Trung / Tuoi Tre Lufthansa, Swiss Air, Austria Airlines, Finnair, Air Canada, United Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Lion Air, Air Seoul, and more are amongst the other airlines having suspended their flights to most populated cities in China. The flag carrier Kazakhstan Air Astana has also confirmed the cancelation of its China services from February 3, while the government of Kazakhstan is tightening its traffic control with China. Air Canada says that the carrier will halt flights to China and advises passengers to reschedule or cancel their trips to the East Asian country. Air France also publishes a statement on its official website, ceasing all flights to and from China until February 9. Airlines have worked closely with authorities such as healthcare departments, quarantine teams, airport controls, and others, while strictly following the medical processes and guidelines regulated by the World Health Organization in order to prevent the spread of the disease, ensuring safety for flight crews, passengers, and the entire community. The WHO on Thursday declared the novel coronavirus a global emergency, as it has infected nearly 10,000 cases and killed 213 people in China, while spreading to 18 countries and territories since the first outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The expertise of the Dutch in reclaiming land from the sea is needed to save one of Irelands most iconic and legendary beaches, a meeting has been told. Rossbeigh beach, the largest strand in south Kerry, and a blue flag beach of world renown was rapidly eroding and surrounding soft cliffs had sunk and were in danger of collapse. The breach of the Rossbeigh sand-spit in January 2008, during a huge winter storm, had led to a change in currents and a sand bar off shore had now built up while inland there was more and more erosion. We need the expertise of how to take the land back from the sea, local councillor Michael Cahill (FF) told a meeting of the Kenmare Municipal District held in Cahersiveen on Friday morning. He warned that inshore areas, low lying, were already suffering and these included the village of Cromane and Dooks . These are already suffering from flooding. If Rossbeigh goes its going to create problems for all the low land areas. There are serious flood ing issues in this area already and it is already escalating with global warming. Dutch surveyors who visited Rossbeigh already advised taking sand from the off shore sand bank which had built up since with the erosion of the past 12 years and building up the shore and sand dunes at Rossbeigh. Council engineers said they would undertake a review of a number of studies including a 2014 coastal flood and erosion management study of the Dingle -Castlemaine Harbour area where Rossbeigh is located. This review would identify further studies and would take 12 months. Cllr Cahill was joined by other councillors in calling for the expertise from the Netherlands to be invited to contribute. The area is being attacked from all sides since the breach particularly. The currents have changed in Dingle Bay and the area known a s the top fo the point is already gone. We need expert advice and the Dutch have the best record in the world, Mr Cahill said. Erosion had not received the priority it deserved by successive Governments, the meeting was told. The whole area inland with hundreds of houses would be all sea shortly if urgent action was not taken. The two mile long spit first breached in 2008 now has a yawning gap . A special area of conservation, with a system of protected dunes, Rossbeigh is also an important wintering ground for Brent Geese and other species. In mythology it is where Oisin left for Tir na n-Og. Among the host of changes Britons face following the departure from the European Union is new rules that will apply to driving overseas. With Brexit comes a host of new changes motorists need to consider if they're thinking about taking their own car abroad for a holiday or business - and even when they're hiring a vehicle. From validity of UK licences to green cards and preparing for overseas low emission zones, here's everything drivers need to know for life after January 31. Your UK driving licence will be valid abroad for the first 11 months after Brexit 1. Driving licence Cost: Nil (for now) Part of the process of the UK leaving the European Union on 31 January is a transition period that will apply until the end of 2020. That means, for the time being, a UK driving licence will still be valid for motorists driving in countries that are members of the European Economic Area. However, when this 11-month transition period ends on 31 December 2020, things could change. Drivers using cars in EU countries could be forced to apply for and carry International Driving Permits in addition to their UK licences. A recent change to the rules means you can only get an International Driving Permit - or IDP - from main Post Offices 2. International Driving Permit Cost: 5.50 each What you'll need: A valid driving licence or a valid passport if presenting an older paper version licence What is an IDP? Your UK driving licence is all you currently need in most European countries, but venture further afield and you might have to carry an IDP, from January 2021. An IDP is an official, multi-language translation of your driving licence. You could be fined (or worse) for relying on just an IDP, so you must carry your UK licence too. To apply for one you must over 18 and have a valid UK full driving licence. Where do you get them? 2,500 post offices across the country In addition to your UK driving licence, motorists may be required to purchase an IDP to legally drive on European roads from 1 January 2021. There are three different types used in the EU, depending on which country you will be driving in and how long you intend to stay there: 1949 IDP. Malta, Spain, Cyprus and Ireland. This is valid for 12 months. Please note that in January 2019, the UK Government advised that an IDP would not be required to drive in Ireland post-Brexit. 1968 IDP. Travel through other EU countries. Valid for three years, or until the expiry of your driving licence (whichever is sooner). 1926 IDP. Liechtenstein. Only required if you intend to drive in or through Liechtenstein. Previously you were able to download an IDP application online. However, a rule change last year means you can only get them from main Post Office branches. You will need to check with your local Post Office if they are issuing IDPs or not. Green Cards will be available from insurers. While they are free, providers may charge administration fees to issue them 3. Green Card Cost: Nil (though admin fees could be incurred) Where do you get them? Your insurer Motor insurance will also be impacted by Brexit. Previous rules dictated that motorists using their own cars to drive in EU countries have a minimum of third party cover with their UK vehicle insurance. After Brexit, this will change. Green cards will replace the European Certificates of Insurance that have traditionally been issued from UK insurance companies who have an agreement with the EU to allow UK citizens to travel under one simple certificate of insurance. The certificate will now be replaced by a European Green Card. Essentially, this will be a letter of confirmation that the bearer of the paper has an insurance policy in place with a UK insurance company. Though European insurance authorities have said they will waive the need for a green card post-Brexit, this has not yet been confirmed by the European Commission. This means the Association of British Insurers recommends that people travelling in the EU have a certificate as means of proving their insurance when driving their own vehicles abroad, else face steep fines for failing to provide the document. Insurers will be able to provide green cards but could demand admin fees to issue them. If you want to know more, read our full guide to Green Cards. What if I'm in a motor accident in the EU? The Government has indicated that after Brexit, UK residents involved in a road traffic accident in an EU or EEA country 'should not expect to be able to make a claim in respect of that accident via a UK-based Claims Representative or the UK Motor Insurers' Bureau'. Instead, UK residents may need to bring a claim against either the driver or the insurer of the vehicle country where the accident happened. In the event of an accident in an EU or EEA country caused by an uninsured or an untraced driver, UK residents may not receive compensation. Contact your insurer for more information. This scenario could differ depending on the country. Source: RAC Motorists will - by law - need to have a GB sticker on their UK-registered car, even in ROI 4. GB car sticker Cost: from 1 Where can you get them? Online and motor goods retailers If you're taking your UK-registered cars overseas, you will need to display a GB sticker by law in any of the 27 EU countries - including the Republic of Ireland. Drivers currently only need the sticker if their car does not have blue EU registration plates that display the 'GB' initials, but when the UK leaves the EU, drivers will need a separate GB sticker even if they have GB on their number plate. Motorists need to be aware of an emissions zones they may encounter on their travels abroad, such as the Crit-Air scheme in France 5. Environmental/Low Emission Zones Cost: Around 5 - 10 (including postage) More information: Green-Zones.eu Hundreds of towns and cities in Europe now have environmental or Low Emission Zones as well as temporary or permanent bans on the use of some - or all cars - at different times. Similar to Low Emission Zones touted for UK towns and cities, these prevent all but the newest and least-polluting vehicles from entering them, which in some countries are required to display a sticker that can be purchased from official local outlets. The Crit-Air system in France, for example, requires drivers to purchase an emissions sticker that relates to their vehicle's pollution levels. As well as France, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Spain all have their own unique sticker system, so it's worth checking the Green-Zones.eu site well before driving in any of these countries. For every major city motorists visit, they should check to see if they are allowed to use their motor at all times and if they might need to pay a driving charge. Although regulations vary from country-to-country, most offer exemptions for classic cars which are those defined as being over 30-years-old and registered in an EU or European Economic Area country. It is possible that this exemption could cease for British-registered classic cars after Brexit. If this is the case, the only option is to plan a journey that avoids the LEZ areas. Want to take your pet overseas via car? There are a few hoops you will need to jump through 6. Additional steps if you drive in the EU with pets While it has yet to be confirmed, the rules for taking your pet to any EU country could change after Brexit as the nation's divorce from the European Union means the UK could be categorised as 'an unlisted country'. The RAC has warned pet owners to prepare by as much as four months in advance of their trip if they want to take their animals with them. The Government has set out five points of reference and actions for holidaymakers taking their pets to EU countries post-Brexit. These are listed below: 1. You must have your dog, cat or ferret microchipped and vaccinated against rabies before it can travel. Your pet must have a blood sample taken at least 30 days after its last rabies vaccination (whether that's a booster or initial vaccination). Your vet may recommend a booster rabies vaccination before this test. 2. Your vet must send the blood sample to an EU-approved blood testing laboratory. 3. The results of the blood test must show that the vaccination was successful (Your pet must have a rabies antibody level of at least 0.5 IU/ml). 4. You must wait three months from the date the successful blood sample was taken before you travel. 5. You must take your pet to a Official Veterinarian (OV), no more than 10 days before travel to get a health certificate. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 1 PM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Dialogue and debate strengthen country, violence weakens it, says President Kovind in address to Parliament President Ram Nath Kovind, in his opening address at the budget session of Parliament, said that the present government has laid a strong foundation for ensuring that this century belongs to India. Addressing both Houses of Parliament, President Kovind said, This is a very important decade for India, as we will complete 75 years of Independence. Read more Are not terrorists, say Delhi gang rape convicts seeking stay on death warrant The two convicts in the 2012 gang rape case, who have approached a Delhi court for stay on their execution on February 1, want the matter to be adjourned sine die.These convicts are not terrorists, said their lawyer AP Singh. He is representing Akshay Thakur, Vinay Sharma and Pawan Gupta. Read more How will BS-6 fuel impact your pocket? Heres what oil companies have to say As India leapfrogs to using Bharat Stage-6 (BS-VI) emission norms from April 1, 2020, consumers will have to shell out more to get cleaner fuel in their vehicles. Petrol and diesel prices may go up by 50 paise to Re 1 per litre beginning April, say oil companies. Read more 10 months after father committed suicide, missing girl run over by train at same spot: Cops Ten months after a 17-year-old girl, Aarti Rithadia, went missing from Nehru Nagar, investigation by Mumbai crime branch has revealed she died in a train accident at the same spot between Tilak Nagar and Chembur stations on the Harbour line - where her father committed suicide seven months later as he couldnt find her. Read more Thappad trailer: Taapsee Pannu, Anubhav Sinhas film is a resounding slap in Kabir Singhs face. Watch The trailer for Anubhav Sinhas latest film Thappad was released online on Friday. Starring Taapsee Pannu in the lead, Thappad tells the story of a woman who decides to divorce her husband after he slaps her. The trailer begins with Taapsee in a meeting with her lawyers who cannot fathom why she wants a separation from her husband over just a slap.Read more All teams in world dont want him in Indian side: Graeme Swann after India all-rounders performance in New Zealand Without attracting a whole lot of attention, Ravindra Jadeja in his way has turned out to be an integral part of Indias limited overs sides. Jadeja, whose limited overs career was under clouds even in 2018, has turned it around completely in the last 12 months. Read more Coronavirus outbreak: Google launches SOS Alert with WHO, to show helpful tips in result page With Coronavirus outbreak taking a serious turn and WHO (World Health Organisation) announcing it as a global public health emergency, Google is doing its bit to help users access safety tips, info, resources and more from WHO more easily and quickly. Read more Vegan meals and old tuxedos: Hollywood red carpets go green From glitzy all-vegan galas to recycled red carpet outfits, Hollywood has stepped up efforts to reduce its carbon footprint this awards season, which will soon wrap up with the Oscars. But while some scientists have welcomed A-listers renewed zeal on climate change, others have questioned whether Tinseltowns jet-set elite are any sort of example to follow. Read more Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although Amazon.com made losses for many years after listing, if you had bought and held the shares since 1999, you would have made a fortune. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So, the natural question for Saunders International (ASX:SND) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. See our latest analysis for Saunders International Does Saunders International Have A Long Cash Runway? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. In June 2019, Saunders International had AU$8.0m in cash, and was debt-free. In the last year, its cash burn was AU$4.5m. Therefore, from June 2019 it had roughly 21 months of cash runway. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. ASX:SND Historical Debt, January 31st 2020 How Well Is Saunders International Growing? Notably, Saunders International actually ramped up its cash burn very hard and fast in the last year, by 118%, signifying heavy investment in the business. As if that's not bad enough, the operating revenue also dropped by 33%, making us very wary indeed. Considering these two factors together makes us nervous about the direction the company seems to be heading. Of course, we've only taken a quick look at the stock's growth metrics, here. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Saunders International is building its business over time. Story continues Can Saunders International Raise More Cash Easily? Since Saunders International can't yet boast improving growth metrics, the market will likely be considering how it can raise more cash if need be. Generally speaking, a listed business can raise new cash through issuing shares or taking on debt. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash to fund growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Saunders International has a market capitalisation of AU$57m and burnt through AU$4.5m last year, which is 7.9% of the company's market value. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. So, Should We Worry About Saunders International's Cash Burn? Even though its increasing cash burn makes us a little nervous, we are compelled to mention that we thought Saunders International's cash burn relative to its market cap was relatively promising. We don't think its cash burn is particularly problematic, but after considering the range of factors in this article, we do think shareholders should be monitoring how it changes over time. While it's important to consider hard data like the metrics discussed above, many investors would also be interested to note that Saunders International insiders have been trading shares in the company. Click here to find out if they have been buying or selling. If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. In addition to the 'Big Four' (New York, Milan, Paris, London) there are over a hundred Fashion Weeks around the world. The designer showings used to be exclusive, invite-only presentations for the industry elite to see next season's trends. But times has changed, and in 2020, what's going on in the streets is just as influential as what's coming down the catwalk. Attending a show? Makeup artist and lash expert Christian Zamora shares his knowledge on how to achieve photo-worthy beauty. Take his advice and get ready to be street style snapped! Ge snapped: 'Cameras are everywhere during Fashion Week so your skin should look its absolute best,' says Christian Skin prep: 'Cameras are everywhere during Fashion Week so your skin should look its absolute best,' says Christian. The expert suggests using Ole Hendriksen's PHAT Glow facial a couple days or even the night before heading out to the first show. 'Apply this amazing pink creme for 15 mins or until it turns white, then wipe it off with a damp, warm towel,' he explains. 'PHAT Facial fights signs of aging and instantly exfoliates and illuminates, follow that with Truth serum and C-Rush Brightening gel creme for beautiful, glowing skin.' We all know that what we put in your body is just as important as what we put on it, so Christian urges attendees to keep themselves hydrated with plenty of water. Left: Ole Henriksen PHAT Glow Facial, $50; olehenriksen.com. Center: Ole Henriksen Luxury Size Truth Serum, now $76; olehenriksen.com. Right: Ole Henriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Creme, olehenriksen.com All day wear: He suggests a makeup look that's all about lashes and that "glow from within skin" Make it last: 'To keep this look fresh all day, my favorite secret weapon is Kristopher Buckle's Power Lock makeup setting spray. It's amazing,' shares the makeup artist Day Makeup: 'Running from show to show, you never know what kind of lighting you're going to encounter,' shares Christian. He suggests a makeup look that's all about lashes and that "glow from within skin." 'Start with a light foundation, then contour and highlight not too much, or it will look greasy. 'Opt for a soft cheek color (a cream is best for a blushing warmth) and lots of lash! If you're comfortable wearing a strip lash, go for it.' If you like a full lash but don't want to wear a strip, Christian suggests applying mascara then adding 3 or 4 cluster lashes to your lash line. 'To keep this look fresh all day, my favorite secret weapon is Kristopher Buckle's Power Lock makeup setting spray. It's amazing,' shares the makeup artist. Left: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, $440; charlottetilbury.com. Right: Ciate Dewy Stix Luminous Highlighting Balm, $26; ciatelondon.com Left: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, $68; charlottetilbury.com. Right: Lashify Amplify Gossamer Lashes, $20; lashify.com Left: Chantecaille Cheek Gelee, $44; chantecaille.com. Right: CLE CCC Cream, $31; clecosmetics.com Left: LashFood Ultra Rich Volumizing Mascara, $20; lashfood.com. Right: Kristofer Buckle Power Lock Makeup Setting Spray, $20; kristoferbuckle.com Evening elegant: For perfect party hair, Christian recommends soft, big waves or curls Pucker up: 'Skip a bright cheek and apply a strong, matte red lip for the ultimate party look' After hours: To instantly glam up your look for a fashionable evening event, the artist suggests a dramatic eye that's not overpowering. "It starts with Pat McGrath's black eyeliner inside the water line and along the top lash line,' says Christian. 'Use your ring finger to soften the liner along the lash line, then follow it up with a dark eye shadow to blend for that smokey look. 'Add mascara and finish with a strip or cluster lash to make those eyes pop. Skip a bright cheek and apply a strong, matte red lip.' For perfect party hair, Christian recommends soft, big waves or curls. 'In your handbag carry blotting papers, your favorite lip product and a compact pressed powder for touch-ups throughout the night.' Pat McGrath Permagel Ultra Glide Eye Pencil, $28; patmcgrath.com Left: MAC Eyeshadow X 9 - Semi-Sweet, $32; ulta.com. Right: Chanel Rouge Allure Camelia, $40; chanel.com The essentials: 'In your handbag carry blotting papers, your favorite lip product and a compact pressed powder for touch-ups throughout the night' Left: Winky Lux Matcha Blotting Sheets, $8; ulta.com. Right: Fresh Sugar Spice Tinted Lip Treatment Sunscreen SPF 15, $23; fresh.com Britain has left the European Union. Hundreds of Brexiteers descended on Westminster on Friday to commemorate the historic event in a good-natured manner at Parliament Square. It marked the end of three-and-a-half tumultuous years of political upheaval. Speaking at the rally, Nigel Farage said Britains departure from the EU was the greatest moment in the modern history of our great nation. Addressing the crowd from a stage before the 20 second countdown, Mr Farage said: This is something that I fought for for 27 years and something that many thousands of you gave your time and money for. We faced an established that didnt even want to listen to us. An establishment that never wanted that referendum to take place. An establishment that tried for three and a half years to frustrate the will of the greatest democratic mandate ever seen. At 11pm, bongs from Big Ben were played out through speakers. It was followed by a rendition of the national anthem, with the lyrics produced on a large screen above the stage. The crowds had started arriving hours earlier, defying the rain to be present. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils were held. The Leave a Light On gatherings took place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations. In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit staged a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. New Delhi: Bhojpuri siren Monalisa has yet again set the internet on fire with her latest post on Instagram, which features her in a black and white outfit. The main highlight of the picture is her sultry expression. She has paired her white shirt with a plunging neckline with a black and silver short skirt. Monalisa aced her look with a red lip colour. "Life Is A Song... Love Is The... #love #music #musical #morning," Monalisa captioned the photo. Take a look: Monalisa is one celebrity who always keeps her Instafam posted with her latest pictures. Be it from her sets, events, parties or vacations, the actress never fails to post pictures and videos on social media. She is an avid social media user and is hugely popular. Monalisa enjoys a fan-following of 2.7 million followers on Instagram. She is a famous Bhojpuri actress and became a household name after starring in 'Bigg Boss'. She currently features in 'Nazar', for which she has earned a fan base in the TV industry too. Monalisa, whose real name is Antara Biswas, has worked with several A-listers of the industry. She is married to actor Vikrant Singh Rajpoot. Green went to court and faced an all-white jury. He was found guilty and sentenced to 60 years in jail. Read that sentence again. Yes, 60 years. His public defender, Julia Fogelberg, filed a damning motion after his sentence asking the judge to reconsider, pointing out the multiple injustices in Greens case. Among those injustices is why he even did time in prison in the first place. In 2006, Green had pleaded guilty in Cape Girardeau to possession of less than 35 grams of marijuana, a crime that is legal or at least not prosecuted in many places in the country these days. He was given a suspended imposition of sentence and placed on five years probation. Four years later, he still owed court costs that he said he couldnt afford to pay. The judge called that a probation violation and sent him to prison. The judge in Greens gun case was embarrassed by Fogelbergs motion outlining the multiple errors in the case. He reversed himself and set James T. Green free. The Democratic National Committee revised the thresholds necessary for candidates to qualify for debates Friday, paving the way for former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg to take the stage at the next debate. NBC News, which is hosting the ninth Democratic debate on Feb. 19 in Las Vegas, reported that the party did away with the grassroots donor threshold, which has required candidates in every other debate thus far to receive donations from tens of thousands of supporters to qualify. As Bloomberg, a billionaire, is self-funding his campaign and not accepting donations, this now gives him the opportunity to qualify for Februarys debate, which is being co-hosted by MSNBC. Also Read: Bloomberg Campaign Has Already Spent $110 Million on Trump Attack Ads (Report) In announcing revisions to the qualification thresholds Friday, the DNC said, To qualify for the Nevada debate stage, candidates may qualify either by (1) meeting a delegate threshold, or (2) meeting a polling threshold. Qualifying polls for the Nevada debate will include national polling and polling in Nevada and South Carolina. A candidates support in Iowa and New Hampshire will be reflected through the results of those contests. We are thrilled that voters could soon have the chance to see Mike Bloomberg on the debate stage, hear his vision for the country, and see why he is the strongest candidate to defeat Donald Trump and bring our country together, said Bloomberg campaign manager Kevin Sheekey in a Friday statement. He continued, Mike has run for office three times and never taken a dime from special interests, allowing him to act independently, on the merits, without having to do what donors expect. He is proud to be doing the same with this campaign. Brad Bauman, a top adviser for candidate Andrew Yang, tweeted, If you look at the new DNC debate thresholds as anything other than Get Andrew Yang off stage and put Mike Bloomberg on, Then you are high. Read original story Mike Bloomberg Could Participate in Next Debate Thanks to DNC Rule Change At TheWrap Police officers answering a 911 call early on Wednesday found a woman who was unconscious and visibly pregnant on the ground outside an apartment house in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, officials said. She had been pulled from a car that drove off quickly. The woman, Tatiana Walton, was pronounced dead a short time later at a nearby hospital, the police said, and her fetus also died. By late Thursday, a man with whom she had a 2-year-old son had been charged with strangling her, the authorities said. On Friday, the man, Kelvin Philp, 25, was arraigned on a second-degree murder charge and ordered held without bail, according to a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorneys office. Mr. Philp had not yet entered a plea, the spokesman said. A lawyer representing him did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Over 6,000 tourists were blocked on a cruise ship in Italy on Thursday after the vast liner was placed on lockdown over two suspected cases of the deadly coronavirus. Samples from a Chinese couple were sent for testing after three doctors and a nurse boarded the Costa Crociere ship in the port of Civitavecchia to tend to a woman running a fever, the local health authorities said. Costa Crociere confirmed the ship, carrying some 7,000 people including the crew, was in lockdown. It said it a 54-year old woman from Macau was placed in solitary confinement in the on-board hospital last night with her travel companion, and was following instructions from the health ministry. The Costa Smeralda, the companys flagship and the fifth-largest cruise ship in the world, came from Palma de Mallorca and is currently engaged in one-week cruises in the western Mediterranean, it said. The couple flew in to Milan from Hong Kong on January 25, before getting on the cruise, according to Italian media reports. The couples cabin has been isolated and they are in with the doctors, an unnamed passenger was quoted as telling ANSA news agency. Were a bit worried of course. No-one is getting on or off the ship apart from the doctors. This holiday risks ending in a nightmare. China reported its biggest single-day jump in novel coronavirus deaths on Thursday, as global fears deepened with at least 15 countries confirming infections. The World Health Organization, which initially downplayed a disease that has now killed 170 in China, was preparing to meet Thursday to decide whether to declare it a global emergency. The family behind H&M was 1.1billion richer last night as they embarked on a major shake-up of how they run the fashion business. Shares rose more than 9 per cent as it produced stellar results and announced that Stefan Persson, whose father Erling Persson founded the company in Sweden in 1947, was standing down after 20 years as chairman. He will be replaced by his son, Karl-Johan Persson, H&Ms chief executive. Handing over the reins: Karl-Johan Persson (right) is replacing his father Stefan (left) as H&M chairman The rise in the share price earned the family, who own a 41 per cent stake, a 1.1billion windfall. H&M is worth 24billion, second in global fashion retail only to Spanish rival Inditex, owner of Zara. Karl-Johan Persson will be replaced as chief executive by the firms first ever female boss, chief operating officer Helena Helmersson, 47, who started with the business in 1997. The first month of 2020 is set to be among among the top 10 warmest Januaries on record, the Met Office has revealed - as it has emerged some areas have seen no frost all month for the very first time. Figures released today show that temperatures across the country this month have been between 0.5C to 2C above average. And, despite rainfall earlier this month for some, certain areas of the country have been far drier and sunnier than usual - especially on the east coast in towns and cities such as Scarborough and Hull. Daffodils bloom near Windsor Castle in Berkshire this week. Figures released today show that temperatures across the country this month have been between 0.5C to 2C above average A dog walker walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire on January 25th Despite rainfall earlier this month for some, certain areas of the country have been far drier and sunnier than usual. Rainhill on Merseyside is pictured on January 24th 'We have had a very active jet stream this month,' Marco Petagna from the Met Office explains. 'This has led to a very mild January. A lack of southerly winds means cold air from the north has not made its way down to us. 'Temperatures have certainly been very unusual for this time of year. And that is unlikely to change as we move into next month with mild temperatures forecast to continue.' A cyclist pauses to feed gulls on a grey and gloomy morning at Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham. This was on the same day as the sunshine on Merseyside Konik ponies graze on Hothfield Heathlands near Ashford, Kent, during the morning sunshine, following a morning frost on January 21st The sun rises over the village of Brill near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. The Grade II listed windmill, pictured January 20th, dates back to the 17th century A swan swims on a flooded field near Ufton Nervet, Berkshire on the 17th of January Earlier this month, while countries such as Greece suffered lows of -23C (-9F), the UK enjoyed highs of 12C (54F), with only light rain as opposed to the heavy snow that has hit Austria and Germany. The position of the jet stream - strong winds six miles above the Earth - was well to the north of Britain, bringing settled weather; but diving south over continental Europe, bringing sub-zero conditions and snow. According to the Met Office, 1916 was the warmest January, with an average temperature of 6.3C. Despite a relatively mild January, Storm Brendan still battered parts of the UK in mid January. Pictured here is the roof of a building blown onto Slough High Street on January 15th A misty view of the Old Royal Naval College and Canary Wharf, from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London in the midst of Storm Brendan in mid January A kite surfer jumps out of the sea off of West Wittering beach in West Sussex on January 12th Canal boats sit on the Forth and Clyde Canal at the Helix Park the home of the Kelpies in Falkirk on January 6th The sun rises over a ship off the coast of Whitley Bay in Northumberland on New Year's Day this year This time one decade ago in 2010, Britain was enduring its most widespread and prolonged period of sub-zero temperatures and significant snowfall in 28 years. Winter of 2009/2010 saw parts of the UK buried under nearly a foot of snow, temperatures regularly falling to -15C (5F), sheet ice causing fatal road accidents and whiteout conditions affecting airports and rail services. Unilever boss Alan Jope said he was 'absolutely determined' to get the business growing again after it revealed a slump in annual profits. The consumer goods group, which has put its tea business including PG Tips up for sale, said profits plunged 33 per cent to 7billion in 2019. That was after it suffered a sales slowdown in South Asia and China, with group sales for the year rising by 2.9 per cent below the firm's annual target of 3 per cent to 5 per cent growth. For sale: Unilever has put its tea business including PG Tips up for sale, after it revealed a slump in annual profits Unilever, whose brands include Marmite, Hellmann's and Dove, also blamed tough competition in North America and Europe for its woes. Jope, who replaced Paul Polman a year ago, vowed to ramp up turnaround efforts which include making 1.7billion in annual cost savings. But he warned investors the company was focusing on boosting revenues rather than profits as it tried to recover its mojo. The 55-year-old added: 'We are absolutely determined to get this business growing.' Unilever said its home care business, which includes Persil detergent and Cif cleaner, increased sales by 3.7 per cent in the year to December 31. It said new versions of Cif using natural ingredients drove growth, as well as premium clothes washing liquids and capsules. However, sales in the beauty and personal care division increased by just 0.5 per cent, while food and refreshment rose by 1.4 per cent. The food and refreshment business which sells Lipton teas' other products contributes 40 per cent of group sales. Unilever is focusing on its fastest-growing brands to spur on growth, including Pukka herbal teas and Olly nutritional pills. And as part of this shift, the firm yesterday confirmed it was reviewing its tea business. That includes traditional brands such as PG Tips, with Jope describing black teas as a 'drag' on the business. These still make up two-thirds of the division's 2.4billion in annual sales but have delivered virtually flat sales for a decade, he added. The house of a 53-year-old government employee was burgled by unidentified people and gold ornaments worth around Rs 8 lakh were stolen in Saket, police said on Friday. According to Sanjay Saxena, who is the joint director of Public Relation of the Madhya Pradesh government, his wife had gone to their neighbour's house on Wednesday afternoon when the incident took place. When she returned home, the main gate of the house was broken. She got suspicious and rung the bell, following which the accused locked the gate from inside and fled from the back side, Saxena said in his complaint. She called neighbours and informed the police. Police reached the spot and broke open the main gate and found that the whole house was ransacked and three almirahs were broken, the FIR said. The entire stuff of the almirah was lying on the bed and floor. The accused fled with cash and jewellery worth Rs 8-10 lakh, its said. A forensic team took finger prints from the house, it stated. "In a CCTV camera footage, the accused were seen carrying a backpack which is missing from the house. The faces of the accused can also be seen clearly in those photographs," Saxena said. A case under sections 380 (theft in dwelling house) and 454 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment) has been registered at the Saket police station and further investigation is underway, a senior police officer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MoneyTV with Donald Baillargeon television program, Copyright MMXX, all rights reserved. MoneyTV does not provide an analysis of companies' financial positions and is not soliciting to purchase or sell securities of the companies, nor are we offering a recommendation of featured companies or their stocks. Information discussed herein has been provided by the companies and should be verified independently with the companies and a securities analyst. MoneyTV provides companies a 3 to 4 month corporate profile with multiple appearances for a cash fee of $6,950.00 to $11,995.00, does not accept company stock as payment for services, does not hold any positions, options or warrants in featured companies. The information herein is not an endorsement by Donald Baillargeon, the producer, publisher or parent company of MoneyTV. 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. Oscar Lopez Riveras strong conviction that Puerto Rico should be free from U.S. colonial control led him to fight for Puerto Rican independence. He was arrested in 1981, and convicted of seditious conspiracy and related charges, along with ten others who were arrested the previous year. Sentenced to 55 years in prison, he became the longest held Puerto Rican political prisoner in the history of Puerto Ricos struggle for independence, regarded as the Nelson Mandela of the Americas. In 2017, as the result of a broad human rights campaign, and after he served almost 36 years in prison, President Obama commuted his sentence. The Puerto Rican people and their allies celebrated the end of his sentence on May 17, 2017. Learn how individuals and organizations are helping Puerto Rico's recovery, Oscar Lopez Rivera's work, and how you can help. Topics discussed: * The Puerto Rican diaspora * The prison experience in the U.S. * Community organizing in Puerto Rico * The struggle to audit the colonial debt * Decolonizing Puerto Rico Free and open to the public. Light Refreshments will be served. PM Press will have Oscars book, Between Torture and Resistance and other books available to purchase. Sponsored by: The Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, the Department of Justice Studies, Chicanx Studies, MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center, and the San Jose Peace and Justice Center. For more event information: https://www.calendarwiz.com/calendars/popu... Added to the calendar on Thursday Jan 30th, 2020 10:29 PM Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo. Picture date: Thursday January 30, 2020. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Irish Social Democrats politician Catherine Murphy during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo.Niall Carson/PA Wire Solidarity TD Mick Barry during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Fine Gael leader, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo credit: Niall Carson/PA Wire Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has claimed that Fianna Fail leader Michael Martins party member does not support his opposition to forming a coalition with Sinn Fein. The Taoiseach said the key difference to his objection to coalition with Sinn Fein was that his party was behind him while Mr Martins party was divided on the issue. During a live televised debate on Virgin Media, Mr Varadkar listed a number of Fianna Fail TDs who he said were in favour of going into government with Sinn Fein. The Taoiseach said Fianna Fail TDs Mary Butler, Kevin OKeeffe, Darragh OBrien and Pat The Cope Gallagher were in favour of a coalition with Sinn Fein. Expand Close Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. PA Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire In response, Mr Martin noted that former Fine Gael director of elections Frank Flannery previously suggested the party could work with Sinn Fein. Mr Varadkar said Mr Flannery was not a TD meaning his views did not influence the party. Mr Martin responded: I wouldnt trust you on that one. Mr Martin said he would not be Leos last resort when asked about going into government with Fine Gael. Ms McDonald said the best government would be one with out Fine Gael or Fianna Fail. Mr Varadkar warned that Sinn Fein in government would lead to job losses. The Taoiseach said he would ditch his plans to significantly increase the entry point for the top rates of tax if the economy takes a big hit. The Taoiseach has pledged to increase the entry point for the top rate of tax to 50,000 if Fine Gael was re-elected to government after the general election. However, speaking during the televised debate, Mr Varadkar confirmed he would ditch his election plans for tax cuts if the economy was hit by a down turn. The Taoiseach also asked not to be put in the same category as the other leaders on economic issues as had implemented a prudent budget. Expand Close Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Irish Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin during a seven way leaders General Election debate at the Virgin Media Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Mr Varadkar said his election pledges includes a commitment to provide for a budge surplus over 3bn every year for the next five year. Read More Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he has learned lots of lessons about the economy from being in opposition. Mr Martin said his party was not pledging to spend the 11bn that has been forecasted for new measures by the Department of Finaance. Mr Martin said he would prioritise access to timely healthcare and housing if he in power. He said Sinn Fein had promised 4bn through 16 new taxes a year which he said would damage the economy and lead to job losses Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said families across the state were asking why they were not feeling the impact of the economic recovery. Ms McDonald said people earning less than 100,00 would earn more under Sinn Fein. She also accused Mr Martin of trying to silence her during the debate. Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the country need more teachers, nurses and gardai. Mr Ryan said you cannot promises tax cuts and commit to investment in public spending. Solidarity- People Before Profit TD Mick Barry said he would tax people who earn more than 1m at 2pc which he claimed would raise 4bn. Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin said it was a con job to give tax cuts and claim you can invest in services. Mr Howlin said the health service needs 5bn. Social Democrat TD Catherine Murphy said the local property tax was utterly unfair. In a debate on housing all seven party leaders raised their hands when asked if they owned their own home - but no hands went up when they were asked by the hosts if they were landlords. Solidarity's Mick Barry claimed that one-third of Fine Gael TDs and the same proportion of Fianna Fail TDs are landlords. Mr Varadkar said most of landlords in Ireland are people "who have worked hard and have bought an investment property". He said so-called cuckoo funds "should pay tax and they should pay more tax". Mr Martin argued in favour of very strong rent controls but said he could not commit to a rent freeze over doubts about its constitutionality. Mr Howlin argued that Labour had frozen rents for two years when it was in government. Ms Murphy said that affordability was an issue and that big land banks needed to be used to build affordable housing. I reject the idea that there cant be a rent freeze, it has to be time-limited," she said. Ms McDonald also argued in favour of a rent freeze and said the wrong type of construction was happening in Ireland with too much commercial building. Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar clashed over the housing with the Fianna Fail leader accusing his Fine Gael counterpart of not getting it. Mr Varadkar defended the governments record. Weve seen in the last couple of days a significant fall in the number of people who are homelessness," he said, adding that "everyone" has to welcome this and insisting it was because more social housing was being delivered. There were sharp exchanges between Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin on health while Mr Howlin criticised both. Social Democrats co-leader Ms Murphy said "we can't afford not to invest in Slaintecare" and she compared the all-party plan to the debate in Britain before it established the National Health Service. Mr Varadkar insisted there are more doctors in Ireland than ever before putting the number at 10,000 and claimed the number of nurses have increased considerably. He said Slaintecare won't be implemented overnight but argued it has to be funded to the tune of 5bn. He claimed only Fine Gael will continue the strong economy that will allow Slaintecare to be brought in. Mr Martin got snappy with the hosts when he told them to "calm it" as he made his contribution to the debate. He said Fianna Fail won't be "hanging around ten years" to reform health. He said people on trolleys and waiting lists can't wait. He said his party would bring in more home help hours. Mr Varadkar interrupted claiming Fianna Fail would "leave health short [of funding]". As Mr Martin spoke of expanding the National Treatment Purchase Fund Mr Varadkar again chipped in "you have to fund it". Mr Howlin claimed Fianna Fail's plan for the NTPF is "a con" and that it's essentially privatisation. He said all parties are "notionally" promoting Slaintecare but warned it was at risk by tax cuts promised by rivals. Mr Varadkar was challenged on the cost of the National Children's Hospital and denied it would be 2bn. He claimed Micheal Martin's party was the only one that wasted money on the project with a 35m spend on an abandoned plan to locate it at the Mater. Solidarity's Mr Barry pointed out that mental health wasn't mentioned in the debate. Mr Varadkar defended the government investment in the area saying the Budget is 1bn. Mr Howlin agreed with Mr Barry that health is "one of the biggest scandals" and he said Labour would make it 12pc of the health Budget. Mr Barry criticised Labour's record on the issue when it was in power. Mr Howlin said that was a time when the country had no money and he added: "you can be a critic of the past or you can map out the future." In a debate on Irish unity, Micheal Martin attacked Sinn Fein, accusing the party of being the greatest barrier to Irish unity for the last 40 years on this island because it continued to justify the violence of the IRA during The Troubles. Ms McDonald rejected this criticism and accused Mr Martin of party political posturing. She praised the Taoiseach for his contribution to the recent restoration of Stormont. Mr Varadkar said that any debate on a future border needed to stay true to the Good Friday Agreement, a document he described as visionary Mr Howlin said there should not be any coercion and that there needed to be a discussion about reimagining Ireland, rather than it being prescriptive. Only one of the party leaders, Ms McDonald, outlined a clear time for a border poll saying it should take place within the next five years. She argued the debate had already begun and that preparations should now begin. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar signalled that Fine Gael would be "willing to cooperate" with Fianna Fail as a junior partner "as a last resort" due to the upcoming Brexit talks when he was pressed on the issue. He said: "I certainly don't want to go into government with Fianna Fail... FF twice in my lifetime have brought the country to the brink of bankruptcy..." Pressed on the issue he said: "we would be willing to cooperate with Fianna Fail, work with them in a particular circumstance." "Remember the reason why this election is happening now because both parties decided that we shouldn't have during the middle of sensitive Brexit negotiations a caretaker government or an election... "We're now heading into the next phase of Brexit, really crucial talks on trade. "And as a last resort, rather than having a second election during those crucial talks, rather than having a caretaker government... we would be willing to cooperate with Fianna Fail." The seven leader debate was on Virgin Media hosted by Ivan Yates and Matt Cooper. It is the second last multi-party debate of the campaign. A final debate between Mr Martin and Mr Varadkar is due to be aired on RTE next week. Sinn Fein has complained about being excluded from the final debate of the election campaign. Polling day is on Saturday, February 8th. In the recording, Trump can be heard discussing his polling numbers, the 2018 midterm elections and a range of policy issues of interest to the guests, including immigration and the war in Syria. The exchanges offered another window into the presidents interactions with his top financial supporters and, in one case, his openness to their concerns about a high-profile element of his foreign policy. LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hard Money Lenders California is expanding their service offering to include commercial hard money loans to residents of California. A commercial hard money loan is dependent on the real estate assets the borrower has. Commercial hard money loans are also called "bridge loans", "no-doc loans" or "private hard money loans" just to name a few. Loans from traditional lenders decide if a borrower is qualified based on their credit, financial statements, etc., while a commercial hard money loan is strictly based on assets the borrower has. This allows borrowers whose projects don't necessarily meet the traditional guidelines of most banks and other lenders to receive funding from other reliable private lenders. What makes Hard Money Lenders California unique is that they are a direct lender specializing in commercial hard money loans. There are no fees upfront and they can get you the funding to start your project in an extremely short amount of time, unlike traditional banks and lenders. Potential to receive hard money lending in California falls back on certain criteria including but not limited to credit history, insurability and/or ability to provide property collateral. The company has been built on the foundation and mindset that just because an individual may have a poor credit score does not mean that they should be incapable of receiving lending or financing for any and all real estate or business purposes. All specialists employed with Barrett Financial Group are proficient in carrying this mentality out, in fast and efficient ways and provide customers with a plethora of knowledge on the above-mentioned loan programs. Hard Money Lenders California are private funders experienced in all aspects of real estate lending, ranging from refinancing, to fix and flip loans, to bridge loans. You as the customer will be quickly and efficiently provided with the financing you need from safe and trustworthy lenders. Hard Money Lenders California's goal is and always has been to help people thrive with their real estate projects. You can learn more about Hard Money Lenders California's expansive hard money loan programs in California by visiting https://hardmoneylenderscalifornia.com/ or sending an email to [email protected] with questions you may have. SOURCE Hard Money Lenders California Related Links https://www.hardmoneylenderscalifornia.com Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has reacted to reports that he has jumped ship and is partnering with other political bodies to aid the presidential comeback of John Dramani Mahama through protests march against the Electoral Commission's decision to compile a new voters' register. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other opposition political parties under the umbrella Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voters Register have so far held two demonstrations; one in Tamale in the Northern region and the other in Kumasi, Ashanti Region against the compilation of a new voters' register. Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi reacting to the demonstration during an interview on Okay FM said: Ask Kwesi Pratt for me, so the interparty demonstration he joined, did he join in the capacity of CPP or he is no longer a member of CPP? So, this is what Uncle Kwesi Pratt is doing to Kwame Nkrumahs CPP . . . he has now joined John Mahamas NDC . . . is he on leave to work for John Mahama? he quizzed. But contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', Kwesi Pratt denied taking part in the demonstrations, insisting, he was even out of the country by then. Listen to him in the video below Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/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 " " Rosa Parks (center, in dark coat and hat) rides a bus at the end of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Montgomery, Alabama, Dec. 26, 1956. Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images Most of us know Rosa Parks as the African American woman who quietly but firmly refused to give up her bus seat to a white person on Dec. 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama. That small act of resistance sparked the yearlong Montgomery Bus Boycott which, in turn, kickstarted national efforts to end racial segregation in the U.S. But Rosa Parks is much more than that. "Most Americans are only familiar with the event that occurred on Dec. 1, 1955," says David Canton, associate professor of history and director of the Africana Studies Program at Connecticut College. "However, Rosa Parks was an activist years before the Montgomery Bus Boycott and years after." Here are four facts and four myths about Parks that will help you better understand this important historical figure. Advertisement Fact: Parks Came From a Family of Activists Parks was born in 1913 to James and Leona McCauley. The couple separated two years later, and Parks' mother moved the family to her parents' farm in Pine Level, Alabama. Parks' grandparents, Rose and Sylvester Edwards, were former slaves who strongly believed in racial equality. One of Parks' early memories was of her grandfather standing guard with his shotgun as the Ku Klux Klan marched down their street. In 1932, when she was 19, Rosa McCauley married Raymond Parks, an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Myth: Her Only Activism Was Refusing to Give up Her Bus Seat Parks began her civil rights activism shortly after graduating from high school, and continued until shortly before her death in 2005 at age 92. She served for years as secretary to the president of the NAACP's Montgomery chapter. Parks also worked on issues such as voter registration, desegregation of schools and public spaces, and justice for Black victims of white brutality. In addition, she participated in numerous major civil rights events such as the 1963 March on Washington and the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery March. Parks was also an activist for women's rights and ending the Vietnam War. At one time she served on the board of Planned Parenthood. Fact: She'd Previously Had a Run-in With the Same Bus Driver Twelve years before Parks refused to give up her bus seat, she boarded a bus driven by James E. Blake. Blake often made derogatory remarks to African Americans, especially women. He also made Blacks get off his bus after paying, then re-board in the rear. Sometimes, he'd drive away before they got back on. When Parks boarded Blake's bus in 1943, he tried to make Parks re-board after paying. She refused, and he tried to push her off the bus. After that, Parks avoided Blake's bus no matter what. But on the fateful day, she didn't notice Blake was the driver when she stepped on board. Myth: On Dec. 1, 1955, She Sat in the Whites-only Section In 1955, Montgomery's buses had 36 seats. The first 10 were for whites, the middle 16 were first-come, first-serve (with priority given to whites) and the last 10 were for Blacks. Parks sat down in the first row of the middle section, next to a Black man. Two Black women sat across the aisle. The other Blacks got up when Blake told them to. Parks, of course, did not. Advertisement Fact: Parks Wasn't the First African American in Montgomery to Refuse to Give Up Her Bus Seat Several months before Parks refused to give up her seat, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin did the same thing. But unlike Parks, Colvin made a scene and was physically removed by police officers. Some say Parks' refusal ignited the boycott, and not Colvin's, because Parks was calm, polite and an older woman, which made her a more sympathetic figure. However, it was Colvin, not Parks, who was part of the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of bus segregation in Montgomery. Myth: She Remained Seated Because She Was Tired Parks did not refuse to give up her bus seat because her feet hurt. "I was not tired physically," she wrote in her autobiography, "or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in." Fact: Parks Was Jailed a Second Time, Two Months Later " " Rosa Parks was arrested and fingerprinted for violating an Alabama law prohibiting organized boycotts in 1956. Underwood Archives/Getty Images With the Montgomery Bus Boycott going strong, Parks was helping arrange carpool rides to people who refused to ride the buses. But on Feb. 21, 1956, a grand jury indicted Parks and others for violating an Alabama law prohibiting organized boycotts. Once again, Parks was arrested and jailed. The Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 381 days and ended when the Supreme Court said segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional. Myth: Once the Boycott Was Over, Americans Embraced Parks Although the boycott was a success, it threw Rosa and Raymond Parks' life into turmoil. Montgomery Fair department store, where Parks worked as a seamstress, fired her. Raymond was also fired from his job after his boss said he couldn't talk about Rosa or the boycott at work. The couple, who had received threatening phone calls, death threats and hate mail during the boycott, continued to receive them for years after. In 1957, after neither could find steady employment in Montgomery, they joined Rosa's brother and cousins in Detroit, taking along her mother, Leona. " " Actor Morgan Freeman and Rosa Parks at a party for Freeman's film "Amistad" in 1997. Dave Allocca/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images "White supremacists forced Rosa Parks to leave Alabama and relocate to Detroit," says Canton. But even in Detroit, Parks had trouble finding work. Finally, in 1965, she was hired as an administrative assistant for Congressman John Conyers Jr., a position she held until her 1985 retirement. Parks died in 2005 and her body lay in honor at the U.S. Capitol rotunda, the first woman to receive that distinction. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING Rosa Parks remained an activist all her life. In 1994, at the age of 81, she was mugged by a young Black man, a crime that many pundits saw as a sign of decaying values in young people. But Parks saw it differently. "I hope to someday see an end to the conditions in our country that would make people want to hurt others," she said at the time. In 1998, the hip-hop group OutKast put out a coarse song titled "Rosa Parks," and she filed a lawsuit for defamation of character and false advertising because they used her name without permission. The case was eventually settled in 2005. Advertisement Originally Published: Jan 31, 2020 A failure by Britain and the European Union to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by the end-of-year deadline would pose an "existential threat" to Ireland, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Friday. The Irish leader also called on the European Union to find a new role in the post-Cold War era -- such as tackling global warming -- that could keep other countries from leaving the soon-to-be 27 member bloc. "We have to be realistic about the dangers," he said in a speech in Dublin as Britain leaves the EU after 47 years. "A failure to secure a trade deal would be a major threat, and an existential threat to our economy in 2021, so we do need that deal." Britain will continue following EU rules on trade and other issues during an 11-month transition period that has been set aside to decide their future ties. London has until July to ask for an extension -- something Johnson has vowed not to do despite warnings that such talks usually take far more time. Ireland shares a border with Britain's Northern Ireland and will be directly impacted if there is no new trade deal by the end of the year. Dublin wants London and Brussels to secure as broad a free-trade agreement as possible. But this would require Britain to continue following many EU rules. Johnson has said he wants Britain to set its own standards and regulations. "We know it's going to be a pretty rocky couple of months," said Varadkar. - A reason for being - Varadkar called Brexit a day of great sadness that also showed the benefits of single European membership. He also thanked EU leaders for supporting Ireland in the negotiations that allowed Britain to finally leave after three delays. "The UK leaving is not a cause of celebration for us. There will be no issuing of commemorative coins for this event," he said in reference to the 50-pences issued by Johnson's government. "But we do celebrate the solidarity that has been shown by EU partners, and we say thank you to our fellow Europeans," he said. "United we stand, divided we fall." And he warned that the bloc's original reason for existing -- preventing catastrophic wars from breaking out in Europe and standing up to the Soviet bloc -- no longer registered with younger generations. "For young people today, the horrors of world war and the evils of fascism and communism are not in their memory. For them, Europe needs a new project, a new raison d'etre," he said. "Dealing with challenges that can only be overcome through collective action, multilateral action must be that raison etre, with climate change first among them," New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is hoping to commit a trillion euros to a "Green Deal" that can make the bloc carbon neutral by 2050. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar urged the EU to find a new role such as tackling global warming to keep other members from leaving the bloc Authorities in the United Kingdom, Russia, and Italy said patients tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, the first confirmed cases in the countries. Englands Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement on Friday that there are two confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country. Both patients were transferred to a specialist infection unit in Newcastle. We are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus, Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said in a statement. Medical workers are working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had to try to prevent further spread of the new virus, Whitty added. The chief medical officers in the UK raised the coronavirus risk level from low to moderate, saying in a statement: This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the U.K. has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities. Anyone returning to the United Kingdom from China showing respiratory symptoms were advised by authorities to self-isolate for 14 days, the current maximum incubation period known to experts. Anyone returning from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, was asked to self-isolate even if they werent showing symptoms. In Italy, two Chinese tourists in Rome tested positive for the virus, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a press conference late Thursday. The tourists are a husband and wife, AFP reported. They were isolated at the Spallanzani infectious diseases institute in Italys capital. Im confident that the situation will remain contained, Conte said. The Italian government said it was instituting a travel ban, forcing the cancellation of all flights between Italy and China, and declaring a state of emergency. We think we are the first EU country to take this precautionary measure, Conte said. Russia also said it confirmed the countrys first two cases of coronavirus. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said that the two patients are both Chinese citizens. Theyre in the Trans-Baikal Region and the Tyumen Region. They are under strict surveillance. They have been isolated, and necessary assistance has been provided to them, she said. Russia was planning to evacuate its citizens from Hubei Province, Golikova said at a press conference, and would cancel all flights by Russian carriers between Russia and China. Four Chinese airlines would be allowed to continue flying into Moscow. Russia closed its land border with China on Thursday. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are common in many different species of animals and can, in rare cases, infect people. The origin of the new coronavirus isnt known. The new virus is spreading between humans now, multiple countries, including the United States and Germany. Person-to-person spread of two previous coronaviruses, MERS and SARS, likely took place mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new coronavirus started in Wuhan in December 2019 and has since spread to every region in China as well as some 20 countries around the world. Cases have been confirmed in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. People seeking to prevent the virus, which has no vaccine and no known cure, should wash their hands often or use hand sanitizer if soap isnt available; avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouths with unwashed hands, and avoid close contact with people who are sick. From The Epoch Times Stacey Currie from Frankston in Victoria appeared in court on Friday alongside her baby's father 'Chris' A pregnant mother who spray-painted graffiti asking 'where is Chris?' in a desperate attempt to track down the father of her unborn child has found him. Stacey Currie from Frankston in Victoria appeared in court on Friday alongside her baby's father 'Chris' and intends to plead guilty for her wild vandalism. The 36-year-old became an overnight sensation after spray-painting huge lettering across walls, local parks, a BBQ area and public bathrooms in July last year. On one occasion, with a school in the background, the desperate message sits beneath three empty bottles of beer and one bottle of what appears to be vodka. The brazen notes written in purple spray paint read 'Chris u need 2 talk 2 me b4 baby is born or don't bother after'. The brazen notes written in purple spray paint read 'Chris u need 2 talk 2 me b4 baby is born or don't bother after' The post first went viral after it was posted in the Frankston Community Noticeboard Facebook page and gained 32,000 comments and 14,000 shares The post first went viral after it was posted in the Frankston Community Noticeboard Facebook page and gained 32,000 comments and 14,000 shares. Peter Burrows, who discovered some of the graffiti and shared photos of it online, claims more 'hilarious' vandalism popped up days after it was first found. 'We all mainly think it's hilarious,' he said at the time. '[Some] locals are not impressed as it's ratepayers that are paying for the clean up when resources could be used elsewhere. 'However most now just want to know who Chris is and if he called her back. The local council responded immediately to the act of vandalism and removed the graffiti within days. Mayor Michael O'Reilly called on the community to think of 'more constructive' ways to get in touch with someone. Currie's case was adjourned to March 24 where she will be sentenced. Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Nirbhaya: Convict seeks review order that rejected his juvenility claim India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 30: Pawan Gupta, one of the killers in the Nirbhaya case has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging the earlier of order that had rejected his plea that he was a juvenile at the time of the offence. Gupta had earlier moved the court stating that he was a juvenile at the time the offence was committed. Meanwhile on Thursday the curative plea filed by Akshay Singh, one of the convicts in Nirbhaya case was rejected by the Supreme Court. Nirbhaya: SC rejects curative plea filed by another death row convict On Wednesday, the Supreme Court dismissed the curative plea filed by Mukesh Singh. He had challenged the rejection of his mercy petition by the President. With the SC rejecting the curative plea, Singh has run out of all legal options. NEWS AT 9 PM, JANUARY 28th, 2020 On Wednesday evening, another convict Vinay filed a mercy petition with the president. The same was filed directly in the President's secretariat. The fourth convict Pawan is yet to file a curative plea. Under Section 854 of the revised Delhi Prison Rules, none can be hanged till the last one has exhausted all options in case of multiple death row convicts, held guilty for the same crime. Further even if the President rejects the mercy plea, two weeks time has to be given to the convict before the execution. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, January 31, 2020, 11:45 [IST] Foreign students stuck under lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, are launching social media campaigns, making phone calls and writing letters urging their governments to get them out as soon as possible. Governments globally are grappling with the challenge of how to get their citizens out of Wuhan, a city of 11 million residents now under lockdown. Pakistan said that quarantine regulations prevented it from flying out the more than 500 Pakistani students and their families from Wuhan. Bangladesh and India said they were putting aircraft on standby. Muhammad Rauf, a master's student from Pakistan, told Reuters he and around 40 others were locked in their Wuhan dormitory for all but four hours a day. How long will the lockdown be?... What will we do? Just count down our days? he said, adding they had been calling for an evacuation plan from their government for ten days. Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Show all 15 1 /15 Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, China on 28 January 2020 after the city is put under lockdown due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Traffic on the Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge in Wuhan, China on 12 January, 2020 before the city was put under virtual lockdown due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Wuchang Railway Station in Wuhan, China on 28 January 2020 after the city is put under lockdown due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Wuchang Railway Station in Wuhan, China on 12 January, 2020 before the city was put under virtual lockdown due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Leishenshan Hospital which is under construction in Wuhan, China on 29 January 2020 Maxar Technologies/Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Two residents walk in an empty Jiangtan park in Wuhan, China Getty Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets wuhan-empty-skyscraper A woman walks on an empty road in Wuhan, China on 27 January Getty Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets A large empty shopping area that would usually be busy during the Chinese New Year on 28 January Getty Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Streets are nearly empty in a large shopping area that would usually be busy during the Chinese New Year on 28 January Getty Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets Roads remain empty on 27 January in Wuhan, China Getty Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets An empty street in Wuhan, China on 25 January Emilia/Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets An empty street in Wuhan, China on 25 January Emilia/Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets An empty street in Wuhan, China on 25 January Emilia/Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets An empty road in Wuhan, China on 25 January Emilia/Reuters Satellite images show Wuhan's empty streets An empty road in Wuhan, China on 25 January AFP/Getty Pakistani health minister Zafar Mirza said he understood students were anxious, there were no current plan to evacuate them - but the embassy was providing support. We are following Chinese regulations according to which the whole place is under quarantine. As they open it, we will decide accordingly, he told Reuters by phone. Another Pakistani student in Wuhan, who declined to be identified because he feared reprisals from authorities, said the students had been in contact with their embassy but it had not responded in two days. They say that we cannot evacuate. Why can't they evacuate us? Other countries have evacuated, he said. We are thankful to the Chinese government ... but we are not the responsibility of the Chinese government. We are the responsibility of our government. Recommended African students in Wuhan lockdown given no chance of escape In one video posted on social media, a group of Pakistani students who said they were in Wuhan chanted please save us while one man asked the government to take some measures to get us out of here. China has become a major destination for South Asian university students in recent years, fuelled in part by scholarships offered as China expands its influence in the region through president Xi Jinping's flagship Belt and Road infrastructure programme. Pakistan and China are very close allies. More than 400 Bangladeshis, mostly students, are stranded in Wuhan. Wuhan has become a ghost town, Rakibil Hafiz, a Bangladeshi engineering student from at Hubei University of Technology, told Reuters via WhatsApp. There is nothing we can do. We are all stuck in the dormitory. We are very worried. I want to go home. Reuters Punjab's Special Task Force (STF), Border Range has seized around 200 kg heroin from a rented house in the city. "The operation was underway since many days. Four people including a woman have been arrested in the connection with the drugs," Vavinder Mahajan, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP), STF told ANI. The police made the recovery late on Thursday night. "A day before the bungalow was to be vacated by the tenant, police got to know about the illegal activity," said Anwar, landlord of the property. The task force has arrested the tenant in connection with illegal drugs which was recovered from the house. Further investigation is underway to unearth more facts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nifty50 closed the January series on a muted note on Thursday with Nifty Futures rollovers around 66 percent, compared to a 3-month average of 78 percent, data showed. Nifty future settled the January series with loss of 0.75 percent as it closed at 12,035 mark versus December 2019 close of 12,126 levels. Since it is the beginning of a new series, Option data is scattered at various strikes. Maximum Put OI is at 12000 followed by 11500 strikes while Maximum Call OI is at 12200 followed by a 12500 strikes. Lets look at the final tally on D-Street for January 30 - the S&P BSE Sensex fell 284 points to 40,913 while the Nifty50 closed 93 points lower at 12,035. Sectorally, profit-taking was seen in the S&P BSE Energy index, followed by oil & gas, FMCG, and metal indices. Asian markets were stable even though the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it was declaring the coronavirus outbreak that has killed 170 people in China a global emergency, as cases spread to at least 18 countries. Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a positive opening for the index in India, with a 22 points, or 0.18 percent, gain. The Nifty futures were trading around 12,061-level on the Singaporean Exchange. The rupee lost 22 paise to close at a three-week low of 71.49 against the US dollar on Thursday tracking heavy sell-off in domestic equities and rising concerns over the outbreak of coronavirus. Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) sold shares worth net Rs 962.28 crore, while Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) bought net Rs 292.35 crore worth of shares in the Indian equity market on January 30, as per provisional data available on the NSE. Big News: As many as 109 companies in the BSE will declare their results for the December quarter that include names like HUL, ITC, State Bank of India, Power Grid, Tech Mahindra, Bank of India, and Vedanta. ITC: PAT likely to grow by 22% YoY HUL: PAT likely to grow by 14% YoY SBI: PAT likely to grow by 82% YoY (All estimates are from Motilal Oswal) Technical View: Nifty formed a bearish candle or a bearish belt hold kind of pattern on the daily charts The index slipped below its crucial 50-Days EMA placed at 12085 We are heading towards the penultimate session before major economic event Budget 2020 volatility will remain high On the upside 12150-12200 is likely to act as a crucial hurdle for the index Traders are advised to remain neutral on the long side whereas intraday shorting can be considered if Nifty trades below 11990 for a target of 11930 Three levels: 12010, 12150, 12200 Stocks in news: Automaker Tata Motors on January 30 said its consolidated net profit for the December quarter of the financial year 2020 stood at Rs 1,738.30 crore against a loss of Rs 26,992.54 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. Drug firm Laurus Labs on Thursday posted four-fold jump in its consolidated net profit at Rs 73.47 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019. Telecom infrastructure company Bharti Infratel on Thursday posted a 23 per cent jump in consolidated net profit at Rs 798.7 crore for the third quarter ended December 2019. Technical Recommendations: We spoke to IndiaNivesh Securities and heres what they have to recommend: Exide Industries | Buy | LTP: Rs 199.10 | Target: Rs 207 | Stop loss: Rs 189 | Upside: 4% Bharti Airtel | Buy | LTP: Rs 487.05 | Target: Rs 540 | Stop loss: Rs 465 | Upside: 11% Berger Paints | Sell | LTP: Rs 568 | Target: Rs 540 | Stop loss: Rs 585 | Downside: 5% Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts 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. W5 Group, Ralph Winters family office, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a partnership with respected real estate conglomerate The Related Group to introduce an exciting new development to Miamis burgeoning Wynwood neighborhood. W5 Group will be the lead equity source on this mixed-use new construction project, committing 80 percent of the required capital. Located at 33-51 NW 28th St. in the Wynwood Arts District, the innovative mixed-use development will comprise a total of 200 fully furnished co-living units, which will be managed by leading co-living provider QUARTERS, as well as 3,600 square feet of ground-floor retail. Upon completion, all building residents will enjoy access to complimentary co-working space, attractive common areas, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a rooftop pool and ample landscaped outdoor space. There will also be curated weekly events that foster human connectivity and shared experiences. Wynwood has attracted significant attention in recent years, being named by TripAdvisor as the hippest neighborhood in America in 2018. Its transformation from an industrial district to a globally recognized hub for arts, innovation and culture has been driven in large part by forward-thinking real estate development. The area is now home to a diverse array of retailers, galleries and restaurants, which collectively boast world-class designers, artists, chefs and mixologists. Wynwood also features the largest outdoor street art museum in the United States, which will be complemented by the addition of a colorful mural at the 33-51 NW 28th St project. Accordingly, W5 Group and Related have been collaborating closely with award-winning South Florida architectural firm Arquitectonica to conceptualize a fresh design that celebrates and embraces the Wynwood areas distinct character. As a Miami resident myself, I have witnessed Wynwoods ascent with some interest, said Ralph Winter, principal of W5 Group. However, as neighborhoods become more desirable, young people are often priced out. Co-living is an exciting proposition that offers tremendous value, enabling them to experience modern living in highly attractive units all while meeting like-minded individuals and forming rewarding new bonds in coveted metropolitan areas. Wynwood is a truly unique and special urban environment, said The Related Group executive vice president Jon Paul Perez, who also serves on the board of Wynwoods Business Improvement District (BID). This collaboration with W5 Group is consistent with our commitment to ensuring that every new project in Wynwood, regardless of size and scale, enhances the neighborhoods livability without compromising its rich culture. This deal marks the first between W5 Group, the single-family investment office of preeminent European real estate investor Ralph Winter, and Related, one of the nations preeminent development firms. Winter added: We are focused on working with best-in-class development partners that share our commitment to advancing innovative living projects, and Related Group represents a natural fit. Our respective experiences and priorities are highly congruent, and we are confident that this Wynwood development will mark the first in a series of exciting collaborations. W5 Group has a strong track record of investing in innovative living real estate concepts that emphasize core tenets of value, community, flexibility, design and technology. Just last year, the firm committed $300 million of equity to expand co-living provider QUARTERS presence in gateway cities across the United States. This was followed later in the year by the acquisition of a majority interest in the Highline at Union Market, a pioneering mixed-use building in one of Washington, D.C.s fastest-growing neighborhoods. Much like D.C.s Union Market, Wynwood has evolved from an industrial submarket to a vibrant hotbed of activity, noted Winter. It increasingly represents an attractive live-work-play environment for young professionals and creatives, and were looking forward to our newest development becoming part of the fabric of the neighborhood. Wynwood has been an area of interest for Related over the past few years, where recent completed projects include the highly successful Wynwood 25 and accompanying office property, Wynwood Annex; and Domio Wynwood, a forward-thinking apartment-hotel concept. About W5 Group LLC Established in 2009, W5 Group is the single-family office of prominent European real estate investor and entrepreneur Ralph Winter, with investment teams in Europe and the United States. Ralph Winter has been a leading investor cross the residential spectrum amassing large scale portfolios of multifamily, student housing, micro-units and co-living apartments. W5 Group seeks long-term value creation, and invests across asset classes and capital structures with a focus on innovative real estate opportunities. Learn more about W5 Group at http://www.w5-group.com. About Related Group Established in 1979, The Related Group is Florida's leading developer of sophisticated metropolitan living and one of the country's largest real estate conglomerates. Since its inception, the privately held company has built, rehabilitated and managed over 100,000 condominium, rental and commercial units. The firm is one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States with a development portfolio in excess of $40 billion in 40 years. The Related Group has earned international status for its visionary designs and development of luxury condominiums, market-rate rentals, mixed-use centers and affordable properties often in emerging neighborhoods that impact the lives of all demographics. The Related Group has redefined real estate by diversifying both its products and buyers, expanding internationally while also sponsoring public art installations that enhance cities global culture and streetscapes. TIME Magazine named Founder, Chairman and CEO of The Related Group, Jorge Perez, one of top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States. Currently, The Related Group has over 70 projects in varying phases of development. About QUARTERS With more than 3,000+ beds committed across the U.S. and Europe, QUARTERS is a global co-living brand that offers a new and unique living experience for young professionals. The QUARTERS lifestyle is built on convenience and flexibility and is driven by the understanding that the value of home is created by shared experiences. Learn more at http://www.Quarters.com EDWARDSVILLE Madison County Veterans Assistance Commission is welcoming a new employee as another leaves for a job with the Disable American Veterans in Chicago. We welcome Bradley (Brad) Yount as the new veteran service officer, benefit specialist in our office as we say goodbye to Timothy Alexander, VAC Superintendent Brad Lavite said. The VAC hired Yount on Jan. 21. He will complete his accreditation to become a certified veteran service office with the National Association of County Veteran Service Offices on Feb. 23-29 in Sacramento, California. Once certified, Brad will assist area veterans, their widows and their dependents with primarily filing compensation and pension claims with the Veterans Benefit Administration, Lavite said. Yount comes to the VAC from the St. Louis VA Veterans Curation Program where he worked during the past year. He is a U.S. Marine Corps Afghanistan combat veteran who specialized as a telephone and computer systems repairer and later worked in satellite communications. The St. Louis VA Veterans Curation Program managers praised Yount, saying they loved getting to know him in the lab. They said his dad jokes and laugh are contagious, and they know that the Veterans Assistance Commission of Madison County it lucky to have him. In his spare time, Yount is an avid coffee roaster. Yount will be backfilling a position held by Alexander, a veteran service officer, benefit specialist. Alexander has accepted a job offer/promotion with the DAV, Chicago VA Regional Office, as a national service officer and will be starting his new position on Feb. 22. We thank Timothy for his five years of dedicated service to the VAC and wish him well in his exciting new opportunity, Lavite said. In his new position, Alexander will still be interacting on a regular basis with VACs and others service organizations across the United States. In addition to his new position, Alexander will also be the senior vice commander for the Department of Illinois DAV until June 2020, which he hopes to serves as the commander following the end of his term in the position. Local veterans needing benefit-related questions answered can reach the Madison County VAC at 618-296-4554 or mcvac@co.madison.il.us or on Facebook @mcveterans. Police say gun battle triggered after rebels on board goods truck fired at police near a toll plaza in Jammu. At least three fighters were killed and a policeman sustained injuries during a gunfight between rebels and security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said on Friday. So far three terrorists have been gunned down, a police spokesperson told Al Jazeera. One policeman was also injured in the gunfight. Police said the gun battle started at around 5am on Friday (23.30 GMT on Thursday) after police intercepted a Srinagar-bound goods truck near a toll plaza in Nagrota on the outskirts of the southern city of Jammu. The rebels travelling in the truck fired on police leading to an encounter, police said. A senior police officer said, As of now the gunfight has stopped but we have cordoned the area and search operation is going on. We are searching the area to check if there might be a fourth terrorist as well, said Mukesh Singh, the inspector general of police, Jammu. Authorities have suspended traffic on the main road in the wake of the firing. Local media reported that, as a precautionary measure, authorities also ordered the closure of schools in Nagrota. Bilal Kuchay contributed to this report from New Delhi (Bloomberg) -- Democrats face dwindling chances to get testimony from former National Security Adviser John Bolton and others in the Senate impeachment trial as the pool of Republicans willing to even consider defying President Donald Trump keeps shrinking. The possibility of new, potentially damaging revelations emerging from testimony or documentary evidence has always been the greatest unknown in a process where theres little chance that two-thirds of the Republican-controlled chamber would vote to oust the president. It would take an extraordinary and unexpected effort by Republican senators to cross both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump on the question of witnesses. They would risk withering criticism from their colleagues as well as Trumps scorn, especially as he addresses them from the House rostrum Tuesday night during the State of the Union. Even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer conceded on Wednesday that it will be a struggle for Democrats to prevent the trial from ending without witnesses testifying. Weve always known it will be an uphill fight on witnesses and on documents because the president and Mitch McConnell put huge pressure on these folks, Schumer said during a break in the trial Wednesday, the first of two days that lawmakers had to question Trumps defense and House prosecutors. Political Impact GOP senators face cross pressures unlike any previous impeachment trial, since the president will be at the top of the ticket in the November election and damaging revelations could depress GOP turnout in Senate races. Republican senators Cory Gardner of Colorado and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, both of whom represent politically competitive states important in 2020 -- and were thought to be potential votes in favor of new witnesses -- indicated Wednesday they would vote against seeking additional evidence. Only Utahs Mitt Romney said he firmly backed hearing from Bolton. Maine Senator Susan Collins, who like Gardner faces a tough re-election battle in November, signaled that she is likely to support calling witnesses. Republican Lisa Murkowski, another potential vote for testimony, refused to discuss her latest thinking after leaving a meeting with McConnell Wednesday morning. Story continues Democrats would need at least four Republicans to vote with them to open the impeachment trial to witnesses. Schumer said the public is overwhelmingly on our side for witnesses, and polls back him up. A Quinnipiac University released this week found three-quarters of U.S. voters say the Senate should hear from witnesses, in line with several other polls over the past month. McConnell has been working behind the scenes to shore up support for bringing the trial to a quick conclusion, after he told GOP senators in a closed-door meeting Tuesday he didnt yet have the votes to block witnesses. The majority leader had to scramble after the bombshell disclosure that Bolton, who left the administration in September over policy disputes, wrote in a yet-to-be-published book that Trump linked aid for Ukraine to getting the countrys new president to announce a probe of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Bolton has said he would testify at the Senate trial if subpoenaed. The key votes will be held Friday, first on whether to allow additional testimony and then to select witnesses. A simple majority -- 51 senators -- will decide. Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow said there are witnesses hed like to call, including House impeachment manager Adam Schiff, Joe and Hunter Biden and the intelligence community whistle-blower who triggered the House inquiry. But he warned that would create extended legal fights that would keep the trial in session for weeks, if not months. If we get everybody we want we would be here for a very, very long time, Sekulow said. Senator Questions The trial entered a two-day phase on Wednesday for senators to submit questions to House prosecutors and Trumps defense, an opportunity Democrats used to bolster their argument for more witnesses. Schumer asked House impeachment managers whether senators could render an accurate judgment without hearing from Bolton, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and others. Schiff, who is leading the House impeachment managers, responded that they couldnt, and he urged senators not to wait for Boltons book release to determine Trumps real motives. Dont wait for the book, Schiff said, referring to leaked revelations in Boltons manuscript. Dont wait until March 17 when it is in black and white to find out the answer to your question. Trumps lawyers sought to give wavering Republicans an off-ramp on the question of whether they needed to hear Boltons testimony. Collins, Murkowski and Romney jointly submitted a question to the defense asking how they should consider various motives by Trump for his actions. As Collins rose to ask their question, other senators paid keen attention. Trump lawyer Patrick Philbin answered that if there are mixed motives, for both policy and political reasons, the Houses case fails and you cant possibly have impeachment. He also argued that investigating Bidens role and that of his son were in the interests of the United States because the Ukrainian company, Burisma Holdings, was owned by an oligarch embroiled in corruption investigations. The same trio of senators submitted other questions together, and Trump lawyers were unable to answer questions regarding facts not already known, like when exactly did Trump order the aid withheld and what was his justification at the time? And did he ever discuss probing the Bidens before Joe Biden announced his run for president? Those questions could be addressed by some of the witnesses Democrats suggested calling to testify. Public Interest Law professor Alan Dershowitz, speaking for Trumps defense, asserted that a presidents power is expansive and he cant be impeached for taking actions that are partly motivated by a desire to help his political prospects. Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest, Dershowitz said in response to a question from Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Schiff said that argument would have terrified the founders of the country. He said that would be like Congress saying that a president can abuse their power in a corrupt way to help his re-election. Dershowitz sought to walk back that comment Thursday morning with a tweet saying the media distorted his answer. They characterized my argument as if I had said that if a president believes that his re-election was in the national interest, he can do anything, Dershowitz tweeted. I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest. A number of Republican senators, including John Barrasso of Wyoming, have taken the position that Boltons account wouldnt change their view of the impeachment charges. GOP Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri said Trumps motives for asking for an investigation were well within his authority. Presidents have the authority to do certain things. Youre not asking a foreign leader to engage in illegal conduct, Hawley said. Three Democrats Doug Jones, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema havent said how they will vote on Trumps ultimate conviction or acquittal. Im open to acquit. Im open to convict, Jones said. I want to hear all the evidence. I want to hear witnesses. Classified Information Meanwhile, the White House worked to block or delay Boltons book, citing national security concerns. The National Security Council wrote to Boltons lawyer last week saying that his manuscript appears to contain significant amounts of classified information and cant be published unless that material is deleted. The letter was obtained on Wednesday. A lawyer for Bolton said that he and his client do not believe that any of the material relating to Ukraine matters contained in a manuscript of his book could reasonably be considered classified -- and they told the White House that last week. Yet the lawyer, Charles Cooper, said there has been no response to that request sent on Friday for expedited pre-publication review in order to allow Bolton to testify about or publish the manuscript. Despite the lingering uncertainty on witnesses, South Dakota Republican Senator John Thune expressed confidence that the trial would get wrapped up quickly. He said Wednesday that GOP leaders will know where Republican votes are on the matter of more witnesses well before the tally is taken. North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven said he was confident enough that the Senate would finish with the trial by Friday that he booked airline tickets on Saturday as usual. Though he acknowledged things could change. We have some tentative reservations like we always do, he said. Thats the Senate. Tentative reservations and you see how the votes go. (Updates with Dershowitz tweet beginning in the 26th paragraph) --With assistance from Daniel Flatley, Erik Wasson, Laura Davison and Billy House. To contact the reporters on this story: Mike Dorning in Washington at mdorning@bloomberg.net;Laura Litvan in Washington at llitvan@bloomberg.net;Steven T. Dennis in Washington at sdennis17@bloomberg.net;Laura Davison in Washington at ldavison4@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Joe Sobczyk at jsobczyk@bloomberg.net, Anna Edgerton, John Harney For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Japanese pharmaceutical firm Takeda is putting its biologics facility in Dunboyne, Co Meath, up for sale. The company said the move was a result of Takeda's acquisition of Shire last year, and subsequent integration. It said it planned to "divest the facility as a going concern, with no redundancies intended for the employees on site". There are around 200 people employed at the facility, which is still in the commissioning phase. "A strategic review of Takeda's global biologics manufacturing network, initiated following the acquisition of Shire, identified that production capacity at Dunboyne is no longer required," it said. "Takeda has commenced the process of seeking the most suitable buyer and is confident in the successful divestiture of the facility. "Dunboyne Biologics is a state-of-the-art, flexible manufacturing facility with leading-edge capability, a highly educated and skilled team, which will be an attractive asset for a future buyer. "Our vision for the Dunboyne facility has not changed. "Day-to-day operations at the facility will continue at pace, as we complete commissioning and validation of the facility, ready the site for a buyer and prepare our team for the future delivery of products for patients. "Current workstreams are progressing to plan, which will be of significant benefit to the facility and an advantage to a future buyer." The firm said Ireland was a key location within Takeda's global network. It also has operations in Baggot Street, Citywest and Grange Castle in Dublin, and in Bray, Co Wicklow. Meath East Fianna Fail TD Thomas Byrne said he was seriously concerned about the future of the jobs. He added: "These are highly skilled pharmaceutical jobs that Meath and the North East region cannot afford to lose." North Dakota's two U.S. senators see little need to call witnesses in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. The Republican-led Senate could vote Friday on calling former National Security Adviser John Bolton and additional witnesses. It would take four Republicans to join the 47 Senate Democrats for a majority vote. The Democratic-led House in December voted to impeach Trump on two articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, related to Trump's conduct in a July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, both R-N.D., have said there's no need for new witnesses, despite a reported manuscript by Bolton claiming Trump told him he would delay foreign aid to Ukraine until the Ukrainians began an investigation into Democratic rival Joe Biden. In a statement to the Tribune on Thursday, Hoeven said the House managers and White House defense had 24 hours to make their arguments, and the trial was midway through 16 hours of Senate questioning. Senators also "have the testimony and documents from many witnesses as part of the House proceedings," he said. "They've been playing all the videotape of all those witnesses. Weve been listening to many hours of all the witnesses and so yes, I feel we have the information we need and that we have the facts," Hoeven said in an interview. "And the facts are that the president provided the aid to Ukraine and Ukraine did not do an investigation and President Zelensky said he didn't feel he was pressured, didn't say that he felt pressured to do one." Hoeven said he's had "calls and input" from North Dakotans about the trial, "but we do on pretty much every issue, and so certainly we get it on this one, too." Hoeven predicts a bipartisan vote to ultimately acquit the president. A spokesman for Cramer declined to provide a statement to the Tribune and referred the newspaper to the senator's previous comments to national media. Cramer told ABC News he doesn't see "that John Bolton adds any value." He told Politico "I dont know what the country would gain from" more witnesses. Cramer also told The Hill he expects the Senate will defeat a motion on witnesses. A spokesman for North Dakota's Democratic-NPL Party said "if they refuse to hear evidence directly relevant to charges against the president, Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer will have abandoned their oath of impartiality." U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., opposed the impeachment process as a "political drive-by." Trump won North Dakota's three electoral votes in 2016 with 63% of the vote. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 51 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. THOUSANDS of mortgage holders whose loans were sold by the banks to vulture funds now face having to deal with a new company. This comes about after mortgage servicing company Pepper Ireland is to be sold. Pepper Ireland services 60,000 residential mortgages on behalf of vultures from its base in Shannon. Now its parent company is to be sold to Australian group Link in a 200m deal. Pepper insisted that it will continue to service the loans and insisted the deal will have no impact on customers. Pepper Ireland manages loans sold on by the likes of Bank of Scotland (Ireland), after it pulled out of this market; Permanent TSB; and Danske Bank; along with loans sold by vulture funds Tanager and CarVal. Last October Ulster Bank said it had transferred the management of more than 3,000 non-performing mortgages to Pepper. Mortgages sold by IRBC, which were originally issued by Irish Nationwide, are also serviced by Pepper. There was huge controversy two years ago when Permanent TSB transferred the servicing of 6,000 residential mortgages to Pepper. Finance experts said Pepper holds the legal title to the loans it services. But the beneficial ownership of the loans tends to be with foreign vulture funds. The beneficial owner, or ultimate owner, of the loans serviced by Pepper tends not to be disclosed. It took weeks of investigation by this publication to establish that the almost 13,000 Danske mortgages were sold to a shelf company called Proteus, whose ultimate owners are US investment giants Goldman Sachs and Pimco. Pepper services these mortgages that were originated by Danske. Along with mortgages, Pepper services 10,000 commercial loans. Overall, it has around 18bn of assets under management at the end of last year. It said that 80pc of the residential mortgages that it manages are performing. People whose mortgages and commercial loans are handled by Pepper were assured that there will be no change to how their home loans are serviced after transactions. However, if new owner Link rebrands Pepper they will end up dealing with a different company. Pepper said in a statement: The transaction is at a parent-owner level and does not impact commercial and residential customers whose loans are serviced by Pepper Ireland and whose terms and conditions (including agreed alternative repayment Arrangements) and contact points remain the same as before. All customers will continue to be covered by the protections of the Central Banks consumer protection codes and regulations as they did before. The 500 people employed by Pepper in Dublin and Shannon will not be impacted, Pepper said. Link will pay an upfront consideration of 165m for the group. The achievement of certain milestones could see Link pay an additional 35m for the company. Robbie Hughes, CEO, Banking & Credit Management, Link, said: In 2019, we set our strategic vision to become the leading independent servicer in Europe with an expanding global footprint. This transaction accelerates that vision and will see two high-quality businesses integrated to create a leading pan-European asset servicer and manager, with significant potential for growth in existing and new markets. Pepper is regulated by the Central Bank as a credit services. But the regulator said there was no requirement for Pepper or Link to write to those whose loans are being serviced to inform them about the change of ownership of the servicer. The chief of Terre Du Lacs Fire Department has announced his resignation, giving reasons similar to those expressed by the private lake communitys police chief when he resigned last week. Fire Chief Jonathan Moore posted on social media Wednesday that he had turned in his walking papers to the Terre Du Lac Association with his resignation effective Friday. In his Facebook post, which came out Thursday morning, he said the decision hadnt been easy to make. I love the work that the department has done. I love the lives that we have touched, he posted. But due to many reasons, none of which have to do with the Fire Department itself, I have decided to take an offer with another company. This was the best decision for my family. Moore will become an EMT with Cape County Private Ambulance Service. He joined TDLFD in March 2018, became interim chief in June 2019 and was officially designated chief in November. On Thursday afternoon, Moore expanded on his reasons for leaving the department. My resignation was the easiest and the hardest decision that I've had to make in a long time, he said by email. I didn't put this in the social media post, but I did not want to leave the fire department itself. The work environment, rumors, and suspected favoritism portrayed by the board of directors steered my decision. Police Chief Tim Cook resigned his position as head of the police department on Jan. 22, citing lack of resources, lack of benefits and an abundance of politics he said he felt had been emanating from the Terre Du Lac Association board, which recently installed a new slate of members this month. Debra Thacker is the new association president, hailing from California and relatively new to the private lake community. She said she joined the board because shes been impressed by the amenities of Terre Du Lac and wanted to see if she could help transition it through its current challenges. Ive been watching the lawsuits over the last year, and I thought, I want to be part of the solution, she said. When I won (a seat on the board), I was shocked, because Im pretty new to the community. Thacker acknowledged Terre Du Lac is in a period of transition. There are 20-year friendships that are being pulled apart, she said. But I have a lot of optimism for this community. There are good people here. She said, ironically, it was a recent house fire that seemed to prove the lake community could still unite in times of trouble. It may be tough right now, but we have a wonderful community. We recently had a couple who had a fire, but its really brought a lot of us together, Thacker said. People who usually cant stand each other are working together on fundraisers to help this family and its been great to see how we can still come together, ultimately. Im very positive about Terre Du Lacs future. About Moores departure, she said she is sad to see him go, but you cant fault anyone for finding a better job. I met him twice, but I havent had a sit-down conversation yet. A lot has been happening. All I can say is that I wish him well. Moore indicated while he is looking forward to the next chapter, he is finding it difficult to leave his colleagues behind. I wish nothing but the best for the Fire Department in their future endeavors and will continue to support the men and women of the Department in any way I can. The firefighters of the Terre Du Lac Fire Department are amongst the best firefighters I have ever had the privilege to work with, he posted on social media. I feel honored that they allowed me to lead the department to what it has become today. I hope the community continues to support the Fire Department so that they may continue to better serve the community. Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 Funny 3 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 Get Government & Politics updates in your inbox! Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Tet, Vietnams traditional Lunar New Year, has impressed many foreigners who admit that the holiday helps them understand the close bond of family members and the meaning of family get-togethers during the first days of Spring. Greta Kam of Lithuania For every Vietnamese, Tet means the reunion of family members after a year of hard work. For foreigners, Tet is the best time to experience Vietnams traditional values, customs, beliefs, and culture. 26-year-old Greta Kam of Lithuania has been in Vietnam for 4 years. For her first three experiences of Tet, she travelled to Da Nang, Da Lat, and Nha Trang, 3 of the most popular tourist attractions in the central region. This year, she enjoys Vietnams biggest holiday in HCMC with a local family. Greta said she likes preparing Tet feasts, joining the host familys members in paying New Years visits, going to the pagoda to pray for good health, good luck, practicing to write calligraphy, and particularly wearing the Ao dai, the traditional long dress of Vietnam. I have 5 dresses now. I love wearing it. For me, its the most beautiful dress. Its very feminine and very elegant and I really enjoy wearing it. On Tet holidays, I always wear it, said Greta. Kim Seo Jung from the Republic of Korea (R) Four years ago, Kim Seo Jung of the Republic of Korea (RoK), set foot in HCMC at a time when Tet would come in just a week. At that time, she couldnt speak a Vietnamese word, didnt understand the Vietnamese culture, and thought she would have a lonely Tet. But her new friends in the city invited her as a special guest for the Lunar New Year. She accompanied them to the pagoda, enjoyed traditional dishes, and paid a round of New Years visits. According to Kim, Vietnams Tet is more festive and colorful than in the RoK. But both countries share a similarity Tet is time for family reunion, Kim said. She recalled an unforgettable experience: I still remember it was a Tet morning when I swept the house as on other days. The host objected to this but unfortunately I didnt understand Vietnamese. Despite this, I still felt the close bond of the host family who treated me like a family member. Kim said what impressed her most was that before the new year, many university students made the traditional chung cakes for the poor as Tet is a time for sharing. VOV5 Traditional Tet customs of Vietnam The Lunar New Year, known throughout the nation as Tet, is of great importance to both Vietnamese people and citizens of other Asian countries, with the first day of Tet usually being for family gatherings and the worshipping of ancestors. Budget 2020: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on February 1. Economists believe Budget 2020 will be mostly focussed on reviving a slowing economy and boosting consumption. Banks and other leading financial institutions are also eying measures that can revive credit and access to funds. Here are three things to watch out for the financial services sector: Boost credit growth As per a recent ICRA report, bank credit growth may decelerate to 6.5-7 per cent in the current financial year, compared to 13.3 per cent in 2018-19, which will be the lowest in the last 58 years. A major reason for a decline in the bank credit growth is low capital requirements by companies and risk aversion among banks. Though the government has taken steps to increase access to credit -- public sector bank (PSB) recapitalisation worth Rs 70,000 crore, repo rate cut transmission measures and bank loan outreach programmes for businesses, to name a few -- there's a need to restart lending to provide a much-needed stimulus for boosting capital expenditure and investment cycle. Also Read: Union Budget 2020: How, When and Where To Watch Live Streaming Of Union Budget Ease tension in the NBFC sector A total of 40 per cent incremental consumer financing last year was done by the NBFCs. However, the crisis in the NBFC sector has left a big dent in the crucial sector, with genuine shadow banks struggling to get funds. The crisis in NBFCs sprang to light last year when the IL&FS -- a major lender in the infrastructure and financial services with a debt of Rs 91,000 crore, out of which Rs 57,000 crore are bank loans -- defaulted. Soon after, DHFL also defaulted. Other NBFCs - the Reliance ADAG Group companies like Home Finance and Reliance Commercial Finance, Indiabulls Housing Finance, Edelweiss Financial Services and Piramal Capital - have also been downgraded, indicating a deep crisis. The sector is hoping the government will take steps to ease the tension in the sector. Also Read: Railway Budget 2020: Railway fares unlikely to be hiked, govt may give privatisation push Better regulation, more security Industrialists are hoping Modi government will bring back the controversial Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance (FRDI) Bill back on the table to tackle problems plaguing the financial sector. The bill is also expected to provide more security for common people, including an increase in insurance coverage on deposits in banks, and the regulation of cooperative banks. The FRDI Bill proposes to create a framework for overseeing financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies, non-banking financial services (NBFC) companies and stock exchanges in case of insolvency. The FRDI Bill had drawn protests from the Opposition, the bank unions and the public alike over its 'bail-in' clause, forcing the government to rollback. Also Read: Budget 2020 Date: When is Union Budget, Expectations from Modi govt, Time, where to watch By Manoj Sharma A count down clock is projected onto 10 Downing Street, when, at 11pm, the UK will leave the European Union after 47 years. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Damien McGinnity from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit during a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Declan Fearon from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit during a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit take part in a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire A countdown clock is projected onto 10 Downing Street, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm, ending 47 years of close and sometimes uncomfortable ties to Brussels. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit take part in a demonstration in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire Pro-Brexit supporters in Parliament Square, London, as the UK prepares to leave the European Union, ending 47 years of close and sometimes uncomfortable ties to Brussels. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire Sinn Fein activists calling for a border poll, stage a demonstration outside Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Sinn Fein activists calling for a border poll, stage a demonstration outside Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Sinn Fein activists calling for a border poll, stage a demonstration outside Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Members of Border Communities Against Brexit arrive with their new poster at Stormont in Belfast, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union at 11pm on Friday. PA Photo. Picture date: Friday January 31, 2020. See PA story POLITICS Brexit Ireland. Photo credit should read: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 31st January 2020 - Pro-Brexit members of the public gather at the front gates of Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast tonight for a Brexit Celebration event. The United Kingdom is on the final countdown to leave Europe, more than three years after the nation voted for Brexit. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 31st January 2020 - Pro-Brexit members of the public gather at the front gates of Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast tonight for a Brexit Celebration event. The United Kingdom is on the final countdown to leave Europe, more than three years after the nation voted for Brexit. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 31st January 2020 - Pro-Brexit members of the public gather at the front gates of Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast tonight for a Brexit Celebration event. The United Kingdom is on the final countdown to leave Europe, more than three years after the nation voted for Brexit. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Pro-Brexit activists celebrate at Stormont as the UK leaves the EU. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Jim Wells joins Pro-Brexit members of the public gather at the front gates of Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast tonight for a Brexit Celebration event. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Jim Wells joins Pro-Brexit members of the public gather at the front gates of Parliament Buildings, Stormont in Belfast for a Brexit Celebration event. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The UKs departure from the European Union was marked with parties and protests in Northern Ireland on Friday night. Pro-Brexit members of the public gathered at the front gates of Parliament Buildings for a 'Brexit Celebration' event at 11pm, when the UK left the EU after 47 years of membership. DUP MLA Jim Wells was one of the organisers of the event. He said: "My first vote as an 18-year-old was to vote to leave the European Union in 1975. I never thought in my life that I would see the opportunity to leave. Here we are 47 years later and at last our nation is leaving the European union." Speeches and a countdown to the 11pm exit were held, marking what organisers described as the historic event. Tonight we are leaving the European Union. pic.twitter.com/zZBsrf4BLe Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 31, 2020 Meanwhile, the anti-Brexit protests organised by the Border Communities Against Brexit group and Sinn Fein were held to mark the night. Protesters gathered at six locations along the border in counties Louth, Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Donegal on Friday night. Around 200 people gathered a few miles from Newry to voice their opposition to Brexit. We are out of Europe and I think in a few months time it will totally take effectSeamus McDonnell Standing yards from the Irish border, Co Armagh sheep farmer Seamus McDonnell said that communities have been left in limbo by the uncertainty following the split. The anti-Brexit campaigner, who farms on both sides of the border, said many people in local communities were against Brexit. He said: We will be left in limbo here for the next 11 months because we dont know if there will be a hard border, soft border or no deal. No one knows. I dont think Boris Johnson knows yet. We are out of Europe and I think in a few months time it will totally take effect. We may have a free-flowing border now but it (the end of the transition period) will make a big change. You have a big dread and we dont know if we will be able to continue what were doing. Also attending Fridays nights protest was Stormont finance minister Conor Murphy. This part of Ireland did not consent to Brexit, we voted significantly to remain within the EU and we are being taken out of the EU without consent, the Sinn Fein representative said. People are very fearful of all the consequences of this, we know we werent in any way in consideration by the British Government or the people in Britain when they voted for Brexit. There are a lot of concerns from people as to how this will unfold. People in the government in the south (Republic of Ireland) need to be very vigilant that the protocols that have been agreed by the British Government are followed. We do not want to see a hardening of the border. Expand Close Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit (Niall Carson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Protesters from the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit (Niall Carson/PA) The anti-Brexit campaigners also demanded for Northern Ireland to continue to have a voice in the EU after the UK leaves. In an earlier protest, Border Communities Against Brexit activists unveiled a new billboard declaring the fight goes on. They urged the Irish Government and the restored Stormont Executive to push for some form of continued representation in EU structures. It comes as the regions three MEPs leave the European Parliament ahead of Brexit. Border Communities Against Brexit expressed relief that a hard border with security check points appeared to have been avoided but warned the process was not over and there remained the risk of a damaging no-deal on trade. Speaking on the Northern Ireland side of the border, campaigner Declan Fearon said: Today we meet all the parties at Stormont and one of things we would like to impress upon them is the urgent need for both the Executive in Stormont and the Irish Government to address the issue of representation for communities. We are entitled to be represented in Europe, we are still part of the single market, we should have that representation at the table, even in an advisory role. We have actually spoken to Mr Verhofstadt (former Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament Guy Verhofstadt) and members of the European Union on that issue and he said they had absolutely no problem whatsoever in allowing that to happen. Its up to the Irish Government especially and indeed to the new Executive at Stormont to make sure that they push for that to happen. Expand Close Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeiil attends the unveiling of a Border Communities Against Brexit poster in Carrickcarnon (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Fein deputy leader Michelle ONeiil attends the unveiling of a Border Communities Against Brexit poster in Carrickcarnon (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr Fearon said people living in Northern Ireland would be poorer as a result of lost EU funding and their children would be denied opportunities enjoyed by young people living in the Irish Republic, such as the ability to study in the EU. We are concerned for the people who live here and the difference there will be in the rights people will have from 50 yards on the other side of the border to where we stand now, he said. The campaigners were joined by senior Sinn Fein figures on Friday morning on the Armagh/Lough border, among them party president Mary Lou McDonald, her predecessor Gerry Adams and vice-president Michelle ONeill. Ms McDonald said: Today is a very sad day. People in the North did not consent to Brexit. This is not something that people on the island of Ireland want, bar a small minority. She praised the work done to avoid the return of a hard border but added: The job isnt done. Brexit is a game-changer, its not a one-off event, it completely recasts and reshapes the political and economic conversation across the island, between the island of Ireland and Britain, and right across the continent. So this isnt an end point, this is very much a beginning. BRIDGEPORT An El Salvadoran man who entered this country illegally after being twice deported and killed his former girlfriends new boyfriend was sentenced Friday to 16 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. No one found me guilty, I was not found guilty by a jury, Douglas Rivas declared as he stood before Superior Court Judge Joan Alexander on Friday. But the judge responded that she hoped that Rivas would learn from his experience and go on to lead a better life. Rivas, 35, is also facing up to two years in federal court on immigration charges. In October, after a jury hung 8 to 4 on whether Rivas was guilty of murder in the 2016 fatal shooting of Cristobal Hernandez, Rivas agreed to plead guilty to the reduced charges of first-degree manslaughter with a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm. Senior Assistant States Attorney Joseph Harry said after the mistrial several of his witnesses were deported and could not be brought back to court to testify for a second trial. Based on the circumstances, I felt this was a fair disposition, he added. Hernandezs sister thanked Harry and the police who investigated the crime and said she was satisfied that Rivas was going to prison. Rivas, who was deported in 2007 to his native El Salvador and again in 2010, is accused of killing Hernandez in the El Paraiso Restaurant on Madison Avenue on Sept. 29, 2016. According to testimony during the trial, Rivas threatened to kill Hernandez after coming back into the state and finding that Hernandez was now dating Rivas girlfriend. Rivas entered the restaurant on its karaoke night and waited until Hernandez went to use the bathroom, according to police. When Hernandez came out of the bathroom, Rivas attacked him. Police said the two men got into a fight that ended when Rivas pulled out a gun and shot Hernandez once in the chest. Rivas then fled the restaurant, police said. Police said they later went to Rivas home in Bridgeport where they found a box of bullets that matched the type that killed Hernandez. Rivas was arrested eight months later in Florida. Police said during a later interview Rivas admitted fighting with Hernandez in the restaurant but denied shooting him. He said he fled because he was worried he was going to be blamed for the crime, police said. Wishbone & Flynt | Photo: Lindsey F./Yelp A New American restaurant with cocktail bar has recently made its debut in the neighborhood. Located at 334 Bryan Ave., the fresh addition is called Wishbone & Flynt. Wishbone & Flynt provides an elevated dining experience in a comfortable setting, complete with scratch-made fare, craft cocktails and a refined wine list, as noted on its website. On the dinner menu, look for charred baby octopus with roasted potatoes, chargrilled beef fillet skewers, deconstructed chicken pot pie and New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with savory Creole butter. With a 4.5-star rating out of five reviews on Yelp so far, Wishbone & Flynt seems to be a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Lindsey F., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new establishment on Jan. 25, wrote, "I took my sister to brunch for her birthday at Wishbone & Flynt and it did not disappoint. We loved the decor, and the food was phenomenal. Topped off by the chef stopping by our table to make sure we liked the food." Yelper Lauren S. added, Enjoyed a lovely breakfast here with my mother and sisters today! The tiramisu French toast was the hit of the table. The restaurant decor and atmosphere was very warm and welcoming." Wishbone & Flynt is now open at 334 Bryan Ave., so swing on by to take a peek. Want to keep your finger on the pulse of new businesses in Fort Worth? Here's what else opened recently near you. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Seventh MSME Excellence Awards & Summit was organized by ASSOCHAM on January 30th, 2020 at Le Meridien, New Delhi. With an objective of acknowledging the inestimable contributions made by MSMEs to various sectors of the economy, the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), India's Apex Chamber for Commerce & Industry has constituted the "ASSOCHAM MSMEs Excellence Awards". This award seeks to recognize the contribution of MSMEs who through their achievements and performance have empowered the nation. Amulya Mica (Purbanchal Laminates Pvt Ltd), spear-headed by their Managing Director Rakesh Agarwal, was chosen to be the Most Promising Brand of the Year Award 2019, Gold Category. "We are very happy to receive the Most Promising Brand Award as it acknowledges our commitment towards manufacturing world-class quality products and our no-compromise policy towards customer satisfaction. I would like to thank all our customers, employees and partners who have shown faith in us and have been with us on this journey. Without their faith and trust, we would not have got this Most Promising Brand Award", said Rakesh Agarwal on getting one of the most prestigious awards of the country. "For four years Amulya Mica has been receiving the Most Trusted Brand Award by IBC, USA (International Brand Consulting Corporation, USA). Now ASSOCHAM Delhi has awarded Amulya Mica as the Most Promising Brand of the year. This shows our relentless efforts towards quality & commitment towards our customers", he added. Ankur Maheshwari, Channel Partner Delhi & Sunil Thakore, General Manager - Export received the award on January 30, 2020, from Union Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari. Union Minister for MSME Nitin Jairam Gadkari along with Minister of State for MSME Pratap Chandra Sarangi, Government of India; Chairman & Managing Director - NSIC, KVIC, Coir Board, SIDBI; graced the occasion and praised the MSME for their valuable contribution towards the nation's economy. This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It also delayed the most contentious issue in the talks a demand by American officials that some companies be allowed to choose whether or not to be taxed under any new international system until the end of the negotiations. Resolution of this issue is crucial to reaching consensus, negotiators said in a consensus statement released on Friday. The talks carry high financial stakes for large companies that operate in multiple countries. Countries like France and Britain have approved so-called digital taxes that hit large tech companies, like Google and Amazon, that have large online footprints in their countries but face little tax liability because their physical operations are concentrated elsewhere. The United States has objected to those taxes as discriminatory against American firms, which would be among those most affected, and it has threatened tariffs on imports from countries that impose the taxes. American and French officials reached a temporary truce on the issue last week in Davos, Switzerland, with the Trump administration pausing its tariff threat and the French delaying collection of the digital tax this year while the sides seek a deal through the O.E.C.D. PASADENA, California, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- OneWest Bank, CIT's Southern California branch network, today announced the launch of a new small business mobile app, a new platform to help small business customers seamlessly reach their financial goals. The OneWest Bank business app empowers small businesses to pay bills, digitally deposit checks, transfer funds between OneWest accounts, schedule appointments and locate the nearest branch. In addition, customers using the app can apply for funding to support their equipment financing and working capital needs directly from their mobile devices. "Small business owners are often on-the-go and are increasingly reliant on digital banking tools to keep up with their busy schedules," said Heather Ellison, head of Retail Banking for OneWest Bank. "Our new app is an accessible and convenient solution for local entrepreneurs looking to manage their money digitally, from anywhere at any time." "With this seamless banking experience, we're reinforcing our commitment to helping businesses thrive across the communities where we live and work," continued Ellison. OneWest offers a competitive range of products and account features designed to empower local small businesses. These include OneBusiness Interest Checking and Money Market Savings accounts. OneWest is also enabling customers to apply for equipment financing through its parent company CIT and its national Small Business Solutions division. In addition to its products and services, OneWest empowers local entrepreneurs through Launch + Grow, an ongoing partnership with the nonprofit Operation HOPE that includes a series of in-person workshops and classes for female small business owners. Find out more information on OneWest's small business offerings and commitments. About OneWest Bank OneWest Bank is committed to helping Southern California consumers and small businesses meet their financial goals by offering a variety of personal and small business banking and lending solutions. We are passionate about serving the Southern California community and are proud to invest in the neighborhoods where we live and work. OneWest Bank is a division of CIT Bank, N.A. (Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender), a subsidiary of CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT). For more information, visit OneWestBank.com and follow us on Facebook. MEDIA RELATIONS: Olivia Weiss 212-771-9657 [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/766202/OneWest_Bank_Logo.jpg SOURCE OneWest Bank Related Links https://www.onewestbank.com By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump promised on Thursday during a speech in Michigan to reverse course on some deportations of Iraqi Christians whom his administration sought to remove earlier in his term, but gave no specifics By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump promised on Thursday during a speech in Michigan to reverse course on some deportations of Iraqi Christians whom his administration sought to remove earlier in his term, but gave no specifics. Trump said during an event at an auto parts manufacturer in the city of Warren that his administration would grant an "extension" to Iraqi Chaldean Catholic immigrants, a group that has been targeted for immigration enforcement during his presidency. "We're going to make sure that we do everything we can to keep people who have been good to this country out of harm's way," Trump said. "When I get back, we're going to give those who need it an extension to stay in our country." Trump hopes to be reelected in November and Michigan, which he won narrowly in 2016, could be a competitive battleground during the campaign. Trump launched a broad immigration crackdown after taking office that included arrests of Iraqi Chaldean Catholics with outstanding deportation orders in the Detroit area, some of whom had lived in the United States for decades. Some of the arrests took place in Michigan's Macomb County, which Trump won by 53.6 percent in 2016 with the support of many in its Iraqi Christian community. Federal immigration authorities previously had been unable to remove the Iraqi immigrants because the government in Baghdad would not accept them. But Iraq agreed in 2017 to accept U.S. deportees as part of a deal to remove it from the Trump administration's travel ban list. Advocates have argued the Iraqi Christians deported to Iraq could be targeted in that country as a religious minority. They also contend some face deportation because of old or relatively minor criminal convictions. In a case that received widespread media attention last year, a 41-year-old Iraqi national who had lived in the United States for most of his life died after being deported to Iraq. The man, Jimmy Aldaoud, suffered from mental health issues and diabetes, and his family said at the time that he died because he could not get access to care in Iraq. Trump told the crowd in Warren he had discussed the issue of Iraqi Christians with lawmakers during the flight from Washington, but did not give more details. The White House said five Republican lawmakers from the state attended the event, which focused on the new North American trade agreement. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Ted Hesson, Andrea Shalal and Kristina Cooke; Editing by Daniel Wallis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Its Tucson. There are potholes, he said. Silbercoats also isnt convinced that the fake grass was meant as a protest. He said he knows the artist who did it, and he believes her motivations were a little more nuanced than that. As it turns out, Silbercoats is right. The holes were landscaped by Armory Park resident artist Janet Miller, but not out of anger and frustration. My friend Elizabeth Garber and I greened up the potholes just for the fun of it, Miller explained in an email. She said she scavenged the fake grass from someones curbside trash pile on the citys Brush and Bulky pickup day. She tested out her idea on a single hole on Fifth Avenue in October. When that patch of turf was still there in early January, she and her friend decided to fill in the ones at Fourth and 16th, in front of the OK Market that Miller also helped decorate. Call it an act of unsanctioned street beautification by an Armory Park resident who has even learned to see the silver lining in suspension-rattling pits in the pavement. I used to be irritated by the city ignoring the potholes in the neighborhood, until I realized they actually slow traffic down, Miller said. So I celebrate them now. Contact reporter Henry Brean at 520-573-4283 or hbrean@tucson.com. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. State-owned Bank of Baroda on Friday said it has signed a pact with Care Ratings to assess credit quality of its small and medium enterprises (SME) customers. The rating agency will evaluate the credit quality of existing and prospective SME customers of the bank. "Our tie-up with Care Ratings will strengthen the evaluation process and enable growth of the SME lending business," Bank of Baroda Executive Director Vikramaditya Singh Khichi said. The biggest challenge for SMEs has been the availability of finance, Care Ratings Executive Director Mehul Pandya said. "If they don't receive financial support from banks, they typically tend to fall back on either the promoter's own savings or borrowings from family and friends. We hope that this partnership will help identify businesses that will aid the country's growth story of tomorrow," he said. Care Ratings will assess the SMEs by processing and analyzing structured, unstructured and new data streams. It will also indicate the relative creditworthiness of SMEs based on an eight-point scale, where 1 indicates the highest creditworthiness and 8 - poor creditworthiness. "Increased digitalisation of the economy, the availability of new data sources such as the GST, in addition to traditional financial data and non-traditional data sources, allow for new approach for grading of SMEs. This MoU with Bank of Baroda is a step in this direction," Pandya added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Zimbabwe's hopes of squaring the two-Test series stalled when Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis shared an unbroken second wicket partnership of 79 on the final day on Friday to take Sri Lanka to 105 for one at lunch. Chasing an imposing target of 361, Sri Lanka lost captain Dimuth Karunaratne early on but Fernando and Mendis batted though the rest of the session in some comfort, with both reaching 46 not out at lunch. Sri Lanka require another 256 in the last two sessions although with rain forecast, any result other than a draw may be beyond both sides. Rain and bad light had cut short Thursday's play but Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams chose not to declare on their overnight 240 for seven. Instead they batted on briefly to reach 247 for seven before the declaration came with Williams, who made a century in the first innings, picking up the three runs he needed for another half-century to finish 53 not out. Williams then chose to open the bowling with spinner Sikandar Raza who took seven wickets in the first innings. The pitch, however, looked a lot more benign and Raza failed to trouble the openers in his seven-over spell. The only wicket came at the other end when Karunaratne nibbled at a Carl Mumba delivery outside off-stump and edged through to wicketkeeper Donald Chakabva. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In letters to state regulatory boards and in interviews with The New York Times, many pharmacists at companies like CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens described understaffed and chaotic workplaces where they said it had become difficult to perform their jobs safely, putting the public at risk of medication errors. They struggle to fill prescriptions, give flu shots, tend the drive-through, answer phones, work the register, counsel patients and call doctors and insurance companies, they said all the while racing to meet corporate performance metrics that they characterized as unreasonable and unsafe in an industry squeezed to do more with less. I am a danger to the public working for CVS, one pharmacist wrote in an anonymous letter to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy in April. The amount of busywork we must do while verifying prescriptions is absolutely dangerous, another wrote to the Pennsylvania board in February. Mistakes are going to be made and the patients are going to be the ones suffering. [Read how you can protect yourself against medication errors.] State boards and associations in at least two dozen states have heard from distraught pharmacists, interviews and records show, while some doctors complain that pharmacies bombard them with requests for refills that patients have not asked for and should not receive. Such refills are closely tracked by pharmacy chains and can factor into employee bonuses. The MEK also worked on training the Iranian people in new strategies to resist the mullahs. This led to the MEK Resistance Units spreading rapidly across Iran, with the MEK building connections in every city to provide information, encourage citizens to resist and work with the public to overthrow the regime. They will hand out literature to those who are willing to or interested in resisting the oppressive regime. The MEK units have also been painting anti-regime slogans in public places and putting up posters of MEK leaders Maryam and Massoud Rajavi. The MEK units are also tearing down posters of regime leaders or signs for the brutal security forces and replacing them with anti-regime posters and signs. Although these may well seem like small actions by the MEK, its important to remember that it is a banned opposition group in Iran and membership is illegal. The penalty for being a member of the MEK in Iran is death. On May 20, 2019, Tehrans Revolutionary Court sentenced a MEK Resistance Unit member to death for anti-regime activities, while three other MEK members were given five-year sentences for giving out anti-regime literature. These types of sentences for MEK members have only become more common over the past few years as the regime struggles to contain the MEKs role in leading the Resistance Movement. But even though, there are these harsh sentences, the MEK and its members are not deterred. In fact, their activities have only become more prominent and this will continue until the regime is overthrown. The November 2019 uprising in Iran, which spread to 191 cities, was an all-out rebellion against the regime that was only barely suppressed when the regime sent all of its repressive forces out to fire on unarmed protesters, sometimes from helicopters and rooftops, and killed 1,500 people. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei blamed the MEK for the protests in a November 17 speech, noting that the MEK called for these actions and are continuously encouraging them. Days later, the opposition leader Maryam Rajavi said in a speech to the Iranian people: Over the past year, the Resistance Units kept the flames of protests alight all over Iran despite horrendous pressure and persecution by the mullahs Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) and Intelligence Ministry (MOIS). They endured great pain, suffering, torture, and imprisonment to move towards organizing the great Army of Freedom. In January, the MEK played a leading role during another protest against the regime after the mullahs admitted to shooting down a Ukrainian jet. This protest has so far spread to 40 cities in 20 provinces and will grow stronger. This is evidence that the regime is holding onto power by a thread and the MEK will not give up. The MEK risk their lives every day to lay the groundwork for a free Iran. The MEK is ready to guide the people of Iran to a democratic future. But how to treat him on the debate stage is a tricky proposition for the campaigns. Some candidates have argued he should be subjected to the same questioning they've endured for months, yet rival campaigns also are wary about validating Bloomberg as a legitimate threat. And they already privately acknowledge that his personal fortune makes him a variable they must consider, regardless of the debates, as they try to amass the nearly 2,000 delegates that will be necessary to win the nomination. RFA reporter Jeong Eun Lee interviews Arnold Fang, Amnesty International's East Asia Researcher, who visited Seoul, Korea to release their 2019 annual report on Jan. 30, 2020. As the North Korean government moves to quarantine people who frequently cross the border with China and suspend an inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong, Amnesty International said that a potential coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak in the repressive country would disproportionately affect poorer citizens. The NGOs East Asia Researcher Arnold Fang, who was in Seoul to release a 2019 annual report Thursday, told RFAs Korean Service in an exclusive interview that the poor in North Korea are at higher risk because they do not receive medical benefits. We have heard reports regarding the healthcare system in North Korea. They say it is free but is it really free? Because the amount of resources available is limited, he said. So the worry is more about in case coronavirus hits the country. Will the poor be disproportionately affected? And will [they] not be able to access healthcare? said Fang. Fang also stressed that the North Korean government should not discriminate against its people according to their status as they deal with the new infectious disease. I think in any case, the North Korean government has a responsibility to protect the health of its citizens whether they are from the ruling elite or whether they are from workers families, he said. I think in terms of evacuation, if North Korea is having any kind of evacuation plan at all, they should cover all citizens, Fang said. Trading company smuggles South Korean facial masks But the wealthy have adequate protection, as sources told RFA Tuesday that a North Korean trading company ordered a large quantity of South Korean-made face masks to be smuggled into the North. It will likely sell them at prices most citizens will be unable to afford. A Chinese citizen of Korean descent living in the Chinese border city of Dandong told RFA that he was involved with the deal. Yesterday, my North Korean business partner whom I met through border smuggling called to order 10,000 high-performance South Korean masks that can effectively block the virus, said the source. He didnt care if the price was too high, he urgently wanted good-quality South Korean masks. The source said the order was unusual because it came in the middle of the night. My partner usually makes orders during the day, but this time he called me at midnight, the source said. Despite the fact that it was the Lunar New Year holiday, he was in a rush to get his order, unlike he usually is, said the source. The source said his smuggler partner wanted a specific kind of mask. Its an antiviral mask developed by a South Korean company and approved by the [Souths] Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. He even sent pictures which detailed the masks various functions and requested that I purchase them, the source said. Its a disposable mask that excellently protects against micro dust, bacteria and it even purifies the air. [Right now] it is quite expensive, costing 20 Yuan (U.S. 2.88), said the source. The source said that masks were in very high demand in China since the outbreak. I explained that the KF-94 brand mask that he ordered was sold out in China so I couldnt get it for him. But he asked me to order it directly from South Korea, the source said. [Over there,] it costs what the equivalent of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of rice would cost in North Korea. Government efforts Meanwhile across the river border from Dandong, in Sinuiju, authorities are planning to quarantine customs officials working there, as well as truck drivers who frequently travel between China and North Korea. International train service between Pyongyang and Beijing has also been suspended. A trader in Dandong told RFA Wednesday that the North Korean government was taking the virus seriously. The international train shutdown will continue until they can decide that the coronavirus outbreak has calmed down and there will be no further spread of the virus. Its difficult to predict when the operation will resume again, the trader said. Customs officers who were working at the Sinuiju customs office from about 15 days before the Lunar New Year holiday, and truck drivers who drove between Dandong and Sinuiju will also be placed under special quarantine, said the trader. They will be in quarantine for at least three weeks, because the incubation period of the virus is more than two weeks, the trader said. The trader added that the authorities are isolating everyone coming in from China regardless of their national origin. It happens to foreigners and North Koreans alike. Only after they are confirmed can they go inland, including to Pyongyang, said the trader. But it seems there are no special restrictions on those who go the other way, leaving North Korea for China. The governments of both South and North Korea, meanwhile, decided to temporarily suspend operations at the inter-Korean liaison office in Kaesong to prevent an inter-Korean transmission of nCoV. South Koreas Unification Ministry confirmed the suspension on the Thursday, adding that the temporary closure was requested by the North Korean side. The closure marks first time that an inter-Korean liaison office has been suspended due to an epidemic. According to South Koreas Unification Ministry, both sides held a meeting of liaison representatives at the office and withdrew all 58 South Koreans, including 17 officials from Kaesong. However, the two sides have decided to open separate telephone and fax lines between Seoul and Pyongyang to maintain an active liaison connection. The office was opened in 2018 shortly after the two Koreas leaders held an inter-Korean summit at the Joint Security Area in Panmunjom. They decided to establish the office in Kaesong, North Korea, the site of an inter-Korean industrial complex that closed in 2016. Reported by Jeong Eun Lee, Jieun Kim, Joonho Kim, and Seungwook Hong for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Photo: The Canadian Press Delta, American and United said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and mainland China, following the lead of several major international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. American and United said they will keep flying to Hong Kong. American announced that it would stop flying to mainland China starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta and United planned to wait until Feb. 6 to give employees and passengers there more time to leave the country. United's suspension will last until March 28; Delta's until April 30. All three carriers said they were responding to a sharp drop in demand for the flights and Thursday's U.S. State Department advisory telling Americans not to travel to China because of the outbreak. International experts have labeled the coronavirus a global public-health emergency. American was under extra pressure after the union representing its pilots sued to halt the flights and told its members not to operate flights to China because of the health risks. The Association of Flight Attendants union asked the federal government to order the airlines to stop China flights. Several major international airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines, had already suspended service to China. That left U.S. carriers in the awkward position of maintaining China flights while some of their key foreign allies were suspending service. The U.S. airlines gave no explanation for why they waited. These are not easy decisions to make, said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group in San Francisco. But if customer demand isn't there, and there is pressure from employees, they didn't have any choice but to suspend their flying. As the number of flights in and out of China dwindles, passengers on the planes that are still flying face an eerie scene. On a flight from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs, and flight attendants donned masks to serve drinks to passengers, who were also wearing masks. A woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York said she changed her mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. Before a flight from Amsterdam to China, frightened passengers protested when they realized that a man from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, the man was allowed to fly. Brexit Day once again highlights divisions opened up in British society by its departure from European Union. Crowds gathered in several flashpoints in central London on Friday as the United Kingdom spent its last hours as a member of the European Union. Outside Downing Street, the official residence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, protesters set light to EU flags, stamping on the golden-starred insignia, shouting Burn, burn! EU supporters nearby were mocked by a larger group of Brexiters chanting Bye-bye EU and Shame on you to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. The sight came in stark contrast to the scene at dawn at the UKs famed White Cliffs of Dover, the countrys closest geographic point to continental Europe. A video clip, projected onto the chalk cliff-face by an activist group, featured two military veterans of the second world war expressing their sadness at the UKs departure from Europe. A message to Europe, this morning on the White Cliffs of Dover. Sound on. pic.twitter.com/E3VY8BaGjK Led By Donkeys (@ByDonkeys) January 31, 2020 Brexit has been called the UKs most significant geopolitical move since it lost its empire, turning its back on 47 years of EU membership as it begins charting its own course for the generations to come. This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act, said Johnson, one of the leaders of the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum. It is a moment of real national renewal and change. Johnson said he planned to celebrate with English sparkling wine and a distinctly British array of canapes, including Shropshire blue cheese and Yorkshire puddings with beef and horseradish. In Brussels, the EU flag was removed from outside the British embassy. The official symbol of the bloc, a circle of 12 stars on a blue background, was pulled in, leaving only the UKs Union flag fluttering. A few hours later, the UKs Union flag was lowered from EU sites, including at the European Council building in Brussels. But Fridays departure from the EU is not the end of Brexit. Certainly, the heavy lifting, sorting out the UKs trade relationship with Europe everything from fishing to financial services is still to come, said Al Jazeeras Rory Challands, reporting from London. The EU will be looking to its own priorities and trying to solve its own challenges, he added. The UK is already receding in importance. Brexit Day celebrations at Parliament Square in London are set to go on into the night [Henry Nicholls/Reuters] Karen Evans, a 47-year-old hairdresser carrying a Union flag outside Parliament, dismissed the concerns of Remainers: They lost. They need to get over it. They are bad losers. This is a day for celebrating. But opponents believe Brexit is a folly that will weaken the West, shrivel what is left of the UKs global clout, undermine its economy and ultimately lead to a less cosmopolitan set of islands in the northern Atlantic. They say the UK will now have little option but to cosy up to US President Donald Trumps White House. David Tucker, a pro-European aged 75, said he had come to London from Wales to march in the hope that others would keep alive the hope that the UK would one day rejoin the EU. It is a tragedy, he said. We were once part of the worlds most powerful economic bloc. Now we are just an inward-looking island that is going to get smaller. The Conservative Party-supporting Sun newspaper, owned by Rupert Murdochs News Corp, is the UKs most-read daily and has long backed Brexit [Simon Dawson/Reuters] Security officials are braced for any trouble that might occur as pro- and anti-Brexit demonstrators take to the streets as the 23:00 GMT official departure time loomed. No one can predict what may or may not happen this evening, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told Al Jazeera. But a proportionate policing plan is in place. Its a very sad day, said engineer Roger Olsen, 63. I think it is a disaster. An absolutely wrong thing. And I think time will prove that we have taken the wrong course. But Brexit was always about much more than Europe. The referendum exposed deep divisions and triggered soul-searching about everything from secession and immigration to empire and modern Britishness. Brexit has tested the very fabric of the UK: England and Wales voted to leave the bloc but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. Scotlands first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, used the moment to demand a second independence referendum. A poll on Thursday suggested a slim majority of Scots would now back a split because of Brexit. A flight from Gatwick to Mexico was diverted to Canada on Thursday because of an 'unruly passenger' on board. A man was arrested after the plane touched down in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A Winnipeg Airport Authority (WAA) spokesman confirmed a passenger was arrested by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police A TUI flight from Gatwick en route to San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico was diverted to Winnipeg (file image) The flight - TUI BY32 to San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico - was then grounded while the other passengers were spirited away to a hotel. WAA spokesman Tyler MacAfee said, 'They have unloaded the passengers and are sending them to a local hotel.' No one was hurt in the incident but there were no further details available. Outraged by the number of people she knew who went into debt to fund a funeral, Jenny Briscoe-Hough wanted to give bereaved families an affordable alternative to the services offered by the large companies that dominate the $1.6 billion industry. It has taken a decade of work and lobbying, but this year, Tender Funerals, the non-profit community run funeral home that Ms Briscoe-Hough started in Port Kembla, will be expanded across Australia. Jenny Briscoe-Hough's non-profit community-owned funeral home Tender Funerals will be rolled out across Australia. Credit:Janie Barrett Tender will also offer a funeral saver plan, developed after meetings with the country's consumer watchdogs, as an alternative to funeral insurance. It is part of an initiative, backed by philanthropists, banks and others to address 'funeral poverty' and offer increased choice and transparency around costs. 3 1 of 3 Anthony Kwan, Stringer / Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 3 FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WASHINGTON - The coronavirus outbreak is likely to drop Chinese oil demand by 250,000 barrels a day over the first three months of the year, analysts at the research firm Wood Mackenzie warned Thursday. Jet fuel demand is expected to be most severely impacted, as travel restrictions and consumer fears reduce airplane travel in and out of China. To celebrate the contributions of African Americans to our communities, Midland archivist/historian Tawny Ryan Nelb will share the story of the Aaron and Caroline Highgate family who came to Midland in 1882. The lecture is titled "Freedom's Road: The Extraordinary Journey of the Highgate Family to Midland, 1773-1945." Caroline's father was the Rev. Lewis Woodson, a descendant of Sally Hemings and a well-known preacher, abolitionist and educator in Pittsburgh who had been born a slave in 1806 in Virginia. His daughter, Caroline, attended and graduated from Avery College, a college for freed men and women in Pittsburgh. In 1855, Caroline married freedman Aaron Highgate (who was also educated at Avery) who had fled previously to Chatham, Ontario, Canada, after the Fugitive Slave Law was passed in 1850. The family lived in Dresden, Ontario (50 miles east of Detroit) along with tens of thousands of expatriate African Americans in the surrounding area who came there as the major termination point of the Underground Railroad, which led American slaves and endangered freed men to Canada. Aaron taught school and John Brown came to his community to recruit people for his abolitionist approach, which ultimately resulted in the attack on Harper's Ferry. As African Americans returned to the homeland after the Civil War, and those expatriate-harboring Canadian communities shrank and were impacted by the Depression of 1873, the Highgates came to Midland in 1882 for better work opportunities. Highgate son, Fred, worked in the lumber industry, then for The Dow Chemical Co., and later had a landscape business. In his elder years, he became a well-known philanthropist, not because he was a man of major financial means, but because he was so giving to those in need. Son Oliver became a barber on Main Street and a real estate speculator, and daughter Ada was a milliner, hairdresser, organist, and choir mistress at St. John's Episcopal Church. They were citizens who brought their skills and hopes to contribute to the fabric of our community. The lecture will also demonstrate how the photographs, maps, census records and myriad other documents were used to put together and celebrate the Highgate Family's extraordinary story of struggle and freedom. The lecture will be given at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at St. John's Episcopal Church. Admission is free. Photo: Stuart Seeger/Flickr Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Austin. APD starts gun surrender program in an effort to make Austin safer Austin residents who have a gun they don't want can surrender it to the Austin Police Department, no questions asked. The new gun surrender program started on Tuesday in an effort to make the city safer. Read the full story on Texas For Texans. Argument leads to stabbing at Republic Square Park in Downtown Austin The man's injuries were minor, police say. Read the full story on KVUE. 7 adults, 6 children displaced in North Austin house fire Austin FD also said multiple people have been evaluated for smoke inhalation. Read the full story on KVUE. Austin's anticipated public marketplace announces 2 more restaurants and new opening date St. Elmo Public Market, the ambitious new development currently underway in South Austin, announced it's adding two more vendors. Read the full story on KVUE. City of Austin considers neighborhood bikeways Transportation leaders say they're looking at the Central Austin neighborhoods of North University, Heritage and Rosedale. Read the full story on KVUE. This story was created automatically using data about news stories on social media from CrowdTangle, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, on Tuesday said Ghana is losing the fight against child labour, partly due to insufficient efforts to sustain the fight. It is either our efforts are not enough or we are pretending to be working and the problem keeps surfacing, he said. We are losing the fight and it is an indictment on everyone, especially children who are at the receiving end. The Employment Minister was addressing Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders at the validation of protocols and guidelines on the establishment of Child Labour Free Zone in Accra. The event was sponsored by Government of Ghana, Deloitte-Japan, Action Against Child Exploitation and International Labour Organisation (ILO). Mr Awuah asked stakeholders to sit-up and carry-out interventions that would have bigger impacts to help reduce the occurrence and not the contrary. After 10 years of the existing protocol, he said figures on child labour meant efforts of government and Non-Governmental Organisations were not yielding the results needed. He called for collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure a child labour free home, community, district, region and country. The Minister tasked stakeholders to report any form of slavery in the communities for action, especially activities of some families who sent their children to work against their will to pay debts of parents. Mr Emmanuel Kwame Mensah, the ILO Representative, said the Organisation worked on Conventions, which had been agreed on by member states, adding, ILO is interested in issues of child labour. Child labour is a serious challenge as reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals and especially, Goal Eight, which stipulates economic growth and decent work and the eradication of child labour by 2025. He said Ghana had shown clear ownership in the fight but said the pace at which it was moving would not help in achieving Goal Eight within the next five years. Madam Tomoko Shiroki, the Managing Director of Action Against Child Exploitation, said the organisation had technically and financially supported the fight and was certain of its possible elimination. She said child labour free zone mechanism was one of the ways to transform the world and urged all to put in their expertise to help standardise ways of eliminating it. Madam Alberta Laryea Djan, a representative of the Trades Union Congress, pledged the Unions support to work towards child labour- free Ghana. 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 By Trend In its resolution on alleged political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) appreciated Azerbaijans cooperation with its speakers, Member of the Russian delegation to PACE, head of the State Dumas Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky told reporters. Slutsky was commenting on the PACE resolution Reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan adopted on Jan. 30, Trend reports. "The resolution on political prisoners in Azerbaijan is incomparable with those [documents] that have been submitted on this topic previously," the politician said. "As a result of the coordinated, systemic and professional work of the delegation of the Azerbaijani parliament, headed by Samad Seyidov, it was possible to qualitatively reduce the degree of tension against Baku in PACE." "Today, the Azerbaijani delegation has more than ever achieved integration into PACEs functional architecture over the years of accession to the Council of Europe," Slutsky added. This clearly affected the cooperation with the PACE rapporteur on the resolution related to political prisoners. But I must say that the resolution turned out to be critical. It contains certain information that isn't true. "There are no political prisoners in Azerbaijan," Slutsky emphasized. "We have stated this repeatedly and will state this in PACE and beyond it. But at the same time, we must pay tribute to the fact that the draft resolution that was adopted on Jan. 30, in fact, positively assesses the work of the Azerbaijani leadership and parliament in cooperation with the Council of Europe." "This is the leitmotif of the cooperation of the Azerbaijani delegation with PACE and the preparation of various cases regarding Azerbaijan, rather than mythical political prisoners," the politician said. Slutsky also congratulated Azerbaijani delegation on excellent work. The US said Friday it was declaring a public health emergency and temporarily banning the entry of foreign nationals who had travelled to China over the past two weeks to contain the spread of a deadly new virus. "Foreign nationals, other than immediate family of US citizens and permanent residents who have travelled in China within the last 14 days will be denied entry into the United States for this time," said Alex Azar, secretary of the Health and Human Services department. The order takes effect on February 2 from 5:00 pm eastern time (2200 GMT). In addition, any US citizen returning from Hubei, the province at the centre of the outbreak, will be subject to a 14-day mandatory quarantine in a facility. "Any US citizen returning to the United States who has been in the rest of mainland China within the previous 14 days will undergo proactive entry health screening at a select number of ports of entry and up to 14 days of monitored self quarantine," at home, added Azar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) N orwegian supernatural drama Ragnarok arrives on Netflix today (Friday January 31) and follows the story of two boys who move to a mysterious new town. A "coming-of-age drama building on and contributing to a new and surprising angle on Norse mythology," the series uses picturesque mountains and lakes as its back drop. And if you find yourself particularly distracted by the stunning landscapes then fear not - they're real locations you can visit. Take a look at where Ragnarok was filmed and set... ITV Where is Ragnarok set? The series is set in the small, fictional town of Edda - which Netflix describes as being "situated in the grand, breathtaking Norwegian nature." The plot revolves around the inhabitants of the town, who are perhaps not all who they claim to be. And the world around them will face challenges too, with drastically changes including melting poles, warm winters, violent downpours (Sound familiar?). Where is Ragnarok filmed? Filming, which began in March, predominantly took place in Odda, in southern Norway. Known for its stunning views, Odda is nestled in a narrow valley between two towering, snow-capped mountains with the Sandvinvatnet lake on its edge. With a population of only 5,022 people, the coastal town boasts crystal-clear waters and vast, green mountain ranges - when not covered in snow. Cruise ships will often stop off in Odda, which is also known for its waterfalls, hiking trails and the fact that the Folgefonna glacier is nearby, along with the Hardangervidda National park, the largest national park in the country. A number of the show's stars have posted pictures on Instagram which display Odda's natural beauty in the background. Filming also took place on a set. When is Ragnarok released on Netflix? The GSMA is continuing to monitor and assess the potential impact of the Coronavirus on its MWC20 events held annually in Barcelona, Shanghai and Los Angeles and as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. The GSMA confirms that there have been no registration impacts on MWC Barcelona thus far and the upcoming MWC Barcelona event, 24-27 February 2020, will proceed as planned, across all venues at Fira Gran Via, Fira Montjuic and La Farga L'Hospitalet, including YoMo and Four Years From Now (4YFN). Specifically, for MWC Barcelona 2020, measures are already in place, and updates can be found on www.mwcbarcelona.com/about/news/. The WHO has agreed that the outbreak now meets the criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and proposes advice to be issued as Temporary Recommendations. The updated WHO advice states that 'Countries should place particular emphasis on reducing human infection, prevention of secondary transmission and international spread. The Committee does not recommend any travel or trade restriction based on the current information available.' The GSMA will: Carefully follow and adhere to: the World Health Organisation's (WHO) recommendations, all applicable Chinese government recommendations, all Spanish health authority recommendations and all police/health recommendations and protocols Work with Fira de Barcelona to ensure sufficient sanitising products throughout all venues and implement other activity in line with recommendations from our city partners Guide exhibitors who may not be able to travel to MWC Barcelona (via GSMA account managers or the Customer Care Team) on local companies and services who may be able to address their onsite needs. Measures we are planning to implement at MWC will include, but not be limited to: Increased cleaning and disinfection programme across all high-volume touchpoints, e.g. catering areas, surfaces, handrails, WCs, entrances/exits, public touch-screens, etc. along with the use of correct cleaning/sanitising materials and products Increased onsite medical support Awareness campaign via online and onsite info-share and signage Availability of sanitising and disinfection materials for public use Awareness and training to all staff and associates on standard personal preventative measures, e.g. personal hygiene, frequency of use of sanitising/disinfection products, etc. Advice to exhibitors on implementing effective cleaning and disinfection of stands, offices along with guidance on personal hygiene measures and common preventive behaviour Public health guidelines and advice communication to Barcelona hotels, public and private transport, restaurants and catering outlets, retail, etc. We strongly urge exhibitors and attendees to implement appropriate guidelines and protocols as suggested by the WHO and other health authorities to contain and mitigate against any further spread of the virus. Up-to-date WHO advice can be found here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance and the most recent press release issued by WHO is here: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/30-01-2020-statement-on-the-second-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov). -ENDS- About the GSMA The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting more than 750 operators and nearly 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces the industry-leading MWC events held annually in Barcelona, Shanghai and Los Angeles, as well as the Mobile 360 Series of regional conferences. For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005405/en/ Contacts: GSMA Press Office Isobel Moseley 44-(0)-207-067-0545 pressoffice@gsma.com CLEVELAND, Ohio - Almost 10,000 people have been confirmed infected by the novel coronavirus, the majority still in China. 22 other countries now have cases as well. Great Britain is the latest added to that list as officials confirmed the first two cases in England. The continued spread has led to the U.S. State Dept. advising against any travel to China, following the World Health Organizations declaration of a global emergency yesterday. Take a look at other ways the virus is impacting the nation and world as we examine a roundup of the top trending coronavirus headlines this morning. Live coronavirus tracker Coronavirus in the United States Virus hoaxes are spreading in the US (CNN) First person-to-person transfer in U.S. confirmed (Associated Press) Vaccine research moving at record speed (Washington Post) Passengers at Detroit Metro Airport on high alert as officials investigate 3 possible cases in Michigan (Local 4 Detroit) 16 tested for coronavirus in Wash. state as health officials prep for battle (KOMO) Tests on two in NH come back negative, patients fully recovered (WMUR) Why officials arent saying where a suspected case of coronavirus was found in Arkansas (ABC 7) A woman, who declined to give her name, wears a mask, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020 in New York. She works in a doctor's office and said she wears the mask "partly" out of concern for the coronavirus. For the first time in the U.S., the new virus from China has spread from one person to another, health officials said Thursday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)AP Coronavirus news across the globe Pilots, flight attendants demand flights to China stop as virus fear mount worldwide (Reuters) No pillows, no hot meals: Airlines adopt preventative measures (CNN) Thousands allowed off cruise ship after virus scare (BBC) Coronavirus is less deadly than SARS but that also explains why its so contagious (MarketWatch) Chinese dog owners are buying coronavirus masks for their pooches (Fox News) Japan to enforce special measures starting Saturday (Reuters) Local coronavirus news Man infected with coronavirus had recently visited Cleveland (cleveland.com) Northeast Ohio universities prepare for potential outbreak (ideastream) Ohio paramedics, EMTs advised to screen patients for coronavirus (cleveland.com) Additional recent coronavirus-related stories Thursdays coronavirus roundup Should you get a flu shot to help with coronavirus anxiety? Read complete prior coronavirus coverage on cleveland.com Trade in Asian coffee markets in Vietnam was sluggish amid post-holiday sentiment, while stocks in Indonesia remained low, traders said on Thursday. Farmers in the Central Highlands, Vietnams largest coffee-growing area, sold coffee at 31,000-31,500 dong ($1.34-$1.36) per kg, compared with 32,300-32,500 dong range in the week before the Lunar New Year. Trading is yet to return normal after the long holiday, said a trader based in the coffee belt. Some of the buyers are hoarding the beans on expectations of higher prices. Meanwhile, farmers were not willing to sell beans at this price, which traders said was not enough to cover the production cost, while some growers have already sold passion fruits or durians, planted alongside coffee trees, to cover their needs. Coffee exports from Vietnam, the worlds biggest producer of the robusta bean, dived 30.6% from a year earlier to 140,000 tonnes in January, official data showed on Wednesday. May robusta coffee settled down $20, or 1.5%, at $1,317 per tonne on Wednesday. Traders in Vietnam offered 5% black and broken grade 2 robusta at $80-$90 premium per tonne to the May contract on Thursday, compared with the $70-$80 premium to the March contract two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Indonesias grade 4 defect 80 robusta beans were offered at premiums of $240-$250 to the March contract this week, a trader in Sumatras Lampung province said. In comparison, beans were offered with $220-$250 premiums two weeks ago. Trade is still quiet since supply is very limited, the trader said. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Armenia, Andrej Sircelj (Slovenia, EPP/CD) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC) issued a statement on January 31over the situation over the Constitutional Court of Armenia. ARMENPRESS reports that so far the Government and the parliament have respected legal procedures to resolve the situation. We are very concerned by the high level of tension between two State institutions in Armenia, the Prime Ministers Office and the Presidency of the Constitutional Court, said the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the monitoring of Armenia, Andrej Sircelj (Slovenia, EPP/CD) and Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC). Checks and balances are essential in any democratic system. This implies that all institutional powers must act according to the rule of law, and respect it in their deeds and words, including with regard to the principle of the presumption of innocence. If they fail to interact according to these principles, they undermine and damage each other. We are therefore worried about the long-term damage these tensions, that have reached an unprecedented level, could inflict on the judiciary as a whole, in which trust is already very low, they said. So far, the Government and the Parliament have respected legal procedures to resolve the situation. Moreover, the authorities have requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the mechanism for early retirement of judges of the Constitutional Court. According to European standards, the Venice Commission underlined that early retirements should be strictly voluntarily and that this principle needs to be observed. As co-rapporteurs, we will closely monitor that the Armenian authorities continue to act in this way, even if the objective of this mechanism, to uphold the spirit of the constitutional amendments of 2015, seems valid, they added. We have already emphasized the need for political players to refrain from actions and statements that could be perceived as exerting pressure on the judiciary. In addition, we call on all parties to lower tension, said the co-rapporteurs. Finally, these tensions should not overshadow the need for reforms in Armenia, whether it be those in preparation or those that have already been launched in many areas of interest for the Council of Europe, they concluded. PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 02:02:03 *Oasis boosts stake to 9.6% from 5.4% *More information available at www.abettertokyodome.com Oasis Boosts Stake in Tokyo Dome and Releases Investor Presentation Media Taylor Hall media@oasiscm.com Oasis Management Company Ltd. (Oasis) is the manager to funds that beneficially own over 9.6% of Tokyo Dome Corporation (9681 JT) (Tokyo Dome or the Company). Oasis has increased its position in Tokyo Dome, up from its previous holding of 5.4%. Oasis believes that Tokyo Dome can meaningfully improve its performance, increase profitability, and enhance the fan experience by: 1) Improving operations at Tokyo Dome; 2) Improving operations at the Tokyo Dome Hotel or bringing in an external manager; 3) Exploring partnerships for the Tokyo Dome City Attractions theme park; 4) Disposing of non-core assets; and 5) Improving corporate governance. Today, Oasis has released an investor presentation entitled A Better Tokyo Dome. The full presentation can be viewed on the homepage of www.abettertokyodome.com. All stakeholders are encouraged to contact Oasis at info@abettertokyodome.com. Oasis Management Company Ltd. manages private investment funds focused on opportunities in a wide array of asset classes across countries and sectors. Oasis was founded in 2002 by Seth H. Fischer, who leads the firm as its Chief Investment Officer. More information about Oasis is available at https://oasiscm.com. Oasis has adopted the Japan FSAs Principles of Responsible Institutional Investors (a/k/a Japan Stewardship Code) and in line with those principles, Oasis monitors and engages with our investee companies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005 From poems, short stories, and reviews to letters, journal entries, and art, this collection showcases Bennetts diverse and insightful body of work and rightfully places her alongside her contemporaries in the Harlem Renaissancefigures such as Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Countee Cullen. It includes selections from her monthly column The Ebony Flute, published in Opportunity , the magazine of the National Urban League, as well as newly uncovered post-1928 work that proves definitively that Bennett continued writing throughout the following two decades. Bennetts correspondence with canonical figures from the period, her influence on Harlem arts institutions, and her political writings, reviews, and articles show her deep connection to and lasting influence on the movement that shaped her early career. From the Introduction When considering the writers associated with the Harlem Renaissance, one usually thinks of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Dorothy West, and Claude McKay. While those names deserve their canonical position within that pivotal literary and arts movement, there remain a number of figures whose contribution is only recently being fully realized. One previously understudied figure from this period is Gwendolyn Bennett (19021981), a significant writer and artist during the early days of the Harlem Renaissance, and one who remained a powerful advocate for African Americans living in and around Harlem well into the 1930s and 1940s. Bennetts name is increasingly referenced in books that cover the Harlem Renaissance largely due to her brief, yet prolific, literary and artistic output from approximately 1923 to 1928. During that time Bennett published over forty poems, reviews, articles, and short stories in notable African American magazines and anthologies, including Alain Lockes The New Negro (1925), William Stanley Braithwaites Anthology of Magazine Verse for 1927, and Countee Cullens Caroling Dusk (1927); her artwork adorned several magazines, including Crisis: A Record of the Darker Races and Opportunity: Journal of Negro Life; her literary column, The Ebony Flute, was published monthly in Opportunity; and she worked as an editor or assistant editor of several important periodicals, including Opportunity, Black Opals, and Fire!! Bennetts diverse talent in the fields of poetry, short story writing, journalism, art, and editorial work had previously made it difficult for scholars to pigeonhole this dynamic woman into one genre, arguably contributing to her marginalization. Bennett herself said, Id feel that if Id been either an artist, a graphic and plastic artist, or a writer, I might have had a single mind (qtd. in Govan, Gwendolyn Bennett 204). However, as Douglas Mao and Rebecca Walkowitz state in Bad Modernisms (2006), new modernism studies have extended the designation modernist beyond canonical authors, expanded the modernist time period beyond the 1920s, and embraced less widely known women writers, authors of mass cultural fiction, makers of the Harlem Renaissance, artists from outside Great Britain and the United States, and other cultural producers hitherto seen as neglecting or resisting modernist innovation (1). These developments have been achieved through two significant enterprises: reconsidering the definitions, locations, and producers of modernism and applying new approaches and methodologies to modernist works (1). The Harlem Renaissance is now regarded as an artistic movement that was heterodox in its multiple interests, including its many definitions of art. Bennetts ability to maneuver successfully between a constellation of ideas, movements, publishing venues, and artistic communities at the beginning of the Renaissance makes her one of the youngest leaders of this movement (Sanders 129). Much of the scholarship about Bennett has focused on her literary output from 1923 to 1928. This is not surprising given that most published pieces by Bennett cease after she moved to Florida with her first husband, Alfred J. Jackson, in the late 1920s. As more archival research has been conducted, however, we are starting to see Bennetts significance move well beyond 1928. The recovery of over fifty unpublished poems, many of which were written in the 1930s; numerous diary entries throughout different parts of her career; several autobiographical essays; correspondence between Bennett and canonical figures from the Harlem Renaissance from the 1920s to the 1940s; reviews and newspaper articles Bennett wrote in the 1930s; the first recovered painting by Bennett created in the early 1930s; and a book project initiated in the 1930s, illustrate that Bennett continued to be highly productive well after the 1920s. Recently, Cary Nelson (2015) chose to highlight three of Bennetts previously unpublished poems that Belinda Wheeler recovered in the recently published second edition of Anthology of Modern American Poetry: Dirge for a Free Spirit, I Build America, and [Rapacious women who sit on steps at night]. Nelson claimed that taken together this group of three poems alone mandates a revised understanding of Bennetts career (629). Sandra Govan, Michel Fabre, and Maureen Honey have also used some archival material to push Bennetts artistic timeline beyond 1928. The comprehensive material provided in this collection, including some never-before published and analyzed material, further highlight Bennetts significant contribution to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. This volume seeks to claim Bennetts spot beside the names of Hurston, Hughes, McKay, Cullen, Larsen, and West, among others. Bennetts diverse literary output; the social circles in which she played a central role; her critiques of Harlem and elsewhere in her correspondence, reviews, articles, and The Ebony Flute during the 1920s; and her staunch radical political voice (particularly in her 1930s work), make her an important figure who deserves more attention. Rationale for Our Editorial Selections At first glance, the body of Gwendolyn Bennetts work appears slim. She never published a volume of her own work, so her writings have been spread over numerous periodicals and literary anthologies. She is known mostly for her short lyrics published between 1923 and 1928, two short stories, and the highly entertaining literary column The Ebony Flute that she wrote for Opportunity. Even this relatively small corpus has earned her a place within the Harlem Renaissance. However, what she wrote during her lifetime comprises a much larger body of work. For this reason, we have divided Bennetts works by genre, since she worked in many forms, and broken the work into two sections: works published and unpublished writings. It is necessary to understand both sections in order to appreciate fully this multifaceted artist. After she fell out of the Harlem Renaissance spotlight, Bennett continued to write voluminously. This anthology is designed to extend our understanding of Bennett and her work beyond the six-year window in which she is often considered. She published many reviews as well as literary and political essays, commenting on significant cultural and social events within the African American community. Unfortunately, many of these works have been lost to modern readers, as they were published in obscure periodicals housed only in research institutions. More important, she did not publish the bulk of her writings, so the works remain locked away in library archives. Her diary entries during her early years in Paris and in Harlem during the post-Depression era provide key firsthand perspectives that add insight into the authors own life, and into what it was like for African Americans living in those exciting, turbulent places and times. In addition, she penned poignant material about such subjects as her troubled marriage, life in the Jim Crow South, and her being forcibly separated from her mother at an early age. These pieces, arguably wrenching to write and read, add greatly to our understanding of this highly talented, but largely overlooked, woman. A sampling of Bennetts correspondence, all previously unpublished, helps explain her troubled family dynamics, and letters to literary luminaries such as Alain Locke, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Richard Wright, W. E. B. Du Bois, and Langston Hughes situate her within the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. We also include a chapter from an unfinished novel begun during her Harlem Renaissance years, which sheds light on a little-known aspect of her writing. Finally, we have added several poems from her oeuvre. It was for poetry that Bennett was best known during the Harlem Renaissance, and she continued writing in this medium throughout her life. Many of these poems continue the lyric tradition begun in her younger age, but her later work also added an overt, socially conscious perspective generally lacking in her earlier writings. We include a representative sampling of both published and unpublished work, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on a range of subjects. We offer a generous array of the earlier works for which her reputation has been established, we include many of her now obscure published reviews and essays, and we provide access to her other unpublished writings now contained only in research libraries. Together these works compose the single volume that Bennett never completed in her lifetime. Collectively, these writings will add depth of appreciation to those admirers of Bennetts work during the Harlem Renaissance as well as those interested in the period in general. They also will aid our understanding of radical politics within the African American community in the 1930s. In addition, they will serve to introduce Bennett to a new generation of readers and scholars. Early Life In order to appreciate fully Bennetts overall contribution to the Harlem Renaissance, one must first understand her roots. The road from Texas to New York, and the center of the Harlem Renaissance, was not without incident for Gwendolyn Bennetta Bennett, who was born to Joshua Robin Bennett and Mayme Abernathy Bennett on July 8, 1902, in Giddings, a small (1,200 people in 1900) cotton-growing community about sixty miles east of Austin. Her father, Bennett recalled years later, had a sensitive mouth, innocent eyes, clear laughter, and quick brain, and he worked hard as the youngest of eight children and son of a Texas barber to become a teacher and later a lawyer (My Fathers Story). Also a teacher, Mayme, in Bennetts words, had beautiful skin that was the color of ivory, and her straight and black [hair was] like her grandmothers, a thorough-bred Indian. When Bennett was still an infant, the family moved to Nevada and her parents taught on an Indian reservation. Although Bennett was very young when she lived on the reservation, she fondly remembered from some where in the dim recesses of my baby subconscious mind the nights when the Indians reached back into their past and donned their war paint and danced the dances of the tribes. To Bennett, nothing but beauty had touched their [her parents] lives and mine in those days (My Fathers Story). A few years later Bennetts parents moved to Washington, DC, and the beauty Bennett had recalled earlier ended. In Washington, Bennetts father worked as a government clerk while also completing a law degree at night from Howard University. The harder Bennetts father worked to juggle multiple responsibilities, the further apart he grew from his wife. His bright spirit had been toughened with the endless struggle to get ahead. I dont know what had happened to him, recalled Bennett, but something hard began to creep into his nature (My Fathers Story). Before long Bennetts father began an affair with a fellow night school student. Bennett vividly recalls witnessing her parents querulous relationship as one of her first memories: I dont know how I came to know or understand that my father had what was called in those days, an affinity. And yet know it I did and well enough to inject myself into their bitter argument ([Ward Place]). The hostility between Bennetts parents grew and the two divorced when Bennett was approximately six years old. For a time, Bennett lived with her mother and saw her father during regular Sunday visits. Bennett alluded to feelings of great hurt toward her father years later when she wrote about her time with him, There are still places that have not healed with time. However, when she talked about her earliest memories living with him they were generally pleasant. Recalling her Sunday visits with her father, Bennett said that we did all the things that were fondest to my heart. [. . .] We went to the theatre, to restaurants for dinner [. . .] we went for long car rides and to all sorts of places for amusement, we laughed and played together. Life between two households continued for Bennett until her father, as Bennett put it, found himself fed up with his freedom and wishing that he too might have a part in the fashioning of my life. In 1910, when Bennett was still very young, her father hit upon a plan to have me all for himself and on one of their Sunday visits took his daughter and never returned. Bennett would not see her mother until some sixteen years later (My Fathers Story). Bennett and her fatheralong with his new wife, Marechal Neillived on the run, regularly moving between the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, and New York to avoid detection. This dislocation is at the center of much of Bennetts writing, creating a lifelong search for stability and a deep-seated desire for a sense of home and family. (Excerpt ends here) It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Rhodes will face criminal charges for the robocalls, which the commission said were all made in 2018. A spokesman for the commission said he could not comment about possible violations outside the agencys jurisdiction. Mr. Rhodes has 30 days to respond to the commissions findings before the agency votes on the proposed fine. If the fine is imposed and Mr. Rhodes cannot pay, the matter would be turned over to the Department of Justice for collection, the F.C.C. spokesman said. The Justice Department declined to comment. The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups, said Thursday that it was critical to hold bad actors accountable. Its a great first step, Oren Segal, the director of the organizations Center for Extremism, said Thursday of the action taken against Mr. Rhodes. Hopefully, the message is clear to extremists and bigots who want to use this technology in the future that there are consequences. The commission said that Mr. Rhodes made 2,023 robocalls in November and December 2018 to residents of Charlottesville, Va., blaming the mayor and police chief for the murder of Heather Heyer in August 2017. Ms. Heyer was killed when James Fields Jr., who had traveled to Virginia to participate in a white supremacist rally, steered his car into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators. Mr. Fields pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to life in prison. The commission said Mr. Rhodes was also responsible for 766 robocalls in October 2018 targeting Andrew Gillum, who was the first black nominee for Florida governor from a major party. In the audio of one of the robocalls obtained by The New York Times, a man pretending to be Mr. Gillum could be heard talking in the exaggerated accent of a minstrel performer. Well hello there, it begins, I is Andrew Gillum. He then spoke for a little over a minute about mud huts and unfair policing practices, and asked repeatedly for the listeners vote. In the background were the sounds of drums and monkeys. At 11pm tonight (midnight, Brussels time), the UK will leave the European Union but, despite what the government might say, that isnt the end of Brexit. In fact, there are quite a few more stages. Here are the ones we know about: It may be recalled that Japan has serious maritime disputes with China. New Delhi: Making clear his countrys unease with Chinese military assertiveness in the South China Sea without naming Beijing, a top Japanese diplomat in New Delhi has said Japan remains seriously concerned about the situation on the ground attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo and militarisation of disputed features, adding that Japan considers India as an indispensable strategic partner to work hand-in-hand to realise a free and open Indo-Pacific. Speaking in the national capital on Maritime Security in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean: Exploring Convergent Views, Japanese deputy chief of mission now functioning as charge daffaires Toshihide Ando said, If we turn our eyes to the South China Sea, attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo continue, and militarisation of disputed features has not ceased. Japan remains seriously concerned about the situation on the ground as other partners do. He added that the Japanese vision of the Indo-Pacific region is not exclusive but inclusive and not aimed at creating any new institutions or excluding any country and that it is open to all countries, as long as they share its core concept. It may be recalled that Japan has serious maritime disputes with China. Also, a few south-east Asian nations like Vietnam and Philippines also have maritime disputes with China. It may also be recalled that the US, India, Japan and Australia are part of the four-nation Quad arrangement that focuses on maintenance of a rules-based order in the region, something that is seen as significant in the context of Chinas increasing military and economic assertiveness in the region. Elaborating on Japans free and open Indo-Pacific vision, Mr Ando said it includes to promote and maintain the fundamental principles of international order, such as rule of law, freedom of navigation and free trade, which are the foundations of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. We find a lot of commonalities with Indias vision on the Indo-Pacific, including inclusiveness, Asean centrality, rule of law, and connectivity. The Japanese diplomat said that two points are important to maintain a rule-based maritime order upholding the rule of law in the maritime domain and enhancing maritime cooperation. The rules-based international order forms the bedrock of peace and prosperity of the international community. When we talk about the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, which encompasses vast waters spanning from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, the established norms such as freedom of navigation and overflight, must be upheld. Disputes have to be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. On the diplomatic front, we have noted the negotiations of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. We consider it critical that the COC be consistent with international law and not prejudice the rights and interests of all stakeholders under international law, he added. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: Two new suspected cases of Coronavirus have been admitted to isolation wards at Fever Hospital and Gandhi Hospital. The swab samples of both these suspected patients have been collected and been sent to NIV, Pune. The State is expecting the testing kits from the Centre for the ICMR lab at Gandhi Hospital by Friday. The five previous patients have been discharged as they did not have any visible symptoms, however, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme continues to monitor them at their residences. Dr G Srinivas Rao, director, Public Health, told Express, Once the test kits are received, we will have to run a standardization cycle. After that, we can officially start the testing here.Recent patient is a software engineer in Shanghai Speaking to Express, the lone 29-year-old patient at Fever Hospital said, I am a software engineer in Shanghai. I returned from Shanghai via Malaysia to Hyderabad on Wednesday. I was thermal screened at both the airports. He added, However, I developed a sore throat on Thursday and therefore, came to Fever Hospital myself. The isolation ward at the hospital carries a sombre look, as many of the exhausted attendants choose to sit outside the ward with their masks and protective gear off. The dimly lit ward, carries a sterile smell. One of the attendants at the isolation ward in Fever Hospital said, Due to the fear of contracting the virus, we visit the patient during treatment times only, or when required. However, we do not sit inside the ward, because constantly wearing a mask is exhausting. However, a fresh mask is a must, every time we enter the ward. If council members vote no, the Gulf Coast Amtrak proposal will be a skeleton dream representing another time Alabama has fallen behind the rest of the country, said John Roberson. Roberson, a 33-year-old Mobile local, is just one of many young lower-Alabamians pushing for a yes vote next Tuesday, Feb. 4. The Gulf Coast Amtrak proposal has triggered a lively debate among community members and council leaders. And many of the proponents are young professionals in the city. And national statistics reflect young interest. In 2013, the average age of travelers on Amtrak passenger trains was 28.6 years, and before that in 2001, the average was just 18.5 years, according to the Bureau of Transportation. The proposed line will take twice-daily trips from New Orleans to Mobile with stops in four coastal Mississippi cities: St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi and Pascagoula. And mayors of New Orleans have sent public messages of support for the rail in hopes of swaying Mobiles decision. Multiple millennials in the area told AL.com reporters they would see to utilizing the service multiple times a mouth and young families have expressed interest in family trips along the Mississippi coast. Jeff Loiselle, a midtown-Mobilian, posted on Facebook about memories of taking the Amtrak Northeast Corridor when he lived in New England. [I] 100% would love to be able to shoot over to NOLA from Mobile. Honestly, when I moved here 3 years ago, I couldnt believe it didnt exist. Amtrak decision rolls up to a tight deadline in Mobile Costs have played a huge role in Amtraks inability to come back to Alabamas Redneck Riviera. According to Amtraks worst-case-scenario projections, operation costs would be about $7 million a year. This assumes 35,000 annual riders spending $18.33 per trip, generating a total revenue of $700,000. For the three states, the annual operating deficit would be $7.7 million per year, with each state on the hook for $2.3 million, according to reporting from AL.coms John Sharp. Costs are the only con, said Brooks Conkle, co-owner of the Mobile Rundown, a media company. And its shared with other communities. But, the pro is connecting communities, cities and people. The chance of infrastructural growth, a rise in tourism and support from city leaders in something many community members want is enough, he said. Mississippi cities to Mobile: Commit to Amtraks Gulf Coast return Conkle said hes personally looked into planning his first family trip by train, and the opportunity excites him. Amtraks return doesnt just attract his young family, though, his grandparents are looking for a yes too. The generational interest will bring people downtown, and the deal folds seamlessly into the continued revitalization of downtown Mobile, said Blaine Hennis, a 36-year-old Mobile native. Hennis, who lives in the heart of downtown, said he has seen the downtown blossom and change over the last two to three years into something Mobile can really be proud of. He said he loves the thought of being able to walk to a downtown train station for a short hop, skip and a jump to New Orleans. Levon Manzie, city councilman and one of the only millennials making a decision on the vote, said there are many pros to having many forms of transportation available for young adults. Especially when costs, at their highest, are estimated to be about $18.33 per trip. Ask any young person and even older generations who are passionate about moving the city forward. We want this, Roberson said. Do you want the Gulf Coast Amtrack project to happen? AL.com Mobile (@ALcomMobile) January 27, 2020 The train would simply be a cherry on top of all of the change happening in Mobile, Hennis said, and voting against the rails could cause an issue with other cooperating cities. We dont want to be the state that keeps people behind, any more than we already do, Hennis said. Roberson loves Alabama, he said with a hanging but." There are monetary concerns, obviously, he said, but antiquated concerns have killed Alabamas progression for decades sending younger generations packing for fast-developing cities like Austin, Atlanta, Nashville and New Orleans. Mobile will be missing out on a potential vessel that will attract tourists, provide options for residents to explore other areas on the coast and opportunity to reduce traffic on I-10 since the bridge project failed, Roberson said. The large investment is daunting for some, Conkle said, but those risks could have a monumental impact on the health and vibrancy of the city. But, in the end, the vote is not the end of the world to many positive young professionals in the area. We will keep being us, Conkle said. If [the train] is not the right thing, then well find something else. Want to voice your opinion or see how the masses feel about the Amtrak proposal? Click here to vote! Oregon foster children sent to live outside the state should receive the same standard of care required in their home state, a leading child welfare reformer says. Senate Human Services Chair Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, has led a months-long inquiry into the care of foster children sent to live at institutions in other states. Oversight of some of them was so lax that case workers sometimes did not learn for days that Oregon children had been injured or abused. The scrutiny led to a new law last year that requires the Department of Human Services to tell the public basic information about the programs caring for Oregon foster children outside the state. Now Gelser wants DHS to hold those facilities accountable to provide the same level of care as those operating in Oregon. Her goal is to ensure all are safe places for foster children. The best way to do that is to treat these out-of-state programs exactly as we do our in-state programs, she said. Twenty Oregon foster children lived at facilities in Idaho, Utah, Iowa and Michigan on the final day of December, according to the monthly reports that DHS must publish under the 2019 transparency law. All of the programs are operated by Sequel Youth and Family Services, an Alabama company that has drawn specific ire from Gelser. The monthly reports show DHS pays Sequel nearly $8,300 every day to care for the children. Amid the scrutiny, case workers have relied less on out-of-state providers. The number of children living at programs outside Oregon fell by nearly half between November and December alone. But state officials have said they may still be forced to turn outside Oregon to find specific services that some children need. There are no proposals filed yet for the short legislative session that begins Monday to drastically increase the number of beds in Oregon to serve foster children. Bills that require significant funding are typically tackled during long sessions during odd-numbered years. Gelser acknowledges a dearth of space and services is at the root of the problem. But she said in November that she would not welcome Sequel to create care facilities in Oregon as part of the solution. Foster childrens advocates believe Sequel may be eyeing an Oregon expansion. The companys chief executive Chris Roussos published an opinion piece in The Oregonian/OregonLive in January, two months after the news organization wrote about Gelsers criticism of Sequel. He expressed the companys commitment to serving at-risk youth. We will not be distracted by political campaigns that use misleading information or fail to provide the proper context around what are extraordinarily difficult and sensitive issues, Roussos wrote. A company spokesman would not identify any specific instances when political campaigns have cited misleading information about Sequel. After the 2019 legislative ended in June, Gelser traveled to many facilities operated by Sequel and spent hours poring through public records about the programs. Her proposal, known as Senate Bill 1566, would require DHS to license out-of-state facilities and obligate them to meet the same contract standards as Oregon facilities, such as ensuring a minimum number of staffers and outlawing certain types of discipline. Gelser has cited records that say Sequel employees have deployed discipline techniques at out-of-state facilities that wouldnt be allowed at in-state centers that care for children. Thats a place right now where we have some disconnects, Gelser said. Discipline is not the only way Oregon children are treated differently depending on where they are living. Employees at Oregon facilities must refer to children using their preferred pronouns. Some programs outside Oregon refuse to do the same, Gelser said. That should be the same in Idaho and Nevada and Utah as it is for an Oregon kid. Gelser and Sen. James Manning Jr., D-Eugene, are the top sponsors of the bill. Nine other Senate Democrats have also signed on to support the measure. In order to be licensed, the facilities must also allow DHS access to foster children and records in order to investigate reports of child abuse in-person. If a facility violated parts of the contract, DHS would be required to notify other states about the violation. Thats a big blind spot in these programs, Gelser said. Theres no regulator who really has a full picture of whats really happening in a facility. The bill would also require DHS to make sure a foster child has a medical need to be placed in a psychiatric residential treatment facility in order to be sent there and seek Medicaid reimbursement for the childs care, Gelser said. She said very few of the Oregon foster children sent to live out of state went to live at facilities that offer such a high level of care. Gelser visited one program that offered such treatment, Northern Illinois Academy, and documented a litany of concerns. A 10-year-old foster child had told her case worker that she was punched in the face by a staffer and repeatedly restrained by multiple employees. Oregon officials removed the three foster children who were living at Northern Illinois from the facility in December, Gelser said. She said DHS has responded to concerns about the quality of care by sending staffers to check on every facility. Those visits have laid the groundwork to help the licensing process go smoothly should lawmakers approve the bill, Gelser said. She said the proposal may come with some costs because DHS will need to pay for case workers to travel to the facilities to investigate allegations of abuse, something that would happen at in-state facilities. To me, if were going to send kids out of state, we have to invest in that, Gelser said. The licensing requirements would force changes to at least one facility used by the state, Mountain Home Academy in Idaho. Oregon law requires facilities that care for children to be incorporated. Mountain Home is not. A Lane County judge blocked DHS from placing a boy at the facility earlier this month, citing the disparity. State officials believe Mountain Home would only need to meet that standard if it were licensed by DHS, said Jake Sunderland, a spokesman for the agency. He said he could not comment on proposed laws before they work their way through the legislative process. -- Molly Young myoung@oregonian.com Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Read more: Karamatullah K Ghori By Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan showed up at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week to rub shoulders at that exclusive conclave with the worlds super-rich and powerful people. His meeting with US President Donald Trump there was the icing on the cake for him. If one were to believe that small segment of the Pakistani news media that habitually fawns over Imran, his was a star appearance and stellar performance at Davos. But for those who knew better, it was more a welcome escapade for him, though shortlived, from the rough and tumble of governing a country as mottled as Pakistan. Lurking all the time in the shadows, while he was hobnobbing with world celebrities, was a crisis whipped up by the sheer incompetence and insouciance of his government. Pakistanis, by and large, are a wheat-consuming people. The country has been self-sufficient in wheat production for years. In fact, it had a huge surplus of nearly seven million tons of wheat in its barns until the summer of last year. Back then, against the advice of his Commerce Ministry, Imran, coaxed by vested interests ensconced within his Cabinet, allowed all that wheat to be exported. A Pakistan starved of hard currency reserves needed the money earned for its coffers. But to his utter horror, Imran was awakened to a severe atta (flour) shortage hitting the poor consumers of their staple food. Flour mills, out of their limited stocks and shorn of fresh supplies of wheat, came to a grinding halt. Flour outlets shuttered down, and people started howling and hollering for bread. Sharks among the traders, prowling in the wings to make their kill in times of shortages, jacked up the flour prices. In a matter of days, flour prices shot up, from 35 Pakistani rupees a kilogram to 70 Pakistani rupees. Pakistans first Bonaparte, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, ruled for 11 years with phenomenal success. The industrial progress of Pakistan on his watch remains unsurpassed, to date. However, his Waterloo came in 1969, not atthe hands of critics of his autocratic rule, but because of a crisis whipped up by shortages of sugar. Ayubs sugar debacle had been preceded by the kind of steep rise in flour prices currently hobbling Imran. In the teeth of that crisis, the famous revolutionary poet Habib Jalib gave the harassed consumers a stirring call to rise and revolt. His poem Aisey dastoor ko mein nahi manta (I dont accept such a black law) has become a battle cry now in India too. In what is eerily reminiscent of factors that snowballed to bring down Ayub 50 years ago, Imran must shudder at the prospect of a sugar alarm raising its ugly head on the heels of the yet unresolved flour crisis. A bulk of Pakistans sugar mills is owned by its politicians and feudal barons whose roots run deep in the countrys arcane political culture. For instance, the family of discredited former PM Nawaz Sharif owns half a dozen, or more, sugar mills. So does the clan of notorious former President Asif Ali Zardari. Many other prominent political families are also into sugar production. Some of Imrans closest political comrades and colleagues are also among the league of sugar mills owners. They may bicker bitterly with their rivals on political issues but in matters of sugar production and its ancillaries, they are at one with their political foes. Together they form whats popularly known in Pakistan as the sugar mafia. Imran had made his entry into the political arena a quarter century ago to fight and root out all mafias and cartels from Pakistans political landscape. But now, in power, he is being put on the defensive by the shenanigans and greed of some of his closest lieutenants. The biggest dilemma staring him in the eye is how to corner the flour and sugar mafias without losing political support, while also guarding against the rapid erosion of his popularity with the masses. Hes in a Catch-22. At the same time, another monster threatening to pull the rug from under his feet is the fault lines becoming increasingly exposed within his own party. He is blamed of being controlled and exploited by a coterie of vested interests around him, which enrages the younger cadre of his ruling party. His populist base is plummeting in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which has been ruled by his party since 2013. A similar storm of discontent against him is brewing in Punjab, Pakistans largest province with 65% of its population. Imrans party is in coalition there with several minor parties, but theres almost a rebellion against its lacklustre Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, who was a non-entity until he was anointed by Imran. Things are becoming uglier by the day in Punjab due to Imrans puerile refusal to let go of his acolyte. To the consternation of those who had pinned great hopes on Imran hammering out a new Pakistan their moral crusader and knightin- shining-armour is running out of steam and failing. But it is largely because of his own doings. A senior member of Syrian Islamist armed group Jaysh al-Islam implicated in the disappearance of a prominent activist in 2013 has been arrested in France and charged with war crimes and torture, a judicial source told AFP on Friday. The suspect, a former spokesman of the group who is in his early thirties, was in France on an Erasmus student visa and detained in the southern city of Marseille. He appeared before an investigating magistrate in Paris who charged him with torture, war crimes and complicity in forced disappearances, said the source. Jaysh al-Islam is one of several hardline Islamist groups opposing the Damascus regime that have emerged during the Syrian civil war. It has fought against Islamic State (IS) jihadists but also been accused by rights groups of abuses. It is notably suspected of involvement in the December 2013 kidnapping of the Syrian activist Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hamada and two colleagues, Samira Khalil and Nazem Hammadi. They have never been found. Zaitouneh was one of the most prominent civil society figures in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad that erupted in March 2011 as part of the Arab spring but then descended into civil war. That year, she was awarded the prestigious Sakharov prize for human rights along with other activists. She was a vociferous critic of abuses by all parties in the conflict including the regime and groups like Jaysh al-Islam. New chapter in quest Rights groups including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in June last year filed a criminal complaint against members of Jaysh al-Islam for crimes committed by the group. After three years of painstaking research, they were able to signal to the French authorities in January the presence of the former spokesperson of the group in the south of France. The FIDH and two other groups behind the complaint said in a statement that the man arrested is called Majdi Mustafa Nameh, although he operates under the nom-de-guerre of Islam Alloush. They said Islam Alloush is a former captain in the Syrian armed forces, who then defected and became a senior official and spokesman for Jaysh al-Islam, close to its leader Zahran Alloush. Islam Alloush was also allegedly involved in the forced enlistment of children in the armed group. Several victims also directly incriminate him for kidnapping and torture, their statement said. The move comes after the French authorities in 2018 issued arrest warrants against three high-ranking members of the Assad regime. The indictment of one of the former top officials of Jaysh al-Islam opens a new chapter in the quest to prosecute international crimes committed in Syria since 2011, said Michel Tubiana, lawyer and Honorary President of Human Rights League (LDH), another of the groups which filed the complaint. According to the statement by the three groups, Jaysh al-Islam numbered up to more than 20,000 fighters and carried out a reign of terror in the rebel areas it controlled, mainly in the Eastern Ghouta, until it lost control over them in April 2018. A former Nigerian senator, Shehu Sani, has been released from the custody of the EFCC after meeting his bail conditions, the commission has said. The acting spokesperson to the Commission, Tony Orilade, confirmed the release to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. He said, Yes, he was released yesterday evening. Mr Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the last Senate, was arrested last month for allegedly collecting $25,000 in the name of the EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu. The former senator has denied the allegation and described his detention as unfair, unjust, prearranged and politically motivated. The EFCC on January 2 obtained a court order to detain the former senator for 14 days without trial. PREMIUM TIMES also reported how operatives of the EFCC, searched the Abuja residence of the former activist. Reprieve After several weeks in dentention, Mr Sani finally secured a bail at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday before Justice Inyang Ekwo, in the sum of N10 million with one surety in like sum. Earlier, he pleaded not guilty to the charges. EFCC releases Shehu Sani from custody EFCC releases Shehu Sani from custody According to the judge, Mr Sani must not travel outside Nigeria without obtaining permission from the court. He ordered the defendant to submit his international passport to the court. N10 million with one surety, the surety should be an owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of this court. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. On January 31, the Armenian governmental Inter-Agency Commission for Coordinating the Preventive Actions of Coronavirus in Armenia held its first meeting chaired by Deputy PM Tigran Avinyan. During the meeting Avinyan noted that the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in China is reaching 10,000, and confirmed cases have already been recorded in other countries. Healthcare Minister Arsen Torosyan briefed the officials on the measures being taken to prevent the import of the virus to Armenia. He said they are working together with the foreign ministry to acquire the test protocols and kits for coronavirus. Deputy FM Avet Adonts noted that the Armenian Embassy in China is maintaining contact with nearly 600 Armenian nationals currently living in China. He said that Armenia is discussing with its partners the possibilities of voluntary evacuation of the Armenian citizens who are living in the province of Hubei, the epicenter of the outbreak. The officials also discussed the appropriateness of temporarily suspending the visa-free regime with China. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Countries that belong to the G20 are funneling cash thru government-sponsored financial institutions to contribute $30 billion to fossil gas projects every year that "run counter to the Paris Agreement," a new analysis confirmed. According to the analysis, the export credit corporations (ECAs) of G20 international locations presently provide more than ten times additional state-backed finances to oil, gas, and coal tasks overseas than they do to renewable energy schemes. Emissions from the projects do not count as part of donor nations' carbon footprint under the Paris Agreement. ECAs are public entities that provide government-backed loans and insurance to foreign places businesses. The G20 finances for coal added via ECAs beneath the Paris radar had accelerated as a percentage of power mission financing since the 2015 Paris treaty, according to Oil Change International and Friends of the Earth America. That interprets to $7.1 billion annually in the years because of the signing of the landmark accord that enjoins nations to cut back carbon emissions. "It's reckless and reprehensible for any government to be still supplying billions in public finance for oil, fuel, and coal," said Bronwen Tucker, an analyst at Oil Change told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "It's even greater offensive when these fossil fuel handouts come from the governments who are maximum historically answerable for the climate crisis." The evaluation singled out China, Japan, South Korea, and Canada as some of the worst offenders, accounting for 78% of the G20 fossil gasoline guide from 2016-2018. ECAs are doubling down on fossil fuels despite the climate emergency, it stated. Canada's ECA is pouring money into tar sands. Japan's ECAs retain to assist new coal tasks. Numerous ECAs are leaping at the opportunity to support LNG in northern Mozambique and elsewhere. The United Nations says carbon emissions must decline 7.6% yearly via 2030 to put the world on track to satisfy the 1.5C temperature upward push cap called for beneath Paris. Instead, fossil fuel emissions are rising annually as the power call for surges. ECAs, according to Tucker, are something almost no person has heard of. However, ECAs assist governments to pursue trade techniques, and individual nations are capable of shroud their investments around them. Guarantors She stated that maximum ECA funding comes from public coffers. "But they play a different function to private enterprise in phrases of their creditworthiness." Tucker added the ECA is "financed by a central authority and the credit score is much better, so the value of that guarantee is better." AFP requested all export credit businesses named in the analysis for comment. The watchdogs highlighted the announcement closing week from Britain that it become ending investment for overseas coal. Its ECA, UK Export Finance, has now not funded a coal-fired electricity plant in view that 2002, but a separate evaluation confirmed it is financing millions of tonnes well worth of foreign places emissions through endured oil and gasoline investment. Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers on Wednesday, January 29, that its choice over coal changed into "a massive step forward via this country." Delhi Patiala House Court on Friday will hear a plea by two of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. The plea was moved in the Delhi court by advocate AP Singh, who is representing convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma. "According to the Delhi Prison Rules, none of those convicted can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options including the mercy petition," said Singh in the plea. Responding to the petition filed by Singh, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad told the court that this is "clearly a mockery of justice". "Convicts' lawyers are taking too much time to use their legal remedies," he said. The matter will be heard by Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain today at 2 pm. The court on Thursday issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts and asked the prison officials to submit a status report before 10 am today. The four convicts in the matter -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed convict Thakur's curative petition, which sought commutation of the convict's death sentence to life imprisonment. Recently, Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter. Earlier, Mukesh Kumar too had filed a mercy petition, which was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but to no avail. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Says Taiwan Must Join World Health Organization to Fight Coronavirus 2020-01-30 -- President Tsai Ing-wen called on Thursday for Taiwan to be allowed to join the World Health Organization (WHO), saying the democratic island is at the "front line" of the coronavirus epidemic that has seen tens of millions of people quarantined in central China. Tsai told journalists that the democratic island, which has never been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China, is on "high alert" over the coronavirus outbreak. "Like all other countries, Taiwan is currently facing the risk from this global pandemic," Tsai told a news conference, speaking hours before the WHO on Thursday declared the outbreak a global emergency. "We have the capability and the responsibility to do our part for the international community, and we hope that the WHO will not exclude Taiwan for political reasons." "The WHO must make room for Taiwan's participation," she said, thanking the United States, Japan and Canada for backing Taiwan's membership of the WHO. "The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China has made it clear to the world just how important Taiwan is to disease prevention efforts," she said. Tsai's comments came as the island's disease control center confirmed its second domestic case of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), bringing the total number of confirmed cases to nine. The woman, in her 40s, is believed to have contracted the virus from her husband, who developed respiratory symptoms after coming back to the island from Wuhan on Jan. 12 and developed respiratory symptoms on Jan. 22, epidemic response command center chief Chen Shih-chung said. Doctors believed his symptoms were "too mild" to qualify as a suspected 2019-nCoV case, so it wasn't initially reported as such, Chen said. Critic of Taiwan's exclusion Taiwan's government said it would hand out surgical masks as part of infection control measures to civil servants and healthcare workers, distributing the remainder to local stores and pharmacies. Tsai -- who was asked why she wasn't wearing a mask at her news briefing -- said the island has plenty to go around, but that the majority of people still don't need one unless they have a connection to a known case. She said anyone who had recently traveled to Hubei would be subject to home quarantine for 14 days to prevent a possible outbreak in the community. "We will continue to strictly monitor travelers with a history of travel to China and enforce stringent requirements for truthful declarations upon entry to Taiwan, as well as rigorous follow-up," she said. Tsai has been an outspoken critic of China's insistence that Taiwan be excluded from membership of international agencies, as well as its requirement that its diplomatic partners break off ties with Taipei. She has warned that the People's Republic of China under President Xi Jinping is a threat to global stability, and not just Taiwan's problem. Earlier this week, China denied Tsai's administration permission to evacuate around 300 Taiwan nationals currently stranded in Wuhan, prompting sharp criticism from Taiwan's democratically elected lawmakers. Fan Yun, a lawmaker for Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), hit out at Beijing for preventing Taiwanese from leaving the city like other non-Chinese nationals. "Is the Chinese Communist Party going to take these Taiwanese people hostage? What do they want in exchange?" Fan said. "They are risking people's lives to play politics." Reported by Chung Kuang-cheng for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Hsia Hsiao-hwa for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Be in awe of Africa with a small group of like-minded women. Passengers on the Explore Tanzania also get to meet the local women of the Masai and learn about the local initiatives they organize and oversee. Demand for small-group travel exclusive to women is on the rise. Goway Travel is responding to that call with a unique range of womens only tours, reaching from beautiful Cape Town to exciting Dubai. The series comprises four womens small group itineraries showcasing popular Africa destinations and experiences. Explore Southern Africa showcases Kapama Private Game Reserve, on the edge of Kruger National Park, plus the sights, colors and culture of Cape Town, before ending with a spectacular visit to Victoria Falls. Explore Tanzania is a round-trip womens safari from Arusha that visits Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. Passengers on this tour also get to meet the local women of the Masai and learn about the local initiatives they organize and oversee. The most specialized itinerary in the series tackles one of Africas most prominent wonders. The Kilimanjaro Climb Machame Route takes participants to the top of the worlds highest free standing mountain, following one of the most picturesque routes before descent. Finally, Explore Dubai erases any notions of Middle East travel being unsafe for women while celebrating the Dubai both old and new. In addition to city tours, it includes a side trip to Abu Dhabi, and a 4x4 desert safari culminating in a traditional BBQ dinner under the stars. With departures throughout 2020, these special womens itineraries are complemented for a limited time with special offers. Solo travellers booking Explore Southern Africa by February 7 or Explore Tanzania by March 31 will save the usual single supplement charge, while Goway is offering a US $250 saving on Explore Dubai until March 1, 2020. Since 1970, Goway has been providing unforgettable travel experiences to Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central & South America, Idyllic Island destinations and Europe. Today Goway is recognized as one of North America's leading travel companies for individuals, families and groups to select exotic destinations around the globe. Goway has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Manila, and Sydney, Australia. For reservations and information, visit http://www.goway.com, or call 1-800-387-8850. Demand for electricity on Friday is expected to be at its highest level in six years, prompting the energy market operator to urge Victorians to limit power usage to avoid buckling the grid. Energy supplies will be stretched in the afternoon as Victorian households turn on airconditioners en masse to seek relief from soaring temperatures and unusually high humidity across the state. Four coal power units are offline just as a heatwave engulfs the eastern states. Credit: The Australian Energy Market Operator warns demand for power may be at its most extreme in Victoria since January 2014, when a run of temperatures above 40 degrees caused widespread faults in the energy grid and rolling blackouts. AEMO on Friday morning asked Victorians to minimise electricity usage between 1pm and 8pm as a precaution against blackouts. America in need of reliable allies like Georgia, The Hill - GeorgianJournal Miss Ghana 2019, Rebecca Nana Adwoa Kwabi says she had deferred her education in order to serve Ghana but Ghanaians didnt support her. Ms. Kwabi made the comment in an interview with Ameyaw TV host JQ at the launch of Miss Ghana 2020 in Accra. According to her, I had to defer my course for one whole year to serve Ghana. That is something Ghanaians dont know. I went to Miss World and there was no support from Ghana. It was heartbreaking. She also defended Inna Patty on allegations against the Miss Ghana organiser suggesting that she pimps the winners. Watch the full interview below: Source: ameyawdebrah.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 New York, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Opportunities in the Western Europe Savory & Deli Sector" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05842024/?utm_source=GNW Of all the high potential countries in the region, Italy is the largest market followed by France and Belgium. Hypermarkets & supermarkets is the largest distribution channel, followed by convenience stores. Ginsters, Salumificio Fratelli Beretta S.P.A., Agrial S.A., Great Italian Sausage Spa, and Sigma Alimentos are the leading brands in the Western Europes savory & deli sector. This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the Western Europe savory & deli sector. It includes market overview, high growth country analysis, top companies, key distribution channels, packaging formats and case studies. Scope This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of the Western Europe savory & deli sector, analyzing data from nine countries in the region. It includes analysis on the following - - Sector overview: Provides overview of the sector size, value and volume growth analysis, across regions. - Change in consumption: Analysis on the shift in consumption of savory & deli by categories across the key countries in Western Europe. - High potential countries: Provides Risk-Reward analysis of four countries across Eastern Europe based on market assessment, economic development, socio-demographic, governance indicators, and technological infrastructure. - Country analysis: Provides deep-dive analysis of four high potential countries covering value growth during 2018-2023, key challenges, consumer demographics, and key trends, supported with product examples. It also includes analysis of the key challenges faced and future outlook for the region. - Health & Wellness analysis: Provides insights on the Health & Wellness products in terms of value and percentage share in the overall savory & deli sector during 2013-2023. The analysis includes key Health & Wellness attributes and consumer benefits driving the sales of savory & deli products in Eastern Europe, in 2018. It also covers the market share of leading companies offering savory & deli with Health and Wellness attributes in the same year. - Competitive Analysis: Provides an overview of leading companies in Western Europe, besides analyzing the growth of private labels in the region. - Key distribution channels: Provides analysis on the leading distribution channels for savory & deli across the key countries in Western Europe, in 2018. It covers six distribution channels - hypermarkets & supermarkets, convenience stores, food & drinks specialists, cash & carries and warehouse clubs, dollar stores, variety stores & general merchandise retailers, and others which includes eRetailers and others. - Preferred packaging formats: The report provides percentage share (in 2018) and growth analysis (during 2013-2023) for various pack materials, pack type, closure type, and primary outer types based on the volume sales (by pack units) of savory & deli. Reasons to buy - Manufacturing and retailers seek latest information on how the market is evolving to formulate their sales and marketing strategies. There is also demand for authentic market data with a high level of detail. This report has been created to provide its readers with up-to-date information and analysis to uncover emerging opportunities of growth within the sector in the region. - The report provides a detailed analysis of the countries in the region, covering the key challenges, competitive landscape and demographic analysis, that can help companies gain insight into the country specific nuances. - The analysts have also placed a significant emphasis on the key trends that drive consumer choice and the future opportunities that can be explored in the region, than can help companies in revenue expansion. - To gain competitive intelligence about leading brands in the sector in the region with information about their market share and growth rates. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05842024/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba After 183 rounds of waterboarding, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the man accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, spent his years in C.I.A. detention as a charming captive who dabbled in Islamic mysticism and engaged in pleasantries with the psychologist who waterboarded him, that psychologist told a war crimes prosecutor on Thursday. James E. Mitchell, who as a contractor for the C.I.A. helped develop the agencys interrogation program and handled all the waterboarding, said Mr. Mohammed managed so well in his last three years in the secret prisons after the violent questioning had ended that the two men would sit and hold hands, as Middle Eastern men sometimes do. He said Mr. Mohammed put on a charm initiative and described him as a well-adjusted detainee who never expressed fear of him, gave the psychologist a nickname, Abu Captain, and sought his help in improving his conditions as he was moved through the different C.I.A. black sites. Mr. Mohammeds lawyer rejected Dr. Mitchells account, saying his client was motivated by fear in dealing with the psychologist. Glenny was a wild turkey that lives in Haddon Heights, N.J. He has built a robust fan base who admire his ability to slow down speeding drivers and pose for photographs. Read more First, he was sent to the farm. Then, he bought the farm. Glenny, Haddon Heights beloved celebrity turkey, was taken from the Funny Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Atlantic County this week and humanely euthanized, New Jersey officials said Thursday. The massive wild turkey named Glenny, who had a cultlike following for his habit of standing in the middle of streets and fanning his feathers, was relocated to the sanctuary Sunday after he was deemed a local nuisance for pecking at cars and blocking traffic in the middle of the busy Black Horse Pike. But the sanctuary for Glenny was short-lived. Funny Farm is for domestic animals only, officials said, and Glenny, a wild turkey placed with the domestic birds without being quarantined for disease, had to go. Based upon protocols specified in a 2019 Wildlife Services agreement between the USDA and NJDFW [New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife], the turkey was humanely euthanized since it had been in contact with domestic birds and presented a disease risk to native wildlife, U.S. Department of Agriculture spokesperson Tanya Espinosa told The Inquirer in a statement. Laurie Zaleski, founder and owner of Funny Farm Animal Rescue, said she was contacted by friends in Haddon Heights, and even the townships council, who were eager to find a safe place for Glenny. After taking the turkey 40 miles southeast to her farm in Mays Landing on Sunday, Zaleski said, she checked with New Jersey officials and they assured her that she could take the turkey. Zaleski said her farm, which she has had for 20 years, is home to more than 600 animals. "I have other turkeys on my farm that people have dropped off in the same situation, she added. Zaleski said she has a license to hold wild animals for 48 hours before releasing them or handing them over to a state facility, but was hanging on to the bird because she was worried that releasing the turkey would further upset residents who were already anxious about Glenny being taken away. But when she wasnt home on Wednesday, the state showed up and took South Jerseys favorite fowl from her volunteers, Zaleski said. He was not a wild turkey, he was a socialized turkey, she said. We came up with a solution and then they came and snatched him. Before Glennys end, he had brought the New Jersey township together and torn it apart. It all began in September, when Glenny, named by a young boy after Glenview Elementary School, began spending his days standing in the middle of Prospect Ridge Boulevard, a main road that connects the White Horse and Black Horse Pikes, and exploring the surrounding parks. Residents, some with bumper stickers sporting the bird, flocked to see the local star, taking pictures of him and posting them on Haddon Heights Turkey Talk, a Facebook group with nearly 1,100 members who bonded over Glenny and other neighborhood turkeys. But in recent weeks, Glenny had grown bolder and started camping out in the middle of busy Black Horse Pike. Traffic jams ensued and neighbors worried he could be hit by a car or cause an accident. Residents were trying to get a turkey crossing sign and the topic of having him relocated even came up at a city council meeting, said Jamie Davidson, the Facebook groups founder. Then Zaleski took Glenny to her farm, where he could roam freely with 30 other turkeys and the controversy began, first on social media. What is this farm and who took our bird? people asked in the Facebook group. Have you seen me?" one resident posted with a picture of Glenny and the word MISSING underneath. I was forcibly removed from my home in Haddon Heights, by someone believing they can control nature. I think its a good thing that an animal is now in a safe place rather than the middle of the road where it could be hit, killed, or cause an accident with others hurt, wrote another person. We were amused for a few months. Time to move on. I cant believe people are arguing about this. Funny Farm had even scheduled Glenny Day for this Sunday, and some criticized the farm for using him for publicity. Then Wednesday, it broke the news: Glenny had been taken by the state. 'Glenny Day CANCELLED it wrote. Due to multiple complaints from Haddon Heights residents, today, the USDA Wildlife and the Dept of Environmental Protection Fish and Wildlife, came and removed Glenny from the Funny Farm. The mayhem worsened. People blamed one another for Glennys capture. If the Turkey Talk group hadnt made Glenny famous, he would still be there, some contended. Everybody lost their minds, said Davidson. Nobody wants to gather info before they slaughter one another and the town. Davidson left the Facebook group because of its growing toxicity. Members urged others to call the state, demanding the birds return to Haddon Heights. When she made the page, I thought it was just a turkey. What could go wrong? Davidson joked. And then it did." As news of Glennys untimely death began to circulate on the Facebook page Thursday evening, mourners lamented the turkey gone too soon. No words, yes Im crying, wrote one resident. Im sorry Glenny that humans have taken your life. You were happy and loved. Brought most of this town together. I hope youre all happy, another wrote. He shouldve been left alone and now hes been euthanized. Staff writer Oona Goodin-Smith contributed to this article. COLUMBIA A major Upstate highway interchange could be named after President Donald Trump. A pair of Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to name the intersection of Interstates 85 and 385 in Greenville County, one of the busiest in the state, in honor of the 45th president. The bill cites Trump fighting "tirelessly to restore our American values and defeat the radical left" and being "under constant attack by anti-American politicians and the fake news media." Theres roads named after Barack Obama and that kind of stuff, and its just our saying thank you to President Trump, said Rep. Stewart Jones of Laurens, who co-sponsored the bill with Jonathon Hill of Townville. We havent had a president like this in my entire lifetime, at least. South Carolina does not have a state road dedicated to Obama, according to state transportation records. Trump carried South Carolina in 2016 with nearly 55 percent of the vote, but did even better in Greenville County, where almost 60 percent of people backed him. Sign up for updates! Get the latest political news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! With legislative approval, the spot where the busy highways meet would be called the President Donald J. Trump Interchange. South Carolinas General Assembly isnt alone in looking for ways to show the president symbolic approval. A Tennessee state representative has introduced legislation this week that would recognize CNN and The Washington Post as fake news and condemns them for denigrating our citizens. Jones said the presidential interchange in South Carolina is a reflection of the states commitment to Trumps conservative principles. Hes standing up for us, and were trying to help him drain the swamp, Jones said. Mumbai: Arhaan Khan has reacted to his girlfriend and contestant Rashami Desai's comment about the former "Bigg Boss 13" contestant not being her "type". According to a new task, TV actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee has entered the house as Rashami's connection. While talking to Devoleena, Rashami in an episode had said that Arhaan is not her type. According to missmalini.com, Arhaan has reacted to the comment and said that their relationship is not so weak and that the two are connected emotionally. According to the portal, he said: "Rashami has not said that 'I am ending my relationship with Arhaan'. So, people should not think that. She said that she will talk to me once she is outside the house. And this is what she had told me when I was there. Our relationship is not so weak and we are connected emotionally." "When I came out of the house she cried a lot. That means we mean a lot to each other. We are handling it maturely by not talking about it in the "Bigg Boss" house. I don't know why people are talking and making a scene about it," Arhaan added. This week, a new twist will put the contestants' connections to test. Following the family week this will be the "connections week", wherein the friends and family members of the contestants will enter the "Big Boss" house for a week to support them in their tasks. The National Council of Catholic Women will Celebrate its 100th Anniversary in Arlington, Virginia, August 26-29, 2020, with the Theme 'A Vision for the Future' NEWS PROVIDED BY National Council of Catholic Women Jan. 31, 2020 ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 31, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The centennial celebration of the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW) is underway, as registration opens February 3rd for the 2020 Convention to be held in the Washington, D.C. areawhere it all began! Catholic women of all ages are invited to discover NCCW's rich history and its vision for the future through inspiring conferences, daily liturgies, informative exhibits and fun events. Together with women from around the country, attendees will deepen their faith, grow as leaders and as sisters in Christ, and discover new ways to serve the needs of society both today and in the future. "Convention is an exceptional opportunity to learn, pray, and celebrate the unique gifts of women as we look to the future, transforming the world through fulfilling our mission," said NCCW President Jean Kelly. The beautiful convention hotel, Crystal Gateway Marriott, is ideally located minutes away from Reagan National Airport and a short metro ride to downtown Washington D.C., the Arlington Cemetery, Pentagon City, and Old Town Alexandria. Speakers at the 2020 Convention include: His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, who will give the keynote address and celebrate the opening Mass on Thursday August 27th. Abby Johnson, internationally known pro-life activist, who will receive the 2020 NCCW Lifetime Achievement Award and will speak at the AWARDs Breakfast Friday, August 28, 2020. Gloria Purvis, the creator and host of the popular EWTN TV series, "Authentically Free at Last," who will speak on Saturday, August 29, 2020. In addition to touring the famous monuments and memorials of Washington DC, convention attendees will have the opportunity to experience The Jersey Tenors, an Opera/Rock mash-up sensation and to attend the NCCW Centennial Mass in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica on Wednesday, August 26th at 12:30 pm. The National Council of Catholic Women was founded by the US Catholic bishops in 1920. For more information about the 2020 NCCW Convention, visit the website www.nccw.org. To schedule an interview with Jean Kelly, NCCW President, please contact Laraine Bennett at (703) 224-0990 or email lbennett@nccw.org. SOURCE National Council of Catholic Women CONTACT: Laraine Bennett, 703-224-0990, lbennett@nccw.org Dr. Khamis Hassan Bakari of Tanzania, shows an empty street in Wuhan, China on Jan. 27, 2020. Wuhan citizens are instructed to stay at home and avoid going to public places as much as possible. (Khamis Hassan Bakari via AP) Faced With Existential Threat to Their Rule, Chinese Leaders Decide to Save 11 Cities From Coronavirus Epidemic: Insider Top Chinese leaders at a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Politburo meeting last week expressed concern that the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak may put an end to their rule. They have decided to focus on preserving 11 major cities from being devastated by the virus. Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen, a senior political commentator and media professional in Hong Kong, told the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times on Jan. 28 that he obtained the information from an insider in the CCPs top leadership. According to Shiu, the Politburo emergency meeting was held on Jan. 25, on the day of the Chinese New Year. The 11 cities on the CCPs priority list of being saved are Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Hangzhou, Xian, Shenyang, Harbin, and Urumqi. The CCP is prepared to protect these 11 cities at all cost, even if it means sacrificing other cities, Shiu said. Projected Death Toll Estimate: Between 1 and 2 Million Shiu said that according to a recent research report by Professor Gabriel Matthew Leung, before the lockdown of Wuhanwhere the deadly and highly contagious coronavirus originatedthere were about 25,000 people infected with the coronavirus, and 15,000 additional cases during the virus incubation period. This means, the total number of infected people is roughly 40,000. Based on the spreading pattern, it is estimated that the current number of infected people around the globe is between 25,000 and 38,000. Prof. Leung is Dean of the University of Hong Kongs Medical School. He is also a recognized medical doctor and public health authority. Leungs report points out that without strong intervention measures in place, the number of infected people will double every 6.2 days, if the calculation is based on an even more conservative figure of 22,000 infected cases globally at present. Leung estimates that in Wuhan, the number of newly infected patients will reach the maximumabout 200,000 per dayin April. In several other cities, including Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the number will peak in May. In the months that follow, the total number of infected people across the country will reach 18 million, with the total number of deaths ranging between 1 and 2 million. Information Blockade and Cover-up Shiu criticized the CCP for its cover-up and delay in taking measures to contain the virus, saying the main reason for this catastrophe is the blocking of information. As a result, those who were infected with the disease were not quarantined in a timely manner. Chinese authorities initially denied that the disease could be spread via human-to-human transmission. In addition, for several days, Chinese medical authorities reported very few new cases in Wuhan and no new cases in other Chinese cities, giving the public a false impression that the novel coronavirus was not a threat to public health. Then on Jan. 20, a leading scientist of Chinas Health Commission, Zhong Nanshan, announced at a press conference in Beijing that the disease can spread from human to human. Wuhans mayor subsequently announced a city-wide lockdown on Jan. 23, and quarantined the city on the same day. But millions of people had already left Wuhan for the holiday before Jan. 20, and nearly 300,000 Wuhan residents rushed to escape from the city before the lockdown was executed. In addition, even after the city-wide lockdown of Wuhan, the central authorities failed to dispatch needed manpower and medical supplies, resulting in things such as corpses lying about on a hospital floor and citizens not being informed about virus prevention, all of which would further spread the virus. The 11 Cities According to Shius insider contact, central authorities at the Jan. 25 Politburo meeting pointed out that the novel coronavirus outbreak poses a serious challenge to the legitimacy of the CCPs rule. In other words, the CCP is facing a serious crisis and the threat of its total demise. Shiu said he believes the epidemic, which is now getting out of control, will have a deadly impact on Chinas economy. In his estimation, more than half of Chinese business activities will come to a halt. Hong Kong will also be affected, he said. Therefore, the top officials at the political meeting decided to go all out to save the 11 cities from the coronavirus outbreak. The insider did not give specific reasons as to why the authorities chose those 11 cities, but they are the commercial and military hubs in the country. It is well-known among mainland Chinese that the most developed metros and financial hubs are Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong; and the military technology centers are Xian, Shenyang and Harbin. Shiu predicted that Shenzhen, a city of about 20 million people that borders Hong Kong, will soon be completely isolated from other Chinese regions. There are many high-tech companies in Shenzhen, he explained. As for Hong Kong, the citys government seems to be hesitating. I believe it is because they are waiting for the final instruction from the central government [Beijing], he said. Meanwhile, more than 15,000 hospital authority employees in Hong Kong have joined a new union, urging the Hong Kong government to close the border with mainland China. According to the representative of the union, if they do not receive any response from local officials by Feb. 3, members of the union will launch a large-scale strike. A Beaumont ISD bus driver was terminated late last year after he paddled an 8-year-old student at Martin Elementary School and misled staff by claiming he was the childs uncle. The childs mother, who The Enterprise has opted not to name to protect the identity of the child, said she was made aware of the situation when her son left school in tears. She questioned him and was told the bus driver had paddled him multiple times over the current and last school year. Imagine if he wouldnt have come home crying, this still would be happening, she said. I was furious. How are you going to be doing this to my kid? She immediately took the matter to school officials. The bus driver, Quinton Samuel, declined to comment, referring questions to his lawyers. He did not provide contact information for his attorneys and did not respond to additional requests for comment. The punishment came as a result of disrupting the class or talking out of turn, the child told The Enterprise. When I would get in trouble, he would take me into the art room and told my teacher that he was going to get the good paddle. Samuels termination letter, which was obtained by The Enterprise through a public records request, confirms the allegations. On August 21, 2019, you engaged in unprofessional conduct and insubordination when you disembarked your school bus and inappropriately disciplined a student without authorized consent from the parent, Senior Director of Transportation Todd Coleman wrote in the letter. You admitted to paddling the Martin Elementary student for misconduct after the students teacher reported his misbehavior to you. District officials said there should never be an occurrence where corporal punishment occurs without a parent being notified first. Beaumont ISD does not condone or support the actions of this former employee, district spokeswoman Hannah LeTulle said. As the safety of our students and staff is a top priority, the situation was investigated and handled appropriately. A statement by the student suggested the teacher made comments to support the discipline. She said, Im going to save my peanuts, and act like they popcorn, and if he dont do you good, I am going to watch him, the child wrote in a witness statement submitted to the district and reviewed by The Enterprise. BISD declined to comment on any disciplinary actions taken against the childs teacher, citing a policy not to comment on personnel matters. The Enterprise requested comment from that teacher but did not get a response by press time. Corporal punishment is legal under Texas Penal Code 9.62, but under district policy, only certain administrators such as principals and assistant principals are authorized to use paddles. In addition to several other guidelines, the policy says corporal punishment shall be administered in the presence of one other district professional employee and in a designated place out of view of other students. Parents must be notified ahead of time. That was not the case here, the mother said. I never received a call or a text or anything. Even if they had contacted the mother, the student was on a no-corporal punishment list, according to documents reviewed by The Enterprise. The paper includes both his mother and grandmothers phone numbers. LeTulle confirmed that if a parent has a letter on file, it is BISDs policy to find alternative forms of discipline. He wasnt taking the bus when the bus driver paddled him, the mother said. The teacher went and got him. He had no reason to be on campus, and no reason to be talking to [the student]. He shouldnt have been touching him. That teacher should have never went out there and gotten him. Documents obtained by The Enterprise, including the termination letter for the bus driver, said Samuel led [the teacher] to believe that you were granted permission to discipline the student. And, the mother said, BISD didnt verify Samuels alleged relation to the boy. That is scary, she said. And for the school to allow it and have everybody thinking that. And for it to be going on for a year and some months? I have an issue with that. The mother said Samuel went to a church that sometimes did events with the church she attended, and she talked to him from time to time last school year. She ran into another BISD staff member at a restaurant who was under the impression Samuel was her sons uncle. I told her that is not his uncle, she said. If you see him around [my son] you need to let somebody know. The mother has since pulled her son from Martin Elementary School and enrolled him in Bob Hope Charter School in Beaumont. But she believes more action should be taken by BISD officials. It wasnt just one person involved in this, she said. It was multiple people involved in this. I feel like as a school, you hold certain positions. Certain positions come with different responsibilities, and that was one of your responsibilities was to protect him. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes The series, which kick-started in September 2018, is now a successful franchise. Veteran actor Anupam Kher has been in Los Angeles for three months now, shooting for the hit American TV series New Amsterdam. The series, which kick-started in September 2018, is now a successful franchise. And the actor plays one of the pivotal characters of Dr. Vijay Kapoor in the medical drama. Weve just been given an extension until 2023, so there is uninterrupted and prolonged shooting for the episodes. Ive been here (in the US) for a long time. I miss home. My mother and my wife Kirron had come to visit, but Im homesick. Theres so much happening back home that Im missing out on, says Anupam. Talking about the recent, disparaging remarks made by Naseeruddin Shah for him, an unfazed Anupam says, Ive replied. Ive said what I had to. I respect him as a co-artiste. I dont know what made him say what he did. But I wish him all the best. I hope whatever is troubling him is soon resolved. New Delhi, Jan 31 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said that with the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, the government has fulfilled the will of Mahatma Gandhi and condemned the atrocities being perpetrated on minorities in Pakistan. Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, the President said, "I am happy that the will of the Father of the Nation has been fulfilled by enacting Citizenship Amendment Act by both Houses of the Parliament." Kovind also condemned the atrocities on the minority communities in Pakistan and "urged the world community to take cognizance of this and take necessary steps in this regard". The President also stressed that the government makes it clear that the procedures which were there earlier for people of all religions, who believed in India and want to take citizenship of India, are the same today. "A person of any creed can complete these processes and become a citizen of India. The government has made several provisions for granting citizenship to refugees in any region and especially in the northeast," he said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which provides for Indian citizenship to persons belonging to religious minority groups persecuted in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by Parliament in December last year during the Winter Session. The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill on December 9 while the Rajya Sabha passed it on December 12. The upcoming Motorola Moto G Stylus has just surfaced in more real-life images. The device first surfaced in renders, and the first real-life images of the phone appeared yesterday. Newly-surfaced Moto G Stylus real-life images give us a better look at the phone Well, four new real-life images have just surfaced in Mexico, and theyll give you a better look at this phone. This will be a new budget phone by Motorola, a phone that will include a stylus. Based on the looks of that stylus, dont expect a Galaxy Note-level of functionality out of it. It is possible that it is just a regular stylus with a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Were only guessing, though, Motorola my surprise us. Advertisement In any case, we did not even know what this phone is called at first, until Evan Blass confirmed its name. You can see that the device itself resembles the Moto G8 and Moto G8 Power quite a bit. Those two phones havent been officially announced just yet either. In fact, all three devices may end up launching at the same time. The phone will be made out of polycarbonate, and will include a display camera hole The Moto G Stylus will be made out of polycarbonate, if rumors are to be believed. The phone will include four cameras on the back, and those cameras will be vertically-aligned. Advertisement A fingerprint scanner will also sit on the back of the phone, it will be built into that Motorola logo on the back. The phone will offer a curved back, and a flat display. All of its physical keys will be located on the right side. This handset will include some bezels above and below the display, but not much, especially for a budget phone. It will sport a display camera hole in the top-left corner of its display, though, just like the Moto G8 and Moto G8 Power. Advertisement The provided images are also offering you a chance to take a look at the phones software. Well, parts of its software, that is. The Moto G Stylus is expected to arrive with Android 10, a close-to-stock build of Android 10. A recent Geekbench listing revealed that this phone will include 4GB of RAM. The phone is expected to include a 6.3 or 6.4-inch fullHD+ display, and a Snapdragon 600-series processor. The Moto G Stylus is expected to become official in the near future, but unfortunately, we dont know when exactly will that happen. Motorola is expected to release more info soon. Surveys have found Millennial investors take into consideration ESG principles more than other generations. / Gettyimagesbank By Anna J. Park With more and more millennial investors entering the global capital market, exchange-traded funds (ETF) that closely consider ESG criteria listed firms' environmental, social, governance elements are gaining more attraction. According to a report by eBest Investment & Securities, ESG-dedicated funds' aggregated volume of asset under management (AUM) in the U.S., as of Jan. 13, stood at $16.1 billion, up 2,720 percent from 2014. In Korea, ESG funds have shown signs of gaining popularity over the past few years. As of Jan. 30, there are 11 ETFs with ESG attached to their names, with their total net asset value (NAV) standing at 118.2 billion won, or some $99.8 million, and their AUM at 129.2 billion won or $109 million. Nine out of the 11 ESG-dedicated funds in Korea launched since late 2017. The most recently-created fund is Samsung Asset Management's KODEX 200 ESG, which was launched in November, 2019. Mirae Asset operates four out of the 11 funds, including Tiger MSCI Korea ESG Leaders and Tiger MSCI Korea ESG Universal, both launched in February, 2018. The company's Hong Kong branch has newly issued three ESG-themed ETFs, all listed on the Hong Kong exchange market (HKEX) since about two weeks ago. Investors in Korea can also purchase them through securities firms. ESG-dedicated funds are at a burgeoning phase in Korea, in terms of total volume of capital inflow. / Gettyimagesbank American Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft as seen on final approach landing at JFK John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, USA on 14 November 2019. American Airlines and its mechanics union announced tentative joint collective bargaining agreements on Thursday covering five maintenance and fleet service groups after more than four years of often bitter negotiations. The agreements are worth $4.2 billion and offer more than 30,000 employees industry-leading wages, benefits, work rules, job security and retirement income, the union, the TWU-IAM Association, said on its website. They are still subject to ratification by union members. American's chief executive, Doug Parker, said in a statement that the maintenance and fleet service employees "deserve contracts that include meaningful improvements in pay, quality of life and job protections." "The tentative agreements deliver on all of these and more," Parker said. Parker has been under pressure to reach contract deals with the airline's pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. The talks with mechanics were acrimonious at times, with the airline filing a lawsuit against the union in May accusing it of staging illegal slowdowns after stalled contract negotiations before a federal mediator. The union denied the accusations in court, and the parties returned to federal mediation in September. One major sticking point had been a push by American to outsource future maintenance work, something the union said will be protected under the new agreements. With the mechanics' deal under way, American can now turn its full attention to negotiations with its pilots and flight attendants. Talks with those two groups began at the start of 2019. Hundreds of members of the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, picketed at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport on Wednesday, expressing their frustration at the lack of a new contract. In an escalation of tension, the pilots union filed a lawsuit against American on Thursday, demanding that the airline stop flights to China as health officials declare a global emergency over the rapidly spreading coronavirus. American on Wednesday said it would suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27, but it is still flying to China from Dallas. Rep. Ilhan Omar brought her lover Tim Mynett to Iowa with her as she stumped for Sen. Bernie Sanders, her 2020 pick. The couple attended a canvassing kick-off Friday afternoon for the Vermont senator at one of his campaign offices in Des Moines. While both Omar and Mynett sported rings on their ring fingers, Mynett said the couple hasn't gotten hitched. 'No that's not a wedding ring,' he said of the band he was sporting, before a campaign volunteer shooed DailyMail.com away. Rep. Ilhan Omar (left) brought along her lover Tim Mynett (right) to a campaign event for Sen. Bernie Sanders Friday in Des Moines, Iowa Tim Mynett (second from left) captured some of Rep. Ilhan Omar's (left) brief speech as she stopped by a Sanders canvassing event in Des Moines, Iowa Rep. Ilhan Omar attracted a full house at the small Bernie Sanders campaign office located in the outskirts of downtown Des Moines Tim Mynett (second from left) can be seen standing several feet behind his girlfriend, Rep. Ilhan Omar (center), as she takes a selfie with a fan While Rep. Ilhan Omar addressed a Des Moines, Iowa crowd her boyfriend Tim Mynett stood nearby The newly divorced Omar gave brief remarks as Mynett - who also recently split from his wife - stood nearby, capturing some of her speech with his smart phone. In July, DailyMail.com first reported that the then-married 'Squad' member had been spotted out to dinner in March in Playa Del Rey, California with a bespectacled mystery man, later identified as Mynett, a consultant who was doing work for her campaign. They were seen holding hands. Omar was still married to her husband at the time. The next month, Mynett's wife, Dr. Beth Mynett, filed for divorce - and blamed the freshman congresswoman for the split. Beth Mynett said Tim Mynett made a 'shocking declaration of love' for Omar in court papers submitted in D.C. Superior Court. Tim Mynett denied he did such a thing in a counter-claim filed several days later. At the Mynetts December divorce court date, Beth Mynett - who asked that her maiden name of Jordan be restored -. got up and announced that she had a statement to make, telling the courtroom her husband 'had an affair with Ilhan Omar.' With the divorce done, Tim Mynett left the downtown D.C. courthouse grinning and clapping in glee. Omar's divorce from her husband Ahmed Hirsi had been finalized the month before. Hirsi has already remarried. Love has been in the air at Sanders events, with Jane Sanders gushing about her husband Thursday at a campaign concert. Tim Mynett (left) was spotted gleefully leaving D.C. Superior Court in December after his divorce was finalized A month before, Rep. Ilhan Omar's (left) divorce was finalized from her husband Ahmed Hirsi (right) 'I just fell in love with his ideas. Later, the man,' the potential first lady told the audience about seeing her husband, then running for mayor of Burlington, Vermont, speak to a crowd in 1981. 'And it felt incredible in the audience.' Endorsements from three quarters of the so-called 'Squad' - Omar and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib - have helped Sanders bounce back from an early October heart attack that kept him off the campaign trail for two weeks. Now, with Sanders stuck in Washington as President Trump's impeachment trial grinds on, they've all been spending time in Iowa trying to get the message out. Ocasio-Cortez was in Hawkeye state last weekend, while both Omar and Tlaib will be at events this weekend. The Iowa caucuses - which mark the first votes of the 2020 Democratic primary - take place Monday. Within that framework, "Peru is promoting dialogue and strengthening citizen participation mechanisms ." According to the top official, these mechanisms were appreciated " during the legislative elections held last Sunday , in which our citizens headed to the polls to elect a new parliamentary representation." Zagreb, Croatia When Ivo Segota and Mladen Kozic decided to become foster parents, they werent expecting the legal battle that awaited them. We had no reason to believe that we would be treated differently, since you can become a foster-care giver or adopt as a single person [in Croatia], regardless of your sexual orientation, Segota told Al Jazeera. Segota and Kozic first applied to foster a child in 2017. Despite passing all the initial assessments, including making it through multiple rounds of interviews, they were abruptly rejected. Their application to adopt was also denied. It was quite a surprise when the centre stopped communicating with us and then sent us the rejection papers for both cases. The reason was explained in a quite simplistic and formal way that we were rejected because we dont meet the legal criteria, Segota said. After losing an appeal lodged with Croatias Ministry of Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy, Segota and Kozic filed a lawsuit, claiming they had been discriminated against due to their sexuality. In December 2019, the Zagreb Administrative Court ruled in their favour, ordering the ministry to reassess the couples application to become foster parents. The experience has been very stressful at times, but we both believed that we would get a just ruling, Segota said. It was just a big surprise to get the ruling so quickly, since from what we heard it takes a long time to get a ruling in Croatia. We were prepared for the case to last a long time. But the couples battle isnt over. On Tuesday, their application to foster a child was unexpectedly rejected once more, meaning they must lodge yet another appeal. Theyre also waiting for the court to rule on whether they can adopt a landmark decision that will set a legal precedent likely to have far-reaching consequences for other same-sex couples in Croatia who want to start a family. Rainbow Families arranges childrens playdates for same-sex parents in Croatia [Dugine Obitelji/Al Jazeera] Rainbow Families is a Zagreb-based support group for gay parents and aspiring parents. Formed in 2011 with 15 members, the group now has more than 80 members and organises picnics and childrens playdates as well as providing legal advice and information about starting a family. Rainbow Families spokesman Daniel Martinovic said allowing same-sex couples to adopt was about being equal in the eyes of the law. Various laws in Croatia state that citizens shouldnt be discriminated [against] on the basis of their gender or sexual orientation, and we should make that a reality, not just an empty statement, Martinovic told Al Jazeera. In 2013, following a nationwide referendum, Croatias constitution was amended to define marriage as between a man and a woman. But shortly afterwards, the Same-Sex Life Partnership Act was passed, guaranteeing same-sex couples the same legal rights and protections as married couples with the exception of adopting children. The fact that youre married to [someone of the same sex] shouldnt change the way you are treated, Martinovic said. The science, the experts, the Western countries that we always use as an example as to whom were aspiring to and where most of our citizens have emigrated to in the past couple of years all say that someones sexual orientation doesnt influence their parental skills. The main issue that should be taken into consideration is the wellbeing of the child. Rainbow Families also provides support and advice to same-sex parents in Croatia [Dugine Obitelji/Al Jazeera] According to the countrys branch of the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF Croatia), more than 3,000 children were in foster care or social welfare institutions in Croatia in 2017. In 2018, the ombudswoman for gender equality said the number of new foster parents was in decline, with most aged over 55 and many without higher education. Segota said sexuality should be irrelevant when considering applications from prospective foster carers and adoptive parents. We want to give a chance for a better future and a welcoming home to children that have been abandoned and are now in the system. In our opinion, anyone who wants to help a kid in this way should be allowed to apply for foster care or adoption, he said. It doesnt matter if youre homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual, what matters is that the social workers in our country have as large a pool as possible of warm homes and thoughtful parents that could provide care to the young that are stuck in childrens care homes and similar institutions. But not everyone in Croatia an almost exclusively Roman Catholic nation feels the same way. In February 2018, a model of a childrens book depicting same-sex parents with their children was symbolically burned in front of hundreds of people at a carnival near the coastal city of Split. According to local media, the blaze was part of a tradition of burning something evil. Then in November 2018, during a debate on foster care legislation, Stevo Culej, an MP of the ruling conservative HDZ party, said he would rather see a child cared for by a normal couple, husband and wife than a gay couple with bare asses who have a sword fight in front of children. A spokesperson for Zagreb Pride, Ana Urlic, said same-sex couples are regularly discriminated against and experience institutional homophobia, despite being protected under the [Same-Sex] Life Partnership Act. In the past several years, we have witnessed attempts to discriminate against same-sex couples in different areas such as taxes, family and, now, social rights, she told Al Jazeera. For years, the LGBTIQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and questioning] community has been ignored for political purposes. Hate crimes against LGBTIQ persons in Croatia go unpunished, discrimination is rampant, and our families are not safe. In general, we expect a long process. Everyone should be treated equally and without discrimination. Ivo Segota But despite opposition from conservative and religious groups, Martinovic said Croatia has made significant progress in advancing the rights of gay people. Fifteen years ago, we didnt have any kind of legal protection; tear gas was thrown at the first pride marches in Croatia, [and] some of the activists at that time received asylum in other countries because of the threats that they faced, he said. Now we have Rainbow Families talking to the media, picture books in Croatian depicting same-sex parents, over 300 same-sex weddings all over Croatia in the past couple of years, and I guess change is inevitable. Segota and Kozic hope to receive a decision about their adoption case sometime in 2020. But theres a possibility their lawsuit could drag on much longer, and they fear they may have to go all the way to the European Court of Human Rights an unedifying prospect for Croatia, which assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time in January. It might be this year, it might be in three years, Segota said. In general, we expect a long process. Everyone should be treated equally and without discrimination. A spokesperson for Croatias Ministry of Demographics, Family, Youth and Social Policy said the ministry could not comment for this report. California State Senator Anthony J. Portantino personally delivered an invitation from Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to California Governor Gavin Newsom inviting him to visit Armenia, Asbarez reported. In September last year, Governor Newsom and Prime Minister Pashinyan met in New York to formalize the historic trade Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between California and Armenia. At the meeting they appeared to develop a positive relationship with each other. Armenias Glendale-based Consul General Armen Baibortian recognized the strong relationship Portantino has engendered both in Yerevan and in Sacramento and asked Portantino to personally deliver the Prime Ministers invitation to the Governor. Following the signing of the MOU, Portantino and Governor Newsom met privately with Prime Minister Pashinyan to discuss increased cooperation between California and Armenia. It was a tremendous honor to have had the opportunity to deliver a personal invitation from Prime Minister Pashinyan to Governor Newsom, Senator Portantino commented. I was pleased to have first met the Prime Minister in Yerevan last year, in Los Angeles and again in New York. (). I am very grateful to Governor Newsom for his commitment to strengthening our ties with Armenia and I hope he will one day take up the offer to visit Armenia in person like I have. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has confirmed the first two cases of a new coronavirus in his country, Trend reports citing Sputnik. "We had two suspected cases and have just received new information. They [the cases] have been confirmed," Conte said at a joint press conference with the country's Minister of Health Roberto Speranza on late Thursday. According to the prime minister, the infected persons are two Chinese tourists, who arrived in Italy several days ago. "We have taken all the measures to isolate these two cases," Conte said, adding that additional preventive measures could be applied against vehicles and people with whom the Chinese couple had come into contact. The prime minister also announced that Italy is suspending flights to and from China. "Minister of Health [Roberto] Speranza has just ordered to suspend air traffic with China," Conte said. Italy joined a long list of other countries and airlines around the world that previously canceled flights to and from China amid the threat of the infection, including American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, British Airlines, Lufthansa, Finnair, EL AI, Scandinavian Airlines, Air India, Air Canada and others. DES MOINES The best political journalism youve never heard of is coming from a scrappy start-up in the East Village. The East Village of Des Moines, that is. Iowa Starting Line, a no-frills news outlet that started out as a rookie reporter and his Twitter account, is the new must-read of the 2020 campaign. Elite reporters follow it. Candidates care about it. And at a painful time in the local news business, its six-person staff has started to rival The Des Moines Register for scoops and influence in the first-in-the-nation presidential caucus. If I want to know whats happening on the ground in Iowa, Im clicking on The Register or Iowa Starting Line, and not necessarily in that order, said Tim Alberta, Politicos chief political correspondent. At a recent debate night in Des Moines, Starting Lines founder and editor, Pat Rynard, an unassuming Missourian in a blazer and checked shirt, was surrounded by network news reporters seeking the latest political gossip. Dave Weigel, a national writer for The Washington Post, told Mr. Rynard he reads the site to stay current. Its so the locals dont think, This East Coast schmuck doesnt know anything, Mr. Weigel quipped. The Alabama Supreme Court says Brookwood Baptist Medical Center doesnt have to turn over information about previous suicides at the building after the family of a 60-year-old woman who jumped to her death from a hospital parking deck sued the hospital for negligence. Donna Gaston died after leaping from the northeast parking deck at the hospital on Jan. 24, 2018, according to court records. Her husband filed a wrongful death lawsuit in November of that year, seeking to hold the hospital responsible for his late wifes suicide. Gastons husband claims in the lawsuit Brookwood should have erected physical barriers, geo-fencing, or landscaping to prevent suicides. Their failure to do that was a breach of the standard of care the hospital owed to Donna Gaston, her husband argued, because they didnt provide a safe environment. Last week, the states highest court reversed a lower court order directing Brookwood to respond to questions about former suicides at the hospital parking deck and about what, if anything, had been done to secure the top of the deck. Specifically, he (Gastons husband) alleges that the conduct of Brookwoods nurses and security fell below the applicable standard of care. He further alleges that a hospital owes a duty to protect and promote each patients rights, including an effective and safe setting for patient care, the Alabama Supreme Court wrote in its order. The Gaston family asked for certain documents when the lawsuit was filed, and records show Brookwood responded to that request on April 3, 2019. But, records show, Brookwood refused to respond to certain requests, asserting that the Alabama Medical Liability Act prohibited such discovery. In July 2019, Gastons husband asked the lower court to compel Brookwood answer certain questions and to produce certain documents that pertained to the modifications made to Brookwood's parking deck following previous suicides, the supreme court order said. He asked specifically that Brookwood respond to the following questions: After the previous suicides from the northeast deck, what changes or modifications were considered? Why were no changes or modifications made? Who did the hospital consult with about these changes and modifications? The husband also asked for all documentation of changes or modifications to the northeast parking deck which were considered in the last 15 years following the first suicide from jumping off the deck. Donna Gaston died the morning of Jan. 24, 2018, after checking in at 8:40 a.m. to participate in a voluntary psychiatric outpatient-treatment program. She arrived at the hospital and registered for the 9:00 a.m. group therapy session, according to court records. But, she left the therapy area after registering and accessed the top of the parking deck. She then jumped to her death. Gastons husband argued that Gaston had suicidal thoughts since at least August 2017, when Gaston came to Brookwoods ER after a suicide attempt. She was then referred to Baptist Medical Center Princeton for a nine-day stay in its psychiatric unit, the lawsuit claims. She was discharged from Princeton, but in November of that year, Gaston was admitted to Brookwoods psychiatric unit for a several-weeks stay. She was discharged on Jan. 15, 2018 upon the condition that she continue treatment at Brookwoods Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP). The lawsuit shows on Jan. 21, 2018, the day before she was admitted into PHP, Gaston was found at the top of Brookwoods northeast parking deck and security dissuaded her from standing too close to the railing. She started the PHP the following day, and Gastons husband told Brookwood employees that Gaston was a flight risk and asked the staff to constantly monitor her. Two days later, Gaston died. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that Gastons husbands request for answers violated state law because it did not pertain to Gastons particular treatment, care, or condition. The order continues, Gaston contends that the requested discovery is permissible because, he says, it does not seek facts underlying the earlier suicides. A review of Gastons complaint and the requested discovery reveals that the information sought is inextricably intertwined with the earlier suicides in the parking deck and that it does not address the alleged breach of the standard of care owed to (Gaston). Whether changes had been considered and made or not made to the parking deck in the past is contingent, at least in part, on the facts underlying the earlier suicides," the order states. "Therefore, this information is not available in determining whether Brookwood provided a safe setting for (Gastons) care on the day of the incident. Wilderness designation preserves many values. Designated wilderness is a storehouse for carbon and insurance against climate change. Wilderness preserves critical wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors. Wilderness provides for clean water and clean air. And, of course, designated wilderness protects the scenery and ecosystem integrity that supports Montanas economy. However, there is yet another value preserved and enhanced by wilderness designation. It demonstrates a commitment to the inherent reverence and spiritual significance of wildlands. In every human culture, we find that wildlands are at the core of hallowed landscapes. Sacred lands are places where the usual activities of any society are limited, and people approach these places with respect, humility, and awe. In every culture that I have reviewed, I have found that high mountains are revered terrain. Mount Olympus was the home of the gods to the ancient Greeks. The Zoroastrian culture revered mount Damavand in Iran. Mount Fuji was venerated by the Shinto religion in Japan. Mount Sinai is central to Judaism traditions. The Incas of Peru thought mountains were portal to the Gods. Machapuchare was a sublime Nepalese mountain worthy of a long pilgrimage to visit. Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania was fundamental to African tribal religious beliefs. The ancient Celts of the British Isles honored the forces of nature, and among their sacred mountains was Croagh Patrick in Ireland. The San Francisco Peaks were divine in the natural world of the Navajo. Closer to home is the Crow tribe's reverence for the Crazy Mountains by Livingston. Every culture has a way of mountain worship. In American culture, we have hallowed landscapes as well. Designated wilderness, national parks, and such public spaces are our version of sacred lands. A common denominator of these lands is that people generally did not live among the sacred lands, but they did visit. And when you visited sacred lands, you did so with respect. In a sense, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of our Nations sacred places. The ecological integrity and the spiritual value of this ecosystem are still in jeopardy. As the population of Montana and the country continues to grow, these sacred places become even more critical to our society. We have a chance to demonstrate our appreciation for sacred places of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by designating wild places like the Gallatin Range, Crazy Mountains, Pryor Mountains, Lionhead, and other roadless lands of the Custer Gallatin National Forest as designated wilderness. Wilderness is our society's way of codifying self-restraint and humility and appreciation for natural processes and landscapes. The Custer Gallatin National Forest wildlands are essential to our culture, but also vital to the "others" or the creatures that reside on these lands such as grizzly bear, bighorn sheep, wolverine, elk, trout, on down to butterflies and other insects. The opportunity may not come again. We, as a society, have an obligation and responsibility to preserve the sacred lands of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We can do this by supporting wilderness designation for the Custer Gallatin National Forest roadless lands. George Wuerthner is an ecologist and has published 38 books including "Protecting the Wild: Parks and Wilderness the Foundation for Conservation." Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Friday she will vote against subpoenaing witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, likely dooming Democrats' effort to bring in former national security adviser John Bolton to testify. "The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed," the Alaska senator said in a statement Friday. "I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena." She added that due to the partisan nature of the impeachment proceeding, she has concluded that "there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed." Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them on the pivotal question of whether to subpoena witnesses in the trial. But they appear to only have two unless another senator emerges before the vote, which is expected sometime Friday evening. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah said they would support the measure. ADVERTISEMENT Murkowski also addressed the prospect that if she had supported calling witnesses, it might have resulted in a rare 50-50 tie vote, which Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. would likely have been asked by Democrats to break. Democrats say Roberts, as presiding officer, has the power to break a tie, just as Vice President Mike Pence does when he presides over the Senate. Republicans say the chief justice does not have the power to vote, and under Senate rules, a tie means the motion fails. Murkowski said she did not want to be the cause of a constitutional debate over whether Roberts had the power to break a tie. "It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this process, and drag the Supreme Court into the fray, while attacking the chief justice," she said. "I will not stand for nor support that effort. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another." Republicans had hoped to move to the acquittal vote quickly after the witness vote. But those hopes appeared dashed Friday as the Senate may need several days to officially end the trial. "I think we're going to have to revisit this - what we do next after the (witness) vote later," said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of the leadership, adding that he "wouldn't be surprised" if the Senate pauses after the witness vote this evening to consider next steps before a final vote. The trial was never expected to end in the conviction and removal of the president because doing so requires the support of 67 senators. With only 45 Democrats and two independents in the Senate, the pro-impeachment effort would need 20 Republicans to break with the president, assuming all 47 Democrats and independents voted in favor of convicting Trump. Romney and Collins put Bolton at the top of their list of potential witnesses. Parts of his upcoming book were leaked early this week. In it, Bolton alleges that Trump tied military aid to Ukraine to a demand that the country begin an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, the crux of the House's impeachment inquiry. On Friday, The New York Times reported that Bolton's book also alleges that Trump asked him to help pressure Ukraine to investigate Democrats in May, far earlier than the July 25 phone call with Ukraine's president that launched the House impeachment effort. ADVERTISEMENT But Trump's Republican allies, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, warned early in the trial that agreeing to subpoena witnesses would open a Pandora's box. They said that if Democrats were able to hear from Bolton, Republicans would issue several subpoenas, including to Biden. --- (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Mr Aminu Chinnia Issshaku, the Deputy Upper West Regional Minister has picked forms to contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries in the Sissala East Constituency. Mr Sumaila Wutirira, the polling station coordinator of the Sakai Electoral area led 16 out of the 21 electoral area coordinators to pick the form on behalf of the Minister. Briefing the media in Tumu on Tuesday after picking the form, Mr Wutirira said the Deputy Minister had performed credibly and deserved to represent the people in Parliament. Mr Wutirira said, We are picking and handing over the nomination forms for the Sissala East constituency NPP Parliamentary primaries to Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku who is on official duties outside the region". He said, We, the 16 electoral area coordinators of the 21 electoral areas representing 76.2 per cent of the total electoral areas openly declare our support for Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku in the impending primaries of our beloved NPP". Mr Wutirira expressed the hope that other delegates would lend support for the Deputy Minister to win the primary to provide good governance to the people". "We believe we have the backing and the blessings of our polling station executives in our various electoral areas to ensure that he wins convincingly", Mr Wutirira said. He explained that their decision to support and campaign for Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku was because he was a candidate that could retain the seat for NPP based on current happenings in the Constituency. He said it was risky for the NPP to gamble with any other candidate claiming that, "The other contenders have lost touch and popularity within the NPP that could be scientifically verified among the constituency executives, electoral coordinators, and polling station executives. Mr Wutirira advised external forces to stay away from the Sissala East internal primaries since such interference could affect the fortunes of the party. The elections committee chairman for the Sissala East constituency Mr Salia Mwangu admonished them to see themselves as one party and cautioned against the use of foul language. Mr Robert Asomani, the constituency secretary, who handed over the nomination form to the coordinators urged them to be careful in filling it to ensure that the aspirant was not disqualified. 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 In a case which highlights the increasing brutality of New Zealands immigration system, a paralysed Tongan woman and her family are due to be deported on January 31, despite doctors warning the mother of six could die. The anti-immigrant policies of the Labour Party-NZ First-Greens government are part of the same lurch into right-wing and nationalist policies by governments throughout the world. As in the US, Australia and Europe, immigrants in New Zealand are being demonised and scapegoated by the entire political establishment for the social crisis caused by capitalism, including low wages, the housing shortage and underfunded healthcare and education services. Taipaleti Vaeatangitau was injured in 2015 while playing netball in Tonga, a small and impoverished Pacific island country of about 100,000 inhabitants. Lacking appropriate medical care, she was referred to a neurosurgeon in Auckland and her family sold their possessions to fund her relocation and operation, which cost $27,000. The Tongan government refused to pay for the operation. Vaeatangitau was diagnosed with a severely compressed spinal cord, which would render her paraplegic within months. Surgery had a chance to restore her mobility, but also could cause paraplegia. The surgery failed, with Vaeatangitau waking up paraplegic. Her husband now provides her with full time care, while also taking care of the couples two school-aged children, one of whom recently became a prefect at Tamaki College in Auckland. Family members have continued to pay for Vaeatangitaus medical treatment, including the hire of a bed with a hoist and sling to transfer her to her wheelchair. When the familys visas expired in 2018, they applied to New Zealands Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) for visas to stay in their new home. Radio NZ reported that the familys doctor wrote to the tribunal, saying all the vital equipment, specialist care and ongoing care that [the wife] critically needs for her daily care are not available in Tonga and deportation would be putting a death toll on her already debilitated life. A second doctor, based in Auckland, wrote that her health faced a significantly increased risk of deterioration in Tonga. Despite acknowledging the exceptional humanitarian circumstances of the familys situation, the IPTs decision released early this year stated that Vaeatangitau could not receive a resident or temporary visa because of her ill health. The tribunal noted that her medical treatment, care and rehabilitation in Tonga will not be as good as in New Zealand, but flatly rejected this as a reason to allow the family to stay. It declared that the family seek to remain in New Zealand to take advantage of medical and social benefits clearly not intended under the terms of the original medical visa. There has been almost no criticism of the tribunals ruling from the media or the political establishment. In an interview with Radio New Zealand, immigration solicitor Alastair McClymont defended the ruling and the system under which Pacific Islanders can only receive temporary visas for medical treatment. McClymont said allowing Vaeatangitau to stay would undermine the whole integrity of that policy. Vaeatangitaus case is similar to that of Sanil Kumar, who was deported to Fiji in 2014 despite warnings that he could die. Kumar was working in New Zealand when he fell ill and required a kidney transplant. He needed haemodialysis, but could only access peritoneal dialysis, a less effective and riskier treatment, after being deported. Kumar would be allowed back into New Zealand for a kidney transplant only if his family could pay for his costs, but they could not raise the money in time. They had assembled around $120,000 of the $130,000 cost when Kumar died. At the time, Labour Party immigration spokesman Rajen Prasad called Kumars deportation utterly heartless and called on the National Party government to show more compassion. Now, however, the Labour-led government is doing the same thing: deporting a seriously ill person despite warnings she may die. The case exposes the complete fraud of Prime Minister Jacinda Arderns media image of kindness. A few days before the deportation was reported, Ardern was named 2019s Pacific Person of the Year by the Fiji-based Islands Business magazine, which said she always tries to bring people together and [is] not too divisive. In reality, the Labour Party has adopted the anti-immigrant policies of its right-wing coalition partner, the viciously xenophobic NZ First. Both parties have repeatedly scapegoated Chinese and Asian immigrants, in particular, for the worsening social crisis. Green Party MP Golriz Ghahraman criticised the deportation of Vaeatangitau on Twitter, saying: A policy where $$ trumps humanitarian action is inconsistent with Aotearoas [New Zealands] core values. Such statements are thoroughly hypocritical. The Greens are part of the current government and advocate discrimination against immigrants based on a Malthusian notion of keeping the population sustainable. Before the 2017 election the Green Party criticised the then-National Party government for not cutting immigration sufficiently and called for a strict cap in order to limit population growth to 1 percent per year. After criticism in the media and from migrant advocates, this target was removed in mid-2017. The current Greens policy, however, calls for bringing in migrants whose skills will help build a low-emissions economy that lifts living standardsin other words, favouring wealthier professionals over low-paid workers. The deportation of Vaeatangitau and her family is one of several recent cases showing the cruelty of the immigration system. The New Zealand Herald has reported several cases of couples being separated by immigration law, including a student whose same-sex Turkish partner was denied a visa, making the couple unable to get married in New Zealand. In another case, a pregnant woman whose Indian fiance was deported became so stressed that she suffered a miscarriage. An imperialist country, New Zealand exploits people from Tonga and other Pacific countries as a source of cheap labour, particularly for the agriculture industry. At the same time discriminatory class-based immigration restrictions prevent low-paid workers from gaining permanent residency. Last year there were even reports that teachers in Auckland were denied residency, despite a nationwide shortage of teachers. The Ardern government recently introduced new restrictions so that only the very richest migrants already living in New Zealand can bring their parents to live with them. An estimated 85 percent of parents on the immigration waiting list became ineligible due to the change. The policy of deporting people who could die, rather than providing life-saving medical treatment, is a damning indictment of capitalism, which places the needs of the profit system ahead of basic human rights. The Socialist Equality Group calls on the working class to defend the unconditional right of people to live and work wherever they want in the world, with full access to healthcare and other citizenship rights. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia, Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan today visited UAVLAB, which is one of the leaders in domestic production of drones, reports the news service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia. Lieutenant General Artak Davtyan was introduced to the companys new products and discussed the opportunities for future cooperation. The companys founding director Armen Vardanyan presented the newly developed models that have yet to be tested. The chief of the Armenian armys general staff was also introduced to the samples of the automated fire unit and universal tracked platform produced by another company (Locator). He also listened to the proposals of the companies representatives and discussed the possible directions for cooperation. Chinas health commission says the number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 9,692 with at least 213 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak sparked by the coronavirus in China as a global emergency on Thursday, after the number of cases spiked more than tenfold in a week, while the death toll rose to 213. This developed as Chinas health commission reported on Friday that the confirmed cases of infection have reached 9,692. Another 102,000 people were also reportedly under medical observation with possible symptoms of the respiratory ailment. The UN health agency defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that constitutes a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. China first informed WHO about cases of the new virus in late December. Eighteen other countries have since reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Speaking to reporters in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the worrisome spread of the virus between people outside China. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries, he said. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it. This declaration is not a vote of non-confidence in China, he said. On the contrary, WHO continues to have the confidence in Chinas capacity to control the outbreak. China-Russia border closed In response, Chinas foreign ministry spokeswoman said Beijing has confidence and capability to win the war against the outbreak. Hua Chunying, the ministry spokeswoman, also said China will continue to work with the WHO and other countries to maintain global and regional public health security. A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease-reporting requirements on countries. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, in Wuhan, Hubei province [File: China Daily via Reuters] In the wake of numerous airlines cancelling flights to China and several businesses have temporarily closed hundreds of shops, Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. During my discussion with the president and other officials, theyre willing to support countries with weaker health systems with whatever is possible, Tedros said. Meanwhile, Russia announced it was closing its 2,600-mile (4,180 kilometre) border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against a new viral outbreak. It had been de facto closed because of the Lunar New Year holiday, but Russian authorities said the closure would be extended until March 1. In another development, Beijing announced on Friday that it is sending charter planes to bring back citizens from Hubei who are overseas as soon as possible. This is in view of practical difficulties that Hubei citizens, especially those from Wuhan, have faced overseas, said Hua, of the ministry of foreign affairs. Long term investing works well, but it doesn't always work for each individual stock. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Anyone who held AKITA Drilling Ltd. (TSE:AKT.A) for five years would be nursing their metaphorical wounds since the share price dropped 90% in that time. We also note that the stock has performed poorly over the last year, with the share price down 70%. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 18% in the last three months. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway. Check out our latest analysis for AKITA Drilling AKITA Drilling isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size. Over half a decade AKITA Drilling reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 3.9% for each year. That's not what investors generally want to see. If a business loses money, you want it to grow, so no surprises that the share price has dropped 38% each year in that time. We're generally averse to companies with declining revenues, but we're not alone in that. Fear of becoming a 'bagholder' may be keeping people away from this stock. You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image). TSX:AKT.A Income Statement, January 31st 2020 We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? Story continues We've already covered AKITA Drilling's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Its history of dividend payouts mean that AKITA Drilling's TSR, which was a 88% drop over the last 5 years, was not as bad as the share price return. A Different Perspective Investors in AKITA Drilling had a tough year, with a total loss of 68%, against a market gain of about 11%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 34% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that AKITA Drilling is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable... There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The November 2019 uprising of the Iranian people in 191 cities that began under the pretext of protesting rising gas prices showcased the dislike of the Iranian people for a regime, marked by repression, discrimination, looting, and corruption. The November uprising was a strategic blow to the regime and was instrumental in cornering it internationally. The killing of Qassem Soleimani, too, was a serious blow to the regime's credibility beyond its borders. The mullahs employed an array of propaganda tactics to portray Soleimani as a national hero and organized funeral ceremonies in different cities. By magnifying Soleimani's loss, the regime's intention was to cover up the killing of 1,500 protesters in the November uprising and to solicit international criticism of President Trump's order to kill Soleimani. But the downing of the Ukrainian airliner by the IRGC's missiles turned the tables against Iran. One more time, the world faced the lies of the regime in Tehran. The plane's destruction became a source of internal disagreements among different factions of the regime. Iran has not yet handed over the aircraft's black box to the appropriate authorities. The deputy prime minister of Canada is calling for an independent inspection of the plane's black box. On another front, as Iran has materialized its intentions of stepping away from the nuclear agreement and has taken its so-called fifth step, Europe had no choice but to activate the trigger mechanism embedded in the nuclear agreement. Europe seems to be becoming less cozy with Iran and getting closer to the U.S. approach to dealing with the regime, even though the European signatory countries of Britain, France, and Germany are talking about drafting a new nuclear agreement with Iran. Looking for a scapegoat, Iran's foreign minister, Zarif, told Der Spiegel magazine, "He never rules out the possibility of negotiating with the U.S." In a humiliating response, President Trump tweeted: "The Iranian Foreign Minister (regime) says he wants to negotiate with the United States but wants sanctions lifted. No thanks[.]" Trump's response caused the different factions of the regime to blame each other and created chaos within the regime. It is worthy of note that Zarif's "negotiation" comment would not have been offered if he did not have Khamenei's approval and green light. On a regional level, the recent surge of protests in Iraq condemning Iran's meddling and widespread government corruption, along with the killing of Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi, have further weakened the regime. Even Moghtada Sadr, Iran's strategic partner in Iraq, is losing his credibility among the people of Iraq. Because of it being election year in America, U.S. president Donald Trump is not looking for a tense standoff with Iran Iran is desperately trying to pull Trump to the point that he is apolitically harmed. It is also using its proxy forces to harm the United States with the missile attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad. But every time the Iranian regime creates a problem outside its borders, the United States has been very quick to respond, cornering the regime on its own turf. What may happen in the future essentially depends on the continuation and spread of the uprisings in Iraq and Iran. The appeasement policy of the West regarding Iran is at a definite end, and the regime has no other way forward than to surrender fully to the demands of the international community and to bear the consequences. If so, Iran must give up terrorism, and as a result, the terrorist IRGC will have to disintegrate. Such measures will translate into the collapse of the velayat-e faqih system. If Iran fails to submit to the demands of the international community and continues its destructive role in the region and beyond, the collapse of its economy, due to the sanctions and the spread of the uprisings in Iran will eventually bring this regime to an end. Congress leader Anand Sharma on Friday slammed the government for creating fault lines in the country through the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and accused the government of lacking compassion for the demonstrators. "This legislation (CAA) has created fault lines in the country and there is tension. The government is arrogant and the government is also lacking compassion for those protesting against the law, said Sharma after the Joint Session of Parliament at the beginning of Budget Session. He also hit out BJP-led government saying, "The kind of violence that has been engineered and triggered and the kind of language of the minister and the senior members of the BJP are using ." Commenting over President Ram Nath Kovind's address at the session, he said, "Today is a very unfortunate day. It is expected from the President that he will not praise the government for the problem that afflicts the county." "President is the custodian of the Constitution of the country. If the Constitution is being affected by the wrong law that the government passed using its majority," he added. The Congress leader also accused the government of lowering the prestige of President following his address at the Parliament. Meanwhile, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury echoed the Congress leaders' sentiment saying that he is concerned about what is happening in the country regarding the ongoing protest against the CAA. "We are very concerned about happenings in the country. The government has so far not even signaled about a dialogue with the people protesting against the CAA/NCR/NPR. Instead, we are seeing that they are resorting to state-sponsored violence in front of the police," Talking about Thursday's shooting incident near Jamia University where a juvenile open fired, Yechury said, "Yesterday you saw someone crossing the police barricade and with a pistol and going into the crowd of Jamia students and shooting. All was being done in front of the police and nothing was done to prevent it." "Any responsible government will start some form of negotiation. Instead, there is state-sponsored violence." The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lamar Alexander kept quiet until the very end, but then dropped a hammer on the effort to hear witnesses, Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images During the second and final day of senatorial questions for the contending lawyers in the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump, we heard a combination of now-familiar talking points and a steadily increasing focus on the crucial question of whether witnesses should be called and documents subpoenaed and placed into evidence. That crucial question will be decided tomorrow after four hours (two hours per side) of debate on the topic, which was provided for in the organizing resolution that the Senate passed on Monday. There was some early drama over an effort by Rand Paul to ask a question in which the name of the alleged whistle-blower who brought the Ukraine Scandal to public light was included; Chief Justice Roberts refused to read it. A followup question from other Republican senators which raised the underlying conspiracy theory about House Democratic complicity in a plot to cook up a scandal was read by Roberts since it didnt name the whistle-blower. By and large, though, the presidents team and helpful Republican senators stuck to their argument that the impeachment measure was a partisan rush job that failed to put together a credible case, and that the call for witnesses was an effort to force the Senate to fix a fatally flawed process. And the House managers continued to insist that the fight against witnesses by Team Trump continued a pattern of claims placing the president above the law and aimed at hiding evidence that ought to exonerate him if he is actually innocent. The only novel feature of these arguments was the insistence of Trumps lawyers that hearing witnesses would extend the trial for months (mostly because they had a long list of witnesses they would call if Bolton was heard), while the House managers offered to cut a deal to limit witnesses and let the Senate return to regular business while depositions were taken behind closed doors. Behind the scenes, the conventional wisdom developed that Susan Collins and Mitt Romney would probably vote to hear witnesses (or at least John Bolton), with Lisa Murkowski and Lamar Alexander being the swing senators necessary to get to the needed number of four Republican defections. Murkowski asked whether the factual dispute between the White House and Boltons book could best be addressed by hearing Boltons testimony, raising Democratic hopes she might defect. And then Alexander let it be known he would announce his position on witnesses in a statement at some point tonight. Could Mitch McConnell and the White House lose this fight yet? Then came this question: Alexander & Murkowski among those asking even if Bolton were to testify isn't it true that the allegations still would not rise to the level of an impeachable offense, and that therefore for this and other reasons his testimony would add nothing to this case? Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 31, 2020 Isnt it true that is as close as you can get to a flat assertion in question form, suggesting that the shift in the presidents argument from he did nothing wrong to it wasnt an impeachable offense had worked. If any conceivable testimony offered by Bolton wouldnt lift Trumps misconduct to the level of impeachable offense, why hear him out? So Alexanders decision after adjournment was anticlimactic, if not exactly an exoneration of Trump: It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation. 5/15 Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020 But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate. 7/15 Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020 The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did. 8/15 Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020 I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday. 9/15 Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) January 31, 2020 Collins actually beat him to the punch with a statement indicating she would, as expected, vote with the Democrats on witnesses: I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed. My full statement: https://t.co/VuhZv6CO5e pic.twitter.com/LhQlnvPaoc Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) January 31, 2020 And Murkowski, having tipped her hand, professed to remain undecided: NEW stmt from @lisamurkowski: I am going to go reflect on what I have heard, re-read my notes and decide whether I need to hear more. Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) January 31, 2020 Finally, Romney made his position official: BREAKING: @MittRomney Id like to hear from Mr. Bolton. 2 down, 2 to go Megan Mineiro (@MMineiro_CNS) January 31, 2020 Barring something weird, there are 50 and probably 51 firm votes against witnesses, with the difference based on whether you think Murkowski is really undecided. So the big question is whether there are any cards left in the deck for Democrats to play. Chris Van Hollen indicated that he would make a motion Friday that Chief Justice Roberts rule on witnesses in his capacity as the trials presiding officer, but theres no reason to think it would get 51 votes. Roberts could theoretically choose to rule on the evidentiary issue if the vote is tied, but that would violate the Chief Justices well-known determination not to expose the Supreme Court to criticism that it is a politically motivated entity. Earlier, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer hinted at guerrilla warfare to delay any effort to move straight to the final verdict, as Politico noted: [Democrats] are also beginning to discuss a backup plan: forcing more tough votes before acquittal. Those options could range from proposals for a closed-door session to having more time to deliberate before delivering a verdict. No final decisions have been by the party on how to handle the possibility that 51 GOP senators try to move the trial to a quick end. Theres also the matter of whether its worth keeping the four Democratic senators running for president in town through the weekend. The trial rules say you can deliberate. Obviously, the majority vote determines everything, and again, we will decide that as we move forward, Schumer said, emphasizing that his focus is on getting witnesses. Schumer could offer a ton of amendments to a motion to move to the final verdict, as he did to the original organizing resolution. Or, using the Clinton precedent, he could press for a closed-door session in which senators deliberate before the final vote which would allow them to finally speak. In the Clinton trial, each senator was given ten minutes to speak in what was essentially an opportunity to explain her or his vote. If that were replicated, thats 15 hours of talking, which would certainly make it hard to wrap things up late Friday or early Saturday, as Republicans have hoped. Democrats have to decide overnight whether fighting acquittal to the last ditch is worth their time, keeping in mind that the real verdict they are pursuing is in the court of public opinion, rendered between now and November 3. Perhaps Alexander is right that justice will be done then. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has called on U.S. companies to participate in natural gas and oil extraction in Ukraine and invited them to bid for the development of the Black Sea shelf. "We are inviting big American companies to extract natural gas and oil in Ukraine. We expect that American companies will bid for the development of the Black Sea shelf," he said at a joint press briefing with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday. Sharing a "Something New" yet "Something Old" Music Venture "Something Old"... In 1985, I sold 5 Songs of Blues/Rock/Jazz Fusion to a Music Publisher in Detroit. "Something New"... I have set up a new Recording Studio called Coco Rose Music (All Digital). I will be writing and recording again. I plan to put out 2-3 Albums a year (CD and MP3). You can go Directly to the Coco Rose Music Tab To check illegal lottery sales in the guise of online lottery, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday decided to ban the sale of all types of online lottery schemes in the state. The ban on 'Online Lottery Schemes', under section 5 of the Lotteries (Regulation) Act 1998, would not only check the spread of illegal lottery business, which was proliferating under the guise of online lotteries but also give a boost to the state's tax and non-tax revenue, said an official spokesperson after a meeting of the Cabinet. The Cabinet also gave approval to prohibition of the sale of computerised and online lotteries marketed and operated through vending machines, terminals and electronic machines, as well as online scheme tickets sold, organised, conducted or promoted through the internet by any State within the Indian territory or by a foreign country. The Punjab Government is of the firm view that in order to conduct the draws of paper lottery scheme properly and enhance the state's revenue on this account, the online lottery schemes draws must be completely banned. The Directorate of Lotteries has been asked to liaise with the police authorities to curb the illegal lotteries in the state of Punjab, and ADGP Law and Order has been appointed as nodal officer to initiate action against these illegal lotteries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Miss Americana reveals how Taylor Swift got woke. Photo: YouTube In Taylor Swifts Miss Americana, the new Netflix documentary about her life, she talks a lot about the ethos of being a country-music star. Namely that country-music stars are meant to smile and sing their songs and not push their political beliefs onto audiences or fans. The notion of the good girl gets bandied around quite a bit. She talks about the Dixie Chicks who appear on the haunting Soon Youll Get Better from Swifts Lover fall from grace after they spoke out about being ashamed to share a home state with George W. Bush. You dont want to be like the Dixie Chicks, Swift says she was constantly warned. And I loved the Dixie Chicks, Swift says in the film. But in 2018, Taylor Swift broke rank. While she didnt go full-on Natalie Maines, she did post an Instagram endorsing two Democratic candidates in Tennessee. In the documentary, we get to see Swift work through that decision. She sits in a room with several men and her mother, while she, tearfully, explains what she needs to do. The Republican Senate incumbent, Marsha Blackburn, is running on a platform of Tennessee Christian values and Swift, as both a Tennessee resident and a Christian, says she cannot simply sit silently and let Blackburn spew hate. (A particular sticking point for Swift was that Blackburn had voted against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which, among other things, has language surrounding stalking, something Swift is all too familiar with.) The conversation goes back and forth, with Swifts mother, Andrea, sitting beside her daughter on the couch asking that these dudes just please listen to what Taylor is saying. Bing Crosby and Bob Hope never got political, Swift is told. (She notes that the Republicans of Crosby and Hopes era were a markedly different bunch than those in the Trump era.) One of the men, whom Swift reveals to be her father, mentions having bought armored cars to keep Swift safe. He is apparently concerned that adding politics into the mix could make things worse for her. Andrea quickly points out that she likely worries about her daughters safety more than anybody and shes still onboard with Taylors decision to speak up. You already know who wins the fight. Later in Miss Americana, we see Swift and her mom on a different couch. Theyre drinking wine and joined by Tree Paine, the mastermind behind Swifts PR. Swift is clutching her phone, getting ready to post the post that will, hopefully, set the record straight that she is, in fact, not a crypto-fascist or a secret white supremacist. That her silence on political matters was never meant to be a tacit endorsement of the right. I need to be on the right side of history, Swift puts it in the doc. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will take additional measures against attacks targeting its forces and civilians in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, the national security council said on Thursday, after a nearly 5-hour meeting chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan. Bombardments by Russia-backed Syrian government forces on Idlib have raised concern of a new refugee wave to Turkey. On Wednesday, Erdogan said that Ankara was losing patience with the assault in Idlib and that Russia was violating agreements aimed at stemming conflict there. "The commitment of our country to take additional measures against terror attacks that continue to target our security forces and the civilian population in various parts of Syria, namely Idlib, despite the agreements with countries active in Syria was reiterated," the council said in a statement. (Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay; Editing by Dominic Evans) BEIRUT - A childrens advocacy group warned Friday that half of nearly 400,000 displaced people in the Syrian governments two-month-long offensive on the countrys last rebel-held region are children, calling it a wave of displacement unlike anything seen before in the war in Syria. The offensive by Syrian government forces, backed by ally Russia, has focused mainly on Idlib province in the northwest, and also lately on neighbouring Aleppo. It is an attempt to seize control of a strategic highway that links the capital, Damascus, and the north. The push has accelerated in the last two weeks and government forces Wednesday seized control of the key town of Maaret al-Nouman, which sits along the highway. The United Nations has estimated that 390,000 Syrians have been displaced over the past two months 315,000 in December and 75,000 in January. According to advocacy group Save the Children, half of those displaced are children, adding that at least 37,000 children were forced to flee in the month of January. During a one-week period in mid- January, 34 children and 13 women were killed, the U.N. said. Trucks and other vehicles have crammed the roads as civilians some of them already displaced by earlier fighting packed up their meagre belongings to leave towns and villages under attack. Save the Children said its advocacy partners working in Idlib and Aleppo described miles of convoys and said the sheer scale of displacement is unlike anything they have seen before. Syrian President Bashar Assads forces launched the offensive despite a cease-fire deal struck between Russia and Turkey, which support opposite sides of the conflict. Turkey, which backs the Syrian opposition, has said Russia, a staunch Assad ally, has not abided by previous agreements to end violence. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Friday that Ankara could use military force to bring stability to Idlib after the offensive sent tens of thousands of people fleeing toward the Turkish border. We will not stand by in Idlib or other parts of Syria, Erdogan told a meeting of provincial ruling party leaders in Ankara. We sincerely want stability for Syria and we wont hesitate to do whatever it takes, including using military force. Turkey, which hosts 3.5 million Syrian refugees, has troops stationed at 12 observation posts in Idlib to monitor the earlier cease-fire. Asked about Erdogans statement accusing Russia of failing to observe its obligations on Idlib, President Vladimir Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday the Kremlin disagrees with that. Peskov told reporters Idlib has remained the rallying point for a large number of terrorists who have waged offensives against the Syrian government forces and the Russian military base on the coast of Syria. That causes our deep concern. Opposition media and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Turkey has set up two new observation points around Saraqeb, a town believed to be the next target for the government offensive after the capture of Maaret al-Nouman. There was no immediate comment from Turkey and the existing observation points have not stopped previous government advances. The violence and displacement has been compounded by harsh winter conditions. Idlib province, largely in rebel hands, is home to some 3 million people, most of them displaced from other parts of Syria in earlier bouts of violence. Idlib and parts of rural Aleppo are the last areas controlled by rebels in Syria. With assistance from allies Russia and Iran, Assad has managed to regain territories earlier lost to the opposition and now controls nearly 73% of Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group. Joelle Bassoul, spokesperson for Save the Children, said the displacement is more desperate for sure because that northern border is the edge. Beyond it there is nowhere to go. Most people are packing and knowing there is no going back to towns and villages that are being bombed out, she said. ___ Wilks reported from Ankara, Turkey. Advertisement A tiny caravan perched on a hill in the middle of an alpaca farm has been transformed into a hideaway so stylish it's sure to convert the most reluctant of campers. Perfect for a romantic getaway, the restored vintage 1967 Franklin Caravelle van is a scenic 25 minute drive from the charming town of Mudgee in country New South Wales and is surrounded by 105 acres of farmland. While it may look simple from the outside, the small solar-powered van has been renovated by the owners to include a deck with a sunken bath, a fully equipped kitchen, a comfy double bedroom and a gas heater for the cooler months. A tiny caravan perched on a hill in the middle of an alpaca farm has been transformed into a hideaway so stylish it's sure to convert the most reluctant of campers While it may look simple from the outside, the small solar-powered van has been renovated by the owners to include a deck with a sunken bath, a fully equipped kitchen, a comfy double bedroom and a gas heater for the cooler months A sunken bath has been built into the outdoor deck so guests can enjoy the stunning surrounds in style It also has an outdoor ensuite with a shower and toilet, a fire pit (for use outside fire bans) and a boho-style hammock to relax in during the day. Guests can pay $150 per night to stay in the secluded van and explore the scenic region's wineries, wetlands, walking trails and nearby historical village of Windeyer. Charlotte Curd, who visited with her partner in spring, said it was the perfect excuse to sneak away from the city and swap traffic for a bumpy gravel road in the hills. Perfect for a romantic getaway, the restored vintage 1967 Franklin Caravelle van is a scenic 25 minute drive from the charming town of Mudgee in country New South Wales and is surrounded by 105 acres of farmland Charlotte Curd (pictured) who visited with her partner in spring, said it was the perfect excuse to sneak away from the city and swap traffic for a bumpy gravel road in the hills 'There is absolute privacy with nothing to see but a long picturesque valley that disappears into the mist. Evenings are best spent in the gorgeous bathtub on the deck overlooking it all - it was definitely my highlight,' she said 'It couldn't be more perfect,' she said. 'There is absolute privacy with nothing to see but a long picturesque valley that disappears into the mist. Evenings are best spent in the gorgeous bathtub on the deck overlooking it all - it was definitely my highlight. 'They have thought of everything, and with all the creature comforts you could think of we yarned away the evening pretending to know the rules to UNO.' 'They have thought of everything, and with all the creature comforts you could think of we yarned away the evening pretending to know the rules to UNO,' Charlotte said Pictured is the double bedroom (left) and the cosy dining area that comes equipped with everything guests need for a picnic or a night in 'Once you have soaked all your troubles away with a soothing pink bath bomb and a touch of magnesium with the sun melting slowly behind the hills, you will understand why,' Charlotte said Charlotte said the abundance of cellar doors and wineries and historical landmarks nearby also made the getaway an appealing choice. 'The truth is, you won't want to be away from the van for long,' she said. 'Once you have soaked all your troubles away with a soothing pink bath bomb and a touch of magnesium with the sun melting slowly behind the hills, you will understand why.' The van can be booked on Riparide, a platform that connects people with adventure and nature-based accommodation, for $150 per night. All ports have been asked to scan people disembarking from ships to prevent spreading of the deadly coronavirus through sea route, a senior official said on Friday. A global emergency is declared by the World Health Organisation over the outbreak of coronavirus as the deadly virus continues to spread outside China. "India has already issued advisories and put processes in place on coronavirus. The situation is monitored closely at the top level," Satinder Pal Singh, joint secretary in the shipping ministry, told PTI. He said the government will review the situation and will do the needful. Singh was in the city to attend the Annual Shipping Conclave, organised by the Bengal Chamber. In the wake of spread of the virus, the government has asked all ports to scan everyone who disembarks from ships, he said. Advisories issued to shipping liners suggest crews to follow certain guidelines for all ports of calls and not just for China ports as it has turned into a global emergency. Bengal Chamber chairperson S B Mazumdar said a set of questionnaire is sent to all ships for all details before arriving at the port. Kolkata Port Trust has already started scanning of crews who called upon the port. KoPT chairman Vinit Kumarsaid "no new directive from the government has arrived after what has been sent so far. We are adhering to those. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Microsoft has launched a new programme that will pay up to $20,000 to people who find problems with Xbox Live. The Xbox bounty programme aims to identify security vulnerabilities in the online gaming service so they can be fixed. It will do so by offering an incentive to people who find them and inform Microsoft, rather than exploiting them themselves. The biggest payouts will go to gamers and security researchers who find issues that could be exploited in the most damaging ways, such as those that allow hackers access to the central parts of the Xbox. Those who find smaller bugs may only receive $500. The launch of the Xbox bounty programme comes as Microsoft gears up for the launch of Xbox One X and the xCloud online streaming service. Both of those will be run on Xbox Live, and so the bounty programme will continue as those new consoles and services launch. Unlike some other bug bounty programmes, Microsoft is explicitly targeting "gamers" and asking them to see if they can find issues. As such, the company is asking for detailed submissions from anyone trying to score the $20,000. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Anyone reporting a bug will have to send a "a clear and concise proof of concept", such as a video demonstrating the issue and how it can be exploited. Microsoft will continue to work to find bugs on its own, as it has until now, it said. "The bounty program supplements our existing investments in security development and testing to uncover and remediate vulnerabilities which have a direct and demonstrable impact on the security of Xbox customers," wrote Chloe Brown from Microsoft's security team. "Public bounty programmes are a valuable approach which combine with ongoing internal testing, private programs and knowledge shared by partners to produce a secure ecosystem to play in." Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has assured all agencies involved in the recovery of Ni... Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has assured all agencies involved in the recovery of Nigerias looted funds that the essence of regulation put in place was not to take away their statutory powers.Justice, Abubakar Malam made the clarification as Nigeria and the Island of Jersey prepare to sign an agreement with the United States Government for the repatriation of 321 million dollars looted by former Head of State, late Gen. Sani Abacha.A statement by his spokesman, Umar Gwandu, said Malami made the explanation on Thursday at the head of agencies sensitization on the implementation of the 2017 2021 National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS).He said the issuance of the Asset Tracing, Recovery and Management Regulations 2019 on 29th October 2019 was aimed at consolidating overall efforts, attaining synergy and encouraging record centralization. I wish to use this medium to reassure particularly our Law Enforcement Agencies that are directly involved with asset recovery that the essence of the Regulation is in no way intended to take away the statutory powers of any agencies but rather to consolidate these powers by encouraging synergy and also centralize records of proceeds of crime and ensure transparent disposal and management of assets in line with the vision of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, he said.Malami stated that the purpose of the meeting was to solicit cooperation and collaboration of the pilot MDAs in the implementation of the NACS which he believed, going forward and within the lifespan of the Strategy is more than enough for to collaborate and make significant progress in the implementation.Malami said four cardinal measures were put in place, including placing agencies on adequate notice in relation to the Regulations, Agencies being provided access to input inventories of all the assets recovered and status of these recovered assets.He disclosed that agencies shall be provided with a Standard Operating Procedures as a guide for the disposal and management of assets with each agency; and that the disposal process will be joint, transparent and open with collective input aimed at building the established database which will eventually establish institutional memory.While calling for more political will from heads of agencies involved, the Minister said the technical team under his supervision hasattained milestone achievements. House of Penance review: 'an inspired and creepy take on one of America's lesser-known eccentrics' If you like Crimson Peak, you'll love House of Penance First and perhaps foremost, it is not within Ukraines abilities to deliver a frozen conflict. There are two parties to this war, namely Russia and Ukraine. Unless both agree on a frozen conflict, it is simply not going to happen The Atlantic Council recently published an article by veteran correspondent James Brooke entitled, A frozen conflict may be Ukraines best option. While the arguments were laid out very coherently, the premise of the article was wrong on many levels. First and perhaps foremost, it is not within Ukraines abilities to deliver a frozen conflict. There are two parties to this war, namely Russia and Ukraine. Unless both agree on a frozen conflict, it is simply not going to happen. Ever since 2014, we have seen Russia repeatedly break ceasefires in eastern Ukraine. There is no reason to assume this would change, regardless of any assurances offered by Moscow. Discussing something Ukraine cannot deliver is therefore little more than hypothesizing. Nevertheless, gaming out the frozen conflict hypothesis reveals how dangerous it is. Brooke draws comparisons with existing frozen conflicts in the Russian-occupied parts of Moldova and Georgia. Russia has occupied Moldovas Transnistria for almost 30 years and shows no signs of leaving. In the cases of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in Georgia, the shooting war may be over, but Russia regularly sends troops into the Georgian countryside at night to advance the borders and add to the territory they already occupy. In all three instances, Russia is not going anywhere. One would hope that the world has learned enough from the experiences of Moldova and Georgia to avoid heading down the same path in Ukraine. The goal of the international community should not be to allow yet another Russian occupation to become permanent. Accepting a frozen conflict would be a betrayal of the Ukrainian soldiers who have kept the invading Russians at bay for almost six years. It would mean abandoning the millions of Ukrainian citizens who remain in occupied eastern Ukraine as hostages to a situation the vast majority of them did not ask for. As we have seen in Russian-occupied Moldova and Georgia, Ukrainians caught on the wrong side of a frozen conflict would find themselves abandoned to a cycle of declining opportunities and narrowing horizons as the entire region falls into a state of terminal stagnation. These are just some of the reasons why a frozen conflict is not only undeliverable but also unacceptable. However, probably the greatest problem with the frozen conflict thesis is that it shifts the focus away from alternative approaches to ending the war that offer the possibility of a more just and sustainable settlement. Rather than accepting the inevitability of endless Russian occupation, Ukraine and the international community should be looking to increase the cost of continued Russian aggression. The Kremlin must face mounting pressure to meet its Minsk obligations to withdraw and allow the reestablishment of civilian Ukrainian administration. Some see any push by Kyiv for local elections in eastern Ukraine as unrealistic or even suicidal. Brooke argues that, as history tells us, The Kremlin does not lose elections where it has soldiers. This is true, but nobody in Ukraine is seriously suggesting elections should take place in the Donbas while the region is under Russian military occupation. Quite the opposite, in fact. After some initial stumbles, President Zelenskyy has made his position on this issue very clear. In the early months of his presidency, Zelenskyy committed himself to the so-called Steinmeier Formula, which offers vague sequencing for the numerous steps towards conflict resolution. Nationwide protests followed, with Zelenskyy accused of preparing to capitulate to the Kremlin by agreeing to hold elections under occupation conditions. His response was to categorically rule out elections until Russian troops are withdrawn and Russian military equipment is either fully withdrawn or under lock and key. This remains the most important of the red lines identified by the Ukrainian president during the second half of 2019. There are also fears in Kyiv that even in the event of a Russian military withdrawal, east Ukrainian voters might still choose to elect the Kremlin appointees who currently control the region on Moscows behalf. I have my doubts about that outcome, for a few reasons. The first is that if the Kremlin thought their proxies were actually capable of winning a legitimate ballot, they would have been demanding elections for years already. This has not happened. The fact is that the people currently calling the shots in the Donbas at the behest of Moscow are crooks and opportunists chosen for their loyalty to Russia rather than their competence. The local population knows this. It is also worth underlining that any free and fair elections in eastern Ukraine would necessarily have to feature the participation of the regions pre-war population. This means including the votes of the estimated 1.7 million people who are internally displaced inside Ukraine. There is little chance this demographic would vote for the people who made them flee their once peaceful homes. Everything ultimately depends on Vladimir Putin, of course. He started this war and only he can finish it. With this in mind, the international community should be constantly reminded that Putin will only end his attack on Ukraine when the price becomes too high to continue. Escalating costs are an essential ingredient of any peace plan. In practical terms, a realistic roadmap towards military de-escalation and local elections is currently required in order to move the peace process forward. This might prove possible if the international community backs Ukraines demands to revise the Minsk Accords and update the Steinmeier Formula accordingly. At the same time, Russian recalcitrance must be made prohibitively expensive. Putin needs to be left in no doubt that failure to abide by any of the internationally mandated steps towards conflict resolution will automatically lead to the introduction of painful new sanctions against him and those close to him. If strategically and consistently applied, such pressure could pave the way towards a viable peace. A frozen conflict will only prolong Ukraines pain indefinitely. Read the full story here. The equity market continued witnessing selling pressure as investors remained cautious ahead of the Union Budget, to be presented on February 1. The need to push reform to boost growth as highlighted in the Economic Survey failed to lift markets, and Nifty50 closed below its crucial support of 12,000 on January 31, for the first time since January 6. Sensex, Nifty & Nifty Bank post 1st monthly loss since August 2019. Market breadth favours declines; advance-decline ratio at 1:2. The Nifty fell 1.6 percent in January 2020. The BSE Sensex dropped 190 points to 40,723 while the Nifty50 closed 73 points lower at 11,962. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Key support and resistance level for Nifty According to the pivot charts, the key support level for Nifty is placed at 11,904.1, followed by 11,846.1. If the index moves up, key resistance levels to watch out for are 12,061.8 and 12,161.5. Nifty Bank Nifty Bank closed 0.61 percent up at 30,833.60. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 30,672.47, followed by 30,511.34. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 31,014.07 and 31,194.54. Call options data Maximum call open interest (OI) of 18.33 lakh contracts was seen at the 12,500 strike price. It will act as a crucial resistance level in the February series. This is followed by 12,200 strike price, which holds 17.47 lakh contracts in open interest, and 12,400, which has accumulated 10.12 lakh contracts in open interest. Significant call writing was seen at the 12,000 strike price, which added 3.64 lakh contracts, followed by 12,500 strike price that added 3.18 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was witnessed at 11,500 strike price, which shed 38,250 contracts. Put options data Maximum put open interest of 28.34 lakh contracts was seen at 12,000 strike price, which will act as crucial support in the February series. This is followed by 11,500 strike price, which holds 16.04 lakh contracts in open interest, and 12,200 strike price, which has accumulated 9.20 lakh contracts in open interest. Put writing was seen at the 12,000 strike price, which added 2.75 lakh contracts, followed by 11,500 strike, which added 2.24 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 12,500 strike price, which shed 45,975 contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 13 stocks saw long build-up 30 stocks saw long unwinding Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long unwinding was seen. 80 stocks saw short build-up An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short build-up was seen. 17 stocks witnessed short-covering A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Quarterly earnings A Infrastructure, Amara Raja Batteries, Andhra Petrochemicals, Apollo Micro Systems, Choksi Imaging, Relaxo, Poly Medicure, Goldcrest Corporation and Sobha are among the companies that will declare their December quarter earnings on February 1. Stocks in news Divis Labs: US FDA clears the company's unit-II in Andhra Pradesh. Hindustan Unilever: Q3 profit rises 11.9% to Rs 1,616 cr, revenue increases 2.6% to Rs 9,808 cr YoY. J&K Bank: Q3 net loss at Rs 916.8 cr versus a profit of Rs 93.8 cr, NII rises 15.3% to Rs 1,208.2 cr YoY. Castrol: Q3 profit jumps 28% to Rs 271.3 cr, revenue dips 2.1% to Rs 1,011.8 cr YoY. Vedanta: Q3 profit increases 14.3% to Rs 2,665 cr, revenue declines 0.9% to Rs 21,126 cr YoY. FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 4,179.12 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares of worth Rs 3,816.44 crore in the Indian equity market on January 31, provisional data available on the NSE showed. Fund flow Stock under F&O ban on NSE No security is under the F&O ban for February 1. Securities in the ban period under the F&O segment include companies in which the security has crossed 95 percent of the market-wide position limit. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said this week that her pick for U.S. secretary of education would have to win approval from a young trans person who believes the nominee is committed to creating a welcoming environment in the nations schools. Warren, whos campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination ahead of next weeks Iowa caucuses, made that statement in response to a question from a college student at a Cedar Rapids event who said her lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender peers often dont learn about their own LGBTQ issues in history or sex education classes. The student asked how Warren would make sure schools are more inclusive. Warren is one of several candidates, including former Vice President Joe Biden, who have committed to appointing someone with experience teaching in a public school to the role. Appearing alongside Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness at the Iowa event, Warren discussed an additional requirement in her response. I have two qualifications I have talked about over and over, Warren said. The first, it has to be someone who has taught in a public school. ... And part two, because it came from a young trans person who asked about a welcoming community, and I said it starts with the secretary of education who has a lot to do with where we spend our money, what gets advanced in our schools, and what the standards are. I said Im going to have an education secretary that this young trans person interviews on my behalf, and only if this person believes that our secretary of education nominee is committed to creating a welcoming environment, a safe environment, and a full education curriculum that works for everyone, [only then will] that person advance to be secretary of education. Its unclear if Warren was talking about a specific young transgender person and where the question first arose. The Warren campaign did not respond to emailed questions from Education Week Thursday. Why Transgender Student Issues Are a 2020 Talking Point Democratic presidential candidates have frequently criticized U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and her approach to civil rights specifically, as they discuss their education priorities on the trail. Thats in part because many differ from President Barack Obama on issues like charter schools and accountability. But they applaud his administrations approach to education civil rights, an approach that notably shifted under DeVos. In one of her first official acts, DeVos teamed with then U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to rescind Obama-era civil rights guidance that asserted that the sex discrimination protections in Title IX protect transgender students in school. The Obama administration enforced that viewpoint, directing schools to respect transgender students pronouns and new names and to allow them to use restrooms and locker rooms that correspond with their gender identity. And, while civil rights organizations still press that viewpoint in court, the Trump administration doesnt enforce it in schools, which has left some transgender students vulnerable and unprotected, advocacy groups argue. Most Democratic presidential candidates have pledged to reinstate that guidance, or to pass broad bills that add protections for gender identity and sexual orientation to education civil rights laws. Reality Check: The Education Secretary Has Little Say Over Curriculum While Warren is correct that the next education secretary will have influence over the interpretation and enforcement of civil rights laws, how discretionary grants are directed, and the issues the Education Department champions, its unlikely that person will have much influence over curriculum thats used in schools. More specifically, its unlikely federal officials will have much say in how that curriculum addresses LGBTQ history and sex education, a concern thats largely at the discretion of states and districts. In history classes, LGBTQ issues are largely seen as an add-on or not addressed at all, my colleague Stephen Sawchuk wrote in 2017. And seven states have laws on the books that limit what teachers can say about LGBTQ people in sex education and other classes. Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 13:48 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e3861 1 Business JCI,coronavirus,bearish,IDX,Indonesia-Stock-Exchange,jakarta-composite-index,Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia Free The Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) slipped 1.5 percent during morning trade on Friday as fears over the spread of the new coronavirus were suspected of having affected market sentiment. The Indonesia Stock Exchanges (IDX) main gauge hit its lowest level of 5,957.11 and concluded morning trade at 5,966.87 before lunch, hitting below the 6,000 level for the first time this year. Several of Asia's indexes plummeted to the negative territory as of Friday afternoon with Singapore's Strait Times Index down 0.59 percent, China's Shanghai Composite Index nosediving 2.75 percent, while Hong Kong indexes declined 0.21 percent and South Korea's KOSPI plunged 0.7 percent as of Friday afternoon. Japan's Nikkei and Australia's ASX hovered on the positive side. Read also: Wuhan coronavirus to affect local stock market until outbreak contained Investors are worried that the outbreak will hamper Chinas economic growth as the virus is spreading at a rapid rate, Chris Apriliony, equity analyst at brokerage firm Jasa Utama Capital, told The Jakarta Post over text message. As of Friday morning, the 2019-nCoV virus death toll reached 213 people and the number of confirmed cases rose to 9,692. The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the new coronavirus amid a rapid increase in the death toll and number of infected people. The United Nations health agency based in Geneva had initially downplayed the threat posed by the disease but revised its risk assessment after crisis talks. Since the virus has been deemed an international emergency, this puts more pressure on the finance sector as investors fear that the virus could potentially hinder economic activities, Pilarmas Investindo Sekuritas research director Maximilianus Nico Demus said. Six out of nine sectorial indexes on the IDX ended morning trading in the red. The miscellaneous industry sector recorded the sharpest decline of 2.13 percent, followed by the finance sector with a decrease of 1.83 percent. Read also: WHO declares global virus emergency as death toll hits 213 Chris also said the sluggish index movement was also caused by a mutual fund case that rocked the countrys capital market. In a letter leaked late this month, investment management firm Emco Asset Management last year asked its customers to not redeem their mutual funds as its net asset value (NAV) had plummeted. President director Eddy Kurniawan said the tumbling performance was due to stagnated stock market performance last year. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom's official exit from the European Union on Friday was not considered to have made impact on the JCI, Chris said. New Delhi, Jan 31 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the Indian Railways for manufacturing Train 18 sets under the "Make In India" scheme, and said by 2022, the capital cities of Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland will be connected to the rail network. Addressing the joint session of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, the President said: "North East connected in the right sense by my government by constant hard work, increasing connectivity, infrastructural development, building rail networks at an unparalleled speed." He said because of the "untiring efforts" of the government by the year 2022, the capital cities of Sikkim, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland will be connected. "And work is in full swing on Agartala-Akola rail link," Kovind said. The President also spoke about the cabinet's decision of organisational restructuring of the railways through the unification of the existing eight Group A services into one central service called the Indian Railway Management Service (IRMS). He said: "Recently, the management of Indian Railways has also been restructured by my Government. This will ensure transparency, better coordination and working style, and swift decision making." On December 24, the Union Cabinet approved the organisational restructuring of the railways through the unification of the existing eight Group A services into one central service called the IRMS. After changes in the railway officials structure, the Chairman, along with four members responsible for infrastructure, operations and business development, rolling stock and finance, respectively, will form the Railway Board. The Chairman will be the cadre controlling officer responsible for Human Resources (HR) with assistance from a Director General (HR). Talking about the Train 18 sets, which has been put into service after rechristening it as the Vande Bharat Express, Kovind said: "Make in India is being encouraged in the railways. Construction of modern trains being made entirely in India in the form of Vande Bharat and Tejas Express is in full swing." The railways has floated the tenders for 44 new sets of the Vande Bharat Express. Currently two Vande Bharat Express trains are plying between New Delhi and Varanasi and New Delhi-Katra. The Morrison government is working on a sweeping expansion of its cashless welfare card to impose new controls on social security payments, despite furious claims the "discriminatory" scheme will stigmatise those who need help. The big four banks and Coles and Woolworths are working on new technical measures that could allow the government to expand the scheme to a national rollout with the capacity to block the purchase of banned items such as alcohol and gambling. Social Services Minister Anne Ruston wants the cashless welfare card to be rolled out nationally as a financial literacy tool. Credit:AAP Social Services Minister Anne Ruston is clearing the way for new trials of the controversial card outside regional and remote Australia after "quite successful" work with banks and retailers on payment systems that could impose the curbs on welfare recipients in the major cities. Senator Ruston said there was "absolutely" a case to introduce the cashless welfare card in major cities given the results at trials in Bundaberg and Hervey Bay in Queensland, Ceduna in South Australia and the Kimberley region of Western Australia. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on January 31, as of 09:45, some roads are difficult to pass in Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that Vardenyats Pass and Sotk-Karvachar highway are difficult to pass for all types of vehicles. The Georgian side informed that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Drivers are urged to use winter tires. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan EQS Group-News: Nordea Bank Abp / Key word(s): Personnel Nordea appoints Nina Arkilahti as Head of Business Banking Nordea Bank Abp - Stock exchange release - Changes board/management/auditors Nina Arkilahti will join Nordea as Head of Business Banking and become a member of the Group Leadership Team. Nina Arkilahti, 52, served as Country Head of Handelsbanken Finland from 2010 to 2020. Prior to that she held several senior management roles at Handelsbanken, including the position of General Manager at Handelsbanken Germany. Nina holds a Master's in Social Sciences from the University of Turku. - I am very pleased to announce Nina Arkilahti as our new Head of Business Banking. She has a strong track record of building and maintaining corporate customer relationships, a deep understanding of the Nordic financial sector and is a very seasoned leader. Nina Arkilahti will support us in strengthening our customer focus and vision to be a strong and personal financial partner, says President and Group CEO Frank Vang-Jensen. - I am proud of the opportunity to join Nordea in its new phase. Looking at the potential of Nordea made joining an easy choice. I look forward to leading Business Banking and joining the Group Leadership Team, says Nina Arkilahti. The appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Nina Arkilahti will start in her position by 1 August 2020 at the latest. Until then, Ari Kaperi, Country Senior Executive for Finland, will serve as acting Head of Business Banking. Business Banking serves around 550,000 small and mid-sized corporate customers in Nordea's four home markets. For further information: Sara Helweg-Larsen, Head of Group Communication and Branding, +45 22 14 00 00 sara.helweg-larsen@nordea.com The information provided in this stock exchange release was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 21:55 EET on 29 January 2020. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. End of Corporate News Budget 2020: Despite father's death, officer stays back in North Block for Budget India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 31: For some people it's Duty comes first! Not many would know about that Kuldeep Kumar Sharma Deputy Manager (Press), was one of them until the ministry of finance tweeted about him. As you all know Union Budget preparation is a secret exercise. The Budget documents are kept as a secret with nearly 100 officials in lockdown in the North Block. These 100 officials are not allowed to speak with anyone including their family members until the time period when the Budget is drafted, finalised, and printed. And, Sharma was one of the key staff who was tasked with the printing of confidential Budget documents. He has an experience of 31 years in the Budget process. While he was busy with the assignment, his father passed away on January 26, 2020. Explained: Who are the people working behind the scenes with Sitharaman for Budget 2020 The Finance Ministry lauded Sharma's dedication and commitment to duty. ''Despite the colossal loss, Sharma decided not to leave the press area even for a minute," the ministry tweeted. Informing with regret that Shri Kuldeep Kumar Sharma, Dy Manager (Press), lost his father on 26 Jan,2020. Being on budget duty, he was on job in the lock-in. In spite of his immense loss, Sharma decided not to leave press area even for a minute. @nsitharamanoffc @Anurag_Office Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) January 30, 2020 "Sharma is the key hand to complete budget document printing task within a very tight schedule, owing to his 31 yrs of experience in Budget Process. Displaying exemplary commitment, Sharma symbolised extraordinary sincerity towards his call of duty, ignoring personal loss," the ministry added in yet another tweet. Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is all set to unveil the second budget since taking over the lead post in the finance ministry under Modi 2.0 government on February 1. Several expectations have been made by experts that what are the announcement could be made by Finance Minister. A British man has been accused of being involved in a roof repair scam, conning elderly residents out of thousands of dollars. James Ashley Bennett, 31, was allegedly part of a group of fake tradesmen who preyed on elderly residents in affluent suburbs across Sydney. One alleged victim was a 91-year-old man from Double Bay who paid $150,000 for roof repairs in December. James Ashley Bennett, 31, (pictured) was allegedly part of a group fake tradesmen who preyed on elderly residents in affluent suburbs across Sydney The group also allegedly tried to scam a 75-year-old woman from Annandale out of $60,000 for home repairs, the Daily Telegraph reported. Bennett was attempting to leave the country when he was arrested at Perth International Airport last week. He was then extradited back to Sydney where he was charged with knowingly deal with proceeds of crime, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity at Double Bay between December 16 and 20. He appeared via video link at Central Local Court on Friday where his case was adjourned until February. Just weeks before his arrest, Bennett posted a picture on Facebook showing him sitting in front of the Sydney Opera House. He captioned the image: 'Our last night in Sydney! Can feel the Manchester spirit coming back after a year. Home is where the heart is.' Bennett was attempting to leave the country when he was arrested at Perth International Airport last week Three others have been charged in relation to the alleged scam. Ann Bennett, 27, was charged with knowingly deal with the proceeds of crime and participating in a criminal group. She is due back in court next month. Lawrence Newbury and Patrick Connor, were charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage by deception, demand property with menaces with intent to steal, and participate criminal group contribute criminal activity. Both men are expected back in court on March 19. Authorities charged an Indonesian and two Malaysians on Friday, accusing them of possessing terrorism-related items and being involved in extremist activities by using a popular electronic messaging platform to gather support for the Islamic State group, an official said. The Indonesian, identified as a 30-year-old construction worker named Irwanzir, was charged at the Sessions Court in Penang state, according to the official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case with the media. Irwanzir intended to open a military training camp here for IS and has picked the jungles at Batu Gajah and Ipoh in Perak state as the location, the BenarNews source said, using the acronym for Islamic State. IS, which once proclaimed a self-styled caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq, was largely defeated in 2019 when its last stronghold in the region fell and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed during a night-time raid by U.S. special forces in northwest Syria. The Indonesian, a native of Aceh province who goes by the alias Abu Ali or Iskandar, was arrested on Jan. 6. Authorities filed immigration-related charges against him for overstaying his visa and for possessing items linked to IS. If found guilty, Irwanzir faces up to seven years in prison and fines. The Indonesian man also tried to influence members of a group on the online messaging platform WhatsApp to join him in a holy war in his homeland, said the official, who did not elaborate. It was not immediately clear if Irwanzir was represented by a lawyer on Friday. Sessions Court judge Norsalha Hamzah set March 5 for the defendants next court hearing. Two Malaysians charged in Perak Also on Friday in Perak, about 161 km (101 miles) southeast of Penang, authorities filed separate terror-related charges against two Malaysians a masseur and an a driver of a taxi-hailing app. Wan Amirul Azlan Jalaludin, 35, and Mohamad Ayub Musa, 36, are members of Iwanzirs pro-IS group on WhatsApp, the official also told BenarNews. The two men, who were not represented by lawyers on Friday, face allegations of pledging their allegiance to IS, a criminal offense they allegedly committed in Batu Gajah, a town in Perak. They were charged separately before Ipoh Sessions Court Judge Azman Abu Hassan, who denied bail for both and set March 20 for the next hearing. Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation of 33 million people, experienced its first terror attack on June 26, 2016, when a grenade blast injured eight patrons at the Movida nightclub in Puchong town near Kuala Lumpur. Authorities blamed that attack on Islamic State. Authorities have arrested more than 500 people linked to alleged terror activities since 2013, according to government figures compiled by BenarNews. Dozens of suspects have been freed but no clear number is available. The Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of a cassation appeal of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the Finance Ministry and PrivatBank against rulings of courts of lower instances with regard to the Surkis family, which achieved the invalidation of the decisions of the NBU declared them persons affiliated with Privatbank and the bail-in agreement on exchange of their funds in the bank in the amount over UAH 1 billion to the bank's shares (bail-in) later purchased by the state for UAH 1. According to Head of the claims department of the NBU legal department Viktor Hrihorchuk, the Supreme Court made such a decision on Friday in connection with a government motion to replace the party from the Finance Ministry with the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. "Justifying its petition, the Cabinet of Ministers said that the state represented by the Cabinet is the owner of the bank and that the responsibility for the results of this case will be assigned to the owner of this bank the state represented by the Cabinet. Therefore, the court, after hearing all the arguments of the parties in this lawsuit, decided to replace the Finance Ministry as a party [in the case] with the Cabinet of Ministers and postponed the hearing of this case for an indefinite period," he said, adding that the date and time of the hearing of this case will be announced additionally to the parties. As reported, the sixth administrative court of appeals has suspended the hearing of a counterclaim against a ruling of the district administrative court dated April 18, 2019, which invalidated the nationalization of PrivatBank until the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court completes hearing the lawsuit filed by the Surkis family under a petition of PrivatBank. On December 16, the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court announced a break until January 31 in hearing a cassation appeal of the NBU, the Finance Ministry and PrivatBank against rulings of the courts of lower instances in litigation with the Surkis family. The postponement was due to the need to study the case materials by the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO). PrivatBank, according to available information, had previously executed the decision of the trial court and the court of appeal in favor of the Surkis family. However, for the National Bank, the Finance Ministry and the bank, in addition to these payments, it is important to defend the legality of the bail-in procedure, if the bank loses to the Surkis family, it is more likely that other participants in this procedure will go to court for a total of over UAH 29 billion. In addition, its recognition as illegal will call into question the entire nationalization of PrivatBank. The Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register (IPRAN), has petitioned former President Jerry John Rawlings to seek his counsel in its quest to stop the Electoral Commission from compiling a new register ahead of the 2020 elections. A delegation of the coalition, led by Peoples National Convention (PNC) National Chairman, Bernard Mornah, who met the former President at his office on Tuesday, said the Electoral Commissions refusal to listen to wise counsel particularly from persons who have participated in the electoral process for a very long time has led to very painful but wrong decisions. The coalition said while the Electoral Commission may have a mandate to compile a new register, The mandate must be within reasonable limits. The mandate of leadership is vested in the people and the Ghanaian people are saying that apply some economic reasoning. We are telling the Electoral Commission that if its not broken, dont fix it! Detailing the groups stance against the Electoral Commissions proposal, the PNC Chairman said during the last local government elections there was a 0.6 failure rate with the use of the existing biometric equipment and questioned why based on such a high efficiency rate, the Commission would wish to replace equipment and also do away with 17 million names in the voter database. Mornah said Civil Society organisations had gone into the market and done an assessment of the features the Electoral Commission intends to introduce and realized that the Commissions budget of $833 million is 60 per cent above budget. LIMITED VOTER REGISTRATION The IPRAN spokesperson was critical of the Electoral Commissions planning, stating that it was a waste of resources for the Commission to organize a limited voter registration exercise in 2019 only to turn around a few months later with plans to discard the register it had only recently updated. The coalition said compiling a new voters register in an election year will come at a huge cost to political parties in terms of time and resources. Having the registration means the parties have to jettison some of their programmes to accommodate the process. From May to July we expect the Electoral Commission to compile the register, after which they will have to exhibit it. This will give the parties very limited time to campaign. If you do a cursory assessment, each political party needs about 180 million to accommodate the marshalling, training of registration agents and other logistics for the registration exercise. Expressing concern about the hardline stance of the Electoral Commission, Bernard Mornah noted that during the last limited voter registration exercise when the Commission was informed there were approximately 1,700,000 potential new registrants it estimated for 700,000 persons and decided to use only their district offices for the processes against counsel from the political parties. Eventually when the registration was done, with all the shortfalls, we registered 1.2milion people, indicative of the fact that if they hadnt failed to listen to counsel we could have had more people on the new register. IPAC National Democratic Congress Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo also expressed concern about the seeming neglect of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) by the current Commission. He said Ghanas democracy had been managed on consensus building since 1992. Even when the NPP boycotted Parliament in 1992 and did not participate in the election under your leadership (President Rawlings), IPAC was designed so that NPP outside Parliament can make some input into our electoral laws as we moved into the 1996 elections, so that they will also have some say. IPAC has been a time-tested institution. Even though not backed by law, by convention it has helped in shaping the electoral process of this country. Unfortunately, under the new Electoral Commission leadership, engagement with IPAC is not part of their agenda, Ofosu Ampofo said. FORMER PRESIDENT RAWLINGS Responding to the petition, former President Rawlings called for patience on both sides and urged the coalition and the Electoral Commission not take entrenched positions. He urged the coalition to ensure that eminent personalities and institutions such as the former Presidents, the Electoral Commissions Eminent Advisory Committee and the Council of State are all informed. There is so much mistrust that if we do not find a way of dealing with some of these issues, they will remain and sour the atmosphere during the election period. It will keep us very close to an ignition point which will be very unnecessary. This coming election is going to be a truly serious thing and nobody must take the process for granted or think they can get away with making the wrong moves. The steps being taken must be transparent so no one has any doubts about the integrity of the process. Whoever wants to win will necessarily have to win by free and fair means, former President Rawlings, stated. 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 Four more African countries have quarantined passengers arriving from China over suspected cases of Wuhan coronavirus even as tests ruled out infection in a person who was under medical observation in Ivory Coast. In Sudan, health minister Akram Ali Altoum announced that two of its citizens were being examined after displaying symptoms following a visit to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. "We received two suspected cases who came from China through Cairo and Addis Ababa," Altoum said, adding that infections had not been confirmed. The country does not have the necessary testing equipment and has sent samples to Germany and India, as recommended by the World Health Organisation, state-owned Sudan News Agency reported. The lack of equipped medical labs and kits has raised fears that many African nations may not have the capacity to detect and handle the virus. Altoum said Sudan had increased surveillance and screening at airports and borders, setting up seven checkpoints to monitor the movement of people entering the country. China is a major investor and trading partner in Sudan, with thousands of workers in the oil sector, including in South Sudan, where it has invested heavily in oil exploration and refining. Equatorial Guinea, a small central African nation, reported that it has quarantined four travellers who arrived on Tuesday via an Ethiopian Airline flight from Beijing to the capital Malabo. The country had announced that it would hold and isolate passengers from China for 14 days. It is not clear whether the four had coronavirus symptoms. On the small island of Mauritius, the health ministry said that all passengers that were travelling from Wuhan or had visited it in the last 14 days would be quarantined for observation, PanAfrican News Agency reported. Mauritian health and wellness minister Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal said on Tuesday that although the country has no confirmed cases, it has had nine symptomatic people under quarantine. Two of them have left for China and the others remain under observation. Story continues The country's national carrier, Air Mauritius has cancelled all its direct flights to and from Shanghai but said it has made alternative arrangements for passengers to travel to China via Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. "Air Mauritius is closely monitoring the situation and has intensified precautionary measures in line with the recommendations of local and international health authorities and according to its internal procedures," the airline said on Thursday. In Angola, which sells most of its oil to China, officials said a Chinese national who arrived in the country about 12 days ago has been hospitalised in Luanda after exhibiting symptoms, including high fever and a cough. There was relief in Ivory Coast after the announcement on Wednesday that a suspected coronavirus patient had tested negative. The West African nation had isolated a 34-year-old woman who had arrived at Felix-Houphouet-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan on a flight from Beijing on Saturday with a cough and breathing problems, the country's health ministry said. But tests by research institutes in Ivory Coast and France found that she did not have the virus, and she has been reunited with her family. China Southern Airlines crew members are screened after arriving at the international airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE alt=China Southern Airlines crew members are screened after arriving at the international airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE The cases in Sudan, Angola and Equatorial Guinea came after Kenya and Ethiopia had also quarantined passengers arriving from China. Kenya has sent samples from a student who is in isolation at a Nairobi hospital to South Africa for testing, health officials said. He had travelled from Guangzhou after spending time in Wuhan and exhibited flu-like symptoms upon arrival via Kenya Airways on Tuesday. On Thursday, Kenya Airways said all passengers from Wuhan needed to be cleared by Guangzhou Airport health authorities before being allowed to board its aircraft. Four Ethiopian nationals were placed in quarantine this week after arriving at Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport from China. Three were students at universities near Wuhan, said Lia Tadesse, the state minister of health. South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia have all issued alerts and increased screening to prevent the spread of the disease. The death toll from the pneumonia-like virus reached 171 on Thursday, with more than 8,200 cases confirmed worldwide. Africa has become home to millions of Chinese businesspeople and workers since Beijing began an aggressive push into the continent in search of raw materials for its industries and markets for its products. Students and tourists also travel regularly between the two regions. African carriers including Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Air Algerie, EgyptAir and South African Airways fly to China, and carriers including China Southern Airlines and Air China have routes to African cities. According to Dr John Nkengasong, director of the African Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa is at high risk for the spread of the coronavirus because of the number of flights between China and the continent. He said air traffic between the regions had risen by more than 600 per cent in the past decade. He added that African countries needed to strengthen their public health surveillance and laboratory systems to better prevent, detect and control the spread of the virus. Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. By Express News Service Following Jallikattu and his upcoming Chuzhali, director Lijo Jose Pellissery will start work on a new project titled Disco. The maverick filmmaker is reportedly assembling a stellar line-up of actors which includes Indrajith, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Mukesh. The film is expected to be shot mostly in Las Vegas. S Hareesh, who scripted Jallikattu, is collaborating with Lijo once again for Disco. The film is said to be set against the backdrop of Burning Man, a cultural event held annually in Nevada, United States. Lijo is planning to start shooting by August. The casting of the remaining actors is currently underway. A host of international actors are also expected to be part of the film. Apparently, Lijo had envisioned Disco eight years ago with Indrajith in mind, but the project got delayed due to various factors. Indrajith enjoys a fruitful collaboration with the director, having worked with him on four films beginning with his directorial debut Nayakan (2010), followed by City of God (2011), Amen (2013), and Double Barrel (2015). Disco will mark Chembans ninth collaboration with Lijo. The actor, who made his screenwriting debut recently with Angamaly Diaries, has been part of all of Lijos films, including Chuzhali. However, this is the first time that Mukesh will be working with Lijo. The veteran actor was last seen opposite Asif Ali in Underworld. Lijo recently completed filming of Chuzhali, a secretive project which also stars Joju George, Soubin Shahir, Vinay Forrt, and Dileesh Pothan in addition to Chemban. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, February 1 2020 Chinese tourists are starting to cancel their trips to Indonesia over fears of an acceleration of the spread of a deadly coronavirus in the Asian nation and around the world, as the World Health Organization declared it an international emergency on Friday. The chairwoman of Association of Air Ticketing Companies in Indonesia (Astindo), Elly Hutabarat, said on Thursday that there were cancellations both ways, from China to Indonesia and Indonesia to China. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login United, American, Delta Drop Flights to Mainland China After State Department Issues Guidance One day after the U.S. State Department recommended travelers avoid travel to China because of concerns about the coronavirus, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines moved to suspend all flights between the United States and mainland China. American Airlines suspension takes place immediately and will last until at least March 28, airline officials said in a statement. Delta reported it will stop flying from the United States on Feb. 3, with the last return segment from China scheduled for Feb. 5. Delta, which canceled flights through at least April 30, said it wanted to keep flying for several days so it would not strand customers. United, the third major U.S. carrier to announce its intentions, said it will operate its last mainland China-U.S. flight on Feb. 5. United said it intends to lift its suspension on March 28, though it seems unlikely any airline would resume operations before the State Department lifts its Do Not Travel advice. American and United said they will continue to fly to Hong Kong, though United has cut its Hong Kong schedule significantly in the past six months. Delta does not fly to Hong Kong. United Most Affected Among the three airlines, United is the biggest operator to mainland China, with flights from Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Washington, D.C. Its also the only carrier to fly to a city other than Shanghai or Beijing, with three weekly flights from San Francisco to Chengdu. In a note Friday, Hunter Keay, an analyst at Wolfe Research, said he expects the suspensions will affect Uniteds quarterly results. He said he estimates Uniteds unit revenue may decrease roughly 1.7 percent, year-over-year. In an earlier estimate, he predicted Uniteds unit revenue would increase almost 1 percent. United is over-indexed to China in many ways, including a high mix of corporate travel, which is likely to stay on lockdown for some time, Keay said. Story continues American flies to mainland China from Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, while Delta flies from Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Seattle. For American and Delta, the impact is less, Keay said. Crew Concerns American and United said they were dropping flights because of a lack of demand, with customers skittish about flying to the source of the outbreak. But both airlines also had to deal with their own employees. Americans pilots union, the Allied Pilots Association, on Thursday filed suit against American to urge it to stop flying to China, saying flights were too dangerous for cockpit crews. The unions head even recommended pilots refuse to fly certain transpacific routes. Americans flight attendant union sided with pilots, with its union head saying, our safety is not for sale. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents cabin crews at 20 airlines, including United, asked the U.S. government to order airlines to halt China flights. Not Unexpected The U.S. carriers join many of the worlds largest airlines, including British Airways, KLM, and Air Canada, in cutting China flights. For the most part, airlines are not making a public health argument. Instead, they have noted neither customers nor crew members want to fly to China, saying it makes no sense to fly empty aircraft with employees who do not wish to work. Some airlines have slashed China flying for longer than others, but most cuts likely will remain until major North American and European governments lift guidance on avoiding the country. Madhu Unnikrishnan, editor of Skift Airline Weekly, said he is not surprised airlines have ceased China flying. He noted airlines have taken similar stances during previous disease outbreaks, and predicted the flights will resume at some point. Its not unprecedented, he said. With the ebola outbreak a few years ago, several airlines (mainly European and African) suspended flights to Cote dIvoire and several other countries in the region. This story was updated with new information about Uniteds plans. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Palestinians are in a "state of shock" over a US Middle East peace plan, the head of the UN's agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday, voicing fears of a surge in violence. "We certainly have serious concerns that it will result in an escalation in clashes and in violence," said Christian Saunders, acting head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). His comments came after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday released the plan, which was seen as heavily biased towards Israel and angrily rejected by Palestinians. It recognises Israeli sovereignty over most of its West Bank settlements and the Jordan Valley, as well as an undivided Jerusalem. The plan also backs a Palestinian state with a capital on the outskirts of Jerusalem but says the Palestinian leadership must recognise Israel as a Jewish homeland and agree to a demilitarised state. Trump presented the long-awaited proposals alongside close ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who soon signalled he would seek to annex a large part of the West Bank. "The plan that was released this week was extremely unsettling for the Palestine refugees living under occupation, under blockade and under conflict after conflict and crisis after crisis," Saunders told reporters in Geneva. "I think a lot of people, a lot of Palestinians, are in a state of shock... in a state of disbelief," he said. Saunders was in Geneva to launch an appeal to donors to fund UNRWA's 2020 budget to the tune of USD 1.4 billion towards essential services and assistance for 5.6 million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UNRWA has faced a severe funding crunch ever since Trump in 2018 decided to suspend, then yank entirely the US contribution to the agency's budget, robbing it of its top donor. Trump's administration, along with Israel, accuses UNRWA of perpetuating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The agency disputes that and says the services it provides would otherwise not be available to Palestinians. After the US withdrew funding, a range of other countries stepped up support and UNRWA actually entered 2019 with a surplus of about $60 million, Saunders said. "Unfortunately ... this initial support started to wane, and as a result we have been forced to carry over considerable liabilities into 2020," he said. "We are stretched to our limits." Saunders has temporarily taken the helm of UNRWA after Swiss national Pierre Krahenbuhl was ousted last year amid allegations of "serious ethical abuses" by the management. An internal UN probe found no "fraud or misappropriation of operational funds" by Krahenbuhl, but Saunders said the agency had taken criticism of mismanagement seriously. "Since then we have put the place in order," he said. At the same time, he lamented that UNRWA was facing a concerted campaign of misinformation by critics trying to convince parliamentarians in Europe especially not to fund the agency. The agency was set up in the years after more than 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled their lands during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. It provides schooling and medical services to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as the Palestinian territories, and employs around 30,000 people, mostly Palestinians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over the past decade and a half, the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Customs and Excise have joined the Brussels based World Customs Organization (WCO) in celebrating International Customs Day on January 26th each year. It is a special moment where we unite to remember and to celebrate the significant contributions made by Customs Officials and the Customs organizations in general, whose daily work greatly affects the economy, health and security of our beautiful SVG. This year, we celebrate considering the significance of the theme chosen by the WCO; "Customs fostering Sustainability for people, prosperity and the planet. Each day, Customs is engaged in activities that are focused on the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Customs do important work aiming to satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the capacity of future generations. The protection and collection of government revenue, facilitation of trade and travel, and protection of our borders are activities that would guarantee the balance between economic growth, care for the environment and social well-being. The global political economy, the impact of climate change and the archipelagic nature of our country remain constant challenges as we seek to fulfill our mandate. For 2020, the Department will focus on strengthening Trade Facilitation, enhancing organizational effectiveness and to broaden and deepen relationships with all stakeholders, locally, regionally and internationally. Customs will continue to advance its Risk Management and Post Clearance Audit programmes. The improvement of our Risk Management programmes are aimed at reducing clearance times while improving customs controls. The aim is to focus customs control on consignments which present a higher degree of risk, while quickly releasing low risk consignments through the use of ICT. The Department will now minimize human intervention and subjectivity in the selection process, thereby promoting fair trade and transparency in keeping with the World Trade Organization (WTO) trade facilitation agenda. Risk Management therefore has now afforded compliant importers the opportunity of taking possession of their consignments void of any customs inspections. Customs also has plans for the installation and commissioning of a non-intrusive palletized scanner in Port Kingstown for 2020. This initiative would also improve clearance speed as well as increase security. The Department will also commence a phased approach to a Single Window Facility. This platform provides for a one stop shop for importers to process all import and export documentation. 2020 will also see a strong focus placed on strengthening Customs legislations and regulatory reforms. The Revised Structure of the Common External Tariff (CET) based on the 2017 Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System will be included in the 2020 legislative agenda. It takes into consideration both environmental and social issues of global concern. It will also reflect the changes in international trade patterns and advances in technology. Complementing the introduction of the new revised CET will be the commissioning of a New Customs Bill which is fashioned after the CARICOM Harmonized Customs Legislation. Finally, we are determined to broaden and deepen relationships with stakeholders in all sectors, by maintaining open channels of communication, collaboration and mutual assistance. The work of the Customs is influenced by the global environment, and so must take a holistic approach in order to do our part to promote a better world. The Department has decided to celebrate International Customs Day with a number of activities. A Church Service at the New Testament Church at Wilson began the week On Sunday 26th January, with a blessing and encouragement for the staff. We were welcomed by the students of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College Division of Arts and Sciences and the Technical Division to make presentations on the Roles and Functions of Customs. An exhibition to raise public awareness would be held on Friday, January 31st, 2020 outside of the Customs Canteen. On Saturday, February 1st a social activity designed to show appreciation for Customs Officers will be held. We recognize their exemplary service to the organization and to the nation. The Customs and Excise Department would like to take this opportunity to thank the staff, all our clients and stakeholders for their understanding, support and cooperation throughout 2019. We solicit your cooperation in the future as we work together for a more sustainable St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a truly bright and prosperous future. Mr. Selwyn Da Silva Today the Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia held a memorial event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Black January - a date when Soviet troops entered Baku, killing 132 residents of the city. Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu thanked all participants for coming to share the grief of Azerbaijani nation. Incorporated in 1945, the city of Katy has grown to include commercial developments that help produce sales-tax revenue to ease the property tax burden on residents and offers the latest in technology for its fire and police departments. Rotary Club of Katy hosted a Jan. 30 presentation by Mayor Bill Hastings, City Administrator Byron Hebert and Director of Tourism Marketing and Public Kayce Reina. Reina also serves as the citys director of parks & recreation. All three talked of the importance of relationships and partnerships with agencies and groups around the city. What makes us proud is our relationships, said Reina. Everything we do in the city of Katy also is important to the Greater Katy area. Hebert singled out the citys relationship with the Rotary Club of Katy and said it helped the city during a bad situation. We were about ready to lose the Rice Festival and you guys stepped in and we were able to continue that tradition. And Hastings mentioned that he and City Council dont always get along. But they come to an agreement on the basis of whats best for the citizens. Its not a relationship we have. We have a partnership, he said. Hastings who worked 32 years for the police department the last 10 as chief before running for mayor last spring, said public safety represents 56 percent of the citys budget. When he went to work for the police department, he said it had 13 people, including the chief. The department will have 68 officers as of Feb. 3. Last year, the city opened its second fire station near Katy Mills mall and staffed it with eight firefighters. It also contracts for fire service with a municipal utility district that provides fire protection for Firethorne from a station near that subdivision. The city recently spent more than $1 million for a ladder truck, Hastings said. The ladder truck is able to access every structure we have in the city, he said. If ambulances are out on calls, firefighting vehicles are equipped with life-saving equipment and can respond until an ambulance arrives at the scene. Very few cities or departments have that,he said. The fire department also earned an ISO rating of 1, the best possible, which Hastings said few fire departments in the state have. The police department hired nine police officers last year and recently acquired a dog to detect explosives. The department also brought on a commercial vehicle inspections officer who can check trucks on city streets for weight violations that damage roadways. He also has another role as Hastings talked about an astounding amount of narcotics that goes up and down Interstate 10, primarily in commercial vehicles. Increased commercial development marks the city of Katy, which has 17,000 residents. Hebert said when he became city administrator 20 years ago, the city received 60 percent of its revenue from property tax. That percentage now is 33 percent as Hebert pointed to the growth in sales-tax revenue to 48 percent of the citys budget revenue. Last years passage of the Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authoritys bond package means that the city will receive about $6 million a year through 2040 to pay for mobility projects, he said, which will lift a burden from taxpayers. Reina talked about development of the Katy downtown across from City Hall and how it includes a civic center and visitors center. Eventually, the plaza will include green space and an outdoor museum among other features, she said. Officials hope to complete work on the plaza next year, she said. She talked of the citys parks and all the activities they host. Development of the Katy Boardwalk across from Katy Mills Mall. The nearby lake will be home to migratory birds, she said. Residential construction has begun at that site and she anticipated the hotel opening in the spring 2022. Katy really does offer a lot for people to come to the city. she said. karen.zurawski@chron.com Many homeowners in Kingwoods Elm Grove section have trouble sleeping on rainy nights. They pace the floors, lights on until the early morning hours, worried that water will again swamp their yards and their houses. Thats what happened last May, when more than 200 homes were flooded during a fluke rainstorm. And in September, when 500 homes were swamped during Tropical Storm Imelda. The back-to-back disasters left the residents of this suburban Houston neighborhood, which barely saw high water during Hurricane Harvey, shaken, struggling to recover, and angry at the developers they believe are responsible. Perry Homes, they say, made the neighborhood more vulnerable to flooding when it cleared a roughly 300-acre tract of land that abuts Elm Grove and sits just over the Montgomery County line. Dozens of Elm Grove residents are suing the developer and Rebel Contractors Inc., which worked on the site. We have a problem, Beth Guide,director of the Elm Grove homeowners association, told the Editorial Board. Waters running into the neighborhood out of this gigantic, empty lot that seems to be unimpeded. The only way to prevent another flood like those of last year, residents believe, is to get the land out of the hands of Perry Homes, which has denied that the development caused the flooding. Now it appears that county leaders are looking into doing just that. During a closed session at this weeks meeting, Commissioners Court discussed a plan to purchase the unfinished housing development using Harris County Flood Control District funds a move we wholeheartedly endorse. The $2.5 billion bond for mitigation projects approved by voters in 2018 included plenty of money for land acquisition and Harris County Flood District has already been buying out property in the floodplain. The county also recently said it plans to purchase the 200-acre Raveneaux Country Club and convert the site into detention basins. The same could be done with the Perry Homes property. The county could build detention basins that would prevent water from flooding not only Elm Grove, but other parts of Kingwood. Guide, for one, would like to see a nice green space that takes a tragedy and makes it into something good for everyone. So would we. But there also need to be assurances that this plan doesnt turn into a bailout for Perry Homes. Elected officials must ensure that the developer doesnt profit off a venture that disrupted so many lives. Its reassuring that county and city leaders are voicing the same concern. Both Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle and District E Councilman Dave Martin, who represents Kingwood, told Chronicle reporter Zach Despart that the idea is not to reward Perry Homes for an unwise decision, but to determine how best to use the land to protect residents. If we can help somebody that flooded because somebody upstream made a bad decision, shouldnt we try to help them? Cagle said. Instead of looking at it from the terms of bailing out a developer, lets look at helping people who have been potentially harmed. Originally, Martin noted, Perry Homes asked to be reimbursed for the cost of the land, plus what it spent developing the property. Martin rightly dismissed that proposal. Why should we pay for all the work they did that caused hundreds of houses to flood? Martin told Despart. We want to work with them, absolutely, but their asking price was unreasonable. We urge elected leaders to stick by that resolve as they negotiate a possible purchase. Guide agrees that the developer mustnt profit off the suffering of Elm Grove residents, but she sees a potential buyout as necessary. What is the value of a human life? When that water comes down through this neighborhood at a good clip, its enough to sweep a child away, to sweep an elderly person away, she said. Theyre not profiting. Theyre not building homes. Theyre not going to walk out with what they would have had they built the homes on that property. In addition, the lawsuits against Perry Homes would continue, giving homeowners a chance to recoup losses if they prevail in court. The plan for purchasing the Perry Homes property is still in its early stages and would require agreements with the City of Houston, Montgomery County and the developers, but the idea is promising. We have all seen and too many of us have directly experienced the pain and loss that flooding brings. Elected officials must reduce the risk of future disasters. That includes buying out land, building detention basins, and pushing for stricter regulations on development. Perhaps, then, homeowners will sleep better at night. Tsemakh is said to have left for Moscow on business on January 26, 2020, after which the connection with him was lost. Russia's propaganda resource Russia Today (RT) has published a news report alleging that Volodymyr Tsemakh, a suspect in the MH17 downing probe, was killed in Moscow. Read alsoECHR rejects ban on MH17 suspect Tsemakh's extradition to Netherlands The report about Tsemakh's murder was published at 10:03 local time on January 31, but was removed shortly after, according to the Ukrainian-registered Apostrophe online media outlet. In their news story, Russian propagandists shared screenshots of the allegedly hacked messages of Tsemakh's relatives. According to them, Tsemakh left for Moscow on business on January 26, 2020, after which the connection with him was lost. The report was available on the website for about five minutes, after which it was removed. As UNIAN reported earlier, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service on December 2 said the Russian Federation had deliberately allowed Tsemakh to leave the country so as not to extradite him to the Netherlands. On September 7, Tsemakh was transferred to Russia as part of a major prisoner swap, as a result of which 24 Ukrainian sailors and 11 Ukrainian political prisoners returned home. Later it became known that he had returned to the so-called "Donetsk People's Republic." On September 7, the Dutch Prosecutor's Office sent a request to the Russian authorities for Tsemakh's temporary arrest for further extradition to the Netherlands. On September 11, the Netherlands changed Tsemakh's status from a key witness to a suspect. The Karnataka government on Friday announced the appointment of senior IPS officer Praveen Sood as the Director General and Inspector General of Police of the state. His appointment comes following Neelmani N Raju's retirement from service. Praveen Sood, Director General of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Special Units & Economic Offences, Bengaluru, has been appointed as Director General and Inspector General of Police (Head of Police Force) of Karnataka, an official release said. According to official sources, Sood will have a tenure of about four years as DG&IGP, the longest for any IPS officer in recent times. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind has said that India is the first country in the world to digitise the entire process of Hajj and a record 2 lakh Indian Muslims performed Hajj this time. "On the special request of my government, Saudi Arabia increased Hajj quota unprecedentedly, due to which a record 2 lakh Indian Muslims performed Hajj this time. India is the first country where the entire process of Hajj was done digitally and online," said Kovind, while addressing the joint session of both Houses of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget session on Friday. READ | India Second Largest Mobile Manufacturing Hub Globally: President Kovind The Hajj pilgrimage is a mandatory journey for Muslims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is considered as the holiest city for Muslims. The pilgrimage is said to be carried out at least once in a lifetime by Muslims. President speaks on CAA President Kovind during his address also mentioned the CAA stating that Mahatma Gandhi's wish has been fulfilled with the passage of the Act. His statement sparked uproar among Opposition members who tried to disrupt the President's speech to the Parliament. READ | President Kovind Meets Tribal Guests, Artists, NSS And NCC Volunteers "During Partition, father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi had said that Hindus and Sikhs who don't wish to stay in Pakistan may come and settle in India. Providing them a secure life is a duty of the Government of India. Many leaders and political parties lend their support to Bapu's idea time and again. I am pleased that their wish was fulfilled and the Citizenship Amendment Act which was passed in both Houses of Parliament," President Kovind told MPs in the Central Hall of Parliament. READ | President Kovind Recieves Traditional 21-Gun Salute At Republic Day Parade President Kovind also noted the rise in communal attacks against minorities in Pakistan. He said that after the Nankana Sahib incident, India is obligated to raise the issue of minority rights in Pakistan at an international stage. "I condemn the attacks on minorities in Pakistan and request the international community to take cognizance of the matter." Earlier in January, an angry mob of 400 people attacked the holy shrine at Nankana Sahib by pelting stones at the Gurudwara which is the birthplace of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev. READ | Republic Day: 9 Shaurya Chakras Among 409 Gallantry Awards Announced By President Kovind LYNDHURST, N.J., Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Penny Elizabeth DeFranco, MD, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Achiever in the field of Nephrology for her dedication and leadership as the Founder of South Mountain Nephrology. Board-certified in Nephrology by the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. DeFranco boasts over 34 years of medical expertise, serving the last 18 years in her current capacity. Her area of expertise is nephrology, specializing in the study of kidney function and disease, prevention of disease, treatment of disease, and post-transplant care. Dedicated to quality patient care, she is unmatched in her field. Located near Belleville, New Jersey, South Mountain Nephrology is a group practice specializing in Nephrology. Offering extended hours and convenient online scheduling, this practice is devoted to the exceptional care of the citizens of Northern New Jersey. On account of its adaptability and knowledgeable physicians, the practice has become one of the most trusted providers in Northern New Jersey. In preparation for her career, Dr. DeFranco attended Utesa University Medical School in Santiago, Dominical Republic. She completed both her internship and internal medicine residency at St. Luke's hospital in Missouri. In addition, Dr. DeFranco completed her nephrology training at St. Louis University Medical Center in St. Louis. Dr. DeFranco's opinion is highly respected in her field. She remains professionally affiliated with several medical centers including Hackensack Meridian Health, Mountainside Medical Center, Clara Maas Medical Center, and St. Barnabas Medical Center. In her free time, Dr. DeFranco is an active member of the American Society of Nephrology and the Clara Maas Women's Physicians Group. She also participates in The National Kidney Foundation walks. Dr. DeFranco would like to dedicate this recognition to her parents, Domenick and Joan DeFranco, in loving memory. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com The European Investment Bank (EIB) on Friday signed a loan agreement with Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation for releasing the first tranche of 200 million euros (Rs 1600 crore) for the ongoing metro projects in Pune. The bank has agreed to extend 600 million euros (Rs 4,800 crore) in loan to Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha Metro) which is developing two metro lines in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. "The funding from EIB will give the much needed boost to the metro projects in Pune and will ensure speedy execution," Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said. Development of areas in and around Pune was key to Maharashtra's growth and the metro projects will play a crucial role for the same, he added. Maha Metro is developing two metro lines in Pune at a cost of Rs 11,400 crore. Of this, Rs 5,800 crore would be the loan component, which will be partially funded by EIB at a concessional rate of 0.35 per cent per annum for 20 years with a moratorium of four years. The remaining would be contributed by French Development Agency (AFD). These funds would be utilised for construction of civil structures, underground tunnels and stations. Pune's two metro systems will have 31 km of tracks, both over and underground, with a total of 30 stations. Once completed, the metro rails will create 900 new jobs and carry around 6 lakh passengers daily. Speaking at the event, Maha Metro Managing Director Brijesh Dixit said nearly 37 per cent of the civil works of the metro projects has been completed. "These metro stations will have a reflection of Pune's culture. At the same time, we will ensure that we are sensitive towards environment and the aesthetics," he added. EIB Vice President Andrew McDowell said, "after funding the Bengaluru and Bhopal metro projects in the past, we are now providing finance to Pune Metro, which is the largest one so far in the transport space. Given the country's commitment to develop infrastructure and environment protection, India becomes our natural partner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, on Friday, accompanied Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma on a courtesy call on President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja. They spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting. What was your mission to the president? Oshiomhole: The governor of Imo, Senator Hope Uzodinma, is not a stranger to the president; he has been part of the APC family, he has played very decisive roles when it mattered in the affairs of the party. Upon his victory which was delayed courtesy of INEC and finally retrieved by Supreme Court. So the purpose of todays meeting is just to introduce him as the new executive governor of Imo State. And of course, President Buhari is very excited that we have established our foothold in the heart of the south-east. And it coincides with the presidents vision of uniting the country. Now we can truly say that we not only control the centre, we have governors in each of the six geo-political zones and I believe that is good for our party and for the government. Incidentally, Governor Hope Uzodinma brings on board a huge experience. He had a rewarding experience in the private sector, he has been in the legislature at the federal level and so he understands what the issues are. So, Imo people are free from the challenge of a learning curve as he goes straight to work and bring to bear all of those experiences that he has gathered from the private sector, national legislature. And of course, one who deeply believes that Imo ought to be better than where it is. He used the opportunity to give the president an insight into what he is already doing in the past one week and Mr President was very excited to receive it. What should Imo people expect from you as their governor? Hope Uzodinma: First of all, I want to thank God that at the end of the day, the mandate fully given to me by my people has been restored by the Supreme Court. Secondly, I understand very clearly the challenges in Imo State. Even before now, only few days ago when I got to Imo, I discovered that salaries were not being paid in full. The reason being that the money coming from Abuja, the federation account, is not sufficient. What I did was to cut down the running cost and forfeit the security vote donated to the governor. I made up the money and we were able to pay salaries 100 per cent to all the civil servants. I also directed that the local government funds be sent straight to the local governments until such a time the state is ready to release 10 per cent of their IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) to the local governments, then we can begin to do the business of JAC Joint Allocation Committee. For 12 years, no governor visited the civil service secretariat. I was there two days ago and water had not been available to the secretariat for the past nine years. Two days after my visit, water is running there now, they have been connected back to electricity and the generators are being worked on now. So, my mandate is about the people and my government will just be about the people and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint their expectations. I am sure they will see good governance from a man with experience, working in consultation with political stakeholders in the state. I think we can do it differently and the narrative will be acceptable to the people. After the elections there has been political acrimony here and there. How are you going to reconcile the aggrieved so that you will have peace? Uzodinma: On arrival at Imo State, I have visited leaders from the political class. Like you must have heard and seen, the party is properly reconciling and leaders are coming back together even across board. Twenty-seven members of the House of Assembly, 25 are now APC members, they have decamped to APC. The state chairman of the PDP in Imo State, seven members of his cabinet have decamped to APC. So APC is building and the momentum is growing by the day. So the issue of reconciliation is being given serious attention. What really happened in Imo State is not really about the political party, it is about the way the election was conducted. Because, the case I took to court was the exclusion of 388 polling units which INEC did not cancel and which INEC did not also collate. So I asked INEC why did you not include the result that you had announced at the polling unit and this question was not answered. So, I went to court. I was not quarreling with the conduct of the election, I was not quarreling with my votes that were canceled by INEC but with these ones that were not cancelled and were not collected, which INEC had the originals and refused to bring them. And we presented the original duplicates given to our party agents to court. And when they dragged and insisted that the one given to the securities should be brought for comparison, the police were issued subpoena, they brought theirs and it tallied with what we have and then the court took this decision. At the level of the Appeal Court, it agreed with us and later changed. God knows why they changed. How we, some senior officers from INEC from the south-east all we were asking was that members of INEC remained neutral and especially in the south-east. Some senior members of INEC in the south-east are obviously PDP card-carrying members. To the extent that once a result is not in favour of the PDP, they will go all out to upturn the result. We had elections a few days ago, Saturday, you must have heard what happened there. But that is going to be a business for another day. But I urge all of you to join hands and let us build a very strong democracy where equity, justice and fair play will be the order of the day. Many believe that the best governor Imo ever had was chief Sam Mbakwe. They are clamouring for a governor with the same compassion in terms of development as he. What exactly are you going to do to have a solid tenure that will impact the people? Uzodinma: On the legacies of late Sam Mbakwe, of course, if you know Sam Mbakwe during his days, during campaigns he came out with a manifesto, he made promises and that document he followed to the letter until the democracy was truncated. Campaigning as a candidate of APC, I had my manifesto built on three Rs Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery. You will agree with me that what I have just said happened two days ago is part of the recovery. We are also trying to design an implementation plan for all those promises we made. In less than three, four days, I will bring out my implementation plan with timelines, God willing, with appropriate funding. We will follow that implementation plan judiciously and I am sure the Imo people will be better for it and I will bring prosperity to the state. What are your key priorities? Uzodinma: The first thing to address now is the problem of insecurity. You must have heard how the nonsense called kidnapping, armed robbery and all that have been on the increase and there is the apprehension that people are no longer safe staying in their various homes. So the thing has become so rampant that the government must stand up now and take a courageous and bold decision to ensure that every citizen must have that sense of security. If that is addressed, then we will now begin to address the infrastructural gaps. The roads are not accessible, so many roads are in bad shape. So from one point of Owerri town to another, people spend four, five hours. So these are some of the things and we will start with immediate short-term and medium-term plan. It is part of what will be contained in that our document. But when you are talking about priority areas education, agriculture, these are priority areas. The government has no business in business, we will try to introduce PPP Public-Private Partnership, bring private sector investors to also help in growing our economy. We are interested in reviving our industries that have gone moribund because of lack of electricity, potable water, access road. Leaving here now, I am going to talk with Department of Petroleum Resources, we already have a gas pipeline that terminates at Owerrinta Navy Barracks, so if we get such approval we want to bring private people that will take gas to our industrial layout. So that all the industries will have that gas pipeline as their source of power supply, and that way, the cost of doing business will come down and businessmen will be encouraged. We are going to promote the economy and bring life back to our people. The Supreme Court computation of your votes where your result outnumbered the number of those who voted. Many believe this judgement must have been given in error because of this. The ousted governor, Emeka Iheidoha, has approached the Supreme Court to review and possible reversal of the verdict. Are you concerned that the Supreme Court might act accordingly? Uzodinma: Well, I am not concerned, reasons being that going back to the Supreme Court is based on falsehood. Because the number of accredited voters outside the excluded votes is what we are talking about. But if you are going to court, you must go to court to discuss or talk about number of accredited voters, including the excluded polling units. If you compute the number of accredited voters inclusive of the accredited voters, the figures are correct. We went to court with the issue of exclusion, we didnt go to court with the business of election malpractices, violence and all of that. So, it is a peculiar case. My case can be likened to that of Jim Nwobodo and Onoh, and Omoboriwo and Ajasin. The position of the Supreme Court is that where an election has been announced in a polling unit, INEC is bound to collect the result and enter the result into the form EC8B. We went there with two documents, the form EC8A that was excluded and Form EC8B where result was supposed to have been entered and they saw clearly that it was left blank. So, let INEC tell us what happened. Because, if going back to Supreme Court, and of course like you know, I am a lawmaker, I participated in the amendment to the Electoral Act. Election petitions are timed, as far as I am concerned. The 60 days left for Supreme Court to look into that matter has already expired. So, going back to the Supreme Court, I dont know what thatI am not a lawyer anyway, but with my little knowledge of lawmaking, I understand what is in the Electoral Act. So Supreme Court is not a market square that anytime you want you begin to go there. Oshiomhole: I think there is something the media has simply refused to focus on. With all due respect, a lot of the views that people parrot are derived from what I called electronic media lawyers. Now, is there any of us in this room that at a time Emeka Iheidioha was declared, even the returning officer could not show that he scored the constitutional requirement of at least one-quarter of the total votes cast in at least two-thirds of a local government. On that criterion alone, there is no question in the eyes of the law, Emeka ihedioha ought not to have been declared because he had those numbers only in nine local government areas, and of course you know you have about 27 local government areas, two-thirds is 15. So, as journalists, is nine two-thirds of 27 local governments? So INEC completely and irresponsibly misbehaved by using a professor who seems to be so senile that he didnt know that nine is not 2/3. This is very serious. And because they take advantage of the fact that once they make pronouncements, even if the pronouncement is made by a lunatic in INEC, you cant reverse it; you have to go to court. And it fits into PDPs fixation, rig and let them go to court. They just feel that it is their birthright to continue to rig elections. So the next time you see them talking, ask them how many local governments did PDP score 1/4 of the votes in the total votes cast in how many local governments? That is not in the provision of the Electoral Act, that is in the expressed provision of the Nigerian constitution. I think all of you should read the Nigerian constitution and ask INEC to give you the results of Imo. Even their own version, even excluding that of Governor Hope Uzodinma, you will find that Emeka Ihedioha ought not to have been declared. For me, it shows that nobody is interrogating INEC and that is why they are getting away with blue murder. And this is minus the fact that INEC has not explained why they did not collate votes that were certified and signed by the presiding officers, appointed by INEC in each of the 388 polling units. If there is something wrong with those votes, INEC is on record to have had course to cancel unit votes where they are dissatisfied. Those votes were not cancelled, they just chose to ignore them. When I see people protesting, that is my primary constituency, to do protests, but I dont run after mad man when he is naked and I have to join him to run because I want to make a point. That is the reason we just allowed them to do the sort of thing they were doing. Have you also found out what happened in Sokoto? There are a lot of issues that INEC cannot defend but we have to live with the pain. Look at Rivers. For some technical reasons we were told we cannot even have candidates, and nobody asked questions. But because we are ruling party, we cannot just begin to go to the streets and begin to protests those things. You also know of another state, Zamfara, where we won governorship, Senate, House of Representatives, Supreme Court said our primaries were not perfect, therefore those who were not in the ballot box were declared, so we lived with that pain. If it is about mobilising people to attack, we would have mobilised out to the Supreme Court, but that will not be a responsible behaviour in a democracy. So we lived with the pain because we understand that we operate under the principle of separation of powers. So please dont accept those half truths that PDP is parading. I think this is important: when I saw Secondus leading that protest, I was tempted to tell him who is the real protestants? How did Wike, Emmanuel Udom and Dickson become governors? Supreme Court under the previous leadership chose to completely dismiss the use of card reader, that is what has brought a lot of mischiefs now into our electoral system. Because, whereas the law recognises the power of INEC to make bylaws and those bylaws are enforceable in court, and there are judicial pronouncements holding those bylaws. When they wanted to allow these PDP states to be returned, their elections having been nullified by elections petition tribunal, nullified by the Court of Appeal on the the basis that they did not comply with INEC guidelines, as regards to using card reader, the Supreme Court looking for an escape route for PDP, decided that the use of card reader, yes though in the INEC guidelines, is not in the law. Can everything possibly be in the law? The same court recognised the fact the power of INEC to make rules and regulations for smooth conduct of elections. We have stomached all of these because, as they say, two wrongs dont make a right. If we choose to question on the streets of Nigeria, all of the impunity we have seen that have affected APC negatively coming from our courts, there will be no peace anywhere. But we have said that somebody must bear the price of peace, that is why we choose to keep quiet, it doesnt mean PDP has any valid case. Ask Emeka Iheidioha how many local government areas did he score 1/4 votes, these are not classified matters. What do you think of the national agricultural Programme and how do you intend to key in? Advertisements Uzodinma: Well, we are only coming with agriculture programme because the issue of food security is very important. Only two days ago, I directed the permanent secretary in the ministry of agriculture to come up withbecause before I got into Imo State, they have already passed the budget which has their own priorities and programmes, of course most of them are not consistent with the programmes of my own political party on what I think would be better for our state. So, we are now identifying, for instance, the areas we can grow rice, areas we can farm other produce. Dont forget I represent a constituency that comprises Muslim and Christians, so the Muslims in Imo state are my friends and we have been working with them for the past eight years in the Senate. When I announce my cabinet you will find that some Muslims will make my cabinet. So the issue of national unity and national integration is uppermost in my mind because that is another way of ensuring that we are all safe. Then the national policies on agriculture are being collated. There is already a technical committee in that respect. You know my deputy governor was former Vice-chancellor, University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umohia. So he is also an agriculturist. He is chairing a committee to come up with a full programme for agriculture to ensure food security for our people. You said your priority areas will be agriculture, industries, health, education. We know the industry in Imo is education, are you going to give them qualitative or quantitative and education? Uzodinma: Well, if you give a quantitative education it is not education. When I said I am coming to give education, I mean I am giving education as in education, which is education. So our people will be qualitatively educated; that is the target. Alliance Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India, started flight services between Bhubaneswar and Varanasi on Friday. The 9I 747 flight took off from Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here at 11.50 am and reached Varanasi at 1.40 pm, an airport official said. On its return journey, the 9I 748 flight departed from Varanasi at 2.30 pm and arrived at BPIA at 4.20 pm. After reaching Bhubaneswar, the flight started its journey to Jharsuguda at 5.15 pm, the official said. The operation of a daily flight between Bhubaneswar and Varanasi was a long standing demand of the people. The daily flight is scheduled to depart Bhubaneswar at 12.15 pm and reach Varanasi at 2.05 pm. Similarly, the flight which will leave Varanasi at 2.30 pm will reach Bhubaneswar at 4.20 pm, officials said. IndiGo has already announced services to connect Varanasi to Bhubaneswar from February-end. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We vet all contributions coming into the campaign to comply with our ethical standards. The moment we learn a donor no longer meets those standards, we immediately donate the funds to a charitable organization where it can make a positive difference in the community, Foxx spokeswoman Sylvia Ewing said in a statement. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The German parliament has stripped from immunity lawmaker Karin Strenz who is accused in accepting bribes from Azerbaijan and carried out lobbying for Baku. Former MP Eduard Lintner is also under investigation. The suspicions around Strenzs alleged wrongdoings surfaces back in 2017 during the high profile corruptions scandal at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Her name was mentioned in the April 2018 report by independent experts about PACE lawmakers being on Azerbaijani payroll. According to the document, ex-MP Eduard Lintner has hired Strenz to Line M-Trade consulting, a company owned by him and which is financed by Azerbaijan. Despite the commercial interests, Strenz was among the observer delegation in 2015 during elections in Azerbaijan. In light of the suspicions she was not included in the German delegation to PACE in 2018. However, Strenz denies wrongdoing and claims she was unaware that Linter was funded from Azerbaijan. She does however accept that she failed to notify the Bundestag about her additional salary. Transparency International issued a statement on January 30, noting that Transparency Germany welcomes the investigation by the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt am Main into corruption allegations against Karin Strenz and Eduard Lintner. In March 2019, Transparency Germany filed criminal complaints against these current and former members of Bundestag for bribery and corruption of public officials in the course of the Azerbaijani Laundromat scandal, in accordance with Section 108e of the Criminal Code. The Rostock public prosecutor decided in May 2019 not to launch an investigation. Hartmut Baumer, Chairman of Transparency Germany said: It is time that the wrongdoing by Karin Strenz and Eduard Lintner is finally also prosecuted, after their right to access the Council of Europe was withdrawn for life. We are pleased that the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office assesses the situation differently than the Rostock public prosecutor's office." In September 2017, it became public that the authoritarian regime of Azerbaijan created a network in which 2.5 billion Euros flowed through banks and shell companies, with bribes paid to political decision-makers across Europe. Karin Strenz is said to have received money from Azerbaijani sources as a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) officially in the form of consultancy contracts with Eduard Lintner's company. During her time at PACE, she participated in election observation missions in Azerbaijan, led a delegation tour of German MPs and was involved in PACE votes on politics in the country, in most of which she held a pro-Azerbaijan position. The Frankfurt prosecutor accuses Karin Strenz of pro-Azerbaijani behaviour and collection of at least 22,000 Euros in bribes. Former PACE member Eduard Lintner is accused of having received funds from Azerbaijan in the amount of around 4 million Euros through British shell companies between 2008 and 2016, in order to pass them on to members of PACE. In return, they are said to have expressed positive opinions about the Azerbaijani government and deliberately spoken out against the release of political prisoners. At the end of August 2019, Eduard Lintner referred to Transparency Germany's criminal complaint as a "PR comedy". The public prosecutor's office in Rostock justified its decision not to initiate an investigation on the grounds that there were neither indications of an agreement according to Section 108e of the Criminal Code, nor an offence that meets the requirement of occuring when exercising the mandate. In addition, payments from third parties for past actions are not captured by the Section. Obviously, there are different opinions among the public prosecutor's offices about what Section 108e of the Criminal Code says about bribing officials. This procedure will show whether the law is too narrow and is therefore a toothless tiger in its current form, said Baumer. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Friday was briefly interrupted by the Opposition members when he began speaking about the amended Citizenship Act. "In the times after the Partition, Mahatma Gandhi had said that the Hindus and Sikhs who did not want to live in Pakistan can come here. He had said that providing them with normal life was India's duty...I am pleased that both the Houses of the Parliament fulfilled Mahatma Gandhi's wish by formulating the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)," Kovind said. This was followed by applause and thumping of benches from members of the ruling coalition, however, the Opposition members started raising slogans against CAA. President Kovind, however, continued his speech and added, "We all are aware that the atrocities on minorities have increased with time in Pakistan. We have all seen what happened in Nankana Sahib. It is our responsibility that the world comes to know about the atrocities in Pakistan. I condemn the attacks on minorities in Pakistan and urge the world community to take cognizance of this and take adequate steps." He further clarified that the doors for granting Indian citizenship to people of all faiths were open and the government has made provisions to ensure there is no negative impact of these on the people of the country. "My government made it clear that the procedure for all those who are devoted to India and want to take Indian citizenship, irrespective of their faith, is the same as before. A person of any faith, by following these procedures, can become an Indian citizen. The government has also made provisions to ensure that while giving citizenship there is no undue burden or cultural effect on any region, especially the North-east," President Kovind said. The CAA fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014. Members of the Opposition have deemed it "discriminatory and anti-Constitution" while the Centre has maintained that the new law has no effect on Indian citizens. The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What should America's immigration policy be? Pioneering writers Andrew Sullivan and Nick Gillespie debate the question at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in Griswold Lecture Hall on Northwood University's Midland campus. Immigration policy remains a top issue for voters ahead of the 2020 election. "Mass Immigration" differs from smaller-scale legal immigration or seasonal immigration because relatively large numbers of people relocate from one country to another. In America, the number of foreign-born individuals increased five-fold from 1970 to 2017 and a recent MIT-Yale study calculated undocumented persons to be twice the number currently estimated (22 million versus 11 million). Northwood Professor Glenn Moots, director of Northwood's Forum for Citizenship and Enterprise and organizer of the debate, addressed the controversy: "America has always welcomed immigrants, but each generation wants to revisit the question of how much is too much. Open discussions can be awkward, and no one wants to appear ambivalent or insensitive. But civil discourse is important in a democracy, and that's why we host these debates." Participants in the debate, Andrew Sullivan and Nick Gillespie, are two of the most important American authors of the last 20 years. They also hold PhD degrees. Sullivan writes prescient and insightful commentary on political matters in major media outlets such as The Atlantic and New York Magazine, where he also served as editor. From 2000 to 2015, he pioneered the medium of blogging through his site, "The Daily Dish," at times publishing 250-300 posts each week. He is also author or editor of five books. A practicing Roman Catholic and self-identified conservative, Sullivan was also one of the first outspoken advocates for gay marriage. The New York Times said of Sullivan that he "deserves to be remembered as the most influential political writer of his generation." Nick Gillespie is editor at large at Reason Magazine and has also written for top media outlets such as The Washington Post and The New York Times. Like Sullivan, he regularly appears on radio and television. Gillespie was two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards and The Daily Beast named him a top 25 journalist. He was also a pioneering voice for drug legalization. The New York Times said of Gillespie that he is "to libertarianism what Lou Reed is to rock 'n' roll, the quintessence of its outlaw spirit." The event is open to the public with no admission charge and the community is invited. The debate is made possible through the generous support of the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) in Arlington, Virginia. IHS provides support to students and scholars interested in advancing liberty and supports free speech and open inquiry. Since 1999 people have been falling over themselves to buy or rent a home in the old Crowe and Wilson clothing factory at Clanbrassil Terrace in Dublin 8s Blackpitts district. The red-brick factory which was built in the 1940s, was once a mighty centre of city employment; to the extent that a 1960s newspaper advert announcing the sale of OBeirnes pub as far away as 1 Ushers Quay actually cited the Crowe and Wilson workforce as a selling point for the property. But like so many Irish manufacturing businesses, cheap imports shut things down. Thats when it began its new life as Dublins best-known warehouse apartment scheme. Developer Michael Roden, who recognised the character of the flat- roofed, red-bricked four-storey block engaged architect Mary Donohue to remodel it into a Manhattan style warehouse scheme, which at the time, was arguably Dublins first proper loft scheme. Since then very few industrial conversions have joined it in Dublin with the exception of a small handful of conversions. This year The Warehouse turns 21 and agent Owen Reilly has just brought No28 to market on one of the upper floors. He says theres a big interest already because of the building. Expand Close The dining area at the Grain Store loft / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The dining area at the Grain Store loft I would go so far as to say that people who wouldnt usually consider the area, will make an exception for this particular scheme. Its pretty unique. This building is widely known and people really want to live in it. Weve had first-time buyers, weve had those looking to trade down from bigger homes in Dublin 4 and Dublin 6. With just one bedroom, two bathrooms and a balcony, the loft spans 1.260 sq ft which is substantially larger than the entire floor space of an average family semi. The huge open plan spaces, with an industrial or rustic hue are what loft buyers want. Months ago DNG sold another quite spectacular and authentic loft at The Grainstore, Distillery Loft, Dublin 9, an expansive bachelors pad in a former grain warehouse which changed hands for a healthy 685,000. More recently it had been a ballet studio when in 2015 it was converted by architect Anthony Keeler to resemble something right out of old Manhattan. His brother the famous boxer Luke Keeler also made it home with a personalised gym and whiskey bar included as well as plenty of clever spaces for storing bicycles, the city loft dwellers favoured mode of transport. With two or three bedrooms, (depending on what you wanted to do with the layout), Loft 2 spans almost 2,000 sq ft, or nearly twice the size of the average semi-detached family home with stout timber floors and rustic exposed 19th-century masonry. The heavy bag with which Luke trained during his time here was suspended from the same iron beam that had once been used to hoist sacks of grain. According to Wayne OBrien of the selling agency DNG, after a flood of viewings, the property changed hands for 685,000 and the new owners, a couple, were so impressed with it that they acquired much of the contents as well to keep that unique look. In a city where apartments tend to be so much the same anything like this with a bit of character, space and difference, really gets buyers going, he adds. Expand Close Arches and open spaces at Convent Hall's loft penthouse / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Arches and open spaces at Convent Hall's loft penthouse Back to Dublin 8, and you have a 20th -century building conversion housing No28 The Warehouse in Blackpitts, with its unique industrial style banded art deco windows which bathe the big open plan space in light. Theres a balcony winding around for a new owner to enjoy the air and city views in summer and Owen Reilly is seeking 550,000. Per square metre this works out cheaper than most of the period properties in the area. We love loft apartments like these, but theyre a real rarity unfortunately. The reason for that is that Irish building regulations and red tape make it relatively much more expensive to convert a non-listed building like this from the 1940s rather than just knock it down and start again. Developer Michael Roden is still proud of his building 21 years on. We were ahead of our time I think because there wasnt much going on down there in the late 1990s. Roden points to the complications involved in repurposing a building like this and the fact that they had to fit out so many show apartments, given the variety on offer. The building wasnt listed and most would have knocked it down. But I was looking at it one day with the architect Mary Donoghue who had the vision. She said: This would be perfect for Dublins first proper loft scheme. Then she took out a piece of tracing paper and a pen and then and there showed me how shed do it, by scooping out the centre of the building and creating a wonderful courtyard. Expand Close Lounging room at the Grainstore / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lounging room at the Grainstore It took us a long time to sell the apartments because I suppose people were used to a one-bedroom apartment being 400 sq ft rather than more than 1,000 sq ft, and these were completely different. But I did like the fact that most of the buyers were owner-occupiers. I think five were barristers. One buyer invested almost as much again kitting out. Theres lots happening down there these days I can see. A loft-style apartment doesnt have to be in a repurposed industrial building like a clothes factory or a grain storehouse, as another spectacular version in Milltown, Dublin 6, shows. Also being sold by Owen Reilly, the penthouse apartment of at No 12 Convent Hall, was in fact the loft/attic area of the St Annes girls school and convent. A duplex three-bedroom home of 1,765 sq ft, its comparable in size to the four-bedroom detached family homes in this area. Like the aforementioned loft, it has quality solid and polished timber floors. And again, like the Grainstore, much of the character is also provided by the exposed brickwork and elegant arches constructed at a time when a brick layer apprentice had to watch and help for years before being allowed place one brick on another. No12 also has the characteristic exposed beams and high ceilings that typify a proper loft. On the hill sweeping down to Milltown Church, its also situated to take in some fairly decent views. Its across the road from the River Dodder and within walking distance of the Dropping Well. The property is currently for sale through the OReilly agency for 875,000. And if its views you want theres No6 the Pierre, built on to what was the first floor dancefloor of the old 1830s-built Hotel Pierre in Dun Laoghaire. With two bedrooms and two bathrooms it has huge windows looking straight down Dun Laoghaire pier. Selling agent Janet Carroll is seeking 925,000. The Special Investigation Service of Armenia has rejected institution of a criminal case based on the report of former deputy chief of staff of the National Assembly Arsen Babayan on deputy of the National Assembly Arman Babajanyan on the ground of absence of corpus delicti. This is what Spokesperson of the Special Investigation Service Marina Ohanjanyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Based on the report that was prepared, the Special Investigation Service decided to reject institution of a criminal case on the ground of absence of corpus delicti, Marina Ohanjanyan said. Arsen Babayan had addressed the Prosecutor General of Armenia with an open letter citing the Facebook post that deputy of the National Assembly Arman Babajanyan posted on December 24 and stating that the Facebook post contained elements of part 3 of Article 344 of the Criminal Code of Armenia (accusing a judge of committing a particularly grave crime for no reason). Japan's government will pump millions into aid projects in Vanuatu ahead of the country's forthcoming election as part of a $100 million bid to shore up influence in the Pacific nations. Attracting more attention from Japan and China: Vanuatu. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The funding supports the goal, set out in a regional meeting convened by Japan in 2018, to achieve resilient and sustainable development in the Pacific Islands including health, by enhancing co-operation to raise the quality of medical services and the welfare of the people in the Pacific". Japan will send $8 million to Vanuatu later this year to purchase a mobile clinic to improve medical care in the island nation's rural and remote areas, the Japanese government has confirmed. Tokyos funding for medical care and sanitation follows US$64 million ($94 million) from 2011 to 2017 in aid from Tokyo for the Port Vila Lapetasi International Wharf Development Project, and $US23 million for school upgrades and renovation, according to data compiled by Lowy Institute. People take part in an Irish unity march as they cross the Lifford Bridge from Donegal, which marks the border between Strabane in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and Lifford in Co Donegal in the Republic of Ireland (Niall Carson/PA) Satirical Twitter account @BorderIrish has said it will tweet for the last time on Friday Brexit Day nearly two years since its inception propelled it to internet stardom. The Brexit-trolling account created in February 2018 boasts more than 109,000 followers, including Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Some of its most popular posts include a picture of a crowded meeting room with a large elephant in attendance, with the caption Theres me at the Brexit negotiations. Theres me at the Brexit negotiations. pic.twitter.com/sVuFOahZ3o The Irish Border (@BorderIrish) February 8, 2018 It has enjoyed such success that its curator, who remains unnamed publicly, wrote a book called I Am The Border, So I Am. The tome was released to critical acclaim on October 31 2019, an earlier deadline for the UKs exit from the European Union. Of course its terribly sad, the UK leaving and all. Devastating, the curator told the PA news agency. After all, the existence of the customs union and the single market was silently in the background, enabling the Good Friday Agreement and so and so on. Yes, Im really sad Then again, on Saturday I become the actual border of the European Union and that is big time for a small border like me, so it kind of feels like a promotion. Many have urged the accounts owner to keep it going even once Britain departs the EU. Do not retire. Your voice needed !!! ALASTAIR CAMPBELL (@campbellclaret) January 29, 2020 Ex-Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell was among them, tweeting: Do not retire. Your voice needed!!! But while the account is heading for the exit, the curator told PA the actual border will go on being magically invisible and doing its thing as it has done these past few years. Then, probably in January 2021, its new franchise operation will open in Liverpool and Belfast and Larne and all the ports and airports where stuff moves from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and vice versa, they said. Can you imagine a more boring job? A clipboard in one hand and a veterinary glove on the other. I feel sorry for it, but we all have to start somewhere I suppose. And what of Boris Johnsons Brexit deal? Perhaps unsurprisingly, the curator added that they dont much like it. The UK is a woollen country about to be put in a hot wash. Itll shrinkCurator of Twitter account @BorderIrish Not just because, you know, its Brexit, but also because its too complicated for Northern Ireland and nobody knows how it will work, they said. I think the Tories won with the truly inspiring message, God Almighty, arent we all sick of this Brexit thing, sure we might as well get it done. Asked if they had a message for those interested in protecting the Irish border, the curator encouraged them to focus on defeating populism by believing in knowledge, truth, education and fundamental human rights. Meanwhile, they also had a message for those who voted for Brexit. Good luck. Youll need it, they said. The UK is a woollen country about to be put in a hot wash. Itll shrink. Cardi B's husband Offset has been accused of throwing a punch at a fellow party-goer during a night out on Thursday, after leaving Cardi's performance at LIV club in Miami. The rapper, 27, was dancing on stage at strip club Booby Trap, while her beau showered her with hundreds of dollar bills, however their display was interrupted by a member of the crowd. One of the audience members reportedly popped a bottle of champagne over the stage, while Cardi was dancing and appeared to get the star wet, reports TMZ. Loving life: Cardi B and Offset enjoyed a very raucous night out at LIV Miami on Thursday, after the rapper was detained in a mall over a firearms misunderstanding After noticing the incident, Offset, 28, appeared to launch himself off the stage while throwing punches at the culprit behind the champagne pop. Representatives for Cardi and Offset have been contacted by MailOnline. Before the brawl, Cardi and Offset were enjoying a very raucous night out, after the rapper was detained in a mall over a firearms misunderstanding. The married couple were seen partying at the club, with Cardi bending over and grinding on her husband whilst he showered her with hundreds of dollars in bills. The Migos star was no doubt keen to let loose after he was handcuffed and detained in The Grove on Wednesday after police received reports of a person with a gun in the parking lot. After being released and insisting that law enforcement got 'the wrong guy', Offset wasted no time celebrating his release. The Taste hitmaker attended the club with bundles of dollar bills, showering his other half in money and covering the floor in notes. Cardi, 27, also appeared to be in her element as she performed some racy dance moves, whilst twerking next to Offset and sticking her tongue out in glee. Bold look: The I Like It hitmaker showcased her hourglass curves in a skintight pink dress with harness detailing that highlighted her ample cleavage Free: The Migos star, 28, was no doubt keen to let loose after he was handcuffed and detained in The Grove after police received reports of a person with a gun in the parking lot Work it! Cardi wowed her fans as she gyrated up on the stage The I Like It hitmaker showcased her hourglass curves in a skintight pink dress with harness detailing that highlighted her ample cleavage. The wild night came after footage emerged of Offset being yelled at cops as they shoved him against a wall and handcuffed him at The Grove. The rapper can be heard yelling 'Tell me now!' at LAPD officers as he struggles against them in the parking lot of the Los Angeles outdoor mall, in video obtained by DailyMail.com. Fun times: The Taste hitmaker attended the club with bundles of dollar bills, showering his other half in money and covering the floor in notes Later, as he left an LA police station, he told TMZ the whole thing was a misunderstanding, saying 'I was the wrong guy'. Offset - real name Kiari Kendrell Cephus - was released by authorities after two of the people riding with him in an SUV were charged with owning firearms found in the vehicle, according to the gossip site. The Migos rapper, who has also declared he didn't hold any ill will toward police, telling reporters 'they did a good job'. Spicy: 'Last night was WILD,' captioned the rapper who shared this sultry snapshot on her Instagram page He also cheerfully announced that the incident wouldn't stop him from shopping at The Grove in future. 'I get my kids' clothes from there,' said the father of four. Police detained Offset along with more than one person in his entourage at the popular Los Angeles shopping center The Grove on Wednesday. Around 8pm, the authorities received a report that someone in the mall's parking structure had a gun, according to sources who spoke to TMZ. Handcuffed: The wild night came after footage emerged of Offset being yelled at cops as they shoved him against a wall and handcuffed him at The Grove The armed person has allegedly fled and TMZ have not been able to establish whether Offset or anyone in his entourage had a gun at the time. Four people including Offset have been brought to the police station to be questioned but nobody has been arrested. An investigation is being conducted by law enforcement, who have found two guns, the website reports. Police cuffed Offset's hands behind his back and pressed him against a pillar as he struggled and demanded more information, TMZ footage showed. 'You gotta tell me now! You gotta tell me now! What the f***? You gotta tell me now. That's your job as a officer! You gotta tell me now!' said Offset. Released: Offset was released by authorities after two of the people riding with him in an SUV were charged with owning firearms found in the vehicle, saying 'I was the wrong guy' Offset was arrested on two felony gun charges in Atlanta in August 2018 after police pulled him over for a misdemeanor lane change, TMZ reported. The firearm-related charges were possessing a weapon as a felon and possessing a weapon while committing a crime. Offset, who reportedly had three handguns in the car when he was pulled over, also got misdemeanor charges for the lane change and marijuana possession. He previously served eight months in prison in 2015 on charges including possessing a firearm in a school safety zone. Offset spent most of 2013 in prison for a probation violation, and was behind bars when Migos' debut single Versace was released that July. One of the groundbreaking legislators in Western Massachusetts has decided to step down. Jose Tosado has decided that, at age 66, its time to spend more time with his family. Tosados decision not to seek reelection to the 9th Hampden District seat in the state House of Representatives has immediate and multi-faceted impact. The 9th Hampden District consists of Springfield Wards 2, 5, 7, and 8, as well as Chicopees Ward 5A. One result is that the enormous turnover among members of the Western Massachusetts delegation continues to be ongoing. Within days, Tosado and Rep. Aaron Vega of Holyoke, 5th Hampden, have announced they will step down. It impacts a delegation hit hard by retirements, the death of Rep. Peter Kocot and the resignation of Senate President Stanley Rosenberg. That jarred a delegation that which, in 2018, lost decades of experience. The voices of the departed legislators had been heard and respected on Beacon Hill, where Eastern and Central Mass. enjoy dominant numbers under any circumstances. With Vega and Tosado exiting, this regions first-term legislators must suddenly take on an even greater role as veterans. They have shown themselves capable, diligent and unflinching from the challenge. Governor Charlie Bakers administration has also kept its promise not to forget Western Massachusetts, more often that not. Nonetheless, Vega and Tosado brought representation and a voice to minority communities that need one. Tosado will always hold a place in Springfield history as a member of one of the first Puerto Rican families to move to the city in the 1950s. He was the first Puerto Rican elected to the City Council, which he served as president. Vega and Tosado spoke for residents in two cities where minority needs and concerns are of major significance. The flip side of this shift is that new candidates are already surfacing. They promise to infuse energy into the political scene, as well as some continuity to hopefully mitigate the transition. Vegas seat will be sought by his legislative aide, Patricia Duffy, who has taken out papers to organize a committee. More contenders may also surface when candidates papers become available on February 11. Springfield City Council member Orlando Ramos and School Committee member Denise Hurst will pursue Tosados seat. These candidates bring political experience, if not Beacon Hill background, to what could be a lively race, and other candidates may still emerge. Replacing the diligence of Vega and Tosado will be a challenge. But politics is ever-changing. The regions delegation will continue to evolve, less reliant on experience, but hopefully long on energy, responsiveness and new ideas. Group Raises Human Rights Concerns as China Struggles to Control Epidemic 2020-01-30 -- As the number of coronavirus cases skyrocketed in China on Thursday, rights groups and local people say the ruling Chinese Communist Party is riding roughshod over people's rights in its effort to contain the epidemic centered on the central city of Wuhan. China's National Health Commission announced a cumulative total of 7,678 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus -- designated nCoV-2019 (Wuhan) by the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of deaths jumped to 170 from 132 the previous days, as confirmed cases in Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore rose to double figures, prompting the WHO to declare the outbreak global emergency, particularly on concerns that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems. "The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Ma Guoqiang, secretary of the ruling Chinese Communist Party for Wuhan, said the sharp rise in fresh cases is the result of the authorities freeing up more hospital beds to meet demand in a city of 11 million that is now under quarantine, with no movement permitted in or out. "In order to speed up the pace of examinations to achieve earlier diagnosis and treatment, the number of hospitals and disease control centers in Wuhan authorized to see patients [with likely coronavirus symptoms] increased to nine from Jan. 24," Ma told a news conference. "That's why the number of diagnosed cases grew by a large amount," Ma said. "This is about speculation becoming diagnosis." Asked about widely reported shortages of essential medical supplies, Ma said the city has enough supplies. But he admitted that there had been a shortage of hospital beds in the city "in recent years." Ma said he believed that most people from Wuhan and Hubei would be well-treated elsewhere in China, even if they needed to be place in isolation for 14 days. But a U.S.-based rights group warned of discrimination and harassment against people from Hubei province and Wuhan, its provincial capital, with hotels outside the quarantine zone turning away travelers with license plates or ID cars linked to the area. "There have been numerous reports of hotels outside of Hubei province ... refusing to admit travelers with Wuhan or Hubei identification cards, of villages setting up roadblocks blocking cars with Hubei license plates from entering, and of people from Hubei being harassed on social media," the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement on Thursday. "People who reside in Wuhan but are currently in other parts of the country reported that their personal information, such as their address, phone number, and ID number, were exposed online without their consent, and that they had received harassing phone calls or messages," the group said. Students studying in the virus-hit city who went back to their hometowns for Lunar New Year said their personal information was widely shared in online chat groups. Discrimination and harassment against people from Hubei HRW called on the authorities to prohibit discrimination and harassment against people from Hubei and ensure their equal access to housing and medical care. "Violating the rights of tens of millions of people in the effort to address the coronavirus outbreak will be counterproductive," China researcher Yaqiu Wang said. "Transparency and engaging civil society will be the far better approach." The authorities have also detained people for "rumor-mongering," censored online discussions of the epidemic, curbed media reporting, and failed to ensure appropriate access to medical care for those with virus symptoms and others with medical needs, HRW said. "The coronavirus outbreak requires a swift and comprehensive response that respects human rights," Wang said. "Authorities should recognize that censorship only fuels public distrust, and instead encourage civil society engagement and media reporting on this public health crisis." HRW said that while social media in China is a mine of misinformation, the best approach is clearer information from the government. "Authorities have legitimate reasons to counter false information that can cause public panic." it said. "But rather than rebutting false information and disseminating reliable facts, the authorities in some instances have appeared more concerned with silencing criticism." HRW said the widespread travel restrictions across much of central China had resulted in many people being cut off from essential medical treatment and basic necessities, citing the cases of cancer and HIV patients who had been unable to get live-saving medicines because of the lockdown. "When quarantines are imposed, governments have absolute obligations to ensure access to food, water, and health care," HRW said, saying that the quarantine was "arbitrary and potentially discriminatory" because it had allowed around five million people to leave ahead of the lockdown. There are signs that more comprehensive government surveillance is being rolled out as part of a bid to curb the epidemic. In a Jan. 29 document, the public health emergency command center in Hunan's Xiangyin county ordered local officials to implement a "grid management" system that subdivides townships and villages into clusters of just a handful of households to be monitored by officials. "All rural roads out of the county are to be strictly closed, with nothing allowed to pass," the document said, suggesting that similar measures are also being rolled out elsewhere in China. "Anyone refusing to obey these instructions will be placed under compulsory isolation," it said. 'Biggest rumors and lies come from the government itself' Poet Wang Zang, who lives in the southwestern province of Yunnan, said he had received a visit from local police after he forwarded a social media post related to the epidemic. "They came knocking at my door in the morning, and scared the kid," Wang said. "I didn't open the door for security reasons." Wang said he had then been summoned to the local police station for questioning, but had refused to go, citing the epidemic. Guangzhou-based rights lawyer Sui Muqing said he had been told to delete a social media post by police. "The reason why the epidemic is so big is because of the suppression of freedom of speech," Sui said. "The biggest rumors and lies come from the government itself, and it's those that cause the greatest harm." Social media posts have shown the authorities detaining and beating people for not wearing masks, shutting them up in their homes if they are suspected of having the virus, and targeting suspected coronavirus patients with strong-arm tactics and surveillance usually reserved for dissidents. A woman surnamed Wang who returned to Shanghai on Jan. 23 from Wuhan said she was placed under house arrest for 14 days, with a newly installed surveillance camera in the hallway outside her apartment. "Every morning at 9 o'clock, they put on protective clothing and goggles and come to carry out disinfection," Wang said. "They also gave us milk and instant noodles, and we can have takeaway delivered to the door." "We can't go out of the front door, not into the yard or out of the building," she said, adding that she had to sign a "letter of commitment" to remain in isolation. A video clip of a conversation between a police officer and someone who had refused to sign it after traveling from Wuhan showed the officer making threatening comments. Reported by Qiao Long, Gao Feng and Lu Xi for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Lau Siu-fung for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content January not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Setting up and operating services or manufacturing business in India faces a maze of laws, rules and regulations, finds the survey. Many of these are local requirements, such as burdensome documentation for police clearance to open a restaurant. Chennai: The Economic Survey batted for improving ease of doing business by reducing procedural and documentation requirements. Setting up and operating services or manufacturing business in India faces a maze of laws, rules and regulations, finds the survey. Many of these are local requirements, such as burdensome documentation for police clearance to open a restaurant. Manufacturing units in India have to conform with 6,796 compliance items Opening a restaurant in Delhi requires 45 documents to get licence from the police, while one needs only 19 documents to obtain a gun. Starting a firm in India can take an average of 18 days and 10 procedures, which can be cumbersome, while in New Zealand it takes only half a day and one form to start a firm, said K. Subramanian, Indias Chief Economic Advisor. The survey identifies that ease of doing business lies in ease of starting a business, regulating property, paying taxes and enforcing contracts. Enforcing a contract in India takes 1,445 days on an average compared to just 216 days in New Zealand, and 496 days in China. Furthermore, paying taxes takes up more than 250 hours in India compared to 140 hours in New Zealand, 138 in China and 191 in Indonesia. This must be cleaned up and rationalised one segment at a time, it said. The Economic Survey 2019-20 projected the revival of economic growth to 6-6.5 per cent in the next fiscal beginning April 1 but suggested the government should relax the budget deficit target to boost growth from a decade low. The Survey, released a day before the Union Budget for 2020-21 is presented, called for cutting food subsidy while at the same time looking at businessmen with respect as they create wealth and jobs. A group of party members affiliated to the ruling New Patriotic Party who have labelled themselves 'Footsoldiers' have served notice of their preparedness to fund Kofi Ofosu Nkansah's campaign as he gears up to pick his nomination forms. Kofi Ofosu Nkansah who heads Accra Digital Centre as its Managing Director is aiming to represent Asante Akyem Central in Parliament as the 2020 elections inch closer. A footsoldier and an activist of the ruling party, Bra Sammy who is a beneficiary of Kofi Ofosu's magnificent leadership style has urged other footsoldiers of the party to help in contributing towards the aspiring candidate's campaign. "Kofi Ofosu is an epitome of magnanimity. He is hardworking, sociable and always ready to lend a helping hand to footsoldiers. If I were to list the number of people who have gotten employment through him, you would be surprised. We are many, and we are paying GHC100 towards his campaign. It is called Footsoldiers Personal Project, and it is to gather enough cash to help our brother" Bra Sammy said. Another footsoldier, Frank Osei Yeboah who could not hide his gratitude for what Kofi Ofosu Nkansah has done for him and his friends also expressed his commitment to contribute to this special fund and to rope in other footsoldiers to also donate some money to help fund the young enterprising politician. Popularly referred to as the Footsoldiers President, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah (Opoofo) is known to have helped hundreds of footsoldiers in job acquisitions and placements. It comes as nothing surprising that this project has been instituted to help raise funds to support Kofi Ofosu in his bid to go to Parliament to represent his constituents. 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 Reuters Italy has no plan to stop Chinese telecom firms, including Huawei, playing a role in the development of the country's future 5G network, a government minister told Reuters on Thursday. The United States has lobbied Italy and other European allies to avoid using Huawei equipment in their next-generation networks and to closely scrutinise rival ZTE , saying the companies could pose a security risk. Huawei and ZTE have strongly denied the accusations. The Trump administration has also threatened to withhold intelligence from governments that allow, Huawei, the world's top provider of telecoms equipment, into their networks, but there is little clarity on whether Washington will follow through on the threat. (Also read: Huawei gets limited role in UK's 5G network: Here's the approach to Huawei taken by other countries) "Italy must first of all protect its national interests," Industry Undersecretary Mirella Liuzzi said. She added that the government should tackle the issue of national safety "without being naive, with the necessary precautions but without keeping anyone out on the door step". (Also read: Huawei gets a green signal for 5G rollout in UK, but its involvement would be limited) The Italian parliament last year passed legislation giving the government special protective and vetting powers over 5G supply deals between domestic firms and non-EU providers, given the sector is considered strategically important. A furious guest stormed out of a coronavirus-hit hotel in York after previously being forced into quarantine when she got swine flu in 2007. Michaela Saunders, 26, claims 49-a-night StayCity hotel in York never warned her that two of its guests had been diagnosed with the disease. The people, believed to be Chinese nationals, are currently being treated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID). Michaela Saunders, 26, claims 49-a-night StayCity hotel in York never warned her that two of its guests had been diagnosed with the disease. She contracted Swine Flu in 2007 and was in quarantine for a week with the virus Ms Saunders - who contracted Swine Flu in 2007 and was in quarantine for a week with the virus - checked in earlier today with a friend for a two-night city break. But after learning on Facebook that two guests had been diagnosed with coronavirus she demanded a refund and checked out. The mother-of-one from Bishop Auckland said: 'I am angry that we were not warned. 'I have a little boy at home and I don't want there to be any risk of me catching coronavirus and passing it on to him. 'We booked this break ages ago, but when we arrived at reception this afternoon we were told nothing whatsoever. 'We found out about the coronavirus story at this hotel from Facebook and immediately decided to check out. We were not going to stop here a minute longer. I just cracked. 'I've seen no evidence of any safety measures or trying to stop guests moving around, which I would have thought there would have been. Two people, believed to be Chinese nationals, are currently being treated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID). They had been staying at the Staycity hotel in York (pictured) 'The receptionist didn't argue about giving us a full refund, so that says something doesn't it. 'There is no way I would want to risk catching anything like Swine Flu again.' The coronavirus, which has infected nearly 10,000 people and killed 213, is known to spread easily through coughs and sneezes and close contact, and people may be contagious even if they feel well. Authorities in the UK today launched a nation-wide hunt for anyone who came into contact with Britain's first two coronavirus patients. Guests are still checking into the 49-a-night Staycity hotel in York today. Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, has blasted the Government's 'worrying' response after it emerged that the hotel had remained open Business as usual! Travellers were today caught speaking to receptionists at the Staycity hotel - where the two Chinese nationals stayed before they got infected Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, blasted the Government's 'worrying' response after it emerged that Staycity hotel remained open and rooms can still be booked for tonight. The Department of Health has repeatedly refused to give any details about the two coronavirus victims, citing 'patient confidentially', and have also knocked back questions about where and when they entered Britain and where they have been before arriving in York. York's rich history makes it a hugely popular stop for visitors on tours of Britain and Europe. Rooms at the Staycity hotel in York (pictured) are still available for around 70 per night The room in which the patients stayed (stock picture, not of their room) has been cordoned off and will be thoroughly cleaned, the company said MailOnline understands the infected people quarantine at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne were taken from the Staycity hotel and have never returned or collected their belongings including suitcases, clothing and toiletries, which remain sealed in their room. Professor Hunter says the Government had a 'duty' to warn anyone who may have come into contact with the confirmed coronavirus patients of the 'risks' - and said it was 'worrying' officials are being so tight-lipped about the confirmed cases. He told MailOnline: 'The [DoH] at least needs to tell people how big the potential spread of this virus is, and how much contact with the wider community these two have had. 'Why didn't the Department of Health say something sooner?' Asian tourists wearing face masks leave the Staycity Hotel in the centre of York where two people from China fell ill with coronavirus MIAMI - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said he would return home in the "coming days" to face the consequences of slipping out of the country in defiance of a government travel ban for a high-stakes global tour in which he has sought to re-energize his bid to oust President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido, recognized by more than 60 nations, including the United States, as Venezuela's rightful head of state, left Venezuela two weeks ago and risks arrest upon return. In a phone interview Friday with The Washington Post, Guaido said he was set to arrive in Miami in the coming hours for one of the last stops on his global jaunt - a rally at a cavernous convention center in a city that serves as the center of Venezuelan cultural life in the United States. Yet even as the cameras have clicked in front of Guaido and an array of world leaders, one key figure has thus far been noticeably absent from his album: President Donald Trump. Guaido makes a surprise appearance outside Venezuela, defying travel ban to meet Pompeo, rally support in Europe Guaido held talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Bogota at the start of his trip, and met with other senior U.S. officials, including Ivanka Trump, at an annual meeting of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland. But a face-to-face with the U.S. president is seen as potentially providing a pivotal moment of unequivocal American support. Guaido said the two men had thus far been kept apart by complicated agendas. Last week, Trump and Guaido ended up attending Davos at different times. In Washington this week, Trump has faced impeachment proceedings and unveiled a Middle East peace proposal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Guaido, meanwhile, jetted to Canada after meetings with a host of European leaders. Guaido did not discard the possibility that a meeting with Trump could still happen. Both men will be in South Florida this weekend, with Trump hosting a Super Bowl party at his Palm Beach estate, Mar-a-Lago. But Guaido sought to downplay the impact should no meeting happen. "We have strengthened meetings with our allies in the United States and have made progress in that regard," Guaido said. "We are trying to match the agendas, but my return to Venezuela is already urgently needed to continue our internal struggle. We are trying to balance this, to see if there are possibilities or not. Let's say we don't rule out a meeting with Trump yet." If the encounter fails to happen - particularly with Trump only an hour's drive up Interstate 95 - the significance will certainly be seen, and spun, in different ways. Some in the opposition have privately noted that the major goal of Guaido's trip was to cajole Europeans, who have been far less willing than the Americans to impose tough sanctions on Maduro, into taking a harder line. Guaido, they argue, was at least successful in taking the opposition's argument directly to Britain's Boris Johnson, Germany's Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, among others. In addition, Maduro, they say, would probably have sought to portray a Trump meeting as more evidence that Guaido is, as Maduro's socialist partners have claimed, a U.S. puppet. Guaido, opposition lawmakers defy security forces, burst into Venezuela's National Assembly But analysts warned that the lack of an encounter - even a photo opportunity - could be taken as a sign of Trump's disinterest in Venezuela at a time when Guaido is seeking to keep his crusade against Maduro alive despite official threats, kidnappings and power plays meant to undermine the opposition movement. "Going to the United States without meeting with Trump is a risk for Guaido," said Geoff Ramsey, director of the Venezuela program at the Washington Office on Latin America, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. "If the meeting does not take place, clearly that would have an impact for Guaido in terms of domestic support [and] would show that for Trump, the issue of Venezuela is not a priority and is simply part of his electoral strategy." In Miami, at least, Guaido is landing in decidedly friendly territory. Some of his most vocal backers include the state's two Republican U.S. senators, as well as Venezuelan exiles based in the city and its environs More than 200,000 Venezuelans have settled in South Florida since 2014, according to a 2018 University of Miami study. Countless restaurants sell Venezuelan arepas (filled corn flour cakes) and tequenos (fried dough filled with melted cheese) in Miami and its satellite cities, including Aventura and Doral. Millions of Venezuelans have fled poverty and hunger in recent years, though Miami is also a home to wealthier Venezuelans who fled the socialist state founded when Hugo Chavez came to power two decades ago. Guaido suggested that his visit to the city could be, in some ways, a replay of his reception in Madrid, another center of Venezuelan diaspora where thousands turned out to hear him speak. "I feel very excited to meet our people [in Miami], and to make visible the size of the Venezuelan diaspora," he said. "But also to show the courage and strength of Venezuelans to see our country once again free and democratic." Guaido's visit has thus far not yielded significant and concrete promises of more sanctions from European governments. But he described the trip as a success nonetheless, in part because he was able to offer firsthand accounts to Europeans about the hardships and repression in Venezuela. He also pitched the continent, albeit without a final resolution, on shutting down the shipment of illegally mined gold from Venezuela's south to Europe, an effort the Maduro government has allegedly been pursuing to sustain itself. "It was worth the risk in my case for several reasons," he said. "The first one is to make visible the magnitude of the crisis. It is no small matter: There are 5 million refugees and 7 million Venezuelans at home facing a humanitarian emergency. "The second, as you know, is what the dictatorship has been doing with the trafficking of Venezuelan gold," he added. "That it is blood gold because it finances irregular groups, because it displaces indigenous communities." Maduro says he's still in control of Venezuela, ready for direct talks with the United States In January, in an interview with The Washington Post, Maduro called for direct talks with the United States - a call Guaido seemed to dismiss as a ploy. "My perception of what the dictator answered during your interview was damage control," he said. "Again, wanting to be seen as someone willing to negotiate. . . . For us, [the path ahead] is very clear: a free election and guarantees for all sectors." The trip marks Guaido's first since he left Venezuela for Colombia last February to help lead a largely failed effort to push massive amounts of humanitarian aid from the United States and elsewhere into Venezuela. He was allowed to return then without facing arrest, despite the travel ban against him. Last week, a senior member of the Maduro government - Diosdado Cabello - suggested that nothing would happen to Guaido upon his return this time, either. Is going back a risk? "As you know, the risk [in Venezuela] exists every day," he said. - - - Tjhe Washington Post's Rachelle Krygier in Miami, Mariana Zuniga in Caracas and Anne Gearan contributed to this report. The World Health Organization has declared the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus a global health emergency. At a WHO emergency committee meeting Thursday to discuss the novel coronavirus, the panel members reversed a decision from a week ago, and urged the U.N. agency to declare the spread of the virus a "public health emergency of international concern." Last week, the panel had said it was "not the time" for an emergency declaration due to a lack of evidence of the outbreak spreading outside China. But with transmissions spreading to 18 other countries, the U.N. health agency decided that immediate international action is needed to stem the reach of the virus. "We don't know what sort of damage this virus could do if it were to spread to a country with a weaker health system," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters after Thursday's meeting. "We must act now to help countries prepare for that possibility." He said that there have been 98 confirmed cases outside of China. There have been eight cases of human-to-human transmission -- in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the U.S., he said. Once the WHO declares a global health emergency, member nations are required to announce new cases within 24 hours and bolster border controls, including tougher screenings at airports and ports as well as travel restrictions. The WHO did not issue restrictions on travel and trade with China at this time. But with an inevitable slowdown in the movement of individuals and goods, the Chinese economy looks to suffer. Bloomberg Economics projected that the Chinese economy may grow just 4.5% in the January-March quarter, down from 6% in the prior three quarters, in a report Thursday. The WHO can declare a global health crisis when the director-general determines that the outbreak is serious, unusual or unexpected and constitutes "a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease," and that "a coordinated international response" is required. This is the sixth time in the past decade the WHO has declared an international public health emergency, with the most recent case being the outbreak of Ebola in central Africa last summer. Meanwhile, Tedros commended the Chinese government's response to contain the outbreak and said this declaration was "not a vote of 'no confidence' on China." Tedros met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday to discuss a response to the coronavirus. He continued to praise China's efforts Thursday, saying the country was "setting a new standard for outbreak response." The WHO will send an expert team to China soon in order to study patients and the possible source of the virus. Nikkei Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky both insisted Friday that the impeachment of President Donald Trump had not soured U.S.-Ukraine relations. "It seems to me its the other way around. We have excellent relations between our countries," Zelensky said during a joint news conference with Pompeo in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Pompeo described Ukraine as a "bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe," but he demurred when asked if Trump would invite Zelensky to Washington for a coveted White House meeting. "Well find the right time," Pompeo said. "President Zelensky will be welcome to come to Washington when we have an opportunity to do good things for both the Ukrainian people and the American people. Well get it done." After his election last year, Zelensky sought a White House meeting as a show of U.S. support as Ukraine battles Russian aggression. Although Trump told Zelensky he would invite him, White House officials never gave Ukrainian officials a date. In the article of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power, House Democrats have accused Trump of using a White House visit and U.S. military assistance as leverage in his effort to coerce Zelensky into opening investigations into a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. On Friday, Pompeo denied the Trump administration has set any conditions on Ukraine. And during his impeachment trial in the Senate, Trump's defense lawyers have stressed that Zelensky had a personal meeting with Trump last fall as the Ukraine controversy was dominating headlines; the two leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. "Theres no condition of the nature you described for President Zelensky to come to Washington and have that visit. Its just simply not the case," he said. Pompeo said Ukraine has America's full support in its war with Russia, saying the U.S. had provided more than $1 billion in U.S. military and security assistance to Ukraine since 2017 and that would continue. Story continues "Well maintain support for a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in east Ukraine, and well maintain financial support for Ukraines security," he said. "We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraines control over its sovereign territory." Zelensky said he would be "ready to go (to Washington) tomorrow," but that any visit should only be set when its in U.S. and Ukraine's strategic interests. Pompeo arrived in Ukraine on Thursday at a particularly awkward time for him and for the Trump administration, which is consumed with allegations that the president tried to pressure Zelensky for political favors. Trump temporarily froze nearly $400 million in U.S. security aid that Congress had approved for Ukraine, around the same time of his controversial July 25 phone call with Zelensky. The move prompted accusations from Democrats that he misused U.S. foreign policy for personal gain. The Senate is weighing those allegations in its unfolding impeachment trial. Pompeo's recent statements about Ukraine have complicated his mission in Kyiv and exacerbated the already strained U.S.-Ukraine alliance. The State Department said Pompeo's trip would highlight American support for Ukraine's sovereignty as it battles Russian aggression, a message reiterated by Pompeo on Friday. But the U.S. has no ambassador in Kyiv right now in part because of the impeachment scandal and Pompeo recently suggested that Americans don't care about Ukraine. During a contentious interview with NPR last week, Pompeo grew irritated with host Mary Louise Kelly when she pressed him about Ukraine. After the interview, Kelly said Pompeo shouted and cursed at her. "'Do you think Americans care about Ukraine?'" Pompeo yelled, according to Kelly's account, the substance of which Pompeo has not disputed. "He used the F-word in that sentence and many others." More: Trump praises Pompeo for blasting NPR host On Wednesday, Pompeo sidestepped questions about whether he would ask Zelensky in private about the two issues at the heart of the impeachment trial now unfolding in the Senate: former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden's work for a Ukrainian gas company. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attends a meeting in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House on January 27, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Trump asked Zelensky to investigate Biden, a leading 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. Biden's son Hunter served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma, while his father was vice president. Trump and his allies have made unsubstantiated claims that Joe Biden tried to shield Burisma from scrutiny. Asked if he would raise the Biden-Burisma allegations with Zelensky, Pompeo did not directly answer on Wednesday. He said he would focus on helping Ukraine root out "corruption" and repel Russian attacks. "When we were talking about corruption, we talked about every element of corruption inside of Ukraine," Pompeo told reporters traveling with him on the trip, which includes other stops in Europe and Central Asia. "I dont want to talk about particular individuals. Its not worth it. Its a long list in Ukraine of corrupt individuals and a long history there." Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said he'd be shocked if Pompeo pressed Zelensky on such politically explosive issues. "I would think hed be extremely cautious in his meeting with Zelensky," said Miller, who has advised Republican and Democratic presidents on foreign policy. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mike Pompeo, Volodymyr Zelensky say U.S.-Ukraine relations just fine (Newser) A California man is facing charges of attempted kidnapping and assault after a Target customer was dumped out of his wheelchair. Philip Kinstler, who has used a wheelchair for 30 years, arrived at the Pleasant Hill store on Jan. 11 to find a vehicle parked in a disabled spot without a permit, reports KPIX. The 52-year-old says he tapped on the window of the vehicle to notify a female occupant before heading into the store to return a shirt. He was at the customer service desk when he was approached by a man police identified as Jimmie Tiger. Kinstler says the man demanded he return to the lot to apologize for having scared his partner, per the Washington Post. Surveillance video shows the man speaking to Kinstler for a minute before wheeling him away from the counter. As Kinstler grabs a sign, the man flips him out of his chair, then walks away. story continues below Arrested more than a week later, 32-year-old Tiger pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping and assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and was released on $180,000 bail, per Newsweek. Police said community members worked with law enforcement "to find a quick resolution." But Kinstler, paralyzed from the chest down due to a rare degenerative disease called syringomyelia, says he was amazed that no one intervened. "All they had to do is stand in front of my wheelchair" but "they did nothing," he tells KPIX, adding he's "never been that scared." He tells the Post that he broke his wrist in the fall, leaving him unable to drive or get out of bed by himself. Two people followed Kinstler and his assailant, per the San Francisco Chronicle. Police say witnesses also cared for Kinstler until police arrived, and submitted a partial license plate. (Read more assault stories.) The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of the outbreak of coronavirus. Officials said the Indian Army has created the facility near Manesar where the students can be monitored for any signs of infection for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members. An Air India flight was sent to Wuhan on Friday to bring back the Indian students stuck in Hubei province, the epicentre of coronavirus. The flight is expected to reach India at around 2 am on Saturday. The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps. The first one will be at the Indira Gandhi International airport followed by quarantine at Manesar, an official said. "If any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Authorities in Canberra on Friday declared the first state of emergency in almost two decades as a bushfire bore down on the Australian capital. Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr said the measure was "effective now and will be in place for as long as Canberra is at risk". The measures come ahead of heatwave conditions expected over the coming days and as forecasts predicted fires could hit southern suburbs of the city of about 400,000. "It may become uncontrollable," Barr warned. "A state of emergency is the strongest signal we can send to the ACT community that they must prepare themselves and their families." Authorities also warned of so-called ember attacks, where winds blow glowing ash ahead of the fire front. It is the first time that a state of emergency has been declared in the Australian Capital Territory since 2003, when fires destroyed almost 500 homes. The main threat comes from the Orroral Valley fire, which has burned around 18,000 hectares (45,000 acres) of mostly remote bushland. Temperatures reached above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday in South Australia state, where dangerous fire weather warnings were issued in several bushfire-prone areas. The heatwave is then expected to hit Melbourne and Canberra later Friday before parts of Sydney reach 45 degrees Celsius at the weekend. Authorities say the searing heat, accompanied by dry winds, would bring severe bushfire conditions to parts of New South Wales and Victoria -- where more than 80 fires are still burning across the two states. Storms are forecast to follow the heatwave, bringing rain that could help dampen fires but also the potential for wild weather, including flash flooding. Extreme weather has battered parts of Australia in recent weeks, bringing giant hail, floods and landslides. At least 33 people have died and vast swathes of the country have been burned since September. The months-long crisis has sparked renewed calls for Australia's conservative government to take immediate action on climate change, with street protests urging Morrison to reduce the country's reliance on coal. Scientists say the bushfire disaster was exacerbated by climate change, coming on the back of a crippling drought that turned forests into a tinderbox and allowed blazes to spread out of control quickly. At least 33 people have died and vast swathes of the country have been burned since September A woman is dead after she crashed into a tree while leading a Houston police sergeant on a chase Friday morning. The woman was spotted running a red light at the intersection of Parker Road and Interstate 45 on Houston's north side around 4 a.m., according to Houston Police Department Asst. Chief Sheryl Victorian. The sergeant attempted to stop the woman's vehicle, but she sped off, Victorian said. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Friday accused the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party of indulging in communal politics. Singh said: "They pay Rs 18,000 salary and Rs 9,000 maintenance to imams, why don't they pay salary to priests?" He said most of the Imams "support Shaheen Bagh protest" and Sharjeel Imam, a JNU student arrested for his remark about "cutting off" Assam from India. "But they are blaming us," said Singh. The country witnessed widespread protests against amended citizenship Act, with Shaheen Bagh in Delhi emerging as an epicentre of these protests. Sharjeel Imam had allegedly raised anti-India slogans at Shaheen Bagh. Companies that refurbished Grenfell Tower killed those 72 people as sure as if they had taken careful aim with a gun and pulled the trigger, the public inquiry into the disaster has heard. Witnesses involved in choosing flammable materials for the revamp were also accused of trying to sabotage the inquiry after they threatened to stay silent unless they are given immunity from prosecution. There were groans from survivors and victims on Wednesday after staff at key companies submitted a highly reprehensible last-minute legal bid seeking an attorney general-backed guarantee which would stop any evidence they gave being used against them in future criminal proceedings. Stephanie Barwise QC, for one group of victims and survivors, told the hearing on Thursday the timing of the application gives the appearance of sabotaging this inquiry. The hearing has been told designers, contractors and fire safety engineers had expressly foreseen the risks of installing the planned cladding system which would fuel the rapidly spreading fire in June 2017. Main contractor Rydon, external wall subcontractor Harley Facades, refurbishment architects Studio E and fire inspectors Exova allegedly knew the proposed cladding in which the 129-flat tower was to be encased would burn and fall off if exposed to fire. Combustible aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding panels were chosen in 2014 as an alternative to zinc to save up to 454,000 on the 9.2 million Grenfell Tower refit, the inquiry has heard. Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Newcastle ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures People release balloons in front of the Grenfell Tower during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the fire (Peter Summers/Getty Images) Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Downing Street is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire EPA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Kensington Palace is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Salford ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in by the Grenfell Tower ahead of the second anniversary of the fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Cards bearing names of victims of the Grenfell fire are attached to a railing nearby to the tower Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures People obersve a memorial during a vigil to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Campaign group Grenfell United project a message on to the side of a tower block in Salford ahead of the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire to highlight the number of blocks that are still covered in flammable cladding, despite the role that it played in the fire PA Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures The Grenfell Tower is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Kensington Palace is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire Getty Grenfell fire remembered two years on: In pictures Downing Street is illuminated green to mark the second anniversary of the Grenfell fire EPA Sam Stein QC, for another group of victims, told the hearing: The companies responsible killed those 72 people as sure as if they had taken careful aim with a gun and pulled the trigger. Those companies responsible killed when they criminally failed to consider the safety of others. They killed when they promoted their unsuitable, dangerous products in pursuit of money and a place within the market, and they killed when they ignored that ultimate client the people of Grenfell Tower. Ms Barwise attacked the suppliers of the combustible insulation and cladding panels, Celotex and Arconic respectively, as displaying an extraordinary degree of contempt for residents safety by marketing their flammable products. She said Celotex targeted the 67m west London building as a flagship project for its RS5000 insulation, and cynically exploited what one of its bosses called the smoke of confusion around building regulations. It actively promoted the material despite senior executives knowing it should have been recalled after safety tests, she added. In an email exchange between Celotex and one of its distributors, the firms head of technical, Rob Warren, wrote it was clearly wrong when an inspector said it was OK to use any insulation up to 18 metres (59ft), and only above 18 metres did it have to be non-combustible. He added: The fire hasnt got a tape measure and if it starts at the ground floor it will love to race up the first 18 metres. Just shows the smoke of confusion out there. The distributor, Martin Stearne at SIG Technical Services, replied: Never has the expression smoke and mirrors been more appropriate, and added that if specifically challenged he would opt for a different product but if Im not challenged itll be RS5000. Ms Barwise further said Arconic almost doubled its UK sales target for the dangerous cladding used on Grenfell Tower in the years before the blaze after it was given the second-lowest fire safety rating in European tests. The US conglomerate was accused of trying to offload its Reynobond PE cassette cladding in Britain after it was given a European class E rating, threatening sales on the continent in markets such as Spain. An email exchange showed the Grenfell Tower project was one Arconic was confident it would secure, which Ms Barwise said contradicted the firms position it was just a manufacturer which sold a product saying its distributors targeted potential contractors in projects. Its Reynobond PE panels featured a polyethylene core, which has a heat combustion akin to diesel and close to lighter fluid and has a high-calorific value compared with other construction materials, Ms Barwise said. She criticised as absurd Arconics statement when it said the tragedy at Grenfell Tower shows the awful consequences which can arise when combustible materials are used in a particular combination and configured in a particular manner. She said: That is not what the fire at Grenfell shows. It shows that the use of a thermoplastic with a heat of combustion similar to lighter fuel within any construction is likely to result in an uncontrollable inferno... the dripping, burning droplets will set fire to anything in its path. Ms Barwise also criticised the evidence given by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), saying the now-defunct organisation had not acknowledged its contribution to loss of life. A very significant example of its negligence was its failure to produce personal evacuation emergency plans for the many disabled residents, she said, adding that with regard to cladding products it appeared to display concern only for aesthetic qualities. A culture of knowing and wilful non-compliance also pervaded the fire safety engineers Exova, Ms Barwise added. Recommended Grenfell witnesses demand immunity from prosecution before testifying The inquiry is due to resume on Monday, and chairman Sir Martin Moore-Bick will hear further legal submissions on the bid for witnesses to receive immunity from prosecution. Cross-examination had been due to start with architects Studio E. Jonathan Laidlaw QC, for Harley Facades, said four staff from the company had been interviewed under caution by Scotland Yard over alleged potential breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He went on: Those who have been interviewed were interviewed in a way which strongly suggests that further interviews, as one would expect, are to come. Those of the Harley witnesses not thus far interviewed have had no indication at all and nor realistically will they receive one that they will not be invited to interview in the coming months or years. Scotland Yard is conducting its own investigation into gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and health and safety offences, and said in September it had so far completed 17 interviews. Seventy-two people died as a result of the blaze at the west London block after an electrical fault with a fridge freezer sparked a catastrophic fire. The inquiry continues. Press Association By Pavel Polityuk and Matthias Williams KIEV (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasised Washington's support for Ukraine on a visit to Kiev on Friday, as both countries sought to smooth over relations buffeted by the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Ukraine was thrust into a domestic political battle in Washington last year as Trump faced allegations he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate the son of his Democratic rival Joe Biden. Pompeo has also walked back from comments he was accused of making to a National Public Radio reporter before his trip that appeared to play down Ukraine's importance to Americans. Pompeo is the highest-ranking U.S. official to travel to Ukraine since the impeachment began. His visit comes as Trump's impeachment trial was set for a climactic vote on Friday or Saturday that is likely to acquit the president. After meeting Zelenskiy, both men played down the fallout from impeachment. "Today I'm here with a clear message: the United States sees that the Ukrainian struggle for freedom, democracy and prosperity is a valiant one. Our commitment to support it will not waver," Pompeo said. Ukraine counts on Washington for diplomatic support, sanctions on Moscow and military aid to buy Javelin anti-tank missiles and other hardware as it battles Russian-backed fighters in a war that has killed more than 13,000 people. Trump had frozen nearly $400 million in U.S. security assistance shortly before speaking to Zelenskiy in a July phone call, prompting accusations from Democrats he had misused U.S. foreign policy for personal gain. Trump's camp has called on Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company called Burisma. Impeachment overshadowed the first months of Zelenskiy's presidency, and he has voiced frustration about being constantly asked about it. He has repeatedly denied being pressured by Trump to launch investigations. Story continues "I was wondering when this question would come up. When we speak with the USA, there is always a question about the impeachment of President Trump," Zelenskiy said on Friday, when asked whether impeachment had spoiled bilateral ties. "It seems to me honestly that, on the contrary, there are very good relations between our countries, not just in words. The U.S. supports and defends Ukraine." Pompeo also denied suggestions that Zelenskiy would only be granted a visit to the White House to meet Trump if Ukraine agreed to announce investigations into Hunter Biden and Burisma. "No, there's no condition of the nature you described for President Zelenskiy to come to Washington and have that visit," Pompeo said in response to a question. "We'll find the right time. We'll find the appropriate opportunity." Asked before the trip whether he would raise Burisma or the Bidens with Ukrainian officials, Pompeo had said: "I don't want to talk about particular individuals." Democrats had hoped to hear from former National Security Adviser John Bolton as a witness in Trump's impeachment trial, but they do not appear to have enough support from Republicans to bring witnesses to the proceedings. A report, which Bolton has not denied, said Bolton had written in an upcoming book that Trump told him he wanted to freeze military aid to Ukraine until it investigated both Bidens. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Matthias Williams and Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams; editing by William Maclean, Larry King) WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gardner Denver Holdings Inc. (GDI) and Ingersoll-Rand plc (IR) received unconditional clearance from the European Commission with respect to the proposed combination of the Industrial segment of Ingersoll Rand with Gardner Denver. The proposed transaction has received all required regulatory approvals, and is expected to close early in 2020. In April 2019, Gardner Denver and Ingersoll-Rand reached an agreement, by which Ingersoll Rand would separate its Ingersoll Rand Industrial unit by way of a spin-off to shareholders to combine with Gardner Denver. The resulting industrial company is expected to be called Ingersoll Rand and trade under Ingersoll Rand's existing ticker. As per the terms of the deal, existing Ingersoll Rand shareholders would receive 50.1% of the shares of the new industrial company on a fully diluted basis, valued at approximately $5.8 billion. The Gardner Denver shareholders would retain 49.9% of the shares of IndustrialCo. 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. Legislators will consider several bills in the upcoming short session that could expand and overhaul the way Oregon works to fight and prevent wildfires. The plans include an unprecedented effort to restore forest health through thinning, removing brush and small trees, and increasing prescribed burns. Over the next 20 years, supporters aim to do that work on 5.6 million acres of forest and rangelands -- an area equivalent to the state of New Jersey, or nearly 10 percent of Oregons entire land base. The proposals also call for expanding firefighting resources at the Oregon Department of Forestry, putting more boots on the ground and modernizing equipment to put fires out when theyre small, thereby keeping costs low. And they would add administrative staff to make sure the state is promptly invoicing and collecting its firefighting costs a problem that drove the Department of Forestry to the brink of insolvency last fall. These were among the recommendations from a task force that Gov. Kate Brown empaneled last year to look at the states wildfire preparedness. They come against a backdrop of massively destructive and deadly fires in Australia and California and at a time when global warming, drought and more than a century of past firefighting policies are conspiring to extend the states fire season, increase its severity, choke big portions of the state with smoke, and drive firefighting costs ever higher. Few issues, however, are more politically fraught in Oregon than forestry. So its no surprise that the plans face blowback from academics, fire experts and climate change and environmental activists. Critics argue that forest thinning projects are expensive, have a low probability of success, can be ecologically destructive to forests and can reduce the carbon stores in Oregon forests more than the fire themselves. Strengthening firefighting capabilities, meanwhile, is just doubling down on the strategy that created the problem in the first place, they say. As always, money is an issue. The governors 20-year forest treatment plan comes with a $4 billion price tag - $200 million a year well beyond any realistic budget request. And almost all of the work would be on federal and private lands, raising the question of why Oregon taxpayers should pay for it. Experts say the timber generated by thinning wont come close to covering the costs to remove downed limbs and dead vegetation, particularly on east side forests and rangeland infested with less marketable trees like lodgepole pine, grand fir and juniper. Meanwhile critics worry that fire prevention will be used as an excuse for backcountry clearcutting that will actually increase fire risks, reduce carbon stocks and have little impact on safety. Wildfire is big business in rural Oregon, a source of jobs and capital in areas still struggling with the contraction of the wood products industry. Democrats are hopeful of bipartisan support to tackle the issue, and eager to leverage it to accomplish some of their other objectives. To that end, the most recent version of Democrats divisive cap-and-trade policy dedicates a portion of revenues to wildfire prevention efforts. That enticement could bring in $25 to $35 million annually in the programs first three years to support restoration work -- and maybe convince a few Republican lawmakers to stay in their seats for a vote on the climate change policy. Yet others wonder why the state would start writing big checks to the Department of Forestry and significantly expand its mission after the financial and managerial troubles it has experienced in recent years. The agencys troubles were featured in The Oregonian/OregonLives Failing Forestry series last fall. If, as the bill posits, the problems are in (the Department of Forestry), why do you think DOF can solve them? Andy Stahl, a forestry activist from Eugene, recently wrote to lawmakers. Incantations of modernization and efficiency dont solve problems; people do. If you think DOF is poorly managed, change the people in charge of DOF. The policy proposals Lawmakers will be looking at a slew of potential wildfire bills. The big concepts were discussed earlier this month at a meeting of the Senate Committee Interim Committee on Wildfire Prevention. Senate Bill 1516 is sponsored by Sen. Herman Baertschiger, a Grants Pass Republican whose firefighting business (now his sons) has contracted with the forestry department for years. He contends the agency faces a workforce crisis, with seasonal workers being gobbled up by the U.S. Forest Service or moving on to better paid work. He wants to address the problem by replacing seasonal workers who typically work five months a year with 50 permanent positions in its fire division. Outside the fire season, he said, the new workers could be used to perform audits and help homeowners living near state forests to better protect their homes. The bill also seeks to modernize the departments aviation fleet. The old fleet is 50 to 70 years old, he said. Its going bye-bye. Theres nothing we can do about it The new fleet, theyre more expensive toys. Baertschiger looks to pay for all this with general fund dollars, though the actual amounts arent specified in the bill. This is a not a new conversation in the state of Oregon but we have to get to a point where we can agree and move forward, Baertschiger said. This model will not continue to play out for us very well in the future. Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, reprised an old debate, noting that 77% of the land the forestry department protects is private, and he was concerned about asking the public to subsidize private entities. Thats got to come into the equation of figuring out how to share those costs, he said. The second proposal, Senate Bill 1514, developed by Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, would use general fund dollars to pay for a handful of restoration projects in 2020 as a pilot project for the much broader thinning and fuel reduction program recommended by the governors wildfire council. We want to test drive some of these concepts and relationships in 2020 and come back to the 2021 session with some greater level of knowledge in preparation for what would likely be a much larger investment going forward, Golden said. The idea is to focus on two to five projects in areas adjacent to homes or critical infrastructure. Those could be on federal lands that have already been through an environmental review, in which case the state would look for an infusion of federal dollars a critical element if it has any hope of hitting larger restoration goals. The initial request in that bill is $1 million for the projects, though thats a placeholder and could grow to $10 million or more, said Dylan Kruse, director of government affairs for the Portland-based nonprofit Sustainable Northwest, which helped write the draft legislation. This stuff needs public subsidy, he said. The vast majority should come from federal government, but it will also involve state and private investments to get to scale. Gov. Browns plan The most sweeping legislation discussed by the committee was an omnibus proposal from the governors office based on 37 recommendations from wildfire council. Senate Bill 1536 sets up a 300,000-acre annual target for thinning and controlled burn projects quadrupling the number of acres being treated today. The estimated price tag: $200 million a year. She wants a sizeable chunk, a real commitment by the state for 2020 so she can go back to D.C. and ask the U.S. Forest Service for matching funds, said Jason Miner, the governors natural resources advisor. We expect at least a 1-to-1 match on that investment. The bill would require utilities to develop wildfire reduction plans, an idea borne of Californias recent experience with deadly fires caused by transmission lines. It calls for a new statewide plan to create safe zones around structures and help local government with risk planning and zoning. The bill proposes improved building codes to make homes more fire resistant. It would set up a new task force on the health effects of wildfire smoke and direct investments in air filtration systems for vulnerable populations. And it calls for the forestry department to hire a consultant to perform a funding study looking at the benefits of state-funded firefighting activities and how Oregons system compares to other states. SB 1536 doesnt include 68 new fire-related positions at the forestry department, a recommendation from the wildfire council that could cost some $20 million annually. Miner said that would come in a separate budget request. We know these numbers are big, he said, and we know that we have to get started. Have we learned anything? As with most debates around forestry, the states response to wildfire is politically, financially and ecologically controversial. Few disagree that a big chunk of Oregons forests are ecologically out of whack: Too dense and laden with fuels after more than a century of aggressive firefighting and logging practices that have decreased forest resiliency to fire. Likewise, theres general agreement that climate change, drought and encroaching development in the so-called wildland-urban interface are extending the fire season, and adding to its risk and cost. But some suggest the states proposed response specifically increasing its firefighting capacity and launching a mammoth restoration effort show it has learned little in the last century. Academic experts say any treatment work should be surgically targeted around communities at risk, with a focus on creating defensible space within 100 feet of structures; requiring building codes and funding retrofits that better protect homes and buildings; and severely restricting development in wildfire prone areas. Opponents of the states wide-ranging restoration plan cite Jack Cohen, a retired fire science researcher with the U.S. Forest Service. Much of his work focused on why structures burn and how to prevent it. Cohen says its become abundantly clear during the last several decades that no matter how many engines and aircraft they throw at the problem, there is little firefighters can do to suppress or control extreme wildfires. His research showed that most homes and structures typically dont burn because theyre overrun by wildfire. Instead, they often burn when wildfires are still more than a mile away, ignited by burning embers carried by strong winds. Thats not a wildfire problem, he concludes, its a home ignition problem. And thats where policymakers and property owners ought to be focusing their efforts. You can significantly reduce the ignition vulnerability of your house, he said. You have lots of choice and its usually not highly expensive. Of course, Oregons wildfire problem isnt limited to property damage. There is smoke intrusion, lost economic activity and health effects. The wildfire council concluded that those total costs are 11 times larger than the spiraling firefighting costs that get so much attention. But critics of expanded firefighting efforts say its no panacea for those issues either. Dominick DellaSala, chief scientist at the Geos Institute in Ashland, told the committee that in 2017 and 2018, smoke poured into the Rogue and Willamette valleys from climate-driven fires hundreds of miles away in British Columbia and California. Please dont promise what you cannot deliver. And critics say broad scale forest treatment programs would be an ineffective, needle-in-a-haystack approach to fire prevention that will waste money and result in negative ecological outcomes. Were not real good at determining whats going to burn and when, said Bev Law, an emeritus professor in Oregon State Universitys forestry school. She cites past studies showing that up to 10 times as much area is thinned under the guise of preventing fire than will actually burn. Other critics say studies show the odds of a wildfire hitting a thinned forest are less than one in a hundred. And forest restoration projects arent particularly durable. Treatments are only effective for 20 to 30 years before shrubs and small trees start come back, Law said, and thats what ignites first. Finally, environmental and climate change activists worry that expanded restoration efforts will be an excuse to log backcountry areas, which will reduce forest carbon stocks and ultimately increase fire danger by opening up canopy, drying out the forest floor and allowing for increased wind speeds. I see a lot of logging happening in the name of wildfire prevention, said Samantha Krop, an organizer with Cascadia Wildlands. Theres a disconnect between what many of these proposals are purporting to do and whats happening on the ground. Making the case Matt Donegan, a forestry expert and chair of the governors wildfire council, acknowledges that 5.6 million acres is a huge area to treat, almost unimaginable given the current level of restoration work taking place annually. But he insists the identified acreage is the product of a robust filtering process informed by forestry experts, academics and environmentalists. Their analysis identified 13.2 million acres of land with high fire risks. The state could let those acres burn, he said. But on vast portions of the landscape, the forest conditions are so bad that it would create unnaturally large, catastrophic fires. By treating 40% of those acres, the council concluded, the state can have a dramatic impact on fire size and behavior. Meanwhile, he said there was agreement on prioritizing vulnerable acres in the wildland urban interface. This whole exercise is about prioritization, because we dont have the resources to even get started, Donegan said. The state needs to make significant investments, because right now the main bottleneck is ODF capacity. They dont have the manpower to implement these treatments. Another big challenge, he said, is convincing businesses, such as loggers, mills and truckers, that the state is serious and will mount a sustained effort that will support the capacity investments that businesses would need to make. Donegan said the next step for the council is to build out a full financial plan and determine how much timber can be generated to help pay for the work while maintaining ecologically appropriate forest management. He says the council would love to see $25 million invested in 2020, because federal agencies are looking for states to step up their restoration activities and would likely be ready with their own investments. Its a legitimate question: How do you scale this up without sacrificing quality? he said. At the same time, we cant be purists. We need to take action. This is a crisis. Another ally, Apna Dal requested that the next national census should also release the "caste-wise" data. New Delhi: Asserting that the BJP-led NDA governments decisions are in deshhit (national interest), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked the ruling alliance leaders to not feel defensive over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as the law does not discriminate against any citizen of the country, including Muslims. During the NDA meeting to chalk out the ruling alliances strategy for the Budget Session of Parliament, that commenced on Friday, a key constituent of the NDA, Shriromani Akali Dal (SAD) suggested that the NDA should hold meetings regularly and not like a token meeting in the beginning of Parliament sessions. Another constituent Janata Dal (United) urged the central government to remove questions seeking details of parents in the National Population Register (NPR) questionnaire. The JD(U) also urged the government that each NDA constituent should be briefed separately on the issue and their concerns should be taken into consideration. The SAD also supported the JD (U) on the issue and also suggested that the government should also take suggestions from the NDA allies on key decisions taken by it. In Bihar where the JD(U) is leading the coalition government, assembly polls are scheduled by the end of this year and there is an apprehension that the "misinformation" regarding the NPR could dent the NDA's poll prospects. The government had earlier clarified that people are free to not answer questions about their parents such as place and date of birth in the NPR exercise. Another ally, Apna Dal requested that the next national census should also release the "caste-wise" data. The Prime Minister, it was learnt, told the NDA members that the CAA is not against the Indian citizen and the opposition is trying to create a rift between people and unrest in the country by trying to communalise the new law. Mr Modi, sources said, said that NDA leaders should taken on the Oppositions' charge against the CAA head-on as the amended citizenship law is not against Muslims and minorities are as much ours as other citizens are. Union home minister Amit Shah also briefed the NDA leaders about the national security issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir situation, Bodo accord and settlement of Bru tribe members in Tripura. Members of the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register says they will back down on their protests against the compilation of a new register if the Electoral Commission manages to convince them at the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) scheduled for today, Thursday. A leading member of the group and founder of the All People's Congress (APC), Hassan Ayariga gave the hint on the Point Blank segment on Eyewitness News on Wednesday. Ahead of today's engagement with the Electoral Commission, the group which comprises some opposition political parties had been demanding a live coverage of the meeting. Hassan Ayariga told host of Eyewitness News, Umaru Sanda that, the reason for their call for a live broadcast was to enable Ghanaians to follow proceedings so they could judge for themselves. We will back down only if they are able to convince us why the current voters register is not credible. Its just that we want every Ghanaian to watch the debate between the EC and the political parties to see who is right. We want the world to see that we are not doing propaganda with the issues. So, we are going there because we want the EC to convince us to believe that we can have a [credible new] voter register. But it seems the EC has taken a rather entrenched position, he said. Well attend IPAC meeting with open mind Addressing the press on Wednesday, the Chairman of the People's National Convention, Bernard Mornah, noted that although the coalition will attend the scheduled meeting with misgivings, they will do so with an open mind. Eminent Advisory Committee to meet EC, IPAC today An IPAC meeting will be held later today, Thursday, in Accra over the controversy surrounding the Electoral Commission's (EC) decision to compile a new voters' register ahead of election 2020. The meeting is being convened at the behest of the EC's Eminent Advisory Committee which had called for an all-inclusive engagement on the issue. A statement signed by the EC's acting Director of Public Affairs, Sylvia Annoh, on behalf of the Committee said the meeting seeks to engage with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee on the Electoral Commission's plan to compile a new Voters' Register ahead of the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections. The EC plans to abandon its current biometric verification system and procure a new one which has a facial recognition technology. The Commission also plans to compile a new voters' register. But these plans are being opposed by a coalition of political parties known as the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register. The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is among the parties opposing the new register. The group maintains that any money spent on the register will be a waste of the taxpayer money. The NDC walked out of an IPAC meeting on December 10, 2019, when the matter came up. The EC had earlier given suggestions that it was determined to go ahead with its plan without the buy-in of the opposing political parties, raising concerns about the lack of consensus among the stakeholders. But on the 15th of January, 2020, the EC's Eminent Advisory Committee called for calm and said it planned to meet the various stakeholders on the matter. Today's meeting, to be facilitated by the EC's Eminent Advisory Committee, is expected to produce a lasting consensus on the matter. ---citinewsroom Los Angeles, Jan 31 : Filmmaker Guy Ritchie says his action-comedy "The Gentlemen" represents an opportunity to examine class culture of society. "After finishing work on a film, you tend to move on to the next one, but when I watched the trailer for 'The Gentlemen', I was reminded how impressive our cast is, and that it was a happy accident how these chaps all came together," Ritchie said. "The Gentleman" is written and directed by Ritchie. "I think people are going to have an entertaining and quirky ride with this one," he said, adding: "I also enjoyed dealing with the different polarities of culture and sub-culture, the upper and lower echelons of society - and I hope audiences dial in to that, too," he said. Produced by Ivan Atkinson, Bill Block and Ritchie, "The Gentlemen" is a crime caper set in London. Matthew McConaughey leads the cast as Mickey Pearson, an American drug lord along with Charlie Hunnam, Hugh Grant, Colin Farrell, Henry Golding, Jeremy Strong and Michelle Dockery, in the drug-infused drama about a British drug lord attempting to cash out his fortune. Why a film on drug industry? "It's arguably the new gold rush," he said, adding: "The product is recognized as being relatively innocuous and not too offensive." The film was released in India on January 31 by PVR Pictures. THEMATIC ISSUES Transitional Justice Expected Council Action In February, the Council is expected to hold an open debate on transitional justice at the initiative of Belgium. The open debate will be held under the broader agenda item peacebuilding and sustaining peace and a concept note will be circulated ahead of the meeting. Belgiums Foreign Minister, Philippe Goffin, is expected to preside. At press time, no outcome was anticipated. Background and Key Recent Developments While the Security Council has considered transitional justice indirectly in various contexts over the past several decades, the open debate in February will be the first time the Council holds a meeting on transitional justice as a thematic issue. The open debate is expected to focus on how the Security Council can better support transitional justice initiatives in country-specific contexts. In this regard, a central aim is for those member states with experience in dealing with transitional justice initiatives to share their views, including lessons learned. A 2004 report of the Secretary-General on the rule of law and transitional justice in conflict and post-conflict societies defined that term as a full range of processes and mechanisms associated with a societys attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses, in order to ensure accountability, serve justice and achieve reconciliation. These may include both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms, with differing levels of international involvement (or none at all) and individual prosecutions, reparations, truth-seeking, institutional reform, vetting and dismissals, or a combination thereof. In 2010, the Secretary-General issued a note providing the guiding principles and framework for the UNs approach to transitional justice processes and mechanisms. It outlines key components of transitional justice and ways to further strengthen these activities. Since 2005, the Council has used the term transitional justice in resolutions across several different country-specific issues on its agenda. These include Afghanistan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Yemen. The Human Rights Council (HRC) has been particularly engaged on the issue of transitional justice. In 2011, the HRC adopted resolution 18/7 which decided to appoint a special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. The position is currently held by Fabian Salvioli (Argentina). The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is a lead entity within the UN system in this area, including assisting with developing standards and operational tools and designing and implementing transitional justice mechanisms. On 19 November 2019, at the initiative of the UK, the Council held an open debate to discuss the role of reconciliation in maintaining international peace and security, at which transitional justice was referred to. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Alpaslan Ozerdem, dean of the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University; and Ilwad Elman, director of programs and development at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, briefed. The Secretary-General referred to the effective use of transitional justice mechanisms, including truth and reconciliation commissions, in Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste and elsewhere. Transitional justice must be transformative justice that addresses gender imbalances, is rooted in local realities and is based on broad consultation, he said, adding that throughout the world, the UN supports nationally led and victim-centred transitional justice processes. Member states discussed their own experiences with reconciliation mechanisms. There was also an emphasis on the need to adapt to increasingly complex situations and ensure inclusivity at every stage. Key Issues and Options Some key issues that may be considered at the open debate include the following: how to increase the effectiveness of the Councils engagement on the issue, including lessons learned in various contexts; how best to support transitional justice initiatives in country-specific contexts, including local initiatives; how to integrate effectively transitional justice considerations into the Councils work, both in relevant country-specific contexts and across thematic areas, such as in relation to the women, peace and security agenda and the children and armed conflict agenda; and how to support victims and civil society as active participants. An option for the Council is to invite civil society representatives involved in transitional justice processes to brief. Another option would be for the Council to adopt a presidential statement on the issue, subsequent to and informed by the open debate. Belgium could also choose to produce a chairs summary that would reflect the themes of the open debate. Council Dynamics It seems Council members are generally supportive of Belgiums initiative and its approach, which seeks to facilitate a broad discussion of the issue. At the open debate on reconciliation on 19 November 2019, several members referred to transitional justice. Belgium highlighted the presidential statement adopted on 6 October 2004 on post-conflict national reconciliation and referred to the contribution of transitional justice to reconciliation efforts as well as the possibility of conducting a broader review in order to identify some key principles for guiding the Security Council in its future decisions in this area. It added that transitional justice is a tool that the Council should continue to consider as part of its mandate to maintain international peace and security. Also, the UK noted at the November 2019 debate how transitional justice mechanisms can support persecuted people and lay the foundations for peace. It also emphasised the need to engage and involve women and for the Council to monitor reconciliation processes. South Africa said transitional justice processes must respond to the specific context of the country concerned. It also underscored that the whole spectrum of transitional justice needs to be explored, including truth commissions and reparations for victims, as well as the need to take into account community-based or traditional justice mechanisms and ensure women and youth are represented. Germany also stressed womens participation, and the Dominican Republic underscored the involvement of youth. While not referring to transitional justice specifically, Russia expressed the view that the UN should focus on cooperation with governments, that ready-made solutions from outside should not be imposed, and that the work of international criminal justice institutions in the context of post-conflict reconciliation should not be considered the last word. UN DOCUMENTS ON TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE The central thrust of Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesotas closing message before the Iowa caucuses can be captured in just three words: I can win. While her stump speech winds through her policy plans, highlights her sense of humor and emphasizes her Midwestern background, her focus is on that most elusive, and prized, quality in the Democratic primary race, electability. Ms. Klobuchar casts her moderate positions, modest upbringing and legislative experience as part of her bipartisan appeal, arguing that she can win back Rust Belt independents and, if elected, break through the partisan logjam in Washington. At this event, Ms. Klobuchar was introduced by David J. Frederickson, the former commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, who also worked on agriculture issues for Ms. Klobuchar in her Senate office. The speech has been excerpted in places for length. I want to thank all of you and mention our great team that is here. Were just really excited about our team and the group that we brought together and our growing momentum weve seen in this state. I actually got a text from a friend a few weeks ago, and she said, Congratulations on your and then had an autocorrect problem. Congratulations on your insurgency. I think that she maybe meant your surge, but thats OK. Thats what were feeling on the ground. We are getting more and more of those commit-to-caucus cards. Analysis Amy Klobuchar is known around Washington for her sense of humor, a trait she often displays on the campaign trail. Her daughter is a stand-up comic in New York. Weve been in great spirits. And I think part of this campaign is that it is a grassroots campaign. Its one of the reasons I picked the color green, and why we have the green bus? It was the color of one of my political mentors, Paul Wellstone, who I think all we need to say about him is that he was Tom Harkins best friend in the Senate. Analysis Senator Paul Wellstone was a liberal titan in politics, particularly to those in his home state of Minnesota. He encouraged Ms. Klobuchar to run for office before dying in a plane crash in 2002, while running for re-election. But he was, he was more than that. He also was someone that ran against the odds. He ran like, actually I have, in every one of my races. In my first race for county attorney, my first race for U.S. Senate, I always had less money than my opponents. How Paul addressed the whole thing was that he did these ads where he would talk really really fast, just like this, and he said I have to talk twice as fast as everyone else because I dont have as much money. And I know that theres all kinds of money thrown around in this thing. We I will say after two of the last debates raised $1 million in 24 hours from regular people. We, because of that, had been able to double our field offices in Iowa, and double our staff in New Hampshire. I was just in Nevada yesterday, where it was like 60 degrees warmer, and weve been able to put a good staff on the ground there and in South Carolina. Analysis After lingering in the low single digits, Ms. Klobuchar has seen her poll numbers creep up. She has not yet passed the 15 percent viability mark she will need to hit to win delegates in Iowa. And I think were doing this the right way. Analysis She remains solidly in the races second tier. Ms. Klobuchar has very little backing from black and Latino voters, and its unclear if she can pull enough white voters away from the other moderates in the race. When I look at whats happening in this election right now, I think about a few things. Im really looking forward to the Iowa debate. I hope that were going to talk about rural issues for a change. One of the last times I was in this hotel was for the National Farmers Union, the local, the state Farmers Union event. And I hope we talk about some of those things and the havoc that Donald Trumps policies have wreaked on rural America. And its not just farmers, as you know, its everything around ag, which is so important in this state. It is ag manufacturing, like some of the layoffs at John Deere. Its whats happening with the biodiesel and soybean plants. Like the plant I visited in Crawfordsville, where the worker who is the last one standing there everyone else had been let go, the plant closed down, but they let one guy stay to maintain the equipment. And he takes his coat rack out with the uniforms, all nicely pressed of what had been his fellow workers for years. And I remember they had their names embroidered on each uniform. Mark, Derek, Salvador, and he said, These were my friends. And now they're not here anymore. And he said its all because of the trade war and it's also because of the secret waivers that Donald Trump has been giving to these oil companies. Thats what were talking about, the effect of these economic policies on rural America. We also know that no real movement has been made on housing, both rural and urban, or on childcare, where youve got childcare deserts in Iowa, things that would really help people in their everyday lives. Yet, this is a guy that goes down to Mar-a-Lago after that tax bill passes, that tax bill that no one had even seemed to have read and put all this money at the top. He goes down to Mar-a-Lago to a room of his friends, and he says, this is documented: You all just got a lot richer. Were any of you there? Analysis Democrats hope President Trumps trade policies, which have hurt farmers, would help them win back some rural voters. There has, as of yet, been little evidence of such a trend. I didnt want to embarrass anyone. I bet no one from your whole state was down there. But that is exactly what he did. And I want to be your president that comes into a room like this and says, You know what, Ive done something for childcare, for rural America. Ive got something done and continued what weve done for years, which is steady foreign policy, instead of the mess that he has created. I have stood by our teachers to make our schools better. Those are the things that I want to deliver to rooms like this. So yeah, this is an economic check and I think thats what youre gonna hear us debate. Its what youve heard through many debates, but it is more than that. And if we lose this piece of it, well, then shame on us because this is what it is. For so many people out there who maybe dont agree with us on every single policy, we dont even agree with ourselves on every single policy, which is a great thing about the Democratic Party, but it is for them a decency check. It is a patriotism check. It is a values check. So many of the big moments in our countrys history have been about democracy. Its been about our constitutional rights. Its that push and pull that happens every single moment in our countrys history. And this guy made a joke about it. And if we forget that, we lose a lot. I dont just want to eke by a victory in this presidential race at four in the morning. That will be sweet. Oh yes, it will. But I can tell you, if thats how we win at four in the morning, that state wont be Iowa. I want to get all these things done that we talk about on the debate stage. Bring down those costs with premiums. Finally, do something about pharma. Invest in education, making it easier to send kids to college. Bring sanity back to our foreign policy. I want to do these things, but, if we just eke by a victory, it wont be enough. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar often touts her record of bipartisan achievement. During her three terms in the Senate, she has not led on divisive issues, focusing instead on consumer-friendly problems like lowering the cost of prescription drugs. We have to win big. We have to win big. We have to win these House races, including J.D.s in the state of Iowa. That's what we need to do. We have to win a Senate seat here, as well as Senate seats across the country. Analysis J. D. Scholten is a Democrat running in a rematch against Representative Steve King, in the conservative northwestern part of the state. Hes a favorite of the 2020 candidates, though he doesnt plan to endorse in the primary. And there's every reason to believe we can, when you look at some of our excellent candidates. And if you think, Oh, whats she talking about? Look at what just happened last month. We won and flipped the Virginia state legislature, House and Senate, with a group of diverse candidates all across that state because people wanted a check. It wasnt just Democrats voting for those candidates. It was independents, moderates, Republicans. We won and re-elected a Democrat in the state of Louisiana. And yes, we elected a Democratic governor in the state of Kentucky, where Mitch McConnell now has a Democratic governor. Theyre even redder than Iowa, those last few, okay? So don't tell me we can't win Iowa. Secondly, the night before the election in both those states, who went down there to campaign for those Democratic governors as opponents? Donald Trump. So my first question is, where can we send him next? Because that went pretty well. And then the final thing we know is that we dont shut people out. We bring them with us. Analysis Moderate Democrats viewed these victories, largely in red and suburban areas, as proof that they must embrace a less liberal economic message on issues like health care and paying for college. Thats what Ms. Klobuchar argues, too. So how do we do that in action? How do we do that in terms of winning? Well, the first thing we do is make sure that we are able to describe some of the things he's done as president in a way that brings people back. Im sure there are many people in this room, if I asked you to give every reason, you have like 100 of them, right? Or maybe 15,000 of them, cause thats how many lies hes told. I guess, thats documented. But when I talk to workers in some of the states that weve lost, including this one, including states like Ohio, including states like Pennsylvania and Michigan and Wisconsin, and by the way, my plan is to build just as Ive done in Minnesota, with these red districts and purple districts, rural, suburban, a big beautiful blue wall of Democratic votes around the entire Midwest and make Donald Trump pay for it. That is a good plan. Analysis Those three states are major triggers for Democrats, many of whom are still upset over their close 2016 loss. Ms. Klobuchar frequently invokes those defeats to argue that her midwestern background makes her better able to win back Rust Belt voters. So when I talk to the workers in places, like the carpenters in Western Pennsylvania or dairy farmers in Wisconsin, or dockworkers in Michigan, they told me this so they hear when people say he is a bully, theyll acknowledge this. But then they say, You know what really bugs me? What really bugs me is that I have to work so hard just to be able to make sure my family can have a mortgage or just to be able to afford insulin, or just to be able to afford to send my kid to school. And when things go bad for me, they say, I just have to work harder. When the dairy farming, which has been a big struggle, and things go bad, Ive got to take out an extra loan or Ive gotta be able to, or my spouse goes and takes an extra job. And then they look at him, and they think to themselves, You know, hes got the best job in the world. He lives in the nicest house. And by the way, he got there, he got in his career and got to where he was because his dad gave him $413 million over the course of his career. And imagine me on the debate stage with him. What am I going to say? My grandpa worked 1,500 feet underground in the iron ore mines his whole life. Every day hed go down in a cage. He wanted to be in the Navy but his parents were very sick. He had nine brothers and sisters. He was the oldest boy and this is what he had to do. And he went down in that cage every day. And hed think about that life in the Navy, and he loved to hunt. Hed think about that, but that was his job. That was his obligation. And when he and my grandma got married, and had my dad and my uncle Dick, they saved money, my grandma and grandpa, in a coffee can in their basement, to send my dad to a two-year community college. You cannot fit $413 million in a coffee can in a basement, in this little house in Ely, Minnesota. But when I think of this, that was my familys trust. That gave us this opportunity. And when people give you an opportunity, whether its a grandparent, or a parent, whether its a teacher, whether it is a neighbor, or whether it is someone you work with, you do not go into the world with a sense of entitlement. You go into the world with a sense of obligation. An obligation to bring people with you instead of pushing them out. An obligation to bring people with you instead of hoarding it all yourself. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar frequently talks about her parentss work as a teacher and a newspaper columnist, and her middle class upbringing in suburban Minneapolis is a big part of her pitch to voters. That is what we have to remind people about, and thats when you talk to the workers out there, they think about how they have to work harder and harder and harder, and they try to help other people and try to help their family. And then they look at this guy. When something goes wrong for him, what does he do? He whines. He actually whines. He blames everyone for a lot of his own problems that he has created. So I think that the way we think about him and talk about him, all these promises that hes made to workers and he has not kept are really important to our case. Second thing that we need to do. And that is having an optimistic economic agenda for the people of this country because great leaders are supposed to rise to the challenges of our time. And you know what these challenges are because you deal with them in your everyday life. One of the challenges, health care. I think we should bring down the premiums. I think we should make it easier to afford health care. And to me, when you have a problem, and by the way, the Affordable Care Act right now, if youre going to be practical about this, cause I worked on that bill, I knew it wasnt perfect, cause I didnt think it did anything on pharma. But the day that passed, I said, its a beginning and not an end. So my answer on that one is to build on it with the nonprofit public option, something that Barack Obama wanted to do from the very beginning. And then also to really take on pharma in a big way, something Ive been doing since I got to the U.S. Senate. But if we want to be practical about this, and I know some of my colleagues have other views, with Medicare for all and the like, but the Affordable Care Act is now 10 points more popular than the president of the United States. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar eagerly assails Medicare for all as too costly and politically damaging for Democrats. She supports adding a more limited and mostly optional public plan to the market, which would then compete with private options. I do not think that we should be blowing it up with all the protections that it gave us. And you know, when you come to water, in my state, you know, we have a lot of lakes, what, over 10,000. We build bridges. You do not blow them up. And that is the issue, right now with some of this discussion that were having. How would I improve it in addition to the taking on pharma prices and doing something about the nonprofit public option, which would be my two top priorities? I would also deal with mental health and addiction. For me, this is personal. My dad struggled with alcoholism his whole life. By the time John and I got married, he had his third D.W.I., and that's when the judge looked at him and said, You know, you have a choice, jail or treatment. And he chose treatment. And it changed his life. In his words, he was pursued by grace. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar made addiction and mental health an early focus of her campaign, releasing a $100 billion plan, in part because of her familys experience with it. His faith, his family, the treatment, all of it changed his life. And he has been sober ever since. He is now 91, and hes in assisted living. And as he said to me about a year and a half ago, its hard to get a drink around here anyway. His A.A. group still visits him. Its an extraordinary thing that Ive seen in my life, and thats why I think other people have that right to be pursued by grace, just like he was. And to me, that means taking that money and its going to be a big major settlement coming in from the pharma companies. And Im telling you, having someone whos a lawyer, whos been in private practice, who gets how these things work, be a part of this in terms of deciding how much money and where its going to go. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar spent the early part of her career as a partner at two Minnesota law firms, focused on telecommunications and regulatory issues. This is going to be a big settlement, kind of like tobacco. And we want to make sure it goes to treatment, in not just urban, but also rural areas. Analysis She supports a master settlement agreement between the government and opioid companies, where funds for treatment and social services would go to states. We want to make sure it covers other forms of addiction, from alcohol to meth which is still a huge problem in your state, you're nodding your head. You know, I mean, its true, and a lot of people have forgotten about it to crack cocaine. And that also includes mental health. When in Iowa right now, you only have 64 public mental health beds in your state. 64 public mental health. So you wonder why people get lined up in rural hospitals. Because theres nowhere to bring them. Theyre just taking up a bed. Theyre not getting the help they need and the hospitals are waiting to find a place to bring them. Or the story I heard when I met with people at a restaurant and this woman had just gotten off work, she was a school counselor at a school with about 650 kids. She said that day four kids had come up to her with thoughts of suicide. She said they were all immigrant kids. Their parents worked at the plant, and they were afraid that under Donald Trump, they would be deported. Thats whats happening. Its of course about very, very bad immigration policies, but it is also about the fact that weve got people in rural areas, where weve had this big increase in suicides, big increase with kids. Theres been a 30 percent increase in suicides in the United States of America in the last 15 years. So when you hear these stories, theyre not just anecdotes. Its really happening. And that's why having a president that is willing to talk about this and have it be a major priority I was the first candidate in this race to come up with a plan on mental health. Its going to make a big difference, and the stigma is still there, and people dont want to talk about it. And I will. Other challenge in health care, and my last challenge Ill bring up, long-term care elephant in the room, no one talking about it. Yet, were seeing a doubling of our senior population while theyre off relitigating the Affordable Care Act, the Trump administration. What we should be doing is dealing with long-term care. That means shoring up Social Security, and theres a very straightforward way to do that. Making sure Medicaid is strong, that a lot of people end up going on Medicaid, and then doing something about a long-term care option so people can stay in their homes as well as long-term care insurance. Analysis In July, Ms. Klobuchar released a plan to improve care for seniors that includes lowering prescription drug costs, strengthening retirement funds and Social Security benefits, expanding resources for caregivers and investing in long-term treatment options. So my dad, the end of my dads story, is that somehow years and years and years ago, he got long-term care insurance. He kept paying it. It was cheaper then. And he had that. And thats whats paying for him right now to stay in this place that he really likes. Hes got 15 people. Its in a house, and people are taking care of him. Hes happy. Well, I know exactly when that long-term care insurance is going to end. Its like a year and a half more, or something like that. And then you go into the savings, which arent that big because he was married three times, which is a whole other story. And then, of course, he goes on Medicaid, and Ive already talked to Catholic Eldercare and I know they're going to take him in because the place hes in now doesnt take Medicaid. Our storys actually better than so many other families stories. And this idea that we have this big challenge of long-term care, and no one is really talking about it in Washington, is insane. And its everything from housing, its from how we can encourage housing, and towns, big, small, medium, so that some of our seniors can move closer to town, and then that frees up housing. It is about how were going to provide care to people in their homes. Getting a reduction on premiums for long-term care insurance, and making long-term care easier to afford. Theres so many people in the sandwich generation, and I had this for awhile, where youre raising your own kid, but youre also taking care of your aging parents. So it is not just about our seniors. And I found a great way to pay for this. Everything I tell you, I have ways to pay for it. I think it was really important, that we show how were going to pay for things, because weve got a president right now that is literally treating you like poker chips in one of his bank broke casinos, and, and the debt is going to astronomical levels. Other challenges, workforce training, making sure that our education system, with a major investment in K through 12, matches, matches our economy. Fastest rising jobs right now, home health care workers, health care workers. Thats right, are you in health care? There you go. Analysis A number of 2020 candidates have released plans calling for free public four-year college for all. Ms. Klobuchar said her problem with those plans is they literally would pay for wealthy kids, for Wall Street kids to go to college. OK, so were going to have over a million openings for home health care workers in the next 10 years in our country, and we have no idea how were going to fill them. Were going to have over 100,000 openings for nursing assistants. Its like a one and two-year degree. The fastest-growing jobs we actually have right now that are opening are one and two-year degrees. We are going to have over 70,000 openings for electricians. We are not going to have a shortage of MBAs in this country, as great as that is. We are going to have a shortage of plumbers. And so what we need to do is figure out how we put these incentives in place, for these one and two-year degrees. I think they should be free. And then doubling the Pell grants, cause were gonna have a lot of the four-year degree jobs as well. Doubling the Pell grants from $6,000 to $12,000, doubling the income level where you qualify up to $100,000. That will allow students in this state and families that are paying for it a much better situation and they can use them at public and private colleges. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar has positioned herself as a moderate alternative on education. She calls for free community college, a significantly expanded Pell grant program and apprenticeship and workforce training programs. I would pay for this by bringing the capital gains rate to where the personal rate is, with maybe some incentives for long-term holdings, and it would pay for all of this as well as help with paying back loans. Immigration reform. This state of all states should understand the need for immigrants in our economy. And I talk about this at every single event, and people say, You talk about immigration in Iowa? And Im like, Yeah, just like I talk about it all the time in Minnesota, just like nearly every negative ad run against me when I first ran to the U.S. Senate, was about immigration. Why? Because I see it as an economic imperative. Immigrants dont diminish America. They are America. We need workers in our fields and in our factories. We need workers in health care, and in our nursing homes. I was at the VA in Marshalltown and the head of psychiatry there told me, the health center there, that the number one goal is actually a bill I had, called Conrad 30, named after Kent Conrad from North Dakota, and it was an effort and is an effort, to bring in, when we have someone go to one of our medical schools in our country from another country. Right now, if they want to do, and generally, except for this provision, they want to do their residency anywhere, including this state, they cant. They have to go back. And yet, we need workers. And the whole idea is to allow them to do their residency here, if they go to rural areas, if they go to impoverished areas, they can do their residency here. Analysis First passed in 1994, the Conrad 30 is a waiver program for foreign physicians on J-1 work-study visas that allows them to complete their residency in the U.S., in exchange for a three-year commitment to practice in underserved communities. Ms. Klobuchar has reintroduced the bill in Congress. And thats just one example. Theres so many other things that we can do with comprehensive immigration reform. Remember, 70 of our Fortune 500 companies are headed by people from other countries, 25 percent of our U.S. Nobel laureates were born in other countries. So youve got to make the economic case. And my favorite part of the economic case, I got from Grover Norquist, who supported our 2013 bill that we passed with the support of the AFL-CIO, Chamber of Commerce, Migrant Group, Farmers Union, Farm Bureau. What happened? It got stuck in John Boehners freezer next to the frozen peas. And it was very similar to the bill that George Bush wanted, that Barack Obama wanted, and we couldnt get it done. I know where the votes are, I know where the bodies are buried, and well get it done. And by the way, it brought the deficit down by $158 billion in 10 years. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar was one of several Senate negotiators who, in May 2007, worked out a bipartisan deal for comprehensive immigration reform that would have offered legal status to most of the undocumented immigrants in the U.S. at the time. It ultimately failed. Thats why there was some significant Republicans why? Because people come out of the shadows and they pay taxes, and it helps with wages. Thats why the AFL-CIO supported it. So its really important. OK. Other challenges. weve got the rural-urban divide, which I have devoted myself to in the Senate. Im trying to fix that to make sure people understand that food doesnt magically show up on their table, and make sure people get that theres different housing issues and different health care issues, with critical access hospitals and the like. And Im on the agriculture committee and proud of the work that Ive done on that committee. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar has pushed a campaign theme of heartland economics, which involves revitalizing rural areas and bridging the urban-rural divide. She believes Democrats economic message is a strong argument against Mr. Trump. Climate change. Something that isnt happening 100 years from now, its happening right now. And as your president, on day one, I would get us back into the international climate change agreement. And remember that when Trump got us out, there were only two countries not in it, Nicaragua and Syria. They are now in the agreement. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar is referring to the Paris Agreement on climate change, which 195 countries agreed to in 2015 and Mr. Trump began pulling the U.S. out of last year. Bringing back the clean power rules, the gas mileage standards, sweeping legislation when it comes to a price on carbon, making sure that that money that comes in, which is going to be trillions of dollars, goes back to people to help them with their heating bills and the like. And we have to have that iron clad to get the support to get it done. But that will create the incentives for the technology that we need to go to carbon neutral. Imagine what we can do if we put major incentives in place to go after climate change. Analysis Ms. Klobuchars climate plan is estimated to cost $1 trillion. She would raise $50 billion to $150 billion through clean energy bonds, and would ask Congress to increase the corporate tax rate to 25 percent. She would also increase the capital gains rate and establish a financial risk fee on banks. So as you can see, I view a lot of these things as gains for us. As gains for our country. But none of this is gonna happen if we dont win, and if we dont win big. We are going to continue to have a foreign policy conducted by a guy who tweets things out in his bathrobe at four in the morning. And to win big, we have to have a candidate at the top of the ticket that can bring people with her. That is what we need to do. And when you look at my track record, I am the only one on that debate stage, the only one, that time and time again has won in the reddest of red districts. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar frames her gender as a strength, and highlighting her electoral record is part of how she pushes back against concerns about electability. The question of whether a woman can win has hung over the 2020 campaign, despite little evidence to support the concerns. I have won every single election, including my first one against a sitting congressman in this district that borders Iowa, that is now held by a Republican. I won the district that borders North and South Dakota. Analysis Ms. Klobuchar highlights the 42 counties Mr. Trump carried that she won during her re-election race in November 2018. She won 51 of the states 87 counties in all, and she outperformed other Democrats running statewide, earning 86,500 more votes than Senator Tina Smith and 76,000 more than Gov. Tim Walz. I have won big-time Northern Minnesota where the steelworkers are, where my dad was from. And I have won Michele Bachmanns district every single time. I have won by not selling out on our values, but by bringing people with me and getting things done. I have passed over 100 bills, more than anyone else thats in Congress, thats running for office right now for the highest office of the land. Ive passed more bills, many more bills than any of them. Analysis In 2016, she ranked first on a list of senators with the most bills passed into law. And I have done it because I know how to stand my ground, and also find common ground. That is going to matter to voters. That is going to matter in a general election. And the fact that I have flipped the statehouse. Every time I lead the ticket, you go from Republican to Democrat. Thats because I dont view my elections nor will I view this one as a personal victory. I view it as a national victory. Analysis It was Hillary Clintons narrow victory in Minnesota, which she won by the smallest margin of any Democratic presidential candidate in decades, that led Ms. Klobuchar to think seriously about mounting her own bid. So my last profound piece of advice to all of you is, we better not screw this up because we have this opportunity of generations to be able to win big. And if you dont think, as I noted on one debate stage, if you dont think a woman can beat Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi does it every single time. Thank you for coming. CHICAGO State officials on Thursday confirmed the second case of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that the victim is a man in his 60s and the spouse of the first confirmed travel-related case in Illinois. Officials said he had not traveled overseas but interacted with his wife upon her return from China. This is the first person-to-person spread of the virus in the U.S. I want to emphasize that the risk of this novel coronavirus to the general public in Illinois remains low, said said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike who was in Macoupin County last week. Local, state, and federal health officials are working to identify those who have had close contact with the individual I order to take protective measures to minimize further spread of the virus, she said. We will continue to keep the public fully informed as additional information becomes available. On Jan. 24, officials with CDC, IDPH and CDPH announced the first confirmed Illinois case of 2019-nCoV in a Chicago resident, a woman in her 60s who returned from Wuhan, China on Jan. 13. The woman remains in the hospital in stable condition and is doing well. Her husband also is hospitalized in stable condition. We know coronaviruses are most likely to spread through close personal contact, and we know this second patient had close contact with his wife after she began to develop symptoms, so its not totally unexpected that he acquired the virus, said Dr. Allison Arwady, MPH, Commissioner of CDPH. This is exactly why public health has been monitoring him closely, and why we monitor any close contacts of confirmed cases. This does not change our guidance that the risk to the general public remains low at this time, Arwardy said. People in the community do not need to change their behavior based on this news; for example, they dont need to cancel events, avoid mass gatherings, or wear gloves and masks in public. Public health officials are investigating locations where the second patient visited in the last two weeks and any close contacts who were possibly exposed. A CDC team continues to be deployed to Illinois to support these efforts. If you have traveled to China or come into contact with a confirmed case and are experiencing fever, cough, or shortness of breath, contact your healthcare provider, said Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer Dr. Terry Mason. We encourage everyone to practice the same germ prevention as with flu, which last year caused 35 million illnesses and just over 34,000 deaths. CDC continues to monitor the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by 2019-nCoV first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. There have been hundreds of cases worldwide and more than 50 deaths. Symptoms reported among patients with 2019-nCoVhave included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. Although this is the first person-to-person transmission in the U.S., it is still not yet clear how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from one person to another. With MERS and SARS, also novel coronaviruses, the virus was thought to have spread mainly through sneezing and coughing, similar to the flu. In general, it was spread between close contacts. There is currently no vaccine to prevent 2019-nCoV infection. Right now, 2019-nCoV has not been found to be spreading widely in the United States, so there are no additional precautions recommended for the general public to take. The following everyday preventive actions can help prevent the spread of several viruses, including seasonal flu. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Stay home when you are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Rometty, 62, will continue as executive chairman and will retire at the end of the year. International Business Machines Corp (IBM) Chief Executive Officer Ginni Rometty will hand over the reins to the head of the companys cloud business, as the pioneer tech company continues its efforts to rejuvenate itself. Arvind Krishna, 57, who spearheaded the Red Hat deal, will take over in April, according to a Reuters report. Breaking news: Arvind Krishna elected as IBM Chief Executive Officer Jim Whitehurst elected IBM President Ginni Rometty continues as Executive Chairman of the Board Learn more: https://t.co/h3YxxNZIPq pic.twitter.com/AbcLzM4dbK IBM (@IBM) January 30, 2020 IBM will likely continue its trajectory under Krishna, but may pursue more small acquisitions in the cloud and analytics space, said Tim Hubbard, assistant professor at the University of Notre Dame and a former IBM consultant. Shares of the company were up nearly 5 percent in extended trading. IBM also said Red Hat CEO James Whitehurst will become its president. Rometty, 62, will continue as executive chairman and will retire at the end of the year. Arvind is the right CEO for the next era at IBM, Rometty said in a statement, Reuters said. The company was a late entrant to the business of cloud services, a segment now dominated by Amazon.com Inc and Microsoft Corp, and Rometty, a 40-year IBM veteran and one of the highest-profile women in US business, bet on acquisitions to cut the lead. During her eight years at the helm, the Big Blue completed 65 acquisitions, culminating in the $34 billion (26 billion pounds) deal for Red Hat last year - the biggest purchase in its 108-year historywhile selling some of its legacy businesses. She leaves on a recent high note, days after IBM reported its first revenue growth in six quarters, but shares have lost about a quarter in value since she took charge, and the turnaround she began remains a work in progress. --With inputs from Reuters Harvey Weinstein hired private investigators to meet with journalists and track down his accusers to thwart media reports of his alleged sex offences, his rape trial has heard. The 67-year-old Hollywood producer hired Black Cube - a firm founded by former intelligence analysts from the Israel Defence Forces - in 2017, as reporters from The New Yorker and The New York Times were looking into his behaviour with women, the court heard. The articles, published in October 2017, ushered in the #MeToo movement as scores more women came forward with allegations against Weinstein and other prominent figures in industries from Hollywood to Wall Street. Details of the Black Cube deal were given in court by Dev Sen, a corporate lawyer at Boies Schiller Flexner, who said the firm signed a contract with the private investigators on behalf of Weinstein. The jury of seven men and five women were shown an email from the movie mogul to someone at Black Cube which read: "Red flags are the ones of interest." Prosecutors said he was referring to a list of names marked in red to identify his accusers. Those names included The Sopranos actress Annabella Sciorra, who gave evidence last week and claimed Weinstein overpowered and raped her after barging into her apartment in the mid-1990s. Asked about Black Cube as he left Thursday's proceedings, Weinstein defended his use of the private investigators, telling reporters outside he did it "for days like this". Since 2017, more than 80 women, including several famous actresses, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades - although his New York trial involves only two allegations. Sciorra's claim is too old to be charged as a separate crime. However, prosecutors hope her testimony will help show jurors he is a serial sexual predator as they consider the two charges - that he forcibly performed oral sex on a production assistant in his apartment in 2006, and raped an aspiring actress in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty, and has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex. Once the New York trial is over, Weinstein faces additional rape and sexual assault charges in Los Angeles which were filed earlier this month. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky..) arrives at the Capitol for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Senate Votes Down Witnesses, Sets Vote on Impeachment Articles For Feb. 5 Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses late Friday and approved a resolution that calls for a vote on the two articles of impeachment to be held on Wednesday in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Senators voted along party lines 53-47 approving Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-Ky.) resolution, which sets up the timeline for the rest of the trial proceedings. It calls for closing statements to be heard starting Monday 11 a.m., which will not exceed four hours and [will] be equally divided between the House and the President to be used as under the Rules of Impeachment. Once the closing arguments from both sides have been delivered, the trial will be adjourned until Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, when senators will move to vote on the articles of impeachmentabuse of power and obstruction of Congress. In the interim period, senators can speak on the Senate floor and explain their votes, reported The Hill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells resolution laying out procedures on articles of impeachment in the trial of President Donald Trump. Earlier, Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses, which may have included former Trump national security adviser John Bolton. The Senate voted 5149 to not subpoena any documents or witnesses in the trial. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) joined Democrats in the losing bid. Potential swing-votes Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) voted against the measure. No Democrats joined the Republican majority. McConnell said that there is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as overwhelming and beyond any doubt.' Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation, McConnell said in a statement. We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue. Following the vote against calling witnesses, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters that its a grand tragedy and one of the worst tragedies in the Senates history. The Senate turned away from truth and held a sham trial, he said. The Senate impeachment trial was not a real trial, Schumer said. Schumer and other Democrats have said that witnesses and documents need to be subpoenaed for the impeachment trial to be legitimate. They attempted to apply more pressure on four potential swing-vote senators this week when The New York Times published details about Boltons forthcoming book, where he allegedly claims Trump told him about a link between military aid and investigations in Ukraine. The president has denied the allegations. Democratic presidential contender Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pilloried the vote: The Senate refused to subpoena witnesses in this impeachment trial. Ive never heard of a trial where you dont have witnesses. This is a sad day in American history. Trump was formally charged on Dec. 18 by the Democrat-majority House on two articles of impeachment (pdf)abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. No House Republicans voted in favor of the articles, and a small number of Democrats broke with their party to vote against one or both articles. Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard voted present in protest of the House-led effort, which she called a partisan endeavor. Trump has repeatedly said he didnt do anything wrong. He earlier agreed with Gabbard that House Democrats were playing politics. A two-thirds supermajority (67 votes) is required to convict an impeached president and remove them from office. About 20 Republicans would have to break with their party and join the Democratic minority to achieve a supermajority. Meanwhile, a simple majority (51 votes) is required to dismiss the impeachment charges against Trump. No president has ever been removed as a direct result of impeachment. Richard Nixon resigned before he could be removed. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were both impeached by the House but not convicted in the Senate. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. 2 1 of 2 Anthony Kwan, Stringer / Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 2 FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images Show More Show Less WASHINGTON - The coronavirus outbreak is likely to drop Chinese oil demand by 250,000 barrels a day over the first three months of the year, analysts at the research firm Wood Mackenzie warned Thursday. Jet fuel demand is expected to be most severely impacted, as travel restrictions and consumer fears reduce airplane travel in and out of China. Court grants leave for UnitedCorp to submit an amended complaint Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - January 31, 2020) - Miami-based United American Corp ("UnitedCorp") (OTC Pink: UAMA) announced today that in a ruling issued by Magistrate Judge Chris McAliley of the US District Court, Southern District of Florida on January 28, 2020, the Judge allowed UnitedCorp to continue its antitrust lawsuit originally filed against Bitmain Group, Bitcoin.com, Roger Ver, Jihan Wu, Kraken, Jesse Powell, Amaury Sechet, Shammah Chancellor and Jason Cox (the "Defendants"). UnitedCorp will have 30 days to submit an amended complaint to address certain issues brought up by the Court after it granted without prejudice the motion to dismiss. The Court also rejected a motion from counsel of the Bitmain Group and Jihan Wu to have them excluded from the complaint due a one-week delay in service in China. In a related ruling on January 21, 2020 the Court denied a motion by UnitedCorp without prejudice for a 90-day extension to serve foreign defendants Saint Bitts LLC and Amaury Sechet. The two rulings mean that the complaints can be amended but will not include the two defendants that could not be served in foreign jurisdictions. This ruling comes as the result of a motion presented by the Defendants one year ago on February 1, 2019 to dismiss the complaint in its entirety with prejudice. While the Judge recognized that there were some deficiencies in the initial UnitedCorp complaint which needed further definition in terms of the Defendants' actions and the injuries to the company, UnitedCorp believes the Court recognized that prima facie, there were key questions of law that needed to be addressed and defined in the emerging cryptocurrency industry. During the hearing, the Judge questioned defense counsel on the role of Kraken as an exchange had in defining the cryptocurrency market and subsequently did not accept, for now, Kraken's assertion that it had no role in the market and therefore could not be part of the antitrust complaint. Judge McAliley also did not accept for the time being, assertions made by counsels for Ver, Cox and Chancellor that the Defendants' actions by implementing Checkpoints in the software code, amongst other things, resulted in two competitive chains, therefore there were no antitrust issues to be evaluated since the action would have resulted in increased competition. The Court questioned furthermore, whether those actions are now preventing future changes in consensus rules and if the Bitcoin ABC software patch on November 15, 2018 was applied to both network nodes and exchanges. The Court raised questions about the market value in the Bitcoin Cash ticker (BCH) at the time of the hard fork and questioned if Kraken would have benefited from its delisting of the resulting coin (Bitcoin SV - "BSV") thereby discouraging trading of BSV just after the hard fork. The Judge continued to questioned counsel for Kraken on the economic basis for the decision to delist Bitcoin SV as well as its arguments to the effect that BSV would have been unstable with lack of liquidity since this seemed to be the case for many other cryptocurrencies traded on Kraken - not just BSV. In its defense Kraken counsel argued that it was obliged to disclose to their clients that it believed there was a lack of liquidity in the BSV market which required the immediate delisting of BSV, an argument which was not accepted by the Court at this stage in the proceedings. One of the more interesting points raised by the Judge in the hearing was whether the US Federal Court could rule on whether or not the Satoshi Nakamoto White Paper of October 31, 2008 (the "White Paper") which initially defined Bitcoin, could be considered as a binding contract or rules among the users in the Bitcoin industry. The Court left open the possibility that this question might have to be addressed at some point. "We are very pleased with the outcome of the January 28th hearing and that the Court has given us the opportunity to provide additional information and resubmit an amended complaint," stated Benoit Laliberte, President and CEO of UnitedCorp. "We believe the Court has recognized the importance of establishing law in what has been to date, a fairly undefined environment. Bitcoin was developed as a decentralized and distributed peer-to-peer electronic cash system operating under democratic principles created within the network. Any move to centralize or control the network is against its very philosophy and foundation. We are very encouraged by the interest this has generated from antitrust professionals, most of whom agree that this suit is very timely given that antitrust laws are now almost 100 years old, and furthermore that it is time to assess the limits and legality of actions within the cryptocurrency industry." Background to the Suit The suit, which was launched on December 6, 2018, is the first antitrust action brought in the United States involving the cryptocurrency industry and is being closely watched by antitrust professionals and the cryptocurrency world. It alleges that the Defendants collectively engaged in unfair methods of competition, and through a series of deceptive and unfair practices, manipulated the Bitcoin Cash network for their benefit and to the detriment of UnitedCorp and other Bitcoin Cash stakeholders. It further alleges that these actions resulted in the network losing more than US $4 billion in unrecoverable value to network participants at the time as a direct result of the alleged hijacking of the network. This, in addition to a forced network fork with the implementation of their specific new rules set in the Bitcoin ABC 0.18.5 version under the control of the Defendants. UnitedCorp alleges that these new rules set have irreparably harmed the Bitcoin Cash blockchain network and Bitmain, along with the co-Defendants, should be held liable. UnitedCorp alleges that the Defendants colluded to effectively hijack the Bitcoin Cash network after the November 15, 2018 scheduled software update with the express intent of centralizing the network. This includes allegations that Roger Ver, along with Kraken and developers of Bitcoin ABC, colluded with Chinese-based and Chinese government-financed mining rig manufacturer Bitmain to unfairly redirect hashing power at the exact moment of the scheduled software update, forcing the implementation of Bitcoin ABC software centric checkpoints and thereby moving the network away from its native Bitcoin-based blockchain design. UnitedCorp also believes that the attempt to dominate the network in favor of a particular Bitcoin ABC version was enhanced by Bitmain's use of firmware known as "Overt ASICBoost" which provides significantly increased operational mining efficiency. This firmware was made available in advance of the last Bitcoin Cash update by Bitmain only to Bitcoin ABC-supported pools, which are operated by Bitcoin.com which is owned by Roger Ver. Overt ASICBoost was not usable by other Bitcoin Cash pools in a time frame that would have allowed them to apply the efficiency during the software upgrade. This gave the Bitcoin ABC-Bitmain-Bitcoin.com group-supported pools a significant advantage and allowed them to accomplish the network control centralization plan. UnitedCorp alleges that these activities are evidence of not only a violation of the accepted standards and protocols associated with Bitcoin since its inception, but a violation of US antitrust laws, including parts of the Sherman Act. In their motion to dismiss, the Defendants had argued that the UnitedCorp action did not meet the standards to proceed. In its opposition to dismiss, UnitedCorp provided a significant number of details to support the suit including evidence that the Defendants themselves made explicit statements declaring that they coordinated, conspired and agreed with each other. This included a YouTube video from an online forum where Andreas Brekken, a Kraken software engineer, acknowledges that Bitcoin ABC developers and crypto exchanges such as Kraken agreed to the entire scheme in advance. In the video, Brekken further admits that the scheme had been planned for a long time and included a software patch that could be applied by the exchanges at a strategic point during the software update which "prevents all future re-orgs" - in other words which allows control of the network. UnitedCorp's filing also provides support for the allegation that the Defendants' collective actions were for unlawful purposes and in an attempt to manipulate the cryptocurrency market for Bitcoin Cash, violated consensus rules regarding voting and precluded any future changes to Bitcoin Cash functionality and changes to the consensus rules. The actions are compared to the illegal action of "bid rigging" in that Bitmain "mercenary" miners were temporarily redeployed to the Bitcoin Cash network during the software upgrade for the sole purpose of diluting the traditional voting process exercised by existing Bitcoin Cash nodes to dominate the process for a short period of time. This violated the established ground rules of the network that others had respected and relied on for years. The Bitcoin White Paper clearly states that "Nodes can leave and rejoin the network at will, accepting the proof-of-work chain as proof of what happened while they were gone. They vote with their CPU power, expressing their acceptance of valid blocks by working on extending them and rejecting invalid blocks by refusing to work on them. Any needed rules and incentives can be enforced with this consensus mechanism." Therefore, the use of CPU power that was never part of the network prior to the network upgrade could not possibly have "rejoined" the network for the voting process. The transient spike in CPU power could only have been achieved at that time through deliberate and coordinated manipulation by the Defendants. About United American Corp Established in 1992, United American Corp is a Florida-based development and management company focusing on telecommunications and information technologies. The company currently holds the rights to manage a portfolio of patents and proprietary technology in telecommunications, social media and Blockchain technology, and owns and operates the Data Center Domes which are designed to provide heat for agricultural operations using computer equipment in naturally cooled data centers where efficiency and low-cost operations are a priority. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors that may be beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances in management's expectations or opinions change. Source: United American Corp Contact: Investor Relations investorrelations@unitedcorp.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52000 Toxic chemicals from microplastic pollution gathers in the bodies of seabirds and is putting their survival at risk, a study has found. Tests in the wild and in a lab revealed plastic additives accumulate in the birds' livers and fatty tissues at extreme levels - up to 1,200 times the normal level. Chemicals added to plastics include flame retardants and UV stabilisers, which are designed to make them more resilient and durable. However, tpresence of these chemicals in seabirds has been slammed by scientists, who describe plastic pollution as a 'pervasive and growing threat'. Scroll down for video Chemicals added to plastics found in the liver and tissue of the birds flame retardants and UV stabilisers. They were infused into plastic pellets and scientists assessed how the chemicals travelled throughout their bodies (pictured). They found levels of the chemicals up to 1,200 times the normal level Research published in the journal Current Biology from Hokkaido University in Japan predicts 99 per cent of seabirds will have ingested plastic waste by 2050. Researchers, led by Dr Shouta Nakayama, write in the study: 'Marine plastic debris contains both additives compounded during manufacturing and chemicals sorbed from ambient seawater. 'The many toxic chemicals present and their adverse effects on those organisms that ingest plastics raise concerns about individual health and population-level impacts.' Birds often get tangled in plastic or mistake it for food and eat it. Pictured, a graphic image of a seagull from 2018 that died after becoming tangled in a carrier bad on a barbed wire fence The researchers fed plastic pellets to chicks of six different types of seabirds - including two species of albatross. Between 1950 and 2010, sea bird populations have declined by 70 per cent. Currently, nearly half of the worlds species are experiencing population declines, and 2 per cent are classified as globally threatened, the researchers say. Seabirds, as well as many marine mammals, reptiles and fish, mistake litter in the waterways for food. After unwillingly eating the plastic, it wreaks havoc in their bodies. Macropollution - large chunks of plastic - cause blockages and can wrap around internal organs of animals, causing injury, malnutrition and even death. But the chemicals inside the plastic litter also alter the innards of the birds, the latest study shows. BJP president J P Nadda on Friday asked people to compare the works done by the Modi government and the AAP dispensation in Delhi, and decide whom to vote for in the February 8 assembly polls here. Addressing a gathering in Delhi's Ghonda area, Nadda alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal government has failed to fulfil its promises made in the run up to the 2015 assembly elections. The BJP president said the ruling Aam Aadmi Party had promised to construct 500 schools and 20 colleges, and provide clean water, but it failed to do so. On other hand, the BJP-led central government has done several works for the people of Delhi despite hurdles created by the AAP dispensation. The Modi government gave ownership rights to 40 lakh residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies, he said, adding that the Centre will also provide pucca houses to every slum dweller. "I want to ask you that before going to cast your votes, see the work of any party in the past and then take decision," Nadda said. The central government constructed the Eastern and Western peripheral expressways due to which 60,000 vehicles do not need to enter Delhi, resulting in reduction in pollution level in the city. The AAP created hurdles in construction of Metro Phase-IV, but the Modi government ensured the smooth execution of the project, he said. Delhi goes to polls on February 8 and the results will be declared on February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) British newspapers are routinely glamorising combat by creating a moral separation between combat and non-combat injuries, according to new research published in the journal Media, War and Conflict. Academics from Anglia Ruskin University's Veterans and Families Institute for Military Social Research (VFI) examined the reporting of injuries sustained by British military personnel during the height of the UK's war in Afghanistan in 2009, and a comparison period in 2014, in all daily and Sunday UK national newspapers. They found that representation of injured personnel differed substantially between articles reporting on combat and non-combat injuries, with wounds suffered in battle being framed as more 'heroic' than those sustained in other situations, such as during training or in road traffic accidents. Newspapers tended to provide factual descriptions of non-combat injuries, but in reports of wounds suffered in battle, there was a tendency to add emotive terms, such as "horrific" or "harrowing," and provide more details and context. Figures from the Ministry of Defence show that 2,201 personnel were admitted to the Field Hospital at Camp Bastion between 2009 and 2014 with combat injuries. During the same period, 2,019 were admitted as a result of non-battle injuries, including crushing accidents, accidental small arms fire, slips, trips and falls, demonstrating the wide variety of injuries sustained by military personnel during times of conflict. Lead author Dr Nick Caddick, Senior Research Fellow at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "The media plays a key role in how the public understands war and it generates and amplifies the heroic rhetoric that sticks to soldiers and veterans during times of conflict. "The consequences of media framing are rarely benign and can skew the perception of combat. Media constructs and reinforces powerful meanings about particular topics or social groups, such as injured soldiers and veterans. "We found that reporting describing combat injuries was highly charged, sensational and emotive. At the same time, bland, factual descriptions were used when reporting on military personnel serving in Afghanistan whose injuries were not sustained on the battlefield. Glamorising combat injuries as a more worthy form of heroic sacrifice obscures the reality that there is nothing glamorous about the often hideous day-to-day realities of war and its aftermath. "It is worth emphasising that deployment to a warzone is not the only military activity that carries a risk of death and injury. Using language in this way may create risks to the mental health of soldiers and veterans who have received non-combat injuries, as they may feel that they are somehow less worthy or valued by the population than those who have been wounded in battle." PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 14:00:38 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 393 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / Appellate family law attorney Dennis Temko has won an order from a California appeals court (Case # D074434) requiring a San Diego superior court to reevaluate the cost of a financial penalty against his client.Temko's client, the former wife in a divorce, was ordered to pay $200,000 in sanctions after a San Diego Superior Court found that she had not cooperated with the court's order to turn over property to her ex-husband. In his client's appeal to California's Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, Temko argued that the award improperly included payment for the husband's costs and fees unrelated to the litigation. The payment was to be taken partly out of spousal support paid by the husband to the wife.The appeals court agreed. California Family Code Section 271 permits only "an award of attorney's fees and costs," the court said. Since the trial court's award included the cost of the husband's travel, lost vacation time, and perhaps other transactions not related to attorney's fees and costs, the appeals court sent the case back to the trial court for recalculation. The trial court on remand was required to explain how the new award related to the ex-husband's attorney's fees and costs, which will likely result in a lower award.About Dennis Temko: Based in San Diego, appellate attorney Dennis Temko focuses his practice on family law appeals and writs. He handles matters including divorce, child custody, child support and spousal support, high-net-worth or high-income situations, stock options, domestic violence restraining orders, imputation of income, and Ostler/Smith orders for handling financial awards for people with fluctuating incomes.Named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, Temko has handled matters resulting in at least thirteen published opinions from California state appeals courts. After graduating from California Western School of Law, Temko was admitted to the California State Bar in 2013. He serves on the board of the San Diego Family Law Bar and is a member of the Family Law Section of the San Diego County Bar Association and the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court. He also volunteers with the self-help workshop for self-represented litigants for California's Fourth District, Division One, Court of Appeal.For more information, visit https://www.dennistemkolaw.com/ or call (858) 274 3538.For media inquiries, please call the NALA at 805.650.6121, ext. 361.SOURCE: Dennis Temko ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Jan. 31 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Police Lieutenant General Charymyrat Amanov has been appointed Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers (Deputy Prime Minister) for Security, Military and Legal Affairs and Secretary of the Turkmen State Security Council, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen presidents decree. Amanov previously served as the rector of the institute under the Turkmen Interior Ministry. Turkmenistan's President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Turkmen Armed Forces, General Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a meeting of the Turkmen State Security Council in this regard, Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper wrote. The president emphasized that the tasks facing national military and law enforcement agencies urge each leader to take a responsible approach to the assigned tasks. Among the main vectors of the forthcoming work, President Berdimuhamedov determined the adoption of comprehensive measures to improve the staff training system. Turkmenistan has been following the status of positive neutrality, defense sufficiency and has not been included in any of the military-political blocs since 1995. US authorities issued a quarantine order for all Americans evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan amid the coronavirus outbreak, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday. "The CDC, under the statutory authority of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has issued federal quarantine orders to all 195 American citizens who repatriated to the US on January 29, 2020," the CDC said in a statement. "The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan in China," it added. The plane with the Americans from Wuhan arrived at March Air Reserve Base in Southern California on Wednesday. US media reported that the CDC issued a quarantine order for the first time in 50 years. The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, located in the Hubei province in December and has since spread to at least 20 countries. The virus has already killed 213 people in China and infected over 9,800 others. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON The Trump administration announced Friday that it was curbing legal immigration from six additional countries that officials said did not meet security standards, as part of an election-year push to further restrict immigration. Officials said immigrants from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania will face new restrictions in obtaining certain visas to come to the United States. But it is not a total travel ban, unlike President Trumps earlier effort that generated outrage around the world for unfairly targeting Muslims. The announcement comes as Trump tries to promote his administrations crackdown on immigration, highlighting a signature issue that motivated his supporters in 2016 and hoping it has the same affect this November. The administration recently announced a crackdown on birth tourism and is noting the sharp decline in crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border and citing progress on building the border wall. Immigrant visas were restricted for Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea and Nigeria, and are given to people seeking to live in the U.S. permanently. They include visas for people sponsored by family members or employers as well as the diversity visa program that made up to 55,000 visas available in the most recent lottery. Sudan and Tanzania have diversity visas suspended. The State Department uses a computer drawing to select people from around the world for up to 55,000 diversity visas. Nonimmigrant visas were not affected. Those are given to people traveling to the U.S. for a temporary stay. They include visas for tourists, those doing business or people seeking medical treatment. During December, for example, about 650,760 nonimmigrant visas were granted worldwide. These countries for the most part want to be helpful ... but for a variety of different reasons failed to meet those minimum requirements, said acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf. Wolf said Homeland Security officials would work with the countries on bolstering their security requirements. Colleen Long and Nomaan Merchant are Associated Press writers. Nearly a year to the day after a massive blaze destroyed the historic Marcal Paper Plant factory in Elmwood Park, Gov. Phil Murphy on Friday celebrated a comeback by the company. The governor lauded the companys executives for its rebuilding efforts in the New Jersey town where the 86-year-old plant, along with its iconic red sign that was a New Jersey landmark for decades, was visible to millions of passing motorists on Route 80 before the bulk of it was razed a year ago. Today, against all odds, manufacturing is back in Elmwood Park, Murphy said. Marcals story is one of commitment, he said. A commitment to its employees and a commitment to this state. The company announced it was restarting one of its major paper-producing machines that survived the blaze, Marcal CEO Rob Baron told NJ Advance Media. The machine, which accounted for 60% of paper production prior to the fire, will begin running 24/7 on Monday, he said. Marcal Paper is officially back in business, Baron said. Currently, Marcal has a little more than 100 employees. Baron said the company plans to continue to rebuild and expand its workforce. The plant was founded by papermaker Nicholas Marcalus in 1932, who came to the United States from Sicily as a teenager and went on to hold dozens of patents. It was taken over by his son Robert in 1979. He operated the family-owned plant until 2008, and died in 2014. The fire destroyed nearly all of the structures at the paper mill on Jan. 30, 2019. Officials failed to determine a cause for the blaze but said they did not believe it to be intentional. NJ Advance Media Staff Writer Chris Sheldon contributed to this report. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. It's not always easy to find the food you want in a new place, which is why apps like GoEat Me are stepping in to bridge the gap between tasty bites and the stomach. A customer uses GoEat Me to find restaurants. VNS Photo Doan Tung Food-lovers are what people call us, we look for delicious food to taste when we discover a new place. We realised there is room to improve the way people look for food and restaurants no whether they're at home, in the office, or travelling. So basically, we did it because of our passion, said Viet Pham, founder and CEO of GoEat GmbH a start-up located in the heart of Luzern, Switzerland. We test this idea with 1,000 people. It turned out, we were not alone. People are still looking for a better solution that can help them discover what to eat nearby in an innovative way, a personalised recommendation. He said they decided to start in Vietnam to introduce Vietnamese food to foreign visitors. Vietnam has many delicious dishes such as pho (noodle soup), banh my (baguette) and bun cha (grilled pork). However, not all tourists and even residents know the best spots for each dish, Viet said. The idea was nurtured by me and Kevin Quan Nguyen when both of us were working for a wealth management company in Switzerland. The minimum viable product (MVP) was bootstrapped by me thanks to my little knowledge of computer sciences and web development, we gained a lot of achievements and awareness with that MVP, he said. However, we realised that we could not go on sustainably without a real CTO [Chief Technology Officer]. Luck came to us by bringing Phong to the team, his project at university was similar to GoEat Me and he was interested in being part of this journey." According to Tran Nam Phong, co-founder of GoEat Me, they faced many challenges in the past two years since founding the firm. At the very beginning stage, we knew exactly what technology we should use, how we were developing and testing. However, we didn't know how to launch the product and grow it in the right way. How to reach our target audience. How we measure our achievements, he said. Just like any other start-up, we did not take any salary at the beginning until we got funded. The product was beta launched after five months since the participation of Phong, said Viet. Challenges create an exciting journey, we love but also hate it. By entering this journey, founders likely have to face the problems of finding the right people, having enough capital to survive until the company gets funded and securing the next round of funding, and last but not least maintaining the start-up spirit of the whole team. Finding the right people was tough because as a leader with limited resources, it was difficult to ask for commitments with an unsure future. I was a lucky founder when I found the right people to join the adventure and to share the challenges. In the journey, founders may have to face team members or even people you trust the most left. But what's meant to be is meant to be. Just move on! Giving shares is also a way to incentivise employees to contribute to the company and develop it together with the founders," Viet added. Viet said fundraising was time-consuming and expensive. A deal could take from six to nine months on average to close, costing a lot of mental and physical stamina to get over the line. When they first raised capital, they thought it would be easy to get more but had to quickly learn to be aware of the companys cash flow to avoid running out of money. As fundraising was a tough period, team members would tend to relax after money was secured, however, Viet told them this was just the beginning. According to him, the most difficult moment was when their investment proposal was rejected by investors as it hurt the motivation of the whole team. We then figured out that we are not the only ones who suffer that in this world, just because we did not have enough experience to face what we would have to face, Viet said, adding that they finally found two investors after a few months of looking. To compete with big players on the market, GoEat Me uses machine learning to deliver unique culinary experiences by personalising recommendations based on user preferences, habits, location, allergies, and outer factors, such as weather, time and traffic. We maximise user satisfaction to maximise conversion rate to bookings, which drives more traffic and transactions to big players, he said. Their efforts have paid off as GoEat Me has gained several achievements including a silver medal, the Swiss Innovation Challenge 2018, being named among the top 40 Food tech at KickStart Accelerator 2018 and among the top 10 Vietnam Startup Wheel 2019. We love to be part of competitions, its a chance for us to know where we are standing at and what other founders are doing, Viet said. Attending events is also an opportunity to enlarge their network and create chances to meet potential investors/members. When asked about plans for the future, Viet said they hoped to partner with a local company to bring table reservation feature to foreigners so they wont have to download different apps when travelling to Vietnam. We aim at becoming the most popular food app and food community in Europe within the next five years and in Asia from the sixth year onwards, Phong said. Until this day I'm not saying that we know everything we need. But we know how to move on and how our journey will be like. It comes from a continuous process of learning. We read books, met some awesome people, talked with our prospective users. Last but not least, we're learning by doing, he said. VNS Mai Hien Battle among super-apps heats up The saying even beggars in China also have QR Code shows the great impact WeChat has in China. Grab, Zalo, Go-Viet, be and Now are also struggling to become the super-app with similar level of influence in Vietnam. Most migrants around the world would like to stay where they are, and few would like to move again -- but if they did, few would like to move back home. The same is true of Egyptians, whose extremely large diaspora is well represented in Gallup's World Poll data -- about 5,000 adults in Gallup's 2010 to 2018 global data set were born in Egypt but do not live there. Three in four Egyptians who are first-generation migrants (77%) say they would continue living in their current country of residence if they could, and 14% would move to yet another country, while 9% would return to Egypt. But the size of Egypt's diaspora in the sample allows us to dig much deeper than that, and take a more granular look at who these migrants are, where they live and where they would like to go -- if indeed they want to keep moving. The resulting analysis yields some important information for a country with a long, complex history with migration that has become even more complicated amid regional instability. Desire to Move Again -- but Not Home -- Is Highest Among Young Migrants Among Egyptians living abroad, few young Egyptians and those with the most education want to come home. Young migrants in particular are the least likely to want to return home, even though they are the most likely to want to keep moving. Those between the ages of 15 and 29 are the most likely of all age cohorts to want to move again -- but they are more than twice as likely to want to move to another country (22%) as to move home (9%). Few Young, Educated Egyptians Abroad Want to Return Home Among first-generation migrants from Egypt Migrants want to stay Migrants want to move to another country Migrants want to return to Egypt Age 15 to 29 69 22 9 30 to 54 80 11 10 55+ 90 6 4 Education Primary or less 81 14 6 Secondary 76 15 9 College education 77 13 10 Gallup World Poll, 2010-2018 The most educated Egyptian migrants too are still likely to want to keep moving, but underneath, there is some potentially good news for the country's brain drain. Egyptian migrants with secondary or college education are slightly more likely to want to move home to Egypt than their less-educated counterparts -- albeit in small numbers. About one in 10 in each of these educated groups would like to return home. Most Egyptian Migrants Live in Gulf Cooperation Council Countries Egypt is one of the largest suppliers of migrant labor to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, so it is not surprising that the vast majority of Egyptian migrants in our sample -- about 90% -- are currently living in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The rest of them are clustered in the broader MENA region, and a smaller number are spread out throughout the world. Whether they would like to move again depends on where Egyptian migrants are currently living. If Egyptian migrants are living in the GCC or outside of MENA, they are far less likely to want to keep moving than if they live within MENA. Twelve percent of those living in GCC countries and 18% living outside of MENA say they would like to move to another country, compared with nearly three in 10 Egyptian migrants (29%) living in MENA. Egyptian Migrants' Desires to Move Again Among Egyptian first-generation migrants living in these regions Migrants want to stay Migrants want to move to another country Migrants want to return to Egypt % % % Gulf Cooperation Council countries 78 12 10 Middle East and North Africa (excluding GCC) 58 29 13 Outside of Middle East and North Africa 79 18 3 Gallup World Poll, 2010-2018 It's important to note that these data capture migrants' desires and don't necessarily reflect what they will do or even could do. Permanent migration isn't really permitted in GCC countries, so even if Egyptian migrants want to stay -- and they do tend to stay a long time in these countries -- it doesn't mean they can and will. And They Are Least Likely to Want to Leave the UAE Because so many Egyptians are living in GCC countries, we are also able to look at migration desires among Egyptian migrants living in specific countries across the Gulf. The desire among Egyptians living in GCC countries to move on -- or to move home -- depends on where they are living. Across all GCC countries, Egyptian migrants living in the United Arab Emirates are the least likely to want to migrate again -- 91% say they would like to remain right where they are, and just 3% desire to move home. Egyptian Migrants' Desire to Move Again Among first-generation migrants living in these GCC countries Migrants want to stay Migrants want to move to another country Migrants want to return to Egypt % % % United Arab Emirates 91 6 3 Bahrain 80 13 7 Kuwait 78 12 11 Saudi Arabia 75 12 12 Gallup World Poll, 2010-2018 Which Egyptian Migrants Want to Leave the GCC? While few Egyptian migrants living in the GCC want to leave their current countries of residence, the more than one in five (22%) who do are more likely to be having a difficult time in their countries. They are more likely to be struggling economically, are more likely to see their living standards as getting worse and are struggling to get by on their present incomes. Egyptian Migrants Living in the GCC Migrants want to stay Migrants want to move to another country Migrants want to return to Egypt Feelings about household income Living comfortably 81 9 10 Getting by 79 11 10 Finding it difficult to get by 76 10 14 Finding it very difficult to get by 63 30 7 Employment Employed full time 78 12 9 Employed part time 80 12 7 Unemployed 79 7 14 Out of workforce 73 13 14 Gender Men 79 12 9 Women 77 8 14 Gallup World Poll, 2010-2018 Interestingly, those who are most likely to want to come home to Egypt are more likely to be unemployed or out of the workforce in their countries of residence; in addition, they are more likely to be women (14%) than men (9%). However, Egyptian women living in Saudi Arabia account for nearly all of the latter difference: 23% of Egyptian women living in Saudi Arabia would like to move home to Egypt, versus 10% of Egyptian men living there. Where Do Egyptian Migrants Want to Go, if Not Home? Egyptian migrants living in the GCC who want to move to another country -- if they could -- are most likely to say they would like to move to the UAE (18%) or the United States (17%). Canada comes in third, with 8% saying they would like to move there. Bottom Line In the current, increasingly complicated regional political and economic climate, there isn't a lot of bad news for Egypt in this analysis. Egyptian migrants are like most first-generation migrants around the world: content to stay where they are, with little desire to come home again. But to a certain degree, Egypt is counting on that. The country relies heavily on income from its diaspora, with economic remittances accounting for a significant portion of the country's gross domestic product. At the same time, the country is actively working to entice its educated diaspora to come home and to help reverse the country's problem with brain drain. In this regard, it looks like some of these efforts may be panning out. Egyptian migrants with higher levels of education would like to come home again, if they could. Company's technology and clinical progress detailed across more than 12 lectures/posters MENLO PARK, CA, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - FARAPULSE Inc. ("FARAPULSE" or "the Company") today provided highlights from the 2020 AF Symposium, which took place in Washington D.C., January 23 25, 2020. The Company and its non-thermal, tissue-selective Pulsed Field Ablation (PFA) technology featured centrally during the conference. The data shared during the symposium stemmed from the Company's extensive preclinical and clinical programs supporting a pivotal IDE trial initiation and CE Mark submission this year. Presentations centered around results from three centers and over 140 treated patients, including more than 50 safely beyond one year of follow-up and 90 who underwent reassessments to optimize treatment durability. Acute safety and effectiveness for 25 patients with persistent AF were demonstrated in the session for late breaking clinical trials. The Company's flagship catheter, FARAWAVE, and the first-ever focal PFA catheter (FARAFLEX) successfully achieved an expanded lesion strategy, underscoring the Company's technology platform. In other sessions, three recently published peer-reviewed manuscripts were discussed that document tissue selectivity of FARAPULSE's PFA technology at a cellular level and reinforce the mechanistic basis of its safety advantage over radiofrequency and cryoablation. "Last year, we were excited by the promises of PFA. This year is one of confirmation. Both the efficacy and the safety of sophisticated waveforms are significantly superior to the current standard of RF or cryo," said Dr. Pierre Jais of Bordeaux University Hospital (Bordeaux, France). "I witnessed the advent of pulmonary vein isolation for AF and feel equally privileged to embrace a new era in EP defined by PFA." "Certainly, the data presented at this year's AF Symposium reinforces Dr. Jais's assertion," said Dr. Vivek Reddy of Mount Sinai Hospital (NY). "The library of preclinical evidence supports our clinical experience in over 140 patients treated safely using the company's PFA-specific catheters. This system's optimization through prospective, invasive reassessment procedures is a central requirement to differentiate reversible from irreversible PFA. Our success with strategies beyond PV isolation reinforce this system's position as the ablation platform for the very near future." Posters and presentations about FARAPULSE PFA at the 2020 AF Symposium included: Pulsed Field Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation (Pre-recorded Clinical Case) Vivek Reddy , MD and Petr Neuzil , MD, PhD - Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic and Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY Current Status of Pulsed Field Ablation/Cardiac Electroporation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation: Safety and Efficacy Pierre Jais , MD Future Directions in Pulsed Field Ablation/Cardiac Electroporation: Linear Lesions and Persistent AF Vivek Reddy , MD Late Breaking Clinical Trials and First Report Clinical Investigations: First-in-human use of pulsed field ablation for persistent AF, including strategies beyond the pulmonary veins using both single-shot and focal PFA tools. Vivek Reddy , MD Best Abstract Award and Presentation: PFA vs. RF: Esophageal Effects in a Novel Preclinical Model Jacob Koruth , MD Product Theatre New Data and Insight into PVI Procedures First-Hand Insights and Case Footage Shared by Experts in Clinical PFA Co-chaired by Vivek Reddy , MD and Pierre Jais , MD Scientific Posters AFS2020-19 - Lesion Durability and Safety Outcomes of PFA in >100 PAF Patients - Reddy et al AFS2020-26 - Acute Experience with PFA for Typical Flutter - Anic et al AFS2020-37 - Lesion Visualization of PFA by MRI in an Expanded Series of PAF Patients - Jais et al AFS2020-39 - Ostial Dimensional Changes After PVI: PFA vs RFA Kuroki at al AFS2020-51 - PFA vs. RF: Esophageal Effects in a Novel Preclinical Model - Koruth et al AFS2020-54 - Do PFA Lesions Regress Over Time? - Kawamura et al About AF SYMPOSIUM This intensive, highly focused three-day symposium brings together the world's leading medical scientists to share in a highly interactive environment the most recent advances in the field of atrial fibrillation. About FARAPULSE Today, all forms of cardiac ablation to treat arrhythmias are thermal. And while both radiofrequency and cryo-ablation have evolved, they nonetheless carry an inherent risk of indiscriminate thermal damage. Tissue-selective FARAPULSE PFA has emerged to be one of the most promising energy sources for cardiac ablation, including pulmonary vein isolation. Combining speed with safety, FARAPULSE PFA makes durable lesions in micro-seconds while sparing non-target tissue. FARAPULSE is pioneering tissue-selective PFA therapy through its dedicated generator (FARASTAR), PVI-focused catheter (FARAWAVE), large-area focal catheter (FARAFLEX), precision focal catheter (FARAPOINT, in development) and a proprietary deflectable sheath (FARADRIVE). CAUTION-Investigational device. Limited by Federal (or United States) law to investigational use. Not Available for Sale. SOURCE FARAPULSE Inc. Despite indifference to legal cases some ethnic minority groups are backing the Rohingya to push back against military. Yangon, Myanmar While thousands rallied in Yangon in December to support Myanmars government as it contested allegations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, the public response to the first of the courts rulings has been decidedly more muted. The ICJ imposed a series of provisional measures on Myanmar last week, ordering it to take certain action to prevent future acts of genocide against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The judges also rejected Myanmars motions to dismiss the case, which means the trial will now proceed to hear arguments on the alleged genocide itself. The decision brought criticism from officials. Than Htay, the chairman of the military-aligned opposition Union Solidarity and Development Party claimed all 52 million people in Myanmar would disagree with it, according to The Standard Time Daily, a local newspaper. But on the streets of the countrys biggest city, the ruling barely registered. Two students who spoke to Al Jazeera separately both said neither they nor their friends particularly cared about the ICJ. Yes I know about it, but I dont really follow it, said one. Another woman, from Rakhine but living in Yangon, said the result was as expected. When asked if she agreed with the ruling, she said: Yes. It should be. The ICJ case against Myanmar was brought by the Gambia accusing the country of committing genocide in its actions against the Rohingya and a brutal military crackdown in Rakhine in 2017 that sent 740,000 people fleeing across the border to Bangladesh. Separate, independent investigations including the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission have found evidence of genocide and war crimes, amid reports of massacres, rape, and arson. Defame our country The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Myanmar said in a statement that the government had taken note of the ICJ decision, but did not indicate if it would follow its orders. Referencing the government-appointed Independent Commission of Enquiry report, which was widely dismissed as a whitewash, the ministry said there had been no genocide in Rakhine. The statement went on to say that the accusations were an unsubstantiated condemnation of Myanmar, creating a distorted picture of the situation in the far western state. Shortly before the ruling, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, who led the countrys team at the ICJ, asked the international community to give Myanmar more time to institute domestic justice. International justice, she said in an op-ed published in the UKs Financial Times, can too easily become attached to specific testimonies of victimisation and consequently rendered inseparable from the narrative they feed. The woman who spent decades under house arrest and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 suggested that reports of violence and rights abuses from Rohingya victims may have been inaccurate or exaggerated. On the streets of Yangon, the reaction to the ICJ decision has been decidedly muted, but Aung San Suu Kyi retains widespread support [Ann Wang/Reuters] After the ruling, Myo Myunt, a spokesman for the ruling National League for Democracy, said he was not surprised at the decision because The Gambia had support from international legal experts, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and some European countries. We never underestimated their capability with regard to the case, he said, adding that he could not comment in detail until the issue was discussed internally. Local media also repeated the government line, with political analyst Than Soe Naing telling News Watch Weekly vehemently denying the charges. The court ordered Myanmar to prevent genocide but theres no need to make that order because the decision is not related to the current situation. There is no report of such activity in the region now. Everyone knows it. I think the decision is made to defame our country, he wrote. Minorities back Rohingya In a rare show of public defiance, more than 100 domestic civil society groups released a statement ahead of the ruling categorically rejecting that narrative and condemning the military for what they said was a history of violence and intimidation. We understand very clearly that the ICJ case against Myanmar is directed toward those responsible for using political power and military might, and not to the people of Myanmar, said the statement, which was signed by many of Myanmars most prominent non-profit groups. State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi led the Myanmar delegation to the ICJ [File: Myo Kyaw Soe/Reuters] The case has also become somewhat of a unifying force among the countrys ethnic minorities. While the government has tried to use nationalism to rally its supporters, many ethnic armed groups themselves battling the armed forces have said they support the trial. Htuu Lou Rae Den, founder of ethnic and religious harmony group Coexist Myanmar, said the case has inspired support for the Rohingya. We can definitely see an increase in acceptance and support for the Rohingya by other ethnic minorities locally and abroad since the beginning of the case, he told Al Jazeera, but added that some are supporting the Rohingya just to push back against the military, and do not truly accept them as citizens. He also said he did not expect Myanmar to obey the court orders on provisional measures, as they were overly vague and did not include a requirement that Myanmar allow independent investigators to access Rakhine. To hedge against this, ICJ should review and modify the measures to incorporate clear objectives, measurable targets and indicators of achievements, Htuu Lou Rae Den said. Sam Zarifi, Secretary General of the International Commission of Jurists, warned that should Myanmar not comply it would hurt its legal standing in other cases that are underway, including an investigation by the International Criminal Court. Every time the government does not respond it accumulates as lack of accountability and obstruction that counts as evidence of wrongdoing, Zarifi said during an interview in Yangon. By Express News Service A film on Rohingya refugees, Kaattu Kadal Athirukal, is finally releasing in theatres today. Directed by Samad Mankada, the film produced by EK Shaji was cleared recently by the CBFC after omitting references to cows and the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). Anu Mohan, Leona Lishoy, Kailash, Anil Murali, Dr. Anil Venugopal, and Saran play the principal characters along with a real-life Tibetan refugee named Dawa Lhamo. The film, which also talks about citizenship, nationalism and casteism, had run into a roadblock earlier after being told that the issues discussed by the film could impact the countrys relationship with neighbourhood nations. The Congress on Friday demanded that a sedition case be registered against the management of a school in Mumbai for allegedly forcing children to support the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act. The demand from the Maharashtra Congress comes against the backdrop of a move by police from neighbouring Karnataka to slap sedition charges against a school in Bidar there for staging a drama critical of CAA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The drama was staged by students of fourth, fifth and sixth standard on January 21, and a sedition case was registered on January 26. The headmistress of Shaheen School and the mother of a student have been arrested by Bidar police in this case. According to media reports, a programme relating to the CAA was organised at the school in Matunga here earlier this month. "If sedition case can be registered against students for staging drama against CAA, then a case of sedition should be filed against a school management and organisers for holding students to ransom to support CAA at a Mumbai school," Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said in a statement. The CAA, under which non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan will be given Indian citizenship, came into force from January 10 after a gazette notification was issued by the Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) All in all, nobody won, nobody dropped a big clanger but each leader walked a now-familiar path as they tried to make progress. Leo attacked Micheal, who duly hit back. Mary Lou attacked both in a more reserved kind of way, while Micheal hit back again With seven full canvass days left - the seven party leaders were back doing battle for your votes. This time two men - Ivan Yates and Matt Cooper - were refereeing and trying to keep control on Virgin TV. Sometimes both strained to keep order, and sometimes it looked a little too much like their show rather than a leaders' election debate. Just two small personnel changes applied from Monday on RTE, as Solidarity/People Before Profit (S/PBP) was represented by Mick Barry, and the Social Democrats by Catherine Murphy. Otherwise it was the same, with the outgoing Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Brendan Howlin, and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan. There was no big surprise that the Fine Gael leader continued baiting Fianna Fail about whether it can be trusted with the economy, and whether it has the team depth to manage the next crucial phase of Brexit. From this on, Sinn Fein is increasingly going to be a Fianna Fail problem. The Taoiseach had no reason to be friendly towards Ms McDonald but any swing votes he may take from Sinn Fein would be more likely to go back to his main adversaries in Fianna Fail. But his main target was Mr Martin as he twice pointed that "trust" in who could grow the economy was crucial. By contrast Mr Martin pushed his message about the voters' need for change and Fine Gael's failings on health and housing. And he sought yet again to drive another nail into that would-be door between himself and coalition with Sinn Fein by insisting its plan for giveaways funded by six new taxes would ruin the economy by strangling enterprise and jobs. The Sinn Fein leader, who remained markedly silent for long periods, affected an air of superiority at what she termed Mr Martin's "outburst". Helping working people and families, as her party proposed, could not be termed "reckless". Eamon Ryan tried again to stay big picture and speak to his core base with a simple but non-alarmist message. For the Green Party leader, the biggest risks to the Irish people are living in traffic-choked gridlock, the housing crisis, and the need to cut emissions and avoid multi-billion EU fines. Catherine Murphy sought to point up her party's leading role in putting together the Slaintecare programme and their good work generally on calling for a revamped health service. She also argued forcefully that instead of tax cuts, reliable services like health and childcare would give people more money because they would not have to fork out for these. Mick Barry was once again a rebel questing for a cause, with nothing to lose by giving it loads of volume, accusing one in three Fine Gael and Fianna Fail TDs of being landlords. In the midst of a General Election campaign, he was also calling for a national strike in mid- to late February on the pensions issue. Mr Barry also wanted to see the 17 billionaires resident in Ireland hit with a cumulative 4bn tax bill. All in all with seven days to go to polling day, this one was no game-changer. But it offered plenty of food for thought. Suspects detained in two recent traffic stops were traveling with significant amounts of drugs, according to a Friendswood Police Department bulletin. Patrick OBrian Hubert, 31, of Pearland was charged with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for expired registration at 11:46 p.m. Jan. 15 in the 200 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. During a vehicle search, the officer reportedly seized: 12 vacuum-sealed bags and other small bags of hydroponic marijuana, 20 units of Soma, 17 units of oxycodone, 93 units of Xanax, 300 packages of THC edibles, 90 marijuana cigarettes and 18 prepackaged flavored buds. Bond was set at $43,000, police said. Then at 2:33 a.m. Jan. 18, Lauren Marie Mortensen, 17, of Friendswood was charged with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop in the 600 block of Sun Park Drive. She was a passenger in the vehicle, police said. The officer found her in possession of five Xanax pills, marijuana, THC wax and 21 grams of Ecstasy, according to the report. Bond was set at $25,000, police said. Suspect remains in custody after alleged purse-snatchings A man accused of two aggravated robberies in October remains in Galveston County Jail on an $80,000 bond, Friendswood Police Department spokeswoman Lisa Price said. To Thanah Tung, 40, was arrested Oct. 13, according to a department bulletin. He allegedly robbed a 42-year-old League City woman Oct. 12 at Kroger, 3135 FM 528, and a 40-year-old Pearland woman the next day at the Kroger at 141 N. Friendswood Drive. In each instance, Tung used a knife and made off with the victims purse, police said. Both robberies are Friendswood cases, though one occurred in Galveston County and the other in Harris County, according to the bulletin. Tung has a discovery hearing set for March 19 in the 122nd District Court with Judge John Ellisor, Price said. Police arrest 12 on DWI charges A dozen people were charged with driving while intoxicated between Jan. 13 and Jan. 20 in Friendswood, according to reports from the citys police department. Police charged a League City man, 25, with DWI and possession of a controlled substance after a crash in the 100 block of South Friendswood Drive. According to a witness, the man sped through a stop sign. He had several open alcohol containers and marijuana inside his vehicle and was found in possession of Xanax, police said. Police charged a 56-year-old Galveston woman with DWI and possession of a controlled substance Jan. 13 in the 1700 block of West Parkwood Avenue. A witness reported an intoxicated person driving erratically from Alvin into Friendswood, police said. The suspect vehicle ran a red light on West Parkwood and turned north onto Sunset Drive, according to the report. An officer conducted a traffic stop and a search of the womans purse allegedly yielded 10 carisoprodol tablets. A San Leon man, 28, was charged with DWI after a traffic stop for speeding and failure to maintain a single lane Jan. 17 in the 1900 block of FM 528, police said. The passenger, a 28-year-old San Leon woman, was charged with public intoxication, according to the report. Police charged a League City man, 36, with DWI after a traffic stop for failure to maintain a single lane Jan. 18 in the 2500 block of South Friendswood Drive. A League City man, 45, was charged with DWI Jan. 18 in the 100 block of East Parkwood Avenue, police said. He allegedly had stopped in oncoming traffic at an intersection. Police charged a Pearland man, 27, with DWI after a traffic stop for failure to maintain a single lane and following too closely Jan. 18 in the 1500 block of Sunset Drive. A 45-year-old Houston man was charged with DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon Jan. 19 in the 200 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. He allegedly was asleep in the drivers seat of his running vehicle in a bank parking lot. As he was taken into custody, he told officers he had a firearm inside his vehicle, according to the report. Police charged a Bay City man, 33, with DWI and unlawfully carrying a weapon after a traffic stop for speeding and weaving Jan. 19 in the 200 block of West Parkwood Avenue. His drivers license was invalid and he was found in possession of a handgun, police said. Police charged a Crosby man, 54, with DWI Jan. 19 in the 1600 block of Winding Way. He allegedly pulled out of a parking lot in the 3200 block of FM 528, crossed three westbound lanes and entered the median. He was speeding, driving outside his lane and turning his high beams on and off, police said. A Texas City woman, 31, was charged with DWI after a traffic stop for speeding and weaving Jan. 19 in the 200 block of South Friendswood Drive, police said. Her registration also was expired, according to the report. Police charged an 18-year-old Pearland man with DWI after a traffic stop for failure to maintain a single lane Jan. 20 in the 1000 block of West Parkwood Avenue. Another 18-year-old Pearland man, a passenger, was charged with public intoxication, minor in possession of alcohol and minor in possession of tobacco, police said. A Houston man, 49, was charged with DWI Jan. 20 in the 2100 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police said. He allegedly did not slow down or vacate the lane immediately next to an officer already conducting a traffic stop. Burglary A red and white Honda CR80 dirt bike, a green and purple Kawasaki KX60 dirt bike and two weed trimmers were stolen from a residence in the 400 block of E. Castle Harbour Drive, according to a Jan. 15 police report. Police conducted a burglary investigation Jan. 16 at Wendys, 104 E. Edgewood Drive. A window behind the drive-thru was broken, and the cash register was open and empty, according to the report. All exterior doors were locked, police said. A Stihl leaf blower was stolen from the equipment room at Huntington Wood Apartments, 701 S. Friendswood Drive, according to a Jan. 19 police report. The burglar gained access to the office through a broken window and rummaged through several drawers, police said. Theft A gray 2017 Chevrolet Silverado with Texas license plate JDT8354 was stolen sometime after 8 p.m. Jan. 14 from the parking lot at Baywood Apartments, 5025 FM 2351, according to a Jan. 15 police report. Theft of money was reported Jan. 15 at Flawless Skin Lounge, 607 S. Friendswood Drive, police said. The victim reportedly issued a business check for training services, but the payee has not provided the training, according to the report. The suspect allegedly has been linked to several business names, websites, addresses and phone numbers that are disconnected, shut down or false. A 2018 double-axle, white and tan Gulf Stream 28BBS Streamlite camper with Texas license plate B105629 was stolen from the 4800 block of FM 2351, according to a Jan. 16 police report. The camper was posted for sale at the time of the theft, police said. Fraud A Friendswood mans identity was used to open a loan through MaxLend, according to a Jan. 15 police report. He reportedly received a letter from a collections agency claiming he owes the company $2,000. A Friendswood woman discovered six unauthorized charges on her credit card statement, according to a Jan. 16 police report. The charges were made at Macys, 200 Baybrook Mall, police said. A Friendswood mans name and former address were used fraudulently to open a credit card account, according to a Jan. 17 police report. The man reportedly is being sued for an unpaid debt. A Friendswood woman received a phone call from a collections company and learned an AT&T account had been opened with her identity but not her knowledge, according to a Jan. 18 police report. Someone in Idaho charged $6,000 on a Friendswood womans Lowes credit card, according to a Jan. 18 police report. She applied for the card in December, police said. A Friendswood family suspects a caretaker is fraudulently stealing funds from a relatives credit card, according to a Jan. 20 police report. The unauthorized transactions date back to September 2019. Criminal mischief A vehicles rear passenger tire was deflated intentionally, according to a police report filed Jan. 20 in the 900 block of Laurelfield Drive. A small rock was inserted into the valve stem cap, causing the tire to deflate slowly, police said. The victim has named a subject, according to the report. Assault Police charged a Friendswood man, 38, with injury to an elderly person and aggravated assault of a peace officer Jan. 15 at Hut Mobile Home Park, 110 Woodlawn Drive. The man allegedly was involved in a disturbance with his mother. During his handcuffed escort to the police vehicle, he kicked the arresting officers in the neck and cheeks, police said. Bond was set at $70,000. A Friendswood woman, 34, was charged with assault, family violence Jan. 17 in the 16700 block of Barcelona Drive. She allegedly assaulted her mother. Narcotics Police charged a Houston man, 25, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for expired registration, no insurance and a fictitious buyers tag Jan. 14 in the 100 block of East Edgewood Drive. The officer allegedly found marijuana residue, a jar containing synthetic urine and a vape cartridge containing THC residue during a vehicle search. A 25-year-old Friendswood woman, a passenger, was released from the scene with a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, police said. Shortly afterward, however, an anonymous caller told police dispatch the woman was seen pushing a bag of marijuana into her shirt before entering a Walgreens, according to the report. Another officer contacted the woman, and she allegedly produced the bag of marijuana and was taken into custody. Police charged a Kemah woman, 20, and Houston woman, 18, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for a lighting violation Jan. 15 in the 100 block of West NASA Boulevard. A vehicle search yielded marijuana, TCH wax, a grinder and a scale, police said. A 16-year-old Friendswood High School student was charged with possession of a controlled substance in a drug-free zone, a third-degree felony, according to a Jan. 16 police report. School officials reportedly found her in possession of a dab pen and THC oil. After processing at the Friendswood Police Department, the girl was transported to the Galveston County Juvenile Detention Center, police said. Police charged a Bacliff man, 44, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for an improperly mounted buyers tag Jan. 17 in the 4000 block of FM 2351. The vehicle did not have insurance and its registration was expired, according to the report. The man had an invalid drivers license and an outstanding warrant for shoplifting in Webster, police said. The officer reportedly observed marijuana on the gear shifter and found the man in possession of a bag of marijuana and a pipe. An Alvin man, 20, and woman, 25, were charged with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop Jan. 18 in the 600 block of East Parkwood Avenue, police said. The officer found marijuana shake, rolling papers and a cigar filled with marijuana during a vehicle search, according to the report. Police charged a Deer Park woman, 42, with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for an insurance violation Jan. 20 in the 700 block of West Parkwood Avenue. The officer reportedly found a marijuana pipe and Adderall during a vehicle search. Bond was set at $2,000. A 17-year-old Friendswood woman was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and minor in possession of tobacco product after a traffic stop Jan. 20 for traveling north in the southbound lane along the 16000 block of Blackhawk Boulevard, police said. The officer reportedly found a cigar filled with marijuana in the ashtray as well as five packages of cigarillos. Public intoxication A 19-year-old League City man was charged with public intoxication after an officer saw him exit a vehicle and stumble across the parking lot Jan. 17 at Circle K, 700 W. Parkwood Ave., police said. He allegedly left his drivers-side door open and his wallet on the ground. The man also was charged with criminal mischief after he shoved rolls of toilet paper into a toilet at the jail and blocked a floor drain, causing his cell to flood, police said. Police charged a Pasadena man, 38, with public intoxication Jan. 20. He allegedly was found near a vehicle in a ditch at Lundy Lane and El Dorado Drive. Weapons Police charged a Pearland man, 27, with unlawfully carrying a weapon after a traffic stop for an insurance violation Jan. 17 in the 500 block of South Friendswood Drive. Asked if he had anything illegal inside the vehicle, the driver allegedly said he had marijuana and a firearm under the passenger seat. Cab hailing platform Ola on Friday said it will commence its services in London from February 10. "The platform will be fully operational from day one, with over 20,000 drivers having registered on the platform since it began on-boarding a month ago," Ola said in a statement. It added that the company aims to offer a differentiated experience on the platform with features such as 24/7 helplines for drivers and customers and an in-app emergency button, while providing the best quality of service through its large network of drivers across the city of London. Ola had received an operating licence from Transport for London (TfL) last year. "The overwhelmingly positive reception to Ola since launching in the UK in 2018 illustrates the significant demand from drivers, riders and communities. We are working closely with drivers to build a high quality and reliable service for Londoners. Launching in London is a major milestone for us and we are keen to offer a first class experience for all our customers," Head of Ola International Simon Smith said. Ola will offer passengers 25 pounds worth of ride credit for signing up in the first week after the launch. The Bengaluru-based firm had forayed into the UK with operations starting in Cardiff in 2018 and will now operate across 28 local authorities. It has expanded across Birmingham, Liverpool, Exeter, Reading, Bristol, Bath, Coventry, and Warwick. Ola said cities including Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick have seen more than double-digit growth in rides in the last quarter. To date, the company has provided over 3 million rides with more than 11,000 drivers already operating on the platform in the UK, it added. Ola's service is available in over 250 cities in India, Australia, New Zealand and the UK. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US President Donald Trump told the tens of thousands gathered at the March for Life rally in Washington DC that an unborn baby shows "a glimpse of the majesty of God's creation." Speaking in person at the March for Life on Friday - the first sitting United States president to do so - Trump spoke about the value of children, both born and unborn. "Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God," he said. "Together we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and the sanctity of every human life. "When we see the image of a baby in the womb, we glimpse the majesty of God's creation. When we hold a newborn in our arms, we know the endless love that each child brings to a family." Trump also touted his record of pro-life accomplishments while in office, declaring that "unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House." This included reinstituting the Mexico City Policy, which prevents tax dollars from going to organizations that promote or fund abortions abroad, appointing pro-life judges, and ensuring Title X funds are being given to family healthcare clinics instead of abortion providers. "As the Bible tells us, each person is wonderfully made," he continued, referencing Psalm 139:14, which reads: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Vice President Mike Pence, who has addressed the March for Life in person in previous years, gave remarks along with his wife, Karen, via video message because he was in Rome, Italy. In his video message, Pence spoke about his meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. "During our conversation, I thanked him for all that he and Catholic Americans have done to defend the sanctity of human life throughout the history of this movement," said Pence. Pence commended the activism of "all the proud Catholics who I know are filling our National Mall today, proudly carrying banners representing your parishes." Pence also said that he "could not be more proud to serve as vice president to the most pro-life president in American history. "The results speak for themselves," he added. "This movement has a champion in President Donald Trump and you always will." SANTA FE Whether a former Catholic priest was in New Mexico during the time hes accused of raping a young boy in the late 1980s will become a big issue in his criminal trial that got underway Thursday. Marvin Archuleta, 82, is on trial in state District Court in Santa Fe on one count of criminal sexual penetration of a child under 13 and one count of attempting to commit kidnapping. Hes accused of raping a 6-year-old student of Holy Cross Catholic School in Santa Cruz when the boy was a first grader during the 1986-87 school year. Assistant Attorney General Brittany DuChaussee said in her opening argument that Archuleta was not assigned to Holy Cross Catholic Church in 1986 or 87, but would still be at the church occasionally. DuChaussee said a newspaper article from the time depicts Archuleta presiding over a funeral in the area, proving he was there. But Archuletas defense attorney, Ryan Villa, said Archuleta was assigned in Silver Springs, Maryland, when the alleged victim was in first grade. He told jurors they wont see a single record that Archuleta was at Holy Cross in that time frame. Villa said the criminal case started after the victim filed a lawsuit against Archuleta, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and the Vatican in October 2018. The man disclosed the abuse to his parents in 2016, but he couldnt remember his abuser. Its crystal clear to (the victims) father that he doesnt know who the priest is, Villa said. The victim was able to identify Archuleta after his civil attorney, Merit Bennett, showed him a photo of Archuleta. Villa told jurors that the photo was taken long before the alleged crimes and depicted a much younger Archuleta. Archuleta allegedly had the boy pulled out of class one day and called into the church sacristy, where the boy was offered cookies and punch. Archuleta then allegedly pulled the boys pants down and raped him. DuChaussee said the victim now self medicates with drugs and alcohol and suffers from anxiety and depression. He is expected to testify later this week. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Growth in overall port traffic between April 2019 and December 2019 remained around one per cent, said the Economic Survey 2019-2020 that was presented in Parliament on Friday. "Growth in overall port traffic witnessed an acceleration between 2013-14 and 2016- 17, but deceleration since 2017-18," said the survey. It pointed out that in 2017-2018, the growth rate was around 5 per cent though the figure came down to one per cent between April-December 2019. Also, the total cargo capacity of Indian ports stood at 1,452.64 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at the end of March 2019, more than doubling from 628.03 MTPA at the end of March 2010. Ports such as Paradip, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Deendayal (Kandla) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust had the highest cargo capacities as of March 2019. The shipping turnaround time declined across all major ports and is now at its lowest at Cochin, New Mangalore, V.O. Chidambararanar and Chennai ports, and the highest at the Kolkata port. The turnaround time of ships, a key indicator of efficiency of the ports sector, has been on a continuous decline, almost halving between 2010-11 and 2018-19 to 2.48 days. At Deendayal (Kandla), it was 3.01 days, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust 2.13 days, Mumbai port 2.52 days, Mormugao 2.63 days, Kolkata port 3.84 days, and Haldia 3.04 days. At Paradip and Visakhapatnam ports the turnaround period was 2.51 days. The survey said at Kamarajar port the figure stood at 1.97 days and at Chennai 1.98 days. According to the survey, at VO Chidambararanar, on an average it took 1.96 days, Cochin 1.47 days for the turnaround, the lowest so far in India. The New Mangalore port recorded an average of 1.93 days turnaround time. As per the latest United Nations Conference on Trade and Development data, the median ship turnaround time globally is 0.97 days, suggesting that India has room to further improve efficiency at its ports. The growth has come down to such a level even after India has a 0.9 per cent share in world fleet as of January 2019. India has 13 major ports and about 200 non-major ports. The total ships owned by Indian companies stood at 1,414 as of August 2019, up from 1,040 in 2010. The sun will set this evening on more than 45 years of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union. For us, as presidents of the three main EU institutions, today is a day of reflection and mixed emotions - as it will be for so many people. Our thoughts are with all of those who have helped to make the European Union what it is today. Those who are concerned about their future or disappointed to see the UK leave. Those British members of our institutions who helped shape policies that made lives better for millions of Europeans. We will think of the UK and its people, their creativity, ingenuity, culture, and traditions, that have been a vital part of our EU tapestry. These emotions reflect our fondness for the United Kingdom - something which goes far beyond membership of our Union. We have always deeply regretted the UK's decision to leave - but we have always fully respected it. The agreement we reached is fair for both sides and ensures that millions of EU and UK citizens will continue to have their rights protected. We also need to look to the future and build a new partnership between enduring friends. Together, our three institutions intend to do everything we can to make it a success. How close that partnership will be depends on decisions that are still to be taken. Because every choice has a consequence. Without the free movement of people, there can be no free movement of capital, goods and services. Without a level playing field on environment, labour, taxation and state aid, there cannot be the highest quality access to the single market. Without being a member, you cannot retain the benefits of membership. We will have to loosen some of the threads carefully stitched together between the EU and the UK over five decades. We must weave together a new way forward as allies, partners and friends. The UK will cease to be an EU member but remain part of Europe. Our shared geography, history and ties in so many areas inevitably bind us and make us natural allies. We will continue to work together on foreign affairs, security and defence. But we will do it in different ways. Tomorrow will also mark a new dawn for Europe. The last few years have brought us closer together - as nations, as institutions and as people. They have reminded us all that the European Union is more than a market or economic power but also stands for shared values that we all defend. The EU member states will continue to join forces and build a common future. In an age of great power competition and turbulent geopolitics, size matters. No country alone can hold back the tide of climate change, find the solutions to the digital future. But together, the European Union can. We can because we have the largest internal market in the world. We can because we are the top trading partner for 80 countries. We can because we are a union of vibrant democracies. We can because our peoples are determined to promote European interests and values on the world stage. We can because EU member states will leverage their considerable, collective economic power in discussions with allies and partners - the United States, Africa, China and India. We have a common vision of where we want to go and a commitment to be ambitious on the defining issues of our times. As set out in the European Green Deal, we want to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, creating jobs and opportunities for people in the process. We want to take the lead on the next generation of digital technologies and we want a just transition so that we can support the people most affected by change. We believe only the European Union can do this. But we can only do it together: people, nations, institutions. That work continues as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. Ursula von der Leyen is the EU Commission President, Charles Michel is the EU Council President, and David Sassoli is European Parliament President. Randy Freer Top 100 Hollis Johnson/Business Insider Hulu CEO Randy Freer is set to exit the streaming company, Disney announced on Friday. The streaming company's leadership will report to execs within Disney's direct-to-consumer and international business as part of a reorganization. Disney is bringing Hulu closer to help scale all of its platforms more quickly, it said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Hulu CEO Randy Freer is stepping down from the streaming company as Disney brings Hulu deeper into its streaming segment, Disney announced on Friday. Leaders at Hulu will report directly to execs within Disney's direct-to-consumer and international business as part of the reorganization. The leadership change comes after Disney agreed in May to acquire Comcast's minority stake in Hulu and take full ownership of the streaming company. Disney has since made Hulu a key part of its streaming strategy as the general-audience complement to its family-friendly Disney Plus service and its sports-focused ESPN Plus platform. The company is bringing Hulu closer to help scale all of its platforms more quickly, it said. "I want to thank Randy for his leadership the last two years as CEO and for his collaboration the past several months to ensure an exceptionally bright future for Hulu," Kevin Mayer, Disney's head of direct-to-consumer and international, said in a statement. "With the successful launch of Disney+, we are now focused on the benefits of scale within and across our portfolio of DTC businesses. Further integrating the immensely talented Hulu team into our organization will allow us to more effectively and efficiently deploy resources, rapidly grow our presence outside the U.S. and continue to relentlessly innovate. There is a tremendous amount of opportunity ahead, and I am confident in our ability to accelerate our positive momentum and better serve consumers." Freer said in a statement: "I am grateful for my time at Hulu, and the opportunity to work and learn with an incredibly talented and dedicated group of people. I also want to thank Kevin and The Walt Disney Company, as well as NBCUniversal and Fox, for providing me the opportunity to lead Hulu during a time of tremendous growth and significant industry transformation. Hulu has established itself as a leading choice for consumers looking for the best TV service available today, and I am confident Hulu will thrive inside Disney under DTCI's leadership and resources." Story continues Freer will remain in his role for the next several weeks to help with the transition. For more on Hulu's business, see our coverage on BI Prime: Read the original article on Business Insider A day after India's first novel coronavirus (nCoV) case was reported from Kerala, the state government on Friday warned the people of the potential gravity of the threat but maintained that there was no need to panic. Camping in this city, where the woman medical student who came from China tested positive for the coronavirus, Health Minister K K Shailaja activated the health department and said the patient is currently treated at an isolation ward of the Government Medical College hospital here. The condition of the patient is stable, official sources said. Earlier in the day, health authorities shifted the student from the general hospital to the government medical College. The minister requested those who had travelled to China in recent days to voluntarily report themselves to the nearest hospitals. Some have reported to the health facilities in their neighbourhood in response to a directive given by the State government, she said. Strengthening its resolve to check the spread of illness to others, the minister directed those coming from China and other affected regions to strictly remain under home quarantine. The minister also requested the families of those who returned from the coronavirus-hit regions to postpone marriages to prevent a possible outbreak of the disease in the state. "Home quarantines are being done only as a precaution. No need to panic," the minister told reporters here after meeting the private hospital authorities to prepare them for facing the challenge. She said the family members of the people coming from the affected-regions should abide by the protocol. "It is heard that in some such families, preparations are being made for marriages. There is no harm in temporarily postponing the date of the marriage. There will be some difficulties in postponing the marriages fixed earlier. But this is a protocol. This must be obeyed," Shailaja said. Those who are home quarantined would be under observation for 28 days. "Those who are going for job, they should take leave and be under observation. Health volunteers would be around to solve their problems," she said. After holding a meeting with representatives of private hospitals in Thrissur district, Shailaja said isolation wards are being set up in such facilities and training programmes are being conducted for the health officials there. Shailaja said she was confident that health officials in the state, drawing their experience in fighting the deadly Nipah virus in the past two years, have the capacity to monitor the novel coronavirus and contain it. The Union Health Ministry had reported to the State government on Thursday that the patient has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. The patient had been kept in an isolation ward of the general hospital here since she approached the doctors with symptoms of the virus. The decision to shift her to the Medical College Hospital was taken after Shailaja held a high-level meeting at the medical college hospital here on Thursday midnight to take stock of the situation after the positive case of nCoV was detected in the state. The medical college here has been upgraded with a special isolation ward with facilities to treat at least 24 patients at a time. At least 1,053 people are under observation in the State as the Left Democratic Front government scrambled to tackle the emergency. The death toll in China's nCoV outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling 9,692, China's national authorities announced on Friday. About 20 countries have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In Bangladesh's biggest airport, workers held up digital thermometers to passengers' heads. A beeping alarm sounded as a passenger walking through a thermal scanner registered a fever. On a plane ride from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs as flight attendants donning face masks served drinks to similarly-clad passengers. Airline passengers making their way to and from China are navigating an eerie scene as officials around the globe work to contain a new, fast-spreading coronavirus. China has reported more than 7,800 cases, including 170 deaths, and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global emergency. Several major airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines have suspended service to China. But US-based United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines are still flying, though they have curtailed operations as passengers canceled trips. The pilots' union at American Airlines sued Thursday to block the carrier from flying to China because of the virus. One woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York changed her white face mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. It was a bit gloomy, said Joe Chang, a tech worker who flew from Shanghai to San Francisco after visiting his family for the Lunar New Year. In some cases, fear is turning into paranoia. On one flight headed to China from Amsterdam, passengers protested when they realized a man from Wuhan the epicenter of the outbreak was on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, he was allowed to fly. At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, passengers arriving from Beijing on Wednesday walked through thermal scanners to check for fevers. As their disembodied faces appeared on a nearby screen, most of their heads looked green, indicating a normal body temperature, but the machine beeped loudly when one man's forehead appeared red. He was shuttled to the side where a woman took his temperature with a device shaped like a bar code scanner. One hundred one degrees, she called out. Meanwhile, an airport worker pushed health cards into departing passengers' hands urging them to contact health authorities if they have a fever within 14 days of arrival. The number of infected people in Beijing is relatively low over 100. But it is much higher in Wuhan," said Mohammed Raihan, a Bangladeshi student who attends Capital Medical University in Beijing. "That's why I've come back. All the schools and universities have been shut down indefinitely. A similar scene played out in Kathmandu, Nepal, where masked passengers were greeted with large, illustrated signs imploring them to visit the health desk if they have symptoms including high fever, muscle pain, headaches or hemorrhaging. Health experts said Thursday there's significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and were concerned that in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some of which cause nothing worse than a cold. Flight cleaning crews are taking extra steps to protect themselves. Crews already fully disinfect arm rests, window shades and other hard surfaces after international flights on United Airlines. But if a plane carried a passenger with suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will don face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they clean with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DENVER Dozens of transgender migrant detainees have been moved from a long-criticized detention facility in New Mexico to other holding sites across the country, including a newly built unit in suburban Denver. ICE officials wouldn't say if they had completely shut down what had been the sole housing unit dedicated to transgender women migrants at the Cibola Correctional Center in rural New Mexico. But the move of the 27 inmates last week came just days after members of Congress demanded that ICE either improve conditions for transgender detainees or simply let them go. In a statement, ICE officials said Thursday they're working with the Cibola facility's owner, CoreCivic, to improve conditions at the detention center, which can house more than 1,000 inmates and detainees. Many ICE facilities are owned and operated by private contractors. "ICE recognizes the unique, long-term health care management needs of detainees who identify as transgender and wants to ensure transgender detainees have access to every resource available at ICEs disposal," an ICE spokesperson said in a statement. ICE on Friday confirmed that all trans detainees have been removed from Cibola, and CoreCivic officials said they are in the process of hiring in-house medical staff to replace a contracted service. CoreCivic is committed to providing high-quality healthcare to those entrusted to our care, company spokesman Amanda Gilcrist said in a statement. Detainees with unique medical needs were transferred from Cibola County while the facility continues to work through this transition of providers. A USA TODAY Network investigation published in December revealed that some transgender inmates at Cibola felt mistreated by staff at the facility, which also serves as the county jail. Several transgender inmates held at Cibola said they had been sexually assaulted or subjected to sexual harassment. Allegra Love, 38, an attorney and executive director of the Santa Fe Dreamers Project, has visited the Cibola facility in Milan, New Mexico, dozens of times over the past two years. Problems there mirror complaints elsewhere, she said: poor medical staffing, under-paid guards and unexpected closures and lockdowns that make it hard to effectively represent her clients. The Dreamers Project provides free legal services to immigrants, who arent always automatically entitled to an attorney the way criminal defendants are. Story continues In this Wednesday, June 6, 2018 file photo, Gabriela Hernandez, executive director of the nonprofit New Mexico Dream Team, holds up an image in Albuquerque, New Mexico, of a Honduran transgender woman who died while in U.S. custody last month. Autopsy: Bruises on transgender migrant who died in ICE custody caused by CPR, not abuse Love said in a November interview that the medical care in particular in Ciboloa was lacking: "I've had clients with cancer, with heart conditions, and they're told to drink water, that the desert is very dry and they just need water. The medical neglect is rampant." A federal investigation into the 2018 death of transgender detainee Roxsana Hernandez Rodriguez revealed that Cibola County, where the detention center is housed, had only one ambulance to cover its 4,500-square mile area. The Jan. 14 letter to ICE from 45 members of Congress highlighted Rodriguez's death, along with the 2019 death of another recently-transferred transgender detainee. "Each day that ICE continues to detain transgender people is a day that the health and well-being of those individuals is at risk," the Democratic members of Congress wrote. "We ask that you honor the long-standing reputation of the United States as a refuge for individuals who face persecution and adhere to the Congressional directives regarding the treatment of transgender people... In an interview with USA TODAY late last year, Jenny Garcia, 23, a transgender woman who fled her home in Mexico, said guards made her strip and bathe with men at Cibola, even though they knew she identified as transgender. She said her two months in Cibola was an isolating and dehumanizing experience that included the extensive use of solitary confinement is what was supposed to be a holding center, not a jail. She said she couldnt contact her family in Mexico and wasnt given opportunities to contact anyone to advocate on her behalf. 'These people are profitable': Under Trump, private prisons are cashing in on ICE detainees "They didn't treat us like people. They treated us like animals," said Garcia, who has been released and is living with a relative in California while her case is reviewed. "I was fleeing my country and I was told the asylum process was one where would they would believe me. Instead, they called me names. There were points where I couldn't stand it anymore. I felt like I was slowly dying in the detention center." In an April 2019 inspection, a federal auditor said Cibola met standards for the Prison Rape Elimination Act, a federal law governing how detention centers and prisons must operate in order to minimize sexual assault. Among the criteria is keeping detainees of different sexes segregated, and ensuring privacy from the opposite sex during showers. The auditor said transgender detainees had their own law library, beauty salon, medical exam room and an open recreation yard separate from the rest of the population, but didn't actually interview any of those detainees. An inspection Monday of the Aurora ICE facility in suburban Denver by Democratic U.S. Rep. Jason Crow's staff found the site was housing 20 transgender detainees in the newly opened unit and noted that the private contractor running the site, GEO Group, was working with local LGBT health experts. "ICE is aware of the additional mental health supports needed by transgender individuals and is reaching out to community groups to do what they can to ensure these needs are met," Crow's staff said in their report. "In addition to visit with mental health professionals, they are currently offering services such as twice-weekly ESL lessons and will have the hairstyling services offered in the womens areas extended to the transgender dorms as well." Contributing: Kristin Lam, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Transgender migrant detainees moved from ICE facility called unsafe WASHINGTONJeffrey Epstein is gone, but the fight over his estate involving lawyers, creditors, victims and the U.S. Virgin Islands, to name a few is far from settled, and getting more complicated all the time. The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands has asked a judge to let her get involved in the decision-making in the settlement of the estate of the disgraced financier. She has also objected to the creation of a victims compensation fund at least one that would be run out of New York. Among the recent claims on the estate was a legal bill totalling nearly $600,000 (U.S.). It is considered an interim tab. Sorting out Epsteins financial affairs and divvying up the proceeds were made more difficult when Epstein rewrote his will two days before he was found dead in his cell last August at a New York lockup, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. He was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges last July, eight months after The Miami Herald published Perversion of Justice, a series of stories examining the extraordinary plea deal 10 years earlier that absolved him of trafficking allegations. Denise George, the attorney general, filed a motion to intervene before the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands, arguing that the government must protect its interests as executors make decisions about how Epsteins creditors are paid and his accusers are compensated. Intervention is particularly necessary given the potential conflict of interest of the Executors in administering the Estate and, in particular, proposing to hire and compensate Designers to administer a voluntary fund to compensate victims trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, George argued in a complaint filed on Jan. 23 but made public on Monday. A parallel motion was also filed by George on Jan. 23 opposing a plan offered by executors of the estate to create the New York-based victims compensation fund. Also made public this week was a court request by the estates executors to pay a whopping $581,000 in legal bills to the Virgin Islands law firm of Erika Kellerhals, which helped create Epsteins shell companies and did the legal work on his controversial purchase of Great St. James island from a buyer who did not want to sell to him. George brought a multi-count indictment in a civil enforcement action against the Epstein estate on Jan 15, effectively staking a huge claim on Epsteins estate. The little-known attorney general, who took office last April, wants the Virgin Islands to take back both local islands that Epstein had developed, Great St. James and Little St. James, worth more than $80 million. On Jan. 16, she filed a criminal lien on the estate. The attorney general argues that Epstein used his two islands to support his sex trafficking scheme. Georges indictment alleges direct sexual abuse of minors, some as young as 12, by Epstein on his islands. Some of it happened in 2018, she alleged, a full decade after his nonprosecution agreement in Florida that gave him immunity from federal sex trafficking charges and allowed him to plead guilty to minor offense with limited jail time. Epstein updated his will two days before he was found dead at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan last Aug. 10. That update included adding his two islands to a trust that makes it harder for his accusers to get at his assets which were valued at the time of his detention at $550 million or more. Five days after his death, Epsteins longtime lawyers Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn moved to be declared executors who would settle the estate. They were involved in the financial structures that George alleges were created to hide Epsteins ownership of and activities on his two islands. And thats why, almost half a year after Epsteins death which was labeled a suicide despite suspicions by his brother and others the government of the Virgin Islands is trying to intervene. The Executors of Epsteins Estate, Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. Kahn, were and are involved in various Epstein business entities that are alleged to share liability in Epsteins civil and criminal violations in the Virgin Islands and elsewhere, George wrote at the conclusion of her intervention motion, signed by the head of the civil division, Ariel M. Smith. Therefore, there is no means, absent intervention, to ensure Governments interest in its claims and in enforcing the laws of the Virgin Islands are protected. In their filing seeking to pay the lawyers for Kellerhals, Ferguson, Kroblin PLLC, the executors explained why they sought to pay them at the rate of $500 an hour for their work. Virgin Islands courts generally have allowed reimbursement rates between $150 to $400 an hour, executors acknowledged. When Epstein was alive, the executors wrote, the Kellerhals law firm began handling matters for him in 2008, and these duties ranged from his owned entities, trusts, and foundations, and representation in all civil litigation in the U.S. Virgin Islands involving the Decedents interests. They also spelled out what is at stake in the fight over the estate, and why it is already so complicated. Epstein used trusts to protect his wealth and his investments were those of the ultra-wealthy, not available to ordinary investors. In justifying the high compensation, the executors said the Kellerhals law firm had intimate knowledge of Epsteins complex holdings, which included significant sums of cash, multiple entities, fixed income investments, equities, ownership interests, hedge funds, and private equity investments, valuable personal property, and real and personal property, held in or through various corporate holding and operating entities. WASHINGTON - In May 2019, President Donald Trump asked then-national security adviser John Bolton to help make sure Ukraines newly elected leader met with Rudy Giuliani about investigations he sought into Democrats, according to an unpublished manuscript of Boltons book. Bolton writes that Trump issued the directive in an Oval Office meting where Giuliani, acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who is leading Trumps defence in the Senate impeachment trial, were also present. Bolton writes that he never called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, according to a person who has read the unpublished book and shared details of its contents with The Associated Press. The person, who was not authorized to publicly discuss what is in the book, spoke Friday on on condition of anonymity. The revelations add new details to Trumps role in pushing Ukraine to investigate Democrat Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee, and come as the Senate inches closer to the presidents all-but-certain acquittal in his impeachment trial. Democrats have pushed to call Bolton as a witness in the trial, but do not have enough support from GOP senators. Bolton has said he is willing to testify, including about matters included in his book, which is due to be published in March. The discussion at the meeting in early May was first reported by The New York Times. Bolton writes that the president asked him to call Zelenskiy and persuade him to meet with Giuliani, who was pushing for investigations into the presidents political rivals the heart of the impeachment inquiry. In a statement, Trump denied the account in Boltons manuscript. I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, to meet with President Zelenskiy, Trump said. That meeting never happened. The House impeached Trump last month on two charges first, that he abused his power like no other president, jeopardizing Ukraine and U.S.-Ukraine relations. Democrats say Trump asked the vulnerable ally to investigate Biden and debunked theories of 2016 election interference, withholding American security aid to the country as it battled Russia at its border. The second article of impeachment says Trump then obstructed the House probe in a way that threatened the nations three-branch system of checks and balances. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar takes questions during a briefing with members of the president's Coronavirus Task Force in Washington, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) US Declares Public Health Emergency Over Coronavirus, Blocks Recent Travelers to China The United States will bar entry to foreign nationals who have been in mainland China in the past 14 days, in a ramp-up of efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The temporary ban will not apply to the immediate family of U.S. citizens or permanent residents and will take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Health Alex Azar announced at a press conference on Jan. 31. Azar added that U.S. authorities have officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency in the United States. The measure comes as a growing number of countries close their borders or announce travel restrictions with China. The deadly coronavirus has spread to 23 countries outside of China, with 132 confirmed cases. In China, official figures report thousands of people have been infected and over a hundred killed, with the number surging on a daily basis, although experts say the actual number is likely far higher. Azar also announced that any U.S. citizen who has been in the province of Hubeiwhich houses the epicenter of the virus, Wuhan Cityin the last 14 days will be subject to a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days upon arrival into the United States. For any returning U.S. citizen who has been to the rest of mainland China in the last 14 days, they will be given a health screening at select ports of entry, and then subject to up to 14 days of monitored self-quarantine, he said. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that the measures were implemented because theres a lot of unknowns surrounding the novel coronavirus. The number of cases have steeply inclined each and every day, Fauci said. He said that while it was previously unknown if an infected person could transmit the disease to another person if they did not exhibit any symptoms, now we know from a recent report from Germany that that is absolutely the case. Azar said the risk of infections to Americans remains low and measures have been put to place to ensure it stays this way. There have been six confirmed cases of the virus in the United States, with the most recent being the first case of human-to-human transmission in the country. An Illinois man, who had not been to the virus epicenter of Wuhan, contracted the disease from his spouse who had recently returned from the Chinese city. It is likely that we will continue to see more cases in the United States in the coming days and weeks, including some limited person-to-person transmission, Azar said. The U.S. State Department yesterday advised citizens not to travel to China after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Earlier today, three U.S. airlinesDelta Airlines, American Airlines, and United Airlinesannounced they will suspend all flights between the United States and mainland China. For American Airlines and United Airlines, the suspension took effect today, while Delta will be suspending flights from Feb. 6. Michael Gove today admitted UK trade with the EU after Brexit will not be 'frictionless' as Boris Johnson prepares to ask Brussels for an 'off-the-shelf' future partnership agreement. Mr Gove, the minister for the Cabinet Office, said the government wanted trade with the bloc to be 'as frictionless as possible' as Britain gets ready to leave the EU at 11pm tonight. But he conceded that the UK's plan to diverge from some Brussels rules and regulations would mean the introduction of 'some bureaucratic processes there that arent there now'. Mr Gove said the EU had made clear that 'you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules' - something ministers have ruled out. His remarks came as it was claimed Mr Johnson will use a big speech next week to ask the EU to negotiate a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK similar to the one Brussels struck with Canada. Such a deal would allow for the almost tariff-free movement of goods but would not include services and would require customs checks at the border. Michael Gove, pictured in Downing Street on January 8, today conceded trade with the EU after Brexit will not be frictionless A Canada-style 'off-the-shelf' deal was offered by the EU to Theresa May's government but it was rebuffed in favour of seeking a more complicated arrangement. The main benefit of a Canada-style deal would be that it could be negotiated relatively quickly. However, there is a major road block to agreeing such a deal in that the EU has said it would only agree such terms if the UK agrees to stick with Brussels rules and regulations. The so-called 'level playing field' provision will be a massive sticking point because the government has said the UK must be free to do its own thing after Brexit. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Council Charles Michel and president of the European Parliament David Sassoli made clear that the level of UK access to the EU market after Brexit will depend on Britain's willingness to accept Brussels regulations. Writing in The Times they said: 'Without a level playing field on environment, labour, taxation and state aid, there cannot be the highest quality access to the single market.' Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast this morning that the UK will be free to go its own way on rules and regulations after Brexit. Asked if he could guarantee that there would be frictionless trade after Brexit, Mr Gove replied: No. We want trade to be as frictionless as possible but the EU is clear, you can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept all of their rules, if you accept all their laws, you are subordinate to their judges, you are subordinate to their political structures. We voted to be independent. Now, we want to have as close as possible relationship with the EU and the approach that we want to take is built on the relationship that they have with Canada. That means that we want to have a relationship where there are ultimately no tariffs, no quotas on our trade but there will be some regulations that will differ in Britain, we will do things in a way which is better for our economy. That may mean that when it comes to trading with Europe there are some bureaucratic processes there that arent there now. We will do everything possible to minimise the friction in the interests of our economy. Charles Michel (left), Ursula von der Leyen (centre) and David Sassoli (right), pictured in Paris yesterday, have said 'without a level playing field on environment, labour, taxation and state aid, there cannot be the highest quality access to the single market' for the UK after Brexit He added: Critically, as we leave the EU we will be able to set the rules in the interests of the British economy and that means that we will see all sorts of procedures, all sorts of bureaucracy that in the past have held British business back, that can go. Mr Johnson is expected to set out the UK's aims for trade talks with the EU in a major address next week. The suggestion that the PM will ask for an 'off-the-shelf' deal is likely to spark concern among businesses because such a relationship with the EU would not be as close as the one originally envisioned by Mrs May. The Treasury previously forecast that a Canada-style Brexit deal would result in the UK economy being almost five per cent smaller over a period of 15 years when compared to if Britain had remained a member of the bloc. NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FMW Media, Inc. announces that it scheduled the filming of SunStock, Inc. (SSOK:OTCMARKETS) on its TV Business show Exploring The Block. On February 25, 2020, SSOKs executives in NYC studio will provide filmed interviews about the Companys cryptocurrency strategy to facilitate buying, selling, and storing precious metals in a retail location. SSOK selected Karatbars Internationals K-Merchant program with Karatbars ATM. SUNStock will be consulting with Karatbars International and their world renown successful leader Dr. Harald Seiz on all blockchain development starting in Q2 and Q, 2020. Viewers can expect to learn more about SSOKs Karatbars International relationship, their unique business opportunities, blockchain technology, and the why over SSOKs success in 3rd and 4th quarters, 2019. Additionally, SSOKs executives expect to give in-depth details on its wholly-owned retail store, Moms Silver, which enables customers to buy/sell precious metals using Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Moms Silver, a first store of its kind in California, as well, in City of Sacramento, CA developed a convent and unique retail experience whereas customers will be able to purchase gold, silver, and other precious metals using their bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies wallets. The location will provide an easy to use Bitcoin (BTC) ATM for customers. And, the store will contain a showroom and learning center for both customer and other merchants interested in utilizing SSOK and partners unique transparent and ease of use technology in other retail setting transactions. We are really excited to be able to implement BLOCKCHAIN technology and be able to showcase it in real life through our Sacramento store," said Jason Chang CEO of SunStock, Inc. ABOUT SunStock, Inc.: SunStock, Inc. (SSOK:OTCMARKETS), a public company, develops and utilizes unique cryptocurrency solutions and technologies. ItsTriple 8s tokens leverages precious metal investments while revolutionizing, improving and expanding the value of money, backed in precious metal assets. As such, harnessing the metal values makes Triple 8 a unique crypto with efficiencies and traceable liquidities. Token holders can spend their diversified portfolio back in precious metals within a payment infrastructure familiar to that used in current banking platforms using fiat monies. By tokenizing precious metals into the blockchain, Triple 8 introduces a user friendly and valid monetary system. Redefining how the world uses and understands money flows, the launch of Triple 8 as asset-back cryptocurrencies, tied to gold, silver and platinum bullion provides real world value, not seen since the loss of the U.S. dollar monetary gold standard - http://www.sunstockinc.com/ About Karatbars International: In 2011, Karatbars International, THE GOLD COMPANY had a decisive year for Dr. h.c. Harald Seiz. With the founding of Karatbars International GmbH in Stuttgart, his dream of making gold available and transferable for many people at all times came true. CEO and founder Harald Seiz recognized that gold in small denominations must be affordable for everyone and thus offers many people the opportunity to build and preserve a secure existence in the form of gold. GoldCards with small integrated fine gold bars of 1 gram are shipped from Stuttgart all over the world. Today Karatbars International is the market leader for gold in small denominations. Gold was the past and is the future. Today, digital gold can be sent to any Karatbars partner worldwide via Karatpay, a transaction app developed by Karatbars. 2017 was another important year for Karatbars International. After company founder Dr. h.c. Harald Seiz recognized the possibilities of new technologies such as the Blockchain and developed together with his technology partner Cryptodata groundbreaking solutions for digital transactions and communication. The Impulse K1 came onto the market at the end of 2019 and the WHIM Laptop will appear at the beginning of 2020 - both the first communication solutions with voice-over-blockchain communication- http://www.Karatbars.com About FMW Media: FMW Media Corp. operates one of the longest running U.S and International sponsored programming T.V. brands "NewToTheStreet," and its blockchain show "Exploring The Block." Since 2009, these brands run shows across major U.S. Television networks. These TV platforms reach over 540 million homes both in US and international markets. Developing 2-additional shows "TheBestinNY" and "The Ultimate Listing," FMW commences new broadcasting in early 2020. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements contained in this press release may be construed as "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," "believes" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Act. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of these statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our history of losses and limited revenue, our ability to develop new products and evolve existing ones. For a more complete description of these and other risk factors that may affect the future performance of Sunstock, Inc., see "Risk Factors" in the filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company also undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the time made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Contact Information: FMW MediaWorks Bryan Johnson Bryan@NewToTheStreet.com SunStock, Inc. (916) 860-9622 enquiry@sunstockinc.com www.sunstockinc.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/05b9cd06-80b0-47f3-b2be-ed279a0375f5 Twenty years ago, President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and PLO leader Yasser Arafat met at Camp David where Barak offered almost all of what Arafat asked for in exchange for making peace with the Jewish state. Arafat rejected the offer. The reason was and remains that the Palestinian leadership doesnt want to make peace with Israel. Their goal is to eliminate it. Now comes President Trump with his own peace plan, offering statehood, prosperity and peace to the Palestinians. Has anything changed in the last 20 years, indeed, since 1948 when the Arabs rejected the idea of a Jewish state and launched the first of numerous wars, spawning terrorist attacks? Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas rejected the Trump plan before it was announced, calling the president a dog and another name not fit to print. The flaw in the Trump plan is that it is designed, like all the others, by people whose thinking is radically different from Arab and Muslim leaders. Lets start with the Palestinian Charter, which says in Article Nine: Armed struggle is the only way to liberate Palestine and is therefore a strategy and not a tactic. The Palestinian Arab people affirms its absolute resolution and abiding determination to pursue the armed struggle and to march forward towards the armed popular revolution, to liberate its homeland and restore its right to a natural life, and to exercise its right of self-determination and national sovereignty. One of the requirements in the Trump peace proposal is for the Palestinians to reject violence, including violence by Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Neither terrorist organization has accepted Israels right to exist and is unlikely to do so now. The president spoke of the importance of peace for the younger generation. But young people are being educated like those who have gone before. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based nonprofit think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs, a 2017 study by the Institute for Monitoring Peace and Cultural Tolerance in School Education (in Jerusalem) found that Palestinian children are being taught to glorify and value terrorism and violence and that The new Palestinian curriculum, which includes new textbooks for grades 1-4, is significantly more radical than previous curricula. To an even greater extent than the 2014-15 textbooks, the curriculum teaches students to be martyrs, demonizes and denies the existence of Israel and focuses on a return to an exclusively Palestinian homeland. How likely are those who believe and teach such things to do a 180 and start teaching peaceful co-existence with Israel? For years, sermons by Muslim clerics, Arab media and the actions of terrorists have been rooted in what they believe is a religious mandate to eradicate Israel and even the United States. One still hears such things from Iranian leaders who think ushering in Armageddon will reveal the Islamic Messiah. How does the secular West convince radical Muslims to reject the command of their god? Then theres the failed formula of Israel relinquishing land to its enemies in exchange for peace, another component of the Trump plan. It has been a one-way street for Israel, most recently in Gaza, which predictably became a terrorist base for Hamas. There are plenty of good intentions in the Trump proposal, including a promise of prosperity and jobs for the Palestinian people. They could have had both long ago. Jobs and prosperity, however, do not supersede what many of them believe to be orders from Allah. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his political rival, Benny Gantz, have signed off on the plan, probably for political reasons with another election coming soon. They cant possibly believe the Palestinian leadership will agree to the proposal. Peace is not, or should not be, a goal. Peace is a byproduct of victory in war, or a decision by ones enemies to change the way they believe and act. That Palestinian leaders will change their beliefs and desire to eliminate Israel is as likely as Democrats changing their minds about Trumps presidency. One wishes it were not so, but history even recent history proves otherwise. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas new book Americas Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States (HarperCollins/Zondervan). The New Zealand dollar is headed for a 2 percent weekly decline on growing concerns at the spread of Chinas coronavirus. The kiwi was trading at 64.77 US cents at 5pm in Wellington from 65.04 cents at the same time yesterday. It was at 66.18 US cents at 5pm last Friday in Wellington. The trade-w... Read the full story at BusinessDesk subscribe now: https://businessdesk.co.nz/article/nz-dollar-sheds-2-in-week-on-virus-worries 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: 13th January 2022 Morning Report Pictor's completes successful US clinical trials for unique COVID antibody testing 12th January 2022 Morning Report 11th January 2022 Morning Report Greenfern Industries Limited (NZX: GFI) Announces Cannvalate Transaction 10th January 2022 Morning Report 7th January 2022 Morning Report 6th January 2022 Morning Report 5th January 2022 Morning Report Harmoney Corp Limited (NZX: HMY) HMY Signs A$20m Corporate Debt Facility CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat has written to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik, demanding immediate action on the party's complaint against "hate speeches" by BJP leaders and urging him to take preventive steps against right-wing organisation Hindu Sena. The party had written a letter to the police commissioner on January 29 giving details of "hate speeches" made by BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma while campaigning for the Delhi Assembly polls. "The details showed that the speeches constitute criminal offences under the IPC. We had also mentioned the specific provisions which should apply namely under Section 153A/ 153B/ 295A/ 298/ 504/ 505/ 506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, among others. "Regrettably and for reasons best known to you and the Delhi Police, you chose not to act on our complaint. The direct result of your inaction was seen yesterday when an armed man shot directly at Jamia students, in full view of the Delhi Police personnel who acted as spectators," the letter stated. It also alleged that the "criminal concerned" is a supporter of the ruling party and the ideology of the Sangh parivar. "He implemented what Anurag Thakur had openly asked his supporters to do -- "goli maaro", shoot the traitors. This terrorist act is directly attributable to the instigation by the leaders mentioned above through their statements for which they must be held responsible and charged under the law," the letter said. Tension spiralled in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a Jamia Millia Islamia student, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. The letter also raised the issue of the Hindu Sena, which it said, had announced that it would forcibly clear the Shaheen Bagh protest site on February 2. "This is spreading fear and panic in the entire area. It is essential for the police to take strong action in advance against this Sena so as to prevent them from carrying out their threat. This threat again is attributable to the hate speech made by the two leaders named. We urge you to take immediate action, file the FIRs, and take preventive steps against the Hindu Sena," Karat said in the letter, which is also signed by K M Tewari, Secretary, Delhi State Committee, CPI(M). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Natural News) You wont find any throwaway plastic bags at its grocery stores or plastic straws at its fast food chains. But Californias water supplies are loaded with disease-causing human feces thanks to the states leftist political establishment. While vocally claiming to be champions of the environment, Californias Democrat politicians have allowed out-of-control homelessness to destroy the American River near Sacramento, the Santa Ana River in Orange County, and the San Diego river in San Diego not to mention the ocean beaches where these rivers drain. By putting illegal aliens over legal citizens and vagrants over property owners, California has created a Third World underclass thats setting up its own tent cities along the states most critical waterways, which has created a major public health hazard. Up in Sacramento, families with children can no longer enjoy the American Rivers Discovery Park, which used to be a fun, safe place for locals to cool off in the summertime. Now, Discovery Park is jam-packed with homeless tent cities, along with all of the trash, drug needles, and poop that goes along with them. Back in December, water quality tests revealed that river water in Discovery Park tested at more than 27 times the safe limit for E. coli, a type of fecal bacteria. E. coli levels actually soared so high there that laboratory equipment could no longer properly measure it. Dont walk, wade or swim without shoes, used needles have been strewn throughout the park, one Californian wrote in a Yelp review about Discovery Park. I found crack heads, hookers, and crazy people screaming obscenities and throwing punches at anyone who came too close. I have been threatened by homeless trying to hit me, bitten by a homeless persons dog, wrote another. I have seen cleanup crews load as many as [four] bins the size of railroad cars with trash and it still isnt enough. Sacramento County refuses to pinpoint humans as the source of all that E. coli, instead choosing to blame the intestines of mammals from wildlife to humans. One has to read between the lines a bit to decipher whats really going on here. At Tiscornia Beach, which is located at the confluence of the American and Sacramento Rivers, E. coli levels have been calculated at levels so high that a college professor referred to the water as diluted sewage. Does California really want to be known for allowing human poop to destroy its beautiful natural environment? The problem also extends to Southern California where the Santa Ana River supplies water for much of Orange County (located next to Los Angeles). Homeless encampments all along this mostly concrete riverbed are polluting the water with trash and feces, which is putting public health at risk. The same is true for the San Diego River, into which the San Diego Water Board actually had to petition local agencies to curtail the flow of human fecal matter. All of this human waste pollution eventually makes its way to Pacific Ocean beaches where surfer surfs and children play, just as they long have at Discovery Park and other natural areas across California that are now ruined, so long as the homeless are permitted to have free reign. The irony of all this is apparently lost on Californias politicians, who love to pretend as though the Golden State is an environmental leader when in fact its one of the most polluted states in the country thanks to skyrocketing vagrancy. While movies like Dark Waters depict corporate villains who cover up environmental catastrophes that harm families, in California, its the party of the environmentalists that has overseen an unprecedented environmental catastrophe that has affected some of the states major rivers and drinking supply, writes Daniel Greenfield for Frontpage Mag. And its the Democrats and their leftist organizations who have been covering up the threat. For more related news, be sure to check out Deception.news. Sources for this article include: FrontpageMag.com NaturalNews.com RENO, Nev., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Parents and community members are invited to visit school booths, talk to school representatives, and explore all types of K-12 education at the Reno School Choice fair. While parents shop for schools, kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt, face painting, music, a photo booth, balloon art, mariachi band, snacks, drinks, and more. WHAT: School Choice Fair during School Choice Week WHO: Representatives from 35+ Reno area schools and education organizations area schools and education organizations Local parents and families Sen. Heidi Gansert Valeria Gurr , Nevada State Director for American Federation for Children; , Nevada State Director for American Federation for Children; Tara Bevington , Executive Director of the Nevada Council for Private Education , Executive Director of the Nevada Council for Private Education Victor Salcido , Executive Director of The Charter School Association of Nevada WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday , Feb. 1 WHERE: The Whitney Peak Hotel | 255 N. Virginia St. This event is organized by the Nevada School Choice Coalition. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. From January 26 through February 1, 2020, more than 50,000 independently-planned events will be held in celebration of the Week. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com/nevada. SOURCE National School Choice Week Related Links http://www.schoolchoiceweek.com Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Majority Leader, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has disclosed that the President will on 20th February, 2020 present his final State of the Nation Address to the August House. He says it will also afford him the opportunity to account for his stewardship to the people of Ghana who voted for him in 2016. Speaking on Okay FMs 'Ade Akye Abia' programme, he explained that the Constitution mandates the President to account and inform the people of Ghana about the development of the country. He says the President has officially written to inform parliament of his coming on the 20th of February, 2020. "As a Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, I have also informed Parliament about the Presidents visit to present his State of the Nation Address and also acquaint himself with the business of the House," he said. "You know parliament reconvened only yesterday and there is a pile of work to be done. As I am speaking with you now, there are about 20 bills before the House and we need to work on them before the House will rise again before Easter," he added. Touching on the achievement of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), he explained that the NPP government has done so well so far as the development of the country is concerned. "Just within 3 years in government, more has been achieved than the NDC's 8 or so years in government," he said. He praised the government for the procurement of the 307 ambulances which he believes will help improve the countrys health care system. Watch video below . . . 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) Travel agencies remain positive in light of the novel coronavirus outbreak as they look to other virus-free destinations, an industry leader said. "It's gonna be business as usual to other destinations that are not affected by the virus. So there are countries that are still free from the virus, and that is where the focus would be, if this is going to continue for a longer period of time," Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) President Ritchie Tuano said in an interview with CNN Philippines' "Business Roundup." RELATED: Travel agencies hurt over coronavirus outbreak Tuano said the lockdown implemented by the Chinese government on some areas is a significant loss to tourism, but he added other markets may take up the slack. According to 2019 data, there were 1.6 million Chinese visitors who spent around $980 million. Meanwhile, the Tourism Department has vowed to ramp up marketing efforts in promoting virus-free destinations both locally and abroad. Tuano recalled that the Asia Pacific region suffered a 60 percent drop in air travelduring the 2003 SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic but the region recovered in less than a year. While foreign governments have issued alerts, he said "it's still safe to travel." The Philippines recorded its first case of the novel coronavirus on Thursday. A 38-year-old female Chinese national travelled from Wuhan to the Philippines via Hong Kong and has been admitted at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. There are now 140 confirmed cases of the virus in 23 countries aside from China. The World Health Organization has declared as a public health emergency of international concern because of the spread of the virus to many countries. RELATED: World Health Organization declares coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern The convicts were scheduled to be hanged on February 1, but it is unlikely to happen. New Delhi: Pawan Jallad, a hangman from the Meerut Prison, reported to the Tihar Jail administration on Thursday, two days ahead of the Nirbhaya case convicts' scheduled execution, officials said. They said Pawan, a third-generation hangman, will be staying on the jail premises and check the strength of rope and other related things on Friday. The four convicts in the gruesome gang-rape-and-murder case are scheduled to be hanged on February 1, but their execution is unlikely to happen as one of them filed a mercy petition before the President on Wednesday while another moved a curative plea before the Supreme Court. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as Nirbhaya, the fearless one, was gang-raped and brutally assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later at a hospital in Singapore. One of the six accused in the case, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar jail in 2013. A juvenile, who was among the accused, was convicted by a juvenile justice board and was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term. New Delhi: India's privately-owned airline SpiceJet has confirmed data breach of over a million of its passengers after a security researcher highlighted a security lapse in its systems. According to TechCrunch, a security researcher, who described their actions as `ethical hacking`, gained access to one of the airline`s systems by brute-forcing an easily-guessable password. The database backup file on the system was unencrypted, allowing access to private information of more than 1.2 million passengers last month. Live TV The details included flight information and details of each passenger, including their name, phone number, email address, and date of birth. The researcher had alerted SpiceJet about the database, but it was only after they informed government-run cybercrime agency CERT-In that the airline took necessary steps to protect its user database. French workers fillet mackerels in a fish processing plant in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, January 29, 2020. Picture taken January 29, 2020. EU fishermen will lose the automatic right to fish in British waters once Britain leaves the European Union. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol For the British government, a successful Brexit means re-asserting economic sovereignty and landing a trade deal with Europe. Trawler captain Stephane Fait and his fellow French fisherman could sink that plan. Based in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France's busiest fishing port and a major European processing centre, Fait and his crew earn the bulk of their income from fish caught in British waters. In negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal that get underway after Britain's Jan. 31 exit from the European Union, Britain will say EU vessels like Fait's Notre Dame de Boulogne trawler longer have automatic access to British waters. But French fishermen won't accept that and they have leverage: pressuring Brussels via French President Emmanuel Macron to withhold the trade deal unless Britain lets EU trawlers fish its waters. "Macron mustn't give an inch to Britain," the captain said as his crew unloaded 2 tonnes of squid, red mullet and whiting this week. Fait, 50, said his livelihood was at risk and wants Macron to retaliate against any restrictions imposed by London with a ban on British-caught fish entering the EU. Expand Close The French trawler "Notre Dame de Boulogne" arrives in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, January 29, 2020. Picture taken January 29, 2020. EU fishermen will lose the automatic right to fish in British waters once Britain leaves the European Union. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The French trawler "Notre Dame de Boulogne" arrives in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, January 29, 2020. Picture taken January 29, 2020. EU fishermen will lose the automatic right to fish in British waters once Britain leaves the European Union. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol The fishing row shows how just one small industry - which plays a tiny economic role but has outsize political influence - can undo Britain's ambitions of landing a wider deal that preserves its access to European markets. British fishing grounds are among the richest in the North East Atlantic zone where most of the EU catch is hauled in. Current rules allow EU boats to fish as close as six nautical miles to Britain's coast, but once it leaves the bloc its exclusive economic zone will reach as far as 200 miles offshore. If no new accord is reached, Fait will not be allowed to fish beyond a line down the middle of the English Channel separating French and British territorial waters. It would be "very, very grave" if French boats were banned from British waters, French Farm Minister Didier Guillaume told Reuters. "There could be reprisal measures." Expand Close French fisherman Alexandre Fournier poses in front of the French trawler "Notre Dame de Boulogne" in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, January 29, 2020. Picture taken January 29, 2020. EU fishermen will lose the automatic right to fish in British waters once Britain leaves the European Union. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp French fisherman Alexandre Fournier poses in front of the French trawler "Notre Dame de Boulogne" in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer, France, January 29, 2020. Picture taken January 29, 2020. EU fishermen will lose the automatic right to fish in British waters once Britain leaves the European Union. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol COMPETING INTERESTS Regaining control of Britain's waters was a totem for Brexit campaigners. British fishermen say too many concessions were made when Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973. The EU Common Fisheries Policy determines how much of each fish can be caught and sets national quotas. Once Britain becomes an independent coastal state, it will operate its fish stocks independently. "A rebalancing is needed," a British official said. "We believe we should have a greater share of the fish in UK waters." However, a European diplomat said the objective was to "maintain the status quo" on access to British waters. The European Commission says there should be no free trade agreement without a fisheries accord. Another European diplomat said EU capitals would stand united on fisheries, as they did on the Irish border during negotiations on a withdrawal agreement. ECONOMIC LIFELINE Fishing is a tiny contributor to the EU's economy, providing only 180,000 jobs. But it is a lifeline for coastal communities in France, as well as Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands and negotiations will go beyond just access to fishing grounds. In Boulogne-sur-Mer, some 5,000 people work in refrigerated warehouses and processing plants that handle 400,000 tonnes of fish annually and distribute to markets across Europe. Less than 10% is landed at the port; fish, lobster and shellfish caught off Scotland, Norway and the Faroe Islands are often trucked in from British ports. While Britain might hold the upper hand over access to its fishing grounds, British fishermen could ill-afford to turn their backs on Europe, said Aymeric Chrzan, head of the fishmonger union's local branch. His message for Britain: "You can keep your fish stocks for yourself, prevent others from fishing, but you've still got to make a living." The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump resumed Friday, with Trumps lawyers and House impeachment managers led by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) making concluding arguments. The Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses late Friday. Senate to Vote on Impeachment Articles on Wednesday Senate Republicans voted 53-47 late Friday to approve a resolution that calls for the vote on the articles of impeachment to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. ET. The resolution also calls for closing statements to be heard starting Monday when the Senate is set to reconvenethere will be no trial action over the weekend. Senate Rejects Resolution to Call Witnesses Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses, including former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, on Friday evening, setting up a potential acquittal vote in the coming days. The Senate voted 51-49 to not subpoena any documents or witnesses in the trial. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) joined Democrats in the losing bid. Potential swing-vote Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) voted against the measure. No Democrats joined the Republican majority. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that there is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as overwhelming and beyond any doubt.' Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation, McConnell said in a statement. We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue. Read more here. Another Moderate GOP Senator Wont Vote for Witnesses Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he will not vote in favor of a motion to call for more witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial. I do not believe that additional witnesses are needed, he said in the statement, adding that he believes Trump didnt handle his dealings with Ukraine well. However, the actions do not rise to the level of removing a duly-elected president from office and taking him off the ballot in the middle of an election, his statement said. Early voting has already begun in some states in the presidential primaries. The American people will have the opportunity to have their say at the ballot box, Portman, who is considered a moderate, added in his statement. Nadler Not on Floor Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), an impeachment manager, said he wont be on the House floor to deal with his ailing wife in New York City. In December, following the House Judiciary Committee markup of the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump, my wife was admitted to the hospital where she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She has undergone surgery and is taking further steps to address the spread of the cancer, Nadler said. I am sorry to not be able to stay in Washington for the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial but I need to be home with my wife at this time. We have many decisions to make as a family. I have every faith in my colleagues and hope the Senate will do what is right. (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) January 31, 2020 Nadler added: On Monday, I will be in New York with her to meet with doctors, determine a path forward, and begin her treatment. I am sorry to miss some of the Senate Impeachment Trial, which is of critical importance to our democracy.. House Managers Ask Senate for One Week for Witnesses The House impeachment managers have asked the Senate for one more week so witnesses can testify in the case. However, with Sen. Lisa Murkowskis (R-Alaska) statement that she will vote against witnesses, a Democratic measure to call them up seems likely to fail. Democrats need four Republicans to vote. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) indicated that he will not vote in favor of witnesses. On the Senate floor, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a manager from the House, said they need one week to listen to witnesses in the trial. I will make an offer to opposing counsel, who says this will stretch on indefinitely if you decide to have a single witness, Schiff said. Lets cabin the depositions to one week. I think we can. I think we should. I think we must, he continued. Trump Denies Asking Bolton to Put Zelensky, Giuliani in Contact President Donald Trump on Friday said he did not tell former national security adviser John Bolton to set up a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky, Trump said in a statement. That meeting never happened. The New York Times reported Friday afternoon that Bolton said in a forthcoming book that Trump directed him to place Zelensky in contact with Giuliani. Murkowski Against Voting for Witnesses Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) revealed Thursday that she will not vote in favor of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump after a weeks worth of speculation about whether she would be a key swing-vote to help the Democrats, but she admitted that Congress has failed. In a statement, Murkowski explained that House Democrats chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed before she carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, she wrote. I dont believe the continuation of the process will change anything. Murkowski also said that some of her colleagues in the Senate tried to politicize the trial and attack presiding officer Chief Justice John Roberts. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another, she added. We are sadly at a low point of division in this country. Murkowski Not Sure Moderate GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has not signaled how she will vote for witnesses. Im going to go back to my office and put eye drops in so I can keep reading, Murkowski told reporters Thursday. Ive been forming a lot of thoughts so thats going to be my job now at almost 11:00. There has been speculation that Murkowski could join Democrats in voting to call witnesses, including former national security adviser John Bolton. GOP Senator: Trial Might Go Until Next Week Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the GOP leadership, said that the impeachment trial could slog into next week and interfere with the Iowa caucuses and State of the Union address. My guess is it probably is going to carry us over to the first part of next week, but obviously we have the Iowa caucuses on February the 3rd, and we have the State of the Union the next day, Cornyn told reporters. So I think for all sorts of reasons, its probably a good idea to bring this thing to a close in the near future. Some senators have said that they hope that a vote on witnesses could be done later on Friday. Schumer: Witnesses Needed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday said witnesses are needed in the trial and accused Republican senators of trying to cover it up. The vote today is about whether the Senate will have a fair trial of the president, Schumer told reporters during his 11 a.m. press conference. I believe the American people should hear what every senator thinks and why theyre voting the way theyre voting, Schumer said. His remarks came after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he wouldnt vote to call up witnesses in the trial. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) said they would vote to compel witness testimony after a New York Times report detailed an allegation from Bolton about Trump explicitly saying military aid to Ukraine was tied to investigationswhich Trump has denied in no uncertain terms. Alexander wrote that he believes Trumps conduct was not appropriate, but he felt that it does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense. There is no need for more evidence to prove that the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter; he said this on television on October 3, 2019, and during his July 25, 2019, telephone call with the president of Ukraine, he wrote. That glimmer of hope that I had a few days ago disappeared last night with Lamar Alexanders decision, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Democratic whip, told CNN on Thursday. I dont see the fourth vote thats necessary. From The Epoch Times ANN ARBOR, Mich., U.S., Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NSF International has introduced NSF REG4, an independent certification program that enables manufacturers of plumbing products and materials to demonstrate compliance with the UKs Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations of 19991 and with equivalent water regulations in Scotland and Northern Ireland. NSF REG4 certifies mechanical products and non-metallic materials that are in contact with drinking water, including: Valves, backflow prevention devices, taps, mixers, shower heads, pipes and fittings, tanks, cisterns and water meters Rubbers, coatings, cements, resins and sealants NSF REG4 certification is the new reference program for the UK market. Just like in many other parts of the world, manufacturers must comply with country-specific regulations to sell their products. NSFs expertise in the water industry allowed it to work in transparency with the UK water industry, regulators and trade associations to develop the NSF REG4 certification program, which enables a route to compliance. The certification program offers several benefits and creates value for manufacturers looking to introduce or sell products in the UK, including: An audit-based program to verify compliance and sustain quality products through better control of the supply chain. As part of the certification process, production facilities undergo annual audits to review processes and systems based on the NSF REG4 certification requirements. Timely access to the UK market. NSF can specify testing without waiting weeks for WRA review. NSFs independent certification decision immediately following product testing allows manufacturers to see shorter timeframes for product listing and market access. All REG4 product testing is conducted at NSFs International ISO/IEC 17025-accredited, water laboratory in Oakdale, Wales, UK. NSF Internationals certification program in Wales is also ISO/IEC 17065 accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service). This international standard contains requirements for the competence, consistent operation and impartiality of product, process and service certification bodies. Manufacturers understand the importance and safety benefit of having their products independently tested and certified by an accredited certifier such as NSF International. SABICs Specialties business recently received NSF REG4 certification for several grades of its NORYL2 resin, making them the first material manufacturer to earn the NSF REG4 certification mark. We recognise the important role that increasingly robust certifications play to help ensure safe drinking water for consumers, said William Wan, Global Business Director, NORYL Resins, SABIC. That is why we go above and beyond to meet the standards of organisations such as NSF International. The new certification scheme for the UK provides our customers with an extra measure of confidence that the materials SABIC supplies meet rigorous compliance standards. We are pleased and proud to be the first materials producer to earn the NSF REG4 certification as it aligns with our view that stronger certification processes provide a direct benefit to the industry and consumers. A list of all products certified to NSF REG4 can be found in the NSF listings. For more information on the NSF REG4 certification program, visit the NSF REG4 web page or contact nsfreg4@nsf.org. Media contact: For media inquiries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, contact Jessica van de Gucht at jvandegucht@nsf.org or +32.2.761.7418. For media inquiries in North America, contact Thomas Frey, APR, at media@nsf.org or +1.734.214.6242. About NSF International NSF International is celebrating 75 years of protecting and improving human health. The global public health organization facilitates standards development, and tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences and consumer goods sectors to minimize adverse health effects and protect the environment. Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting human health and safety worldwide. With operations in 180 countries NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization and a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment. For more information visit www.nsf.org or https://www.nsfinternational.eu. NSF International provides risk assessments, testing, inspection and certification services for the water industry from source to tap. NSF facilitated the development of the American National Standards for all materials and products that treat or come in contact with drinking water to help protect public health and the environment and minimize adverse health effects. In 1990, the U.S. EPA replaced its own drinking water product advisory program with these NSF standards. About SABIC SABIC is a global leader in diversified chemicals headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company manufactures on a global scale in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific, making distinctly different kinds of products: chemicals, commodity and high-performance plastics, agri-nutrients and metals. They support their customers by identifying and developing opportunities in key end markets such as construction, medical devices, packaging, agri-nutrients, electrical and electronics, transportation and clean energy. In 2018 SABIC recorded a net profit of US$ 5.7 billion. Sales revenues for 2018 totalled US$ 45 billion while total assets stood at US$ 85 billion. Production in 2018 was 75.3 million metric tons. SABIC has more than 33,000 employees worldwide and operates in around 50 countries. Fostering innovation and a spirit of ingenuity, the company has 11,738 global patent filings and has significant research resources with innovation hubs in five key geographies USA, Europe, Middle East, South Asia and North Asia. 1 Source: Legislation.gov.uk, The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, UK Statutory Instruments, 1999 No. 1148, Part II, Regulation 4. 2 SABIC and brands marked TM are trademarks of SABIC or its subsidiaries or affiliates. In January, 469 general practitioners and 256 primary care dental practices were vacant, meaning 725 practices are vacant. At the beginning of last year, 670 practices were vacant, an increase of 55 in a year, reported Vilaggazdasag, based on data available on the National Health Insurance Fund (NEAK) website. NEAK has opened applications to support the purchase of GP practice rights again this year for a total of HUF 1.25 billion, but it believes there is little interest in empty practices. The number of practices in primary care decreased by 70 in 2018, when the number of GPs was 4,677, according to data from the Central Statistical Office (KSH) Health Yearbook for that year, the most up-to-date. Some 21,920 doctors are needed to ensure optimal healthcare provision in Hungary. According to the data of KSH, a total of 20,299 positions were filled two years ago. Total healthcare positions number 131,700 employees in patient care, of which 124,500 were filled and 7,231 were vacant at the end of 2018, adds vg.hu. St Eithne's Primary School principal, Terence McDowell, paid tribute to the local parish priest saying Fr Paddy O'Kane had been a constant support to the school. "Fr O'Kane has been involved with St Eithne's since the idea of a second school for the parish was first suggested. "He was there through the years of planning and, no doubt, fought for finances from the Western Education and Library Board and Department of Education. "Fr O'Kane was has been here for St Eithne's as a constant support to the entire school community as well as being a wonderful ambassador for the school. PICTURED: Fr Paddy O'Kane, right, checking on the progress of the building of the new school. "I know that St Eithne's is very much in the heart of Fr Paddy as Fr Paddy is very much at the heart of the school. I would like to thank him for all that he has done for the school and for his continued support in the future." From its small beginnings with a staggered intake of children in 1998 the school has now grown to over 350 pupils, 14 teachers and 10 classroom assistants. "Everyone has a part to play. We have parents and parents of former pupils who volunteer with us too and grandparents that are making all the costumes for the school show and have made a beautiful quilt for the 20th anniversary. PICTURED: The original staff of St Eithne's Primary School with principal, Gerry Cosgrove, seated centre. "This small army of helpers continue to provide a vital support to staff and our children, directly through support in class and indirectly by providing many resources for our school. "They are always on hand to help and I know that whenever I need something for the school or for the children I can lift the phone and be assured that help is always at hand, and that is so very much appreciated." A major investigation into a top British spy inside the IRA could lead to more than 30 people facing criminal proceedings in connection with at least 10 murders, the High Court has heard. Counsel for a police chief heading the inquiry centred on the agent codenamed Stakeknife revealed that a dozen files have gone to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS), with more set to follow. The developments were disclosed during civil proceedings against a 73-year-old west Belfast man who denies being the spy. Freddie Scappaticci is facing a total of 32 separate lawsuits over his alleged activities while in charge of the IRAs internal security team, the so-called Nutting Squad. But Jon Boutcher, the former Bedfordshire Chief Constable in charge of the Operation Kenova probe, wants those actions put on hold until his criminal investigation is completed. In court today a barrister representing Mr Boutcher claimed it could have a chilling effect on victims and witnesses who may be too scared to co-operate if material was disclosed during the civil litigation. Tony McGleenan QC confirmed: We now have prosecution files in respect of multiple murders going forward to the PPS. Expand Close Jon Boutcher headed up the investigation into IRA agent Stakeknife (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Jon Boutcher headed up the investigation into IRA agent Stakeknife (Brian Lawless/PA) It was disclosed that 12 files have gone so far, with nine relating to the offence of murder, and others for conspiracy to murder or to pervert the course of justice. A further three deal with perjury offences. They involve potentially over 24 defendants, Mr McGleenan said. Another four or five files are expected to be sent at a later date. They relate to homicide matters, involving a further cohort of possible defendants in the low double figures, counsel added. The scale and complexity of the investigation has advanced considerably. With more than 60 police and civilian personnel involved in Operation Kenova, the investigative team has obtained 1,000 statements, 12,000 documents and over a million pages in exhibits. Detectives believe they have uncovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing by both IRA and security force members. Scappaticci left Northern Ireland for a secret location in 2003 after he was widely named as being Stakeknife. Before quitting his home he vehemently denied that he was the prized British agent within the ranks of the republican movement. In one case he is being sued, along with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the PSNI, by Newry woman Margaret Keeley. She alleges that she was wrongfully arrested and held at Castlereagh police station in 1994 following an IRA attempt to murder a senior detective in east Belfast. Mrs Keeley was released without charge, but claims she was then taken to a flat in the New Lodge area of the city and questioned by an IRA team. Scappaticci was one of the men who carried out two debriefing sessions, according to her account. Lawyers for those taking civil action resisted any attempt to stay their litigation until criminal cases are completed. Hugh Southey QC argued that closed material proceedings so-called secret court hearings could deal with any concerns over sensitive documents and avoid further delay. This is in the context of plaintiffs who are not young, already one of them has died, and, if their claims are good, were victims of human rights abuses. Ashley Underwood QC, who would act as a Special Advocate for those shut out of any closed hearings, insisted it was ridiculous to suggest any security risks. The notion that Special Advocates cant be trusted is an outrage, he told the court. But Mr McGleenan emphasised concerns were not centred on the involvement of legal representatives. He explained: Its about the confidence issue which would arise if other state authorities had access to these documents. A formal application to stay all the civil actions will be made on a later date. The government is working with "full force" to rid India of terrorism and security forces have been given a free hand in taking the "strongest" measures possible to deal with the menace, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Friday, sending a clear message to Pakistan to contain cross-border terrorism. In an address at a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, the president touched on key foreign policy and military related issues and asserted that the world will witness an inclusive, prosperous, capable and powerful "New India" in this decade. He said the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff and creation of a Department of Military Affairs will improve coordination among the three services, besides speeding up their modernisation. Referring to foreign policy issues, Kovind said India is stimulating economic growth and prosperity by increasing connectivity with its neighbouring countries and the "Neighbourhood First" policy has been a priority. "My government is of the view that foreign policy is a vital ingredient of the country's economic and strategic security," he said. On India's rising military prowess, Kovind talked about the successful test of anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) and major milestones in the development of the naval version of Tejas light combat aircraft. "In these evolving times, to meet the new and complex challenges related to the defence of the country, my government is working to make the defence forces stronger, more effective and modern," he said. On tackling terrorism, he said alertness on the part of the citizens is extremely helpful in dealing with the challenge in view of the changing nature of terrorism. "My government is working with full strength and determination to free the country from the scourge of terrorism," he said. "The decrease in terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir demonstrates that public cooperation can be effective in the fight against terrorism. My government has given the security forces a free hand in taking the strongest measures against those indulging in terrorism," the president said. India's warplanes struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26 to avenge the killing of 40 paramilitary personnel in Kashmir. The strike reflected a doctrinal shift in India's approach to deal with cross-border terrorism. Kovind said the security situation in the North East has improved significantly due to the concerted efforts of the government, adding the geographical spread of Naxalism is also steadily shrinking. On India's external engagement, he said the government has also strengthened ties with other countries of the world apart from countries in the neighbourhood. "This is why a number of countries have bestowed their highest honour on India. Our cooperation with ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and African countries is being taken to a new level," he added. The president also mentioned the India-initiated International Solar Alliance and the Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. "After International Solar Alliance, India has been at the forefront of a global partnership, Coalition on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure-CDRI. This step aimed at mitigating natural disasters will further strengthen India's stature as a sensitive world power," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yves here. Who dreamed up this crazy process? I thought Iowa citizens were straightforward types. By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at DownWithTyranny! Iowas four congressional districts. Note Cedar Rapids in CD1, Iowa City (a major college town) in CD2, Des Moines in CD3 and Ames (the other large college town) in the otherwise heavily rural CD4. Most people think, innocently enough, that the coming Democratic Party Iowa caucuses held in each of the states voting precincts selects pledged delegates to the national convention. The real situation is much more complex. Precinct caucuses do select pledged delegates, but the delegates they select are to the county convention. At the county conventions, delegates are selected to the congressional district conventions, where, finally, pledged delegates to the national convention are selected. All of this layering, despite its indirectness, is nonetheless intended to produce a national delegate mix that roughly approximates the vote ratios at the precinct caucuses roughly because of rounding rules. Are there unfortunate consequences to this indirectness? Yes, and they could be considerable. Iowa Delegates, What Kind and How Many Lets start with the pledged delegate allocations themselves, then look at the process in more detail. For a source well use an excellent if weedy site, The Green Papers, to explain the details. (Heres the Iowa Democratic Partys explanation, if you want to look at the ultimate source.) Iowa, like all states, has been allocated a number of pledged and unpledged delegates by the DNC. Pledged delegates come in three kinds or types: per-district, at-large, and pledged PLEOs (party leaders and elected officials). Starting with per-district pledged delegates: The state has four congressional districts (CD1, CD2, CD3, CD4), each of which, at its district convention, allocates its assigned delegates based on viable candidates performance at the precinct caucuses in that district. Viable means that a candidate has received at least 15% or more of the caucus vote in a precinct (but see explanation and example below; the viability threshold changes depending on the number of pledged delegates available in a precincts district). Any candidate who receives less than the viability minimum of caucus votes for that precincts district gets no delegates. In addition, the DNC has granted Iowa Democrats a number of at-large or state-wide pledged delegates, which are allocated at the state convention to viable candidates based on their performance in the precinct caucuses. Finally, Iowa Democrats have been granted a number of pledged PLEO (party leader and elected official) delegates who are also allocated at the state convention again, according to viable candidates performance at precinct caucuses. In Iowas case, the pledged delegate allocations are as follows: 7 for CD1 7 for CD2 8 for CD3 5 for CD4 9 at-large or state-wide delegates 5 pledged PLEOs Total = 41 pledged delegates In top of all of that, the state has been granted eight unpledged PLEO delegates these are the so-called superdelegates for a grand total of 49 delegates to the national convention. How Iowa Delegates Are Chosen Heres a more detailed look at the selection process for the pledged delegates from The Green Papers (emphasis and some reparagraphing mine). Note how many layers it contains and how byzantine the process is. Democratic Party Caucuses meet in each precinct at 7 PM CST. Absentee or proxy voting is not allowed. Each Precinct Caucus chooses the precincts delegates to the County Conventions based on presidential preference. At each caucus, each presidential contender who fails to get at least 15 percent support among the participants in the initial balloting after a period of discussion will be considered non-viable and all supporters of such non-viable presidential contenders will then be required to join in the support of presidential contenders who have remained viable. To determine the viability of a presidential contender, multiply the number of eligible caucus attendees by the percentages below and round to the nearest whole number. This is the minimum number of delegates needed for the contender to remain viable. 50% (majority vote) for caucuses electing 1 delegate. 25% (one quarter) for caucuses electing 2 delegates. 16.66% (one sixth) for caucuses electing 3 delegates. 15% for caucuses electing 4 or more delegates. Example. 57 people attend a caucus electing 3 delegates [case 3 above]. The viability is 1/6th of 57 = 9.5 rounded which is 10. Say 29 people support candidate A, 19 support candidate B, and 9 support candidate C. Candidates A and B are viable since they have support of 10 or more of the attendees. Because candidate C did not receive the support of 10 attendees, those supporting candidate C must realign to another candidate [or go home]. At this point, the attendees realign themselves so 34 support candidate A and 23 support candidate B. The caucus will next choose the precincts delegates to who will be allocated in proportion to the percentage of the support each viable presidential contender received in the second round of balloting at the precinct caucus as of the time of its adjournment. Continuing the example from above: For Candidate A: 3 (total precinct delegates) 34 (supporters) 57 (total attendees) = 1.789 which rounds to 2 precinct delegates. Candidate B receives 3 23 57 = 1.211 which rounds to 1 precinct delegate. Note: Due to rounding, the sum of precinct delegates may exceed the total number of precinct delegates allocated to the caucus. If this happens, round down the candidate with the smallest fraction. Candidates receiving 1 precinct delegate are not subject to this rule, that is, candidates cannot loose their only precinct delegate during this adjustment. National Convention delegates are allocated from the state delegate equivalency results of the precinct caucuses. Saturday 21 March 2020: County Conventions convene in each county to choose Congressional District delegates of which the county is a part as well as the countys delegates the Iowa State Democratic Convention. Saturday 25 April 2020: Democratic Party District Conventions convene in each congressional district at 9:00am to elect the districts delegates to the Democratic National Convention according to the results of the precinct caucuses. This accounts for the congressional district delegates. Now for the selection of pledged at-large delegates and pledged party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs): Saturday 13 June 2020: The Iowa State Democratic Convention convenes at 9am CDT. The State Convention elects the 9 At-Large and 5 PLEO of the Iowas Pledged delegates to the Democratic National Convention according to the results of the precinct caucuses. Finally, this is the makeup of the group of Iowas unpledged or superdelegates: The remaining 8 National Convention delegates consist of 8 Unpledged PLEO delegates: 5 Democratic National Committee members. 3 Members of Congress (0 Senators and 3 Representatives). 0 Governors. 0 Distinguished Party Leaders. These 8 delegates will go to the Democratic National Convention officially Unpledged. Again, notice the layers. How to View the Delegate Selection System I offer three takeaways from this look at the selection process. First, in an honestly run election the process will indeed, at each stage, allocate pledged delegates according to the results of the precinct caucuses as required by the rules allowing for very small differences due to rounding. Second, because the entire selection process isnt over until after the June 13 Iowa state convention, those small differences can (and most likely will) be reported intermittently as adjusted per-candidate delegate totals. That is, a candidate may be reported as having X number of delegates on caucus night, but actually receive a slight different number by the time the state convention is held. Third, because of the many layers Precincts choosing precinct delegates to county conventions, followed by County conventions choosing delegates to the congressional district conventions, followed by Congressional district conventions choosing delegates to the national convention the people chosen as delegates by the precincts are unlikely all to be the people who vigorously represent the candidates at the national convention. (This will almost certainly be true of many of the pledged PLEOs.) Instead, national convention delegates are just as likely to be people who have been most deeply involved with the Democratic Party for the longest time and have simply promised to vote a certain way on round one. This is not just true of Iowa pledged delegates, by the way, but to all of them. Which means that at the national convention, a Sanders or Warren or Biden pledged delegate may not in fact be a Sanders or Warren or Biden loyalist. In many cases, that delegate may just be a state party official or loyal party functionary whos being rewarded for their service with a nice, perhaps pre-paid, trip to the week-long party (in both senses) event in Milwaukee. What Will the Democratic Party Do On the Second Round of Convention Voting? Keep all this in mind as you game out the results of a second round of voting in Milwaukee, when all delegates who were pledged on the first round, become decidedly unpledged on all subsequent rounds. The opportunities for second-round mischief are many. On the second round of voting, and on each round afterwards, the entire convention is composed of unpledged delegates, many of them merely state party loyalists, each free to vote as they choose. The aggregated response of the Party to that second-round freedom may well define the Party in the eyes of voters for the next generation. And the response of voters to the way the Party exercises that freedom may well define the Partys future, or lack of it, as well. After all, if primary voters select one of the revolutionary candidates by a solid plurality, and at the convention the Party denies that candidate the nomination, the Party itself may not survive the voter revolt against it in the battle to unseat Donald Trump. Could the Democratic Party actually Whigify itself in 2020? It seems unlikely given the many advantages secured by the bipartisan duopoly. But do stay tuned. These are epic times, when even the almost unthinkable of outcomes is entirely possible. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Home Made Theater announced open auditions for its April/May production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Simon Stephens, based on the novel by Mark Haddon, and directed by Erin Nicole Harrington. Auditions will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 and Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 6-8 p.m. at the Spa Little Theater in Saratoga Spa State Park. Callbacks will be Thursday, Feb. 20, starting at 6 p.m. Nine roles are available to men and women, and one role for an adolescent boy/young man. All roles are open to actors of all ethnicities and gender identifications. Actors on the autism spectrum are encouraged to audition. What begins as an investigation into the grisly death of a neighbors dog results in a remarkable coming-of-age journey for 15-year-old Christopher Boone. A self-described mathematician with some behavioral problems, our narrator sees things differently than those around him, and, like fractals in a kaleidoscope, each revelation exposes another puzzle for him to solve. As the audience follows Christophers brilliant yet dizzying mind, the full story unravels in a visually dazzling sequence of events onstage. Production dates are weekends, April 18 through May 3. Rehearsals will start in late February. Actors should bring a current photo and resume. Photos cannot be returned. No appointments are necessary for the audition. Actors will read from the provided excerpts from the play. For a detailed flyer with character descriptions, visit Home Made Theaters website at www.homemadetheater.org. For questions call Home Made Theater at (518) 587-4427. DADvocacy Law Firm has announced the opening of its second office location in Plantation, Florida. The opening of the new office has strengthen the firm's presence in the local Fort Lauderdale community and will make their services more accessible to clients. This expansion also positions the firm as one of Florida's biggest family law firms specifically dedicated to fathers' rights. The firm already has a previously established office location in Miami. The decision to expand the firm's footprint and open another office in Fort Lauderdale was a logical step in the firm's business growth strategy. The firm has seen steady growth in recent years and sees the ability to meet clients where they live as the best way to service them effectively. DADvocacy Law Firm was previously recognized by Expertise as one of the leading law firms in the state of Florida. Chantale Suttle, a family law attorney, founded DADvocacy to serve clients in and around Miami, Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Hialeah and Miami-Dade County and now in the Fort Lauderdale area as well. Having served as a prosecutor, defense attorney and magistrate judge, Chantale Suttle has ample experience, more than eighteen years of experience, with the child support enforcement system from three different seats. Today, DADvocacy works exclusively in the areas of divorce, child support, custody, visitation and prenup agreements. DADvocacy focuses on making it easier for fathers to seek out help if they are facing the child support enforcement system and offers flat fee representation. In addition to serving fathers, Courts regularly appoint Chantale Suttle to represent the interests of children in marital disputes as a guardian ad Litem. She is a member of the Florida Bar Family Law Section Child Support Issues Committee, and chairs Florida Bar Grievance Committee 11-N. The new office is located at 150 South Pine Island Road, Suite 373, Plantation, Florida 33324. For clients who are interested in scheduling a consultation to meet with a Florida family lawyer, DADvocacy has requested that interested parties place a request via the firms contact form on their website at DADvocacy.com. Further assistance is also available by contacting the firm at (800) 925-FATHERS. About DADvocacy: Founded by family law attorney Chantale Suttle, DADvocacy is a family law firm that specifically caters to the needs of dads who are facing the child support enforcement system in Florida. They focus exclusively on representing dads and alleged dads before family and child support courts in Florida. As the sole lawyer in Miami-Dade County who has dealt with the child support enforcement system from all three anglesprosecutor, defense attorney, and magistrate judge, Suttle has more than eighteen years of legal experience. To learn more about DADvocacy and the services offered by the firm, go to DADvocacy.com. In an unpublished manuscript, Bolton has written that the president asked him during an Oval Office meeting in early May to bolster his effort to get Ukraine to investigate Democrats, according to a person who read the passage and told The Associated Press. The person, who was not authorized to disclose contents of the book, spoke only on condition of anonymity. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 22:43 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061ee3aa 1 World Philip-Jacobson,Mongabay,Deportation,visa-violation Free Philip Jacobson, an American editor for the non-profit environmental news platform Mongabay, was deported from Indonesia on Jan. 31, more than six weeks after authorities in the city of Palangkaraya detained him over an alleged visa violation, Mongabay said in a release on Friday evening. Jacobson was first detained on Dec. 17, 2019, after attending a hearing between the Central Kalimantan Legislative Council and the local chapter of the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN). We are relieved that Phil has finally been granted his freedom, Mongabay founder and CEO Rhett A. Butler said. His prolonged detention over this matter was profoundly concerning, but we are very pleased that authorities dismissed the charges and released him. Jacobson was arrested under Article 122 of the 2011 Immigration Law. If convicted of the charges, he faced a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to Rp 500 million (US$36,556). However, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD said the government should instead deport Jacobson and released him from prison. Its good to be out of prison, and Im relieved the prospect of a five-year jail sentence is no longer something I have to contemplate. I am very grateful to all those who worked hard to resolve this situation, including coordinating minister Mahfud MD and other Indonesian politicians and individuals who went out of their way to highlight the importance of work done by the press. I appreciate that a lot of people have expended time and energy on my behalf please accept my sincere thanks for your efforts and apologies for the trouble. I owe you all. In a statement from Jacobson's legal advisors from the Palangkaraya Legal Aid Institute (LBH Palangkaraya), the lawyers confirmed that Jacobson's charges had been dropped. Butler of Mongabay said they would "ensure Mongabay journalists from abroad are able to obtain the correct visa to continue playing their important role in contributing to sustainable economic development in the country. Worldwide smartphone shipments decreased 1.1% year over year in Q4 2019, and it was down 2.3% YoY for the whole 2019, according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. In total, companies shipped a 368.8 million smartphones during Q4 2019, and the total shipments for 2019 was 1371 million. This is third consecutive year of falling shipments despite the launch of 5G and foldable phones. The overall decline was partly due to weak shipment growth in China, where consumers are still waiting for cheaper 5G handsets to hit the market alongside increased network coverage and 5G speeds, according to IDC. Apple tops with 20% share, up 7.9% YoY in Q4 2019, thanks to strong performance in the holiday quarter, similar to 2018. Samsung grabbed 18.8% share and saw 1.2% YoY decline, and HUAWEI grabbed the third spot with 15.2%. Xiaomi grabbed 8.9% share which is a 31.1% increase YoY with strong sales of Redmi 8/Note 8 series in the Indian market, and OPPO saw 4.2% increase with 8.3% market share. Coming to full 2019 share, Samsung leads with 21.6% share, which is a 1.2% increase compared to 2018. HUAWEI grabbed the second spot with 17.6% share, 16.8% up YoY despite ongoing challenges outside of China. Apple slipped to the third spot with 13.9% share, down 8.5% YoY. Xiaomi grabbed the fourth spot with 9.2% share, which is a 5.5% increase YoY, and OPPO is in the fifth spot with 8.3% share, up 0.9% YoY. According to Counterpoint data, Vivo grabbed the sixth spot in 2019 with 8% share, Lenovo grabbed the seventh spot with 3% share, LG and Realme grabbed eighth and ninth spots, respectively with 2% share each. TECNO is in the 10th spot with 1% share, same as 2018. Source 1, 2 Ghana and Germany have launched a 400 KW hybrid waste-to -energy (w2e) power plant to treat urban solid waste in the country. The kick-off and groundbreaking ceremony, held on Tuesday in Accra, thus, paved the way to the beginning of the construction of the Plant to be situated in Atwima Nwabiagya in the Ashanti Region. The pilot project is being embarked upon against the background of Ghanas quest to find long term solution to the menace of solid waste by treating and generating power from the treated waste. Additionally, the project is expected to help close the carbon cycle by developing the value chain of the process with the production and utilization of compost, which would be sold to farmers to boost agriculture and cut down on mineral fertilizer whilst improving the soil structure. Speaking at the ceremony in Accra, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said the Plant was expected to be built and operated within four years as a pilot, after which 10 or more are expected to be built within the next 10 to 20 years in different regions. Under the project, the Minister explained, the sun and other biodegradable materials would be used to create and generate energy and biogas while plastics and other things would go through paralysis to also produce energy. We are involving all the universities that are engaged in energy production and the research institutions as well, who are expected to help lay the foundation that would help Ghana build its own energy systems in a few years time, he said. It is an environmental and sanitation project, which would help us clean our environment and generate energy that would compromise solar and would involve various sector Ministries, including the Local Government, Agriculture, Education, Energy and Sanitation. The Minister described the project as a reflection of Ghana-German cooperation, which was also tightening relationship between the two countries. He said the universities had a critical role to play to ensure that Ghana was able to turn its raw materials that were becoming a menace into a better source of alternative. Mr Christoph Retzlaff, the German Ambassador said the project was being funded by the German government with an amount of six million Euros and would help create 50 new jobs in the Ashanti Region. We intend to partner our Ghanaian counterparts to set up 10 more hybrid waste to energy plants in Ghana and these would create about 1,000 new jobs in and be a sustainable solution for the waste disposable problems in the country he said.. It would save a lot of emissions and about 800,000 tonnes of harmful emissions could be save each year. The project would also enhance human resource capacity building, high level of research and development. The German Government through the Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany (BMBF) being represented by the Project Management Agency Julich, was collaborating with other universities, in both Ghana and Germany, to undertake the project that has the West African Science Centre on Climate Change and Advanced Land Use (WASCAL), based in Ghana, as the main implementer. The project is also expected to create opportunity for German Small Medium Enterprises to take advantage and extend their products and services in the area of waste to energy in Ghana. It would contribute to Ghanas climate change mitigation strategy as well as to the inclusion of renewable energy. 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 A San Antonio man arrested for allegedly killing his parents' cat was indicted by a Bexar County grand jury on Tuesday. Dominic Alexander Cantu, 21, was indicted for a charge of cruelty to a non-livestock animal. The indictment alleges that Cantu "intentionally, knowingly and reckless in a cruel manner killed a cat by striking the cat with his hand and foot," according to the Bexar County District Attorney. According to an arrest affidavit, Cantu struck his parents' house cat with his fist in their backyard on Sep. 24 "for no apparent reason, possibly out of fit of rage or frustration." He believed at the time that he had killed the house cat. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Cantu's mother saw him in the backyard, which was out of the ordinary, and confronted him because she believed he had done something to the cat. He did not respond, so she told him that he would have to make other living arrangements if he could not respect the cat. So, Cantu left. The following day, Cantu returned to collect his belongings, the affidavit states. He was initially relieved to see the cat still alive, but after thinking about the previous day's incident, Cantu took out his anger on the cat once more, the affidavit continues. This time he not only hit the cat but stomped on it until the cat was dead and then threw the cat's remains in the trash, according to the affidavit. Animal Care Services was contacted that day. Cantu confessed to intentionally killing the cat a few days later, the affidavit states. A trial date has not been set for Cantu. Mark Dunphy is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read him on our breaking news site, MySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mark.dunphy@express-news.net | @m_b_dunphy I love dogs... (But I don't know about this.) I read it recently in the WJC Digest and pass it along: "Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a non-psychoactive chemical produced by the cannabis plant (marijuana) that has been shown to help alleviate human health issues like inflammation, anxiety, nausea, skin conditions, arthritis and joint pain. (So what has this got to do with animals, you ask?) As reported by "No Camels," ITAY BEN-MORDECHAI, head of innovation at Tel Aviv based Weedley, a leader in the development and distribution of cannabidol-based natural products (CBD) for pets, believes this hemp-derived extract can also have positive effects for animals. 'Our goal is to do research and develop CBD products for animals at the highest level to truly better their quality of life.' Ben-Mordechai says their study is set to begin soon with an unnamed institution. A study published last year by Cornell University assessed the pharmacokinetics, safety, and clinical efficacy of CBD in osteoarthritic dogs showed that administration of 2 mg/kg of CBD oil twice daily can safely decrease pain and increase activity in afflicted canines. A few months ago, Weedly-owned by Gour Medical, a French veterinary healthcare company-together with PetPace, the makers of a smart health-monitoring collar for pets, announced the launch of a separate clinical study to assess the efficacy of CBD in the treatment of osteoarthris-associated pain in dogs. 'Usually new products or medications are tested on animals and then approved for people. CBD is not considered a medicine yet, although it has been used to treat a myriad of ailments for thousands of years,' said Ben-Mordechai. 'New tech and innovations have opened this space to pets. We can give an animal a CBD-infused biscuit to help with pain. What we're doing is the opposite of what's happening in the pharma field. We're not using animals to find medications for human purpose; we're creating products for pets specifically.'" (YES! I love dogs more than I love some people!) A very talented man... S. Perry Brickman, B.A., D.D.S, is a retired oral surgeon, investigative journalist, Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta president, Lifetime of Achievement Award, winner for Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, Emory Medal Award (highest award given by the Emory Alumni Association.) He has written his first book, "Extracted." It's about unmasking rampant anti-Semitism in America's higher education. For a half century, the author harbored a deep and personally painful secret. Then, in Sept. 2006, he was astonished to come face-to-face with documents that strongly suggested that he, and many others, had been failed out of Emory's dental school because we were Jewish. Instantly, the author knew that he had to uncover the truth. The overt discrimination was displayed in charts and graphs, but the names of the victims were withheld. His challenge was to put a face on each student and record their stories of shame and humiliation. He will be here on Feb. 5th, between 7-9 p.m. at the Roth Family JCC. For further information, please phone the Jewish Federation at 407-645-5933. JCC39ers Cinema Sundays... On Feb. 2nd, at 2 p.m. in the Maitland JCC Senior Lounge, the movie "Ad Astra" starring Brad Pitt, will be shown. Refreshments will be available. Getting fit at the J... (What? I'm not shapely enough? DON'T ANSWER!!) Go to for the most current schedule. Shout-Out... I recently was invited to the wedding shower of my dear friend DORIS PINES' granddaughter, ALANNA WOLFE, daughter of DAVID and IVEY WOLFE. It was the best time (and best food) I've had in a long time. All the gals were in a festive mood, the decorations were fabulous thanks to Alanna's sister, the super-talented DANIELLE, and it took place in the beautiful home of Alanna's also beautiful future mother-in-law, LYNN LIPSCHUTZ. (The only problem? Everyone who attended was better-looking than me! I can't handle competition!) One for the road... A catholic woman, a protestant woman, and Hette die and go to heaven. St. Peter meets them at the gate to heaven. S. Perry Brickman The catholic woman says," I've been a good wife and mother, I took good care of my family and I want to go to heaven. St. Peter tells her to go to the left. The protestant woman says, "I've been a good woman. I kept my house clean and cooked and took care of my family, and went to church every Sunday." St. Peter tells her to step to the left. Hette tells St. Peter, "I've been a good woman, I made Shabbos every Friday, I went to the synagogue on the holidays and took care of my family." St. Peter tells Hette to step to the right. Hette immediately asks him, "Why did you tell me to go to the right and you told the other two women to go to the left?" St. Peter replies, "Don't you want to go to the beauty salon first? This demand comes at a time when the government is falling short of its revenue targets due to dwindling tax and low disinvestment receipts. It could account for the dividend in the upcoming Union Budget on February 1. RBI is, however, yet to take a final call on the governments demand and might decide on this at its central board meeting scheduled for February 15 in New Delhi. IMAGE: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with RBI governor Shaktikanta Das. Photograph: ANI Photo. The central government has demanded Rs 10,000 crore as interim dividend from the Reserve Bank of India for financial year 2019-20 (FY20) to bridge the fiscal gap, sources said. This is the third consecutive year when the government has demanded interim dividend. This demand comes at a time when the government is falling short of its revenue targets due to dwindling tax and low disinvestment receipts. It could account for the dividend in the upcoming Union Budget on February 1. RBI is, however, yet to take a final call on the governments demand and might decide on this at its central board meeting scheduled for February 15 in New Delhi. Before that customary post-Budget meeting, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to address the RBIs central board. In FY19, the RBI paid an interim dividend of Rs 28,000 crore to the Union government, which was also announced in the central banks post-Budget board meeting in February 2019. RBI last year started the practice of getting its half-yearly balance sheet audited to determine the amount of interim dividend it can give the central government. Though a concurrent audit of its accounts is done on a quarterly basis, this was the first time a board-level statutory audit of the RBI was conducted. In a statement issued last year, the RBI had said it decided to give an interim dividend of Rs 28,000 crore to the Centre based on a limited audit review. The practice of RBI paying interim dividend to the Centre started in FY18. At the time of finalising its annual accounts, the RBI adjusts the interim dividend amount while doling out the final dividend. Since the RBI follows a different financial accounting year -- from July to June -- than the central government, which follows April-March as financial year, the latter has started demanding interim dividend from the central bank till the time the final balance sheet is prepared (usually in August). To address this anomaly, an expert committee led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan had recommended aligning RBIs financial year with that of the government, April to March, from financial year FY21. Though it had recommended that interim dividend could be paid only under exceptional circumstances, it had added that this practice could be adopted in the following years of the RBI shifting its accounting year. This may give some space for the central government to demand an interim dividend this time (FY20 for the central government and FY21 for the RBI). The Jalan panels recommendations, which framed a new economic capital framework for RBI, were accepted in August 2019. After its implementation, the RBI decided to transfer Rs 1.76 trillion to the central government. NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted a positive opinion for VENCLYXTO (venetoclax) in combination with obinutuzumab for the treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who were previously untreated. The positive CHMP opinion is a scientific recommendation for marketing authorization to the European Commission (EC), which is expected to deliver its final decision in the first half of 2020. "The positive CHMP opinion for this new indication in chronic lymphocytic leukemia is an important step forward for patients and underscores the growing utility of VENCLYXTO in treating this common blood cancer," said Neil Gallagher, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and vice president of development. "If approved by the EC, the venetoclax and obinutuzumab combination would be the first chemotherapy-free option for treatment-naive patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia where dosing can be completed in one year." The CHMP positive opinion is based on results from the Phase 3 CLL14 clinical trial, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of VENCLYXTO in combination with obinutuzumab compared with chlorambucil in combination with obinutuzumab. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS; the time on treatment without disease progression or death) as assessed by an investigator. At the time of analysis, investigator-assessed results demonstrated that patients treated with VENCLYXTO plus obinutuzumab achieved superior PFS compared to patients treated with obinutuzumab plus chlorambucil. Adverse events were consistent with the known safety profiles of venetoclax and obinutuzumab alone. At least one AE of any grade occurred in 94.3 percent of patients in the venetoclax combination arm, with the most common Grade 3/4 AEs in patients being febrile neutropenia and infections. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) was reported in three patients in the venetoclax plus obinutuzumab group (all during treatment with obinutuzumab and before venetoclax).1 Results from the CLL14 trial were presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. "Chemotherapy has historically been the first treatment for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. If the venetoclax plus obinutuzumab combination is approved in the EU, previously-untreated patients will, for the first time, have a chemotherapy-free, fixed-duration treatment option," said Michael Hallek, M.D., lead investigator of the CLL14 study, Director of the Department of Internal Medicine and Center of Integrated Oncology Cologne-Bonn at the University Hospital Cologne in Germany, and Head of the German CLL Study Group. "The early use of venetoclax plus obinutuzumab combination has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for chronic lymphocytic leukemia as it has been demonstrated to improve outcomes, allowing patients to live longer without disease progression." In 2018, the EC approved VENCLYXTO plus rituximab for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) CLL. VENCLYXTO monotherapy was previously approved in the EU for R/R CLL in the presence of 17p deletion or TP53 mutation in adult patients who are unsuitable for or have failed a B-cell receptor pathway inhibitor, and for the treatment of CLL in the absence of 17p deletion or TP53 mutation in adult patients who have failed both chemoimmunotherapy and a B-cell receptor pathway inhibitor. VENCLYXTO is being developed by AbbVie and Roche. It is jointly commercialized by AbbVie and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, in the U.S. and by AbbVie outside of the U.S. About Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia CLL is a slow-growing form of leukemia, or blood cancer, in which too many immature lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) are found predominantly in the blood and bone marrow. CLL is the most common form of leukemia in the Western Hemisphere, accounting for approximately one third of new leukemia diagnoses.2,3 About the CLL14 Trial The randomized, multicenter, open-label, actively controlled Phase 3 CLL14 trial, which was conducted in close collaboration with the German CLL Study Group (DCLLSG), evaluated the efficacy and safety of a combined regimen of VENCLYXTO and obinutuzumab (n=216) versus obinutuzumab and chlorambucil (n=216) in patients with previously-untreated CLL and coexisting medical conditions (total Cumulative Illness Rating Scale [CIRS] score >6 or creatinine clearance <70 mL/min). The therapies were administered for a fixed duration of 12 cycles for VENCLYXTO in combination with six cycles of obinutuzumab. Cycles were comprised of 28 days. The trial enrolled 432 patients, all of whom were diagnosed according to the International Workshop on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (iwCLL) criteria and were previously untreated. The primary efficacy outcome was PFS as assessed by the investigator.1 Key secondary endpoints were MRD negativity in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and overall and complete response rates.1 About VENCLYXTO (venetoclax tablets) VENCLYXTO is a first-in-class medicine that selectively binds and inhibits the B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) protein. In some blood cancers and other cancerous tumors, BCL-2 builds up and prevents cancer cells from undergoing their natural death or self-destruction process, which is called apoptosis. VENCLYXTO targets the BCL-2 protein and works to restore the process of apoptosis. VENCLYXTO is being developed by AbbVie and Roche. It is jointly commercialized by AbbVie and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, in the U.S. and by AbbVie outside of the U.S. Together, the companies are committed to BCL-2 research and to studying venetoclax in clinical trials across several blood and other cancers. VENCLYXTO is approved in more than 50 countries, including the U.S. AbbVie and Roche are currently working with regulatory agencies around the world to bring this medicine to additional eligible patients in need. Important VENCLYXTO (venetoclax) EU Indication and Safety Information4 Indication VENCLYXTO in combination with rituximab is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) who have received at least one prior therapy. VENCLYXTO monotherapy is indicated for the treatment of CLL: in the presence of 17p deletion or TP53 mutation in adult patients who are unsuitable for or have failed a B-cell receptor pathway inhibitor, or in the absence of 17p deletion or TP53 mutation in adult patients who have failed both chemoimmunotherapy and a B-cell receptor pathway inhibitor. Contraindications Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients is contraindicated. Concomitant use of strong CYP3A inhibitors at initiation and during the dose-titration phase due to increased risk for tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). Concomitant use of preparations containing St. John's wort as VENCLYXTO efficacy may be reduced. Special Warnings & Precautions for Use Tumour lysis syndrome (TLS), including fatal events, has occurred in patients with previously treated CLL with high tumour burden when treated with VENCLYXTO. VENCLYXTO poses a risk for TLS in the initial 5-week dose-titration phase. Changes in electrolytes consistent with TLS that require prompt management can occur as early as 6 to 8 hours following the first dose of VENCLYXTO and at each dose increase. Patients should be assessed for risk and should receive appropriate prophylaxis for TLS. Blood chemistries should be monitored, and abnormalities managed promptly. More intensive measures (including IV hydration, frequent monitoring and hospitalization) should be employed as overall risk increases. Neutropenia (grade 3 or 4) has been reported and complete blood counts should be monitored throughout the treatment period. Serious infections including events of sepsis with fatal outcome have been reported. Supportive measures including antimicrobials for any signs of infection should be considered. Live vaccines should not be administered during treatment or thereafter until B-cell recovery. Drug Interactions CYP3A inhibitors may increase VENCLYXTO plasma concentrations. At initiation and dose-titration phase: Strong CYP3A inhibitors are contraindicated due to increased risk for TLS and moderate CYP3A inhibitors should be avoided. If moderate CYP3A inhibitors must be used, physicians should refer to the SmPC for dose adjustment recommendations. At steady daily dose: If moderate or strong CYP3A inhibitors must be used, physicians should refer to the SmPC for dose adjustment recommendations. CYP3A4 inducers may decrease VENCLYXTO plasma concentrations. Avoid coadministration with strong or moderate CYP3A inducers. These agents may decrease venetoclax plasma concentrations. Co-administration of bile acid sequestrants with VENCLYXTO is not recommended as this may reduce the absorption of VENCLYXTO. Adverse Reactions The most commonly occurring adverse reactions (20%) of any grade in patients receiving venetoclax in the combination study with rituximab were neutropenia, diarrhoea, and upper respiratory tract infection. In the monotherapy studies, the most common adverse reactions were neutropenia/neutrophil count decreased, diarrhoea, nausea, anaemia, fatigue, and upper respiratory tract infection. The most frequently reported serious adverse reactions (2%) in patients receiving venetoclax in combination with rituximab were pneumonia, febrile neutropenia, and TLS. In the monotherapy studies, the most frequently reported serious adverse reactions (2%) were pneumonia and febrile neutropenia. Discontinuations due to adverse reactions occurred in 16% of patients treated with the combination of venetoclax and rituximab in the MURANO study. In the monotherapy studies with venetoclax, 11% of patients discontinued due to adverse reactions. Dosage reductions due to adverse reactions occurred in 15% of patients treated with the combination of venetoclax and rituximab in the MURANO study and 14% of patients treated with venetoclax in the monotherapy studies. Specific Populations Patients with reduced renal function (CrCl <80 mL/min) may require more intensive prophylaxis and monitoring to reduce the risk of TLS. Safety in patients with severe renal impairment (CrCl <30 mL/min) or on dialysis has not been established, and a recommended dose for these patients has not been determined. VENCLYXTO should be administered to patients with severe renal impairment only if the benefit outweighs the risk and patients should be monitored closely for signs of toxicity due to increased risk of TLS. For patients with severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment, a dose reduction of at least 50% throughout treatment is recommended. VENCLYXTO may cause embryo-fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Advise females of reproductive potential to avoid pregnancy during treatment. Advise nursing women to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment. This is not a complete summary of all safety information. See VENCLYXTO full summary of product characteristics (SmPC) at www.ema.europa.eu. Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information. About AbbVie in Oncology At AbbVie, we strive to discover and develop medicines that deliver transformational improvements in cancer treatment by uniquely combining our deep knowledge in core areas of biology with cutting-edge technologies, and by working together with our partners scientists, clinical experts, industry peers, advocates, and patients. We remain focused on delivering these transformative advances in treatment across some of the most debilitating and widespread cancers. We are also committed to exploring solutions to help patients obtain access to our cancer medicines. AbbVie's oncology portfolio now consists of marketed medicines and a pipeline containing multiple new molecules being evaluated worldwide in more than 300 clinical trials and more than 20 different tumor types. For more information, please visit http://www.abbvie.com/oncology. About AbbVie AbbVie is a global, research and development-based biopharmaceutical company committed to developing innovative advanced therapies for some of the world's most complex and critical conditions. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to markedly improve treatments across four primary therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, virology and neuroscience. In more than 75 countries, AbbVie employees are working every day to advance health solutions for people around the world. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Instagram. Forward-Looking Statements Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law. 1 Fischer K, et al. Effect of fixed-duration venetoclax plus obinutuzumab (VenG) on progression-free survival (PFS), and rates and duration of minimal residual disease negativity (MRD) in previously untreated patients (pts) with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and comorbidities. Presented at the 2019 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting: June 4, 2019; Chicago. 2 NCI dictionary. NCI Dictionary of Terms. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms. Accessed January 2020. 3 World Health Organization. 2014 Review of Cancer Medicines on the WHO List of Essential Medicines. http://www.who.int/selection_medicines/committees/expert/20/applications/CLL.pdf. Accessed January 2020. 4 Summary of Product Characteristics for VENCLYXTO. Ludwigshafen, Germany: AbbVie Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. SOURCE AbbVie Related Links www.abbvie.com The Indian Railways, through RRC East Central Railway, Hajipur, Bihar has called for offline applications from eligible and interested candidates for filling 447 Junior Engineer and Group D vacancies through direct recruitment to be posted in various departments. The offline application process towards the same started on January 28, 2020 and closes on February 20, 2020. CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Junior Engineer and Group D Posts Organisation RRC East Central Railway, Bihar Educational Qualification Class 8th; Class 10/Matriculation or equivalent; Class 12/Intermediate or equivalent; Graduation; Degree in relevant engineering discipline Experience Desirable Job Location Bihar Salary Scale Level 1 to Level 8 as per the designation Industry Railways Application Start Date January 28, 2020 Application End Date February 20, 2020 Age Criteria And Fees Candidates interested in applying for various posts through East Central Railway must have attained 18 years of age and not be more than 35 years of age (Gen/UR), 38 years (OBC) and 40 years (SC/ST) respectively as specified in the notification. For details regarding fee towards application processing, refer to the official notification given at the end of the article. West Central Railway: Apply Online For 200 Apprentices Post Before February 26 Educational Criteria And Eligibility Candidates applying for various posts through East Central Railway must have passed Class 8th; Class 10/Matriculation or equivalent; Class 12/Intermediate or equivalent; Graduation; Degree in relevant engineering discipline from a recognised Board/University/Institution as specified in the notification. Selection And Pay Scale The selection of candidates to Apprentices post through West Central Railway will be done through a Written Test and Interview. Candidates selected as Apprentices through West Central Railway will be paid emolument under Level 1 to Level 8 as per the designation. EXIM Bank Recruitment 2020 For Managers And Administrative Officers Post Before February 22 How To Apply Candidates applying for various posts through East Central Railway must fill the application form in a prescribed format attached with the advertisement, and send the same along with relevant supporting documents to the addressed specified in the notification on or before February 20, 2020 through a proper channel. Read the detailed notification about East Central Railway Recruitment for Junior Engineer and Group D posts here Its diminishing clout in Punjab prompts the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to move out to mop up the Sikh communitys support in other states. That apparently is the root cause of its frayed ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its ally at the Centre which in recent months has refused to cede ground to the Dal in Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. A quick survey of Sikh lawmakers in Parliament and assemblies shows that they dont need the SADs apron strings to serve their constituents. In Haryana, the BJP rejected the Dals demand for seats in a breach of understanding under which the SAD withdrew candidates in the Lok Sabha polls on the promise of being accommodated in the assembly elections. The result: The only Sikh to make it to the state legislature won on the BJPs symbol. Similarly, the sole Sikh legislator in Uttarakhand heads the SAD unit in the hill state but sits in the House as a BJP Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). The story is the same across states with Sikh populations. Of the two Sikh MLAs in Odisha, one is from the Congress and the other from the ruling Biju Janata Dal. Likewise, the communitys two parliamentarians from West Bengal are from the Trinamool Congress and the BJP. In the Delhi polls, the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have put up three Sikh candidates each. The Congress has six. The saffron party was willing to accommodate the Akalis if they agreed to have their men fight on its symbol. That, according to sources close to the Badals, was a departure from the previous polls when the Akalis contested two seats on their own symbol and two on the BJPs. For their part, the Akalis have claimed that the BJP denied them seats as it was upset with their demand for making the citizenship law inclusive. But theres an independent version against the SAD narrative. It says the talks broke on the choice of symbols, not as much the SADs stance on the law amended to afford citizenship to persecuted minorities. To that, the Badal faction maintains that they were getting short shrift from the BJP leadership. But it seems the Dal has been overly ambitious and divorced from the ground reality in claiming, so to speak, the right to eminent domain on the Sikhs electoral representation. This oddity is glaring, especially when its supremacy, as the foremost party of the Sikhs, faces a serious challenge in its home base of Punjab. Incidents of sacrilege during Parkash Singh Badals last stint as chief minister continue to hurt the party. The internal ferment over the Badals stranglehold on the organisation also came to a head with the exit of SS Dhindsa, the Dals secretary general and senior-most Akali after PS Badal. His son Parminder Dhindsa, who led the SAD in the Punjab assembly, has also severed ties with the party. Another notable leader, RS Brahmpura, formed his own faction, the Akali Dal (Taksali), in late 2018. Not surprising that in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidates trailed in assembly segments held or contested by the SAD. So much so that the Dal failed to retain its president and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament, Sukhbir Badals Jalalabad assembly seat in a bypoll last year. It is common knowledge in Punjab that the BJP, aware as it is of the Dals declining fortunes, has been in touch with SAD renegades and dissidents such as Dhindsa on whom the NDA government conferred a Padma Bhushan last year without formally sounding out the Badals. If push comes to shove, the BJP , regardless of its last minute entente in Delhi, might not be averse to a life without the Badals in Punjab. Towards that end, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-navigated focus is on the Malwa region that accounts for 69 seats in the 117 member legislature. In the last assembly polls, there were instances of traditional BJP supporters voting for the Congress to defeat the AAP candidates backed by the aggressive anti-Badal panthic Akalis and elements from the radical Left. By most accounts, the lack of trust between the allies who first came together in 1996 is mutual. Their ties have been hit in the past by the RSS view that Sikhs were part of the Hindu faith. In fact, late last year, Giani Harpreet Singh, the head priest of the Sikhs highest temporal seat, the Akal Takht, sought a ban on the Sangh for its domineering Hindutva agenda that he considered divisive. The Badals control of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) is well known. They cannot, therefore, insulate themselves from the Gianis offensive against the RSS. In that backdrop, it is a lot easier to understand why the SAD is weary of making its candidates fight on the BJP symbol outside Punjab. vinodsharma@hindustantimes.com The views expressed are personal Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Karina M. Tehusijarana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31 2020 As President Joko Jokowi Wididos vice president, Maruf Amin has spent his first 100 days in office out of the spotlight, drawing unfavorable comparisons to his predecessor and raising questions about his role as the countrys second-in-command. The senior Muslim clerics advanced age and relatively limited experience in party politics was predicted to cause him to have a more peripheral role than former vice president Jusuf Kalla, and the past few months seem to have confirmed that, observers have noted. Pak Maruf was chosen as [Jokowis] running mate for symbolic reasons, and he seems to be playing a symbolic role as vice president, Firman Noor, head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Political Research Center, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login North Carolina State University engineers have demonstrated a flexible device that harvests the heat energy from the human body to monitor health. The device surpasses all other flexible harvesters that use body heat as the sole energy source. In a paper published in Applied Energy, the NC State researchers report significant enhancements to the flexible body heat harvester they first reported in 2017. The harvesters use heat energy from the human body to power wearable technologies - think of smart watches that measure your heart rate, blood oxygen, glucose and other health parameters - that never need to have their batteries recharged. The technology relies on the same principles governing rigid thermoelectric harvesters that convert heat to electrical energy. Flexible harvesters that conform to the human body are highly desired for use with wearable technologies. Mehmet Ozturk, an NC State professor of electrical and computer engineering and corresponding author of the paper, mentioned superior skin contact with flexible devices, as well as the ergonomic and comfort considerations to the device wearer, as the core reasons behind building flexible thermoelectric generators, or TEGs. The performance and efficiency of flexible harvesters, however, currently trail well behind rigid devices, which have been superior in their ability to convert body heat into usable energy. The flexible device reported in this paper is significantly better than other flexible devices reported to date and is approaching the efficiency of rigid devices, which is very encouraging." Mehmet Ozturk, an NC State professor of electrical and computer engineering and corresponding author of the paper The proof-of-concept TEG originally reported in 2017 employed semiconductor elements that were connected electrically in series using liquid-metal interconnects made of EGaIn - a non-toxic alloy of gallium and indium. EGaIn provided both metal-like electrical conductivity and stretchability. The entire device was embedded in a stretchable silicone elastomer. The upgraded device employs the same architecture but it significantly improves the thermal engineering of the previous version, while increasing the density of the semiconductor elements responsible for converting heat into electricity. One of the improvements is an improved silicone elastomer - essentially a type of rubber - that encapsulates the EGaIn interconnects. "The key here is using a high thermal conductivity silicone elastomer doped with graphene flakes and EGaIn," Ozturk said. The elastomer provides mechanical robustness against punctures while improving the device's performance. "Using this elastomer allowed us to boost the thermal conductivity - the rate of heat transfer - by six times, allowing improved lateral heat spreading," he said. Ozturk added that one of the strengths of the technology is that it eliminates the need for device manufacturers to develop new flexible, thermoelectric materials because it incorporates the very same semiconductor elements used in rigid devices. Ozturk said future work will focus on further improving the efficiencies of these flexible devices. Yasaman Sargolzaeiaval, Viswanath P. Ramesh, Taylor V. Neumann, Veena Misra, Michael Dickey and Daryoosh Vashaee co-authored the paper. The group also has a recent patent on the technology. Funding for the work comes from the NC State's National Science Foundation-funded Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies (ASSIST) Center under grant EEC1160483. The mission of the ASSIST Center is to create self-powered wearables capable of long-term multi-modal sensing without having to replace or charge the batteries. MIDDLE EAST Yemen Expected Council Action In February, the Council is expected to adopt a resolution renewing Yemen financial and travel ban sanctions, which expire on 26 February, and the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts, which expires on 28 March. (The targeted arms embargo established by resolution 2216 from April 2015 is open-ended). The Council is also expected to hold its monthly briefing on Yemen in consultations with Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, a representative of OCHA, and General Abhijit Guha, the head of the UN Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). Resolution 2505, adopted on 13 January, renewed UNMHAs mandate until 15 July 2020. Key Recent Developments Efforts continue to restart peace talks and implement the December 2018 Stockholm Agreement and November 2019 Riyadh Agreement. The de-escalation in military hostilities since September 2019 appeared to be severely tested, however, by a deadly missile attack against Yemeni government forces, likely conducted by Houthi rebels, and the outbreak of other fighting in mid-January. Briefing the Council on 16 January, Griffiths said that Yemen had avoided being drawn into the crisis between the US and Iran earlier in the month, which had risked setting back gains since the de-escalation in fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi Arabia-led coalition that supports the government. According to news reports, the US tried unsuccessfully to kill Abdul Reza Shahlai, a deputy commander in Irans Quds Force in Sanaa, on the same day a US strike killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. During his briefing, Griffiths said that despite some active front lines, [w]e are surely witnessing one of the quietest periods of the conflict. On 18 January, ballistic missiles struck a mosque at a military camp in Marib city, about 70 kilometres east of Sanaa, killing at least 116 government troops. Yemeni authorities blamed the Houthis for the attack. The day before, government forces reportedly launched a large-scale operation against Houthi positions in Nihm, just northeast of Sanaa city. In a statement on 19 January, the Special Envoy said he condemns the escalation of military activities in Sanaa, Sadah and Marib governorates where airstrikes, missiles and ground attacks reportedly took place, noting with particular concern the attack on the base in Marib. Intense fighting has continued, with the Houthis appearing to gain ground in Nihm. On 28 January, Council members held consultations to discuss with Griffiths (via VTC) the ongoing escalation. In a 30 January press statement, members called for an immediate cessation of these hostilities. Implementation of the Riyadh Agreement between the government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) has been slow, and by early January appeared in jeopardy because of fighting in Shabwa governorate. Following efforts by Saudi Arabia, which leads a committee overseeing the accords implementation, the parties reportedly recommitted to plans to redeploy their forces. During the 16 January briefing, Griffiths said that he was fairly confident that the implementation is moving in the right direction. At the Councils 16 January briefing, OCHA Director of Coordination Ramesh Rajasingham highlighted the continued impact of violencedespite the de-escalationon civilians and on humanitarian efforts. Shelling hit the Red Sea Mills in Hodeidah on 26 December 2019, forcing the World Food Programme to temporarily suspend milling, and in late December attacks against the premises of international humanitarian organisations in Al Dhale governorate led 14 organisations to suspend operations affecting over 200,000 people. The Al-Raqw market in Sadah governorate came under attack on 25 December for the third time since November, resulting in 17 deaths and bringing total casualties at the market in a month to 89. On 17 January, a Houthi ban on the use of Yemeni riyal bills printed after 2016 went into effect. The plan, announced in December 2019, had already led the Yemeni government to announce that it would stop payments to civil servants and retirees in the north and was creating discrepancies between the north and the south in the exchange rate, according to Rajasingham. Sanctions-Related Developments On 10 January, the 2140 Sanctions Committee met to discuss the Yemen Panel of Experts final report. The report, likely to be made public in February, highlights the belligerents use of economic warfare and corruption by Houthi and government officials. It raises concerns about the transfer of commercially available components to Yemen that are assembled to construct unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and water-borne improvised explosive devices, both of which the Houthis have used to carry out attacks. The panel echoed the findings of the Secretary-Generals December 2019 report on the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, saying that despite their claims to the contrary, the Houthis were unlikely to have conducted the 14 September missile and drone attacks on the Aramco oil facilities in Abqaiq and Khurays, Saudi Arabia. The panel did not draw conclusions about responsibility, which European countries, Saudi Arabia and the US attributed to Iran. Violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law continue to be widely committed by all parties in Yemen with impunity, according to the report. Among its recommendations, the panel proposed that the Councils monthly Yemen meetings include a discussion of the challenges faced by women and the extent to which they have participated in political negotiations. Its report describes a Houthi network involved in repressing women critical of the Houthis, including through sexual violence. Key Issues and Options How the Council can support efforts to restart negotiations for a political settlement to the conflict as well as implementation of the Stockholm Agreementwhich included a deal to demilitarise Hodeidah, a prisoner exchange mechanism, and a statement of understanding on the city of Taizand the Riyadh Agreement are key issues. The renewed fighting is a major threat to the political process. Restarting peace talks will be contingent on consensus by the government and the STC on a joint delegation, as the Riyadh Agreement specified that the government delegation to future negotiations include the STC. Peace talks also appear dependent on ongoing Houthi-Saudi discussions and their possible conclusion of a de-escalation agreement. The humanitarian crisisthe largest in the world, with 24 million people requiring assistanceremains severe. OCHA usually briefs on five key priorities to mitigate the situation: the protection of civilians, humanitarian access, a fully funded aid operation, support for Yemens economy, and the need for a political solution. The UN has reported an increasingly constrained operating environment for humanitarian actors in the Houthi-controlled north. Another issue of concern is the Houthi authorities failure to permit a UN inspection mission of the SAFER oil tanker anchored in the Red Sea near Hodeidah, which, because of its lack of maintenance since 2015, risks causing a major environmental disaster. The Council is likely to extend the assets freeze and travel ban for 12 months. It could consider including in the upcoming resolution several of the Panel of Experts recommendations, such as establishing a list of commercial components used by Houthi forces to assemble UAVs and other weapons systems, and request that member states instruct their export control authorities about the threats from the proliferation of such components. Council Dynamics On Yemen, Council members appear quite united, calling for new peace talks concurrently with efforts to implement the Stockholm Agreement. Tunisia replaced Kuwait in January as the Arab member on the Council that traditionally champions coalition positions. The issue of Iranian support to the Houthis has sometimes divided the Council, including during its consideration of the sanctions renewal. The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Ambassador Inga Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines chairs the 2140 Committee. UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMEN T hese historic photos pay tribute to Britains rollercoaster relationship with the European Union, on the day we prepare to say au revoir to our closest neighbours and allies. From the UKs initial rejection from the European club in 1963, to the minting of a glittering pledge for friendship in a new 50p coin, these images are testament to a momentous half-century of ups and downs. One black-and-white snap shows a po-faced Charles de Gaulle, who vetoed Britains application to join the blocs precursor the European Economic Community (EEC), both in 1963 and 1967. The UKs membership was finally accepted in 1973, but the run-up was a messy business, as a picture of an ink-stained Edward Heath attests. French President General Charles de Gaulle gives a televised speech on New Year's Eve 1962 / AFP/Getty Images The then prime minister arrived in Brussels on January 22, 1972 to sign the treaty admitting the UK to the ECC, when he was ambushed by intruder Marie Louise Kwiatkowski. Mr Heath cleaned up following the ruckus, putting pen to paper to certify the Treaty of Accession. This saw the UK welcomed into the European communities, alongside Ireland and Denmark, when it came into force on January 1, 1973. Marie-Louise Kwiatkowski throws ink over Edward Heath in Brussels / Popperfoto/Getty Images A photo taken some two years later shows a jubilant Margaret Thatcher sporting a jumper bearing the flags of European nations, including the Union Jack. The picture was taken during her Yes to Europe campaign, which led all the way to the United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum on June 5, 1975. The country was asked to vote on the question: Do you think the UK should stay in the European Community (Common Market)?. The answer, from 67 per cent of the British public, was a resounding yes. Margaret Thatcher makes the case for saying 'Yes to Europe' in London's Parliament Square, 1975 (PA ) / PA From there, the British-European weathered a storm of tensions, reconciliation and grand occasions, including the birth of the modern day EU via the 1993 Maastricht Treaty, the ban of British beef following the mad cow scare of the late 1990s, and the 2007 signing of the controversial Lisbon Treaty. But it was in February 2016 that David Cameron announced the beginnings of a true sea change setting June 23 as the date of the EU membership referendum. Prime Minister David Cameron announces the date of the 2016 EU referendum / PA Months of fierce campaigning from both sides of the debate saw heated clashes between Remainers and Leavers, with the word Brexit becoming a headline and dinner table staple. A new prime minister, Theresa May, fought hard to get her "Brexit means Brexit" message through parliament but her earnest attempts ended in frustration and tears. Theresa May announces her resignation as PM outside 10 Downing Street / Getty Images And now, as the dust settles, with Britains departure from the EU just hours away, the UK looks towards a brave new future with new treaties and partnerships. A new 50 pence piece is released to mark Brexit day / PA But the new 50p coin released today offers a less belligerent message. Dupa inscrierea pe site-ul HotNews.ro, poti deschide sectiunea MyHotNews ca sa completezi sau sa schimbi profilul de utilizator. Atentie! Logarea pe site se face cu adresa de email, nu cu nickname-ul. Adresa ta de email va ramane confidentiala si nu va fi niciodata data unor terte persoane sau institutii. Inainte de a te inscrie pe site te rugam sa parcurgi termenii si conditiile atasate unui cont HotNews.ro. What just happened? Google Nest is testing a new smart thermostat feature that can alert users of potential issues with their heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. Google Nest Product Manager Jeff Gleeson said that based on information like your thermostats historical data and current weather, it will learn to detect some unusual patterns that might indicate an issue. If it takes longer than usual to heat or cool your home, for example, there may be a problem brewing. In the event an issue is detected, Google Nest will alert you via e-mail. Those who are already signed up for the Nest Home Report monthly e-mail that summarizes energy usage and safety events will automatically be enrolled to get the new HVAC alerts. If not, you can sign up by opening the Nest app, tapping Settings -> Notifications -> Nest Home Report and turning the slider to the on position. Google Nest is also looking to monetize the feature. Through a partnership with Handy, the company can put you in touch with an HVAC Pro to come have a look at your system. The Handy service will initially be offered in more than 20 metro areas including Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Denver and San Diego, just to name a few. Additional regions will be added over the course of the testing period, were told. Masthead credit: Nest thermostat by Gulpa. AC check by Joyseulay. A 69-year-old man arrested last week for allegedly raping his niece in the 1980s returned to Cork District Court seeking bail. Defence solicitor, Eamon Fleming, said there was an application for bail yesterday. However, Sergeant Gearoid Davis said this application had already been made last week and refused by another judge. Judge Olann Kelleher then referred to his colleagues notes on the file and said that bail had been refused and that a further application for bail could only be made at the High Court. Mr Fleming said they were serious charges against the accused and he applied for free legal aid to represent the accused. Judge Kelleher granted that application. On the application of Sergeant Gearoid Davis, the case was adjourned for three weeks to allow time for preparation of a book of evidence. Sergeant John OConnell said last week that the accused was behaving in a volatile fashion and there was an objection to him being granted bail. By the time Sgt OConnell located him in Cork, there was a suicide note at the scene. The sergeant arrested the accused man and charged him with eight counts. Sergeant OConnell said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed trial by indictment at the Central Criminal Court as one of the counts was for rape. The others were for indecent assault. The charges date back to the 1980s. One of the injured parties was ten Both are nieces of the accused. They have made statements of complaint naming him as the alleged offender. I have a fear for the personal safety of the two injured parties, Sgt OConnell said. Mr Fleming, said of the defendant, He has not had contact with these people for in excess of 20 years. He said there was no risk of any interference with witnesses. The defendant is charged with raping one niece and indecently assaulting her five times. He is accused of indecently assaulting a second niece twice. A state district judge on Friday issued a temporary restraining order effectively barring the city from reopening a street at the site of last weeks fatal explosion in west Houston, a win for plaintiffs seeking to preserve and investigate the blast location. The TRO, issued by Judge Tanya Garrison, forbids the city from altering evidence on Steffani Lane, a road next to Watson Grinding and Manufacturing that the city has sought to reopen. The city had sought to clear Steffani, saying there was concern that rubble in the roadway could present a hazard to those with or without permission to be on the site. The TRO appeared to allay those concerns by clarifying that the city would not be liable if someone were injured on the closed street. Now Playing: Drone Videos: West Houston explosion Video: Houston Chronicle The citys lawyers also had sought to allow city workers to bag and tag evidence at the blast site as part of a criminal investigation into the explosion. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is investigating the explosion, released control of the site Friday, at which point the victims lawyers worried the city would begin gathering evidence. Those injured in the explosion and the family of Frank Flores, a worker killed in the blast have hired experts to conduct an investigation in conjunction with Watsons lawyers, said Robert Kwok, an attorney for the plaintiffs. Flores family has sued Watson. We cannot conduct an investigation if there's no evidence on the ground. We need to see what's there, Kwok said outside the courtroom. It could be a valve, it could be a piece of pipe, it could be a component part of some kind of tank. We need to know what's there, what blew it out, the force and velocity at which it blew out, and what chemical would have produced that type of force. Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena said city officials collected only some DVRs and some metal shavings from the blast site, which they turned over to the ATF. We did not remove any other items from the scene, and nothing was removed for evidence from the street, as far as I know, Pena said in a text. As of today, we have completed our work at the site and released it back to the responsible party who will secure the scene. Garrisons order affirmed her ruling Thursday to preserve evidence at the blast site. The TRO extends to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 14 and orders the plaintiffs to file a $500 bond far less than the $500,000 sought by the city to cover possible injuries if Steffani Lane remained closed. Kwok called the citys original bond request patently ridiculous. In a statement Thursday, Mary Benton, Mayor Sylvester Turners press secretary, said the city advised the Court that allowing the plaintiffs attorney and experts to have control over a city street covered with debris would risk injury to them, to third parties and could lead to potential additional litigation. The bond requirement for any injunction is not a demand for payment, Benton said, adding that such an injunction by law would require a bond to cover liability. The order Friday made clear that the city would not be liable. City Attorney Ron Lewis did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Garrisons order also required the parties to confer in an attempt to achieve agreement if any part of this order makes the performance of the Citys normal course of investigation difficult or burdensome. Kwok said the plaintiffs were seeking to prevent officials from removing evidence, but did not intend to keep them from visiting the spot of the explosion. The city is free to conduct their own investigation, and they have, Kwok said. Nothing were doing is designed to interfere with citys ability to investigate. The only thing in the order was, just dont take anything from the blast site. Harris County lawyers, meanwhile, have filed a separate lawsuit against Watson seeking to keep the site shut down. In documents filed Thursday, county lawyers said preservation of the site was crucial to their investigation. The county lawsuit says Watson violated environmental, regulatory, nuisance and common law following the explosion involving ultra-hazardous chemicals last Friday at its Gessner facility. It also says the company violated the Clean Air Act by exposing the public to unauthorized emissions, imperiling public health, general welfare, physical property, basic air resources and visibility. jasper.scherer@chron.com The Willis Independent School District is considering building or repurposing space for a prekindergarten facility. Willis ISD Communications Director Jamie Fails said the district does not currently have the space to meet the new state law requirement for a full day pre-K by 2023. The district also did not receive proposals for partnerships with eligible early learning centers after posting a survey in December on its website. To work towards meeting the requirement while examining the options, the school board, which will hear from the bond committee soon, approved a waiver on Jan. 13 allowing the district to file for a three-year exemption through 2022. The confirmed it received has received approval for the exemption. To be able to address the need, we are going to pilot adding two full day pre-k classes beginning next year, Fails said. The district currently has a prekindergarten enrollment of 261 students with seven prekindergarten teachers who teach both a morning and afternoon class. To meet the requirement, Fails said the district would have to double those classes to about 14 for the full-year, intensive language development and early literacy program that is designed to give four-year old children who qualify the opportunity to develop skills, concepts, and attitudes for success. A child is eligible for enrollment in free prekindergarten if the child is at least four years of age on or before Sept. 1, unable to speak and comprehend the English language, is economically disadvantaged defined by qualification for free or reduced lunch, homeless as defined by federal law, a child of an active duty member of the armed forces, state military forces, or reserve forces ordered to active duty, a child of a member of the armed forces, state military forces, or reserve forces who was injured or killed while serving on active duty, and/or ever has been in Foster Care. With the waiver, the plan is to add two classes each year over the next three years to meet the needs of the current enrollment. This would allow the district to add about six or seven classes added by 2023, she said the approach would allow for the addition of teachers while spacing out funding, building up the classroom capacity, and examining its options. In other news, the school board has approved moving forward with the remainder of the work on a $2 million project to repair the Lynn Lucas roof. Fails said about 15 percent of the roof on the northeast corner was replaced after Harvey with 85 percent remaining. The repair work is expected to continue during the summer while school is closed. The school board, which met last month regarding the project, previously voted in December to proceed using district funds. A resolution has since passed to allow the district to reimburse with bond funds if a bond is called and passes. The new administration building remains under construction next to the Roark Early Education Center at 606 North Campbell St. The foundation has been poured and the steel frame work has begun. It is anticipated to open Fall 2020 and will honor the districts longest-ever employee Sharon Hill Jennette. Jennette served as the assistant to the superintendent for 49 years. The bond committee will present to the school board at the next school board meeting on Feb. 10 at 204 W Rogers St. mellsworth@hcnonline.com Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM News Updates The daily news, sports, and events delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Sports Update This current sports headlines delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Upcoming Events This email is the events of the area delivered daily from Voice of Alexandria. Breaking News The big news. Sent only as it happens. Samsung is yet to announce its next Galaxy phone but the tech giant has already started taking pre-orders for the unannounced smartphone. Once you register through the official website, Samsung will notify you when you can pre-order the next Galaxy. Given that only US carriers are listed, it is certain that the next Galaxy will debut in the US market first. Samsung will host the Unpacked event on February 11, 2020. The company will introduce the Galaxy S20, along with the Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, new Galaxy Buds, among other hardware and software announcements. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Huawei supports a "fair and open" standard of security and business operation across the telecoms industry, which is good for the industry and consumers, Victor Zhang, vice-president of Huawei Group, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. British government announced Tuesday its new plans to safeguard the country's telecoms network, which is widely seen as approving a restricted role for the Chinese tech company in helping build the country's 5G network. Following Britain's announcement, the European Union (EU) also issued non-binding guidelines on 5G security Wednesday. "Each country has their own situation, different conditions, and each country has their own way to make decisions, especially in regulating the telecoms market," said Zhang, "so we believe this is a good result and we look forward to working with the British government in enhancing the cyber security standard, and building the most secured and advanced telecoms network." The British government's Telecoms Supply Chain Review has emphasized the importance of diversity in the supply of equipment to telecoms networks. For the time being, major telecoms operators in Britain, such as the EE and Vodafone, both use Huawei's equipment in their 4G and 5G networks. Operators have previously warned about the cost and delay of the rollout of 5G if they are required to replace all Huawei equipment in their networks. "We have worked with telecoms operators in Britain for more than 15 years, and the trust has been built and we hope we can continue working with them in the deployment of next-generation networks," said Zhang. According to Kester Mann, director of consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, a mobile industry analyst firm, the British government's decision is "broadly positive" for the country. Having a wide range of suppliers is important in terms of operators rolling out their 5G networks and Huawei infrastructure is generally considered to be more competitive and affordable than some of its competitors could offer. Although Huawei faced challenges in the U.S. market, the company held the highest share of the global telecoms equipment market at 28 percent from the third quarter in 2018 to the second quarter in 2019, according to a report released last year by market research firm Dell'Oro Group. Even though both the British government and the EU proposed some tighter measures in their telecoms industry regulation plans and guidelines, Zhang said he does not think this will have an impact on Huawei's global operations. "We have been working with our global customers, many of whom are top 500 companies in the world, and they trust Huawei given our technology and innovation and our ability to deliver value to them," said Zhang, "we will continue working with them in 5G and probably 6G in the future." As for Huawei's investment in Britain, Zhang said his company will stick to its commitment to Britain, especially in research and development and procurement plans. "Britain has an open and very transparent business environment, and this is why we chose it as one of our major destinations for R&D cooperation," he added. Beijing: A US travel warning telling citizens to avoid China has upset the Asian nation's leaders, as the death toll from the coronavirus epidemic reached 213. Russia, Britain, Sweden and Italy all reported their first cases, while a national emergency was declared in Italy as officials sought to reconstruct the itinerary of two infected Chinese tourists. "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan," the US State Department said, raising the warning for China to the same level as Afghanistan and Iraq. China's foreign ministry called that move "truly mean" given the World Health Organisation (WHO) had commended the country's containment efforts and not recommended travel or trade curbs. Charlotte Crosby has shut down wedding talk with Ryan Gallagher, who she met on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! The Geordie Shore star, 29, admitted to The Daily Telegraph at the weekend that 'it would be silly' to consider marriage as they've only just met. It comes after Ryan, 31, said he would be open to the idea. 'That would be silly!' I'm A Celeb's Charlotte Crosby shut down wedding talk with Ryan Gallagher at the weekend, but admitted he's everything 'she wants in a man' 'We have known each other for a month so obviously I am not going to say, "yes, let's get married," Charlotte said. 'If we were in a normal situation, not many people propose after a month.' However, after the pair sparked up a romance in the jungle, Charlotte said she can't wait to come back to Australia later this month to get to know Ryan better, and gushed about the former Married At First Sight star. 'He is what I want in a man': However, after the pair (pictured) sparked up a romance in the jungle, Charlotte said she can't wait to come back to Australia later this month to get to know Ryan better and gushed about the former Married At First Sight star 'He is what I want in a man so it is exciting to see where this is going to go.' The pair were both recently booted from I'm A Celebrity, but are still in South Africa. Earlier this week, Ryan said he'd be open to marrying Charlotte, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'If we are together for a few years, maybe that might happen, who knows.' He's smitten! Earlier this week, Ryan said he's open to the idea of marriage Candid: Meanwhile on The Project on Thursday, Charlotte admitted that they haven't yet 'done the deed' for medical reasons - but promised there would 'be fireworks' this weekend Meanwhile on The Project on Thursday, Charlotte admitted that they haven't yet 'done the deed' for medical reasons - but promised there would 'be fireworks' this weekend. The ex-Geordie Shore star, 29, told host Lisa Wilkinson: 'Obviously we spent last night together - nothing like you think! I've got some infections down there... you can't really go there at the moment.' Amid a sea of laughter from the show's panel, Charlotte continued: 'So at the weekend there's going to be some fireworks, I tell you now! Give us two more days with the cream!' She later confirmed to radio show Hughesy & Ed that she was suffering from thrush. During her appearance on The Project, Charlotte also revealed she was considering a move to Australia in order to be closer to Ryan. Residents in Mountmellick are being urged to back a rural community 4km away on the Laois Offaly border who do not want a wind farm in their midst. Dernacart windfarm by Norwegian multinational energy company Statkraft is proposed to have eight turbines 185 metres tall on locally owned farmland in Upper and Lower Forest near the Mountmellick to Tullamore road. Some 60 people attended a public meeting in Mountmellicks Balcony theatre on Monday January 20 held by Mountmellick Wind Turbine Impact group. Forest residents Aoife Melia, Siobhan Traynor, Siobhan Martley and Emma Hinch led the meeting. These are by far the tallest turbines inland in this country. Were the ones they legally had to contact because we are only 740 metres from them. They will be wiping out and destroying the habitat. We dont want to come across as alarmist with climate change but people will be negatively affected by noise and shadow flicker. We dont want to be the next community split apart, said Aoife. The local Cllr Paddy Bracken said he fears the turbines could increase the flood risk to Mountmellick. Id fear that it will have an impact but thats just my opinion. There are draft guidelines but they wont be done in time for this development. We have the opportunity now to make submissions. The biggest issues is the guidelines on distance, he said. He said the application will probably end up being decided on by An Bord Pleanala after Laois County Council. Mountmellick homeowner Emmet Conroy (below) was flooded in 2017. The footprint of these are massive, that groundwater has to go somewhere. The Barrow flows along there, I presume the water will flow into the Barrow rather than soak into the ground. In light of what happened here with 80 houses flooded, ten left homeless, what will go there will have a direct impact, he predicted. He suggests that the consultants drawing up Mountmellick's flood plan be made aware of the turbine plan. Ger Lynch from Mountmellick agreed. That bog has the potential of becoming a flood plain for the upper Barrow. The potential is gone if there is buildings on it, he said. Ornithologist Ricky Whelan from Mountmellick suggested how to oppose the plan. The company has to do an environmental impact study and point out risks and say how they will mitigate them. It is a massive document, you need to split it up and study it. Go after the holes in it if you find them. Then they will have to go back and address them. That buys you time, he said. He said flood risk and hen harrier birds of prey could be issues. Mr Whelan predicts more turbines to follow. I dont believe these are ever going to be 185m tall, they will start at that and then lower it or reduce the turbines to three or four. But Bord na Mona is going to have an application. Id be more worried about the cumulative effect, he said. Below: Mr Whelan at the meeting. We dont want to be the people whose children are affected. We don't want Laois to become a pin cushion, Siobhan Martley said. Mountmellick resident Justin Kavanagh said that he can see the Mount Lucas turbines in Offaly from his Acragar home. That's 30km away. If they put these up they will continue to build them, he said. Dave Fingleton from Ratheniska in south Laois gave a presentation. He is a member of Wind Aware Ireland, which represents 50 community groups against nearby windfarms in Ireland. Give this committee all the support you can, theyre going to need it. If you look at the map you might think it wont impact on you. I guarantee you you could be five miles away and it will impact you. Once they get in it will be a little step to build another eight and before you know it Mountmellick could be surrounded. Oppose this project with everything you have, he urged. He claimed that wind turbines only save 4% of carbon. Converting Moneypoint to biomass would achieve our 2020 targets, and focusing on retro insulations, he said. Carbon abatement is very important but it must be done sustainably, environmentally, economically and sociably, Mr Fingleton said. A planning application was lodged to Laois County Council by Statkraft for Dernacart wind farm in December. It was deemed incomplete but is expected to be re-lodged. We have five weeks to try to fight it then. We need everyone in Mountmellick to lodge submissions. We will set up clinics and type them up for you. We will work like dogs to try and fight it, said Emma Hinch. Statkraft says the turbines can power 30,000 homes with renewable energy, while new technology will be used to avoid shadow flicker on homes. Photos from the meeting taken by Denis Byrne. An evacuation flight from Wuhan is due to land in the UK on Friday morning (Steve Parsons/PA) More than 80 Britons on an evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak are due to land in the UK on Friday afternoon. After several delays, the flight chartered by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) left Wuhan at 9.45am local time on Friday, carrying 83 Britons and 27 non-UK nationals, mostly from EU countries. The flight is expected to arrive at the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire around 1pm, the FCO said in a statement. The evacuation came after the UKs four chief medical officers raised the risk level of the illness from low to moderate and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international public health emergency. Chinese health officials said on Friday morning the death toll in the country from the virus had risen to 213, up from 170 a day earlier, with the number of known cases rising from 7,711 to 9,692. No deaths have occurred outside China, although 82 cases have been confirmed across 18 countries. The WHOs announcement led Virgin Atlantic to suspend its flights between the UK and China for two weeks starting on Saturday. British Airways on Thursday extended its suspension of China flights until Monday. The British passengers on the evacuation flight who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province had to sign a contract agreeing to isolation before they could board the flight, and underwent temperature checks. On arrival, they will be taken by bus to Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral for a quarantine period of 14 days, where they will be housed in an NHS staff accommodation block with access to the internet. Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital, which has a high-level infectious diseases unit. After the British passengers disembark at Brize, the flight will continue to Spain, where EU countries will process the non-British evacuees. Its welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said. We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities. On Thursday evening, WHO declared coronavirus as an international public health emergency due to fears of the virus spreading to countries with weaker health infrastructure. After British Airways extended its China flights suspension until Monday, Virgin Atlantic released a statement late on Thursday night saying its China services would cease for a fortnight after the arrival of its flight from Shanghai on Saturday. This decision has been made with the safety of customers and staff at the front of our minds, the airline said. The new virus has now infected more people in China than fell ill during the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak. As of Thursday, 161 people have tested negative for the virus in the UK and 124 people have recovered and have since been discharged from hospital in China. Expand Close The accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside which is understood to be where the British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, will be quarantined (Peter Byrne/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside which is understood to be where the British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, will be quarantined (Peter Byrne/PA) In a letter following WHOs announcement, the chief medical officers of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland said: In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK chief medical officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak. They added that it is likely there will be individual cases in the UK, but that they are confident in the ability of the NHS and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high-quality care. Officials had been working to secure a flight out of Wuhan for British nationals after one planned for Thursday failed to get clearance from Chinese authorities. Mr Raab said officials had been working tirelessly to get citizens out of Wuhan. The PA news agency understands the FCO tried to ensure families can remain together and relatives with dual citizenship are allowed on the flight. British citizen Chris Hill, who lives in Wuhan with his wife and four-year-old daughter, told PA he refused to take the offered flight as the FCO could not confirm he would be able to bring his daughter Renee with him as she is a Chinese citizen. With the current situation and the way the FCO is handling the diplomatic side of things, Im just losing faith, Mr Hill said. The Chinese government does not recognise dual nationality, and it is believed people with Chinese citizenship were unable to leave the affected area. PA understands the Chinese government later relaxed its policy on whether dual nationals and dependents could board the repatriation flight. By David Tizzard It has been said by Viktor Frankl and Friedrich Nietzsche among others that if man has a "why" to live for, he can endure almost any "how". So as South Korea enters the second decade of the 21st century, it is worth posing the question to the Korean people, "What is the "why" for which you are living?" From a materialist perspective, South Korea is a rip-roaring success. Yes, it might be struggling somewhat economically of late but more broadly the last half century has seen a remarkable transformation in the people's monetary fortunes. No longer is a casual greeting, "Have you eaten?" Now, houses are generally warmed, fridges are stocked, and the Wi-Fi runs freely and quickly. Moreover, people no longer fear the police or the authorities. The government is not a figure of totalitarian tendencies and torture to be avoided lest one be dragged to Namsan. Instead, policies are now being debated for the welfare and prosperity of the citizens. Of course the decisions and policies do not please everyone and nor should they but recent discussions have centered on a great many subjects, not least justice, order, and the protection of minorities. This is done in a democratic manner which puts much else of Northeast Asia to shame. For all those protesting about the perceived flaws of either the current or the previous administration here, it is worth remembering that such protests would not only not be allowed elsewhere in the region, they would not even be considered because of the suppressive and suffocating nature of the powers that be. South Korea for all its faults, which are many is still a fantastic country. As a journalist or a social media user, it is easy to go through the week highlighting the various injustices, incidences of perceived bigotry, or hypocritical behavior in the country. But to do so not only changes your big data algorithm, it also changes the way you see the world forever on the search for the next shocking story to retweet and gain those likes. But then we miss out on all that is good. All that is noble: filled with love. Things that carry meaning and thus symbolize the very heights of which humans are capable. South Korea is the freest country in Northeast Asia. You have a problem with the government? Write a song about it. You dislike a policy? Explain it on twitter. You don't like the way the news is presented? Start your own channel and say what's on your mind. That's a pretty cool thing. It's also pretty rare around here. And speaking of cool, in terms of soft power, with Bong Joon-ho, Son Heung-min, recent novelists, and a whole host of K-pop idols ready to dazzle, it leaves its neighbors and rivals squinting before its fabulous luminescence. No longer is the word "Korea" associated with bombs, gulags, totalitarianism, and ill-fitting communist suits on a succession of rather portly leaders from a country that regularly suffers famine and malnourishment. Korea is now beauty. It's style. It's Seouling-U whether you like it or not. And so where does it go next? I rarely, if ever, write prescriptively in my articles in the Korea Times because I believe it is not my place to suggest to Koreans how to run Korea. Nevertheless, at the risk of being accused of mansplaining or white privileging, I might today humbly put forward two things which would help the country better situate itself towards the goals "it" chooses. First, it's simply got to elect better leaders. Or, it's got to at least make politics more attractive to better people. A recent report showed that 1 in 3 candidates (447 out of 1593) for the Legislative Elections in April have been convicted of violent crimes such as the sexual assault of minors, distribution of pornography, assault, and prostitution. Add on to this a whole host of drink-driving and financial crimes. To repeat, they are the people running for election and asking for your support and votes. If one wonders why the sentences in the Korean judicial system often seem rather surprising and arbitrary be it 33 years for an ex-President or being let off with a slapped wrist for molka-related activities consider that all these people above with convictions are those responsible for making and carrying out the country's laws. The country needs to think rationally and logically about which people in wants in power and work towards making that happen, for we are risking the lives and well-being of our children if not. The second thing I think that would benefit the country is to abandon the current focus on gerontocracy. Yes age brings with it some wisdom, but it does not necessarily mean it always understands how the "modern world" works. There is far too big a focus on respect and authority only being given to those with gray hair, be it figuratively or literally. This, in turn, is making Korea a society that is still living with one foot in the past. Park Chung-hee's shadow still looms over the country in many ways, not least with the law stating that any president here must be over 40 years old a clause enacted to keep his young political rivals out of power, and that still holds today. It would be really interesting to see what this country would become were the keys to the house given to a group of 30-year olds as has been seen in other countries such as Finland and New Zealand. I'm not sure it could do much worse economically. And it would probably have a greater understanding of what's actually going on in the world be it on the subway, on the internet, in the universities, or on the computers and laptops we are now using to order our food in restaurants and coffee shops. Quite simply then, the country should focus on getting better and younger people moving towards positions of power rather than simply chasing money, fame, or wallowing in neologisms and nihilism. Everyone can still have different goals, different meanings in their lives, different hopes and aspirations, but perhaps it can happen under a younger, more vibrant, and technologically-savvy leadership. With the uniquely democratic setup here in South Korea, the choice is there for people. Choose ddeokbokki and die. Choose hell Joseon. Choose raymen and Netflix. Choose nothing. Or choose an even brighter and more infinite future. Today. David Tizzard (datizzard@swu.ac.kr) is an assistant professor at Seoul Women's University. He also presents economic and cultural issues on "Business Now" on TBS eFM (101.3FM) live every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip An unprecedented crisis hit the Gaza Strip this month when cooking gas became unavailable at filling stations after it stopped entering the Strip from Egypt on Jan. 1 for over 10 days. This was due to technical difficulties and bad weather conditions, the Ministry of Finance in Gaza said. On Jan. 20, Egypt resumed its imports and allowed 10 trucks to enter, followed by 23 others on Jan. 23, promising to double the quantity over the coming days. But some believe this was an Egyptian attempt to put more pressure on Gaza. The besieged enclave has been relying for many years on gas coming from Egypt in addition to limited quantities entering from the Israeli side. On Jan. 17, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Egypt unilaterally began raising the prices of goods transported to the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing, including cooking gas and car tires. Abdel Karim Abdel Aal, director of the Gaza-based Abdel Aal Company, which imports tires from Egypt, told Al-Monitor there was a slight increase in prices due to the costs of transport, supply, customs, examination and securing the route to the Gaza Strip. The price increase has nothing to do with any political aspects, he added. The Gas Stations Owners Association in Gaza stated Jan. 20 that the Gaza Strip faced an unprecedented gas crisis due to Egypts move and that Gaza lacks a strategic gas reserve. An official in the Ministry of Finance in Gaza told the local newspaper Felesteen on Jan. 20 that the declared reason for gas not entering from Israel and Egypt was the air pressure fluctuations, in addition to other technical reasons, denying that there are problems with Egypt regarding the introduction of gas because of the pricing. He said there is an agreement between the two parties on a slight increase in the price of a ton of gas, adding that the citizens would not even notice it. Al-Monitor tried to contact the trade and crossings department at the Ministry of National Economy and the Gas Stations Owners Association but to no avail. Freelance economic analyst Nouhad Nashwan told Al-Monitor that Gaza has been relying on Egypt for 70% of its imports of basic commodities, namely cement, fuel and cooking gas. He said the current gas crisis is the first since Egypt started exporting gas to Gaza in August 2018 after Israel cut off its supplies. The cooking gas imports of the Petroleum Authority in Gaza from Egypt reach 5,000 tons per month. The local monthly needs amount to 7,000 tons, so the 2,000 tons are imported from the Israeli side through the Karam Abu Salem crossing, Nashwan said. Nashwan added that the Egyptian side requested to increase the price by $160 per ton, which the Petroleum Authority in Gaza rejected. In turn, Egypt cut supplies for several days. Speaking about Egypts motives to raise prices, Nashwan explained that in addition to a slight rise in the global price of gas, Egypt wanted to send a political message to Hamas. Egypt was unpleased when Hamas politburo chief Ismail Haniyeh visited Iran Jan. 6 to express condolences for the death of Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, who was assassinated by a US drone strike Jan. 3. Khalil al-Hayya, a member of Hamas political bureau, denied any tension with Egypt over Hamas' ties with Iran, stressing that Hamas rejects any alternative to Egypt in managing Palestinian national issues. He said Hamas agrees with Egypt on multiple matters and policies, denying that Haniyeh's visit to Iran had any link to the gas crisis between Cairo and Gaza. "The visit is for purely commercial reasons," he affirmed. Meanwhile, political analyst close to Hamas and former editor of the local Felesteen newspaper Mustafa al-Sawaf told Al-Monitor gas supplies were cut because the Egyptian side wanted to increase the price by $160 per ton, which Gaza traders rejected in light of the economic crisis. The two parties reached a compromise and the issue was resolved, Sawaf noted. Nashwan said an agreement was reached for an increase of approximately $100 per ton, adding, I think the crisis will end but at the expense of citizens, as the Petroleum Authority in Gaza will gradually increase prices to make up for the additional money it pays to Egypt until the price of a 12-kiloliter gas cylinder stabilizes at 60 shekels ($17.14), as is the case in the West Bank, which relies on Israeli gas. Currently, one ton of gas ranges between $1,000 and $1,100 compared to $900 and $1,000 before the price increase; one gas cylinder is sold in Gaza at around 55 shekels ($15.42). Speaking about Egypt's attempt to pressure the Palestinian side after Haniyehs visit to Iran, Sawaf did not rule out the possibility of Egypt having unannounced, noncommercial reasons for increasing prices, stressing at the same time that Gaza is exhausted and cannot bear more pressure. For his part, economic analyst and economics professor at the University of Al-Asraa in Gaza Amin Abu Aisha told Al-Monitor that the gas crisis may have been a Palestinian plot in preparation for increasing taxes on goods imported from Egypt, as the Hamas government has a tendency to maximize tax revenues through goods that it imports from that country. Ulster University's business plan for the expansion of its Magee campus is out of date and needs to be resubmitted, a senior civil servant has told Stormont's Economy Committee. Heather Cousins, deputy secretary of the Skills and Education Group at the department, said the costs of delivering 9,400 students for Magee in UU's original plan was 300m capital and 100M resources but this was money the Department does not have. As a result campaigners have called for an independent university in Londonderry to take the project out of UU's hands. Garbhan Downey from the Derry University Group said: "Clearly the Ulster University is not the best body to expand Magee because instead of going and asking the money to expand Magee, they asked the Department for the Economy for 100m to put down a debt. "The government's priority as stated in the New Decade, New Deal is the Derry expansion not Belfast university. "Ulster University should return the grounds and the budget at Magee immediately and concentrate on what it wants to do, which is build its Belfast site." Foyle MLA and deputy chairwoman of the Economy Committee Sinead McLaughlin said if Ulster University does not demonstrate its commitment to Derry, another body could be considered. "There are a number of courses that are about to move out of Jordanstown campus and we need UU to say that the place they are putting those students into is Derry," she said. "If they fail to do that then there might be another conversation. "As a result of the New Decade, New Approach deal there is an intention on the new government to support the wider expansion of Magee. "In order to ensure that that happens, there needs to be instructions from the department down to the civil servants that this has to be done." Ulster University has yet to respond to a request for comment. Police are looking for a man who was mistakenly released from prison and is now on the run. The Michigan Department of Corrections and local law enforcement authorities are searching for Talleon Stephon Brazil, who was released by Ohio authorities after facing criminal charges in court there. Brazil was serving time at the Saginaw Correctional Facility when on Jan. 14, he was picked up by the Scioto County Sheriffs Office in Portsmouth, Ohio to face a series of drug-related charges. Rather than keep him in custody until the criminal case had concluded, authorities in Ohio released Brazil on bond improperly on Jan. 21, MDOC said in a press release. MDOC said Brazil was picked up by members of his family and it is believed they brought him back to the Detroit area. The MDOC was notified by the sheriffs office of the mistake on Thursday. Authorities contacted his family and made clear Brazil must turn himself in, and he has so far chosen not to do so. Anyone with information on Brazils whereabouts is urged to call 911. He is 31 years old and is 5 10 and about 205 pounds. Brazil was sentenced to 15-40 years in prison on Feb. 26, 2010 in Wayne County for unarmed robbery, carjacking, felony firearms, possession of weapons by a felon, and delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance. The arbitrator ruled that the claims against CIC Services and its agents were unfounded based in part upon the fact that Mr. Prabhu and SRM Group misrepresented their intentions in forming and operating the captive insurance companies in question, said Sean King, general counsel for CIC Services. The arbitrator found that Prabhu never intended to operate his captive insurance companies as actual insurers despite repeated and explicit warnings from CIC Services. The arbitrator said that even though CIC Services told Prabhu that there needed to be a business purpose for captive insurance, he clearly regarded the requirement that the captives operate as real insurers as contrary to his objective and resisted efforts by [CIC Services] to have claims filed. His focus was on the investment, wealth-enhancing aspect of the transactions. Since the captives had no real risk-transfer purpose, the arbitrator said, their wealth-enhancing aspects were available almost exclusively through tax savings savings only available to legitimate insurers. Mr. Prabhu knew that our firm would not voluntarily assist anyone in forming and operating a pretextual captive insurance company for the purpose of improperly claiming tax benefits, King said. All of our material emphasizes as much. However, to induce us to serve him nonetheless, Mr. Prabhu knowingly, repeatedly and explicitly misrepresented his motives to us. For instance, he represented and warranted in multiple contracts that he was motivated primarily by insurance considerations rather than tax or investment motives when, as the arbitrator explicitly concluded, he actually was not. CIC Services said that it would vigorously pursue anyone who fraudulently induced the company into unknowingly participating in such a scheme. If you have no genuine motivation for your captive insurance company, then CIC Services is not the place for you, King said. The Korean government is sending US$5 million in humanitarian assistance to China to help the country fight the coronavirus outbreak. Some 8,000 people in China have been confirmed infected and 170 have died. The Foreign Ministry here on Thursday said that it has already sent some 2 million masks and medical supplies to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, through civic organizations. Police in hazmat suits yesterday surrounded the body of a man who was found dead on the pavement at ground zero of China's virus epidemic. The grey-haired man collapsed and died while wearing a face mask on a street in Wuhan, a city of 11million people which is under quarantine amid the coronavirus crisis. It is feared that the virus caused the man's death, and the reaction of police and medical staff in forensic suits highlighted the fear pervading the city. The death toll in China today rose to 213 after the World Health Organisation declared a global emergency and the US told its citizens to avoid China. A medic in a hazmat suit attends to the body of a man which was found in a street in Wuhan yesterday, in the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak A man wearing a face mask cycles past the body of a man who collapsed and died on a pavement in Wuhan, a city of 11million people which is under quarantine A map showing where cases of coronavirus had been reported by Friday lunchtime UK time Wuhan is the centre of the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which is believed to have jumped from wild animals at a city market into humans. The virus, which emerged late last year, has infected thousands in China with at least 159 deaths in Wuhan alone. Authorities have imposed an unprecedented lockdown of Wuhan, blocking off roads out of the city and banning flights, in a bid to stop the virus spreading. Yesterday police and medical staff in hazmat suits attended to the man's body outside a furniture store in the city. Medical staff in blue overalls gently shrouded his body with a blue blanket before police stacked supermarket cardboard boxes to hide the scene. The body was eventually zipped into a yellow surgical bag and carried into a van on a stretcher before staff began to disinfect the streets. A team of forensic experts who examined him were also sprayed with disinfectant by colleagues after removing their hazardous material suits. A woman standing near the man, wearing pink pyjamas and a Mao cap, said she believed he had died from an illness caused by the virus. A woman cycles near the scene where the body of a man was found outside a furniture store Officials in protective suits gather close to the scene where an elderly man wearing a face mask was found dead on Thursday 'It's terrible,' she said. 'These days many people have died.' Police and local health officials did not provide details on his case. A few worried locals passed by on bicycles on what would normally be a crowded street. The dead man on the street lay one block from the Wuhan Number Six Hospital, one of the main medical centres for treating those with virus symptoms. Those who are trapped in Wuhan are enduring a tormenting wait for the lockdown to end, for a cure to be found, or even just for check-ups at overwhelmed hospitals. One man smoking near the scene was told sharply by police to put out his cigarette and don a face mask. He quickly followed their orders. Reporters in Wuhan have seen long queues at hospitals, with some patients saying they had queued for two days to see a doctor. Many brought their own chairs for the wait. With most traffic banned, people who venture outside have to walk or bike everywhere in the huge city. Workers in China unload a shipment of protective suits from a cargo plane at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport yesterday The US State Department yesterday raised it warning alert to the highest level, telling Americans 'do not travel' to China and urged those already there to leave. The American warning goes further than the advice issued by by Britain, Germany, Japan and other countries to avoid non-essential travel. A total of 18 South Korean evacuees who arrived from the Chinese city of Wuhan have been hospitalised after showing symptoms, Seoul's health authorities said today. The WHO, which was criticised for initially downplaying the virus threat, changed tack after crisis talks in Geneva and declared an emergency yesterday. 'Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems,' said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 'We must all act together now to limit further spread... We can only stop it together.' Many major airlines have suspended or reduced flights to China, while Mongolia and Russia have shut their borders. Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China. Im not going to pretend to be low key. Im giddy to join the amazing @CAGovOps team!!!! Krista Canellakis (@kristallakis) January 30, 2020 Gov. Gavin Newsom announced three key appointments Thursday that help fill the ranks in top state agencies with governance over technology.Newsom appointed Joy Bonaguro, 39, of Oakland, as the state's second-ever chief data officer, a position in the California Government Operations Agency. Bonaguro has been head of systems and data for Corelight Inc. since 2018. She was San Franciscos chief data officer from 2014 to 2018; before that, she had been IT manager for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 2011 to 2014, and information designer for the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center from 2002 to 2009. Bonaguro has a masters degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley.Bonaguro was part of Team San Francisco , recognized in 2016 bymagazine as among the years Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers in IT. As noted in a 2018 Government Technology profile of Bonaguros tenure in San Francisco: Significant work under Bonaguros leadership included a partnership with the controllers office that yielded a data academy that trained more than 1,000 internal staff members ; a DataScienceSF intervention program that sees civic data scientists helping departments function more efficiently with information; and shaping the current DataSF team that will continue the work and culture that she helped to establish.Newsom also named Krista Canellakis, 37, of San Francisco, as deputy secretary of general services for GovOps. Canellakis had been chief innovation officer for San Franciscos Office of Civic Innovation from early 2018 until November 2019.She had held several positions in that department since 2013, including deputy innovation officer, innovation officer and mayors innovation fellow.In a tweet she posted Thursday afternoon, Canellakis said: Im not going to pretend to be low key. Im giddy to join the amazing @CAGovOps team!!!!Canellakis was co-founder and chief technology officer at UrbanKit from 2012 to 2013. She was project assistant intern for housing development at Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. in 2011, and before that, she was development planning researcher for the development planning unit at the University College London in 2010. Canellakis held several positions at 3Degrees from 2004 to 2009, including senior marketing and partnerships manager, marketing manager and office manager. She earned a masters degree in building and urban design at University College London.The governor also reappointed Julie Lee, a veteran of state service and most recently acting secretary for the California Government Operations Agency (GovOps), to her role as undersecretary, a position shes held since 2018.Lee, 55, an Auburn resident, served in the Office of the Governor under former Gov. Jerry Brown from 2011 to 2018, including as director of operations from 2013 to 2018, reorganizational specialist from 2012 to 2013, and project manager of the governors reorganization plan at the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency from 2011 to 2012.As acting GovOps secretary, Lee filled the position government veteran Marybel Batjer held until Newsom appointed her last year to the presidency of the California Public Utilities Commission. Lee was public information manager for the California Department of Transportations District 2 from 2009 to 2011, and served in several positions at the California Department of Personnel Administration from 2005 to 2009. Before that, she held various positions at the California Department of Corrections from 2003 to 2004 and at the California Highway Patrol from 2004 to 2005.None of these positions require Senate confirmation. Photo: The Canadian Press Shoppers wearing face masks look for groceries on near-empty shelves in Wuhan. Carrying permits demanding fast passage, truck drivers rushed a 560-ton shipment of disinfectant from eastern China to Wuhan, the locked-down city of 11 million people at the centre of a vast effort to contain a new viral disease. Outside the metropolis in central China, the cargo was shifted to local trucks with drivers in masks and protective suits, part of a tightly controlled flow of food and other supplies through checkpoints that have blocked most access to Wuhan since Jan. 23. As global anxiety about the new virus rises, authorities have blocked 50 million people from leaving Wuhan and nearby cities at the centre of the outbreak. That in turn requires a massive effort to keep them supplied with food and other necessities. Wuhan is not an isolated island, declared a state newspaper, the Yangtze Daily. Few governments could attempt such drastic restrictions on a population bigger than South Korea's or Australia's. They are made possible by the ruling Communist Party's extensive controls on society and experience combating the 2002-03 SARS epidemic. Some trucks are allowed to leave the 17 locked-down cities to collect food. Photos in state media show them lined up at checkpoints, their drivers wearing face masks. Police, shrouded in white protective suits, examine the drivers for the virus's telltale fever. Those without passes are turned back. Schools, cinemas and restaurants are closed in Wuhan, an industrial centre with a population 1 1/2 times that of New York City. To keep people at home and reduce chances for infection, subway and bus services are shut down and private vehicle use is banned in downtown areas. The government of Hubei province, where all the cities are located, has promised adequate supplies of vegetables, rice, meat and medical supplies. It said authorities were working with retailers to bring food from as far away as Yunnan province in the southwest and Hainan island in the South China Sea. A crackdown on hoarding and price-gouging by merchants was announced after food costs spiked. Please do not panic, do not hoard, so as not to cause waste, said a government announcement. China on Friday reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the virus, which can cause pneumonia and other severe respiratory symptoms. So far 213 have died. The shipment of disinfectant last Saturday was moved by drivers from two trucking companies in the eastern province of Jiangsu, according to the manager of one of the companies, Huai'an Hazardous Goods Transport Co. With official passes, the 18 teams of drivers cut the normal 20-hour travel time to 15 hours, according to the manager, Liu Hankang. "Enterprises must take on this responsibility, Liu said by phone. London: That ... was it? Given all the division, the turmoil, the political carnage and the economic upheaval, the most remarkable thing about this chapter in history is how unremarkably it concluded. Slipping by late on Friday night, Britain's formal departure from the European Union had all the energy and excitement of someone who was desperate to just hit the sack at the end of a big week. Or in the case of Brexit, a very big decade. Brexit supporters gather outside Parliament to mark the moment. Credit:Getty Images "I voted Leave in 2016 but I really couldn't give a toss about all the celebrations tonight," said retired cook Jenny Blake, who was enjoying a pint in a pub just a few blocks away from a rally outside Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster. "It's good it is finally happening but it's not like everyone is jumping out of their skin." The United Kingdom formally left the bloc at 11pm following 47 years of membership, however the existing relationship will remain in place during an 11-month transition period in which new trade, security and immigration deals will have to be thrashed out. CLEVELAND, Ohio The expanding coronavirus is upending the travel industry, forcing cancellations, closures and warnings here and abroad. Numerous airlines, including United, American and British Airways, are canceling some or all flights into and out of China temporarily, while others, including Delta, are waiving fees for travelers who want to postpone trips. Meanwhile, the State Department recently updated a travel advisory to include all of China, elevating the warning to a level 3 out of 4, urging travelers to reconsider travel to the country. Said the department: Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. The epicenter of the infection, Hubei Province, has been elevated to a do not travel level 4 by the State Department. Officials are screening arriving passengers for the virus at 20 U.S. international airports, including Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Atlanta and others. Several cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean, Costa and MSC, have canceled cruises and ports of call in China, and numerous tourist attractions in China including the Forbidden City, parts of the Great Wall of China and Shanghai Disney are all closed. Read more on coronavirus: By Park Si-soo Pengsoo has set a new milestone in its "EBS trainee" career by reaching 2 million subscribers on YouTube. The genderless giant penguin character achieved the feat on Wednesday only nine months after its channel " " debuted on the video-streaming website and two months after having 1 million subscribers. "I'm sincerely grateful to have such a huge love from you," Pengsoo wrote on the community section of its channel. "I will keep myself consistent like the consistent love and support you have shown me." The channel's producer Lee Seulyena also expressed appreciation. "We will repay the love and support Pengsoo's fans have shown with content that can move them all." With 2 million subscribers being a done deal, Pengsoo's fans are wondering whether "it" will hold a press conference with foreign journalists. In December, EBS chief said he would "formally invite foreign journalists to a press conference-style promotional event for Pengsoo." An EBS spokesman said "an internal discussion is under way." Pengsoo is a mega-popular character created by the Korea Educational Broadcasting System (EBS). The character's popularity exploded last year, becoming a household name among Korean YouTube users. Pengsoo recently attended numerous year-end award ceremonies and events, including the famous New Year bell-ringing ceremony in Seoul. Seizure and quarantine of exotic pets that are meant to be smuggled into India are quite common occurrences for customs officials at the Chennai International Airport, but officials are now being extra-cautious in dealing with smuggled animals, amidst the growing concerns over the spread of Coronavirus. The virus that has claimed over 200 lives in China, has been declared a Global Health Emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO). Scientists suspect that the virus originated from bats and spread further at the Hunan seafood market that deals with various types of exotic animal meat, after which it spread to humans. Live TV Amidst intense screening of passengers arriving at Indias major international airports, customs officials had stepped up vigil based on information that exotic species are likely to be smuggled into the country by a passenger arriving from Bangkok. On Friday morning, customs officials had intercepted Ibrahim Shah, a Chennai resident who had arrived by Thai Airways flight TG337, after he was found to be moving in a suspicious manner on collecting his checked-in black stroller bag. Examination of his bag revealed two plastic containers and tiffin boxes that were concealed among chocolates and wafers. The containers carried species of exotic mammals, rodents and reptiles. The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) officials identified the species as Meerkat, Fat tail gerbil, Sphynx rat, Albinopacman frog, Tarantula spider, chameleon and green iguanas. We are exercising extra caution at Chennai airport now in the midst of the Coronavirus thats become a global issue now. Since the virus is believed to have originated from certain types of animals, we have ensured that our staff handle the seized animals while wearing adequate protective equipment. They have been issued gloves, masks and after temporarily quarantining the animals in the airport, they will be deported to the country of origin within a day said Commissioner of Customs, Rajan Chaudhary. Ibrahim Shah told Customs officials that unknown persons had handed over the bag to him outside the Bangkok airport, along with instructions to hand it over to persons outside the Chennai airport. Despite Ibrahim being taken outside the airport for handing over the bag, no-one seemed to have turned up. 13 animals that fall under seven species were seized under the provisions of Customs Act 1962 with FT (D&R) Act. A team of Veterinary doctors from the Arignar Anna Zoological Park inspected the animals and certified that they are in a healthy condition. Animal Quarantine officials recommended deporting the wildlife species as the passenger did a No-objection certificate or the necessary license for import. Health Cardior Pharmaceuticals Demonstrates Reversal of Heart Failure with Lead Compound CDR132L 31.01.2020 11:11:43 - - Study by international research team published in Nature Communications - Preclinical proof-of-concept of CDR132L established - Inhibition of a regulatory microRNA restores cardiac function (live-PR.com) - Hanover, Germany, January 31, 2020 - Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the development of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) therapeutics for patients with cardiovascular diseases, today announced a publication in Nature Communications demonstrating that its lead compound CDR132L is able to reverse heart failure in preclinical in vivo studies. The research was conducted by an international team of - Hanover, Germany, January 31, 2020 - Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on the development of noncoding RNA (ncRNA) therapeutics for patients with cardiovascular diseases, today announced a publication in Nature Communications demonstrating that its lead compound CDR132L is able to reverse heart failure in preclinical in vivo studies. The research was conducted by an international team of scientists from Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the U.K. The compound is an antisense oligonucleotide inhibiting the microRNA 132 (miR132), a non-coding microRNA that regulates cardiac hypertrophy and autophagy in cardiomyocytes by targeting well-defined pathways. Expression of miR132 is increased in various pathological cardiac conditions in both animals and humans, and previous animal studies have shown that miR132 is both necessary and sufficient to drive the pathological growth of cardiomyocytes. miR132 is directly addressing the main causes of heart failure and therefore considerably differs from existing, mainly symptomatic therapies. "miR132 is a regulatory master switch to control cardiac function and a promising therapeutic target in heart failure therapy," said Dr. Thomas Thum, Professor at Hannover Medical School, CSO of Cardior and corresponding author of the study. "In our publication, we demonstrate in various in vivo models that inhibition of miR132 is effective in reversing severe heart failure. We also show that elevation of miR132 levels in cardiomyocytes has negative effects on their contractile kinetics but can be normalized by antimiR-132 treatment." First, the researchers demonstrated this effect in murine models overexpressing miR132. The team then investigated the compound in a larger model of heart failure closely mimicking the clinical situation in patients after myocardial infarction. These patients often develop heart failure despite successful cardiac catheterization. In the in vivo study, Cardiors compound CDR132L effectively prevented maladaptive growth and remodeling and restored cardiac function in a dose-dependent manner. For a therapeutic effect, only two administrations of the compound were necessary. "This important publication adds to our large body of evidence that CDR132L effectively halts and reverses heart failure by blocking a crucial regulatory RNA," said Claudia Ulbrich, CEO of Cardior. "If the currently ongoing clinical development continues to be successful, our approach will not only lead to an effective, causal treatment of heart failure, but may also pave the way to develop treatments of other complex diseases based on targeting non-coding regulatory RNAs." ### About Cardior Cardior Pharmaceuticals is a privately held German biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of curative and preventive heart failure therapeutics based on non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Cardiors therapeutic approach is using distinctive ncRNA signatures driving the molecular reprogramming that causes maladaptive remodeling and heart failure. Drug candidates developed by Cardior represent first-in-class ncRNA therapeutics and diagnostics for patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure. Founded in 2016 based on the work of cardiologist Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Thum of Hannover Medical School, the Company has raised EUR 15 Mio. from international investors LSP Life Sciences Partners, BioMedPartners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF). Contact Cardior Dr. Claudia Ulbrich / Barbara Gaertner-Rupprecht Cardior Pharmaceuticals GmbH Feodor-Lynen-Str. 15 30625 Hanover Germany Tel: +49 511 33 85 99 30 Media Inquiries akampion Dr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina Buth Managing Partners info(at)akampion.com Tel. +49 40 88 16 59 64 Tel. +49 30 23 63 27 68 scientists from Austria, Germany, Hungary, and the U.K.The compound is an antisense oligonucleotide inhibiting the microRNA 132 (miR132), a non-coding microRNA that regulates cardiac hypertrophy and autophagy in cardiomyocytes by targeting well-defined pathways. Expression of miR132 is increased in various pathological cardiac conditions in both animals and humans, and previous animal studies have shown that miR132 is both necessary and sufficient to drive the pathological growth of cardiomyocytes. miR132 is directly addressing the main causes of heart failure and therefore considerably differs from existing, mainly symptomatic therapies."miR132 is a regulatory master switch to control cardiac function and a promising therapeutic target in heart failure therapy," said Dr. Thomas Thum, Professor at Hannover Medical School, CSO of Cardior and corresponding author of the study. "In our publication, we demonstrate in various in vivo models that inhibition of miR132 is effective in reversing severe heart failure. We also show that elevation of miR132 levels in cardiomyocytes has negative effects on their contractile kinetics but can be normalized by antimiR-132 treatment."First, the researchers demonstrated this effect in murine models overexpressing miR132. The team then investigated the compound in a larger model of heart failure closely mimicking the clinical situation in patients after myocardial infarction. These patients often develop heart failure despite successful cardiac catheterization. In the in vivo study, Cardiors compound CDR132L effectively prevented maladaptive growth and remodeling and restored cardiac function in a dose-dependent manner. For a therapeutic effect, only two administrations of the compound were necessary."This important publication adds to our large body of evidence that CDR132L effectively halts and reverses heart failure by blocking a crucial regulatory RNA," said Claudia Ulbrich, CEO of Cardior. "If the currently ongoing clinical development continues to be successful, our approach will not only lead to an effective, causal treatment of heart failure, but may also pave the way to develop treatments of other complex diseases based on targeting non-coding regulatory RNAs."###About CardiorCardior Pharmaceuticals is a privately held German biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of curative and preventive heart failure therapeutics based on non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Cardiors therapeutic approach is using distinctive ncRNA signatures driving the molecular reprogramming that causes maladaptive remodeling and heart failure. Drug candidates developed by Cardior represent first-in-class ncRNA therapeutics and diagnostics for patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure. Founded in 2016 based on the work of cardiologist Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Thum of Hannover Medical School, the Company has raised EUR 15 Mio. from international investors LSP Life Sciences Partners, BioMedPartners, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) and High-Tech Grunderfonds (HTGF).Contact CardiorDr. Claudia Ulbrich / Barbara Gaertner-RupprechtCardior Pharmaceuticals GmbHFeodor-Lynen-Str. 1530625 HanoverGermanyTel: +49 511 33 85 99 30Media InquiriesakampionDr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina ButhManaging Partnersinfo(at)akampion.comTel. +49 40 88 16 59 64Tel. +49 30 23 63 27 68 Contact information: Cardior Pharmaceuticals Contact Person: eMail: eMail Author: Ines-Regina Buth e-mail Web: http://www.akampioneer.com Phone: 030-23632768 31.01.2020 11:11:43 - Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party. RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. - Eletrobras ("Eletrobras" or the "Purchaser") today announced the final results in connection with the previously announced tender offer to purchase for cash (the "Offer") any and all of the outstanding U.S.$1,750,000,000 5.750% Notes due 2021 issued by Eletrobras (the "Notes"). The Offer expired on January 30, 2020 at 8:30 a.m., New York City time (the "Expiration Deadline"). Eletrobras has been advised that, as of the Expiration Deadline, U.S.$1,122,703,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes, or approximately 64.15% of the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes, had been validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) pursuant to the Offer. In addition, Eletrobras has been advised that, as of the Expiration Deadline, U.S.$1,595,000 in aggregate principal amount of the Notes had been validly tendered pursuant to the Guaranteed Delivery Procedures (as defined in the Tender Offer Memorandum (as defined below)). Holders of the Notes ("Holders") (i) whose Notes were validly tendered prior to the Expiration Deadline, and which were not validly withdrawn, or (ii) who delivered a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and all of the other required documents at or prior to the Expiration Deadline and deliver their Notes prior to the Guaranteed Delivery Deadline, which is currently expected to be February 3, 2020, are entitled to receive on the Tender Offer Settlement Date or the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date, as applicable, the Tender Offer Consideration (as defined in the Tender Offer Memorandum), plus accrued and unpaid interest from, and including, the interest payment date for the Notes immediately preceding the Tender Offer Settlement Date to, but excluding, the Tender Offer Settlement Date. Each of the Tender Offer Settlement Date and the Guaranteed Delivery Settlement Date is currently expected to be February 5, 2020, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of certain conditions described in the Tender Offer Memorandum, including the New Financing Condition (as defined in the Tender Offer Memorandum). The Offer was conducted on the terms, and subject to the conditions, described in the tender offer memorandum, dated January 22, 2020 (the "Tender Offer Memorandum") and related notice of guaranteed delivery (the "Notice of Guaranteed Delivery" and, together with the Tender Offer Memorandum, the "Offer Documents"), previously distributed to Holders. Information Relating to the Offer Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. and Santander Investment Securities Inc. have been engaged as the Dealer Managers with respect to the Offer. Investors with questions may contact Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC at +1 (212) 357-1452, Itau BBA USA Securities, Inc. at +1 (212) 710-6749 and Santander Investment Securities Inc. at +1 (212) 940-1442. D.F. King & Co., Inc. has been engaged as Tender Agent. All questions to the Tender Agent should be directed to email: [email protected] or telephone: +1 (212) 269 5550 or toll-free at +1 (866) 406 2284. Copies of the Offer Documents may be found for consultation at the Offer Website: www.dfking.com/eletrobras. Neither the Tender Offer Memorandum nor any related document has been filed with or reviewed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, nor has any such document been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Tender Offer Memorandum or any related document, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offence to make any representation to the contrary. This press release is not an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any Notes. The Offer was made solely by Eletrobras pursuant to the Offer Documents. The Offer was not made to, nor has the Purchaser accepted tenders of Notes from, Holders in any jurisdiction in which the Offer or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities or blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. The Offer has not been, and will not be, registered with the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (Comissao de Valores Mobiliarios). About the Purchaser Eletrobras was established on June 11, 1962, pursuant to Law 3,890-A, dated April 25, 1961, as a mixed-capital company with limited liability and unlimited duration whose purpose is the promotion of construction and operation of generation plants, transmission lines and distribution of electric energy, as well as the conclusion of the acts of commerce resulting from these activities, such as the sale of electric energy, causing Eletrobras to contribute decisively to the expansion of the supply of electric energy and the development of Brazil. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from current expectations. These statements are likely to relate to, among other things, the Purchaser's current beliefs, expectations and projections about future events and financial trends affecting the Purchaser's business. Any of such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors (including, without limitations, the actions of competitors, future global economic conditions, market conditions, foreign exchange rates, and operating and financial risks related to managing growth and integrating acquired businesses), many of which are beyond the control of the Purchaser. The occurrence of any such factors not currently expected by the Purchaser would significantly alter the results set forth in these statements. The Purchaser expressly disclaims a duty to update any of the forward-looking statements. Contact: CENTRAIS ELETRICAS BRASILEIRAS S.A. ELETROBRAS Rua da Quitanda 196 CEP 20091-005 Rio de Janeiro, RJ Brazil Tel.: + 55 (21) 2514-4637 SOURCE Centrais Eletricas Brasileiras S.A. - Eletrobras SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) San Francisco Supervisor Matt Haney on Thursday called for an independent investigation into city departments implicated in a corruption scandal following the arrest of Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru. During a news conference outside of City Hall, Haney said that since Nuru's arrest on Monday by FBI agents on suspicion of wire fraud, his office has received numerous complaints from former and current DPW employees, painting a picture of alleged ongoing corruption within the department. "The Department of Public Works is filled with hardworking San Franciscans who genuinely care about our city and take pride in doing their jobs. However the hard work and good intentions of these public servants has been consistently undermined by executive leadership who treated the department like a one-person fiefdom where anything he said goes," Haney said. "In many cases, city employees have been too afraid to report what's been going on for fear of retribution by Director Nuru himself or other people involved in these schemes. My office has received multiple calls since Monday from former and current public works employees sharing their terrible experiences of fear," he said. "Director Nuru's corrupt behavior didn't happen in a vacuum. His approach was fostered and protected by city leaders who turned a blind eye. It is imperative that City Hall send a message that we have zero tolerance for blatant corruption," Haney said. While an investigation by the City Controller and City Attorney is underway at the request of Mayor London Breed, Haney said an outside investigation is also needed because of the "potentially broad-spanning nature" of the schemes described by the FBI. Haney, along with Supervisors Gordon Mar and Dean Preston, said he will begin initiating the hiring of an independent special investigator to look into the city departments implicated in the FBI's investigation, including the San Francisco International Airport Commission and the Transbay Joint Powers Authority. "I find the brazen corruption that is coming to light to be shocking, to be a betrayal of public trust," Preston said. "As the Board of Supervisors, as the legislative branch of government, we cannot simply sit back and allow the executive branch and its member investigate themselves, and so we will be doing everything that we can to make sure that there is an independent investigation and accountability and transparency," he said. Breed's office reiterated on Thursday that the investigation by the City Attorney and Controller would be an independent one, as both are independent entities. Once their investigation is finished, they will make recommendations for reforms to ensure the highest standard of integrity, her office said. FBI agents arrested Nuru, 58, and Lefty O'Doul's restaurant owner Nick Bovis, 57, on Monday. Both have each been charged with one count of honest services wire fraud. In their complaint, federal prosecutors allege both Nuru and Bovis conspired to attempt to bribe an airport commissioner with $5,000 cash in 2018 for help in obtaining a restaurant concession, although that scheme never came to fruition. In addition to his calls for an independent investigation, Haney also expressed frustration over dirty streets in his district, which he said is an extension of the alleged corruption happening within DPW. "It's led to a department that has blatantly failed to keep our streets clean and has been ineffective in delivering city services. It is a massive national embarrassment, the state of our streets, and this is the department that was responsible for that. And instead of focusing on that as his sole responsibility, the director was focused on packing envelopes with hundred dollar bills." Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Photo: Just above Nicolas Kanellos desk in the Houston offices of Arte Publico Press hangs a striking piece of black-and-white art India ink on rice paper that depicts a wake after the death of a child. The numerous characters in El velorio are presented with exaggerated physical features and varied expressions of grief. The action in the piece looks a little like a William Hogarth woodcut from the 1700s. But Kanellos says artist Jorge Soto Sanchez a New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent who died in 1987 looked not to Europe but rather to a 19th-century African artist for inspiration. I keep finding new stuff in it all the time, Kanellos says. Kanellos views literature similarly: He looks for stories rich with detail, written by Latino artists with a perspective unique to their experience. Thats what prompted him four decades ago to start Arte Publico, which has published hundreds of books by scores of authors while also digitizing and offering publicly forgotten archival periodicals and other cultural documents. The press doesnt routinely fling bestsellers into bookstores. But its dedication to preserving literature and culture has been remarkable in piecing together a written history that has been marginalized and left out of the mainstream publishing industry. Its work is described as vital and necessary by Nicole A. Johnson, executive director of the organization We Need Diverse Books. Novelist Daniel Pena says, I think theyre doing the most important work in the world: Theyre the only press that really acknowledges the human endeavor that is Mexican American literature. Arte Publico occupies an office on the outskirts of the University of Houston campus. Inside the building nestled among warehouses, Soto Sanchezs work isnt an aberration but rather part of wall-to-wall decor paintings, posters, woodcuts and also piles of bright books that displays a broad history of the Americas. Arte Publico starts its 41st year resiliently ignoring trends defined by commerce. Instead, the publisher offers a platform to authors whose works dont receive attention by the publishing epicenter in New York. Which means Arte Publico quietly exists during what may become a defining flashpoint for diversity in books. Weeks into the new year, a combative debate caught fire about Latino representation and literature. Last week, author Jeanine Cummins book tour, including two Houston stops, was canceled after her potboiler about a woman and her son fleeing a drug cartel in Mexico, American Dirt, drew widespread praise and then scathing critiques for charges ranging from cultural appropriation to cultural miscues there is no place for sour cream on street tacos. Before that books reception transitioned from rapturous to negative, Kanellos treated American Dirt with a level-headed assessment. Rather than criticize it, he deflected attention to Penas 2018 novel Bang! not just as an alternative to American Dirt for readers but as an alternative publishing experience. Pena says his agent wanted me to shape the book for the New York market. But I didnt want it to become a thriller. I didnt want a Disney fairy-tale situation. He fired his agent and sold the book a story about the drug trade and American involvement in it directly to Arte Publico. It was the only press that would honor the vision of the book and take it on in its totality, he says. The restaurant in Jersey City, N.J., where Kanellos father worked shared a building with a bindery. Workers there would sometimes trade books for a meal. Kanellos remembers getting copies of books by John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and Somerset Maugham. When he finally made his way to the public library, around age 10, the librarian asked about his reading preferences. He told her he liked Steinbeck. She said, No, no, too old for you. So she gave me a copy of Black Beauty.' He laughs. But I still have those old books, he says. Theyre treasure. In 1973, he co-founded Revista Chicano-Riquena, a quarterly publication out of Gary, Ind. Kanellos, then 28, says publishing was a natural activity that sprang from working with various marches and boycotts in the civil rights era. In 1979, he pivoted toward book publishing. Arte Publicos name reflected its roots: It sprang from the idea of street art and other forms of creativity that were publicly shared. Arte Publico soon found a groove, publishing Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street in 1983. Victor Villasenors Rain of Gold Arte Publicos first hardcover became a national bestseller nearly a decade later. At the time, the reception from the publishing industry remained chilly. Kanellos today shrugs and expresses bemusement at a decades-old Wall Street Journal story about the mediocrity of a new internationally flavored wave of fiction. It wasnt so great, but they mentioned our books, and people went and looked for our books, he says. Kanellos has always looked for untold stories in the margins of the industry and culture. The slush pile incoming manuscripts without representation by a literary agent has long been a point of ridicule in book publishing. Arte Publico still looks through each of the more than 2,000 submissions it receives annually for some flash of greatness. They publish 25 to 30 titles each year. One of those this year is Wishbone, a young-adult novel by Anna Garcia Schaper, set partially in Houston, her hometown. That one came across the transom, Kanellos says, a gem found by an editor in the flow of submissions. The publisher has aggressively worked in the childrens market, both picture books and young-adult titles, many of which appear in formats that have both English and Spanish versions. Kanellos says the rationale isnt complex: They hope todays picture-book readers will be tomorrows novel readers. There has been an awakening to see different representation in books for kids, says Johnson, of We Need Diverse Books. You have kids looking for books with characters that look like them. But children that grow up with this more diverse reading portfolio in their back pocket right now grow up and go, What? What happened? Why arent you giving me something else?' Arte Publico, it should be noted, is not just a book publisher. Its dedication to preservation of Latino writing extends far beyond new writers looking to tell stories. Mainstream book publishing operates as a business first, with its archival efforts largely driven by financial concerns. Large publishers keep the canon in print not for the sake of culture but because it sells. When shelf space becomes cost prohibitive, titles fall out of print. But Kanellos early on dedicated a portion of his resources to documenting and preserving all storytelling traditions in Spanish-language nations. Not just literature, he says. Cookbooks, correspondence, memoirs. A lot of this material hasnt been saved or made available in the past. This isnt Franklin or Thoreau. Arte Publicos recovery program digitizes and makes available texts that would otherwise be lost or buried in archives. Kanellos says Arte Publico has requested books from the Library of Congress and archives at Harvard and Yale universities. It will request books so rare only one or two copies existto be scanned and archived. We get signed copies from the 18th century, he says. This is something people dont talk about a lot. What they call post-custodial work. But were doing the post-custodial work. As a phrase, post-custodial doesnt have much shine to it certainly not the ring of bestseller or Oprahs Book Club. But it does present publishing as a cultural calling, rather than a book-selling gamble. The issue with American Dirt is more complicated than its author receiving a large sum of money for a thriller. Sandra Cisneros was among those who praised it as the great novel of las Americas. But Huffington Postss David J. Schmidt pointed out similarities between a scene in the book and one in By the Lake of Sleeping Children, a reported book by Luis Alberto Urrea. Writers who feel they have a deeper cultural connection to the sort of story presented in American Dirt dont feel they have the opportunity to tell those stories because the industry infrastructure doesnt see them. I had a conversation with another writer, and we wondered how much of the Latino canon was dictated to us by people in New York, Pena says. We wondered, what is the shadow canon? What are we not reading because were not told to by people in New York? Thats the greatness of Arte Publico, as a publisher and also its recovery project. Johnson says the Cooperative Childrens Book Center surveyed publishers and found far less than 10 percent of titles were written by Latinx writers. The cultural demographics are changing, and some publishers have adapted to that better than others, she says. But do you know who always got it right? Arte Publico and a few other publishers who saw these trends that were coming, and theyve seen it since the 70s. So Kanellos and his staff roughly a dozen have tried to create a platform removed from cycles and trends, though some themes persistently endure. On a back wall at Arte Publico hangs another piece of art, this one by Malaquias Montoya. The image was used as the cover for The Adventures of Don Chipote, or, When Parrots Breast-Feed, a satire written by Daniel Venegas that Arte Publico published in Spanish in 1998 and in English in 2000. It represents what the publisher does so well because the book is one of its recovery stories. Venegas novel was originally published in 1928, telling the story of a struggling immigrant nearly a century ago in Los Angeles. Its the kind of book that time would typically relegate to the margins, Kanellos says. But one of the things we can do is give writers a voice who cant find another place to publish. And to bring these stories back from the margins. andrew.dansby@chron.com Published on 2020/01/30 | Source Webtoons will keep trending this year. Webtoons have been favored by many producers in that they have already been verified in terms of their workability and popularity, and have a solid existing hardcore fanbase. Advertisement The first webtoon drama this year is the jTBC drama "Itaewon Class" starting on the 31st. "Itaewon Class" has recorded the highest number of paid sales and a cumulative lookup of 220,000 views among Daum webtoons. The cast includes Park Seo-joon and Yoo Jae-myung, and it means a lot, as it is the drama debut for Kim Da-mi, who rose to stardom with "The Witch : Part 1. The Subversion". PD Kim Seong-yoon, whose credibility has been acknowledged for his work on "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" and "Discovery of Romance", takes a hold of the production, and original writer Kwang Jin takes up the screenplay. The drama version of the webtoon "Mystic Pop-Up Bar", which has a ten out of ten reviews, is also coming to viewers on jTBC. "Mystic Pop-Up Bar" is a fantasy tale that tells the various stories that occur in a mysterious street pub late at night. The formation hasn't been made yet, but it is due in the early half of the year. Korean heroic drama "Rugal" begins in March on OCN. "Rugal" is a special organization that gathers human weapons who gained special abilities through bioengineering technology, and fights Argos, the largest terrorist group in Korea. The drama stars Choi Jin-hyuk and Park Sung-woong. The webtoon "Rugal", which gained popularity with a rating of 8.6, is expected to be reborn as an original OCN series, which has secured a fanatic class by showcasing various genres. Popular Naver thriller webtoon "Sweet Home" will be recreated into a Netflix original. "Sweet Home" tells the bizarre and shocking story of Hyeon-soo, a reclusive high school student who loses his family and moves to a new apartment, only to experience shocking things. It's helmed by PD Lee Eung-bok and stars Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook and Lee Si-young. In particular, Studio N, a webtoon subsidiary of Naver, participated in the production besides Netflix, which is expected to synchronize with the original. Studio N, which supports the video adaptation of original webtoons and web novels, was successful in recreating "Strangers from Hell" and "Pegasus Market" into webtoon dramas. Fantasy romantic drama "Meow, the Secret Boy", about a cat who turns into a human man and a dog-like human woman, is released on KBS 2TV in March. Based on the popular webtoon of the same name, which was serialized between 2009 and 2010, it stars Kim Myung-soo and Shin Ye-eun. Daum webtoon "The Death Note", which has a review of 9.9 is also coming out on KBS. It is a thriller about a hero who backtracks on a case after he loses his spouse and is suspected of being a murderer. "Memorist", a webtoon original which tells the story of a detective who 'reads' memories coming across a series of mysterious murders, is coming to tvN this March. It stars Yoo Seung-ho and Lee Se-young. "Amanza", the story of a young man who is diagnosed with cancer at the age of 26, will be made into a digital short form drama by Kakao M, a subsidiary of Kakao. Ji Soo and Lee Seol have confirmed roles in it. "Backstreet Rookie", which has 57 million views and 40 million subscriptions despite the fact that it's a paid webtoon, made headlines because global cable channel Lifetime is investing in it. "Backstreet Rookie" is about a young woman named Jeong Saet-byeol coming to work at Choi Dae-hyeon's convenience store. It is PD Lee Myeong-woo's first drama since he left SBS and stars Ji Chang-wook and Kim Yoo-jung. As such, there are four original webtoon dramas that were finalized in the first quarter of the year. According to the Webtoon Guide data, the number of webtoons in Korea surpassed 11,376 last year. The figure more than tripled from five years ago. The size of the market has also increased significantly to around 1 trillion won, as the number of works has increased. In response, Studio N and Kakao M, as well as Lezhin Studio are producing webtoons as dramas and movies. With various and novel works pouring in, the video adapation of webtoons is becoming an inevitable process. "In the case of webtoons and web novels, there are many new and fresh materials, as well as works that blend trends and lifestyles of the 10s and 20s generations, which are attractive for visualization with dramas and video", a Kakao M source said. "Webtoons with stories and images are good material to visualize and has the advantage of receiving the power early by word-of-mouth from existing fandom", said Ha Jae-geun, a cultural critic at YTN Star. "If the reconstruction of the original works does not satisfy fans, the fandom could turn against us". He also added that "Some webtoons have difficulties in being successful because they are not compatible with the universal sensibility of the public in terms of expression". Culture critic Kim Hun-sik also explained, "If we don't produce webtoons based on the fact that webtoon consumption, and drama and video consumption are different, we can face a strong backlash", adding, "When we are filming webtoons, we should try to satisfy both those who have already seen the webtoons and those who have seen content in video". As such, it is clear that webtoons are reborn as dramas. Let's hope that the original webtoon dramas that come in 2020 can be remembered as brilliant works among viewers. At 11pm GMT, the UK will leave the European Union (EU) after 47 years of membership. The departure comes three-and-a-half years after the 2016 referendum on EU membership that produced a narrow 52-48 percent vote in favour of leaving. The referendum on Brexit was called by then-Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to sideline the Eurosceptic faction of this party and placate a support base he feared would otherwise desert to the UK Independence Party (UKIP). His calculation that the backing of all three main parliamentary parties, the trade unions, the banks and financial sector, the EU states and US President Obama would result in a Remain vote backfired, producing instead a Leave vote in part animated by inchoate hostility to the Westminster elite and the establishment. Since 2016, there have been countless efforts to either delay Brexit or reverse it. Yet Brexit is now a reality. However politically confused the popular sentiment for Brexit was, its promotion by leading factions of the ruling class is the product of the huge escalation of inter-imperialist antagonisms produced by the global crisis of the capitalist system which produced two world wars in the twentieth century. The Remain and Leave wings of the British bourgeoisie had opposing strategies on how to respond to the inexorable drift towards trade war between the major powers. Both factions are equally reactionary. The Remain faction wanted to preserve Britains global position within the EU trading bloc and its massive single market. The Leave forces viewed the EU as an impediment to the UKs pursuing a global trade and investment policy as a totally deregulated base for financial speculation, centred on a strengthened alliance with the US and directed against Germany and France in particular. Brexit is therefore a product of global economic and social contradictions produced by capitalism. This was underscored within months of the referendum vote by the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election, standing on his own nationalist America First agenda. Trump embraced Brexit as a weapon to encourage the breakup of an EU he denounced as a competitor, not an ally, and as a cartel run in the interests of Germany. Brexit has confirmed Trotskys insistence on the impossibility of harmoniously unifying the European continent under capitalism. It is the most advanced expression of an escalating breakdown of the EU, under the pressure of mounting centrifugal forces that are intensifying conflicts not only with the US but between the European states. Moreover, the nationalist tensions expressed by Brexit and the scramble for control of global markets and resources are leading to an eruption of imperialist militarism, directed above all at Russia and China, that threatens to plunge the entire world into war. The working class is being made to pay for trade war and military rearmament through stepped-up austerity, as the British ruling elite and its rivals seek to remain globally competitive through a relentless assault on jobs and wages and the destruction of essential social services. The real economic and social agenda of Brexit is epitomised by the Johnson governments stated aims of completing the Thatcher revolution and refashioning London as Singapore-on-the-Thames. This class war offensive demands a crackdown on democratic rights and civil liberties that is seeing democratic rule give way to police state methods. The governments Operation Yellowhammer, involving the deployment of tens of thousands of troops and riot police in the event of a no deal Brexit, are in reality plans to deal with the social conflict that is the inevitable product of the continued impoverishment of working people. Legislation is already planned that will ban all-out strikes, first in the transport sector and then throughout all services and industries deemed to be essential. At the same time the government has added numerous peaceful protest groups and left-wing parties to its Prevent strategy and intends to do the same regarding antiterror legislation. The responsibility for the grave dangers now facing the working class rests above all with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his cheerleaders in Britains pseudo-left and Stalinist tendencies. For four years, Corbyn used his popular support as a declared opponent of austerity and imperialism to suppress the class struggle and any challenge to British imperialism. He took his place alongside Cameron in the Remain campaign, claiming that the EU, though imperfect, could be reformed in the interests of workers. This apologia was an attempt to counter the widespread opposition to the EU produced by its imposition of devastating austerity programmes against workers in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other countries, and its Fortress Europe policy of brutal anti-migrant measures that has led to the deaths of thousands in the Mediterranean and the erection of razor wire fences and de facto concentration camps throughout the continent. In this, Corbyn played the same role as Syriza in Greece, which promised to oppose EU-dictated austerity but implemented worse attacks than the previous New Democracy government, and policed refugee detention camps and expulsions. The most reactionary role of all was played by the advocates of a Left Leave or Lexit, the Socialist Workers Party, the Socialist Party and the Stalinist Communist Party. They opposed the EU based on an espousal of economic nationalism centred on the claim that, following Brexit, Corbyn would be supposedly able to implement a British road to socialism. This policy politically subordinated the working class to the most reactionary elements within the ruling elite who led the official Leave campaign. It found its most degraded expression when the most prominent Left Leave spokesman, George Galloway, mounted a platform alongside UKIP leader Nigel Farage and various right-wing Tories, proclaiming, Left, right, left, right! Forward march together. Galloway has now established his Workers Party of Britain, which positively embraces Britains withdrawal from the EU and demands anti-immigration measures. Predicting a patriotic surge, he threatens that anyone on the left who is seen as anti-national and anti-British who cannot stomach their own flag and their own nation and its culture and tradition and history, will themselves be history." The net result of the policies of Corbyn and the pseudo-left has been to foster dangerous divisions that disarm workers who now face a bitter struggle against the entire ruling elite. Only the Socialist Equality Party advanced a genuinely independent programme for the working class, based on a principled struggle for socialist internationalism. The SEP called for an active boycott of the Brexit referendum in opposition to all attempts to dragoon the working class behind one or other of the reactionary camps of the bourgeoisie. Our perspective was based upon the independent political mobilisation of the working class across Europe. Our statement said: The SEP is irreconcilably hostile to the European Union. But our opposition is from the left, not the right. We explained: The first consideration of socialists is to safeguard not only the present interests of the working class, but also its future. The biggest political danger in this situation is the mixing of class banners on the basis of the espousal of a supposedly left nationalism. The SEP conceives of an active boycott not as an individual protest, but as a means of beginning the political clarification of the working class and countering the disorientation created by the Labour and trade union bureaucracy and its pseudo-left apologists Against the national chauvinism and xenophobia promoted by both sides in the referendum campaign, the working class must advance its own internationalist programme to unify the struggles of workers throughout Europe in defence of living standards and democratic rights. The alternative for workers to the Europe of the transnational corporations is the struggle for the United Socialist States of Europe. The objective basis for realising this perspective is now emerging in the form of a global eruption of strikes and mass protests encompassing millionsin India, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, the United States, Algeria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Kenya, South Africa and India, epitomised in Europe by the Yellow Vests and public sector strikes against Macron in France. Protesters demonstrate in Rennes, western France, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 [Credit: AP Photo/David Vincent] Rupert Murdochs Sun newspaper stressed its hope that Brexit will prevent the spread of the class struggle across the Channel. It was supposed to be Britain that collapsed into chaos, while our continental neighbours basked in the stability allegedly afforded by European Union membership. Instead civil strife in France, including the sheer level of violence and fury now being directed at its political establishment and at the police who enforce their will, is in danger of spiralling out of control. The Sun is engaged in wishful thinking. Social tensions are at breaking point. The attacks planned against workers and young people will inevitably lead to an eruption of class struggle in Britain, as a component part of what the World Socialist Web Site predicted would be a decade of intensifying class struggle and world socialist revolution. The fate of the working class depends upon its international unification against the common class enemy, under the leadership of the International Committee of the Fourth International. Together with our sister parties, the SEP will provide the necessary leadership for the revolutionary struggles now on the agenda, forging a unified movement of the European and world working class for socialism. Helen Mirren has slammed the lack of race and gender diversity among nominees at this Sundays Bafta Awards, writes BAZ BAMIGBOYE Helen Mirren has slammed the lack of race and gender diversity among nominees at this Sundays Bafta Awards. Not a single non-white actor has been nominated for top acting honours and no women were represented in the directing category. The star, who has shelves of trophies celebrating her performances in The Queen and Prime Suspect (to name but two of her many credits) told me she loved the fact that people have called out Bafta for its slate of nominations. People should be impatient, she said, and they should keep demanding change. It will come, incrementally, but it will only come if people demand it. And keep demanding it. Mirren added: Put your banner up for more roles for women more roles for black women, especially and more women directors. Keep demanding change. Its good to be impatient. She and I were chatting after it emerged that British actress Cynthia Erivo had been ignored by Bafta voters for her portrait of American icon Harriet Tubman in the film Harriet. The Bafta leadership was embarrassed later when Erivo received two Academy Award nominations for best actress and for the song (Stand Up) she co-wrote for the film. Mirren and I wondered whether the Bafta omission had something to do with the apparent absence of an awards campaign for Harriet in the UK, whereas the one for her in America was omnipresent. The star, who has shelves of trophies celebrating her performances in The Queen and Prime Suspect (to name but two of her many credits) told me she loved the fact that people have called out Bafta for its slate of nominations, writes BAZ BAMIGBOYE Even so, theres a deplorable lack of outreach at Bafta, and theyve been slow in bringing disparate communities together. However, Mirren cautioned against gender and race communities being patronised. I dont think any director or actor would want to be nominated because of the colour of their skin, or because of their gender, she said. Its about the work, and there should be more of it. Mirren mentioned in passing and not as criticism that years ago at a Bafta ceremony, Sam Mendes made a wonderful speech and paid tribute to all the directors whod inspired him . . . and they were all men. Mirren and I wondered whether the Bafta omission had something to do with the apparent absence of an awards campaign for Harriet in the UK, whereas the one for her in America was omnipresent, writes BAZ BAMIGBOYE Later, at the same event, Mirren said she hoped that in the future, there would be a womans name on that list of influential filmmakers. If he was to make that speech again, I suspect he would put a womans name on it. We were speaking in her trailer during a break from shooting director Roger Michell and producer Nicky Benthams picture The Duke, in which she appears alongside Jim Broadbent. The Pathe Film production, based on the real story of the theft of Francisco Goyas painting of the Duke of Wellington, has been filming in Bradford, Leeds and London. The important thing is for other women and people of every race to have role models. Without the role model you just dont think its possible but at least go for it. Have a go, she said, while acknowledging that the movie-making business is monstrously competitive. She also observed that she has a couple of black English friends who left the UK for the U.S. to find better opportunities, because there is often a shameful lack of work here. Thats something that Erivo felt compelled to do. Her career has thrived since she moved to America. Watch out for... Tom Bateman who, as this column revealed last October, will play tragic Roman commander Coriolanus in director Robert Hasties production of Shakespeares play at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, from March 6. Stella Gonet plays his mother Volumnia, Hermon Berhane his wife Virgilia and Theo Ogundipe his foe, Aufidius. Alex Young plays Brutus and Remmie Milner has been signed to play Sicinius, one of the plotters working to undercut the vain soldier-statesman. Malcolm Sinclair, Katy Stephens and Ben Wiggins are also in the company. Emma Rice, who will take her musical adaptation of Enid Blytons Malory Towers on another term of tours. The acclaimed Ms Rice joins producer David Pugh on the UK tour which will start at the Theatre By The Lake in Keswick on March 27 and end at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on the Southbank, with larks and adventures from July 27 to August 31. Tom Stoppard, whose new play Leopoldstadt is in previews at Wyndhams. I saw it on Wednesday and will never forget it. Its the playwrights masterwork. Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter with Toby Jones is another unmissable production. A powerhouse modern counterpoint to those plays is Jamie Lloyds Cyrano de Bergerac, with James McAvoy, at The Playhouse. Chris Hemsworth is known for his ripped physique and love of all things health-related. And on Friday the star showed it takes more than pumping iron to maintain his buff body. The 36-year-old proved the old saying 'you are what you eat' when he stopped by Santos Organics store in Byron Bay to stock up on healthy food. You are what you eat! Chris Hemsworth (pictured) showed off his bulging biceps as he stocked up on some healthy foods at the Organics store in Byron Bay on Friday The Thor star browsed around the store, showing off his bulging biceps in a grey tank top from Emery Surfboards. He also wore a pair of navy board shorts which flaunted his taut calf muscles with every step he took. Chris finished the casual look off with a pair of dark aviator shades. Blending in: Chris casually browsed around Santos Organics store in down town Byron Bay Ripped: The Thor star showed off his bulging biceps and taut calf muscles as he browsed the store in a tank top and board shorts Ditching his normal bare-foot look, Chris walked around the main street of Byron in a pair of thongs. The heartthrob also had a smattering of day-old stubble across his face, giving an edge to his classically handsome good looks. After shopping, Chris was seen walking out of the store carrying a cardboard box filled with assorted paper bags. Shopping haul: Chris emerged from the store carrying a cardboard box filled with assorted paper bags Sexy: The heartthrob also had a smattering of day-old stubble across his face, giving an edge to his classically handsome good looks Thongs; The star abandoned his usual barefoot look and wore a pair of thongs as he walked around town Chris and his wife Elsa Pataky moved to Byron Bay with their young family in 2014, after living for several years in LA. In June, the father-of-three told OK! magazine the ea change had been a 'good decision' overall for his family. 'There I can be with people and talk about things that have nothing to do with the film business,' Chris said. 'That's almost impossible in Los Angeles, where there's rarely a moment when you can forget that you're an actor.' He added: 'Living in Australia allows me to be away from a world where you can lose touch with reality sometimes.' To the Editor: Re Mask Hoarders May Raise the Risk of the Virus Spreading in the U.S. (news article, Jan. 30): Your coverage of coronavirus reflects a real concern as well as an overreaction in the West to this outbreak. When I walk through our Phoenix hospitals emergency department, Im reminded of the global outbreak we really should be worried about: influenza. We are at a high point in the flu season, with 15 million cases, 140,000 hospitalizations, and 8,200 deaths in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day dozens of people with flu symptoms come through our emergency department. Coronavirus is a serious disease, and we must be vigilant in monitoring its spread while working to find solutions. But at this writing, there have been only a handful of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in this country, mostly in recent travelers to Wuhan, China. Rather than rushing out to buy masks and fretting over the unlikely chance of contracting the coronavirus, Americans should get their flu shots, and wash their hands often to avoid the flu. Michael D. White Phoenix The writer is chief medical officer at Valleywise Health. To the Editor: While it is far too early to make concrete predictions about the lethality of the coronavirus that is now spreading around the globe, the media has overlooked one critical risk factor that is present in China: high levels of PM 2.5 in the air. PM 2.5 refers to particles of pollution that are small enough to pass through the lung and enter the bloodstream, causing damage to the immune system as well as other organ systems, such as the lungs. Radical Hindus storm house church, beat pastor, force him to sit before false gods Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Hundreds of radical Hindu nationalists attacked a house church in Indias Haryana state and kidnapped the pastor, forcing him to sit before idols before leaving him badly injured. Morning Star News reports that earlier this month, a mob of some 250 to 300 radicals surrounded a small house church led by Pastor Jai Singh in Bichpari village, located about an hour north of Delhi, in Indias Haryana state. About 30 assailants broke into the church and attacked Pastor Singh and the other Christians gathered for worship. They pushed me to the floor and I could not understand who was kicking me, who was slapping or beating on my back, Singh told the outlet. As a huge crowd surrounded me, I could only see their hands and shoes kicking me. They picked me up from the floor and took me inside [the] home and told me that I should go with them, if not they would kill me there on the spot. The assailants took Singh to a school where he was forced to sit before idols and was further beaten with wooden sticks. Later that day, he was taken to the Gohana police station where he was severely bruised and howling in pain. Police took him to the hospital, but when he returned to the station he had been falsely accused of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity. The next day, on Jan. 6, Singh was presented before a judge and sent to judicial custody. Unknown persons in plainclothes were driving me to the court and then to the jail, he recalled. At first I suspected that they must not be a police officer as the persons were not in uniform. The journey from court to jail was torturous, as this person in plainclothes abused in vulgar Haryanvi language. He abused my family members, including my wife and children. I kept quiet and said in my heart, Oh Lord, if it is in Your will, then let it be, but give me strength to endure this. I am weak. I need you. Thanks to the intervention of the Alliance Defending Freedom-India, Singh was released on bail on Jan. 7. According to ADF-India, more than 300 cases of mob violence against Indias Christian community were documented in 2019, yet police prosecuted the perpetrators in only 40 cases. The group claims police often work in tandem with Hindu extremists to harass and persecute religious minorities. It has become a trend that a batch of Hindu extremists barge inside Christian homes and accuse them of proselytizing Hindus to Christianity, Dinanath Jaiswar, a volunteer with ADF-India, explained to Morning Star News. When Christians deny the accusations and restrain them from disrupting the prayers, they (the extremists) use the police to take the Christians into custody. India is ranked 10th on Open Doors 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian. Since the current ruling party took power in 2014, incidents against Christians have increased, and Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences, notes Open Doors. The view of the Hindu nationalists is that to be Indian is to be Hindu, so any other faithincluding Christianityis viewed as non-Indian. Also, converts to Christianity from Hindu backgrounds or tribal religions are often extremely persecuted by their family members and communities. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedoms 2019 report warned that religious freedom conditions in India continued a downward trend. The commission warned against the growth of exclusionary extremist narratives that facilitate campaigns of violence, intimidation and harassment against non-Hindu minorities and lower-caste minorities from both public and private actors. Mike Pompeos appearance alongside Dominic Raab at an event in London was meant to show solidarity between Britain and America. Instead, it highlighted the very pronounced and public cracks in the special relationship on a number of key issues. Washington has repeatedly warned that intelligence-sharing with London will be jeopardised if the Chinese company Huawei has access to the UKs 5G mobile network. Intense and sustained lobbying by the US administration failed to prevent the UK government continuing to allow it, however. Pompeo said there will be work between the two countries to get this right, but he also reiterated the American position that having the Chinese multinational in the network is very difficult to mitigate. Union MoS for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy on Friday said that there should be a debate on how convicts of heinous crimes in India exploit the judicial process to delay their execution, in order to make way for the required reforms. "There is a need to debate on how convicts of heinous crimes are delaying the death penalty by exploiting judicial processes," the minister said, without mentioning any specific case. He added that the government was concerned about the issue. On January 23, in the context of the case of UP couple on death row, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde too has said that death row convicts could not go endlessly filing petitions, and underlined that the SC should focus not only on rights of the accused but those of the victims as well. The junior Home Minister's remarks came on a day when a Delhi court stayed the execution of Nirbhaya gangrape and murder convicts till further orders. The execution was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1, after it was deferred from the initial date of January 22 due to a mercy plea filed by Mukesh Singh. Notably, the Supreme Court had confirmed the death sentence of the four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- on May 5, 2017 underlining that crime fell in the category of the "rarest of the rare" and the offence had created a "tsunami of shock". Ever since, the convicts have filed a series of review petitions in the apex court and recently mercy pleas with the President of India to commute their death sentence. During the hearing of the case on Friday, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said that convict Mukesh has no legal remedies available and his death sentence should be executed. Advocate AP Singh, appearing on behalf of the convicts, submitted that some legal remedies are still available for the convicts adding that Mukesh has been sincerely pursuing all legal remedies without delay. On the other hand, Ahmad argued that the application moved by Vinay and Akshay is non-maintainable as per the Delhi Prison Rules but said that the execution of Vinay can be postponed. Recently, Vinay Sharma had filed a mercy petition in the matter. Advocate Seema Kushwaha, representing the victim's side, said that the convicts herein are adopting delay tactics to thwart the speed of justice. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Almost half of the renters in US spend more than 30 percent of income on housing, report shows, part of a global trend. A growing number of people in the United States cannot afford to pay their rent as rental property prices hit a record high, researchers said on Friday, amid an outcry over rising evictions and homelessness. The number of US households living in rentals also surged to 43.7 million in 2018 up 21 percent from 2004 a study by Harvard University found, as a growing share of older, larger families can no longer afford to buy their own homes. This is like nothing that weve seen, said Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, the studys lead author, pointing to the rising number of households who are cost-burdened or spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Some 21 million US renters are cost-burdened, according to the report accounting for almost half of all renters in both urban and rural areas across the country, with minorities disproportionately affected. When we talk about cost burden, this could be the new normal, Airgood-Obrycki, a researcher with Harvard Universitys Joint Center for Housing Studies, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The problem of unaffordable rental housing is a global one, according to World Bank, which found that the only affordable rentals in most fast-growing developing countries were insecure, in the informal sector and with poor living conditions. A growing burden About 65 percent of the US population are homeowners, according to federal statistics, with most of the rest in rentals. Since the 2008 recession, caused in part by a wave of homeowners unable to repay their mortgages, the number of cost-burdened renters has risen by 2.8 million, according to Apartment List, an online rental platform. These people are forced to make difficult tradeoffs. You might cut back on healthcare to pay for rent, or you might miss a rent payment, which could trigger eviction or homelessness, Airgood-Obrycki said. High-income renters have flooded the US market, having either lost their homes or unable to afford to buy, leading to higher rents, the lowest vacancy rates since the mid-1980s and a spurt of rental construction tailored to them. Households earning at least $75,000 per year accounted for three-quarters of the growth in renters since 2010 up by 3.2 million the Harvard study found. In turn, the property prices for rental apartments have reached record highs, rising 150 percent between 2010 and late 2019. Low-income groups at greatest risk In the past decade, the lowest-income renters have seen a loss of more than 2 million apartments affordable to them and experienced increased evictions, said Diane Yentel, chief executive of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The report makes clear that the housing crisis is most acute for the lowest-income renters, particularly low-income black and Latino renters, she said in emailed comments. Millions of poor people who are eligible for housing subsidies have not received help as federal rental assistance programmes have grown by only about 1.5 percent annually in recent years, the Harvard report said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 10:23:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HONG KONG, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The total number of novel coronavirus infection cases confirmed in Hong Kong has risen to 12, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's Department of Health (DH) announced in a press release on Friday. The DH's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) is investigating two additional cases of novel coronavirus infection. The first additional case involves a 37-year-old woman residing in Yau Ma Tei area who is the daughter of a couple previously confirmed as Hong Kong's ninth and tenth novel coronavirus infection cases. She developed cough on Tuesday and was sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Thursday. She has been admitted to the hospital for isolation and management, and is in a stable condition. Her respiratory sample was tested positive for novel coronavirus. According to the information the patient provided, she stayed at W Hong Kong hotel with her parents from Jan. 22 to 28 and then visited The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong along with her parents. She returned home after accompanying her parents to Queen Mary Hospital on Tuesday. Preliminary investigations revealed that she neither visited any wet market or seafood market, nor had any exposure to wild animals or poultry during the incubation period. The second case involves a 75-year-old man residing in Tsing Yi area. He developed cough and shortness of breath on Jan. 22 and sought treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital on Jan. 24. His respiratory sample was tested positive for novel coronavirus on Thursday under enhanced laboratory surveillance. He is now in a stable condition and being treated in isolation at Princess Margaret Hospital. According to the patient's information, he visited Shunde in Guangdong Province from Dec. 30 to Jan. 7 and sought treatment at a clinic there. He took day trips to Macao from Jan. 10 to 14. His wife, daughter and son are asymptomatic and will be transferred to Lady MacLehose Holiday Village for quarantine. The CHP is continuing its epidemiological investigations and relevant contact tracing. It is also closely monitoring a number of overseas cases and conducting related contact tracing. The CHP has set up a hotline to answer public enquiries and collect contact tracing information concerning the cases. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, a total of 1,663 calls were received. Chinese health authorities announced Friday that 9,692 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Thursday. A total of 213 people have died of the disease. China is confident in and capable of effectively containing the novel coronavirus epidemic, and eventually defeating it, the National Health Commission said in a statement Friday. Video PlayerClose Feng Zijian (C), deputy head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Wu Hao (R), head of the Fangzhuang community health service center in Beijing, attend a press conference held by the National Health Commission in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 29, 2020. The general public should reach a consensus that early identification, reporting, isolation, diagnosis and treatment is the best and most effective way to contain the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, Wu Hao said in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei] BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) The general public should reach a consensus that early identification, reporting, isolation, diagnosis and treatment is the best and most effective way to contain the pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus, a health official said in Beijing on Wednesday. With intensive media coverage of the situation, the public has been aware of the urgency of curbing the outbreak, but efforts are still needed to mobilize the whole society to conduct health management in communities, Wu Hao, head of the Fangzhuang community health service center in Beijing, said at a press conference held by the National Health Commission. "Such comprehensive prevention and control measures are the best and most effective way to prevent the virus from further spreading and ultimately contain the outbreak," Wu said. The official also introduced practices of joint prevention work, saying local governments have promoted multiple measures to help residents recognize that the temporary inconvenience to their daily lives is for the good of them and their families and cooperating is their social responsibility. Information technologies have been used in community-level health consulting, monitoring, and epidemic prevention, and online psychological consultants are also available to help ease anxiety amid the virus outbreak, according to Wu. In many neighborhoods in Beijing, family doctors have teamed up with neighborhood committees to better manage the health of residents, and family doctors have launched effective checks of suspected patients to avoid unnecessary visits to hospitals, said Wu. In Fengtai district, a family doctor mobile application is providing health information and sending messages to residents' mobile phones. All these measures have helped residents recognize that isolation and medical observation at home are necessary parts of epidemic prevention and control, Wu said. "But the isolation measures have never blocked our communications," he said. (Source: Xinhua) Amid their decision to step away from their lives as working members of the British Royal Family, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry have been able to take the reigns of their lives back. Though the pair initially hoped to split their time between North America and the U.K. as part-time royals Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles deemed that an impossibility. Instead, the Sussexes will press forward as financially independent private citizens who no longer work for the queen. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are grateful to Her Majesty and the Royal Family for their ongoing support as they embark on the next chapter of their lives, Buckingham Palace said in a statement. As agreed in this new arrangement, they understand that they are required to step back from Royal duties, including official military appointments. They will no longer receive public funds for Royal duties. With The Queens blessing, the Sussexes will continue to maintain their private patronages and associations. While they can no longer formally represent The Queen, the Sussexes have made clear that everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty. Now that their lives are their own (despite their celebrity and global fame) the duke and the duchess are trying to determine whats next. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are looking for ways to make money Though they have a combined net worth of $30 million $3 million of which will be paid back to the British public for the renovation of their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes will need to figure out how to become truly financially independent. The pair have already made strides to protect their brand name by trademarking Sussex Royal which experts say could be worth billions of dollars in the long run. We could easily compare them to any former presidents, Royal commentator and author Kristen Meinzer explained to Business Insider. My mind keeps going to Barack and Michelle Obama and how [they] make money. The reason I compare the two is that theyre already friends with each other and I would put them on the same level in terms of fame. Meghan Markle is actively looking for an agent and manager Prior to marrying into the British royal family the Duchess of Sussex was a fairly well-known actress with a starring role on the hit USA drama, Suits. It looks like shes returning to her acting roots already snagging a voiceover deal with Disney. Meghan is actively looking for representation. She has begun outreach, a source tells Us Weekly. It can be a manager or an agent, but shes reaching out to people to find someone to represent her for future professional projects. Markles Disney paycheck will go to Elephants Without Borders, but an agent or manager could find other non-TV/film projects that uphold the values of the crown while bringing in money. [Meghan] has no plans to do another show like Suits, but Harrys been encouraging her to do more voice-over work, writing, producing and directing in her free time, an insider told US Weekly. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving to Los Angeles for the summer Markle and Prince Harry often snuck into Los Angeles the duchess hometown to visit her mother, Doria Ragland. However, since show business and Hollywood is in L.A., the pair will be spending some extended time there this summer. They have started to look at homes online and are in the process of interviewing security teams, a source close to the Sussexes told E! News. They are getting their ducks in a row and seeing if its logistically possible. Theyve reached out to people in L.A. and would like to assemble a team of locals. Though Canada is lovely as one base for them the duchess is looking forward to being home. Meghan would like to be able to do meetings at the house and also be able to host friends and entertain. Those are two things that are important to her. We love to see it. A large crowd of Altus staff, Lumberton and Hardin County officials and residents gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the official opening of Altus Lumberton Hospital. Noting that this is Lumbertons first hospital, Dr. Ike Ilochonwu commented, Were making history here today. The four-bed facility will allow for overnight or extended care patients, in addition to providing surgical care. Altus is still awaiting final certification and plans to be able to serve patients on Medicare in the future. Ouai's bestselling Volume Spray is now available to buy in the UK [Photo: Ouai] Yahoo is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices were correct at the time of publication. Tried almost every texturising spray but your hair still looks as flat as a pancake? We have a product you may want to add to your basket. Ouai is the haircare brand created by celebrity hairstylist, Jen Atkin, who is responsible for the luscious locks of Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner - to name just a few. The Kardashian clan and Atkin herself regularly post on Instagram Stories about the multiple Ouai products used to create their hair looks, from glossy slicked back styles to the volume we could only dream of. Unsurprisingly, it has led to Ouais products being in high-demand. One of the American labels most in-demand products, Ouai Volume Spray, sold out in Sephora within days when it launched in 2018 - and has consequently been sold-out for an entire year straight. Hands down, this has been the most requested product after being off the shelves Atkin says of the product. But, the spray is now finally back in-stock in the UK. Shop Ouais sold-out Volume Spray | 22 from Cult Beauty The Volume Spray works with your blow-dryer to give long-lasting volume to flat hair. Unlike other hair products, the spray is weightless and malleable, which is perfect for all hair types and styles. The formula not only adds texture and volume to lack lustre hair, but also provides conditioning with the insertion of hibiscus and panthenol. Its currently been restocked on Cult Beauty, who describe it as the secret to that enviable, French girl tousled texture. Be right back, just going to add a few bottles to our basket. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: Kamala Harris outside the Senate Chamber on Thursday. Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images For senators, an impeachment trial is a hybrid of law school and jury duty. They sit for countless hours. Some take neat, handwritten notes in blue ink, like Elizabeth Warren. Cory Gardner has an omnipresent pad of post-its on his desk for small-scale scribbling. Others, like Republican Richard Shelby of Alabama, watch proceedings quietly and impassively for hours at time. But whatever their process, all 100 senators must determine how to weigh the evidence presented for and against the conviction of Donald Trump. Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley told Intelligencer that he had already taken over 50 pages of notes. He remarked that he might have taken more but the piles of handouts from House managers have reduced the number that he needed to take. He planned on going through all of his notes in a systematic process during the 16 hours allotted for senators to ask questions. Merkley, a devoted player of KenKen puzzles, said that he was more of a math guy than words guy and planned to lay out a system to weigh the key points of each article of impeachment. The two-term senator from Oregon then said he would structure the information so on each of those key points, what is the evidence that is brought to bear both for and against? So kind of one setup for and against. Battling a bad cold, Merkley said he felt very depleted as a result of the long hours of the trial despite being normally being very high-energy during the day. To cope with this, he said, Im doing a fair amount of standing and Im getting glasses of ice cubes. So Im crunching on ice cubes. Merkley also said that he kept little pieces of beef jerky in his desk drawer. The Oregon Democrat compared the ordeal to being on a long road trip. This is what I do when I drive, he said. When Im on a drive and if Im tired, I try to have something to sip or to nibble on. It somehow just helps me. Here, in this case, its ice cubes and standing. A non-lawyer, Merkley does have experience as juror. He served on a jury in D.C. before moving back to Oregon and seeking elected office. In the Senate, this was Merkleys second impeachment, his first being the 2010 trial of federal judge Thomas Porteous, who was convicted of corruption and removed from office. Merkley noted that experience was completely different there was no partisanship. When we locked the doors and talked to each other in preparation, it was just like 100 senators with no party identity. In contrast, Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, harkened back to her legal career. Im thinking of it in terms of the elements of the case, and used a familiar law school approach of IRAC issue, rule, application and conclusion to organize her thinking about the case. Harris was able to sit back and appreciate the approach of the House managers from a technical standpoint. They are doing it in a very logical way, said the former California state attorney general. I know the method that they are using. I appreciate it and I admire it. Despite her courtroom experience, Harris had never sat on a jury before, so the experience is new. She described herself as an active listener who was not so good sitting down for long periods and said that she was taking an average amount of notes compared to her colleagues. Another senator with a legal background, Republican Josh Hawley of Missouri, told Intelligencer, Ive now been through all the briefs and responsive briefs several times. The former law clerk for Chief Justice John Roberts said, If you watch my desk, youll see staff coming because Im requesting articles. I continue to read about impeachment, about precedent, about interpretative questions. Ive read a lot of the cases under American law on bribery and extortion because that clearly is the Democrats case, what the elements are for that. Hawley added, By the way, Im confident after that [research] there simply is no legal case for bribery and extortion there, just zero. Hawley did say that he had been enjoying the trial. Its kind of fun, said the Missouri Republican. I love being a lawyer and I miss the practice of law, so this kind of exciting. He mused, Its the closest Ill ever get to being a judge, Im sure. But Hawley didnt need the fun to go on too much longer. Hopefully it wont go on for six months. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 05:33:19|Editor: zyl Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday said that the organization welcomes the constructive dialogue between the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, while noting that ASEAN plays a key role in the regional peace and security architecture. "The United Nations also welcomes the constructive dialogue between ASEAN and China towards the maintenance of regional peace and maritime security," the UN chief told the Security Council meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and ASEAN. "We look forward to the conclusion of a 'Code of Conduct' in the South China Sea to help prevent maritime disputes," said the secretary-general. "ASEAN plays a key role in the regional peace and security architecture, including bringing together major regional powers within ASEAN-led fora," he added. "We encourage ASEAN to use that great convening power to effectively and creatively address peace and security threats in the broader Asia-Pacific region," said the UN chief. Guterres commended ASEAN's contributions to helping ease the situation on the Korean Peninsula. Noting that the situation on the Korean Peninsula "remains of deep concern," the UN chief said that through public and quiet diplomacy, including by hosting historic meetings in Singapore and Hanoi, the ASEAN region has contributed to efforts to promote sustainable peace and security, and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Guterres said. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The US State Department has advised against all travel to China amid the coronavirus outbreak, and raised its travel warning to Level 4, the highest alert level. Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. On January 30, the World Health Organization has determined the rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential U.S. government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus. In an effort to contain the novel coronavirus, the Chinese authorities have suspended air, road, and rail travel in the area around Wuhan and placed restrictions on travel and other activities throughout the country. On January 23, 2020, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency U.S. personnel and their family members from Wuhan. The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Hubei province, the US State Department said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Burma Myanmar Home Affairs Minister to Retire; Military to Pick Successor Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe. / The Irrawaddy NAYPYITAWHome Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe will retire from his post, an anonymous government source confirmed to The Irrawaddy. The source told The Irrawaddy that there will be a change in the home affairs minister position and that the order will be issued soon. Lt-Gen. Kyaw Swe turned 60 in November 2019 and has reached the retiring age for civil servants in Myanmar. He will have to submit a request for retirement to the President and then seek the approval of the Union Parliament. Under the 2008 Constitution, three ministriesDefense, Home Affairs and Border Affairsare controlled by the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw. The heads of the three ministries are nominated by the military chief and the President appoints them with the approval of the national legislature. Chief of Military Security Affairs Lieutenant General Soe Htut and Chief of Bureau of Special Operations Lieutenant General Aung Soe are both possible nominees to become the next home affairs minister. Lt-Gen. Soe Htut is a graduate of Intake 64 at the Defense Services Academy (DSA) and has led the Office of the Chief of Military Security Affairs since 2016. Lt-Gen. Aung Soe graduated from Intake 26 at the DSA and served as the commander of Division 33 and commander of the Northeastern Command before being appointed deputy home affairs minister under the U Thein Sein government. Under the National League for Democracy government, the Myanmar military brought him back into military service and appointed him Chief of Bureau of Special Operations. We heard that Lt-Gen. Soe Htut will become the next home affairs minister, said an official of the Home Affairs Ministry who asked not to be named. Lt-Gen. Kyaw Swe always accompanied State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the NLD government, on her domestic trips, but on her trip to Sagaing Region on Jan. 23, only Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Major General Aung Thu accompanied her. Since then, Lt-Gen. Kyaw Swe has been absent from national-level events. Lower House NLD lawmaker Daw Phyu Phyu Thin said she wants the new minister to follow in the steps of Lt-Gen. Kyaw Swe, as he is liked by the people and cooperative in working with the government. We want someone who will get on well with citizens, Parliament and the government. The Home Affairs Ministry is important. There have been some improvements [in security] in our township as the Home Affairs Ministry directly manages security police in the township. The most important thing [for the new home affairs minister] is cooperation, said Daw Phyu Phyu Thin of Mingalar Taung Nyunt Township. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said during her visit to Singapore in 2018 that her relationship with the militarywhich held her under house arrest for nearly 15 yearswas not that bad and that the generals in her cabinet were rather sweet. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko Bank unions have decided to go on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday as talks with management of public sector lenders on wage revision have failed to reach a consensus New Delhi: Bank unions have decided to go on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday as talks with management of public sector lenders on wage revision have failed to reach a consensus. Many banks, including SBI, have informed customers that operations may be impacted to some extent due to the strike. The strike will coincide with the beginning of the Budget session of parliament and presentation of union Budget 2020-21. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). Earlier this week, a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner remained inconclusive, AIBOC President Sunil Kumar said. The wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. "Today's talks with Indian Banks' Association (IBA) failed on demand from unions, so strike call stands," AIBEA General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said. IBA's rigid approach has left unions with no option than to go on strike, Vekatachalam said, adding, "We appeal to the banking customers to bear with us for this disruption in services due to the strike but the same has been forced on us by the bank managements and IBA." In a circular, UFBU accused the IBA of a rigid approach towards demands for a fair wage revision settlement. A meeting of UFBU held at Mumbai on 13 January came to the unanimous conclusion that intensified agitational actions have to be taken to press our demands, NOBW Vice President Ashwini Rana said. During the recent period, prices have gone up steeply and the workload on the banking workforce has also gone up enormously, UFBU said, adding that bank staffers expect a fair and reasonable hike in wages in the current settlement. Unions are demanding 20 percent hike on pay slip components with adequate loading. In the past wage settlement, which was for the period 1 November, 2012, to 31 October, 2017, the employees got a hike of 15 percent. A section of bank employees had gone on a day-long strike on 8 January in support of 10 major trade unions' protest call against the government's "anti-people" policies. A European think-tank has slammed the arrest of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen saying it has engendered shock and dismay across Pakistan, as also internationally. "The arrest of Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, an immensely popular civil rights campaigner and the leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM), in Peshawar in the wee hours of 27 January has engendered shock and dismay across Pakistan, as also internationally," European Foundation for South Asia Studies (EFSAS) said in a scathing commentary, published on its site. The commentary mentioned that Pashteen has been spearheading a peaceful, non-violent but incisive protest movement against the high-handedness of the Pakistani military since 2018. EFSAS argues that the Pakistani military establishment, in ordering this "appalling step", appears to have assessed that Pashteen would be a soft target through which the establishment could regain the turf and the tough image that it had been forced to shed over the last few months in the face of the successive threats and challenges posed to it by myriad quarters. EFSAS said that the confidence and decisiveness of the Narendra Modi-led government in India, coupled with the Pakistani establishment's acute lack of preparedness, the cluelessness of the establishment's "puppet Prime Minister Imran Khan" in handling the acute economic crisis and options to deal with the problems that this presented for it, had dealt stern blows to the "standing and the image" of the military establishment. "In its haste to reverse this trend, the establishment may have chosen a route - going after Pashteen - that is fraught with pitfalls and could, in the final analysis, actually prove to be counter-productive," the commentary said. The think-tank noted that under the five charges against him, Pashteen could potentially be sentenced to life in prison. Highlighting that the PTM with Pashteen at the forefront, poses a much serious challenge to the hegemony of the military establishment than Pakistani political parties do, the commentary said: "For a start, not even the stalwarts of mainstream political parties have had the courage to call out the establishment with the candidness and clarity that the 27-year-old Pashteen has displayed." It then goes on to mention the slogan, which it said is often used as rallying cry at PTM rallies -- "Yeh jo dehshat gardi hai, isske peeche wardi hai" (This terrorism, the military is responsible for it!). Such direct criticism of the military is extremely rare in Pakistan, the commentary acknowledged. EFSAS underlined PTM's insistence on accountability for enforced disappearances has been "especially worrisome for the military establishment." "Guilty of either having killed the tens of thousands of untraceable Pashtuns extra-judicially or having incarcerated them without any due process being followed, the establishment would be hard-pressed to explain and justify its actions if it were to accede to this PTM demand," the commentary said. Referring to the severe condemnation from domestic and international quarters that the Pashteen's arrest has received, EFSAS said, "The PTM is a manifestation of the blossoming social awareness among the Pashtuns, who have been at the receiving end of four decades of their homeland being used by the Pakistani establishment to bankroll Islamist fighters while simultaneously mislabeling the Pashtuns as warlike and denying them their basic human rights." "The arrest of Pashteen and other leaders is more likely to add fuel to the flame rather than douse it, more so as the charge leveled by the establishment of Pashteen questioning the Constitution rings laughably hollow in a country in which military dictators have repeatedly and illegally abrogated the Constitution to facilitate their own dubious reigns of unbridled power," the commentary said. Highlighting the present atmosphere of shrinking freedoms and increasing authoritarianism in Pakistan, EFSAS said: "A feeling of greater alienation is likely to now take roots among the Pashtuns." "Pashteen may end up as a fishbone stuck firmly in the establishment's throat. Releasing him at this stage would be interpreted as a huge climb-down by the establishment and would further erode its already diminished prestige. As unpalatable as this first option may seem, keeping him behind bars for any length of time will almost certainly prove to be worse for the military establishment," the commentary read. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump left one of the nations biggest political stories his own impeachment to join another the battle for Iowa, using a campaign rally to belittle his Democratic opponents and attack top figures trying to impeach him. Trump scheduled the rally just days before Democrats caucus to help choose a presidential nominee, and wasted little time insulting the top contenders. Were going to defeat the radical socialist Democrats that are right down the street, said Trump. U.S. President Donald Trump rallies with supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst Trump weaved his remarks back and forth between would-be challengers and those trying to impeach him, hitting at his favorite targets and smearing all of them as socialists. Its all a con job. They dont love our country. I swear they dont, after going after the media and Democrats. Trump attacked his Democratic rivals and impeachment leaders Trump brought up illegal immigration and trade deals while attacking the Green New Deal and homelessness in S.F. Crowd member chanted "USA!' during Trump's speech US President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a "Keep America Great" campaign rally at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, January 30, 2020 Trump packed the Knapp Center at Drake University He tried to link the opposition party to New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Green New Deal. 'They want to kill our cows. That means youre next, he told a crowd in the state capital. If we dont win, your farms are going to hell, I can tell you right now, Trump said. He tore into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her hometown of San Francisco for its homeless problem. Needles all over the place People living in tents if theyre lucky. Living on their most important entryways Trump said. He blasted President Barack Hussein Obama a full name he also used during an earlier stop in Michigan and Adam shifty Schiff who was leading House impeachment managers on the floor Thursday. At another point, he said of Schiff: 'He lies awake in his bed at night, shifting and turning. Sweating like a dog.' Trump made fun of Michael Bloomberg's height after savaging other Democrats Trump once again called Sen. Elizabeth Warren 'Pocahontas' He mocked former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who like Trump is running a Super Bowl ad. 'What happened to mini-Mike. Wheres he? He snot running,' Trump said. 'Ive had it up to here,' he said, holding his hand low to mock the short of stature Bloomberg. Trump complained that the newly-inked USMCA trade deal didnt get enough attention. It barely got any mention. They talk about the impeachment hoax, Trump groused. Todays Democrat party, Trump said. Theyre all watching tonight. Sitting in their little hotel room He said illegal immigrants would pay for the border wall through taxes based on money they send to their home countries. 'You know whos going to pay for the wall, right? Through remittance, illegal aliens from Mexico are going to pay for the wall,' he claimed. Current wall replacement has come through billions in appropriations, including reprogramming funds from other areas. The crowd of about 7,000 ate up his remarks, and chanted USA! Trump returned to immigration, a key area of his attacks on Democrats in 2016. He said he came up with the term caravan, and warned of those who joined them. Some of those people are stone-cold killers, he said. With Democrats saying arguments made by his legal team could allow a president to be a monarch, Trump made a joke about busting through time limits after citing a poll by the New York Times, a paper he usually derides. When we leave in 10, 14, 18, 22 years from now, the New York Times will be out of business and so will a lot of them, Trump said of the media and Democrats. He blasted the fake news, then impersonated CNN. CNN. They say fake news has reported. No no youre fake news! Trump said. Hundreds of people booed at the mention of the press. A child of about 11 years gave two thumbs-down toward the press. Trump fumed that the country just had one of its best year. And I just got impeached! he said incredulously. Even as he laced his remarks with warnings and attacks, Trump promised victory. No, its not going to work. Watch. Just watch. They want to nullify your ballots, poison our democracy and overthrow the entire system of government. Thats not happening, I can tell you that, he said. The rally installed allowed Trump to jet into Iowas frigid political terrain to get a taste of the political scene in the Hawkeye State, where Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and others are looking to turn the caucuses to vault to position to become his primary contender. He mocked Joe Biden, the subject of key impeachment testimony following charges Trump abused power by trying to get Ukraine to investigate his rival. It was over for him actually if you knew him, a long time ago. Now its really over, Trump said. He started his rally as if in mid-thought, then rift between a dozen or more topics. I work so hard for this state, Trump told the crowd after an ear-numbing rendition of Lee Greenwoods God Bless the USA. If we dont win, your farms are going to hell, I can tell you right now, he told the fally crowd in the state capital. Trump brought up a New York Times poll, once again impugning the field as socialists (Bernie Sanders calls himself a Democratic socialist). They have me pitted against every one of the socialists. And were beating every one, said Trump. Were beating them like they havent been beaten before. Trump hit his rivals on ratings after his own impeachment drastically truncated the media attention paid to Iowa. Nobodys watching their debates, he said. They dont care about the farmer, Trump said of Democrats, touting multi-billion subsidies he pushed through to reimburse farmers for tariffs China slapped on US products. He ripped Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren as Pocahontas, and made fun of South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigiegs name. Oh lets vote for Pocahontas. Lets vote for Bernie. Lets vote for Sleepy Joe. He always gets the name wrong. How many times has he missed it he says great to be in the great state of Ohio and they say, Joe youre in Iowa. The president fired off one liners, but many of them were tinged with annoyance at the impeachment 'hoax.' 'This is not easy. Especially when youve just left Michigan and youve got the maniacs after you,' he said. 'I can make this speech really short. I can say: Hello Iowa. You have no choice but to vote for me, otherwise everything you built in your entire life will be gone. Good by Iowa, have a good day. Instead I work my ass off up here,' he said. Trump flew to Des Moines Thursday after holding an event in Michigan, where he touted a new U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, touted manufacturing gains, mocked Hillary Clinton, and provided reassurances on the coronavirus. Even as Trump spoke, the Senate was wrapping up its second day of trial questions, with signs Republicans were coalescing on keeping out witnesses Earlier, Vice President Mike Pence warmed up the crowd with another string of laudatory remarks about his boss. In these divided times, have faith. Have faith in this president, whose drive and heart and vision have made America great again and will make America greater than ever before, Pence said. By Michael Nienaber BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany will seek talks with Bolivia's next government to revive a deal to exploit jointly huge lithium reserves in the Andean country, as it works to secure supplies for production of electric cars in Europe's largest economy, officials said. Bolivia and Germany signed a lithium joint venture in 2018 following three years of intense lobbying from Berlin, which said a small family-run company from Germany was a better bet than its Chinese rivals. But the partnership between Bolivia's state-owned lithium company YLB and Germany's privately-owned ACI Systems hit a snag when a governor annulled the decree in November amid political turmoil. The new head of YLB, Juan Carlos Zuleta, told Reuters last week the joint venture, struck under former socialist leader Evo Morales, would not be revived. But the final word will go to the winner of Bolivia's next presidential elections due in May, German government officials and ACI Systems CEO Wolfgang Schmutz told Reuters. "We assume that under the new government, Mr. Zuleta will either remain head of YLB or be replaced by another competent expert," Schmutz said. "As soon as the new government is in office, we'll quickly seek talks with them." Schmutz said ACI Systems remained committed to the project and was working on it from the headquarters in Baden-Wuerttemberg, southern Germany. The German economy ministry said it was in talks with the embassy in La Paz and the companies to discuss how to proceed. "It is also the ministry's assessment that the next elected Bolivian government will ultimately have to decide how to proceed with the lithium project," the ministry said. Bolivia's decision to annul the joint venture fueled speculation that rivals, including China and Chile, used their influence to torpedo the project. But Schmutz said he had not been given any "official information" from Bolivia. Story continues The economy ministry said that even without Bolivia, Berlin's plans to boost electric car production would be on track and the government would continue to support company efforts to shore up supplies. "The federal government's plans and goals for the ramp-up of electric mobility in Germany remain unchanged," the ministry said, adding e-cars were crucial to Germany's climate goals in the transport sector. Germany's biggest car maker Volkswagen , which plans to invest almost 1 billion euros ($1.11 billion) in battery cell production at a facility in Germany, said it was not itself purchasing lithium and the group's suppliers did not get their lithium from Bolivia. Experts have repeatedly voiced doubts about the quality of lithium from Bolivia compared with that from neighboring Chile, partly because of rainfall that slows the evaporation process used to produce the metal. Germany imported nearly 6,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate in 2018, with 70% of it coming from Chile, according to Germany's Raw Material Agency (DERA). The plans to ramp up production of e-cars will boost German demand for lithium by up to 20,000 tonnes by 2025, DERA lithium expert Michael Schmidt told Reuters. "Until 2025, the supply will probably be able to meet demand by 2025. An additional surge in demand is expected after 2025. A massive expansion of supply capacities is therefore necessary," Schmidt said. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Additional reporting by Jan Schwartz; editing by Barbara Lewis) By PTI NEW DELHI: Border-guarding force ITBP has prepared a 600-bedded facility in Delhi to quarantine and provide basic medical care to those suspected to have been affected by the new coronavirus, a senior official said on Friday. The facility is operational in an Indo-Tibetan Border Police camp in south-west Delhi's Chhawla area that houses ITBP sector headquarters, its spokesperson Vivek Kumar Pandey said. ALSO READ: Coronavirus - With five doctors, Air India's B747 plane departs to Wuhan to evacuate Indians A team of 25 doctors, 15 from Safdarjung hospital and 10 from ITBP will be at the facility, which has about 600 beds and has been prepared in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, he said. Special arrangements have been made to host children and women at the facility, an unoccupied residential unit for ITBP personnel, Pandey said. The affected, including those being evacuated from China's Hubei Province on board a special Air India aircraft, will be brought to the facility after first-level screening at the airport, he said. The building complex has operational kitchens and bathrooms apart from modern amenities like Wi-Fi. The 90,000-personnel-strong force is primarily tasked to guard the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control with China under the command of the Union Home Ministry. The Army has set up a similar facility in nearby Manesar. A mystery coronavirus called 2019-nCoV has been prevailing in China and many other countries. The virus seems to be prevailing to people who have not visited the region, with cases popping up in Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The death toll has reached 170 fatalities. The total number of coronavirus cases in China that is currently 7,700 has topped that of SARS. Between Nov. 1, 2002, and July 31, 2003, China had 5,327 SARS cases and had a global death toll of almost 800 (1 of 10), said the World Health Organization (WHO). There is still a lesser amount of deaths from the novel coronavirus. Eighteen countries outside of China have confirmed cases: Cambodia, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Japan, Germany, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, the United Arab Emirates, the US, and Vietnam. The current situation implies more than a limited ability for person-to-person transmission. The central province of Hubei, where Wuhan is located, is presumed to be the epicenter of the outbreak with most cases confirmed. Wuhan and a handful of other cities have been quarantined, with all transportation halted. A team of scientists in Australia has successfully grown a version of coronavirus in the lab. This breakthrough would reportedly help researchers in various countries as they race to develop a vaccine and detection tests. Meanwhile, China has reported a shortage of test kits. More than 4,500 cases have been confirmed in Wuhan, according to the local health commission. Chinese President Xi Jinping labeled the virus a "demon" last Tuesday as the death toll in the country went near the 100 marks. He added that they cannot let this demon hide. An open, transparent and responsible attitude is the Chinese government's response to the timely release of information on the epidemic to domestic and foreign countries, President Xi assured. 2019-nCoV is a relative of the coronavirus family that has never been encountered before. The virus has come from animals. As foreign countries evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, apprehension over the economic impact has steadily intensified. Five individuals in the United States have contracted the virus so far, all of whom had recently visited Wuhan and returned to Arizona, California (two cases), Illinois (Chicago) and Washington state. This was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cases have spread to every province and region in China, having originated at a wet market in the city of Wuhan. According to WHO, the death rate from the coronavirus is currently about 2%. 2019-nCoV is averaging 2 deaths per 100 so far, mostly older people, and it is unknown what level of medical care those cases received. This virus is also known as the "novel coronavirus." WHO has yet to collaborate to provide a name for the virus. According to the agency, they are reconsidering whether to declare a global public health emergency as part of their response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. WHO underscored concerns on human-to-human transmission, especially in Vietnam, Germany, and Japan, as well as the "rapid acceleration" of confirmed cases of the disease. Most people who have contracted the virus have experienced only mild illness. But Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said a relatively mild virus can cause great damage if many people contract it. RELATED ARTICLE: Fake News Alert! Here's a List of Disinformation Spreading About the Coronavirus A High Court action by businessman Sean Dunnes Irish bankruptcy trustee concerning a valuable Dublin 4 property may be affected by injunction proceedings initiated in New York by Mr Dunne against his son John. It emerged on Friday that Sean Dunne, a witness but not a party to the High Court case, has separately initiated injunction proceedings in New York aimed at restraining John Dunne using funds held by Cypriot registered Yesreb Holdings Ltd, the defendant in the High Court case and a firm of which John Dunne has been described as a director, to settle the High Court proceedings. Sean Dunne claims the funds at issue belong to his minor children and are owned by a trust for those children. It is believed the injunction matter is due before a New York State Court on Friday afternoon local time. Separately, in the High Court, Mr Justice Denis McDonald is due next Wednesday to begin hearing proceedings concerning the Shrewsbury Road property, known as Walford. The High Court proceedings are by Sean Dunnes Irish bankruptcy trustee Chris Lehane against Yesreb, which the court was previously told bought Walford in 2013 from a trust set up by Mr Dunne for his wife Gayle in 2005. Walford had been bought in 2005 by Mr Dunne for a record 58m. In 2016, Yesreb sold Walford for 14.25m to Celtic Trustees Ltd, the sole trustee of the Merdon Trust and whose settlor is financier Dermot Desmond. Mr Lehane's proceedings against Yesreb, with Celtic Trustees as notice party, concern that 2016 sale of the property. Mr Dunne was declared bankrupt here and in the US in 2013 over debts of 164m. His Irish bankruptcy has been extended for 12 years over failure to co-operate with Mr Lehane. Mr Lehane claims Mr Dunne had an involvement with Yesreb and Walford must therefore still have had a connection to the family. The Dunnes initially denied having any connection with Yesreb but later asserted it had been owned by John Dunne, having been gifted to him by Gayle. When the case was before Mr Justice McDonald this week to deal with two pre trial motions, he adjourned those to Friday after hearing there were some discussions between the sides. On Friday, one motion, by Yesreb seeking some 553,000 out of monies held in an escrow account, for the purpose of paying legal fees, was adjourned to Tuesday. The second application, by Mr Lehane and Celtic to have certain expert evidence admitted, was not pursued. Eoin McCullough SC, for Yesreb, told the judge an affidavit provided on Friday morning from Jennifer Fay, solicitor for Mr Lehane, had disclosed surprising developments. In that affidavit, Ms Fay outlined she had been informed on Thursday night that Sean Dunne had initiated injunction proceedings in New York against John Dunne. Mr McCullough said his side had hoped to have an affidavit from John Dunne on Friday but it now appeared what he would have said had been overtaken by what was said in Ms Fays affidavit. Bernard Dunleavy SC, with Edward Farrelly SC, for Mr Lehane, said the result of the payment out application by Yesreb may have a significant bearing on the case. Discussions are ongoing, he said. If matters are not resolved and the case opens on Wednesday, it is unclear who will give evidence for Yesreb, he added. It is also unclear whether Sean Dunne, Gayle Killilea and others will come to court to give evidence, he said. Mr Lehane had always believed Sean Dunne was coming to court but, given the events in the US, that is not now at all clear whether he can come and give the evidence. Mr McCullough said his side may be unable to do more than say who they believe will attend. In light of all the circumstances, there may be an application by Yesrebs lawyers to come off record, he indicated. Mr Justice McDonald made various directions and returned the matter to next week. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Jan. 31 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held a working meeting on the prevention of infectious diseases, Trend reports referring to national Altyn Asyr TV channel. The event was attended by deputy prime ministers of the government, local administration, leaders of the military and law enforcement agencies and the Emergency Commission to combat the spread of diseases. Issues of disease prevention and improving medical care for the population were on the meeting agenda. Aspects of developing a strategy to prevent the spread of infectious diseases were also discussed, the report said. Earlier, some national media reported that the authorities of Turkmenistan recommended the country's citizens refrain from traveling to China in order to prevent the import of coronavirus into the country. At the same time, according to the local press, there are no cases of pneumonia caused by coronavirus in Turkmenistan. The Ministry of Health and Medical Industry of the country said earlier that sanitary and epidemiological surveillance measures have been strengthened. The epidemiological situation of infectious diseases in the world, including new viruses that may represent a public health emergency, remains tense. Taking into account the geographical position of our country, which is located at the intersection of transport routes and is developing international relations and expanding the range of tourism services, comprehensive measures are being taken to prevent the appearance of infectious diseases into Turkmenistan from abroad, the national TV channel stated. In order to protect the territory of Turkmenistan from infections, control is tightened in the border areas as well as control over the citizens leaving and returning from abroad. China, which is currently the source of the deadly coronavirus, is among the key trade partners of Turkmenistan. Moreover, a significant number of Turkmen students receive higher education in China. Coronavirus 2019-nCoV was detected on December 2019 in the Chinese Wuhan city. Infection has already been registered in South Korea, Japan, the USA, Thailand, the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia. Australia is aiming to wrap up a trade agreement with post-Brexit UK by the end of the year, a government minister has said. Simon Birmingham, speaking on the day Britains vote to leave the European Union becomes reality, said Canberra was looking to an agreement which essentially eliminated tariffs, quotas, trade barriers as much as is possible. The Australian minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment said Australia was ready to go as soon as the UK was ready to start, while the chief executive of the Australian British Chamber of Commerce told the PA news agency the country was ready to deliver. Everyone wants to seize the goodwill, the momentum thats there and also to try to get it done before that final deadline (at the end of 2020)Simon Birmingham Mr Birmingham, speaking on ABC Radio Adelaide, said Brexit has felt like a never-ending story but added there was desire to strike an agreement. He added: Australia would love to see an agreement that essentially eliminated tariffs, quotas, trade barriers as much as is possible. But of course its a negotiation and that will depend upon the perspective that the UK take. Now, theres goodwill on both sides to get this agreement done quickly. I think (there is) goodwill for it to be an ambitious agreement, but just how far the UK will go in terms of tariff and quota elimination, well have to see. Two-way trade between the UK and Australia was worth 26.9 billion Australian dollars (13.8 billion) in 2018, according to the Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade. These types of trade agreements often take many years, but I have reinforced to our trade officials and I think the same is felt on the UK side that everyone wants to seize the goodwill, the momentum thats there and also to try to get it done before that final deadline (at the end of 2020), Mr Birmingham added. David McCredie, of the Australian British Chamber, said: Particularly from a business point of view, theres a great sigh of relief that theres some certainty again. I think theres a really strong sense of opportunity, good will and political vestment in getting a deal done between Australia and the UK. I remember back a couple of years ago when Boris Johnson was Foreign Secretary and visited us here, he was very bullish about the opportunities for a free trade agreement. The UK is the second-largest source of total foreign investment in Australia, valued at nearly 300 billion in 2018, and Mr McCredie said he hoped removing regulatory checks on investment from the UK could be ticked off fairly quickly. Terrific to see great commitment from both sides towards a future FTA post-Brexit. The @BritishChamber is working closely with both governments and negotiating teams on building the platform to commence as soon as possible after #Brexit. #GREATforPartnership https://t.co/dfer8AlEdD David McCredie (@DavidMcCredie) September 18, 2019 He added: Obviously the thing that gets spoken about the most is agriculture and particularly about red meat, but I think theres a lot of different opportunities across the agricultural space for us to work. Not in a sense of overwhelming the British market with all this Australian produce because the reality is we dont have a huge bunch sitting around waiting to be exported. Since Brexit started and this long drawn out affair has continued, it has been resolutely true that the UK has said US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, those are the four economies we are looking to tick off first, so its terrific to be part of that mix and we believe that we are ready to deliver. Celltrion Group Vice Chairman Gi Woo-seong, left, speaks with Ma Guoqiang, deputy party chief of Hubei Province, during a signing ceremony for Celltrion's investment for the building of a biomedicine plant in Wuhan, Hubei, on Jan. 20. Courtesy of Celltrion By Nam Hyun-woo As fear of coronavirus contagion is already evident in China, South Korea's leading biosimilar manufacturer Celltrion may delay the groundbreaking ceremony for its massive Chinese plant in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, industry officials said Thursday. Regarding the possible rescheduling of the event in the wake of the spread of the virus which is affecting economic activity and financial markets, Celltrion said it was "closely monitoring" the situation as the deadly virus may affect the construction of the plant. "There has been no change in the plan to build the plant so far, but we are closely monitoring the spread of the deadly virus," a Celltrion official said, Thursday. "Since we are yet to break ground for the plant, it is hard to forecast what will happen in the immediate future. We hope the epidemic and the lockdown of the city will not be prolonged." The epidemic, however, is anticipated to cause setbacks to Celltrion's investment schedule in Wuhan. The company had planned to hold the groundbreaking ceremony in April, but it remains uncertain whether the ceremony will take place at that time as the city remains locked down, they said. A drug-smuggling tunnel equipped with its own railway and lift has been discovered at the US border with Mexico. The 4,300ft passage which is believed to have been built by El Chapos Sinaloa cartel is said to be the longest known illicit underground route into the United States. The drug-smuggling tunnel which is on average 70ft below ground and almost 6ft high and 2ft wide was reportedly built with a ventilation system, high-voltage power cables, and drainage. According to the Mirror, the tunnel starts in an industrial area of the border city of Tijuana in Mexico, ending in a neighbourhood of San Diego, California. where its entrance was found covered by several sandbags. It was discovered by authorities in August but has only now been revealed. San Diego customs official Cardell Morant said: The sophistication and length of this tunnel demonstrates the time-consuming efforts transnational criminal organizations will undertake to facilitate cross-border smuggling. It was also reported that El Chapo, whose real name is Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera sent some men to Germany to learn how to construct such underground passages to take millions of pounds worth of drugs into the US. Back in February, the famous drug lord was found guilty of 10 charges, including drug trafficking and money laundering by a federal court in New York. In July 2019, El Chapo was handed a life imprisonment sentence, ending his notorious and brutal criminal career after he was recaptured in 2016 and extradited to the US. 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 Therapeutic horseback riding combined with brain-building exercises can improve the dexterity, coordination and strength of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, shows a study in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. Neurodevelopmental disorders - such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) - affect as many as one in six American children. Physical activity is known to benefit these patients in a variety of ways, but this is the first study showing the short and long-term effects of a program combining horseback riding and cognitive training. "We wanted to investigate how a combination of equine-assisted activities and various brain-building tasks, administered by a speech therapist, would affect motor skills in children with disorders including autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity," says Dr. Brandon Rigby, of the Texas Woman's University in the United States. "Our findings should be helpful to therapists and other healthcare professionals who are tasked with implementing strategies and interventions to improve motor skill proficiency in children and youth with ADHD and ASD, which were the most common diagnoses in our study." For their study, Rigby and his collaborators recruited 25 children with neurodevelopmental disorders between the ages of 5 and 16. Each child completed one of several different programs ranging in length from eight weeks to one year. The programs included weekly introductory horseback riding, as well as sessions with a speech therapist two to three times per week. During the horseback riding, the children learned about horse anatomy, riding equipment, and the basics of riding. The brain-building activities focused on exercises that train the brain to process sensory information such as sound, sight, balance and spatial orientation. These sessions included music therapy, eye tracking exercises and hand-eye coordination tasks. The children and their parents were also given daily exercises that they could perform at home. After eight weeks of the program, the children showed improved motor skills, although there was sometimes a delay before the changes became apparent. For the participants that continued the program for one year, these benefits continued for the duration of the study. These participants also showed improvements in their behavior and academic performance, including social and communication skills. Additionally, anecdotal responses from parents and caregivers suggested that the children were more positive, focused and calm both in and outside of the program. Given the small size of the study, larger-scale research is still needed to better understand the potential benefits to the range of neurodevelopmental disorders. Some limitations include the varying diagnoses of the participants (as opposed to looking at benefits per ADHD or autism specifically), and the allowance to continue prescribed medications or therapies outside the scope of this program. Despite this, the program's results are promising, and the researchers hope that this will inspire further interest in cross-disciplinary programs. "These findings may allow for a greater demand for these programs, ultimately making them more accessible and affordable," says Rigby. ### Notes to Editors Please link to the original research article in your reporting: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00022/full Corresponding author: Brandon Rigby Email: BRigby@twu.edu Corresponding Author's Institution: Texas Woman's University, United States Frontiers is an award-winning Open Science platform and leading Open Access scholarly publisher. Our mission is to make research results openly available to the world, thereby accelerating scientific and technological innovation, societal progress and economic growth. We empower scientists with innovative Open Science solutions that radically improve how science is published, evaluated and disseminated to researchers, innovators and the public. Access to research results and data is open, free and customized through Internet Technology, thereby enabling rapid solutions to the critical challenges we face as humanity. For more information, visit http://www.frontiersin.org and follow @Frontiersin on Twitter. (refiles to add dropped word in 2nd par) LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Britain's press watchdog has rejected a complaint by Prince Harry over a tabloid newspaper article which said wild animals pictured in photos he posted on Instagram had been drugged and tied up. Harry, Queen Elizabeth's grandson, posted the pictures he had taken of African wildlife on his Instagram account, which then had 5.6 million followers, to mark Earth Day and highlight conservation efforts. But the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported last April that the photos had not revealed the full story. It said the animals involved had been tranquilised and that a picture of an elephant in Malawi had been edited so that it was not possible to see there was a rope around its hind legs. "Drugged and tethered ... what Harry didnt tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos," read the headline. The prince argued the report was inaccurate because it indicated he had intentionally misled the public to think that he was a superior wildlife photographer who had captured the pictures under dangerous circumstances, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) watchdog said. Harry said his caption had made clear the animals were being relocated as part of conservation efforts and that the photo had only been edited to meet Instagram's formatting requirements. However, the paper said Harry had not explained the circumstances of the photo to his followers and that he had not needed to crop the pictures in the way he had. IPSO's complaints committee supported the paper's argument and rejected Harry's claim that the article was inaccurate. "The committee did not consider that it was significantly misleading to report that the photographs posted on the complainants Instagram account did not quite tell the full story and that the complainant had not explained the circumstances in which the photographs had been taken," it said. Story continues Harry and his American wife Meghan have increasingly become embroiled in conflict with Britain's tabloid newspapers. Meghan is suing the Mail on Sunday over its publication of a private letter she sent to her father, Thomas Markle, and Harry has accused some newspapers of bullying his wife in the same way they treated his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 as her limousine sped away from chasing paparazzi. Earlier this month the couple, who are currently in Canada with their baby son Archie, announced they would no longer use their royal titles and were seeking an independent new life based mainly in North America. Last week, lawyers for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are formally known, issued a warning to media not to use paparazzi pictures of the couple. (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Stephen Addison) Kerala legislative assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Friday rejected the notice given by the states opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala to introduce a resolution in the house urging President Ram Nath Kovind to recall Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.Sreeramakrishnan said there was no such precedent and the business advisory committee of the house has also suggested that such a resolution will set a bad precedent. The opposition cried foul alleging that the government has entered into a secret understanding with the governor. It seems the government has virtually surrendered before the governor who insulted the house on several occasions, Chennithala said deploring the Speakers decision. Khan and the government have been at loggerheads for some time and the opposition tried to exploit it further by trying to introduce a resolution against him. The Governor on Wednesday read the vision policy of the government in the assembly, including the paragraphs critical of the union government. He later said he not agree with the speechs content and only read it in full as requested by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan. We want a healthy relationship with the governor. The opposition is trying to exploit the situation. Besides, there was no precedent that the house passing a resolution against the Governor, said state law minister A K Balan. Arif Mohammad Khan had openly expressed his dissatisfaction over the state assembly passing a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment (CAA) in December last year and also questioned the move to file a suit in the Supreme Court. He had said the resolution was unconstitutional and had no legal validity angering many legislators. He had also sought a report from the chief secretary over the governments move to file a suit in the top court without informing him. A shared study room in Inner Mongolia autonomous region's capital Hohhot charges 5 yuan per hour and 25 yuan maximum daily. It is a popular destination for exam-bound scholars. [Ding Genhou/China Daily] The sharing economy sector in China has just received a shot in the arm, in the form of a new, and rapidly growing, business segmentstudy lounges. Out with distractions at coffee shops or quick service restaurants, the traditional go-to destinations of the studious scholars. No more the fear of drifting off to sleep while staring at the books. High school and university students in urban China, starved of quiet spaces conducive to study, are beginning to realize the business of study rooms, which facilitates immersive learning experiences, is a blessing indeed. The trend started in neighboring Japan and South Korea several years ago. Last summer, it spread to big Chinese cities, including Beijing and Shanghai. Now, it is becoming entrenched. Zizai Study Room is a classic example of the popular commercial study lounges that have sprouted all over Beijing. Spread over 150 square meters, the shared space aims to provide a productive study environment to its users. In addition, users get access to shared resources such as Wi-Fi, coffee, refreshments and more. They can access the space from 9 am to 10:30 pm seven days a week. In this respect alone, a commercial study lounge is not very different from plain-vanilla self-study rooms that some colleges provide. But, commercial study lounges charge a fee for their services. The average entry fee is around 3 yuan ($0.4) to 6 yuan per hour. Users can buy a wide range of packages, such as a daily pass, weekly pass, or monthly pass, depending on their individual needs. Zizai claims it already has hundreds of paid members. Nor Hargana, 29, is a Zizai regular. "I've been studying here for the postgraduate admission test since last September. Usually, I'm in the study room more than ten hours a day, five days a week. "Compared to the self-study rooms on the campus and the public libraries, the shared study space offers a comfortable environment for me to dedicate myself to study. It's quieter and not that crowded. Although I've finished the test, I still come here to study or read books." Zhang Yuting, founder of Zizai, said most of the users are from the younger generation, in their 20s and 30s. "With the rise of millennials in the work force, there's a growing need for practical skills, knowledge, content, and a better study space. For a long time, the young generation could not find such a place, which created this business opportunity. "Currently, we can take in 40 customers at a shared study lounge. Daily occupancy rates hover around 80 percent." Huge initial investment and high rents could mean commercial study room business will likely take a long time to turn profitable, she said. "With an increasing number of startups eyeing to carve out a stake in the emerging market, the competition is getting fiercer now. Instead of expanding our business rapidly, we will focus on offering better services and experiences, and will continue to offer culturerelated classes to attract more users." When Zhang launched Zizai in July 2019, there were only about 10 study lounges in Beijing. Now, their number has unexpectedly surged to more than 70. Raymond Wang, partner of consultancy Roland Berger, said shared study room is an entrepreneurial solution to the problem of seat-hogging, especially during the exam seasons. "The shared study spaces function much like co-working spaces, but are targeted at the student budget," Wang noted. "Today, the young generation has a growing need for knowledge and practical skills to improve themselves. However, some may find it difficult to find a peaceful place to study, and many of them might be faced with noisy environment at home, or hardly find a seat at cafes or selfstudy rooms on their campus. Against this background, shared study spaces have sprung up to solve such a major pain-point faced by those groups in China." Such commercial study lounges need to put in more efforts to secure their future business, Wang said. "Location is the key to a shared study space, which means a particular space can only serve a certain group of people nearby. Currently, it's hard to estimate the market size and profit margins. "First, entrepreneurs need to find better ways to attract more clients. Second, they need to diversify the offerings and provide more valueadded services. Third, they need to balance the peak and down times." Shared study space is just one of a bunch of new services that have popped up in recent years in the sharing economy sector in China. So far, the sector has been known for its shared bicycles, short-term accommodation, car rides, everyday clothing, portable power banks, and even umbrellas. Ever-evolving mobile internet technologies and the government's supportive policies helped the sector to grow rapidly in recent years. In the beginning, sharing economy involved consumer-to-consumer, or C2C, exchange of underutilized products or services. But soon, the sector snowballed, covering a wide range of products and services, overtaking the scene overseas. The sector is now even helping transform traditional businesses, persuading them to operate in a more innovative and efficient way, said experts and entrepreneurs. Wang of Roland Berger said he is bullish on the sector's prospects as the focus is now shifting from rapid expansion to a new stage wherein great importance will be attached to the real market needs and professional management. He said China's bike-sharing business proved to be a bubble for some players, and brought about a shakeout, consolidation and rationalization in the market during the past three years. Once deemed a symbol of China's rapidly growing sharing economy, the cash-strapped bike-sharing platform Ofo Inc has been struggling financially in the past few years. By the end of 2018, the Beijingbased bike-sharing pioneer had received more than 10 million online applications for deposit refunds, as the firm faced accusations of stalling on refunds. Till now, it reportedly still owes more than 10 million applicants over 1 billion yuan in refunds. Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretarygeneral of the China Consumer Protection Law Society, said companies should learn a lesson from Ofo's crisis. "Those participating in the sharing economy should focus on improving convenience through technological means," Chen said. "Companies should abide by the normal laws of enterprises development with a main purpose to improve product quality and offer better services, rather than doing things to undermine their creditworthiness. "Sharing economy has become a key driving force to boost China's economic development, and the sharing model have activated idle resources in the society. Companies should take on their social responsibility and implement effective measures to protect the rights of consumers. And the authorities also need to guide the companies, leading to a healthy and sustainable growth path." According to a report released by the State Information Center, the sharing economy generated 2.94 trillion yuan in total transaction volume in 2018, up 41.6 percent yearon-year. The report noted the country's sharing economy is on the cusp of a new phase of development where quality matters more than quantity or market expansion and speed of expansion. Its annual growth rate is estimated to reach 30 percent in the next three years, slower but signaling its sustainable development. China has emerged as a global pioneer in the sharing economy, with a wide range of businesses using the peer-to-peer, or P2P, model, the report added. By the end of 2018, there were 305 unicorns, or startups valued at more than $1 billion, in the world, of which 83 were Chinese companies. And 34 of them were in the sharing economy sector, accounting for 41 percent of Chinese unicorns. Seeing the huge growth potential, a growing number of companies both at home and aboard are actively embracing the sharing model, which not only brings convenience but also injects new impetus into the regional economic development. For instance, WeWork, a co-working space and space-as-a-service platform provider, is gearing up to expand in China, seeking to gain an edge in the country's blossoming sharing economy market. Earlier this month, WeWork announced the opening of a brandnew facility in Nanjing in Jiangsu province. This marked the company's debut in the city, and could shape its strategy in the Yangtze Delta region. Ai Tiecheng, general manager of WeWork Greater China, said the new move demonstrated the company's continuous localization strategy. "In the future, WeWork will spare no effort in attracting entrepreneurs and service members by leveraging on our experience in co-working space to help Nanjing's Jianye District to become a digital economy center with integrated financial and technological development. "We aim to help Hexi Central Business District to become a regional cluster in eastern China for modern services, including financial, headquarters, events and exhibitions, culture and sports, and commerce and trade so as to accelerate innovation development in Nanjing, ignite new engines of growth and help the city to be a strategic support point and hub for integrated development of the Yangtze Delta region." Shen Jianrong, Party secretary of Jianye District, said WeWork will have a positive impact on Jianye District as it helps build an outstanding innovation ecosystem. "Its global community resources and leading office space technology enable it to attract foreign and local talents as well as startups, giving them endless opportunity for networking and businesses. This will in turn help unleash the society's capacity for innovation and entrepreneurship, giving the city center a unique flavor of innovation." Agreed Chen Zhe, director of cloud strategic development division for Alibaba. "At WeWork community, we have experienced the life-style of an innovative work model. An open co-working space can not only improve employees' work efficiency but also foster conversion of an entrepreneurial team's innovation. "With the help of WeWork's global community network, we have had the opportunity to meet quality members from different industries and explore business opportunities with them." Jiang Qiping, secretary-general of the Information Research Center at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said: "To foster the long-term development of sharing economy, the key is to strengthen governance over the platforms and create a better environment. Governments, shared platforms and consumers should work together to create a supervising and managing system." (Source: China Daily) A Dutch man with an address in Andorra has been remanded in custody following his arrest for money laundering at an upmarket Dublin 4 office block. He was arrested on Thursday by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). Some 200,000 was allegedly seized. Follow up searches were carried out by GNDOCB at a premises in the Dublin 4 area. In the course of this search an additional significant quantity of cash and a number of gold bars were seized. Harm Stachouwer, 43, with an address at Sant Antony Avenue, in Andorra, an independent principality situated between France and Spain in the Pyrenees mountains, was charged at Irishtown Garda station this afternoon. He was then brought to appear before Judge John OLeary at the evening sitting of Dublin District Court. He was charged under section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 for having 200,000 in crime proceeds at Connaught House on Burlington Road. Mr Stachouwer did not address the court and there has been no indication as to how he will plead. Detective Garda Liam Eviston said the accuseds reply when charged was no comment. The detective applied for a remand in custody. Defence solicitor Daniel Hanahoe said there was no application for bail at this stage. Mr Stachouwer was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Thursday. Police have registered an FIR against a group of protesters, mostly women, who have began an indefinite sit-in against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Eidgah Ground in Moradabad. The FIR lodged in Ghalshaheed police station names 20 people and mentions 600 unidentified people who have been accused of shouting objectionable slogans. Of the unnamed people, 400 are men while 200 are women. A large number of police personnel have been deployed at the ground. Moradabad District Magistrate Rakesh Singh said Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed and action will be taken on any "anti-social elements indulging in violence". "No permission was sought from the administration for the demonstration, so it is illegal but we are watching," he said. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) prohibits assembly of four or more people in an area. It is, however, being claimed that the Eidgah where they began their protest since Wednesday is a private place and the CrPC section does not apply to them. The protesters claimed that the CAA and proposed National Register of Citizens were unconstitutional and their implementation will create communal tensions. A woman activist, who did not want to be named, said the BJP government was trying to divert the attention from the public as it has not performed well. Criticising the amended citizenship law, another activist said religion should not be the basis of allowing migrants into the country. We are demanding for a withdrawal of the Act, she said. Another woman said, "Many people from the Muslim community in Moradabad are top-class artisans in metalcraft and contribute towards high foreign currency earnings for the country. It would be difficult for many of them to prove they have jobs as they do not possess documents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I live in England but regularly return to Uganda to visit friends and family. Also, I am part of some local community social media groups. On a late night, this month, my dear sister's house was burgled. She couldn't call the police because the number 999 did not work. The thieves managed to get inside the house but thankfully, my sister and her children had already locked themselves in her bedroom. She could literally hear the burglars discussing how they were going to break into her room. They tried but failed. Shrieking for help from neighbours wasn't doing much; she posted on our family WhatsApp group alerting all of us of what was happening in her own home. It was around 1am here in the U.K, and I was the only one still awake. Ignorantly, I asked her to call 999 because I remember the former IGP, Kale Kayihura, posting on Ugandan At Heart forum, several years ago, that they were going to fix it. My sister told me it didn't work-- So, I asked her to post her address and mobile number on Facebook- so she could notify people of her situation. After doing all of that, a security guy responded, called her phone, then connected her to a few security people in the area, who came to her rescue. The main wrong-doing committed in a burglary is not theft. It is the feeling of fear and insecurity left after your home has been violated. Hopefully, this will be just the beginning of a wider campaign to stop crime and to prevent thugs from killing our people. Understandably, I get why several police officers are just as frustrated as the public are. They are so stressed as they have been told which jobs and people they must prioritise. This government isn't bothered about the safety of Ugandans; it's a complete travesty. They have brought this country to its knees. We are having so much issues regarding burglary and theft because of our government's laziness, corruption and poverty among security people. Another point, may I add, is that I feel that the Ugandan government should be more involved in supporting community-driven conflicts and campaigns. People should be encouraged to open up community WhatsApp and Facebook groups, as part of neighbourhood watch. The tax on social media and mobile money shouldn't be raised, or be high. My sister's MBs (phone credit ) helped. The burglars weren't caught but, at least, she and family are alive! "In tribute to the United Kingdom and the Republic of Uganda, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife, discrimination and terrorism." British Airways has suspended flights between the United Kingdom and China in light of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. "We have suspended all flights to and from mainland China with immediate effect following advice from the Foreign Office against all but essential travel," the company said in a statement Wednesday. The UK's Foreign Office warned people against traveling to mainland China in all but essential cases on Tuesday. It's the most drastic action yet by a major airline as the deadly coronavirus continues to spread. The virus has killed 132 people and infected nearly 6,000 people in China so far, with dozens more cases confirmed in places such as the United States, Japan, Germany and France. Source: The Guardian 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 In January, the Food and Drug Administration finalized its policy on flavored cartridge-based e-cigarettes, saying that companies must stop all manufacturing of these particular devices. Flavored e-liquid will still be available for tank-based e-cigarettes. As with any new regulation, there will be winners and losers, but you may be surprised by who falls into each category. Winner: Big Tobacco Tobacco companies are threatened by the popularity of e-cigarettes because the vaping industry has cut into their profits. The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show cigarette smoking is at its lowest point ever with only 14 % of adults in the U.S. smoking traditional cigarettes in 2017, down from 15.5 % in 2016. While vaping, which is 95 % less harmful than smoking, has risen both among adults and teens, smoking rates continue to plummet. In fact, teen smoking continued to decline after e-cigarettes entered the market. In banning cartridge-based e-cigarettes, policymakers are effectively limiting access to the biggest competition to cigarettes. Thats a win for tobacco companies. Winner: Misinformation Many people see vaping as simply a high-tech way to smoke and worry there havent been enough safety studies despite more than a decade of reassuring research. When an outbreak of lung diseases emerged in 2019, public health officials and the media were eager to stoke fears. Without waiting for evidence, they blamed vaping and sought to strictly limit all vaping products. The assumption that vaping was the cause was understandable early on, since patients reported vaping prior to becoming sick. Yet, even after it was clear that it wasnt vaping itself, but what was being vaped (illegally obtained, contaminated THC vape liquid, which the CDC eventually found caused the lung diseases), officials continued to beat the alarmist drum about the device itself. Thats akin to trying to outlaw hypodermic needles because of a spike in heroin deaths. Whats worse, former smokers were told to stop vaping until an investigation was completed, making them vulnerable to returning to traditional smoking. The harm from this misinformation campaign lingers today. Many Americans continue to believe that vaping itself caused the lung diseases, and are therefore making poor choices about whats best for their health. Losers: Teens Of course, everyone wishes that teens didnt like to experiment. And while todays generation sensible has been praised for eschewing such Fast Times-like behaviors as drinking, smoking, drugs and casual sex, the illegal act of teen vaping is popular with this demographic. Yet, teens prefer the very type of e-cigarette the FDA just banned. So, it might follow that banning these e-cigarettes will reduce vaping among teens. But that logic misses an important factor: teens are already breaking the law to vape. Why wouldnt they turn to the black market to get the flavor and vape device they prefer? And, couldnt it be that further restricting the availability of vaping products would encourage teens to experiment with more dangerous substances? Losers: Adult Smokers Adult nicotine addicts seem to be the red-headed stepchild to public health officials. According to a large, randomized study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, e-cigarettes were twice as effective as other nicotine-replacement therapies at helping smokers quit. Considering this, one might consider e-cigarettes a public health win. Yet, instead of rejoicing, public health officials ignore this tremendous progress and focused, almost exclusively, on the very low number (around 5.7 %) of teens who illegally vape habitually. While its certainly a worthy goal to formulate policies to help reduce the already small number of teen vapers, the solution shouldnt be to harm adult smokers. More Winners This FDAs action may result in harm to both teens who are experimenting and adults who are trying to quit smoking. A better solution is for public health officials and the media to provide accurate information to a worried public about the real and relative health risks of vaping and for the FDA to strengthen enforcement efforts against black-market sales of e-cigarettes. Thats a way to create more winners. Julie Gunlock directs the Center for Progress and Innovation at the Independent Womens Forum. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. Taiwan thanks Abe, Trudeau for supporting WHO bid ROC Central News Agency 01/30/2020 09:34 PM Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Taiwan's foreign ministry on Thursday thanked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for supporting Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization (WHO) in light of the global health crisis represented by the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China. According to a report from Kyodo News, Abe said during a parliamentary session on Thursday that Taiwan's participation in the WHO is necessary to effectively fight the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which has infected more than 7,700 people and claimed at least 170 lives in China alone as of Wednesday. Abe also said it will be difficult to maintain health and prevent the virus from spreading further in the region if Taiwan is excluded from the WHO for political reasons, according to the report. "We will continue to make our country's stance clear at the WHO," Abe was quoted as saying. Taiwan is not a member of the U.N. or its affiliated organizations, including the WHO, due to the opposition of China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Meanwhile, Trudeau said Wednesday (local time) during an interpellation in the Canadian parliament that his administration supports Taiwan's meaningful participation in international multilateral forums. "We believe that Taiwan's role as an observer in World Health Assembly (WHA) meetings is in the best interest of the international health community and also is an important partner in the fight against this epidemic," Trudeau said, as shown in a video clip on Canada's Cable Public Affairs Channel. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Thursday expressed gratitude for the support of the Japanese and Canadian governments. "Taiwan hopes to continue to deepen its cooperation with Japan on epidemic prevention," MOFA spokeswoman Joanne Ou () said in a press statement, adding that Abe's remark demonstrates the importance and urgency of Taiwan's participation in the WHO. Ou also noted that this is the first time a Canadian prime minister has openly expressed such support, which shows that Taiwan's "legitimate and pragmatic appeal" has gained the support of the Canadian government at a time of global health crisis created by the new coronavirus. The ministry reiterated that viruses know no borders and the health and security of mankind should not be compromised by political considerations, Ou said. (By Emerson Lim) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As New Delhi celebrates postponement, observers say Europe is giving Modi benefit of doubt ahead of Brussels trip. European Union parliamentarians have voted to postpone a vote that criticises Indias Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its lockdown in Kashmir. The draft resolution had been brought by six groups representing 626 of 751 members of the European Parliament. The vote, which was expected to conclude on Thursday, will now not be held until the end of March. The resolution had described the CAA as fundamentally discriminatory in nature, with one group saying the controversial bill had the potential to create the largest statelessness crisis in the world. It also criticised a recent crackdown in Kashmir, including an internet shutdown and preventive detention measures. The vote will be held after Prime Minister Narendra Modis March 13 visit to Brussels for a bilateral summit. Local media reported that New Delhi was calling the postponement a diplomatic victory. However, the development will suit both sides, observers said. I think the Europeans are giving Prime Minister Modi the benefit of the doubt because he will be coming to Brussels for a summit next month, Jyoti Malhotra, editor of national and strategic affairs at The Print website in New Delhi, told Al Jazeera. It would have looked very bad for him had the European Parliament passed a resolution which was critical of the CAA and Kashmir. So I think both India and Europe are saving face. The Europeans dont want to antagonise a big democracy like India. President Trump will be visiting here at the end of February so the Europeans wouldnt want to be completely left out of the story, she added. Members of the European Parliament who had called for the delay said it would give them more time to study the details. Gareth Price, senior research fellow at London-based international affairs think-tank Chatham House, said uncertainty around the bill would have contributed to the delay. How the CAA is rolled out, whether its rolled out, whether the Supreme Court amends it, we arent actually at that point yet, he told Al Jazeera. In terms of human rights, it doesnt look great, but its difficult to criticise something when we dont really know what will look like. The situation in Kashmir is more clear cut but the two issues have been rolled into one, and one of them hasnt happened yet. Indias lobbying efforts Three months ago, a delegation of nearly 30 members of the European Parliament from far-right parties was invited for an unofficial visit to Kashmir the first group of people allowed access to the region after India revoked its special status, known as Article 370. London-based Kashmiri lawyer Mirza Saaib Beg said the Indian governments lobbying efforts with members of the European Parliament may also be a factor. It was interesting to note that the decision to defer was floated by the European Peoples Party, which is a centre-right party. So one could wonder how much of an influence Modis outreach to right-wing political groups outside of India has played a role in this. The CAA bill seeks to fast-track citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in neighbouring Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, but excludes Muslims. Anti-CAA protesters, who have taken to the streets across India in recent weeks, call the bill a violation of the Indian constitution a claim the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denies. It is pivotal, indispensable right now for the Europeans to speak out about this, Beg said. Indian media have not been able to criticise the government and theres been an absolute dereliction of duty on the part of the Supreme Court. What is now unfolding is an authoritarian regime that is imposing its own puritanical definition of citizenship. And in the context of Kashmir, we are now six months without any communication. So it is a crisis on which the European Parliament definitely needs to take an urgent stand. Stocks in the news today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Friday's trading session based on latest developments. Investors are also awaiting December quarter earnings that are scheduled to be released today. Companies set to announce their earnings are SBI, Vedanta, Castrol, HUL, Power Grid, Saregama, Tech Mahindra, Shoppers Stop, Future Consumer among others. Tata Motors Q3: The company reported consolidated net profit of Rs 1,738 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, as against a net loss of Rs 26,993 crore in the same period last financial year. The company's total income declined 6.8% (YoY) to Rs 71,676 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 76,916 crore in the same period last year. EBITDA of Tata Motors registered a growth of 20% (YoY) at Rs 7,394 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, from Rs 6,126 crore, booked in the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Persistent Systems Q3: The firm reported 2.1% rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 87.9 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, as against Rs 86.1 crore in the same period last financial year. The company's total income grew 4.3% (YoY) to Rs 922.7 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 884.6 crore in the same period last year. Bluestar Q3: Company's consolidated revenue for Q3FY20 grew 12.5% to Rs 1,235.91 crore in Q3FY20 as aginst Rs 1,098.97 crore in Q3 FY19. Company's Operating Profit (PBIDTA excluding Other Income and Finance Income) for the quarter was Rs 57.03 crore compared to Rs 42.37 crore in Q3FY19, a growth of 34.6%. Net Profit after tax for the quarter stood at Rs 19.70 crore compared to Rs 13.23 crore in Q3FY19. Marico Q3: The FMCG major reported 6.2% rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 276 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, as against Rs 260 crore in the same period last financial year. The company's total income declined 1.4% (YoY) to Rs 1,824 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 1,850 crore in the same period last year. EBITDA of Marico registered a growth of 0.3%(YoY) at Rs 373 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, from Rs 372 crore, booked in the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Equitas Holdings Q3: The company reported a 47% rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 78 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, against Rs 53 crore profit in the same period last fiscal. Total revenue from operations grew 24.44% (YoY) to Rs 738 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 593 crore in the same period last year. Yes Bank: The lender announced that it has sold 2.68% of paid-up share capital of Sical Logistics. Videocon: The company said the 8th meeting of the consolidated Committee of Creditors (CoC) of the company and other 12 group companies, having a consolidated corporate insolvency resolution process, is scheduled to be held on Friday, 31st January 2020 in accordance with the provisions of Regulation 19 of IBC code. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Tata Teleservices: According to media reports Supreme Court is likely to list the modification appeal filed by telcos against the deadline for their statutory AGR dues on February 3. The telecom majors had earlier filed for modification appeal to the apex court to negotiate terms of payment of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). ICICI Bank: The lender has announced that RBI has approved the re-appointment of Anup Bagchi as the Executive Director of the bank for a period of two years from February 1, 2020, to January 31, 2022. Q3 Earnings Today: State Bank Of India, Bank Of India, Vedanta, Castrol India, Hindustan Unilever, Power Grid, Saregama India, Tech Mahindra, Birlasoft, Shoppers Stop, Future Consumer, Everest Industries, Jubilant Life Sciences, Indian Hotels, Magma Fincorp, Indian Energy Exchange, Coromandel International, Kirloskar Oil Engines, Punjab Chemicals And Crop Protection, Ruchi Soya Industries, Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company, Tourism Finance Corporation Of India, Vinati Organics, V-guard Industries, Vascon Engineers among others will be releasing their Q3 results today. So the Wuhan coronavirus has now spread to all 31 regions of China with around 7,800 confirmed cases till Thursday. There are 17 more countries where at least one confirmed case has been found. Major airlines have cancelled flights to mainland China and many countrie, including India, have started evacuating their citizens from Wuhan. In fact, Air India's B747 aircraft has left to Wuhan this afternoon to evacuate Indians. WHO has declared this outbreak a 'Global Health Emergency' after many human to human interaction cases have been found all across the globe. Even when it has no direct cure as of now, more than 100 cases of Coronavirus in China have been controlled and a few of the patients have been discharged as well. Do you know how? Because the Finance Ministry of China has allocated around $4 billion for prevention and control measures of coronavirus and the country has done remarkably well from the allocated fund. A 1,000 bed Huoshenshan facility will be operational from February 3 and a 1,600-bed hospital at Leishenshan will be operational from February 5. Not even 2 weeks after they started planning. The combined population of India and China is 36 per cent of the total population of the world. Hence with no vaccine found yet, India is the most vulnerable country in this situation with current infrastructure and planning, India is ready to tackle Coronavirus: MEA - 5 pilots, 15 cabin crew, 5 doctors & 1 para medic along with Amitabh Singh Chief of Pilots left for Wuhan to evacuate around 325 Indians by Air India's B747 aircraft this afternoon - All evacuated Indians will be kept in quarantine outside Delhi - Indian Army setting up corona virus isolation centre at Manesar for Wuhan returnees - Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has informed that screening of passengers has been increased to 20 airports from seven earlier - The number of laboratories testing coronavirus samples will be increased to 10 instead 1 - Citizens with travel history to China since January 1, 2020 have been asked to report to the nearest hospital in case of any health issues - Indian Ports have been asked to deny shore permits to vessels coming from China - As of now only one case of Coronavirus has been confirmed in the country - a Wuhan University student from Kerala. Her health is stable as of now - Health advisory, Guidelines & Helpline number (011-23978046) has been issued by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Challenges and Vulnerabilities of Indian Health Sector - The Budget for the health sector in financial year 2019-20 was Rs 62,398 crore which is hardly 1 per cent of the total GDP. Moreover, public total public expenditure is around 17 per cent in India, against 24 per cent in China above 44 per cent in US and Sri Lanka. Hence the low health standards. - There is a huge geographical inequality in Indian health sector & majority of the rural population is far away from the modern health services - WHO's recommended ratio of doctor to patient is 1:1000, in India it is 1:1445 - Out of 23,582 government hospitals 19,810 are in rural areas & everyone is aware of their condition. Hardly any of them are well equipped to handle any kind of medical emergency or crisis. Immediate steps which Indian Government should take - The advisory issued on Coronavirus should reach to both rural and urban sectors of the society through social media, TV, radio & print advertisements - Learn from China & develop quick response mechanism - State governments should be ready with protocols of distributing N95 masks, surgical gowns, and goggles - All international airports should be facilitated with screening of passengers - Passengers with travel history to China should be specially monitored till at least 1 week & government authorities should have ready information. Basic Guidelines for each and every individuals (WHO) - Clean your hands 3 times a day with soap & water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers - Cover your nose and mouth while you or someone around you is coughing and sneezing - Avoid any sort of close contact with someone who has cold or flu - Eat thoroughly cooked non vegetarian food. - No unprotected contact with live wild or farm animal And last but not the least, keep sharing the information with your loved ones & spread awareness. Together we can fight this out. (Vedank Singh is a political commentator. Views expressed are personal) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 27) Fourteen people are under investigation for suspected infection of the novel coronavirus. Eleven of are cases recorded by the Department of Health from January 12 to 16, reported in hospitals in Muntinlupa City, Pasay City, Kalibo in Aklan, Tacloban, El Nido in Palawan, Cebu City, and Camiguin. We're closely monitoring 11 PUIs (patients under investigation), which means they more often than not presented symptoms with fever, cough colds, some shortness of breath, and a travel history in Wuhan, Health Secretary Franciso Duque III told CNN Philippines The Source, stressing that the country remains free of the coronavirus. Duque said the individuals are of international nationalities including Chinese, Brazilian, American, and German. The cases had reported travel history in Wuhan, China the city at the center of the virus new strain (2019-nCoV). The San Lazaro Hospital in Manila confirmed Monday night to CNN Philippines that three Chinese nationals have been admitted and are considered PUIs. Two of them, a couple who came from Wuhan, had been admitted since Friday. San Lazaro Hospital spokesperson Dr. Ferdinand de Guzman said only the man had exhibited flu-like symptoms, but his female partner had also been admitted. Another Chinese man from Hubei province has been admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital, De Guzman said. Wuhan is located in Hubei province. De Guzman said nose and throat swabs from the three Chinese patients have been sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine for testing and have also been sent to Australia for confirmatory testing. They expect results from Australia on Wednesday or Thursday. Some of the PUIs have already tested negative for the coronavirus including a five-year-old boy in Cebu, and the Brazilian and Taiwanese children in Palawan, and the 29-year-old man in Camiguin. What we know is that the one in Cebu, the five-year-old has been discharged already. And there are some who are in the process of being released now, DOH Epidemiology Bureau officer-in-charge Chito Avelino said in a media briefing in Malacanang. Duque added theres no cause for alarm for other patients who would seek treatment in hospitals where some of the PUIs are housed. There shouldnt be any cause for alarm just because we flashed (presented) the areas where the PUIs come from, doesnt meant that those areas are infected with the novel coronavirus. Because there is none, Duque said. Aside from respiratory and fever symptoms, other cases which can be categorized as PUIs include: individuals who have had direct contact with a confirmed case of novel coronavirus; individuals who had interactions with health workers of a facility tackling the illness; individuals who have visited the animal market in Wuhan the Chinese city at the center of the virus new strain(2019-nCoV); and individuals who have had contact or eaten animals from the market. The coronaviruses, believed to be a cousin of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus, are a large group of viruses common among animals, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization, however, said the coronavirus is not as deadly as SARSas the latter posted a higher mortality rate. In advanced cases, the virus can also cause other respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia. At least 80 people have been killed by the mysterious respiratory illness in China, CNN reported Monday. Over 2,000 confirmed cases have also been listed. The outbreak of the coronaviruswhich has spread to other regions including the United States and Europehas prompted several international airports to impose stricter security and monitoring measures. Zero confirmed cases, no to fake news Meanwhile, the Manila Health Department stressed there is no confirmed case of coronavirus at the Metropolitan Hospital in Binondo countering claims circulating online. In a statement, the city government said the suspected casea 27-year-old man from Obei, Chinashowed symptoms but did not list any history of travel to Wuhan, or history of exposure to a positive case. The Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Alabang also debunked speculations that it is treating a patient with confirmed 2019-nCov. Duque also appealed to some Filipinos, particularly netizens, to stop spreading false information amid the ongoing coronavirus scare. This can cause a lot of anxiety and undue fear. We have to be very careful. Do not absorb all these news just because you find it on social media, the Health Secretary said. Work Continues on Business Improvement District for Main Street The Minister for Business has met with representatives of the Gibraltar Federation of Small Businesses (GFSB) and The Mosaic Partnership as part of the ongoing progress and implementation of a Business Improvement District (BID) for Main Street. The Mosaic Partnership is an international consulting team specialising in BIDs. The BID will be an exciting and encouraging way for local businesses to enhance their trading services to make positive changes to the area and also enrich the experience for customers. During the meeting, the Minister along with the GFSB discussed matters in relation to the implementation of the BID with Mo Aswat and Sue McGeown from The Mosaic Partnership. Amongst these, the legislative framework, that will be necessary for the rolling out of the project. Further discussions included what the businesses wanted the project to deliver and how it can best be achieved. The Minister for Business, the Hon. Vijay Daryanani said: The Government fully supports this initiative by the GFSB to enhance and fulfil the potential that we all believe Main Street can enjoy as an international shopping area for locals and visitors. As we have previously mentioned, the Government is financially committed to supporting this project on a pound for pound basis Julian Byrne, Chairperson of the GFSB said, "We are very excited to see the positive progress that is being made towards creating the Main Street BID. The GFSB are very grateful to the Government for their support from day one, both financially, plus also in the time and effort dedicated to it. Having a Minister of Business who has a great deal of experience in Main Street has been incredibly beneficial to this whole project. Today's meeting is one of many as we push forward to make the Main Street BID a reality, which will be beneficial for business owners, the Government, tourists and locals too." As fear of coronavirus contagion spreads around the globe, airlines are adjusting schedules and travelers with plans to fly in coming weeks are likely concerned. This situation is quite fluid at the moment, but for now, here's an FAQ to help. As the disease and fear spread, expect to see more passengers wearing face masks. It's also likely that cabin crew and airport workers may start wearing them due to their daily contact with hundreds of travelers. It's a good idea to pack one along in your carry on and to use it if you are seated near someone exhibiting symptoms such as coughing, sniffling or sneezing. While a face mask may not completely prevent an aerosolized virus getting to you, it does help keep your hands away from your nose and mouth. As the Mayo Clinic site says: "It can't hurt and it might help." UPDATE: First confirmed coronavirus infection in the Bay Area What should travelers expect in the airport screening process? Many airports are employing heat-sensitive cameras to scan groups of all travelers at the airport (see image above). If you have a fever, you may be pulled out of line for further questioning and screening in a private area. If traveling to or from Asia, you will likely receive pamphlets or questionnaires from airport workers asking about any symptoms. UPDATE: On Sunday, a quarantine order will go into effect in the US, blocking the entry of non-US citizens who have traveled in mainland China in the last 14 days and pose a risk of transmitting the virus. Immediate family members of US citizens and permanent residents who have been in mainland China in the last 14 days will be allowed in, but be subject to heightened screening and monitoring measures. All travelers entering the US who have been in Wuhan and the Hubei province in the last 14 days will be subject to a 14-day quarantine. (Read more about this here.) Where should I sit on the plane to avoid getting a bug? In an earlier SFGATE story, we cited a study showing that you are least likely to pick up a cold or flu bug if seated by a window. You can read more about that here. What can travelers do to protect themselves? Wash your hands as often as possible during your trip my travel mantra is to wash them every time I see a sink during my journey, and when you don't see any sinks, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer either your own, or from dispensers at airports, hotel lobbies and other public places. Bring along a travel pack of anti-bacterial wipes and wipe down everything at your seat especially the seat belt buckle, arm rests, air nozzles, recline buttons, window shade handles, tray tables, video screens and controllers. Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose and eyes wearing a mask can help remind you not to do so. Listen to SFGATE's Chris McGinnis discuss this in a recent KCBS interview. Where can I get a mask and wipes for my trip? I'm finding that many stores are rapidly selling out of masks and wipes, so you might try buying them online. If you are unable to find these, simply travel with handkerchiefs or bandanas these can be used to shield your nose, mouth and hands when needed. Can I get a refund from the airlines if I'm scheduled to fly in coming weeks or months? Typically, you can only get a full refund if your flight is canceled, and currently many airlines have canceled all flights to Mainland China. For travel elsewhere in Asia, you might be able to avoid a change fee and/or fare difference, but right now it is unlikely that you'll get a refund if your flight is not cancelled. If you cancel your non-China flight simply due to fear of contagion, do not expect a refund or waiver. United, Delta and American Airlines announced on Friday that they will suspend/cancel all flights to China. Here is United's statement: "In response to the continued drop in demand for travel to China and the U.S. Department of States decision to raise its China travel advisory to a Level 4, we are suspending operations between our hub cities and Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai beginning February 6 until March 28. Until that date, we will continue to operate select flights to help ensure our U.S. based employees, as well as customers, have options to return home. We will continue to operate one daily flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. As always, the safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops." On Saturday, Delta advanced its cancellations to start Feb 1 instead of the originally planned Feb 6. Which countries should I be most worried about traveling to? Currently China is at the epicenter of the outbreak and transportation to, from and within the country has pretty much come to a halt. If the disease spreads to other countries in a significant way, transportation could be affected. Johns Hopkins University has set up a helpful took to track the infection and death rate around the world, which should help predict where travel problems could arise. You can see interactive graphic here. Most cruise lines have altered itineraries with Chinese ports of call so you'll still get your cruise, but won't stop in China. Don't expect an reimbursement for the change as cruise lines reserve the right to change ship itineraries as they see fit, much like they do to avoid hurricanes. How does travel insurance play into this? Standard travel insurance policies, which are notorious for loopholes and exceptions, likely will not cover much if the coronavirus outbreak affects your trip threatening non-refundable deposits on big ticket items like cruises, all-inclusive resort stays or prepaid hotel and rental cars. Here's what travel insurance website Squaremouth says: "Virus outbreaks do not fall under the standard cancellation reasons on most travel insurance policies. While travelers are advised not to visit affected destinations, they are not prevented from doing so. In simple terms, travel insurance cancellation benefits are designed to reimburse travelers who are prevented from traveling due to a specific list of reasons, like weather or an illness." However, more expensive "cancel for any reason" policies will likely pay up (at least partially) if you decide not to take a trip due to your fears. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Napa Police arrested a 37-year-old Clearlake man Thursday in connection with a strong arm robbery the day before in which a phone and wallet were taken from the victim at the Wells Fargo bank on Jefferson Street. While investigating the case, police learned the phone was in the parking lot of South Napa Marketplace, police said. Ronald James Rhea was found at South Napa Marketplace sitting in a vehicle that matched the one connected to the robbery, police said. The victim's wallet and phone were found in the vehicle, police said. During a further search, burglary tools, meth, heroin and drug paraphernalia were located in the passenger front seat area, police said. Rhea was booked into the Napa County jail for possible charges of robbery and possession of drugs and burglary tools. A second man, Kyler Dutch Casey, 26, was found in the vehicle with Rhea, police said. He was wanted on two misdemeanor arrest warrants from Mendocino County. He was arrested and booked without incident. Rhea and Casey were also tied to an incident earlier Thursday morning where they tried to pass a counterfeit $20 bill at Dutch Bros., police said. You can reach City Editor Kevin Courtney at kcourtney@napanews.com or at 707-256-2217. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Overview Belgium has the February presidency of the Security Council. It has decided to hold an open debate on transitional justice, and will also hold a high-level briefing on Integrating child protection into peace processes to resolve conflict and sustain peace. Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are expected to be in attendance, and King Philippe will most likely make a statement. Both the debate and the briefing will be presided over by the countrys foreign minister, Philippe Goffin. There will be two other meetings, briefings both, on thematic issues: on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and the Secretary-Generals tenth strategic-level report; and on small arms, to consider the Secretary-Generals sixth biennial report on the topic. Two meetings on European organisations are expected: the annual briefing by the Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the annual meeting on strengthening the partnership with the EU, with a briefing by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Several African issues will be addressed in February. The Council expects briefings, followed by consultations, on Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau and Somalia. It will hold an informal interactive dialogue on Burundi. It will hold consultations to receive a briefing on the 751 Somalia Sanctions Committee. It is also expected to adopt resolutions extending the mandates of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office (UNIOGBIS) in Guinea-Bissau, the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee as well as the measures related to the illicit export of crude oil from Libya, and the Panel of Experts assisting the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee. On Yemen, there will be a briefing in consultations and the adoption of a resolution renewing financial and travel ban sanctions and the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts. There will be the three regular meetings on Syria: briefings followed by consultations on the political and humanitarian situation and a meeting in consultations on chemical weapons. The regular briefing and consultations on Israel/Palestine will also take place. The Council will receive its first briefing, followed by consultations, on the new special political mission, the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). Regarding Asia, a briefing in consultations is expected on the work of the 1718 Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Sanctions Committee. Burundi may be discussed in an Informal Interactive Dialogue meeting. Council members will most likely follow closely developments in Myanmar and South Sudan, although no meetings on these issues were scheduled at press time. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the media before the start of the Budget session. PM said that the country should take advantage of the global situation. "We should ensure that this session is focussed mainly on economic issues. Both the Houses should have good debate over economic issues. India should take advantage of the global economic condition," said the Prime Minister. Live TV He added, "Our government is known for empowering women, Dalits and marginalised people. We will continue our efforts in the same direction." Modi said as this is the first session of 2020 and the decade, the effort should be to lay a strong foundation for the decade. While the Prime minister was speaking to media, opposition members including Congress protested against the CAA in the parliament complex. They wore black bands and raised slogans. A criminal justice advocacy group has launched The Ogg Blog, a website airing criticisms against Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg in advance of a crowded Democratic primary. The page is the latest display of some progressives discontent with the incumbent prosecutor, who had the backing of several such groups in 2016 when she ran for office as a reformer. We put together The Ogg Blog to provide the public with information about the justice system in Harris County and the role that the DA has played and continues to play, said Brooks Emanuel, counsel with The Justice Collaborative, which created the page. Recent entries include, Kim Ogg makes her fifth request for more prosecutors in under a year, again citing sketchy numbers, and Kim Ogg fails to halt Harris Countys Historic and much-needed misdemeanor bail-reform settlement. An earlier entry reads, Multiple commentators call Ogg out for betraying her reformer rhetoric by seeking the death penalty in at least 8 cases at the same time. Oggs campaign director, Jaime Mercado, defended Oggs actions, describing her as Texas's most progressive District Attorney. The impact that is felt by tens of thousands of people diverted from jail and cash bail by DA Ogg's policies will resonate with communities that suffered from over-prosecution by previous administrations, Mercado said. Victims of crime have noticed the renewed commitment DA Ogg has to protecting their rights. This is the focus of our Harris County District Attorney, and it will remain her focus. The upcoming primary will pit Ogg against opponents from her political left, who have attacked her for her requests for more prosecutors in her office and her opposition to a settlement on misdemeanor bail reform. The Justice Collaborative raised some of those issues on the blog to keep a running record of how Ogg is stifling reform and making Harris County less safe, the websites description reads. Mercado noted the blogs ties to Tides Advocacy, a public charity that partners with the collaborative and which has received funds from Real Justice PAC, which has endorsed Oggs Democratic primary opponent, Audia Jones. The voters want policies that are driven by their vision of a better criminal justice system, not an ideology forged in the echo chambers of Twitter, Mercado said, adding, voters are not swayed by a collection of doctored video clips, studies that review data predating DA Ogg's administration, and overlook the historic accomplishments she has administered as Texas's most progressive District Attorney. This is at least the second progressive group this month to come out against Ogg . Texas Organizing Project, which formerly supported the district attorney, instead endorsed Jones in the primary. Former prosecutor Carvana Cloud and defense attorney Todd Overstreet are also seeking to win the Democratic race. Note: An earlier version of this story said that The Justice Collaborative runs the advocacy journalism publication The Appeal. That is not correct. The Appeal, which is one of the collaborative's projects, is editorially independent from the collaborative. The Chronicle regrets the error. samantha.ketterer@chron.com Angola, IN (46703) Today Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%.. Tonight Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Low 26F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. Gregory Industries purchased a 120,000-square-foot facility in Decatur, Alabama, which will serve as the manufacturing headquarters for Gregory Tube. Gregory Tube relocated its first mill to Decatur in February 2019 and building updates are ongoing. A legacy Mid-Ohio Tubing facility in Butler, Ohio, will remain in operation for the next few months, but all manufacturing is expected to transition to Decatur by May 2020. "Decatur is the ideal location to help us grow Gregory Tube. It has been a manufacturing hub for decades, and the move gets us closer to many of our existing customers," said Bob Chufar, Vice President of Sales at Gregory Tube. Every Mid-Ohio Tubing employee will have a choice to either join Gregory Tube in Decatur or support Gregory Industries' operations in Canton, Ohio. There are currently 40 employees at the Decatur facility and Gregory Tube plans to hire another 15 early next year. By expanding the company's service area beyond central Ohio, Gregory Tube is able to serve customers throughout the Southeast with competitive prices, quick turnarounds and reliable support. For current customers, there will be no disruption in service as the changes take effect. "We have many exciting initiatives underway at Gregory Industries, so now is the perfect time to bring the tubing division into the brand family as Gregory Tube," said Matt Gregory, Chief Executive Officer at Gregory Industries. Contact a member of our team to learn more about the launch of Gregory Tube. About Gregory Industries Gregory Industries has a proud legacy of galvanizing and manufacturing expertise. For more than 100 years and five generations, Gregory Industries has dependably served customers throughout North America with roll formed steel products used in demanding applications. Through a commitment to quality and constant drive to improve, Gregory Industries exceeds expectations at every turn because excellence is a continuous process. Visit gregorycorp.com to learn more. About Gregory Tube Gregory Tube manufactures galvanized steel tubing used in metal buildings, carports, garage doors and conveyors. Offering a full range of tube sizes and capabilities to meet customer needs, the experienced Gregory Tube team consistently comes through with quick turnarounds, quality service and on-time deliveries. There is no one more dependable in the tubing industry than Gregory Tube, the preferred supplier of steel tubing and components. Visit gregorytube.com to learn more. SOURCE Gregory Industries Related Links http://www.gregorycorp.com Why would a provincial government that faces so many huge challenges take time out of its busy schedule to fix something that isnt broken? Its not clear, but that seems to be whats happening to the Public Interest Law Centre. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Why would a provincial government that faces so many huge challenges take time out of its busy schedule to fix something that isnt broken? Its not clear, but that seems to be whats happening to the Public Interest Law Centre. For nearly four decades, PILC has operated as a government-funded arm of Legal Aid Manitoba, fighting the good fight for vulnerable Manitobans and serving as the principal watchdog of Crown monopolies. Related Items Click to Expand Articles Jan 28, 2020: Bid to make public law centre private questioned Katie May With some measure of surprise, a recent review of Legal Aid services recommended that PILC be converted into a private, not-for-profit entity. Even more surprising, neither the Legal Aid review nor Justice Minister Cliff Cullen could make a salient argument for taking something that was clearly not broken and trying to fix it in such a dramatic fashion. The report, written by veteran lawyer Allan Fineblit, notes that PILC already receives outside funding from the Manitoba Law Foundation and the Manitoba Bar Association, and from advocacy organizations. On average, PILC only receives between $250,000 and $350,000 a year from general government revenues. Rather than acknowledging the great value that government gets from PILC, Mr. Fineblit pivots and argues that because most public interest law centres in Canada are not part of Legal Aid, PILC "could" be converted to a non-profit. What he fails to explain is why it "should" be converted. The reliable support PILC receives from Legal Aid is, in large measure, what has allowed it to perform such a broad and impressive array of work. PILC has been the primary force behind more than $600 million in rebates from Manitoba Public Insurance, and hard limits on rate hikes by Manitoba Hydro. The orders for these measures came from the Public Utilities Board, but their decisions were informed and influenced by PILC. PILC has also fought cases that involved French-language services, discrimination against international medical graduates, compassionate care benefits, immigrant and refugee claims, womens health rights, accessibility rights for the disabled, Indigenous rights and cases involving gender and sexual orientation. Rather than acknowledging the great value that government gets from PILC, Mr. Fineblit pivots and argues that because most public interest law centres in Canada are not part of Legal Aid, PILC "could" be converted to a nonprofit. Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. If that werent enough, in the 1980s PILC played a key role in a successful campaign to save Winnipegs iconic Omands Creek. Its hard to see why anyone would want to do anything to interrupt the good work that PILC does. Unless, of course, you resent the work that it does. It is no doubt ironic to some in the provincial government, including Crown monopolies, that they must frequently do battle with a legal advocacy office funded by the very same government. When you consider that PILC is by virtue of its relationship to Legal Aid somewhat unique in Canada, its not hard to see why some in this fiscally frugal government would want it gone. Its hard to see why anyone would want to do anything to interrupt the good work that PILC does. Unless, of course, you resent the work that it does. Perhaps PILC would be better off if it were removed from political meddling. But as a non-profit, more of its efforts will have to be spent raising money and inevitably less time spent on legal advocacy. That may be good for government but its bad for Manitobans. If PILC is to be severed, the PC government must make a stronger case for a change that could potentially reduce legal services for Manitobans who can least afford them. If government cant make that argument, it should leave PILC alone to do its good work. A plane carrying 83 British and 27 foreign nationals flew out on Friday from Chinas central city of Wuhan, the center of a virus epidemic that has killed more than 200 and infected more than 9,000, the British government said, Trend with reference to Reuters reports. The civilian aircraft chartered by the Foreign Office left Wuhan at 9.45 a.m., the government said in a notice on its website. It is due to arrive at 1 p.m. in Britain later on Friday, before continuing on to Spain, where the home countries of European Union citizens will take responsibility for the remaining passengers. We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave, Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, according to the notice. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. Following the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July of 2018, Scott Rhodes is said to have made 837 robocalls to Iowa consumers between August 28 and August 30, 2018 A Neo-Nazi podcast host from Iowa could face a near $13million fine from the Federal Communications Commision (FCC) for string of robocalls to promote white nationalism, including one using the 2018 killing of Mollie Tibbetts. The release, from Chairman Ajit Pai, details how Scott Rhodes - also known as Shott Platek - was involved in six separate robocall rollouts that reached folks from across the country from May to December 2018. The proposed amount for the fine was $12,910,000. 'Today, we begin to hold Rhodes accountable for his apparent violations of the law,' Pai said in the release. 'Our Notice of Apparent Liability will not undo the harm caused by these spoofed robocalls, particularly to the grieving family of Mollie Tibbetts and the community of Brooklyn. 'But it once again makes clear this Commissions determination to go after those who are unlawfully bombarding the American people with spoofed robocalls.' Following the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July of 2018, Rhodes is said to have made 837 robocalls to Iowa consumers between August 28 and August 30, 2018. Following the death of Mollie Tibbetts in July of 2018, Scott Rhodes is said to have made 837 robocalls to Iowa consumers between August 28 and August 30, 2018 about the undocumented man charged with her killing 'Preying on the tragedy, the calls contained inflammatory prerecorded messages and a womans voice apparently intended to impersonate Mollie Tibbetts saying kill them allthe them referring to illegal aliens from Mexico,' a release from the FCC states The calls started two days after the college student's funeral and referred to the undocumented man from Mexico who was charged for her murder. 'Preying on the tragedy, the calls contained inflammatory prerecorded messages and a womans voice apparently intended to impersonate Mollie Tibbetts saying kill them allthe them referring to illegal aliens from Mexico,' the release states. Rhodes is said to have 'used spoofed caller IDs that matched the area code and central office code for Brooklyn' - which violated the Obama-era Caller ID act. Besides calls related to Tibbetts' killing, Rhodes also organized five other calls that helped garner him increase publicity on his website 'The Road to Power.' Starting back between May 14 and May 18, 2018, Rhodes made 1,496 spooked robocalls to Californians in an effort to unseat incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein. The call included Anti-Semitic comments geared towards Feinstein's Jewish heritage. Starting back between May 14 and May 18, 2018, Rhodes made 1,496 spooked robocalls to Californians in an effort to unseat incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein. He made Anti-Semitic comments in the video Rhodes also made more than 1,300 calls to Florida and Georgia to blast Andrew Gillum and Stacey Abrams when they were both running in 2018 Rhodes made roughly 750 robocalls between September 21 and September 24, 2018, geared towards a local newspaper in Idaho that had a publisher that was 'a cancer' and a degenerate bartender.' Between October 20 and October 23, 2018, Rhodes made around 766 calls to Floridians targeting gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum. Those calls included 'a caricature of a black dialect' and 'jungle noises.' 583 robocalls Rhodes allegedly made between November 2 and November 3, 2018, were geared toward Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. In those calls, a person claimed to be Oprah - who was campaigning in Georgia for Abrams at the time. Rhodes made 2,023 calls to residents of Charlottesville, Virginia, between November 27 and December 4, 2018. Those calls blamed the police chief for Heather Heyer's death in an attempt to place some distance from James Field. CARROLLTON A missing Carrollton teenager, a search for whom triggered lockdown protocols in Carrollton, was found dead Thursday of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound. William C. Lane, 17, of Carrollton was found dead in a wooded area just off of Southwest 75th Avenue in Carrollton at 10:05 a.m. by a Greene County sheriffs deputy, according to authorities. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said goodbye to his father at a funeral service in Sydney. John Morrison died on Wednesday January 22, aged 84, and was farewelled in the city's eastern suburbs on Thursday. Mr Morrison, his wife Jenny and mum Marion paid tribute to John's life in a private memorial service at Church in the Marketplace, in Bondi Junction. Prime Minister Scott Morrison carries his father's coffin at a memorial service on Thursday Mr Morrison is seen at the private memorial service for his father at Church in the Marketplace John Morrison (right with the prime minister) died on Wednesday January 22, aged 84 Pictured: John Morrison, Marion Morrison, Jenny Morrison, Scott Morrison and his two daughter's Abbey and Lily John served in the Army as part of his National Service and was also a NSW Police Officer and later, Commander. He was also a dedicated member of the Force for his entire career. The Morrison family were supported by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, Heath Minister Greg Hunt and Member for Wentworth Dave Sharma at the service. Mr Morrison thanked the Australian public when he briefly referred to his father's passing at the National Press Club on Wednesday. 'My brother and my mother and I very much appreciate it. I mean, the outpouring has been quite overwhelming, frankly. Thousands and thousands of people,' he said. 'We'll remember him tomorrow and I'm not going to say any more than that, because I'll lose it.' On Thursday, Mr Morrison wrote on Facebook: 'We will remember you always Dad, as we say farewell today.' Mr Morrison, his wife Jenny and mum Marion paid tribute to John's life in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Thursday Marion Morrison (centre) arrives at the memorial service on Thursday Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack was in attendance at the Church in the Marketplace in Sydney on Thursday Radio presenter Ben Fordham is seen on the phone outside the ceremony on Thursday 'To all those who have sent their kind wishes, thank you on behalf of all of our family.' When Mr Morrison announced John's death last week, the prime minister said his father 'lived a great life and was much loved'. John was a 'loving husband', a 'wonderful' father and a 'devoted' grandfather, Mr Morrison said. 'Dad lived a life of love, faith, duty and service,' the prime minister said. John served in the Army as part of his National Service and was also a NSW Police Officer and later, Commander. He was also a dedicated member of the Force for his entire career Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt arrives for the memorial service of John Morrison The Morrison family were also supported by former NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione The father-and-son also shared a commitment to their Christian faith. 'Our family will miss him terribly, but we are extremely thankful for his great blessing in all of our lives,' Mr Morrison said. 'Love you Dad and well done good and faithful servant.' 'The Morrison family would like to thank you for the many expressions of love and support we have received,' the Order of Service said Mr Morrison speaks with guests following Thursday's service for his father who died last week Bolgatanga Central MP Isaac Adongo has called for the arrest of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta for, according to him, using GHS15.6 billion of taxpayers money to collapse nine local banks. The opposition member of Parliaments Finance Committee said the banks would not have collapsed if Mr Ofori-Atta had settled contractors who borrowed loans from the now-defunct banks so they could be afloat. Mr Adongo questioned why Mr Ofori-Atta refused to pay the banks the GHS5.7 billion owed them but doled out GHS15.6 billion to collapse them. His comments follow the arrest and arraignment of the founder and former CEO of UT Bank, Mr Kofi Amoabeng and the founder and former CEO of The Beige Bank, Mr Mike Nyinaku, who is on remand. They have both been charged with stealing and money laundering. Speaking on Accra FM, the lawmaker said the Minister of Finance should rather be arrested and not the founders and managers of those banks. If President Akufo-Addo wants to penalise managers behind the collapse of the banks, then he should have first arrested his cousin Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister. The banks wouldnt have collapsed if the Finance Minister and the government had settled the debts of contractors who were also the main debtors of the collapsed banks. The President should be bold and arrest Ken Ofori-Atta before he makes any move to prosecute the accused bank managers, Mr Adongo said. He described the arrest of the two bank founders as a show off, adding that only the court can determine their guilt or innocence. Mr Adongo wondered why the government, after destroying banks belonging to people it perceives as opposition elements, is still bent on tarnishing the images of those people. Source: Class News 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 Airbus will pay 830 million to end a UK investigation into corruption offences in a deal approved at the High Court in London. The aircraft manufacturer faced five charges under the Bribery Act in relation to allegations it failed to prevent firms being offered financial incentives to buy planes and other equipment. But an agreement for the prosecution to be deferred, reached between Airbus and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), was approved by President of the Queen's Bench Division, Dame Victoria Sharp, on Friday. The aircraft manufacturer faced five charges under the Bribery Act in relation to allegations it failed to prevent firms being offered financial incentives to buy planes and other equipment Settlements of parallel investigations in France and the US were resolved simultaneously, resulting in a total figure worldwide of more than 3 billion. Dame Victoria said in a written ruling that the criminality involved was 'grave' and took place over many years, extending into every continent in which Airbus operates. She said the agreement reached included a significant financial penalty, which would send an 'important deterrent message to corporate wrongdoers'. The judge added: 'By entering into the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), the SFO avoids the significant expenditure in time and money inherent in any prosecution of Airbus, and it can use its limited resources in other important work. National Financial Prosecutor Jean Francois Bohnert speaks to the media at Paris court house Friday. A French court approved an agreement with Airbus that would see them pay up 'The DPA is likely to provide an incentive for the exposure and self-reporting of organisations in similar situations to Airbus. 'As the SFO submits, this is of vital importance in the context of complex corporate crime.' Allison Clare, for the SFO, told the court Airbus had demonstrated 'exemplary, genuine and proactive co-operation' during the investigation. Ms Clare said the settlement figure was the largest ever for a DPA and amounted to more than all previous similar settlements combined. Hugo Keith QC, representing Airbus, said there had been a 'change in the culture and management of the company' since the time of the allegations. Allison Clare, for the SFO, told the court Airbus had demonstrated 'exemplary, genuine and proactive co-operation' during the investigation. Jean Francois Bohnert pictured Airbus A400M new Military troop and transport carrier the Royal Airforce have named 'ATLAS' at the Farnborough International Airshow Airshow The offences investigated by the SFO are alleged to have involved sales of aircraft in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and Ghana between 2011 and 2015. The prosecution will be suspended for three years, following which it will be discontinued provided Airbus complies with the terms of the agreement. Lisa Osofsky, director of the SFO, said in a statement: 'Airbus paid bribes through agents around the world to stack the decks in its favour and win contracts around the globe. 'Corruption like this undermines free trade and fair development and it is to Airbus's credit that it has admitted its culpability, cleaned its house and come forward to put this conduct to bed. 'A resolution of this scope would not have been possible without the commitment, determination and hard work of SFO staff and our French and American colleagues. 'We are also indebted to law-enforcement partners around the world for the support they provided in securing this record-breaking resolution.' The SFO said in a statement that their investigation remains active and the position in relation to individual prosecutions is still being considered. Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs decision to step away from their roles as working members of the British royal family have shocked many people. Many royal fans claim to be blindsided by the Sussexes choice to walk away from it all and carve out space from themselves in the non-royal world. However, from where were sitting, the writing has been on the wall for some time. The Sussexes and Cambridges never became the Fab Four that so many people wanted them to be. The brothers relationship had been fraught since Prince William questioned Prince Harrys relationship with Markle in 2016. Also, though they were friendly, Markle and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge were never really close. They also had very different experiences within the royal family. While Middleton was embraced as a perfect English rose Markle had been dealing with racism, bullying, and harassment since marrying into the family. Now that Megixt has occurred, one of the casualties is Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harrys once-close relationship. Compare these 20 headline and see how differently royal reporters treated Kate Middleton and Meghan Marklehttps://t.co/EwwPd3waJe pic.twitter.com/WYP402SY2R BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) January 13, 2020 Kate Middleton has been struggling amid Megxit The Duchess of Cambridge has always had a traditional approach when it comes to being a member of the British royal family. Since the Duchess of Sussexs approach was more modern, the direction of their households were very different. Still, though she adores the Sussexes, Middleton did not see Megxit coming. Kates in a panic and has been having bouts of anxiety, an insider told US Weekly. She barely has time to rest, and when she does try to sleep, her mind is constantly racing. Apparently, the duchess schedule is also extremely hectic with 18-hour workdays. Despite all of this, Middleton does want to make sure that her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis form a relationship with their cousin, Archie Harrison. Kate Middleton and Prince Harry used to be very close Middleton has know Prince Harry since she and Prince William first began dating in 2001. Therefore, the pair were always very close. The price even called the duchess the sister she never had. Prior to getting engaged to Markle, the threesome often did royal engagements together and the prince was always close to his niece and nephews. However, the distance between the royal brothers also caused distance between the duke of Cambridge and his sister-in-law who was stuck in the middle. Kate Middleton is scared shell never be close with Prince Harry again The Duchess of Cambridge truly feels like shes lost a brother amid Megixt. She wishes she could speak to Harry. She misses him and fears shell never be close to him again, an insider told US Weekly. Unfortunately, she hasnt been able to connect with Markle either. They couldnt be further apart, the source explained. Still, it appears that Middleton does understand the Sussexes decision on some level. After all, it wasnt a choice they made lightly. I spoke to Harry a few days ago, Prince Harrys close friend Nacho Figueras revealed in a new ABC special, Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan and the Crown. He has suffered a lot from all of the things that have happened to him. He wants to live a normal life, as normal as his life is going to be, right? Because when you have a thousand paparazzi outside your house in Canada waiting to get a picture of your son, thats not very normal. A n all-electric car-sharing scheme in London is being scrapped next month in a setback to the capitals ambitions to get more polluting vehicles off the road. French-owned Bluecity, which ran a fleet of distinctive red battery-powered cars, said its 5-per-half hour service was no longer financially viable after it secured deals with only three London councils. It will officially shut down on February 10. A second car-sharing club, German-owned DriveNow, is pulling out of London at the end of next month. It operated 130 electric BMW i3 cars out of a total fleet of more than 700 vehicles. Both services were point to point, allowing drivers to pick cars up, drive to anywhere in London and leave them there, in theory making it more flexible. However, they were plagued by disappointing take-up and the bureaucratic obstacle course of dealing with 33 local authorities. Bluecity, owned by the Parisian conglomerate Bollore, was launched in Hammersmith & Fulham in April 2017. At the time the company, which operated the similar but now defunct Autolib scheme in Paris, said it planned to make 3,000 cars available in London. In a statement today a Bollore spokesman said: Our mission has always been to deliver a smart and sustainable EV [electric vehicle] infrastructure whilst encouraging EV uptake across London. Due to the limited size of the network and the competitive environment, we have taken the difficult decision to close Due to the limited size of the network and the competitive environment, we have taken the difficult decision to close the Bluecity car-sharing service. DriveNow, which is owned by Daimler and BMW, said it was ending its service with a heavy heart. In a statement it said it had wanted to offer a flexible and attractive mobility solution. Although more and more Londoners integrated our service in their daily mobility behaviour we had to face the hard reality that we could still not convince enough people to do so, it added. Furthermore, we had to face local factors, like the high costs of operation and the different circumstances in the individual boroughs. An Arizona woman cannot use frozen embryos fertilized by her ex-husband to have children and has to donate them, according to a ruling by the state's Supreme Court. Ruby Torres had her eggs fertilized before undergoing cancer treatment in 2014, court documents say. At the time, she and her then-boyfriend, John Joseph Terrell, signed an agreement at the fertility clinic that said if they split up the embryos could either be donated to another couple or used by one of them to have children -- but only with the "express, written consent of both parties." The couple married days later and underwent in vitro fertilization, court documents state. The viable embryos were frozen and stored away. Torres' chemotherapy caused a "significant drop in her reproductive function," the documents say. They divorced in 2017, kicking off a court battle. On one side is Torres, who wants to keep the embryos. On the other is Terrell, who doesn't want to father any children with his ex-wife and wants the embryos to be donated. A family court initially ruled in Terrell's favor, saying his "right to not be compelled to be a parent outweighs (Torres') right to procreate and desire to have a biologically related child." An appeals court then overturned the family court's decision and ruled in Torres' favor. In its ruling Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court pointed to the contract and the condition that said the embryos "cannot be used to produce pregnancy against the wishes of the partner." The court said it was "cognizant of the unavoidable emotional fallout" that could come from the decision. But because the couple couldn't come to an agreement, the court said, under the contract, "the court could only direct donation of the embryos." "These are extremely difficult and emotional issues, so it's best for couples to make decisions ahead of time," and that was what happened in this case, said Eric M. Fraser, Terrell's attorney, in a statement to CNN. "The Arizona Supreme Court enforced their contract," Fraser added, "which gives much-needed certainty to other couples around the state that courts will respect the decisions they make." An attorney for Torres has not responded to CNN's requests for comment. Her lawyer, Stanley Murray, told CNN affiliate KNXV that even the courts couldn't agree on an interpretation of the couple's contract. "So that just goes to show you even attorneys can't agree on what this particular contract provided," Murray said. Donald Trump likes saying that, back when he was in the business world, a difficult deal would always be compared to reconciling Israel and the Palestinians. With this weeks Mideast plan, he claimed he nailed it. In fact, imo, this one always seemed the most easily resoluble major global conflict. The solution has been clear for decades: two states with international security guarantees. Jerusalem shared. Return of some Palestinian refugees; compensation for others. Land swaps. There was solid support for this among both peoples. The real mystery is why it never got done. Thats partly due to lack of commitment by Israels leaders, whoever they happened to be, and partly to inept Palestinian leadership. The Trump peace plan laid out by son-in-law Jared Kushner is the worst answer ever to this highly solvable puzzle. The mess began with Kushner and Trumps Israel ambassador David Friedman hard right supporters of Israels government and its illegal (by international law and the UN) settlements. No voice from the Palestinian side. Its as if England tried settling the American Revolution with a plan drawn up in George IIIs court. There, that was easy. Basically it gives everything to Israel and, er, thats the plan. The U.S. recognizes annexation of settlements whether Palestinians sign on or not. In return a patch of desert somewhere. Total, continuing military control. Not Jerusalem for Palestines capital but a sleepy village. Eventually, maybe, a state with no army, ports or airport. Apartheids Bantustans were more viable. And, possibly, $50 billion in aid, implying that Palestinians have no sense of dignity. It makes the failed Oslo accords of 1993, signed on the White House lawn, look good, as they seemed to then. Only the late Edward Said and a few others, pointed out their flaws, which were fatal: no bottom lines, no serious timelines. Said sadly wrote that not a single Palestinian watching the White House ceremony did not also feel that a century of sacrifice, dispossession and heroic struggle had finally come to naught. He was merciless about Palestinian leader Arafat thanking everyone for the suspension of most of his peoples rights. By 2000, when it all stalled, the U.S. brought them back to Camp David where, it was widely said, Arafat turned down the best offer Israel would ever make. That seemed obviously false. I once asked another insightful Palestinian, Mustafa Barghouti, why Arafat had failed to expose that myth about Israels most generous offer. Sheer incompetence? he suggested. It floored me, and Id thought I was deeply cynical about politicians. Yet, back then there was at least a facade of respect and bargaining. What the new plan proves is: No matter how awful things are, they can get worse. Enough moaning. What should be done now? My friend, Chris Giannou, a somewhat legendary battlefield surgeon with much Mideast experience, has long said the Palestinians should hand their essentially sham authority back to Israel on taxes, health, education to expose who holds real power there. Then begin a grassroots campaign for justice and equity in whatever form seems apt. Others go farther: abandon two states. Realities like the settlements have made it impossible. Campaign for a single secular state, with equal rights and votes. Thats appealing. It acknowledges reality. Yet it seems to me even less realistic than two states, given the nature of Israeli political culture today. I wish there were a clear answer about which way to go, Im afraid I dont see it. One sign of things getting worse is the decline in Arab support for the Palestinians. It was always unreliable but existed. The Arab Spring offered hope but it faded. Palestinians are starting to seem in ways more like the Kurds: a stateless, placeless entity that carries heroically and implacably on. Another is the waning support in Israels Jewish population. From earliest days there was a constituency committed to equality, even a binational state. At times it was politically significant. Now it barely consists of a few human rights groups like BTselem and noble individuals at institutions like Haaretz. The failure is everyones: Israel, the Palestinians, our species. When the unjustness is so obvious and answers been so clear, what else can you call it? Get this newsletter in your inbox Monday-Friday by signing up at subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters. Top stories for Friday, Jan. 31 Mercy Corps employees wrote messages to Tania Culver Humphrey outside the organization's Portland headquarters. "We believe you, we stand with you Tania." Beth Nakamura/Staff MERCY CORPS: Portland-based Mercy Corps on Thursday said it would initiate an outside review to determine if co-founder Ellsworth Culver abused or exploited children besides his daughter, Tania Culver Humphrey. The pending review is part of the fallout from The Oregonian/OregonLives 10-month investigation into the nonprofits mishandling of credible sexual abuse claims against Culver by Humphrey. Mercy Corps employees rallied around Humphrey (above, a chalk message outside the nonprofits headquarters) after the investigation was published. COAST TRAGEDY: It was supposed to be a weekend to celebrate Jamie Stiles birthday. Instead, the Portland mother lost her young son and daughter after a sneaker wave pulled them and her husband off a path at Cape Falcon. The honor of knowing these children, she said, was worth every minute. OREGON LEGISLATURE: The Oregon Legislature may convene its 2020 session on Monday without Senate President Peter Courtney, who has been in a Portland hospital for nearly a month receiving treatment for a staph infection in his replacement hip and for other serious complications. CLIMATE CURRICULUM: A $250,000 gift from Portland General Electric will pay for materials, technology and training to help Portland Public Schools roll out lessons about humans impact on the climate and environment. CURA CANNABIS: Oregons biggest marijuana company will pay a record $110,000 penalty to settle state allegations that it mislabeled its Select brand of vaping products, incorrectly claiming more than 186,000 vapes were 100% marijuana. The settlement includes a dishonest conduct sanction. JEREMY CHRISTIAN TRIAL: An aunt of Taliesin Namkai-Meche testified Thursday that moments before Jeremy Christian stabbed and killed her nephew on a MAX train in May 2017, she had suggested that he might record Christians rant and then hand the video evidence to police. She added, Please dont get involved. Keep up with the trial at oregonlive.com/crime, by subscribing to our free email newsletter, or via podcast or your digital assistant of choice - well have dispatches from the courtroom most afternoons. Snap of the day NOW THATS A TOPPING: Portlands five best new pizzerias, according to Oregonian restaurant critic Michael Russell, include Zapapizza, which offers this taquito slice. Yes, its a slice of pizza topped with a taquito. (Beth Nakamura/Staff) More news Ex-Weyerhaeuser employee pleads guilty to fraud in theft of more than $4.5 million from company Portland restaurant returns $5,000 tip left by accident Nordstrom starts selling upscale second-hand clothes Inji, one of worlds oldest orangutans, celebrates her 60th birthday at Oregon Zoo Archie, a therapy dog, has a full-time job at Portlands Franklin High School (Video) Meet Jocko - Portland Police Bureaus new comfort canineFind more at oregonlive.com Weather and traffic Friday will start out rainy then taper to scattered showers by the afternoon. High 60, low 50. Rain is expected throughout Saturday. Itll be much colder Sunday, with rain and snow showers likely early, then all rain after about 10 a.m. Portland closes out January with its highest rain total in nearly 3 years In Portland, crews are working on a slide on West Burnside Street from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. through Sunday. The westbound lane will reopen at about 3 p.m. daily and remain open during non-work hours. The eastbound lane remains closed until at least Monday. Get the latest forecast at oregonlive.com/weatherStay up to date on traffic conditions at oregonlive.com/commuting Advice Ask Amy: Fat-shamed as a child, Mom worries shes walking the same path Dear Abby: Helpful aunt would like to support niece in time of trouble Dear Annie: Should I tell my neighbors to cover their 16-month-olds head? Find more, including today's horoscope, at oregonlive.com Todays comics The Oregonian brings back Non Sequitur daily Click here to see todays comics Todays obituaries Click here to find area deaths reported recently Today in history In 1865: The U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery. In 1958: The United States entered the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite, Explorer 1, from Cape Canaveral. In 1990: McDonalds Corp. opened its first fast-food restaurant in Moscow. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Prime Minister Imran Khan may seem to be United States (US) President Donald Trumps new best friend, or at least one of his good friends, but, contrary to the optics, relations between the countries havent changed substantively. First, the optics. And lets begin with Exhibit A, the grin-and-grip in Davos earlier this month. Trump started the joint appearance with Khan their third, thus far by declaring Khan a very good friend, and proceeded to repeat his offer to mediate in Pakistans dispute with India over Kashmir. But it went well for Khan. And there was more good news. Exhibit B: It became known shortly that the US was less willing to pursue the blacklisting of Pakistan by an international watchdog on counterterrorism than New Delhi had expected. More than a year ago, it was the Trump administration which had pushed the body, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force to put Pakistan on its grey-list of countries with suspect counterterrorism measures. Now, Pakistan is off the hook. Exhibit C: The US resumed last December, an all-paid training programme for Pakistani military officials under the International Military Education and Training Programme that had been suspended. What changed? Trumps desperation to get out of Afghanistan, ending one of Americas unending wars as he had promised as a candidate. And Pakistan, as chief sponsor of the Taliban, was in a position to help. A White House visit was dangled as bait for the newly-elected Khan. And he bit, by delivering a key Taliban negotiator to the peace negotiations, Mullah Baradar. So, should India worry? It shouldnt. But it probably would, because it has tended to see Washington as a trophy to be won from, or lost to, Pakistan in recent years, resuming its struggle to accept the de-hyphenation of the USs dealings with India and Pakistan. Otherwise, there hasnt been any substantive change in US-Pakistan relations. The freeze on nearly $2 billion in security aid to Pakistan remains in place; a third, for the sake of context and comparison, of the $6 billion International Monetary Fund package Pakistan accepted last year to deal with its external debt crisis. Pakistan has received more than $33 billion from the US in security aid since 2002, the year after the US invaded Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorists attacks. The suspension formalised a downturn in relations that started on the night of May 1, 2011, when US navy SEAL commandoes found and killed Osama bin Laden in a walled compound barely a mile from Pakistans elite military academy in Abbottabad. US-Pakistan ties have still not recovered from that fatal blow to the most basic pillar of any relationship: Trust. Trump remembered and alluded to it as he blasted Pakistans lies & deceit in his now-famous January 1 tweet of 2018. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, he wrote. This abiding distrust afflicts the core of the relationship now, metastasising to every part and corner, rendering it beyond repair. This ship has sailed, as a long-time watcher of US-Pakistan ties has said of the dismal prospects of the ties. yashwant.raj@hindustantimes.com The views expressed are personal Brazos Valley area Scouts will be picking up an estimated 1,000 pounds of nonperishable food items from front porches Saturday as part of the 2020 Scouting for Food drive. Those Boy Scout of America troops affiliated with the Arrowmoon district will then donate the goods to area food pantries, including the Brazos Valley Food Bank. Last year, local children collected more than 12,500 pounds and $350 in cash donations, according to an Arrowmoon press release. Since 2005, the Scouting for Food campaign has been held in conjunction with the national food drive known as the Souper Bowl of Caring. Area scouts put fliers on doors at area homes last weekend announcing Saturdays food drive. Its such an easy way to make an enormous impact on hunger in our community, said Chuck Konderla, leader for Pack 383 in Bryan. Pack 383 covers neighborhoods in the West Villa Maria Road region of Bryan. The Cub Scouts can receive participation badges and community service credits for their work, Konderla said. The Senate will vote on whether to call any witnesses in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump on Jan. 31, but with a dearth of Republicans signaling a willingness to side with Democrats, witnesses are expected to be blocked. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) became the latest potential swing vote to announce late Thursday that hed vote against calling additional witnesses. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, he said. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said Wednesday that hed also vote against calling witnesses. I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness, he said, referring to the 17 witnesses calling during the House impeachment inquiry. With Alexander and Gardner voicing their opposition, Democrats face a dwindling number of GOP senators who might side with them in the witness vote. I hope we can get witnesses and documents. Its an uphill fight. Is it more likely than not? Probably no. But is it a decent, good chance? Yes, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Thursday. Fridays trial will open with four hours of arguments about the need to call more witnesses. The Senate will then vote on the matter. The vote comes after senators submitted 180 questions, the vast majority of which were answered by House impeachment managers, Trumps legal team, or both. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have indicated support for calling witnesses. Collins announced late Thursday that shed vote for witnesses. I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity, she said in a statement. Neither Romney nor Murkowski have committed to voting with Democrats. Murkowski said shed announce her decision on Friday but signaled skepticism that testimony from former National Security Advisor John Bolton would be relevant. Isnt it true that the allegations still would not rise to the level of an impeachable offense, and that therefore for this and other reasons his testimony would add nothing to the case? a query from Murkowski and Alexander on Thursday read. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. A simple majority is required to call additional witnesses. A tie could be broken by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, but he has rarely wielded his authority as the officer presiding over the trial. Its possible that Democrats need more than four Republican votes, as one or more moderate Democrats could side with Republicans. Trump was impeached by the House last month in a sharply partisan vote. The charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress were sent to the Senate earlier this month, triggering the trial. Democrats say Trump was acting in his personal interest when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2019 to look into allegations of corruption against former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Bidens son, Hunter. They allege he paused congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to try to pressure Zelensky into launching an investigation into the Bidens. Trump has said it was his duty to look into the matter and noted that a slew of experts, including a number of witnesses who testified during the impeachment inquiry, said there were continuing concerns about corruption in Ukraine. The election of Zelensky, who ran promising reform, didnt cause the concerns to vanish overnight, Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told lawmakers during the trial. Does anybody think that one election of one president that ran on a reform platform, who finally gets a majority in their legislative body, that corruption in Ukraine just evaporates? Sekulow said. From The Epoch Times Moody's Investors Service on Friday downgraded the ratings of Nayara Energy to Ba3 from Ba2 and also changed the outlook to negative from stable. Formerly Essar Oil, Nayara is controlled by the Russian state-owned lender VTB and oil giant Rosneft along with a clutch of funds after they bought the debt-laden Ruias out in August 2017 for over USD 13 billion. "The downgrade to Ba3 reflects the significant deterioration in Nayara's corporate family credit metrics, driven largely by the weak refining margin environment in Asia," Moody's said in a note. The weak industry conditions are reflected in the Singapore benchmark refining margins, which declined to around UD3.4/bbl for the June 2019 quarter, from USD4.9/bbl in FY19 and USD 7.2/bbl in FY18, the agency noted. "The weakness in refining margins is attributable to weak product demand as well as high differential between Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude prices, which kept feedstock cost elevated for Asian refiners, it added. Nayara's operating performance was further affected by the planned maintenance shutdown in December, leading to lower throughput and capacity utilisation. In addition, the implementation of new accounting standards has resulted in higher leverage and further weakened the credit metrics, the report said. Nayara's leverage increased to 6.3x for last 12 months to June 2019 from 3.9x in FY18, and interest cover declined to 1.5x from 2.1x over the same period. However, tightening regulations on the use of heavy fuel oil in the shipping industry from January 2020 will result in an increase in demand for middle distillates and thus lead to some recovery in refining margins, the note said. "We expect Nayara to benefit from the new regulations given its high proportion of light and middle distillate output," it said, adding in addition, the expansion of its fuel retail network along with the deployment of surplus cash towards debt reduction will support further improvement in its profitability and credit metrics. "While we expect Nayara's credit metrics to improve over the next 12-18 months, they will continue to remain weakly positioned ," the note said, adding in particular, the leverage is expected to improve to 4.7x by March 2021, and the interest cover to around 1.8x over the same period. Negative outlook reflects that the regional refining margin environment continues to remain uncertain and could delay improvement in Nayara's credit metrics from current levels, the note concluded. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hester Diamond, a New York art collector, art dealer and interior designer who joined with her first husband in amassing an astonishing Modernist collection before tossing it aside in favor of old masters, died on Jan. 23 at her home in Manhattan. She was 91. Her son David Diamond said the cause was metastatic breast cancer. Ms. Diamonds career spanned more than six decades, beginning with a part-time gallery job in the 1950s and culminating in the presidency of a research institute dedicated to Florences Medici family. A self-taught art expert, Ms. Diamond always insisted that her first criterion for a purchase maybe her only one was loving the piece. There was no strategy, she said in a 2017 oral history interview for the Archives of American Art and the Center for Collecting in America. See an opportunity. Find the buyer. See how it goes. Until it's met, they do not intend to negotiate on the new exchange effort. The so-called "DPR", the Donetsk People's Republic, has put forward the condition for the Ukrainian side that has to be implemented before a new exchange of held persons could be carried out. That's according to a self-styled "ombudsperson of the DPR", Daria Morozova, read the reports by media operating in the temporarily occupied territories. Morozova says "DPR" representatives to the humanitarian subgroup at the Minsk talks will not be discussing any new exchange until "procedural cleansing" procedure is complete regarding persons Ukraine released earlier. "An exchange that took place on December 29, 2019, will be considered completed only after the completion of the procedure for the procedural cleaning of previously held persons. Until this paragraph is completed, any new actions toward the swap is off the table," she said. Read alsoNo new prisoner swap deal with Ukraine so far, Russian ombudsperson says As UNIAN reported earlier, on December 29 at the Mayorske checkpoint in Donetsk region, an exchange of held persons was held between the Ukrainian side and representatives of the occupied territories. Seventy-six persons were returned to Ukraine. Among those whom Ukraine handed over to the self-styled "authorities" in the occupied territories are those tried in Ukrainian courts. In one of the courts in Kyiv, hearings continue in the case of former "Berkut" riot police operatives, who are charged of in mass shootings at the Maidan during the Revolution of Dignity in February 2014. TELL MAAROUF, northeast Syria A boy is hunched on a bunk bed, his small fingers deftly stringing macrame beads. The result is a heart-shaped key ring. On it is inscribed the word Love. Nearby a pair of boys are playing Monopoly. In a communal kitchen one boy flips pancakes; others watch National Geographic TV or mill around the courtyard exchanging jokes. Egyptians, Bosnians, French and Pakistanis. They are from across the globe, united by a dark past in which they might have been beheading people or blowing themselves up. They are alleged cubs of the caliphate," the child soldiers of the Islamic State (IS). The Kurdish-led autonomous administration in northeast Syria, which lost thousands of men and women in the fight against the jihadis, are now trying to rehabilitate around 130 boys currently housed in this low red-brick building with arches, which locals say once served as a madrassa, or Islamic school, built by the Turco-Persian Ghaznavi sheikhs. This one is among the most dangerous, said Sarah Musa, a young Kurdish woman who runs the Houri Center east of the city the Kurds call Qamishlo but which is better known as Qamishli. A short boy with light brown skin and large green eyes walks into Musas office. He sits down next to a reporter. Throughout the interview his face remains emotionless, his body rigid and responses robotic. His name is Hassan. He is 16. He looks around 12. I dont care about birthdays, he said. He is from Deir ez-Zor. He moved with his parents, three brothers and three sisters in 2014 to Raqqa, where his father became an executioner for IS. I am Daesh, he told Al-Monitor, using the Arabic acronym for IS. I was trained to fight. I was told I would go to paradise. I still believe in Allah. But I no longer pray." Musa said a now-deleted YouTube posting showed Hassan holding a decapitated head. When Hassan first came here, the other children were very scared of him. He is highly intelligent and clearly received intensive training. He keeps to himself. He watches the others but never participates in their games. Hassans father is dead. His mother lives in Tabqa but has not visited him since he was brought here in 2017 and sentenced to seven years for terrorist activity by a juvenile court. Had Hassan beheaded anyone? No, I never beheaded anybody. Beheading isnt a part of Islam. It wasnt a good life. I wish I could go back to my normal life, the period before Daesh. But can he? That is the question that Noura Hasso, the resident educator, grapples with daily as she teaches the children how to behave well and to respect yourself. And if so, what then? Foreign governments are squeamish about taking the children back, not least because of the public backlash. This month, Norways coalition government collapsed when a right-wing party withdrew over the decision to let in an IS bride and her two children. When mothers and/or their children are taken back, it's on an ad hoc basis and not because of a policy enshrined in law. Western governments are in any case often too happy to write them off, claiming they cannot be de-radicalized. But experts say this type of framing is very much part of the problem. Leanne Erdberg, director of countering violent extremism at the US Institute for Peace, believes the concept of de-radicalization, which sets the bar impossibly high, should be cast aside in favor of "disengagement from violence. If governments think that these people must de-radicalize renounce their beliefs that seems pretty impossible, Erdberg told Al-Monitor in emailed comments. Disengagement, instead, is about leaving violent behavior and group identity. And we have seen people leave all sorts of groups gangs, cults, mafia organizations, abusive families, militias, and even terrorist groups. By talking about disengagement, governments can see practical ways to address at least some of the individuals and enact policies that allow opportunities to reject violence. For Syrians such as Hassan, disengagement is critical. He has four more years left to serve and when he turns 18 he will be forced to move to a prison for adults, where any of the good done here will vanish, Hasso said. The children are both criminals and victims. They are highly traumatized. They experience difficulty breathing. They get headaches and become confused. They love to smoke. The children whose ages range from 11 to 18 receive daily mathematics, biology and history lessons, among others. They are also taught Ahlak or ethics and to treat women as equals. The language of education is Arabic. Hasso said some of the children have shown signs of adapting. The boys, especially newcomers, would avoid looking at me because I am a woman and uncovered. On a recent afternoon, no such prudery was on display as dozens of the boys came into direct visual contact with a female reporter. Some even smiled and allowed themselves to be hugged. Rola Khatib, a prominent reporter for Dubai-based Al Arabiya television, recalled that the first time she interviewed the children at Houri in April 2019, many were hostile. A Syrian boy said he had been planning to execute her. I was so stunned I didnt know what to say so I just laughed, Khatib told Al-Monitor. On her second visit a few months ago many recognized her and came up to her. They were very friendly, like normal kids, she said. Hassan, who was also interviewed by Khatib, acknowledged, My ideas about women changed here. I would like to marry and settle in Tabqa. Mia Bloom, a professor at Georgia State University and the author of the newly published Small Arms: Children and Terrorism, told Al-Monitor, All the children are absolutely salvageable partly because they dont internalize an ideology until they grow older. Bloom continued in a telephone interview, We have to ascertain what the children saw and what they were forced to do and also consider what might have been done to them. Because at least in some instances IS took advantage of the children sexually, even of the Shia boys. It's not just the Yazidi girls who were enslaved or married off at the age of 7 and 8. Some of the boys were trained to be executioners at the age of 4. The really young ones can be salvaged because they can forget. The real problem lies with the tweens, boys aged 11 and 12, who dont have a lot of good memories from before the conflict and all they can remember of their childhood is this, Bloom said. Hamza who was 10 years old when he traveled with his parents, three brothers and two sisters, from Dagestan to Syria in 2015 fits the profile. Now he said all he wanted was to go back to my Babushka [granny] and to school. His father died in battle in Mosul. His mother remarried. Then her second husband died in a coalition airstrike. Hamza was captured with his mother and siblings by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Baghouz. He was separated from them and put in the back of a truck and taken to the Americans. They fingerprinted me and told me I would be prosecuted and then returned to my mother. I never was, Hamza said. The teen, who is accused of having undergone terrorist training, has a chunk of shrapnel lodged in his stomach, which along with his age is what probably aroused suspicion. The wound is open and he is in urgent need of surgery. He needs to be operated in either Damascus or Iraqi Kurdistan, said Musa, But there is nothing we can do. It's unclear what the criteria, if any exists, for bringing boys to Houri is. The center can accommodate no more than a 100 or so at a time. An untold number of boys, many of them severely wounded and malnourished, are being held elsewhere in northeastern Syria, often in appalling conditions. The UN and other international organization operating in Syria steer clear of establishments such as Houri for fear of upsetting the central government in Damascus, which does not recognize the autonomous administration. With no external support, Syrian Kurdish authorities are overwhelmed. Turkeys October incursion, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, made matters worse. In October, Human Rights Watch quoted a 16-year-old being held at a center for unaccompanied boys who said the SDF and US forces appeared to decide at random which boys to imprison and which to send to the camps or centers. The boy told the New York-based rights group, One American twice put me in a line to go to jail. But another American cursed him and said, Why are you putting him back? The boy is small. Musa insists that the boys are all here for a reason in other words, they were involved in violence. But it is hard to believe that all of them were. Omar, the bashful 12-year-old Egyptian who made the macrame heart, was brought here in March 2018 after the fall of IS last stronghold in Baghouz. His father died in a coalition airstrike in Deir ez-Zor. His mother and 6-year-old sister are living in Roj camp, where IS families are interned. Life in the caliphate was hard, always airstrikes and no food, only bread, Omar said. I did nothing bad, ever, he insisted with a pleading look. I want to be a dentist. Sulay Su, a 16-year-old Trinidadian who was helping make the pancakes, was lured along with his mother to Syria by an evil stepfather. The gun runner claimed he was taking them to Saudi Arabia for a holiday. Musa, trading fist bumps with the boy, said, He is one of our best students. Sus story was splashed across the UK daily The Daily Telegraph in August, which depicted a hapless victim of criminally irresponsible parents. His sister Sarah Lees appeals to the Trinidadian government to bring him back have fallen on deaf ears. A child that has bad enough luck to have been born under [IS] is tainted for life, said Bloom. Shocking footage shows a woman having one of her violent seizures that have left her covered in bruises from where she has fallen. Charna Mee, 23, has blacked out during her seizures, and claims her heart has stopped twice while unconscious. The mother-of-one has spent the last month in and out of hospital since the seizures started as doctors struggle to work out what is wrong with her. She claims medics initially put it down to stress after multiple CT scans and blood tests came back negative. When epilepsy is ruled out, seizures can have a number of different causes. Sometimes they are triggered by emotion or mental pain, a condition known as NEAD. Charna, from Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, has lost the ability to walk unaided because she feels as though she has lost control of her legs. Charna Mee, 23, has been left covered in bruises due to violent seizures Charna Mee, 23, has blacked out during her seizures, causing cuts to her face The mother-of-one to Layla Rose has spent the last month in and out of hospital since the seizures started as doctors struggle to work out what is wrong with her Sister Anastasia Mee, said she no idea when Charna will be able to return home to her beloved daughter Layla-Rose, aged four. Technology advisor Anastasia, 19, from South Normanton, Derbyshire, said: 'Charna started having blackouts a month ago and went to hospital, but doctors couldn't pin anything on it. 'On one occasion she was discharged, went out and fell at the hospital door so had to go back in. 'Then seizures started happening, and she's even lost her pulse twice. 'It started from nothing and it is still all undiagnosed.' Non-epileptic seizures (NES) are different from epilepsy - caused by disrupted electrical activity in the brain. It's sometimes known as non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD), thought to affect 15,000 Britons. The seizures can have either physical or mental causes. Physical causes include diabetes, while 'psychogenic seizures' may happen when someone's reaction to painful or difficult thoughts and feelings affects them physically, according to Epilepsy Society. Video footage has captured one of Charna's seizures where she fits violently under a bed sheet with her eyes rolling back into her head while her whole body shakes and trembles Bruises on Charna's hips from where she has fallen during seizures Charna was described as 'the most bubbly person' who 'always tried to make everyone smile' Sister Anastasia Mee, said she no idea when Charna will be able to return home. She said: 'We are absolutely clueless as to what it is, if the doctors don't know how are we meant to know?' NEAD is diagnosed by a psychiatrist or psychologist after several medical tests, including blood tests and brain scans, have found no neurological cause for the seizures. Anastasia said: 'She [Charna] has had CT scans and blood tests but they have all come back negative. 'At first the doctors thought it was stress, but you can't get seizures and blackouts from stress. 'She doesn't think they are taking it seriously. 'We are absolutely clueless as to what it is, if the doctors don't know how are we meant to know?' Since she originally became ill a month ago, Charna has spent most of her time in hospital. Video footage has captured one of her seizures where she fits violently under a bed sheet with her eyes rolling back into her head while her whole body shakes and trembles Charna has also been left unable to walk and said it feels like her brain has detached itself from her legs and won't respond to signals. Anastasia, pictured with Charna before she was hospitalised, said: 'It started from nothing and it is still all undiagnosed'. It is possible Charna has NEADS Anastasia has launched a fundraiser to support her niece Layla-Rose (pictured with Charna) Anastasia said: 'Before, she was the most bubbly person. She always tried to make everyone smile. 'It's scary seeing somebody go from being like that to nothing.' Anastasia has launched a fundraiser to support her niece Layla-Rose, who is currently living with her dad, during the difficult period and to cover travel expenses and childcare. She added: 'Layla-Rose is four years old, she knows that her mum isn't around and she is missing her. 'We don't take her to see her because we don't want her to have a seizure in front of her so hasn't seen her mum for a week. 'Charna has no income at the moment, we're a family who get by when we all pull together but unfortunately it's been going on too long and her strength and health is worsening over time. 'We have no idea when it will end, so the fundraiser is for her.' The effort can be supported by visiting here. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times. Indias first coronavirus patient responding well to treatment: Kerala minister The condition of Indias first coronavirus-affected woman in Keralas Thrissur is stable and the state health ministry has constituted a medical board to review her case, health minister KK Shailaja said early on Friday. Read more WHO declares coronavirus a global crisis; death toll mounts to 213 The WHO early on Friday took the rare step of declaring the ongoing novel Coronavirus outbreak that originated in China but has spread to at least 17 countries as an international public health emergency (PHEIC). Read more Terrorists open fire at toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu, cop injured A policeman sustained injuries after three to four armed terrorists opened fire at a toll plaza in Nagrota area of Jammu district early on Friday, officials said. Read more Stormy session on cards after heated all-party meeting On the eve of the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament, sparks flew at the customary all-party meeting on Thursday over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), according to people present, indicating that the session is likely to see a slew of protests and disruptions. Read more Saina Nehwal still aiming for Tokyo 2020 Saina Nehwal is not just any other athlete looking to qualify for the Olympics, but the original icon who began the badminton upswing in the country, making India an international force to reckon with. Read more Shah Rukh Khan to back Sanjay Mishra-starrer Kaamyaab about struggling character actors: report Shah Rukh Khan may not have decided on his next film as an actor, but he has decided on his next as a producer. According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, the actor is backing a film on the struggle of character actors in Bollywood titled Kaamyaab. Read more People may lie to appear honest. Heres why In a recent study, researchers found that some people prefer to lie in order to appear honest rather than telling the truth and appearing as selfish liars. Read more Amanda Holden has opened up about her famous 'Blind Date' appearance. (Photo by Keith Mayhew/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Before Amanda Holden hit the big time and became the well known media personality she is today, she had her television start as a contestant on Blind Date at the age of 19 in 1991. While the 48-year-olds appearance on the dating show was unearthed years ago, in a new interview with Readers Digest she's said she was actually engaged at the time of filming. Read more: David Walliams transforms into Amanda Holden as he dresses up as BGT co-stars "Id seen an audition poster and, being dramatic and quite loud, I went along for a laugh," she shared with the publication. "I was actually down as a reserve, but someone was forced to pull out, which left me centre-stage, so to speak. "I was actually engaged at the time, but it was all done for a laugh and the producers knew I wasnt single." The Britain's Got Talent judge described her stint on the programme as a "great experience" and that she was both "embarrassed and extremely proud" of participating. As she appeared on the show, Holden divulged to host Cilla Black that she was looking for "experienced, mature men". Holden never wed her unnamed then-fiance, as she eventually went on to marry Les Dennis when she was 24 years old and he was 41. Amanda Holden was married to Les Dennis for eight years. (Photo by Tim Ockenden - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) They divorced in 2003, following on from a temporary split in 2000 after Holden was discovered to have been having an affair with Men Behaving Badly star Neil Morrissey. She went on to marry husband Chris Hughes in 2008 after welcoming their daughter Lexi in 2006. They also share daughter Holly, who was born in 2012. Sophisticated brain imaging, like an MRI, has limited applicability in assessing a defendant's sanity, investigators say. The bottom line of an insanity defense is the defendant's inability to distinguish right from wrong at the time of the crime, something which neuroimaging cannot help do, they say in a review article in the journal Neuroethics. "MRIs and other brain scans are good for many things but they really have limited use when you talk about truly determining if someone was criminally responsible or not," says Dr. Michael J. Vitacco, forensic psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. "The key element of an insanity defense is you have to be unable to tell right from wrong," Vitacco says. "It's that functional deficit that is critical. It's a very high bar." It's also an important distinction that means the difference between a defendant going to jail or to a hospital, says the article's corresponding author. And, it's one that advanced brain imaging technology, like functional MRIs and positron emission tomography, or PET scans, which provide images of brain structure and insight into how the brain is functioning, typically cannot help defendants seeking a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict achieve. But it's use is growing. Particularly in the last decade, brain imaging, which routinely provides valuable, objective information to a medical diagnosis, has been increasingly used in criminal and civil cases. It even has a name, "neurolaw," with neurolaw centers sprouting up across the country and beyond, Vitacco says. "The problem is nobody talks about the limitations of these images," says Vitacco who, along with colleagues at the Medical University of South Carolina, Emory University and University of Southern Mississippi, decided to take a look at research and evidence out there. No published studies they found showed the ability of brain imaging to provide insight and evidence beyond the usual exhaustive clinical evaluations of defendants, says Vitacco. These evaluations may include talking with the defendant, with friends and family members, possibly personality testing and medical record reviews looking for patterns of behavior and for evidence that supports or contradicts an insanity defense. Another issue is that brain images are taken well after the crime, sometimes even a year or more after, and the dynamic brain function images they display indicate what is happening at that moment, not at the time of the crime, he says. Scans can show evidence of serious mental health problems like chronic depression and schizophrenia, as well as brain tumors or brain damage. While problems like these may qualify defendants for an insanity evaluation, a very small percentage of these individuals will meet the high bar of not being able to distinguish right from wrong, Vitacco says. As an example, pedophilia has been associated with tumors in the front of the brain in areas involved with emotion and memory, but they don't necessarily mean the offender did not know right from wrong, Vitacco and his colleagues write. Even sociopaths typically know right from wrong but choose to ignore it, Vitacco says. What may better provide insight on many defendants is social media, notes Vitacco. He and Dr. Ashley B. Batastini, director of the Correctional and Forensic Psychology Research Laboratory at the University of Southern Mississippi, recently coauthored the book Forensic Mental Health Evaluations in the Digital Age: A Practitioner's Guide to Using Internet-Based Data. They found these often multi-daily posts about detailed thoughts and actions on social media can provide that retrospective picture of what was happening in the mind of the defendant at the time of the crime in the defendant's own words, says Vitacco. "It really is powerful evidence, that tells you a lot about their function, says Vitacco. He notes, for example, a Georgia case when the defendant was pleading insanity but his social media accounts at the time of the crime included an instant message to a friend that he had done something bad. "This kind of evidence can speak directly to knowing right from wrong at the time a crime happens," Vitacco says. While there is no accurate measure of how often the defense of not guilty by reason of insanity is used, it is a controversial issue both in the legal and general community, Vitacco and his colleagues write. An insanity verdict is reached in less than 1% of cases, he notes. Insanity evaluations are court ordered and experts like Vitacco only make recommendations to judges and juries. "Insanity evaluations are never easy, mainly because they are retrospective," he says. A 2013 University of Denver study of 165 defendants who each had multiple evaluations by either a forensic psychologist or forensic psychiatrist found unanimous agreement about legal sanity among evaluators only 55% of the time. While recent years have seen a surge in brain imaging in an insanity defense, its usage dates back much further, including the 1982 trial of John Hinckley Jr., who shot President Reagan, and whose defense team said had an abnormal CT scan that suggested "organic brain disease." Hinkley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. ### Batastini also was a coauthor on the brain imaging review paper. Read the full study. But council member Robert C. White Jr. (D-At Large) said he plans to introduce legislation Tuesday to keep the school open and says the city failed to properly invest in the campus in the LeDroit Park neighborhood of Northwest Washington. He said the city should devote more resources to the school and give the 150 students a chance to succeed. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Friday said the truck driver ferrying Jaish-e-Mohammed militants to Kashmir is the cousin of Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Dar who killed 40 CRPF personnel last year. Three JeM militants were killed on Friday in a fierce gunbattle with police at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said. The militants were travelling in a truck towards the Kashmir Valley. "The truck driver (the main handler) was identified as Sameer Dar of Pulwama. His brother Manzoor Dar was killed in 2016. He is cousin of Adil Dar," Singh told PTI here. He said the truck driver, along with the conductor and another over ground worker (OGW), was arrested and is being interrogated. Singh said Dar picked up the terrorists around 2 am in the Dayala Chak area of Hiranagar sector of Kathua district after they crossed into this side from across the International Border (IB). A group of three-four militants were intercepted at the Bann toll plaza, about 28 km from Jammu city, when they were trying to enter the Kashmir valley on the truck. One of the terrorists was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the others managed to escape to the nearby forest area, Singh said. A policeman was injured in the incident. He said the militants belonged to Pakistan-based JeM. Weapons, including a sniper riffle, and large quantity of ammunition and explosives have been recovered, the DGP said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In Spring 2015, first-year UTHealth student Omar Alnatour was browsing Instagram on his study break when he came across a picture that not only alarmed him but prompted him to fulfill what he considers his immediate moral obligation. The picture was of Claudia Martinez as she laid in a hospital bed, intubated with IVs entering her body. As Omar read the caption, he realized it wasnt written by Martinez but by her mother, asking whomever saw the post to keep her in their prayers. He continued to browse her profile to discover she was not only a fellow medical student, but she attended UTHealth as well. Thats when Alnatour realized he had to act. I was like, okay, I have to meet this person. Shes at my school, she is going through a hard time, I have a moral obligation to do something, Alnatour said. Everyone in this school is a medical student and has at least one time said they are doing this to help people. This is my chance. Alnatour proceeded to message her on Instagram. When he didnt get a response, he messaged her on Facebook. Then he messaged her mom on Facebook, then her brother, but he still didnt get a response. RENEW HOUSTON: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox I ended up finding a friend of hers that commented on her Instagram, said Alnatour. He messaged him saying, Hey I dont mean to creep you out, you dont know me, but Im a classmate of Claudia and I need to find a way to meet her. In 2011, as an undergraduate, Martinez was diagnosed with a condition in which a portion of the cerebellum herniates out the bottom of the skull and compresses the brain stem. She was also diagnosed with the development of a fluid-filled cyst within the spinal cord. Since then, she has undergone six major brain surgeries, multiple shunt surgeries, multiple feeding tubes and port surgeries, as well as countless procedures and hospitalizations, Martinez said. Throughout her entire hospitalization, Martinez remained focused on completing medical school and becoming a doctor. She was set back, however, on Feb. 6, 2017, when she had a stroke while undergoing experimental brain surgery, leaving her unable to function from the neck down. Martinez had to relearn basic functions through intense neurorehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann, never letting her dreams of becoming a doctor leave her sight. ROAD TO RECOVERY: Cy-Ridge student making progress 5 months after deadly car crash Martinez continued to study for tests and complete assignments from her hospital bed. Her mother, who plays an instrumental role in her success, would help dictate her thoughts for her essays and turn the pages of her textbooks so Martinez could study. I didnt watch movies or take naps. I studied. God has always preserved my intelligence during my many brain surgeries, Martinez wrote. I wasnt going to waste that precious gift. My brain, at times my greatest challenge, was my biggest ally in continuing my path to become a doctor. Not long after Martinez had a stroke, Alnatour walked into her hospital room and shook her mothers hand. Then he greeted Martinez and went to shake her hand but was told she couldnt move her arms. Alnatour proceeded to get to know Martinez and she told him her story. Martinezs account of her medical school journey trumped any Instagram post for Alnatour. He was inspired to do everything he could to help. He realized no amount of money or materialistic venture could help Martinez as much as helping her erase her biggest fear: not being able to help those in need through the medical field. It was at that moment that it became clear to Alnatour how he could help. With her help, Alnatour decided to set up a scholarship utilizing Martinezs name and story, hoping the endowment would help support other medical students that have overcome adversity or are going through them on their path to becoming a physician. TOP HITS: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox After Alnatour told Martinez his plan, he remembers, Claudia actually moved her hands quite a bit. He immediately went home and got to work creating a fundraising web page. It started as a fund for just a $1,000 that was fulfilled in less than a day. He then increased it to $2,000 but the school called him that night to tell him setting up a scholarship is much more complicated. What ensued was a three-year-long attempt at setting up the $25,000 Claudia I. Martinez Strength Scholarship Endowment, a project that ends Feb. 6, the third anniversary of Martinezs stroke. At only 94 percent away from the scholarship goal, Alnatour and Martinez are hopeful the endowment will be in effect next semester. Although Martinez is still a patient, she is now able to walk and go to class. She believes her experience as a patient will help her become a better doctor. For me and my practice in the future, Martinez said. One of my goals is to help my patients as much as I can outside the hospital as I do inside the hospital. A lot of my work is going to be dedicated to helping people that have trouble financially getting the therapies and medical equipment they need. Alnatour and Martinez are preparing for their residencies and are only a few months away from graduating. Alnatour has plans to work in anesthesiology and Martinez is applying to PMR (Physical Medicine Rehab), where she hopes to work in the same hospital she went to rehab in herself. Alnatour hopes that Martinezs resilience inspires people from all walks of life to tap into their compassion. To see every patient as somebodys mother or father or son or daughter is important in the practice of medicine, Alnatour says in response to how Martinez inspires him. You have to have that compassionate approach that drives everything. Theres plenty of smarty people in the world but what we need is more compassionate people. Compassionate and successful people. ryan.nickerson@hcnonline.com The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692, China's national authorities announced on Friday. Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths, official media reported. A total of 213 people have died of the disease as of Thursday, state-run Xinhua agency reported. Chinese health authorities announced that 9,692 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Thursday. About 20 countries, including India, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. China said it has full confidence and capability to win the fight against the epidemic. The WHO has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency. The UN health agency on Friday declared an international emergency over the deadly novel coronavirus from China -- a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Reacting to the announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, "Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health." Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations, she said. "We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic," said the spokesperson. She said that at the same time, the Chinese side informed relevant sides and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner with openness, transparency and a responsible attitude. "WHO and many countries have recognised and commended this," she said. Hua said China has been in close communication and cooperation with WHO. "WHO experts recently conducted a field trip to Wuhan. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also visited China and discussed containment and mitigation of the 2019-nCoV with the Chinese side," she said. Noting that Tedros commended China's efforts and spoke highly of China's great contribution to the world by fighting against the novel coronavirus, Hua said the country will continue working with WHO and other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xinhua quoted her statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna's new book Sebastian and Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangam Makers cuts to the chase with a palpable urgency, right from page one. The mridangam is a young instrument, only a century old, that has deftly travelled up the musical ranks to secure its place on the stage of Carnatic music. And yet its makers, many of whom belong to Dalit Christian communities, continue to reside on society's margins. "Mrdangam-making involves skinning, cutting and curing hides, and hence this work was almost never done by the mrdangam artists. In the established caste order, skin-work has always been allotted to the lowest of castes. Even a century ago, when the conversions began, the procuring of hide and the making of the mrdangam would have been executed by caste groups that worked with skin and leather, and were considered 'untouchable'." Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna's new book Sebastian and Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangam Makers cuts to the chase with a palpable urgency, right from page one. The mridangam is a young instrument, only a century old, that has deftly travelled up the musical ranks to secure its place on the stage of Carnatic music. And yet its makers, many of whom belong to Dalit Christian communities, continue to reside on society's margins. Read on Firstpost: Kalakshetra rescinds permission for TM Krishna's book launch in Chennai auditorium, cites possibility of instigating 'political, social disharmony' The architects of the mridangam are known to possess an inexplicable, almost preternatural ability of carving the instrument out of abstract ideas and words uttered by musicians. Krishna described as "the most interesting personage in the world of Carnatic music" right now by music writer Arunabha Deb at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet navigates the sensitive terrain of caste in his book, while zooming into the invisibilised lives of mridangam-makers. Their rare mention in the history of Carnatic music has truncated their presence to mere hands repairing the instrument that is now synonymous with the school of music it belongs to. When Firstpost caught up with TM Krishna only an hour before his session in Kolkata, the artiste alerted us to the various nuances of writing on a subject steeped in a history of oppression, and why it was a "difficult book" for him to write. In one of your earlier books, A Southern Music: The Karnatik Story (2016), you had dedicated an entire chapter to caste politics. In Sebastian and Sons, the premise of the book is caste itself Dalit Christians making the mridangam, which is played by Brahmin musicians. As a musician belonging to an upper caste community yourself, how aware or conscious were you of your caste privileges while interviewing for, or writing the book? There are two parts in the book where I talk about this issue. With caste privilege also comes the blindness of how we discuss caste, because the truth is, we've never discussed caste. Therefore, I was aware of it, and I was always conscious about whether you can even ask these questions, or have these discussions. It was not easy, and I must say that I learned a lot in the process. And I am probably going to continue learning all my life, so that's the truth. It was a difficult book for me to write, because I needed to enter a space that I don't really understand. The truth is, I don't understand oppression. I am a man, an upper caste man everything goes my way. So it is still something that I grapple with. Even during the interviews and conversations, I was constantly checking myself, and wouldn't really get into conversations. Or I would wait for a point where I would feel that the person is willing to talk about the subject. There are many things that I've not included in the book, for the simple reason that I felt that it is something that I believed was a part of the trust that we had. And many times, I also changed the names of the makers, which was also my decision, the makers never asked me to. I knew very well that they've said things that will probably affect them and their livelihood, but will not affect me I can get away with anything. So, I think I've been very conscious, and even in the process of editing, I've been through this many times with my editor. That was, in fact, the most crucial aspect. One family is Dalit Christian, but every other family involved is from a marginalised community. So, it is kind of a knife-edge being consciously aware. You're not telling a fictional story these are real people and real lives. You should realise that these are real happenings and experiences. So you've got to be very careful about why you're saying something. There are so many stories that they've told me. Now, why are certain stories in the book, while certain stories are not in the book? These are things that you realise as you read, and listen to the transcripts again and again, and listen to their tone. I am so glad I actually videotaped almost every interview, except two. Everything was recorded on a handheld camera, and that was very important, which is something I realised while watching the videos. By looking at the face, I can say so much more about the person, than what I can by just listening to an audio file. So all of this was a part of the learning process for me. Do you remember any conversation being particularly difficult? I mean, there were many conversations that were difficult, but difficult for different reasons. Sometimes they were difficult because I couldn't reconcile with what was being told to me. See, that's the thing about any kind of discriminative mechanism and I call caste a discriminative mechanism which is that it normalises such practices in the mind and heart of the person being oppressed. And that was something that I found most difficult to grapple with, because I can't argue that. I will never argue that with the person I am interviewing. I am just listening to them. If they're open to a conversation, I'll ask them that can I look at it this way? But to accept that that is what it does for example, what gender does. So for me, personally, that was a struggle. Because when you come from privilege, you think of the right to question, or the right to opine, as being natural. You take it for granted, especially if one comes from the kind of privileges we come from. In your household you're told words like 'open', 'democratic'. But these words don't mean the same things for everybody. Sometimes, you don't see fighters, and you wonder as to why this person is not fighting. Then you realise that that is the reality of the world to which they belong from birth. From one's environment, to one's interaction, to the way people look at you even what people don't say is more important than what people say to you. There were many interesting nuggets that I can remember, of which one I'll surely never forget. One of the early interviews I did was [with] the first person who appears in the book Selvaraj. He's no more. He was a fascinating man. That interview went on for two days, for over three-and-a-half hours, and I am so glad I archived him. He was the most senior maker at that time, and the stories he would recount, and the way he would relate incidents that happened, was very casual. The liberal world might look at these instances and think as to how could someone let that pass, but it was the first time I was encountering this 'casualness' towards an oppressive reality, from Selvaraj. But then, what was also interesting for me to see was how it changed with the generations. The younger generation was far more feisty, far tougher. They would question you in private as well. There were statements that I will never forget, one of which features in the book, where Selvaraj says: "Those days, they kept us away and discriminated; today they keep us close and discriminate." I will never forget that in my life, because that's the nuance of discrimination that most people of privilege do not understand. And the fact is that the person facing discrimination knows it. That's important. If you think that just because I share a cup of tea with somebody from a marginalised community, that somehow that person thinks that I think we are equal that's rubbish. That person knows why exactly we are consuming tea, and knows exactly what is happening behind it. So that statement, I will never forget. Now Sharada, wife of one of the makers, was arguing with me about whether Tamil Nadu's social environment has changed behaviours. She said I am being very pessimistic, and that people have really changed. In that, the whole question of religion also came in, which is again something I will remember, especially in today's context. It's very important. If you go to any of these shops, you'll see Ganapati and Mary there, and there's no dichotomy or doubt about the fact that there are two faiths in the house. It's just faith and belief they worship Ganapati and Jesus, both lie there in the temple. And they also worship the mridangam for what it is. I also remember Sharada talking about her grandfather, who was a communist leader. Her family is very interesting. She features in only two paragraphs, but I put them in because she is so important. Her grandfather was a Brahmin, who removed his cross-thread in protest, and went on to marry someone from the Dalit community if my memory is correct and then her daughter is married to someone from a Sri Lankan background. I mean, just look at how many different people from different cultures are coming in! This is not even talked about in their household, it's normal. And finally, Sharada is an atheist. So you can see how multiple beliefs, non-beliefs, secularism all these things are there in those two paragraphs. It's just there, nobody needs to even label them as anything. The third one is when I met Kasumani. I will never forget how he was so disinterested in me, and I think that was a great knock on my head. He was not interested in having any conversation. He humoured me only because his cousin told him that this man is coming. I think I was glad it was the last interview, and I was glad I was put in my place. So these were all important. No matter how democratic one shows the arts to be, one is aware that the classical arts in particular have a history of systemic, state-sponsored oppression behind them. How does that affect your involvement with and understanding of your craft? Do you think it's ever possible to de-class or de-caste the arts, at least in India? Your question actually asks if it's possible to de-class and de-caste India fundamentally that's what you're asking me, right? In a Utopian world, I'd like to say yes. But, I think if more and more people from all backgrounds which is why I believe it's important for the privileged to grapple with caste, to make mistakes and be told that you're making mistakes can be active in their minds and actions of the caste that they are blind to, then I think we can have more conversations as a society. We can build a society which is more contested. The problem with discrimination is it makes society less contested, and that's why discrimination is important for people who are discriminating, because there is no contestation. I can build a society that is only the voice of a certain kind of people. Now, that is why discrimination is important for the people in power. But if you can damage that notion, and say no, then that is the hope of democracy the fact that we live in a contested environment. I think anybody in the arts will tell you that any contested environment is the most conducive environment for creative things to happen. We should also realise that lesser the contestation, the more mundane a society we'll have; one with no thought. Hence, we will have more people engaging actively with what's around. It's not about being right or wrong, it's about being ethically conscious. And then I think it becomes difficult for discrimination to remain status quo. The invisibility of that which you don't see in an overt manner, becomes less, because people then become more nuanced about it. One of the problems is people don't have the nuance to understand how it works. So they'll say, "no, I didn't say he shouldn't enter the room. So I am not discriminating." You know, if you think about this, there's no nuance to it. You don't feel what the other person is feeling. So, I think that is possible, and that is where we should head to. Let's not look for a solution, let's look for problematising it perpetually, and then let's see what happens. Because when you start from the point where you say, "let's solve it," from science to arts, everybody will tell you that that is not how solutions come about. So this has definitely changed my engagement with my craft, and has made it more complicated for me. It's not just about my sociopolitical actions as an artist, it's also about the form itself, as an internal body. There are many things that I am comfortable with in terms of form, so I work with it. I work with content and structures, because I also think structures are born entirely from external scaffoldings. The important thing and I think that's where we all miss it, including the "progressives" is that an aesthetic awakening of discrimination does not exist in this country. You don't realise that how I experience something is itself because of a certain discriminative foundation. It is something we've never spoken about. We can speak about education, access, the very tactile, temporal things, and they are completely important. But I need to address as to why I feel that a Fabindia pillowcase is the idea of Indian colours or Indian art, for example. Just go to any privileged, or trying-to-be-privileged Indian house they all look the same. This whole country looks the same. My home doesn't look different from yours I can put a wager. There are only two possibilities either your home is very 'nouveau-modern', or it is 'Indian ethnic', and we both know what that means. So, I can't argue and say that okay, you think this is beautiful? But can we investigate and find out why something is not beautiful? For example, why does a house that's painted fluorescent pink look ugly to me? Now that for me is a crucial investigation, because if I can change the way you feel about something, I can change everything like that. I am also an artist, and I work with emotions, so I enter this space quite often. I think this discrimination about beauty is something we need to grapple with with greater seriousness. The investigation is about how these presumptions come about. But they're not only about the face of a human being, they're also about the colours I choose in my home. All these things are a part of a certain palette of consumption. This is something that has affected my craft say, the way I look at sound. I was telling somebody the other day that something that was noise to me a few years ago has become music. Now that's the day I knew as to how we define these two things. My inability to recognise it as music was actually my inability to shed my aesthetic bias. That's it. I'll give you a very classic example that lives within the elite world. To a Hindustani musician, Carnatic musicians seem besur (off-key). Simple. Why? Because they just don't know how to listen to Carnatic music. To us, Makhaam music sounds besur, because we don't know how to enter that culture. I'm giving you elite examples purposely, to show you how it constitutes every section. So imagine how difficult it is if it's down the discriminative ladder of society. That is an important aspect that we need to investigate. You've always been very open about your political views, not just in prose, but also through your music. In the current political context, what is your opinion on the artists who choose to call themselves 'apolitical'? Do you think they're relevant? 'Apolitical' artists are political. Those who say they're 'apolitical', please remind them that the moment they use that term, they make a political statement. If they don't understand that, they need to look up the meaning of the words 'political' and 'apolitical' in the dictionary. They're completely capable of doing that. So let's not even buy the fraud of being 'apolitical'. To put it bluntly, it's bullsh*t. Every human being is born political, everything else is added. Where did your mother conceive? Was it consensual and born out of love? Did she want to keep the baby? Which hospital did she deliver in? Every one of these things is political. Your very existence is political, so anyone who says otherwise is either blind to the idea of the political, or frauds. They have to be one of the two. I don't like binaries, but I will throw in that binary here. Now, are they relevant? While I am being so harshly critical, I will still say that conversations are important. Those who live in extremes, whatever extremes they may be extremes of oppressive right-wing notions, or the extremes of oppressive liberal notions we can't have a conversation with either. But I think there are a lot of people in between, and they are shades of greys and other colours. Those are the people we all need to be talking to. And we too belong to that shade, by the way. We are as messed up as everybody else. I am giving you an interview because I have privilege, that's the truth. But I am messed up I really don't know anything, I sound confident, but that's it. That's the truth. Therefore, if we can continue this conversation for all the messed up people in between, and if they are 'apolitical' artists, it's important. So I would be critical, but I would still say we need these conversations. We need to nudge and push, and sometimes say harsh things, or have the conversations in private, because there maybe something else going on there which you and I don't recognise. Something that people can't say in public. I don't know, I mean we have to be politically strong, but also emotionally sensitive, in some sense. I'll make no excuses for Karan Johar, but I'll make excuses for many other people. It's important that we talk and listen, and we also must realise that a lot of this is coming from social habit. We are a society of accepting favours from somebody or the other. We talk about democracy, but the plain fact is that we are not a country of rights. Rights are the foundation of our democracy, our Constitution. Can you tell me what the fundamental rights are now? The fact that you and I can't actually say it, says something about what we think of democracy. The fact is that I don't think, as a society, we have developed a culture of democracy, and that's why I think art has become so important, because we need a culture of democracy. Democracy is not something you read and access, and academics write papers about. It's something you can culturally feel. That I don't have to think twice about protesting on the streets, is a cultural feeling. Now that I think twice about it, or when I am told by my family that why do I need to get in trouble, is also a side of our culture let's not forget that. That needs to change. Quite expectedly, music and poetry have become major tools of protest in the anti-CAA-NRC movement happening nationwide. People are subverting the national anthem by singing it at protests. What do you have to say about that? Yeah, I recently called the national anthem a protest song at the Kerala Literature Festival. It's a protest song because it protests against all the misinterpretation of this country that is being propagated by Narendra Modi's government, and all the stooges that are operating at different levels across this country. Therefore, Rabindranath Tagore did not only give us the national anthem, he also gave us a protest song. And I will sing not just the anthem part, but every part of it in protest. So yes, it is a protest song. Many parts of the anthem are left out... Yes, so now I'll be singing those bits regularly, including the part which calls every person and every religion, and the part that reminds us that the North-East is an important region of the country, especially in the time of the NRC, we have to sing it again and again. It also reminds us that we have to wake up. He says "jaago". He says, "you're all scared", and he's right, we're terrified. He says "no, but you need to wake up". The song is an emotional rollercoaster. It starts by describing our beings, and then it says that we are in this darkness. And then finally he says, "but there is light at the end of the tunnel". You need to wake up. At the Kerala Lit Fest, I interpreted it as Tagore sending messages to both the Raj and the Congress movement, and maybe we can send messages to the present government and to the wonderful young people who are protesting and risking their lives. We need to tell the government that if you continue like this, you are not going to last. And we will tell the protesters that you are right. Your book too comes at a very crucial juncture in Indian politics, when the divides on the lines of privilege are becoming increasingly glaring, and people are questioning them more and more. I have two questions based on this observation. Firstly, how important is it for your art to align with your politics, especially because you are a classical vocalist, which in itself is a testament to your caste privilege, as Kasumani pointed out. I agree. But there is no clean answer to your question, let me be very honest. It's always a work in progress. There are always things in my repertoire that I wonder if they should be in my repertoire. There are things I am tinkering with, things I am bringing in. But I am convinced about one thing for now which I may change in a few years, but I can tell you for now is that just like you need a contested society, it is important that the practice of the practitioner is also contested in its being. So, Thyagaraja is very important for me he's an incredible composer, but I may completely disagree with him sociopolitically. But instead of saying that I will throw Thyagaraja out of my repertoire, suppose I contest him by giving another composition that's an opposite reflection of society to Thyagaraja. What happens in that play between the two? Because both are real, even today. So I like to play with that possibility, of the past, present, and future of saying that okay, there are certain things I know I will not have as a part of my repertoire, but certain things can remain, while certain things can be contested. And we have to look at the aesthetics and the beauties that can be allowed internally sounds that may not be 'classical', how can they become so. How can the notions of 'classical' itself be debunked? That is one of the most important things that I talk about, actually. I think the word 'classical' is just discriminative. Nobody deals with these words as being discriminative. The word 'classical' is an obnoxious word. Even the liberal argues that with me! Don't you get how it's not too different from calling out somebody based on discrimination on race or caste? It's calling out somebody in the name of taste. And you've constructed a word that has got nothing to do with aesthetics, which includes form, structure, and intent. This word has nothing to do with any of these elements. I like to live in grappling. I am not saying everything I do comes out right every time. No, it does not. And I am thankful that it does not. Because there's definitely something wrong if I think everything I do comes out right. So it's fine I think it's a mess. But it's good to be confused. Secondly, do you think Sebastian and Sons comes at an opportune moment, and that people might be willing to appreciate such a book now, more than they would at other points in time? Maybe. But it is completely accidental that this is happening. I worked on this book for four years, and didn't even know when I would be publishing it. And then my editor said that you need to start writing it at some point. Honestly, I could've gone out on field work for another three years, because there was enough field work left to do. But I guess you reach a point when you know that you need to bring the stories out. And a very important part of the book is knowledge, for me, which is why the book takes you through the entire process of making a mridangam. I realised that that was the fulcrum of discrimination. The social stories are there, but they are built around the fundamental fact of making a mridangam. So what does that mean? Establishing knowledge is important for me. When you totally disintegrate a person's knowledge, or a community's knowledge, along with their contribution, you make them completely invisible and irrelevant. So whether it is the Dalit Christians in Thanjavur, or Kasumani's family, or the Andhra makers, or the Madras makers, they are irrelevant to the idea of the society we are creating. Which is why the heart of the book is the making of the instrument, and I wanted every nuance to come in. It was complicated, but I said let it be. If you can read a book about some astrophysicist who walked for the first time in some space walk, you can spend some time to see how difficult it is to braid that hide and how gorgeously the guy does it. Spend that time. So yes, the timing is probably good. People may find it accessible, but that's accidental. Finally, tell us what features on your playlist right now... Right now, I just heard the Tamil version of "Hum dekhenge". I heard it an hour ago, and I tweeted it immediately. It's a beautiful version, and I hope I can learn it by today evening. This Sep. 24, 2018, file photo shows the inter-Korean liaison office in Gaeseong, North Korea, with the Korean unification flag hung on the exterior windows of the building. Joint Press Corps By Jung Da-min The two Koreas have agreed to suspend operations of their joint liaison office located in North Korea's Gaeseong as a part of efforts to prevent the spread of a deadly new coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. According to the Ministry of Unification, Thursday, liaison representatives from the two Koreas held a meeting earlier in the day and agreed on the suspension until the danger of the coronavirus is dissipated. South Korean personnel currently on duty at the Gaeseong office were brought back to the South later in the day, a ministry official told reporters. Seventeen South Korean government officials and 41 support staff are now on site. The Management and staff of Achimota Preparatory School has asked the Ghana Education Service (GES) to make its intentions clear if it intends to take over the school. It said GES as a government agency seeking to take over the Achimota Preparatory and Junior High School should not hide behind restructuring the school as its reason for the action. In a letter dated December 17, 2019 and signed by Ms Monica Ankrah, the Director of Education in the Greater Accra Region, which copies were made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the GES invited the schools management to discuss restructuring of the institution on December 23 last year. The GES, in another letter dated December 27, 2019 written and signed by Ms Ankrah to the school with the heading: "Taking over of the premises of Achimota Preparatory School (APS) by the Ghana Education Services." The letter stated that: "Management of the GES Regional Office writes to inform you of the take-over of the premises of the APS on January 27, 2020." It, however, assured APS that: personnel from GES shall be posted to the school. There is therefore no need for any pupil/student to be withdrawn from the school. The letter gave APS Management one month to wind up its activities and handover. However, a visit by GNA to the school on Monday saw management and staff going about their normal duties as classes were in session for more than 700 pupils in the school. Mr Agbeko Kunutsor, the Acting Headmaster, told the GNA that the school was a legal entity and that there was the need for the due process to be followed to ensure that the staff numbering 54, were adequately compensated ahead of any takeover. He stressed that since the school was operating with a constitution and also with a management, it would be prudent for GES to follow the needed process if it intended to take over. He also said claims by GES that the school was for government because it was on state lands or the Achimota Secondary School was wrong since the case was still pending at the court. Attempts by the GNA to reach the Regional Directorate of GES for their comments was unsuccessful as the officials the GNA interacted said they have not been authorized to speak on the matter. Achimota Preparatory School was established in 1948 by colonial contractors, who also constructed University of Ghana. It was later handed over to the Ghanaian Nationals in the 1960s who had their wards in the school and had been managed by the PTA over the years. 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 Hobart officials recently established a new TIF district encompassing a large portion of the city, including the Silverstone property at U.S. 30 and Mississippi Street, in hopes of attracting a convention center there. And Speros Batistatos, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, has said he believes the new Hard Rock Casino site, a 45-acre parcel off Interstate 80/94 and the Burr Street exit in Gary, has everything needed for a convention center. The development could also make the Oxbow location off the interstate in Highland a prime location for a convention center, he said. Bernie Sanders has jumped into a virtual tie with Joe Biden nationally just before the first nominating contests in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, according to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Friday. The Vermont senator has the support of 27% of Democratic primary voters, a 6 percentage point jump from December, the survey found. The former vice president follows closely at 26% down 2 percentage points from a month ago. Sanders' 1 percentage point edge falls well within the poll's plus-or-minus 4.7 percentage point margin of error. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., trails with 15%. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was the first choice of 9% of respondents, leapfrogging former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who came in at 7%. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and entrepreneur Andrew Yang garnered 5% and 4%, respectively. The survey, taken Sunday through Wednesday, offers a snapshot of the Democratic presidential race nationally days before Monday's first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. Sanders has steadily cut into Biden's lead in averages of U.S. polls, which capture overall voter sentiment but not voting preference in the states that will decide who faces President Donald Trump in November. The Vermont senator has also seen his support rise in recent polls of tight races in Iowa and New Hampshire, the second nominating state. Less than half of respondents to the NBC/WSJ survey 45% said they would definitely vote for their first choice. Another 27% answered that they would probably vote for the candidate, and an additional 27% said they were just leaning toward their first choice. About a quarter, or 24%, of Democratic primary voters pick Warren as their second choice. Biden is the second choice of 20% of respondents, followed by Sanders at 15%. Bloomberg has fueled a climb in national polling averages by spending at least $100 million on a barrage of ads. He did not try to compete in the first four nominating states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina and has instead focused on Texas and other states that vote on Super Tuesday, March 3. His ads appear to have made an impression: 59% of poll respondents said they remember seeing an ad from Bloomberg on TV or social media. A third said they recalled seeing an ad for billionaire activist Tom Steyer, and 28% said they remembered seeing an ad for Sanders. The NBC/WSJ poll of 428 Democratic primary voters took place from Jan. 26-29 and has a plus-or-minus 4.7 percentage point margin of error. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Elder son of Russian mogul Mints arrested in absentia in embezzlement case RAPSI 12:15 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) Moscows Basmanny District Court on Friday issued an arrest warrant for Dmitry Mints, the eldest son of tycoon Boris Mints, in absentia as part of an embezzlement case, RAPSI reports from the courtroom. The case against the businessman and two his sons, Dmitry and Alexander, was opened in September 2019. In December, they were put on a wanted list. They are charged with large-scale embezzlement. Investigators believe that the accused controlled a disputable deal on the retirement by the Financial Corporation Otkritie of O1 Group Finance 34 billion-ruble bonds two weeks prior to financial restructuring of the bank ordered by the Central Bank and appointment of temporary administration. According to the RAPSI sources, the defendants live in the Commonwealth Countries. Boris Mints is a founder of O1 Group company, former co-owner of the bank Otkritie and founder of the Museum of Russian Impressionism. His fortune has been estimated at more than $1 billion. The Vietnamese livestock industry is expected to attract professional producers in the coming years. Pork is an essential food item and accounts for a large proportion in the structure of food consumption. Photo vtv.vn Deals between domestic enterprises with strong potential will help the industry compete. Co-operation and production chains through official contracts between producers, slaughterhouses and retailers are forecast to thrive. The livestock sector is striving to achieve a production value of nearly VND9.4 trillion (US$405.2 million) this year, a growth rate of 4.5 per cent compared to last year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the total meat produced was estimated at 5.14 million tonnes last year, down 4.1 per cent. Pork is an essential food item and accounts for a large proportion in the structure of food consumption. However, pork output decreased by 380,000 tonnes last year, equivalent to 9-10 per cent compared to 2018, which greatly influenced the domestic food market. Experts believe the development of value chains for livestock products, especially pig breeding, from production to market, with the participation of large domestic enterprises was necessary. This is key to fast and sustainable development, helping the Vietnamese livestock industry, which was facing a competitive challenge from imported meat in new-generation free trade agreements, said MARD. Hung Vuong Corporation (HVG) and Thadi Agriculture Farming Processing and Distribution Joint Stock Company, a subsidiary of Truong Hai Auto Corporation (Thaco), signed a strategic agreement in HCM City this month. Under the agreement, Thadi would buy a 35 per cent stake in HVG. It will invest VND2 trillion ($86.3 million) to acquire a 65 per cent stake in a Thadi - HVG joint venture to raise breeding pigs in An Giang and Binh Dinh provinces, which will breed 45,000 piglets this year, with a first batch of 15,000 in March. Commenting on the co-operation between the two domestic enterprises, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said it was a good thing that the two companies focused on developing livestock products a very important component of Vietnamese food security, and together with other economic sectors, continued to focus on integrated agriculture. VNS DANNEMORA, N.Y. - Employees at a maximum security New York prison fell ill Friday after a letter was opened that contained a substance believed to be fentanyl, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Eleven people were taken to a hospital from the Clinton Correctional Facility Annex in Dannemora, New York. All were later released, the governors office said. An investigation by the state police and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision continues. While testing is ongoing, it is believed that this substance is fentanyl, Cuomo said in a news release. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It is often added to heroin to increase its potency or is disguised as heroin, leading to overdose deaths. The Annex is on the grounds of the Clinton Correctional Facility, the prison known for the Shawshank Redemption-style escape of two of its inmates in 2015 that has been dramatized in the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora. A French couple have lived in a 'compostable' wood cabin with their two young children for a year as they campaign to change the country's housing laws. Jonathan Attias, 33, and Caroline Perez, 34, built their home, which is made out of wood, stone and bales of straw, on a three-hectare plot they share with a friend and two others just outside the village of Chasteaux in France. Their four-year-old daughter, Lia, goes to the village school, almost two miles away, the couple drive a car and have medical insurance. But they have to pedal a stationary bicycle to power their washing machine, make meals from nettles, tend a large vegetable patch and their house was built on the edge of a forest out of recyclable materials and old doors. Jonathan Attias, 33, and Caroline Perez, 34, built their home on a three-hectare plot just outside the village of Chasteaux in France (pictured with their daughters Lia and Mani) They have to pedal a stationary bicycle to power their washing machine, make meals from nettles, tend a large vegetable patch and their house was built out of recyclable materials Their four-year-old daughter Lia goes to the village school, almost two miles away, the family drive a car and have medical insurance. They also have another younger daughter, Mani (right) Jonathan Attias works near their wood-and-straw hut, a "compostable" house made out of natural and recycled materials, in a forest area near Chasteaux They get free unsold produce from a bio-store in the village and water comes from a spring that is made safe with carbon filters. 'We want to show that it is possible for people to live with and in nature,' said Attias. 'We are the guardians of the forest. We don't degrade our environment, we upgrade it,' he said. The couple are the driving force behind the 'Desobeissance fertile' movement that links back-to-nature enthusiasts with landowners willing to let them build homes on their fields. A view shows the wood-and-straw hut, a "compostable" house made out of natural and recycled materials, built by Jonathan Attias and Caroline Perez Francois, landowner who shares his land with Jonathan Attias and Caroline Perez, reads a book in his hut 'We are the guardians of the forest. We don't degrade our environment, we upgrade it,' Attias added And Attias balances giving advice to people who want to live off-grid with working as a freelance journalist and teaching at a Paris university, 300 miles away, two days a month. Perez is now working as a doula, helping women through pregnancy and labour. The couple live in the woods by choice, after leaving jobs in Paris to raise awareness for their movement to make the government change the land laws in the country. The couple are the driving force behind the 'Desobeissance fertile' movement that links back-to-nature enthusiasts with landowners willing to let them build homes on their fields Attias balances giving advice to people who want to live off-grid with working as a freelance journalist and teaching at a Paris university, 300 miles away, two days a month In France, like most of Europe, building housing in forests or on agricultural land is banned. Attias is pictured working on their vegetable patch Perez is now working as a doula, helping women who live nearby through pregnancy and labour Attias makes wooden spoons inside their hut. 'We will bring our case to the media and we want public debate, we want the law to change,' Attias added The family's kitchen features a washing up bowl, plates piled up and electric hobs used for cooking their meals Perez prepares stinging nettles for a meal. The mayor of their village, Jean-Paul Fronty, has blasted the couple for breaking the law The family's hut enjoys views over the countryside from its position on the edge of a forest Tools are lined up against the straw hut, which features windows. They are regularly used for working on the vegetable patch In France, like most of Europe, building housing in forests or on agricultural land is banned. People can only live in designated housing areas where they must respect building codes. 'We will bring our case to the media and we want public debate, we want the law to change,' Attias added. But the mayor of their village, Jean-Paul Fronty, disagrees, and has blasted the couple for breaking the law. He said: 'Everybody wants to change the law when it suits them. What they are doing is forbidden.' Their mayor, Jean-Paul Fronty, disagrees, and has blasted the couple for breaking the law. He said: 'Everybody wants to change the law when it suits them. What they are doing is forbidden' Attias can gaze out on the countryside as he works inside their cosy wood-and-straw hut on a chilly winter day Francois is a landowner who shares his fields with the couple. He is pictured cooking in his own hut nearby The United States is at the forefront of an economic and technological revolution driven by 5G (fifth-generation) cellular technology, which is poised to have a profound effect on health care, agriculture, education and American businesses of all sizes transforming American life as we know it While the future has enormous potential, many states like Texas have a digital divide, and rural communities suffer most. According to the Federal Communications Commission, in 2018 only 69 percent of rural Americans had access to both 4G Long Term Evolution, or LTE, mobile services and broadband-speed service, compared with about 98 percent of urban Americans. With access to high-speed internet connectivity ubiquitous in urban areas, its imperative we increase it in rural ones. When the 2018 merger between Sprint and T-Mobile was announced and touted Americas first nationwide 5G network, I had serious concerns about what this would mean for Texans. This is why I initially joined state attorneys general from 13 other states and the District of Columbia to challenge the merger. While I had zero doubt about the potential for 5G to change American life for the better, I was deeply concerned that working Texans, especially in rural communities, would be left behind as Americans in urban centers took a massive leap forward. Like many states across the country, Texas has real unmet needs, and 5G represents our best shot at addressing them. That is why I engaged with T-Mobile and obtained results that satisfied my concerns about the merger. My office fought for and secured a number of important commitments from T-Mobile ensuring all Texans will have the opportunity to benefit from 5G technology, including affordable, high-quality wireless communications services and new innovations that will have the power to transform our growing economy. The commitments we fought for position Texas at the center of the 5G revolution by requiring T-Mobile to build out a high-quality 5G network throughout Texas, including in rural communities, over the next six years. It also prevents the newly combined company from increasing prices for wireless services on Texans for five years after the merger is complete. Im also pleased that the agreement ensures that Texans currently employed by Sprint and T-Mobile will have substantially similar employment with the combined company. The 3 million Texans living in rural areas face challenges every day their fellow Texans in urban areas could not imagine, including a lack of access to in-person health care and educational resources like the internet, as well as significant limitations on agriculture and business. These challenges are not unique to Texas, and they affect the 46 million Americans living in rural areas. How can 5G help? Lets start with health care. Rural areas in Texas are especially underserved even compared with other rural areas across the country. According to the State Office of Rural Health, 64 Texas counties lack a hospital and 25 dont have a single primary care physician. Now, 5G will make telemedicine the use of online disease-management services, electronic health records, home monitoring and other services a real possibility, bringing health care to Texans who cant easily access a hospital or other facility. A 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture report on farm technology found a quarter of Texas nearly 247,000 farms have no internet. USDA estimated that adequate broadband infrastructure and other digital technologies in agriculture could add from $47 billion to $65 billion annually to the U.S. economy. High-quality 5G infrastructure will allow Texas farms to take advantage of technology to make farming more efficient, producing higher yields and higher profits. Also, 5G has the potential to transform education in our state, bringing new tools into classrooms and leveling the playing field for students in rural areas. Texas has more schools in rural areas than any other state, and 5G infrastructure will give rural students access to the same learning resources as their urban counterparts. It will also allow for more connectivity and technology in our classrooms, making the vision of the school of the future a reality today. As home to the second-largest economy in the United States, it is imperative we take the necessary steps to ensure Texas businesses of all sizes have access to the resources and technology to keep the Lone Star State competitive here in the United States and around the world. The commitments Texas obtained from T-Mobile will ensure all Texans from Amarillo to Brownsville, El Paso to Longview and everywhere in between have access to Americas first nationwide 5G network, and we will cement Texas position as a leading economic force at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. I am more convinced than ever the merger will support 5G deployment across America, and I urge my state counterparts to consider what this means for their rural communities. It will deliver critical benefits. Our future will be better with it. Ken Paxton is the attorney general of Texas. Contagion, Steven Soderberghs 2011 movie about a deadly pandemic, hit the top 10 on the iTunes movie rental chart this week. But in light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, jokes and references to Contagion have probably been in your Twitter timeline for longer. Jan. 23: Texas a&m students be like my life is a movie yeah bro Contagion. Jan 25: I sound conspiracy theory AF but dont trust major media outlets they arent giving us all the info, look at all underground media sources and what actual ppl in Wuhan are saying because this legit could be like the fucking movie Contagion. Jan. 30: The movie Contagion is now a documentary. Advertisement With the World Health Organizations announcement on Thursday afternoon that the coronavirus 2019-nCoV qualifies as a global health emergency, Contagion references arent going anywhere. And with them comes a very 2020 irony: A movie that warned against the corrosive effects of fear and misinformation during a pandemic is now being used to spread fear and misinformation. An epidemiologist and consultant for Soderbergh said when the film came out that the team behind it was not trying to scare people. That may be the case, but the only thing most people seem to remember about Contagion now is the terrifying opening sequence, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow as the Minnesota businesswoman Beth Emhoff, whos the index case for the outbreak. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the film, Emhoff comes back from a trip to Hong Kong harboring a bad cough and flu-like symptoms, caused (we later find out) by the novel virus MEV-1. Emhoff quickly collapses in a seizure in her gorgeous kitchen, leaving her husband (Matt Damon) in shock. Watching the movie again recently, I was surprised to be reminded of how little time Paltrow spends on screenshes dead before you know it. But because Paltrow has since built an image that depends on the projection of a kind of ultra-clean glamour, Beth Emhoffs gruesome death made a big impact. The gif thats most often attached to Contagion tweets features Paltrow writhing grayly on a hospital bed. (I suppose we should feel lucky that people are using that one, and not another one they might pick!) Advertisement Advertisement A movie that warned against the corrosive effects of fear and misinformation during a pandemic is now being used to spread fear and misinformation. Even if people mostly remember the movie for Paltrows death, and for the ominous way the camera lingers on elementary-school door-handles and hotel-bar peanut bowls after infected people touch them, Contagion wasnt supposed to be a horror story about the perils of global air travel. The movie is as much about the way disease gets amplified by peoples relationships to the truth, as it is about viral transmission. Advertisement The movies slimy blogger character, Alan Krumwiede (Jude Law), spreads misinformation in service of selling a homeopathic cure called Forsythia. He goes onto his website Truth Serum Now, pretending to have the sickness, and gives himself a dose of Forsythia, telling his viewers to do the 2011 equivalent of hitting like and subscribe: If Im here tomorrow, youll know it works. Advertisement Advertisement The Krumwiede subplot of Contagion is about one mans manipulation of a climate of fear in order to make money. But its also about the way that the social conditions of the pandemic create an opening for the blogger to rise. Chaos is a ladder for this man, who goes from pathetically begging an editor to assign him a story before the pandemic hits, to appearing in a talking-head spot on a major news show at the height of the sickness. Krumwiede appears opposite the head of the CDC (Laurence Fishburne) in the role of skeptical gadfly, accusing the CDC and the WHO of concealing the truth of the virus from people to benefit friends of the current administration. And it isnt just Krumwiede whose human failures abet the virus spread. Fishburnes CDC chief gives privileged information to his fiancee, trying to save her from infectiona very human slip that gives Krumwiede his opening. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Watching Contagion in 2020, the damage Laws character does, and the movies outrage at his actions, seems almost quaint. Compared to a single blogger selling a cure, the misinformation were facing today is far worse. BuzzFeeds Jane Lytvynenko is keeping a running list of coronavirus hoaxes and misinformation, from the tweet claiming that the coronavirus was patented in 2018, to the false claims circulated on Facebook that taking vitamin C will cure or prevent coronavirus, to the photosupposedly of a new coronavirus hospital in Wuhanthats actually of an apartment building. (That one was apparently spread by Chinese state media.) Our coronavirus is, so far, not nearly as bad as the fictional MEV-1. But our information environment is way more toxic. Advertisement Indulging the occasional were in Contagion now, baby! gallows joke is nowhere near as bad, obviously, as passing on misinformationeven if its personally exhausting to me to see an empty reference get worked over so mercilessly. But, nine years and countless gifs later, its become ever clearer that the parts of this movie that probably mattered most have taught us nothing. Read more of Slates coverage of coronavirus 2019-nCoV. To listen to Rebecca Onion and Slate senior editor Sam Adams discuss Contagion in full spoiler-filled detail, click the player below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Newark, NJ, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As per the report published by Fior Markets, the global biological safety cabinet market is expected to grow from USD 139.08 million in 2017 to USD 265.37 million by 2025 at a CAGR of 8.37% during the forecast period 2018-2025. The increasing need to safeguard product, agent, personnel, and environment from biohazard exposure and cross-contamination during procedures has led to the production of biosafety cabinets. These products have applications in pharmaceutical, clinical and life science laboratories. E-commerce industry is creating opportunities for laboratory equipment manufacturers with regards to expansion and supply of the product. Quality assurance certification is one of the latest trends are driving the growth of biological safety cabinets, which is pushing the leading manufacturers to develop the innovative cabinets, to gain confidence among the customers. In addition to this, increasing investment in the research and development of new drugs, further boosting the growth of the market. Biological safety cabinets are enclosed and ventilated laboratory equipment that provides safety while working with the contaminated or biohazard materials. Biological safety cabinets can be categorized based on construction, airflow pattern, velocities, and exhaust systems. They are equipped with high-efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters to maintain the sterility of the environment from biohazard materials. Global biological safety cabinet market is expected to witness rapid growth over the forecast period, owing to favorable regulations, which are promoting the use of biological safety cabinets in the healthcare industry. In addition to this, the growing requirement of new and improved setup from the healthcare industry to get accurate results and increasing adoption of automation for storage, sample preparation in laboratories are driving the growth of the market. However, the availability of alternative cabinets and high cost associated with the biological safety cabinets is anticipated to hamper the market growth over the forecast period. DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT AT https://www.fiormarkets.com/report-detail/362221/request-sample Key players operating in the global biological safety cabinet market include ACMAS Technologies, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Labconco, MRC, Erlab, Kewaunee Scientific, Polypipe, Azbil Telstar, Aztec Microflow, Esco Micro Pte Ltd., NuAire, AirClean Systems, Berner International, The Baker Company, Bassaire, Cruma, Flow Sciences, Haldeman-Homme, EUROCLONE, and BIOBASE among others. To enhance their market position in the global biological safety cabinet market, the key players are now focusing on adopting the strategies such as recent developments, mergers & acquisitions, product innovation, joint venture, collaborations, and partnership. For instance, in May 2019, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced the launch of Class II Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs), which have been developed to optimize contamination prevention, information protection and management, and user convenience. In July 2019, Telstar announced the launched of ergonomic BiOptima cabinet, an innovative range of high-end Class II biological safety cabinets, which provides higher performance, cleanability, comfort, and energy savings. The new ergonomic BiOptima cabinet is intended to be used for high-risk microbiological research and highly toxic applications featuring low power consumption, low noise levels, and low maintenance costs. In the April 2018, NuAire, Inc., announced the launch of the LabGard AIR, a Class II, Type A2 cabinet, the newest biological safety cabinet, specifically designed to meet the demanding needs of modern research facilities. The Class I segment is dominating the biological safety cabinet market and was valued around USD 58.81 million in 2017 The type segment is classified into Class I, Class II and Class III. The Class I segment is dominating the biological safety cabinet market and was valued around USD 58.81 million in 2017, owing to increasing usage of class I in general microbiological research with low- and moderate-risk agents. Class I biological safety cabinet provides environmental and personnel protection, but no product protection. It is similar in air movement and has a limited fixed work access opening and the exhaust air must be HEPA filtered, to protect the environment. The pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR of 10.01% over the forecast period End User segment includes diagnostic & testing laboratories, pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies, academic & research institution. The pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical companies based is anticipated to grow with the highest CAGR of 10.01% over the forecast period. Increasing demand for safety cabinets during drug development and the need to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel are the key factors to drive the demand of the segment. The usage has been increased in the pharmaceutical companies for the process of manufacturing new drugs that include harmful components. Browse full report with TOC at https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-biological-safety-cabinet-market-by-type-class-362221.html Regional Segment Analysis of the Biological Safety Cabinet Market North America (U.S. , Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, U.K., Italy, Spain, Rest of the Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan India, Rest of APAC) South America (Brazil and Rest of South America) Middle East and Africa (UAE, South Africa, Rest of MEA) The regions analysed for the market include North America, Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, and Middle East and Africa. North America region dominated the global biological safety cabinet market with USD 67.19 Million in 2017. This is mainly due to increasing research and development facilities, increase in demand for advanced healthcare facilities and high economic development are some of the factors that led to the growth of biological safety cabinet market in this region. Asia Pacific is projected to grow at highest CAGR, owing to the increasing demand from emerging economies such as India, China, and Japan in life-science biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries are creating opportunity for the growth of the market. In addition to this, many global healthcare and pharmaceutical companies are entering into the Asia Pacific region, further providing the growth opportunities for key vendors in the region. About the report: The global biological safety cabinet market is analysed on the basis of value (USD Million), volume (K Units), imports (K Units) and exports (K Units). All the segments have been analyzed on global, regional and country basis. The study includes the analysis of more than 30 countries for each segment. The report offers in-depth analysis of driving factors, opportunities, restraints, and challenges for gaining the key insight of the market. The study includes porters five forces model, attractiveness analysis, raw material analysis, supply, demand analysis, competitor position grid analysis, distribution and marketing channels analysis. For Instant Purchase: https://www.fiormarkets.com/checkout.html?reportid=362221&type=single Customization of the Report: The report can be customized as per client requirements. For further queries, you can contact us on sales@fiormarkets.com or +1-201-465-4211. Our executives will be pleased to understand your requirements and offer you the best-suited reports. About Fior Markets Fior Markets is a futuristic market intelligence company, helping customers flourish their business strategies and make better decisions using actionable intelligence. With transparent information pool, we meet clients objectives, commitments on high standard and targeting possible prospects for SWOT analysis and market research reports. Fior Markets deploys a wide range of regional and global market intelligence research reports including industries like technology, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, food and beverages, chemicals, media, materials and many others. Our Strategic Intelligence capabilities are purposely planned to boost your business extension and elucidate the vigor of diverse industry. We hold distinguished units of highly expert analysts and consultants according to their respective domains. The global market research reports we provide involve both qualitative and quantitative analysis of current market scenario as per the geographical regions segregated and comprehensive performance in different regions with global approach. 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Contact Us Avinash D Head of Business Development Phone: +1-201-465-4211 Email: sales@fiormarkets.com Web: www.fiormarkets.com To Read Top Industries Reports, Visit our Affiliated Website: https://marketandresearch.biz Related Reports Global Assistive Technologies for Visually Impaired Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-assistive-technologies-for-visually-impaired-market-by-362215.html Global Asthma Spacers Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-asthma-spacers-market-by-product-aerochamber-optichamber-362216.html Global Active Implantable Medical Devices Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-active-implantable-medical-devices-market-by-product-362199.html Global Airway Management Device Market - https://www.fiormarkets.com/report/global-airway-management-device-market-by-type-infraglottic-362200.html Republican hopes have risen of having the votes to block new witnesses and acquit Donald Trump in his impeachment trial today as a string of wavering senators called for proceedings to wrap up. After days of fierce lobbying on Capitol Hill about whether to get John Bolton, the former US national security adviser, to testify, some Republican moderates have begun to show their hands. Three closely watched senators from Mr Trump's own party publicly signalled they were against calling fresh witnesses, with one, Martha McSally, of Arizona, saying she had "heard enough". Democrats attempted to pile more pressure yesterday on undecided Republicans, warning that Mr Trump could not claim victory if he was cleared without hearing from extra witnesses. "He will not be acquitted," said Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, about the prospect of the proceedings ending today without new evidence. "You cannot be acquitted if you don't have a trial. You don't have a trial if you don't have witnesses and documentation and all of that." The four-month impeachment drive over the Ukraine scandal is set to come to a head today with a series of momentous votes in the Senate, where the trial over removing Mr Trump is taking place. Senators are expected to vote on whether new witnesses and evidence should be presented - something the White House and the Republican congressional leadership opposes but the Democrats want. If the idea is rejected, the Republicans could move to end the trial by calling a vote on whether to convict Mr Trump on the two articles of impeachment he faces, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Should he be acquitted on both counts, Mr Trump will remain in the White House, free to seek a second term as president in this November's election. It remains unclear who will win the battle over witnesses, a row given new urgency after reports that Mr Bolton's forthcoming book makes eye-catching claims about Mr Trump and the Ukraine scandal. That publication date of Mr Bolton's book is now in doubt. The White House on Wednesday released a letter to Mr Bolton's attorney objecting to "significant amounts of classified information" in the manuscript, including at the top-secret level. Mr Bolton and his attorney have insisted the book does not contain any classified information. The White House action could delay the book's publication if Mr Bolton, who resigned last September - Mr Trump says he was fired - is forced to revise his draft. GOP senators are straining to balance the new revelations with pressure for quick acquittal. They have been sternly warned by party leaders that calling Mr Bolton as a witness could entangle the trial in lengthy legal battles and delay Mr Trump's expected acquittal. The Democrats need to convince four Republicans to join them to reach the 51 votes out of 100 needed to agree new witnesses. Three Republican senators they were closely watching - Ms McSally, Cory Gardner of Colorado and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania - have all indicated in the last 48 hours that they oppose the move. That forces focus on four moderates who by yesterday lunchtime had yet to reveal their hand - Mitt Romney, of Utah, Susan Collins, of Maine, Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, and Lamar Alexander, of Tennessee. If all four join the Democrats, it is likely Mr Bolton will be called as a witness. If one of them does not do so, the push will likely fail. Without new witnesses, it is expected the Republican Senate leadership will move to end the trial and acquit the president. David Ott finally had closure after a fight of almost 14 years. The retired Army staff sergeant stood before fellow warriors Tuesday to officially receive his Purple Heart for the brain injury he suffered in combat in Iraq on Jan. 22, 2006. Im honored, the Carlisle man said. I feel that the wrongs have finally been righted. Carlisle VFW Post 477 hosted the presentation of the medal by Command Sgt. Maj. Michael J. Carden of the Army garrison at Carlisle Barracks. Serving in itself is significant, Carden said before the ceremony. Less than 1% of Americans actually serve. But its not just the soldier who is serving and sacrificing. Its his family and loved ones. They do so knowing that the worst could happen. The worst for Ott came during a night mission as part of a quick reaction force. The senior of two medics assigned to the duty, he was seated behind the driver of the second gun truck in a convoy of vehicles. The first gun truck reported a suspicious item in the middle of the road, said Ott, 54, an Allentown native who moved to Cumberland County about two years ago. Rather than have the first truck reverse to investigate the sighting, a decision was made to halt the convoy while the crew of the second truck had a closer look with night vision and an infrared spotlight. We saw the wires coming out of the top and part of a circuit board, Ott said. We didnt even know what it was. The driver saw it and started to reverse right away. The second truck was about 40 feet away when the improvised explosive device detonated with a shock wave that lifted up the front end of the vehicle and slammed it down. It was probably two or three large artillery shells attached together, Ott said. After it blew, we checked to see if everyone was OK. Everybody was rattled but we continued on our mission. The junior medic examined Ott for signs of trauma. Though he appeared OK, Ott had suffered a mild brain injury that later left him feeling dizzy and nauseated. Follow-up checks by other medical personnel did not reveal the full extent of his injury. Out of nowhere Back in 2006, we didnt have a lot of understanding about concussive blast injuries to the brain, Ott said. At the time, he was deployed with the Pennsylvania National Guard, Company A, 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 26th Infantry Division. As a civilian, Ott was a 16-year veteran of the Allentown Police Department. Ott served in Iraq until July 2006 when he was released from active duty. A month later, he was leaving a hotel room to go out to eat when his body went stiff and he collapsed to the ground. Out of nowhere I dropped into a six-week coma, Ott said. I had holes drilled in my head to relieve the pressure. The mild brain injury had progressed to a severe brain injury. The attending neurosurgeon at the medical center traced the injury back almost to the day when the IED exploded. By that time, Ott had already accepted an early retirement incentive from the police department. He filed paperwork with the Army to retire from the National Guard after 20 years of service. Meanwhile, there were people working behind the scenes to make sure Ott received a Purple Heart for his injury. The unit had initially submitted the paperwork while David was in country in 2006, said Keith Holdren, a retired Army major who met Ott in the eighth grade. The first application disappeared, prompting the unit to resubmit the paperwork in 2008, the same year Holdren deployed to Iraq. I lost track of it, Holdren said. I assumed it was being taken care of. A few years went by and nobody heard anything. Holdren submitted paperwork twice on behalf of his boyhood friend but all the effort was unsuccessful even with the assistance of state senators. Each time, it got denied for a different reason, Holdren said. One time, it was insufficient data to support the claim he was injured, and yet there were tons of medical records available. They didnt review everything that was available to them. Another time, the reason was that the Army didnt give Purple Hearts to soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet the paperwork was clear that the reason for the request was a traumatic brain injury, Holdren said. They just overlooked the whole injury. In 2016, we exhausted all of our avenues, Holdren said. Going through a senators office, it was suggested that the paperwork be submitted to the Army review board. We compiled all his papers and medical records. This time, the effort was successful but only after more than two years of review. Even then, the delivery was off. In August 2019, Ott received his Purple Heart in the mail with no letter of explanation or official certificate. He actually had to track down whether it was genuine or not, Holdren said. The frustrating thing with this is that the paperwork had to be submitted so many times. Special ceremony Leaders at VFW Post 477 became aware of the story of Davids Purple Heart. They were among those contacted by Jeannine Ott, who felt something more official had to be done to honor the former combat medic. Over the past year, the post has invited older veterans from seven area nursing homes to a special luncheon held every other month. We just wanted a special audience for the Purple Heart presentation, Post Commander Rick Olson said. We figured what better audience for it than World War II and Korean War veterans. Ott appreciated the opportunity to share his triumph. Im honored, he said. Gentlemen from World War II and Korea inspired me to join the military. I will never be as great as they are. Dale Stitzel, 93, of Carlisle, who was an Army private serving stateside when World War II ended, had some choice words for the bureaucracy behind the long drawn-out process. Thats wrong. It shouldnt take that long, Stitzel said. Like anything else today, its all paperwork. Father-and-son Navy veterans Harry and Greg Pace were also in attendance at the luncheon. It was well-deserved, Harry said about Ott finally receiving the Purple Heart. He mentioned how others facing red tape are not as fortunate and may die before there is finally a resolution. Harry was one of five in his family to serve in World War II. Its wonderful that he got it finally, said Greg Pace, a Navy corpsman who served with Marines in Vietnam. So many times, things like that get sidetracked somehow. During the ceremony, Olson made it a point to acknowledge the work of Holdren. Keith persisted in submitting and resubmitting the paperwork to get it official, Olson said. This is what its all about, brothers taking care of brothers. This award would not be here if it were not for Keith. Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com. Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Islamic extremists hack 36 to death with machetes, including Christian pastor in DRC Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Suspected Islamist militants hacked to death over 30 people, including an Anglican pastor, in overnight attacks on villages in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Tuesday, four villages were raided by the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist group, in the west of Beni territory, Reuters reports. The rebel group has its origins in Uganda but is now based in DR Congo's Beni region. Beni Governor Donat Kibwana told AFP that members of the terrorist group hacked all victims to death with machetes. In total, 36 individuals were killed, including an Anglican pastor. The main attack took place in Manzingi, a village northwest from Oicha, while the pastor was killed in the village of Eringeti. "The victim had the misfortune to pass them on his way to the field with his wife," Omar Kavota from rights group CEPADHO said in a statement, according to Reuters. Launched in the mid-1990s by Ugandan Muslim rebels forced out of Uganda, the ADF has become the conflict-stricken DRCs most active and violent rebel group over the past two years. Led by Musa Baluku, the group is known for committing crimes such as murder, rape and abduction of women and children, as well as slavery and indoctrination. The Beni region has seen a surge of violence since Oct. 30 when Congolese troops launched an offensive against the rebels. In total, 265 people have been killed by the ADF since November, according to the Kivu Security Tracker, a research initiative that maps unrest in Congo's east. Persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA notes that the operation to push ADF out the area has come at great cost to the mostly Christian population. In November 2019, attacks carried out by the ADF killed at least 84 people, including men, women and children. Over half of the victims were Christians. In March, six Christians, including a 9-year-old child, were reportedly killed when rebel forces attacked the largely Christian village of Kalau near the city of Beni. Additionally, 500 families were forced to flee from their homes. In August 2016, ADF was blamed for carrying out what is known as the Beni massacre, where at least 64 people were hacked to death. Pastor Gilbert Kambale, president of the Beni city civil society organization, urged the international community to pray to God for deliverance for Beni and the DRC. Even as the night is long, day will surely dawn, Gilbert told Open Doors. In December, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the leader of the ADF and five others for perpetrating serious human rights abuses including mass rape, torture and killings, Reuters reported. According to the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control, Baluku assisted the group through recruitment, logistics, administration, financing, intelligence, and operations coordination. The ADF continues to perpetuate widespread violence and innumerable human rights abuses including the abduction, recruitment, and use of children during attacks and other violent operations." Van Oord and Saare Wind Energy have agreed to combine their forces and mutually develop the Saaremaa offshore wind farm. Saare Wind Energy is an Estonian developer involved in developing the offshore wind farm, covering 154 square kilometres, south-west of the Estonian island Saaremaa. Development Estonian offshore wind Saare Wind Energy started the development of the project in 2015 on basis of a thorough analysis and ample spatial planning experiences. The next phase in the development process includes the start of the Environmental Impact Assessment which will be initiated after receiving a positive decision from the Estonian authorities. Van Oord is an experienced offshore wind contractor from the Netherlands and, in addition to the construction of offshore wind farms, has been involved in several early developments. The parties are convinced that the combined knowledge base will facilitate a successful development of the project. The discussions that lead to the agreement were supported by the Estonian Investment Agency, which demonstrates the commitment of the Estonian authorities with respect to renewable developments. AFRICA Burundi Expected Council Action In February, a representative from the Secretariat is expected to brief the Council on the situation in Burundi. Key Recent Developments The political and security situations in Burundi have remained unsettled since April 2015 when President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would run for a controversial third term later that year, leading to mass demonstrations and a sharp increase in violence and repression against his opponents. Nkurunziza won the third term and, according to a subsequent amendment to the constitution, would be able to run again and remain in power up until 2034. He has said that he does not plan to run in the May 2020 election and will accept the result of the election. However, his party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD), has not yet announced a candidate for the election. Hundreds of civilians have been killed since April 2015 in clashes with security forces, and about half a million people have fled the country as a result. While the government maintains that the security situation is stable throughout the country, the 4 September 2019 report of the Human Rights Councils (HRC) Commission of Inquiry on Burundi found that the suppression of civil liberties is intensifying ahead of the election. The commission further found that violations of the right to life, arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and other forms of ill-treatment, sexual violence, and violations of economic and social rights, some of which may constitute crimes against humanity, are conducted in a general climate of impunity. It identified the youth league of the CNDD-FDD, the Imbonerakure, and government security forces as the main perpetrators. On 16 January, the European Parliament adopted a resolution strongly condemning the current restrictions on freedom of expression in Burundi, including the broader sets of limitations to public freedoms, as well as the large-scale violations of human rights, intimidation and arbitrary arrests of journalists and the broadcast bans that have reinforced the climate of fear for Burundis media, increased the constraints on reporting and prevented proper coverage, in particular in the run-up to the 2020 elections. A December 2019 report by Human Rights Watch said that the Imbonerakure continue to forcibly collect funding for the presidential election from the population. According to UNHCR, there were 332,840 Burundian refugees, mostly in Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, on 31 December 2019. An additional 103,352 people were internally displaced by November 2019, while 20,916 refugees returned to Burundi with the assistance of UNHCR during 2019. The Councils last resolution on Burundi, resolution 2303, requested the Secretary-General to report to the Council on a quarterly basis and to provide written reports immediately to the Security Council, as necessary, on grave security incidents, violations of international humanitarian law and violations or abuses of human rights. There was one written report in 2019. The last Council briefing on Burundi took place on 30 October 2019. During that meeting, then-Special Envoy to Burundi Michel Kafando announced his intention to leave his post. He further noted that the situation in Burundi remained tense because of an increase in the level of political intolerance and a growing threat to civil and political freedoms. The security situation had nonetheless improved, according to Kafando. He further referred to the deteriorating socioeconomic situation. Seventy percent of the population lives below the poverty line of less than $1.90 a day. Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), the chair of the Burundi configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, also briefed the Council on 30 October. In their statements after the briefings, a majority of Council members echoed concerns over the human rights situation. The representative of Burundi reiterated the countrys regular call for Burundi to be removed from the Council agenda, a position again supported by China and Russia. Relations between Burundi and the East African Community (EAC) continue to be strained. The EAC-led inter-Burundian dialogueenvisioned as a mediated consultative process among the government and the opposition, civil society organisations, including women, young people and members of the media; and religious groupshas not materialised in four years. In his 30 October briefing, Kafando said that this was undoubtedly due to a lack of political will on the part of the parties as well as a lack of firm commitment by States of the subregion. By the end of 2019, the UNs 2019 humanitarian response plan for Burundi of $106.3 million has been funded at 64.7 percent, with $37.5 million outstanding. Human Rights-Related Developments On 23 October, the HRCs Commission of Inquiry on Burundi gave an oral briefing to the Third Committee of the General Assembly on their 4 September report (A/HRC/42/49). The report, which was presented to the HRC during its 42nd session on 17 September 2019, concludes that serious human rights violations have continued to be committed in Burundi since the Commissions last report, which covered 2017-2018. It identifies several risk factors in the run-up to the 2020 presidential and legislative elections and calls for close monitoring of the situation. It recommends that the Security Council ensure the effective implementation of resolution 2303, refer to the International Criminal Court any international crime that might be committed, and impose individual sanctions against the principal alleged perpetrators of gross human rights violations and international crimes in Burundi. (The HRC renewed the mandate of the Commission for another year in resolution 42/26, adopted on 27 September 2019.) Key Issues and Options The intensified suppression of civil liberties ahead of the presidential election and the stalled EAC-led mediation remain serious concerns that the Council will need to monitor closely. An option would be to adopt a presidential statement ahead of the election, noting Nkurunzizas commitment not to run for president and not to contest the election results, urging the EAC to intensify efforts to revive the inter-Burundian dialogue, and calling on Burundi to take steps towards an inclusive electoral process, including respect for civil liberties. Another major issue is the continued lack of accountability for human rights violations over the last several years, magnified by the closure in February 2019 of the UN Human Rights Office in the country at the insistence of the government after a 23-year presence. The Council may encourage Burundi to cooperate fully with all UN bodies. Council members concerned about the human rights situation in the country ahead of the election could organise an Arria-formula meeting with the HRCs Commission of Inquiry on Burundi to discuss its recommendations to the Council. Council and Wider Dynamics Council members agree that the continued viability of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreementswhich ended the Burundian civil war in 2000is important as a basis for stability in the country. Burundi, for its part, remains entrenched in its opposition to what it considers interference by the international community in its internal affairs. This may affect the way forward for the office of the Special Envoy. To date, the Council has been unable to find a fresh avenue to re-engage with Burundi. The continued improvement in the security situation led some members to argue thatnotwithstanding political, human rights and humanitarian concernsthere is no need to keep Burundi on the Councils agenda, viewing such concerns as internal issues lacking an international peace and security dimension. During the meeting in February, some Council members may question the need for the quarterly briefing on Burundi to continue. Similar difficulties around the quarterly briefing have arisen in the past. UN DOCUMENTS ON BURUNDI NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognac continues to evolve given the country's interest in craft cocktails, particularly in pre-prohibition cocktails. With United States being the first cognac market (102.4 million cognac bottles imported in 2019) it has diversified the many ways cognac can be consumed, from sipping it neat to using it as the base for trendy and originating cocktails. A recent study by Beverage Dynamics points to millennials spending up for premium spirits and cocktails. In the past 12 months, spirits priced $25 and up have increased in sales by 13.2%. And, with millennials favoring the full imbibing experiencewith an emphasis on the ingredients usedbartenders and stirrers are shifting with the trends. Cognac Educators from around the country shared trends they currently see and predict for 2020. Less Drinking, Higher Quality Dan Nicolaescu, Beverage Director of Brandy Library and Copper and Oak (New York, NY) It is my experience that, generally speaking, people are drinking less but of higher quality. I see interest in trying cognac growing steadily, especially towards neat pours. It seems that preferences steer toward cognacs with a lighter wood influence but fairly well developed, in the 10-25 years range. As far as cocktails go, I can envision bartenders focusing on quality by using small quantities of high quality old cognac as an accent in a drink. It can provide unique flavors to the final product and is also more financially sensible. Modern Mixology Simplified Miguel F. Lancha, ThinkGoodGroup Cocktail Director (Washington, DC) One trend that I have seen working with cognac is younger bartenders are showing an interest and wanting to learn about it, whether it's at a bar training session or an industry seminar. The interest in classic cocktails has been around for a while now, but many bartenders are going back to being more flexible and creative with cocktails. I see an opportunity for guests to be more exposed to cognac by trying drinks that combine it with cool techniques. Bartenders are continuing to modify the textures and structures of drink components by clarifying, carbonating, making a slushy, etc. They're doing it in a way that's not in your face or over the top, which is intriguing guests and exposing them to cognac in cocktails. Presentation with Levity Kellie Thorn, Hugh Acheson Restaurants Beverage Director (Atlanta, GA) While we are still having a hard time getting guests to order cognac on its own the way they do whiskey, we are seeing a lot of cognac cocktails sell. I think that the key to reaching a younger audience is presenting the spirit and category with some levity. I obviously love the heritage and tradition behind these spirits, but we should approach it with a little irreverence. Split your pour of cognac neat with some amaro, think of more tropical applications, add it to your spritz build, and in general make cognac feel like something that doesn't have to have a lot of pomp and circumstance around it to enjoy it. Lower-ABV Cocktails H. Joseph Ehrmann of Elixir, Elixir to Go and Cocktail Ambassadors (San Francisco, CA) There is an opportunity for cognac to take advantage of its great flavor intensity by mixing shorter pours (.5-1 ounce) with light mixers, like the multitude of uniquely flavored tonics to make low-ABV drinks. I particularly like a VSOP with Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic and expressed lemon oil or a young, fruity VS with a dry grapefruit soda like Q Grapefruit. ABOUT THE BNIC The BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) represents, fosters and protects the Cognac Appellation d'Origine Conrolee in France and abroad. In the 150 countries where Cognac is sold, this AOC assures consumers a product of exceptional quality. With a membership that equally represents the agricultural and commercial interests of Cognac, the BNIC is the consultative and decision-making body for the 4,260 winegrowers, 120 distillers and 280 merchants of the Cognac appellation. PRESS CONTACT Teuwen Communications Amanda Torres | [email protected] Jen Neugeboren | [email protected] BUREAU NATIONAL INTERPROFESSIONNEL DU COGNAC 23, Allees Bernard Guionnet BP 900 18 16101 Cognac Cedex France cognac.fr SOURCE Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac Related Links http://cognac.fr Greta Thunberg puts Africa's climate activists in media spotlight Stockholm, Jan 31 (AFP) Jan 31, 2020 After a racism debate in Davos on the invisibility of African climate activists, Greta Thunberg held a press conference Friday with fellow eco warriors from Kenya, Uganda and South Africa to stress the importance of their voices. Vanessa Nakate of Uganda was at the heart of a viral debate at the World Economic Forum in Davos after she was cropped out of a news agency photo of young activists, including Thunberg, taken after a press conference. A 23-year-old graduate in business administration, Nakate was the only black person and only African in the photo shoot. She accused the Associated Press of racism in cropping her out. The agency said the photographer had modified the photo for composition purposes and later apologised, calling it a "terrible mistake". Nakate said she did "not want to talk about" the incident, other than to say that "it was quite a frustrating moment." "This is the time for the world to listen to the activists from Africa and to pay attention to their stories... This is an opportunity for media to actually do some justice to the climate issues in Africa," Nakate told reporters via video link from Kampala. She was joined on separate screens by Ayakha Melithafa and Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa and Makenna Muigai of Kenya, who spent an hour answering questions from journalists gathered at Greenpeace Sweden's offices. - 'We are the most impacted' - So far, Africa is relatively blameless when it comes to climate change. The continent is home to 17 percent of the world's population and more than a quarter of its nations, but only accounts for about five percent of the greenhouse gas emissions pushing the planet toward runaway warming. "Yet we are the most impacted" by climate change, said Mcunu, a PhD student at Johannesburg's Witwatersrand University. "Almost 20 million people have fled the continent due to these changes" and major droughts have caused "almost 52 million people to become food insecure," she added. Mcunu said Africans have begun to adapt, using "indigenous knowledge systems" incorporating "the knowledge that we have as Africans into the international research science and climate data awareness". But, she stressed, "how is it that we're not being spotlighted in these stories, that's the main challenge we have as a continent." Billions of locusts are swarming through East Africa, the result of extreme weather swings which could prove catastrophic for a region still reeling from drought and deadly floods. If unchecked, the infestation could become a plague that will devastate crops and pastures in a region which is already one of the poorest and most vulnerable in the world. - 'Food and water scarcity' - Many Africans "are unaware as to why this is happening, due to not being educated and properly prepared for the consequences," said Makenna Muigai. "I urge African leaders and world leaders to take into consideration that all of us will be affected by climate change. No one should be left behind," she added. "The biggest risk that African countries face would be food scarcity and water scarcity, as a result of climate change," added Nakate. To combat these threats, activists' voices need to be heard. "The biggest threat to action is the fact that those who are trying as hard as possible to speak up are not being given the amplification, they're not able to tell their stories," Nakate said. "If we continue the silencing of planet activists from different parts of Africa, it will be so hard for them to get their message across to our government leaders." Thunberg meanwhile criticised the media for focusing so much of its attention on her, insisting "the African perspective is always so under-reported". "If I say something it gets turned into a headline, that is not the case for the others. The media frames us differently... the amount of coverage they give us," the Swedish teenager said. gab/po/pvh Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) today announced a partnership with OpenText, a global leader in Enterprise Information Management (EIM) that completed an acquisition of Dell EMCs Enterprise Content Division, including Documentum in 2017. With the new alliance, VIP now offers OpenText to public sector clients via the State of California Software Licensing Program (SLP).Clients are rethinking their enterprise platforms to better compete in todays digital age, and EIM is the key platform to enable that transformation. Our acquisition of Documentum and the Enterprise Content Division from DELL EMC significantly strengthened our market leading position, said OpenText CEO and CTO, Mark J. Barrenechea. Customers are responding very well to our Release 16 and this acquisition extends our leadership in content services, information archives, key verticals, and the Cloud.Numerous public sector entities nationwide currently use Documentum, which will not be supported after April 2020. This partnership gives VIP the ability to easily work with these agencies to migrate their existing Documentum installations to the current, fully supported version of OpenText.VIPs experience and expertise with public sector clients, paired with the robust OpenText platform is a winning combination that will help organizations migrate existing systems to a fully-supported cloud version of the platform, said VIP CEO Jonna Ward. We are eager to help state and local agencies drive the most value from their EIM investment.VIPs OpenText SLP contract number is SLP-19-70-0220K and more information on the SLP program can be found at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/PD/About/Page-Content/PD-Branch-Intro-Accordion-List/Acquisitions/Software-Licensing-Program#@ViewBag.JumpTo Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) provides industry-leading management consulting, system integration, and technology deployment solutions. VIP helps its clients strengthen mission outcomes by combining deep industry specialization, agility to adapt as needed, and an unwavering commitment to client satisfaction. VIP brings expertise in how to deploy systems that align people, processes, and technology to accelerate strategic change and to deliver business results in partnership with its clients. Since 1996, VIP has worked with over 1,200 public sector and commercial clients. For more information, visit www.trustvip.com Media Contact: Raelyn SweebeVisionary Integration Professionals (VIP) rsweebe@trustvip.com 360-200-3347 New Delhi, Jan 31 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the government for granting ownership to 40 lakh people residing in 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi saying it has fulfilled their dreams of living a dignified life. Address the joint session of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, the President said: "More than 40 lakh people living in the country's capital, Delhi, had been living for years hoping that one day they would get the right to own their homes and live a dignified life. "The government has fulfilled this requirement of people living in more than 1,700 colonies of Delhi." On November 28, the Lok Sabha cleared a bill to grant ownership rights to four million residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies in Delhi. While the Rajya Sabha passed the Bill on December 4 last year during the Winter Session. The President also hailed the government for completing the works of the Kartarpur Corridor on the occasion of 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Devji. "My government built the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in record time, dedicated it to the nation on the occasion of 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Devji," the President said. Workers at Langeloth Metallurgical, 40 miles west of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have been on strike for nearly five months to protect seniority rights and job safety. While the workers remain determined, the United Auto Workers union has isolated the 90 strikers, giving management a free hand to hire strikebreakers and continue production. Langeloth Metallurgical facility processes 35 million tons a year of molybdenum, an element used as an alloy in steel production to increase its strength. Working under dangerously high temperatures, workers roast the molybdenum in four multiple-hearth furnaces converting it into powder and briquettes for the steel and chemical industries. The parent company, Denver, Colorado-based Thompson Creek Metals, has gone through a series of corporate changes. Facing near bankruptcy, Thompsonwhich owns gold, copper and molybdenum mines in Idaho and the Canadian province of British Columbia, was taken over by Canadian mining company Centerra Gold for $1.1 billion in shares and cash, including paying off Thompsons nearly $900 million debt. Centerra CEO Scott Perry pocketed $3.4 million last year. John and Delane Workers on the picket line spoke with the World Socialist Web Site about the strike and the blackout of information from the UAW. John, a worker with 16 years, said, This company has been two steps ahead of us all the time. We want to do something, and they have already done it. Forced to survive on the UAWs miserly $250 a week strike benefits, many workers have taken other jobs. Several who spoke asked that their names or photos not be used out of fear of retaliation from their new employers. It was a black Christmas, a worker told the WSWS. There were a lot of things my children were not able to get. We all have children, said another worker with 10 years in the plant. Everyone on the picket line has children. This has been really hard on us and our families. I had to take a $6.00 an hour pay cut and Im on a 90-day probation at my new job, without any medical care. It would take him two years on his new job before he earns what he was making at Langeloth Metallurgical, the worker explained. They won't talk with us. We cant get any answers. The union is not telling us anything. This is supposed to be a union shop and they are bringing in non-union people to do our jobs. How are they allowed to do this? The workers at the plant produce molybdenum, rhenium and nickel, which are used for the making of specialty steel for everything from hand tools to airplane parts. The company even collects the sulfur gas, explained one of the pickets. It is released during the smelting process and they make sulfuric acid with it. John continued, They have all these permanent replacement workers and we cant even collect unemployment. The union has called it an economic strike, but it is really about seniority. If a department isnt doing well, they want to be able to close it down and lay off those people, while people with lower seniority keep working. They are forcing older workers to be pokers, which is the most dangerous job. All of the workers on the picket line agreed that seniority is the major issue. The company wants to get rid of the older, higher paid workers by forcing them to do the hardest and most dangerous jobs. I have 10 years, explained one of the pickets. I havent been a poker for five years. Usually that is a job given to the newer employees. Now they were forcing people with twice my seniority to be pokers. They are sending people who are 60 years old to poke the roasters. As the name implies, the poker has to keep the fires burning hot in the massive furnaces and roasters used to melt the metals out of the ore. It is the most labor-intensive and dangerous job, exposing workers to extreme temperatures. The melting point of molybdenum is 4,753 Fahrenheit; rhenium melts at the even hotter 5,766 degrees, while nickel melts at 2,650 degrees Fahrenheit. We voted down the contract three times, said Delane, who has 14 years in the mill. I worked 27 years at Weirton Steel. (a nearby steel mill that is now closed). I was planning to retire in May. I could have voted for this contract and just get out, but I am standing up for the younger employees. The company has been cutting jobs and forcing the remaining workers to do all the work. All last summer we were working 60 hours a week, continued Delane. If someone went on vacation, they didnt have anyone to back fill them. A lot of people get shoulder and back injuries here. They refused to negotiate for months and months and the company just basically started implementing their last offer. Workers pointed to the sale of the company to Centerra and the hiring of Stan Ledzinski in 2017 to head the human resources department as a turning point in labor relations. Before being hired by Langeloth Metallurgical Ledzinski worked for a nearby electrical manufacturer where he also led the assault on workers. They actually fired a dead guy, explained Delane. This is how bad they have gotten with us. He hadnt shown up for work, we were texting and calling his home but got no answer. The company sent him a letter telling him he was fired. He had worked here for 12 years and they didnt bother to send someone to his home to check on him, or reach out to his emergency contacts, they just fired him. Pickets expressed their anger at the UAW, which has left them isolated and in the dark. Referring to the ongoing corruption scandal in the UAW, one picket said, These guys are taking all this cash and they are doing nothing for us. They are building resorts in California and homes in Florida, while they wont tell us anything. The UAW, which is sitting on top of $1 billion in assets, has a long history of betraying strikes and colluding with corporate management to destroy the jobs and living standards of the workers it falsely claims to represent. If this strike is not to be isolated and defeated, then workers will have to take the conduct of the struggle into their own hands by organizing a rank-and-file strike committee, independent of the corrupt UAW, to fight to mobilize the broadest support among workers throughout the Pittsburgh area to stop the strikebreaking operation, and to defend the jobs and conditions of the workers at Langeloth Metallurgical. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An alleged white supremacist group that has placed well-over 50 fliers and stickers across multiple neighborhoods on Staten Island over the past seven months is under investigation by the NYPD and District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, the Advance has learned. The group, the New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA), has been labeled by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a small, New Jersey-based white supremacist group that espouses racism, anti-Semitism and intolerance under the guise of saving white European peoples from purported imminent extinction. NJEHAs main form of exposure is through the distribution of fliers and stickers, which the group encourages followers to print out and place in their neighborhoods. The fliers, which commonly refer to an unsubstantiated conspiracy that white people are facing extinction, urge viewers to Reclaim your nation and Reclaim your heritage. The groups website reads: The non-Whites who will come to replace us will recreate the failed societies they have fled. Our nations will be plagued with high levels of violence, poverty, corruption and instability. While the Advance reported on the groups presence on the borough on two separate instances in New Dorp, an investigation of Gab a lightly-censored social media site the group primarily uses revealed that fliers and other propaganda were placed at dozens of locations on the borough, from Tottenville to Mariners Harbor. On a near-daily basis, the group posts locations on Gab where its posters and stickers have been placed. A heavy concentration of posts have been made on the East Shore of Staten Island, including one set of instances as recently as mid-January. One poster propelling an unfounded anti-Semitic conspiracy theory, which has since been removed, was found by a reporter approximately 24 hours after it was posted at the corner of New Dorp Lane and New Dorp Plaza last Tuesday. An NYPD spokeswoman said that the department is aware of the posters and the purported connection to a specific group that has engaged in hate speech, adding: The matter is being investigated. A spokesman for the district attorney said that McMahons office is "monitoring these incidents, but cannot comment on any ongoing investigations at this time. McMahon said that his office is committed to standing up against any and all acts of hate and will continue to vigorously prosecute and seek justice in all crimes based in bias or prejudice against another individual or groups of people. Our Hate Crimes Task Force was formed in partnership with a wide array of organizations from all different backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions with the shared goal of preventing hate crimes and educating the public about our Islands diverse communities, McMahon said. "We will continue to work with our excellent partners in the NYPD, and together with the entire Hate Crimes Task Force coalition, we will ensure all Staten Islanders are allowed to live their lives free from fear and hate. MEMBERS HERE? It is not clear how many, if any, Staten Islanders are members of the NJEHA, a group that has attended purported white supremacist rallies and demonstrations and has placed fliers across the country; however, the frequency of postings raises the question of its membership on the borough. A man who picked up the phone for a number listed on one of the NJEHA posters declined to speak to an Advance reporter, saying they "dont want to talk, adding, you guys are liars and fake news. While less prevalent on Twitter, where the group only follows one account President Donald Trump its last post, from January 2019, directs users to its Gab profile. On that profile, the association touts placing its material at heavily-trafficked areas, including Wagner College and the College of Staten Island (CSI). After two stickers were found on the Wagner College campus, they were promptly removed by campus staff, said Lee Manchester, director of media relations at the college. An email sent to the campus read, in part: We do not condone racist and anti-Semitic messages and behavior. We also do not condone messages that promote fear, promote hate, and devalue others." CSI spokesman Robert Wallace provided a statement from the colleges president, William Fritz, which was sent out to students after the Advance notified the campus of NJEHAs postings. The College was recently notified of the placement of stickers on College property purporting to be from the New Jersey European Heritage Association (NJEHA), a group identified by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as a small, New Jersey based white supremacist group, the statement read. Public Safety located the two stickers on the north end of campus and immediately removed them." The College of Staten Island condemns the hatred, bigotry, and intolerance of extremist groups. I have repeatedly noted that our mission has always been to provide our students with an environment that allows them to achieve excellence and to embrace diversity, and to provide an inclusive and respectful workspace for our employees, Fritzs statement continued. The ADL said that the group began in early 2018, but its recent increase in activity comes at a time where anti-Semitic incidents are on the rise in New York City. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said that New York City experienced a 21% uptick of anti-Semitic incidents in 2019. After a shooting in Jersey City killed a veteran police officer and three people inside of a kosher supermarket, and just three weeks before five people were stabbed inside of a rabbis home in Monsey, N.Y. during Hanukkah, Shea said that there was a connection between seemingly minute instances of anti-Semitism like a sign etched on a window or transit, saying he sees a relationship between those incidents and the more recent deadly incidents. Theres an escalation, Shea said. Theres a common theme here, its ignorance and its hate. A sticker spotted at an intersection in New Dorp on Monday included a link to a New-Jersey based white nationalist group. (Staten Island Advance) ROSE: ABSOLUTELY A THREAT' Rep. Max Rose said during a phone interview that NJEHA is absolutely a threat, adding that the groups recent presence is illustrative of a movement that is not only covering virtually the entire United States; it is also illustrative of a global movement. Rose penned a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in October 2019, urging the State Department to include white supremacist groups in its designation of foreign terrorist organizations a request that was deferred in a response on a letter dated Oct. 30, 2019. Rose said that there is no doubt that every one of these local white nationalist organizations have global connections, and believes that labeling violent international white supremacist groups as foreign terrorist organizations would enable law enforcement to have the tools to take action. Rose said that labeling international white supremacist groups as foreign terrorist organizations enables federal authorities to prosecute domestic individuals who provide support to these groups with terror-related offenses. Similar to the newly-unveiled NYPD Racially Racially and Ethnically Motivated Extremism REME unit, which focuses on any trends and signs of racially and ethnically motivated extremism, Rose believes that a federal program should be initiated that would enable local jurisdictions and municipalities to create comparable units in an effort to crack down on groups that exhibit this form of extremism on the local level. Gab, a favorite social media platform with white supremacists and neo-Nazis, has been suspended from the Internet in the wake of mass shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Platform users say the site does not endorse violence. ONLINE EXTREMISM? Gab has been associated with anti-Semitic and hate speech before. On Oct. 27, 2018, Robert Bowers allegedly barged into a Pittsburgh synagogue and opened fire, killing 11 people in one of the deadliest attacks on Jews in U.S. history. Before the shooting, Bowers reportedly expressed virulently anti-Semitic views on Gab. The cover photo for his account featured a neo-Nazi symbol, and one of his recent posts included a photo of a fiery oven like those used in Nazi concentration camps used to cremate Jews during World War II before the account was suspended by the social media site. Multiple users who follow NJEHA have similar profile pictures, including photos of the flag of the German Reich. Gab was suspended temporarily after the shooting, NPR reported, saying it has been systematically no-platformed by App Stores, multiple hosting providers, and several payment processors. We have been smeared by the mainstream media for defending free expression and individual liberty for all people and for working with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served for the horrible atrocity committed at Pittsburgh, the site said. Rose, who has been critical of mainstream social media sites like Twitter and Facebook for their lack of adherence to already-established codes of conduct, said sites like Gab have no regard for any societal responsibility. Facebook announced new policies aimed at combating online extremism following Roses push, and the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) a group comprised of companies like Microsoft, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube formalized its efforts to uniformly coordinate a takedown of extremist content across the platforms, but Gab remains a wild west," according to Rose. The Raise the Bar Act, introduced by Rose into the House of Representatives to further address rising concerns about hate content on social media, was created with the intention to raise the bar on how well mainstream social media companies shut down terrorist activity on their platforms, and the congressman believes this should be applied to sites like Gab. It will be a perpetual game of whack a mole, Rose said, but that doesnt matter. We have to stay ahead of the curve and continue to fight them. Andrew Torba, the CEO of Gab, said that the sites social responsibility since inception in 2016 has always been to put first amendment-protected speech and individual liberty first for all people." Accounts that are merely offensive, or hateful, both of which are subjective terms, are not banned, Torba said in a written response, referencing the sites set of simple content guidelines. If that upsets Congressman Max Rose and his fragile feelings he needs to get over it, Torba added. If you dont like what someone is saying you simply dont pay attention by blocking them, muting them, or not following them. Individual responsibility shouldnt be a difficult concept for a Congressman to understand. Weak leaders like him are why Congress has an approval rating of 23%. We at Gab hope to see a real man take his place in Congress soon, Torba said NJEHA: WE DO NOT PROMOTE VIOLENCE The NJEHA website prompts would-be members with a question prompt that asks, Are you of European non-Semitic descent? NJEHA also has a quasi-written-presence in the form of a lengthy blog on its site, where it has mocked NJ.com, the Advances sister site, and claimed that the group does not consider itself neo-nazis" and says that it abhors that ridiculous terminology as another attempt to discredit our message. The groups goal in its own words of securing the existence of our people and a future for White children, is accomplished, according to the site, by promoting its ideas partially through the mediums of simple flyers which do not promote any type of violence or illegal activity. Despite the NJEHAs self-proclaimed adherence to legality, Rose said that the mantra of see something, say something has to be applied to this type of vitriolic, hateful, disgusting material. If a poster is seen, Rose said, pull it down, dump it in the garbage, and report it as well. It has no place in our neighborhood. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the coronavirus a global health emergency in recognition that the disease risk no longer is confined to China. United Nations member countries may decide to close their borders, cancel flights, implement special screenings at airports, or take other steps in response to the notice. U.S. health officials earlier this week announced they would fast-trackwork on a coronavirus vaccine, with the goal to have an early-stagetrial within three months. That timeline is consideredoptimistic, and even if the work proceeds apace, a phase 1 trial is still a long way from avaccine ready for mass deployment, the National Institute of Allergy and InfectiousDiseases, an agency within the Department of Health and HumanServices, has emphasized. It could take a year or even longer before any vaccine is released for widespread use. That is likely of little comfort to those in the Chinese city ofWuhan, which is ground zero for the coronavirus outbreak and essentially has been quarantined. As of this week, the virus has killed106 people in mainland China, and it has infected nearly 4,700 peopleworldwide, including in the United States. The Chinese government rapidly constructed a1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan as a way to contain and treat patientssuspected of contracting the virus. Named the Wuhan HuoshenshanHospital, it reportedly is a 25,000-square-meter facility purpose-built to address thisoutbreak. The goal of the Chinese was to have the hospital finishedand operational in just 10 days. A second and even larger facility, the Leishenshan Hospital, also is under construction, and the goal is to have that building finished in just 15 days. Medieval Measures Essentially locking down an entire city or region isnt exactly a newtactic, and it certainly is not effective. When the Black Death spread during the Middle Ages, it was commonplace for port cities tobe closed to ships suspected of coming from infected areas. In the 14th century, Venice was among the first cities to formalize suchmeasures, closing the citys waters to suspected vessels, and evensubjecting travelers and nearly all ships to 30 days of isolation. The period was extended to 40 days, which led to the term quarantine. Sadly, those efforts generally were unsuccessful, and it is unclear if amodern quarantine would have any better success. However, this weekthe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Americans toavoid all nonessential travel to China and extended its travel warningfrom Wuhan to the entire country. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The effectiveness of this move currently is being debated, said Mariea Snell, assistant director of Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Maryville University. At this point, the recommendation is that travel be limited, as therisk is considered to not outweigh the benefit at this point, she told TechNewsWorld. Modern air travel exponentially increased the spread of influenza eachyear, based on a study by Chong and Chung, originally conducted in 2012 and updated in 2017. Air travel restrictions should become apriority when flu or other potential pandemic could occur, the researchers recommended. Some companies are heeding such advice. Apple CEO TimCook on Tuesday announced restrictions on employee travel andeven took the drastic measure of shutting down one store in China. The question is whether restricting travel and utilizing quarantinepractices be effective at curbing the spread of infection. Recent studies indicate that it may not be as beneficial asoriginally thought to be, Snell said. We learned a lot from theSARS and Ebola outbreak in this regard. While it may slow it down, itwill not eliminate it, she noted. The best way to prevent the spread ofillness is to wash your hands, and stay home if you are sick, Snell said. Detection Technology Aside from quarantines, efforts to halt the spread of disease include screenings. It has gotten far easier to determine if someone is contagious and carrying an illness through various methods of detection, which can be as simple as taking temperatures and observing individuals for symptoms. A helpful way that technology can and is being used to stop thespread of illness is the use of public health surveillance data, noted Snell. The effectiveness can be hit or miss, however, largely depending on the virus. In the case of the coronavirus, scientists say that the viral sheddingperiod period when you are contagious can occur up to a weekbefore you start to show symptoms, Snell explained. Given this, using technology to detect infection like fever would notbe very effective at preventing the spread, she noted. This can behelpful during acute illness, but it would not catch all infected people. Predictive Technology Technology isnt just used just to determine if someone is ill, however.Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning now are beingused to predict where an outbreak might occur or even moreimportantly, where it might spread. One such effort is an early-warning system that utilizes artificialintelligence and machine learning, as well as natural language processing, totrack more than 100 infectious diseases, developed by the Canadian firm BlueDot. The program is designed toread from more than 100,000 articles in 65 languages, and the data then iscompiled to determine the potential for the spreading of diseases. Itwas used earlier this month to track the coronavirus and then predictwhere it might spread. Considering the coronavirus is a global disease, AI hasnt done agood job stopping it but a much better job in tracking it, said RogerEntner, principal analyst at Recon Analytics. However, it could take time to refine any AI to be truly successful. AI could certainly help, but its early days for AI yet, and thisvirus is moving faster than it would probably take to set up a good AImodel and train it on the right data set, cautioned Roger Kay, principalanalyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates. More important is to execute existing protocols rigorously, liketracing contacts and quarantining and treating infected people, hetold TechNewsWorld. Crowdsourcing Disease Tracking A number of crowdsourcing methods could be effective in tracking the spread of disease. People are also using cellphone data to track population movement andhow they interact, noted Snell. This helps understand or predict where disease may spread so thatscientists and healthcare providers can take a proactive approach,she added. Social media is another promising avenue. Algorithms have been set up to detect certain buzzwords like flu orfood poisoning to detect and track possible large-scale outbreaks,noted Snell. Connected World The ease with which so many people can jet set around the world for businessmeetings, conferences, trade shows, vacation and other occasions also hascontributed to the spread of contagious diseases. Perhaps some of those occasions for travel eventually could transition to virtual reality or augmented reality experiences both to save moneyfor the participants, and to keep big gatherings such as the annual CESor the Davos political gathering from becoming ground zero fora pandemic. Not everyone is sold on that idea, however, and convincing attendees ofthose shows not to mention the exhibitors could be an uphillstruggle. The moment we have to do AR/VR in a response to a pandemic, then weare so deep in trouble not even AR/VR can save us, ReconAnalytics Entner told TechNewsWorld. In the end, there is no substitute for meeting someone in person,shaking their hand and looking them in the eye AR/VR cant do that,he added. Virtual conferences are already happening for cost reasons, of course. The only issue is you cant get people to sit through three days ofcontent on a virtual connection it just doesnt work, observedKay. Networking is an important part of conferences, but if you dont needto do business development, there is no reason not to get the contentin a format like a TED talk, and there are lots of software tools forconferencing at various levels, he added. Much of what one can learn or needs to learn from majorevents or trade shows can be done through technology, maintained Snell. Virtual events or trade shows can deliver the information in a waythat is safe and cost-effective, she noted. We can integrate discussion in an online platform and share thelatest information on products, as well as view presentations from ourhome or office, Snell suggested. Utilization of this technology forevents such as these should be industry standard as we try to navigatethese global health concerns. Starting Feb. 12th, "A prayer meeting for the country" will be held from 7-9 a.m. every Wednesday until April 15, the General Election day in South Korea. The invitees, Rev. Hong Jeong-gil and Rev. Lee Dong-won said in the prayer meeting on Monday, "Korean society is confused. The church has failed to live up to the word of the gospel." He added that the scene of life is becoming grim due to various social conflicts. In addition, they worried that this year's April 15th National Assembly General Election will worsen this situation. "The prayers of the pastors, who serve Christ's body, and are carrying social responsibilities, are urgently needed," he said. "We hold ten prayer meetings every Wednesday morning with the theme of 'Word and Life,'" he said. In particular, the purpose of the prayer meeting was explained in five ways: We serve the prayer meeting for our country with the Bible, the only and consummated revelation of God, and the belief in God's sovereign obedience based on it. We deeply repent for the Korean Church's failure to establish a healthy social and ethical culture in our country by disobeying the gospel of Jesus Christ and lashing with secularism. We hope that in the current conflict, the church and the Christ will fill their hearts with faith, hope and love, instead of betraying them to hatred and hatred by craft boats and words and prayers. We believe that conservatism and liberal within the Church of Korea should become one within the eternal words of truth and lead the nation's history and social flow according to the will of the Lord. We pray for the Church, the body of Christ, as well as the general elections on April 15. Rev. Jung Ju-chae, one of the invitees, said it could be called a prayer meeting for the city. Pastor Jung recently criticized the current Moon Jae-in regime for saying that he is "evil and false.". Rev. Ji Hyung-un, however, said in an interview on Thursday, "I'm not specifically critical of anything. "I don't think it's desirable to side with either side in the name of a church," he said. "The purpose of the meeting is the same as the content of the invitation letter. It is a natural gathering that began with the belief that God heard our prayers." The Montana Violent Offender Task Force arrested 1,918 felony fugitives during 2019, bringing its arrest total to 15,353 since the group was formed in 2005. The task force, which is organized by the U.S. Marshals Service District of Montana, is described on its website as "a collaborative partnership between law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels." Much of the group's work involves carrying out arrest warrants. In 2019, arrests included 774 in Great Falls, 659 in Billings and 485 in Missoula. About 85% of arrest warrants are state and local warrants and many of those arrested are parolees, said U.S. Marshal for Montana Rod Ostermiller. Arrest totals have continued to rise during the past several years for the task force, which has continued to grow and add member agencies. There are 23 member law enforcement agencies in the MVOTF. 2018 was the first year in which Great Falls law enforcement was fully involved in the task force, Ostermiller said. Because of that addition of the Great Falls Police Department to the task force, the group's arrests rose by 26% in 2018, from 1,479 in 2017 to 1,871. In 2018, the task force seized 6,412 grams of meth and 36 guns. In 2019, those numbers increased to 8,551 grams of meth and 116 guns. Many of the guns were stolen. In explaining the increased activity of the task force in 2019, Ostermiller pointed toward a growing meth problem in Montana. "Generally, where we find meth, we don't find guns too far away," Ostermiller said. Ostermiller said it's not uncommon for the arrest of someone with guns or drugs to generate additional criminal cases. The 2019, numbers show a more than 2,000-gram increase in meth seizures. Firearms seizures also increased in 2019, by a total of 80 firearms. The increase in meth seizures by the task force echoes data from other law enforcement groups. The Gazette reported earlier in January that the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Task Force seized 122 pounds of meth, an increase of 92 pounds from 2014. Its not uncommon to find somebody with pound-level quantities now, Billings Police Department Lt. Brandon Wooley said at the time. Ostermiller said the task force is increasingly seeing non-compliant behavior from people being arrested, making the work more dangerous and making training even more important. In a press release, the task force also provided statistics for other seizures. In 2019, 78 grams of cocaine were seized, along with 563 grams of heroin and 20 stolen vehicles. All of those numbers represent an increase from the previous year, with the exception of stolen vehicles. In 2018, the task force seized 18 grams of cocaine, 488 grams of heroin and 21 stolen cars. Members of the task force include police departments in Billings, Great Falls, Bozeman, Cut Bank, Helena, and sheriff's offices in Yellowstone County, Gallatin, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Cascade, Roosevelt, Glacier, Hill, Valley, Dawson, Custer, the Montana Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, Attorney Generals Office, DEA, Northern Cheyenne BIA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services, Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Actor-producer Margot Robbie hopes more and more men turn up to watch female-driven films, like her latest "Birds of Prey", as she believes they will be able to relate with such stories. Robbie is returning as Harley Quinn in "Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)", on which she also serves as producer. Directed by Cathy Yan, the DC film has been penned by "Bumblebee" scribe Christina Hodson. "Birds of Prey" also features Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Black Canary, Ella Jay Basco as Cassandra Cain and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya. Robbie said she watches films regardless of the protagonists gender. "I hope that guys watch films with female leads as much as they watch ones with male leads. 'Cause I watch films despite the gender of the protagonist and find a way to relate just on human behaviour. "I feel if more men watch female-driven content they'd find a way to relate as well," the 29-year-old actor told Sky at the premiere of the movie here. The new film is a spin-off of "Suicide Squad" that introduced Robbie as Harley Quinn. Robbie said despite being a champion of women's rights, she ultimately wanted the best person for the directing job. "It was a big priority for me to always seek opportunities for women because they categorically and historically get fewer opportunities. "However, at the end of the day, the best person for the job should get the job and if the best person that came in was a guy we would have had a guy directing this film, but Cathy was the best person for this job," she added. This award season has been a let down when it comes to a lack of female nominees in the directing categories at this year's BAFTAs and Oscars and the actor hopes next year is better. "I hope that's not the case next year. I loved a lot of movies this year, I loved movies that were directed by phenomenal female directors as well, but yeah, what can you do?" Robbie said. She is nominated for best supporting actress BAFTA for "Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood" and "Bombshell". She has also earned an Oscar nod for "Bombshell". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nitish Kumar is set to be the Chief Minister of Bihar again. After a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP tried to stop Leftist leader Kanhaiya Kumar from holding a protest rally in Bihar against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar personally intervened to allow the same. Allowing the former Jawaharlal Nehru University student to carry on with his plans, the Bihar CM sent out to a subtle message to the leaders of the ruling party, reminding them who the boss was. Notably, the Janata Dal-United (JDU) chief has already expressed discontentment with the Centres plan to make the National Population Register public. He said: There is a lot of confusion and panic regarding the NPR. New questions have been added and we want it to be dropped. A BJP parliamentarian allegedly urged the administration of Bihars West Champaran district to block Kanhaiya Kumars anti-CAA protest march, reported the NDTV. Upon learning about it, Nitish Kumar stepped in to reprimand the arbitrary move. He called up the concerned administrative officials and slammed them for blocking the march. On January 30, a protest march against the contentious new citizenship law was taken out by Kanhaiya Kumar and Congress MLA Shakeel Ahmed Khan. It was flagged off from Bhitiharwa in West Champaran district. Their movement was restricted shortly after when district officials informed that their permission to hold the march has been withdrawn. Both the protest march leaders were detained too, and Kumar alleged that it was Bihar BJP President Sanjay Jaiswals plan to block their march forward. Nitish Kumar learnt of the episode through television news and rung up the concerned officials immediately to sort out the situation. He reportedly reminded the babus and the cops that it is every citizens right to hold peaceful protests and the governments duty to provide safe and secure passage. Following the telephone conversation, the district officials personally escorted the two leaders and the fellow demonstrators to the scheduled venue of the public address. The entire incident was regarded by Kumar as a slap on the face of the saffron party, who thanked the CM for the gesture. Most journalists and other Democrats, who consider themselves smarter and better than anyone who disagrees with them, call us deplorable, irredeemable, sexists, misogynists, xenophobes, homophobes, stupid, and anti-science. Then, as they denigrate us, they lie to their listeners and readers to say they are the inclusive people who seek to unite us. Here is just some of the garbage information that journalists tell the public that is not true: That if Obamacare is passed, you can keep your doctor and your plan, your costs will go down, and the deficit will go down. That Medicare for all pays for everything with no limits, and costs would go down. That Obama was tough on dictators as he catered to Russia, Iran, and Cuba throughout his eight years. That the deaths in Libya were caused by a video. That the Iran deal that gave a terrorist-sponsoring country access to billions of dollars would make the world safer. That killing a terrorist general would make the world less safe. That moving the U.S. embassy in Israel would be very dangerous. That tax cuts benefit only the rich. That across-the-board tax cuts costs the government trillions of dollars when the added growth increases revenue. That higher tax rates always generate more money and don't slow the economy. That food stamps and unemployment benefits are good ways to stimulate the economy. That the Democrats care about income inequality when all their policies seek to transfer money from the rest of us to the wealthy D.C. area. That you can't drill your way to energy independence. That environmentalists are concerned about the environment as they seek to control clear, innocuous, non-pollutant CO2 while they push for an unlimited expansion of the flammable pollutant lithium. Why aren't they concerned about all the land that solar and wind farms use and how much wildlife wind turbines and solar panels kill? That the Paris climate accord would control the climate instead of destroying the economy. That bureaucrats and politicians can control temperatures, sea levels, and storm activity forever if we just give them trillions of additional dollars. That there was ever any evidence of Russian collusion with President Trump. That the FBI ever had any justification to spy on people surrounding Trump. That the FBI and IRS operated independently under President Obama. That no one was above the law during the Obama/Biden years. That Hillary Clinton never intended to break the law. That there was nothing wrong with the Clinton Foundation getting millions and the Russians getting much of America's uranium. That it is reproductive choice to kill fully developed babies up to and beyond birth. That it is oppressive and racist to require photo IDs to vote. That it is racist to enforce immigration laws. That open borders would be a good policy. That education and other stuff would be free if Democrats were elected. That only the "rich" would be taxed to pay for all the Democrat policies. That socialism works. That you didn't build that. It is the government that creates jobs. Manufacturing jobs will never come back. That there is an impeachable act if a president wants to have an investigation into clear corruption by politicians, whether that person is a candidate for president or not. It would be a dereliction of duty if corruption is not investigated. I am sure people can come up with many other examples of when the media intentionally mislead the public to push the Democrat agenda. Is it any wonder that the media are held in such low esteem by the public when they denigrate anyone who doesn't go along with the Democrat power-grab? Why should the public trust the media when they treat congenital liars like Hillary, Schiff, Holder, Brennan, Rice, and Clapper as if they are honest as long as they are trashing Trump? It would certainly be easier to go along and just repeat what we are told, but our freedom and prosperity would soon be gone if we all caved. Thank goodness we have a president who is seeking to give the power and money back to the people as fast as possible, the opposite of a dictator, instead of power-hungry politicians seeking to put more power and money in the hands of the government as fast as possible. There is nothing progressive about a party that wants to make more people dependent on government, especially minorities. Their policies would more properly be called oppressive, regressive, and depressive. Image credit: Needpix, public domain. Image credit: Needpix / public domain Seamless coordination ensured that there are just 38 local terrorists active in Kashmir Terrorists sneaking into India in trucks, latest modus operandi of JeM India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: The three terrorists who were killed in an encounter today at Jammu and Kashmir had infiltrated from across the International Border in the Dayalchak area n Kathua district. The three terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohammad had infiltrated from the Dayalchak area of Hiranagar sector in Kathua on Thursday evening. They picked up a Kashmir bound truck and reached the Ban toll plaza on Friday morning. Police sources said that the terrorists were heading towards Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir chief Dilbagh Singh said that this is a similar modus operandi used in recent times and hence trucks were high on surveillance, Singh also said. This claim has however been disputed by the BSF. No infiltration has been detected so far from the Dayalchak area, BSF Jammu frontier Inspector General N S Jamwal. The three terrorists opened at a police team near a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway triggering a gunfight in which three ultras were killed and a policeman injured, police said. J&K: Three terrorist killed as encounter underway at Nagrota toll plaza The firing took place around 5 am when a police team stopped a Srinagar-bound truck for checking near the toll plaza in Ban area of Nagrota. Singh said 3-4 terrorists were going to Srinagar when they were intercepted by the police team at the toll plaza. Four weapons and some ammunition and explosives have been recovered from the spot. Traffic was suspended on the highway after the attack, the officials said. Authorities have ordered closure of schools in Nagrota as a precautionary measure. Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in Kampong Cham province (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) The inauguration ceremony was attended by Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, Standing Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the National Council of the Solidarity Front for the Development of Cambodian Motherland Nhem Valy, Governor of Kratie Va Khon and Vietnamese Military Attache in Cambodia Colonel Nguyen Thanh Chinh. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An affirmed the significance of Cambodia-Vietnam friendship monuments in cities and provinces of Cambodia. The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that with the wholehearted support of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers, patriotic Cambodians defeated the Pol Pot genocidal regime and revived the country. According to her, the inauguration is more meaningful as it was organized at a time when the government and people of Cambodia are celebrating the 41st anniversary of the victory over the Pol Pot genocidal regime (January 7th, 1979 January 7th, 2020). This is the 17th out of 22 friendship monuments to be upgraded or built across Cambodia./. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) walks through the Senate subway area during a break in impeachment proceedings, in the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Murkowski to Vote Against Calling Impeachment Witnesses, Killing Democrats Hopes Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) revealed Friday that she will not vote in favor of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump after a weeks worth of speculation about whether she would be a key swing vote. In a statement, Murkowski explained that House Democrats chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. She carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, but ultimately chose against voting for them. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, she wrote. I dont believe the continuation of the process will change anything. Murkowski also said that some of her colleagues in the Senate tried to politicize the trial and attack presiding officer Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another, she added. We are sadly at a low point of division in this country. With her pledge, 51 Republicans are now likely to vote against witnesses, effectively killing a Democratic push to feature more witness testimony in the trial. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts speaks during impeachment proceedings in the Senate chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2020. (Senate Television via Getty Images) Ken Starr, an attorney for President Donald Trump, speaks during the impeachment trial against Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 27, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) The Senate resumed proceedings on Friday afternoon with arguments from Trumps legal team and House impeachment managers. The Senate was slated to vote later in the day on whether to allow witnesses. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-N.Y.) told reporters at a press conference earlier in the day, If my Republican colleagues refuse to even consider witnesses and documents in this trial, this country is headed towards the greatest cover-up since Watergate, referring to the scandal that prompted President Richard Nixon in 1974 to resign. Republicans have a 53-47 majority in the Senate. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to call more witnesses. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was one of the four GOP senators Democrats were hoping to convince, but he said in a statement last night that he wouldnt vote in favor of witnesses. That glimmer of hope that I had a few days ago disappeared last night with Lamar Alexanders decision, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Democratic whip, told CNN on Thursday. I dont see the fourth vote thats necessary. Democrats have said they would like to hear from former Trump national security adviser John Bolton following a Sunday report from The New York Times that claimed Bolton wrote in a manuscript that Trump linked military aid for Ukraine to investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden. House managers have also called for more witnesses in the trial after more than a dozen witnesses testified in the House impeachment inquiry. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) are the only Republican senators who have committed to vote for witnesses. Both said they felt compelled to do so after the NY Times published its report detailing Boltons allegations, which Trump has categorically denied. The American people deserve to know the facts about this presidents conduct, said House impeachment manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) on the floor on Friday while arguing in favor of more witnesses. The presidents counsel repeatedly stated that Trump didnt link aid to investigations, said Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), another House manager, said on the floor of the Senate. If you want more evidence, then you have the power to ask for it, he said in arguing for Boltons testimony. By PTI NEW DELHI: The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. India has already approached Chinese authorities to allow it to send two flights to Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, to bring back Indian nationals, and the evacuation process may start from Friday. "We have established contact with over 600 Indians across the province and are individually ascertaining their willingness to be repatriated. Our Mission in Beijing is working round-the-clock on the ground to work out the necessary logistics," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said at a media briefing. Kumar said there is no report of any Indian being affected by the coronavirus in either Hubei province or in any other country. The MEA spokesperson also said that India has not put any restriction on the movement of people from China to India in view of the coronavirus outbreak in the country. He said the government has been conducting a regular review of the situation arising out of the outbreak of coronavirus in China. The Indian embassy in Beijing said India was preparing to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan on Friday. According to the Chinese authorities, the nationwide death toll from novel coronavirus has jumped to 170. "We have made a formal request to the government of China for bringing back Indian nationals from the Hubei province in two flights. We are awaiting for the necessary approval from the Chinese side. We hope this will be granted soon," Kumar said. Kumar said arrangements are being put in place for people to travel to the airport in Wuhan. "We remain committed to the safety and well-being of our nationals abroad. We appreciate the support extended by the government of China and other ministries in the government of India in putting this process together," Kumar said. He said the number of Indians in Hubei province used to be around 1,200 but it is difficult for the government to find out the exact number now. Mark Wilson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- The starting bell of 2020 is about to ring. And while the rest of the 2020 Democratic field is in Iowa, slogging through the snow and unruly fervor of caucus-eve, Mike Bloomberg will be touring across California. Most of the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders -- including the sitting senators who find themselves juggling time between the impeachment trial and the trail -- are vying for the 41 Hawkeye State delegates up for grabs. However, the former mayor of New York City will be sweeping through the Golden State as he prospects for the 415 California pledged delegates that are there for the taking. He'll pan south through the state, starting in Sacramento, then head to Fresno and then Compton, talking up the importance of early voting. Those three cities are dynamic, diverse and very different in their demographics; it remains to be seen whether, and how, Bloomberg will tailor his message toward voters in each city who are already primed for their say in the 2020 primary come March 3. Then, come Tuesday, as the other candidates head to New Hampshire for the ABC News/WMUR-TV debate and then the state's primary, Bloomberg will head to Michigan and Pennsylvania for counterprogramming. President Donald Trump won both of those key battleground states in 2016 by a slim margin, and is investing time and energy in those states now. It's all part of Bloomberg's overall campaign gambit: Bypass the four early states -- Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and New Hampshire -- and key in on the Super Tuesday spots with a high delegate yield. Moreover, hes specifically honing in on the swing states Trump picked up in 2016 that Democrats should have won, like Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Meanwhile, Bloomberg's surrogates will be kicking off a "Get It Done Express" bus tour, which will spend the next 10 days heading from California to North Carolina, with surrogates and supporters making stops along the way. Bloomberg himself will not be there, making it a dipartite campaign strategy with a wingspan from coast to coast. Bloombergs energetic efforts at outreach demonstrate his appetite for seeking voters where they live; he has visited every single one of the Super Tuesday states upon which he's staking his entire 2020 bid. Bloomberg's campaign points directly to the delegate math that's central to their strategy. Iowa and New Hampshire have 65 delegates. California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania have 726," Galia Slayen, a national spokeswoman for the campaign, said in details shared first with ABC News. With impeachment proceedings looming large over the current election efforts, Bloomberg is looking to benefit from the lush state spread that he's been investing in with his vast fortune. His campaign has already fanned out across 35 states, and he has a staff of more than 1,000, including more than 700 field staff across all the Super Tuesday states, as well as 300 staffers in his New York headquarters. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Representatives of Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and the media, on Tuesday, met in Accra to advocate state institutions to be more accountable in meeting Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) commitments in Universal Health Coverage (UHC). They argued that to attain UHC in Ghana, there was the need to ensure the systematic integration of GESI actions into national health policies and programmes, and their adoption of such activities by all stakeholders to ensure that no one was left behind. The meeting was organized by the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), a Ghanaian Non-governmental Organisation, with sponsorship from the STAR-Ghana Foundation. It was to share with the participants, the outcome of a participatory monitoring and recommendations of a project that sought to ensure the systematic integration of GESI actions into national health policies and programmes in three districts in two regions. Ms Doris Ampong, ARHR Communications Manager, said the the group seeks to ensure that every Ghanaian, whether rich or poor, young or elderly, female or male, had access to the best reproductive health care. This, she said could be achieved by challenging systemic and structural inequalities in health systems and other basic services necessary to avoid preventable deaths and mistimed pregnancies, through advocacy, promotion of responsive service delivery, good governance and accountability. She said the project areas include the Agona East; and Komenda-Edina-Aguafo-Abirem (KEEA) in the Central Region; and South Dayi Districts in the Volta Region. She recounted how a GESI monitoring tool was developed to guide and support stakeholders in the uptake of their duties, and a subsequent auditing to determine the extent to which the instrument had been utilised. Ms Ampong explained that subsequently, some key recommendations had been made to address the deficiencies identified, which included ease of access to health care facilities and services by GESI groups, (basically involved Persons with Disabilities (PWD), pregnant women, aged). Again, there was an issue regarding punctuality on the part of some health care personnel who resided far from their place of work, hence report late to their duty posts. She said lack of disability friendly services including privacy for adolescent sexual and reproductive health services, as well as proximity of health facilities to PWDs. Other deficiencies identified included the provision of healthcare services covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and satisfaction with healthcare facilities and services, saying health officials ought to explain the details of patients ailments as it was within the patients rights to be fully informed. There is the need to educate both rights holders and healthcare workers on proper client engagement in keeping with the rights and responsibilities in the NHIS policy document. The Community health Worker Manual and the Patients Rights Charter, is to allow client to hold healthcare service providers accountable for any lapses in punctuality, conduct or care, she added. Ms Ampong said quite a number of the recommendations of the Alliance, which was captured in the policy brief have been implemented, however there still remained a number of things to ensure that GESI groups were wholly considered in national health policies. The participants in various group discussions, identified further gaps regarding effective access to healthcare services, citing hostile toilet facilities, absence of clear signage for direction, or sign language interpreters to assist and direct PWDs, particularly those with visual and speech impairment. They further identified the issue of negative and unprofessional attitudes often exhibited by some healthcare professionals towards patients including PWDs. They suggested punitive measures such as suspension of their salaries and outright dismissal for recalcitrant staff, while instituting simple but competitive in-house award schemes to motivate health workers and instill discipline at the workplace. 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 New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Bharatiya Janata Party promised a clean, corruption-free and transparent government, along with better education and clean air and several other things for a better Delhi, as it released its manifesto for the February 8 Assembly elections on Friday. The 'Sankalp Patra' titled 'Desh Badla, Ab Delhi Badlo' (the country has changed, now change Delhi), was released by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari. It said the BJP is "committed to provide a clean, corruption-free and transparent government to the people of Delhi and we will take all steps in this regard". Tiwari said a comprehensive scheme for the development of the unauthorised colonies, "now authorised", will be framed and now a dedicated Colonies Development Board will be formed. "Poor families will be supplied wheat flour at the rate of Rs 2 per kg. Piped water will be supplied to all by 2024," he said. Tiwari also said the education and health budget will be increased by 10 per cent and 10 new colleges and 200 new schools will be opened. He also said that on the birth of the first two girls in a poor family, the government will deposit a fixed amount in their account and they will get benefit of Rs 2 lakh at the age of 21. "For the purpose of encouraging poor girl students to study, girls studying from Class 9 to 12 will be provided a free bi-cycle and college students an electric Scooty." The BJP also promised employment to at least 10 lakh persons during the five years and will also the setting up of a Women Empowerment Mission Board. While the manifesto did not said that the BJP will continue the existing power and water subsidy, Tiwari said that the BJP will not end anything. "Whatever is going on will continue. The BJP is not here to end anything. We are talking about new things in the manifesto," he said. The main pointers of the manifesto do have the subsidy point. "The subsidies announced by the (Aam Aadmi Party) government in the past few months will continue for another five years. Our subsidies will give more benefits to the people as they will go on for 60 months," it said. The manifesto said the monthly pension for the widows of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots will be increased to Rs 3,500 from Rs 2,500. It said a Yamuna Board will be formed and Yamuna Mahotsav will be celebrated. Three of Centre's flagship schemes will also be implemented in Delhi, if BJP comes to power -- Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas andASamman Nidhi directly in farmer's account. Tiwari said Vishwakarma Kaushal Vikas Vidhyalaya will be established under which the students will be ensured 100 per cent employment. "Sports policy will be framed according to the Fit India and Khelo India policy of Prime Minister Narender Modi. Allotment for 52,000 houses constructed for the workers and low income group in the industrial area will be done on the priority basis." For controlling pollution, the manifesto stresses the use of electric vehicles. It also promised to formulate a scheme to encourage and provide financial assistance to the cycle-rickshaw pullers to switch to e-rickshaws. It also promised 10,000 green buses, and a Green Industry Corridor to check air pollution. An 'Economic Backward Classes Commission' and better connectivity was also offered. Oh, Ive seen this show before. Starred in a couple of episodes myself. Do you know the quickest way to get pegged a troublemaker? A threat, even? Live as a person of color a woman of color, if youre feeling especially brave and have the audacity to ask for, or gasp! expect, equity in the world, and, hoo boy, watch the accusations come. Youre angry. Youve got a chip on your shoulder. Youre making it personal. Now, if you create a united front pushing for access into institutions born and bred of inequity, thencountdown until youre tagged a brown mass of bullies, a threatening mob currently cast as the Latinx authors whove called BS on a much-celebrated novel about immigration by a non-Mexican, non-immigrant author. People love to say they want to give voice to the voiceless until the voiceless demand to speak for themselves. After a drama-filled week or so, the publisher of the controversial new book American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins, canceled the rest of her tour, citing safety concerns. Ive been mildly obsessed with watching the mess unfold, intrigued less with what many have called appropriation and perhaps worse, not even well-done appropriation and more intrigued with the marginalized voices of Latinx authors rising up to call out the book industrys lack of diversity. These authors didnt like the book or even the idea of it for reasons explored in many fine essays, starting with Myriam Gurbas scorched-earth critique of the fictionalized story about the Mexican-migrant experience by a writer who identified as white until she recently trotted out her Puerto Rican abuelita. The book, Gurba wrote, belonged to the great American tradition of appropriating genius works by people of color; slapping a coat of mayonesa on them to make palatable to taste buds estados-unidenses; and repackaging them for mass racially color-blind consumption. And then there was the piece by the Los Angeles Times Esmeralda Bermudez, whose family fled by foot and bus from El Salvador, where right-wing death squads killed and tortured thousands, including several of her relatives. The trauma of those dark days shaped everything about me, Bermudez wrote. A book by Bermudez, Id gladly buy. Authors who joined the chorus were furious with the rigged star-making. The privilege is real, and those who historically have been its biggest benefactors white men have a chokehold on it, as my colleague Will Bunch pointed out in a column about the white male rage that fuels the Trump administration. So, authors whose stories are seared on their souls dont get to tell those stories, while the publishing world gushes over a woman who dreamed hers up. Its easy for many on Team Cummins which includes some authors of color to call the criticism professional jealousy. Author Sandra Cisneros defended the book, calling it a start a little white pill, if you will, that we need to swallow in the struggle for people of color to be seen and heard. News flash: Apparently only white people can make white people care about people of color. Ive seen it in my own field, where issues long affecting marginalized communities and long covered by journalists of color only seem to be promoted or prioritized when they affect people who look like the people in power. Another colleague, Solomon Jones, dubbed these changes of heart, when it came to the opioid crisis, the gentrification of addiction. There is a lot to discuss in this controversy including a promo party for the book in May that featured barbed-wire centerpieces but gross as that was, its almost beside the point. For their part, a group of authors organizing around #DignidadLiteraria on Twitter responded to the decision to cancel the tour by saying its merely a deflection to avoid serious criticism. It does nothing to end structural change. Now the publisher is proposing a series of town-hall discussions that threatens to wrongly position Cummins as the victim. Jeanine Cummins spent five years of her life writing this book with the intent to shine a spotlight on tragedies facing immigrants, Bob Miller, president and publisher of Flatiron Books, told AP in a statement. We are saddened that a work of fiction that was well-intentioned has led to such vitriolic rancor. So, a couple of things here: Imagine if folks in charge rushed to protect with this much vigor writers of color who routinely get threatened for what they write. Mr. Miller, and every other gatekeeper, has grown accustomed to the status quo. This isnt vitriolic rancor. Its a long-overdue reckoning. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Mekong River Commission (MRC) say the river bed of Mekongs two main tributaries in Mekong Delta fell by 1.4 meters in 1998-2008 due to sand overexploitation. Experts have repeatedly expressed their concern about the uncontrolled sand exploitation in Mekong Delta. This has caused the loss of sand in the lower course, the lowering of river bed and changes to the current, thus aggravating the problems that Mekong area faces, especially landslide and subsidence. According to Dinh Cong San from the Southern Institute of Water Resources, in 2010-2013, the institute implemented a scientific research project on studying the impact of the sand exploitation activities on the currents of Tien and Hau Rivers (the two tributaries of Mekong). The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Mekong River Commission (MRC) say the river bed of Mekongs two main tributaries in Mekong Delta fell by 1.4 meters in 1998-2008 due to sand overexploitation. The research team counted all the licenses for sand mining on Tien and Hau Rivers granted by the local departments of science and technology, natural resources and the environment, and construction to sand mining enterprises. The total volume of sand was up to 28 million cubic meters a year. We calculated the volume of sand reaching the Mekong Delta and the volume of sand exploited within a year to find out if the overexploitation exists, San explained. 28 million cubic meters were just the figure shown in licenses. Meanwhile, the real volume of sand exploited must be higher. Some provinces could see the harmful impacts of the sand exploitation and stopped licensing the exploitation. Can Tho was one. The scientists found that only several million cubic meters of sand flowed to Mekong Delta a year, which is much lower than the volume of sand exploited, San said. The expert affirmed that each river section needs to have stable depth. In case the depth changes because of the sand overexploitation, this will cause a threat to the river section and other areas. While the volume of sand and sludge from the upper course is on the decrease because of the appearance of hydropower dams, the volume of sand taken away in the lower course is on the rise because of the increasingly high demand for sand for infrastructure and construction works. Vietnam prohibits exporting sand, but illegal export continues. It is still unclear the level of illegal exports. San believes this is not a big figure. Some years ago, some scientific research works found that the volume of sand flowing to the lower course now is just 40-50 percent of the volume in the past. It is estimated that the volume of sand would drop by up to 80-90 percent if more hydropower dams and reservoirs are built in the upper course. Thanh Mai Mekong Delta takes measures to cope with saltwater intrusion Saltwater intrusion has occurred on a large scale in the Mekong Delta, forcing local authorities to take measures to protect agricultural production and ensure water supply for household use. WATERVILLE, N.Y. -- Several elementary school students on a school bus received minor injuries when the bus was struck by a vehicle in Waterville Friday morning, according to the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. The children were students at Waterville Elementary School in the Waterville school district, deputies said. There were 25 students on the bus. The bus, driven by Wayne Wherle, was struck at 7:46 a.m. while traveling north on Elmwood Avenue in the village of Waterville, deputies said. The bus was struck by a 2005 Honda Civic driven by Joseph OBrien, who was backing out his driveway, police said. Once the students arrived at the school, they were evaluated by the school nurse. Five students complained of forehead and body pain from being jostled in their seats and hitting the seat in front of them, deputies said. OBrien was ticketed for unsafe backing, according to deputies. Thanks for visiting Syracuse.com. Quality local journalism has never been more important, and your subscription matters. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. Crude oil prices slid a painful 15% in Januarythe biggest January slide since 1991as the coronavirus claims the death of 213 souls and counting. After a couple weeks of continued slippage, the price of the Brent and WTI benchmarks were trading down 0.98% and 0.73% on the day, respectively, at 9:51 am as the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency. While the WHO did not recommend any travel restrictions to China, the US State Department recommended no travel to China, and airlines have stopped flying to China, including Air France, British Airways, Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic, Lion Air, and Seoul Air. Other airlines had reduced their flight schedules to China, including American, Delta, United, Finnair, Cathay Pacific, and Jetstar Asia. In addition to airline stoppages, the Philippines halted visas on arrival to Chinese nationals, Hong Kong has stopped trains from China, Singapore has closed its borders to Chinese guests, Russia has closed its border with Chinafor people at least, Italy has halted all air traffic to and from China, Kazakhstan has halted bus service and passenger trains to China, North Korea has closed its borders to all foreign touristsand these are just some of the travel restrictions in place, indicating that the world is proceeding with an abundance of caution despite the WHO stance that travel and trade should continue as usual. It is these travel restrictions that are, in part, denting fuel demand, and OPEC is standing up and taking notice, and is considering moving up its March meeting in order to discuss how to respond to the viral emergency. Brent was trading at $58.24 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange on Friday, and is down around 12% in January, according to Bloomberg. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Claiming that life-threatening viruses often originate in China, the Shiv Sena on Friday said the "world community" should find out if pathogens like novel coronavirus are emerging from "efforts to produce biological weapons". The outbreak of a new coronavirus was detected in China's Wuhan city earlier this month. The epidemic has killed 170 people and infected more than 7,000 worldwide. In the editorial of its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena noted that several developed countries including the United States and Japan are combating the new virus. "But it also needs to be traced how such life- threatening viruses are always spawned in China. China has a biological laboratory where the coronavirus was (first) found," it said. "Experiments are carried out on different animals there....The world community should also find out if such viruses are emerging out of efforts to produce biological weapons of mass destruction for the future," the party said. The Sena, which leads a coalition government in Maharashtra, also suggested that "special squads" be formed as a precautionary measure in India's north-eastern states which share border with China to stop spread of the disease. In Maharashtra, at least 12 persons have been quarantined at government hospitals for possible exposure to the virus, though no confirmed case has been found. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some Americans plan to leave China after the U.S. government advised about a spreading virus outbreak, but many others are staying. The State Department issued a travel advisory Friday saying Americans in China "should consider departing." That followed the evacuation earlier this week of about 200 Americans from Wuhan, the locked-down city at the center of the outbreak. A second flight is planned next week. In addition to tourists, tens of thousands of Americans live and work in China in business and teaching. Some have been in the country for decades. JACK RAYMOND Raymond, from Portland, Oregon, is wavering. "I'm trying to not spread or get into a state of panic," said Raymond, 28. "But I don't know if the severity is such that I should either leave or stay put and hunker down in my apartment." Raymond, who has lived in Beijing for four years and teaches drama at a school, is reluctant to give up friends and work connections. He said he has stayed indoors for a week, going out only to buy food. I have family back in the States and theyre all urging me to leave China now, said Raymond. I almost bought a plane ticket yesterday. So I really am teetering on the edge. JAMES DICKEY Dickey, a kindergarten teacher, said he is "really scared" and trying to arrange for his 8-year-old daughter and ex-wife to leave Wuhan for the United States. He lives in Changsha, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) south of Wuhan. "In 10 years living here in China, I've never seen anything like this, not even close," he said. "The fact that our governments are taking such drastic and dire measures right now really tells me that the situation is probably worse than what we've been led to believe, or what the numbers would indicate." He spoke from a train as he returned from Beijing, where he had come to get his daughter an emergency passport so she and his ex-wife can get on an upcoming U.S. government-chartered evacuation flight from Wuhan. He planned to stay in China with his Chinese girlfriend. "If I leave, she's going to be all alone in a city that's not her hometown, so if I left her right now that would be a really terrible thing to do," he said. "I couldn't do that to her." MANDY IACAMPO Iacampo. who has lived in China for two years, said she has no plans to leave and is more worried about the flu. "I'm honestly more concerned with traveling than with being here," the 25-year-old kindergarten teacher said. "Looking at the numbers, especially compared to things like the flu that put me in danger, I'm not especially concerned." The Arkansas native said her school in Beijing has postponed reopening after the Lunar New Year holiday by a week to Feb. 10 and friends are less willing to go out. "I'm wearing masks out and about," she said. "But generally speaking my daily life hasn't had to change." MIKE WESTER Wester, a businessman who has lived in China for 19 years, is staying in Beijing and "self-quarantining myself," which feels safer than facing airports crowded with strangers. "I can control my own behavior," he said. "I can't vouch for everyone who is standing in all those lines that they are not being irresponsible." Wester is chief executive of True Run Media, an advertising company that produces magazines, websites and events in Beijing and Shanghai. He and his wife are staying home with their 12-year-old daughter. Her school is closed but she is keeping busy writing blog entries for his company, including a series on meals that can be made with three basic ingredients. Wester, who lived in China during the 2002-03 SARS outbreak, has organized a group for Americans on China's popular WeChat messaging service to try to dispel false information and calm fears. "I've been reading about this and trying to calm people down," he said. "It feels like a full-time job." LISSA LAYMAN Layman said she and her husband have no plans to leave. The couple are showing her sister, who is visiting from the United States, around Beijing. They bicycled in the city and went to Tiananmen Square and brew pubs. "We haven't been quarantining ourselves, but we are taking precautions like washing our hands and wearing masks," said Layman, who has been a teacher in Beijing since mid-2018. KELLY FLANAGAN Flanagan, a school counselor in China since 2011, is in the United States and has no plans to return soon. Almost all the passengers were wearing masks when she flew out of Shanghai on Jan. 25 and, when one passenger sneezed, "everyone gave her death-stares," she said. Flanagan, 36, is working remotely with her students to prepare for English proficiency exams, though they have been canceled because of the outbreak. This is probably going to be a while, she said. --The Associated Press (Kitco News) - Voters in the weekly Kitco News gold survey remain bullish on the yellow metal for next week, with traders and analysts citing ongoing worries about the economic fallout from the coronavirus that hit China, with a small number of cases now making their way to other countries. I think we are going to see continued concern about the coronavirus, said Phil Flynn, senior market analyst with at Price Futures Group, sharing a widely held view. Because of economic concerns coming out of China, because of the shutdown of major cities and factories and its impact on the Chinese economy, youll see some worries about capital flows going out of the [financial] markets. Against such as backdrop, demand for gold tends to pick up, several survey respondents said. I think there is definitely a bid to this market right now because the numbers [of people infected and dying] keep getting worse every day, said Kevin Grady, president of Phoenix Futures and Options LLC. Seventeen market professionals took part in the Wall Street survey. Fourteen, or 82%, called for gold to rise. There were three votes, or 18%, saying gold would fall, and no voters calling for a sideways market. Meanwhile, 995 votes were cast in an online Main Street poll. A total of 687 voters, or 69%, looked for gold to rise in the next week. Another 163, or 16%, said lower, while 145, or 15%, were neutral. In last weeks survey for the trading week now winding down, 59% of Wall Street voters and 67% of Main Street voters were bullish. As of 11:20 a.m. EST, Comex April gold was up by 0.9% for the week so far to $1,592 an ounce. Wall Street Bullish Bearish Neutral VS Main Street Bullish Bearish Neutral I think coronavirus risks are going to remain front and center for a while and because of this, gold could creep up to retest the $1,600-$1,610 area, where it peaked earlier this month during the Middle East crisis, sometime in the coming days, said Colin Cieszynski, chief market strategist at SIA Wealth Management. Gold remains supported above $1,500. John Weyer, co-director of commercial hedging with Walsh Trading, is also among those who looks for gold to draw support from the contagion. That is still a big cloud over the markets, Weyer said. Any time fear is hitting the [stock] market hard, its a good reason for gold to be up. Richard Baker, editor of the Eureka Miners Report, figures Comex gold could easily close above $1,600 next week and silver regain $18 territory. It's all about the Wuhan coronavirus -- gold up, everything else down, Baker said. The now-announced global health emergency has had a chilling effect on [financial] markets this week, with the yellow metal gaining value on equities, key commodities and major currencies. George Gero, managing director with RBC Wealth Management, looks for gold to rise not only because of the virus outbreak, but also due to the Brexit and U.S. impeachment sagas, as well as headlines about the economy that may worry financial investors. I like what I am seeing in the gold market and I think prices can continue to push higher, said Jasper Lawler, head of research at the London Capital Group. Afshin Nabavi, head of trading with MKS, noted that Chinese market participants may be back next week after the Lunar New Year holiday. I would like to buy on dip and am looking for a move higher, he said. Nabavi put the range at $1,545 to $1,595. A break above $1,600 should send us to the previous high of $1,611, which we saw after the Iranians launched a missile earlier this year in January. Meanwhile, Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank, said he is reluctantly bearish on gold for the short term. He said that he is disappointed with golds performance during a week of horrendous uncertainty, adding that the market appears to be running out of momentum. If there was a week where gold should have excelled, this was it, but it didnt, Hansen said. Its not an environment to short gold, but you also have to acknowledge that golds not performing as well as it should. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-30 23:45:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close RIGA, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- A district court in Riga ordered the arrest on Thursday of a private banker as part of an ongoing criminal probe into the laundering of at least 50 million euros (55.1 million U.S. dollars) through Latvian banks, local media reported. Andris Ovsjannikovs, a former private banker at Latvia's ABLV Bank, which is currently in the process of voluntary self-liquidation, is the second suspect put under arrest in connection with the money laundering case this week. Prosecutor Dainis Steinbergs said following the court session that Ovsjannikovs was suspected of large-scale money laundering and counterfeiting of documents. On Wednesday, the district court ordered the arrest of lawyer Andris Putnins, who for a long time had been providing legal advice to entrepreneurs from Belarus. Latvian law enforcement authorities said that eight persons, all of them currently in Latvia, are being probed for involvement in the money laundering case. The arrests came after operatives of the organized crime enforcement unit of the Latvian state police and the Corruption Prevention Bureau raided several banks in Latvia, including ABLV Bank, at the beginning of this week. Documents on the money laundering case suggest that an organized group laundered at least 50 million euros worth of proceeds from criminal activity between 2015 and 2018. Teresa Giudice maintained she and ex-high school boyfriend Tony Delorenzo are only friends during Wednesday's episode of The Real Housewives Of New Jersey, after revealing he had sent her a shirtless selfie showcasing his ripped abs. And now co-star and sister-in-law Melissa Gorga has confirmed her assertion that there's no romance going on between the two in the wake of her split from husband Joe Giudice. 'Tony is at my house five days a week,' Gorga said during Thursdays episode of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen, before adding that her husband has been life-long pals with Delorenzo. 'He's Joe Gorga's best friend since they were in third grade.' Not an item! Melissa Gorga confirmed Teresa Giudice is not dating high school ex-Tony Delorenzo in the wake of his shirtless selfie reveal When asked by Cohen about whether they should be together, Gorga wasn't optimistic about a union, despite admitting the two have been doing a little harmless flirting. 'No, I will be honest, they are really just a friendship. They really are. Tony is dating the world,' she explained. Fellow guest Meghan McCain weighed-in: 'I have male friends and they don't send me shirtless photos,' which got a nod in agreement from Cohen. The connection: Melissa Gorga said her husband, Joe Gorga has been best friends with Delorenzo since the third grade during appearance with Meghan McCain on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen on Thursday Her take: 'No, I will be honest, they are really just a friendship. They really are. Tony is dating the world,' Gorga explained to Cohen and McCain 'They grew up together,' Gorga chimed in, 'and they lived across the street from each other their whole life, and I think they're both single right now, so they're just kind of like, hey, look at me, well look at me.' However, Gorga did add that she wouldn't be opposed to them getting together. 'He's a good guy. I would love for her to end up with Tony,' Gorga added. 'But I honestly dont think that thats gonna happen.' The topic of her high school beau, who's a pool contractor, came up when Teresa Giudice was having dinner with Melissa Gorga, Margaret Josephs and Jackie Goldschneider, as seen on RHONJ on Wednesday. Flirty friend? Delorenzo sent this shirtless selfie to Teresa Giudice 'Hes my friend,' insisted Giudice, 47, before Goldschneider asked if he was good looking. 'Yes, he is,' she responded, before passing around the shirtless selfie he had sent her. 'I dated him in high school,' she added, insisting that the pair had never even had sex. Turns out the conversation and the selfie made Gorga a bit uncomfortable. 'I'm so used to seeing her married and with Joe,' she added. 'To even see her talk about another guy or flirt, someone has a six pack or that they're not. Its just kind of weird for me.' Teresa and Joe Giudice announced their split in December 2019 after 20 years of marriage Mark Hamilton has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Constable for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). He has been promoted to the 168,000-a-year post position from his role as assistant chief constable. The recommendation of the Appointment Panel was unanimously ratified by the Policing Board and was approved by the Justice Minister Naomi Long. Professor Anne Connolly, Policing Board chair, said: I am pleased to confirm that Mark Hamilton has been appointed as the new Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI following a rigorous, fair and lawful selection process." Naomi Long said: I offer my congratulations to Mark Hamilton on his appointment as Deputy Chief Constable. Mark brings a wealth of experience to the role as well as an understanding of policing in Northern Ireland and the challenges facing the PSNI. This is a significant time for the PSNI with the two top posts filled within a matter of months. I look forward to working with the Chief Constable, Deputy Chief Constable and their senior team to continue to build a safe, fair and just community where we respect the law and each other. I want to thank Stephen Martin for his service in acting as Temporary Deputy Chief Constable. Mark Lindsay, chair of the Police Federation in Northern Ireland, said: "Mark Hamilton will hit the ground running. He is familiar with all the issues currently confronting the organisation and I know he will work tirelessly and professionally to address them. The PFNI looks forward to working closely with him for the benefit of all officers and, of course, this entire community. He will move from his current position of Assistant Chief Constable where he is responsible for District Policing Command. Experience gained over his twenty-five year career will prove invaluable and on behalf of the PFNI, I wish him well in his new and challenging post. DUP Policing Board Member Mervyn Storey said: I congratulate Mr Mark Hamilton on his appointment and look forward to working alongside him and his colleagues on the PSNI executive team as we collectively seek to promote law and order and protect the public in Northern Ireland. "The role of Deputy Chief Constable brings with it a great deal of operational and strategic responsibility and it is imperative that Mr Hamilton receives support as he works to apply his skills, ideas and experience to fighting crime and strengthening neighbourhood policing. "The Independent Reporting Commissions (IRC) Second Report before Christmas confirmed that paramilitary activity and the coercive control associated with it remains a stark reality in many areas of Northern Ireland. This is just one threat, in addition to new and rising threats to the public, such as digital, sexual and domestic crime, that the Deputy Chief Constable will no doubt we keen to address in the coming days. "As a Party we welcome this permanent appointment, which gives a stable footing to the PSNI leadership at a time when the Chief Constable is seeking to progress proactive and positive transformative changes to how policing is delivered across our Province. Moving forward it is vital that this process places at its core the publics desire for a visible, well-resources and effective police service. Mr Hamilton, who is currently responsible for District Policing Command in the PSNI, has served in a range of posts during his 25 years career in policing. The appointment comes after acting deputy chief constable Stephen Martin said he has taken legal advice about not being shortlisted for the permanent role. Mr Martin was appointed to the temporary position in August 2018. Mr Martin was not offered an interview for the full-time role and subsequently announced he would retire in February. Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers, who was due to be one of five politicians on the interview panel for the role, withdrew saying he was not happy with the recruitment process. In relation to this, Mrs Long said: In light of concerns raised by a former panel member, I sought assurances from the Board on the robustness and integrity of the appointment process. I concluded that the issues raised did not undermine the overall integrity of the process. REUTERS DES MOINES, IowaOf the many pledges that Pete Buttigieg has made in his as-yet unfruitful quest to earn the support of black voters, his guarantee that a quarter out of every federal contracting dollar will be awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses is one of his most ambitious. Look at what it would be like if we were co-investing in promising businesses led by black entrepreneurs, start-ups and other kinds of businesses that have the best track record of creating the kind of employment that can help lift people up economically, Buttigieg told BET in September. But an analysis of such spending during Buttigiegs tenure as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, shows that the presidential hopeful fell dramatically short of that goal. According to a 2019 study analyzing the citys contract data conducted by Colette Holt & Associates, a national law and consulting firm specializing in disparity studies, the city of South Bend did not award a major contract to a black-owned business for three straight years. The study found that from 2015 through 2017, the city of South Bend distributed $83,675,547 in contract dollars, roughly 12 percent of the citys contracts, to businesses owned by racial and gender minoritiesand none to a black-owned business, despite the study finding that there were more than 200 qualifying minority-owned firms in the market at the time. Minority-owned and women-owned businesses make up 15 percent of the market in the city, which means that while South Bend was close to achieving proportional awards for some categories, black-owned businesses continued to lag. While the city is more than 25 percent black by population, eligible black-owned contractors make up a mere 3.25 percent. More than 88 percent of contracts between 2015 and 2017 went to businesses not owned by women or racial minorities. At the same time, Buttigiegs administration awarded numerous lucrative contracts to past campaign donors and to corporations whose lobbyists and executives had given to Buttigiegs mayoral election efforts. Story continues One minority business owner told the studys authors that South Bend employees are trained to believe that black folks, poor people, or minorities cant deliver, and that she keeps her status as the owner of a minority-owned business under wraps because the stigma has kept her from winning contracts. I really felt like [the city of South Bend] didnt want me to have the job. It wasnt because I wasnt the best at what I do, because I amit was just because they would say, Well, you dont need that much money, like, You just a little black girl. You won't need that much money, she told the studys authors. Our problem is that people are trained to believe that black folks, poor people, or minorities cant deliver Theres a whole lot of black people in here that wanna do something, and somebody needs to see that. Another black business owner said that the difficulty in obtaining South Bend city contracts had even led to some minority-owned businesses to go under. There are black-owned construction companies, but one reason a lot of them that I talked to went out of business [is] because they cant get contracts with the city, the business owner said. So, they cant get any big contracts, then they have to try to build their business with only small ones, and its hard to maintain a cash flow with the other issues that you deal with. The analysis, titled The South Bend Disparity Study and produced at Buttigiegs behest, measured contracts and subcontracts worth $50,000 and up, and found a 72.38 percent disparity ratio for contract utilization of minority-owned business enterprises in the city. That ratio measures the participation of a group in contracting opportunities by dividing that groups utilization by the availability of that group to participate in the contracting process. A disparity ratio of less than 100 indicates that a given group is utilized less than would be expected based on availability; a ratio of less than 80 percent has been presented by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as indicating a prima facie case of discrimination. Buttigiegs poor track record on awarding city contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses has been reported before. In November 2019, shortly after his proposal mandating that the city award 15 percent of its contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses was passed through South Bends city council, the Intercept reported that Buttigieg had only awarded 3 percent of city contracts to black-owned businesses as mayor, citing annual audits conducted by the city. But the outside analysis by Colette Holt & Associates, revealing the eye-popping three-year stretch with zero contract awards to black-owned businesses, has not been reported, and comes at a moment when even Buttigiegs most diehard fans are growing increasingly anxious that his statistically insignificant support among black registered voters represents an insurmountable obstacle to his electability. It is a concern! It is a concern about the Southcan he win in the South? Can he win the black vote? June Schindler, a potential supporter, told The Daily Beast, at a Buttigieg town hall in Ottumwa on Tuesday. Its a concern. Buttigiegs campaign pointed to the small number of eligible black-owned firms in the region as a partial explanation for why South Bend lagged so far behind the former mayors Douglass Plan. In an interview with Charlamagne Tha God last week, Buttigieg explained that the disparity study was a painful but crucial step to understanding how the city would address the problem in the future. We found out that we are below where we ought to be, Buttigieg said, of the citys contracts with black-owned firms. That wasnt a surprise, but now I had the legal power to do something about it. While Buttigieg has touted the creation of a training program aimed at helping minority-owned and women-owned businesses apply for city contracts, the city was slow to improve the citys designated official in charge of ensuring minority- and women-owned businesses were being included in the selection process. In 2014, Buttigiegs office proposed cutting the hours for the citys Diversity Compliance Officer position from 32 hours a week to 18 hours per week. At the time, members of the citys Common Council expressed open concern that cutting the officers hours would undermine efforts to expand the number of contracts awarded to such businesses. I dont think 18 hours per week is going to be enough to support the goals of the ordinance, said Valerie Schey, a Democrat on the council, in August 2014. Even with a 32-hour workweek, the workload has been enormous. The move would have saved the city roughly $18,000 per year. In 2016, that role was instead changed following the signing of an executive order by Buttigieg ordering the creation of South Bends Office of Diversity & Inclusion, a position intended to boost the number of contracts and subcontracts to minority- and women-owned businesses with the job description of [leading] efforts to make hiring and management practices more inclusive, and city purchasing more diverse. Christina Brooks, who served as South Bends first Diversity & Inclusion Officer until last year and hired the firm Colette Holt and Associates to conduct a disparity study, said in a statement that the shift in resources was critical for the city to understand how poor its history of awarding contracts to minority-owned businesses had been up to that point. It wasnt a priority for three decades until Pete shifted resources to really focus on this by creating a department that was intentional about supporting, creating, and sustaining women- and minority-owned businesses and building up capacity, Brooks said. During the same three-year period that black-owned businesses received zero dollars in city contracts, South Bend did award plenty of city contracts to businesses owned by white menincluding several generous political donors who had supported Buttigiegs mayoral campaigns and his ill-fated run for Indiana state treasurer in 2010. Among the beneficiaries of city contracts include lobbyist Brad Queisser, whose lobbying firm, mCapitol, and its parent company, MWH, gave $2,000 in cash and an in-kind contribution of $2,577.82 to Buttigiegs 2011 mayoral campaign. The firm was later contracted to lobby the federal government on South Bends behalf, and was paid $230,000 over the next three years for its lobbying work. In 2014, MWH was awarded a contract worth as much as $2 million by South Bends Board of Public Works to modernize the citys sewersa favorite achievement of Buttigiegs. Four months later, it won an additional $430,000 in city contracts for its work on the system. Another lobbyist later hired to work on the citys sewer plan was Thomas New, executive director of government affairs at the Indianapolis law firm Krieg DeVault. New, who had donated $1,500 to Buttigiegs 2010 treasurer campaign, was later retained by the city to handle federal authorities on the plan. The Buttigieg campaign has explained in the past that both Queisser and New had been involved in city contract work and municipal politics long before Buttigieg first ran for mayor. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. [Read The Timess investigation.] They say they are juggling too many tasks without enough help. One pharmacist acknowledged making 10 to 12 errors a year that are caught in an anonymous letter to the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy. While patients cannot control what happens behind the pharmacy counter, they can be on the lookout for errors. These simple steps can help. Talk to the pharmacist Yes, they may look busy, and probably are, but pharmacists are the best source of information about the drugs they dispense. Ask to speak with a pharmacist, especially when the prescription involves a medication that is new to you. Inquire about side effects and whether the new drug is safe in combination with any others you are already taking. Pharmacists are supposed to check for drug interactions when dispensing prescriptions, and have computerized alerts to help, but they can get distracted. Just by asking questions, a patient increases the odds that the pharmacist will take a second look at the prescription and catch any errors. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices suggests asking the pharmacist at least one question, such as, Is there anything special I should know about taking this medicine? Hunter Bruton, now age 2, has CHARGE syndrome. He does not have a thymus and, consequently, no immune system. He is on Duke University's wait list to have a thymus transplant. He is pictured here with his mom, Victoria Parker. SPRINGFIELD, Mo. Two-year-old Hunter Bruton has spent much of his life in a bubble, of sorts. Born without a thymus, Hunter has no immune system and must stay in his sanitary bedroom most of the time. When he leaves his familys home in Marshfield, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, Hunter is in his wheelchair/stroller with a blanket over the top. "Cleaning is all I do," his mom, Victoria Parker, said. "I disinfect every day." Hunter's older siblings come home from school and immediately change their clothes, wash their hands and face. They must leave their backpacks in the living room away from Hunter's bedroom. "(His nurses) sanitize all of his toys, his bed. Anything that would collect dust in his room has to be cleaned every day," Parker said. "We use humidifiers and air purifiers in his room to keep the air rotated. We do as much as we can at home, but still keeping things as normal as possible for the other kids." Hunter Bruton, now age 2, has CHARGE syndrome. He does not have a thymus and, consequently, no immune system. He is on Duke University's wait list to have a thymus transplant. He is pictured here in 2018 with his parents, Victoria Parker and Russell Bruton. Other than his grandparents, Hunter's family typically visits with him via video chats. "Everybody that comes to see him has to have a mask on. They use hand sanitizer and wash their hands," Parker said. "I always ask before I let anyone in my house if they've had the flu shot, if they have been sick or have been around anyone that's been sick within the last two weeks. Anything like that I can't let them in my house." Hunter was diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome shortly after he was born in early 2018. The missing thymus is one of several effects of CHARGE. "They just kept finding more problems," Parker said. "Each system of Hunter's body has a problem." Rare disorder: Grieving dad's online research helps save boy from illness that killed older brother Still, Hunter is a happy boy. "He's overcome pretty much everything," she said. "He doesn't act sick. He doesn't act like a child that's spent over half of his life in the hospital. Story continues "He acts like a really happy 2-year-old," Parker said, emotional. "He just wants to enjoy the world, too." Hunter's family is hopeful that will soon happen. He is on the list to have a life-altering thymus transplant. The procedure was supposed to happen early this year. In December, the Federal Drug Administration declined to approve the procedure, citing concerns about the manufacturing process for the treatment. Hunter Bruton, now age 2, has CHARGE syndrome. He does not have a thymus and, consequently, no immune system. He is on Duke University's wait list to have a thymus transplant. According to Reuters, 10 clinical studies spanning over two decades and 85 patients were conducted at Duke University in North Carolina, where the treatment was developed. Even though the FDA declined to approve the procedure, researchers at Duke are continuing with their study. One child was called in to begin preparing for surgery a few days ago, Parker said, so the family has hope that Hunter will soon have the transplant. "They told us originally that his life expectancy without the thymus is 2 years old," Parker said, adding that Hunter's second birthday was a few weeks ago. There are about 30 children and babies on the list at Duke to have the procedure, Parker said. Hunter is fourth on the list. The procedure has about a 70% effective rate for children with no thymus, she said. Talking with other families and hearing success stories keep the Parkers motivated. "There's a little girl she got her transplant at the beginning of last year," Parker said. "She just got her test results back a couple weeks ago that she has a full immune system now. She is doing great." Hunter Bruton, now age 2, has CHARGE syndrome. He does not have a thymus and, consequently, no immune system. He is on Duke University's wait list to have a thymus transplant. For now, Hunter takes five doses of 10 different preventative medications a day. In addition to the medicines, Hunter has an immunoglobulin infusion every month to help create an artificial immune system. The family travels to St. Louis every month where he sees 17 different specialists. But other than those doctor visits, Hunter must stay in the confines of his home and bedroom. Because of the risks, the News-Leader was unable to visit the Parker home. Instead, Victoria Parker spoke with a reporter over the phone. On Angels' Wings, a local nonprofit that provides free professional photographs and support for children battling a terminal condition from maternity to 18 years, has followed Hunter's journey and provided photos to the News-Leader. Hunter Bruton, now age 2, has CHARGE syndrome. He does not have a thymus and, consequently, no immune system. He is on Duke University's wait list to have a thymus transplant. An On Angels' Wings photographer took Victoria Parker's maternity photos and was there to help celebrate Hunter's life when he was St. Louis Children's Hospital. The photographer wore a mask, gown and gloves and left her camera bag outside of the room for Hunter's protection. On Angels' Wings was founded in 2013 by Springfield photographer Michelle Cramer. At the time. "I'm the type of person to really connect with people," Cramer said in an earlier interview. "It was hard for me to take a picture and walk away." Victoria Parker said On Angels' Wings has been a true blessing to her family. Along with the free professional photos, Cramer has helped Parker connect with other families as well as resources and organizations in St. Louis. "They are awesome people," Victoria Parker said of On Angels' Wings. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: No immune system: Child living in 'bubble' as he awaits a transplant New Delhi, Jan 31 : Obtaining an "eating house license" from Delhi Police needs more documents than those for procuring a gun suggesting how tough it is to do business in India. Noting the difficulty in starting a new venture in India, the Economic Survey 2019-20 has said that Delhi and Kolkata require a 'Police Eating House License' and the number of documents for getting the permit is 45. Compared to this, documents required for a license to procure new arms and major fireworks are 19 and 12, respectively. According to the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), a total of 36 approvals are required to open a restaurant in Bengaluru, Delhi requires 26, and Mumbai 22. The ease of doing business remains a major concern in the country despite India leap-frogging to 63rd position in 2019 from 143 in 2014 in the World Bank's Doing Business rankings. India continues to trail in parameters such as Ease of Starting Business (rank 136), Registering Property (rank 154), Paying Taxes (rank 115), and Enforcing Contracts (rank 163). It takes roughly 58 days and costs on an average 7.8 per cent of a property's value to register it, and 1,445 days for a company to resolve a commercial dispute through a local first-instance court. While setting up a manufacturing unit is tedious task given that it needs to conform with 6,796 compliance items, exporting a product is not less complex if not equally difficult. A study found that an apparel consignment going from Delhi to Maine (US) takes roughly 41 days, but 19 of these are spent within India due to delays in transportation, customs clearance, ground handling and loading at sea-ports. The process flow for imports, ironically, is more efficient than that for exports! In contrast, however, the imports and exports of electronics through Bengaluru airport was found to be world class. "The processes of Indian airports should be adapted and replicated in sea-ports," the Economic Survey tabled in Parliament on Friday said. KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police are investigating a shooting Friday morning that left a woman in serious condition. Officers were called out to the 4400 block of Cleveland Avenue before 8 a.m. on the shooting. A police spokesperson said two women were arguing in the front yard of a residence when one of them shot the other. Senior diplomat Rudra Gaurav Shresth was on Friday appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Prime Minister's Office, according to a Personnel Ministry order. Shresth, a 1999 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently posted as Deputy Chief of Mission at Thimpu in Bhutan. He has also served as the country's High Commissioner to Mozambique. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the OSD in the PMO with effect from the date of his joining, the order said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TOKYO, Jan 31, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi has outlined a new framework to further reinforce its business model and strengthen its management structure. All three companies reiterated that the Alliance is essential for strategic growth and enhance competitiveness for each company.The new framework, ratified at a meeting of the Alliance Operating Board (AOB) in Yokohama, Japan, will enhance the ability of the Alliance member companies to capitalize on the individual company's strengths and complement their strategies.The AOB also reaffirmed key programs outlined at the previous board meeting in November to support initiatives that will enable each member company to increase competitiveness and profitability amid the industry shift to new mobility services.New framework to leverage member-company strengthsWe are reinforcing the collaboration models to fully leverage the strengths within each company to enhance our leadership across regions, products, and new technologies.As of today, the AOB has decided:1. On regions, each of the three companies will be the reference company for a dedicated region: Nissan for China, Renault for Europe, Mitsubishi for southeast Asia.2. The engineering will work on a leader/follower model, expanding this scheme to platforms, powertrains, and key technologies. Thus, one company will take the lead in the Alliance for the development of each key technology, which will then be spread among Alliance partners.3. The AOB also decided to pool the three companies CAFE credit in Europe as early as 2020.4. On LCV, Renault will develop and manufacture, in Sandouville plant, the Mitsubishi van based on Renault Trafic platform to be sold in the Oceania region.5. Strategic Mid-term plans of the three companies will be disclosed simultaneously around May 2020, integrating the major consequences of the Alliance Operating Board decisions.This new scheme will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Alliance projects, to further strengthen the use of resources and investments within the three companies.Evolution of Alliance governance to ensure executionThe AOB, which consists one chairperson and the chairperson or chief executive officer of each member company, also agree to engage actively with the respective Board of Directors of Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors to strengthen its governance to operate effectively for the benefit of each member company. Such initiatives will maximize the collaboration within the Alliance, while preserving the identity and autonomy of each member company.www.alliance-2022.comwww.media.renault.comhttps://global.nissannews.com/enwww.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/newsrelease/About Mitsubishi MotorsMITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION is a global automobile company based in Tokyo, Japan, which has a competitive edge in SUVs and pickup trucks, electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Since the Mitsubishi group produced its first car more than a century ago, we have demonstrated an ambitious and often disruptive approach, developing new vehicle genres and pioneering cutting-edge technologies. Deeply rooted in MITSUBISHI MOTORS' DNA, our brand strategy will appeal to ambitious drivers, willing to challenge conventional wisdom and ready to embrace change. Consistent with this mindset, MITSUBISHI MOTORS introduced its new brand strategy in 2017, expressed in its "Drive your Ambition" tagline -- a combination of personal drive and forward attitude, and a reflection of the constant dialogue between the brand and its customers. Today MITSUBISHI MOTORS is committed to continuous investment in innovative new technologies, attractive design and product development, bringing exciting and authentic new vehicles to customers around the world.Source: Mitsubishi MotorsCopyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Representatives of the SVGAT and SVGSG hand over donation to Dr. Francis Murray (2nd from left). The Chateaubelair Hospital was recently the recipient of an Electrocardiogram (ECG) Machine and printing supplies worth over Cdn$4,000.00. The invaluable addition to the service at the Hospital was made possible by Vincentians residing in Toronto, members of the St. Vincent and Grenadines Association of Toronto Inc. (SVGAT) and the Toronto SVG Support Group (TSVGSG). Each year, the organizations host a Toronto Harbour Boat Cruise, part proceeds of which go to support a worthy cause in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The proceeds from the 2019 event along with a special discount from Superior Medical, a Toronto based supplier of medical equipment, went towards making the donation of the ECG possible. Representatives from both the SVGAT and the TSVGSG made the presentation to the staff of the hospital, headed by Dr. Francis Murray, on December 19, 2019. CHENNAI : Banking operations were largely affected in the country on Friday owing to the strike by bankers pressing for early settlement of wage revision, said a top leader of All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA). "In the clearing grids in Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi, about 31 lakh cheques worth about 23,000 crore could not be cleared due to the strike. Most of the bank branches remained closed. Cash could not be deposited or withdrawn, C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA said. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sector had given the strike call for 31 January and 1 February. "As per reports reaching us from all over the country, mainly from major states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, West Bengal, UP, MP, Delhi, Punjab, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar, etc. banking transactions have been greatly affected," Venkatachalam said. The bankers have called strike on the day when the Economic Survey will be presented and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would be presenting her second budget on 1 February . Venkatachalam said wage revision settlement in banks is due from November, 2017 because the last settlement ended in October, 2017. Even though discussions are going on for the past 30 months, the bank managements and Indian Banks' Association (IBA) did not come forward to settle the demands with a reasonable increase in salary looking to inflation and heavy workload on the employees. "In the conciliation meeting held by Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) in Delhi on Jan 27, 2020, attempts were made to reconcile but the discussions did not result in any conclusion. Hence the CLC advised the IBA to hold direct bilateral talks with the Unions before the strike and try for a solution," Venkatachalam said. According to him, the last minute discussions held between managements and bank unions at Mumbai on Jan 30 did not clinch the issues and hence the Unions decided to go ahead with the two days strike on 31 January and 1 February. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics If it feels like youre waiting around to get things done, you might actually be right. Technology thats meant to make us more efficient can sometimes bog us down. A 2013 study found that participants spent an average of 16 minutes per day waiting for their computer to start up, and a McKinsey report found that employees spend nearly two hours of every workday searching for information. Add it up: Thats four entire days of life each year spent on looking for files. Americans now spend nearly half their lives in front of a screen, so you may not realize it at first, but each and every day there are pockets of time spent waiting that could instead be spent getting results. As a content marketer responsible for multiple mixed-media projects each day, keeping my digital clutter to a minimum can make the difference between a productive week and a disorganized mess. I get things done, and as an added bonus, my sanity stays intact. Here are three ways to digitally declutter your device for the better. Related: What Does Your Digital Footprint Say About You? 1. Free up your hard drive The laptop life is more ubiquitous than ever: About 5 percent of the American workforce reports being fully remote according to the Census, but other studies find upwards of 60 percent of employees work remotely at least once a month. Many people use their personal device for both work and non-work activities, especially consultants and entrepreneurs. As software and files collect on your drive, your device will slow down in performance, and when hard drives are chronically taxed, their lifespans are shortened. A good rule of thumb is that if the fan inside your laptop kicks on, its because your drive is overheating. It might be time to move your files elsewhere. Consider uploading the majority of your files to the cloud, or using an external hard drive. Thanks to improving chip technology, even a hard drive item that holds thousands of gigabytes can sleekly fit into your laptop bag or even your pocket in some cases. 2. Get a password manager Ill cut to the chase: Hackers have gotten very, very good at capturing your personal information. A few common tactics include: Keyloggers , in which code that makes its way into your computer silently records all your keystrokes and sends them to hackers, letting them harvest your passwords. Fake Wireless Access Points , in which a hacker creates a fake Wi-Fi network in a public place and uses it to spy on your device. Phishing, which has been around for years, but continues to fool people in the form of scam emails, scam texts or scam messages on social media, allowing malware to enter your device and wreak havoc. Nothing throws your productivity out the window like getting hacked, or worse, having your identity stolen. Compromised security can affect both your business and personal life. Assume someone could be watching what youre doing on your computer at this very moment. Consider moving over to a password manager, which will encrypt all your passwords for you and help you manage having a different password for every site. I invested in 1Password personally, but there are both free and paid options that get the job done. You may be hesitant to forget your passwords, but once youve taken your first trust fall, you never go back, and youll be able to reinvest the freed-up mental space into your business. 3. Organize your files and establish a process Cloud services are the future; theyve grown to become a $266 billion market and are projected to break $350 billion over the next three years. If youre not storing files in the cloud as a way to keep your device itself free and clear, its time to get started. Consider putting some thought into folder and file names that will make them easy to locate later on. Renaming files in the moment can feel tedious, but putting a few keywords into the name of your file so you can track it down later will save you time in the long run. Stanford Universitys library website has some great tips. When in doubt, start every file name with the date in YYYYMMDD; this will let you easily organize your files in chronological format. It also helps to occasionally give your downloads folder a scrub, as duplicates and forgotten files often live there, cluttering up your device. A quick win is to open your downloads folder, arrange its contents from largest files to smallest and then start chipping away. Either move those bigger files to the cloud or trash them. Youll continue to work with and retrieve files day in and day out. By developing a system and keeping yourself protected, youll win back more time each week that can be used to go after what you really want. Related: 3 Bad Investing Habits You Should Drop Before It's Too Late Read Why These Start-ups Rebranded Can Your Business Stay Afloat in a Slow Economic Growth Scenario? Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Adam Sandler is coming back to Netflix with four more movies. The streaming giant announced the new deal of four new films on Friday, which will give the 53-year-old a total of 11 movies and one stand-up special. Sandler's original deal was inked in 2014 and renewed in 2017. More to come: Adam Sandler signed another four film deal with Netflix, after signing on for four films in 2014 and four more in 2017 His latest film, Murder Mystery co-starring Jennifer Aniston was released in August and, according to Netflix, was their most watched film of 2019 in the U.S. It was watched by 83 million households in the first four weeks of its release, despite receiving only 44 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. While, Sandler's first film, Ridiculous 6 released in 2015, has been watched for more than 2 billion hours since debuting, Netlfix said in their announcement. Big hit: His latest film, Murder Mystery co-starring Jennifer Aniston was released in August and, according to Netflix, was their most watched film of 2019 in the U.S The last film from his 2017 deal, Hubie Halloween, will be released later this year. The comedy follows an eccentric community volunteer at the center of a murder case on Halloween, set in Salem, Massachusetts. Sandler will play title character Hubie Dubois, alongside Kevin James, Julie Bowen and Maya Rudolph, among others. Star: His most recent theatrical release was Uncut Gems that was released in December in the U.S. and received critical acclaim After signing his first deal, Chief Content Officer at Netflix Ted Sarandos praised Sandler for 'his global appeal to Netflix subscribers.' All of the films in his deal have been produced by the actor's company Happy Madison Productions. Commercially Sandler's films have grossed more than $3billion in his over 20 year career. Personal life: He has also been married to his wife Jackie since 2003 and they share Sadie, 13, and Sunny, 11 Apart from his Netflix deal, Sandler has also starred in other films. His most recent theatrical release was Uncut Gems that was released in December in the U.S. and received critical acclaim. He has also been married to his wife Jackie since 2003 and they share Sadie, 13, and Sunny, 11. Taiwan prepares for long battle against new coronavirus ROC Central News Agency 01/30/2020 07:39 PM Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Premier Su Tseng-chang () issued instructions to relevant agencies in preparation for the long battle to contain a new form of coronavirus during a cabinet meeting Thursday, the Executive Yuan said in a press release. During the meeting, which was not open to the media, Su was briefed by officials from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MHW) on current developments and the responses of government agencies to the health crisis caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), according to the press release. Su instructed related agencies and local governments to prepare for a "medium to long term battle" against the virus by adopting four measures: readying supplies, establishing emergency response centers, formulating standard operating procedures on virus source tracing, and the prevention of transmission within medical facilities, public transportation, schools and other public arenas. Heavy penalties will be meted out to anyone who conceals their medical, contact and travel history or violates quarantine, Su warned, as he pointed out that Taiwan is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to its geographical proximity to China. Concrete measures to prevent the spread of 2019-nCoV include stricter border controls, Chuang Jen-hsiang (), Deputy Director-General of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), said during a press conference after the cabinet meeting. A temporary ban has been imposed on the entry of Chinese tourists from Hubei Province, where the virus was first detected in December. In addition, mainland Chinese from regions other then Hubei, who were already issued entry permits to Taiwan, will need to postpone their trips to a later date, though Chuang did not offer any further details. Isolation wards in hospitals across the country are being monitored and a community-based mechanism to trace the contacts of those who contract the virus has been established. Efforts are also being made to stop fake news and disinformation while those spreading such information face criminal charges, Chuang said. As of Jan. 29, 65 fake news and misinformation cases were reported to the authorities, with 63 investigated and seven passed onto the Criminal Investigation Bureau. One involving the media was forwarded to the National Communications Commission. In response to the shortage of medical-grade face masks, Executive Yuan Spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said the government has coordinated with private manufacturers to produce 4 million masks daily beginning Thursday, the first working day after the lunar new year holiday. The government will purchase the face masks and make them available to the public through major retail outlets across the country, such as convenience stores, at a uniform price, she said. The government is hoping to increase manufacturers' production capacity to 4.2 million masks per day by adding more production lines or recruiting more workers, with daily production of 6 million masks the target, Kolas said. Meanwhile, Cheng Cheng-mount (), deputy head of the National Development Council (NDC), said during the same press conference that the global health crisis is not expected to seriously impact Taiwan's economy. The situation in Taiwan is very different to that in China, Cheng said, pointing out that there are only a few isolated cases in Taiwan compared to a large-scale epidemic in China. If China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) falls 1 percent due to the epidemic, its impact on Taiwan's GDP growth is likely to be around 0.29 percent, Cheng said, citing numbers from earlier simulations. Cheng said Taiwan's projected GDP growth in 2020 is 2.36 percent to 2.72 percent, with more than half the growth coming from government expenditure. (By Emerson Lim and Ku Chuan) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address As the nation's fourth-largest city and one of its most diverse, Houston should be better. So says architect Jon Pickard, principal of New Haven, Conn.-based Pickard Chilton, who comes to Houston and clamors for a vibrant street life, more parks like Discovery Green and an overall energy he gets from such cities as Chicago, Seattle and Denver. Pickard, who has designed office buildings here for BHP, Exxon Mobil, Amegy Bank, Hines and ConocoPhillips, was in town this week giving the keynote speech at an architecture and design summit held by Bisnow. After the event, he chatted with Chronicle. Q: What was the subject of your talk? A: The title of the keynote was Elevating the public realm. The premise was to encourage participants to expand their vision, to create a vital civic place for Houston. Houston is the fourth-largest city in the county with a such a diverse population, and it comes in 30th in livability rankings from U.S. News & World Report. Seattle, Austin, Denver all score very highly. Whats important about that is we're all in the business of helping our clients recruit and retain talent. But we need to have the total environment. I cited the positives for how Houston is progressing, how Gerry Hines has done a great job of engaging that public realm going back to the '70s with the Galleria. And theres Discovery Green. But we need to do more. It came up in the Q & A that somebody asked about the tunnel system. I was honest. I said the tunnels are an urban disaster because they suck the life off the city streets. I recognize they're practical, but if you have protection from the sun you can move throughout the city quite comfortably. Q: What's a recent project you're really excited about? A: A building in Seattle called 2+U. Its a tight urban site where we decided we'd physically lift the building on giant stilts and put an urban village below it. The site becomes totally permeable. You can walk literally through the base of the tower. Where a normal building would just come to the ground and you'd maybe have a coffee shop, we lifted the project so we have about 40,000 square feet of retail that's in these little pavilions at the base. It comes to life. I think its going to be an important project. Its something we've never done. Q: How'd that design come about? A: We had a very inspired client, Skanska, that wanted to make sure that this project really captured the spirit of Seattle and was dynamic and engaging. Q: What are you working on in Houston? A: We're working on two fun projects. We're about to have a groundbreaking for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Patrinely is the developer on that. We're hoping to start construction soon on The RO, a mixed-use development with a very exciting vision. Phase one is looking at 600 units of multifamily and another 300,000-plus square feet of creative office, a boutique hotel and retail. Its ultimately about 14 acres. As land costs continue to soar, theres such pressure on our clients to get a return. They can't justify the land costs of putting in just an office building. If you consider vibrant retail at the base of the office, multifamily and a hotel above, you can hopefully increase your returns. We're seeing that as one of the emerging trends. Houston continues to be a really vibrant city. We've got a lot of business going on. But its an efficient trip. I'm off tomorrow. Q: Where are you headed? A: I'm off to another major city in Texas for a job interview for what would be a pretty cool building. In essence, its a corporate headquarters. A man was wiped out by a deer while carrying his drink out of McDonald's but insists he didn't spill a drop. Ken Worthy, from Charlotte, North Carolina, was walking with his wife Deanne out of the fast food chain in Locust, North Carolina. CCTV footage shows the couple strolling across the car park with their drinks in hand. Ken Worthy, from Charlotte, North Carolina, is seen walking with his wife Deanne out of McDonald's in Locust, North Carolina Suddenly a deer canters across the car park and slams into Ken side-on causing him to fall to the ground The deer sprints off out of the car park as Deanne rushes over to her husband who is seen stumbling to his feet Suddenly, a deer canters across the car park before leaping at Ken and sending him crashing to the ground. His wife Deanne rushes over to Ken who stumbles to his feet - still carrying his takeaway Coca-Cola. The shaken couple look around them in shock to see where the deer has escaped after the incident on January 22 at 12.23pm. Ken posted the bizarre clip on Facebook captioned: 'Many of you have heard about this now you get to see it. Ken Worthy and his wife Deanne were walking across the McDonald's carpark in Locust, North Carolina People commented on Ken Worthy's Facebook post. Ken insists that he didn't even spill his Coca-Cola 'Last Wednesday at about 12:30 in the afternoon, Deanne and I were walking out of the McDonald's in Locust, North Carolina, with Cokes in hand. 'What happened next I would have never believed. Life is crazy sometimes. God is good all the time! Not injured. 'Please share this it is unbelievable! PS: Didn't spill my coke!' People commented on the footage and were left gobsmacked that Ken walked away uninjured. Ken stated he was 'not even sore the next day' after the deer slammed into him. Pam Coble Coffman commented: Now THAT'S fast food!!' 'Wow! If he had hit you straight on, we would not be here to laugh about it!' President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday referred to the dream of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of creating modern India in his address to the joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament and called upon the people to work with new energy in this decade to give impetus to making of New India. The President said that the decade was extremely important for India and the government has laid a strong foundation to make it India's decade. "In this decade, we will complete 75 years of our independence. In this decade, we all have to work together with new energy to give impetus to the making of a new India. With the efforts of my Government, a strong foundation has been laid in the last five years, to make this decade India's decade and this century India's century," he said. He referred to dreams and vision of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr Babasaheb BR Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Ram Manohar Lohia apart from Nehru. "Whether it is Pujya Bapu's dream of Gram Swaraj, Babasaheb Ambedkar's principle of social justice, Nehruji's dream of creating a modern India, Sardar Patel's resolve for Ek Bharat- Shreshtha Bharat, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya's goal of Antyodaya, Lohiaji's vision of social equality, we the people of India will together make these dreams a reality," he said. Leaders of ruling BJP have been critical of some decisions of Nehru and have blamed him for Article 370, which gave Jammu and Kashmir special powers and has now been repealed. The President said museums to celebrate contributions of tribals who played a role in freedom struggle were being set up in different states. "It is the belief of my Government that paying tribute to the great personalities who dedicated their lives to the nation and contributed towards preserving the heritage of the country is an important part of nation-building. With this idea, museums celebrating the contributions made by the brave tribals, both men and women, during our freedom struggle are being set up in different States," he said. The President said that 250th birth anniversary of the great social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy, whose teachings guided the nation, will also be celebrated in 2022 by the Government in a befitting manner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) But now Spitzers position in space is getting the better of it. The spacecraft was placed far from our planet so that Earths heat wouldnt interfere with its observations. But, as time goes on, it drifts ever farther away. To talk to controllers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, Spitzer has to tilt and point its antenna, preventing some solar energy collection and exposing its bottom to the sun, which causes distortions in its images. Perth Mint has been targeted by hackers for the second time in two years, this time resulting in a data breach that has compromised the details of more than 1000 visitors. The stolen information included contact details of 1480 people who filled out feedback surveys at the West Australian government-owned mint's depository and included visitor names, email addresses, home addresses and telephone numbers. The mint confirmed on Friday the survey information was stored by Perth market insights company Metrix Consulting and the contact details had been stolen when an employee of the company fell victim to a phishing scam. Perth Mint. "The breach occurred when a Metrix Consulting staff member was the subject of a phishing email scam which infiltrated the companys IT system," Perth Mint acting chief executive Jane King said. Google said in January that it would eventually strip third-party trackers, or cookies, from its Chrome browser, a decision it described as an effort to build a more private web. But the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the Association of National Advertisers quickly complained in an open letter that removing cookies could choke off the economic oxygen from advertising that start-ups and emerging companies need to survive. The reaction to the recent search page changes was so negative that Google took the rare step of reversing some of the design changes last week. In a statement, Google said it was experimenting with a change to the new logos next to the unpaid links, although it did not alter the new ad logo. Lara Levin, a Google spokeswoman, said in a statement that the recent design changes mirrored a new look the company introduced for search results on mobile phones in May. The company tested the new look on desktop search, and the results were positive, she said, but it decided to make some changes to respond to feedback from users. Alphabet, Googles parent company, is expected to report next week that annual revenue topped $150 billion in 2019. But Googles ad business is under growing pressure from rivals like Amazon and Facebook. Money from Google advertising accounts for about 80 percent of Alphabets revenue. Search advertising is essential to the future of Google, though the company does not say how much it makes on it alone. Magna, a media intelligence firm, estimates that overall search advertising increased 14 percent in 2019 to $144 billion. Google constantly tinkers with the design of its search results page, and its once bare-bones approach to search results characterized as 10 blue links has changed drastically in recent years. The company once tested 41 shades of blue to find which one users liked best, and it has steadily made its search ads more inconspicuous over time. Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Malaysian FinTech Landscape, 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This study covers the reaction of traditional banks and other financial service companies, the Malaysian regulators and supporting organisations to the new-generation trend of FinTech and explores FinTech start-ups active in the Malaysian market. A regulator holds the key to growing markets; this is true of FinTech in Malaysia. We have captured key roles of regulators, such as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM, the central bank) and Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), in regulating and managing the financial services in the country. In addition, we have analysed the steps taken by the regulator to continue to guide the insurance industry towards a growth path. We also looked into the supporting role played by the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) in enabling the industry. This research service throws light on the digital ambition of 6 leading banks and their push to incorporate new technology as a whole, and specifically FinTech. We have examined how their vision and mission statements have reshaped to accommodate the changes brought over by FinTech and furthered our understanding on various initiatives taken by companies to increase their level of customer engagement, and thus their understanding of customers. We have also detailed the various accelerator programs being run by leading banks to adopt new technologies from new-age start-ups. We have compared the various FinTech initiatives of leading banks and identified banks that lead others in such initiatives. This research service reviews the Malaysian FinTech landscape and further investigates key FinTech companies active in the country. For each FinTech company covered, we have included basic information, such as milestones, investment received, overview and solutions offered. As most of these InsurTechs have different and newer ways in which they engage with customers, we inspected their engagement models and product features that differentiate them from banks and insurance companies. We have further captured key people enabling such technology-driven companies and attempted to discover their partnerships and relationships with existing market players. We also delved into how and where FinTechs have an impact on not only the industry as a whole but also the incumbent banks, equity financing market and financial advisors. We have analysed the degree of impact and/or whether it has been positive or negative. We have added an executive summary that brings all of this together in a crisp form, to help busy executives get a gist of this research service and then read in detail sections that matter to them. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary Key Findings 2. Research Scope and Definitions Research Scope Definitions 3. FinTech Regulatory Environment Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) 4. Malaysian Banks' FinTech Initiatives Maybank FinTech Initiatives CIMB FinTech Initiatives RHB FinTech Initiatives Hong Leong FinTech Initiatives AmBank FinTech Initiatives Public Bank FinTech Initiatives Digital Initiatives by Leading Banks 5. Malaysia FinTech Landscape The Malaysian FinTech Ecosystem MoneyMatch SoftSpace iMoney GoBear pitchIN Funding Societies Other Malaysian FinTech Start-ups 6. Fintech's Impact on the Malaysian Financial Services Industry Impact of FinTech on the Financial Services Industry 7. The Last Word 3 Big Predictions Companies Mentioned AmBank CIMB Funding Societies GoBear Hong Leong Bank Maybank MoneyMatch RHB SoftSpace iMoney pitchIN For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lnqdy7 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Advertisement A British evacuee from coronavirus-hit Wuhan last night shared an image from inside quarantine as he and 82 others spent their first night locked in a nurses' accommodation block in the Wirral. Ben Kavanagh is part of a group flown in from China over the coronavirus outbreak who will be holed up in the block at the side of Arrowe Park Hospital for 14 days. Their accommodation was on Friday kitted out with bedding, games consoles and Barbies ahead of their 14 days in quarantine. The group were driven to the NHS staff accommodation blocks at the side of Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral just after 7.15pm after travelling 180 miles from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Mr Kavanagh shared a picture of himself wearing a mask to Instagram with the caption: 'We are all now safe in quarantine. Everyone has been fantastic, the airline, the stewards/stewardesses, the bus drivers, the NHS. Been travelling for 40 hours. I am mostly grease at this point. I will try to reply to everyone's kind messages tomorrow.' It comes as the first cases of the coronavirus have been diagnosed in the UK, with two people - believed to be Chinese nationals - from the same family being treated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID). Officials are trying to trace 438 other air passengers who've recently arrived from Wuhan as medics in hazmat suits were seen entering the York hotel where the two people with confirmed cases were staying. Wuhan evacuee Ben Kavanagh last night shared an image from inside the quarantine as he and 82 others spend their first night locked in a nurses' accommodation block A medical worker wearing a full hazmat suit can be seen in the bus next to a driver - wearing no protective gear - while the British evacuees from Wuhan sit in the back Yesterday, trolleys containing PlayStations, Xboxes and children's toys such as Barbie doll sets were seen being wheeled into their quarantined area. Pictured: One of the buses arriving with a British evacuee taking photographs in the back The driver looks ahead as the bus - containing some of the 83 evacuees - arrives at Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, Merseyside on Friday evening A bus containing some of the British nationals who flew in from Wuhan arrives at the hospital. A medical worker sits at the front near to the driver One British national waves from the bus as it arrives in the Wirral. The vehicles will also be deep-cleaned before being allowed back into service in a fortnight A medical worker in a hazmat suit looks ahead as the convoy of buses arrives at Arrowe Park Hospital More than 80 Britons flown in from China over the coronavirus outbreak have arrived at their accommodation that was on Friday kitted out with bedding, games consoles and Barbies ahead of their 14 days in quarantine. Pictured: Buses carrying the British nationals arrive last night A team of medical staff, who will wear protective suits, will closely monitor their condition when they arrive. Pictured: A bus carrying some of the passengers on the way to Arrowe Park Hospital Coach drivers who took those evacuated from Wuhan to their quarantine location on the Wirral will also spend 14 days in isolation themselves Coach drivers who took those evacuated from Wuhan to their quarantine location did not wear any protective gear A staff member gazing out of a window at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside as the British nationals arrived last night Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the nearby Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital, which has a high-level infectious diseases unit. Pictured: Members of medical staff wearing masks as the buses arrive Bus drivers were asked to drive those brought back from China without any masks or specialist clothing and will now take a period of paid leave away from others. Pictured: People look out of the window where the British nationals are now quarantined The five coaches - carrying the 83 Britons who were on board the Wamos Air Boeing 747 on Friday - were escorted into the Merseyside hospital by five police officers on motorbikes A convoy of coaches carrying British nationals evacuated from Wuhan in China was escorted by a police car as it arrived in the hospital Buses carrying the British nationals drove along the M6 to the Wirral ahead of their two weeks of quarantine They are being isolated for two weeks because this is the maximum time it is thought to take for symptoms to emerge if a person has been infected. Pictured: The convoy arriving at the accomodation The buses carrying British nationals who flew in from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, travelled down the M6 to their accommodation Some of the toys were aged one to three years, suggesting families with small children may be kept in isolation. Pictured: The trolleys being taken in It is understood that those quarantined will be given fully-furnished rooms, food and laundry facilities, while kitchens are available if people wish to self cater. Pictured: Food packages are brought into the NHS accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital yesterday Any families will be able to stay together and there will be no charge for the accommodation. Pictured: A cot being moved outside the accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside yesterday afternoon The view inside one of the rooms that will be used to quarantine some 83 Britons at Arrowe Park Hospital The coronavirus, which has infected nearly 12,000 people and killed 259 - all in China - is known to spread easily through coughs and sneezes and close contact, and people may be contagious even if they feel well. The five coaches - carrying the 83 Britons who were on board the Wamos Air Boeing 747 on Friday - were escorted into the Merseyside hospital by five police officers on motorbikes. Three ambulances were also in the convoy as well as two police cars. They were taken by drivers without protective masks, raising fears for their safety. Coach drivers who took those evacuated from Wuhan to their quarantine location on the Wirral will also spend 14 days in isolation themselves. They were asked to drive those brought back from China without any masks or specialist clothing and will now take a period of paid leave away from others. A spokesman for Horseman Coaches said their staff had been reassured by Government officials that they did not need to wear masks for the 180-mile journey because passengers had been quarantined for eight days in China and only allowed on the flight because they were clear of any symptoms. COACH DRIVERS MAY NOT BE QUARANTINED AFTER EVACUATION Reading coach firm, Horseman, has sent at least seven buses to RAF Brize Norton to pick up the evacuated passengers from China. The coaches are being driven by drivers employed by the company, all of whom agreed to do the job. The company refused to say whether the drivers would be quarantined afterwards, but said the buses would be 'deep cleaned'. The Horseman Coaches spokesman told the PA news agency: 'The Department for Health have procedures in place for the vehicles to be deep cleaned. 'That is part of the process of this undertaking, which will happen as soon as the vehicles are clear. I can give everybody assurance that everything will be cleansed sufficiently.' The spokesman declined to comment on whether or not the drivers staff members of Horseman Coaches would also have to be put in isolation. 'I can't comment any further on that I'm afraid,' he said. Horseman Coaches is a private coach hire company operating throughout Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough, West Berkshire and across the south east carrying more than 9,000 passengers each day, according to the company's website. Advertisement However, the Department of Health rubbished the eight-day claim and said no protective gear was required because the risk to drivers was very low. Their vehicles will also be deep-cleaned before being allowed back into service in a fortnight. The plane will later fly on to Spain carrying the remaining 27 passengers - all non-UK nationals. The British passengers on the evacuation flight - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - had to sign a contract agreeing to isolation before they could board the flight, and underwent temperature checks. The Mail understands that the pilot and crew on the flight from Wuhan province were also not instructed to wear masks and it was unclear whether they had also been told to self-quarantine. The Ministry of Defence insisted that all Government employees and military personnel who had come into close contact with passengers would be put into supported isolation. The Department of Health also explained that each of the seven coaches had one medic dressed in specialist protective gear onboard in the unlikely event any passengers developed symptoms during the journey. Passengers on the flight revealed crew had tried to keep them at least 6ft from each other to avoid cross-contamination. But some evacuees were seen shaking hands with staff on the tarmac at Brize Norton. They are being isolated for two weeks because this is the maximum time it is thought to take for symptoms to emerge if a person has been infected. There has been speculation over whether the virus can be transmitted by people showing no symptoms. Patrick Graham, who was onboard the flight that arrived yesterday, shared footage of the plane touching down and joked with his social media followers: The infected are coming. He also shared a screenshot of a report detailing confirmation of the UKs first two cases of the virus and wrote: Please dont blame us we have only just landed. Passengers on the flight were served chicken tikka masala. Matt Raw made the flight at short notice, after initially being told that his Chinese wife, Ying, who has a visitor visa for the UK, would not be allowed to travel. When the Chinese authorities eased the restrictions, Mr Raw was able to travel with his wife and 75-year-old mother, Hazel. He said the trip was like any normal plane journey. He said: Its maybe not the best quality aeroplane food that Ive had, but certainly this is probably one of the best meals of my life were on our way home. Speaking to ITV before take-off, he said: It is proving to be a really, really taxing job to get all the passengers on board. They are struggling with we dont have names, we have numbers. So they are trying to correspond the names to the numbers, the ticket numbers, to get everybody on board and in the right seat. The quarantine period will give medics time to see if any of the group develop symptoms or test positive for the virus. Pictured: A member of medical staff wearing a full hazmat suit on the bus with the passengers who landed from Wuhan Large cardboard boxes filled with items including heaters are removed from the accommodation blocks on the Wirral yesterday A member of staff at Arrowe Park Hospital works before the passengers arrived yesterday evening. White bags are carried on trolleys A trolley stacked high with telephone devices arrived at Arrowe Park Hospital as they prepared for the passengers last night Barriers are put up at Arrowe Park Hospital on Friday as water bottles are brought in. Large flasks for hot drinks and packets of milk are also seen Other passengers described the chaos of getting to the airport at short notice and being forced to leave loved ones behind. Speaking to the BBC after the flight touched down, newlywed Ben Williams, whose Chinese wife had stayed behind, said: We are just happy to get on a coach to our final destination for an extended vacation. Referring to the 14-day quarantine, he added: I think Ill be all right. As long as I can get some exercise. Its good to be back, but I also miss China as well. Sadly we came to the decision for her [my new wife] to stay behind because of the short notice they gave us for the flight. They did tell us very much last-minute that she would be allowed on the flight but by the time they told us, we had nothing arranged. Hopefully, its less than a few months [before I see her again] but weve been in a long distance relationship from the UK to Brazil for the last two years so a couple of months is nothing. He continued: Everyone is trying their best to keep clean and ensure the wellbeing of everyone around them. I was in self-isolation in China. With a Chinese family, enjoying Chinese New Year indoors, watching TV. Enjoying sunshine on the roof of the apartment. Financial Times journalist Tom Hancock was also on the flight. Writing in this morning's newspaper he spoke of how ages ranged from a three-month-old baby to an 81-year-old woman on the flight. He also revealed that an unaccompanied three-year-old girl who had been staying with her grandparents in Wuhan while her parents were in the UK was on the flight. She was cared for on the flight by staff from the foreign office. Among those on the flight was Emma Wang, a Chinese natinal travelling with her British partner and their baby. Her partner, Michael Martin, said ahead of getting on the fight: 'I thought I'd feel excited by I'm more just tired'. While Dani Carmona, a Spaniard who had been working as a football coach and had to leave his girlfriend behind, said: 'It was a difficult decision. I will come back to Wuhan as soon as I can'. Yesterday, trolleys containing PlayStations, Xboxes and children's toys such as Barbie doll sets were seen being wheeled into their quarantined area. Some of the toys were aged one to three years, suggesting families with small children may be kept in isolation. A woman carrying bedding is seen heading into the accommodation at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside on Friday Items are removed from the accommodation ahead of the Britons arriving on Friday. Staff were given two days' notice ahead of the Britons' arrival It is understood that those quarantined will be given fully-furnished rooms, food and laundry facilities, while kitchens are available if people wish to self cater. Any families will be able to stay together and there will be no charge for the accommodation. A team of medical staff, who will wear protective suits, will closely monitor their condition. Anyone with suspicious symptoms will be taken to the nearby Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospital, which has a high-level infectious diseases unit. Some people living on the Wirral took to social media to express their concerns at the move, calling it a 'bizarre' move and an 'absolute joke'. It comes after doctors and nurses were given two days' notice to move from the accommodation block to make way for the quarantined Britons. The staff were seen packing bedding, clothes and pots and pans in cars and vans. Hospital workers said yesterday they were 'scared' over the Britons from China being quarantined at the hospital. One nurse told MailOnline: 'This was just dumped on us. 'We haven't been fitted for masks - I'm not even sure how many we have. Everyone's a bit scared especially as there's now been cases in Britain. 'They are asking us to put ourselves in harm's way. The hospital couldn't cope if there was an outbreak. We are creaking as it is.' David, 54, a plumber who was helping prepare the building and works for North West Engineering, said: 'We have been sent up here to prepare some rooms. 'We are preparing so to make sure that the rooms have hot and cold water. We are doing the plumbing. I didn't know I had to be here until today. It's all a bit lastminute.com.' Workers install privacy screens at the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital yesterday ahead of the arrival of British nationals from Wuhan Large metal barricades were used to patch up holes in the fences surrounding Arrowe Park Hospital in the Wirral, Merseyside Two workers were seen carrying the huge metal fences used to plug holes in the fencing where the British nationals will be staying Security staff were seen outside Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside. It comes as Hospital workers said yesterday they were 'scared' over the Britons from China being quarantined at the hospital. One nurse told MailOnline: 'This was just dumped on us' Staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside yesterday ahead of the British nationals' arrival. It comes after doctors and nurses were given two days' notice to move from the accommodation block to make way for the quarantined Britons One doctor told Mailonline: 'Most people are angry that they're being brought here. Why do we have to deal with it out of all the hospitals in the country? 'We have a big maternity unit and care for a lot of sick children. We struggle at the best of times. One hospital porter has told me he's going to refuse to take things over to the blocks.' Tom Holmes, 56, who was visiting his sick sister, said: 'I was a bit nervous coming here. My sister just wants to get out of here before all the coronavirus people get here. I wouldn't want her still here if any of them get sick.' Mother-of-two Melissa Bridge, 23, said: 'I live nearby the hospital. I'm really worried the virus could be brought here. I'm scared for my children. 'Why have they brought them here? It's not exactly in an isolated spot. They just want to dump them on Merseyside.' Irene Morley, 72, retired, visiting the hospital for a checkup, said: 'I don't think they should have it in Arrowe Park because of the maternity unit in the hospital. 'They should have gone to another hospital like the Victoria Central Health Centre in Wallasey. They've got a hospital there which is a lot more remote, people don't go down there. British nationals arrive on a Boeing 747 at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire yesterday afternoon ahead of their journey to the Wirral Workers were seen using a pressure cleaner to wash the front of the accommodation blocks that will house the British nationals who travelled in from Wuhan Security staff are seen outside the accomodation block in the Wirral. One doctor at Arrowe Park Hospital told MailOnline: 'Most people are angry that they're being brought here. Why do we have to deal with it out of all the hospitals in the country?' A view inside the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral shows a kitchen with a loaf of bread and coffee 'It's completely wrong they've been brought here. There's a sliding door in the physiotherapy ward which opens onto the block. There's people going in and out without washing their hands and staff smoking outside. 'It's appalling. They could've put them somewhere else. Other countries are putting the quarantined people miles away. We only found out yesterday. They kept it all undercover so people don't kick off. 'You can't people inside for two weeks. Where are they going to go when they go outside? I think it's wrong. They are keeping us in the dark. They are putting us at risk.' Jane Godman, from the Wirral, wrote on Twitter, 'Decision to have a coronavirus quarantine centre at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral is bizarre. 'One of the busiest hospitals in the North West, with a maternity unit, in a built up area, 170 miles from where the Wuhan plane lands. Who decided this and why?' Phillip Cunnington, from nearby Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, tweeted his reaction to a Sky News tweet saying the evacuees were being taken to the Wirral. But some people living on the Wirral took to social media to express their concerns at the 'bizarre' move that saw the Britons travel 180 miles from the airbase. Pictured: The accommodation block where the people will stay The families travelled from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire to NHS housing (pictured) on the Wirral where they will remain together for two weeks He said: 'Oh great, Wirral's in the news, you don't often see that, so often overshadowed by Liverpool, it'd be great to see it get some positive pub... Oh.' Amanda Jelley, from West Kirby on the Wirral, added: 'Why are the 150 people being isolated at Arrowe Park Hospital, 187 miles from Brize Norton. 'Arrowe Park Hospital is on a small peninsular so is that the choice to try and contain the virus? Being from the Wirral I am furious at this decision.' The British passengers - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - will be housed in an NHS staff accommodation block. Jane Godman, from the Wirral, wrote on Twitter, 'Decision to have a coronavirus quarantine centre at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral is bizarre.' Pictured: Arrowe Park Hospital Almost 12,000 people in 24 countries and territories have now been diagnosed with the Wuhan coronavirus and 259 people have died, all in China The road outside the accommodation blocks that will house the coronavirus victims once they have returned was clogged with removal vans this morning. One van was unloading boxes of Hitachi products onto the street, while one worker said he was moving duvets out of the block to a site in St Helens. A man leaving with a camping rucksack and two holdalls said he had been living in the blocks while working at the hospital until yesterday when he was told to leave. He said: 'I'm evacuating the block. I got told to move yesterday. I've been told not to speak.' Dennis Nelson, 76, who was just leaving the walk-in centre with his son said he wasn't worried about the quarantined people staying at the hospital. 'They have got great facilities here and in Liverpool which is only a 30 minute drive. There's the centre for tropical medicine if anything goes wrong.' Barbara Patterson, 72, who is retired and was visiting the hospital for chemotherapy, said: 'I've been thinking how awful it must be to be cooped up in here.' Terry Haynes, 34, a chef who was visiting his grandmother, added: 'As long as they don't come in the hospital it's OK. They go to the Royal in Liverpool if they're ill. I'm a bit worried. 'It's strange why they're coming here. I guess it's because it's a peninsula. They can close the Wirral off. They can close the tunnel and the bridge if everyone gets infected.' And Flo Garbett, 86, added: 'Well they've got to go somewhere but I don't know why here. They will get the right treatment I guess. At least they're near the Tropical Medicine School. It's one of the best in the country.' A 21-year-old student from Keele University, who was at Arrowe Park for an appointment with a consultant, said: 'I'm not really concerned about it. 'It's just what the hospital does which is the issue. It's how it tries to control infections like the Norovirus. 'Every time it has a Norovirus outbreak, it does not seem to contain it very well. It should be fine though because the blocks are quite separate.' Passenger Patrick Graham, from Wales, joked that 'the infected are coming' as he landed Guests are still checking into the 49-a-night Staycity hotel in York where a Chinese man fell ill on Wednesday night. The man is one of the UK's first two coronavirus patients Business as usual! Travellers were yesterday caught speaking to receptionists at the Staycity hotel - where the two Chinese nationals stayed before they got infected CORONAVIRUS: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR What is this virus? The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been identified as a new type of coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a large family of pathogens, most of which cause mild lung infections such as the common cold. But coronaviruses can also be deadly. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, is caused by a coronavirus and killed hundreds of people in China and Hong Kong in the early 2000s. Can the Wuhan coronavirus kill? Yes almost 3,000 people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. What are the symptoms? The infection which the virus causes has been named COVID-19. Some people who catch it may not have any symptoms at all, or only very mild ones like a sore throat or a headache. Others may suffer from a fever, cough or trouble breathing. And a small proportion of patients will go on to develop severe infection which can damage the lungs or cause pneumonia, a life-threatening condition which causes swelling and fluid build-up in the lungs. How is it detected? The virus's genetic sequencing was released by scientists in China and countries around the world have used this to create lab tests, which must be carried out to confirm an infection. Delays to these tests, to test results and to people getting to hospitals in China, mean the number of confirmed cases is expected to be just a fraction of the true scale of the outbreak. How did it start and spread? The first cases identified were among people connected to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. Cases have since been identified around China and are known to have spread from person to person. What are countries doing to prevent the spread? Countries all over the world have banned foreign travellers from crossing their borders if they have been to China within the past two weeks. Many airlines have cancelled or drastically reduced flights to and from mainland China. Is it similar to anything we've ever seen before? Experts have compared it to the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The epidemic started in southern China and killed more than 700 people in mainland China, Hong Kong and elsewhere. SCROLL DOWN OR CLICK HERE TO SEE MAILONLINE'S FULL Q&A ON THE CORONAVIRUS Advertisement Maureen Fenton, 49, a housewife who was visited her daughter in labour, said: 'I wasn't worried but it seems to be spreading which is concerning.' And David Murray, 52, who is unemployed, said: 'I heard about it on the news. I was worried about getting it. I was just thinking - will I get it?' Asked whether she was informed of the decision, Labour MP for Wirral South Alison McGovern tweeted: 'No. No one has informed me. Awaiting a call. 'Will be asking Department for Health to make sure that those being brought to Wirral be made as comfortable as possible. 'Know my constituents will feel for them and will back our brilliant NHS staff to do everything necessary to help.' Another person asked: 'What did The Wirral do to deserve this?' A further tweet said: 'This is very worrying and will cause panic in the Liverpool area.' A Wirral Council spokesman said: 'A flight has been arranged to bring British nationals back to the UK and will land back in the UK later today. 'Those on board will be housed, temporarily, in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital. This is a separate building and is not a hospital ward. 'All services in the hospital are running as usual including emergency services, outpatients and planned surgery. Staff working in the hospital will not be in contact with these UK citizens. As the local council, we are supporting the Department of Health and NHS in any way we can. 'We understand this is a stressful time for the people on the flight, but also their families. After a very long journey, we welcome them to our borough and trust they will be comfortable during their time here.' Authorities in the UK yesterday launched a nation-wide hunt for anyone who came into contact with the UK's first two patients. The pair, believed to be Chinese nationals, had been staying at the 49-a-night Staycity hotel in York which has remained open since a man fell ill there on Wednesday night and rooms can still be booked for tonight. The Department of Health has repeatedly refused to give any details about the two coronavirus victims, citing 'patient confidentially', and have also knocked back questions about where and when they entered Britain and where they have been before arriving in York. York's rich history makes it a hugely popular stop for visitors on tours of Britain and Europe. A Public Health England spokesperson said: 'The design of the accommodation means that there is minimal interaction between guests and, following a risk assessment by our experts, closing the accommodation was not necessary. 'Appropriate infection and prevention control measures are being implemented.' MailOnline understands the infected people quarantine at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne were taken from the Staycity hotel and have never returned or collected their belongings including suitcases, clothing and toiletries, which remain sealed in their room. One man took his marriage proposal to brave new heights on top of a bridge. According to the Associated Press, Dan Del Tufo, an engineer in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, planned to propose to his girlfriend, Julia Kallmerten, also an engineer, on the Memorial Bridge. The Memorial Bridge was a particularly special place for both Del Tufo and Kallmerten, The Boston Globe reported. The couple met at the University of New Hampshire, and Del Tufo worked on the bridge for his senior thesis as part of the Living Bridge project. Meanwhile, Kallmerten worked for an engineering firm that designed Harborwalk Park, which is located under the bridge. Del Tufo told The Boston Globe that they still frequently like to go Prescott Park, which overlooks the bridge and Portsmouth, and sit and watch boats pass under it. Naturally, this made for the perfect spot for the couple to get engaged. In order to arrange the proposal, Del Tufo had to get permission from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, so traffic wouldnt interfere with his grand scheme. This is not something we typically do, said Eileen Meaney, NHDOT chief communications officer, to The Boston Globe. DOT approved the request as long it could be tied to normal bridge maintenance operations. They were super-cute and we wish them the best. Kallmerten arrived at the bridge that day thinking they were going to take pictures for some of Del Tufos projects, according to The Boston Globe. Once the bridge raised and reached its highest point, he popped the question. According to The Boston Globe, his exact words were, Honey, I want you to aggravate me for the rest of my life. Will you marry me? Both of their families were poised and ready to cheer for the couple as soon as Kallmerten accepted the proposal. Im going to think of that moment every time I see the bridge, Kallmerten told The Boston Globe. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during a press conference at the presidential office as Vice President Chen Chien-jen looks on in in Taipei on January 22, 2020. Taiwan repeated its offer to help China fight the new coronavirus on Thursday, but said it also wanted China to help send back to the island some 400 Taiwanese who have been stranded in the epicenter city of Wuhan by a lockdown. Self-ruled Taiwan has close economic and cultural links with China and has so far reported nine cases of the virus, which started in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and where most of the deaths have occurred. But political relations are tense. China has stepped up pressure on Taiwan, which it considers its own territory to be taken by force if needed, including holding military drills near the democratic island. After Taiwan vice president-elect William Lai offered China help on Sunday, President Tsai Ing-wen on Thursday repeated that offer and extended her sympathies to China, whose government has refused to have anything to do with her, believing she wants to push for the island's formal independence. "Based on humanitarian considerations, we express our concern and condolences to the people affected by the Wuhan pneumonia epidemic in China. Wherever we can, we are willing to provide necessary assistance," she told a news conference, without providing details. China said this week it was looking after Taiwanese in Wuhan to help "resolve problems" they may have, but has given no public indication of whether it will work with Taiwan to evacuate them. Taiwan has been angered by China's blocking its attendance at the World Health Organization, which Taiwan is not a member of as China says the island is merely a Chinese province and is adequately represented by Beijing. In another area of tension, Taiwan says China has so far not responded to a request to help evacuate Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan, all but locked down to contain the epidemic. While China has been permitting foreign countries to fly their citizens out of Wuhan, including Americans and Japanese, the fate of Taiwanese in Wuhan has been less clear, especially as China essentially considers them Chinese citizens. Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy head of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, told reporters about 400 Taiwanese, mostly people there on short-term visits rather than long-term residents, had requested help from Taiwan and wanted to go home. Taiwan is continuing to talk to China about how to get them back home via special flights, Chiu added, and said he would release more details when he had them. "If the mainland side really values the rights and interests of Taiwanese, it should respond to the government's calls as soon as possible," he said. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Activists of the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India on Friday protested outside Union minister Anurag Thakur's residence here for his inflammatory hate speech, "which prompted a youth to open fire on a peaceful protest at Jamia the previous day". The protesters marched to Anurag Thakur's house at 14 Janpath Road via Raisina Road and Rajendra Prasad Marg and were stopped by the police outside the residence of the Minister. Youth Congress President B.V Srinivas and NSUI President Neeraj Kundan were detained by the police and taken to Mandir Marg police station. Leading the protest, Srinivas said: "The incident of a youth opening fire at anti-CAA protestors has a direct link to the inflammatory speech given by BJP MP and Union Minister Anurag Thakur on January 27." Srinivas said Anurag Thankur's provocative speech calling upon people to shoot the "traitors" had "inspired" the youth to open fire on students on Thursday. President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" in his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, prompting protests by some opposition members. He also said that debate and discussion on any issue strengthens democracy while violence during protests weaken it. "The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi," he said. As soon as the president made these remarks, some opposition members shouted "shame, shame" slogans and also displayed banners. Kovind also made it clear that the procedure to grant citizenship to people of all religions and those who have faith in India and keen to take Indian citizenship remains as it was. "Debate and discussions strengthen democracy but violence during protests weaken democracy," he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence. In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country. The President said Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations. "My government is taking strong steps for making this decade as India's decade and this century as India's century," he said. Kovind also condemned the atrocities against minorities in Pakistan and urged the international community to take necessary action. The President said the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff and the Department of Military Affairs will bring synergy among three services of the armed forces and speed up their modernisation. On steps to tackle terrorism, he said the Modi government has given a free hand to security forces to curb the menace. Kovind also said the government was working for security of women and will set up over 1000 fast track courts to dispose of cases of crime against women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The continuous importation of millions of dollars worth of fresh tomatoes from neighbouring Burkina Faso into Ghana, is taking a huge toll on tomato farmers in the country. The Federation of Tomato Growers Association at Tuobodom in the Techiman North Municipality of the Bono East Region, which produces a chunk of tomatoes, says its members are recording low sales due to the excessive importation. The farmers are worried they may not be able to repay loans acquired to expand their farms. Tomato production in Ghana is not any different from most parts of the world considering that tomato as a vegetable is used in almost every meal preparation globally. Farmers stand to gain significantly from the crop if they cultivate it the right way. But despite having the right soil and seasons for the cultivation of tomatoes to meet local demand and for export, Ghana has not tapped the full potential of this food crop. Records from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture show that in 2017, Ghana imported some 75,000 tons of tomatoes to meet domestic demand. Majority of this comes from neighbouring Burkina Faso. In May 2018, it emerged that Ghana was losing approximately $99.5 million to Burkina Faso through the importation of fresh tomatoes annually. While Ghana imported 90 per cent of fresh tomatoes produced in Burkina Faso, the remaining 10 per cent is consumed between that country and La Cote DIvoire. The Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association, expressed worry about this and its impact on local farmers. According to the Association, the Burkinabe government, unlike the government of Ghana, had created the enabling environment with the necessary incentives in place for researchers and farmers, citing that the country started with only seven dams but currently has 87 to boost the fresh tomato farming industry. But in Ghana, government only continues to make promises to grow the sector. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture says it is looking to end the importation of tomatoes through the expansion of irrigation projects and the use of mechanization to help boost production. The continuous importation of millions of dollars worth of fresh tomatoes from neighbouring Burkina Faso into Ghana, is taking a huge toll on tomato farmers in the country. The Federation of Tomato Growers Association at Tuobodom in the Techiman North Municipality of the Bono East Region, which produces a chunk of tomatoes, says its members are recording low sales due to the excessive importation. The farmers are worried they may not be able to repay loans acquired to expand their farms. Tomato production in Ghana is not any different from most parts of the world considering that tomato as a vegetable is used in almost every meal preparation globally. Farmers stand to gain significantly from the crop if they cultivate it the right way. But despite having the right soil and seasons for the cultivation of tomatoes to meet local demand and for export, Ghana has not tapped the full potential of this food crop. Records from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture show that in 2017, Ghana imported some 75,000 tons of tomatoes to meet domestic demand. Majority of this comes from neighbouring Burkina Faso. In May 2018, it emerged that Ghana was losing approximately $99.5 million to Burkina Faso through the importation of fresh tomatoes annually. While Ghana imported 90 per cent of fresh tomatoes produced in Burkina Faso, the remaining 10 per cent is consumed between that country and La Cote DIvoire. The Ghana National Tomatoes Traders and Transporters Association, expressed worry about this and its impact on local farmers. According to the Association, the Burkinabe government, unlike the government of Ghana, had created the enabling environment with the necessary incentives in place for researchers and farmers, citing that the country started with only seven dams but currently has 87 to boost the fresh tomato farming industry. But in Ghana, government only continues to make promises to grow the sector. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture says it is looking to end the importation of tomatoes through the expansion of irrigation projects and the use of mechanization to help boost production. Tomato cultivation is the major occupation of residents of Tuobodom in the Techiman North Municipality of the Bono East Region. There are currently over 6,000 residents engaged in tomato farming. Though the farming season has been generally good this year, the farmers say the produce is going waste due to low sales; a situation they blame on the huge importation of tomatoes especially from Burkina Faso. A box of tomatoes, which used to sell at 500 cedis, is now selling between 80-100 cedis. I cultivated three acres, and we are going through many challenges. You can see that I am having ripped tomatoes, but they would pass us and go to Ouagadougou for tomatoes. For over a month now, we have not harvested our produce. We are calling on government to stop them from going to Burkina for tomatoes. If not, we cannot pay the loan we have secured. I took a loan of 8 thousand cedis, how can I pay back? I am calling on government to come and help us because we are suffering, a female tomato farmer lamented. We have worked hard and harvest is good; but we are not getting buyers. For the past two to three weeks, l havent even harvested one box. The tomato is nice, but the sun is destroying it. We have tomatoes in Ghana, so if we go outside to buy tomatoes then what are we doing to ourselves? I took a loan of 20 thousand cedis; if the cars come I would be able to pay some. Its a six acre farm and l dont have even 3 thousand cedis, another farmer said. Some tricycle riders who cart the tomatoes from the farms to the markets have also been affected by the low sales. When we go to cart the tomatoes, we charge 20 cedis per trip, but because of the low sales, we now take 5 cedis. We have to have to consider the farmers a tricycle rider said. It is affecting us the tricycle riders because after carting they cannot pay. I transported some tomatoes and the farmer was to pay me 160 cedis; but he could not pay so he gave me 60 cedis. The cars that are not coming to buy are really affecting us. I buy fuel of 20 cedis and come here; and at the end of the day I dont get anything another tricycle rider lamented. The Chairman of the Tuobodom Federation of Tomato Growers Association, Baffour Awuah, wants government to establish a tomato factory in the community to address this problem. 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 Prince Philip was spotted at Sandringham today as he recuperates from a stay in hospital last month. Philip, 98, was pictured being driven onto the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk , where the Queen spends her winter break. Prince Charles was also seen driving a truck for a shoot on the estate this morning, following yesterday's reports that he and the monarch were holding crisis talks about the embattled Prince Andrew Her Majesty, 93, was believed to be at home at Sandringham today - but was not seen out and about. The Duke of Edinburgh had undergone a four-day stay in hospital last month where he was treated for a pre-existing medical condition before he was flown by helicopter to Sandringham just in time for Christmas. Prince Philip leaving Sandringham House, Norfolk, after visiting the Queen on Friday morning Prince Charles was spotted driving to a shoot in Sandringham, Norfolk, on January 31 Prince Charles was pictured driving a truck to a shoot this morning on the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Queen spends her winter break He had been admitted to the King Edward VII's hospital in central London for a few days as a precautionary measure, and for observation, after a period of poor health which saw him battling a 'flu-like' illness for weeks and suffering a 'bad fall'. Philip's return would have had added significance for his family because the royals still keep to the German practice of unwrapping gifts on December 24. More recently the Queen had missed her annual visit to the local Women's Institute branch on January 23 because she had a cold, but she was seen at church on Sunday. The monarch has attended the WI group's meetings since 1943 and took over as President from the Queen Mother, who in turn took over from Queen Mary. She usually stays at the Royal Estate until February 6, which is the anniversary of her father King George VI's death. Prince Charles was pictured driving a truck to a shoot this morning on the Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, where the Queen spends her winter break Prince Philip leaving Sandringham House, Norfolk,after visiting the Queen on Friday morning Prince Philip is pictured leaving the King Edward VII Hospital in London just before Christmas Earlier this week the Queen and Philip were seen for the first time since Prince Harry departed to Canada. She was pictured driving in Sandringham while Philip accompanied his daughter Princess Anne as she drove through the estate. The Queen was unable to attend a WI meeting on Thursday, which she goes to every year at West Newton village hall as part of her winter stay at Sandringham, after catching a cold. A spokesman for Buckingham Palace had told MailOnline the Queen had 'a slight cold', while an insider added it was 'no cause for alarm.' The Queen was pictured driving through the Sandringham Estate on January 25 - two days after she was forced to cancel a visit to the WI in Norfolk Prince Philip, 98, was seen not wearing a seat belt as he drove through the Sandringham Estate with his daughter Princess Anne on Saturday Prince Harry arrived at Vancouver International Airport following a ten-hour journey on a Boeing 747, then boarded a WestJet plane to make the short journey onto Victoria Airport on Vancouver Island to join the rest of his family. While he flew, he missed his brother William's first solo reception at Buckingham Palace where he ushered in a new era for the royals and even gave Harry a mention in his welcoming speech He said: 'The African continent holds a very special place in my heart. It is the place my father took my brother and me shortly after our mother died.' It followed Harry's emotional speech in London's Chelsea earlier this month, saying he had 'no other option' but to give up his official royal duties and forge a new life in Canada, where his wife and son are setting up home. Jerusalem is the old walled city. The rest is not Jerusalem, said Nazmi Jubeh, an archaeologist and historian who runs the Birzeit University Museum in the West Bank. We mean by Jerusalem and I think everybody around the world means the holy sites. This game of playing with words has no meaning at all. In broad terms, the Trump administration plan would allow Israel to annex about 30 percent of the West Bank along with all the Jewish settlements in the territory, though most of the world considers those settlements a violation of international law. Previous peace proposals envisaged Israel dismantling the more isolated settlements and maintaining a special security arrangement along the border with Jordan rather than annexing the entire area. The Trump plan makes the Palestinians an unattractive and heavily conditional offer: an entity that they could call a state made up of the Gaza Strip and several enclaves in the West Bank pockmarked with settlements and surrounded by Israeli territory that would be linked by roads or other transportation. While Israel hailed the plan, the Palestinians angrily rejected it out of hand. In myriad ways, the Trump plan seemed to reward the Israelis and punish the Palestinians for what each has considered the others bad behavior. The Israelis relentlessly created facts on the ground, like settlements in the heart of the West Bank aimed at preventing a Palestinian state from coming together. The Palestinians repeatedly resorted to violence, even after Israeli withdrawals, which led Israel to expand its security presence at the Palestinians expense and to insist on never uprooting its people again. In its conceptual map of a Palestinian state, the Trump plan did not even mark the location of a capital, though the document did suggest calling it Al-Quds, the Arabic name for Jerusalem. Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Andrew Barr declared Friday the state of emergency, stressing that Canberra was facing the worst bushfire threat since the devastating fires of 2003, according to the News.Com.Au media outlet, Trend reports citing Sputnik. The combination of extreme heat, wind, and a dry landscape will place suburbs in Canberras south at risk [...] This fire may become very unpredictable. It may become uncontrollable. So given the best advice available to me, I have just made a decision to declare a Territory-wide state of alert for the Australian Capital Territory. This is effective now and will be in place for as long as Canberra is at risk, Andrew Barr said, cited by News.Com.Au. The UK Meteorological Office warned earlier this month that the Australian bushfires would likely contribute to one of largest increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, predicting that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide will peak at 417 parts per million in May, and the average for the year will be around 414.2 parts per million. Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was criticized for his tackling effort both the bushfires and their aftermath. Owner of Racing Point Lawrence Stroll walks in the Paddock before the F1 Grand Prix of Spain on May 12, 2019. Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll will take an up to 20% stake in Aston Martin for nearly 200 million pounds ($263 million) as the ailing carmaker raises funds after a sales drop put pressure on its finances. Famed for being fictional secret agent James Bond's car of choice, the 107-year old company's share price has plummeted since floating in October 2018 and it has come late to the lucrative sport utility vehicle (SUV) market which boosted rivals. The company will raise a total of 500 million pounds, including a rights issue from existing major shareholders, it said on Friday, as it begins building its first SUV. Aston had also held talks with Chinese carmaker Geely, a source has previously told Reuters. Chief Executive Andy Palmer said Stroll and the consortium he will lead bring several benefits to the automaker. "He brings with him his experiences and access to his Formula 1 team," Palmer told Reuters. "We've talked a lot in the past few years about wanting to be clearly rooted in luxury and obviously Mr Stroll knows an awful lot about luxury." Stroll, who made his money through investing in fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors, has been involved in Formula One and motor racing for years and also owns Canada's Mont Tremblant circuit in Quebec. Under Friday's agreement, Aston Martin said Stroll's Racing Point will become the Aston Martin F1 works team from the 2021 season. Stroll will join the board as executive chairman, replacing Penny Hughes, who will step down. The details, however, he left to the ethics commission the General Assembly created in November. It's due to report its recommendations by March 31. In his first year in office, Pritzker accomplished virtually all his campaign goals with a balanced budget, a multibillion-dollar statewide construction program, legalized marijuana use, a $15 minimum wage and legislative permission to ask voters in November whether to switch to an income tax structure that hits the wealthier harder. Despite a tough campaign to win voter approval for the tax switch, Pritzker gave only passing notice to what he calls the fair tax. He also said too little, at least for Republicans' comfort, about the state's crushing property tax system. Instead, he promoted Illinois and basked in the afterglow of his successful inaugural year, generously sharing credit with Republicans he said bipartisan seven times in a 34-minute speech. It was more about the work and the hope and the optimism than about the details, explained House Majority Leader Greg Harris, a Chicago Democrat who will be listening next month when Pritzker delivers his budget plan. A 29-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a fatal hit-and-run last week in Berkeley, police said. Alexander McGee, 29, was booked into Santa Rita jail on suspicion of reckless felony evading, second-degree burglary, vehicular manslaughter, domestic violence and hit-and-run causing death, records show. He was arrested by a Berkeley SWAT team around 11:45 a.m. in Oakland, police said. Early this week, police warned the public that McGee was armed and dangerous. Tips from the public helped investigators identify McGee as the suspect, but he evaded the first arrest attempts, police said. McGee is accused of driving onto the sidewalk at University Avenue and Sixth Street where his car struck and killed a 58-year-old woman. The Alameda County coroners bureau has not released the womans identity because they have been unable to find and notify her family. Police described her as transient. The hit-and-run occurred while McGee was fleeing a police officer who tried to intervene when he saw a man violently assaulting a woman inside the parked car. The woman screamed for help as the car sped away onto Interstate 80. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. Records show McGee is being held with no bail and will be arraigned Friday morning at the Wiley W. Manuel courthouse. Anna Bauman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: anna.bauman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @abauman2 This is the crocodile in Indonesia with a cash reward on its head - for anyone who can remove a tyre stuck around its neck. The endangered Siamese crocodile was first seen in 2016 with the rubber part from a Vespa scooter stuck on its body in Palu, in Central Sulawesi. Wildlife officials feared that the reptile could keep growing and eventually be strangled by the item, which is too strong to stretch. Locals have been trying to remove the tyre ever since without success. Officials have tried luring the beast out of the river with chicken but it has refused. The province's governor has now offered a cash reward from his own pocket for anyone who can successfully remove the tyre without harming the croc. Hasmuni Hasmar, head of the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency, refused to say how much the sum would be. But he urged amateurs to stay and and insisted that only professional animal handlers should attempt. The environment chief said: ''We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat.'' Speaking in 2018, Mr Mulyadi, an official with Indonesia Conservation Board, said: 'We have made a crocodile trap, but cannot use it because we lack technical force capable of controlling wild crocodiles. ''We have tried to lure it with chicken or meat but it never touches it. ''This crocodile has grown to four meters in length and its head is about 40 centimetres long. ''Its body is getting bigger and the tyre which should be 14 inches, is stifling it. ''If the tyre is not removed immediately, it will strangle the crocodile because of its growing body.'' Authorities are also opposed to using a tranquillizer on the animal, fearing it will disappear back into the water before the drugs have taken effect. Gabby Otchere-Darko, the founder of policy think tank Danquah Institute, has commended President Akufo-Addo for performing better than the erstwhile Mahama administration. According to him, President Akufo-Addo has outperformed former President John Mahama and wonders what campaign message the former President and NDC Flagbearer can give Ghanaians ahead of the December polls. I wonder what John Mahamas campaign message will be in 2020. On the economy: Akufo-Addo has done better. On health: Akufo-Addo has done better. On education: Akufo-Addo has done better. On infrastructure, Akufo-Addo is doing much better. 5 major interchange being built all at the same time; never in our history. With this government, Ghanaians can see where their money is going. Follow the facts. Not the propaganda, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko wrote on Facebook. Meanwhile the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has inaugurated a twenty-one member election manifesto committee in its quest to recapture power in the 2020 elections. The 21-member committee is expected to hold discussions with other stakeholders such as labour movements, civil society organizations and important key players in the country to come out with a well-designed manifesto that will focus on alleviating people from poverty and other economic hardships. The committee is expected to tour all the 16 regions of the country in an attempt to solicit the views and concerns of the ordinary Ghanaian regarding how they would want the party to govern them. Some of the members of the committee include; four former ministers, two former NDC flagbearer aspirants, Goosie Tanoh and Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and a former deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana Dr. Johnson Asiamah. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Angels of America's Fallen and Purpose Planning come together to support children of our fallen military and first responders. "Children of our fallen military and first responders deserve the support of our nation. Purpose Planning is stepping up to stand by them. They focus on long term commitment to their clients, and they are helping us honor our long term commitment to children we support" says Joe lewis Angels CEO Angels of Americas Fallen (Angels) is honored to announce that Purpose Planning, the Colorado Springs-based wealth management firm, has made an unprecedented commitment to be the Presenting Sponsor for the next three Angel Galasincluding this years much anticipated event on February 15, 2020 at the Broadmoor. Hailed as one of the most magical evenings of the year, Angel Gala is the flagship benefit for the Colorado Springs headquartered not-for-profit, Angels of Americas Fallen. This distinctive organization funds healthy developmental activities for the children of fallen military, law enforcement, EMS, and firefighting professionals. We were deeply humbled and excited when Purpose Planning approached us with a three-year commitment to this event and the children that we support, said Joe Lewis, Founder and CEO of Angels. Community partners like Purpose Planning dont come around very oftenbut when they do, they become game changers. It was an easy decision to stand with this remarkable organization by doing what they do for these remarkable children: Make a long-term commitment, said Jennifer K. Hicks, the owner of Purpose Planning. Its a great honor for Purpose Planning to remember our nations heroes and invest in the lives of their children. The Angel Gala is celebrating its fifth consecutive year and gala goers will enjoy a five-star dinner, live child performances, music & dancing, live & silent auctions and more. Tickets are now on sale at https://www.aoafallen.org. About Angels of Americas Fallen Founded in 2013, Angels of Americas Fallen (Angels) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to help the children of Americas fallen military, law enforcement, EMS, and firefighting professionals develop into strong and successful adults. Angels does this by granting funds and/or supplies for positive developmental activities such as sports, art, or music during their most crucial developmental years (from the time of loss through age 18). Rather than applying a blanket program, and regardless of the cause of the parents death, Angels is organized around providing opportunities and support that is based on the unique needs and interests of each child. Although Angels covers the costs of the childrens activities, their support is much more than just writing checks; they follow up with and encourage the children, and share in celebrating their successes throughout each year. This long term engagement is crucial for creating true lasting positive impact. For more information please visit http://www.aoafallen.org or call (719) 377-7352. About Purpose Planning Purpose Planning is an independently managed, full service, financial planning firm that provides quality planning and creative solutions for individuals and business owners. With over two decades of experience in over 20 states, Purpose Planning provides comprehensive wealth management services for every stage of the journey. For more information, please visit https://www.purposeplanning.com or call 719-590-4110. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 62937, Colorado Springs, CO 80962 1980 Dominon Way, Ste 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80918 Securities and advisory services offered through Registered Representatives of Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA, SIPC, a broker/ dealer and a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. Keith Urban thrilled a young country rock fan in Las Vegas earlier this month when he handed him a personalised signed guitar midway through one of his shows. The 52-year-old country star noticed a boy filming his concert on the social media app Snapchat. Leaning into the crowd, Keith convinced the boy to hand him his phone, turning it to selfie mode to film himself on stage. Now that's a souvenir! Keith Urban thrilled a young country rock fan in Las Vegas earlier this month when he handed him a personalised signed guitar midway through one of his shows As if that wasn't enough, Keith handed the young man's phone back and asked him his name. After getting a pen from a stage hand, Keith personally wrote 'To Mason - Keith Urban' on the guitar, before handing it down to the still-filming fan. Keith then continued his set for another 45 minutes with another guitar. Lucky! After getting a pen from a stage hand, Keith personally wrote 'To Mason - Keith Urban' on the guitar, before handing it down to the still-filming fan It seems the now worldwide famous Australian star was moved to see a young fan at his show after starting his own career as a teenager. Recently footage of a 16-year-old Keith performing on Bert Newton's New Faces in 1983 has resurfaced, thrilling his millions of fans. In the video, the gap-toothed teenager delivers a heartfelt rendition of Air Supply's All Out of Love. 'To Mason - Keith Urban': It seems the now worldwide famous Australian star was moved to see a young fan at his show after starting his own career as a teenager After the rendition, the young star received some harsh words from the judges, with one suggesting that he take some singing lessons. 'What actually is showing up with your voice is an immaturity,' the judge explained. 'What I mean by immaturity is tone and phrasing,' he continued. Worth a pretty penny: Keith then continued his set for another 45 minutes with another guitar 'Perhaps it's nerves as well too, Keith. Your breathing, almost in the middle of the phrases, is wrong. It's throwing your intervals out.' He then suggested that Keith practice some more and seek the services of a teacher to assist him. In the years since the performance, Keith has gone on to become one of the most successful artists in Australian music history. By Hwang Jae-ho Hwang Jae-ho The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under statutory authority of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has issued federal quarantine orders to all 195 United States citizens who repatriated to the U.S. on January 29, 2020. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. This action is a precautionary and preventive step to maximize the containment of the virus in the interest of the health of the American public. This legal order will protect the health of the repatriated citizens, their families, and their communities. These individuals will continue to be housed at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Medical staff will continue to monitor the health of each traveler, including temperature checks and observation for respiratory symptoms. If an individual presents symptoms, medical care will be readily available. Even if a screening test comes back negative from CDCs laboratory results, it does not conclusively mean an individual is at no risk of developing the disease over the likely 14-day incubation period. This legal order is part of a public health response that is necessary to prevent the transmission and spread of this virus in the U.S. The World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The current epidemic in Mainland China has demonstrated the viruss capacity to spread globally. CDC is using one of the tools in our toolbox as a way to contain the potential impact of this novel virus on the United States. This outbreak investigation is ongoing; we learn more every day about this newly emerging virus. First and foremost, CDC is committed to protecting the health and safety of all Americans. While CDC continues to believe the immediate risk to the larger American public is low at this time, this legal order has been put in place as a necessary step to fully assess and care for these repatriated Americans, protecting them, their loved ones, and their communities. For the latest information on the outbreak, visit CDCs Novel Coronavirus 2019 website. The death toll in the Lassa fever outbreak in Enugu State has risen to two. According to the Management of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, a second death was recorded on Thursday, at the hospital. A statement signed by the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Obinna Onodugo, reads, Its confirmed that a case of Lassa Fever came to UNTH today (30/1/2020) and died at our Emergency and Accident (Unit). He said the hospital and the state government have started contact tracing, to curtail the spread. We are also working with the Enugu State epidemiology Team and the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, to ensure that proper measures are taken at the mortuary, and to protect staff against new cases, he said. He noted that the hospital has procured some essential materials needed to keep the staff safe. There is no cause for alarm, he assured. THE UNTH management said it has medication for all those who have been exposed directly or remotely. You are advised to be very careful these days and to have a high index of suspicion, while observing universal safety precautions. The CMD urged the staff to privately call his attention or that of the Chairman, Medical Advisory Council (CMAC) if they notice any lapses, so they can be addressed. May God be with us all as we try to discharge our duties creditably, he concluded. This is the second Lassa Fever death in the state. The first was at the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Park Lane, last week. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how Anambra became the 20th state with at least one confirmed infected patient. According to the NCDC, between January 1 and 26, a total of 689 suspected cases with 258 confirmed cases were reported, with 41 deaths. These cases were reported from 19 states including Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Enugu, Kano, Borno, Nasarawa, Kogi, Rivers, Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Kaduna, Delta, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi, Osun and Ogun. Five health workers were among the dead: Kano (3), Taraba (1) and Borno (1). Scourge Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus. The natural carrier of the virus is the multimammate rat, but the disease is also spread through human to human transmission. Lassa fever is transmitted from the excreta or urine of the multimammate rat. Anyone who is suspected of being in contact with a Lassa patient needs to be presented to the health facilities within a period of 21 days. Lassa fever, at early stages, present symptoms similar to febrile illness such as malaria. Symptoms of the disease generally include fever, headache, sore throat, general body weakness, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, chest pain, and in severe cases, unexplainable bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, mouth, vagina, anus and other body orifices. It could also present persistent bleeding from sites of intravenous cannulation. Early diagnosis and treatment increases a patients chances of survival. Advertisements LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sandhills Global will host a one-day auctioneer seminar in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on February 5th covering a range of proven best practices for auction management and growing an auction business. Sandhills is the tech company behind Auction Flex, AuctionTime.com, HiBid.com, and many other brands, all of which serve to help connect buyers and sellers across multiple industries. The forum will give attendees the opportunity to network with fellow auctioneers and learn about the latest capabilities of continually evolving auction technologies. The forum will begin at 9 a.m. with a morning session dedicated to discussing the features and use of Auction Flex software. This session will cover cataloging, clerking, accounting, and ways to get the best results for your consignors and your auction company. After a break for lunch, starting at 1 p.m. attendees will learn about AuctionTime.com, the weekly online-only auction platform designed especially for construction equipment, farm machinery, trucks, and trailers; and HiBid.com, an internet bidding solution that is integrated with Auction Flex and supports webcast, internet-only, and absentee bidding. The one-day forum will wrap up with a meet-and-greet reception from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees will also receive hours that can be applied towards continuing education hours for the National Auctioneers Association. Interested in attending the upcoming auctioneer forum? Call 352-414-1947, email [email protected], or contact your AuctionTime.com sales representative to register. About AuctionTime.com Powered by Machinery Trader, CraneTrader, Truck Paper, TractorHouse, and MarketBook. AuctionTime.com is a product of Sandhills Globalan information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. AuctionTime equipment listings appear both online and in print across Sandhills' trade publications and corresponding websites to reach buyers around the world in the trucking, agriculture, construction, and heavy equipment industries. About Auction Flex & HiBid Auction Flex is the market-leader in auction software for live auctions, with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Auction Flex also provides a seamless solution that enables auction houses to upload auction catalogs online and accept internet absentee bids, conduct internet-only auctions, or offer webcast live internet bidding through its integrated web service and internet bidding solutionHiBid (both a private-label solution and a portal). Auction Flex and HiBid were built from the ground up to function together seamlessly. Contact Auction Flex 352-414-1947 [email protected] SOURCE AuctionTime.com Related Links https://www.auctionflex.com Patriarchs and Heads of Jerusalem Churches demand a just and comprehensive peace that embraces the whole Middle East based on international law and UN resolutions, accepted by all relevant parties, including the Palestinians marginalised by the Trump plan. Jerusalem (AsiaNews) The Patriarchs and Heads of Jerusalem Churches believe that a just and comprehensive peace in the Holy Land requires more than the peace plan, the so-called deal of the century, made public on Tuesday at the White House at a ceremony with US President Donald Trump and Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The proposal has been rejected by Palestinian leaders and strongly criticised by the Ordinaries of the Holy Land, for whom it will cause "more blood and tensions". The Patriarchs and Heads of Jerusalem Churches insist on the importance of an agreement that embraces the whole Middle East based on international law and UN resolutions, one that acknowledges the "legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinian and is accepted by all relevant parties. Here is the message of the leaders of the Churches of the Holy Land sent to AsiaNews: After a thorough consideration of the United States of Americas Middle East peace plan, also known as, the "Deal of the Century", and after reviewing the reactions of all concerned parties on the matter, we, Patriarchs and Heads of the Holy Land churches, affirm our strong devotion to achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the international legitimacy and the relevant UN resolutions and in a manner that guarantees security, peace, freedom and dignity to all of the peoples of the region. The American peace plan that was announced yesterday in the White House, in the presence of the Israelis and the absence of the Palestinians, invites us to request from the U.S. administration as well as the international community to build on the vision of two states and develop it in line with international legitimacy in addition to opening a political communication channel with the Palestine Liberation Organization, the internationally recognized sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, to ensure that its legitimate national aspirations are also satisfied within the framework of a comprehensive and durable peace plan to be accepted by all relevant parties. And on Jerusalem we refer again to our statement addressed to President Donald Trump on Dec 6, 2017 and recall our vision for the Holy City to be open and shared by the two peoples, Palestinians and Israelis, and for the three monotheistic religions and our confirmation to uphold the Hashemite custodianship over the Holy sites. The resurrection of our Lord from Jerusalem reminds us all of the sacrifices to ensure justice and peace in the Holy Land. We also call upon all Palestinian political parties, factions, and leaders to meet to discuss all disputes, end the state of internal conflict, terminate division, and adopt a unified stand towards concluding the state building based on plurality and democratic values. Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem (January 30, 2020). Patriarch Theophilos III, Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Patriarch Nourhan Manougian, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Patriarchate Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Apostolic Administrator, Latin Patriarchate Fr. Francesco Patton, OFM, Custos of the Holy Land Archbishop Anba Antonious, Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Jerusalem Archbishop Gabriel Daho, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate Archbishop Aba Embakob, Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate Archbishop Yaser Ayyash, Greek-Melkite-Catholic Patriarchate Archbishop Mosa El-Hage, Maronite Patriarchal Exarchate Archbishop Suheil Dawani, Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East Bishop Ibrahim Sani Azar, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land Bishop Pierre Malki, Syrian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate Most Rev. Krikor-Okosdinos Coussa, Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate A freshly paved road splits the town of Ouallam into two worlds. On the eastern side of the street, tattered, makeshift shelters are scattered alongside temporary latrines, tents serving as provisional schools and food distribution centres. On the western side, sturdy brick houses with windows are going up on large, organized plots of land. Built with environmentally friendly interlocking bricks, the houses are meant to last 25 to 30 years in this harsh, desert climate. Soon, a primary school will be constructed, not far from the liquid petroleum gas station that is already open. Today, Malian refugee Mariam crossed this road. After five years in a temporary shelter in remote Mangaize refugee camp, the single mother of four will be one of the first to move into a house in this new community. Mariam is cutting a path that thousands of others will travel on, as 1,000 houses go up over the next 18 months, made for refugees and vulnerable Nigeriens both. Their community follows a blueprint laid out by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and its partners to build stronger, longer-term solutions for refugees, pending a resolution to the conflict that has forced them to leave their country. This house will change our lives, said Mariam Walate Intanere, 25, while sitting atop the bricks that will soon become her new home. During the rainy season I have to constantly rebuild the shelter and stake it down again and again. It will be safer you cant even compare it. UNHCR and the Nigerien government have made moving refugees from camps into local communities a top priority as years pass and the situation in Mali remains dire. Participating in local life allows refugees to better adapt to their surroundings, but also to enjoy fundamental rights, such as the freedom to move, work, go to school, or visit a doctor. "This house will help our family stay safe and dry during the rainy season." But in places such as Ouallam, which is already home to a vulnerable population, the process must also strengthen local infrastructure and systems. To that end, UNHCR and its partners have begun reinforcing water systems, and investing in schools and health centres. Even the construction work on the 1,000 new homes will benefit the host communitywith half of the 400 jobs going to members of the local community (the other half will go to refugees). There is a strong collaborative spirit here in Ouallam between the local community and the refugees, which lays a strong foundation for this innovative project, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said during a visit with refugees and local Ouallam residents. Grandi was there to meet with the first two families one local family and one refugee family who will move into these new homes. These discussions marked the start of Grandis three-country tour to bring attention to the challenges facing Niger and the wider Sahel region. But the foundation the refugees and their hosts build in the urban area of Ouallam must be able to withstand the crises surrounding it. UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi cuts the ribbon alongside Aminatou Chekaraou, the first member of the host community to receive a brick house in Ouallam. UNHCR/Sylvain Cherkaoui Construction workers representing both the refugee and host communities build the first of 1,000 brick homes in Ouallam village, Tillaberi, south-west Niger. UNHCR/Sylvain Cherkaoui UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi speaks with Kadi Oumar, the widowed head of a household of nine, in her new home. UNHCR/Sylvain Cherkaoui Filippo Grandi hands over the land title to the first refugee to receive a brick house in Ouallam, Kadi Oumar, who has been a refugee since 2012. UNHCR/Sylvain Cherkaoui Niger is currently absorbing the shocks of crises that have erupted across the Sahela fragile region that encompasses swaths of countries south of the Sahara. The 2011 revolution in Libya and a 2012 conflict in Mali during which a coalition of armed groups seized large parts of the country sent tens of thousands of refugees into Niger. The violence spread across borders as terrorists, organized crime syndicates and bandits exploited ethnic tension, poverty and weak governance to further their own aims. Burkina Faso, Mali and Nigeria have been torn apart by ethnic fighting and violence that has forced thousands to escape. Niger is now home to more than 215,000 refugees, mostly from Mali and Nigeria. Today, Niger is grappling with its own crisis increasing violence within its own borders has led to massive internal displacement of citizens as well as the refugees it hosts. In regions bordering Burkina Faso and Mali, more than 80,000 Nigeriens have been forced to flee, a 50 per cent increase over last year. In the past two weeks, 600 arrived in Ouallam alone. Hana Abdou, 63, told UNHCR an armed group threatened her community and forced them to leave the village empty handed. It took her nine days to travel 150 kilometres. For two days, they had no food or water. It was the second time Hana has been forced to run. "We need to keep providing assistance ... but also think about longer-term solutions." Earlier this month, terrorists attacked a Nigerien army base, leaving at least 89 people dead. It was the deadliest attack Niger experienced in recent years. Following the attack, UNHCR received reports of armed groups kidnapping and killing civilians and looting property. In spite of the scale of the challenges it faces, Nigerone of the worlds poorest countries remains one of the most generous toward refugees. The Government of Niger raised the idea of providing housing for 40,000 refugees last December during the first-ever Global Refugee Forum held by UNHCR in Geneva. The government said this would offer refugees an alternative to the isolation of camp life. With much of Niger facing a state of emergency and military operations scaling up, UNHCR and other humanitarian organizations could no longer reach many displaced people, including refugees, depriving already vulnerable people of essential services and emergency assistance. With the threat of violence growing by the day, UNHCR and the Government of Niger had no choice but to accelerate their plan. Ouallam as well as the towns of Ayerou and Abala in the Tillaberi region offered a safe, urban haven and economic opportunity. That is why UNHCR rushed to relocate refugees there. Increasing insecurity and displacement is very worrying, Grandi said. That is why we need to keep providing assistance to people with immediate needs, but also think about longer-term solutions to ensure refugees and anyone forced from home can quickly live more independently. Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday ordered an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged misappropriation and siphoning of more than 1000 crore in the state governments State Resource Centre (SRC) and the Physical Referral Rehabilitation Centre (PRRC) for nearly 10 years. The high courts order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Kundan Singh Thakur in 2018. Thakur was employed at a government self-help centre on a contractual basis when he found that he was also shown to be employed at PRRC under the social welfare department. The court in its order, which is with HT, said CBI shall register a first information report (FIR) within a week and the agency shall also seize the relevant original records from the concerned department, organisation and offices throughout the state within 15 days from the date of registration of FIR. In the order, 31 people were made respondents including two former chief secretaries of the state. The court has also ordered that the central probe agency shall make all possible attempts to complete fair and independent investigation in the case. Singh said in his PIL that a society named the State Resource Centre (SRC) was formed which managed a bank account at State Bank of India, New Raipur, and three accounts at SBI, Moti Bagh in Raipur for PRRC. The petitioner and like persons at different PRRC throughout the state are shown as the government employees and whopping amount towards their salary withdrawn for purported payment of salary, the PIL stated. But neither the petitioner nor any other like persons throughout the state were ever paid a salary for working with PRRC. The entire set up of the SRC and PRRC is running only on papers, it said. The petitioner said there was no recruitment process through advertisement or otherwise nor any hospital for disabled was established nor any employees were ever appointed, but they were shown to be employed and working with the SRC/PRRC only for showing that they were paid salaries. Despite the bank accounts of the employees throughout the state having been linked through their respective Aadhaar cards such fake employees are shown to be paid in cash, only on papers in a planned and organised manner just to siphon hundreds of crores of rupees, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A 35-year-old man who admitted driving two women from Dublin airport to Belfast so they could work as prostitutes was handed a suspended sentence yesterday. Belfast Crown Court heard there was no coercion and the women in question were "willing participants in the sex trade". Marian Ovidiu Ilie, a father-of-two who is originally from Romania, admitted three charges of human trafficking between November 2017 and February 2018 and also admitted acquiring criminal property amounting to 18,444. The pizza delivery driver was handed a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, by Judge David McFarland. The judge heard Ilie was arrested at his home on Belfast's Donegall Road on June 20, 2018 following a joint operation with Scottish police. When officers carried out a search of Ilie's home they found a laptop which he was using to advertise the services of females for prostitution. A Crown barrister said that during police interviews, Ilie admitted picking two women up from Dublin airport and bringing them to Belfast. He also admitted he knew they would be working as prostitutes. He picked the same woman up on two separate occasions - on November 25, 2017 and again on February 10, 2018, while he picked another woman up on December 28, 2017. The Crown prosecutor said the human trafficking element was "the movement from Dublin to Belfast and his knowledge of what the purpose of that movement was". In addition, Ilie admitted acquiring criminal property between May 2014 and September 2018 when he was paid small amounts of money by a third party for his assistance in transporting the women and setting up their services. The prosecutor told Judge McFarland there was "no suggestion of any coercion or fear being used", with the judge noting it appeared the women were "willing participants in the sex trade." Defence barrister Martin O'Rourke pointed out that prostitution is not illegal in Ilie's native Romania and said his client "has difficulty reconciling what he admitted to was criminality." Mr O'Rourke said Ilie was aware the woman he picked up were going to engage in prostitution but "as far as he was concerned, the women were doing this voluntarily and they were not being exploited in the normal use of that phrase or being coerced or forced to travel". The defence barrister said Ilie has since expressed remorse and regret for his involvement, but that his involvement amounted to essentially being a taxi driver. After listening to submissions, Judge McFarland noted that following his arrest Ilie made a full confession to police about his involvement. The judge handed Ilie a suspended sentence and warned him to stay out of trouble for the next two years or face jail. Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell KABUL, Afghanistan Afghanistan will need vast amounts of foreign funding to keep its government afloat through 2024, a U.S. agency said Friday, even as foreign donors are increasingly angry over the cost of debilitating corruption and the U.S. seeks a peace deal with Taliban to withdraw its troops from the country. International money pays for roughly 75% of all of Afghanistans costs while government revenue covers barely a quarter of Afghan public expenditures. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, which issues reports quarterly to U.S. Congress, monitors all U.S. spending in the 18-year war in Afghanistan, Americas longest war. The agencys latest report was sharply critical of the Afghan governments efforts to curb corruption, saying it is one of the biggest concerns among frustrated donors. President Ashraf Ghanis administration is more interested in checking off boxes for the international community than in actually uprooting its corruption problem, the report said, referring to the Afghan governments failing anti-graft drive. Ghanis future is uncertain as final results of last years presidential election have yet to be announced, though the preliminary results gave Ghani the win. His main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, who serves as the countrys chief executive in a fragile national unity government with Ghani, has claimed fraud. Afghanistan ranked last in the Asia-Pacific region for corruption, a global watchdog said earlier in January. According to Transparency International, Afghanistans global ranking last year at 173 of 180 countries it surveyed was the worst since the group began ranking the country in 2005. Even as the international community is paying billions of dollars annually, the poverty rate in Afghanistan is climbing. In 2012, 37% of Afghans were listed below the poverty rate, surviving on less than $1 a day. Today that figure has risen to 55% of Afghans. According to the SIGAR report for the last quarter of 2019, international donors, led by Washington, provide the Afghan government with $8.5 billion annually to cover everything from security to education and health care, as well as economic reconstruction. The United States is paying $4.2 billion yearly just for Afghanistans security and defense forces. SIGAR added that the overall value of opiates available for export in Afghanistan in 2018 estimated to be between $1.1 billion and $2.1 billion far outstripped the total value of all the countrys legal exports at $875 million. The reports findings come ahead of a U.N.-hosted international donors conference this year that could be critical for Afghanistans future. In 2016, world donors meeting in Brussels pledged $15 billion for Afghanistan. The U.S. agency said the problem of corruption should be the central issue in the 2020 donor conference. It recommended that international donors use its Afghan anti-corruption audits as a guide to directing funding more effectively, as well as monitoring actual results and exerting constructive influence on the Afghan government. Working together, the international community and its Afghan partners can stem the rot of corruption in Afghanistan. But it will take a greater commitment than we have seen so far to make transformative change, the report said. The U.S. agencys report also documented an uptick in violence in Afghanistans war, as well as a drop in the number of missions completed independently by internationally-funded Afghan forces. Casualties for Afghan troops increased slightly from May through October 2019, compared to the same period the previous year, it said. There were also more attacks against Afghan security forces by militants than in any other three month period since the agency began keeping statistics in 2010. The Taliban today control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks. They usually target Afghan and U.S. forces, as well as government officials and those seen as linked to the government, but scores of civilians die in the crossfire. The report added that Afghan special forces conducted fewer ground operations than in any other quarter last year. Only 31% of those missions were completed independently, without U.S. or coalition support. Less than half of all Afghan security operations last year were completed independently, compared to 55% in 2018. The Taliban and the U.S. are currently holding peace talks in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. The negotiations have become bogged down over agreeing on how to end or substantially reduce hostilities. A reduction in violence would allow the U.S. and Taliban to sign a final agreement, which in turn would open the way for America to bring its troops home, and for starting broader Afghan negotiations over the countrys post-war future. Roughly $132.49 billion has been appropriated for Afghanistan relief and reconstruction since 2002, SIGAR says. ___ Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Friday attacked the Central government demanding action against Jamia shooter and the masked people who barged into Jawaharlal Nehru University campus and thrashed students. "An action should be taken against that Jamia shooter as well as those masked people (at JNU). They were people of the ruling party. There is no action against them, this is all happening with the approval of the government," he said. Azad was responding to a question on the Jamia incident wherein a man opened fire in Jamia area leaving a student of Jamia Millia University injured on Thursday, and JNU incident of January 5th wherein a masked mob attacked teachers and students of the university with sticks and rods. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) American superstar Wesley Snipes says he will be visiting Ghana very soon. The visit will be part of governments 2020 Beyond The Return initiative to further attract Diasporans not to only visit but also invest in the country. In a short video available to News-One, the actor who is otherwise known as Daywalker for his role in the award-winning film Blade, announced his visit saying, I am on my way to Accra. You know that my teacher Dr. John Hendrik Clarke, the great grandmaster sat many a days under many conditions the great grandmaster Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana and they told me as a grandson of them always keep Mother Africa in the heart, a united Africa. So to honouring my elders I am on my way to Accra. The Daywalker is coming to Accra, he said. He was captured in the video together with Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). Wesley was among a number of personalities who met with President Akufo-Addo in Davos, Switzerland, where the President is participating in the 50th anniversary celebration of the World Economic Forum Annual Meetings. A photo Gabby shared on Facebook Thursday captured the President with American billionaire businessman Robert Smith, Wesley Snipes, Ozwald Boateng, Kojo Annan and a host of other influential figures in Davos. According to Gabby, they shared ideas on how to leverage part of the multi-trillion dollar wealth of the African Diaspora to move Ghana (and Africa). Wesley Snipes was also among key listeners at a Ghana dinner held in Davos as Ken Ofori-Atta spoke on why invest in Ghana. He would be joining the likes of Naomi Campbell, Michael Jai White, Tina Knowles Lawson, Samuel L Jackson, Steve Harvey and a host of others who visited Ghana as part of the Year of Return 2019 programme which has now been upgraded to Beyond The Return 2020. Source: News One 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 FILE - In this March 7, 2017 file photo, rowers paddle down the Charles River past the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. An annual survey finds that most U.S. universities made money on their financial investments last year, but their returns were tempered by a global economic slowdown fueled by Americas trade war with China. Harvard University remained the wealthiest school in the U.S., with an endowment valued at nearly $40 billion. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) Unions representing Toronto-area public transit workers say they will support members who want to wear face masks to protect against the coronavirus, despite opposition from management who say masks arent necessary and could inadvertently spread fear among riders. Public health officials are not advising people to wear masks and have said its more important to wash your hands often to avoid contracting the new virus, 2019-nCoV, which originated in China in December and was declared a global health emergency on Thursday afternoon by the World Health Organization. Torontos medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, said in a statement that despite the WHO declaration, the situation in Toronto has not changed and the risk to our community remains low. In a message sent to its members Wednesday, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 113, which represents more than 11,000 TTC workers, said there are differing medical opinions about the effectiveness of face masks and the union is not able to advise members whether to wear them. But the message, which was signed by Local 113 president Carlos Santos, assured members that if you feel it is in your health interest to wear a mask on the job, the union will support you. We fully support our members right to protect themselves, their families, and their customers, the message said. Manny Sforza, trustee of ATU Local 1587, which represents roughly 2,300 bus operators, maintenance employees, station attendants and support workers at GO Transit, said hes had very good dialogue with Metrolinx, the provincial agency that oversees GO. But he said hes disagreed with Metrolinxs stance that masks are ineffective. Sforza said hes received calls from members concerned about the virus, and the locals message for now is that the risk of contracting the disease is low and that GO workers should remain calm. But if the risk level escalates, Sforza said it would be reasonable that our members should be allowed to wear masks, and the union would expect that the employer doesnt put up any barriers. TTC spokesperson Stuart Green said earlier this week some subway cleaners showed up to work wearing masks, but after speaking with occupational hygienists they continued their duties as assigned without masks. We continue to follow the lead of Toronto Public Health, Ontarios medical officer of health and Health Canada, who have advised that for general, day-to-day activities, there is no need to wear a mask. We have communicated with union officials already and pointed them to reputable sources of information, Green said. The TTC is providing regular updates to employees, and has modified its cleaning protocols to include wipe downs of hand rails, straps and other touch points, such as public washrooms, according to Green. Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said the agency has told employees they dont need to wear masks, a direction based on public health officials advice and the need to avoid sparking unnecessary concern among passengers. If a lot of people are wearing masks it does give the impression that the risk is higher than it actually is, she said. Some Metrolinx workers have worn masks on the job in recent days. Aikins said those who do can expect to be spoken to by supervisors. Metrolinxs UP Express ferries thousands of passengers a day between the airport and Union Station downtown. Aikins said the Canada Border Services Agency is responsible for screening travellers for the disease at Pearson and Metrolinx is taking its own measures. Metrolinx has told employees to follow public health directives, including washing hands regularly, getting the flu shot, and staying home if they become ill. We are closely monitoring the situation with the coronavirus and following the guidance from Public Health Ontario as well as our national and local public health agencies, Aikins said. Share your thoughts: Bombardier, which operates GO trains under contract to Metrolinx, didnt return a request for comment by deadline Thursday. Neither did the union representing Bombardier GO workers. In a letter to members, Ontario Public Service Employees Union president Warren Thomas said he is creating an expert working group of OPSEU health care professionals and other sectoral leaders to monitor reports and offer advice. The letter is silent on the subject of face masks, while offering the same health advice being offered by public health officials. For now, you can protect yourself and those around you in some very simple ways: wash your hands often and cover your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing, reads the letter. York University says its monitoring circumstances closely and remains in contact with health agencies to stay up to date on it. We have proactively communicated with our community with information on public health precautions, resources and supports, said Yanni Dagonas, acting chief spokesperson, for York. The university has activated a pan-university response team as part of the universitys protocol to plan and prepare for any potential emerging risks. In a letter to parents and staff sent late Thursday afternoon, the Toronto District School Board said students and staff may wear medical masks in school, while also pointing out that Toronto Public Health is advising that, for general day-to-day activities, there is no need to wear one. Liz Stuart, president of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association, pointed out that school boards, as employers, set protocols for dealing with health and safety concerns in the workplace and communicate those to employees. As a result of the 2003 SARS outbreak and the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza pandemic, most schools boards already have protocols and procedures in place to deal with this potentially infectious or communicable diseases in schools. Members are to check for communication from their employer about this situation so that they are aware of any possible actions their school board may be considering, or may be taking, with regard to this matter as it continues to evolve. A spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Canadas largest union, with 700,000 members, said its hard to be definitive at this time about what action might be taken in any given case because the organization has so many different locals and various collective agreements in effect across the country. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: I dont buy the stuff about the United States democracy dying. Its death has been predicted regularly for two centuries. Yes, a lot of Americans vote for people of poor character who then dont act in their interest, but that has been true to varying degrees throughout our history. Yes, a lot of Americans believe the lies they are told and attach their own identity to a president in ways that are both inappropriate and irrational. But thats the nature of people and has been a feature, to one degree or another, of the United States since Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were lying about each other and predicting the death of the republic if the other were elected president. Woman who wants to transition 7-y-o son James Younger into girl loses latest court battle Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Texas mother who intended to transition her 7-year-old son James into a girl named Luna has lost again in court. Dallas judge Mary Brown ruled Wednesday against the request of Anne Georgulas, who asked the court to revert to an October jury ruling that might have yielded her receiving sole conservatorship of her son James Younger, a 7-year-old boy she says is a transgender girl named Luna, and his twin brother, Jude, according to LifeSiteNews. Brown also ruled against another motion from Georgulas' team, that a parenting coordinator in the case, Stacey Dunlop, be dismissed. "The argument to disqualify the parenting coordinator centered mainly around the concern that he becomes a tie breaker rather than a mediator and would then ultimately be making most of the difficult decisions for the twin boys," LifeSiteNews explained. The case garnered international media attention in October after a jury awarded Georgulas sole conservatorship in an 11-1 decision, allowing her to continue "transitioning" James into "Luna." The father, Jeffrey Younger, has maintained that James shows "no signs of wanting to be a girl when given the choice." Amid massive public outcry, Judge Kim Cooks overruled the Oct. 21 jury verdict and ruled that conservatorship would be 50-50, shared between Georgulas and Jeffrey Younger, who has been resisting the transitioning of his son. The matter was back in court this week because Georgulas' attorneys were successful at getting a new judge after they argued Cooks had acted improperly when she posted an article about the ruling on her Facebook page following the conclusion of the proceedings. In the post, Cooks asserted that neither Texas Governor Greg Abbott nor any legislature influenced her decision. Cooks was summarily recused from the case. Georgulas' attorney said they would move to appeal Wednesday's ruling, arguing that both Brown's and Cooks' rulings were not authorized or enforceable based on the jury's verdict. Cooks' order also forbade both parties from speaking to the media about the case through a gag order. As a result, Jeffrey Younger's website, Save James, had to be shut down. A Facebook page of the same name that is being operated by friends of Younger noted that the quest to prevent James from being given puberty-blocking drugs and other experimental medical practices to "transition" him is not over. "Your prayers answered! Little James saved for now. Thank you all!" one post read, noting in a subsequent post that the only true winners were the lawyers. "Jeff's defense will cost him approximately $15,000. The plaintiffs side, Koonz Fuller, possibly much more because they filed several motions and amendments. Appeals court will be in the $100,000 range for Jeff," the Facebook page administrators noted. The tagline on Younger's original website was "Save James, Save Thousands of Kids," which was intentional because he and his team did not want to forget the other children and parents who are in similar situations but for whatever reason do not have the ability to resist the transitioning of their children. The Younger case has prompted several state legislators to call for the banning of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and transgender surgeries on minors. The South Dakota House passed a ban on such practices Wednesday, in a 46-23 vote, the first legislative body in the nation to do so. Five people were arrested after allegedly robbing a bank Thursday morning inside a west Houston Walmart. The group allegedly knocked off the Woodforest National Bank, which is located inside the Walmart in the 9400 block of West Sam Houston Parkway South in Alief. The robbers made off with an undisclosed amount of cash after the robbery, but it was all recovered when officers with the FBI Houston's Violent Crime Task Force arrested them shortly after the heist. Two of the five are also suspected in a similar Woodforest National Bank robbery Jan. 13 in Tomball. Authorities did not release the identities of the suspected robbers. Jay R. Jordan covers breaking news in the Houston area. Read him on our breaking news site, Chron.com, and our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com | Follow him on Twitter at @JayRJordan | Email him at jay.jordan@chron.com The one real miss in the polls recent history was simple to explain: Evangelical voters, who broke heavily for Cruz, turned out at a higher rate than expected, and nervousness about Trump helped move soft conservative supporters of Carson over to Cruz. The poll could never have captured another last-minute development: A CNN report on caucus night, about Carson heading to Florida for a short break, turned into a rumor that Carson would quit the race. Cruzs better-organized forces capitalized on that to turn Carson voters in caucus rooms, a move that helped him win but that permanently alienated Carson. The solution to flight-shaming may hinge on a modern version of a synthetic jet fuel that was honed by Adolf Hitler's Luftwaffe. German scientists and business leaders are working to create what they hope will be the first viable market for a carbon-neutral version of the kerosene that already powers most modern aircraft. The science is still based on chemical reactions pioneered in Germany in 1925, but instead of converting coal and other fossil fuels like the oil-starved Nazis did during World War II, green kerosene is derived from water and pulls carbon dioxide out of the air during creation. The process, which requires huge amounts of electricity generated from renewable resources to ensure carbon neutrality, fractures water into oxygen and hydrogen, which is then combined with carbon. The project is being overseen by Bremen University, in a consummately German public-private research strategy that previously created the MP3. The German system, which the US is trying to emulate, aims to produce the green fuels required for sectors of the economy such as aviation and heating that rely heavily on petroleum imports. Residents on the Wirral were left furious at the 83 Britons being evacuated from China amid the coronavirus pandemic being housed in a unit on their peninsula. The evacuees will be taken 180 miles by bus to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside for a 14-day quarantine period after landing at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today. Some people living on the Wirral took to social media to express their concerns at the move, calling it a 'bizarre' move and an 'absolute joke'. It comes after doctors and nurses were given two days' notice to move from the accommodation block to make way for the quarantined Britons. The staff were seen packing bedding, clothes and pots and pans in cars and vans. Staff at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside today ahead of the British nationals' arrival A block of apartments pictured today at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside, where it is believed British citizens flown out of Wuhan will be quarantined Workmen take down fences and replace them with block and mesh-style covering outside Arrowe Park Hospital today The view inside one of the rooms that will be used to quarantine one of the British evacuees at Arrowe Park Hospital Workers install privacy screens at the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital today Hospital workers said today they were 'scared' over the Britons from China being quarantined at the hospital. One nurse told MailOnline: 'This was just dumped on us. 'We haven't been fitted for masks - I'm not even sure how many we have. Everyone's a bit scared especially as there's now been cases in Britain. 'They are asking us to put ourselves in harm's way. The hospital couldn't cope if there was an outbreak. We are creaking as it is.' David, 54, a plumber who was helping prepare the building and works for North West Engineering, said: 'We have been sent up here to prepare some rooms. 'We are preparing so to make sure that the rooms have hot and cold water. We are doing the plumbing. I didn't know I had to be here until today. It's all a bit lastminute.com.' One doctor told Mailonline: 'Most people are angry that they're being brought here. Why do we have to deal with it out of all the hospitals in the country? 'We have a big maternity unit and care for a lot of sick children. We struggle at the best of times. One hospital porter has told me he's going to refuse to take things over to the blocks.' Residents move out of a block of apartments at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral today Workmen move fences at the apartment block at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral today A worker carries boxes outside the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital today A site map of Arrowe Park Hospital shows the accommodation (top left, grey) for the evacuees Tom Holmes, 56, who was visiting his sick sister, said: 'I was a bit nervous coming here. My sister just wants to get out of here before all the coronavirus people get here. I wouldn't want her still here if any of them get sick.' Mother-of-two Melissa Bridge, 23, said: 'I live nearby the hospital. I'm really worried the virus could be brought here. I'm scared for my children. 'Why have they brought them here? It's not exactly in an isolated spot. They just want to dump them on Merseyside.' Irene Morley, 72, retired, visiting the hospital for a checkup, said: 'I don't think they should have it in Arrowe Park because of the maternity unit in the hospital. 'They should have gone to another hospital like the Victoria Central Health Centre in Wallasey. They've got a hospital there which is a lot more remote, people don't go down there. 'It's completely wrong they've been brought here. There's a sliding door in the physiotherapy ward which opens onto the block. There's people going in and out without washing their hands and staff smoking outside. 'It's appalling. They could've put them somewhere else. Other countries are putting the quarantined people miles away. We only found out yesterday. They kept it all undercover so people don't kick off. A fire truck and an ambulance are seen outside Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside today A removal van outside flats today at Arrowe Park Hospital, where the British passengers - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - will be housed Fire officers and NHS staff walk outside the housing block at Arrowe Park Hospital today A worker constructs a new fence outside the block at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral today 'You can't people inside for two weeks. Where are they going to go when they go outside? I think it's wrong. They are keeping us in the dark. They are putting us at risk.' Jane Godman, from the Wirral, wrote on Twitter, 'Decision to have a coronavirus quarantine centre at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral is bizarre. 'One of the busiest hospitals in the North West, with a maternity unit, in a built up area, 170 miles from where the Wuhan plane lands. Who decided this and why?' Phillip Cunnington, from nearby Newton-le-Willows in Lancashire, tweeted his reaction to a Sky News tweet saying the evacuees were being taken to the Wirral. He said: 'Oh great, Wirral's in the news, you don't often see that, so often overshadowed by Liverpool, it'd be great to see it get some positive pub... Oh.' Amanda Jelley, from West Kirby on the Wirral, added: 'Why are the 150 people being isolated at Arrowe Park Hospital, 187 miles from Brize Norton. People leave the accommodation blocks at Arrowe Park Hospital ahead of the arrival today Staff at Arrowe Park Hospital are pictured outside a main building on the Wirral this morning The accommodation block that will be used to house repatriated British nationals today Nurses enter a block of apartments at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral today 'Arrowe Park Hospital is on a small peninsular so is that the choice to try and contain the virus? Being from the Wirral I am furious at this decision.' The British passengers - who have mainly been in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province - will be housed in an NHS staff accommodation block. They will have access to the internet but had to sign a contract agreeing to isolation before they could board the flight, and underwent temperature checks. Helena Pisani, 54, who was visiting a friend's sick son, saw the exodus of doctors and nurses at 8pm and again at 11pm last night at the Merseyside hospital. She told MailOnline: 'I went outside for a cigarette and there were so many vans and cars coming and going. Staff were carrying bedding and all sorts out. 'One man who was helping his brother said: 'They were told two days ago they had to get out'. I don't know how this hospital will cope if they have an outbreak. Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral, Merseyside, where British citizens will arrive later today A man works during the preparations ahead of the arrival of passengers on the Wirral today Removal vans outside the block of apartments at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral last night 'People think the people have been stuck here as it's a peninsula and they could control an outbreak better. Many people are angry that they're being brought here. Perhaps it's because we voted Labour.' Barbara Mercer, 68, said: 'We have had much worse. We have had mad cow disease, bird flu and we're still here. We're not bothered. If you get it you get it. I've never got bird flu or Ebola so I'm not worried about getting these.' Sylvia Helliwell, 84, from the Wirral, added: 'I think it's probably a good place to be put because it's on the edge of the country. They've got to go somewhere. 'I didn't realise that there was anything going on until here I arrived here. I'm having cancer treatment but I'm not concerned.' The road outside the accommodation blocks that will house the coronavirus victims once they have returned was clogged with removal vans this morning. One van was unloading boxes of Hitachi products onto the street, while one worker said he was moving duvets out of the block to a site in St Helens. Fridges, TVs, and washing machines are moved into the hospital accommodation last night Ambulances lined up outside Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral in Merseyside last night A man leaving with a camping rucksack and two holdalls said he had been living in the blocks while working at the hospital until yesterday when he was told to leave. He said: 'I'm evacuating the block. I got told to move yesterday. I've been told not to speak.' Dennis Nelson, 76, who was just leaving the walk-in centre with his son said he wasn't worried about the quarantined people staying at the hospital. 'They have got great facilities here and in Liverpool which is only a 30 minute drive. There's the centre for tropical medicine if anything goes wrong.' Barbara Patterson, 72, who is retired and was visiting the hospital for chemotherapy, said: 'I've been thinking how awful it must be to be cooped up in here.' Terry Haynes, 34, a chef who was visiting his grandmother, added: 'As long as they don't come in the hospital it's OK. They go to the Royal in Liverpool if they're ill. I'm a bit worried. 'It's strange why they're coming here. I guess it's because it's a peninsula. They can close the Wirral off. They can close the tunnel and the bridge if everyone gets infected.' And Flo Garbett, 86, added: 'Well they've got to go somewhere but I don't know why here. They will get the right treatment I guess. At least they're near the Tropical Medicine School. It's one of the best in the country.' A 21-year-old student from Keele University, who was at Arrowe Park for an appointment with a consultant, said: 'I'm not really concerned about it. 'It's just what the hospital does which is the issue. It's how it tries to control infections like the Norovirus. 'Every time it has a Norovirus outbreak, it does not seem to contain it very well. It should be fine though because the blocks are quite separate.' Maureen Fenton, 49, a housewife who was visited her daughter in labour, said: 'I wasn't worried but it seems to be spreading which is concerning.' And David Murray, 52, who is unemployed, said: 'I heard about it on the news. I was worried about getting it. I was just thinking - will I get it?' Asked whether she was informed of the decision, Labour MP for Wirral South Alison McGovern tweeted: 'No. No one has informed me. Awaiting a call. 'Will be asking Department for Health to make sure that those being brought to Wirral be made as comfortable as possible. How the WHO has declared public health emergency over virus The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a public health emergency of international concern in response to the coronavirus outbreak which originated in China. The disease has killed 170 people and infected around 8,000 worldwide, with cases detected in countries including the US, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. Russia has closed its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against the outbreak. It is just the fifth time the WHO has issued such a declaration. Advertisement 'Know my constituents will feel for them and will back our brilliant NHS staff to do everything necessary to help.' Another person asked: 'What did The Wirral do to deserve this?' A further tweet said: 'This is very worrying and will cause panic in the Liverpool area.' A Wirral Council spokesman said: 'A flight has been arranged to bring British nationals back to the UK and will land back in the UK later today. 'Those on board will be housed, temporarily, in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital. This is a separate building and is not a hospital ward. 'All services in the hospital are running as usual including emergency services, outpatients and planned surgery. Staff working in the hospital will not be in contact with these UK citizens. As the local council, we are supporting the Department of Health and NHS in any way we can. 'We understand this is a stressful time for the people on the flight, but also their families. After a very long journey, we welcome them to our borough and trust they will be comfortable during their time here.' RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire this morning ahead of the arrival of the British evacuees Chinese health official said the death toll in the country from the virus had risen to 213, up from 170 a day earlier, with the number of known cases now at 9,692. No deaths have occurred outside China, although 82 cases have been confirmed across 18 countries. Janelle Holmes, chief executive of Wirral University Hospital, sent a message to staff last night, saying: 'Around 100 British citizens will be travelling to the UK from China tomorrow. 'We will be welcoming and housing them in the accommodation block at Arrowe Park Hospital. Before arrival they will be screened for symptoms. If anyone becomes unwell after arrival they will be treated following appropriate protocols.' Cambodia Cambodia China Outbreak Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen gestures during a speech on the current state of a new virus from China in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Cambodia's leader has urged citizens to remain calm about the new virus from China, which has been confirmed in a single case of a visitor from Wuhan. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) Cambodia's leader urged people Thursday to remain calm about the new virus from China while threatening to kick out reporters or officials seen wearing a face mask. Prime Minister Hun Sen said in a live televised address that people should not be scared because the real illness they faced was fear, based on inaccurate information on social media. "The prime minister does not wear a mask, so why should you be wearing a mask here," he said. Hun Sen, who very actively posts on Facebook, was critical about misinformation about the virus on the social media site. He said the scarier illness was the irresponsible sharing of stories online that caused people without understanding of the virus to panic. Hun Sen appeared to be referring to unverified social media reports about sicknesses and deaths from the virus in Cambodia. The Southeast Asian country has reported one confirmed case, a Chinese man who traveled from the city hardest-hit by the outbreak. Hun Sen also announced he would not ban direct flights between Cambodia and China, saying that would disturb relations between them and hurt the economy of the country, which hosts many Chinese investors and tourists. People should not discriminate against the Chinese, he said. China's own efforts to curb travel were an effective measure against the disease, Hun Sen said. Several foreign airlines have cut or stopped flights to China on their own initiative. Beijing is the main foreign supporter of Hun Sen's authoritarian government, supplying major amounts of aid and investment. Cambodia in turn supports China's position on issues such as the South China Sea, where Beijing's territorial claims overlap with other governments. Hun Sen turned to a traditional saying to make the point that none of his countrymen have been reported to have caught the illness. Why would we need to be afraid of tiger's dung since we are not scared of the tiger?" he said. "There is no one who died, and not a single Cambodian contracting the virus, it happened only to a Chinese man." The man, who had traveled to Cambodia from Wuhan, was now almost recovered, Hun Sen said. Its official - India has begun to move swiftly to manage the recent nCoV2019 Coronavirus outbreak from China, as a medical student from Wuhan university has been placed under quarantine in Kerala. Meanwhile, Indians in Wuhan breathe a sigh of relief through their facemasks as Air India has sent a special pair of flights to help evacuate Indians from the city. China's National Health Commission, in its daily report, said that out of 7,711 people infected with the virus, 1,370 patients were critical and 12,167 under observation for suspected infection. But around 89,000 people have been in close contact with patients, so far - while the city itself houses some 11 million-odd people. Reuters But what exactly is the Coronavirus, and how does it manifest itself in human patients? Lets take a closer look. Under The Microscope Wikimedia Coronaviradae, as theyre medically called, refers to a family of viruses that affects mammals and birds - previous outbreaks such as SARS and MERS are also members of this group. Corona, which means crown in Latin, was chosen in their nomenclature due to the petal-like projections on their surface - these, when viewed on an electron microscope cause a visual effect that resembles the solar corona - a halo of light that can be seen during solar eclipses. The way a coronavirus attacks a cell is pretty dependent on these projections as well. Depending on the genetic code of the virus, these projections act as a sort of key - being able to break into a target cell. Once inside, they hijack the cell's functional parts, using it to create more coronaviruses - usually killing the cell in the process and infecting the organism it belonged to. Fortunately, our immune system IS pretty vigilant, and as it detects cell death due to the virus, it will begin to mount an immune response - these will show up as pretty common flu-like symptoms such as sneezing, coughs, sore throats, fevers and body aches. The fevers raise your body temperature to make the virus environment more inhospitable, while phlegm and runny noses help flush out dead cells and make the virus less likely to keep infecting you. While your body is usually capable of handling the Coronavirus through a combination of your own immune system and basic medical attention, what if your immune system isnt doing so good? ASAPScience As the graph above shows, the virus has been far more lethal towards the elderly. As we grow older, our immune systems become compromised. The body slows down and loses some of its speed and efficacy at fighting off invaders. In the case of those with weaker immune systems, the body might go into overdrive after detecting the virus too late. In severe cases, this leads to an excess of white blood cells, which in turn results in a variety of chemical responses in the body, which can finally lead to fluid leaking into the lungs - a condition known as pulmonary oedema. Caption: An X-Ray showing a case of pulmonary oedema - notice how the left lung is suffocated. Once the lungs are choked, oxygen levels in blood drop, and this can lead to organ failure. This can also cascade into further infections and complications, and if not resolved, possibly death. While this all might sound scary, doctors and medical professionals assure us that while the elderly are at risk, the death toll of this virus is relatively low, and it can be effectively managed. As the virus currently has no vaccine, its important to keep conscious about personal hygiene, and rely on useful measures such as hand sanitisers and regular checkups to keep ahead of the epidemic. Bill Gates is typically trending in the news when it has something to do with his fortune, philanthropy, or business acumen. But this time, his eldest daughter Jennifer Gates is the focus of attention as its just been announced her longtime boyfriend, Nayel Nassar, proposed to her. 23-year-old Gates shared the news on Instagram and people are wondering about the young man that captured her heart. The pair have a lot in common, but here are some small details about Nassars background. Nayel Nassar and Jennifer Gates | Samuel de Roman/Getty Images Nassar has a wordly background Nassar was born in Chicago, Illinois, but grew up in Kuwait. According to Walikali, his parentswho have an architecture firmhail from Egypt, and they got him his first horse when he was 10. Nassar also has a brother. Over the years, they cultivated his love for riding by having him train in different parts of the world, including Europe. Nassar and his fiancee are both equestrians and belong to the same riding club According to Egypt Today, Nassar has been riding horses since age five and by the time he reached college, he started pursuing the sport professionally. But it was when he was 10 that he developed a taste for jumping and has competed on the horse jumping circuit since 2013. He and Gates are members of the Paris Panthers (Jenn Gates is the president), a riding club that competes in various equestrian sporting events. Nassar rides for Egypt, and has earned first place in numerous cup competitions. His talents also landed Egypt a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, according to CNN. Hes a Stanford University graduate Nassar, 29, graduated from Stanford with an economics degree in 2013, per Global Champions League. He is also multilingual and can speak English, Arabic, and French fluently. Gates is also a Stanford grad, having earned her degree in human biology in 2018. Nassar is driven to succeed as a professional show jumper Nassar told Horse Network that he had a choice to make during his last semester at Stanford. He was already competing as a show jumper but many of his friends had regular jobs lined up after graduation. He was on the fence about whether to pursue the sport professionally or follow a traditional career path, but decided to compete in show right before finishing up school. It was the determining factor for him. He ended up winning and couldnt believe it: That was the okay, were capable of this. The horse is incredible. We need to keep it going and set goals. I thought, if I can win a million-dollar grand prix without doing this full time, then I think I owe it to myself and my horse to give it my undivided attention. That was the beginning of it all. That night, we went out for dinner. Im not much of a celebrator, I guess. I will say it was pretty cool to hold that giant check for $350,000. I still have it. I had to fold it to get it to fit in the luggage so it didnt come out that nicely. Nassar and Gates have been together for several years It is believed the pair started dating in 2016 or early 2017, but they spend much of their time together as equestrians. Gates says she is an amateur in the sport, but like her fiance, has a love for it and a passion for horses. The couple has plans to continue traveling together internationally for the sport, and Gates is currently furthering her studies. For now, home base for the lovebirds is California. Three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested on Friday for their involvement in the December 19 anti-CAA protests in Lucknow which had turned violent, police said. Shakeel ur Rehman, Shabi Khan and Mohammed Arshad were among the conspirators behind the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act violence that had rocked the state capital, a police spokesperson said in a statement issued here. The trio were held from Hasanganj Police Station area of the city. "They were arrested following a tip-off by their associates who were arrested earlier. Shakeel ur Rehman, Shabi Khan and Mohammed Arshad are linked to PFI, and they used to instigate people," the police said. On December 31, last year, the Uttar Pradesh Police had sought a ban on the PFI, days after its complicity was suspected in the recent statewide violent protests against the amended citizenship law. The then Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh had said that they had written to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a ban on the PFI after its Uttar Pradesh head, Wasim and 16 other activists were arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence in the state capital. "We have written to the Union Home Ministry, recommending that the PFI should be banned," Singh had told reporters here. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said that the PFI in a way was the "incarnation" of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) -- an organisation banned by the government in 2001 for allegedly being involved in a series of terror acts in the country. Stressing that PFI's role has been "established" in vandalism in the state, Maurya had told reporters: "The truth is emerging through the probe. If SIMI reappears in any form, it will be crushed." When asked if the PFI will be banned, Maurya said, "The process is on. Such organisations will not be allowed to grow. If needed, they will be banned." Wasim was arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence, police had said. "We have got success in arresting the mastermind of the Lucknow violence. Wasim, Nadeem and Ashfaq of the PFI have been arrested. While Wasim is the state head, Ashfaq is the treasurer and Nadeem is a member of the PFI," the then Lucknow SSP Kalanidhi Naithani had said. Police had seized placards, flags, pamphlets, literature, newspaper cuttings, banners and posters for the anti-NRC or CAA protest from them, the SSP had said. During interrogation, Nadeem and Ashfaq had told police that they made the strategy for the December 19 protests and publicised it on social media, he had said. Nadeem and Ashfaq incited people for the protest through WhatsApp and other platforms by sharing literature and video, Naithani had said. Besides, in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh, 28 people, including 14 members of the PFI, were arrested for allegedly attempting to incite mass gatherings during anti-CAA protests. "As many as 14 PFI members, including Mohammad Shadab, a prominent member of the PFI, have been arrested. Two PFI members are wanted. Another 14 people were also arrested in the district," Shamli SP Vineet Jaiswal had said. On December 19, the situation was tense in Shamli and its Kairana town. The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala as a successor to the National Democratic Front (NDF). Security agencies have alleged that its leaders have been groomed in the SIMI ideology. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had said that the authorities suspect the role of the PFI and SIMI in the violence during the anti-CAA protests in the state. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, opened the question-and-answer portion of the Senate impeachment trial by asking whether President Donald Trump was guilty if he had "mixed motives." In other words, what if he was protecting both American interests by seeking an investigation of alleged foreign corruption and protecting his own interests because the investigation and its announcement would smear rival Joe Biden? The president's lawyers responded that the Senate cannot properly convict a president for a "mixed motive" quid pro quo. After all, professor Alan Dershowitz argued, all elected officials take action to help their electoral prospects, and all believe that the nation is best served by their reelection. Presidents may not be removed from office for self-serving actions that also advance the public interest. This absurdist argument is raised as a smokescreen to avoid what makes a trial a trial: hearing testimony from firsthand witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton, who says the president told him he would only allow military aid if Ukraine investigated former Vice President Biden and his son Hunter. The Dershowitz argument is also dangerous: There is a night-and-day difference between a president's advancing his reelection prospects by signing a trade pact with Mexico and Canada, versus pressuring an ally to help tar a rival presidential candidate. Trump had no legitimate motives A presidential quid pro quo that includes a corrupt motive is unlawful, regardless of whether the president believes that the country's well-being depends on it. If Trump told Lev Parnas to get his Russian sponsor to give $350,000 to the Trump reelection campaign so that no Democratic socialist got into the White House, the action violates federal law. No matter that the president believes socialism is bad for America. If the president is immune in that situation because he believes that the outcome is best, we are dangerously close to President Richard Nixon's rule: "If the president does it, it's not illegal." Story continues "L'etat c'est moi," said King Louis XIV. But we live in a republic where the law is king, and no one is above it. Trump's actions in Ukrainegate speak far louder than his defenders' words. Taken together, those actions at least seven of them contradict the claim that he had any legitimate national interest in mind: Trump directed U.S. government officials to "talk to Rudy" Giuliani about the Ukraine "problem." A president having his personal lawyer in the lead of a foreign policy or investigation is inconsistent with public purpose, and consistent with a purely private motive to be kept out of view. The president made no objection to the May certification by the Defense Department, in consultation with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, that Ukraine had met its anti-corruption obligations. If the president believed it his public responsibility to correct Ukraine's failure to investigate a former vice president's purported involvement in Ukrainian corruption, one would have expected him to contest that certification. (The allegations against Biden were well publicized by May.) The administration consistently sought to cut funds aimed at combating corruption in Ukraine. That action was inconsistent with any purported belief of the president that he had duty to the public to have the Bidens investigated. When career professionals in the Office of Management and Budget objected that the hold on military aid was illegal, the administration offered no explanation for the hold, instead transferring control to a political appointee, Michael Duffey, according to Politico. That conduct exemplifies corrupt intent. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office's conclusion that withholding the aid was unlawful reinforces that conclusion. In 2017 and 2018, Trump provided lethal military aid without threat of delaying it. He changed course only after Biden declared his Democratic presidential candidacy last April. It had been widely publicized years earlier that Hunter Biden had joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma. The ex post facto efforts to come up with an explanation for the delay in aid are powerful indications of corrupt intent. Where is the evidence of the president fighting any supposed corruption, at home or abroad, not tied to a political rival? All these indicators of corrupt intent are reinforced by the obvious inference from the presidential blockade of testimony and documents sought by Congress. Stonewalling leaves the obvious inference of intent to conceal guilt. Together, these factors combined with the president's focus on the Bidens in the July 25 call and an Oct. 3 press availability on the White House lawn constitute overwhelming proof of corrupt intent. The message of this impeachment to future presidents is simple: Using the levers of American power to invite foreign intervention in our elections, especially while displacing official channels and career professionals who insist on following legal rules, will subject you to removal. Dennis Aftergut is a former federal prosecutor and current co-chair of the Coalition to Preserve, Protect and Defend, a nonprofit group of 20 volunteer lawyers challenging President Donald Trump's pardon of former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's corrupt intent nullifies 'mixed motives' impeachment defense Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-30 21:46:33|Editor: zyl Video Player Close A damaged passenger van is seen at the accident site in Sargodha district of Pakistan's east Punjab province on Jan. 30, 2020. At least 11 people were killed and six others injured when fire erupted in a passenger van after its collision with a roadside pole in Sargodha district of Pakistan's east Punjab province on Thursday. (Str/Xinhua) ISLAMABAD, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and six others injured when fire erupted in a passenger van after its collision with a roadside pole in Sargodha district of Pakistan's east Punjab province on Thursday. The van, carrying 17 people, was heading towards Rawalpindi city from Faisalabad when it met the accident on motorway, Spokesman of the Motorway Police Saqib Waheed told Xinhua. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash, but apparently, the accident happened due to negligence of the driver, or some mechanical faults in the vehicle, he added. The only sliding gate of the vehicle got jammed when the van collided with the pole and in the meantime a huge fire also erupted in the van due to short circuit, leaving no time for the passengers to save their lives by jumping out, he said. The injured people including two women and a kid were shifted to a nearby hospital. Five of the bodies have been identified and handed over to relatives, he added. Im A World Famous Comedian: Watch Dave Chappelle Hilariously Make Campaign Calls For Andrew Yang Robyn Mowatt Robyn Mowatt is a staff writer at Okayplayer where she Chappelle also spoke about why he believes in Yangs Freedom Dividend. Dave Chappelle recently shared another endorsement of 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang at a show in Columbia, South Carolina. At the end of a standup routine, Wednesday night Chappelle shared that Yang has got some (expletive) fantastic ideas, reports the Post and Courier. This was directly speaking to Yangs proposal that each American should receive $1,000 every month, this is referred to as the Freedom Dividend. Ahead of the show, Chappelle visited Yangs campaign headquarters in South Carolina to meet with supporters and also make a few phone calls to voters. During one phone call with a voter, he said, Im a world-famous comedian. This strategically took place one month out from SCs Democratic presidential primary on February 29. Chapelle had two more shows this week which were intended to benefit Yang, proceeds reportedly are going to his campaign. Ahead of @DaveChappelles show in Columbia tonight to benefit @AndrewYangs campaign, he stops by the South Carolina HQ to speak to Yang supporters. #SC2020 pic.twitter.com/ydfqhVV3L2 Jamie Lovegrove (@jslovegrove) January 29, 2020 At his standup, Chappelle also said: This guy was incredibly inspiring to be around. He had a fighting spirit, and I think were going to make a lot of noise coming up. And I dont know about you, but I already know what Im going to do with my $12,000. The $12,000 hes referring to was a talking point he used previously in Ohio. While campaigning for Yang in Dayton, he shared that a third of the people there are living below the poverty line. According to ProPublica, more than a third of Daytons population does, in fact, live in poverty. Chappelle candidly declared that he believes if a poll was given there, the population would select $12,000 over health insurance. Chappelle later shared that he had previously spent an evening with both Yang and Bernie Sanders campaign But you know, were all on the same team, man. Were all doing the same fight. May the best one win. And I just hope a lot of people are aware of the option that Andrew Yang has presented. So lets get out there and spread the word. By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijan and Ukraine has signed an agreement on cooperation in the area of oil and gas. The document was signed following the Azerbaijan-Ukraine Working Group on cooperation in the energy sector held in Kyiv on January 30. At the meeting, Azerbaijan was represented by Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov, SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev, Deputy Energy Minister Elnur Soltanov, and SOCAR Vice President Elshad Nasirov. Addressing the meeting, Parviz Shahbazov noted that Azerbaijan exported over 1.9 million tons of oil to Ukraine in 2017-2019. Over the past three years, Azerbaijan has delivered over 1.9 million tons of oil to Ukraine. In addition, SOCAR Trading SA supplied oil and oil products from other sources to Ukraine. SOCAR Energy Ukraine's investments in Ukraines economy for the entire period of its activity exceeded $300 million, he stressed. He also said that so far Ukraine has invested $25.4 million in Azerbaijans economy, while Azerbaijans investments in Ukraine economy amount to $1.1 billion. Shahbazov noted that energy-related proposals put forward by Ukraine are being studied. He also noted that consultations are also held on the issue of transportation of Azerbaijani oil products through Ukraine. Im convinced that decisions on the issues put forward at the meeting will be made after the conclusion of the experts. Today, SOCAR is investing sufficient funds in Ukraine. Some 60 filling stations and four oil depots operate under the SOCAR brand in the country. I think that SOCAR will continue to expand its activities in Ukraine, he went on saying. Rovnag Abdullayev emphasized that SOCAR is interested in expanding its activities in Ukraine. I think that as a result of this visit and meetings, cooperation between the two countries in the field of energy will continue to develop, he said. For his part, Ukraines Minister of Energy and Environmental Protection Oleksiy Orzhel noted that relations between Azerbaijan and Ukraine are developing in all areas, including energy, adding that Ukraine is interested in the investment of Azerbaijani companies in this area. He said that Azerbaijan could export oil and gas products to foreign markets, including Belarus, through Ukraine. Orzhel stressed that Ukraine has now begun to work closely with European countries to transport oil and gas products. He noted that Ukraine can help supply Azerbaijani products to these markets. He further said that Ukraine is interested to participate in the Southern Gas Corridor project. Azerbaijan is currently the main supplier of oil to Ukraine. Ukraine imported crude oil worth $309.443 million from Azerbaijan in 2019, which is 76.3 of the countrys total crude oil imports. SOCAR carries out its activity in Ukraine through SOCAR Energy Ukraine since 2009. SOCAR filling station network includes 59 filling stations in 11 regions of the country as well as two oil tankers. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev discussed investing in infrastructure projects, enterprises, as well as gas transmission capacities of Ukraine during their meeting held as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz - Naturally conceiving two sets of triplets in a row does not happen all the time, but a couple has made headlines for experiencing such - The couple, Tyana Stanton and Jarrel Covington, gave birth to their first set of triplets in October 2018 - They would have welcomed another set of triplets in January 2020 if one of the triplets didn't die during pregnancy - the couple, however, gave birth to twins Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A couple in Wisconsin that has a set of triplets beat incredible odds by naturally conceiving another set of triplets and delivering the babies after 15 months of welcoming the first set. The couple identified as Tyana Stanton and Jarrel Covington has a daughter named Kyhlee, who is their first child. The couple lost one child during the second triplet pregnancy and welcomed twins instead of triplets, Daily Mail reports. YEN.com.gh gathers that Tyana is a twin and also has twin brothers. She welcomed her first set of triplets in October 2018. The set of twins were born in January 2020. The kids with their father. Photo credit: Facebook Source: UGC According to the couple, they got on birth control after the first triplets arrived, but Tyana got pregnant six months later. The couple's five kids. Photo credit: WTMJ Source: UGC Tyana recalled when the doctor told her she was going to give birth to triplets yet again: "I kept saying 'no, you're looking at my records from before.'" The couple, Tyana Stanton and Jarrel Covington, gave birth to their first set of triplets in October 2018. Photo credit: WTMJ Source: UGC The mother of six said her husband was happy when she informed him of the news. She said: "I called him from the doctor like crying hysterically like we are about to have our second set of triplets and he was just like 'Yeah, yeah!'" As expected, reactions have trailed the development on social media. Vanessa Skare-Song on Facebook said: "I would die! I have 6th and 7th grade (2) boys and Im over here trying to survive...I still pawn them off to grandma for a few nights off. "I dont know how she can deal with 6 under 2 years old. God help her!!!" Margie Reiha said: "Good luck to you all I hope you are all fit and healthy." Paul Gibbs suggested that it would be financially difficult for the couple to take care of their large family if not for the assistance from the government. He said: "Thank God for government assistance." Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that after welcoming a set of twins on March 13, a single mother in Florida identified as Alexzandria Wolliston welcomed another set of twins on December 27, 2019, the same year as the first. Wolliston, who said she never thought she would have two, added that she believed the boys were a gift, after learning that both of her grandmothers lost twin boys at birth In other stories, YEN.com.gh previously reported that Farouk James, an 8-year-old toddler with Ghanaian roots has been denied admission by several schools owing to his long hair James mother, Bonnie Miller of the UK, has been fighting for the policy to be altered. Miller has been searching for a school for her son and two found so far wont allow him because of his long, natural hair. Ghanaian Traders Share Thoughts on Sales During Christmas | #Yencomgh Enjoyed reading our story? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news! Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh At a forum that resembled PBS more than bare-knuckle politics, Napa County supervisor candidates weighed in on commercial cannabis cultivation, a proposed open space tax and other issues. Incumbent Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza and scientist Amber Manfree are competing for the 4th District seat. Incumbent Supervisor Belia Ramos and American Canyon City Councilmember Mariam Aboudamous are competing for the 5th District seat. These candidates on the March 3 ballot met Wednesday evening at a forum held by Napa Valley Vintners at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Napa. They mostly expressed nuance of thought rather than polar-opposite views. Commercial cannabis Commercial cannabis cultivation proponents want to allow limited cultivation in parts of the county outside of Napa Valley and the Carneros region. The Napa Valley wine industry is worried about protecting the Napa Valley wine brand, a concern all four candidates shared. None of the candidates enthusiastically embraced having cannabis join wine grapes in the rural landscape. They gave their varying ideas on how to handle the cannabis issue. In the 4th District race, Manfree noted that voters legalized cannabis in California. Napa County could be consistent with the state and allow some level of cultivation while protecting the Napa wine brand and the quality of life, she said. She suggested perhaps starting with a pilot program and provisional cultivation permits that must be renewed. Ive certainly been to communities on the North Coast that turned into places I wouldnt necessarily want to live. One day they were really nice places, 30 or 40 years ago. I think thats what we need to be very careful about, considering exactly how this is going to unfold, Manfree said. Pedroza said he will keep an open mind, given the Board of Supervisors is looking at the issue. But, he said, the bar is high. He has yet to see a community allow commercial cannabis cultivation without facing consequences. This is not about chasing revenue for Napa County, Pedroza said. And we have seen, when cannabis goes into communities, it can be disruptive, whether its Santa Barbara or other counties. In the 5th District race, Aboudamous said commercial cannabis cultivation uses a lot of water, has a terrible odor and isnt aesthetically pleasing. But what I like or what I want isnt whats most important as an elected official, she said. Its about what my constituents want and what the stakeholders want. She described how American Canyon officials talked to residents about the cannabis issue. The City Council approved having six permits for indoor cultivation in an industrial area. Its much easier to start small and add stuff later if our residents want, if the constituency wants (to). Its a lot harder to give everybody everything and try to take it away later, she said. Napa County last year had a report done on a cannabis cultivation ballot measure that was later withdrawn. Ramos said the county can use the report to look at the pros and cons of cannabis cultivation. Ill be honest, I think the cons are plentiful, Ramos said. She wants to look at such issues as soil depletion and public safety. She pointed to a picture on the hotel wall of vineyards and contrasted that with a possible view of cannabis hoop houses. Ramos said she looks forward to planned community engagement on the cannabis issue. But she wants to treat access to cannabis through dispensaries and other means and commercial cultivation in rural areas as separate issues. Measure K All four candidates backed Measure K, a March 3 ballot measure for a quarter-cent sales tax that would go toward open space and parks. The county Regional Park and Open Space District would oversee revenues estimated at $9 million annually. In the 5th District race, Ramos said the tax would provide a chance for a bond for money to buy the Skyline Wilderness Park property from California. Napa County leases the 850 acres east of the city of Napa from the state for $100 annually. We are merely tenants at Skyline, Ramos said. While its been great to have it, its not ours. In order to ensure it remains open space forever, we need to make sure we purchase it. Aboubamous talked about her efforts in American Canyon to renovate existing city parks with limited resources. Measure K would help with the effort, she said. Measure K is to provide an estimated $1.8 million annually for parks and recreation needs in the countys five cities. One of my favorite pastimes is to go hiking, Aboudamous said. I love being outside, whether it is at Skyline Park or Westwood Hills or the Marin Headlands. I absolutely love it. Its because you get to be out in nature. In order for us to be able to protect it, we need to have a little bit more control over it. In the 4th District race, Pedroza said he is cautious about overtaxing citizens. Yet he sees Measure K as being worthwhile. After a previous open space district tax measure failed, the proponents, himself and Napa Mayor Jill Techel met. One idea was to get the cities more engaged by recognizing neighborhood parks are just as important as open space, Pedroza said. That way, kids can grow up like we did, not being dependent on an iPad, Pedroza said. They can be outside, being engaged and being productive. Manfree said it would be wonderful if Napa County had more parks such as Skyline close to urban areas so people could easily reach them. Weve got to fund the Open Space District if we want to basically add to the portfolio of open space options for residents, she said. Endorsements Candidates talked about their favorite endorsements. For Pedroza, it was the backing of state Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, who previously represented the 4th District on the county Board of Supervisors. When weve had to work on issues like farm worker housing, Ive had to rely on that relationship to secure money that was so needed for our community, Pedroza said. Aboudamous said she received endorsements from Napa County Farm Bureau and Napa Vision 2050, which are extreme opposites. That shows a willingness to bring people together. I just believe endorsements are mostly about relationship-building, she said. As an elected official, its very important to continue to develop relationships. Ramos mentioned endorsements by Napa Mayor Jill Techel and American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia. The county needs these partnerships as it works on keeping housing in cities to protect agriculture, she said. Manfree said shes proud of her endorsement by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Her family is full of electrical workers who were in unions. She also mentioned endorsements by former county Supervisors Kathryn Winter, Ginny Simms and Sam Chapman. Napa Valley Vintners does not endorse candidates. The organization has about 550 members. You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The huge crocodile has had the motorcycle tyre around its neck for several years. (Photo: AFP/Muhammad) The contest will see one brave croc hunter land an unspecified amount of cash, but it will mean coming face to face with the 4-metre reptile in Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. Local conservation authorities have been trying - and failing - for several years to find a way to untangle the croc after video showed it gasping for air. That sparked worries the tyre was slowly killing the beast. After a recent sighting, the province's governor instructed his resource-strapped conservation agency to figure out how to end years of fruitless attempts. The agency offered few details on the reward, or how outsiders might pull off the task. But its chief - who said the cash would come out of his own pocket - warned that he was not calling on amateurs to hunt down the reptile, but rather addressing people with a background in wildlife rescue and a thirst for conservation. "We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat," said Hasmuni Hasmar, head of the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency. Hundreds of hospitals across the nation, including a number with sterling reputations for cutting-edge care, will be paid less by Medicare after the federal government pronounced that they had higher rates of infections and patient injuries than others. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday identified 786 hospitals that will receive lower payments for a year under the Hospital-Acquired Conditions Reduction Program, a creation of the Affordable Care Act. The penalties are designed to encourage better care without taking the extreme step of tossing a hospital out of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, which would drive most hospitals out of business. Now in their sixth year, the punishments, known as HAC penalties, remain awash in criticism from all sides. Hospitals say they are arbitrary and unfair, and some patient advocates believe they are too small to make a difference. Research has shown that while hospital infections are decreasing overall, it is hard to attribute that trend to the penalties. Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized By Medicare? "There is limited evidence that this is the kind of program that makes things better," said Andrew Ryan, a professor of health care management at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Under the law, Medicare is mandated each year to punish the quarter of general care hospitals that have the highest rates of patient safety issues. The government assesses the rates of infections, blood clots, sepsis cases, bedsores, hip fractures and other complications that occur in hospitals and might have been prevented. Hospitals can be punished even if they have improved from past years. Medicare cuts every payment by 1% for those hospitals over the course of the federal fiscal year, which started in October and runs through the end of September. Since the program's onset, 1,865 of the nation's 5,276 hospitals have been penalized for at least one year, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis. Many hospitals escaped penalties because they were automatically excluded from the program, either because they solely served children, veterans or psychiatric patients, or because they have special status as a "critical access hospital" for lack of nearby alternatives for people needing inpatient care. This year, 145 hospitals received their first penalty, the analysis found. Conversely, 16 that had been penalized every year since the start of the program avoided punishment. Those included Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tampa General Hospital in Florida. Novant Health said in a statement it had lowered infection rates by being more discriminating in using urinary catheters and central lines, standardizing the steps to prevent infections in surgeries, and getting staffers to wash their hands more. This year, Medicare penalized seven of the 21 hospitals on the U.S. News Best Hospitals Honor Roll, an annual ranking often used as a proxy for identifying the most prestigious facilities. Those penalized "honor roll" hospitals were UPMC Shadyside in Pittsburgh; Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles; Keck Hospital of USC; Stanford Health Care's main hospital in Northern California; UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco; NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan; and the Mayo Clinic's hospital in Phoenix. Only UCSF commented to KHN on the penalties, blaming its high HAC rates on its thoroughness in identifying infections and reporting them to the government. "That commitment will naturally make our rates appear to be higher than some other hospitals," UCSF said in a written statement. Three other "honor rollees" have avoided punishment in all six years of the penalties: Massachusetts General Hospital, the Mayo Clinic's flagship hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia. Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has also avoided penalties every year, but Medicare excludes all Maryland hospitals from the program because it pays them through a different arrangement than for the rest of the states. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality last year estimated there were about 2.5 million hospital-acquired conditions in 2017. Rates have been dropping by about 4.5% a year, the agency calculated, with the biggest decreases since 2014 in infections from Clostridioides difficile, known as C. diff.; bad reactions to medications and postoperative blood clots. Maryellen Guinan, a senior policy analyst at America's Essential Hospitals, the association of about 300 safety-net hospitals said, "Our folks even before the HAC program was in existence have been doing a lot to put in infection controls." However, a study Ryan and colleagues published in Health Affairs in November analyzed a clinical surgical data registry used by 73 Michigan hospitals and concluded that hospital complications rates were higher than what the government has estimated. The study agreed rates were dropping but said there was no proof the HAC penalties played a role. Leah Binder, president of The Leapfrog Group, a patient safety organization, said the complex formula Medicare uses to allot penalties is too confusing and the penalty set by Congress is too small to be effective. "Americans expect 100% of hospitals to go to the ends of the Earth to prevent needless patient suffering, and singling out some hospitals for a little 1% ding isn't enough," she said. CMS did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The Association of American Medical Colleges said 45% of its members were penalized this year nearly double the rate of other hospitals. Dr. Atul Grover, the association's executive vice president, said teaching hospitals incurred penalties more often because they often treat some of the sickest people and Medicare's calculations did not sufficiently take into account the especially weakened condition of their patients, which make them more susceptible to infections. "There are still issues with the methodology, surveillance bias, and the inability to fully risk adjust for our institutions that have patients who are sicker" and are more likely to have multiple medical problems, Grover said in an email. San Francisco, Jan 31 : Microsoft has announced a new bug bounty programme for its video gaming service Xbox and would pay up to $20,000 to security researchers for reporting vulnerabilities. The Xbox Bounty Programme invites gamers, security researchers, and others around the world to help identify security vulnerabilities in the Xbox Live network and services and share them with the Xbox team, the tech giant said in a statement on Thursday. Qualified submissions are eligible for bounty rewards of $500 to $20,000. "The goal of the bug bounty program is to uncover significant vulnerabilities that have a direct and demonstrable impact on the security of Microsoft's customers," said the company. Security researchers can identify a previously unreported vulnerability that reproduces in Microsoft's latest, fully patched version of Xbox Live network and services. Microsoft also offers similar programmes for its other services -- Microsoft Edge browser, 'Windows Insider' preview builds, Office 365, Azure Cloud. For the Azure bug bounty programme, security researchers can earn up to $300,000. DCOP Felix Fosu-Agyeman, the new Western Regional Commander of Police has entreated the public to be alert, watchful and vigilant to avoid victimization from miscreants in the society. He said miscreants often studied the behaviours and social lives of individuals before attacking them and urged advised individuals to be security consciousness. DCOP Fosu-Agyeman who said this during an official engagement with the media in Sekondi pointed out that, "never assume that nobody can victimize you despite your social status...treat everybody as a suspect, irrespective of how well that person dresses and raise the level of your personal security". He said security continued to be a shared responsibility on the part of the police and the public and urged the public to voluntarily give credible information for follow-ups, but cautioned that when you are coming to us, don't tell people around that you are going to the police". On kidnapping, the Commander entreated the general public to be modest in the display of their wealth, inform close relatives of their where about and avoid being deserted places. He also urged parents to have good relationship with their children, adding, Relate well with your children and resolve all misunderstanding which often push children away from home....most of the missing cases we have reported is as a result of this", he added. 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 13:10 | Piura (Piura region), Jan. 31. Speaking from the northern city of Piura, where he put three bridges into operation, Vizcarra said he will meet with three additional groups on Tuesday. "The confirmation of two parties is still missing, as they are slated to gather between Monday and Tuesday. They opted to hold internal meetings before making a decision. Accion Popular and Union por el Peru have not confirmed their participation yet. The arrangements have been made with the other seven parties," he pointed out. This round of meetings, he affirmed, shows the willingness to work together for the benefit of the country. The Head of State reaffirmed that the Executive Branch will propose its work agenda and will also hear that of the nine political groups that passed the 5% electoral threshold in order to see the coincidences such as the fight against corruption and take them into account when getting to work. (END) FHG/CVC/RMB Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra announced that on Monday, February 3, he will engage in dialogue with four political forces that will be represented in Congress following the January 26 parliamentary elections Published: 1/31/2020 Former New York City mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg during the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) New Democratic Debate Requirements Could Lead to Michael Bloomberg Making the Stage The Democratic National Committee (DNC) axed one half of its debate qualifying requirements, paving the way for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to appear on a debate stage for the first time. Bloomberg, 77, announced his campaign in November 2019. Hes been self-funding his campaign, preventing him from meeting one of the thresholds to appear in debates. The DNC sets the requirements, which had two parts: polling and donations. Candidates were required to meet an escalating percentage in polls and to have an increasing number of unique donors. But the committee said on Friday that candidates dont need to meet any donor requirements to qualify for the Feb. 19 debate in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now that the grassroots support is actually captured in real voting, the criteria will no longer require a donor threshold, Adrienne Watson, a DNC spokesperson, said in a statement sent to news outlets. The donor threshold was appropriate for the opening stages of the race, when candidates were building their organizations, and there were no metrics available outside of polling to distinguish those making progress from those who werent. The polling requirement is still in place. Candidates will need to get 10 percent or more in four polls released between Jan. 15 and Feb. 18. Another way to qualify is to earn at least 12 percent in two polls conducted in the early voting states of Nevada and South Carolina. (L-R) Tom Steyer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 14, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) Bloombergs campaign didnt immediately return a request for comment. A campaign spokesperson told The Epoch Times by email earlier in the week that the previous requirements made Bloomberg ineligible for qualification. If the rules change and we meet the eligibility criteria, we will participate, the spokesperson said. Bloomberg himself hadnt criticized the previous DNC requirements but some others had on his behalf. Bloomberg News, the outlet owned by Bloomberg, quoted Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, as saying Bloomberg should be on stage. Imagine a world where he hypothetically buys 30 percent of the polls and is the front-runner, Green said. How would it ever make sense not to have him on the debate stage to get scrutiny and talk to voters? The thresholds drew scorn from a slew of candidates throughout the race, primarily those who missed one or more debates. Those candidates, including Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), primarily targeted the polling requirement. The Democratic field has slowly winnowed over time and is down to 11 candidates after former Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.) dropped out on Friday. The last debate featured just six candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), billionaire activist Tom Steyer, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). Masks are sold out and only product samples are on the shelves of a supermarket in Seoul, Tuesday, due to a huge increase in demand after the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus. / Yonhap By Jung Hae-myoung As fears over the Wuhan coronavirus are rising here, more people are trying to prevent infection through the use of various disinfectants and masks. With the drastic rise in demand, masks are even out of stock in some shops and markets. However, some sellers are raising prices using the fears of customers. On internet communities and social media, people expressed anger over the surge in prices also seen in masks sold on online open markets. "I bought a KF94 mask for 17,000 won, but just a day later when I logged into the market, the price had rocketed to 63,000 won, three times more than the original price," one customer wrote. "I understand that prices are rising because of the demand increase, but this is manipulating people's fear and life for sales." The Korea Consumer Agency said it received around 40 complaints regarding the high price of masks and cancellation of product deliveries throughout Tuesday and Wednesday. The official said these kind of complaints had not been received before. 368 Korean evacuees from Wuhan sent to two state-run facilities Korea reports 1st human-to-human transmission of coronavirus 'Desperate time calls for desperate measures' Although many people understand that prices may rise if demand increases, many say it is unreasonable that sellers are making profits out of people's anxiety. One seller on an online market sold masks for 3,460 won each up from 600 won before; another seller on Auction also sold a 100-masks pack for 87,900won which was originally sold for 44,900 won. Some complaints said the sellers were cancelling orders on purpose in order to make customers buy the products at a higher price. A 44 year-old customer surnamed Shin ordered KF94 masks in bulk Sunday. She bought 120 masks in a box for 20,000 won, but after two days she received a text message saying her order was cancelled due to the masks being out of stock. When she went back to the website, the product was being sold for 60,000 won. Open markets were no better. "The price are adjusted by the sellers on the market, so it is hard for us to figure out the change in price," one market official said. E-commerce market WeMakePrice said they were advising sellers to stabilize prices. "The price changes several times a day according to the economic situation. Rather than imposing penalties, our operation division is giving notice to companies that are selling on our platform to consider price stabilization," a WeMakePrice official said. Coupang said it was monitoring sellers that unreasonably raised prices. "We will not tolerate sellers that hoard emergency products and resell them at a higher price. We are keeping an eye on sellers that are making excessive profits and warning them to set usual prices," the official said. The Supreme Court Friday said the issue of penalising political parties or candidates for not disclosing criminal antecedents has to be dealt with carefully as allegations of sedition and anti-national are often made with 'political overtones'. New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday said the issue of penalising political parties or candidates for not disclosing criminal antecedents has to be dealt with carefully as allegations of sedition and anti-national are often made with "political overtones". The apex court was dealing with a contempt plea which has raised the issue of criminalisation of politics claiming that directions given by the top court in its 25 September, 2018, verdict, relating to disclosure of criminal antecedents by candidates, were not being followed. "Now, charges with political overtones are brought in. It is easy to frame charges on this....it is very easy to frame charges in cases which may be filed by political opponent including of sedition and anti-national. We have to be very careful," a bench of justices RF Nariman and S Ravindra Bhat said. The Election Commission told the court that increase in number of MPs having pending criminal cases was "disturbing" and as per the statistics, there were 43 percent MPs in the current Parliament who have criminal cases against them. "The number (of MPs having pending criminal cases) has gone up and that is the disturbing part," said senior lawyer Vikas Singh, appearing for the poll panel. Singh said the EC has agreed with the suggestions of senior lawyer Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing BJP leader and petitioner Ashiwini Upadhyay, including that all political parties should mandatorily upload on their website details of candidates with criminal antecedents along with the reasons as to why those without any criminal record could not be selected. However, the EC said it was not agreeable to the suggestion regarding penalising the political party or its candidates under Article 324 of the Constitution for their failure to disclose criminal antecedents, as it does not have this power. Sankaranarayanan told the bench that the constitution bench judgement of September 2018 should be complied with and without penalty or sanction, the political parties or their candidates would not act accordingly as mandated by the top court. "Let the political process take care of itself. Let us be practical," he said. He then referred to Section 33-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which stipulates that a candidate has to furnish details, including as to whether he is accused of any offence punishable with jail term of two years or more in a pending case in which charges has been framed, in his nomination paper. The bench, which had earlier asked the EC and petitioner to sit together and come up with suggestions, said it would pass order in the matter. At the fag end of hearing, Singh, while referring to rise in number of lawmakers having pending criminal case, said: "There is no debate today on this. Nobody is bothered." He said that EC has agreed with the suggestion that political parties may be asked to furnish details on its website regarding criminal antecedents of candidates and give reasons as to why he or she has been given the ticket. "The reasons shall have to be justifiable with reference to qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned and 'winnability' shall not be a sufficient justification," the suggestion said. "The above information shall also be published in: one local vernacular newspaper and one national newspaper; on the official social media platforms of the political party including Facebook and Twitter," it said. It further said that these details shall be published within 48 hours of setting up of the candidate and allowing usage of symbol reserved for the political party. "The political party shall submit a report to the Election Commission regarding the above publications within 24 hours of the nomination of the candidate," it said. Last week, the EC had told the top court that direction asking poll candidates to declare their criminal antecedents in the media has not helped curb criminalisation of politics, and political parties should be asked not to give tickets to those with criminal background. On 29 March 29, the apex court had sought response from the Centre and EC on Upadhaya's plea seeking initiation of contempt proceedings for alleged violation of its judgment directing all candidates to declare their criminal antecedents to the poll panel before contesting elections. On 10 October, 2018, the EC had issued notification regarding the amended Form-26 and directions to political parties and candidates for publication of criminal antecedents. However, the plea filed by Upadhyay alleged that the EC neither amended the Election Symbol Order, 1968 nor the model code of conduct (MCC) so the said notification has no legal sanction. In September 2018, five-judge constitution bench had unanimously held that all candidates will have to declare their criminal antecedents to the EC before contesting polls and called for a wider publicity, through print and electronic media about antecedents of candidates. It had left it to Parliament to "cure the malignancy" of criminalisation of politics by making a law to ensure that persons facing serious criminal cases do not enter the political arena as the "polluted stream of politics" needs to be cleansed. Turkey may launch a military operation into Syrias Idlib province if the situation is not resolved immediately, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said. Erdogan said Ankara will not allow new threats near its borders, even if it meant resorting to military power, as it did in its three previous cross-border operations in northern Syria. "We will do what is necessary when someone is threatening our soil. We will have no choice but to resort to the same path again if the situation in Idlib is not returned to normal quickly," the Turkish leader noted. "We will not refrain from doing what is necessary, including using military force," he said, adding Turkey wants stability and security in Syria. "We will not allow the regime to put our country under the constant threat of migrants by tormenting, attacking, spilling the blood of... its people, Reuters cited Erdogan as saying. CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- State Rep. John Patterson, D-99, of Jefferson, is the co-author of bipartisan legislation to remake Ohios school funding system. Patterson will speak at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at Cleveland Heights High School, 13263 Cedar Road. The topic will be School Funding in Ohio: The Possibilities and Challenges off Creating a Solution. The forum is free and open to the public. Patterson and Rep. Bob Cupp, R-4, of Lima, led a three-year process to address the shortcomings of Ohios school funding system. HB 305 is now making its way through the state legislature. In the 1997 DeRolph decision, the Ohio Supreme Court found Ohios funding system unconstitutional. Bill Phillis, executive director of the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, the organization that brought the lawsuit, will provide the history of Ohios funding lawsuit and an overview of the constitutional issues that need to be solved. Patterson will address the challenges in defining a realistic estimate of the costs of education, in determining how much state aid is required and distributing it fairly, and in garnering enough public and lawmaker support for necessary changes. State Rep. Janine Boyd, D-9, of Cleveland Heights, will introduce the experts and participate in the question-and-answer portion of the meeting. Event sponsors are Heights Coalition for Public Education, League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland, Reaching Heights, CHUH PTA Council, NE Ohio Friends of Public Education, the Cleveland Heights Teachers Union, and the CH-UH Board of Education. Weekly forums: The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland is beginning its season of weekly forums and has announced a soon-to-be-held event. Coming up from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Feb. 16,will be a community forum titled Gender Issues, Challenges, and New Directions. In its release, the church tells us that gender exists on a spectrum. Trans and non-binary identities are reality for an increased number of people. Are our own actions and language inclusive? How can we improve support for the LGBTQ community? All are invited to join in for coffee and conversation. The moderator will be Phyllis Harris, director of the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland, and panelists will include Dr. Henry Ng, a physician at the Cleveland Clinic Center for LGBT+Care, and LGBT volunteers Ayron Evans and Ellie Turan. The church is located at 21600 Shaker Blvd. in Shaker Heights. Gathering up the deans list students: Who has made the deans lists for the fall semester among students from the Sun Press coverage area? Lets take a look and find out. At the University of Delaware, in Newark, Del., our students include Kaleigh Shupp, of Beachwood, and Elise LaFramboise, of Shaker Heights. Meanwhile, Cleveland Heights High School graduate Adam Smith was named to the list at Galesburg, Illinois Knox College. At Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., Beachwoods Livia Eppell has been made a member of the deans list. Burlington, Vermonts Champlain College has let us know that Beachwoods Christopher Paul achieved deans list status. Mary Sikorovsky, an acting major at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Va., was named to that schools deans list. Mary is from Shaker Heights. Cleveland Heights residents Kerrigan-Tierney von Carlowitz and Madeline Ashby were named to the deans list at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. And, Kent State University had 8,618 students make the deans list. To list the students from our area who made that list would fill this column and another. You know who you are, so congratulations. Anyone for a capella? The Ohio State Universitys first and only co-ed Jewish a capella group, The Meshuganotes, will hold a special concert at the 6:15 p.m. Shabbat service Feb. 28 at Temple Emanu El, 4545 Brainard Road in Orange. The program is free and open to the public. RSVP is not required. Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for a wine and cheese pre-reception. Affiliated with OSU Hillel and formed in 1999, The Shugs sing OSU spirit songs, oldies and current radio music, as well as classic and contemporary Hebrew songs. If youd like to learn more, visit meshuganotes.wixsite.com/meshuganotes. Prime time exposure: Russell G. Jones, an actor from Shaker Heights, is set to co-star in a new CBS TV series called Tommy. The show debuts Feb. 6 and stars Edie Falco as Abigail Tommy Thomas. According to a CBS release, Falcos character is the first female chief of police for the LAPD, which makes her a trailblazer and the sole lead female in a predominately male field surrounded by some men rooting for her to fail. The mayor (played by Thomas Sadoski) was forced to hire her after a sexual harassment scandal with the prior chief. Jones is an AUDELCO, OBIE and SAG Award-winning actor. On television, his credits include Bull, Orange is the New Black, The Last OG, Godless and The Americans. His film credits include Motherless Brooklyn, Detroit, Side Effects, Traffic and Robert Patton Spruills Squeeze. On stage, hes originated roles in Ruined, Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 and 3), King Liz, Our Lady of 121st Street. Jones is one of two Ohioans in the cast. The other is Rocky Rivers Michael Chernus. Coffeehouse closing: Juma Gallery, 20100 Chagrin Blvd. in Shaker Heights, has announced that its gallery and boutique will undergo renovations this spring. Because of these renovations, Jumas coffeehouse will be closing permanently by March 29. A Juma release further states: We are grateful to all of our loyal and dedicated customers, and are particularly thankful for your support of the coffeehouse over the last five years. Juma appreciates your patience as we undertake the store improvements and looks forward to a refreshed gallery and boutique coming this spring. Art and writing award winners: University School in Hunting Valley won an impressive 81 awards at the 2020 Regional Scholastic Art + Writing Competition, with 53 students winning those 81 awards. In the art portion of the competition, students from the Sun Press coverage area that won gold or silver keys were Rayan Dar, a junior from Shaker Heights, a gold key for photography; Jack Rogen, senior, Shaker Heights, gold key for photography, three silver keys for photography and art portfolio, and honorable mention in photography; Jack Freer, sophomore, Shaker Heights, silver key for drawing and illustration; Nick Kalady, junior, Cleveland Heights, silver key and honorable mention for photography; and Thomas Weisbein, junior, Shaker Heights, silver key and honorable mention for photography. In writing, the local winners were Stefan Leonard, junior, Shaker Heights, gold key for critical essay; Devendra Peyrat, sophomore, Shaker Heights, a gold key for short story writing and an honorable mention for poetry; and William Willoughby, senior Cleveland Heights, silver key for science fiction and fantasy writing, and two honorable mentions for short story writing. Local University School students who took home honorable mentions in art include Asher Colvin, sophomore, Shaker Heights, and Caleb Ford, junior, Cleveland Heights. Those winning honorable mentions for writing include Brian Li, senior, Beachwood, and Cameron Siler, junior, Shaker Heights. Students in grades 7-12 in Cuyahoga County submitted 3,600 pieces of artwork and writing samples to be judged. Gold Key winners continue to the national competition in New York City. The student artwork was on exhibit through Jan. 31 in the Reinberger Gallery at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Environmental studies scholarship available: The nonprofit Friends of Euclid Creek has available a $1,000 scholarship to aid a deserving student in pursuit of a degree or certificate in environmental studies, field biology or any scientific field related to watershed health. High school seniors and college students are eligible, and it is not required that applicants go to school within the Euclid Creek Watershed area. Applications are due by April 1. To get complete information as to what an application should include and other important details, contact FOEC member Jeanette Evans at jeanette.evans@sbcglobal.net. Relieve neck and shoulder pain: If you have regular neck and shoulder pain, perhaps from sleeping in bad positions, yoga may the answer to your problems. Of course, it may not be the answer, but what does it hurt to try? Well, you can give yoga a try from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Coventry Village Library branch, 1925 Coventry Road in Cleveland Heights. The program Step Out of Time: Yoga for Neck and Shoulders with Laura Santoro is appropriate for all abilities and can be done from a chair. For more information, call 216-321-3400. And, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 14, it will be time for Lee Road Movie Night, featuring the film Like Water for Chocolate. In a Mexican village, a forbidden romances passion is unleashed by the delectable dishes Tita makes for her beloved Pedro. The 1992 movie is based on Laura Esquivels book of the same name, and is Spanish language with English subtitles. The Lee Road Library can be found at 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Catch a lecture: CWRU-Siegal Lifelong Learning has four lectures scheduled through Feb. 19. From noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 5, it will be Geauga County Conversations: The Pantheon in Rome: Material and Construction Technologies, with lecturer Dario Gasparini, professor emeritus of civil engineering at Case Western Reserve University. From noon to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 7, the lecture Conversations in Rocky River: Valentines Day: A Short History will be presented by Andrew Roth, scholar in residence at The Jefferson Educational Society. Ponevezh Time: Film Screening And Discussion will be presented from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Feb. 12, with lecturer Yahonatan Indursky. And, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19, the lecture will be EDU@1UC: Pixars Memories, with lecturer Daniel Goldmark, professor, head of popular music and director of the Center for Popular Music at CWRU. For more details, including locations and registration, visit case.edu/lifelonglearning, or call 216-368-2091. If you would like to see an item appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 12 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net. Read more from the Sun Press. WASHINGTON (JTA)We ran a story last week on where the top seven Democrats running for president stood on Iran policy. Try as we could, we could not pin down a position for Mike Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who was not included in the last debate, where he might be forced to elaborate a position on one of the burning issues of the day. (He has high enough polling numbers to qualify for a debate, but has not crossed the outside contribution threshold set by the Democratic National Committee because he is bankrolling his own campaign.) The story noted that in 2015, Bloomberg was skeptical of the emerging nuclear deal that traded sanctions relief for Iran for a rollback in its nuclear program. And he was peeved by the way President Barack Obama sold it to the public, which Bloomberg decried as divisive. After the Jewish Telegraphic Agency published the story, a spokesman for the candidate got in touch to clarify where Bloomberg stands today. Mike was initially against the Iran deal but thinks it was a mistake for President Trump to unilaterally walk away from it, the spokesman said. Trump abandoned the agreement in May 2018 over the objections of the other parties: Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. While the agreement was not perfectit did not address Irans ballistic missile program, and it gave the regime political cover to step up its aggression in the regionthe U.S. had an obligation to keep its word once the agreement was in place, the spokesman said. The U.S. withdrawal has allowed Iran to abandon its own obligations under the deal and has left the world with few tools to stop it. The spokesman also said what Bloomberg would do to redress Trumps withdrawal from the deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, going into more detail than most of the other candidates. The first thing to do is re-establish the coalition that realized the danger of Iran marching toward a nuclear weapon. Collective pressure will be needed to change Irans behavior, the spokesman said. This should be the starting point for the use of diplomacy. We should also be prepared to employ the leverage that sanctions have provided. Next, Iran must come back into compliance with the JCPOA requirements. That will require addressing the advances it is likely to make between now and next yearadvances that could shrink its breakout time. After rejoining, in order for any new arrangement to be sustainable, we must also be ready to address other inadequacies in the deal, which include the need to extend fast-approaching sunset clauses, curtail Irans ballistic missiles, end its destabilizing regional activities and institute more intrusive monitoring. Cafe Mami | Photo: Jennifer L./Yelp Looking to sample the best comfort food around town? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top comfort food sources in Cambridge, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to venture next time you're on the hunt. Looking to pop in to the latest hotspots? There's no time like the present, since consumer spending at restaurants tends to increase in February in the Cambridge area, according to data on local business transactions from Womply, a provider of software and email marketing services for small businesses. Daily spending at Cambridge-area restaurants last year rose by 15% in February over the month before. Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 1. Veggie Galaxy photo: sam e./yelp First on the list is Veggie Galaxy. Located at 450 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridgeport, the breakfast, brunch and traditional American spot, which offers comfort food and more, is the most popular comfort food spot in Cambridge, boasting four stars out of 1,234 reviews on Yelp. 2. Cafe Mami Photo: natthakorn p./Yelp Next up is Aggasiz - Harvard North's Cafe Mami, situated at 1815 Massachusetts Ave. With four stars out of 511 reviews on Yelp, the Japanese curry spot, which offers soups and comfort food, has proven to be a local favorite. 3. Richards Photo: richard g./Yelp Wellington-Harrington's Richards, located at 1193 Cambridge St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the New American spot, which offers comfort food and beer, wine and spirits, 4.5 stars out of 13 reviews. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. (Newser) The helicopter that crashed with Kobe Bryant and 8 others aboard wasn't certified to fly under instrument flight rules, three sources tell the New York Times. While pilot Ara Zobayan did have the proper certification to fly with instruments typically used in poor conditions, Island Express Helicopters' FAA operating certification limited pilots carrying passengers for hire to visual flight rules, with at least three miles of visibility and a cloud ceiling of at least 1,000 feet, says a pilot and former safety manager at the company. As a result, Zobayan was required to navigate visually. Near Burbank, north of Los Angeles, visibility was reduced from four miles to 2.5 miles, per the Times. Zobayan then received clearance to continue in heavy fog toward the hills of Calabasas under special visual flight rules, which required that he remain clear of clouds. He ultimately may not have been able to. story continues below No other local charter companies have IFR certification, either, according to an operator at Van Nuys Airport, where Island Express is based. Claudia Lowry tells the Times that even local police helicopters don't, as it requires more training, equipment, and insurance. Plus, Southern California is usually sunny. The Sikorsky S-76B "had sophisticated instruments onboard that in other circumstances would allow for instrument flight," per the Times. But it did not have an alarm system that would've notified the pilot when he was approaching terrain, per the Los Angeles Times. Island Express announced Thursday that it had suspended all regular and charter services "until such time as it was deemed appropriate for staff and customers," citing the "shock" of the accident, per Business Insider. (Read more helicopter crash stories.) The four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case will not be hanged on Saturday morning as a on Friday postponed the execution of their black warrants till further order. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on the plea by the convicts seeking adjournment of the executions "sine die" (with no appointed date for resumption). Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) were scheduled to be hanged on February 1 at 6 am. This is for the second time that the execution of the death warrants has been deferred. The first order for execution of death sentence, issued on January 7 for January 22, was stayed on January 17. The second warrant, issued on January 17, for February 1 was stayed on Friday. Advocate A P Singh, the counsel for the three convicts -- Pawan, Vinay and Akshay -- had urged the court to adjourn the matter "sine die" saying their legal remedies were yet to be exhausted. The authorities had challenged their application saying it was not maintainable and the death row convicts can be hanged separately. However, the argument of the authorities was not accepted by the court. The convicts' lawyer had argued that rules dictate that when one convict's plea is pending the others cannot be hanged. In the order, the judge noted that if an appeal or an application is made by only one convict, the execution of sentence shall be postponed in the case of co-convicts also. The judge said, "Without commenting upon the dilatory tactics adopted by the convicts, suffice it would be to state that seeking redressal of one's grievances through procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelson's eye towards him." "As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the considered opinion that the execution of warrants issued by this court vide order dates January 17, 2020 deserves to be postponed till further orders," the judge said. The court said a copy of this order be given to the counsel for convicts and the jail officials present in the court. "The jail superintendent is directed to file the compliance report by tomorrow," it said. Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Friday said she will continue her fight till the convicts in the 2012 gangrape and murder case are hanged, shortly after a postponed the execution of death warrants till further order. Devi told reporters her "hopes are dashed" but she will continue her fight till the convicts are hanged. "These convicts have no right to live. We keep getting disappointed by the system. I will continue my fight till the convicts are hanged," she said. on Vinay's mercy plea before the president is pending. Mukesh's mercy plea was dismissed by President Ram Nath Kovind on January 17. The appeal against the rejection was thrown out by the on Wednesday. The curative petitions of Vinay and Akshay have been rejected by the apex court. Pawan is the only one yet not to file a curative plea. Convicts have the option of moving a mercy petition before the president only after the apex court dismisses their curative plea. Earlier in the day, the dismissed Pawan's plea seeking review of the decision by which his application claiming to be a juvenile at the time of the commission of offence was rejected. A 23-year-old physiotherapy intern who came to be known as "Nirbhaya" (the fearless one) was gangraped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Two children looking up at the car of the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway. Photo: Hemmings Motor News For five years towards the end of the 19th century, there was a peculiar seashore attraction at Brighton, on Englands south coast. It was an electric railway, and an extension of the already popular Volk's Electric Railway that runs on the seafront. Only this section ran underwater. Magnus Volk, the British railway engineer, attracted attention in Brighton when he opened a narrow gauge tourist railway that ran along Brightons beach skirting the waters of the English Channel. Named after himself, the Volk's Electric Railway opened in 1883, and ran as far as Paston Place. But Volks plan was to take it all the way to Rottingdean. The only obstacle was the geography. Extending the railway the remaining three miles would require either a steep climb to take it over the cliff, or a tunnel under it. Magnus Volk chose neither. In 1892, Volk decided that the most cost-effective solution was to build a railway that travelled through the sea. Construction of the line started in 1894. It consisted of two separate tracks of 2 feet 8 inch gauge that ran parallel with the outer rails 18 feet apart, making it the widest gauge passenger railway ever built. Rolling stock consisted of a single car named Pioneer, 45 feet long and 22 feet wide that sat on four long legs, 23 feet above the rails, to keep the train car and the passengers dry. Power was supplied by an overhead electric wire that was used to drive two 25-HP General Electric motors to power the cars wheels. The line ran almost 200 feet from the cliffs, affording travelers a fine view of the sea front. The Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, affectionately known as Daddy Long-Legs, was essentially a ship. It was required to have a sea captain at all times, who decided when the sea was safe to travel over. Pioneer carried a number of lifejackets for the passengers and even had a lifeboat. The railway opened in November 1896. But only six days later the line was damaged during a fierce storm, putting the attraction out of service for eight months and nearly ruining Magnus Volk financially. Operating the line turned out to be more difficult than Volk had anticipated. Bad weather caused frequent breakdowns disrupting the timetable for weeks on end. The railway was also severely underpowered. During high tides it moved no faster than a slow, leisurely walk. New and powerful motors would have solved this but Volk was short of money. Despite the shortcomings and the potential danger of traveling on the line, tens of thousands of people rode the car each year. After the Prince of Wales, and the future King Edward VII, made the journey on the tramroad in 1898, he reportedly said that he was much pleased with the novelty of the undertaking, and also with the pleasant sensation of travelling through the sea. At the turn of the new century, Volk faced a new problem. Brighton authorities informed Volk that they wanted to shore up beach defenses by building two new concrete groynes, which meant that Volk had to move the line to much deeper water. Unfortunately, the investment required for such an extension was way beyond the Companys means leaving Volk with no other option but to close the railway. The Pioneer was left to rot until the remnants of the railway was sold for scrap in 1910. Today, very little remains of this valiant attempt save for some of the concrete blocks supporting the rails that appear during low tides, and a couple of wooden poles that supported the overhead wires. Volk's Electric Railway, on the other hand, continues to operate and is the longest-running electric railway in the world. Following the closure of the Brighton and Rottingdean Seashore Electric Railway, Volk's Electric Railways line was extended onshore to Black Rock, covering a portion of the same distance that the sea railway ran. The tracks of the former railway still visible on the shores of Brighton. Photo: jedigo/Flickr References: # Volk's Electric Railway Association, http://volkselectricrailway.co.uk/history/the-daddy-long-legs/ # The National Archives, https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/brighton-rottingdean-seashore-electric-tramroad/ # Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brighton_and_Rottingdean_Seashore_Electric_Railway Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, walks through the Senate Subway of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. "I worked for a fair, honest, and transparent process, modeled after the Clinton trial, to provide ample time for both sides to present their cases, ask thoughtful questions, and determine whether we need more," the Alaska senator said in a statement. WASHINGTON Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced Friday she will vote against admitting additional evidence in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, a decision that apparently kills Democrats' hopes of winning over four Republicans and adding a witness phase to the trial. "The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena." Within minutes of Murkowski's statement, another Republican senator, Rob Portman of Ohio, confirmed he will vote against admitting additional evidence. Portman had once been considered by Democrats to be a longshot possibility to break with his party and join them in voting yes. "I do not believe that additional witnesses are needed," Portman said in a statement. "I believe that some of the president's actions in this case were wrong and inappropriate. But I do not believe that the president's actions rise to the level of removing a duly-elected president from office." The expected Senate vote later in the day represents a pivotal moment in the proceedings that could pave the way for Trump's acquittal. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House impeachment manager Adam Schiff of California have battled to persuade the Republican-led chamber to vote to hear from key witnesses who did not testify in the House. But after more than a week of trading barbs with Trump's defense team on the Senate floor, there doesn't appear to be any real chance that they will secure the 51 votes required to pass a rule that would introduce new witnesses and documents. More than any other individual, Democrats had hoped they could persuade a few Republicans to seek the testimony of John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor. Bolton reportedly wrote in a manuscript of a memoir that Trump told him last summer he intended to withhold nearly $400 million in U.S. foreign aid to Ukraine until Kyiv agreed to announce investigations into the president's political opponents. The House voted to impeach Trump in December on two articles, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, both stemming from Trump's handling of the U.S. relationship with Ukraine. Democrats see Bolton as a crucial missing piece of the puzzle about what happened last year with Ukraine. Bolton has also said he would be willing to testify, something other officials, like acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, have not. But a victory in Friday's vote appeared to slip away from Democrats with Murkowski's decision. On Thursday, GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, another Democratic target for a yes vote, said that although he believed the president had indeed solicited foreign assistance from Ukraine in his reelection bid, Trump's behavior did not meet the standard for impeachment. As such, Alexander said he didn't see the need for further evidence. Only two Republican senators appear to be prepared to break with their party and vote with Democrats to admit more evidence: Susan Collins of Maine and Utah's Mitt Romney. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning at least four GOP senators would have had to buck their party leaders and vote for a resolution to admit additional witnesses and documents. A conviction and removal requires 67 votes. This next phase of Trump's impeachment trial gets underway Friday with up to four hours of equally divided time allotted for senators to debate, before votes are called on amendments, including whether or not to subpoena witnesses and allow additional documents. Senators in each party are not required to use up their entire two hours, so the timing of Friday's votes will remain fluid throughout the afternoon. Here's the text of Murkowski's statement: A special flight of Air India on Friday left for Wuhan city to evacuate hundreds of Indians from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in Chinas central Hubei province. People familiar with the plans said the first flight, the 423-seater AI 1348, on Friday is expected to ferry about 315 Indians from Wuhan and neighbouring areas. A second aircraft will be dispatched thereafter to bring back Indians from other parts of Hubei. The national carrier once again comes to the rescue - this time to evacuate Indians from Wuhan, the site of the outbreak of coronavirus. This mission begins today with a Jumbo 747 operating between Delhi and Wuhan, Air India chief executive and managing director Ashwani Lohani tweeted. The Boeing 747 aircraft, which took off from Mumbai and made a brief halt in Delhi, is being flown by Captain Kamal Mohan and Captain S Reza with 15 crew members on board. Five doctors from the Union health ministry and one paramedical staff will be onboard, on the flight which will be at Wuhan airport for two to three hours, officials said. No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers), Lohani was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged complete protective gear, he added. Health officials in China said that the death toll from the novel coronavirus outbreak has jumped to 213 across China with at least 42 new deaths reported from Hubei. The number of infections in the country has crossed the 9000-mark with more 1200 new infections reported from Hubei. There are 5806 cases of the epidemic in Hubei alone,, provincial health officials said on Friday morning in the first update on the spreading virus. The WHO early on Friday declared the ongoing outbreak that originated in China but has spread to at least 17 countries as an international public health emergency (PHEIC). The Geneva-based organisation did not recommend any travel or trade restrictions on China. The Indian embassy had circulated a message among Indians in Hubei via the messaging app WeChat on Thursday evening about the evacuation. It was circulated after Chinas foreign ministry is learnt to have cleared Indias request to evacuate its citizens. We are preparing for air evacuation from Wuhan tomorrow in the evening. This flight will carry those Indian nationals who are in and around Wuhan and have conveyed consent for their evacuation, the message said. There will be another flight subsequently which will carry those who are from other parts of Hubei province, it added. The embassy cautioned Indians in Hubei that details of the evacuation could change and the message was shared to alert them to be adequately prepared. It had asked Indians to be ready for a 14-day quarantine on return to India. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday blasted several Arab countries for backing a Middle East peace plan unveiled by the United States, condemning it as 'treason'. 'Some Arab countries that support such a plan commit treason against Jerusalem, as well as against their own people, and more importantly against all humanity,' Erdogan told his party's provincial heads in Ankara. Erdogan, a strong advocate of Palestinian rights, singled out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman. 'Saudi Arabia in particular, you are silent. When will you break your silence? You look at Oman, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi is the same,' said the Turkish president. 'Shame on you! Shame on you! How will those hands that applaud (the plan) give an account of this treacherous step?' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a meeting in Ankara today Two-state solution? Donald Trump embraced Benjamin Netanyahu, the embattled Israeli prime minister as he unveiled a Middle East peace 'vision' with confusion over whether it was a plan Palestinian students take part in a protest against the U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, in the southern Gaza Strip Turkey's relations with Riyadh and Abu Dhabi deteriorated after the 2018 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Ankara has repeatedly claimed the Washington Post columnist was killed on the order of the Saudi leadership, which has denied involvement. On the conflict that engulfs Libya, Turkey supports the UN-recognised government in Tripoli while Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates back eastern commander Khalifa Haftar, who controls three-quarters of Libyan territory. President Donald Trump holds a rally in Des Moines yesterday. Today marks the first Friday after US President Donald Trump unveiled the details of the long-awaited plan aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Turkish protesters hold placards reading 'break down the Zionist Israel' and Palestinian flags during a demonstration against US President Trump's peace plan on the conflict between Palestinians and Israel, in front of the US Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday Today marks the first Friday after US President Donald Trump unveiled the details of the long-awaited plan aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 'Jerusalem cannot be left to the bloody claw of Israel,' he added. Erdogan warned that everyone would be responsible for 'grave consequences' of any step that encourages Israel, which he called a 'rogue state' and a 'terror state.' The Turkish leader also said he would speak with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. Today's comments come a day after the top foreign policy adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader coined the peace plan a continuation of the objectives of 'crusaders and Zionists.' Ali Akbar Velayati said the so-called Deal of the Century would involve the 'selling and dismantling Muslim lands'. On Tuesday night, Iran's foreign ministry called Trump's plan 'the treason of the century' and said it was 'doomed to fail.' Erdogan attends the extended meeting with provincial heads at the AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkey today Mohammed bin Salman is pictures meeting Trump in an undated file photo. Erdogan singled out Saudi Arabia as a country who've kept quiet, committing 'treason against Jerusalem' Demonstrations were held in both Istanbul and Gaza this week, with communities coming out to condemn the plan. Erdogan also warned that he could begin a military operation into Syria's northwestern Idlib province if the situation is not resolved immediately, as attacks by Russia-backed Syrian government forces risked a new wave of refugees. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russian air power, have since last week rapidly advanced on Idlib. They have taken dozens of towns, including the key city of Maarat al-Numan, upending the last major rebel-held stronghold in Syria's nearly nine-year war. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan dismissed Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan as 'absolutely unacceptable' on Tuesday and accused it of 'legitimising Israel's occupation' Rejection: Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, called the plan 'slap of the century' in a dig at Netanyahu, who called it 'deal of the century' KEY ELEMENTS OF TRUMP'S MIDDLE EAST PEACE 'VISION' Two-state solution meaning Israel will exist beside neighbor Palestine Palestinian-controlled territory is increased But they concede sovereignty in a series of areas including part of the Jordan Valley Palestinian state is 'demilitarized,' with Israel 'retaining security responsibility west of the Jordan River.' West Bank and Gaza Strip to be joined by a tunnel and roads to create a 'contiguous' state Palestinian capital is in East Jerusalem with a U.S. embassy built there, but the city of Jerusalem is 'undivided' Four-year freeze on Israeli settlements Advertisement 'We never recognise and accept this plan that usurps Jerusalem entirely,' Erdogan said, slamming it as a 'disgraceful' scheme today. Israeli police increased their presence in Jerusalem's Old City, ahead of the first Friday prayers at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque since US President Donald Trump unveiled a controversial peace plan. The Israeli military added Friday that it launched 'wide-scale' airstrikes on militant targets in the Gaza Strip shortly after Palestinian militants fired three rockets into Israel, two of which were intercepted. There were no reports of casualties or major damage from the exchange of fire overnight, which came amid heightened tensions after President Donald Trump released his Mideast plan, a U.S. initiative aimed at ending the conflict that heavily favors Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians. The Israeli military said Palestinian militants had also launched 'explosive balloons' toward Israel and that a sniper had shot an observational antenna. It said it struck Hamas targets in response, including 'underground infrastructure used to manufacture weapons.' The plan released on Tuesday was seen as heavily biased towards Israel and was angrily rejected by Palestinians, with one of the key bones of contention being its classification of Jerusalem as Israel's 'undivided capital.' An Israeli soldier fires teargas towards Palestinian demonstrators during a demonstration in al-Aroub Palestinian refugee camp, between the West Bank towns of Hebron and Bethlehem on Wednesday Anger: Supporters of Mahmoud Abbas took to the streets to express their negative view of the peace deal Immediate rejection: In Rafah,Gaza the 'deal of the century' - a phrase the White House had using - was greeted with a protest which saw tires burned and flags waved Palestinians have long seen the city's eastern sector, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, as the capital of their future state. At the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem, a group of Palestinians gathered after dawn prayers and 'began a procession with nationalist calls,' Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. Police 'responded and dispersed the gathering,' the spokesman added. Thousands of Palestinians were expected to attend the main prayers at noon, which are often a rallying point for demonstrations. The Al-Aqsa mosque is Islam's third holiest site but is also revered by Jews as the location of their Second Temple, destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Rosenfeld said 'heightened security' measures would be in place across the Old City and 'police units will respond if necessary'. Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli airstrike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on January 31, 2020 Palestinian policemen loyal to Hamas participate in a march as they protest against the U.S. Middle East peace plan, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip January 28, 2020 The Trump plan gives Israel the green light to annex the strategic Jordan Valley, which constitutes some 30 percent of the West Bank, as well as all Israeli settlements, which now number more than 200, including those in annexed east Jerusalem. The settlements are home to some 600,000 Israelis but are considered illegal under international law. Immediately after Trump presented the plan flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, officials said they would swiftly submit an annexation bill to cabinet on Sunday. But the situation seemed less clear on Friday, after Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner seemed to row back from initial comments by US ambassador David Friedman that Israel could move ahead with annexation immediately. Jared said a decision would be best left until a new government has been formed after a general election scheduled for March 2, even though both major parties support it. Clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces in the West Bank have left at least 30 Palestinians wounded since Tuesday, although the demonstrations have mostly been small. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, thousands gathered for demonstrations this week. Many more donned badges proclaiming 'no to the deal of the century'. There has been some rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, but on nothing like the scale of barrages launched during multiple flare-ups last year. Israel carried out air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday after three rockets were fired the previous evening, causing neither casualties nor damage, the army said. One rocket was fired on Wednesday evening drawing similar retaliation. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 but over the past year the Islamists have gradually shaped an informal truce with Israel, under which the Jewish state has slightly eased its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for calm. Palestinian fighters with Ezz-Al Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, rest on a sidewalk during a patrol in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on January 26, 2020 The Palestinians have sought to rally international support against the plan, which they see as illegal and a violation of their rights. 'What we're trying to do here is to get international consensus behind us, behind president Mahmud Abbas and his determination to achieve peace,' said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. But there was a muted response, even within the Arab world. Both Egypt and the Gulf Arab states held off on any immediate criticism of their US ally, saying they would study the plan's contents. Those governments have quietly moved closer to Israel in recent years amid shared hostility towards Iran. Abbas will try to rally opposition at an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo on Saturday. (Reuters) - Airlines have started suspending flights to China in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed 213 people. Here's what we know so far. (Reuters) - Airlines have started suspending flights to China in the wake of a new coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed 213 people. Here's what we know so far. AIR CANADA Air Canada said on Jan. 28 it was cancelling select flights to China. AIR FRANCE Air France said on Jan. 30 it suspended all scheduled flights to and from mainland China until Feb. 9. AIR INDIA Air India said it was cancelling its Mumbai-Delhi-Shanghai flight from Jan. 31 to Feb. 14. AIR NEW ZEALAND Air New Zealand said on Jan. 31 it was temporarily reducing flights between Auckland and Shanghai to four return services a week from Feb. 18 to March 31 rather than the usual daily flights. AIR SEOUL South Korean budget carrier Air Seoul said on Jan. 28 it had suspended all flights to China. AIR TANZANIA Tanzania's state-owned carrier said it would postpone its maiden flights to China. It had planned to begin charter flights to China in February. AMERICAN AIRLINES The largest U.S. carrier said it would suspend flights from Los Angeles to Beijing and Shanghai from Feb. 9 to March 27. BRITISH AIRWAYS BA said on Jan. 30 it had cancelled all flights to mainland China for a month. CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS <0293.HK> Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific said it would progressively reduce capacity to and from mainland China by 50% or more from Jan. 30 to the end of March. DELTA AIR LINES The U.S. airline said on Jan. 29 it was reducing flights to China to 21 per week from 42, starting Feb. 6 through April 30. EGYPTAIR Egypt's flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would suspend all flights to and from China starting Feb. 1. ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES The African carrier on Jan. 30 denied reports it had suspended all flights to China. The airline's statement contradicted its passenger call centre, which told Reuters earlier in the day that flights to China had been suspended. FINNAIR Finland's Finnair said on Jan. 28 it would suspend its flights to Nanjing and Beijing until the end of March after China suspended international group travel from the country. Finnair will suspend its three weekly flights between Helsinki and Beijing Daxing between Feb. 5 and March 29 and its two weekly flights between Helsinki and Nanjing between Feb. 8 and March 29. LION AIR Indonesia's Lion Air Group said on Jan. 29 it would suspend all flights to China from February. The airline has suspended six flights from several Indonesian cities to China so far and will suspend the rest next month. LUFTHANSA Germany's Lufthansa said on Jan. 29 it was suspending Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian Airlines flights to and from China until Feb. 9. The airline continues to fly to Hong Kong, but it will stop taking bookings for flights to mainland China until the end of February. SAS Nordic airline SAS said on Jan. 30 it has decided to suspend all flights to and from Shanghai and Beijing from Jan. 31 until Feb. 9. SAS offers 12 regular weekly connections from and to Shanghai and Beijing. SINGAPORE AIRLINES Singapore Airlines Ltd said on Jan. 31 it would reduce capacity on some of its routes to mainland China in February. The cuts include flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Xiamen and Chongqing, some of which are flown by regional arm SilkAir. Its budget carrier Scoot is also cutting back on flights to China. TURKISH AIRLINES Turkey's flag carrier said on Jan. 30 it would decrease frequency on scheduled flights to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xian between Feb. 5 and Feb. 29. UNITED AIRLINES Chicago-based United said it would implement a second phase of flight cancellations between its hub cities in the United States and Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai, resulting in 332 additional roundtrips being called off through March 28. The cancellations will reduce the carrier's daily departures for mainland China and Hong Kong to four daily departures from 12. United had previously suspended 24 U.S. flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai between Feb. 1 and Feb. 8 because of a significant drop in demand. UNITED PARCEL SERVICE INC UPS has cancelled 22 China flights, as a result of the Wuhan quarantines and normal manufacturing closures due to the Lunar New Year holiday, UPS Chief Executive David Abney said on Jan. 30. He did not specify how many flights cancellations were due to the virus. VIRGIN ATLANTIC Virgin Atlantic said on Jan. 30 it would suspend its daily operations to Shanghai for two weeks from Feb. 2. It cited declining demand for flights and the safety of its customers and staff. (Reporting by Jagoda Darlak and Tommy Lund in Gdansk; additional reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru and Jamie Freed in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah says government welcomes the change in the nations economic outlook from stable to positive by the Moodys ratings agency. He told Journalists at a briefing in Accra on Sunday that the Economic Management Team is very pleased at the outlook change and commits to do more. The change in outlook is a very important development especially in the context of our ratings history over the years he said. According to the International Credit Rating Agency the decision to assign a positive outlook reflects Moodys rising confidence that the countrys institutions and policy settings will foster improved macroeconomic and fiscal stability over the medium term, in part as a consequence of the reforms implemented under the recent IMF reform program. These reforms are beginning to bear fruit, as seen for example in the return to primary fiscal surpluses, measures to smooth the debt maturity profile and increasingly sustainable growth prospects. Though pressures and risks remain (as evidenced by persistent revenue challenges, a potential repeat of pre-election fiscal cycles, and the emergence of significant arrears and further contingent liabilities in the energy sector, all contributing to rising public debt. Receiving the news, Head of the Economic Management Team, VP Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed the following sentiments. This certifies that the results achieved so far from the first three years of economic recovery that the managers of the economy embarked upon. Contrary to the attempts by some to run down Ghanas recent economic gains, this is further evidence that global economic watchers who are examining our economic data see clearly that Ghanas economy is back on track and the future looks even better on this path. This outlook improvement is further evidence that All including the global economic community is clear in its mind and expectations that Ghana staying on this economic management track has a very positive outlook. Things can only continue to get better. All, including the global economic community can have hope that on this path. The Information Minister said the Administration through its Economic Management Team will continue to ensure that the gains made are not compromised even in this election year. The Administration will further ensure that the key pillars that have contributed to this improved outlook; restored macro-stability, rebounded growth, consolidated fiscal position, improved debt management and strong institutional reforms will continue. The people of Ghana can be rest assured that the Economic Management Team will continue with the uphill climb of building a strong economy for all. All are encouraged to continue with the necessary cooperation witnessed so far to this end. 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 In England they are known as "The Few", the pilots who defended their country from Nazi aerial assault in the Battle of Britain during World War II. Among "The Few," whose ranks numbered approximately 3000, Paul Farnes was one of the last surviving. And of those who remained, he was believed to be the only ace, or aviator with the distinction of downing five or more enemy aircraft. Farnes was 101 when he died on January 28 in West Sussex, England. His death was announced by the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust, which did not cite a cause. The trust credited him with a "remarkable tally" during the battle, a months-long aerial engagement that became the first significant German defeat in World War II: In total he was said to have destroyed six enemy planes, probably destroyed another and damaged six more. Farnes, who attained the rank of wing commander in the Royal Air Force, described his exploits as "just another day's work." Prince Charles shakes hands with Battle of Britain pilot Paul Farnes in 2017. Credit:PA He was born Paul Caswell Powe Farnes in the English town of Boscombe on July 16, 1918. Because of the circumstances of his birth - he was considered "illegitimate," in the derogatory parlance of the time - he initially feared that the RAF might not accept him when he volunteered for service. Press release LEM announces results for 9 months 2019/20: Performance in line with full year guidance despite challenging environment Fribourg, Switzerland, 31 January 2020 - LEM (SIX: LEHN), a leading global company in electrical measurement for industry and automotive applications, announces 9 months results for 2019/20 (April-December) compared to 2018/19: Sales decreased by 3.8% to CHF 235.8 million (CHF 245.1 million); at constant exchange rates, sales decreased by 1.9% The global spread of sales reflects a better performance in Rest of the World: China CHF 80.2m (34.0% of total) Europe CHF 71.3m (30.2% of total) North America CHF 27.8m (11.8% of total) Rest of World CHF 56.5m (24.0% of total) R&D up by 7.9% to CHF 21.9 million or 9.3% of sales (CHF 20.3 million or 8.3% of sales), driving new product portfolio EBIT decreased by 8.6% to CHF 46.4 million (CHF 50.8 million); the EBIT margin declined to 19.7% (20.7%) Net profit for the period was up by 33.5% at CHF 52.0 million (CHF 39.0 million), thanks to a non-recurring positive tax impact of CHF 14.0 million Frank Rehfeld, Chief Executive Officer, said: "Our sales in Q3 itself slightly increased compared to last year, and with these 9 months results we are on track with our full year outlook. Our recent announcement about changes to our Geneva organization, the investments in a new Geneva headquarters and a new manufacturing facility in Malaysia, demonstrate how LEM is anticipating and adapting to changes in our markets. We have the strength of a diversified global footprint and are making the organization more agile to capture growth opportunities." Andrea Borla, Chief Financial Officer, added: "Despite the drop in sales, our business remains strong and profitable, with improving gross margin, stable SG&A and continued growth in R&D investments. We reiterate our full year guidance for sales around CHF 310 million and underlying EBIT margin close to 20%, excluding a one-off restructuring charge for changes to our Geneva organization." Industry segment: encouraging sales for renewables and traction 9 months sales in the Industry segment totaled CHF 182.1 million, down 4.1%. At constant exchange rates, sales decreased by 1.9%. The H1 decline has flattened out during Q3. However, global economic uncertainty persists with customers reluctant to invest, and this is particularly felt in our drives business. Sales increased by 1.0% in China, but decreased by 7.1% in Europe, by 9.2% in North America and by 2.9% in Rest of World. in CHF millions 9M 2019/20 9M 2018/19 Change Comments Businesses Drives 73.6 86.4 -14.9% Global reluctance to invest in production such as welding and robotics linked to auto sector China, Japan, W. Europe sluggish demand Renewable Energy 60.7 58.2 +4.2% Strongest in China, India & Japan Driven by solar Traction 39.5 36.5 +8.3% Investments helped by government policies Major deliveries in China, India & Asia High precision 8.4 8.7 -3.5% Market fundamentals remain good Adoption of new products subject to investment confidence Total Industry 182.1 189.9 -4.1% Automotive segment: continued transformation to green car technology in all markets 9 months sales in the Automotive segment totaled CHF 53.6 million, a decline of 2.9%. At constant exchange rates, sales decreased by 2.0%. The H1 decline has flattened out during Q3. Sales in our green car business now accounts for 75.4% of Automotive sales, up from 68.3% a year ago. Sales in China continued to decline due to the overall economic environment and recent changes in government policies, but in the long run we remain confident about the world's largest market for green cars. In Europe the transformation to new electric or hybrid vehicles is gathering momentum. Moreover, demand from European manufacturers is driving sales of motor control and battery management in Korea and Japan. The US transition to new technology is becoming more evident. Sales dropped by 18.7% in China and by 25.2% in North America, while they performed strongly both in Europe and Rest of World, up by 32.3% and 37.5% respectively. in CHF millions 9M 2019/20 9M 2018/19 Change Comments Businesses Green 40.5 37.7 +7.2% China influenced by policies, weaker economy, and insourcing by Tier 1 suppliers New motor control, battery management and charging system products developed Conventional 13.2 17.5 -24.7% Continued switch to new technologies US market led by green start-ups and the major OEMs are starting to electrify SUVs and pick-ups Total Automotive 53.6 55.2 -2.9% Profitability remains steady Gross profit for the 9 months fell by 2.5% to CHF 110.9 million, although the gross margin reached 47.0%, which is 60 basis points higher than the same period last year, thanks to various efficiency programs. We remain vigilant with overheads, and maintained SG&A (CHF 42.7 million) at the same level as last year (CHF 42.8 million). We continue with our long-term investment in future applications and increased R&D investments by 7.9% to CHF 21.9 million (CHF 20.3 million), or 9.3% of sales (8.3%). EBIT dropped by 8.6% to CHF 46.4 million (CHF 50.8 million), due to the decline in revenues partially offset by the increase in gross margin. Our EBIT margin was down at 19.7% (20.7%). We posted a net profit for the nine months of CHF 52.0 million, up 33.5% from CHF 39.0 million last year. This reflects a non-recurring positive tax impact of CHF 14.0 million from the sale of technical IP from LEM Intellectual Property SA based in Fribourg to LEM International SA based in Geneva and to LEM China. The net profit margin thereby increased to 22.1% compared with 15.9%. Excluding this tax impact, net profit would have slightly reduced to CHF 38.0 million, while the net profit margin would have improved to 16.1%. Outlook unchanges The economic environment remains challenging and will continue to impact LEM's top line sales performance for the coming months. We confirm our expectation for the second half of 2019/20 to be in line with our sales performance in the same period of last year, although there may be some impact in Q4 due to the coronavirus. For the full financial year 2019/20, the company reiterates its guidance for sales of around CHF 310 million compared with CHF 321.6 million for last year, and for its underlying EBIT margin to remain close to 20%. This excludes a one-off charge of CHF 1.5 million for restructuring at the Geneva HQ, which was announced on 23 January 2020. Webcast and conference call Frank Rehfeld, CEO, and Andrea Borla, CFO, will provide a detailed presentation of the 9 months 2019/20 results today at 10:00 am CET at a media and investor community webcast and conference call. Listen to live webcast https://87399.choruscall.eu/links/lem200131.html The webcast slides are available in the Investor Relations section of the LEM website (www.lem.com/en/investors), where the webcast will later also be archived. Dial-In Numbers Switzerland & Europe: +41 (0) 58 310 50 00 UK: +44 (0) 207 107 06 13 USA: +1 (1) 631 570 56 13 Other countries: https://media.choruscall.ch/documents/Attended_DI_numbers.pdf Financial calendar The financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March 19 May 2020 9 June 2020 16 June 2020 18 June 2020 29 July 2020 3 November 2020 Full year results 2019/20 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders for the financial year 2019/20 Dividend ex-date Dividend payment date First quarter results 2020/21 Half year results 2020/21 LEM - Life Energy Motion A leading company in electrical measurement, LEM engineers the best solutions for energy and mobility, ensuring that our customers' systems are optimized, reliable and safe. Our 1,500 people in over 15 countries transform technology potential into powerful answers. We develop and recruit the best global talent, working at the forefront of mega trends such as renewable energy, mobility, automation and digitization. With innovative electrical solutions, we are helping our customers and society accelerate the transition to a sustainable future. Listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1986, the company's ticker symbol is LEHN. www.lem.com Contact: Investment community Andrea Borla, Chief Financial Officer Phone: +41 22 706 1250 Email: investor@lem.com Contact: Media Cabinet Prive de Conseils s.a. (CPC) Nick Miles, miles@cpc-pr.com, direct +41 22 552 46 26, mobile +41 79 678 76 26 Michael Fuglister, fuglister@cpc-pr.com, direct +41 22 552 46 29, mobile +41 78 839 07 62 F&G puts down another lion HAILEY The Idaho Department of Fish and Game put down another mountain lion Thursday. Fish and Game officers initially attempted to scare off the lion using rubber buck shot, but the lion did not leave town. According to a Fish and Game press release, euthanizing the lion became necessary for the sake of public safety. The lion was near houses and public schools. We became aware of the mountain lion from a Facebook video that was posted earlier today, Idaho Fish and Game Regional Supervisor Craig White said. Knowing that there was a lion in close proximity to local schools, especially as schools were releasing students this afternoon, was very concerning to us. There have been more than 60 reported mountain lion sightings in the Wood River Valley since Dec. 5. That many sightings is unusual, and concerning to Fish and Game officials. The reports indicate that the lions are not displaying what we could call normal behavior, White said. Lions are typically shy and active at night, but reports such as we had today are of lions that are active during the day. That is not the desired cat behavior. Fish and Game asks citizens to report mountain lion sightings to the Magic Valley Regional Office at 208-324-4359. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 3 Knowing Andrew Wheeler, Trumps pick to head the EPA, thats not surprising. Wheeler is an attorney who represented coal magnate Robert E. Murray and lobbied against the Barack Obama Administrations environmental regulations. Hes a climate-change denier and according to his biography in Wikipedia, a critic of limits on greenhouse gas emissions and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In other words, the EPA is run by a man whos bought and paid for by the biggest polluters. I wonder what planet he thinks his grandchildren will live on once this one is destroyed? Not only is there constant bickering in the nations capital, but its also rampant in the state legislature. Although a large majority of Wisconsinites support sensible gun regulations, state Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald refuses to let the bills come up for a vote. Hes doing the same thing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is doing in Washington refusing to let any bills come up for a vote that he doesnt like. Neither of them has any interest in the concept of democracy or that a democracy is government run for the people, by the people. New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a review petition filed by one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. A three-judge bench of the apex court presided by Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Banumathi and A.S. Bopanna dismissed the plea filed by convict Pawan Gupta following an in-chamber hearing. The court observed that the issue on the juvenility of Nirbhaya case convict Pawan Gupta has already been decided by courts, and queried his counsel, "How many times will we hear the same things? You have raised it already many times." Gupta had moved the top court challenging the Delhi High Court order declining to entertain his plea that he was a juvenile when the offence was committed. A Juvenile Board in January 2013 had declared that Gupta was not a juvenile when he committed the offence. Gupta's counsel argued the prosecution deliberately concealed that he was a juvenile. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the prosecution has consistently maintained that the convict was not a juvenile when the offence was committed. "Birth certificate of Pawan Kumar has been filed on record. The parents have confirmed the age of their wards and never disputed the age at the time of the commission of the offence," said Mehta. Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Friday reserved its order on the application seeking a stay on the execution of the death sentence awarded to the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana reserved the order on two applications moved by the convicts' lawyers A.P. Singh and Vrinda Grover. The 23-year-old woman was brutally gangraped and tortured on December 16, 2012, which later led to her death. All the six accused were arrested and charged with sexual assault and murder. One of the accused was a minor and appeared before a juvenile justice court, while another accused committed suicide in Tihar Jail. Four of the convicts were sentenced to death by a trial court in September 2013, and the verdict was confirmed by the Delhi High Court in March 2014 and upheld by the Supreme Court in May 2017, which also dismissed their review petition in July 2018. Three Nigerians Sneaked Into A Ship At Apapa Wharf Lagos, Thinking The Ship Is Heading To Spain Only For Them To Find Themselves In Ghana Three Nigerian guys have been by the Tema Port Authorities in a failed stowaway attempt to Spain. The 3 guys, Isaac Daniel 32, Stephen Nuta 28 and Kelvin Popoola 26 are currently in police custody following their arrest. They outsmarted port security in Apapa Port, Nigeria and sneaked onboard the vessel MV Unity, with the conviction that the vessel was headed towards Spain. Share this: Three unidentified militants travelling in a truck towards Srinagar were killed in an encounter with security forces at a toll plaza in Nagrota near Jammu on Friday morning. A policeman was also injured after the militants opened fire at the security team when the truck was stopped at around 5 am for a security check at Ban toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar national highway, police said. Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh while confirming the killing of three militants in the shootout said, "One terrorist was killed in the morning. Two others were neutralized in the adjoining forest area. Their bodies are being brought up to the road." He said four to five terrorists were believed to be in the truck. "It is suspected that they might have infiltrated from Hiranagar sector in Kathua district." Inspector general of police (IGP), Jammu, Mukesh Singh said the slain militants were most likely foreigners. "We have arrested a truck helper and recovered an AK 47 rifle, magazines and grenades from the truck," he told reporters. Reports said combing operations are going on in the area, which is not far from 16 Corps headquarters of the Army. Traffic has been suspended on the highway while authorities also ordered the closure of all schools today in Udhampur district as a precautionary measure. This is the first major encounter in Jammu region after the Sunjuwan military station attack on 10 February 2018. Six soldiers, three attackers and one civilian were killed while 20 others including 14 soldiers, five women and children were injured when Jaish-e-Mohammed fidayeen attacked the camp. Earlier in November 2016 seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed when terrorists dressed as policemen stormed a military camp in Nagrota. The Ministry of Finance has created an investment mechanism to help drive investment into the country from the Diaspora. Known as the 'Africa Sankofa Account or the Diaspora Savings and Investment Account,' the interest accruing banking product is targeted at Africans living abroad, who desire to invest in the Ghanaian economy. The ministry is collaborating with universal banks to market the product targeted at institutional and retail investors in the diaspora, raking in about $3 billion. Announcement The Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, who announced the initiative at a media briefing in Accra yesterday, said the account was would be operational within the next three months. The minister said MoF would engage the Bank of Ghana and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) to fine-tune how to create the instrument to draw in the funds and how to get the retail impact of the investment account. Mr Ofori-Atta said through the initiative, the government was creating a favourable environment for Africans in the diaspora to make investment contributions into the economy. He said the account, when fully operational, would help ease the integration of the global African family abroad into the society and put Ghana on the map as the preferred investment destination. This is to encourage the diaspora to see themselves as Ghanaians when conducting business in Ghana or buying a land," Mr Ofori-Atta said. Remittances The desire to invest into the economy by Africans in the diaspora, according to the minister, was evident in the volume of remittance transactions that had been recorded over the past few years. For instance, he said, remittances from the diaspora into the country had been rising from $2.4 billion in 2017 to $2.5 billion in 2018. The amount, he said, was expected to hit $3.2 billion when data from the final quarter of 2019 was released. Although banks have such diaspora and offshore accounts through which Ghanaians abroad and other investors channel their funds, this is the first time the government was taking advantage of the large pool of investable funds offshore that could be harnessed for long-term development. Investment agenda The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, for her part, said the investment product was in line with the Beyond the Return initiative that was launched by President Nana Akufo-Addo last week, following the successful celebration of the Year of Return initiative. She said the focus of the Beyond the Return initiative was the help drive investments from the diaspora into the country to help boost the economy. Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said many people the ministry had engaged so far were interested in making some investment commitments in the country, hence the importance of the Sankofa Account. The account provides an opportunity for even those with limited funds to invest in the country, the minister said. She, however, advised the private sector to desist from exploiting the diasporan community who had made a birthright journey home. Source: Graphic.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 Public safety officials say South Dakota may have recorded its lowest number of traffic deaths in state history. So far, 102 traffic fatalities have been recorded for 2019, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said. Since the department began keeping records in 1947, the previous low was 111 fatalities in 2011. Department of Public Safety Secretary Craig Price announced the preliminary numbers during a presentation at the House Transportation Committee meeting. While the final numbers may still change, officials believe 2019 will set a new record low. Price said officials are encouraged to see that their safety measures and enforcement efforts are having a big impact across South Dakota. But Price says even one roadway death is too many, and that officials will continue working to drive the number of road deaths down. Price says South Dakotas safety efforts are being helped by the public making better driving choices coupled with enhanced vehicle safety and road designs. In 2018, South Dakota recorded 130 fatalities. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics South Dakota Asha Devi, mother of the 2012 Delhi gang rape victim, broke into tears after a Delhi court on Friday stayed till further orders, the execution of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1. Asha Devi said the convicts' lawyer challenged her in court premises and said the convicts will never be executed. "I am not pained at the fact that execution has been postponed but I am pained at the fact that the lawyer of the convicts A P Singh has challenged me saying that the convicts will never be executed, this is the most painful thing," said Asha Devi. She also said that the justice system of the country has loopholes and that the system needs rethinking. "I have been sitting here since 10 am in the hope that we will get justice. The government and the lawyers are giving the convicts chances to take advantage of the loopholes in the system. "All I would like to say is that it is because of the loopholes in the system that the convicts' lawyer was able to challenge me in the court premises. The courts now have to ponder over it. "This is what the convicts wanted, they wanted their hanging to be postponed for an indefinite period," she said. She reiterated that she will continue her fight until she gets justice and said, "I will continue my fight. The government will have to execute the convicts." Advocate Seema Kushwaha, representing the victim's side, said, "The hanging has been postponed not dismissed, they will have to be executed. I am disappointed but I have not lost hope and I will make sure that they are hanged." Kushwaha further added that the judicial system now needs reform. "I am unable to understand why is the judiciary giving them relief? The judicial and police system needs reforms," she added. The case pertains to the gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later.One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari and Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 14:21 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e53fb 1 World coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-lockdown,Foreign-Ministry,health-ministry,Indonesia,China Free Jakarta is accelerating efforts to evacuate Indonesian citizens from China's Hubei province -- the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak -- as Indonesian diplomats in Beijing scramble to ensure that the citizens awaiting rescue can be airlifted soon to return home. Although Indonesia has yet to set a specific time frame for the repatriation, the Foreign Ministrys acting spokesperson, Teuku Faizasyah, assured that the government had formed teams and delegated tasks to ensure immediate evacuations in the virus-hit Hubei. He said a team from the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing had been dispatched to virus-affected areas in the Chinese province, including the city of Wuhan, to spearhead coordination with Indonesian citizens and prepare all technical details regarding the evacuation plan. "We have received reports that they [the diplomats] will soon reach Wuhan," Faizasyah said, "The team will prepare everything on the field to ensure than when [Indonesian] aircrafts enter Wuhan, the [Indonesians in Hubei] will have already gathered and be ready to be sent home to Indonesia." Read also: Indonesia to repatriate nationals from epicenter of coronavirus outbreak Faizasyah said the scheme of the evacuations the schedule of which was still awaiting confirmation from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo -- would be efficient and effective. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi summoned Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian in Jakarta on Friday, during which she delivered Jakarta's expectation for Beijing to support the evacuation process for Indonesians trapped in Hubei, Faizasyah said. According to ministry data, there are 243 Indonesians residing in Hubei. Some 100 of them are in Wuhan, the ground zero of the coronavirus, which as of Friday has killed 213 and infected nearly 10,000 in mainland China. Wuhan is the first among at least 13 cities in Hubei on lock down by Chinese authorities to contain the outbreak. People living in the city had stockpiled food supplies since the coronavirus was first identified on Dec. 31 as most food stalls and supermarkets were closed in the following days. The prices of commodities have increased and the roads are unusually quiet around the clock. Read also: Relatives anxiously await return of Indonesians trapped in coronavirus epicenter As of Friday, no Indonesians in Hubei have been suspected of having caught the deadly virus. Faizasyah added that the Health Ministry would also assist in the evacuation process. The Foreign Ministrys director for the protection of Indonesian citizens, Judha Nugraha, said the ministry would help Indonesians in Hubei maintain their stamina and mental health. The ministry has prepared psychologists to provide counseling to our citizens while they await the evacuation process to begin, Yudha said, adding that some Indonesians had already undergone counseling. The Indonesian Air Force has kept three aircraft and health personnel on standby to evacuate Indonesian nationals from Wuhan. The aircraft two Boeing 737s and an Indonesian Military C-130 Hercules would be able to carry more than 200 people. Britain's press watchdog has rejected Prince Harry's complaint about an article published in a tabloid newspaper which said that the wild animals pictured in photos which were posted on Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official Instagram account were drugged and tied up. The grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Harry had posted pictures that were taken in African Wildlife on Instagram to mark Earth Day in an account with 5.6 million followers. However, The Mail on Sunday newspaper had reported in April last year that those photos failed to reveal the full story. The report further added that animals had been tranquilised and while referring to the picture of an elephant, Malawi had been edited to hide the rope around its hind legs. According to international reports, the headline of the tabloid article had read, 'Drugged and tethered...what Harry didnt tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos.' Read - Prince Harry Doppelganger Spotted In Ad For Handyman, Netizens React IPSO's rejection However, the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) did not uphold the complaint by Prince Harry who had argued that the article was inaccurate as it indicated towards the intentional misleading of the public and give the impression that he was a superior wildlife photographer who had captured the images in dangerous circumstances. But, the publication denied that the article was inaccurate as it explained the circumstances in which the photos were captured. Duke of Sussex v Mail on Sunday: Complaint not upheld https://t.co/qw3D163yBe pic.twitter.com/LXbRFvbuwf IPSO (@IpsoNews) January 30, 2020 Read - Princess Eugenie And Beatrice Could Take Over Prince Harry And Meghan's Royal Roles IPSO said in its official release, The Committee considered that it was not clear from the images themselves that the animals had been tranquilised and tethered. The photograph of the elephant had been cropped to edit out the animal's tethered leg; the publication had demonstrated that the photograph could have been edited differently and the complainant accepted that the album could have been uploaded in a different format. While Prince Harry complained against the tabloid article, his wife, Meghan Markle is suing The Mail on February 2 over its publication of a private letter that she had sent to her father Thomas Markle. Meanwhile, Prince Harry has accused some newspapers of bullying his wife in the same way they had treated his mother, Princess Diana who was killed in a car crash in 1997. Read - Meghan, Prince Harry 'should Return' $6.5 Million To Taxpayers, Demand Activists Read - Meghan Markles Father Claims His Daughter, Prince Harry Stepped Down for Money Christmas Island is one of the more physically beautiful places on Earth, but there seems no end to the indignities visited upon it and its people. The sudden proposal this week by the Morrison government to use its massively expensive and all-but empty immigration detention centre to quarantine Australians evacuated from coronavirus-struck China is merely the latest in 120 years of impositions upon those who live on the island. Christmas Island. It comes just as the islands leaders are trying to bury its reputation as an asylum seekers prison and instead attract tourists by boosting its credentials as an environmental paradise filled with attractions like millions of red crabs, magnificent diving and flocks of seabirds. Tourist dollars are sorely needed to replace lost revenue opportunities since the federal government refused permission in 2018 for the Christmas Island phosphate mining company to expand its operations. Nutriendo is a charitable organization dedicated to offering health and nutrition programs to the children of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Founded by the engineer and businessman Mario Lozano Gonzalez, Nutriendo began in 1985 with 15 informal breakfast centers in the region. Today, Nutriendo feeds more than 1,500 children every week. Through his foundation, the Pablo Landsmanas Foundation (named for his grandfather), Jack Landsmanas reaches out to help people who live in situations of food insecurity. As part of this philanthropic work, Landsmanas Stern has made a sizable donation in support of the work of Nutriendo - a charity that feeds low-income children. "It is important to me to support an organization like Nutriendo that does good for the world, especially children," CEO of Corporativo Kosmos Jack Landsmanas said. "Through our foundation we supervise a network of companies that provide food to more than three million Mexicans everyday. The availability of food is something I am extremely passionate about." Both Nutriendo and Mr. Jack Landsmanas Stern recognize that good nutrition helps support physical and mental development in children as they grow and attend school. Seeing that the development of many children in the area has been affected by a lack of nutritious food, the organization now runs a series of kitchens and feeding centers in churches and schools. In 2014, Nutriendo also added to their work by beginning to offer informational workshops for the parents and families of children. These workshops teach on issues of nutrition, health, hygiene, human development and self-esteem. In this way, Nutriendo strengthens the participation and buy-in of parents in the program. Nutriendo's mission is to combat poverty, generate wealth for the Mexican people, and support the development of Mexican children, and are dedicated to impacting the lives of children throughout their communities to combat childhood malnutrition in marginalized communities. The funds that Landsmanan Stern has donated to the charity will help Nutriendo in their mission to provide healthy food. In this way, Landsmanan Stern and Nutriendo are working together to make Mexico a better place. About Jack Landsmanas Stern: Jack Landsmanas Stern is an influential businessman and philanthropist who currently serves as CEO of the leading Mexican food industry company, Corporativo Kosmos. As head of Corporativo Kosmos, Landsmanas Stern oversees an enormously complex operation that is responsible for providing meals to regions throughout Mexico. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Jack Landsmanas Stern Related Links https://www.jacklandsmanasstern.mx Indian Oil Corp, the country's top refiner, will invest $1.94 billion to expand the capacity of its Barauni refinery in eastern Bihar state by 50 per cent to 180,000 barrels per day by April 2023, the company said on Friday. The state-run company is raising its refining capacity to meet growing demand for petroleum products in the country. India has emerged as a bright spot for refined fuel demand. Refined fuel consumption - a proxy for oil demand - in the December quarter rose 2.6 per cent from a year earlier. India's oil demand growth is set to overtake China by ... Donald Trump's aides are planning a State of the Union address for next Tuesday that will focus on the prosperity he's brought to the country and not on the elephant in the room: impeachment. The speech will be a boon for his re-election bid, advisers told Politico, and tout the same items the president speaks about in his campaign rallies: strong economy, low unemployment numbers and his USMCA trade pact. Trump will not even mention the i-word: impeachment. 'I don't see it happening,' one senior White House official told the news website. 'There's always an expectation that he can't rise to the occasion, or that he will make an off-the-cuff remark or do something that takes away from the moment,' the official added, 'but those predictions are always wrong and they will be this year, too.' Donald Trump's aides are planning a State of the Union address that will focus on prosperity and not on impeachment White House adviser Stephen Miller taking lead on writing speech Stephen Miller, Trump's controversial aide who has pushed the administration's policy to crack down on immigration, is working on the speech with White House speechwriters. They started their first draft when the president returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos. The speech comes the day after the Iowa caucuses, which is the first contest in the Democratic president nomination contest. Some of Trump's 2020 rivals - Senators Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet - will be in the room when the president speaks. President Trump will make his remarks in the House chamber, where, in December, Democrats voted for two articles of impeachment against him. Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be seated behind him on the House dais and before will be the senators who decided his fate, the House managers who prosecuted him and the Republicans who defended him. Chief Justice John Roberts, who presides over the Senate impeachment trial, is also expected to be there. It's unclear if the verdict will be hanging over his head when Trump begins to speak Tuesday evening. The Senate is in the final stages of the trial and while acquittal is all but a foregone conclusion what his unclear is when the final vote will take place. On Friday, the Senate will vote on whether to call more witnesses. Republicans have enough votes to stop Democrats' efforts to subpoena former National Security Adviser John Bolton. Republican Senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney said they will cross the aisle and vote with Democrats. But the two Republican senators who were question marks - Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski - said they are no votes. President Trump - seen with Vice President Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi at last year's address - will give his State of the Union address in the same chamber House Democrats voted for two articles of impeachment Trump's speech this year is expected to be a boon to his re-election campaign After the witness vote is decided, the Senate will consider their verdict on the president. Both sides - the Democratic House managers and the president's legal team - want more time to make their closing arguments. With the Iowa caucuses on Monday and the State of the Union Address on Tuesday, lawmakers expect the trial to drift into next week. 'It's probably going to drift a little bit,' said Republican Senator John Thune, a member of the GOP leadership. 'May well into next week.' Senator John Cornyn, a fellow Republican, agreed it could go past Friday. 'My guess is it probably is going to carry us over to the first part of next week, but obviously we have the Iowa caucuses on February the 3rd, and we have the State of the Union the next day,' he said. 'So I think for all sorts of reasons, it's probably a good idea to bring this thing to a close in the near future.' Vietnam is expected to post a $100 million deficit in January after six consecutive months of trade surpluses. The General Statistics Office (GSO) estimates export turnover in January at $19 billion, down 14.3 percent year-on-year, and imports down 11.3 percent to $19.1 billion. The export of some products has dropped sharply in January, with textiles and garments slumping 21 percent year-on-year to $2.6 billion, followed by phones and components, down 22.4 percent to $2.6 billion, and footwear, down 9.7 percent to $1.6 billion. However, this was partially offset by smaller increases in exports of electronics, computers and components, and wood related products. The U.S. continued to be Vietnams biggest export market with a turnover of $4.8 billion, down 7.6 percent year-on-year, followed by China, to which exports surged 32.8 percent to $3.7 billion. The EU, the ASEAN and Japan were Vietnams next biggest export markets in January. China was Vietnams largest source of imports, accounting for 32.5 percent of import turnover, followed by South Korea, ASEAN, Japan and the EU. Last year, Vietnam recorded a trade surplus of $11.12 billion, the highest trade surplus ever, up 62.9 percent over 2018, according to Vietnam Customs. As the first cases of coronavirus hit the UK, here's what is known about the outbreak Coronavirus has hit the UK, making England the 23rd nation to record a case of the deadly bug. Two members of a family have been diagnosed, Public Health England has revealed, but their location is being kept under wraps. Meanwhile 83 Brits are mid air, having been flown out of the Chinese city of Wuhan the sprawling metropolis in the central region of Hubei is home to 11 million people and has been at the centre of the outbreak since it was first recorded earlier this month. They are due to land at 1.30pm and will be quarantined for two weeks. To date, 213 have died, all of which have been in China, and the virus has now spread to every one of the nation's five regions, home to 1.4 billion people or about a sixth of the world's population. In total 56 million people have been quarantined - more than the entire population of England. Globally 9,000 cases have been reported, most of which have been confined to Hubei. Last night the World Health Organisation declared it an international public health emergency. While it is more widespread than respiratory condition SARS, which originated in China in 2002, it has killed less people. Some Britons in China who wanted to fly back to the UK were unable to get on the plane last night. Wuhan has severe travel restrictions, making it difficult to get to the airport. Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical officer for England, said: We can confirm that two patients in England, who are members of the same family, have tested positive for coronavirus. "The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. The NHS is extremely well-prepared and used to managing infections and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. "We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities. What is coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a type of viruses which includes SARS but also most respiratory problems including the common cold. The name stems from the Latin corona (crown) due to the appearance of the virus under a microscope. They are transmitted from animals, SARS coming from cats and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) from camels. This strain, officially named nCoV was discovered on January 7, and while little is known about it human-to-human transmission has occurred. It's not known for sure where it came from but Chinese authorities have pointed the finger at a seafood market in Wuhan where wildlife, including wolves, pangolins and porcupines, were illegally sold. Snakes and bats have both been suggested as the culprits. What are the symptoms? The symptoms include fevers, coughs and breathing difficulties but the virus can cause pneumonia, kidney failure and in severe cases death. The incubation period the length of time before symptoms show themselves could be as long as two weeks. How worried should we be? While it is more widespread than SARS which was eventually stopped by a similar process of isolating victims it is not yet as deadly. SARS killed 800 people, 300 in China. MERS killed 858 people in 2012, a third of all those who caught it. The most worrying thing is there is to date no cure for coronaviruses. Historically quarantining seems to have worked. So far it has spread to to many Asian countries, as well as Australia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. What is being done? A vaccine is being worked on with some saying it could be here by summer, which may seem like a long time but it took 20 months before a cure for SARS was ready for testing. In the meantime Wuhan has been sealed off and airports worldwide have employed screening measures. United Airlines and British Airways have halted all flights to China. - The WHO declares global health emergency over fast-spreading coronavirus which has now spread to at least 18 countries - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO expresses concerns about the virus spreading to countries with weaker health systems - The WHO chief discloses that coronavirus has so far infected more than 8,200 people across the world - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a global health emergency over the coronavirus which has killed at least 171 people in China and has now spread to at least 18 other countries. The declaration was made by Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO at the organisation's Geneva headquarters on Thursday, January 30, The BBC reports. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO disclosed that coronavirus has so far infected more than 8,200 people across the world. Source: UGC READ ALSO: China's richest man Jack Ma donates $14 million to scientists developing coronavirus vaccine "The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries," said WHO chief said. He expressed concerns about the virus spreading to countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with the disease. He commended the Chinese authorities for the extraordinary measures they have taken to prevent the virus from spreading. According to the CNBC, the Tedros disclosed that coronavirus has so far infected more than 8,200 people across the world. He said the global community must act together to stop the fast-spreading coronavirus. He urged the public to remain calm, saying the WHO wasn't recommending measures that unnecessarily interfere with international trade or travel. PAY ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana In another report, about four persons have been confirmed dead with not less than 15 others receiving treatment in the Oye-Obi in Obi local government area of Benue state. According to Andyson Egbodo, the new president of Igede national youths council, each of the deceased showed the same symptoms which are headache, internal heat, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach ache, weakness of the body and swollen stomach. Speaking on Wednesday, January 29, Egbodo said that a medical team has been sent to the local government area to tackle the disease and prevent its spread. Still on health, the Nigerian Senate has officially reacted to the spread of the deadly coronavirus globally. Senator Chukwuka Utazi representing Enugu North senatorial district on Thursday, January 30 moved a motion on the coronavirus outbreak and preventive response towards stemming its spread in Nigeria. READ ALSO: Apple reveals models of iPhone that are obsolete in 2020 The recommendations by the red chambers are to ensure that the viral coronavirus does not come into Nigeria. Similarly, the life-threatening spread of the dreaded epidemic, Coronavirus, the government of Russia has shut down its border with China. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin on Thursday, January 30, signed an order to immediately close the border between both nations, Euronews reports. Before the rather drastic decision was taken, Russian president Vladimir Putin has directed his officials to do whatever it takes to prevent the spread of the disease into the country. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: It is a plague sent by God to punish sinners - Rick Wiles Meanwhile, billionaire business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates has promised to donate 1.8 billion naira to help fight the spread of coronavirus in Africa. Gates through his foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said he would remit a total of 3.6 billion naira, which would be divided equally between China and Africa. The N1.8 billion allocated for Africa will be used to create centres for disease control and prevention for screening and crisis preparedness in countries that will be deemed to be at high risk of being infected with the dreaded virus. Faces of Ghana: Ghanas 1st Female Police Bemoans High Rate of Police Indiscipline | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Bawumia begs contractors, engineers to make Year of Roads a success Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh A Cork harpist will play outside the British Embassy in Dublin today to mark Brexit day. The harpist, Ruth Mc Donnell, said she wanted to show her "sadness" at the UK's decision to leave the European Union and thought playing the 'The Parting of Companions- Scaruint na gCompanach' was an appropriate gesture. "I am playing my harp outside the Embassy to express my sadness at the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and to wish them well for the future," Ruth said. I remember well when Ireland and the UK joined the EEC and today, as a musician, this is my way of marking the parting of ways. "The Irish phrase ar scath a cheile a mhaireann na daoine we live in the shadow of each other captures how interdependent we are and how we need to pull together to solve the many world challenges that we face today. That is the beauty of the European Union. It has delivered enduring peace for all its members." Ruth is from Dublin but has lived in Cork for 33 years. As a student, she played the harp at Knappogue Castle in Co Clare and has performed in Europe and Asia. She has always had an interest in European affairs and studied on European Integration at the College of Europe in Brugges, Belgium in the early 1980s at a postgraduate level. She is the former Head of Media and PR at University College Cork. Chinese authorities confirmed Thursday a Vietnamese woman in Jiangxi Province has tested positive for the new coronavirus that has killed 213 people. Gieng Thi Mui, 30, of the southern province of Dong Nai, tested positive on Wednesday. The Foreign Service of Jiangxi said in a notice it sent to the Vietnamese embassy in Beijing that she is now quarantined at a local hospital and is in stable condition, Vietnam News Agency reported. Mui is married to a Chinese man and lives with him in Jinzhou City in Jiangxi, which is one of 31 provinces and cities in China placed under lockdown to contain the epidemic. All 31 direct jurisdictions in mainland China have reported cases of infection. The virus (nCoV) has spread to Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Canada, Vietnam, the UAE, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and the Philippines. Chinese authorities said 213 people have died as of Friday morning out of more than 9,600 confirmed cases of the disease. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said an animal appears to be the most likely primary source of the virus. China says the virus could have come from a market in Wuhan where wildlife was traded illegally. WHO declared a global public health emergency on Thursday. As of Thursday afternoon Vietnam had five cases of infection, three Vietnamese and two Chinese nationals. The Vietnamese government has deployed various measures to prevent outbreaks, including suspending all flights to and from epidemic-hit areas in China and suspending visas to visitors from those areas. As of Friday Vietnam had 97 suspected cases with signs of fever and cough. Of them, 32 are in quarantine pending test results. The Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the three terrorists Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists killed in an encounter on Jammu-Srinagar Highway on Friday had Improvised Explosive Device (IED) ready to be used around Nagrota through a third person in a few days. "Recovered from 3 Slain Pakistan terrorists of JeM today (January 31). They had an IED ready to be used around Nagrota through some third person in a few days. They had dumped it at a convenient location on Jammu-Srinagar Highway," the Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted. The police stated that huge quantities of sophisticated arms, ammunition and communication equipment were recovered. The recovery includes AK rifles, pistols and armoured piercing steel core ammunition which can go through Level 3 protection bulletproof vehicles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: Representatives of Azerbaijans Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have taken part in the 12th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation in Kyiv, as well as in a round table meeting organized as part of the event, Trend reports referring to the Agency. Speaking at the event and as part of the round table meeting, Chairman of the Agencys Board Orkhan Mammadov emphasized the great potential of both countries in the field of SMEs, and also noted the important role of various events in expanding ties among SME entities. Mammadov informed the participants about the state support being provided to the development of the SMEs sector, the Agencys activities in this direction. The Agency representatives also made proposals to identify areas of cooperation in order to develop ties between the two countries in the field of SMEs, to create an Azerbaijan-Ukrainian business council to establish close ties among entrepreneurs, to establish active ties among business associations, to study Ukraines experience in cooperation between the state and the private sector and to create joint ventures. As part of the 12th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation, the Agency and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. In order to expand cooperation among SME entities, the document signed by Orkhan Mammadov and President of the Chamber Gennadiy Chyzhykov reflects issues related to the exchange of information and experience, as well as organization of joint events. President Donald Trumps impeachment trial now appears very likely to end without witnesses, the first impeachment trial in American history with no witnesses called. While this outcome may have seemed like a certainty at least since Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised in December that he would be running the trial in coordination with Trumps defense team, it took a somewhat winding series of predictable but effective procedural maneuvers on the part of McConnell and the acceptance by Republican senators of perhaps the most brassy legal defense in history. Advertisement The presidents defense team began its case in earnest on Monday with a presentation from Ken Starr. The former independent counsel was the face of an impeachment of Bill Clinton that had less support in the House of Representatives and in public opinion polls than the impeachment of Donald Trump has now. Despite that fact, Starr somehow managed to argue that impeachments had become too partisan and were happening too often these days without being laughed off of the Senate floor. The Trump defense only devolved from there. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The presidents legal team argued simultaneously that the president wasnt guilty of abuse of power and that the Senate didnt need to call more fact witnesses because even if he were guilty of everything the House charged him withextorting a foreign ally by withholding security assistance to get them to smear a political rivalthat it would not rise to an impeachable offense. On Wednesday, Alan Dershowitz argued that if a president commits such abuses while acting in his own electoral interest, he is acting in what he perceives to be the national interest and thus cannot be guilty of high crimes, a proposition so nutty that even other members of the Trump team had to walk the theory back as radical. Advertisement Advertisement As bizarre as Dershowitzs defense was, it wasnt the most novel and astonishing one presented at this trialWhite House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney had essentially made the same argument in an October press conference when he said that quid pro quos happen all the time and that people needed to get over it. So while it may have been absurd to argue that people just needed to get used to Trump committing bribery, it was not necessarily new. Advertisement Instead, while Dershowitz got most of the attention, the most unhinged and innovative legal theory presented at Trumps trial came from the previously little-known Patrick F. Philbin, who told the Senate that not only were Trumps actions OK, but there is no legitimate mechanism to even investigate a corrupt president. Philbin was addressing the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress, and his principal argument to the Senate was that the House must exhaust all efforts to enforce its subpoenas in the courts before it can impeach the president. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If they think they can sue, they have to take that step, Philbin argued on Wednesday. If they think that the courts can resolve that dispute, thats the next step. They should do that and have that litigated and then things can proceed to a higher level of confrontation. But to jump straight to impeachment, to the ultimate constitutional confrontation, doesnt make sense, its not the system that the constitution requires, and it is unprecedented in this case. The trouble with Philbin making that procedural argument on behalf of Donald Trump, however, is that the Trump Department of Justice was simultaneously arguing in court the exact oppositethat courts have no place in enforcing congressional subpoenas and if Congress wants to enforce its subpoenas, one remedy at its disposal is impeachment. Rep. Adam Schiff, the Houses lead impeachment manager, pointed this out on Thursday: Today while weve been debating whether a president can be impeached for essentially bogus claims of privilege, for attempting to use the courts to cover up misconduct, the Justice Department, in resisting House subpoenas, is in court today and was asked [] if the Congress cant enforce its subpoenas in court, then what remedy is there? And the Justice Departments lawyers response is: impeachment. Impeachment! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Senate chamber broke into widespread laughter at the absurdity, for possibly the only time in the proceedings. Philbin later accused Schiff of misrepresenting what had happened in court, but the facts were against him. In court on Thursday, James Burnham, the lawyer arguing the case in questionan effort by the House Oversight Committee to enforce its subpoena of documents related to the Commerce Departments failed efforts to add a citizenship question to the 2020 censusacknowledged that the White House is arguing both sides in two different proceedings. We are hypocrites, I guess, Burnham said, to more reported laughter in the courtroom. Advertisement Philbin himself did even concede at one point to the Senate that the White House was busy arguing against the very subpoena power he was claiming the House should have used. That is our position and we would argue that in court, he said, but that is part of what would have to be litigated. Yes, they were arguing both sides of the question, but it was possible that they could have eventually lost one side, if the House had the patience for it. Advertisement Theres a legal solution for that sort of hypocrisy, when a party in a legal proceeding takes a position in that proceeding that contradicts an argument theyve made in past proceedings. Its called judicial estoppel and it is supposed to result in the side making the contradictory claims losing. In Trumps impeachment trial, instead, the U.S. Senate and the Republican Party appear poised to ensure that, one way or another, Trumps argument that he cant be investigated by Congress will win the day. It will then be up to the courts to decide if Trump is truly and fully above the law. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Indonesia has deported an American journalist working for a website that reported on sensitive environmental issues in the Southeast Asian archipelago over an alleged visa violation, his employer said Friday. Philip Jacobson, 30, was initially detained last month after attending a hearing in Borneo involving the local parliament and the Indigenous Peoples Alliance of the Archipelago, Indonesia's largest indigenous rights advocacy group. He was later arrested and told he faced up to five years in prison for visiting the country with the wrong visa in a case that drew international headlines. Jacobson had travelled to Indonesia on a business visa, according to his employer Mongabay. On Friday, Mongabay said Jacobson had been sent to the capital Jakarta and was then put on a flight to the United States. "Before departure, he was informed that the charges against him had been formally dropped," the website said, adding that Jacobson had been "temporarily blacklisted" by the country. Indonesia's immigration department could not be immediately reached for comment. Earlier, officials in Borneo disputed claims the arrest was linked to Jacobson's involvement in sensitive stories about Indonesia's myriad environmental and corruption woes. Jacobson had repeatedly entered and left Indonesia on a non-journalist visa, they said. Earlier, the US State Department said it had been in "frequent communication" with Jacobson. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Kim Bo-eun The Financial Supervisory Service's headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul / Korea Times file In 2009 Manuel Llobet was appointed CEO of Allergy Therapeutics plc (LON:AGY). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. And finally - as a second measure of performance - we will look at the returns shareholders have received over the last few years. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid. View our latest analysis for Allergy Therapeutics How Does Manuel Llobet's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Allergy Therapeutics plc has a market capitalization of UK73m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK557k over the year to June 2019. We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at UK295k. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations under UK153m, and the median CEO total compensation was UK250k. As you can see, Manuel Llobet is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean Allergy Therapeutics plc is paying too much. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. You can see a visual representation of the CEO compensation at Allergy Therapeutics, below. AIM:AGY CEO Compensation, January 31st 2020 Is Allergy Therapeutics plc Growing? Allergy Therapeutics plc has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 64% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 7.9% over last year. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. It's nice to see a little revenue growth, as this is consistent with healthy business conditions. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Has Allergy Therapeutics plc Been A Good Investment? Story continues Given the total loss of 56% over three years, many shareholders in Allergy Therapeutics plc are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously. In Summary... We examined the amount Allergy Therapeutics plc pays its CEO, and compared it to the amount paid by similar sized companies. Our data suggests that it pays above the median CEO pay within that group. However, the earnings per share growth over three years is certainly impressive. On the other hand returns to investors over the same period have probably disappointed many. While EPS is positive, we'd say shareholders would want better returns before the CEO is paid much more. Shareholders may want to check for free if Allergy Therapeutics insiders are buying or selling shares. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. The leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Kofi Akpaloo almost fought with the General Secretary of All Peoples Congress (APC), Mordechai Thiombiano Lompo at a meeting between the Electoral Commission, its Eminent Advisory Committee and the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) over the Commission's decision to compile a voters' register. The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as General Mosquito in an interview on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme, Thursday after the IPAC meeting, confirmed the brawl and added that but for the timely intervention of Archbishop Palmer-Buckle, Kofi Akpaloo would have hit Mordecai with a chair. According to him, the APC General Secretary was trying to stop Kofi Akpaloo from recording proceedings at the meeting; something which is against the standing orders of IPAC. However, the LPG leader resisted, leading to the scuffle. Listen to the interview below Meanwhile, Kofi Akpaloo has denied engaging in any scuffle.In an interview on the same platform, he said it was Hasan Ayariga of the APC who rather created confusion at the meeting. 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 Less than a week after news surfaced that a no-show contractor will go to jail for his role in a wide-ranging kickback scheme in Orange, the mayor appears to have broken ties with a longtime political ally who was named a person of interest in the FBI probe into the scheme. Tyshammie Cooper, a Democrat and Essex County Freeholder who has worked as Mayor Dwayne Warrens chief of staff in Orange since 2012, was seen leaving city hall Thursday carting boxes out of her office, witnesses told NJ Advance Media. Her abrupt exit came after heated conversations in city hall, they said. Cooper will no longer be actively serving in the chief of staff role, a source confirmed. Cooper did not respond to a call and email seeking comment. A spokesman for the mayor declined to comment on Coopers employment status, citing employee privacy. Warren, a Democrat, has worked to distance himself from a federal investigation into his city that stretches back to FBI raids of the public library and city hall in 2016 and 2017. Hes currently serving his second term as mayor, which is up this year. The mayor has made no formal announcement of his intentions for seeking reelection, a spokesman said. But, the city clerks office confirms Warren, and six others, have picked up petitions to run for the seat in May. Candidates seeking the office must file signed petitions with the clerks office by March 9 in order to run. Earlier this month, Franklyn Ore, 51, pleaded guilty to fraud, misapplying funds, and conspiracy, for his role in the scheme. According to court documents, he admitted to receiving payments for phony services he never actually performed in the city, including pretending to run a literacy program for underserved children at the public library. He faces 10 to 20 years in prison, as well as restitution of $44,800, and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced on April 20. According to the documents, Ore admitted to conspiring with city government officials in the scheme, but they are not identified. Along with Ore and other vendors, two city employees, Cooper, who made $109,000 a year as chief of staff, and former assistant business administrator Willis Edwards, were named in FBI search warrants served on the city. In 2018, Cooper was identified as a person of interest to investigators in a 2018 subpoena obtained by NJ Advance Media last year. 1. Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren speaks at an unrelated press conference (File photo) The break with Cooper is a change for Warren, an attorney and part-time mayor who has kept her on the payroll since 2016, when her name first appeared on FBI search warrants. That year, he told NJ Advance Media that an investigation would determine whether she and Edwards had engaged in any wrongdoing. The Constitution reminds us that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise, he said at the time. Warrens spokesman released a statement earlier this week in response to Ores plea deal. At the mayors direction, the city administration and city employees continue to cooperate with federal authorities in the ongoing investigation taking place in Orange. I have directed my administration to comply with all requests for information made by federal authorities during the course of this investigation and we will continue to do so. At this time we all must respect the federal investigative process and allow the authorities to do their job. Editors Note: This article was updated to reflect the correct month of the mayoral election. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday detained a man from Srinagar international airport soon after he arrived here on an Air India flight from Delhi, officials said. Mudasir Ahmad Teli, a resident of Habbakadal area of the city, is accused of posting objectionable content on social media platforms while he was away from Kashmir, the officials said. He was apprehended from the terminal building at the airport and taken to Humhama Police Station for questioning, they said. Further details are awaited. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a fairly turbulent week for telecoms, there has at least been one encouraging piece of telecommunications news: an education-linked story from Zimbabwe or rather from a Zimbabwean AI expert. William Sachiti, Zimbabwe-born CEO of UK-based technology institute the Academy of Robotics has published an open-source technology known as Trees of Knowledge to improve access to education through smartphones in Africa. This free-to-develop technology enables a tree or rural landmark to broadcast a WiFi connection, providing access to a pre-loaded package of educational content. The WiFi connection and content come from a micro-computer moulded into the landmark to protect it from theft or damage. Anyone within a (roughly) 100m radius can then access the content on any mobile device free of charge. Users can also charge their phone by plugging it into the accompanying solar-powered battery charging station. Nor is power an issue. The micro-computers will run on the power equivalent of a small rechargeable battery and can run for years without maintenance. All the user needs is a WiFi-enabled device such as a phone, tablet, laptop or computer. There is no need for the phone to be connected to a carrier or any network provider, removing the issue of expensive data charges. The technology uses a basic computer like the Raspberry Pi but its the smartphone that is the key. In a continent where millions of young people are out of school the rapid growth in smartphone adoption could offer an alternative source of education. The pre-loaded educational content is likely to be largely video-based and would be free to access by anyone at any time. While the system can work with existing educational content packages, ultimately Sachiti hopes that content can also come from local educators. Several people including Muslim women and students staged a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) here. The protest was organised by the Madurai Makkal organisation. Since December last year, demonstrations have been going on against the amended citizenship law in various parts of the country. The CAA grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists and Christians fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prince Harry's friend claims he has been "suffering". The 35-year-old prince and his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex announced earlier this month that they were to step back from royal duties and polo player Nacho Figueras has seen how hard the couple have found recent months. Speaking on ABC special 'Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan and the Crown', he said: "I spoke to Harry a few days ago. He has suffered a lot from all of things that have happened to him. He suffers a lot from people judging him." And Nacho can understand why Harry - who has eight-month-old son Archie with his wife - has made the decision he has and thinks his late mother, Princess Diana, would be "proud" of him. He said: "He's being a father... a guy who is trying to protect his cub and his lioness from whatever it takes. "He has become an incredible man, a man that his mother would be proud of." As well as putting his family first, Nacho believes the prince simply "wants to live a normal life" - even if it's not easy. He added: "As normal as his life is going to be, right? Because when you have 1,000 paparazzi outside your house in Canada waiting to get one picture of your son, that's not very, very normal." Harry recently admitted the decision to step out of royal life and spend half his time in North America with his family had brought him "great sadness". He said: "It brings me great sadness that it has come to this. "The decision that I have made for my wife and I to step back, is not one I made lightly. It was so many months of talks after so many years of challenges. "And I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option. "What I want to make clear is we're not walking away, and we certainly aren't walking away from you. "Our hope was to continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and my military associations, but without public funding. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. "When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing. You've looked out for me for so long, but the media is a powerful force, and my hope is one day our collective support for each other can be more powerful because this is so much bigger than just us." - The United States of America and Kenya are set to begin trade talks that would serve as a model for other African countries - This is the first time America is having such trade arrangements with a sub-Saharan African country - Kenya's cabinet is expected to approve the deal when it holds its meeting in a few days time Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in YEN.com.gh has learned that the United States of America (USA) and Kenya are ready to announce discussions on a free-trade agreement. The statement, scheduled to be released in a few days time, is set to be Americas first deal with a sub-Saharan country. Kenyas principal secretary for foreign affairs, Macharia Kamau, stated that the two countries expect real progress on the agreement by the third quarter of 2020, Bloomberg.com reports. Source: citizentv.co.ke Source: UGC READ ALSO: Boris Johnson states conditions for Huawei's entry in United Kingdom as Trump bans them USA is now focused on examining trade relationships with Africa, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK), after signing a trade pact with China. It also comes on the heels of the approval by Senate of the USA-Mexico-Canada agreement. It is expected that Kenyas cabinet would approve discussions on the deal with the USA in a few days time. In other news, a video of primary school children in a classroom with cement blocks as tables has surfaced online. In the video, some of the children can be seen placing exercise books on arranged cement blocks and writing in them. Others are however seen with proper desks of a table and chair while some of the blocks are arranged at the back of the classroom. The video, shared by Class91.3FM has since gone viral and attracted comments from social media users READ ALSO: Kenyan startup raises over GHc100 million in funds after massive support from Toyota Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana How convenient is it to use the new GHC 200 note at the market? | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh Silver Prepares For Next Leg Higher Following up on some of our recent metals research, we wanted to alert our friends and followers to the incredible opportunity that still exists in Silver. Weve highlighted two of our more recent articles for reference and review, below. Silver continues to be one of the most incredible opportunities for 2020 and Silver Miners (SIL) could explode to the upside as the price of Silver rallies to close the gap between the Gold to Silver ratio. Our researchers believe Silver is currently undervalued, compared to Gold, by at least 240%. Historically, the Gold to Silver ratio averages a 10+ year rotational range of between 63 to 67. This means that through both peaks and troughs, ranging from the high 80s to mid-90s to the low 30s to mid-40s, on average the middle price range level for this ratio is near 65. Currently, this Gold to Silver ratio is 88.4. Gold is currently trading at $1590 just below the recent peak near $1613. We believe that Gold will continue to rally higher, breaking the $1613 level, and continue higher targeting the $1750 level over the next few months. Eventually, within 2020, we believe Gold will continue to rally higher breaking the $2100 price level. This continued upside price action in Gold, while Silver has really yet to see any massive upside price movement, continues to create a massive price disparity between Gold and Silver which is highlighted in the Gold to Silver ratio. As Gold rallies, Silver must begin to move dramatically higher in order to close this price disparity between the value of Gold to Silver. Historically, we believe the rally in Silver will force the Gold to Silver Ratio to fall to near the 65 level. This would represent a massive 70% to 120%+ rally in the price of silver targeting $24.50 to 32.50. Gold and Silver Ratio Weekly Chart If the Gold to Silver Ratio falls below the 65 level and targets lower ratios, as has happened in the past, then Silver may rally as high as $45 to $55 per ounce while Gold stays below $1800. If Gold does rally above $2000, as we expect, the true potential for Silver experiencing a major price reversion event could be as high as $60+ per ounce. Please take a minute to read some of our previous research posts regarding the metals markets here: January 14, 2020: SILVER TRADERS BIG TREND ANALYSIS PART II December 30, 2019: METALS & MINERS PREPARE FOR AN EARLY 2020 LIFTOFF Daily Price Of Silver Chart This Daily Silver chart highlights what we believe will be the next move higher in Silver. The next upside price advance should target the $21 to $23 level as Silver attempts to revalue compared to the price of Gold. Near this $23 level, Silver should stall briefly before attempting to move much higher. The reality is that once this revaluation event begins to take place in Silver, we believe it will prompt an extended price rally that could last well into 2023-2024. Price of Silver Weekly Chart This Weekly Silver chart highlights our research teams expectations related to Silver over the next 6+ months. At first, we believe the $21 to $23 level will become the target. Then, a short period of price rotation will find support near $21 before another upside price leg pushes silver above $24. Remember, if Gold continues to rally higher, these expectations could extend 5% to 10% in size and scale. Silver Miners Sector ETF Weekly Chart Another key component of this move is the opportunity in Silver Miners. This SIL Weekly chart highlights the real potential for a 20% to 30% upside price rally related to the expected price revaluation/reversion event we have been describing for Silver. Miners are an excellent correlative component for skilled traders expecting a move like this in the metals market. Learn how we can help you find and execute better trades and turn the extreme volatility into solid profits. Read our research and see what our research team has been predicting over the past few months. We dedicate our efforts to helping you find great trades and helping you protect your assets. Join my Wealth Building Newsletter if you like what you read here and ride my coattails as I navigate these financial markets and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Immediately after Michael Bloomberg announced his entry into the presidential race, the dual charges rang out: The former New York City mayor is trying to buy the election. And the former New York City mayor appeals to no one. Neither of these assumptions is accurate. Bloomberg isnt trying to buy an election. Hes trying to buy your attention. And it appears hes having some success. Bloomberg has spent $270 million of his own money on ads thus far, and will be shelling out $11 million on a Super Bowl ad to air Sunday night. He currently finds himself as high as fourth place in recent national polls having appeared in zero debates, and having entered the race months or in some cases years (R.I.P. Delaney 2020) after some Democrats hes already outpacing. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Some skeptics have framed Bloombergs debate shutout as the billionaire purposefully carrying out a nefarious stratagem. But he hasnt participated in the Democratic debates because hes so rich that he doesnt have to hit up private citizens for their dollars, and hitting up private citizens for their dollars is a debate entry requirement, which seems like a flaw of the Democratic debate rules (which the DNC is apparently changing now). Beyond the critique that Bloombergs self-funding represents an improper method of running for the presidency, there is the further charge that Bloomberg has no reasonable case to make that either would appeal to the American people or should appeal to them. Bernie Sanders campaign is apparently brushing off the Bloomberg candidacy, dismissing the idea that Bloomberg has the constituency with which to draw enough support to win the nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Major Joe Biden supporters reportedly call Bloombergs candidacy laughable. Its true that Bloomberg is running differently than everyone else in the race and its also true that hes not a politician in the emotive or empathetic mold of recently successful candidates. But in fact, Bloomberg does have a message that could appeal to voters, and its a simple one: Michael Bloomberg has a greater record of accomplishment in office than any candidate in the race (or in the White House). In fact, Bloomberg does have a message that could appeal to voters: He has a greater record of accomplishment in office than any candidate in the race (or in the White House). In some ways its an unfair comparison. The other former mayors in the racePete Buttigieg (South Bend, Indiana, population 102,000), and Sanders (Burlington, Vermont, population 38,000)had much smaller cities to run, though they did accomplish less in those smaller cities than Bloomberg did in the countrys largest (NYC, population 8,623,000). A case can be made that Bidens Senate and executive branch experience, if all credited to Biden, would stack up against Bloombergs record, but Biden was 1 percent of the Senate and never the lead policymaker in the White House. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, and Sanders, as Democratic senators who have been serving under Mitch McConnells reign of obstruction, could only accomplish so much. That said, Sanders and Warren have each been the primary sponsors of fewer than 10 bills that have passed, and those pieces of legislation have largely been of the naming post offices and commemorative coins ilk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To be fair, the job of a senator goes beyond sponsoring legislation. In some ways the most important job is blocking bad legislation, and with their votes against Donald Trumps assault on the Affordable Care Act, the current crop of senatorial candidates have successfully stood in the breach. But because of the nature of the Senate, the number of positive accomplishments cannot possibly stand up to what the mayor of the largest city in the country can do. Advertisement Advertisement All of these candidates accomplished things before elected office. Elizabeth Warren deserves credit for her work studying bankruptcy and her role in creating the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, for instance. But if were considering the candidates time in the private sector, Bloombergs creation of a media and information company that remade investing and currently employs nearly 20,000 people, his work on gun control, and his philanthropy should be given credit too. But Im not considering that. Im talking about a record of success in office, and as New Yorks mayor, Michael Bloomberg accomplished remarkable things. Advertisement Advertisement When Bloombergs record on crime is discussed, the focus is often on stop-and-frisk polices that according to ACLU statistics led to the harassment of upward of half a million innocent black and Latino people per year. There is no sugarcoating that injustice, and for some voters that alone will be all they need to know about a Bloomberg candidacy. But there are other factors to consider, namely the remarkable drop in crime and murder that Bloomberg oversaw. The year before Bloomberg entered office there were 649 murders in New York City. The year he left office that number was cut nearly in half to 335. While its true that even greater declines occurred under Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and no one wants that guy to be president, by the time Bloomberg became mayor it was widely understood that there was little more progress to be made. And yet Bloomberg made it. After Bloomberg, during the de Blasio administration, murder rates remained basically steady for two years, then dipped a bit, and rose last year again to 318. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Crime, and murder specifically, is a point of emphasis for every New York City mayor, and lowering rates takes a village. But Bloomberg put into place plans that were meant to measure the problem, address the problem, adapt to circumstances, and make the problem less of a problem. And thats exactly what happened. A similar picture emerges with education. When Bloomberg took office the high school graduation rate in the city was 46.5 percent. When he left office it was 66 percent. The graduation rate for black students rose from 40 percent to 61 percent and for Hispanic students it went from 37 percent to 59 percent. Again, these profound gains were made because Bloomberg insisted that his administration measure the problem, address the problem, and adapt to circumstances. Bloomberg centralized power, reorganized the Board of Education, and made the schools chancellor accountable to the mayor. Bloombergs strategy worked in ways that profoundly affected the lives of thousands of people. There are about 55,000 New Yorkers who are high school graduates now who likely wouldnt have been were it not for his changes. Because the restructuring he put in place has continued throughout the de Blasio administration, the number of New Yorkers with high school diplomas who might not have had them otherwise, and the opportunities that educational attainment affords, likely number over 100,000. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Under Bloomberg, the proportion of adult smokers in the city fell by one-third. Teachers salaries rose by more than 40 percent, and the once-yearly budget deficits were turned into routine surpluses. Bloomberg budgeted by strategy, not doctrine, raising taxes significantly when he came into office right after the attacks of 9/11 but cutting property taxes by the end of his term when the citys coffers were swelling. Advertisement Advertisement There were, of course, also failures. After some early success combating homelessness, the Bloomberg administration saw the problem rise to record levels, which have since sadly been surpassed by his successor. Income inequality also rose, as it did throughout America, but it did so more acutely in New York, where Bloomberg was much more driven toward development than concerned with gentrification. But the many, many improvements Bloomberg delivered to the average New Yorker should resonate with the average American who might want to secure similar benefits from a politician who isnt particularly charming but does have a record of delivering material improvements. Advertisement I understand the power of campaigning against a billionaire who thinks he knows best because it worked on me. I voted for Mark Green instead of Michael Bloomberg in the 2001 NYC mayoral election. But when I saw what a good job Bloomberg did for the city, I voted for both of his reelection efforts (yes, even the third term). Advertisement This isnt to say theres no reason to criticize Bloomberg. There are many. It is absolutely fine to bemoan the role of money in politics. If an individual voter simply cant get past Bloombergs stop-and-frisk policy, or his contribution to income inequality in the city, I would not gainsay that stance. But there is a glaring deficiency in the collective dismissal of Bloomberg based on the grounds that hes employing an electoral strategy that isnt grassroots and that he presumably lacks voter appeal, which has not actually been tested on the national stage. Advertisement One last thing: Bloombergs strategy to essentially sit out the states that vote before Super Tuesday has been criticized as not playing by the same rules as all the other candidates. But the tradition of letting a few nonrepresentative states play early kingmaker has also come under widespread and warranted criticism this cycle. Likely by happenstance, Bloomberg is actually in a position to circumvent the old, unfair rulebook. Given this backdrop, Bloombergs record, and the failure of Democrats to coalesce under one moderate alternative to the more progressive candidates in the Democratic field, a Bloomberg candidacy should not be considered a joke, and Bloombergs qualifications should not be summarily dismissed. Vote for him or dont. But the fact that the public learns of Bloombergs accomplishments because Bloomberg paid his own money to inform them might not be as disqualifying to actual voters as the other candidates and much of the media seem to think it is. New Jersey has joined a coalition of states suing the federal government over a rule change they say will make communities more vulnerable to chemical accidents. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established rules in 2017 that regulate how companies should store dangerous chemicals and plan for accidents, according to the state attorney generals office, after a fertilizer plant explosion in Texas killed more than a dozen people. President Donald Trumps administration weakened those rules in November, according to the complaint, and companies will no longer have to submit to certain outside audits if they accidentally release chemicals. This is not an abstract threat, as the explosion and fire in South Philadelphia last year made clear," state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement, referring to the explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refinery in June. He called the rule change yet another deadly rollback coming out of EPA. Andrew Wheeler, the agencys administrator, previously defended the changes and said the new rules would reduce the burden on chemical companies without sacrificing safety. Accident prevention is a top priority of the EPA," Wheeler said in a November statement. He also said the changes would save tens of millions of dollars. There are 94 facilities in New Jersey affected by the rules, according to Grewals office. They include chemical manufacturing plants and petroleum facilities. The suit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Washington D.C. Fifteen attorneys general are part of the complaint, including Pennsylvania and New York. A spokeswoman for the EPA did not immediately return a request for comment. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. WASHINGTON Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested Thursday that the viral outbreak in China might offer an unexpected benefit for the U.S. economy: It could encourage American manufacturers in China to return to the United States. I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Some to U.S., probably some to Mexico as well, Ross told Fox Business Network. The new virus, from the coronavirus family, has paralyzed business in China. The industrial hub of Wuhan and other Chinese cities are on lockdown. China has reported more than 7,700 cases and 170 deaths. The crisis has also begun to ripple through U.S. companies with operations in China. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that the companys suppliers in China have been forced to delay reopening factories that closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. More than half of Starbucks stores in China are now closed. McDonalds has closed several hundred restaurants in China. Ross emphasized that he didnt want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease. He added, though, that the fact is, it does give businesses yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain. Even before the viral outbreak, many U.S. and other foreign companies had been rethinking their presence in China and considering their options for relocating elsewhere, possibly elsewhere in Asia. That is partly because President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs on $360 billion in Chinese imports in a war over Beijings economic policies and partly because Chinese labor and other costs have been rising. But skeptics doubt that many American companies with deep roots in China might abandon the country purely over the virus. For one thing, no one knows how long the viral outbreak will last or how much damage it may inflict. And it takes significant time for companies to choose suppliers or locations for their factories. Rosemary Coates, whose Blue Silk Consulting firm helps companies make such decisions, said it was ridiculous to think the viral outbreak would result in a significant return of business to the United States. You cant snap your fingers, she said. It can take 18 months or two years to find another supplier. It isnt easy. Its complicated. Wuhan, a center of Chinas steel industry, has attracted General Motors and many other foreign manufacturing giants. You cant just say General Motors is going to pick up and move away, Coates said. They have a manufacturing plant there and expertise there. Their supply chain runs through there. In fact, U.S. direct investment in China, which includes factories, continued to rise even after the SARS outbreak disrupted the Chinese economy in 2003. And labor costs will continue to remain far higher in the United States than in China and other Asian countries such as Vietnam. Companies that are leaving China are not coming to the U.S., said Coates, who is also executive director of the Reshoring Institute, a nonprofit that researches issues surrounding corporate decisions on whether to return to the United States. Theyre going to other Asian countries . If low cost is the only goal, then the U.S. is not the answer. After Ross comments drew criticism, the Commerce Department issued a statement: As Secretary Ross made clear, the first step is to bring the virus under control and help the victims of this disease, it said. It is also important to consider the ramifications of doing business with a country that has a long history of covering up real risks to its own people and the rest of the world. Asked about Ross comments, Larry Kudlow, Trumps top economic adviser, declined to endorse the notion that the U.S. economy stands to benefit from Chinas health crisis. This is not about trade, jobs or any of that, Kudlow told reporters. He added: The president has a lot of compassion for the Chinese situation. The threat of large numbers of people dying is a terrible thing. We just want to help. ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report. Israel armys statement says three shells fired from besieged enclave, as tensions over Trumps plan continue. Jerusalem Three mortar shells have been fired from the besieged Gaza Strip enclave into southern Israel, the countrys military has said in a statement, amid tensions in the region over US President Donald Trumps proposed Middle East plan. The Israeli armys statement on Friday said its Iron Dome anti-missile air defence system intercepted a projectile midair as violence continued for a second day. No casualties were reported, it added. Earlier on Friday, Israel struck Hamas targets in Gaza after three rockets were fired from the Palestinian enclave, the Israeli army said. Two of the rockets fired on Thursday night were also intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system, while the third landed in an open area, the statement said. No casualties were reported in the earlier attack too and there was no claim of responsibility for it. Israeli media said a mother and a newborn child in Serdot were slightly injured after the woman fell when running to a shelter following the sounding of sirens. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem told Al Jazeera that Israeli air raids targeted the Gaza Strip, but challenged that Hamas had launched an attack on Israel before that. Israel alleges that we launched rockets, but we cannot take their narrative, said Qasem, neither denying nor confirming Israels claim. Israels airstrikes early this morning are part of the occupations ongoing attacks and enmity towards our people in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. Middle East plan Israel said a mortar was fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel on Thursday. Israeli media reported an explosion near Kissufim in southern Israel and security forces scouring the area. No casualties were reported in that alleged attack. The exchanges follow the announcement of Trumps proposed Middle East plan, which promised a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and gave Israel an undivided capital in Jerusalem. Tuesdays announcement angered Palestinian leaders and people, who promised to fight against the deal. 200128151735083 Israel has since deployed additional troops near the Gaza separation barrier, which saw hundreds of people protesting against the plan on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Israeli military was also deployed to the occupied West Banks Jordan Valley, which under the plan would be annexed to Israel. Trumps plan seeks to disarm Hamas, the group which has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007 and is designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Another Hamas spokesperson Abdellatif Al-Qanoun told Al Jazeera that the group rejected the plan. Hamas will not accept to be disarmed. It is not acceptable to talk about the disarmament of Hamas or any other Palestinian resistance faction. The Palestinian resistance arm is legitimate and our right to defend ourselves against this brutal occupation is legally guaranteed. Informal truce Hamas and Israel have agreed an informal truce over the past year, under which Tel Aviv has slightly eased its crippling blockade of the Strip in exchange for calm. But after an Israel killed a senior leader of the Islamic Jihad armed group in Gaza in November, and launched attacks killing at least 36 Palestinians, tensions escalated. Political analyst Ellie Nissan said an exchange of rockets will continue over the next few months, but the situation was unlikely to escalate. Nothing will change on the ground until after the elections because [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has achieved what he wants in terms of garnering support ahead of the vote, said Nissan referring to upcoming parliamentary elections on March 2, the third in less than a year. If an Israeli is killed in these attacks, however, Israel will have to respond, he added. Additional reporting by Maram Humaid Its been a busy week for Elon Musk. After helping Tesla reach a record share price and overseeing SpaceXs launch of 60 new internet satellites into orbit, the tech billionaire has found time to release an EDM music track. Musk posted the song, titled Dont Doubt Ur Vibe to SoundCloud early on Friday morning, receiving hundreds of thousands of listens within hours of going online. Musk also shared images on Twitter showing him working in a music studio, together with snippets of the lyrics. I wrote the lyrics and performed the vocals, Musk exclaimed on Twitter. The heavily synthesised vocals consist of just two lines: Dont doubt your vibe because its true. Dont doubt your vibe because its you. It is not Musks first foray into EDM, having shared a meme-inspired track titled RIP Harambe last year. To date, the two-minute song has been played more than 2.5 million times. The latest track has so far been met with a mixed response, with many of his Twitter followers praising the 48-year-olds polymath ability. Thank you so much for being who you are, hands down one of the most interesting innovators and dreamers of our generation, one wrote. Love the track, so simple, but catchy and chill. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at Californias Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty Others were less complimentary, with one follower suggesting he should have let his girlfriend the Canadian musician Grimes help him. It is not clear whether Grimes had any involvement with his latest venture. The pair are rumoured to be expecting their first child together, after Grimes shared a picture with her one million Instagram followers of her posing nude with a foetus superimposed on her stomach. Asha Devi said the convicts have made a mockery of law and the court should dismiss their plea seeking a stay on their execution on Feb.1 Nirbhaya's mother Asha Devi on Friday said the convicts have made a mockery of law and the court should dismiss their plea seeking a stay on their execution on February 1. "I believe and I hope that the execution will take on February 1. The convicts have made a mockery of the law. The court should also dismiss their plea," Asha Devi told ANI. "I do not believe in the miracle. I believe in the law. They have never followed the law and order of the country," she added. Delhi's Patiala House Court is scheduled to hear a plea filed by two of Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, seeking a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. The plea was moved in the Delhi court by advocate AP Singh, who is representing convicts Akshay Thakur and Vinay Sharma. "According to the Delhi Prison Rules, none of those convicted can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options including the mercy petition," said Singh in the plea. Responding to the petition filed by Singh, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad told the court that this is "clearly a mockery of justice." "Convicts' lawyers are taking too much time to use their legal remedies," he said. The matter will be heard by Additional Sessions Judge AK Jain today at 2 pm. The court on Thursday issued a notice to the Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on a petition filed by the convicts and asked the prison officials to submit a status report before 10 am today. The four convicts in the matter Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. Combating the opioid epidemic and substance use disorders has been a priority for local, state and federal leaders, but its also a personal mission for U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. My own brother is in prison right now due to crimes that he committed to support his addiction, he told dozens of law enforcement leaders, health experts and public officials gathered at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City on Thursday. His brother, Phillip, is serving a 10-year sentence for stealing $200 to support an addiction. Adams said his sibling struggled with untreated anxiety and depression, which eventually led him to self-medicate with a number of substances. There was stigma attached to saying, I have depression, in the rural area where they grew up, he said. Adams, along with U.S. Rep. Phil Roe, R-1st, and Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, participated in a roundtable at ETSU focused on the opioid epidemic that has affected so many lives and families in this region and the nation. Thursdays event included discussions about how the crisis has impacted Tennessee, where progress is being made and the multidisciplinary approach experts say is needed to address the underlying causes. Tennessee has seen a rising number of overdose deaths in recent years, the majority involving highly addictive opioids, according to state data. I want you to think about the number 1,818, Piercey said, referencing the states total number of drug overdose deaths in 2018. Its 1,818 people who didnt just have Christmas with us, who arent going to buy flowers or chocolates in a couple weeks and who arent going to watch their kids graduate in May. Law enforcement officials also report that there are large numbers of inmates in jails who suffer from substance use disorders and many who have had opioid addictions are turning to stimulants like methamphetamine. Still, there has been positive data statewide, Piercey said. She pointed to reductions in morphine milligram equivalents prescribed and noted that 2018 was the first year Tennessee saw a decline in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) since the state started monitoring the condition. NAS occurs when an infant is exposed to drugs while in the womb and goes through withdrawal after birth. Part of the crisis has stemmed from programs that trained doctors to prescribe opioids for pain while failing to help them understand what factors cause patients to feel pain in the first place, Adams said. I dont think we should celebrate pulling the opioids back unless we are asking ourselves what we are substituting back in their place, he said. Piercey offered a similar message, saying that adverse childhood experience and social determinants of health also play a role in creating unaddressed and untreated mental health disorders. Access to medication-assisted treatment and more robust mental health resources were some of the solutions mentioned Thursday. Adams also urged more people to start carrying naloxone, a drug that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. During a question-and-answer session, attendees talked about partnerships between public health experts, physicians, law enforcement, faith-based groups and businesses. Roe, of Johnson City, said the region specifically needs inpatient treatment facilities and called for an approach to the opioid crisis that provides people with the help they need before they end up in the criminal justice system. Barry Staubus, Sullivan Countys district attorney general, commented on the role of drugs in overcrowded conditions at the Sullivan County jail, which has a capacity of just over 600 inmates and regularly exceeds that figure by about 400 inmates. He said theres a desire for more programming at the jail focused on substance use disorders, but funding is a challenge. Staubus is part of a group of district attorneys general in Northeast Tennessee who are pursuing a lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors, alleging the companies contributed to the epidemic in the region. Among their goals is reaching a judgment that could then be used to fund treatment and recovery initiatives. Adams said he couldnt comment on pending legal matters due to his role as surgeon general, but he urged leaders to be comprehensive in how they use any funds obtained through litigation. In his closing comments, Adams was optimistic about where broader conversations around the opioid epidemic are going. He said he used to see different groups blaming each other for the crisis, but that has changed. Were at a point where I feel like everyone is leaning into it, using their own unique levers and owning their own unique part of the problem, he said. Later in the day, Adams toured the Healing Hands Health Center in Bristol, Tennessee. This was Iowa caucus night back in the mid-1970s. And these are members of the national media covering the voting. It was so unusual to see national media in Iowa back then that people actually paid to watch them. The Democratic Party charged $15 a head for people to watch the media watch the people. See, in previous years, Iowas caucuses just hadnt attracted national attention. There are 3,000 frozen media members in downtown Des Moines Just over a decade later, Iowa is the place to be. Its Iowa caucus night. Lets party. [shouting] The caucuses are now a key part of the presidential election cycle. Bush, 57. Theyre the first chance to see what kind of support candidates have among voters. So how did we get here, from caucuses that only Iowans seem to care about to the national spectacle we see today? Turns out, a lot of it was accidental. For most of Iowas history, its caucuses were dominated by political insiders. There was little room for input from rank-and-file members. An historian writing in the 1940s put it like this: The larger number of party voters were deprived of a voice. But the old ways start coming to an end in 1968. The countrys in turmoil, and so is the Democratic Party, mostly over the Vietnam War and civil rights. Basically, the party establishment wants to handle things one way, and many rank-and-file members have other ideas. All this comes to a head as the Democrats hold their national convention. Protesters gather outside. So do police. Inside, the mood is also tense. All this division leads the Democratic Party to rethink the nomination rules to include the voices of all party members in the process. This is how we come to the moment when Iowa becomes key to electing a president, basically by accident. First up, how Iowa became first to hold a presidential contest. It starts with new rules to give everyday members more of a say. So by 1972, winning Iowa now involves four stages. Iowans choose their top candidates, first at the precinct level. These are the caucuses at the heart of this story. But technically, theres further voting at the county, congressional district and state levels. The new rules make things a lot more inclusive, but this creates new delays. Committees need to be formed, and everyone needs to have up-to-date party materials. The problem is, the state party only has an old mimeograph machine to make copies of all this. Its really slow. So because of an old machine and a bunch of new logistics, the party decides it needs at least a month between each step to do it all. The national convention is set for early July, so youd think that the state-level convention would happen about a month before, in June. Except, the party cant find a venue thats available to hold everyone. That little detail helps push everything earlier in a chain reaction. See whats going on here? The precinct caucuses now have to happen early in the year. The party chooses a date that makes Iowas the first presidential contest. The New Hampshire primary has been the first kickoff contest since the 1950s, but Iowa Democrats arent necessarily looking for national attention. They just think itll be fun to be first. Still, attention is what they get. The story begins with George McGovern. People didnt know much about the Iowa caucuses. As a matter of fact, there wasnt a great deal of interest in them. Hes the long-shot candidate. Hes been at the bottom of national polls. He often walked the campaign trail alone, little known by the voters. Most people think this guy, Edmund Muskie, is going to be the big winner in Iowa. That challenge is great, but we can meet it. Then comes caucus night. As the people vote, state party officials gather at their headquarters. Richard Bender is one of them. And we had about 10 or 12 press people show up. These press people included one guy, Johnny Apple. Johnny Apple, a 37-year-old political correspondent for The New York Times. Iowas Democrats arent ready to publicize the results right away. They hadnt expected much demand. According to Bender, only Johnny Apple asked for them that night. I happen to be fascinated with such things, so I made it my business, beforehand, to understand it. Bender sets up a phone tree to gather results from across the state. He adds them up himself with a calculator. And the next day, Apples article helps swing the national spotlight onto the caucuses. Hes got quite the story to tell. Muskies won, but just barely. Not the runaway win people were expecting. And McGovern comes in a strong second. No one expected that, either. The reformed caucus rules helped a long-shot candidate rise to the top. And because this is happening so early in the election now, and because Apples article gives the results national coverage, something else happens. That got picked up by some of the national news shows. The Democratic front-runner has been damaged in Iowa. And wow, all of a sudden, we were being paid attention to. McGovern eventually wins the Democratic nomination. I accept your nomination with a full and grateful heart. He loses the presidential election, but some havent forgotten what those early caucuses did for McGovern, including Georgias former governor, Jimmy Carter. Three years later There was a major headline on the editorial page of the Atlanta Constitution that said, Jimmy Carters running for what? [laughter] And the What was about this big. [applause] Im running for president. Carter heads to Iowa before any other Democratic candidate. Hes got no national profile. He didnt have hordes of press following him around. It was a very lonely campaign. Washington pundits call his candidacy laughable. I remember when we couldnt find a microphone. Jimmy Who? becomes a catchphrase. Carters own campaign film plays it up. Jimmy who? I dont know who he is. But as long as Iowans come to know him and like him, Carter bets that the media will start paying attention, just like with McGovern four years earlier. Carter campaigns as locally as possible. One day, he learns that hes been invited on a local TV show. And I said, that is great. I cant believe it. I said, What are we going to do? He said, Do you have any favorite recipes? And I said, What do you mean, recipes? He said, Well, this is a cooking show. Well, they put a white apron on me and a chefs hat. That was my only access to TV when I first began to campaign in Iowa. His opponents are in Iowa, too, but they spend far less time there. Carter wins. Surprisingly top of the class after his win in a somewhat obscure race in Iowa against the others. You cant tell until we go to the other 49 states, but its encouraging for us. A year later I, Jimmy Carter, do solemnly swear he becomes the 39th president. Now we need to head to 1980 because we havent talked about the Republicans yet. Heres the states Republican chairman that year. Hes asked why Iowas caucuses have become so important. I think because Jimmy Carter got his start in Iowa in 1976. The Republicans in Iowa are keen to copy the Democrats success, and one candidate in particular gets inspired by Carters underdog win: George H.W. Bush. Hes running against Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole and others, and hes near the bottom of the pack. Your name isnt really a household word, but Ronald Reagan can But Bush goes big in Iowa. He gets a surprise win. Its a far cry from just months before. I was an asterisk in those days. And my feelings got hurt. And now, Im no longer an asterisk. Bush is now the third underdog to get a boost from the caucuses. The next morning on CBS, he distills the essence of this new Iowa effect. We will have forward, Big Mo on our side, as they say in athletics. Big Mo? Yeah. Mo momentum. Bush loses to Reagan, but becomes vice president. And the desire to capture the Big Mo from Iowa has only grown, thanks in large part to Iowas embrace of being first, and the media storm that descends every four years. Thats despite the fact that most candidates who win This is a job interview. dont become president. Plus, many point out that the states overwhelmingly white population doesnt reflect the countrys diversity. I actually think that we can find places that represent that balance of urban and rural better. But the race to get the Big Mo out of Iowa persists because its the first chance to upend expectations, and put political fates in the voters hands. Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala has decided to step down from his position citing family commitments. Neemuchwala will continue to hold office until the company finds his successor. Born on December 8, 1967, in Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, Neemuchwala grew up in Delhi and Mumbai. He has a bachelors degree in engineering in Electronics and Communication from the National Institute of Technology in Raipur, and also got his post-graduation degree from IIT Bombay. Neemuchwala has over 27 years of experience in the Information Technology (IT) services industry, the majority of which includes service in Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Limited. Neemuchwala served key leadership roles in TCS since he had joined the company in 1992. Through his more than 27 years of service, Neemuchwalas career includes serving key leadership roles in business, technology, sales, operations and consulting. He was recognised as the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) CEO in 2010 and also honoured by the Shared Services Organisation of IPQC for his contribution to the IT industry. The business executive is also a certified software quality analyst and a Six Sigma Green Belt. Neemuchwala joined Wipro in April 2015 as Group President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) and was elevated to CEO and Managing Director in February 2016. The 52-year-old business executive, who now lives in Dallas, Texas, is married to Hasina Neemuchwala and has three children. They're never too far from each other's sides. And Khloe Kardashian made sure to join her baby girl for a cheerful morning playing in the sun on Friday. The 35-year-old Good American designer caught little True playing with dolls before making a breakfast fit for a queen in a playhouse that appeared nearly identical to Stormi's $12,500 design at Kylie Jenner's home near Calabasas, California. Good times: Khloe Kardashian made sure to join her baby girl for a cheerful morning playing in the sun on Friday True walked out on to her mother's balcony for some fun in the sun as she carried a Trolls doll. Khloe watched on as her nearly two-year-old little girl placed her baby in the rocking chair and gave her kisses. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars took their fun to another location as True was spotted making breakfast in Stormi's playhouse. Let's eat! The 35-year-old Good American designer caught little True playing with dolls before making a breakfast fit for a queen in a playhouse that appeared nearly identical to Stormi's at Kylie Jenner 's home near Calabasas, California Friday vibes: True walked out on to her mother's balcony for some fun in the sun as she carried a Trolls doll 'Cooking in our PJs,' Khloe wrote across an Instagram story as True playfully whipped up some food on the stove. She was dressed in her favorite color from head-to-toe, wearing a pink tank dress with matching Dr. Marten boots. True most recently enjoyed the epic little house with her cousin during the Stormi makeup launch on Sunday. Sweet: Khloe watched on as her nearly two-year-old little girl placed her baby in the rocking chair and gave her kisses Staying local: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars took their fun to another location as True was spotted making breakfast in Stormi's playhouse Best friends: True most recently enjoyed the epic little house with her cousin during the Stormi makeup launch on Sunday Sparkling star: True rocked a lilac dress with layers of tulle and embroidered flowers Momager Kris Jenner gifted Stormi the pricey tiny home for Christmas, and even made sure to include some of the furniture from Kylie's first playhouse when she was just a kid. 'This just reminds me of when you were a little girl,' Kris told her youngest child in a YouTube clip. 'I want you to have the same memories with your daughter.' Kylie and Stormi were nowhere to be found and were most likely enjoying a retreat on the other side of the hill in Malibu after Jenner shared a dreamy ocean sunset on Wednesday night. Khloe gave birth to True on April 13, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio with now ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson. WASHINGTON U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, raised concerns about the presidents expanded claim of power in their second and final day of questioning during President Donald Trumps impeachment trial. The Senate on Friday prepared to debate and vote on whether to ask former National Security Adviser John Bolton and perhaps other witnesses to testify. Senate Republican leaders have opposed hearing any new evidence and instead have pushed to quickly acquit Trump. Once again, senators wrote their questions on cards submitted to U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts, who in turn read them aloud to the impeachment managers and the presidents lawyers. If the Senate accepts the presidents blanket assertion of privilege in the House impeachment inquiry, what are the consequences to the American people?" the New Jersey senators asked. "How will the Senate ensure that the current president or a future president will remain transparent and accountable? It means a claim of monarchical dictatorial power. If Congress has no information, it cannot act, responded Rep Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., noting that President Richard Nixon faced impeachment for a similar defiance of the legislative branch. Its to say Congress has no power at all, only the president has power. They also questioned Trumps foreign investments, specifically mentioning those in Turkey. Unlike every other president, Trump did not divest himself of his businesses after becoming president. "Has the president engaged in a pattern of conduct in which he places his personal and political interests above the national security interests of the United States? Booker and Menendez asked. There has been a troubling pattern of possible conflicts of interest, responded Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. And they expressed concern about Trumps decision to withhold aid to Ukraine, the action that led to him becoming only the third president ever to be impeached. The presidents aides and defenders have claimed that it is normal or usual to use U.S. foreign assistance as the president did to achieve a desired outcome," the senators asked. "How was the presidents act in withholding U.S. security assistance to Ukraine different from how the U.S. uses foreign assistance to achieve foreign policy goals and national security objectives, and how should we evaluate the defense argument that this is what is done all the time? There are a variety of legitimate policy reasons for holding aid, said Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. The difference here is that every witness testified these 17 witnesses that you hear about that there was no reason provided for the implementation of this hold. Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. NEW DELHI: An Air India special flight landed in Wuhan, China to evacuate Indians from the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Air India's Boeing 747 is expected to return from Wuhan at 10 pm (local time) and reach Delhi around 2 am Saturday. China's Wuhan city is the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus that has killed 170 people, infected 7,711 others and spread to at least 17 countries. #WATCH Air India special flight from Delhi lands in Wuhan (China) for the evacuation of Indians. #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/ccJHo6rw0K ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 The government had earlier requested China for permission to operate two flights to bring back its nationals from worst-affected central Hubei province. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei. In a big relief for Indians - mostly students and professionals - stranded in Wuhan, the Indian Embassy in a note circulated through social media on Thursday said that preparations are on to evacuate them from the virus-hit region. The Indian embassy has opened three hotlines to help the Indians in Wuhan to cope up with the crisis. Besides India, several other countries including the US, France, Japan, South Korea, are airlifting their nationals from Wuhan. A large number of people from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh from the neighbourhood besides African countries were also reportedly stranded in Hubei province. The nationwide death toll from novel coronavirus has jumped to 170 with 38 more fatalities reported mainly from Hubei province, the government said on Thursday, while confirming more than 1,700 new infections. China's National Health Commission said on Thursday that 7,711 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and in the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Wednesday. The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term United States Antimony Corporation (NYSEMKT:UAMY) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 43% over a half decade. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 42% over the last twelve months. Furthermore, it's down 24% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. View our latest analysis for United States Antimony Because United States Antimony made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit. In the last five years United States Antimony saw its revenue shrink by 6.4% per year. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price decline at a rate of 11% per year is disappointing. But it doesn't surprise given the falling revenue. Without profits, its hard to see how shareholders win if the revenue keeps falling. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). AMEX:UAMY Income Statement, January 31st 2020 It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on United States Antimony's earnings, revenue and cash flow. A Different Perspective Investors in United States Antimony had a tough year, with a total loss of 42%, against a market gain of about 22%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 11% over the last half decade. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand United States Antimony better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for United States Antimony (1 is potentially serious) that you should be aware of. Story continues If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. LANSDALE Around noon on Friday, dozens of visitors walked, and in a few cases wheeled, their way through the lobby of the North Penn Commons complex on Main Street in Lansdale. They may have noticed a VIP visitor in their midst: Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller, on hand to tour the facility and hear success stories of nonprofit food pantry Manna on Main Streets SNAP 50/50 job training program. This has been a really fabulous tour, and a great opportunity to see truly local partners at the local level, coming together, seeing needs, and trying to figure out how you address those needs in the most effective way possible, Miller said. Fridays visit by Miller was meant to highlight the topic of food security across Pennsylvania, along with a similar visit earlier in the day to the fifth annual Montgomery County Anti-Hunger Network conference in Pottstown. In Lansdale, Miller toured the North Penn Commons complex at 606 East Main Street in Lansdale, getting a firsthand look at how Manna on Main Street has, since last fall, taken part in the SNAP 50/50 job training program. We are really, really grateful for this SNAP 50/50 education and training reimbursement money, said Suzan Neiger Gould, Mannas Executive Director. We have such skilled staff working in this program, and you need to have skilled staff in order to make this work, she said. The state 50/50 program matches those who come to agencies like Manna for food under the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program with onsite job skills training, in a twelve-week program that starts in Mannas kitchen and eventually places trainees out front in Mannas Common Grounds Cafe in the lobby of their shared complex success stories like chef Alex Justo, who was working the cafe counter Friday afternoon. Those who take part in the program, about eight members per 12-week training cohort, learn their way around a kitchen from Manna employees, and can earn formal certifications such as the ServSafe Food Handler accreditation awarded by the National Restaurant Association. If somebody hasnt stepped into a kitchen before, this gives them a chance to really understand what theyre going to be living and experiencing for 12 weeks, said Kristyn DiDominick, Mannas program director. Manna is all about food, right? So we can take our mission a little deeper, and have our chefs help individuals build something thats their own career, thats sustainable, for them and for their families. For us, thats the culinary field. We know food, we love it, and were all about that thats our mission, she said. During her visit Friday, Miller got an up-close look at Mannas kitchen, as chefs Suzanne Driscoll and Dan Salva cleaned up from a lunchtime meal and started prep work on that evenings offerings. In the nonprofits food pantry, Manna Development Director Vince Caperelli Jr. showed Miller how donated food items are given point values based on federal nutritional guidelines, and those who shop in the pantry get a certain number of points per trip. Its based on the ages and genders, numbers of people in the household, recommended caloric intake, and then they get their total points and divide it based on the food pyramid or whatever the shape is now, Caperelli said. Prepared food coming from the kitchen is made by those in the SNAP 50/50 training program, with help from the professionals, and Niger Gould and Manna board member Jeffrey Fields said a recent big contract will expand that program much farther. Starting Monday, Manna will be delivering prepared food to the Ambler, Norristown and Glenside areas, after submitting the winning bid for part of Montgomery Countys Meals on Wheels program. Now, we actually have that contract serving beneficial purposes from the beginning to the end: the foods being made by people who are training to then go into employment, and then its serving seniors, Fields said. No fixed dollar amount is attached yet to the SNAP 50/50 reimbursement funding, Neiger Gould and DiDomick said, because the numbers may vary depending on how many people take part in the program and subsequently secure jobs. So far about 100 students have passed through the program, with a retention rate just shy of 80 percent since the program started. We have up to eight students in a cohort right now, so it creates a nice care network for individuals to learn, and grow, alongside our chefs, DiDominick said. Miller toured the Manna facilities, then the shared dining and activity rooms also used by the PEAK Center, the North Penn YMCA and an apartment run by Advanced Living Communities above, even dropping in on a group of four seniors playing a game of Rummikub, a word tile game similar to Scrabble. Afterwards, Miller said the entire North Penn Commons complex was an example the rest of the state could emulate. Im seeing today, in this community, there is a lot of wonderful partnerships happening, and people realizing where other entities strengths are, and building on that, Miller said. Were not duplicating efforts, and were not using resources in an ineffective way, but instead were all just using our strengths, and trying to do the best we can to support people, she said. State Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd District, joined the tour and noted that he helped oversee the North Penn Commons complex during his term as a Lansdale councilman, and that its located in Lansdales Ward 1 which he represented locally. Miller said state lawmakers have been a great partner, in looking for ways to streamline and modernize programs like SNAP, but recent federal proposals to change those programs should be watched closely. Frankly, some of the Trump Administrations proposals around the SNAP program are really concerning, because our SNAP programs have provided really valuable services for people, in helping to lift people out of poverty, helping to make sure they have food on their tables, she said. Saying to somebody that you have to work if youre going to have access to health care, or you have to work in order to have access to food on your table, thats concerning, and we are just trying to figure out how we can do a better job of helping to lift people out of poverty, Miller said. Programs like SNAP 50/50 can do so by shifting focus away from placing people in low- or minimum-wage jobs that require little skill, Miller said, and can help reduce or remove barriers of transportation, child care, mental or physical health, hunger, or housing needs that might otherwise go unaddressed. Our approach has been, I know I can get you a job at the local dollar store, for $8 an hour, as a cashier, so Im going to just put you into that, and ignore all of the other things going on, the transportation and housing issues, and youre done, I get paid, and I walk away. I think weve learned, thats not a success, she said. They just focus on How do we get somebody a job? They dont focus on, how do we set somebody up to be successful long-term, and, frankly, get them off of public assistance for the long term. Not by kicking them off before theyre ready, but by setting them up to really succeed, and be able to support their families on their own. For more information on Manna on Main Street call (215) 855-5454, visit www.MannaonMain.org, search for Manna on Main Street on Facebook or follow @MannaonMain on Twitter. RTL Today contributor Thomas Tutton concludes his series on Luxembourg and the First World War with a study of how Luxembourgers fared during the German occupation. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was under German occupation for the entirety of the First World War. For those who could not escape the country to join up with Allied forces, the period would prove to be just as challenging at home. Kaiser Wilhelm in Luxembourg The Luxembourgish population did not welcome the Germans with open arms. During the initial offensive of the Schlieffen Plan, as German troops raced towards Paris in August 1914, Kaiser Wilhelms military headquarters were set up in Luxembourg. Michel Welter, a contemporary politician and diarist, recalled that when the Kaiser arrived in the capital, he was met with a frosty reception from both ordinary citizens and the political elite. And things would not get any better for Wilhelm. A New York Times article from February 1916 relayed a Thrilling Incident of the War that has Passed Unnoticed. After a month in Luxembourg, and with German troops retreating from the Marne in France, on September 28th, 1914 Wilhelm had decided to leave this city where no citizen ever saluted him in the street. As his motorcade left the capital, it suddenly came under fire from some unknown francs-tireurs, who had apparently known that the Kaiser was coming and had prepared an ambuscade for him, killing and wounding a number of German troops but leaving Wilhelm unharmed. The Times article concluded that if only the bullet had found its proper billet, the whole history of the war might have been different. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest that this dramatic episode ever took place. Yet the fact that this story even emerged shows the extent to which the Luxembourgish people were opposed to the German occupation. Resistance Officially a neutral country under German occupation, Luxembourg was in a delicate situation. It retained its own government and laws, and escaped the brutal treatment meted out to resisting Belgians and French, but it was clear that any action taken to oppose the aims of the German army would result in severe punishment. With that in mind, Luxembourg Prime Minister Paul Eyschen asked the population not to participate in any acts of espionage or direct opposition against the occupiers. Nevertheless, some Luxembourgers did find ways to demonstrate their hostility to the invaders through a clandestine resistance. One such example was Camille Joset, a provincial councillor and newspaper editor who set up an organisation to help retreating French soldiers who had accidentally strayed onto Luxembourgish soil and were hiding in woods in border areas. Joset devised a system to disguise the isolated soldiers as Luxembourgish residents, before exfiltrating them out to France through Switzerland. His organisation helped to evacuate an estimated 207 French soldiers before he was arrested in April 1915 and handed a death sentence, which was ultimately commuted. The British and French secret services also managed to recruit a number of Luxembourgers to report on German troops movements using the Luxembourgish railway network. At least three separate observation rings were set up, including one known as the Dame Blanche, and one by Lise Rischard, who sent coded messages back to her handlers in Paris through the Diekirch agricultural journal Der Landwirt. Rischards achievements were recently covered for the first time at length in Janet Morgans book, The Secrets of Rue St. Roch. For her services, she received the honour of Commander of the British Empire (CBE), while a dozen or so others were granted the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Overall, however, Luxembourgs distance from Allied lines and absence of communication with them made it very difficult for any organised resistance to spring up, and these isolated events remain little known today. Starvation The most difficult part of the German occupation for the Luxembourgish people was the constant shortage of food. Initially well-provisioned and expecting the conflict to end quickly, the Luxembourgish authorities generously offered food to their neighbours in occupied France and Belgium As the war dragged on, however, stocks were depleted and by the summer of 1915, the cost of bread and potatoes had doubled, with beans, peas and lentils tripling in price. By 1916, malnutrition had become a serious problem, and shortages were exacerbated by the 5,000 or so German troops who were stationed in Luxembourg. Government efforts to secure food from neutral countries such as the Netherlands or Swizterland were largely unsuccessful, and at the end of 1916 the population was at risk of starvation. The only solution was to turn to the Germans. In November 1916, the Luxembourgish government signed secret accords which left the provision of food to Luxembourg under German control, a decision which rendered the Grand Duchy a hostage to the occupiers. Although few if any actually starved to death during the war, malnourishment did lead to a notable increase in mortality rates as the population was left vulnerable to tuberculosis and the flu. The reality of the First World War for most of the Luxembourgish population was thus a daily struggle against hunger and malnutrition, and the discontent brought about by the German occupation would eventually result in the abdication crisis of 1918-19. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visits to Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. He said that these visits are a sovereign affair of the U.S. "In this case, this is a completely natural phenomenon, it is a sovereign right of every state to pursue international relations on a global or regional scale," TASS cited the spokesman as saying. Peskov stressed that the U.S. "has its own relations with these states." On Thursday, Pompeo arrived in Kiev on an official visit. On February 1, he is set to visit Belarus, planning to come to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan after that. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:24:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Four people were stabbed to death on Thursday in Ethiopia's western regional state of Benishangul-Gumuz, local authorities said on Friday. The victims included two children, Benishangul-Gumuz regional state communication bureau said in a statement. Five others were injured in the attack, which happened in Assosa, the regional capital. The attacker is in police custody and authorities are establishing his motives. Goforth posted the $8,000 cash bond Nov. 26, and a magistrate granted him permission during an initial hearing Dec. 11 to live in Missouri, court records show. Not guilty pleas were entered on Goforth's behalf during the initial hearing. His next court date is set for Feb. 7. Police declined to say Thursday if Goforth was considered a suspect in Thursday's homicide, but investigators were trying to determine if there was a link between the two incidents. In the November shooting, Goforth was accused of shooting Williams in the abdomen and leg after she asked him to leave her home because she discovered him video chatting with another woman, court records allege. Williams had recently broken up with Goforth, court records state. Goforth became irate, said, "I'll kill you," pulled out a black 9mm handgun and began shooting at her in front of her 12-year-old granddaughter, court records allege. In Thursday's case, police found Williams after they were dispatched to her home about 7:25 a.m., Kellogg said. Chief Justice John Roberts doesn't seem to have the judicial acumen of a traffic court judge. During the course of the impeachment trial in the U.S. Senate, Americans have now seen the chief justice have three historical strikes. Consequently, the Senate should immediately vote to have case dismissed, against President Trump. Our fairly elected president should be immediately acquitted of these most politically driven bogus charges in American constitutional history. Strike one by John Roberts is simple, based on the conduct of his presiding over the trial. It is obvious that he has been over-the-top prejudiced against President Trump by not holding House Democrat managers accountable for their gross breach of decorum. Early in the proceedings, Chief Justice Roberts invoked a precedent from 1905, using the word "pettifoggery," to establish decorum during the impeachment trial the Constitution makes him preside over. Definition of pettifogger 1: a lawyer whose methods are petty, underhanded, or disreputable : SHYSTER 2: one given to quibbling over trifles "I think it is appropriate for me to admonish both the House managers and the president's counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body," Roberts said. "One reason it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse." Yet the chief justice of the United States allowed Chairman Nadler to call the president of the United States a dictator without a moment's hesitation or admonishment on decorum and civil discourse. That smacks of Justice Roberts being an inconstant intellectual coward against the Democrats. "This is a determination by President Trump that he wants to be all-powerful, he does not have to respect the Congress, he does not have to respect the representatives of the people, only his will goes," said Nadler. "He is a dictator." If Representative Nadler (D-N.Y.) had said that personal insult during a House debate his words would have been "taken down." Rule XVII, clause 4, of the standing rules of the House of Representatives describes a parliamentary mechanism whereby a Member may call another Member to order for the use of disorderly language. Disorderly, or unparliamentary, remarks are a violation of House rules of decorum. This mechanism, which is referred to as "words taken down," may be invoked during debate on the House floor, in the Committee of the Whole, or in the standing and select committees of the House. In addition, Members whose words are determined to be unparliamentary may not be recognized to speak for the rest of the day (even on yielded time) unless the Member is allowed to proceed in order by unanimous consent or a motion. Strike two for Chief Justice Roberts is that he has shown so far that there is no judicial admonishment or accountability for committing perjury. We have a saying in the Marines about lying: the Democrat House managers put their back against the wall and lied like a rug. Why have a witness if the person is allowed to lie without penalty? If the chief justice had instructed the House managers to stop committing perjury, then perhaps their posturing in calling witnesses to get at the truth may have been more credible. If there is no penalty for perjury, then why have any witnesses? So far, this entire impeachment is just more D.C. political blustering and fake news reporting theater of the absurd that Americans hate at so many levels. Strike three, and you are called out, Mr. Chief Justice. Senator Rand Paul asked a question that was not allowed that goes to the heart of my traffic court analogy in President Trump facing his accusers. Senator Rand Paul: My question today is about whether or not individuals who were holdovers from the Obama National Security Council and Democrat partisans conspired with Schiff staffers to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings. As I previously pointed out: If the person reporting the transgression is not present, then the judge will issue a verdict of not guilty. The judge, in doing so, is actually reaching back to the Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment (facing one's accusers), which, with the genius of the Founding Fathers, is actually built out from English Common Law and even Roman law. The Sixth Amendment is one of the foundational stones upon which our entire edifice of a fair system of justice is built. If the past is prologue for this entire sham process, and a witness can lie with impunity, and the president's accusers can use "disorderly language" to attack him with no consequences, and President Trump cannot face his accusers, then shame on everyone involved, and this has gone much too far. End it. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - The Tunisian ministry of health Thursday denied information circulating on social networks of the presence of the coronavirus in the country At least three Madhya Pradesh students in China and their families have made a request to the central government as well as the state government to help them reach home given the Coronavirus scare in China, the families said on Friday. In response to their requests the state government has assured them that it will extend all possible help. On Friday, chief minister Kamal Nath tweeted, I have received information about three students from Khargone district stranded in China and their seeking help. I will request the foreign minister today for making arrangements for the safe return of the students. He said, There should be arrangements for the safe return of other Indians too in view of Coronavirus in China. People of Madhya Pradesh should not be worried over the spread of the virus. I have already issued instructions for special arrangements in all the hospitals in the state. Two of the students Shubham Gupta and Abdul Mateen Khan studying medicine in Xian city in China spoke with their families through video calls on Friday. Santosh Gupta, father of Subham Gupta said, My son told me that there are about 150 students from India who are studying in his university. They are facing problems in getting foods and water due to closure of markets. They are not being allowed to move out of hostels due to spread of the virus. They are getting some food from the medical college management but they are not sure about its purity. They are living in their hostels while wearing masks all the time. Santosh Gupta said, Subham is my only son who has been studying medicine in China for the past two years. I have urged the Prime Minister and also chief minister of Madhya Pradesh to help my son and others to return to India. According to these families, the students have told them that the hospital associated with their medical college has as many as 80 patients affected by the virus, for treatment. They told their families that the students of Australia, France, the USA have been called back by the respective countries. The Indian embassy in China too is making arrangements to send Indian students back to India but the process needs to be expedited. Meanwhile, another student from Khargone studying in the same medical college Huma Khan who returned to India on January 12 on a month break said she had been informed by her college management to cancel her flight ticket to return for studies to China and stay home till the situation is normal. I have spoken to my friends and they told me that the markets are closed in Xian city and there is no transport available at the moment. The Indian students are worried and eager to return to India at the earliest, she said. A health department official who didnt wish to be quoted said, At present, there is no patient affected by Coronavirus in the state. A student who came from China has been admitted to AIIMS, Bhopal because of his travel history only, though he has no symptoms of a Coronavirus affected patient. According to the official, the blood sample reports of a Ujjain student studying in China and his mother admitted to a Ujjain hospital have shown negative results. A Northern Ireland civil servant has been named the Stonewall Trans Role Model of the Year 2020 for the support she's shown to transgender colleagues. Ricki Kettle said she was overwhelmed by the award, which was given in recognition of the role she has played within the LGBT staff network, the support she has shown coworkers and in promoting the civil service as an inclusive employer. Finance Minister Conor Murphy, whose officials recently developed a strategy to develop diversity and inclusion, thanked Ms Kettle for her work. The 43-year-old Belfast woman, who said she knew from the age of three or four that she was a girl, said conversations around transgender rights were limited when she was a teenager. "I came out as a gay man first - a lot of people in my generation who were trans did," she told iNews. "I've been very lucky in comparison to other people's journeys, because transitioning happened quite naturally. I was quite feminine growing up, and my family were always aware I was different. "It gradually happened over a number of years. I had a conversation and said Im living as the gender I should have been born. I had conversations with family and friends over time. I got tremendous support, and felt reassured and loved by my family." Ms Kettle said she she started in the civil service in 2012, where she started changing her physical appearance and eventually her pronouns. "The process itself was quite easy. I worked in an operational dept, and while some people had to catch up with the pronouns, there was no resistance or hesitance. When you are just yourself, people do accept you as that." Ricki Kettle named Stonewall Trans Role Model of the Year 2020 Congratulations to Ricki Kettle who has been awarded the Stonewall Trans Role Model of the Year 2020 award for her work supporting trans staff, ensuring their needs are met in the Civil Service. Posted by Department of Finance on Thursday, January 30, 2020 Finance Minister Conor Murphy said workplaces should be diverse, welcoming and inclusive. "Ricki has been a champion of LGBT equality in the civil service," he said. "Particularly with developing the trans policy and transitioning at work guide. "I would like to thank Ricki for her valuable work and am delighted her contribution is being recognised." Ms Kettle said the most difficult aspect of her transition was waiting to be seen by a gender identity clinic. The waiting list meant it was a year before she could be seen. Read More She added: "I didn't even realise my colleagues had nominated me for the award. "It was when I saw I'd been CC'd into a congratulatory email that I first realised what had happened. I'm so surprised and touched, and it was a lovely way to find that out." She added: "In going about my daily work I am very conscious to understand how work experience can be improved for LGBT colleagues and I am always thinking about opportunities to help me to do this. "To have my efforts acknowledged like this is truly wonderful." VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 31, 2020 / Sky Gold Corp. (TSX-V: SKYG) (US:SRKZF) ("Sky Gold Corp." or the "Company") is pleased to announce the acquisition of the "Mustang Property", comprising two non-contiguous blocks of claims, in Central Newfoundland. The eastern claim block hosts the "Outflow Prospect", comprised of the Mustang and Piper mineralized zones, located adjacent to New Found Gold Corp. ("New Found Gold") who recently announced New Found Gold drill hole ("NFGC-19-01") on their Queensway Gold Project which intersected 92.86 g/t Au over 19.0 meters (see Mexican Gold Corp., Press Release dated January 26, 2020)*. The eastern claim block is contiguous to New Found Gold's Queensway Gold Project and approximately 5 km from New Found Gold's discovery hole. The claims comprise approximately 420 ha on the western shore of Gander Lake. The western claim block comprises approximately 150 hectares and is located approximately 2.2 kilometers west-northwest of the eastern claims. The claim blocks are located approximately 6.5 km south-southeast of the village of Glenwood, with abandoned logging road accessing the area. Glenwood is located on the Trans-Canada Highway 25 kilometers west of an international airport in Gander. Gold mineralization was discovered at the Outflow Prospect in 1987 by Noranda Exploration Company Limited, whom completed geologic mapping, trenching and shallow (average 84 m) diamond drilling (12 holes totaling 1007.6 m). In late 2001, Altius Minerals Corp. held the current claim area, with the Mustang zone anchoring a major NE-SW structural feature of prospective geology covered by a large property project known as the "Mustang Trend." Altius optioned the property to Barrick Gold Corporation who undertook reconnaissance exploration in 2002 which resulted in the discovery of several new gold showings, including the Road Breccia, Barite, Jasperoid, and Gervase's Lane showings. Exploration on the property was curtailed in late July 2003, when Barrick terminated their option. Highest gold values, up to 28 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) over 0.8 metres, occur in dark gray hydrobreccia units, associated with higher arsenopyrite concentrations. Selected diamond-drill assay results from Noranda's drill program include 1.27 g/t Au over 11.3 m, 0.67 g/t Au over 18.3 m and 0.92 g/t Au over 9.0 m.* *Gold values on adjacent properties in similar rocks, and assays based on historical work, are not representative of the mineralization on the property, have not been verified, and should not be relied upon. Two geologic models have been proposed for the gold mineralization at the Mustang Prospect. A low-sulphidation epithermal model is proposed, based on the silicified zones, locally in association with fault zones, and consist of chalcedonic silica in association with comb-textured and crustiform quartz and hydrothermal breccia. However, Altius Mineral Corp., considered the Mustang prospect as a possible example of Carlin-style mineralization (Altius Minerals Corporation, press release, August 21, 2003), supported by typical enriched trace-element assemblages (As, Sb, Tl, Hg, and Ba) of Carlin deposits, and barite veins, breccia matrix and stockwork hosted by calcareous sedimentary rocks. President, Mike England states: "We are pleased to be acquiring the Mustang Property in an active, emerging gold district, led by the recent success of New Found Gold. At this point the Newfoundland claim staking system is making a transition therefore no staking is possible however we will be looking to add to our land position when it is back up and running." Mr. England further commented "With multiple targets already known, and only limited, shallow drilling to date, we feel there is excellent potential for a significant gold discovery. Our technical team is well suited with expertise on both epithermal and Carlin-type gold mineralization. Data compilation has been initiated to define targets for drill permitting this summer." To earn a 100-per-cent interest in the "Mustang Property" from an arms-length party, the Company will make a one-time payment of $100,000 cash, the issuance of 3.25 million common shares of the company and expend cumulative $425,000 over a 3 year period. The underlying vendor retains a 3 per-cent net smelter royalty (NSR), 50 per cent of which is purchasable by Sky Gold for $1.5 million at any time. This transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. The Company further announces that it has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 4 million units ("Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $320,000.00 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will be comprised of one common share ("Share") and one-half transferable common share purchase warrant of the Company ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant will entitle the Subscriber to purchase one common Share for a 24-month period after the Closing Date at an exercise price of $0.15 per share. Proceeds raised from the Offering will be used for general working capital. Finders' fees may be payable on the private placement, subject to the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. This offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. Qualified Person Catherine Fitzgerald, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, is the Qualified Person responsible for reviewing and approving the technical contents of this news release as they pertain to the Mustang property. About Sky Gold Corp. Sky Gold Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties in Canada and the USA. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Mike England" Mike England, CEO&DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-770 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: Sky Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/574788/Sky-Gold-Secures-Strategic-Land-Package-on-Strike-With-New-Found-Golds-Newfoundland-Queensway-Project One E&S provider resolute about the need to incorporate technology and data & analytics into its business in order to better manage the pricing, products and services it provides is Nationwide E&S/Specialty. The organization, which was founded in 1982, is focused on innovation under the leadership of president Tom Clark, especially where it can increase the speed, efficiency and ease of doing business with distribution partners. Read next: Why data literacy is so important for your clients The E&S marketplace is very dynamic right now, said David Nelson, senior vice president, contract underwriting, Nationwide E&S/Specialty. There are mergers and acquisitions happening and a lot of new entrants coming into the marketplace. When new companies start up or when insurtechs start to think about getting into the E&S marketplace, it causes us to think a little bit differently about how we transact business. It begs for E&S providers to look at our operating models in terms of how we market through technology and how we create speed and efficiency, not only for ourselves but also for the wholesale brokers and MGAs that we do business through. Speed and efficiency are two key priorities for insurers playing the innovation game, especially when it comes to translating data & analytics into actionable insights. To meet these priorities for its distribution partners, Nationwide E&S/Specialty is developing its internal underwriting system, which utilizes both internal and external data sources to make faster decisions on risks. Read more: Hyperion X chief data officer drives customer first approach Thomas Jurgens, senior vice president, brokerage underwriting, Nationwide E&S/Specialty, explained: In our space, its all about speed. How can we leverage all of the data thats available in order to get back to our distribution partners on a quick and timely basis with a Yes or No to a submission? Were focusing on how we can do a better job through automation so we can improve the ease and efficiency of doing business with us. Theres so much data available today. Weve been in the E&S business for over 35 years, so we have the added benefit of lots of historical data, but with all these new sources were thinking about how we can approach data differently. Were finding now that many of our wholesale partners are gathering a lot more data than they used to. Moving forwards, we need to figure out how we can jointly utilize all of our data together. There are a lot of conversations in the insurance industry about unlocking the value of data. Nelson commented: Each organization has their share of historical data that hasnt been leveraged to its fulness, but today there are a lot more conversations around how we can share our learnings in a good way. He added that in the age of digital innovation, its useful for partners to couple up and solve problems together rather than innovating independently and then meeting down the road at two different points. Fourteen students who were studying at Wuhan in China, the epicenter of novel coronavirus outbreak, have returned to Akola district in Maharashtra in the last two weeks, health officials said on Friday. These students were screened at the Mumbai airport and then again at local hospitals, and none of them had symptoms of coronavirus, officials said. After their return, each of them underwent medical examination at least four times, but none was hospitalised as they did not show infection symptoms. Speaking to PTI, one of the students who did not wish to be named said a large number of youngsters from the state opt for universities in China for medical education. Deputy Director of the Health Department Dr Riyaz Farukhi said an isolation ward has been set up at the Government Medical College here for suspected coronavirus patients. Patients from Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Yavatmal and Washim districts would be kept in the ward, he said. Across the state, a dozen people have been admitted to hospitals in Mumbai, Pune, Nanded and Nagpur and kept under observation for possible exposure to the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fast & Furious veteran Sung Kang says hes feeling emotional about returning as Han for the ninth film in the main franchise. The first trailer for Fast & Furious 9 was released on Friday (watch it above), and while there were a bevy of action scenes and set-pieces to behold and salivate over, undoubtedly the biggest revelation from the footage was the return of Sung Kangs Han Lue. Fast & Furious fans will undoubtedly be aware that Han died in Fast And The Furious: Tokyo Drift, before then appearing in the prequels Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, and even at the start of Furious 7. At the end of the sixth installment it was revealed that Jason Stathams Deckard Shaw was responsible for Hans death. (from left) Han (Sung Kang) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) in F9, directed by Justin Lin. (Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures) That made it all the more grating for Fast fans when Deckard not only became part of the gang in The Fate Of The Furious, but even got his own spin-off movie, too. So much so that a Justice For Han online movement began. Read More: John Cena unveiled in Fast & Furious 9 character posters Thankfully, Fast & Furious 9 looks as though it will confront and deal with the above issues, with Kang himself recently opening up to the Los Angeles Times about his emotional return. It feels like Im going back to a family reunion, he admitted. Its a relationship that has been missing in my life since the last Fast. MIAMI, FLORIDA - JANUARY 31: Sung Kang and Ludacris speak onstage during Universal Pictures Presents The Road To F9 Concert and Trailer Drop on January 31, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) Kang was just as perplexed by the decision to make Deckard such an integral member of the Fast family, adding, When Shaw came in and was revealed to be the killer and got invited into the family fold thats where you went, Well, is this character being respected? Read more: Dwayne Johnson ends Vin Diesel feud, hints at Fast return When it comes to the character in F9, all Kang would say was he and director Justin Lin spent a long time discussing how to bring him back into fold, explaining, We know who and what Han is. And were older now. This Han is older. The things that weve learned as men in our personal lives, I hope it can transcend on-screen. Well see exactly what that means, and whether Han faked his death or was brought back to life, when F9 is released on 22 May, 2020. Delhi Police on Friday detained the protesters from outside old Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO who gathered to condemn the firing incident in Jamia area. Heavy security deployed in the area were seen detaining protestors and pushing them in buses in order to remove them from the area. The protestors were sitting outside the police Headquarters since last evening to voice their anguish after a student was injured in a firing incident near Jamia Millia Islamia university yesterday. Earlier in the day, traffic movement near the Police Headquarters was closed for vehicular movement in the view of the protest. The protest comes in wake of the Jamia firing incident, where a person brandished a gun in presence of heavy police force deployment and fired towards the marching Jamia Millia Islamia university students. Before the incident, Delhi Police had said sufficient police arrangements had been made for the march for which there was "no permission". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DUBLIN, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The UK Defense Market - Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Driven by the need to counter a resurgent Russia, the UK's defense expenditures are anticipated to increase from US$50.3 billion in 2019 to US$52.6 billion in 2020. Over the forecast period the country's defense budget is anticipated to post a CAGR of 4.13%. Aside Russia and traditional geopolitical threats, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) defines the primary threats to UK's national security to be terrorism, espionage, proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and cyber threats, all of which have the potential to be detrimental to the safety of the UK's national infrastructure of critical importance. UK Defense Market 2020-2024 provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news. The report offers detailed analysis of the UK defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. The report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants. In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following: The UK defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the UK defense industry during 2020-2024, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the country's expenditure and modernization patterns Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget with respect to capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years Market opportunities:list of the top ten defense investment opportunities over the next 5 years Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the UK defense industry. Reasons to Buy This report will give the user confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of the UK defense industry market trends for the coming five years The market opportunity section will inform the user about the various military requirements that are expected to generate revenues during the forecast period. The description includes technical specifications, recent orders, and the expected investment pattern by the country during the forecast period Profiles of the top domestic and foreign defense manufacturers . This will provide the user with a total competitive landscape of the sector A deep qualitative analysis of the UK defense industry covering sections including demand drivers, Key Trends , and latest industry contracts Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Attractiveness and Emerging Opportunities 3.1. Current Market Scenario 3.1.1. Primary Threat Perception 3.1.2. Military Doctrine and Strategy 3.1.3. Procurement Programs 3.1.4. Geopolitical, Social and Economic Scenario 3.1.5. Political and Strategic Alliances 3.1.6. Key Drivers and Challenges 3.2. Defense Market Size Historical and Forecast 3.2.1. The UK's defense expenditure is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 4.13% over the forecast period 3.2.2. Counter-terrorism activities, procurements, and peacekeeping operations are the primary factors driving defense expenditure 3.2.3. Defense budget as a percentage of GDP is anticipated to decrease over the forecast period 3.3. Analysis of Defense Budget Allocation 3.3.1. The allocation towards capital expenditure will remain constant 3.3.2. Capital expenditure is anticipated to record CAGR of 3.41% over the forecast period 3.3.3. Per capita defense expenditure to increase over the forecast period 3.4. Homeland Security Market Size and Forecast 3.4.1. The Homeland Security market in UK is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.20% over the forecast period 3.4.2. Border security and cyber-security will be the key drivers for homeland security 3.5. Benchmarking with Key Global Markets 3.5.1. The UK ranks among major Global Defense Markets 3.5.2. The UK is expected to be among the top 10 defense spending countries in the world 3.5.3. The UK allocates a significant percentage of GDP towards defense 3.6. Market Opportunities: Key Trends and Growth Stimulators 3.6.1. Top 10 Defense market sectors by value (US$ Million) - Projections over period 2019-2024 3.6.2. Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) - Physical Security 3.6.3. Land Based - C4ISR 3.6.4. Multirole Aircraft 4. Defense Procurement Market Dynamics 4.1. Import Market Dynamics 4.1.1. Defense imports are expected to remain consistent with the historic trends 4.1.2. The US is the leading arms exporter to UK, a trend expected to continue in the coming years 4.1.3. Aircraft, Missiles, and Engines account for more than three-quarters of UK arms imports 4.2. Export Market Dynamics 4.2.1. UK Defense Exports are anticipated to increase over the historic period 4.2.2. Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Indonesia are the main buyers of UK defense exports 4.2.3. Aircraft make up the majority of the UK's defense exports 5. Industry Dynamics 5.1.1. Five Forces Analysis 5.1.2. Bargaining power of supplier: low 5.1.3. Bargaining power of buyer: medium to high 5.1.4. Barrier to entry: medium 5.1.5. Intensity of rivalry: medium 5.1.6. Threat of substitution: medium 6. Market Entry Strategy 6.1. Market Regulation 6.1.1. Offset policy discarded in order to maintain competitiveness of domestic suppliers 6.1.2. The UK permits 100% FDI in its defense industry 6.1.3. Government initiatives to boost the defense industry 6.2. Market Entry Route 6.2.1. Budgeting Process 6.2.2. Procurement Policy and Process 6.2.3. Joint weapons development programs are a viable market entry opportunity 6.2.4. Joint ventures open up new market entry strategy choices 6.2.5. Forming subsidiaries in the UK and the acquisition of domestic companies provide good market entry opportunities 6.3. Key Challenges 6.3.1. Inconsistency defense budget policy have negative implications for defense companies 6.3.2. Dominance of domestic and EU defense companies impede the progress of non-European firms 7. Competitive landscape and Strategic Insights 7.1. Competitive landscape Overview 7.2. Key Domestic Companies 7.3. Key Foreign Companies 8. Business Environment and Country Risk 8.1. Economic Performance Companies Mentioned BAE Systems PLC Rolls-Royce PLC GKN Aerospace Services Babcock International Group PLC Leonardo Thales UK General Dynamics UK Ltd. Boeing UK Lockheed Martin UK Ltd. L-3 Communications Group PLC Northrop Grumman Corporation Airbus S.A.S. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/visvje Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com For decades the Central African Republic (CAR) has struggled under the weight of the spectacular and everyday violence imparted by political elites. CARs most recent conflict a six-year civil war between Seleka militants and anti-Balaka self-defense militias has amplified CARs historical pattern of political hopefuls seizing power whilst shirking responsibility for violence. Such an arrangement results in what the International Crisis Group called a phantom state in 2007: the state is as damaging in the ways it is present in the lives of Central Africans as in the ways it is absent. Without a functioning state, armed groups, CARs armed forces and international peacekeepers consistently use sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as a tool of war with impunity. This article makes the case that the International Criminal Courts (ICC) own practice of selecting only certain commanders as those most responsible for the most serious violence may very well be the cause of its consistent failure to meaningfully and adequately realize accountability for crimes of SGBV. It suggests that for CAR, the ICC actualizes a phantom justice, one that is as damaging in the ways it determines criminal culpability for SGBV as the ways in which it fails to actualize justice for survivors at all. How sexual violence is charged in Yekatom and Ngaissona cases In October 2019, the ICC charged two anti-Balaka commanders with war crimes and crimes against humanity: Alfred Rombhot Yekatom and Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona. Yekatom was a former Corporal in CARs armed forces who formed an anti-Balaka group after the Seleka, a politico-military coalition, successfully deposed former President Francois Bozize in 2013. Patrice-Edouard Ngaissona, once a member of Bozizes cabinet, was the former National General Coordinator of all anti-Balaka groups. The ICCs case, known as CAR II, alleges that Ngaissona in coordination with Bozize in exile and Yekatom in Bangui, among others operated a strategic common plan to mobilize anti-Muslim sentiment and existing self-defense groups, who later came to be known as anti-Balaka, against Seleka militias to reclaim Bangui from Seleka president Michel Djotodia. In other words, the ICC has charged Yekatom on the basis of command responsibility for violence in Bangui and prefectures to its West whilst charging Ngaissona with individual criminal responsibility for contributing to and commissioning violence perpetrated by all anti-Balaka groups throughout CAR. CAR II presents a dynamic case study to explore why the ICCs justice in CAR might be best described as phantom justice. Although the ICC charged Ngaissona with six counts of rape as a war crime and crime against humanity in the Ombella-MPoko and Lobaye Prefectures, they did not charge Yekatom, who was the zone commander in those prefectures, with rape. Human Rights Watch, among other human rights groups, has documented acts of SGBV perpetrated by Yekatoms group. The ICCs recent Confirmation of Charges hearing made reference to testimony by 83 forcibly conscripted children a crime for which Yekatom has been charged on the widespread and systematic SGBV they faced. Given this, survivors are left to wonder why only the political coordinator rather than a commander faces charges of rape. The broken link of command responsibility The ICC operates on the principle that only some are most responsible for atrocity, selecting only high-level commanders against whom to bring charges. Article 25 of the Rome Statute establishes that an individual is criminally liable for crimes they ordered, facilitated or to which they intentionally contributed through a groups common purpose. Article 28 goes further, stating that a commander is additionally criminally liable for crimes perpetrated by forces under their effective authority when they knew or ought to have known and failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures to prevent or repress criminal acts. These commanders are held criminally liable for crimes, in which they may not have directly participated, on the basis of command responsibility they are effectively treated as a proxy for the significant number of perpetrators on the ground. Within this framework, CAR II could find Ngaissona individually criminally responsible for SGBV under Article 25 and Yekatom additionally responsible as a commander under Article 28. Yet the recent acquittal of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo for crimes perpetrated during Bozizes 2003 coup revealed just how complicated it is to hold a commander accountable for exercising control over his forces under Article 28. The ICCs first case in CAR, known now as CAR I, charged Bemba on the basis of command responsibility for rape perpetrated by his forces hired to defend Patasses government. The ICC Trial Chamber in CAR I initially determined that Bembas command responsibility was a form of liability for the failure to exercise control and thus amounted to participation, rather than a separate offense of commission. Two years after Bemba was convicted, the Appellate Chamber concluded that Bembas status as a remote commander and a minimal effort to take reasonable measures to repress criminal acts extinguished his responsibility. In effect, the CAR I Appellate Chamber broke the link between the power a commander holds over subordinates and their responsibility to wield that power to control their forces. CAR I has effectively carved out a shield for commanders who operate from a distance, exactly as Ngaissona did, to wield when facing demands for accountability. In CAR IIs context, the link between those who have power and necessarily exercise authority over their militias and are therefore also responsible for the actions of those forces is already a tenuous connection. As a result, even as the ICC determines justice has to be done, it also legitimates the very notion that responsibility is an optional requirement to holding authority. Recommended reading Sexual violence persists in CAR without justice, but what form of justice is needed? Sexual violence victims: Justice for whom? The CAR I acquittal has significant political implications for conditions on the ground and for the prospects of justice in CAR II. In centring international justice around only the few who are most responsible, the acts of sexual violence that matter to the ICC are also limited. CAR I and CAR II demonstrate key problems in how the ICC understands the nature of the violence in the Seleka/anti-Balaka conflict and how it relates to victims. CAR I used a definition of rape that did not depend on a victims lack of consent, but rather proving the physical invasion. Such an approach attempts to contextualize and un-gender SGBV, but the effect was to reduce the type of testimony the Court was willing to hear about SGBV in CAR writ large. As a result, women and girls only accounted for 39 of the 1,051 victims whose testimonies were approved. From the investigation to trial stage, 40% of the testimony about sexual violence was excluded because judges concluded the evidence was redundant. Acts of SGBV that did not constitute rape were subsumed by other charges in CAR I, including outrages of personal dignity or torture, which themselves were excluded from the trial. In CAR II, acts of sexual violence that do not constitute rape are subsumed by the crime of persecution. The ICCs practice renders countless acts of atrocity immaterial and excludes survivors of SGBV, after they re-live the violence through testimony for the sake of justice. This practice establishes a sliding scale for victims participation: only those victims who are willing to give testimony to the violence they survived to the Trial Chambers satisfaction are allowed to participate in the ICCs justice. Put simply, the ICCs practice has placed Central Africans at a great deal of risk precisely because CAR remains a phantom state. SGBV is a highly visible and public form of violence in CAR, but most survivors dont tell anyone what has happened to them. Silence amplifies the violence of SGBV. To choose to give testimony before the ICC only to be dismissed does just as much, perhaps more, damage to survivors seeking justice. A responsibility to punish notwithstanding, the ICC, practitioners and scholars of transitional justice carry a distinct obligation to survivors of SGBV to create spaces for truth-telling and reconciliation precisely because those crimes persist well past ceasefires, peace agreements and prosecutions. Considering the case of CAR, it remains critical to point out that, try as they might, liberal institutions of the West struggle to actually do justice in CAR and elsewhere. It is therefore critical to recognise the limitations of the ICC approach in CAR II to determining who is ultimately responsible for mass violence, particularly where local processes are slow to investigate and prosecute. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 06:40:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations between Palestine and Israel would become impossible if Israel moves unilaterally to implement parts of the U.S.-proposed peace plan, said UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Thursday. Mladenov made the remarks at the 13th annual international conference of the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli think tank, lasting from Tuesday to Thursday in Tel Aviv. The event, with the theme of "Strategic Assessment for Israel: A Look at the Coming Decade," attracted hundreds of international policymakers, security experts, politicians, governmental representatives and academics. The long-awaited "Deal of the Century," unveiled by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, became a main topic among speakers at the conference. Israeli annexation of any part of the West Bank would end the possibility of resuming the negotiations between the two sides toward a peace deal, noted Mladenov. He said the new peace plan would not become the basis of negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians because the Palestinian leaders and public have rejected it. Annexation without agreement with Palestinians is dangerous and would close the doors for the opportunity to normalize relationships between Israel and Palestinians, as well as the Arab world, said Mladenov, adding that such a move would also bring repercussions throughout the region. "Just direct talks between both peoples could lead to a prominent agreement with hope for peace and no more violence," noted Mladenov, adding that it would be a mistake to enforce an agreement by other nations. "The lack of peace negotiations will eventually bring violence," said Mladenov. MANILA, Philippines Airline companies have voluntarily submitted their letter to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) citing their decision to cancel all flights to and from China due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Kalibo International Airport in Aklan accommodates most of direct flights from the Philippines to China, particularly Wuhan City, the epicenter of the outbreak. Nag declare o nag-request na sa amin at nag-inform sa CAAP at sa Kalibo Airport Authority kahapon, nagstart na silang magbawas ng flight at hanggang bukas, wala ng flight na manggaling from China to Kalibo, (They have declared or requested us to inform CAAP and Kalibo Airport Authority that yesterday they have started flight cancellations. Beginning tomorrow, flights from China to Kalibo are also cancelled), explained CAAP Spokesperson Eric Apolonio. CAB records show about 742 commercial flights and 351 chartered flights have already been cancelled due to the threats of 2019-nCoV. The figures are increasing. Approve kami ng approve kasi syempre even the flights to other cities in China are declining, said CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla. There is a stiff decline in the number of flights which is expected given the prevailing circumstances, he added. Cebu Pacific, meanwhile, already cancelled flights to China thus affecting travels to Hong Kong, Macau, and mainland from February 25 to March 29. Philippine Airlines, likewise, cancelled all its flights to several destinations in China. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has intensified its screening measures on all arriving passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) following the confirmation of the first case of nCoV infection in the country. Special lanes have been activated where each passenger is being scrutinized and checked. Footbaths are also in place for disinfecting foot wears upon arrival. The BI is also preparing its team of immigration officers with background in health care to coordinate with other concerned agencies in the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos from China. Story continues We prefer them to be different from maybe in a special tarmac. Hindi na sila dadaan dito (They do not need to proceed here), explained Grifton Medina, the Bureaus Chief of Port Operation Division. Ang immigration officers na po (The immigration officers), since its a special flight, pupuntahan na sila doon sa landing ( will go to the landing area) ng eroplano. Meron nalang po sigurong secluded area to stay kasi automatic ito na ika-quarantine rin, (We will assign an area for them to stay in because they are automatically subject for quarantine), Medina concluded. MNP (with details from Joan Nano) The post Airline companies halt flights from China to PH amid nCoV scare appeared first on UNTV News. Its obvious what it is. Its Lets try to make, shift the blame to somebody else, and not focus on what his conduct was when he made up a series of false allegations that are, frankly, unbelievably cynical, Lightfoot said. And we will make sure that the court is focused, and were not going to let people be harassed by Jussie Smolletts lawyers. Its not the way we do things in Chicago. MILAN, N.M. - A sawmill is struggling to keep afloat amid a monthslong court injunction that barred logging anywhere near Mexican spotted owl habitat in New Mexicos five national forests. Mt. Taylor Manufacturing in Milan, New Mexico, was silenced in mid-December because of the court battle, the Santa Fe New Mexican reports. A federal judge imposed the ban on timber activities in September based on a 2013 lawsuit by the Santa Fe-based environmental group WildEarth Guardians that claimed the U.S. Forest Service failed to monitor the spotted owl adequately. The bird is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act since 1993. A month later, the judge allowed limited cutting, such as Christmas tree harvests, outside owl territory. The trees outside the owls habitat are juniper and pinon, according to Matt Allen, owner of Mt. Taylor Manufacturing. His operation uses ponderosa pine the trees on which the owls nest so the judges revised order doesnt help his mill. The mill got by for a few months on a stockpile of wood. When it ran out, Allen says, he gave the 43-man crew almost all Navajo odd jobs so they could support their families during the holidays and not have to deprive their children of Christmas presents. The mill is one of the few employment sources for the Navajo Nation in Cibola County. But it meant absorbing a hefty financial loss. We are bleeding money, Allen says. Everything in this game is very expensive. The logs that recently came from private land are a stopgap for Allens mill, which needs timber from federal forests to survive, he says. The selective logging his company does creates spaces between trees that curb the spread of wildfires in owl habitat, Allen says. The disappointing thing in my heart is I know what were doing is good for the forest, Allen said. A team of federal biologists mostly agrees with him. They concluded careful tree thinning and prescribed burns might cause short-term damage to owl habitat. Still, they benefit the species overall by preventing massive wildfires and enhancing undergrowth to enable the owls food sources wood rats, squirrels, and small reptiles to thrive. The Forest Service included the biologists opinions in a recent motion to allow timber harvests to resume near owl habitat in Cibola, Santa Fe, Gila, Carson, and Lincoln national forests in New Mexico and Tonto National Forest in Arizona. The judge has yet to rule on whether the biologists opinions prove the Forest Service is doing enough to monitor the impacts of tree thinning on the owls. An environmental advocate doesnt believe the proof is there. While some limited, judicious thinning is probably OK there is no empirical data that assesses the benefits and harm, that assesses the projects that Mt. Taylor Manufacturing is doing, says John Horning, WildEarth Guardians executive director. Theres a tremendous amount of complexity in the forest ecosystem, in fire ecology. A final vote in the Senate on Donald Trump is on track to take place Friday, where the president is expected to be acquitted in the Republican-controlled chamber. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced Thursday evening he would vote against calling additional witnesses, which likely doomed Democrats' efforts to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify. With no witnesses, senators are expected to wrap up the trial when they meet on Friday afternoon. 'It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation,' Alexander said in a statement. 'When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate,' he said. 'I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense,' Alexander noted. Republican Senator Susan Collins said in statement Thursday evening she will vote to call witnesses, making her the first GOP lawmaker to break ranks and join the Democrats. That leaves Republican Senators Mitt Romney and Lisa Murkowski as question marks. Romney has said he wants to hear from more witnesses. Murkowski is not showing her hand. But even if both are yes that would make it a 50-50 vote on the matter. Democrats needed four Republicans in order to call additional witnesses. Meanwhile the Republican leadership is working on a plan to combat a tie vote when the matter comes before the chamber on Friday. A resolution being discussed that would nullify a tie, a scenario Republicans have been concerned about. A 50-50 vote would hand the decision over to the presiding officer in the Senate, who is Chief Justice John Roberts. 'I think we'll avoid it,' Republican Senator Mike Braun told reporters during a dinner break. Roberts would not answer a question from DailyMail.com when he left the Capitol on Thursday as to whether he would vote on witnesses if it was a 50-50 tie. The witness vote is expected to be the last matter senators vote on before they move to debate whether or not to convict President Trump. 'Tomorrow's the big day,' Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said as he left the Capitol Thursday evening. 'This is really the game day tomorrow. Its not the Super Bowl,' Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar told reporters in the Capitol. Republican Senator Lamar Alexander (left) said he would vote against calling witnesses; Senator Lisa Murkowski (right) is question mark on the issue Republican Senator Susan Collins (left) said she will vote in favor of more witnesses and Senator Mitt Romney (right) has not said how he'll vote but has said he wants to hear from more witnesses Democrats want to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton Braun said Republicans were working on a measure on witnesses that interpret a 50-50 vote as a vote for no additional witnesses to be called. That means Roberts would not have to cast a tie-breaking vote. 'I think he'd probably take an out because it gets political at that point,' Braun said. Republican leadership have been talking to their lawmakers about the vote on additional witnesses, using the dinner hour - tacos were served - to take the temperature of their lawmakers on the issue. Senators Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski were spotted meeting together during the dinner break. The two are in the spotlight being the ones who could cast the make-or-break vote on the witness issue. 'Ill have more to announce after' the question and answer session on Thursday night, Alexander told reporters. After the dinner break, when the Senate resumed its question and answer session, Murkowski cut to the chase by asking why shouldnt the Senate call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify: This dispute about material facts weighs in favor of calling additional witnesses with direct knowledge. Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton? was her inquiry. A final vote in the Senate on Donald Trump's fate is on track for Friday. He is seen above Thursday at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa Alexander speaks to reporters as he exits the Trump impeachment trial on Thursday Chief Justice John Roberts would not answer a question from DailyMail.com when he left the Capitol on Thursday as to whether he would vote on witnesses if it was a 50-50 tie Deputy White House Counsel Patrick Philbin warned senators whatever decision they made would affect future impeachments Deputy White House Counsel Patrick Philbin warned senators whatever decision they made would affect future impeachments and repeated the argument from Trumps team such a move would freeze business in the Senate. He also said Bolton hasnt even confirmed what is reported to be in his forthcoming memoir. JOHN BOLTON'S KEY REVELATIONS John Bolton makes a series of bombshell claims in his book, according to the part of the manuscript seen by the New York Times. They are: Trump told Bolton in August 2019 that he would not release military aid to the Ukraine until they investigated the Bidens and claims of trying to intervene in 2016 in favor of Hillary Clinton Mike Pompeo privately admitted that Rudy Giuliani's claims Marie Yovanovitch were corrupt were baseless - and that he suspected they were being made to help other Giuliani clients Bolton warned White House lawyers that he feared Giuliani was using his work with the president to help his private clients Mick Mulvaney, the acting chief of staff, was present at least once when Trump and Giuliani discussed Yovanovitch. Mulvaney has told 'associates' he stepped away from such conversations Pompeo told Bill Barr that he was mentioned in the July call with Zelensky. The Justice Department claims Barr did not know until mid-August Trump railed about Ukraine trying to 'damage' him in May 2019 when he met Ron Johnson, a Republican senator who was going to Zelensky's inauguration. And Trump also mentioned the conspiracy theory that Ukraine had a hacked Democratic server Bill Barr expressed concerns about Trump doing personal favors for autocrats including China's Xi and Turkey's Erdogan when Bolton raised the issue with him Advertisement Whatever is accepted in this case becomes the new normal for every impeachment proceeding in the future. And it will do grave damage to this body as an institution to say that the proceedings in the House don't have to really be complete. You don't have to subpoena the witnesses that you think are necessary to prove your case, he said. And then this chamber will have to be issuing the subpoenas and dealing with that. He went to warn: It's the entire chamber that is going to have to be sitting as a court of impeachment, and that will affect the business of the chamber. And so I think the idea that something comes out because someone makes an assertion in a book, allegedly. It's only alleged -- it's simply alleged now that the manuscript says that. Ambassador Bolton hasn't come out to verify that, to my knowledge. In his book, according to The New York Times, Bolton claims the president said he was freezing U.S. aid to Ukraine until that country agreed to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. Trump has denied the charge. Murkowski and Alexander also teamed up with other Republican senator to ask even if Bolton did testify to what was reported to be in his book, would it be an impeachable offense. Philbin said it wouldn't matter what Bolton testified as the charges Democrats have against the president are impeachable offenses. Even if Ambassador Bolton would testify to that, even if you assumed it were true, there is no impeachable offense stated in the articles of impeachment,' he said. Democrats spent their time trying to convince senators to support their cause. 'They make the astounding claim that their case is so good, let them try without witnesses. That wouldn't fly before any judge in America. And it shouldn't fly here either,' Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment for Democrats, told senators. He also appealed to the Senators to follow the legacy the founders of the country laid out. 'They wrote a beautiful constitution. They understood a lot about human nature. They understood as we do that absolute power corrupts absolutely. And they provided a constraint. But it will only be as good and as strong as the men and women of this institution's willingness to uphold it, to not look away from the truth. The truth is staring us in the eyes. We know why they don't want John Bolton to testify. It's not because we don't know what really happened here. They just don't want the American people to hear it in all of its ugly graphic detail,' Schiff said. Republican Senator John Thune, a member of leadership, had fellow GOP lawmakers Mitt Romney and Alexander going in and out of his posh Capitol office Thursday evening to talk about calling additional witnesses. Republicans have said if Democrats want Bolton, then they are going to call Hunter Biden. Thune told reporters there are 'numerous discussions conversations among our members and we're trying to make sure that it gets to a comfortable place.' Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, said there was a feeling of urgency among lawmakers to wrap up the trial. 'We have a high level of interest in just getting this done,' he said. 'Senators have heard enough,' said Republican Senator John Barrasso, who is close both to the president and Senate leadership. Barrasso said he doesn't expect Trump's trial to go into Monday, meaning it would wrapped up by the time the president came to Capitol Hill Tuesday to give his State of the Union Address. Republicans are preparing to wrap up Donald Trump's trial on Friday Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and his party are increasingly confident they can win a vote to not call witnesses Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and his party are still pushing for witnesses Adam Schiff, the lead impeachment manager for Democrats, offered a deal Thursday afternoon to Trump's legal team to have the same rules for witnesses used in Bill Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial. 'Let's keep the depositions to one week,' he said during the proceedings. 'In the Clinton trial, there was one week of depositions. You know what the Senate did during that week? They did the business of the Senate. The Senate went back to its ordinary business while the depositions were being conducted. You want the Clinton model, let's use the Clinton model. Let's take a week to have a fair trial. You can continue your business. We can get the business of the country done. Is that too much to ask in the name of fairness?' Democratic senators talked up Schiff's deal during the dinner break but Republicans didn't bite. 'The plan is to finish this up tomorrow or in the wee hours of the morning Saturday. Its a matter of what delaying tactics the Democrats could use,' Barrasso said. The Republicans' tentative plan - which is subject to change - is for there to be four hours of debate on Friday on calling witnesses, with two hours of each side. It's possible that time could double as closing arguments for the prosecution and defense, setting up a vote on Trump's fate for late Friday. 'We're just continuing to just have conversations with people in hopes that we'll get enough folks to a good place and be able to prevail' on witnesses, Republican Senator John Thune, a member of leadership, told Politico in an interview. 'My hope would be that if we do win tomorrow, that we will quickly close it out. I don't think there's any point in hanging around. I would like to go to a conclusion.' McConnell wants a speedy trial with no witnesses. Asked Thursday Morning by ABC News if he feels confident about the witness vote, he replied: 'I always do.' Once the witness question is decided, a final vote on whether or not to convict the president is expected quickly. 'I can tell you there are a lot of our members,' Thune said, 'who, if we can prevail on witnesses, want to just move to the final question as quickly as possible and conclude this.' Democrats would not have a lot of options if the witness vote fails. They could offer multiple motions, each one would have to be voted on. Senators could also want time to debate some of these motions. This could drag out the timing on a final vote on the president. Democratic Senator Dick Dubin, who is in leadership, said when he left the Capitol Thursday evening he didn't think Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer had decided on what motions to offer on Friday. Senator John Thune said there was a 'high level' of interest among Republican senators to get the trial done Republican Senator John Barrasso said senators have heard enough Senator Joni Ernst told reporters a closed-door session could happen There also are discussions about having a closed-door session for either the witness debate or the final debate on whether or not to acquit President Trump or possibly for both. 'I think they could have closed door deliberations,' Senator Joni Ernst told reporters on Thursday morning. The president's legal team made the repeated argument in Wednesday's 10-hour session that calling witnesses will drag the trial out for months and risks turning the Senate into a permanent court of impeachment, preventing the senators from doing an legislative work. Republican Senator Mike Braun said the mood among senators was 'suspenseful.' Senators spent nine and half hours asking their final questions on Thursday for a total of 89 inquires to the defense and prosecution. Republican Senator Mike Braun said Republicans were working on way to keep John Roberts from being the deciding vote on witnesses Adam Schiff proposed a witness deal but no Republicans seemed to be biting Trump's defense bluntly threatened that if the Senate votes for John Bolton, the former national security advisor, to give evidence, they would demand Hunter Biden, the whistleblower, Adam Schiff and potentially many more be called too, tying the Senate up for months. Without witnesses, the trial could end as early as Friday. President Trump is expected to be acquitted in the Republican-controlled chamber. It would take a vote of two-thirds of the senators to convict the president. 'We don't have a timeline. I think it's very dependent upon some of the motions that might come up,' Ernst said. Thursday's hearing got off to a dramatic start when Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul that would have named the alleged whistleblower. Roberts looked at the card containing Paul's question carefully and then set it aside and said: 'The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted.' Paul immediately left the impeachment hearing to hold a press conference on Roberts' move. 'I can tell you that my question made no reference to the whistleblower or any kind of person,' the senator from Kentucky said. Chief Justice John Roberts declined to read a question from Republican Senator Rand Paul on Thursday that would name the alleged whistleblower Senator Rand Paul immediately left the trial to hold a press conference He read his question to the press but DailyMail.com is not naming the alleged whistleblower, whose public identity has not been disclosed. Here is Senator Paul's question with the names in it redacted: 'Are you aware that House Intelligence Committee staff ... has a close relationship with ... when at the National Security Council together. Are you aware and how do you respond to reports that ... and ... may have worked together to plot impeaching the president before there were formal House impeachment proceedings?' Roberts - who is tasked with reading senators' questions aloud - had told the lawmakers he would not say the name of the whistleblower during the Q&A session. The person has not publicly identified themselves and is protected by federal law from having their identity revealed. Democrats don't want the whistleblower named publicly to protect the person and several Republicans agree with them. Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to reassure Roberts the lawmakers would support his position amid reports Paul was going to try to name the person in his question. 'We appreciate the judge reading our questions, and I want to continue to assure him that that level of consideration for him will continue,' McConnell said before the Q&A period began. The Senate is considering closed-door deliberations for its final decision on President Trump Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could put the chamber in private session to debate whether or not to find the president guilty But Paul made his inquiry and then left the trial to talk to the press. 'I don't know who the whistleblower is,' Paul told reporters. 'My question is not about the whistleblower. My question is about two people who are friends who work together the National Security Council, who are having overheard talking about impeaching the president years in advance of a process that then was created,' he said. He said he was 'still contemplating' trying to ask his question or some other form of his question again. He was asked if he shouldn't be in the trial instead of holding a press conference. 'Yeah, I will be there very shortly. Thanks for the question,' he said. Paul's move got the second day of the Senate question and answer period off to a fiery start. Senators have another eight hours to make their inquiries as they prepare for the big question hanging over their heads: will additional witnesses be called. Adam Schiff, the head Democratic impeachment manager, continued Thursday to make the case to call additional witnesses White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin argued the impeachment was an attempt to overthrow the 2016 election Senators have an additional eight hours to ask questions in Thursday's session. A total of 93 were asked on Thursday. The questions focused on the central arguments both sides have been making. Democratic senators asked questions to help the impeachment managers make their case for calling additional witnesses. They want to call acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and former National Security Adviser John Bolton. 'If you make the decision that a fair trial can be conducted without hearing from witnesses, the American people will not accept that,' Adam Schiff said. 'We would like to call our witnesses. We'd like to rely on more than our argumentation. There are few things about this trial that American agree on but one thing they are squarely in agreement on, well, two, they believe a trial should have witness testimony, and they want to hear from John Bolton.' Republicans asked questions to help Trump's lawyers make their case that the impeachment was being done in an attempt to overturn the 2016 election. 'This is really taking the vote away from the American people,' White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin said. Attorney Eric Herschmann offered a list of Trump's accomplishments as president, including working on the border wall, the strong economy and low unemployment numbers. 'We the American people are happier. And yet the House managers tell you that the president needs to be removed because he's an immediate threat to our country,' he said. 'Maybe if the House managers stop opposing him and harassing him and harassing everyone associated with him, with the constant letters and the constant investigations, maybe we can even get more done,' he added. Republican Senator Susan Collins asked if there was a reason a president could ask a foreign government to investigate an American citizen if no U.S. agency was investigating that person. Phibin argued president's can do what they want. 'Yes, if there was a conduct by a U.S. person overseas that potentially violated the law of that country but didn't violate the law of this country,' he said, adding there could be 'various circumstances where a person had done something overseas but there was a national interest in understanding what they had done.' But Schiff argued the opposite. 'I cannot conceive of circumstances where that is appropriate. It may be appropriate for the Justice Department acting independently and in good faith to initiate investigations. There's a process for doing that,' Schiff said. 'That didn't happen here.' Meanwhile, Alan Dershowitz, one of Donald Trump's lawyers, took to Twitter Thursday to refute interpretations of a comment he made during Wednesday's session where he argued any action taken by the president to benefit his re-election is in the public interest and therefore not impeachable. 'Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest, and mostly you're right. Your election is in the public interest, and if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment,' he said during the senators' question and answer period. It was astonishing argument for sweeping executive power made by the famous law professor. But on Thursday Dershowitz disputed the interpretation of his words. 'They characterized my argument as if I had said that if a president believes that his re-election was in the national interest, he can do anything. I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest,' he wrote on Twitter. Several Democrats used the social media platform to snap back at him. 'READ THE TRANSCRIPT,' Democratic Sen. Martin Heinrich wrote. 'You said as long as the President doesn't commit a crime, he can abuse his power in any way he likes in service of his re-election. He can trade taxpayer aid for foreign interference. He can sick law enforcement on his political rivals. I was there. That's what you said,' Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tweeted. The issue Dershowitz raised came up in Thursday's questioning and Adam Schiff, the lead House Democratic manager, warned if the Senate acquitted the president, they would be setting a precedent for other presidents to use such tools in their re-election campaigns. 'If you believe that a president can essentially engage in any corrupt activity as long as he believes that it will assist his re-election campaign, and that campaign is in the public interests, then what's to stop a president from tasking his intelligence agencies to do political investigations?,' Schiff said. Alan Dershowitz, one Donald Trump's lawyers, argued any action taken by the president to benefit his re-election is in the public interest Dershowitz gave an astonishing argument for sweeping executive power for President Trump Adam Schiff called Dershowitz's argument 'very odd' The assertion was interpreted any action taken by a president in pursuit of his re-election campaign would not impeachable and nothing a president did would be an abuse of power, which is one of the articles against Trump. Adam Schiff, the lead Democratic impeachment manager, called Dershowitz's argument 'very odd.' 'If you say you can't hold a president accountable in an election year where they're trying to cheat in that election, then you are giving them carte blanche,' he said. 'All quid pro quos are not the same. Some are legitimate and some are corrupt.' The query about quid pro quos and their legality came after Republican Senator Ted Cruz asked: 'As a matter of law, does it matter if there was a quid pro quo? Is it true that quid pro quos are often used in foreign policy?' Dershowitz answered for the president's team, his first time speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday. 'The only thing that would make a quid pro quo unlawful is if the quo were in some way illegal,' he said. 'It would be a much harder case if a hypothetical president of the United States said to a hypothetical leader of a foreign country, unless you build a hotel with my name on it and unless you give me a million dollar kick back, I will withhold the funds. That's an easy case. That's purely corrupt and in the purely private interests,' he noted. Samples of nine out of the 12 people kept under observation in government-run hospitals in Maharashtra for possible exposure to novel coronavirus have tested negative, a senior health department official said on Friday. So far the state has not reported any confirmed case of coronavirus infection. Dr Pradeep Awate, the state's disease surveillance officer, said the National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune had informed that nine patients had tested negative, while the reports of the other three were expected on Saturday. Five persons each have been admitted to isolation wards at Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai and Naidu Hospital in Pune, while hospitals in Nagpur and Nanded have a person each under quarantine. Among the five people undergoing treatment at civic- run Kasturba Hospital, there is a Zambian national who was admitted on Thursday, Dr Awate said. The woman arrived in Mumbai from China on January 25, and admitted to the isolation ward after doctors at a private hospital observed that she had some common symptoms of coronavirus. As of Thursday, 5,128 passengers were screened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here since January 18, Dr Awate said. The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan city of China earlier this month. Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope visited Pune to review preventive measures on Friday, an official said. The government has launched toll free number '104' for queries regarding the novel coronavirus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ashok Agarwal, who often takes up cases regarding education in Delhi, said the government is basically 'pushing out weaker students for better optics'. He added, 'Only a handful manage to get back to formal education after being pushed out. Nobody is doing anything for them.' Nishu, 18, is looking for work. She has been unsuccessful because one has to have passed at least Class 10 to have a shot at landing a job. "The teachers at my school misled me," she said, sitting in her one-room apartment in Delhi's Badarpur constituency. "AAP talks a lot about its education reforms. But it has wrecked my life." The lane leading up to her home, ironically, has fliers stating, "Mera bijli ka bill zero, Arvind Kejriwal mera hero" on every door. In 2016, when Nishu was in Class 9 at the Girls Senior Secondary School Number-4, she failed in Maths and Science. "The teachers suggested I opt for a Patrachar correspondence course," she said, "They said I would not have to waste a year if I could clear my Class 10 exams as an open category student." However, when she could not pass the exams via correspondence course, her school refused to re-admit her. "I have been at home since," she said. "It is extremely demoralising. I was not told that I would be refused admission if I failed to clear my exams as an open category student." At the school in which Nishu studied, a teacher requesting anonymity, corroborated her version of events. "We have been told by the state government to suggest the correspondence course to students who fail in Class 9 in a manner that seems like a better option to them," the teacher confessed. As a result, only better students end up taking the board exams, said the teacher, which means "better results" for Delhi's government schools. "Badi chaturai se inhone yeh kiya hai," the teacher added. "Under the no-detention policy, you cannot fail a student until Class 8. So a lot of students in Class 9 struggled to do basic work, and started failing. Then the state came up with the idea of recommending Patrachar correspondence course to those students." Several reports in recent times have emerged claiming that government schools in Delhi have "outperformed" private schools. But that has come at the cost of jeopardising careers of thousands of students. According to the data released under RTI, 1,55,436 students failed in Classes 9 to 12 in the academic year 2017-18. Only 52,582 were readmitted in the same class in the academic year of 2018-19. In other words, 66 percent of the students fell behind. "Most of the students appearing via correspondence course fall off the roster because kids in government schools mostly do not have anyone at home to regularly look after their studies or check their homework," said the teacher. Nishu lost her father in February 2019. "Three years before that, he had been unwell, and out of work," she said, "My mother works at a sewing factory and looks after me and my two sisters. She is at work the whole day. I want to help her out, but don't know how." Ashok Agarwal, who often takes up cases regarding education in Delhi, said the government is basically "pushing out weaker students for better optics". He added, "Only a handful manage to get back to formal education after being pushed out. Nobody is doing anything for them." A few lanes down from Nishu's home, Sheetal too is in the same boat. She had failed at Maths in Class 9. "When you sit at home, and do nothing, people pass comments and it further takes your confidence away," she said, sitting in her one-room brick-walled home. Her parents work in sewing factory to make their ends meet. "I want to study but I have been told I 'cannot do it' on so many occasions that I don't know if I can anymore," Sheetal added. Her mother, Basanti Devi, said the state government only pretends to care about students. "Not every student is going to be bright," she said, "But you should not discriminate against weaker students for publicity." Agarwal, who resigned from the AAP in 2014, has mobilised such students and taken up their cases in the past as well. A 2017 report quoted him claiming that a lakh students in Class 9 in 2015-16 were pushed out of the education system, and only 62,000 opted for the correspondence course. Of that, merely 1,250 managed to pass. The government had arranged a re-exam for 25,000 students of the remaining 60,000. The rest of the 35,000 students seem to have been dumped, Agarwal had said. The students falling behind in Delhi belong to the marginalised sections of society and come from humble backgrounds. But the AAP government's policies seem to be making life more difficult for those who need assistance the most. In August 2018, the Directorate of Education passed a circular stating that a student who fails twice in a row "would be counselled for choosing other available options" and "will not be readmitted as a regular student". That student would be asked to take the route of a correspondence course. Ironically, Shailendra Sharma, principal advisor to the Directorate of Education, had given an interview to The Hindu, where he said, "A child does not fail. Educators and system fail to teach." In 2019-20, citing this circular, the Government Boys Secondary School in Vivek Vihar refused to admit Sayyad Mohammad Umar's two sons to Class 9. He challenged it in court with Agarwal being his counsel. He argued that it violates their fundamental right to education, and said 400 such students were "arbitrarily" and "unjustly" refused enrolment in government schools of Delhi. Sayyad said he even wrote to the education minister and director of education before approaching the court. "I was disappointed," he said. "The school continued to convince me to send my kids to a correspondence course. They even said we will pay their fees. But why should I do it when there is a school in place?" The High Court of Delhi issued a stay on the circular providing relief to Sayyad's kids. However, there is another government circular in play, which specifies the age criteria for class KG to Class 12. For Class 9, the student must be between 13 and 15 years of age. For Class 10, the student should be between 14 and 16 years of age, and so on. "You create so many hurdles that the kids won't be able to come back to formal education," said Agarwal, "I believe there should be no age limit to study. In a country like ours, we should be making it easier if people want to study." "I tried to get re-admission and approached my school three or four times," said Nishu. To be able to get the admission, she would have had to be between 13 and 15 years of age, which she is not. It raises several questions about AAP's "revolution" in the education sector, but Atishi, who oversaw their policies along with the education minister Manish Sisodia, declined to give an interview. Shailendra Sharma had initially indicated he would respond to questions and asked this reporter to send questions via WhatsApp. To those, he replied, "Specific response to these points will require digging old data. Unfortunately, it will not be possible for me to pull it out now due to other preoccupation. On a generic note, all I can say that Delhi govt did not deliberately fail any student to boost its result in board exam." This reporter then asked if it would be possible to do a call for follow-up questions. To which, Sharma asked, "Is your story a political piece or an academic piece?" And eventually concluded he would not be able to "engage unless I know the full story", because he has seen "biased reporting on this subject" and has been "quoted out of context". [January 31, 2020] Global Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market & Global Data Governance Industry 2020 Research Analysis, High Demand, Current Trends, Business Strategies, Revenue and Forecast to 2024 Dallas, Texas, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market: The enterprise governance, risk, and compliance (eGRC) market is expected to register a CAGR of 12.5% in the forecast period (2019-2024). Organizations operate in a complex and highly dynamic global environment. Hence, managing risk and compliance due to the impact of the changes around is one of the biggest challenges that an organization faces. Request a sample of Global Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3587291 The enterprise governance, risk, and compliance market is relatively a high competition market and is moderately concentrated. The major companies have been using various strategies such as new product development, acquisition, and collaboration to strengthen their market share. Innovation and updating the features are common as the corporate governance and compliance policies evolve for the end users. Key Players Analysis: Dell EMC IBM Corporation Maclear LLC MetricStream, Inc Microsoft Corporation Future Shield, Inc Oracle Corporation SAP SE SAS Institute, Inc Wolters Kluwer Software AG Multiple facets of enterprise operations comprising law, finances and corporate relationship and security necessitate adoption of advanced enterprise governance risk and compliance for impeccable management across enterprises. Advances such as cybersecurity and risk management further enhance growth potential in global eGRC market. Enterprise Governance, Risk and Compliance Market Segmentation: By Type: Software, Audit Management, Compliance Management, Risk Management, Policy Management, Incident Management, Internal Control, Information Security, Services By Size of the Enterprise: Small & Medium Enterprise, Large Enterprise By End-user Industry: BFSI, Government, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Telecom & IT, Other End-user Vertical Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/enterprise-governance-risk-and-compliance-market-growth-trends-and-forecast-2019-2024 North America Expected to Dominate the Market: - North America is projected to continue its dominance in terms of revenue in the forecast period. This is majorly due to the early adoption of enterprise governance, risk, and compliance management solutions in the region. Demand for EGRC solutions is highest in the US due to stringent corporate governance regulations. - Moreover, the emergence of technologies such as big data, IoT, and cloud software is anticipated to propel the growth of GRC software over the forecast period. Due to this, a significant rise in cyber-attacks within the region has increased over the last few years, hence proliferatin the market growth. - Also, the region dominates the life sciences industry; hence, significant players are aggressively enhancing their ability to deliver advanced products in the life sciences market. Efforts are also made by the vendors to deliver the products on time which is not impacted by regulatory compliance, which in turn encourages them to deploy enterprise GRC solutions. Scope of the Report: Enterprise GRC is defined as a company's coordinated strategy for managing the broad issues of corporate governance, enterprise risk management (ERM) and corporate compliance concerning regulatory requirements. It is the integrated collection of capabilities that enable an organization to achieve objectives reliably, address uncertainty, and act with integrity. Several market participants are evaluating the potential of AI integration in eGRC. Digitization of enterprise operations increases the risks of cyber threats, thus bolstering adoption of eGRC. Data driven organizations such as IT industry likely to emerge as first adopters of AI and ML integrated eGRC services in the coming years. Backed by rampant adoption the market is likely to remain conclusively bullish over the years, positioning market veterans such as CyberSaint Security to witness massive growth in terms of diverse functionalities such as risks and compliance that are crucial for digital expansion across enterprises. The company boasts of over 833% hike in bookings for cybersecurity in 2019 alone, and is hopeful to further leverage the growth spurt further. Make an enquiry @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/3587291 Some Points from Table of Content: 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Deliverables 1.2 Study Assumptions 1.3 Scope of the Study 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers and Restraints 4.3 Market Drivers 4.3.1 Stringent Government Regulations and Mandates 4.3.2 Cyber Security Threat Owing to Digitalization 4.4 Market Restraints 4.4.1 Lack of Awareness 4.5 Industry Value Chain Analysis 4.6 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Force Analysis 4.6.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.6.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers 4.6.3 Threat of New Entrants 4.6.4 Threat of Substitute Products 4.6.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 4.7 Government Policies ..Continued Global Data Governance Market: The data governance market is expected to register a CAGR of over 21.44% during the forecast period (2019 - 2024) and expected to reach a value of USD 4.35 billion by 2024. The amount of data created by devices is nearly 100 times greater than the amount of data stored, according to the Cisco Global Cloud Index. According to Forbes, there are 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created each day at the current pace, but that pace is only accelerating with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT). Ask for sample @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3586919 Key Players Analysis: Collibra Inc SAS Institute Inc TIBCO Software Inc SAP SE Alation Inc Alfresco Software Inc Informatica Corporation Symantec Corporation IBM Corporation Oracle Corporation Talend Inc Varonis Systems Inc Need for precise monitoring of diverse data and processes integration across enterprises to reap maximum profits and operational efficiency drive data governance market towards favorable growth scope, in global data governance market. Scope of the Data Governance Market Report: Financial institutions constantly face challenges related to data quality and accessibility and data security. Data governance solutions help these institutions handle such challenges with effective data management solutions that can prevent data duplication and data loss. Moreover, data governance solutions help BFSI firms maintain an edge in the market, with constant updates to their policies and procedures. Apart from finance, other businesses like Operation and IT, Legal also make use of these solutions. By Deployment: Cloud, On-premise By Organisation Size: Large Scale Business, Small and Medium Scale Business By Component: Software, Service By Business Function: Operation and IT, Legal, Finance, Other Business Functions By End User: IT and Telecom, Healthcare, Retail, Defence, BFSI, Other End Users Access full report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/data-governance-market-growth-trends-and-forecast-2019-2024 Data intensive enterprise operations necessitate heavy reliance on data governance that enable improved accessibility, analytical understanding and safety of al enterprise data. Data governance practices improve efficiency and consistence of decision making across enterprises to improve income generation. Rising enterprise investments towards risk management perch high net growth in global data governance market in the coming years. Incessant technological breakthroughs such as cloud based operations and machine learning integration and big data to manage enormous data burden likely to enhance growth potential in data governance market. About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. Contact Us: Hector Costello Senior Manager Client Engagements 4144N Central Expressway, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas - 75204, U.S.A. Phone No.: +1 (972)-362-8199 ; +91 895 659 5155 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The U.S. State Department has issued its highest alert to Americans, advising them not to travel to China, amid efforts to contain the global spread of the novel coronavirus identified last month. There are now some 9,800 cases of illnesses linked to the virus worldwide, most of them in China, where 213 deaths have been reported. Some 100 cases have been confirmed in 19 other countries, including six in the U.S., where the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday 165 possible cases of the new respiratory illness that can lead to pneumonia are under investigation in more than two dozen states. The relatively small number of cases outside of China has been credited in part to efforts within that country, which has barred travel in and around Wuhan, a city of 11 million people where the virus was first detected. Other countries, including the U.S., began screening and isolating affected travelers and tracing back their contacts to determine any possible exposure in the larger community. The virus can spread from person to person. The U.S. reported its first such transmission this week. It may be possible for a carrier to transmit the virus before they show symptoms, as one report out of Germany in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests. Severity of the virus at the individual level varies from mild to severe, and those with existing medical conditions are thought to be most vulnerable. The CDC has continued to say the virus is not currently spreading in the community in the United States and that risk is considered low for the general public. Its latest update calls the novel coronavirus a serious public health threat and says the fact that it has caused severe illness and sustained person-to-person spread in China is concerning, but its unclear how the situation in the United States will unfold at this time. It notes that the risk to individuals is dependent on exposure, with an increased risk for health care workers caring for the infected. It adds that more cases are likely to be identified in the coming days, including in the United States. Key points from the CDCs latest update on its containment efforts include: January had its share of big news stories including three fatal police shootings, a murder of a Connecticut family in Florida and the death of Fotis Dulos after an apparent suicide attempt. Violence was a dominant theme in Januarys biggest stories covered by Hearst Connecticut Media journalists. Man fatally shot by Ansonia police Jan. 2, 2020 Michael Gregory, a 30-year-old former Bridgeport resident, was shot to death by Ansonia police after he allegedly confronted them with a large knife. Police said he failed to drop it, was not stopped by a taser and shot as he continued to advance on officers. Police Chief Andrew Cota III said a woman walked into police headquarters just after 7:30 p.m. and complained that her boyfriend was violating a no-contact protective order. Three officers were sent to the scene while the woman was kept at the station. Body cam videos released days after the shooting showed three officers asking him to calm down and drop a knife, Gregory repeatedly replied, Youre going to have to shoot me! Thats exactly what happened after Gregory emerged from a room in the home armed with what appears to be a knife and advanced toward the officers, even after being tased. Three gunshots can be heard on the body camera footage of the confrontation. Status of case: A State Police investigation, requested by Danbury States Attorney Steve Sedensky, is underway. Man dies in Milford police custody Jan. 5. 2020 During a traffic stop, Milford officers discovered Justin Griffin, 31, of Bridgeport, was the subject of an outstanding arrest warrant. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to Milford Police Department for processing. During processing, officers observed Griffin to be lethargic and requested medical evaluation. Griffin was transported to Milford Hospital via ambulance and observed at the hospital for approximately five hours. Upon discharge, Griffin was transported back to Milford Police Department and placed in a holding cell. During a prisoner check at approximately 5:13 a.m. on Jan. 5, officers discovered that Griffin was was not breathing. Officers began CPR and Griffin was taken to Milford Hospital where he was pronounced deceased shortly after 6 a.m. Arlene Bender, Griffins grandmother, told WTNH that Griffin had fallen from a ledge and hit his head the day before he was arrested. She declined to answer questions from the Register Monday. Justin had a long road in his life. He did the best he could. Were very sad. Justin was a good person. He had a good heart. Status of case: A State Police investigation, requested by the Milford States Attorney, is underway. Teen stabs woman in random attack in Westport Jan. 6, 2020 A 33-year-old woman was seriously injured after being stabbed repeatedly by a man in Westport. Ellis Tibere, 18, of Guilford, was charged with criminal attempt at murder, first-degree assault and possession of a deadly weapon after the incident. Police said the woman, a Greenwich resident, was stabbed by a man with a knife in the parking lot of New Beauty Wellness on Post Road East around 1 p.m. The man, later identified as Tibere, fled the scene in a vehicle, then was pulled over on the Sherwood Island Connector a short time later. The woman was treated at Norwalk Hospital. Her wounds were not life threatening. Status of case: Ellis Tibere remains in jail under a $1 million bond. A judge ordered a competency evaluation, based on the recommendation of his own attorney. Mother, three children murdered in Florida Jan. 13, 2020 Anthony Todt, a 44-year-old Colchester, Conn. man, was charged with killing his wife, their three children and the familys dog in a case that law enforcement in Florida where it all happened called evil and horrendous. Police said 42-year-old Megan Todt, 13-year-old Alek Todt, 11-year-old Tyler Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt were killed sometime in late December. The familys dog, Breezy, was also killed. Their bodies were discovered on Jan. 13, after federal agents and local police served an arrest warrant for Anthony Todt from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mother was stabbed twice in the upper abdomen, the autopsy documents showed. Aleksander and Tyler were each stabbed once in the upper abdomen. There was no evidence of injury to 4-year-old Zoe. The Osceola County Sheriffs Office arrested Anthony Todt. He has been charged with four counts of homicide and one count of animal cruelty. Although the Connecticut family moved to Florida about two years ago, Anthony Todt traveled back to Connecticut on weekdays to work at his physical therapy practice in Colchester. Status of case: On Jan. 30, 2020, Anthony Todt entered a written plea of not guilty to the murder charges against him. Florida Judge Wayne Wooten set pre-trial to begin April 15, with jury trial scheduled to start on April 27, according to the court records. The mother and childrens funerals will be held on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020 in Montville, Conn. State Police trooper fatally shoots teen after I-95 chase Jan. 15, 2020 Mubarak Soulemane, 19, of New Haven, was killed by a state trooper after he allegedly stole a car from an person in Norwalk and then fled from police at speeds that reached 90 mph along Interstate 95. Trooper Brian North fired his weapon after he saw Soulemane with a knife after stopping the car off of Exit 43 in West Haven. His family said Soulemane suffered from mental illness and they have lots of unanswered questions about what happened. The Rev. Al Sharpton promised to put the national spotlight on the fatal police shooting, saying there is no justification to shoot a person without a gun who is pinned in a disabled car surrounded by police. If Mubarak committed a crime, he should have been in a courthouse, not in a morgue, Sharpton said, rousing a crowd of about 200 at Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven last week. Sharpton said that while theres no way to justify carjacking the teens alleged crime - it is up to the courts to handle, not police as jury and judge. Something about this doesnt smell right, Sharpton said Status of case: The New London States Attorneys Office and the Connecticut State Police - Central District Major Crime Squad have been assigned to investigate the shooting. Januarys third officer-involved fatal shooting Jan. 20, 2020 Edward Gendron, 57, of Waterbury, was fatally shot by veteran Waterbury police officer Ronald W. Tompkins III who has been on the job since 1989. Local police were called to 81 Craigie Ave. at around 12:30 p.m. after receiving a report from a landlord that a tenant had found a bullet hole in a wall or ceiling shared with the address, reports said. Gendron displayed a gun to Tompkins, who was the first arriving officer to check out the report of a bullet hole, state police said. An altercation between the two men ensued with Tompkins firing his service weapon, state police said. Gendron was pronounced dead by paramedics a short while later. Gendron had a valid gun state-issued gun permit, police said. The Waterbury Police Department is in the process of looking at purchasing body cameras so there is no video footage of the incident, police said. Status of case: Brian Preleski, the New Britain State's Attorney, was assigned the investigation into the use of deadly force. The State Police Central District Major Crime Squad is helping with the investigation. Elderly couple killed by carbon monoxide in Stamford home Jan. 27, 2020 Eighty-year-old Peter Mihalopoulos and Anna Mihalopoulos, 83, were discovered by a family member after having succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said family members last spoke to the couple sometime on Friday. Calls to the couple on Sunday went unanswered. Their son-in-law arrived from his home in New York a little before 9 a.m. in order to do some work around the Long Ridge Road house where the Mihalopouloses had lived for 45 years. He also planned to take them on errands and to medical appointments. Unable to get anyone to answer the front door, he went around the back and used a key to open the rear door. Once inside the house he found the couple in the living room, Conklin said. When police checked the attached first-floor garage, Conklin said they found a 2016 Ford Explorer with the keys in the ignition in the on position. The lights in the vehicle were on, but it was out of gas. It appears the vehicle was left on by mistake, he said. These new cars run so quietly, sometimes you can be fooled to think it isnt running when it really is, Conklin said. Status of case: Police said the deaths do not appear to be suspicious from a criminal standpoint. Four people shot outside Bridgeport courthouse Jan. 27, 2020 Four people were wounded after shots were fired outside Bridgeport Superior Court on Golden Hill Avenue. Surveillance cameras showed a car rolled up on another vehicle parked near the courthouse shortly after noon and pumped at least 20 bullets into the sitting vehicle, striking four people. It then sped away. None of the wounds were life-threatening. Three men, each considered a person of interest in the shooting, were arrested and charged with unrelated offenses after a motor vehicle pursuit. The shooting and a homicide a day earlier, led Mayor Joe Ganim to call for increased security not only in the city but inside and around its courthouses where confrontations, fights and shootings have occurred in recent years. The City Council asked police to enforce a youth curfew based on an ordinance passed and enforced in 2012 for residents under the age of 18. Status of case: State police troopers will be deployed in the city, at officials request, to aid Bridgeport police. Fotis Dulos suicide attempt, then death Jan. 28, 2020 Fotis Dulos clinged to life at a New York hospital after he was found unresponsive at his Farmington home. Police went to the home after he missed an emergency bond hearing where a judge could have sent him back to jail. Dulos, 52, accused of killing his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, was flown in critical condition to Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning in an apparent suicide attempt in his garage. Dulos went into the garage after a woman who had been at his house left to get groceries. Dulos sounded disoriented when he answered a call from a bail bondsman at 10:34 a.m. Tuesday. Farmington police officers discovered Dulos inside a running car in his garage around noon. He was first taken to the UConn Health center and later flown by a LifeStar helicopter to New York. Initial reports indicated Dulos had died, and state police even notified his relatives in Greece and Jennifer Dulos family of his death. Jan. 30, 2020 Fotis Dulos clung to life for more than 48 hours after his apparent suicide attempt before he died late Thursday afternoon. Attorney Norm Pattis said his client died at 5:32 p.m. at Jacobi Medical Center in New York, where he had been on life support and surrounded by family, friends and his legal team. A source close to him confirmed earlier on Thursday that Dulos left a note proclaiming his innocence in the death and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. Status of case: Pattis said his team will make an unprecedented request of having Dulos estate be placed on trial for the murder. Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, Pattis said in a statement later Thursday. Now he has been executed. We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer. Three Onondaga County businesses have made a list of the states 250 worst tax deadbeats, according to the New York state tax department. Feher Rubbish Removal owes about $2 million, records show. Analysis banner Business Insider Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski sit beside President Donald Trump. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Republican senators are poised on Friday to block witnesses from testifying in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. A key turning point came on Thursday night when Sen. Lamar Alexander announced he'd vote "no" on the motion to call witnesses. Alexander's decision gave cover to two vulnerable GOP senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Collins announced she'll vote "yes" on witnesses, but Murkowski voted to oppose. Democrats need four Republican votes to reach a 51-vote majority and pass the motion, but just two Republicans have said they'll vote with them on the issue. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Republican senators are poised to block witnesses from testifying in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in a vote on Friday that would move the trial into its final stage. A key turning point came on Thursday night when Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee Republican who was considered a possible vote for witnesses, said that while Trump's actions concerning Ukraine were "inappropriate," he'd vote "no" on the motion. "Let the people decide," he concluded, referring to the 2020 presidential election. But just two Republican senators have said they'll defect from their party. Notably, that would fall two short of the four GOP votes Democrats need to reach a 51-person majority and pass the motion. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah announced on Thursday that they'd vote "yes" on the motion to call witnesses. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, another moderate who was viewed as a possible "yes" vote, announced on Friday that she'll vote with her party to block witnesses. "I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity," Collins said in a statement Thursday night. Story continues Also on Thursday night, Murkowski asked Trump's defense team why Americans shouldn't hear more evidence, including from the former national security adviser John Bolton. "This dispute about material facts weighs in favor of calling additional witnesses with direct knowledge," Murkowski said. "Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton?" Democrats have been pushing to hear from four key witnesses, including Bolton and Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, both of whom were direct witnesses to the president's Ukraine pressure campaign that is at the center of his impeachment. The political ramifications of this key vote for Trump's impeachment trial are unclear. Collins will be able to tell her constituents and supporters back home including many independents and Democrats that she showed independence from her party at a key moment. If Republicans succeed in blocking witnesses, the trial will proceed to its final stages. The timing for a vote to remove or acquit the president remains unclear and will depend on whether senators want to debate into the night on Friday or opt to adjourn and continue the process into the weekend. An Insider poll conducted this week found that many Americans were in favor of hearing from witnesses. When asked "What best describes your view about the impeachment proceedings?" just 13% of American adults said they didn't see a need for witnesses, while 49% said they wanted some combination of witnesses just direct witnesses, just indirect witnesses, or both. Read the original article on Business Insider Delhi Court Stays Execution Of Nirbhaya Convicts A Delhi court stayed till further orders the execution of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1. Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana had reserved the order in the matter earlier today. During the hearing today, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said that convict Mukesh has no legal remedies available and the sentence on Mukesh should be executed. Read more. Here's the other top news of the day: GDP Growth To Range Between 6 To 6.5% In FY21: Economic Survey India's gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to rebound and grow at a rate of 6 to 6.5 per cent in the next financial year 2020-21, according to the Economic Survey laid in Parliament. Read more. Man Takes 23 Children As Hostage In UP, Shot Dead By Police, Wife Beaten To Death By Locals In a shocking incident, a man took 23 children aged between six months and 15 years old as hostages for nearly 10 hours, before he was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Police. The man, identified as Subhash Batham, a resident of Mohamadabad area of Farrukhabad had invited the children, some of them who are from his own family to the birthday celebration of his one-year-old daughter. Read more. Nathuram Godse's Hindu Mahasabha To Honour 'True Nationalist' Jamia Shooter After the image of the 17-year-old Jamia shooter went viral on Thursday, a lot of people compared it to a viral image which supposedly shows Nathuram Godse with his gun, moments after he shot Mahatma Gandhi. (BTW, that image is from a 1963 British movie) This was mostly due to the day on which the shooting happened outside Jamia - 30 January the same day in 1948 Nathuram Godse shot dead the Mahatma. Read more. Tragic! Two Indian Sailors Killed, Several Missing In Tanker Fire Off UAE Coast In a tragic incident, two Indian sailors were killed and several others are reported missing after a Panamanian-flagged tanker caught fire off the UAE's coast on Wednesday, a media report said. The Federal Authority for Land and Maritime Transport said the fire broke out on board the tanker 21 miles off the UAE coast on Wednesday evening was quickly brought under control by fire-fighters, the Khaleej Times reported. Read more. Photo: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images After one bombshell whistle-blower report, hearings before two committees of the House of the Representatives, six days of oral arguments in the United States Senate, and 180 questions read aloud by Chief Justice John Roberts, the impeachment saga is all but over. In a late-night statement shared on Twitter, retiring Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander announced that he would not support calling additional witnesses or seeking additional documents in the impeachment trial of President Trump. Barring a last-minute intervention from Roberts to break a tie in the Senate to hear witnesses a scenario so hokey and unusual it would be laughed out of the writers room of The West Wing the trial will soon conclude with Trumps acquittal. Alexander, a relative moderate with a penchant for wearing sweaters with suits, became the focal point of attention this week. Democrats needed four Republicans to join them to call witnesses like John Bolton, the former national security adviser who reportedly wrote in the manuscript of his book that Donald Trump explicitly tied aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations of former Vice-President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. For Democrats to get the 51 votes needed for witnesses, the only plausible scenario involved Alexander joining three other Republican senators who break with Trump on a more frequent basis: Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Of the other three, Romney expressed support for hearing from witnesses in recent days, and Collins issued a formal statement on Thursday saying that she would vote to support hearing witness testimony. Murkowski still has to make up her mind, telling reporters on Thursday night, Im going to go back to my office, put some eye drops in so I can keep reading. Ive been forming a lot of thoughts so thats going to be my job now. Barring a shock intervention from another Republican, it would lead to a 50-50 deadlock if all three vote for more witnesses on Friday. This would automatically fail under Senate rules, unless Roberts decides to intervene to break the tie, under precedent from Andrew Johnsons impeachment trial in 1868. Needless to say, the scenario is unlikely. South Carolina Republican Tim Scott, for one, expressed his confidence before Alexanders announcement earlier on Thursday, saying, I dont think it would be a tie and that it would be 51-49 either way. The statement served as a crescendo of excitement on the second day of questions on the Senate floor. Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy could be heard complaining about a bad back before Chief Justice John Roberts gaveled the trial into session. There was little action on the floor that seemed likely to relieve his pain. One frisson of excitement came at the beginning of the session, when Rand Paul who spent Wednesday thwarted in efforts to make Roberts read a question naming the alleged whistle-blower tried the bit again. The Kentucky Republican rose and said, I have a question to present to the desk for House Manager Schiff and Presidents counsel. He handed a question card to a Senate page who then walked up to the dais and handed it to the Chief Justice. Roberts looked at it for a moment. Then, in a mild voice, he said, The presiding officer declines to read the question as submitted. Paul then stormed out of the chamber to hold a brief press conference as the trial continued. Eventually, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin asked a question that accomplished many of the same goals, without explicitly mentioning the whistle-blowers name. Thirteen other senators joined him in asking it. Roberts allowed the question and read it to the chamber.. But these moments were rare. The questions mostly became opportunities for senators to coax partisan talking points out of advocates from each side. At one point, Senator Mike Braun went so far as to ask Trumps lawyers if Joe Biden had actually committed an impeachable crime. Yet one question did reveal precisely where the balance lay. In a question posed by Lindsey Graham, in which both Alexander and Murkowski joined, the presidents lawyers were asked: Even if Bolton confirmed everything alleged under oath, could Trump be impeached? Deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin said no. Even if you take everything alleged in [the articles of impeachment] they dont as a matter of law rise to the level of an impeachable offense. Alexander agreed. In his statement, the Tennessee Republican said, There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a mountain of overwhelming evidence. He described this as inappropriate. However, Alexander added, The Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate. It seems that a majority of senators think Trump used foreign aid to leverage Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden. But its apparent that there is not a majority let alone the two-thirds necessary to convict who believe Trump should be removed from office as a result. The Allied Pilots Association, a union representing 15,000 American Airlines pilots, has sued the company to halt the carriers U.S.-China service, citing serious, and in many ways still unknown, health threats posed by the coronavirus. The union asked the court in Dallas County for a temporary and immediate restraining order halting the flights as the virus spreads. The safety and well-being of our crews and passengers must always be our highest priorityfirst, last, and always, APA President Capt. Eric Ferguson said in a statement. Numerous other major carriers that serve China, including British Airways, Air Canada, and Lufthansa, have chosen to suspend service to that country out of an abundance of caution. The coronavirus, a potentially fatal respiratory disease, first emerged in Wuhan, China in early December and has since spread across China and appeared in some other countries, including the United States, Japan and India. The World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus epidemic a public health emergency of international concern, after an emergency committee convened Thursday in Geneva. The current number of coronavirus cases in China has exceeded the number of SARS infections worldwide during the 2002-2003 epidemic. American Airlines on Tuesday suspended two routes from Los Angeles to mainland China between Feb. 9 and March 27 due to significant decline in demand. The pilots lawsuit said the airline hasnt taken any action to cancel or suspend flights before Feb. 9 and they want immediate action taken on flights from Americans larget hub, Dallas-Forth Worth. The suit also says that the average age of the Dallas-Fort Worth-based captains is 61, and that older adults are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill after contracting coronavirus. American Airlines did not immediately return a request for comment on the lawsuit. The union noted in a statement that American Airlines currently operates about 56 monthly flights between Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Chinese airports. Ferguson, the APA president, added that he estimated as many as 300 passengers and crew travel from China to Dallas-Forth Worth on each flight and to us, that level of risk is unacceptable. Ferguson said the union was also instructing all American Airline pilots to decline any assignments to operate flights between the United States and China. The suit also asks for damages, attorneys fees and more. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Number one, he was always fair with his staff and his people, and all he really expected from you is that you did your job and you were professional when it came down to it. The truth mattered the most, Winkler said. And he was a visionary who wanted all his people to pursue higher education, and he also had a plan for the department into the future where he envisioned the department providing services to the whole community throughout the county. Ibrahim Mayaki, chief executive officer of the the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD), which is currently transforming into the African Union Development Agency (AUDA)the implementing arm of the AU. AUDA-NEPAD was created in Niamey, Niger, in July 2019, during the African Union summit. Its creation was one result of the AU reforms championed by Rwandas president, Paul Kagame, former chairperson of the AU. In an interview with Africa Renewals Kingsley Ighobor in New York Dr. Mayaki spoke on AUDAs role in Africas development agenda and discussed regional integration and his agencys plan to create a million jobs. These are excerpts: Africa Renewal: What are the main differences between AUDA and NEPAD? Dr. Mayaki: AUDA has a broader mandate. It is expected to address implementation challenges regarding decisions made by the African Union. For example, we are now the African Unions technical focal point with development partners such as China, India, the United States, the G20, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). This is very important in order to track implementation of agreements reached with these partners. AUDA will also focus on resource mobilisation and the connections between sectors to avoid a siloed approach, which as you know is a key aspect of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, when we deliver in agriculture, we also look at water, energy, land, etc. There is now a division of labour between the AU Commission, the Regional Economic Communities and AUDA in implementing the AUs strategic frameworks at the national and regional levels. You have reiterated that regional bodies play a bigger role in Africas development. Are there often tensions between regional institutions and national governments? Your question is fundamental because regional integration will only progress if national governmentswhich manage regional bodiesimplement regional decisions. We see national governments push for regional development strategies. In the Southern African Development Community (SADC) for example, agriculture ministers meet regularly to discuss agricultural transformation in their region. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meets regularly on a common strategy on energy. The problem is how regional decisions essentially derived from continental frameworks are implemented country by country. Thats where our role becomes important. We need to make sure that there is coherence between regional strategies and national plans. Africas new free trade area, for example, is a continental initiative. Until June this year, Nigeria and Benin were holding out. How do you ensure that national governments implement AU projects? One of the critical factors of success in regional integration is having everybody on board. If the consensus is strongand that takes time to buildwe can have strong agreements and start thinking about an implementation roadmap. The more buy-in you have in the design of a project, the less resistance you have during implementation. Also, our budget is approved by AU member states. These programmes reflect member states priorities because it is their money, so, for example, if we have a programme in renewable energy in East Africa, it must be a priority in that region. Given AUDA-NEPADs new development focus, what hopes do you have for regional integration on the continent? The AU has really made great strides, particularly in the continental free trade area. It took time to be designed and to get everybody on board. We know the technical skills we need, and there is political determination to implement the agreement. In the current global uncertainty, we need to increase trading within our regional markets; otherwise we wont tackle our development challenges. Implementation will not be easy because of the high-levels of financing needed as well as the need to harmonize policies between states, but we are on the right path. You have also advocated for a bottom-up approach to development. Doesnt that contradict the objectives of the regional frameworks, which are top-down? No, it cannot be top-down, because none of the frameworks will work if you do not empower the local communities. For example, you know that access to electricity in Africa is very lowmore than 60% of our rural population has no access to electricity. But agricultural productivity will not increase if the energy issue is not addressed. The best way to solve the energy problem is to have decentralized energy services at the local community level, managed by local communities. This is what I call bottom-up. You can have the big strategy, but in terms of implementation, in terms of innovation, it must come from the bottom. Colonialism was a system of illicit financial flows, you said recently at an event at the UN headquarters. What do you mean by that? Look at our infrastructure in pre-independence Africa, and even before. If it was a road, it was one linking a mine to a port. So, all the infrastructure projects, except in countries and places where colonizers were thinking of settling in a definitive manner, all other infrastructure projects were geared toward extraction, extraction, extraction! Extraction of minerals, extraction of agricultural produce, and so on. The infrastructure of the colonial period still stands in most of Africa, albeit modernised. What should be done about that? Thats why we created the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA). It reverses that trend of extractive-based infrastructure by focusing on regional projects and transport corridors that ease movement and spur development. That way we boost intra-Africa trade. You have announced a plan to create 1 million jobs. How will you achieve that? The African Union member states wanted to be very concrete regarding the creation of a decent jobs agenda. They said we should have a quantifiable objective so that we are accountable. We said, OK, lets set a target of 1 million jobs over the next three years. But as you know governments do not create jobs; the private sector creates jobs, and the private sector in Africa is dominated by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The African Development Bank tells us that 60% of our SMEs have less than 20 employees and the other 40% have less than 10. So, if we assist 100,000 SMEs, we can achieve that agenda of 1 million jobs. Doesnt Africa need more than 1 million new jobs? Yes. Every year we need to create 20 million jobs. For the next three years, Africa needs to create 60 million jobs, but we can only target 1 million jobs for now. However, we want to harness best practices regarding SME creation, incubation centres, protection of intellectual property, financing of SMEs by national development banks, conducive environment, incentives, and others. We want these best practices to be replicated in all countries. Given the lopsided strengths of African economieswith SMEs concentrated in more economically advanced countriesit appears poorer countries will benefit the least from this programme. We target least developed countries. The money we get from the African Union is rarely used for projects in Egypt, South Africa or Nigeria. The aim of regional integration is to uplift the least developed countries, and this is the beauty of the African Union. Regional integration is fundamentally based on solidarity, and we know that solidarity is not only moral. It has an economic dimension that benefits everyone. https://www.un.org/africarenewal/ Thrissur, Jan 31 (UNI) A high level medical team, headed by Health Minister K K Shailaja is closely monitoring and taking necessary steps in the wake of a female medical college student, who was tested positive for the deadly Coronavirus and undergoing treatment at Thrissur Medical College here. The student was shifted to the special isolation ward at the medical college early this morning from the Government general hospital on the advice of the medical board for better treatment. The Minister, along with senior medical officers rushed to Thrissur from Thiruvananthapuram last night, following the confirmation of the deadly virus to the student who had returned recently from Wuhan university of China. The medical college authorities had set up the isolation ward with five doctors and 30 other medical staffs. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Eldar Janashvili - Trend: The activities of the Azerbaijan Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund (MCGF) must be commercialized, Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) Elman Rustamov told reporters at a press conference on Jan. 31, Trend reports. According to Rustamov, with regard to MCGF, it is necessary to work towards raising funds from the domestic market and preparing projects to increase the volume of mortgage loans. The banks themselves do not have long-term resources and this does not allow them to issue a mortgage for 20-25 years, Rustamov said. The CBA is holding a press conference on the change in the discount rate. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN. I think that like most people I really struggle with the decision to enable Huawei to be a major part of the 5G project. This country has cosied up to China for too long. I havent ever said this before but, given that David Cameron has said it in his memoirs, I dont feel Im doing anything wrong by doing so. Some time ago, I went on a tour of GCHQ and I was shown a live screen which demonstrated where all our incoming cyber attacks came from. A lot came from Russia. Many came from North Korea. But the majority emanated from China. Cameron clearly saw the same evidence, as he relates in his book. One assumes that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet have the same information, and yet they have seen fit to give the same country which is addicted to launching cyber attacks on this country access to our 5G system. To say that it will only have peripheral access means very little. We are told that the intelligence agencies are all on board with this. Really? If GCHQ is on board, you have to question the logic of their position, give that they know very well Chinas role in cyber attacks. Decisions like this are all about managing risk. We need to know for certain that in any sort of national emergency China or Huawei would not be in a position to shut down our 5G network. Weve already sold the pass in other parts of our national infrastructure, such as water and nuclear power. I find it bizarre that on the face of it, we have now handed over parts of 5G to the Chinese too. Having said that, I also understand the need to roll out fast broadband as quickly as possible. This pledge was of course a key part of Boris Johnsons leadership campaign. The Prime Minister has expended a lot of political capital on Huawei. You might say, well, with a majority of 80, he Prime Minister can afford to do that. But another big decision looms in the next few weeks, and that is whether the government will continue with HS2. All the signs are that it will. I cannot believe that Steve Barclay and Robert Buckland would have said what theyve said on the media this week about it without having been tipped the wink. If the decision is yes, thats yet more political capital up the swannee. Like Steve Baker, I wont be attending the Brexit shindig in Parliament Square tonight. He says: I will not be on Parliament Sq. Bearing in mind our need to unite this country when many people feel great sorrow about leaving the EU, Im encouraging magnanimity from Brexit supporters. Its time for big hearts. I totally agree. I understand that people whove fought for this all their political lives wish to celebrate us leaving. Im glad were leaving the EU too. But lets not have any gloating or outrageous jingoism. Weve already seen some very ugly social media posts from ultra-Remainers this week. Lets not play their game. Happy Independence Day! The announcement of a Middle East peace plan ought to be a moment of celebration. It ought to enable us to feel optimistic about the future. However, I am afraid that Donald Trumps plan does nothing of the sort. It is so one-sided and pro-Israel and offers virtually nothing to the Palestinians that it is almost risible. Its dead on arrival. The Palestinian reaction to it was, of course, typical. Indeed, they denounced it before they even knew what was in it. The fact that their cynicism was justified is by the by. The fact remains, however, that each time the Palestinians have been offered the chance of a separate Palestinian state and there have been eight or nine occasions over the years they have turned it down. Until both the Israelis and the Palestinians recognise that neither of them will ever get their perfect scenario, but will have to entertain compromise, a peace agreement will never be possible. Im depressed to say that I dont see it happening in my lifetime. As Ive told you before, Ive become addicted to the US political drama series, Madam Secretary. ts all about a fictional US Secretary of State called Elizabeth McCord, and her battles on US foreign policy and keeping her family on the straight and narrow. Im 60 episodes in to the total of 120. Im trying to restrict myself to one episode a day, but they do rather good cliffhangers. Little did I know that this would coincide with me interviewing the real Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo during his visit to London this week. At the time of writing, it hasnt happened yet, but suffice to say that its a big deal, both for me and LBC, given he isnt doing any interviews with the BBC. Or with any other broadcaster to my knowledge. Egypt's antiquities ministry on Thursday unveiled the tombs of ancient high priests and a sarcophagus dedicated to the sky god Horus at an archaeological site in Minya governorate. The mission found 16 tombs containing 20 sarcophagi, some engraved with hieroglyphics. They were found at the Al-Ghoreifa site, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) south of Cairo. An Egyptian archaeologist inspects a mummy in a limestone sarcophagus discovered along many finds in communal tombs in Ghuraifah in the Minya governorate, A limestone sarcophagus engraved with hieroglyphics, among many archaeological finds discovered in communal tombs dedicated to high priests Khaled al-Enany, the Egyptian minister of antiquities, said that the Minya region wherein the site is contained 'continues to reveal its secrets'. The shared tombs were dedicated to high priests of the god Djehuty and senior officials, from the Late Period around 3,000 years ago, the ministry said. They were from the 15th nome, an ancient Egyptian territorial division ruled over by a provincial governor. The ministry also unveiled 10,000 blue and green ushabti (funerary figurines), 700 amulets - including some made of pure gold - and one bearing the figure of a winged cobra An Egyptian archaeologist inspects a burrial chamber among many communal tombs dedicated to high priests discovered in Ghuraifah One of the stone sarcophagi was dedicated to the god Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, and features a depiction of the goddess Nut spreading her wings. Mohamed Wahballah, a member of the archaeological team, told The Times that one of the tombs contained six sarcophagi. He said two of them were still sealed and in 'very good' condition. A number of the tombs were also wooden, and well preserved. One wooden coffin belonged to a man called Hr, who served as a high priest. In the same communal tomb, a coffin belonging to a man called Djed of Djehuty Luf Ankh, was found - believed to be one of the most important finds of recent times. This is because of the titles inscribed on the lid, which are the nicknames of rulers of the Central Egypt region. A skeleton discovered among many archaeological finds in the communal tombs An Egyptian policeman stands guard on the site of the amazing discovery A number of the tombs were also wooden, and well preserved The ministry also unveiled 10,000 blue and green ushabti (funerary figurines), 700 amulets - including some made of pure gold - bearing scarab shapes, and one bearing the figure of a winged cobra. Painted limestone canopic jars, which the ancient Egyptians used to store the entrails of their mummified dead, were also unearthed. In February last year 50 mummies, including 12 children were discovered in burial chambers at the Tuna al-Gebel site in the same region. Egypt has in recent years sought to promote archaeological discoveries across the country in a bid to revive tourism, which took a hit from the turmoil that followed its 2011 uprising. Egypt has in recent years sought to promote archaeological discoveries across the country in a bid to revive tourism A DIY builder who was previously ordered to take down his 'truly inspiring' treehouse has finally been granted planning permission. Eddie McIntosh, 52, from Wales, constructed his twelve-acre farm complete with wooden classrooms, cabins and even a footbridge after purchasing the land, which he named Mellowcroft, at an auction in 2006. The father-of-three, who built his woodland site over 14 years ago, was told he had to tear the hand-built treehouse down after loosing a court case with Powys county council last year. However in a turn of events, Mr McIntosh, who ignored demolition orders issued by the council and was also fined 750 at Merthyr Tydfil crown court, will now be able to keep his wooden creation despite the council spending 60,000 on prosecuting him. Eddie McIntosh, 52, from Wales, (pictured with wife Kim and daughter Ellie) will now be able to keep his treehouse The father-of-three, who built his woodland site over 14 years ago, was told he had to tear the treehouse by Powys county council The DIY builder built the site complete with wooden classrooms, cabins and even a footbridge after purchasing the land at an auction in 2006 Sharing his joy Mr McIntosh told The Times: 'Planning has been approved and I feel numb. 'I'm really grateful for the support of my community this is a win for the underdog. 'I feel vindicated but upset at what the ordeal has done to me and my family. It should never have come to this.' The site, which was created in order for Mr McIntosh and his family to live a sustainable lifestyle, was previously described as 'truly inspiring' by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud on his Channel 4 show Man Made Home. After purchasing Mellowcroft, Mr McIntosh ran the site as a rural retreat offering education and alternative therapies. At the woodland site Mr McIntosh grows willow furniture, fruit and vegetables and also produces silver birch water - made from silver birch trees and used as a tonic for rheumatism. Mr McIntosh (centre front with friends outside court last year) said he was grateful for the support of his community The builder, was accused of continuing to use Mellowcroft as his residence, ran the site as a rural retreat offering education and alternative therapies Mr McIntosh had initially been given permission for the site to be used for agriculture but the authority proved it was being used a residence - because he was living in a treehouse there. He was found guilt of 18 charges of breaking planning laws by failing to comply with planning enforcement notices served on him by Powys Council and ordered to demolish the buildings. Mr McIntosh was also given a 12 month conditional discharge on three charges, relating to the motor home, a shed and the treehouse. The judge previously said he had to impose a financial penalty but acknowledged the defendant, who is reliant on selling vegetables he grows at Mellowcroft from a trailer beside the A44, only had a yearly income of around 2,500. Mr McIntosh, who also grows willow furniture, fruit and vegetables at the woodland site, said 'it should never have come to this' The site was previously described as 'truly inspiring' by Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud Mr McIntosh said Powys council first alleged the site didn't have planning permission in 2013 when the first enforcement notice was issued. He previously told Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court: 'It came out of the blue with no warning, we had a good relationship with the planning officer. 'I was transparent in everything I did and had an open invitation to come and see the site.' CHANDIGARH: Born at Rabbon village in Ludhiana district to a family of land-owners, Dalip Kaur Tiwanas talent blossomed in Patiala, the princely town where she studied, worked and penned fiction inspired by life around her. An author of more than 50 books of fiction besides autobiographical writing and criticism, her second novel, Eho Hamara Jiwana (And Such Is Her Fate), published in 1968, telling the story of exploitation and suppression of women in rural Punjab, shot her into the forefront of fiction writers. The protagonist, Bhano, is one of the most memorable though tragic heroines of Punjabi fiction. In giving voice to voiceless women, she painted with a difference a feminist landscape without raising slogans or offering easy solutions. This novel brought the national Sahitya Akademi award to Tiwana and a lifelong appreciation and friendship with the grand dame of Punjabi letters, Amrita Pritam. The latter hailed the entrance of the downtrodden village woman Bhano into Punjabi fiction as revolution. It would not be wrong to say that in Bhano she achieved what Gurdial Singh has done in the classic Marhi da Diva (The Last Flicker) in bringing forth the poignant tale of Jagseer, a landless labourer. FIRST WOMAN DOCTORATE IN PUNJABI LITERATURE Rising above a traumatic personal life, she became the first woman to do a doctorate in Punjabi literature and was an inspiring professor to many including the celebrated poet Surjit Patar. She was also one of the few to have received recognition and awards at the state and national level, including the prestigious Saraswati Samman and the Padma Shri. Yet the brave woman took the lead in the award-wapsi times by returning her Padma Shri to uphold her conviction. Many Punjabi writers followed her by returning the Sahitya Akademi awards. Asked why she did so and her candid reply was, This was the highest honour I had received so I felt obliged to return it. PROBING MIND, STRONG PEN Always attired in salwar-kameez, her hair loosely plaited and most often a dupatta covering her head, Tiwana could have been just another aunty ji of the neighbourhood but for her probing mind and the strong pen she wielded in laying bare the oppression of people, women and men alike and thus rubbishing the fad that a writer must be Bohemian. Once in an interview she said, Readers often ask me why dont my heroines revolt and my answer is that it is enough if the reader feels that they should rebel. Her autobiography, Nange Pairan Da Safar (A Journey Barefoot), is yet another sensitive testament of a womans life told with restraint that made it all the more intense. Tiwana will always be remembered and read for showing through her characters that there could be another and better way. US appoints special envoy for S. Sudan crisis Washington, Jan 31 (AFP) Jan 31, 2020 The United States on Friday named a special envoy to seek progress in the crisis in South Sudan, whose rival leaders have repeatedly missed deadlines to end their devastating conflict. The State Department said that Stuart Symington, a retired ambassador with long experience in Africa, "will lead US efforts to support the peace process and a successful political transition in South Sudan." The United States has been a major supporter of the impoverished, majority-Christian nation that won independence from Sudan in 2011, contributing around $1 billion a year in food and other humanitarian aid. A fallout soon after independence between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar has triggered brutal violence that has left almost 400,000 people dead and displaced four million more. African mediators have twice given the two leaders extensions in an agreement to form a unity government, with the latest deadline looming in mid-February. The United States has voiced anger at the bickering duo's failure to resolve differences and has imposed sanctions on two sitting ministers, accusing them of obstructing peace efforts. The fast-spreading coronavirus, which has killed 170 people in China and infected six in the United States, should have little impact on the U.S. economy, President Donald Trump's chief economic adviser said on Thursday. "We see no material impact on our economy," Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council Director, told Fox Business Network. Kudlow said the Trump administration had taken a look at the outbreak of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, in the early-2000s and found the economic impact on the United States had been negligible. SARS was first reported in Asia and spread to more than two dozen countries. "There was no material impact," he said, adding, "This may or may not be worse." Cases of coronavirus globally surpassed 8,100 on Thursday, outstripping the total number of infections in the SARS epidemic of 2003. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show The coronavirus crisis is forecast to sharply dent China's economy, the world's second-largest. Kudlow said the United States stood ready to help, but said Beijing should not expect relief from U.S. trade tariffs. "These are separate matters," he said. "This is completely separate from issues of trade or related matters." By Arthur I. Cyr Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's alter ego and fictional hero Sherlock Holmes greatly raised the prestige of the previously lowly detective story. Sherlock, like Shakespeare, had acute insight. One of Holmes' most brilliant inductions concerned evidence which was not present. In "The Silver Blaze," a dog's failure to bark in the night pointed to the guilty party. Media attention regarding international trade focuses on the complicated, tense and high-stakes economic and wider political conflicts with China. In Washington, the ongoing developments regarding presidential impeachment preoccupy attention. Meanwhile, Congress comparatively quietly has updated the historic North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, USMCA, was passed in the U.S. Senate on Jan. 16 by 89 votes to 10, an overwhelming victory for supporters and a notable example of bipartisan cooperation in the midst of often rancorous partisanship. In December, the House of Representatives passed the agreement by the equally impressive margin of 385 to 41. The agreement is hardly an uncompromised statement for free trade. There are new national content rules designed to protect the jobs of American workers in the auto and other vehicle industries. This likely will have at most only short-term benefits. As Senator Pat Toomey persuasively argues, this provision will raise auto prices for consumers while spurring the enormous, long-term movement of corporations to automated manufacturing processes. This is a much more profound trend than the often-cited, controversial movement of American manufacturing facilities overseas. Toomey was the lone Republican among the ten senators who voted against the bill. Those voting no included Bernie Sanders, along with Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, both of whom recently withdrew as candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination, and minority leader Chuck Schumer. The sizable number of votes in both houses of Congress in favor of the agreement shows the significant amount of support from the Democratic Party in both houses. This argues that protectionist sentiment is influential but not politically decisive, in contrast to public attitudes in the decades before World War II and, especially, during the Great Depression. The agreement hammered out among negotiators for the three nations contains other important provisions that are not so clearly nationalist in purpose. There is protection of intellectual property, which will foster international commerce, reduction of barriers in agriculture, and protection of workers in Mexico to organize new independent unions. A specific section of the agreement is focused on encouraging trade by small businesses in service industries. This is where most jobs are created in the U.S., and services rather than manufacturing increasingly is where employment opportunities are to be found. The 1994 NAFTA accord dramatically lowered trade and investment barriers between Mexico and the rest of North America. An essential predecessor was the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1988, in turn facilitated by the successful Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations. Another important element was the historic Canada-U.S. Automotive Parts Agreement of 1965. Such cooperation in promoting international community has deep roots reaching back to World War II. During that desperate time, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met for their first summit on naval warships off the coast of Newfoundland. The August 1941 meeting occurred several months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The conference led to the United Nations and associated international economic institutions. Trade remains a vital element in discouraging war. Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." Snow closes schools, postpones Chamber event Henderson County public schools dismissed classes at 11 a.m. Friday after snowfall covered grassy areas and slickened roads. Related Stories Laurel Park officials warned that road conditions could become hazardous and the Chamber of Commerce postponed its annual awards winner until Friday, Feb. 6. A high pressure system bringing cold air from New England combined with a low pressure system from the northern Gulf of Mexico created a heavier than expected snowfall across Henderson County, meteorologist Jeffrey Taylor of the National Weather Service office in Greer, South Carolina, said at 12:30 p.m. "It should be tapering off here in the next hour and whatever's less is mostly rain," he said. "Higher elevations will get more than lower elevations as it typical but it shouldn't be much more half an inch or less by the time it's over in next hour or two." "Temperatures were just cold enough to generate some snow aloft even though surface temperatures have been above freezing," he added. Saturday should be much warmer, with a high near 50 under gradually clearing skies. It gets better, with highs around 58 Sunday and 65 on Monday under sunny skies. Forsake, a footwear company based in Boston, has most of its supply chain and production facility in Zhongshan in southeastern China. The company received its spring orders before the annual holiday closing and is stocked through July. After that, said Sam Barstow, the president and chief operating officer, who knows? We dont really know what were planning for, Mr. Barstow said. Tim Cook, Apples chief executive, said on an earnings call this week that many of its suppliers factories in China would remain closed until Feb. 10. Apple had closed one retail store in China, and said traffic into its stores across China had decreased in recent days. Apple is frequently deep cleaning its stores and regularly checking the temperature of its employees there, Mr. Cook said. The airlines are also braced for prolonged turmoil. American said all of its flights between the United States and mainland China were being suspended immediately, through March 27. United and Delta said their flights on those routes would be suspended by next Thursday. United said it expected to resume operations on March 28, while Delta said its suspension would last through April 30. The three airlines accounted for more than a third of all travel between China and the United States in 2018. In 2018, more than 8.5 million passengers traveled between the United States and China, according to data from the United States Transportation Department. Most flew on a handful of Chinese airlines, none of which immediately responded to requests for comment Friday on any plans to halt or modify service. The coronavirus has already sickened more people than the outbreak of the SARS virus did in the eight-month outbreak of 2002 and 2003. AMERICAS Haiti Expected Council Action In February, the Security Council is expected to hold its first meeting on the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), a special political mission (SPM) established after the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) closed on 15 October 2019. Special Representative Helen La Lime is expected to brief, and a civil society briefer may also participate. BINUHs mandate expires on 16 October 2020. Key Recent Developments On 13 January, Haitian President Jovenel Moise began, in effect, to govern Haiti alone. Earlier that day, he announced that parliaments mandate, which was set to expire in January 2020, had ended because of the failure to hold legislative and local elections in October 2019. In 2019, parliament failed to pass an electoral law and approve an election budget that would have been the first steps for organising these elections, that were constitutionally mandated to be held in October 2019; nor was there political agreement on the new composition of the Provisional Electoral Council. Moise said he sees this development as an opportunity for Haiti to undergo what he believes is much needed constitutional reform. Moise does not enjoy much popular support, however, and this could complicate his ability to rule by decree. He has been the subject of months of protests, some violent and deadly. Opposition groups continue to call for Moises resignation and see the dissolution of parliament as another example of his undemocratic actions. Additionally, some Haitian senatorsthrough a different interpretation of the Haitian constitutionargue that their terms have not ended yet and say they will continue to serve. This is not a new situation for Haiti. When the Haitian parliament was dissolved in January 2015, also due to a lack of timely elections, then-President Michel Martelly ruled by decree until the end of his term in February 2016. The political crisis is likely to continue to exacerbate Haitis severe economic and humanitarian challenges. The 2019-2020 humanitarian response plan for Haiti, which called for $126.2 million, was 32.1 percent funded on 16 December 2019. Food insecurity continues to be a grave problem. According to the World Food Programme, a third of the Haitian population of 10.9 million is facing hunger conditions and around one million Haitians suffer from severe hunger. The situation was made worse by the protests last year, which at times cut off parts of Haiti from deliveries of food and medical supplies. The twelfth of January marked ten years since Haitis deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake, which, according to reports, killed 316,000 people, injured 1.5 million, and left 1.5 million homeless. Many in Haitis civil society have reflected on the scant reconstruction progress. According to the International Organisation for Migration, around 35,000 people remain in camps a decade after the earthquake. BINUH was established through resolution 2476, adopted on 25 June 2019, for an initial period of 12 months. Its mandate includes advising the government on issues related to promoting and strengthening political stability and good governance, the rule of law, an inclusive inter-Haitian national dialogue, and protecting and promoting human rights. In his October 2019 report on Haiti, the Secretary-General laid out six benchmarks and 25 indicators that were to be used to measure progress towards sustainable stability after BINUHs deployment. Council members issued a press statement on Haiti on 8 January, expressing concern at Haitis continuing political impasse and reiterating the need for inclusive and open dialogue to form a government. Human Rights-Related Developments On 1 November 2019, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the situation in Haiti and its impact on the ability of Haitians to access their basic rights to health care, food, education and other needs. The spokesperson urged all parties to avoid hampering the functioning of hospitals and to facilitate access to health care, as well as the delivery, including through humanitarian channels, of food and medicine for individuals in prisons and orphanages and other vulnerable groups such as people living with disabilities. Key Issues and Options The establishment of BINUH in October 2019 marked the first time since 2004 without a UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. This will be seen as a test for the UN, and the Security Council, for transitioning from a long peacekeeping presence to a smaller special political mission. The UN, Haitian institutions and the wider international community have been developing a new working relationship. Council members are likely to want to hear more about this process as well as the main challenges BINUH has faced. The lack of a legislative government will be a topic for this meeting and a concern for Council members. They will want to hear more about how the current political impasse may be addressed, whether through elections or reforms. Council members could issue a press statement calling for inclusive and timely dialogue to bring Haitian parties together. It is likely some Council members may also use the meeting as an opportunity to reflect on the tenth anniversary of the 2010 earthquake. Council Dynamics Recently, there has been some difficulty in achieving Council products on Haiti. For example, the press statement issued on 8 January was the first press statement on Haiti since July 2018. Previous attempts in late 2019 were unsuccessful because of one Council members belief that a statement was not timely or useful. Council members were also unable to agree on the customary presidential statement that is adopted when a mission closes; in this case, MINUJUSTH. Council members differences seem to stem from differing views on how much outside influence there should be on the future of Haiti. Some approve of having detailed benchmarks while others would prefer BINUHs mandate to be less prescriptive and led more by Haiti itself. Council members are likely to be careful not to appear to take sides between President Moise and the opposition during this uncertain period. This appears to have given some impetus to the January press statement, with some member states wanting it to be published before the expiration of Parliaments term on 13 January so as not to appear to be endorsing Moises governing by decree. Additionally, the Council now has two Caribbean member states servingDominican Republic and Saint Vincent and the Grenadineswhich could provide a unique point of view. Since joining the Council in 2019, the Dominican Republic has repeatedly expressed its concerns about the withdrawal of MINUJUSTH, believing the process was rushed and did not adequately respond to the situation on the ground. The US is the penholder on Haiti. UN DOCUMENTS ON HAITI New Delhi, Jan 31 : Indian cab hailing major Ola on Friday announced it will launch its operations in London on February 10 with over 20,000 registered drivers. The ride hailing platform will be fully operational from day one, with over 20,000 drivers having registered on the platform since it began onboarding a month ago. "The overwhelmingly positive reception to Ola since launching in the UK in 2018 illustrates the significant demand from drivers, riders and communities. We are working closely with drivers to build a high quality and reliable service for Londoners," Simon Smith, Head of Ola International, said in a statement. "Launching in London is a major milestone for us and we are keen to offer a first class experience for all our customers." The company aims to offer a differentiated experience on the platform with features such as 24x7 helplines for drivers and customers and an in-app emergency button, while providing the best quality of service through its large network of drivers across the city of London. Ola's passengers will benefit A25 worth of ride credit for signing up in the first week after the launch, the company added. Ola, operating in the UK since 2018, obtained the licence to operate in London in 2019. The firm has expanded rapidly throughout the UK since its launch and will now operate across 28 local authorities. Cities including Birmingham, Coventry and Warwick have seen more than double-digit growth in rides in the last quarter. To date, Ola has provided over 3 million rides with more than 11,000 drivers already operating on the platform in the UK. WASHINGTON The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and announced significant entry restrictions because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the federal response, announced that President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus. The new restrictions take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday. "It is likely that we will continue to see more cases in the United States in the coming days and weeks, including some limited person-to-person transmissions, Azar said. The American public can be assured the full weight of the U.S. government is working to safeguard the health and safety of the American people. Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Beginning Sunday, the U.S. will also begin funneling all flights to the U.S. from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for illness. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. A public health emergency in the U.S. allows the government to tap additional resources to send to states, such as emergency funding and if necessary drugs or equipment from the national stockpile, and to suspend certain legal requirements. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said the risk to the American public currently is low. He added: I want to emphasize that this is a significant global situation and it continues to involve." There are six cases of this virus in the U.S. and 191 individuals are being monitored, Redfield said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said one reason the U.S. stepped up its quarantine measures was an alarming report from Germany that a traveler from China had spread the virus despite showing no symptoms. Fauci contrasted it with the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola, which cant be spread unless someone is very ill. At the same time, federal health authorities were recognizing that the test theyre using to detect the virus isnt always dependable. Redfield said when it was used on some of the people currently in isolation, theyd test positive one day and negative another. Of the six U.S. patients so far, airport screening detected only one. Astute doctors caught four others, after the people sought care and revealed that theyd traveled to China, Redfield said. And the CDC diagnosed the most recent case, the spouse of one of those earlier cases, who was being closely monitored. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University expert on public health law, said putting a large number of people under quarantine is virtually unprecedented in modern American history. But I think its justified, he said, noting the evacuees had been in a hot zone for the virus for a long time. The announcement came hours after the State Department issued a level 4 Do Not Travel" advisory, the highest grade of warning, and told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice," the advisory said. Hours later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced they were suspending all flights between the U.S. and China, joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the virus outbreak continues to spread. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, provincial capital of Hubei province. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about the potential spread of smallpox, the CDC said. "We understand this action may seem drastic. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting," the CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said. None of the Americans being housed at a Southern California military base has shown signs of illness. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases Friday, the vast majority in Hubei province. The National Health Commission reported 171 cases of people who have been "cured and discharged from hospital." WHO has said most people who got the illness had milder cases, though 20% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms include fever and cough, and in severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine, while foreign countries, companies and airlines have cut back severely on travel to China and quarantined those who recently passed through Wuhan. Infected people don't show symptoms immediately and may be able to pass on the virus before they appear sick. American Airlines said it was halting all flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. It said the stoppage will continue through April 30. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. The U.S. screening airports are John F. Kennedy International in New York, San Francisco International in California, Seattle-Tacoma International in Washington, O'Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia, and Daniel K. Inouye International in Hawaii. Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, at least 23 countries have reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China, and WHO noted with its emergency declaration Thursday it was especially concerned that some cases abroad also involved human-to-human transmission. It defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that poses a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care," the embassy said. Mike Wester, a businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave. I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel, Wester said. He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks. Japan and Germany also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao. Popular holiday and shopping destination Singapore barred Chinese from traveling there, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to do so. Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus is worrying. In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, five employees of a German auto parts supplier became ill after a Chinese colleague visited, including two who had no direct contact with the woman, who showed no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. On Friday, Germany confirmed a sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected. Thats the kind of transmission chain that we dont want to see, said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHOs emergency committee. The new virus has now infected more people globally than were sickened during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 0 [January 31, 2020] Nodal Clear Announces Wedbush Securities as New Clearing Member Nodal Clear, LLC, the clearing house for Nodal Exchange, today announced that Wedbush Securities Inc. has been approved as a clearing member. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005106/en/ "We are pleased to welcome Wedbush Securities as a clearing member to Nodal Clear," said Paul Cusenza, Chairman & CEO of Nodal Clear and Nodal Exchange. "Nodal Exchange continues to grow, and we see this reflected in our growing community of participants and clearing members. As we continue to develop our core businesses and expand into new asset classes, we are pleased that Wedbush Securities will now offer its customers the ability to take advantage of Nodal Exchange's trading and risk management services." "Wedbush is excited to become the newest clearing member of Nodal Exchange," said Bob Fitzsimmons, Executive Vice President of Wedbush Securities. "Our clients are active traders in the power and energy markets, and access to Nodal products is a key need for any major player in this space." Nodal Clear began clearing Nodal Exchange contracts on October 19, 2015. All transactions on Nodal Exchange are cleared through Nodal Clear. ABOUT NODAL CLEAR, LLC Nodal Clear, LLC serves as the central counterparty for all Nodal Exchange transactions. Nodal Clear's strong risk management practices create a sound market inrastructure for trading Nodal Exchange contracts. Nodal Clear employs a tailored portfolio margining methodology that appropriately margins Nodal Exchange contracts and provides capital efficiencies to market participants. Nodal Clear is a derivatives clearing organization (DCO) regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Nodal Clear, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nodal Exchange, LLC. ABOUT NODAL EXCHANGE, LLC Nodal Exchange is a derivatives exchange providing price, credit and liquidity risk management solutions to participants in the North American commodities markets. Nodal Exchange is a leader in innovation, having introduced the world's largest set of electric power locational (nodal) futures contracts. As part of EEX Group, a group of companies serving international commodity markets, Nodal Exchange currently offers over 1,000 contracts on hundreds of unique locations, providing the most effective basis risk management available to market participants. In addition, Nodal Exchange offers natural gas, environmental and trucking freight contracts. All Nodal Exchange contracts are cleared by Nodal Clear. Nodal Exchange is a designated contract market (DCM (News - Alert)) regulated by the CFTC. ABOUT WEDBUSH SECURITIES Since our founding in 1955, Wedbush has been a leader in the financial services industry, providing our clients, both private and institutional, with a wide range of securities brokerage, wealth management, clearing and custodial, and investment banking services; Headquartered in Los Angeles, California with 100 registered offices and nearly 900 colleagues, the firm focuses on client service and financial safety, innovation, and the utilization of advanced technology. Follow us: Wedbush Twitter Wedbush LinkedIn Wedbush Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005106/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] This week, as Britain edged inexorably toward one of the most defining moments in its history, one topic took pole position in the various debates about Brexit. It centred on the Oxford comma. At the risk of boring you I feel I must explain what this is (being aware that the kind of pedants who often work in newspapers care, but normal people generally don't). Anyway it's the comma that is inserted before the word "and" in a list of three items or more. Such as: "Britain is heading into a new era of peace, prosperity, and possibly ignominy," to pick a random example (the second comma is the Oxford one and it is indeed named after Oxford University Press). It's not always used any more and nobody really agrees whether it should be or not. Those who argue for it say you can end up with odd misunderstandings unless you use it. One example is the sentence: "I love my parents, Miss Piggy and Kermit." Without a second comma, it sounds as though you are the offspring of Muppets. In any case, the trouble is that the Oxford comma is missing from the 50p coin forged specially by the Royal Mint to commemorate Brexit. And this is an issue. Specifically the three million coins that are due to enter circulation today carry the slogan "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations". Just the one comma, then. Sajid Javid, chancellor of the exchequer, has said he hopes the commemorative coin will mark "the beginning of this new chapter" as the UK leaves the European Union. The big reveal of the coin, however, led to immediate controversy as Philip Pullman, the high-profile author of the young adult book series 'His Dark Materials', tweeted that it "should be boycotted by all literate people". 'The Times Literary Supplement' editor Stig Abell chimed in to note that while this was "not perhaps the only objection" to the Brexit coin, "the lack of a comma after 'prosperity' is killing me". There is something poignant about this whole exchange. First, those of us (and doubtless this includes a considerable number of Britons) who think Brexit is a terrible idea find it a little weird to see them producing a coin to mark the occasion. Second, it's a reminder of the whole tediously protracted nature of the UK's process toward EU exit. The Royal Mint was originally supposed to issue a coin last Halloween - when Brexit was due to happen - but then it had to have an emergency rethink. No wonder everyone's weary of the actually tangible issues. But most of all, the fact that a comma can trigger any kind of controversy at all is a reminder of an absurdist streak that feels quite peculiarly British and that is one of the many things I personally appreciate about our closest neighbours. In no other country could the whole EU ban on "bendy bananas" trope have been preserved for so many years (and it wasn't ever based on a fact but was just a hilarious thing to imagine, like the fictional forced renaming of the British sausage as an emulsified high-fat offal tube, as described on 'Yes Minister'). Where else in the world can you imagine the presence - and survival - of a group called the Apostrophe Protection Society? It functioned for 18 years until its founder, a retired editor called John Richards, gave it up at the age of 96 (he sadly declared that while he had done his best, "ignorance and laziness have won"). In 1871, so the story goes, Britain nearly torpedoed a trade agreement with the US over a single split infinitive in the treaty document. The US agreed to amend. Mind you it's not only Britain that ties itself into these sorts of knots over grammar. In the US in 2014, the absence of an Oxford comma won an expensive class action court case for a group of workers in Maine who were seeking overtime payments from a dairy company. The workers raised a question over a state law that declared overtime rules do not apply to the following: "The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: (1) Agricultural produce; (2) Meat and fish products; and (3) Perishable foods." Because there was no Oxford comma following "packing for shipment'', they argued it was unclear exactly what was exempted from overtime. They won their case. The dairy paid them $5m. And then Maine introduced a semi-colon in place of a comma in the disputed spot in its legislation, which triggered yet another modest grammar-based furore. Pedants, it seems, come in all nationalities. On a more literary theme, back in 2013 our own Central Bank had a red-faced moment when it misquoted Ulysses on a commemorative coin for James Joyce by adding in an extra word. The line Joyce wrote read: "Signatures of all the things I am here to read " The Joyce coin read: "Signatures of all things that I am here to read." No biggie you might think, unless you happen to be a Joyce purist. The Central Bank claimed its line was "an artistic representation of the author and text and not intended as a literal representation". In the end the whole thing did generate a lot more publicity than you might expect for an otherwise unremarkable run of 10,000 coins celebrating a literary great. James Joyce himself - who quite obviously wasn't much of a rule follower when it came to language - would probably have found it funny. It's hard to imagine him feeling the same way about the Brexit process. It seems that for now, at least, nothing much will change at midnight tonight. There's a Brexit transition period before the real changes happen - aside from the fact that Britain would have to reapply if it decided it wanted, after all, to be part of the EU. Nonetheless, farewell Britain; life won't be quite the same without you. China virus: IndiGo suspends flights on Chengdu, Hong Kong routes IndiGo airlines has decided to suspend its flights on the Bengaluru-Hong Kong route and on the Delhi-Chengdu route from 1 February as the threat of novel coronavirus outbreak in China threatened to spread across nations. The low-cost carrier said for now, it will continue to operate the Kolkata-Guangzhou flight, which it is "monitoring on a daily basis". "And for our operating crew, we are ensuring that they return to India on the inbound flights without any layover in China," the airline said in a statement. India's largest airline has also told its crew members, who are working on flights connecting India with East Asian countries like Thailand and Singapore, to wear N95 masks at all times when they are on ground. "However, these crew members have been asked not to wear the mask when they are flying. They have also been told to avoid public places, meat from unverified sources and uncooked meat in East Asian cities. They have also been told to wash their hands frequently," the source added. According to an Air India official, all crew members working on flights between India and South East Asia have been asked to wear N95 masks. In India, many people are under observation in hospitals for suspected coronavirus infection, including in Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha and the national capital. People returning to the country after visiting China are being regularly screened for the deadly virus at airports across the country. In China, deaths due to coronavirus on Wednesday rose to 132, with the number of confirmed cases rising to 5,974 and the number of suspected cases to 9,239, as per figures released by the National Health Commission (NHC). "After carefully assessing the current coronavirus situation in China, IndiGo is taking some safety measures for its customers, crew and staff. Due to China travel restrictions, we have seen a high number of cancellations from China on our Delhi-Chengdu route and vice versa," IndiGo said on Wednesday. "Therefore, we are suspending our flights between Delhi and Chengdu from 1 February until 20 February. We are also suspending our Bengaluru- Hong Kong flight effective February 1," it added. The low-cost carrier stated that these are purely temporary and precautionary measures. "We understand that these measures will cause inconvenience to our customers and we will be refunding the full amount to the impacted passengers," it clarified. IndiGo added that it is in "close touch" with the "relevant government authorities" and "we thank them and our partners in China for all the help and support that they have extended so far". Air India has kept a 423-seater jumbo plane ready in Mumbai to airlift Indian citizens from Wuhan city in China in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan is the capital of China's Hubei province. As India started the preparations to evacuate over 250 Indians, mostly students, stuck in the Hubei province, its embassy in Beijing said these nationals will have to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine on their return. And, amidst fears of contagion, British health authorities said hundreds of British citizens being flown back to the UK from Wuhan will be put in quarantine for two weeks. It comes as British Airways suspends all direct flights to and from mainland China because of the coronavirus outbreak. Australia, Japan, the US and EU nations are also repatriating citizens. Australia plans to quarantine its 600 returning citizens for two weeks on Christmas Island - some 2,000km (1,200 miles) from the mainland. The UK government plans to fly 200 British citizens out from Wuhan, the centre of the new coronavirus outbreak, on Thursday. Sources told the BBC the returning Britons will be given the best possible medical care and advice. Those returning from other parts of China will not be affected, but have been advised to "self-isolate" for 14 days. In signs that the virus is spreading fast, four cases have been confirmed in Germany, making it the second European country to report cases, after France. The United Arab Emirates has also confirmed its first cases of the virus in a family who recently returned to the UAE from Wuhan. Confirmed cases were reported from 16 other countries. Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) citing an expert at Chinas National Health Commission as saying on Tuesday that it could take 10 more days for the outbreak to peak. Like the similar Sars and influenza viruses, the new coronavirus is a particular risk for elderly people and those with pre-existing illnesses. The sharp rise in cases is in part attributed to increased awareness, monitoring and testing in recent days. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Anastasia Savchenko - Trend: Turkey reduced import of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from Russia by 96.56 percent in November 2019, Trend reports referring to the report of the Turkish Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) on Jan. 31. According to EPDK, the largest volume of LPG export to Turkey accounted for the shares of Algeria and the US. In November 2019, Turkey imported 236,063 tons of LPG, which is 25.75 percent more compared to November 2018. Comparative table including the countries and LPG import volumes in November 2019: Countries Imports (tons) Difference (%) November 2018 Market share (%) November 2019 Market share (% Algeria 161,197,725 50.7 88,070,650 37.31 -45.36 US 54,051,685 17 72,045,777 30.52 33.29 Kazakhstan 32,421,255 10.2 28,980,685 12.28 -10.61 Russia 13,972,891 4.4 480,520 0.20 -96.56 Libya 0 0 4,998,070 2.12 - Norway 50,071,402 15.75 27,517,713 11.66 -45.04 UK 3,999,161 1.26 7,493,249 3.17 87.37 Total 317,914,119 100 236,062,864 100 -25.75 As of November 2019, 11 licensed companies imported LPG. The biggest share of LPG imports accounted for Aygaz Anonim Sirketi company. Table including the companies and LPG import volumes in November 2019: Companies November 2019 Imports, tons Market share (%) Aygaz Anonim Sirketi (A.S.) 86,334,109 36.57 Milangaz LPG Dagtm Ticaret ve Sanayi A.S. 43,413,178 18.39 Ipragaz A.S. 32,831,330 13.91 Yurtpet Akaryakt Lpg Dagtm Pazarlama Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi 18,306,896 7.76 Gasrall Lpg Petrol A.S. 16,075,570 6.81 Aytemiz Akaryakt Dagtm A.S. 10,566,289 4.48 Shell & Turcas Petrol A.S. 10,552,227 4.47 Pet Gaz A.S. 7,693,659 3.26 Petrol Ofisi A.S. 4,991,610 2.11 Akpet Gaz A.S. 3,197,996 1.35 Argaz LPG Dolum Tevzii Insaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. 2.1 million 0.89 Total 236,062,864 100 --- Follow the author on Twitter: @AnSav_2105 Recap: The EU is forging ahead with a decisive vote on regulation that will push manufacturers to adopt a common standard for wired and wireless chargers. Earlier this month, news broke that EU regulators were drafting new legislation that would push all mobile device manufacturers towards a single charging standard. Among the reasons invoked is the well-documented problem of electronic waste, which can at least in part be attributed to the multitude of charger types. This move invited a prompt response from Apple, who was arguably less than pleased about the development. The Cupertino giant argued the decision would inconvenience a lot of consumers and stifle innovation, but today the European Parliament voted 582-40 on the resolution to make it a reality. In a public statement, the regulators explained that "without hampering innovation, the EU executive should ensure that the legislative framework for a common charger will be scrutinised regularly in order to take into account technical progress." MEPs reiterate that research and innovation are vital to improve existing technologies and come up with new ones. Regulators are also urging the European Commission to adopt the new rules by July. By that date, manufacturers will have to follow a series of guidelines that apply to both wired and wireless charging technologies, by ensuring that they all follow a common standard. That includes third parties who make alternative charging solutions, such as Anker and RAVPower. You'll no longer be forced to purchase new chargers with every new device, but MEPs noted that all measures taken towards decoupling those purchases "should avoid potentially higher prices for consumers." The idea here is to reduce waste and make devices less expensive as a result of manufacturers not including a charger in the box. As for Apple, it has already switched most of its mobile devices to USB-C except for the iPhone, which still uses the proprietary Lightning connector. The company reportedly planned to remove the charging port on the iPhone by 2021 just like it did with the headphone jack, but the new EU directive has probably changed that. This could be a good idea in the long run, but there are a few studies that show why forcing a single connector standard could be a harmful move at worst and offer limited benefits at best, falling short of the European Commission's aim to significantly reduce electronic waste and the carbon footprint of manufacturing cables and chargers. A Congress party leader was arrested here on Friday on the charge of sexually abusing a nine-year-old girl for the past few years, police said. P P Babu, 59, was arrested after district childline authorities informed police about the abuse which was revealed by the girl in a counselling session. Congress sources said Babu, a Seva Dal state-level coordination committee member, was expelled from the party following his arrest. "We were alerted by childline authorities. We produced him before the court which remanded him to judicial custody. It seems like the girl was suffering the abuse for past few years. She revealed her plight to childline authorities," police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government of President Volodymyr Zelensky has been plagued by internal crisis in recent weeks as recordings of disparaging statements made by Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk regarding Zelensky appeared on social media. In the audio Honcharuk can be heard discussing the countrys economic situation with Ukrainian finance officials and stating that he had difficulty speaking with the Ukrainian president due to Zelenskys very primitive understanding of the economy. Honcharuk also admitted to being a complete ignoramus in economics himself. President Volodymyr Zelensky [Credit: en.kremlin.ru] Regarding Zelenskys economic advisors Honcharuk stated, There used to be good business managers, under whom the [economic growth] was 4.6 percent. Then Sorosites came, and the economic growth is 2 percent and less. And you cannot prove anything to anyone. And all of this, together, induces in the president a feeling that the situation is uncontrollable. We do not understand. We have no plans. His contemptuous reference to Zelenskys advisors as Sorositesreferring to the Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros known for donating large sums of money to back western-leaning political parties and NGOs throughout Eastern Europebetrays Honcharuk political sympathies for the far-right. Due to his Jewish background, Soros has become the target of right-wing denunciations by fascist forces throughout Europe. Honcharuk has long maintained ties to these forces. Last October, Honcharuk appeared on stage in front of a swastika at neo-Nazi rock concert in Kiev to commemorate the official state holiday Defender of Ukraine Day. He had also previously been photographed with members of the fascist Azov Battalion and the neo-Nazi C14 group. Following the tapes release Honcharuk took to Facebook to claim that the audio recording had been doctored and called Zelensky a model of honesty for me. On social media, he wrote Its [the tapes] contents artificially create the impression that my team and I do not respect the president, who is our political leader. He also offered his letter of resignation to Zelensky in order to remove any doubts about our respect and trust in the president. The offer of a resignation was a targeted move, aimed at pressuring Zelensky to come out in full support for the government and Honcharuks right-wing policies. Under Ukraines constitution only the parliament can accept the resignation of an acting prime minister but Honcharuk never submitted a resignation offer to the parliament. Zelensky responded to Honcharuks phony resignation offer by meeting with him in a highly-scripted sit-down which was recorded on video. He rejected Honcharuks resignation offer and stated that Honcharuk could not resign as he had not yet repaid this loan to our society. He said, I decided to give you a chance ... and a chance to your government. Zelensky ordered an investigation into who made and leaked the recording. The presidents office stated, The unsanctioned surveillance and recording of conversations must not occur in the offices of the state authorities. This is a question of national security. Whoever is behind the release of these high-level government conversations, it is clear that the Ukrainian oligarchy and its government are torn by sharp infighting over both domestic and foreign policies. These divisions are coming to the fore as the government is pressing ahead with the largest mass privatization effort since the restoration of capitalism in the 1990s, and attempts to negotiate a settlement with Russia over the ongoing civil war in East Ukraine. Honcharuk is in charge of leading these mass privatizations. As part of the privatizations, a long-standing moratorium on the sale of agricultural land including Ukraines highly-coveted black earth is being lifted starting on October 1. This week Honcharuk announced that his Cabinet of Ministers will receive 26 million euros from the EU in order to carry out the sale of Ukrainian land. According to a recent Rating poll, 73 percent of Ukrainian citizens oppose the privatization. In addition to overseeing the privatizations Honcharuk was also tasked with drawing up a list of state companies to be privatized. These privatizations could cost tens of thousands of workers their jobs. This is under conditions where 60 percent of the population are estimated to live under the subsistence minimum. In accordance with the privatization plans, a new labor law legislation has been introduced to the Ukrainian parliament that strongly favors employers by allowing them to fire workers at will, or in other words, for any reason or no reason at all. The draft law would also penalize any worker who fails to fulfill an employment contract by cancelling their right to unemployment benefits for two years. Honcharuk previously served under former Finance Minister Aivaras Abromavicius, the Minister of Economy and Trade in the government of former-President Petro Poroshenko. Like his mentor Abromavicius, Honcharuk has taken the lead in conversations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the continuation of loans to Kiev and most recently secured a conditional $5.5 billion loan in December that is dependent on Ukraine continuing the mass privatizations. Prior to Honcharuks appointment, some officials within Zelenskys incoming administration floated the idea of Ukraine leaving the IMF program entirely. Zelenskys personal friend and political backer, billionaire oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, suggested that Ukraine should simply default on its loan repayments to the IMF and go its own way. Ukraine is scheduled to pay $1.4 billion to the IMF in 2020. During the crisis sparked by the leaked audio recording Honcharuk was careful to assure the West that any potential resignation would have no effect on Ukraines participation in the IMF loan program. As these assaults on the working class threaten to provoke mass opposition, there are growing tactical divisions within the oligarchy about how to best implement austerity. Differences over foreign policy also contribute to the tensions in Zelenskys government. Like Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, who maintains close ties to the US-funded far-right, Honcharuk is widely considered to speak for sections of the ruling elite that are firmly oriented toward US imperialism and oppose concessions to Russia. In recent months, Zelensky has pushed for a negotiated settlement with Russia, through direct involvement of Berlin and Paris, while the US has been shut out of the negotiations. For his push for the Normandy talks in Paris in December, Zelensky has come under enormous pressure from sections of the oligarchy and the far-right. With the support of Poroshenko and other leading politicians, tens of thousands far-right demonstrators protested against the government and its negotiations with Russia last fall. What do the Mona Lisa, the Great Wall of China and Trolltunga have in common? It sounds like a bad travel joke, but the answer is they are popular bucket list destinations for travelers around the world. The pop culture vernacular for "a checklist of things to do before one dies" has become a buzzword for travel planning, often shaping itineraries with specific hotspots and activities. Bucket lists are fun but can result in shallow travel experiences. IPGGutenbergUKLtd The trend was advanced by the 2007 American movie "The Bucket List," a sentimental comedy starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as two aging men who decide to tick off a travel list to places like the North Pole, India, Egypt and Tanzania. Not surprisingly, Google Trends shows the phrase "bucket list ideas" started to climb soon thereafter, with most interest coming, in order, from New Zealand, Canada, the United States, Ireland and the Philippines. For me travel is about connecting with people and cultures not about seeing a famous spot and leaving. Avner Ofer Art travel photographer The maturing of social media fueled this "highlighter" way of travel even further. Stunning photography posted alongside trending travel philosophies and hashtags such as #wanderlust and #roadlesstraveled became a sustained lure, promising remarkable, life-changing journeys. With such inspiration, what could possibly go wrong? Distorted expectations "Northern Light tours are quite the scam," a friend once posted on Facebook. "I was miserably underwhelmed," the local entrepreneur explained of his experience in Iceland. "Instagram and long-exposure photography gave me unrealistic expectations." Will the aurora borealis look like this on your trip? Likely, no. Sascha Kilmer The aurora borealis became a hot item on bucket lists, just about the time Iceland came into focus as a desirable destination. When places like Iceland are suddenly thrown into the limelight, it's often the case that bucket-listers head there without really understanding what they've signed up for as happened to my acquaintance. Similarly with the Mona Lisa, it's common to hear people talk more about snaking lines or the painting's small size instead of the craftsmanship of the work itself. Crowds like this are common at Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" painting at the Louvre. Mikhail Svetlov | Getty Images Bucket lists can ruin travel because the people who come up with them often don't look into the actual details of a place. Cherry-picking notable sites and "checking the box" become the focus. When we trust that the experience will be phenomenal, we forget to back up our expectations with actual research. Trading valuable time for trends A 10-hour hike precedes the stunning rock outcrop that is Trolltunga. Venice is often swarming with tourists. What does this mean for bucket-listers, aside from sore feet and time spent waiting in lines? It means they burn through vacation time in between bucket points. Tourists crowded together on Venice's the Ponte della Paglia, with the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) in the background. Soeren Stache | Picture Alliance | Getty Images Avner Ofer, a fine art travel photographer, makes a case for experiencing a country through its less flashy moments. "For me, travel is about connecting with people and cultures not about seeing a famous spot and leaving," he said. Describing himself as an "immersive" traveler, he recalled how he ditched a bucket list for a one-and-a-half year backpacking trip in 1994 and had more to show for it. In Panama, he flew to the Darien Gap (a dense wilderness on the border of Colombia and Panama) with no plans. There he bumped into an indigenous kid who guided him to a local village. As it turned out, he was the first tourist to ever be there, and he spent four incredible days as a guest of the tribe. Deviating from a bucket list can offer unplanned encounters with local people, like this woman sewing a traditional garment in Panama. helovi "Some sights are a must and worth visiting, but are not the goal for me," says Ofer. He believes travelers miss out on authentic moments that can be found between hot spots riddled with tourists. "If you don't take the time to meet people and get away from tourist areas, you are really missing on the cultural experience of travel," Ofer said. Following someone else's itinerary When tourists take a picture of a sunset or New Zealand's famed Wanaka tree, is it for themselves or an audience? Photo tourism has accelerated with the advent of social media, and recreating iconic travel photos has pushed Insta-trendy spots high on bucket lists. This fever described by photographer Tony Bridge as "a form of appropriation ... a photo as consumerist pastime" contributes to overtourism and results in itineraries full of fleeting moments. New Zealand's Wanaka Tree a willow tree in the South Island's Lake Wanaka has been photographed so much that it's now a running joke among photographers. Anupong Sakoolchai Bucket list favorites, such as Mount Everest, Komodo Island and Machu Picchu, are implementing measures including periods of closures and strict permits in order to limit the damage that tourism causes to these sites. Scott Tay, founder of Beyond Expeditions, wishes to break this sea of sameness with his travel agency, which focuses on uncommon destinations such as Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Ladakh. "They hold special meaning to me, and I wanted to share them with others," he said. "Mongolia taught me autonomy; Ladakh, authentic compassion; and Kazakhstan, the beauty of cultural integration." A Tsaatan reindeer herder in northern Mongolia. Madoka Ikegami | Barcroft Media District of Columbia, WA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2020 -- Daniel Madariaga Barrilado is an entrepreneur who is renowned for his innovative work constructing green hotels and developing technological solutions to enhance urban mobility. He was raised in Mexico City and, after developing an interest in ecology and urban design at a young age, attended the EDGADE School of Business at Monterrey Technological University. Apart from his work promoting "mobility as a service" in urban areas, Daniel Madariaga is best known for his use of natural, renewable materials such as seaweed and algae in Mexico. He is also known for promoting systems to allow the reuse of urban water. SOS Children's Village was founded in 1949 and works to care for, protect, and provide opportunities for children who have lost their families in various parts of the world. The organization accomplishes this by partnering with donors, communities, and national governments to build safe homes for disadvantaged children. It also provides opportunities through initiatives like the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. SOS Children's Village helps thousands of children in Mexico each year, with operations in Mexico City, Gutierrez, Morelia, Comitan, Tijuana, and Tuxtla. In 2019, UNESCO proclaimed January 24 the International Day of Education and uses the holiday to draw attention to the importance of viewing education as a fundamental right of all children, regardless of social status or location in the world. Since education leads to socially responsible and capable global citizens and, in turn, a better global society, it is one of the most valuable renewable resources. For this reason, Daniel Madariaga hopes that his donation will lead to more opportunities for education for the children of Mexico and lead to a more sustainable future for the country as a whole. Media Contact Company Name - SOS Children's Villages Contact - Louise Potterton Company Phone - (202) 347-7920 Company Person - Louise Potterton Address - 1620 I Street NW, Suite 900 Washington, DC 20006 Company Email - info@sos-usa.org Website - https://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/ The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists - founded by Manhattan Project scientists who invented the nuclear bomb, with 13 Nobel laureates on its executive board - has just moved its Doomsday Clock to 100 seconds before midnight. This marks the most severe security threat in its history. The scientists are sounding the alarm not due to subjective fears caused by a mercurial and uninformed president with his finger on the nuclear trigger, but from a dispassionate assessment of terrifying realities. "Humanity continues to face two simultaneous existential dangers - nuclear war and climate change - that are compounded by . . . cyber-enabled information warfare, that undercuts society's ability to respond," reports the Bulletin. These dangers have become dire not simply because they are getting worse, but because "world leaders have allowed the international political infrastructure for managing them to erode". The threat posed by nuclear weapons has become more perilous because virtually the entire edifice of arms control is being dismantled. US President Donald Trump already deep-sixed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the last remaining arms-control treaty - the New START Treaty that capped Russian and US nuclear arsenals - is on the verge of expiring. The White House is considering withdrawing from the Open Skies Treaty that allows the United States and Russia to observe each other's arsenals in monitored overflights. No substantive effort has been made to bring China into arms-control talks. Negotiations with North Korea have collapsed; its leader, Kim Jong-un, promises to unveil a new "strategic weapon". The United States and Russia are on the verge of launching another nuclear build-up, with the US planning to squander another $1.2trn (1trn) over the coming decades on the folly. Meanwhile, the climate emergency is visible in fires and droughts and floods across the world, from Australia to Missouri. Millions have already been displaced; the billions already spent are just the beginning. US governmental action on the climate emergency falls far short of even the most modest hopes for survival. Yet Trump has pulled the country out of the Paris climate accord, weakening its already limited progress. The Bulletin's warning got far too little attention. There was no 24-7 coverage or analysis. Few politicians bothered to respond. But don't be misled: this is the real deal, the true catastrophe. When history writes about the Trump administration, his tantrums and insults, his tweets and rallies, his ignorance and temper will no doubt be mentioned, but historians will surely focus on the lost years when this president didn't just ignore these existential threats, but actively exacerbated them. At the Bulletin's news conference, former California governor Jerry Brown, the executive chair of the group's governing board, noted: "Speaking of danger and destruction is never very easy, because if you speak the truth, people will not want to listen because it's too awful." But there are reasons for hope. Led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Democratic presidential candidates have called for reviving the arms-control process and returning to the Paris climate accord and the Iran nuclear agreement, rather than launching a new arms race. Politicians may still find there is a price to pay for failing to lead. But surely the Bulletin is right: we are a handful of seconds from catastrophe and the clock is ticking. ( The Washington Post) Open source Russian human rights envoy Tatyana Moskalkova has no information about any new agreements about the exchange of inmates between Russia and Ukraine. TASS quoted her as saying. "As it usually goes, the beginning of the work to exchange citizens between the two states is a deal between two presidents. I know nothing about any such agreement. I only heard statements from President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky; there have been no signals from the other side so far", she said. Previously, Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Kyiv negotiates on the release of Ukrainians illegally held in Russia and in the occupied territory of Ukraine. "Two tracks, two lists. We have agreed on the list in Minsk, we will supplement the list of established persons. We will prepare this track, I mean, the exchange with the temporarily occupied territories. And (...) we have already started a conversation with the Russian Federation about the exchange of Ukrainians - all, including the Crimean Tatars, and other Ukrainians who are on the territory of Russia," Zelensky said. The latest prisoner swap took place at Mayorske checkpoint in Donetsk region on December 29. 76 Ukrainians, including reporter Stanislav Aseev and 12 military servicemen returned home from captivity. Ministers have announced a 1.15million fund to help businesses and charities come up with creative ways to tackle food waste. The Government's food waste champion, Ben Elliot, also announced that he will hold the first 'Food Waste Action Week' from May 11. The fund will provide grants for projects such as educating the public on how to store fresh food and turning food waste into new edible products. More than 4.5 million tonnes of food, equivalent to ten billion meals, are wasted every year, causing a significant environmental impact. The Government has pledged to reduce food waste in the UK by 20 per cent by 2025. Total food waste levels fell by 480,000 tonnes between 2015 and 2018. More than 4.5 million tonnes of food, equivalent to ten billion meals, are wasted every year, causing a significant environmental impact. File image used The 1.15million fund will form part of a wider 15million scheme to address how to handle surplus food from the retail and manufacturing sectors. Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: 'The UK is a proud world leader in tackling food waste, owing in part to the innovation and creativity of many organisations across the UK - from educating the public on food waste in our homes, to making our supply chains greener. 'I look forward to supporting UK organisations who are taking up the mantle to tackle food waste and to create a better world for ourselves, as well as generations to come. 'It makes sense in every way - it cuts collection costs, saves the customer money and importantly reduces emissions which benefits the environment.' Mr Elliot said: 'The country's first ever Food Waste Action Week will be taking place from Monday 11th May and I encourage and implore everyone to get stuck in, joining together and taking the fight to food waste. 'More details will be provided shortly on what we must all do to reduce food waste at home and at work.' The grants will be managed by the WRAP organisation. Some 129 of the biggest players in food, including all of the UK's major supermarkets, have pledged to tackle the problem. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday walked back remarks he made questioning fellow 2020 candidate Bernie Sanderss loyalty to the Democratic Party. Im a Democrat, Biden told reporters a day earlier at a campaign stop in Pella, Iowa, responding to a question about the biggest difference between him and his rival. He says hes not. Hes not a registered Democrat to the best of my knowledge. On Friday, the former vice president claimed his comments were taken out of context. The context of the question was different. They were asking me about a bunch of things about what Bernie was saying, Biden argued during an interview with ABC, saying the question was about whos best prepared on Day One to try to reunite this party and the country as well as stand on the world stage and reassert our role in the world. That was the issue. That was the context of what we were talking about. Look, Bernie is a Democrat. He calls himself a Democratic socialist. We have a different view on a whole lot of things. Hes a decent guy, the vice president said, adding that, He should be running. Biden also said he differs from Sanders in that he has calculated the cost of his health care plan and knows how he will pay for it, while Sanders has not nailed down those details. Everything Ive suggested to you, that I want to do, Ive figured how to pay for it, Biden said. Hes acknowledged he doesnt even know what Medicare for All is going to cost, and how hes going to do it. How do you get something done that way? Sanders has run as an independent in Vermont since he was elected to the House 28 years ago but caucuses with Democrats and last year signed a loyalty pledge to the Democratic Party stating, I am a member of the Democratic Party. Biden said Friday that he would support the eventual Democratic 2020 nominee if Sanders or another candidate beats him in the primary. Sanders is currently neck-and-neck with Biden nationally just days before Mondays Iowa caucuses, according to a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. More from National Review Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 16:07:15|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen reiterated on Friday that the country will not exchange its independence and sovereignty for any aid. "I still continue to say that we must not exchange our sovereignty for any preference or aid," he said in a speech during the closing ceremony of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's annual conference. As an independent and sovereign state, Cambodia would not bow to such pressure, Hun Sen said. "It's no value if we cannot enforce our own law," he said. His reiteration came as the European Union (EU) is expected to make a final decision next month on whether to "totally or partially" suspend Cambodia's duty-free trading access to the EU market under the "Everything But Arms" (EBA) scheme or not. The EU started in February last year the 18-month process that could lead to the temporary suspension of the EBA scheme for Cambodia due to its concerns over human rights and labor rights. As a Least Developed Country, Cambodia has, for decades, enjoyed exports of all products, except arms and ammunition, to the EU markets with duty-free. The country's export to EU was valued at 5.86 billion U.S. dollars in 2018, EU data showed, adding that garment and footwear products accounted for around three-quarters of EU imports from the kingdom. The garment and footwear industry is Cambodia's biggest export sector, employing about 750,000 people in some 1,100 factories. If suspended, tariffs on garment, footwear and bicycle products to the EU market will increase 12 percent, 16 percent and 10 percent, respectively, according to a World Bank report. The U.K. confirmed its first two cases of coronavirus on Friday, while the U.S. and Japan advised citizens to avoid traveling to China. Singapore suspended visas issued to Chinese citizens. Stocks fell in Europe and Asia as the virus continued to spread. The World Health Organization had on Thursday declared the outbreak a global health emergency, and cases have now soared to more than 9,950 globally. That is higher than the number of officially reported cases during the SARS epidemic. Bloomberg is tracking the outbreak here. Click here to view on terminal. Key Developments: Confirmed cases in China rise to 9,809 from 7,700 At least two-thirdsof Chinas economy to stay shut next week Goldman sees virus hurting U.S. economic growth Read a Bloomberg Q&A with health experts See first images of how Coronavirus replicates in cells here UK Confirms Two Cases of Coronavirus (6 a.m. NY) Two patients in England, who are members of the same family, tested positive for coronavirus, the government said. The patients are receiving specialist care in Newcastle. We are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said. The government put the mortality rate from the new coronavirus at 2%. Meanwhile, all passengers who boarded a flight from Wuhan are well, the U.K. government said. Travelers from China with symptoms are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days. Singapore Restricts Visitors From China (6 p.m. HK) Singapore has suspended visas of Chinese citizens with immediate effect. This includes those already issued, according to government officials at a briefing Friday. Hong Kong Schools to Stay Closed Until March 2: (5 p.m. HK) Hong Kong is extending school holidays till March 2, depending on the coronavirus situation, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said in a briefing. The government will step up scrutiny of tourists from Hubei province, including sending them into quarantine. Lam again dismissed calls to close Hong Kongs borders with China, and asked the citys medical staff to reconsider any plans to strike. Goldman Sees Hit to U.S. Growth (4:05 p.m. HK) The coronavirus outbreak will cut U.S. economic growth by 0.4 percentage point in the first quarter as the number of tourists from China declines and exports to the Asian nation slow, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said. Trapped Italian Cruise Ship Passengers Allowed to Disembark (3:44 p.m. HK) About 7,000 passengers whove been kept on a cruise ship near Rome over fears of a virus outbreak on board were allowed to disembark on Friday morning. Passengers on the ship owned by Carnival Corp., had been held in the port of Civitavecchia since Thursday morning, after one of them came down with fever and respiratory symptoms. Subsequent examinations showed the illness was not the new coronavirus. Japan Raises Travel Warning After Criticism Over Virus Gaps (1:11 p.m. HK) Japan moved to strengthen its travel warning for China and to bar patients infected with the new coronavirus from entering the country, after criticism that its initial response to the deadly outbreak was too lax. The government is set to advise that non-urgent trips to China should be canceled. It also plans to bring forward an order allowing compulsory hospitalization to Feb. 1, earlier than Feb. 7 as originally planned, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament. Patients will be barred from entering the country from the same date, he added. Countries Worry About Evacuee Contagion, Economic Impact (11:53 a.m. HK) Tensions are rising across the region as governments bring their citizens home from the outbreak epicenter in China, risking greater exposure among domestic populations. Australia plans to isolate its evacuees from Wuhan on Christmas Island, better known for its grim history as a detention center for would-be asylum seekers, while the U.S. flew its citizens from the virus-stricken Chinese city to an isolated military base in California. Taiwan President Seeks Inclusion in WHO Efforts (11:15 a.m. HK) Taiwan is afraid of being left out after the WHO declared a global health emergency. As a major transportation hub in the Asia Pacific region, Taiwan must be included in efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, President Tsai Ing-wen said in a Twitter post Friday. Taiwan has nine confirmed cases of the virus. The United Nations agency has excluded Taiwan from its annual summit for the past several years amid pressure from China. Economist Sees Far Bigger Impact Than During SARS (7:35 a.m. HK) The global cost of the coronavirus could be three or four times that of the 2003 SARS outbreak that sapped the worlds economy by $40 billion, according to the economist who calculated that figure. The sheer growth in the Chinese economy over the last 17 years means the global health emergency triggered by the coronavirus outbreak has far greater potential to gouge global growth, according to Warwick McKibbin, professor of economics at the Australian National University in Canberra. U.S. Tells Americans to Leave China (9:59 a.m. HK) The U.S. State Department on Thursday night warned Americans not to travel to China because of the spreading coronavirus outbreak. Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means, the department said in the advisory, which was Level 4, the most severe travel warning category. The advisory puts China among several nations that the U.S. warns its citizens to avoid, including North Korea, Venezuela, Iran, Iran and Somalia. Study Sees Early Signs of Human Transmission (8:38 a.m. HK) The coronavirus was spreading from person to person earlier than reported, according to a study by Chinese scientists. Among 47 cases that occurred during 2019, 14 had been in contact with another person with respiratory symptoms, indicating likely human-to-human transmission, researchers from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a study published Jan. 29 in the New England Journal of Medicine. Their analysis of the first 425 cases in Wuhan found that in its early stages, the epidemic doubled in size every 7.4 days. There is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December, Qun Li and colleagues said. Official confirmation of such transmissions wasnt reported until weeks later. Global Virus Cases Now Top Official SARS Count (7:58 a.m. HK) The total number of coronavirus cases around the world has reached more than 9,800. That tops the count from the SARS epidemic, which in 2003 saw 8,096 officially reported cases, according to the WHO. The latest tally shows the speed with which the new virus has spread in a short period of time, from the first case in December. Its reached the same level that SARS did during its span of about eight months. An overwhelming number of the cases, as with SARS, are in China. The country has 9,692 confirmed cases, while there are about 100 cases outside Greater China across 18 nations. The numbers come with a footnote, however. SARS cases were widely considered to be under-reported, as possibly thousands went undocumented in the first few months. At the same time, the official count for the current virus is likely to be below the actual number of cases, as health officials scramble to widen testing. WHO Calls Coronavirus International Emergency (3:06 p.m. NY) The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak centered in China a public health emergency of international concern, a step that will let public health authorities aid countries with less-robust health systems to stop the spread of the virus. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Chinas efforts to contain the outbreak, saying he had never seen a nation respond so aggressively to a disease, including building a new hospital in just 10 days. Its a contrast to the criticism China faced for a lack to transparency during SARS. Tedros said theres no need at this time for measures that interfere with travel and trade, even though many governments, airlines and businesses have already taken such steps. U.S. Has First Human-to-Human Transmission (12:43 p.m. NY) A woman in Chicago who had been diagnosed last week with the coronavirus infected her husband, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday, the first case of human-to-human transmission to occur in the U.S. Both patients are in their 60s and are doing well while being kept in isolation, CDC officials said on the call. The agency said the virus is not spreading widely and that the risk to the U.S. public remains low. Disease experts are still trying to understand exactly how the virus spreads, and at what point after a person has become infected they become contagious. Its also not clear, said CDC officials, how long a person has to be sick before testing positive. Both factors can present a challenge for health workers keeping tabs on contacts of people considered at risk. With assistance from Sybilla Gross, Jason Gale, Adela Lin, Natalie Lung, James Paton, Michelle Fay Cortez, Bryce Baschuk, Angus Whitley, Isabel Reynolds, Siraphob Thanthong-Knight, Lily Nonomiya and Kana Nishizawa. Photograph: Chinese children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks against the deadly coronvirus while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport on Jan. 30, 2020 in Beijing, China. Photo credit: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics COVID-19 USA China Aviation Chinese travelers wearing protective masks on January 21 in Beijing. Photo: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images On Friday, the State Department issued a travel advisory warning Americans not to travel to China, and Delta and American Airlines suspended all flights from the U.S. to China. More than 200 deaths have been linked to the new coronavirus, while about 10,000 infections have been confirmed worldwide. On Thursday, the New England Journal of Medicine published a report describing the first case of someone contracting the coronavirus from a person who had not yet experienced any symptoms. The case described a woman from Shanghai who spent three days in Germany, but did not feel her symptoms until her flight home. It was a troubling revelation, considering other viruses, such as SARS, can be transmitted only by people showing symptoms. Dr. Angela Rasmussen is a virologist at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She studies how hosts react and respond to infectious diseases like Ebola and MERS. Intelligencer talked to Rasmussen about face masks, the WHOs decision to label 2019-nCoV an international public-health emergency, and the danger in circulating research based on just a handful of cases. What do you make of news that this virus might be transmitted by asymptomatic hosts? Its kind of hard to tell because that is a letter to the editor it hasnt gone through peer review, as far as I know. One thing about this thats somewhat unprecedented is the speed at which new data is coming out and becoming available for mass consumption. In that article, theres not a lot of detail about when the initial patient returning to China became symptomatic. Its really hard to tell. People dont always accurately report. Thats not on purpose or anything, but people arent so self-aware that theyre going to notice a single sneeze, or every little cough, or clearing their throat, or their nose is running and they think its allergies. There are a lot of reasons why people might not necessarily recognize that they are symptomatic when they actually are. Its really interesting what you said about the speed at which information is moving. It seems kind of counterintuitive to think about how, in a situation like this, that could be problematic. I would think that the benefits of speedy data sharing would far outweigh any drawbacks. Are there other challenges have you seen? Oh, definitely. Ill go on record as saying that I think its wonderful that data is coming out as rapidly as it is and certainly I think that the availability of preprint papers that havent gone through peer review has really helped as well. But I think that we need to be really cautious about making too many conclusions about this. We just need to be very cautious in interpreting the data that comes out and also scrutinize it closely. A great example of this is one of the first reports of the basic reproduction number for the virus, the R0 [R naught, the number of people that an infected person will infect]. A Harvard-trained epidemiologist who has never worked on viruses tweeted out that the R0 of 3.8 was thermonuclear pandemic level bad. Aside from the fact that theres no such thing as a thermonuclear pandemic, the tweet was picked up and retweeted like 30,000 times. [Editors note: The tweet has since been deleted.] That kind of thing is really dangerous because an R0, first of all, is really a measure of potential transmission, and its highly context-dependent. When that population is small, which it was last week, its really difficult to estimate what the R0 is. When people pick stuff like that up and report it Oh, this is way worse than SARS, were all going to die! thats a really irresponsible way of reporting that data. Other groups have since published the R0, and the original group that published the R0 value of 3.8 has since revised it down to 2.5. A paper came out in the New England Journal two days ago that suggested the R0 from Wuhan is 2.2. This is a number that changes, it doesnt necessarily reflect the certainty of an apocalyptic pandemic. What I think is more important, and this is what were finding out right now, is the incidence of severe disease. Many coronaviruses are out there, probably more than we know about, cause mild, cold-like illness. Many are not known to infect humans at all. What really determines how big of a public-health crisis this is going to be, in the absence of fear and panic and all of the things that can come along with that, is how many people end up getting severe pneumonia. Right now, that looks like its primarily older people or people with comorbidities. That was also true for MERS and SARS. So this may be closer to seasonal flu than thermonuclear pandemic? Exactly. Which isnt to say that we shouldnt take it seriously because flu is a preventable illness with a vaccine and drugs, while there are no vaccine or drugs for this. People probably havent been exposed to something like it before so theyre going to be susceptible. But at the same time, seasonal flu alone kills 30,000 people in the U.S. a year on average. And people are refusing to get flu shots! People need to keep that in perspective. Given the limited data we have at this point, where does the threat stand? In the next week were really going to figure this out as we figure out how much secondary transmission there is going to be in other countries outside of China. We just need more data on this. Before we can determine what the overall risk is going to be globally, we need to see the circumstances in which this is being transmitted in other countries that it has been exported to. My biggest concern is that if it is highly transmissible, and there is a high incidence of severity, and it starts spreading in countries that have less health-care infrastructure and less ability to respond, then I think it can become a very large problem. Thats why I actually think its great that the WHO declared the Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What that means is that the WHO has more ability to mobilize resources to places that will need it. China doesnt [need resources], the U.S. doesnt, Australia doesnt, Germany doesnt. But there are countries that dont have an existing health-care infrastructure that can handle a large patient load. Have we seen confirmed cases in any of those countries yet? There have been a couple of reports of infections in Kenya. Certainly, it would not be good if there were widespread cases in countries in Africa that have seen these problems before, like the 2014 Ebola outbreak. That was a huge problem in large part because that health-care infrastructure did not exist. We dont really know the incubation period, so it could be that there are these cases but they havent become symptomatic yet. They havent been recognized for what they are. Thats going to be more difficult to do in countries with less health-care infrastructure. How effective is quarantine as a public-health strategy? At this point the virus is out there. Its here in the States. Its in Europe. Its in Japan and other parts of Asia and Australia. Its everywhere and can be transmitted human-to-human. A country-scale quarantine, travel bans, and things like that are going to be completely ineffective. Furthermore, theyre potentially harmful because they have a huge economic cost and disrupt the supply chain and make it harder to move necessary supplies and resources around. In that regard, country-level quarantines or even large region-level or city-level quarantines could actually be more harmful than beneficial. What about face masks? Most of these respiratory viruses are transmitted by droplets, little drops of saliva or snot when you cough or sneeze. Those aerosolized droplets look small but are actually too large to get through a surgical mask and can be blocked from getting into your mucous membranes, your nose and mouth, by a surgical mask. You dont need an N95 mask. A surgical mask is good enough if you want to feel safer while traveling, or you could even use a cloth mask. As long as it blocks water from getting to your nose. It can help protect it. That said, I dont know if anybody has ever studied transmission through the eyes. Thats a possibility, but I dont know if it has ever been looked at. It would be helpful to get public guidance about protective measures from WHO or CDC. The most surefire way to avoid catching a virus is to not be around other people. But I realize that may not be viable. I think the biggest thing that people can do that they dont think about is practice good hand hygiene, meaning wash hands with soap and water and dont touch your face. What are the indicators we should be looking out for over the weekend and early next week? Two things. We need to continue to be looking at the data about disease severity how many people have severe pneumonia and are hospitalized versus how many people are testing positive. And the other thing we need to look at is the secondary transmission in other countries that the virus has been exported to. If we start to see a lot of that, its definitely an issue of concern in terms of spread of the virus outside China. Right now its looking like 15 to 25 percent of people have severe disease. Personally, I think that those are probably overestimated because the total cases are probably underreported. Think about it, if you have a cold or a runny nose, really mild symptoms, are you going to the hospital? So those people with the mildest form of the disease are really not showing up to be tested. Thats actually good, because then they are staying home and staying away from the hospital where people are actually more at risk of getting infected. I think that some of the cases that have been reported, we need to look at the proportion of those that are getting the severe disease. Thats going to give us a lot to go on as far as how bad the crisis is going to be. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. ST-SAUVEUR, QUE.Quebec cabinet ministers are speaking out about a deluge of hateful comments posted to the premiers Facebook page after he published a message in support of the provinces Muslim community. Premier Francois Legault attended a ceremony Wednesday on the third anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting that left six men dead. Later that evening, a message was posted to Legaults official Facebook page stating that Quebec is not immune to hatred, but its people stand in solidarity with Muslims in the province. Since then, the premiers page has been flooded with hateful comments targeting the community. Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel, Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon and International Relations Minister Nadine Girault all condemned the comments Friday at their partys caucus retreat north of Montreal. Bonnardel says some people in the province need to be better educated. There is some pedagogy that needs to be done, he told reporters in St-Sauveur, Que. There is a problem with certain people who dare to think that, who dare to write that. Fitzgibbon said Quebecers need to accept diversity. Legault sent a written statement to Montreals La Presse, saying, hate and intolerance do not have their place in Quebec. In November, Legault cited positive comments on his Facebook page to justify his governments controversial immigration reforms, but in his statement to La Presse he noted that the best and the worst of human nature are on display on social media. There is a small minority of people who systematically use social media as a megaphone to propagate their hatred, he said. We have to denounce them. They do not represent Quebec. The premiers staff worked to remove the offensive posts, but as of Friday morning new ones were still appearing. About 300 people, including politicians, survivors and gun control activists, gathered in a Quebec City church Wednesday to remember the victims of the 2017 shooting. The gunman pleaded guilty to the killings and last year was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole for 40 years. Read more about: A woman stunned her husband with her stylish new look after receiving a head-to-toe ambush makeover ahead of her milestone 40th birthday on Super Bowl Sunday. Erica Markley, a mother-of-four from Weatherford, Texas, traveled to New York City with her husband, Mike, and two of their four sons in celebration of her big day. On Thursday, the third day of their trip, she was plucked from the crowd in the Today show plaza for a makeover much to her delight. 'I've always been a mom, and so I've never been just me. But I am going to be 40 so it's time for something new,' said the Today show fan. Scroll down for video Before and after: Erica Markley received an ambush makeover on the Today show on Thursday ahead of her milestone 40th birthday on Super Bowl Sunday Family trip: The mom from Weatherford, Texas, was in New York with her husband, Mike, and two of her four sons Erica gushed that she loves her job as a caretaker, noting that it's her 'favorite' one that she has ever had. 'The girl that I am with every morning, we watch the Today show. I am sure she's watching right now,' she shared. Erica looked amazing when she stepped on stage sporting a vibrant new 'do and a stylish outfit voted on by the audience. Her husband and sons were shocked when they took off their blindfolds and saw her transformation for the first time. Big fans: Erica is a caretaker and said the girl she is with in the morning watches the Today show with her Happy husband: Mike loved Erica's new look and said she looked 'hot' 'Holy Kansas!' one of her sons exclaimed, while Mike added: 'She looks beautiful.' Today anchor Hoda Kotb added to the compliments, saying: 'You look hot!' Erica started to tear up when she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since her makeover. 'I don't even know what to say. This is not what I expected to look like. It's amazing,' she gushed. 'I feel like a girl. Normally, I dress like a boy.' Happy: Erica started to tear up when she turned around and looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since her makeover Then and now: The mom's hair was cut into a chin-length bob and dyed a vibrant red While she dabbed her eyes with tissues, celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari explained what he did to spruce up her auburn locks, which were cut into a chin-length bob. 'Erica's very shy if you can't tell, so what I wanted to do is I wanted to give her a bolder persona. I made her this very strong red,' he said. Meanwhile, Today lifestyle correspondent Jill Martin dressed her in a chic black and white patterned tunic, skinny jeans, and black booties to complete her look. Mike made it clear that he couldn't wait to be alone with his wife, saying: 'She's hot!' Beautiful transformation: Denise Keyser, 54, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, also received an ambush makeover on Thursday morning's show Another big day: Denise was in New York City celebrating her 54th birthday Family: Denise was joined by her mother, Kathy (left), and daughter, Courtney (right) Denise Keyser, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, also received an ambush makeover on Thursday morning's show. 'I'm here today celebrating my 54th birthday, which is the same year as the Super Bowl,' she said. She explained that she was in New York City with her mom and daughter, saying she was so happy that they were with her because they know what having a makeover on the show means to her. The Today show fan admitted that she tries to work home on Thursdays just so she can watch the 'Ambush Makeover' segment. 'Just having the opportunity to have somebody, you know, pick a style that would look like right for my facial structure and the colors that would go with my skin tone would be a great opportunity,' she said. Tears of joy: Courtney was crying before she even saw her mom's new look Stunning: Denise's brown hair was cut into face-framing layers and given golden highlights Denise was joined by her mother, Kathleen, and daughter, Courtney, who was crying before she even saw her mom's new look. 'Oh my gosh,' Denise said when she saw her transformation for the first time. 'Love it!' Louis explained that her dark brown hair was cut into face-framing layers, and he gave her golden highlights that would only need to be touched up once every two or three months. 'Brown hair doesn't have to be boring,' he stressed. Denise looked ready for a night on the town in the faux-leather jacket and skinny jeans that Jill had dressed her in. Her Super Bowl-ready look was topped off with a pair of sparkly heels for some added bling. 'She deserves this and more, and I'm just so happy she got chosen,' Courtney said tearfully. Anyone who succeeds in freeing a wild crocodile from a tyre stuck around its neck in Indonesia will receive a reward from a local conservation group. The Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) told local media they launched the contest to outsource help in finding and rescuing the crocodile in question. The four-metre-long crocodile, believed to be a critically endangered Siamese crocodile, has been seen in Palu River and Palu Bay in the Central Sulawesi province and was first seen stuck in the rubber hoop in 2016. It survived the tsunami and earthquake that devastated the provinces capital city, Palu, in 2018 but the tyre has not budged. Wildlife activists are concerned the reptile may grow and eventually be strangled by the tyre. BKSDA chief in the province, Hasmuni Hasmar, said: A reward will be given to anyone who can release the hapless reptile. Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life Show all 16 1 /16 Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-5.jpg Photos Rarindra Prakarsa/SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-6.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-15.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-2.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-14.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-10.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-1.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-4.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-8.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-17.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-12.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-7.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-9.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-16.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-11.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Rural Indonesia: Cinematic pictures of every day life RURAL-INDONESIA-3.jpg Rarindra Prakarsa / SWNS.com Mr Hasmar did not specify what the reward would entail, but added that previous attempts to free the reptile were unsuccessful. The group set a crocodile trap with meat to lure the wily reptile before the disasters in 2018 but failed to entice it. They also enlisted the help of a non-profit organisation from Australia but it also failed to save the crocodile. A local celebrity conservationist, Muhammad Panji known as Panji the Adventurer also attempted to rescue the animal in 2018 but his efforts were futile. Central Sulawesi governor Longki Djanggola told the Jakarta Post: The BKSDA has a lot of work to do, part of it being [the search for] the missing crocodile with the tyre. This year it must be caught so it can be released from the tyre. Henceforth, the number to dial for any form of emergency help, whether for police, fire or ambulance services, is 112, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced. This is because the government has succeeded in arranging for a sole and unique emergency number for all emergency service providers in the country. Commissioning 307 ambulances purchased under the governments One-constituency, One-ambulance policy at a ceremony at the Black Star Square in Accra yesterday, President Akufo-Addo appealed to the citizenry not to abuse the system, pointing out that 90 per cent of calls made to the providers of emergency services are hugely prank calls. He expressed grave concern over the abuse of emergency numbers by Ghanaians in the past through prank calls and said the practice was not right, as it endangered the lives of Ghanaians in need. In the past, the Police Service, the Fire Service and the National Ambulance Service (NAS) all had different emergency numbers. I am happy to announce that, thankfully, we have merged all the emergency numbers to one number, which is 112. For any form of emergency, whether police, fire or ambulance services, the number to dial on all mobile networks is 112, the President declared. He said the goal of the government was to establish a strong and accessible healthcare system of world-class quality which would assure the health and well-being of Ghanaians and called on all to be an integral part of the vision. Governments effort In addition, he said, the government would ensure that the needed infrastructure was provided for the needed paramedics and the Emergency Care Training School at Nkenkansu in the Ashanti Region to help ensure that it trained paramedics in Ghana and West Africa. The school, the President indicated, would also serve as a refresher course centre for emergency care training for doctors, nurses and other paramedics in the sub-region. He said the government was committed to realising an effective emergency medical services (EMS) system to help improve Ghanas emergency response capabilities and called on all regional ministers, political heads of local assemblies, as well as health officials, to provide the needed cooperation and support to ensure the success of the service. He said the provision of the fleet of vehicles was to augment the various interventions already initiated by the government, such as drones for medical supplies, the construction of health facilities and the employment of about 60,000 nurses. Commissioning Unveiling the 307 ambulances, President Akufo-Addo expressed appreciation to the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mrs Mavis Hawa Koomson, and the Minister of Health, Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, for their dynamism and hard work exhibited in realising the dream. Going down memory lane, he said the NAS used to have 130 stations and 10 regional control rooms across the country. It is sad to note that when I took office in January 2017, the service had only 55 semi-functioning ambulances. Indeed, the ambulance service started off with 50 ambulances in 2006, and in 2018, 161 ambulances containing basic life support equipment were imported into the country. In December 2016, 200 ambulances were supposedly purchased by the Mahama government, out of which only 30 arrived in the country. As if that was not enough, the 30 were declared not fit for purpose because they had cardinal defects and did not come with any medical equipment, the President explained. Today, I am glad to be presenting to the Ministry of Health 307 brand-new state-of-the-art ambulances fitted with advanced life support equipment and tracking devices to be distributed to the 275 constituencies; that is, one constituency, one ambulance, to be managed by the NAS, and the remainder of 32 ambulances to the headquarters of the service. As against the scenario whereby one ambulance served approximately 524,000 people at the end of December 2016, today there is a much improved ratio of one ambulance serving approximately 84,000 people, he added. He emphasised the fact that in the course of the year, 145 ambulance stations would be created, bringing the total to 275 stations, to ensure that we have a one constituency, one ambulance station situation. We promised in the 2016 NPP Manifesto to strengthen the National Ambulance Service and we are doing just that, President Akufo-Addo said. One-constituency, One-ambulance For her part, Mrs Koomson reiterated the fact that the procurement of the 307 ambulances was funded with the One million dollars per constituency allocation of the government. She said the boost to pre-hospital emergency healthcare delivery under the implementation of Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) was currently being implemented by the Special Development Initiatives Ministry. She appealed to the NAS to honour its promise to maintain the fleet, even beyond the five-year maintenance contract with the manufacturer of the vehicles. The Minister of Health said the purchase and eventual distribution of the ambulances had brought him so much relief because he was receiving public pressure regarding why the government was using drones to deliver essential medical suppliers to deprived areas, regardless of a struggling NAS. Mr Agyeman-Manu expressed optimism that the fleet would not only boost healthcare delivery and pre-hospital emergency services but also enhance access to healthcare facilities and in effect quality healthcare services. He said the fleet had also brought to an end the era when the NAS had trained and skilled professionals but did not have the ambulances and major equipment for service delivery, as he had inherited. The Chief Executive Officer of the NAS, Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, said the ambulances had been equipped with state-of-the-art and advanced life-support devices, including stretchers, first aid kits, oxygen cylinders and all that a modern ambulance must have. He said the emergency medical system was ready and committed to delivering out-of-hospital emergency and medical care, health transportation for patients with injuries, conditions and illnesses that prevented them from transporting themselves to health facilities. He said those who required the assistance of the service could call 112 on any network or use the Ghana Post GPS to make requests. Campaign promise In 2016, the NPP, as part of its electioneering, promised to provide an ambulance for each constituency and revamp the NAS to improve health delivery. In December 2018, the President announced that the government would deliver its promise on the ambulances for every district in 2019. After a delegation visited Turkey in June to inspect progress of work on the manufacture of the vehicles, the Ministry of Special Initiatives took delivery of the first batch of 48 new ambulances in September last year. The second and third batches were delivered in October and December 2019. The distribution was initially scheduled for January 6, this year, but was shifted to yesterday to enable key pre-requisites to be put in place. They included embossing constituency names, affixing tracking systems and preparation of receiving points for a number of the ambulances to facilitate their effective operation. Source: Daily Graphic 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 Pompeo Says Huawei Is a Risk, but US Will Resolve Differences With UK Pompeo backs 'Five Eyes' intelligence sharing despite UK decision on Huawei U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is confident that the United States and the United Kingdom will work out a solution to build a highly secure 5G network despite differences in their approach. A decision made by the UK on Tuesday allows Chinese company Huaweis equipment to be used in building a new mobile phone network, although not in the most sensitive areas. The UKs partnership with Huawei is not considered ideal by the United States. The United States believes that allowing a Chinese company with deep ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to build a communication network would give the CCP access to sensitive data like private information of your citizens or the national security information, Pompeo said in a public discussion with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during a visit to the UK. The Chinese Communist Party presents the central threat of our times, Pompeo said, This is why weve been talking about this with the United Kingdom for so long, he added. We are evaluating exactly what the United Kingdoms decision was on Tuesday of this week, and I am very confident that our two nations will find a way to work together to resolve this difference and deliver on behalf of our two people world-class, secure technology and infrastructure, Pompeo said. However, the United States will never permit American national security information to travel over technology that we dont have trust and confidence in, Pompeo said. Thats the standard, and it applies to all systems, regardless [of] whether it is a Microsoft system, an Ericsson Nokia system, or a Chinese system. A woman stands at the booth of Huawei featuring 5G technology at the PT Expo in Beijing, China on Sept. 28, 2018. (Reuters) The United States has long suggested it could limit intelligence sharing with countries that fail to exclude Huawei. With respect to information and the Five Eyes relationship, that relationship is deep, it is strong, it will remain, Pompeo said during the public discussion. The participants of the Five Eyes privileged system for sharing U.S. intelligence which also includes the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, will work together on this to ensure that these systems are sufficiently secure, and we will ensure that we protect American information to that standard, Pompeo said. Raab explained that the UK made its decision after three years worth of analysis, including technical security analysis. He believes that the country has a way to protect its security as well as the security of information exchange with its intelligence allies, though the Five Eyes. Raab, however, agrees that a network built with the help of companies deeply tied to the Chinese communist party posed security concerns and said, We ought to be looking to replace, in the future, high-risk vendors with high-trust vendors. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Britains Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab visit Epic Games Lab in London on Jan. 30, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/WPA Pool/Getty Images) Raab sees more significant challenges in the continuous and rapid changes in information technology, as 5G will last only for a period of time and may be replaced by even more advanced technology in the future. Thinking strategically, Raab sees a huge opportunity for cooperation for the two countries in the security infrastructure area. It was one of the reasons why Raab invited Pompeo to visit Tech Nationa UK network that assists ambitious tech entrepreneurs in the growth of their businesses and skillsand a UK division of American video game and software development company, Epic Games. When asked by a reporter whether there is any possibility that the UK will reconsider its decision regarding Huaweis involvement in building a 5G network, Pompeo said that technology constantly requires replacement or upgrade and decisions about technology are continuous. We have made the case to every country in the world, that we think putting Huawei technology anywhere in your system is very, very difficult to mitigate, and therefore not worth the candle. However, every country will make its own sovereign decision just like the United Kingdom did, said Pompeo. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Republican Party of Guam sends out statement criticizing Vice Speaker Telena Nelson's request to suspend flights coming from countries with confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. In a statement, they noted, they are "quite appalled by the request made by Vice Speaker Telena Nelson to the Guam International Airport Authority to suspend all incoming flights from countries that have confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, to include Japan, Korea, and the Philippines." "There are many wrongs to her press release, which obviously is pandering to the emotions of the electorate," the party stated. "What we dont see is a request from the Vice Speaker asking the Governor of Guam what actions her administration is taking to address quarantine and screening services at the airport. What we have yet to see is leadership from Adelup stepping up and addressing the people of Guam with not just updates, but assurances. What we have heard is an executive level discussion where only elected officials would be invited to listen to updates, yet there has yet to be an address to the community in general. Leaders lead, and at a time of such uncertainty, our island needs leadership. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. "As for the Vice Speakers comments, does she not realize that it took our island years to recover from the threats made by the North Korean regime. A threat which set back our primary Japanese tourism market, which has been an economic pillar of Guam for decades," the press release stated. As of Friday, more than 9,700 had been infected and the virus had killed 213 people - all of them in China, The Washington Post is reporting. About 90 cases have been recorded outside China - including the first two in Italy, both Chinese tourists, according to news reports. Additionally, health officials reported the first U.S. case of person-to-person transmission of the new coronavirus Thursday as the World Health Organization set in motion a global effort to fight the outbreak by declaring it a public health emergency. Officials suspect the man picked up the virus from home while his wife was symptomatic, according to Jennifer Layden, state epidemiologist for the Illinois Department of Public Health. The woman, who was identified last week as the second U.S. case, had traveled to Wuhan, China. She has been hospitalized since and is doing well, Layden said. Following is the full statement from the Republican Party of Guam: Hagatna, Guam - The Republican Party of Guam is quite appalled by the request made by Vice Speaker Telena Nelson to the Guam International Airport Authority to suspend all incoming flights from countries that have confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, to include Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. There are many wrongs to her press release, which obviously is pandering to the emotions of the electorate. What we dont see is a request from the Vice Speaker asking the Governor of Guam what actions her administration is taking to address quarantine and screening services at the airport. What we have yet to see is leadership from Adelup stepping up and addressing the people of Guam with not just updates, but assurances. What we have heard is an executive level discussion where only elected officials would be invited to listen to updates, yet there has yet to be an address to the community in general. Leaders lead, and at a time of such uncertainty, our island needs leadership. As for the Vice Speakers comments, does she not realize that it took our island years to recover from the threats made by the North Korean regime. A threat which set back our primary Japanese tourism market, which has been an economic pillar of Guam for decades. Since 2018 we started seeing these numbers rebound, however when elected leaders create paranoia as the statement did yesterday, this has the potential of reaching our markets and once again impacting them adversely that we are not a safe island. We do want to remind Vice Speaker Nelson that suspending flights doesnt just impact hotels owned by the large corporations whom she may see in a negative limelight, but their employees. This could result in reduced working hours or even layoffs for these Guamanians, which affects disposable income when shopping for groceries, medicine or supplies, or even paying their bills. The trickle-down effect can be very disastrous for our economy, and once again, this DOES impact our entire community. Should we as a community be concerned? When there are no answers being presented to the people, then yes, we should be absolutely concerned. Are our air and seaports ready in the event a case enters our island? We dont know, because our leadership isnt saying anything. Is the Guam Memorial Hospital ready in the event of an outbreak? Once again, we dont know because leadership is busy focusing more on photo ops, and less on being transparent. What we need at this challenging time is leadership and not assumptions. We need answers and not press releases. As the old saying goes, if you want to lead, be a leader. If you want people to be liked, sell ice cream. Right now, the people want leadership, NOT ice cream. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:22:22|Editor: zyl Video Player Close Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (R) and High Representative of European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attend a press conference in Belgrade, Serbia, on Jan. 31, 2020. Serbia is determined to maintain great ties with its other major partners in parallel to its negotiations with EU on accession, Aleksandar Vucic told Josep Borrell here on Friday. (Photo by Nemanja Cabric/Xinhua) BELGRADE, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Serbia is determined to maintain great ties with its other major partners in parallel to its negotiations with the European Union (EU) on accession, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told visiting EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell here on Friday. Borrell arrived on his first official visit to Serbia since he was appointed last December, and besides Vucic, he separately met Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. "We are on the European path, which we do not hide from our Chinese and Russian partners, but we have great cooperation, and we plan to keep it that way," Vucic said at a press conference after meeting Borrell. Vucic reminded that EU accession is the key priority of Serbian foreign policy, but suggested that, if it is not possible at this point for Serbia and regional countries to become EU members, the union should at least consider eliminating borders and integrating the region in its market. Borrell said that EU would like to intensify foreign policy cooperation with Serbia. "Serbia is a key partner of the EU; During this visit I will reaffirm the continued commitment of the EU to Serbia. We think that the accession negotiations can proceed faster, and it will require increased efforts on your side -- but also on our side," he said. Brnabic reiterated in her conversation with Borrell that Serbia is strongly committed to the European path and committed to the reform process that precedes full membership, said the government release. The press release also said that Borrell praised the results of Serbia's economic reforms as well as efforts to make modern technologies and innovations an important pillar of the economy. In the drama "Crash Landing on You" character Ri Jung Hyuk is really and truly engaged and it is not with Yoon Se Ri but with Seo Dan played by actress Seo Ji Hye. In this drama, Seo Ji Hye plays the role of Seo Dan who is the only daughter of the owner of the most famous department store in Pyeongyang, North Korea. In episode 3 of the drama, Seo Dan returns to North Korea after being in Russia for a long time (10 years). She was an international student in Russia mastering her skills as a cellist. Not only that she is a renowned cellist in her city but she is also the sole heiress to her mother's business. She is a wannabe "queen bee of Pyeongyang" with a flawless sense of fashion. Upon the appearance of Seo Dan, this will put Yoon Se Ri in an awkward situation since she is pretending to be her fiances betrothed and to top it off Yoon Se Ri is also a CEO of her own fashion brand in South Korea. Although Seo Ji Hye character in "Crash Landing on You" is the obsessed fiance of Captain Ri (Hyun Bin) and we know that she will do whatever it takes to separate him from Se-ri (Son Ye Jin), we still can't help but to fall in love with the character of the determined and fashionable Seo Dan (Seo Ji Hye)! If you love Seo Ji Hye's portrayal as Seo Dan, we will give you some Korean dramas that Seo Ji Hye starred! 1. Heart Surgeons (2018) In this medical drama titled "Heart Surgeons," the story follows on the lives of thoracic surgeons as they do what they do best to save lives. Seo Ji Hye's character in this drama is a surgical assistant. She is also the hospital director's daughter. In an interview with the actress, she shared that she was at first disappointed that there would be no romance or love story in this drama but soon enough she realized that the show did not need a melodrama side to it. 2. Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me (2017) In this drama "Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me," Seo Ji Hye plays the role of a fashion designer named Sharon who is a selfish person and only thinks about herself. Sharon has a big secret and that is she has actually been alive for more than 200 years! 3. Noble Woman (2014) Seo Ji Hye's role in the drama "Noble Woman" is a hardworking girl named Shin Ae. This girl gave up her studies to work as a saleslady in one department store. Upon having some complicated situations and circumstances, she ends up inheriting a fortune and does her best in becoming a real "true noble lady." 4. 49 Days (2011) In this particular drama titled "49 Days," Seo Ji Hye's role is not the good guy. She is the leading lady's supportive and trustworthy best friend but turns out to be the number 1 enemy of the leading lady. She has a hidden hatred and grudge against her best friend and her family. Plus, in this drama, Seo Ji Hye even stole the lead's loving fiance! 5. Kim Soo Ro, The Iron King (2010) "Kim Soo Ro, The Iron King" is a Sageuk or a historical drama. Seo Ji Hye portrays the role as a legendary noble lady who got married to the king while she was still at a young age. This drama will show the story of King Soo Ro who built the place called Geumgwan Gaya. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2020 -- Advance Market Analytics released a new market study on Global Ice Merchandiser Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. The research study provides estimates for Global Ice Merchandiser Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are Leer (United States), Mc Cormick Refrigeration (United States), Iowa Rotocast Plastics, Inc. (United States), Fogel (United States), Polar Temp Ice Merchandisers (United States), Hoshizaki America, Inc. (United States), Thermal Manufacturing, Inc. (United States), Beverage-Air Corporation (United States) and Turbo Air (United States) This is significantly evidenced by the fact that the key players in the commercial refrigeration market are transitioning their portfolio to include ice merchandiser which is acting as a major growth factor of the ice merchandiser market. Ice merchandisers refer to freezer units specially designed to display bagged ice. Leading players in the market are focusing on technological advancement such as integration of digital temperature control & monitor system, automatic defrost feature, and others to improve operations efficiency of the ice merchandisers further propelling the market growth.This growth is primarily driven by Integrated With Digital Temperature Control & Monitor System and Rising Demand of Ice Merchandiser with Reverse Fan Self-Cleaning Condensing Unit. Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/75886-global-ice-merchandiser-market Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: 1) What all companies are currently profiled in the report? Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the report Leer (United States), Mc Cormick Refrigeration (United States), Iowa Rotocast Plastics, Inc. (United States), Fogel (United States), Polar Temp Ice Merchandisers (United States), Hoshizaki America, Inc. (United States), Thermal Manufacturing, Inc. (United States), Beverage-Air Corporation (United States) and Turbo Air (United States) ** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc. 2) Can we add or profiled new company as per our need? Yes, we can add or profile new company as per client need in the report. Final confirmation to be provided by research team depending upon the difficulty of survey. ** Data availability will be confirmed by research in case of privately held company. Upto 3 players can be added at no added cost. 3) Can we get more level of segmentation to meet our market intelligence objective? Yes it can be provided, however ETA would vary and final confirmation would be given only after checking data in data repository. 4) Can inclusion of additional Segmentation / Market breakdown is possible? Yes, inclusion of additional segmentation / Market breakdown is possible subject to data availability and difficulty of survey. However a detailed requirement needs to be shared with our research before giving final confirmation to client. ** Depending upon the requirement the deliverable time and quote will vary. Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/75886-global-ice-merchandiser-market Market Drivers - Integrated With Digital Temperature Control & Monitor System - Rising Demand of Ice Merchandiser with Reverse Fan Self-Cleaning Condensing Unit Market Trend - Emphasizing On Improving the Operational Efficiency of Ice Merchandiser Restraints - High Cost of Ice Merchandiser Opportunities - Rising Demand of Ice Merchandiser with Automatic Defrost Feature and Growing Demand from the Developing Economies To comprehend Global Ice Merchandiser market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Ice Merchandiser market is analyzed across major global regions. AMA also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas. - North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico. - South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. - Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. - Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia. - Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. Get Reasonable Discount on This Premium Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/75886-global-ice-merchandiser-market Try a limited scope research document specific to Country or Regional matching your objective. GET FULL COPY OF United States Global Ice Merchandiser market study @ --------- USD 2000 And, Europe Global Ice Merchandiser market study @ --------- USD 2500 Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: Market Overview Chapter Two: Executive Summary ---------- Free of Cost Chapter Three: Market Dynamics ------ USD400 Market Drivers, Market Challenges, Market Trends, Restraints & Opportunities Chapter Four: Market Factor Analysis ------ USD400 Supply/Value Chain, Porters Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent & Trademark Analysis, Bargain Power Chapter Five: Global Ice Merchandiser, by Market Segmentation and Geography (value, volume**) (2013-2018) ------ USD1400 Global Ice Merchandiser By Type: Indoor Ice Merchandisers, Outdoor Ice Merchandisers By Application: Grocery Stores and Convenience Stores, Catering Companies, Supermarket, Others Global Ice Merchandiser Region North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Nordic, Others) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, Australia, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Middle East & Africa, Others) Chapter Six: Global Ice Merchandiser - Manufacturers/Players Analysis ------ USD1200 Competitive Landscape, Comparative Market Share Analysis (2017-2018), Peer Group Analysis (2018), BCG Matrix, Company Profile, Product/Service Offering Matrix Chapter Seven: Global Ice Merchandiser, by Market Segmentation and Region (value, volume**) (2019-2024) ------ USD1400 ------ Sections same as Chapter Five ------ Chapter Eight: Company profiles / Competitive Landscape [12 Players] ------ USD1250 Chapter Nine: Methodology/Research Approach, Data Source, Disclaimer ** If applicable Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. AMA also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research according to clientele objectives. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report like North America, Europe or Asia. About Author Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com A Delhi court on Friday stayed till further orders the execution of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder convicts, which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1. Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana had reserved the order in the matter earlier today. During the hearing today, public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said that convict Mukesh has no legal remedies available and the sentence on Mukesh should be executed. Advocate AP Singh, appearing on behalf of the convicts, submitted that some legal remedies are still available for the convicts adding that Mukesh has been sincerely pursuing all legal remedies without delay. On the other hand, Ahmad argued that the application moved by Vinay and Akshay is non-maintainable as per the Delhi Prison Rules but said that the execution of Vinay can be postponed. Recently, Vinay Sharma had filed a mercy petition in the matter. Advocate Seema Kushwaha, representing the victim's side, said that the convicts herein are adopting delay tactics to thwart the speed of justice. Earlier today, Tihar jail authorities filed a status report in the matter and informed the court that the convicts can be hanged separately adding that convict Mukesh Singh has exhausted all the legal remedies available to him. A Delhi court had earlier issued death warrants for the four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- for their execution on February 1. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actress Emma Roberts' life may well be centered around her ability to portray other people in TV and film - but the 28-year-old star still relishes the rare opportunities she gets to be herself in front of the camera. And American Horror Story star had the chance to do just that recently when she posed for a stunning new Boss fragrance campaign - after being named as the newest face of the brand's latest release, Alive. Emma, who is the niece of Oscar winner Julia Roberts, takes center stage in a newly-released campaign for the scent, which spotlights the 'new spirit of femininity', while celebrating the many different things that help people to feel most alive. Star: Emma Roberts has been named as the newest face of Boss fragrance Alive Meaningful: The 28-year-old appears in a stunning new campaign for the scent alongside three other young actresses to celebrate the 'new spirit of femininity' For Emma, that feeling comes when she gets the chance to truly be herself in front of the camera, instead of transforming herself in order to play a part. 'As an actress, Im used to playing a character so it was liberating to be myself for this campaign,' she said in a statement. 'I felt so confident while we were shooting and theres really no better feeling that that.' In an interview with WWD about the campaign, Emma continued: 'When they asked me [to be part of it] I was like: Well, whats the concept? What do they want me to look like? They [said]: We want you to look like yourself. And that made me say: Of course. 'How many times do you get asked to do anything where they want you to be yourself? I thought that was such an amazing message to send to all women.' As for reaching for experiences that make her feel more alive than ever, Emma had one other that really resonated. 'The word [alive] evokes such a feeling and it is different for everybody,' she said. 'For me, I feel most alive whenever Im traveling and get to a new city I havent been to, just the feeling of getting to explore and try new things. Rising star: Nashville's Chloe Bennet, 27, said of the campaign and her co-stars that 'any young woman can look up to any one of us and see themselves in a different part of each of us' Meaningful: Laura Harrier, 29, said that it truly meant something to her to be involved in a project that was completely driven by women, both in front of and behind the cameras Say cheese: Meanwhile, Bruna said, 'I love the way in which the campaign depicts the feminine universe, especially aspects such as complicity and friendship among women' 'I remember the first time I went to Paris, with my best friend, and it was the most alive I ever felt.' Emma is arguably the best known name out of the four actresses who have been revealed as the new faces of the Alive campaign, and she happily took to Instagram to celebrate her success - as well as that of her co-stars: Spider-Man: Homecoming actress Laura Harrier, 29, Nashville's Chloe Bennet, 27, and Brazilian starlet Bruna Marquezine, 24. 'So happy to announce that I am joining @lauraharrier @brunamarquezine and @chloebennet as the face of ALIVE, the new female fragrance by @boss! More to come in March, stay tuned' The other stars of the campaign also shared their joy over the release on Instagram, with each actress taking the chance to showcase her own personal imagery from the shoot on their profiles, while calling out their co-stars in their caption. Each of the women also opened up about what it means to them to star in such a major campaign, which was created by a completely female team. 'I love the way in which the campaign depicts the feminine universe, especially aspects such as complicity and friendship among women,' Bruna explained, while Laura chimed in: 'Its great to be a part of a project that is completely female driven. 'I love the idea of all these innovative forces coming together to create something new.' Working hard: It's been a busy few months for Emma, pictured in November, who has a slew of projects currently in development Kicking back: The American Horror Story star, pictured in October, just returned from a vacation in Mexico with some of her closest friends Meanwhile Chloe concluded: 'The other campaign talents are all awesome and working together is great because we all have so much in common, and yet, are so different at the same time. 'Any young woman can look up to any one of us and see themselves in a different part of each of us.' In a statement about the campaign, the brand praised each of its new fragrance faces as representing 'the modern, multifaceted face of the Boss woman: carefree, confident, and inspired'. A spokesperson for Boss added: 'The Boss Alive campaign invites women worldwide to believe in themselves, follow their passion and forge their own path forward.' The launch of the campaign comes just days after Emma returned from what was no doubt a much-welcomed vacation in Mexico with some of her closest friends - including her ex-boyfriend Chord Overstreet. Emma, who is currently dating fellow actor Garrett Hedlund, was seen enjoying some R&R on the beach, splashing around with her pals, and enjoying some much needed fun in the sun. The starlet was undoubtedly thrilled to get the opportunity to kick back and relax after a busy few weeks of work; Emma currently has a slew of different projects in development, including RRR, Now I See You, Betches and Anya's Ghost. She's also recently wrapped two feature films, Holidate opposite Kristin Chenoweth and The Hunt with Hilary Swank. New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Congress on Friday said it will hold a meeting on February 4 of all party MPs and office bearers to formulate a strategy to oppose the National Population Register (NPR), whose updation is scheduled to begin in April. A notice issued by Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal read: "A meeting of the AICC General Secretaries, in-charges and MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to brief about NPR on February 4." The meeting would be held to apprise the leaders about the possible ramifications of the NPR. Congress ruled Rajasthan has already passed a resolution against the NPR in the assembly. On the opening day of the budget session of Parliament on Friday, the Congress members attended the Presidential address wearing black bands on their arms. They also protested at the Gandhi Statue and demanded roll back of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and raised slogans like "Save the Constitution". The opposition also raised slogans when the President began speaking about the benefits of the CAA, mentioning the government had fulfilled the will of Mahatma Gandhi with the passing of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 in both the houses of Parliament. The CAA came into force earlier this month after it was passed in the winter session of Parliament in December last year. Washington The spotlight on brain injuries suffered by Americans in Iraq this month is an example of America's episodic attention to this invisible war wound, which has affected hundreds of thousands over the past 20 years but is not yet fully understood. Unlike physical wounds, burns or the loss of limbs, traumatic brain injuries aren't obvious and can take time to diagnose. The full impact physically and psychologically may not be evident for some time, as studies have shown links between TBI and mental health problems. They cannot be dismissed as mere "headaches" the word used by President Donald Trump as he said the injuries suffered by the troops in Iraq were not necessarily serious. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and a veteran of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, told reporters Thursday that the number of service members diagnosed with TBI from the Jan. 8 Iranian missile attack in Iraq has now grown beyond the 50 reported earlier this week. Milley said all are categorized as "mild" injuries, but in some cases the troops will be monitored "for the rest of their lives." Speaking alongside Milley, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said the Pentagon is studying ways to prevent brain injuries on the battlefield and to improve diagnosis and treatment. Milley said symptoms of TBI from the Iranian missile attack on an air base in Iraq on Jan. 8 may not become apparent for a year or two. "We're early in the stage of diagnosis, we're early in the stage of therapy for these troops," Milley said. William Schmitz, national commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, last week cautioned the Trump administration against taking TBI lightly. "TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue, sometimes with long-term effects," he said, while calling on Trump to apologize for his "misguided remarks." Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr., a New Jersey Democrat and founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, faulted Trump for displaying "a clear lack of understanding of the devastating impacts of brain injury." When it announced earlier this week that the number of TBI cases in Iraq had grown to 50, the Pentagon said more could come to light later. No one was killed in the missile attack, which was an Iranian effort to avenge the killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, leader of its paramilitary Quds Force, in an American drone strike in Baghdad. The Pentagon said Tuesday that 31 of 50 diagnosed with traumatic brain injury recovered enough return to duty. Others were not disclosed. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The Pentagon did not announce the first confirmed cases until more than a week after the Iranian attack; at that point, it said there were 11 cases. The question of American casualties took on added importance at the time of the Iranian strike because the degree of damage was seen as influencing a U.S. decision on whether to counterattack and risk a broader war with Iran. Trump chose not to retaliate, and the Iranians then indicated their strike was sufficient for the time being. The arc of attention to TBI began in earnest for the U.S. military, soon after it invaded Iraq in 2003. Survivors often suffered concussions that, along with psychological trauma, became known as the invisible wounds of war. "For generations, battlefield traumatic brain injuries were not understood and often dismissed," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire. The Pentagon began focusing on the problem in the early 1990s when it established a head injury program that grew into today's Defense and Veteran's Brain Injury Center. A study published this month by University of Massachusetts Amherst health services researchers concluded that military members who suffered a moderate or severe TBI are more likely than others who were seriously wounded to experience mental health disorders. "We're finding that even a mild blast can cause long-term, life-changing health issues," said Riyi Shi, professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering at Purdue University. MATTOON The Mattoon Police Department has launched a Safe Passage program to assist community members struggling with substance abuse issues, especially methamphetamine. Deputy Chief Sam Gaines said this program enables those wanting to stop their addiction to receive help simply by going to the police station at 1710 Wabash Ave., or by calling and requesting Safe Passage. Gaines said he or another police officer will then help them call a screening operator at the Hour House substance abuse rehabilitation provider in Charleston. Gaines said if the Hour House cannot admit individuals for some reason, such as they need to medically detox from benzodiazepines, the department will call rehabilitation providers in the region until one is found that can help. He said the department also will arrange for a volunteer to drive them to a provider. "When someone is ready to make that decision to get the help they need, it's something you help them attack right away," Gaines said. "You don't ever turn anyone away." Gaines said anyone utilizing Safe Passage can be assured that the department will not arrest them for possession, seek drug information from them, or try to turn them into informants. The individuals will be free to leave at any time "We are just going to get them the help that they need," Gaines said. He added that the department will accept and destroy any drugs that the individuals have with them. "I can't stress enough. There are no questions asked. This is not for us. It's 100 percent for them." The deputy chief did note that asking for Safe Passage is not a "get out of jail free card" for those caught in possession of illegal drugs by police in the field. Gaines said Mattoon, like communities nearly everywhere, has a drug problem, particularly with meth. He said Safe Passage is another step that can be taken to help get drugs out of the community. He said other police agencies in Illinois are using such programs. Mattoon sought the guidance of Taylorville Police Chief Dwayne Wheeler about his department's Safe Passage program, Gaines said. More than 100 Taylorville-area residents have sought this program's help during the last year, he said. "This program works so well because it's for when people are ready to make that decision," Gaines said. Hour House Executive Director Teressa Perdieu said Taylorville Safe Passage has had great results, so she is happy that Mattoon has launched its own program and is hopeful that other Coles County police agencies will get involved. Perdieu said Hour House is happy to partner with Mattoon's Safe Passage program. She said Hour House Recovery Outreach Coordinator Jenna Hays has been working closely on this while overseeing the area Recovery Oriented System of Care, which coordinates with partner organizations. Gaines said participation by volunteers will be essential for Safe Passage to succeed. He said the volunteers will need to drive those seeking help to rehabilitation providers and wait with them there until they are screened and admitted. "It's not as simple as dropping them off. It takes hours, not minutes," Gaines said. He added that the department has already signed up some volunteers and wants to recruit more. Individuals and organizations interested in volunteering can call Gaines at (217) 235-5451. Contact Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. LONDON (Reuters) - The United Kingdom leaves the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday but Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a bulging to-do list for what he has cast as a new dawn for the country. Below are the biggest issues he has to deal with. TRADE As soon as the United Kingdom formally leaves the EU on Jan. 31 it can start negotiating trade deals with other countries. The European Union - which accounts for about half of the United Kingdoms trade - along with the United States are the governments top priority for securing new trade deals. A sticking point in U.S. talks will be a British proposal for a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. DIS-UNITED KINGDOM Brexit strained the bonds which tie the United Kingdom together: England - by far the most populous country in the union - and Wales voted to leave the EU but Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay. Scottish nationalists are pushing for an independence referendum which Johnson says he will not allow. Irish nationalists also want a referendum on uniting Ireland. TRUMP AND CHINA Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britains 5G mobile network on Tuesday, frustrating a global attempt by the United States to exclude the Chinese telecoms giant from the Wests next-generation communications. It is unclear what impact the decision will have on relations with the United States - the United Kingdoms closest ally. China has also cautioned the United Kingdom for what it says is meddling in Hong Kong - its former colony. ECONOMY, STUPID Ahead of the December election, Johnson said he would spend more on the state-funded National Health Service, infrastructure and ensure prosperity across the United Kingdom. In translation, that means more borrowing: more UK government bonds sold. Some businesses are reporting a post-election Boris bounce recovery, and finance minister Sajid Javid says he is hopeful that Britains economic growth can eventually bounce back to its pre-financial crisis levels of nearly 3% a year. LONDON FINANCIAL CLOUT Britains vast financial services sectors future access to the European Unions markets will be one of the first issues to be discussed and must be finalised by the end of June. The finance industry want to maintain a close relationship with the EU but it will not enjoy the same level of access as when the UK was part of the blocs single market, which includes a so-called passporting regime. Instead, the government will be looking for the EU to make rulings based on equivalence, where each side decides if the others rules for financial stability and investor protection are sufficiently aligned with its own to grant access. The EU has indicated it will use the threat of restricting access for Britains biggest export industry as leverage for wider demands such as fishing access to UK waters. IRAN While London has repeatedly said it wants the nuclear deal with Iran to succeed despite Trumps abandonment of the pact, Johnson has called for a new Trump deal to replace it. As the United Kingdom forges a post-Brexit foreign policy, the Iran issue could provide the best indication of its future orientation: will Johnson ultimately side with the United States or keep the United Kingdom aligned with Germany and France? NEW TEAM? After Brexit, Johnson is planning a reshuffle of his cabinet team of top ministers. An hours-long standoff shut down State Route 8 on the afternoon of Jan. 29 in Deposit, NY ended with a man being shot and killed by State Police. Around 2 p.m. that day, police said they were dispatched to an active incident responding to a possible burglary in progress. There, they found Clint Stevens, 34, of Binghamton. According to Pressconnects, Stevens was inside his parents home. The report of the potential robbery came from Stevens father who was not home at the time of the incident. When police arrived, they spotted Stevens inside with a long gun. At that time, he pointed the gun in the troopers direction. Troopers retreated to cover and notified dispatchers who sent additional uniform patrols to the scene. Stevens had just been arrested the day before under mental health law and taken to Binghamton General Hospital. When additional troopers showed up, the suspect had emerged from the home holding two long guns, one pointed outward and the other pointed at his torso. New York State Police Capt. Jeffrey VanAuken said of Stevens during the standoff, At times he said he wanted to be shot. He made statements to be shot by police. Troopers initially were unable to get the suspect to put down the weapons. Additional patrol resources were sent to assist with negotiations. Stevens meanwhile, paced back and forth, sometimes agitated and incoherent. They did get him to put down one gun, but he continued to hold a long gun to his torso. The suspect admitted to police that he was high on methamphetamine. At approximately 4:30 p.m., police said Stevens calmed to the point where negotiators thought he was going to surrender. Instead, he produced a syringe and proceeded to inject himself with what he said was meth with the long gun placed at his feet. He then became belligerent and confrontational with the negotiators, smashing windows and objects inside the house. Around 7:37 p.m., police said Stevens shot two rounds at the Bearcat from inside the residence. Shortly after he emerged from the home, armed with a rifle and a handgun aimed toward the troopers, he was shot and killed. The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy has been done on the suspect. Toxicology results are pending. THE ban on celebrities endorsing alcoholic beverages by Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has clearly affected a lot of celebrities and one aggrieved personality is comic actor Kwame Dzokoto who says it is the reason why he is no longer in the media. According to Kwame Dzokoto, who has advertised alcoholic beverages in the past and was the host of popular show, Edziban on TV3, the decision is biting hard but there is no one to speak for them. I decided to leave the media since no one is speaking for us. Although I made a lot of money from advertising alcoholic beverages, I just decided to stop this media thing and try my hands at a different thing. "If no one is fighting for us whats the point in still being in the media, he told Power FM last Saturday, January 18. Kwame Dzokoto revealed that he was currently studying law to deal with issues of this nature. Since no lawyer is interested in fighting for celebrities to endorse alcoholic beverages I am taking it upon myself to pursue law and deal with such issues. Who determines who a celebrity is? Would FDA say Maame Dokono (Grace Omaboe) or Mac Jordan Amartey should be charged for advertising alcoholic beverages when indeed those under 18 years might not even know them? "I think the law must be tested, anyone just takes a decision and it is final. Trust me I will be contesting FDA on their decision, he said. Kwame Dzokoto questioned why it seemed acceptable for young people to get involved in betting but celebrities cannot advertise alcoholic drinks. We have a lot of betting companies in Ghana and our children are going wayward but authorities will not see this and will rather ban celebrities from endorsing alcoholic beverages," he stated. According to Kwame Dzokoto, the FDA did not think through the decision before taking such a harsh move and called on celebrities to come together and contest the ban. Source: graphic showbiz 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 UK will officially quit the European Union (EU) on Friday night, a certainty welcomed by Indian businesses operating in the country as well as the British businesses who see this as an exciting time to expand into the huge Indian market. The official transition period from Saturday until the end of December means status quo in terms of much of the trade and business operations vis-a-vis the UK and EU, but what does change is Britain's free hand to strike new deals and partnerships around the world. Leading trade organisations and Indian entrepreneurs in Britain see this as an exciting time for the India-UK trade and economic partnership to be taken to a new level. "There is no question that India will be a vital trading partner as the UK charts a new future outside the EU. The golden opportunities for British firms in India play to the best strengths of UK plc from infrastructure to healthcare to FinTech," said Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and Vice-President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) the key voice of British businesses in the UK. As someone who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU in the June 2016 Brexit referendum, the India-born entrepreneur is now focussed on ensuring that the opportunities unleashed by Brexit are fully capitalised and that is where comes a checklist for India. "To fully capitalise on these opportunities, British firms would like to see further progress in reducing corporate tax rates, data privacy and ease of doing business indicators. If these steps are taken, and the UK maintains an active strategy for engagement and interaction with the Indian economy at all levels, it will remain a significant partner in India's future growth story, notes Bilimoria, who has business interests both in the UK and India. GP Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, also hailed the "exciting time for relations between Britain and India" and the enormous scope for both countries to reach a free trade agreement, as he welcomed the "energy and dynamism" already shown by Prime Minister Johnson ahead of the historic Brexit Day. "There are already positive moves like fast track visas to continue to attract top scientists and possible reforms to inheritance tax. "Furthermore, the government should implement more investor-friendly policies to attract new and returning foreign investors and high net worth individuals (HNWI) who have departed over the past few years," said Hinduja, whose diversified group operates across various sectors and borders. The end of a 47-year relationship was never going to be easy and the long-drawn divorce process between the UK and EU took a toll on businesses, which operated on a kind of pause mode as Britain missed Brexit deadlines since 29 March last year. "There was a mess in the handling of the Brexit negotiations, and everyone will just be glad that the mess is over, said Lord Swraj Paul, who heads the London-headquartered Caparo Group with operations worldwide. The UK has never been entirely happy with its EU membership. But I don't think Brexit would have a very major impact on the UK's working with Europe; that relationship remains even if people voted to leave. As far as India goes, it has a relationship with the UK and the EU and both will be strengthened further, he noted. Prime Minister Johnson has repeatedly singled out India in the list of countries he wishes to strike an enhanced trade agreement with, ever since he pitched his tent in favour of Brexit. As Prime Minister now with a thumping majority in Parliament, he is seen to be in a position to action some of those promises. "Prime Minister Johnson will get along very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two will strike a good rapport. Trade, investment, climate change and immigration will be on top of the agenda for an expected India visit, said Mohan Kaul, President of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), who believes the technology, financial services and healthcare sectors particularly stand to benefit in a post-Brexit India-UK tie-up. According to fDi Markets data, between 2000 and 2016, the UK invested more than USD 24 billion into Indian industry and between January 2009 and October 2019, a total of 2.78 billion pounds was invested from Indian companies into London alone. This predominance of London is also expected to continue in a post-Brexit scenario. "In recent years we have seen a large number of Indian businesses choosing London for international expansion and in 2018 the UK capital attracted more investment projects from India than any other global city, said Allen Simpson, Managing Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at London & Partners the Mayor of London's official promotional agency. "With our mutual strengths in technology and innovation, cities like London, Mumbai and Bengaluru are producing game-changing companies, and as India's economy goes from strength to strength we see lots of opportunities for collaboration between these two nations, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bacon isnt just for breakfast anymore. Heres a sampling of restaurants throughout the region where you can dig into some sinfully delicious strips of bacon from breakfast right through to lunch, dinner and even dessert. Lock 29 with Rebel Hill... A mother who allowed her two-year-old son to be ill-treated by another person had to be persuaded to bring her child to hospital and repeatedly lied about what happened to him, a court has heard. Medical staff at Tallaght Hospital called gardai after they discovered extensive bruising to the toddler's face, ears, back, buttocks, thighs and genital area when the woman brought him there in February 2017. When the child's grandmother saw him in hospital, she thought the boy looked like a child from an ISPCC ad, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today. The 23-year-old woman, with an address in Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to two counts of allowing her child to be ill-treated in a manner which would cause unnecessary suffering or injury to his health or seriously affect his well-being. The offences occurred in a place unknown within the state between February 10 and 13, 2017 and February 14, 2017. The woman was living with a man at the time. He has since been charged in relation to the matter and is expected to stand trial at a later date. None of the parties involved can be named to protect the anonymity of the child. The woman, who is a drug addict, is hoping to enter rehab, the court heard. Her sentence was adjourned to October 16 to allow this to take place. Detective Garda Fionnuala Delahunt told Garrett McCormack BL, prosecuting, that the woman came up with a number of accounts as to what happened to the boy. She pretended he had met his biological father for a visit when the injuries happened, but gardai later discovered she had made this person up She also said the boy bumped into a table and hurt himself coming down a slide. None of these explanations were consistent with the child's injuries. He was removed from her care and is now being brought up by his maternal grandparents. In a victim impact statement read out in court, the boy's grandmother described being told by gardai that her grandson had been hospitalised, before finding him covered in bruises in hospital. She had last seen him two weeks prior to this, the court heard. She recalled walking into the hospital and seeing her grandson smile at her. He was covered in bruises and looked like a child from an ISPCC ad, she said. I was so shocked, she said. I tried not to cry and be strong for him. She said her grandson was nervous and withdrawn for a long time and scared of men. He had night terrors and became hysterical when he saw the bedroom he used to share with his mother. The grandparents eventually moved house as a result. He has suffered speech regressions and struggled with playschool. His grandmother said he used to love playing with other children, but this changed in the aftermath of the abuse and his primary school education had been delayed. His mother was granted supervised access, but only turned up to a few visits. She has not seen him since Easter of last year, the court heard. She is my daughter and I love her, the boy's grandmother said of the woman. We would love her to have a relationship with him some day but that day is a long way off. She said her daughter has not accepted responsibility for what happened to her son. We will never know what caused (his) injuries, she said. She should never have brought him to this place where he was subjected to emotional and psychological trauma. The woman cried as the victim impact statement was read out. The boy's grandmother was not in court for the hearing as she did not feel able to attend, the court heard. Defence barrister Eilis Brennan SC told the court the woman has drug addiction issues. She has failed to attend Probation Service appointments due to changing addresses. She is now living in a hostel and has engaged with drug addiction services. She is hopeful of entering a drug rehab centre in the coming months. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the matter to allow for this to take place. But she ordered that the matter return to court immediately if the woman does not engage with the services. A woman who was living with the mother and the accused man told gardai that on the morning of February 14, the mother was in bed and the toddler was watching TV with the man. When the housemate came home later that day, the mother was hysterical and the child was injured. They took the child to the man's relatives, who told the mother to bring the boy to hospital immediately. It took some persuasion, Det Gda Delahunt said. The court heard that in the days prior to the assault, both the woman and the man's family members expressed concern about bruising on the toddler, but the mother told them he was a clumsy child who fell all the time. Native Sun News Today Columnist It is not the business of a newspaper columnist to tell our readers how to vote in upcoming elections. But, these days, in this red state that has passed laws shutting down the right to assemble, as South Dakota has done to punish the Missouri River Water Defenders, and when it passes legislation to complicate a womans civil rights as though she might be a moron who needs our protection, threatening her doctor if she wants to quit an unwanted pregnancy, it is pretty difficult for a writer to stifle ones self. Seems like the same old, same old. Ordinary voters and political activists. alike, because such oppressive laws in our Republican state are getting more violent instead of less violent were not surprised to see our elected reps in Washington, D. C. (Sen. John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds, Rep. Dusty Johnson) vote against an inquiry directed toward gathering information to hold an impudent (and possibly criminal) Republican president liable for impeachment irregularities. Elizabeth Cook-Lynn. Courtesy photo Nobody pays the price of America, and Trump probably wont either. We have come to expect such responses from the followers of todays Kentuckys ayatollah (another Republican) because weve seen it before well have to wait again to see how all of this current movement turns out. Speaking of movements, one wonders if anyone here has heard of a defensive strategy called the BDS Movement that seems to be moving across the country. It isnt the same old, same old. Something new? The acronym is translated as Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction and it is being used presently by oppressed peoples like the Palestinians to stop the aggressions of another colonial state, Israel, which not only passes terribly oppressive laws but shoots dissenters at the walls. If we are looking for solutions, this movement spreading and picking up speed as a defense against the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa may be a model. Will we continue to be silent in the face of witnessing outrageous white-supremacist tactics like the above by our latest Republican leadership? It might not be a bad idea to look into this kind of BDS defense. Having said that, we recognize that the Republican State of South Dakota has continued its fight against the Tribal Nation Water Protection alliances, penalizing the nations in the midst of dozens of court cases to say nothing of using the strong arms of police force toward human rights violations, resulting in costly budget overruns. All of this seems to be the result of greed, selfishness and the need for control in spite of the rhetoric which calls for limited government and lower taxes by Republican Party officials. We seem not to be satisfied with just controlling citizens (which turns out to be a direct discrimination against people of color and non-Christians) but we want to control the little animals, of the world too. Noem has initiated a nest predator program which will allow our pheasant hunting gamers to kill off the small predators who prey on pheasants. Contact Elizabeth Cook-Lynn at ecooklynn@gmail.com Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation [January 31, 2020] Calian Evolves Health Services with Acquisition of Canadian Health Companies OTTAWA, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calian Group Ltd. (TSX: CGY) today announces its acquisition of two Ottawa-based health companies, Allphase Clinical Research Services Inc. and Alio Health Services Inc. (collectively, Allphase/Alio). The companies serve the pharmaceutical and medical device industry and the broader health care sector with clinical trial services, specialty medication support and community care and other services, all enabled by an innovative health care delivery management software application. The transaction provides Calians Health segment with access to innovative services and new customer segments in pharmaceuticals, hospital care and patient support at home. Established in 2001, Allphase Clinical Research is a full-service Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing high-quality clinical development management and strategy services for pharmaceutical and medical device companies that have products in development or approved and marketed. Since its launch 2012, Alio Health Services has grown rapidly in the areas of Patient Support Program management and health resource optimization. Alio Health specializes in the design and implementation of comprehensive Patient Support Programs that enhance the patient's experience throughout their treatment journey. Its services are enabled by Alios innovative HOMETM software application which streamlines the scheduling and delivery of health services for hospitals, health care institutions and home care locations. Driven by proprietary systems and HOMETM system automation, Alios Patient Support Programs ensure superior quality control and the provision of more cost-effective in-home services. We are very pleased to join the Calian team and a larger, innovative market player, said Jeff Smith, President, Allphase/Alio. At Allphase and Alio Health, we are focused on creating the best experiences for patients, caregivers and the health care industry. Calians scale and market reach will enable Allphase/Alios continued expansion within the health sector and support our ability to take our proprietary software products, systems and services to the next level. I am excited to bring Jeff and the entire Allphase/Alio team on board at Calian. This acquisition will accelerate our access to emerging technologies and business in new markets, encompassing hospitals, patient support at home and clinical trial services, said Gordon McDonald, Vice President, Health, Calian. As we leverage the HOMETM software application across Calians existing health services portfolio, we see significant potential to drive new business and create efficiencies within our current health services. The amount paid on closing of $14.5 million is comprised $12 million cash and 62,054 common shares. Additionally, the agreement contains two earnout payments on the first- and second-yearanniversaries, of $6 million and $6 million respectively, based on the achievement of a certain level of EBITDA in each of those periods. Allphase/Alios results will be consolidated and reported within Calians Health segment. This strategic acquisition supports all four pillars of our growth framework. It diversifies our customer base into pharmaceuticals, home care and hospitals, and supports Calians innovation agenda with services enabled by sophisticated software. We see opportunities to evolve this software within our Health segment and strengthen Calians position in technology-enabled health solutions, stated Kevin Ford, President and CEO, Calian. I would like to extend a warm welcome to the Allphase/Alio team, whose addition to Calian will support our health innovation objectives and sales efforts in new markets domestically and globally. At Calian we believe in investing in technologies that can improve the performance of our health system. About Allphase/Alio Allphase Clinical Research Services Inc. and, Alio Health Services Inc. (collectively, Allphase/Alio) are Ottawa-based health service companies serving the Canadian market. Founded in 2001, Allphase Clinical Research is a full-service, Contract Research Organization (CRO) providing high-quality clinical development management and strategy services for companies with early-stage to post-market approval products. Alio Health specializes in the design and implementation of comprehensive Patient Support Programs (PSP) that enhance the patient's experience throughout their treatment journey. Alio Healths unique and proprietary PSP workflow automation software and systems ensure excellent quality control and provide significant operational cost efficiencies. The companies serve hospitals, clinics, home care locations and large pharmaceutical customers in all major markets in Canada. About Calian Calian employs over 3,400 people in its delivery of diverse products and solutions for private sector, government and defence customers in North American and global markets. The Companys diverse capabilities are delivered through four segments: Advanced Technologies, Health, Learning and Information Technology. The Advanced Technologies segment provides innovative products, technologies and manufacturing services and solutions for the space, communications, defence, nuclear, government and agriculture sectors. The Health segment manages a network of more than 1,800 health care professionals delivering primary care and occupational health services to public and private sector clients across Canada. Learning is a trusted provider of emergency management, consulting and specialized training services and solutions for the Canadian Armed Forces and clients in the defence, health, energy and other sectors. The Information Technology segment supports public- and private-sector customer requirements for subject matter expertise in the delivery of complex IT and cyber security solutions. Headquartered in Ottawa, the Companys offices and projects span Canada and international markets. For investor information, please visit our website at www.calian.com or contact us at [email protected] Kevin Ford Patrick Houston Media inquiries: President and Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer Simon Doyle 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 613-599-8600 x 2205 DISCLAIMER Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events. Such statements are generally accompanied by words such as intend, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect or similar statements. Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the impact of price competition; scarce number of qualified professionals; the impact of rapid technological and market change; loss of business or credit risk with major customers; technical risks on fixed price projects; general industry and market conditions and growth rates; international growth and global economic conditions, and including currency exchange rate fluctuations; and the impact of consolidations in the business services industry. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, please see the Companys most recent annual report and other reports filed by Calian with the Ontario Securities Commission. Calian disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. No assurance can be given that actual results, performance or achievement expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking statements within this disclosure will occur, or if they do, that any benefits may be derived from them. Calian Head Office 770 Palladium Drive Ottawa Ontario Canada K2V 1C8 Tel: 613.599.8600 Fax: 613-592-3664 General Info email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SPRINGFIELD Unemployment rates for Illinois and Metro for December jumped slightly from last month, but remain dramatically lower than one year ago, according to recently released statistics from the Illinois Department of Employment Security. According to the IDES, the states unemployment rate was 3.5 percent in December, up from Novembers 3.4 percent but almost a full percentage point below the 4.4 percent rate in December 2018. The unemployment rate for the Illinois Section of the St. Louis MSA which includes Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties was at 3.7 percent, up from 3.4 percent in November, but down dramatically from the 5.1 percent rate recorded in December 2018. I would expect that, Tony Fuhrmann, director of Madison County Employment and Training said. Historically December is a big month for unemployment claims being filed. Part of the issue is the downturn in construction. They lay people off when the weather gets bad, he said, adding that it is counterbalanced by increases in people working holiday retail jobs. Fuhrmann said the uptick in unemployment is a statistical blip, and the job market remains very strong and he expects a continuation of the strong economy. The region added about 3,000 jobs to 245,600 over the past year. The Madison County unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, down 1.3 percent from last year. The region added about 3,000 jobs to 245,600 over the past year. That shows you how strong the economy is in this area, and the labor market, Fuhrmann added. Nothing is slowing down. New infrastructure construction projects will also bring a number of jobs to the area. As part of the states new Rebuild Illinois program Interstate 255 will be closed between I-55/70 and I-64 for the next five months for a major rehabilitation. That project will then extend south from I-64 to Illinois 15 for another five months. I think it just adds to the already strong workforce, Fuhrmann said. In addition to I-255, there are a number of other projects, including the I-270/Illinois 111 interchange, the Illinois 111/Route 3 interchange, and the construction of a new I-270 Chain of Rocks Bridge and related improvements. The highest local unemployment rate by county was Calhoun County at 4.6 percent followed by Jersey and Macoupin counties at 4.1 percent, St. Clair at 4 percent, Monroe County at 3.7 percent, Bond County at 3.6 percent and Clinton and Monroe counties at 2.8 percent. State officials touted the overall improvements over the past year. Under Governor Pritzkers leadership, we now have the lowest unemployment rate in state history with the most jobs on record, said Deputy Gov. Dan Hynes. The governor is committed to building on this progress by attracting new businesses to Illinois, putting people to work on our infrastructure and creating opportunities for communities that have been left behind for too long. There is also a renewed emphasis on vocational training and jobs requiring less than a four-year degree. Were seeing, slowly but surely, a switch in the educational area, he said. People are seeing more and more that those trade jobs are out there. MCET, along with the St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department and the city of Collinsville, recently held a regional meeting on apprenticeship programs. Fuhrmann said they are already seeing results. Weve already had a couple of institutions reaching out to us, he said. We were happy with the event, and were happy with whats happening after the event. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. By SA Commercial Prop News Malose Kekana is one of only a handful of black economic empowerment (BEE) barons who have focused on property, one of the least transformed industries in our economy. An entrepreneur Malose Kekana, clings a multibillion-rand deal which will see his consortium owning 24% of property company, Pareto. A little more than a week ago Malose Kekana, an entrepreneur in the financial and property sector, clinched a multibillion-rand deal. It will see his consortium owning 24% of a huge property company, Pareto, which owns rental properties such as Westgate and Sandton City in Johannesburg, the Pavilion in Durban and Tyger Valley in Cape Town. Kekana is one of only a handful of black economic empowerment (BEE) barons who have focused on property, one of the least transformed industries in our economy. The lack of change in the property industry is staggering, with about 95% of it still in the hands of white business. Until it is changed, not much economic freedom can be realised for the majority. Kekana is among a new breed of black industrialists who have vowed not just to dirty their hands in ensuring that their own businesses truly transform, but to use them as a springboard for meaningful change in the property industry. What struck me in his articulation of his vision to enter such an exclusive industry was his understanding that we can no longer merely rely on ownership to engender real change. The other pillars of BEE, such as employment equity and preferential procurement, will take place only when owners such as he become involved in the sector. Passive BEE is a thing of the past, and certainly in an industry that has shown no traction for change, it is clear that industrialists such as Kekana will have to be in the business to ensure that change can indeed take place. Making BEE broad-based is crucial, but it means nothing if it merely means the broadening of ownership. It has to mean finding black people to run the business, investing in developing the skills of employees, broadening the procurement supply chain beyond the usual suspects who have been service providers of these businesses under the old ownership, and striking partnerships with new enterprises as a way of broadening participation in the broader industry by new entrants. It is clear that the envisaged creation of black industrialists can happen only if such industrialists are willing to learn the ropes of the industry in which they wish to ply their trade. And people such as Kekana need to enter the sector with businesses such as his new venture, assume executive positions and drive their growth. Token BEE involvement will be no better than the fronting that the BEE codes aim to combat. Kekana has broken away from the usual dependency on development-funding institutions by getting two commercial banks to back his venture instead of the Industrial Development Corporation. This is important, since not only is it clear that his venture can stand on its two feet without being placed in the "affirmative action" box, but it underlines an important need for private business to become involved in the transformation of the economy without always deferring to the public sector. BEE funding in the property space must become normalised in high-end transactions if it is to make any dent in the 95% untransformed part of the industry. The same can be said of the financial sector, which is about to see a major shake-up with the exit of Barclays from the African market. Public-sector funding will not be enough to back such a mammoth deal. Kekanas deal was followed by yet another major development. The agreement on a construction charter that will focus on driving change in the industry, is a crucial step. It will be interesting to see whether deals such as the Pareto acquisition and the newly adopted charter will spur the big players into exciting partnerships that make the BEE revolution happen. UPDATE 7:27 p.m. Jan. 31: More luring attempts reported in Portland. Elementary schools in Vancouver and Portland reported three incidents of adults attempting to lure children in the last week. Two incidents were reported near Jason Lee Middle School in Vancouver, and another was reported near Kelly Elementary School in Portland. Jason Lee Middle School issued a warning to parents Wednesday about an attempted abduction at the bus stop in front of the school. According to Brent Waddell, Clark County Sheriffs Office administrative sergeant, a student was at the bus stop at Jason Lee when a woman in her 50s drove up in a 1990-2000 Toyota Camry. The car had tinted windows and stains and scratches on the exterior. The woman approached the student saying, Your grandma told me to pick you up. A frayed rope and plastic bags were visible in the backseat, police said. The student didnt accept the ride and the suspect drove away. Clark County sheriffs deputies are investigating and trying to determine if the school has video footage of the incident. Waddell confirmed a report of a second incident near Jason Lee Middle School but wasnt able to provide additional information. A similar incident took place near Kelly Elementary School in Portland on Tuesday evening when a Rose City Park Elementary student got off a bus at Southeast Cooper Street and a white paneled van pulled up. Two men came toward the student offering them candy and asking them to get into the van, according to a statement released by the Rose City Park school and corroborated by the Portland Police Bureau. The student ran towards Kelly Elementary. Around the same time the school bell rang and students started leaving the building. The van pulled away. Portland police are investigating the incident. Student safety is our highest priority, Rose City Park Principal Jeremy Cohen said in a statement. As a community and as a school district, we have a collective responsibility to ensure our schools provide a caring, supportive environment. Cohen advised students and families to take the following precautions: Remind children that if anyone -- a known or unknown person -- is making them feel uncomfortable they should get to a safe place as quickly as possible and tell a trusted adult. Explain to children that it is highly unusual for someone to try and take a child, but if someone were to try and put them in a car or house against their will, youngsters should kick, scream, and fight back. People dont want attention drawn to them, so kids should make a lot of noise and run away if they can. The statement also encouraged community members to report anything suspicious. Rose City Park Elementary encouraged people to report anything suspicious to the school, or to the SafeOregon tip line at 844-472-3367 or via email to tip@safeoregon.com. -- Piper McDaniel; amcdaniel@oregonian.com; 503-221-4307; @Piperamcdaniel Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Medical staff check the temperature of passengers at Nanjing South Railway station in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, Jan. 27. EPA-Yonhap By Kim Yoo-chul Major South Korean exporters, which operate manufacturing facilities in China, said Wednesday they have no plans to close plants there despite the increasing death toll from a novel coronavirus outbreak and the growing number of infections. They said they've already restricted travel or sought to evacuate employees in an attempt to minimize their exposure and strongly warned company employees to avoid travel to China. According to companies which have manufacturing operations, there, they are "closely monitoring the current public health challenge." An official at SK Global Chemical said its South Korean employees at a plant in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, had been evacuated with its Wuhan facility being run by Chinese workers. The company said it's been using "all options" to assess the medical condition of its evacuated employees. "The coronavirus hasn't impacted our Wuhan factory's production schedule. Given the complex nature of petrochemical operations, we have to be very careful about closing the manufacturing plant, there. There are no imminent plans for closure," the official said. Leading South Korean technology companies are actively responding with Samsung Electronics recommending its employees not to visit China until further notice. T here are mixed emotions among the UK's Leavers and Remainers as the country prepares to leave the European Union later today. At 11pm on Friday night the UK will officially leave the European Union on what has been dubbed "Brexit Day". Little will change until the end of December 2020, as the UK will remain in the European Union in all but name throughout the transition period. But on a historic day, prominent figures on both sides of the debate are queuing up to offer their jubilation and disappointment. Mr Farage said he wouldn't "miss Brussels because it's a dump" / PA Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "At last the day comes when we break free. A massive victory for the people against the establishment." Media personality Julia Hartley-Brewer also expressed her joy at the occasion. She told listeners on her Talkradio show: "Today is a day to put all the battles behind us. All the divisions behind us. For everyone to come together. Let us celebrate and make the best of our future as Great Britain." Labour MP David Lammy slammed Brexit as a "con". "It is a national tragedy that today the UK will leave the EU. I oppose it today for the same reasons I have always opposed it", he tweeted. "Brexit is a con. A trick. A swindle. A fraud." David Lammy slammed Brexit as a "con" / Reuters Mayor of London Sadiq Khan struck a more positive note. Mr Khan tweeted: The UK may be leaving the EU today, but London remains a beacon for progressive ideas, liberal values, decency & diversity. To the one million EU citizens that contribute so much to our city: you are Londoners, you are welcome here, & that will never change. Meanwhile, Brexit Day is expected to be greeted with both protests and some celebrations on the island of Ireland. In the final hours before the UK officially leaves the EU, a series of protests have been planned along the Irish border. Anti-Brexit campaigners will also hold a demonstration at Stormont on Friday afternoon, before Brexit-backers later hold a celebration party at the gates of the seat of Northern Ireland's devolved government from 10.30pm for a countdown to 11pm. Brexit Supporters And Anti-Brexit Demonstrators Clash In Parliament Square Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar tweeted: "We'll say goodbye to an old friend embarking on an adventure. We hope it works out for them. But if it does not, there will always be a seat kept for them at the table." Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon used the occasion to argue again for Scotland's right to a second referendum. She said: If they had any confidence in the argument for the Westminster union, they would have no problem with the people of Scotland having the right to choose." A bagpiper led the Brexit Party MEPs out of the European Parliament / AP In Brussels, Brexit Party MEPs staged a parade as they walked out of the European Parliament for the final time, led by a bagpiper. Ben Buckland headed the procession around the Place du Luxembourg, followed by Ann Widdecombe in a taxi decorated with a Union flag. The girl, who is now 11, told the child protection team that when she was in the second or third grade, Edwards would have her sit on his lap while he was driving the school bus and touched her pee pee with his hand. This occurred for two or three days. The girl said Edwards let her keep something, but she could not remember what that was. Edwards reportedly communicated with the girl via Facebook Messenger from August 2018 to March 2019, when she was 10. In April 2019, the sheriffs office reviewed these conversations in which Edwards told the girl, youre special to me and you will always be my favorite and youre my favorite girl and you are pretty and I sure miss you and I think about you a lot. Edwards also told the girl, Happy Valentines Day honey and I have the key to your heart and youre getting pretty as ever. Edwards told the sheriffs office he worked with the girls grandmother who had also worked as a school bus driver for Smiths Bus Service, which is located in rural Pardeeville. Edwards stated that sometimes her grandmother would bring the girl to the bus barn and she would ask to ride to school with him. This happened once or twice a week while the girl attended Pardeeville Elementary School. These days along shipment of the most modern fighter aircraft of America can be seen. America has done this feat in the deserts of West Asia. In the battle, a long line of F-15Es who have rescued the enemy's sixes can be seen flying in these deserts of the desert. The army of enemies leaves sweat only after seeing these planes. These days there is heavy tension in Central Asia. The US has made a big change in its policy in Central Asia amid increasing tension with Iran. He has increased his fleet more than removing the army here. Now his army is ready to deal with any situation. One mistake of the enemy may outweigh him. Let us know what change America has made in its military strategy. What is the major reason behind this strategic change. Reservation for Muslims in Uddhav government! Is Shiv Sena changing its agenda? According to media reports, now, instead of Iraq, it has made its main military base near the city of Al Kharaj in central Saudi Arabia. Additional troops have been deployed at this airbase. The fleet of fighter aircraft has also been increased here. Prince Sultan Air Base has created a new base of US Air Force amid increasing tension from Iran. A new squadron of F-15E fighters has been deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base. There are two special reasons for this strategy change in America. BJP government showing beautiful dreams to people, Economic survey presented in Parliament is proof of this - Mayawati America's first priority is to keep its troops safe in Central Asia. For this, he changed his military base. Indeed, Iran's distance from Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Air Base is considerable. Therefore, Iran cannot succeed in a drone attack in any way. If he dares to launch a drone attack, American war planes and radars will fail him before reaching his goal. Secondly, one of the concerns of America is regarding the attack on Saudi Arabia. Iranian forces have often targeted Saudi Arabia's oil bases. With this location, American soldiers will be able to thwart Iranian attacks. From this air base, he will be able to thwart Iranian attacks. President Donald Trump's impeachment process marks a new turning point, opposition played last bet Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, second from right, inspects the company's smartphone and TV manufacturing lines in Manaus, Brazil, Monday. Lee spent the Lunar New Year holiday there to seek ways to boost the company's sales in South America. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Were 1/12 of the way through the year, and a much more complicated fraction of the way through the decade, and all this booze news keeps happening. How to keep track of it all? The Nightcap is here! Booze news stops for no one. Just like time, or a microwave with that has a broken STOP button. Which is dangerous, by the way. Microwaves really need that STOP button, otherwise your beans could evaporate. Pretty sure thats how microwaves work, theyre basically bean teleporters that make the beans get really hot until they are sent to another dimension. What was I talking about? Booze news, thats what. Its here. Its happening. Its The Nightcap. On the blog this week we announced the winner of our Burns Night poetry competition, before Ian Buxton returned to ask if theres an issue with greenwashing in the Scotch whisky industry. Annie then met the man making British baijiu and took a closer look at Tennessee whiskey, as Henry enjoyed the disco-based delights of our Cocktail of the Week and the company of the great wine disruptor Steve Daniel. Adam, meanwhile, suggested some exceptional expressions that would be worth a little indulgence, and Jess shone a spotlight on a fabulous rum from one of the oldest sugar estates in Jamaica as our New Arrival of the Week. Now its time to get stuck into the Nightcap! Suntory buys 10% stake in Edrington Edrington and Suntory Holdings have announced this week that the duo will be building on an already strong partnership that dates back to the early 1990s. Yep, the Japanese spirits giant put its money where its existing distribution bonds are, and purchased 10% of Edringtons shares for an undisclosed amount. The agreement is set to provide an inflow of funds to Edringtons principal shareholder, The Robertson Trust, which has donated over 263m to charitable causes in Scotland since 1961, and contribute to Edringtons employee share scheme. Suntory has been an important distributor of Edrington brands in international markets including Japan, Germany, Canada and South Africa, and through joint ventures in the UK, Spain and Russia over the past four decades. Edrington has a successful long-standing strategic partnership with Suntory. We share a similar ethos and the same passion for craftsmanship, innovation and quality in our brands, Scott McCroskie, Edrington CEO, commented. We look forward to cementing and building this deep relationship over the coming years. Suntory Groups portfolio includes Yamazaki, Hibiki, Jim Beam, Haku, Roku and more, while The Edringtons includes the likes of The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes, The Famous Grouse, Brugal rum and Snow Leopard vodka. The brand also holds strategic partnerships with Tequila Partida and Wyoming Whiskey. Peaky Blinders Irish whiskey distillery on the cards Liverpool-based Halewood International has revealed it plans to develop a distillery to produce Peaky Blinder Irish whiskey. The brand, inspired by the murderous gang and subsequent BBC drama starring Cork actor Cillian Murphy in the lead role, is currently made by West Cork Distillers, based in Skibbereen, County Cork, which Halewood did have a stake in until the Irish company bought them out for 18 million. To add some extra complexity, Halewood bought the rights to the Peaky Blinder spirit brand, which also has a bourbon, London dry gin and spiced rum, when it purchased Sadlers Brewery in Lye, near Birmingham in 2017. Sadlers has now closed, and Halewood is said to be transferring some of its equipment to the site its eyeing up in Ireland, which would also make The Pogues Irish Whiskey, another Halewood brand. Due to the very successful growth of Sadlers Peaky Blinder Irish Whiskey, we plan to accelerate a project to distill our own Irish whiskey, Halewood said in a statement. Peaky Blinders Irish Whiskey, a blended Irish whiskey finished in sherry casks, is available at MoM Towers now, along with the rest of the range. The Spirit of Speyside announces its trio of festivals will return in 2020 Since 1999, The Spirit of Speyside festival has celebrated Scotlands largest whisky-making region, championing distilleries, communities, and the water of life. Youll be delighted to know that it will return this year, along with the new Spirit of Speyside Gin Experience and Spirit of Speyside: Distilled. The flagship event, The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, will run from 29 April to 4 May in venues across the region. There will be over 700 ticketed whisky-themed activities, including behind-the-scenes distillery tours and food pairing masterclasses, in a packed six-day programme, which will be announced next month. Tickets for it will go on sale at noon on 12 February, so mark the date in your diaries! Following a successful launch last year, the Spirit of Speyside Gin Experience is back to shine a spotlight on local gin producers with new expressions, innovative cocktails and a variety of street food on offer. It will take place from 10-12 July, but the venue is still to be announced. But we do know that Spirit of Speyside: Distilled will be housed at Elgin Town Hall from 28-29 August. Expect to meet some of the regions leading drinks producers as you get stuck into intimate masterclasses featuring all the great local produce. Spirit of Speysides trio of drinks festivals will return this year in what will be our most significant celebrations yet, letting visitors experience first hand why Speyside is the global epicentre of distilling, says Lauren Mustard, events coordinator at The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. In addition to our flagship Whisky Festival, 2020 will also see the return of the Gin Experience and Distilled, a showcase of Speysides range of spirits. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across Scotland, as well as from across the globe, to enjoy the very best of Scotland in Speyside. New distillery to open in the heart of Burns country News just in: Dark Sky Spirits has been given planning permission by Dumfries and Galloway Council to build a new distillery at Moffat in Scotlands Borders region! The company currently operates as whisky blender with brands such as The Moffat blended malt. This will change when the distillery opens in 2021. The plan is to produce around 60,000 litres of pure alcohol per year. The set-up will be pretty traditional with wooden washbacks and worm tub condensers. The aim is to create a classic Lowland-style spirit. The distillery build became more of a reality earlier this year when South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP) granted 320,000 for the project. Nick Bullard, founder and managing director, said: Even though its small, this distillery will make a big difference to our town and our region. It will attract visitors, bring new jobs and boost retail and hospitality trade. It will broaden and deepen Moffats attractiveness to whisky lovers around the world. Local MP David Mundell added: Im always pleased to see new businesses setting up and providing employment opportunities. As a resident of Moffat myself, Ive watched the progress of Dark Sky Spirits and their plans with interest. The whisky industry is already important in my constituency, and to Scotland as a whole. Im sure Dark Sky will prove an asset to the town, widening the visitor offering further. Tourism will play a big part in the distillerys future, especially with the Robert Burns connection; he was a frequent visitor to the town. Whisky tourism is big business; in 2018 two million people visited a Scotch whisky distillery, and Dark Sky Spirits is planning for around 9,000 visitors per year. Well be first in the queue. Madison x The Clumsies Residency You may have heard of The Clumsies, seeing as it was ranked 6th in the Worlds 50 Best Bar Awards 2019. However, you may not have been able to pop over and visit, seeing as its home is in a townhouse in Athens. Well, The Clumsies is now bringing a taste of Greece to London, with its pop up at the wonderful Madison rooftop! The residency will be running for a rather limited time, from 24 to 28 February, when you can expect a delicious Greek spin on the cocktail menu in the form of five limited-edition cocktails. Vasilis Kyritsis, co-creator of The Clumsies, will even be behind the bar for the week, showcasing his awesome creations. Were very much looking forward to the Aegean Negroni, which will marry Tanqueray No.Ten, vermouth, Martini Bitter, fennel seeds and diktamus (an aromatic Greek plant), and The Conch, boasting a blend of Ottos Athens Vermouth, mezcal, salicornia (a succulent) and lemon. Consider our interest piqued! Were so excited to be back In London to share some of our cocktails in collaboration with Madison, says Vasilis Kyritsis from The Clumsies. So are we! Hennessy marks Lunar New Year with artist collab Booze brands striking up partnerships with artists is hardly new, but our eyes (and taste buds) were thoroughly pleased by one that crossed our path this week. Hennessy has teamed up with Chinese artist Zhang Huan, for a project which included the commissioning of a 16-foot dreamscape thats genuinely pretty stunning. The piece is called Eaux-de-vie, and is said to capture a sense of joy and celebration. Of course, the artwork has inspired a limited-edition Hennessy bottling, too. Making art is about using an object as a vehicle to express inner thoughts, or a spiritual side, the artist explained. Eaux-de-vie is intended as a natural, living expression. Zhang Huan rose to prominence as an artist in 1990s New York. Being abroad gave me a deeper understanding of my tradition, perhaps because I had to see myself from far away, he said. I believe that Chinese and Western cultures are meant to integrate with each other, which is why I sought to incorporate a sense of movement in this work. We never know where life may take us, but I do believe that everything that has gone before leads up to the present moment. That is what I want to celebrate in my creations. A celebration it is! Diageo reveals half-year results, snaps up former Remy CEO Its been a bit of a big businessy week in booze, with results coming in from Hennessy maker LVMH, and Johnnie Walker parent, Diageo. LVMHs wine and spirits division celebrated a 6% leap in profits in 2019, and Diageo too was in a good mood, with sales for the first half of its 2020 financial year climbing 4.2%. So what were we drinking? Namely Tequila, which saw 31% growth (Don Julio, anyone?) and Canadian whisky, which posted 11% gains. The loser? Surprisingly, Scotch whisky, which was flat as a pancake, with sales of blended brand Johnnie Walker actually falling by 4%. Disappointing. In related Big Booze Business news, Diageo also announced it had snapped up Valerie Chapoulaud-Floquet to join its board as a non-executive director from 1 January 2021. Name ring a bell? She was formerly CEO at Remy Cointreau, which makes Remy Martin Cognac, and also owns the Bruichladdich Distillery, among many others. An interesting move indeed Spirits producers agree to age restrictions on labels In a joint commitment to reduce underage drinking, twelve leading alcohol companies have pledged to include an age restriction symbol across its products. The International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), which was established in 2014 and includes the likes of Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Beam Suntory, Bacardi, Brown-Forman, William Grant & Sons, AB InBev, Molson Coors and Heineken, has committed to adding symbols or written age restrictions to the labels of its products, even alcohol-free ones, to send an even clearer message that these products are not for minors. The IARD had previously promised to deliver better safeguarding measures for online alcohol advertising after partnering with four social media platforms in 2018 and to implement safeguards for at least 95% of its online alcohol marketing by 2024. The group has also welcomed the advice of retailers, wholesalers, and distributors to help determine how best-practice initiatives for age verification can be implemented across the world. Although underage drinking has fallen in many parts of the world, this trend is not universal. We want to accelerate progress and work with others to eliminate underage drinking in every community through a whole-of-society approach, says Ulrich Adam, director-general of trade body Spirits Europe, which welcomed IARDs pledge. We call on other producers to join us. We call on retailers to work with us to do more to prevent minors from buying alcohol in stores and online. And we call on parents and other adults to support us by not buying alcohol for, or sharing alcohol with, children and minors, even if they do this with good intentions. Together, we must ensure everyone reinforces the message that underage drinking is socially unacceptable. Leaving EU offers opportunities for drinks trade says WSTA If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If we leave the EU and Miles Beale from the WSTA doesnt comment, did we really leave? Well, Miles Beale has just commented, which means were definitely leaving. Tonight, in fact. Regular Nightcap readers will know that Beale hasnt exactly been positive about Brexit, but in a statement just released by the WSTA, he sounds oddly optimistic. According to the WSTA, with the right trade deal, leaving the EU will provide opportunities for the UK wine and spirit industry. These include putting zero tariffs on wine and spirits (putting an end to those pesky levies on American whiskey), and relaxing or dropping some EU rules and definitions, allowing distillers to innovate and giving customers more choice. Beale met recently with Steven Barclay, Secretary of State for exiting the EU (what a title), to discuss how the government can help the drinks trade. Beale commented: Its time to complete a trade deal with the EU and move on. The wine and spirit industry must embrace a brave new world of trading. We need to focus on the opportunities and to steer government towards breaking down barriers on trade, while also reinforcing the UKs position at the centre of international wine and spirit trading. We have started with some clear asks of government which, if practical steps are taken, we believe will keep the UK as the worlds number one spirit exporter, but could also see us take the top spot as the worlds largest wine importer by volume from Germany. Unusually optimistic stuff from Beale. Well have what hes having. And finally H&M uses leather from wine waste We all know wine has a valued place when it comes to problem-solving (chatting about the woes of the world with a trusted pal over a glass of something delicious fixes all ills). But now clothing retailer H&M has revealed it is using a novel, and very green, leather alternative, according to Vogue. And its made from wine by-products! Created in Milan, Vegea is a vegan, eco-friendly, leather-like material, essentially produced from pomace. And its already being used in chain-strap handbags and some shoes in H&Ms Conscious Collection. We like! These collections are here to help enable the scale of these new innovations, and make them more commercial [to us and to other brands], Pascal Brun, H&Ms sustainability manager, told Vogue. And its not just clothes. Turns out you can use the faux-leather in loads of other ways, too. Bentley recently announced it was using the solution in its fancy EXP 100 GT car. Well raise a glass to that! For now, at least, Rollie Bruvold will remain locked up. The 69-year-old child rapist who saw six of his seven convictions overturned on appeal was in court Thursday for a resentencing hearing, and the Albuquerque judge handling his case said she had no choice but to drastically reduce his sentence. Although he was originally sentenced to more than a century in prison, Bruvolds sole remaining conviction carries a maximum penalty of 18 years. Because Bruvold has been in custody continually since his first indictment in 2002, attorneys on both sides believed he could technically be released in that case following Thursdays hearing. Based on the age of the case, that 18-year sentence could be cut in half for good behavior, meaning hes been in custody nine extra years, according to his lawyer. She asked the court to release him and suggested that keeping him in jail would be a liability for the state. We believe he is eligible just to walk out today, his attorney Ashley Reymore-Cloud said at the hearing. Standing in the way of his release, however, are a brand new indictment and accompanying detention motion filed Wednesday. Those documents ensure Bruvold will stay in jail at least until a judge determines whether he should await trial in custody. A detention hearing has been scheduled for Monday morning. Lawyers and investigators from the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office and the Office of the Attorney General are teaming up to prosecute Bruvold on child rape charges tied to abuse that took place in the 1980s and 1990s. The new case charges Bruvold with 14 counts of criminal sexual penetration against two young female relatives. He previously faced charges involving the same two victims, but they were dismissed after a jury convicted him on seven counts of child rape against yet a third relative. Judge Jacqueline Flores later sentenced Bruvold to 108 years in prison in 2015. A majority of those convictions were ultimately reversed by the Court of Appeals, which found that the victims vague timeline left too much doubt about her age during each instance of abuse. A statute of limitations prevented Bruvold from facing charges related to abuse of a child 13 or older. While we are extremely saddened by the fact that this individuals convictions were overturned in the recent Court of Appeals opinion, DA Raul Torrez said in a news conference, we are determined to do everything in our power to make sure that we remedy that and present a new case so that we can hold this individual accountable. During the hearing on Thursday, prosecutor Greer Rose said the three victims in the case were subjected to abuse from a young age and were denied a normal childhood. The abuse became as normal to them as eating or bathing, Rose said. Both of the women involved in the newest case addressed the court on Thursday. One said her hope is that Bruvold will spend the remainder of his life in prison. I am doing everything I can to put you back in prison where you belong, the second woman said. I am not afraid to go to hell and back to protect myself, my family and my community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 23:21:00|Editor: yan Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen will pay a working visit to South Korea on Feb. 3-5, said a foreign affairs ministry's statement on Friday. In Seoul, Hun Sen will attend the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) World Summit 2020 on Peace, Security and Human Development, the statement said, adding that he will deliver a keynote address at the summit. Besides, the Cambodian leader will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in to discuss bilateral cooperation as well as regional and international issues of common interests, it said. According to the statement, Cambodia and South Korea have enjoyed cordial ties and excellent collaboration in many areas such as trade, investment, employment and education. NTPC to manage 300 MW solar power projects in Togo State-run National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has been awarded the project management consultancy (PMC) for development of about 300 MW solar power projects by Togo. Kondi Mani, Charge d Affaire, Embassy of Togo in New Delhi on Tuesday handed over the letter of engagement to Gurdeep Singh, CMD (NTPC) on Tuesday. As per the proposal, NTPC may act as a project management consultant (PMC). NTPC will carry out various activities for selection of solar project developers (SPDs) on competitive basis for setting up projects on ownership basis and enter into power purchase agreement with government-designated entities. The scope of PMC includes presentations to the concerned ministries and other stakeholders in ISA countries for structuring of projects, assistance to bring out enabling policy and regulatory framework for competitive procurement of solar power, bid process management for selection of project developers on competitive basis, structuring PPA, roof/ land leasing agreements etc. The PMC charges of NTPC will be recovered from the selected SPDs. NTPC, based on the feasibility, may also develop solar projects by putting own equity in countries where feed in tariff is in force. The proposal of NTPC, after review by ISA Advisory Committee, was put on Swiss challenge for 28 days on ISA website. Subsequently, the proposal was submitted to ISA finance committee. Based on the concurrence of the finance committee, the proposal has been cleared in second ISA assembly. Based on this, a letter of endorsement was given to NTPC for extending PMC services and circulated to all the National Focal Points (NFPs) of ISA member countries. There will not be any direct cost implications to the member countries. However, the engagement of NTPC for PMC is the sole discretion of a member country. The National Focal Point (NFP) of Togo, based on the endorsement of ISA, has sent a communication to DG ISA for engaging NTPC for the PMC services for development of solar PV projects/parks on 70 hectares of identified land in Dapaong (Dalwak Region: Capacity More than 33 MW) and on 500 hectares of identified land in Mango (Savanes Region: Capacity About 250 MW). Togo is the first ISA country to avail the services of NTPC. Speaking on the occasion, R K Singh, minister of power and renewable energy said development of RE projects offer cheaper power, adding that ISA member countries should harness the resource as RE makes it possible to supply electricity to people living in far-flung areas through distributed power supply model. Togo, a West African country, is a member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The country has set an ambitious plan to achieve universal electricity access by 2030 with focus on capacity addition in solar power generation. The country has taken various initiatives to achieve these targets. ISA has taken various initiatives to assist the member countries to develop solar projects. At present, there are 6 ISA programmes to develop solar capacities in member countries These include setting up of agricultural pumps, mini grids, rooftop solar, large scale grid connected projects etc. The programme on large scale grid connected projects on solar park model was approved at the second assembly held on 30 October 2019. Implementation of ISA programmes are member driven and ISA secretariat facilitates the implementation. NTPC Limited is a power sector leader in India, owning an installed generating capacity of more than 58,000 MW, which include 870 MW of solar projects and 1,062 MW under development. Apart from development of own solar projects, the company has been the nodal agency for development of more than 4000 MW of solar projects on IPP model. The novel coronavirus has been declared a public health emergency in the United States, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a White House briefing on Friday. Once the declaration goes into effect at 5 p.m. ET Sunday, US citizens returning to the United States who have been in China's Hubei province in the two weeks before their return will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine, Azar said. US citizens returning from the rest of mainland China in the two weeks prior will face a health screening at a select number of ports of entry, he said. Those citizens also face up to two weeks of monitored self-quarantine to ensure they pose no health risk. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation suspending the entry of foreign nationals who have traveled in China in the last two weeks, Azar said, and could pose a risk of spreading the coronavirus. Foreign nationals who are the immediate family of US citizens or permanent residents are exempt. 'These prudent, targeted and temporary actions will decrease the pressure on public health officials screening incoming travelers, expedite the processing of US citizens and permanent residents returning from China, and ensure resources are focused on the health and safety of the American people,' Azar said. 'I want to stress: the risk of infection for Americans remains low,' he added. 'And with these and our previous actions we're working to keep the risk low.' Azar's announcement came as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the seventh confirmed coronavirus case in the US. The seventh patient is an adult male in Santa Clara County in northern California, the third confirmed case in the state. The man recently traveled to Wuhan, according to health officials. Upon returning to Northern California on January 24, the man self-isolated and did not leave home except to seek medical care, said Dr. Sara Cody, director of Santa Clara County's health department. He was not sick enough to be hospitalized. The health department is reaching out to everyone the man may have had contact with to determine if they may have been exposed to the virus. The outbreak has so far killed at least 258 people and infected more than 10,000 others in China, most of them in the Hubei province. There are at least 140 confirmed cases outside of mainland China. 14-day quarantine ordered for evacuated Americans Earlier Thursday the CDC ordered a federal 14-day quarantine for the 195 Americans on an Air Force base in California recently evacuated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. It's the first such order in more than 50 years. 'While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat, and this is one of the tools in our toolbox to mitigate the potential impact of this novel virus on the United States,' said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. The group of 195 Americans, many of them diplomats and their families, arrived by plane Wednesday at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, and were staying at the base under a three-day voluntary quarantine. US health officials previously said they wouldn't issue a blanket quarantine for the evacuees, as some agreed to stay at the base voluntarily longer than 72 hours. Then Thursday, one of the passengers tried to leave the base and was ordered to stay there in quarantine for a 14-day incubation period 'or until otherwise cleared,' Riverside County Public Health said in a statement. A longtime CDC adviser told CNN Friday morning the agency should consider extending the three-day quarantine because other countries are doing the same for citizens returning from Wuhan. Those include France, South Korea and Australia. The CDC adviser pointed to a report published Thursday night in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that infected people can transmit the virus before they develop symptoms. According to the study, there were five instances of asymptomatic transmission of the Wuhan virus in one cluster. A woman in Shanghai was infected by one of her parents, who had no symptoms. That woman flew to Germany and while she was asymptomatic transmitted the virus to two colleagues. One of those colleagues, while healthy, transmitted the virus to two more coworkers. The last time such a quarantine order was issued was in the 1960s for smallpox evaluation, Dr. Martin Cetron, director of CDC's Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, told reporters Friday. 'We believe that this approach of having a quarantine for the incubation period offers the greatest level of protection for the American public in preventing introduction and spread,' Cetron said. 'That is our primary concern.' 'Is this a nightmare?' Jarred Evans, one of the 195 passengers from Wuhan, told CNN Thursday he 'will stay as long as I need' at the military base. The passengers are wearing protective masks and are spending some time outdoors. 'We're all still taking major precautions. So, it's not like we're around here hugging each other and shaking hands and things like that,' Evans said. Evans spent more than a week holed up in his apartment in Wuhan as coronavirus raced through Wuhan before he landed in the US on the chartered flight. During that time, he said, residents sent panicked messages, warning others to take precaution. 'It hit fast and ... it just was very hectic for, like, three days straight,' he said. 'I got the news from my Chinese friends saying, 'Hey, stay inside. Wear a mask. Don't go outside, stock up on some food because this is going to get serious.' And as you can see, it's very serious.' 'When you're there and there's no transportation, no trains, no subways, no planes, the military is blocking off each and every aspect of the road. No Ubers, nothing. Mom and pop stores are closed. You think to yourself, like, is this real? Is this a movie? Is this a nightmare?' he said. NEW DELHI: Yusuf Jameel, a senior reporter working in Deccan Chronicle based out of Srinagar was chosen for and awarded the 2019-2020 PEN-Gauri Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism for his pioneering work and fearless journalism in Jammu and Kashmir. In its citation for Mr Jameel, the jury panel said, The 2019-2020 PEN-Gauri Lankesh Award for democratic idealism is awarded to Yusuf Jameel. His work in journalism shows an exemplary commitment to professional integrity and ideals of democracy. Starting his career as a journalist with Aftab, Srinagar-based Urdu daily, in early 1980s, he has worked for various newspapers and media agencies since, including The Telegraph, BBC, Reuters, Time, Voice of America and The Asian Age. In the context of rising insurgency in the Kashmir Valley in late eighties and nineties and very complex conflict scenario that has evolved since, his work as a reporter pioneered fearless and candid journalism in Jammu and Kashmir. As a print and radio journalist working in both Urdu and English languages for over three and a half decades, his work shows a deep level of social engagement and concern and has contributed immensely to the traditions of fair and courageous reportage. The members of the award jury included Chandan Gowda, Vinutha Mallya and Asiya Zahoor. PEN South India and PEN Delhi have instituted the annual PEN-Gauri Lankesh Award for Democratic Idealism to cherish idealism and commitment of Gauri Lankesh, assassinated journalist and activist. The award is offered to an individual or organisation whose work reflects an abiding passion and courage towards advancing democratic culture in India. Offered annually on birth anniversary of Gauri Lankesh, it carries a citation and a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh. Pioneering civil engineer and pilot Juan de la Cierva y Codorniu made aeronautical history on 31 January 1922 when he made the first flight in an autogiro. The event took place at the Getafe Air Base (Madrid), one of Spain's oldest military airbases. However, the first flight lasted only three minutes and the aircraft reached a height of just 25 metres. The autogiro, or gyrocopter, is a single-rotor type of aircraft that uses an unpowered rotor in free autorotation to develop lift. Failure to compensate for dissymmetry of lift led de la Cierva to consider alternate means of enabling an autogiro to fly successfully. In 1923, he developed the articulated rotor, which resulted in the world's first successful flight of a stable rotary-wing aircraft, the Cierva C4. Juan de la Cierva, who was born into a wealthy family in Murcia, developed an early interest in aviation and went on to obtain a civil engineering degree. In 1920, the aeronautical engineer began designing an aircraft that could fly safely at low speeds. The Cierva C2 was an experimental autogiro built in 1921, following the failure of the C1 the previous year. Taking the fuselage from a Hanriot biplane, the engineer added a five-bladed single rotor, but work was interrupted when the project ran into financial difficulty. The C2 was completed in 1922, after his next design (C3) had already been built. Attempts to fly the aircraft resulted in repeated crashes, and the machine was rebuilt nine times before being finally abandoned. His next attempt was with the C4, which, in 1923, flew at under the control of Alejandro Gomez Spencer. Later that year, the engine failed during flight and de la Cierva implemented refinements to the design that enabled the aircraft to safely autorotate to the ground. The Cierva C4 was demonstrated to the military at the end of 1923, when the aircraft completed a flight of four kilometres in just over three minutes In 1925, he took the C.6 to Britain and demonstrated it to the Air Ministry at Farnborough. The Farnborough demonstration was a great success and as a direct result, he founded the the Cierva Autogiro Company with Scottish industrialist James G Weir. Juan de la Cierva died in 1936, when a plane he was travelling on blew up shortly after takeoff . His death prevented him from fulfilling his desire to design a reliable aircraft capable of vertical flight. However, it was his technology and visions that were used to achieve this goal. His pioneering work on rotor dynamics and control made possible the modern helicopter. He was inducted into the International Aerospace Hall of Fame in 1966 for his innovation in rotor blade technology. WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Thursday piled new economic sanctions onto its ever-growing pressure campaign against Iran, but it also opened access to medicine for cancer and organ transplant patients in an effort to turn Iranians against their leaders. The medicines are being sent to Iran through businesses in Switzerland, whose government has acted as a conduit between Washington and Tehran. Brian H. Hook, the State Departments special envoy for Iran policy, said at least one European company had already delivered the prescriptions to patients. Mr. Hook accused Irans clerical government of diverting millions of dollars for medical supplies to buy items like electrical cable and tobacco products. In other cases, he said, Tehran sold medicines on the black market and used the profits to fund its military proxies in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. Im sure there are more examples we dont know about, but the Iranian people know that their regime, not American sanctions, are to blame for their difficulties getting medical supplies, Mr. Hook told reporters. Pompeo: There were, are no conditions for Zelensky's visit to Washington U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that there were no conditions for an official visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington He also said during a briefing with President of Ukraine in Kyiv on Friday that there are no conditions for President Zelensky to come to Washington. Pompeo said that the sides need to find appropriate time to arrange a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Zelensky, adding that they wanted to make sure that a substantial progress would have been shown by the time of the meeting. He also said that the U.S. and Ukraine have a lot of tasks to do. "Our teams discuss all of these opportunities. We can see economic opportunities for American enterprises," Pompeo said. He also stressed that the U.S. will always welcome President Zelensky in Washington. "We are sure that such meeting will be held," he said. And Ligourdi said only 4% of carbon emissions each year in the United States comes from natural gas, compared with transportation in the 30% range and electric generation where carbon emissions rate in the high 20% of greenhouse gases. Mendez said that 4% figure is misleading because it does not count the emissions that occur from fracking, the process of injecting water, sand and other chemicals into shale to release natural gas. We dont frack, Ligourdi responded, saying Southwest Gas is simply a distributor. That answer didnt satisfy Mendez. What youre using is fracked somewhere, he said. Committee members also heard from others who talked about greenhouse gas emissions. That included Robert Bulechek, an energy consultant, who argued that lawmakers concerned about the economy need to consider what he said is the $14 billion cost of climate-related disasters like fires, drought and floods. We know, science knows, that climate destruction caused by burning fossil fuels puts our prosperity at risk, he said. But Sen. Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake, sees the issue in a different way. With Valentines Day around the corner, Lajollacooks4u offers one of the most creative escapes for companies looking to bond with their team members. Lajollacooks4us hands-on team-building cooking events combine competition, collaboration and delicious California cuisine, and are all completely customized to create a one-of-a-kind experience for every team that visits its La Jolla-based venue. And this year, Founder and Chef Jodi Abel will be providing a special Valentines Day menu for her guests to prepare and enjoy. Each cooking challenge begins as guests participate in various ice breakers and interactive games. From there, team members are divided into teams and guided by Chef Jodis staff as they compete against each other in creating several different menu items. Teams are judged by taste, presentation and teamwork, and ultimately compete to be the winner with the most points. There is even a marketing infomercial component, which involves each team collaborating on how to best sell their menu item to the judges. Once all teams have completed their recipes, participants reconvene to enjoy the gourmet meals they co-produced, all while recognizing that their success was based on teamwork. For twelve years, weve enjoyed bringing team members together and helping them create lasting memories, said Abel. And what better time to do so than Valentines Day? About Lajollacooks4u: Lajollacooks4u is San Diegos premiere team-building and cooking events company. Since 2008, it has hosted companies from all over the globe, providing guests with a collaborative and one-of-a-kind culinary experience. With skilled facilitators, farm-to-table cuisine and a stunning view overlooking La Jolla, Lajollacooks4u has consistently been ranked one of the areas top attractions by TripAdvisor, having been awarded its Hall of Fame recognition for receiving a Certificate of Excellence five years in a row. For more information on Lajollacooks4us special Valentines Day cooking challenges, contact jodi@lajollacooks4u.com or visit http://www.lajollacooks4u.com. A new study has singled out three British retailers urging them to up their game in banning routine farm antibiotic use. Aldi, Asda and Iceland still allow their suppliers to use antibiotics routinely in animal feed and drinking water, according to a report by Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics. This is despite calls from the United Nations and the World Health Organisation to end the overuse of antibiotics in farming. The campaign group assessed the publicly available antibiotics policies of the 10 leading British supermarkets. It found that Aldi, Asda and Iceland have no restrictions on their meat, dairy and egg suppliers using antibiotics routinely, other than minimum legal requirements. In contrast, the Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose prohibit routine antibiotic use, whereas Morrisons has a ban for some species and not for others. The Alliances campaign manager, Suzi Shingler, said it is 'completely unacceptable' that Aldi, Asda and Iceland are 'putting their customers health at risk'. We know that antibiotic-resistant bacteria can pass to people from food produced with high levels of antibiotics and can end up causing infections which are much more difficult to treat. This is why the WHO and the UN are calling for urgent action. Fortunately, other supermarkets are taking their responsibilities more seriously and this is helping to reduce overall farm antibiotic use, she said. Apart from Iceland, all supermarkets collect some data on their suppliers antibiotic use, but Aldi, Morrisons and Sainsburys have not published any of this data. In the past two years, Asda, the Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Tesco and Waitrose have published some data on their antibiotic use, but none of them have published what the Alliance describes as 'good data' viewed by farming system, such as intensive production, free-range, pasture-fed or organic. Coilin Nunan, scientific adviser of the Alliance, said consumers have a right to know how their food is being produced. If supermarkets are really committed to reducing farm antibiotic use, they should publish antibiotic data viewed by farming system, as this would help all farmers to learn from best practice. Supermarkets are also often failing to introduce strong enough restrictions on the use of the most important antibiotics, the study says. Colistin is an antibiotic used in human medicine as a last-resort for treating highly antibiotic-resistant and life-threatening infections. Scientists believe there should be a total ban on colistin use in farming due to its importance in treating humans. But M&S and Waitrose are the only supermarkets which explicitly prohibit their suppliers from using colistin. Mr Nunan added: Colistin can save lives, and we know its use in farming has led to colistin-resistant infections in humans, which is why India recently banned its farmers from using the antibiotic. So there really can be no excuse for continuing to use colistin in British farming. All supermarkets should immediately prohibit their suppliers from using colistin. Which retailer is doing what to tackle antibiotic use? Waitrose had the most comprehensive antibiotic policies, and M&S and Tesco had the next best policies. Iceland performed worst and was the only supermarket with no publicly available policies. Aldi, Asda and Iceland were the only supermarkets that do not restrict their suppliers from using antibiotics routinely. Co-op, Lidl, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose prohibit routine antibiotic use, whereas Morrisons has a ban for some species and not for others. Only M&S and Waitrose explicitly ban the use of the last-resort antibiotic colistin. Aldi, Iceland, Morrisons and Sainsbury's have not published any data on their farm antibiotic use. None of the ten supermarkets have published antibiotic use data viewed by farming system, such as intensive production, free-range, pasture-fed or organic. Immaculata High School student Nick DiPaolo helps present a "Solar suitcase" project.(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Student representatives and school officials from Catholic schools across the state convened at the State House in Trenton Monday to show how Catholic Schools use science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, to solve a school, local community, or global problem. There were a wide range of projects presented in front of a standing-room only audience in Committee Room 9. Several themes emerged, including conserving food, feeding the hungry and finding ways to provide electrical power to those without. Nick DiPaolo and MJ Bautista, of Immaculata High School, in Somerville, presented their school's project of assembling "Solar Suitcases" sent to needy populations to provide power where there is no existing electrical grid. Don't Edit Immaculata High School student Nick DiPaolo is at right, during the playing of a video from his school.(Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) DiPaolo said he and his classmates learned there's a lack of energy in much of the world. "A lot of schools don't have the energy to even turn lights on, or charge computers, or do any kind of research at night, so they're not learning," DiPaolo said. It's a quintessential win-win. While the students assemble and test the solar suitcases, they learn about how solar panels work, and the people they are sent to benefit, too, by having electrical power at their disposal. Don't Edit Don't Edit Immaculata High School student MJ Bautista gets a selfie with science partner Nick DiPaolo during the tour. The two presented their project, a "Solar suitcase" many of which were assembled by students and sent to needy communities without readily-available electricity. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Gary Nolan, with the Office of Legislative Services, led a tour of the State House before the presentations.. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Don't Edit The tour stops inside the Senate Chambers. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit DePaul Catholic students from left, Jamielyn Juan, Kayla Gelin, Joseph Giordiano with their project, a solar bench that converts to a table. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Seniors from DePaul Catholic, in Wayne, brought their convertible solar bench, which transforms into a table. The unit can power or charge 4 electrical devices and features a panic button, connected to a local police station. Jamielyn Juan said one of their first ideas was to simply construct a pole, similar to the ones on college campuses which feature call boxes, but that idea grew. The design of the bench has been rendered into 3-D software so it can be duplicated, according to Joseph Giordiano. He said future innovations could include wireless charging. Don't Edit Presentations took place in Committee Room 9. (Michael Mancuso | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com) Don't Edit Michael Mancuso may be reached at mmancuso@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @michaelmancuso. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com's newsletters. When Tony and Sanin Siv were on vacation in March they made a pit stop in Cleveland to meet up with an old friend. They were heading to Corpus Christi from Midland. The vacation turned into a business opportunity quickly. Our friend told us that there was a bakery shop close by, and we just went to take a look at it, Sanin said. We came by and saw the building and liked the outside. We liked everything about it and wanted to come to Cleveland. The brother and sister duo from Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia talked it over and decided it was time to pack their bags from West Texas and move to Liberty County and open the Cleveland Donuts & Deli. The doughnut and deli shop debuted on Christmas Eve. There arent just doughnuts, the Siv family offers breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches, burgers, burritos, fresh fruit, drinks, smoothies, and Boba tea. Theres also kolaches too. Everything is made fresh daily for the customers, the Sivs said. A lot of people dont know about us yet, Tony said. When they look at us from the outside, most of them think we only have doughnuts We have so many dishes that we offer. Everything is fresh, and we put a lot of love into our food. We want to make sure the customers are happy. Money comes last to us. After operating for just over a month, customers are slowing starting to come in. More Information Three dishes to try Just a few dishes from Cleveland Donuts & Deli . To check out the full menu go onto the Facebook of the Cleveland Donuts & Deli . 1. Cleveland BF Burrito Ham or bacon, sausage, bell pepper, onion, egg, cheese, potatoes $5.49 2. Morning Star breakfast sandwich Crispy bacon, egg, cheese, avocado, sprouts $5.55 3. Belly Buster deli sandwich Double Pastrami, Greek Pepper, Swiss, Sprouts $6.25 See More Collapse Were excited, Sanin Siv said. Every customer that comes in is happy when they leave. Were really happy to be in Cleveland. Everyone is nice. The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for Cleveland Donuts & Deli and the Siv family is glad to be a part of the community. Being a part of the chamber is important, said the 27-year-old Sanin. They know a lot about the community, and we want to get to know everyone in the community too. We want to welcome everyone in the city to our shop. The shop is located on 1503 E. Houston St., Ste. A Cleveland, which is located right in front of the high school. The shop is open seven days a week from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Siv family is there to support the Cleveland community and provide a first class service, Sanin said. They offer 10% off the menu for students, the military, veterans, and seniors. Its important to have offers for the students because theyre just kids and dont have a lot of money, Tony said. We want to help the military as well and the seniors in the community every little bit that we can do to help is what we want to do. Tony loves the nature that Cleveland provides along with Liberty County. I love it here in Cleveland, Tony said. I love all the trees the animals, and were excited to be here and have everyone come to our store. We will be waiting to see new customers soon. marcus.gutierrez@chron.com A father has been arrested and accused of smothering his one-month-old son to death with a pillow while the child slept. Teshawn Watkins, 27, was arrested in the Bronx on Thursday accused of murdering Kaseem Watkins overnight Tuesday. Police were called to an apartment in the Williamsbridge area early Wednesday by the child's mother after she found him unresponsive in his bassinet. Teshawn Watkins, 27, was arrested on Thursday - a day after one-month-old Kaseem Watkins was found unresponsive in his bassinet at this apartment block in the Bronx The boy was taken to Montefiore Medical Center but pronounced dead on arrival. The mother told police that she had fed Kaseem and put him back to bed around 2am Wednesday when the child had seemed fine. Teshawn has been charged with murder, manslaughter, reckless endangerment and acting in a manner injurious to a child. It is not clear where he is being held or whether he has entered a plea. The Administration for Childrens Services told the New York Daily News that they had previously investigated reports of domestic violence at the address. Police believe Teshawn smothered Kaseem to death with a pillow as he slept in the early hours of Wednesday, after the boy's mother had fed him (file image) The ACS was also forced to take two sons, now aged three and four, away from the family while they were younger, sources told the New York Post. 'There appears to be some evidence that the father has been physical with the children,' a source said. ACS confirmed it is working with police in the latest case, but would not confirmed whether they had been involved with the family previously. After feminist and progressive films like Manmarziyaan, Saand Ki Aankh, and Pink, Taapsee Pannu is back to tell yet another important tale. The trailer of filmmaker Anubhav Sinha's upcoming movie Thappad was unveiled today and netizens couldn't help but call it a "tight slap" on Kabir Singh director Sandeep Reddy Vanga's face. After the slap scene in his blockbuster film, Kabir Singh became the talk of the town, Vanga had said: "When you are deeply in love and deeply connected with a woman, and vice versa, there''s a lot of honesty in it. If you don't have that physical demonstration... you don't have the liberty of slapping each other, then I don't see anything there." His comments didn't go down well with a lot of people. That was last year but netizens got reminded of the whole controversy after watching the trailer of "Thappad". Such a sensitive issue to realize and talk upon. Amazing trailer. Waiting for 28th Feb to release. And, above all coming from one of best actress @taapsee #Thappad #ThappadTrailer https://t.co/zMjeQjhLZD Vishesh Kumar (@vishesh0608) January 31, 2020 Watched the trailer of #Thappad, and @anubhavsinha comes up with another unconventional and hard-hitting tale of our society, with @taapsee set to deliver a superlative performance once again. RELEVANT and REAL how I describe the conflict in the film. Himesh (@HimeshMankad) January 30, 2020 Are you guys headed to correct "Kabir singh" mistakes? It's basically a #Thappad to @shahidkapoor from @taapsee. I know what I'm seeing is what I want to see. Just saying.... https://t.co/7doVZIEqoC Nitish Gupta (@guptanitish009) January 31, 2020 The trailer of #Thappad is a resounding thappad from @taapsee and @anubhavsinha for people who tell you, If you don't have the liberty to slap each other, there's no love there. Ananya Bhattacharya (@ananya116) January 30, 2020 #Thappad looks like a pretty good thappad to Sandeep Reddy Vanga dude bros and Kabir Singh-apologists. Good on you, @anubhavsinha. Abhishek Baxi (@baxiabhishek) January 31, 2020 #Thappad looks so gripping & important. Its not just about a slap but how that slap can trigger a spiral of more abuse causing further suppression. Films like these are the need of the hour! @taapsee @anubhavsinha Anuj Radia (@TheAnujRadia) January 31, 2020 Wow what a trailler!! This is a great slap to those who say " THAPPAD se dar nahi lagta...." Waiting for 28feb#Thappad https://t.co/EIAYGK3KnS Ankit Kumar (@AnkitUbdt) January 31, 2020 I have actually felt uncomfortable and cramped sharing trailers of all the recent @anubhavsinha films. Because lurking inside me is the guilt that many of us - you and me, too! - have actually internalised so many of the biases that he speaks of. Salute!https://t.co/xsuKCNxQv9 Vaibhav Vishal (@ofnosurnamefame) January 31, 2020 Taapsee Pannu attended the special trailer preview along with producer Bhushan Kumar and director Anubhav Sinha in Delhi on Friday. The 32-year-old actor while talking about the film recently shared that 'Thappad' is this year's 'Pink', and seemed very confident about the upcoming project. Earlier, the 'Saand Ki Aankh' actor had released an intriguing poster of the film, in which she seems to be taken aback by what looks like a slap, as the name of the film suggests. The incident unfolded Wednesday at a home in the 6900 block of Lamont Drive just off the Capital Beltway, according to Prince Georges County police. The womans name was not immediately released, pending the notification of her family. New York, Jan 31 : US President Donald appeared to be set for an early acquittal after a key fence-sitting Republican Senator declared that he will not vote to call more witnesses in the historic Senate trial dealing a setback to Democrats. When Lamar Alexander made the announcement late Thursday night, it was clear that the Democrats would not have the majority to force the Senate to call witnesses and prolong the trial. The course of the trial hinged on four Republicans who were wavering. Two of them, Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, have since declared that they would vote with Democrats on the witness issue, while Lisa Murkowski said she would announce her decision on Friday. It was a lost cause for Democrats even if the remaining undecided Senator goes with them because there would be a tie in the 100-member Senate that has 53 Republicans which means the motions to call witnesses would fail. US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, can cast a tie-breaker vote, although it is considered unlikely that he will step into the political maelstrom, preferring to stay neutral. Trump's acquittal by the Senate was a forgone conclusion because a two-thirds majority is required to convict him but the Democrats pursued the impeachment as an outlet for their anger at losing the 2016 election and as a campaign tool for the November election. The two other presidents who had been impeached - Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 - were both acquitted. If the Democrats had their way and called their witnesses, the Republicans and Trump's lawyers could call other witnesses stretching the trial for weeks, a disconcerting prospect for preparations for his upcoming visit to India. Trump is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the Union Address on February 4. The President's lawyer, Jay Sekulow, warned that if the Senate plunged into a cycle of calling witnesses, its legislative work would be paralysed for weeks. Moreveor, because the prosecutors from the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives had claimed they had a conclusive case against Trump after having deposed several witnesses during the House investigations they could not now demand that the Senate call witnesses. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, said that without witnesses it would not be a fair trial. Staving off witnesses is a victory for Republican Senate majority's leader Mitch McConnell who had to maintain party solidarity with Trump. "Tomorrow is a great day," he said on Thursday night. Alexander and Collins announced their decisions after the Senate finished its two days of questioning the prosecutors from the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives which impeached Trump, and the president's legal team. The next stage in the Senate trial is to vote whether to convict or acquit Trump. But on Friday the Democrats will press for a vote on witnesses before that is taken up and offer procedural amendments, which will delay the final vote on the verdict. Trump is charged with abuse of power because he requested Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to probe the dealings of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, in that country. He is also charged in the House impeachment with obstruction of Congress for refusing to allow some witnesses to testify before House investigators and produce documents they requested. Democrats want to call John Bolton, who was fired as National Security Adviser by Trump, to testify. He is reported to have written in the manuscript of a book that Trump froze $371 million in military aid to Ukraine to pressure Zelensky to probe the Bidens. The former Vice President is the leading contender for the Democratic Party nomination to challenge Trump's re-election bid and asking Ukraine to investigate him amounts to abuse of power inviting foreign interference in US election, Democrats have maintained. Delaying aid threatened national security because US ally Ukraine is at war with Russia. The Republicans issued an implicit threat to demand that the Bidens also testify if the Democrats were to succeed in calling Bolton, Although Alexander said he is against calling witnesses or convicting Trump, in a criticism of the President he asserted that the Democrats had proved their case. But that "does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offence", he said. He added in his statement: "The Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year's ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate." That is in line with Trump's lawyer and Harvard constitutional law expert Alan Dershowitz's argument that even if Trump was guilty as charged, what he is accused of committing does not rise to the Constitution's standard of "high crimes and misdemeanours" for removal from office The focus now shifts to Democrat senators from states where Trump won. Politico reported that three Democrat Senators from West Virginia, Albama and Arizona that backed Trump in 2016 were "wrestling" with whether to vote to convict or acquit Trump. The relevance of Bolton and the Bidens as witnesses came up frequently in the questions asked by senators on Thursday to the prosecutors and the defence. Senators were not allowed to ask the questions directly and they had to send them in writing to Roberts who directed them to either side. A dramatic moment in the trial on Thursday came when Roberts refused to read out a question sent in by Republican Senator Rand Paul which named the whistleblower who first revealed Trump's request to Zelensky. He is a Central Intelligence Agency officer who had served in the National Security Council. Although some media have revealed his identity, as has Trump in retweet, there is a consensus to not name him. Paul wanted to know if the CIA officer and a House Intelligence Committee employee had conspired to create the grounds for the impeachment. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Weather Alert ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST THURSDAY... ...WIND CHILL WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...For the Winter Weather Advisory, light glaze of ice accumulation is possible. For the Wind Chill Watch, dangerously cold wind chills possible. Wind chills as low as 30 to 40 below zero. * WHERE...Portions of central, northeast and northwest Vermont and northern New York. * WHEN...For the Winter Weather Advisory, until 5 AM EST Thursday. For the Wind Chill Watch, from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Plan on areas of slippery road conditions this evening from pockets of freezing drizzle. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A period of light freezing drizzle this evening should transition to snow showers by early Thursday morning. Lowest wind chills will be between 2 AM and 10 AM Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Please allow extra time if travel is necessary. && ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EST THURSDAY... ...WIND CHILL WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...For the Winter Weather Advisory, light glaze of ice accumulation is possible. For the Wind Chill Watch, dangerously cold wind chills possible. Wind chills as low as 30 to 40 below zero. * WHERE...Portions of central, northeast and northwest Vermont and northern New York. * WHEN...For the Winter Weather Advisory, until 5 AM EST Thursday. For the Wind Chill Watch, from Friday evening through Saturday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Plan on areas of slippery road conditions this evening from pockets of freezing drizzle. The dangerously cold wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A period of light freezing drizzle this evening should transition to snow showers by early Thursday morning. Lowest wind chills will be between 2 AM and 10 AM Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation. Please allow extra time if travel is necessary. && (Bloomberg) -- President Vladimir Putins pardon of an Israeli woman imprisoned in Russia on drug-smuggling charges gave a much-needed electoral gift to visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Naama Issachar, 26, was released Thursday from a prison outside of Moscow, according to Russias Federal Penitentiary Service. She was arrested in April and sentenced in October to 7 1/2 years for carrying a small amount of hashish on a transit flight via Moscow after a backpacking trip to India. Putin pardoned Issachar late Wednesday. He had previously rebuffed Netanyahus appeals for her release and his about-face couldnt have been timed better for the premier, whos battling fraud and bribery charges ahead of March elections. The Israeli leader flew to Moscow from Washington, where he attended the unveiling of the U.S. Middle East peace plan, whose heavy tilt in Israels direction also favored his campaign. Netanyahu said Russian-Israeli relations were the strongest in history as he thanked Putin at a Kremlin meeting, where the two men were due to discuss President Donald Trumps new initiative to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The prime ministers Twitter account later posted footage of him greeting a smiling Issachar and her mother, Yaffa, at Moscows Vnukovo airport. His plane later departed for Israel with the Issachars on board. A Kremlin foreign policy aide said earlier this month that Israel and Russia had made progress in settling a dispute over the ownership of Russian Orthodox Church property in Jerusalem, which Israels Haaretz newspaper said could form part of a quid pro quo to secure Issachars release. The property wasnt mentioned in public statements in Moscow on Thursday. Yaffa Issachar asked the Russian leader in November to pardon her daughter in a letter handed to him by Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem. Last week, she met with Putin in Jerusalem, where the president attended an international forum on the Holocaust on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Red Armys liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz death camp. Story continues Toughest Battle Earlier this week, Netanyahu was standing next to Trump and praising his peace plan as a historic opportunity to annex swaths of West Bank territory. With Issachars release -- shell be flying back home with him on his plane, Israeli media reported -- he now has another triumph to brandish as he faces the toughest battle of his political life. Victory eluded him in two inconclusive elections last year, and hes started framing the March 2 vote as a contest between a prime minister burnishing Israels security, economy and global standing, and the inexperience of former military chief Benny Gantz, a political novice. His campaign also showcases Israels recent natural gas deals with Egypt and Jordan, for which he takes credit. As of late Wednesday, Netanyahus achievements hadnt pushed his Likud party past Gantzs Blue and White bloc in the polls, though neither man is expected to have enough support to form a majority government and break Israels political stalemate. (Updates with Issachar departing Russia in fifth paragraph.) --With assistance from Henry Meyer, Alex Sazonov and Jake Rudnitsky. To contact the reporters on this story: Ilya Arkhipov in Moscow at iarkhipov@bloomberg.net;Yaacov Benmeleh in Moscow at ybenmeleh@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Pierre Paulden at ppaulden@bloomberg.net, Tony Halpin, Paul Abelsky For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Billie Lourd beamed in a black-and-white outfit Thursday while attending the 35th annual Artios Awards in Beverly Hills, California. The 27-year-old actress wore a white sleeveless gown with a front cutout upon arrival at The Beverly Hilton Hotel for the awards ceremony honoring the best in casting. The floor-length dress was cinched at the waist with a pair of black leather bands with black trim along the cutout and around the collar. Awards ceremony: Billie Lourd beamed in a black-and-white outfit Thursday while attending the Artios Awards in Beverly Hills, California Billie completed her outfit with black heels. She accessorized with thick black hoop earrings and accentuated her natural beauty with full eye makeup and red lipstick. Billie had her blonde hair pulled back into a high knot. The actress honored her late mother Carrie Fisher by stepping into her role of Princess Leia for the latest installment of the Star Wars saga The Rise Of Skywalker. Hollywood star: The 27-year-old actress wore a white sleeveless gown with a front triangle cutout upon arrival at The Beverly Hilton Hotel for the 35th annual awards ceremony Black and white: Billie accessorized with black nail polish that matched the trim of her dress Long skirt: The Los Angeles native showed off her long pleated skirt on the carpet Billie with the help of some special effects magic transformed into her mother's character for an important flashback scene between Leia and her Jedi brother Luke. Carrie died on December 27, 2016 at age 60 a few days after experiencing a medical emergency during a flight from London to LAX. Billie has been part of the Star Wars sci-fi universe from her role as Lieutenant Kaydel Ko Connix in The Force Awakens (2015), The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise Of Skywalker released in December. Iconic role: Billie, shown earlier this month in Beverly Hills, honored her late mother Carrie Fisher by stepping into her role of Princess Leia for the latest installment of the Star Wars saga The Rise Of Skywalker She recently starred as aerobics enthusiast Montana Duke in the anthology series American Horror Story: 1984. She also is known for her portrayal of Chanel #3 in the Fox comedy horror series Scream Queens. Billie is the only child of her late mother Carrie and talent agent Bryan Lourd, 59. Why it matters: One of the best elements of PC gaming is the plethora of graphical options at our disposal. Its something that consoles have been unable to match, but the Xbox Series X could feature a first for the machines: support for ultrawide monitors. Speaking to PCGamesN, Samsung said it is pushing Microsoft to enable ultrawide aspect ratios on its consoles, possibly starting with the Xbox Series X that launches this holiday season. Were pushing, were talking, a Samsung rep told the publication. With 21:9 and 32:9 monitors becoming more popular, an increasing number of games are supporting the ultrawide format. But while the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X support 4K resolutions and HDR, theyre limited to a 16:9 aspect ratio. You could still hook one up to an ultrawide monitor, of course, though it would mean playing with some distracting black bars down each side of the screen. The report states that Samsung has previously worked with Microsoft to implement ultrawide gaming on an ad hoc basis, but the feature has never received a public release. The latest consoles are still very limited when it comes to graphical options; if a game does offer them, its usually a straight choice between prioritizing performance or quality. Microsoft has long been trying to close the gap between its consoles and Windows PCs by adding cross-platform features, but even if the Xbox Series X does have ultrawide support, which is far from guaranteed, it will require games that take advantage of it. However, Microsoft will know that support for PC-style graphics settings will make the console more appealing, especially to those who want to use it with their monitors. OTTAWA - Two long-range Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear missiles buzzed Canadian airspace on Friday morning, the North American Aerospace Defence Command said, days after a senior military officer warned that North America's early-warning system is outdated. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Two long-range Russian bombers buzzed Canadian airspace this morning, only days after a senior military officer warned that North America's early-warning system is outdated. Russia's strategic bomber Tu-160 or White Swan, the largest supersonic bomber in the world, seen at Engels Air Base near Saratov, about 700 kilometers southeast of Moscow, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Misha Japaridze OTTAWA - Two long-range Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear missiles buzzed Canadian airspace on Friday morning, the North American Aerospace Defence Command said, days after a senior military officer warned that North America's early-warning system is outdated. The two TU-160 Blackjack bombers crossed the North Pole and approached Canada from western Russia, but remained in international airspace before departing, according to Norad. Norad said it tracked the supersonic bombers as they flew through Canada's air defence identification zone, which is an area of international airspace the military monitors to protect against any possible attack, but did not scramble fighters to intercept the Russians. It was the first time Russian bombers have been detected approaching North America since August, when Russia conducted a number of bomber flights in the Arctic, the Baltics and other places. "Our adversaries continue to flex their long-range weapons systems and engage in increasingly aggressive efforts, to include the approaches to the United States and Canada," Gen. Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, the U.S. commander of Norad, said in a statement on Friday. "Norad is driven by a single unyielding priority: defending the U.S. and Canada, our homelands, from attack." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. This most recent flight follows increased warnings from Canadian and U.S. military officers, including O'Shaughnessy, that the technology underpinning the Norad system is obsolete. The most recent officer to voice such concerns was Commodore Jamie Clarke, a Canadian who is Norad's deputy director of strategy. He said this week that Norad cannot identify and track long-range Russian bombers before they are close enough to launch missiles at the continent. The federal government has said it is committed to modernizing the system, but talks with the U.S. have been minimal and no money has been set aside for what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar project. Norad's technology was last upgraded in the 1980s, before the end of the Cold War, though the U.S. did incorporate the ability to shoot down incoming missiles in the mid-2000s. Canada decided in 2005 against joining what is now known as ballistic-missile defence. Since then, Russia and China have been developing and building new weapons that can strike North America from afar, including cruise and hypersonic missiles, drones, along with more advanced submarines and other naval vessels as well as space-based and cyber weapons. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Efforts by both the Reagan and Trump administrations to level the playing field have met with insufficient success. The powers of China and emerging markets are rising. by Professor Michael R. Czinkota After signing the United States - Mexico - Canada agreement and Phase 1 of the China trade deal, President Trump has now moved his international trade focus onto some of the closest U.S. allies, the European Union. During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he proposed tariffs on auto imports from the EU, on wines, cheese, yogurt, and handbags from France, and on whiskies from Ireland. Theinternational trade policy efforts by Trump are remindful of President Ronald Reagan. Both presidents are stars of the Republican party and very frowned upon by Democrats. Trump and Reaganwere focused on reducing the U.S. trade deficit and increasing the global competitiveness of U.S. industry.A look onto the past will provide a better understanding on whether Trumps bold approach to trade policy wins over Reagans more sedate procedures. The 1980s: The U.S. trade deficit was significant and growing precipitously. In the early Reagan years, it averaged $30 billion and reached $123 billion by late 1984. Reagans preference for free trade contributed to the Administrations initial lassitude on this deficit. Gradually, however, calls for protectionism emerged.Examples were the U.S. automotive and footwear industries. Even clothespins were considered by some worthy of protection against foreign imports. In response, Reagan signed the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984 to reduce unfair global trade practices. There werealso additional efforts to increase exports. Reagan announced bilateral trade agreements with Israel, and later with Canada. New rules were implemented to ease U.S. trade with China, yet the trade deficit continued to rise and reached $148 billion in 1985. The final, major trade legislation of the Reagan administration was the Omnibus and Competitiveness Act of 1988, which authorized negotiations in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and required the U.S. Trade Representative to take aggressive corrective action against countries that had large trade surpluses with the U.S. The end of the Reagan years coincided with a sharp rise in globalization forces.The emergence of new technologies in transportation, communications, and information dramatically lowered the costs of international business and marked a rise of worldwide competition. Trade Policy After 2016 Similar to Reagan, Trump has focused on fair trade. Some considerhis approach more aggressive and populist. Trump ignited a new fervor in international trade policy. His tariffs have been imposed rapidly and often with little debate. His style has managed to concentrate the focus of trade partners. The constantly hammered message says: trade is now important to the U.S. Trump has argued consistently that the U.S. has been ignored or treated unfairly for decades in trade related matters.He has pushed an America First policy with no more ongoing global support from the U.S. He renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), eliminated the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), as well as criticized major companies such as Carrier, Ford, and Mondelez for selecting their production location without patriotic consideration. Trump tariffs of 2018 covered about $304 billion of imports into the U.S. Together with other forms of protection, they have had limited effects on the U.S. trade deficit. Some countriesfiled formal complaints against the U.S. with the World Trade Organization (WTO). Trump responded by threatening corrective measures against the WTO if U.S. interests were not considered. Comparing Reagan and Trump Reagans policy endeavors were initially quite modest but became more assertive over time. Efforts sought to reduce the growing U.S. trade deficit with Japan and bolster American industrial exports. Trumps trade deficit is significantly larger both in real and relative terms. Trumps policyuses more harsh, aggressive, and clear approaches stating his expectations and demands, as well as reflecting the consequences of nonconformity. Efforts by both the Reagan and Trump administrations to level the playing field have met with insufficient success. The powers of China and emerging markets are rising. American influence around the world should not become precarious. The time is right for further enlightened action on international trade. Countries need to understandthe drivers of U.S. policy, which requires embracement of new approaches, new linkages, and new leadership directions for an entirely new era. Professor Michael Czinkota teaches international marketing and business at Georgetown University. His most recent book is In Search for the Soul of International Business, 2019. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Reagan and Bush Administrations. WASHINGTON The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and announced significant entry restrictions because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the federal response, announced that President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar entry to the U.S. of foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus. The new restrictions take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday. "It is likely that we will continue to see more cases in the United States in the coming days and weeks, including some limited person-to-person transmissions, Azar said. The American public can be assured the full weight of the U.S. government is working to safeguard the health and safety of the American people. Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Beginning Sunday, the U.S. will also begin funneling all flights to the U.S. from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for illness. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. A public health emergency in the U.S. allows the government to tap additional resources to send to states, such as emergency funding and if necessary drugs or equipment from the national stockpile, and to suspend certain legal requirements. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also said the risk to the American public currently is low. He added: I want to emphasize that this is a significant global situation and it continues to involve." There are six cases of this virus in the U.S. and 191 individuals are being monitored, Redfield said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said one reason the U.S. stepped up its quarantine measures was an alarming report from Germany that a traveler from China had spread the virus despite showing no symptoms. Fauci contrasted it with the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola, which cant be spread unless someone is very ill. At the same time, federal health authorities were recognizing that the test theyre using to detect the virus isnt always dependable. Redfield said when it was used on some of the people currently in isolation, theyd test positive one day and negative another. Of the six U.S. patients so far, airport screening detected only one. Astute doctors caught four others, after the people sought care and revealed that theyd traveled to China, Redfield said. And the CDC diagnosed the most recent case, the spouse of one of those earlier cases, who was being closely monitored. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University expert on public health law, said putting a large number of people under quarantine is virtually unprecedented in modern American history. But I think its justified, he said, noting the evacuees had been in a hot zone for the virus for a long time. The announcement came hours after the State Department issued a level 4 Do Not Travel" advisory, the highest grade of warning, and told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice," the advisory said. Hours later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced they were suspending all flights between the U.S. and China, joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the virus outbreak continues to spread. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, provincial capital of Hubei province. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about the potential spread of smallpox, the CDC said. "We understand this action may seem drastic. We would rather be remembered for over-reacting than under-reacting," the CDC's Dr. Nancy Messonnier said. None of the Americans being housed at a Southern California military base has shown signs of illness. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases Friday, the vast majority in Hubei province. The National Health Commission reported 171 cases of people who have been "cured and discharged from hospital." WHO has said most people who got the illness had milder cases, though 20% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms include fever and cough, and in severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine, while foreign countries, companies and airlines have cut back severely on travel to China and quarantined those who recently passed through Wuhan. Infected people don't show symptoms immediately and may be able to pass on the virus before they appear sick. American Airlines said it was halting all flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. It said the stoppage will continue through April 30. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. The U.S. screening airports are John F. Kennedy International in New York, San Francisco International in California, Seattle-Tacoma International in Washington, O'Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia, and Daniel K. Inouye International in Hawaii. Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, at least 23 countries have reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China, and WHO noted with its emergency declaration Thursday it was especially concerned that some cases abroad also involved human-to-human transmission. It defines an international emergency as an extraordinary event that poses a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care," the embassy said. Mike Wester, a businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave. I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel, Wester said. He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks. Japan and Germany also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao. Popular holiday and shopping destination Singapore barred Chinese from traveling there, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to do so. Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade, he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus is worrying. In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, five employees of a German auto parts supplier became ill after a Chinese colleague visited, including two who had no direct contact with the woman, who showed no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. On Friday, Germany confirmed a sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected. Thats the kind of transmission chain that we dont want to see, said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHOs emergency committee. The new virus has now infected more people globally than were sickened during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bernardo Soares did not exist, not in a tactile way. Yet he did buy bananas in this city and ride its yellow trams. He dreamt here. He nursed a coffee in this cafe, watching people cross the square, just as Im doing now, emulating the man who technically wasnt. On paper, Bernardo worked as an assistant bookkeeper in a fabrics firm a few blocks from here. He clocked in. Balanced numbers. Or as he put it: Every day I meticulously write the lines of the epic commercial poem that is Vasques & Co. He also kept a diary of sorts, a stream of inklings committed to sheets of paper, stored in a loose-leaf bundle on Rua dos Douradores, where Bernardo lived alone. If not for the work of Maria Aliete Galhoz, and other literary detectives to comb the apartment in subsequent years, those pages would never have outlived Bernardo himself. Gratefully, his words now lie beside my coffee. Typed, bound, they make up the Book of Disquiet, as written by Fernando Pessoa, a man who knew Bernardo well. I had no idea about the work before buying it. Id not heard of Pessoa, or his make-believe bookkeeper. Rather Id been seeking a voice to help me decode Lisbon in some small way, and Disquiet came to the rescue. Better than a map, deeper than a guidebook, the right work of fiction translates a city. Last month, I spent 10 days in the Portuguese capital, enriched by Pessoas words. (I leave the tram exhausted, like a sleepwalker, having lived a whole life.) Octavio Paz, the Mexican Nobelist, labelled Pessoa as the solemn investigator of futile things. 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. PYTHIO, Greece - Greece is stepping up security on its porous land border with Turkey, used by thousands of migrants to clandestinely enter Europe, with extra guards supported by a network of powerful surveillance cameras, officials said Friday. The country is struggling with a surge of immigration through Turkey, and is now the main point of entry to Europe. Greek island migrant camps, which receive most new arrivals, are dysfunctional and severely overcrowded, while this week details emerged of a plan to set up a floating barrier to block migrant boats in the Aegean Sea. On the northeastern land border with Turkey, that mostly follows the Evros River, army and police have launched joint patrols while police are hiring 400 more border guards to deploy locally, officials said. We have already started the joint patrols, said Ilias Akidis, police union head in the nearby town of Orestiada. And installation of the 11 surveillance cameras along the river (will soon be) implemented. Greece has already erected a 10-kilometre (six-mile) fence along part of the border where the river veers away, leaving dry land that migrants could easily walk across. The cameras will be erected on 50-meter (165-foot) high stands, and will each be able to monitor a 10-kilometre stretch of the 200-kilometre (125-mile) border. The cameras will cover what we cant fully monitor with personnel in the field ... because its a long stretch of river, Akidis said. Greece currently has the highest number of migrant arrivals in Europe, with about 75,000 last year including some 15,000 on the Evros, according to U.N. refugee agency UNHCR. While thats still far from the nearly 1 million arrivals of 2015, at the peak of Europes immigration crisis, its 50% up from 2018. And unlike in 2015 when nearly all continued to Europes prosperous heartland most end up trapped in Greece following Balkan border closures. More than 112,000 people are stuck in Greece, according to UNHCR. Evros residents say the flow is constant. I believe that in 2019 there were more (arrivals) than in 2015, said Haris Theoharidis, former mayor of the village of Pythio. There arent families coming across any more. Now theyre all groups of 20-90 people, all men aged under 30 ... Most say they want to continue their journey to Italy. Those unwilling to risk detection at seaports for Italy-bound ferries pay smuggling rings to get them across the North Macedonian or Albanian border. On Friday, police in Thessaloniki rescued four Afghan men trapped in a ships container with television sets from China, which had been to travel by train through North Macedonia on to Hungary. The men said they spent three days in the container, having broken into it in Thessaloniki, the main destination for migrants entering from Evros. They made it to the North Macedonian border but the container was sent back to Thessaloniki by guards who noticed it wasnt properly sealed. ___ Follow Costas Kantouris at http://www.twitter.com/CostasKantouris Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) Face masks are back in demand just weeks after Taal volcano's ashfall this time as protection against the novel coronavirus. The Department of Health on Thursday confirmed the first case of the deadly disease in the Philippines: a 38-year-old Chinese woman who flew to Cebu, Dumaguete, and Manila last week. Authorities said all measures are being taken to contain the spread of the virus, and urged the public to stay calm but vigilant in protecting themselves from the disease. Demand for N95 as well as surgical masks have spiked following the news, with most supply stores declaring that the protective gear are all sold. Former Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said reusable cloth masks may be used as the alternative to the masks used in hospitals, but it would have to be washed in soap and water everyday. "You can use cloth masks but they are not as effective as the surgical masks in the same way that surgical masks are not as effective as the N95 (mask) but better than nothing, I would say," Cabral told CNN Philippines. In general, face masks need daily washing while the disposable surgical masks must be changed every four hours. "You need to wash it frequently, because the virus if theres any that you catch in the mask will stay in the mask," Cabral added. Wearing the mask Wearing masks must be accompanied by proper hygiene, especially the practice of frequent and thorough handwashing. Cabral said people must wash their hands with soap, as putting these under running water would not be enough to flush bacteria out. At the minimum, hands must be washed before meals and after going to the toilet. Cabral reminded that surgical masks should be worn as close to the face as possible, covering the nose and mouth with the lower end stretched to the chin. A thin metal in the lining of surgical masks should be pinched to be molded to the nose. The World Health Organization and the Philippine Red Cross said the colored side of the surgical masks should be facing out. However, Cabral said there's not much difference. "It is not 100 percent perfect kasi makikita mo na may mga butas naman siya na pwedeng pumasok ang hangin, but it is better than hindi [It is not 100 percent effective because there are still gaps where air can flow through, but it's better than not wearing any]," Cabral added, saying it's about 90 percent effective. Meanwhile, she said the more secure N95 masks should be used in the hospital when a person is going to be exposed directly to an infected patient. Cabral said the 2019-nCoV can be transmitted when an infected patient coughs or sneezes. The virus is released to the air and can land on one's face or on accessible surfaces, which one could end up touching. She clarified that it may be safe not to wear face masks in areas where one is sure that no person with coronavirus has entered. "Kung ikaw ay nasa mall, hindi mo alam kung sino ang taong nandoon, kung nanggaling ba sila ng China at merong coronavirus [Translation: If you are at the mall, you don't know who else are there if they came from China and has the coronavirus]," she added. Cabral also debunked claims that gargling water with salt would help get rid of the virus: "I dont know whether that is true or not because there is no study on that... pero the virus, if you already have it, it will take its course. Kung magkakasakit ka sa virus na 'yan, magkakasakit ka [If you will get sick, you will get sick]." CNN International reported that there are over 9,700 cases worldwide, with 213 people dead in mainland China as of early Friday. The 2019-nCoV has spread to 23 countries. Cabral said more 2019-nCoV cases are expected to be confirmed as the virus spreads fast compared to previous viral diseases reported globally. READ: China marks deadliest day as WHO declares global health emergency in fight against novel coronavirus Former Presidential aide now Senator Bong Go said President Rodrigo Duterte has set a meeting with medical experts next week to discuss measures to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus. In a statement, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar advised the public to "avoid crowded places," use mask and gloves, and observe proper hygiene to prevent the transmission of the virus. In his address, Minister Jagutpal highlighted that the good health of the population remains the priority of Government for a healthy society. T he Mediclinic, he said, forms part of a series of infrastructural projects in the health sector, seeking to improve the quality of life of citizens. They comprise the new ENT hospital which is already operational; the construction of a new Flacq Hospital and a new eye hospital in Moka; and the upcoming inauguration of an Area Health Centre in Petite Riviere and Baie du Tombeau. He added that this newly built facility equipped with modern equipment will help to decentralise the services of the hospital by providing medical, nursing, dispensary and support services at local level itself. With regards to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the Minister reassured the population that all precautionary measures are being taken in Mauritius. He advised them not to be scared as the virus is a human to human transmission and all passengers are undergoing manual and electronic temperature screening at the airport. Individuals with symptoms of fever are being sent to Souillac hospital for 14 days, a period of incubation of the virus. Also speaking on the precautions related to coronavirus, Minister Bodha indicated that all flights to mainland China has been suspended by the national airline, Air Mauritius, and only the two flights per week to Hong Kong have been maintained. He pointed out that there are 14 Mauritians including a child who are actually at Wuhan and they are in good health. However, he stated, they would like to come back for safety reasons while adding that the needful will done with the help of French Government who is evacuating its citizens from China. The Mauritian Government, he underlined, will bear the cost to bring these Mauritians. For Mauritians living outside of Wuhan and willing to return to Mauritius, he indicated that they can contact Air Mauritius through a special desk which has been set up. As for Chinese tourists who are in Mauritius, he stated that Air Mauritius will also provide facilities to them and if they want to extend their stay, the Ministry will look into the matter so as to provide the necessary support. Floreal mediclinic The mediclinic will cater for patients in the area stretching from Dubreuil to Candos including Allee Brilliant, Cite Mangalkhan and Cite Loiseau. It comprises consultation rooms, treatment rooms, waiting area for patients, Non-communicable diseases (NCD) Clinic, Day Care Area, Dental Clinic, Rehabilitation Area, Family Planning Clinic, and Ante Natal Clinic. It will operate on a daily basis and the general consultations will start as from 16 00 to 21 00 hours. Uttar Pradesh police says it arrested eight people linked to the controversial Popular Front of India (PFI) on Friday on suspicion of their involvement in the violence during anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the last two months that have resulted in 24 deaths in the state so far. Of the eight, three were arrested in Lucknow and five in Kanpur. Shakilurahman (40), Shabi Khan (35) and Md Arshad (36) were arrested in Lucknow for alleged involvement in the violence during an anti-CAA protest on December 19 in the capital. The police said the arrested men had been absconding since a case was filed against them. Deputy commissioner of police (North) Sarvashresth Tripathi said, During the interrogation, they revealed that they work for the Popular Front of India (PFI). We are investigating their role in the violence. Another cop said the arrested men were involved with the publicity of the organisation and were present at the venue of the protests during the violence. They have been booked for unlawful assembly, misbehaving with police, criminal conspiracy, theft and attempt to murder, he added. This is second such arrest in the town, Mohd Asfaq and Nadeem, the treasurer and the state president of the PFI were arrested in December last year for instigating violence during anti-CAA protest in Lucknow. As per the police probe, they used over 16 closed messaging groups and other social media platforms to invite people to the anti-CAA protest. In Kanpur, a special investigation team (SIT) arrested five people for suspected links with PFI and involvement in December 19 anti-CAA violence in Kanpur. The inspector general of police, Kanpur range, Mohit Agarwal said that the SIT (Special Investigation Team) arrested the accused on Friday morning after learning that they were headed at the chief ministers event in Kanpur today to protest. On catching them and in follow-up investigation, the team found that they were involved in violence in anti-CAA protest in Kanpur and that they have links with the PFI, said the IG. The names of the arrested men are: Mohammad Umar, Syed Abdul Hai Hashmi, Faizan Mumtaz, Md Wasif and Sarwar Alam. All have been booked for vandalism, violence, rioting, attempt to murder etc. PFI, a Kerala-based organization is under the lens for anti-national activities and is suspected to be a front for the banned radical organization, SIMI. A petition seeking a ban on PFI is before the home ministry for consideration. FILE PHOTO: A bison wallows in dry soil in an undated photo in northern Alberta By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) - Canada's wood bison, who live in northern Alberta near the proposed site of Teck Resources Ltd's Frontier oil sands project, face "imminent threats" to their recovery, a report from the country's environment department said. A one-page summary released late on Wednesday said Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has concluded that "immediate intervention is required to allow for recovery." The summary does not mention Frontier, which would operate for 40 years starting in 2026. But it said the Ronald Lake herd is at risk of contracting disease in the Wood Buffalo National Park and of losing range to "proposed industrial activities." Wilkinson must decide by the end of February whether to approve C$20.6-billion ($15.67 billion) Frontier. He could also delay. In a statement, Wilkinson said he takes indigenous concerns about the bison "very seriously." He said Ottawa is working with Alberta to further protect the herds. "Action to protect the bison is required regardless of the Teck Frontier project. The decision regarding the Frontier oil sands mine is a separate decision." If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government says yes to Frontier, it would jeopardize his promise to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Saying no could infuriate Alberta, which is already angry over a perceived federal bias against the energy industry. Canada has listed the wood bison, North America's largest land mammal, as threatened since 2003. Nine of 12 free-ranging herds are disease-free, and a federal strategy aims to help the population recover. Two herds in northeastern Alberta face imminent threats, the report said. Frontier would encompass part of the Ronald Lake herd's range. Development could cause the bison to move into the park, putting it in contact with herds carrying bovine tuberculosis or brucellosis, according to a report last year commissioned by the federal government and Alberta Energy Regulator. Story continues Their continued use by indigenous peoples depends on remaining disease-free. It is unlikely that Ottawa could impose conditions on Frontier to protect the bison, said Carolyn Campbell, conservation specialist at Alberta Wilderness Association. "We dont have confidence that putting a big open-pit mine smack dab in the middle of a bison herd could be mitigated." If Frontier proceeds, Teck will build barriers to keep the herd from Frontier operations, reclaim land for habitat, and maintain indigenous access, spokesman Chris Stannell said. Chief Executive Don Lindsay said on Wednesday that the company needs a pipeline to be built, a partner, and favorable oil prices before deciding to proceed with Frontier. (Reporting by Rod Nickel in Winnipeg, Manitoba; additional reporting by Kelsey Johnson in Ottawa; Editing by Marguerita Choy) Piyush Goyal's comments about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's investment in India reveals an inability to understand how businesses function, says Kanika Datta. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's tetchy comments about Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' $1 billion investment in India have been seen as an attempt to reassure his party's traditional base of small traders and distributors. In the tone and tenor of his comments, however, Mr Goyal unwittingly revealed two key weaknesses of the government he represents. One: An inability to understand how businesses function. Two: The lack of growth and employment opportunities in the economy. The first infirmity has been in evidence since the Narendra Damodardas Modi-led National Democratic Alliance's first term, when some 86% of currency in circulation was withdrawn and a complex new indirect tax system imposed without even meaningful beta-testing. These mega-moves over 2016 and 2017 are recognised by most thinking people as costly own-goals that have dragged the economy down into a unique Hindutva Rate of Growth. When Mr Goyal robustly observed that Amazon should 'jolly well' finance the losses in its India business, he displayed a similar lack of knowledge. Financing losses is not a weakness. Unless they are powerful enough to manipulate the domestic regulatory environment, most companies absorb losses to establish market share. That is Business 101. How long a business is willing to do so depends on many variables -- economic growth, the quality of policy and other ease of doing business conditions, the company's own health and so on. In truth, the difference between that strategy and unfair trade practices can be a fine one, but that's a call for an independent competition regulator, the emphasis being on independent. It is possible to argue that Amazon has been around in India for almost seven years and it 'jolly well' should have started making profits. After all, the global major took about that much time to register its first profit in the US. Equally, the online retailing conglomerate did not have to operate in the US under the constantly variable and restrictive policies imposed on the retail industry -- whether brick and mortar or online, wholesale or consumer-facing -- by successive regimes in Delhi. Recounting the complex policy flips and flops over the past 14 years would take up more than the wordage of this column. To be clear, it is entirely Mr Goyal's prerogative not to meet Mr Bezos, whose Washington Post has been sharply critical of the Modi government's citizenship policies. Indeed, there is no reason he should have been obliged to just because Mr Bezos is looking to get richer on the back of the Indian consumer. In that sense, he is right in saying that Mr Bezos is doing India no favours. But it would have been best had Mr Goyal not spoken at all; all told, he has sent a discouraging signal to a global investing community that still eyes India's market despite the rising tide of protectionism. It has been argued that Mr Goyal's defence of the small trader community is valid because it stands to lose out against multinational online competition. From the Industrial Revolution onward, disruptive technologies have rendered whole swathes of traditional businesses redundant. Just as big box retail gradually saw the decline of small retailers in the West, so online retail threatens physical retail, and smaller establishments will always be more vulnerable. The transition is not without pain, but economic expansion usually enables adjustments over time. There's the rub. The transition trajectory for small retailers and traders would have been far less problematic had the economy been growing faster so that those whose livelihoods in small retailing outfits are threatened find alternative employment. Since that's not been happening, and in the absence of a social safety net, small traders have little option but to exercise their lobbying powers the best they can. Still, it is hard to escape the notion that a political base is being placated ahead of a critical state election. If the broad principle of the enlightened Ludditism were being applied in this case, then the government should also deplore the rise and rise of robots on Indian manufacturing floors, which are squeezing job opportunities for youth emerging from the ITIs and other technical training institutes. The lesson is that in the unforgiving world of business and technology disruption, no one does anybody any favours, just as Mr Goyal said. But a government's job is to devise ways to capitalise on these changes. So here we are after almost four years of discussion, debate, stagnation, false starts and near misses. Brexit day is upon us. However, today does not signal the end of Brexit but the start of a long process of the UK looking for trade deals, not only with the EU but with countries across the world. For NI businesses and households, we won't see much change until the end of the year as we head into a transition period that lasts until December 31. During that time, we will still be able to trade with the EU and the rest of the UK as we have in the past, we will still be able to travel in the same way as before and there will be no discernible difference. What does happen is that the clock starts ticking again on critical points for the NI economy. Read More Firstly, for the whole of the UK, there is the need to get that free trade agreement (FTA) with the EU. As the first round of negotiations aren't until March, we have around eight months to get a wide ranging trade deal. The average time it takes to conclude a trade deal is four years and the recent EU-Japan deal took nine years. This FTA is really important for us here in NI. If it has close alignment to EU standards and customs, it lessens the need for checks and paperwork from GB-NI. However, given that there are voices within the Government that are actively seeking divergence this is unlikely, even though it means the difference between a paper wall and a brick wall down the Irish Sea. What would be worse is the spectre of no deal between the rest of the UK and the EU which is still very much a possibility. The clock is also ticking for the mitigations, derogations and compensations that NI business needs to relieve some of the friction that will come from this deal. Retail accounts for 70% of value of everything that comes into Northern Ireland from Great Britain. One mixed load on a lorry can have 1500 different products. Each will need a separate custom code and could have tariffs placed on them if they are deemed as at risk of entering the EU. And 800 of those products will be of animal origin and may need an Export Health Certificate. All of these things have man hours, processes, systems and delays associated with them and all have cost. Neither the retail industry or the consumer can afford these new costs. If the new costs are higher than the profit margin then either the product or the business model becomes unviable. That's why we need common sense decisions from the new Joint Committee on what products are at risk and on Rules of Destination requirements. We need the Government to as soon as possible reconstitute the Alternative Arrangements Working Group to look at mitigations such as trusted trader schemes. We need safety and security agreements to make these schemes work for the movement of goods and customs processes. We even need to go down to the level of detail where we get a system of postponed VAT accounting for import VAT from HMRC and the Republic of Ireland. So for NI business this year is hugely important as it will set the tone for the new normal of how we conduct business for the next decade or beyond. While there is hope in the fact the business community and the five main political parties here are working together to a common aim of protecting our economy and households, we cannot be complacent as to the task that is before us this year. Government of Ghana through deputy local government minister has launched a program known as "Promoting access of indigenous people to decent work and social protection (PRODESOP) projects at Pru West and East all in the Bono East region aiming to improve the activities of fishermen's and also reduce poverty at the area. The project which is funded by the European Union is aiming to give jobs to two thousand five hundred (2,500) youths at the area after completion. Speaking at the laughing, Deputy local government minister ,Hon. Collins Ntim explained that, President Akufo-Addo has a vision of providing jobs to all Ghanaians that's why he has introduced so many policies to support youths in the country to reduce unemployment and poverty. He said this government has introduced programs such as Planting for food and jobs, planting for export and rural development, one district, one factory etc, which indicates that this government has farmers in it's heart. He charged all those who will benefits from the project to take their work seriously so that they can get their daily bread since the European Union is using people taxes to support the program. Again Bono East regional minister, Hon Kofi Amoakohene also gave an assurance that this government will keep on supporting farmers especially fishermen's in the country. He said all the disabilities at the area are also going to benefit from the projects as they are going provides them with free fish pounds as par of incentives of the project. The Paramount Chief of Prang Traditional council,Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III also commended the government and European Union for bringing such projects to his area to reduce poverty. He advised the authorities who will be in charge of the project to be faithful to European Union so that they can bring more when they see much improvement in the lives of fishermen's at the area. Madam, Gladys G.W Tetteh who is the deputy executive director for PRODESOP also gave an assurance that they will help to reduce poverty at various communities. The district chief executive for pru west,Stephen Jalulah also commended the government and appealed to the people of Pru west to support it's policies. Source: Kwabena Manu/Peace FM/Bono East correspondent. 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 COLUMBUS, Ohio Heading into the 2020 election, Ohio House Republicans have more than triple the cash of their Democratic counterparts, according to campaign finance reports filed on Friday. The House Republican Campaign Committee reported raising more than $1.8 million and spending $21,650 during the most recent campaign finance period, which runs through 2019. That leaves House Speaker Larry Householder about $1.8 million to fund House candidates across the state this year. In comparison, the Ohio House Democratic Caucus raised about $407,500 and spent $227,700. Carrying forward money from the previous cycle, they reported a cash balance of just less than $601,000. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans raised $1.8 million and spent $631,000, giving them a cash balance of more than $2.6 million. Senate Democrats raised about $178,300 and spent about $110,600, with a reported cash balance of almost $221,200. I am proud of the work our caucus has done in raising this amount and supporting one another, Householder, a Perry County Republican, said in a statement. As we continue to fight for our conservative values in the legislature, we will also continue to fight to win in the upcoming election. Aryeh Alex, executive director of the OHDC, noted House Democrats have raised slightly more than they did during the equivalent time in 2018, when they flipped a net five Republican House seats. He said Democrats are more focused this cycle on relatively few competitive races. He said House Democrats expect to be outspent. Its not all about money. Its about what weve been doing. Weve passed some good, bipartisan bills, and were standing up for Ohios promise, which I think is resonating with Ohioans across the state, he said. Despite their cash disadvantage, Senate Democrats similarly pointed out theyd raised considerably more than the equivalent time during the last election. The Senate Dems have been fighting to help hardworking Ohio families, and these numbers show Ohioans are paying attention, said Senate Minority Leader Kenny Yuko, a Euclid Democrat. Voters deserve a government that reflects their values. When Democrats win more seats in 2020, it will make the Statehouse more like Ohio. Sen. Dave Burke, chairman of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, wasnt immediately available for comment. More on the House The bulk of the House GOPs fundraising came from Householder, who contributed $1 million, and a handful of members: Athens Rep. Jay Edwards ($200,000) and Strongsville Rep. Tom Patton ($75,000). Reps. Scott Wiggam, of Wooster, Jon Cross, of Kenton, Rick Carfagna, of Delaware County and Dave Greenspan, of Westlake, each gave $50,000. Top individual donors to the caucus included Wayne and Cynthia Boich, owners of Boich Companies, a company with coal-mining interests, who each gave $19,938, the maximum contribution for individuals. Cleveland-area nursing home operators Brian and Gretchen Colleran also each gave $19,938. Westlakes Daniel Parker, Brian Collerans business partner, gave $19,000. Wayne Boich and his daughter, Emeline, also each gave $13,292.35, the maximum contribution for individuals to individual candidates, to Householders personal campaign account. Top political action committee contributions to Householders campaign account included Laborers International Union Local 500 ($15,000), FirstEnergy ($13,292) Act Ohio Foundation, an organized labor umbrella organization ($13,292) Equitrans Midstream Corporation, a natural-gas company ($13,292), The Ohio Association for Justice, which represents trial attorneys ($13,200), Meijer ($13,000) and Nationwide insurance ($13,000). House Democratic contributions were more diffuse. Minority Leader Emilia Sykes, of Akron gave $96,000, state Rep. Kristin Boggs of Columbus gave $33,000 and and Jack Cera, of Belmont County, gave $10,000. Other large donors included OAPSE/AFSCME ($17,438) United Steelworkers District 1 ($10,000) and AFSCME Ohio Council 8 ($10,000). Marianne Gabel, an attorney from Delaware, also gave $10,000. The major donors to Sykes personal campaign included the Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters PAC ($13,200) and the OAPSE/AFSCME PAC ($10,292.) Among the House Democratic caucus expenses: $40,100 paid to Redfern+Rossi, a firm co-owned by Chris Redfern, the former Ohio Democratic Party chairman who was ousted following the 2014 election. The firm does fundraising and general consulting, Alex said, although the caucus generally is now shifting its expenses from paid consultants to staff. More on the Senate Top contributors to the Senate Republican campaign fund were Republican members: State Sen. Steve Wilson, of the Cincinnati area, gave $150,000 and Chagrin Falls Sen. Matt Dolan gave $125,000, while Canton Sen. Kirk Schuring, Toledo-area Sen. Theresa Gavarone and Lima Sen. Matt Huffman each gave $100,000. Top non-member contributors included the Ohio State Medical Association PAC ($17,938), a PAC representing Ohio beer and wine distributors ($14,500) and the Ohio CPA PAC ($10,000). Huffman, the favorite to replace the term-limited Larry Obhof as leader of the Ohio Senate next year, raised about $426,500. His top donors included Columbus lobbyists Andy Bowers and Matt Carle, who each gave $13,292, and the Ohio State Medical Association PAC, which represents state doctors, which gave $10,542. Top Democratic Senate contributors were Yuko ($50,000), Cincinnati Sen. Cecil Thomas ($23,000) and Lakewood Sen. Nicki Antonio ($15,000). Other Democratic support came from organized-labor groups, including AFSCME Ohio Council 8 ($10,000) and OSCEA/AFSCME Local 11 ($10,000). Communication to the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council). The Communication titled Intellectual Property and the Public Interest: The WTO TRIPS Agreement and the Copyright Three-Step Test was issued to consult WTO Member States on the flexibilities available to Member States in crafting copyright limitations and exceptions within the principles and objectives of the TRIPS Agreement. A few days ago (29th January 2020), the South African Government issued ato the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Council). The Communication titledwas issued to consult WTO Member States on the flexibilities available to Member States in crafting copyright limitations and exceptions within the principles and objectives of the The crux of the Communication from South Africa The South African Government posed specific questions for Member States consideration thus: 1) Does the three-step test constitute an indivisible whole to the extent that each of the three steps are to be considered together and as a whole in a comprehensive overall assessment? 2) What approaches have Members taken to reflect limitations and exceptions in their IP laws? Essentially, South Africa wants to know how far it may go in fulfilling the principles and objectives of Articles 7 and 8 of the TRIPS Agreement when it is crafting copyright limitations and exceptions. While Article 7 of the TRIPS Agreement require copyright protection to contribute to the promotion of technological innovation in a manner conducive to social and economic welfare, Article 8 envisages that Member States formulate or amend their laws and regulations to promote the public interest in sectors of vital importance to their socio-economic and technological development. Essentially, South Africa wants to know how far it may go in fulfilling the principles and objectives of Articles 7 and 8 of thewhen it is crafting copyright limitations and exceptions. While Article 7 of the TRIPS Agreement require copyright protection to contribute to the promotion of technological innovation in a manner conducive to social and economic welfare, Article 8 envisages that Member States formulate or amend their laws and regulations to promote the public interest in sectors of vital importance to their socio-economic and technological development. Comments The Communication emphasises that limitations and exceptions such as fair use and fair dealing are not in conflict with the three-step test requirement under Article 13 of the TRIPS Agreement. [The three-step test requires that Members "confine limitations or exceptions to exclusive rights to certain special cases which do not conflict with a normal exploitation of the work and do not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the right holder]. The Communication also mentions the WTO Panels interpretation of the three-step test in resolving the dispute between the EU and the US over section 110(5) of the US Copyright Act. The WTO Panel in that case held that the three-step test requests 3 separate, independent, cumulative tests for copyright limitations and exceptions. The Communication emphasises that limitations and exceptions such as fair use and fair dealing are not in conflict with the three-step test requirement under Article 13 of the TRIPS Agreement. [The three-step test requires that Members "confine limitations or exceptions to exclusive rights to certain special cases which do not conflict with a normal exploitation of the work and do not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the right holder]. The Communication also mentions the WTO Panels interpretation of the three-step test in resolving thebetween the EU and the US over section 110(5) of the US Copyright Act. The WTO Panel in that case held that the three-step test requests 3 separate, independent, cumulative tests for copyright limitations and exceptions. Given this interpretation, it may be puzzling to see South Africa posing the question again to Member States through the TRIPS Council. Granted, many scholars (as acknowledged in the Communication) have disagreed with the WTO Panels interpretation and found it unduly focused on economic interests. It may therefore be helpful to hear what Member States think of the boundaries of the three-step test vis-a-vis public interest considerations. Also, this Africa Correspondent is of the opinion that the underlying issue that South Africa wants addressed is the question of whether the three-step test under the TRIPS regime admits a public interest approach - in sectors of vital importance to (national) socio-economic and technological development. But, why issue the Communication now? As readers may recall, South Africas National Council of Provinces (NCOP) had in 2019 concurred with the redrafted version of South Africa's Copyright Amendment Bill, and sent same to the President for his assent. One of the contentious (if not the most contentious) provisions of the Bill was the fair use provision ( here Katpost As readers may recall, South Africas National Council of Provinces (NCOP) had in 2019 concurred with the redrafted version of South Africa's, and sent same to the President for his assent. One of the contentious (if not the most contentious) provisions of the Bill was the fair use provision (). Given this, why did South Africa not seek this clarification before adopting the Copyright Amendment Bill? This Kat can only say things: (1) the much-awaited Presidential assent to the Bill will not be coming anytime soon and at least, until the clarification sought in the Communication is received; (2) despite the Communication coming after the Bill has been adopted, it is as they say, better late than never. International Conference on Copyright Limitations and Exceptions for Libraries, Archives, Museums and Educational & Research Institutions. The Conference was the end of the fact-finding and information gathering phase of the quest to provide for minimum standards in crafting limitations and exceptions for the specific institutions. Perhaps, South Africa wants to push for some minimum standards for copyright limitations and exceptions, generally? Which leads this Kat to another question: should the WTO (a trade regime) be the forum for such public interest expedition? That said; responses to the Communication might provide tips for the negotiation of the IP Protocol in Africas regional trade agreement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Another but: Should there be international minimum standards for copyright limitations and exceptions? Or, are Member States better off with policy space enabled by general statements (like the three-step test) to craft copyright limitations and exceptions? In October 2019, WIPO held the. The Conference was the end of the fact-finding and information gathering phase of the quest to provide for minimum standards in crafting limitations and exceptions for the specific institutions. Perhaps, South Africa wants to push for some minimum standards for copyright limitations and exceptions, generally? Which leads this Kat to another question: should the WTO (a trade regime) be the forum for such public interest expedition? That said; responses to the Communication might provide tips for the negotiation of the IP Protocol in Africas regional trade agreement the(AfCFTA). It is expected that the Communication will come up for discussion at the next TRIPS Council meeting in early February 2020. This Kat can only hope that South Africa (and indeed, every Member States) takes cognisance of differences in development stages of Member States as it/they consider(s) national approaches and experiences. Readers should stay tuned The remains of a cargo ship that sank more than a century ago following an alleged mutiny and murder have reappeared on a North Carolina beach. On Tuesday, Surf City resident Mimi Farrell posted two photos of a shipwreck, The William H. Sumner, sitting on the sand. 'Fascinated with seeing this shipwreck. This is the most I have seen of it and it's still larger,' Farrell wrote beneath the fascinating snaps. According to The Charlotte Observer, the remains of The William H. Sumner periodically surface on the shore every few years, and archaeologists have known about the ship's remains for the last five decades. Experts believe the Sumner sunk off the coast of nearby Topsail Island on September 7, 1919 after crew members mutinied on board the vessel. The remains of a cargo ship that sunk more than a century ago following an alleged mutiny and murder have appeared on a North Carolina beach Surf City resident Mimi Farrell posted two photos of a shipwreck - The William H. Sumner, which sank in 1919 Wreckage from The William H. Sumner reappeared on a North Carolina beach this week. The vessel is pictured in the 1910s On Sept. 7 1919, The Sumner ran aground off the coast of Topsail Island, North Carolina. It is pictured prior to that incident with an unidentified man sitting on its anchor chain The William H. Sumner, a phosphate trade ship, was sailing northward from Puerto Rico to its homeport in New York City. The 165-foot-long ship was built in 1891 and, at the time of its supposed sinking, was carrying 850 tons of phosphate, in addition to 56 mahogany logs and 30 tons of iron wood, according to Wrightsvillle Beach Magazine. According to the TopSailIslandblog, the captain of the ship, 25-year-old Robert E. Cochrane, was found dead in mysterious circumstances after the ship ran aground. The ship was said to have gotten beached on a sandbar and taken on eight feet of water in its hold and eventually split in half. It was initially believed that Cochrane may have been distraught 'over the fact that his vessel met disaster on his first voyage' and committed suicide over his failure. However, three crewmen were interviewed later claimed that the young captain was shot and killed by his first mate while still at sea. 'The speculation is that the crew had asked the Captain to detour to pick up supplies and the captain, wishing to head northward to port, would not. The crew then allegedly mutinied,' the blog reports. Eight crew members were tried for murder, but the jury failed to reach a verdict. The shipwreck was last seen on the beach back in 2017, exciting locals and making national news. Some believe that Captain Robert E. Cochrane, 25, was so distraught by the ship's fate he committed suicide Anyone who films a partner during sex without their consent is guilty of voyeurism, Appeal Court judges have ruled. It comes as a man convicted of the sexual offence failed to overturn his conviction for filming two prostitutes yesterday. Tony Richards, 39, from Cardiff, had appealed against his conviction for filming two prostitutes on the grounds that the sex workers could not expect privacy from him if he was there legitimately. Jon Rees QC, representing him, told the court that despite the two women not consenting to be filmed, they did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy if Richards was entitled to be in their rooms. Richards had hoped to have two voyeurism charges under section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act dismissed because his lawyers argued that he'd committed no crime. But Lord Justice Fulford, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb and Mrs Justice Foster unanimously dismissed his appeal. Richards was jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of two counts of voyeurism over secretly filming himself having sex with prostitutes and admitting three counts of possessing indecent images of children. Dismissing his appeal, Lord Justice Fulford said those he filmed had a reasonable expectation of privacy and that Richards required consent to film them even if he'd already secured consent to have sex with the women. The decision could have ramifications for other cases, including one in which another man filmed a naked, sleeping woman. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to bring a prosecution against the man, who is said to have filmed Emily Hunt naked and unconscious without her consent in May 2015. Ms Hunt launched a legal challenge last year against the CPS over the decision, raising money to fund her case through the CrowdJustice website. But the Centre for Women's Justice (CWJ), which represented Ms Hunt, said the CPS will no longer oppose her challenge and will review its earlier decision, following a Court of Appeal ruling in a different case on Tuesday. Ms Hunt said in a statement that she now has hope the man who allegedly filmed her will 'see justice and consequences for his actions'. She added: 'It has taken nearly five years to fight to get to this point. It should not take connections, education nor wealth to get justice. 'This decision was the clear, obvious and common sense answer to a question that no-one else was asking: is it illegal to video someone naked without their consent? Because the answer is obvious: yes, yes it is. And today the court agreed.' Source: Dailymail.co.uk 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 EDWARDSVILLE Tributes to Steely Dan and the Electric Light Orchestra, plus a top-notch blues guitarist, are among the events on the Wildey Theatre concert calendar for February. The schedule kicks off on Friday, Feb. 7 with the New Orleans and French Creole sounds of the Zydeco Crawdaddys. Theyre a band out of St. Louis that has been around for over 20 years and they do Cajun and Zydeco music, Wildey manager Al Canal said. Its been a couple years since theyve been here, but theyre perennial favorites. They usually have some audience participation with rub boards and shaker cans. The show itself is $9, but a $14 ticket includes a pre-concert tasting upstairs in the event room. Its not a full meal, but its more than appetizers, Canal said. Brooklyn Charmers The Music of Steely Dan returns to the Wildey for the second time on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14-15. Im so thrilled to have them back, Canal said. Theyre from Chicago and they feature some of the citys best musicians. Their keyboard player, Colin Peterik, is the son of Jim Peterik, who played in Survivor and co-wrote songs for a lot of different bands. When they came here last year, it was their first public appearance outside of Chicago and they got five standing ovations throughout the night. They capture the essence of Steely Dan and we only have a handful of tickets remaining. Blues vocalist-guitarist Anthony Gomes makes his first appearance at the Wildey on Saturday, Feb. 21. The show will feature a cross section of all of Gomes music, including songs from his latest release, Peace, Love & Loud Guitars. It was named Best Blues Album of 2018 by Blues Rock Review and SoundGuardian magazine. Hes from Canada and hes been around for over 20 years, but he actually lives in St. Louis now, Canal said. His music is mainly the blues, with some rock and soul mixed in. Some good tickets remain for that show. If you like the blues and you like good music, its worth checking out, he added. Dueling Pianos, a regular feature at the Wildey, returns on Friday, Feb. 28, but with a special theme, Back to the 80s. Were encouraging audience members to dress up in their favorite 80s outfits or as their favorite 80s celebrity, Canal said. There are so many great songs from that decade. Tickets went on sale Tuesday and weve already sold over 100, so dont wait to get your tickets for this one. The concert calendar for the month wraps up on Saturday, Feb. 29 with shows at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. by Mr. Blue Sky A Tribute to ELO. We started with the show at 8 p.m. and it sold out, so we added the afternoon show and there may be a few tickets left, Canal said. The guys in the band are all from St. Louis and I became aware of them when they played a venue across the river. A close friend of mine saw them and said I needed to bring them to the Wildey. For more information on any event at the Wildey Theatre, 252 N Main St., call 618-307-1750 or go to wildeytheatre.com. Reach reporter Scott Marion at smarion@edwpub.net Employee unions of PSU Banks have called for a two day nationwide strike from January 31. The dates of the strike coincide with the date of salary crediting which means that some salaried individuals may witness a delay in receiving their salary. Some banks are scheduled to remain shut for three days including Sunday and will open only on Monday (February 3). The bank strike has been called by several bank organisations. While the services of private sector banks like ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank weren't affected by this 2-day strike, services at PSU banks were impacted. Services like cash deposit, withdrawal, cheque clearances, instrument issuance, and loan clearance are impacted in several PSU banks. However, SBI had informed its customers in advance about the strike and also stated that its services could be impacted to a certain extent. This strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) after talks regarding wage revision failed. The UFBU is an umbrella organization that comprises of nine banks including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organization of Bank Workers (NOBW). The participating unions have claimed that at least 10 lakh people are actively participating in this strike to press for wage revision. Bank employees haven't received any raise or revision in their salaries since 2017. The last wage revision took place for the period November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017. Private sector banks such ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank will be operational. The banks have also decided to keep their online services active for the convenience of the customers. Earlier this month, several bank employees alongwith 10 trade unions decided to go on Bharat Bandh against the "anti-people" policies of the BJP-led NDA government. Also read: Two-day bank strike starts today; operations to be hit, ATMs may run dry Also read: Bank strike this week: Services to take hit on January 31, February 1 OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is heeding widespread calls to apply some British stiff-upper-lip resolve to the United Kingdom's Friday exit from the European Union. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A Brexit supporter demonstrates in Parliament Square in London, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. Britain officially leaves the European Union on Friday after a debilitating political period that has bitterly divided the nation since the 2016 Brexit referendum. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) OTTAWA - The Trudeau government is heeding widespread calls to apply some British stiff-upper-lip resolve to the United Kingdom's Friday exit from the European Union. The advice from business groups stresses that Canada should not rush to negotiate a new trade deal with Britain, and to not be in a hurry to simply incorporate a made-in-London version of Canada's current pact with the EU. In other words, keep calm and carry on. Despite the bluster and tears surrounding Friday's Brexit, nothing essentially changes for the remainder of the year between Canada, Britain and the EU, says Brian Kingston, vice-president of the Business Council of Canada. Until Dec. 31, Britain remains a member of the EU, and is still bound by the continent's sweeping free trade deal with Canada on goods and services, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA. Canada and the EU have completed what has been billed as informal preliminary talks about rolling over elements of CETA into a bilateral deal, but no date for formal negotiations has been set. "Any future trade agreement between Canada and the U.K. would be influenced by the U.K.-EU trade relationship, as well as any unilateral U.K. approaches," said Ryan Nearing, a spokesman for International Trade Minister Mary Ng. The British High Commissioner to Canada, Susan le Jeune d'Allegeershecque, said her country is now free to negotiate with whatever country it chooses, but formal talks with Canada aren't ready to start just yet. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to reporters during a visit to a clothing factory in Montreal, Friday, January 31, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes "I think very much depends on how fast we can move ahead with the discussions with the EU, about our future relationship with the EU because. That's obviously a crucial element in whatever we work out with Canada," she said "I wouldn't want to put a date on it." That's a good call, say Kingston and others, because rushing to negotiate with Britain now including adopting a new, bilateral version of CETA would be a tactical mistake. "It's difficult to negotiate a trade deal with the U.K. when we don't know what the relationship with Europe will be," he said. "That is their most attractive feature that they're part of this massive common market." Britain and the EU now have 11 months to negotiate their own new deal that would include trade, fisheries, education, transportation and other areas, to avoid a so-called "hard Brexit." Many economists, notably the Canadian-born head of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, have predicted dire economic consequences for Britain if a hard Brexit occurs. If that comes to pass, Britain has said it would offer tariff-free access to trading partners starting for one year in 2021 to insulate the British economy from the no-deal shock. "That changes the negotiating dynamics for Canada. If we're getting this tariff-free access for a year, do we really want to negotiate for it?" said Mark Agnew, director of international policy for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Jason Langrish, the executive director the Canada Europe Roundtable for Business, said that gives Canada a distinct negotiating advantage because Britain will need a deal more. "If this doesn't work out well for the U.K. and they crash out and have no deal effectively with the EU, and they don't have any deals in place with anybody else, how strong of a negotiating position are they going to be in? Canada is going to have an advantage." Le Jeune d'Allegeershecque said the current Boris Johnson government hasn't formally carried over that position, which was put forth by former prime minister Theresa May. "There would be more tariffs than there are now, quite clearly, but whacking on massive great tariffs is not in line with what the government's vision of who we are and where we want to be," she said. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday he was confident that Britain's departure from the EU would be marked by "an orderly transition" with minimal disruption to Canadian trade and investment. "The greatest threat was on a so-called no-deal Brexit. They've avoided that," Trudeau told reporters Friday in Montreal. "We are very confident that we will minimize any disruptions to investment, to trade, to people-to-people ties with the United Kingdom." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In addition to negotiating with the EU and Canada, Britain is also planning to negotiate a series of bilateral deals with the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand before the end of the year. "We have actually been engaged with the United Kingdom over the past few years working on that transition plan," Trudeau said. Kingston said there is one potential dark side for Canada if there's a hard Brexit: some Canadian companies based in London that are using the financial hub as an entry point into Europe could be negatively affected. But many firms, particularly in the highly mobile financial services sector, are opening "satellite" offices in Ireland and Germany, to maintain their European access, he said. Le Jeune d'Allegeershecque said those offices "are more of a hedging their bets option rather than a desire to move elsewhere." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Ask Dr. Land: When is it OK for Christians to withdraw life-support? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Question: Is it ever permissible for Christians to withdraw life-sustaining support to terminally ill individuals? This is a question I am asked with ever increasing frequency as the medical technology continues to push back the threshold of physical death. First, it is imperative to state that Christians must never countenance any medication or treatment that actively shortens life (i.e., euthanasia or mercy-killing). The vexing question for people of faith, however, is is it ever morally permissible to withdraw extraordinary life-extending treatments for terminally ill unconscious or comatose patients? I need to note at this point that I agree with Pope John Paul II that the furnishing of nutrition and hydration to patients not able to feed themselves should never be defined as extraordinary treatment, but seen as a basic requirement for a Christian civilization, as opposed to a pagan one (cf. Matthew 25:35). The first principle should be that the patient's will should take precedence over government officials, insurance underwriters, medical staff, or even loved ones. If at all possible, the patients wishes should take precedence as long as he or she does not desire to have active measures taken to shorten his or her life. If an unconscious patient has left instructions in advance that extraordinary medical steps to extend life should not be taken, then I believe the patients wishes should be honored, knowing that natural physical death will ensue. Of course, if the patient has expressed the desire to avail himself or herself of such measures, then those wishes should be honored as well. I believe a sentient human being has the right, when in the last stages of a terminal illness, to say, I do not want any further extraordinary treatment. When I am near death, I do not want to elongate the process artificially with extraordinary measures such as heart-lung machines. Once again, this does not mean he or she has the right to say, give me something to hasten my physical death when I am near death thats euthanasia. I have personally faced both sides of this issue. My parents both went home to be with the Lord at the age of 92. My father expressed the desire to not have extraordinary medical measures employed to prolong his life and my mother expressed the opposite desire and my family did our best to accommodate their individual wishes. What do you do when you have no guidance from the patient? I believe for a Christian, when a patient is terminal, unconscious, or comatose, it is permissible, but never required, to make the decision to unplug heart-lung machines and other means of artificially extending physical life, especially after brain death has occurred. I myself have left instructions that if I am terminally ill and comatose, that when brain death occurs, I am to receive no additional life support measures. Of course, my view is determined by the fact that as a born-again Christian I have no fear of death, believing that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). May our heavenly Father give us all wisdom as we seek to discern His will in these weighty matters. Senators are set to vote Friday on whether to include new witnesses and documents in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, a pivotal moment in the proceedings that could pave the way for Trump's acquittal. Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff of California have fought tooth and nail to convince the Republican-led chamber to vote to hear from key witnesses who did not testify in the House. But after more than a week of trading barbs with Trump's defense team on the Senate floor, it appears unlikely that the Democrats will secure the 51 votes required to pass a rule that would introduce new witnesses and documents. If the rule were to pass, Democrats would almost certainly seek to compel testimony from acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and from John Bolton, Trump's former national security advisor. Bolton reportedly wrote in his forthcoming memoir that Trump told him last summer that he intended to withhold nearly $400 million in U.S. foreign aid to Ukraine until Kyiv agreed to announce investigations into the president's political opponents. The House voted to impeach Trump in December on two articles, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, both stemming from Trump's handling of the U.S. relationship with Ukraine. Democrats see both of these witnesses as crucial to successfully proving the two main allegations contained in the impeachment articles. Without them, Democrats see little chance of ever overcoming the wave of Republican opposition to convicting Trump and removing him from office. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. A victory in Friday's vote appeared to slip further away from Democrats late Thursday night, after a key Republican senator announced that he would oppose any attempts to introduce new evidence at the trial. In a statement, GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said that although he believed the president had indeed solicited foreign assistance from Ukraine in his reelection bid, Trump's behavior did not meet the standard for impeachment. As such, Alexander said he didn't see the need for further evidence. Another Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said Thursday that she planned to break with her party and vote for additional witnesses. On Friday morning, an aide to Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, also confirmed that he would vote with the Democrats. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, meaning at least four GOP senators will have to break with their party and vote for a resolution to admit additional witnesses and documents into the trial. Collins and Romney had already been factored into Democrats' planning for the vote, however, and they remained two Republican votes short of a majority as of late Friday morning. This next phase of Trump's impeachment trial gets underway Friday at 1 p.m. ET, with up to four hours of equally divided time allotted for senators to debate, before votes are called on amendments, including whether or not to subpoena witnesses and additional documents. Senators in each party are not required to use up their entire two hours, so the timing of Friday's votes will remain fluid throughout the afternoon. If the proposal to admit new witnesses doesn't pass, which looks increasingly likely, then Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could decide to proceed to a final vote on whether to convict or acquit the president as early as Friday evening. The trial schedule is complicated by two major events early next week: The 2020 Iowa caucuses on Monday, and the president's State of the Union address on Tuesday night. McConnell has made no secret of his desire to conclude the Senate trial as soon as he can. But the Iowa caucuses and the State of the Union mean that if a Friday vote on acquittal isn't feasible, the vote would need to be delayed until Wednesday. For the president, this would mean that he had to deliver his State of the Union address under a cloud of impeachment, and not under the glow of acquittal, as he would if the Senate voted before his speech. As McConnell arrived at the Capitol on Friday morning, he declined to specify how he thought the day would progress. "I think we can all agree this is a big day," McConnell said. The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday released its manifesto for the Delhi assembly polls, promising wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg for the poor, cycles and scooties for girl students as well as an 10 per cent increase in the health and education budget annually. IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses an election campaign rally at Trinagar in support of BJP candidates, ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, in New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo The BJP, in its 'Sankalp Patra 2020' (manifesto), also said it would focus on women empowerment, traders, infrastructure development and housing for all by 2022. Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the outgoing AAP government's subsidy schemes for power and water will be continued by his party if it is voted to power. The 'Sankalp Patra' was released at the Delhi BJP office by Union minister Nitin Gadkari, election in-charge Prakash Javadekar and manifesto committee convener Harsh Vardhan. Party MPs Vijay Goel, Meenakshi Lekhi, Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, Hans Raj Hans and Gautam Gambhir were also present. The manifesto booklet also created a flutter as it mentioned Raj Kumar Chauhan as the manifesto committee's co-convener, when he has joined the Congress. The BJP will run the "bullet train" of development in the national capital, Gadkari told reporters. "BJP's history is linked to Delhi. The future of Delhi will be changed by the BJP," the Union minister said. Supply of clean drinking water to every household will be ensured when the BJP comes to power, the manifesto stated. In the document, the BJP asserted that as soon as it comes to power, it will implement the Modi government's Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Delhi. Delhi BJP chief Tiwari said each poor family will be provided good quality, subsidised 'atta' (wheat flour) at a rate of Rs 2 per kilogram. The BJP will bring an ambitious 'Samridh Delhi Infrastructure Scheme', with a provision of Rs 10,000 crore, to ensure "focussed and priority" development of roads, flyovers, foot over-bridges and other key infrastructure projects, the manifesto stated. The manifesto promises to set up a 'Colonies Development Board' for undertaking development of various civic amenities. It also said that 10 lakh offices and shops of traders in Delhi will be converted from leasehold to freehold on priority basis. "Necessary changes will also be made in the existing law to provide relief to traders from the ceiling drive," Tiwari said. In order to improve connectivity in Delhi, 10,000 new green buses will be added to the public transport. Double decker buses will also be introduced with video and free Wi-Fi schemes, the party promises. High quality free Wi-Fi will be provided on public transport vehicles and at stations and bus stops, it said. The Aam Aadmi Party government has launched a free Wi-Fi scheme that provides 1.5 GB data and the services is being expanded. "We will ensure access to high quality health services for the people of Delhi by increasing the health budget by 10 per cent every year," the BJP said in its 'Sankalp Patra'. The manifesto also promised 400 health and wellness centres under Ayushman Bharat and a 'Mission Zero' to check dengue, chikungunya and malaria. It said an annual health screening will be conducted for every citizen and a 'Smar Health Card', with fully digitised information, will be issued. The BJP, which has been slamming the Kejriwal government for failing to fulfil its promises to open new schools and colleges, said it will open 200 new schools and 10 new colleges. The education budget will be increased by 10 percent every year, the party said. The manifesto also promised quality power supply and added that the BJP will ensure annual audit of all power companies. "We will ensure adequate and affordable availability of power to residents of JJ clusters by installing Suryajyoti Domes," it said. The manifesto also promises to evolve a comprehensive strategy to combat air pollution in Delhi. Installing WAYU equipment at polluted traffic junctions, 'Pari-Yantra' air purification systems on rooftops of public buses, incentivising use of electric vehicles and setting up charging stations, are also among the BJP's promises. Scientifically designed barriers to prevent schoolchildren from air and noise pollution, vapur recovery systems at petrol pumps to prevent benzene pollution, are among the measures the BJP will take to combat air pollution, the manifesto said. The manifesto also listed various promises for women empowerment and safety, including for girls born in poor families. It said a fixed amount would be deposited in an account on the birth of the first two girls in every economically weaker family so that they receive Rs 2 lakh after attaining 21 years. Girls belonging to poor families studying in class 9-12 will be provided free bicycle while those pursuing higher education will be provided electric scooty, Tiwari said. Free sanitary napkins for school girls, a women security cell at the chief minister's office, more fast track courts for redressal of crimes against women, Rani Laxmi Bai Suraksha Yojna, deployment of women home guards and CCTV cameras at crowded areas, and parity of wages, are some other promises made by the BJP in its manifesto. Tiwari also said that BJP will ensure job security of contract workers, provide arrears to sanitation workers, create 10 lakh job opportunities, fill the vacant government posts, if it comes to power in Delhi. Filipina artist Janina Sanico paints an image of Taal volcano spewing ash clouds using ash that accumulated in her yard in Tanauan, Batangas Province, Philippines, January 24,2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Joseph Campbell) The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) maintained Alert Level 3 for Taal Volcano on Thursday, January 30, pronouncing that magma is still moving underneath. In a hearing of the Senate committee on urban planning, housing, and resettlement, Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr explained they recorded a harmonic tremor associated with magma movement on Thursday. The harmonic tremor, according to Solidum, is a sign that there is still rising magma coming from Taal. He noted the additionally recorded earthquakes beyond the 24-hour period. Phivolcs, in its 8 am bulletin on Thursday, said the Taal Volcano Network recorded 137 volcanic earthquakes in 24 hours, compared to the previous record of 123. The harmonic tremor, according to Solidum, lasted for 97 seconds. Two low-frequency events were also recorded. According to the US Geological Survey, low-frequency quakes are "as a result of cracks resonating as magma and gases move towards the surface. ALSO READ: Philippines' Taal Volcano Erupts, Sends Thousands to Flee Meanwhile, the Philippine Seismic Network has plotted 763 volcanic earthquakes as of January 12, 1 pm. Of these, 177 have been magnitudes 1.2 to 4.1 and have been felt at Intensities I to V. Philippine Seismic Network additionally plotted seven volcanic earthquakes from 5 am on Wednesday, January 29 until 5 am on Thursday, at magnitudes 1.7 to 2.5 with no felt event. Phivolcs had reduced Taal's status to Alert Level 3 from Alert Level 4 on January 26. The volcanic activity could either ease more - leading to Alert Level 2 - or increase again - a possible return to Alert Level 4. pic.twitter.com/nMGJtJn9PD Solidum briefs the Senate panel on the situation in Taal Volcano, clarifies that the lowering of alert status to Level 3 doesn't mean that the volcanic activities had stopped | via @MBvanneelaine Manila Bulletin News (@manilabulletin) January 30, 2020 The experts based the alert degree based on the volcanic activity, explained Solidum. The officials, according to Solidum, hoped that there would be a continuous downward trend of the parameters they see to lower the alert level. Solidum continued that around 30 million cubic meters out of 80 million cubic meters had been released from January 12 to 13, the first two days of the volcanic unrest. The magma "is absolutely parked" approximately five kilometers beneath the crater, according to Solidum. He added the agency is still monitoring whether the magma would be pushed upward or not. Phivolcs additionally observed "weak emission of white to dirty white steam-weighted down plumes 300 to 500 meters tall" coming from Taal's most important crater in the past 24 hours. The level of sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitted, according to Phivolcs, was "too low" to be detected. ALSO READ: Philippines' Taal's Sulfur Dioxide Emission, Number of Volcanic Quakes Drop Seven barangays in Batangas, including the Taal Volcano Island, remain on lockdown. These regions are inside a 7-kilometer radius from the main crater, which is Phivolcs' recommended hazard zone. Taal's eruption displaced thousands of families living either on the island or on nearby adjacent lakeshore towns. Solidum said the decision is up to the local government units, whether they would allow residents to return to their homes. The official said Phivolcs is just in charge of providing the data on the volcano's movements, Solidum said. The Delhi Traffic Police has closed roads in the ITO area due to protest by students from different universities. The students have gathered outside the Delhi Police hedquarters to condemn the firing incident in Jamia area. The protest has been going on since Thursday night. Traffic movement is closed from A-Point towards PHQ-Vikas Marg due to protest/demonstration by students at old PHQ building, the Delhi Traffic Police said on Twitter on Friday morning. Traffic Alert Traffic movement is closed from A-Point towards PHQ-Vikas Marg due to protest/demonstration by students at old PHQ building. Delhi Traffic Police (@dtptraffic) January 31, 2020 The students said they are protesting against the Delhi Police for being a mute spectator while a man fired a pistol at a demonstration agaisnt the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA near Jamia Millia Islamia University. The anti-CAA protest at Jamia was disrupted after a young man, later identified as a teenaged minor, opened fire at the crowd using a country-made pistol, injuring a first-year postgraduate student on Thursday, eyewitnesses said. The minors Facebook account, since suspended by the social media company, was filled with hate speech directed at anti-CAA protests, especially those at the Capitals Shaheen Bagh. Indeed, one of his recent posts seemed to suggest he was planning something drastic. Shaheen Bagh khel khatam... azaadi de raha hun (Game over, Shaheen Bagh. I am giving you freedom), he wrote in a post made moments before he began one of several short live stream videos from close to the place where he opened fire. The injured student, Shadab Farooq, was taken to Holy Family Hospital at first and later to AIIMS trauma centre for his treatment where doctors said he will be kept overnight. The Delhi Police said that it has registered a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 25/27 of Arms Act (illegal possession of arms) at New Friends Colony police station. On Jan. 23, China locked down Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in an unprecedented effort to curb the spread of the new infectious disease. In the locked-down megacity, life goes on. Everyone has been racing against time to battle the epidemic. WUHAN, Jan. 30 -- More than one week after Wuhan was put on lockdown, the megacity with a population of over 10 million has been racing against time to battle the epidemic. Zhang Dingyu is president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city's designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the new virus. He has spent the past 30 days seeing and treating patients since the arrival of the first few cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). In the past week, going to bed at about 2 a.m. and getting up at about 4 a.m. has become the 57-year-old doctor's daily routine. Wearing a protective cap and suit and putting on a face mask, Zhang clutches at the handrail as he slowly makes his way up and down the stairs. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease, though he never revealed the state of his illness to his colleagues. "I have never encountered such pressure as today," Zhang said. "For me, ALS is like a sword hanging in the air. I want to make a contribution with what limited time I have left." Members of the medical team of the Second Military Medical University receive praise from a patient at Hankou Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Jan. 27, 2020. (Photo by Chen Jing/Xinhua) He added that he has to quicken his pace to save time and indeed more patients. His wife, also a medical worker, was infected with the novel coronavirus and was hospitalized on Jan. 19. Luckily, after medical treatment, she has now recovered. Chinese health authorities announced Thursday that 7,711 confirmed cases of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps by the end of Wednesday. A total of 170 people have died of the disease. The National Health Commission said in its daily report that 1,370 patients remained in critical condition, and 12,167 people were suspected of being infected with the virus as of the end of Wednesday. Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province and center of the coronavirus outbreak, reported 356 new confirmed cases and 25 new deaths on Wednesday, the provincial health authorities said. On Jan. 23, China locked down the city in an unprecedented effort to curb the spread of the new infectious disease. At present, Hubei has 131 designated hospitals, including 30 in Wuhan and another 101 distributed in the counties and cities of the province, for confirmed and suspected new pneumonia patients, according to Liu Yingzi, director of the Hubei Provincial Health Commission. Liu said that more than 170,000 local medical workers are now fighting the epidemic and 6,097 more from 29 provincial-level regions and the military had also joined by Tuesday. Medical workers diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia are cured and discharged from a hospital in Wuhan, Jan. 28, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) MILITARY AT THE FRONTLINE On the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, a traditional occasion for family reunions, Song Caiping left the comforts of home and family for Wuhan. Song was among 450 military medical staff sent to Wuhan, including professionals who had experience in the fight against SARS and Ebola. The medics, in three teams dispatched by medical universities of the army, navy and air force of the People's Liberation Army, arrived in Wuhan by military aircraft on Friday night. They were mobilized from various hospitals affiliated to the military universities. All of them volunteered for the mission. As a member of the medical team from the Army Medical University, Song and her colleagues took charge of two inpatient areas with the help of doctors and nurses of Jinyintan Hospital. After three hours' preparation, they began receiving the first batch of 20 infected patients transferred there. "We will stick to prevention and control in a scientific way and standardize the diagnosis process. We can definitely defeat the epidemic and win the battle," said Xu Dixiong, head of the medical team from the university. Members of a military medical team head for Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min) At Hankou Hospital, a medical team from the Second Military Medical University took charge of the intensive care unit with 16 beds and newly opened an inpatient ward with 39 beds, rushing to treat critically ill patients with all-out efforts. "We sent our best staff from various clinical departments. They have rich experience in battling contagious diseases," said Zhou Xianzhi, president of Air Force Medical University. "Some of them took part in major missions such as the battle against SARS and the fight against Ebola in Africa, as well as earthquake rescue missions." RAPID HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION Following Beijing's SARS treatment model, Wuhan is building two hospitals to treat pneumonia patients infected with the novel coronavirus. The two facilities are expected to be put into use on Feb. 3 and Feb. 5, respectively. Workers, trucks, and excavators are racing against the clock to meet the deadline at the construction sites. At around 6 p.m. Wednesday, construction of power facilities at Leishenshan (Thunder God Mountain) Hospital, one of the hospitals, was completed. In only three days, more than 300 workers toiled around the clock to install and adjust 7-km-long high-voltage cables and 26 supporting facilities. Aerial photo taken on Jan. 28, 2020 shows the construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu) The hospital will accommodate 1,600 beds, 300 more than the previous design, as the number of local patients increases. It is expected to expand to 60,000 square meters and provide working space to over 2,000 medical staff. More than 4,000 workers and around 1,000 vehicles and large pieces of machinery have been toiling away at the Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital site day and night. Around 400 prefab rooms have been finished so far. The main pipeline of the drainage system in the hospital site is largely complete. LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN In locked-down Wuhan, life goes on. Medical supplies, vegetables and other daily necessities are brought in. Residents are consistently reminded to steer clear of the virus. A Wuhan resident in his 50s surnamed Zhang said he lost his mother on Jan. 25, the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Under the lockdown, Zhang's family is unable to hold a memorial ceremony. Residents shop at a supermarket in Wuhan, Jan. 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiong Qi) "Amid this unfortunate epidemic, the only gratifying thing is that I could accompany my mother in her last days," Zhang said. He kept the clothes of his mother to remember her and set up an online chat group to share messages of mourning from relatives. "After my mother left, it suddenly dawned on me that nothing is that important. The disaster also made my son realize the meaning and value of life," he said. Sorrow and repentance can translate into confidence and strength to win this unprecedented battle. A hotline was opened Thursday in Hubei Province to help people maintain psychological health amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. An official WeChat account has also been set up to provide 24-hour service. The nation is currently experiencing a peak period of confirmed cases. With prevention and control measures in place, the number of future infections will be significantly reduced, said Li Lanjuan, a renowned Chinese epidemiologist. "As of Wednesday, we have isolated five strains of the virus, two of which are very suitable for vaccine development," Li said. "It will take at least three months to prove a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is effective." (Reporting by Cheng Lu, Lu Yifan, Lou Chen, Tang Weibin, Liao Jun, Qu Ting, Li Jingfeng, Li Changzheng, Liang Jianqiang, Yu Pei, Yue Wenwan, Yin Xiaosheng, Yu Wan, Ma Jian, Gu Xiaoli, Li Yun, Jia Qilong and Liu Yi) Dummy execution of the convicts of 2012 Delhi gang-rape case was conducted in the jail on Friday, Tihar Jail officials said. Earlier in the day, Tihar jail authorities had told a Delhi court that the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case can be hanged separately. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana is hearing the convicts' plea seeking a stay on the execution, which is scheduled for February 1. Public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad, representing Tihar Jail authorities, submitted a status report in the matter and said that the convicts in the matter can be hanged separately and that there is no illegality in it. Four convicts in the matter -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. Recently, Vinay Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter. Earlier, mercy petition of convict Mukesh was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but to no avail. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Its a measure of sophistication if you can laugh at yourself, right? At least thats what I told myself as I sat on the plane to Adelaide, arguing with myself whether to tell my Adelaide joke. The venue was a top-shelf winery in the Barossa. Id been asked to talk about Australia in the 1970s, the subject of my most recent book. But herein lay my quandary: a local reference is the making of a good speech, and my book contains an excellent story about South Australia. Maggie Beer, one of many treasures who call South Australia home. But it finishes with a somewhat negative punchline about Adelaide. Do I tell it? FILE PHOTO: Mexico's Economy Minister Graciela Marquez attends a session with lawmakers and senators at the Senate building in Mexico City MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico is negotiating with Brazil to expand economic cooperation and believes it can find areas of mutual benefit even though the Brazilian economy is "very closed," Economy Minister Graciela Marquez said on Friday. Mexico's powerful automotive industry has for years been seeking to improve access to Brazil's car market, while Brasilia has sought to protect local industry. In March, the two reached a deal to liberalize trade of light vehicles. Marquez said Mexico was talking to Brazil, as well as its second-biggest Latin American trading partner, Argentina, to broaden existing economic cooperation agreements. "Brazil is a difficult country, it's the opposite of Mexico," she told a government news conference. "Mexico is a very open economy, Brazil is very closed." However, Marquez said she believed there were areas ripe for growth where the two economies complemented each other. "We're sitting at the table with Brazil to expand (our) complimentary agreement and see the possibilities of making a broader, more ambitious agreement," said Marquez, whose government assumed power in December 2018. Brazil's foreign trade secretary, Marcos Troyjo, said in Rio de Janeiro later on Friday that the country is very interested to work on a broad deal with Mexico. Troyjo said it was not in the interest of Brazil and its partners in the South American trade bloc Mercosur to work on a deal that targets only some specific sectors. The Brazilian government has pushed for some trade agreements recently, having clinched a large deal with the European Union. Troyjo also said Mercosur will seek a post-Brexit deal with the United Kingdom. Total trade between Latin America's two biggest economies was worth $14.7 billion in 2018, according to Mexican data. Bilateral trade volume fluctuated significantly under the previous government of Enrique Pena Nieto and has yet to surpass the $15 billion peak reached in 2013. (Reporting by Dave Graham and Raul Cortes Fernandez in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Rodrigo Viga Gaier in Rio de Janeiro; Writing by Drazen Jorgic and Marcelo Teixeira; Editing by Dan Grebler and Matthew Lewis) Decrease Font Size Font Size Increase Font Size Article body FBI Deputy Director David L. Bowdich brought a message of strength through partnerships to Auburn University Friday, addressing his agencys efforts since 9/11 and its expanding outreach mission with academia. He called on students to serve their countrywithin the FBI or otherwiseand said there is increased opportunity to join the agency in Huntsville, Alabama, as the FBI is growing its operations there. The signing of a memorandum of understanding with Auburn during his campus visit will help address the demand for a larger future workforce trained in such disciplines as STEM and foreign language. This profession is rapidly changing, Bowdich said. We cant recruit like we used to. He said that since 9/11 his agency has also worked hard to build the connections needed to best protect the nation. Im not saying that it could not occur, it could, but we stay vigilant throughout the U.S. intel community to ensure that it never happens againa 9/11 style attackand I feel much more confident that that would be difficult to carry out because of all the logistics, the planning, the financial aspects to it, the communications that have to take place, said Bowdich. Bowdich said by working with academia, the FBI is only further strengthening its focus in defending against a new set of threats through technological and artificial intelligence advancements. The agreement calls Auburn a partner with the FBI as it expands its workforce and operations at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. The university will educate and train bureau employees, and provide the next generation of specialists needed to take on critical roles across the agency. The FBI and Auburn will also share mutually beneficial information, research and technology that advances criminal justice and student and faculty opportunities. The agencys $1 billion investment to build a state-of-the-art campus in Huntsville will involve moving more than 1,000 FBI employees from Washington, D.C., and potentially adding thousands of additional jobs to Huntsvilles employment. The FBI making a significant presence in Huntsville enables Auburn to take on a leadership role to work jointly on threats targeting critical infrastructure sectors such as power and telecommunications, said Rodney Robertson, executive director of the Auburn University Huntsville Research Center. The impact this partnership will have will not only benefit the state of Alabama, but the nation as a whole as threat intelligence for analysis leads to a better understanding of new and emerging threats targeting our networks. Auburns Huntsville Research Center is a partner with many government agencies and industry including the U.S. Army and NASA. Redstone Arsenal is a 38,000-acre federal research, development, test and engineering center that houses the U.S Armys aviation and missile defense programs and NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The FBI facility will be the agencys second major outpost. Anytime two parties agree to work together, the most important ingredient is trust, and certainly on our behalf, we have great trust in you, said Auburns Interim President Jay Gogue, in signing the memorandum of understanding. We feel the same way and we feel that this is a tremendous opportunity for both of your institutions to better serve this country, responded Bowdich. When it comes to research at Auburn, Bowdich said hes very interested in the universitys work in the areas of artificial intelligence, 5G wireless technology and cybersecurity. Frank Cilluffo, director of Auburns McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security, asked questions of Bowdich in front of a capacity crowd at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. A well-known cyber expert himself, Cilluffo said the race to develop 5G is a competition the United States cant lose. Bowdich said he has had one briefing on 6G, or sixth generation wireless technology. Development of the technology, at home and abroad, is moving that quickly. Bowdich did not hide his attempt to sway Auburn students in attendance to consider a career with the FBI. Since the agency is funded by taxpayer dollars, he said they cant incentivize employment with high salaries available at private sector or other government agencies; what the FBI can provide is an opportunity. We have an opportunity to serve the public and to serve the country, and if the college students out there hear nothing else, I would say this: Serve your country in some form or fashion. It doesnt have to be with us, but this is a great country were in, Bowdich said. Serve it, at least through part of your adult life, please, because it will provide you more gratification than that big check will, I promise you. It wont relieve tension like that big check will, but I promise you at the end of the day you will go home feeling good about what you just did or about what you are doing, and thats something that money cannot buy. The State Department announced a highest-level warning on Thursday not to travel to China due to the recent coronavirus outbreak. Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, the Level 4 alert states, noting that the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern earlier that day. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China, the alert notes stated. Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. A total of 129 cases have been reported in 22 other countries and regions, with no deaths outside China. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said all air traffic between Italy and China would stop, a more drastic measure than most countries have undertaken after Italy announced its first confirmed cases in two Chinese tourists. International alarm over the new coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei, in December, is driven by its rapid spread and the fact that infectious disease experts cannot yet know how deadly or contagious it is. An increasing number of airlines have stopped flying to mainland China, including Air France KLM SA, British Airways, Germanys Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic, while others have reduced flights. American Airlines pilots have filed a lawsuit seeking an immediate halt to China flights. A U.S. flight attendant who recently landed from one major Chinese city said a big concern was spreading the virus to families or being quarantined while on a layover. I didnt understand the gravity of the situation until I went there, said the attendant, describing general paranoia on the return flight, with every passenger wearing a mask. Now I feel like Im on a 14-day countdown, said the attendant, referring to the 14-day incubation period for the virus, during which time Chinese health authorities say a person can be infectious. Australias powerful Transport Workers Union (TWU) on Friday called for the immediate suspension all flights from China. Suspending flights originating from China may appear to be a drastic measure. But the consequence of inaction could be even more drastic. We need national leadership now, TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said in a statement. Foreign governments continued evacuating their citizens from Hubei and holding them in quarantine. The first of four planned flights carrying South Koreans landed at the Gimpo International Airport. Around 700 South Koreans have signed up for evacuation. South Korea will quarantine all evacuees for 14 days, even if they show no symptoms. Lockdown in Wuhan The virus is believed to have originated late last year in a food market in Wuhan that was illegally selling wildlife. New cases are being reported every day around the world, spurring cuts to travel, and a surge in demand for protective face masks. Medical experts say the rising number of human-to-human transmissions outside China suggests a greater potential for the virus to spread further. In China, thousands of factory workers on Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week due to travel restrictions. While major firms such as Google and Swedens IKEA have closed China operations. Four Chinese provinces, including Shandong and Heilongjiang in the countrys industrial rust-belt region, have asked companies not to start work before Feb. 10. The CNN Wire contributed to this report Delta, United and American on Friday announced they would halt service to mainland China as the rapid spread of coronavirus and government warnings against travel to the country drove down demand for flights there. Large U.S. corporations, from Apple to Ford to Kraft Heinz, have restricted their employees' China business travel or scaled back operations because of the outbreak United, which has the most service to China of the U.S. airlines, said starting Feb. 6 it would suspend flights from its hubs to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu until March 28. "Until that date, we will continue to operate select flights to help ensure our U.S. based employees, as well as customers, have options to return home." United said in a statement. The Chicago-based airline will continue to operate a once-daily San Francisco-Hong Kong flight. "As always, the safety of our customers and employees is our highest priority and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops." American said Friday it would immediately suspend its service to mainland China through March 27. American flies to China from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport, but the carrier will continue to fly to Hong Kong, a spokesman said. Delta said it would halt China service starting Feb. 6 and through April 30, but it will continue to operate the service until then to "ensure customers looking to exit China have options to do so." Earlier this week the airlines announced they would significantly cut back on China service but the escalation of the virus prompted them to suspend service. The State Department has advised against travel to China, and has permitted nonemergency employees at its diplomatic offices there to leave. Stocks plunged Friday on concerns over the increasing impact of the coronavirus, with airlines down more sharply than the broader market. In early afternoon trading Delta was off 2.2%, United was down 3.4%. American shares were 3.3% lower. The increasing isolation of China in the business world is echoed in the Trump administration's actions and rhetoric. The president himself has characterized the outbreak as largely a Chinese problem that is "under control" in the United States. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, meanwhile, said this week that the coronavirus could actually be positive for American manufacturing and jobs as companies reevaluate their supply chains. Some airline employees say it is easier if there is an outright ban on China travel from the U.S. government because it provides greater clarity and makes planning easier compared with frequently changing schedules according to new warnings. Dozens of carriers around the world including United, Cathay Pacific, British Airways and others have slashed or suspended service to China because of the outbreak. Delta was the first in the U.S. to suspend service altogether. Large companies spanning industries from technology to packaged food have suspended business trips to the country because of coronavirus, driving down demand for flights to China. CNBC's Michael Calia and Phil LeBeau contributed to this report. Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane took off from the Delhi airport for Wuhan at around 1.20 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals as China deals with the novel coronavirus outbreak, officials said. There are five doctors from the Health Ministry and one paramedical staff onboard, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated. "The plane did a pushback towards the runway at around 12.50 pm. It took off at around 1.20 pm on Friday. The departure got delayed a little from 12.30 pm scheduled time because of some pending clearances," said a senior airline official. The plane has one paramedical staff onboard, he said, adding that the plane is likely to return between 1 am to 2 am on Saturday. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday morning, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." "Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he added. "Total five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going...The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours," said Lohani. The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Virginia Giuffre has spoken out over Prince Andrew. (PA Images) Prince Andrew has been told to do the right thing and speak to the FBI by the woman who alleges she had sex with the duke after being trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein as a teenager. Virginia Giuffre said on social media that the royal should present himself for interview with American investigators over his friendship with the paedophile, who killed himself in custody last year. Ms Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Epstein and alleged on the BBCs Panorama that she had a sexual encounter with the prince in London in 2001. The duke categorically denies having had any kind of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre and said he would help any law enforcement agency. Ms Giuffre said the world is over the lies, the cover ups and the simple fact that privilege buys your way out of facing the music. She shared the tweet with a mock FBI wanted poster from the Sun. The poster pokes fun at Prince Andrews claim that he was unable to sweat during a time when Ms Giuffre alleges she encountered him, having described the royal as sweating profusely. Tick Tock Andy- time to talk!! The world is over the lies, the cover ups and the simple fact that privilege buys your way out of facing the music. Do the right thing, if not for me then the countless other Epstein victims who deserve the truth ! #PrinceAndrew #TimesUp2020 pic.twitter.com/nQYyxuRhHk Virginia Giuffre (@VRSVirginia) January 31, 2020 US attorney Geoffrey Berman said on Monday that Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation and said the Duke of Yorks lawyers had been contacted. Prince Andrew was later reported to be angry and bewildered at the claims, with the Telegraph quoting a source as saying: The duke is more than happy to talk to the FBI but he hasnt been approached by them yet. Reports later said the investigators stood by their comments that they had tried to contact Andrews lawyers. By Yilei Sun and Norihiko Shirouzu The worsening coronavirus epidemic is likely to wreak havoc on China auto sales and production in the first quarter, but the effects could ripple through supply chains worldwide if the outbreak continues to expand. Seeking to rein in the epidemic, which has killed more than 200 people, authorities have extended the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday by three days to Feb. 2. In mainland China, 11 of 31 provinces, representing more than two-thirds of automobile production in the country, have announced that returning to work for all nonessential businesses would be delayed to Feb. 10 on top of the extended holiday. Thats in addition to broad shutdowns of road, rail and air logistics and passenger travel. Prior to the outbreak, forecasts for the world's largest auto market this year had ranged from mild sales growth to small declines after two painful years of contraction due to a slowing economy, the U.S.-China trade war and the chaotic introduction of new emission rules. Auto analysts at IHS Markit had already forecast 10% lower first-quarter production volumes in China before the crisis began, and they released new estimates on Friday. Assuming no further disruptions, IHS predicted a first-quarter production decline of 350,000 units, or a 7% drop. But the analysts said a worsening crisis that keeps plants idled into mid-March could trigger a disruption across Chinas massive supply chain, with the possibility of 1.7 million units worth of lost production in the first three months, a drop of 32.3% from expectations before the coronavirus outbreak. Writing in Forbes, Willy Shih, a professor at Harvard Business School who studies industrial manufacturing, said the real test may come when workers who went home to Wuhan or other areas of high contagion for the Lunar New Year holiday return to work. Many live in cramped factory dormitories filled with bunk beds and work in close proximity to one another on factory floors. Story continues When they return, Shih writes, managers will have to worry about whether any of their workers have potentially been exposed to the virus and will need to be quarantined for two weeks. Imagine an even worse case if virus carriers are not identified and go out on the factory floor and infect others. This will be a nightmare. China, the world's largest automotive market, is already coming off slowing sales and industrial output. The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said overall vehicle production totaled 25.721 million units in 2019, including commercial vehicles, down 7.5% on increased trade friction with the United States, lower subsidies for new energy vehicles and other factors. Sales slid 8.2% to around 25.77 million vehicles. Showroom traffic in China is expected to be sparse when extended Lunar New Year holidays end as much of the population is steering clear of public spaces, while output is set to plunge in the short-term. That is particularly true of Hubei province, the centre of the outbreak and a major car manufacturing hub that accounts for nearly 9% of China's vehicle production. Dongfeng Motor Group and its partners Honda Motor, Renault and PSA all have factories there. "We expect (China) vehicle production to decline 3% for the full year, with production down 15% in the first quarter, including the extended new year shutdown," Joseph Massaro, CFO for auto technology supplier Aptiv, told an earnings conference call. But he said delayed production could be made up in the second quarter. "We don't view this as a full year issue at the moment." Cui Dongshu, secretary general at the China Passenger Car Association, said the holiday extension has discouraged dealers from ordering cars at the end of the month as is their usual practice, virtually guaranteeing a decline in sales for January. Yet he noted in a blog post that the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic had little long-term impact on China's passenger car market, which grew 70% in 2003, albeit from a low base and helped by economic stimulus. Automakers with plants in Hubei, particularly in its capital Wuhan, where transport links have been cut to curb the virus, will have the most work to do in rejigging production plans. Delays can often be made up later with extra shifts on weekends and at night. Honda, which has three assembly plants in Wuhan with Dongfeng, said it was assessing how transport disruptions were affecting the supply of parts and that no decision had been made on when its factories will restart. Dongfeng, Renault and PSA also said no decision had been made on when production might resume. Other automakers with operations in Hubei include Nissan Motor Co which has a plant with Dongfeng and General Motors Co which has a venture with SAIC Motor Co. Nissan and GM did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla Inc, which started delivering cars built at its $2 billion car plant in Shanghai last month, has said it expects a delay of just one to one-and-a-half weeks in its ramp up of China-built Model 3s due to the shutdown. In a sign, however, that the virus impact was not just limited to China, Hyundai Motor said it is suspending some SUV output in South Korea this weekend as parts supplies had been disrupted. CAR OWNERSHIP SHIFT? The big unknown is, however, just how far the outbreak, which authorities expect to peak in February, will ravage Chinese consumer spending. Industry officials and analysts believe sales will be hit in the short-term but also say the impact might not be too bad over the whole year. The outbreak could even spur more Chinese consumers to embark on car ownership, given that many are suffering in areas where public transport has been suspended, said Yale Zhang, head of Shanghai-based consultancy AutoForesight. "Customers who do not have their own car might realize they need one, which might help sales this year," he said. China has an estimated 170 vehicles per 1,000 people compared to 800 per 1,000 in the United States. (Information from Reuters was used in this report.) Micheal Martin on the campaign trail with James Lawless TD at a Dunnes in Naas, Co Kildare Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin attacked Ireland's EU commissioner Phil Hogan yesterday, accusing him of a "coded, partisan intervention" on behalf of Fine Gael in the general election campaign. As Britain prepares to formally depart the EU at 11pm tonight, Mr Martin said 'Big Phil', a former Fine Gael cabinet minister, should "stay out of domestic Irish politics" for the final week of the campaign. He was responding to Mr Hogan's comments on Wednesday to RTE, where he said he was "very concerned" by "a lot of complacency" in Ireland about forthcoming trade talks between the EU and the UK, with a crash-out Brexit still possible. Mr Hogan said people in Ireland need to "come out of their slumber". This came after Tanaiste Simon Coveney warned earlier in the day that Brexit is "coming at us like a freight train". Speaking in Dublin, Mr Martin said: "I would make the point that they [Fine Gael] are politicising it. I think Phil Hogan should stay out of domestic Irish politics for the next week. Expand Close EU commissioner Phil Hogan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp EU commissioner Phil Hogan "That was, to me anyway, a coded, partisan intervention and I just want to make this key point, you know, I kind of remember before Christmas this was a great deal. Everything was great and now in the last 48 hours there is a freight train coming down the tracks. "Big Phil is telling the Irish people that they are in a slumber and so there is a new story being created, a new narrative has been created that things are desperate altogether and I think people are going to see through that, as an election creation designed to try and frighten people into voting in certain directions. I don't think it will work." Mr Hogan hit back, saying he has "never interfered in domestic politics since becoming EU commissioner". He said comments were made in the context of it being the eve of Brexit, and added that he was sure an alternative government could do as well as Fine Gael on Brexit. "I know people are sensitive at election time but I'm not sensitive about telling the truth about the position and alerting people out of their complacency," he told RTE's Today With Sean O'Rourke. Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe also mounted a robust defence of Mr Hogan's remarks, saying he was merely "outlining the reality that our country is facing". "The question for Micheal Martin is why he believes he has the people or the plans to be able to handle that reality differently," Mr Donohoe said. "We are making the case that we have in Simon, in Leo and in Helen the team of people who have the experience and ability to lead our country through the next phase of Brexit." Rapid Mr Martin was speaking after he delivered a speech to the Institute for International and European Affairs, where he said that a Fianna Fail government would carry out a "rapid review" of the Brexit loan and support schemes, and will establish a new Department of Higher Education and Research to respond to the challenges presented by the UK's departure form the EU. Meanwhile, writing in today's Irish Independent, the presidents of the European Commission, Council and Parliament warned Britain not to undercut the EU on environment, labour, taxation and state aid. The blunt message is if the UK tries that it will lose on access to the single market. Otherwise, they strike a more positive note, saying they hope a new EU-UK relationship will be positive and based on trust. Legendary music producer Fred Kyei Mensah who is a victim of the June 3 disaster is proud of himself for his ability to resist the temptation to sell his house to Beige Bank at a time he was virtually struggling to survive. Fredyma, as he is known in the music industry, says he was pestered by officials of the bank and other companies who had heard about his quandary, to sell his house situated at Pokuase to them. Some of the companies that came looking to cache on my vulnerability were the telcos, fast food companies, hardware distributors, banks and all facets of the business community. Amongst them who pestered me with cash to leave my property was the BEIGE BANK, his Facebook post read. The said post, which was influenced by news of the seizure of the banks license and subsequent attempt by the state to prosecute the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the now defunct entity, Mike Nyinaku, suggested that Fredyma would have shot himself in the foot should he have let the facility go. I was facing one of the most challenging tests in my life since my source of income had been truncated as a result of the 3rd June, 2015 flood and fire disaster at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle. They had even arranged for me to meet the CEO who is under investigation now. When it was announced that the bank had gone into serious crisis, I thanked God for not succumbing to their pressure. The agreement was that, they were going to pay me 60% of the value upfront and later 40%. By now, 3nka me ho akyere me paaaa. The Bank of Ghana of Ghana in 2018 revoked the license of Beige Bank as it was said to have obtained a banking licence falsely. An inventory asset and property report filed by the Receiver to the Bank of Ghana revealed that Beige Bank had total assets of GHc 494 million. Out of the figure, GHc 282 million, representing 57% were loans and securities. According to the report, the bank gave an amount of GHc 274 million, constituting 31% of the loans to related parties. The Receiver said Beige bank did not adhere to credit administration policies and had inadequacies in recovery efforts. On Friday January 17, 2019, Mr. Nyinaku was granted bail by the Circuit Court in Accra. Presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Essandoh, in a ruling ordered Nyinaku to deposit his passport with the court registry and also report to the police every Monday and Wednesday. He was admitted to bail in the sum of Ghc 342 million with two sureties. While detailing his resistance in the Facebook post titled taking advantage of the vulnerable, Fredyma sympathized with Nyinaku and other CEOs who are facing the full rigorous of the law. Below is his full post- 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 "This is a rare opportunity to acquire high quality waterfront property below the cost of development, in the most desirable coastal destination in Texas," explains Jon Riley, Project Manager. "The original developer spared no expense. This is your chance to create your own custom waterfront retreat for up to 70% off the original prices." On February 8th, waterside homesites with dedicated marina slips that were originally priced at $131,000, are now available from $39,900. Direct dockable waterfront homesites that were $228,500 now start at just $99,900. There is no time limit to build, choose your own builder, and excellent financing is available with low down payment. For more information and directions to Pirates Cove, visit www.piratescovetexas.com or call (877) 550-3735. Contact Information: Patten Companies Visit: piratescovetexas.com Phone: (877) 550-3735 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Patten Companies Related Links http://www.pattenco.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 00:08:05|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Former U.S. Congressman John Delaney, a moderate Democrat, announced on Friday that he's withdrawing from the 2020 presidential race. The decision came days before the Iowa caucuses next week, which will formally kick off the presidential nominating calendar. "This decision is informed by internal analyses indicating John's support is not sufficient to meet the 15% viability in a material number of caucus precincts, but sufficient enough to cause other moderate candidates to not to make the viability threshold," Delaney's campaign said in a statement. Delaney, 56, tweeted that he's leaving the race "with a profound sense of gratitude to voters," in admiration for the other contenders for the nomination. The U.S. Representative for Maryland's 6th congressional district from 2013 to 2019, Delaney announced his presidential bid in July, 2017. Delaney's exit shrank the Democratic primary field to 11 candidates. One of the death row convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, Pawan Gupta, on Friday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its earlier order which dismissed his juvenile plea. The apex court had on January 20, rejected Gupta's petition challenging a Delhi High Court order, which had dismissed his claim of being a juvenile at the time of the offence. The top court had observed that there were no grounds to interfere with the High Court order. Earlier, Pawan had claimed that he was a juvenile at the time of the crime and that the Delhi High Court had ignored this fact. AP Singh, the convict's lawyer, had stated that Pawan's age was 17 years, 1 month and 20 days when the offence was committed, that's why his role should be considered as a juvenile in the case. The Delhi High Court had rejected the review petition of Pawan and he had challenged this before the apex court on January 17. Meanwhile, a plea is also being heard in a Delhi court seeking a stay on the execution of the convicts contending that none of those convicted in a case can be hanged until all of them have exhausted all legal options available to them. Four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma -- are facing execution on February 1. The case pertains to the gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the chilling night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido wraps up an international tour with a rally in Miami on Super Bowl weekend with the looming question whether the opposition leader can score an important meeting with President Donald Trump. Guaidos ability to win face time with Trump in a symbolically important meeting will test the young political leaders standing with his most important international ally. If Trump does not meet with Guaido, that would raise serious questions about the administrations continuing commitment to Venezuelas interim president, said Michael Shifter, president of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think-tank . It might well be interpreted that Trump is hedging on Guaido. With his support down at home, Guaido launched the second year of his so-far unsuccessful campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro by defying a travel ban and slipping out of Venezuela seeking to shore up backing from leaders in Colombia, across Europe and Canada. Venezuela has been a top priority in Latin America for the Trump administration, which was a year ago the first among nearly 60 governments to throw their weight behind Guaido. U.S. officials called Maduro a dictator, and hit the state-run Venezuelan oil firm PDVSA with sanctions among other financial measures designed to push out the socialist leader. However, Maduro remains in control, having faced down a coup attempt, a brief renewal of mass anti-government protests and U.S. sanctions. At various stops on his international trip, Guaido has met with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and White House adviser Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter, but he hasnt yet gotten to the U.S. president. He missed Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, arriving a day after the U.S. president left. The two will both be in Florida this weekend, but it is unclear whether Guaido is on the guest list for Trumps Super Bowl party at his Mar-a-Lago club or invited to any other meetings. A Trump-Guaido meeting is under consideration and would likely take place this weekend in south Florida, according to two people, including a senior U.S. official. The official and another person familiar with the discussions spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they werent authorized to discuss the U.S. presidents plans. Shifter said the lack of a Trump-Guaido session would demoralize the Venezuelan opposition that has counted on Washington for unwavering support. It would also be puzzling to U.S. allies like Colombia and Brazil, which have worked in concert with the U.S. in fully backing Guaido, he said. Guaido has not delivered the change in Venezuela that the Trump administration and the countrys opposition expected, but he is still Venezuelas most popular political figure, Shifter said. Trump may be frustrated and believe he was misled on Venezuela, Shifter said. But there is little cost in meeting with Guaido as the democratic struggle enters a new, very difficult, phase. Guaido emerged from the opposition in January 2019 to become the first viable challenger in years to Maduro, the hand-chosen successor of the late charismatic leader Hugo Chavez. The economy continues to shrink after two decades of socialist rule, despite Venezuela holding the worlds largest oil reserves. The political and social crisis is driving mass migration as Venezuelans abandon a country with shortages of reliable water, food, electricity, gasoline and medical care, among basic services. Guaido claimed presidential powers as leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, vowing before cheering masses in Caracas streets to overthrow Maduro and restore democracy. However, his plan hitched on flipping the militarys loyalty from Maduro, something that hasnt happened. Maduro today appears emboldened. Armed civilian groups loyal to the president patrol the streets on motorcycles, blocking Guaido and allied lawmakers from entering their legislative hall. Intelligence police occupied Guaidos office space after he left on his foreign tour. The biggest clown ever in Venezuelan or world politics declared himself as president, Maduro said in a celebratory address on the anniversary of Guaido claim to power. Who the hell elected you? At the time, Guaido was in Europe posing for photos with world leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. In Canada, he met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Guaido wrote an op-ed published Thursday in the Miami Herald saying he was in the U.S. He thanked Trump, U.S. lawmakers and their counterparts in Europe and throughout the Americas for all they have done for Venezuela. They have helped Venezuela in our time of greatest need, and no Venezuelan will ever forget that, he wrote. Their commitment has been extraordinary, but on behalf of our people, I must ask for more. Guaidos planned rally Saturday in Miami is expected to draw a large number of Venezuelans in the biggest diaspora of expatriates living in the United States. Its also a politically important swing-state for Trump. Guaido might then make the risky move of returning home, although his team has not released details of this plans. He completed a similar international tour a year ago, returning without hassles on a commercial flight that landed in Venezuelas main airport outside Caracas. A coalition of allied foreign ambassadors greeted him in a show of solidarity. Risa Grais-Targow, a Venezuela analyst for the Eurasia Group, said aggression by Maduro against the opposition in recent weeks such as blocking them from their congressional meeting hall shows Maduro is pushing the limits to see if the international community is still watching. Theres a potential for Maduro to be more aggressive toward Guaido, Grais-Targow said. It seems to me hes feeling much more confident in his position today than he was, certainly, six months ago. _____ Scott Smith on Twitter: @ScottSmithAP _____ Associated Press writer Joshua Goodman contributed to this story from Bogota, Colombia. Tata Motors reports Q3 net profit of Rs1,756 crore Tata Motors has reported a consolidated net profit of Rs1,755.88 crore for fiscal third quarter ended 31 December 2019 against a net loss of Rs26,960.8 crore during the October-December period of 2018-19. On a standalone basis, the company posted a net loss of Rs1,039.51 crore against a profit of Rs617.62 crore in the year-ago quarter Total revenue from operations stood at Rs71,676.07 crore during the October-December 2019-20 quarter compared with Rs76,915.94 crore in the year-ago quarter, Tata Motors said in a regulatory filing. Standalone total revenue stood at Rs10,842.91 crore compared with Rs16,207.67 crore in the year-ago quarter. During the third quarter, the company's standalone wholesale numbers, including exports, declined 24.6 per cent to 1,29,185 units. Revenues of UK operations, Jaguar Land Rover, increased to 6.4 billion pounds, up 2.8 per cent year-on-year. The brand's total retail sales fell 2.3 per cent during the quarter compared to the similar quarter of the previous fiscal. While Jaguar Land Rover has continued its turnaround, market decline and BS-VI stock reduction in domestic market has affected company's performance, Tata Motors said. Jaguar Land Rover continued its turnaround and transformation journey with another quarter of strong delivery. The China market continued to improve gradually while Project Charge is well ahead of plans having already delivered 2.9 billion pounds so far, it said. Despite the many challenges presently facing the industry, Jaguar Land Rover has continued to expect improved profitability and cash flow for the financial year ending 31 March 2020 with an EBIT margin of around 3 per cent. However, the developing situation with the coronavirus could have some impact on this. In the third quarter Jaguar Land Rover sustained year-on-year revenue and profit growth as we continued to transform our business. Conditions in the automotive industry remain challenging but we are encouraged by the recovery in our China business and the success of the new Range Rover Evoque. Our proactive and decisive actions are creating a more robust, resilient business, transforming today for tomorrow, Ralf Speth, JLR chief executive, commented. Our improving financial results and the cost and cash flow achievements of Project Charge will support the next phase of our pipeline of exciting new vehicles and technologies, with a choice of outstanding electrified, petrol and diesel powertrains. This combined success is enabling us to lay the foundations for long-term growth as we move purposefully towards Destination Zero our mission to shape future mobility with zero emissions, zero accidents and zero congestion, he added. In India, the auto industry continues to be impacted by the general economic slowdown. The profitability was impacted by adverse mix where despite increasing market shares, M&HCV volumes declined, the company said. "This coupled with proactive system stock reduction of Rs3,800 crore resulted in loss of operating leverage," it said. "Though the near-term market situation is fluid, we are optimistic on the medium term as we launch our exciting BS-VI range of products with our system inventory at a multi-year low. We remain focused on driving our turnaround strategy and transitioning seamlessly to BS-VI," the company further said. The downturn in the automotive industry continued in Q3 as the economy slowed down. Despite gaining sequential market shares in M&HCV, ILCV and SCV this quarter, our financial performance was impacted due to the downturn coupled with the inventory corrections we took to get ready for BS VI. Our focus on retail acceleration and system stock reduction helped us achieve a multi-quarter low inventory level in CV and PV, while simultaneously getting ready for a smooth transition to BSVI. We have taken the BSVI transition not only as a mere compliance agenda, but, have gone beyond and provided exciting value enhancements packaged in a completely new product portfolio. We are confident that this approach will reap us rich rewards in the coming quarters, Guenter Butschek, CEO and MD, Tata Motors, said. As the sales upbeat of the festive months could not sustain, we remain concerned about the intrinsic demand and weak consumer sentiment. However, we expect a perceptible improvement in demand outlook as the infrastructure investments announced by the government pick up pace. We also anticipate further measures in the Union Budget to boost consumer sentiment and spur growth. We remain optimistic of the medium to long term opportunity offered by the Indian automotive market and aim to win in this market with our fully refreshed, exciting and competitive portfolio coupled with focused efforts to improve our sales and customer experience and continued drive for cost efficiencies. Angry villagers lynched the wife of a man who took 23 children hostage, keeping them confined in the basement of his house here for eight hours before being shot dead by police, officials said on Friday. Eight policemen and a villager were injured when Subhash Batham, 40, opened fire during the siege in Farrukhabad's Kasaria village, police said. They said Ruby Katheriya was attacked by the villagers as she tried to escape from the house after a police team broke in from another door. She died in hospital late Thursday night. "The accused had invited the children for his daughter's birthday party and held them hostage, Director General of Police O P Singh said. It started about 5.45 pm on January 30 and continued for about eight hours," the Uttar Pradesh DGP said. The crisis continued past midnight. Police said Batham, who was a murder accused and appeared mentally unstable, initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to a neighbour from a balcony. They said Batham, who was out on bail, had demanded the withdrawal of a murder case against him. "The accused was killed and there were about 23 children who were rescued safely," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters at a hurriedly called press conference at 1.20 am on Friday. The children are aged between six months and 15 years. Batham's wife had tried to escape from the spot, but was caught by angry parents who thrashed her and pelted stones at her, Kanpur Inspector General Mohit Agarwal said. She suffered a head injury in the attack, but the exact cause of death would be known after post-mortem, he said. The children were confined to the basement of the house. Agarwal said Batham wanted to talk to the local MLA, but refused to speak to him when he arrived, Agarwal said. Police recovered a country-made gun, a rifle, about two dozen cartridges and two dozen country-made bombs. The IG said this indicated that he could have kept the children hostage for days, and perhaps planned to blow up the house. When Batham demanded the withdrawal of the murder case against him, police assured him that they would consider it. They also talked about offering a government house to him. His wife allegedly sought Rs 1 crore for each child as ransom for their release. While this conversation was going on, a police team entered the house by breaking open the back door. Batham fired two bullets to scare them away. We thought he had fired at the children and stopped midway, Agarwal said. His wife then tried to escape from the front door but the children's parents who had collected there attacked her. Agarwal said she was seriously injured before police could rescue her. Sensing that he was surrounded from all sides, Batham opened fire, injuring four policemen. He was killed when police retaliated, the IG said. Four other policemen were injured when Batham had fired earlier from the terrace and a villager shot in the leg when he was sent to negotiate with the hostage-taker. In a tweet, Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated the Uttar Pradesh Police and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "It is laudable to get all the children held hostage in Farrukhabad in Uttar Pradesh safely rescued through the efficient strategy and planning by the police, he said. Earlier, Adityanath had called a meeting of the state's crisis management committee and monitored the situation from capital Lucknow, about 200 km away, an official said. The CM announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the police team that carried out the rescue operation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Advertisement A controversial anti-Brexit group hijacked the White Cliffs of Dover before dawn today and beamed a pro-European Union film in English, French and German on to its famous chalk face to display a 32,000 sq ft 'message to Europe' that Britain will rejoin the bloc 'before long'. Protest group Led by Donkeys filmed two Second World War veterans called Sid Daw, 95, and Brigadier Stephen Goodall, 97, who both describe their grief as the UK leaves the EU at 11pm tonight. The guerrilla video, apparently projected from a boat below the cliffs, ends with the stars on the EU flag slowly disappearing - with just one star remaining, the line reads: 'This is our star. Look after it for us.' Protest group Led by Donkeys filmed two Second World War veterans including Welsh veteran Sid Daw, 95, and introduces the video beamed on to the famous cliffs, saying: 'This is a message from the White Cliffs of Dover, from Britain' Mr Daw, who fought as a sniper in the Second World War, says of the EU: 'We want to be together and we will be together before long, I'm sure' Mr Daw, who was a sniper for the Allies, introduces the video and says: 'This is a message from the White Cliffs of Dover, from Britain'. Mr Daw, from Cardiff, fought in France, Holland, Belgium and Germany during the conflict. He says: 'First of all, I'm Welsh, and I'm British, and I'm European and I'm a human being. I feel very, very sad about it all because we don't know which way things are going.' Appealing to fellow Europeans on the Continent, he said: 'Look from your side to this side, see these white cliffs, and we're looking across at you feeling we want to be together and we will be together before long, I'm sure.' Brigadier Stephen Goodall says he is depressed about 'leaving Europe' having helped liberate the continent from the grip of Hitler's Nazis It ends ends with the stars on the EU flag slowly disappearing - with just one star remaining, the line reads: 'This is our star. Look after it for us' Brigadier Goodall spoke of his sadness about Brexit - with his words translated into French and German. Brigadier Stephen Goodall (right) with a German colleague while at the Royal School of Military Engineering The 97-year-old, who served in the Army for 32 years, said: 'I feel really depressed at the idea that we are leaving Europe because it has meant so much to me. 'I like to be called a European. And the feeling that one has of comradeship as one goes round Europe is really quite something.' He added: 'At my age I shan't be living much longer but I hope that, for the sake of my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, that England, Britain will move back to be much closer to Europe than what we have done now.' The message was shown just after midnight today so as to be seen on Brexit Day itself. Ben Stewart, 45, one of the organisers from Led By Donkeys, said that the group wanted to do something to mark the day. He said: 'It was a real honour to put their words up there. How did Led By Donkeys project a video onto the White Cliffs of Dover? The video was the brainchild of Led By Donkeys, a group of four activist fathers famed for their giant billboards of politicians' tweets. The broadcast is thought to have measured 32,000 sq ft (3,000 sq m) and been projected onto the White Cliffs from a boat in the English Channel. Writing about the technology in the book Led by Donkeys, the team reveal: 'We chat to a friend of ours who projects messages onto buildings. He tells us he's just picked up some new kit, more powerful than anything he's used before. It projects as much light as a high-powered stadium floodlight, so should make for an incredible image.' The group have previous projected other messages onto the cliffs, including a huge 'SOS' message last April calling for a Brexit extension and a confirmation vote. The name of the organisation refers to the phrase 'lions led by donkeys' about British soldiers in the First World War being sent to their deaths by their superiors. Advertisement 'We really want people in Europe to know that the display that they saw of a kind of crass Nigel Farage and Brexit Party MEPs goading the European Parliament is not the country that we live in and not the country that we love. 'There seems no better choice of people for the nation that we are than Steve and Sid'. The pro-Remain activists, founded by four friends Mr Stewart, James Sadri, Oliver Knowles and Will Rose, have crowdfunded tens of thousands of pounds from Remain supporters to 'vent their frustration' about leaving the EU. The majority of the Led by Donkeys cash was spent erecting billboards featuring the quotes of Brexiteers such as Nigel Farage, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Michael Gove. The group also projected Boris Johnson depicted as 'criminal' holding a 'liar' sign on to the Houses of Parliament last June and has now turned its attention to the White Cliffs of Dover as Brexit becomes a reality this evening. But the controversial group was also accused of trying to interfere with last year's EU elections with big spending on advertising during the campaign. One billboard about claims Boris Johnson said 'f*** business' in relation to leaving the EU caused upset in Birmingham because it was put up near a school. The future of food and agriculture was on top of the agenda for officials gathered here for the 35th Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) Informal Country Consultation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday VIENTIANE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jan, 2020 ) :The future of food and agriculture was on top of the agenda for officials gathered here for the 35th Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) Informal Country Consultation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday. Lao Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Phouangparisak Pravongviengkham, and FAO Representative to the Lao People's Democratic Republic Nasar Hayat were joined by representatives from the government and civil society organizations to discuss the timely topics on food and agriculture ahead of the 35th Session of the Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC 35) in Thimphu, capital of Bhutan from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20, Lao news Agency (KPL) reported on Tuesday. Speaking at Monday's country consultation meeting in Vientiane for APRC 35, Deputy Minister Phouangparisak said the Lao government was working on key points with its partners to address food and nutrition security which could be shared during the regional conference, according to local daily Vientiane Times on Tuesday. This included balancing support for the commercialization of agriculture with food security and access to nutritious food by all communities. Phouangparisak said the consultation would enhance exchanges among participants in collecting information on the remaining issues in agricultural development to be addressed at next month's conference. Hayat said the regional conference was a forum where ministers and high-ranking officials from FAO member states in each of the five regions met to discuss issues relating to food and agriculture to obtain regional coherence. He pointed out that country consultations would be summarised and shared with regional and global teams to provide guidance on areas of regional priority for FAO's work in 2020-2021, based on major trends and challenges in the region, including the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change, and experience with regional initiatives in 2018-2019. FAO Regional Conferences are an official forum where ministers and high-ranking officials from FAO member states in each of the five regions meet to discuss issues related to food and agriculture in an effort to obtain regional coherence. While regional conferences typically discuss current and emerging regional trends and challenges, the APRC 35 will also introduce innovation and digital technologies that are helping to improve food security and nutrition across the region. Affordable homes, better supports for parents, and a fairer and more equal society are among the promises in the Social Democrats manifesto. A four-day working week, a clampdown on land hoarding, and the full implementation of health reforms under Slaintecare are also among the partys election pledges. Co-leader Roisin Shortall said the party, with its proposals, wants a cohesive society that is fair and works well. Ms Shortall said there are proven models in Nordic countries that could be re-created in Ireland, by prioritising big issues such as health, housing, work/life balance, and transport. Catherine Murphy, the other co-leader, outlined the party strategy: Too often in Ireland we have settled for second best public services which are not the quality they should be. As social democrats, we fundamentally believe that meaningful strategic investment in public services is the best way to put real money back in peoples pockets on a daily basis by ensuring they dont have to fork out for the basic services the State should provide such as health, childcare, affordable homes. This manifesto sets out a very clear, practical path to deliver such a society. The party manifesto outlines big proposed changes for the workplace and the corporate sector, ways to reform the health service, and, above all, ideas to try and fix the housing crisis and end homelessness. A key part of the manifesto is increasing childcare measures, including an extension of parental leave which would ensure parents can access paid leave for the first full year of a childs life. The first six months would remain as maternity leave, but there would be a further six months which could be shared between the parents. This country is bottom of the league in regards to supporting new parents, said Ms Shortall. The average parental leave across Europe is 100 weeks, she added. The Social Democrats are also proposing an early years payment of around 50 a month, as a starting amount. There would also be a clampdown on banks writing off their tax payments because of previous losses. A new sunset clause would be introduced to stop this, said Ms Murphy. Data courtesy of The Irish Times We bailed out the banks and the idea that they can get away with not contributing is immoral, she said, adding that the same move had been introduced by the comptroller and auditor general in Britain. Housing reforms and supports are another main part of the manifesto, with promises to build some 100,000 new homes over the lifetime of the next Dail by beefing up the role of the Land Development Agency. Under the plan, affordable homes could see average mortgages of around 800 a month, said the party at its launch. A nationwide rent freeze would also be introduced until housing supply increased and housing costs came down. The party is running 20 candidates in the election and hopes to improve on its existing two Dail seats to a possible return of between five and eight TDs. Workers install the chassis along a production line at a truck factory of Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Co. Ltd (JAC Motors) in Hefei By Josh Horwitz and Muyu Xu SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - The coronavirus is threatening to disrupt large parts of China's manufacturing machine and its global supply chains as the spread of infection and strict public health measures force companies and workers to remain idle. China's most important holiday was due to end on Friday, when many companies planned to get back to work after a week-long vacation, but authorities have ordered businesses in many areas to stay shut longer in a bid to contain the disease. Widespread travel restrictions, meanwhile, mean millions of migrant workers may be unable to return to what has often been called the world's factory floor. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a global health emergency as the death toll in China reached more than 200, with over 9,000 infected. Brian Miller, 32, owner of Easy China Warehouse and a bluetooth speaker company in the southern city of Shenzhen, said labor and production disruptions could ripple through supply chains, from raw materials to final assembly. "If we can't get back to production quick enough, I'll run out of inventory, and I'll have a few months where we won't be able to sell anything. And that's the catastrophe that we all don't want," Miller told Reuters. In Eastern China's Suzhou, one of the country's largest manufacturing hubs, companies have been told to stay shut until at least Feb. 8 and in Shanghai until Feb. 9. Factories in the southern manufacturing hub of Dongguan in export-oriented Guangdong province have also been told not to open before Feb. 10. The threat of significant disruptions comes as China was already undergoing the biggest supply chain shift in a generation as companies grappled with the impact of the Sino-U.S. trade war and an economic slowdown. A woman surnamed Chen, who co-owns a garment factory in Huizhou in Guangdong province, described the virus and shutdowns as being like "frost on top of snowfall." Her domestic focused factory already had to lay off almost half its workers from over 70 to around 40 due to the slowing economy, and she fears more jobs may be lost in coming months. Story continues "The outbreak is definitely causing great damage to our business, as everyone will worry about a resurgence in the virus even if it is curbed," she said. The risk of a shock to business and consumer activity prompted one Chinese government economist to forecast economic growth may drop to 5%, or lower, from 6.1% in 2019. During the SARS epidemic in 2002-03, growth fell two percentage points but rebounded quickly once that outbreak was brought under control. "The worst thing is the uncertainty ... Whole parts of the supply chain could stop," said Nicole Peng, vice president of mobility at Canalys, an IT research firm. PATCHY RESTARTS Extended closures are rippling across China. Coal mines in Inner Mongolia and Shanxi, the top two coal producing areas, have been told not to resume full-scale production until at least Feb. 9, though some workers believe the shutdown could last longer. A liquefied gas trader in Tangshan in northeast Hebei province said truck drivers were due back on Thursday, but none had returned. While some steel mills in Hebei, China's top steelmaking hub, were still operating due to the hefty cost of shutting and restarting, some workers were advised to stay home until Feb. 9, as "no one wants to take the risk," a purchasing manager at a mid-sized mill said. A growing number of multinational companies have warned of a hit to their businesses, with firms such as Starbucks Corp and Levi Strauss shutting many China stores. Scores of airlines have also suspended or reduced flights to China, which Miller said could disrupt air freight. Some industry veterans said the virus could be the last straw for companies doing business in China. Labor and operating costs had already been steadily rising before the trade war brought higher tariffs. "You don't know how many (workers) are going to come back and you don't know how many of the suppliers in your supply chain are affected," said Larry Sloven, president of Capstone International HK Ltd, who has been doing business in China for more than three decades supplying big-box U.S. retailers. (Additional reporting by David Kirton in SHENZHEN and Anne Marie Roantree in HONG KONG; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Kim Coghill) CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to lend his weight to the country-wide protests against CAA, NPR and NRC by getting a resolution passed against these in the state legislature. The former JNU student leader also raised the demand at rallies he addressed in Gopalganj and Siwan districts. He covered these districts on the second day of his Jan Gan Man Yatra under which he is touring the state with the message 'Samvidhan bachao, Desh bachao' (save the Constitution, save the country). "I want to make it clear that these rallies are not aimed at an electoral benefit nor are these being organised by any political party. "I urge the chief minister of Bihar to support our cause and get resolutions passed to the effect in the state assembly. Precedents have been set by many other states," Kanhaiya Kumar said. The Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) had supported the Citizenhsip (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the Parliament. However, the JD(U) chief, who runs his government in coalition with the BJP in Bihar, has been opposed to implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) beyond Assam and has expressed disapproval of the current National Population Register (NPR) forms containing problematic columns like places of birth of parents. After a party meeting earlier this week, Nistish Kumar had told reporters that his MPs, in both the Houses of Parliament, would urge the Centre to drop these clauses from the NPR forms in view of apprehensions caused by these in people's minds. Kanhaiya Kumar, who was thwarted from addressing his first scheduled rally in West Champaran on the previous day but was allowed to speak in the adjoining East Champaran hours later, faced stiff opposition from supporters of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in Gopalganj where his posters were blackened. The agitators were chased away by police clearing the way for the 32-year-old to deliver his address, during which he took a veiled dig at the BJP youth wing activists. It is good to chant Vande Mataram. But I would like to tell my friends, the love for the country also entails the love for all its people. Do remember patriotism is not about sycophancy of political masters. They will win elections, and pass over the mantle to their offspring while you all might end up chanting Vande Mataram all your life with no recognition," Kanhaiya Kumar said. The Narendra Modi government has brought the "divisive measures of CAA and NPR to divert public attention from its failures, its inability to handle the economy, which is tottering at five per cent GDP growth rate, the PMs tall claims of a five trillion dollar economy notwithstanding", he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A "trusted member" of Patricia O'Connor's family accepted he went with her alleged murderer on a "shopping spree" for tools the day before her body was found dismembered in the Wicklow Mountains. However, Keith Johnston told gardai he did not accept the axes, saws and other items bought were "the exact tools you would need to cut up a body". The handyman said he believed they were to replace lost and damaged tools and said: "I wasn't involved in any murder." Mr Johnston (43), the ex-partner of Ms O'Connor's daughter Louise, is alleged to have helped murder-accused Kieran Greene in the purchase of implements to conceal Patricia O'Connor's remains. He is also accused of carrying out bathroom refurbishments at the house, where she was allegedly killed, to conceal or destroy evidence. Mr Johnston is one of four people on trial at the Central Criminal Court over the death of the grandmother-of-seven in 2017. Louise O'Connor's then-partner, Mr Greene (34), is charged with murder while Mr Johnston, Louise (41) and their daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) are accused of impeding the investigation. The four have all pleaded not guilty. Patricia O'Connor (61) was allegedly murdered on May 29, 2017 at her home at Mountain View Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin. Her remains were found scattered in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14. In interview, Mr Johnston denied any knowledge of Mr Greene getting tools to "chop up the body". Mr Greene got the tools in "the shed, best guess", he said. There was an electric saw with a small blade at the house, and Mr Johnston "used it to cut the new board for the step (in the bathroom)." He said he went shopping for tools with Mr Greene "plenty of times", to get stuff for the house. He was shown receipts from shops in which Mr Greene had bought tools and other items on June 9, the day before Ms O'Connor's remains were first found. Gardai asked Mr Johnston if he "associated this". "No, I didn't put two and two together," he said. Two pairs of wellington boots were for fishing and two axes were for wood "for the fire", he said. Two saws were to replace one that was broken - Mr Greene had "bought one for himself". Mr Johnston spent that night at home, he said. Ms O'Connor was temporarily buried in a grave in Wexford, the jury heard. "Did you have to go down to help him?" the interviewer asked. "What, dig her up? Are you kidding? No," he said. Gardai asked if his DNA would "turn up in Wexford". "No, not a hope in hell, no," he replied. Doctor Anthony Hooper said marks on Mr Greene while in custody on June 14 were "consistent" with his account of having been hit with a hurley. He agreed with Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, this could be consistent with "fending off something, a defensive gesture". Forensic scientist Nora Lee said there was "very strong support" for the proposition that a plastic bag that had contained Ms O'Connor's head came from the same roll of bags as one from the shed at Mountain View Park. She could not rule out that the body parts bag was bought at B&Q. The trial continues. ANN ARBOR, MI Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday the medical license of former University of Michigan doctor Mark Franklin Hoeltzel has been permanently revoked. Hoeltzel, a former pediatric rheumatologist, was sentenced in February 2019 to five to 15 years on two counts of criminal sexual conduct second and fourth degree. Along with losing his license, he was also fined $50,000. Former University of Michigan doctor gets prison for abusing patients Mr. Hoeltzel repeatedly violated the law and left behind a trail of victims, Nessel said in a press release. We appreciate the opportunity to work with our partners at LARA to ensure that Mr. Hoeltzel never practices medicine again. Hoeltzels five to 15-year sentence will run concurrent to a 10-year sentence issued in December 2018 after Hoeltzel pleaded guilty to online enticement of a minor, the result of an FBI probe opened in February 2018. Three victims provided impact statements during the February 2019 hearing, each describing Hoeltzel preying on them and using his authority to oversee their care. One victim said Hoeltzel grabbed her and rubbed his body against hers during one appointment. She had appointments with Hoeltzel every three to four weeks, all of them, she said, purely sexual for him. Hoeltzel began coming over to her apartment, supplying her with alcohol and drugs, often forcing himself on her, the victim said. Another victim described seeing Hoeltzel at age 17. She said Hoeltzel supported her when she expressed apprehension about how to get her career started. Former University of Michigan doctor gets prison for abusing patients Hoeltzel said little during the sentencing, but did offer apologies to the victims. I want to sincerely apologize for my conduct in these cases apologize to my victims, to the university, to my family and friends, he said. I did not honor my role as a physician and have chosen to accept significant punishment for my actions. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) director Orlene Hawks said LARA took appropriate and immediate steps to protect the public once they were aware of his actions. We appreciate the efforts of the Attorney Generals office that helped lead to the permanent revocation of Hoeltzels license," Hawks said in a press release. "His actions were unconscionable and he will never be able to obtain a medical license in Michigan. A man has been charged with the murder of two women whose bodies were found in a freezer at an east London flat last year. Zahid Younis, 35, has been charged with two counts of murder following the discovery of the bodies last April. He is charged with murdering Mihrican Mustafa, 38 and Henriett Szucs, 34, whose bodies were found in a freezer in Vandome Close, Canning Town, east London, on April 26 2019. Mihrican Mustafa (pictured), 38, and Henriett Szucs were found dead in east London The 35-year-old, of Vandome Close, will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on February 14. On May 1, 2019, Younis was charged with with two counts of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body. He appeared at Kingston Crown Court on May 29. Henriett Szucs, 34, (pictured) whose body was found in a freezer in Vandome Close, Canning Town, east London Forensics officers leave the flat in Canning Town, east London, while investigating Scotland Yard launched a murder probe after the women's clothed bodies were found fused together in a small chest freezer. A missing persons investigation was launched last year into the disappearance of mother-of-three Ms Mustafa, originally from Cyprus. In October a spokesman for Scotland Yard said Ms Szucs - a Hungarian national - had been in the UK for several years but was of no fixed address and had been last heard from in Summer 2016. Mihrican Mustafa, 38, also known as Mary Jane, was identified as one of the women whose bodies were found Post-mortem examinations showed they both suffered multiple injuries. Det Ch Supt Richard Tucker previously said: 'The launch of any murder investigation is naturally of concern to the local community. 'We have borough officers in the area supporting colleagues from the Homicide and Major Crime Command as they investigate the full circumstances.' Officials said the countries had been selected on the basis of a ranking system that evaluated countries for compliance with various vetting and information standards as well as terrorism risks. The standards they looked at included whether the countries use biometric passports; whether the country reports theft and loss of passports adequately to the United States or Interpol; whether it shares information on known or suspected terrorists and criminals; whether it shares examples of its passports with the United States so they can be used to determine signs of fraud. To receive Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia each week via e-mail, subscribe by clicking here. Fast food it wasn't. When McDonald's opened in Moscow 30 years ago today, the line wound all the way around Pushkin Square every day for many months. Unless you paid some enterprising young people to get you a spot closer to the door, damaging your pocketbook and your moral standing and risking the ire of fellow future diners, it took hours to get inside. And being inside was no guarantee that you would bite into your Big Mac very soon: There was still the crush before the counter, manned by a phalanx of young, crisp-uniformed employees, and a fair amount of time could elapse before you were facing one signaling readiness to take an order with a cry of "svobodnaya kassa" -- free cash register. This part could be more stressful than some of the lines Soviet citizens stood on frequently for food, goods, and what might be called services but more often was some bureaucratic hurdle that was more like the opposite of a service: the need to get a new "internal passport," say, or pay a gas bill. Those lines were often long but in many cases were orderly, sometimes with lists -- I once found myself waiting for bedsheets at Moscow's Central Universal Store (TsUM) with a high three-digit number scrawled on my hand -- or even a self-appointed curator to keep track of everyone's place. In front of the long McDonald's counter in 1990, there was little of the polite, customary line lingo -- "Who's last?" or "Yes, the woman in the red coat is in front of me, and the man in the hat in front of her" -- just a sense that if you were not quite assertive enough you might never get your McNuggets. So, you've finally got your tray -- but now you need a table. At what was then the world's biggest McDonald's, with 900 seats, there was almost always a wait for a spot where you could sit down and eat -- and it required being proactive, roaming the restaurant with a keeping a sharp eye out for people putting on coats or showing other signs that they were preparing about time! -- to leave. Whether it was worth the wait is, of course, a matter of opinion. For some who stood in line, that opinion may have been colored by actual hunger, or at least the prospect of a meal made from something other than the limited ingredients available in the stores. Frozen Fish And Cans It may be hard to imagine in today's Moscow, where the multiple McDonald's outlets are just one of countless choices among them Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and a host of homegrown fast-food places, not to mention the myriad hipster dining spots and so forth. But in terms of food supplies, among other things, 1990 was a tough time. when I arrived there in the late summer of that year and took a look at the southern-Moscow neighborhood where I was going to live, one of the grocery stores had exactly two items for sale: blocks of fused-together frozen fish and cans -- many cans -- of lentils. With that kind of limitation as a backdrop, there is no denying that the opening of the Moscow McDonalds was an event as thick as a shake with symbolism and actual significance -- a nail in the coffin of communism at the start of a year that served up major setbacks for the Soviet Union, with the command economy and many of the Soviet Union's 15 republics, including Russia, declaring sovereignty. In addition to Big Macs, big crowds, and big hair, photographs from the first few years of the restaurant's operations bring back memories of a time when hopes for warmer ties between Moscow and the West were getting higher. Even then, nobody knew that the Soviet Union would cease to exist less than two years later. But the Berlin Wall had fallen the month before, and Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost had relaxed tight restrictions that had silenced citizens' voices for decades. And, as the emergence of an iconic U.S. eatery attested (though the outlet on Pushkin Square was a joint venture between McDonalds of Canada and the Moscow City Council), the failing command economy was becoming a thing of the past -- in part due to popular demand for imports from the outside world, and particularly the West. Putin's NATO Narrative One thing that the new warmth between Moscow and the West did not produce was a promise that NATO would not expand to take in states that were coming out from under decades of dominance from Moscow. There has been much debate about this, but Gorbachev has said clearly that there was no such pledge -- and not much discussion, if any, of whether or not the Western military alliance should encompass any country east of Germany, which was reunified before 1990 was out. Nonetheless, the "supposed violation of a pledge not to enlarge NATO has long figured as a key element in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's narrative about (and against) the Alliance," as Steven Pifer, a longtime former U.S. diplomat and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, put it in 2014. The idea of such a promise is also part of Putin's broader narrative about the West, a litany of grievances he has repeated several times since a landmark speech at the Munich Security Conference in February 2007. As Pifer pointed out, one of those times was in a March 18, 2014 speech in which he sought to justify Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine -- sealed that week after Moscow sent its forces to the Black Sea peninsula, secured control of key buildings, and staged a referendum considered illegitimate by at least 100 countries -- by raising the prospect that, if it had not, and Ukraine eventually joined NATO, the alliance's naval forces could be housed in Sevastopol, long the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The West has "lied to us many times, made decisions behind our backs, placed us before an accomplished fact," Putin said. "This happened with NATO's expansion to the East, as well as the deployment of military infrastructure at our borders." Putin has repeated this narrative since 2014, as well, but it all goes back to conversations between Soviet and Western officials in 1990 -- including one between Gorbachev and U.S. Secretary of State James Baker on February 9, nine days after McDonald's opened in Moscow. "The topic of 'NATO expansion' was not discussed at all, and it wasn't brought up in those years. I say this with full responsibility," Gorbachev said in a 2014 interview with Russia Behind The Headlines. "So, don't portray Gorbachev and the then-Soviet authorities as naive people who were wrapped around the West's finger," he said. "If there was naivete, it was later, when the issue arose. Russia at first did not object." 31.01.2020 LISTEN Member of Parliament for Talensi, Benson Tongo Baba has backed calls for a value for money audit before the loan agreement for the Pwalugu Multipurpose Dam is passed. The $993 million project is located in the Talensi Constituency. The Minority in Parliament earlier argued that the cost of the electrical generation component of the dam must be renegotiated. The Minority had also questioned the source of funding for the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam project. Speaking to Citi News, BT Baba said his people did not want a project that would ultimately burden the state. If we have to go for a facility, definitely, we need to know the value for money aspect of it; whether the amount put out there is justifiable because other dams have been constructed in the past. So if the cost increases at all, the increase should not be in the manner it was presented. What the people of Talensi will want is that whatever will be done with regards to the dam should be done in a manner that the cost-benefit analysis should not disadvantage the people of Ghana, the MP said. Funding concerns At the sod-cutting ceremony of the project in November 2019, the President said the cost will be borne entirely by Government and executed and constructed under an engineering, procurement and construction contract by Sinohydro. But the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, noted that the project was not captured in the 2020 budget and demanded the source of funding for the project. I see no paragraph nor page nor sentence [in the 2020 budget] dedicated to the pursuit of this $993 million. The public financial management Act requires that all expenditures are approved thereof as part of the budget statement, he said in Parliament. The Ministry of Energy, however, questioned the basis of the concerns and insisted that the cost was justified . About the project The Pwalugu Multipurpose project will consist of three main components, namely the construction of a hydropower plant; the construction of a solar farm; and the establishment of an irrigation scheme covering an area of some twenty-five thousand (25,000) hectares. The Pwalugu reservoir can accommodate up to 120,000 cages of 25 square metres each of fish. The project is set to be the single, largest investment ever made by any Government in the Northern sector of the country. The Volta River Authority said the project will commence in April 2020. The entire project will be executed by a Chinese construction firm, Power China International and supervised by the Volta River Authority over a period of five years. The irrigation component of the project will cost $474,042,141.85. The tax component of the project is $69,284,727.79 and there is also a cadastral survey cost of $800,000.00. The contract is going to be under Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) at a cost of $473,242,141.85. The electricity component of the project will consist of $366 million, 60MW hydropower and a $55.4 million, 50MW solar power while resettlement, survey and project management cost will amount to $98 million. citinewsroom Video by Lee Min-youngArticle By Lee Gyu-leeScott Harrison was the life of the party in New York in the late 1990s. As promoter for the Big Apple's 40-plus nightclubs, he was paid good money for drinking brand vodkas and was always part of good-looking crowds.That was until the day he decided to bring clean drinking water to those who could not get it. Now as CEO and founder of the non-profit organization, Charity: water, he looks back, telling himself and others that his two seemingly contrasting lives come down to the same principle sort of."The act of promoting never stopped," Harrison told The Korea Times, Friday. "I just started promoting something wildly different, the idea of humanitarian service."#FULL ARTICLE AT: https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/culture/2020/01/142_282524.html Security staff at Australia's international airports are threatening to walk off the job if bosses don't let them wear masks. Hundreds of security workers fear they will catch the deadly new coronavirus by coming into close contact with passengers who may be infected. They say they want to wear protective masks but have been stopped by their bosses over fears they will alarm travellers. Security staff at Australia's international airports are threatening to walk off the job if bosses don't let them wear masks (stock image) Flight attendants wear protective face masks at Brisbane International Airport on 31 January The United Workers Union has threatened to 'ground every flight in the country' by telling security workers to strike if their demands are not met. The union says that some workers who demanded masks have been threatened with disciplinary action. Neva Woolmer of the United Workers Union warned workers may be forced to strike. 'Staff are hoping it will not come to that but their health and safety is very important to them,' she told Daily Mail Australia. A spokesman added: 'If the health and safety needs of these workers are not met, United Workers Union will direct members to cease work even if it means grounding every flight in the country.' A Sydney Airport spokesman said 'security and cleaning contractors are closely following the advice from health authorities'. 'Additionally, they have made personal protective equipment like face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser available to any employee who wises to use them,' he said. Flight attendants wear protective face masks at Brisbane International Airport on 31 January Passengers wear protective face masks at Brisbane International Airport on 31 January It comes as two patients with coronavirus have been released in New South Wales while seven people remain hospitalised around Australia. The patients, who were treated at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, have safely recovered and are no longer infectious. Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed their release in a press conference on Friday afternoon - as he ruled out banning flights from China to Australia. He said: 'We still have two in New South Wales that are being treated here at Westmead Hospital. The other two that were being housed here have been released after it was determined that they were medically clear to go home.' Mr Hunt also said that preparations are under way on Christmas Island which will house Australian citizens who request to be evacuated from Wuhan, where the virus was first detected on 12 December. Flat-out: Exhausted health professionals in the Chinese province of Hubei where the coronavirus is spreading Members of a medical team prepare to leave for Wuhan in Hubei Province on 27 January to help treat patients There are around 600 still in China's Hubei province - but it is not known how many will request evacuation. 'I have spoken with the director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Centre this morning and he has confirmed they have a team of 24 and the first members of those will arrive today,' he said. Ministers do not yet know when Australians can be evacuated from China because negotiations are still ongoing with Beijing. The plan is to fly them to Christmas Island off WA and keep them quarantined until they are safe to return to the Australian mainland. Up to 49,000 people land on flights from China per week but Australian Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy said there were no plans to stop the planes. He said: 'The World Health Organization strongly recommends that nations do not ban flights from China because unless you lockdown exit from the country, banning direct flights, doesn't stop people coming from China. 'They could come from all sorts of other ports and at least we know who is coming from China and we can meet and do very intensive border measures for those flights.' Meanwhile, there are fears thousands of people could have been exposed to the coronavirus in Australia by the country's nine confirmed patients alone. Four people in Sydney, three in Melbourne, and two on the Gold Coast have been struck down with the deadly virus in recent weeks. Each one flew in from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak began, on planes packed with hundreds of potential victims. At least a day passed after they arrived before they developed flu-like symptoms and eventually went to hospital. A passenger wearing a protective mask (pictured) is seen at Sydney Airport on Thursday, getting off the last flight to Australia from Wuhan before they were shut down Mission evacuate: How will Christmas Island plan work? The executive director of the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, Professor Len Notaras said the doctors, nurses and allied health officials being sent to Christmas Island were of the 'highest calibre' and were being drawn from every state and territory. A demountable hospital will be set up including diagnostic and protective equipment and negative pressure facilities. However, Prof Notaras told reporters in Darwin it was important to note those people who will be placed in isolation were not sick at this stage and would likely not become sick. He said they would not be held in detention, although their movements would be restricted. Should any begin to show symptoms or become seriously ill the medical team on the island would make the initial call on their continued treatment. Anyone who became critically ill would likely be repatriated to Australia, possibly to WA or to a hospital close to where they live, Prof Notaras said. Health Minister Greg Hunt said Australia's actions were driven by medical advice, and the World Health Organisation was strong in its support for quarantine measures to stem the spread of the virus. 'Our job is to protect Australians and provide support for citizens overseas and the best way to do that is to find a place which was designed to deal with people who were coming (from) overseas ... and to do that in a way which is humane,' Mr Hunt said. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended the Christmas Island plan, saying it would help keep Australia safe. 'I can't clear a hospital in Sydney or Melbourne to accommodate 600 people. We don't have a facility otherwise that can take this number of people,' he told the Nine Network on Thursday. Christmas Island administrator Natasha Griggs said residents had expressed some concerns but had been assured that all necessary measures had been put in place to ensure the safety of locals. 'By and large, the Christmas Island residents understand that this is a humanitarian mission and they're generally supportive,' she said. 'We've got a fantastic team of people that have got experience in doing this, a track record of success so the residents of Christmas Island have no need to worry.' But Australian Medical Association boss Tony Bartone said there were better alternatives to sending evacuees to Christmas Island, with some medical specialists suggesting the Woodside army barracks near Adelaide and another facility just north of Katherine in the NT. Advertisement During this time when they didn't know they were sick, they interacted with hundreds of people each, some of whom could now be infected. One patient was even allowed out of isolation to celebrate Australia Day at a restaurant with his family while he was waiting for test results. People they infected will be going about their lives on crowded trains and buses, having business meetings, and sharing meals - potentially passing the virus on. This is just from the nine confirmed cases - more than a dozen other people are being tested after developing symptoms associated with the virus. It comes as China's coronavirus death toll hits 170 and the World Health Organisation declares a global health emergency. Speaking to reporters, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: 'The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. 'Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.' Russia, which has no cases of the virus, is closing its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against the outbreak. Train traffic between the countries was halted except for one train connecting Moscow and Beijing, but air traffic between the two countries continued. On Thursday Israel banned all incoming flights from China and 6,000 people in Italy were prevented from leaving a cruise ship while tests were carried out on a passenger from Macau. Australia and New Zealand are planning a joint evacuation of citizens from Wuhan while Singapore is setting up a quarantine facility on an island to the city's north-east. Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea confirmed their first cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. The man in the US is married to a 60-year-old Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the epicentre of the outbreak. Shoppers cover their faces with masks at Asian markets in Cabramatta in Sydney's southwest on Thursday out of fear of coronavirus A pamphlet handed out by the Australian Government providing travellers with information on the deadly coronavirus (pictured) In Australia, the first men were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus on January 25 - three in NSW and another in Victoria. Two arrived on direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney on separate China Eastern Airlines flight MU749, one on January 20 and another on an unknown date. Both these flights had up to 250 passengers plus several crew on board who are prime candidates for infection. Another man, diagnosed on the same day, flew in to Sydney via Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, on January 6 on a plane that carries up to 277 people. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA NEW SOUTH WALES: 4 Four people in NSW have been diagnosed with coronavirus, including three men and one woman. January 25 Three men aged 43, 53, and 35 who had recently travelled to China are confirmed to have contracted the disease. Two flew in from Wuhan while the other arrived in Sydney from Shenzhen, south China. They are being treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital and are in stable condition. January 27 A 21-year-old woman is identified as the fourth person to test positive for the illness in NSW. The woman, a student at UNSW, flew into Sydney International Airport on flight MU749 on January 23 and presented to the emergency department 24 hours later after developing flu-like symptoms. She is being treated in isolation at Westmead Hospital. VICTORIA: 4 January 25 A Chinese national aged in his 50s becomes the first confirmed case of the coronavirus in Australia. The man flew to Melbourne on China Southern flight CZ321 from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19. He is now in quarantined isolation at Monash Hospital in Clayton in Melbourne's east. January 29 A Victorian man in his 60s is diagnosed with the coronavirus. He became unwell on January 23 - two days after returning from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. The man was confirmed as positive on January 29 and was subsequently seen by doctors at the Monash Medical Centre. He was assessed as being well enough to stay at home. January 30 A woman in her 40s falls ill with the coronavirus. She was visiting from China and mostly spent time with her family. She is being treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital. February 1 A Melbourne woman aged in her 20s is at home recovering. She returned from Wuhan on January 25 and fell ill two days later. She was not infectious on the flight, and has remained in isolation since being tested. QUEENSLAND: 2 January 29 Queensland confirms its first case after a 44-year-old Chinese national wass diagnosed with the virus. He is being treated at Gold Coast University Hospital. January 30 A 42-year-old Chinese woman who was travelling in the same Wuhan tour group as the 44-year-old man tests positive. She is in Gold Coast University Hospital in stable condition. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: 2 February 1 A Chinese couple were placed in isolation in a public hospital. The man and a woman both aged 60, were from Wuhan and visiting relatives in South Australia. SA Health said the pair isolated themselves at home when they developed symptoms and awaited the results of the coronavirus test. Australia has raised the travel alert level to 'do not travel' for the city of Wuhan - the epicentre of the outbreak - and for the entire Hubei province. Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says unless people have contact with someone who is unwell and has come from that part of China, there is no need for current concern. Advertisement The fourth arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Guangzhou on January 19 on a an A388 carrying up to 525 passengers. A total of 167 flights that can carry 48,999 people are landing in Australia from mainland China per week as coronavirus spreads around the world. Based on those figures, as many as 342,993 people may have entered Australia from China since the deadly virus was first detected in Wuhan seven weeks ago. On Thursday, major airlines suspended or reduced services to China including British Airways, Lufthansa, American Airlines, KLM, and United. But the airlines that fly from China to Australia - including eight Chinese airlines and Qantas - made no changes to their routes, except for China Eastern cancelling its flight from Wuhan to Sydney last week. The flights include 62 planes from Guangzhou, 42 from Shanghai and 18 from Beijing per week, with direct routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin. On Wednesday, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline was considering scrapping its Sydney to Beijing route due to low demand. The airline had already announced plans to axe that service from March, but Mr Joyce suggested that could happen sooner. NSW Health advice states that people are at risk of catching the virus if they spent 15 minutes in close contact, such as a face-to-face conversation, or two hours in the same confined space. Chinese health authorities have confirmed that, contrary to earlier belief, patients are contagious even before they develop symptoms. On Monday, it was confirmed that a 21-year-old University of NSW student who arrived on a different MU749 flight was infected. The university told students in an email that she became unwell soon after her flight and isolated herself in her on-campus dorm room for 24 hours before going to hospital. UNSW is not in semester but there are still some students and staff on campus she could have interacted with, along with on public transport and at the airport. Many students are terrified they could be infected next, especially with thousands of Chinese classmates due to arrive on campus in coming weeks. The second Melbourne patient landed on January 21, though it is not clear which flight he was on, and wasn't diagnosed until Wednesday. The man in his 60s went to hospital two days later but was allowed out of isolation to celebrate Australia Day with his family. He was with five family members - three adults and two children - at The House of Delight in Glen Waverley between 5.30pm and 7pm. Victoria's chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton urged other diners to contact the health department and watch for coronavirus symptoms. Other businesses in the same building as the restaurant on 52 Montclair Avenue have closed until February 9 and others are thinking about shutting up shop. A cleaner was brought in to disinfect buttons in the building's lift. One of the patient's adult relatives and one of the children have tested negative so far, and all five are in isolation with him. The seventh victim has the most capacity to have infected hundreds of others. The 44-year-old Chinese tourist arrived in Melbourne from Wuhan via Singapore on January 22 and spent several days travelling with a tour group. On Thursday night it was confirmed that one of them, a 42-year-old woman, contracted the virus herself, while three others were sick. All eight of his fellow holidaymakers are now in isolation with him at Gold Coast University Hospital. They all took Tiger Air flight TT566, landing on the Gold Coast about 8pm on Monday on a plane that carries up to 189 passengersQueensland Health chief officer Dr Jeannette Young on Thursday said she was concerned about everyone on the plane. Kolade Adeyemi, Kano Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has fired another missile to the immediate-past Governor of the state and his estranged political ally, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso saying the latest outing of the All Progressive Congress (APC) during the just-concluded Kano re-run has retired Senator Kwankwaso from politics. Ganduje stated this in Kano Government House on Friday while receiving the Speaker Kano State House of Assembly, Hon. Abdulaziz Garba Gafasa with other Principal Officers of the House, the State APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas and other party leaders and elders, who presented to him the newly elected four state legislators immediately after they collected their Certificates of Return from Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said the APC victory at the election was a clear indication of how Senator Kwankwaso has been retired from politics. The re-elected members are from Madobi, Bunkure, Minjibir and Rogo constituencies. He especially commended Hon. Kabiru Cunkoso of Madobi Constituency (Kwankwasos country home) for roundly defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate there. According to Ganduje, some years back when he (Kwankwaso) was warming up to contest for presidential seat, he boasted that he would retire President Muhammadu Buhari from politics. Saying also that he would retire me from politics. But if you look at it now, who then is forced to retire? He despised Kwankwasos style of politics, adding that, some political remarks and behaviours of Kwankwaso, particularly during election period are not in order. Our style of politics is calculative and decent. I can therefore not follow his style, that is always castigating without any decorum. We respect people and we see respect and dignity in people. Ours is not like theirs. He called on the elected members, to always respect party leadership and be loyal to the party, adding that, we believe that the supremacy of the party should always be observed with all intent and purposes. You should make sure that you become loyal party members. On why APC failed to secure the seat of the House of Representatives member representing Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency, he said, we couldnt get that seat as a result of the crisis that rocked the party at the constituency. The APC candidate was in conflict with the leadership of the party in the state, in the local government, with the local government administration and even with the electorate. That caused us to lose the seat, as a party. But even at that, the winner of the party, who came from the opposition PDP, was in the radio announcing his resolve to work hand in hand with the administration of President Buhari and Kano state government. This is commendable. Indeed, that was made possible because of the hands of friendship I extended to all people urging them to come and join hands with us and move the state forward in particular and the nation in general. We are happy to see that so many people including the just elected member House of Representatives, from Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency, Ali Datti Yako, heeds to the call Ganduje also used the occasion to congratulate the father of Kwankwaso, Alhaji Musa Saleh Kwankwaso for being elevated from Majidadin Karaye to the position of Makaman Karaye Emirate, a Kingmaker in the Emirate, saying that, he deserved the position very well. Our respectful father and an elder statesman. I am congratulating him on behalf of the government and people of Kano state. We pray that Allah gives him all assistance to allow him to discharge all his assigned responsibilities very well. Our father is very hardworking and very close to his people. That, among others, will help him perform wonderfully well. In his remarks, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Gafasa assured the Governor that, the House has over two-third of the members as APC, adding that, we are comfortable we have enough members to back and support any government policies for the overall development of the state. Gafasa revealed that more members were coming to join the ruling APC in the House, they too believe in how this administration is fast developing the state. With this, I can say, our governor His Excellency Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is doing very well for the overall development of the state. The APC state chairman, Abdullahi Abbas commended the electorate for finding the party candidates as worthy of being re-elected again. He assured that APC will continue to be the best party in any future elections to come. We are determined, through our developmental projects and policies, to continue working towards sustainable development. Kolkata: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has been booked in an FIR by the police for his sexually outrageous remarks on a young woman, Sudeshna Dutta Gupta, for her protests against the CAA and NRC during his Abhinandan Yatra in the city on Thursday. This is the second time within a month that the BJP MP of Midnapore faced a case for making controversial comments. A case was booked at the Patuli police station under sections 354 (outraging modesty), 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (words intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 427 (mischief), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 33 (Act) of the Indian Penal Code on Friday. Gupta said, I lodged the complaint against Mr. Ghosh on the basis of murderous intent and sexual remarks made by him. I have also sought for police protection anticipating threats in the coming days. Climate activist Vanessa Nakate, right, speaks via video-link as Ell Ottosson Jarl and Greta Thunberg, center, also attend a press conference with climate activists and experts from Africa in Stockholm, Sweden, Friday Jan. 31, 2020. Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations on Friday made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. (Pontus Lundahl/TT via AP) Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate and peers from other African nations have made an urgent appeal for the world to pay more attention to the continent that stands to suffer the most from global warming despite contributing to it the least. The Fridays For Future movement and activist Greta Thunberg held a news conference with the activists in Sweden to spotlight the marginalisation of African voices. Ms Nakate, Makenna Muigai of Kenya, Ayakha Melithafa of South Africa and climate scientist Ndoni Mcunu of South Africa pointed out the challenges in combating climate change on the booming continent of 1.2 billion people, and in inspiring the worlds response. African activists are doing so much, Ms Nakate said. It gets so frustrating when no one really cares about them. Expand Close Greta Thunberg in front of a video link featuring figures including Makenna Muigai, Ndoni Mcunu Vanessa Nakate and Ayakha Melithafa (Pontus Lundahl/TT/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Greta Thunberg in front of a video link featuring figures including Makenna Muigai, Ndoni Mcunu Vanessa Nakate and Ayakha Melithafa (Pontus Lundahl/TT/AP) Ms Muigai pointed to a recent locust outbreak in parts of east Africa which threatens food security for millions of people in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia and is moving towards South Sudan and Uganda. Challenges include everything from deforestation to bad energy policies, she said. They also include changes in storm intensity that brought two devastating cyclones to Mozambique a year ago, Ms Mcunu said, and a recent drought crisis in South Africas Cape Town region, highlighted by Ms Melithafa. The narrative we have is Africans can adapt to this. That is actually not true, Ms Mcunu said. The warnings have been stark for Africa. No continent will be struck more severely by climate change, the UN Environment Programme has said. Africa has 15% of the worlds population, yet is likely to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, the African Development Bank has said, noting that seven of the 10 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change are in Africa: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Energy-related CO2 emissions in Africa to date represent around 2% of cumulative global emissions, the International Energy Agency said last year. In some cases it is difficult to persuade people to care more about climate change because there are so many other pressing everyday issues such as poverty, unemployment and gender-based violence, Ms Melithafa said. Thats hard for the global north to understand. Instead people should work to hold more developed countries accountable for producing the bulk of emissions that contribute to global warming, the activists said. Expand Close The photo that Vanessa Nakate was cropped out of (Markus Schreiber/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The photo that Vanessa Nakate was cropped out of (Markus Schreiber/AP) Ms Thunberg firmly kept the spotlight on the activists from African countries. Im not the reason why were here, she said, later adding: We are fighting for the exact same cause. The press conference came a week after the Associated Press cropped Ms Nakate out of a photo at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The AP has apologised and acknowledged mistakes in sending out the cropped photo on January 24 and in how the news organisation initially reacted. The AP has said it will expand diversity training worldwide as a result. Ms Nakate said she was sad the photo incident occurred but added she was very optimistic about this as it has drawn global attention to climate activists in Africa and the crises there. Indian aviation sector "re-established" its resilience this fiscal despite a large airline suspending operations and the government has been providing a congenial environment so that airlines can have more than 1,200 planes by 2023-24, according to the Economic Survey. India is the world's third largest domestic market for civil aviation and has 136 Airports Authority of India (AAI)-managed airports as well as six aerodromes under public private partnerships, it said. In recent times, domestic traffic growth had faced headwinds. The Survey for 2019-20, tabled in Parliament on Friday, also said airlines operators in the country have scaled up their aircraft seat capacity from an estimated 0.07 annual seats per capita in 2013 to 0.12 in 2018. "Indian aviation re-established its resilience in the year 2019-20. Despite a large airline suspending operations on April 17, 2019, the sector swiftly sprung back to fill the void created in passenger and air cargo capacity," it said. After flying for more than 25 years, full-service carrier Jet Airways shuttered operations in April last year as it ran out of funds. The closure had a significant impact in the sector, including lower capacity to meet higher passenger demand. To ease the strain on existing airport capacities, 100 more are to be made operational by FY 2023-24. Besides using 46 idle airstrips, 16 private greenfield airports, 15 AAI airports, 31 heliports, and 12 waterdromes would also be developed, as per the Survey. As many as five new airports, including at Kannur in Kerala and Shirdi in Maharashtra, were operationalised this fiscal. "To continue with the high growth trajectory, the government has been providing a congenial environment so that the Indian carriers double their fleet from about 680 aircraft at the close of November 2019 to over 1,200 by FY 2023-24," the Survey said. The fleet refers to those of scheduled airlines. According to the Survey, high growth would continue by way of easing leasing and financing from Indian shores, efficient use of air traffic rights, encouraging domestic and international passenger and goods transfers, and rationalising the tax regime. "Capacity utilisation is also being augmented by way of automation at airports. Overall objective is to meet the growing demand and set global best practices and performance quality standards," it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Minister of Health under John Dramani Mahamas administration, Alexander Segbefia has said even though his party is not so happy with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he [The President] must be praised for the purchase of ambulances for the health sector. Any government that invest in buying ambulances for the country should be commended . . . there is an acute shortage of ambulances in the country and it is affecting the lives of our people . . . the issue we had was the delay in the deployment of these ambulances . . . he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. Mr Segbefia told host Mac Jerry Osei Agyeman that the party rather had issues as to why the ambulances were parked for long. The ambulances procured for the National Ambulance Service under the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives were commissioned by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Black Star Square yesterday, Tuesday, January 28. Branded with names of each of the 275 constituencies and emergency number, 112 on them, the ambulances were handed over to the various representatives in Parliament for their constituencies across the country, but it will be under the control of the National Ambulance Service. Mr Segbefia prayed the ambulances will be maintained well to serve its purpose. The programme is under the Ministry of Special Development Initiative christened, One Constituency, One Ambulance. Speaking at the ceremony to commission the ambulances in Accra Tuesday [January 28, 2020], President Akufo-Addo said 145 new ambulance stations have been created to bring to 275 the total number of ambulances stations in Ghana. Government is committed to ensuring an effective Emergency Medical Service (EMS) to help improve our country's emergency response capabilities," the President said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana 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 Senator Lamar Alexander said he will oppose calling more witnesses (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Democratic efforts to hear more testimony in President Trumps impeachment trial could be dashed after Republican senator Lamar Alexander said he will oppose calling more witnesses. The announcement came shortly after Republican senator Susan Collins said she would vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial, building momentum for the Democrats effort. However Mr Alexander said in a statement there was no need for more evidence, giving the Trump team the likelihood of a senate vote in its direction. A vote on the witness question, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end of the trial with Mr Trumps expected acquittal. Or it could bring days, if not weeks more argument as Democrats press to hear testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton and others. Expand Close Senator Susan Collins said she was in favour of hearing more testimony (Jose Luis Magana/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Senator Susan Collins said she was in favour of hearing more testimony (Jose Luis Magana/AP) It would take four GOP senators to break with the majority and join with Democrats to tip the outcome. Ms Collins said in a statement: The most sensible way to proceed would be for the house managers and the presidents attorneys to attempt to agree on a limited and equal number of witnesses for each side. If they cant agree, then the senate could choose the number of witnesses. But Mr Alexander said that there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the US Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offence. Another Republican senator, Mitt Romney, has made clear he will vote for witnesses. There is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the US Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offence.Lamar Alexander Mr Trump was impeached by the house last month on charges that he abused his power like no other president, jeopardising Ukraine and US-Ukraine relations. Democrats say Mr Trump asked the vulnerable ally to investigate Joe Biden and debunked theories of 2016 election interference, temporarily halting American security aid to the country as it battled Russia at its border. The second article of impeachment says Mr Trump then obstructed the house probe in a way that threatened the nations three-branch system of checks and balances. In the January 31 episode of the In The News podcast, host Anvita Bansal covers the top news with Moneycontrols Keerthana Tiwari, Atharva Pandit, Shraddha Sharma and Ruchira Kondepudi. Tiwari gives the key updates on the coronavirus, as the death toll in China increases and other countries plan to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. Pandit talks about a Delhi courts decision to stay the hanging of the four Nirbhaya rape convicts. Sharma talks about how bank unions have called for a strike demanding a 20 percent pay hike, five-day work week amongst other demands. This strike coincides with the the release of Economic Survey, and the Budget 2020. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Kondepudi discusses what is expected to happen in UK on February 1 as Brexit becomes official and the country leaves the European Union. Though wages have been slow-growing since the Great Recession, they have picked up in recent years especially for those at the bottom. This is partly due to a minimum wage movement playing out in recent years, according to a Washington Post analysis of Labor Department data. More than 20 states raised their minimum wages at the start of 2020, affecting nearly 7 million workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - January 31, 2020) - Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC Pink: ALYI) today confirmed a management update scheduled for release next week on Monday, February 3rd. The company yesterday highlighted the recent UK-African summit held last week in London where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted leaders form 21 African countries and 27 deals were signed worth an estimated $8.5 billion. The Monday update will illustrate what this means for ALYI's $300 million African Electric Vehicle (EV) initiative. Earlier this week, ALYI announced ongoing meetings in Malta with local legal representatives, crypto strategy experts and African electric vehicle partners to coordinate the launch of new business entity domiciled in Malta for the purpose of launching a $100 million initial coin offering (ICO) to fund infrastructure for electric vehicle production in Africa. A summary of the meetings will be included in the Monday upate. For more information, please visit: http://www.alternetsystemsinc.com Disclaimer/Safe Harbor: This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur. Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact: Randell Torno info@lithiumip.com +1-800-713-0297 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52003 Today's Paris Live begins with an update on the novel coronavirus from the perspective of the World Health Organisation which is preparing to gather later today for an emergency meeting. This as the first case is confirmed in India's southern state of Kerala. We then turn our sights to Brexit, which will formally come into play on Friday followed by a long process of negotiation on the final conditions. RFI's Jan van der Made travelled to Belfast to discuss the issues affecting Northern Ireland with political scientist John Barry. On the Africa news front, we speak to our correspondent in Bamenda about how anglophone separatists are trying to disrupt campaigning ahead of the legislative and municipal elections expected to take place on the 9th of February. In Zimbabwe, photos of elephants sleeping have been published by a safari guide in Hwange National Park. Our correspondent asked him why this phenomenon is so rare to catch on film. We go to the theatre to hear about how The Fly, the famous American science-fiction story was adapted into a comic version for the French stage. And we meet Kristin Rodrigo, climate activist and zoology student who is invited to be a guest panelist at this evening's Nuit de Idees (Night of Ideas) festival, hosted by the French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. A 76-year-old tourist from the UK died aboard a cruise boat in Assam on Friday, police said. Alastair Neil Macdonald was found dead on the 'Charaideo' when it was returning from a week-long tour of areas in Upper Assam. It is owned by the Assam-Bengal Navigation Company, they said. Macdonald was a part of a 60-member British tourist group visiting the northeastern state. The travel agency which had organised the tour handed over his body to the police and it was sent for postmortem at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital The British foreign office is coordinating with Macdonald's family members who will arrive here to take the body back to the UK, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Q ualified drivers from the UK are currently able to drive all over Europe without extra paper work - but Brexit could impact that. Britain formally leaves on January 31 then a transition period will remain in place until December 31 meaning that the rules will stay the same during this time. During this time the EU and Britain will attempt to hash out new agreements on a number of issues, including driving. However, should a new plan not be agreed by the end of the year, there could be ramifications for drivers on the continent. A no deal Brexit would significantly affect British drivers in the EU / AFP via Getty Images How could driving in Europe change after the transition period? UK citizens travelling to the EU may come under more scrutiny if an agreement with similar terms for now is not put in place. Guards may ask travellers for information including the duration and purpose of their trip, as well as an explanation of how they intend to support themselves while in the bloc. To cross the border UK citizens will need a passport issued within 10 years preceding the date of travel which also remains valid for three months after the planned trip is over. The Commission has proposed that UK nationals will be able to travel visa-free for trips to the EU of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, provided the UK allows EU citizens to do the same. The UK has announced that EU citizens can travel to the UK without a visa for visits of up to three months. Would UK and EU driving licences remain valid? EU countries decide which international driving licences to recognise at a national level. UK citizens planning on driving in the EU should check the rules in the member state they are travelling to as some will require you to hold an international permit. Drivers will continue to be able to travel using a valid EU driving licence in the UK. According to the Department for Transport, you will need your UK driving licence to drive in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. How do you apply for a International Driving Permit? You may need one or more International Driving Permits (IDPs), as well as your UK driving licence to drive in an EU or EEA country. The type of IDP you need depends on the country you will be driving in. For example in Spain, the official advice is that you will not need an IDP for visits up to 9 months after the date the UK leaves the EU. If you have a UK licence you will not need an IDP to drive when visiting Ireland. Would you need an additional GB sticker? The Department for transport has advised you should display a GB sticker on the rear of your vehicle and trailer following the transition perioud. It has suggested doing this even if you currently have a number plate which includes the GB identifier. You will need a GB sticker even if you have a number plate with the Euro symbol and Great Britain national identifier. But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider. Hong Kong protesters are 'bloodied but not broken' in the wake of abusive policing tactics for which the authorities have yet to be held accountable, according to an annual report from Amnesty International. The report tracked a wave of youth-led protests across Asia which had defied "escalating repression and a continent-wide crackdown on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly." "2019 was a year of repression in Asia, but also of resistance. As governments across the continent attempt to uproot fundamental freedoms, people are fighting back and young people are at the forefront of the struggle," said Amnesty International's regional director for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific Nicholas Bequelin said. "From students in Hong Kong leading a mass movement against growing Chinese encroachment, to students in India protesting against anti-Muslim policies; from Thailands young voters flocking to a new opposition party to Taiwans pro LGBTI-equality demonstrators. Online and offline, youth-led popular protests are challenging the established order," he said. It said the Hong Kong protest movement, which began in with mass popular opposition to extradition to mainland China, had demanded accountability in spite of increasingly harsh treatment by the authorities. "Since June, Hong Kongers have regularly taken to the streets to demand accountability in the face of abusive policing tactics that have included the wanton use of tear gas, arbitrary arrests, physical assaults and abuses in detention," Amnesty International said in a statement launching the report. "Police deployed reckless and indiscriminate tactics to quell peaceful protests, including torture in detention," it said. "Demands for a proper investigation into the conduct of the security forces have yet to be met." It said governments in the region had tried to justify repression by demonizing their critics as pawns of "foreign forces." But it said protest had yielded some results, especially in Hong Kong, where the government was forced to withdraw planned changes to the city's extradition laws. "Yet, with no accountability for months of abuses against demonstrators, the fight goes on," the group said. 'Stifled, but not silenced' Bequelin added: "Protesters across Asia in 2019 were bloodied, but not broken. They were stifled, but not silenced." Amnesty International's Hong Kong director Man-kei Tam said the Hong Kong government had used violent means to suppress peaceful demonstrations from the outset. "They didn't pay any attention to the protesters' demands, and they brought the police on the pretext of maintaining public order," Tam said. "They cracked down on peaceful demonstrators and the general public, and on freedom of expression." Tam said the city's government had breached the mini-constitution, the Basic Law, as well as human rights obligations under international rights treaties. "They promised to protect Hongkongers' right to freedom of expression and association, but they are getting more and more like mainland China, using force to crack down on any kind of dissent," Tam said. Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor spokeswoman Claudia Yip said the Amnesty International report should be cause for concern. "[It shows] that the human rights situation has gotten worse very rapidly for the people of Hong Kong," she said. She warned that the authorities could step up the use of state security charges like sedition or subversion, possibly after enacting new legislation, to suppress people's freedom of speech and association. Reported by Lau Siu-fung and Tseng Yat-yiu for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. In its 50 years on television, Sesame Street has presented an expansive idea of the challenges of childhood, offering lessons on divorce, racism, grieving and autism as well as help with the alphabet and accepting friends who are a bit taller and more birdlike. Next week, a new version of the show will begin airing for an audience that, less than a decade ago, didnt exist: children displaced by the war in Syria and their neighbors in the communities where many of the refugees have fled or sought asylum. At this point, there are lots of 7-year-olds who were born as refugees from Syria and remain far from permanent resettlement, a staff member on the project said recently. Thats not changing soon. Since the start of the conflict, in 2011, nearly seven of every 10 residents of Syria have been forced from their homes. More than 11 million have fled to unfamiliar parts of Syria or to the countries across its borders, with only around 150,000 permanently resettled. They are now the largest displaced population in the world. And displacement, in the Middle East and elsewhere, lasts longer than ever before: Once refugees are displaced for at least five years, as is the case for most Syrian refugees, the president of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, said at a Senate hearing last year, theyre likely to stay displaced for more than two decades. Sesame Street began as an experiment in television and became a global model for early-childhood education. Its new project, launched with the I.R.C. and educators in Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, is an effort to rethink humanitarian aid. Aid is good at keeping people alive, Mr. Miliband has argued. But it doesnt give them the tools to thrive. It has traditionally been directed to immediate needs nutrition, security, shelter but displacement that can last for decades presents a very different kind of problem. BERWYN, Pa., Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Annovis Bio, Inc. (NYSE American: ANVS), a clinical stage, drug platform company addressing Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced the closing of its initial public offering of 2,000,000 shares of its common stock at the public offering price of $6.00 per share, and the full exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase 300,000 additional shares of Annovis Bios common stock. The exercise of the option brings the total number of shares of common stock sold by Annovis Bio to 2,300,000 shares. The gross proceeds from Annovis Bios initial public offering, including proceeds from the exercise of the underwriters option to purchase additional shares, were approximately $13.8 million, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses payable by Annovis Bio. ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., acted as sole book-running manager for the offering. A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-232529) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and became effective on January 28, 2020. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus may be obtained from ThinkEquity, a division of Fordham Financial Management, Inc., 17 State Street, 22nd Floor, New York, New York 10004, by telephone at (877) 436-3673, by email at prospectus@think-equity.com . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction. About Annovis Bio, Inc. Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Annovis Bio, Inc. (Annovis) is a clinical-stage, drug platform company addressing neurodegeneration, such as Alzheimers disease (AD), Parkinsons disease (PD) and Alzheimers in Down Syndrome (AD-DS). We believe that we are the only company developing a drug for AD, PD and AD-DS that inhibits more than one neurotoxic protein and, thereby, improves the information highway of the nerve cell, known as axonal transport. When this information flow is impaired, the nerve cell gets sick and dies. We expect our treatment to improve memory loss and dementia associated with AD and AD-DS, as well as body and brain function in PD. We have an ongoing Phase 2a proof-of-concept study in AD patients and plan to commence a second Phase 2a study in PD patients. For more information on Annovis, please visit the companys website: www.annovisbio.com . Forward Looking-Statements Statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, expect, believe, will, may, should, estimate, project, outlook, forecast or other similar words, and include, without limitation, statements regarding Annovis Bio, Incs expectations regarding the trading of its shares on the NYSE American market. Forward-looking statements are based on Annovis Bio, Incs current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to, and the completion of, the public offering. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled Risk Factors in the final prospectus related to the public offering filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Annovis Bio, Inc. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) The Department of Foreign Affairs said the first batch of Filipinos from China will be repatriated next week amid the outbreak of novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV. The DFA intends to repatriate the first batch of Filipinos next week subject to Chinas rules on disease containment, including immigration clearances, quarantine process, among others, said DFA in a statement. The agency said Filipinos from Wuhan City in Hubei province, where the virus originated, will be given priority in the repatriation. Filipinos who wish to be included in the first batch should contact the Philippine Embassy in Beijing or the nearest Consulate General in their area by 3 February 2020, Monday. DFA said that the repatriates will be subjected to 14 days of mandatory quarantine per guidelines of the Department of Health (DOH). DFA Undersecretary Brigido Dulay recently said the government has already prepared two charter planes to fly to Hubei province to bring Filipinos home. Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana earlier said about 30 to 50 Filipinos from Hubei have indicated they want to leave the province. Sta. Romana said there are 300 Filipinos in Hubei, half of them in Wuhan.. The World Health Organization already declared public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of the virus. Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: In one of the biggest drug haul, the Special Task Force (STF) seized 195 kg of heroin worth Rs 2,000 crore in the international market from the house of a politician in Punjab. The drugs reportedly came to Punjab from Gujarat and were smuggled from Afghanistan via Pakistan. The drug haul allegedly has links to one of Indias biggest drug smuggling kingpins. It is also suspected to have a possible involvement of a former SSB member appointed by the former SAD-BJP government. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said 'the house in Sultanwind village in Amritsar from where the police seized about 195 kilograms of heroin along with chemicals last night allegedly belonged to Anwar Masih, who was a member of the Subordinate Services Board (SSB) appointed by the previous SAD-BJP government. Investigations were in progress to ascertain Masihs involvement, who claims to have rented out the house to the accused arrested by the STF. However, Masih had so far failed to produce any written rent agreement and the people of the area were also unaware of any tenants living there, Amarinder said. Preliminary investigations had revealed that the accused had been using the premises for the past one month. Amarinder Singh said 'initial investigations suggest that the drug network was linked with Simranjit Singh Sandhu, one of the biggest drug mafia of the country, who has recently been detained in Italy. His government would seek remand of Sandhu, who holds an Australian passport and was detained in Italy on an Interpol police from the Gujarat Police. The seizure appeared to be a part of the consignment of 300 kgs of drugs that arrived in Mandavi in Gujarat last year and of which 200 kg was smuggled into Punjab. The consignment had been traced to Sandhu, while efforts were also on to trace the other big fish involved in the case. He said six persons, including an Afghan national identified as Armaan Basharmal, have so far been arrested, with 194.15 kgs of heroin and several kgs of chemicals seized from their possession. Many equipments used for refining heroin and mixing it with other products have also been seized from Armaan, who had come to Punjab a week ago. On January, two people were arrested and a case was registered under the NDPS and Arms Act at Phase IV Special Task Force Police Station in Mohali and six kilograms of heroin was recovered from them. On interrogation, the STF yesterday recovered 188 kilogram of heroin, 38 kilograms of dextromethorphan, 25 kilograms of caffeine powder probably used to cut and mix the heroin, six drums of chemical composition weight 207 kilograms which are to be tested to confirm the type of material were recovered from a house from Sultanwind area of Amritsar. The recovery was made in the presence of an Executive Magistrate. An officer said that six people have been arrested in both cases including an Afghanistan national from this house where preparation, mixing and cutting of drugs was taking place. The Afghan national has come to India a few days ago only and his task was to dilute the heroin which was of very high quality so that more quantity is there and more money can be made. Sources said that from Afghanistan the drugs reach Pakistan and enter India through the Indo-Pak border. A kilogram smuggled from across the border is valued around Rs 5 crore in the international market. While the price of heroin in Afghanistan is very less. When it enters Pakistan it costs somewhere between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Once it enters India the cost shoots up to Rs 20 to 25 lakh per kilogram. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe If you've ever taken a visiting friend or family member to the Hollywood Walk of Fame at their behest (and against your advice), you know the pure ecstasy of seeing the glimmer fade from their eyes when expectation meets reality. *chef's kiss* Welcome to Hollywood Boulevard, where dirty sidewalks overflow with tourists, brawling pop culture characters, street performers, and vendors as tour buses and endless cars lumber along the street. It's not the glamourous space depicted in post cards -- and it's not a safe space either. The streets that encompass the Walk of Fame (Hollywood Boulevard from Gower Street to La Brea Avenue; Vine Street between Yucca Street and Sunset Boulevard) are part of Los Angeles' High-Injury Network -- the 6% of city streets where 70% of pedestrian deaths and severe injuries occur. But L.A. City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell wants to flip the script on Hollywood Boulevard with a master plan that aims to reduce car lanes -- and in some places possibly eliminate them -- to increase space for people taking in the sights and sounds on foot. A conceptual rendering of what a reimagined Hollywood Boulevard could look like as part of the city's Hollywood Walk of Fame Master Plan. (Courtesy Gensler) O'Farrell said the master plan for his Heart of Hollywood project stems from his desire to create a space for residents, tourists and business owners alike that's "worthy of a world class city." "I've always felt very strongly that the boulevard could be so much more than it is now," O'Farrell told LAist Thursday. "We haven't really focused on helping Hollywood Boulevard and the surrounding streets and neighborhood reach their full potential in terms of the design of the public rights of way." According to the concept plan, reimagining the Walk of Fame comes down to one key idea: that the streets are for everyone. The city's key goal is to transform Hollywood Boulevard "from a traffic artery to a place for people," the plan's authors wrote. Currently, 70% of the existing space on Hollywood Boulevard is used by cars, trucks and other motor vehicles, while 30% is dedicated to people, city officials said. The plan, as it exists now, "flips that ratio," officials said, to more than double the amount of space for pedestrians, cyclists and everyone else trying to get around without a car. The proposed concept of expanded sidewalks on Hollywood Boulevard. (Courtesy city of Los Angeles) The plan calls for expanding sidewalks by removing on-street parking and car lanes. The current concept is to take out one vehicle lane in each direction, officials from Councilman O'Farrell's office told LAist. Sections of Hollywood Boulevard could also be configured into "Flexible Event Plazas," which would allow select blocks along the roadway to become car-free pedestrian promenades, according to the plan. The concept also proposes ways to play up the Art Deco themes in the new designs to bring a more cohesive vibe to the boulevard and using the added pedestrian space for more sidewalk dining. The proposed changes to street configuration on Hollywood Boulevard, including potential pedestrian promenades. (Courtesy city of Los Angeles) Other safety improvements in the plan include raised intersections, scramble crosswalks and mid-block pedestrian crossings. The concept also calls for improved bus stops, dedicated lanes for bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc., and more trees. The parking impact of a redesigned street would be minimal, officials from O'Farrell's office said. Only about 2% of the public parking spots within a block are actually located on Hollywood Boulevard. And what about the impact to traffic? According to a traffic and circulation assessment conducted as part of the master plan study, drivers should have little issue moving south to fill space on Sunset Boulevard, which was deemed to have "excess capacity." Alissa Walker, urbanism editor for Curbed LA, has long been a proponent for banning cars on some of L.A.'s most popular corridors, including Hollywood Boulevard. She told LAist the city's plan is "a good first step" but she'd like to see the entire roadway go car-free. "This should be especially easy for city leaders to do on a street that's already closed several times per month to everyone except celebrities without any community engagement whatsoever," Walker said, referring to routine street closures along the boulevard for movie premieres and award shows. Asked about the potential for an 100% car-free Hollywood Boulevard, O'Farrell asserted that "that is not the direction we're heading with this Walk of Fame." L.A.'s Bureau of Engineering, which is leading the project, contracted the architecture firm Gensler to help put together the master plan, which you can explore here to learn more. The next step in the process is to refine and finalize the design of the project as city staff works to secure more funding and conduct an environmental review. The eventual construction would be done in phases, which gives the city time to secure more funds, O'Farrell explained. About $4.1 million has been appropriated for the project so far, according to Dan Halden, the director of O'Farrell's Heart of Hollywood initiative, but staff will be working "to cobble together as much as we possibly can" as the concept continues to evolve, he said. O'Farrell said he hopes to break ground on the first phase of the reconfiguration "within two years." The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has earmarked $60 million in co-investment grant funds for trade and investment hub activity to promote the Nigerian economy. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, disclosed this at the official launch of the West African Trade and Hub on Tuesday in Abuja. She said that the activity, which would last over the next five years, would help to attract private sector investment of an estimated $300 million. The envoy said this would bring about improved business operations and capacity of private firms to tap into export markets, strengthen and create linkages between West African business, U.S. and international companies. She said the U.S. supported trade hubs in Africa and has successfully spearheaded private sector development. For every dollar of public money spent in trade programmes in Africa, we estimate the hubs leverage of nine dollars investment. For over 360 million West Africans, the immense potential of their countries economies have been hindered by roadblocks to investment. Forces that should be creating the future have been hobbled by the lack of established business networks and the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, she said. Leonard said the new trade and investment hub would work across the region to overcome these obstacles through a market-based approach that would catalyse economic growth and raise household incomes. She said the hub would attract private finance and investment, forge links among businesses, strengthen the agricultural and trade sectors. The diplomat added that the hub would focus on West African nations including Senegal, Cote dIvoire, Ghana and Nigeria, while Nigeria would serve as the hubs centre. She said the activities of the hub would amplify the commitment to strong private sector partnerships to promote market driven approaches. These partnerships support Nigerias efforts to expand its economy through a focus on non-oil based sectors with high growth potential, notably the agriculture sector. Nigeria is uniquely positioned to rapidly transform its economy by expanding the agricultural sector and increasing both the productivity and the profit of small holder farmers, she said. She explained that the trade hub would create 40,000 new jobs in agriculture, apparel and other industries with at least 50 per cent dedicated to women. The ambassador said the trade hub would also work to unlock potentials and generate growth by advocating a more business-friendly regulatory environment, especially in the agriculture sector. Also speaking, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, promised that the ministry would work closely with USAID to ensure that many women and children benefited from the hub. Tallen said every investment that engages women has a multiplier effect, adding that investing in women was investing in the country and the world at large. Story credit: Ships&Ports Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020 LIVE updates, Delhi Assembly Polls: Check constituency-wise poll-results, candidates, winners, losers The Bharatiya Janata Party's Delhi unit on January 31 released its manifesto ahead of the forthcoming Assembly election, scheduled for February 8. BJP's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari said the party's manifesto promises to offer jobs to over 10,000 unemployed, electric scooty for girls going to college, permanent jobs to contractual employees and flour at Rs 2 per kg. Addressing mediapersons at the release of the manifesto, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said the BJP's focus would be to 'tackle water and air pollution'. "The government that has worked the most for the people of Delhi post-Independence, particularly on the question of air pollution, is the government of BJP. Our party has the vision," Gadkari said, adding that over 11 lakh people have been consulted to prepare the manifesto. To make Delhi 'world class', he feels a 'concrete plan' is needed instead of 'freebies'. "We don't want to do politics by using religion and caste, we only want to work on progress," Gadkari said. Tiwari, meanwhile, said that the party will give Delhi 'a corruption-free government'. "Present government, as you know, is full of such people but we will change that," Tiwari said while targeting the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, which is seeking a second term. Delhi assembly polls will be held on February 8 and the result will be declared on February 11, the Election Commission of India (EC) announced on January 6. The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly ends on February 22 and a new House has to be constituted before that. The 2015 elections saw Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP registering a massive win, clinching 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. The BJP had managed to win the remaining three seats. The election is expected to be a triangular contest between AAP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress. BJP and Congress are yet to release their list of candidates. DGAP-News: VAXIMM AG / Key word(s): Conference The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VAXIMM to Participate at Upcoming Industry Events Basel (Switzerland) and Mannheim (Germany), January 30, 2020 - VAXIMM AG, a Swiss/German biotech company focused on developing oral T-cell immunotherapies, announced today that the Company will participate in several industry events in the coming months. Company representatives will be available for networking and one-on-one meetings at the following conferences: BIO CEO & Investor Conference February 10-11, 2020 New York, NY, USA VAXIMM representatives will be available for one-on-one meetings during the conference. To schedule a meeting, please use the event partnering system or contact info@vaximm.com. 13th SACHS Annual European Life Science CEO Forum February 19-20, 2020 Zurich, Switzerland Dr. Heinz Lubenau, CEO, will give a corporate presentation on February 19th at 2:15 pm CET and participate in the panel, "Oncology Advanced Therapies & Diagnostics," taking place on the same day at 4:30 pm. The Company will also host one-on-one meetings at this event. To request a meeting with VAXIMM, please sign up through the event's meeting system. 14th Annual International Partnering Conference BIO-Europe Spring(R) March 23-25, 2020 Paris, France VAXIMM plans to give a corporate presentation and host one-on-one meetings at this event. To request a meeting, please sign up through the event's partneringONE meeting system. 30th MedTech Investing Europe Conference March 31-April 1, 2020 Lausanne, Switzerland VAXIMM representatives will be available for one-on-one meetings during the conference. Dr. Heinz Lubenau also plans to give a corporate presentation. To schedule a meeting, please contact info@vaximm.com. About VAXIMM VAXIMM is a privately held, Swiss/German biotech company that is developing oral T-cell immunotherapies for patients suffering from cancer. VAXIMM's product platform is based on a live attenuated, safe, orally available bacterial vaccine strain, which is modified to stimulate patients' cytotoxic T-cells to target specific structures of the tumor. The Company has a pipeline of complementary development candidates targeting different tumor structures. Lead product candidate, oral VXM01, activates killer cells targeting tumor-specific vasculature and certain immune-suppressive cells, thereby increasing immune cell infiltration in solid tumors. VXM01 is currently in clinical development for several tumor types, including brain cancer. As part of a scientific collaboration with Merck KGaA and Pfizer Inc., VAXIMM has an ongoing clinical trial evaluating VXM01 in combination with the human anti-PD-L1 antibody, avelumab. VAXIMM also has a neoantigen program currently in preclinical development; the Company's platform allows for fast generation and delivery of personalized T-cell cancer vaccines and may overcome key issues faced by other neoantigen approaches. VAXIMM has a strategic clinical trial collaboration with NEC Corporation for the development of personalized neoantigen cancer vaccines. VAXIMM also has a collaboration agreement with China Medical System Holdings (CMS), granting CMS full rights in China and other Asian countries (excluding Japan) to VAXIMM's existing programs. VAXIMM's investors include: BB Biotech Ventures, BioMed Partners, CMS, M Ventures, NEC and Sunstone Capital. VAXIMM AG is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Its wholly owned subsidiary, VAXIMM GmbH, located in Mannheim, Germany, is responsible for the Company's development activities. For more information, please see www.vaximm.com. Contact: VAXIMM AG Dr. Heinz Lubenau Tel: +49 621 8359 687 0 Email: info@vaximm.com Media Inquiries: MC Services AG Katja Arnold, Laurie Doyle Tel: +49 89 210228 0 Email: vaximm@mc-services.eu 30.01.2020 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. During the session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council in Almaty, Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin handed over the Stolypin Medal 1st Class to Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan. On January 23 Russian PM Mishustin signed an order on awarding Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan with the Stolypin Medal 1st Class. Its a great honor for me to hand over the Stolypin Medal 1st Class to you on behalf of Russia. I am sure that there is no need to introduce you in this hall. You have governed the Armenian government at a difficult period, during the global economic crisis, but managed to carry out a number of economic reforms, take effective anti-crisis measures. Everyone, undoubtedly, values your friendly relations, including with Russia, what you have done for strengthening the cooperation between Russia and Armenia. During you tenure as Chairman of the Board you have successfully fulfilled you tasks together with your colleagues. I want to thank you for the great job, and by using this chance, I want to congratulate you on your birthday that you celebrated recently. I wish you good luck, the Russian PM said. In his turn Tigran Sargsyan also thanked for these words, adding that he accepts it as an appreciation of not only his personal work, but also that of the whole staff. EEC Board Chairman Tigran Sargsyans term in office ends on January 31, but he will keep the status of a high-level international official heading the Digital Initiatives Fund of the Eurasian Development Bank. The session of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council was held today in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The session was also attended by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The next session of the EAEU Inter-Governmental Council will take place in Minsk on April 9-10. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The impeachment trial has ended for Friday. The trial resumes Monday at 11 a.m. EST. Refresh this page for updates. WASHINGTON The Senate will hold a final vote on whether to acquit or convict and remove President Donald Trump from office on Wednesday. The final vote will occur at 4 p.m. EST and will cap a months-long saga over Trump's dealings with Ukraine. Democrats allege Trump pursued a pressure campaign to get Ukraine to open investigations that would benefit him politically. He was also accused of withholding aid and a White House meeting from the ally nation in exchange for the investigations. On Dec. 18, after a two-month inquiry in the Democratic-led House, the House approved two articles of impeachment against Trump abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Wednesday vote will be on whether to convict or acquit Trump on those charges. It's expected Trump will be acquitted because a conviction requires 67 votes in the 100-member Senate. That would mean all Democrats and at least 20 Republican senators would need to vote for conviction. The Senate will hold closing arguments on Monday. There will be a total of four hours of arguments, equally divided among the parties. Senators can explain their votes in speeches Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Trump is scheduled to give the annual State of the Union address on Tuesday. Trial won't cloud Trump's address, White House says Eric Ueland, the White House legislative affairs director, said while the president has advocated for a swift acquittal in his impeachment trial, the delayed vote on Wednesday won't cloud his State of the Union address scheduled the day before. "It's a strong one-two punch to have the State of the Union with a clear vision, clear agenda and clear focus for 2020 followed immediately by an acquittal on these fake articles of impeachment," Ueland said. Ueland argued having the president's address on Tuesday will help divert attention from impeachment. The timing of the final vote a day later is a "happy coincidence," he said. Story continues "There will be a significant public focus on the successes of the president and the invalidation of these fake charges," he added. Ueland wouldn't say whether the president might discuss impeachment in his address. - Christal Hayes Marie Yovanovitch retires, report says NPR and CBS News are reporting that former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, has retired from the U.S. Foreign Service. She played a high-profile role in the House impeachment inquiry testifying about her ouster amid a smear campaign by President Donald Trumps allies even as the president denounced her via Twitter. The State Department press office did not respond to an email seeking comment. While the top U.S. diplomat in Kyiv, Yovanovitch worked with Ukrainian officials to help them implement good-government reforms. Trump removed Yovanovitch a career diplomat who also served as an ambassador to Armenia and Kyrgyzstan last year as part of his pressure campaign aimed at getting Ukraine to announce two investigations that would have benefited him in his 2020 re-election campaign. In her House testimony, Yovanovitch told lawmakers she had been ousted from her job over "unfounded and false claims." She also warned that the State Department was being "hollowed out from within," posing risks for the country's national security interests. - Deirdre Shesgreen Moderate Democrats wont give decisions on final vote Multiple Democrats who are unknown votes on acquitting or convicting Trump were tight-lipped leaving the Capitol Friday night. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., wouldnt answer any questions on how she is voting next week, or what she thought of todays failed attempt to call for witnesses and documents, which she voted for. Doug Jones, D-Ala., said that he will announce his decision in due course next week to ensure that he gets it right," but expressed that he was disappointed by the unsuccessful resolution for witnesses. The American people deserve to hear from players, he elaborated. When pressed on whether the lack of witnesses would influence his vote one way or the other, he said, I can make a decision. Ill put it that way. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., declared that he wouldnt know how he was voting until walking in" to the chamber. "I swear to God. I know its hard to believe. He elaborated that he is going to dissect all the notes he and his staff have been taking and then make a decision based on what we see. Manchin also said he would be speaking on the Senate floor Monday or Tuesday but doesnt know yet what he will be saying. He continued that he was concerned that his GOP colleagues "didnt want a fair trial but that he loves them all, we just disagree. - Savannah Behrmann Murkowski: possibility of tie vote on witnesses had 'heavy' influence on decision Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who has been tight-lipped on her final vote, told reporters on her way out of the Capitol she has made her mind but wouldnt tell anyone her decision. Will I share it with you tonight? Ive had so much much drama today. Im just going to chill, she said. Asked if the possibility of a 50-50 tie on witnesses had affected her vote not to include them, she said it had a heavy influence. All eyes were on Murkowski early Friday as she was one of the few swing senators who had not disclosed how she would vote on whether or not to allow witnesses. Her ultimate decision against witnesses led to a decisive 51-49 vote not to subpoena them. Had she gone the other way, it could have resulted in a 50-50 tie that would have raised the difficult question of whether Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, could or would break the tie. Roberts later said he would not break a tie. - Nicholas Wu Senate impeachment verdict scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday The Senate approved final rules Friday for the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The rules call for a total of four hours of closing arguments Monday from House Democrats prosecuting the case and Trumps defense team, beginning at 11 a.m. The vote on the verdict is scheduled Wednesday at 4 p.m. Approval of the final arguments came after the Senate rejected four proposals to call witnesses in the trial. The Senate had voted 51 to 49 to reject all witnesses. Two Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah joined Democrats in seeking witnesses generally and former national security adviser John Bolton in particular. But the Senate also voted 53 to 47 along straight party lines to reject a group of four Democratic witnesses and again to reject having Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts issue subpoenas, to resolve claims of executive privilege. - Bart Jansen Senate trial to spill into Iowa caucuses, complicating things for 4 candidates The four members of the Senate running for president may need to watch Iowa caucuses results from Washington, D.C., and not Iowa, as the impeachment trial spills into Monday, the day of the first nominating contest in the 2020 election. Members of the Senate are required to remain in the Capitol for the duration of the impeachment trial, where closing arguments will take place Monday. That poses an issue for for Sens. Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bennet, all candidates with a lot riding on the Iowa caucuses. Asked about the possibility of missing the caucuses, Klobuchar told reporters, bring it on! My view is the people of Iowa and beyond will understand Im in the area. I have a job to do, she said. - Nicholas Wu and Savannah Behrmann Senate rejects having Roberts issue subpoenas in trial Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., proposed Friday to have Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding at the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, to issue subpoenas for witnesses and documents. But the Senate voted 53 to 47 along party lines to reject the proposal. Roberts already refused to break potential ties in the trial, saying it would be inappropriate because he was an official from another branch of government. - Bart Jansen Schumer tries to subpoena Bolton again and again. Efforts fail The Senate rejected two more proposals Friday from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena former national security director John Bolton, following earlier rejections of witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The Senate had already voted 51 to 49 to reject all witnesses in the trial. But Schumer, D-N.Y., negotiated to propose four amendments to the final resolution setting rules for the trial. Schumers proposal to subpoena Bolton alone was rejected by a vote of 51 to 49. Two Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah joined Democrats in seeking his testimony. Schumers third proposal added more details to how Bolton would testify. Schumer proposed to depose Bolton within one day, which Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the Senate trial, would preside over the deposition, too. House Democrats had argued that Roberts could determine whether any of Boltons testimony should be protected by executive privilege, to keep advice to the president confidential. The testimony in the Senate would have had to occur within five days. But Schumers proposal was rejected on the same 51 to 49 vote, with Collins and Romney joining Democrats. - Bart Jansen Senate rejects Democrat proposal to subpoena witnesses The Senate rejected a proposal from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to subpoena four witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The Senate had already voted 51 to 49 to reject all witnesses in the trial. But Schumer, D-N.Y., negotiated to propose four amendments to the final resolution setting rules for the trial. The first proposal was to call four witnesses including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. But the proposal with specific names was rejected by a straight party-line vote of 53 to 47. - Bart Jansen Roberts refuses to break Senate ties Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts refused Friday to break a potential tie Senate vote in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had asked whether Roberts was familiar with the 1868 trial of President Andrew Johnson, when the chief justice voted twice to break ties. Roberts said he was familiar with the votes, but said he would not break a tie in order for a motion to succeed. Roberts said the two votes dealt with a motion to adjourn and a motion to close deliberations. I do not regard those isolated episodes 150 years ago as sufficient to support the legal authoritiy to break ties, Roberts said. I think it would be inappropriate for me, an unelected official from a different branch of government, to change the result so that the motion would succeed. - Bart Jansen Senate rejects witnesses at Trump trial The Senate voted Friday to reject subpoenas for witnesses or documents in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, clearing the way for a vote on the verdict. The largely party-line vote of 51-49 was expected. The 47 Democrats needed at least four Republicans to join them to call witnesses. Only two Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah had announced they would support calling witnesses. Democrats sought testimony from four officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who each declined invitations to testify during the House inquiry. The Senate then went into recess with no clear timetable for when it will return. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are negotiating the terms for closing the trial. The House Democrats prosecuting the case and President Donald Trump's defense team are expected to deliver closing arguments, but the length is among the issues open to debate. McConnell and Schumer must also decide how much time senators have to debate the verdict, and whether to have that debate in open or closed session. Schumer denounced the vote as One of the worst tragedies that the Senate has ever overcome. America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, where the Senate turned away from truth and went along with a sham. McConnell, in a statement after the vote, said there was "no need" to "re-open the investigation." "Never in Senate history has this body paused an impeachment trial to pursue additional witnesses with unresolved questions of executive privilege that would require protracted litigation," McConnell said. "We have no interest in establishing such a new precedent, particularly for individuals whom the House expressly chose not to pursue." White House officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they fully expected the vote and want the Senate to wrap up the trial as soon as possible. They declined to discuss what they might do if the trial is extended into the time for the State of the Union address on Tuesday. The chamber grew quiet as the clerk took the much-anticipated roll call-vote. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who had been previously decided on witnesses, started the vote with an emphatic no! Hours before the vote, a New York Times report heightened attention on witnesses because Boltons pending book described Trump asking Bolton to pave the way for the presidents personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to meet with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. But Trump has denied such a meeting and has suggested he might assert executive privilege to block Boltons testimony. If witnesses had been allowed, Trumps defense team said they would call their own and the process could take months longer. But the House managers said they could depose witnesses within a week. - Bart Jansen Senate voting on whether to allow witnesses at Trump trial The Senate is voting on whether to subpoena witnesses or documents in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The Democratic effort to hear from witnesses and retrieve documents is expected to be rejected, based on how senators have said they will vote. Democrats seek testimony from four officials, including former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney. But because a majority of the Senate sets trial policy, the 47 Democrats need at least four Republicans to join them in calling witnesses. Only two Republicans Susan Collins of Maine and Mitt Romney of Utah have announced they will support calling witnesses. Two other potential swing votes GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said they would vote against witnesses. - Bart Jansen Trump attorney: Dem. case against president 'defective' President Donald Trumps defense team argued Friday during his impeachment trial that the Senate doesnt need to call more witnesses because the case from House Democrats is defective, but that calling witnesses could permanently damage relations between Congress and the presidency. These articles of impeachment on their face are defective, said Patrick Philbin, deputy White House counsel. House Democrats have argued that witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton are crucial to the case because they could provide first-hand information about Trumps dealings with Ukraine. But Philbin noted that disputes about witnesses are typically settled before trials, not in the midst of them. He argued that no witnesses were necessary because the accusation that Trump abused the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival was too vague to enforce. The theory of abuse of power that they have framed in the first article of impeachment would do grave damage to the separation of powers under our Constitution because it would become so malleable, they can pour into it anything they want to find illicit motives for some perfectly permissible action, Philbin said. 'The Russians are coming':: And other moments from a busy day in Congress and the impeachment trial Philbin argued that the accusation of obstruction was illegitimate because Trump was simply exercising his constitutional rights to protect the release of information in defying congressional subpoenas. Philbin noted that House Democrats already provided transcripts from depositions with 17 witnesses, including 12 who testified at hearings. The House managers played 192 video clips from 13 witnesses, he said. And Democrats provided the Senate with 28,000 pages of documents to support their case. But Philbin said it would be dangerous for the Senate to call witnesses in the midst of a trial because it would expose future presidents to weak accusations. Here, to show up not having done the work, and to expect that work to be done in the Senate, by this body, has grave consequences for the institutional interests of this body, Philbin said. - Bart Jansen Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, speaks with reporters during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. Senators still taking notes on the floor Democratic House impeachment managers mainly argued for the necessity of witnesses during their closing arguments as more Republicans came out Friday morning with statements saying they will not vote to hear from witnesses. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Doug Jones, D-Ala., who are undecided Democratic votes on the final vote to acquit, paid close attention to House manager Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, scribbling lots of notes. At one point when House manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., was speaking, there were at least 19 open GOP seats. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., another unknown vote on acquittal, was gazing intensely at lead manager Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., as he wrapped up the closing arguments with an impassioned speech. A McConnell aide handed Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a note. Collins, who last night in a statement said she wanted to witnesses, then passed the note to her desk-neighbor, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who said this morning she did not want witnesses. The two then whispered back-and-forth. The chamber was completely silent as Schiff declared, Because whether you have a fair trial or no trial at all depends on whether you're a person of power and influence like Donald J. Trump. The body will die, the clock will run down and our government becomes arbitrary. The importance of a fair trial here is not less than every courtroom in America, it is greater than any courtroom in America, because we set the example for America. - Savannah Behrmann Schumer: There is no deal to end trial Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he has no agreement with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., about how the Senate trial of President Donald Trump will be concluded. We do not want this rushed through, Schumer said. We do not want it in the dark of night. House managers and Trumps defense team are arguing Friday over whether to call witnesses. But other debate might follow. We are going to use whatever power we have to prevent it from being rushed through, Schumer said. But right now there is no agreement. - Bart Jansen Trump aides say his State of the Union has a theme: "optimism" Sure, the Senate is holding an impeachment trial and political tensions are high, but White House officials say President Donald Trump will seek to strike an upbeat tone when he delivers his State of the Union speech next week. Previewing the address on Friday, Trump administration officials said the working title of the annual address is the "Great American Comeback" and the tone will be one of "relentless optimism." In general, Trump will focus on five general areas: The economy and trade, working families, health care, immigration and national security. One specific part of the speech will deal with the "school choice" issue, aides said. Will he mention impeachment? Aides wouldn't say, adding that it depends in part on whether or not the trial is over by speech time on Tuesday night. State of the Union: Trump to make 'school choice' a major topic at State of the Union address The aides also discussed the speech on condition of anonymity because it is still being developed and could change depending on the news. "Events always happen," one official said. They also would not say whether Trump plans to mention another divisive topic: The upcoming presidential election. "No speech is ever final until it is delivered," the official said. - David Jackson Sen. Barrasso lays out what's next Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told reporters the process for the rest of Friday would involve the introduction of a resolution organizing the final part of the trial. After the vote on witnesses, Barrasso said the resolution laying out the end of the trial would be introduced. There will be a simple resolution like that organizing resolution, he explained, referring to the resolution setting up rules for the trial passed in the early hours of Jan. 22. And once that is finally gone through all the amendment process and passed then we'll have a much better idea how much time for closing arguments, he said. Barrasso said timing tonight depends on what Sen. Schumer wants to bring forth in terms of amendments. - Nicholas Wu Lawyers arrive at Capitol to demand 'impartial justice' Hundreds of lawyers joined together in silence as they marched in a single file line from the U.S. Capitol to the steps of the Supreme Court to demand senators carry out their duty to do impartial justice" in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The lawyers gathered at the Supreme Court to hear remarks from Barbara Arnwine, former executive director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law. We have come here today even though its cold outside, but weve come here today because burden in our hearts is a desire for justice, Arnwine told the crowd. Traci Feit Love, founder of Lawyers for Good Government, said she was proud of the large turnout and those who traveled long distances on short notice to make their voices heard. Rebecca Young was one of the long-distance travelers who came from Massachusetts to hold senators accountable to the oath they swore. Its incredibly important to me and to future of this country to do everything we can to try and ensure that the U.S. Senate actually holds a meaningful impeachment trial, Young said. Following the silent march and press conference, the lawyers delivered signed letters to Senate offices. The letters, which were signed by over 2,000 people, calls for senators to determine the purpose and legal standards for impeachable offenses, and hear all relevant evidence. Participants of the protest included Lawyers for Good Government, Lawyers Defending American Democracy, Lawyer Moms of America and Demand Justice. - McKenzie Sadeghi Schiff: 'no' vote on witnesses will have 'harmful' consequences The lead House manager, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said the Senate will nullify the congressional impeachment power if senators choose not to subpoena witnesses in the trial of President Donald Trump. A no vote on the question before you will have long-lasting and harmful consequences long after this impeachment trial is over, Schiff said. This will set a new precedent. This will be cited in impeachment trials from this point until the end of history. Schiff said if presidents are allowed to defy subpoenas and withhold witnesses and document during clashes with Congress, presidents will be able to avoid routine oversight and block impeachment. It effectively nullifies the impeachment power, Schiff said. I submit that will be a very dangerous and long-lasting precedent that we will all have to live with. - Bart Jansen Lofgren: White House defiance of subpoenas is a 'coverup' Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., accused President Donald Trump of engaging in a "coverup" by not handing over documents Democrats requested in the impeachment trial. Lofgren, a House manager, said the documents go to the heart of who knew what and when in the investigation of Trump pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. But she said the White House is hiding them. The House subpoenaed documents about the July 25, 2019, call between Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as: National Security Council staffer Lt. Col. Alexander Vindmans presidential policy memo in preparation for the call; any records about scheduling potential meetings between the leaders; and any notes of concern from public officials, such as handwritten notes from former national security adviser John Bolton. She's urging the Senate to subpoena the same documents, which Democrats think would receive more favorable treatment in federal court during an impeachment trial. The documents dont lie, said Lofgren, who was a congressional staffer during the impeachment inquiry of former President Richard Nixon and a House member during former President Bill Clintons impeachment. Theyre at the White House, being hidden by the president. I think its a coverup. - Bart Jansen House manager manager Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., speaks during the impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump in the Senate on Friday. Garcia: Trump doesn't get exoneration without witnesses One of the House managers, Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, said President Donald Trump should want a fair trial because he seeks exoneration. But she argued that a fair trial required additional witnesses such as former national security adviser John Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who Democrats want to call while Trumps defense team opposes their testimony. Whatever you say about this trial, there cannot be an exoneration without hearing from those witnesses, Garcia said. An acquittal on an incomplete record after a trial lacking witnesses and evidence will be no exoneration. It will be no vindication, not for the president, not for this chamber and not for the American people. Trumps lawyers have argued the Senate shouldnt call more witnesses because the House should have made a complete case before sending it to the Senate. Legal fights over witnesses, such as whether Trump could assert executive privilege to block testimony from Bolton, could extend the trial by months, the lawyers argued. The defense lawyers also argued that Trumps defiance of subpoenas wasnt an admission of guilt because he was simply exercising his rights and protecting confidential advice from top aides for future presidents. But Garcia said the defiance suggested he had something to hide. If the president is telling the truth, and he did nothing wrong, and the evidence would prove that, then we all know that he would be an enthusiastic supporter of subpoenas, Garcia said. - Bart Jansen Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, speaks during debate ahead of a vote on calling witnesses during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate. Schiff accuses Trump lawyer Cipollone of hiding evidence The lead House prosecutor in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump accused the presidents lead defender, White House counsel Pat Cipollone, of concealing crucial information from senators after The New York Times reported Cipollone was in a key meeting involving Ukraine. House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., cited a Times report Friday about former national security adviser John Bolton. Bolton wrote in a pending book that Trump asked him in early May 2019 to pave the way for a meeting between Rudy Giuliani and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to the story. Cipollone attended the meeting, according to the Times report. Schiff noted that Cipollone had accused House Democrats of withholding evidence in the case. Schiff suggested that Cipollone was hiding information as the leader of Trumps defense and a potential witness in the case. He said all the facts should come out. Well, theres a new fact that indicates that Mr. Cipollone was among those who were in the loop, Schiff said. Schiff argued that the revelation was another reason for the Senate to subpoena witnesses such as Bolton and acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, who was also reportedly in the meeting. Schiff acknowledged that Trump denied the meeting ever took place. Bolton wrote that he never made the call. And Giuliani said he never made the trip. But Schiff argued it was another reason to hear Bolton testify. Lets find out. Lets put John Bolton under oath. Lets find out whos telling the truth, Schiff said. A trial is supposed to be a quest for the truth. Lets not fear what we will learn. As Mr. Cipollone said, lets make sure all the facts come out. Two legal ethics experts said Friday that Cipollone appears to have been in an untenable dual role both lawyer and witness. If the report in Bolton's manuscript is true, Cipollone should have been a fact witness at the impeachment trial and not a lawyer, said Stephen Gillers, a professor at New York University School of law and author of "Regulation of Lawyers: Problems of Law and Ethics." In a typical trial, Gillers said, a judge would have required Cipollone to reply to the Jan. 21 letter from House impeachment managers calling on him to disclose firsthand information connected to his arguments as Trump's lawyer "so that the Senate and Chief Justice can be apprised of any potential ethical issues, conflicts, or biases." If a judge were to decide Cipollone could be called as a witness, "he could not have been on the trial team," Gillers said in an email to USA TODAY. "A lawyer who should testify but instead acts as a trial lawyer is in effect a stealth witness," Giller said. "He can use what he knows as a witness to shape his trial advocacy, but he is not under oath or subject to cross-examination." Cipollone didn't speak during the hours of debate about whether to call witnesses in the trial, leaving that to Philbin and Jay Sekulow. Ellen Yaroshefsky, executive director of a legal ethics institute at Hofstra University School of Law, said Cipollone should have withdrawn from Trump's trial team. "As soon as there's an allegation that there was a (White House) conversation like this, you should recuse yourself. You can't be a lawyer and a witness about a substantial issue" in the case, Yaroshefsky said in a phone interview. - Bart Jansen and Kevin McCoy Murkowski says shes a no vote on calling witnesses at Trump trial Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced Friday she will not vote to call witnesses in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, virtually assuring that Democrats wont have the 51 votes needed to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton or others. The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena," Murkowski said in a statement. Murkowski was the last of a handful of Republicans who had expressed a potential openness to witnesses. That likely sets up a 51-49 split in the closely divided chamber against considering additional evidence. Democrats need four Republicans to side with them to continue the trial. After two other pivotal senators Maines Susan Collins and Utahs Mitt Romney -announced late Thursday they wanted witnesses, swing vote Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he did not. The announcements turned all eyes on Murkowski, who told reporters as she left that Senate chamber around 11 p.m. Thursday that she was still weighing her options. Pointing to her two volumes packed with notes, the Alaska Republican said: Im going to go back to my office and put eye drops in so I can keep reading. During Thursdays session, Murkowski asked Trumps defense team why senators should not call Bolton to testify. In an upcoming book, Bolton reportedly contradicts a key defense of Trumps team: that there are no eyewitnesses to the allegation that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to get the country to investigate Democrats. Patrick Philbin, a deputy White House counsel, warned that agreeing to call additional witnesses would establish new standards for impeachment, if the House can send "half-baked" cases and leave the Senate to complete the investigation. Philbin also said Bolton hadn't confirmed the newspaper report about whats in his manuscript. Trump has denied telling Bolton that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations but ordered him not to testify in the Houses investigation. - Marueen Groppe More Bolton book reports drop before trial As senators prepare for a pivotal day in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, The New York Times reported new alleged details about the president's involvement in Ukraine. In former national security adviser John Boltons upcoming book, he wrote that Trump asked him in May to make sure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would meet with Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani to talk about the investigations Trump wanted, the Times reported. That request was made during an Oval Office meeting that included Giuliani, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel leading Trumps defense team in the Senate impeachment trial. The Times was first to report earlier that Bolton describes in the book how Trump said in August that he wanted to continue the suspension of $391 million in military assistance to Ukraine until the country helped investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. John Bolton: Bolton alerted top Democrat to 'improper' Yovanovitch's ouster after he left White House Senators will vote today on whether to hear from Bolton or other witnesses. Bolton could contradict a key defense of Trumps team: that there are no eyewitnesses to the allegation that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to get the country to investigate Democrats. No matter what the results of todays vote, I believe the truth will eventually come out, warned Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. We could vote to see the truth in this trial, or it could come out in a few weeks or a few months. And on that day, every Republican who voted to hide the truth in an impeachment trial of the president, will have to answer for it. Trump, in a statement, denied Bolton's claim: "I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened." - Maureen Groppe and David Jackson Sen. Sherrod Brown: GOP colleagues have fear in their eyes For weeks, Republican senators have presented a largely unified front in public: President Donald Trump did nothing wrong regarding Ukraine and he should never have been impeached. But Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown said he senses something different behind closed doors: many are afraid to say anything critical. Ive spoken to lots of Republicans, as my colleagues have, talking to them about this, the Ohio lawmaker told reporters at a morning news conference. We know what they say about this president in private. We know the fear in their eyes about voting against this president, Brown said hes talked to his GOP colleagues about his concerns that acquittal will encourage Trump to become unhinged, and that hell continue engaging in reckless foreign policy and try to steal the 2020 election. I ask my colleagues and all they do is shrug, he said. They know better. At the same news conference, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump a "vindictive nasty president'" who goes after anyone who opposes him. - Ledyard King Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, speaks to the press on Capitol Hill on Thursday. GOP Sen. Mike Enzi was only senator not to submit question Senators just spent 16 grueling hours over two full days posing dozens of questions to Democratic House managers and President Donald Trumps defense team during the impeachment trial. Only one senator decided not to submit any: Republican Mike Enzi of Wyoming. There was no reason to, his spokeswoman Rachel Vliem responded in an email when asked why. Senator Enzi didnt submit any questions because he felt that the questions he had were asked by his colleagues, she wrote. - Ledyard King All eyes on Murkowski as decisions looms on witnesses After three pivotal Republican senators indicated Thursday night whether they would vote to call witnesses in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, all eyes turned to another Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski. And the Alaska senator was turning to Visine. Im going to go back to my office and put eye drops in so I can keep reading, Murkowski told reporters as she left the Senate, pointing to two volumes of notes shed taken during the trial. Ive been forming a lot of thoughts so thats going to be my job now at almost 11:00. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., had just announced that he would not join with Democrats in Fridays vote on whether to extend the trial by issuing subpoenas for witnesses and documents. There is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense," Alexander said. Two other key GOP senators Maines Susan Collins and Utahs Mitt Romney had said they did want to learn more. I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity, Collins said. Because a majority of the Senate sets policy in the trial, the 47 Senate Democrats need at least four of the 53 Republicans to support subpoenas to summon witnesses or seek documents, as House managers have urged. If Murkowski votes for witnesses and no other senator crosses party lines, that would set up a 50-50 tie. It's not clear whether Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial, would break the tie. If Murkowski decides shes heard enough, that likely sets up a 51-49 vote against witnesses. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, walks in the basement of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, while leaving at the end of a session in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Murkowski offered a hint about her thinking when she asked Trump's defense team Thursday why the Senate shouldn't call Bolton. "This dispute about material facts weighs in favor of calling additional witnesses with direct knowledge," Murkowski said in the written question, read by Roberts. In an upcoming book, Bolton reportedly contradicts a key aspect of Trumps defense argued by his lawyers in the Senate trial: that there are no witnesses who have linked Trumps withholding of military aid to Ukraine to investigations of former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden or a debunked theory about Ukraine meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. Patrick Philbin, a deputy White House counsel, warned that agreeing to call additional witnesses would establish new standards for impeachment, if the House can send "half-baked" cases and leave the Senate to complete the investigation. Philbin also said Bolton hadn't confirmed the newspaper report. It will do grave damage to this body as an institution to say that the proceedings in the House dont have to really be complete," Philbin said. Thats not the way that this chamber should allow impeachments to be presented to it. Trump has denied telling Bolton that the Ukraine aid was tied to investigations but ordered him not to testify in the Houses investigation. Maureen Groppe Pompeo demurs on White House visit for Ukraine's Zelensky Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky both insisted Friday that the impeachment of President Donald Trump had not soured U.S.-Ukraine relations. "It seems to me its the other way around. We have excellent relations between our countries," Zelensky said during a joint news conference with Pompeo in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. Pompeo described Ukraine as a "bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe," but he demurred when asked if Trump would invite Zelensky to Washington for a coveted White House meeting. "Well find the right time," Pompeo said. "President Zelensky will be welcome to come to Washington when we have an opportunity to do good things for both the Ukrainian people and the American people. Well get it done." After his election last year, Zelensky sought a White House meeting as a show of U.S. support as Ukraine battles Russian aggression. Although Trump told Zelensky he would invite him, White House officials never gave Ukrainian officials a date. In the article of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power, House Democrats have accused Trump of using a White House visit and U.S. military assistance as leverage in his effort to coerce Zelensky into opening investigations into a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. On Friday, Pompeo denied the Trump administration has set any conditions on Ukraine. And during his impeachment trial in the Senate, Trump's defense lawyers have stressed that Zelensky had a personal meeting with Trump last fall as the Ukraine controversy was dominating headlines; the two leaders met on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Deirdre Shesgreen and Kim Hjelmgaard Trump: Trial 'very boring to watch' The TV critic in chief has issued his review of his Senate impeachment trial. Its very boring to watch, President Donald Trump told Fox News Thursday night. I have to say that its very boring. Trump, a former reality television star, told Fox News Peter Doocy that he has watched a little bit of the trial. Asked if he has any concern about the trial, Trump responded that he has great confidence in the Republicans and the Republican Senate." And I know theyre going to be fair, Trump said. The GOP controls the Senate, with a 53-47 advantage over Democrats in the chamber. Maureen Groppe Report: Bolton encourages others to speak their truth As the Senate gets ready to decide whether to hear from former national security adviser John Bolton in President Donald Trumps impeachment trial, Bolton reportedly encouraged others who have served Trump not to be afraid to speak out. Television station KXAN in Austin, Texas., reported that Bolton spoke at a private event there where he defended former diplomatic and state department officials who testified during the House impeachment inquiry. Bolton also said that others should feel free to talk without retribution, the station reported. Testifying to what they think is true is the exact opposite of being destructive to the system of government, he reportedly said. Bolton's soon-to-be-published book reportedly alleges Trump demanded Ukraine investigate Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, in exchange for foreign aid. White House security officials this week threatened to block the books publication unless Bolton deletes information they deemed classified. Boltons attorney has disputed that anything in the book could reasonably be considered classified. Maureen Groppe Judgment day for Trump? Friday is shaping up to be judgment day for President Donald Trump. The GOP-controlled Senate could wrap up the impeachment trial for Trump and acquit him, or decide to prolong the proceedings possibly for weeks by calling witnesses to testify. That would postpone a final vote on whether to remove him from office. Thursday ended with the second round of questions being asked but with no certainty to how senators would vote on adding witnesses. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other GOP leaders have balked at the idea of more witnesses, notably John Bolton. In his forthcoming book, Trump's former national security adviser writes that the president told him to withhold military aid to Ukraine until Ukraine announced political investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Defense line: Trump lawyer Dershowitz argues president can't be impeached for an act he thinks will help his reelection Democrats, who control 47 of the chamber's 100 seats, have been trying to convince at least four Republican senators to join them in demanding Bolton and other administration witnesses appear to discuss the president's conduct regarding Ukraine. If Democrats fail, the third impeachment of a president in U.S. history will end like the previous two. Chief Justice John Roberts presided Thursday over the second day of senators' questions in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Come Friday, he may be called upon to vote or issue important rulings. The House on Dec. 18 impeached Trump on two articles abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after hearings by the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees into whether he tried to leverage the aid to Ukraine in exchange for digging up dirt on the Bidens. The Senate trial began Jan. 21 with House Democratic lawmakers acting as prosecutors laying out the case against Trump over three days. Trump's lawyers then began their defense of the president on Saturday and wrapped up Tuesday. As required by Senate rules, both sides Republican and Democratic senators were given a chance to pose follow-up questions to the Democratic House managers and Trump's defense team on Wednesday and Thursday. True or false?: Senate impeachment trial: Fact-checking opening arguments of Trump's defense team Trump has denied any wrongdoing, saying he had a duty to make sure any country receiving aid is meeting its obligations and that impeachment over this issue would weaken any president's ability to carry out policy. His lawyers and political allies also say this impeachment effort lacks merit because no specific crime is being alleged. Hundreds of protesters converged on Capitol Hill speaking out that the Senate should see all documentary evidence and hear from all potential witnesses in the Senate removal trial of Donald J. Trump on Tuesday Jan. 28, 2020. Democrats contend Trump never cared about corruption in Ukraine until he saw Joe Biden emerge as the biggest threat to his 2020 reelection. The withholding of money in order to get Ukraine to announce the investigations and weaken Biden in the process is exactly the kind of "high crime" that the nation's founding fathers were referencing when they created the impeachment mechanism. Whatever the outcome, the process has left raw feelings on both sides of the aisle. Like war, impeachment is hell, or at least presidential impeachment is hell," Trump lawyer Ken Starr, who led the investigation that led to Bill Clinton's impeachment more than 20 years ago, told senators Monday. "Those of us who lived through the Clinton impeachment, including members of this body, full well understand that a president impeachment is tantamount to domestic war." Ledyard King This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump Impeachment Trial: Senate could acquit president Friday (Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co. is in talks about investing in European tech startups and contributing to research in a bid to secure its supply chain as tensions with the U.S. escalate, people familiar with the matter said. In the final weeks of 2019, Huawei executives visited startups and venture capital firms in countries including Germany and France, they said. The companies discussed business collaborations and potential cash injections in exchange for equity stakes, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks were private. No final decisions have been made and Huawei may decide against making any investments, the people said. A spokesman for Huawei didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Huawei has rapidly shifted toward self-reliance as American sanctions jeopardized a carefully orchestrated global supply chain. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly railed against China and its companies, including Huawei, citing industrial espionage, national security and intellectual property theft. He has limited their access to the U.S. market and to American suppliers, while also pressing allies from Japan to the Netherlands to review policies toward the Asian giant. The company has been open about its desire to work closely with researchers in Europe. But any larger investment may face scrutiny. The U.K. this week revealed partial bans for Huawei equipment in high-speed 5G networks. Orange SA, the former French phone monopoly, said on Friday it would leave Huawei out of future wireless infrastructure. Under President Emmanuel Macrons watch, the French state has added AI and semiconductors to the list of sectors under the foreign investments regulation act. The law allows the state to review, block or demand government reviews in any investment in entities that are part of the list, which spans communications to space. U.K. merger rules introduced in 2018 increased scrutiny of technology deals on national security grounds. Germanys economy ministry also said in November that it planned to tighten regulation covering the takeover of high-tech firms by non-EU companies Story continues Still, Huawei already has a collection of small investments in Europe. In 2014, the Chinese company made its first investment in the U.K., buying a stake in semiconductor company XMOS, while in 2010 Belgian wireless technology firm Option sold semiconductor company M4S to Huawei for 8 million euros ($8.9 million). The companys also said it will put 20 million pounds ($26 million) behind British app developers to encourage them to write software for its in-house smartphone platform, HarmonyOS. Its part of a $1.5 billion global developer program announced last year. Huawei is also building up its European research and development arm after deciding in November to move its U.S. research business to Canada. Its currently building a new lab in Cambridge -- a U.K. tech hub -- that would house 350 staff. --With assistance from Nate Lanxon. To contact the reporters on this story: Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net;Giles Turner in London at gturner35@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Amy Thomson, Nate Lanxon For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Power outlets. The complaint against a Texas-based energy supplier, Verde Energy USA, alleges nearly 9,000 violations of energy marketing regulations or other sections of the public utility code. Read more Pennsylvania utility investigators on Friday proposed an $8.8 million fine against a Texas-based energy supplier, Verde Energy USA, for allegedly committing a wide range of egregious marketing violations, including switching customers energy supply without their consent and threatening to shut them off. The Public Utility Commissions Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement filed a formal complaint against Verde, which seeks the fine, a revocation of the companys license, and restitution to customers for improper charges. The complaint alleges nearly 9,000 violations of energy marketing regulations or other sections of the public utility code, including 339 customer accounts affected by deceptive telemarketing or door-to-door activities and 3,922 incidents where Verde representatives allegedly used confidential customer information to access or create an account without the customers authorization. Verde, which markets itself as a renewable power supplier, has 20 days to file an answer with the PUC. A Verde spokeswoman declined to comment on ongoing regulatory or legal matters. We do not condone misleading sales practices under any circumstances and are committed to providing green energy choices for Pennsylvanians in full compliance with all laws and regulations, the company said in an email. We look forward to working with the Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement to address these allegations. Formal complaints are adjudicated by an administrative law judge before the PUC makes a final ruling. Usually, complaints are settled by parties rather than going to a full trial. The Public Utility Commission of Ohio announced in April that Verde was one of two companies under investigation for alleged marketing violations. The Pennsylvania complaint against Verde reads like an encyclopedia of aggressively bad behavior by a supplier in the states competitive power markets, where customers can choose to switch to third-party suppliers from their standard utility supply. About two-thirds of residential customers have chosen to remain supplied by their local utilities. According to the complaint, Verde switched customers energy suppliers without their consent, a practice called slamming. It enrolled three customers who were dead. Agents misrepresented themselves as employees of a utility, and telemarketers spoofed phone numbers to falsely identified themselves as utility representatives. The complaint alleges that Verde representatives refused to leave after customers expressed no interest in the service, refused to cancel enrollments after customers complained, provided misleading information about the customers contracts with their current electric generation suppliers, and misrepresented Verde as a discount supplier. The state launched its investigation in September after representatives of PPL Electric Utilities in Allentown reported a large number of complaints against Verde. While all of the complaints cited in the PUCs action were from customers of PPL, a number of Peco Energy customers in Delaware County recently reported similar experiences in a series of posts on Nextdoor.com, a neighborhood bulletin board. Joyce Romoff of Wallingford said she learned her Peco electricity and gas accounts had been switched to Verde when she received a confirmation letter from Peco. She said she had no contact with a Verde represtative. I felt like a victim of identity theft, she said. She notified Peco that she did not want to switch service. The proposed $8.8 million fine against Verde roughly $1,000 per alleged violation is among the highest penalties sought by the PUC against an electric supplier. Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, the PUCs press secretary, suggested that consumers should file an informal complaint with the agency about any alleged improper behavior by a regulated company. If a customer has experienced something like unauthorized switching, we want to hear about it, he said. The PUC can be reached at www.puc.pa.gov org or 1-800-692-7380. New research in the January edition of Annals of Emergency Medicine reveals that cooling with running water is the best initial treatment for a child's burn. Researchers found that cool running water can reduce the odds of needing a skin graft, expedite healing and lessen the chance that a young burn victim requires admission to the hospital or an operating procedure. If a child is burned, the first course of treatment should be 20 minutes of cool running water. Cool running water is most effective immediately after a burn occurs, but evidence suggests it remains beneficial for up to three hours following an injury." Bronwyn R. Griffin, PhD, honorary senior fellow at the University of Queensland Child Health Research Centre (Australia) and study co-author The study shows children who received adequate first aid involving 20 minutes or more of cooling with running water had the odds of skin grafting reduced by more than 40 percent. Providing any amount of cool running water was associated with reduced odds of hospital admission by 35.8 percent and reduced the odds of requiring treatment in an operating room by 42.4 percent. Among patients who did not require grafting, the speed of healing was faster with the administration of any cool running water. This is important because faster healing reduces the risk of scarring, the authors note. Study results confirm that burns cooled with running water fared better than those that received no first aid or an alternative to cool running water, such as aloe, gels, compresses, toothpaste, butter or egg whites, for example. The study, "Cool Running Water First Aid Decreases Skin Grafting Requirements in Pediatric Burns," analyzed the treatment of 2,495 children at a children's hospital with the median age of two years old. Patients in the study cohort were treated most frequently for scalds, liquid or steam burns, on or near their arms or legs. These types of mild to moderate burns commonly occur at home. The optimal duration of cool running water therapy remains under discussion. The Australian Burn Association, British Burn Association and European Burns Association all recommend 20 minutes of cool running water. The American Burn Association calls for five or more minutes and the British Red Cross and St. John Ambulance (UK) both prescribe 10 minutes or more. This study lends further support to the recommendation of a full 20 minutes, the authors note. "Whether you are a parent or paramedic, administering 20 minutes of cool running water to a child's burn is highly recommended. This is the most effective way to lessen the severity of tissue damage from all thermal burns," said Dr. Griffin. Johnson & Johnson should pay $344 million in damages because the company deceptively marketed transvaginal pelvic mesh implants to tens of thousands of women in California, a judge ruled Thursday. Johnson & Johnson said it intended to appeal the ruling, which it said disregards the companys compliance with federal regulations. The judgment was framed as a civil penalty against the company related to sales practices for its pelvic mesh products, which have been the subject of years of personal injury litigation from women who used them to treat a condition called organ prolapse. The total payouts by a handful of the mesh manufacturers to injured women now tally about $8 billion. The ruling, by Judge Eddie Sturgeon of San Diego Superior Court, was less than the $800 million in damages the state had asked for last year at trial. Californias attorney general first filed this deceptive marketing lawsuit in 2016. Ahead of the commencement of the Budget Session of Parliament, leaders of several opposition parties will meet here on Friday to discuss the Jamia firing incident, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Population Register (NPR). The meeting will take place at 9:30 am in Parliament. Also, the opposition leaders are likely to protest over these issues in Parliament. Sources said the leaders of parties opposed to CAA will discuss their strategy to take on the government during the session on various issues. The enactment of CAA has led to protests in some parts of the country. The Budget Session will commence today with an address by President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of two Houses of Parliament. President Kovind will deliver a speech in the Central Hall of Parliament at 11 am. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will also chair a meeting of floor leaders of Rajya Sabha at his residence today. The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and will end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. Theres something surreal about sitting in a ballroom packed to the brim with hundreds of Six fans most of them young women and teenage girls and watching them unabashedly belt out the musicals soundtrack in a cast-led singalong. I hadnt seen Six, which turns Henry VIIIs six wives into pop queens it doesnt begin performances on Broadway until next month. But the joy on the faces of these fans, their fearless dancing, felt deeply familiar. Not too long ago, I was one of them. This was my second day reporting on my first BroadwayCon, an over-the-top theater convention in Midtown Manhattan for over-the-top fans. A quick crash course: Take the most intense theater buff you knew in high school you know the one and multiply that person by 5,000. Let those enthusiasts dress up as their favorite characters and lip sync to their favorite showstopping numbers. Give them a chance to meet their Broadway idols and get their prized Playbills signed. Just for kicks, leave a grand piano unattended in the hallway and see what happens. A senior member of Syrian Islamist armed group Jaysh al-Islam implicated in the disappearance of a prominent activist in 2013 has been arrested in France and charged with war crimes and torture, a judicial source told AFP on Friday. The suspect, a former spokesman of the group who is in his early thirties, was in France on an Erasmus student visa and detained in the southern city of Marseille. He appeared before an investigating magistrate in Paris who charged him with torture, war crimes and complicity in forced disappearances, said the source. Jaysh al-Islam is one of several hardline Islamist groups opposing the Damascus regime that have emerged during the Syrian civil war. It has fought against Islamic State (IS) jihadists but also been accused by rights groups of abuses. It is notably suspected of involvement in the December 2013 kidnapping of the Syrian activist Razan Zaitouneh, her husband Wael Hamada and two colleagues, Samira Khalil and Nazem Hammadi. They have never been found. Zaitouneh was one of the most prominent civil society figures in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad that erupted in March 2011 as part of the Arab spring but then descended into civil war. That year, she was awarded the prestigious Sakharov prize for human rights along with other activists. She was a vociferous critic of abuses by all parties in the conflict including the regime and groups like Jaysh al-Islam. - 'New chapter in quest' - Rights groups including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) in June last year filed a criminal complaint against members of Jaysh al-Islam for crimes committed by the group. After three years of painstaking research, they were able to signal to the French authorities in January the presence of the former spokesperson of the group in the south of France. The FIDH and two other groups behind the complaint said in a statement that the man arrested is called Majdi Mustafa Nameh, although he operates under the nom-de-guerre of Islam Alloush. They said Islam Alloush is a former captain in the Syrian armed forces, who then defected and became a senior official and spokesman for Jaysh al-Islam, close to its leader Zahran Alloush. "Islam Alloush was also allegedly involved in the forced enlistment of children in the armed group. Several victims also directly incriminate him for kidnapping and torture," their statement said. The move comes after the French authorities in 2018 issued arrest warrants against three high-ranking members of the Assad regime. "The indictment of one of the former top officials of Jaysh al-Islam... opens a new chapter in the quest to prosecute international crimes committed in Syria since 2011," said Michel Tubiana, lawyer and Honorary President of Human Rights League (LDH), another of the groups which filed the complaint. According to the statement by the three groups, Jaysh al-Islam numbered up to more than 20,000 fighters and carried out a "reign of terror" in the rebel areas it controlled, mainly in the Eastern Ghouta, until it lost control over them in April 2018. A Syrian youth brandishes his weapon during a last training before being sent to the frontline along with rebel fighters from the Jaysh al-Islam brigades (Army of Islam) in Eastern al-Ghouta in 2014 On January 30, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc attended the tree-planting festival in Viet Cuong commune, Tran Yen district in the northern province of Yen Bai. The tree-planting launching ceremony saw the participation of more than 1,000 locals who planted trees on an area of approximately of 1.2ha. All localities in Yen Bai province simultaneously held ceremonies to celebrate to the tree-planting festival on January 30 which is expected to plant at least 520ha of forest. At the launching ceremony, PM Phuc called on local people in Yen Bai province and other localities nationwide to respond to the tree-planting festival. He noted that tree-planting is a practical event that will contribute to increasing the countrys forest cover rate to 42% in 2020 and turn Vietnam into a leading country ofproduction and export of plantation timber. *On the same day, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinhlaunched the tree-planting festival at the Hung Temple relic site in Phu Tho province. Addressing the ceremony, the Vice President said that the tree-planting festival has become a great occasion forVietnamese people during Tet holiday, contributing toenvironmental protection and the socio-economic development of the country. She emphasised that tree-planting and forest protection have become more important amid the acute effects of climate change. *The tree-planting festival was also launched by local authorities in Quang Binh, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, and Nghe An on January 30. Ines Khai is inviting locals to join her for her album prelaunch concert being held at An Tain Arts Centre on February 21. Ines Khai comes from Guadeloupe, which is a group of islands of the Eastern Caribbean sea. Her language is Creole and her songs are in Creole. They tell stories about living in exile, crossing oceans, taking new steps and living through the ups and downs of life. Her music is deeply rooted in the rich culture and the traditions of her country. The nu-soul influence is very present on her first album BwaBwa (2008) while the ka drum from traditional Guadeloupean music is the heart of the music on her second album Amazon La (2012). Today living in Ireland, she has created a solo repertoire with only guitar and voice to enhance the beautiful creole words and melodies. Her new album Pitit a Lanme (Child of the sea, 2020) tells an intimate story about the sea and the ancestors. Ines is sure to seduce her audience with her incredible vocal range, her soulful voice and her unique guitar style. Tickets 10 (plus 1.50 booking fee per ticket). SEE: https://antain.ticketsolve.com/shows/873611081?_ga=2.257167564.615909277.1578313359-1696320012.1576234658 NOVOSIBIRSK, RUSSIA - JANUARY 30, 2020: A Rospotrebnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Consumer Protection and Welfare Supervision) official uses thermal imaging devices to remotely measure temperature of passengers arriving at Novosibirsk International Airport from Sanya, China, in connection with the outbreak of a pneumonia-like coronavirus in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019. A growing number of airlines have suspended flights in and out of China Friday as seat cancellations rise and carriers try to help prevent the global spread of the coronavirus. On Friday, Vietnam's VietJet said it would temporarily cancel all flights to and from the country from Saturday. Singapore Airlines said it would reduce capacity on some of its routes to mainland China in February, but ruled out a full halt to its schedule. Air New Zealand has now said it will reduce services to four a week rather that its current daily flights. New Zealand's economy is particularly dependent on the fortunes of China, perhaps explaining the relatively muted change by the national carrier. New Zealand has seen its currency shed 2% against the U.S. dollar this week on coronavirus fears. Chinese carrier Shanghai Airlines said Friday it would suspend its flights to Hungary from the cities of Chengdu and Xi'an for almost two months until March 26. Other flights to Asian destinations remain operational. African airlines RwandAir and Kenya Airways fully suspended all flights to China on Friday, giving no indication when they would resume. The former owners of smoke shops that reportedly supplied drugs linked to a series of overdoses in June 2016 in Hermann Park were sentenced this week to two years deferred adjudication probation. In a brief hearing on Thursday, Minh A. Dang, 46, and Tuan A. Dang, 49, each pleaded guilty to one count of delivery or offer of delivery of a dangerous drug. The sentences come more than 3 years after the summer of 2016, when a spike in the use of synthetic cannabinoids convulsed the city, particularly after a mass overdose in a part of Hermann Park known as Kush Corner when first responders had to rush 16 people to the hospital. The drugs -- often mistakenly called synthetic marijuana -- are a mixture of leaves doused with chemicals that can mimic the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The drugs which go by street names like Spice, K2 or Kush cause a cheap, powerful and sometimes dangerous high. Kushed out: City takes aim at stubborn new drug problem In the wake of that Hermann Park overdose, city officials revealed that almost half of the EMS calls the citys first responders handled in the nine months before the overdose stemmed from synthetic cannabinoids, which were also blamed for at least five deaths. The incidents led to a major crackdown on Kush use. Attorneys from the city, the county and the Texas Attorney Generals office obtained court orders to shut down several smoke shops that sold the substances and police arrested the Dang brothers and some of their employees. Besides hitting the two brothers with criminal charges, authorities also ended up seizing 30 gold bars and $230,000 and other assets. Court records show that prosecutors sought a raft of criminal charges against the two brothers, including engaging in organized criminal activity, drug possession, tampering with evidence, and possession with intent to deliver. For subscribers: HPD expands crackdown on kush Paul Fortenberry, chief of the Harris County District Attorneys Major Narcotics Division, said prosecutors ultimately charged the two with and delivery/offering to deliver a dangerous drug and allowing the brothers to strike a plea deal after reviewing all the evidence of the case. Though there were indications the Dang brothers were involved in the Hermann Park overdoses, we had no concrete evidence to take to a jury and prove beyond a reasonable doubt that those folks overdosed that day as a result of purchases made at a Dang store, he said. Hunter Simmons, who represented Minh Dang during the short court proceeding, said the sentence was fair. Justice was served today, he said. He received probation and had to plead guilty to a state jail felony in open court. If he messes up, hes looking at 180 days to two years in the Texas Department of Corrections. st.john.smith@chron.com twitter.com/stjbs The Angles getting a rebrand next week. Dont worry: This newsletter will still have the same stories you love. Theyll just come with a different nameThe Slatestand a sharp new look. You dont need to take any action to keep receiving it, but if change isnt your thing, unsubscribe here or below (well miss you). Duh: Throughout the impeachment trial, the presidents defenders have argued that his motivations in the Ukraine affair are fundamentally unknowable. But theres one person who does know the state of Donald Trumps mind: Donald Trump. Tom Scocca makes the case for calling him to testify. Plus, Dahlia Lithwick explains why the presidents Letat, cest moi defense is so dangerous. Advertisement A history of virulence: The new coronavirus is just the latest in a series of pandemics in the 21st century. Rebecca Onion has a roundup of what happened and what we learned in the outbreaks of SARS, swine flu, Ebola, and more. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Lockup: The Supreme Court has ruled that automatic life-without-parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional, but it didnt give any guidance on what would replace them. In a piece published in partnership with the Marshall Project, Eli Hager covers the devastating range of sentences across states, which keep juveniles in prison until they leave in a wheelchairor on a gurney. They knew: At the dawn of the information age, when many scientists predicted that computers would lead to a more equal society, activists of the civil rights movement saw a more troubling possibility: that technological progress could magnify racism instead of eradicating it. In the modern era of discriminatory algorithms, those warnings seem more prescient than ever, as Charlton McIlwain writes. For fun: Those who do not remember The Naked Gun are doomed to repeat it. Nothing to see here, Vicky MOSCOW -- The United States' new ambassador to Russia has urged Moscow to release Paul Whelan and accused the Russian authorities of "shameful treatment" of the former U.S. Marine, who is accused of spying. Ambassador John Sullivan made the comments outside Moscow's Lefortovo detention center on January 30 after visiting Whelan, who is being held in pretrial detention in a case that has ratcheted up already tense relations between Russia and the United States. "Despite the Russian government's immediate claims that they caught Paul, quote 'red-handed' unquote, the investigators have shown no evidence, zero. Paul's case has gone on far too long, shielded in secrecy and hidden from view," Sullivan said, days after taking his new post. The 49-year-old Whelan, who holds joint U.S., British, Canadian, and Irish citizenship, was detained by Russian intelligence officers in his hotel room in Moscow on December 28, 2018. A Moscow court has extended his detention until March 29. Sullivan said that all of Whelan's requests to call home have "either been denied or ignored," treatment that the U.S. ambassador said "violates international norms and standards of decency." Russian authorities have ignored previous efforts to secure Whelan's release and dismissed his allegations of ill-treatment. Russian authorities say they caught him with a flash drive containing classified information. Whelan, who denies the charges against him, says he was duped into possessing what he understood to be vacation images. He could face 20 years in prison if convicted of espionage. Customers of public sector banks in Uttar Pradesh faced troubles on Friday with state employee unions joining the two-day nationwide strike over wage revision, pension and other demands. Cash deposit, withdrawal, cheque clearances, instrument issuance and loan disbursement were affected, bank unions said. "Some of the demands of the protesting bank officials are salary revision, work-life balance, five-day banking, opposition to merger of banks," Dilip Chauhan, UP general secretary of All India Bank Officers' Confederation told PTI. "Close to 2 lakh bank officials working in 14,000 branches of various public sector banks in UP, participated in the protest," Chauhan said. The strike call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, including All India Bank Officers'' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW). Private banks, however were open. Branches of PSBs will remain closed on Saturday. Banks will reopen only on Monday, February 3. The strike coincides with the beginning of the Budget session of Parliament and presentation of Union Budget for 2020-21. Bank employee unions claimed that about 10 lakh staff and officers of public sector banks and some private sector banks are participating in the strike. Wage revision for employees of public sector banks is pending since November 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CALIFORNIA - Dignity Health and Partnership HealthPlan (PHC) has reached an agreement on a new three-year contract. The new agreement will allow PHC members to continue seeing Dignity primary care and specialty providers in Shasta, Siskiyou, and Yolo counties, as well as affiliated Dignity and Mercy hospitals, Partnership announced in a press release. RELATED: Healthcare access cutback PHC is the main local Medi-Cal administrator for low-income people. At the beginning of January, PHC members assigned to Dignity providers got a notice of the potential contract termination. We are pleased with this agreement, which will allow us to best serve our members in these communities, said PHC CEO Elizabeth Gibboney. Dignity has been a valuable partner in providing care to some of the most vulnerable populations in a historically underserved region, and we look forward to continuing that partnership. Mercy confirms the deal is being finalized and that it expects to be on the books by weeks end. LA PAZ, Bolivia - A bus missed a curve on a road near Bolivias capital on Friday and plunged down a ravine, killing at least 15 people and injuring 19 more, officials said. Local fire department chief Ismael Villca told Erbol radio that the bus was a half hour out of the capital half an hour earlier en route from the northern town of Coripata. It was the third serious accident of the week in Bolivia. A small bus collided with a cargo truck on Tuesday, killing 14 people west of La Paz, while a bus and truck collided on a road to the Uyuni salt flats in southwestern Bolivia, killing three. PARIS (Reuters) - Frances President Emmanuel Macron will make a televised address on Friday on Britains departure from the European Union, his office said. The broadcast was scheduled to take place at 1715 GMT. Britain leaves the European Union at 2300 GMT on Friday, ending its 47-year membership of the worlds biggest trading bloc. Reporting by Michel Rose; Writing by Matthieu Protard; Editing by Jon Boyle 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. Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Philippines Defense Market - Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Philippines' defense expenditure recorded a CAGR of 14.25% over the historic period and stood at US$3.6 billion in 2019. Over the forecast period, it is anticipated to register a CAGR of 8.98% to value US$5.3 billion in 2024. This report provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news. The report offers detailed analysis of the Philippines defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. The report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants. In particular, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the following: The defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the Philippines defense industry during 2020-2024, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the country's expenditure and modernization patterns Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget with respect to capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country Porter's Five Force analysis of the Philippines defense industry: analysis of the market characteristics by determining the bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitution, intensity of rivalry, and barriers to entry Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years Market opportunities: details of the top five defense investment opportunities Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the Philippines defense industry. It provides an overview of key players, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis Companies Mentioned Raytheon United Defense Manufacturing Corporation Leonardo Remington Arms Company ELTA Systems Ltd. Capital expenditure allocation, which stood at an average of 19.2% during the historic period, will decrease to an average of 15.4% over the forecast period due to the procurement of fighter aircraft, corvettes, Multipurpose Attack Craft (MPAC), and infrastructure construction projects. The share of revenue expenditure increased from 80.8% during the historic period to 84.6% over the forecast period. Population growth will inflate the per capita defense expenditure from US$33.6 in 2020 to US$45.4 in 2024, at a CAGR of 7.27%. Homeland security expenditure is valued at US$3.35 billion in 2019 and grow to US$4.8 billion in 2024, registering a CAGR of 11.33%. Expenditure will primarily be driven by efforts to counter terrorism, human trafficking and the illicit drug trade. Air and Naval forces modernization is expected to be key objective of the Philippines Horizon II program. In Response to the perceived internal weakness and regional strategic challenges Philippines department of defense has embarked air force and naval transformation process to enhance their capabilities under Horizon II program. The Air force accounts for highest share of 46.6% and has been allocated US$2.61 billion followed by navy which holds 25% share and has allocated close to US$1.44 billion; as compared to air force and navy army accounts for relatively less share of 15.89% and has allocated US$890 million for modernization under horizon phase II. The US, Indonesia and South Korea are the major suppliers for The Philippines. During 2014-2018, South Korea emerged as the largest supplier of military hardware to The Philippines with a 28.8% share of defense imports, followed by Indonesia and the US with respective shares of 25.8% and 24.5%. South Korea, Indonesia and US has mainly supplied aircraft and naval vessels, a trend anticipated to continue over the forecast period due to the country's dependence on these three countries as a defense supplier. Key Highlights The Philippines' defense expenditure recorded a CAGR of 14.25% over the historic-period and stood at US$3.6 billion in 2019. The growing strength and assertiveness of the Chinese Navy with regards to territorial claims in the South China Sea has spurred the government to enhance its military capabilities Capital expenditure allocation, which stood at an average of 19.2% during the historic period, will decrease to an average of 15.4% Over the forecast period due to the procurement of fighter aircraft, corvettes, Multipurpose Attack Craft (MPAC), and infrastructure construction projects. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 1.1. What is this Report About? 1.2. Definitions 1.3. Summary Methodology 1.4. About the Author 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Attractiveness and Emerging Opportunities 3.1. Current Market Scenario 3.1.1. Primary threat perception 3.1.2. Military doctrine and strategy 3.1.3. Procurement Programs 3.1.4. Top Procurement Programs by Value (US$ Million) 2019-2024 3.1.6. Geopolitical, Social and Economic Scenario 3.1.7. Political and strategic alliances 3.2. Defense Market Size Historical and Forecast 3.2.1. The Philippines' defense budget to grow at a forecast-period CAGR of 8.98% 3.2.2. Tensions in the South China Sea and modernization initiatives to drive the defense industry 3.2.3. Defense budget as a percentage of GDP to increase to 1.0% over the forecast period 3.3. Analysis of Defense Budget Allocation 3.3.1. Share of capital expenditure will slightly decrease over the forecast period 3.3.2. Capital expenditure is anticipated to record a forecast-period CAGR of 10.50% 3.3.3. The army accounted for the largest percentage share of the overall Philippines' defense budget 3.3.4. Army defense expenditure to reach US$2.45 billion in 2024 3.3.5. Per capita defense expenditure to rise over the forecast period 3.4. Homeland Security Market Size and Forecast 3.4.1. The homeland security market will record a forecast-period CAGR of 11.33% 3.4.2. Illicit drug trade and internal armed insurgencies drives homeland security expenditure 3.5. Benchmarking with Key Global Markets 3.5.1. The Philippines defense budget expected to increase over the forecast period 3.5.2. The Philippines' defense expenditure is lower than other Asia countries 3.5.3. The defense budget as a percentage of GDP will increase over the forecast period 3.6. Market Opportunities: Key Trends and Drivers 3.6.1. Airborne C4ISR 3.6.2. Multi-role aircraft 3.6.3. Maritime Surveillance and Detection 4. Defense Procurement Market Dynamics 4.1. Import Market Dynamics 4.1.1. Limited domestic defense capabilities to drive the country's defense imports 4.1.2. The South Korea, Indonesia and US are the major suppliers for The Philippines 4.1.3. Aircraft and naval vessels accounted for 88.6% of defense imports 4.2. Export Market Dynamics 4.2.1. The Philippines does not export any defense equipment 5. Industry Dynamics 5.1. Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1. Bargaining power of suppliers: low 5.1.2. Bargaining power of buyers: medium 5.1.3. Barrier to entry: low to medium 5.1.4. Intensity of rivalry: low to medium 5.1.5. Threat of substitution: high 5.2. Market Regulation 5.2.1. Countertrade/offset policy aids the development of the domestic defense industry 5.2.2. Government unveils new procurement rules 5.3. Market Entry Route 5.3.1. Budgeting process 5.3.2. Procurement Policy and Process 5.3.3. Foreign military sales (FMS) 5.3.4. Collaborations provide market entry opportunities 5.4. Key Challenges 5.4.1. Increase in corruption and lack of transparency impedes industry growth 5.4.2. Erosion in the value of Philippine Peso to adversely impact defense imports 5.4.3. Low defense capital expenditure may discourage several potential defense suppliers 6. Competitive landscape and Strategic Insights 6.1. Competitive landscape Overview 6.1.1. The Philippine Market Share Analysis, 2019-2024 6.2. Key Companies 6.2.1. Raytheon: overview 6.2.2. Raytheon: products 6.2.3. Raytheon: Recent announcements and strategic initiatives 6.2.4. Raytheon: Recent Contract Wins 6.2.5. United Defense Manufacturing Corporation: overview 6.2.6. United Defense Manufacturing Corporation: key products 6.2.7. United Defense Manufacturing Corporation: recent announcements and strategic initiatives 6.2.8. Leonardo: overview 6.2.9. Leonardo: products and services 6.2.10. Leonardo: recent announcements and strategic initiatives 6.2.11. Leonardo: recent contract wins 6.2.12. Remington Arms Company, LLC: overview 6.2.13. Remington Arms Company, LLC: key products and services 6.2.14. Remington: recent announcements and strategic initiatives 6.2.15. Remington Arms Company, LLC: Recent Contract Wins 6.2.16. ELTA Systems Ltd: overview 6.2.17. ELTA Systems Ltd: key products and services 6.2.18. ELTA Systems Ltd: recent announcements and strategic initiatives 6.2.19. ELTA Systems Ltd: Recent Contract Wins 7. Business Environment and Country Risk 7.1. Economic Performance 7.1.1. GDP per capita at constant prices (US$) 7.1.2. GDP at current prices (US$) 7.1.3. Exports of goods and services 7.1.4. Imports of goods and services 7.1.5. Gross national disposable income (US$ billions) 7.1.6. LCU per US$ (period average) 7.1.7. Market capitalization of listed companies (US$ billions) 7.1.8. Market capitalization of listed companies (percentage of GDP) 7.1.9. Government cash surplus/deficit as a percentage of GDP (LCU) 7.1.10. Goods exports as a percentage of GDP 7.1.11. Goods imports as a percentage of GDP 7.1.12. Service imports as a percentage of GDP 7.1.13. Services exports as a percentage of GDP 7.1.14. Foreign direct investment (FDI), net (BoP, current US$ billions) 7.1.15. Net FDI as a percentage of GDP 7.1.16. Mining, manufacturing, utilities output (PHP trillion) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qxvs2z Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is heading to court next week to defend the status of its reservation in Massachusetts. The reservation was placed in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs during the Obama era. The Trump administration has since reversed course and has told the tribe that it cannot follow the fee-to-trust process that was authorized by the Indian Reorganization Act As a result, the tribe will be standing alone at the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals next Wednesday. The federal government, despite its role as a trustee to Indian nations, has essentially abandoned the Mashpee people, whose ancestors helped some of the first European settlers survive in a new land more than 400 years ago. "Appellant has suffered through centuries of land loss, oppression, and near-extinction at the hands of colonial governments and the United States, and thus is emblematic of the tragic histories of Indian Tribes which Congress sought to remediate through the IRA," the tribe said in its brief to the 1st Circuit. Chairman Cedric Cromwell of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe addresses the #StandWithMashpee rally at the U.S. Capitol on November 14, 2018. Photo by Indianz.Com (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) The IRA reversed the disastrous policy of allotment by authorizing the BIA to acquire lands in trust for tribes. But the language in the law has been interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court , in a decision known as Carcieri v. Salazar , in a very narrow manner. According to Carcieri, the fee-to-trust process is available only to those tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934,when the IRA became law. Despite the Mashpee people's long relationship with colonial governments, they didn't gain formal recognition until a favorable BIA determination was finalized 2007. Thanks to Carcieri, opponents of the tribe's plan for a casino convinced a federal judge to rule that the tribe can't restore its homelands through the IRA. The ruling is the subject of the appeal before the 1st Circuit, with the hearing scheduled for 9:30am on February 5, according to the court's calendar Though the federal government won't be there, it's not entirely off the hook. As part of a separate lawsuit, the tribe is suing the Trump administration for refusing to confirm the status of the reservation when the issue was presented to the BIA a second time. In addition to the litigation, the tribe has turned to another branch of government for help. Bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Congress would confirm that the reservation -- consisting of about 321 acres, far smaller than the lands the Wampanoag people once controlled -- is in trust and can't be disputed in court. The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.312 , the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Reservation Reaffirmation Act, by a vote of 275 to 146 on May 15. A large number of Republicans who might have otherwise supported the bill defected after President Donald Trump invoked the name of a Native woman in a derogatory manner and told them to vote against it. H.R.312 now awaits passage in the U.S. Senate , which is in Republican hands. The bill has yet to be granted a hearing even though similar tribal homelands legislation was approved by both chambers of Congress on a bipartisan basis and signed into law by Trump as recently as last month. Trump's opposition to the Mashpee bill stems from his long-running political rivalry with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), who supports the tribe's efforts. She is a leading Democratic candidate for president, hoping to unseat the current occupant of the White House later this year. Turtle Talk has posted documents from the 1st Circuit proceeding in Littlefield v. Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribe Read More on the Story Federal Register Notices Join the Conversation Related Stories Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin D. Nicky Fahrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Sat, February 1 2020 Decades ago, former president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines Manuel L. Quezon set out a guiding principal for statesmen in a legendary quote, My loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins. Since then that statement has become a cardinal principle for modern politicians, especially those in constitutional democracies. In reference to the principle, let us reflect on two recent, interconnected events. First, the presence of Yasonna Laoly, the law and human rights minister, in the middle of a press statement of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) executives in response to alleged bribery involving former commissioner of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Wahyu Setiawan and PDI-P politician Harun Masiku. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Health bosses are still refusing to act two years after an inquiry accused a doctor of a cover-up over the death of one of her patients. The parents of Claire Roberts, Alan and Jennifer, have described their anguish as a result of the failure of the Belfast Trust and Department of Health to take action after the damning findings of the Hyponatraemia Inquiry. Two years ago today, inquiry chairman John O'Hara QC said he believed Dr Heather Steen attempted to hide the truth about the circumstances of Claire's tragic death. He said Dr Steen's actions were "very hard to explain on any other basis than that Dr Steen set out to conceal what she knew about the likely cause of Claire's death". He added: "To that extent, I am persuaded that a 'cover-up' was attempted by Dr Steen." Despite this, the Belfast Trust has told Claire's parents it will not carry out its own investigation into the actions of the paediatrician until the General Medical Council (GMC) completes its own probe into a number of doctors' conduct. Meanwhile, the Department of Health has said it is a matter for the Belfast Trust. Mr Roberts has said he and his wife are hoping to meet with the new Health Minister in a matter of weeks to discuss their devastation at the apparent inaction. Claire was just nine years old when she died from hyponatraemia at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children in 1996. She was one of five children whose deaths were examined by the inquiry, which blasted the health service for its culture of defensiveness and secrecy and described Claire's death as preventable. Mr Roberts said: "It's been hard. Jennifer struggles quite a lot with it all, the last couple of years have been unbelievable. "Jennifer's mental health has been affected, we keep looking for this openness, honesty and transparency from the health service, but it hasn't happened. "We've had 23 years of this, our experience tells us that this culture of denial and defensiveness is too deep-rooted. "Since the publication of the Hyponatraemia Inquiry report, we've had meetings with the permanent secretary and the chief executive of the Belfast Trust and we can clearly see the defensiveness. "The Belfast Trust put us through five days of an inquest last year where they were still trying to push the idea that Claire had some kind of brain virus. That's their mentality." In the two years since Mr O'Hara raised concerns about Dr Steen's actions, she has continued to receive a Clinical Excellence Award (CEA) of 8,871, further compounding the Roberts' upset. CEAs are payments made to doctors in addition to their salary in recognition of their making an outstanding contribution to the NHS. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the Health Minister cannot take any action or comment publicly while the GMC investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, a spokesman from the Belfast Trust said: "Belfast Trust fully accepts that we grossly failed Claire and her family, and for that we are truly sorry. "We can never undo the harm that has already been done." The spokesman said the trust's considerations and response are not yet complete due to the ongoing PSNI probe into the matter. "Our consideration and decision making regarding this case is separate from that of the GMC," he added. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images DES MOINES, IowaOn a cold night in Iowa, thousands packed into an arena as Donald Trump kicked off a rally warning against radical, socialist Democrats right down the street. We are going to win the great state of Iowa. It will be a historic landslide, he said. If we do not win, your farms are going to hell, I can tell you that right now! And so it went, as his potential Democratic rivals headed into the crucial last days of the Iowa primary campaign, Trump kicked back and let loose in a trademark freewheeling rallyblending some of his recent accomplishments, like the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, with greatest hits like the 2016 elections and tales of murderous illegal immigrantswhile complaining about the impeachment trial that was underway as he spoke. While he name-checked the four Democrats who are currently leading the polls in IowaCrazy Bernie Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Pocahontas Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Boot-Edge-Edge former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieghe repeatedly took aim at former Vice President Joe Biden, returning several times to question his mental acuity. First, Trump slammed Biden for confusing Iowa and Ohioa mistake he made in November 2019. He always gets the name wrong, Trump said. How many times has he missed it. He is in Iowa, he says, great to be in the great state of Ohio. They say, Joe, you are in Iowa. You cannot do that. No matter how great you speak. If you are Winston Churchill, if you make that mistake at the beginning of your speech, it is over. Motioning to the cameras, he added, They will absolutely destroy you. You cannot do that. Sleepy Joe. Later he returned to Biden again, declaring that it is over for the former vice president. Sleepy Joe doesn't even know what he is talking about. Honestly, that poor guy is so lost. It was over for him a long time ago, Trump said at one point. Now it's really over. Trumps comments come as the impeachment trial centered on his pressure campaign in Ukraine gears up for a pivotal vote on whether or not to allow additional witnesses to testify. Story continues For most of the rally, Trump seemed to be directing his supporters attention anywhere but there. To the extent there was a theme, it was to warn against the socialist policies that his competitors would implement if elected. The good people of Iowa have had a front row seat to the lunacy and the madness of the totally sick left, Trump said, before launching once again into a litany of predictions about all the things Democrats would take away should they rise back into power. Trump touched only momentarily on impeachment, but expressed confidence in the outcome. No, that will not work, he said. Watch. Just watch. Dems Fed Up With GOPs Refusal to Budge on Impeachment: Its More Than FrustratingIt's Pathetic Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Re: Pipeline impact on environment In Andy Thomsens letter (A Positive Step Jan. 27), it is suggested that pipelines will not impact the environment. As far as the LNG pipeline through the Wetsuweten territories, this pipeline should have a significant impact on the environment. This will hopefully supply natural gas to Chinese markets and replace their need for coal. It's a much, much cleaner source of power and therefore reducing those greenhouse gases currently being put out by burning coal. What is somewhat ironic is that the Wetsuweten chiefs are so opposed to this clean power supply when they and their supporters tell us how much they want to protect our environment. It seems to me supplying a clean burning alternative to coal is way better for the environment. The fact it will be good for Canadas (and therefore the Wetsuweten) economy is a real bonus. Malcolm Roberts, Kelowna To the Editor: Re Iowa Should Never Go First Again, by David Leonhardt (column, Jan. 27): Thank you, Mr. Leonhardt, for your column on the absurdity of how we choose presidential candidates. Why should Iowa and New Hampshire go first with caucuses and a primary? They should not. As you point out, they do not represent American demographics. But I go further with my suggestions for change. We should have nationally consistent rules for primaries among states. These are candidates for national office, not for statewide office, and there are ludicrous inconsistencies among states primary election rules. Further, why should primary dates be serialized state by state at all? There was once a reason, but with todays rapid travel and communication it is anachronistic. It enables candidates to pander to narrow constituencies, then switch their positions to pander to a different states voters. If we want honest candidates for national office who reflect broad appeal among the nations voters, lets have a National Primary Day, with national rules. Prosecution on Tuesday said the Bill of Indictment of Eric Kojo Duah, the man who allegedly shot and killed two Police officers on the Kasoa-Budumburam-Aprah road is not ready. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sylvester Asare told a Kaneshie District Court that the Police are still waiting for the Bill of Indictment from the Attorney General's Office (AG). The District Court presided over by Ms Rosemond Dodua Agyiri thereafter adjourned the matter to February 17. The Accused who is now solely being held for the murder have had his plea reserved. The initial accomplice who was also standing trial with Duah have been discharged following in depth investigations into the matter. Duah is now being held for the murder of General Lance Corporal Mohammed Awal and Lance Corporal Michael Dzamesi. The two policemen were part of a Task Force which was on duty when Duah allegedly took turns to kill them with a pistol after the officers had stopped his vehicle. Prosecuting, ASP Asare had earlier said the police have forwarded the case docket to the Attorney General's office for advice and for the preparation of a Bill of Indictment. On August 28, last year, Duah who was driving an unregistered vehicle was stopped by the two policemen but he failed to stop. The officers with a Ghana Police Service vehicle chased Duah who allegedly pulled a pistol from his vehicle and took turns to kill the two. 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 By Philip Weiss January 30, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - In the fallout over the Trump peace plan, the young Jewish group IfNotNow said that most American Jews oppose Israeli occupation and AIPAC doesnt represent the American Jewish community. This is a false understanding. The Trump peace plan was brought to you by the Jewish community. Over the last 20 years any real and vigorous opposition to the Jewish right AIPACinside the Jewish community has been fitful and meaningless. Liberal Zionists have enforced that line by refusing to organize as equals with the community Israel is oppressing: Palestinians. Yes, the liberal Zionist wing of the American Jewish community has opposed settlements on principle for at least 20 years. But whenever push came to shove it has sold that principle out in favor of Jewish communal cohesion and support for the Israeli government. And it has helped to crush real and effective dissent. Jewish groups that forcefully opposed Israeli policy (Jewish Voice for Peace, for example, and IfNotNow too) have been repeatedly ostracized by the Jewish community as heretics and self-haters. The clearest expression of what I am saying was the presence in the White House yesterday of Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the rightwing Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Hoenlein loves Trumps plan. Malcolm Hoenlein has access and a lot of power over U.S. policy. Malcolm Hoenlein came in and out of the Obama White House too. And Malcolm Hoenleins salary is paid in part by Americans for Peace Now, the anti-occupation group, because it is a member of the Conference of Presidents. Other liberal members of the Conference, Ameinu and the National Council of Jewish Women and the Reform Jews, also pay Hoenleins salary. And J Street would do so too, if the Conference would only let them in. They do so because ultimately these Jewish groups place a greater value on a, Jewish communal solidarity in support of Israel and access to the halls of power than they do on human rights. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter If they really cared about the occupation, they would have quit the Conference of Presidents a long time ago. And undertaken some real action like IfNotNows young Jews do all the time, at AIPAC and the Damascus Gate (where Israeli police brutalized them). . Lets look at a key moment in the history of Israeli expansion/colonization and the politics of the Jewish community: 2009-2011. At that time it is arguable that a leader could have saved the two-state solution. Maybe you could have actually created a viable Palestinian state. To do so you had to stop and then reverse the settlement project. Obama said he wanted to do that after his inauguration and J Street worked with that goal in mind, to give Obama political capital inside the Jewish community so that he could oppose settlements. Obama cratered, and so did J Street. They completely reversed themselves in 2010-2011, because of opposition from the Jewish community. It was clear that even if a lot of Jews had misgivings about the settlement project, maybe even a majority of the grass roots the organized Jewish community, the political Jewish community, was not going to go along with Obama. So Netanyahu lectured Obama about the 1967 lines, humiliating the president at the White House, and Obama vetoed the very thing he said he was for, a resolution against settlements at the UN Security Council, and J Street changed its campaign from opposing settlements outright to, Lets set borders. I.e., lets accept that Israel will get the settlement blocs under an eventual agreement, and lets just talk about where the border will be so we can keep the possibility of two states alive. Obama and the liberal Zionists crumpled for simple reasons: because the center of the Jewish community was too far right on the issue, and Obama was dependent on that community for financial and political support. Never forget these facts about Obamas political/establishment base: When he wanted to appoint Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State he reached out to her through Hoenlein, the rightwing Israel supporter, sending the signal, Foreign policy will flow through the Israel lobby. When Samantha Power wanted to become ambassador to the U.N., she needed to overcome her own record of criticisms of Israel so she acquired a sherpa to the Jewish community, Shmuley Boteach, a rightwing wingnut extremist; and it worked. When a rightwing racist Israeli prime minister Netanyahu came to address the Congress in 2011 and say that Jerusalem was the ancient Jewish homeland and not a settlement, the head of the Democratic National Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, led the Congress in countless standing ovations. More: After Netanyahu defied Obama on the Iran deal, he was invited into the Democratic Partys thinktank for a fawning interview by the head of the thinktank who crowed (in a leaked email) that if she had alienated her own staff, she had attracted a major donor by doing so. That thinktank purged intellectuals who dared to criticize AIPAC, and deferred to Alan Dershowitz in doing so. This is not the place to lay out Why the Democratic Party bends over backwards to the Jewish community. We are a traditional Democratic constituency of course. We are also the financial warchest for the Democratic Party. Just listen to the head of Emilys List and JJ Goldberg of the Forward tell a J Street audience in 2016 about the gigantic and shocking degree of dependence by Democrats on Jewish donors. Their comments echo what Jimmy Carters political gurus warned him about in the late 1970s when he was about to lose a second term, in part because of his alienation of the Jewish community due to his opposition to Israeli settlements. But what happened under Obama was that the liberals in the Jewish community deferred to the principle established by AIPAC: Jews must use our influence to make certain there is no daylight between the US government and the Israeli one. Now lets consider the noble tradition of Jewish rebels inside that community who actively oppose Israeli policy and what has happened to them. In the mid-70s the great Rabbi Arthur Waskow and other leftwing Jews of an anti-occupation group called Breira met with members of the PLO to discuss Palestinian self-determination. They were crushed by the official Jewish community, including Wolf Blitzer, who worked for AIPAC then the Jerusalem Post (a story told by Michael Staub). A few years later the great journalist Leonard Fein dared to say much what IfNotNow said yesterday, that the rightwing leader Menachem Begin was lying when he said he represented American Jews, and the roof fell in, Fein related years later. I depended on wealthy liberal Jews to support Moment magazine. Money was withdrawn right and left from its support. Then theres Peter Beinart. I have great respect for Beinart. Again and again he has called out the official Jewish community for its support of the persecution of Palestinians. He wrote a groundbreaking article in the NY Review of Books in 2010 saying much of what Im saying here, titled The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment. The piece was read by people who wouldnt touch me with a bargepole. He then published a book called The Crisis of Zionism, where he said that by ennabling the occupation, American Jewish organizations had endangered the existence of the Jewish state. In that book, Beinart bore witness to Palestinian suffering in indelible ways. That book came out eight years ago, when arguably the two-state solution was still viable. J Street recognized Beinarts charismatic appeal to young Jews and sold t-shirts with the slogan, Beinarts Army. But that army never came to pass. The crisis of Zionism didnt penetrate the American Jewish community then. Beinart failed his own mission, because even though he had seen a crisis, he could only take half-measures. He supported Boycotts against the settlements only and distanced himself from Palestinian solidarity activists, debating them on BDS. He did so, imho, because he did not want to alienate the Jewish community, it is his world. His choice is very similar to Peace Now continuing to pay Malcolm Hoenleins salary. Or Richard Goldstone folding under pressure from his South African Jewish community. For historical reasons relating to our minority status/persecution, Jews didnt want to create a public fracture over Israel That makes you politically feckless. Its really like being a good white southerner in the 60s and insisting on organizing only with white people. Because you fear the agenda of the black people, who are the ones being oppressed, after all. The true Jewish heretics get crushed, as Leonard Fein and Arthur Waskow did in their moment. J Street has exhibited a similar communal politics. It invites a lot of rightwing Jewish leaders to its stages, but it never invites Jewish anti-Zionists who support the nonviolent Palestinian program for liberation, BDS. We are ostracized from the Jewish community. Jeffrey Goldberg said anti-Zionist Jews have Jewish parents i.e., we arent Jews. Yossi Klein Halevi, who is invited to both AIPAC and J Street, says we have placed ourselves outside the Jewish community. When I became an anti-Zionist, I got fired from good liberal institutions that depended on establishment Jews, the Observer and the Nation Institute. Bari Weiss and Batya Ungar-Sargon will tell you that 95 percent of the Jewish community supports Israel. I think theyre right, or close. Maybe its 90 percent. Maybe its 75. But they are right about the critical mass; and that majority has dominated the politics of the Jewish community (not because the community is controlled by oligarchs, as Beinart claims, in a summons to oligarchs on his side). In short, any real and forceful resistance to the occupation inside the Jewish community was crushed in the name of Jewish solidarity. And yesterday Malcolm Hoenlein, whose salary is paid in part by the anti-occupation group Peace Now, did an endzone dance at the White House, alongside Sheldon Adelson. Why has Americans for Peace Now helped pay this mans enormous salary for decades if it considers the occupation a real crisis? I admit that something has been achieved by Peace Now, J Street and Peter Beinart in the last ten years: They have ended the daylight policy and fractured the Israel lobby into two parts. A rightwing lobby that supports the Greater Israel vision that Trump embraced yesterday in the White House. And a liberal lobby that opposes it. They have helped to politicize Israel. We might actually see a real fight in American politics over Israel, but with very limited parameters. Both sides must love Israel. And the rightwing lobby has a big footprint inside the Democratic Party. That fracture has taken place because the Jewish community has finally split openly over Israel. That split may be very meaningful in American and Jewish politics, but it is not going to affect Palestinians very much. Palestinians are living as second-class citizens and worse under one government that controls all of Israel and Palestine, and their battle is for equal rights inside that state. Whose side are you on? Only a few American politicians even say this aloud. The organized Jewish community opposes that discourse, and helps pass laws to marginalize it, because it means the end of the official paradigm of a Jewish democracy. Liberal Zionists are now in crisis over that paradigm and doing all they can to save it. Their crisis is the death of their own dream. It is very selfish. They still refuse to organize as equals with the people directly affected by Israels policies, Palestinians. They dont ultimately care about Palestinian human rights. There is only one real group trying to work inside the Jewish community that does that, Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow is catching up. They are both marginalized. Because I have such a deep attachment to my original community, I honor what JVP does as Jews. They are the only Jewish future. Godspeed. H/t Scott Roth, James North and Adam Horowitz. Philip Weiss is senior editor of Mondoweiss.net and founded the site in 2005-06. This article was published by "Mondoweiss.net" - Do you agree or disagree? Post your comment here ==See Also== Trump's Middle East plan denies Palestinians right of return A 39-year-old rideshare driver was charged with sexually assaulting a juvenile he met when she was his passenger, authorities said Thursday. Julio Mejia, of Wharton, was arrested on charges of sexual assault, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal sexual contact, according to the Passaic County Prosecutors Office. The incidents occurred Aug. 18 and Sept. 24 of last year in Prospect Park, authorities said. Mejia assaulted the victim "whom he encountered as a passenger during the course of his part-time employment as a ride-share driver, the prosecutors office said in a statement. Authorities did not specify if the alleged assaults took place while he was working or name which company he was driving for. The prosecutors office did not immediately return a message seeking more information. Prosecutors filed a motion to have Mejia detained and a hearing was set for next week, according to the statement. It was not clear if he had retained an attorney. When arrested, Mejia was an active member of the armed services, although the prosecutors office did say which branch of the military. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Asked by reporters to comment on the incident as he was entering Parliament, Gandhi said, 'Who paid the Jamia shooter?' New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who "paid" the Jamia shooter, a day after a man opened fire at a group of anti-CAA protesters in the area. Asked by reporters to comment on the incident as he was entering Parliament, Gandhi said, ""Who paid the Jamia shooter?" On Thursday, Gandhi had tweeted a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, "I cannot teach you violence, as I do not believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone, even at the cost of your life." Tensions in the Jamia area spiralled on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence. Donald Trump's impeachment trial will end at 4pm on Wednesday after a dramatic day Friday in which Republicans triumphed by voting 51 to 49 against calling witnesses - but then agreed to delay a final vote until after the president's State of the Union address. The Senate voted to reject a Democratic call to hear from witnesses at President Trump's impeachment trial a critical procedural win for the president and the first formal vote signaling his almost certain acquittal. Two Republicans, Mitt Romney and Susan Collins, crossed the aisle to join Democrats in their push for witnesses but it was not enough to prevail. 'The motion is not agreed to,' announced Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over the trial. With the votes in, Republicans and Democrats both appeared able to see which way the trial was ultimately going and for the first time began kicking around a proposal that would get to a final outcome after President Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address. He headed to Mar-a-Lago just before the vote, meaning he was on Air Force One as the Senate rejected calling any witnesses, who could have included John Bolton, his former National Security Advisor. Bolton delivered a new bombshell an hour before the Senate opened the trial session, with another leak of his forthcoming book revealing that he will say that Trump ordered him to set up a call between Rudy Giuliani and Volodymr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, two months before the 'perfect' call at the center of impeachment. The nays have it: John Roberts reads the final vote count - 51 to 49 - which doomed the Democrats' attempts to call witnesses It's official: How the Senate's TV footage showed the moment that the Democrats lost Victory: Majority leader Mitch McConnell's face tells the story as he leaves the Senate chamber to meet with the Republican caucus after the 51-49 votes Face of defeat: Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader, speaks after the defeat to call the vote a 'perfidy' Florida bound: Donald Trump boarded Air Force One for a weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago after he blasted impeachment as the 'most unfair Witch Hunt in the history of the U.S.' The proposal to push off a final vote until Wednesday and will 'glide us into a conclusion,' Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana told reporters in the Capitol. Senators agreed to a resolution Friday night allowing for senators to make speeches on Tuesday and for opposing lawyers to make their final arguments in the impeachment trial Monday. It sets up the final vote on the impeachment articles Wednesday. Democrats also got the opportunity to offer four amendments, which put Republicans on record as voting down specific witnesses they wanted to call to testify in the impeachment trial. They put senators on record voting on subpoenas for Bolton and White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, as well as other White House officials, budget documents, and Pentagon documents. Schumer offered a straight-up amendment just to subpoena Bolton, and another that set up the terms for his potential testimony. It would be a one-day deposition and one day of live testimony within five days adoption an effort to counter Trump lawyer claims that it could drag on the trial for weeks. The first amendment failed on a party-line 53-47 vote. However Schumer's amendment to subpoena Bolton a critical figure in revelations of the last week was defeated on the same 51-49 vote against witnesses generally. Still another amendment would require the chief justice to rule on motions to subpoena witnesses and documents, demonstrating that a trial could operate on a smooth basis. It also went down. When Schumer made a 'parliamentary inquiry' about the chief justice's role in breaking ties, Roberts told him it would be 'inappropriate' for him, as an unelected official from another branch, to decide the outcome. The Senate was set to come back into session at 11 am on Monday which would require a quick turnaround for three senators eager to campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in Iowa. White House director of legislative affairs Eric Ueland told reporters the president was 'gratified' the Senate had agreed on a schedule 'for his acquittal.' The schedule senators agreed to means Trump would still be technically under an impeachment cloud when he delivers his prime-time speech, denying him the prize he has been seeking until just hours after the event. The Democratic defeat came even as new revelations emerged Friday morning from a manuscript by Bolton, who claims President Trump told him to contact the president of Ukraine as part of a push to get investigations of the Bidens. 'Americans will know that this trial was not a real trial,' said Sen. Charles Schumer immediately after the vote, calling it a tragedy on a very large scale. Schumer called it a 'perfidy, a grand tragedy, one of the worst tragedies that the Senate has ever overcome. America will remember this day, unfortunately, where the Senate did not live up to its responsibilities ... and went along with a sham trial.' Utah Republican Mitt Romney and Maine Republican Susan Collins each voted 'aye' and voted for witnesses on the key vote. Both had indicated they wanted to hear from Bolton. But it wasn't enough. Two other key Republicans, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, opted to oppose calling witnesses which Trump's lawyers could lead to weeks of additional time, with uncertain consequences. That left the Senate GOP majority, which Sen. Mitch McConnell oversees with close White House coordination, in the driver's seat. Trump was en route to his Mar-a-Lago property in West Palm Beach, Florida, when the vote came down. Bitter blow: Hakeem Jeffries, one of the House impeachment managers, walks out of the Senate chamber Walk tall: John Thune, the Democratic majority whip tastes victory after winning the vote Does anyone doubt who won? Mitch McConnell and his chief of staff Sharon Soderstrom go to meet Republicans Victory is mine: Mitch McConnell and his chief of staff Sharon Soderstrom head for a caucus meeting after the vote STILL FRIENDS: Mitt Romney (l) voted for witnesses. Lamar Alexander (r) voted against them, while issuing a statement saying the case had been proven Loss: Kamala Harris, the California Democrat and failed 2020 candidate, left the Senate chamber after the vote looking angry Losing side: Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown leaves after his party failed to get witnesses Mixed blessing: Democrat Amy Klobuchar will get to go to Iowa this weekend but without witnesses at the trial to return to Earlier he tweeted: 'The Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats keep chanting fairness, when they put on the most unfair Witch Hunt in the history of the U.S. Congress. They had 17 Witnesses, we were allowed ZERO, and no lawyers. They didnt do their job, had no case. The Dems are scamming America!' Crucial political moments including the Iowa Caucuses and the president's hope for a triumphal State of the Union were at stake, after multiple demonstrations that there are not sufficient votes to convict the president on two charges brought by the House. The key Senate vote occurred after senators debate for hours about whether to call witnesses, regurgitating familiar arguments about the president's conduct and the nature of the House impeachment inquiry that preceded the trial. 'We Democrats are united in saying we do not want this rushed through. Every senator has an obligation, as well as a right, to let the people of their states and the American people know why they're voting on this resolution on witnesses and documents and on whether the president should be convicted,' Schumer said before the final vote. Trump took the opportunity to trash the Democratic impeachment push. 'No matter what you give to the Democrats, in the end, they will NEVER be satisfied. In the House, they gave us NOTHING!' he tweeted. 'Democrats = 17 Witnesses. Republicans = 0 Witnesses,' he wrote, apparently referencing the House impeachment inquiry, when Republicans did get some witnesses. Republicans could have pushed for witnesses in the Senate had the vote on witnesses and testimony carried the day. Schumer called a New York Times report with new revelations from John Bolton a 'thunderbolt.' 'That is devastating,' he said. 'A month after Biden announced, they're already, according to Bolton, is president Trump seeking to get Ukraine to release bad information through Mr. Guliani' about Biden, Schumer told reporters. John Bolton's book manuscript contains yet another revelation about the Ukraine affair that emerged just minutes before the Senate was to start debating whether to call impeachment witnesses including Bolton himself. This time, the new information puts Bolton in the thick of President Donald Trump's push for Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The bombshell dropped right before the Senate entered a new phase in Trump's impeachment trial with a debate over calling witnesses. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer warned Republicans would 'rue the day' they failed to call witnesses, and impeachment manager Adam Schiff warned: 'The facts will come out. In all of their horror, they will come out.' His impeachment lawyers have spent a week arguing the president did nothing wrong and nothing impeachable. According to the new information, reported in the New York Times, Trump told Bolton in early May of last year to help his campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The drama came as Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she is a 'no' on calling witnesses, hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he would vote against calling them. Democrats want to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton That left just two Republicans saying they would vote for witnesses Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Bolton, who has written a book that the White House National Security Council has told him not to publish for classification reasons, describes an Oval Office meeting where Trump gave the instruction. Also present was White House counsel Pat Cipollone who has been leading Trump's defense. Also there was Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Bolton writes. Mulvaney is the other senior figure Democrats have been demanding be called as a witness after he was implicated in emails as potentially having knowledge of holding up military aide for investigations, which Mulvaney denies. Democratic impeachment managers have relentlessly played a public statement Mulvaney made to White House reporters, when he acknowledged a quid pro quo and said it happens 'all the time' in foreign policy, only to walk back the statement. According to the Times story on the manuscript, which Bolton has submitted to the National Security Counsel for classification review, Trump told Bolton to talk to the then-new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky to get him to meet with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani has been zealously heading a months-long investigation to dig up information on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine. Bolton says he never made the call Trump was seeking. President Trump issued an immediate denial. 'I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened,' he said. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, walks past the Senate chamber prior to the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Friday Jan 31, 2020, in Washington Giuliani told the Times Bolton was making up 'some' of the information, and stopped short of an outright denial while labeling him a 'scumbag.' 'I think he's making some of it up. He's sure making up I wouldn't call it making it up, but he's acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, and then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something,' he said. 'Let's put John Bolton under oath. Let's find out who's telling the Truth,' said House manager Rep. Adam Schiff in floor debate on witnesses Friday. Trump made the request for an investigation into the Bidens in an infamous July 25 call that the president calls 'perfect.' Giuliani is quoted int he initial Times story calling the account 'categorically untrue,' and he and Mulvaney and weren't around for Ukraine meetings. Former White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly, who served with Bolton, said at a speech in Florida this week that he believes Bolton. The latest bombshell comes after a surprise statement by Sen. Lamar Alexander stating that he would vote against calling witnesses, in part because the case was already proven. Murkowski issued a statement against witnesses citing the impeachment 'partisan.' She put it out minutes after the repot on Bolton's account that Trump directed him to push Ukraine on investigations. 'The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena,' Murkowski she said. 'Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed.' Murkowski is close to Collins as part of a small group of Senate GOP centrists. With her and Alexander voting no, Collins who is up for reelection in a purple state is voting for witnesses. The two senators sit next to each other and were seen joking together in the Senate Friday night. The spotlight was back on Bolton after late-night disclosures about which senators might cross party lines on allowing witnesses. Democrats appeared short of assembling a majority to call Bolton an others to testify about what they know. Democrats have spent days saying the trial would be a sham and a cover-up without witnesses. Bolton writes that Trump told him to contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to get him to meet with Giuliani Giuliani has traveled to Ukraine in search of information about the Bidens Former National security adviser John Bolton leaves his home in Bethesda, Md. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 Bolton says White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who has been overseeing his impeachment defense, was present during the Oval Office meeting with Trump and Bolton 'I think he's making some of it up. He's sure making up I wouldn't call it making it up, but he's acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, and then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something,' said Giuliani Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., talks to reporters as he walks past the Senate chamber prior to the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Friday Jan 31, 2020. He is voting against calling witnesses Who votes how will be the biggest drama in the final vote as Trump is certain to be acquitted in the Republican-controlled chamber. And that decision is on track to happen late Friday after Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced Thursday evening he would vote against calling additional witnesses, which likely doomed Democrats' efforts to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify. Even without the votes for witnesses, the senators were tasked with reaching some kind of a procedural agreement to move forward possibly by sending lawmakers home for a few days. Schumer said Friday afternoon there was no agreement. The process fight has high stakes: the Iowa caucuses are Monday, with three presidential candidates girding to get on the campaign trail. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have big events scheduled in eastern Iowa Saturday, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar is climbing in the Iowa polls. Trump is set to deliver his State of The Union speech Tuesday at prime time. He would be keen to declare himself acquitted, and Democrats would prefer to deny him the opportunity. Schiff addressed the new Bolton revelations as he delivered a warning to senators poised to vote against witnesses. 'The witnesses the president is concealing will tell their stories,' he said. 'And we will be asked why we didn't want to consider that information when we had the chance.' 'The facts will come out. In all of their horror, the facts will come out,' he said. 'Witnesses will tell their stories in books and in the media.' Three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested on Friday for their involvement in the December 19 anti-CAA protests in Lucknow which had turned violent, police said. Shakeel ur Rehman, Shabi Khan and Mohammed Arshad were among the conspirators behind the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act violence that had rocked the state capital, a police spokesperson said in a statement issued here. The trio were held from Hasanganj Police Station area of the city. "They were arrested following a tip-off by their associates who were arrested earlier. Shakeel ur Rehman, Shabi Khan and Mohammed Arshad are linked to PFI, and they used to instigate people," the police said. On December 31, last year, the Uttar Pradesh Police had sought a ban on the PFI, days after its complicity was suspected in the recent statewide violent protests against the amended citizenship law. The then Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police O P Singh had said that they had written to the Union Home Ministry, seeking a ban on the PFI after its Uttar Pradesh head, Wasim and 16 other activists were arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence in the state capital. "We have written to the Union Home Ministry, recommending that the PFI should be banned," Singh had told reporters here. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said that the PFI in a way was the "incarnation" of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) -- an organisation banned by the government in 2001 for allegedly being involved in a series of terror acts in the country. Stressing that PFI's role has been "established" in vandalism in the state, Maurya had told reporters: "The truth is emerging through the probe. If SIMI reappears in any form, it will be crushed." When asked if the PFI will be banned, Maurya said, "The process is on. Such organisations will not be allowed to grow. If needed, they will be banned." Wasim was arrested for allegedly masterminding the violence, police had said. "We have got success in arresting the mastermind of the Lucknow violence. Wasim, Nadeem and Ashfaq of the PFI have been arrested. While Wasim is the state head, Ashfaq is the treasurer and Nadeem is a member of the PFI," the then Lucknow SSP Kalanidhi Naithani had said. Police had seized placards, flags, pamphlets, literature, newspaper cuttings, banners and posters for the anti-NRC or CAA protest from them, the SSP had said. During interrogation, Nadeem and Ashfaq had told police that they made the strategy for the December 19 protests and publicised it on social media, he had said. Nadeem and Ashfaq incited people for the protest through WhatsApp and other platforms by sharing literature and video, Naithani had said. Besides, in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh, 28 people, including 14 members of the PFI, were arrested for allegedly attempting to incite mass gatherings during anti-CAA protests. "As many as 14 PFI members, including Mohammad Shadab, a prominent member of the PFI, have been arrested. Two PFI members are wanted. Another 14 people were also arrested in the district," Shamli SP Vineet Jaiswal had said. On December 19, the situation was tense in Shamli and its Kairana town. Around 150 people were taken into preventive custody after the Uttar Pradesh Police got intelligence inputs about the PFI "planning unrest" in Kairana and Kandhla towns of Shamli. The PFI was formed in 2006 in Kerala as a successor to the National Democratic Front (NDF). Security agencies have alleged that its leaders have been groomed in the SIMI ideology. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma had said that the authorities suspect the role of the PFI and SIMI in the violence during the anti-CAA protests in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Jennifer, the daughter of Bill Gates, has got engaged to her young Egyptian boyfriend, Nayel Nassar - The 23-year-old woman said she will like to grow and learn together with him - Nassar also said he felt like the luckiest and happiest man in the world when she said yes The eldest daughter of Bill Gates, Jennifer, has got engaged to her heartthrob, Nayel Nassar. She made the news known on Wednesday, January 29, on her Instagram account. In the picture she shared, she captioned it with a lovely message that said: Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. She continued by talking about how her lover swept her off her feet, adding that she would love to spend the rest of her life learning, laughing and growing together with him. In another picture on her account, Jennifer appears surprised at the proposal as her mouth is agape. She can be also seen wearing a fancy diamond ring. It should be noted that she was born in Medina, Washington and recently got her degree in biology at Stanford University, and presently is a med student, Daily Mail. Nassar, on the other hand, was raised in Kuwait and is 28-years-old. He bagged a degree in economics and management from same university. The Egyptian millionaire on his account also posted how the yes she gave him has made him the luckiest and happiest. Jennifer replied to his message: Yep crying again its fine life is perfect rn you're everything to me." Another thing worthy of note is that the lovers have always made their affection public as they are in the habit of replying to each others messages. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the owner of Microsoft and world-known philanthropist, Bill Gates, has recognised the feat of a Nigerian, Elvis Eze, in the fight against malaria. The tech giant said that the story of Eze is inspiring because he was once a victim of the scourge. He never allowed that to discourage him. He is a youth ambassador for Malaria No More UK, an organisation that is in charge of looking for fund and support to combat malaria. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: We have upgraded to serve you better Can a man show his love to a woman without having money? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Instagram influencers are using the coronavirus hashtag in a desperate attempt to increase their followers in the midst of the global outbreak. At least 170 people have died from coronavirus and nine Australians have been diagnosed with the disease, which has been declared a global emergency. As of Friday, the coronavirus hashtag has 180,000 posts on Instagram and is skyrocketing in popularity as the disease spreads around the world. While many posts are directly related to the deadly disease, some Instagrammers are making the global outbreak about themselves by posting pictures that show off their bodies, high-end outfits and extravagant lifestyles. German influencer Fitness Oskar shared a photo with his girlfriend's legs tightly wrapped around his waist on Friday. Instagram influencers are using the coronavirus hashtag in a desperate attempt to increase their followers in the midst of the global outbreak A German influencer, who goes by Fitness Oskar, shared a photo with his girlfriend's legs tightly wrapped around his waist on Friday. In the snap, the couple are 'kissing' through their face masks, which they claim is the only way they kiss in public while on holiday in Phuket, Thailand. 'We are not afraid of the virus... We still enjoy our vacation and hope that this misery will be stopped soon!' Fitness Oskar captioned the post. On Thursday, controversial American YouTuber Logan Paul shared a picture of himself surrounded by Instagram models wearing gas masks. 'F**k the corona virus,' he captioned the post. Malaysian-Chinese influencer Jeii Pong struck a pose for the camera in a plaid skirt, black crop top and a face mask. 'Remember to put your mask on to protect yourself! Checkout my stories,' she captioned the post. Influencer Jeii Pong struck a pose for the camera in a plaid skirt, black crop top and a face mask. As of Friday, the coronavirus hashtag has 180,000 posts on Instagram and is skyrocketing in popularity as the disease spreads around the world Model Sonya Buchik showed off her double denim look and accessorised with a face mask in a photo from Osaka, Japan. In the caption, she reassured fans that she was not in China Ms Buchik also shared a video dancing in a face mask to the Ariana Grande song 'break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored' Russian model Sonya Buchik showed off her double denim look and accessorised with a face mask in a photo from Osaka, Japan. 'I think everyone already knows about the Chinese virus... I dont understand why many people think that I am in China, because I am in Japan, in Osaka!' she captioned the post in Russian. She also shared a video dancing in a face mask to the Ariana Grande song 'break up with your girlfriend, i'm bored'. Brazilian Fashion Analyst Evelyn Marques shared a picture of herself in a face mask surrounded by Lunar New Year lanterns in Changsha, China. 'We are spending more time at home, which is not all bad, after all we have time to read as many books as we want, watch all the Oscar nominated films, do yoga all day and give even more attention to my dogs,' she captioned the post in Portuguese. Fashion Analyst Evelyn Marques shared a picture of herself in a face mask surrounded by Lunar New Year lanterns in Changsha, China. She told her fans that coronavirus 'is not all bad' because she gets to spend more time at home Video maker Steven Divish shared a photo of himself with a face mask on and his tracksuit pants tucked into his socks, presumably to make his outfit airtight in order to protect himself from the virus Meanwhile, streetwear influencers were also taking the opportunity to show off the high-end brands they were wearing. American video maker Steven Divish shared a photo of himself with a face mask on and his tracksuit pants tucked into his socks, presumably to make his outfit airtight in order to protect himself from the virus. The photo from Shenzen in southeastern China was captioned: 'Vibe check.' Meanwhile, Israeli music manager Rotem Avraha shared a photo in a Moschino shirt, a Givenchy jacket and black face mask from Guangzhou in China. Music manager Rotem Avraha shared a photo in a Moschino shirt, a Givenchy jacket and black face mask from Guangzhou in China. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 18:20:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Friday that China will send chartered planes to take home Hubei residents stranded overseas following a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Wang made the remarks in a phone conversation with Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. Champagne, on behalf of the Canadian government and people, expressed sympathy to the Chinese people affected by the epidemic. Canada highly appreciates China's strong measures as well as its open and transparent manner to prevent and control the outbreak, and has full confidence in China's capability in dealing with the epidemic, he said. Underlining the tradition of mutual help between the two countries, Champagne said Canada stands ready to offer assistance to China and believes that China will eventually win the battle against the epidemic. For his part, Wang said the Chinese government and people are sparing no efforts in containing the outbreak, with gradual progress at various fronts. He said that China is confident, capable and sure of eventually winning the battle against the epidemic. Chinese President Xi Jinping has repeatedly given important instructions to prioritise the safety and health of the people, Wang said. The Chinese government has decided to dispatch chartered flights to take home citizens stranded overseas, especially those from the city of Wuhan, he said, adding that the action fully reflects the responsible attitude of the Chinese government in eliminating difficulties for its people. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with the international community, including Canada, to jointly deal with the epidemic and safeguard global public health security, he said. When presenting its evaluation of the epidemic development, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Thursday that it disapproves of and even opposes any travel or trade restrictions on China and that it has confidence in China's eventual win against the virus, Wang said. He voiced the hope that Canada will respect the specific proposal of the WHO in an objective and fair manner, so as to ensure that personnel and trade exchanges between China and Canada not be interrupted. Condition of the girl who was tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (nCoV) in Kerala is improving and has been shifted to the Thrissur Medical College, state Health Minister KK Shailaja said on Friday. She was initially admitted and kept under isolation at the Thrissur General Hospital. The minister said that those admitted to the hospital with symptoms are not critical and asked people not to panic. She requested people, who have returned from China to report at the nearest health centers, and urged them not to attend public functions, including marriages. "The virus ... PR-Inside.com: 2020-01-31 04:22:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 825 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Music Lessons Las Vegas is now a fully functional, highly exposed online directory of private music instructors in Las Vegas that doesn't charge commissions. Visit https://www.lessonslasvegas.com LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / January 30, 2020 / Las Vegas musicians that are in between gigs and need work are looking for ways to expose themselves for more bookings. A lot of these out-of-work musicians (including music instructors that need more students) can now take advantage of the new offerings from Music Lessons Las Vegas.Music Lessons Las Vegas (MLLV) was at first, a brand created by Patrick Worley: a classically trained, university music faculty member, former Nashville live and studio musician, and most importantly - a music educator with thousands of success stories under his belt. He started the MLLV website to attract locals looking for private music instruction that he provided with a range of instruments such as piano, guitar, violin, mandolin, banjo & more. MLLV is now the most prominent brand in Las Vegas for anything music lessons' related and ranks on top of all search engines for music and instrument lesson type keywords that gets hot targeted traffic from locals on a daily basis with the intent to book private lessons. Patrick has since been at maximum student capacity for private lessons and has moved onto expanding the Worley Music company in other ways.With the MLLV website holding top placements on search engines, Patrick has decided to give back to the community and turn the website into an online directory of local Las Vegas music instructors; helping to get musicians, some of them being world renown, private bookings without taking a percentage fee from each booking like other directories do."I was over loaded with customers from the top placements my site has on search engines, now I want to share the constant flow of inquiring customers with the local Las Vegas music community", says Patrick.Specifically, this update to the website will bring the Vegas community an easily findable music lessons directory specifically made for instructors of all instruments, and locals that want to schedule private lessons with a professional. From kids, to teenagers, to adults, to people with special needs, to senior citizens and beyond; this directory has teachers to fit the needs of anyone.To take full advantage of this new directory and more exposure for local musicians to teach lessons privately without paying additional fees, teachers and students can visit the website at https://www.lessonslasvegas.com/ for full details.Music Lessons Las Vegas has been excited to unveil the latest benefits for current and new instructors as it's specifically designed to meet the needs of private teachers for the following instruments: piano, guitar, violin, voice, mandolin, drums, flute, musical theater, trumpet, cello, viola, bassoon, banjo, electric bass, songwriting and many more.To elaborate on the specific updates and benefits, Patrick Worley, Founder at Music Lessons Las Vegas said: "Our music directory is ranked #1 on google and other search engines for various keywords in the Las Vegas music lessons industry. We're exposed closer to the top of page 1 on search engines for plenty of instruments already, and our team is optimizing for many more. We do not charge any instructors a percentage of their bookings with us. Instead, we charge an affordable flat monthly rate to be listed in our music lesson directory. You can add your photos, videos, address, phone number, email, website and more to your profile. We have a booking software that can be very easy for music instructors that don't have a system for scheduling and getting paid for bookings yet. Get reviews, showcase your portfolio, list your Google Map - we're the most well-equipped online directory for music lessons in Las Vegas!"MLLV has made a point of listening to its' customers and taking feedback wherever possible. They reportedly do this because according to Patrick, "our customers make up the foundation of why we're in business - to keep spreading the love of music - there's always something we can improve on our local directory for them.Having been in business now for 13 years, Music Lessons Las Vegas strives to Become the most prominent music education directory in Sin City that brings thousands of customers to thousands of trusted local musicians. This dedication has made them known among locals as the best source to find, chat with, and book lessons with local music instructors in Las Vegas.Interested parties who would like to be among the first to experience the new directory; one that's attracting the eyes of thousands of targeted locals looking to book private lessons are encouraged to visit the website at https://www.lessonslasvegas.com/ for full details and to get started.Contact Info:Name: Patrick WorleyEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Music Lessons Las VegasAddress: 7643 Houston Peak St, Las Vegas, NV 89166, United StatesPhone: +1-702-415-4412Website: https://www.lessonslasvegas.com/ SOURCE: Music Lessons Las Vegas A leading west Cork fish supplier and former Fine Gael campaign manager has added his voice to criticism of the short timeline for registering for a postal vote in this general election. Donal Kelly, managing director of Fast Fish in Castletownbere, says he is also very disappointed in the absence of any emphasis on the marine sector in the various party campaigns, given the critical impact that Britains exit from the EU will have on the fishing industry. Mr Kelly whose company has an annual turnover of about 15m, said he was totally disillusioned with politics, having previously worked as a director of elections for former Cork South-West Fine Gael TD Noel Harrington. From the handling of the postal vote, which will disenfranchise anyone at sea who didnt register on time, to the television leaders debates where marine doesnt get a look in, this election is not addressing the enormous impact Brexit will have, Mr Kelly said. We need to know who is going to be negotiating on the fishing industrys behalf in critical trade talks with Britain." Mr Kelly said that postal votes counted in coastal constituencies, but new postal voters would be disenfranchised after the register for postal voting closed in all constituencies two days after the general election was called. However, existing postal voters should be on the register, with a deadline of receipt of the vote by the evening of February 7. Fine Gael has one of the lengthiest policies on the marine sector in its manifesto, much of which is drawn from the Governments Harnessing Our Ocean Wealth strategy, including a commitment to investigating the practicalities and merits of establishing an offshore maritime area as Irelands seventh national park. Fianna Fail promises to safeguard Irelands interest in future EU-UK discussions and promises to seek EU Brexit contingency funding for fishermen. It also promises to introduce an Oceans Act and review the contentious Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act. Labour promises to set up maritime conservation zones, and expand the Naval Service, while the Green Party wants to ban offshore salmon farming and designate 50% of Irish territorial waters as marine protected areas. This 50% figure is regarded as unrealistic by Social Democrats Wicklow constituency candidate Jennifer Whitmore, who is a former Marine Institute scientist. Her party favours establishing marine protected areas based on scientific evidence and local community consultation, along with a blue carbon strategy and a ban on supertrawlers in Irish waters. Sinn Fein is also prioritising a ban on supertrawlers, but extending to EU level. While the lack of a specific date is likely to disappoint Zelensky, the young leader won a long-sought and high-profile show of support from the top U.S. diplomat, who called Ukraine a bulwark between freedom and authoritarianism in Eastern Europe. He said the United States would continue to provide security assistance to Ukraine, which has received $1 billion in such aid since 2017. SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guggenheim Partners announced today that it has consolidated its real estate divisions, Guggenheim Commercial Real Estate Finance (GCREF) and Guggenheim Investments Structured Real Estate, under Guggenheim Investments. The combined unit, now branded as Guggenheim Real Estate (GRE) resides within Guggenheim Investments, and reports to Anne Walsh, Guggenheim Investments Chief Investment Officer Fixed Income. GRE is a national commercial real estate lending business that sources, underwrites, closes, and services commercial mortgage loans throughout the United States. GRE originates a broad array of loan types for multiple capital sources, including clients for whom Guggenheim Investments acts as investment advisor, sources, underwrites, and closes commercial mortgage loans, along with other real estate structured debt and equity products. Loans are sourced through GRE as broker as well as from direct industry relationships. Guggenheim has a very successful track record in the real estate industry, and we look forward to bringing clients even more opportunities to invest in the sector, said Scott Minerd, Global Chief Investment Officer. By consolidating onto one integrated platform, we expect to increase the number of opportunities that we bring to clients through improved brand recognition, enhanced industry strategic partnerships, and greater efficiency of execution on transactions. Anne Walsh commented that GRE will offer the real estate industry access to the firms thought leadership, led by Global CIO Scott Minerd, and the Guggenheim Investments teams who will source, service, and underwrite investments on behalf of our clients. I look forward to working closely with Jennifer Marler, Head of Real Estate, who will lead the unit and brings significant experience to the team. GRE will make both debt and structured equity investments and will comprise three teams: Investments Team : Focused on the sourcing and underwriting of investments : Focused on the sourcing and underwriting of investments Portfolio Team : Focused on asset management, servicing, and portfolio strategy : Focused on asset management, servicing, and portfolio strategy Credit Team: Focused on GRE underwriting, credit policies, and procedures As part of the consolidation, all current GCREF employees will be transferred to Guggenheim Investments. About Guggenheim Investments Guggenheim Investments is the global asset management and investment advisory division of Guggenheim Partners, with more than $213 billion in total assets across fixed income, equity, and alternative strategies. We focus on the return and risk needs of insurance companies, corporate and public pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, endowments and foundations, consultants, wealth managers, and high-net-worth investors. Our 295+ investment professionals perform rigorous research to understand market trends and identify undervalued opportunities in areas that are often complex and underfollowed. This approach to investment management has enabled us to deliver innovative strategies providing diversification opportunities and attractive long-term results. About Guggenheim Partners Guggenheim Partners is a global investment and advisory firm with more than $275 billion in assets under management. Across our three primary businesses of investment management, investment banking, and insurance services, we have a track record of delivering results through innovative solutions. With over 2,400 professionals based in offices around the world, our commitment is to advance the strategic interests of our clients and to deliver long-term results with excellence and integrity. We invite you to learn more about our expertise and values by visiting GuggenheimPartners.com and following us on Twitter at twitter.com/guggenheimptnrs. 1Assets under management are as of 09.30.2019 and include consulting services for clients whose assets are valued at approximately $67bn. Contact: Gerard Carney Guggenheim Partners 917-703-6368 Gerard.carney@guggenheimpartners.com President Akufo-Addo will open the Ghana Investment and Opportunity Summit scheduled to take place in London from 21st to 22nd January 2020. The Summit is being held under the theme: Accessing the African Common market through Ghana-Technology, Digitization and Industrialization. This is the second edition but this years summit will be taking place as part of the bigger UK-Africa Summit with about 28 African leaders in attendance. Organised by the Ghana High Commission UK in partnership with the Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC), the summit will also afford some key government actors an opportunity to engage global investors and attract strategic and development funds and investments for key projects as well as match local businesses with international partners and Investors. Some of them include Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, Trade Minister Allan Kyerematen, and Communications Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. The rest are Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Railway Development Joe Ghartey and the Minister for Food and Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto among other top Chief Executives and Dignitaries. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana 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 [January 30, 2020] Deon Del Mundo joins Crayon as Philippines Managing Director MANILLA, Philippines, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Crayon is committed to leading the ever-growing market in the Philippines, helping customers to optimize, simplify and secure their digital journey. With that as a background, Crayon is pleased to welcome Deon Del Mundo as the Managing Director of Philippines. With full responsibility for the leadership and development of Crayon Philippines, Deon will play a key role in meeting the company's aggressive growth goals as well as building on the firm's outstanding reputation for service and delivery to customers and partners. Prior to joining Crayon, he led several successful business ransformations over the last few years with the most recent one as the Country Lead for Microsoft Enterprise and Consulting Services. As a leader, he stirs the passion of everyone through active engagement, empowerment, encourages learning with a growth mindset and a firm believer of "Work Hard, Play Hard" attitude. Commenting on his new role, "It's a great honour to be part of Crayon, the global leader in helping businesses and government optimize their software investments from a complex/multiple technologies, and transforming them to cloud and digital business with Crayon's unique SAM centric approach and tool capabilities. Along with its group of software and cloud experts certified on different world-leading cloud/infra technologies, possibilities to innovate are endless. I joined at an exciting time when the Philippine economy continues on its expansionary path and its competitiveness for digital innovation are growing to its potential. Crayon Philippines is confident to deliver differentiating value and capabilities to our customers and partners." Deon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering from a leading engineering university in the country - Mapua University. He attended program courses on Leadership from Harvard and Business Strategy & Finance Acumen from Insead. Deon is a seasoned executive with over 25 years of local and international experience in working for multinationals and has earned a reputation for his dedication to both excellent execution and client service. Crayon is confident that Deon brings the skills, talent and attributes to accelerate our growth with a customer and team 'first' mindset. The opportunity in the Philippines is immense as many organisations navigate through the complexities of optimisation and are looking for ways to simplify their technology environment. Crayon is proud to continue to support customers in the Philippines with Deon leading the way. Thank you for customers' partnership and continued support of Crayon. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200130/2706870-1 Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200130/2706870-1LOGO SOURCE Crayon [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Judith Giesberg has written an accessible introduction, situating Davis and her diaries within the historical, cultural, and political context of wartime Philadelphia. In addition to furnishing a new window through which to view the wars major events, Daviss diaries give us a rare look at how the war was experienced as a part of everyday lifehow its dramatic turns and lulls and its pervasive, agonizing uncertainty affected a northern city with a vibrant black community. Emilie Davis was a free African American woman who lived in Philadelphia during the Civil War. She worked as a seamstress, attended the Institute for Colored Youth, and was an active member of her community. She lived an average life in her day, but what sets her apart is that she kept a diary. Her daily entries from 1863 to 1865 touch on the momentous and the mundane: she discusses her own and her communitys reactions to events of the war, such as the Battle of Gettysburg, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the assassination of President Lincoln, as well as the minutiae of social life in Philadelphias black community. Her diaries allow the reader to experience the Civil War in real time and are a counterpoint to more widely known diaries of the period. Emilie Davis lived through Americas transition from slavery to freedom, but as a young, working-class woman of color, she left only faint traces of herself in the official records. Davis appeared in three consecutive censuses, beginning in 1860. Her 1866 marriage was recorded in a Philadelphia marriage registry; when Emilie died in 1889, at age fifty, a physician and an undertaker affixed their signatures to her death certificate. She was twenty-two years old, free, and living in a free state in 1861. The Civil War did not promise to change her legal status, nor would enlistment offer her the opportunity to prove her mettle. Indeed, it might seem that Emilie Davis had very little at stake in the war. Emilie was married soon after the war ended, had five children, and was buried in a grave that is no longer marked. Davis seems to offer us little that we did not already know about the Civil War, and she did not leave us much to go on. We might have easily gone on without herexcept that she kept a diary. Like so many of the Civil War generation, Emilie recorded these memorable days in her diary. She wrote short daily entries, recounting events both big and small, in three slim pocket-sized volumes. A seamstress by trade, she reported on her sewing work; keeping the diary allowed Emilie to practice her handwriting as she attended school at the Institute for Colored Youth, Philadelphias premier African American school. Immersed in the lively social life of the citys black community, Emilie used her diary to keep track of her social calls and correspondence, and in its pages she repeated gossip and rumors about derailed courtships and marriages gone wrong. Mixed in with the minutiae of Emilies everyday life are entries recounting black Philadelphians celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, nervous excitement during the battle of Gettysburg, and their collective mourning of President Lincoln. Indeed, on the first line of the earliest surviving diary, under the heading Thursday, January 1, 1863, Emilie writes, To day has bin a memorable day and i thank god i have bin sperd [spared] to see it the day was religously observed all the churches were open we had quite a Jubiliee in the evenin i went to Joness to a Party had a very pleasant time Entries like this one make the diary and its author worth a closer look. If we mine Daviss 381-page diary for events we deem newsworthy about the Civil War, we might learn a thing or two about what the war looked like through the eyes of a free black woman. In this way, Emilie Daviss frank and descriptive diary entries serve as bracing counterpoints to the commentary provided by the smug New York diarist George Templeton Strong, for instance, or entries carefully crafted by the self-conscious and indignant Mary Boykin Chesnut of Charleston. Commenting on the initial proclamation, Strong remarked cynically in his diary that it would do us good abroad, but will have no other effect. Like Davis, Chesnut celebrated emancipationbut for starkly different reasons. A fierce critic of slavery, Chesnut despised slaverys effect on white women, declaring in her diary that only Lincolns proclamation freeing the negroes could reconcile her to a Confederate defeat. Philadelphia diarist and lawyer Sydney George Fisher was uncharacteristically effusive when, in a long and ponderous reflection on the constitutionality of wartime emancipation, he declared, we should try to enlarge our vision so as to see the real dimensions of things around us, which dwarf all of our past experience. Only in Emilies diary is January 1 a Jubiliee, and neither Strong, nor Chesnut, nor Fisher saw Gods work in emancipation. The women of Philadelphias Female Antislavery Society rejoiced, welcoming the Day of Jubilee which has dawned on the American Nation. Participating in celebrations among freedpeople and colored troops in South Carolina, fellow Philadelphian and freedmens teacher Charlotte Forten declared, a happy, happy New Year to you, too! And to us all a year of such freedom as we have never yet known in this boasted but hitherto wicked land. Through Daviss eyes, readers are reminded that free blacks embraced emancipation as the beginning of the end of a painful dualityof being half citizens in a slave nation. But if we extracted these big events from the diary, we would be no closer to knowing its author. The real significance of the diary is that it allows us to see how the Civil War was lived as part of everyday life, folded between Emilies sewing and her attendance at church and school, shopping and socializing, worrying and rejoicing. We generally study the war as a series of big events, of victories and setbacks, turning points and proclamations, but it was lived as a periodic and oftentimes unwelcome visitor, taking at times and giving at others. Emilie Daviss diary gives us a sense of the war as a periodic and dramatic interruption of life in a northern city. Reading the diary, one is struck by the uneven pace in which the Civil War was experienced. Entries focused on the weather, Emilies work, and her social life feel slow and will likely make some readers impatient for war news. Emilie, too, became impatient, as in June 1863, when she heard that the rebels had entered Pennsylvania and were headed to Harrisburg, where her father lived. On June 23, Emilie writes, i feel so worried about Father. Six days later, with refugees from Harrisburg crowded in the streets of Philadelphia, Emilies concern is palpable when she writes, i sent a letter to Father last night. By June 30, Emilie is all most sick worrin about father. Following this entry, Emilie continues to report war news without giving voice to her mounting concerns. Finally, on July 9, Davis writes with relief, i received a liter from Father. Although we think of Gettysburg as a three-day battle, full of low- and high-water marks and events occurring in rapid succession, in the pages of Emilies diary, it becomes a three-week grind of rumors and worry. April 1865 entries, on the other hand, remind us that events also happened quickly, and news traveled with dizzying speed. On April 14, Emilie attends a Parrade to celebrate the raising of the U.S. flag at Fort Sumter and to honor the 24th Regiment of United States Colored Troops (USCT) from Camp William Penn. Then, on the morning of April 15, while at a meeting of the Ladies Union Associationan organization that raised money and supplies for the USCTEmilie learns the very sad newes that the president had been shot. Later that day, Emilie turns to the miscellaneous pages in the back of her diary, where she adds additional information she must have learned since the morning. Lincoln was assassinated, she reports, by Som Confederate villain at the theathre. Lincoln died early Saturday morning, and Emilie reports that the city is in the Deepest sorrow. Readers can imagine how disorienting it must have been for Emilie to watch her city go from celebration to mourning within twenty-four hours. Like her fellow black Philadelphians, Lincolns death left Emilie with a sense of unease, which she expresses rather succinctly: These are strang times. One of the extraordinary things about Emilie Daviss diaries is that they can make the Civil War seem strange to us again; they allow readers to relive these memorable days without knowing the outcome. Although she was born free, Emilie Daviss early years were shaped by slavery. Emilies father, Isaac Davis, had a son, Elijah, in Maryland in 1820 and then made his way to Pennsylvania some time before the birth of his son Alfred in 1833 and Emilie in 1839. (Anne Friver, with whom Isaac lived, was perhaps Isaacs oldest child; she was born in Pennsylvania in 1826.) Whether there were other children, we do not know; gone too is information about Isaacs wife and the mother of his children. Isaacs status when he first arrived in Pennsylvania is also unclear. Indentured labor was widespread, and as late as 1820, most black Pennsylvanians in rural communities were indentured to whites. Although we might hope that Isaac Davis and his wife made their way to Pennsylvania to ensure that their children were born into freedom, they might have also been freed into extended indenture, their own freedom still in limbo. The last vestiges of slavery faded in Pennsylvania as the fugitive slave crisis heated up. By 1850, armed engagements broke out with some regularity, with free blacks and their sympathetic white neighbors defending themselves and their property from slave catchers and their proxies coming in from Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Angry with Pennsylvanians who refused to return suspected fugitives, Virginians and Marylanders demanded vengeance on the citizens of Pennsylvania for their recalcitrance. Well-known cases, such as the Christiana Riot in Lancaster County in 1851, have received a good deal of attention, but small skirmishes broke out all over south-central Pennsylvania. The Davis family lived in Lancaster County some time around 1839, when Emilie was born, but by 1850, Isaac and his son, Alfred, were living in Pottsville, Schuylkill County. If they were aware of the riot in Christiana the next year, Isaac and Alfred likely were relieved to be removed from the fighting along the states southern border. Even so, free blacks throughout Pennsylvania felt increasingly vulnerable to abduction and rendition to the South. Isaacs Maryland birth may have made him feel unsafe, except that his advanced age (Isaac was fifty years old in 1850) made him an unlikely candidate for rendition. Because of its small but vocal abolitionist community, Philadelphia provided some measure of safety for fugitives like those involved in the Christiana riot. With a black population of 22,000 by midcentury, Philadelphia boasted the largest free black population of any northern city. Martin Delaney once described northern blacks as a nation within a nation because of the racism they continued to endure and the institutions they built to shield themselves from it. At the center of Philadelphias black community stood a group of prominent black families, including the Purvises, Fortens, and Whites, and the web of black churches, schools, benevolence organizations, and civil rights organizations they built. Linked by marriage and political activism, the families of Robert Purvis, James Forten, and Jacob White formed what historian Emma Lapsansky-Werner has called a dynasty of social activists. Robert Purvis, James McCrummel, and William Still led the Philadelphia Vigilance Committee, which served as the nerve center of the regions Underground Railroad; here, operatives gathered and disseminated intelligence intended to protect fugitive slaves from capture. Still helped hundreds of fugitives escape and did historians the favor of keeping track of their names, the circumstances surrounding their escape, and their destination when they left Philadelphia. When the Davises relocated to Philadelphia, they joined a vibrant black community eager to bring on a war over slavery and a white community that was openly hostile to them. Black Philadelphians were excluded from concert halls, public transportation, schools, churches, meeting halls, and other public places, and they were harassed and assaulted in their own neighborhoods. Their churches and meeting places were attacked. White Philadelphians were virulently opposed to even the mildest expressions of antislavery positions. In 1859, the mayor of Philadelphia, Alexander Henry, would not allow Mary Brown, John Browns wife, to stop in Philadelphia with her husbands remains for fear that a mob would attack the train. And days before South Carolinas legislature drew up orders of secession in December 1860, city leaders called on Philadelphians to renew their commitment to returning fugitive slaves in order to reassure slaveholding states of their commitment to protecting slavery. Frederick Douglass believed that there was not a city to be found in which prejudice against color is more rampant than in Philadelphia. Although there was nothing new about the sentiments of white Philadelphians, young black Philadelphians seemed more willing to confront prejudice directly. In March 1860, for example, a group of young activists tried to rescue a fugitive who had been ordered to return to slavery, attacking federal marshals as they led the man to the train station. Although the rescue attempt failed, the bold attack on federal officials signaled a new militancy among activists one generation removed from the likes of William Still and Robert Purvis. Raised in politically active households and trained in elite black schools, men and women like Octavius Catto, Jacob White Jr., and the teacher Caroline LeCount came together in the classrooms of the Institute for Colored Youth. These were Emilies teachers and fellow parishioners at her churchand her friends and confidantes. Our first record of Emilie locates her at the home of her brother, Elijah Davis, in the Seventh Ward, a swath of todays Center City bound (north and south) by Spruce and South Streets, and (west and east) by the Schuylkill River and Seventh Street. Her diary entries suggest that she remained in the Seventh Ward when she began living on her own. In 189798, W. E. B. Du Bois described the Seventh Wardby then, a dense mix of Jews, Italians, and African Americansas a slum for its dirt, drunkenness, poverty and crime. Murder sat at our doorsteps, police were our government and philanthropy dropped in with periodic advice. At midcentury, though, the neighborhood served as the center of black cultural and political life, and black ward residents were conveniently located within easy walking distance to the homes of the elite where many of them worked. Just across Spruce was the Eighth Ward, which extended north four blocks to Chestnut; the Fifth Ward was located immediately east of the Seventh and Eighth Wards, extending from Seventh Street to the Delaware River. Blacks lived in both wards in substantial numbers. Though not yet a numerically significant proportion of the entire city population, Philadelphians of color lived and worked in the middle of the city and enjoyed the institutional support of three contiguous neighborhoods. Within these neighborhoods, women of color were a strong presence. In 1860, 13,008 free colored women and 9,177 free colored men lived in Philadelphia County. Du Bois found the same gender imbalance in 1890 and traced it back as far as 1820. He chalked up the unusual excess of females to their employment in domestic service and to the limited work opportunities open to black men. To Du Bois, this disproportion indicated an unhealthy condition, and he blamed it for the high rate of illegitimacy. Du Bois worried, too, that because lower-class men were often included in middle-class social gatherings as a way of correcting the gender imbalance, outsiders might get the impression that the social level of the women is higher than the level of the men. Du Boiss concerns aside, Emilie Davis enjoyed strong bonds of friendship with the women in her life. Diary readers will note Emilies frequent references to Nel (Nell, Nellie), Sue, Cristy, Mary, Hannah, Lizzie, Celestine, and Rachel, to name a few. These women provided Emilie with critical support and a sense of community while she was living on her own in the city. As historian Erica Dunbar has shown, even though they were denied leadership roles in the citys black churches, women played a critical role in enforcing acceptable behavior, sustaining the communitys poorest members, and establishing schools for and teaching black youth. As a domestic, Emilie would never be counted as part of the citys black elite, but by building strong bonds with women and men in her church, school, and voluntary work, she situated herself comfortably within the larger black community that grew up around the elite. Emilie visited her friends regularly, wrote to them when she could not, exchanged friendship albums, and kept a diary. After she married, Emilie donated money to her church and rented a pew in her own name, indications that she continued to take an interest in the community even as her own domestic responsibilities began to mount. In the diary, Emilie practiced her penmanship, which was a critical part of her self-representation. Like careful attention to clothing and hair, good penmanship and correct spelling marked the author of a letter or of an entry in an album as a lady. While her diary was intended to be private, Emilie engaged in all sorts of semipublic activitiesshe sat for photographs, exchanged letters, and began a friendship albumthat were intended to cement her friendships and to establish her respectability within her peer group. Writing in her diary helped Emilie keep track of the letters she sent and the visits she owed; in its pages, too, she offered her own judgments about the good and bad behavior of community members. When she occasionally weighed in on the immorality of othersas in 1863, when she writes that Georgianas abusive husband disgraced her shamfuly when he beat herwe appreciate how much significance Emilie Davis and others in her community placed on respectable behavior. To insulate themselves from white racism, black Philadelphians enforced strict behavioral standards, denied offenders the support of the community, and hid some infractions from white scrutiny. Perhaps this reflexive privacy explains the frustrating lack of sources that historians of black Philadelphia face in writing their history. Although black Philadelphians participated in a thick network of institutions, few records remain to tell their stories. The meeting minutes and annual reports of organizations like the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society and the Ladies Union Association offer researchers brief glimpses of the political and humanitarian relief work of women like Emilie Davis, but institutions that stood at the heart of black PhiladelphiaMother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, for instance, and the Institute for Colored Youthhave few records that date to this period. Mother Bethels newspaper, the Christian Recorder, is a notable exception, and the paper is a vital primary source for uncovering the history of black Philadelphia. A surprising evidentiary silence surrounds Philadelphias black elite, too, with few or no family papers for the Cattos, Fortens, and Purvises. To write their biography of Octavius Catto, Murray Dubin and Dan Biddle relied heavily on the Christian Recorder, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other local dailies. Julie Winch overcame similar odds, finding James Fortens papers scattered in unlikely places and his newspaper articles often written under pen names. In her biography of Robert Purvis, Margaret Hope Bacon compensated for the absence of family papers by relying on the papers of Purviss extensive abolitionist connections. They ran successful businesses, sent their children to school and tutored them at home, created and sustained societies, and lobbied for civil rights, but either they left no papers or these papers have not yet been identified. Mystery surrounds the recent discovery of Emilie Daviss diaries, which were purchased by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 1999. Perhaps there are other such sources in personal collections that will allow us to build outward for a more complete picture of the wartime city. Until then, Emilie Daviss diaries open a small and very personal window onto this vibrant black community. Emilie comments on the Civil Wars moments of elation and despair and, more than anything, its daily gnawing uncertainty. We hope readers will allow themselves to forget what they think they know about the war and to live its memorable days, with Emilie Daviss pen as their guide. Japanese car maker Toyota's luxury vehicle arm Lexus on Friday said it has commenced local assembly of cars in India. The company said it has commenced assembly of BS VI compliant ES 300h luxury sedan at its Bengaluru-based plant with deliveries expected to begin in February. The ES 300h Exquisite is priced at Rs 51.9 lakh, while ES 300h Luxury trim is tagged at Rs 56.95 lakh (ex-showroom). The company also launched two more products -- all new LC 500h coupe priced at Rs 1.96 crore and three variants of NX 300h F Sport tagged at Rs 54.9 lakh, Rs 59.9 lakh and Rs 60.6 lakh, respectively. Commenting on commencing local manufacturing in India, Lexus India Chairman Masakazu Yoshimura said the initiative is significant for the company and for its presence in the country. "Today's announcement represents our strong commitment to not just delivering an exceptional product and experience for our guests here, but sustainably enhancing our business for greater contribution to the economy and industry in India," he added. The company continues to import most of its products into the Indian market as completely built up (CBU) units. Lexus India President PB Venugopal said the launch of three products showcases company's dedication to bringing an amazing range of cars to customers in India. When asked if the company would look at assembling more models in India, he said the company keeps on evaluating on such issues. Lexus India also announced the launch of four new guest experience centres in Chandigarh, Chennai, Kochi and Hyderabad. The company already has such centres in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The National Pig Association has submitted a formal complaint to Ofcom regarding the Channel 4 programme 'How to Steal Pigs and Influence People'. The group said that because of the programme, Channel 4 could be considered complicit in the theft of pigs. The NPA found it 'astonishing' that it showed 23-year-old 'pignapper' Wesley Omar stealing five pigs on separate occasions. The complaint letter says: Wesley already has a criminal conviction for theft of a pig from a previous incursion which was reported in the programme, so the production company were clearly aware of his record. NPA believes that Channel 4 has acted incredibly irresponsibly in this instance and should therefore be held accountable in some way. At the very least, they should furnish the police with information concerning any criminal activity gathered during the course of the programme production. The NPA goes on to say that the programme - particularly the title and the promotion before the broadcast - 'explicitly glamorises illegal activity'. Therefore, we would be grateful if Ofcom would consider whether it has breached Rule 3.1 of the Broadcasting Code (material likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or to lead to disorder must not be included in television or radio services or BBC ODPS). The letter also highlighted that many farmers and their staff live on farm, with their family, and it is their safety, privacy and mental health and wellbeing that is violated by direct activism. Channel 4 and Ofcom have received a number of complaints since the programme aired on January 14. Mitsubishi Motors, one of Channel 4's sponsors, did not associate itself with the show following pressure from the NPA. The New Hampshire state Senate observed a moment of silence Thursday in honor of an Air Force officer and a police officer from the same town who died less than a week apart. Its very hard to deal with these types of deaths of our young people that are serving us and protecting us in a variety of different ways," said state Sen. Sharon Carson, a Republican from Londonderry whose district includes Hudson. The Pentagon on Wednesday said Capt. Ryan Phaneuf, 30, of Hudson, was one of two Air Force officers killed in a crash Monday of an electronic surveillance plane in Afghanistan. The crash is under investigation, but officials have said there's no indication the plane was downed by hostile action. Phaneuf was assigned to the 37th Bomb Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City. In New Hampshire, he graduated in 2007 from Alvirne High School, where he was a member of the junior ROTC program. His remains were returned to the U.S. on Thursday and greeted by a delegation of Defense Department officials. An Ellsworth Air Force Base spokesperson told the Rapid City Journal Friday that there has not been any determination of plans for a memorial service at the base. WMUR-TV reported that Phaneufs dream was to become an Air Force pilot. He put it in writing in his high school yearbook. He rose to the rank of captain, receiving awards and decorations, including the Air Force Commendation Medal. Gov. Chris Sununu and New Hampshire's congressional delegation issued a statement after learning about Phaneuf's death. Capt. Phaneuf made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may continue to live freely," Sununu said. The town and school are still grieving the death of 2013 graduate Katie Thyne, a Navy veteran and police officer who died in the line of duty in Virginia on Jan. 23. She was dragged by a vehicle during a traffic stop that accelerated and slammed into a tree. She died from her injuries. To lose somebody, two students within a weeks time, its very tough on the community, Larry Russell, superintendent of the Hudson School District, told WMUR. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 0 A man wanted for allegedly sexually abusing a child in Utah was arrested Thursday in Easton. Samuel Toledo, 60, was arrested at his apartment in the 100 block of South 12th Street, city police said. Toledo was wanted on the warrant for aggravated sexual abuse of a child, issued by the West Valley City Police Department in Salt Lake City. He is being held in Northampton County Prison while awaiting extradition back to Utah. A message left for the departments police chief asking for details about the case was not immediately returned. Records show Toledo was wanted in Northampton County on a bench warrant in a 2018 controlled substance case, and a hearing was held Monday in the case. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. During President Trump's impeachment trial on Thursday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) brought up the issue of witnesses, asking Trump's defense team, "Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton?" Former National Security Adviser John Bolton reportedly writes in his forthcoming book that Trump spoke to him about withholding military aid from Ukraine until leaders there investigated his political rivals. This directly contradicts Trump, who has claimed there was no quid pro quo. Patrick Philbin, a deputy White House counsel, responded by saying the House should have had Bolton testify during the impeachment inquiry, but did not send him a subpoena. If he is called as a witness now, it would "do great damage" to the Senate because "whatever is accepted in this case becomes the new normal for every impeachment proceeding in the future." The House asked Bolton to testify, but he declined after being instructed to do so by the White House. Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them in order to call witnesses, and Murkowski has indicated she is open to hearing from Bolton. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Some communities are taking matters into their hands to deal with the coronavirus epidemic. The Chinese government has announced that it will charter flights to bring its citizens from Wuhan stranded overseas back to China. This comes as the pace of international evacuations from Wuhan picks up. Those affected by a lockdown in Hubei province are waiting for action. Al Jazeeras Scott Heidler reports some communities are taking matters into their own hands. President Ram Nath Kovind spoke about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA in his address to both Houses of Parliament marking the beginning of the budget session on Friday. In the times after Partition, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that those Hindus and Sikhs who dont want to stay in Pakistan, can come to India. It is the duty of the government of India to give them a normal life. I am happy that both Houses of Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to fulfill the dreams of those who built our country, the President said. The treasury benches in the Lok Sabha welcomed this statement with many parliamentarians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah (who piloted the bill in Parliament) thumping theirs desks in appreciation. Watch l CAA fulfilled Gandhis dream: President Kovind; opposition creates ruckus All of us know that minorities have been facing oppression in Pakistan over the years. The recent incident in Nankana Sahib is a proof. It is our duty to let the whole world know what is really happening in Pakistan. I condemn the oppression of minorities in Pakistan and urge the international community to take notice, the President further said, which was again given a thumbs up by the government. Some Opposition members, however, raised slogans during the address. President Kovind further said, The government has made provisions to ensure that the culture of those living in the Northeast is not impacted due to CAA. The CAA seeks to fast-track citizenship to persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It lists six religious minorities and leaves out Muslims which has given rise to protests all across the country. The protesters have accused the government of dividing the country on religious line with the act. But the Centre has maintained that the CAA will have no impact on the Muslims living in India, and has refused to scrap the law. The most vehement protests were launched in the Northeast where the native population feared a demographic change due to influx of migrants from Bangladesh. But the government included most of the northeastern states under Inner Line Permit (ILP) to assure the region that their cultural identity will be protected. The ILP is an official travel document issued by state government to allow inward travel of a citizen. It is applicable in protected states. The first phase of the budget session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. (Natural News) A new, urgent study just published in The Lancet warns that independent self-sustaining outbreaks in major cities globally may be inevitable due to the substantial exportation of symptomless carriers of coronavirus. That same study also calculates that 75,815 individuals are infected right now in mainland China, where the official government numbers are currently under 10,000. Titled, Nowcasting and forecasting the potential domestic and international spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak originating in Wuhan, China: a modelling study, the study is authored by Professor Gabriel M. Leung, MD and Kathy Leung, PhD. The study also warns that preparedness plans should be readied for quick deployment globally. Stated bluntly, this study published in The Lancet on Jan 31st sounds almost exactly like Natural News articles from a week earlier. Natural News has also covered the implications of symptomless coronavirus carriers and why such people can bypass all existing airport screening measures. [Coronavirus] cases have been exported to other Chinese cities, as well as internationally, threatening to trigger a global outbreak, the study further warns. The study used flight data to estimate the spread of coronavirus to over 300 cities across mainland China. It used 2.68 as the reproductive rate for the virus, which means every one person infects 2.68 more people. Based on these numbers, the study warns that epidemics are already growing exponentially in multiple major cities of China with a lag time that runs about 1-2 weeks behind the Wuhan outbreak. Large cities with close transport links to China could also become outbreak epicenters The study also warns that cities which are receiving flights from China could become outbreak epicenters. Direct air flights from China continue to deliver passengers to dozens of large cities around the world each day, including Los Angeles, Boston, New York, London, Tokyo, Moscow, Vancouver, Toronto and many more. So far, the United States has not banned incoming air flights from China, even after the WHO has declared a global pandemic emergency. The communist Chinese government made a decision on Jan. 25th to sacrifice millions of lives in order to save 11 key cities that represent Chinas military and industrial hubs. Chinas political leaders have already accepted the reality that the nation will experience millions of fatalities from coronavirus infections and secondary effects such as starvation, infections and disease, many stemming from draconian quarantine measures that have now imprisoned 56 million Chinese citizens. If the virus begins to show an outbreak pattern in other countries with less military control over their populations such as Thailand, the Philippines or various African nations it is almost certain to break containment there and become a global pandemic. The total number of confirmed coronavirus infections outside China now exceeds 100, and numbers are growing quickly in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. See the current numbers below: Listen to my recent podcast to fully understand the economic implications of what happens if this virus breaks containment in any country and becomes a global pandemic: Brighteon.com/3c380b6e-5dc2-4ce5-88ff-5c78ac477dae In a memoir published last year, To the Mountains: My Life in Jihad from Algeria to Afghanistan, Mr. Anas sought to correct what he called many of the myths about the Arab volunteers that arose after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Foremost among those, he said, was the notion that thousands of them fought in Afghanistan. By his count, there were only around a hundred committed fighters in Afghanistan at any one time. He describes his time in Afghanistan as helping guide the volunteers in religion and moral behavior as much as military activity, and mediating between warring Afghan factions as much as fighting the war. But he is also frank about the damage that extremists and sectarianism have done to the course of jihad including those who perpetrated the Sept. 11 attacks and those, who remain unidentified, who assassinated his father-in-law. I will never denounce jihad, he writes. As a Muslim I know this to be a noble deed, the peak of perfection where man can be the most beastly, he chooses to be humane. To Mr. Anas, as to most Muslims, jihad literally, struggle is a fundamental principle of the Muslim faith. Defending your country and other Muslims against occupation and repression, they believe, will be rewarded in heaven. But he distinguishes that sort of jihad from what in Islam is often called offensive jihad, removing impediments to the spreading of Islam. Islamic jurists have argued in the past that impediments can include political powers, which can lead to armed struggle against established governments. Mr. Anas said he believes this concept has no place in the modern age. The Pallister government is turning once again to an outside consulting firm for advice this time to assess job classifications and staff-to-management ratios at several Crown corporations. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 30/1/2020 (713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Pallister government is turning once again to an outside consulting firm for advice this time to assess job classifications and staff-to-management ratios at several Crown corporations. Finance Minister Scott Fielding said the Manitoba government is not assuming the outside review will lead to further personnel cuts; rather it is looking for information on which to base future decisions. JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Manitoba Finance Minister Scott Fielding. "There potentially could be savings, but let the work happen, and then we can make informed decisions on that," he said Thursday. During its last mandate, the Progressive Conservative government ordered a 15 per cent cut in senior management positions at Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. It also undertook to reduce senior management levels within the provincial civil service. Fielding said the government would follow up with the corporations to ensure senior management numbers haven't been creeping back up. He said the consultant yet to be hired will compare management ratios at the three big Crowns, as well as at Efficiency Manitoba and Manitoba Centennial Centre, to ensure they fall in line with accepted norms. WINNIPEG FREE PRESS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION During its last mandate, the Progressive Conservative government ordered a 15 per cent cut in senior management positions at Manitoba Public Insurance, Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries. "The best practice is generally... one-to-five or one-to-seven (supervisors to employees)," Fielding said. "That's a ballpark." (A government spokeswoman later said the supervisory positions being examined would include those filled by members of a union.) Fielding said the government has already carried out this analysis within the civil service. "Taxpayers would expect us to make sure that there's an appropriate level of managers (to employees)," he said. Since taking office in 2016, the Tory government has spent tens of millions of dollars on consultants, who've provided advice on everything from health-care reform and school construction to the harness racing industry. "Taxpayers would expect us to make sure that there's an appropriate level of managers (to employees)." Manitoba Finance Minister Scott Fielding The same consultant who will study job classifications and staff-supervisor ratios will also conduct the previously announced review of executive salaries at the Crown corporations. Fielding could not immediately say when the government expects the work to be completed. Neither did he provide a ballpark cost figure. The Crown corporations were informed of the government's intentions Thursday. Crown Services Minister Jeff Wharton wrote a joint letter to the board chairs of the three major corporations to inform them of the decision to hire the consultant, and to say new mandate letters will be provided in the coming weeks. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Manitoba Hydro has stated that it already achieved the staffing targets outlined in the Tory government's mandate. A separate directive said the corporations are expected to achieve "a reduction in overall management by at least 15 per cent." Fielding emphasized this did not represent a further 15 per cent cut over and above the previous senior management reduction directive. The Free Press reached out to Hydro, MLL and MPI for comment Thursday. Only Hydro responded before deadline, with a brief statement, which read: "Manitoba Hydro has already achieved the staffing targets outlined in the mandate letter. We are in compliance with all requirements under the directive to Crown corporations, and will continue to be." Last summer, Manitoba Hydro revealed it had hired an independent firm to assist it in developing a 20-year corporate strategic plan. It's unclear what effect the consultant about to be hired by the province will have on that work. NDP MLA Adrien Sala said he is concerned about further staff cuts at Hydro, which has reduced its workforce by more than 800 positions in recent years. Sala noted Hydro has expressed the concern more staff cuts could result in safety risks to employees and the general public. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Here we have the premier once again using his friends in the consultancy business to help our Crown corporations determine what they need to do to run their businesses," the St. James MLA said. Sala said any review should be done in partnership with the Crown corporations. Fielding also said future increases in executive salaries at Crown corporations will have to conform to the government's overall public-sector four-year guideline of zero, zero, 0.75 per cent, and one per cent. The guideline will kick in after a salary-escalating clause in an existing executive contract ends, the minister said. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Regarding Atari gets in the hotel game (Business, Jan. 30): Im excited to learn that video game pioneer Atari is moving into the hospitality business, with the intention of opening hotels in places like Phoenix, San Francisco and San Jose. Soon, you might be able to book a reservation at the Pong Palace or the Auberge du Asteroids and request to stay in a Space Invaders Suite. Marcus Finnerman, San Francisco Clean up the trash Although the news story Car-free promise of Market Street (Jan. 30) might be a boon for cyclists, pedestrians and buses, this frequent San Francisco visitor would much rather read an article with the title Trash-free vision of Market Street realized. Agatha Abernathy, Palo Alto Electric solutions Regarding Switch to electric cars (Letters, Jan. 29): The author is right on renewable energy but mistaken on electric vehicles (EVs). EVs only cut carbon dioxide emissions by about half at huge cost. If we specify all electric, we would have to almost double the generating capacity of our electric plants and completely rebuild the residential electrical grid. Neither of these expensive steps is necessary. A better solution is to ban the sale of any new light-duty vehicle in the U.S. that burns gasoline (or diesel) as the primary fuel after say model year 2024, but leave the choice of what to use up to the car companies and car buyers. Leave existing vehicles alone to live out their lives on gasoline. Ethanol would probably end up being used since it costs less than gasoline, uses the current infrastructure and, unlike electricity, is a true carbon neutral fuel. Not specifying the replacement leaves the door wide open to anything, including EVs. This step would be similar to what we did with the pesticide DDT. We didnt specify what took its place. We banned it and let chemical companies, farmers and consumers decide what to use. Eagles are thriving now. So can we. Don Siefkes, San Leandro Focus on smoking cessation Regarding Vape shops scrambling as S.F. ban approaches (Page 1, Jan. 27): Thank you to Catherine Ho for highlighting the restrictions on vaping products that lack the Food and Drug Administration approval now being enforced in San Francisco this week. FDA review may ultimately require e-cigarettes to be sold in pharmacies only through a doctors prescription, so this reset of the vaping industry may last for a significant period. Profiting by selling both traditional cigarettes and vaping products in the same store is a contradictory position that weakens the harm reduction intent. Perhaps vape shops can now transition away from selling tobacco products, and instead try to help more smokers quit by offering FDA-approved smoking cessation aids like nicotine gum, lozenges or patches, or modified risk products like IQOS and snus? John Maa, San Francisco Farewell, Bob Shane Concerning the obituary Bob Shane last surviving member of Kingston Trio (Jan. 30): As a folk music fan, I was sad to learn of Bob Shanes death. Unfortunately, the days when music featured strong storytelling, memorable melodies and heartening harmonies are long gone, replaced by incessant beats and raps about bling, sex and self-love. In my opinion, Shanes Kingston Trio was emblematic of a time when listening to a song being sung was one of lifes simplest pleasures. Arthur Leibowitz, San Francisco Appalled by stabbing story Regarding Victims ordeal: robbed, stabbed then ticketed (Page 1, Jan. 30): I was appalled to read the story about the stabbing of Anthony Edgar De Guzman and the parking ticket that he received while recovering in the hospital. The bureaucrats working for traffic enforcement appear to have the same callous disregard for human life that De Guzmans attacker displayed. Michael Haney, Napa Beyond a lack of empathy Not only does the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency lack empathy; as Anthony Edgar De Guzman said, they lack humanity. Their adherence to process and procedure makes me wonder if De Guzman had died in the attack would they have gone after his estate for a mere $79 ticket? Really! Edward Bellber, San Francisco Prohibit clear-cutting Regarding A living organism still growing strong (Jan. 29): To be a tree, you are lucky if you are selected to help celebrate the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park, respected and planted with meticulous care, as reported by The Chronicle. If you are not so lucky, you may have grown in a forest of the north coast or Sierra Nevada where you find yourself in the path of an aggressive timber harvest company using the practice of clear-cutting to remove all trees on a 20-acre tract for a tree farm aimed at future profits. So your life will end as a wood product, or as fuel for a biomass-burner to produce electricity. Lost will be your magical ability to absorb and store much of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, while also emitting the oxygen essential for all life on this planet. Perhaps humans will mourn your absence very much for that reason, and finally decide to prohibit clear-cutting before it is too late. Bob Moncrieff, Monte Sereno Mature enough for combat? Regarding Bill that would prosecute all teens as minors (Jan. 28) proposed by a Bay Area state politician: If an 18- or 19-year-old is judged not to have the mental or emotional maturity to be held fully responsible for his crime, what does that make of 18-year-old boys recruited or drafted into combat duty for the military? Child abuse? Angelina >>>> Brad. Period. Reply Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link I think theyre both horrible given that she hangs out with Torys and I havent forgotten what she did to those kids during one of the auditions for her movie Reply Parent Thread Link yeah i cant stand Brad but the way people- including some people here - worship Angelina as a saint is... a lot Reply Parent Thread Link ita Reply Parent Thread Link Omg stfu! This smug abusive asshole... Reply Thread Link Yeah, no. I'm always going to side with the ones who don't put hands on children. Team Angelina. Reply Thread Link Its weird that Angelina has always been accused of ~master manipulator ~ of the media/her image when Brad obviously is way better at it. Reply Thread Link Because shes a woman who has dark hair and did ~rebellious things in the past Reply Parent Thread Link Brad really is narrative-controller behind the scenes. He def benefits from the fact that other than his public relationships, the rest of his personal life is low-key. You don't hear about him much unless he's releasing a new movie. Reply Parent Thread Link [ Sorry if huge, Im on mobile ] ETA:sorry I really suck at html Edited at 2020-01-31 04:20 am (UTC) Also, not to be gossipy, but there have been a few pics of Brad at after parties looking... maybe not entirely sober?ETA:sorry I really suck at html Reply Parent Thread Link yeah totally sober... what a dickhead Reply Parent Thread Link He looks more stoned than anything. His issue was his drinking apparently, so I'm sure he prob still smokes the pot. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link the deeply rehearsed way his oscar campaign is going (down to the ghost written joke sets) is definitely evidence of that. Reply Parent Thread Link My sister truly believes Angelina is like that and as always, champions trash men. Smh. Reply Parent Thread Link it says more about her that she isn't constantly chasing a more favorable public narrative. She is just herself & secure in that while he NEEDS to be the golden boy Edited at 2020-01-31 05:34 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Just shows you how performative all these white women in the industry are w their feminism and the me too movement. This man hit his child and if you read the reports, it was bc he clearly was coming at Angelina in such a threatening way, that her son wanted to protect her - YET, he got a standing ovation after this happened at his first award show back. Disgusting people. I truly hope she doesnt feel alone and has private friends/family supporting her since everyone in the industry is shit to her Reply Thread Link This world hates women. She literally did the very thing people always criticize abused women of not doing. She left and chose her kids. And yet... Reply Thread Link Brad a douche. "None of the Oscar contenders has come close to pleading for a social cause, as Frances McDormand did in advocating for inclusion riders when she won best actress at the 2018 Oscars for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, or in her Globes speech, when she spoke about women and the industry's power structure." I thought this was an interesting thing for the writer to pick out. Reply Thread Link You're making me read the article now. How dare you. Reply Parent Thread Link Thats false. The golden globes were entirely vegan because of Joaquin! Reply Parent Thread Link It was because of him? Reply Parent Thread Link He is a dick. Reply Thread Link His speech was disgusting How anyone can find him charming is beyond me Reply Thread Link Fuck him. But I'm not surprised. This is the same industry that still fucks with Polansky and Allen. Reply Thread Link AND gave Kazan an honorary Oscar + standing ovation Of course Meryl Streep was on her feet clapping Reply Parent Thread Link As she was when Polanski won. Reply Parent Thread Link IDK anything about him. Is he problematic? Reply Parent Thread Link I'm grateful to ONTD for always remembering this smarmy asshole is a child abuser. Hope Angelina and the kids are staying strong through his promo tour. Reply Thread Link honestly ONTD is the only safe place on the internet for me sometimes. Its the only place that most people get it so to speak. Reply Parent Thread Link This is so fucking tacky. I can't imagine how his kids feel seeing him pull this shit. Reply Thread Link Trash. He lived in her shadow for 12 years. She was and still is the only interesting thing about him. Reply Thread Link Facts Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed and it's so weird how he got uglier with time and she's aging like fine wine. I think he resented her for being *~ cool ~*. I dunno why but earlier I was like "She seems like a really good Mom" like those kids are her life and he fucked up hitting one. Reply Parent Thread Link I think he resents her for leaving him because it was a blow to his overgrown ego Reply Parent Thread Link He seems like the kind of dude who would get jealous that he wife pays more attention to the children than to him. Reply Parent Thread Link This! The only time that I thought Brad was interesting. Reply Parent Thread Link Yep. He's been running a carefully plotted campaign this whole season. Reply Thread Link which is hilarious after he said he WOULDN'T be campaigning. I see you Brad. Reply Parent Thread Link Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who paid the 17-year-old who shot at a student protesting the citizenship act in the presence of the police outside Jamia Millia Islamia university in south Delhi on Thursday. The boy, dressed in a black jacket, had brandished a country-made gun at an anti-CAA protest near Jamia Millia Islamia and then shot at the protesters injuring one in the presence of scores of security personnel. Who paid the Jamia shooter? Gandhi asked while speaking to reporters outside Parliament ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament. A 22-year-old first-year MA student at the Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) suffered a bullet injury in his left arm during the protest, a call for which was given to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Witnesses said he had shouted aao aaj azaadi dilata hoon (come, I will give you freedom) and raised religious slogans before pulling the trigger. The Class 12 student at a private school in Jewar in Gautam Buddha Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh had put out several posts on Facebook. The attacker was overpowered by protesters and subsequently arrested by the police. The member of Parliament from Keralas Wayanad had posted a tweet on Thursday quoting Mahatma Gandhi on the anniversary of his assassination. I cannot teach you violence, as I do not believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone, even at the cost of your life, Gandhi had tweeted. Congress leader P Chidambaram has also questioned the extension of Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik on the day of the Jamia shooting. The Police Commissioner of Delhi gets an extension on the day there is a shooting in the presence of a substantial police force.. incomprehensible and reprehensible. One has got an extension, but who has been suspended for the deplorable shooting yesterday? the former finance minister also tweeted. The firing triggered a political row with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress and the Left parties training guns at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging the law and order situation in Delhi had collapsed under the party. Opposition parties and many Jamia students linked the shooting to provocative statements made by leaders of the BJP in the run-up to the Delhi assembly elections on February 8. On the sun-drenched eastern coast of Spain, British retirees, workers and small business owners are bracing for an uncertain future after Britain leaves the European Union on Friday. "It is worrying what happens now," said Karen Watling, 73, who moved to the Orihuela Costa in Alicante province with her husband after she retired from her teaching job 17 years ago. Like many other British retirees in the region, dubbed "Little Britain" because of its huge British population, she is relieved that those already living legally in Spain have been guaranteed access to the public healthcare system and the right to stay after Brexit. But she worries Brexit will hurt the British economy and further erode the value of the pound, which has slumped since the June 2016 vote to leave the European Union, cutting her pension once it is converted to euros. "We have really lost a fair bit of money over the past three years and that could get better, that could get worse. We really don't know," said Watling, adding that many Brits in the area were already eating out less because of the weaker pound. She and her husband are also concerned about declining property values in the region, in part due to lower demand from British buyers. The couple sold their home in central England to buy a three-bedroom house with a swimming pool in Orihuela Costa and now "have nowhere to go back to" if life becomes unviable in Spain. "If we sold here we would probably not get anywhere near what we paid for this house," Watling said, echoing the concern of other British retirees interviewed by AFP. By the end of 2019, Spain was home to 378,139 Britons, interior ministry figures show -- more than any other EU country. Many are pensioners, drawn by Spain's warmer climate and much cheaper cost of living. Tens of thousands more British retirees spend part of the year in Spain. Orihuela Costa, a sprawl of dozens of large housing estates with low-rise pastel-coloured buildings 110 kilometres (70 miles) down the Costa Blanca from the resort of Benidorm, is one of the largest British enclaves in Spain. Britons account for 8,000 of a population of some 28,000, according to municipal statistics. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday condoled the death of people who lost their lives due to the novel coronavirus in China and elsewhere. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency after the death toll in China increased to 213 on Friday, with 9,692 confirmed in the country's 31 provincial-level regions. He also prayed for those who have been quarantined and hoped they get courage to go through the ordeal. In India one case of the SARS-like virus has been confirmed in Kerala. "In China, the Coronavirus has killed hundreds of people. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and the millions who have been forced into quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus. May they find the courage and strength to persevere through this terrible ordeal," Rahul Gandhi tweeted. The Novella Coronavirus 2019 (nCoV-2019) is a new strain of virus that spread from Wuhan province of China and brought the city to a lockdown. The Indian government is also on high alert and is taking all preventive measures in order to stop the virus from spreading in the country. Many people from India travel to China on a daily basis. The Union Health Ministry has also deployed health teams in districts bordering Nepal and Bangladesh in the wake of confirmed case of Wuhan Virus in neighbouring Nepal. India stands at 23rd position amongst the top 30 countries at high risk from the spread of the nCoV researchers have identified. Our goal is to meet and exceed data-intensive needs with innovations that allow our clients to develop outstanding solutions and outpace competitors. Koi Computers today announced its launch of accelerated HPC clusters and workstations that contain the NVIDIA V100S card. Koi Computers Federal Business Development Manager Ms. Catherine Ho said, We value our strong relationship with NVIDIA and their drive to excel is one reason why. Our goal is to meet and exceed data-intensive needs with innovations that allow our clients to develop outstanding solutions and outpace competitors. Headquartered in Greater Chicago since 1995, Koi Computers has been working with top technology manufacturers, such as NVIDIA, to deliver scalable high-performance computing and technology solutions that improve efficiency, reliability and speed. Koi Computers world-class engineering team specializes in building custom IT solutions that accommodate todays needs and tomorrows vision with services that include performance benchmarking and outstanding support. Koi Computers has a strong track record of developing, building and deploying HPC technology for the U.S. Federal Government with satisfactory ratings in CPARS and Past Performance. The company is a Prime Contract Holder of the GSA IT Schedule 70, NASA SEWP V, and NITAAC CIO-CS contracts. NVIDIAs Volta architecture Tensor Core GPUs are the worlds most powerful accelerators for deep learning, machine learning, high-performance computing, and graphics. A single V100 or V100S Tensor Core GPU offers the performance of nearly 32 CPUsenabling researchers to tackle challenges that were once unsolvable. NVIDIA V100 delivered leadership performance on MLPerf, the first industry-wide AI benchmark, validating itself as the worlds most powerful, scalable and versatile computing platform. NVIDIA also supports an end-to-end software platform for the V100S with out-of-the box deployment for a variety of workloads from deep learning to data science. Koi Computers is currently taking orders for clusters and workstations integrated with NVIDIA V100S GPUs. To learn more, call: 888-LOVE-KOI (888-568-3564); email: sales@koicomputers.com or visit: https://koicomputers.com/nvidia-v100s. A 14-year-old boy is behind bars after police say he fatally shot his cousin Wednesday afternoon in a Southeast Albuquerque alleyway. Detectives say the gun used in the killing had been stolen from a friend of the suspects father. Jevyn Steadman is charged with an open count of murder in the death of 29-year-old Lawrence Howard. Steadman turned himself in Thursday afternoon but refused to speak with detectives. Due to his age, Steadman cannot be charged as an adult. According to a criminal complaint filed in Childrens Court, officers responded to a call about the shooting around 3:30 p.m. in the 900 block of San Pedro SE, near Kathryn. Arriving officers found two women trying to resuscitate Howard in an adjacent alley. He had been shot in the back of the head and died in a hospital, according to police. Howards mother, Cathy, was at the scene and said her nephew, Steadman, was the shooter. The mother told police she was at her brothers house with her son and another woman when Steadman showed up with some friends. She said Steadman pulled a white handgun from a backpack and began showing it off. Cathy Howard told police she yelled at her brother to take the gun away from Steadman because hes only 14 and shouldnt have one. The mother said she left to pick up her dog and returned to find her son bleeding from the head in the alley. Another woman at the home told police Steadman was arguing with his father over nothing when Lawrence Howard tried to calm the situation, asking the teen to step outside. The woman said she heard a gunshot shortly afterward and went outside to find Steadman holding the gun. Police say Steadman told the woman, Im sorry I didnt mean it, before taking her cellphone and running off. The woman said Steadman does whatever he wants and had stolen the handgun from a friend of his fathers. Detectives found Steadmans Facebook profile, with pictures of him flashing cash and the white handgun that matched the description given in a police report for the stolen gun. An unknown assailant has set fire to a car belonging to RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk on a street in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. According to witnesses, a masked individual approached the car, placed something on the windshield of the vehicle, set fire to it, and then fled. Local police have begun an investigation. Melissa Phillip, Staff / Houston Chronicle A lawsuit between rival liquefied natural gas companies Cheniere Energy and Tellurian has been dismissed just days before jury selection was set to begin. State district court Judge Fredericka Phillips in Houston signed an order Thursday dismissing Cheniere's claims against its former CEO Charif Souki and Souki's new company Tellurian. The suit and a related $400 million claim were dismissed based on an "agreement of parties," according to court records. ARLINGTON, Va., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a historic first amicus curiae brief ("friend of the court brief") ever filed with the Impeachment Court, Professor Victor Williams successfully set the Senate record straight: "The House action against Trump was illegal attainder not valid impeachment." Victor Williams is a insurgent 2020 GOP candidate for US Senate for Virginia Victor Williams is 2016 Founder and Chair of Law Professors for Trump www.goplawyers.com "An immediate Trump acquittal, without calling witnesses, is a formal and final nullification of the 116th House's attempted illegal attainder," said Williams in a statement released today. Trump was never impeached. Williams' amicus curiae brief, filed in full support of Donald Trump's own trial brief, detailed how House Democrats conspired with deep-state bureaucrats and establishment "resistors" in an attempted attainder against Trump. (The media and others wishing to receive an original copy of the brief may email Williams directly: [email protected]) The brief was formally lodged with the Chief Justice as Presiding Officer at both the SCOTUS Clerk's Office at the Supreme Court and at the Office of the Secretary of the Senate. In a belt-and-suspenders "skeptical" procedure for the first-ever argument, Williams also had electronic and even print copies of the brief delivered directly to U.S. Senate offices. Williams explained that his skepticism of the neutrality of the Chief Justice was sadly proven correct when John Roberts' refused to read Senator Rand Paul's question regarding the collusion of Adam Shift's Intelligence Committee staff with deep-state treacherous operatives. "So much for Chief Justice John Roberts acting as a 'neutral umpire' when deep state actors and media elites enter the high-stakes game," said Williams today. Williams is Chair of "Law Professors for Trump" (goplawyers.com) and is also a 2020 candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia against anti-Trump incumbent Mark Warner. ("Victor Williams 4 Virginia vw4v.com). The brief began (excepts with footnotes omitted): This amicus curiae brief argues alternatively that the House action against Trump should be analyzed by this Court as an unconstitutional attainder meant to taint and stain Trump. Amicus relies heavily on Professor Charles Black's Impeachment: A Handbook to draw the Court's attention to how the Constitution's attainder ban restricts impeachment processes and further circumscribes its "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" impeachment standard. This brief explains that our Constitution's Framers explicitly rejected the abusive English legislative practice of using of attainders for the removal of public officers. This brief presents the establishment of our uniquely American attainder ban as one of Alexander Hamilton's great causes. Amicus summarizes Supreme Court attainder jurisprudence on the protection of public officials from legislative removal and separation of powers norms. Without such a prophylactic treatment of the House impeachment articles formally reflected in this Court's record and certain acquittal verdict, amicus respectfully counsels that Senators may wish to adjust their 2020 schedules for an additional impeachment trial. House lawyers confirmed plans for additional House impeachment hearings that are to likely lead to a second House impeachment of Trump during recent arguments before different panels of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The brief concluded: The constitutional proscription against legislative punishment is a solid shield of individual liberty for all Americans including those individuals whose ideology is the subject of intense, passionate hatred. In the context of this House action an attainder wrapped in impeachment cloth -- only the Senate transmuted into our nation's High Court of Impeachment has authority and opportunity to take up Colonel Alexander Hamilton's cause to insure that defamatory legislative attainders will never be allowed in America. While campaigning since July 4, 2019, Senate candidate Williams has frequently condemned Mark Warner and other congressional Democrats' abuse of Trump. (Media wanting a copy of the brief may email Williams at 571-309-8249 or [email protected]) SOURCE Professor Victor Williams President Donald Trump seems headed for acquittal in his impeachment trial after Sen. Lamar Alexanders decision to stick with fellow Republicans and oppose Democratic efforts to call more witnesses and keep the Senate trial going for weeks or even months. A vote on witnesses, expected Friday, could lead to an abrupt end and assured acquittal in only the third presidential impeachment trial in American history. Trump has been pressing for action in time for his State of the Union address next Tuesday, and that now seems likely. Despite the Democrats singular, sometimes-passionate focus on calling witnesses after revelations from John Bolton, the former national security adviser, the numbers are now falling short. It would take four Republicans to break with the 53-seat majority and join with all Democrats to demand more testimony. Chief Justice John Roberts, in the rare role presiding over the impeachment trial, could break a tie, but that seems unlikely. Alexander said in a statement late Thursday there was no need for more evidence, giving the Trump team the likelihood of a Senate vote in its direction. Not that he accepted Trumps repeated claim of perfect dealings with Ukraine. II concluded, after nine long days and hearing 200 video clips of witnesses ... I didnt need any more evidence because I thought it was proved that the president did what he was charged with doing, Alexander told reporters Friday. But that didnt rise to the level of an impeachable offense, so I didnt I didnt need any more evidence to make my decision. Asked whether Trump deserved reelection in the wake of such wrongdoing, Alexander said, Everyone will have to make that decision for themselves. Trump was impeached by the House last month on charges that he abused his power like no other president, jeopardizing Ukraine and U.S.-Ukraine relations. Democrats say Trump asked the vulnerable ally to investigate Joe Biden and debunked theories of 2016 election interference, withholding American security aid to the country as it battled Russia at its border. The second article of impeachment says Trump then obstructed the House probe in a way that threatened the nations three-branch system of checks and balances. Before Alexanders statement, Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said late Thursday she would vote to allow witnesses in the impeachment trial, briefly raising Democrats hopes for a breakthrough. But Alexander weighed in minutes later. Collins, Alexander and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska played an outsize role in the final hours of debate with pointed questions. Another Republican senator, Mitt Romney of Utah, has made clear he will vote for witnesses. Murkowski was expected to announce her decision on Friday, ahead of voting. Democrats built pressure on senators for testimony, but Trumps lawyers argued it would take too long as they sped forward, even after Boltons potential eyewitness account to Trumps actions detailed in a forthcoming book brought uncertainty. Boltons forthcoming book contends he personally heard Trump say he wanted military aid withheld from Ukraine until it agreed to investigate the Bidens. Trump denies saying such a thing. Thursdays testimony included soaring pleas to the senators-as-jurors who will decide Trumps fate, to either stop a president who Democrats say has tried to cheat in the upcoming election and will again, or to shut down impeachment proceedings that Republicans insist were never more than a partisan attack. Lets give the country a trial they can be proud of, said Rep. Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor for House Democrats. He offered to take just one week for depositions of new witnesses, sparking new discussions. Trump attorney Eric Herschmann declared the Democrats are only prosecuting the president because they cant beat him in 2020. We trust the American people to decide who should be our president, Herschmann said. Enough is Enough. Stop all of this. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was toiling to keep Fridays vote on schedule even as the trial was unearthing fresh evidence from Boltons new book and raising alarms among Democrats and some Republicans about a Trump attorneys controversial defense. In a day-after tweet, Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz, complained about the portrayal of his Wednesday night testimony when he said a president is essentially immune from impeachment if he believes his actions to be in the national interest. That idea frustrated some inside the White House, who felt Dershowitzs claim was unnecessary and inflammatory irking senators with a controversial claim of vast executive powers. But those officials left it to Dershowitz to back away, wary that any public White House retreat would be viewed poorly by the president. I said nothing like that, the retired professor tweeted Thursday. His words Wednesday night: Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest. And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected is in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Asked about it in the trial Thursday, Democrat Schiff, said, Have we learned nothing in the last half century? Schiff drew on the lessons of the Nixon era to warn of a normalization of lawlessness in the Trump presidency. The focus was more narrow as debate closed Thursday night: What would Collins, Alexander and Murkowski do? Murkowski drew a reaction when she asked simply: Why should this body not call Ambassador Bolton? Alexander, whose career was influenced by the late Howard Baker who broke with his party over Richard Nixon also captured attention when he questioned partisanship in the proceedings thus far. In response to Alexander and others, Democrat Rep. Zoe Lofgren of California, a congressional staffer during Watergate and now a House prosecutor, told the senators that the Nixon impeachment also started as a partisan inquiry before a bipartisan consensus emerged. She told them while the House acted on party lines against Trump, the Senate the greatest deliberative body on the planet has a new opportunity. Senators dispatched more than 100 queries over two days. The questions came from the parties leaders, the senators running for the Democratic nomination against Trump and even bipartisan coalitions from both sides of the aisle. Trumps lawyers focused some of their time Thursday refloating allegations against Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, who served on the board of a gas company in Ukraine while his father was vice president. Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., one of the managers, said the Bidens have little to tell the Senate about Trumps efforts to shake down Ukraine for his campaign. The White House has blocked its officials from testifying in the proceedings and objected that there is significant amounts of classified information in the manuscript. Bolton resigned last September Trump says he was fired and he and his attorney have insisted the book does not contain any classified information. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, on Friday, explained how he was able to retire his political mentor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from active politics especially after a recent Supreme Court judgement that affirmed his mandate. He said his victory coupled with that of the APC in just concluded parliamentary re-run elections in the state, is a clear indication that the former governor had been retired from politics. Mr Ganduje said this at the council chamber, Government House, when the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Abdulaziz Garba-Gafasa, with other principal officers of the house, state APC chairman and other party leaders paid him a visit and also to present the four newly elected state legislators. Some years back when he (Kwankwaso) was warming up to contest for the presidential seat, he boasted that he would retire President Muhammadu Buhari from politics saying also that he would retire me from politics. But if you look at it now, who then is forced to retire? Mr Ganduje said. The new legislators are from Madobi, Bunkure, Minjibir and Rogo constituencies. Mr Ganduje commended the new members for being part of the pillars that pushed Kwankwaso aside politically. He also listed some factors that caused Kwankwasos retirement from politics. The member of the state assembly from Madobi, member, House of Representatives is from there, chairman of the local government, councillors, senator from where Madobi falls, state governor and the president are all (from) APC. So is somebody waiting for him to know that we (have) retired him (Kwankwaso) from politics? he rhetorically asked. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso PREMIUM TIMES could not get a reaction from Mr Kwankwaso, who has been off the public glare for a while. His known spokesperson recently decamped to the ruling APC. Meanwhile, Mr Ganduje called on the elected members to always respect party leadership and be loyal. Mr Ganduje, however, congratulated Mr Kwankwasos father, Musa Kwankwaso for being elevated from Majidadin Karaye to the position of Makaman Karaye, a kingmaker in the Emirate. He deserved the position very well. Our respectful father and an elder statesman. I am congratulating him on behalf of the government and people of Kano state, he said. We pray that Allah gives him all the assistance to allow him discharge his assigned responsibilities very well. On why the APC failed to secure the seat of the House of Representatives member representing Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency, Mr Ganduje said, we couldnt get that seat as a result of the crisis that rocked the party at the constituency. The APC candidate was in conflict with the leadership of the party in the state, in the local government, with the local government administration and even with the electorate. That caused us to lose the seat, as a party. Meanwhile, in his remarks, the Speaker assured the governor that, the house would support him to deliver his mandate. We are comfortable, enough members to back and support any government policies for the overall development of the state, he said. Mr Garba-Gafasa said more members are coming to join the ruling APC in the House. They believe in how this administration is fast developing the state. With this, I can say, our governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is doing very well for the overall development of the state. The microbe with the abbreviation 2019-nCoV has dominated world headlines for the past week. Horror-struck, we have watched the virus cross continents and lock down Chinese cities, with biohazard suit-clad scientists taking up our TV screens. Yet science is already working towards a solution, and no doubt modern medicine we will handle this deadly infection, just as it did the Sars epidemic of 2002. Already 132 people have lost their lives; this is a tragedy, but an existential threat to humanity this is not. The Huanan market in Wuhan, where the coronavirus is believed to have emerged, is a remarkable place. And it is not remarkable for seafood, as indicated on its official sign. Rather, it is known for selling a menagerie of wild animals for consumption. A price list has been seen online, offering such delicacies as bats, foxes, crocodiles, giant salamanders, snakes and porcupines. You could even buy a peacock for your supper. Though unverified, it does not seem implausible. Freshly slaughtered, frozen, and delivered to your door. Wild Game Animal Husbandry for the Masses! The coronavirus strand, 2019-nCoV, has been linked to both bats and snakes by researchers. These are the same animals that were kept in Wuhan in the unsanitary conditions typical of a live animal market. It is worth noting that the previous Sars epidemic was also associated with the consumption of a wild animal in China: the civet. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under 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hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing 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attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty The outbreak provides a good reason to reflect more broadly upon our medieval attitudes to nature. Supply creates its own demand is the basic principle of a market economy. Unfortunately, the demand of a small section of the population for exotic dishes and souvenirs from wild animals is a shot in the arm for poachers around the world. They kill elephants and rhinos in Africa, tigers and bears in the Far East for tusks, bones, paws, claws and skins, from which in the Celestial Empire produces bijouterie and amulets used in traditional medicine. This has nothing to do with the substantial treatment of disease. As a result, whole species are on the brink of extinction. In reality, a rhino horn is merely a nail. Misguided beliefs turn it into a valuable pseudo-aphrodisiac, leading to cruelty and poaching. Humanitys relationship with wildlife is by no means a Chinese problem alone. Just look at the indulgent indifference of American society to keeping wild animals in zoos (visited by around 175 million Americans annually; half the population), its elites big game hunting culture or its scepticism about global warming. These are not rational matters. Julian Huxley, founder of Unesco and founding member of the World Wildlife Fund, wrote in his Essays of a Humanist: This earth is one of the rare spots in the cosmos where the mind has flowered. Man is the product of nearly three billion years of evolution, in whose person the evolutionary process has at last become conscious of itself and its possibilities. Whether he likes it or not, he is responsible for the whole further evolution of our planet. Recommended London is our best chance of staying connected to the EU after Brexit Humans must leave endangered wildlife in peace, ending the butchery of rare mammals for the sake of souvenirs and delicacies, and take measures to preserve populations. We must also work to end the keeping of fauna in captivity. Our barbarism towards nature does not begin with a poacher lurking in the bushes but with a snake in a food market, ogled by passing children, or a tiger stuck in a cage at the zoo, at which they point and laugh. These same children grow up to see no problem with the cruelty of man to nature. They become the developers who threaten natural habitats, or the consumers who indulge in rare meats. Our abuse of the natural world has consequences. It is chilling to trace a line between human activity and the natural disasters that have become all too familiar; mass extinctions; scorching wildfires; ecosystem collapse and possibly in the case of coronavirus deadly epidemics. Alexander Lebedevs family co-own The Independent and Evening Standard titles The Democratic National Committee announced significant changes to the qualifying requirements for the party's February 19 debate in Las Vegas. Gone is the fundraising requirement, which opens the door to participation by Mike Bloomberg. The former NYC mayor is self-funding his campaign, and is not accepting contributions from individual donors. There are three different ways to qualify for the Nevada debate, which comes three days before that state's caucuses: A minimum of 10% support in four national or remaining early state polls from accredited pollsters. Early state polls include those from Nevada and South Carolina (Feb. 29 primary). A minimum of 12% support from some combination of two Nevada or South Carolina polls. Earn at least one pledged delegate in Iowa (Feb. 3 caucus) or New Hampshire (Feb. 11 primary). To qualify, polls must be from DNC-accredited pollsters and released between January 15 and February 18. The only candidates that have qualified thus far are Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Bloomberg is not participating in contests prior to Super Tuesday (March 3). His avenue to the stage in Nevada is predicated on meeting the 10%/4 poll criteria. He has one such poll thus far. The next debate will take place February 7 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Seven candidates have qualified for that. That debate will be broadcast on ABC, in partnership with its local affiliate WMUR-TV and Apple News. Apple has been vehemently speaking against EU lawmakers attempt to standardize charging cable standards. The company said the EUs single charging solution proposal would create unprecedented Plastic Waste which is exactly the opposite of what EU claims. EU lawmakers have now voted in favor of the law which mandates all mobile device makers to offer a common charger. Members of the EU parliament have voted by 582-40 for the resolution. Once this comes into effect, users would no longer need to buy a new charger with a new device. Furthermore, the commission is expected to adopt the new laws by July. In its defense, Apple claimed to have worked towards standardizing charging solutions with six other companies. In 2009 they have agreed on using Type-C USB standard via a connector or a cable assembly. However, the EU argued that voluntary agreements had reduced the number of chargers in the industry but still failed when it comes to establishing one common standard. The resolution proposed charging ports like micro-USB, USB-C and even Apples Lightning connector. In all likelihood, the EU might end up choosing USB-C since it is one of the most widely used charging connectors across smartphones and even laptops. EU has been pushing for a common charger for nearly a decade and now it seems the time has finally come. Our Take Apple claims that the legislation would have a negative impact and increase the volume of electronic waste and also cause inconvenience to users. Furthermore, the company says that millions of active devices and accessories used by European customers will add to electronic waste once the common charger is mandated. It is worth noting that Apple will lose when it comes to licensing fees which is paid by accessory manufacturers using a lightning connector. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Apple doesnt want to switch to a common charging standard just yet. What do you think of the law? Does a common charger for all devices make sense? Share your thoughts in the comments below. [via Reuters Opalesque Industry Update - Riverwood Capital, a private equity firm that invests in high-growth, middle-market companies in the technology, technology-enabled, and other related industries, announced today the promotions of Harish Belur, Joaquim Lima, and Scott Ransenberg to Partner. "During the past decade, Harish, Joaquim, and Scott have significantly contributed to building the Riverwood platform, not only as great technology investors but also as experienced operators who have helped our portfolio companies scale their operations," said Francisco Alvarez-Demalde, Co-Founding Partner and Managing Partner at Riverwood Capital. "These promotions are not only a recognition of their hard work, but also reflect their leadership and ability to continue expanding our franchise. Harish, Joaquim and Scott have each embraced and enhanced Riverwood's collaborative culture in our journey to help scale proven mid-size technology companies as they evolve into larger enterprises," said Jeff Parks, Co-Founding Partner and Managing Partner at Riverwood Capital. Harish joined Riverwood in 2011 after having worked at Cisco Systems where he led engineering architecture and product management for several multibillion-dollar products. Harish earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BTech in EE from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. Harish has enhanced Riverwood's technology assessment capabilities and developed a unique career in enterprise technology investing, becoming a trusted business partner to several successful companies globally. He currently serves on the boards of Druva and Forecast5 Analytics. Joaquim Lima joined Riverwood in 2011, after having worked as an Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation, based in Washington, D.C. and Sao Paulo, Brazil. While at the IFC, Joaquim focused on growth-equity investments in technology, media, and telecom, primarily in the Latin American region. Previously, Joaquim held positions in corporate development, M&A, and investor relations at Brasil Telecom. Joaquim earned an MS in Finance from the Cass Business School at City University London and a BS in Business Administration from the Federal University of Pernambuco. He has been an important contributor to building Riverwood's successful Latin America franchise, while playing an active role in driving growth and executing the Riverwood Scalability Playbook ("RSP"). He currently serves on the boards of Conductor, Mandic, Pixeon, and RD. Scott Ransenberg joined Riverwood in 2008 as the very first investment team member, after having worked at the Credit Suisse Technology Group based in San Francisco. While at Credit Suisse, Scott worked on a number of financings and M&A assignments for public and private technology companies. Scott earned a BS in Mathematical and Computational Sciences from Stanford University, where he was also a captain of the men's varsity swim team. Scott has been a key contributor to building the Firm since inception, including all aspects of our investment process, recruiting and mentorship, expanding our ecosystem, as well as our model for value creation across the portfolio. Scott is a director of Forecast5 Analytics, MotionPoint, and Navent, and a board observer at Vacasa. North Charleston Police Chief Reggie Burgess withdrew his name for consideration to be the next director of the S.C. Department of Public Safety, citing unforeseen strain on his family. In a letter to Gov. Henry McMaster on Wednesday, Burgess said he was humbled and honored to have been selected as the nominee but that the nomination and confirmation process took an emotional toll on his family. "They have always wholeheartedly and unconditionally supported my career in law enforcement, and I believe that in this case, I must fully support them and place them first," the chief said. "I respectfully request that my nomination be withdrawn." Burgess and his wife, Tracy, sat down Thursday night with The Post and Courier to speak further about their decision. The chief said that when he got the call from McMaster about being nominated, he was happy and that his family was there with him in his happiness. "We were all in to work with the governor and the state," Burgess said. When questions emerged over five years of unpaid income taxes between 2007 and 2012 and a failure to report 2011 and 2012 on his application, the chief said he felt like he promptly addressed those concerns in an honest, forthcoming way. The debt he had was paid in full in 2018, he said, adding he provided paperwork showing all five years of liens to lawmakers. Neglecting to report two years on his application was a simple mistake. Burgess and his wife said on Thursday that they hoped to be able to move on to the main purpose of the hearing: the plan to restore morale at DPS as a whole, and in the Highway Patrol in particular. "What we experienced there, it was just really, really stressful to my family," the chief said. Tracy Burgess said she is forever grateful to McMaster for believing in her husband and having the confidence in him to lead a major state agency. "Reggie is a 30-year veteran of law enforcement with extensive police executive training," she said. "He has always been committed to serving the people, all people. He does not see color. He is fair. Hes a team player and he believes in getting the job done, (as evidenced) by the support of the men and women in blue and the citizens of the communities in which he serves." The confirmation process brought a moment of realization for the couple. "He has some (tax) issues that were resolved; however, it seemed nearly impossible for him to get past that to address the real purpose of him being there, which was to lay out how he would improve the department of public safety and restore morale throughout the department," she said. At least one lawmaker expressed concern over what she described as disturbing, racist harassment experienced by Burgess and his family. S.C. Sen. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Colleton, called Burgess' withdrawal a loss for the state and said that the chief was the exact kind of leader needed in DPS right now. The senator, who is black, also said that questions over his old tax debts gave bad actors something to latch onto. "Before he even came up to the Statehouse, we had some of the nastiest of politics come out in the form of old, old racism," Matthews said. "I never received a letter, but we were informed that some of the white senators were sent letters from a so-called anonymous source that couldnt even spell African American, talking about the fact that we did not need another black director of DPS. Shame on South Carolina." The senator said she has seen nominees approved many times with far worse issues than a few years of tax debts, and that in those cases the issues were swept under the rug because they had powerful friends in the Senate. "It has come from within the old guard of the Highway Patrol," Matthews said. "They have sought to undermine this man. They sought to undermine him because he is an African American who is respected." On Thursday, the senator said she reached out to Burgess and encouraged him to reconsider his decision. "I would encourage all of Charleston to (support) him and let him know were going to stand with him," Matthews said. "Otherwise its South Carolinas loss. You know Reggies character because he is going to sacrifice his position because he doesnt want his mother to be harassed and his family to be dragged through the mud. Here, we need to make sure we dont let these other forces win." North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said Burgess continues to have his full support and that he will remain the city's police chief. "I think his decision and the treatment he received is the states loss," Summey said on Thursday. "He moved out of the realm of being in law enforcement to being in politics, and politics is nasty." Burgess is not just a good police chief, but a good person, the mayor said. "Its unfortunate that this is the type of process that people will go though not to look at the good of people but ways to discredit (them)," Summey said. "My family faces it every day. I just think that this was the new part of that job that Reggie is not accustomed to. He doesnt want to put (his family) through it. I dont blame him. In fact, I admire him for making this decision. He has been my chief for the last two years and he will continue to be my chief." Deciding to ask McMaster to withdraw his nomination wasn't easy. Burgess called the move bittersweet. The chief said he went to Columbia prepared to address the senator's concerns and, most importantly, with plans to turn DPS around by instituting progressive disciplinary practices meant to build troopers up rather than tear them down, address low pay and other issues. Burgess said as the confirmation process became more heated, he felt confident that he could weather it, but that he began to worry about the impact on his wife, children and his mother. "It was really, really eating at them," he said. "My family's been really tested. I want to do this. I want to be on the governor's team ... but I've gotta think about my family. Family comes first." The governor, in a statement, called Burgess a great man who has dedicated his life to serving the public, adding the chief would have been a transformational leader at DPS. "That he is prioritizing his family over his nomination to lead the agency says all anyone needs to know about Chief Burgess, and I find great comfort in knowing that hes not going far and will continue to serve our people through his leadership at the North Charleston Police Department," McMaster said. McMaster nominated Burgess in November to be the next DPS director, overseeing the state Highway Patrol as well as several smaller divisions, managing more than 1,200 employees in all. Initially greeted with praise, Burgess nomination was hindered at his first confirmation hearing, which started with a nearly hourlong closed-door meeting. When the doors opened, senators asked Burgess about the debt. After assuring the senators it had been paid in full, he was directed to amend his application before the next hearing. For a few days, it appeared that the controversy was unlikely to derail his bid to lead DPS, which has been embroiled in more than a decade of turmoil stemming from poor morale and other issues at the Highway Patrol. In 2017, tensions surrounding the agency came to a head when the S.C. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to fire DPS Director Leroy Smith by eliminating his position and salary from the budget. Senators restored the job and pay before the budget was finalized. But the House had made its point. Burgess nomination was announced a day after Smith said he would not be reappointed to a third term as DPS director. Thursday also saw Republican state Rep. Bobby Cox withdrew his name from leading the states new Department of Veterans Affairs after discovery of a law that says a legislator cannot run a state agency created while he is in office. "Since my early days here in Seattle, I have learned of the high esteem in which Archbishop Brunett is held," said Archbishop of Seattle Paul D. Etienne. "I always enjoyed my visits with the archbishop, and found him to be joyful, grateful, and always ready to pray and give his blessing. These are true hallmarks of any disciple of the Lord, and we are grateful for his presence and service in the Archdiocese of Seattle." The second of 14 children, Archbishop Brunett was born January 17, 1934, and grew up in Detroit. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 13, 1958, for the Archdiocese of Detroit, where he served as a parish priest, pastor, university chaplain and seminary dean. In 1973, he was named the ecumenical officer for the Archdiocese of Detroit and he was instrumental in launching a national Catholic-Jewish dialogue, receiving numerous awards and commendations for his pioneering interfaith efforts. One of his hallmark achievements in ecumenism came as co-chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission in 2004 with publication of "The Seattle Statement," the first joint international statement of understanding by two Christian communions on the place of Mary in the doctrine and life of the church. He was appointed bishop of Helena, Montana, by Pope John Paul II in 1994. He was appointed archbishop of Seattle on October 28, 1997 and installed December 18, 1997. The eighth bishop and fourth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, Archbishop Brunett faced severe economic recessions and dramatic increases in health care, priest pension and other employee costs, as well as the unfolding sex abuse crisis, during his 13-year tenure. He undertook numerous initiatives and building projects to nurture the faith life of Catholic people in Western Washington while implementing policies and procedures for child protection and outreach to past victims of abuse. Confronting these challenges with characteristic energy and optimism, Brunett selected "A Future Full of Hope" as the title for his five-year pastoral plan launched in 2004. Under his leadership, annual contributions by local Catholics to the archdiocese nearly doubled. Building on more than 20 years of leadership by his predecessors, he expanded the local church's response to the sexual abuse crisis while meeting personally with many sexual abuse victims to apologize and extend his pastoral support. Among his major accomplishments were the establishment of a new program of deacon formation in 1997 and the $7-million purchase, renovation and expansion of the Palisades Retreat Center in Federal Way, which was renamed the Archbishop Brunett Retreat and Faith Formation Center in 2011. Archbishop Brunett also asserted leadership on behalf of Catholic education, establishing the Fulcrum Foundation, a local endowment to support Catholic schools and students in need, in 2002. Upon turning 75 in 2009, Archbishop Brunett submitted his letter of retirement to Pope Benedict XVI in accordance with canon law. He was succeeded as archbishop of Seattle by Archbishop J. Peter Sartain, who was installed on December 1, 2010. In 2012, Pope Benedict XVI called Archbishop Brunett out of retirement to serve as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Oakland, California. After returning to Seattle, he suffered a stroke in 2013 that severely restricted his mobility. Despite his impairment, the emeritus archbishop was a fixture at major events around the archdiocese until he suffered a fall on April 26, 2019. Funeral arrangements are currently underway. About the Archdiocese of Seattle The Archdiocese of Seattle encompasses all of Western Washington, stretching from Canada to Oregon and from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. There are 169 parishes, missions and pastoral centers in the archdiocese, with more than 500 weekly Masses celebrated in eight languages. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne leads the archdiocese with his two auxiliary bishops, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg. For more information about the Archdiocese of Seattle, visit seattlearchdiocese.org. Media Contact: Helen McClenahan [email protected] Media line: 206-402-9373 SOURCE Archdiocese of Seattle Related Links http://www.seattlearchdiocese.org This reporter attended his first bitcoin meetup in sunny Scotland on Thursday. It took place in the Bayes Centre Edinburgh Universitys snazzy artificial intelligence and data science hub. It also happens to be the spot where IOHK, the creators of the Cardano cryptocurrency, helped establish a Blockchain Technology Laboratory. The topic of the meetup, Bitcoin, Wealth and Wisdom, afforded a forensic examination of the largest cryptocurrencys rollercoaster cycle of price bubbles and corrections with plenty of examples of the emotional trauma that accompanied the ride. Related: CoinDesks On Tap Meetup With CoinDesk Japan Is Happening Tonight in Tokyo But what appeared, prima facie, to be nothing more than a roomful of rabid maximalists, on closer inspection turned out to be a bunch of canny investors. Its not so much that bitcoin is great, its that fiat is so bad, said an asset manager who asked to be identified only as David. Going back to the gold standard would be the only thing that would really hurt bitcoin. A recurring theme among veterans and newbies alike was buying in after the 2017 price bubble, when bitcoin dropped back down to around $3,500 during the 2018 doldrums. Kind of fitting to encounter prudent financial behavior, this being Scotland. And of course, not forgetting that Thomas Bayes, the logician and theologian who studied at Edinburgh in 1719, is generally associated with advanced theories around machine learning and probability. Related: Satoshi Square: How Bitcoin Took Over a Park (And Then the World) CoinDesk spoke with a number of investors at the meetup to hear what drew them to bitcoin in the first place. Kenny Huschmann, retired I read the bitcoin white paper and was like, Yeah, this is massive. Not long after that, all this hype was starting because of the big price increase. I have to say, the price increase made me hesitant. Ive been through the dot-com boom, and it was kind of reminiscent of that. I didnt buy on the up-shoot. I waited a while for the top to pop. After it dropped down to about $3,000, I was worried the miners might have taken too big a loss and that would have fundamental consequences. So I waited a bit longer. Then I started to buy at about $5,000. I tend not to disclose how much bitcoin I own but I can say its about 5 percent of my disposable worth. I might increase that. Story continues Max Sherwood, Edinburgh University masters student and founder of Wholegrain Crypto I first heard about bitcoin while browsing Toms Hardware and I saw these questions about what is the best graphics card for mining bitcoin. I got into mining but had no idea these coins would really be worth anything. I dont count myself as a bitcoin maximalist. I like to stay rational. Indre Karaliute, neuroscientist Yes, Im a neuroscientist. I graduated from Edinburgh University. Im pretty interested in bitcoin. This is not my first meetup. I would say Im interested in the way people react to bitcoins price going up and down, for instance. Like whats going on inside their brains. Romanos, Edinburgh University masters student My story is that I wanted to buy a motorbike and I had around 2,000 in savings. My dad told me not to burn through my capital but try and use it to make a profit. I dont care if you buy stocks, he said, or if you set up a lemonade stand, or if you buy Greek tobacco and sell it in the UK. I started to make a theoretical portfolio of stocks and realized Id have a Ph.D. before I could buy a motorbike. It was when I was looking for alternatives that I discovered bitcoin. I started buying in about September 2017 when it was around $4,000. I went back to Greece in December and cashed out at $18,000. I ended up restoring my grandfathers motorbike in Greece and I also bought another one when I got back to the UK. Thomas Dainovec, developer I bought into bitcoin after it reached $20,000 when it went back down to $3,000. I dont have any bitcoin at the moment. I sold it. I am looking forward to buying some more. I have been playing around trying to develop with smart contracts but have not done any commercial work with that. Arthur Zubkoff, business analyst and computer-science graduate I bought bitcoin first in early 2013. I think it was around 100 or something like that. I sold it a little bit later. I made some money but I definitely would have made a lot more if I sold it now. Related Stories DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidates kicked off a final, frenetic weekend of campaigning ahead of the Iowa caucuses, which will begin the battle to take on President Donald Trump in November. Former Vice-President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, returned to the campaign trail a day after knocking each other and progressive rival Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders, along with Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and Michael Bennet, who were stuck in Washington for Trumps impeachment trial, can finally get back to wooing voters after the Senate pushed final voting on the presidents fate until Wednesday. Warren, a Massachusetts senator, missed her scheduled events but flew to Iowa late Friday night, after impeachment wrapped up for the week, and headed straight to a packed Des Moines brewery to briefly address a cheering crowd before lining up to take selfies. That came hours after her husband, Bruce Mann, spoke to about 700 supporters in her stead and invited anyone interested to cross the street and have a late-night beer with her. Warren also began airing television and online ads arguing shes the most electable candidate in a crowded primary field capable of uniting the party and defeating Trump while silencing doubts that sexism could prevent a woman from winning the White House. Sanders campaign, meanwhile, hosted a concert featuring music from the band Bon Iver as part of his effort to energize young voters, and he called into the event from Washington. He has predicted that, if turnout is high during Mondays caucus, he will win. Speaking on Capitol Hill before the impeachment trial wrapped up for the week, Klobuchar said her campaign would move forward even if she couldnt be in Iowa on the day of the caucuses. I just say bring it on, Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, said. Because I just have faith in the people of the country to actually want someone with the experience of standing up. All face a competition that is exceedingly fluid. Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg and Warren are bunched at the top of most Iowa polls, and Klobuchar has shown signs of strength in recent weeks. Everyone is looking for a strong finish here that could lift them heading into later contests that will help decide the Democratic nomination. In a race this jumbled, competition is intensifying among the candidates to at least emerge from Iowa as the leader of their ideological lanes. For Sanders and Warren, the caucus represents an opportunity to consolidate support from progressives. They both back priorities such as universal, government-funded health care under Medicare for All and wiping out virtually all student debt. But neither has yet pulled away as the undisputed leader of the partys left flank. The only way to not have that issue is to have one win and the other lose, said Rebecca Katz, a liberal Democratic strategist based in New York. I think what you see is the progressive wing is very big and has a lot of needs. Its not something where, all of a sudden, one becomes the leading progressive and all fall in line. Especially if they finish one-two (in Iowa). Its not cut and dried. The moderate slice of the party is also struggling to unite behind options that include Biden, Buttigieg and Klobuchar. As a former vice-president who is competing in the Iowa caucuses for the third time, Biden is a well-known figure in the state and has won the backing of several leading current and former elected leaders. But attendance at his rallies has been relatively small in recent days. A super PAC aligned with his campaign has already poured $7.6 million into Iowa meaning it may not be able to provide additional help in other states if Biden fails to meet expectations. Still, Biden said Friday hes expecting big things in Iowa. Ive been saying from the beginning, I think were going to do well here. I think its going to be really tight no matter how it works out, the former vice-president said. Biden has lately intensified his attacks on Sanders, questioning whether the senator is truly a Democrat given his democratic socialist ideology. Sanders camp has shrugged that off, saying it didnt work for Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Democratic primary and it wont resonate now. On Friday, though, the former vice-president reversed course, conceding, Bernie is a Democrat. We have a different view on a whole lot of things. Hes a decent guy, Biden told ABC. While campaigning in Fort Madison, Iowa, Biden argued that he was the candidate Trump least wants to face in the fall. He pointed to the recent attention hes gotten from Republicans during the impeachment trial and in Iowa, where Trump mocked his small crowd sizes during a visit to the state on Thursday. They dont want me to be the nominee. I wonder why, he said. Because they know if I am, we are going to beat him. The 38-year-old Buttigieg unveiled a video Friday stressing party unity. But, on the campaign trail, he has singled out the 78-year-old Sanders as too uncompromising in his progressive views and the 77-year-old Biden as being tainted by past political brawls during a long career in Washington. The vice-president will say we cannot take a risk on someone new, Buttigieg said while campaigning in Council Bluffs, Iowa, drawing a contrast between himself and Biden. We cannot take the risk of trying to fall back on the old playbook. Sanders, he said, speaks to goals that I think everybody shares while presenting it in a political forum that says you either have to choose between revolution or status quo. While Sanders and Warren were unable to make their final appeals in person all week because of impeachment, being tethered to Washington may have been especially frustrating for Klobuchar. She had been seemingly gaining ground in Iowa but could see that momentum fade by missing time on the trail. My ask of you is to run for me, to help me, Klobuchar said in a telephone town hall with New Hampshire voters. In a memo to reporters, her campaign said that her being the only candidate to campaign in all 99 Iowa counties can boost Klobuchar in smaller communities, where the threshold of support needed to pick up delegates to the Democratic National Convention is lower. Achieving viability in rural and mid-sized precincts will propel us forward in the delegate count, campaign manager Justin Buoen and senior caucus adviser Norm Sterzenbach wrote. Bennet, the Colorado senator, attempted to provide his own contrast to the rest of the field by unveiling a new television ad airing in New Hampshire, which votes after Iowa. A field that was once the largest in modern history also lost another member when John Delaney exited the race Friday. The former Maryland congressman poured millions of dollars of his own money into the race but never gained traction. At this moment in time, this is not the purpose God has for me, Delaney told CNN. ___ Associated Press writers Margery Beck in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Alexandra Jaffe in Fort Madison, Iowa, Thomas Beaumont in Des Moines, Iowa, Sara Burnett in Chicago and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Two mating king cobras had to be rescued after they got tangled in a wire fence. The footage was recorded in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, on Wednesday morning. In the video, one of the rescuers can be seen walking toward the fence which the king cobras are draped over. He reaches down and begins to lift the tail of the 8-foot-long male snake. But as it writhes around he loses his grip and drops it back to the floor. It becomes clear how the cobra, along with its 7-foot-long female counterpart, became entangled in the bundle of netting and wiring that was in place around a pond to protect the ducks. The footage was recorded in Phang Nga, southern Thailand, on Wednesday morning. In the video, one of the rescuers can be seen walking toward the fence which the king cobras are draped over The 8-foot male and 7-foot female snakes became entangled in the bundle of netting and wiring that had been put in place around a pond to protect the ducks The rescuers begin to steadily cut away at the materials with a firm grip on the snakes' jaws until eventually both reptiles are freed - and the video ends shortly after. They were put in separate sacks before being released back into the wild. Farmer Boonsurb Nakthongkul, 60, was the first to spot the cobras as she walked through the field and decided to call the local rescue organisation. The rescuer said that this month is the mating season for king cobras so they could be found more often. The rescuers begin to steadily cut away at the materials with a firm grip on the snakes' jaws until eventually both reptiles are freed He said: 'This is the 10th and 11th king cobra I have had to catch in the last two months. 'Now is their mating period so they will find a place near canals and ponds to reproduce. 'Morevover, this is the biggest female king cobra I have ever encounter so it shocked me when I saw the size of her.' Britain enters a new era tonight after nearly four years of intense civil war over whether Brexit should happen. Since the beginning of 2016, politicians have been engaged in a bitter struggle for the soul of the country. The period has been among the most dramatic in the UK's history - with three Prime Ministers, a referendum and two elections. The deadlock was finally broken on December 12, when Boris Johnson won a stunning Tory majority with his simple message of: 'Get Brexit done.' Here are some of the key dates as the chaos unfolded. David Cameron took to the steps of Downing Street in February 2016 to announce the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU February 20, 2016: David Cameron announces the date for the referendum on whether to leave the EU. June 23, 2016: The UK votes to leave the EU. July 13, 2016: Theresa May becomes PM after seeing off challenges from Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. March 29, 2017: Mrs May formally notifies the EU that the UK is triggering the Article 50 process for leaving the bloc. June 8, 2017: The Tories lose their majority in the snap election called by Mrs May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. Mrs May manages to stay in power propped up by the DUP. The Tories lost their majority in the snap election on June 9, 2017, which was called by Theresa May in a bid to strengthen her hand on Brexit. She is pictured at her count in Maidenhead July 12, 2018: Mrs May forces her blueprint for the future relationship with the EU through Cabinet during lengthy talks at Chequers. But both David Davis and Boris Johnson resign afterwards. November 2018: Mrs May finally strikes a Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, and it is approved by Cabinet - although Esther McVey and Dominic Raab resign. December 2018: Mrs May sees off a vote of no confidence in her leadership triggered by Tory MP furious about her Brexit deal. January 15-16, 2019: Mrs May loses first Commons vote on her Brexit deal by a massive 230 votes. But she sees off a Labour vote of no confidence in the government. March 12, 2019: Despite tweaks following talks with the EU, Mrs May's deal is defeated for a second time by 149 votes. March 29, 2019: Mrs May's deal is defeated for a third time by a margin of 58 votes. May 24, 2019: Mrs May announces she will resign on June 7, triggering a Tory leadership contest. July 23-24, 2019: Mr Johnson wins the Tory leadership battle after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31, and becomes PM the following day. Mr Johnson won the Tory leadership and became PM in July last year, after solemnly vowing that Brexit will not be extended beyond October 31 August 28, 2019: Mr Johnson announces he wants to prorogue Parliament from September 10. September 3-4, 2019: MPs seize control of Commons business and pass a law requiring a Brexit extension to avoid No Deal. Mr Johnson tries to call a snap general election but does not secure the two-thirds majority of MPs needed. September 24, 2019: The Supreme Court declares the prorogation of Parliament illegal. October 21, 2019: Mr Johnson strikes a new Brexit deal with the EU, incorporating many elements of Mrs May's but deleting the Northern irish backstop and proposing a much looser alignment. October 22, 2019: MPs approve Mr Johnson's deal at second reading stage in a major breakthrough - but they vote down his proposed timetable and vow to try to amend the Bill later. The PM responds by pausing the legislation and again demanding an election. October 29, 2019: MPs finally vote for an election, after the SNP and Lib Dems broke ranks to vote in favour, forcing the Labour leadership to agree. In the election on December 12, 2019, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour recorded its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit. He is pictured at the Islington North count December 12, 2019: The Tories win a stunning 80 majority after vowing to 'get Brexit done' during the campaign. Jeremy Corbyn's Labour records its worst performance since 1935 after he sits on the fence over Brexit, saying there should be a second referendum and he wants to remain neutral. December 20, 2019: The new-look Commons passes Mr Johnson's Withdrawal Bill by a majority of 124. January 9: EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill cleared its Commons stages, and was sent to the House of Lords. January 22: The EU Withdrawal Bill completed its progress through Parliament after the Commons overturned amendments tabled by peers, and the Lords conceded defeat. Mr Johnson signed the ratified Withdrawal Agreement last week in another highly symbolic step towards Brexit January 24: Mr Johnson signs the ratified Withdrawal Agreement in another highly symbolic step. January 29: MEPs approve the Withdrawal Agreement by 621 to 49. Amid emotional scenes in Brussels, some link hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. 11pm, January 31: The UK formally leaves the EU - although it will stay bound to the bloc's rules for at least another 11 months during the transition period. / -- The Tourism Minister of Greece, Harris Theocharis will be joined by the Indian Minister of State for Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel and the Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand, Satpal Maharaj, at the inaugural ceremony of OTM Mumbai, one of India's best-known travel tradeshows, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre on February 3. When Greece started participating in OTM Mumbai in 2016, it was considered a bold move to diversify from its traditional markets. It has since seen record breaking growth, with tourist arrivals from India more than doubling in 2017. India's longest-running travel tradeshow OTM is expected to also host 1050+ exhibitors from 55+ countries, of which 23 are National Tourism Organisations (NTOs). Premium destinations from Europe, Africa and the Americas will be present at the show along with their Asian counterparts. Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal will uphold the Asian presence at the show. Azerbaijan and Greece will be there to add a European flavour. Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are also strongly present at OTM. India's domestic favorites are also taking center stage, with over 30 State Tourism Boards and Union Territories set to exhibit with stunning pavilions that highlight their unique cultural aesthetics. With Mumbai being the largest source market in India for outbound as well as domestic travel, the show continues to grow every year. The three-day show brings together 15,000+ travel industry professionals including 800+ top B2B buyers of travel from India's most prominent source markets. High profile speakers at OTM include the President of Thomas Cook (India), the President of SOTC and the Chief Business Officer of MakeMyTrip. According to data released by the Ministry of Tourism, Indians take more than a billion trips within India and 30 million abroad, every year. About OTM Mumbai: OTM Mumbai is the Gateway to India's travel markets. OTM 2020 will take place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre from 3 - 5 February 2020. A truly global event - over 1,000 exhibitors from 55+ countries participate at the three-day event and over 15,000 B2B trade buyers from India, Asia and beyond attend OTM. Since 1989, it gives those in the tourism industry a platform to do business in one of the fastest-growing travel markets in the world - India. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084589/OTM_Mumbai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wake up. Illustration: Art Handler I do not recommend reading the new books by Ezra Klein and Christopher Caldwell one after the other. Kleins Why Were Polarized and Caldwells The Age of Entitlement come from very different perspectives, but convey a near-paralyzing and plausible pessimism. Kleins is a political-science explanation of our intensifying cultural and political tribalism, and its incompatibility with functional liberal democracy (a theme I explored here). Caldwells is a deeper, wider cultural and constitutional narrative of the last half-century. If Klein is trying to explain why polarization fucks everything up, Caldwell is intent on telling us how this state of affairs came to be. Both are well worth reading (though Caldwells vibrant, mordant prose makes his a more unusual and enjoyable ride). Some might say that the two are among the best and the brightest of left and right, respectively. On the left, Klein is a near-archetypal member of the new elite class: progressive but still struggling to be fair-minded, a liberal who has tactically deferred to wokeness. On the right, Caldwell swaggers around as the cranky-cool professor articulating the frustrations of the less articulate, throwing barbs here and there, gleefully challenging and scorning the elite orthodoxies that culminated in the election of Barack Obama. (Klein is the founder of Vox.com, which is also owned by New York magazines parent company, Vox Media. ) But both books agree on one central thing: Our fate was almost certainly cast as long ago as 1964 and 1965. Those years, in the wake of the Kennedy assassination, saw the Civil Rights Act upend the Constitution of a uniquely liberal country in order to tackle the legacy of slavery and racism, and the Immigration and Nationality Act set in motion the creation of a far more racially and ethnically diverse and integrated society than anyone in human history had previously thought possible. Still, at the time, few believed that either shift would have huge, deep consequences in the long term. They were merely a modernization of American ideals: inclusivity, expansiveness, hope. As someone who was born just before these two changes were instigated, I regarded those tectonic shifts as simply part of the landscape something that seemed always to have been here. And what could be questioned about either? One was reversing a profound moral evil; the other was banishing racism from the immigration laws. No-brainers. The strongest resistance to civil rights came from former segregationists or obvious racists, and there was little resistance to the Immigration Act, because most in the congressional debate seemed to think it wouldnt change anything much at all. (The House sponsor of the Immigration Act, as Caldwell notes, promised that quota immigration under the bill is likely to be more than 80 percent European, while Ted Kennedy insisted: The ethnic mix of this country will not be upset.) There were a few dissenters to the 1964 Act, such as Robert Bork, who identified a significant erosion in the freedom of association. And there were southern senators who worried about immigrants from the developing world. But the resisters were easily dismissed on both counts, in the wake of LBJs 1964 landslide. In fact, as Klein shows, a pivotal moment had arrived. The civil-rights movement quickly broke apart the old Democratic party, which had for decades combined the interests of blacks and southern whites into a single multiracial coalition. The result was a sorting of the two political parties into much purer vessels for their diverging ideologies, and into groupings that were also increasingly racially distinct. The GOP became whiter and whiter; the Democrats more and more became the party of the marginalized nonwhites as the years rolled by. Blacks and southern whites ceased to communicate directly within a single party, where compromises could be hammered out through internal wrangling. In the aggregate this was, as Klein emphasizes, a good thing because blacks kept coming out the losers in those intraparty conversations, and with civil rights, they had a chance of winning in a clearer, less rigged, debate. But it was also problematic because human beings are tribal, psychologically primed to recognize in-group and out-group before the frontal cortex gets a look-in. And so the whiter the GOP became, the whiter it got, and the more diverse the Democrats got. Simultaneously, the economy took a brutal toll on the very whites who were alienated by the cultures shift toward racial equality, and then racial equity. Klein recognizes that this racial polarization, is, objectively, a problem for liberal democracy: Our brains reflect deep evolutionary time, while our lives, for better and worse, are lived right now, in this moment. So he can see the depth of the problem of tribalism and its merging with partisanship, which goes on to create a megatribalism. If humans simply cannot help their tribal instincts, then a truly multicultural democracy has a big challenge ahead of it. The emotions triggered are so primal, that conflict, rather than any form of common ground, can spiral into a grinding cold civil war. And you cant legislate or educate this away. One fascinating study Klein quotes found that priming white college students to think about the concept of white privilege led them to express more racial resentment in subsequent surveys. Anti-racist indoctrination actually feeds racism. So tribalism deepens. Klein sees this spiral more clearly than most on the left. He acknowledges the truth that in a period of extraordinary demographic and racial change the U.S. is the first majority-white nation that will become majority nonwhite in human history every group begins to feel like an oppressed minority. Including whites: To the extent that its true that a loss of privilege feels like oppression, that feeling needs to be taken seriously, both because its real, and because, left to fester, it can be weaponized by demagogues and reactionaries. And the truth is: It was left to fester. Whenever whites resisted ever-expanding concepts of civil rights or mass illegal and legal immigration, they were cast outside the arena of permissible disagreement, deemed racists, and stigmatized. Even the GOP scorned them. Eventually, Hillary Clinton named them: the deplorables. By 2016, plenty of Americans decided to embrace the label, and voted for Trump. Caldwells account is indispensable especially for liberals in understanding how those resentments grew until they finally exploded under Barack Obama. The Tea Party was the first real movement of this sort; the collapse of immigration reform proposals under George W. Bush and then under Obama revealed how powerful these feelings were; Trump managed to wrap them all up into a populist fervor that was distributed geographically enough to give him a win in the Electoral College. Liberals, increasingly ensconced in their own economic and social bubble, were shocked. Caldwells book is far too nuanced and expansive to cover here. But he identifies key moments and key changes. The 1965 Immigration Act was the beginning of a huge experiment in human history. It was complemented by open bipartisan-elite toleration of mass undocumented immigration across the southern border. And civil rights became something other than ending racial discrimination by the state: It became a regime of ending discrimination by individuals in economic and social life; then it begot affirmative action, in which race played an explicit part in an individuals chance of getting into college; and it culminated in the social-justice agenda, which would meaningfully do away with the American concept of individual rights and see it replaced by a concept of racial group rights. Caldwell sees the last 50 years as a battle between two rival constitutions: one dedicated to freedom, the other to equality of outcomes, or equity. And I think he is right to see the former as worth fighting for. But how do we get out of this trap? Thats where the depression sinks in. Neither Caldwell nor Klein see a way back to a common weal and a common good. Ezra offers some technical corrections ending the Electoral College, the filibuster, and winner-takes-all voting. And they might help, although their potential unintended consequences should be carefully considered. Then he recommends meditation to control our own primal instincts a role that Christianity traditionally held. (I dont disagree with Ezra on the benefits of meditation, but its hardly a game-changer in America in 2020.) Caldwell proposes something far more drastic: a repeal of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Yes, you read that right. The proposals perversity matches its impossibility and its buried in one sentence on the penultimate page of the book. So much of Caldwells polemical history is fresh air; but the bleakness of its reactionary mood reveals how tribal Caldwell has become. He can barely eke out a few sentences reluctantly acknowledging some of the good things that the last 50 years have brought in the lives of many women, in the prospects for African-Americans, in the dignity of homosexuals. He never acknowledges that Obama actually stood a chance of healing racial divides, if the GOP hadnt demonized him from the start. And as an old friend of Chriss, I know him to be a more gracious and humane person than this polemic might, at times, suggest. But that such a good man has gotten caught up in polarization and tribalism and such a brilliant man sees no hope for a peaceful resolution merely reveals how deep our problem is. I have a smidgen more optimism. I see in the long-delayed backlash to the social-justice movement an inkling of a new respect for individual and creative freedom and for the old idea of toleration rather than conformity. I see in the economic and educational success of women since the 1970s a possible cease-fire in the culture wars over sex. I see most homosexuals content to live out our lives without engaging in an eternal Kulturkampf against the cis and the straight. Race? Alas, I see no way forward but a revival of Christianity, of its view of human beings as neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This means such a transcendent view of human equality that it does not require equality of outcomes to see equal dignity and worth. Yes, Im hoping for a miracle. But at this point, what else have we got? The Dangers of Quoting Shakespeare Alastair Stewart is arguably one of the most neutral, professional, and well-loved of British newsreaders. (And I love that the English still use that term newsreader, rather than reporter or anchor for the nightly news.) Hes been doing his thing for over 40 years (I have memories of his dulcet tones in the 1980s) and is near-universally loved. But he made the mistake of engaging on Twitter. He did so impeccably, as far as I can see. And one of his responses to angry trolls (he has used it once before) has been simply to provide a quote from Shakespeares Measure for Measure. Here it is, in all its brilliance: But man, proud man, Dressd in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what hes most assurd His glassy essencelike an angry ape Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven As makes the angels weep; who, with our spleens, Would all themselves laugh mortal. As a description of Twitter users, its hard to beat dressd in a little brief authority / Most ignorant of what hes most assurd. But of course, someone regarded this use of Shakespeare as racist. One Martin Shapland saw Stewarts use of the quote and accused him of referring to him as an ape. They were having a Twitter spat over the monarchy, of all things. A series of tweets between the two that have been recovered are completely anodyne. In that exchange, Shapland leapt at the chance to accuse someone he was disagreeing with as a racist. Just an ITV newsreader referring to me as an ape with cover of Shakespeare. Measure for Measure, Stewart is a disgrace, he tweeted. Stewart replied with an emoji of a saint smiling. Shapland made the usual activist move: Could I ask what @ITV, and @ITVNews think of this? The suits at ITV then strong-armed Stewart into an abrupt retirement under a cloud of innuendo. Shapland has claimed without evidence that there were other tweets in a thread that cast Stewart in a bad light, but he has since deleted them, and Stewarts account has also disappeared, so we cant see for sure. ITV, Stewarts boss, has cited his multiple errors on social media, again without providing details. Stewart acknowledged a mistake which he regrets. But the smear of racism hangs over him, as it was designed to. In the aftermath of the fuss, Stewart has been widely hailed by all his colleagues as a model figure, an adored gentleman-mentor to many nonwhite journalists. News anchors broke into tears announcing his sudden banishment from the TV. And Shapland? His Twitter feed gives you a sense of where hes coming from. See if you can spot a theme here: Fucking white privilege. Typical white guy; Very white. Very male. Very pale. Very rich? Is this contributor white? The White People are at it again. And whats interesting to me is that Shapland feels utterly secure that, as a black man, he is entitled to use broad, generalizing insults of another race, and indeed should be celebrated for doing so. (The other time Stewart quoted this Shakespeare passage was with a tweeter who was white.) The great truth about todays version of anti-racism is that its racist. Marinate people in race consciousness; teach them to see racism everywhere; reward them for calling out, Stasi-like, their fellow citizens for thought-crimes; punish the racist pour decourager les autres; and repeat the ideological cleansing process. (The same is true of left feminism: tweets announcing hatred of all men are actually celebrated, or dismissed as irony.) Set up a system which rewards this kind of group hatred, and human nature will do the rest. Im not sure what the upshot of this is, but theres a huge outcry from viewers in Britain, countless broadcasting colleagues, and a petition to get Stewart reinstated. (Sign here.) This follows another explosive accusation of racism against a white privileged man, the actor Laurence Fox, by a woman of color on BBCs Question Time panel show. Fox turned the conflict around by calling the woman a racist by reducing him to his immutable characteristics, to audience applause. As the public gets to know and understand more about the left racism now coursing through the entire Anglo-American media, they like it less and less. And maybe its a good moment to see where we are. A man quotes Shakespeare comparing man, proud man with an angry ape. Any literate person can see that Shakespeare is not talking about race at all; hes talking (rather presciently) about human beings deeper, more primal natures that can obscure our rational thought. But Shapland instantly thought he was being attacked for being black. The distortion and poisoning of the mind here is quite something to behold. And mourn. Werent They That 80s Band? Now that Im on my third antibiotic regimen to get rid of a post-op sinus infection, I needed cheering up. Right on cue, the Pet Shop Boys have just released their 14th album, Hotspot just as good as their first. I know, I know. Youre thinking: Werent they that 80s band? And theres a reason you do. There is no place on American radio any more for the kind of elegiac synth-pop Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have regularly created the past three decades. They disappeared from American TV screens as well after the homoerotic video for their single Domino Dancing, which unnerved the suits at MTV. Theyre still hugely popular worldwide, filling stadiums in Brazil and Japan and Germany, and this new album now looks likely to be the best-selling album in the U.K. this week something they also achieved 26 years ago. Thats quite some staying power. I love them for many reasons. Their lyrical sophistication is rare: Through disco beats, you get references to Rebecca West, Gerhard Richter, and Tony Blair. Their love of high-energy pop is hard to equal. On their last album, they had a song Burn, which is almost the apotheosis of every disco song you ever loved remade. Theyre a pop group that wrote an entire symphony to go along with Sergei Eisensteins legendary silent film, Battleship Potemkin, and then played it live with an orchestra in front of a massive screen in Trafalgar Square. They have had residencies with the Royal Opera House. In each song, they somehow manage to create an atmosphere, a sense of place, and a sound that transports you. And as a gay man, they have particular resonance. They channeled the energy and liberation of the 1980s and then the despair and grief of the 1990s. Most will not have noticed that the songs they put out were about AIDS, which is another reason I like them. Their lyrics are subtle and have recently been published in book form as poetry. But listen to It Couldnt Happen Here, Your Funny Uncle, Dreaming of the Queen, or The Survivors. As a creative voice during the worst of the plague and after, they are absurdly underrecognized. As their career continued, they switched from giving almost no live performances or totally deadpan ones to putting on extraordinary concoctions of light and sound and choreography. They did this even with Chris still sitting there glum or expressionless on keyboards, and Neil not exactly trying to dance. I went to one of their first U.S. concerts, held in a college arena, and it was somewhat crude. And I went to their tour for Super, which came to D.C. the weekend after Trumps election, and was dazzled by the imagery and choreography. At that moment of despair, it was as if an angel had sent them. And this album is as solid as their previous ones, part of a trilogy produced by the extraordinary Stuart Price. What is the secret to their longevity? I know it sounds an odd thing to say of a pop group, but I think its their integrity. Theyve made some huge hits, but they never pander. They have kept their private lives private in ways every celebrity should but doesnt. They constantly experiment, but classic songwriting remains at their core. I find that over the decades their music has been a soundtrack for my own life including, now, the onset of aging, after thinking once I would never survive this long. And they have grown older in a way that so many pop and rock stars havent. They have kept their dignity and their energy. They have never lost their souls. See you next Friday. The teenager charged with murdering Cameron Blair on Bandon Road in Cork appeared at the childrens court in Cork today where his solicitor requested a psychological assessment of the accused. The teenager appeared at the in-camera hearing for juvenile cases in Cork District Court, accompanied by his father and his aunt. The teenager wore white runners, black track pants, black hoodie inside a black jacket and had a litre bottle of mineral drink in each jacket pocket. The teenager who cant be named because he is a juvenile was brought before the juvenile court today charged with the murder of 20-year-old Cameron Blair on January 16. Mr Blair, whose funeral took place in Bandon last Sunday, was a second-year Chemical Engineering student at Cork Institute of Technology. He died at Cork University Hospital on January 16 after being stabbed in the neck while attending a house party on the Bandon Road. Eddie Burke said that his client was consenting to a three week long remand in detention at Oberstown where he is currently being held on the murder charge. The defence solicitor asked Judge Carol Anne Ni Chullachain to request that his client would be psychologically assessed while in Oberstown and he confirmed that he had not previously asked for such an assessment. Judge Ni Chullachain granted Mr Burkes application and requested that the authorities at Oberstown would arrange for a psychological assessment to be carried out and psychological report prepared on the accused. A medical report was directed last week when he was first charged with the murder. Inspector Gary McPolin said the prosecution consented to the three-week remand in detention. The judge then remanded the accused in continuing detention to the same court on February 21. Detective Garda Rory OConnell gave evidence last week of charging the teenager with murder and said the defendant made no reply to the single charge when it was put to him after caution. SAN TAN VALLEY, Ariz. - For Iowans, going to college out of state, studying abroad or wintering in Arizona used to mean giving up quite a bit of power in picking presidents. But this year, the Iowa caucuses wont all be in Iowa. Nearly 1,300 Democrats temporarily away from home will still attend the crucial first-in-the-nation caucuses from Paris or Palm Springs or dozens of places in between. Its the first time the Iowa Democratic Party is holding satellite caucuses in far-flung locales to allow more people to participate in a process often derided as opaque and exclusionary. Their votes will be added to the complex formula for divvying delegates among the Democratic candidates seeking their partys nomination to take on President Donald Trump. Its nice to have that specific influence that you get for being an Iowa resident and being the first to vote despite being so far away, said Colyn Burbank, who expects about nine people to participate in a caucus hes hosting at his flat in Glasgow, Scotland. Its a very special thing that Iowa has. Burbank, 31, from Des Moines, is supporting Bernie Sanders along with several of his friends from Central College in Pella, Iowa, who are now studying or working in Scotland. At least three other Iowa Democrats living in England plan to make the trip to Glasgow as well, he said. I know its something that matters and a lot of Iowans take it really seriously, myself included. Im excited, added his friend, Taylor VanderWell, a 29-year-old from Des Moines who is living in Edinburgh, Scotland, and working at a software firm. The Iowa caucuses are the subject of quadrennial criticism for asking so much of their participants, who traditionally must show up to their neighbourhood meeting and publicly support their chosen candidate at precisely 7 p.m. on a Monday. That inevitably limits participation. People who are working, travelling, attending college or escaping a frigid winter are out of luck. The elderly, people with disabilities and others who have mobility challenges can struggle in snowy or icy weather, and it can be intimidating for those with limited English skills. The satellite caucuses are Iowas effort to be more inclusive. Theyre a fallback option after the Democratic National Committee, citing security concerns, rejected a proposal by Iowa and Nevada to hold virtual caucuses in which people could participate by phone. Nevadas caucuses are all in the state. We believe our party is stronger when more voices are being heard, and thats what this process is doing, said Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price. Lifelong Democratic activist Joan Koenigs has been attending caucuses since before they were instrumental in presidential nominations, but she had to let it go when she and her husband started spending winters in Arizona. She jumped at the chance to organize a caucus in the backyard of her home in San Tan Valley for what she thought would be some two dozen Iowans living nearby on the outskirts of metro Phoenix. There are enough Iowans in the neighbourhood that they gather for a party at the clubhouse every winter. The Koenigses caucus, the closest to the Phoenix area, proved so popular she had to scramble to secure a room at the nearby movie theatre large enough to house the more than 180 people who registered. Im really quite passionate about participation in government, so I feel its our duty to do this, and Im thrilled, said Koenigs, a retired farmer and nurse who lives in St. Ansgar in northern Iowa. Koenigs said shell back Pete Buttigieg, who impressed her during a campaign event in Iowa last fall. There are three other caucuses in Arizona, all of them in the Tucson area. Iowa Democrats experimented with four satellite sites in the 2016 election, when about 150 people caucused at three large state government work sites and a nursing home in Iowa City more convenient places than their assigned neighbourhood meeting. This year, satellite caucuses will be held in Iowa at assisted living centres, work sites and college campuses. Some also will be conducted in foreign languages. Others will take place earlier in the day. Sites outside Iowa include college campuses in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island; libraries in Arizona, California and New York; churches in Illinois and Florida; a community centre in Tennessee; and a hotel in Washington, D.C. Altogether, there will be 92 satellite caucuses around the world, including 65 in Iowa and 24 spread across 13 states and the District of Columbia. Three international caucuses will be held in Glasgow, Paris and Tbilisi, Georgia. All caucuses are open only to Democrats registered to vote in Iowa. Out-of-state participants and those attending early in-state caucuses had to apply ahead of time so their registration could be verified. Organizers were given virtual training on how to run a caucus. The 1,288 people who have registered make up a sliver of those who will caucus on Feb. 3. About 171,000 Iowa Democrats caucused in 2016 and 240,000 in 2008. Being away from home means Iowans miss out on some of the one-on-one interactions with candidates holding intimate gatherings at small-town parks and pizza parlours. But Austin Allaire of Huxley, a 23-year-old graduate student in London, said hes keeping close tabs on the race by listening to podcasts on the Underground. Still, it stings a bit when his mom sends pictures of candidates stopping near Iowa State University, where shes a professor. I always feel jealous of the front-row seat shes having, said Allaire, who plans to caucus for Buttigieg in Paris, the closest caucus to London. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) Since the Philippines reported its first case of the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, fear of catching the respiratory disease caused by the deadly virus has spread quickly. CNN Philippines learned that medical supply stores in Manila, Pagadian City and Bukidnon have run out surgical masks amid growing anxiety about the novel coronavirus, which has killed 213 people and sickened over 9,000 so far in mainland China. People flocked to medical equipment shops in Cebu City and Bambang in Manila in search of face masks, not minding the heat and the long queues. Face masks for free Despite the shortage, one Bambang store opted to give their remaining face masks for free. Individuals may go to the cashier area of the The Medical Depot and ask for a free mask. The crowd caused traffic in Bambang area and prompted law enforcers to deploy their personnel in case a riot erupts. Hours after Philippine health authorities confirmed that the 2019-nCoV has reached the country, the local government of Manila announced in a statement that 500,000 masks would be distributed to elementary to college students, in public schools across the nations capital. In Pagadian City, face masks have been out of stock in some drug stores since late Thursday. A few hospital pharmacies were said to have a handful left. Experts have repeatedly highlighted the need to observe good hygiene such as frequent handwashing, wearing of protective masks or staying at home when sick, avoiding crowded places or contact with people who show signs of respiratory illness and cooking food thoroughly, to reduce the risk of contracting a disease. Preventive actions vs 2019-nCoV The 2019-nCoV scare also prompted the Supreme Court to issue an advisory, urging their court personnel to wear masks inside courtrooms, halls of justice, and judiciary buildings. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has also mandated all public utility vehicle drivers and conductors to wear face masks as a precaution. To prevent the virus from spreading, President Rodrigo Duterte has issued an order to temporarily stop the entry of all Chinese nationals from China's Hubei province, where Wuhan the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak is located, Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said on Friday. On Thursday, the Department of Health announced Thursday that a 38-year-old female Chinese national who traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan via Hong Kong tested positive for the virus. She and her boyfriend are isolated in a referral hospital for infectious diseases in Manila. The virus has spread globally, affecting 22 places outside of mainland China, CNN reported. The cases in China exceeded the number infected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002 and 2003, but SARS has a higher mortality rate so far. SARS is caused by SARS coronavirus, which is of the same family of viruses as 2019-nCoV. World Health Organization has declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern because of what is happening in other countries. W.H.O. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement on Thursday. W.H.O. defines a public health emergency of international concern as "an extraordinary event" constituting a "public health risk to other States through the international spread of disease and to potentially require a coordinated international response." DOLE urges safety measures at workplace The Department of Labor and Employment also urged employers and establishments to provide relevant information to their employees concerning the novel coronavirus, including the precautionary measures to be taken in order to avoid it. DOLE's Labor Advisory no.4 encouraged employers to make adjustments needed regarding work schemes, and maintain cleanliness in the workplace by making sanitizers and disinfectants available. Aside from these, we are also directing employers to monitor the health of workers particularly those with fever and flu symptoms and those who have traveled to or worked in countries affected with the 2019-nCoV, Labor Chief Silvestre Bello III said. For the healthcare sector, it is advised for employers to establish a screening program in accordance with the guidelines set by the Department of Health. Workers in these workplaces are also reminded to take extra precautionary measures which include strict hygiene and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) while at work, he said. CNN Philippines' Gerg Cahiles, Dale Israel, Leah Agonoy and Melchor Velez contributed to this report Senator Julian Francis, Minister of Works, was at pains to explain why the implementation of road improvement programmes were being delayed. The availability of aggregate for use by the asphalt plat(s), is causing a serious setback to the progress of the road works programme in the country. Further setback is anticipated, given the challenges surrounding the location of an asphalt plane in the Gibson Corner area, and the delay occasioned by the process of identifying an alternate location. This was the scenario outlined by Minister of Transport and Works, Senator Julian Francis as he addressed the House of Assembly on January 22. Francis explained further that there was a shortage of the commodity throughout the region, with Dominica and Grenada being among those similarly affected. Moves are afoot, Francis said, to import from suppliers in Nova Scotia or Georgia. "But we have to import some aggregate in the meantime to kick start this developmental programme all these hotels to be built, all these roads to be repaired, he told the House of Assembly. Two million dollars had been allocated in the 2020 budget to facilitate this purchase, the minister said, and explained to the Members that aggregate for use in the mix with asphalt was different from that used in construction. He said that government needed to get involved in the production of aggregate for asphalt, and that there were two plants to be set up, one in Richmond and other in Kingstown, but residents have spoken out against the latter. "We have everything else, but its the aggregate, he said. President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, will visit Haryana on Friday to inaugurate the 34th edition of Surajkund International Crafts Mela. After the inauguration, the entry for general visitors to the fair will begin after 1 PM on Friday. The event is held every year at Surajkund in Faridabad district. Earlier in the day, DGP Manoj Yadav visited the fair ground and inspected security arrangement. Haryana police have also launched Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to enhance the security of the fair. This year, the Surajkund fair will go on till February 16 and will showcase regional and international crafts and traditions. The Mela is organised by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs. For the 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-2020, the state of Himachal Pradesh has been chosen to be the Theme State. At least 20 countries and all the states of India will be participating in the Mela. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With her Taylor Swift documentary Miss Americana, director Lana Wilson has a challenge on her hands. How to break down walls built up over more than a decade by the media, the music industry, and Swift herself that keep the world from being able to view Swift as human first, pop star second? Some reviewers have expressed surprise at just how much insight into Swifts life this documentary offers. Others have condemned it, reverting back to old criticisms of Swift as calculated, or too much of an enigma. But for a pop star on Swifts level, the kind of access Miss Americana offers feels unprecedented. She speaks about her mothers cancer; she cries as she talks about the global backlash she endured in 2016; and she embraces her boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn. Taylor Swift's 20 best songs Show all 20 1 /20 Taylor Swift's 20 best songs Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 20) Wildest Dreams This song is sadly marred by the controversy that surrounded its accompanying video (its references to films such as Out of Africa drew accusations that it presented a white colonialist fantasy.) The track itself is a dreamy, lush soundscape filled with breathless sighs and dramatic pauses that recall Swifts fellow old Hollywood obsessive, Lana Del Rey. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 19) Paper Rings A pop-punk song! Swift is at her most energetic on a song that has more than a hint of Toni Basils Mickey, from the hand-clapping beat to the distorted scuzz added to her vocals. Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 18) Style Until Dress appeared on Reputation, Style was Swifts most bold and sensuous song, driven by a pulsing beat and an urgent electric guitar riff. It plays on the idea that its easy to leave someone but a lot harder to stay away, especially if your lover has that James Dean daydream look in [their] eye. Vevo Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 17) Back to December This was a first for Swift, who apologises to an ex who treated her perfectly, while she perhaps didnt value the relationship as much. Its a noteworthy song simply to point out that Swift, who has faced multiple accusations of using her relationships to drag her ex-boyfriends, is more than capable of self-criticism. Vevo Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 16) Love Story A Swift classic about star-crossed lovers, inspired by (what else?) Romeo and Juliet. This is a country pop song is a prime example of Swifts skill as a story teller one who understands the power of a forbidden romance. Vevo Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 15) Out of the Woods Swift emulates Bruce Springsteen on this Eighties synth-pop get in the car and go epic, which lasts not a second too long and ends so abruptly that it leaves you gasping to catch your breath. Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 14) I Did Something Bad One of the most underrated songs on Reputation has Swift embracing the role of villain after years of being accused of using men as a songwriting tool, along with the fallout from her feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. Theres so much more bite on this track than Blank Space, despite the similar themes here she is merciless upon learning a man has used her name, or spent her money, behind her back. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images) Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 13) "Lover" A tender Sixties-style acoustic ballad that shows Swift experimenting with rhythm and meter in a way thats impressively bold this far into her career. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for ABA Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 12) Tim McGraw Theres something very moving about Swift opening her first album with a song that intertwines the old and the new. Nashville is notoriously unkind to female country artists, particularly young ones, so you cant help but admire a then-16-year-old Swift, who offered a profound respect to one of her biggest inspirations on her debut single. Vevo Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 11) Dress This song is essentially one big, lustful sigh: Swift seems to delight in a secret romance where she only bought this dress so you could take it off and quite literally pants with anticipation. Getty Images for TAS Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 10) Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince At first, you could mistake this for a love song. It is, in a way - Swift's most political song to date addresses her heartbreak over America as she witnesses it in turmoil. She takes classic themes from her earliest work - white knights, red roses, princesses and high-school prom - and spins all of it into a metaphor for a perceived loss of innocence following the 2016 general election. Add the subliminal cheerleader chant - "GO! FIGHT! Win!", and this makes for one of Swift's best songs of her career. Getty Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 9) We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together While Red signalled Swifts full-blown transition into pop music, she couldnt resist putting the odd country twang on songs such as We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, which mocks an ex for being snobbish about his indie record label thats much cooler than mine. The most spectacular is really the beginning of the song, where she delivers an astounded what? upon being told the guy needs space: We hadnt seen each other in a month. Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 8) Dear John John Mayer lashed out over this song in 2012, clearly upset after Swift alluded that it was about their past relationship. He called it cheap songwriting in reference to using their personal lives for material whatever you think of that, its features of her best vocal performances and brilliant songwriting right down to the Mayer-ism of that wavering electric guitar line. Then there are the lyrics themselves: You are an expert at sorry/ And keeping lines blurry/ And never impressed by me acing your tests/ All the girls that youve run dry/ Have tired, lifeless eyes/ Cause you burned them out. Medic! Taylor Swift. Credit: Getty Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 7) Delicate One of Swifts greatest talents as a songwriter is to encapsulate those small moments, often in a new relationship, that you as a listener cannot. Her skittishness on Delicate, about the danger of rushing into something, of sharing too much of yourself too soon with someone youre still getting to know, is all too palpable as the beat switches up like a nervous heart. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for TIME) Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 6) Call It What You Want The lyrics here are more open and willingly vulnerable than anything Swift had done before; that line on the chorus where she sings: My babys fly like a jet stream/ high above the whole scene/ loves me like Im brand new hits hard. The song appears on Reputation, released after Swifts lengthy hiatus from the spotlight, and its lyrics speak of a person blissfully content in her relationship to the point that the outside world is just white noise. It includes some of her finest lyrics, too, with superb references to those castles of old crumbling overnight and nods to her Anglophilia (my babys fit like a daydream). Getty Images Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 5) Our Song Mean is beaten only by Our Song as Swifts most country release, helped a lot by her endearing portrait of the slam of screen doors and driving along country lanes listening to the radio. Swift is a master of the meta-narrative, so her making a song about a song based on sounds from real-life is all kinds of perfect. YouTube/screengrab Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 4) Getaway Car On Getaway Car Swift channels one of her friend and producer Jack Antonoffs favourites Kate Bush as she belts that epic go, go, go!, while the song in its entirety recalls Bonnie Tylers Total Eclipse of the Heart cellos and violins enhancing the drama. Getty Images for NARAS Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 3) Blank Space Blank Space was a real moment for Swift, where she turned all of the tabloid gossip, all of the malicious scrutiny around her love life, back on the world with a wink and a nod. Got a long list of ex-lovers/ Theyll tell you Im insane, she trills on the chorus, throwing out punchline after punchline until the exquisite: Youll come back, each time you leave/ cos darling Im a nightmare dressed like a daydream. Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 2) "Afterglow" Against a similar soundscape to "Wildest Dreams", Swift is at her most confessional as she explains how her own insecurities can lead to self-destruction in a relationship and pleads with her lover to be patient with her. Its all me, in my head," she sings. "Im the one who burned us down/ But its not what I meant/ Sorry that I hurt you. Taylor Swift's 20 best songs 1) All Too Well Swifts mastery of storytelling has never been better than on this, a standout song not just from Red, but of her career to date. Its the slow-build from those bittersweet memories of dancing in the refrigerator light to a devastating, stadium-sized anthem that leads to her delivering arguably her best-ever line with one of her best vocal performances: You call me up again just to break me like a promise/ So casually cruel in the name of being honest. Rex Perhaps most compelling, though, are the arguments Swift has with music executives, as well as her own father, about why she feels compelled to speak about politics after years of silence. For younger viewers, and those who arent from the US, its difficult to grasp the scale of the backlash faced by The Dixie Chicks when they criticised then-president George W Bush in 2003. That is, until you see the footage of news hosts calling them dumb bimbos and claiming they deserved to be slapped around, and placards announcing they should burn in hell. Before then, The Dixie Chicks had been the reigning queens of country music, with more than 30 million records sold. But an off-the-cuff remark turned Americas sweethearts into the countrys most-hated. With that in mind, it isnt all that shocking that Swift a country-pop star in her early twenties appealing to stone-faced label executives demanding she stay quiet was reluctant to follow that path. By incorporating home videos, professionally shot backstage films and to-camera interviews, Miss Americana makes an admirable attempt at covering as much ground as possible. There are moments that feel too well-trodden the Kanye West feud, or her support of the LBGT+ community. And elsewhere, you wish Swift and Wilson would delve a little deeper, such as when she references her former compulsion to appear sweet or nice all the time. Yet the question of how much of Swift's life we're entitled to brings to mind her comment in a recent Guardian interview: I just need some things that are mine. Just some things. Miss Americana is as insightful a pop artist documentary as you could hope for, but by keeping some moments private, Swift reminds us that well never know the whole story. And really, what gives us the right to? J&K: Three terrorist killed as encounter underway at Nagrota toll plaza India oi-Madhuri Adnal Kashmir, Jan 31: Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter after a group of three-four terrorists travelling in a truck, opened fire at a joint Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP)-Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) toll in Nagrota area in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the wee hours on Friday. One of the militants was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the rest managed to escape to the adjacent forest area. These terrorists were a newly infiltrated group and were on their way to Srinagar. It is suspected that they infiltrated from Kathua, Hiranagar border. Investigation is on, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said. The firing took place around 5 am when the police team stopped a Srinagar-bound truck for checking near the toll plaza in the Ban area of Nagrota, the officials said. According to initial information, policemen at the toll plaza had stopped a truck for checking, following which two terrorists fired at them. Shift from the past: Pakistan terrorists using China made grenades in Valley Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News In a statement, the J&K Police said, "We intercepted a Srinagar-bound truck at Bann toll plaza on Jammu-Srinagar highway. The terrorists, who were inside the truck, fired on us, triggering an encounter. One policeman injured, one terrorist killed. Encounter going on." Meanwhile, the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has been closed for traffic in view of civilian security. A massive search operation has been launched to track down the terrorists. Senior police officials were at the spot to oversee the combing operations. Authorities also ordered the closure of schools in Nagrota as a precautionary measure. The incident comes just days after a JKP officer, Davinder Singh, was arrested from the same highway while transporting two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists to Jammu. He is a rising star of the fashion world and the son of actress Elizabeth Hurley. And Damian Hurley looked ethereal as he posed up for a snap in Mykonos, Greece on Thursday. The social media sensation, 17, posed shirtless with his hair tied up into a ponytail in the blue-hued snap - in which he joked he resembled a creature from the 2009 film, Avatar. Model moment: Damian Hurley looked ethereal as he posed up for a snap in Mykonos, Greece on Thursday Damian captioned the snap: 'This was meant to be a yEaRniNg fOr sUmMeR post but ive since been informed i look like an avatar creature and am now frantically hunting for a suitable pun [sic] The star also bore a striking resemblance to his mother Elizabeth, 54 as he posed in front of a holiday home. In 2009 sci-fi film Avatar, the Na'vi are humanoid in appearance and boast blue striped skin, large pointed ears and cat-like noses and ears. Damian rose to fame as the only child of Austin Powers actress Elizabeth, with the actress previously discussing the strong bond she has with her son in an interview with You magazine, claiming she had been 'blessed' with Damian. Striking: The social media sensation, 17, posed shirtless with his hair tied up into a ponytail in the blue-hued snap - in which he joked he resembled a creature from the 2009 film, Avatar She said: 'I rather think I've simply been blessed with a child whose personality gels with mine. 'Friends who have several children always admit, although they love them all equally, inevitably there's one whose personality mirrors their own and they 'get' each other better. It's definitely nature not nurture.' Damian, who counts Hugh Grant and Elton John as godfathers, signed with agency Tess Management in September 2018 and made his modelling debut in a Pat McGrath make-up campaign. Liz confessed to the publication that she wants her only child to follow in her footsteps and said, while she'd support him no matter what, she's pleased he's gone into the creative industry. She quipped: 'You know, if he does a complete U-turn and wants to pursue a career in [gulps with horror] banking, then of course as his mother I will fully support him. OCAMPO, Mexico An anti-logging activist prominent in efforts to protect a Mexican forest where monarch butterflies spend the winter suffered a head trauma as well as drowning, authorities announced Thursday night, potentially adding weight to the fears of family and other activists that he was murdered. Even before the announcement, relatives of Homero Gomez Gonzalez speculated his death wasnt accidental and said bad things are happening to human rights and environmental activists in Mexico, and people are afraid. Something strange is happening, because theyre finishing off all the activists, the people who are doing something for society, the dead mans brother, Amado Gomez, said Thursday at the funeral. The body was discovered Wednesday in a holding pond near the mountain forest reserve that Gomez Gonzalez long protected. Michoacan state prosecutors had said a few hours later that an initial review indicated a drowning and found no signs of trauma, but their latest statement said more detailed autopsy results produced evidence of a head injury. Authorities gave no other information on the injury and did not say how it might have been inflicted. They said an investigation continued, suggesting the case wasnt considered an accident. The threadbare clothes of the mourners and the few candles and simple floral arrangements at Gomez Gonzalezs funeral underlined the tough background of the struggle being played out in the butterflies winter nesting grounds, where the creatures shelter in the tall pine and fir forests. Grinding poverty and gang violence fuel twin threats to the butterfly reserve illegal logging and encroaching plantations of avocados. The latter is the only legal crop that provides a decent income in this region. For the last decade, Gomez Gonzalez fought to keep loggers out of the reserve, leading marches, demonstrations and anti-logging patrols. He tried to persuade the government to increase the meager stipend that local farmers receive for preserving trees. He also worked to convince about 260 fellow communal land owners that they should replant trees on land cleared for corn plots. By local accounts, he managed to reforest about 150 hectares (370 acres) of previously cleared land. Like other places in the world, increasingly scarce water also plays a role in the conflict. Gomez Gonzalez and other communal land owners had asked the nearby town of Angangueo for payments in return for water they receive from clear mountain streams that survive only because the forests are protected. His death has sparked fears among fellow who didnt have his education and public speaking skills. A lot of the communal land owners fear that with his death, the forests are finished, said Amado Gomez. I would like to ask the authorities to do their job and do more to protect activists like my brother, because lately in Mexico a lot of activists have died, he said. With his death, not only my family lost a loved one; but the whole world, and the monarch butterfly and the forests lost, too. International organizations have drawn attention to attacks on environmental activists and conservationists in Mexico in recent years. London-based Global Witness counted 15 killings of environmental activists in Mexico in 2017 and 14 in 2018. In an October 2019 report, Amnesty International said that 12 had been killed in the first nine months of that year. On Thursday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described Gomez Gonzalezs death as regrettable and painful. Its part of what leads us to apply ourselves more every day to guarantee peace and tranquility in the country, Lopez Obrador said. There were 35,588 homicides in Mexico in 2019, a new record, but a total that rose at a lower annual rate than recent years. The activists relatives had reported him missing Jan. 14, after not seeing him since the previous evening at a traditional celebration. His body was found in a small agricultural reservoir in Ocampo, state prosecutor Adrian Lopez Solis said. The pond is approximately 32 feet square and 20 feet deep, but only about half full of water, and is on land adjoining property where Gomez Gonzalez attended the party. Prosecutors said Thursday night that robbery appeared not to be a potential motive, since almost $500 in cash was found on his body. Lopez Solis also said earlier that relatives had received a ransom call demanding money, but an investigation determined it was not credible and just an attempt to extort money. While the circumstances of the death remained unclear, Greenpeace Mexico issued a statement calling it a murder. We condemn the fact that defending the land, natural resources and biodiversity converts activists into targets for threats, persecution and the cowardly act of taking their lives, the group said. Activists in Mexico said the death could be related to disputes over illegal logging, water or income from visitors fees to the El Rosario butterfly reserve. Gomez Gonzalez was the head of the reserves management council. Lopez Obrador raised criminality surrounding illegal logging. Its tied to criminal organizations and were working on this, he said. Millions of monarchs come to the forests of Michoacan and other nearby areas after making the 3,400-mile (5,500-kilometer) migration from the United States and Canada. They need healthy tree cover to protect them from rain and cold weather. Mexico has clamped down on illegal logging, which was once a major threat to the reserves but which has fallen to about one-third last years level. But there have been reports of increased salvage logging of supposedly sick trees. Orley Taylor, an ecology professor at the University of Kansas and director of Monarch Watch, said it wasnt immediately clear what impact Gomez Gonzalezs death would have on conservation efforts in the reserve. There are increasing pressures on the forest from both the illegal loggers and the avocado growers and possibly the gangs that extort protection from various parties in the region, Taylor said. This dynamic is widely known, but how to deal with these threats to the forests, residents and monarchs will be a challenge for the (Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve), its residents and local and regional authorities. EUGENE, Ore. A Eugene woman pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to embezzling millions from Weyerhaeuser over more than a decade. Susan Tranberg, 61, admitted to mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and tax evasion, said Billy Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. She defrauded her former employer out of more than $4.5 million, he said. The scheme started as early as June 2004 and continued through January 2019, according to court documents. Susan Tranberg used her intimate knowledge of the Weyerhaeuser Company to perpetrate a lengthy and complex fraud, Williams said. She went to great lengths to disguise her actions and mislead her colleagues. Williams also said Tranberg also didnt pay taxes on the embezzled income. Court documents show Tranberg submitted fraudulent invoices for payment to a fake vendor she created, named after her unwitting mother. Cahiers checks were made payable to the fake vendor due to Tranbergs position in the accounting and finance departments. Then, when Weyerhaeuser transitioned to a new payment processing system in June 2014, Tranberg adjusted, court documents show. She created a fake vendor account in the system and forged colleagues signatures and used others computer login credentials to create requests and approve the ongoing fraudulent payments. Tranberg would then receive cashiers checks. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. An aggravated identity theft conviction carries a two-year mandatory minimum sentence on top of any other prison sentence, Williams said. As part of her plea agreement, Tranberg has agreed to pay $4,581,218 in restitution to Weyerhaeuser and $807,033 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. Williams said Tranberg had worked at the company in Springfield for more than 40 years. A longtime reporter for the independent publication Navy Times was fired last year because he was in the process of reenlisting in the military, according to a lawsuit filed in California last month. The suit alleges the publication broke a federal law protecting employees who serve. Mark Faram, who most recently covered Navy personnel issues, worked for the Military Times papers for 27 years. Over the course of his employment, Faram had previously served in the Army National Guard in Virginia and Maryland between 1993 and 1996, and as a Navy reservist from 2000 to 2006, according to public court documents in the lawsuit. But on Aug. 2, 2019, while waiting for a medical waiver for an artificial hip that would allow him to reenlist and complete requirements for military retirement, Faram, 60, was notified by Military Times Executive Editor Andrew Tilghman and a human resources representative that his attempts to get the waiver and rejoin the Navy violated the paper's conflict-of-interest policy, the suit states. A federal law, known as the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, or USERRA, blocks employers from discriminating against workers based on their service in the military. The suit alleges that Navy Times and its owner broke that law by firing Faram. Related: USERRA Frequently Asked Questions Mega International LLC, the California-based company that owns the Military Times papers, including Army Times, Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, Air Force Times and Defense News, is the sole defendant named in the lawsuit. Tilghman said Faram was not fired for the reasons cited in the lawsuit. "The Military Times has a long history of supporting the military and those who serve in it, including Mark Faram. Our staff of journalists includes many veterans, military spouses and others with current and past relationships with the Defense Department," he said in an email to Military.com. "The Military Times denies Mr. Faram's allegations; he was not terminated for the reason he alleges. We cannot comment further because this involves ongoing litigation." Several members of the Military.com staff, including this reporter, have previously been employed by the Military Times papers. Staff members have also worked with and are friendly with Faram and Tilghman. Faram also briefly worked for Military.com. According to the suit, Tilghman told Faram, who regularly reported on then-Navy personnel chief Vice. Adm. Robert Burke, that he had violated a company conflict-of-interest policy by "currying favor" while waiting for the waiver. "'You asked the chief of naval personnel for waivers and that is asking for a favor,'" the document alleges Tilghman said. It claims he then told Faram, "'The newsroom is no longer comfortable publishing any of your stories after what you did.'" Abigale Arellano, a human resources representative for the company, also claimed Faram violated newsroom policy, the documents state. "Think about it, Mark, you are the personnel reporter for Navy Times, and you are trying to join the Navy while you are covering the chief of naval personnel who is in charge of recruiting. That is a violation of our conflict of interest policy," she said, according to the suit. "Ms. Arellano then informed Plaintiff that for this reason, employment was being terminated immediately and that he would be offered no transition benefits except for what was required by law," it states. On Aug. 6, four days after Faram was fired, he received an email from the company offering him severance of one week's salary -- $1,584 -- minus taxes and other withholdings if he signed paperwork revoking any claims, according to the suit. Faram did not accept the offer, his lawyer, Brian Lawler, told Military.com. A ban against personal conflicts of interest is standard company policy across news publications, including Military.com. Faram has since been granted the waiver and reenlisted with the Navy Reserve in November, said Lawler, who specializes in USERRA suits. Faram is currently serving on active-duty special work orders with the Chief of Naval Personnel in the Washington, D.C., region, according to Navy Cmdr. Dave Hecht, a Chief of Navy Personnel spokesman. Faram declined via his attorney to comment on the suit. "Mr. Faram has chosen to exercise and invoke his rights under a federal statute," Lawler said. Hecht also declined to comment on specifics of the suit, including whether Faram's coverage of Burke and the Navy personnel office influenced his ability to get a medical waiver for his hip. "It is inappropriate for me to comment on the specifics of a service member's personal matters due to privacy," Hecht said via email. Hip replacement waivers, he said, are granted on a "case-by-case review" based on a variety of factors, including the position for which the person is applying, their skill set, training requirements and whether their specific job would "require completing the running portion in a physical readiness test or other repetitive impact activities." The suit, which was filed Oct. 17, does not seek a specific dollar amount, but instead asks for all lost employment benefits, all lost wages plus interest, and coverage of attorney and court fees, according to the documents. It also asks the court to declare that Faram's USERRA rights were violated by the papers' parent company, Mega. -- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. Read more: Marine Aviator Relieved for Flying Too Low and Too Fast During Ceremony Former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is encouraging Republican senators to vote in favor of calling witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial. Warner, 92, served in the Senate for 30 years. He said in a statement Thursday night he is "mindful of the difficult responsibilities those currently serving now shoulder. I believe, as I am sure you do, that not only is the president on trial, but in many ways so is the Senate itself. As such, I am strongly supportive of the efforts of my former Republican Senate colleagues who are considering that the Senate accept the introduction of additional evidence that they deem relevant." It wasn't so long ago that "senators of both major parties always worked to accommodate fellow colleagues with differing points of view to arrive at outcomes that would best serve the nation's interests," Warner said. "If witnesses are suppressed in this trial and a majority of Americans are left believing the trial was a sham, I can only imagine the lasting damage done to the Senate, and to our fragile national consensus." He went on to "respectfully urge the Senate to be guided by the rules of evidence and follow our nation's judicial norms, precedents, and institutions to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law by welcoming relevant witnesses and documents as part of the impeachment trial." The senators will vote Friday on whether to allow additional witnesses, and Democrats need four Republicans to join them in order to open that door. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Time to raise productivity through deregulation, innovation President Moon Jae-in appears optimistic about the Korean economy; but an analysis of the country's growth potential by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development could hardly be more different. The OECD report estimated the potential growth rate for this year at 2.5 percent, down from 2.7 percent in 2019. The club of relatively rich countries has lowered Korea's growth potential by 0.2 percentage points for three consecutive years, indicating the nation is falling into a Japanese-type low growth trap. Growth potential the rate of maximum expansion of gross domestic product through the pooling of all human and monetary resources is regarded as a national economy's underlying strength. The fall in Korea's potential growth rate is, of course, not news, but the speed of the drop is alarming. Among the 36 OECD member nations, only two Ireland and Turkey had their growth potential fall more steeply than Korea. Nevertheless, the government seems complacent. President Moon, while commenting on the economy last week, used such expressions as "positive trends" and "very significant outcome." The Moon administration poured taxpayers' money in to the economy to hit the growth target, turning the country's fiscal balance into a deficit for the first time in four years. That can hardly be a source of self-praise. When an economy grows, its growth potential dwindles, government officials say. However, its growth potential can expand only if the government mobilizes all of its policy tools. At stake is how to rebuild this administration's economic policy. Korea's working population is falling the most rapidly in the world, and the nation has limits to get any additional labor input. As Korea Inc. has entered into a low-growth pattern, its capital input also has explicit limitations. The only option left is to lift productivity through regulatory reform and innovation. Most worrisome in this regard is the rampant economic "populism" in the run-up to the April 15 general election. China's economic growth, which exerts a massive influence on Korea, is feared to be suffering a setback because of the spread of the new coronavirus there. If the Moon administration fails to have a keen sense of crisis, the golden time for economic recovery will pass them by, just like the wind. In a tale of love transcending two countries, a Chinese woman travelled all the way to India to marry her partner as per Indian customs and rituals. The woman arrived in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh, along with her parents and got married to a young man. This story found its roots in Canada five years ago where the duo, Siddharth and Ji Hao, met in Sheridan College in Oakville. Soon they fell in love and consequently a decision was taken by their families to solemnise the marriage. Shibo Wang and his wife Jin Guan from China's Djiyong married their daughter to the son of Ved Mishra and Jyoti Navhal and were very pleased with Indian hospitality and customs. They are confident about her daughter's happy married life. Live TV The father of the bride called India "a great country", adding that he is very impressed by the hospitality and expressed his happiness in marrying his daughter to Siddharth. Jin Guyan said that her daughter and Siddharth have a very good understanding and is confident of her daughter's happiness. Ji Hao explained how she came close to Siddharth due to his helpful nature. She added that although Indian wedding customs are different from the traditional way of China, she likes it. Siddharth is also very happy with this marriage. His father said that he got to know about this love by monitoring his son's activities on Facebook. He arrived in Canada to meet his now daughter-in-law in Canada and spoke to her parents in China via video calling. After this, they decided on the marriage. Aid workers in Idleb have called for immediate action to protect civilians and provide shelter to those who have been forced to flee their homes reports Alsouria Net. The villages and towns of the southern Idleb countryside are witnessing a disastrous situation as a result of being targeted by regime and Russian warplanes on Thursday, amid an increasing tempo of displacement from the area as Assads forces approach. The director of the Syrian Civil Defense organization in Idleb province, Mustafa Hajj Youssef, described the situation in the southern and eastern countryside of the province as disastrous, adding that it was the first time Idleb had seen a situation like this. Hajj Youssef told Alsouria Net that regime helicopters had dropped barrel bombs, striking a number of areas in the southern and southeastern Idleb countryside, including the city of Saraqeb, Sarmin, al-Nayran, and Ariha, which have seen major waves of displacement in the face of Assads forces approaching. He added that a disastrous situation was facing displaced people in light of the cold and the impossibility of obtaining homes or tents to shelter them. The director of the Idleb Media Center, Obaida al-Fadel, told Alsouria Net that the escalation and the bombardment in Nayrab, Saraqeb and Sarmin southeast of Idleb, as well as the regime airplanes dropping explosive containers and mortars on Saraqeb, had led to massive amounts of destruction to infrastructure. According to the Idleb Media Center and the Civil Defense, Russian warplanes carried out a massacre in Ariha in southern Idleb by striking the Ariha surgical hospital, which killed 11 civilians and put the hospital out of service. The Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday denied that its warplanes struck a hospital or bakery in Idleb province in northwestern Syria. Regarding the displacement, Fadel said that some families in Nayrab and Sarmin were still trapped under the bombardment because of the lack of shelter, while the Saraqeb area had been evacuated of residents, as 60 families who had been trapped were evacuated with the efforts of the Civil Defense teams and local volunteers. The Humanitarian Response Coordinators group on Wednesday called on all aid groups and civil actors operating in Idleb province to head immediately to Saraqeb in order to evacuate civilians trapped in the area because of Assads forces advance, and the their inability to flee because of their poor material situation. The warnings came in light of the Assad forces advancing with Russian support on the southern and southeastern Idleb countryside, taking control of the city of Maarat al-Numan and 28 towns and villages around it, according to the Assad regime General Command of the Army and Armed Forces. This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. While the vast majority of the exhibition will focus on the years leading up to attaining the vote, the exhibit will also give visitors a sense of the ongoing struggle for women in the political, economic and social realms, she wrote. For that reason, we wanted to include an image from the 2017 March on Washington and came across your photograph. We believe it captures the essence and energy of the march and serves as a contemporary representation of women using the power of protest and exercising their right to engage in American democracy. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield was on track to post its biggest monthly drop since August as the deadly coronavirus fanned recession fears. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves inversely to price, fell slightly to 1.548% Friday. The yield has tumbled nearly 40 basis points in January, on pace for its biggest monthly decline in five months. The 10-year yield also dipped below the three-month Treasury rate of 1.552%, inverting a key part of the yield curve. The so-called yield curve inversion has been a strong sign since 1950 that a recession is coming in the next 12 months. This part of the yield curve is also closely watched by the Federal Reserve for signs of an economic downturn. Markets have been spooked by the outbreak, with investors trying to assess the potential economic fallout.China's National Health Commission confirmed on Friday that there have been 9,692 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, with 213 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the deadly pneumonia-like virus as a global health emergency on Thursday, citing concern that the outbreak continues to spread to other countries with weaker health systems. On the data front, personal income for December disappointed on the margin with a 0.2% month-over-month increase, versus a 0.3% growth anticipated. On the other hand, personal spending matched estimates at 0.3% last month. Chicago Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for January and a final reading of consumer sentiment for January will follow slightly later in the session. CNBC's Sam Meredith and Matt Clinch contributed to this article. Remainers are scrawling 'I love EU' on 50p coins with permanent marker and releasing them back into circulation, in a last-ditch attempt to anger Brexit voters. Karen Hoyles, from Devon, posted pictures of her defaced coins online, calling for others to follow suit. In an appeal to her Twitter followers, she hoped for people to 'get their creative juices flowing' and release '10million' 50ps with the phrase. The picture posted to Twitter by Karen Hoyles, showing a 50p coin with a heart and 'EU' scrawled on it in permanent marker, in an attempt to anger Brexit voters Ms Hoyles, from Devon, also posted a picture of the permanent marker used to scrawl on the coin (right), while Nigel Callaghan claimed to find two defaced coins in his change (left) Another apparent Remain supporter, Nigel Callaghan, claimed to have found two defaced 50ps, a pound and a two pound coin in his 'change'. Mr Callaghan appeared to sarcastically say it might have been 'treason' if the Queen's face had been drawn on while also outlining how people could write on coins with a Sharpie. The protest comes as Royal Mint announced its release of a special edition gold Brexit 50p coin, which can be purchased for 945 by those wishing to commemorate the occasion. Three million special edition coins will also be released into general circulation this morning, bearing the inscription Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations. Mr Callaghan (pictured above) appeared to sarcastically say it might have been 'treason' if the Queen's face had been drawn on while also outlining how to write on coins with a Sharpie Another Twitter user claimed to have completely defaced a 50p coin by using a drill-type tool. The Royal Mint website states it is illegal to 'melt down' or 'break' any metal coin While Ms Hoyles received support from some social media users, who claimed they would be 'declining' the new 50p in their change, many criticised the move, describing it as 'childish' Ms Hoyles wrote: 'Come on, all you need is a permanent marker. 10million in circulation would get the message across quite nicely.' After her message was liked more than 11,700 times, she commented: 'Great response, it's got people's creative juices flowing if nothing else. 'We can safely assume it's unpopular with Brexiteers, and even some Remainers. You can't please everyone, but more importantly it's given some of us a way to protest, however small. We're a democracy, right?' She later added: 'Just to be clear all, I'm not forcing anyone to draw on coins. Some of the comments imply otherwise. Chancellor Sajid Javid (above), who is also Master of the Mint, presented one of the new coins, which bear 'Peace, prosperity and friendship to all nations', to Boris Johnson this week 'By all means give to charity, "take out of circulation", paint chisel or throw into the sea. It's meant to suggest a small act of defiance, not an order.' While Ms Hoyles received support from some social media users, who claimed they would be 'declining' the new 50p in their change, many criticised the move. One said: 'What a good idea. I considered declining it in my change but that causes all sorts of difficulties. What is the new 50p Brexit coin? More than three million new 50p coins will enter circulation this morning, to commemorate the UK leaving the EU. The 50ps will bear the inscription 'Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations'. A further seven million will also be released into circulation later this year. The Royal Mint also released a special edition gold Brexit 50p, which can be purchased for 945. Chancellor Sajid Javid, who is also Master of the Mint, presented one of the new coins to Boris Johnson earlier this week. Advertisement 'The idea of gammons finding the message in theirs cheers me up.' Another posted: 'It is difficult to imagine anything more infantile or puerile. If you love the EU so much why not just relocate there and spare us from your silliness?' A third added: 'Even if you could manage to do all 10 million of them, what would it achieve? 'Just another silly childish gesture by people who are old enough to know better.' A fourth commented: 'There's a big difference. 'I as a leaver finding one of these would chuckle, you as a Remoaner finding a Brexit coin would shriek like a child and refuse to accept it.' Although many claimed Karen's actions would break the law, the Royal Mint website states it is illegal to 'melt down' or 'break' any metal coin - but doesn't mention writing on them. It says: 'Under Section 10 of the 1971 Coinage Act - No person shall, except under the authority of a licence granted by the Treasury, melt down or break up any metal coin which is for the time being current in the United Kingdom or which, having been current, has at any time after 16th May 1969 ceased to be so.' The condition of Indias first coronavirus-affected woman in Keralas Thrissur is stable and the state health ministry has constituted a medical board to review her case, health minister KK Shailaja said early on Friday. The minister had rushed to Thrissur after the Union health ministry confirmed the woman, who returned from a medical university in Wuhan last week, had tested positive for the virus. The condition of the student is stable. She is responding well to symptomatic treatment. We have constituted a medical board and bulletin will be issued every evening, Shailaja said. We want all to co-operate with the government agencies and not to spread any rumours, she said. She has also sought the help of private hospitals and doctors to tide over the crisis. There was a plan to shift her to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital but authorities decided against it for now after a high-level meeting. The minister said there 1056 people under observation in Kerala and 15 are in isolation wards. Many people who came in direct contact with the first patient have been put under observation that is why the number of those under observation rose steadily. Some reports suggest the woman was first screened and found negative and allowed to go home but she was later rushed to the hospital after she complained breathlessness and throat pain. Three more results are awaited from the National Virology Institute in Pune. Among the three, two of them had reportedly travelled with the first patient when she returned home last week. A complete block in the medical college hospital has been converted as the isolation ward. The Union health ministry has also agreed to start a virus- testing centre in Alapuzha. The government has also sought the advice of the virology experts from Manipal Medical College in Mangaluru and Baby Memorial Hospital in Kozhikode, which worked during the nipah outbreak in Kozhikode two years ago. The state health ministry has asked suspected patients to go by the protocol of the World Health Organization (WHO) and not to take homoeopathy or unani medicine. Earlier, there were reports that these two alternate medicines were effective in treating the dreaded virus. The virus, which has killed 213 people all in China, is said to have originated from a seafood market in Wuhan. WHO on Friday declared the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak that originated in China but has spread to at least 17 countries as an international public health emergency (PHEIC). The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a new strain. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON President Donald Trump dismissed US cases of coronavirus as a 'very little problem' on Thursday in an effort to reassure the American public despite the World Health Organization's declaration that the outbreak is a global health emergency. The new coronavirus spreading from China has also spread from one infected person who visited China to another who had not been to the outbreak's epicenter. As a result of both developments, the US State Department has issued its strictest travel warning, advising Americans not to go to China, where more than 200 people have died an nearly 10,000 are sick with the new disease. But Trump - a self-described 'germaphobe' - said that the six US cases are a 'very little problem,' while speaking at a Michigan manufacturing plant on Thursday. President Donald Trump said Thursday that coronavirus is a 'little problem' in the US, attempting to quell fears as the virus spread to a sixth American from his wife The new coronavirus has quickly spread around the globe, killing more than 200 people and sickening nearly 10,000 in more than 20 countries worldwide People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Chinatopix via AP) Trump generally has discussed the virus in broad terms, but he offered some of his most extensive comments on the issue to date during an appearance Thursday at a Michigan manufacturing plant. 'Hopefully, it won't be as bad as some people think it could be, but we're working very closely with [the Chinese government] and with a lot of other people and a lot of other countries,' he said. 'We think we have it very well under control.' Trump described the handful of US cases as a 'very little problem' and said those people were 'recuperating successfully.' 'But we're working very closely with China and other countries and we think it's going to have a very good ending for us. That I can assure you,' he said. Trump also has discussed the situation with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Aides and confidants say Trump's careful approach is part of a political strategy crafted to avoid upsetting the stock market or angering China by calling too much attention to the virus or blaming Beijing for not managing the situation better, according to a White House official and a Republican close to the White House. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss private conversations. Late Wednesday, Trump tweeted photos from a White House Situation Room briefing on the virus, writing that 'we have the best experts anywhere in the world and they are on top of it 24/7!' In keeping with the low-profile approach, the White House announced by email Wednesday night that the meeting included members of a task force that will lead the US response. The 12-person team is chaired by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and coordinated through the National Security Council. The president's comments contrast sharply with the fierce criticism he lobbed at his predecessor, President Barack Obama, during the 2014-15 Ebola crisis, which left more than 11,000 dead in three West African nations. Several nations have closed their borders with China and the US State Department has warned Americans against any travel to China amid the coronavirus outbreak. Many of those still traveling to and from the country wear masks, hoping to cut their infection risks Trump and health officials in the US and worldwide have praised efforts made in China to contain the virus's spread, such as spraying disinfectant (Chinatopix via AP) At the time, Trump ripped into Obama as a 'dope' and 'incompetent' and called for a travel ban on visitors from Ebola-infected countries. Trump also advocated preventing infected American health care workers from coming home for treatment. Obama faced some criticism from public health officials for being slow to address the Ebola crisis initially, but also received plaudits for eventually attacking it with vigor. He nudged Congress to make a $5.4 billion emergency appropriation to aid the fight and sent 3,000 US troops to West Africa to help with the international response. Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, said he's taken a measure of comfort in the fact that Trump, so far, hasn't overreacted and has resisted 'fanning the flames' as he did with his rhetoric during the Ebola crisis. That leaves room, Gostin said, for public health professionals to take the lead. 'As long as that continues and as long as there isn't political interference or mass quarantines in the US or outright travel bans, I will feel comfortable with how the White House is handling it,' Gostin said. He added that he'd like to see Trump ask Congress for a $1 billion emergency appropriation to help agencies battling to contain the virus. Trump is well aware the virus outbreak in China could create a wild card for the U.S. economy during an election year. And he has long prioritized the US economic relationship with China, especially during trade negotiations, and similarly largely held his tongue during widespread protests in Hong Kong. He also takes enormous pride in the personal relationship he's developed with Xi and has commended him for demonstrating 'transparency' as he deals with the crisis. Asked about the virus while traveling abroad last week, Trump said 'we have it totally under control.' In a separate Twitter posting, he offered reassurance but scant detail for his confidence. 'China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus,' Trump tweeted. 'The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well.' But some public health experts say Trump's rosy assessments of the situation don't match the ground truth. Gostin pointed to Chinese government bureaucratic delays that led to tens of thousands of people traveling outside of Wuhan province, increasing the likelihood that the virus will travel far beyond China. 'Its not accurate at all,' Gostin said of Trumps assessment of Chinas handling of the outbreak. 'China manifestly does not have this under control.' Trump's budgets have proposed cuts to public health, only to be overruled by Congress, where there's strong bipartisan support for agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Indeed, the money government disease detectives are tapping to fight the latest outbreak was a congressional idea. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Boak, Lauran Neergaard and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report. Delhi Police Crime Branch will produce the Jamia area firing accused before the Juvenile Justice Board later today. The accused, on Friday, said he has no remorse for what he did and was radicalised by viewing videos on social media, claims Delhi Police. Police sources also said that the accused had procured the country-made pistol from his village and left for Delhi in a bus to take revenge for the death of Chandan Gupta. Gupta was killed in Kasganj violence on January 26. The accused brandished a gun despite heavy police force deployment and fired at the marching students on Thursday. Delhi police sources said that the accused has denied having any connection or links with any organisation. Before the incident, Delhi Police said sufficient police arrangements had been made for the march for which there was 'no permission'. Referring to the incident in which one student was injured, the Delhi Police issued a statement that read, "At around 1:30 pm, while the gathering was moving, one person suddenly came out of it brandishing a small firearm like object and within a split second, before anyone could assess or react to what he was doing, the man suddenly fired towards the marching students." "The police staff immediately rushed towards the person and overpowered him. As the barricades were tied with each other to deal with the proposed march, the injured was immediately taken to the nearest hospital -- Holy Family by lifting him from behind the barricades in order to save precious time," Delhi Police said in a statement. The police said DCP South-East also reached the hospital in no time, to ensure that proper medical treatment was extended to the injured, who has been identified as Shadaab Farooq, a student of Jamia University. "A case under section 307 IPC and 25/27 of Arms Act has been registered at PS New Friends Colony," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called a two-day nationwide bank strike from Friday (January 31) demanding early wage revision settlement, due since November 1, 2017. The two-day strike coincides with the Budget Session of Parliament, which commences today. The strike would hit banking operations today and February 1 with about 10 lakh bankers in government and private sector have decided to boycott their work. On Thursday, the bank employees unions decided to go on with the strike as a meeting with the Indian Bank Association (IBA) remained inconclusive. Live TV According to the IBA statement, "Multiple rounds of discussions have been held between the IBA Negotiating Committee and the United Forum of Bank Unions for the Wage Revision of Bank employees. In the meeting held on 30th January 2020, despite the revised offer of up to 19% hike including performance-linked incentive made from IBA side, the Unions have unfortunately decided to go ahead with an all-India Bank strike on 31st January and 1st February 2020, to be followed by other agitational programmes." It further stated, "During discussions, the conditions of business, paying capacity of Banks and consistent efforts by Banks at providing various types of benefits to the employees from time to time were explained but all Unions are pressing for some other demands which are not possible to accept. One such demand is for 5-day banking. It is known to all that the economy of the country is going through testing times. Banks being the principal players in economic development, cannot afford to provide a lesser number of working days for banking activities. Our country already has one of the highest numbers of public holidays than any other country and adding 26 more holidays would create more problems for the public." The IBA added, "For the convenience of the customers, Banks will keep alternative channels available and customers can utilise these alternate/digital channels of banking 24x7 for day to day banking." According to report, banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13, besides staging an indefinite strike from April 1. The strike would affect services at several bank branches and ATMs. Among several demands to hold the strike include the merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling. Notably, the strike will be spearheaded by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine unions in the banking sector. COLUMBIA Columbia College, a women's college in South Carolina's capital city, will begin admitting male students as early as fall 2021. The college in a statement said it began considering enrollment model changes in 2017 "to strengthen the colleges position." Among private colleges in the state, Columbia College had the second-largest drop in enrollment from fall 2017 to 2018, according to statistics from the Commission on Higher Education. Enrollment fell 17 percent to 1,252 students in the latest data available. Over the past decade, the college's drop in enrollment was nearly twice the average rate when compared with South Carolina's other private colleges. "While enrollment is 'a' factor it's not 'the' factor," college President Carol Moore said. She said surveys have shown a declining interest among 18- and 19-year-olds in studying at a women-only institution. We are excited about the possibility of making Columbia College a place that can accommodate all students in the future," Board Chairman Toby Goodlett said in a statement. "With our rich history, our quest is to always provide learning opportunities that prepare students for a successful future. The college, which was founded in 1854, has previously accepted men into a limited number of programs but this expands that option. The student body was 79 percent women in fall 2018. There were 272 men enrolled in evening, online and graduate degree courses that same semester. The college said that even with the change, it will maintain its designation as a womens college. Moore said this will be done by offering two separate tracks, allowing women to choose between female-only or co-ed. While the college still has much to do to finalize plans, students are likely to have options like women-only classes as long as class size allows, Moore said. She said this will be particularly important in science, math and technology fields where the industry has been male-dominated and "not always woman-friendly." Columbia College is one of only two women's colleges in the state alongside Converse College in the Upstate. The college plans to host a number of informational sessions on the process with students, staff and alumnae. While the college does not know how all of its supporters and benefactors will take the news, Moore said, there are several graduates on the board and all have been supportive of the new direction. Separately, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges placed the college on a 12-month warning last June, sanctioning it for "significant non-compliance" with accreditation standards. The standards where Columbia is out of compliance are related to the colleges finances and its assessments of its degree programs. Moore said the college goes back before the commission April 1. She said the warning status had no bearing on the board's decision to go co-ed and she does not think the sanctions stand in the way of the college's efforts to increase enrollment. NORRISTOWN Making history greater is an ambitious endeavor. But if anyone can accomplish it, the Historical Society of Montgomery County, with the help of reenactor Noah Lewis, can. For its next Making History Greater Series presentation, in honor of Black History Month, the organization puts the spotlight on historian Lewis with his own production Meeting Ned, on Thursday, Feb. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Historical Society, 1654 DeKalb Street in Norristown. With the free program, Lewis will bring to life the story of Edward Ned Hector, an artilleryman who was one of three to five thousand people of color who served as patriotic soldiers during the American Revolution. We know Noah very well and he continues to come in here to do research and we asked him to come in for Black History Month, noted Historical Society executive director Barry Rauhauser. He gave a similar talk about Ned Hector four or five years ago and hes portrayed Ned Hector at a lot of different events around the Greater Philadelphia area. Meeting Ned tells Hectors story of what it was like to be a black soldier in Washingtons Army, as Lewis, dressed in the uniform of the Third Pennsylvania Artillery Company, offers unique insight about the role of African Americans in the Colonial fight for freedom. Im excited about coming there, said Lewis, a Delaware County resident. Its like coming home. Thats where Ned Hector was and a lot of the research I did came from the Historical Society. Sometimes people dont really appreciate the history thats right underneath their nose or right next to them. Its amazing people live right next to the Liberty Bell and never go to see it. Lewiss presentation has been known to include instructions, along with audience participation, on how to fire a musket. Hector, who was born around 1744, fought at Brandywine and Germantown in his early 30s, and was noted for his courage during the retreat from Brandywine, when he refused to let his team, wagon, and dropped armaments fall into enemy hands. He is quoted as saying, The enemy shall not have my team. I will save the horses or perish myself. Blacks fought on the British side as well as American, said Lewis, who wrote the critically hailed biography Edward Ned Hector Revolutionary War Hero. Hector, who lived to age 90, resided in a log cabin in Conshohocken with his wife Jude and son Charles. Theres a real possibility that Ned may have been the first black person who may have lived in the Conshohocken area, Lewis said. His children moved down towards Philadelphia. Neds oldest son, Charles, married a woman named Leah Fisher, who had 13 children one of which is Albanus Fisher, who lived in Norristown. The thing I pose to people, he added, is that I wonder if this man became the man he became because he grew up on stories of his grandfather by marriage, Ned Hector. Im thinking about talking about Leah Fisher and bringing her into the discussion at the Historical Society. Im batting around a lot of ideas right now but havent decided exactly what Im going to talk on. Hector was a free black man with the legal rights of any free man during his time, Lewis pointed out. He is one of many free blacks. There are more free blacks in Pennsylvania than any of the other 13 colonies. The Quakers setting their slaves free is a big factor in this. Many free blacks group together to form black communities, like ones near Hanging Rock in Conshohocken where Ned comes from, and Log Town south of the Brandywine Battlefield. We know that Hector actually owns a wagon and four horses, so thats one way we know that he definitely was not a slave. As a teamster, he might have a better than average education. He would need a good level of reading, writing, and ciphering (basic mathematics) skills for his job. Although he would be able to make a good living, teamsters would not be the most cultured of men. One of the wealthiest men in Philadelphia is a black man named James Forten. Not a lot of people realize that Hector Street in Conshohocken was officially named after Hector in 1850. I dont know for sure, but I think its one of the first things named after a black man in the area, Lewis said. I always thought it was sad that Ned never knew he had a street named after him, but around 1830 there was a deed naming Hector Street as one of the boundaries of a property. According to biographical information found online, 32 citizens petitioned borough council to develop and grade a road passable to wagons and name it Hector Street, to honor Ned Hector. In 1976, a historical plaque is erected at the intersection of Hector and Fayette Street honoring Ned and the many Africans that served during the American Revolution. As part of its mission to promote and interpret the history of Montgomery County, the Making History Greater series features scholars, authors, and historians who are currently working on telling new stories about the complexity of our regions history. SPRINGFIELD Government reform advocates told a panel of state lawmakers Thursday that Illinois has some of the weakest governmental ethics rules in the country and that lawmakers should put more teeth into them if they hope to regain the trust of the public. For me, the disheartening part of all of it is not that so many lawmakers at all levels of government have strayed so far from the rules and have overshadowed the good work of ethical lawmakers, but that so many across our state kind of react to this news with a shrug, said Georgia Logothetis, assistant director of the watchdog group Common Cause Illinois. Its a kind of disheartened acceptance that, well, this is just the way things work in Illinois. Logothetis was part of a panel of reform advocates who testified before the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform. The commission was formed last year in the wake of federal investigations that led to indictments against three sitting state lawmakers, two of whom have since resigned. Thursdays hearing, the third since the panel was formed, focused on the states Governmental Ethics Act, and specifically its provisions dealing with conflicts of interest and financial disclosure requirements. While some states specifically prohibit lawmakers and other public officials from acting on issues in which they have a direct financial interest, Illinois has no such provision. In fact, the only thing the Illinois law says about conflicts of interest is that when they arise, lawmakers should consider the possibility of eliminating the interest causing the conflict. If that is not feasible, the statute continues, he should consider the possibility of abstaining from such official action. Marie Dillon, policy director for the Better Government Association, a Chicago-based advocacy group, said that law was the result of a 1965 study commission that initially recommended mandatory rules, along with penalties and public reporting for violators. Those suggestions were rejected by lawmakers at the time. So, we ended up with a law that leaves it up to individual legislators to decide if they have a conflict of interest and, if so, what to do about it, Dillon said. As a taxpayer, I have to say emphatically, thats not good enough. Nicholas Birdsong, a policy specialist for the National Conference of State Legislatures, said conflict of interest laws vary widely among the states. He said 35 states require lawmakers to recuse themselves from votes in which they have a conflict of interest and 13 states, including Illinois, leave the decision up to the lawmaker. In Tennessee, where the rules are different in each chamber, the state House has a mandatory recusal policy and the state Senate has a discretionary policy. Utah, Birdsong said, requires legislators to vote if they are present, regardless of whether they have a conflict. Birdsong said some states have adopted the idea that lawmakers should be able to vote, even if they have a conflict of interest, because legislators are elected and theyre obligated to vote according to the will of their constituents regardless of whether or not it serves or hurts their interest, and so having these sort of mandatory recusal rules essentially limits their ability to do their jobs. Many of those testifying Thursday also called for updating and expanding the Statement of Economic Interests forms that public officials in Illinois are required to fill out. The interesting thing about this document to me is, Im not sure it adequately assesses what the interests are, said Brad Cole, executive director of the Illinois Municipal League. As an example, Cole pointed to one question on the form that asks what other units of government the person filing the form has worked for in the preceding year. It doesnt say what you do for that unit of government, and that makes me wonder what is the interest, he said. If you are employed, what are you doing? What is the interest that you might have with the unit of government. Other questions on the form ask filers to identify the names of businesses in which they have an ownership interest; the names of professional organizations in which they are an officer or director; the nature of any professional services they rendered for which they were paid more than $5,000; the identity of significant capital assets they own; and the name of any lobbyist with whom they have a close economic association. Others pointed out that people filling out the form do not have to disclose outstanding debts or credits, any real estate holdings they may have other than their home, or how much income they derive from sources that might present a conflict of interest. Former Illinois Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who served from 2011 to 2015 under then-Gov. Pat Quinn, said reporters often refer to the current document as a none sheet because people can write the word none on virtually all of the questions, even though they might still have significant outside interests. She argued that the form should be designed in a way that is useful to the public rather than in a way that protects the privacy of public officials. Id ask you to step back and look at how its going to affect people back home, she said. How is it going to affect not just members of the state House and Senate, but how is it going to affect people who are on the city council and the county board and the library district and everyone who is a constituent of those elected people who would like to know, does the person whos proposing the new library board have an interest in the property where theyre going to build the new library? The joint commission so far has not made any recommendations for new ethics laws. Its final report to the General Assembly is due March 31. But Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker made a forceful plea in his State of the State Address on Wednesday that he expects lawmakers to pass real, lasting ethics reform this legislative session. I think that message coming from the leader of our state is one of the strongest messages that can take place, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, a member of the commission, said after the meeting. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The main accused in a Rs 900 crore heroin smuggling racket has been nabbed by Interpol in Italy earlier this week, an official of the Gujarat Anti- Terrorism Squad (ATS) said here on Friday. The ATS had seized five kg of heroin in August 2018 and arrested two people. Probe revealed that it was part of a 300 kg consignment which had entered Gujarat from Pakistan through the Mandvi coast. Simranjit Singh Sandhu, a resident of Amritsar, was the brain behind the smuggling racket, the senior ATS official said. "Sandhu has been held by Interpol in Italy after a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued by the ATS. We will seek his custody after he is deported to India as we need to know where the remaining 295 kg heroin is," the official said. Aziz Abdul Bhagad and Arif Adam Sumra, arrested in August 2018, had allegedly told the investigators that the contraband was smuggled into Gujarat through sea route, on dhows and fishing trawlers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chances, amounts of weekend snow still up in the air The tribe of the 'other' has emerged protagonist at the India Arts Fair with the women of Shaheen Bagh, the global refugee crisis, gender discrimination and marginalisation of the LGBTQ community among the themes adding a splash of colour and feel on the artscape. From wall writings and photographs to life-size installations and audio clips, artists used various mediums to make their points. Artist Probir Gupta's mixed media installation "A Poem of Instruments" at Delhi-based gallery Anant Art's booth at the fair, which began on Friday, is a tribute to the women who have been protesting at the city's Shaheen Bagh against the new Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It has been more than 45 days since the protest began and, according to Gupta, "Every protest has its foods". Food not just to feed those resisting the authority, "food" also to keep the protest running -- a microphone to unite the voices, ink to transcribe these voices, and then put them in writing on placards and on walls. "Every protest has its foods -- foods that become symbols, touch emotions and offer solidarity and succour, forging bonds that go beyond all kinds of divisiveness," the artist writes on his artwork. Also celebrating the diversity of humankind is Bangladeshi artist Tayeba Begum Lipi's installation "We Can't be the Same". Self explanatory, the work features five different copper-wired wigs for women. One has short hair, another has curls and a third one dons straight and long tresses, sending out the simple and urgent message of embracing the heterogeneity in society. Drawing attention to the migrant crisis are works by artists Gigi Scaria, Arpita Singh and Ranbir Kaleka, all represented by Delhi-based Vadehra Art Gallery (VAG). Singh's paintings explore "both real and imagined realities" to speak about the effects of migration and movement. Both her works at the fair -- "Houses Big and Small" and "Another Marienbad" -- are dense with roads and streets in her recognisable cartographic style, littered with images of burqa-clad women, perhaps a reference to the protestors of Shaheen Bagh. "Singh concentrates on the narratives surrounding women and present day environments of control, movement and freedom," the gallery says. In an apparent continuation of Singh's narrative is Scaria's bronze sculpture titled "Camp". The work comes at a time the word "detention centre" is increasingly becoming part of everyday conversations with the country-wide uproar over the CAA. The circular, bare-bones skeletal structure of the green patina (tarnish produced due to oxidation of bronze) detention camps mirrors the transient nature of human life, particularly in the uncertainty that shrouds the lives of those displaced. "With a cyclical notion of history symbolically represented in the shape of the camp, Scaria takes an investigative look at political realities from the evocative lens of human life, or rather the lack of it," notes the text on the booth wall. Kaleka's digital collage, with archival inks and oil on canvas, titled, "Man with Quilt" is another work that deals with the contemporary issue of forced migration of people from their homes and homelands. The work is ripe with a sense of belonging and the subsequent loss of it, and humankind's instinctive desire to hold on to objects and memories. It showcases a wrecked neighbourhood -- burnt shop shutters, misplaced footwear, a solitary cooking pot. In that mess can be seen a few strolling cows, a couple of stray dogs and one man carrying a "safety quilt", probably the last of his belongings that survived the destruction. Displacement is also the central theme at the booths of Mumbai-based gallery Rukshaan Art, which has on display brick portraits by artist Girjesh Kumar, and Kolkata-based Emami Art gallery which has brought paintings by Anjan Modak. Addressing the discrimination based on religion, gender and sexuality are artists like Shilo Shiv Suleman, Malcolm Hutcherson and Balbir Krishan. Bengaluru-based Suleman uses magic realism to create fantastical images of empowered women, a couple of which are being showcased at the Art Musings booth. On the wall, the artist has written, "My name is Shilo Shiv Suleman. I am the daughter of Nilofer (the blue flower). I took my mother's surname Suleman (a mountain range/ a prophet) because I was brought into the world through her and I was brought up by her. "I am the sister of 'Shaan' (pride). I am the grand-daughter of 'Noor Jehan' (the light of the world) and 'Kamarridin' (the moon of faith). In my family line are the women 'Zubeida', 'Hamida', 'Farida', 'Waheeda'. Daughters of 'Noor' (illuminated), our names are written right to left. India (like me) is Muslim. Like India, I am also Hindu. Look (miraculous), how both faiths live inside me." Krishan's painting "Am I Safe?" at the Italian Embassy booth raises concerns about the safety of the LGBTQ community in India, even after the decriminalisation of homosexuality Section 377 in 2018. Krishan, an Indian gay artist now based in New York, has been a victim of violence. In 2014, an unidentified assailant attacked him and destroyed one of his artworks during an exhibition in Delhi. At the Art Heritage booth are portraits of several members of the transgender community by contemporary documentary artist Malcolm Hutcheson. Titled "Angelcopiers", the black and white photographs show the transgenders in "normal" light, reinforcing the rightful criticism of the prejudiced treatment meted out to the community. The India Art Fair opened to the public on Friday and is set to continue till Sunday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 06:53:27|Editor: zyl Video Player Close QUITO, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno on Thursday said he aimed to bolster trade exchange with China, one of the country's main trade partners. "China is a great buyer ... it buys a lot of products from us and, certainly, it sells to us also," Moreno told local media during a visit to the southern Amazonian province of Morona Santiago. Currently, the two countries enjoy "very dynamic trade exchange, so it is important to reinforce the relationship," said Moreno. Shrimp is one of Ecuador's top exports to China, which imports "more than half of Ecuador's shrimp output," noted the president. China also imports Ecuadorian fruits, such as banana and mango, according to the Ecuadorian-China Chamber of Commerce. Ecuador's minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fishing, Ivan Ontaneda, who accompanied Moreno, described China's market as a priority for diversifying exports. "We have China on our radar, not just now, but for several years," said Ontaneda. In the past year, Ecuador's sanitary control and regulation agency Agrocalidad, has stepped up procedures to introduce new Ecuadorian products to China's market, including dragon fruit, he said. Ecuador has been exporting dragon fruit, grown in the province's Palora region, to Asia and the European Union since 2012, and to the United States since 2017. Exports of the fruit generated revenue of some 41 million U.S. dollars in 2019, said Ontaneda. MIDDLE EAST Syria Expected Council Action In February, the Council expects to receive the monthly Syria briefings on the humanitarian situation, political developments, and the use of chemical weapons. By the end of February, the Council also expects to receive from the Secretary-General a report on the feasibility of using alternative modalities for the Al Yarubiyah border crossing, as requested by resolution 2504. Key Recent Developments During the month of December 2019, there was an upsurge in aerial bombardment and ground fighting between government and Syrian opposition forces in southern Idlib province. According to OCHA, since 1 December 2019, approximately 389,000 people- the majority of whom are women and children- have been displaced. Many of the displaced fled from Maarrat An-Numan, a city in southern Idlib that experienced aerial bombardment in the recent assault, and moved north within the governorate or to areas in the northern Aleppo governorate. The violence has continued into 2020. According to media reports, an attack on a school in the town of Sarmin in northern Idlib on 1 January killed nine civilians, five of whom were children. Local sources believed that the school had been used to shelter displaced families from southern Idlib. On 3 January, Council members held consultations on the situation in Idlib. France and the UK requested the meeting in light of the escalation of hostilities in north-west Syria. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock and Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed. Many Council members referred to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Idlib to illustrate the urgent need to find a compromise on the resolution to renew the cross-border aid mechanism in Syria before its 10 January expiration. It seems that Lowcock underlined that if the mechanism were not re-authorised by then, the UN would not be able to deliver food and life-saving aid to those in need. On 20 December 2019, the Security Council voted on two draft resolutions that would have renewed the authorisation for cross-border and cross-line humanitarian access. Neither draft was adopted. The first draft, which was produced by Belgium, Germany and Kuwait, received 13 affirmative votes but was vetoed by China and Russia. It would have re-authorised use for one year of three of the four border crossings (Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa on the Turkey/Syria border and Al Yarubiyah on the Iraq/Syria border) that had been mandated by previous resolutions. The second draft, produced by Russia, failed to be adopted because of an insufficient number of affirmative votes, as only five members (China, Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Russia, and South Africa) supported it. (A resolution requires nine or more affirmative votes to be adopted.) The Russian draft called for a re-authorisation of two of the four existing border crossings (Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa) for six months. Difficult negotiations aimed at renewing the mandate continued through the end of December and into early January, with differences persisting over the number of authorised border crossings and the duration of the mandate. On 10 January, Belgium and Germany (without Kuwait, which had been a co-penholder but finished its Council term at the end of 2019) revised their draft to allow for the re-authorisation of two of the four border crossings (Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa) for a period of six months. The draft was adopted as resolution 2504 by a vote of 11 in favour, none against, and four abstentions (China, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States). The resolution does not re-authorise use of the Al-Ramtha and the Al Yarubiyah crossings. This departed from the co-penholder draft resolution put in blue on 9 January, which included the latter crossing; the Al Yarubiyah crossing was removed on the day of the vote to secure adoption. The resolution further requests the Secretary-General to report to the Security Council by the end of February 2020 on the feasibility of using alternative modalities for Al Yarubiyah. During the vote, Russia proposed an oral amendment to the co-penholder draft that referenced the guiding principles of humanitarian emergency assistance, as contained in General Assembly resolution 46/182. (One of the guiding principles adopted by that resolution is that humanitarian assistance should be provided with the consent of the affected country and in principle on the basis of an appeal by the affected country.) The oral amendment failed to be adopted because of insufficient votes, as only three Council members (China, Russia and Viet Nam) voted in favour. In consultations on chemical weapons in Syria on 6 January, Russia announced its intention to convene an Arria-formula meeting on the final report of the Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) on the reported use of chemical weapons on 7 April 2018 in Douma, which was published on 1 March 2019. The report concluded that the evaluation and analysis of all the information gathered by the FFM provide reasonable grounds to conclude that a toxic chemical weapon was used and that the toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine. According to media reports, at least 40 people died as a result of the use of chemical weapons in Douma. Although the FFM is not mandated to assign responsibility, the report established that it is possible that two yellow industrial cylinders were the source of the substances containing reactive chlorine that caused structural damage in two locations. According to the report, one of the cylinders was found on a rooftop terrace and the other passed through the ceiling of a different building and hit the floor. Featured speakers at the Arria-formula meeting included Ambassador Alexander Shulgin, Permanent Representative of Russia to the OPCW; Maxim Grigoriev, director of the Foundation for the Study of Democracy; Ian Henderson, a former OPCW official; and Bashar Jaafari, Permanent Representative of Syria to the UN. These speakers strongly questioned the accuracy of the FFMs report, with Grigoriev maintaining that the chemical weapons attack in Douma had been falsified. At press time, the Council was expected to receive briefings, followed by consultations, on the political and humanitarian situations in Syria on 29 January. Human Rights-Related Developments On 16 January, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria published a report on childrens rights, covering September 2011 to October 2019 (A/HRC/43/CRP.6). The report details violations of childrens rights by the warring parties, including killing and injuring of children, the recruitment and use of children in hostilities, attacks on education, children in detention, and sexual violence against children. It states that the unprecedented and recurrent nature of these violations has affected generations to come. The devastating situation of education in Syria is highlighted as an area of concern, with thousands of schools having been destroyed or used for military purposes and more than 2.1 million children not regularly attending classes of any form. Eight years of conflict has not only left an enormous trauma on the physical and mental well-being of an entire generation of Syrian girls and boys, but also destroyed the social, economic and cultural fabric required for Syrian communities to start healing, the report says. Key Issues and Options A key issue is creating an environment in Syria that is conducive to advancing the political process. The Constitutional Committee has not met since its 25-29 November 2019 session, when no progress was made, as the co-chairs from the government and opposition sides were unable to agree on an agenda for the meeting. The government side wanted to discuss national constants such as terrorism and sanctions relief prior to engaging on constitutional matters; the opposition maintained that these issues could be addressed but not outside the context of the constitution. Members could emphasise the importance of confidence-building measures to accompany the work of the Constitutional Committee, such as large-scale releases of detainees and abductees and information about missing persons. Other potential confidence-building measures, as proposed by the International Crisis Group, could include amnesty for deserters from the armed forces or access to prisons for organisations such as the ICRC. Another significant challenge is the difficult humanitarian situation amidst the ongoing fighting in Syria. In reviewing the Secretary Generals report on the feasibility of alternative modalities for the Al Yarubiyah border crossing, members might consider holding an informal meeting, such as a closed Arria-formula meeting, to allow for a frank discussion with UN officials and relevant humanitarian aid organisations on these potential modalities. Council Dynamics The Council remains intensely divided on Syria, as reflected by the negotiations leading up to the adoption of resolution 2504 and the four abstentions registered on the vote. Russia and China have reservations about the cross-border aid delivery mechanism, maintaining the importance of cooperation with the Syrian government in the delivery of aid and believing that authorisations of the Al Yarubiya and Al-Ramtha crossings are no longer necessary. Several other members regret that these crossings are no longer authorised and that the renewal of the Bab al-Salam and Bab al-Hawa crossings will only be for six months rather than one year. There is especially strong concern about the closing of the Al Yarubiya crossing, given that OCHA has estimated that 1.3 million people in northeast Syria receive aid such as medicine and medical equipment through this crossing. The Councils divisions were also clearly exhibited in the Arria-formula meeting. Several membersBelgium, Estonia, the P3 and otherssupported the FFMs conclusions on Douma, while Russia strongly contested its findings. Others called for depoliticization of the OPCWs work and issued a broad condemnation of the use of chemical weapons. Belgium and Germany are the penholders on the Syria humanitarian file. UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA Dartmouth is partnering with four leading electrical tech companies--GE Research, Analog Devices, Empower Semiconductor, and Ampt--to form the first NSF-funded Industry-University Collaborative Research Center (IUCRC) focusing on integrated power management and delivery for a wide range of electrified systems. Providing companies with unprecedented access to Dartmouth's R&D expertise, facilities, and intellectual property, the new Power Management Integration Center (PMIC) will address a range of challenges facing next-generation power electronics. "Power is in almost everything," says Dartmouth engineering professor and PMIC co-director Jason Stauth. "We want to remove technology bottlenecks and help make electronics smaller, more efficient, and cheaper for both industry and consumers." Micro-electronics and integrated circuits have revolutionized computing, communications, and information technology. However, as devices have shrunk, power management hardware remains a key obstacle to further reducing systems' size and cost in virtually all applications, from mobile communications and Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices to electrified systems in automobiles, aircraft, and spacecraft. Focusing on integrated power management circuits and systems on a chip, PMIC will work to develop new ways of achieving extreme power density and efficiency with the potential to transform transportation, communication, and energy generation and consumption. Innovations in this area can bring significant improvements to a wide variety of applications including battery life for mobile platforms, solar and electrochemical energy storage, electric cars and other electrified transportation, as well as overall cost, carbon emissions, and national energy security. "Companies want to create products that use less energy without increasing cost," adds Dartmouth engineering professor and PMIC director Charles Sullivan. "Researchers here are exploring and developing the technology to help them do that. PMIC will bring Dartmouth researchers and companies together." Member companies will share in both the cost and benefit of cutting-edge R&D and gain a higher return on investment through jointly-funded research. Membership comes with up to 12 votes on the IAB which steers the Center and provides input into plans for PMIC expansion. Research will strive to advance technology for power circuits, systems, and components including: New circuit topologies, power management ICs, and discrete power converters Next generation passive components Integrated passive components for high-density power management System design, optimization, and control Reliability and robustness in power electronic circuits New circuit architectures and design techniques that leverage high-level integration PMIC will emphasize passive component innovation and integration, magnetic materials and component design, and new high-density resonant structures for power delivery. Member Testimonials "The mission of PMIC is relevant to GE Research's power conversion technologies that implement wide bandgap semiconductors and high-bandwidth control-architectures," said Satish Prabhakaran, Manager at GE Global Research. "The Center's focus on integrated power conversion and power management enable high power-density and high-efficiency power solutions that are of interest. Further, we welcome the opportunity to host PMIC-affiliated students through internships at GE Research." "Innovative magnetics design and power supply topologies that take advantage of these breakthroughs are critically important to advancing the state of the art in power management," said Sam Nork, General Manager at Analog Devices. "The faculty at Dartmouth has considerable expertise in these areas, and we look forward to collaborating with the professors and students as we pursue the next generation of power management solutions." "We are delighted to be involved in PMIC at Dartmouth. Empower Semiconductor was founded with a similar shared belief that power management efficiency and density are core challenges facing the electronics industry" said David Lidsky, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Empower Semiconductor. "We have been successfully pushing the envelope with high-speed, ultra-small regulators with our advanced Integrated Voltage Regulators (IVR's), and look forward to working with the talented and innovative PMIC team." "Research in advanced power electronics, ranging from circuit topologies to component design and integration to system design and control is highly relevant to our core focus of accelerating the clean energy revolution through optimization of solar energy conversion," said Fernando Tomasel, VP of Engineering at Ampt. "We are glad to support and participate in PMIC, and excited at the prospects of collaborating with Darmouth's faculty in the generation of new knowledge and the production of highly qualified professionals in the field of power electronics." ### Contact us to become a member. Upcoming Events President Donald Trump said the new North American trade deal signed this week ended a nightmare for Michigan manufacturing workers. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement represents one of Trumps most tangible accomplishments in office, something he pointed to as evidence that he delivered on promises made throughout the 2016 campaign in Michigan. The president celebrated the victory Thursday while flanked by blue-collar workers at an auto parts supplier in Macomb County, where voters in largely working-class communities played a key role in helping him become the first Republican to win the state in nearly three decades. Trump gave a roughly 30-minute speech after touring the Warren facility of Ohio-based Dana Inc., one of the five largest U.S.-based suppliers to vehicle manufacturers. Dana employs 1,500 people across four factories in Southeast Michigan, including Auburn Hills, Flint, St. Clair and Warren. The president told workers Washington betrayed them with trade deals that benefitted lobbyists and corporations. He said politicians campaigned across Michigan for decades on empty promises to fix NAFTA, but said bringing a solution to workers was probably the biggest reason I ran for office. Trump punctuated his remarks by turning over the microphone to Dana Inc. employees who thanked the president for creating a positive economic environment. My administration is very pro-worker, Trump said after taking the podium again, later adding that his administration is restoring Washingtons allegiance to hard-working citizens and the proud heritage of being a manufacturing nation. Dana Inc. Chairman and CEO Jim Kamsickas said the new trade deal, set to last 16 years, will reduce the chance of market disruptions and allow North American vehicle production to remain competitive globally. Kamsickas said his company is positioned to take advantage of increasing demand for hybrid and energy-efficient vehicles. The USMCA requires automakers to produce vehicles with 75% of their components manufactured in North America, an increase from what was required under NAFTA. The new deal also demands 40% to 45% of automobile parts to be built by workers who earn at least $16 an hour and includes provisions to hold Mexico accountable for labor standards. NAFTA was despised by both parties, long criticized for allowing companies to move their manufacturing facilities across the southern U.S. border to take advantage of cheaper labor. The U.S. House and Senate approved the USMCA with bipartisan support. Trump said Michigan lost 200,000 manufacturing jobs under the previous deal, while 60,000 plants and factories closed across the country. I just wanted to say I kept my promise, Trump said. My promise of taking care of (Michigan) so other countries arent ripping us off. I think a lot of our politicians should be ashamed." Meanwhile, Michigan Democrats highlighted a recent jobs report, released by the U.S. Department of Labor, which found Michigan lost 5,300 manufacturing jobs in 2019. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes also highlighted last summers closure of General Motors Warren Transmission Plant. The number of people employed in vehicle manufacturing jobs slightly grew from November 2018 to November 2019, a rate of 0.6%. Jobs involved in auto parts manufacturing declined by 5.3% over the same period, according to BLS data. During his campaign, Donald Trump stood here in Warren and told us, if Im elected, you wont lose one plant,' Barnes said. "For the 5,300 manufacturing workers in Michigan who lost their jobs last year, these broken promises by Donald Trump are yet more evidence that we cannot afford four more years of this ineffective president. Trump said we have many foreign companies bringing jobs to the U.S. He also celebrated plans announced by General Motors to invest $2.2 billion transform its Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, which had been set to idle this year, into a new state-of-the-art electric vehicle factory and Ford Motor Co.'s plans to invest $1.5 billion in its Wayne and Dearborn assembly plants. The Trump administration expects the USMCA to create up to 76,000 auto manufacturing jobs and create $34 billion in new automotive investments during the next five years. Macomb County, the third-largest county in Michigan, is expected to be a bellwether again in 2020. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the new trade deal puts Trump in a stronger position to hold voters in industrial-centered communities north of Detroit. Several dozen supporters who held signs outside the Warren auto parts supplier Thursday said Trump is creating economic growth in their community. Supporters said Trump connected with the struggle of middle-class Michiganders on the campaign trail and has since made good on his promises. (Other politicians) talked good, but they didnt deliver," said George Kaljaj, a 62-year-old Sterling Heights man. "Thank God Trump came. Chester Rudnicki, an 80-year-old former skilled tradesman, said hes well acquainted with how NAFTA affected working people in Michigan. Rudnicki said he used to work for American Axle, an automobile drivetrain manufacturer, but took a buyout and retired before the company began moving work to Mexico during the Great Recession. Ive seen the injustice, Rudnicki said. The (previous) deal put a lot of working people and the middle-class at a disadvantage. The jobs for a lot of the people eventually moved out to Canada and Mexico because people can work for a lot cheaper. President Trump, by changing the agreement, is going to help out a lot." Across the street, a woman rolled down her cars window to yell at the gathering of supporters. Impeach the motherf***r," she said as the car drove past, echoing an infamous quote made by U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit. While Trump made his remarks in Warren, the U.S. Senate convened to continue his impeachment trial. The president was in Michigan last December on the same night the House voted to charge him with abuse of power and obstructing Congress. Trump is only the third president to be impeached by the House and the only impeached president to seek re-election. Rochester resident Jerry Legato said he thinks Democrats leading the effort to convict Trump in the Senate must have a low opinion of voters. Its just totally ridiculous to have the man being impeached and look at what hes done for this country," Legato said. I cant imagine him not winning in a landslide and carrying the House and Senate with him. It seems like they are just calling people stupid, the Democrats. Trump indicated the new deal was his singular achievement. No Democratic lawmakers were invited to the signing ceremony this week. Vice President Mike Pence chose to stop in Michigan first during a year-long national tour pressuring Congress to pass the trade deal. In subsequent visits to Mackinac Island and West Michigan in 2019, Pence claimed Democrats wanted to deny the president a legislative victory. House Democrats said the lengthy negotiations with the White House yielded important provisions to level the playing field with Mexican workers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill Trump signed Wednesday is quite different from what the president sent us at a news conference in Washington. Labor unions thanked Pelosi and her allies in a USMCA working group for adding enforceable labor standards to improve conditions for workers in Mexico. The AFL-CIO had opposed the first draft unveiled in 2018 but supported the final version adopted this week. President Trump may have opened this deal, the AFL-CIO said in a December statement. But working people closed it. And for that, we should be very proud. Still, Michigan Democrats expressed reservations that the trade deal will encourage automakers to bring facilities and jobs back to Michigan. U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, said the USMCA wont undo the deep damage thats been done to American workers since NAFTA was passed. Its not just going to uproot factories from overseas and bring them back home, Dingell said on a press call with reporters Wednesday. Of Michigans 14 representatives in the House and two Senators, only three opposed the trade deal -- Tlaib and U.S. Reps. Justin Amash, I-Cascade Township and Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township. Trumps Thursday visit brought him to Levins district. Earlier in the week, Levin said Trump will try to present the USMCA as a silver bullet for American manufacturing and the middle class, but the deal is a modest rewrite of NAFTA. What my workers in my district and in America need is for Mexican workers to have the rights to form unions, to bargain collectively, to raise their own wages, so we dont have this race to the bottom," Levin said. Until that happens, these trade agreements are gonna hurt people. Democrats got in there, led by Speaker Pelosi, to include some improvements, and there are improvements in there. But when I looked at them, I found that, unfortunately, Im pretty sure they are not going to succeed in changing things on the ground in Mexico. Trump flew to Michigan accompanied by four of the states five Republican congressmen. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, was not present. Trump is the second president to visit the Warren plant -- Franklin D. Roosevelt toured the facility in 1942 when it was known as the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant. The plant now builds drive and motion systems for Ford Motor Co., Fiat-Chrysler Automobile and other automakers. Read more on MLive: Trump to visit Michigan auto parts supplier in Warren Michigan Congressional delegation applauds deal to finalize USMCA Michigan House Democrats push for vote on revised USMCA by end of 2019 The interagency command of local, state and federal agencies that handled the TPC Group incident in Port Neches for almost two months disbanded Thursday. In a Thursday afternoon update from Port Neches Response, representatives for the command said it was able to step back after meeting several operational milestones. TPC Group reported it has emptied the site of almost 50% of all chemicals and transferred all of its high-concentration butadiene. It will now focus on moving less volatile chemicals like low-concentration butadiene, raffinate and other materials. Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick said the announcement didnt mean that the county would no longer be involved or receiving updates on work, but that the situation had gotten to a point where agency officials no longer needed to continue meeting daily as they did during the peak of the emergency. We feel things are under control and weve met operational goals to protect human life, the environment and extinguishing the fire, he said. We dont feel like they need our assistance anymore. In an email to the Enterprise, TPC Group spokesperson Sara Cronin said the company had developed an incident command team to take over the decision-making process while it works to completely end the incident. The decision to stand down unified command was mutually agreed upon by all groups engaged in the response structure (U.S. EPA, TCEQ, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick and the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management, and TPC Group) based on key milestones achieved by the company, Cronin wrote in an email. The company has previously said transfer operations will be centered on the sites dock on the Neches River, but chemicals could be shipped by other means depending on where they are needed. It didnt release any information on where chemicals would be heading, but TPC Group sites in Houston and Lake Charles were named as possible locations early in the incident. The plant had 102 spherical storage tanks and cylindrical atmospheric storage tanks on site at the time of the fire; 88 had contents. The 71 highly pressurized spherical tanks in service contained raffinate, butadiene, heavy polyblends or a gas mixture of unrefined petrochemicals called crude C4. Nine of those tanks experienced some level of impact, from smoke discoloration to some kind of combustion; one holding raffinate ruptured. Seventeen tanks contained chemicals at lower pressure levels, including methanol; the fuel additive MTBE, stored for the nearby Huntsman plant; a water-treatment chemical for TPC; and a solvent called NMP. One of the other milestones TPC said it reached was a 45-day period without any actionable levels of volatile organic compounds or butadiene outside the fence line. While there havent been any detections reported that reached what state and federal environmental agencies call actionable levels, leaks have been detected around the site during chemical transfer activities. On Jan. 14, Port Neches residents were informed of two leak detections in 18 hours from TPC Group and its neighbor, Lion Elastomers. At the peak of the response to the original incident, more than 20 governmental and private organizations were part of the command group gathering information and making decisions. More than 2,570 people worked on the ground or elsewhere to monitor the situation. TPC Group said it will continue its own air quality operations with 10 fence line monitors, 17 stationary monitors and 15 roaming monitors. It said readings in the past month and a half meant monitoring activities could be comfortably scaled back to just inside the site perimeter. Its next milestones are to complete the deinventory of all chemicals and finish equipment evaluations across every piece of the site. TPC Group has previously said it is focusing some efforts on equipment preservation and perhaps eventually restoring the site. In the last update from the command, representatives wrote that the company would work to re-establish capability of site utilities, including nitrogen, permanent electrical power and potable water. In the wake of the Nov. 27 explosion, most of the urgent information updates and evacuation orders came straight from city and county officials, followed by more in-depth releases from the unified command. Branick said he didnt think the dissolution of the command would leave the general public less informed, as local authorities were still an active part of the response. The fire and emergency personnel like (Port Neches Fire) Chief (Paul) Nelson and the Sabine Neches Chiefs will still be involved, Branick said. They will also continue their after action reviews to see how we can we improve our safety moving forward. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Norwegian Defense Market - Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Norwegian military expenditure is projected to reach US$8.3 billion in 2024 with an expected CAGR of 4.67% over the forecast period. This report provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news. The report offers detailed analysis of the Norwegian defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. The report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants. In particular, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the following: The Norwegian defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the Norwegian defense industry during 2020-2024, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the country's expenditure and modernization patterns Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country Porter's Five Force analysis of the Norwegian defense industry: analysis of the market characteristics by determining the bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of substitution, intensity of rivalry, and barriers to entry Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years Market opportunities: details of the top five defense investment opportunities over the next 10 years Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the Norwegian defense industry. It provides an overview of key players, together with insights such as key alliances, strategic initiatives, and a brief financial analysis Norway aims to develop a strong and modern defense force that is capable of addressing national threats and contributing effectively to allied and international operations regarding security and peace, post the financial crisis. The country is a part of NORDEFCO (Nordic Defence Cooperation), which was established in 2009 and aims to strengthen the region's defense capabilities through cost-effective collaborations. The Norwegian military capital expenditure is forecasted to increase from US$2.7 billion in 2020 to US$3.5 billion in 2024, at a compounded annual growth rate of 6.67%. The Norwegian Defense Ministry is expected to procure military fighter aircraft, search and rescue helicopters armored vehicles, main battle tanks, cyber security, radars, ammunition sensor systems and UAVs. The Revenue expenditure is forecasted to increase from US$4.3 billion in 2020 to US$4.9 billion in 2024, attributed to additional training and development programs that are undertaken over the forecast period. Norwegian homeland security expenditure to be US$5.2 billion by 2024. Norwegian homeland security expenditure (HLS) stands at US$4.7 billion in 2019, reflecting a CAGR of 1.76% over 2015-2019. Over the forecast period, the budget is expected to grow from US$5.4 billion in 2020 to US$8.9 billion in 2024, driven by the government's efforts to curb the continuing problems of terrorism and cyber-crimes. The country is anticipated to spend significantly on cyber security, surveillance systems, airport security, biometric systems, video-surveillance systems, training, and cyber security software during the forecast period. Norwegian defense imports and exports are expected to increase over the forecast period. Overall defense imports were high between 2014 and 2018, and are expected to further accelerate during the forecast period due to the modernization and procurement plans of the Norwegian MoD. European countries such as France, Germany, Italy, and the UK are expected to remain the key suppliers during the forecast period. During the forecast period, the country's defense exports are expected to grow significantly as a result of expansion into Thailand, Singapore, and South Africa, in which, demand for defense equipment is expected to be strong. Furthermore, new collaboration programs with foreign OEMs are expected to drive Norwegian defense exports over the forecast period. Companies mentioned in the report: Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace AS, Forsvarets ForskningsInstitutt (FFI), NAMMO AS (Nordic Ammunition Group), Kitron, Thales Norway AS, Umoe Mandal, Eidsvoll Electronics AS (Eidel). Reasons to Buy This Report This report will give the user confidence to make the correct business decisions based on a detailed analysis of the Norwegian defense industry market trends for the coming five years The market opportunity section will inform the user about the various military requirements that are expected to generate revenues during the forecast period. The description includes technical specifications, recent orders, and the expected investment pattern by the country during the forecast period Detailed profiles of the top domestic and foreign defense manufacturers with information about their products, alliances, recent contract wins, and financial analysis wherever available. This will provide the user with a total competitive landscape of the sector A deep qualitative analysis of the Norwegian defense industry covering sections including demand drivers, Porter's Five Forces Analysis, Key Trends and Growth Stimulators, and latest industry contracts For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uoqz5u Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum have discussed mutual partnership at the regional and global levels. During the meeting held in the UAE, the two sides reviewed the prospects for cooperation in digital economy, e-commerce, modern infrastructure, artificial intelligence, financial services, investment, tourism, construction and transport. Tokayev noted the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and the UAE and confirmed his intention to give a powerful impetus to the implementation of joint business projects. "Our country is preparing to promote tourism products related to global history, for instance, as to the Golden Horde. In this regard, we are very much interested in the Emirates experience in tourism industry: how to develop domestic tourism, how to make destinations interesting for tourists," he stated. Tokayev also praised the reforms carried out in the UAE, which have turned Dubai into one of the largest financial and tourist centers in the world. In turn, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum expressed the readiness of the Emirates to share their experience and knowledge on the development of various sectors of the economy with Kazakhstan. He also informed Tokayev on Dubais preparation for the EXPO 2020. The UAE is the first among the Middle East countries in terms of trade turnover with Kazakhstan. Since the independence of Kazakhstan, the total direct investment of the UAE in Kazakhstan has totaled $2 billion. At the same time, Kazakhstan has invested over $900mn in the UAE economy," There are nearly 200 joint ventures partially owned by the Emirati business presently operating in Kazakhstan. According to statistics provided by the UAE minister, around 100,000 Kazakh citizens visit the Emirates annually. In its turn, Kazakhstan has been offering visa-free travel to the UAE citizens since 2014 for 15 days, and since 2017 - for 30 days on each visit. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The United States became the first country to issue a do-not-travel advisory for China on Thursday in view of the coronavirus outbreak that has claimed upwards of 170 people in China and infected more than 8,200. Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, the US state department said in a statement, issuing a Level 4: Do Not Travel advisory. This dire travel advisory came after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first case here of a human-to-human transfer of the virus, from an Illinois state woman who had travelled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the Chinese outbreak, to her husband. There have been six cases of coronavirus infection in the United States thus far, but no deaths. Citing the January 30 WHO declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, the state department said, Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. It added, Those currently in China should consider departing using commercial means. The Department of State has requested that all non-essential US government personnel defer travel to China in light of the novel coronavirus. The United States was also the first to start evacuating its citizens from Wuhan earlier this month, triggering similar actions by other nations, including India. PRESIDENT Duterte ordered a temporary travel ban covering all tourists from Hubei in China following the countrys first confirmed case of the 2019 novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) . Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the travel ban will last until the threat is over. The Department of Health (DOH) said it will also recommend the expansion of the travel ban to cover more Chinese provinces, as more and more new cases have been reported. As of Friday afternoon, Jan. 31, 2020 Mainland China reported 9,692 confirmed cases of the new virus and the death toll rose to 213 from 170, the Associated Press reported. In the Philippines, the DOH said there is no additional positive case, but two more patients have been placed under investigation (PUI) for the 2019-nCoV ARD as of 12 noon Friday, bringing the total recorded number of PUIs to 31. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared, Friday, the 2019-nCoV ARD as a public health emergency of international concern, but the WHO Emergency Committee on Novel Coronavirus under the International Health Regulations does not recommend the imposition of any travel or trade restrictions. The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and have noted with concern instances in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. Russia announced it was closing its 2,600-mile border with China, joining Mongolia and North Korea in barring crossings to guard against a new viral outbreak. It had been de facto closed because of the Lunar New Year holiday, but Russian authorities said the closure would be extended until March 1. Story continues Meanwhile, the United States and South Korea confirmed their first cases of person-to-person spread of the virus. The man in the U.S. is married to a 60-year-old Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city that is the epicenter of the outbreak. Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia welcomed the Presidents decision to ban Chinese tourists from Wuhan City and Hubei Province in China. Garcia said this would mean fewer passengers have to undergo a 14-day quarantine in Cebu, as fewer tourists would be allowed to travel due to the order. With this, our burdens are lessened, Garcia said. (ANV, FVQ, SunStar Philippines, AP / RSR) Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh, who leads the Thai government panel in peace talks with southern insurgents, speaks to reporters in Bangkok about a planned second meeting with Barisan Revolusi Nasional rebels, Jan. 31, 2020. Updated at 6:12 p.m. ET on 2020-01-31 Thailands top southern peace negotiator said Friday that he anticipated a next round of direct talks in March with BRN, the most powerful of the armed separatist groups, but it remained unclear whether MARA Patani, a panel of insurgent organizations, would participate. Earlier this month Thai delegates and representatives of the rebel group known as Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or the National Revolutionary Front (BRN), held official bilateral talks in Kuala Lumpur for the first time in years. I think early March, Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh, the chief Thai negotiator, told a news conference in Bangkok when asked when the next meeting would occur. He said the change in dialogue partners in the Malaysia-brokered peace process had occurred because his side wanted to involve the southern border regions largest rebel group in negotiations. Since 2015, Bangkok has held formal talks with MARA Patani to end the decades-long insurgency in the mainly Muslim and Malay-speaking Deep South, but the effort has failed to achieve any breakthroughs. Late Friday, Malaysian facilitator Abdul Rahim Noor separately confirmed the upcoming meeting. Yes, it is true. There will be a meeting between the Thai government and the Deep South separatists in March in Kuala Lumpur, he told BenarNews. Wanlop said the first meeting allowed both sides to get acquainted and agree on a framework for talks, while the next session would focus on presenting terms and conditions for peace. On Jan. 20, Wanlop led a seven-member delegation, including a justice ministry official and an intelligence agency official, in meeting with a BRN delegation headed by Anas Abdulrahman (also known as Hipni Mareh). Anas is a former teacher at a religious school in southern Yala province, who is wanted in Thailand over allegations that he trained insurgents. At the meeting, he introduced himself as the head of the BRN peace talk delegation this time, the same as Malaysias introduction of him. We are quite confident that he is the right BRN representative to talk to us, Wanlop told reporters. BRN holds seats on the MARA panel but, experts say, the umbrella body may not have control of hardcore BRN fighters in the field, prompting Thailands new top peace negotiator to pursue contact with the groups de facto leaders through Rahim Noor. Initially, we want to have bilateral talks with the BRN. When we work, we want to work with the most influential group first and other groups may join, Wanlop said. The two sides agreed that future talks for the first time would include peace process experts who would observe the negotiations, according to the Thai general. The experts you mentioned are to join on an individual basis, not in the name of organizations or any governmental agencies. They are peace experts so their roles in the process could add to the credibility, Wanlop said, adding that the experts could change depending on the nature of specific discussions. Umbrella groups role MARA Patani spokesman Abu Hafez Al-Hakim said members of the umbrella group were involved in BRN as well. Thai officials have said that Awang Jabat, who has a lead role in MARA, Sukree Hari, who resigned as lead negotiator but remains on the panel, and Ahmad Chuwo are all from the BRN. At the moment, MARA Patani is coordinating with the BRN. It is not concluded yet, Abu Hafez told BenarNews about the panels possible role in the upcoming meeting. There are BRN members in MARA Patani. Let them talk. Theres BRN members in MARA who met the others in BRN. So let them sort it out among themselves. When its done, then only the other groups can hold meetings with BRN, he added. With Malaysia agreeing in 2013 to serve as a facilitator, the Thai government and BRN negotiators began discussions but failed to reach an agreement that year. Later, BRN and other rebel groups including the Patani United Liberation Organization (PULO), the Patani Islamic Mujahideen Movement (GMIP) and the Islamic Liberation Front of Patani (BIPP) began negotiating under the MARA Patani banner. Prior to the unannounced talks earlier this month, BRNs top leaders had stayed away from peace negotiations between the government and MARA Patani that stalled out last year. The Deep South borders Malaysia and encompasses Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala provinces as well as four districts in Songkhla province. Nearly 7,000 people have been killed in violence in the region since the insurgency flared up again in early 2004 after a dormant period. Noah Lee in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report. More than 700 Puerto Ricans who were displaced due to the series of earthquakes planned to stay in the government temporary shelter until the shaking of the ground stops. The U.S. Geological Survey said that Indios, located in the island's southwest region, was at the epicenter of the back-to-back earthquakes this month that triggered strings of seismic activity that could last as much as a month. On Jan.6, the island was hit by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake, the first quake of the year the island experienced, it hit people while they were celebrating Three Kings Day. The earthquake destroyed a popular tourist landmark in Guayanilla known as Punta Ventana. After the island experienced a 6.4 magnitude quake that destroyed many homes and took the life of one person, an islandwide blackout, and destroyed numbers of buildings, Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vasquez said that the quake costs $110 million in damages across 559 structures. Moreover, for more than 4000 displaced individuals due to earthquakes, going back to their homes safe is getting more and more difficult as the U.S. territory's government runs up in their fundings, shortages of personnel to assess damages, and the lack of a plan to relocate those who are sleeping outdoors to a more comfortable and safer housing. One of the residents in Indio, Gilberto Feliciano, a former construction worker, said that he is convinced that no building is safe to be built in the southern part of Puerto Rico. He said: "My house, especially, moves like a snake. First, you hear a sound like a truck and then the shaking." There are 16 towns in the southern part of the island that were designated as major disaster zones and that includes Guanica, Guayanilla, Penuelas, Ponce and Yauco. Mayors in these towns said that they sustained a total of $460 million combined damages. The mayor of Yauco, Angeli "Luigi" Torres, said that there were more 3,000 homes and small businesses that were destroyed in his town and he also said that if the shaking continues it could bring down their town. Moreover, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that they approved at least $3.6 million to give financial aid or assistance to households and individuals, but the budget has not yet been given to the communities. Recovery is still a big question on the island. According to the Puerto Rico Seismic Network, there were at least 2,581 earthquakes on the island this month and that includes a 5.9 magnitude on Jan.11, a 5.2 magnitude four days after, and the most recent magnitude 5.0 this past weekend. Historically, the island experiences around 186 tremors in a decade. However, for Feliciano and other displaced individuals, they refuse to return to their homes until they know that it is safe. The government sent inspectors to assess if the homes are still good for habitation, but for some, the list of displaced individuals is too long and it could be a long time before they all get answers. The Mayor in Yauco admitted that one of the challenges he is facing is the lack of structural engineers who were trained to inspect damaged structures and then determine if they are still safe or not anymore. Torres said: We have like 40 engineers but they are not enough. We're in need of engineers that can come here and help us inspect 3,000 homes here that have damages." BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: Head of the Election staff department of the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (AVCIYA) Maharram Zulfugarli met with the representatives of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) who are in Baku due to the monitoring the upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, Trend reports referring to the website of the Independent Media Center Election 2020. At the meeting, Analyst of OSCE ODIHR Masha Yanushevich informed about the work done of the organization in connection with upcoming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. The representative of AVCIYA acquainted the OSCE representatives with work in connection with the monitoring of elections held in Azerbaijan since 2004, as well as with the work related to elections to Azerbaijan's parliament which will be held on February 9. At the meeting, an exchange of views was held on the work of the countrys Central Election Commission (CEC), the pre-election atmosphere, voter complaints, the campaign for collecting signatures by candidates, reports prepared by both structures, etc. Participants praised the work of the CEC in the field of handling complaints of candidates. In conclusion, the two structures made a settlement on continuing the exchange of experience and organizing a meeting of ACSDA representatives with 350 observers. The government was on Friday night still unsure if dual Chinese-Australian citizens would be allowed to depart but US authorities had secured the release of some of their dual passport holders. The death toll from the flu-like virus in China reached 213 on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency. That number is expected to climb over the weekend after 9776 cases were confirmed - surpassing the number of people infected with the SARS virus at the height of that pandemic in 2003. Nine cases were confirmed in Australia, four in NSW, three in Victoria and two in Queensland. Federal and state health authorities have told the public they are prepared for more and have isolated patients. "The advice is that all nine patients are stable and well cared for," Health Minister Greg Hunt said. "The first two have been released and declared post-viral." The US Department of State took the unprecedented step of issuing a level four "do not travel" warning for all of China on Friday, heaping pressure on other countries to follow suit on advice to travellers flying through some of the world's busiest airline routes. The declaration came after doctors in Chicago announced the first case of person-to-person transmission in the United States for a person who had not travelled to China. Russia has ordered the partial closure of its border with China, its largest trading partner, and imposed strict visa limitations. The Transport Workers Union, which represents thousands of airport security workers, called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to immediately suspend all flights to China. British Airways on Thursday cancelled all flights, as did budget airlines Lion Air and Air Seoul. Jet Star, which is owned by Qantas, also suspended all flights to the mainland, but its parent carrier has yet to follow suit. Australia's DFAT maintained its "do not travel" advice for Wuhan, while urging only essential travel for the rest of China. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said no other country had stopped all flights from China but that position would "be reviewed every single day". Australia's chief medical officer, Brendan Murphy, said the World Health Organisation strongly recommended that nations did not ban flights from China. "Unless you lock down exit from the country, banning flights, direct flights, doesn't stop people coming from China," he said. "They could come from all sorts of other ports and at least we know who is coming from China and we can meet and do very intensive border measures for those flights." The flow-on economic effects threaten to outstrip the SARS virus in 2003, which cost the global economy $60 billion. In Hubei, more than 40 million people remain in lockdown, with businesses and transport shut across a dozen cities. Communist Party members have been urged to replace exhausted doctors on the frontline as more than 2000 beds are added to two hospitals built within a week. Speaking in Sydney before convening cabinet's national security committee for an update on the evacuation plan, Mr Morrison said Australia was well equipped to deal with the potential pandemic. Loading "All of the issues, isolation, case management, contact tracing, prevention of onward spread, active surveillance, early detection, Australia has been doing these things and will continue to do," he said. Despite a number of the Australians trapped in Wuhan expressing reluctance to be transferred to Christmas Island, Mr Morrison said there had "been very strong interest in participating in these arrangements". He defended the government's decision to charge those being evacuated $1000 per person to be transported to Christmas Island. They will spend 14 days in quarantine in the facility before being flown back to Australia, likely Perth, and will then make their own way back to their home cities. Dhaka, Jan 31 : A Bangladeshi national, who returned from China, has been kept in isolation after he developed a cold and fever over fears of contracting the deadly novel coronavirus which has killed 213 people in the Asian giant, it was reported. "We are not saying that he is infected with coronavirus. But he has been kept in an isolation unit as extra precaution," Director General of Health Services Abul Kalam Azad told bdnews24 on Thursday. The authorities collected blood sample from the patient and he will be kept at the "isolation unit" until all necessary tests were done, Azad said, adding: "His body temperature has decreased. There is nothing to be afraid." The man arrived in Dhaka from Guangzhou on Wednesday night, according to Azad. "He was cleared by the authorities in China. But we collected samples and kept him at an isolated unit of a hospital when his high body temperature arose our suspicion," he added. Bangladeshi authorities have started the screening of travellers from China at airports to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Units to isolate suspected coronavirus patients have also been opened at the Kurmitola General Hospital and the Infectious Disease Hospital at Mohakhali in Dhaka following a government decision to quarantine such patients for 14 days. In South Asia, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal have confirmed one case each of the coronavirus. Pakistan announced this week that four students were tested positive in Wuhan. As of Friday, China has increased the toll to 213, with 9,692 infected cases. France is threatening to block a rescue deal that would save British Steel from collapse. French finance minister Bruno Le Maire has told Chancellor Sajid Javid he is opposed to selling British Steel to Chinese industrials firm Jingye Group. Scunthorpe-based British Steel has a profitable factory in the North East of France that supplies steel tracks to the country's rail company, SNCF. Fanning the flames: Scunthorpe-based British Steel has a profitable factory in the North East of France Le Maire is opposed to handing over ownership of strategically important assets to Chinese firms. The French Government has the power to veto any sale of the French plant. But Jingye is offering to buy British Steel in its entirety for about 50million and if the French vote down the offer it could scupper the entire rescue and leave the future of British Steel hanging in the balance once more. The company collapsed last May and has been propped up by taxpayers at a rate thought to be 1m a day since then. Jingye is offering to plough 1.2billion into Britain's second-largest steel maker in a bid to keep it afloat. Jingye declined to comment to comment. New Delhi: The budget session of Parliament starts today. During the speech of President Ram Nath Kovind addressing the joint session of the Parliament, the opposition created an uproar when he mentioned the Citizenship Amendment Act. President Ram Nath Kovind while addressing the joint session of Parliament said that Mahatma Gandhi's dream has been fulfilled by the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Budget session will be discussed today after President's address He has said that in the atmosphere created after Partition, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said, "Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not want to live there, can come to India. It is the duty of the Government of India to provide them a normal life." He said, 'I condemn the oppression on minorities in Pakistan, and also urge the world community to take cognizance of it and take necessary steps in this direction.' Budget Session Live: President Kovind, PM Modi welcomed at Parliament House President Ramnath Kovind said that it is my government's clear belief that democracy is strengthened through mutual dialogue and dialogue. Any kind of violence in the name of protest weakens the society and the country. President Ramnath Kovind said, 'My government, working on the mantra of' Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas ', is working with complete loyalty and honesty' Budget session: There is a possibility of a ruckus, many issues expected to be discussed Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media Jamia firing: 'Who paid the shooter?' asks Rahul Gandhi India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 31: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who 'paid' the Jamia shooter, a day after a man opened fire at a group of anti-CAA protesters in the area. Asked by reporters to comment on the incident as he was entering Parliament, Gandhi said, "Who paid the Jamia shooter?" On Thursday, Gandhi had tweeted a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, "I cannot teach you violence, as I do not believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before anyone, even at the cost of your life." Jamia firing: Police says incident happened in seconds; personnel did not have time to react This is the first reaction of Rahul Gandhi on the shooting incident that rocked the capital on Thursday and left one student injured. NEWS AT 3 PM, JAN 31st JAN, 2020 Also, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi attacked the BJP over firing at the Jamia university and asked if this is the Delhi that PM Modi wants and envisions. Meanwhile, Delhi Police sources told ANI that the Jamia shooter doesn't regret his act and so far he has denied being affiliated to any organization. He was radicalised after watching videos on social media and wanted to take revenge for the death of Chandan Gupta, who was killed during the Kasganj violence in 2018. Jamia firing: UP teen who opened fire on anti-CAA protesters is a 'minor' Tensions in the Jamia area spiralled on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a student, before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 13:32:01|Editor: zyl Video Player Close KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least eight militants including three group commanders were killed as fighting planes struck a Taliban hideout in Dasht-e-Archi district of the northern Kunduz province on Thursday, said an army statement released here Friday. Acting upon intelligence report, the fighting planes targeted a gathering of the Taliban fighters inside thier hideout Thursday afternoon killing eight including three group commanders namely Mullah Abdullah, Mullah Omari and Mullah Neman on the spot, the statement asserted. Taliban militants who attacked some security checkpoints in Dasht-e-Archi district on Wednesday and killed 13 security personnel have yet to make comment. Dasht-e-Archi district has been regarded as a Taliban hotbed in the restive Kunduz province with Kunduz city as its capital 250 km north of Kabul. The negotiations aim reach to an agreement on rules regulating the filling and operation of the Ethiopian mega-dam The negotiations on the under-construction Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) continued in Washington for a fourth day on Friday with the aim of reaching an agreement on rules regulating the filling and operation of the Ethiopian mega-dam, MENA reported. Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Ati are taking part in the meetings, which are being mediated the US and the World Bank. The meetings were supposed to be concluded in the middle of January, but the three sides Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan failed to reach an agreement. They remained deadlocked over the way the dam will be filled during periods of drought. They reached a preliminary consensus at talks held earlier this month in Washington. Prior to Washington's latest round of talks, Khartoum hosted a consultative meeting of the technical and legal delegations from the three countries, in which they determined some elements and key terms regarding a final agreement on the dam's operations, as well as the measures to be followed during times of drought so as not to harm Egypt's water quotas. Ethiopia hopes that the massive $4.8 billion project on the Blue Nile, which has been under construction since 2011, will allow it to become Africas largest power exporter. Downstream Egypt is concerned the dam could affect its Nile water supply. Search Keywords: Short link: Lawyers for three Russian sisters who killed their father after years of beatings and sexual abuse said Friday that prosecutors have asked that murder charges be dropped because they acted in self-defence. Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan together stabbed their father Mikhail to death in July 2018 at their home in Moscow after he subjected them to rape and abuse and prevented them from attending school. They were 19, 18 and 17 at the time. The high-profile case sparked rallies in their support as horrifying details of their lives emerged. Last month the Investigative Committee said it was recommending charges of premeditated murder with a maximum jail term of 20 years against the two older sisters, Krestina and Angelina, despite the abuse. The probe established that the sisters attacked their father with a knife and hammer. Investigators ruled that the youngest sister, Maria, was mentally disturbed and could not be sent to prison but would serve time in a secure psychiatric facility. The women's lawyers said Friday that prosecutors have ordered the case be dropped. It would be a major victory for Russia's civil society as this would be a legal precedent that would help other women, activists say. "The criminal case against all three Khachaturyan sisters will be closed," lawyer Alexei Parshin told AFP. Prosecutors had demanded that the powerful Investigative Committee which probes serious crimes drop murder charges against the sisters, Parshin said. He said deputy prosecutor-general Viktor Grin had "refused to uphold the indictment" because investigators did not take the father's "systematic" abuse into account. There was no immediate confirmation from the Prosecutor-General's Office nor the Investigative Committee. Lawyers and activists have argued that the teenagers were forced to kill their father to save their own lives, pointing to the lack of legal protection for victims of domestic abuse in Russia. There is no specific legislation to tackle domestic violence in Russia and activists have long accused lawmakers and police of turning a blind eye to abuse. Russia decriminalised all but the gravest types of domestic violence in 2017. Police do not normally intervene, even in severe cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Oregon Investment Council voted Thursday to name Portland developer John Russell to replace the boards outgoing chair, Rukaiyah Adams. Gov. Kate Brown has appointed Cara Samples, the chief financial officer for Fulcrum Wealth Management, to fill the empty seat on the council. The appointment requires Senate confirmation. Adams, chief investment officer at Meyer Memorial Trust, was originally appointed to the five-member citizens panel that oversees investment of the states pension fund assets in 2013. She has been chair since Feb. 2017. The investment council doesnt control the administration of the Public Employees Retirement System or set the systems assumed earnings rate both responsibilities of the PERS Board. Instead, the council sets investment policies for the fund, allocates its investments among various asset classes, approves outside money managers selected by Oregon State Treasury staff, and tries to manage the fund to achieve the assumed rate currently 7.2% while minimizing risk. Nevertheless, Adams has been an outspoken advocate of the state taking action to shore up the underfunded system, calling on the governor and legislature to take immediate steps to deal with what she said was becoming a moral issue. The governor has proposed a number of ways to pump more money into the system, but legislators have made little headway, choosing instead to delay the repayment of the systems debt to lessen its immediate burden on schools and other public services. At the end of 2019, entering the 12th year of an economic expansion and financial bull market, the pension system had about 73 cents in assets for every dollar in liabilities, with a funding deficit of $24 billion. The investment portfolio generated returns of 13.6% in 2019, an average 6.8% over the last two years and 7.5% during the last five years. During Adams tenure on the board, treasurys investment division has undergone substantial institutional changes, formalizing and professionalizing what had been a more ad hoc and sometimes dysfunctional organization dominated by long-tenured personalities. In the process, the division has added staff, beefed up its back office, and pulled more investment management in-house, versus using more expensive outside managers. Over the same period, the board and treasury staff under Chief Investment Officer John Skjervem have taken steps to diversify the pension funds investment portfolio and lower its risk profile. Time will tell whether that strategy delivers higher or more consistent returns. Members of the board and Treasurer Tobias Read congratulated Adams Thursday on her consistent and courageous leadership on the board. She said she pleased with the growth of the division, its new diversity, and staffs commitment to embrace the organizational changes that had taken place. Adams has recently clashed with Read and his staff over attempts to add pro-union management rules in the properties in which the pension fund has a controlling interest, a move that Adams considered political meddling in the councils affairs. Read is up for reelection in November and is mentioned as a potential candidate for governor - elections in which he will be vying for union support. The disagreement was first reported by Willamette Week. Nevertheless, Adams said Thursday that she had no big concerns about the way the investment division and board operate, but that the state continues to need a deep conversation about the way it funds the pension plan. Russell, the president of Russell Development Co. and a fixture in Portland political circles, was appointed to the board in 2015. His term will expire in March 2023. Yes, the president has a duty to act in the public interest, he said during Wednesdays Q-and-A session in the well of the Senate. But every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest ... and if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be (an act) that results in impeachment. Discloser: Most of the vendors mentioned are clients of the author. Technology generally develops linearly even something comes along that should change its progression. Take PC operating systems, which arrived in the 1980s. One of the big problems they brought with them was the need to keep the OS and applications from breaking every time Intel made a change to its chipset or the firmware. The fix, eventually, was to create Virtual Machines a virtual hardware layer that would remain constant, regardless of what happened to the underlying hardware. Much of the problems weve had with deployments over the last couple of decades have revolved around the need for IT to keep the PC image static while the hardware changed. If we instead preloaded a Virtual Machine from either VMware or Microsoft and then placed the image on that you could assure a level of compatibility you generally dont get today. Lets explore rethinking PCs, virtual vachines, and operating systems this week. Rethinking PCs When PCs were first created, the folks that built the OS and the folks that built the hardware were the same. Apple built both, and IBM bought the rights to Windows so it could effectively do the same thing as well. But on the Windows side, the operating system quickly became decoupled. It allowed for a far more competitive market, but also one that was unusually plagued by incompatibilities and breakage because the two halves of the PC werent developed together. For a time in the early parts of this century when Intel and Microsoft werent even talking to each other very well we got disasters like Windows Vista and Windows 8, platforms that even Microsoft would like to forget. Things eventually evened out, and most of those problems are history. But in some ways, this problem has worsened because AMD has risen to be a power and Qualcomm is now providing PC solutions. This hardware variety is forcing Intel to speed its own development efforts raising the possibility that maintaining OS reliability will get harder to do. One way Microsoft is addressing this with its Surface line; the company is starting to specify processors for the Surface X and the upcoming Surface Neo twin-screen laptop: from Qualcomm and Intel, respectively. Custom processors are an interesting idea, but were Dell, HP, and Lenovo to go down this path, the resulting hardware complexity and the chance for OS breakage would increase dramatically. In this new world, there is a need to allow the OS side of the solution from Apple, Google, and Microsoft to advance as fast as those firms can move and for the hardware platforms from AMD, Intel, and Qualcomm to do the same without any resulting breakage. Enter the Virtual Machine A Virtual Machine running on hardware generally has a Hypervisor, so you can run multiple virtual machine instances each isolated from the other because the technology is generally used on servers where you have multiple users on the same hardware. On a PC, you could have distinct VM instances for work, school, and personal use with differing levels of user freedom. The company VM would be locked down so that the firm is better protected from the other usage models. Viruses often come into companies carried by employees who arent careful with their personal use of their firms PC. You mostly see this kind of behavior with developers who need to keep their dev projects separate from their enterprise image. Even with a three-image installation (work, school, personal), youd be able to optimize on all three support organizations. Work IT handles the work image, school IT handles the school image, and the OEM helps with the personal image (which they could charge for). Youd get a higher level of security because the two or three usage models would be isolated from each other and youd free up the OS vendor and the platform vendor to advance their platforms faster because they could specify a set Virtual Machine configuration. The VM company, be it VMware or Microsoft, could then work with the hardware vendor to optimize flexibility as a performance factor and hardware development PC would evolve to become better multi-host clients. Other options would be creating a VM for your kids on the family PC that could be automatically purged and rebuilt regularly as well as tuned OSs for things like eSports. You might be able to create games that ran native on a VM while suspending the other VMs when you compete. And, of course, IT would get a very stable virtual hardware image that would remain as stable as they needed it to be across hardware vendors and hardware versions. Wrapping up: I think it is time to begin rethinking the relationship between Operating Systems, Hypervisors, and Virtual machines to better secure our PCs (Root Kits would generally become a thing of the past thanks to the VM). The result could be more flexible, more reliable, more secure, and better able to deal with our changing future than the way we build the platforms today. I think the world is ready for a change; now, it is just a matter of time before an OEM is willing to take the risk and try something new. DES MOINES, Iowa With Sen. Bernie Sanders gaining traction, his rivals for the presidential nomination and other top Democrats have begun aggressive efforts to slow the favorite of the partys progressive wing, fearing he may become unstoppable and cost Democrats their shot at retaking the White House in November. There are risks, however. The attacks may backfire by galvanizing Sanders fervent supporters, who embrace him precisely because he is an anti-establishment figure. The result is that days before voting in the 2020 race kicks off with Mondays Iowa caucuses, Democrats are turning their fire inward just as President Donald Trump is enduring an impeachment trial in the Senate. Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., stokes anxiety about a Sanders victory in a plea for donations. Former Vice President Joe Biden throws shade in a new Iowa ad saying, This isnt the election to take a risk. Third Way, a centrist Democratic group, sent a panicky memo to hundreds of Iowa Democrats warning against a Sanders nomination. In one of the most assertive moves, a Democratic political action committee is airing a statewide TV spot questioning Sanders ability to beat Trump and raising the issue of his health by reminding viewers of the 78-year-old candidates heart attack in October. Iowa is a vital choke point, said Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic strategist who produced the ad but is not allied with any 2020 candidate. If he wins Iowa, he wins New Hampshire, then very likely wins Nevada, Mellman added, naming the first three states to vote. Hed be very hard to stop at that point. The efforts come as a relief to some in the party who have nervously watched Sanders ascendance in recent weeks. But the Vermont independent and his allies immediately pushed back, seeing the attack from a business-friendly group like Third Way as an opening to reinforce Sanders core message. Its no secret that our campaign is taking on the political establishment and the big-money interests, who are now running negative ads against us in Iowa, Sanders said in a video released Tuesday. The billionaire class is getting nervous and they should. Nina Turner, Sanders campaign co-chair, responded on Twitter to the signs of a stop-Sanders movement: We have always known this would be the play. Stay fierce & stay focused. Keep your eyes on the prize. First goal post is Iowa. Clear evidence of the potential for Sanders to be strengthened, not weakened: His campaign announced Wednesday it raised $1.3 million in a single day after the ad surfaced. The mounting attacks come as Sanders has risen steadily in polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, which holds its primary a week after Iowas caucuses. His gains have been largely at the expense of his ideological soulmate, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Sanders has also opened a significant polling lead in delegate-rich California, although Biden remains the leader in national surveys. Third Ways attack on Sanders focused not on the groups many policy disagreements with Sanders, but on the electability question that is top of mind for voters across the ideological spectrum. If Bernie Sanders becomes the nominee, Trumps odds of winning a second term go up dramatically, which is why Team Trump has labeled him their ideal nominee, its memo said. The ad against Sanders was produced by a super PAC associated with the Democratic Majority for Israel, although the ad says nothing about his views on the Middle East. It features five Iowa voters who raised concerns about whether he could win including one concerned about his health and another worried that his views were too far left to win swing states that cost Democrats the election in 2016. I like Bernie. I think he has great ideas. But Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa they are just not going to vote for a socialist, said one voter. Sanders supporters point to a large number of surveys that show him outpolling Trump. And they offer their own theory about what it will take to beat him: Not a tack to the center to win back moderate Trump voters, but a progressive agenda to attract new ones. For months Sanders rivals did not take him on directly, in part because they believed his chances of winning were remote. But while other candidates have waxed and waned in the polls, Sanders support has remained steady. Rival candidates have trod carefully around Sanders because they would want the support of his energetic army should they win the nomination. Many Democrats believe that pro-Sanders voters turnout for Hillary Clinton in 2016 was diminished after their bitter primary fight, given a perception the contest was rigged against him. Also inhibiting rivals: some of Sanders most ardent backers are notoriously vicious when they counterattack. After Warren wrestled with Sanders over a 2018 conversation she claimed he said a woman couldnt beat Trump; he called that a lie she was brutally criticized on social media. Democratic presidential hopefuls Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar stand together before a Martin Luther King Jr. Day march on Monday, Jan. 20, 2020, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard) APAP Biden put the focus on beating Trump in one of his closing television ads in Iowa. It makes the case that he is the best candidate to beat Trump and would best help down-ballot Democratic candidates. The screen fills with the words This isnt the election to take a risk, with Trump in the background. Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., co-chair of House Democrats campaign committee, said he worried that having Sanders at the top of the ticket could hurt some of the many freshman Democrats whose victories in 2018 gave the party a House majority. For a lot of these vulnerable House members, it would make their reelection races exponentially more difficult and potentially put our House majority at risk, Bera said. Buttigiegs deputy campaign manager, Hari Sevugan, this week sent a fundraising email headed Trumps team wants Bernie to be the nominee. Biden, asked Tuesday after a rally if he thought the party would unite behind Sanders if he was the nominee, said, We have to. Im not gonna make judgments now but I just think that it depends upon how we treat one another between now and the time we have a nominee. Warren has never wavered in her commitment to back whomever the party nominates. Whoever the Democratic nominee is, Im all in, she recently told MSNBC. A key question is whether the divisions between Sanders and the rest of the party will do lasting damage once a nominee is chosen. Biden, speaking to reporters, took note of one ominous sign. When students at Drake University in Iowa held a mock caucus Tuesday, Sanders supporters left when their candidate failed to get enough support to remain viable, instead of sticking around to ally themselves with a second choice. You cant do that kind of stuff, Biden said. Its going to make a difference. But other Democrats say those divisions will heal against the common enemy, Trump. Jack Reardon, a 22-year-old Sanders supporter, was arrested Tuesday after he joined a group occupying Biden headquarters here to protest his opposition to Medicare for All. Yet even Reardon said he would probably vote for Biden if he were the nominee. Similarly, many Biden supporters say they would vote for Sanders to beat Trump. That would be really hard for me, but Id support him, said Su Groff-VanArendonk, 65, a Biden supporter in Coralville. Ill vote for a donkey if they put him on the ticket. Janet Hook and Mark Z. Barabak of the Los Angeles Times wrote this story. Times staff writer Michael Finnegan in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report. 2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 1. Yes. The downtown area needs a good draw. Some quality taverns would be a plus. 2. Yes. Too many storefronts are vacant. Bars could help to bring in needed revenue. 3. No. Putting a number of bars downtown is just asking for trouble. Dont change things. 4.No. Several churches have located downtown. Putting bars close by would be a bad fit. 5. Unsure. It would depend on how the law is written and what standards are enacted. Vote View Results The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, is heavily invested in ensuring that all women and children have the same chance of a healthy life, regardless of where they are born. Focusing on 25 priority countries that together account for over two-thirds of maternal and child deaths worldwide, USAIDs maternal and child survival efforts, which include voluntary family planning, have helped save the lives of more than 9.3 million children and 340,000 women over the past decade. USAID does not go it alone, but works with partners at the community level and at every level of government, as well as with international organizations and non-governmental organizations. USAID acts as a catalyst for new ideas, and works with partners to assure that women and children have access to high-quality health care and basic interventions that can save, and have saved, millions of lives. To that end, USAID recently introduced MOMENTUM, a suite of awards that together can provide a comprehensive, flexible package of financing and technical assistance to help partner countries build capacity to plan, finance, and implement solutions to their own health challenges, and ensure that there is commitment to see these solutions through effectively, inclusively, and with accountability. In late December, USAID announced two new MOMENTUM global health awards meant to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn, and child mortality and morbidity. The first of these, MOMENTUM 2A, is a five-year award of up to $100 million that will support countries Journeys to Self-Reliance by providing targeted technical assistance and capacity development to USAID's Missions, partner governments, and local organizations. As well, it will help contribute to global technical leadership and policy dialogue on improving measurable outcomes for maternal, reproductive, newborn, and child health and voluntary family planning. Momentum 2C is a five-year award of up to $30 million that focuses on monitoring and evaluation, knowledge management, and the translation of learning across all MOMENTUM projects, in an effort to evaluate and communicate the impact of USAID's investments on maternal, newborn, reproductive, and child health and voluntary family planning at the global and country levels. Through MOMENTUM, USAID will provide countries the support they need as they move towards self-reliance for health. Surviving childbirth and early childhood should not be a matter of luck, where you live, or how much money you have. Together with partners, USAID is working to make that a reality. He briefly appeared on the soap in 2000. And James Corden has slammed Hollyoaks for trying to 'fat-shame' his overweight character Wayne, after previously describing his time on the soap as 'hell on earth.' The actor, 41, said that during filming he refused to perform a scene where Wayne's bedroom wall was decorated with photos of junk food until the set designer took the posters down. Horrific: James Corden has slammed Hollyoaks for trying to 'fat-shame' his overweight character Wayne after describing his brief stint on the soap as 'hell on earth' James - who played college caretaker Wayne for one episode in Hollyoaks - told The New Yorker: 'I thought that they were just really being nasty about anyone that's overweight. 'I remember saying to the guy: ''I don't know one person who would take a picture of a hot dog and a burger and stick them on the wall.''' A representative for Hollyoaks declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Struggling: The actor played caretaker Wayne in the soap, and revealed that he refused to do a scene where his character where his room was decorated with pictures of junk food Hard: James hasn't spoken fondly about his time on Hollyoaks, and in 2009 he described his soap stint as 'hell on earth' James hasn't spoken fondly about his time on Hollyoaks, and in 2009 he described his soap stint as 'hell on earth.' He told The Telegraph: 'It was a horrible place to work. It was hell on earth. I'm sure it has changed a lot now but I was there a long, long time ago and I hated it. 'No-one cared about making TV they just cared about other things and that's not how I particularly like to work. There is not a huge amount of care or love that went into to making the show. 'It was a bit like a prison. There is a lack of aspiration and no-one wants to make it as good as they can.' Amazing: James's soap stint came before he joined forces with Ruth Jones to create Gavin and Stacey James's soap stint came before he landed his breakout role as Jamie Rymer in the comedy-drama Fat Friends, where he met Ruth Jones. The pair then went onto create one of the most beloved sitcoms in Gavin and Stacey, which aired from 2007 to 2009, before returning last Christmas to a thunderous reception from viewers. The special earned a record-breaking 18 million viewers, and ended on a heart-stopping cliffhanger as Ruth's character Nessa declared her love for James' character Smith, and proposed to him. The episode ended before Smithy revealed his answer, with fans now begging the cast to make another episode. CARLOS KINGSLEY Ahenkorah, a deputy Minister for Trade and Industry has revealed plans to create an industrial park in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region to support industrialization in the area. I am very happy about the industrial development of this area and if we continue to support the government, Ahanta West might become one of the best industrial hubs in the country, he stated. The deputy minister then appealed to the chiefs and traditional leaders in Ahanta West to ensure flexible land schemes to facilitate the setting up of industries. According to him, the president had agreed that the Ministry of Trade and Industry used $79 million to create an industrial park with the requisite facilities in each region. He explained that the move was geared towards enhancing industrial production across the regions and generally promoting export development. It is also one of our 10 points transformation agenda which is to establish at least one major industrial park in each of the regions, he added. The deputy minister disclosed this when he inaugurated the Ahanta West Municipal Assembly on Thursday. The 52 assembly members comprised 36 elected and 16 government appointees. He urged the assembly to remain focused in improving the basic necessities of life and to improve conditions in their areas. He said government was determined to empower local governments and communities by giving them more resources and authority to improve their living standards. He pointed out that the rapid development of the country must be a shared responsibility of the central government, and more significantly, the district assembly and the communities. The Municipal Chief Executive, Henrietta Eyeson said the inauguration marked another important milestone in the history of the countys local governance system. She called on the elected and government appointed assembly members to live up to the tasks and the expectations of the people who voted them into office. 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 D ominic Raab has dismissed the idea of haggling for Prince Andrew to help the Jeffrey Epstein investigation in the US in return for Harry Dunns suspected killer's return to the UK. And a potential swap was mooted at press conference with Foreign Secretary Mr Raab and US secretary of state Mike Pompeo in London on Thursday. Mr Pompeo was asked by a reporter: "We want Anne Sacoolas, you want Prince Andrew - is there a deal to be done?" Charlotte Charles, the mother of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn / AFP via Getty Images Laughter broke out in the room before Mr Pompeo replied: I am confident each of these cases will be resolved on their relative merits." Mr Raab added: "There is no barter, it's a rules-based approach. That's what the treaty doesThere is no haggle and no one's raised Prince Andrew Frankly, no one has ever raised that with me." The Crown Prosecution Service charged Ms Sacoolas, 42, with causing death by dangerous driving following a fatal road accident in which Mr Dunn, 19, was killed. However, the US has rejected calls from the Home Office to extradite her, maintaining she had diplomatic immunity at the time of the accident. Multimillionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein / AP The Dunn familys spokesman, Radd Seiger, had said he spoke to Mr Raab about the FBIs request to interview Prince Andrew. He said the foreign secretary assured him he was reviewing all options. If the special relationship means anything it means that the UK and the US should respect each others justice systems and abide by the rule of law, Mr Seiger told The Times. Anne Sacoolas should return to the UK and face one of the fairest justice systems in the world. In the spirit of reciprocity that underpins extradition, we stand shoulder to shoulder with Epsteins victims and believe that Prince Andrew should go to the US and do everything he can to ensure that justice is served there. Mr Seiger said he had contacted Lisa Bloom, a US lawyer representing five of Epsteins victims, to support her calls for the duke to speak to American investigators. It comes after US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said the duke had "provided zero cooperation" with investigations into Epstein's sex trafficking case, despite having previously professed his willingness to assist. Andrew stepped down from royal duties in November following a disastrous Newsnight interview in the wake of the scandal. Video has emerged of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz attacking a deputy inside Broward Countys main jail. The attack took place on Nov 13, 2018, and depicts Cruz pacing around a common area before getting into an argument with a guard and attacking him. WSVN 7 News reporting from Ft. Lauderdale obtained the video from the jail. Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz attacks a Broward County Sheriffs' deputy on 13 Nov 2018 According to documents obtained from the jail, Mr Cruz and the deputy, Sgt. Raymond Beltran, began fighting after Mr Beltran asked Cruz to stop dragging his sandals on the ground while walking around. In the video, Mr Cruze can be seen giving the middle finger to the guard before rushing him and attacking him. The two men wrestle, crashing into a table before hitting the ground. The struggle continues on the cement floor as Mr Cruz deals repeated blows to Mr Beltrans back before grabbing the deputys TASER. Though the TASER does deploy, no one is impacted by the current and eventually Mr Beltran retrieves the device and the two men get back on their feet, squaring off to fight once again. Mr Beltran punches Mr Cruz, who disengages. With his TASER reloaded, Mr Beltran approaches Mr Cruz, who then willingly gets onto the floor and submits to being restrained. The fight lasts for nearly a minute. Mr Beltran is no longer guarding Cruz. He was arrested last march for driving under the influence in Washington State while on duty for the Browards Sheriffs' Office. Read more Parkland father criticises lawmaker who wore gun to meeting The NCIS franchise is on a hot streak. The three series conglomerate is responsible for some of CBSs highest ratings. The stars of each show are partially to credit, but what about those behind the scenes? Executive producer, Christopher Silber, has a little something to do with the hit-makers particularly NCIS: New Orleans. Heres a little bit about what makes Silber tick. Drama previously plagued the NCIS: New Orleans set Mark Harmon as Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs | Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images For 17 seasons, the NCIS franchise has remained a staple in crime procedural dramas. Not only did the series launch actors into the limelight, but it opened doors for those to produce, write, or direct the episodes they starred in. NCIS: New Orleans is running on season 6, with a Feb. 16 return from hiatus. Christopher Silber is among the many who work to make each show as big as it can be. With years on-the-job for NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans, Silber may not be the first to take the reigns, but hes among the most recent after multiple controversies with other showrunners. In Jan. 2019, executive producer, Adam Targum, was fired after several complaints. He worked alongside Silber as showrunner for the NOLA iteration. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Targums departure came after another former showrunners firing, Brad Kern. Clearly, the shows had its fair share of backstage drama, but it doesnt seem to have affected ratings. What else has Silber worked on? Silber joined the NCIS team to write in 2005 for two years. He later wrote and produced more episodes for the mothership series where he perfected his talents. Before his 2013 return to NCIS, Silber went on to contribute to three successful CBS shows Cold Case, CSI: NY, and Elementary. There are a few other projects listed among his IMDb credits. All of them are of the procedural crime notion, which seems to be Silbers sweet spot. His executive producer credits run through the majority of NCIS: New Orleans. The show began in 2014, and Silber joined as a writer and executive producer in 2015. He continues as showrunner and faithful NCIS: New Orleans advocate, via his Instagram page. Silber to team up with former NCIS: New Orleans actress for a new project Rutberg played Megan Sutter/The Angel from 2018-2019 on NCIS: New Orleans. Her character haunted Dwayne Pride (Scott Bakula) for many episodes. Deadline just announced that Silber, along with former NCIS: New Orleans actress, Amy Rutberg, to develop Liars Club, a dramedy/thriller for TNT. The show, written by Rutberg, follows a woman with a unique skill set and a dark history leading two very different lives one adorned in the trappings of Connecticut country clubs and house parties, the other drenched in the murk of the underground New York gambling circuit. Silber will co-produce with Paul Giamatti and Dan Carey. Silber posted the news to his Instagram page saying, This business is hard. Theres so many nos that come before yes. Im so pleased to have partnered with @amyrutberg a great actress and phenomenal writer. He continued: Were lucky to have teamed up with Dan Carey and Paul Giamatti such wonderful producers. And Im truly gratified to be able to share this yes with them allnow onto the next step. This is the second project Silbers announced in the last year. Hes also set to co-develop the new CBS drama, Soul Survivor, about a private investigator with a shady past who becomes the lone survivor of a plane crash. If youre a fan of Pride and the NCIS: New Orleans team, theres no shortage of Silber projects on the horizon, so buckle up. NCIS: New Orleans returns Sunday, Feb. 16 on CBS. Jashn-e Sadeh, ancient festival of mid-winter, observed by Zoroastrians across Iran 01/31/20 Report by Tehran Times; photos by ISNA A host of Iranian Zoroastrians come together in Taft county, central Yazd province, to observe Jashn-e Sadeh, a time-honored religious festival of mid-winter on January 30, 2020. Jashn-e Sadeh in Yazd, Iran Same ceremonies were also held by followers of the Zoroastrian faith in several other cities across the country, including Tehran, Shiraz, and Kerman. Narratives say that the festivity is to remember the mythical discovery of fire. That's why they set fire to a big pile of wood when the event reaches its climax. The origins of the festival is somewhat ambiguous and there is no trace of this ceremony in the Zoroastrian holy texts. However, some historians suggest the ceremony existed even before Zoroastrianism, the world's oldest monotheistic religion. The common belief emphasizes that it is a mid-winter ritual to celebrate the date when the earth starts warming up. The feast named after "the number one hundred" (Sad in Farsi), marks 50 days and 50 nights before Noruz, the Iranian New Year, on March 21. Some say Sadeh is a festivity to honor fire and to defeat the forces of darkness, frost, and cold. A number of mythological accounts, however, connect the festival to the origins of human beings. According to Persian mythology, Houshang, the second king of the world, discovered the fire when he tried to hit a dragon with a stone. He reportedly threw a flintstone that struck against another flint stone causing a spark and generating fire. Prior to lighting the huge open fire, some Zoroastrian priests (Moobeds) recite verses from Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrians. The priests are always dressed in white cotton robes, trousers and hats as a sign of purity and neatness. Moobeds along with Zoroastrian girls and boys, all clad in white and holding torches walk around the pile of shrubs. They light the fire as the crowd's cheers grow louder. Zoroastrian rituals are widespread in Iran. Noruz, which celebrates the Persian New Year, Yalda Night, which takes place on the longest night of the year, and Chaharshanbeh Souri, in praise of the spring, are examples of such ceremonies that even nowadays nearly all Iranians observe. Photos: Jashn-e Sadeh in Kerman, Iran See more photos by ISNA (JNS)If you want to understand the true obstacle to Mideast peace, look no further than the Jordanian parliaments unanimous approval last week of a bill to ban natural-gas imports from Israel, just days after the gas began arriving. Energy-poor Jordan needs a stable, affordable fuel supply, which the Israeli deal provides. When it was signed in 2016, the Jordanian government said it could save the country $500 million a yearalmost 4 percent of Jordans 2019 budget and more than half its projected deficit for that year (the actual deficit was apparently higher). In short, the deal would let the kingdom redirect significant amounts of money to some of its other crying needs. But that doesnt interest Jordanian lawmakers. What they care about is that this is the gas of the enemy, to quote protesters against the deal. They also dont care that Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty 25 years ago. As last weeks vote made clear, every single Jordanian lawmaker still views Israel as an enemy with whom trade is anathema, even if Jordan itself would benefit greatly. That stance is wildly popular: Almost all Jordanians have an unfavorable view of Jews and similar views of the Jewish state. Israels egregious efforts to accommodate Jordans anti-Israel sensibilities didnt help, either. The gas comes from a field developed by an Israeli company, Delek, in partnership with an American one, Noble Energy. But to enable the deal to move forward, the partnership acceded to the Jordanian power companys demand that no Israeli entity be party to the contract. Officially, therefore, the contract isnt with Israel, but with Nobles American marketing subsidiary. The deal will most likely go ahead despite parliaments objections because though King Abdullah is happy to let his lawmakers spout anti-Israel rhetoric, he rarely lets them interfere with anything that he considers an important Jordanian interest. And for now, despite the countrys growing unrest, Abdullahs grip still seems firm. But regardless of what happens to the gas deal, the vote shines a spotlight on two errors that have consistently undermined Western peacemaking efforts. The first is underestimating the depth of Arab hatred for Israel, and therefore failing to grasp that this is the principal obstacle to peace. Westerners tend to assume that everyone the world over basically wants the same thingspeace and prosperityand therefore, all sides should be happy to make compromises for peace. But in reality, as the Jordanian vote shows, neither peace nor prosperity is a prime motivator for many people in this part of the world, whereas hatred is a very powerful motivator. Thus when Jordanian lawmakers had to choose between a deal that would boost Jordans economy and a chance to publicly display their hatred of Israel, between a deal that would bolster the peace treaty and legislation that would undermine it, they unhesitatingly chose the latter. And Palestinians have repeatedly done the same. A corollary of this, incidentally, is that the Western belief in an economic peace dividend is pure fantasy. Peace treaties cant provide a significant economic boost when one signatory largely refuses to do business with the other; consequently, neither the Israeli-Jordanian nor the Israeli-Egyptian treaty has produced major economic benefits for any of the countries involved. A 2018 study by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change found that Israels trade with the Gulf Stateswith which it has no official relationsexceeds its trade with Egypt and Jordan combined. This doesnt mean that economic ties are useless; they undoubtedly play a positive role. Jordan has derived benefits from its peace with Israel, including the tens of millions of cubic meters of water a year that Israel is treaty-bound to provide, as well as a vital route for trade with the West (after the Syrian civil war made Jordans former route through Syria impassible, goods started going through Haifa Port instead). These benefits presumably contribute to Abdullahs reluctance to capitulate to parliaments periodic demands to scrap the treaty. But when material interests collide with Arab hatred of Jews and the Jewish state, the latter often wins. The second major Western fallacy is that peace obviates the need for defensible borders. Granted, the Jordanian and Egyptian borders are both currently peaceful; Israels security cooperation with both countries is close; and both these facts will likely remain true as long as the current Jordanian and Egyptian rulers hold power. But as the Arab Spring made clear, no Mideast autocrats reign comes with a long-term guarantee. And given the enormous public hostility to Israel in both Jordan and Egypt, theres also no guarantee that a new government wouldnt scrap the treaty. Although the treaty with Egypt did survive the Muslim Brotherhoods brief time in power, its far from clear that would have remained true had President Mohammed Morsi not been ousted after a mere year in office, long before he had time to implement most of his plans. And its even less certain that the Jordanian peace would survive Abdullahs fall, judging by last weeks parliamentary vote and many similar votes in the past. In that scenario, Israels longest border could become a hostile one overnight. The unabated hostility to Israel among most of its neighbors, coupled with the uncertain future of any agreement signed with a dictator, means that Israel cant afford to assume any treaty is permanent. It must be prepared to defend itself if a new Arab government scraps the treaty. Indeed, both the Jordanian and the Egyptian treaties were drafted with that in mind, and thats also why even Israels main center-left party insists on retaining the Jordan Valley in any deal with the Palestinians. Yet Westerner peacemakers routinely dismiss the need for territorial depth and favorable topography, insisting that international forces (who will run if trouble erupts) and unspecified technological means provide sufficient protection. The Jordanian vote is a reminder that hatred is strong and peace is fragile. If would-be peacemakers dont start confronting this hatred rather than pretending it doesnt exist, long-term prospects for peace are dim. And in the meantime, any treaty will have to include defensible borders. Evelyn Gordon is a journalist and commentator living in Israel. LOBAMBA - His Majesty King Mswati III has kept his promise. On Thursday morning, when the King personally welcomed the visiting Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland at Ludzidzini Royal Residence, he was presented by the visitor with a Charter of the Commonwealth, which talks about human rights and democracy. After receiving the gift, the King promised Scotland that he would appreciate her gesture by also presenting her with a gift during the State opening of the second session of the 11th Parliament, which was yesterday. Indeed, the King and Queen Mother presented the Commonwealth secretary with five head of cattle. The presentation was done by the King immediately after the luncheon, which was held after he had opened the second session of the 11th Parliament. As he presented her with the cattle, the King asked her what she would do with them and the Commonwealth secretary general asked him to keep the beasts for her. She said she would come to check on them whenever she visited the country again or was around. What was noted during the gift presentation was that most people first thought the cattle were a gift to the King. However, as the king was talking to the secretary general, they learnt that the cattle were a gift from Their Majesties to Scotland. LOBAMBA There is no culture or ideology that is supreme which has to be imposed on other nations of the world. These were the words of His Majesty King Mswati III, who said God gave each nation its unique culture to practise and pass on to future generations. Likewise, democracy is tailored towards the cultural norms and beliefs of each nation, he said. The King made these remarks yesterday when he delivered his Speech from the Throne during the official State opening of the Second Session of the 11th Parliament. His Majesty called upon all emaSwati, including those living abroad, to remain true to their identity. They should place the interest of our nation above their own, the head of State said. He said there was no culture or ideology that was supreme. Embraced The King said since time immemorial, emaSwati were globally known as a nation that embraced dialogue, peace and unity, which were the key tenets that distinguished them from the rest of mankind. He said founders of the kingdom had an amicable way of addressing national differences through the traditional forums which allowed all citizens, irrespective of age, religion or gender, to voice their ideas on how best the country could be taken forward. EmaSwati have always respected those entrusted with leadership positions in all the spheres of our nation, he said. He said this began from family level, community, chiefdom up to national leadership. MaSwati, asibeke embili inhlonipho nekuthula eveni, he said, which was a call on all emaSwati to promote respect and peace in the country at all times. Challenges The King mentioned that the countrys social and economic challenges were not unique to Eswatini as they were driven by the global phenomenon that currently prevailed. This has a negative effect on many sectors of our society because economies of the world are intertwined, he said. He said emaSwati should cherish the unity and family relationship that had existed since the countrys predecessors founded this great nation many years ago. He said these values were enshrined in the countrys ethos and had been passed from generation to generation and therefore everyone needed to protect them and guard them for the future generations. As the nation is aware, our unity as emaSwati remains critical because it yields handsome dividends in terms of sustainable development initiatives and economic growth, he said. Philosophy On international relations and cooperation, the King said the local philosophy of a friend to all and enemy to none had been the political ethos of Eswatini since the time of King Sobhuza II. He said King Sobhuza II placed great emphasis on a world anchored on peace, dialogue, respect and common shared values. He stated that guided by these, the kingdom would continue to work towards maintaining good international relations with current and new bilateral and multilateral partners. In conclusion, the King invited every citizen to rise up and draw from the rich reserves of buntfu and rediscover inhlonipho (respect). He said both these were essential for them to take on the enormous task which lay ahead. Revive We have a nation to build, an economy to revive and social obligations to fulfil, he said. He said emaSwati needed to tap into the enormous potential that the collective attributes provided to mould an impenetrable circle of trust in the capabilities to create a society of visionaries, optimists, entrepreneurs and active citizens with First World mindsets. Let us not be stalled in our journey towards 2022 by non-developmental issues as this would surrender ourselves to poverty, hunger and disease, he said. He said this was not the Eswatini we wanted. KAMPALA The government has listed priority areas to energise the economy in the financial year 2020/2021 against the backdrop of widening trade deficits and local revenue gaps. In its report on the Budget Framework Paper presented by the Committee on Budget, MPs warned of a growing trade deficit. The report blames the decline in trade wars with Kenya and the closure of Ugandas border with Rwanda which has frustrated commercial activities. Tanzania, which has always shown cold shoulders to East African Community economic integration projects, has also been singled out. [T]he trade surplus with EAC slowed down in the FY 2018/2019 compared to FY 2017/2018 mainly on account of the existence of non-tariff barriers in some of the partner states most especially in Tanzania, partly reads the report. It continues: the temporary closure of Uganda-Rwanda border and the decline in agricultural exports such as beans and maize to the region has also affected trade. In figures, Ugandas trade deficit has shot from $2.4 trillion to $3.7 trillion, an increase of $1.2 trillion (about UGX4.4 trillion). In recent months, Kenya has banned Ugandas milk from its market and levied prohibitive taxes on poultry products from Uganda, a protectionist response to demands from local farmers to bar Ugandan products from their market. Rwanda, on the other hand, has maintained a closed border with Uganda, and an expected rise in global oil prices, noted the Committee, will worsen the economic situation, as government largely relies on petroleum imports to fuel the economy. To address these challenges, the government is holding tightly to the script of increased investment in infrastructure as well as skilling the youth to increase local production for import substitution. The economic growth strategy for FY 2020/21 will be premised on accelerating the pace of industrialization for viable agricultural and mineral commodities for exports, import-substitution, and jobs, noted the report. It added: [also there will be an] investment in productive infrastructure and speeding up the pace of demographic transition through continued investment in human capital development, most especially skilling the youthful population. The 2020/2021 budget is now projected to be Shs39.6 trillion, a decline from UGX.40.4 trillion in the current Financial Year. The projection was met with resistance from MP Muhammad Kivumbi (DP, Butambala) who accused the government of violating provisions of the Public Finance Management Act. Kivumbi is opposed to plans to recapitalise Bank of Uganda with Shs400 billion in the coming financial year. Bank of Uganda has been recapitalised to the tune of over UGX.1.2 trillion in the last five financial years. In the next financial year, we are going to capitalise Bank of Uganda with over Shs400 billion, said Kivumbi. He also read a minority report on behalf of the Opposition saying the government should stay to the Shs39.6 trillion budget ceiling. Deputy Speaker Jacob Oulanyah, however, diffused the situation guiding that government can revise the ceiling upwards subject to approval by Parliament. The Public Finance Management Act places timelines on government and Parliament with regards to the annual budget, whose draft is supposed to be tabled by April 1st of every year. Related Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal New Mexico continues its run as being a hot spot for film. Albuquerque tops the list for the second year in a row for big cities in MovieMakers annual list of best places to live and work as a moviemaker. Santa Fe places at No. 3 for small cities and towns. Albuquerque has been ranked No. 1 in the list three times, the first time in 2010. The city has made the list since 2007, but it fell out of the top 10 in 2013, with a No. 11 ranking. The list is compiled by looking at each citys film activity which means number of productions, economic activity generated and shoot durations. It also looks at infrastructure, which includes health of film commissions and nonprofits, number of film schools and visual effects houses. In addition, the population and geographical size, state and local film incentive programs, and ease of movement and traffic are considered to determine the rankings. According to MovieMaker, though the Breaking Bad universe helped Albuquerque break to the front of the pack, countless other productions have also discovered the citys cinematic potential. The list mentioned Tom Hanks coming film Bios, which filmed in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. No one advertises New Mexicos beauty and diversity of locations better than Netflix, which not only streams the Breaking Bad universe but also the new and hotly discussed Messiah, which did much of its principal photography in the state, the article says. Netflixs new Albuquerque production facility is expected to inject a billion dollars into the local economy in the next decade. MovieMaker also noted NBCUniversals move to the Duke City, with the company opening a production studio; its first project was Briarpatch. The USA Network series premieres on Thursday, Feb. 6. Like Netflix, NBCUniversal also plans a production spend of $500 million over the next decade. NBCUniversals 330 full-time, year-round jobs are expected to have an economic impact of $1.1 billion in that time. The states film tax incentives continue to be a gold standard in the industry. Tax incentives include a 25% to 35% production tax credit for film, TV, commercials, documentaries, music videos, video games, animation, post-production and more. This No. 1 ranking is a testament to our governor, who has made film and television a key priority to diversify the state economy, the professionals who work on the sets, the vendors and business owners who support this industry and everyone in New Mexico who helps it flourish, said Alicia J. Keyes, New Mexico Economic Development secretary. The ranking also includes the states burgeoning Film Crew Advancement Program, which provides 50% wage reimbursement for up to 1,040 hours of on-the-job training of New Mexico residents. Albuquerque is a place with open doors and open minds, said Amber Dodson, city of Albuquerque film liaison. We embrace respect, diversity, opportunity and equality. We welcome creators and stories of all kinds and can support everything from a short film to a studio tent-pole with our competitive incentive, deep crew base, impressive production facilities and support businesses, large talent pool, diverse locations and landscapes, proximity to LA, great weather, network of film offices, and overall film-friendly community. The City Different also remains the same in MovieMakers ranking, by staying at No. 3. MovieMaker points out that Tom Hanks filmed two movies Bios and News of the World in Santa Fe. There are many reasons Santa Fe has been in our Top 5 for five years running: stunning natural beauty and light, a proactive film office quick to point out New Mexico tax incentives, and a mix of cowboy hospitality and high-culture institutions like the Santa Fe Opera and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the article states. It honors its Native American history, celebrating locations like Taos Pueblo, a Native American settlement at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains established 1,000 years ago. The town of 83,000 has a sense of majestic peace, but locations that recall the violent shootouts of the Old West are only a short drive away. The Journal takes a look inside the growing film industry in a special section, Frame by Frame Brexit would have caused a disaster for the European Investment Bank (EIB) if other member states had not agreed to make up almost 40bn (33.6bn) of capital that it would have lost as Britain leaves. The UK has a 16 per cent stake in the bank, which focuses on regional development and tackling climate change, and will withdraw 3.5bn in cash when it leaves the EU at 11pm on Friday. The move will also eliminate 38.4bn of so-called callable capital that the EIB can use to raise finance in the capital markets. Launching its 2019 annual report, EIB president Werner Hoyer said that as the bank uses a gearing ratio (a financial ratio that compares owner equity to funds borrowed by the company) of 2.5, the loss of that money would have led to a cut in financing of almost 100bn. After weeks of negotiations in early 2019 the other EU member states agreed to pay in the missing capital. He said: If the Brits had withdrawn without their capital being replaced by the others, we would have had to reduce the maximum lending we could do. That would have been 100bn less and would have been a disaster. Not only would we have had to reduce for the next few years by 50 per cent but also those member states that need us most would have suffered. So I am extremely happy and grateful that after long discussions member states decided to replace proportionately the British capital. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Mr Hoyer also revealed that EIB staff had watched Wednesdays ceremony in the European parliament as the British MEPs stood down that was marred by a flag protest by Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage. We have a similar ceremony with probably the same tears but less expressions of joy tomorrow at the bank in Luxembourg, he said. Hoyer said that the EIB had a surprisingly good year in 2019 given the uncertainty created by the political turbulence in the UK over Brexit. It started with a very big difficulty for us as the uncertainty persisted until April or May, he said. We lost almost half a year but at the end of the day it is almost a miracle that we concluded out business plan almost 100 per cent. Last year the EIB group, that also includes the European Investment Fund, signed financing worth 72.2bn for more than 1,200 projects, of which 63.4bn were in the EU and 8.8bn outside the union. It supported a total investment of 280bn, of which 31 per cent was for climate-related projects. The EIB has set a target of ensuring that half of its finance goes towards climate projects by 2025. It has set a target of 1 trillion of climate investment by 2030. We will do nothing that is not entirely behind the Paris Agreement. The logic of this is that it would not make very much sense to say that we invest 50 per cent of what we do into climate projects and let the other 50 per cent destroy the positive impacts of our climate action. Queensland's Premier has accused the federal government of dragging its feet in sharing vital information about the coronavirus outbreak. The barb from Annastacia Palaszczuk came as a second person in Queensland was confirmed to have caught the virus, with both cases and seven other people in isolation at a Gold Coast hospital. Ms Palaszczuk accused the government of failing to provide accurate and timely information about international flight records as well as details about where people who had travelled from areas of high infection were staying in Queensland. The Premier said she was frustrated by the federal government's actions, saying everyone had to come together to deal with the virus in Australia. By Joseph White (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's Traton commercial truck unit said on Thursday it had offered $35 a share, or $2.9 billion (2.2 billion pounds), for the shares of U.S. By Joseph White (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG's Traton <8TRA.DE> commercial truck unit said on Thursday it had offered $35 a share, or $2.9 billion (2.2 billion pounds), for the shares of U.S. truck maker Navistar International that it does not already own, and investors bet the bid will go higher. Navistar shares shot up by 50% to just over $36 a share in after-hours trading following Traton's proposal, suggesting investors expect a potential deal could be richer than Traton's opening offer. Traton said its offer was subject to Navistar and Traton reaching a merger agreement. Volkswagen has made its interest in buying the remainder of Navistar clear since acquiring an initial 16.6% stake, which has since grown to nearly 16.8%, in 2016. Traton and Navistar have been collaborating on purchasing and certain technology developments, aiming to cut annual costs by $200 million a year. Traton will have to win over Navistar's largest shareholder, financier Carl Icahn, whose fund controls 16.9% of Navistar's shares. Icahn and two other activist funds, Mark Rachesky's MHR Fund Management and Gabelli Funds, together own 40% of Navistar's shares, according to Refinitiv data. Rachesky and another MHR executive, Raymond Miller, sit on Navistar's board, as does a representative of Icahn's interests. Traton Chief Executive Andreas Renschler and the German truck maker's chief financial officer, Christian Schulz, also have seats on Navistar's board. Navistar, based near Chicago, called Traton's offer unsolicited in a statement and said its board would "carefully review and evaluate the proposal in the context of Navistar's strategic plan for the company." The company has been restructuring its operations under Chairman and Chief Executive Troy Clarke since 2013, and last fall rolled out a new five-year plan called "Navistar 4.0" that aims to increase pre-tax profit margins to 12% by the end of 2024 from just under 8% for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31. Traton includes the European commercial truck brands MAN, Scania and Volkswagen trucks, but it has lacked a strong North American footprint to compete with Daimler AG's Freightliner operation Paccar Inc , which owns the Peterbilt and Kenworth brands, or Volvo Group's Mack truck business. Volkswagen floated an 11.5% stake in Traton last June. The subsidiary's shares have trended down from the 27 euro offering price and closed Thursday at 23.01 euros. Commercial truck makers are under pressure from regulators to develop cleaner, electric vehicles. Navistar and Volkswagen said in 2017 they would collaborate on electric truck development. The sector is also highly cyclical. Heavy-duty class 8 truck orders were down most of last year in North America compared to a year earlier, according to data from ACT Research. Before Traton's offer, Navistar shares had been on a downhill run, off nearly 17% since the start of 2020. The U.S. truck maker had told investors it expected overall industry demand for trucks and school buses in its core markets to fall by 20% this year. (Reporting by Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Tom Brown and Richard Pullin) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Russia Closes Parts of Border with China to Combat Spread of Virus By Charles Maynes January 30, 2020 Russia joined the list of countries introducing strict measures to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus from China, in what has emerged as an early test of new Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's government. On Thursday, Mishustin in his second week on the job after being plucked from obscurity by President Vladimir Putin in a surprise government reshuffle unveiled a range of actions to prevent spread of the disease. Mishustin announced he had ordered Russia's Far Eastern border with China sealed. "We have to do everything to protect our people," he said in remarks carried on state television. According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, auto and foot traffic between the countries would soon stop completely in targeted border zones. For now, Russia plans to close 16 of its 25 border points effective at midnight Thursday. Russia's Foreign Ministry also suspended issuance of electronic visas to Chinese nationals Russia's largest source of tourists in recent years and discouraged Russian citizens from traveling to China for the time being. Train service, however, will still be available, at least on direct nonstop rides on the famed Trans-Siberian rail journey between Moscow to Beijing until March 1. Russia's national air carrier Aeroflot said it was continuing service for now, but offered passengers extended windows to refund tickets. By limiting travel corridors, officials appeared to be betting that passengers could still return to their respective homes while providing health officials a way to effectively monitor the disease. Economic impact Less clear is the economic impact tour operators and Russian railways warn losses could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on how long the new restrictions remain in place. The restrictions come amid a sudden spike in cases in China, with Chinese officials reporting 7,800 cases and 170 deaths from the coronavirus as of Thursday afternoon. By contrast, Russian health officials maintain that the government has yet to register a single documented case of the disease. Yet the Kremlin and businesses were clearly sensitive to public distrust and possible panic. On Thursday, fast food company McDonald's canceled widely touted plans to introduce a single day of Soviet-era pricing on their food in honor of the 30th anniversary of the restaurant's flagship opening in Moscow on Jan. 31, 1990. "For us, there's no bigger priority than the health of our guests and workers," Marc Carena, CEO of McDonald's Russia, said in a statement posted on the company's website. Carena explained that the cancellation was linked to a possible outbreak of the disease. Officials in the far eastern region of Zabailsk also issued a statement that an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in cattle and pigs had been registered and resolved. Fifty-eight cattle and 18 pigs with the disease had been destroyed. Prevention tips Meanwhile, Russia's Health Ministry published a list of medications it claimed could help ward off symptoms, including several anti-HIV drugs. Putin has sought to provide assurances that his new government is gearing up for the worst. Speaking about the coronavirus in a meeting with cabinet members on Wednesday, Putin called on the government to do everything "to minimize the loss of life" from the virus. The question," Putin said, "is how ready we'll be to the challenge." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Boris Johnson has axed a former cabinet minister as the president of a major climate summit. Claire Perry O'Neill was given the job in July 2019 ahead of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. She said she was 'very sad' that the role had been 'rescinded' by the Prime Minister although no official reason was given for her removal. Sources have suggested that officials had problems with her performance and working alongside her was a struggle. Boris Johnson has axed former cabinet minister Claire Perry O'Neill as the president of a major climate summit The former energy minister then known as Claire Perry said she was told Whitehall could not cope with an independent unit dealing with the summit. She said: 'A shame we haven't had one Climate cabinet meeting since we formed. 'Wishing the cop team every blessing in the climate recovery emergency.' The role will be taken on by a minister in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). A source told The Daily Telegraph: 'There were problems both in terms of delivery and in terms of some internal matters.' 'Her leadership has been a long-running issue.' In 2018, while she was energy minister, she was accused of shouting and swearing at civil servants. Three unions wrote a joint letter to Alex Chisholm, the permanent secretary at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) about ministers' behaviour. Ms Perry O'Neill (left) said she was 'very sad' that the role had been 'rescinded' by the Prime Minister although no official reason was given for her removal. Pictured: Ms Perry O'Neill and Amber Rudd in April last year Ms Perry O'Neill was singled out for criticism amid claims there was a series of reports about her abuse of officials. She dismissed these claims and no action was ever taken against her. A Cabinet Office statement said: 'Claire Perry O'Neill will no longer be UK Cop26 president. 'The Prime Minister is grateful to Claire for her work preparing for what will be a very successful and ambitious climate change summit in Glasgow in November. 'Preparations will continue at pace for the summit, and a replacement will be confirmed shortly. A Cabinet Office statement said the Prime Minister is 'grateful' to Claire for her work 'Going forward, this will be a ministerial role.' The November summit is seen as the most crucial round of UN climate negotiations since the Paris Agreement was created in the French capital in 2015. Greenpeace UK's chief scientist Dr Doug Parr said: 'As the host of the next UN climate summit, the UK Government has a tremendous responsibility to make sure progress will be made. 'This wobble just months before the event risks sending completely the wrong signal. 'It's vital now that the next COP26 president be quick to pick up the baton and run the anchor leg.' France's Orange chooses Nokia and Ericsson to deploy its 5G network at home FILE PHOTO: The logo of French telecoms operator Orange is pictured in a retail store in Bordeaux By Mathieu Rosemain and Sudip Kar-Gupta PARIS (Reuters) - Orange , France's biggest telecoms company, said it had chosen Nokia and Ericsson to deploy its 5G network in mainland France, as China's Huawei Technologies faces intense political scrutiny in Europe. The former monopoly's decision is likely to please U.S. authorities, which have been seeking for months to convince European allies to ban Huawei from telecoms networks on concerns that the Chinese firm could be used to steal Western secrets -- assertions it strongly denies. Orange, considered a strategic asset by the French government, uses Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson for its current mobile networks, on which part of the next mobile technology will be built. "For Orange France, it was the easiest solution," a source close to the operator said, adding that it followed negotiations and experiments using Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei products. Huawei was not immediately available for comment. A recent decree aimed at screening all telecoms equipment to prevent espionage did not offer enough clarity for Frances telecoms lobby FFT, which insisted that guarantees needed to be made on the issue. The general fear in the French telecoms industry is that the authorities actually want to ban Huawei but will not say it publicly. In an interview in Les Echos on Thursday, FFT's head Arthur Dreyfuss said the industry would ask for compensation in the event that Huawei's equipment ends up being de facto excluded from the deployment of 5G in Europe. Comments by the European Union industry chief Thierry Breton in an interview with Le Monde on Wednesday supported this interpretation, as he noted that China had laws allowing the state to have access to all kinds of data. "Telecoms operators mustn't select risky suppliers, which could allow a state, for example, to take control of strategic sites such as capital cities, areas of intense military activity or nuclear power plants," Breton said. Story continues France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI is set to issue its first decisions regarding equipment it has screened in the coming weeks. Earlier this week, the EU followed Britain's example in allowing members to decide what part Huawei can play in its 5G telecoms networks and resisting pressure from Washington for an outright ban. EU countries can either restrict or exclude high-risk 5G vendors such as Huawei from core parts of their telecoms networks, according to the new guidelines, which seek to address the cybersecurity risks to the bloc's 28 countries at a national and EU level. (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain, Benoit Van Overstraeten and Sudip Kar-Gupta; editing by David Evans) The Judge's Robe Doesn't Fit Me By Dawn Mast There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:12 I saw her from across the room and I had her stereotyped and labeled by the time she came over to greet our family. Her "type" was easy to label. She had short spiky hair and wore large earrings. Without a trace of makeup and wearing a fairly masculine outfit, I was pretty sure I knew what kind of person she was. As she smiled and stuck out her hand to give us all a firm hand shake and a big welcoming smile she said something that pulled the rug out from under my prideful, judgmental spirit; "My husband is the pastor here and we are so glad you're visiting with us today." Oh. Uh oh. So, she was not only NOT involved in a same-sex lifestyle, she was, indeed, the pastor's wife. I had done it again. I had judged and this time I had judged a sister in the Lord! The shame I felt for days (and even as I write this) is just so awful that it breaks my heart. I'm brutally aware of the way I look at people from the outside and how I quickly put them in boxes, give them labels and judge them. This is not always a bad thing in that it's certainly fine to identify someone by what they do ("Sally, teaches 1st grade at the school on Main street.") or where they are from ("Gordon just moved here from Boston, but he was born and raised in Bolivia.") But, when those labels cause us to treat someone differently (and in many cases, badly) that's when we know we are being judgmental. The Lord calls us to be like Him. In being like Him it's helpful to remember the verse in 1 Samuel, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (NIV) It's hard when you just see someone from the outside, but trying to get to know their heart without focusing on their outward appearance is the tricky part. If we really want to overcome being judgmental, the Lord will honor that. Let's ask Him for eyes that see people the way He does, and hearts that reach out and love the way He wants. It takes time to become judgmental so it may take time to become non-judgmental. I'm working on this issue in my own life so I don't have any fix it fast tips. What I do know is that the Lord honors our desire to walk with Him, be like Him and live according to His Word. He knows how hard it is to not be judgmental, but if we ask him to help us change in a spirit of willingness with a teachable spirit, he will be faithful. Let's ask him to help our judgmental hearts become hearts that can see people they way He sees them. Father God, I know it must grieve Your heart when I judge people by how they look, dress, act or speak. By doing that I am essentially doing Your job in trying to know someone's heart. Please help me overcome this sinful habit. Please, Lord, give me a discerning heart that can see people the way You do. Amen. For more encouragement, visit Dawn at That Dawned On Me. 2020 by Dawn Mast. All rights reserved. Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Pull up a chair Hes been waiting for you. Need a refill? Please join us at the Encouragement Cafe with Luann and Friends. The conversation at the Cafe is always hot and fresh. We invite you to listen in as we gather around the table to discuss everyday life. Comfort food for your soul is always on our menu, and friends are always close enough to hug. We invite you to join us daily, as our writers share how the Lord continues to transform them into His glorious image. Still craving moreJoin us as we grow together in grace and truth through our online bible study. Stop by Encouragement Cafe and listen as the girls share life. Find podcasts, videos, Bible studies, prayer, resources and daily helpings of hope, laughter and friendship around our table. We've saved a seat just for you! The Child Justice Act found favour with both sides of the House of Assembly and was passed in December 2019. New Democratic Partys Senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste has dismissed the governments passage of the Child Justice Act as merely a "PR stunt, and fingered the government for failing to properly finance the implementation of the Act, which is awaiting proclamation. Vincentian lawmakers convened last December to pass the Child Justice Act. This new Act is meant to not only bring the country into compliance with United Nations conventions and OECS led commitments, but more importantly, it configured to manage the "judicial process for children accused of committing offences. The Act, therefore, protects the rights of children, especially those that come into conflict with the law. Some tenets of the New Act Most notably, the new law increased the age of criminal responsibility the minimum age that an individual can be charged, arrested or otherwise held accountable for alleged offences from eight (8) years old up to twelve (12). As such, a child under twelve years old would not be prosecuted for alleged offences. Additionally, the Act outlaws corporal punishment as well as life sentences for minors. The Act also looks at alternative measures to address concerns relating to alleged offenders including securing attendance of a child at an initial enquiry, and the establishment of assessment centres and residential facilities "for the reception, evaluation or rehabilitation of a child, Minister Frederick Stephenson explained in his December 27th parliamentary debate. Minister Stephenson, whose ministerial portfolio includes Social Development, National Mobilisation et al, also disclosed that a Child Justice Committee is to be set up to guide what would be the "informal judicial process. This is in support of a principal tenet of the new law dubbed Diversion. Under the Act, Diversion allows for the Child Justice Committee (comprising of a magistrate, a religious minister and two social workers) to remove alleged offending minors cases from the formal courtroom proceedings to "minimize childrens contact with the criminal justice system, Senator Kay Bacchus-Baptiste further clarified in support of the Acts passage. Financial support vital Stephenson, in his December debate, acknowledged the financial significance of implementing the Child Justice Act. "This bill would have some very serious implications for the Ministry of Finance, and I know that the Permanent Secretary and staff in the Ministry of National Mobilization have been discussing personnel and staff to carry this bill forward, and that the discussions are ongoing, he said. In the December 27th Debate, Bacchus-Baptiste supported the precepts enshrined in the then Bill, saying, "The most important part of passing this Child Justice Act is to have a national policy, a national framework that would make the Act work. The West St. George MP-hopeful then looked at several cost centres that must be financed in order to make the Act effective in its entirety, e.g. child friendly detention/assessment centres, additional social workers, trainings for police and other professionals who may have to interact with alleged offending minors, as well as the compulsory provision of legal aid to all alleged offending minors. No financial support Fast forward to January 22 and Finance Minister Camillo Gonsalves presentation of the 2020 Estimates of Revenue and Expenses; he is reported to have told parliament, "The government will build on its track record of improving the quality and quantity of persons in its employ. He then proceeded to list several new civil service positions approved by his Ministry, as part of the estimated $1.12 billion allocated for spending in 2020. In her response, Bacchus-Baptiste said "I searched the Estimates to see if theres anything at all to support this serious implementation of the Child Justice Act and I cannot find it. The Senator then reminded the House that both sides agreed, in the December debate, that it would cost a notable sum to implement the Child Justice Act. "But I note that there is no money at all projected in the Estimates up to 2022 for this Child Justice Act, Bacchus-Baptiste highlighted. She was guided to page 239 of the current estimates from which she discerned some 3 new social worker positions, 4 child protection officers and 5 maintenance workers were allotted to the Social Development Ministry "that is what you say is your projection? Are we for real? In the normal operation of business in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, we needed more social workers. So, I take this to mean that you recognize that fact. I dont see how this can bring the Child Justice Act into operation. This is cosmetic It is too little, too little, Bacchuss-Baptiste said. She concluded by disclosing a very recent case that required her legal services the previous Sunday. Senator Bacchus-Baptiste told the House of a minor who was incarcerated at a police station holding cell "for the weekend in illustration of the dire seriousness of the governments failure to enact the Child Justice Act. Minister Stephenson declined to offer further debate on the issue. The Queen at the State Opening of Parliament in 2017, wearing a hat that was compared to the EU flag (Carl Court/PA) As the UK leaves the EU at 11pm on Friday, the Queen will be at Sandringham, her private estate in Norfolk, where she is spending her annual winter break. The monarch has already given Royal Assent to the legislation for Boris Johnsons Brexit deal, which the Prime Minister hailed as crossing the Brexit finish line. She is not expected to make a statement to the nation regarding Brexit. On Brexit Day, the Queen, as on every other day, will be dealing with official documents, such as Cabinet and State papers, delivered to her in her famous red boxes. This Mary McCartney photograph has been released to mark The Queen becoming the longest reigning British Monarch pic.twitter.com/ZrsUlIsB7n The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) September 9, 2015 She may also be sending birthday wishes to her distant cousin Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, formerly Queen Beatrix, who celebrates turning 82 on January 31. The Queen missed her annual visit to the local Womens Institute last week because of a cold, but was back at church on Sunday. She has been dealing with the uncharted territory of Megxit with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex preparing to drop their HRH styles and quit the monarchy, and also faced the Duke of Edinburgh being hospitalised for four night before Christmas. The monarch was dragged into a constitutional row during her summer holidays in August 2019 amid Westminsters bitter Brexit battles when Mr Johnson asked her to suspend Parliament for more than a month. The sovereign was duty bound to hold a Privy Council meeting at Balmoral, her private Scottish estate, where, acting on the advice of the PM, she approved an order to temporarily close or prorogue parliament for five weeks. Expand Close Boris Johnson dragged the Queen into a constitutional row (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Boris Johnson dragged the Queen into a constitutional row (Victoria Jones/PA) Opposition leaders wrote to the Queen in protest and Commons Speaker John Bercow said the move was a constitutional outrage designed to stop Parliament debating Brexit. In the end, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Johnsons advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating Parliament. During the 2017 State Opening of Parliament, the Queens speech, written by the Government, laid out the Brexit legislation that the Government intended to pass during the parliamentary session. Some suggested that the monarchs hat, which was blue with yellow floral details, resembled the EU flag. Expand Close The Queen in what was dubbed her EU hat at the State Opening of Parliament in 2017 (Adrian Dennis/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen in what was dubbed her EU hat at the State Opening of Parliament in 2017 (Adrian Dennis/PA) But the Queens senior dresser Angela Kelly, who designed the piece with milliner Stella McLaren, later insisted it was not a coded message. It never occurred to Stella and me that people might think we were copying the European Union flag, she wrote in her memoirs. It was a coincidence but, boy, did it attract a lot of attention, and it certainly made us smile. As head of state, the Queen remains publicly neutral when it comes to political matters. But commentators saw her words in 2019 as a nod to the toxic mood of the public debate around Britain leaving the EU. In a speech to mark the centenary of the Sandringham Womens Institute (WI), she spoke in favour of individuals seeking common ground and never losing sight of the bigger picture in what was interpreted as a veiled reference to Brexit. Expand Close The Queen, with the Princess Royal and the Countess of Wessex, at the Womens Institute centenary celebrations (Chris Jackson/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Queen, with the Princess Royal and the Countess of Wessex, at the Womens Institute centenary celebrations (Chris Jackson/PA) The monarch extolled the virtues of respecting the other persons point of view. She has also used her Christmas messages in recent years to allude to differences and call for greater understanding. In 2019, she acknowledged the bumpy path her family and the country had experienced during the past 12 months. She said the Christmas message of peace and goodwill still had relevance and was a reminder of what can be achieved when people abandon their differences and come together in the spirit of friendship and reconciliation. Expand Close Details of the Norwich Gates to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (Kirsty OConnor/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Details of the Norwich Gates to the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk (Kirsty OConnor/PA) The head of state writes her Christmas Day broadcast herself and it is one of the rare occasions when she does not turn to the Government for advice and is able to voice her own views. During a state visit by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in October 2018, the Queen spoke publicly about Brexit for the first time, telling the King that as we look toward a new partnership with Europe the values shared by the UK and Holland are our greatest assets. During the referendum campaign in 2016, a major row broke out over a front-page story that stated the Queen supported EU withdrawal. The Suns report said an anonymous source had told the paper she had voiced strong Eurosceptic views during a lunch in 2011 with the then-deputy prime minister Nick Clegg. The former Liberal Democrat leader later said the suggestion the Queen had given him a tongue lashing about Europe was preposterous. Expand Close Former deputy PM Nick Clegg said claims that the Queen had voiced strong Eurosceptic views at a lunch were preposterous (Dominic Lipinski/PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former deputy PM Nick Clegg said claims that the Queen had voiced strong Eurosceptic views at a lunch were preposterous (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Mr Clegg, now Sir Nick, said then-justice secretary Michael Gove was behind the story, but Mr Gove has never confirmed the allegation. Buckingham Palace complained to the press watchdog Ipso over the Queen backs Brexit front page. Ipso later upheld the complaint and ruled the headline was inaccurate, although The Sun stood by its article. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg later said she had also been told that the Queen supported Brexit, but did not report it as she could not find a second source to corroborate the claim. In February 2019, The Sunday Times said that Whitehall was drawing up secret plans to evacuate the Queen and other senior royals from London in the event of riots triggered by a no-deal Brexit. The newspaper said the emergency proposals had been re-purposed from those originally formulated during the Cold War in the event of a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. Though their deaths made their mother eternally infamous, little is known about the children Medea murdered. So give some credit to the writer and director Simon Stones otherwise unilluminating Medea for making us think with personal concern as well as generic terror about what it must have felt like to be the progeny of its rage-filled title character. Euripides didnt even give the boys names never mind words to speak in his archetypal play, one of the most harrowing examples of the ever-harrowing form of Greek tragedy. But in Stones latter-day variation, which opened at the Harvey Theater of the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Thursday, these ill-fated lads have not only names (Edgar and Gus) but also credibly detailed identities. Their disastrously mismatched parents? Theyre called Anna (the Medea role) and Lucas (a 21st-century Jason). That theyre portrayed by a high-profile, talented real-life couple, Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale, has helped make this Medea a hot winter ticket in New York. But while Byrne and Cannavale work hard in their unconvincingly written parts, do you mind if I linger on the boys for a minute more? Edgar (Jolly Swag at the performance I saw) is the older one, angrier and more likely to act out when things get tense at home. Hes also making a documentary about his family life as a school project, poor little sap. Gus (Orson Hong) loves the movie The Sixth Sense, and charmingly quotes the line I see dead people. (Gabriel Amoroso and Emeka Guindo play the brothers on alternate nights.) Westfield State University president Ramon Torrecilha will retire in August, ending a tenure that has been marked by notable advancements, as well as some pushback from faculty. In a statement, Torrecilha said, I feel it is time to pursue personal interests, learn new things and see more of the world. I am proud of all that the Westfield State community has done to advance the institution while making it more inclusive and accessible to those for whom a college education was a distant dream, he said. As of 2019, Westfield State University had 5,000 full-time undergraduate students, 600 part-time undergraduate students and 800 graduate school students. Torrecilha, who was confirmed as the universitys president in late 2015, has pointed to expanded community involvement and improved student services, among other achievements. Faculty issued a no-confidence vote in Torrecilha in March 2019, citing bonuses paid to university vice presidents and administrators and questioning the process for hiring those staff. The vote came during ongoing contract negotiations between the statewide union and the Council of Presidents who run the state universities. Westfield State trustees, however, strongly supported Torrecilha. His retirement announcement was not widely anticipated. "I was kind of surprised at the announcement, but at the same time, I am so appreciative of the Chamber's relationship with president Torrecilha,'' said Kate Phelon, executive director of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce. He sits on our board of directors. Its been such an amazing journey with civic involvement, collaborations and partnerships. We are hopeful of continuing that relationship with the university, and we hope the trustees do a good job of conducting the search for a replacement, but he will be a tough act to follow. Torrecilhas tenure has not been without conflict. The facultys 2019 no-confidence vote saw 211 of 219 members voting disapproval of what one, education professor David Raker, called the presidents authoritarian style. At the time of the vote, Raker said the friction went beyond disagreements tied to contract negotiations. In a pointed response to questions by The Republican about the dispute, Raker wrote that, the presidents handling of finances . . . including the unnecessary and unwanted restructuring of the administration, has been a disaster. Raker stated that money was being lost in a black hole which is our new University Administrative structure. Support for Torrecilha from the trustees, though, was just as strong. The Board recognizes and appreciates the presidents strategic oversight to improve the Universitys overall direction and community engagement in just three years, Board of Trustees chairman Kevin Queenin said. His significant accomplishments in elevating the Universitys academic profile, replacing open faculty and staff positions at a time when other organizations are not, and increasing financial aid and private fundraising to support student success, all speak loudly to the Universitys exceptional good fortune in having a leader of Dr. Torrecilhas caliber and intellect. In October, Torrecilha said he took the lopsided no-confidence vote seriously and re-examined his approach. But he also said he considered faculty concerns when making decisions, and insisted the budget process was transparent. Even those opposing Torrecilhas management style saw positive messages in his backstory. In October, psychology professor and Faculty Union general secretary Claudio Ciano-Boyce told New England Public Radio that the presidents 2016 arrival as a Brazilian immigrant and first-generation college student was inspiring. Optimism based on that initial message dwindled among faculty, but not to those off campus. Torrecilha became known for effective fundraising and as an advocate of diversity. "I dealt with him on a number of community and business issues. He was very good at connecting the town-gown (relationship) with the community and region,'' said Rick Sullivan, a former Westfield mayor (serving before Torrecilhas arrival) and first-term City Council member. Sullivan is president and CEO of the Economic Development Council of Western Mass. He praised Torrecilha for expanding the universitys connection with Westfield Public Schools, and for partnering with other institutions, notably Holyoke Community College, to tackle hunger and homelessness issues among students. "Their web site says 60,000 student and faculty hours have been invested in the community, and he encouraged that. I have also always said that 80 percent of the job is just showing up, and he did that,'' Sullivan said. He showed up at community events, rather than just talking about it. Thats very important. Among the campus issues Torrecilha faced were racist messages in Westfield State dormitories, and while some students were aware of the clash between the president and faculty, the NEPR report indicated it did not cast a shadow on everyday campus life. South Korea's customs agency said Friday it will take strong measures against drug smuggling after it confiscated more than 100 kilograms of methamphetamine in 2019. South Korea seized 116.7 kg of methamphetamine, a common illegal substance, also known as Philopon, last year, according to the Korea Customs Service (KCS). This was the second-largest volume, following the record 222.9 kg of Philopon confiscated in 2018. The number of cases in which at least a kilogram of methamphetamine was found came to 22 in 2019, up from 16 cases a year earlier, indicating that drug dealers here are operating on a bigger scale. A kilogram of methamphetamine could contain as many as 30,000 doses. While smugglers mostly hid the drug in their bodies or luggage while traveling into the country, they also attempted to ship the narcotics via international mail by disguising them as coffee products. By origin, Malaysia accounted for the largest amount 68.2 kg followed by the United States with 13.7 kg, Thailand with 11.5 kg, Laos with 7.6 kg and Cambodia with 6.4 kg. The Golden Triangle, which straddles Thailand, Myanmar and Laos, is considered a major drug producing area. The customs service said it will continue to beef up surveillance on the trade of illegal drugs and work closely with police and the intelligence agency. (Yonhap) Constitution bench will consider issues related to entry of Muslim women into mosques, female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and barring of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, from the holy fire place at Agiary New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday said a nine-judge Constitution bench will on 3 February frame issues for deliberation in the matter relating to discrimination against women in various religions and at religious places including Kerala's Sabarimala Temple. It expressed displeasure at the outset over lawyers not being able to arrive at a consensus on legal issues to be adjudicated upon by the nine-judge bench. The Constitution bench will consider issues related to entry of Muslim women into mosques, female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community and barring of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, from the holy fire place at Agiary. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde, further said the nine-judge bench will go through the issues framed by some arguing lawyers and would try to crystalise the common legal questions to be adjudicated upon by it. It will also fix the hearing schedule. The bench, also comprising Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant, said, 'We are little disappointed as you could not arrive at a consensus. Now a nine-judge bench will go through the questions submitted by some of you (advocates) and try to crystallize the issues on 3 February and would decide on schedule and other modalities.' The top court's remark came after senior advocate V Giri, mentioned before the bench that some senior advocates appearing in the matters, including in the Sabarimala case, had framed some legal propositions and the court should look into them. The court had on 13 January asked four senior lawyers to convene a meeting to decide on the issues to be deliberated by it in the matter. Senior advocate Indira Jaising said the court should also decide the way the proceedings will go on in the matters as there are a range of issues to be dealt with by the Constitution bench. The bench said it would not allow two lawyers to argue on the same issue. 'Our object is to settle the larger issues and then the individual cases may be looked into,' the bench said. The top court had on 28 January said that its nine-judge Constitution bench would wrap up within ten days proceedings in the matter. It had made it clear that questions to be dealt with would be purely legal in nature and it would not take more time in concluding the hearing. 'It cannot take more than 10-days. Even if someone wants more time, it cannot be given,' the bench had said. The observations of top court had came when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the case before the bench, saying that in pursuance of the court's earlier direction a meeting of lawyers took place but it could not finalise the common legal questions for consideration of the nine-judge bench. On 14 November, last year, while referring the matter to a larger bench, the five-judge bench had said that the debate about the constitutional validity of religious practices like bar on entry of women and girls into a place of worship was not limited to the Sabarimala case. It had said such restrictions are there with regard to entry of Muslim women into mosques and 'dargahs' and Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, being barred from the holy fire place of an Agiary. It set out seven questions of law to be examined by the larger bench. They include interplay between freedom of religion under Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution; need to delineate the expression 'constitutional morality'; the extent to which courts can enquire into particular religious practices; meaning of sections of Hindus under Article 25 and whether 'essential religious practices' of denomination or a section thereof are protected under Article 26. While the five-judge bench unanimously agreed to refer religious issues to a larger bench, it gave a 3:2 split decision on petitions seeking a review of the apex court's September 2018 decision allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala shrine in Kerala. A majority verdict by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra decided to keep pending pleas seeking a review of its decision regarding entry of women into the shrine, and said restrictions on women in religious places was not restricted to Sabarimala alone and was prevalent in other religions as well. The minority verdict by Justices RF Nariman and DY Chandrachud gave a dissenting view by dismissing all review pleas and directing compliance of its 28 September decision. For the second time, a jury is being asked to consider if Joseph I. Zambuto is guilty of murder or acted in self defense in the 2015 stabbing death of his father. Zambutos first trial in 2017 ended in a hung jury and prosecutors decided to try him again on first-degree murder and weapons offenses. Opening arguments were held Thursday morning in Gloucester County. The defendant, now 38, and his 70-year-old father, also named Joseph, had quarreled over the Memorial Day weekend at the sons Monroe Township home and when the fight turned physical, the father was stabbed in the chest with a 13-inch Rambo 3 collectible knife. The son claims the father threatened him with the weapon, while the prosecution alleges the defendant was the aggressor. The younger Zambuto, who worked as a stock trader, lived next door to his parents and owned both homes. He put both houses up for sale days before the stabbing because he planned to move to Puerto Rico with his fiancee and child. His father was reportedly upset about that news. The defense and prosecution offered differing takes on what happened May 25, 2015, when the elder Zambuto and his wife, Sandra, visited the son in the master bedroom at his house to discuss his plans. The defendant had broken his foot and was in bed wearing a medical boot. Sandra Zambuto originally told police that they only went to talk to their son and that her husband had no weapon with him, First Assistant Prosecutor Paul Colangelo told the jury. She was sitting on a chair with her back to the men as their conversation turned into an argument, the prosecutor said. The woman recalled that her son left his bed and crossed in front of her before quickly returning. Then she heard a thump and turned to see them on the floor in a struggle that ended in her husbands death. After incriminating her son, the mothers story changed a few months later, Colangelo told jurors. We expect her to recant that statement, he said. We expect her to take the stand and shes going to offer a starkly different version than when she was cooperating with the states investigation. The defendant suffered a small cut on one hand and an abrasion on his leg in the incident, Colangelo said, while the victim suffered a 10-inch-deep chest wound, a broken rib, punctured lung and massive bleeding, as well as knife injuries to his hands. His left hand was shredded, in essence, Colangelo said. First Assistant Prosecutor Paul Colangelo presents a piece of evidence to Monroe Township Police Officer Nick Iacovone, during the murder trial of Joseph I. Zambuto in Gloucester County Superior Court, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media The victims DNA was found on the knife blade, while DNA from both men was found on the handle. The defendant had a knife collection, but the weapons were removed from the house and placed in the parents home for safety reasons when the couple had their child, according to previous testimony. Zambutos then-fiancee they have since divorced told investigators that while most of the collectible knives had been removed from the home, she had seen the Rambo knife in an exercise room next to the master bedroom about a month before the stabbing, Colangelo said. She is expected to testify. Monroe Police Officer Nicholas Iacovone, who responded to the scene, testified after opening arguments that the defendant said his father had often beaten him when he was young and, I never was able to do anything about it. I couldnt help myself this time. Colangelo summed up the central elements of the states case. A fit of anger and a deadly weapon, Colangelo said. A recanting mother who had cooperated with the police. If you accept what Sandra Zambuto told the police when she was cooperating with this investigation, youre going to convict him. Defense attorney Jeffrey Zucker called the case a tragedy, and "this is a case truly of self-defense. As for the wound to the defendants leg, Zucker said the father caused that injury and that this is what sparked the fight. The defendant intends to testify about the confrontation, his attorney said. Hes going to tell you that when his father came to speak to him his father came there with that Rambo knife to threaten him and put that knife on his leg. Thats what caused the altercation to begin. (The defendant) was protecting himself. Defense attorney Jeffrey Zucker delivers his opening statement to the jury during the murder trial of Joseph I. Zambuto, 38, of Monroe Township, in Gloucester County Superior Court, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. Zambuto is accused of stabbing his father to death in 2015.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media An about the empty knife box being found in the adjoining room, Zucker said about 20 to 30 empty boxes were left there after the weapons were moved to the parents house. Zucker also described the father as a violent, domineering figure. A former girlfriend of the defendant will testify that the elder Zambuto had beaten his son in the past and threatened him with a knife, Zucker told the jurors. The father didnt live with the family for most of his sons life, but that changed when his son became successful as a stock market wiz, the attorney said. Mr. Zambuto Sr. was not on the scene until the money came about, he said. The father did not work at all. The father had a great deal living next door. Even though the son had become successful and bought both of the houses with cash, he was totally dominated by his father, Zucker said. The defendant was planning to move to Puerto Rico to take advantage of a tax opportunity that would benefit his business, Zucker said, and that required him to sell his New Jersey properties. There was never an indication that he intended to leave his father homeless and his mother is going to testify here and tell you that she knew Joe was going to continue to take care of them. Zambutos first trial lasted a few weeks and ended when the jury informed the judge that it could not reach a verdict. First Assistant Prosecutor Paul Colangelo holds the knife allegedly used by Joseph I. Zambuto to kill his father in 2015.Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. When it comes to the UK, Ireland and the EU, I feel I've been in at the beginning. I was a student in Paris in 1963 when Charles de Gaulle uttered his famous "Non!" to the UK joining what was then the EEC (and which effectively halted Ireland's membership as well). The French seemed to rejoice at the rebuff of "perfidious Albion" - a Parisian spat at me in the Metro when I was reading a London newspaper with the story on the front page. "Dunkirk!" he hissed. (The wartime evacuation of Dunkirk was seen as Britain abandoning their French allies to the Nazi invaders.) Roll forward to 1973, and I was a reporter for the London 'Evening Standard' covering the accession of the UK, Ireland and Denmark to the European Community. De Gaulle was dead and things had moved on: Champagne corks popped to welcome the new boys - and it was, then, mostly boys. What I remember most about the celebration party is Paddy Hillery, Ireland's first European Commissioner (later to be President), was unable to attend because his young daughter had broken her arm and he didn't want to leave her. This was thought admirable - a politician who put a family matter before a big political occasion. They were optimistic days in Brussels and Strasbourg, and it was evident that British and Irish civil servants worked well together. The parity of relationship undoubtedly helped to create networks that were later to serve both sides in developing much improved Irish-British relations. The EC's lessening of national barriers was a positive move - the days of gendarmes asking to examine "your papers" in the street in somewhat contemptuous style were over. The Common Agricultural Policy always seemed to be problematic, and the Fisheries Policy didn't seem to suit either island nation. But wasn't exchanging benefits for costs part of the horse-trading? My life moved on too, and I married an Englishman, Richard West, who was of that little-recognised tribe - Britons who embraced European civilisation but couldn't stand the EU. Richard spoke French, German, Italian and Serbo-Croat, and could get by in Polish and Czech. His favourite poet was Heine and even in frail old age could recite much of Dante's 'Inferno'. But he deplored rule from Brussels, and the barriers erected against old Commonwealth traders, from Australian lamb to Jamaican bananas. I encountered other Englishmen like this, perhaps most notably Michael Foot, sometime leader of the British Labour Party. I sat next to him at a brunch given by David Frost, and he spent the entire meal talking about Ignatio Silone, the Italian left-wing novelist. Footy was a fierce opponent of the European Community, yet he loved European culture. The two are not incompatible - the EU is not, for everyone, "Europe". Margaret Thatcher favoured enlargement of the EU, and got it. But beneath the surface, you could sense discontent growing - especially with Maastricht in 1992, which moved the EC towards "the superstate" critics so disliked. And although Ireland sometimes demurred about ever-closer union - voters initially rejecting the Nice Treaty in 2001, fearing it compromised neutrality, and the Lisbon Treaty in 2008, being the constitutional basis of the EU - on the whole, the Irish have remained strongly committed members. The EU has boosted infrastructures, helped with equality and workers' rights (Paddy Hillery was a pioneer for this as a commissioner) and enhanced freedoms of movement and trade, even if there was a little local trouble with the euro debt crisis of 2008. And Ireland calls on something in the deposit of history too - those long-established links with the Catholic Europe of France, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal which were natural to Patrick Sarsfield, the Wild Geese and Daniel O'Connell. Long before there were Erasmus scholarships, Irish men and women studied at Rome, Louvain and Salamanca - as my own father did. From 1992, the UK was diverging, and the divergence culminated, as we know, with the Brexit referendum of 2016, which has been such a source of turbulence - and indeed division - since. But the die was well and truly cast by the December 2019 election and the triumph of Boris Johnson: today is what Brexiteers call "Independence Day". I don't accept the oft-asserted trope that Brexit is based on xenophobia and a "Little England" mentality. Yes, unrestrained immigration did play a part in alienating working-class constituencies. But it's about something deeper and older - call it an affirmation of national identity, or a gut feeling that "this is who we are". Granted, it's not straightforward - Remainers won't handle the Brexit 50p coin issued this week; Scotland protests; and we know about the problems squaring Northern Ireland's majority wish to Remain - prompting renewed speculation about a united Ireland. Watching this odyssey has been a lifetime's journey: as a teenager I could never have imagined that De Gaulle's veto to the UK in the EU would be one day be repeated in reverse order. I have been asked if I'm "pro-Brexit". I'm pro-democracy. I support Ireland's commitment to the EU, but I also support the UK's vote to leave. And despite Leo Varadkar's joshing that the UK has a smaller team than Ireland and the EU, I truly believe that a new and creative relationship will eventually emerge. Pakistan Minister Fawad Choudhry, in a tweet claimed that PM Modi has 'lost balance' over the reactions he recieved to Citizenship Amendement Act, abrogation of Article 370 in J&K and the "failing economy." In an attempt to meddle in India's elections, Pakistan PM Imran Khan's Minister called to defeat 'Modi madness' and said that with the fear of an electoral loss, PM Modi has resorted to 'ridiculous claims and threats.' In a tweet, Pakistan's Minister said, "People of India must defeat Modi madness, under pressure to lose another state election (Delhi on Feb 8th) he resorts to ridiculous claims and threats endangering the region. Mr. Modi has lost balance after internal and external reaction to Kashmir, Citizenship Laws and failing economy. This came in response to PM Modi's statement from January 29, wherein he stated that India has the capability to make Pakistan "bite the dust" in less than 10 days in any new war with Pakistan. READ| Pakistan Minister Fawad Hussain slaps journalist after he links him to TikTok star Siding with the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal called the Assembly elections 'an internal matter'. Further, in retaliation to Fawad Choudhry, rejected the intervention of a 'biggest sponsors of terrorism'. He said, "Narendra Modi ji is the Prime Minister of India. I also have a Prime Minister. The election of Delhi is an internal issue of India and we do not tolerate the intervention of the biggest sponsors of terrorism. As much as Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of this country." , https://t.co/E2Rl65nWSK Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 31, 2020 PM Modi's 'defeat Pak' claim On January 29, wearing a National Cadet Corps cap at the event in Delhi, PM Modi claimed that India's new prowess was due to "youthful thinking." Reminding the neighbour of three wars lost, PM Modi said, Pakistan has already lost three wars. Our armed forces will not take more than 7-10 days to make Pakistan bite the dust." The nuclear-armed neigbours have fought three wars in the past seven decades over Kashmir. In February 2019, it came close to a fourth war, after Pakistan violated India's airspace in a military retaliation over the Balakot airstrikes. PM Modi, furthering his claim, said that surgical strike conducted by the Army in 2016 and the air strike on a terror camp in Balakot in 2019 was an evidence of this. "This is 'youthful thinking'. We carry out surgical strikes and take on terrorists in their homes," the PM said. India have fought wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971, and in 1999 during the Kargil conflict. Last year, in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack on CRPF Jawans, PM Modi ordered an airstrike on terror camps inside Pakistan. PM Modi on Thursday said, Pakistan continues to wage a "proxy war" against India by backing terror outfits in Kashmir. READ| Anti-CAA protesters speaking Pakistan's language, won't tolerate such acts: UP CM READ| BJPs Rahul Sinha claims Delhis Shaheen Bagh protesters are from Bangladesh, Pakistan The United States told its citizens Thursday night "do not travel" to China, raising its advisory status to the highest level of alert because of the coronavirus epidemic. In issuing a level four warning -- up from urging Americans to "reconsider" travel to China -- the State Department said it was acting after the World Health Organization declared the epidemic, which originated in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, an international emergency. In an updated travel advisory, the department said any Americans in China now "should consider departing using commercial means." It recalled that last week it had ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan. "The US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in Hubei province," the advisory said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Currently, Senior Vice President at IBM, Krishna's responsibilities include the IBM Cloud, IBM Security and Cognitive Applications business, and IBM Research Arvind Krishna, who will take over as chief executive officer of International Business Machines Corp (IBM) in April, becomes the third Indian to head US-based multinational company after Microsoft corp's chief executive officer Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. "I am thrilled and humbled to be elected as the next Chief Executive Officer of IBM, and appreciate the confidence that Ginni and the Board have placed in me," Krishna said in a press statement released by IBM. "IBM has such talented people and technology that we can bring together to help our clients solve their toughest problems. I am looking forward to working with IBMers, Red Hatters and clients around the world at this unique time of fast-paced change in the IT industry. We have great opportunities ahead to help our clients advance the transformation of their business while also remaining the global leader in the trusted stewardship of technology," Krishna said. Currently, Senior Vice President at IBM, Krishna's responsibilities include the IBM Cloud, IBM Security and Cognitive Applications business, and IBM Research. Previously, he was general manager of IBM's Systems and Technology Group's development and manufacturing organisation. Prior to that, he built and led many of IBM's data-related businesses. Krishna joined IBM in 1990. The IBM Board of Directors elected Krishna as company CEO and member of the Board of Directors effective 6 April. Krishna will succeed Rometty, 62 who will retire after almost 40 years with the company at the end of the year, according to a PTI report. "Through his multiple experiences running businesses in IBM, Arvind has built an outstanding track record of bold transformations and proven business results, and is an authentic, values-driven leader," Virginia Rometty, CEO, said in the release. Rometty said Krishna is a "brilliant technologist who has played a significant role in developing our key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum computing and blockchain. He is also a superb operational leader, able to win today while building the business of tomorrow." She said Krishna has grown IBM's Cloud and Cognitive Software business and led the largest acquisition in the company's history. Krishna was a "principal architect" of the company's acquisition of Red Hat. "Through his multiple experiences running businesses in IBM, Arvind has built an outstanding track record of bold transformations and proven business results, and is an authentic, values-driven leader." According to his LinkedIn account, Krishna has worked as senior vice president for cloud and cognitive software at IBM role since January 2019. "Arvind is the right CEO for the next era at IBM. He is a brilliant technologist who has played a significant role in developing our key technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum, computing and Blockchain. He is also a superb operational leader," CEO Rometty said in a statement, adding Krishna "is also a superb operational leader, able to win today while building the business of tomorrow," Rometty said. Lead Director of the IBM Board of Directors Michael Eskew said with the strong foundation now established by Rometty for IBM's future, the Board is confident that Krishna is the "right CEO to lead IBM". "The Board ran a world-class succession process and found in Arvind a leader with the business acumen, operational skills, and technology vision needed to guide IBM in this fast-moving industry," Eskew said. Chairman of the Board's Executive Compensation and Management Resources Committee Alex Gorsky said Krishna thinks and executes squarely at the intersection of business and technology. Gorsky said he is an "ideal leader" to succeed Rometty and take IBM and its clients into the next chapter of the cloud and cognitive era. The IBM statement said that as IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software, Krishna led the IBM business unit that provides the cloud and data platform on which IBM's clients build the future. Before taking over his current role heading IBM's cloud and cognitive software business, he had served as senior vice president of hybrid cloud at IBM for two years. Krishna has an undergraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is the recipient of distinguished alumni awards from IITK and the University of Illinois. He is also the co-author of 15 patents. Krishna has been the editor of IEEE and ACM journals and has published extensively in technical conferences and journals. Krishna studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and has a PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois. BEIJING, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has begun to renovate its hospital Xiaotangshan, formerly used to quarantine SARS patients, as a precaution in the face of the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to a press conference on Thursday. Whether the hospital will be put into use will be based on the future development of the outbreak. In the treatment and control of SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which spread rapidly on the Chinese mainland in 2003, Beijing built Xiaotangshan Hospital, a temporary medical center in the northern suburb of the city, in just a week. The hospital admitted one-seventh of the SARS patients in the country within two months. The hospital requires renovation due to some aging facilities and pipelines. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 31, 2020) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (the "Company" or "Aires") is pleased to announce that it has entered into a call centre service agreement (the "Service Agreement") effective January 28, 2020 with Answer 365, a Canadian call center, pursuant to which Answer 365 will outsource Aires' customer service providing 24-hour support and increased purchase satisfaction for Aires' customers around the world.. The Service Agreement may be terminated by either party upon 30 days' prior written notice. Pursuant to the Service Agreement, Answer 365 will supply a call service center on behalf of Aires to provide coverage through e-mail, live chat, and phone channels. Services will be offered in English, French and Spanish. The anticipated start date will be on or around February 15, 2020. Aires is also pleased to report that it has commenced negotiations to partner with a fulfillment company who operates fulfillment centers located in Toronto, Chicago, Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom. Each center will have the capacity to handle over 1,000 orders per day and the ability to provide warehousing and storage to process all orders in less than 24 hours. These partnerships will allow Aires to create deep, lasting and sustainable customer relationships, at a reduced cost, while ultimately increasing the Company's sales and margins. "In January alone, we have initiated the creation of a new website that is capable of handling up to 10,000 orders a day. We have initiated two new product lines, one for the global pet market place and the other for all of us that are concerned with the harmful effects from exposure to electromagnetic radiation emitted from the new 5G cellular technology. We have opened our first on-line sales platform with Best Buy Market Place and have initiated our global sales and marketing campaign targeted to increase product awareness and sales. We have been busy," commented Dimitry Serov, President and CEO. "These initiatives along with Answer 365 and our fulfillment centers will all be running at full speed in Q2, 2020, just as we have previously reported." Serov added "Aires products have global appeal, and we are just starting to capture the size of demand as we see daily increased sales that are occurring simply organically. In order to handle anticipated demand, we have taken careful consideration in building the proper infrastructure globally in order for us to realize, with the very best means before us today, the size and scope of this global on-line opportunity that allows all mankind to safely integrate with the technology of today." About Answer 365 Answer 365 provides customer service support that helps businesses run efficiently, and with the confidence that customers are taken care of. Answer 365 is a Canadian call center that has been in business for over 70 years, processing millions of transactions with cost effective and innovative communication solutions. About American Aires Inc. American Aires is an Ontario based technology company that is focused on the research, development and implementation of innovative technology solutions to allow consumers to safely engage with electronic products of the 21st century. The Company is currently engaged in the business of production, distribution and sales of products intended to protect persons from the harmful effects of electromagnetic emissions, which is produced from electronic devices such as cell phones, Wi-Fi routers, tablets and electric cars to name a few. The Company has developed a technology that restructures and transforms electromagnetic field haze into a more biologically-compatible form to reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation. The Company's current principal products are the Shield Pro, Air Defender Pro and Air Guardian. For more information please visit: www.airestech.com On behalf of the board of directors Dimitry Serov, President & Chief Executive Officer Email: dimitry@airestech.com Phone: (905) 482-4667 Investor Relations: Samina Deen, Head of Partnerships| Email: samina@airestech.com Phone: (416) 320-1634 wifi@airestech.com Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint-ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Not intended for distribution to United States Newswire Services or for dissemination in the United States. Any failure to comply with this restriction may constitute a violation of United States Securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52011 'I want my party back': Pro-life Democrat who confronted Buttigieg on abortion speaks out Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A pro-life Democrat activist who confronted presidential candidate Mayor Peter Buttigieg at a town hall in Iowa has spoken out about the experience, calling on the party to be more accepting of her side of the abortion debate. Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats For Life of America, asked the South Bend, Indiana, mayor at the Fox News Town Hall on Sunday whether he would support more moderate platform language so that the Democratic Party was more accepting of pro-life Democrats. Well, I respect where you're coming from, and I hope to earn your vote. But I'm not going to try to earn your vote by tricking you. I am pro-choice. And I believe that a woman ought to be able to make that decision, Buttigieg responded. The best I can offer is that if we can't agree on where to draw the line, the next best thing we can do is agree on who should draw the line. And in my view, it's the woman who's faced with that decision in her own life. In an opinion piece published by USA Today on Thursday, Day wrote that she took issue with the response, believing that he failed to properly answer her question about being more accepting of pro-life Democrats. He refused twice to even answer that part of my question and instead focused on his unyielding support for abortion and did not really seem to want the vote from me or people who share my views," Day wrote. The reality today is that the Democratic Party, hounded by abortion extremists, is deep in the pockets of the pro-choice lobby. Day explained that the party platform in 1996 and 2000 included language like stating that Democrats were a party of inclusion and that they respect the individual conscience of each American on this difficult issue. But in 2012, the platform removed the word rare in its discussion of abortion and, in 2016, the party officially called for the repeal of the Hyde Amendment, which prohibit federal health care programs from funding the procedure, Day added. Buttigieg likes to talk about future former Republicans. With his extreme stance on abortion, though, he is doing precisely the opposite: building an army of future former Democrats, disturbed by Trump but forced into a corner. I want my party back, she concluded. In April 2017, Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez announced that the party would no longer support any Democratic candidates who opposed abortion. Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and her health, he said at the time. That is not negotiable and should not change city by city or state by state. The announcement garnered criticism from both pro-choice and pro-life Democrats, notably California Rep. Nancy Pelosi who felt the position was unwelcoming. That July, U.S. Representative Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the new litmus test had been reversed. As we look at candidates across the country, you need to make sure you have candidates that fit the district, that can win in these districts across America, he said, as reported by The Hill. Four weeks ago, the clerk of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, Arthur Morrell, threatened to bring the local criminal justice system to a virtual halt by furloughing nearly his entire staff in response to a seven-year-old budget battle with the city. Inmates could have been stranded in jail with nowhere to post bail. Local judges could have seen their dockets grind to a standstill. On Thursday, Morrell said his brinkmanship played a role in securing an agreement with the city to increase his funding from $4 million to $4.6 million this year. In exchange, Morrell will dismiss his pending lawsuits against the city he has at least six including his bid to have Mayor LaToya Cantrell's administration fork over $7 million for prior years of alleged under-funding. "Im glad that this is over with. I think we can work now, at ease with the agreement," Morrell said in an interview. New Orleans clerk of court announces near-total shutdown, furloughing employees and stranding inmates Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court Arthur Morrell announced Friday that he is going nuclear in his long-running budget dispute wi The agreement signed by Morrell and city Chief Administrative Officer Gilbert Montano on Tuesday appears to end a long-running budget dispute that flared vividly into view with Morrell's furlough threat on Jan. 3. Since former Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration first sliced his budget in 2012, Morrell has filed a series of lawsuits alleging that the city is in violation of state laws requiring his office to be fully funded at the level he says he needs. Morrell has won often in court. But he's been less successful at wooing political allies. Cantrell and the City Council last fall gave Morrell $600,000 less than what he asked for in 2020. With the additional funding secured this week, the Clerk's Office will be able to hire about 10 extra employees and boost office salaries, Morrell said. The office's entry-level pay is currently $23,000 a year, which will rise to $26,000. Morrell also hopes to stem turnover and complete the office's long-delayed project of digitizing its records, which at present are only available to the public on paper. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Morrell said the furlough threat, which he rescinded less than a day later amid pushback from stunned criminal justice system leaders, played a role in reaching the agreement. Faced with the prospect of being unable to run their courtrooms, Criminal District Court judges stepped in to facilitate his negotiations with the city. Orleans Parish court clerk Arthur Morrell wins round in long battle with city over funding Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal District Court Arthur Morrell won a round Wednesday in his long-running legal tussle with the city over fundi "I think the seriousness of it came when I mentioned about the personnel I needed, and the furlough was on the table, and the judges asked me to postpone it because they wanted to give me some assistance in trying to get this resolved," he said. "They did talk with the administration, and I think that that helped." Morrell expressed confidence that the peace pact will stick in future years. In a statement, Cantrell said she was proud to have resolved the dispute. We are pleased to have the matter resolved and confident that this agreement allows us all to move forward in the best way possible for the residents we serve," she said. "Throughout this process, we have remained committed to getting the job done and to upholding the trust that the people of our city have placed in their elected officials. Karen Herman, the court's chief judge, said she also was satisfied. "Criminal District Court is committed to working closely and cooperatively with all criminal justice agencies," she said. "Were thrilled that the litigation has been disposed of and we can move forward from there." Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Morrell asked Civil District Court Judge Sidney Cates to dismiss the clerk's various lawsuits. The judge did so on Thursday. Advertisement More than 1,000 mourners turned out for the funeral of a popular traveller famous for training horses who had a whopping 140 grandchildren. Beloved Patrick 'Paddy' Doran was laid to rest in Leeds, West Yorkshire yesterday surrounded by his adoring friends and family who travelled from all over the world to attend. Amazing pictures of the funeral cortege show exuberant floral displays, including one in the shape of a caravan, and a golden carriage carrying loved ones. Family members of Paddy Doran carried his coffin through the streets of Leeds, West Yorkshire. The Irish traveller, who had 140 grandchildren died on January 18 at the age of 91 Extravagant floral displays followed his coffin, including this tribute spelling out the word Daddy on the back of this immaculate Mark 1 Ford Transit Four horses draped in the Irish tricolour pulled a glass carriage with Mr Doran's coffin at the head of the funeral cortege Hundreds of people stood outside the church to greet the coffin ahead of his funeral mass yesterday in Leeds, West Yorkshire Floral tributes included a model of a horse and a van followed by a horse box all carried on the back of a trailer Mr Doran's coffin was in a magnificent glass-panelled carriage being pulled by four horses with the Irish flag draped over their backs. The family man was born and raised in Wexford in the southeast of Ireland before moving to West Yorkshire when he was in his 20s. He made his name as a skilled horse trainer and became affectionately known as 'Rich' Paddy Doran by those who knew him. After a long and colourful life the dad-of-12 passed away from natural causes on January 18 at the age of 91. He leaves behind hundreds of family members and his wife of 70 years, Mary. Several of the mourners travelled to the funeral on immaculately-painted horse drawn carriages Mr Doran moved to Leeds from the Irish south east when he was in his 20s and was known as a successful horse trainer A priest waited outside the Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds to greet Mr Doran's coffin before the funeral Mass One mourner arranged some photographs on the back of a restored Mark 1 Transit Van outside the church yesterday His funeral was held yesterday at the Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds, West Yorkshire. His grandson John Taylor, a 29-year-old car trader and property developer, described Mr Doran as a 'talented family man'. He added: 'Paddy was an absolute gentleman, anyone who knew him would tell you the same. 'He was family family orientated and love them with all his heart. 'Paddy was also a very good businessman and knew how to make money - lots of people knew him as 'Rich'.' John added: 'We have a very big family and to see so many of them turn out today is amazing. 'It's definitely the send off Paddy deserves.' Family members raised Mr Doran's coffin onto their shoulders as he commenced his final journey Mourners stared into the distance as they carried Mr Doran's silver coffin along the road Many of the floral tributes featured the colours of the Irish flag and some of them surrounded photographs of Mr Doran and members of his family Mourners carried floral tributes and items associated with Mr Doran's life into the church ahead of the funeral mass Mr Doran, who had 12 children and 140 grandchildren also leaves behind his wife of 70 years Mary One of the floral tributes featured a caravan which his heavily associated with the Irish traveller lifestyle One Irish tricolour had been prepared with the legend 'Rest In Peace Paddy Doran' printed in gold lettering and carried on a horse drawn carriage Mr Doran's family repainted a horsebox including a photograph of their father and grandfather with the caption 'In memory of Paddy Doran RIP Legend' Several horse boxes joined the funeral cortege to mark Mr Doran's life-long involvement in the bloodstock industry Members of Mr Doran's family rode to the funeral on horse drawn carriages. Horses form a massive part of the culture of Irish travellers Mourners stood around the Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds waiting for Mr Doran's funeral Mass to begin A child helped carry a floral tribute of a car with working headlights into the church for Mr Doran's funeral Mass A lone piper played a lament as mourners stood outside the Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds yesterday Several horse drawn carriages followed the funeral cortege as it made its way through the streets of Leeds Several photographs showed Mr Doran leading his beloved blood stock at an unitentified horse fair The four horses leading the funeral cortege had plumes in the colour of the Irish tricolour Hundreds of people arrived at yesterday's funeral in dozens of different vehicles adding to the colourful spectacle Mourners greeted each other outside the Catholic Church of the Holy Rosary in Leeds ahead of yesterday's service These smart looking children dressed in black suits were on the back of a horse drawn carriage WEBB, N.Y. Two snowmobile accidents, one fatal, took place near the Stillwater Reservoir on Thursday. A Binghamton man died after crashing while riding on the reservoir. The Mercy Flight Medevac helicopter directed town of Webb police to the scene of the incident around 8:30 p.m. Police say 55-year-old Jon VanDeusen struck a large ice heave, and went airborne before crashing on the lake. CPR attempts were made by fellow snowmobilers, but were unsuccessful. Police say the investigation is ongoing. The other incident involved a man from Virginia, who was seriously injured after flying over the handlebars when he lost control of his snowmobile. Town of Webb police say Christopher Anderson, 48, complained of no feeling or movement in his legs after the accident. Anderson was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center for treatment. By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 31, Trend reports. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A pair of Harvard astrophysicists have proposed a wild theory of how life might have spread through the universe. Imagine this: Millions or billions of years ago, back when the solar system was more crowded, a giant comet grazed the outer reaches of our atmosphere. It was moving fast, several tens of miles above the Earth's surface too high to burn up as a fireball, but low enough that the atmosphere slowed it down a little bit. Extremely hardy microbes were floating up there in its path, and some of those bugs survived the collision with the ball of ice. These microbes ended up embedded deep within the comet's porous surface, protected from the radiation of deep space as the comet rocketed away from Earth and eventually out of the solar system entirely. Tens of thousands, maybe millions, of years passed before the comet ended up in another solar system with habitable planets. Eventually, the object crashed into one of those planets, deposited the microbes a few of them still living and set up a new outpost for earthly life in the universe. Related: 5 Reasons to Care About Asteroids You could call it "interstellar panspermia," the seeding of distant star systems with exported life. We have no idea whether this ever actually happened .and there's a mountain of reasons to be skeptical. But in a new paper, Amir Siraj and Avi Loeb, both astrophysicists at Harvard University, argue that at least the first part of this story the depositing of the microbes into a comet that gets ejected from the solar system should have happened between one and a few dozen times in Earth's history. Siraj told Live Science that although a lot more work needs to be done to back up the finding, it should be taken seriously and that the paper may have been, if anything, too conservative in its estimate of the number of life-exporting events. While the study's concept may seem far-fetched, humanity is constantly confronted with seeming impossibilities, like Earth going around the sun, or quantum physics, or bacteria hitching a ride into the galaxy aboard a comet that turn out to be true, Siraj said And there's been reason to suspect that it might be possible. A series of experiments using small rockets in the 1970s found colonies of bacteria in the upper atmosphere. Comets really do enter and leave our solar system from time to time, and Siraj and Loeb's calculations show that it's plausible, maybe even likely, this has happened to large comets that graze Earth. Comets are porous, and might actually shield microbes from deadly radiation some microbes can survive a remarkably long time in space. That alone is reason for scientists to take the idea seriously, Siraj said, and for researchers from fields like biology to jump in and figure out some of the details. "It's a brand new field of science," he told Live Science However, Stephen Kane, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, told Live Science that he was deeply skeptical of the suggestion that microbes from Earth might have actually turned up alive on alien planets through some version of this process. The first problem would occur when the comet slammed into the atmosphere, he said. Siraj and Loeb point out that some bacteria can survive extraordinary accelerations. But the precise mechanism by which the microbes would adhere to the comet is unclear, Kane said, since the aerodynamic forces around the comet might make it impossible for any microbes to reach the surface and work their way deep enough below the surface to be protected from radiation. It's also not clear, he said, whether any microbes would really have been up high in our atmosphere in the first place Those rocket experiments from the 1970s are old and questionable, he said, and we still don't have a good picture of what the biology of the upper atmosphere really looks like today let alone hundreds of millions of years ago, when comet encounters were much more common. The biggest question, though, Kane said, is what would happen to the microbes after they landed aboard the comet. It's plausible, he said, that some bacteria might survive decades in space long enough to reach, say, Mars. But there's little direct evidence that any bacteria might survive the thousands or millions of years necessary to travel to another habitable star system. And that's really the key idea of this paper: Researchers have long suggested that debris from major collisions might blast life around between our solar system's planets and moons. But exporting life to an alien star system likely requires a more specialized scenario. Still, Kane said, the calculations in this study of how precisely a comet might skim through the atmosphere were new to him, and "very interesting." Siraj didn't strongly challenge any of Kane's concerns, but reframed them one by one as opportunities for further study. He wants to know, he said, precisely what the biology of the upper atmosphere looks like, and how comets might react to it. There's reason to think that at least some bacteria might survive super-long trips through deep space, he said, based on how robust they are under extreme conditions on Earth and in orbit. But for now, it's time for scientists across fields to jump in and start filling in the gaps, Saraj said. Originally published on Live Science. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and BJP leader Raman Singh on Thursday said that there would have no reason for his successor Bhupesh Baghel to write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, if he had read the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "There would have been no reason to write the letter if he had read the Act," Singh said. Calling the CAA "discriminatory" in nature, Baghel on Thursday requested Modi to repeal the Act. The Chief Minister in his letter to the Prime Minister said, "The Act is appearing to be discriminatory towards illegal immigrants based on their religious beliefs, contradictory to Article-14 of Indian Constitution. It also has no provision for people of neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan living in India." Baghel also said that the poor and illiterate people will find it difficult to fulfill the formalities of the act. He emphasised that the protests in the state against CAA have all been peaceful. "Number of demonstrations have taken place in Chhattisgarh in protest of this Act and all those demonstrations were peaceful. People from various sections participated in these peaceful demonstrations. People to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes (SC, ST and OBC), reside in the state, and most of these people are poor, illiterate and unequipped, which will make it extremely difficult for them to complete the formalities under this Act," the Chief Minister stated in his letter. Baghel requested the Prime Minister to repeal the Act so that 'peace in the country' can be maintained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Motors MD and CEO Guenter Butschek said the downturn in the automotive industry continued in the third quarter as the economy slowed down Tata Motors on Thursday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 1,755.88 crore in the three months ended December 2019, mainly helped by higher Jaguar Land Rover sales in China, but warned of general economic slowdown continuing to impact domestic auto industry, according toa PTI report. The company's Chief Financial Officer P B Balaji said it is keeping a "close watch" on the developing situation in China, which is grappling with coronavirus outbreak, and that it was too early to take a call on production in the wake of the development. The homegrown automaker had a consolidated net loss of Rs 26,960.8 crore in the year-ago period. Consolidated results benefit from JLR China recovery and Project Charge offset by M&HCV decline & and stock reduction in India, the company said in a release. The company's consolidated total revenue from operations stood at Rs 71,676.07 crore in the December quarter compared to Rs 76,915.94 crore in the same period a year ago. During the third quarter, the company's standalone wholesales, including exports, declined 24.6 percent to 1,29,185 units. Revenues from British arm Jaguar Land Rover rose to 6.4 billion pounds in the quarter under review, an increase of 2.8 percent compared to the year-ago period. "I think on the JLR what stood for us was the continued recovery in China, as well as delivery of Project Charge," CFO Balaji said. China JLR reported a growth of around 24 percent and the company sees a strong demand for the new Range Rover Evoque model. The order book for new Defender model is now starting to build very strongly, he said. On a standalone basis, the company posted a net loss of Rs 1,039.51 crore in December 2019 quarter. In the comparable period a year ago, it had a profit of Rs 617.62 crore. Standalone total revenue stood at Rs 10,842.91 crore in the third quarter of current fiscal whereas the same was at Rs 16,207.67 crore in the year-ago period. In India, the company said the auto industry continues to be impacted by the general economic slowdown. The profitability was impacted by an adverse mix of factors and despite increasing market share, M&HCV volumes declined 48 percent. "This coupled with pro-active system stock reduction of Rs 3,800 crore resulted in a loss of operating leverage," it said, according to PTI. Tata Motors MD and CEO Guenter Butschek said the downturn in the automotive industry continued in the third quarter as the economy slowed down. "Despite gaining sequential market shares in M&HCV, ILCV and SCV this quarter, our financial performance was impacted due to the downturn coupled with the inventory corrections we took to get ready for BS-VI (implementation). "Our focus on retail acceleration and system stock reduction helped us achieve a multi-quarter low inventory level in CV and PV, while simultaneously getting ready for a smooth transition to BS-VI," he noted. According to the company, Jaguar Land Rover continued its turnaround with another quarter of strong delivery. China continues to improve gradually while Project Charge, which seeks to reduce cost and increase cash flows, is well ahead of plans having already delivered 2.9 billion pounds so far, the automaker said. "It (Project Charge) will have a target to deliver a further 1.1 billion pounds of cost savings and therefore, we will aim to deliver accumulated over 4 billion pounds of saving by March 2021," Balaji said during the earnings call to discuss the third-quarter results. "Our performance fundamentally has been impacted by lower volumes and in the market, as well as stock corrections," he said. According to Balaji, there are clearly a few things that are starting to move in the right direction, particularly with respect to liquidity issue easing, and inquiries are gradually starting to rise. "So, I think gradually there are parts of it that are falling together... what's really putting us in a good place is that our inventory correction portion been mostly done and dusted," he noted. While noting that the company remains concerned about the intrinsic demand and weak consumer sentiments, Balaji also said it expects a perceptible improvement in demand outlook as the infrastructure investments announced by the government pick up pace. "In the domestic market, we continue to manage the slowdown well, by ensuring that we're doing the right things, continuing to take out inventory. "... and we are starting to see sequential improvement in our market shares and our performance," he said. Proft hit from coronavirus break The coronavirus outbreak in China could hit profits at luxury car brand JLR, Tata Motors said on Thursday, the latest company to warn of an impact from the epidemic that has killed 170 people and forced businesses to suspend operations, according to a Reuters report. It could hamper JLR production in China as the epidemic has raised concerns that thousands of Chinese factory workers on extended Lunar New Year holidays may struggle to get back to work next week due to extensive travel restrictions. The Indian carmaker said the outbreak could impact its profit margin forecast of around 3% for the JLR unit in fiscal 2020 at a time when it was making progress on a turnaround plan to improve sales in China. Several companies including Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), Apple (AAPL.O) and Starbucks (SBUX.O) have warned of a possible impact from the outbreak. We need to see when people come back and resume work, how soon they can replenish pipeline inventory, Chief Financial Officer PB Balaji said as the company reported its third-quarter results. --With inputs from agencies At a time when the House of Windsor is haemorrhaging "senior royals" left, right and to Vancouver a new hero emerges to potentially take up some of the slack. Stepping up to the plate in time of need is Prince Simon from Australia. You may not have heard of Prince Simon before - but there's a good reason for that. Simon's not actually a prince. However, Simon Charles Dorante-Day (his real name) has this week launched a legal action Down Under claiming that he is the love child of Prince Charles and Camilla. And as such, potentially, second-in-line to the throne. The poor Queen. How much more can she take? Megxit, the Andrew scandal, Peter Phillips flogging "royal" milk in China (Princess Anne's son has appeared in a TV ad there promoting dairy produce) and the many, mad Markles. And now some strange Aussie claiming that he's her grandson on account of the fact that he's got a similar hairdo to the Duchess of Cornwall. Prince Simon (we'll refer to him as that because the double-barrelled surname is a bit of a mouthful) was born and brought up in England. Adopted at 18 months, he claims that throughout his youth his adoptive grandmother often told him that he was the child of Charles and Camilla. Interestingly, the grandmother and her husband had both worked for the royal household. So far, so plausible? Sadly for Simon, no. Bearing in mind we all got told stories by our grannies that may have been a little, shall we say, enhanced, this is far from an open and shut case. Without DNA evidence Prince Simon is relying on photographic "evidence" to back up his claims. He's produced pics of himself in his youth comparing them to Camilla's son Tom at around the same age. In fairness there is a distinct resemblance. However, he could also pass for Herman from Herman's Hermits (Sixties pop band, children), so the lookalike argument is hardly a clincher. Same goes for his claim that in his youth his hair was very similar to Camilla's. However uncanny the similarity in centre-parting, Simon, hair doesn't make you an heir. If I'm sounding unkindly dismissive of Prince Simon's claim to the throne, it's because some aspects of his argument just don't add up. When he was conceived (he was born in 1966) Prince Charles was 17 and at a school in the north in Scotland. Camilla was 18 and living down south. And the pair still hadn't met. And then there's the small matter of eye colour. Both Camilla and Charles have blue eyes. Simon's eyes are brown. Asked how this could be (when both parents have blue eyes the child apparently can't have brown eyes) Simon said he could explain. He insisted that his eyes had been tampered with. That's the bit where he lost me. That, and his claim that Megxit was in fact just a ploy by the royal family to take attention away from what he describes as his explosive court action. No, Simon, I don't think so. I think Harry and Meghan wanted out. Which makes it all the more intriguing as to why you would want in. Prince Charles used to moan that the monarchy was turning into a soap opera. These days it's borderline sitcom. But with a cast of characters no scriptwriter could make up. Among them is Clown Prince Thomas Markle now threatening one major tell-all interview per month unless his daughter and Harry wise up and get in touch. At some point old Thomas is surely going to run out of home videos and ways to say what an ungrateful wretch his Meghan is. But like the aforementioned Peter Phillips in the weird Chinese dairy ad he's milking it for all it's worth. As for Prince Simon, the only comfort for the royals must be that there's still one oddball out there who wants in. Just a pity he's not their blue-eyed boy. Who knows when Brexit negotiations will finally be over By the time you read this we will be gone. Last night at 11pm, with a bit of Boris fanfare but no Big Ben bonging, the UK formally left the EU. It's been a week that will go down in history. We can only sympathise with the students of the future who will have to try to get their heads around Brexit's tortuous timeline. Earlier in the week the EU Parliament had hosted a send-off that was part Last Night of the Proms, part Eurovision Song contest. MEPs held hands and warbled Auld Lang Syne, some using their pro-EU scarves to mop their tears. Nigel Farage flashed a grin of such unbridled joy that it looked almost as false as Philip Schofield's at the NTA awards. You almost expected him to burst into a chorus of "So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu". With all the sincerity of a Eurovision host, Ursula van der Leyen, assured departing MEPs of the EU's undying love. "And this completes the results of the European jury. Royaume-Uni, nul points." So we're out. Sort of. We know that many more months of negotiations lie ahead. But we're hardened to that by now. As Eurovision's Johnny Logan once so perceptively put it: "What's another year?" Is the truth a casualty in China? Of all the bizarre stories emanating from the coronavirus crisis one of the most mind-boggling is how the Chinese managed to build two massive hospitals in just one week. In the UK they've been trying for years to build a high speed HS2 rail link between London and Birmingham. And they're still nowhere near. But at least we know the full sorry facts and figures there. Are the notoriously secretive Chinese authorities being equally upfront with casualty figures? Or are they constructing those too? Chancers on eBay making a mint Have you found a commemorative 50p coin in your change yet? Have you put it up on eBay? At the time of writing, the coins having just been issued and still warm from the Royal Mint oven, I see that some are already being offered online. Asking price, 14.99. Not quite the "rare Peter Rabbit" 50p price tag of 1,500. But still. By the end of 2020 around 10 million of the Brexit coins will be in circulation. For commemorative accuracy sake, shouldn't they have released 17.4 million? Congress flag falls off while being hoisted by interim president Sonia Gandhi [Video] Divisive ideologies anchored in hate causing havoc on secular fabric of our society: Sonia Gandhi Sonia leads anti-CAA protest in Parliament ahead of Budget Session India oi-PTI New Delhi, Jan 31: Opposition parties led by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi staged a protest in Parliament against the CAA, NPR and NRC ahead of the Budget Session. Party leaders held placards of 'Save India', 'No to CAA, NRC' and shouted slogans. Senior Congress leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony were present at the protest. The protest was held ahead of the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament in the Central Hall, heralding the start of the budget session, they said. Rahul Gandhi leads "Save the Constitution" march in Wayanad Meanwhile, the Congress has convened a meeting of all its general secretaries, in-charges of various states and all MPs of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on February 4. Budget session of the Parliament begins: President Kovind addresses both houses | Oneindia News The party is seeking to evolve its strategy over the National Population Register (NPR), which the NDA government seeks to roll out across the country. The Congress and other opposition parties have already urged chief ministers of non-BJP ruled states opposing the CAA to not roll out the NPR exercise in their respective states. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, January 31, 2020, 10:47 [IST] By Online Desk NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Budget Session of Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said both the Houses should concentrate on debating economic issues and focus on how the global financial scenario can best benefit India. Addressing the media before the start of the session, Modi said that he wanted a vast and qualitative discussion on financial issues in both the houses. "We all should make sure that in this session, we lay a strong foundation for this decade. This session should be focussed mainly on economic issues," he said. "Our government has emphasized the empowerment of Dalits, marginalised, oppressed, women, etc. We will continue to work for them in this decade also," he said. He said that the discussions should focus on how India can benefit from global economic conditions. "Our aim should be to improve our economic activity and to take maximum advantage of the global environment. I want there to be good debates on both the economy and the empowerment of people. I hope that the quality of discussions gets better day by day in both houses," he said. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and will end on April 3. ALSO READ | Bold initiatives, direct tax rationalisation needed for Union Budget 2020 The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and will end on April 3. The Bharatiya Janata Party Executive Committee meeting will be held in Parliament Library at 2 pm, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting is expected in Parliament Library at 3:30 pm today. An all-party meeting called by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi was held on Thursday in Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also attended the meeting along with other Union Ministers, namely, Rajnath Singh, Thawar Chand Gehlot, Arjun Meghwal, V Muraleedharan, and others. ALSO READ | 45 bills on government's agenda during budget session of parliament Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav was also present in the meet. BJD's Prasanna Acharya, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, RJD leader Manoj Jha, and many other MPs were present in the meeting. The Prime Minister said that the government was open for discussion on all issues during the Budget Session of Parliament and agreed with the demand of MPs that there should be a discussion on economic issues. In his remarks at the all-party meeting on the eve of the Budget Session, he welcomed suggestions of most members that the session should focus on the prevailing economic situation in the country. "Most of the members have asked for discussion on the economic situation concerning the country. I welcome this and we need to discuss the economic issues as suggested by you all," he said. Modi urged members to see how the country can gain from the prevailing global economic scenario. "We should focus on how we can turn the global scenario in favour of India. And in this Budget Session, and in the beginning of the New Year if we can give a proper direction to the country's economy, it would be in the best interest of the country," he said. The Prime Minister also agreed with members on other important issues raised by them and said there should be an open discussion on all such issues. "I agree with you all on the other important issues raised by you. And I would like to say that there should be an open discussion on all such issues," he said. (With ANI and PTI Inputs) Advertisement Out-of-control bushfires have forced residents near Canberra to flee their homes as the first state of emergency in 17 years was declared in the nation's capital. The Orroral Valley fire was upgraded to emergency warning level on Friday afternoon and filled the air with plumes of dark smoke and generated pyrocumulonimbus clouds as temperatures soared into the 40s. The worsening 'erratic' conditions prompted the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) to release a series of urgent 'Leave Now' alerts to people in affected areas. 'Conditions are now very dangerous, and the fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path,' the latest alert read. Scroll down for video Heat from the Orroral Valley bushfire generated pyrocumulonimbus clouds south of Canberra late on Friday Plumes of smoke from fires south of Canberra have made it a challenge for firefighters to battle the blaze from the air It was a horror day for fires burning south of the nation's capital on Friday with conditions and possible threat to homes expected to worsen on Saturday The ACT (pictured on Friday) is in the middle of its biggest bushfire emergency in 17 years 'Fire crews may not be able to protect you and your property. You should not expect a firefighter at your door.' 'If you are not in the area, do not return. Soon it will be too dangerous to drive.' The Orroral Valley fire spread from 18,000 hectares to 21,510 within hours on Friday afternoon and is now threatening homes in the capital's southern rural outskirts. Residents on Apollo, Boboyan, Top Naas and Corin roads are urged to leave if 'safe to do so' via Naas Road heading towards Tharwa and Canberra. 'The bushfire is moving south and east and has spotted in the Billy Range to the west of Naas Road,' the ESA alert states. 'The fire is also moving north slowly and is currently 1km south of Corin Road.' The blaze has since crossed Boboyan Road. The Orroral Valley fire is burning at emergency levels, which has generated pyrocumulonimbus clouds (pictured) Heat from bushfires can create massive, powerful clouds that produce their own weather, like this one south of Canberra The ACT has declared a state of emergency for the first time since the devastating 2003 fire. Pictured is smoke from the Clear Range Fire near Michelago, south of Canberra on Friday 'Increase fire activity in the south west moving towards Cotter Hut. Firefighting crews sheltered at and secured the Old Gudgenby Homestead. All crews are safe,' the alert added. People in Tharwa Village and the southern suburbs of Banks, Gordon, Conder and surrounding areas are urged to monitor conditions closely and be ready to evacuate if conditions worsen. The dark plumes of smoke blanketed the air has made it difficult for aircraft to fly over some areas of the fire ground. Authorities have described fire conditions as erratic and expect the blaze to cross the NSW border. The ACT in in the middle of its biggest bushfire threat since the 2003 disaster which claimed four lives and almost 500 homes. An extreme heatwave swept across Australia on Friday, with high temperatures and dry winds expected to spark more bushfires over the weekend. The searing heat is expected to bring severe conditions to parts of New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria, where more than 80 blazes are still burning. A state of emergency has been declared for Canberra for the first time since 2003 as bushfires are expected to get worse amid rising temperatures (Canberra fires pictured on January 28) A predictive map shows the fire could spread beyond its current boundaries over the weekend Chief Minister Andrew Barr made the announcement as the 18,000-hectare fire is set to threaten homes in the capital's south 'The ACT is now facing the worst bushfire threat since the devastating fires of 2003,' Chief ACT Minister Andrew Barr told reporters on Friday. 'The combination of extreme heat, wind and a dry landscape will place suburbs at Canberra's south at risk in coming days.' The Orroral fire has been burning close to Canberra for much of the week and threatened homes. 'This fire may become very unpredictable. It may become uncontrollable,' Mr Barr said. The ACT has been in a State of Alert for most of January with a total fire ban in place. Mr Barr acknowledged the announcement would be stressful for those who experienced the devastation of the 2003 fires. The smoke increased as the Orroral Valley fire spread from 18,000 hectares to 21,510 within several hours on Friday afternoon Smoke rising from the Namadgi National Park fire burning south of Canberra on Monday An extreme heatwave will sweep across Australia today bringing temperatures of 45C and an increased risk of bushfires. Pictured: Weather map for Friday A state of emergency was declared for the ACT on Friday as the Orroral Valley Fire, which is burning in the Namadgi National Park, was upgraded to watch and act 'Now one of the many lessons from the 2003 Canberra bushfires was the need for early, clear and effective communication with the community on the risks ahead, allowing people to plan and make decisions on whether they'll stay or when they will go,' Mr Barr said. ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) Commissioner Georgeina Whelan said the fire activity is increasing and is now unpredictable. 'It has been unpredictable. It remains challenging. It is difficult to access. This fire could create its own weather system,' Ms Whelan told reporters 'If all of what I have just outlined occurs, there is a chance this fire could break containment lines.' Commissioner Whelan is predicting Saturday to be the worst day for the fires, with the temperature expected to reach 41C. 'If wind conditions prove to be challenging, we could see suburbs such as Conder, Banks and Gordon come under attack from ember attacks on Saturday afternoon,' Ms Whelan told reporters. A predictive map shows the fire could spread beyond its current boundaries over the weekend. The Orroral fire has been burning close to Canberra for much of the week and threatened homes An emergency level bushfire approaches the southern suburbs of Canberra late into the evening on Monday Mr Barr said the territory-wide state of alert is going to be in place as long as Canberra remains at risk of the fire. Conditions across New South Wales are also expected to deteriorate, with the Orroral fire expected to cross the NSW border on Friday afternoon. In NSW firefighters are gearing up for the return of hot and dry conditions forecast to elevate bushfire risk. Total fire bans have on Friday been declared for the Monaro alpine, southern ranges and southern slopes regions, while 'very high' fire danger ratings are in place for much of western and southern NSW. The Bureau of Meteorology says a heatwave is forecast to push temperatures into the mid-40s for parts of inland NSW in coming days. E. Jean Carroll, with her hard-to-believe story about being assaulted or raped (her accounts vary) in the Bergdorf Goodman dressing room by one Donald Trump a quarter-century ago, isn't going away quietly. She's gotten her attorneys to send a demand to Trump to hand over a DNA sample so she can check if it's his male DNA that's still on the dress she claims to have worn, according to lab tests. According to the Washington Post: E. Jean Carroll, a New Yorkbased writer who last summer accused President Trump of raping her in the 1990s, requested Thursday that he submit a DNA sample to determine whether his genetic material is on the black coat dress she said she was wearing during the alleged assault. Carroll's lawyers served notice to a Trump attorney on Thursday, asking that Trump provide a sample for "analysis and comparison against unidentified male DNA present on the dress," the Associated Press first reported. Carroll's lawyers requested that Trump provide the DNA sample on March 2 in Washington. Here's the Axios account, which has more details: Writer E. Jean Carroll, who claims President Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s, has requested a DNA sample from the president as evidence of her allegations, AP reports. The big picture: Carroll went public with the allegations last June. She claims Trump pinned her against the wall of a dressing room in either 1995 or 1996 and forced himself on her, but that she fought back and quickly escaped. Carroll's lawyer claims that the dress Carroll wore that day, which she says has hung in her closet unlaundered since, has been DNA tested and shows four samples present. At least one of the samples has been identified as male. I used to shop at Bergdorf's at about the time she in the mid- to late 1990s, and I found her account hazy and contradictory. As she described what Bergdorf's was like at the time, certain details didn't add up. She conflated the store layout with Macy's at the time, with its lingerie department next to its evening gowns, when, in fact, Bergdorf's had only a very tiny, insignificant lingerie section next to its menswear. She said the dressing room doors were inexplicably all open, like Macy's, or one of them was open (her story shifted) instead of customarily locked, and Trump forced himself onto her in one of them. She mischaracterized Trump as being confident and powerful at the time, around 1996, when, in fact, his business fortunes were on the outs. She said she was attractive, but she wasn't Trump's known kind of attractive, and the flirtatious behavior she described from him didn't match that of women I knew Trump flirted with around that time. She didn't even have her fashion dates quite right on the shoes she claimed to have worn. Her account seemed to be a mix of truth and fiction or misremembered details. I wrote about those off-kilter details here. She was selling a book, and although the Trump story would have been her "A" material, she listed it as almost an aside near the bottom, behind other #MeToo stories of encounters with the likes of Les Moonves, who really was a sex harasser. Why wouldn't that go at the top of her story? She lost further credibility when she made a television appearance on Anderson Cooper's CNN program, focusing on President Trump's denial that he knew her, and not confirming Cooper's assertion that they knew each other. She made it clear that what she really wanted was an affirmation that she was indeed attractive at one time, a pretty desperate thing, not the thing you want to be talking about if your purpose is to accuse someone of a crime, something that raises questions about whether something consensual went on, which Cooper did not pursue. At the end, she declared rape "sexy," something CNN figured it had to cut her off on, given the credibility blow. I wrote about that here. Now she's back, wanting to sue Trump and prove that yes, indeed, she has Trump's DNA on her dress. The Axios account notes that apparently she had the unwashed dress tested for DNA samples, and they found four of them. At least one was male. I'm no expert on this, but if up to three of the found samples were female, then presumably, they wouldn't have been sexual in nature; they could have been someone brushing her on the arm, or doing an air kiss or whatever. Why would the male sample be at all different? If Trump were to, Heaven forbid, give a sample to her lawyers as they demand, how could such a thing prove a sexual encounter instead of a brush in the hallway at the nearby Plaza Hotel, which he might have owned at the time, or Trump Tower. How could the time of encounter be affirmed as being done at the Bergdorf's dressing room? How could it prove anything non-consensual? It doesn't seem to be information that could confirm anything more than some kind of contact, given that they walked in the same social circles, as Cooper pointed out with his photo? What leaps out at me from this is how disorderly this whole thing seemed. She kept an unwashed dress for thirty years in her closet, never taking it to the dry cleaner's? She was a fashionista, a fashion magazine editor, if it was a favorite dress, she'd have it dry cleaned. She didn't dry clean her clothes? And thirty years piled on? What kind of closet did she really have? It's probably not the biggest point, but it's indicative of something kind of disorderly going on, probably consistent with the rest of her shambling account. What kind of woman leaves a fancy black dress uncleaned in her closet for 30 years? Probably someone trying to sell a book and trying to best Michael Avenatti in the 'bizarre attacks on Trump' sweepstakes. Image credit: Pixabay public domain. Residents in Sunni-majority city prefer having stability over any change in status quo due to past experiences. Fallujah, Iraq For months now, thousands of mostly young Iraqis have defied a violent crackdown to demand political change as a spontaneous and leaderless protest movement quickly spread from the capital, Baghdad, to several southern and central provinces. But in the western province of Anbar, which makes up a third of the countrys territory, the anti-government rallies that erupted in October have been conspicuously absent. The protests havent spread here because we have not forgotten what happened last time we had mass demonstrations, said Ibrahim Abushahd, owner of a food store in Fallujah, a city some 60km (37 miles) from Baghdad. We saw horrors no one has ever seen before. We are content with our current reality, said Ibrahim Abushahd, a storekeeper [Linah Alsaafin/Al Jazeera] In 2013, Anbar province was rocked by a series of protests triggered by allegations that then-Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikis Shia-dominated government was using an anti-terror legislation to target the Sunni minority, who controlled the country until the overthrow of long-time President Saddam Hussein in 2003. For many in Fallujah, the fallout from the mass 2013 protests set in motion a chain of events that culminated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) armed group taking over in early 2014 as it began seizing large swathes of Iraq. Our city was the first one to fall under the control of ISIL, said Muayad Zubeir Mahmoud, assistant professor of political science at Anbar University. The original protests, despite calling for the same demands that the October protest movement is asking for, resulted in it being maligned and ruined by the government, which led to chaos and an opening for ISIL to wreak its havoc. Still bleeding from our wounds Known as the city of the mosques, Fallujah still carries the scars of devastation caused by years of war and destruction from the 2003 invasion by the United States and the 2006 al-Qaeda takeover to the ISIL domination in 2014 and the subsequent offensive by the Iraqi army and Shia militias to drive the group out of Anbar. 200129213533801 The capture of Fallujah saw ISILs fighters blowing up houses that belonged to police and security officials, while the Iraqi army and Shia militias campaign to retake the city resulted in street battles that inflicted further damages on homes, public squares and government buildings. Tens of thousands in the city of nearly 100,000 people fled to the countryside and other parts of Iraq to escape the violence. The Iraqi army recaptured Fallujah in 2016, and according to district administrator Muayyad Farhan Mohammad the city is now stable and in the process of rebuilding after the huge amount of destruction it suffered over years. The average citizen in Fallujah and Anbar now has greater awareness of where these actions might lead to, Mohammed said, citing the residents traumatic experiences of displacement, killings and destruction to explain that current lack of appetite for protests in the province. We are still bleeding from our wounds, he added, warning there are fears that ISIL will return to Anbar province if protests erupted here. According to Kawthar Muhammadi, a 29-year-old civil activist, ISIL still has sleeper cells in Fallujah. This is something that everyone knows, but does not want to talk about, she said. Anbar is part desert and it is easy for an ISIL member or affiliate to travel through Fallujah, the closest city to Baghdad, and infiltrate the protest sites there and in the south of the country, she added. Kawthar Muhammadi says the role of civil society activists is limited in its support to the protest movement in Baghdad and southern cities [Linah Alsaafin/Al Jazeera] Mahmoud, the political analyst, said despite officials in Anbar openly stating that whoever wants to join the anti-government protests should do so in Baghdad, they have been keeping a close eye on activists. Local activists have been subdued and large gatherings are not allowed here, he said. Social media pages of activists are being monitored, and anyone that publicly expresses support for these protests could be subjected to arrest. Muhammadi said most activists cannot risk being physically present at protest sites in Fallujah or in Baghdad and other cities because of where we are from. Although there are a handful of activists from Fallujah present at Tahrir Square [the epicentre of the protests in Baghdad], they know to keep a low profile and not say where they are from or be photographed, she said. Otherwise, she added, security forces will be quick to use someone from Anbar as a scapegoat and blame them for disrupting the protests and causing violence. We dont want to risk chaos Against this backdrop, residents in Fallujah are quick to express their solidarity with the anti-government protesters in Baghdad and southern cities, but are far from ruing a lack of action on their own turf. We are finally living in a stable reality for the first time in years, so we dont want to risk losing it to chaos, said Omar, a butcher in the citys old marketplace. Life now is very good compared with before, he added. Security is stable, we have food on the table every night, and all we can do is hope for an even better future. However, Salam Turki, a university student, argued nothing will come out of the protest movement. Its been four months already, he said. I dont have hope that the government will listen to the demands of the protesters, even if they are legitimate. We have had our share of demonstrations and the repression that came with it. Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation on Behalf of Southwest Airlines Co. Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of Southwest Airlines Co. ("Southwest" or the "Company") (NYSE: LUV) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On January 30, 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that "Southwest pilots flew more than 17 million passengers on planes with unconfirmed maintenance records over roughly two years." On this news, Southwest's share price has fallen over two days to approximately $55 per share. If you purchased Southwest securities, have information, or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Charles H. Linehan, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005537/en/ Corsearch strengthens its position as the industry leader for online brand protection and the only provider of end-to-end trademark clearance and brand protection solutions covering the entire trademark lifecycle Corsearch, a trademark and brand protection solutions leader, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Pointer Brand Protection, a prominent provider of anti-counterfeiting and brand protection services. The acquisition further extends Corsearch's fast-growing brand protection offering and provides a comprehensive new service for brand owners and legal professionals. For the first time, a consolidated suite of technologically advanced solutions will support the research, clearance, monitoring, investigative, and enforcement needs of the brand lifecycle. From counterfeiting and piracy to gray trade and brand impersonation, estimates suggest that a staggering one in four online purchases involve brand infringement. With global eCommerce expected to reach 4.5 trillion U.S. dollars by 2021, the need for online brand protection to fight these threats has never been more urgent. It is an issue that is growing in tandem with total global trade, with some reports projecting that by 2022 counterfeiting and piracy could result in the loss of 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars and the endangerment of 5.4 million legitimate jobs. A global problem needs global solutions, and the addition of Pointer Brand Protection into the Corsearch family aligns the technological capabilities and extensive networks of the entire group into a brand establishment and protection provider with unmatched coverage. For many businesses, the digital environment has become so complex that establishing and protecting brands is too fragmented and time consuming to be manageable. To combat this effectively, brand owners and legal professionals require technological leadership and innovative solutions to implement a strong, proactive brand protection program. The Corsearch Brand Protection platform will provide an entirely new service offering which combines the very best teams, expertise, and technologies from both Pointer and from previous Corsearch acquisition, Yellow Brand Protection. In addition to Corsearch's existing services, the new platform will provide brands with a full-service solution combining everything from trademark research and clearing to machine learning, automated marketplace enforcement, and end-to-end investigations. To fight infringements at their source, the new team will also include the largest China-based online brand protection department in the industry. "Since 2008, Pointer has worked with hundreds of globally-renowned brands to protect them from infringement and abuse," said Pointer CEO, Robert Stolk. "The industry is becoming more challenging every day and brands require technologies and services that can outpace that. Joining forces with Corsearch means securing the ability to innovate in a way that anticipates the needs of customers while also benefiting from Corsearch's trusted industry presence." Corsearch's CEO, Tobias Hartmann, commented, "We are thrilled to bring the brightest minds in online brand protection together and define the future of this industry. With this strategic acquisition Corsearch becomes the only provider to support the needs of IP and brand professionals throughout the trademark lifecycle." About Corsearch Corsearch (www.corsearch.com) is a leading provider of clearance and online brand protection solutions for trademark and brand professionals. With highly trained researchers, an expansive global content set, and customer-focused technology tools available through the Corsearch platform, Corsearch empowers its customers with powerful brand solutions in an increasingly complex business environment. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in New York, Corsearch now has over 450 employees working across its 10 global offices. Corsearch has advised 43 of the world's top 50 brands and has in excess of 5,000 clients around the world. For more information please contact Stephen Stolfi, Chief Commercial Officer, or visit corsearch.com. About Pointer Pointer Brand Protection (https://pointerbrandprotection.com/) has been defending global brands from counterfeiting and brand abuse since 2008. With more than 120 employees working from offices in Amsterdam, Shanghai, New York, and London, Pointer is an industry leader in the fight against brand infringement. Pointer offers holistic and bespoke anti-counterfeiting solutions that include online-to-offline investigations, test purchasing services, dedicated brand protection analysts, and a proprietary software platform for the removal of infringements. Its mission is to clean the online marketplace in order to create safety for consumers, to increase the integrity of hard-working brands, and to reduce the negative societal impact of counterfeiting. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005016/en/ Contacts: Corsearch Stephen Stolfi Chief Commercial Officer stephen.stolfi@corsearch.com corsearch.com As the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, China has said all countries should behave in a "responsible" manner and avoid overreaction that may result in more negative spillover effects. China informed the WHO about the coronavirus cases in late December. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths. Most international cases are in people who had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. "We are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus. International solidarity is extremely important and for that purpose all countries should behave in an appropriate and responsible manner, China's Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters here, Jun said while Beijing understands the concerns of other countries over the outbreak, "we should also listen to the advice" of the Director General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who has said that he "has full confidence in China's efforts to combat the outbreak. Jun said that "there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" and the WHO doesn't recommend limiting trade and movement. The Chinese envoy added that under the current circumstances, the world needs solidarity in combating the outbreak. He stressed that all countries should adopt a responsible attitude, work together to combat the virus, and avoid "overreaction that may result in spillover negative effects. He also added that we are still making our assessment of the WHO declaration. WHO's Emergency Committee, declaring the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, called on all countries to take urgent measures to contain the respiratory disease. The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China, but what is happening in other countries," said the WHO chief, praising the "extraordinary measures" taken there by authorities. China quickly identified the virus and shared its sequence, so that other countries could diagnose it quickly and protect themselves, which has resulted in rapid diagnostic tools," said the statement from the Committee. According to a press release issued by the Chinese Mission to the UN, Jun reiterated that the WHO DG clearly stated that the main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but about protecting countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with potential spread. He said WHO continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak and the Director-General's recommendations should be seriously considered. The US issued a 'Do Not Travel' advisory for China due to the coronavirus outbreak. "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. On January 30, the World Health Organisation has determined the rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China, the advisory said. Last week, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Officials: Some Troops To Stay In Africa Amid Moves By Russia, China By RFE/RL January 30, 2020 U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says the Pentagon does not intend to remove all its forces from Africa, amid concerns from allies that Washington could abandon the continent militarily while China and Russia "aggressively" look to increase their influence and as the extremist threat remains. "We are not going to totally withdraw forces from Africa...I know that is the concern of many folks, but again I would say that no decisions have been made yet, this is a process," Esper said on January 30. Esper is carrying out a global troop review meant to find ways to free up more resources to address challenges from China's military in Asia. French especially has expressed concerns about a dramatic U.S. pullout of its 6,000 forces from various troubled areas in Africa. Paris relies on U.S. intelligence and logistical support for its 4,500-strong mission in the Sahel region, which has been hit by deadly extremist violence. Separately, in a congressional hearing on January 30, General Stephen Townsend, the head of U.S. Africa Command, said Africa is key ground for competition with China and Russia "who are aggressively using economic and military means to expand their access and influence." He also pointed out the "first visible sign of cooperation we've seen" in Africa between the militaries of China and Russia, including their joint naval exercise off the coast of South Africa last year. "China and Russia are seeking to counter the strategic access that we need for American security and American prosperity," he said. Moscow has been pursuing ventures involving the continent's rich mineral resources. Meanwhile, he said China has been offering African countries "smart cities" technology equipped with facial recognition technology and using that information for itself before delivering it to the host countries. The general told lawmakers that U.S. security at home depends on what is happening in places elsewhere in the world, given the threat from terror groups that have been pressured by U.S. forces but remain active. "A secure and stable Africa remains an enduring American interest," Townsend said. "In the past, maybe we've been able to pay less attention to Africa and be OK in America. I don't believe that's the case for the future." "We cannot take pressure off major terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and [Islamic State]," he said. "These groups and many others remain an inconvenient reality in Africa." Townsend also said intelligence has suggested Iran and Iran-backed forces were looking at opportunities to hit back at the United States after the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq and that one of those places could be in Africa With reporting by AP, Reuters, military.com, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-esper-townsend -troops-africa-threat-terror- russia-china-iran/30409285.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CLEVELAND, Ohio One Cleveland police officer suffered injuries after an intoxicated driver crashed into two police cruisers early Friday, according to police reports. The incident happened about 3:45 a.m. Friday on East 115th Street and Superior Avenue and ended in a crash on East 13th Street and Payne Avenue. No arrests have been made in the case. One officer was taken to MetroHealth after his head struck the windshield of his cruiser, according to police reports. A witness called 911 to report a suspected drunken driver near the East Cleveland-Cleveland border. The witness followed the driver through Cleveland, updating the dispatchers of the drivers location, according to police reports. The driver stopped and officers noted he was slumped over behind the wheel, police reports say. The man tried to speed away from officers and crashed into the cruisers on East 13th Street and Payne before he sped away from the scene. Officers alerted police departments in surrounding cities to be on the lookout for the car, a black Nissan Ultima with tinted windows. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more from cleveland.com: Alabama victim connected to Cleveland-area arrest died of drug overdose, reports say Former Berea-Midpark football player pleads guilty to felony charges in hazing case Security guard shoots man smashing his car outside Cleveland store Euclid man charged in multi-county robbery spree suspected of at least 10 hold-ups, authorities say A female doctor has sparked a heated debate online after her clinic stated she will refuse to offer prescriptions for contraception or provide IVF, abortion and vasectomy consultations for patients. The Torquay Medical Health and Wellness Clinic about 100km southwest of Melbourne has placed a notice outside its clinic informing its patients Dr Hong Nguyen will not be offering the health care treatments 'effective immediately'. The note confirmed the GP will no longer be involved in prescriptions for the contraceptive pill, mini pill, morning after pill, birth control implant, handout referrals for sterilisation or consultations relating to abortions, IVF or vasectomies. After the note started circulating on social media, Australians were extremely divided over the controversial stance, with many describing it as an 'absolute joke', while others said they didn't see what the fuss was about. Torquay Medical Health and Wellness Clinic in southwest of Melbourne placed a notice outside its clinic informing its patients Dr Hong Nguyen will not be offering prescriptions for contraception or provide IVF, abortion or vasectomy consultations Animal Justice Party's Andy Meddick said he was appalled to see the sign in his Torquay town Poll Should doctors be allowed to refuse to see patients based on religious/moral grounds? Yes No Should doctors be allowed to refuse to see patients based on religious/moral grounds? Yes 300 votes No 229 votes Now share your opinion The Animal Justice Party's Andy Meddick, the MP for the electorate where the clinic operates in, said he was appalled to see the sign in his home town of Torquay. 'Shocked to see this in my town. Yes, legal. But likely emboldened by Religious Discrimination Bill,' Mr Meddick said on Twitter. 'Federal MPs must vote it down - or lives and safety will be at risk. This is reproductive healthcare and nobody should ever be denied it.' Under the federal government's proposed religious discrimination laws, doctors and pharmacists could refuse to provide or to participate in certain medical treatments or procedures based on a 'conscientious objection'. Dr Chris Moy of the Australian Medical Association said while the clinic's sign informing patients about the doctor not doing a particular procedure is 'legal', the proposed discrimination laws have created confusion. 'Basically, we need to take a step back. When you sign up to be a doctor, we have a code of ethics and professional standards - and one of the key things is having responsibility for our patients,' Dr Moy told Daily Mail Australia. Australian Medical Association's Dr Chris Moy (pictured) said while doctors are entitled to have their own personal beliefs and values, they still have a duty of care to patients 'Now the problem is this legislation is a crude tool. We have this law that says you have this consent but the legislation now says "I can walk away" if you have an objection to something like a deeply religious belief. '[But] it confuses and creates a lower bar when compared to professional standards and ethics, and the flow and affects in terms of how the fabric of the current health system where there is a balance between doctors' rights to conscientiously object, and their requirement to always be there for the patient. 'We have an obligation to the patient and not abandon them. We actually have to be able to make sure that we don't impede their care, and to facilitate them. 'We're pretty unhappy about [legislation]. What AMA is concerned about is how the conscientious objection is undermining the professional standards. Patients trust me as a doctor so I'm not going to let them down.' In response to the public backlash, the Torquay clinic has issued a statement defending its stance, saying its medical practitioners, nurses and reception staff 'provides care to everyone regardless of beliefs, religion or political views or cultures'. In a statement, the Torquay clinic defended its decision, saying its medical practitioners, nurses and reception staff 'provides care to everyone regardless of beliefs, religion or political views or cultures' Torquay Medical Health and Wellness Clinic's full statement There has been recent misleading posts about our clinics being circulated on social media. We want to clear up this misinformation by stating we do support Women's Health and the rights of women to make their own health decisions. The information that is being shared about the practice is incorrect. Our community has many different religions, different personal views on Culture, Conduct, Political opinion from one side to the other and we do not discriminate in the healthcare of these patients. We try to navigate this by a diverse team which enables the freedom of choice to our patients for their GP. Our practice sits in the middle, a group of people who are medical practitioners, nurses and reception staff that together between all of us provides care to everyone who needs it, regardless of beliefs, religion or political views or cultures. We are a diverse team that cares for everyone who uses our clinic. No different to going to a specialist for different aspects of health such as Cardiology versus Oncology, some GP's specialise in aspects of medicine, and others don't. Whether this is from any type of personal view or for cultural or religious reasons, the practice as a group ensure we are diverse and cover all healthcare for Women, Men, Children, all religions and the LGBTQ community. We care deeply for the health of our patients and community and to suggest otherwise is defamatory and wrong. Our practice does everything they can to help improve the health in our community to ALL of our patients, no matter your political view, your religion, your race or your culture or your personal beliefs. To facilitate this care we have removed our page from social media as the abusive comments from these posts were not appropriate for us to try to prove otherwise. To everyone in the Community who actually knows us and supports us and the work we do in the healthcare sector, please accept our thank-you for this support and we will endeavour to continue to provide the diverse inclusive care to ALL of our patients. - The Team at Torquay Medical Health and Wellness Clinic Advertisement 'We want to clear up this misinformation by stating we do support women's health and the rights of women to make their own health decisions,' the statement read. 'Our community has many different religions, different personal views on culture, conduct, political opinion from one side to the other. 'We try to navigate this by a diverse team which enables the freedom of choice to our patients for their GP... We are a diverse team that between us cares for everyone who uses our clinic. 'Our practice does everything they can to help improve the health in our community - to ALL of our patients, no matter your political view, your religion, your race or your culture or your personal beliefs.' The clinic has since been forced to shut down its social media page after recieving an onslaught of 'abusive comments'. Many furious people urged the doctor to 'find another profession' while others suggested 'boycotting' the medical centre. 'Why be a GP if you can't fulfill your full role?' one woman said. 'Medicine is too important to people's lives to trust someone whose first allegiance is to their religion, at the expense of their patients,' another said. One woman said: 'I can't believe this is happening in this day and age (and in my neighbourhood). Free speech gone too far.' And another said: 'If a doctor is unable to provide and practice healthcare then they are unable to be a doctor.' Despite the backlash, many people jumped to the clinic's defence, saying they didn't see any problem over the doctor's refusal. Multiple women said they would rather the doctor be 'upfront' than have to sit in the waiting room, only to be told they can't get a prescription or referral during the appointment. 'I have seen doctors in the past that have had objections to these types of things and as long as it's known prior to booking, I don't have a huge issue with it,' one said. Another commented: 'It's not shaming anybody. It's simply stating that the doctor won't perform procedures and to re-book with another doctor. What's the issue here? No need to make mountains out of molehills.' Another said: 'This doesn't bother me. Like there are lots of other doctors to pick, why would you want to use this one anyway?' And one said: 'As long as there's an alternative practitioner in the centre I wouldn't have a problem. I prefer that they are up front and you don't have to have an uncomfortable conversation feeling judged if you didn't know about their beliefs.' 'Persecuted even after death': China bans Christians from holding religious funerals Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christians across China are prohibited from holding religious funerals for their deceased loved ones as the Communist Party continues to tighten its grip on the regulation of religion and religious activity. Bitter Winter, a magazine documenting human rights and religious freedom abuses in China, reported that authorities throughout the country are enforcing policies that prohibit religious customs and rituals to be used during funerals. In December, the government of Wenzhou citys Pingyang county in the eastern province of Zhejiang adopted the Regulations on Centralized Funeral Arrangement. Under the new rules, clerical personnel are not allowed to participate in funerals, and no more than ten family members of the deceased are allowed to read scriptures or sing hymns in a low voice. The new rules aim to get rid of bad funeral customs and establish a scientific, civilized, and economical way of funerals. Similarly, a village official from the central province of Henan told Bitter Winter that the local government convened a meeting for religious work assistants in April, informing them that all religious funerals are restricted. Soon after, officials issued a document stipulating that clerical personnel should be timely stopped from using religion to intervene in citizens weddings and funerals or other activities in their lives. In Wuhan, police stormed the funeral of a Christian member of a government-regulated Three-Self Church and arrested her daughter, who was praying for her mother at the time. The daughter was only released after the deceased was buried without Christian rituals two days later. Last April, officials broke up an 11-person Christian funeral in the province of Henan that was honoring a deceased member of the congregation. Officials accused attendees of hiding their actions in the countryside and threatened them with jail time. The police registered the personal contact information of the attendees and told them that they could be investigated at any time. When my father died, village officials threatened to arrest us if we didnt conduct a secular funeral. We did not dare to go against them, a villager from Gucheng town in Henans county-level city of Yuzhou told Bitter Winter. My father had been a believer for several decades. He is persecuted even after death. The crackdowns on religious funerals are part of the governments campaign to sinicize religion, or bring it into unity with Communist Chinese culture. In recent years, China has destroyed churches, burned down crosses, restricted religious expression online, and have attempted to rewrite the Bible and hymns so that the message reflects the Communist Party's ideology. Beginning in February, the government plans to implement harsh new measures requiring all religious personnel to support and implement total submission to the CCP. The Administrative Measures for Religious Groups, which consists of six sections and 41 articles, will control every aspect of religious activity within China and will complete the "Regulations on religious affairs" revised two years ago and implemented on Feb. 1, 2018. Religious organizations must adhere to the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, observe the constitution, laws, regulations, ordinances and policies, adhere to the principle of independence and self-government, adhere to the directives on religions in China, implementing the values of socialism, says Article 5 of the new policies. Persecution watchdog group International Christian Concern warns that the latest measures will be used by the Communist regime as a legal tool to further tighten space for religious groups. At a press conference earlier this month, David Curry, CEO of persecution watchdog group Open Doors USA, warned that the greatest threat, in his opinion, to human rights worldwide is China, which rose in the rankings from No. 27 to No. 23 in the 2020 report. Curry stressed that the implications lie in Chinas development of surveillance to control its people. Its implications are not just for Christians within China but for every country and for religious freedom generally, Curry said. Let me put it together. It is like a puzzle. The pieces are there but it is not until you put it together that you see it clearly. When you see it clearly, it is frightening. I saw with my own eyes the surveillance on the street but also in the churches, watching their congregation, he added. Facial scans when you come in and then tracking you and generating reports [with] assumptions built into their artificial intelligence system that is tracking Christian behavior. Curry said that the more often a person is seen going to church, the more often they are to be labeled a radical. They are shutting down house churches at a massive rate 5,596 churches shut down, many because they refuse to put surveillance cameras up to watch their congregation. By Terri Susan Fine, Ph.D. and Jesse Benjamin Slomowitz, B.A. One core value promoted at the University of Central Florida is the emphasis on the individual within a very large institution. UCF aims to be both enlightened and diverse. Students of all religions are welcome at UCF, and like any public university, UCF has established policies supporting religious observance. We believe, as well, that people of any culture and religion should not feel marginalized from the university community because of who they are. There are so many wonderful opportunities for Jewish students to celebrate their Judaism at UCF that include celebrating holidays, socializing, supporting social justice, observing Shabbat, learning about Judaism and otherwise working together as members of student organizations. Jews are well supported as UCF provides financial support to registered Jewish student organizations through its student activity fees, which also support other student organizations and activities. The university catalog provides religious accommodations for students of all faiths while federal and state civil rights laws protect students from religious discrimination. Still, a focus on students balancing their Jewish practice with their school obligations is worth our attention. This article, co-authored by a UCF professor and faculty adviser to three UCF Jewish student organizations, and a recent UCF graduate, describe, in part, Jewish students experiences on campus while we explore what UCF policies say about religious accommodation. We begin with five case studies, each of which happened as described although a few details have been changed to protect student privacy. Case 1: A student is enrolled in a large, 300-student, general-education class taking place in the fall. The professor does not take attendance. There is a warning on the course syllabus that the professor may administer a pop (unscheduled) quiz at any time. Early in the semester the student misses a class to observe Rosh Hashanah. The professor gives a pop quiz on Rosh Hashanah and the student asks the professor to retake the quiz. Case 2: A student from South Florida is enrolled in an upper division spring course. During spring break the students parents ask the student to join them for the first Passover seder. Upon returning to school after spring break the student reviews the course schedule and sees that the final exam takes place the same evening as the first seder. At the next class meeting the student asks the professor to take the final exam early in order to make the trip to South Florida in time for the first seder. Case 3: Members of UCF Chabad are going to Pegisha, an annual Shabbaton in Crown Heights, in early November. The UCF Student Government Association has allocated monies from student activity fees to offset some of the associated costs such as airfare. A few of the students attending Pegisha have class on Fridays. Before departing for New York City late Thursday, students e-mail their instructors about their attendance at Pegisha; the e-mail includes a co-curricular activity approval form signed by their faculty adviser. After returning to school, the students ask their instructor about making up missed work. Case 4: A student is taking a class that meets on Tuesday and Thursday. There is a homework assignment due on Tuesday, the second day of Sukkot, and the student notifies the professor during the first week of class that she will be missing class on that day. In addition to the homework, small graded projects are completed in class. The professor tells the student that she may submit the homework late but cannot make up the graded class work given the day that she will miss for Sukkot. Case 5: Two weeks into the fall semester a student notifies his professor that he will be missing class, a small graduate seminar, on erev Yom Kippur. The class meets one evening per week and attendance is required. The professor agrees to allow the student to miss class provided that his rabbi writes a letter to the professor confirming that the student is Jewish and will be spending Yom Kippur at the rabbis synagogue. In how many of these case studies was the student eligible for religious accommodation? If less than five, which of these five were extended accommodation, and why? To be fair, this is a bit of a trick question as each of the case studies is a bit incomplete. Do you have your answers? If so, lets continue. The next section focuses on UCF policies, part or all of which are common to many universities. Our intent here is not to criticize any institution. Rather, it is to show how seemingly neutral policies may achieve a disparate impact on religious minorities, including Jewish students. UCF has undergone three religious accommodation rules changes over the last few years. For many years (decades, actually), students were required to notify their instructors in advance if they were seeking religious accommodation. Then, a few years back, the rules changed. To be accommodated, students were now required to notify their instructors during the first week of class if they would require religious accommodation at any point during the semester. It did not matter if Passover took place during finals week; students had five days from the start of class to notify their professors if they wanted to be excused for one or more classes, assignments or exams during Passover. More recently, UCF has extended the notification window by three days, to accommodate students who add courses during the add/drop period, which ends the last day of the first week of classes. By contrast, co-curricular activities that are authorized by an approved university representative are entitled to accommodation so long as the notification is provided in advance of the missed class. Lets return to the case studies. Case 1: Was accommodation required? NO: The student did not request accommodation during the first week of class and was likely confused because there was no scheduled exam that day and class attendance was not required. Case 2: Was accommodation required? NO: The students request was made after the required time frame had expired, during the first few days of class. Case 3: Was accommodation required? YES: The students attending Pegisha had submitted the required paperwork to their professors in advance of the event. Case 4: Was accommodation required? YES: The student made the accommodation request during the first week of class. The professor was wrong to deny the student the opportunity to make up the graded in-class work. Case 5: Was accommodation required? YES. Did the accommodation cohere to university policy? NO. Professors may provide accommodations that are more flexible than those outlined in the university catalog. However, the professor was wrong to require a letter confirming that the student was Jewish and attending synagogue. UCF does not require any student to provide external validation of their religion or religious practice, such as attending synagogue. College students face many academic barriers. There is pressure to start the semester off rightreviewing the course syllabus, schedule and policies, buying the required textbooks, finding the correct classroom and academic building, finding parking or confirming bus schedules if one is commuting, and other requirements such as navigating a required web-based course platform. Less experienced students may be unaware of their rights or responsibilities when it comes to religious accommodation. Jewish students must begin the semester by checking the Jewish calendar, the secular calendar and their course calendar, to see if, and when, they require religious accommodation several days, weeks or months later. From our perspective the two approaches (approved co-curricular activities requested in advance while approved religious activities requested during the first 10 days of the semester) might be better aligned. After all, students attending conferences serving Jewish (or mostly Jewish) audiences such as Pegisha, AIPAC, ZOA, JNF, and others, are also likely attending Jewish religious services on holidays that occur on class or final exam days, yet these same students must follow two sets of rules to be accommodated. As well, no student is required to be affiliated with campus Jewish organizations, which adds to their struggle if they are unaware of faculty advocates on campus. We support that co-curricular activities be the same as those for religious accommodationsnotification in advance and not just during the first 10 days of class. This approach will reduce bureaucratic burdens faced by Jewish students on campus. Terri Susan Fine, Ph.D. is professor of Political Science and faculty adviser for three UCF Jewish student organizations. Jesse Benjamin Slomowitz recently completed his B.A. in film at UCF. During his time at UCF he represented the Nicholson School of Communication and Media on the UCF Student Government, served as vice-president of UCF Chabad, social media manager at Knights for Israel, and in other volunteer roles. The authors may be reached at terri.fine@ucf.edu and jslomowitz1@gmail.com. Vincent Frimpong Manu 31.01.2020 LISTEN The Kwadaso delegates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region have bought nomination forms from their own contributions at a cost of GH2,000 for an aspirant in the upcoming party primaries. The delegates insist Vincent Frimpong Manu, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Middle Belt Development Authority, is the delegates' choice to lead the NPP as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso. Elliot Marfo, the NPP Secretary for Edwenase Sea School Polling Station, on behalf of the NPP delegates, stated, We used our own money to buy the forms to prove to the people that Vincent is the obvious choice. According to him, even though Mr. Frimpong has the resources to buy his own forms, their action is ample evidence that the Middle Belt CEO has the total support of the party and the people of Kwadaso. Vincent Frimpong hails from Ohwimase and he also stayed at Asuoyeboa, which are both located in the Kwadaso Constituency. He is also a staunch member of the NPP in the Kwadaso Constituency. Vincent Frimpong is well educated; he has international and local links; he is respectful; a visionary; hardworking; a good listener and development-oriented. These facts show that he is the best for the Kwadaso Constituency, he said. Mr. Marfo said the NPP delegates had 'assessed' all the aspirants in the upcoming party race, and they are convinced that Vincent Frimpong is miles ahead of the other competitors and so we have settled on him. According to him, the delegates interact with the grassroots in the Kwadaso Constituency and they are all rallying behind Vincent Frimpong to lead the NPP to retain the Kwadaso seat and lead the constituency to greater things. Vincent Frimpong previously served as the Ghana Country Director of World Cocoa Foundation, with oversight on programmes in Nigeria. He was the Ghana Country Manager (cocoa) of Solidaridad, where he also coordinated cocoa projects in Nigeria, Cameroon and Cote D'Ivoire, among other enviable positions. ---Daily Guide Prince Andrews sex scandal has taken another turn for the worse. Andrew has gotten a lot of heat for his connection to the disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and the FBI recently criticized him for being uncooperative in their investigation. In light of the drama, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles reportedly held an emergency meeting with Andrew to strategize their next move. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles | Wiktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images Inside Prince Andrews controversy Prince Andrew found himself in the hot seat after a woman named Virginia Giuffre claimed that she had sex with him when she was only 17 years old. Giuffre was part of Epsteins sex trafficking scheme and had photos to prove that she met Andrew on at least one occasion. Although Andrew has not denied his friendship with Epstein, he has said that Giuffres accusations are untrue. Queen Elizabeth is concerned about her favorite son, Andrew. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman claimed the Duke Of York provided zero cooperation to authorities investigating Jeffrey Epstein. Officials are trying to identify Epsteins conspirators. https://t.co/NoZMoDaVl7 PresidentMadMeg (@isnt_gone) January 29, 2020 In an interview that was aired a few months ago, Andrew apologized for being linked with the disgraced pedophile, who took his own life in prison while awaiting charges on sex trafficking. Andrew also promised to participate in any investigation into Giuffres claims. I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency, Andrew shared. Andrews attempts to assuage the public completely backfired on him. Many royal watchers did not feel as though he expressed any regret about his friendship with Epstein. As a result, Andrew was forced to step down from his royal duties in a bid to prevent further embarrassment. The FBI slams Prince Andrew Despite Andrews assertions that he is willing to cooperate, New York attorney Geoffrey Berman recently criticized him for not complying with the FBIs investigation. Berman says that the FBI has sent Andrew several requests to sit down for a formal interview about his connection to Epstein. The lawyer, who is leading the investigation, says that Prince Andrew has not responded to the requests, which has frustrated the FBI and US prosecutors. An inside source says that Andrew was very angry about the reports and claims that the FBI has not tried to contact him for an interview. Hey Queen Elizabeth II, you've a nonce of a son, Prince Andrew, but all you're worried about is an African American daughter-in-law?! "FBI has asked to interview Prince Andrew about the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein but he has not responded" https://t.co/Y25oFW91hi ViewFromWise (@ViewFromWise) January 27, 2020 [Andrew is] more than happy to talk [but] hasnt been approached by them yet, the insider stated. Buckingham Palace has not said anything about the latest accusations against Andrew. The Duke of York has been staying out of the spotlight in recent weeks and is doing everything in his power to avoid further controversies. Queen Elizabeth holds emergency meeting According to the Daily Mail, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles held an emergency meeting to deal with Andrews latest scandal. An inside source said the meetings are crisis talks about Andrews ties to Epstein. We do not know what was said in the meetings, but the source claims that Her Majesty is disappointed that Andrew could not stay out of trouble. Both had hoped the Duke of York could perhaps be rehabilitated back into public life in time but that is now looking increasingly unlikely, the insider explained. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles hold crisis talks over Prince Andrew scandal https://t.co/jo2xga7IpK pic.twitter.com/Kz2zo99oT9 New York Post (@nypost) January 30, 2020 The concern over Andrews behavior has gotten international attention, and it comes during the worst possible time for the royals. Queen Elizabeth, Charles, and Prince William are still dealing with the aftermath of Prince Harry and Meghan Markles sudden exit. The last thing they wanted to deal with is Andrews sex scandal. But considering the nature of the allegations, it is imperative that the royals get a handle on the situation, which is probably why they held an emergency meeting. Will Prince Andrew eventually comply? Despite what the FBI has been saying, Andrews camp claims that he wants to participate in the investigation in any way he can. A source close to the situation says that Andrew is willing to chat with the FBI or police officers. There is no telling if Andrew will comply with the FBIs demands. If he does agree to an interview, it would be completely voluntary at this point. If Andrew is lying and does not want to cooperate, then the FBI could work with UK officials to force the Duke of York to comply. They would first need to request for mutual legal assistance, which would then be forwarded to the Home Office. The queen firing Prince Andrew, her favourite son, shows an Alex Ferguson-level of steeliness https://t.co/tXpvdTylQd The Economist (@TheEconomist) January 24, 2020 Once all the proper paperwork is approved, Andrew could be forced to appear in a court in the UK. He would then have to interview under oath and would be given all the rights under the law. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles have not commented on Prince Andrews scandal or the steps they have taken to get control of the situation. Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - The Kenya Airways (KQ) said on Friday it is suspending flights to China over the coronavirus outbreak, hours after it resisted calls to freeze the flights The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties of Assadullah Biswas and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 in a fake Indian currency case. The attached assets include balance in bank accounts, vehicles, construction equipment, several land plots and a residential flat totaling Rs 4.67 Crores. The directorate in a statement said, "Investigation under the provisions of PMLA was initiated against Biswas and others on the basis of FIR registered by NIA Delhi under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in Fake Indian currency notes case." The ED also outlined that during the investigation, 34 FIRs and 27 chargesheets, one prosecution complaint against Biswas and others were obtained from various law enforcement Agencies viz NIA, NCB and Malda Police. "Wherein, it was observed that the accused was involved in serious criminal activities and cases registered against him include various sections of IPC, Arms Act, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Explosive Act 1884, Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act among others," the ED said in the press note. The ED further stated that the investigation under PMLA revealed that Biswas and his associates were indulged in various criminal activities for over a period of two decades and generated huge proceeds of crime. "Despite a number of cases against him, he continued to indulge in criminal activities as he was in possession of huge proceeds of crime and continued to enjoy it and has further used them to expand his activities," the ED said. "The proceeds of crime so generated were laundered with the help of his family members and close associates by way of acquiring lands / flat properties, bank balance, vehicles, etc. Attachment of Proceeds of crime by ED has strengthened the actions of other law Enforcement Agencies in controlling his criminal activities. Further investigation is in progress," the ED added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brexit The UK will officially become a non-member of the European Union (EU) from Friday night, a certainty welcomed by Indian businesses operating in the UK as well as British businesses keen to expand into the Indian market. The official transition period from Saturday until the end of December means status quo in terms of much of the trade and business operations vis-a-vis the UK and EU, but what does change is Britain's free hand to strike new deals and partnerships around the world. Leading trade organisations and Indian entrepreneurs see this as an exciting time for the India-UK trade and economic partnership to be taken to a new level. "There's no question that India will be a vital trading partner as the UK charts a new future outside the EU. The golden opportunities for British firms in India play to the best strengths of UK plc from infrastructure to healthcare to FinTech, said Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and Vice-President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) the key voice of British businesses in the UK. As someone who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU in the June 2016 Brexit referendum, the India-born entrepreneur is now focussed on ensuring that the opportunities unleashed by Brexit are fully capitalised and that is where comes a checklist for India. "To fully capitalise on these opportunities, British firms would like to see further progress in reducing corporate tax rates, data privacy and ease of doing business indicators. If these steps are taken, and the UK maintains an active strategy for engagement and interaction with the Indian economy at all levels, it will remain a significant partner in India's future growth story, notes Bilimoria, who has business interests both in the UK and India. The end of a 47-year relationship was never going to be easy and the long-drawn divorce process between the UK and EU took a toll on businesses, which operated on a kind of pause mode as Britain missed Brexit deadlines since 29 March last year. "There was a mess in the handling of the Brexit negotiations, and everyone will just be glad that the mess is over, said Lord Swraj Paul, who heads the London-headquartered Caparo Group with operations worldwide. The UK has never been entirely happy with its EU membership. But I don't think Brexit would have a very major impact on the UK's working with Europe; that relationship remains even if people voted to leave. As far as India goes, it has a relationship with the UK and the EU and both will be strengthened further, he noted. Boris Johnson has repeatedly singled out India in the list of countries he wishes to strike an enhanced trade agreement with, ever since he pitched his tent in favour of Brexit. As Prime Minister now with a thumping majority in Parliament, he is seen to be in a position to action some of those promises. "Prime Minister Johnson will get along very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two will strike a good rapport. Trade, investment, climate change and immigration will be on top of the agenda for an expected India visit, said Mohan Kaul, President of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), who believes the technology, financial services and healthcare sectors particularly stand to benefit in a post-Brexit India-UK tie-up. GP Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, also hails the exciting time for relations between Britain and India and enormous scope for both countries to reach a free trade agreement, as he welcomed the energy and dynamism already shown by Boris Johnson ahead of the historic Brexit Day. "There are already positive moves like fast track visas to continue to attract top scientists and possible reforms to inheritance tax. Furthermore, the government should implement more investor-friendly policies to attract new and returning foreign investors and high net worth individuals (HNWI) who have departed over the past few years, said Hinduja, whose diversified group operates across various sectors and borders. According to fDi Markets data, between 2000 and 2016, the UK invested more than USD 24 billion into Indian industry and between January 2009 and October 2019, a total of 2.78 billion pounds was invested from Indian companies into London alone. This predominance of London is also expected to continue in a post-Brexit scenario. In recent years we have seen a large number of Indian businesses choosing London for international expansion and in 2018 the UK capital attracted more investment projects from India than any other global city, said Allen Simpson, Managing Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at London & Partners the Mayor of London's official promotional agency. With our mutual strengths in technology and innovation, cities like London, Mumbai and Bengaluru are producing game-changing companies, and as India's economy goes from strength to strength we see lots of opportunities for collaboration between these two nations, he said. Sidharth Malhotra will soon be seen in the Hindi remake of the 2019 Tamil hit, Thadam. The actor who is currently gearing up for Shershaah alongside Kiara Advani, has found yet another potboiler after his recent release, Marjaavaan. Thadam is being produced by Murad Khetani. Sidharth would be seen in a double role in the film for the very first St time in his career. A source informed the daily, "Sidharth plays a double role for the first time in his career, a businessman and a small-time thief and gambler always looking to make a quick buck. The film is currently in prep and the team is working towards creating two distinct looks for him." The report also stated that the makers are looking for an A-list actress opposite Sidharth, who would be able to join the cast within two weeks.The Tamil hit, Thadam originally starred Arun Vijay in the lead role. It narrates the story of two identical-looking people caught in the cat and mouse game with the cops after a murder. The source added, "The story has plenty of thrills which lend themselves to some interesting chase sequences, something that appealed to Sid instantly, in addition to the challenge of playing a double role." Presently, Sidharth has wrapped up Shershaah and has moved on to his next co-starring Ajay Devgn and Rakul Preet Singh. You are here: Business Hong Kong witnessed the biggest decline in annual goods exports last year, weighed on by a lackluster global economy, official data showed Thursday. The value of total exports of goods dropped by 4.1 percent year on year in 2019, and the value of imports decreased by 6.5 percent, according to the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government. Trade deficit stood at 426.8 billion Hong Kong dollars (about 55 billion U.S. dollars), equivalent to 9.7 percent of the value of imports. Exports to major destinations also decreased, with the United States down 14.8 percent, India down 12 percent and Germany down 8.9 percent. A government spokesman said Hong Kong's export performance is still subject to high uncertainties in the near term. In December, exports resumed a modest year-on-year growth of 3.3 percent driven by a visible increase in exports to the Chinese mainland. Imports dropped 1.9 percent year on year. In the winter of 1987, two policewomen in Madhya Pradesh hit the headlines for the unlikeliest of reasons: They were in love. Leela Ramdeo and Urmila Srivastava met on the job, fallen for each other, and decided to get married. They gathered a few friends and went to a temple in Sagar town, exchanged vows and took turns to place a garland of flowers around each others necks in a gandharva marriage ritual presided over by a priest. After the ceremony, the two women went to a local studio for a customary wedding photo. A few days later, they were back at work. But wedded bliss was not theirs to be. A photo of the ceremony was leaked, some say by a co-worker, and the police moved swiftly to fire and imprison them, because they were apparently a bad influence to other women at work. The women eventually fled to Srivastavas ancestral village. But through this ordeal, many friends and local people stood by them even as a nationwide debate raged on the immoral union, documented academic Ruth Vanita in her 2005 book, Loves Rite: Same-Sex Marriage in India and the West. Vanita wrote that a journalist who visited them in February 1988 found unprecedented support among neighbours. After all, what is marriage? It is a wedding of two souls. Where in the scriptures is it said that it has to be between a man and a woman? asked Sushila Bhawasar, a local resident. Ramdeo and Srivastavas travails underline both the hope and the precariousness of queer lives in India in the 1980s and 1990s one that flourished away from the gaze of the media, in parks and cinemas, through pen-pal columns in newspapers and magazines, anonymous post boxes and letters that sometimes travelled across continents. In an era before the internet, with little information and public visibility for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, this is how queer people lived their lives, and found companionship, and sometimes, love. *** Many people deny that homosexuality exists in India, dismissing it as a phenomenon of the industrialised world. Others label it a disease to be cured, an abnormality to be set right, a crime to be punished. The present report has been prepared with a view to showing how none of these views can stand the test of empirical reality or plain and simple common sense. This is how a 70-page booklet with a pink cover titled Less Than Gay: A Citizens Report on the Status of Homosexuality in India set forth to normalise same-sex relationships. Published in 1991 by a collective called the Aids Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA), the report was the first document of its kind that broke the silence around LGBT lives. The Less Than Gay report may have been the first such document on gay and lesbian lives in India. It was extremely well researched and brought together rigour and passion, said Jaya Sharma, a queer feminist activist. It tempted you to come out, said Maya Sharma, a Vadodara-based activist, and author of Loving Women: Being Lesbian in Unprivileged India. The late 1980s and early 1990s were a tumultuous time for the public expression of gender and sexuality in an India that was also shedding its socialist skin and entering the fast lane of global capitalism. In 1990, Ashok Row Kavi founded Bombay Dost. Not only was Row Kavi one of the first gay men to come out publicly in 1986, he gave an interview to Savvy magazine, which also published his photograph he also went on to work on HIV/AIDS, co-founding an organisation called Humsafar Trust in the early 1990s. The next year, Delhi-based activist, Giti Thadani, started a network called Sakhi, where lesbian women could communicate via letters. The Bombay Dost carried advertisements of Sakhi regularly, and women responded to those advertisements, writing in to Sakhi and seeking others like them to correspond with. By the time Sakhi began advertising in Bombay Dost, it was available in bookstores and some newsstands in Indias major cities, and judging from the addresses of its correspondents, had achieved an active readership in smaller cities as well, wrote Naisargi Dave in her 2012 book, Queer Activism in India. The same year, Delhi-based womens group, Jagori, started a research project on single women (Ekal Aurat). Several of them would meet informally in each others homes, thus creating alternative support structures. In Mumbai (then Bombay), Women to Women was started in April 1995, as a face-to-face community, inspired by the letters sent to Sakhi. It even resulted in a picnic at a beach close to Mumbai the first such meeting of women who desired other women, in the city. Dave quotes some letters sent to Sakhi. Among the early voices was that of Anuja, who wrote from Allahabad in 1991: We are very few lesbians [in Allahabad], and also we are not sure of each other, except a few. Please let me have some addresses of lesbian sisters. I am 35 years of age. I want to be an active lesbian member of your organisation. () Ms Bhan wrote in 1992: I am a 21 year old lesbian of Jammu. I do not have any other companion except one here. I hope you will help me You are my only hope. *** Its hard to imagine today that there was a queer life before the mid-1990s but people met, formed friendships, found love, and forged networks that sometimes spanned continents. Casual sexual encounters also seemed easier and much more exciting before the apps. These could happen anywhere and in almost any context at a family wedding, or on a city bus in transit to school or work. You learnt to read the signs and acquire some gaydar before the word was invented, said Sunil Gupta, now based in London, but who often travelled to Delhi. Finding love and companionship was tricky and, on occasion, a matter of luck. Anish, who only gave his first name and grew up in a small town in Karnataka before moving to Bengaluru, recalled the loneliness of not knowing anyone else who was gay or understanding the desires he was feeling. But that didnt mean finding love was impossible; it was just unexpected. In Bengaluru, while walking to work, I realised the park on my commute was teeming with other gay men. I had never heard of cruising before, but in a couple of days, I had become a regular, and even found a boyfriend. I had a pager, but he didnt, so he would often end up waiting under our tree, he said. Cruising, or finding other queer people for conversation, sex or relationship in public spaces, was one prong of queer life a relief for many gay men locked in conservative families and committed to living, on the face of it, a heterosexual life. The other was private house parties, though they were the preserve of a few in big cities. They were delightful, raucous affairs full of laughter, booze and sex where you could let your hair down. If you travelled to another city, you would have a few numbers to call to get invited into a whole new party scene. Great lifelong friendships were formed, said Gupta. But some paid a heavy mental toll for living in the shadows, spending years trying to be themselves, having the confidence in oneself and not to judge oneself through the eyes and mind of society. It was so trying that we had little time or energy to expand on someone else a lover, a partner! At 51, I have missed out on a school or college romance or even finding love. These are things any heterosexual person would take for granted. As a friend said, many of us are now fixed in our ways because we had to fortify? ourselves, said Sharif Rangnekar, a writer and journalist. *** The third prong were letters and anonymous columns in various newspapers, and newsletters and magazines run by LGBT organisations. One such organisation was the Counsel Club in Kolkata, founded by Pawan Dhall in 1993. Most of these groups were based in only a handful of urban centres. Beyond word of mouth, or striking it lucky in cruising areas and opportunities provided in familial, friendship and community networks, what worked best was if the groups post-bag numbers were mentioned in newspaper and magazine articles, Dhall writes in his new book, Out of Line and Offline: Queer Movements in 90s Eastern India. The letters these groups received were varied, and formed a rich repository of not only the lives of lonely, isolated or confused queer individuals but also a society struggling to come to terms with its desires, fears and aspirations. This history was encapsulated in yellow envelopes, inland forms, open postcards and aerogrammes from all over West Bengal, nearly all corners of India, and also abroad. A crucial part of this network was Trikone Magazine, started in January 1986 in the Bay Area of the United States by Arvind Kumar and Suvir Das. The publication, focused on South Asia, quickly grew from a newsletter to a full-fledged magazine that would be shipped to all corners of the world. Writer Sandip Roy, who edited the magazine through the 1990s, recalled the relief of walking into Kumars home and finding queer people. It was the first time I was seeing queer people outside cruising or parties; they were chatting, making tea, writing or editing. The everydayness was immensely assuring. It showed me that gayness neednt be a shadowy part of your life, he said. The relative lack of information and visibility of queer lives and terminologies was sometimes, ironically, helpful. In the bylanes of Lucknows old city, same-sex desire had always been whispered as shauk or bazi, but it was tolerated and not actively shunned. The lack of labels helped us escape scrutiny. We could hold hands in public and people would think of us as friends, said activist Arif Jafar, who formed long friendships and relationships through pen-pal columns in local magazines. In the 1990s, he would receive letters from across the country, from as far as Amaravati, Darjeeling or Jaipur. Writing letters would take time, and the relationship thus forged would not be momentary, temporary?/brief? like it is now. People who came to visit me from other cities would stay for three or four days, and so sex was not the only thing on their mind. We also talked and got to know each other, he added. The world was very different for transgender people, who had their elaborate networks of guru-chela systems, community events and festivals, such as the decades-old Koovagam festival in Tamil Nadu, where thousands of transpersons congregate every year for celebrations. Ranjita Sinha, an activist from Bengal, remembered the 1990s as a difficult time for many transpersons like her and a reality that was completely removed from the lives of many gay men. We were not allowed into bars, pubs or shops. We would joke that every time I went out, it would end at the police station, she said. Such action, often on flimsy charges such as obscenity or the now-read down Section 377, continues because of police impunity and lack of sensitisation. Shrigauri Sawant from Mumbai said that the rise of the internet had meant the closure of many public spaces frequented by transgender people. But this never stopped people from living their lives or having fun. Internet nahi toh kya. We would sometimes not tell our elders, dress up in gowns and go dancing, put on make-up and flirt with so many men, said a 60-year-old transperson in Delhi, who did not wish to be named. Of course, sometimes those nights would end up in police lock-ups but it was all right, she laughed. *** In 1989, Dominic DSouza, an environmental activist, was declared Goas Patient Zero the first to be detected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Soon after he tested positive, DSouza who was the inspiration for the 2005 movie, My Brother Nikhil was incarcerated in a disused Tuberculosis sanatorium, after he tested positive for HIV. There he was forced to stay for 64 days, even as a groundswell of support began to build for DSouza, especially among folks who made the radical choice of eschewing prejudice that the condition, known then as the gay mans scourge, engendered worldwide. Lucy, Dominics mother, and a group of friends and activists, petitioned the government to change the law that permitted HIV positive persons to be isolated and deported. Within three days, the tide turned, said Mumbai-based Dr Ishwar Prasad Gilada, who recalled visiting the Goa Legislative Assembly and speaking to ministers. His neighbour, Lucinda Rodrigues, a 62-year-old resident of Parra village in Goa, remembers his fondly. He would make chocolate cake for my daughters even after he was diagnosed with AIDS, she recalled. Their houses share a boundary wall, but 28 years after DSouzas death due to AIDS- related complications, the house and the wall are overgrown with bramble and wild bushes. He was a wonderful man. Very helpful, she said. The unsung trailblazers Wadia made films about subjects pertaining to gender and sexuality at a time when conversations about these issues did not have any social traction. Riyad Wadia: Chronicler of the gay life Riyad Wadia (1967-2003) was the grandson of movie mogul, Jamshed Boman Homi Wadia, co-founder, Wadia Movietone, one of the earliest movie studios in 1930s Bombay. Riyad was a gay man who made films about gay subjects, unabashedly so. BomGay, which featured a very young Rahul Bose and Kushal Punjabi, was made in 1996, based on the poems of R Raja Rao, a queer poet. The film went to over 50 international film festivals. He followed it up the same year with a documentary on Aida Banaji, a transwoman who was part of Bombays club scene in the 1980s, and who underwent gender corrective surgery. Wadia made films about subjects pertaining to gender and sexuality at a time when conversations about these issues did not have any social traction. Section 377 was still in place, and homosexuality as well as transgender identity were mocked at and considered aberrations. Mona Ahmed, an aged transperson at her home in New Delhi. (HT Photo) Mona Ahmed: A famous Dilliwali Often called Delhis most famous transperson, Mona Ahmed was born in old Delhi in 1937 and braved family violence before escaping and becoming a part of the centuries-old guru-chela system. The stories of her life and her struggles were most famously told in the 2001 book, Myself Mona Ahmed, by Dayanita Singh. In the book, she documents Ahmeds life, her adopted daughter, Ayesha, and everyday details of her life through photographs that were considered a landmark at the time. Ahmed lived in a graveyard where she claimed several of her ancestors were buried, and was close to her guru, Chaman, though she took away Ayesha. Her emails became one of the first repositories of trans lives in India. Everyone who meets a eunuch, meets him for some purpose of their own, either it is money or to write articles about eunuchs, to find out what a eunuch is like inside, which we do not tell. So much research was done in all fields, but on eunuchs there is no research. In villages they are gifts of God; in cities they are men trying to be women, but no one has access to their souls. Everyone makes their own little theories and no proper research, she wrote in one email . Mona died in 2017. Betu Singh was a lesbian activist, who co-founded the Sangini network. Betu Singh: Pioneering organiser Betu Singh (1964-2013) was a lesbian activist, who co-founded Sangini, which functioned initially as a helpline and later as a shelter for lesbians on the run. The daughter of a military man, Singh studied in Meerut University, and shifted to Delhi after she was offered a job in security at the Centaur Hotel. Together with Cath, an Englishwoman who was a volunteer at Naz Foundation India Trust, she set up Sangini. Naz ran an HIV/AIDS prevention programme and, later, in 2001, filed a petition in the Delhi high court against Section 377 . Sangini began as a helpline, but as Singh said in a 2012 interview to Sridhar Rangayan for a film which was part of the Project Bolo series, it was soon felt that the women needed to move beyond that for face to face meetings. As a support group, often volunteers would be trained to handle calls from women from around the country. As a support group, however, more caution was needed in vetting who would be given the physical address of the space. Eventually, Maya Shanker and Singh started a shelter for runaway couples under the auspices of Sangini. It was not easy. One year, the family of one of the women descended upon the shelter, and broke the windows. Singh, all of five feet tall, stood on the doorway and warded them off. Siddhartha Gautam was one of the early members of the AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan which filed the first petition against Section 377 in the Delhi High Court. Siddhartha Gautam: Fighting it out in court Last year, Yale University awarded Siddhartha Gautam the Brudner Prize posthumously, in recognition of his work on LGBT rights and welfare in India. Gautam was an alumnus of the Ivy League university and one of the early members of the AIDS Bhedbhav Virodhi Andolan (ABVA), which filed the first petition against Section 377 in the Delhi High Court. In 1991, they also released a radical report titled, Less Than Gay: A Citizens Report on the Status of Homosexuality in India, of which Gautam was a co-author. Much before other human rights groups cottoned on to the fact that the rights of those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, as well as those who were HIV positive were human rights, Gautam and other members of the ABVA were already articulating these positions. The Less Than Gay report unequivocally called homosexuality a political issue, and not simply one that was confined to the private lives of individuals. Human rights violations based on gender and sexuality discrimination spurred Gautam towards activism. However, Gautam died in 1992 from cancer. He was only 28. 31.01.2020 LISTEN Over the past few days after the successful commissioning of the Ambulances procured for Emergency Health Services, I have read strange statements attributed to some communicators of the opposition NDC in condemnation of the project. Most of these statements like Ambulances wont last attributed to the NDC legislator Sam George and several other statements will on a normal day be ignored and considered loose talks by people trying to cover their shame because of how this Government has successfully in 3 years accomplished the procurement of 300 Ambulances which they for 8 years could only manage 30 vehicles not only unfit to be used as Ambulances but were also procured under fraudulent circumstances. However, on Thursday Jan 30, 2020, Mr. John Mahama whilst interacting with his followers on Facebook made remarks that are not only unfortunate but defeats his re-election bid. His description of the procurement and distribution of the Ambulances as a complete loss of prioritization because of his claim that all the major hospitals they started have come to a standstill is very pedestrian and very alarming to be uttered by someone who was once at the top as far as the Governance of this country is concerned. This unfortunate statement makes me wonder whether Mr. John Mahama has a competent shadow Minister of Health or a Health Policy Advisor who counseled him on what to say on this issue. His assertion, which is probably his proposed policy, is basically flawed in several aspects some of which are: 1. If after the NDCs 8 years in power and the so called period of massive infrastructural developments Ghana still does not have hospitals in the 275 constituencies capable of receiving emergency cases brought in by the Ambulances, then this country was in real doom during Mr.John Mahamas reign and will perhaps suffer a worse fate if he and his NDC mistakenly come back to power. 2. It is very obvious Mr. Mahama or anyone advising him on these issues does not understand (or perhaps understands but is only mischievous) what Emergency services means. The word emergency should simply ring a bell in even a childs mind that this service cannot be deferred until we finish his so called major hospitals. There is no charter anywhere in the world that stipulates the completion of major hospitals before the provision of Ambulances and there is likewise no Manual anywhere that restricts the services provided by Ambulances to major hospitals. 3. There are about 275 constituencies in this country. Is Mahama telling us his major hospitals are cut across all these 275 constituencies? Is he saying that none of the hospitals in these 275 constituencies can receive emergency patients brought in by the Ambulance? The answer is obviously a big no and this is very clear to every Ghanaian. 4. No country in the world, not even in the developed world, has a perfect health care system. In the UK for instance, there are health facilities in which patients have to wait for over 10 hours at the Emergency units before they get attended to. This obviously could have been easily solved by establishing what Mr. Mahama calls Major Hospitals and employing several health care practitioners to handle these patients. To highlight the seriousness of this issue, it was widely reported recently on 17 January 2020 that an American woman from the US State of Wisconsin died after returning home home because she waited several hours at the Emergency room without receiving attention. The US and UK are two of the most industrialized countries with a very sound health care system but this problem has never been a barrier to them building up a strong and robust emergency service whilst continuing to work on the lapses in the system. This exposes the absurdity in the proposals of Mr. Mahama and his NDC. It is this same poor and indecisive thoughts that led John Mahama and the NDC to criticize the Free SHS policy on the basis that we need to build more schools and facilities before we can allow our children to enjoy this basic right enshrined in the constitution. To them, there is no sense of urgency in the matter of education of our children and they give no damn to the children who would have stayed at home and lost the opportunity to be educated until their so called infrastructure are completed. This is the same logic they have imported into this issue of Ambulances even though the latter is of more urgency than the former. But to even expose the level of dishonesty and cluelessness of Mr. Mahama and his NDC, it has been on record that they, since 2013, have made unfulfilled promises to increase the number of Ambulances until they finally failed woefully by securing 30 unfit and fraudulent vehicles. Why didnt they wait to complete their major hospitals before attempting to fail? This brings to bare their lack of sincerity in this issue and how their policy plan is unstable like a wooden boat is when challenged by the strong waves of the ocean. The aforementioned issues which are a fraction out of a lot only uncovers how John Mahama and the NDC are ill-prepared to come back to power. It also explains why the country was in a negative trajectory in most key sectors of development and further gives a huge lesson to Ghanaians never to entrust the Governance of this country in the hands of this bunch of grown up clueless NDC leaders who parade themselves as the panacea to the problems confronting this country. To this end, we will continue to echo the slogan 4 MORE FOR NANA and 4 FOR GABIANA (Bawku Central Constituency) as well as all the other NPP Parliamentary Candidates. Written by: Dr. Issah Imoro ( [email protected] ) Issah Imoro (OD) Student, Master of Science in Optometry (Orthoptics and Padiatric Optometry) University of South Eastern Norway Kongsberg Norway Mobile: 0047 91274793 Burma Suspected Chinese Coronavirus Patient in Stable Condition: Myanmar Hospital Medics and Yangon International Airport airport officials are seen near the plane on which a suspected coronavirus patient traveled from China. / Ministry of Health and Sports YANGONA 56-year-old Chinese man who was identified as a possible carrier of the coronavirus upon his arrival at Yangon International Airport on Friday is in stable condition, according to the superintendent of a communicable disease hospital where the patient is now under observation. Two Myanmar nationals who were on the same flight as the man are being quarantined at the same hospital, Dr. Aye Aye Aung, the head of the Waibagi Infectious Diseases Hospital, told the media on Friday afternoon. They were among 79 passengers72 from China, two from Myanmar, and the rest from the US, France and Colombiaon a China Southern Airlines flight that arrived from Guangzhou on Friday morning. The plane departed Myanmar at noon with all the passengers still on board, leaving only the Chinese patient and two Myanmar citizens behind, Civil Aviation Department General Manager U Soe Paing told The Irrawaddy. All of them have left. And 30 Chinese travelers who have been in Myanmar joined them, he said. The hospital superintendent told the media that the Chinese man, who is from Hunan Province, had experienced a fever for one day prior to his arrival, and still had a sore throat. He is now confined to an isolation ward as a person under investigation. Now he has no fever. His condition is fine, she said. The doctor said the two Myanmar men also seemed fine and didnt even have a fever. But they have to be quarantined as they were on board with the Chinese patient, she explained. Dr. Aye Aye Aung said blood samples and throat swabs from the Chinese man were sent to the National Health Laboratory, which will forward them to neighboring Thailand to determine whether the patient has the virus, as Myanmar does not currently have a lab equipped to conduct the test. Since it first surfaced in Wuhan in Chinas Hubei Province, the flu has killed 213 people, with over 8,000 confirmed cases, Chinese health authorities said on Thursday. As 18 countries in addition to China have reported coronavirus infectionsincluding Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Vietnam, France, Australia and the USthe World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus outbreak to be a global health emergency. Outside China, there have been eight cases of human-to-human transmission reported, in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US. On Friday, Myanmars President announced the formation of a national-level committee to tackle the coronavirus. Chaired by Union ministers, it was established to enable a quick reaction and coordinate the responses of ministries and departments if the virus is found in the country. According to the Myanmar governments announcements so far, the country is free of coronavirus infections. You may also like these stories: China Reports Fourth Death as New Virus Infection Among Humans Confirmed China Nixes Myanmars Plan to Evacuate 60 Students From Virus-Hit Wuhan Just two years ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, I dont intend to bring a diplomatic plan on the eve of the elections. He was responding to a reporter who challenged him on saying in 2008 that then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, neck-deep in investigations, has no moral or public mandate to make fateful decisions for Israel in a quest for political survival. A few days ago, on Jan. 28, Netanyahu did exactly what he said he would not do. Several hours after making history by becoming the first sitting Israeli prime minister to be officially charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust, Netanyahu took part in the unveiling ceremony of President Donald Trumps deal of the century for Israeli-Palestinian peace, declaring it a historic day like May 1948, when Israel declared independence. Peace is unlikely to emerge from Trumps plan, but Netanyahu proved once again that all means justify his end of winning the March 2 elections and remaining in the prime minister's official residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem. To that end, he mobilized Trumps help in presenting an alleged peace plan that consists of everything except peace and a Palestinian partner. The East Room ceremony resembled a wedding without the bride, celebrating a deal between Israel and the United States, rather than Israel and the Palestinians. As expected, the Palestinian leadership rejected the plan. Channel 12 reported that on Jan. 29, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent Netanyahu a handwritten note informing him, The Palestinian Authority now sees itself as free to disregard the agreements with Israel, including security cooperation. Anyone delving further into the details of the 80-plus-page proposal could not have missed the surprising clause allowing Israel to transfer to a future Palestinian state the populated Arab communities in the so-called Triangle of central Israel: Kufr Qara, Arara, Baka al-Garbiyeh, Umm al-Fahm, Kalansua, Taybeh, Kafr Qasem, Tira, Kafr Bara and Jaljulya. This is not the first time an Israeli government during the Netanyahu era has tried to trade away its Arab citizens in the Triangle, which borders the West Bank, by moving the border and thereby turning them into nationals of a future Palestinian state. The idea previously arose in 2013 when US Secretary of State John Kerry mediated peace talks between the two sides, with the clear goal of finding a solution to the land swap issue. There also appears to have been a hidden agenda reducing the number of Israels Arab citizens an estimated 300,000 of who live in the Triangle communities. Just as with many earlier initiatives, this one too does not have any hold or acceptance among the Arab Israeli or Palestinian public, Jamal Mjadlah, a social activist from Baka al-Garbiyeh, told Al-Monitor. This is an initiative devoid of justice and logic, which will not be accepted and will not be adopted. Salah Smara, a high-tech engineer from Tira, asserted to Al-Monitor, This is an attempt to enhance ideologies espousing population transfer using political tools to get rid of the Arab citizens rather than physically removing people from their homes. The motivations are racial to preserve demographic superiority. The initiative could also have the absurd and tragic impact on many families by tearing them, as in the case of Firas Azam, an attorney born in Taybeh but now living in the coastal Mediterranean city of Haifa. If the land swap goes through, he would remain an Israeli citizen, but his mother and brothers Israeli citizenship would be revoked. And we were like strangers in our land. This is my headline for this absurd move, Azam told Al-Monitor. Our state, where we grew up, went to school, worked, respected its laws and principles, does not want us anymore and is willing to give us up just like that. I would have expected the Jews to understand this better than any other people in the world, but I guess I was wrong. Trump and Netanyahu present the idea of exchanging populated lands as targeting communities that largely self-identify as Palestinians, according to the plan. A 2019 study by the Israel Democracy Institute found, however, that only 13% of Arab Israeli citizens define themselves as Palestinians in terms of their main identity, whereas 65% are proud to be Israelis. The study further indicates that 83% of Israeli Arab citizens want to integrate into Israeli society and become full members of it. The above results do not conform to the premise of the Trump plan, proving yet again that it is nothing more than an attempt by Netanyahu and Israels political right to shrink the number of Israel's Arab citizens, who constitute 21% of the state's population. That, in turn, would reduce the number of Arab voters, who obviously do not tend to vote for right-wing parties, helping the right perpetuate its rule and prevent the formation of a center-left government. Shimon Sheves, who served as director general of the Prime Ministers Office under the late Yitzhak Rabin, shared his thoughts on Facebook about the actual difference between the so-called deal of the century and Rabins peace plan. Indeed, there are many similarities between the American blueprint and the one charted by Rabin, who was, as we know, assassinated because of the peace he sought to advance. At the time, it was Netanyahu who led numerous protests against Rabin and addressed rallies at which Rabin was dubbed a traitor and the crowd chanted, With blood and fire, we will expel Rabin. The difference is that Rabin did not agree to land swaps, as Ben Caspit explained in a Jan. 29 Al-Monitor article. Perhaps that is what the Netanyahu-led right really wants: to revoke the citizenship of hundreds of thousands of the states Arab citizens. With an effective and well-targeted campaign by the Arab Joint List, currently the third largest Knesset faction, the initiative could backfire against Netanyahu. Such was the case with the so-called Camera Law, a Likud-led initiative to install cameras at Arab polling stations. The alleged idea was to guard against voter fraud, but in reality was devised to intimidate Arab voters. The move ultimately prompted a significantly high Arab turnout in protest in the September 2019 elections. If the current initiative gains ground, Netanyahu will once again be crowned the main campaigner of the Joint List. By Trend Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Free Beacon online newspaper Eliana Johnson has published an article about the activity of the Quincy Institute in the US, Trend reports Jan. 30. Comments about Managing Director of the Quincy Institute Sarah Leah Whitson, are one of the notable points in the article. Sarah Leah Whitson has helped fundraise for the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the largest Armenian lobbying organization in the United States, reads the article. ANCA advocates for the Armenian annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area within the borders of Azerbaijan that the UN and the International Criminal Court consider Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territory. Presenting this position by the influential US newspaper regarding Armenias occupation policy and publication of the article during the negotiations between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Geneva on resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are aimed to remind Armenia about the US position. On the other hand, it is a kind of message of the international community to Yerevan in response to Armenias disclosure of a document submitted by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, including the US, as a peace plan for the two countries involved in the conflict. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Mann met Weinstein at a party in Los Angeles in 2013, and he took an interest in her. I like how you look. Im very interested in you as an actress, Mann said he told her. He called her not long after and asked her to meet at a bookstore so he could get her books on film history. The United States has not put forward any conditions for an official visit of the President of Ukraine to the United States, but the right time should be found. There is no condition for President Zelensky to come to Washington. Well find the right time or find the appropriate opportunity. We want to make sure that it will happen at a time when substantial progress, things that we can deliver between the two of us [are done], U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a joint briefing with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. He added that the two countries needed to do a lot of work to prepare for this meeting and the teams of the presidents of Ukraine and the United States discussed such opportunities. According to Pompeo, the US sees the economic opportunity for its business to come in Ukraine, and some companies that will participate in certain projects in Ukraine were discussed during the meeting with Zelensky. "President Zelensky will be welcomed to come to Washington when we have an opportunity to do good things for both the Ukrainian people and the American people," the U.S. Secretary of State summed up. ol The inter-Korean liaison office in the border city of Kaesong was closed at North Korea's request on Thursday amid coronavirus fears. The North earlier closed its border with China because it lacks any other way of dealing with a potential coronavirus outbreak. The closure shuts the sole remaining window of communication between the two Koreas, though in reality no meetings had taken place since the second U.S.-North Korea summit broke down in Hanoi in February last year while staff from the two sides twiddled their thumbs. The liaison office opened in September 2018. Vehicles carrying South Korean staff and office equipment from the inter-Korean liaison office pass through the border city of Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. /Yonhap Unification Ministry spokesman Lee Sang-min said that the two sides agreed to suspend operations until coronavirus fears have been completely dispelled. But he claimed they agreed "to maintain liaison through separate telephone and fax lines between Seoul and Pyongyang." The entire South Korean staff of 17 ranking officials and 41 support personnel hastily packed up and left for Seoul on Thursday afternoon. The North is forgoing vital earnings from tourism and trade for fear of the virus getting into the country. This will deal a hard blow to an economy that is almost completely dependent on China, which takes up more than 90 percent of its foreign trade. Cho Han-bum at the Korea Institute for National Unification sad the regime is afraid that "it would be impossible to prevent unrest if the epidemic spreads." A doctor gives instructions for preventing the spread of coronavirus in Pyongyang, in this grab from [North] Korean Central Television on Thursday. The regime's dilemma is that a deteriorating economy could be just as bad or worse for morale if it keeps its borders closed for any length of time. Some officials believe there could be renewed contact between the two Koreas if coronavirus reaches the North because it could need Seoul's help. But so far there has been no request to assist with quarantine efforts, and North Korea rebuffed earlier offers from South Korea to help contain a swine fever outbreak. Back in 1977, NASA sent twin spacecraft into the cosmos. These craft, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions, flew past the outer planets of the solar system, reached interstellar space and are still transmitting scientific information today. The new movie "Troop Zero" fictionalizes the cultural impact of the vessels' famous message: The Golden Record. Each of the two Voyager craft carries a copy of The Golden Record, which contains recordings (and images) of everything from popular music to whale calls to a variety of languages from Earth. You can watch "Troop Zero," which was released Jan. 17, on Amazon Prime . "The story is about whose story gets told in history, and what stories we deem are important; those don't always look like us [women]," Lucy Alibar, the screenwriter for the film, told Space.com. "It's so much more true of women of color." Related: Voyager 2's interstellar trip deepens mysteries beyond solar system The film which is set in 1977 includes significant representations of women and women of color, and even hints at one character's ambiguous gender identity. It takes the audience back to the 70s to a small town in rural Alabama, where a 9-year-old girl named Christmas Flint (played by Mckenna Grace, "Designated Survivor") spends much of her spare time learning about space at the library and on television, as the adults in her life struggle to make a living. Flint hears about a contest to put recordings of childrens messages on the Golden Record and rounds up a group of kids to create a Birdie Scouts youth group to pursue the prize. (Make sure you stick around to the end of the film to see their performance it includes a cute space reference.) Want to Try Amazon Prime? Sign up for a free 30-day trial here. A moment from "Troop Zero," the new movie that tells a fictionalized version of the story behind "The Golden Record." (Image credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Amazon) To pull this off, Flint must also convince the adults in her life to help, including her father (a struggling lawyer) Ramsey (played by comedian Jim Gaffigan, "The Jim Gaffigan Show"), Ramsey's employee Miss Rayleen (played by Viola Davis, "How to Get Away with Murder") and Birdie Scout troop leader Miss Massey (played by Allison Janney, "The West Wing"). Alibar, who grew up in a rural area of Florida, drew upon her own childhood to write about the characters and the story. She wanted to portray all of the children as "gifted scientists," even those who were not accepted easily by adults because of their background or behavior. In the film, Flint is also reaching an age when she's learning about the bigger world beyond her small community, Alibar said. "You start realizing the rest of the world becomes more concrete, more in a way than it was before," she said. The Golden Record committee was led by Carl Sagan, a Cornell University physics professor and famous science communicator. Sagan wrote books about space, including "Contact" (Simon and Schuster, 1985), which, 12 years later, inspired the Hollywood movie of the same name, starring actress Jodie Foster. Alibar is careful to say that "Troop Zero" is not directly inspired by "Contact," though both films discuss two young girls who overcome difficult circumstances to grow up to become space scientists. Rather, Alibar describes herself as influenced by many things, including Sagan's work and the work of his widow and also science communicator Ann Druyan, who co-wrote the series "Cosmos." Following Sagan's death in 1996, Druyan wrote quite a bit about her husband. "She had so much to say about mortality and what isn't possible with science," Alibar said. "The whole idea of The Golden Record is, you can look at it as a way of allowing us to live forever, and the way she talked about her husband's death and this man she loved so much and the real finiteness of that, and the real finality of death was incredibly interesting it was so moving for me to think about, and I lost so much sleep that I started writing about it." Alibar said that she hopes "Troop Zero" can serve as a rallying call to women and young girls who are going into science, technology, education and math (STEM) careers. "I think it's really important to support girls and women that want to read and tell stories about space and science," she said. "If you've always wanted to write about it, and you're worried you don't know enough science to do this, just do it the beautiful thing about science is, it's a way of quoting this incredible miracle of life, and its incredible mystery." Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Islamabad, Jan 31 : Pakistani senior officials on Friday assured support to visiting US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, for his peace efforts in war-shattered Afghanistan, a media report said. Khalilzad met Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Xinhua reported. Khalilzad arrived in Pakistan on Friday morning after holding a series of meetings with Taliban political representatives in Qatar on a proposal of reduction in violence. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said that Khalilzad and Qureshi had reviewed efforts for peace in Afghanistan and also reviewed the overall regional situation. "While exchanging views on efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan, the foreign minister reiterated Pakistan's support and facilitating role in the Afghan peace and reconciliation process," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said in a tweet. Meanwhile, a foreign ministry statement said Khalilzad briefed the foreign minister about the ongoing peace talks with the Taliban and appreciated Pakistan's role. For his part, Qureshi said the signing of the peace deal between the Taliban and the United States will pave the way for intra-Afghan dialogue, which will be a good omen not only for Afghanistan but also for the peace and security of the whole region. Getty A mysterious Russian spacecraft has maneuvered into a new orbit around Earth right behind a secret U.S. spy satellite. The unusual move by Russian Cosmos 2542 on Jan. 20 allows it to closely watch the American KH-11, a $4 billion orbital telescope staring down at Earth. And theres not much that U.S. space operators can do about it. For the Americans, getting tailed by the Russians in peacetime is annoying. During wartime, it could be a prelude to an attack. Cosmos 2542 is what space operators call an inspection satellite. Fitted with sensors and thrusters, the mini-fridge-size satellite can maneuver close to other spacecraft and scan them. Some inspection-sats could double as weapons, tampering with or even destroying enemy spacecraft. The inspection-sat launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome north of Moscow back in November. Riding atop a Soyuz rocket, Cosmos 2542 settled into orbit between 250 miles and 550 miles over Earths surface. The purpose of the experiment is to continue work on assessing the technical condition of domestic satellites, the Russian defense ministry stated. But it was apparent early on that an American satellite that trackers call USA 245 was the real target. Cosmos 2542s original orbit allowed it to pass within a few hundred miles of the KH-11 every 11 or 12 days, noted Michael Thompson, an American graduate student who moonlights with a small space company and, in his spare time, tracks satellites. Its surprisingly easy to do. Amateur sat-trackers all over the world use telescopes and government data to keep track of many of the worlds roughly 2,200 active satellites, more than half of which are in low orbit between 100 and 1,200 miles above Earth. Between November and January, Cosmos 2542 mostly stayed a respectful distance from the KH-11 as the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite went about its business snapping high-resolution photographs of Americas rivals. Then in mid-January, Cosmos 2542 passed close to the spy satelliteand made its move. Instead of drifting away like it usually did, Cosmos 2542 performed a series of maneuvers between Jan. 20 and Jan. 23 and essentially matched orbits with USA 245. Story continues Sat-tracker Nico Janssen noticed the maneuver and fed data to Thompson, who performed his own analysis, then started tweeting. Cosmos 2542 is loitering around USA 245 in consistent view, Thompson tweeted Thursday. As Im typing this, that offset distance shifts between 150 and 300 kilometers [93 and 186 miles] depending on the location in the orbit. At that range, Cosmos 2542 can probably take pretty detailed photos of KH-11. The relative orbit is actually pretty cleverly designed, Thompson tweeted. Cosmos 2542 can observe one side of the KH-11 when both satellites first come into sunlight, and by the time they enter eclipse, it has migrated to the other side. Its not clear how much Russia can learn from photographing the KH-11. Personally, I think the intelligence value of observations of optical spy satellites like this one are probably marginal, Thompson tweeted. The NRO reportedly operates four KH-11s. They traditionally maintain orbits that dip as low as 160 miles and climb as high as 620 miles, allowing the satellites to modulate between viewing huge swaths of Earth at low resolution and much smaller sections of the planet at high resolution. By coordinating the orbits of the KH-11s, the NRO can maintain simultaneous wide and narrow surveillance. This is obvious to the worlds satellite-trackers. The NRO never comments on the KH-11s operations, but the shipping-container-size sats arent hard to see from the ground. And since its public knowledge that the KH-11s use the same kind of lens that forms the basis of NASAs Hubble space telescope, anyone with expertise in optics can estimate the KH-11s capabilities. Spying on the spy satellite might not be the point. Russia has deployed several mysterious inspection satellites since 2014. China, Japan, Sweden, and the United States have launched their own inspection craft. The U.S. Air Forces mysterious X-37B robotic mini-shuttle might be the most famous spacecraft with inspection capabilities. All of these craft have had potential as weapons. You can probably equip them with lasers, maybe put some explosives on them, Anatoly Zak, an independent expert on Russian spacecraft, told The Daily Beast in 2015. If [one] comes very close to some military satellite, it probably can do some harm. In maneuvering Cosmos 2542 to closely tail an American spy satellite, Russia could be practicing for war. KH-11s arent known to possess any defensive systems. Not that they would be useful during peacetime. Thompson said theres not much the NROs satellite-operators can do about the Russian interloper besides grumble at the U.N. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. President Donald Trump speaks in the East Room of the White House during an event with U.S. mayors in Washington on Jan. 24, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) White House Curbs Immigration for 6 New Countries, Including Nigeria President Donald Trumps administration announced the expansion of travel restrictionsone of his signature policiesto include six new countries: Nigeria, Burma (also known as Myanmar), Sudan, Tanzania, Eritrea, and Kyrgyzstan, in a move that is likely to draw renewed criticism from immigration advocates. The United States will suspend issuing visas that can lead to permanent residency for nationals of Burma, Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, and Eritrea. The latest rules will also bar people from Sudan and Tanzania from the U.S. diversity visa program, according to acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf. These countries, for the most part, want to be helpful but for a variety of different reasons simply failed to meet those minimum requirements that we laid out, Wolf told reporters. And really the only way to mitigate the risk is to impose these travel restrictions, he added. Wolf told reporters the six new countries have failed to meet U.S. security and information-sharing standards, meaning that new restrictions are required. Wolf said those countries have either failed to provide information on terrorism suspects or criminals or use poor passport technology. U.S. travel restrictions are currently being imposed on seven countries, including Libya, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, North Korea, and Venezuela. Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Yemen are four countries that have experienced civil war and numerous terrorist attacks in recent years, while Iran has been accused by the U.S. State Department of sponsoring terrorist organizations. North Korea, meanwhile, is still technically at war with the United States. While some critics might term the latest move a Muslim ban, Burma, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Eritrea are not Muslim-majority countries. Neither are Venezuela or North Korea. The 2017 version of the travel ban, which was implemented during Trumps first week in office, was revised after several court challenges, but the Supreme Court upheld the latest iteration in 2018. Wolf told reporters that Belarus was under consideration in the expanded travel ban, but the country took measures to deal with deficiencies in recent months. It will not face any restrictions, he said. Nonimmigrant visas were not affected. Those are given to people traveling to the United States for a temporary stay. They include visas for tourists, those doing business, or people seeking medical treatment. During December, for example, about 650,760 nonimmigrant visas were granted worldwide, according to The Associated Press. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Its no secret that some parents adopt all manner of tactics to ensure their children have the best chance of being admitted to a good school. Moving home, finding faith and renting in a catchment area are all methods employed to navigate the strict criteria that many schools impose to whittle down admissions that come flooding in. But which of these really improve your child's chances, what are the costs and what are the risks of them backfiring? We take a look. Will you be improving your chances of a successful admission or could tactics like moving home and attending church all be for nothing? Both secondary and primary school admissions deadlines have passed for next September, but some parents will already be thinking ahead for the new school year in 2021. School admission criteria can vary but children are often prioritised if they already have siblings in the school, live close to the school, and practice a particular religion (relevant to faith schools) or have attended a feeder school. Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown says: You can understand why so many parents try to find clever ways around the rules. And from the schools perspectives you can understand why they make the rules as watertight as possible. 'You can also see why so many councils spend time and money investigating applications - from cross referencing council tax records, to demanding utility bills and sending investigators round.' Undoubtedly, many of us will have heard of people who employed close to the knuckle tactics to get their children into a school. However, adopting some of these strategies can come at a great cost to parents - and if you get caught out gaming the system it can result in reputational damage too and potentially your child's place being taken away. 1. Saying you live with relatives in the catchment area Some parents put down the address of family members who live near good schools. The chances of success: Very low: This is a very risky move as councils usually check and this is particularly easy to spot. The cost: Coles says: 'There's no financial outlay, but technically if youre caught you can be taken to court and fined. In practice, usually the application will simply be void.' Some parents try to boost their chances by claiming to live with relatives, but this is a risky move 2. Renting in the catchment area Parents that cant afford to buy in the catchment area of their desired school may instead try and rent a property before the application deadline. The chances of success: Low: councils usually check and can apply special rules to prevent this, such as demanding you live there for a minimum period of time or prove you have sold a previous property. Councils check council tax records and some will send investigators round Coles says: Even where they dont investigate as a matter of course, theres a risk that parents who missed out on a place will tip them off. Each council will have rules for people who apply from a rented property. If you try to cheat the system, your application will be void. If your child has already started school, they could lose their place. Renting temporarily This is an excerpt from the admissions criteria of a popular state school, St George's, in Harpenden, Herts, which recently found fame for producing one-fifth of the England rugby team's starting World Cup line-up. It highlights how letting your own home and doing a short-term move is cracked down on. 'If the main address has changed temporarily, for example where a family is renting a property on a Short Term Tenancy Agreement (12 months or under), then the parental address remains that at which the parent was resident before the period of temporary residence began unless it can be shown that all ties to the previous address have been relinquished, or that the move is not easily reversible.' Common rules include stating that you have to actually live in the rented property both when you apply and when the child starts school. Some councils even insist that you cant own a property elsewhere that youve previously lived in theyll check council tax records and some will send investigators round. 'If you have a good reason for moving out for a period (like major building work) youll have to prove it, and the council will have to accept its a good reason. The cost: According to Hargreaves Lansdown, the average monthly rent in the UK is 700, while in London its 1,450 - and for family-sized homes it is much more. Coles adds: If the catchment area is in particular demand, rents could be far higher. Some will insist your rental lasts at least 12 months so an average of 8,400 even at that lowest average figure. Renting a family home is likely to cost at least 1,000 a month in many areas, so the minimum cost could be 12,000. Letting your existing home while you do this will help with the cost, but income tax on rent will eat up some of that and there is now a maximum 20 per cent mortgage interest tax credit that can be offset against rental income. Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown warns that choosing to rent in your schools catchment area for a year could set you back by an average 8,400 Trussle says the average cost of a home in England is 247,000 and parents can expect to pay a premium of 180,000 to move in the catchment area of some schools 3. Moving into the catchment area According to the Department for Education, there are currently 3,700 schools and colleges rated as outstanding. However, this amount could shrink even further over the coming years as its been announced that outstanding schools are to face inspections again, following the scrapping of an exemption introduced in 2012. This is likely to increase competition among parents in the coming years. If there are too many children located in the area close to the school the school could adopt a lottery system. Buying a house within the catchment area of a good school is the obvious solution to many parents, but it is very expensive. Good schools can substantially drive up house prices. The chances of success: Very good to average. Beware that theres no guarantee of a place even if youre in the catchment, and no way of improving your chances of being picked in the lottery. Coles says: Some schools use distance to the school which tends to be common, so you can boost your chances by moving very close to an over-subscribed primary school. Bear in mind that the maximum distance of successful pupils will vary from year to year, so further away there are no guarantees. The cost: According to research produced by Trussle, the average price in England is currently 247,000. However, parents can pay an average additional cost of 180,000 to buy a home near an outstanding rated state school, albeit these figures may not feature directly comparable properties. Working out what it would cost near you involves some detective work. Look at school's most recent statistics on distance of children accepted, contact schools for information and look at asking prices and sold prices. Families living in big cities will typically pay more. Parents hoping to move close to Holland Park School in West London, for instance, face the biggest premium with average property prices costing 3.42million. Some families move into the school catchment area but if you want to be near an outstanding school you could pay 180,000 more, according to research by Trussle 4. Church attendance for faith schools Theres a much better chance of your child being admitted to an outstanding faith school if your family practices the religion its associated with. Coles advises: 'There are very specific rules for each school, so make sure you do your research several years before you have to complete the forms.' The chances of success: High. Coles says: Plenty of parents attend church for this reason, while others are opposed to faith schools, and some feel its wrong to use the rules to their advantage like this. The cost: None aside from your time. Living on a prayer? Could families increase their chances of getting their kids into their desired schools by saying they are religious? 5. A loan to attend private school The only way to be absolutely certain of getting into the school of your choice is to pay. According to the Independent Schools Council, the average fees for day junior school are 14,289 a year and day secondary school are 15,027. Coles says: You can add another 10 per cent [to school fees] for everything from after-school activities to trips, so theres a hefty price tag that comes with this kind of certainty. Borrowing that money can be expensive and you should consider if the cost is really worth it - and ensure you do not risk financial difficulty. Chances of success: High. But this depends on being able to get and afford a loan. The Independent Schools Council chart shows how much private school fees cost The cost: A personal loan is one of the easier forms of credit to borrow and rates start at about 2.8 per cent but you are unlikely to be able to borrow more than 25,000. Borrowing against your home with a mortgage can offer a low rate and be accessible, but remember that paying the money back over a long time increases the cost. If you do extend your mortgage, consider overpaying to clear the debt quicker. If you could afford 5,000 a year of 15,000 school fees, you would need to borrow 50,000 to cover secondary school up until sixth form. Added to a 250,000 repayment mortgage with a 20-year term remaining at a five-year fixed rate of 1.39 per cent this would cost 2,865 a year to the cost - or 239 per month. Bear in mind, those costs will rise for more than one child. Check how much extra borrowing would cost you with our mortgage finder calculator. It's highly unlikely, but you might be able to borrow interest-free for school, if your employer offers a loan through the likes of Catapillr. With Catapillr its the employer who would pay the admin fee for the loan. Catapillr is interest-free but if you were to qualify for the maximum 10,000 you could borrow youd need to make sure you can afford the repayments and would only make a dent in one year's school fees. Will these tactics improve your chances? Theres unfortunately no guarantee that some or all of these tactics will help to increase your chances of getting your child into the school you like. Its only natural for parents to still have a go but this may result in potential debt while still not getting the outcome they desire Coles explains: For parents trying to boost their chances, the other fly in the ointment is that schools can change their admissions policies at any time. So you might move into a catchment area or dedicate hundreds of hours to volunteering at the church for years, and it ends up not making the slightest difference to your chances of getting into a particular school. NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On the day when Coronavirus was declared a global health emergency as threat rises outside China, TransparentBusiness communicated to the Chinese Ambassador to the United States and his staff its offer of a free grant of one million dollars in TransparentBusiness licenses. Remote work, which TransparentBusiness facilitates, used to be a matter of convenience and financial savings; in China, it has become a matter of containing a pandemic; a matter of life and death. Alex Konanykhin, CEO of TransparentBusiness Tens of millions of Chinese residents who can work from home using TransparentBusiness are instead required to commute to offices and congregate there for a large part of the day, which unnecessarily increases the speed of the virus spreading in commuter trains and buses and in offices. Conversely, reducing the number of commuters and office workers slows down the rate of the spread of the virus, which matters greatly given the exponential nature of virus propagation. For example, 2^10 = 1024, whereas 3^10 = 59,049, 57 times more. TransparentBusiness is even more needed in the cities where all transportation is banned. Shutting down productive work in the city for an indefinite period of time is devastating to the national economy, businesses, and individuals. For businesses in such cities, TransparentBusiness would be the way to coordinate the efficient work of home-based professionals. China has imposed a transport ban around the epicenter of a deadly virus, restricting the movement of some 41 million people in 13 cities as authorities scramble to control the disease. The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on January 30th, as the first person-to-person transmission of the virus was reported in the U.S. The virus has sickened more than 9,500 people and killed 213, mostly in China's Hubei province, which surrounds Wuhan. "We are also reaching to the government Chinese decision-makers on the national, provincial and municipal level, offering free use of our platform," said Alex Konanykhin, the CEO of TransparentBusiness. "While we incur costs related to this assistance, we see it as our responsibility to provide our solution for positive social impact." Previously, the White House announced TransparentBusiness' one million dollar donation to the refugee support program presented by President Obama to the Heads of States during the U.N. General Assembly of 2016. TransparentBusiness' SaaS platform is designed to empower corporations and government agencies to increase their vendors' productivity, protect them from overbilling, allow coordination and monitoring of remote workforce, and provide real-time information on the status of budget spend and projects. About TransparentBusiness: Designated by Citigroup as the "Top People Management Solution," the TransparentBusiness.com platform greatly increases the productivity of remote work, protects from overbilling, allows for easy monitoring and coordination of geographically distributed workforce and provides real-time information on the cost and status of all tasks and projects - see kmgi.us/tb. TransparentBusiness is an Integrated Partner of ADP. TransparentBusiness' shareholders include Telefonica, as well as the current and former executives of the SEC, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, Stifel, Bank of America, Barclays Global Investors, UBS, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Trust Company of the West, Deutsche Bank, CA Technologies, Airbus and Accenture. For more information, contact Andrew Winn at [email protected] or (510) 332-1521. SOURCE TransparentBusiness Arshad Khan By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Despite impressive progress in enabling competitive markets, pro-crony policies have has destroyed value in the economy, noted the Economic Survey of 2019-20. In its analysis, the Survey said that pro-crony policies, in contrast to pro-business ones, erode wealth in the economy as cronyism fosters inefficiencies by inhibiting the process of creative destruction. These policies, according to the Survey, may promote narrow business interests and may hurt social welfare because what crony businesses may want may be at odds with the same. It added that in order to become a $5 trillion economy, India must wean away from pro-crony policies. ALSO READ | Budget 2020: India needs cash and lots of it, can Nirmala Sitharaman deliver? It also reiterated the common belief that business houses which are close to political parties, also known as connected firms, get undue advantages. The survey highlighted a study by scholar Mara Faccio (2006) which examines politically connected firms in 47 countries. The study found that around the time that a firm announces that managers or large shareholders are entering politics, there is a positive impact on stock price as markets anticipate additional sources of profit. Crony businesses, according to the survey, may lobby the government to limit competition in their industry, restrict imports of competing goods or reduce regulatory oversight. ALSO READ: Economic Survey turns to Thalinomics to show how life has changed for the better now To note, many social welfare activists have accused large business-houses/lobbyist of meddling policies and some of them have even to the notice of public. While in most of cases, cronies are said to have benefitted from their connections, there are exceptions when poor business model of a crony has became reason of his/her downfall. These initiatives enhance the lobbying groups income but undermine markets and reduce aggregate welfare. Thus, pro-crony policy can inadvertently end up being hurtful to businesses in general, the survey noted. The latest survey also came down heavily on the allegedly massive scams that took place in UPA-2 era i.e 2G spectrum allocations and coal block allocations. It said that the CAG report on the 2G allocations in 2011 appears to have reversed the fortunes for connected firms. ALSO READ | It's easier to buy a gun in Delhi than to set up a restaurant: Economic Survey The influence of connections, according to the Survey, is also seen in rural India as the survey highlighted the study done by Lehne, Shapiro & Eynde (2016) which examine bidding data on more than 88,000 rural roads built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and juxtapose this data with election results. Using a large sample spanning 8116 candidates in 4058 elections from 2001 to 2013 and employing a regression discontinuity design, the study finds that after close election victories, contractors affiliated to the winning politician are more likely to be awarded road projects. In its subheading, Riskless Returns: The Case of Wilful Default, the survey notes that as of 2018, willful defaulters owed their respective lenders nearly Rs 1.4 lakh crores and the number has been steadily rising since the early part of the current decade. It adds that crony lending that led to wilful default, wherein promoters have collectively siphoned off wealth from banks, led to losses that dwarf subsidies directed towards rural development. In its conclusion remark, the survey notes that reforms in pushing pro-business policies must continue. Today, on January 31, fifth president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko will not come to the questioning to the State Investigation Bureau as he is abroad as European Solidarity Party reported on Facebook citing Ihor Holovan, the lawyer of Poroshenko. Fifth president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko is away on business out of Ukraine until the late evening of February 3, 2020 and he cannot come upon the summons for a valid reason, Holovan noted. It is specified that Poroshenko will testify on the case of Ukrainian sailors after return from business trip. The questioning on this case was planned on January 31. On January 24, Petro Poroshenko arrived for an interview at the State Bureau of Investigation. Supporters of the ex-Ukrainian state leader gathered next to the building of the SIB to show their solidarity. As we reported, Poroshenko filed 14 claims for non-pecuniary damage caused due to the inaction of prosecutors and investigators. He noted that the investigating judges had issued 14 rulings on the unlawful inaction of prosecutors and investigators in cases concerning "Poroshenko's political persecution." Solid-gold Brexit coins priced at 945 each sold out by lunch time today after going on sale this morning. The commemorative coins - sold by the Royal Mint - were part of a limited edition of 1,500. Brexiteers looking for memorabilia faced a queuing system to access the Royal Mint's website today. Solid-gold Brexit coins (left) priced at 945 each sold out by lunch time today after going on sale this morning. Also pictured are the silver coin (centre) and the 'brilliant' coin (right) A two-piece coin set, priced at 30, has also sold out after 5,000 units were made. It features a 50p from 1973 marking the year Britain joined the European Economic Community and another 50p marking the UK's departure from the EU. Each shopper could only buy three of the silver coins - sold for 60 - after 47,000 were produced, The Daily Telegraph reported. Sajid Javid, the Chancellor, unveiled the new Brexit 50p last week. It will enter circulation on Friday January 31 The coins - including the 10 'brilliant' coin - are to be shipped out within ten working days. Meanwhile, approximately three million commemorative Brexit 50p coins are due to begin entering circulation today as part of efforts to formally mark the UK's departure from the EU. The coins, bearing the words 'peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations' as well as the Brexit date of January 31, 2020, have sparked a furious backlash among pro-EU campaigners. With just hours to go until the country leaves the European Union, Britons up and down the country are preparing to celebrate in style - with street parties and pub crawls organised to mark the historic occasion this evening In London, hundreds are expected to gather in Parliament Square this evening for a a 'once-in-a-lifetime' party. Proceedings will start at 9pm and end shortly after the UK leaves the EU at 11pm (pictured, some have already started to arrive) Lord Adonis, a Labour peer who has consistently fought to reverse Brexit, tweeted: 'I am never using or accepting this coin.' Meanwhile, Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor, echoed a similar sentiment. He said he will ask shops for alternatives to the coin if he is handed one in the future. tech2 News Staff Since a coronavirus outbreak is becoming more and more serious every day with an increase in the number of deaths and infected people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) today officially declared it as a global emergency. Google is also playing its role in the same in making people aware of the virus outbreak by providing them with credible information. If you search "coronavirus" on Google, you will now see curated search results regarding safety tips, Q&A and news updates of coronavirus. The information provided is from World Health Organisation itself so it is all reliable. To help support relief efforts, @Googleorg issued a $250,000 direct grant to the Chinese Red Cross. Additionally we launched an internal campaign inviting Googlers to donate. So far, https://t.co/ldmgae16C7 and Googlers have raised over $800K USD (3.5M rmb). Google Communications (@Google_Comms) January 30, 2020 This feature on Google is now live worldwide. With these SOS alerts, Google hopes to "make resources about coronavirus easily accessible". To recall, the death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totaling to 9,692. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths. Most international cases are in people who had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. With inputs from PTI An Odisha youth pursuing his medical education in China who recently returned home has written to the State government suspecting he may be infected by the deadly coronavirus infection. I came to the district headquarter hospital in Phulbani for a health check-up as I have been suffering from cold and cough after I returned home recently from China. Though the outbreak of the virus in China was reported after my return on January 11, I have a fear that I might have also been infected by Coronavirus, says the students letter addressed to Kandhamal district collector and the Chief District Medical Officer. Without disclosing the identity of the student, Kandhamal CDMO Rajyashree Patnaik said he was living near Wuhan province in China which is the epicentre of coronavirus novel strain. The administration says it will take at least 2-3 days to ascertain if the student is indeed carrying the deadly virus. As of now there is no confirmation that the student has been infected with coronavirus. The symptoms exhibited by the student seem more like a normal viral infection. He has been supplied with a mask and his blood samples would be sent to Pune-based virology lab where it would take two-three days for inspection and then only we can confirm whether he really has any infection, said Patnaik. The CDMO said the student has been referred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for further medical examination. The State Government has opened special wards in five major hospitals in different locations for the treatment of Coronavirus cases. Lorraine Kelly ticked off a bucket list moment this morning by lip syncing with RuPaul's 2017 Drag Race winner Sasha Velour. The Glasgow-native presenter, 60, couldn't resist asking Sasha, 32, for a little friendly 'singing' battle when the American drag queen appeared on her show this morning. But the fun competition left ITV viewers less than impressed, with some labelled it their 'least favourite TV moment ever'. Scroll down for video Lorraine Kelly ticked off a bucket list moment this morning after lip syncing with RuPaul's 2017 Drag Race winner Sasha Velour (pictured together) The Glasgow-native presenter, 60, gives her all as she sings to a Whitney Houston classic How Will I Know But the fun competition left ITV viewers less than impressed with it being labelled the 'least favourite TV moment ever' After welcoming her guest to the show, Lorraine was quick to suggest performing together. 'Look, I've got you here and this is probably very foolish of me,' Lorraine admitted. 'But I feel like we need to have a lip sync battle.' Sasha was eager to join in and replied 'Oh we do, Lorraine,' before the presenter joked: 'And I've got a feeling who's going to win.' She added: 'Shall we try? Here's a mic so we can pretend, as I do this in my bathroom.' But the lighthearted moment was mercilessly mocked online with social media users suggesting Lorraine quickly stop her 'singing'. The lighthearted moment was mercilessly mocked online with social media users suggesting Lorraine quickly stop her 'singing' Lorraine couldn't resist asking Sasha, 32, for a little friendly 'singing' battle when the American drag queen appeared on her show this morning (pictured) 'Look, I've got you hear and this is probably very foolish of me,' Lorraine (pictured) admitted. But I feel like we need to have a lip sync battle.' One person wrote: 'My most unfavourite telly moment ever. I mean you're not even singing, are you?' Another said: 'Oh please stop singing. No Lorraine this is cringe,' as another confessed: 'Too much, I'm out.' However, some viewers appreciated the mini lip syncing session to Whitney Houston's How Will I Know hit. 'Miss Lorraine plus Sasha Velour equals heaven', one person wrote, as another said: 'Morning made.' Lorraine and Sasha share an adorable hug after battling through a mini lip syncing competition Some viewers appreciated the lip syncing session to Whitney Houston's How Will I Know hit Others also shared their excitement at seeing Sasha - who is about to tour around the UK - on British TV this morning. One person wrote: 'On today of all days, Sasha Velour on TV is exactly what we need - some amazing (and very much overdue) non-binary representation.' Speaking on the show, Sasha shared the importance of drag, explaining that embracing and celebrating it gives the artist 'hope'. 'I think drag always speaks to people and says we need more diversity in the world,' Sasha said. 'And I think hopefully with young people feeling that way too the world will change a little. Drag gives me hope at least.' Watch RuPaul's Drag Race on Netflix, or on Stan in Australia. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro visited a hospital in Brasilia on Thursday night, leaving without speaking to reporters, with a source familiar with the matter saying the president had felt discomfort in his abdomen, Trend reports citing Reuters. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a medical team was weighing whether to replace mesh that was put in Bolsonaros abdomen to treat a prior hernia. Government representatives could not be reached for comment on the reason for the visit. Bolsonaro, 64, was stabbed by an attacker on the campaign trail in 2018 and has repeatedly sought follow-up treatment for the injury and related issues. He has undergone four surgeries since the attack, with the most recent operation using the mesh to correct a hernia in the area where he was stabbed. Thursdays hospital visit was not on Bolsonaros official agenda for the day, which was set to end after he visited the state of Minas Gerais where heavy rains and flooding last week led to the deaths of more than 50 people. [January 31, 2020] HostBooks Signs MoU With ICAI to Promote Technology Automation Among Chartered Accountants NEW DELHI, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gurgaon-based FinTech Company HostBooks has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the national professional accounting body, to encourage the use of technology and automation among chartered accountants, which will help them increase their efficiency and productivity in practice. As part of the MoU, HostBooks will be offering three users all-in-one accounting & compliance solutions to ICAI members for three years free of cost bundled with other benefits. The initiative is aimed at promoting the use of cutting-edge technology among members and hence increasing efficiency in their practice. This MOU was signed at an event of ICAI and World Bank on 'Training Program on Auditors engagemen in Procurement post review for World Bank Funded projects' in New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, Kapil Rana, Founder & Chairman, HostBooks Limited, said, "Chartered Accountants play an integral role in reducing the compliance burden for businesses. To facilitate further simplification and enhance their efficiency, HostBooks will provide automated and cloud-based end-to-solutions to practitioners." Furthermore, the company will provide dedicated support and service center for ICAI members after the installation of the integrated accounting and compliance software. To ease the transition process, the accounting professionals will also get a dedicated team for implementation from time to time to provide training. Rajesh Sharma, Chairman, Committee for Capacity Building of Members in Practice of ICAI, added, "The MoU signed Hostbooks for providing all-in-one accounting & compliance solution to ICAI members will make automated technology accessible anytime, anywhere on the go to the practitioners. I believe that CA professionals will use this cloud-based facility for the enhancement of technology for accounting and compliance requirements." Dr. Sambit Mishra, Secretary, CCBMP was also present at the auspicious occasion with CA Rajah Sharma Ji, Chairman -CCBMP. About HostBooks: HostBooks offers an Integrated all-in-one accounting and compliance software for accounting, GST, TDS, e-waybill, tax, inventory and point-of-sale on cloud. The automated cloud-based solution enables businesses and professionals to focus on their growth, save precious time and cost by seamlessly filing GST/TDS returns, manage business finances, and generate e-way bills with ease. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084649/HostBooks_MoU_ICAI.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some New Patriotic Party (NPP) stalwarts Friday paid glowing tributes to Mrs Augustina Akuorko Obetsebi-Lamptey(Nee Cofie), the widow of the national hero and political stalwart, Emmanuel Odarqyaye Obetsebi-Lamptey of the Big Six fame. The late Mrs Obetsebi-Lamptey was 95 years (1923-2019) and became Ghanas first female Ambassador to Liberia in 1970 and a teacher at the Accra Methodist Girls School between 1947 and 1953. She was a founding member of the Gold Coast Womens Association and performed a lot of charitable works in the womens prisons in the Greater Accra Region. She died peacefully at her residence in Accra on November 14, 2019. At a solemn pre-burial service at the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Accra, some government officials including; the First Lady Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Former President John Agyekum Kufuor and Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye were in attendance to pay their last respects. Other dignitaries present were; Mr Ishmael Ashitey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Nii Adjei-Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, Mr Joseph Boahene Aidoo, the CEO of COCOBOD, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang, the Board Chairman of COCOBOD, and Sammy Awuku, the National Organiser of the NPP, as well as some traditional rulers, the Clergy and closed family members and sympathizers of the deceased. President Akufo-Addo, in a tribute read on his behalf, described the late Mrs Obetsebi-Lamptey as a fearless woman who stood behind her husband through thick and thin during the countrys independence struggle and his incarceration by his political opponents. He said she became a mother, not only for her biological children, but to all young boys and girls in her vicinity. She fought a good fight and deserves the Victors crown, he added. The President sent his condolences to the children and the entire Obetsebi-Lamptey Family and wished them well. In a tribute by the children, they described their late mother as an adorable and kind-hearted who welcomed many other children to her home and cared for their needs. Former President Kufuor, in a tribute, eulogized the former diplomat, describing her as a focused individual, diligent and humane person. The former President noted that the late Mrs Obetsebi-Lamptey was a strong pillar behind her famous husband. In spite of the cruel and regrettable circumstances her husband died, she didnt allow that to cloud her subsequent life, but rather resolutely carried herself with grace and purpose to uphold his great name and historic contribution to the national cause, he said. Right Reverend Samuel Kofi Osabutey, Bishop of Accra Diocese of the Methodist Church, in a sermon on the theme, Biblical Principles for a Fulfilled Life, said death is the experience for the living and every action undertaken by man has its consequences. He said those who obeyed the sages of wisdom would enjoy a prosperous and fulfilled life, saying that, it was imperative for everyone to trust in the Lord, rather than relying on ones wisdom. As individuals, we should seek Gods wisdom and understanding in all our personal relationships. In every aspect of our lives, we should be disciplined and maintain a peaceful co-existence with our neighbours and agree to disagree, Rt. Rev. Osabutey advised the gathering. The late Mrs Augustina Akuorkor Obetsebi-Lamptey was born as the younger of a set of twins to Mr William Charles Cofie and Madam Irene Odarchoe, both of blessed memory, in Accra on the 17th December, 1923. She was baptized into the Methodist Church at an early age and remained committed Christian until her demise. Her faith and love for the things of the Lord kept her through difficult and painful episodes in her life. She left behind two children-Nah-Ayele and Nii Lante, several grandchildren and a whole ensemble of close family and friends. She would be given a private burial at the Osu Cemetery, Accra. 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 As the coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, a lot of misinformation about the virus seems to be spreading as well. According to USA Today, recent Google search trends suggest a lot of people believe that Corona beer is somehow involved or associated with coronavirus because of its name. To clarify, the two are unrelated: Coronavirus is a pneumonia-like illness that has sickened thousands worldwide; Corona beer is a pale lager from Mexico. A surge in searches for "corona beer virus" and "beer virus" have taken place up in recent weeks as more and more news about the coronavirus comes out. Searches for Corona, Corona Beer, and Corona Beer Virus spiked on @Google. Mistypes? Or consumer confusion? pic.twitter.com/q39lNYrT5K Scott Gottlieb, MD (@ScottGottliebMD) January 28, 2020 In the United States specifically, Google Trends calculated that "beer virus" was the more popular search term. Hawaii, New Mexico and Kansas were the top three states where residents were searching "beer virus" the most, while South Carolina, Colorado and Arizona were searching "corona beer virus," reported USA Today. On Jan. 21, Google Trends tweeted that searches for "coronavirus" had increased over 1,000 percent over the course of the week. The top Googled questions pertaining to coronavirus included whether it was deadly, how to prevent contracting it and where it came from. Global search interest for coronavirus symptoms has spiked +1,050% this week. Here are the top searched questions in the past 24 hours.#coronavirus#GoogleTrendspic.twitter.com/bPVsL3hCYW GoogleTrends (@GoogleTrends) January 21, 2020 NBC reported on Jan. 28 that there have been over 5,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China and several hundred more worldwide, as health officials struggle to contain it from spreading further. Wuhan has been on lockdown since Jan. 23 and construction workers have been working quickly to build a new 1,000-bed hospital in the city, aiming to be completed by Feb. 3. Coronavirus symptoms are flu-like, starting with a fever and turning into a cough and shortness of breath. There is no vaccine or cure as of now. Kate Middleton's relationship with her sister-in-law Meghan Markle remains a big question mark. What is clear, however, is that the Duchess of Cambridge is close with Prince Harry. While Meghan and Harry's decision to step back as senior members of the royal family came with a lot of consequences on both ends, particularly the addition of tasks to the other working royals, Kate is more concerned about something else. Missing Harry Kate Middleton is not just worried about all the extra work they need to do. Apparently, she also fears how her relationship with her brother-in-law is going to be affected by their decision to keep their distance from the monarchy. According to the source who spoke to Us Weekly, the mother of three is devastated by the strain that this decision has put on their relationship as a family. "She wishes to speak to him again. She missed him and fears that she might never be close to him again," the source claimed about Kate's feelings for Prince Harry. On top of all the personal concerns, the Duchess of Cambridge has reportedly been losing sleep. She is in panic over all the new responsibilities added to her hat. "Kate barely has time to rest and when she does try to sleep, her mind seems to be almost always racing," another source told Us Weekly. Taking Things Seriously Meanwhile, a close friend of Prince Harry has weighed in on the issue. He revealed that the Duke of Sussex is not taking their decision lightly. In the ABC special "Royal Divide: Harry, Meghan, and The Crown," Nacho Figueras said that he has spoken to Harry recently following their controversial decision. "He has suffered a lot from all the things that have happened. He just wants to live a normal life, as normal as it could get," Figueras said. However, having paparazzis outside their house in Canada waiting to get a picture of their son has made it seemingly impossible to live a normal life. "It isn't very normal at all," Harry's friend added. The decision to take a step back as senior members of the royal family may have come as a surprise to everyone, but the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed that it took them long to arrive at the decision. The scrutiny the couple has been receiving from the British media has made it impossible for them to do the things that they want and how they want it. In the speech he delivered recently, Prince Harry opened his heart out and talked about how hard the decision was for him. He emphasized that it was not a decision that he took lightly. "It meant so many months of talk after so many challenging years," Harry said. The 35-year-old royal prince admitted that he has not done everything right in the past, but he felt there was no other option for him and his wife. Furthermore, Harry emphasized that he and his wife are not turning their backs on the royal family or the Queen. "We are not walking away. We are only taking a step back," Harry clarified. Prince Harry may not be in the U.K. at the moment to be with his family in Canada, but this does not make him less of a royal. Although the monarchy has decided to strip them of their "His/Her Royal Higness" titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will remain to be members of the royal family. In the wake of Indian citizens arriving from Coronavirus-infected Wuhan in China, the Indian Army acting swiftly created a facility near Haryana's Manesar where the students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection. The Army responded to this emergency requirement to create and manage a facility for quarantine of approximately 300 Indian students. A special Air India flight departed on Friday from New Delhi to Wuhan to rescue the citizens trapped in the region. This is the first special flight, double-decker jumbo 747 with 15 cabin crew and 5 cockpit crew which departed at 12.30 pm from the T3 Terminal of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for the evacuation of Indians. This flight is expected to return to the national capital at 2 am on February 1. Live TV The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps, the first one being screening at the airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC). Screening at the airport will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority (APHO). #CORONAVIRUS#IndianArmy responding to the emergency has created a facility near #Manesar for quarantine of approximately 300 #Indian students arriving from #Wuhan #China, students will be monitored by a qualified team of doctors, to watch for any signs of infection.#NationFirst pic.twitter.com/85G8HLv972 ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) January 31, 2020 During the screening they will be classified into three groups, which are-- *Suspect Case: Individuals with any signs of fever and/or cough and/or respiratory distress will be directly transferred to BHDC. * Close Contact: Any individual without symptoms but having visited a seafood/animal market or a health facility or having come into contact with a Chinese person with symptoms in the last 14 days will be escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility. * Non-Contact Case: Any individual without any symptom(s) or contact or who does not fit into either (a) or (b) will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility. The facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent a mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students. Each barrack has been further subdivided into barracks. The population of sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other. A daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. PPE consists of a mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves. Rest of the visitors and all students will wear a three-layered mask at all times. After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the District/ State surveillance units for further surveillance. Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC's isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery. Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV. Apart from playing games, watching TV and having meals together within a barrack, no one will be allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector. The facility will be administered by a nominated Officer-in-charge (OIC) who will have under his command a Community Medicine Specialist, two nursing officers, a lady medical officer and one nursing assistant. No civilian or serving personnel detailed to work inside the facility will be allowed to go outside unless compelled by an extreme emergency situation. Photo illustration by Alvaro Dominguez (Getty Images) En espanol | You may think that recent changes in your vision are just another sign you're getting older. That may not be so. Although nearly half of the people who struggle with a visual disability are 65 or older, many of those cases could have been prevented. It's not normal to be losing vision as you get older, and there's usually an underlying reason, says Rahul Khurana, a physician and clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. With new treatments for a variety of eye diseases, doctors can slow their progression or reverse the damage though you have to know what's going on first. Here are some troubling eye symptoms and what to do if you experience one. You have double vision First, a self-test: Cover one eye. Is the symptom still there? If yes, that's good news. The cause could be dryness; using artificial tears to lubricate the eye surface may help, says Jennifer Eikenberry, an ophthalmologist and assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine. More worrisome is when the problem is binocular, meaning that double vision disappears when you close one eye. It's a sign that your eyes are not aligned, and we worry that the double vision is caused by a nerve palsy from a stroke or aneurysm, she explains. You see floaters or flashes With aging, the gel-like substance in your eye starts to liquefy; as it pulls away from the retina, you may see dark moving spots called floaters. According to Khurana, 85 percent of the time, these are not dangerous. But if you see new floaters or flashes of light in your field of vision, contact an ophthalmologist immediately; you may need a dilated eye exam to rule out a retinal tear. Your eyes feel dry You may be soaking up too much screen time. Staring at a screen cuts your blink rate in half, so your eyes get parched and uncomfortable easily. If you're experiencing dry eye daily, take frequent breaks and use preservative-free artificial tears four times a day (even if you don't think you need them), Eikenberry says. You have a sharp eye pain If it was a split second of hurt, you're OK now and your vision is fine, then you don't have to sound the alarm, Eikenberry says. If, however, the pain lasts awhile, is recurring or is associated with redness, discharge or blurry vision, call your eye doctor, she advises. Eye pain can be caused by a foreign body, infection or injury. 31/01/2020 - The international community reaffirmed its commitment to reach a consensus-based long-term solution to the tax challenges arising from the digitalisation of the economy, and will continue working toward an agreement by the end of 2020, according to the Statement by the Inclusive Framework on BEPS released by the OECD today. The Inclusive Framework on BEPS, which groups 137 countries and jurisdictions on an equal footing for multilateral negotiation of international tax rules, decided during its Jan. 29-30 meeting to move ahead with a two-pillar negotiation to address the tax challenges of digitalisation. Participants agreed to pursue the negotiation of new rules on where tax should be paid ("nexus" rules) and on what portion of profits they should be taxed ("profit allocation" rules), on the basis of a "Unified Approach" on Pillar One, to ensure that MNEs conducting sustained and significant business in places where they may not have a physical presence can be taxed in such jurisdictions. The Unified Approach agreed by the Inclusive Framework draws heavily on the Unified Approach released by the OECD Secretariat in October 2019. Endorsement of the Unified Approach is a significant step, as until now Inclusive Framework members have been considering three competing proposals to address the tax challenges of digitalisation. A Programme of Work agreed in May 2019 has been replaced with a revised Programme of Work under Pillar One, which outlines the remaining technical work and political challenges to deliver a consensus-based solution by the end of 2020, as mandated by the G20. Inclusive Framework members will next meet in July in Berlin, at which time political agreement will be sought on the detailed architecture of this proposal. The Statement by the Inclusive Framework on BEPS takes note of a proposal to implement Pillar One on a "safe harbour" basis, as proposed in a December 3, 2019 letter from US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. It recognises that many Inclusive Framework members have expressed concerns about the proposed "safe harbour" approach. The Statement also highlights other critical policy issues that must be agreed under Pillar One before a decision can be taken. The "safe harbour" issue is included in the list of remaining work, but a final decision on this issue will be deferred until the architecture of Pillar One has been agreed upon. The Inclusive Framework also welcomed the significant progress made on the technical design of Pillar Two, which aims to address remaining BEPS issues and ensure that international businesses pay a minimum level of tax. They noted the further work that needs to be done on Pillar Two. "It is more urgent than ever that countries address the tax challenges arising from digitalisation of the economy, and the only effective way to do that is to continue advancing toward a consensus-based multilateral solution to overhaul the international tax system," said OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. "We welcome the Inclusive Frameworks decision to move forward in this arduous undertaking, but we also recognise that there are technical challenges to developing a workable solution as well as critical policy differences that need to be resolved in the coming months." "The OECD will do everything it can to facilitate consensus, because we are convinced that failure to reach agreement would greatly increase the risk that countries will act unilaterally, with negative consequences on an already fragile global economy," Mr Gurria said. The Inclusive Frameworks tax work on the digitalisation of the economy is part of wider efforts to restore stability and increase certainty in the international tax system, address possible overlaps with existing rules and mitigate the risks of double taxation. The ongoing work will be presented in a new OECD Secretary-General Tax Report during the next meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 22-23 February. For more information on the OECD/G20 BEPS Project, see: www.oecd.org/tax/beps/. Media queries should be directed to Pascal Saint-Amans, Director of the OECD Centre for Tax Policy and Administration (+33 1 45 24 91 08) or Lawrence Speer in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 4524 7970). Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global public health emergency over the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus on Thursday, citing the potential of the virus to spread to countries not prepared to deal with the contagion. Declaring the public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised multiple times during a press conference in Geneva that the move was not "a vote of no confidence" in China's ability to control the outbreak. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems and which are ill prepared to deal with it," Tedros said. "The vast majority of cases outside of China have a travel history to Wuhan or contact with someone with a travel history to Wuhan. We don't know what sort of damage this virus could do if it were to spread to a country with a weaker health system." Alongside his declaration of a global public health emergency, the WHO chief also outlined a number of recommendations to countries as they respond to the contagion's spread, including accelerating the development of a vaccine, reviewing preparedness plans, combating the spread of misinformation, and sharing data with the United Nations body. But WHO officials also warned that drastic restrictions in travel and trade were not necessary, and said they opposed any move to close borders with China or restrict Chinese travellers' access. Though they did not mention Russia by name, their remarks came soon after Moscow announced it was closing sections of the Russia-China border and suspending visas for Chinese visitors. "Some countries have taken questionable measures concerning travellers," said Didier Houssin, chair of the WHO's emergency committee. Those measures, he said, "should not constitute an example to follow". Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), left, and Professor Didier Houssin, Chair of Emergency Committee, right, talk to the media at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva on Thursday. Photo: AP alt=Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), left, and Professor Didier Houssin, Chair of Emergency Committee, right, talk to the media at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva on Thursday. Photo: AP Story continues With the declaration of a PHEIC, the WHO will have greater authority to question such actions, Houssin said: "Why did you take this decision? What is the science supporting this decision? Could you reconsider this decision?" Amid the outbreak, numerous governments are advising against all non-essential travel to China, while countries including the US and Japan have chartered flights to Wuhan to extract citizens living inside the locked-down metropolis. Several international air carriers have scaled back or suspended flights to the country amid dwindling demand. The WHO's announcement came amid rising criticism of the health agency's decision last week not to declare the outbreak a PHEIC, despite the rapidly rising number of cases inside China and the disease's steady spread overseas. To date, the Wuhan coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, has infected at least 8,100 people in mainland China and killed 171 people. Over 100 cases have been reported overseas, the vast majority of which were recent travellers to Hubei province. But of critical concern to health authorities is the small but rising number of human-to-human transmissions outside China, where a person with no recent travel to the country contracts the disease from another individual. The WHO alert "makes sense given that we're seeing community transmission in other countries and because the illness is highly contagious," said Jennifer Huang Bouey, an epidemiologist and Tang Chair in China policy studies at Rand Corporation, a Washington-based think tank. The new coronavirus so far has a fatality rate that is lower than Sars and Mers, two contagions that spread globally in recent years, Huang Bouey pointed out. "That means it's less dangerous for individuals but more dangerous for populations because there will be more people with mild symptoms who are still mobile and still traveling," she said. The United States announced its first human-to-human transmission case on Thursday shortly before the WHO's announcement, following the positive diagnosis of a Chicago resident who contracted the illness from his wife. Officials from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the development was "concerning", but added that the immediate threat to the US public remained low. In another case confirmed earlier this week, a 33-year-old German man was infected with the disease by a colleague visiting from China. That colleague was reported to have shown no symptoms at the time of transmission. To date, there have been eight confirmed instances of human-to-human transmission outside of China, said Tedros. Beyond the US and Germany, such cases have also been confirmed in Vietnam and Japan. "Although these numbers are still relatively small compared to the numbers of cases in China, we must all act together now to limit further spread," he said. The outbreak has led to Chinese authorities putting numerous cities, including Hubei's capital of Wuhan, under lockdown, shutting down major attractions and extending the Lunar New Year holiday. The government's response has elicited both praise " most vocally from WHO officials " and also criticism, particularly over a perception that regional officials initially downplayed the severity of the outbreak. The mayor of Wuhan offered to resign this week over the city's failure to disclose information in a "timely manner", while the top health official in Huanggang " another Hubei city " was fired on Thursday after a television appearance in which she could not answer basic questions about how many patients one of the city's hospitals was treating. Since the outbreak began, WHO officials have been consistently laudatory in their evaluation of China's response. During Thursday's press conference announcing the global public health emergency, Tedros, who recently returned from meetings with top Chinese officials in Beijing, spent more than six of his 14 minutes of remarks praising the Chinese government's actions. "In many ways, China is actually setting a new standard for outbreak response," he said. "And it's not an exaggeration." Sign up now for our 50% early bird offer from SCMP Research: China AI Report. The all new SCMP China AI Report gives you exclusive first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments, and actionable and objective intelligence about China AI that you should be equipped with. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. (Natural News) With coronavirus now confirmed in New York City and worldwide infections nearly at 10,000, the CDC has quarantined 195 Americans who lived in Wuhan, China and were evacuated on a private chartered flight. According to a press release issued by the CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), under statutory authority of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary, has issued federal quarantine orders to all 195 United States citizens who repatriated to the U.S. on January 29, 2020. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. The CDC is not wrong in issuing this order, since isolation is the only truly effective way to spread this highly infectious viral strain. However, it represents a sobering milestone, realizing that Americans can now be imprisoned against their will on U.S. soil, and that the severity of the outbreak has already reached the point where the CDCs concern about the spread of the virus has resulted in the kind of quarantine order that hasnt been used since the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak. Again, the CDC is not wrong to do this. In fact, they would have been dangerously wrong if they failed to do this. Given that these 195 Americans are straight out of Wuhan, holding them for 14 days is the prudent thing to do, especially when considering the fact that this coronavirus strain is documented to easily spread from symptomless carriers who dont even know they have it. But it is interesting to note that the federal government has demonstrated very little willingness to stop open borders migrants from carrying many other infectious diseases into the United States. Americans from China are sitting in quarantine right now, but illegal aliens from Honduras are walking right into the country, with no health testing or barriers whatsoever. Heres a breakdown of the currently known infections by region: The CDC justifies its actions as follows, from the CDC.gov website: States have police power functions to protect the health, safety, and welfare of persons within their borders. To control the spread of disease within their borders, states have laws to enforce the use of isolation and quarantine. Under 42 Code of Federal Regulations parts 70 and 71, CDC is authorized to detain, medically examine, and release persons arriving into the United States and traveling between states who are suspected of carrying these communicable diseases. As part of its federal authority, CDC routinely monitors persons arriving at U.S. land border crossings and passengers and crew arriving at U.S. ports of entry for signs or symptoms of communicable diseases. The key enforcement claim is found here: If a quarantinable disease is suspected or identified, CDC may issue a federal isolation or quarantine order. In other words, if the CDC merely believes you might be carrying an infectious disease, they can order you placed in quarantine. Heres the current wold map of infections, via the WHO: Coronavirus has now made history in America: The first government quarantine of U.S. citizens in over a hundred years. Sadly, most U.S. citizens remain completely oblivious to the truth about the coronavirus pandemic. Listen to my podcast below for full details: Brighteon.com/68561871-038f-4b33-bbc3-1792309a3cb7 Union flags fly in Parliament Square, London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union (PA) European leaders have warned Boris Johnson that Britain faces a more distant relationship with Brussels after Brexit if it insists on leaving the EUs regulatory orbit. As Brexiteers prepare to celebrate the UKs withdrawal at the stroke of 11pm on Friday, in European capitals there was sadness at the breaking of a bond dating back 47 years. But the expressions of regret were accompanied by warnings of a tough battle ahead as the two sides prepared to embark on talks on a free trade agreement. European Council president Charles Michel said Britains stated determination not to align with EU rules meant it could not expect the same levels of market access. The more the UK will diverge from the EU standards, the less access to the single market it will have, he told a news conference in Brussels. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said relations with the UK would never be as close once it is outside the EU. We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership, she said. Earlier, in a BBC interview, she made clear the EU would battle to protect the integrity of the single market in the negotiations. Expand Close European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, has said the EU will fight for its interests in trade talks (Brian Lawless/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, has said the EU will fight for its interests in trade talks (Brian Lawless/PA) Negotiations will be fair. But, of course, each side will fight for their interests, she said. Her comments reflect a determination to prevent the UK undermining EU rules and regulations through undercutting. Cabinet minister Michael Gove however reaffirmed the Governments commitment to break with Brussels regulatory regime. We are moving further away from the orbit of EU rules and laws, he told the BBC. For example, on migration, we can decide what the right policy is, who should come here and on what terms. A No 10 spokesman added: You can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept their rules. We have been clear we will not be doing so. In a symbolic move, Mr Johnson chaired a meeting of the Cabinet in Sunderland, the city which was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum. And in what Number 10 billed as an address to the nation released an hour before the moment the UK leaves the EU, the Prime Minister will promise to heal the bitter divisions opened up by Brexit. He will say: Our job as the Government my job is to bring this country together and take us forward. He will call Brexit the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. The address was being filmed by Downing Street rather than one of the national broadcasters in the latest clash between Number 10 and the media. Traditionally, speeches by the PM in Number 10 have been recorded by a single broadcaster and then shared with other television networks, in what is known as a pool system. Expand Close Brexiteers stand on an EU flag, ahead of the UKs withdrawal at 11pm Friday (Kirsty OConnor/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brexiteers stand on an EU flag, ahead of the UKs withdrawal at 11pm Friday (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Mr Johnson will spend the evening in No 10 hosting a celebratory reception for senior ministers, officials, and supporters of the 2016 referendum campaign to leave the EU. On Parliament Square, Brexiteers will gather for a party led by Nigel Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show while a new commemorative 50p coin is entering circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) The Belgian capital has dressed its famous Manneken Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume, complete with Union flag waistcoat. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned. The Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations, and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit was staging a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. Operation Vanilla: INS Airavat reaches Madagascar New Delhi, Jan 31 (UNI) Indian Navy's INS Airavat has arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar), to undertake relief operations, after floods from heavy rains led to a crisis in the region. Upon arrival, the Commanding Officer, INS Airavat called on General Rasolofomanana, Commander, Military Area, Antsiranana and other senior officers from the Military Area. The relief operations to be undertaken by INS Airavat will be the first by a foreign nation, after heavy rains lashed Madagascar and inundated the low-lying farmlands, leading to massive loss of life and property, an Indian Navy spokesperson said. Peppa Pig voice actress Harley Bird has quit the role after 13 years. The 18-year-old star has confirmed she is stepping aside from the job to make way for Amelie Bea, nine, who has branded the new role 'a dream come true'. Speaking about the news, Harley, who is said to have raked in 1000 an hour for her role, said: 'Becoming the voice of Peppa at the age of five was the start of an incredible journey, and I'll never forget my time on the show.' Shocker: Peppa Pig voice actress Harley Bird has quit the role after 13 years She went on: 'The people that work on Peppa Pig have become like a family to me and they've given me some unforgettable memories. I wish Amelie the best of luck in the role and am looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life.' Lily Snowden-Fine was first to voice Peppa when the series debuted in 2004, before Cecily Bloom provided the voice of the character in the second series in 2006. Her replacement Amelie starred in EastEnders from 1 January 2018, where she played Daisy - the adoptive daughter of Ashley and Dan. Last month, Harley, from Rochdale, Manchester, appeared on This Morning, where she discussed how she dreams of being an actress and revealed that she had a callback for the prestigious RADA drama school. Shocker: The 18-year-old star has confirmed she is stepping aside from the job to make way for Amelie Bea, nine, who has branded the new role 'a dream come true' Hinting that it could be time to walk away from the iconic role, she explained that she's been voicing the character for 'so long' that 'whatever' happens with Peppa, her experience has been 'so fun'. She said: 'I've been doing Peppa for so long, whatever happens with it now, it's been so much fun. This is my 13th year.' Harley has been voicing Peppa since she was just five. It seems Harley wouldn't be too worried if she did take a break because it was reported in 2018 that she's on track to be a millionaire by the time she turns 21. New role: The teen actress will be replaced in the role by Amelie Bea, nine Way back when: Her replacement Amelie starred in EastEnders from 1 January 2018, where she played Daisy - the adoptive daughter of Ashley and Dan It was claimed by the Daily Star that the teen was raking in 1,000 an hour for depicting the titular farm animal, earning in excess of 12,000 per week A source told the publication: 'Harley is the most successful teenage voiceover artist in Britain right now. She is hot property and easily earns 1,000 an hour.' They added: 'Shes also difficult to replace because shes mature enough to be a great actress, but still has the distinctive voice families around the world know as Peppa.' When Harley first auditioned for the role of Peppa, she was too young to even read the script with producers having to get her to 'repeat her lines'. Popular: The hugely popular cartoon follows the adventures of a family of talking pigs and their farmyard animal friends. It has won a Bafta and is also popular in the States Harley previously said on This Morning: 'I've done Peppa for 11 years now. I really understand the character; I know how she speaks, how she would do things, how she would react.' And while Harley admits that her voice has 'matured a bit' she delighted Holly and Phil as she performed her world famous giggle and snort live on the show. The hugely popular cartoon follows the adventures of a family of talking pigs and their farmyard animal friends. It has won a Bafta and is also popular in the States. The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 ("MAR"). 31 January 2020 FORMATION GROUP PLC ('Formation' or the 'Company') Board Changes Formation is pleased to announce that Sean O'Brien and Andrew Bennett have today been appointed as Directors of the Company. Sean O'Brien, aged 44, has many years' experience in the building industry and has been with Formation since 2014. Sean has been appointed as an executive Director of the Company, responsible for construction, with principal oversight of the Company's property development activities, including at the Irish sites into which Formation invested in December 2019. Andrew Bennett, aged 50, has been appointed as a non-executive Director of Formation. Andrew is a Chartered Accountant with more than 25 years' experience in financial services in Jersey including over six years as a director of Nordic Capital. He is currently CFO of the Jersey based real estate developer, Columbia Group, which includes Zandra Holdings Limited, owner of 89.99% of Formation's issued share capital. Andrew is also a non-executive Director of Rutherford Health plc, a company in which Formation has an equity interest of approximately 2%. The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. --ENDS-- Enquiries: Formation Group plc Noel O'Carroll - Director Tel: +44 (0) 20 7920 7590 Peterhouse Capital Limited (Corporate Adviser) Mark Anwyl Tel: +44 (0) 20 7469 0934 Save as set out below, there is no further information regarding Sean O'Brien or Andrew Bennett which is required to be disclosed pursuant to Appendix 1, Table A, paragraph 5.1.2 of the NEX Exchange Growth Market - Rules for Issuers. [January 31, 2020] DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES INVESTOR ALERT by the Former Attorney General of Louisiana: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates Adequacy of Price and Process in Proposed Sale of Delphi Technologies PLC - DLPH Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Delphi (News - Alert) Technologies PLC (NYSE: DLPH) to BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE: BWA). Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Delphi will receive only 0.4534 shares of BorgWarner for each share of Delphi that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-ail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-dlph/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005603/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Bajaj Finance on January 30 beat analyst estimates with profit rising 52.2 percent year-on-year to Rs 1,614 crore and net interest income increasing 41.4 percent YoY to Rs 4,537 crore. The fund raising of Rs 8,500 crore during the quarter aided topline, but provisions increased sharply by 83 percent YoY and 40 percent QoQ to Rs 831 crore for quarter ended December 2019. Slippages, too, were higher at Rs 936 crore for the quarter against Rs 779 crore in previous quarter. Here are highlights from Bajaj Finance's conference call as compiled by Narnolia Financial Advisors: Management Participants: Rajeev Jain - MD, Sandeep Jain - CFO, Atul Jain - CEO (BHFL) Consumer B2B sales finance had a slow quarter as the company witnessed significant slowdown in consumption categories. This was in addition to cautious stance in digital products financing. For All Earnings Related News - Click Here Securities lending reported low growth of 5 percent in Q3FY20, the reason being exposure to Karvy broking. Securities lending business has a delinquent broker account with principal outstanding of Rs 303 crore on which company has taken an accelerated provision of Rs 85 crore. LAP portfolio has 2 major NPA accounts: IL&FS with principal outstanding of Rs 234 crore and a coffee conglomerate account with principal outstanding of Rs 91 Cr. Coffee account is expected to be resolved in next 30 days. Provisioning of Rs 60 crore is already done on IL&FS accounts. The management said credit cost is at the peak level now and is not expected to increase from this level further. Existing customers contributed to 68 percent of new loans booked during Q3FY20. The company added 182 new locations in Q3FY20 taking total geographic presence to 2,179 locations in India as of 31 December 2019. Given corporate tax rate cut and capital raise, company has accelerated its geo expansion strategy and is opening over 200 new locations in Q4 as well. During the quarter, the company raised $575 million (equivalent to Rs 4,083 crore) under the ECB facility agreement with various banks. The company has received approval to raise additional $650 million ECBs. Loan losses and provisions grew by 84 percent YoY in Q3 FY20 to Rs 831 crore. During the quarter, the company has made an accelerated provision of Rs 85 crore in one of its loans against securities account and Rs 15 crore of provisions on Coffee conglomerate account. Adjusted for this, loan losses and provisions grew by 65 percent YoY in Q3 FY20 to Rs 746 crore. The only portfolio that turned red in Q3 from earlier disclosures is auto finance portfolio. The company successfully completed Rs 8,500 crore of capital raise through Qualified Institutions Placement in November 2019. The company looks to add 7-8 million customers to the franchise per year. ROE for BHFL is expected to be in the range of 13-15 percent in FY21. Two wheeler business is 5.5 percent, three wheeler is 3.5 percent and commercial vehicle is 0.2 percent of the total portfolio and average yield here is 23-24 percent. John Calvin (1509 1564), Reformer, pastor, and prolific writer, was one of the most important theologians that has ever lived. No student of theology can ignore him. For churches who espouse the sovereignty of God in salvation, Calvins influence remains central. Whether you love what he believed or despise it, the tenets of his theology continue to reverberate. John Calvin arrived on the fledgling Reformation scene almost from nowhere. A lawyer by training, he was converted in the early 1530s and within a few years became a pastor at St. Peters Cathedral church in Geneva. For the next quarter-century (apart from a brief interlude in Strasbourg) he engaged in a prolific ministry of teaching, preaching and reform that turned Europe upside-down. What were some of Calvin's incredible achievements? They are legion. But let us focus on a few of them. 1. Author of The Institutes of the Christian Religion At the age of 27, Calvin published the first edition of The Institutes of the Christian Religion. At this point, it was a quarter of the size of the final 1559 edition (various expanded editions were published in French and Latin over the course of Calvins life). It was a compendium of theology, covering all the major sections of truth in a systematic manner. Calvin had never been to seminary. Having returned to Paris (he studied law at Orleans and Bourges), he came under the influence of Renaissance humanism and its insistence on ad fontesensuring that original source material be examined. Newly awakened by the Holy Spirit, Calvin desired to understand the Scriptures, then available in its Latin Vulgate translation, and embarked on a study of Hebrew and Greek so that he could understand what the original source taught. From his study of Scripture emerged Calvins summary of what it taught theologically, a compendium of truth providing readers with a map to guide them through the Scriptures, and as the opening sentence makes clear, enable them to know God and know themselves. It is an astonishing achievement that within a few brief years (Calvin was 26 when he wrote the Institutes) he managed to write a book that remains to this day a source of wonder. The final edition of the Institutes is somewhat difficult to read without knowing the manner in which it came together. Sections of it contain lengthy treatments, while other topics barely get mentioned. The reason lies in the fact that some doctrines were intensely debated during Calvins lifetime and others were not. Issues such as the form of church government, the Lords Supper, and bondage of the will were matters of intense debate and disagreement and Calvin had much to say about them. Other issues such as baptism, creation, and the Trinity were matters about which there was little disagreement and the Institutes treated them succinctly. Care, therefore, should be exercised not to conclude that the latter topics were not important; they were, but they were not in dispute. 2. John Calvin's Preaching From the very start of Calvins ministry in Geneva, preaching was a priority. And not just preaching but expository preaching! In part, Calvins view of preaching is derived from his conviction of Scriptures inspiration and authority. Preaching is about getting to the truth of what God is saying in the text of Scripture. In part, too, his view of preaching was derived from renaissance convictions about the nature of truth and its relationship to original sources. The meaning of Scripture lay in the grammar and syntax of Greek and Hebrew words. This led him to preach consecutively (verse by verse) through the books of the Bible. Calvin deviated from the medieval quariga (literally, a four-horse chariot) approach to meaning. Origen, for example, insisted that Scripture had four quite distinct meanings: the literal, the moral, the allegorical and the anagogical. The literal is the plain obvious meaning. The moral was what it meant for human behavior. The allegorical meaning is what it means for our faith, beliefs or doctrines. The anagogical meaning is what it tells us about the future (heaven). Calvin rejected this approach. At his prime, in addition to preaching twice on Sunday, he preached each weekday at noon and the following Wednesday. In the course of two weeks he was committed to preaching ten sermons! He took a few verses at a time and expounded them, giving their sense employing a grammatical-historical hermeneutic. Calvin preached without notes straight from the Hebrew or Greek text, and the city of Geneva viewed Calvins preaching as so valuable that in 1548 they employed Denis Ragunier as a stenographer to take down (in French short-hand) every word he said in the pulpit. Over two thousand of Calvins sermons exist today. And there are many others that remain in shorthand French awaiting to be read by future generations. 3. John Calvin's Commentaries In addition to preaching and the Institutes, Calvin gave himself to the publication of lengthy commentaries on individual books of the Bible. In the course of his life, Calvin wrote commentaries on all the books of the New Testament except the book of Revelation and most of the Old Testament. They were published with dedications to European rulers such as Queen Elizabeth. These commentaries continue to be a standard by which modern commentaries are judged. The commentaries are necessary if we are to fully understand Calvins theological method. Reading the Institutes, for example, one is often struck by the lack of biblical exegesis and newcomers might draw utterly wrong conclusions. Calvin fully intended readers to make the symbiotic link between the commentaries and the Institutes thereby providing a rich a d comprehensive biblical theology. 4. The Missions of Calvin We should not fail to notice that Calvin himself was a missionary in Geneva and under his leadership Geneva became a hub of a vast missionary enterprise (Frank A. James III, Calvin and Missions, Christian History, 5 No. 4 (Fall 1986): 23) and a dynamic center or nucleus from which the vital missionary energy it generated radiated out into the world beyond (Philip E. Hughes, The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1966), 25). By the mid 1540s, Geneva became the hub from which missionaries travelled to all parts of Europe with the Good News of the gospel. We know, for example, that returning refugees, following a stay in Geneva, were constantly in touch with the company of pastors in Geneva for prayer and advice about how to promote the gospel in their own cities. As early as 1553, Calvin began sending missionaries to France. In April of 1555 the Register of the Company of Pastors in Geneva for the first time began to officially list men who were sent out from Geneva to evangelize foreign parts. Due to the persecution many faced in France, some details were not to be recorded. What we do know is that a network of churches was stablished which included the cities of Aix-en-Provence, Nimes, Montpellier, Toulouse, Nerac, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Nantes, Caen, Dieppe, Tours, and Orleans. Following persecution by Henry II, a number of the congregations began to form themselves into synods for mutual help and encouragement: half a dozen in and around Poitiers, five or more in Paris, and three in Orleans. The growth is nothing short of astounding: in 1555 there were five Reformed churches in France. Four years later there were almost 100. Three years after that the number had reached 2,150 with a total membership estimated at 3 million (out of a total population of 20 million). By the time of Calvins death in 1564, missionaries had been sent from Geneva all over Europe and as far away as Brazil. 5. Church Polity and Reformation Upon his return to Geneva in 1541, Calvin wrote his Ecclesiastical Ordinances, a book of church polity that provided for the religious education for the city, especially the children. It was a comprehensive change in the understanding of how the church functioned from that of the medieval Roman Catholic church. He established four groups of church officers: pastors and teachers to preach and explain the Scriptures, elders to rule and pastor the congregation and deacons to attend to administer charity. In addition, Geneva saw the introduction of a Consistory of pastors and elders (Calvin attended every Thursday) to oversee church discipline in both doctrine and practice. Many of the early years were difficulty for Calvin and only in 1555 did his views prevail and he could address himself to other matters. The structure of many conservative churches today reflects Calvins reforms of the sixteenth century. And Much More There is much more that can be said about Calvins astonishing contributions to the church. He was the singular force behind the publication of the Geneva Bible. Many have argued that Calvins influence on modern democracy and capitalism is considerable. Furthermore, his singular contributions of distinctive aspects of truth, for example. To name but two: Calvin insisted that Scripture is autopisticself-authenticating. Since the Bible is God speaking, no higher authority can be found to validate its claims to being divinely inspired. Calvin also added to the doctrine of the Trinity by suggesting that the Jesus is autotheosGod in himself. This was to prevent a tendency in the history of the church to a subordinationism in the understanding of the relationship between the Father and Son. No finer compliment could have been attributed to John Calvin than the one given him by Philipp Melancthon, who referred to him simply as the theologian. Books Alistair McGrath, A Life of John Calvin: A Study of Western Culture (Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1990) Philip E. Hughes, The Register of the Company of Pastors of Geneva in the Time of Calvin (Eerdmans, 1966) John Piper and David Mathis, With Calvin in the Theater of God: The Glory of Christ and Everyday Life (Crossway, 2010) Derek W. H. Thomas and John Tweeddale, John Calvin: For a New Reformation (Crossway, 2019) Bruce Gordon, John Calvin (Yale University Press, 2011) David W. Hall and Peter A. Lillback, Theological Guide to Calvins Institutes: Essays and Analysis (P&R Publishing, 2011) GettyImages/GeorgiosArt Derek Thomas (PhD, University of Wales, Lampeter) is the Chancellor's Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary and senior minister at First Presbyterian Church (ARP) in Columbia, South Carolina. He is the author of many books, including Calvin's Teaching on Job, and serves as a teaching fellow with Ligonier Ministries. On Tuesday, February 4, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference on the subject: "Start of All-Ukrainian contest on best ideas for digital school laboratories 'Atmospheric education.'" For each idea taken into development, the author will receive UAH 15,000. Participants include co-founder of the company ENSOF Svyatoslav Serebriansky; Director General of ENSOF Maksym Datsenko; Head of Development Department of ENSOF Oleksandr Dorosh (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration on the spot requires press documents. Details by phone: 095 031 5930 or at: v.vitrenko@ensof-group.com (ENSOF Communications Manager Vladyslav Vitrenko). SASKATOON - Canadian bats are unlikely to be the source of virus strains that can infect humans such as the one currently raising global alarms, a bat expert says. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this Feb. 8, 2017 photo, a northern long-eared bat, is held at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, in Cleveland. Canadian bats are unlikely to be the source of virus strains that can infect humans such as the one currently raising global alarms, a bat expert says. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Tony Dejak SASKATOON - Canadian bats are unlikely to be the source of virus strains that can infect humans such as the one currently raising global alarms, a bat expert says. "We've lived with our bats for a long time and it's never happened," said virologist Vikram Misra of the University of Saskatchewan. "I really think it's not an issue." Researchers are closing in on bats as the origin of the new coronavirus scare that has quarantined a Chinese city of 11 million people and infected humans in at least 18 countries. As of Friday morning, more than 9,600 people in China were diagnosed with the new virus and more than 200 of them have died. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." In research released Thursday, scientists said the new virus is closely related to three coronaviruses found in bats. A separate report published in the medical journal The Lancet said data collected so far is consistent with the virus having initially been hosted by bats. Misra, who has published a series of papers on bat viruses, said even healthy bats are normally full of them, but they are kept in check by the animal's unique immune system. "There are very, very few viruses that make bats sick." But if a healthy bat is put under stress, its immune system is thrown off balance, Misra said. Viruses multiply and the bat starts to release them in bodily fluids such as saliva, urine and feces. The specific kind of stress it takes is still unknown. Misra said he believes caging a bat near other animals it wouldn't normally be around, as happens in live-animal markets, could do the trick. "We think a whole bunch of different kinds of things that make the animal unhappy work in much the same way to suppress antiviral responses." It's likely to have happened before. The deadly SARS and MERS viruses are thought to have begun in bats. A bat virus killed millions of pigs in the United States in 2014 and more recently in China. The Marburg, Nipah and Hendra viruses all potentially fatal are thought to have originated in bats. North America has large bat populations, which are under stress from loss of habitat, climate change and the spread of disease such as white-nose syndrome. As humans move into previously natural areas, they are increasingly in contact with them. Could it happen here? "Not really, no," said Misra. Our bats do carry coronaviruses, but a different kind. "As far as we know, that virus is quite different. It's a different subfamily of coronaviruses than the coronavirus that makes up SARS and MERS and the new virus." Nor is it likely the local coronavirus could mutate into something dangerous. "You'd have to have a lot of changes happening to these viruses to get them to make that jump." As well, domestic animals in North America aren't typically kept in close proximity to bats. Misra played down the threat posed by the new coronavirus. "We're panicking too soon and for insufficient reasons. More harm will be done by panicking than the virus itself." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020 By Bob Weber in Edmonton. Follow him on Twitter at @row1960 A reward is being offered to anyone able to free a crocodile which has had a tyre stuck around its neck for three years. Indonesian authorities are calling on experienced conservationists to help rescue the 13-foot-long saltwater crocodile from the motorbike tyre. The beast, which is believed to be a highly endangered Siamese crocodile, was first spotted in the Palu River and Palu Bay in the Central Sulawesi province in 2016. Officials have not revealed the exact figure on offer as a reward, declaring: "A reward will be given to anyone who can release the hapless reptile." The head of the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency, Hasmuni Hasmar, has said the money would come out of his own pocket, but has warned amateurs not to attempt the dangerous feat. "We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat," he said. The crocodile survived the tsunami and earthquake that devastated the provinces capital city in 2018, but the tyre has not budged. For years conservationists have tried and failed to release it due to a lack of expertise. A number of attempts were made in 2018, including an animal whisperer who was brought in to try and remove the tyre, to no avail. (@FahadShabbir) ABU DHABI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 29th Jan, 2020) Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, separately met with Ni Jian, Ambassador of China, Jan Reinhold, Ambassador of Estonia, Samuel Tan Zi Tse, Ambassador of Singapore, and Andrei Luchenok, Ambassador of Belarus, at the headquarters of the FNC in Abu Dhabi. The meetings were also attended by Dr. Omar Al Nuaimi, FNC Secretary-General. During the meetings, all sides discussed ways of reinforcing their bilateral cooperation, especially how to strengthen the cooperation between the FNC and the parliaments of the respective countries, stressing the importance of exchanging expertise and knowledge and coordinating on issues of mutual concern. The FNC is keen to help create a safer and better future while highlighting the key role of parliaments in supporting the relevant efforts to ensure a better future for the worlds peoples, Ghobash said. People wearing face masks look for products at a pharmacy as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Beijing, China Jan. 30, 2020. (Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins) Study Finds Human-to-Human Transmission Occurred in Early Stages of Coronavirus Outbreak Human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus was occurring from mid-December 2019 in Wuhan, China, according to the largest study to-date analyzing patients infected with the deadly virus. A new paper, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 29, examined data from the first 425 confirmed cases in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and found that there is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. Chinese authorities did not confirm human-to-human transmission until Jan. 20, almost three weeks after the disease was first officially reported on Dec. 31, 2019. The first patient exhibited symptoms on Dec. 1. Official figures report thousands being infected in China and more than a hundred killedthough experts say the actual number infected is much higher. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Jan. 30 declared the virus a global health emergency after the disease spread to 18 countries outside of China with 98 confirmed cases. At least four cases of human-to-human transmissionthat is, cases of people who havent been to China but contracted the disease from someone who hadhave been reported overseas. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Jan. 30 confirmed that an Illinois man contracted the virus from his wife, who had recently returned from Wuhan. Other such cases have been identified in Japan, Taiwan, and Germany. The study was conducted by a team of researchers, including those affiliated with Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Beijing and the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Wuhan is the capital of Hubei Province. The researchers found that the outbreak doubled in size every 7.4 days during the initial stages. They also estimated that each patient then infected an average of 2.2 other people, a figure known as the basic reproductive number. This makes the coronavirus comparable to the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak of 2002 to 2003, which was estimated to have a reproductive number of 3. The number of officially reported coronavirus infections in Chinajust one month after the initial outbreakhas now surpassed the total number of SARS infections reported by authorities then. The study estimated that the viruss average incubation periodthat is, the period between exposure and the onset of symptomswas 5.2 days. However, they noted that the incubation period varied greatly among patients. The WHO said on Monday that the incubation period ranged between two to 10 days, before symptoms like fever, cough, shortness of breath, and acute respiratory distress appeared. The median age of the patients was 59, although they ranged from 15 to 89; 56 percent of the patients were men. The Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association has filed a police complaint against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Varma and Kapil Mishra, alleging that their actions and speeches led to the Jamia firing incident on Thursday. Tension spiralled in Jamia Nagar on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters, injuring a Jamia Millia Islamia student before walking away while waving the firearm above his head and shouting "Yeh lo aazadi" amid heavy police presence in the area. The association has also lodged a complaint against the man, its president Shifa Urrehman Khan said. "We have lodged a complaint against Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Varma and Kapil Mishra. Their instigation has led to this incident where our student got injured. We want a detailed investigation against them," he said. The complaint was filed at the New Friends Colony police station late on Thursday and a its copy was sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi Police Commissioner and DCP South Delhi, Khan said. Aamna Aasif, who was with the injured media student Shadab Farooq said, "We were near the University in the crowd and from near a pillar of a flyover, a man suddenly emerged brandishing his gun." "The students tried to grab him but he cleverly walked backwards closer to policemen and shot from there," she said. "Shadab was closest to the man.The police instead of helping us stood there. They even saw the gun in his hand as he had raised his hand quite visibly before shooting. We had no time to think. We started running towards him (Shadab) to take him the hospital. The police didn't even remove barricades to let us take himm" Aasif said. Another student Mohd Sharjeel said, "The police must do an inquiry on the policemen posted on duty at Jamia on January 30. They were first showed indifference and then no remorse". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island man was sentenced for international arms trafficking and money laundering, officials announced on Thursday. United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto sentenced Albert Veliu, 37, to nine years in prison after he purchased and sold an anti-tank rocket launcher and AK-47 rifles in Kosovo, according to the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of New York. The arrest, conviction and todays sentencing of Veliu mark an important victory for law enforcement in disrupting an international money laundering and arms trafficking network ready, willing and able to provide a pipeline of lethal weaponry to purported drug cartels in Mexico, said United States Attorney Richard P. Donoghue. In the early stages of the investigation in October 2017, Veliu agreed to help an undercover officer from the Drug Enforcement Administration in exchange for a commission, federal prosecutors say. The undercover DEA officer gave Veliu about $800,000 to launder, prosecutors say. The Staten Islander then coordinated a money laundering scheme in which he planned to use the cash received in exchange for clean checks, which were in fact fraudulent, made out to the Shell Corporation, according to prosecutors. As the investigation progressed, Veliu told another undercover DEA officer he had access to firearms in Kosovo in Eastern Europe and was willing to broker a sale, prosecutors say. The undercover officer made a deal with Veliu that involved having the Staten Island man travel to Kosovo to give the firearms to an individual he believed to be Kosovo-based associate of the undercover officer, according to officials. The informant had told Veliu the guns were bound for Mexican drug cartels engaged in a war along the border, according to a criminal complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court. After the first exchange, Veliu, with the help of other co-conspirators, sold 14 AK-47s and an M80 Zolja Anti-tank rocket launcher equipped with a 64mm rocket to multiple individuals, prosecutors say. The investigation spanned continents, involved rockets, high-powered firearms and a suspect who was prepared to provide deadly, dangerous weapons to criminals," said Keith M. Corlett, superintendent for New York State Police. "With this sentencing, law enforcement has once again put an end to a violent enterprise, and made our streets safer. Veliu was arrested in 2017 along with eight defendants, including two other Staten Islanders -- Alban Veliu, 32, and Agim Rugova, 45. He pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court in February of 2019 to conspiracy to transport a destructive device and machine guns and to money-laundering conspiracy to resolve criminal charges against him, online records show. The probe unfolded after a confidential informant advised officials that Christopher Curanovic, who was serving a federal prison sentence for racketeering conspiracy, tried to shake him down for the $40,000 he owed Curanovic. In 2007, the informant, who owned a repair garage in Brooklyn, began paying protection money to the Genovese organized crime family, said the complaint. Eventually, he couldnt make the payments, and Curanovic paid off the debt for him, according to the complaint. In 2016, Curanovic sent the man threatening text messages from prison regarding the repayment of the cash he had laid out, said the complaint. The man told Curanovic he couldnt repay him; however, as a means of payment, a second informant, along with Veliu and others, arranged to provide Curanovic with a percentage of the proceeds of a drug-trafficking operation that required laundering, according to the complaint. Velius illicit business spanned the globe, said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh. "By cleaning drug money and buying and selling high powered weapons, he was able to create a dangerous and lucrative criminal enterprise. Labour leader Brendan Howlin has launched a series of stinging attacks on the handling by Fine Gael of the Brexit negotiations, saying that a claim that it was the only party that could have guided Ireland through amounts to supreme arrogance. Mr Howlin earlier addressed the Institute of International and European Affairs in Dublin regarding Irelands place in the world post-Brexit. He said that the countrys twin goals must be close relationships with both Britain and the European Union, but that if both were not possible Labours preference will be for a close relationship with the EU. But he reserved the majority of his ire for Fine Gael, which has campaigned predominantly in this election on the partys handling of Brexit and the economy. This election marks the point where cross-party unity over Brexit policy has been contaminated by party political differences, Mr Howlin said. As a matter of fact, the threat of a hard Brexit shows the weakness of what Fine Gael ultimately achieved. Far from ensuring a bulletproof settlement for Irish Brexit concerns, we are now vulnerable to the capricious and mendacious politics of Boris Johnson he said. He said that any credit for how Ireland has negotiated Brexit to date should be attributed to our exemplary diplomatic corps rather than to the governing party, and added that a hard Brexit is still a very real possibility. The bottom line is that the only thing where you had complete consensus with everyone walking the same agenda was Brexit, he said, regarding Fine Gaels electoral claims, adding that that consensus is their only success. They havent solved the housing crisis, theyve made a disaster of health. Everything under their watch has worsened. Fine Gael doesnt have anything different to say about Brexit for me, other than they think their team is better than someone elses team. That doesnt wash, he said. The idea that theyre the only people capable of doing it I think is a supreme arrogance. Mr Howlin added that in terms of the biggest election issues the answer is simple: Its health, health, health. I think the public dont believe theres a solution and thats why theyre frustrated, and thats why all parties came together and thats why we have a strategy, he said. So the questions that should be asked are do you support the strategy, and if you do are you providing the money for it. And the answer to that is the only people who are are the Labour Party. With witches, curses, pagan ritual and paranoia, this is an Agatha Christie like youve never seen before: more of a wooo-dunit than a whodunnit. The Pale Horse is the authors scariest book, her great-grandson James Prichard said yesterday, as a gripping TV adaptation of the tale heads to our screens. One of Christies later and least known works, the book is set in 1961, the year it was written. Despite the eeriness of the story, joy arrived to the village of Bisley in Gloucestershire, where a scene was filmed featuring a spooky Lammas harvest parade with masked marchers The two-part TV series, directed by Leonora Lonsdale, features a seedy London and a spooky village, breaking with the charm of Christies golden era novels in the Thirties such as Murder on the Orient Express. Unease underscores the plot there is no Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple to reassure us that the murders will actually be solved. Mr Prichard, 49, the shows executive producer, said: Its a different kind of book, its absolutely not a classic whodunnit. There are witches and magic but are they frauds and is it delusion? That gives it an undertone of eeriness. But at its heart is what my great-grandmother felt that none of us are that far away from being capable of murder. Viewers will find that The Pale Horses main character, Mark Easterbrook, a widowed antique dealer played by Rufus Sewell, above, is no longer the hero of the tale. Hes now a liar and a womaniser who has an affair with a showgirl The script of the BBC1 show, which begins on February 9, is by Sarah Phelps the screenwriter whose changes to other Christie novels have horrified some purist fans. Viewers will find that The Pale Horses main character, Mark Easterbrook, a widowed antique dealer played by Rufus Sewell, is no longer the hero of the tale. Hes now a liar and a womaniser who has an affair with a showgirl. Easterbrook turns detective as he tries to uncover the mystery behind a list of names including his own found in the shoe of a dead woman Easterbrook turns detective as he tries to uncover the mystery behind a list of names including his own found in the shoe of a dead woman. His investigations lead him to the fictional village of Much Deeping, where he encounters three witches. In a scene that cuts to the heart of the tale, a witch named Bella, played by Rita Tushingham, challenges him over his claim to be rational, saying: Were all rational when the suns shining ... different when it goes dark. Despite the eeriness of the story, joy arrived to the village of Bisley in Gloucestershire, where a scene was filmed featuring a spooky Lammas harvest parade with masked marchers. Among those who came out to watch was author Jilly Cooper, who said: It was extraordinary and so exciting. The crew were so nice to us all we dont have any witches round here. JoAnn Jaacks / Contributed photo LITCHFIELD - Two Friendly Hands Food Bank members, still mourning the recent death of longtime executive director Maureen Hubert, were happy to attend a Burns Night event when invited by Richard McDonnell P.D.D., the Junior Warden of St. Pauls Lodge #11 in Litchfield. The event, held in the Litchfield fire house featuring kilts, bagpipes and haggis homemade by Jeannette McDonnell, is a traditional Scottish celebration of the life and poetry of the poet Robert Burns, the author of many poems and the tune Auld Lang Syne. He was also a member of the Freemasons of his era. Russia joined the list of countries introducing strict measures to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus from China, in what has emerged as an early test of new Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin's government. On Thursday, Mishustin -- in his second week on the job after being plucked from obscurity by President Vladimir Putin in a surprise government reshuffle -- unveiled a range of actions to prevent spread of the disease. Mishustin announced he had ordered Russia's Far Eastern border with China sealed. "We have to do everything to protect our people," he said in remarks carried on state television. According to Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova, auto and foot traffic between the countries would soon stop completely in targeted border zones. For now, Russia plans to close 16 of its 25 border points effective at midnight Thursday. Russia's Foreign Ministry also suspended issuance of electronic visas to Chinese nationals -- Russia's largest source of tourists in recent years -- and discouraged Russian citizens from traveling to China for the time being. Train service, however, will still be available, at least on direct nonstop rides on the famed Trans-Siberian rail journey between Moscow to Beijing until March 1. Russia's national air carrier Aeroflot said it was continuing service for now, but offered passengers extended windows to refund tickets. By limiting travel corridors, officials appeared to be betting that passengers could still return to their respective homes while providing health officials a way to effectively monitor the disease. Emotional scenes at Patiala House after order. New Delhi: Exactly 15 hours before they were due to be hanged, the four Nirbhaya gangrape-murder case convicts on Friday got yet another last-minute reprieve as a Delhi court deferred their execution indefinitely. Convicts Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) who were due to be executed at 6 am on Saturday will not be hanged until further court orders. Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana passed the order on the plea by the convicts seeking adjournment of the executions sine die (with no appointed date for resumption). This is the second time that the execution of the death warrants has been deferred. The first order for execution of death sentence, issued on January 7 for January 22, was stayed on January 17. The second order, issued on January 17, for February 1 was stayed on Friday. In deeply distressing and emotional scenes outside the Patiala House court complex here, Nirbhayas mother Asha Devi broke down and cried after the execution of the four men convicted in the 2012 gangrape, torture and murder of her 23-year-old daughter was postponed for a second time. Asha Devi told reporters that the convicts lawyer, A.P. Singh, had bragged to her in open court that the hanging will never happen. Drawing on seemingly endless reserves of courage and patience, she hit back saying that she would continue to fight for justice and would not stop till the convicts, whom she said have no right to live, were hanged. I want everyone to hear... I want the Delhi government to listen... I want the Central government to listen... the courts and the government are bowing their heads before these criminals, the distraught mother cried out, adding: We keep getting disappointed by the system. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said it was sad that the convicts were escaping the death sentence by using legal loopholes, stressing that there was an urgent need to amend the laws to ensure hanging in cases of rape within six months. He tweeted: It saddens me that convicts in the Nirbhaya case are escaping the death sentence by using legal loopholes. They should be immediately hanged. We are in dire need to amend our law so that in cases of rape, hanging takes place within six months. In the crowded courtroom, A.P. Singh, counsel for three convicts Pawan, Vinay and Akshay, urged the judge to adjourn the matter sine die saying that their legal remedies were yet to be exhausted. The Tihar jail authorities had challenged their application saying it was not maintainable and death row convicts can be hanged separately. The Tihar authorities argument, however, was not accepted by the court. The convicts lawyer argued that the rules dictate that when one convicts plea is pending, the others cannot be hanged. In the order, the judge noted if an appeal or an application is made by only one convict, the execution of sentence shall be postponed in the case of co-convicts as well. The judge said: Without commenting upon the dilatory tactics adopted by the convicts, it would suffice to state that seeking redressal of ones grievances through the procedure established by law is the hallmark of any civilised society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate against any convict, including death row convicts, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelsons eye towards him. The judge said: As a cumulative effect of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the considered opinion that the execution of warrants issued by this court vide order dates January 17, 2020 deserves to be postponed till further orders. The court said a copy of this order should be given to the counsel for the convicts and the jail officials present in the court. It also directed the jail superintendent to file the compliance report by Saturday. Earlier, the Supreme Court had dismissed Pawans plea seeking a review of the decision by which his application claiming to be a juvenile at the time of the commission of the offence was rejected. Pawans claim of being a minor at the time of the 2012 gangrape-murder has been dismissed by the Supreme Court for the second time in two weeks. He had asked the court to review its decision last week, even though he was told that once rejected, an age claim cannot be contested repeatedly. However, it is the mercy petition filed by convict Vinay Sharma that secured Fridays reprieve. Under the rules, if the convicts mercy plea is rejected, he or she has to be given 14 days till execution. Arguing for the convicts, lawyer A.P. Singh said: They are not terrorists. He cited Rule 836 of the jail manual which says in a case where more than one person has been handed the death penalty, the execution cannot take place unless all convicts exhaust their legal options. Lawyer Vrinda Grover, who is representing Mukesh, also joined Mr Singh, saying there is a common sentence in which the accused have been convicted. The execution order is a common order. My client cannot be hanged and the execution of one cannot be separated from the others. Hence, the execution should be stayed, she said. Mukesh is out of legal options after his plea against the presidential order was rejected by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad had earlier argued: The execution date of February 1 still holds good for all convicts barring Vinay Sharma, since his mercy petition is pending before the President. So all the other convicts except Vinay can be hanged and no law prevents their hanging. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Proposition C would extend retiree health benefits to 25 city employees added to the payroll after the collapse of the autonomous San Francisco Housing Authority. The city government absorbed the remaining functions of the federally funded, locally run agency last year after mismanagement had stripped it of its facilities and ultimately the support of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Banking services were hit in Rajasthan as employee unions went on a two-day nationwide strike from Friday to press for wage revision and other demands. Leaders of bank unions claimed that around 30,000 employees and officials in the state remained on strike. In support of the nationwide bank strike, hundreds of bank personnel in the state capital gathered in front of Allahabad Bank near Ambedkar Circle to lodge a protest. The key demands of banking employees include early settlement of salaries, five-day week working in banks, special allowances to be added to basic salary, pension reforms, hike in family pension, income tax on all the benefits of retirement besides others. State Convener of United Forum of Bank Unions and leader of All India Bank Employees Association claimed in a statement that the strike affected the turnover of Rs 10,000 crore in the state and around 30,000 employees and officials protested to press for their demands. He said that a memorandum was submitted to the Secretary to the Governor regarding various demands of the employees. Mishra said that the striking workers will gather in front of Allahabad Bank at 1030 hrs on Saturday where demonstrations and meetings will be held. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Minister of Justice of Armenia Rustam Badasyan says he welcomes the response of the co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the monitoring of Armenia and assures that the Armenia will continue to not give in to provocations and solve the crisis in the Constitutional Court by ensuring the principle of rule of law. This is what Badasyan wrote on his Facebook page. So far, the Government and the Parliament have respected legal procedures to resolve the situation. Moreover, the authorities have requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the mechanism for early retirement of judges of the Constitutional Court. According to European standards, the Venice Commission underlined that early retirements should be strictly voluntarily and that this principle needs to be observed. As co-rapporteurs, we will closely monitor that the Armenian authorities continue to act in this way, even if the objective of this mechanism, to uphold the spirit of the constitutional amendments of 2015, seems valid, the co-rapporteurs said. Pope Francis meets with the new President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez. Topics discussed include the financial crisis, the fight against poverty, corruption and drug trafficking, as well as the protection of life. By Vatican News Pope Francis received the new President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, in the Vatican on Friday morning. The President then met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, accompanied by Msgr Mirosaw Wachowski, Undersecretary for Relations with States. According to the Holy See Press Office, both parties expressed satisfaction for the good relations that exist between the Holy See and the Argentine Republic. Discussions focused on the overall situation of the country, with particular reference to the economic-financial crisis, the fight against poverty, corruption and drug trafficking, social promotion and the protection of life from the moment of conception. The significant contribution of the Catholic Church in favour of the whole of Argentinean society was recognized, especially its work with the most vulnerable sections of the population. According to the Press Office statement, the exchange between the Pope and the President also included topics of common interest in the region. Clarification Later, after the publication of the statement on the audience, the Director of the Vatican Press Office, Matteo Bruni, answering questions from some journalists, specified that "not all the issues mentioned in the press statement on the audience to the President of the Republic of Argentina were addressed in all the talks: some were examined in the course of the audience with the Secretariat of State, others with the Holy Father". On his part, in a press conference with journalists, President Fernandez said that some issues, such as that of the defence of life, had not been dealt with in the conversation with the Pope but in the subsequent one with the superiors of the Secretariat of State. It might seem illogical, but some Wuhan residents are desperate to get home to be with their families and friends. China has chartered two planes to bring 117 nationals from Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak is centred, staying in Bangkok, Thailand, and a further 100 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, back to the virus-stricken city. The citizens are 'willing to take the chartered flights back to Wuhan as soon as possible', the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said. Most have been desperate to get out of the city, with nations including the US, France, South Korea and the UK all organising flights to bring their citizens home. People wearing protective facemasks in Bangkok, Thailand (pictured). There are 117 Wuhan residents in the city who are understood to be desperate to return home Most are desperate to get out of Wuhan. Pictured above are buses carrying South Korean evacuees this morning following their repatriation from the virus-stricken city The city of 11 million has since experienced an unprecedented lockdown, preventing residents from leaving in a bid to stop the deadly virus from spreading further. The charter flights are expected to arrive in Wuhan at 1200 and 1300 GMT on the same day. 'The charter flights adopt the principle of voluntary ticket purchase,' the CAAC added. China's foreign affairs ministry said earlier on Friday that the country would bring Wuhan residents back from overseas 'as soon as possible' due to the 'the practical difficulties that Chinese citizens from Hubei, especially Wuhan, have faced overseas'. This comes after a number of airlines announced they were halting or reducing flights to China as the country struggles to contain the spread of a deadly new virus. Chinese citizens from Hubei province, Wuhan are being flown back from Bangkok, Thailand, and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (pictured) China is chartering two flights to bring nationals in Thailand and Malaysia back to their loved ones in the Virus-stricken city. (File photo) On Monday, Malaysia banned visitors from Wuhan and its surrounding Hubei province as well. The topic was trending online on Friday, with over 67 million views and 21,000 discussion posts on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo. 'These people probably don't want to go back (to Wuhan),' said one. Another questioned if residents should be brought back if they were not infected. When asked about the suspension of international flights at a press conference on Thursday, Zhu Tao of the CAAC said authorities were coordinating arrangements to bring travellers home. More than 8,200 cases have been confirmed in 24 countries and territories around the world While most people are rushing to get out of Wuhan, a few are desperate to return to their families. Pictured above is a South Korean plane landing in Seoul, the capital, carrying citizens that were stuck in the locked down city Hospitals have been overwhelmed in Wuhan. AFP reporters saw long queues, with some patients saying they lined up for two days to see a doctor. As fears of the outbreak have spread overseas, prominent figures in Chinese communities in Italy have warned of episodes of 'latent racism' against their compatriots by Italians fearful of catching the virus. China has advised its citizens to postpone trips abroad and cancelled overseas group tours, while several countries including the United States, Germany, Britain and Japan have urged their citizens to avoid travel to China. JACKSON, MI On Tuesday, Jan. 28, the Jackson City Council put the brakes on a water rate agreement with Consumers Energy that would save the company $65 million over 20 years. The next day, Consumers filed a lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court against Jackson the city where its headquarters are located. The issue surrounds Consumers' gas-fired electric generating plant, 2219 Chapin St. The plant was built by Kinder Morgan at the old Goodyear site and sold to Consumers Energy in late 2013, per court documents. In a development agreement from 2000, the city agreed to special water rates for the plant among other incentives in exchange for Kinder Morgans investment. That agreement was transferred to Consumers in 2013. The plant is the largest water user in the city, using about 6.5 million cubic feet per month, per Consumers. Consumers officials argue the agreement is still in effect, while city officials say its not. A copy of the agreement included in the lawsuit includes no ending date. The city has breached that agreement four times, Consumers argues twice in 2010, once in 2017 and once in 2019, by changing or eliminating water rate tiers agreed upon for the plant. The city eliminated all water rate tiers in September, which had been giving discounts to the highest water users for years and forced regular customers to pay more. Since the change went into effect in December, the combined breaches have cost Consumers $110,000 per month, per the lawsuit. It will "detrimentally affect" Consumers and cost the company millions, it said in the lawsuit. If Consumers is charged the same rates as all other customers including large potential rate hikes which are forecasted it would spend an estimated $135 million over 20 years for water at the plant. The company negotiated a potential deal with City Manager Patrick Burtch that would bring the cost down to $70 million over 20 years instead but council declined to vote on it Tuesday, because of its last-minute nature. The September water rate change was added to the agenda during a council meeting. Consumers argues in the lawsuit that passing that change without prior notice could be a violation of state law. While council planned to review the deal at its Feb. 11 meeting, city spokesman Aaron Dimick said no other negotiations with Consumers are anticipated at this time. This is the only property the city has had a water deal with, he said. "In absolutely no way can I see any world where it's OK to give one person a 48 percent discount," Councilman Jeromy Alexander said of the proposed deal. "It's ridiculous." Consumers is asking the court to make the city restore the water rates the city agreed to in 2000, and make the city pay damages for legal fees and all amounts collected above the limits from the agreement. Consumers spokesman Brian Wheeler declined to comment on how much that would cost. We remain committed to working with the city and are hopeful the City Council approves this new agreement, Wheeler said in an email. The City Councils approval of the new agreement would resolve the lawsuit, ensure that the Jackson power plant remains a water customer of the city for years to come and benefit all customers. The standard water rate in Jackson is $3.14 per 100 cubic feet. The 2000 agreement allowed Consumers to pay $0.42 per 100 cubic feet for everything above 3 million cubic feet per month, with slightly higher rates for the first 3 million units. The deal on the table on Tuesday would have Consumers pay about $1.63 per unit for all water. It also included a stipulation limiting how much the rate could be raised. City officials said water rates could double for customers, as it tries to raise more than $200 million to replace all lead service lines in the city, per state mandate. by Vladimir Rozanskij Putin's proposals to the Constitution approved. Proposed establishment of a new role, the "Supreme Guide", above or in place of the Federal President. Today's Russia is nostalgic for the Tsarist period. All Orthodox bishops are prohibited from attending Chaplin's funeral. Moscow (AsiaNews) - Discussion on the changes to the Russian Constitution, proposed by President Vladimir Putin in a speech to the parliamentarians and ruling classes of the country, is coming to fruition. The appropriate committees met and immediately approved all the Putinian proposals, which aim to rebalance the functions between government and parliament, but also highlight the "superior role" of a new body, the "Council of State", which could be in the future chaired by Putin himself. As if to reinforce and make explicit the meaning of these changes, there is also the proposal to establish, in place or above the position of federal president, the new role of "Supreme Guide" of the country (the Verkhovny Pravitel) . The author of this proposal is unknown. It was announced on 25 January by the head of the parliamentary committee for "state institution and legislation", Pavel Krasheninnikov, in an interview with Rossijskaja Gazeta. The proposal was supported by Vladimir Zhirinovskij, leader of the liberal-nationalists. The term "Supreme Guide" refers to the times of the first revolution of February 1917, when a provisional government formed immediately after the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, and in the phase following the Bolsheviks' takeover, Russia plunged into civil war. In an attempt to seize power from the Tsarist-oriented White Armies, Admiral Aleksandr Kolchak was appointed Verkhovnyj Pravitel, a "supreme" title to replace the Tsar assassinated by the Bolsheviks. The fact is has been proposed again today points to a desire in some way a return to the tsarist symbolism of the past; Putin's press office made it known that "the president has no position on it." Tsarist and Soviet glories Moreover, the end of the decade 2010-2019 offers in all respects a nostalgic vision of today's Russia, which dreams of recreating the glories of tsarism and those of the Soviet regime, and the constitutional changes seem to correspond to both of these inspirations. Today the country is increasingly dominated by the flourishing of traditionalist groups and movements, even aggressive ones, which bring together national glory with the radical profession of the Orthodox faith, the opposition to "western" human rights (LGBTIQ +, internet information, international adoption of children, interference from foreign governments and much more) and demonstrative events in the life of Russian society. On 21 December the movement called "Stolypin's Legacy" - the prime minister assassinated in 1911, who was imitated by Mussolini - led by leader Pavel Pozhigajlo, organized a "Vigil of prayer for the Family , to protest the proposed law on domestic violence. As stated also by Patriarch Kirill (Gundjaev), there is an attempt to classify all family problems under the title of "domestic violence", allowing the state and social organizations to enter the "sacred space" of the family. The leaders of Putin's "United Russia" party supported the protests. Next to the Pozhigajlo group, the red and white flags of the movement of the "Forty forties" (the ancient bells of Moscow) and the yellow ones with imperial symbols of the "Two-headed eagle" society, which wanted to bring the culture of Tsarism to today's Russia, were paraded. The late protoierej Vsevolod Chaplin also attended the Vigil. In this regard, the patriarch prohibited all Orthodox bishops from attending Chaplin's funeral, to avoid giving funeral honors to the extremism of his former collaborator. Representatives of the "pan-Russian parental resistance" and over 80 regional organizations of the same orientation also participated in the demonstrations in defense of the family. These actions are transmitted and amplified by media such as the TV channel "Tsargrad" ("The Imperial City") of the orthodox oligarch Konstantin Malofeev, who is very active also in the foreign propaganda the neo-tsarist ideology, but also other patriotic-orthodox channels like "The Savior", "Soyuz" and even "Stalingrad", and many others. The era of the tsar is returning to Russia. Fraser and Neave, Limited (SGX:F99) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 4 days. You will need to purchase shares before the 4th of February to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of February. Fraser and Neave's next dividend payment will be S$0.04 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of S$0.055 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Fraser and Neave has a trailing yield of approximately 3.2% on its current stock price of SGD1.71. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing. See our latest analysis for Fraser and Neave Dividends are usually paid out of company profits, so if a company pays out more than it earned then its dividend is usually at greater risk of being cut. Fraser and Neave paid out more than half (52%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies. That said, even highly profitable companies sometimes might not generate enough cash to pay the dividend, which is why we should always check if the dividend is covered by cash flow. Fraser and Neave paid out more free cash flow than it generated - 189%, to be precise - last year, which we think is concerningly high. We're curious about why the company paid out more cash than it generated last year, since this can be one of the early signs that a dividend may be unsustainable. While Fraser and Neave's dividends were covered by the company's reported profits, cash is somewhat more important, so it's not great to see that the company didn't generate enough cash to pay its dividend. Cash is king, as they say, and were Fraser and Neave to repeatedly pay dividends that aren't well covered by cashflow, we would consider this a warning sign. Click here to see how much of its profit Fraser and Neave paid out over the last 12 months. Story continues SGX:F99 Historical Dividend Yield, January 30th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's comforting to see Fraser and Neave's earnings have been skyrocketing, up 31% per annum for the past five years. Earnings have been growing quickly, but we're concerned dividend payments consumed most of the company's cash flow over the past year. The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. Fraser and Neave has seen its dividend decline 8.6% per annum on average over the past ten years, which is not great to see. Fraser and Neave is a rare case where dividends have been decreasing at the same time as earnings per share have been improving. It's unusual to see, and could point to unstable conditions in the core business, or more rarely an intensified focus on reinvesting profits. To Sum It Up Is Fraser and Neave worth buying for its dividend? It's good to see that earnings per share are growing and that the company's payout ratio is within a normal range for most businesses. However we're somewhat concerned that it paid out 189% of its cashflow, which is uncomfortably high. Overall, it's not a bad combination, but we feel that there are likely more attractive dividend prospects out there. Want to learn more about Fraser and Neave's dividend performance? Check out this visualisation of its historical revenue and earnings growth. A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. India is among the countries on the UK governments target list for a new post-Brexit trade campaign from Saturday, a day after the country formally leaves the European Union, as it seeks to strike new ties with partners around the globe at the end of 47 years of EU membership. Mumbai is among 18 cities across 13 countries to be part of the drive, designed to push the message that Britain is now free to do its own new trade deals with countries around the world as a non-member of the soon-to-be 27-member economic bloc, after 47 years of UK membership ends on Friday. On 1 February, the new GREAT Ready to Trade campaign will launch in 18 cities across 13 countries outside the EU, as the UK seeks to deepen our relationships with future global partners, Downing Street said in a statement on the eve of Brexit. The campaign will initially feature digital outdoor advertising in signature locations across the chosen cities and later expand to other activities. Besides India, the others on the list include Australia (Perth, Melbourne, Sydney), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Canada (Toronto), China (Shanghai, Hong Kong), Japan (Tokyo), Mexico (Mexico City), Singapore (Singapore), South Africa (Johannesburg), South Korea (Seoul), Turkey (Istanbul), UAE (Dubai) and USA (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago). The UKs Department for International Trade, leading the new drive, says its GREAT brand has already proved successful around the world, with surveys indicating those who recognise it are almost twice as likely to say they would trade with the UK in the next three years than those who dont. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged a new and improved trading relationship as part of a truly special UK-India relationship on the election campaign trail last year. But as a member of the EU, the UK was not permitted to open up any separate negotiations with other countries. With the EU Withdrawal Agreement, the so-called divorce bill costing the UK around GBP 30 billion, now having been formally passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday evening 621 votes to 49, the UKs exit on Friday at 2300 GMT (04:30 IST on Saturday) remains a mere formality. It would then set off a transition period until the end of December this year, during which time the UK is free to conduct trade negotiations not only for a new agreement with the EU but also around the world. It therefore marks a key milestone in the process set off by the Brexit vote in the June 2016 referendum. Friday marks an important moment in the history of our United Kingdom, said Johnson, in his Brexit message. No matter how you voted in 2016, it is the time to look ahead with confidence to the global, trail-blazing country we will become over the next decade and heal past divisions. That is what I will be doing on 31 January and I urge everyone across the UK to do the same, he said. Brexiteer demands for the under-refurbishment Big Ben to be briefly revived to chime in the final hours of the UKs EU membership on Friday night were not approved due to cost considerations. However, Downing Street has set out a series of activities to mark the historic moment of the UK leaving the bloc after 47 years. A commemorative 50-pence coin will come into circulation, with Johnson being presented the very first Brexit coin which reads Peace prosperity and friendship with all nations. The coin has come under some criticism for a missing comma after peace, but around 13,000 people have already registered their interest in the coin with the UKs Royal Mint. Other activities to mark Brexit Day will include a Special Cabinet on tour with the meeting of Johnson and his top team set for an undisclosed location in the north of England as a message of unity. The UK prime minister will later address the nation just before the final Brexit hour, marked by a commemorative light display in Downing Street. The UKs Union Jack flags will line Parliament Square and the Mall in London on Friday, with government buildings in Whitehall lit up in its red, white and blue colours throughout the evening. Groups of Palestinians gathered on Friday in the West Bank village of Bilin to protest US President Donald Trump's plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They burned tyres by the separation barrier and one protester climbed a ladder to place a Palestinian flag atop the barrier. Both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have rejected Trump's plan, which would allow Israel to annex all of its Jewish settlements, along with the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians were offered limited self-rule in Gaza, parts of the West Bank and some sparsely populated areas of Israel in return for meeting a long list of conditions. Hamas has vowed that "all options are open" in responding to the proposal, but is not believed to be seeking war with Israel. Lunar New Year celebrations have been postponed and businesses are temporarily shutting their doors as unfounded fears about coronavirus in Eastwood have resulted in people staying away from the north-western Sydney suburb. Eastwood, where almost 40 per cent of residents identify as having Chinese ancestry, has been one of the suburbs targeted in social media posts falsely warning people they should avoid because of coronavirus. NSW Health has rejected these posts as fake. A misinformation campaign about coronavirus has led to drops in shopper numbers in Eastwood. Credit:Nick Moir There have been no new confirmed NSW infections since Tuesday, although 16 people - including a three-year-old - have been isolated while waiting for test results. "Since testing began 67 patients have tested negative and have been ruled out," chief health officer Kerry Chant said on Friday. PM Honcharuk: Mining licenses in Ukraine to be sold via ProZorro 14:56, 31.01.20 760 The Subsoil User's Investment Atlas will be posted on the regional state administrations' official websites. The pursuit ended up on the road leading up to Mar-a-Lago, where the woman drove through two checkpoints on the way to the main entrance of the resort, authorities said. After she passed the second checkpoint, Bradshaw said, personnel with the Secret Service and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office opened fire though no one was struck. The woman, he said, drove off, and police eventually lost sight of her vehicle after it crossed a bridge. BRUSSELS The heart of the EU is waving goodbye to one of its most influential members, an unprecedented moment that many European lawmakers thought would never happen. The U.K. voted in June 2016 to leave the EU. After more than three years of tough negotiations between British and European officials, its departure from the EU is finally taking place Friday at 11 p.m. London time. The overall feeling at the European Parliament, the EU's only directly-elected institution, is sadness. Seventy-three of its 751 members end their political careers in Brussels on Friday. "Very emotional moment, sad moment, I would say in the history of Europe," Pedro Silva Pereira, a Portuguese lawmaker at the European Parliament, told CNBC Thursday. The U.K. has been a member of the EU for 47 years. "For the Parliament, it is a big change," Danuta Maria Hubner, a Polish lawmaker, said given the departure of the 73 lawmakers. She told CNBC she hopes their ultimate legacy will be their "global mindset." In stark contrast to the U.K. government, the EU has not prepared any events to celebrate Brexit on Friday. The soon-to-be 27 member union is already focused on the next chapter: putting together a trade deal with the U.K. by the end of the year. The U.K. and the EU agreed to implement a transition period after Brexit day, which is currently set to last until December. The idea is to define their future relationship during this period. This means finding new arrangements to trade goods and to share security intelligence, among many other negotiating areas. Emergency services at the scene on Friday. McAuley Multimedia A man is receiving treatment in hospital after falling close to a cliff in Co Antrim on Friday. The incident happened in the Shore Road area of Cushendall area at around 12pm. Images from the scene showed emergency service personnel being lowered on a wire to help the man. Flares were also used at the scene and the man was eventually airlifted to safety after treatment. A spokesman confirmed the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) responded to a 999 call, dispatching one emergency crew, one hazard area response team and one rapid response paramedic to the scene. The Charity Air Ambulance with a HEMS crew on board were also tasked of the incident. Coastguard teams from Ballycastle, Larne and Portmuck were also in attendance. "Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, one patient was taken to Belfast by the Coastguard accompanied by the HEMS crew," the spokesman said. It is understood the man was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Russia's hybrid military forces mounted six attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action, the press service of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) has reported. "The armed forces of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire six times on January 30. The enemy opened fire from proscribed 122mm artillery systems, 120mm and 82mm mortars, and grenade launchers of various types As a result of the enemy shelling attacks, one member of the JFO was injured," the JFO staff said in its update on Facebook on Friday morning. Ukrainian positions near the villages of Berezove, Talakivka, Orikhove, Novotoshkivske, and Khutir Vilny came under attack. Las Vegas, NV -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2020 -- Medical students in the United States are familiar with the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) a3-step examinationthat must be passed in order for one to get medical license in the US, even if they consider the task a daunting one. However, most international/foreign medical graduates aspiring to practice medicine in the United States dread facing this exam. To help students from US medical schools and their offshore counterparts and foreign physicianspass this exam, USMLE Insider Prep Course offers the best USMLE Prep course in Las Vegas. 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For more information, please visit https://usmleinsider.com/ Media Contact: USMLEINSIDER Prep Course Phone Number: 1-866-979-1954 / (725) 222-5573 E-mail: contact@usmleinsider.com Address: 4850 W. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas NV 89103,USA INTRODUCTION The Southern Bluefin Tuna Arbitral Award is twenty years old; in the year 2000, there was the birth of the first arbitral tribunal constituted in accordance with Annex VII which was set up in line with Article 287 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea for the determination of a dispute regarding the oceans. Well, by oceans, it was an international arbitration over matters of protection and preservation of a migratory fish and its marine environment. It had as applicants, New Zealand and Australia, on the one hand, and Japan on the other hand serving as defendants. International Arbitration enthusiasts, professors and attorneys in this regard are most definitely familiar with the legal issues raised in this arbitral award. One reality is that some controversies surrounding the decision of the arbitral tribunal survived the 4-1 Award in favour of Japan on matters of jurisdiction. The events will be relived in this paper and the legal issues, buttering the old gist. A principal thing is that the writer absorbed and agrees with the ratiocination of the tribunal on every issue issues will be reproduced and this paper will attempt a legal appreciation. This paper will offer analyses of two principal Conventions the 1993 Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (hereafter the 1993 Convention or CCSBT) and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (hereafter designated as UNCLOS) to reach a finding almost identical with that of the arbitral tribunal. AREAS SHROUDED IN CONTROVERSY Just as mentioned above, the Southern Bluefin Tuna Arbitral Award did not get a universal cheer. The controversies in the Award flowed from the following issues: 1. Whether the Arbitral Tribunal erred in law when it declined jurisdiction to hear the dispute on its merit? 2. Whether the Arbitral Tribunal erred in law when it set aside the Provisional Measures granted by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in favour of the claimants? The two legal issues form the focal point of the Award. We will get to appreciate the substrata of both issues in the later paragraphs. In the meantime, let us absorb a succinct expository of the Southern Bluefin Tuna (hereafter, sometimes designated as SBT) dispute. BACKGROUND TO THE SBT PROCEEDINGS Southern Bluefin Tuna is a migratory species of pelagic fish that is included in the list of highly migratory species set out in Annex 1 of UNCLOS. Southern Bluefin Tuna range widely through the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, principally the high seas, but they also traverse the exclusive economic zones and territorial waters of states, notably Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. They spawn in the waters south of Indonesia. The main market for the sale of Southern Bluefin Tuna is in Japan, where the fish is prized as a delicacy for sashimi. The parties agreed that commercial harvest of Southern Bluefin Tuna began in the early 1950s and that, in 1961, the global catch peaked at 81,000 metric tons. In the early 1980s, the SBT stock had been greatly overfished and this birthed the agreement among New Zealand, Australia and Japan to manage the catching. This was in 1982 and the urgency was due to an estimated decline in parental stock to 23-30% of its 1960 level. The Total Allowable Catch (hereafter, sometimes designated as TAC) for SBT was introduced in 1985 initially set at 38,000 metric tons. It took four more years for the trio state parties to agree on a TAC of 11, 750 tons with national allocations of 6, 065 tons to Japan, 5, 265 tons to Australia and 420 tons to New Zealand. The sharing formula was in tandem with their respective needs and Japan had the greatest cut because it was unarguably the largest harvester of the Southern Bluefin Tuna. In 1993, the Parties to the dispute concluded the Convention for the Conservation of the Southern Bluefin Tuna. This was aggravated by the further decrease in the parental stock of the pelagic fish in the order of 7-15% of its 1960 level. It remained fishy that the fishes in the ocean remained unmaintained that at 1998, there was still the crisis on how best to fulfil Article 3 of the 1993 Convention which bordered on the obligation of the Parties to conserve and optimally utilize the Southern Bluefin Tuna. The shift in perspectives saw New Zealand and Australia blaming Japan for unilaterally running an Experimental Fishing Program (hereafter, EFP) which breached Article 4 of the 1993 Convention on Non-prejudicial circumstances as well as Articles 5 & 7 on Parties obligation to take necessary steps to ensure enforcement of CCSBT and Parties entitlement to a single vote respectively. Japan on the other hand felt the EFP was the narrow road trusted by scientific research to conserve the marine environment and save the pelagic fish from migrating to some other exclusive economic zones. The other disagreement was with respect to Japans cravings for an increase in the Total Allowable Catch with a consequential increase in its national allocation Australia and New Zealand cried foul especially as the Commission set up for the conservation of the Southern Bluefin Tuna had not, since the last time of allocating catch, survived the impasse. The applicants cried out for the maintenance of status quo and the dire need to conserve the fish which was now seriously under threat. Negotiations were arranged by Australia and New Zealand but Japan refused to give up on its Experimental Fishing Program even though it dropped its clamour for a 6000 increment in the TAC but not the quest for extra 3000 metric tons to its national allocation. Japan came through the back door of mediation but the condition precedent set by Australia and New Zealand that Japan suspends the EFP before further talks could be entertained, ensured that the dispute stayed afloat till 1999. It was at that point that New Zealand and Australia felt the need to evoke relevant provisions of UNCLOS particularly section 2 which dwelt on the compulsory procedures. In a bid to evoke, as choice of procedure, arbitral tribunal under Annex VII, New Zealand and Australia, the applicants, tabled the matter before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for a grant of provisional measures before the constitution of an arbitral tribunal under Annex VII. The provisional measures, in line with Article 290 (5) UNCLOS, was the applicants way of temporarily forestalling Japans pursuance of the EFP. Fortunately for the applicants, they secured the interdiction. ITLOS reasoned that the applicants claims were based on law than scientific appreciation; it was reasoned that Article 64 UNCLOS was violated by Japan at the point where it went about the EFP without the cooperation of the applicants. ITLOS, in its considerada, maintained that the national allocations remained as was granted by the Commission. ITLOS was persuaded by the applicants submissions particularly the provisions of UNCLOS relied on vide Articles 64, 116, 117, 118, 119, 290 (5) all tending to establish the failure of Japan to cooperate with the applicants to conserve living resources of the high sea. ARGUMENTS OF AGENTS AT THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL It should be understood that the effect of the provisional measures vide Article 290 (5) UNCLOS was to merely protect the marine environment, the migratory species and the TAC as agreed by the parties before the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. It was a temporal measure until the formal set-up of an arbitral tribunal under Annex VII to determine the case of the parties. It was granted by ITLOS under the impression that the arbitral tribunal to be set up had jurisdiction to hear the case on its merits. Upon the establishment of the arbitral tribunal, the main positions of Japan were thus: 1. The Provisional Measures granted by ITLOS should not have been because ITLOS did not have jurisdiction to interdict in the first place. 2. The arbitral tribunal lacked jurisdiction to determine the dispute as it was a matter under the 1993 Convention and not a breach of UNCLOS. 3. UNCLOS cannot be evoked notwithstanding the preamble of the 1993 Convention which upholds or live by the words of UNCLOS. This is especially on the premise that while UNCLOS was concluded in 1982 and the CCSBT in 1993, UNCLOS did not come into force until 1994 and was not ratified by all three of the Parties to these proceedings until 1996. Thusly, only CCSBT was the applicable law as it alone regulated relations among the three states for some 26 months. 4. The 1993 Convention introduced optional measures in the settlement of disputes. It will amount to a lack of understanding of practice and procedure to evoke UNCLOS, a framework convention, over the 1993 Convention, an implementing convention. 5. The arguments canvassed by the applicants were already moot since the applicants had once agreed to consider the EFP at a certain time before choosing compulsory procedures. 6. In the alternative, assuming but not conceding that the arbitral tribunal had jurisdiction to entertain the matter, the claims of Australia and New Zealand were unfounded as they were more of scientific appreciation than law. In fact, the consideration of Article 283 UNCLOS evinces that parties to a dispute shall proceed expeditiously to an exchange of views or by any other peaceful means. Where this is read with Article 16 of the 1993 Convention, the applicants did not exhaust the dispute settlement mechanisms before resorting to compulsory procedures. While it is agreed that this does not constitute all of Japans submissions, the above points capture the main events and areas of controversy. The submissions of New Zealand and Australia were also lengthy in numberings. The applicants argued grounds like parallelism, precautionary principle, instances for evoking compulsory procedures, the presence of jurisdiction of both ITLOS and the arbitral tribunal, and the fact that the statement of claim was not moot these will be further buttressed in the next subhead. The arbitral tribunal was of the view that it could not dabble into the merits of the case as it lacked jurisdiction and by all necessary implication, it relied on Article 290 (3) UNCLOS to revoke the provisional measures issued by ITLOS as it was of the view that ITLOS was also without jurisdiction. Besides, the lack of jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal ordinarily meant that all earlier decisions in line with the main prayers of the applicant would be upturned. ANALYSES OF TWO LAWS AND THE ARBITRAL AWARD 1. CCSBT and UNCLOS could run together. In fact, it is commonplace to have Parties have treaty obligations in different treaties allowing for the possibilities of relatedness and application of treaties Parties belong to interphase in a particular Convention. Indeed, Japan was on the wrong side of the law to have put out such contrary argument. The fact that CCSBT served as an implementing framework of UNCLOS in this regard did not go to treat UNCLOS as a matter of avoidable surplusage. 2. Agreed, the argument of Japan that only the CCSBT was applicable law due to UNCLOS coming into operation a year after their 1993 mutual international agreement to conserve the SBT with their eventual ratification of the later law in the year 1996 is an unforgivable submission. The preamble of the CCSBT clearly identified with the tenets of UNCLOS; a wider reading of the preamble and Article 5 CCSBT on the imposed duty of Parties to take necessary steps to ensure enforcement of the Convention means that the 1993 Convention opened its doors to the relevant provisions of UNCLOS. As a matter of parallelism, both laws could run effectively albeit respecting the overlaps and qualifications embedded in both laws. It is to be added that Japans argument of lex posterior and lex specialis being enough to discharge and submerge the obligations under UNCLOS was not together necessary as it only applies where there is a matter of conflict in two laws. The SBT arbitral award did not border on conflicts of laws but on appreciation of parallelism of both Conventions. 3. The argument of Japan that the matter was moot as there were talks among the Parties at some point to agree unanimously on the EFP, will still be a shaky premise. To even treat the well canvassed points of the applicants as one of scientific appreciation than law was no more than recklessness. It is not moot because the heart of the applicants points before the arbitral tribunal dwelt particularly on the quality of the program than the quantity of tonnage. It is not moot that the applicants saw to conserve the unanimously identified dangers of the SBT on the high sea. It is more a matter of law than scientific and to the writers mind it is unfounded to cleave to Japans argument especially as the areas of scientific appreciation were imprinted in relevant areas of UNCLOS of which they were Parties to. The law is itself science and the mere fact that the applicants disagree on the scientific research of Japan in running the EFP does not outweigh the lengthy legality of the statement of claim. 4. The raised brows suggesting unhappiness with the arbitral tribunals decision to rely on some other treaty to reach a finding should not cause further unrest in ones state of mind. The Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks were used for the sole purpose of comparison with CCSBT and UNCLOS and no more. The reliance on Article 30 (3) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties was used to agree to the similar wording in Article 31 UNCLOS. If the challenge in appreciating the harmless use of these Conventions are still unclear, does it mysteriously become clear to hold and justified to hold on to another law during settlement and interpretation of disputes when the applicants evoked Case Concerning Oil Platforms (Islamic Republic of Iran v United States of America) in the establishment of the tribunals jurisdiction over the dispute? Is not the relationship between a Convention and Case Law, the presence of law? 5. The writer opines that although Japan was in error to have submitted that the applicants failed to exhaust the different modes of settlement under Article 16 of the 1993 Convention, it still did not mean that the arbitral tribunal had jurisdiction to consider the merits of the dispute. The problem with jurisdiction is that no matter the beauty of the submissions or urgency in the matter, the arbitral tribunals hands will remain tied. The Award was in order and this should be agreed by the international community when we consider the importance of agreement of parties. While a State Party can request for compulsory procedure it may be unable to do so when we consider the construct in Article 287 (4) UNCLOS which has that If the parties to a dispute have accepted the same procedure for the settlement of dispute, it may be submitted only to that procedure, unless the parties otherwise agree. The take home is that since the parties did not agree to resolve their disputes under compulsory procedures in section 2 of Part XV UNCLOS, the arbitral tribunal could not be constituted. It means that Article 16 CCSBT ought to be respected as the Parties are under obligation to honour their vows under the implementing Convention. Since the wordings of Article 16 CCSBT captures words like peaceful settlement of their choice, parties shall consult among themselves with a view to having the dispute resolved; paragraph 2 of Article 16 CCSBT has that where the dispute is not resolved, the matter shall be referred for settlement at the International Court of Justice or arbitration although with the secured consents of all the State Parties. It further stressed that failure to reach agreement on reference to the International Court of Justice or arbitration shall not absolve the parties from the responsibility of continuing to seek to resolve it by any of the peaceful means in paragraph 1 in that paragraph, consent is included and exploration into the advent of compulsory procedures under section 2, Part XV of UNCLOS was excluded. The understanding of parallelism helps in the resolve that two treaties are to complement each other and a framework Convention should not become a blindfold to the clarity of terms in an implementing Convention. It is true that strenuous efforts were made among the parties to settle the disputes to possibly satisfy the provision of exhaustion of local remedies vide Article 295 UNCLOS but Article 283 UNCLOS expects parties to expeditiously exchange views and this would have seen them agreeing on the dispute settlement method. The clear interpretation of Article 281 UNCLOS is that Part XV in its entirety (particularly Section 2) will be excluded if the implementing treaty of the parties excludes further procedures. The question whether further procedures were excluded under Article 16 CCSBT has been answered above. It all points to a general understanding that UNCLOS is not a comprehensive regime it is not imposing on Parties as Parties can freely choose their own procedures in affairs of the sea. The Award captured section 3 of Part XV, UNCLOS which serves as limitations to the compulsory procedures vide section 2 it is the opinion of this writer that a combine reading of Articles 16 and 298 of CCSBT and UNCLOS respectively, means that the omission of the state parties to make written declarations to be free from the shackles of compulsory procedure will remain insignificant if we appreciate the relation of UNCLOS with other conventions and international agreements vide Article 311 UNCLOS it has that UNCLOS shall not alter rights and obligations of the State Parties which arise from other international agreements incompatible with UNCLOS. It was not in dispute that CCSBT and UNCLOS were not in conformity and this takes us to the import of Article 16 (3) CCSBT which stresses that where it is a matter of arbitration, the procedure enshrined in Annex V of CCSBT governs. Indeed, compulsory procedures were never contemplated and while UNCLOS was preserved in the preamble of CCSBT, arbitration process was to be governed by Annex V of CCSBT contrary to the submission of claim before the arbitral tribunal under Annex VII of UNCLOS. The tribunal lacked jurisdiction. 6. The provisional measure granted by ITLOS was rightly set aside. The provisional measures were to the extent that the arbitral tribunal to be set up by the parties had jurisdiction to hear the case on the merits. Given that no such jurisdiction was in place, Article 290 (3) UNCLOS was rightly utilized in extinguishing the measure. While it is regrettable that the migratory Tuna may move to other Exclusive Economic Zones, the precautionary principle will not survive if placed side by side with the big question of jurisdiction. ITLOS was thus in error to have declared that the arbitral tribunal under Annex VII, UNCLOS had jurisdiction to determine the case on its merits. The greater precaution was always the satisfaction of which dispute mechanism had jurisdiction ab initio. SUMMARY This dispute settlement in 2000 will continue to be controversial especially when persons consider the legal effect of Article 297 UNCLOS as it affects this particular proceeding. However, it is advised that in examining the entire proceedings, one takes close observation at the main questions the arbitral tribunal had to answer. The issue of jurisdiction cannot be waived no matter what the tribunal could not even go about the resolution of the dispute on the basis of ex aequo et bono as the arbitral tribunal should settle claims based on the law as defined by the Parties. It was the case that all the Parties were open to dispute settlement under CCSBT which meant that the cravings for compulsory procedure were premature, albeit inexistent. The controversies are better preserved in the famous South China Sea Arbitration because submissions of technicalities in the place of justice will augur well in that arbitral award than in the Southern Bluefin Tuna Arbitral Award. (Kitco News) - The coronavirus has been declared a "global emergency" by the World Health Organization, and airlines around the world have temporarily suspended flights to China. Russia is even closing its southern border with China. Yet, despite global awareness, there seems to be some confusion as to the virus' origins. Google Trends has seen a rise in the number of search results for "corona beer virus" since the outbreak in mid-January. The world's top search engine is predicting the trend to continue and search volume to rise. Experts believe that the coronavirus originated in the Huanan seafood market in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where illegally traded animals transmitted the illness to humans. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word "coronavirus" first appeared in the "News and Views" section of Nature published in 1968. Corona is a brand of beer produced in Mexico by Grupo Modelo. The search for "corona beer virus" on Google correlates with widespread misinformation about the outbreak on social media, ranging from false health advice to conspiracy theories about its origins. One post, shared more than 16,000 times on Facebook with 403,000 comments, claims that "The prevention method now is to keep your throat moist, do not let your throat dry up" and to "Drink 50-80cc warm water, 30-50cc for kids, according to age." The advice is claimed to be issued by the Department of Health of the Philippines, but no such statement was released on their official website. In another thread shared thousands of times, this time on Twitter, YouTuber Jordan Sather suggested that the virus has been deliberately manufactured to financially benefit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is a donor to vaccine development. "Was the release of this disease planned? Is the media being used to incite fear around it? Is the Cabal desperate for money, so they're tapping their Big Pharma reserves?" Sather Tweeted. No official response by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been received yet. Finally, there is no link between the beer and coronavirus. Patients are not infected through the consumption of beer. WYECON at UW is Partner on $2 Million Grant to Support Early Childhood Education A new federal grant to Wyoming will focus on improving the quality of learning opportunities for the states youngest children. (UW Photo) The Wyoming Early Childhood Outreach Network (WYECON) at the University of Wyoming is a partner in the Early Childhood State Advisory Council that recently was awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. Families, young children and early childhood educators in Wyoming have experienced the negative impacts of a lack of funding and disconnected or nonexistent systems of support for too long, says WYECON Director and Associate Lecturer Nikki Baldwin. Research has long recognized how vital early experiences are in shaping childrens lives, and now leaders in Wyoming acknowledge that we must create a new vision for supporting our youngest children, their families and those who care for and educate them. The funding will be used to help the council use existing resources more efficiently; encourage partnerships among child care and prekindergarten providers, Head Start programs and state and local governments; and improve transitions between early childhood programs and school systems. The yearlong project will include the development of an in-depth strategic plan and a comprehensive statewide birth-age 5 needs assessment. WYECON, an innovation put into motion by the UW Trustees Education Initiative, will serve as the UW partner on the council. Baldwin and her team will guide the councils efforts to identify and share best practices that support the education of early childhood teachers throughout their careers. Baldwin additionally provided her expertise to the council as a member of the grant-writing team whose efforts were successful in obtaining the federal funding. The early childhood faculty in the UW College of Education, with myself in the lead, will work to identify, vet and share best practices in the areas of teacher preparation and professional learning using online tools, Baldwin says. We will be sharing important resources in a new online portal and creating original content, including blog posts and podcasts. All of these resources will focus on improving the quality of learning opportunities for Wyomings youngest children. The Wyoming Early Childhood Advisory Council was created through an executive order issued in November by Gov. Mark Gordon. The council includes representatives of UW, the Wyoming Department of Education, the Wyoming community college system, the Wyoming Legislature, early childhood educators, the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes, and others with early childhood expertise. Other partnering agencies and organizations include Align; WY Kids First; Wyoming Early Childhood Professional Learning Collaborative; the Wyoming Department of Family Services, Department of Health and Department of Education; Wyoming Head Start Association; and private child care and early education providers. Since driving onscreen in 2001s franchise-launching The Fast and the Furious, Dominic Toretto has evolved from a street racer into a full-fledged superhero, complete with his own crew of speed demon avengers. With the ninth installment, due in theaters on May 22, Vin Diesels alter ego is heading into new territory: fatherhood. The first full trailer for Fast & Furious 9 arrived online today and shows a retired Dom and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) living in domestic bliss with their son named appropriately enough Brian, after their ride-or-die friend played by the late Paul Walker. Now that Im a father, I cant live my life a quarter mile at a time anymore, Dom says, suggesting his days behind the wheel are in the rearview. (Watch the trailer above.) The first poster for F9 promises an action-packed ninth installment in the Fast saga. (Photo: Universal) Naturally, it isnt long before he and Letty are back in the drivers seat as they face a major threat from Doms past: his younger brother, Jacob, played by John Cena. Described as a master thief, assassin and high performance driver, Jacob has been recruited by Charlize Therons cyberterrorist, Cipher, to go head-to-head with his sibling. Your whole life you pushed yourself to be faster than Dom, smarter than Dom and stronger than Dom, Cipher says. But could you kill him? Because Im ready if you are. Its doubtful that Jacob will succeed in killing Dom, but hes clearly going to put his brother to the test. And returning director Justin Lin is taking their battle worldwide, with next-level action sequences set in all kinds of exotic locales involving some crazy new toys, from magnetic planes to suspension wires. JOHN CENA IS PLAYING DOM'S BROTHER! LETS GOOO pic.twitter.com/qrnpg88bGj JohnCenaCrews (@JohnCenaCrews) January 31, 2020 The F9 trailer had me with all the incredible stupidity including -rocket car -John Cena as Dom's long-lost brother -THIS but... pic.twitter.com/hUsRvAiW5S Matty G (@Matty_Gregoire) January 31, 2020 John Cena is Dom brother, they revived Han, Ludacris can somehow fight like hes Batman, & the cars are jumping Cliffs now lmaoooo Fast 9 is going to be something CliffNotez (@_YoCliff) January 31, 2020 John Cena is supposed to be Vin Diesels brother in #Fast9....fam pic.twitter.com/vZJ6l8YN2y Jawnwell Tarly (@J_DaJuiceMan) January 31, 2020 Even with the Dom and Jacob sibling rivalry driving the action, F9 is also going to showcase the franchises female characters including Letty, Mia (Jordana Brewster) and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) in a big way. That squares with longstanding rumors that Universal is planning a women-centric spinoff after last summers successful Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Story continues Mia and Letty kicking all that ass and taking all the names!#F9 pic.twitter.com/LFt6dclAqm Ellys Cartin Turbulence Chaos (@TVPartyPlanner) January 31, 2020 the only thing i care about in the f9 franchise is car no jutsu and michelle rodriguez combo moves so im fed thanks somaiya daud (@somaiyadaud) January 31, 2020 mia and letty fighting together, i love women #F9 pic.twitter.com/SjoHwcvwKq erykah (@azgardians) January 31, 2020 Im so excited to see Michelle Rodriguez kick ass again Sasha Banks is the (@HaughtsHolster) January 31, 2020 But F9 saves the biggest and best news for last: Fan-favorite Han (Sung Kang) who died back in the Dom-less third installment Tokyo Drift and again at the end of Fast & Furious 6 is alive and well. Its emotional, Kang told The Los Angeles Times in an exclusive interview before the trailer dropped. It feels like Im going back to a family reunion. Itll also satiate those who have been demanding #JusticeForHan for several years now. At first it was easy to dismiss, Kang said of the characters posthumous popularity. I wondered, does the audience really have a voice? They absolutely do ... and theyre using it to welcome Han back on Twitter. HAN IS ALIVE AND SNACKING AND I AM EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL!! #F9 pic.twitter.com/PZwEtuM2ZU Jamie Jirak (@JamieCinematics) January 31, 2020 Me watching the Fast9 trailer at the end knowing Han is alive... pic.twitter.com/A5fo0oLGmk 824 (@austinw_93) January 31, 2020 I havent been genuinely hyped for an F&F movie in years BUT THE HOMIE HAN IS ALIVE???? pic.twitter.com/PfJdxSu9gt .. (@milesmora1es) January 31, 2020 Now that Hans back in the fold, its time to focus on our next Fast family reunion: Bow Wow and Devon Aoki. F9 speeds into theaters on May 22. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Jalna : , Jan 31 (IANS) Four members of a self-proclaimed 'moral brigade' this week assaulted a young college-going couple and molested the woman at an isolated spot on the outskirts of Godegaon, officials said here on Friday. The police have identified all the accused and nabbed two of them from Jalna district, said a top official. The incident, which happened on January 29, came to the fore after a private TV channel got hold of a video shot by one of the accused, prompting the police to take action in the matter that sparked outrage among leaders across political parties. "We have arrested two persons, including one minor. A search is on to trace the remaining two accused," Jalna Superintendent of Police Chaitanya Siriprolu told IANS. He said the victims are college students in their teens. The four accused forcibly posed themselves to be a self-proclaimed moral brigade though they are reportedly not affiliated to any such groups or political party. Siriprolu said that the couple did not lodge any police complaint, but the police have recorded their statement, and two teams have launched a hunt for the other two accused who are absconding. The accused have been identified as Atish A. Khandare, Sushil S. Wagh, Karbari R. Wagh and Krishna C. Wagh -- who shot the entire video at an unidentified location. The video shows the four including one wielding a 'lathi' approaching the young unidentified couple, roughing them up, pushing, pulling, punching, grabbing the girl's shirt collar and forcing her away from the boy, abusing and threatening to summon her parents. The boy and girl were seen pleading with them, calling the lathi-wielder as 'Dada' (elder brother), seeking forgiveness and asking to be released from their clutches. Bharatiya Janata Party's Union Minister of State Raosaheb Patil-Danve, who hails from Jalna, took serious note of the incident in Delhi and requested Maharashtra government to take stringent action against the offenders. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray discussed the issue with Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and directed that action be taken in the incident that took place around 425 km north-east of Mumbai. Nationalist Congress Party senior Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP MP Supriya Sule, Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant, Shiv Sena Minister Dada Bhuse, and Maharashtra State Women's Commission Chairperson Chitra Wagh of BJP have flayed the incident and urged the government not to spare the accused. The incident sent shock waves in state education circles and college campuses with students urging the government to ensure their safety and protection. Rep. Nam In-soon of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) calls for the need to crack down on fake news about the coronavirus epidemic, which she says could mislead people about the situation, during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Friday. But on the day, party Chairman Lee Hae-chan made a false comment about the situation by saying the sixth confirmed patient worked at a public health center, which the party later said was a misunderstanding on his part. Yonhap A woman in Australia reportedly hit out at Facebook users criticising her appearance after her "trailer trash" mugshot was posted in an appeal by police. Newcastle City Police District in New South Wales posted the photo of Tiffany Anne Brislane-Brown, 23, on Thursday in an appeal to locate her over alleged offences. The police wrote: "Newcastle City Police are seeking information from the public to locate Tiffany-Anne BRISLANE-BROWN, 23 years old, who is wanted on one warrant issued by Newcastle Local Court for stealing and related offences. "Police have been unsuccessful in locating her and are now seeking assistance from the community." The mugshot shows Brislane-Brown looking tired and dishevelled with a tattoo on her collarbone. Hundreds of people commented on the post, with many sharing negative remarks about her appearance. But Brislane-brown confronted her critics in a now-deleted comment on her own wanted poster, according to New Zealand news outlet TVNZ. "Loving the photo taken how many years ago, lets calm down on the comments guys," she wrote. "Its not everyday I look like trailer trash. Lets just say it wasnt a good angle shall we?" Newcastle City Police then reportedly fired back their own response, saying: Probably time you walk into a police station before we find you. According to TVNZ, Brislane-Brown went on to post a more flattering photo with the caption: "Here's an actual pic of me. Why are the protesters still on their own and why are political parties abstaining from joining this mass movement? Aakar Patel explains. IMAGE: A protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on the outskirts of Mumbai, January 26, 2020. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters As of Saturday, January 25, the number of 24x7 protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens crossed more than 50. There are Indians gathered together in Ahmedabad, Aligarh, Allahabad, Aurangabad, Bangalore, Bareilly, Bhagalpur, Bhopal, Cochin, Darbhanga, Deoband, Dewas, Gaya, Gopalganj-Siwan, Indore, Jabalpur, Kalyan, Kishanganj, Kolkata, Kota, Lucknow, Mumbai, Mumbra, Muzaffarpur, Nanded, Nalanda, Parbhani, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Sambhal, Samastipur, Tonk and Vijayawada. Some of these cities have more than one protest on, Delhi has more than one dozen. This is a mass movement of the sort that India has not seen before. It has committed people participating in peaceful civic action. Even more remarkable, it has no leadership. Already, the determination and principles of the protesters have forced the Narendra Damodardas Modi government to back down. The NRC has been more or less shelved. The CAA is in court and three ministers including Ram Vilas Paswan and Prakash Javdekar have watered down the National Population Register's requirements that parents' place and date of birth be registered. By any account this is a huge success, especially against a government with a large majority and with a positive media behind it. The question is: Why are the protesters still on their own and why are the political parties abstaining from joining this mass movement on the ground? A third question is, has this abstention by the Opposition damaged the anti-CAA protests? Let us examine these things. First, let's just consider the fact that of those cities named above, at least half a dozen are in Uttar Pradesh. The most violence against the protesters has happened in that state, but its political parties are not on the field. Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party is totally absent though it has the potential to mobilise large numbers of young people. The reason is that Akhilesh feels that in UP the anti-CAA movement will be seen as a Hindu versus Muslim conflict and that his siding with the protesters will mean that he will put off his Hindu (Yadav) voters. This has meant that his party has not been able to benefit from mobilising the support of the protesters. In Mayawati's case, the issue is slightly more complex. She has made more noises against the CAA than Akhilesh has, but her cadre has been asked to abstain from joining the protesters. She fears a rival in the young and dynamic Dalit leader Chandrashekhar Azad, who uses the name 'Raavan' to show his defiance of caste Hindu culture. He is charismatic and has built a grassroots presence in UP towns that threaten the Dalit base of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Mayawati also senses, rightly or wrongly, that this is not an issue that will particularly upset her voters and so she does not want to get into the fight. The last thing, and this is speculation but is being spoken about very openly, is that she is under pressure from Modi because of the cases against her and nobody wants to end up like Lalu Prasad Yadav. The only party that seems openly in sync with the protest is Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, which is an unusual party because whether it is in power or in Opposition it is always in campaigning mode and this issue is the ideal one to campaign on. Let us turn to whether this abstention of the Opposition harms the anti-CAA movement. The fact is that it does not, for several reasons. First, we have to accept that the protesters themselves have not sought any help from any party. They are not even one united body as the diverse geographical spaces they occupy show. They are a very large group, but they are comprised of millions of determined individuals who are all standing up for the same thing. Second, no political party including the BJP, the largest in the democratic world, can send out these many people for this long. Political mobilisation happens because the party wants it and not the individuals. That is why political mobilisation costs money: To ferry people, organise the rallies and so on. What is happening in India is spontaneous and self-funded. Third, the fact that the political parties have abstained has lent enormous credibility to the protests. The people in all those cities and town are not asking for the dismissal of the Modi government (which is what the Opposition would focus on in their protests). They only want the repeal of laws that are discriminatory and unconstitutional. This is why the otherwise surefooted government is under pressure both from inside and from the media and nations abroad. The cause of the protesters is just and the manner of their protest is right. The last thing that we need to see is that this is the state that India has been reduced to. A great civilisational entity that has existed for thousands of years is today being seen around the world as a State that is persecuting its own people. And that in that democratic space, the large political players are not participating in public activity because they assume that society itself has been totally divided along religious lines. If they stand up for the rights of one set of persecuted people then they are automatically standing against the other set. This is what this country has reduced itself to and has allowed itself to be reduced to. Aakar Patel is a writer and columnist. You can read Aakar's columns here. New Delhi, Jan 31 : The Supreme Court on Friday said it wonders how important policy matters could be discussed through Right to Information (RTI). A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant was hearing a PIL filed by National Confederation of Officers Association (NCOA) against the disinvestment of Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL). In 2016, the apex court had directed the Modi government to maintain status quo on the proposed disinvestment of the public sector undertaking. It was a huge blow, which restricted the government to initiate any process of further disinvestment of world's second largest zinc producer, and also delayed Vedanta Resources from taking control of the company. Advocate Prashant Bhushan representing NCOA informed the court about the information received through RTI which claimed the Department of Legal Affairs in a note in December 2012 opined that disinvestment of more than 50 per cent of the shares of the HZL and thereby changing its nature and character from a public company to ordinary company itself was not permissible in the light of the provisions contained in the Metal Corporation (Nationalization and Miscellaneous Provision) Act 1976 and also cited 2003 Supreme Court judgment. HZL is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited which owns 64.9 per cent stake in the company while the government of India retains a 29.54 per cent stake. If government's stake sale materializes it can fetch Rs 25,000 crore. This sale will be in an open market and not to Vedanta. "I do not know how this government is functioning." said Bhushan. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta replied, "This is not Jantar Mantar." The Chief Justice said the information officer cannot supply information "why a policy decision was taken", instead it can tell "what decision was taken." Bhushan contended the government is supposed to share the reasons for the decision. "We wonder, how policy matters can be discussed in the RTI", said the Chief Justice. The Chief Justice pointed out at the apex court verdict in 2016, which was passed after hearing both parties. Senior counsel representing Vedanta said the government will sell its stake in the open market and not to his client. "I want this writ to be over. Why should not the government be allowed to sell its stake", the counsel argued seeking an early date for the next hearing. The Chief Justice replied that such a major policy decision cannot be passed through an interim order. Bhushan argued that the CBI had already closed the preliminary enquiry (PE) into this disinvestment. "The details of the PE should be supplied to the complainant, they are supposed to give us the details", Bhushan contended. Vedanta's counsel said that disinvestment occurred in 2001, and it has already been 20 years. "Look at Air India, it is bleeding. Government is willing to sell its stake", said Vedanta's counsel. After a brief hearing, the top court adjourned the matter. Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday got the green signal from the BJP central leadership for the much-awaited cabinet expansion in the state and he is mostly likely to induct 11 ministers. Yediyurappa said the date of swearing-in will be decided in a day or two, although he indicated that it would most likely be held on February 3. Currently, there are 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant. "Many of our suggestions have been accepted by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. If there are differences, we will discuss in Bengaluru and finalise it," Yediyurappa told reporters after meeting Shah in the Parliament Complex here. Except for one or two, most of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, he said, adding there won't be any additional deputy chief ministers. However, sources said, a total of 11 ministers would be inducted into the cabinet. "We discussed yesterday and now also. Shah has agreed to almost everything," Yediyurappa said, adding he is returning back "happy" after getting the nod for the cabinet expansion. "I am going happy," he said. Yediyurappa had been anxiously waiting for the party high command's approval to expand his ministry amid intense lobbying by the aspirants. Opposition parties have been critical of the BJP and Yediyurappa over the delay in the cabinet expansion, alleging he was weak and that his administration had collapsed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WILLIAMSPORT Charges against five men accused by a young woman of sexually assaulting her in a van near Williamsport last April 16 are headed to court. Lycoming County District Judge Jerry C. Lepley had heard testimony Jan. 22 from the victim who was 18 at the time of the incident, but he deferred his ruling. One of the five, Lynn Eugene Kyle Jr., 21, of Williamsport, already is awaiting trial stemming from a May 28 incident in which the victim was under the age of 16, court records show. Charges in that case include charges that include statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual assault, child pornography and corruption of minors. The charges Lepley bound for court against him are involuntary servitude and sexual and indecent assault. Assistant District Attorney Lee Fry withdrew charges of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and criminal solicitation at the preliminary hearing at which the victim was the lone witness. The female testified she met Kyle through Snapchat several weeks earlier and on Apri1 16 he picked her up in Jersey Shore about 2 p.m. Jahil Harris also was in the car, she said. They went to Kyles home in the Linden area where they were joined by Jordan Michael Hockenberry, she said. Later after a bonfire was started in a fire pit, Kyle picked her up over his shoulder and took her to a van, the woman testified. Only the drivers door was operable so he got in and pulled her in by the wrist, she said. She ended up on a mattress in the rear of the van where the sexual assaults occurred, she said. After those three left the van, the woman alleges Rahim Baines and Derrick Dwayne Meads got and forced her to perform oral sex on them. Lepley found there was sufficient evidence to hold Harris, 21, of Williamsport, on charges of sexual and indecent assault. Hockenberry, 20, of Linden, Baines, 32, and Meads, 20, will face trial on charges of sexual and indecent assault and invasion of privacy. Baines and Meads have Williamsport addresses. Charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse against Baines and Meads and criminal solicitation against Hockenberry were withdrawn. Defense attorneys had questioned whether the sexual activity was consensual because the victim never protested except for whispering once: Its not right. In her testimony, the woman explained she was scared and did feel she could escape the van. Kyle also is waiting action in Northumberland County on a drunken-driving charge. He is jailed unable to post bail. Thanks for visiting PennLive. Quality local journalism has never been more important. We need your support. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work. WHO: World Needs to Be on Alert for Dangers Posed by Coronavirus By Lisa Schlein January 30, 2020 For the third time in one week, a World Health Organization Emergency Committee will meet to decide whether the new coronavirus poses a global health threat. The latest number of confirmed cases has risen to 7,700, including 170 deaths. The two previous emergency meetings ended inconclusively. WHO experts were split on whether the spread of the coronavirus was large enough to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. But this quickly evolving disease may change some of the doubters' minds. WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praises the strong response taken by the Chinese government to try to stop the epidemic. This includes the lockdown of Wuhan city, the epicenter of the disease and other cities in the country where the virus has been identified. But he acknowledges that events on the ground in China and abroad are moving too quickly to be ignored. He says the emergence of any new pathogen with the potential to cause severe illness and death is of grave concern and must be taken with utmost seriousness. "The continued increase in cases and the evidence of human-to-human transmission outside China, are, of course, both deeply concerning. Although the numbers outside China are still relatively small, they hold the potential for a much larger outbreak," he said. So far, at least 70 cases of coronavirus have been found in more than a dozen countries, including the United States. All of these cases are being imported by travelers from China. An increasing number of countries are screening arriving passengers for infections and isolating them for the two-week incubation period. Executive director of WHO health emergencies program, Michael Ryan, says the situation is very fluid and changing by the hour. He says the whole world needs to be on the alert now and take whatever action is needed to stop transmission of this deadly virus. "We are at an important juncture in this event," he said. "We, as WHO believe that these chains of transmission can still be interrupted. This disease is spreading from person-to-person through personal contact between individuals." Ryan says the epidemic can be stemmed through proper hygiene, proper identification of cases, isolation and social distancing. He says the Emergency Committee will consider the merits of declaring a global public health emergency. He says the WHO experts are likely to recommend a series of temporary actions for countries to undertake in a coordinated, measured fashion. He says efforts to end an epidemic are always more effective when countries work together. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address "Each year, Delta Community offers hundreds of free financial education opportunities through our Financial Education Center, and invests heavily in charitable organizations and schools where our members live," said Delta Community CEO Hank Halter. "We know the positive impact of education on individuals and families, and it is our sincere hope that our scholarship recipients achieve personal and professional success which allows them, in turn, to invest in their own communities." The 2020 Delta Community Scholarship Program will provide scholarships to five eligible students seeking a first undergraduate degree. Each $5,000 award may be used to fund tuition, books, housing and other expenses. This year's essay topic is based on Delta Community's success in 2019, and acknowledges the credit union's 80th anniversary in 2020: Delta Community recently experienced one of the best years in its 80-year history. The Credit Union is proud that we achieved record growth and led the nation in customer satisfaction. Please share your proudest moment, and how it will propel you toward success in the future. Scholarship applications must be received between Feb. 1 and Feb. 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Winners will be notified by April 3, 2020. Applicants must be Delta Community members enrolled full-time at an accredited college or university in the United States during the fall semester of the 2020 - 2021 academic year. For more information and to apply, visit www.DeltaCommunityCU.com/Scholarships. About Delta Community Credit Union Delta Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative with a mission of providing better service and value on the products consumers use to manage household expenses and save for the future. Founded in 1940, Delta Community is Georgia's largest credit union with more than 400,000 members, 26 metro Atlanta branches and three out-of-state branch locations. It welcomes anyone living or working in metro Atlanta as well as employees of more than 150 businesses including Chick-fil-A, Delta Air Lines, RaceTrac and UPS. Visit www.DeltaCommunityCU.com to open an account or follow the Credit Union on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DeltaCommunity and Twitter at @DeltaCommunity. SOURCE Delta Community Credit Union Related Links http://www.deltacommunitycu.com Just 12 hours before the four men who raped a 23-year-old in 2012 were to be led to the gallows at Tihar, a Delhi court on Friday stayed the black warrant for their execution. This was the second time that their execution was put off by the judge. This time, the judge did not issue a fresh warrant for their execution. Several hours earlier, Judge Dharmender Rana had heard the lawyer of the convicts seek cancellation of the death warrants since the four were yet to exhaust their legal options. One mercy petition is still pending before the President. A little after 5 pm, the judge emerged from his chambers to deliver his one-line verdict. Execution Order Stayed Till Further Orders, he said. Watch | Hanging of 2012 Delhi gangrape convicts deferred; victims mother breaks down In the written order that was made available later, the judge ruled that seeking redressal of ones grievances through procedures established by law is the hallmark of any civilized society. The courts of this country cannot afford to adversely discriminate any convict, including death row convict, in pursuit of his legal remedies, by turning a Nelsons eye towards him the judge underscored. The convicts lawyer had cited the prison manual which says that in a case where more than one person has been handed over the death penalty, the execution cannot take place unless all the convicts have exhausted their legal options. Pawan Kumar Gupta has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court on the rejection of his juvenility claim, Singh said. Akshays curative has been rejected and I would file the mercy plea after I have got the order from the Supreme Court, he further said. Singh is also representing Gupta. Pawan Guptas review petition was however, rejected by the Supreme Court later on Friday. Lawyer Vrinda Grover, who is representing Mukesh Singh, had also joined AP Singh and said that there is a common sentence in which the accused have been convicted. The execution order is a common order. My client cannot be hanged and the execution of one cannot be separated from other. Hence, the execution should be stayed, she had said. Mukesh is out of legal options after his plea against the presidential order was rejected by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The arguments were made in response to prosecutions argument against staying the February 1 execution who said that the application is not maintainable. Public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad said, The execution date of February 1 still holds good for all convicts barring Vinay Sharma since his mercy petition is pending before the President. So, all the other convicts except Vinay can be hanged and no law prevents their hanging. The trial court had on January 17 issued black warrants for the second time for the execution of all the four convicts in the case in Tihar jail at 6 am on February 1. The four convicts - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - were sentenced to death by a fast-track court in just about a year after the gruesome crime that had brought thousands of people on the streets to protest. It led to a major overhaul of laws surrounding sexual assault. Their victim, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: The 40th session of the Executive Council of the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) at the level of authority of the general conference was held in the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, on Jan. 29-30, Trend reports on Jan. 31. The session unanimously adopted the new name and logo of the organization. From now on, ISESCO will be called the Organization for Education, Science and Culture of the Islamic World (OESCIW). Azerbaijan was represented by the Secretary General of Azerbaijan National Commission for ISESCO, Deputy Head of Administration, Head of International Cooperation and Innovations Department of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan Vasif Eyvazzade. UAEs Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development (MCKD) Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, ISESCO Director General Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, Secretaries of National Committees and other official representatives attended at the event. Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, opening the session, appreciated the activities of ISESCO. ISESCO General Director Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik spoke about the organizations new strategy, and put forward a number of proposals to strengthen its activities. After the speeches, topics on the agenda, including the ISESCO strategic plan for 20202030, the activity plan for 20202021, the organizations new structural project, the creation of an international advisory council, etc. as well as a financial report were discussed. Amendments to the Charter of the organization were also approved. The representative of Azerbaijan, Vasif Eyvazzadeh, took an active part in the discussions and put forward proposals on agenda issues. It was decided to hold the next 41st session of the Executive Council at the beginning of 2021 at ISESCO headquarters in Moroccos Rabat city. PIGEON While exchange students have become commonplace in schools across the country, Laker Elementary School decided to take it a step further this year by having exchange teachers from China. Two teachers from the Northeastern Chinese city of Changchun are visiting Laker Elementary School for three weeks to observe how Laker Elementary School teachers teach their students and to give some lessons about Chinese culture. Illinois-based Attitudinal Dynamics International, whose president, Robert Libka, is a graduate of Laker Schools, manages the exchange program. Laker Elementary Principal Jill VerBurg also visited China a year and a half ago, which made her interested in a possible exchange program. ADI reached out to us saying they had two teachers coming from Changchun and asked if we were interested, VerBurg said. We jumped at it. Two of the Laker teachers, Shannon Popham and Tracy Gordon, are acting as host teachers, where the Chinese teachers can observe how they teach and give their own lessons. The Chinese teachers are given the Americanized named of Ms. Alice and Ms. Louise so the students can more easily identify them. Ms. Alice, whose real name is Lyu Chuanjing, observes Pophams first-grade class and does lessons about Mandarin Chinese words, while Ms. Louise observes Gordans second-grade class and teaches how to make traditional Chinese paper lanterns. While in the Thumb, the Chinese teachers are staying with Elkton resident Sherry Helmuth, who VerBurg said has spent time in China herself due to her husbands work. Lyu, herself an English teacher, said that back in Changchun, a city of 7 million people, her second grade class has between 45 and 50 students, while Laker Elementary School has about 20 students per class. Her main goal in coming to America is to learn about Laker Schools curriculum and about the local culture. What we know before just comes from a book, the opinion of the author, Lyu said. When we come here, we use our eyes to see for ourselves. Outside of the classroom, the teachers will visit the Pigeon Historical Center, the Tower Automotive factory in Elkton, and L & T Ziel Farms in Pigeon. VerBurg hopes that in the future, Laker teachers and administrators can travel abroad to China as well as other locations. We hope to keep it going, VerBurg said. Were trying to show these teachers the different aspects of the Thumb. Africans are facing worsening food and water insecurity among other threats from climate and weather extremes - but few grasp how and why they are at risk, or see global warming as a top policy priority, young African activists warned on Friday. "In school, it's taught as something in the future (that) we do not have to worry about," said Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan Fridays for Future protester, via live video at a Stockholm press event with school climate strike founder Greta Thunberg. "If only the school institutions would teach the students it is something happening right now", that could unleash a new generation of activists and drive the problem up the agenda of African leaders, Nakate said. Thunberg lent her star power on Friday to an effort to focus attention on climate threats facing Africa after young climate activists who tried to spread that message at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week were largely overlooked, she said. African perspectives are "always so under-reported" and boosting awareness is key "to get those in the most powerful positions to do something", Thunberg, 17, told journalists. Makenna Muigai, a young climate activist from Nairobi, said her continent was grappling with problems - from deforestation to poor energy policy - that are feeding climate change. "All of us, at the end of the day, will be affected," she said. But the push to limit climate change and deal better with its effects faces a range of roadblocks, the activists said. In South Africa, for instance, where severe drought has hit harvests and water supplies, and power blackouts are common, "we are living through (climate impacts) every single day", said activist Ayakha Melithafa. Poor people who are "really struggling to make ends meet, to have a decent meal at the end of the day" now need to find money to buy water as their regular sources disappear, the South African said, even as richer residents dig private wells. But persuading more people to push for climate action is difficult because they face so many other daily challenges, from unemployment to domestic violence and xenophobia, she said. Nakate said she sees much the same thing in her country, Uganda. "It is hard to convince someone to fight as much as possible for the future when they have other current problems," she said. Other Africans fear speaking out, Nakate said, because of laws in some countries limiting freedom of expression, including the right to stage marches and street protests. "It's hard for people to really express themselves without fear of being arrested or other consequences," she said. Year of action? Ndoni Mcunu, a climate scientist doing a PhD at the Global Change Institute at Johannesburg's Witwatersrand University, said she was confident Africa could tackle some climate impacts through measures like improving irrigation on farms, growing different crops and using traditional knowledge. "The narrative we have is (that) Africa can't adapt to this. But that's not true," she said. If global temperatures continue to rise, however, particularly beyond 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, "we are in great danger", she added. Global temperatures have already heated up by more than 1 degree and are on track for at least 3 degrees of warming by the turn of the century even if current national pledges under the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change are met, scientists say. Nakate said burgeoning street protests around the world in 2019, led in part by Thunberg and the Fridays for Future youth movement, had made many more people aware of climate risks and had begun to exert pressure on global leaders. In 2020, activists would need to keep up the pressure, and help more people understand that everyone will be affected and "all need to speak up", she added. "If 2019 was the year of creating awareness, lets make 2020 the year of action," she said. Search Keywords: Short link: HOUSTON, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Watson Grinding & Manufacturing ignored known safety risks before a massive January 24 explosion at its northwest Houston facility, according to a lawsuit filed on behalf of an employee who was severely injured in the blast, which killed two employees and damaged hundreds of nearby homes. According to the lawsuit, Sean Robert Rangel was driving to work and approaching the facility when the blast threw his truck "like a ragdoll" toward a nearby warehouse. Mr. Rangel suffered serious injuries to his eye and experienced trauma from seeing the death of a coworker. "Sean Rangel woke up on January 24th thinking that he would have a normal workday," said Joel Simon, co-counsel for Mr. Rangel and name partner at Houston-based Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue. "In a flash, his life changed forever. Now he will have to live with physical pain from his injuries, and the emotional pain of witnessing his friend's death. This tragedy should never have happened. Period." Mr. Rangel's attorneys are also investigating the extent to which other companies' actions may have played a role in the explosion. According to Mr. Simon, "when a horrific incident like this occurs, it is critically important to identify all pieces of the puzzle that will ultimately reveal 'how' it happened." The lawsuit alleges that the company was negligent and grossly negligent for failing to control, monitor and prevent the explosion. The suit also says the company: Failed to properly maintain and repair equipment Failed to take reasonable steps to prevent serious harm to individuals inside the facility Failed to adequately train or employ individuals "Sadly, this is the horrific result when large companies fail to put safety and common sense first," said Steve Fernelius, co-counsel for Mr. Rangel and name partner at Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue. "People like Mr. Rangel should not have to pay the price for a company's carelessness. Watson Grinding must be held accountable." The case is Sean Robert Rangel v. Watson Valve Services, Inc.; Watson Grinding & Manufacturing Co., KMHJ, LTD., KMHJ Management Company, LLC, filed in Harris County district court, Case No. 2020-05585. About Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue PLLC: Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue's team of highly experienced trial attorneys represents clients in commercial, construction, energy, personal injury and wrongful death litigation, as well as mediation, arbitration, and many other areas. For more information about the firm and its lawyers, visit www.trialattorneytx.com. Media Contacts: Jennie Bui-McCoy 713-383-0090 [email protected] April Arias 281-630-0129 [email protected] SOURCE Fernelius Simon Mace Robertson Perdue PLLC Related Links https://trialattorneytx.com A bar overlooking the Trevi fountain and a restaurant in Vietnam have banned Chinese customers, while an Italian music school has told its East Asian students not to attend class in 'racist' incidents as coronavirus is declared a global health emergency. It comes as the outbreak spread to 25 countries today, with the United Kingdom and Russia both reporting their first cases, and as many as 9,898 people are infected. There have been just two cases in Italy, after two Chinese tourists visiting Rome tested positive for the virus, and four cases in Vietnam. A sign in a bar in central Rome put up today bans 'people coming from China' from entry. Italy has recorded two cases of coronavirus since the outbreak started A restaurant in Vietnam put up this sign as coronavirus was declared a global health emergency. The shocking sign was pictured on social media Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome (pictured) told students from countries including China, South Korea and Japan not to attend classes following the coronavirus outbreak A restaurant in Vietnam has put up a sign saying 'sorry, we can't accept Chinese customers', a shocking image posted online reveals. It was shared by a Twitter user who said: 'Things are getting a little out of hand in terms of fears of people from China and the coronavirus.' A bar in central Rome has also sought to deny access to Chinese visitors, putting up a sign that read: 'Due to international safety measures, all people coming from China are not allowed to have access in this place. We do apologise for any inconvenience.' And Santa Cecilia conservatory in Rome has told all its 81 nationals from East Asian countries including China, South Korea and Japan not to attend class. The school's decision sparked a horrified outcry from students, who have rushed to the conservatory to demand answers. The message was attached to signs advertising the bar near the Trevi fountain A Chinese tourist pictured next to the entranceway to the bar in Rome, Italy, today Students have contacted the Chinese Embassy in Rome (pictured) for legal advice The coronavirus outbreak is centred in China, with 23 other countries also reporting the virus An email sent to all staff by conservatory director Robert Guiliano reads, reports Italian newspaper La Reppublica: 'Dear colleagues and dear colleagues, because of the well-known events related to the Chinese epidemic, the lessons of the oriental students (Chinese, Korean, Japanese etc.) are suspended, as well as others who came from the countries concerned. 'The conservatory doctor will visit them all on Wednesday 5 February at 2.00 pm Only those who pass the visit can be readmitted to attendance.' One shocked staff member said the director's message was 'insane' and that the music school has never had a doctor. Two South Korean students outside the school told Italian publication The Local that they have asked to meet with senior directors to discuss their decision but have been ignored. 'We've just seen the director leave the building and walk away,' said Kim, 25, and Hwang, 24. 'I haven't been home to Korea in two years. We're not against checks in themselves but this is madness - it's wrong for them to test only Asian students.' More than 7,000 passengers were kept onboard the Costa Smeralda in Civitavecchia, Rome, yesterday following fears that two passengers had coronavirus Pictured: A bus leaves the harbour where the Costa Smeralda cruise ship was docked William, 24, a Chinese student studying opera at the school said the director's decision was 'quite racist', questioning why Chinese students that had not been to their home country for more than six months were being treated differently. Online, the music school claims to be one of the 'oldest musical institutions in the world', tracing its origins back to 1565. The decision came as the Como conservatory, also in Rome, asked all students returning from trips to China not to come to class for 14 days following their return. Medical staff in protective suits treat a patient with pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has suspended air travel between Italy and China And a Chinese student at Franco Vittadini Conservatory in Pavia, who recently returned from his home near Wuhan, was asked to keep away from the school for 14 days despite medical tests showing that he did not have the virus. More than 6,000 students were marooned on a cruise ship at Civitavecchia, north-west Rome, yesterday as two Chinese passengers were tested for coronavirus. MailOnline has contacted Santa Cecilia for comment. Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "The Global Market for Printed, Flexible and Stretchable Electronics 2020-2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Potential applications for the printed, flexible and stretchable electronics market appear endless. The rapid boom in smart wearable and integrated electronic devices has stimulated demand for advanced intelligent systems with high performance, micro size, mechanical flexibility, and high-temperature stability for application as flexible and stretchable displays, personal health monitoring, human motion capturing, smart textiles, electronic skins and more. The key requirement for these applications is flexibility and stretchability, as these devices are subject to various mechanical deformations including twisting, bending, folding, and stretching during operation. The development of printed, flexible and stretchable conductors over the last decade has resulted in the commercialization of flexible and stretchable sensors, circuits, displays, and energy harvesters for next-generation wearables and soft robotics. These systems must be able to conform to the shape of and survive the environment in which they must operate. They are typically fabricated on flexible plastic substrates or are printed/woven into fabrics. The electronics industry is moving at a fast pace from standard, inflexible form factors to stretchable and conformable devices. Printed, flexible and stretchable electronics products are increasing weekly from wearables for healthcare to smart packaging, sensors, automotive taillights and displays, flexible displays, photovoltaics and more. Based on a new generation of advanced materials, printed, flexible and stretchable sensors and electronics will enable new possibilities in a diverse range of industries from healthcare to automotive to buildings. These technologies will drive innovation in smart medical technology, automotive, smart manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT) and consumer electronics. Recent advances in stimuli-responsive surfaces and interfaces, sensors and actuators, flexible electronics, nanocoatings and conductive nanomaterials have led to the development of a new generation of smart and adaptive electronic fibres, yarns and fabrics for application in E-textiles. Wearable low-power silicon electronics, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fabricated on fabrics, textiles with integrated Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) and electronic devices such as smart glasses, watches and lenses have been widely investigated and commercialized. Smart textiles and garments can sense environmental stimuli and react or adapt in a predetermined way. This involves either embedding or integrating sensors/actuators ad electronic components into textiles for use in applications such as medical diagnostics and health monitoring, consumer electronics, safety instruments and automotive textiles. In the flexible displays market, electronics giants such as Samsung and LG Electronics are rolling our flexible, foldable and rollable smartphone and tablet products. LG's rollable LG Signature's OLED TV R will be available in 2020 and foldable smartphones have already come to market. Wearable and mobile health monitoring technologies have recently received enormous interest worldwide due to the rapidly ageing global populations and the drastically increasing demand for in-home healthcare. Commercially available and near commercial wearable devices facilitate the transmission of biomedical informatics and personal health recording. Body-worn sensors, which can provide real-time continuous measurement of pertinent physiological parameters noninvasively and comfortably for extended periods of time, are of crucial importance for emerging applications of mobile medicine. Wearable sensors that can wirelessly provide pertinent health information while remaining unobtrusive, comfortable, low cost, and easy to operate and interpret, play an essential role. Battery and electronics producers require thin, flexible energy storage and conversion devices to power their wearable technology. The growth in flexible electronics has resulted in increased demand for flexible, stretchable, bendable, rollable and foldable batteries and supercapacitors as power sources for application in flexible and wearable devices. Many major companies have integrated conductive and electronic ink and materials in applications ranging from photovoltaics to smart packaging. There are over 100 companies with products in this space for RFID, smart clothing, sensors, antennas and transistors. As well as advancing product security and consumer interaction, the use of smart inks and coatings in active and intelligent packaging can help reduce food waste and improve medical compliance-which would have significant environmental benefits. The contents of this report include: Current and developmental printable, flexible and stretchable products. Advanced materials used in printable, flexible and stretchable electronics and sensors. Stage of commercialization for applications, from basic research to market entry. Markets covered include conductive inks, wearables and IoT, medical & healthcare sensors, electronic clothing & smart apparel, energy harvesting & storage, electronics components and flexible displays. Market drivers and trends. Market figures for printable, flexible and stretchable electronics, by markets, materials and applications to 2030. Profiles of over 350 producers and product developers. 122 companies profiled in conductive ink including Ash Chemical, Cemedine, DuPont, EMS/Nagase, Henkel, Jujo Chemical, Panasonic, Taiyo, Toyobo, VFP Ink Technologies, and more. 76 companies profiled in wearables including AerNos, Inc., Antelope, AshChromics Corporation, Bando Chemical, BeBop, Brewer Science, Bonbouton, Canatu Oy, HP1 Technologies Ltd, Nanusens, Nippon, Nitto Denko and more. 54 companies profiled in medical and healthcare wearables including 1drop Inc., AerBetic, Inc., AURA Devices, CareWear, CorTec Gmbh, Eccrine Systems, Fleming Medical, GE and more. 37 companies profiled in electronic textiles (E-textiles) including AIQ Smart Clothing, Alphaclo, Directa Plus, Dupont, Hexoskin, Toray and more. 34 companies profiled in energy storage and harvesting including Chivotech, Enfucell, Hitachi Zosen, Huizhou Markyn New Energy, LG Chem, Zinergy and more. 38 companies profiled in printed, flexible and stretchable displays including CurveSYS GmbH, Denso, Etulipa, Karl Knauer, LG Display, Samsung and more. Key Topics Covered 1 Executive Summary 1.1 The evolution of electronics 1.1.1 The wearables revolution 1.1.2 Flexible, thin, and large-area form factors 1.2 What are flexible and stretchable electronics? 1.2.1 From rigid to flexible and stretchable 1.2.2 Organic and printed electronics 1.2.3 New conductive materials 1.2.4 Stretchable conductors 1.3 Growth in flexible and stretchable electronics market 1.3.1 Recent growth in Printed, flexible and stretchable products 1.3.2 Future growth 1.3.3 Nanotechnology as a market driver 1.3.4 Growth in remote health monitoring and diagnostics 1.4 Products 2 Research Methodology 3 Printed, Flexible and Stretchable Electronic Materials and Composites 3.1 Carbon Nanotubes 3.2 Conductive Polymers (CP) 3.3 Graphene 3.4 Metal Mesh 3.5 Silver Ink (Flake, nanoparticles, nanowires, ion) 3.6 Copper Ink 3.7 Nanocellulose 3.8 Nanofibers 3.9 Quantum Dots 3.10 Graphene and Carbon Quantum Dots 3.11 Electroactive Polymers (EAPs) 3.12 Perovskite Quantum Dots (PQDs) 3.13 Other Types 3.14 Other 2-D Materials 4 Printed, Flexible and Stretchable Conductive Inks 4.1 Market Drivers 4.2 Conductive Ink Types 4.2.1 Conductive ink materials 4.2.2 Commercially available conductive ink products 4.2.3 Improvements in conductive ink performance 4.3 Printing Methods 4.3.1 Nanoparticle ink 4.4 Sintering 4.5 Conductive Filaments 4.6 Conductive films, foils and grids 4.7 Inkjet printing in flexible electronics 4.8 Applications 4.8.1 Current products 4.8.2 Advanced materials solutions 4.8.2.1 Graphene conductive inks 4.8.3 RFID 4.8.4 Smart labels 4.8.5 Smart clothing and electronic textiles 4.8.6 Printed sensors 4.8.7 Printed batteries 4.8.8 Printed antennas 4.8.9 Printed heaters 4.8.10 In-mold electronics 4.8.11 Printed transistors 4.9 Global Market Size 4.10 Company Profiles 5 Wearable Electronics and IoT 5.1 Market Drivers 5.2 Applications 5.2.1 Current state of the art 5.2.2 Commercially available wearable electronics 5.2.3 Advanced materials solutions 5.2.4 Flexible and stretchable transistors 5.2.5 Flexible and stretchable actuators 5.2.6 Stretchable artificial skin 5.2.7 Transparent conductive electrodes 5.2.8 Flexible and stretchable transparent electrodes 5.2.8.1 Carbon nanotubes (SWNT) 5.2.8.2 Double-walled carbon nanotubes 5.2.8.3 Graphene 5.2.8.4 Silver nanowires 5.2.8.5 Nanocellulose 5.2.8.5.1 Flexible energy storage 5.2.8.6 Copper nanowires 5.2.8.7 Nanofibers 5.2.9 Flexible and stretchable wearable sensors 5.2.9.1 Current stage of the art 5.2.9.2 Advanced materials solutions 5.2.9.2.1 Conductive nanofibers 5.2.9.2.2 Graphene 5.2.9.3 Wearable gas sensors 5.2.9.4 Wearable strain sensors 5.2.9.5 Wearable tactile sensors 5.2.9.6 Industrial monitoring 5.2.9.7 Military 5.3 Global Market Size 5.4 Company Profiles 6 Medical and Healthcare Sensors and Wearables 6.1 Market Drivers 6.2 Applications 6.2.1 Current state of the art 6.2.2 Advanced materials solutions 6.2.2.1 Skin sensors 6.2.2.2 Nanomaterials-based devices 6.2.2.3 Patch-type skin sensors 6.2.2.4 Skin temperature monitoring 6.2.2.5 Hydration sensors 6.2.2.6 Wearable sweat sensors 6.2.2.7 UV patches 6.2.2.8 Smart footwear 6.2.2.9 Smart wound care 6.3 Global Market Size 6.4 Company Profiles 7 Electronic Textiles (E-Textiles) 7.1 Market Drivers 7.2 Applications 7.2.1 Current state of the art 7.2.2 Advanced materials solutions 7.2.3 Conductive fibres 7.2.4 Conductive yarns 7.2.5 Stretchable yarns for electronics 7.2.6 Stretchable E-fabrics 7.2.7 Conductive coatings 7.2.8 Smart helmets 7.2.9 Solar energy harvesting textiles 7.3 Global Market Size 7.4 Company Profiles 8 Printed, Flexible and Stretchable Energy Storage and Harvesting 8.1 Market Drivers 8.2 Applications 8.2.1 Current state of the art 8.2.2 Flexible and stretchable batteries 8.2.2.1 Flexible and stretchable LIBs 8.2.2.1.1 Fiber-shaped Lithium-Ion batteries 8.2.2.1.2 Stretchable lithium-ion battery 8.2.2.1.3 Kirigami lithium-ion battery 8.2.2.2 Stretchable Zn-based batteries 8.2.3 Flexible and stretchable supercapacitors 8.2.4 Stretchable heaters 8.2.5 Stretchable solar cells 8.2.6 Stretchable nanogenerators 8.2.7 Stretchable piezoelectric energy harvesting 8.2.8 Stretchable triboelectric energy harvesting 8.3 Global Market Size 8.4 Company Profiles 9 Printed, Flexible and Stretchable Displays and Electronic Components 9.1 Market Drivers 9.2 Applications 9.2.1 Printed, flexible and stretchable circuit boards and interconnects 9.2.2 Printed, flexible and stretchable transistors 9.2.3 Printed and flexible displays 9.2.3.1 Flexible LCDs 9.2.3.2 Flexible OLEDs (FOLED) 9.2.3.3 Flexible AMOLED 9.2.3.4 Foldable and rollable smartphones 9.2.3.5 Printed OLED displays 9.2.3.6 OLED packaging 9.2.3.7 Flexible electrophoretic displays 9.2.3.8 Stretchable backplanes and displays 9.2.3.9 Electrowetting displays 9.2.3.10 Electrochromic Displays 9.2.3.11 Thermochromic Displays 9.2.4 Flexible OLED lighting 9.2.5 Quantum dot lighting 9.2.6 Stretchable lighting 9.3 Global Market Size 9.4 Company Profiles 1drop Inc. AerBetic, Inc. AerNos, Inc. AIQ Smart Clothing Alphaclo Antelope Ash Chemical AshChromics Corporation AURA Devices Bando Chemical BeBop Bonbouton Brewer Science Canatu Oy CareWear Cemedine Chivotech CorTec Gmbh CurveSYS GmbH Denso Directa Plus Dupont Eccrine Systems EMS/Nagase Enfucell Etulipa Fleming Medical GE Henkel Hexoskin Hitachi Zosen HP1 Technologies Ltd Huizhou Markyn New Energy Jujo Chemical Karl Knauer LG Chem LG Display Nanusens Nippon Nitto Denko Panasonic Samsung Taiyo Toray Toyobo VFP Ink Technologies Zinergy For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pwpth9 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 31, 2020 A proposed bill in Maryland that would tax digital advertising is extremely detrimental and would create a regulatory enforcement nightmare, the Association of National Advertisers says. The bill, SB 2, would impose a tax ranging from 2.5% to 10% of revenue derived from advertising to users who appear to be in the state based on their IP address. The measure would only apply to companies that glean more than $100 million in global digital advertising revenue. The measure could raise an estimated $250 million, according to a memo prepared by the state Department of Legislative Services. The agency adds that the bill is aimed at large multinational corporations, such as Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Facebook, and others that have a large presence in digital advertising. The memo also notes that the bill could face legal challenges. advertisement advertisement Past efforts to impose taxes on the news media or advertising revenues have been rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court on First Amendment grounds, the agency writes. In addition, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled in the 1950s that a proposed tax in Baltimore on television, newspaper, and radio advertising would have violated the First Amendment. The ANA, which testified against the bill Wednesday at a hearing of the Maryland Senate Committee on Budget and Taxation, adds that the bill could also be unconstitutional because it would tax companies based on business activity outside the state. The ANA also argues the bill would tax companies based on mere guesses about consumers' locations, given that consumers' IP addresses don't always reveal their locations. Taxing advertising is extremely detrimental and has been rejected by over 40 states that have considered this issue, the advertising group wrote this week in a blog post. We understand the need in Maryland to seek funding and support for educational purposes, but this proposal will cause substantially more harm than good. In spite of the naysayers, there was a glimmer of hope for the Middle East this week in the wake of Donald Trumps so-called Deal of the Century. It wasnt that this deal will go anywhere. That wont happen. Instead, it was that the two leaders promoting this deal pompous, preening and self-inflated will eventually find themselves out of office, and quite possibly in jail, before anyone takes this travesty seriously. We can only hope. It was quite the scene Tuesday in the White House as glowing American and Israeli leaders unveiled their one-sided, pro-Israeli peace plan. With no genuine Palestinian input, the plan was simply a Netanyahu wish list fully embraced by Trump. As such, it didnt have the historic heft of the 1978 Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. And there was no hint of the soaring shining city on the hill rhetoric, as Ronald Reagan once described America, or of the commitment in 1948 by Israels founding father, David Ben-Gurion, that the new nation would uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of religion, race. Instead, Tuesdays occasion had more the feel of a contrived political rally, starring two desperate politicians, than any enduring historical moment associated with the White House East Room. Representing Israel was its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing exuberant even though he had just been formally charged in Israel with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate corruption cases the first sitting prime minister to face trial in Israels history. Basking in the spotlight beside him was President Trump, himself embroiled in a Senate impeachment trial and facing the likelihood of facing criminal charges once he is out of office, which may happen shortly after this Novembers presidential election. There they were, locked in arms and together seeing this plan as crucial in their upcoming elections, particularly Netanyahu, who faces voters first in a March election. But their plan is really a fraud. In exchange for offering a phoney Palestinian statehood, it endorses Israels annexation of the Jordan Valley and part of the West Bank by recognizing the illegal settlements as part of Israel. Its goal is to make permanent the status quo, including Israels military rule over millions of Palestinians, leading inevitably to a form of apartheid-like segregation. The cynical Israeli/U.S. calculation is that the plan will receive the quiet approval of Arab dictators who are fearful of Irans growing power and tired of the Palestinian issue. But what is being ignored is the inevitable rage that will spread among millions of ordinary Palestinians and other Arabs, and the emboldening of the regions hardliners against Israel. The vision of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine has endured for decades, and there were reasons for that. It called for these two peoples to live in peace together with secure borders, working towards a promising and shared future. But the opportunities to achieve that were squandered by both sides in the past, and the idea now appears dead, which leaves the inevitability of some sort of one-state solution. But what kind of state will that be? We can be certain of one thing: the state that Netanyahu and Trump envisage in their plan is not attainable in the long term. Even though many North American politicians cowardly duck this issue, we can always rely on Israelis to be honest about it. Among others, Ehud Barak, a former prime minister, warned in 2017 that Israel if it rejects a solution of two states for two peoples risks either being a binational state with an Arab majority and civil war or slide down the slippery slope toward apartheid. Or, to put it another way: for the same reasons that the apartheid regime of South Africa could not survive the 20th century, an apartheid Israeli regime as implied in Trumps deal of the century will not be able to survive the 21st century. But that chilling prospect which should be frightening to everyone who cherishes Israel was nowhere to be heard last Tuesday in the complacent, surreal event at the White House. Self-delusion on this issue appears to have no limits. However, sooner than later, Netanyahu and Trump will fade from the scene, and find themselves out of office and possibly in jail. Perhaps in adjoining cells, if there is any justice, will be the corrupt and inept Palestinian leaders who made their task so much easier, and the despotic Arab leaders who sold out the Palestinians to protect their own greedy interests. Once that happens, we can only hope that with wiser leadership in Israel, Palestine, the U.S. and the rest of the world we will finally see sanity and good sense rule in that precious part of the Middle East before it is too late. Tony Burman , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman Read more about: Satellite images of China's central city of Wuhan are almost bereft of cars and people, in a dramatic illustration of how successful its quarantine efforts have been in convincing residents of the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak to stay home. Lying on the banks of the Yangtze river and historically prone to devastating floods, Wuhan sprawls over 3,300 square miles - five times the size of Greater London - and includes rural areas as well as a large urban zone. Authorities have all but shut down the city of 11 million, which is a major transport hub, at what is normally the busiest time of year - the Lunar New Year holidays - when millions of people travel home to visit their families. An image from 28 January of the red arches and suspension cables of a bridge across the key Yangtze waterway shows its roadway deserted of vehicles, glimpsed in an image taken on 12 January as a surge of white rectangles flooding across the artery. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty The later image also reveals the absence of parked vehicles in surrounding streets threading between neighbourhoods of red-roofed homes and towering skyscrapers, and even the ships in the brown waters of the river, visible earlier, are now missing. A similar picture taken on 28 January from high above the city's usually crowded train station is devoid of the trains and cars that indicate human activity, although significant details in the picture are obscured by white puffs of cloud. Passengers at Wuhan's train station slowed to a trickle, media have said, with millions in surrounding cities virtually stranded, after public transport networks were shut to stop the spread of the virus, believed to have originated at a market illegally selling wildlife. Now, with the death toll from the epidemic at over 200 in China, with over 9,692 infections, concern is growing that the strict travel curbs will leave thousands of factory workers in the world's second largest economy struggling to return to work next week after the holidays. Reuters Wipro CEO Abidali Neemuchwala steps down due to family commitments; search on for new successor India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Jan 31: Tech giant Wipro Limited on Friday has announced that Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Abidali Z Neemuchwala has decided to step down due to family commitments. Neemuchwala, 52, will continue to hold the office of the CEO and Managing Director until a successor is appointed for a smooth transition and to ensure that business continues as usual, the company said in a BSE filing. "...Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Abidali Z Neemuchwala has decided to step down due to family commitments," the BSE filing said. The company's board of directors has initiated a search to identify the next CEO. Abidali will continue to hold the office until a successor is appointed for a smooth transition and to ensure that business continues as usual, said the company. Neemuchwala said the company has made considerable progress in its transformation journey, improved its delivery engine and institutionalised deeper client centricity. "lt has been my honour and privilege to serve Wipro, a company with a rich legacy of almost 75 years...I thank Azim Premji, Rishad, our Board of Directors, my Wipro colleagues and customers for their support over the years," he added. "We thank Neemuchwala for his leadership and his contributions to the Wipro. Over the last four years, he helped build a strong execution mindset, drove key acquisitions and scaled our Digital business globally," Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji said. Neemuchwala, who has been with Wipro since April 2015, is a post-graduate from IIT Bombay. He has a Masters in Industrial Management degree and also is an Electronics and Communication graduate from NIT-Raipur. New Delhi: The budget session of Parliament will commence on Friday (January 31). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Economic Survey 2019-20 in the house. The Budget will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Saturday. President Kovind will deliver a speech in the Central Hall of Parliament at 11 am. Vice President Venkaiah Naidu will also chair a meeting of floor leaders of Rajya Sabha at his residence today. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. Live TV Ahead of the budget session, an all-party meeting was convened by the central government on Thursday. Prime Minister Modi, senior ministers, Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad of the Congress and Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC, besides representatives of other parties, attended the meeting. The Prime Minister said that the government was open for discussion on all issues during the Budget Session of Parliament and agreed with the demand of MPs that there should be a discussion on economic issues. In his remarks at the all-party meeting on the eve of the Budget Session, he welcomed suggestions of most members that the session should focus on the prevailing economic situation in the country. "Most of the members have asked for discussion on the economic situation concerning the country. I welcome this and we need to discuss the economic issues as suggested by you all," the PM said while urging members to see how the country can gain from the prevailing global economic scenario. The Bharatiya Janata Party Executive Committee meeting is scheduled to take place in Parliament Library at 2 pm, while the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) meeting is also expected in Parliament Library at 3:30 pm today. Notably, the budget session comes amid nationwide protests against the government's citizenship measures, including the amended citizenship law, with opposition parties putting up a united front against the Narendra Modi government. Sexual assault cases in the United States military academies saw an increase of more than 25 per cent in 2019. According to a report released by the Pentagon on January 30, during the school year of 2018-19, there were 149 sexual assaults that were officially reported to the authorities at three military academies where students prepare to become future officers. The year previous to that, there were 117 such reported cases. This year, since only covered sexual assault reported to the authorities, therefore, Pentagon says that it made difficult to determine if the rise in sexual assault cases was due to better reporting or if they did indeed increase than the previous years. Read - Pentagon Again Ups Number Of US Troops Injured In Iran Missile Strike In Iraq To 50 Military academies enrol 13,000 students Every year, at least 13,000 students at three schools; the army's US Military Academy at West Point, New York, the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado are asked to fill out anonymous questionnaires about sexual assaults, sexual harassment or unwanted sexual contact that remained unreported including the ones that were reported. However, the Pentagon did not include the results from such questionnaires in their report. The West Point reportedly counted most cases with 57 sexual assaults reported while the Naval Academy had the least amount of such cases reported at 33. Meanwhile, there were 40 cases of sexual assault at the Air Force Academy. Other reports came from non-student cases. Read - Pentagon: 50 Troops Suffered Brain Injuries In Iran Strike According to the official release, the Executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency, Dr Elizabeth Van Winkle said, The Department recognizes the challenge of combatting sexual assault in the Military Service Academies and the high cost of not succeeding. Our Academies produce our future leaders. At every turn, we must drive out misconduct in place of good order and discipline. However, as the per international reports, retired Colonel Don Christensen, former Air Force prosecutor and head of the organisation Protect Our Defenders said that the report by Pentagon is a reflection of 'what we already know'. He further added that the Pentagon has repeatedly failed to address the crisis of sexual assault gripping the ranks and as a result, 'the problem continues to grow'. Christensen also called out the military forces' lack of 'military justice reform' and not putting the cases of sexual assault 'in the hands of professionals'. Read - 34 US Troops Suffered Brain Injuries In Iran's Revenge Airstrikes: Pentagon Read - Pentagon Receives New Request To Build 270 Miles Long Border Wall New Zealand announced Thursday it will charter a 300-seat aircraft to evacuate nationals from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak. There are 53 New Zealanders confirmed to be in Wuhan but the actual number is believed to be more than double that. "New Zealand will be offering any additional seats to Pacific Island and Australian citizens as a matter of priority," Foreign Minister Winston Peters said, adding that the flight was still subject to China's approval. "This is a complex operation as we work through all the necessary requirements but we are working to have the aircraft depart as soon as possible." The announcement to charter an aircraft from Air New Zealand, part-owned by the government, came a day after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her government was working with Canberra to assist the departure of New Zealanders and Australians from Wuhan. However, Canberra's decision to keep evacuees in quarantine on Christmas Island for 14 days did not sit well with New Zealanders. Peters told Radio New Zealand he was "looking at quarantine options within New Zealand". He said officials were developing procedures for pre-departure health screening of passengers from Wuhan, infection control inflight, and the isolation of all passengers arriving in New Zealand for up to two weeks. People who do take a seat on the plane will be required to pay a nominal fee, however the government will absorb most of the cost. There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Zealand although a student has been placed in isolation in an Auckland hospital while he undergoes tests. A total of 366 people is expected to reach India from Coronavirus-infected Wuhan in China in the early hours of Saturday according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Special Secretary (Health), Sanjeeva Kumar. "366 people are to be brought from China to India tomorrow. They will be kept in isolation for 14 days at the ITBP centre in Chhawla. Safdarjung Hospital has kept 50 beds for critical patients," said Kumar on Friday. A special Air India flight departed on Friday from New Delhi to Wuhan to rescue the citizens trapped in the region. This is the first special flight, double-decker jumbo 747 with 15 cabin crew and 5 cockpit crew which departed at 12.30 pm from the T3 Terminal of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport for the evacuation of Indians. This flight is expected to return to the national capital at 2 am on February 1. Live TV The incoming Indian passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at the two Quarantine Centres set-up at Manesar (managed by Armed Forces Medical Services) and Chawla Camp (managed by the ITBP). All proposed male passengers (approx. 280) are proposed to be sent to Manesar Camp and families/females (approx. 90) can be housed in the ITBP camp. If any person is found affected by Coronavirus, he or she will be shifted to the designated hospital for further investigation and management. In that case, it will be also assessed if further quarantine of the contacts is required. Dr Rajiv Garg, DGHS will be the Nodal Officer from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to look after overall arrangements at the ITBP facility. Medical Teams for Manesar Camp are being taken care of by AFMS. Adequate medical care will be provided by a team of doctors at both facilities. In addition, a 50-bedded critical care facility has been set-up at Safdurjung Hospital in Delhi for critical care of the patients. All persons admitted to both the quarantine facilities will be monitored on a daily basis for a period of 14 days. A nodal officer will be deputed from each Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs for effective coordination. A WhatsApp group of all these officers along with Nodal Officers of the Camps will be created for seamless communication. The Romanian Ambassador to France Luca Niculescu, Chairman of the Group of Francophone Ambassadors in France (GFA), on Thursday night awarded the Grand Prix of GFA to the French diplomat Claude Martin for the latter's book "Diplomacy is not a gala dinner" / "La diplomatie n'est pas un diner de gala". The ceremony unfolding at the French Academy was hosted by Helene Carrere d'Encausse, Perpetual Secretary of the Academy, in the presence of several academics, ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps and of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), journalists.The GFA Chair Luca Niculescu stressed the symbolic value of launching this prize in the week dedicated to the La Francophonie, a movement that is celebrating in 2020 its golden jubilee."Each year, alongside the French Academy, the Francophone ambassadors will award a book of diplomacy, history or international politics written by a Francophone world's author. I'm very glad to see that this initiative I have launched a year ago has got roots. The volume is exceptional: it is about 30 years of China live history and also significant moments of the European construction or the description of some operating mechanisms of the French high administration," Luca Niculescu said as quoted in a press released conveyed by the Embassy.Diplomat Claude Martin, former ambassador of France to China and Germany, confessed that his book is "a love letter for the French language and diplomacy". Besides, stressed he, "French is by definition the language of thinking, of poetry, of diplomacy and of the spirit". Claude Martin also recalled the "so warm common history between Romania and France".Editor Marion Hennebert said about the ambassador's book that "it carries us the long of a half of century of the history of China, Europe and France".The Romanian ambassador in Paris Luca Niculescu has been Chair of the GFA since February 2019. AGERPRES The UK is set to leave the EU at 23:00 GMT on Friday, ending its 47-year membership, and enter a transition period. London, United Kingdom After more than three years of political wrangling, the departure of two prime ministers, and dozens of furious protests across the United Kingdom, Brexit is finally happening. At 23:00 GMT on Friday, January 31, the UK will officially end its 47-year membership of the European Union becoming the first country ever to leave the bloc, and enter a transition period scheduled to end on December 31, 2020. Fridays breaking of the ranks does not signal the end of Brexit, but the start of a new, potentially tumultuous chapter in the saga, leaving the UK just 11 months to negotiate a deal to be agreed by all 27 remaining EU states. This week saw the final debate over the UKs departure from the EU take place in Brussels. After Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) backed the terms of the Brexit agreement, they broke out into song. The Green Partys Molly Scott Cato cried as she spoke of her hopes to one day return to the chamber, while the Brexit Partys Nigel Farage and his colleagues were admonished for waving Union flags. 200129104837441 For about half of the UK population 52 percent voted to quit the bloc in the June 2016 referendum Brexit day is being greeted with long-awaited celebrations. Street parties are set to take place across the nation. The Conservative member of Parliament for Dover has called for fireworks so spectacular they can be seen from France, and more than 10,000 people are expected to flood the streets of Westminster from 21:00 GMT to mark what Farage, a hard-right figure who campaigned to leave, has called a huge moment in the UKs history. But for the other half the 48 percent who voted to remain it is a day of mourning. The transition period During the 11-month transition period, nothing in reality will change, said Jonathan Portes, a professor of economics and public policy at Kings College London. The UK will continue to follow all of the EUs rules and its trading relationship will remain the same, but it will not be part of EU political institutions and there will be no British members of the European Parliament. The vast majority of individuals and businesses wont notice anything, said Portes. The governments first priority will be to arrange a trade deal for future commercial relations with Europe if it wants to avoid economic losses with its largest trading partner, but analysts question whether a comprehensive deal can be achieved in 11 months a deadline Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted upon. Its a very quick timeline and not a huge amount of room for a bespoke agreement, said Marley Morris, associate director at the Institute for Public Policy Research, a London-based think-tank. The government is likely to prioritise getting a deal quickly and avoiding delays, he added. Portes agreed. There wont be a deep, comprehensive trade deal, he said. The timeframe is less of a problem than the politics. The key issue is whether the UK is going to stick to its position of maintaining regulatory autonomy and not agreeing to alignment with EU rules, and what impact that could have on trade deals. Sajid Javid, UK chancellor, has ruled out continued alignment with EU regulations, echoing Johnson, who has repeatedly said he wants to break free from the blocs rules. But the EU has said it requires the UK to stay in line if it wants a zero-tariffs-zero-quotas trade deal. If no trade deal has been agreed and ratified by the end of 2020, the UK could face World Trade Organization-mandated tariffs on exports to the EU. Trade would suffer and some foreign investors would likely pull out of major industries, such as the thriving automotive sector, said James McBride, a deputy editor at the Council on Foreign Relations. In October, a joint statement from aerospace, automotive, chemicals, food and drink and pharmaceutical sectors, which contribute a total of 98 billion pounds ($128bn) to the UK economy each year, warned the UKs Brexit plans could pose a serious risk to manufacturing competitiveness. The UK and the EU will also have to negotiate the future of its relationship on law enforcement, data sharing and security, aviation standards and safety, access to fishing waters, and the regulation of medicines. For example, the UK is set to leave the European Arrest Warrant scheme which allows British police to arrest EU nationals on behalf of European police services and will have to agree to a replacement. Migration After the transition period, the UK will create a new immigration system that will end freedom of movement. The right of EU nationals who currently live in the UK, however, will not be affected, officials have promised. The ruling Conservatives have pledged to introduce an Australian-style points-based system to control immigration, an approach that will treat non-EU citizens and EU citizens (unless they are Irish citizens) wishing to move to the UK the same. Earlier this week, the independent Migration Advisory Committee dismissed the system as pointless. It is still uncertain exactly how the plan will work. In practice, EU citizens will probably find it harder to live and work in the UK in the future, said Morris. The question will come down to: Why are you coming to the UK? What kind of job can you fill? It wants to limit migration into low-paid, low skilled jobs. Theres likely to be a more liberal approach to filling higher-skilled jobs. Pro-Brexit protesters stand outside the Houses of Parliament in London, January 14, 2019 [File: Will Oliver/EPA-EFE] For UK citizens, it will also be harder to live and work abroad but this ultimately depends on negotiations with individual member states, adds Morris. Some analysts are concerned that an EU without the UK means a weaker Europe, particularly in a global context in which the United States is increasingly protectionist, and China increasingly aggressive. Clearly, losing one of the big member states is a significant blow to the EU, said Portes, and it does reduce its geopolitical and security clout. Its hard to know what the medium to long-term impacts will be. John Delaney, the longest-running Democratic candidate in the 2020 presidential race, is ending his campaign after pouring millions of his own money into an effort that failed to resonate with voters. The announcement, made Friday morning, further winnowed down a primary field that had once stood at more than two dozen. 'At this moment in time, this is not the purpose God has for me,' Delaney said, in an interview with CNN. 'We've clearly shaped the debate in a very positive way.' The former Maryland congressman has been running for president since July 2017, though Delaney's early start did little to give him an advantage in the race or raise his name recognition with Democratic primary voters. In a field dominated by well-known candidates from the liberal wing of the party, Delaney, 56, called for a moderate approach with 'real solutions, not impossible promises,' and dubbed the progressive goal of 'Medicare for All' to be 'political suicide.' Over and out: John Delaney called time on the longest-running of the 2020 Democrats' campaigns on the Friday before the Iowa caucuses. He and his wife April McClain-Delaney had thrown millions of their own fortune into the campaign Eyeing an endorsement: Moderates Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden will both fight for Delaney to support them as they campaign in Iowa. Amy Klobuchar, the other leading moderate, has been stuck in Washington D.C. for Donald Trump's trial Delaney last appeared on the Democratic debate stage in July 2019 but continued to campaign even as his presidential effort largely faded to gain traction. Delaney joins other candidates like Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper who unsuccessfully tried to woo moderate voters before ending their respective campaigns. Campaign finance reports showed Delaneys campaign was more than $10 million in debt largely because of loans Delaney made to his campaign. At the end of September, months after he had last been on a debate stage, the former lawmaker had just over $548,000 in cash on hand. Before billionaires Tom Steyer and Michael Bloomberg entered the presidential race and used their substantial wealth to gain attention, Delaney tried a similar approach. Back in March, he promised to donate $2 to charity for every new donor who donated on his website. Then in October, Delaney dangled 'two club-level' World Series tickets, with hotel and airfare included, as a prize for those that donated to his campaign. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts were frequent targets of Delaney as he warned during the July debate that the 'free everything' policy approach would alienate independents and ensure President Donald Trumps reelection. He compared the two senators to failed Democratic standard-bearers of the past, including George McGovern, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis. Delaney renewed that criticism on his way out of the race, saying the true hope for the party lay in moderates like former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar. 'People like Bernie Sanders who are running on throwing the whole U.S. economy out the window and starting from scratch...I just think that makes our job so much harder, in terms of beating Trump,' Delaney said Friday morning. 'I also think that's not real governing. That's not responsible leadership because those things aren't going to happen.' Despite the criticisms, Delaney pledged to 'campaign incredibly hard' for whoever won the Democratic nomination. DALLAS, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PELITAS ("the Company"), a leading provider of healthcare Patient Access technology solutions, announced today that it has been recognized as 2020 Best in KLAS for the Patient Access technology category. The award is based on healthcare provider comments and insights and reflects the Company's unmatched solutions and service to its Clients. PELITAS also earned the Best in KLAS award in 2019. Steven Huddleston, CEO of PELITAS, said, "Winning the award two years in a row is a reflection of the commitment to excellence our team places on delivering industry-leading Patient Access solutions, and it is an honor to be recognized by KLAS. Our Clients have told us they appreciate speed-to-value, superior support, continuous communication and meaningful insights into data. We are dedicated to continuing to surpass our Clients' expectations." Adam Gale, President of KLAS, commented, "Providers and payers demand better performance, usability, and interoperability from their vendor partners every year. Best in KLAS winners set the standard of excellence in their market segment. Earning a Best in KLAS award should both excite and humble the recipients. It serves as a signal to providers that they should expect only the best from the winning vendors." Huddleston also noted that in the rapidly evolving healthcare environment, hospitals and physicians are more focused than ever on implementing Patient Access solutions that make interactions easier, faster, and more accurate while improving the patient experience. "This award truly validates our efforts to help our Clients collect cash more quickly and cultivate loyalty." For the full "2020 Best in KLAS: Software & Services" report, visit: https://klasresearch.com/report/best-in-klas-2020/1629 About KLAS KLAS is an independent research firm on a global mission to improve health care delivery by enabling providers and payers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of health care professionals, KLAS gathers insights on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trending data and statistical overviews. KLAS data is accurate, honest and impartial. The research directly represents the voice of health care professionals and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and the insights we provide, visit www.KLASresearch.com. About PELITAS PELITAS provides technology solutions to help hospitals and physicians improve patient experience, maximize revenue and eliminate inefficiencies throughout the revenue cycle. Our Integrated Patient Access SolutionSM (iPASSM) is designed to financially clear patients at the first point of contact by increasing the quality of registrations, maximizing point of service payments, and using cloud-based technology to facilitate collaboration between the Patient, Provider and Payer. Learn more at www.pelitas.com. Contact: Jenifer Bush Vice President, Marketing & Communications 214-914-4297 [email protected] Media Contact: Caroline Luz Lambert & Co. 203-656-2829 [email protected] SOURCE PELITAS PIGEON -- The Laker Theatre Company will perform two one-act plays Sunday, Feb. 2. Junior high actors will perform one and high school actors will perform one. Stephanie Segroves is the director for both plays. The junior high play, Life Imitates Art, will begin at 3 p.m. in the junior high gym. This is a studio play, which means the performance will take place on a floor instead of a stage, and the audience will sit on three sides of the performance. The junior high play is a lighthearted look at life behind the scenes in the theater world. The high school play, Escape!, will begin at 4 p.m. in the auditorium. This is a drama, and it centers on themes such as rape, drugs and suicide. Because of this, those watching the play need to be at least 13 years old. Adult tickets are $6 to see the junior high play, $6 to see the high school play, or $10 to see both. Tickets for children are $3 for the junior high play, $3 for the high school play (ages 13-17) or $5 for both plays (ages 13-17). Laker students receive free admittance. [January 31, 2020] Friedlander Group Announces a 25% Dividend Paid to Members of the Hotel and Motel Group of New York Workers' Compensation Safety Group #578 Friedlander Group, the leader in workers' compensation, announces a 25% dividend paid to members of the Hotel and Motel Group of New York Workers' Compensation Safety Group #578*. The 25% paid dividend is in addition to the 25% group discount clients already received on their policies effective June 1, 2018 - June 1, 2019. The combination of the 25% group discount and 25% dividend resulted in hotels and motels saving over 43% on their workers' compensation insurance. A member with a standard premium of $10,000, only paid $5,625 after discounts and dividends. "By focusing on keeping their employees working and safe, clients have benefited from increased productivity and profits, along with unparalleled workers' compensation savings," says Adam Friedlander, President and Group Manager. Friedlander shares his expertise knowledge of how employers can operate at optimal levels in Safety and Workers' Compensation Strategies to Unleash Productivity and Profits. About Safety Groups Safety Groups provide low-cost, fully insured workers' compensation solutions to safety-conscious businesses within similar industries in New York*. Safety Groups offer qualifying members up to a 35% group discount on their premiums. Preiums are then pooled, and after paying claims and administration charges, the profits are paid back to the Safety Group members in the form of a dividend. About Friedlander Group Friedlander Group manages seven Workers' Compensation Safety Groups for retailers, restaurants, wholesalers, hotels and motels, oil dealers, and home health care and residential care facilities. Since 1992, clients across these industries have been paid a total of $247 million in dividends and, when combined with group discounts, clients saved a total of $550 million on their workers' compensation costs. In addition to the Safety Groups, Friedlander Groups' Workers' Care program specializes in workers' compensation for clients that struggle with safety or are outside of the mentioned industries. Friedlander Group reduces premiums through expert Claims Solutions, Self-pay techniques, Fraud Prevention Services, Audit Services, Safety Services, Unique Reporting and Underwriting Services. For more information contact Cosmo Preiato, Executive VP., 800-394-7004, ext. 203 or email [email protected]. *The Hotel and Motel Group of New York Workers' Compensation Safety Group #578, all mentioned Safety Groups, and Workers' Care Group are underwritten by the New York State Insurance Fund, 199 Church St. New York, NY 10007. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005398/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Merry Potter surveyed the soggy mound of bags, blankets, pans and clothes laid out on a tarp around her and heaved a tired sigh. She had until the end of the day to stuff everything she needed into two 80-gallon plastic tubs, and then it was off to a tiny home a few miles from where she stood. This is good, she told herself several times. Its going to be better to be out of here. This has truly sucked. It was moving day Friday for 28-year-old Potter and the 60 or so other homeless people left at the sprawling homeless camp on Joe Rodota Trail in Santa Rosa. County officials set Friday as the final date for people to vacate the trail camp, which since last summer had grown to a garbage-laden, 2-mile spread of about 300 homeless people along the popular walking and biking trail on county park land that parallels Highway 12. The biggest homeless camp in county history, it rankled neighbors, anguished activists, sparked political tensions over how to handle the mess and became a symbol of how acutely homelessness has spread beyond the big cities. Health and shelter counselors have been trolling it since October offering shelter and transitional housing spots. Most homeless residents at the trail appeared to be happy at the chance to trade their rain-battered tents and tarps for a chance at a shelter bed. For Potter, that meant a coveted spot at the 60-unit tiny home village set up this past week in east Santa Rosa outside the Los Guilicos juvenile detention facility. For others, it would be a bed in church or governmental shelters. And for yet others, it meant just toting their bags and tents away to find another camping spot, most likely downtown or in any of dozens of woodsy spots already well-known to the homeless in Sonoma County. Those who did not voluntarily leave by days end would have received citations for illegally camping on the trail, park and police officials said. But by 4:30 p.m., the settlement was empty, and no citations or arrests had been made. Park rangers pulled a gate to the trail closed, and that was the end of that. Throughout the day, a sense of resigned calm pervaded the camp, with dozens of sanitation workers, park rangers, and county health, housing and counseling workers bagging up belongings headed to storage each person got two 80-gallon tubs they could store nearby at county expense and helping campers with transportation to shelter. One by one, or in small groups, the homeless people filtered away from the trail on foot, on bike or pushing shopping carts. Several tons of trash, tents, clothing and the other detritus of an abandoned camp lay heaped along the trail, waiting for sanitation workers to haul away a job expected to take several days. Scores of tents were left behind, still filled with clothing and books and bikes but no people. Homeless-aid workers had only about half the beds they needed to accommodate everyone whos been on the trail, despite adding six drug detox beds on Friday. But with many people simply opting to drift away to new camping spots over the past week, that wound up appearing to be enough. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors in December dedicated $11.6 million to provide housing, shelter and services toward moving the campers, and the $2 million Los Guilicos village was the first big step in spending that money. Eighty new shelter beds are planned to replace the village in April or perhaps augment it and the county is working on master leasing and buying permanent housing units. Its also procuring a yet-to-be-determined amount of federal rent vouchers. The hope was to put a roof over everyone who wanted to take one, said county spokesman Rohish Lal. And that, in fact, was mandated by a federal court injunction issued in August in a lawsuit filed over the previous biggest camp a 150-person spread behind a Dollar Tree store about a mile away from the current camp, dismantled in 2018. That order prevented officials from rousting settlements unless they had shelter and belongings storage for everyone being moved. County officials believed the $11.6 million package of provisions, along with shelter spots among the countys existing stock of nearly 1,000 beds, met the federal order, so they set Friday as the final date for clearing the trail. Housed residents had complained so much in recent months about vermin, theft, disruption and filth in and around the camp that the Board of Supervisors in December declared a public health emergency on the trail. Were helping everyone we can, but a lot more people just moved out last night without telling anyone and we probably wont be able to track them, Lal said Friday evening. Overall, were really pleased with how this went, but its step one. This doesnt stop with shelter. Now we have to work on housing. For exasperated neighbors, the end of Friday couldnt come soon enough. Finally! All of us are so happy now to see this, said Giedrius Martinaitis, 37, whose home backs up to the trail camp. The mess they have made is terrible. The trash, the rats, the noise, the screaming, the needles. All of it was so bad we couldnt walk the kids there. We still wont be able to go on the trail until they clear away all that trash. I just hope they keep an eye on it so those campers dont all come back. Steve Floyd, 33, said in the morning that he would not voluntarily leave his tent spot, but at 4:30 p.m. he became the last person to leave the camp. I was going to stick it out, but then decided, hey Id rather not go to jail, said Floyd, whos been homeless for seven years, and on the trail camp since September. I just cant stand to go to any of those shelters they have. It would be another cell to me. Ive already got a couple of camping spots picked out. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. If someone would give me a place where I could build my own house, Id go there, he said. But until then Ill just take care of myself. For Potter, the tiny village is a lifeline. Ive been homeless for seven years, and living out here has been very hard, she said. Im a single woman, and you have to fend for yourself. Ive gotten hit in the head, robbed of my purse and phone. Even the scrapbooks Ive made for friends who passed away someone stole those. I think this tiny home thing is a new chance. Three days ago those counselors on the trail hooked me up with a Section 8 housing voucher, and I think Ive found some places I could move to soon. Ive finally got some hopes for things turning around. Kathleen Finigan, a member of the Homeless Action activist group that has been fighting for aid from the county for the camp, said she thought the county handled clearing the Joe Rodata Trail better than sweeping the one at Dollar Tree in 2018. That action resulted in scores being ushered out with no place to go. The fact is, it never should have come to this, Finigan said. Homelessness in Sonoma County is a problem thats been here for years. Enough permanent housing for all these people wont be built for several more years, and the fire victims of the past couple of years come first and the chronically homeless come last. Weve turned these people into an American caste of untouchables, created a new underclass. That is deplorable. County Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who helped shepherd creation of the Los Guilicos village, agreed about the longevity of the problem. The county didnt create this situation overnight, she said. Its been a perfect storm for 40 years of no housing growth, unaffordability, not enough treatment for mental illness and substance abuse, a really vicious cycle. And we wont solve it overnight. But we cant lose sight of the fact that each life that breathes easier with shelter, food and safety that in itself is a miracle. Kevin Fagan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KevinChron Products of fuel worth Ghc194,670 has perished to a fire outbreak at the truck park of the Buipe Depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) in the late hours of last Friday, January 3, 2020. According to the Head of Corporate Communications and External Affair Mr. Adjei Marlick, the Buipe Depot is the central fuel holding point of BOST serving the Savana, Northern, North-East, Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana. In order to put an end to media speculation, Mr. Adjei Marlick indicated that the fire occurred at the truck park of the Buipe Depot and not within the depot; adding that the fire started late in the evening and it took a combined force of the depot technical staff and fire officers from the Damongo and Tamale Fire Stations to bring it under control around 10 p.m. In a press statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, Mr. Adjei Marlick indicated that two out of the four (4) BRVs which were loaded with petroleum products were considerably damaged; thus, the two trucks which contained 36,000 litres of diesel (AGO) and 36,000 litres of petrol (PMS) respectively are considerably damaged. At the current price of Ghc5.41/litre, the value of the product lost is estimated at Ghc194,760.00. The affected BRVs belonged to Ghana Oil Company Limited, GOIL (3) and BF Energy (1), the statement read. The Head of Corporate Communications and External Affair hinted that the exact cause of the fire outbreak is not ascertained as an investigation is underway; assuring to furnish the public with details once the technical team completes its investigation. He further assured the general public that the BOST strategic fuel for the Northern Regions and Ghana as a whole is intact as there will be no shortage of fuel in spite of the damages. Below Is Full Press Statement of BOST On Fire Outbreak At Buipe Depot Truck Park: FIRE OUTBREAK AT BOST BUIPE DEPOT TRUCK PARK There was an accident of fire at the truck park of the Buipe Depot of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST) in the late hours of Friday, January 3, 2020. The Buipe Depot is the central fuel holding point of BOST serving the Savana, Northern, North-East, Upper East and Upper West regions of Ghana. It receives products through river barges (via the Volta Lake) and through Bulk Road Vehicles, BRVs loaded from the Accra Plains Depot of BOST. To put an end to the speculation in the media space, we wish to state the facts of the incident as follows: 1. The fire occurred at the truck park of the depot and not within the depot. 2. It started late in the evening and took a combined force of the depot technical staff and fire officers from the Damongo and Tamale Fire Stations to bring it under control around 10 p.m. 3. Four BRVs, two of which were loaded with petroleum products were considerably damaged. 4. The two trucks contained 36,000 litres of diesel (AGO) and 36,000 litres of petrol (PMS) respectively. The diesel (AGO) is intact through the truck is considerably damaged. 5. At the current price of Ghc5.41/litre, the value of the product lost is estimated at Ghc194,760.00. 6. The affected BRVs belonged to Ghana Oil Company Limited, GOIL (3) and BF Energy (1). 7. In line with our Standard Operating Procedures, (SOPs), truck loaded with products for distribution to OMCs are not supposed to park within the premises of the depot. 8. The exact cause of the fire has not been ascertained as at now and investigations are underway. We shall furnish the public with the details once the technical team completes the investigations. 9. Though a sizable volume of products loaded for OMCs, were destroyed in the incident, product supply in the northern regions and the general operations of BOST as a company will not be negatively affected. 10. We wish to assure the general public that our strategic fuel for the northern regions and Ghana as a whole are intact. Thank you. Adjei Marlick Head, Corporate Communications and External Affairs. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/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 A man who took part in the disgraceful and cowardly assault of a teenager, who was left with multiple jaw fractures, kicked the boy while he was lying on the ground, a court has heard. Christopher Sherry (22) kicked the 17-year-old boy to his shoulder and chest while another teenager kicked him repeatedly in the head following a dispute outside a nightclub in Swords in March 2017, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today. The attackers then brought the confused victim into a nearby McDonalds restaurant to clean his face, telling him they hadn't touched him and were there to help him. Sherry, with an address in Fortlawn Avenue, Clonsilla, Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the teenager outside the Wright Venue, Swords in the early hours of March 17, 2017. He will be sentenced on March 20. Sergeant Terry Ferguson told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that the victim was socialising in the night club in the early hours of the night in question when he was refused re-entry to the club. He spoke with his mother on the phone and told her he was going to the McDonald's across the road before heading home. However, he was then set upon by a teenager, who was with Sherry and another man. The teen attacker blamed the victim for getting them kicked out of the club, the court heard. CCTV footage played in court showed the teenager pursuing him, followed by Sherry and the third man. He was kicked repeatedly by the teenager before Sherry also kicked him. The men were then shown going with the victim into McDonalds. He later found his way back to the nightclub, where an ambulance was called. The teenager suffered multiple jaw fractures and underwent surgery, with two metal plates inserted into his face. He also suffered about 8000 worth of dental damage. The victim did not complete a victim impact report and did not wish to come to court. His parents were present instead. The teen attacker was dealt with in the courts through the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, the court heard. Conor McKenna BL, defending, said his client was extremely remorseful for the disgraceful and cowardly attack. A letter of apology was handed into court. He said Sherry has no previous convictions and has not come to the attention of gardai since. Sherry has worked in the security industry in the past, but will find it hard to find work in this area now he has been convicted, Mr McKenna said. Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned the sentence to March to get a Probation Services report. John Bolton's book manuscript contains yet another revelation about the Ukraine affair that emerged just minutes before the Senate was to start debating whether to call impeachment witnesses including Bolton himself. This time, the new information puts Bolton in the thick of President Donald Trump's push for Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The bombshell dropped right before the Senate entered a new phase in Trump's impeachment trial with a debate over calling witnesses. Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer warned Republicans would 'rue the day' they failed to call witnesses, and impeachment manager Adam Schiff warned: 'The facts will come out. In all of their horror, they will come out.' His impeachment lawyers have spent a week arguing the president did nothing wrong and nothing impeachable. According to the new information, reported in the New York Times, Trump told Bolton in early May of last year to help his campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The drama came as Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she is a 'no' on calling witnesses, hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said he would vote against calling them. Democrats want to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton That left just two Republicans saying they would vote for witnesses Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and Maine Sen. Susan Collins. Bolton, who has written a book that the White House National Security Council has told him not to publish for classification reasons, describes an Oval Office meeting where Trump gave the instruction. Also present was White House counsel Pat Cipollone who has been leading Trump's defense. Also there was Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, Bolton writes. Mulvaney is the other senior figure Democrats have been demanding be called as a witness after he was implicated in emails as potentially having knowledge of holding up military aide for investigations, which Mulvaney denies. Democratic impeachment managers have relentlessly played a public statement Mulvaney made to White House reporters, when he acknowledged a quid pro quo and said it happens 'all the time' in foreign policy, only to walk back the statement. According to the Times story on the manuscript, which Bolton has submitted to the National Security Counsel for classification review, Trump told Bolton to talk to the then-new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky to get him to meet with the president's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani has been zealously heading a months-long investigation to dig up information on former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in Ukraine. Bolton says he never made the call Trump was seeking. President Trump issued an immediate denial. 'I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened,' he said. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, walks past the Senate chamber prior to the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Friday Jan 31, 2020, in Washington Giuliani told the Times Bolton was making up 'some' of the information, and stopped short of an outright denial while labeling him a 'scumbag.' 'I think he's making some of it up. He's sure making up I wouldn't call it making it up, but he's acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, and then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something,' he said. 'Let's put John Bolton under oath. Let's find out who's telling the Truth,' said House manager Rep. Adam Schiff in floor debate on witnesses Friday. Trump made the request for an investigation into the Bidens in an infamous July 25 call that the president calls 'perfect.' Giuliani is quoted int he initial Times story calling the account 'categorically untrue,' and he and Mulvaney and weren't around for Ukraine meetings. Former White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly, who served with Bolton, said at a speech in Florida this week that he believes Bolton. The latest bombshell comes after a surprise statement by Sen. Lamar Alexander stating that he would vote against calling witnesses, in part because the case was already proven. Murkowski issued a statement against witnesses citing the impeachment 'partisan.' She put it out minutes after the repot on Bolton's account that Trump directed him to push Ukraine on investigations. 'The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena,' Murkowski she said. 'Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don't believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed.' Mikulski is close to Collins as part of a small group of Senate GOP centrists. With her and Alexander voting no, Collins who is up for reelection in a purple state is voting for witnesses. The spotlight was back on Bolton after late-night disclosures about which senators might cross party lines on allowing witnesses. Democrats appeared short of assembling a majority to call Bolton an others to testify about what they know. Democrats have spent days saying the trial would be a sham and a cover-up without witnesses. Bolton writes that Trump told him to contact Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to get him to meet with Giuliani Giuliani has traveled to Ukraine in search of information about the Bidens Former National security adviser John Bolton leaves his home in Bethesda, Md. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 Bolton says White House counsel Pat Cipollone, who has been overseeing his impeachment defense, was present during the Oval Office meeting with Trump and Bolton 'I think he's making some of it up. He's sure making up I wouldn't call it making it up, but he's acting like a real scumbag by never telling me that he objected once, and then saying I was a time bomb, or a firecracker or something,' said Giuliani Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., talks to reporters as he walks past the Senate chamber prior to the start of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Friday Jan 31, 2020. He is voting against calling witnesses Who votes how will be the biggest drama in the final vote as Trump is certain to be acquitted in the Republican-controlled chamber. And that decision is on track to happen late Friday after Republican Senator Lamar Alexander announced Thursday evening he would vote against calling additional witnesses, which likely doomed Democrats' efforts to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton to testify. Even without the votes for witnesses, the senators were tasked with reaching some kind of a procedural agreement to move forward possibly by sending lawmakers home for a few days. Schumer said Friday afternoon there was no agreement. The process fight has high stakes: the Iowa caucuses are Monday, with three presidential candidates girding to get on the campaign trail. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have big events scheduled in eastern Iowa Saturday, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar is climbing in the Iowa polls. Trump is set to deliver his State of The Union speech Tuesday at prime time. He would be keen to declare himself acquitted, and Democrats would prefer to deny him the opportunity. Schiff addressed the new Bolton revelations as he delivered a warning to senators poised to vote against witnesses. 'The witnesses the president is concealing will tell their stories,' he said. 'And we will be asked why we didn't want to consider that information when we had the chance.' 'The facts will come out. In all of their horror, the facts will come out,' he said. 'Witnesses will tell their stories in books and in the media.' Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has confirmed the country's first cases of the coronavirus after two tourists from China tested posted positive for the illness. The country's leader said the two individuals, who had been stating at the Paltino hotel in Rome before they were placed in isolation, had landed in the nation's capital earlier this week. Mr Conte, who has suspended air travel between Italy and China, added that he would be arranging a meeting with the Council of Ministers on Friday to discuss 'further measures'. He told CNN: 'We have already prepared all the precautionary measures to isolate these two cases. Italy has confirmed that two tourists from China, who had been stating at the Paltino hotel (pictured) in Rome, have tested posted positive for the illness The latest cases come after the 7,000 passengers who were kept in lockdown onboard the Costa Smeralda were allowed to leave the boat 'There is no reason to create social alarm or panic.' The latest cases come after the 7,000 passengers who were kept in lockdown onboard a cruise ship in the Italian city of Civitavecchia were allowed to leave the boat after receiving confirmation that two people onboard did not have the coronavirus. The people travelling inside the Costa Smeralda ship had been kept on the ship since Thursday morning after a Chinese woman, 54, from Macau, who boarded the ship on January 25, came down with 'mild flu-like symptoms' the previous night. The woman, who was placed in an isolation unit on the ship with her partner, tested negative for the virus, Italy's health ministry later confirmed. Costa Smeralda, which is owned by the company Costa Crociere, offered to pay for food and hotels for some 1,140 people who had been due to disembark at the Civitavecchia port near Rome on Thursday. The cases in Italy come as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an international public health emergency over the outbreak. Pictured: A bus leaves the harbour where the Costa Smeralda cruise ship was docked in Civitavecchia The Spallanzani hospital where the two Chinese tourists who tested positive are being kept in isolation Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has suspended air travel between Italy and China Following a meeting with an emergency committee in Geneva, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters: 'The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China, but because of what is happening in other countries. 'Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems, and which are ill-prepared to deal with it.' The declaration comes after the latest figures showed 213 people have now died in China from the deadly virus. Out of the 9,962 cases, 1,527 are critical, officials said on Thursday evening, as per CBS. An evacuation flight to bring British nationals back to the UK from the Chinese city of Wuhan is now expected to arrive back in the UK. About 150 UK citizens are due to be brought back from China on a flight due to leave Wuhan city at 7am local time on Friday 11pm Thursday UK time. The group will be housed in a seven-storey NHS staff block with a pool table, TVs and wi-fi, including access to outdoor areas. The coronavirus has now infected every region of China. The death toll is 213 and cases have soared past 9,692 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a fleeting visit to Moscow en route from Washington, where he had taken part in US President Donald Trumps presentation of his deal of the century. Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin met last week in Jerusalem and the meeting in Moscow is their fifth over the last 12 months. Netanyahu also came to take home US-Israeli national Naama Issachar, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in Russian prison for drug smuggling and drug possession in October. Public opinion in Israel considered the sentence disproportionately harsh, as the offense had not involved any border crossing. Issachar was arrested in the transit zone of the airport on the way from Delhi to Tel Aviv. In Israel, Issachar was called a political hostage to be released in exchange for Alexei Burkov, a Russian hacker arrested in Tel Aviv in 2015, for whom the United States had filed an extradition request. However, Burkov had already been extradited to Washington and the Issachar case threatened to disrupt Putins visit to Israel scheduled for late January. But it was reported in the run-up to the trip that the woman might be pardoned. Meanwhile, the Israeli media took note of the developments in the deadlocked ownership case concerning Alexander Courtyard in Jerusalems Old City. Russia has sought control of the Russian Orthodox site since 2015. Some came to believe that the decision to hand over the property was made in return for the release of Issachar. In Jerusalem, Putin publicly promised the Israeli prime minister that everything will be OK with her. The decree to pardon and free the Israeli woman was signed on Wednesday night, on the eve of Netanyahus flight to Moscow. A source close to the Israeli prime minister said the pardon was not part of any kind of deal with the Russian government, explaining, The pardon is Putins way of paying tribute to Netanyahu. Netanyahu typically seeks to show the Israeli public that he has a powerful impact on world leaders, including Putin. However, there was not a tint of superiority in his speech in the Kremlin. On the contrary, he complimented the Russian leader over and over again, thanking him for Issachars pardon as well as for the presidents personal contributions to bilateral relations. In the Kremlin, Netanyahu stressed that Putin was the first world leader he was meeting after his Washington trip, apparently to impress the Russian president as an unprecedented honor. I would like to hear your opinion and to see how we can gather strength for peace and conflict-free existence, Netanyahu told him. On the plane home, Netanyahu told the reporters who accompanied him that he would have met with Putin even if Issachar had not been in Moscow. Interestingly, Netanyahu had never before tried to bring up the Middle East settlement during his visits to Russia, even though Moscow would always place the issue on the agenda. In most cases, the Israeli prime minister dwelled on the situation in Syria and the Iranian threat. Putin treated Netanyahus introductory remarks with marked restraint and the issue of the situation in the Middle East came last in his welcome speech. He recalled his visit to Jerusalem and voiced his opinion on the case of Issachar and bilateral relations and casually noted that he was delighted to have this opportunity to discuss these areas of our cooperation with you, as well as regional developments. Following the meeting, Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov was succinct when asked about the US proposal, saying only that Moscow continues to analyze the plan. Earlier both Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Deputy Mikhail Bogdanov had pointed out that Moscow would like to first hear the views of all the parties involved, not only the Palestinians and the Israelis, but also Arab countries, the European Union and the United Nations. After the Kremlin talks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Moscows readiness for coordination and further constructive work towards the collective strengthening of efforts towards a complete resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict. She also emphasized that Russia is keeping a close eye on how Arab countries are reacting to the US initiative," observing, As of now, their reaction has been mostly negative and skeptical. Russia's initial reaction to Trumps peace plan had been cooler. A Russian diplomatic source who spoke with Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity told said not to expect any appraisals before before an emergency meeting of Arab League foreign ministers scheduled for Saturday. Broadly speaking, Moscow casts doubts over the prospects of 'the deal of the century.' There will be hardly anyone to advance the doomed American project. But if Arab countries decide to base their discussion on the Trump plan, why not do this? the source asked. Thus, for all the restrained remarks, Netanyahus visit comes at the right time for Moscow. The Russian president has got a chance to display his recent penchant for serving as a peacemaker and broker, notably on the Arab-Israeli track, which Moscow dismissed long ago as hopeless. Putin now has the chance to make some gains rather than follow Trump's lead. There are a few incentives for Moscow to jump aboard the US plan. One is the desire not to be left out of the negotiating process should it suddenly pick up steam. Last year, waiting for the plan to be revealed at any minute, the Palestinians spoke to world leaders about a potential international conference to kick-start negotiations in spite of the United States. Moscow was considered a possible venue, and now it is possible to put the idea into action. Last week in Jerusalem, Putin suggested convening a summit for the heads of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, citing the Berlin conference on Libya as an example. There is also the Syrian angle. Moscow stressed that US maps officially show the Golan Heights as Israeli territory. Syria is the only Israeli neighbor not to be included in the US plans to create a prosperous Middle East, despite it bing home to thousands of Palestinian refugees. Under the Trump concept, Syria, unlike other countries, is not entitled to any compensation for refugees and the occupied Golan Heights. The problem for Russia is not that Damascus could potentially embrace the US plan if the deal benefits Syria. Rather, the very attempt to exclude Syria from negotiations on Palestine could further exacerbate the rift between Damascus and the West and put a strain on talks for a Syrian settlement. Sales Leadership Conference (SLC) is West Africas biggest convergence of revenue leaders across corporate Nigeria. At the first edition hosted in 2018, we were joined by about 250 revenue leaders & CEOs from about 80 organizations including A-lists such as MTN, AxaMansard PLC, Friesland Campina PLC (Peak Milk), RenMoney, etc. We then went on to host about 400 participants in the second edition which held at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos on April 3-4, 2019 hosting speakers from across Africa including South Africa. In the next and including revenue leaders, CEOs, Regional Directors, Marketing Managers, Brand Managers and other senior executives in what is now the biggest revenue-focused conference in all of the West African sub-region. Some of our confirmed speakers include: Benedict Chukwurah Head, Corporate Strategy, Heritage Bank Plc. Winston Nolan CEO, SalesMachine South Africa. Bunmi Jembola- Founder, Sales Ruby Tope Dare Executive Director, Inlaks Nene Obichie- Head of Marketing, PayAttitude Tunji Oshiyoye- Divisional Head, Client and Customer Engagement, Allianz PLC Lara Yeku- Head of HR, Food Divisions, Flour Mill Uti Gabriella-Ellu Head, Customer Engagement Allianz PLC Adekunle Adebiyi Chief Sales Distribution, MTN Philip Edafiogho- Former Sales Director, PZ Cussons PLC Femi Oshinlaja- Regional Director, Airtel Idemudia Dima-Okojie Regional Marketing Manager, West Africa DHL Ezekiel Solesi CEO LIMBsimple Consulting Rashida Adebisi Director, Retail Solutions, AxaMansard Onyinye Ikenna Emeka- General ManagerEnterprise Marketing MTN and 15 others. This two-day event is focused on how to drive revenue leadership and value across multiple industries including, banking, FMCG, consulting, technology, education, agriculture, insurance, health and health management, other financial services, energy, oil & gas, other services, real estate, pharmaceuticals, network marketing etc. By applying the modern thoughts, tactics, methodologies, strategies on driving revenue and growth which will be offered by the 25+ faculty members who have an average of 20years in actual revenue leadership; generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for their organizations. Sales Leadership Conference At the end of this years conference there will be an exclusive award and gala night where individuals and businesses will be rewarded. It is expected that participants will be able to drive revenue and value in their organizations to an all-time exponential height. DATE: March 6th and 7th 2019 VENUE: Muson Center, 8/9 Marina Road Onikan, Lagos To book a seat Visit : https://events.salesruby.com/ For more information, send an e-mail to- training@salesruby.com; or call: Iyanu 08138725682; Oyindamola: 09070047690; Seun: 08140063405 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. Around 10,000 over 55s in the Netherlands have a death wish, new research has revealed. Yesterday, Health Minister and Christian Democrat MP Hugo de Jonge, told the Dutch House of Representatives that 0.18 per cent of the population over the age of 55 have a serious desire to die. '0.18% of Dutch people aged 55 and over have one has persistent and active death wish, which they consider best described can be like a wish to end life without being seriously ill,' the report, compiled by the Van Wijngaarden commission, reads. 'This amounts to approximately 10,156 people.' 0.18 per cent of the population over the age of 55 in the Netherlands have a serious death wish, according to a report brought before Dutch parliament yesterday. Pictured: Stock image of two elderly people holding hands De Jonge added that there was 'no doubt' the results indicate a 'major social issue for the government and society.' 'This group of peoples death wish is serious and the report underlines the need for action,' he added. De Jonge suggested the government needs to 'help these people find meaning in life again. The research is likely to split opinions between parties in the coalition government. Pia Dijkstra, a rival MP for the D66 party, announced today that she would table a bill to allow those over 75 to request euthanasia so 'people [can] manage a dignified end to their own lives'. The Netherlands was the first country to decriminalise the practice in a 2001 law and a steady increase in people terminating their own lives has been recorded ever since. Pictured: The Dignitas assisted suicide clinic Dignitas assisted suicide clinic, Pfaffikon, Zurich, Switzerland - 27 Jan 2010 Carla Dik-Faber, a member of De Jonge's party, claimed that using the research to produce a 'euthanasia pill' would be the 'most cynical response to people with a death wish.' 'We would be giving up on them instead of wanting to be there for them,' she added. In August, a Dutch doctor was put on trial in a landmark case after euthanising a patient with severe dementia who may have had second thoughts about dying. The doctor, now aged 68 and retired, is alleged to have put a sleeping drug into the elderly woman's coffee. In neighbouring Belgium, three doctors accused of unlawfully killing a patient with mental health problems were cleared yesterday in a landmark euthanasia case. The two doctors and a psychiatrist were charged after 38-year-old Tine Nys was given a lethal injection in 2010 after saying she wanted to end her life due to her severe mental anguish. Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002 but Ms Nys's family objected to the mercy killing claiming her condition did not lie within the strict guidelines of those allowed to voluntarily end their lives. Tine Nys's (centre) sisters, Sophie (right) and Lotte (left) claimed doctors acted unlawfully In order to qualify for euthanasia in the Netherlands, the patient must be at least 16-years-old and their decision must be 'voluntary and well considered'. The suffering must show no prospect of improvement and be 'considered unbearable'. They must be aware of all options and informed about the condition and be sure there's no other reasonable alternative. Lastly, there must be consultation with at least one other independent doctor who needs to provide written confirmation. Nearly 40 years ago, analog data tapes faithfully recorded intense seismic activity in the two months before the historic eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State in May 1980. It took some lengthy and careful restoration efforts--including a turn in a kitchen oven for some of the tapes--to recover their data. The data provide a near-continuous sequence of seismic activity leading up to the 18 May eruption, but they do not appear to contain any significant change in the seismic signals that would have hinted to researchers "that something big was coming," said Stephen Malone, an emeritus professor at the University of Washington and the former director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. In Seismological Research Letters, Malone describes how he worked from 2005 to 2014 to laboriously recover the data from the tapes into a digital form. His paper is part of the journal's focus section on the challenges, successes and analyses of historical seismograms. The Mount St. Helens tapes "are a unique data set for the time, in that there aren't very many cases where you have a volcanic earthquake sequence, certainly not one that was as wild and crazy and active as St. Helens, for which you have data other than on paper records," Malone said. Digitally transformed, the tape data have been archived at the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Management Center. Malone said few researchers have accessed them so far. The quality of the data is less impressive than today's digital recordings, he noted, but combined with modern software and techniques, they could give researchers new insights into volcanic systems, and potentially into the May 1980 eruption. Even though the initial analysis of the tapes did not reveal anything that would have suggested an imminent major eruption, Malone said, "if someone did a systematic look at these data using much more modern analysis tools, they might see a gradual change or something that did progress in a subtle way." The tapes come from seismic stations installed by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network after a March 1980 magnitude 4.2 earthquake near the volcano. Every five days, the tapes at the stations had to be serviced by hand. Some of the stations used radio telemetry to transfer their data to a digital recording system at the PNSN labs, but the system was designed so that only the largest earthquakes triggered recordings for later analysis. Malone recalls the frantic activity at the lab at the time, where he and his colleagues were attempting to keep up with the incoming seismic data "but also interpreting it in real time for the benefit of the volcano hazards people," he said. "We kept on top of things the best we could, but retaining data for longevity was a lower priority then." The five-day tapes, along with larger tapes that held some of the telemetered data and were changed irregularly at the lab, were forgotten in storage until Malone's retirement in 2007. He worked with them off and on for years to see what data might still be recovered. Techniques from the audio recording industry helped Malone figure out how to proceed. For instance, he learned that baking the tapes could help stabilize them so that they could be spun and read. "If you bake the tapes, actually cook them at low temperatures for a day, it sets the binder oxide on the tape such that it won't be scraped off as easily." Malone and his wife experimented with this technique using a home oven, "and we were able to recover data with pretty good fidelity," he said. For the larger tapes, Malone turned to a Canadian audio recording professional who had some experience with analog seismic data tapes used by oil and gas companies, and who had the equipment to spin the tape reels. The recovery was paid with the help of a U.S. Geological Survey grant that provides funds to recover old seismic data. Malone said the recovery "was a little like gambling. I didn't know how good the data would be until we had processed the whole tape. But I've been modestly pleased by the results." All of the analog tapes were discarded after Malone determined that no more data could be recovered from them. ### Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Turkish Defense Market - Attractiveness, Competitive Landscape and Forecasts to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides readers with detailed analysis of both historic and forecast defense industry values, factors influencing demand, the challenges faced by industry participants, analysis of industry leading companies, and key news. The report offers detailed analysis of the Turkish defense industry with market size forecasts covering the next five years. This report will also analyze factors that influence demand for the industry, key market trends, and challenges faced by industry participants. In particular, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the following: The Turkish defense industry market size and drivers: detailed analysis of the Turkish defense industry during 2020-2024, including highlights of the demand drivers and growth stimulators for the industry. It also provides a snapshot of the country's expenditure and modernization patterns Budget allocation and key challenges: insights into procurement schedules formulated within the country and a breakdown of the defense budget with respect to capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. It also details the key challenges faced by defense market participants within the country Import and Export Dynamics: analysis of prevalent trends in the country's imports and exports over the last five years Market opportunities: list of the top ten defense investment opportunities over the next 5 years Competitive landscape and strategic insights: analysis of the competitive landscape of the Turkish defense industry Turkish military expenditure is anticipated to register a CAGR of 18.13% over the forecast period. Turkish military stands at US$14 billion in 2019, and registered a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.04% during the historic period. The country's strained relationship with Greece, persistent threats from the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), active participation in peacekeeping missions, and the focus on the indigenization and Turkification of defense industry drove defense expenditure during the historic period. With this trend expected to continue, expenditure is anticipated to register a CAGR of 18.13% over the forecast period to value US$29.8 billion in 2024. As a percentage of GDP, the country's defense expenditure will average 2.2% over the forecast period compared to an average of 1.7% recorded during the historic period. The capital expenditure allocation, which stood at an average of 33.9% during the historic period, is projected to increase to an average of 40.4% over the forecast period. This is primarily due to the procurement of advanced defense equipment and a focus on increasing the capabilities of the country's indigenous defense industry. Various procurements that are expected to fuel the growth of capital spending over the forecast period include multi-role aircraft, missile defense systems, corvettes, and main battle tanks (MBTs). Turkish homeland security (HLS) expenditure stands at US$5.3 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$7.8 billion in 2024, registering a CAGR of 10.32% over the forecast period. Expenditure is driven by the threat of separatists and extremists, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and the country's dispute with Syria. Aircraft accounted for the largest expenditure during 2014-2018, with the US being the largest supplier. Turkish defense imports were highest in 2014 and 2018. Turkey procured Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft and in 2014 acquired 737-700 Peace Eagle Aircraft. Other significant import partners include South Korea, Spain, and Italy. Sensors, artillery, missiles, engines, naval vessels, naval weapons, armored vehicles and satellites were other key imports during 2014-2018. Similarly, arms exports recorded a gradual increase during the historic period and armored vehicles accounted for the majority of defense exports, with UAE topping the list of defense exporters during 2014-2018. Key Highlights Turkish defense expenditure stands at US$14 billion in 2019, and registered a compound annual growth rate CAGR of 4.04% during the historic period. The country's strained relationship with Greece, persistent threats from the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), active participation in peacekeeping missions, and the reduction in foreign dependency for military equipment procurement, drove defense expenditure during the historic period. With this trend expected to continue, expenditure is anticipated to register a CAGR of 18.13% over the forecast period to value US$29.8 billion in 2024. As a percentage of GDP, the country's defense expenditure will average 2.22% over the forecast period, which is marginally declining compared to an average of 1.70% recorded during the historic period. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 1.1. What is this Report About? 1.2. Definitions 1.3. Summary Methodology 1.4. About the Author 2. Executive Summary 3. Market Attractiveness and Emerging Opportunities 3.1. Current Market Conditions 3.1.1. Primary threat perception 3.1.2. Military doctrine and strategy 3.1.3. Procurement Programs 3.1.3.1. Ongoing procurement programs 3.1.3.2. Future procurement programs 3.1.3.3. Top Procurement Programs by Value (US$ Million) 2019-2024 3.1.4. Geopolitical, Social and economic scenario 3.1.5. Political and strategic alliances 3.2. Defense Market Size Historical and Forecast 3.2.1. Turkey defense expenditure expected to grow during the forecast period 3.2.2. Turkish defense expenditure to rise over the forecast period 3.2.3. Military expenditure as a percentage of GDP is expected to decline over the forecast period 3.3. Analysis of Defense Budget Allocation 3.3.1. Share of capital expenditure to increase over the forecast period 3.3.2. Capital expenditure to increase over the forecast period 3.3.3. Key Trends in Turkish defense market 3.3.4. Per capita defense expenditure to rise over the forecast period 3.4. Homeland Security Market Size and Forecast 3.4.1. Homeland security (HLS) expenditure expected to grow over the forecast period 3.4.2. Threats driving homeland security expenditure 3.5. Benchmarking with Key Global Markets 3.5.1. Turkish defense expenditure expected to remain low compared to leading spenders 3.5.2. The country's defense budget is high compared to its regional countries 3.5.3. Turkey defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP is expected to decrease 3.6. Market Opportunities: Key Trends and Growth Stimulators 3.6.1. Top Defense Market Categories by Value (US$ million) - Forecast-Period Projections 3.6.2. Physical Security 3.6.3. Multirole Aircraft 3.6.4. Main Battle Tank 4. Defense Procurement Market Dynamics 4.1. Import Market Dynamics 4.1.1. Defense imports expected to decrease over the forecast period 4.1.2. The US was the primary supplier of arms to Turkey 4.1.3. Aircraft were the major imported military hardware during 2014-2018 4.2. Export Market Dynamics 4.2.1. Turkey aims to increase defense exports over the forecast period 4.2.2. UAE emerged as the largest importer of Turkish defense equipment during the period 2014-2018 4.2.3. Armored Vehicles accounted for the majority of defense exports during 2014-2018 5. Industry Dynamics 5.1. Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1. Bargaining power of supplier: low 5.1.2. Bargaining power of buyer: high 5.1.3. Barrier to entry: medium 5.1.4. Intensity of rivalry: high 5.1.5. Threat of substitution: high 6. Market Entry Strategy 6.1. Market Regulation 6.1.1. The Turkish government encourages offsets to develop the country's domestic industrial defense base 6.2. Market Entry Route 6.2.1. Budgeting Process 6.2.2. Procurement policy and process 6.2.3. Joint venture provides market entry opportunity for foreign OEMs 6.2.4. Joint research and development programs provide foreign OEMs with an opportunity for market entry 6.3. Key Challenges 6.3.1. Corruption poses a challenge to the success of defense deals 6.3.2. The completion of military modernization plans, project delays, and cost escalation to limit new projects 6.3.3. Devaluation of Turkish Lira in relation to US Dollar 7. Competitive Landscape and Strategic Insights 8. Business Environment and Country Risk 8.1. Economic Performance 8.1.1. GDP per capita 8.1.2. GDP, current prices 8.1.3. Export of goods and services (LCU Billion) 8.1.4. Import of goods and services (LCU Billion) 8.1.5. Gross national disposable income (US$ Billion) 8.1.6. Local currency unit per US$ 8.1.7. Market capitalization of listed companies 8.1.8. Market capitalization of listed companies as a percentage of GDP 8.1.9. Government cash surplus deficit as a percentage of GDP 8.1.10. Goods Exports as a percentage of GDP 8.1.11. Good imports as a percentage of GDP 8.1.12. Service imports as a percentage of GDP 8.1.13. Service exports as a percentage of GDP 8.1.14. Foreign direct investments 8.1.15. Net foreign direct investment as a percentage of GDP 8.1.16. Mining, manufacturing, and utilities output Companies Mentioned Lockheed Martin Lockheed Sikorsky Korean Aerospace Industries Boeing (McDonnell Douglas) Samsung Techwin Hyundai Rotem Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) - Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems BAE General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Otokar Roketsan Makina ve Kimya Endstrisi Kurumu (MKEK) Aselsan Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) Havelsan Tusas Engine Industries (TEI) FNSS Defense Systems Company Istanbul Shipyard For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nr70al Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. LONDON Britain formally exits the European Union on Friday night, casting off from the Continent after nearly half a century and ending a debate that had convulsed the country for more than three years. Yet for all the gravity of the moment, there is a palpable sense of anticlimax. Now that Britain has finally reached this point of no return one that millions of Britons had long either dreaded or dreamed of, marched against or eagerly prepared for the prevailing emotion is neither sadness nor excitement. Rather, it is a characteristically British reflex: Get on with it. In time, the British are likely to discover that getting on with it isnt so easy. For the next 11 months, Britain will continue to abide by the European Unions rules and regulations, while it decides what sort of Brexit it wants for itself. That will be hammered out in talks with the blocs leaders in Brussels over trade relations negotiations that could prove as divisive and traumatic as the political fight over the withdrawal. But that, for now, lies in the future. For most people, nothing will be all that different when the sun rises on Saturday morning. State Rep. Carolyn Comitta, D-156 of West Chester, answered questions from constituents during a telephone town hall Wednesday. The main topics raised included climate change, the U.S. census and gerrymandering; 1,100 people participated in the forum, which included a moderator asking poll questions live during the virtual town hall. Citizens rank issues by importance Participants in a live poll declared which political issues are currently the most important to them. Twenty-seven percent of participants said environmental concerns and climate change were their top issues of concern. Twenty-four percent of people polled cited gun safety reform as their most important issue. Seventeen percent of people determined that their number-one concern was the Mariner East Pipeline. The pipeline is always an issue an issue in my district and certainly in Chester County, Comitta said. The poll found that 20 percent of constituents felt their biggest issue of concern in the 156th District was property tax reform. Fifty-eight percent of people polled supported the minimum wage in Pennsylvania increasing to $15 per hour; 8 percent of people polled were unsure while 34 percent did not support an increase. The current minimum wage in Pennsylvania is $7.25. Twelve percent of people polled selected other as their top issue of concern. Climate change Not surprising to me at all was that environmental issues and climate change were of top importance to the people who called in, to my constituents, and also to me, Comitta said. The focal point of this issue ranged from the impact of climate change on biodiversity to water pollution and carbon emissions. Fifty-eight of constituents told Comitta that Pennsylvania is not doing enough to combat climate change. Fifteen percent of people said the commonwealth is doing a good job; 27 percent of people polled felt that the state is currently doing too much. Ive been working on this for years, Comitta said. I am devoted to fighting the climate crisis. She noted that there is an effort in Harrisburg for Pennsylvania to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which was founded in 2019 to reduce greenhouse emissions. Participating states include: New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Census Census data will determine how more than $675 billion in federal funds will be distributed to the states each year of the following decade, Comittas office said. The last U.S. Census conducted by the federal government, which is constitutionally mandated, happened in 2010. Citizens and non-citizens who live in America are asked a set of questions. The findings go on to impact each state for the next decade from federal funding allotments to future congressional and state representation of elected officials sent to Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg by voters. Its huge, Comitta said of the Census. It is just very important to fill out the census. People will get mailed a Census form this year to answer a total of nine questions. Folks can also answer questions online using their federally determined Census identification number. Those who do not answer, may expect a knock on their door from the Census to get peoples information. Comitta said peoples answers are confidential and, thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, there is no question about citizenship on the form. Presently, Pennsylvania is awarded $26.8 billion annually through the 16 largest federally-funded programs. This equates to approximately $2,000 per Pennsylvanian each year, according to Comittas office. Gerrymandering Comitta said that the redrawing of state and congressional district maps, known as redistricting, will happen in 2021 and will be driven by the results of the 2020 U.S. Census. All those districts will be redrawn in 2021 based on the population, distribution, demographics (determined in 2020) by the census, she said. Currently, legislators draw the district maps, she said, noting that the majority party has the control of drawing the maps. To counter this, an effort is underway to create an independent nonpartisan commission to redraw Pennsylvanias district maps following the results of the Census. She said Fair Districts Pennsylvania is a citizen-led effort to change the redistricting process from a legislative project to a project of citizens across the commonwealth. The goal would be to have a more objective, fairer drawer of the districts and less politically driven. The representative is sponsoring legislation to make this happen in Harrisburg. Upcoming events Comitta is hosting a consumer protection outreach event from 10 am. to 1 p.m. at the West Chester Area Senior Center on March 4. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiros Bureau of Consumer Protection office will be present to answer any consumer complaints or questions, Comittas office said. Residents will also have the opportunity to sign up for text scam and consumer alerts. Beginning 6 p.m. April 2, Comitta will partake in an advocating forum presenting climate solutions. Climate on Tap with Penn Environment will take place at Barnabys Restaurant and Pub, 15 S. High St., West Chester. Penn Environment and I will be hosting a happy hour event at Barnabys, where we will be discussing environmental issues, climate solutions and more, Comitta said. Citizens are invited to join Comitta at 5 p.m. April 9 for an event about the REAL ID program going into effect in October. The public forum is taking place in East Goshen Township Office, 1580 Paoli Pike, West Chester. PennDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and address concerns of citizens. An event dedicated to bringing resources together for individuals with different abilities is scheduled for 10 a.m. May 9 at Fugett Middle School, 500 Ellis Lane, West Chester. Comitta said it is the districts first-ever expo of this kind. Wednesday was Comittas third time hosting a virtual town hall forum. Prior to being elected to the state House in Harrisburg for the 156th Legislative District in 2016, Comitta served as the first woman mayor in the history of West Chester from 2010 to 2017. Prior to that, she served the borough as a council member for the communitys 5th Ward from 2006 to 2010. Comitta encouraged people to call her office when support is needed. She said, Our job is to help you We help our neighbors every day with many concerns and we are happy to be here to help. To connect with Comitta, sign up for her e-newsletters via www.pahouse.com/Comitta. Citizens may also call her office at 610-696-4990. To follow her on social media, visit https://twitter.com/RepComitta and https://www.facebook.com/RepComitta. Comitta is running for re-election this year. Planning permission has been granted for a large solar farm around 1.7km outside Cobh, despite the objections of some local residents. An Bord Pleanala has upheld the decision of Cork County Council to approve the application by energy firm, Amarenco, for the development of a 5 megawatt solar farm together with two transformer stations plus a delivery station on a 12-hectare site at Ballynacrusha, Cobh. The solar farm will consist of approximately 22,200 solar panels. Subject to compliance with a number of planning conditions, the Board says the proposed solar farm would not seriously injure the visual or residential amenities of the area. It also claims the development would be acceptable in terms of landscape, archaeological and ecological impacts as well as traffic safety and convenience. The Board limited the grant of planning permission to a period of 25 years, although it will be open to Amarenco to lodge a fresh application for retention of the solar farm at that stage. It stipulated that security fencing around the site must be above 150mm above ground level to allow wildlife access through the site. The councils decision had been appealed by Cobh residents, Bryan Meredith and Edmund Mansworth. Mr Meredith whose home adjoins the site of the proposed solar farm claimed the development would devalue his property, while a CCTV system would impact on his privacy and security fencing would have a negative visual impact. He expressed concern that the transformer stations would also cause noise nuisance. Mr Mansworth objected on the basis that the site was earmarked for housing development as part of 185 hectares designated a strategic land reserve by Cork County Council. He claimed the solar farm was unacceptable because of its location on an elevated site which would have a negative impact on a sensitive landscape. Mr Mansworth also expressed concern at how energy from the solar farm would be connected to the national grid: This area already has an overburden of overhead lines." Amarenco claimed its plans for a solar farm at Ballynacrusha are fully in accordance with the zoning, policies and objectives of the Cork County Development Plan: The scheme has been carefully designed to protect the amenities of the area and privacy and amenities of adjoining properties and will not have a negative impact on the area." It claimed there are no studies to suggest that proximity to solar farms has a negative impact on property prices. A clerk wearing a face mask and a plastic bag stands in a pharmacy in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The U.S. advised against all travel to China as the number of cases of a worrying new virus spiked more than tenfold in a week, including the highest death toll in a 24-hour period reported Friday. Read more WASHINGTON The United States on Friday declared a public health emergency and took drastic steps to significantly restrict entry into the country because of a new virus that hit China and has spread to other nations. President Donald Trump has signed an order that will temporarily bar foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have traveled in China within the last 14 days. The new restrictions, which take effect at 5 p.m. EST on Sunday, were announced by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who is coordinating the U.S. response. "It is likely that we will continue to see more cases in the United States in the coming days and weeks, including some limited person-to-person transmissions," Azar said. "The American public can be assured the full weight of the U.S. government is working to safeguard the health and safety of the American people." Americans returning from China will be allowed into the country, but will face screening at select ports of entry and required to undertake 14 days of self-screening to ensure they don't pose a health risk. Those returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Beginning Sunday, the U.S. will also begin funneling all flights to the U.S. from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for illness. The virus has infected almost 10,000 people globally in just two months, a troublesome sign that prompted the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global emergency. The death toll stood at 213, including 43 new fatalities, all in China. A public health emergency in the U.S. allows the government to tap additional resources to send to states, such as emergency funding and if necessary drugs or equipment from the national stockpile, and to suspend certain legal requirements. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said that while the risk in the U.S. is low, "I want to emphasize that this is a significant global situation and it continues to evolve." There are seven cases of this virus in the U.S. and all were travelers except for a Chicago man who caught it from his wife, who had been in China. Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious diseases chief at the National Institutes of Health, said one reason the U.S. stepped up its quarantine measures was an alarming report from Germany that a traveler from China had spread the virus despite showing no symptoms. Fauci contrasted it with the response to recent outbreaks of Ebola, which can't be spread unless someone is very ill. At the same time, federal health authorities were recognizing that the test they're using to detect the virus isn't always dependable. Redfield said when it was used on some of the people currently in isolation, they'd test positive one day and negative another. Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University expert on public health law, said putting a large number of people under quarantine "is virtually unprecedented in modern American history." Declaring a public health emergency "gives HHS added powers, and is warranted. Quarantine of those returning from Hubei is also reasonable given the high risk of exposure to coronavirus in that province," he said. He did note that travelers from other parts of China don't pose as high a risk. "We need to use the least restrictive measure necessary to safeguard the population," Gostin said. Deputy Secretary of State Steve Biegun offered America's "deepest compassion" to the Chinese, noting that the deadly outbreak came during the peak of their holiday season, when everyone would ordinarily be celebrating and not living in fear of contracting the virus. Biegun said the U.S. is working hard to find donors of supplies and making arrangements for a "robust effort to help the Chinese people get their arms around this outbreak." The announcement came hours after the State Department issued a level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory, the highest grade of warning, and told Americans in China to consider departing using commercial means. "Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice," the advisory said. Hours later, Delta Air Lines and American Airlines announced they were suspending all flights between the U.S. and China, joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the virus outbreak continues to spread. Meanwhile, U.S. health officials issued a two-week quarantine order for the 195 Americans evacuated earlier this week from the Chinese city of Wuhan, provincial capital of Hubei province. It was the first time a federal quarantine has been ordered since the 1960s, when one was enacted over concern about the potential spread of smallpox, the CDC said. None of the Americans being housed at a Southern California military base has shown signs of illness, but infected people don't show symptoms immediately and may be able to pass on the virus before they appear sick. One of the evacuees, Matthew L. McCoy, a theme park designer who lives in China, said the group was very relieved by the quarantine order. "All of us really want to stay here and make sure we're all medically clear and the public safe," he said from the military base. China counted 9,692 confirmed cases Friday, the vast majority in Hubei province. The National Health Commission reported 171 cases of people who have been "cured and discharged from hospital." WHO has said most people who got the illness had milder cases, though 20% experienced severe symptoms. Symptoms include fever and cough, and in severe cases, shortness of breath and pneumonia. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine. American Airlines said it was halting all flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. It said the stoppage will continue through April 30. United Airlines announced that it will suspend flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu but continue flights to Hong Kong. The U.S. screening airports are John F. Kennedy International in New York, San Francisco International in California, Seattle-Tacoma International in Washington, O'Hare International in Chicago, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International in Georgia, and Daniel K. Inouye International in Hawaii. The Dow Jones Industrial Average skidded more than 600 points Friday as the outbreak continued to widen, stoking fears that the travel restrictions and other uncertainties caused by the health emergency in the world's second-largest economy could dent global growth. Since China informed WHO about the new virus in late December, at least 23 countries have reported cases, as scientists race to understand how exactly the virus is spreading and how severe it is. Experts say there is significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China, and WHO noted with its emergency declaration Thursday it was especially concerned that some cases abroad also involved human-to-human transmission. It defines an international emergency as an "extraordinary event" that poses a risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva. "Our greatest concern is the potential for this virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems which are ill-prepared to deal with it." A declaration of a global emergency typically brings greater money and resources, but may also prompt nervous governments to restrict travel and trade to affected countries. The announcement also imposes more disease reporting requirements on countries. The last time the U.S. government ordered a quarantine was in 1963 when a woman named Ellen Siegel was held in quarantine for up to 14 days because she did not present a valid certificate of vaccination against small pox. Siegel had visited Sweden when it still had a case of smallpox and although she had been revaccinated about two months earlier, the vaccination was said to be unsuccessful. On Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing said it was authorizing the departure of family members and all non-emergency U.S. government employees from Beijing and the consulates in the cities of Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. Staff from the Wuhan consulate departed earlier this week. The decision was made "out of an abundance of caution related to logistical disruptions stemming from restricted transportation and availability of appropriate health care," the embassy said. Mike Wester, a businessman in Beijing who has lived in China for 19 years, said he has no plans to leave. "I feel safer self-quarantining myself here at home than I do risking travel," Wester said. He pointed to potential risks from crowds at airports and being required to remove a mask for passport and security checks. Japan and Germany also advised against non-essential travel and Britain did as well, except for Hong Kong and Macao. Popular holiday and shopping destination Singapore barred Chinese from traveling there, becoming the first Southeast Asian nation to do so. Tedros said WHO was not recommending limiting travel or trade to China. "There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade," he said. He added that Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to help stop the spread of the virus beyond its borders. Although scientists expect to see limited transmission of the virus between people with close contact, like within families, the instances of spread to people who may have had less exposure to the virus is worrying. In Japan, a tour guide and bus driver became infected after escorting two tour groups from Wuhan. In Germany, five employees of a German auto parts supplier became ill after a Chinese colleague visited, including two who had no direct contact with the woman, who showed no symptoms of the virus until her flight back to China. On Friday, Germany confirmed a sixth case, a child of one of the people already infected. "That's the kind of transmission chain that we don't want to see," said Marion Koopmans, an infectious diseases specialist at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and a member of WHO's emergency committee. The new virus has now infected more people globally than were sickened during the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, a cousin of the new virus. Both are from the coronavirus family, which also includes those that can cause the common cold. Moritsugu reported from Beijing. Associated Press reporters Joe McDonald and Sam McNeil in Beijing, Lauran Neergaard, Darlene Superville, Kevin Freking and Deb Riechmann in Washington, Mike Stobbe and Alexandra Olson in New York, Maria Cheng in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Edith Lederer at the United Nations, Elaine Ganley in Paris, Frank Jordans in Berlin and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Anyone imagining that the UKs withdrawal from the European Union on January 31 might mean things will go quiet on the Brexit front, they are likely to be disappointed. It looks like 2020 will be just as packed as the past three rollercoaster years. The fundamental reason for this is that while the UK has left the EU, it has not yet established a new relationship. This year is a transition period, during which not much changes. The UK will no longer be a member of the European Union but it will continue to adhere to its rules including on freedom of movement. During the transition period, the future relationship is supposed to be negotiated. There will be a busy schedule for all involved and a number of pinch points through the year. February 2020: priorities and timetables The first step in the Brexit process involves arranging the negotiating table. This will take place in February, after the official departure. As the transition period gets under way, the Joint Committee of EU and UK officials starts its work to manage the day-to-day practicalities. Meanwhile, both the UK and the EU will be concluding internal discussions about what they want to come next. A Political Declaration was attached to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, signed by both sides. This sets out the rough list of what needs to be agreed, with a trade deal occupying most attention. But theres a long list of other elements that need to be discussed, including how to make plans for the Irish border and how data will be shared between the UK and EU after Brexit. The two sides need to agree on how access to fishing waters will be divided up and whether there will be a deal on financial services an important pillar of the British economy. They will also need to decide whether the UK will continue to participate in EU funding programmes in areas such as scientific research, despite no longer being a member. Importantly, this all needs to be covered by an institutional framework, which would include rules about dispute settlement. That could involve an ongoing role for the European Court of Justice something many hard-Brexit supporters oppose. Story continues Both sides will need to fix their own negotiating mandate for each element as well as a timetable and a sense of their own priorities. February will be the time to do it. To settle everything in the time available will be an exceptionally tall order, so this is where we will see the first tensions. Will one side want to settle a particular element, such as fisheries, first and the other something different? That will become particularly difficult if either the UK or the EU tries to link progress in one area to progress in another, for example by saying they wont move on to talk about financial services until the question of data sharing has been resolved. March 2020: negotiations begin March brings the start of formal negotiations, when all of these issues will come to a head. This will be the moment at which we will get more of a sense of what is hot air and what is to be negotiated. For the EU, this might highlight any internal differences of opinion between member states, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson might find out how much room his MPs will give him. Summer 2020: to extend or not to extend? By the end of June we will have had the first major dilemma: whether to extend the transition period or not. The withdrawal agreement includes the option to extend the negotiation period for one or two years but that decision must be made by July. Johnson has also already said he does not intend to extend. December 2020: crunch time Whether or not Johnson sticks to that pledge matters deeply. If there is no extension, then the rest of 2020 will become a race to conclude as much of an agreement as possible before the December 31 deadline. Given the Christmas break, that means getting to a text by mid-December, so that it can begin a provisional implementation. This means allowing much of the agreement to come into effect, while the ratification by both sides trundles on in the background. Since this truncated timeline makes it harder to reach a comprehensive relationship, businesses and citizens will have to think about preparing themselves for a marked change of circumstances at the years end. In the worst case, with no agreement at all, that might look a lot like the no-deal scenarios that were much-discussed in 2019. Only Northern Ireland will have a cushion. On to 2021 or even 2022? If there is an extension which could be up to the end of 2022 the second half of 2020 will be much more relaxed and the potential for a wide-reaching agreement more likely too. But this is not without its dangers. The UK will then still be tied into the EU budget for 2021, when a new financial cycle begins, probably producing a marked increase in net contributions. There will, therefore, have to be a decision over whether the UK continues to pay into the budget and, if so, how much. December is also the time for the annual review of fishing quotas, which the UK will have to abide by, but without a vote at the table. And more generally, the longer the UK remains in transition, the greater the chance that it has to implement a decision made by the EU that it would prefer not to do. Either way, New Years Day 2021 is unlikely to mark the end of the Brexit saga. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The Conversation Simon Usherwood received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council, as Deputy Director of the "UK in a Changing Europe" programme (2017-19). He sits on the academic advisory board of Modern Europe. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of the research councils. "Sex workers have been waiting for our day in court for over 100 years," announced Kaytlin Bailey, Director of Communications for the group Decriminalize Sex Work, "and finally, were going to get it." On January 24, sex workers and their allies won an important victory in our ongoing constitutional challenge to SESTA/FOSTA, a federal law that attempts to erase the oldest profession from the Internet." As AVN recently reported, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the plaintiffs case can proceed to trial, where a federal judge will decide whether SESTA/FOSTA interferes with the constitutional rights of website operators and their users. "If you use the Internet, this law affects you," Bailey noted. "And if peoples health and safety is important to you, you should be siding with the sex workers in this case." SESTA/FOSTA, enacted in 2018, imposes severe criminal penalties for website operators that allow discussions of prostitution, which is being broadly interpreted to include massage therapists, harm reduction service providers, and sex worker rights activists. Sex workers who had been using websites to schedule and screen their clients have since resorted to more dangerous tactics, soliciting on the street or relying on third parties, such as pimps. Some are using offshore platforms on the dark web that, unlike Backpage and Craigslist, do not cooperate with law enforcement. Prohibition doesnt work, the group declared, and the more government pushes the sex industry underground, the more dangerous it becomes. A meta-analysis reviewing 30 years of data published by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and John Hopkins University found overwhelming evidence that repressive policing of prostitution leads to less health and safety among sex workers. SESTA/FOSTA attempted to erase places on the Internet that sex workers had been using to mitigate the risks of their trade for years. Immediately after this law took effect, the St. James Infirmary in San Franciso reported a 700% increase in street-based prostitution. Sex workers and harm reduction advocates have reported a marked increase of homicides, suicides, overdoses, and desperate people doing desperate things to survive. The only way to reduce violence and exploitation in the sex trade is to make it easier for sex workers to screen their clients and advocate for their own safety and health. Sex workers cannot protect themselves from predators and police at the same time. Studies show that when Craigslist Erotic Services allowed adults to negotiate consensual sex with each other from the privacy of their homes, the female homicide rate dropped by 17%. When sex work was decriminalized in Rhode Island from 2003 to 2009, reported rapes dropped by 30% and gonorrhea by 40%. Allowing sex workers to find and negotiate with potential clients online before exposing themselves to risk reduces violence and STDs. This is not conjecture or theory; studies prove what sex workers have been saying for literally a century. On January 25, 1917, 300 prostitutes in San Francisco marched in the street to protest the imminent eviction of the brothels where they lived and conducted their work. They told the moral reformers and politicians that eviction would only make their lives worse and their work more dangerous. They were right. And on January 24103 years laterfederal appellate judges gave sex workers and their allies the chance to make their case in court. Victory is one court case away. Advertisement Britons soaked up the winter sun on the beaches of Benidorm today in the UK's final hours as a member of the European Union. Tourists and expats relaxed on the Mediterranean coast today where thousands of British retirees have settled over the years, drawn by the warmer climate and cheaper cost of living. Some Britons took to Levante beach on mobility scooters while others in beachwear needed suncream to protect them on a sunny 71F (22C) day in Spain. The UK leaves the 28-member bloc at 11pm UK time tonight - midnight in Spain - but the Brexit transition period means little will change overnight. Experts who feared that British demand for property would be 'decimated' after the 2016 referendum say it has held up surprisingly well and Britons remain the largest group of foreign buyers. However, young expats fear they will have 'less opportunities' in future and some British business owners worry that future travel restrictions will hit demand. Britons relax in the sun on Levante beach in Benidorm today on the UK's last day as a member of the European Union - although little will change in practice because of the 11-month transition period A woman lies on the beach in Benidorm where thousands of British people have settled over the years, drawn by the warmer climate and cheaper cost of living Britons already living legally in Spain have been guaranteed access to the public healthcare system and the right to stay after Brexit. Mark Stucklin, the head of the Spanish Property Insight website, said he was 'really surprised' how well British demand had stood up since the referendum. 'I thought it would be absolutely decimated,' he said. However, expats fear that Brexit could further erode the value of the pound - cutting their pensions once they are converted to euros. Karen Watling, 73, and her husband are also concerned about declining property values in the region, in part due to lower demand from British buyers. The couple sold their home in England to move to Orihuela Costa in Alicante province with her husband after she retired from her teaching job 17 years ago, and fear they would have nothing to go back to in the UK. But other Britons shrugged off Brexit concerns, arguing it was in both Madrid and London's interests to ensure that British pensioners stayed in Spain. 'If life out here for expats like myself got more difficult and we decided to go home, that would devastate the Spanish economy,' said Malcolm Cavendish, a 76-year-old retired butcher. 'And it would make a mess of things back in the UK because the UK couldn't cope,' said the Orihuela Costa resident, who supported Brexit at the 2016 referendum. A man wearing a cap sits on a sun lounger at a beach in Benidorm today, hours before Britain becomes the first country ever to quit the European Union Two people on mobility scooters enjoy the view at the seaside on Levante beach in Benidorm today, as Britain's drawn-out withdrawal process finally reaches a turning point more than three years after the referendum People relax by the seaside in Benidorm today on Britain's last day in the EU, more than 47 years after it joined what was then known as the European Communities Orihuela Costa, a sprawl of dozens of large housing estates with pastel-coloured buildings 70 miles down the coast from Benidorm, is one of the largest British enclaves in Spain. Britons account for 8,000 of a population of some 28,000, according to municipal statistics. Supermarkets stock British staples such as baked beans, newsagents sell UK newspapers and the streets are lined with pubs called 'The Randy Leprechaun' and 'The Celtic Drop'. Once the transition period is over, it is expected that new travel restrictions will take effect which means Britons will no longer have an automatic right to move to Spain. And those who only spend part of the year in Spain may face restrictions on the total number of days they can be in the country per year. 'This will complicate their lives,' said Bob Houliston, a retired British diplomat and former EU official who has lived in Orihuela Costa since 2006. 'It raises a whole lot of practical problems for these people, and there are many of them,' added Houliston, who served as a municipal councillor in Orihuela between 2011 and 2015. The loss of freedom of movement is the main concern for numerous young Brits who work in the bars, estate agents and other businesses in Orihuela Costa. 'I am still young. I had thought of going to Greece at some point but that seems more complicated now,' said Mike Watkins, a 26-year-old bartender from Leicester, central England, as he sunbathed on the beach before starting his shift at a pub. 'I feel like I have less opportunities now than I did before,' he added. Britons sit around a table and enjoy a drink in the sunshine in Benidorm today. The Brexit transition period means little will change overnight A united opposition on Friday slammed the Modi government for referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as an achievement and skipping any mention to the rising unemployment in the President's address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. Leader of 14 political parties came together after President Ram Nath Kovind concluded his address to mark the beginning of the Budget Session of Parliament to voice concern over the economic situation and the anti-CAA protests across the country. It is unfortunate that the government has included the passage of the CAA in the president's address and termed it as an achievement. There cannot be a bigger shame than the government claiming the CAA as their achievement, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here. He dismissed the President's hour-long address as a laundry list of wrong laws passed by the government. CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury accused the Modi government of being responsible for pushing the society towards a civil war-like situation and making no efforts to address the concerns raised by the protestors about the CAA. The government's agenda is to divide the people to consolidate its own Hindutva motive, Yechury said. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said termed the passage of the CAA as an assault on the Constitution as it had created deep fault lines in the country. The government is arrogant and it is also lacking in compassion, the kind of violence that has been engineered, triggered and the kind of language that the ministers and the senior leaders of the BJP are using, Sharma said. Congress leader M V Rajeev Gowda debunked the Economic Survey presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman as "totally disconnected with reality". Senators cast their vote on the motion to allow additional witnesses and evidence to be allowed in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 31, 2020. The motion failed with a vote of 51-49. (Senate Television via AP) Trump Impeachment Trial Day 10: Senate Votes Down Witnesses, To Vote on Articles on Feb. 5 The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump resumed Friday, with Trumps lawyers and House impeachment managers led by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) making concluding arguments. The Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses late Friday. Senate to Vote on Impeachment Articles on Wednesday Senate Republicans voted 53-47 late Friday to approve a resolution that calls for the vote on the articles of impeachment to be held on Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m. ET. The resolution also calls for closing statements to be heard starting Monday when the Senate is set to reconvenethere will be no trial action over the weekend. Senate Votes Down Resolution to Call Impeachment Witnesses Senate Republicans rejected a resolution to call witnesses, including former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, on Friday evening, setting up a potential acquittal vote in the coming days. The Senate voted 5149 to not subpoena any documents or witnesses in the trial. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) joined Democrats in the losing bid. Potential swing-vote Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) voted against the measure. No Democrats joined the Republican majority. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that there is no need for the Senate to re-open the investigation which the House Democratic majority chose to conclude and which the Managers themselves continue to describe as overwhelming and beyond any doubt.' Read more here. Another Moderate GOP Senator Wont Vote for Witnesses Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said he will not vote in favor of a motion to call for more witnesses and documents in the impeachment trial. I do not believe that additional witnesses are needed, he said in the statement, adding that he believes Trump didnt handle his dealings with Ukraine well. However, the actions do not rise to the level of removing a duly-elected president from office and taking him off the ballot in the middle of an election, his statement said. Early voting has already begun in some states in the presidential primaries. The American people will have the opportunity to have their say at the ballot box, Portman, who is considered a moderate, added in his statement. Nadler Not on Floor Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), an impeachment manager, said he wont be on the House floor because he has to deal with his ailing wife in New York City. In December, following the House Judiciary Committee markup of the Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump, my wife was admitted to the hospital where she was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She has undergone surgery and is taking further steps to address the spread of the cancer, Nadler said. I am sorry to not be able to stay in Washington for the conclusion of the Senate impeachment trial but I need to be home with my wife at this time. We have many decisions to make as a family. I have every faith in my colleagues and hope the Senate will do what is right. (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) January 31, 2020 Nadler added: On Monday, I will be in New York with her to meet with doctors, determine a path forward, and begin her treatment. I am sorry to miss some of the Senate Impeachment Trial, which is of critical importance to our democracy. House Managers Ask Senate for One Week for Witnesses The House impeachment managers have asked the Senate for one more week so witnesses can testify in the case. However, with Sen. Lisa Murkowskis (R-Alaska) statement that she will vote against witnesses, a Democratic measure to call them up seems likely to fail. Democrats need four Republicans to vote. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) indicated that he will not vote in favor of witnesses. On the Senate floor, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a manager from the House, said they need one week to listen to witnesses in the trial. House impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) speaks during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 23, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) I will make an offer to opposing counsel, who says this will stretch on indefinitely if you decide to have a single witness, Schiff said. Lets cabin the depositions to one week. I think we can. I think we should. I think we must, he continued. Trump Denies Asking Bolton to Put Zelensky, Giuliani in Contact President Donald Trump on Friday said he did not tell former national security adviser John Bolton to set up a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and personal attorney Rudy Giuliani. I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in America and by far the greatest mayor in the history of N.Y.C., to meet with President Zelensky, Trump said in a statement. That meeting never happened. The New York Times reported Friday afternoon that Bolton said in a forthcoming book that Trump directed him to place Zelensky in contact with Giuliani. Murkowski Against Voting for Witnesses Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) revealed Thursday that she will not vote in favor of calling witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump after a weeks worth of speculation about whether she would be a key swing-vote to help the Democrats, but she admitted that Congress has failed. In a statement, Murkowski explained that House Democrats chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed before she carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate, she wrote. I dont believe the continuation of the process will change anything. Murkowski also said that some of her colleagues in the Senate tried to politicize the trial and attack presiding officer Chief Justice John Roberts. We have already degraded this institution for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another, she added. We are sadly at a low point of division in this country. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) speaks with reporters off the Senate floor in Washington on May 23, 2019. (REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan) GOP Senator: Trial Might Go Until Next Week Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a member of the GOP leadership, said that the impeachment trial could slog into next week and interfere with the Iowa caucuses and State of the Union address. My guess is it probably is going to carry us over to the first part of next week, but obviously we have the Iowa caucuses on February the 3rd, and we have the State of the Union the next day, Cornyn told reporters. So I think for all sorts of reasons, its probably a good idea to bring this thing to a close in the near future. Some senators have said that they hope that a vote on witnesses could be done later on Friday. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) during a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting in Washington on Sept. 28, 2018. (Mary F. Calvert/Reuters) Schumer: Witnesses Needed Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Friday said witnesses are needed in the trial and accused Republican senators of trying to cover it up. The vote today is about whether the Senate will have a fair trial of the president, Schumer told reporters during his 11 a.m. press conference. I believe the American people should hear what every senator thinks and why theyre voting the way theyre voting, Schumer said. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Dec. 16, 2019. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images) His remarks came after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said he wouldnt vote to call up witnesses in the trial. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) said they would vote to compel witness testimony after a New York Times report detailed an allegation from Bolton about Trump explicitly saying military aid to Ukraine was tied to investigationswhich Trump has denied in no uncertain terms. Alexander wrote that he believes Trumps conduct was not appropriate, but he felt that it does not rise to the level of an impeachable offense. There is no need for more evidence to prove that the president asked Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter; he said this on television on October 3, 2019, and during his July 25, 2019, telephone call with the president of Ukraine, he wrote. That glimmer of hope that I had a few days ago disappeared last night with Lamar Alexanders decision, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Democratic whip, told CNN on Thursday. I dont see the fourth vote thats necessary. New Zealand choked yet again as India defeated the hosts in a second successive Super Over in the fourth T20I of the five-match series here at the Westpac Stadium on Friday. With this win, India has gained a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. In the Super Over, New Zealand managed to score 13/1 and India chased down the total easily as KL Rahul and Virat Kohli achieved the score in just five balls. Chasing 166, New Zealand lost its first wicket with just 22 runs on the board as Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Martin Guptill (4) in the fourth over of the innings. Colin Munro and Tim Seifert then retrieved the innings for New Zealand as the duo put on 74 runs for the second wicket. India finally got the breakthrough of Munro (64) in the 12th over as he was sent back to the pavilion via a run-out. Immediately after Tom Bruce (0) was bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal, reducing Kiwis to 97/3. However, Seifert and Ross Taylor staged a comeback to put Kiwis in a comfortable position. The duo put on a stand of 62 runs, but with seven runs required off the final, Taylor (24) was dismissed by Shardul Thakur. The final over saw plenty of drama as KL Rahul ran out Seifert (57) and Kiwis required three runs from three balls to win the match. Thakur kept on leading India's fightback as he went on to dismiss Daryl Mitchell (4) and Kiwis required two runs off the final delivery of the match. The match went into the super over as India managed to run-out Mitchell Santner (2). In the end, Kiwis got over the line by five wickets and with balls to spare. Earlier, Manish Pandey's unbeaten knock of 50 runs helped India register a score of 165/8 in the allotted twenty overs. After being put in to bat, Sanju Samson failed to impress as he managed to score just eight runs and was dismissed in the second over of the innings. Skipper Virat Kohli then joined KL Rahul at the crease and the duo formed a 34-run stand, but Kohli's (11) stint at the crease was cut short as Hamish Bennett sent him back to the pavilion as Mitchell Santner took a brilliant catch. In-form batter Shreyas Iyer (1) departed early and India was left in a spot of bother at 52/3 in the seventh over. Rahul and Shivam Dube then put on 23 runs for the fourth wicket. With India looking to stage a comeback, Kiwis got the big breakthrough of Rahul (39) in the ninth over as Ish Sodhi had him caught at mid-wicket. India then lost wickets of Shivam Dube (12) and Washington Sundar (0), to leave the side reeling at 88/6. Manish Pandey and Shardul Thakur then retrieved the innings for the Men in Blue as the duo put on 43 runs for the seventh wicket. However, Kiwis dismissed Thakur (20) in the 17th over, reducing India to 131/7. In the end, Pandey (50*) and Navdeep Saini (11*) took the score past the 160-run mark. Brief Scores: New Zealand 165/6 (Colin Munro 64, Tim Seifert 57, Shardul Thakur 2-33) and India 165/8 (Manish Pandey 50*, KL Rahul 39, Ish Sodhi 3-26). Super Over Score: India 16/1 defeat New Zealand 13/1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed on Friday a deal with the U.S. producer Lockheed Martin to purchase 32 F-35 fighter jets as part of a plan to modernize the Polish army, Trend reports citing Xinhua. The signing ceremony, attended by Polish President Andrzej Duda, took place in Deblin, central-eastern Poland. The purchase would cost Poland 4.6 billion U.S. dollars, according to the government. Lockheed Martin announced that the first planes will be delivered in 2024, with further deliveries in 2026 and 2030. Efforts continue to secure return of Taiwanese in Hubei: MAC ROC Central News Agency 01/30/2020 08:47 PM Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) The government will continue to explore the feasibility of using a charter flight to bring home 400 Taiwanese in the Chinese province of Hubei, which the Chinese government has placed on lockdown in an effort to contain the deadly coronavirus outbreak, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Thursday. The MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, and the semi-official Straits Exchange Foundation have received 252 telephone calls since Jan. 24 seeking help for about 400 Taiwanese citizens who have been barred from leaving Hubei and returning to Taiwan, according to MAC Deputy Minister and Spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng (). The Chinese central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, the epicenter of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), as well as other cities in Hubei province on Jan. 23 to contain the outbreak of the deadly new virus. The lockdown has prompted concerns as to whether the government should charter a flight to evacuate Taiwanese from the city. The MAC on Monday said it has asked Beijing about the possibility of a charter flight through existing communication channels. However, China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not offer a direct response on Tuesday, saying only that it received the faxed message. Chiu said at a news conference Thursday that the MAC has asked Taiwanese business associations in Wuhan and neighboring areas to establish a liaison mechanism with Taiwanese stranded there in order to provide them with needed assistance. Most of the Taiwanese currently in Hubei are not business people living in the province but individuals who traveled there for short-term business, sightseeing trips or private visits to see relatives. They have no fixed residence and are short on medical supplies, according to Chiu. The MAC continues to communicate with Beijing on the matter and will make an announcement if it receives a response from the Chinese government. Meanwhile, President Tsai Ing-wen () said at another news conference Thursday that she is highly concerned about Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan and hopes to bring them back home. Once they return to Taiwan they will be placed in isolation and quarantine, she added. Taiwan has introduced appropriate prevention and control measures and is willing to provide China with any needed assistance in its fight to combat the coronavirus outbreak, she said. (By Miao Zong-han, Wen Kuei-hsiang, Ye Su-ping and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ALBANY, N.Y. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos announced that DECs Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs program is accepting applications for spring streamside planting projects. New Yorkers who own or manage property near a stream in the Hudson River Estuary watershed are eligible to apply for free native trees and shrubs by March 1. Trees for Tribs streamside plantings stabilize streambanks, reduce erosion, slow flood waters, and provide habitat for fish and wildlife, Seggos said in a news release. Under Governor (Andrew) Cuomos proposed $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, DEC will build on programs like Trees for Tribs to restore habitat and reduce flooding, and help to establish riparian buffers for long-term flood protection. In addition, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, making them a powerful tool in New Yorks nation-leading fight against climate change. Now celebrating its 12th year, an estimated 7,300 Trees for Tribs volunteers have planted approximately 54,000 shrubs and trees on 109 acres at 324 streamside sites. The programs spring streamside planting application deadline is March 1. Early applications are encouraged, particularly for large sites (more than 60 plants) or if requesting specific plant species. To download an application for the Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs, visit DECs website. To learn more, click here for a video about Trees for Tribs on YouTube or visit DECs Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs website. If the project is selected, the applicant must recruit volunteers for planting and maintain the site after the planting is complete. DEC staff may be able to assist with plant selection and designing a planting plan, as well as provide technical assistance to help projects succeed. DECs Colonel William F. Fox Memorial Saratoga Tree Nursery provides the native, New York seed-sourced riparian plant species, ideal for flood- and erosion-prone areas. Cuomos proposed 2020-21 Executive Budget, announced earlier this month, includes record funding for the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) at $300 million the highest sustained level of funding in the programs 25-year history. As part of the Governors new $33 billion five-year plan to combat climate change, which includes the EPF and the proposed $3 billion Restore Mother Nature Bond Act, these major investments continue New Yorks national environmental leadership, advance essential projects to protect the states water, air and natural resources, prevent damages from flooding and help communities capitalize on the economic returns of environmental funding. A list of New York Trees for Tribs Programs in other watersheds is available on the DEC website. For small projects, applicants can receive a bag of 25 or 50 free native plants in the mail through DECs Buffer in a Bag program. Through this initiative, the Saratoga Tree Nursery provides landowners with a free bag of bare-root tree and shrub seedlings to enhance the streamside area on their property. Each bag of seedlings includes a variety of native trees and shrubs chosen specifically to improve streamside areas in New York. After a summer and fall in which San Antonio focused on domestic violence, city officials Thursday laid out a plan to spend an additional $500,000 to stem the problem. Melody Woosley, director the city's Department of Human Services, presented the proposals to the City Council, three months after it approved an annual budget with more money to address gaps in the support system for victims. In 2018 alone, at least 29 people in Bexar County died as a result of family violence. Were excited because these are evidence-based programs that we have not funded in the past, that are new to the community, Woosley said. They will provide for richer survivors services and, hopefully, reduce violence. A communitywide request for proposals went out in November. From that, four organizations with five different program proposals were selected by city officials. Those, and the recommended allotted funding, are: A school-based teen dating violence program to be implemented in the San Antonio and Edgewood independent school districts; the YWCA, $272,222. A pilot high-risk team that will identify and provide services, including expedited protective orders, to victims at risk of being killed; the Bexar County Family Justice Center Foundation, $330,552. Expansion of free legal services to victims of domestic violence, with a focus on protective orders; Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, $226,726. Special training for nurses to address domestic violence ($125,500) and training for first responders in how to assess the lethality of offenders ($45,000); Family Violence Prevention Services Inc. On ExpressNews.com: New commission to look at gaps in the system Council members will vote on the proposals next month. Funding for the approved programs, covering 19 months, will start March 1, Woosley said. There will be an option to renew the programs, depending on how well they work, she said. The recommendations grew out of the Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence, a city-county partnership formed in the summer to identify holes in the family violence safety net. Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger presented the citys first comprehensive plan to address domestic violence, drawn from its own analysis and the commissions findings, last October. On ExpressNews.com: City releases its five-year comprehensive plan Another $500,000 has already been allocated for a positive parenting program, a school-based, anti-violence program and public service announcements, Woosley said, bringing the total added city money to $1 million. Other San Antonio charitable groups, such as the San Antonio Area Foundation and the Kronkosky Foundation, have pledged money to fight domestic violence as well, she said. Woosley said the number of domestic violence fatalities doubled from 2015 to 2018, and arrests for felony domestic violence offenses increased 6 percent annually from 2014 to 2018. City Council members as a group said they were impressed with the citys plan. But some noted gaps not included in the proposals. Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, who with Councilman Manny Pelaez first sounded the alarm about the growing domestic violence problem last summer, asked why there wasnt a mention of batterers intervention and prevention programs on the list of proposals. Jenny Hixon with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District said that wasnt put forth by the commission as a first-year priority. But just because thats not on the list, it doesnt mean were not still looking at efforts to expand resources for that, she said. Other council members asked about other gaps that didnt make the list: What about the need for more housing for domestic violence survivors? What about more outreach to survivors in the LGBTQ community? Woosley, Bridger and others assured them that the city plans to look at other issues over the next five years as part of the comprehensive plan. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said fighting domestic violence is one of the key charges of his administration. We need to keep the conversation elevated on this, he said. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje is a general assignment reporter covering breaking news, cultural trends and interesting people and goings-on around San Antonio and Bexar County, as well as all across South Texas. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | mstoeltje@express-news.net | Twitter: @mstoeltje Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sarah Shearman (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Fri, January 31, 2020 07:07 713 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061cec8a 2 Entertainment Britain,Diversity,bafta,film,film-awards,Carey-Mulligan,Gemma-Arterton,BAFTA-Film-Awards Free British film stars including Carey Mulligan and Gemma Arterton have come up with alternative nominees for the BAFTA Film Awards after criticism that this year's list is not diverse enough. Top industry figures nominated their winners in a campaign organized by Time's Up UK, the group set up to fight sexual harassment, to highlight movies and performances overlooked by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). "The awards season is upon us and while there are some great films and outstanding performances nominated, there have been glaring omissions," said Time's Up UK Chairwoman Heather Rabbatts in a statement. "This invisibility is even more shocking given the choices which were available and the strength of films and performances where black talent was apparent this year." British director Susanna White said it was "disappointing to see so many amazing films by women and people of color overlooked", citing Greta Gerwig's Little Women, Mati Diop's Atlantique and Chiwetel Ejiofor's The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind. Mulligan, who won a BAFTA in 2010 for An Education and has previously spoken about a lack of diversity in Oscar nominations, said she would give director Lorene Scafaria a BAFTA nod for her film Hustlers. The absence of black actors came in for particularly strong criticism when the nominations were unveiled earlier this month, with the hashtag #BAFTASsowhite trending on social media. BAFTA Chief Executive Amanda Berry has expressed disappointment over the absence of black and female actors and directors among this year's nominees. She said BAFTA was working on a new scheme for women directors. But the issue extends beyond BAFTA - both the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards have been criticized over a lack of diversity in recent years. Both had all-male shortlists in their directing categories this year. Also among the films nominated for the alternative BAFTAS were Portrait of a Lady on Fire and Booksmart. Actors Lupita Nyong'o, Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Lopez and Jamie Foxx were all named for performances. Samir Dar, the driver of the truck that was intercepted near Jammu on Friday, is the Pulwama suicide bombers cousin, a senior Jammu and Kashmir police officer said. Samir Dar was among the three persons caught after the truck was intercepted at Ban toll plaza and searched. Three men, suspected to be Jaish-e-Mohammed operatives, were killed in the gunfight that followed when a constable started searching the vehicle. Police said truck driver Samir Dar was trying to ferry armed terrorists to Srinagar from Dayalachak in Hiranagar area of Kathua district. Police officers who questioned him found that he was a cousin of the suicide bomber Aadil Dar. Aadil Dar drove his explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy in Kashmirs Pulwama along the highway on February 14 last year. Forty troopers were killed in the bombing that was followed by the air forces Balakote air strikes. The Pulwama bombing is the deadliest in three decades of Pak-sponsored terrorism in Kashmir. Mukesh Singh, inspector general of police, told HT: We arrested truck driver Samir Dar of Pulwama, who is cousin of Aadil Dar, suicide bomber responsible for the February 14 suicide attack on a CRPF convoy. Singh also said that two truck cleaners Omar and Asif who have been held also belong to Pulwama. The IGP also added that some people were also picked up from the Rehmbal area of Udhampur for their possible involvement in Fridays incident. The senior police officer said the truck that Samir Dar was using to smuggle the three Jaish terrorists, is owned by Mohammad Maqbool, also a resident of Pulwama. He said the terrorists eliminated in Fridays encounter were from Pakistan and linked to the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad. Officials of the National Investigation Agency have also reached out to question Samir Dar to see if he can help them connect the missing links in its probe into the Pulwama terror attack. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ravi Krishnan Khajuria A principal correspondent, Ravi Krishnan Khajuria is the bureau chief at Jammu. He covers politics, defence, crime, health and civic issues for Jammu city. ...view detail The culture and tourism week follows the theme Bac Giang the sacred land of Tay Yen Tu. (Photo: VNA) Tourists have been exploring the local culture thanks to traditional festivals, while experiencing community-based tourism services. At the opening ceremony, the province presented a certificate recognising the Xuong Giang victory site in Xuong Giang city as a national special relic. An exhibition showcasing documents and objects about the victory is also open to the public. Located in the Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong - Quang Ninh economic corridor and bestowed with stunning natural landscapes like the Tay Yen Tu Nature Reserve, Khe Ro Forest, Dong Cao Plateau, and Khuon Than Lake, Bac Giang has huge potential for tourism development. The province is home to more than 2,200 historic and cultural relic sites, including Quan ho (romantic duet singing) which was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and Ca Tru, which was named by UNESCO on its Intangible Cultural Heritage list in need of urgent protection. The Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) has called on the various groups holding divergent views on the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voters register to exhibit a high sense of decorum in their submissions. It said in as much as the EC was trying to assert its independence, "there should be room for consensus building to improve on the enviable gains the commission has chalked up for the past 27 years". "The democratic achievements since returning to constitutional rule in 1993 did not come on a silver platter. "TEWU is charging all Ghanaians to wear our patriotic hats and avoid anything that will degenerate into violence that can mar the December 2020 election," a statement signed by the acting General Secretary of TEWU, Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, said. Tolerance TEWU, it said, was reminding the various political actors to exhibit a high level of tolerance of opposing views this election year to consolidate the countrys constitutional governance, because the national peace, unity and stability could not be sacrificed for violence. The statement charged Ghanaians to wear our patriotic hats and avoid anything that will degenerate into violence that can mar the December 2020 election. Defuse strikes TEWU acknowledges that in 2019, there were moves to declare series of nationwide strikes to press home demands of the non-teaching staff in our educational institutions, but the relevant stakeholders initiated dialogues in good faith and the industrial actions were averted. TEWU hopes such proactive steps will continue this year, so that the union will not be compelled to activate its processes to embark on industrial actions, it said. TEWU, therefore, called on agencies such as the Ministries of Education, Finance, Employment and Labour Relations, as well as Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), not to drag their feet on workers concerns but adopt proactive consensus approach and negotiate in good faith in order to help defuse the tension of strikes by other labour unions and associations. Joy The statement said TEWU was happy that the government agencies in the education sector had started the year with proactive steps to address a number of issues concerning TEWU members with the goal of promoting and sustaining the cordial relations to engender a healthy teaching and learning environment. TEWU would want to place on record that discussions so far with the education authorities, especially the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES), on the issue of the payment of Critical Support to the remaining classes of TEWU members under GES, has progressed smoothly, it said. The leadership of TEWU, it said, was upbeat that the other stakeholders, including the FWSC and the Ministries of Education and Finance, would fast-track the necessary processes so that the remaining classes of TEWU members who were also qualified to enjoy the Critical Support would benefit from it soon. Source: Daily Graphic 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 On Friday afternoon, Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced that she would vote against witnesses in Donald Trumps Senate trial, all but ensuring that the president will be promptly acquitted Friday night. Democrats do not have enough votes to subpoena witnesses, which might have prolonged the trial and forced Republicans to confront even more egregious facts. But the truth is that the Senate was never going to convict Trump. Removal was already near-impossible, and the GOP has manipulated constitutional ambiguities to permanently protect the president from expulsion. The impeachment saga has revealed many unseemly facts about American politics, but perhaps the most important is this: Future presidents may be impeached, but none will ever be removed from office. Advertisement Part of the impossibility of removal is the fault of the Framers, who never really agreed on a precise definition of the high crimes and misdemeanors that warrant the ouster of a president. Alexander Hamilton tried to flesh out the purpose of impeachment, but his writings have proved just as malleable as the constitutional text. The Framers conception of an impeachable offense rested in part on the hope that Congress will know it when it sees it. But they did not anticipate the rise of mass political parties, and so their founding charter failed to accommodate for partisan factionalism. As the New York Times Jamelle Bouie has written, the anti-federalists, opponents of the Constitution, correctly predicted that the Senate would never remove a president, in part because too many senators would have an interest in his political survival. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anti-federalists have now been proved right three times. Impeachment by the House functions as a symbolic vote of no confidence, but there are no immediate repercussions for the president without a Senate conviction. In 1868, the Senate failed to convict President Andrew Johnsona rabid racist who abused his officebecause one senator, Edmund Ross, was probably bribed, or at least provided corrupt favors in exchange for his vote. In 1998, Senate Democrats held off the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, who committed perjury to cover up a grossly inappropriate sexual relationship with a young intern. We cannot know whether the Framers design for impeachment and removal mightve succeeded in a world without rival political factions. What we do know is that it was extremely vulnerable to partisan debasement. All nine Senate Democrats voted to acquit Johnson and stand by the lawless leader of their party. Presiding officer Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase intended to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, and skewed the trial in Johnsons favor to avoid alienating Democrats. Johnson himself was able to secure Ross vote through a number of quid pro quos, appointing his friends to important and well-paid government positions. Advertisement Advertisement Hamilton wrote that the Senate should try impeachments because it is dignified and independent, unawed and uninfluenced, suffused with the necessary impartiality to render a just verdict. He was wrong. The rise of partisan politics ensured that senators of the presidents party would defend him. And because removal requires a two-thirds vote, a president is not at real risk even when the opposing party controls the chamber, unless it somehow seizes 67 seats. The Clinton trial in 1999 confirmed this problem when the GOP-controlled Senate acquitted the president, with every Democrat voting in his favor. Clintons crimes were not as severe as Johnsons, and his acquittal was not secured by unscrupulous means. But the trial had a partisan valence, with nearly half the chamber favoring loyalty to their party leader over the impartiality that Hamilton anticipated. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Johnson and Clinton acquittals undermined impeachment as an effective tool against an unscrupulous president. But both trials got bogged down in technical questions about whether the president actually broke the law, leaving open the possibility that an open-and-shut case of presidential illegality could still warrant removal. Now Senate Republicans have decided that it does not. Trump obviously broke the law, illegally withholding aid allocated by Congress, and did so to pressure a foreign government to swing an election in his favor. Hamilton warned that the most deadly adversaries of the government may come chiefly from the desire in foreign powers to gain an improper ascendant in our councils. Yet Republicans have decided when a president uses unlawful means to force these foreign powers to influence an election, he still does not deserve to be expelled from office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Of all the rationalizations for acquitting Trump, this one is the most harmful. And in fairness, Republicans did not arrive here lightly. For months, they attempted to deny the reality that Trump illegally withheld military aid to Ukraine in an effort to force Ukraines president to announce an investigation into Joe Biden, a potential 2020 opponent. When a mountain of evidence overwhelmingly proved that Trump had done just that, Republicans attacked the whistleblower and witnesses, alleging some illicit deep state effort to take down a president they disliked. Trumps defense team also claimed that the president withheld aid for legitimate reasons, including a broader desire to counter corruption in Ukraine. In due course, each theory of the defense crashed on the shoals of emerging evidence, all of which indicated that Trump wanted an announcement that Biden would be investigated. Advertisement At that point, his defenders turned to a final, desperate argument: Even if Trump did precisely what Democrats accuse him of doing, he should not be removed from office. As Alan Dershowitz put it, If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. It doesnt matter if a president solicited foreign intervention in a presidential election to secure another term. So long as he believed a second term would benefit the public interestand this belief was one factor in his decisionhis actions do not warrant removal. Dershowitz also asserted that abuse of office is simply not a crime, so it cannot be the basis for impeachment or removal. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As my colleague Dahlia Lithwick has explained, these claims are profoundly dangerous. They give the president carte blanche to break the law so long as he can point to some alleged public benefit from his lawbreaking. And they allow the president to wield his power in wildly abusive ways but remain immune from impeachment. A president will always be able to insist that a second term is vital to the national interest; thus, any actions he takes to win the election are not impeachable offenses. By letting Trump off the hook under the most damaging rationale, Republicans are setting a terrible precedent. They are essentially taking impeachment and removal off the table for future presidents who abuse their office. And they are proving that, as the anti-federalists predicted, senators in the presidents own party will stand by their corrupt leader. Advertisement There is another reason why Trumps acquittal demonstrates that no impeachment will ever succeed: The executive branch can, with the aid of the judiciary, prevent Congress from obtaining documents, witnesses, and other evidence to bolster its case against the president. In this age of the monarchal executive, Trump has fought the House of Representatives oversight tooth and nail every step of the way. His lawyers have successfully stopped the House from obtaining information that may be relevant to impeachment, including his tax returns and other financial records. Theyve prevented the House from seeing potentially incriminating grand jury materials from Robert Muellers probe. And they have stopped executive officials like former White House counsel Don McGahn from testifying before impeachment investigators, asserting a sweeping claim of executive privilege that could gag all witnesses to the presidents crimes. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Federal judges, including Trump appointees, have slow-walked these cases, stymying Democratic efforts to scrutinize the president. Trump judges like Neomi Rao have endorsed the presidents theories; in turn, Trumps Office of Legal Counsel adopted Raos position to justify refusing congressional requests for documents and testimony. The judiciary has abetted the presidents defense strategy, depriving Congress of necessary materials by sitting on these lawsuits and running down the clock. Advertisement Advertisement When the president amasses power at Congress expense and the judiciary is not willing to limit his overreach, impeachment becomes an empty exercise. By acquitting Trump, the Senate will effectively announce that it has disclaimed any responsibility to remove a president who committed a clear-cut abuse of power. Instead, as Sen. Lamar Alexander put it, Republican senators will let the people decide in the 2020 election. But they have also given Trump permission to steal that election by any means necessary, so long as he can present the fig leaf of acting in the public interest. The Constitution was not designed to withstand such cynical partisanship. Impeachment will remain an option for lawmakers who seek a symbolic condemnation of the president. But Trumps acquittal will take removal off the table for good. A white Tennessee judge has apologized after saying in open court that he was 'going to work like a regular white man' and not 'be a slave.' Judge Haywood Barry reportedly made the comment while scheduling a hearing for a black defendant. In audio obtained by The Tennessean, Barry can be heard telling an attorney on Tuesday: 'I'm not working second shift. I'm going to work like a regular white man, as they used to say...I'm not going to be a slave.' On Thursday, Barry apologized and said he was frustrated with scheduling when he made his remarks. Judge Haywood Barry (left and right) said 'I'm going to work like a regular white man...I'm not going to be a slave' while scheduling a hearing for a black defendant on Tuesday. He apologized for the comments on Thursday 'I'm sorry I made it. I'm ashamed of the fact that something like that would even come out of my brain,' he said 'It was probably a very inappropriate statement,' Barry told The Tennessean in a phone interview. 'I'm sorry I made it. I'm ashamed of the fact that something like that would even come out of my brain.' The Tennessee code of judicial conduct prohibits judges of bias, prejudice or harassment based upon race. It's unclear whether Barry would be reprimanded by the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct, which handles complaints about judges, the newspaper reported. Barry is currently serving an eight-year term as a General Sessions Division II judge in Wilson County. According to The Tennessean, he does not plan to run for reelection when his term is up in 2022. Lebanon defense attorney Jeff Cherry told the newspaper that the comments did not accurately reflect Barry's character. The code of judicial conduct does now allowed judges to bias, prejudiced or harass based on race. Pictured: Barry courtesy of WKRN It remains unclear if he will be disciplined. Pictured: Wilson County Courthouse where Barry practices 'It's not indicative of who he is,' Cherry said. 'I have seen him stand up for what is right constitutionally over and over again without regard to race, religion or socio-economic status.' Barry is not the first Tennessee judge to have face backlash over racially or culturally insensitive comments. In May 2019, residents called for the removal of Criminal Court Judge Jim Lammey after discovering links he shared on Facebook saying 'Jews should get the f**k over the Holocaust' and calling Muslims 'foreign mud.' And a few months earlier, Montgomery County Judge Wayne Shelton came under fire for comparing black-on-black crime to the KKK. Two Portland police officers fired less-lethal and rifle shots simultaneously at Koben Henriksen as he carried two knives and walked in traffic last month near Mall 205, according to police investigative reports released Friday. Officer Dan Leonard fired a single 40 mm sponge-tipped round and Officer Justin Raphael fired his AR-15 rifle at the same time, striking and killing Henriksen on Dec. 8, the reports show. Raphael fired three shots, according to the reports. Police had been called to Southeast 103rd Drive and Stark Street at 2:39 p.m. after dispatchers received several 911 calls reporting a man holding knives in traffic. Once police shot him, Henriksen, 51, fell face down to the ground. Police removed a knife from his hand. A second knife was found under his body when he was rolled over, according to police. Police and paramedics provided emergency medical aid, but Henriksen was pronounced dead at the scene. He was shot twice, once in the upper chest and once in the abdomen, according to the reports. A Multnomah County grand jury last week determined that Raphael, a seven-year bureau member, acted in self-defense or in the defense of others when he shot Henriksen, according to the District Attorneys Office and police. The Portland Police Bureaus investigative reports were made public Friday. Grand jury transcripts that will include statements from the two officers who fired at Henriksen are expected to be released later. Henriksens father, Rick Henriksen, has said he believes officers used excessive force and called it absolutely nonsense'' that they were acting in self-defense. He said the family has retained a lawyer to investigate further. He has described his son with a mental illness on a spectrum between a bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 4 Koben Henriksen According to the police reports, a witness, Lorraine Devlin, described Henriksen "trudging down'' the middle of the left lane of Southeast 103rd, closest to Starbucks. She told investigators she saw police arrive at the intersection and order Koben Henriksen to stop and drop the knives as she was seated in her white Lincoln Continental at the intersection. "The guy just kept trudging on,'' Devlin reportedly told police, and repeated, "bring it on, bring it on,'' according to the reports. He kept walking with the knives toward the officers and was shot when he was about 10 to 15 feet from the officers, Devlin said. Another witness, Robert Vervloet, said he was standing by the Starbucks and saw Henriksen walk across Southeast 103rd toward the Starbucks. Henriksen walked out into traffic, causing cars to stop. He said the first police officer who arrived approached Henriksen, ordering him to stop and not come any further. Vervloet estimated that Henriksen was three to four "body lengths'' away from the officers when he was shot, seconds after police had arrived, according to the police reports. Vervloet said he did not see Henriksen pointing the knives at the officers and told investigators that he believed the police acted too quickly, without any effort to de-escalate the encounter. Vervloet indicated that Henriksen "posed no threat other than he did not stop walking (towards the officer with the rifle),'' the reports said. Devlin gave a different account, telling police, The guy was challenging and deserved to be stopped, I know that. Another witness, Dawn Ruszczyk, told police she heard Henriksen saying "help me'' to motorists and then directly to her as she sat in her car at the Starbucks drive-through. She called 911, telling dispatchers that the man looked frightened and that she didnt believe he was dangerous. She told dispatchers he had knives in his hands and was blocking traffic, according to the reports. At one point, Henriksen walked up to Ruszczyks car and she said she rolled down her window to talk with him. Henriksen, she said, told her to call police and also said "help me,'' according to the police interview. The stranger, who appeared thin and fragile, did not appear angry or threatening and was holding the knives down at his side, Ruszczyk told police. Once officers arrived, Ruszczyk said she continued to watch the man from her rearview mirror as she pulled her car further up in line at the coffee shops drive-through lane. She said she heard one officer yelling, "Drop it! Drop it!'' and gunshots followed about 20 seconds later, according to the reports. Disturbed, Ruszczyk said she ran out of the car and toward Henriksen, shouting, You didnt have to shoot him! before police ordered her not to approach. Officer Justin Raphael, identified as standing by his PPB Shop # 17 police car, fired three .223-caliber rounds from his AR-15 rifle at Koben Henriksen at the intersection pictured, police say. Other witnesses described Henriksen as agitated. TriMet bus driver Angela Drew said she was driving west on Stark Street, approaching 103rd, when she noticed police action and realized the intersection was blocked. She said she pulled the bus over on Stark Street, about 100 feet from the intersection, when she saw Henriksen clutching a blanket draped around his shoulder and walking south toward officers at "a pretty good clip.'' As he walked, she saw him raise his right arm to a 90-degree angle and then heard gunshots and saw Henriksen drop to the ground, according to the reports. From her vantage point, she said she couldnt see anything in Henriksens hand. Officer Shawn Schroeder, a police trainee who was hired in July 2018, was among the officers who responded to the scene. He had met up with Raphael and Leonard at a staging location, Southeast 106th Avenue and Cherry Blossom Street. Raphael had mentioned on the radio that "a similar situation happened a few days ago, which involved a male with knives,'' according to the reports. They then drove up to the intersection where Henriksen was standing. Schroeder said he parked, got out of his car and drew his gun, pointing it at Henriksen and ordering him to "Drop the knives! Drop the knives!'' He said he heard Henriksen say something like "just do it...do it.'' During an autopsy, a receipt was found in Henriksens pants. It showed he had bought two knives at 11:51 a.m. that day at the Fred Meyer on Northeast Parklane Street in Wood Village. The deadly shooting marked the third time in four months that police had encountered Henriksen. In the two prior cases, one in August and another in November, police were able to safely resolve each without force and had Henriksen taken by ambulance to a hospital for mental health treatment. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Subscribe to Facebook page Brenda Spencer, 57, has been inducted into the Golden Girls club at the California prison where she is serving a life sentence It's been 41 years since the then-16-year-old Brenda Spencer unleashed a spray of bullets on an elementary school in San Diego, on a Monday morning in 1979, leaving two dead, and eight children and a police officer injured. Now aged 57, Spencer has been inducted into the Golden Girls club at the California Institution For Women a program at the 1,800-prisoner facility in Riverside County, California, which affords special privileges to those who voluntarily join once they turn 55. And as this most recent prison photograph taken in 2018 shows, Spencer didn't miss a beat and signed straight up, proudly brandishing a 'Golden Girl' placard with something of a faint smile across her face. As a member of the program Spencer - who was charged in court as an adult in 1980 and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, receiving a life-with-parole sentence - gets many perks not enjoyed by the general population. Spencer was 16 when she opened fire at a San Diego elementary school from a window in her home, leaving two dead and nine more injured in 1979 Spencer famously said that her motive was, 'I just don't like Mondays I did this because it's a way to cheer up the day' She was inducted into the Golden Girls club at California Institution For Women (pictured) - a program at the 1,800-prisoner facility in Riverside County, California, which affords special privileges to those who voluntarily join once they turn 55 Some of the perks include a front-of-line pass for meals and medication lines and authorization to eat in a specific dining room that is located closest to her housing unit. Spencer was charged in court as an adult in 1980 and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, receiving a life-with-parole sentence (pictured in a 1996 mugshot) She is also entitled to be in possession of two state pillows, three blankets and two mattresses and gets first dibs on the coveted bottom bunk if the inmate so chooses. A spokesperson for the prison explained to DailyMail.com: 'The Golden Girls program at California Institution for Women is geared toward addressing the emotional and physical needs of the older population. 'Any inmate aged 55 or older is eligible to be identified as a GG and participation is voluntary.' Spencer has been denied release from prison several times, but is scheduled for another parole hearing in 2021. On the day of the horrific shooting, Spencer famously told a reporter who reached her by phone that her motive was, 'I just don't like Mondays I did this because it's a way to cheer up the day.' Her callous response inspired the Number 1 hit song in the UK by the Boomtown Rats called I Don't Like Mondays, released just a few months after the atrocity. She opened fire for around 20 minutes from her bedroom window, taking aim at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, located just across the street from her home. News reports from 1979 show teachers and police officers assisting school children in evacuating the elementary school as a six-hour standoff ensues The incident inspired Bob Geldof to write the Number 1 hit song in the UK I Dont Like Mondays by the Boomtown Rats which was released weeks after the shooting Spencer, aged just 16 at the time, opened fire for around 20 minutes from her bedroom window, taking aim at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, located just across the street from her home. She was using a rifle that her father had given her for Christmas and her standoff with a SWAT team went on for six hours. Head teacher Burton Wragg, 53, was killed while he tried to help students arriving at the school, along with caretaker Mike Suchar, 56. More would likely have been killed if it wasn't for a quick-thinking police officer, who parked a garbage truck in front of the school gates to block Spencer's line of fire. A Kerala resident who was studying in China and returned last week tested positive for the novel coronavirus (NCoV-2019), state health minister KK Shailaja said on Thursday, announcing Indias first case of the new pathogen that has killed 170 people and set off a worldwide alarm. The woman, a medical student at a university in Wuhan the city suspected to be the epicentre of the outbreak, is stable and undergoing treatment in an isolation ward at a general hospital in Thrissur, the minister said without disclosing her identity. She will be shifted to the Thrissur Medical College hospital, where a complete block has been converted into an isolation ward, according to a statement from the general hospital. Her biological samples were tested at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, Indias apex virology lab that functions under the Union home ministry. Of the 49 samples tested so far at the lab, one has been tested posted, according to NIV director Priya Abraham. The positive sample belongs to a student from Kerala who was studying in Wuhan... Now, a next-gen sequencing test will be done on her sample and the final result will be declared by tomorrow [Friday] evening. Per day, a total of 9-10 samples are received at NIV for testing, Abraham said in a statement. While the first test has confirmed that the students samples contain the novel coronavirus, the second test will be held to find out if it is the same virus that was isolated in Wuhan or whether it has mutated. Back in Kerala, Shailaja chaired an emergency meeting after the Union health ministry informed the government about detecting the coronavirus in the students samples. Altogether 1,053 people are under observation and 15 persons are in isolation wards in Kerala, according to the state health ministry. We have confirmation that one of the students who came from Wuhan is positive. She is admitted in an isolation ward in Thrissur general hospital, her condition is stable now. A team of expert doctors have examined her, Shailaja, who was expected to reach Thrissur on Thursday evening, said at a press conference. Three others, who had returned from China, too, are in isolation wards in Thrissur, Shailaja said. There is no need to panic as a rapid response team is already at work to identify persons the student interacted after reaching home, she said. Once identified, these people will be put under observation for symptoms, and quarantined if needed. As the country reported its first case, the Union health ministry said all travellers from China who have arrived since January 15 will have to undergo tests even if they do not have the symptoms, a directive that came hours before India was expected to evacuate the first batch of citizens stuck in Wuhan in central Chinas Hubei province. A second aircraft will be dispatched subsequently to bring out Indians who are living in other parts of the province. After cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba held a high-level review meeting involving the health, external affairs, defence and home ministries, among others, in New Delhi, the health ministry also issued a fresh advisory asking people with a travel history to China to take precaution for at least 14 days after their return. The advisory asked such people to sleep in a separate room, limit contact with other family members and avoid visitors. The virus, which has killed 170 people all in China, is said to have originated from a seafood market in Wuhan. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a new strain. On Thursday, Chinas National Health Commission said 7,711 people had been infected by the novel coronavirus. Outside China there have been at around 100 infections. Meanwhile, New Delhis Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital admitted five more suspected cases of the novel coronavirus. All five four men and a woman have returned from China. (With inputs from HTC in Delhi and Agencies) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The European Union will work hard to forge a future as an ally and partner of Britain after their divorce on Friday, European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote in Germanys Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily. In a joint article with European Council head Charles Michel and of European Parliament President David Sassoli, she wrote that Britain could no longer have unrestricted access to the European internal market. But they vowed to work hard to find new ways of working together for our future as allies, partners and friends, according to an excerpt of the article released on Thursday evening. After protracted divorce talks, Britain will leave the bloc it joined in 1973 at midnight Brussels time (2300 GMT) on Friday. With a transition period lasting until the end of the year, new talks on issues from trade to security will start soon. They said their affection for Britain went far beyond membership of the EU and that the exit deal ensured the rights of millions of British and EU citizens would be protected in the place they felt at home. After Brexit, Europe must grow closer together to protect its interests in the world, they wrote. In a time of strong competition and turbulent geopolitics, size is important, they wrote. British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab also wrote in the newspaper that Britain would, at the side of its European partners, work to expand trade, improve security and overcome common global challenges. But above all, we will be an independent nation which can determine its own future and which will have control over its borders, laws and trade, he wrote. By the end of the year, the best possible agreements for new ties would be negotiated, he wrote in the FAZ. Britain says 11 months is time enough to reach a zero tariff, zero quota trade deal and that it will not extend the limbo period beyond 2020. (Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) The explosion last week at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility in west Houston was fueled by leaking propylene, and the ignition was likely arcing from an electric source in the facility, officials said at a press conference at the site Friday afternoon. Fred Milanowski, special agent in charge of the Houston ATF Field Division, said there was no indication the explosion that killed two was a criminal act. The leak started within 24 hours before the explosion last Friday. The blast was heard miles away and damaged 450 structures. The wife of a man who was killed for holding children as hostages here at Farrukhabad, died after being brutally thrashed by villagers on Friday, police said. After being beaten up by the locals, the woman was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. However, she succumbed to her injuries. "When we sent her to the hospital, she was injured. She sustained injuries on her head. Her head was bleeding. As police killed her husband (the accused in the case), she tried to flee. As the children were kept hostage by both husband and wife, the villagers, in a fit of rage, pelted stones and bricks at her," Mohit Aggrawal, Inspector General Kanpur, told media. "Postmortem report will clear everything, further details on the cause of death will only come out after the report," the IG said. Earlier in the morning, more than 15 children who were held hostage at a house in Farrukhabad were safely evacuated by police."The person who was holding the children as hostage has been killed in an operation and all children have been safely evacuated," Uttar Pradesh Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said."Chief Minister (Yogi Adityanath) has announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the Uttar Pradesh Police and its team that successfully carried out the operation. All personnel who took part in the operation will be given a certificate of appreciation," Awasthi said.On Thursday, Farrukhabad Police had said that more than 15 children were held hostage at a house. Following this, the Chief Minister convened a high-level meeting over the incident.Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order PV Ramashastry had said that the accused had been sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case and he was out on bail."He had called the children on the pretext of a birthday party and held them hostage. He opened fire on villagers," he had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moderate GOP Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) will vote in favor of calling up at least one additional witness in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. For those asking: As [Romney] has said, he wants to hear from Ambassador Bolton, and he will vote in favor of the motion today to consider witnesses, Romney spokeswoman Liz Johnson said in a statement on Friday morning. She is referring to former national security advisor John Bolton, who left the administration last year. Earlier this week, the New York Times reported on a forthcoming book from Bolton, where he claimed that he was told by Trump about a linkage between military aid to Ukraine and politically advantageous investigations. Trump has categorically denied the claims in the report and noted that timing of the article, which was published before Trumps legal team presented their arguments in the trial, was suspicious. Romney, a freshman senator, previously suggested to media outlets that he wanted to hear from Bolton in the trial before his spokeswoman confirmed his intentions. And Collins, who is up for reelection in November, announced Thursday that she would vote in favor of witnesses. We have heard the cases argued and the questions answered. In keeping with the model used for the impeachment trial of President Clinton, at this point, Senators are able to make an informed judgment about what is in dispute and what is important to the underlying issues, she said in a late-night statement. As a result, Collins explained that hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed, her statement added. But another possible swing-voter, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), confirmed that he will not vote for witnesses. Alexander is retiring from office this year. It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation, Alexander wrote a series of Twitter posts on Thursday. The Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this years ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate, Alexander wrote. The other GOP senator who may vote to compel witnesses, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has not signaled how she will vote. Im going to go back to my office, Im going to put some eye drops so that I can keep reading, and Ive been forming a lot of thoughts and so thats going to be my job now at almost 11 oclock, she told reporters on Thursday. But Alexanders decision is a devastating blow to the House impeachment managers prosecuting Trump, essentially ensuring that witnesses will not be called. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is expected to move to vote on two articles of impeachment, possibly as soon as Friday afternoon. Democrats have said they require four Republican senators to join them in their quest for witness testimony. Democratic House managers for days have argued that in light of the NY Times report, Bolton and other witnesses should be called, while some have said that a trial without any witnesses wouldnt be a trial at all. The Senate is expected re-convene at 1 p.m. on Friday to hear the closing arguments from Trumps legal defense team and the House managers. Republicans have a 53-vote majority in the Senate. Removing Trump would take 67-vote supermajority, meaning that about 20 Republicans would have to break ranks with their party to join Democrats. From The Epoch Times NISKAYUNA As Americans scrambled to get out of Wuhan, China, while the deadly coronavirus outbreak emerged, a 2004 Niskayuna High School graduate and his family hopped a plane for the U.S. thanks to a lucky coincidence in travel planning a day before the area was quarantined. Christopher Suzanne, his wife and their infant son left on a scheduled commercial flight Jan. 22 to come to the Capital Region for the baby's baptism last Saturday. Once the family passed health screenings they were cleared to fly. Now they plan to remain in the U.S. until commercial travel bans to and from the area are lifted. Most people might say this was fortuitous, but Suzanne has mixed feelings about it. Its a Catch-22. Its lucky, but I also feel a lot of guilt because Ive been there so long. My wife is from there, and I feel like we left her family behind, then he paused and said: And (we left) my family behind because her family is my family. His feelings are complex because in the weeks before their departure, their son had been hospitalized with what doctors said was bronchopneumonia, and now he's in a place that is far removed from the center of the worldwide health emergency. Suzanne has built a life in Wuhan, where he has lived for more than a decade, and said hell be on the first flight back when commercial air travel resumes. He explained that he moved around a bit as a child and then "caught the travel bug" during his time in the Army. Traveling from New York state to the places he wanted to visit proved to be expensive, so he picked a more centralized location, Wuhan. He moved there in 2009 and works as an English teacher. Now he considers Wuhan his hometown. I lived consistently in Wuhan longer than any other place in my life, Suzanne said in an interview with the Times Union Thursday. When people ask me where Im from, I jokingly say Wuhan. While leaving his second home to come to the U.S., Suzanne said the atmosphere at the airport was no different than a usual crowded day, with the exception that most people were wearing face masks and there were checkpoints where people had to stop and get their temperature taken to see if they had a fever, one of the symptoms of the disease scientists call novel coronavirus 2019, or 2019-nCoV. Right now, the Chinese city and the surrounding area is seeing one of the largest unprecedented quarantines in modern history, locking down more than 50 million people including about 1,000 Americans in 17 cities. Suzanne, and many others, are frustrated with the lack of response from the U.S. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. For instance, Suzanne was disappointed when he learned that there was only one charter flight available on Wednesday for Americans who wanted to flee the city. Seating priority was given to staff at the local U.S. consulate and their families, with the few remaining seats available at inflated costs of $1,000, Americans living in Wuhan told TIME magazine, adding that they felt abandoned by their government. I think they should have done a lot more than just the one flight, Suzanne said. The American government should have been giving us more advice. The information they were passing along was dated and them staying silent caused a real panic. The State Department said Thursday in a statement, which was also sent to registered Americans in Wuhan, that additional evacuation flights are being planned for as early as Monday, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal. Officials from the State Department said U.S. citizens with valid passports could email the State Department at a special address, CoronaVirusEmergencyUSC@State.gov. Associated Press contributed. Advertisement By Tim Brockwell Jan. 31, 2020 | PADUCAH By Tim Brockwell Jan. 31, 2020 | 12:23 PM | PADUCAH Congressman James Comer visited Paducah Friday morning to tour the Paducah Public Schools Regional Innovation Hub, which is currently under construction. The new facility, which is set to be open by August, will serve the region in training students of all ages in various high-demand industry skills through hands-on instruction. The $24.3 million project is being funded through a $4.5 million state Work Ready Grant, $3.5 million in available PISD funds and $16.33 million in 20-year bonds sold by the Paducah Independent School District. Comer met with PPS officials in a round table discussion to talk about how the new hub will benefit the community by helping to develop a highly trained local workforce that companies need. "If we're gonna get industries to come back to the United States, or to expand their manufacturing in the United States, we have to prove to those industries we have the workforce. Area technology [centers] like this are developing the next generation of workforce." Comer said. The project is a collaboration between the Paducah Public Schools, the Paducah Area Technical School, higher education centers, the Paducah Economic Development Council and businesses in emerging industries such as technology, health care, transportation, and advanced manufacturing. Comer said one of the advantages Paducah has over many other communities is how well leaders from these and other local industries work with our public school system, adding that these relationships help create an environment that makes it easier to help bring projects like this to fruition. "Participation from the private sector in Paducah is already there with this facility, and a lot of facilities and communities don't have this type of local partnership because maybe they don't have the quality of industry, or maybe there's just not a good relationship between the private sector and the public school system. You have a good relationship here." Comer said. Comer said part of the solution to reducing student debt, which is at an all-time high, is for more students to consider learning a skill and getting certified instead of a four-year degree. "We have too many kids going and advancing their education at universities getting four year degrees. They're graduating with a lot of student loan debt and they have a worthless degree," He said. "Many times you don't even need any type of education beyond high school if you get the skills certified here in these area technology centers." Comer added that he thinks more federal and state funding should go toward technology training centers, instead of traditional four-year institutions. "I really commend the local school system here. They have really put a lot of thought into this, and I think it's gonna make a huge difference," He said. "But as far as Washington goes, we need to focus more on spending education dollars for area technology centers to try to develop kids to have more skills." A self-confessed Chinese intelligence operative seeking to defect to Australia has had his assets frozen by the NSW Supreme Court as a former business associate pursues him for $3 million. The Supreme Court made urgent orders on January 24 temporarily freezing the Australian assets of Wang "William" Liqiang and his wife up to the value of $3.25 million. The order was extended on Friday until further court order. Wang Liqiang and his wife are being pursued in court for $3 million. Credit:60 Minutes Sydney barrister Geoffrey Watson, SC, appearing pro bono on behalf of the couple, told the court on Friday that they did not contest the continuation of the order and were being kept in a "secure place" by a federal agency. Former Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday urged the state government to raise the funds allocated to the Nagpur District Planning Committee (DPC) to Rs 850 crore this year from Rs 750 crore last year. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had recently said that Nagpur, Chandrapur and Sindhudurg may see less allocation of DPC funds in 2020-21, as the previous BJP-led government had given Rs 651 crore funds to these three districts in the previous year after slashing the money of a few other districts. Talking to reporters here, Bawankule, a former Nagpur district guardian minister, claimed that the previous government had not reduced funds for any district, but only addressed the backlog of Nagpur. "As Nagpur is the second capital of the state, special funds were allocated to it without reducing the allocations to other districts," he said. "The government still has time to make a provision to increase the DPC funds from last year's Rs 750 crore (including the SC-ST special funds) to Rs 850 crore this year," he added. The former energy minister said the government can consider the demand as the budget is yet to be announced. Bawankule said the party's city and rural committees will stage a protest on the issue at the District Collectorate on Monday and also meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to put forth their demands. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beijing on Friday sharply criticised the United States for warning American citizens to avoid China and for urging those already there to leave due to the coronavirus health emergency. Certain US officials words and actions are neither factual nor appropriate, Chinas foreign affairs ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said in a statement. Just as the WHO recommended against travel restrictions, the US rushed to go in the opposite way. Certainly not a gesture of goodwill. The US State Department has raised its warning alert to the highest level, telling Americans to avoid China. The first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus on American soil was confirmed Thursday -- a man in Chicago who caught it from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was also criticised for saying the virus, which has killed 213 people in China, could help accelerate the return of jobs to America. Ross said the virus was very unfortunate but that it was also a risk factor for businesses to consider when weighing whether to operate in China. Separately, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a visit to London, this week angered Beijing by calling Chinas ruling Communist Party the central threat of our times. By Rasana Gasimova A business forum Discover Azerbaijan: introduce its opportunities to Greece business community has been held in Greece. The forum, co-organized by Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Investment and Trade Promotion Agency of Greece in cooperation with the Azerbaijans Embassy in Greece was held in Athens on January 30, Agriculture Ministry reported. Azerbaijan was represented by "Agro Procurement and Supply" OJSC under the Agriculture Ministry and the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation at the forum. The forum aimed to expand trade relations between the relevant public and private business entities of both countries, explore new investment opportunities and establish new business partnerships. Products of local farmer were showcased at the exibition arranged within the forum. At the opening ceremony of the forum, Konstantinos Bitsios, Vice-Chairman of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, Georgios Filiopoulos, Executive Director of the National Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, Anar Huseynov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Greece made a speech and spoke about the current state of and prospects for political and economic relations between the two countries Addressing the event, Leyla Mammadova, Chairperson of the Board of Agro Procurement and Supply OJSC made a presentation on the panel of Business Environment in Azerbaijan arranged within the forum and gave information about agricultural reforms carried out in the country and the work done to develop agricultural sector. She noted that these kinds of business missions are important in promoting local products. Just like Azerbaijan, Greece also pays a lot of attention to agriculture. This similarity allows to create closer cooperation between the countries in the agricultural sector. Currently, agriculture is steadily developing in Azerbaijan as a result of the reforms carried out in this area and special attention of the state, she said. Mammadova encouraged Greek entrepreneurs to invest in Azerbaijans agro sector, saying that the country has a favorable environment for investment. Fuad Panahov, Advisor to the President at Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) also spoke at the event. He provided detailed information on Azerbaijan business environment and export potential. Then, representatives of Greek companies currently operating in Azerbaijan spoke about the reasons they have chosen to do business in Azerbaijan and the future perspectives. Azerbaijan and Greece successfully cooperate in energy projects. The main project that the two countries work on is Trans-Anatolian Pipeline (TAP). The two countries are also strengthening ties in the fields of information technology, trade, agriculture, food industry, construction and tourism, and are keen to continue mutual investments and expand of trade relations. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Newsletter Subscribe now to get updates from armenian media & videos... The new facility in Green Oaks also will provide more space for the company to further its diaper donation program, which enables the company to donate products and supplies to consumers with financial hardships through diaper banks, food pantries and animal shelters, Wolpoff said. Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress [NDC], Kweku Boahen, has warned members of the ruling party to cease directing them to seek legal redress over their tussle with the Electoral Commission (EC) on the new voters register. As politicians, we all know that going to court is the last resort on matters of irreconciliable differences, and going on demonstrations is the first resort in addressing an issue. Why the everyday talk of 'go to court', leave us alone, Kweku Boahen said. Speaking on UTVs Adekye Nsroma political show, the NDC stalwart who called on Ghanaians to speak out against the EC's planned decision to compile a new voters register, disclosed that even before the meeting with EC officials, members of the Eminent Advisory Committee and the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), the opposition party has already put together a time-table for up-coming demonstrations. We have lined out our demonstration time-table even before meeting eminent committee, EC and other stakeholders even though our next move depends on this meeting. Because as a political party, we must put up laid down procedures on how to handle matters arising before they hit us by surprise, he revealed. Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi/ 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 Clinical trial published in The Lancet first to compare two kinds of rapid cardioversion for acute atrial fibrillation A study published in The Lancet found that two ways of quickly restoring normal heart rhythm in patients with acute atrial fibrillation in the emergency department are equally safe and effective. The large, randomized controlled trial looked at cardioversion, a medical procedure that quickly brings heart rhythm back to normal. Cardioversion can be done with a mild electric shock or with fast-acting drugs delivered through an IV. "These methods allow us to quickly get patients back to their normal heart rate, and send them home after four to six hours in the emergency department," said Dr. Ian Stiell, lead author and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and distinguished professor at the University of Ottawa. Acute atrial fibrillation is a rapid, irregular heartbeat that must be treated within 48 hours to avoid complications like stroke and heart failure. The study team estimates that acute atrial fibrillation accounts for 430,000 emergency department visits every year in Canada and the United States. The researchers recruited 396 patients with acute atrial fibrillation from 11 Canadian emergency departments. Cardioversion is a commonly used treatment in this country. Patients were randomly assigned to one of the two kinds. The first group received only electrical cardioversion. Patients are sedated during this procedure, so they do not feel the shock. The second group received a drug called procainamide through an IV. If the drug did not reset the patient's heart rhythm within 30 minutes, they received electrical cardioversion. In the shock-only group (192 patients): 92 percent returned to their normal heart rhythm (176) 95 percent were discharged home (183) In the drug-then-shock group (204 patients): 96 percent returned to their normal heart rhythm (196) 97 percent were discharged home (198) 52 percent recovered their normal heart rhythm with the drug alone (106) Both kinds of cardioversion were equally good at restoring normal heart rhythm and getting patients home the same day. The drug-shock strategy was more effective for patients experiencing atrial fibrillation for the first time, and for patients younger than 70. The two methods were equally safe -none of the patients had any serious side-effects. Two weeks after the treatment, no patients had had a stroke, 95 percent still had normal heart rhythm, 11 percent returned to the emergency department because of atrial fibrillation, three percent had an additional round of cardioversion, and two percent were admitted to hospital. The researchers were interested to see that over half of the patients who received the drug did not need a shock to restore their regular heart rhythm. They recommend that physicians try the drug cardioversion first, to avoid unnecessary sedation. "If I have a patient on a drug infusion, I can see other patients at the same time," said Dr. Jeffrey Perry, study co-author and senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. "To do an electrical cardioversion, I need to find another doctor, a nurse and a respiratory therapist, and it takes time to assemble those people." The researchers note that patients often have a strong preference for one kind of cardioversion over the other, especially if they need it done regularly. "While we believe that there are advantages to trying the drug infusion before the shock, the treatment choice is ultimately a shared decision between the patient and physician," said Dr. Perry. While cardioversion is common in Canada, it isn't as well known in other parts of the world. "In some countries, patients with acute atrial fibrillation are sent home with pills to slow their heart rate, while others are admitted to hospital," said Dr. Stiell. "Our study showed that cardioversion in the emergency department is safe and effective. We hope our results convince more physicians around the world to adopt these methods." "Given the crowding which exists in the emergency health care setting, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is proud to support this high-quality research that enhances evidence-informed clinical decisions in the transitions of care for patients with atrial fibrillation," said Dr. Brian Rowe, study co-author, Scientific Director of the CIHR's Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, and professor of emergency medicine at the University of Alberta. ### Reference: Electrical versus pharmacological cardioversion for emergency department patients with acute atrial fibrillation (RAFF2): a partial factorial randomised trial. Ian Stiell, Marco Sivilotti, Monica Taljaard, David Birnie, Alain Vadeboncoeur, Corinne Hohl, Andrew McRae, Brian Rowe, Robert Brison, Venkatesh Thiruganasambandamoorthy, Laurant Macle, Bjug Borgundvaag, Judy Morris, Eric Mercier, Catherine Clement, Jennifer Brinkhurst, Connor Sheehan, Erica Brown, Marie-Joe Nemnom, George Wells, Jeffrey Perry. The Lancet. January 30, 2020. Core Resources: Ottawa Methods Centre Funding: This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Research at The Ottawa Hospital is possible because of generous donations to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. About The Ottawa Hospital: The Ottawa Hospital is one of Canada's top learning and research hospitals, where excellent care is inspired by research and driven by compassion. As the third-largest employer in Canada's capital city, our support staff, researchers, nurses, physicians, and volunteers never stop seeking solutions to the most complex health-care challenges. Our multi-campus hospital, affiliated with the University of Ottawa, attracts some of the most influential scientific minds from around the world. Backed by generous support from the community, we are committed to providing the world-class, compassionate care we would want for our loved ones. http://www.ohri.ca About the University of Ottawa --A crossroads of cultures and ideas: The University of Ottawa is home to over 50,000 students, faculty and staff, who live, work and study in both French and English. Our campus is a crossroads of cultures and ideas, where bold minds come together to inspire game-changing ideas. We are one of Canada's top 10 research universities--our professors and researchers explore new approaches to today's challenges. One of a handful of Canadian universities ranked among the top 200 in the world, we attract exceptional thinkers and welcome diverse perspectives from across the globe. http://www.uottawa.ca About the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) recognizes that research has the power to change lives. As Canada's health research investment agency, CIHR collaborates with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system. About Heart & Stroke: Life. We don't want you to miss it. That's why Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease and stroke. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy. (heartandstroke.ca) Media Contact: Amelia Buchanan, Senior Communication Specialist, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; ambuchanan@ohri.ca; Office: 613-798-5555 x 73687; Cell: 613-297-8315 New Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks to the press upon arriving at Incheon International Airport, Jan. 30, 2020. Yonhap New Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming pledged Thursday to strive hard for the "great" development of relations between the two countries amid their efforts to address lingering tensions over the installation of a U.S. missile defense system here. Xing, a former Chinese ambassador to Mongolia, made the remarks upon arriving in South Korea to fill the ambassadorial post that was left vacant after his predecessor Qiu Guohong left the country late last month after nearly six years of service. "Though we have an issue to handle for the time being, I will look forward to the future and try hard. ... I am convinced that the relations between the two countries, which are very close neighbors, will improve more," he told reporters in Korean at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. OpenPhone, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a modern phone for startups and small businesses, raised $2M in seed funding. The round was led by Slow Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Kindred Ventures, Garage Capital, 122WEST Ventures, Hack VC, and others. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate growth, build capabilities for teams and individuals using OpenPhone, and grow the team Led by Mahyar Raissi, co-founder and CEO, OpenPhone is building a phone system for small business owners to communicate effectively with their customers. In particular, OpenPhone adds a second phone number on top of existing devices (mobile/tablet/desktop) and features to give team members their own numbers, share a phone number, collaborate on conversations, and automate workflows by connecting OpenPhone to the rest of the company tools. In addition to the fundraising, the company is introducing Slack and email integrations, and making web app improvements. FinSMEs 31/01/2020 (Alliance News) - TalkTalk Telecom Group PLC on Friday said it has a "structural advantage" following the GBP200 million sale of its FibreNation business, but its third-quarter revenue suffered a slight annual dip. In the third quarter ended December 31, headline revenue was 0.8% lower year-on-year at GBP383 million, but climbed 1.6% quarter-on-quarter from GBP377 million. Headline corporate revenue was 3.7% lower year-on-year at GBP79 million, but data revenue alone was 16% higher at GBP51 million. The company added 148,000 new fibre customers, a 1.4% climb on the 146,000 customers it added in the third quarter the year prior. Voice revenue decreased 15% year-on-year to GBP22 million. Chief Executive Tristia Harrison said: "In the last quarter, we have outperformed the market on Fibre and Ethernet growth, with increasing numbers of customers in both consumer and B2B taking higher speed products. We have continued to see industry-wide Voice decline, but with the successful completion of our move from London to the North West and the resulting cost reductions our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation outlook remains unchanged." The company also said its cost savings plan is on track, following the move of its headquarters to Salford in Greater Manchester from London. Earlier in January, TalkTalk said it was selling FibreNation, as well as its two-thirds stake in Bolt Pro Tem Ltd, for a combined GBP200 million in cash to CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. TalkTalk launched FibreNation as part of a plan to roll-out fibre-to-the-premises to over three million UK homes and businesses. TalkTalk said the sale is part of a plan to simplify the business. It has been "clear" the roll-out of fibre would not be fully funded from its own balance sheet, and has decided a sale is the best way forward. The FibreNation business suffered an underlying pretax loss in the financial year to March 2019 of GBP6 million, TalkTalk noted. Harrison on Friday said: "TalkTalk enters 2020 a far simpler business with a structural advantage to accelerate full fibre nationwide. The recently agreed sale of our FibreNation business for GBP200 million will strengthen our balance sheet while securing a long-term, competitive wholesale agreement, as well as full optionality to work with all full fibre builders." TalkTalk shares were 1.1% higher at 114.20 pence each in London on Friday morning. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. In a hard-hitting attack on the government over the new citizenship law, opposition parties on Friday held it responsible for the widespread unrest in the country following the legislation's enactment and said the society was dangerously inching toward a civil war-like situation. The opposition parties are set to move amendments on President Ram Nath Kovind's address to both Houses of Parliament, seeking to remove his remarks on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, sources said. Speaking at a press briefing after Kovind's address, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the government has lowered the prestige of president's office by including the CAA in his address. "The society is dangerously inching toward a civil war-like situation and the government is solely responsible for it," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. Azad said the government claiming development in Jammu and Kashmir after making it a Union Territory is a cruel joke with people there, and he demanded that the Centre should apologise. He said it was shameful that the government claimed CAA to be an achievement and included it in president's address. Kovind hailed the contentious CAA as "historic" in his address to the joint sitting of both Houses, prompting protests by some opposition members. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A retiring local judge has two promising and qualified candidates campaigning extensively to see who will occupy the judges chair. Ben Lane and Sharon Mcllquham are campaigning to be the next Chippewa County Circuit Court Branch III judge after Judge Steven Cray announced his retirement in 2019 after his term expires July 31. The election for the position will take place on Tuesday, April 7, and both candidates have experience backing up their campaign for Chippewa County Circuit Court Branch III judge. Mcllquham has been a lawyer for 29 years, has been involved in the courtroom thousands of times, serves on the Chippewa Falls School Board and is involved in various other community organizations. Lane is a Chippewa County Small Claims Court Commissioner, an attorney for Wiley Law for private and personal matters and sits in place of judges in Chippewa County when they are absent. While the candidates campaigns are similar in many ways, the two candidates have differing opinions in terms of judicial philosophy. Q: What are some of the biggest issues facing Chippewa County? A: Lane: Obviously our meth and drug problems we have right now are a big issue, Lane said. Its tearing families apart and approximately 90 percent of what we do is drug or alcohol related. From family issues, to probate issues to the criminal side of things, most things are related to a drug or alcohol problem in some way. It keeps the courts busy, but wed prefer to not be busy due to those issues. The courts can get involved in a certain way through treatment courts and diversion programs, so I believe there are some things we can do alleviate the drug and alcohol issue. A: Mcllquham: The methamphetamine problem in the Chippewa Valley, and specifically in Chippewa County, is a huge issue, Mcllquham said. I have extensive experience dealing with it through the CHIPS cases Ive been handling. Seventy percent of my CHIPS workload involve methamphetamine. Our commitment to mental health also has a significant connection with the methamphetamine issue. Ive been involved in the More than Meth campaign and Ive gone to the Take a Stand Against Meth town hall meetings held in Chippewa County. Treatment courts would be an effective way to help remedy the problem and since its so addictive, I think after-care services and sober living facilities would help ease their transition back into the community. Q: In terms of your judicial philosophy, do you subscribe to the executive branch theory (that is, the court is there to enforce the laws as theyre written) or would you take a more-goal oriented approach (that is, this is what we want to do and this is how we make it happen)? A: Mcllquham: I think the judicial branch is there to interpret the law and the legislative branch is there to make the laws, Mcllquham said. I also believe that its important for the judiciary to be connected and work collaboratively with other forces in the community. I believe ultimately its the job of the judiciary to interpret the law and enforce it in criminal matters. A: Lane: I believe judges need to apply the text of the laws and the constitution to the facts of each case, Lane said. Thats the only way to stay consistent when you rule on any issue. If you start interpreting things differently, and applying facts differently in certain matters, thats where law gets murky and problems happen. No matter what party holds the majority, and no matter what law is written, the judge has to follow that law as its written. I think our legislators are there to change laws if there is an unfairness and judges arent there to sit in their place and say we need to change this, because thats why we have elections. Q: The decisions made every day in court greatly affect lives every day, so what about you specifically should contribute to the citizens of Chippewa County trusting you with the responsibility of making these rulings? A: Lane: Its a humble responsibility to serve and fill that seat and I feel Im that person, because I listen and hear all sides before I make decisions, Lane said. I want to articulate my rulings so people understand where Im coming from when Im deciding those cases. It may not be what they want to hear, but I want them to at least know where Im coming from. In Chippewa County, I think the residents can support me because Im already involved in our courthouse and Im already working with judicial assistants, with the court reporters and the court staff. Im already making those decisions on behalf of our courts and hearing our residents when they come to court. All of that shows I have the experience necessary to be a judge in Chippewa County and I think I would be the best fit based on that experience. A: Mcllquham: I believe every person who appears in court should be treated with respect, Mcllquham said. In my 29 years of legal experience and thousands of court experiences, even the people on the other side of the aisle Ive always treated with respect. I think its important that a judge listen and apply the law to the facts in each individual case. Everyone should be heard, and everyone might not agree with the ultimate decision, but the opportunity to be heard is important. I also believe its very important for a judge to have experience in the courtroom and have tried cases before. They also need to understand the operations, the rules of evidence and the process and commitment attorneys have in preparing their cases. I have deep roots in Chippewa County and Ive spent my life giving back to the community, and this is just an extension of that. I want to continue and extend my service to the people of Chippewa County. Voters are encouraged to do their own independent research on both candidates to solidify their choice for Chippewa County Circuit Court Branch III judge before the election on Tuesday, April 7. Access to Lanes campaign is available at https://www.benlaneforjudge.com/ and Mcllquhams information is available on her campaign Facebook page, Sharon Gibbs-Mcllquham for Circuit Court Judge. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A group advocating for expanded commercial air service at Tuscaloosa National Airport is calling for people to lend their voice over the next week on the issue. A market survey will be available until Feb. 7 at the site of Takeoff TCL, a group pushing for service. Takeoff TCL says that the citys lack of air service stands as an impediment to the business and social needs of the community. Whether you're an out-of-state or an in-state student, we know it's important to have options for traveling! ICYMI: Tuscaloosa National Airport is exploring the potential of influencing potential airlines to add service+they want to hear from you! https://t.co/QEXIQblVEV pic.twitter.com/E2iBhiLPpB The Univ. of Alabama (@UofAlabama) January 31, 2020 The group cites research estimating there are 644 air passengers per day in Tuscaloosa, with most of them driving to Birmingham to catch flights and a much smaller percentage making the journey to Atlanta. Takeoff TCL also points to the growth over the last decade at the University of Alabama, which now has an enrollment of more than 38,000 students, 22,500 of whom are from out-of-state. In 2008, only 6,000 of the 24,000 students at UA were out-of-state. Simply put, direct commercial service is critical to the continued growth and further expansion of the regional economy, the group says on its website. The 724-acre Tuscaloosa National Airport is home to 110 aircraft in 62 hangars. Its name changed from Regional to National last year. In November, Air Force One landed at the airport as President Donald Trump attended the Alabama-LSU game. Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud, 12, died from complications following the procedure, which is criminalised in Egy Egyptian prosecutors have detained a retired doctor who allegedly performed a female genital mutilation procedure on an Egyptian girl who subsequently died due to complications. Prosecutor-General Hamada El-Sawy also ordered the father, the mother and the uncle of the 12-year-old girl be detained for four days pending investigations. Nada Hassan Abdel-Maqsoud died on Thursday in the Upper Egyptian governorate of Assiut. The prosecutions investigations revealed the girls father, mother, uncle and aunt accompanied her to an operation to receive the procedure. Abdel-Maqsouds father reported the incident to the prosecution, who ordered an autopsy. "The general prosecution affirms it will face with absolute firmness those accused of committing such a heinous crime," reads a statement from the prosecution. Female genital mutilation is criminalised in Egypt, and a 2016 legal amendment mandates sentences of between five and seven years in prison for those involved in a procedure, if it results in death or disability of the victim. The first conviction for performing FGM in Egypt was in January 2015, seven years after the practice was first criminalised in 2008. In the 2015 case, a father and a doctor were convicted of causing the death of a 13-year-old girl who died during an FGM operation. According to the 2014 Egyptian Demographic Health Survey, 92.3 percent of ever-married women aged 15-49 have undergone female genital mutilation. Four-fifths of such operations are carried out by medical professionals, according to the survey. According to the health ministry in 2018, the rate of FGM among teenage girls aged from 15 to 17 years old fell from 74 percent in 2008 to 61 percent in 2014. Search Keywords: Short link: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a West Bengal-based madrassa managing committee's plea against its recent verdict upholding a law on the appointment of teachers by a commission for minority institutions. The Contai Rahamania High Madrasah has claimed that the January 6 verdict by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court was contrary to an 11-judge bench's judgment that gave fundamental rights to minority institutions to appoint teachers. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant said it will examine the matter, and issued notice to the West Bengal government and the Centre. Senior advocates Rajeev Dhavan and Salman Khurshid, appearing for Contai Rahamania High Madrasah, said it is mandatory for minority institutions to follow the statutory board created by the state. The bench said it would be appropriate if the petitioner approaches the Calcutta High Court with the relief. Dhavan said the problem is that after the high court's verdict, he would again have to come to the Supreme Court. To this, the bench said the high court will go by the 11-judge bench's verdict instead of the recent two-judge bench verdict. Dhavan said the issue is not limited to the appointment of a board by the state, but there is the larger issue of the fundamental right to appoint teachers by these institutions. He said it would be appropriate if this court hears the matter and clears the ambiguity. "This judgment (on January 6) is contrary to the fundamental rights given by the 11-judge bench in as much as it takes away my fundamental right to appoint teachers," the madrassa managing committee's counsel said. Just two days after the January 6 verdict, the Contai Rahamania High Madrasah had approached the apex court with a fresh writ petition challenging the judgment. It had said the case needs to be heard by a larger bench as the challenged verdict is in conflict with a similar judgment on minority rights given earlier by the top court. The petitioner, Contai Rahamania High Madrasah, is the same organisation on whose plea the January 6 judgment was pronounced. The two-judge Supreme Court bench had upheld a law framed by the West Bengal government in 2008 to constitute the Madrasah Service Commission for appointment of teachers in madrassas. It had said the selection of teachers and their nomination by the panel was not violative of the rights of the minority educational institutions. The apex court had held that the West Bengal Madrasah Service Commission Act, 2008, ensured that the panel, comprising experts in the field, screened talent across the state, adopted a fair selection procedure and selected the best available candidates purely on the basis of merit. It had said the commission also ensured that even while nominating teachers, interests of the minority institutions are taken care of. The top court had said the state legislature took care to see that the composition of the commission would ensure compatibility of teachers, who would be selected to impart education in the madrassa education system, which was also emphasised in the statement of objects and reasons. "The statutory provisions thus seek to achieve excellence in education and also promote the interest of minority institutions," the top court had said. Holding that the provisions of the Act were not violative of the rights of minority educational institutions, the apex court said that the selection of teachers and their nomination by the commission would satisfy national interests as well as the interests of such institutions. "However, the additional feature in the present matter shows that the composition of the commission, with a special emphasis on persons having a profound knowledge in Islamic culture and theology, would ensure that the special needs and requirements of the minority educational institutions will always be taken care of and thus, the present case stands on a different footing. "We hold that the provisions of the Commission Act are not violative of the rights of minority educational institutions on any count," it had said. The top court said selection of meritorious students was accepted to be in national interest and a minority institution could not, in the name of right under Article 30(1) of the Constitution, disregard merit or merit-based selection of students. It had set aside the Calcutta High Court verdict, which had held the legislation as unconstitutional. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ghanas total public debt stock increased by GHS6.3 billion in two months from September and November 2019 to reach GHS214.9 billion as at the end of November 2019. This is about US$39.0 billion but lower than the September debt of US$39.2 (GHS208.6 billion) because the cedi, since the beginning of the year, had increased in value to the US dollar by 0.3% According to the latest Summary of Economic Financial Data for January, the present public debt of the country is equivalent to 62.1% of Gross Domestic Product. In September 2019, the public debt stock stood at 60.3 per cent of GDP. Since President Nana Akufo-Addo assumed the Presidency three years ago, Ghanas debt stock has increased by about GS86.6 billion. Some economists and market watchers have described the rate and quantum of borrowing by the government as alarming and warned that it could plunge the nation into an economic crisis if care is not taken. In December 2016, Ghanas debt was GHS122, representing about 62% of GDP. This was based on the old economic value of the country. However, at the end of September 2019, Ghanas public debt was about GHS208.6 billion, representing 60.3% of GDP due to the rebasing of the Ghanaian economy. Of the total debt stock, domestic debt was GHS101.4 billion, of which GHS11.2 billion (3.8 per cent of GDP) represented bonds issued to support the financial sector clean-up, while external debt was GHS107.2 billion. Comparatively, Ghanas debt stood at GHS42 billion in 2012. In 2008, Ghana had borrowed about GHS9 billion. The above figures showed that former President John Mahamas administration borrowed about GHS80 billion while in office. Largely, the monies borrowed are used to repay maturing debts (interest and sometimes principal) with little going into infrastructural projects. The arguments are that the borrowed funds are used for consumption purposes instead of capital projects. The International Monetary Fund has also warned that Ghana has a high risk of becoming a debt-distressed country. According to the Bretton Wood institution, the Debt Sustainability Analysis is mainly driven by debt service to revenue exceeding the threshold throughout the forecast horizon, though all other indicators also exceed their thresholds at some point over that horizon. ---classfmonline.com An unidentified object exploded in the baggage of a passenger flying to Ho Chi Minh City as it was being inspected at an airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh on Tuesday, a source confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday. Tran Quoc T., a 75-year-old man who hails from the southern province of Binh Duong, was at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh on Tuesday morning to catch Bamboo Airways flight QH1971 to Ho Chi Minh City. At 10:40 am the same day, airport authorities found a suspicious item in his baggage during security screening and took the man and his luggage to a separate room for a closer inspection. While an officer was examining the cylindrical metal item, it suddenly exploded, injuring officer Nguyen Trung H. and a passenger standing nearby. Both of the injured were treated for their wounds at the airports clinic. Representatives from the Northern Airports Authority, the Van Don District police bureau, and Bamboo Airways were present to assess the situation. During a questioning session that followed, T. said the object had been found lying around and picked up by a grandchild who was traveling with him. He said he was not aware it was dangerous when he put the item in his baggage. The case has been booked by airport authorities and handed over to Van Don police for further legal proceedings. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Today is the day! Integrity Music is honoured to debut Matt Redman's brand-new album, Let There Be Wonder, which is available now. As a world-renowned worship leader and songwriter for today's church, this is Redman's 14th career project and his first with Integrity Music. Download or stream the album by clicking here or on the image above. Recorded live at Free Chapel in Orange County, California, Let There Be Wonder has already been touted as full of "passionate worship songs sung with vocal sincerity and reverence" (NRT). With each of the 12 songs uniting into one principal topic - Jesus - Redman recently shared, "I think there's a need in our society and in church to absolutely name Him, to not just speak generically about who God is but to put a name on Him and to declare it and to say it - to sing the name of Jesus." In a world where chaos, death and despair are constantly knocking on the door of people's heart, it is crucial for us to sing about the hope Jesus brings and the reality of His presence in our daily lives. These songs are a collection of anthems for this time in history, bringing fresh revelation and new momentum for the Church around the globe. This is reflected by Redman's multiple collaborations with international worship artists, writing and honing melodies that, as Redman says, "encapsulate a lot of what has been in my heart when it comes to worship in these last few years." "Worship songs will never be able to paint the full picture of God's glory, but it's so important that we aim high and give our best effort to conveying Him as fully as we can. When we do this, it's much more honouring to God, and it's much more helpful for us. My hope and prayer for this new record is that we'd find ourselves caught up in the life-giving worship of the true and living God. Let there be wonder!" Matt Redman Let There Be Wonder was produced Jacob Sooter and Joshua Silverberg. Redman also co-wrote with the duo for the album along with other key writers and friends such as Phil Wickham, Hillsong's Joel Houston, Jason Ingram, Pat Barrett, Corey Voss, Andi Rozier (Vertical Church Band), Jon Guerra, and Brandon Lake, who also appears on the project along with Evan Craft. 2020 promises to be a full year for Matt Redman as he's set to appear at numerous shows, conferences, and services around the world. A headlining tour is also planned for late spring. Be sure to stay up to date by visiting his website. Tags : Matt Redman's Brand-New Album "Let There Be Wonder" is Out Now! Matt Redman matt redman let there be wonder matt redman new album Integrity Music matt redman live worship album Britain formally exits the European Union on Friday night, casting off from the Continent after nearly half a century and ending a debate that had convulsed the country for more than three years. Yet for all the gravity of the moment, there is a palpable sense of anticlimax. London: Britain formally exits the European Union on Friday night, casting off from the Continent after nearly half a century and ending a debate that had convulsed the country for more than three years. Yet for all the gravity of the moment, there is a palpable sense of anticlimax. Now that Britain has finally reached this point of no return one that millions of Britons had long either dreaded or dreamed of, marched against or eagerly prepared for the prevailing emotion is neither sadness nor excitement. Rather, it is a characteristically British reflex: Get on with it. In time, the British are likely to discover that getting on with it isnt so easy. For the next 11 months, Britain will continue to abide by the EUs rules and regulations, while it decides what sort of Brexit it wants for itself. That will be hammered out in talks with the blocs leaders in Brussels over trade relations negotiations that could prove as divisive and traumatic as the political fight over the withdrawal. But that, for now, lies in the future. For most people, nothing will be all that different when the sun rises Saturday morning. To a great extent, that reflects the endless, enervating nature of the Brexit debate. Since the day Britons narrowly voted to leave the EU in June 2016, the issue has divided families, cast a shadow over businesses, and paralysed the government. Parliament, that venerable symbol of British democracy, became a gladiatorial arena, at once riveting and horrifying to those who tuned in to the daily combat. When Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised during the recent election to get Brexit done, British voters, exhausted and fed up, gave him the largest Conservative Party majority since Margaret Thatcher in 1987. Everyone but everyone including the most passionate Remainers like me, had a get Brexit done corner in our souls, said Timothy Garton Ash, a professor of European studies at Oxford University, referring to the choice between leaving the EU or remaining in it. Weve had three-and-a-half years of this, so we were well into the fourth or fifth stage of grief. Mark Malloch Brown, another prominent Remainer and a former No 2 official at the United Nations, said, Even though its not the outcome I wanted, it returns government to its proper place. Brexit has already left a deep imprint on the country. Financial firms have moved some of their operations to other European cities, workers from other EU countries have begun leaving, and the fierce national debate over whether, and how, to leave has radically realigned the countrys politics. Since Johnsons victory, however, the British have given themselves a kind of holiday from history. Brexit has largely vanished from the front pages, replaced by the saga of Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, whose decision to leave Britain seems to fascinate people more than Britains decision to leave the EU. Even the ceremonies to mark the moment speak to the ennui. The government will project a countdown clock on the walls of 10 Downing Street and mount a red, white and blue light show in nearby Whitehall. Brexiteers plan to throw a party in Parliament Square, where the weather forecast calls for rain showers. But the bell in Big Ben will not ring; the government decided not to ante up the 500,000 ($650,000) necessary to make the bell usable during renovations of the Houses of Parliament. Even if it had rung, Big Ben would have served only to underscore the attenuated nature of the celebration. Because the EU dictates Britains departure, Brexit will be official at the stroke of midnight, Brussels time, which is only 11 pm in London. Not everybody views Brexit with resignation. I dont think its an anticlimax, said William Shawcross, a writer who works for the government as a special envoy for British victims of terrorism. I think this is one of the most exciting moments in Britains modern history. I am thrilled by it! Britain, he said, now had a rare opportunity to improve its society, unshackled from the bureaucracy of Brussels. Going through with Brexit was a crucial vindication of the peoples democratic wishes. Still, Shawcross said the government had wisely decided to avoid a triumphalist tone in marking the departure. Johnson has vowed to heal the rifts left by the Brexit debate, and his government has begun taking steps in that direction. The simplest way is to steer public money toward people for whom voting in favor of Brexit was a protest against what they perceived as an economy that had left them behind. And so the government seems likely to approve a costly high-speed railway project that would connect London with Manchester, Leeds and other cities in northern England. Voters in the Midlands and north helped fuel Johnsons election victory. Many of them were traditionally Labour Party supporters, who voted to leave the EU and seethed as Parliament failed to carry out their wishes. The railway, its advocates say, could help reinvigorate those parts of the country. Yet Johnson will have to reconcile this kind of big-ticket project with the small-government ideology that drives the Brexiteers in his Cabinet. Focussed on free trade and deregulation, their goal is to turn Britain into a nimble free agent in the global economy Singapore-on-Thames, in the words of the evangelists. That is a starkly different vision of Britain than that held by the Conservative Partys new voters in the north. They yearn for a country whose automobile industry and fishing grounds are protected from the ravages of global competition. Johnson, analysts said, hopes to manage that tension by, in effect, giving both what they want: public spending in the north and deregulation in London. In an excerpt from remarks he plans to deliver Friday evening, Johnson cast Brexit as not just a unifying force, but also a remedy for generations of economic inequity between Britains north and south. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in, he was scheduled to say. This is the moment when we begin to unite and level up. Critics predict Johnson will have trouble reconciling the buccaneering Britain he wants with the northern voters who swept him to victory. By leaving Europe, he is punishing exactly those parts of the country, because it is those parts of the country that will lose residual manufacturing jobs, said Brown, the former UN official. Johnson faces a similar dilemma in foreign policy. His ministers speak grandly of a global Britain, a respected player with friends on both sides of the Atlantic but free to strike trade deals with anyone. Theres a great opportunity for this country to be an even stronger force for good in the world, said the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, in a briefing with reporters this week. As an example, he cited the next UN climate change summit, which Britain will host in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Without the leverage of EU membership, however, some analysts said Britain would be a diminished power, overly dependent on its alliance with the US. Johnson fended off heavy pressure from the Donald Trump administration to bar the Chinese telecommunications firm, Huawei, from its broadband network. But with Britain embarking on a trade negotiation with the US, it is not the last time Johnson is likely to face difficult trade-offs. Boris Johnson does want to have a global foreign policy, said Simon Fraser, a former head of the British diplomatic service. But a lot of this talk of a global Britain is very glib, not very substantial, and needs to be filled out. For all of Johnsons promises of unity, Britain remains a deeply divided country. Many still regard Brexit as a national tragedy. At Oxford, students marked Britains departure from the bloc by launching a website that features interviews of young people, mostly Europeans, in which they were asked to name their most formative, best, and worst European moments. The Brexit referendum vote ranks as the highest-scoring worst moment. Slightly more than half of those who voted last December backed parties that either opposed Brexit or favored another referendum. How Johnson reaches out to those people will determine whether he is successful in putting the rancour of the past three-and-a-half years behind the country. Garton Ash, the Oxford professor, said the government could make strides by supporting student-exchange programs between Britain and the EU, adopting an open immigration policy and encouraging freedom of movement. The jury is still out on what hes going to do for the pro-Europe part of the country, Garton Ash said. But if he can do a lot on that front, people will gradually and grudgingly accept it. Mark Landler c.2020 The New York Times Company The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 30 convened a meeting under the chair of Vietnam to discuss issues in Cyprus and Libya. Vietnam supports a resolution of the UNSC to back the implementation of the outcomes of the international conference in Berlin, Germany, on January 19. The UNSC voted to approve a resolution on extending the operation of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until July 31. The council also listened to a report on the operation of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Ambassador Pham Hai Anh, deputy head of the Vietnam mission to the UN, hailed the efforts of the UN, regional organisations and relevant countries in promoting peace in Libya, especially the adoption of a joint declaration at the Berlin conference, which aims to call for an end to intervention in the Libyan situation and to promote political solutions led by Libyan people. He also stressed the importance of ensuring political solutions led by Libyan people and called for parties in Libya to show restraint and reach a long-term ceasefire agreement. The diplomat said Vietnam supports a resolution of the UNSC to back the implementation of the outcomes of the international conference in Berlin, Germany, on January 19. Vietnam also highly appreciates the role and contributions of the UNSMIL, he added./.VNA Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 13:07 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e26da 1 Politics Yasonna-Laoly,KPK,Law-and-Human-Rights-Ministry,Immigration-Office,harun-masiku,PDI-P,KPU,bribery-case Free Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly says he is prepared to resign from his ministerial seat if Ronny F. Sompie, who was recently removed from his position as the ministry's director general of immigration, is found not guilty of covering up about the whereabouts of graft fugitive Harun Masiku. If he [Ronny] is not guilty, I will step down from my position as a minister because I am sure that [Ronny] is guilty, Yasonna said on Thursday. Yasonna recently removed Ronny and the immigration office's director of systems and technology, Alif Suadi, from their positions, arguing that the two officials were responsible for the failure of the immigration information system to detect Haruns return from Singapore earlier this month. The minister claimed that prior to Ronny's dismissal, he had continuously expedited the maintenance of the immigration management and information systems (SIMKIM) central database due to frequent delays in receiving immigration data from airports' immigration check points. He went to say that he had reprimanded immigration officials in December because the SIMKIM had been unreliable in delivering real time immigration data. I have always told them [immigration officials] to expedite maintenance of the immigration information system, he added as quoted by kompas.com. On Jan. 8, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Harun a graft suspect for allegedly paying bribes of Rp 600 million (US$43,950) to General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan in the hope of securing a seat at the House as a replacement for the late Nazarudin Kiemas. The antigraft body has arrested Wahyu, but Harun -- an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, still remains at large. Yasonna, a senior member of the PDI-P, apparently insisted that Harun had left the country on Jan. 6 and remained overseas as of Jan. 16. However, Tempo reported that Harun had returned to Indonesia via Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Jan. 7. Immigration officials, who first denied the report, later confirmed that it was accurate, with Ronny saying on Jan. 22 that there had been a "delay in the processing of traffic data at Terminal F" of the airport. Yasonna has since been accused of deliberately covering up Harun's whereabouts, with critics saying that Ronny was only a scapegoat and the minister himself should be held accountable. He has played down the allegations and instead established a "fact-finding team", comprising officials from the National Police's cybercrime unit and the Communications and Information Ministry, to investigate why the system had failed to detect Harun. (glh). MANILA, Philippines Only a day after the Philippines confirmed its first case of novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD), suspected cases spiked to 31 as of Friday (January 31). Three of the persons under investigation (PUI) are confined in isolation at a hospital in the countrys capital, Manila. There are 3 PUIs admitted currently in San Lazaro (Hospital), confirmed Dr. Ferchito Avelino of the Department of Health Epidemiology Bureau. The two were the couple where we had the first nCoV case and her partner, and a new case was admitted yesterday, he added. The DOH said they opted to reveal the location of the three suspected cases including the one confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in order to provide the public with rightful information and prevent misinformation. Because every other hospital in Metro Manila was panicking [] to put a lot of people to rest and just be assured that nothing is being hidden from them, we thought it was better to disclose and you know San Lazaro hospital is well-equipped, explained DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo. They have been handling infectious cases for the 400 years and everybody of course in the hospital knows that the patient is in there, so I dont think there is any harm in disclosing. In fact, it puts to rest a lot of speculations, he added. Meanwhile, the DOH also started contact tracing to determine the condition of the people who had contact with the Chinese patient confirmed of nCoV. The Department said they have already located the persons address since their arrival on January 21. Inaalam namin kung saan at ano iyong eroplano na sinakyan nila. Kung ano iyong seat number, kung saan sila nakaupo tapos we will be contacting the people around the seat para mabigyan sila ng advice (We are verifying where and what flight they were in; their seat number and we will be contacting the people around the seat to give them advice), explained Avelino. Maliban doon sa eroplano tinitignan na rin natin iyong mga crew na nag- serve doon sa eroplano so bibigyan natin din natin ng advise (Aside from the aircraft, we are also tracing the crew who were on board the same flight so we could them advise them as well), he added. Story continues Meanwhile, major private hospitals are assured to assist to all suspected cases of nCoV as they have state-of-the-art facilities. Based on DOH order, hospitals are reminded that they cannot turn away patients because of suspected nCoV and they have to treat them and manage them in their facility. Kung ang isang ospital ay may kapasidad para matugunan ang pangangailangan, mas maigi pa pong hindi na ilipat ang pasyente (If a hospital has the capacity to address the need, it is better not to move the patient), Domingo explained. Ang importante lang ay makuhanan sila ng specimen para maipadala sa RITM. Importante po ang infection control kung papalipat lipatin ang pasyente mas mataas iyong posibilidad na maaaring makahawa pa sa ibang tao (Whats important is to get samples from them and send them to RITM. Infection control is important. The more we move the patient, the more risk of infection), he concluded. MNP (with reports from Aiko Miguel) The post Suspected cases of nCoV in PH at 31, three in Manila appeared first on UNTV News. Dublin, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Traffic Sensors Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Traffic Sensors was valued at USD 271.97 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 434 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period 2020-2025. The increasing awareness of the adverse effect of road accidents on GDP is compelling several cities to implement sensor-based smart traffic signals. To obtain and enhance real-time traffic information, the utilization and integration of transportation surveillance are necessary wherein currently, the traffic sensors caters as a vital role to fulfill the requirement. These traffic sensors collect data which is used for several applications such as flow monitor and anticipate any bottleneck and travel time estimation. However, with the limited budget on infrastructure coupled with high initial investment and maintenance cost is likely to hamper the market growth. Due to the increase in urbanization and population, there is an increase in the number of vehicles. For which government has taken initiatives to modify transport infrastructure. These factors act as a driver for traffic sensors market. However, the setup cost is very high to implement this infrastructure which is a major challenge for the traffic sensors market. Key Market Trends Traffic Monitoring to Witness Significant Growth Installation of traffic sensors will now be an integral part of traffic monitoring and to analyze the pattern of the moving vehicles and their interaction in the traffic. This is expected to help in enhancing the efficiency in traffic management such as jams. Since there's a significantly increasing number of commercial vehicles, the players and institutions are coming up with advanced traffic monitoring systems. For instance, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India completed the prototype of smart traffic monitoring systems on the campus. Also, the major players and researchers are testing traffic monitoring using the latest emerging technologies. The researchers from Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) commenced the test of traffic monitoring using AI which in future is likely to increase the utilization of traffic sensors. The increasing number of passenger cars is driving the need for advanced and optimized traffic management system. Since 2015, the number of passenger cars has witnessed a growth of over 7% and is expected to increase owing to the emerging electric vehicles. As a result, it is likely to boost the demand for intelligent traffic monitor and control system thereby having a positive impact on the utilization of traffic sensors. As a result, it creates an immense opportunity and potential in the region for the industry players in the region to invest and tap the early market garnering higher market share. North America to Dominate the Traffic Sensor Market North America contains the most urbanized landscapes in the world. In the United States and Canada, approximately 80% of the population is in the urban area. These volumes of urbanization create challenges for the government to manage traffic. The region is engaged in both internal and external research and development, in an effort to introduce new types of traffic sensors to enhance the effectiveness, ease of use, safety, and reliability of its existing traffic sensors and to expand applications for which the uses of current products are appropriate. Sometimes the urgent transport of goods, as well as the movement of people, is delayed because of the jams at traffic signals, so today it has been optimized to a large degree using traffic control and safety systems. Traffic sensors are installed at various places in the region for measuring different types of data extracted from the number of vehicles and regulates the signals accordingly. This would also help to maneuver the demand of the traffic sensors in North America. Competitive Landscape The major players like Kistler Group, Flir Systems, Inc., TE Connectivity Ltd, SICK AG, Axis Communications AB, Raytheon Company, and Siemens AG, among others. The market is fragmented since the market is competitive without dominant players. Hence, market concentration will be low. Key Topics Covered 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Study Deliverables 1.2 Study Assumptions 1.3 Scope of the Study 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 MARKET DYNAMICS 4.1 Market Overview 4.2 Introduction to Market Drivers and Restraints 4.3 Market Drivers 4.3.1 Increasing Urbanization and Population 4.3.2 Growing Need for Real-Time Information System 4.3.3 Government Initiatives to Modify Transport Infrastructure 4.4 Market Restraints 4.4.1 High Setup Costs 4.5 Value Chain / Supply Chain Analysis 4.6 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Force Analysis 4.6.1 Threat of New Entrants 4.6.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers/Consumers 4.6.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 4.6.4 Threat of Substitute Products 4.6.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry 5 MARKET SEGMENTATION 5.1 By Sensor Type 5.1.1 Inductive Loop 5.1.2 Piezoelectric Sensor 5.1.3 Bending Plate 5.1.4 Image Sensor 5.1.5 Infrared Sensor 5.1.6 Other Type of Sensors 5.2 By Application 5.2.1 Vehicle Measurement & Profiling 5.2.2 Weigh in Motion 5.2.3 Traffic Monitoring 5.2.4 Automated Tolling 5.2.5 Other Applications 5.3 Geography 5.3.1 North America 5.3.2 Europe 5.3.3 Asia-Pacific 5.3.4 Latin America 5.3.5 Middle East & Africa 6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 6.1 Company Profiles 6.1.1 Kapsch TrafficCom AG 6.1.2 International Road Dynamics Inc. 6.1.3 Kistler Group 6.1.4 Flir Systems Inc. 6.1.5 TE Connectivity Ltd. 6.1.6 SWARCO AG 6.1.7 Q-Free ASA 6.1.8 SICK AG 6.1.9 Raytheon Company 6.1.10 Siemens AG 7 INVESTMENT ANALYSIS 8 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/y72lq6 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Boris Johnson will host a party in No 10 for cabinet ministers and pro-Brexit advisers at which guests will toast the UKs departure from the EU with British-sourced food washed down with English sparkling wine, reports Gazeta, citing The Guardian. Canapes will include savoury shortbread topped with Shropshire blue cheese, filet of lamb, a ploughmans of cheddar and pickle, roast chicken skewers probably not chlorinated and roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with a horseradish sauce. At 10pm, he is scheduled to deliver a televised address to the country calling Brexit not an end but a beginning and will describe it as a moment of real national renewal and change. Downing Street itself will be illuminated by a red and blue light show, along with the Treasury, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Justice, HMRC, and the Cabinet Office, plus the offices of Scotland and Wales. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL January 31, 2020 Zacks Value Trader is a podcast hosted weekly by Zacks Stock Strategist Tracey Ryniec. Every week, Tracey will be joined by guests to discuss the hottest investing topics in stocks, bonds and ETFs and how it impacts your life. To listen to the podcast, click here: How to Screen for Highly Ranked, Undervalues Stocks Welcome to Episode #175 of the Value Investor Podcast. Every week, Tracey Ryniec, the editor of Zacks Value Investor portfolio, shares some of her top value investing tips and stock picks. Volatility has picked up to start 2020 with earnings season and the coronavirus grabbing the headlines. I know many investors like to use system style investing and thats where the Zacks Rank comes in. Why not use Zacks great Ranking systems to cut through the noise and find those cheap stocks? Screening for Highly Ranked Undervalued Stocks The screens always start with the Zacks Rank, in this case the highest ranks of #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy). It should, hopefully, mean rising earnings estimates. But investors can layer the Zacks Style Scores on top of it. The Style Scores are included for an investing style, which includes value, growth or momentum. The screen included the top two scores of A or B for the value category. The Zacks Industry Rank adds yet another layer of screening for the industries with rising estimates, as you can screen for industry ranks in the top 50%. Throw in the P/E and PEG, as the classic valuation metrics, as well as a stock price over $5 to avoid those pesky penny stocks. I know, you like those $1 stocks, but were going to exclude them here. 25 stocks made it through this tight screen including in a bunch of different industries such as financials, drug makers, transports, retailers and energy. Here are five. 5 Highly Ranked Undervalued Stocks for Your Short List 1. Citigroup (C) is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). This big, international bank is cheap with a forward P/E of just 8.9. It has a PEG ratio of 0.8, which indicates it has both value and growth. It also pays a dividend, yielding 2.6%. Story continues 2. Copa Holdings (CPA) is a passenger airline serving Latin America with its big hub in Panama. It has an Industry Rank of 34, which is the top 13% of all industries. Its trading with a forward P/E of just 10.5. 3. LPL Financial Holdings (LPLA) operates a financial advisory and brokerage business. Shares are still attractively valued with a forward P/E of just 12. It also has growth with a PEG ratio of just 0.8. Investors get a dividend, currently yielding 1.1%. 4. SYNNEX (SNX) announced on Jan 9 that it would split into 2 companies: Concentrix and SYNNEX. Its a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Its been cheap for some time, and currently has a forward P/E of just 10. 5. Foot Locker (FL) is one of the cheap retailers, on a valuation basis. It trades with a forward P/E of just 7.8. Its industry, apparel and shoes, ranks 94 out of 255, or in the top 37% of all industries. Investors are rewarded with a dividend, currently yielding 3.9%. What else should you know about using the Zacks Rank to find undervalued stocks? Tune into this weeks podcast to find out. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2020. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >> Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com/performance Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Copa Holdings, S.A. (CPA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Citigroup Inc. (C) : Free Stock Analysis Report SYNNEX Corporation (SNX) : Free Stock Analysis Report LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Foot Locker, Inc. (FL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. People around the world are buying up protective face masks in hopes of keeping a new virus from China at bay. Some companies have required them for employees. But do the masks work? It depends. In Bangkok, a 67-year-old retiree said she is confused about which mask to wear and how to properly wear it. "I just saw on TV that when you are wearing surgical masks with green or blue colors, you should turn the colored side to face outward," Jutamas Purith said. "But then it says if you are sick, you should turn the colored side inward. It is still confusing." The germs don't generally spread through the air one at a time, experts say. Instead, viruses ride from person to person on droplets from a sneeze or cough. Those droplets land on hands and other surfaces, where they are touched by others, who then touch their own eyes, noses or mouths. "So masks are very sensible for avoiding hand-to-mouth contact and passing the virus and also being spread through coughs and sneezes," Trudie Lang said, a researcher at the University of Oxford. "But I can't comment on what makes a good mask or a bad mask," she added. None of this, however, is based on rigorous research. A 2017 review of studies in health care workers suggested masks offer some protection against SARS, but the authors noted: "existing evidence is sparse and findings are inconsistent." The best way to avoid getting sick from the new virus is to wash your hands with soap and water. If soap and water aren't available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends masks for people being evaluated for the new virus, people confirmed to have it, household members and caregivers. Airline crew should offer a face mask to a sick traveller, the CDC said. Health care workers treating patients with the new virus are advised by the CDC to take additional precautions such as goggles or face shields. Feng Zijian, deputy head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China, said there is no need to wear a mask when you are by yourself. "When you go to public places, if you are to take public transportation, we recommend the wearing of masks," he said. A health official in Hong Kong said wearing the same mask for several days is not effective. In Tokyo, 50-year-old hotel employee Yumi Murata, said "I take it as a wakeup call for us to take precautions against an outbreak like this. Masks have been commonly used in some countries when wearers are sick, fighting allergies or on days when air pollution is bad. The new virus has fuelled demand for them around the world. People in Taiwan can be seen wearing masks around the train station in Taipei as an extra precaution in crowded areas. A factory in China is working around the clock to feed the growing demand for masks after the lunar new year holiday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 21:20 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061edab3 1 National Wuhan-coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia,quarantine,Indonesian,health-ministry Free To welcome Indonesians soon to be airlifted from Wuhan, China, the government is preparing to observe their health in isolation so as to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 200 people and infected thousands of others. As many as 243 Indonesians previously stranded in China's Hubei province will be repatriated in the next 24 hours by a team from the Foreign Ministry, with officials noting that other government agencies were also making preparations at the receiving end. The Health Ministrys head of the emerging infectious diseases subdirectorate, Endang Budi Hastuti, said Friday that Indonesians returning from Wuhan must be quarantined for at least 14 days, which would allow authorities to observe them throughout the virus' estimated incubation period. While the destination and intended location of quarantine is being kept under wraps, another official confirmed that all those who were stranded would return. All Indonesians coming from Wuhan will be quarantined," the ministry's communicable disease prevention and control director, Wiendra Waworuntu, said on Friday. Wiendra said everyone not just those from Wuhan and other parts of Hubei would be screened and observed at the point of entry, including those who had arrived in Jakarta and all other airports in Indonesia. Anyone coming in from China will be given a Health Alert Card (HAC) that they must fill in. The card serves as a docket for passengers who experience fever or coughing 14 days after arrival and officials insist they must be referred to a health facility for examination. She said the ministry was ready to screen and set up quarantine anywhere passengers landed. During quarantine, those who are airlifted by the government from China would receive treatment by nurses, lung specialists, psychiatrists and other health officers, as well as quarantined food for their nutritional intake. All port health offices in the country would be equipped with the expertise to process and transfer patients to a hospital should they show symptoms associated with the virus such as fever or coughing, Wiendra added. Meanwhile, ministry spokesperson Widyawati said that those placed under quarantine would be provided with an information booklet to guide them through the process, laying out details such as the kinds of activities they can partake in under observation or the types of food that will be prepared for them. "The minister has tasked us with preparing [the materials]," Widyawati said. "Otherwise the stress can make them turn sick." Separately, the director of Infectious Diseases Hospital (RSPI) Sulianti Saroso, Muhammad Syahril, said that the hospital already had isolation rooms prepared to receive any patients from Wuhan. We from Jakarta RSPI have prepared 11 permanent isolation rooms if anyone from Wuhan needs to be treated, Syahril said. (ami) Young woman and her mother talk with a female bank employee about a student loan. If you have student loans, one of the only positives is knowing you are nowhere near alone. These days, two out of three college graduates leave school with student loan debt. And during tax season, you probably wonder if those monthly payments will benefit you in your tax return. The short answer? Sort of. "The only portion of a student loan that is tax-deductible is the interest," Eileen Maki, Tax and Accounting Analyst at FitSmallBusiness.com, explained on her website. "Like any tax deduction, there are certain qualifications that must be met, as well as limitations on the amount that can be deducted." What Are the Qualifications? In order to deduct student loan interest, the loan must have been taken out during an academic period when you were enrolled at least half-time in a program that leads to a degree or recognized credential at an eligible institution. The money must have been used in a reasonable amount of time after the loan was taken out and spent on qualified education expenses like tuition and books, not travel and booze. And finally, your filing status cannot be married, filing separately. What Are the Limitations? The deduction is capped at $2,500. But if you paid less than that in interest, you can only deduct what you actually paid, which includes voluntary prepaid interest payments as well as the required payments. "For example, if you paid $850 in interest on your student loans, you can only deduct $850, not the full $2,500," explained Maki. Additionally, if your income is too high, you might not be eligible for the full deduction. "Depending on the Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) of the taxpayer, the amount that can be deducted might be lower or eliminated entirely," added Maki. How Do You Claim the Deduction? The Student Loan Interest Deduction is claimed on IRS Form 1040 as an adjustment to your income, Maki explained, so the good news is you don't have to itemize your deductions. If you paid $600 or more in interest to a single lender, you should receive a 1098-E form in the mail. If you didn't get that form, that doesn't mean you aren't eligible for the deduction. Use the IRS online tool to see if you qualify for the Student Loan Interest Deduction, and call your lender for your records. One last positive note? "A tax deduction reduces your taxable income, which results in a lower tax liability," Maki said. Tip: if this still sounds a bit overwhelming, make sure you consult a tax professional to help break everything down for you and to file your taxes to avoid any costly mistakes. Hawrami, a dialect of the Kurdish language, is spoken by some 23,000 people in Irans Western Kurdistan and Iraqs Hawraman area. UNESCO classed the dialect as definitely endangered in 2010. The people of Hawraman, located in northeastern Iraq, mostly reside in the mountainous highlands where tough conditions have earned them the reputation of being self-reliant, resilient and resourceful. They are known for their traditional attire and long life expectancies. They are also known as good fighters. After the First World War, when Sheikh Mahmoud Barzinji rebelled against the British in 1919, it was with the help of several hundred Hawrami fighters that he delivered a humiliating defeat to the British at Tasluja Pass just outside Sulaimaniyah. Today, the region is well represented in national bodies. For example, Ashti Hawrami served as the Kurdistan Regional Government's minister for natural resources. However, the language is fast disappearing as families leave Hawraman for larger towns such as Sulaimaniyah and Erbil and new generations grow up unable to speak their heritage language. Concerned with the trend, one 73-year-old teacher decided to translate the Quran into his mother tongue and publish it last October. Jamal Habibullah Faraj Bedar, a retired schoolteacher from the town of Tawela, translated the entire Muslim holy book from Arabic. He told Al-Monitor that he wanted to translate Quran into Hawrami, whose speakers became Muslims very early on in the ninth century. Today, the population is almost entirely Sunni Muslims, many of whom lean toward mysticism. One of the best known centers of education in the area is a religious school in the border town of Byara, the site of tombs of Naqshbandi sheikhs who formed the major Sunni spiritual order of Sufism. However, they could not read the Quran in their own language. So, I wanted to be the first one to translate the Quran into Hawrami, said Bedar. In the past years, UNESCO has indicated that Hawrami is in danger as the dialect is no longer used [much] in writing. I was very concerned to hear this. Hawrami is an ancient language we inherited from our forefathers." He went on, "I decided that the best way to keep my native language alive is to translate the Quran into Hawrami. Bedar finished the translation in two and a half months and a local businessman from Hawraman offered to print 1,000 copies of the book in Tehran. Interpretations of the Quran have been translated into most of the worlds major languages even though Islamic Sharia forbids the holy books literal translation. It was therefore unsurprising when Kurdistans Regional Supreme Fatwa Council stated its opposition to Bedars move, based on a fatwa issued in 2013 against the translation of the Muslim holy book. The text of the Quran is very deep and full of meanings.Thus, literal translation of the holy Quran into other languages is prohibited. But interpretations of the Quran into all languages is allowed, provided the person who does the interpretation meets basic conditions and has full knowledge of the meanings of the Quran, Hassan Khalid Mufti, Head of Kurdistan Regions Supreme Fatwa Council, told Al-Monitor. Bader disagrees. He said the councils view is illogical and the Quran should be first translated and then interpreted line by line. Their view is not correct. Reason and logic are with me, not with them, Bedar told Al-Monitor. The Almighty God has sent the Quran so that people can read it, understand it, learn it and then practice it in life. If the view by the Supreme Fatwa Council is correct, then it means that the Quran has merely been sent to the Arabs and they alone can read and understand it. Mam Burhan Qanie, an independent lawmaker in the Kurdistan Regional Government, told Al-Monitor that he supports any effort that will help revive the Hawrami dialect, the mother tongue of many poets and intellectuals. I believe that the books of the major religions Quran, Bible or Torah should be translated into all key languages and dialects so that people can read them, he said. There is no verse in the Quran that says the text should not be translated into other languages. Islam itself says it is a religion for all mankind. How can Islam influence an Italian or a Greek if they cannot read it in a language they understand? Qanie, who sits on the parliamentary committee of culture, youth and civil society, said, I cannot make any promises that the dialect [will be granted a formal status], but we support any efforts deemed as serving the Kurdish language and culture. Alarmed by the danger to their dialect, many intellectuals from Hawraman called last year for its inclusion in the Kurdistan regions public education curricula. But nothing to that effect has yet happened amid complaints that the Hawrami dialect and the Hawraman area have been neglected both economically and culturally by the authorities. Mining equipment and technology solutions provider, Sandvik Mining & Construction (Sales Area West Africa), has achieved what managers say, is a significant milestone in its Safety, Health, Quality and Environment record. The Company says it recognised that the only way to guarantee its business growth and customer satisfaction was to implement a robust Safety, Health Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Management Systems. Sandviks attainment of ISO 9001:2015, 45001:2018, 14001:2015 certifications in 2018 and successful surveillance audit in 2019 is ample evidence of the Companys capability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer needs, whilst concurrently complying with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements to protect the environment and ensure an incident-free workplace. After its maiden certification to OHSAS 18001:2007 and ISO 14001:2004 in 2009 at a time it operated from customer sites and rented premises, Sandvik Mining has grown in leaps and bounds, moving to its own operational site at Pakyi No 1, near Kumasi. In addition to the sites in Accra and Kumasi in Ghana, the Companys operations in Bamako Mali has also been certified to the revised version of all three standards listed following certification audits carried out by SGS-Ghana in December 2018, by which Sandvik became one of the first companies in the sub-region to be certified to the three (3) standards. The certification to the revised ISO standards, the company says, is proof of its proficiency in exceeding customers expectation. The Sales Area Vice-President and Managing Director for Sandvik in West Africa, Nuhu Salifu, says the certification and subsequent surveillance audit cement the Companys reputation as the reference point within the current competitive environment in the mining support services industry; further consolidating our stakeholders confidence in our ability to deliver. According to Nuhu, the re-certification comes at a time we are celebrating over 4.8 million man-hours without lost-time injury. Mr. Salifu praised the companys customers, regulators, staff and the communities where it operates for their contribution to the laurels chalked up. Commenting on this achievement HR Manager for Sandvik, Samuel Brewu said: We remain conscious of the fact that such feats dont just occur; they are the result of positive Safety Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) actions, leadership support as well as individual commitment. This is what Sandvik commits to doing continually - progressively improving upon its business processes and adapting to changes as and when they occur the HR Manager stated. SHEQ Manager Sahadatu Ibrahim was elated at the immense support she receives from Management and staff in driving the Sales Areas SHEQ agenda. 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 LOS ANGELESPierce Paris has made his directorial debut with the first full-length feature from Masqulin, Whats Gotten Into Him? I couldnt be more excited to make my directorial debut with Masqulin, said Paris. My goal is to deliver a hot and compelling feature thats in line with Masqulins first-rate brand and aesthetic, and Im grateful that the company believes in my vision. Written and co-directed by newcomer Ben Rush, the films first scene will debut on Masqulin.com on Feb. 13, with three subsequent scenes to follow. Headlined by Paris and Drew Dixon, Whats Gotten Into Him? also stars Dante Colle, Clark Davis, Michael DelRay, Dillon Diaz, Nick Fitt and Colby Tucker. Pierce Paris is, without question, the ideal filmmaking partner, Rush said. His talent in front of and behind the camera really brings my writing to life in a unique and interesting way. I cant wait for Masqulin fans to see this movie. In Whats Gotten Into Him?, Drew Dixon is an anxious bundle of nerves. Settling into a new high-level marketing gig is hard enough, but being pressured by his boyfriend, Nick Fitt, to be more sexually adventurousand to bottom for the first timemakes his life feel even more overwhelming. Enter Dr. Pierce Paris, PhD, LMFT, a handsome psychotherapist with just the right counsel to put Drew at ease. As Dr. Paris and his charmingly coy client begin a deep-dive discussion into their past experiences and fantasies, a palpable tension builds to a shockingly explosive finish. Loaded with a roster of top-tier talentincluding Dante Colle, Clark Davis, Michael DelRay, Dillon Diaz and Colby TuckerWhats Gotten Into Him? will have viewers edging from scene to scene in this feature-length movie from visionary filmmakers Pierce Paris and Ben Rush. For more, visit Masqulin.com. Tests on two French citizens evacuated by plane with 178 other passengers from the Chinese city of Wuhan and feared to have coronavirus symptoms have turned out negative, Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said Friday. The two were tested after landing at a military base near the southern port city of Marseille on the first plane sent by France to evacuate French nationals from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. The remaining passengers were taken to a seaside holiday camp, where they will be kept in quarantine for two weeks. "Two people showed symptoms during the journey -- one on the plane and the other in the bus," Buzyn told reporters. "They were quickly taken to... hospital and they were tested and they are both negative," she said, adding they would now be able to join the others at the quarantine camp. Announcing the flight on Wednesday, Buzyn had said that it would be reserved for people "who show no symptoms" of the virus that has killed 213 people and infected nearly 10,000 in mainland China, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global emergency. She had said that "if people have symptoms or are sick... they will be repatriated on specific medical flights." Three AFP journalists were onboard the 12-hour flight, which landed shortly after noon. The evacuees were given surgical face masks to wear throughout the flight, which they changed regularly after disinfecting their hands. The passengers, who were accompanied by a medical team, broke into applause as they touched down in France. On Thursday, the authorities confirmed a sixth case of the new coronavirus in France, a doctor who was infected by a person who had travelled from China. The person later returned to China and was confirmed to be sick with the virus. Buzyn said preparations were now being finalised for a second repatriation flight by France that could leave as soon as Sunday although details were still unclear. French citizens leave a plane on arrival at a military base in France after flying from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak Former lawmaker representing Kaduna central in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has finally regained freedom after spending 30 days in the EFCC net. The highly outspoken former lawmaker has been held in custody by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) since December 31st, 2019. He was finally arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on bribery on Wednesday during which the judge granted him bail. Read Also: I Used To Have A Lot Of Respect For Osinbajo Until His Remark About The Spate Of Killing And Kidnapping In The Country Shehu Sanni He also denied all the allegations levied against him and claimed innocence. Some Togolese are upbeat about the impending presidential elections in the country though many do not think it would be different from previous elections, with some predicting victory for the incumbent President, Faure Gnassingbe. Some locals said until the sitting President opted out of the February 22 race, no other candidate would win. President Gnassingbe has been in office since 2005, following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema who ruled Togo for 38 years after overthrowing the countrys second president, Nicolas Grunitzky, in a coup detat in 1967. He won re-election in 2010 and a third term five years later and now bidding for a fourth term. In September 2017, Togos 14-party opposition coalition rejected a government bill to restore a two-term presidency that would not be retroactive, thus, allowing Gnassingbe to run again in 2020 and 2025. A tour by Ghana News Agency (GNA) to some towns in Togo showed little signs that the election was just weeks away with many, including those in academia unsure of the candidature of Mr Faure Gnassingbe. Mr Gali Agbayi, Deputy Chairman, Segbe branch of Transport Union of Togo said, ...for the election, I know President Gnassingbe is going again though there are issues, but I dont know the names and the number of people in the race with him. At Akato, some residents expressed knowledge of the election, while others said though they knew about the election, the exact date was unknown to them. Two of those interviewed, masons who declined disclosing their identities, said they would not waste their time to vote because they saw the election as a mere formality because whether we vote or we dont vote, we know who is winning. But Madam Adzo Logoh, a waakye seller, said she would make time to vote on the day, whether it made any change or not because that is my civic right. At Akodessewa, a commercial hub, Mr Gilbert Kossi, a businessman, said the youth especially had no business to do with politics but to mind their own business, to ensure they have money to pay for rent, food, and importantly, to live in peace. Mr Kossi spoke of insanitary conditions not just at Akodessewa but other parts of the country, saying, this and other developmental challenges meant nothing to the government, but the taxes they would get from the citizens. Reports in Togo media suggest that some eight persons who had declared their interests to contest the presidential election later opted out of the race slated for next month. They are Mr Gerry Taama, the 2015 Presidential candidate of the New Togolese Commitment (NET), Mr Nicolas Lawson, the 2010 Presidential candidate of the Party of Renewal and Redemption (PRR) and Dr. Jean-Emmanuel Gnagnon, Democratic Forces for the Republic (FDR). Others are Dr Christian Spieker, the Germano-Togolese, Apostle Sodji Gabriel, founder of the International Church of the Favoured of God, Pastor Edoh Komi of the Martin Luther King Movement (MMLK). Some of the candidates renounced their candidacy claiming the current political atmosphere was not favourable. The remaining two, Dovi Soter-Caius and Gamessou Kpodar renounced their candidature in order to support Dr. Agbeyome Kodjo, the sole opposition candidate being proposed by Bishop Philippe Fanoko Kpodzro, an 89-year old critic of the Gnassingbe regime. Already, some opposition parties including the Togolese Alternative Bloc for Republican Innovation (BATIR) have declared support for the President. It is expected that Togos Electoral Commission (CENI) will in the next few days, make public the final list of the presidential candidates for the start of the electoral campaign on February 06. 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 Families of 58 engineers from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana stranded in China's Wuhan city due to coronavirus outbreak has requested the Centre to ensure the repatriation of the youth at the earliest. The youngsters had gone to Wuhan for their training and are part of a group of 58-member staff in a Chinese company. The parents of youths are asking the state and the Centre to bring their wards back home at earliest. "Though our wards are being taken care of by their employer, we are worried about their health amid coronavirus outbreak. We are trying to bring them back," said AVL Narasimha Rao, the father of one of the trapped staffers, told ANI. The first case of coronavirus was reported in Wuhan city of China in December and since then the virus has spread in most part of the world. In China, the death toll from the deadly mounted to 213 with 9,356 people tested positive with the disease. China has imposed quarantine and travel restrictions, affecting the movement of 56 million people in more than a dozen cities, amid fears that the transmission rate will accelerate as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel for the Lunar New Year. Rao said that they have informed Visakhapatnam MP MVV Satyanarayana about their concerns. "He (Satyanarayana) immediately responded and written a letter to External Affairs Ministry and they got a response," Rao said. Moreover, Rao had also written a letter to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu seeking his assistance in this regard. In a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dated January 28, Satyanarayana made a request to bring back the Indian employees from Wuhan. "It is understood that the employees of Panel Opto-display Technology Private Limited (POTPL), who have been brought to Wuhan's, China Star Opto-Electronics Technology (CSOT) for training purpose on August 23, 2019, had been locked down since January 23 this year due to the novel coronavirus. As you are well aware of that there was a virus spreading in the Wuhan City on December 31, 2019, and in this regard, the concerned were informed them that the virus not spreading that quickly and it was safe to stay in the city," read the letter. "Since then (January 23), the parents and the said employees are worrying and one of them might get infected and want to go back home as soon as possible, in sound health and their company is also ready to send them back to India, but due to the lockdown, they are stranded in the Wuhan," it said. "A total of 58 Indians are present in Wuhan's CSOT and they have already sent their details to the Embassy of India, Beijing. Hence, I request you to kindly help to bring back the said employees from Wuhan in China to India," the letter further said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sen. Bob Mensch (R-24) announced state grant funding for fire and EMS companies in Montgomery and Berks counties in the 24th Senatorial District. The grants are awarded as part of the Volunteer Fire Company and Volunteer Ambulance Company Grant Program, which helps eligible organizations fund facility renovations and construction, equipment purchases, debt reduction and training. Firefighters and first responders are on the front lines of public safety in our communities, said Mensch. Providing these grants is recognition that the equipment, training and other investments required to do this work properly are very expensive. Many of these fire companies are volunteer, and simply cannot bear the burden without support such as this. The following organizations are receiving grants: Montgomery County East Greenville Fire $13,015 Empire Hook & Ladder Co. 1 $12,878 Fairmount Fire Co. $11,718 Gilbertsville Area Community Ambulance Service $7,341 Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue Co. $14,111 Goodwill Steam Fire Engine Co. No. 1 $12,878 Goodwill Steam Fire Engine Co. No. 1 $9,192 Green Lane Fire Co. $12,194 Harleysville Area Emergency Medical Service $9,192.44 Harleysville Community Fire Co. $13,563.39 Lower Frederick Fire Co. $14,248 New Hanover Volunteer Fire & Rescue $25,474 North End Fire Co. $14,248 Pennsburg Fire Co. No. 1 $13,837 Perkiomen Township Fire Co. No. 1 $14,248 Philadelphia Steam Fire Engine Co. No. 1 $13,974 Red Hill Fire Co. $13,700 Ringing Hill Fire Co. $14,248 Skippack EMS $9,192 Skippack Fire Co. $14,248 Telford Volunteer Diving and Rescue Unit $11,509 Towamencin Volunteer Fire Co. $12,878 Trappe Fire Co. No. 1 $14,248 Tylersport Volunteer Fire Co. $14,248 Upper Frederick Fire Co. $12,952 Upper Perkiomen Valley Ambulance $9,192 Upper Pottsgrove Township Fire Co. No. 1 $14,248 Upper Salford Volunteer Fire Co. $13,015 Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale $9,192 Volunteer Medical Service Corps of Lansdale $12,878 West End Fire Co. No. 1 $14,248 Berks County Hubei official removed for negligence on epidemic treatment capabilities Global Times Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/1/31 3:09:58 The health commission head for Huanggang, the second most affected coronavirus city in Hubei Province, the epicenter for the virus, was released Thursday due to a lack of knowledge on the city's disease treatment capabilities and resources. On Wednesday, a video went viral on Chinese social media which depicts health officials bumbling when asked by the central government supervision team how many patients and hospital beds the city had, triggering online uproar over the city officials' negligence amid the epidemic. According to the latest data released by local authorities, there were 1,032 new coronavirus-related pneumonia cases in Hubei Province on Wednesday. At the end of the day, a total of 4,586 confirmed cases were reported in the province. Huanggang ranks second in the number of new and cumulative cases, just behind Wuhan. Tang Zhihong, dean of the Huanggang health authority, made a phone call while being asked questions. Tang explained that they had special personnel in charge of combating the virus. Chen Mingxing, dean of the Huanggang disease control and prevention center, also said he was "not clear" when asked how many patients have been hospitalized, as revealed in the video. Local government officials announced on Thursday that Tang had been removed from her post. Central government inspection authorities went to Huanggang on Wednesday to review treatment and prevention procedures for suspected coronavirus cases. The inspection team urged local officials to increase awareness and examination speed, Xinhua News Agency reported. The Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee issued a notice to review the actions of local officials during the coronavirus outbreak and hold accountable those who had failed to implement measures and fulfill duties. By the end of Tuesday, January 28, a total of 324 cases had been confirmed and 1,048 suspected cases had been reported in Huanggang. "The situation keeps changing everydayI know how many beds there are but they insisted on asking me how many patients," said Tang and excused herself during a CCTV interview. Tang's lack of knowledge on the situation outraged Chinese netizens. The hashtag "Huanggang health official couldn't answer any of the questions" on Weibo has received over 130 million hits as of Thursday night. "Huanggang is one of the most affected places by the novel coronavirus and local health officials are like this, so scary," said one Weibo user. "These officials' attitude and capacity astonished meHow many officials like them are there in Hubei? They should be reported," read another comment on Weibo. Central inspection authorities held talks with city prevention and control officials, listened to and analyzed the difficulties and problems discovered in accelerating the virus inspection process. The team called for greater efforts when screening suspected coronavirus -related pneumonia cases, improving test plans, optimizing the process, and increasing test procedure rates. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In 2003, a deadly epidemic swept through Toronto. The source was a coronavirus, known as SARS, that had originated in China. As a report by Superior Court Justice Archie Campbell eventually concluded, the virus was brought into Canada by an elderly Scarborough woman who had unknowingly become infected in Hong Kong. She soon died from apparent heart failure, but not before infecting her son. He, in turn, sought medical relief by going to the emergency room of a Scarborough hospital where he spent 16 hours waiting to be seen by a doctor. During that time, the virus was transmitted to two others. The epidemic was on. It would eventually kill 44 in Ontario and cause serious lung disease for another 330. In his report, Campbell blamed catastrophic system failure for this tragedy. He noted that successive Conservative, Liberal and New Democratic Party governments had allowed Ontarios public health system to decline, that there was no plan for dealing with infectious disease epidemics and that health care workers, some of whom died from SARS, were inadequately protected. Perhaps most damning of all, he chastised the authorities for failing to follow the precautionary principle that is, refusing to take measures to contain the epidemic unless they were absolutely assured of success. The surprise is not that Ontarios response to SARS worked so badly but that it worked at all, Campbell wrote. The public health system was broken, neglected, inadequate and dysfunctional. In the current coronavirus outbreak, some important lessons appear to have been learned from the SARS experience. In both Vancouver and Toronto, hospitals and health clinics have responded quickly to treat those who have travelled from the outbreaks epicentre in Wuhan, China and who show symptoms of the new coronavirus, known formally as 2019-nCoV. But the health authorities have been helped in this by the fact that the three Canadian patients known to be infected to date one in Vancouver and two in Toronto took the initiative to inform officialdom of their condition. Airport screening of those entering Canada from hot zones, such as central China, remains rudimentary and largely voluntary. Travellers reporting symptoms of the new coronavirus are referred to public health agency officials posted at airports or, if none is available, given a phone number to call. In the U.S. by contrast, all passengers arriving from China at 20 major airports are tested for elevated temperatures and flu-like symptoms before being allowed entry. The World Health Organization calls the effectiveness of such screening uncertain but says it may prove useful. Overall, the big questions about the new coronavirus remain largely unanswered. How dangerous is it? The current statistics from China, if accurate, suggest that the fatality rate among those who contract the infection is about 2 per cent. Thats significantly more than the death rate for ordinary influenza but less than that of SARS, which was 10 per cent. Other research pegs the fatality rate for those contracting the new coronavirus at 11 per cent which puts it on a par with SARS. Can it be transmitted before symptoms, such as coughing and fever, appear? If so, this would make the virus more difficult to contain. Evidence from China published in the Lancet says it can. Other experts are skeptical. Can Canadas public health system keep up? If the number of cases stays low, the answer is almost certainly yes. But its worth noting that Ontarios Progressive Conservative government has promised to cut public health spending in order to reduce its deficit. In that sense, things have changed little since the days of SARS. When epidemics make headlines, public health becomes a priority. Otherwise, it remains the systems poor cousin. The district consumer redressal forum has directed DHFL, a private finance housing company, to waive off the pending EMI (equated monthly instalment) of a house loan availed by a deceased customer and directed the company to pay an aggregate compensation of Rs 30,000 to his wife. The forum passed the order after the deceaseds wife filed a complaint seeking justice for waiving off the entire home loan as per the life insurance policy agreement and payment made by her husband. Sanjay Jambhale died on May 20, 2015, and his wife Meena filed the complaint with the district consumer forum on March 11, 2016. Jambhale had taken a housing loan of Rs 8,12,943 lakh for purchasing a house on May 26, 2013, and as per the loan condition, it was mandatory to take life insurance policy from a private company for the said loan amount. The company charged Rs 62, 943 on a loan amount of Rs 6,62,943 as one-time premium and that amount has been paid by DHFL to the insurance company, stated the complaint. The life insurance scheme was such that during the pendency of the loan amount if the principal borrower expires then the remaining amount should be paid by the insurance company to the DHFL. After Sanjays death, his wife approached the insurance company and requested it to pay the balancing amount to DHFL as per the policy. However, the insurance company said that the Rs 62,943 has refunded to DHFL and the insurance policy has been withdrawn, Meena stated in her complaint. The complaint further added that the fact related to withdrawal of the insurance policy was not informed to her husband who was alive at that time. She submitted that she was not in a position to pay the pending loan amount and moved the application before the consumer court claiming that the housing loan and life insurance company jointly owed her Rs 6,62,943 and demanded additional costs be imposed on them. The forum issued notices to the managers of DHFL and the insurance company. DHFL in their reply to the forum notice stated that it was a false complaint and there was no reason behind filing the complaint. There is no tie-up between DHFL and the said insurance company. The deceased had completed only documentation for availing home loan and never gave any document for availing life insurance and DHFL was not into the insurance business, it stated. The private insurance firm was not present despite notice being issued and hence the forum passed an ex-parte order. A Detroit woman was arrested Tuesday after she allegedly bit off an inch of a man's tongue during a 'consensual' kiss. Youlette Wedgeworth, 52, was 'engaging in consensual kissing' with the man, 68, in his apartment in Macomb County, Michigan, when she bit off the tip of his tongue, police said. The victim of the unusual attack has not been named but is said to be a friend of the assailant. Police were called to the scene to find the man bleeding from the mouth with around an inch of his tongue missing, WDIV reported. Youlette Wedgeworth, 52, (above) was allegedly 'engaging in consensual kissing' with the man in his apartment in Macomb County, Michigan, when she bit off the tip of his tongue According to officials, they were able to locate the missing piece of his tongue in the bedroom of his apartment. The man was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment but it is unclear whether doctors were able to reattach the tip of his tongue. Wedgeworth was arrested at the scene. The motive behind the attack is not clear. Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said that in his 27-year career he had never come across a case like it. 'I believe this is the first case of this nature in my 27 years in the Prosecutor's Office,' Smith said on Thursday. Derek Miller, chief of operations for the Prosecutor's Office, said the suspect claims the pair were not dating but the victim says they were. Miller said the incident occurred when the two were kissing in the man's apartment and the man put his tongue in the suspect's mouth. Wedgeworth allegedly told the man to not do that and then, when the duo carried on kissing, she bit down on his tongue, reported Detroit Free Press. The victim of the unusual attack has not been named but is said to be a friend of the suspect (above). Police arrived on the scene to find the man bleeding from the mouth with around an inch of his tongue missing Wedgeworth (above), from Detroit, was arrested at the scene. Officials found the missing piece of his tongue in the bedroom of his apartment. The motive for the attack is not clear Michigan Department of Corrections records show Wedgeworth was convicted and served prison time for an assault with intent to do great bodily harm in Wayne County back in 1997. Wedgeworth was arraigned in 37th District Court in Center Line Wednesday on a charge of aggravated assault for biting off her friend's tongue. Bail was set at $25,000 and a pretrial conference scheduled for February 19. Wedgeworth remained in Macomb County jail Thursday. If convicted she faces up to a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith (pictured) said that in his 27-year career he had never come across a case like it. 'I believe this is the first case of this nature in my 27 years in the Prosecutor's Office,' Smith said She has been putting in the rigorous hours, day after day, to host her popular syndicated television talk show since 2003. But on Thursday, Ellen DeGeneres enjoyed some down time when she headed out to do a little shopping on Melrose Place in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles. And on this day, the 62-year-old comedian opted for casual comfort in the fashion department. Casual: Ellen DeGeneres treated herself to some shopping in West Hollywood on Thursday Spotted moments after she left The Row store, the 62-year-old comedian casually walked towards her car in black sweatpants that had two white stripes down each leg. She also donned a black long-sleeve sweatshirt, white sneakers, dark sunglasses, and her blonde tresses cut short and off her face. From the looks of the two bags in her hand, the shopping excursion was a success. Turns out her wife of over 13-years, Portia de Rossi, did not join her for the trip. Easy goes it: The comedian, 62, kept it casual in black sweatpants that had two white stripes down each leg with a black long-sleeve sweatshirt Iconic: The Ellen DeGeneres Show host is currently signed-on to do the show until 2022 Last Year, DeGeneres announced that she will continue her top-rated daytime talk show -- The Ellen DeGeneres Show -- through 2022. Before resigning for three-years, there had been some chatter that she was going to leave the show when her last contract expired in 2020. Apparently she had been 'torn' over how long to forge on with the daily grind. 'I love doing the show, and I also love doing other things,' she said at the time, as reported by Deadline. During her illustrious career, the Louisiana native has won 30 Emmys, 20 People's Choice Awards, the Presidential Metal Of Freedom and most recently the Carol Burnett Lifetime Achievement awards at the Golden Globes in early January. MEDFORD, Ore. Today local businesses and business leaders came together in downtown Medford for the 17th Annual Southern Oregon Business Conference, hosted by SOREDI. SOREDI brought in multiple speakers, including Senior Partner with TIP Strategies Jeff Marcell, economist Tim Duy, and speakers from Moss Adams. The business conference is designed to foster economic growth in our region. Every year we make a point of coming because its not only very inspirational, it feels like it keeps us informed and current, said Al Francis, the business development officer for Evergreen Federal Bank. What we want to have happen today is for people to feel invigorated by being right here in southern Oregon, said Colleen Padilla, the Executive Director of SOREDI, and become engaged in the activities that were participating in together as a region all 15 jurisdictions. Right now, southern Oregon is seeing a lot of growth in the medical sector, according to Padilla. Theres also been growth in manufacturing. Were going to keep on doing what were doing to help those companies and industries thrive, says Padilla. SOREDIs mission as a part of their five-year plan is One Rogue Valley, at the end of the five years they hope to see even more growth in our area. Were hoping to see higher wages, to see new companies adding employees, said Padilla. We believe that were going to need to do that in a better way so that we can retain all the great companies that we already have here. Nirbhaya convicts left no stone unturned to escape gallows, failed to get relief Squirmed for a bit before going still: The final moments of Nirbhayas killers Convict's lawyer challenged execution will never happen: Nirbhaya's mother breaks down into tears India oi-Mousumi Dash New Delhi, Jan 31: After the Delhi court stayed the execution of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape case, Asha Devi, Nirbhaya's mother, broke down into tears on Friday. Reportedly, the court announced the execution which had been scheduled for February 1 at around 6 am, would be deferred till further orders. Nirbhaya's mother told reporters that the lawyer of the convicts, A P Singh has challenged her saying that the convicts will never be executed. However, she is determined to continue the fight. She said, "The government will have to execute the convicts." Reportedly, multiple petitions have been filed by the convicts in their attempts to stall their execution. Nirbhaya: No execution of convicts tomorrow, court stays hanging until further orders The hangman also arrived at Tihar jail in Delhi on Thursday, where the convicts Pawan, Mukesh Singh, Akshay Singh and Vinay Sharma were to be hanged together. But, the Delhi court had sought a stay on their execution scheduled for February 1. A search is continuing for four crew members of a fishing trawler which is presumed to have sunk off Morocco near the Strait of Gibraltar. Contact was lost with the Rua de Mar on Thursday last week, 28 miles off Cabo Espartel, opposite Tarifa. Two bodies of the six crew have since been found. The boat was reportedly based in Barbate but all crew are from Algeciras. A joint Spanish and Moroccan air and sea rescue operation failed to find any sign of the vessel, which gave off a mayday signal before apparently sinking. An underwater search has now begun which is complicated by ocean depths of 500 metres. An Indiana-based man reeled out a live grenade while fishing from a northwestern Indiana bridge. According to reports, the incident led to the road near the bridge being cordoned off until the grenade was taken away by the bomb squad. The incident took place on January 27 and a local police officer was initially called in to investigate the matter. According to reports, the Porter County Bomb Squad arrived to take away the bomb. Gary Police Lt., Dawn Westerfield stated that the bomb squad took away the live grenade without any problem. Three kids fish out grenade while magnet fishing A similar incident took place in the United Kingdom when three friends fished out a bomb without a pin. According to reports, Luke Sturgess and Charlotte Tuggey and Dion Evans were using a magnet in order to catch metal objects in a canal. The kids were not sure about what they had fished out so Sturgess sent a picture to his mother. According to reports, Sturgess's mother then showed the picture to her brother-in-law who happened to be a former soldier. The former soldier recognised as a hand grenade from World War Two. Luke Sturgess's mother further added that the children had gone magnet fishing when they came across the grenade. The mother further added that she and her brother-in-law immediately drove towards the canal and meanwhile asked the kids to stay away from the bomb. Read: SDPI Protests Against Airport Bomb Scare In Mangaluru Read: No Contact With Adithya For Last Two Years, Says Brother Of Mangaluru Bomb Case Suspect The bomb squad blew up the grenade in a field According to reports, the police was immediately notified of the situation at hand and the bridge was immediately cordoned off. The police officials also cordoned off the canal towpath as the bomb disposal squad blew up the grenade in a field. The World War Two bomb was later identified as an F1 Fragmentation Russian grenade. The mother also added that she asked the officials if the family could keep the bomb as a souvenir but their request was immediately declined as it was a live grenade. According to reports, a hole was dug by the bomb squad and then it was detonated. After the detonation, a representative of the police said it was surprising and incredible at the same time that a grenade was sitting just like that for a period of 70 years. Read: Mangaluru Airport Bomb Planter Arrested, Suspect Surrenders Before Police Read: Evacuations In Cologne Before World War II Bomb Defusing The S.C. Legislature on Friday officially reopened its search for a new crop of state utility regulators, hoping to attract a broader field of candidates. More than 17 people applied last year for four open seats on the Public Service Commission, the panel that decides how much money millions of South Carolinians pay for gas, water and electricity. An appointed group of state lawmakers whittled that large field down to six candidates in January, saying the others were not qualified for the job. They even rejected Swain Whitfield, who's been on a commission member for more than a decade. As a result, lawmakers are once again on the hunt for people interested in taking up a seat on the commission a job that pays roughly $129,000 a year. State lawmakers are solely responsible for electing the utility regulators. They are not elected by the public. The four available seats are broken down by congressional districts. Those interested in applying must live in either the state's First, Third, Fifth or Seventh congressional districts. They have until Feb. 28 to submit an application. The Legislature's decision to reopen the search highlights the focus state lawmakers are placing on the commission. The panel has been under the microscope in recent years, following the failed $9 billion expansion of the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Fairfield County. The commission is responsible for scrutinizing for-profit utilities operating within the state. They include Dominion Energy, which bought South Carolina Electric & Gas last year, and Charlotte-based Duke Energy. A lawsuit is challenging a Midlands hospital's use of a state program that allows it to seize former patients' state tax refunds to pay overdue medical bills, arguing the health care company violated federal bankruptcy rules. The lawsuit filed Jan. 10 challenges Lexington Medical Center's use of the Setoff Debt program, a mechanism at the S.C. Department of Revenue that allows the state to withhold tax refunds for delinquent bills. Lawyers are seeking class-action status. Three onetime patients of the hospital allege Lexington Medical continued to chase them down for unpaid bills after they had filed for bankruptcy protection. Under federal law, once someone files for bankruptcy, companies must halt their collection efforts. Lexington Medical "systematically ignores" bankruptcy filings, lawyers for the debtors wrote. "The entire purpose of bankruptcy is to give people a fresh start," said Dave Maxfield, a consumer rights attorney based in Columbia. "You're taking that opportunity from them." Last year, a report in The Post and Courier showed how hospitals across South Carolina were using the state-run program to pursue past-due medical bills. Originally designed for use by local governments, the law allowed health organizations to collect at least a combined $92.9 million in 2017. Lexington Medical has not formally responded to the newly filed complaint. A spokeswoman for the hospital said in a statement "it would be inappropriate to comment on pending litigation at this time." The hospital's payoff from the program has swelled in recent years, according to a records request by The Post and Courier. Lexington Medical collected $19.2 million in tax refunds in 2017, up from $15.6 million in 2015. It is the second-largest user of the program, behind Greenville Health System, now operating as Prisma Health. So far, the group suing the Midlands hospital includes only three people. Their debts owed date back as far as 2013. One owed Lexington Medical $90,000 by far the largest debt listed in her 2017 bankruptcy. Even so, the hospital continued to pursue the debt, sending her a letter in September notifying her that it intended to take her tax refund through the Department of Revenue's program. The Department of Revenue does have a safeguard in place that should halt collections against taxpayers who have declared themselves bankrupt once the agency receives notice from the court, a spokeswoman for the agency said. Minnesota class-action law firm Berger Montague has also signed on to the case, along with Columbia bankruptcy attorney Daniel Stone. They are seeking to add more members to its proposed class of plaintiffs, which could include anyone who filed for bankruptcy and had their refunds seized by Lexington Medical. South Carolina is one of only two states that allows private hospitals to collect patients' tax refunds, The Post and Courier's research showed. Lexington Medical, a nonprofit corporation whose governing board is appointed by Lexington County Council, brought in more than $1 billion on patient care in the 2018 fiscal year, according to its financial statements. With 508 patient beds, the hospital is one of the largest in the state and completed a major expansion project in 2019. HARTFORD The long-delayed special legislative session on tolls for heavy trucks will be delayed yet again, after lawmakers late Thursday afternoon canceled next weeks anticipated vote. Notice was sent to lawmakers from the House and Senate Democratic caucus offices telling them not to come to the Capitol early next week. A vote had not been scheduled but top Democrats had said it would happen Monday or Tuesday, after lawmakers had been told to plan on coming to the Capitol early in the week. Its unclear whether the delay means support is softening for Gov. Ned Lamonts signature legislation, and whether the tolls bill will advance in the regular legislative session that starts on Wednesday. Sources said that disenchanted House Republicans threatened to stretch the scheduled debate next Tuesday, all night and into the Wednesday morning. Friction has emerged over which chamber, the House or Senate, would first debate and vote on the legislation. The vote was considered razor-close in the Senate, with no Republicans supporting it and several Democrats opposed. Democrats can pass the bill 18-18 in the Senate with four defections in their ranks. State Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, co-chairman of the legislative Transportation Committee, said Thursday night that the delay was not the result of a reduction in support. Democrats can easily bring the bill up for special consideration in a process called emergency certification, called an e-cert. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides believes the cancellation of the special session is a sign that the toll bill could be on the verge of collapse. The old adage in Hartford is when you have the votes you vote, said Klarides, R-Derby. Clearly they dont have the votes for this. If and when at some point in the future they decide to e-cert this bill and abrogate the standard parliamentary procedures, it will be another instance of them going around the traditional legislative process. We are prepared to debate this issue at length until the good hard-working people of the state of Connecticut are satisfied that the process has served them. Pat ONeil, House GOP spokesman, said blaming Republicans is a typical Democratic ploy. Of course they would blame us for their inability to muster the votes for a bill they cant get the support for in their own caucuses, ONeil said Thursday night. They control the process. They control the agenda and this is an abject failure on their part. This is a bad bill for a number of reasons, said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, Thursday night. This bill does nothing for anybody. Its nebulous, weak and non-substantive. A public forum on the plan is still scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. at the Legislative Office Building, next to the Capitol in Hartford. Under the plan, the state would charge tolls ranging from $6 to $13 at a dozen locations of highway bridges in need of rebuilding or major repairs. The plan would raise $150 million to $170 million a year significantly less than earlier plans put forth by Gov. Ned Lamont. Lamont had campaigned on trucks-only tolling, then proposed a broad tolling plan with 53 gantries around the state in February. When that plan did not receive a vote, he downsized that to 14 bridge locations for cars and trucks, then to the latest plan. Senate Democratic leaders have confirmed they have the 18 votes needed to move our states economy forward, reduce the states carbon footprint and finally make a long overdue investment in transportation, said Max Reiss, communications director for Gov. Ned Lamont. Additionally, House Democratic leaders confirmed they, too, have the votes to improve the states infrastructure, Reiss said. Democratic legislators have presented the only responsible bill to impose tolls on trucks only, combined with historically low federal financing which we support and look forward to its eventual passage. Lamont and supporters of the latest tolling plan say the alternatives are worse: Doing nothing, or raising taxes on the middle class and dipping into our states budget reserves, two things Republicans support, Reiss said. While most opponents of the bill did not want to see tolls on any vehicles, Sen. Alex Bergstein, D-Greenwich, said Thursday night she would not have voted for the plan because it prevents tolls on cars. It would have been intellectually dishonest and fiscally irresponsible to have passed that bill, Bergstein said. She has long argued for full tolling of all vehicles as the only responsible way of financing transportation improvements. Republicans had proposed to use half the states projected emergency reserve fund of $2.8 billion to pay down pension liabilities, then use the estimated $225 million savings in pension payments to back federal loans to fix roads and bridges. And Republicans oppose measures in the bill. Earlier on Thursday, supporters of truck tolls outnumbered Republican opponents during a confrontational but friendly morning news conference at the iconic commuter station in Westport. While state Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield and Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, charged that regional rail commuters are not even mentioned in the 32-page bill that will be the focus of a public hearing Friday in the State Capitol, a dozen toll supporters held up signs in favor of the legislation. It made the New Haven-bound platform a little crowded. There is no mention whatsoever in covering rail commuter interests in Fairfield County for me, Hwang said. The thorny political subject has been great fodder for photobombing, with toll opponents in recent months getting the upper hand on optics, particularly as backdrops for Gov. Ned Lamonts public events promoting the legislation. Some lawmakers see the subject as a potentially toxic election-year issue. Reiss said that the legislation will not affect the governors plans for rail improvements. We proposed more than $6 billion in rail upgrades, Reiss said. No administration has ever proposed these kinds of historic upgrades to Metro-North accompanied by a funding mechanism to pay for it. A businessman at the heart of a probe into alleged Libyan financing of French ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy's 2007 election campaign was handed over to authorities in Paris Thursday after being extradited from the UK, judicial sources said. Alexandre Djouhri, 60, was originally arrested at Heathrow airport in January 2018 under a European warrant issued by French judges on charges of embezzlement of public funds and corruption. French investigators are examining his alleged involvement in the 2008 sale of a villa in the French Alps valued at 1.3 million euros ($1.4 million) at the "inflated price" of about 10 million euros. A Libyan investment fund managed by Bashir Saleh, the ex-chief of staff of Libya's deposed leader Moamer Kadhafi, bought the property, and Djouhri is suspected of being its true owner, according to a London court ruling last year that ordered his extradition to France. He is also accused of paying 500,000 euros to Sarkozy aide Claude Gueant "so that he would use his position to make various interventions to assist Mr Djouhri in his business affairs". After a two-year legal battle, a British court in January agreed to hand Djouhri over to France. His lawyer later said that Djouhri intended to return to France to "vigorously contest" the proceedings. Investigators also suspect Djouhri of helping Saleh get out of France in early 2012, in a private jet headed for Niger, as he faced a Libyan arrest warrant a few months after Kadhafi's overthrow. The businessman claims he is the victim of a "judicial trap". (AFP) By Jun Ji-hye A transgender student has been admitted to a women-only university for the first time in Korea. Sookmyung Women's University said Friday the 22-year-old student, who undertook a sex change operation last year, passed the entrance examination for its law department and will commence studies in March. "There are no regulations banning transsexual students from entering the school," a university official said. The university, however, needs to discuss details involving the student's school life such as dormitory living as the acceptance of the transgender student was an unprecedented event, the official noted. The student underwent gender reassignment surgery in Thailand in August last year and became legally female in October after a court issued permission. The student told local media, "I hope other transgender students who are hoping to enter women's universities can be encouraged by my case." She said she applied for the law department after being inspired by the nation's first transgender lawyer Park Han-hee. Park, who had worked for a construction company, quit the company and entered Seoul National University Law School in 2013 to become a lawyer. She has since been active locally in supporting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people (LGBT). The first transgender student of the women-only university is drawing keen attention amid controversy over the Army's recent decision to discharge the nation's first-ever transgender soldier. On Jan. 22, the Army's special review committee discharged Byun Hee-soo, a sergeant who underwent a sex change operation in November, saying her new "physical disability" the loss of male genitalia from the operation disqualified her from military service. The decision has sparked controversy over discrimination against LGBT people. The student also expressed her regret over the issue, saying that the nation seems to still have a long way to go before becoming an egalitarian society. A second person in Chicago has come down with the coronavirus, bringing the total of coronavirus patients in the US up to six (two in Chicago, two in California, one in Seattle, and one in Arizona). But this is the first case that was transmitted person-to-person within the US (the other five patients became infected in China). According to NBC: The new patient lives with a Chicago woman in her 60s who was diagnosed after returning last month from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak thats now sickened upward of 8,000 people. With more than 8,000 confirmed cases of the conronavirus (mostly in China), and at least 170 deaths, The World Health Organization is meeting again today to determine whether it should be declared as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Image: By National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) - National Institutes of Health (NIH), Public Domain, Link live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Engineering-to-software conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has decided to put its mutual fund business, housed under listed arm L&T Finance, on the block yet again, sources told Moneycontrol. "The move is part of L&T's drive for the past few years to monetise its non-core segments and businesses and become a leaner and meaner conglomerate. Investment bank JP Morgan has been mandated to find a buyer and a controlling stake will be made available. A similar attempt had been made two years back, but those plans didn't fructify," a source said. "The domestic MF business is dominated by the big boys. L&T Mutual Fund is a comparatively smaller player and does not have the scale or market share like its peers and hence the move. L&T Mutual Fund had average assets under management (AUM) of around Rs 70,000 crore as of March 2019. A realistic valuation for the MF arm would be around 5-6 percent of the AUM, which translates to around Rs 3,500 crore to Rs 4,200 crore, though this may change depending upon the exact deal contours," a second source added. "The deal is likely to attract interest from rival MF houses who want to beef up their asset base and even private equity suitors," shared a third source. L&T Mutual Fund is ranked 12th in the sector in terms of AUM and has a market share of around 2.7 percent as per data available with ICRA as of September 2019. The top five players have cornered 58.5 percent of the market. In Q2 FY20, the QAAUM (quarterly average AUM) of the MF industry increased by Rs 0.18 lakh crore as against the previous quarter to touch Rs 25.7 lakh crore. SIP contribution in the quarter under review stood at Rs 24,818 crore compared with Rs. 24,543 crore in Q1. Net inflows surged to Rs 37,836 crore in Q2 as compared to Rs 17,635 crore in Q1 FY20. Two years after entering the mutual fund business in 2010, L&T Finance edged out rivals and announced the acquisition of Fidelity's mutual fund business in India in May 2012 in an aggressive move to boost growth in a highly competitive market. The deal value was said to be pegged between Rs 550-Rs 600 crore. L&T Mutual Fund competes with the likes of UTI Mutual Fund, SBI Mutual Fund, HDFC Mutual Fund, Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, Nippon India Mutual Fund, Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund, Axis Mutual Fund and others. HDFC Asset Management Company and Nippon Life India Asset Management are the two key listed players in the domestic mutual fund market. In response to an official query from Moneycontrol, L&T Finance said, As a matter of policy, the company does not comment on speculation. JP Morgan declined to comment on this story. A suspected drunk driver who was arrested over a fatal crash that killed a man bragged to police as he was being detained that he would be out of jail in a day due to new bail reform laws. Jordan Randolph, 40, was in fact released on bail the day after he was charged with a felony DWI over the January 12 crash in Long Island, New York that killed 27-year-old Jonathan Flores-Maldonado. The details surrounding his arrest were revealed on Thursday as he was arraigned on a 24-count indictment related to the crash, including vehicular manslaughter and aggravated vehicular homicide. Randolph has been accused of trying to flee the scene on foot after he crashed his car into Flores-Maldonado's vehicle. Prosecutors say that as Randolph was being handcuffed moments after the crash, he bragged to police that he wouldn't be in prison long because of new changes to bail laws. 'F**k you, January 1st the laws changed. I'll be out tomorrow and I will come find you,' Randolph is alleged to have told the officers. Jordan Randolph, 40, was released on bail the day after he was charged with a felony DWI over the January 12 crash in Long Island, New York that killed 27-year-old Jonathan Flores-Maldonado At the time of the crash, Randolph had 12 previous criminal convictions including three DWIs since 2011. He was also arrested but later released on New Year's Day for not having a court-ordered breathalyzer in his vehicle. Despite his prior convictions, the judge was forced to release Randolph due to new controversial bail reform laws that eliminate pre-trial detention and money bail for the majority of misdemeanor and non-violent felony cases. Randolph pleaded not guilty on Thursday to seven counts of vehicular homicide, three counts of driving while intoxicated, one count each of manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, assault, fleeing from police and circumventing his ignition interlock device. The family of the man that was killed in crash were in court for Randolph's arraignment where he was held without bail ahead of his next court date in February. Flores-Maldonado's mother, Lillian Flores, blames the new bail reform law for her son's death. She believes Randolph should not have been released following his New Year's Day arrest given his prior record. The family were also devastated when Randolph was allowed to walk free after the fatal crash. Randolph (left) was arraigned on Thursday on a 24-count indictment related to the crash that killed Flores-Maldonado (right), including vehicular manslaughter Flores-Maldonado had only graduated from Buffalo State College with biology degree in May 2019 before he was killed NEW YORK'S BAIL REFORMS: THE FACTS On January 1 2020, New York State introduced sweeping criminal justice legislation, meaning that cash bail is no longer permitted for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies, including robbery. Judges are now required to release individuals charged with such crimes with no cash bail. The controversial new New York 'no-bail law' is expected to curtail the use of cash bail and pretrial detention in an estimated 90 per cent of arrests and strengthen measures intended to ensure a defendant's right to a speedy trial. New York's decision to reform its law saw the state join ranks with California and New Jersey - which already prohibit cash bails for most misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. The 'no-bail' law has been mired in controversy since it was enshrined into state legislation. Advertisement 'My son became a body count,' she said outside court. 'I'm here to advocate for my son and for any other victims that are subject to the injustices of these new laws. 'My name is Lillian Flores. My son is Jonathan Flores-Maldonado, and he was the one that was mowed down on the damned highway.' Flores-Maldonado had only graduated from Buffalo State College with biology degree in May 2019 before he was killed. She is now urging Gov. Andrew Cuomo to repeal the bail reform law. Those who support the bail law argue that it will prevent poor people from languishing in jail for low-level crimes while their cases work through the system. They say it will also create a fairer system and stop prosecutors from using incarceration to pressure a defendant into a plea agreement. Being free also allows a person to better prepare for their case, advocates have argued. It comes as Romell Nellis - a suspected two-time bank robber who has been dubbed a 'menace to society' - was freed on bail on Thursday under the same reform laws. Nellis, 40, was arrested on January 8 for allegedly robbing two banks on separate days in December. Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder told Fox&Friends that 'everybody is frustrated' over the bail reform laws. 'You can't make sense of it, it doesn't make sense,' Ryder said. 'Bail reform was meant to be fair for all, not to take away discretion from judges looking at criminal history. 'This guy, Romell Nellis, should have stayed in jail, he should not be out.' New Delhi: The wife of the Uttar Pradesh man, who was killed for holding at least 23 children as hostages at a birthday party in Farrukhabad, died on Friday after she was brutally thrashed and attacked with bricks and stones by a mob. The woman reportedly sustained injuries all over including her head and was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition where she succumbed to her injuries. Confirming the report, Mohit Aggrawal, Inspector General Kanpur, told PTI, "When we sent her to the hospital, she was injured. She sustained injuries on her head. Her head was bleeding. As police killed her husband (the accused in the case), she tried to flee. As the children were kept hostage by both husband and wife, the villagers, in a fit of rage, pelted stones and bricks at her." "Postmortem report will clear everything, further details on the cause of death will only come out after the report," the IG said. Live TV On January 30, murder-accused Subhash Batham, who was out on bail, along with his wife, held at least 23 children as hostages at Kasaria village in Farrukhabad after inviting them to his house on the pretext of celebrating his one-year-old daughter's birthday. When the children were inside, Batham bolted the door and held everyone at gunpoint. When the children did not return home, their parents got worried and realised that something was wrong. It is not clear if Batham or his wife any demands but he fired several times at the police and villagers, injuring two policemen and a few locals. He even lobbed a low-intensity hand grenade when people tried to enter his house to rescue the children. Quick Response Team (QRT), Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel and a team of Anti-Terrorism Squad were on the spot when the encounter took place. According to reports, the encounter lasted for around 11 hours. As Batham opened fire, the police retaliated killing him on the spot and thereafter, rescued all the 23 children from the building were they were kept. During the hostage rescue operation, a man and two police officials suffered injuries. Johnson tells Britons to prepare for new act in countrys story Boris Johnson will tell the country to prepare for a new act in its history as the United Kingdom leaves the EU today. Almost half a century of membership formally ends at 11pm, three and a half years after a referendum in which voters chose to leave the bloc by 52 per cent to 48 per cent. Although Britain will no longer be an EU member as the day closes, the clock will start ticking on a new deadline of December 31, the end of an agreed transition period. With the full consequences of Brexit uncertain, the prime minister will call next week for a basic trade deal based on that between the EU and Canada. In a speech on Monday he will say that he is ready to accept the off-the-shelf model first proposed by the blocs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. The Times Such a deal would not include services Daily Mail More: Prime Minister rings in the changes with a tax cut Daily Telegraph Its party time at last for some (but you can cry if you want to) The Times Britain bows out of the EU with a mixture of optimism and regret FT Editorial: The great people of the UK will have finally got Brexit done The Sun Exit draws a line under a debate that has divided the country The Times >Today: with plan for the Cabinet to meet in Sunderland to show commitment to levelling up To mark his intent on the historic day, Mr Johnson who led the Leave campaign in 2016 takes his entire Cabinet to Sunderland for a special meeting to discuss his levelling up agenda to ensure parts of the country are never left behind again. The North East city has a close association with Brexit, as the first population centre to declare its backing for an EU breakaway on the night of the June 2016 referendum count. During the Cabinet meeting, entitled Levelling up in Action, senior ministers will be asked to play back everything communities and businesses have told them needs to change, after a day of visits across the North. The Sun but Barnier issues fresh warning on divergence Michel Barnier will issue a stern rebuke to Boris Johnson after The Telegraph revealed the prime minister will tell Brussels he would rather accept post-Brexit border checks than lose the freedom to diverge from EU rules. The EUs chief Brexit negotiator is expected to warn Mr Johnson that there is no chance of striking a zero-quota, zero-tariff trade deal unless Britain promises to stick to EU standards after the transition period finishes at the end of 2020. Mr Barnier will set out the European Commissions draft negotiating mandate for the trade talks in Brussels on Monday, the very day that Mr Johnson is expected to make a major speech setting out his red lines for the UK-EU relationship. Daily Telegraph Brussels plans to force sign-off on deal by all 27 parliaments The Sun Three EU countries to ditch extradition deal with UK Daily Telegraph as Gove warns UK business of trade frictions with EU Businesses have been warned by cabinet minister Michael Gove about the likelihood of friction at borders and divergence of regulations with the EU that could affect some sectors of the UK economy. Scheduled on the eve of Britain leaving the EU, Mr Gove told a meeting of more than a dozen business groups on Thursday that the UK was pursuing a Canada-style trade agreement with the EU, but made clear to attendees that there would inevitably be some friction at the borders and regulatory divergence over time. While Theresa Mays deal would have seen Britain remain under the auspices of certain EU-wide regulators, ministers are now indicating that the UK will take on those functions through a mix of new regulators and the expansion of existing ones. FT >Today: Saqib Bhatti MP in Comment: Openness, transparency, freedom. Lodestars for our future on the day when we leave the EU Priti Patel: Weve got Brexit done, now lets unleash brilliant Britain I am proud to be part of a Government delivering what they want Getting Brexit Done and moving forward for Britain. Now the opportunities are endless. We will take back control of our borders, laws and trade. We will set our own rules and make our own deals. We will put the interests of the British people first. But this doesnt mean shutting up shop and closing our doors. To those Sun readers from the EU who have already made the UK their home, let me be clear: you are an important part of Britain, we want you to stay and I am delighted there have already been more than 2.8million applications to our EU Settlement Scheme. It means we will have the freedom to choose how we work with our own friends and allies around the world. The Sun We in the EU will make it work Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel, and David Sassoli, The Times Remainers must now aim for Britain to do well, and the EU even better Timothy Garton Ash, The Guardian Brexit liberation day is self-serving fantasy Philip Collins, The Times Odyssey is far from over Anand Menon, The Guardian Time to love you and leave EU but were no less European Ross Clark, The Sun Level-headed Leavers dont feel like gloating Iain Martin, The Times Now Labour must end the leave-remain divide Sir Keir Starmer, The Guardian >Yesterday: Steve Barclay MP in Comment: Tomorrow we will get Brexit done, and start building a better future for every corner of our United Kingdom Pompeo seeks to draw a line under Huawei spat Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, on Thursday sought to draw a line under Washingtons face-off with London over the UKs decision to use Chinas Huawei as a supplier for its fifth generation mobile phone network. Although Mr Pompeo insisted China was the central threat of our times, he said Americas close ties with the UK were not at risk despite Boris Johnsons move on Tuesday to give Huawei a restricted role in providing kit for 5G networks in the UK. The Trump administration had mounted an intense lobbying operation to try to persuade the prime minister to ban Huawei from supplying 5G equipment owing to US concerns that the Chinese telecoms equipment maker could enable Beijing to spy on western allies. FT Dont distort chicken fears, he warns The Times Secretary of State vows Brexit Britain front of the line for trade deal The Sun Warning that Trump will put US firms first The Guardian Up to 30 Tory MPs could rebel over HS2 Boris Johnson faces a rebellion from up to 30 Tory MPs as he prepares to give HS2 the green light. The prime minister will meet this evening with Sajid Javid, the chancellor, and Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, to discuss the future of the project. Mr Johnson is expected to announce within days that the project should go ahead but make significant cost savings amid concerns that the final bill will exceed 100 billion. Mr Javid now backs the project after a Treasury analysis concluded that no alternative could provide the same regional benefits in the same timeframe. There were signs of frustration in No 10 after Mr Javids position on the issue became public yesterday. The Times Those opposed have made representations at all levels Daily Express Javid accused of trying to bounce the Prime Minister The Sun More: Powers to run commuter trains will be devolved to big cities The Times Ministers 2) Raab confirms evacuation of Britons from Wuhan More than 100 British citizens trapped in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak, have been told they will fly out on Friday morning after days of agonising delays. The 200 people who had registered for the evacuation were informed by the Foreign Office that the flight was scheduled to leave the citys international airport at 5am. This was confirmed by Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary. They were told that there would be a two-week quarantine upon arrival, but received no details about how it would be carried out. They will be medically screened before boarding the flight. FT >Yesterday: ToryDiary: The calm before the reshuffle? Our first Cabinet League Table of 2020 Ministers 2) Chancellor to focus on skills in bid to hold on to northern seats Sajid Javid will make skills a central theme of his March budget as the government seeks to cement its electoral hold on former Labour heartlands by emphasising its post-Brexit plan to level up the country. The chancellor is expected to announce more funding to repair crumbling further education colleges, measures to increase the availability of in-career retraining, and a further expansion of apprenticeships. The Tory manifesto promised a 3bn skills fund to be disbursed over five years. Javid will set out how it will be spent, but he is also expected to go further. The Guardian This Tory chancellor isnt afraid to turn left Ed Conway, The Times How the doom-mongers got it wrong about Britains Brexit economy Liam Halligan, Daily Telegraph Johnson opposed to second term for Baroness Scotland Boris Johnson will oppose allowing Baroness Scotland a second term as Commonwealth Secretary-General, The Telegraph understands, after she was on Thursday dragged back into a long-running cronyism row. The Prime Minister will argue against the controversial Labour peers reappointment when heads of state gather in Rwanda in June for the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). According to Whitehall sources, Mr Johnson has lost faith in the Baroness to lead the organisation, as it emerged that auditors had strongly criticised her decision to award a lucrative consultancy contract to a personal friend. Daily Telegraph >Yesterday: Sam Packer in Comment: The Government is still packing quangos with left-wing activists Government prepares first strike against BBC funding Boris Johnsons government will launch its first strike on BBC funding next week, opening a formal process to lift the criminal penalties on those refusing to pay the licence fee. The consultation on decriminalisation will be one of Mr Johnsons first domestic policy initiatives since the election a sign of the importance he is placing on shaking-up the broadcaster and the licence fee system it has relied on since the 1920s. BBC executives fear that if criminal sanctions were removed by law, the corporations ability to collect the licence fee would be badly weakened, increasing evasion and blowing a hole in the broadcasters programming budget of 200m or more. FT Corporation fears exodus of editors over cuts The Times Sands is the first big name to go Daily Mail >Yesterday: MPs Etc.: Three takeaways from yesterdays select committee chairmanship elections Momentum accused of smearing Nandy Momentum has been accused of smearing a Labour leadership candidate after it shared a video which claimed she failed to vote against welfare cuts when she was in fact on maternity leave. The pro-Corbyn campaign group was accused of resorting to sexist and crass tactics in a bid to undermine rivals of Rebecca Long-Bailey, its chosen candidate to succeed Jeremy Corbyn. It came after Cardiff Momentum, a local group, posted a video on Twitter which suggested that Lisa Nandy, the MP for Wigan, had abstained on legislation on welfare reforms in 2015. The video was also shared by Momentums national account to more than 150,000 followers, before it was later deleted following a backlash from Labour MPs and supporters. Daily Telegraph Starmer calls on government to give EU citizens voting rights The Guardian Hoyle to stamp out Bercows bullying legacy New Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle declared an end to bullying in Parliament, saying abusive behaviour will not be tolerated. He said that he believed bullying had taken place under his predecessor, John Bercow, meaning Westminster had been an unhappy place. Sir Lindsay called for a kinder Commons where he would also allow breastfeeding in the chamber. His comments came after fresh bullying allegations mounted against Mr Bercow, as he a place in the House of Lords. Mr Bercow, who stood down on October 31, denies all allegations of bullying but has had two dossiers detailing allegations against him handed over during recent days. Daily Express Breastfeeding will also be permitted Daily Mail News in Brief: Twenty-five years later, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corey Johnson, the current Council speaker, created a commission in 2018, but it remains to be seen whether they will forcefully support the panels recommendations. On Thursday, the mayor and Mr. Johnson already appeared to be wary of embracing the recommendations, mindful perhaps that any significant change would surely set off a flurry of lobbying, angry town-hall-style meetings and pressure from state lawmakers. Mr. Johnson called the plan a work in progress and said that he wanted to examine how the system would affect renters as well as how best to address luxury housing. Im eager to hear the publics feedback on these recommendations, Mr. Johnson, a Democrat, said in a statement. Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat in his second and final term, praised the commissions work, but he stopped short of a full-throated endorsement. The commissions recommendations are the most significant reforms proposed in 40 years and will bring a much needed level of fairness, transparency and simplicity to the entire system, Mr. de Blasio said in a statement. I thank the commission for its hard work tackling these issues head on and looking forward to their final report. In addition to making the system more equitable, the commissions proposal seeks to simplify it. In the process, it could disrupt an unspoken rationalization that many city homeowners make: Even though the cost of living in New York City, which includes city income taxes, is astronomically high, property taxes are still much lower than in neighboring suburbs. Document storage may be among the first reasons a company might consider the benefits of cloud computing in its enterprise transformation. But a comprehensive system to manage those documents is among the last or even wholly overlooked parts of many companies migration to the cloud. Now, however, thanks to the cloud computing model known as Serverless, it may be the right time to address the sprawl of documents across an enterprise, inside of which may be locked the insights that are truly differentiating for an organization. How we got here, part 1: The Documents Ever since the concepts of value were abstracted as money and agreements as contracts, business has run on documents. Desks of clerks gave way to typing pools and graphics departments, which were themselves replaced by the means for every employee to create, collaborate, and distribute documents. Analysis by McKinsey of IDC data revealed that in employees now spend 28% of their time reading and answering email, a fifth of their time searching and gathering information, and only 14% of their days communicating and collaborating internally. The rapid rise in the amount of content a business produces has aligned naturally alongside the rapid digitization of business operations and functions. The TCS 2020 CIO Study of more than 1,000 corporate technology leaders revealed that, on average across 11 industries, 48% of business activities from the products and services they sold to their legal and human resources departments were digitized as of today. The answers varied by industry and revenue, of course. For example, while banking and financial services industry CIOs said that nearly two-thirds (65%) of their finance and accounting operations were digitally enabled, only 41% of retail CIOs said so. The legal departments at companies with $50 billion or more in annual revenues are approximately 57% digital today, whereas at companies with between $500 million and $1 billion in revenue, only about 45% of the lawyers work is digitally enabled. In every area of business operations, however, digitization is expected to only increase between now and 2030, with the expectation that, on average, nearly three-quarters (73%) of business activities would be digitized by 2030. And a large part of that work will be in how all those documents all those parts of the company produce, use, maintain, update, distribute and discard during the tenure of an employee, the terms of an agreement, and the lifecycle of a product or a project. How we got here, part 2: The Servers The abstraction of functions and processes in business, enabling new and more flexible revenue models, has followed the abstractions that make computing more powerful and more readily available to enterprises of every size. Today, a start-up can assemble a supply chain, its distribution channels, and even sales and support functions nearly as quickly as it can deploy a worldwide and infinitely scalable presence and operations, thanks to cloud computing. Abstraction and virtualization in computing is what has enabled the cloud to replace the data center, which itself was an abstraction to replicate the purposes of a single server. Today, a companys developers and operations teams might be working to deploy new capabilities on the server but in fact, the server is more of a concept than an actual, individual assembly of hardware and operating system software they could point to. Yet even in the cloud environment, application development has largely been a server-based exercise, with little to no distinction given between the server that stores the data and the server that runs the code the server (abstracted into the cloud) is still the central computing resource. What Serverless means for enterprises Serverless is called such because it breaks the convention of servers, making the resource itself transparent to the development and operations teams while allowing optimal coupling of application function execution and compute resources. Serverless cloud computing, as offered by TCS partnering with AWS, treats the storage of an applications data as a service and the applications operations as a service. In fact, it is this latter emphasis computing functions as a service, or FaaS by which serverless computing is also known. At first glance, the benefits of serverless computing appear to be in cost-savings, and for large enterprises with millions and millions more computer operations every minute, these alone could be considerable. Instead of maintaining cloud capacity to keep a server always running in order to operate an applications commands as well as to store all of an applications data, storage can be its own service with pricing dimensions around availability, durability, quantity, performance, recovery, etc. and the runtime of the application can be another service, with the enterprise paying only for the code that actually executes, and not for the unused potential to run all the code all the time that the traditional server model of computing requires. But the true advantages that Serverless architectures offer an enterprise extend far beyond the cost savings. By removing the hardware considerations normally tethering engineers, application developers can use agile principles to build and rapidly deploy innovative new features and functionality without giving any thought to provisioning, capacity, OS patches, or maintenance. In other words with a serverless architecture, innovations can automatically scale, remain reliable, and provide rapid global availability in the most efficient manner. What serverless could mean for document management As important as documents may be to its functioning and success, an enterprises document management system is typically a mix of ad hoc practices and imposed attempts to rein in an unwieldy, overgrown wilderness of data. Documents are most often scattered across digital and physical forms and each likely presents multiple vectors for security breaches. Moving this sprawling mess to the cloud may remove immediate constraints of on-premise servers, storage, and data centers, but an undifferentiated stack of documents is no more helpful to the enterprise than if they were locked away on the original separate hard drives inside respective applications. Meanwhile, as the appetite for storage grows, modern storage server applications (in the cloud, but still always running in case it needs to process any application functions and retrieve and deliver its stored data) may merely extend the document sprawl, now only virtualized with unlimited storage resources. This may provide capacity and remove physical dependencies and constraints but does not address accessibility and organizational requirements to unlock the inherent value of the data in these documents. A serverless document management system as designed by TCS using platform capabilities offered by AWS addresses this challenge from several angles to make further and faster enterprise transformation possible. By rethinking the functions needed to manage documents, a company can store and retrieve documents in the most effective and efficient way with a pay-as-you-use model for the applications operation, separate from the storage costs. An interactive dashboard allows users to manage documents with a few button clicks, monitoring document access and providing contextual choices for the next action in a workflow. Based on user needs and AI-driven rule exceptions, AWS Lambda runs the code to transition documents from Amazon S3 Standard to S3 Infrequent Access buckets or Amazon S3 Reduced Redundancy Storage choices determined by business rules to facilitate access to the data while controlling storage costs. In order to fulfill statutory and regulatory requirements, the system will also automatically transition documents to S3 Glacier for the required 7- or 10-year retention period. One major benefit of a document management system is a full indexing of repository and document contents, but this activity and access to the index data along with the wide variety of access permissions across an enterprises documents are among the vectors malicious actors might try to use to breach security. By contrast, in the serverless system designed by TCS, base security controls are enhanced at each step of indexing and access using distributed ledger technology (such as blockchain), strengthening the system against unauthorized data modification and malign access. Such an approach Serverless, leveraging the capabilities of AWS cloud offerings such as AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, and Amazon S3 storage along with other services, may be deployed across an entire enterprise. As well, due to the inherently distributed nature of the application as additional departments and needs become digitized and require a cloud-native solution to their particular opaque document sprawl these may be brought online easily, and further additional uses and enhancements are innovated and deployed simply by invoking new code, all without the need for system-wide downtimes affecting current users. Advantages of using serverless to solve document glut The benefits long promised by document management systems findability, true knowledge management, and leveraging the aggregate of employee expertise to realize new opportunities is now realistically available for an entire enterprise regardless of size, due to the scalability, reliability and lower cost of Serverless services. Some specific features a serverless document management system provides include: Intelligent cost-savings on storage and processing, drastically reducing billing charges for cloud applications, and ability to demonstrate accurate usage and cost patterns for enterprise data Action-oriented intelligence as a pluggable solution to optimize storage expenses API/service-based integration with the wider digital ecosystem, which can use the features of document management that are purposely exposed perhaps even leading to new sources of revenue for the enterprise Easily integrated AI-driven solutions for document processing, which can guide users on actions they should take to optimize storage choices for varying frequencies of document access A pay-per-use model for application functions, whereby a company pays only for its actual operations and not the capacity to run hypothetical workloads Strengthened security and end-to-end visibility of data integrity is enabled by distributed ledger (e.g., blockchain) technology Perhaps most importantly with the advent of Serverless functions-as-a-service architectures, the enterprise can be positioned for further digitization and transformation while finally coming to terms with the volume of documents it will continue to produce and increasingly need to make use of. Learn today how TCS can help you unlock exponential business value with this approach. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the government has received very strong interest from Australians wanting to be evacuated from China to Christmas Island, as the World Health Organisation declares the coronavirus an international public health emergency. Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the National Press Club this week. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong Speaking in Sydney before convening cabinets national security committee for an update on the evacuation plan, Mr Morrison said Australia was well equipped to deal with the potential pandemic. All of the issues, isolation, case management, contact tracing, prevention of onward spread, active surveillance, early detection, Australia has been doing these things and will continue to do," he said. Despite several of the 600 Australians trapped in Wuhan expressing their reluctance to be transferred to Christmas Island for quarantine, Mr Morrison said there had "been very strong interest in participating in these arrangements" and the government was continuing to work on arrangements to pull Australians out of China's Hubei province. Thai Airways business class Reuters / Chaiwat Subprasom and Edgar Su Three women said they were not allowed to sit in the business-class seats they paid for on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Auckland because airline staff members said they were "too big." Huhana Iripa told the New Zealand Herald on Saturday that she and her two daughters were forced to sit in economy class after one daughter was measured in front of other passengers and staff members. In 2018, Thai Airways barred passengers with waists larger than 56 inches from flying in business class, saying the seatbelts don't extend to accommodate all passengers. A spokesman for the airline, Wayne Cochrane, told the publication: "As this issue involves passenger safety, I am sure you will understand that we cannot compromise on this." Thai Airways did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A woman said she and her two daughters were moved from their business-class seats on a Thai Airways flight because they were "too big." Huhana Iripa, 59, told the New Zealand Herald on Saturday that she and her daughters Tere, 37, and Renell, 28, were told they would not be able to sit in the business-class seats they had purchased for a flight from Bangkok to Auckland and had to sit in economy instead. The date of the flight was unclear. It takes more than 11 hours to fly from Bangkok to Auckland, according to Thai Airways' website, which lists one nonstop flight per day between the cities. Dreamliner business class Reuters / Edgar Su Iripa said the trio each paid 2,650 New Zealand dollars (about $1,730) for the business-class seats so they could be more comfortable on their return to New Zealand. Iripa told the Herald: "We went up to business-class check-in, and the member of staff on the desk looked at us and said, 'Sorry you can't.' "The next thing, there were about five members of staff all around, talking in their native language, shaking their heads, and looking at us as if we'd committed a crime. Story continues "A staff member then came forward and started saying, 'No, you're too big, you're too big.' "She then pulled out a measuring tape and wrapped it around my daughter Renell, moving her arms outstretched, before trying to do the same to me and Tere." Iripa added: "Everyone was just standing staring at us. The whole thing was disgusting." Thai Airways takeoff Reuters / Chaiwat Subprasom Iripa said they asked for a refund but were offered only the difference between the economy- and business-class seats, 1,250 New Zealand dollars each. She also said that while the airline had apologized and offered a further 450 New Zealand dollars, she didn't think it was enough based on how she and her daughters were treated. Flight Centre, the travel agency the family booked their travels through, offered a full refund, the Herald reported. A spokesman for the airline, Wayne Cochrane, told the publication that Iripa and her daughters were not allowed to sit in business class because the type of plane they were flying on, a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner, had airbag seatbelts in business class that couldn't be extended to fit all passengers. "The extension seatbelt normally used to accommodate oversize passengers cannot be fitted to the airbag seatbelts; therefore passengers not able to fit the standard airbag seatbelt cannot be carried in business class," Cochrane said. "As this issue involves passenger safety, I am sure you will understand that we cannot compromise on this." Thai Airways economy class Hoang Dinh Nam / AFP via Getty Images In 2018, Thai Airways barred passengers with waists larger than 56 inches from flying in business class because the seatbelts in business class could not extend beyond that. Thai Airways did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential misconduct at Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. (Spirit AeroSystems or the Company) (NYSE:SPR). The investigation focuses on whether the Companys Board of Directors and/or its current and former officers breached their fiduciary duties. Request more information now by clicking here: http://www.faruqilaw.com/SPR. There is no cost or obligation to you. Take Action If you currently own Spirit AeroSystems stock, have continuously owned Spirit AeroSystems stock and would like to discuss your legal rights, please visit http://www.faruqilaw.com/SPR. You can also contact us by calling Alex B. Heller or Christopher M. Lash toll free at (877) 247-4292 or by sending an e-mail to aheller@faruqilaw.com or clash@faruqilaw.com. Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding the Companys conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others. Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner. FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 1617 JFK Boulevard, Suite 1550 Philadelphia, PA 19103 Attn: Alex B. Heller aheller@faruqilaw.com Telephone: (215) 277-5770 Attn: Christopher M. Lash clash@faruqilaw.com Telephone: (215) 277-5770 GoldMining announces exercise off all January 2020 warrants Posted by Publisher Internet GoldMining Inc. (the \Company\ or \GoldMining\) (TSX: GOLD; OTCQX: GLDLF -?? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/goldmining-if-it-comes-to-ma-we-are-in-the-driver-seat/ ) announces that all of its outstanding warrants, which had expiry dates in January 2020, have been exercised. ?Total cash proceeds received from the exercise of such warrants totaled $5,549,902.50, of which $3,188,990 was received after the Company?s last published balance sheet date. Currently, the Company has 144,806,560 shares outstanding, no warrants outstanding, cash of approximately $8.7 million and no debt. Garnet Dawson, CEO of GoldMining, commented: \With the exercise of all outstanding warrants, the Company has further strengthened its balance sheet and is positioned to continue evaluating additional acquisition opportunities in the Americas and advance several of its key projects in 2020. ?In early 2020, the Company expects to complete a resource estimate and file a technical report on the Yarumalito Project, GoldMining\-\-s latest acquisition in Colombia.\? GoldMining?s existing project portfolio includes global measured and indicated resources of 10.5 million ounces gold (13.4 million ounces gold equivalent) and inferred resources of 12.4 million ounces gold (14.9 million ounces gold equivalent).? See Table 1 below for further details. About GoldMining Inc. GoldMining Inc. is a public mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of gold assets in the Americas.? Through its disciplined acquisition strategy, GoldMining now controls a diversified portfolio of resource-stage gold and gold-copper projects in Canada, U.S.A., Brazil, Colombia and Peru.? Additionally, GoldMining owns a 75% interest in the Rea Uranium Project, located in the Western Athabasca Basin of Alberta, Canada. The above aggregated resource statement is provided for information purposes only.? Investors should refer to the underlying technical reports referenced above for project-specific factors relating to each resource estimate. Paulo Pereira, President of GoldMining Inc. has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release.? Mr. Pereira holds a Bachelor degree in Geology from Universidade do Amazonas in Brazil, is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and is a member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario. Forward-looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of the Company with respect to its business and future events, including expectations respecting the completion of proposed work and technical reports on its projects, its acquisition strategy and the sufficiency of existing capital to fund its exploration and other plans.? Forward-looking statements are based on the then-current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and forecasts about the business and the markets in which it operates.? Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including: the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the potential for delays in exploration or development activities, accidents and equipment breakdowns, title and permitting matters, labour and other legal disputes, fluctuating metal prices, unanticipated costs and expenses and uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future.? These risks, as well as others, including those set forth in the Company\-\-s annual information form for the year ended November 30, 2018 and other filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are available under the Company\-\-s profile at www.sedar.com, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly.? Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information. ?There can be no assurance that forward-looking information, or the material factors or assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information, will prove to be accurate.? The Company does not undertake any obligations to release publicly any revisions for updating any voluntary forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. He's one of Hollywood's rising stars, and has garnered a huge fanbase thanks to his Oscar-nominated turn in Call Me By Your Name. And Timothee Chalamet was met with a gushing group of fans as he stepped out in New York City for a relaxed outing on Thursday. The actor, 24, happily greeted the adoring crowd as he chatted away to them and one fan even gave him a kiss on the cheek as they shared a hug. Friendly: Timothee Chalamet happily greeted a group of adoring fans and was given a hug and a kiss on the cheek by one girl during outing in New York City on Thursday Timothee kept things casual in a purple hoodie that he paired with matching jogging trousers that fit loosely on his slender frame. The King star kept off the winter chill in a black rain coat, while he completed his look by wearing a pair of white trainers. His raven tresses were brushed into tousled waves that fell over his eyes, and he opted to keep his personal items in his pockets rather than carry a bag. Casual chic: Timothee kept things casual in a purple hoodie that he paired with matching jogging trousers that fit loosely on his slender frame Timothee's outing comes after it was revealed he is getting ready to portray music legend Bob Dylan on the silver screen. The star is attached to star as Dylan in Fox Searchlight's biopic Going Electric, with Ford Vs. Ferrari director James Mangold, Deadline reported. The director also did a rewrite on the script, originally written by Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, Silence). The film will follow Dylan as he shifts from acoustic guitar music, as one of folk music's leading names, to an electric guitar. His switch from acoustic to electric lead to a huge outcry in the folk music world, which also cemented the status of rock in the musical lexicon. Bob Dylan, 78, himself is actively working with Mangold and Fox Searchlight in the development of this project. While no production schedule has been released for Going Electric, Chalamet is expected to start work on this project after his London stage debut. The actor is slated to star alongside Eileen Atkins in 4,000 Miles, a production of Amy Herzog's Pulitzer Prize winning drama at the Old Vic Theatre. Renault Group Executive Vice President for Manufacturing and Supply Chain Jose Vicente de los Mozos, center, speaks to Renault Samsung employees during his visit to the company's Busan plant in this February 2019 photo. Courtesy of Renault Samsung By Nam Hyun-woo Renault Samsung could see a "critical juncture" in its corporate sustainability in the near future, after the executive vice president of Renault Group made a visit, with the apparent purpose of allocating new vehicles to the carmaker. Since Renault Samsung's sustainability hinges on whether it can operate its key plant in Busan after receiving new models to manufacture, industry officials said the senior executive's visit may also serve as a catalyst for the domestic automobile industry. According to Renault Samsung, Renault Group Executive Vice President for Manufacturing and Supply Chain Jose Vicente de los Mozos visited Renault Samsung's Busan plant and met a number of senior company executives. Renault Samsung officials refused to disclose the specifics of his visit and downplayed its significance saying it was "a regular visit." However, sources knowledgeable on the matter said he used his closed-door meeting with company executives to elaborate Renault's adjusted business plans such as the launching of new models for the plant. "It seems that de los Mozos holds the key for Renault Samsung's sustainability, as it has an urgent need to secure new vehicles to keep its plant operating," a source said. Renault Samsung is facing rivalry with other Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi plants across the world to get more production orders from its headquarters. So far, the Busan plant has been largely relying on manufacturing the Nissan Rogue, which has accounted for nearly half of the plant's output. Since this manufacturing contract will expire in March, the company is seeking to secure the production of the Renault XM3 crossover which would be shipped to the European market. The company initially sought to win the XM3 production in the first half of last year and begin manufacturing in the second half of this year. However, little progress has been made following labor disputes and subsequent partial strikes, which aggravated the company's productivity. In February last year, when the union's strike was at its peak, de los Mozos visited the Busan plant and warned that the operating cost of Renault Samsung was the highest among all Renault plants, and the plant would lose its competitiveness in case of further increase in costs. Securing production of the XM3 for export is critical for Renault Samsung's sustainability, as the company's domestic sales continue to drop. The company sold 164,941 vehicles last year, down 23.5 percent from a year earlier. Renault Samsung's slump is expected to deal another heavy blow to the Korean automobile industry, which is already ailing from SsangYong Motor's financial difficulties. SsangYong Motor's largest stakeholder, Mahindra & Mahindra, is currently staging a tug-of-war with the state-run Korea Development Bank over a government aid package. A day after a minor opened fire on protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia in front of the police personnel leaving a student injured, former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday questioned who paid the attacker. "Who paid him?", Rahul Gandhi questioned when asked about the shooting in Jamia area on Thursday afternoon ahead of the students march to Rajghat. Earlier in the day, Congress MPs including party interim chief Sonia Gandhi held a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue to save constitution. The Congress MPs also wore black bands on their arms. The Congress MPs are protesting over the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). According to Congress sources, the party MPs will also listen to President speech by wearing the black bands on their arms. It is a universal fact of business that when employees do not feel valued in the workplace, they are significantly more likely to feel dissatisfied with their job. If your staff does not feel like management appreciates their efforts and contributions to the team, you can rest assured that they already have one foot out the door -- and more than one Indeed tab open on their browser. But despite what trendy Silicon Valley mega-headquarters have tried to tell us, this does not mean you have to invest in over-the-top office perks, hand out extravagant quarterly bonuses or schedule a workplace wellness retreat in Jamaica (especially not one like Gweneth Paltrow in Netflix's new Goop Lab -- if you know, you know), to show your employees that they are valued. Here are five things your management team can do in a single work week to foster a positive workplace environment and show your employees that you care. 1. Make on-the-clock time for off-the-clock chat. Knowing your employees' strengths and weaknesses in the office are essential, but truly investing in your team means getting to know them on both a professional and a personal level. As someone who lives and dies by my Google Calendar, there are too many times during the week when I am running from meeting to meeting and the only time I get to actually talk with my employees is when I first arrive in the office or when I'm in the elevator headed home. Even if you have to schedule 15 minutes of your day to do so, make it a regular habit to check in with your staff about what is going on in their lives. From weekend plans to interesting hobbies, making the time to engage with your team about their home lives is an essential way to show your team they are more than just seat fillers. This is especially important with remote employees, as it is all too easy to feel isolated and undervalued when you do not have everyday workplace interactions as a crutch to lean on. 2. Send e-blasts for the big wins. Everyone likes being appreciated one-on-one, but there's something even more valuable in being acknowledged in front of the entire office. Whether your team is 100-people strong or a handful of talented freelancers, make it a habit to send a company-wide email detailing the top workplace wins of the week. The times in my career that I have been given a shoutout for my work in front of my team have stuck with me for years, and instantly instilled an overwhelming sense of pride and motivation to continue working hard as I knew my efforts would be seen and appreciated. By uplifting people on your team that have done an impressive job and amplifying their efforts to the entire company, it allows your employees to not only feel valued by the management team, but also by their co-workers. 3. Find weekly ways to practice workplace wellness. It goes without saying that a large part of appreciating your employees is giving them the tools they need to succeed and feel comfortable in the workplace. A wellness-centric office does not have to be elaborate to be effective, but making a point of investing in the mental health of your employees is crucial to showing that they are valued. Whether that means hiring a yoga instructor to come into the office once a week or simply taking a communal 15-minute break to practice individualized meditations through one of the many free apps now available, find a wellness practice that you can feasibly implement at least once a week and that your employees find meaningful -- if you're unsure of what this could be, don't hesitate to take a quick workplace survey! 4. Celebrate workplace anniversaries. It may seem redundant to roll out a literal red carpet for someone's five year anniversary with the company, but celebrating workplace milestones is a great way to highlight the incredible accomplishments of individuals on your team. By showcasing the impact their work has made on the organization and recognizing their efforts with pomp and circumstance (especially if it's beyond a boring plaque or sheet cake), your employees are more likely to feel appreciated and it increases the likelihood of long-term employee retention. 5. Listen to your employees (and reward accordingly). It is easy to assume that everyone in the office would love to be treated to a free pizza lunch to celebrate a job well done, but the reality is that is not always the case. A great employer listens to their team members and can derive personalized gestures and acts of kindness that can make individuals on a team feel valued and appreciated. While Britains exit is a historic moment, it only marks the end of the first stage of the Brexit saga. When Britons wake up on Saturday, they will notice very little change. The U.K. and the EU have given themselves an 11-month transition period in which the U.K. will continue to follow the blocs rules to strike new agreements on trade, security and a host of other areas. New Delhi, Jan 31 : A Delhi Court on Friday reserved order on the application seeking stay on the execution of the death sentence awarded to the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana reserved its order on the two applications moved by the counsel of the convicts - A.P. Singh and Vrinda Grover. During the course of hearing, Singh said that a mercy plea has been filed on behalf of one of the convicts - Vinay Kumar. It is further submitted that on behalf of Pawan, a review petition has also been filed, and a criminal appeal is pending before Delhi High Court. He said that it is further submitted that Akshay's curative petition was dismissed by the apex court on Thursday. It is argued that if the warrants are not stayed the remedies will become infructuous. They have placed reliance on Delhi Prison Rules, Singh contended. Vrinda Grover, appearing for convict Mukesh, moved another application seeking stay on the sentence. It was contended on behalf of Mukesh that he has been sincerely pursuing legal remedies without delay. Since all the convicts were held guilty by the same court in same offence, isolation of fate cannot take place. She placed reliance on rule number 868 of Prison Rules. She has also placed reliance on the top court judgment. She argued that in case if mercy plea of similarly placed convict is considered favourably by President of India this would affect the course of justice for Mukesh. She also placed reliance on Yakub case. It is further contended that Mukesh cannot be executed earnestly as he is sincerely pursuing legal remedies, she said. The prosecution, however, opposed the application moved by the convict submitting that Mukesh has no legal remedies and he should be executed. It is further argued that the applications moved by Vinay and Akshay are not maintainable as per the rule of Delhi Prison Rules. He further contended that execution of Vinay can be postponed. He also stated that granting any relief to the convicts would be travesty of justice and hence their applications should be dismissed. Victim's counsel argued that the convicts herein are adopting delay tactics to thwart the speed of justice. It is argued that convicts were sentenced in 2013, confirmed by the High Court in 2014 and Supreme Court in 2017. Vinay, Mukesh and Pawan's review petitions have also been dismissed. Even curative pleas of Vinay, Mukesh and Akshay have been dismissed. Even after attaining the finality, verdict of the court has not been executed. It is submitted that convicts are resorting to all kinds of tactics to delay the proceedings. It is further pointed out that as per rule 840 of the DPR, jurisdiction lies with the government and not this court, prosecution counsel said. Additional Sessions Judge kept the matter for hearing post lunch. The application filed through advocate A.P. Singh sought court's direction to the Tihar Jail authorities to stay the execution of the convicts until the determination of the mercy petitions and the other legal remedies. Her signature patterned frocks are becoming a fast favourite with the Duchess of Cambridge, and perhaps it's no wonder given that Alessandra Rich's designs are royally inspired. Speaking during an interview with Tatler's Bystander, the Italian-born designer who is based in London, said: 'I'm drawn to history's polite rebels, such as Princess Diana, and I want to embody that spirit in the Alessandra Rich woman.' Describing her designs as 'modern with a twist', she added that her ideas often stem from French women in the movies she most admires - such as Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour. They've certainly gone down a treat with the Duchess of Cambridge, who wore her 1,750 navy polka dot dress for a family photoshoot for Prince Charles' 70th birthday in November 2018 and a visit to Bletchley park in May 2019. Alessandra Rich admitted she was 'drawn to' the Princess of Wales's sense of style as her brand always has 'her women in mind' In fact, the blue polka dot dress has proved popular, with Meghan Markle's close friend and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer wearing it to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in May last year. Kate also wore another design, a flowing red 1,455 midi-dress, for her Christmas special with Mary Berry last month. In June 2018, it was Rich's polka dot number that was sweeping the social circuit after cropping up everywhere from the polo to the royal wedding. The pleated crepe de chine number was spotted on a host of stars including Sarah Jessica Parker, Christie Brinkley and Daisy Ridley. Rich has since dressed royalty, with the Duchess of Cambridge re-wearing her 1,750 navy polka dot dress and donning a flowing red 1,455 midi-dress in December She revealed Princess Diana inspired her to start her fashion empire a decade ago - as she embodies history's 'polite rebels' in her designs DJ Henri wore the 1,255 mini version as she mingled with aristocrats and royals at the polo finals in Windsor. The frock was also spotted on stars including US talk show host Kelly Ripa, while Nicole Kidman owns a similar version in white. The frock features statement cuffs. Its nipped-in waist and 'flippy' flared skirt boast an ultra-flattering silhouette for every body type. And it certainly bears a striking resemblance to a navy polka dot number with a white colour that Princess Diana wore back in the '80s. Meghan Markle's close friend and former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer wore the polka dot dress to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding in May last year Speaking during an interview with Tatler's Bystander , she said her designs are 'modern with a twist' and often stem from French women in the movies she most admires - such as Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour (pictured) Rich, who revealed she moved to London 26 years ago for love after growing up in a town near Venice, Italy, said she absorbed information about the women around her while working in her husband's gallery. The designer started her brand aged 40 in 2010, and is 'obsessed with French glamour', but being an Italian-born designer who is considered British also seeps into her ideas. The basis of the brand is to create a sophisticated, but black-tie dinner ready, look for women who need more versatile styles. Funeral workers disinfect themselves after handling a virus victim in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province on Jan. 30, 2020. (Chinatopix via AP) Do Not Travel: US State Department Posts Highest Alert for China Amid Virus Outbreak The U.S. State Department warned Americans against traveling to China amid the outbreak of a mysterious new form of coronavirus that has triggered quarantines and lockdowns for tens of millions of people. On Thursday night, the agency raised its travel alert level to four, the highest, telling citizens: Do not travel. It comes after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global health emergency. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice, the State Department said in its bulletin. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China. Whats more, citizens living in China should consider leaving the country via commercial means, the agency said. The United States has already evacuated about 200 nationals from Wuhan via a chartered flight and is making plans to evacuate more people next week. Chinese regime officials have suspended air, road, and rail travel around Wuhan. Those evacuated Americans were sent to a military base in Southern California, where they were placed under medical isolation. Officials have told news outlets that those individuals have shown no signs of the illness. Passengers wear protective masks as they walk with their luggage in the arrivals area at Beijing Capital Airport in Beijing, China, on Jan. 30, 2020.(Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) It comes after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a warning for all of China. The virus has spread to about 20 other countries and territories, including six reported cases in the United States. On Thursday, the CDC confirmed the sixth case of coronavirus, also known as 2019-nCoV, and it was the first case of person-to-person transmission in the United States. The case involved the husband of an Illinois woman who was previously diagnosed and who had traveled recently to Wuhan. The husband, however, didnt recently go to China, said the CDC. The other cases involved people who had recently gone to Wuhan. Those coronavirus patients were found in Washington state, Arizona, Californias Orange County, and in Los Angeles, the agency said. Hours after WHOs declaration, Italy and Israel announced that they would suspend all flights coming from China. Russia also suspended most flights with China, and its government declared an emergency to close down its 2,500-mile border along the Far Eastern District. Russias move came as its health officials confirmed two cases of the virus in the Siberian regions of Zabaykalye and Tyumen, according to the state-run TASS news agency. Both are Chinese nationals, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said. The Rospobrebnadzor [Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being] services have identified two persons infected with coronavirus in Russiain the Trans-Baikal Region and the Tyumen Region. They are under strict surveillance. They have been isolated, and necessary assistance has been provided to them. Both are Chinese citizens, she said. The spread of the coronavirus has placed around 60 million people under partial or full lockdown in several Chinese cities, namely in central Hubei Province. Other than the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and several other countries have announced they are working to fly their citizens out of Wuhan. Thousands protested last week against the refugee detention centres located across the Greek islands of the Northern Aegean bordering Turkey, and the plans to develop new ones. There are reportedly more than 50,000 refugees currently interned on Greeces islands in so-called hot-spot camps as part of the dirty deal cut in 2016 between the European Union, Turkey and the 2015-2019 pseudo-left Syriza-led government. The deal stipulates that all refugees crossing into Greece from Turkey will be interned until their cases are processed, before deportation back to Turkey. Syrian refugees arrive on a dinghy after crossing from Turkey to Lesbos island, Greece in 2015 [Source: Flickr.com] The protests were organised by local authorities and business groups, with small businesses and public services shutting and bringing much of the local economy to a standstill. Shops, pharmacies and petrol stations closed, as well as some clinics. Taxi and bus drivers also joined the strike. The biggest protest took place in Mytilini, the capital of Lesbos, with around 7,000 people gathering at the towns port. A sizeable contingent was from the small village of Moria, which is site to the notorious camp of the same name. Protesters demanded the closure of the site, carrying banners reading, No more prisons for human souls in the North Aegean. Dubbed by the BBC as the worst refugee camp on Earth, Moria has conditions that have been condemned by aid groups and are described by inmates as hell on earth. Nearly 20,000 refugees live in and around the site of the camp, which has a capacity of less than 3,000 people. Protests of several thousand also took place on the islands of Chios and Samos, both of which are home to overcrowded internment camps (Samos has 7,200 migrants herded into a camp built for just 700). Speaking to the BBC, one Samos islander said, Here its like a prison. The migrants arent allowed to leave the island. They aren't free to go where they like. Additional pressure on the already overcrowded camps has come from the increased flow of refugees across the sea during the previous year. Figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in January show that nearly 60,000 people made the sea journey from Turkey into Greece last year, up by 84 percent compared to 2018. Nearly 1,500 people made the crossing in the first two weeks of January, with 60 percent landing on Lesbos. Extreme overcrowding has placed inmates under extreme psychological pressure. Many are already traumatised as victims and witnesses of atrocities in their home countries. Speaking about Moria to InfoMigrants, an aid worker with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) explained, The overcrowding of the camp, the cold and the waiting doesnt help the situation and makes it harder on everyone. We lack everything in Moria: food, showers, toilets You have to line up for everything here, all the time. This unbearable situation has resulted in an upsurge of violence, with two stabbing fatalities since the start of the year. Speaking to InfoMigrants, a recent arrival at the camp said, Since I arrived in Moria, theres not a day that goes by without a fight breaking out Every day, someone is injured. Tensions have also spilled outside of the camp, partly due to the increase in petty crime fuelled by the poverty and desperation faced by refugees. Another source of tension is the health hazard posed by the lack of safe waste disposal from the camp. A written complaint sent by the Moria residents association to the local authority last November read, The sewage cannot be transmitted via the local settlements waste disposal pipeline and as a result overflows into the stream that runs on the edge of the villages residential zone. A similar problem has been reported at the Chios camp. The protests organisers made a conscious effort to channel the frustration over the crisis in a reactionary direction. This was underscored by the posters advertising the event, which portrayed refugees as invaders by displaying photos of them in dinghy boats crossing the Aegean with a slogan that read We want our islands back we want our life back! Headline speaker at the Lesbos protest was Costas Moutzouris, a former member of the ruling conservative New Democracy (ND) who ran for Northern Aegean Prefect as an independent. His politics are so close to NDs that when he won, party leader Mitsotakis claimed it as an ND victory. He is a supporter of NDs policy of closing the Moria camp and setting up closed detention centres as an alternative. Last November, ND announced plans to construct new detention centres on mainland Greece by July 2020. The government has already sent 9,000 refugees from the Greek islands to the new centres, and this year will send another 11,000. While the centres have been promoted as more humane and cleaner, they are new jails that allow more control over the refugee population. They will be completely closed off and will operate like the closed detention centres in the United States. Hidden behind walls, detention guards will be allowed to carry out attacks on refugees with impunity. Speaking ahead of the strike, after visiting Samos and Lesbos at the weekend, Migration and Asylum Minister Notis Mitarakis demanded more repression of refugees and migrants: First, more efficient guarding of our borders and, second, the immediate return of those who dont deserve international protection. Moutzouris speech was laden with far-right nostrums. He laid the blame for social problems such as lack of access to healthcare, pressures on the education system and an inadequate transport systemthe product of chronic underfunding exacerbated by the brutal austerity measures imposed by the European Unionon refugees. They are forcefully trying to impose a different way of life and religion on us, he exclaimed. We will not accept this. Moutzouris put forward the fascistic claim that the overcrowded camps on the islands are part of a plan to change the demographics of Europe, explicitly implicating billionaire international financier George Sorosa common anti-Semitic dog-whistle. He railed against the sentiment of solidarity shown by the islands residents towards the refugees contributing to the problem, exclaiming, We tolerated this situation for a number of years. The time has come to react. A former dean of the Athens Polytechnic, Moutzouris stood trial alongside of Greek EEK (Workers Revolutionary Party) general secretary Savas Michael as part of a lawsuit launched by Golden Dawn in 2013. His early run-in with the neo-fascist party has not stopped Moutzouris from forming close ties with the far right. Asked during his election campaign last summer for the post of prefect to comment on rumours that Golden Dawn supported his campaign, Moutzouris replied, If there was, is or will be any support from Golden Dawn then this is welcome. On Moutzouris ticket during the elections stood Nikolaos Tallas, who has been active in local far-right circles, with links to those accused of carrying out the brutal repression of refugees in April 2018. In the face of such overt overtures to the far right, pseudo-left groups sought to distance themselves from the official demonstrations on the islands and held separate ones. A small rally was held at Sapphous Square by the Lesbos Labour Centre, a local trade union federation affiliated to the Stalinist Communist Party of Greeces trade union body, PAME, while local Syriza branches held their own demonstration. However, it is Syriza along with their junior coalition partner, the xenophobic Independent Greeks, that presided over the creation of internment camps. The 2016 EU-Turkey deal, implemented by Syriza as a central component of the EUs Fortress Europe policy, was a frontal assault on the basic right to asylum and was deemed illegal by several human rights organizations as well as the United Nations. Two months after the deal, the Syriza government employed tear gas and stun grenades against protesting refugees in Idomeni, a small village in Greece near the border with the Republic of North Macedonia, and ordered the clearing of the camp. The ten finalists with Winner Camelia Harry (left back), 2nd placed Shandell Baptiste (right front) and third placed Darrano Louie (right back). Camelia Harry of the Lower Bay Primary School Bequia, wrote her way to the top of the 2020 Ministry of Education, National Reconciliation and Information Grade Six Writing Competition. Harry, who wrote on the topic, Convincing your parents to have a beach picnic for your birthday, came up against nine other finalists last Tuesday afternoon at Frenches House. At the Closing and Presentation Ceremony held immediately following the finals, Harry collected her trophies along with a Chromebook. Placing second was Shandell Baptiste of the Kingstown Anglican. His topic of choice was, How to prepare your favourite meal, and completing the top three was Darrano Louie of the Chateaubelair Methodist School. Baptiste and Louis each got a trophy and an Amazon Fire Tablet. The other finalists were Jason Adams- Fitz Hughes Government; Sherryka Springer- Colonaire Primary, Jaiden Toby of the Argyle Primary, Claudia Lovelace of the Questelles Government, Jurnee Massicott - Georgetown Government, with the Barrouallie Government represented by Jirdeh Fife, and from the Windsor Primary, Sydelle Campbell. The ten finalists emerged from a total of forty-one (41) participants in the preliminary phase, which took place on Tuesday morning. Last Tuesdays writing Competition had the backing of Hodder Education, who was represented by Byron Wilson. Apart from Wilson, addressing last Tuesdays Presentation were CEO of the Curriculum Unit- Aldia Gumbs- Dyer and Education Officer for Language, Literacy and Communication- Susanne Lewis. Amara Adams of the Cane End Government School won last years Competition. Russia reported its first two cases of coronavirus on Friday and restricted direct flights to China, its biggest trade partner, as Russians complained of rising prices for medical masks and anti-virus medicine, Trend reports citing Reuters. The two infected people, both Chinese nationals, are in a stable condition and have been quarantined, officials said. One of the cases was identified in the Siberian region of Tyumen and the other in the far eastern Zabaykalsky region, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said. They are under strict supervision, isolated and are receiving the necessary treatment, she told reporters. The outbreak has infected more than 9,800 people globally, almost all of them in China, and has killed 213 people in China. There are more than 130 confirmed cases in 24 countries and regions outside mainland China. Russia will halt all direct flights to China from 2100 GMT on Friday, with the exception of those operated by its national airline, Aeroflot, Golikova said. Four Chinese airlines - China Southern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Air China, China Eastern - will still be able to fly to Moscow, Golikova and Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport said. All China-related flights will be routed through a separate terminal at the Sheremetyevo Airport, Aeroflot said, to minimise contact between those flights and other passengers. Russias minor Ikar airline will also continue its flights between Moscow and China, the airport said. Russia has already closed its 4,300 km-long (2,670 mile) land border with China to pedestrians and vehicles in an effort to protect its population, although rail freight continues as does a passenger train service from Moscow to Beijing. Russia has no plans to limit freight traffic between Russia and China but will restrict Chinese citizens travelling to Russia from Mongolia, Golikova said. Moscow is also drawing up a government resolution that would suspend the issuance of work visas for Chinese nationals, Golikova said. Russia plans to evacuate more than 600 Russian citizens now in Wuhan and Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, and they will be quarantined for 14 days, she added. The national anti-monopoly watchdog said it was looking into public complaints it had received about rising prices for medical masks and anti-virus medicine. The northeastern Chinese province is a hub for magnesite mining and processing, with the ports of Dalian and Yingkou the two main harbors shipping the mineral overseas. Authorities have extended the period for business closures in Liaoning to February 9, as similar measures have been taken in other areas of the country as a precaution to contain the spreading of the novel coronavirus epidemic, which originated in Chinas Hubei province in January. Market sources in contact with Fastmarkets today said the extension of the closures in Liaoning will cause delays for magnesia orders that were lined up for shipments next week. "Land logistics are down so [local sellers] cant move material to the port. Also cargo inspections are not possible; that means delays," one trader handling Chinese magnesia said. A second Europe-based distributor said that he was expecting interruptions of scheduled shipments for "at least the next 10 days". The local ports of Dalian and Yinkgou remain open for the time being but, with land logistics unavailable to deliver the sea bound cargo to the terminals, few volumes are expected to be shipped out in the immediate term. "Usually the material is not [kept] at port; its in the warehouse and is shipped to the container terminal once the vessel is nominated," one source said. Some stock may be held at the Bayuquan bulk terminal at Yingkou port, although availability of that remains unclear at present. Prices of magnesia products have been falling throughout 2019 due to slumping demand from refractories end markets, triggering oversupply. Fastmarkets' price assessment of magnesia, dead burned, 97.5% MgO, lump, fob China was $400-450 per tonne on January 21, down from $1,100-1,300 per tonne at the start of 2019. Fastmarkets' price assessment of magnesia, fused, 97% MgO, Ca:Si 2:1, lump, fob China was $520-620 on January 21, down by more than 50% from $1,250-1,350 per tonne at the start of 2019. Last October an ad hoc grouping of 11 Australian parliamentarians and senators, co-chaired by independent Andrew Wilkie and Liberal/National Coalition government member George Christensen, announced that they planned to campaign in defence of persecuted WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. The parliamentary group includes Richard Di Natale, the leader of the Greens, as well as Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt. Apart from some perfunctory statements by Wilkie, Christensen and National MP Barnaby Joyce about Assanges plight, the ad hoc group has remained silent and organised nothing in the face of detailed information about ongoing violations of the Australian citizens basic legal rights, warnings about the dangerous state of his health, and the refusal of the Australian government to demand his release. Di Natale and Bandt have not even issued a statement on their membership of the grouping. The Open Letter to the Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group published below was written by Margaret Richardson, a registered nurse, on behalf of the Julian Assange Supporters Alice Springs Action Group. The letter was published on the groups Facebook page yesterday. Margaret Richardson speaking at the SEPs Alice Springs meeting in November, 2019 Richardson is a founding member of the Assange Supporters Alice Springs Action Group, which was established a week after the Socialist Equality Party held a public meeting in the central Australian city on November 24 last year. * * * An Open Letter to the Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group To: George Christensen (Liberal), Barnaby Joyce (National), Andrew Wilkie (Independent), Sali Steggall (Independent), Richard Di Natale (Greens), Peter Whish-Wilson (Greens), Adam Bandt (Greens), Julian Hill (Labor), Steve Georganos (Labor), Roberta Sharkie (Centre Alliance), Rex Patrick (Centre Alliance) and Helen Haines (Independant). Im writing to you because Im seriously concerned about the dangerous and life-threatening health of Julian Assange, the Australian journalist and WikiLeaks publisher, and want to know exactly what you are doing in his defence, and for his freedom. I have been following with great interest the activities of the Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group of twelve Australian MPs since it was established in October. It is now more than three months since your group was established but it has done nothing of substance in this time. There is an abundance of evidence to support the fact that Assanges health is fragile. Why are you not raising loud alarm bells about the brutal persecution of Assange? Your inaction shocks me. Although the group was formally announced on October 22, it did not meet for the first time until late November. Concerned about the holdup, I phoned Mr Wilkies office to ask why there had been such a delay and was told, Its the first opportunity they had, to be able to meet together all in one place. This did not ring true. I then read in the Sydney Morning Herald that plans were being made by George Christensen to visit Assange in the UK in the coming months. He said that he wanted to see for himself whether the abusive treatment of Assange and the circumstances of his jailing in Belmarsh Prison had contributed to the Australian citizens rapidly deteriorating health. It is patently obvious that Assanges life is in danger. As you are fully aware, all those who have visited Assange in maximum-security Belmarsh Prison including, John Pilger, Julians brother Gabriel, Julians father John Shipton and Pamela Anderson, leave with grave concerns about his deteriorating physical and mental health. These concerns have been widely published. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Niles Melzer made clear in his May 2019 report that Assanges long confinement inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London and his ongoing illegal incarceration in Belmarsh prison is tantamount to psychological torture and the worst case of mistreatment he has seen in twenty years. In a letter to the British government published last November, Meltzer declared, Unless the UK urgently changes course and alleviates his inhumane situation, Mr Assanges continued exposure to arbitrariness and abuse may soon end up costing him his life. On October 21, an RT video clip of Assange in the police van being transported to a case-management hearing in Westminster Magistrates Court gave some indication of the dreadful state of Assanges health. I would expect it has been seen by all members of cross-party group. On October 22, Craig Murray, former British former diplomat and now whistleblower, human rights campaigner and friend of Assange, was present at the first Westminster Magistrates Court hearing. Murray published a report entitled Assange in Court, which provided a very chilling description of the event and of the rapidly declining state of Assanges health. Shock waves reverberated around the world, as reports of the terrible state of his health filtered out. This extremely intelligent and articulate man had become a bumbling wreck and could not even recall his date of birth. Assanges youthful good looks and dignified persona were gone and he was almost unrecognisable, causing great concern internationally. On November 22, an urgent letter signed by over 65 doctors from around the world was sent to the UK Home Secretary Priti Patel warning that Assange could die in prison and demanding that he be transferred from Belmarsh to a university teaching hospital for urgent medical assessment and treatment. This letter was based on factual medical reports documented over several years. Since then, another letter signed by more than 100 doctors has been sent to the UK home secretary. Neither letter was answered by the British government. Recent reports reveal that conditions are so bad in Belmarsh that three people have died in the prison in the previous year, the most recent in January 2020. What more evidence is required of the parlous state of his health? His most recent appearance at the procedural hearing on January 13 at Westminster revealed a very aged man. At Christmas, Julian was given a Christmas treat and allowed to make a phone call. Julian told his close friend Vaughan Smith Im dying in here and said he that he was being sedated. Assanges self-reported fear for his life has been greeted with a deafening silence, not just from the Australian government and Labor Party opposition, but also by your Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group. Notwithstanding your claims to be concerned for the WikiLeaks publisher, the Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group has not called any joint press conferences, no public meetings and no rallies. Rather than mobilise support for Assange youre promoting illusions that someone in parliament is doing something. This is to cultivate a passive attitude, so that ordinary people dont do anything. Why call yourselves the Bring Assange Home Parliamentary Group when you have done nothing to bring Julian home or ensure that the utterly inhumane treatment in Belmarsh doesnt kill him. Can you please tell me what concrete political actions your group is planning? Yours sincerely, Margaret Grace Richardson (Registered Nurse) On behalf of Julian Assange Supporters Alice Springs Action Group Formula 1 teams cannot veto the move to 18-inch wheels for 2021. That is the insistence of Mario Isola, the boss of F1's official tyre supplier Pirelli. Pirelli tried to introduce a modified version of the current 13-inch tyres for 2020, but the teams voted to scrap the move and stick with the 2019 design. But Isola says that cannot happen when it comes to F1's move to 18-inch wheels for 2021. In fact, every team has reportedly already agreed to supply a test car to Pirelli. "There is no chance of going back to the 13-inch tyres," he told Germany's motorsport-total.com. Indeed, the 2021 technical regulations were written deliberately to accompany the move to 18-inch. But Isola says there is no great push to keep the 13-inch tyres anyway. "We ran three tests in 2019 and the initial feedback about the 18-inch tires was good, so I don't expect any surprises this year," he said. He revealed that in September at Paul Ricard, Renault clocked up over 200 laps on the 18-inch tyres without incident. "When everything is new, you usually expect a problem. But we had none at all," said Isola. (GMM) European leaders have warned Boris Johnson that Britain faces a more distant relationship with Brussels after Brexit if it insists on leaving the EUs regulatory orbit. As Brexiteers prepare to celebrate the UKs withdrawal at the stroke of 11pm on Friday, in European capitals there was sadness at the breaking of a bond dating back 47 years. But the expressions of regret were accompanied by warnings of a tough battle ahead as the two sides prepared to embark on talks on a free trade agreement. European Council president Charles Michel said Britains stated determination not to align with EU rules meant it could not expect the same levels of market access. The more the UK will diverge from the EU standards, the less access to the single market it will have, he told a news conference in Brussels. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said relations with the UK would never be as close once it is outside the EU. We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership, she said. Earlier, in a BBC interview, she made clear the EU would battle to protect the integrity of the single market in the negotiations. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, has said the EU will fight for its interests in trade talks (Brian Lawless/PA) Negotiations will be fair. But, of course, each side will fight for their interests, she said. Her comments reflect a determination to prevent the UK undermining EU rules and regulations through undercutting. Cabinet minister Michael Gove however reaffirmed the Governments commitment to break with Brussels regulatory regime. We are moving further away from the orbit of EU rules and laws, he told the BBC. For example, on migration, we can decide what the right policy is, who should come here and on what terms. A No 10 spokesman added: You can only have fully frictionless trade if you accept their rules. We have been clear we will not be doing so. Story continues In a symbolic move, Mr Johnson chaired a meeting of the Cabinet in Sunderland, the city which was the first to back Brexit when results were announced after the 2016 referendum. And in what Number 10 billed as an address to the nation released an hour before the moment the UK leaves the EU, the Prime Minister will promise to heal the bitter divisions opened up by Brexit. He will say: Our job as the Government my job is to bring this country together and take us forward. He will call Brexit the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act. It is a moment of real national renewal and change. This is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances your familys life chances should depend on which part of the country you grow up in. The address was being filmed by Downing Street rather than one of the national broadcasters in the latest clash between Number 10 and the media. Traditionally, speeches by the PM in Number 10 have been recorded by a single broadcaster and then shared with other television networks, in what is known as a pool system. Brexiteers stand on an EU flag, ahead of the UKs withdrawal at 11pm Friday (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Mr Johnson will spend the evening in No 10 hosting a celebratory reception for senior ministers, officials, and supporters of the 2016 referendum campaign to leave the EU. On Parliament Square, Brexiteers will gather for a party led by Nigel Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show while a new commemorative 50p coin is entering circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. (PA Graphics) The Belgian capital has dressed its famous Manneken Pis statue of a urinating boy in a John Bull costume, complete with Union flag waistcoat. In Scotland, which voted to stay in the EU in the 2016 referendum, candlelit vigils are planned. The Leave a Light On gatherings are taking place in Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, and Stirling, among other locations, and participants intend to send a message to the EU to keep open a place for Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the campaign group Border Communities Against Brexit was staging a series of protests in Armagh, near to the border with the Republic of Ireland. You have reached a premium content area of TOL. To read this entire article please login if you are already a TOL subscriber. Not a subscriber? Subscribe today for access to: Full access to the website, including premium articles videos, country reports and searchable archives (containing over 25,000 articles). Yuri Malikov went down the history of Soviet and Russian pop as the creator and permanent leader of one of the country's first vocal-instrumental ensembles "Gems", which deserved popular love, including in the Caucasus, and the song "My Address - Soviet Union" became his hallmark " Now Malikov organizes festivals, participates in the jury of music competitions. The musician told Vestnik Kavkaza about Baku and his friends from Azerbaijan. - Yuri Fedorovich, when was the last time you visited Baku? - Somewhere in the late 2010s, and would love to come again. When I watched the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, I saw a city that is completely different in style from Soviet Baku. But there was always amazing architecture, wonderful people, great audience - very lively, real. I remember that we opened the Palace of the Republic there, performed at the opening together with the Guy Quartet. Baku is an amazing city. Success and prosperity to Azerbaijan! - Have you known Muslim Magomayev? - Yes. And I can reveal the secret: no one sang the songs of the composer Muslim Magomayev except for "Gems". Probably even Muslim himself. But there is a song that we recorded. It is called "We Are Born for a Song." Music by Muslim Magomayev, poems by Rozhdestvensky, performer "Gems". Muslim was a great man and great vocalist. The memory of him is kept in Moscow. In 2009, a concert hall opened in Crocus City, named after Muslim Magomayev. I think Muslim will forever remain even in the memory of even those who did not know him, but were fascinated by his voice. With his wife Tamara Sinyavskaya we were born on the same day - July 6th. We always celebrate, and when we meet with her, we remember Muslim - this bright person. - Do you keep in touch with Polad Bulbuloglu? - This is my old colleague and old friend. I even have a photo with him posted on an Instagram page. His son is also a great musician. February 4, Polad turns 75 years old. I would like to congratulate him, wish him good health. This is the most important, because at our age there can be no further existence on earth without this. Therefore, health, long life, good mood, good songs! Polad is a great vocalist, a great musician. Scientifically, Villani does not lack for credentials. After winning the Fields Medal in 2010, he became a pundit for sexy math. As a member of Parliament, he led a task force on artificial intelligence. Loading Some of the biggest challenges facing Paris, in his view, lie at the intersection of democracy and information technology. His top priorities include a plan to revamp municipal boundaries that would incorporate the suburbs within one metropolis, the environmental crisis and Paris' traffic problem. "I will use all means to make traffic flow and finally to escape from the traffic jams that undermine the daily lives of so many people," he vowed at the Trianon. Perhaps it bodes well that one of Villani's areas of expertise is "optimal transport," investigating the most efficient allocation of starting points to end points. For instance, as Villani considered in a 976-page book on the subject Optimal Transport: Old and New there is the grand challenge each morning of transporting quantities of bread from bakeries to cafes. "The problem is to find in practice where each unit of bread should go, in such a way as to minimise the total transport cost," he wrote. Loading "I've been tackling complex problems my whole life before entering politics," he said in the northern autumn, when he confirmed his intentions to go it alone as a dissident candidate. (In July, he was passed over as the official candidate for President Emmanuel Macron's En Marche party.) On January 26, the president received Villani for a meeting at the Elysee Palace and asked him to make common cause with the party candidate, but Villani refused. "My campaign for Paris continues in complete independence," he announced in a statement. As he noted in a text: "There is currently absolutely no reason to withdraw that I could possibly see." Macron's party then expelled Villani, who has already picked up support. Isabelle Saporta, an environmental journalist, moved to run under Villani's flag, joining a growing climate coalition. "Getting involved with a very great mathematician, an out-of-party man, seduces me," she told Le Monde. A mathematically optimised politician As a mathematician, Villani has been nonpracticing since 2017, when he became an MP for Essonne, near Paris. The political play did not take his mathematical colleagues entirely by surprise. He loves the spotlight and is known as the Lady Gaga of mathematics. But they were sad to see him go. "To have reached that level of mathematics, it certainly implies that you are in love with mathematics," said Michel Broue, a mathematician at the University of Paris. "And if you love it, it's terrible to leave it." "Cedric always loves a challenge," said Sylvia Serfaty, who teaches at New York University's Courant Institute and studied with Villani at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris in the 1990s. "The Fields Medal was a challenge for him. He did it, he got it. So once that was done, I think he was also just needing a new challenge." He entered European politics about a decade ago, and moving in those circles, he met Macron, with whom he shared a "neither left nor right" mantra. Nonetheless, when courted to run for Macron's party, Villani declined, twice. He was director of the Henri Poincare Institute and had big plans. Then, a few weeks before the presidential election in 2017 came the "fake news," as he called it, proclaiming that he was indeed a candidate. "I saw that the idea was popular," Villani said so he reconsidered. He asked the advice of Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, a former director of Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques and the outgoing president of the European Research Council. Bourguignon told him it was a bad idea. "I feared that his weight as a scientist would be jeopardized by becoming a political statesman," he said. "I was concerned that he would diminish his impact, rather than increase it." Villani is still wrapping his head around the transition. Sitting on the sofa, peering at his smartphone, he noted that the title of his latest book Immersion: From Science to Parliament has multiple meanings. "Immersion" describes his deep dive into politics (he considered titling it "Plunge"). And "with a little mischief," he wrote in the introduction, immersion also refers to a mathematical operation "by which one 'transports' a geometric object, without changing its intrinsic nature, into the heart of a new ambient geometry." A combinatorial puzzle Some of the attributes that made Villani a successful mathematician his relentless energy, for one no doubt helped him adapt to the political realm. But other aspects of his past might work against him. Loading "He comes from a world which is regulated by truth, or trying to approach truth," said Clement Mouhot, at the University of Cambridge, formerly a doctoral student with Villani and a key collaborator. "Truth is more polemical in social sciences, but in mathematics it's not polemical. He has moved into another world which is regulated by other principles. Probably he sometimes gets it right, he sometimes gets it wrong." He got it right in responding to crude questions from a TV presenter who asked whether Villani was autistic. "What would it change anyway?" Villani replied. But with politics come ideological triangulations, alliances and counter-alliances. In 2014, Villani supported the incumbent, Mayor Anne Hidalgo, a Socialist, but her "method was lacking rigor, and results were not at the level of ambitions," he said. Currently, Hidalgo is ahead in the polls, but by some accounts the race is still open, with no candidate having a decisive edge. Scrolling through his smartphone in December, he marveled at the unfathomable complexities. "The combinatorics is amazing," he said. (Combinatorics is a branch of math concerned with combinations and permutations.) "It's really like a puzzle. You can meet a politician one day, and three weeks later, it will be a different speech. Three weeks later again, it will be another one, and then another one." Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo gives a press conference ahead of squaring off against Cedric Villani at the March 15 poll. Credit:AP A call came in that he couldn't ignore. "May I? This is a bit of an emergency." It was a former MP who had promised her support, calling with the news that she would no longer be in the Villani camp: She was moving to the En Marche camp, in an act of revenge against the Socialists. "Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow," Villani replied. "That's politics," he said, afterward. "Politics is where rationality and irrationality meet. As well as passion." Villani's bet and conviction is that bringing science into politics is important at this moment, particularly. "It's my job to bring more rationality but never forget the irrational side," he said. "There have been several times in the history of France in which science and politics were mixed together. It was always times of great social redistribution. One of these times was the French Revolution," he said. "One of these times was the Front Populaire, in the '30s. It would be a dream if it would be another one of these periods coming" a dream problem, with increasing degrees of difficulty. "He is not happy when things are easy," said Raphael Rouquier, another graduate of the Ecole Normale Superieure, now at the University of California, Los Angeles. "Politics is where he will have the hardest problems to deal with, so I am absolutely convinced that he is in politics for the long haul." Ultimately, he speculated, Villani wants to be president of the republic. Villani, having put his shoes back on, dismissed that idea with a laugh. "This Paris election is so complicated, it is taking all my heart and brain," he said. Today, January 31, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke by telephone with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, during which he discussed the extradition of Oleksiy Levin, who is suspected of organizing an assassination attempt on Kherson activist Kateryna Handziuk. The press service of the President reports. Zelensky thanked the Bulgarian police for the detention of Levin, and also said that he hoped for an early resolution of the issue of his transfer to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. The president also reiterated his interest in further developing the bilateral political dialogue and noted the support from Bulgaria for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the pursuit of a policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. Separately, the importance of strengthening bilateral trade and economic cooperation was noted, the volume of which in 2019 is projected to exceed $ 1 billion for the first time in the last decade. Zelensky thanked Borisov for understanding the state policy of Ukraine in the field of education and the state language. The parties confirmed their readiness to promote the comprehensive development of national minorities. In addition, the President of Ukraine praised the recovery in Bulgaria within the framework of the NATO Trust Fund for the Medical Rehabilitation of 190 wounded Ukrainian troops. As we reported before, The Prosecutors Office of Bulgaria explained why the law enforcers did not detain Oleksiy Levin, the suspect of the organization of the murder of Ukrainian activist Kateryna Handziuk, during the entrance to the country. The Bulgarian Prosecutors Office provided the report on the process of detention of Levin Chinese smartphone manufacturers and Apple, whose production facilities are also located in this country, have delayed deliveries of equipment to Russia for two weeks due to a coronavirus outbreak. Huawei, including its brand Honor, Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, ZTE and Lenovo have started postponing deliveries to Russia, two sources in partners of the brands told the Kommersant. According to analysts, the delay can provoke some deficit and a price rise by 1015%. Egyptian prosecutors have detained four people allegedly involved in the death of a 12-year-old girl who was subject to a botched genital mutilation operation in the southern governorate of Assiut, local media reported. Nada Abdul-Maksoud died after complications from the operation at a private clinic on Wednesday, Egyptian news organisations said, citing officials and advocacy groups. The surgery, meant to stymie sexual pleasure in women, is illegal but continues to be practised in Egypt, especially in rural areas and governorates of the southern Nile River basin. Among those arrested were her parents, a maternal uncle and the physician who performed the surgery. Womens and childrens rights groups in Egypt have called attention to the case, urging prosecution. According to Unicef, some 87 per cent of Egyptian women between 15 and 49 years old have undergone the procedure, with half of Egyptians believing its required by Islam as a way to ensure female chastity, though neither the Koran nor subsequent Muslim texts refer to the practice. The practice has been known to lead to major physical and mental health problems for women. Egypts president Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi last summer hosted a conference to call attention to female genital mutilation. Speakers at the gathering, which was endorsed by both the European Union and the African Union, called on religious authorities to eradicate the wrong belief that female circumcision and child marriage are needed to protect the chastity of girls and make the public understand that these practices are part of old traditional customs that have nothing to do with religious teachings, according to the official MENA news agency. A man who telecom regulators say was apparently behind a barrage of racist robocalls in six states sowing hate in response to the killing of an Iowa college student by an unauthorized immigrant and a white supremacists murder trial in Virginia is facing a proposed fine of nearly $13 million by the Federal Communications Commission. Scott Rhodes, who anti-hate groups say is a white supremacist and runs the website Road to Power, was apparently responsible for more than 6,000 robocalls in 2018 with the intent to cause harm, the FCC said Thursday. The commission said that in addition to Iowa and Virginia, Rhodes targeted people in California, Georgia, Florida and Idaho with the robocalls. Most recently, Road to Power took credit for a flurry of racist robocalls made to Columbia University employees after Tessa Majors, a Barnard College freshman, was killed in a mugging in December in New York City. The calls promoted a white supremacist ideology. The FCC said it traced 827 spoofed robocalls that were made to residents in Brooklyn, Iowa, in August 2018 after the slaying of the University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts, by an unauthorized farmworker from Mexico. Tibbetts, whose murder has been invoked by President Trump in his push for a border wall, was from the town. The commission said Rhodes used an online calling platform to manipulate caller ID information to display local phone numbers as the source of the calls. That practice violates the Truth in Caller ID Act, the commission said. Preying on the tragedy, the calls contained inflammatory prerecorded messages and a womans voice apparently intended to impersonate Mollie Tibbetts saying kill them all. said Ajit Pai, the commissions chairman. Pai said the caller had been referring to unauthorized immigrants from Mexico. Attempts to reach Rhodes, who has used several aliases, were unsuccessful. The commission said Rhodes made 2,023 robocalls in 2018 to residents of Charlottesville, Va., blaming the mayor and police chief for the murder of Heather Heyer in 2017. Heyer was killed when James Fields Jr., who had traveled to Virginia to participate in a white supremacist rally, steered his car into a crowd of peaceful demonstrators. Fields pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. Neil Vigdor is a New York Times writer. NEW DELHI: Ahead of what portends to be a stormy budget session, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting with members of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance on Friday and reiterated that the government has no reason to be defensive about the contentious citizenship (amendment) act, a person privy to the meeting said. Had an excellent meeting with the NDA family. Our alliance represents Indias diversity and dynamism. NDA has made a mark for its pro-people and good governance related development programmes that are empowering millions, the Prime Minister tweeted later in the day. A resolution hailing the PM for the Bodo accord and settlement of Bru tribe members in Tripura, reading down of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, opening of the Kartarpur corridor and passage of the CAA was also passed by the NDA allies. Referring to the meeting, LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan said the allies are united and stand behind the PM. During the budget session, scheduled to begin on Saturday, the BJP has not only a confrontational opposition to contend with, but is working equally hard to contain the discontent brewing within the NDA fold over the proposed National Population Register and the concerns over CAA. For instance, the BJP ally, Shiromani Akali Dal, has called for making the legislation inclusive. According to people aware of the details, during the meeting, which was also attended by Union home minister Amit Shah, the Lok Janshakti Party, the Janata Dal United and the SAD suggested that details that will be sought as part of the NPR should not seek disclosures about the date and place of birth of parents. Another ally, Apna Dal, has sought inclusion of caste as a factor for the upcoming Census, the people quoted above said. Earlier this week, the Janata Dal (United), the NDA ally in Bihar, had urged the Centre to drop columns pertaining to birth dates and places of parents in the National Population Register (NPR) form. After the allies raised concerns, the home minister assured everyone that there is no such proposal to seek such details and that the column will be left blank, but some members said that the government should make it amply clear that no questions will be asked about the antecedents of parents, the person quoted above said. The allies also insisted that the pattern of seeking information should be the same as was in the 2011 NPR exercise, and no new information should be sought. While the Opposition on Friday disrupted the Presidents address, where he hailed the CAA as historic, the allies are learnt to have told the BJP that they support the party and the legislation, but the government must address their concerns. The meeting was cordial, we are all part of a family. We have been standing with the government on all issues including the CAA, but we have our own concerns, which we feel the government must address. As for the issues raised by the opposition, the government must address those as well, said an alliance partner leader who attended the meeting. The BJP, for its part, said it is ready to address all concerns. Party general secretary Bhupender Yadav said the BJP is ready for debate and discussion and will answer all queries posed by the opposition. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Employees at an infamous maximum security New York prison fell ill Friday after a letter was opened that contained a substance believed to be fentanyl. Eleven people were taken from the Clinton Correctional Facility Annex in Dannemora, New York, to the University of Vermont Healthcare Network at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh, where their condition was listed as stable. New York State Police said in a news release the letter tainted with what is believed to be fentanyl was opened in the mail room at around 9am. Scroll down for video Eleven employees at the Clinton Correctional Facility Annex in Dannemora, New York, fell ill Friday after a letter was opened that contained fentanyl The ailing staffers at the notorious maximum-security prison were hospitalized in stable condition after complaining of nausea Staff who came in contact with the substance were left feeling nauseated and warm, reported the station WCAX. A hazmat team was dispatched to the correctional facility to handle the aftermath of the contamination. An investigation by the state police and Department of Corrections and Community Supervision continues. 'While testing is ongoing, it is believed that this substance is fentanyl,' New York , Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. It is often added to heroin to increase its potency, or is disguised as heroin, leading to overdose deaths. The Clinton Correctional Facility is known for the Shawshank Redemption-style escape of two of its inmates, David Sweat (left) and Richard Matt (right), in 2015 The prison break has been dramatized in the award-winning Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora Oscar winner Patricia Arquette portrays Joyce 'Tilly' Mitchell, the civilian prison worker who helped the inmates escape, in the miniseries The Annex is on the grounds of the Clinton Correctional Facility, known for the Shawshank Redemption-style escape of two of its inmates, Richard Matt and David Sweat, in 2015 with the help of their lover, civilian prison worker Joyce Mitchell. The brazen prison break and subsequent month-long manhunt have been dramatized in the award-winning Showtime miniseries 'Escape at Dannemora,' directed by Ben Stiller and starring Patricia Arquette, Benicio Del Toro and Paul Dano. ROME - One fourth of Italians polled by research institute Eurispes said they have a negative relationship with immigrants while one in three said they believe foreigners pose a threat to national identity. The ''Rapporto Italia 2020'' report released by Eurispes on Friday also said that four in 10 (40.3%) called their relationship with immigrants ''normal''. Nearly one in five (19.4%) spoke about reciprocal indifference, 14.4% of reciprocal availability while one-tenth found immigrants hostile (10.1%), 8.1% said they couldn't stand them and 7.7% feared them. According to 45.7% of those surveyed, being diffident towards migrants is ''justifiable but only in some cases''. For nearly one-fourth (23.8%) looking with diffidence at migrants is ''dangerous'', for 17.1% (+6,7% compared to 2010) it is ''relatable'' and for 13.4% it is ''deplorable'' (-4,3% from 2010). For the great majority of those polled by Eurispes (77,2%) immigrants in Italy are exploited by their Italian employers. However, the idea that foreigners steal jobs from Italian workers has grown over the past 10 years by over 10 points, rising from 24.8% to 35.2%. The percentage of those who view immigrants as a threat to national cultural identity has increased from 29.9% to 33% and of those claiming that they have brought an increase in illnesses has grown from 35.6% to 38.3%. On the other hand, the number of those thinking that foreigners bring more cultural richness fell by 17 percentage points compared to 2010: from 59.1% to 42%. Also, less people think immigrants contribute to the country's economic growth, a percentage that has fallen from 60.4% to 46.9%. In order to counter the phenomenon of illegal immigration, over one-fourth said they believe the government should provide funding to countries of origin (26.2%, +7,7% compared to 10 years ago), one-fourth that border controls should be tighter (24%, compared to 33.6% in 2010), while for 16% the priority is to legalize the situation of undocumented migrants (25.5% in 2010), and for 15.3% reducing entry visas from the main countries of provenance. (ANSAmed). NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chainalysis, the blockchain analysis company, today announced the integration of Chainalysis Reactor investigation software with BITPoint Japan (BITPoint), a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange, to identify and trace funds and provide comprehensive investigation support across multiple cryptocurrencies. Following a large hack of BITPoint's exchange in July 2019 that resulted in $28 million worth of cryptocurrency stolen, BITPoint used Chainalysis Reactor to identify the stolen funds by tracing over one million transfers to their cashout destinations. Once located, Chainalysis issued alerts to cryptocurrency businesses who received BITPoint's stolen funds, informing them of the Bitcoin addresses involved. In 2019, BITPoint was one of 12 exchanges hacked, up from a total of 8 exchanges hacked in 2018. The median amount of funds stolen via exchange hacks also increased 6x year over year. "Businesses like BITPoint are increasingly targets of hacks, especially those located in Asia," said Jason Bonds, Chief Revenue Officer, Chainalysis. "Our goal at Chainalysis is to not only help manage difficult situations like hacks, but also to arm our customers with the proper investigation software and support to ensure long-term regulatory compliance. That's why we're investing in the Japanese market to provide local support." Chainalysis serves as a strategic partner to financial institutions, governments, and cryptocurrency businesses around the world, providing expertise on sophisticated cryptocurrency crime and money laundering tactics, techniques, and procedures. Chainalysis Reactor is the investigation software that connects cryptocurrency transactions to real-world entities, enabling cryptocurrency businesses and law enforcement to combat criminal activity such as fraud, extortion, and money laundering on the blockchain. Through Chainalysis Reactor, law enforcement and businesses like BITPoint can quickly and efficiently identify suspicious transactions and connect them to real-world entities, which is particularly important in Asia where the number of cryptocurrency-related businesses continues to grow and become targets for hacks. "Chainalysis's industry leading investigation software and professional services team helped guide us through an extremely difficult, challenging time at BITPoint," said Takashi Tashiro, General Manager Corporate Planning Dept. at BITPoint. "After seeing the tremendous capabilities of Chainalysis Reactor and working with the team under significant pressure, we realized the importance of continuing to work alongside Chainalysis to maintain ongoing investigations of suspicious activity and build a safe, robust platform for our users." Chainalysis recently released research examining the increasing sophistication of hacking techniques. About Chainalysis Chainalysis is the blockchain analysis company. We provide compliance and investigation software to the world's leading banks, businesses, and governments. Our experts in financial crime and economic analysis empower our customers to derive insights they can act on. Backed by Accel, Benchmark, and other leading names in venture capital, Chainalysis builds trust in blockchains. For more information, visit www.chainalysis.com . About BITPoint BITPoint provides services such as the operation of cryptocurrency exchanges, spot trading of cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency margin trading (leverage trading service, MT4 trading service), and cryptocurrency transfer. Based on the concept of "tomorrow, more and new," we are working to strengthen our business management system and improve customer convenience as our most important issues. For more information, visit www.bitpoint.co.jp SOURCE Chainalysis Inc. Related Links www.chainalysis.com 6.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard On the very day that Republican Senators are telling us they dont need to hear from witnesses, Donald Trumps former National Security Advisor John Bolton drops another bombshell in his book: Not only did Trump pressure him to get Ukraine to help him cheat in 2020, but he did it in front of witnesses. This occurred more than two months before Trump pressured the Ukrainian President to announce an investigation into Mr. Trumps perceived political rival for 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden, the New York Times reports. Mr. Trump gave the instruction, Mr. Bolton wrote, during an Oval Office conversation in early May that included the acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, the presidents personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani and the White House counsel, Pat A. Cipollone, who is now leading the presidents impeachment defense. This is a bombshell because there are, once again, witnesses to Trump doing what he accused of doing. And these witnesses are Republicans. This is just more evidence of why witnesses would be helpful in a real trial, and why what the Senate Republicans are doing is not a real trial. Mind you, gentle reader, these people are all Republicans. So Republicans are obstructing the public from hearing from other Republicans as witnesses in a trial against a Republican for doing what this Republican, and many others, accuse that Republican of doing. The Senate trial is a sham, and there will be a reckoning one day. An Ikeja Special Offence Court on Friday granted a N2 million bail the publisher of The Interview magazine, Azubuike Ishiekwene, accused of forgery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Granting Mr Ishiekwene bail, Justice Mojisola Dada said he must provide two sureties who are owners of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Dada also granted bail to Mr Ishiekwenes businessmen co-defendants Olalekun Abdul, in the sum of N10million naira and Adeyinka Adewale N2million bail. She said the co-defendants should also provide two sureties with landed properties within the jurisdiction of the court. All the defendants should submit their international passport to the court registrar and are given two weeks grace to perfect their bail or they will have to forfeit their temporary bail, Justice Dada said. The EFCC had, on January 29, arraigned Messrs Ishiekwene and Abdul on a 15-count charge bordering on conspiracy, use of false document and making documents without authority and obtaining money by false pretences. Mr Ishiekwene denies the charges. During Fridays proceedings, the anti-graft commission re-arraigned Messrs Ishiekwene, Abdul, Adewale and Morakinyo Bolanle (now at large) on an amended 15-count charge. They were re-arraigned because Mr Adewale who was absent during their initial arraignment on January 29 was present in court for proceedings. NAN reports that Messrs Abdul, Ishiekwene, Adewale and Morakinyo (now at large) were jointly charged with conspiracy to forge and forgery. Messrs Abdul and Ishiekwene were both charged with forgery, use of false document and making documents without authority while Messrs Abdul and Morakinyo face charges of forgery, making documents without authority. Mr Abdul solely faces charges of forgery, use of false document, obtaining money by false pretences and falsification of books and account documents. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to Mr Mohammed Idris, the prosecutor for the EFCC, Messrs Abdul, Ishiekwene, Adewale and Morakinyo (now at large) conspired to commit forgery on April 6, 2018. The defendants sometime in 2018 knowingly forged a document titled Account Opening Document dated April 9, 2018, which they purported that it was issued by Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd. READ ALSO: Abdul and Ishiekwene on April 6, 2018, knowingly forged a document titled Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd dated April 6, 2018 which they purported was issued by the company. On April 6, 2018 Abdul and Ishiekwene fraudulently presented the forged Board Resolution to Stanbic IBTC Bank as genuine. Abdul and Morakinyo had also on April 6, 2018, forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd, he said. According to the EFCC prosecutor, Mr Abdul had previously on December 14, 2010, forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd and had presented it to Wema Bank Plc as genuine. Armed with the false document, Abdul had on December 14, 2010 obtained a credit facility of N350million from Wema Bank Plc by falsely representing to them that the Board Resolution was genuine, Mr Idris said. The anti-graft agency said that Mr Abdul had also forged the Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd on Sept. 27 2010 in Lagos and had used the document to open an account with Keystone Bank (formerly Bank PHB). Abdul had sometime in 2015 being a Director of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd falsified the Annual Report and Financial Statement of the company and presented it to the Corporate Affairs Commission as genuine. Advertisements On Nov. 19, 2011, in Lagos, Abdul forged a document titled Extract of Board Resolution of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solution Ltd which he purported was issued by the company, the EFCC prosecutor said. The offence, the EFCC said, contravened the provisions of sections 335(2), 363, 364, 365, 370 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. Justice Dada adjourned the case until April 6 and April 9, 2020, for the commencement of trial. (NAN) Most of the people Ive interviewed who are homeless or without permanent shelter all seem to still possess one thing, a cellphone. Seigler is no different, he said. He told me his full name without hesitance. He said I could look him up on Facebook. I did it in front of him on my phone. Former Vice President Joe Biden cast himself as the most formidable Democrat to go up against President Trump, as he continued to slam the president in the hours leading up to the expected impeachment vote. 'He's so worried it's going to be me he got himself in this mix to begin with,' Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos had brought up comments Trump made Thursday night during his campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa, which was meant to suck attention away from the Democratic presidential candidates, including Biden, who will participate in Monday's Iowa caucuses. Former Vice President Joe Biden cast himself as the most formidable Democrat during an interview Friday morning on 'Good Morning America' making the point that President Trump was 'so worried' about facing him he got into the impeachment 'mix' 'He's so worried it's going to be me he got himself in this mix to begin with,' former Vice President Joe Biden (right) told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos (left) Friday morning President Trump threatened to crush the Democrats in 2020 over 'impeachment lite.' Trump visited Des Moines, Iowa to take some of the attention away from the Democratic hopefuls who are campaigning in the state prior to Monday's Iowa caucuses Trump again referred to the process as 'impeachment lite.' 'We will make sure they face another crushing defeat in 2020,' the president said. Biden interpreted Trump's threat to be specifically about him. 'Well, I'm glad he's acknowledging it's going to be me,' the former vice president said of winning the Democratic nomination. In fact, Trump had told Fox News Channel's Peter Doocy during an interview at the rally site Thursday night, 'Joe's going down.' 'I guess Bernie is surging,' the president said. 'I don't know who's going to win it.' He also said match-ups that showed Biden beating him in the general election were 'old polls.' Biden, too, said he thought the results of the Iowa caucuses could be tight. 'I think it's going to be really close, George. Neck and Neck. Bernie's up. I'm up. We're basically at a statistical tie,' Biden said. FULL INTERVIEW: Former VP @JoeBiden talks to @GStephanopoulos about the impeachment trial and the race for the White House in 2020. https://t.co/bHzMMzA0Cf pic.twitter.com/MLq5ug9uXb Good Morning America (@GMA) January 31, 2020 The Real Clear Politics polling average for Iowa currently has Sanders up by 3.6 points, which is around most poll's margin of error. 'If there's a big snowstorm in certain parts of the ... state, it could have an effect,' Biden contiunued. 'The caucus is, you have to be able to come to a gymnasium, stay there for two, three hours and it takes a lot of commitment and we'll see who shows up.' Biden added that, 'everywhere I go the response has been great.' 'I'm feeling good about it and I'm feeling good about my chances in other states as well,' he added. In the week heading into the caucuses, Biden has held smaller events that have drawn moderate crowds. He delivered an address Thursday in advance of Trump visiting the state. In the speech, he didn't mention his role in the impeachment saga at all. Instead he dedicated it to Trump's character. 'Does it matter if a president lies? Does it matter if a president has no moral compass. Does it matter if a president believes that he or she is above the law? Does it matter if a president is pretty or mean or spiteful?' 'Does the character of a president matter?' Biden said. Biden's answer was yes. He then turned to a number of policy issues - starting with healthcare. 'He's determined to destroy Obamacare. I'm determined to save it,' Biden said. 'Why does Donald Trump, why does he so badly want to get rid of it? 'Cause it's called Obamacare.' 'He has no plan, he has no better idea, he just can't stand a single achievement from our administration,' Biden added. The ex-veep explained that Obamacare is the reason health insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions. 'He's already lying about it,' Biden continued. 'He just said, he just said he's the reason why pre-existing conditions are covered.' The audience laughed. 'No,' Biden said, fact-checking Trump. 'You can't make this stuff up,' he commented. 'He's trying to take credit for the very thing he's in federal court trying to destroy.' Biden turned to climate change and climate activist Greta Thunberg, the 17-year-old Swedish teen who was named Time magazine's 2019 'Person of the Year.' Trump has been critical of Thunberg for months, and continued insulting her at the recent World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, where they both spoke. Former Vice President Joe Biden cracks a smile during an address he delivered Thursday in Iowa where he took on President Trump's character The audience consisted of several hundred supporters, far short of the thousands President Trump draws with his campaign rallies Biden supporters are seen walking into the Vince Meyer Learning Center in Waukee, Iowa Thursday morning 'While the rest of the world applauded Greta Thunberg for her courage and her leadership ... all Donald Trump could ever do is seethe over losing the cover on Time magazine,' Biden said. 'His response, his response: she's an angry teenager she has a problem. She's an angry teenager, she has anger problems,' he repeated, trying to get the insult right. 'Whoa,' Biden commented. 'I'm going to run on climate change and we're going to beat him on the issue flat out,' Biden said. The ex-veep continued to focus on what happened in Charlottesville. 'He tracks in the ugliest, ugliest lies and bigotry and prejudice,' Biden said. 'He's more bully than president. He's more George Wallace than he is George Washington. Hate groups are listening and they've heard the dog whistle,' he said. 'My response is always the same: America is so much better than this. So much better,' Biden said. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan paid a working visit to Kazakhstan where he attended the subsequent meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty. The official photographic ceremony was followed by the narrow and enlarged intergovernmental sessions held with the participation of the Prime Ministers of Armenia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. In his speech, Prime Minister Pashinyan particularly said the following: Dear members of governments, respected members of delegations, First, I would like to express gratitude to Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin for successfully holding the meeting today. I would also like to express greetings to Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin and Prime Minister of Moldova Ion Chicu, who are participating in the meeting of our Council for the first time. Dear friends, This is our first meeting under the chairmanship of Belarus this year. In this regard, I would like to emphasize the importance of eliminating the existing obstacles and restrictions. It is also necessary to intensify efforts for the creation of common energy and transport markets within the Eurasian Economic Union. As for the issues on todays agenda, I would like to state that once again we considered the course of activities for elimination of the obstacles within the scope of operation of the internal market. As far as the Strategic directions for enhancement of Eurasian integration before 2025 are concerned, I would like to state that we attach special importance to the final agreement on this document based on the approved forms of cooperation enshrined in the Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union. As is known, the Republic of Armenia traditionally and actively participates in and supports the process of creating and implementing the digital agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union. We believe the formation of an eco-system for digital transport corridors will provide the opportunity to minimize the distance between the consumers, manufacturers and sellers of goods and services. Dear participants of the session, since February 1 marks the end of the term of office of chairman of the Commission, in closing, once again, I would like to express gratitude to Tigran Sargsyan and the Commission for the work done and wish the Commission success in the future. I would also like to wish prolific activities under the leadership of Mikhail Myasnikovich and the Republic of Belarus, which will be chairing within the bodies of the Eurasian Economic Union this year. Finally, I would like to express Armenias willingness to host one of the meetings of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council this year and assure you that Armenia will do its best to make sure the meeting is held at the highest level. Thank you for your attention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met leaders of parties in the ruling Democratic Alliance (NDA) on the first day of the budget session of Parliament. He said in a tweet that the alliance represents India's diversity and dynamism and NDA has made a mark for its pro-people programmes. "Had an excellent meeting with the NDA family. Our alliance represents India's diversity and dynamism. NDA has made a mark for its pro-people and good governance related development programmes that are empowering millions," he said. The Prime Minister earlier had a meeting with senior BJP leaders. The first part of the budget session will continue till February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Baton Rouge, La.-- In a new study published in Science, an AAAS publication, LSU chemistry professor emeritus George Stanley and fellow LSU researchers from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Biological Sciences discovered a new cationic cobalt bisphosphine hydroformylation catalyst system that is highly active and extremely robust. Catalysts can be viewed as a parallel of the infamous philosopher's stone. They cannot change one element to another, but they can aid in transforming one chemical substance into another, while remaining unchanged themselves. Cobalt, a common mineral, does well in accepting atoms from other molecules and forming complex molecules. Fellow researchers working on the study alongside Stanley include assistant professor of biological sciences David Vinyard and chemistry graduate students Drew Hood and Ryan Johnson. Researchers from ExxonMobil Chemical Company also contributed to the project. Majority of industries--about 75 percent--choose to use rhodium-based catalysts because of the low-pressure technologies and cheaper-to-build facilities, but Stanley said not only can cobalt-based catalysts make more--and better versions--of certain aldehyde products, but the price of rhodium is excessive in comparison. "A cationic cobalt bisphosphine catalyst is only about 20 times slower than the best rhodium catalysts," he said, "despite being 10,000 times less expensive." Today, the price of rhodium has reached closed to $9,800 an ounce, while cobalt has been steady around only 90 cents per ounce. Louisiana, alone, has three large hydroformylation chemical plants: the ExxonMobil facility in Baton Rouge that uses the high-pressure cobalt catalyst technology; the Shell plant in Geismar that uses the medium-pressure phosphine-modified cobalt catalyst system; and the Dow chemical plant in Taft that uses low-pressure phosphine-modified rhodium catalysts. "About 25 percent of products produced by hydroformylation require high-pressure cobalt or rhodium technologies," he explained. "This new cationic cobalt bisphosphine technology offers a far more energy efficient catalyst that can operate at medium pressures for these reactions." Hydroformylation, or oxo, is the catalytic reaction that converts alkenes, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen into more complex organic products, like plasticizers--a substance added to produce flexibility and to reduce brittleness--and cleaning detergents. Although the group's new cobalt catalyst has low selectivity to the generally desired linear aldehyde product for simple alkenes, Stanley said it has excellent activity and selectivity for internal branched alkenes that are difficult to hydroformylate. For example, researchers are finding that washing detergents are less likely to dissolve in cold water because of their linearity--a trait found in rhodium catalysts. Cobalt catalysts can make detergent molecules with more "branches" that can react to grease and water in a more efficient way. Stanley said this is the first major discovery in hydroformylation in at least 50 years. "What excites me the most is to have a discovery that could have real-life practical applications," he said. "Coming up with a catalyst that is very energy efficient, very green, that can actually be used on the large-scale, industrial side of things is the dream of every chemist." ### For more information on this new discovery, visit: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/367/6477/542 Friday, January 31, 2020 At the 2019 National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) convention in Chicago, your humble correspondent saw a number of interesting products and services on display at the expo. Here is part four, the last in a series of videos about new developments. Check out these blog posts with many more NFDA videos: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three. All of these videos are produced by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death. She attended the 2019 National Funeral Directors Association convention and expo in Chicago as a trade press journalist. Visit this YouTube channel to see all recent videos. While youre there, Like, comment and subscribe! Closure Path Matt McGonigle and Dennis Breier with Closure Path talk about their service that helps families shut down estates after a death. They offer tools for comprehensive estate closure as a value added service that funeral homes can offer for free to the families they serve. The services address issues such as probate, real estate, insurance, financial management, and all of the details related to closing down an estate. And its a much-needed service. More than half of the families they contact a week after a funeral will set an appointment on the first call. Many families do not have estate planning in place. The Closure Path service leads to families making estate plans as well as pre-need funeral plans. Learn more at www.ClosurePath.com. [embedded content] Clear View Caskets Rangel Fernandez, President of Clear View Caskets, talks about their patented clear acrylic caskets made in the U.S.A. They make it possible to view the deceased while the casket is closed. The company was founded by Andrea Fernandez, and is headquartered in Miami, Florida. Learn more at their website, www.ClearViewCaskets.com. [embedded content] Love Urns New Offerings Naseem Kahn, founder of Love Urns, talks about their new offerings at NFDA 2019. The company launched their popular line of metal urns, jewelry and cremation keepsakes at the NFDA convention in Chicago on October 25, 2011. This interview was recorded exactly eight years later October 25, 2019. Learn more at www.LoveUrns.com. [embedded content] Books from the 2019 NFDA Convention While attending the convention as a journalist, I picked up several books and have done a short video review highlighting three titles. They are: [embedded content] This is Marketing: You Cant Be Seen Until You Learn to See Funeral directors need to keep their marketing skills up to date. Seth Godin, author of This is Marketing, presented one of the keynotes at the NFDA thanks to eFuneral. President Luke Frieberg said on the bookmark given with the book, Our primary goal at eFuneral is to help funeral professionals serve consumers where theyre spending most of their time: online. We believe the most successful marketing results from going where consumers are and earning their attention in those spaces. Want to get this book? Heres an Amazon purchase link. Why Facebook Works for Funeral Homes and Everything Else Doesnt In this book by Bill Johnston he tells funeral directors: Why Facebook is just as big of a media and advertising platform if not bigger than what your local newspaper was in 2000. How advertising works, and how to advertise on Facebook now. Facebook loves stories, and because funeral homes have stories to tell, you will finally know what you can say in your advertising. The Top 11 topics that resonate with Facebook readers, including easy-to-understand, real-world examples. Watch this interview with Bill Johnston about his Post and Boost approach to advertising on Facebook. Want to get this book? Heres an Amazon purchase link. [embedded content] Lessons from the Dead: Breathing Life into Customer Service John McQueen, author This book by John and Nikki McQueen is not just for funeral directors! Whether youre an entrepreneur looking for that competitive edge, or a long-time business on a quest to improve performance, Lessons from the Dead provides you with practical, real-life examples and how to advice on providing your customers with exceptional service driving both profitability and brand loyalty. From the stockroom to the boardroom, Lessons from the Dead is designed for anyone who interacts with customers. Through their sharing of stories and actionable steps, written in a simple conversational style, John & Nikki provide solutions for making your business standout from the competition. Heres an Amazon purchase link, so you can get this book today! Share this: The Bank of England faces an uphill climb to get the finance industry ready for one of its biggest threats: the climate. About 80% of senior finance executives believe their firms lack well-developed strategies to manage the risks of climate change, according to a poll of around 700 U.K.-based financiers by executive search firm Odgers Berndtson. Every single asset on the planet will have a different value in a world of net zero, Sarah Breeden, executive director at the Bank of England, said in a statement Thursday. This affects infrastructure, properties, transport and even agriculture - and so the need to transition creates a very broadly-based risk. The Bank is holding a consultation, led by Breeden, on stress-testing lenders and insurers on their exposures to global warming and the risks associated with a shift to a lower-carbon economy. She addressed the topic with more than 100 finance leaders at an event hosted by Odgers in London. Once dismissed as a social or scientific concern, the effects of rising global temperatures are becoming financial risks. Larry Fink, chief executive officer of BlackRock Inc., said earlier this month climate change had become a defining factor in companies long-term prospects that will cause a fundamental reshaping of finance. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Carriers Climate Change The leader and founder of Glorious Wave Chapel International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi says the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) needs more prayer to win the 2020 general elections. The man of God was of a strong belief that the NDC will indisputably be the victor in the December polls but they dont have divine favor because the NPP has made some sacrifices in the spirit realm. Prophet Badu Kobi, speaking on Accra based Power FM, noted the NDC is not spiritually ready to win the elections but, in the spirit, the NDC should be the party to win the elections. Prophet Badu Kobi, in his 31st December all-night service, asked President Akufo-Addo to hand over the reins of government or else meet his demise. President Akufo-Addo, go and rest because of your health; otherwise in 2020, one day, the same way I prophesied about President Mills, Ghana will wake up and there will be nobody seated on the seat as President. He however cautioned the NDC not to relax in their comfortable zone thinking the Presidential throne will be given to their flagbearer. NDC must not think they have won the elections because people are complaining of hardship, he stressed. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 Air Traffic Between China and Italy Blocked as First Two Coronavirus Cases Confirmed - Conte Sputnik News 21:30 GMT 30.01.2020(updated 22:33 GMT 30.01.2020) ROME (Sputnik) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has confirmed the first two cases of a new coronavirus in his country. "We had two suspected cases and have just received new information. They [the cases] have been confirmed," Conte said at a joint press conference with the country's Minister of Health Roberto Speranza on late Thursday. According to the prime minister, the infected persons are two Chinese tourists, who arrived in Italy several days ago. "We have taken all the measures to isolate these two cases," Conte said, adding that additional preventive measures could be applied against vehicles and people with whom the Chinese couple had come into contact. The prime minister also announced that Italy is suspending flights to and from China. "Minister of Health [Roberto] Speranza has just ordered to suspend air traffic with China," Conte said. Italy joined a long list of other countries and airlines around the world that previously canceled flights to and from China amid the threat of the infection, including American Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, British Airlines, Lufthansa, Finnair, EL AI, Scandinavian Airlines, Air India, Air Canada and others. Italy became the 19th nation, which has registered the new coronavirus outside China that is an epicenter of the epidemic. Since the beginning of the outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan, over 60 cases of infection have been registered in the 19 countries, including in Thailand, Germany, France, the US and Australia, but no deaths have been reported outside China. The new strain of coronavirus was first detected last December in Wuhan. The epidemic has already left 170 people dead in China as well as over 7,800 more infected globally. Earlier today, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern over the outbreak of coronavirus. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Harpreet Bajwa By Express News Service CHANDIGARH: The Special Task Force (STF) on drugs on Thursday seized 188 kg of heroin which is worth Rs 1,000 crore in the international market which was smuggled into India from Afghanistan via Pakistan. Last night the Special Task Force, Border Range made a major recovery of drugs. On January 29, two persons were arrested and a case was registered under the NDPS and Arms Act at Phase IV Special Task Force Police Station in Mohali and six kilograms of heroin was recovered from them. Sources said that based on information got during interrogation of the accused, the STF yesterday recovered 188 kilogram of heroin, 38 kilograms of dextromethorphan 38 kg, 25 kilogram of caffeine powder probably used to cut and mix the heroin, six drums of chemical composition weighing 207 kilograms which are to be tested to confirm the type of material from a house in Sultanwind area of Amritsar. The recovery was made in the presence of an Executive Magistrate. An officer said that six people have been arrested in both cases including an Afghanistan national from this house where preparation, mixing and cutting of drugs was taking place. The Afghan national had come to India a few days ago only and his task was to dilute the heroin which was of very high quality so that more they could get more quantity. Confirming that the STF has seized 188 kg of heroin and it has international links also IGP STF Kaustubh Sharma said, "The questioning of the accused is going on to in order to verify through which route they got the consignment. As it is suspected that the drug ring is an international network." Sources said that the drugs from Afghanistan reach Pakistan and enter India through the Indo-Pak border.A kilogram smuggled from across the border is valued around Rs 5 crore in the international market. While the price of heroin in Afghanistan is very less. When it enters Pakistan it costs somewhere between Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. Once it enters India the cost shoots up to Rs 20 to 25 lakh per kilogram. By Abraham Teuber teuberab@grinnell.edu Besides the candidates themselves, the Iowa caucuses bring an increase in statewide economic activity, the effects of which Grinnell business owners and residents witness firsthand. Most of the caucuses impact on the economy can be traced back to the spending of presidential campaigns themselves. Each campaign that comes to Iowa hires a staff, spends money on campaign materials and often sets up shop in multiple commercial properties across the state. The 2020 election has seen a total of 28 Democratic campaigns come to Iowa. Political science professor Barbara Trish is currently conducting research for a book she and her husband are writing on the 2020 Iowa caucuses. The issue of the caucus economy, I think, is sort of always floating under the surface, its certainly something we intend to bring to the surface, said Trish. Its one of the reasons why I think so many Iowans feel that its important for the state to maintain an important voice in the selection of the presidential nominees. Parties are commonly accused of being motivated by profit in their involvement with campaigns and caucuses. Trish noted that she has observed the complicated nature of party expenses in the leadup to 2020, specifically pointing out the complicated role non-Iowan political consulting and communications firms play in campaign strategy. Four years ago, I would have said Oh, [the caucuses are] a big moneymaker for the party. And now Im more inclined to say, Well, theres money that comes in and theres money that goes out, said Trish. Last fall break, Trish, who is also director of the Rosenfield Program for Public Affairs, accompanied Grinnell students on a Rosenfield Program-sponsored study tour of Iowa to examine the economy of the caucuses. As one component of the trip, participants met with Iowans involved in the hospitality industry to learn about the ways hotels and event venues are affected by the caucuses. We went to the [Renaissance Des Moines Savory], which is kind of hotel central for much of the campaign business, said Trish. This is an industry that can increase their prices because of the high demand at caucus time. So, if you rent a room in January of 2019, at a hotel in Des Moines, the cost is going to be lower if you can get a room at all in January of 2020. The increase in demand for hotel rooms affects establishments in metropolitan areas like Des Moines and Iowa City much more prominently than rural communities like Grinnell. I would say dollars-and-cents-wise, there is some uptick but its certainly not every entourage and every candidate that stays overnight. Theyre in a hurry, theyre in and out and theyre slipping from one town to the next in an hour flat, said Angela Harrington, owner of Hotel Grinnell. Still, Hotel Grinnell has had opportunities come with the caucuses apart from an increase in the number of overnight stays. A number of candidates, such as Beto ORourke and Joe Biden, have rented space at Hotel Grinnell to host campaign events. Last December, the Iowa Farmers Union Annual Convention brought Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Tom Steyer, John Delaney and Amy Klobuchar to Hotel Grinnells gymnasium, as well as several national media outlets. Sometimes I feel like Horton Hears A Who and [the caucuses] bring all this national attention right to our town it was pretty fun watching Hotel Grinnell on CNN, its so cool, and we are just very grateful for all of that attention. said Harrington. Apart from the direct expenses of campaign activity in Grinnell, other secondhand effects are caused by their presence in town. One of these is an increased presence of campaign field workers seeking to temporarily rent homes and apartments in Grinnell. Grinnell resident Delphina Baumann is currently renting properties to two different field workers who have been assigned to perform campaign duties in the town since the summer. Its nice for me to see people that may not have come to Iowa have an idea of what it is like to live in a community like Grinnell to kind of offer them a chance to see what that is like, said Baumann. So, for me its more than just the monetary part, its having access to people who otherwise may not live in Iowa. Aside from direct monetary contribution to the economy of Grinnell, campaign activity and candidate visits more broadly put Grinnell on the map and bring attention to local businesses at a post-holiday time of year that would otherwise usually be marked by decline. Weve seen a huge influx of candidates in the community and therefore a lot of folks that are coming to Grinnell for candidates and in anticipation of the caucuses, said Rachael Kinnick, Director of the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce. [This influx also gets] local residents to come out and see those candidates sometimes spending money at those establishments [candidates visit] and just kind of in general helping get more people to Grinnell. In addition to Hotel Grinnell, local restaurants Prairie Canary, Solera and Saints Rest have hosted candidates stopping in Grinnell along the campaign trail. Kinnick emphasized the uniqueness of this opportunity for Grinnell residents. Regardless of your political affiliation, it is a really interesting time that we should embrace very few people across the country are afforded the same opportunity to go network with a presidential candidate at the coffee shop or the wine bar, said Kinnick. The Trump administration will begin deterring immigrants from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania, the administration announced on Friday. Why it matters: This comes three years after Trump's signature travel ban was first announced, which barred people from several Muslim-majority nations from entering the U.S. The move serves as another sign of the U.S. closing its doors to immigrants under the Trump administration. Between the lines: The restrictions will not bar all travel for those coming to the U.S. from the 6 countries. People from Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea and Nigeria will be restricted from permanent immigration visas, which include some family and employer-sponsored visas, as well as the diversity visa lottery a program designed to give green cards to people from nations who do not often immigrate to the U.S. Foreigners from these countries would still be able to visit the U.S., according to a administration officials. Sudanese nationals and Tanzanians will only be excluded from the diversity visa lottery. The restrictions will go into effect on Feb. 22. Iran, Syria, Libya, Venezuela, North Korea, Yemen and Somalia were impacted by the original travel ban, which was upheld by the Supreme Court last year. The other side: "In the coming weeks, the House Judiciary Committee will mark-up and bring to the Floor the NO BAN Act to prohibit religious discrimination in our immigration system and limit the Presidents ability to impose such biased and bigoted restrictions," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday in a statement. Go deeper: What's next: Trump's broader travel ban The National Police department in Lviv is investigating the "deliberate destruction of the journalist's property." The car of an RFE/RL Ukrainian Service correspondent in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv was set on fire overnight on January 29-30 an arson attack which Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko said could have been ordered by someone. Halyna Tereshchuk, who has been working for RFE/RL since 2000, said she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities, RFE/RL said. Read alsoUkraine's police detain suspects of ATO volunteer Amina Okueva's murder Avakov (Photo, video) "We think the crime was ordered, that somebody hired someone to conduct it," Gerashchenko told RFE/RL, adding that the police were doing "everything to find both the perpetrators and those who ordered the attack." The National Police department in Lviv said earlier in the day that a probe had been launched into the "deliberate destruction of the journalist's property." The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House condemned the torching of not only Tereschchuks vehicle, but on the same day, the car of Andriy Lukin an activist in Zaporizhia. "We are outraged by the firesand call on law enforcement agencies to investigate these incidents effectively," Freedom House Ukraine said on Facebook. The group stated that "arson or other methods of destruction of vehicles and property are becoming increasingly used as a means to pressure active people in Ukraine." It noted that there were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed and "in almost all cases, the perpetrators were not found and punished." Leaders of 14 opposition parties, including the Congress on Friday wore black arm bands during the President's address to both houses of Parliament to protest against the amended citizenship act, NPR and NRC. Leaders of these parties also sat together in one block in the Central hall of the Parliament during the President's address. Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha also left their designated seats in the front row to sit with the block. The black bands were worn as a mark of protest against the alleged attack on the Constitution of India with the passage of the amended citizenship act by the government, leaders said. Opposition members also protested after President Ram Nath Kovind hailed the CAA in his address. As soon as the president made these remarks, some opposition members shouted "shame, shame" and displayed banners in the Central hall. Among the leaders of opposition parties who wore black bands were NCP, SP, DMK, RJD, CPI-M, CPI, Shiv Sena, JMM, JDS, RSP, Kerala Congress (M), IUML and National Conference, besides the Congress, sources said. Earlier in the day, top Congress leaders led by Sonia Gandhi staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament complex to save the Constitution and express solidarity with those protesting against the Citizenship Act, National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR). Sonia Gandhi was accompanied by party leader Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and all party MPs from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. They held placards on 'Save the Constitution' and raised anti-government slogans while expressing solidarity with the protesters against the CAA, NPR and NRC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haiti - Politic : 2nd day at the nunciature, still very far from a political agreement Thursday in the Nunciature, during the second day of negotiations between the Representatives of the Presidency and signatories of the Kinam agreement (moderate opposition), those of the Marriott (radical opposition), leaders of political parties independent of these agreements of the members of the civil society, of the Conference of the rectors, of the Presidents of Haitian Universities, and in the presence of representatives of the International Community, the participants did not manage to resolve their disagreements on the 3 proposals for exit of the crisis proposed the watch and which have been the subject of intense debates. At the end of this very lively and sometimes stormy day, one are still very far from a political agreement, there is a lot of divergence on the conception of the new power to end the crisis according to the indiscretions of certain participants. Around the table positions clash, which so far seem irreconcilable : Signatories to the Marriott agreement (radical opposition) are stuck in their position and demand, before the solution to the crisis, the resignation of the Head of State and reject the idea of holding elections. Opposition leaders of the Kinam moderate agreement and non-aligned parties are in favor of a compromise and proposes a reduction in the mandate of President Jovenel Moise. For the representatives of the Presidency and the allied parties, there is no question of the resignation of the President or reduction of the duration of his mandate advocating as a solution to the crisis, the formation of a Government of consensus. These talks are taking place behind closed doors far from microphones and cameras, and the participants having pledged not to make a statement to the media during the negotiations, little is known about it except that the negotiations will be concluded. continue this Friday (3rd and last day scheduled). To be continued... See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29894-haiti-crisis-clarifications-of-the-apostolic-nunciature.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29887-haiti-politic-resumption-of-discussions-with-the-moderate-and-radical-opposition.html TB/ HaitiLibre Perched on the back of a semi-trailer is the latest weapon in tackling the problem of wasted natural gas that oil producers often vent into the air or even burn off at the wellhead. Cryobox takes fuel directly from wells and turns it into liquefied natural gas, which is easy to store and transport. For small gas fields uneconomical or too distant to connect to a traditional pipeline network, this small-scale LNG plant is a solution to absorb fuel that would otherwise be wasted. That also makes it a way to prevent greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming and solve a growing problem for the industry. Wherever oil is produced, gas often follows. If there arent enough customers to take it away, the gas is often treated as a waste product and either burned off at the wellhead or allowed to escape into the airflared or vented in the jargon of the industry. Making LNG directly at the well can also help recover these supplies known in the trade as stranded gas when they arent economical to develop or lack pipeline connections. In North America alone, that stranded gas is worth about $600 million. Cryobox is a product of Edge Gathering Virtual Pipelines 2 LLC. Its backed by a closely-held Buenos Aries compressor maker Galileo Technologies SA and Blue Water Energy LLP, a private-equity investor managing $2.5 billion. The Cryobox mobile LNG station is one of a growing number of systems that aim to reduce flaring and get gas to where its needed. Utilities and industry increasingly see it as insurance from events such as the gas shortage that caused some U.S. automakers to shut during last years brutal cold snap. The solution is like an Uber for LNG, said Thomas Sikorski, founding partner at Blue Water Energy, which is based in London. Trucks with Cryoboxes can run back and forth. Soaring gas output from Australia to Russia is inundating the global market, spurring creative solutions to exploit the surplus and help unlock new sources of demand for LNG. They vary from the basiccompressed natural gas delivered by trucksto the more complex micro-LNG plants like Cryobox or another solution being built by Siemens AG. One company even installs data centers at shale sites, generating electricity from the surplus gas to mine Bitcoin. Such smaller-scale applications are growing. Novatek PJSC, Russias leading LNG producer, plans this year to start a project to convert mining industry trucks to the super-chilled fuel. Its a huge market opportunity for us, Mark Gyetvay, chief financial officer of Novatek, said at a conference in Vienna. These arent large-scale projects that are going to move the needle on the demand side, but these are the investments that can help create demand further downstream. Edges Cryobox can produce as much as 15 metric tons (10,000 gallons) a day of LNG. The rig can be moved between wells and can be up and running within an hour of arriving on site. Peak production is reached in 10 minutes, which is much quicker than the 18 hours it takes for some big conventional liquefaction plants. The daily output of one unit is a tiny fractionabout one-3,000thof large-scale plants in Qatar and Russia, but the focus is on the units portability. The small scale means the system makes sense for isolated pockets of reserves where its too costly to build pipelines and other infrastructure to collect flows. It addresses a growing problem for the industry. Shale wells produce mostly oil when theyre first fracked, but over time unwanted gas becomes a bigger part of the mix. Flaring rose to a record in Texas last year due to a lack of pipeline capacity to use the fuel. About 200 billion cubic meters of gas was flared or vented in 2018, more than Japan and Chinathe worlds biggest LNG buyersimport annually. Globally, 25% of associated gas is wasted, according to the International Energy Agency. Edge LNG is using its technology in the Marcellus shale in Appalachia, where there are 1,000 stranded wells, to truck LNG northeast. In the Permian Basin in western Texas and New Mexico, the excess gas may be used at drill sites to power machinery instead of costlier diesel, according to Edge LNG. By the end of the year, the company aims to have a total of 26 Cryoboxes deployed. The business can triple in the next two-three years in the U.S. thanks to the huge growth in Permian, said Edge Chief Executive Officer Mark Casaday. Not only can the oil companies say they are reducing their cost, but they can say they are cutting their costs by reducing flaring.Read More: If Government Wants to Spend, It Needn't 'Tax' To Do So There is a very bad premise operating in economics, specifically in Public Finance. All know the overt blunder, but refuse to act on it. With it identified and erased, the field of economics shall be rendered once again fertile. The present deficit of the US Federal Government with about $4 trillion in expenditures and $3 trillion in tax revenues is reckoned at $1 trillion. The figures may be more or less, but lets just work with these. A $1 trillion deficit is an odd calculation given that most people readily concede that the private economy funds government all of it. Government is not a Wal-Mart store inviting in and persuading customers of the values inherent in stocked goods with all transactions completed voluntarily. The public has no freedom to depart the government store with money intact. The taxpayer must pay if public goods are plentiful or scarce, exceptional or inferior, cheap or dear, vital or worthless, needed or not. As government possesses no hoard of money, no assets, no financial instruments with which to meet its daily needs, government cannot fund government. It does not fund public expenditures. It never has and it never will. Its contribution to public expenditures is nil, nada, nothing. To construe the delinquency as the slight gap between the revenues of Taxation and total expenditures, i.e. the borrowed portion, challenges both sense and reason. The Governments deficit is $4 trillion, not just the misconstrued $1 trillion. Taxpayers, or more fittingly resident citizens, and further the aggregate of their property, assets, and income comprise the source of outlays for ALL public expenditures. The assorted and bewildering taxes, more correctly fines or penalties, applied thereto supply the Government with the means to contract and disburse for the provision of public goods and services. With this in mind should a community have its government tax or borrow from the combined or collective assets, property, incomes of resident citizens to fund public expenditures? For those confident that Taxation is the correct answer a great surprise is to be unveiled. It has been argued that there is an equivalency between taxing and borrowing in funding public expenditures. The following confirms it. Suppose a government requires $5 for some expenditure or public good. It may tax or borrow from resident citizens to fulfill the aim. An amount of money, $5, leaves the bank accounts of community residents under both scenarios of Taxation and Borrowing. However, in Borrowing there is additional paperwork. Community residents, specifically lenders, are enriched with an asset or IOU of $5, and community residents are burdened with an equivalent liability, an IOU of $5. Both asset and public debt sum to zero leaving the collective finances of all residents unchanged. After a time, the $5 IOU grows with interest, say to $6. The asset or IOU of $6 held by lenders exactly matches the liability or IOU, now also $6, claimed against residents. As both asset and public debt sum to zero, the collective finances of all residents are unaltered again. To settle the debt by Taxation, $6 would move from taxpayers to lenders with the outstanding IOU, both asset and liability, erased. Taxpayers are out $6 and lenders have gained $6, leaving collective finances unaltered. The three facets of public borrowing: adding a public debt, adding interest to it, and erasing it leave the collective assets of resident citizens unaltered. Therefore, as $5 initially leaves the bank accounts of citizens in both Taxation and Borrowing, and the added paperwork generated by Borrowing sums to nil, one must conclude that it makes no difference if a government taxes or borrows from resident citizens. Thus, a superficial equivalence in Taxation and Borrowing does exist theoretically, and appears irrefutable. However, the equivalence vanishes when one considers certain immense and unaccounted costs inherent in Taxation that disappear with full public Borrowing. Firstly, bereft of Taxation or the right to take, taxpaying slaves become scrutinizing public bankers, pondering and deciding upon every public expenditure, wherein not only the costs of public investments, but more importantly the benefits shall be rigidly and truthfully assessed and accounted. Public expenditures in Britain in the 19th century, with navy, empire and growth rates at their highest, never rose above 10% of GDP. With Government expenditure presently near 50% of GDP, aggregate income less government's share should rise to 90% of GDP by shedding waste and corruption. Even if public expenditures fell to 20% of GDP, disposable income still would rise to 80% of GDP. Secondly, Taxation, a penalty upon the productive, greatly deters and curtails worthy economic activity. With crushing penalties lifted those formerly deterred from work or investment shall engage knowing they retain all wages and profits. Let us say the deterrent effect of Taxation is approximately 30% of GDP, more if taxes are punitive and less if moderate. The size of the economy would then grow to 130% of present GDP. Combining these savings, the institution of full Public Borrowing would turn a taxed economy of 100 units, with 50 allotted to government and 50 to the public, into an economy of 130 units with 10 allotted to government and 120 allotted to the public. This explosion in wealth and prosperity would have no precedent in history. Some have argued that none would ever lend to a government bereaved of the means of Taxation. I have never said a government could not tax. I argue it never would tax because the benefit of reducing the public debt through Taxation is nil and the cost immense as demonstrated above. In such circumstances one would never reduce their debt. Government shall always repay its lenders - by finding another lender, much like any bank or most firms. But reduce the public debt - never! Remember, by simple calculation, increased wealth of 0.7 GDP far exceeds incurred debts of 0.1GDP. How is a community so enriched, its Public Credit enhanced by the abolition of all Taxation unable to provide security to its lenders? Of those who insist that government must pay off the public debt at some point I ask: should a government wait until the countrys life expires to perform a general confiscation to settle all public debts? Or is it better that government tax throughout the life of a nation, the community incurring continuously Taxations heavy costs, which greatly impede a prodigious accumulation of wealth? I think all would agree to wait until the appointed settlement day to perform the confiscation and annihilate all public debts. Government shall tax, but only when that distant point arrives. Until then, all Taxation is dormant. AFP A video of a futuristic fireworks display has been viewed thousands of times in social media posts that claim it was taken from a firework show in Beijing on New Year's Eve 2021. However, the claim is false; the video was a digital animation based on scenery from the eastern Chinese city of Qingdao. The video creator told AFP that the "fireworks" seen in the footage were computer generated."Yesterday the New Year firework show in Beijing," states the traditional-Chinese caption to the video shar Abdirizak Jaji Raghe Wehelie was sentenced to probation on Friday for doctoring transcripts of calls where his name was mentioned by a terror suspect A former FBI translator was sentenced to probation Friday after he admitted doctoring transcripts when his own voice came up on intercepts of phone calls placed by a terrorism suspect. Abdirizak Wehelie of Burke, Virginia, also received a $1,000 fine at his sentencing hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. Wehelie, 68, pleaded guilty in November to making false statements. He admitted he marked himself down as an 'unidentified male' when a target of FBI surveillance left a message on Wehelie's cellphone in 2012, while Wehelie was working as a contract linguist for the FBI. Sentencing guidelines called for a term of zero to six months. Wehelie took responsibility for his actions in comments to the judge before he was sentenced. 'Upon hearing my voice on the voicemail, I froze in shock and fear; fear of what it could possibly mean for my family and myself,' Wehelie wrote in a letter to the court. Wehelie worked as a contractor for the FBI from 2012 to 2015. In December 2012, a man targeted by the FBI in an investigation connected to the Al-Shabab terrorist group in Somalia called and left a voicemail message for Wehelie. The call was intercepted under court-ordered surveillance, and Wehelie was tasked the next day with translating the call. He marked himself down as 'unidentified male' even though the voicemail message on Wehelie's cellphone identified him as 'Abdirizak Wehelie.' The FBI questioned Wehelie about his actions in 2016. At the time, according to the indictment, Wehelie admitted that he should not have identified himself as an 'unidentified male' on that translation. His son, Yusuf Wehelie, is serving 10 years in prison for transporting weapons and allegedly said he wanted to commit a shooting on behalf of the Islamic State. Pictured: Wehelie (left) with his wife (center) and his on Yusuf (right) at a news conference in 2010 He also told FBI agents he had never actually had a phone conversation with the person who called him and that he didn't know the person very well. But a subsequent FBI investigation revealed that the two had nearly 180 phone contacts from 2010 to 2017. 'This was a one-time event in which Mr. Wehelie essentially panicked,' said his lawyer, Nina Ginsberg, about the doctored transcript. The Wehelie family has faced government scrutiny for a decade. Two of Wehelie's adult children were placed on the no-fly list and denied re-entry to the U.S. for several weeks in 2010, before Abdirizak Wehelie began his work for the FBI. Yahya and Yusuf Wehelie were the subject of international news coverage that summer when they said they were detained and tortured after traveling to Yemen to learn Arabic. After a delay of several weeks and pressure from Muslim civil rights groups, the brothers were allowed to return to the U.S. later that summer. In 2017, Yusuf Wehelie was sentenced to 10 years in prison for illegally transporting high-powered weapons in a case where he spoke with an undercover witness about his desire to shoot up a military recruitment center on behalf of the Islamic State group. GOLD PRICES inched lower on Tuesday, a day after hitting their highest in nearly seven years, with a lack of immediate escalation between the United States and Iran denting bullions safe-haven appeal. Spot gold fell 0.2 per cent to $1,562.81 per ounce by 0107 GMT. In the previous session, prices hit their highest since April 2013 at $1,582.59. US gold futures fell 0.2 per cent to $1,566.00. Palladium hit an all-time peak of $2,032.94 an ounce earlier in the session on supply concerns, and was last down 0.1 per cent at $2,028.90. Asian shares rebounded after there was no further escalation in Middle East tensions. Providing limited support to gold, Defence Secretary Mark Esper said on Monday that the United States has no plans to pull its troops out of Iraq, following reports of an American military letter informing Iraq officials about the repositioning of troops in preparation to leave the country. US Vice-President Mike Pence would give a speech next Monday laying out the governments policy on Iran, a White House official said after the US killing of a top Iranian general sparked protest across the Middle Eastern nation. Tanzanias earnings from gold exports rose 42 per cent year-on-year in the year to November, helped by higher prices and volumes shipped, the central bank said on Monday. Goldman Sachs on Monday maintained its three-, six- and 12-month forecast for gold at $1,600 per ounce, contending safe-haven bullion to be a better hedge than oil during phases of geopolitical uncertainty. The worlds largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust , said its holdings rose 0.10 per cent to 896.18 tonnes on backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings rose 0.10 per cent to 896.18 tonnes on Monday from 895.30 tonnes on Friday. Hedge funds and money managers increased their bullish positions in COMEX gold and silver contracts in the week to Dec. 31, data showed on Monday. Elsewhere, silver slipped 0.5 per cent to $18.06 per ounce, while platinum was flat at $962.68. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The mother of the Delhi gang rape victim has expressed her shock to the staying of execution of four men convicted of brutally raping her daughter in a murderous assault by a Delhi court. She said that the lawyer of the convicts, AP Singh, had thrown a challenge to her saying the convicts will never be executed. She asked the government to carry out the hanging. The lawyer of the convicts, AP Singh has challenged me saying that the convicts will never be executed. I will continue my fight. The government will have to execute the convicts, the victims mother told reporters battling tears. Watch | Hanging of 2012 Delhi gangrape convicts deferred; victims mother breaks down Her reaction follows a Delhi court decision to stay the execution of Delhi gang rape convicts on Friday evening till further orders. The convicts were supposed to be hanged on February 1. In their petition, the lawyer of the convicts pleaded before the court to adjourn the matter sine die. These convicts are not terrorists, said lawyer AP Singh. The lawyer cited the prison manual which says that in a case where more than one person has been handed over the death penalty, the execution cannot take place unless all the convicts have exhausted their legal options. Lawyer Vrinda Grover had also argued all the accused had been convicted in a common sentence and therefore couldnt be hanged separately. Grover is representing Mukesh Singh who is believed to have run out of legal options after his plea against the presidential order was rejected by the Supreme Court on Wednesday. My client cannot be hanged and the execution of one cannot be separated from other. Hence, the execution should be stayed, Grover said. One of the four convicts still has the option of a final legal appeal and another has filed a mercy petition with the Indian president which is outstanding. Junior minister of home affairs, G Kishan Reddy said there was a need for a debate on the delaying tactics used by the convicts on death row. There is a need to debate on how convicts of heinous crimes are delaying the death penalty even after the Supreme Court order by exploiting the judicial process, said Reddy. Film producer Harvey Weinstein departs New York Criminal Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) - Opening statements begin on Wednesday in the rape trial in New York of Harvey Weinstein, once one of Hollywood's most powerful producers. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and criminal sexual assault. Here is what to expect from the trial: WHO ARE THE ACCUSERS? More than 80 women have publicly accused Weinstein, 67, of sexual misconduct, helping to fuel the #MeToo movement over the last two years. The criminal charges against him refer to just three accusers. Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant on a Weinstein Company television show, has said that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her in his Manhattan home in July 2006. Actress Annabella Sciorra, best known for her role on HBO's "The Sopranos," has said Weinstein raped her in her Manhattan apartment in 1993. Prosecutors have accused Weinstein of raping another woman in March 2013 in Manhattan. She has not been publicly identified. Weinstein has said that any sexual encounters he had were consensual. WHAT ARE THE CHARGES? Weinstein is charged with a criminal sexual act in the first degree against Haleyi, and with rape for the 2013 allegation. He is charged with predatory sexual assault over both allegations. Sciorra's allegation is too old to be the basis of a separate charge, but is a crucial part of the predatory sexual assault charges, which require prosecutors to establish a pattern of serious sex crimes against multiple women. Predatory sexual assault is the most serious charge against Weinstein, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. WHO WILL TESTIFY AGAINST WEINSTEIN? Haleyi, Sciorra and the 2013 accuser are almost certain to testify in a trial that could last until early March. Prosecutors may also call three other women to testify about encounters with Weinstein, even though he is not formally charged with crimes against them. Their testimony is intended to bolster the charges by showing that Weinstein had a consistent pattern of behavior. Story continues Prosecutors have also said that they expect to call Barbara Ziv, a professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, to testify as an expert on the trauma resulting from sexual assault. WHAT IS WEINSTEIN'S DEFENSE? While criminal defendants and their lawyers typically avoid revealing their strategy before trial, Weinstein has dropped some hints. Weinstein's lead lawyer, Donna Rotunno, has told Reuters that Weinstein had a "slew of witnesses ready to go". She has said the defense would be introducing emails and text messages to prove that Weinstein's accusers maintained relationships with him after his alleged assaults. Damon Cheronis, another one of Weinstein's lawyers, said in court Tuesday that accusers "bragged" in emails about their sexual relationships with the producer. He described some of the emails they sent him as "loving". His lawyers have also said they plan to call psychologist Deborah Davis of the University of Nevada, Reno, to testify as an expert on memory, suggesting that Weinstein may try to call his accusers' recollections into question. WHAT OTHER LEGAL RISKS DOES WEINSTEIN FACE? Even if he is acquitted in Manhattan, Weinstein faces separate criminal charges announced on Jan. 6 by prosecutors in Los Angeles. Lawyer Rotunno declined to make an immediate comment on those charges. Weinstein was charged with sexually assaulting two unidentified women in 2013, said Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey. He was charged with raping one woman and sexually assaulting the other. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Jonathan Oatis) French President Emmanuel Macron raised doubts about the prospect of a two-state solution between Israelis and Palestinians and cast doubt on whether a peace plan unveiled by the United States this week would succeed. "I believe in two sovereignties," Macron said when asked by Le Figaro newspaper whether he believed in two states. He did not clarify. Macron also said he would not present his own plan, but suggested U.S. President Donald Trump's plan could struggle to get off the ground. "You need to be two to make peace. You can't get there with just one side," Reuters cited him as saying. Chinese officials in protective suits checking on an elderly man wearing a facemask who collapsed and died on a street near a hospital in Wuhan, China, on Jan. 30, 2020. AFP journalists saw the body not long before an emergency vehicle arrived carrying police and medical staff in full-body protective suits. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) Sen. Cotton Urges All Americans in China to Get out Now Amid Virus Outbreak Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called on all Americans in China to flee the country after a mysterious virus continues to spread across the country, triggering lockdowns and quarantines in hard-hit areas. MESSAGE TO ALL AMERICANS IN CHINA: Get outnow. Contact our embassy or consulates if you need help, Cotton wrote on Twitter on Thursday. His statement comes as the U.S. State Department confirmed that another chartered flight back to the United States would be commissioned to evacuate American citizens living around Wuhan. The World Health Organization on Thursday, meanwhile, declared the virus outbreak a global health emergency. Later, Cotton said that all commercial flights between the United States and China should be shut down as a defensive measure. The outbreak of the new mysterious virus has hammered central Hubei and its biggest city, Wuhan. Chinese officials have imposed quarantines, lockdowns, and transportation bans affecting tens of millions of people across the province, while authorities have reported more cases in other Chinese provinces. But the Republican senator said he believes the Chinese regime is misreporting the coronavirus numbers. China claimedfor almost two monthsthat coronavirus had originated in a Wuhan seafood market. That is not the case. @TheLancet published a study demonstrating that of the original 40 cases, 14 of them had no contact with the seafood market, including Patient Zero. pic.twitter.com/PdgqgHjkGy Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 30, 2020 Good morning. There was a 28% increase in coronavirus cases overnight in China. Make no mistake, though: these arent new cases. Just what China is willing to admit. Its much worse, he wrote Thursday. Whats more, he said that the regime should face consequences as the virus spreads across the globe. He said on Jan. 22: For weeks, China did not come clean about the coronavirus that they first said was only being passed from animals to humans in a seafood market in Wuhan in China. But now we know that it is increasingly being passed from person to person. We had our first confirmed U.S. case happen just in the last couple of days, and it is spreading around the globe, according to the Washington Examiner. There have been six U.S. cases of the virus, including two in Illinois, two in California, one in Arizona, and one in Washington state. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Thursday that the first case of person-to-person transmission was reported in Illinois after a woman returned from Wuhan with the virus and spread it to her spouse. China is not acting right now like a government that has control of this outbreak, Cotton told Fox News. As you mentioned, Hong Kong has slashed travel from the mainland. China currently has more than 50 million of its own people in quarantine. That is more than the population of our West Coast [states] combined. And China has canceled school indefinitely. Economic Survey 2020: Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy V Subramanian has released Economic Survey 2020 today, predicting India's GDP to be 6-6.5 per cent in the next financial year. The document was earlier tabled in Parliament as Budget Session 2020 kick-started with President Ram Nath Kovind's address to both the Houses. The Economic Survey, which is a detailed report card on the Centre's economic performance through the year and future projection on the country's growth, says India's aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy depends on "strengthening the invisible hand of the market and supporting it with the hand of trust". FULL COVERAGE: Union Budget 2020 Follow all the latest updates on the Economic Survey 2020 on BusinessToday.In live blog 2.20 PM: Economic Survey 2019-20: India has jumped up 79 positions in World Bank's Doing Business rankings, improving from 142 in 2014 to 63 in 2019. It continues to trail in Ease of Starting Business (rank 136), Registering Property (rank 154) Enforcing Contracts (rank 163). 2.19 PM: Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian: "Firms that borrowed a lot during 2008-12 invested less during 2013-17" 2.17 PM: In 2019-20, Centre's fiscal deficit was budgeted at Rs. 7.04 lakh crore (3.3 per cent of GDP), as compared to Rs. 6.49 lakh crore (3.4 per cent of GDP) in 2018-19: Economic Survey. In 2019-20, Centres fiscal deficit was budgeted at Rs. 7.04 lakh crore (3.3 per cent of GDP), as compared to Rs. 6.49 lakh crore (3.4 per cent of GDP) in 2018-19#EconomicSurvey https://t.co/9i0egdufRopic.twitter.com/iu4FLxEL1J PIB India (@PIB_India) January 31, 2020 2.16 PM: The Economic Survey 2019-20 is a synthesis of the old and the new, says the CEA. 2.15 PM: All groups of countries have slowed down, in a globalised economy, India too has felt the effect, says the CEA. 2.14 PM: There has been a boom and bust in the share of corporate loans in non-food credit, says the CEA. 2.07 PM: The theme of the Economic Survey 2020 has been chosen to "enable markets, promote 'pro-business' policies and strengthen 'trust' in the economy". "Ethical Wealth Creation Key to India Becoming a $ 5 Trillion Economy by 2025: Economic Survey 2019-20," it says. All groups of countries have slowed down, in a globalized economy, India too has felt the effect - CEA @SubramanianKri Watch LIVE: https://t.co/pnPOHYHw4h#EconomicSurvey#WealthCreationpic.twitter.com/hrZXFX1yVu PIB India (@PIB_India) January 31, 2020 1.45 PM: Economic Survey explains 'Thalinomics: The Economics of a plate of food in India' An attempt to quantify what a common person pays for a Thali across India. A shift in the dynamics of Thali prices since 2015-16. Absolute prices of a vegetarian Thali have decreased significantly since 2015-16 across India and the four regions; though the price has increased during 2019-20. Post 2015-16: Average household gained close to Rs. 11, 000 on average per year from the moderation in prices in the case of vegetarian Thali; and average household that consumes two non-vegetarian Thalis gained close to Rs. 12, 000 on average per year during the same period. From 2006-07 to 2019-20: Affordability of vegetarian Thalis improved 29%; and affordability of non-vegetarian Thalis improved by 18 %. 1.37 PM: India's GDP growth is not overstated, says Economic Survey GDP growth is a critical variable for decision-making by investors and policymakers. Therefore, the recent debate about accuracy of India's GDP estimation following the revised estimation methodology in 2011 is extremely significant. As countries differ in several observed and unobserved ways, cross-country comparisons have to be undertaken by separating the effect of other confounding factors and isolating effect of methodology revision alone on GDP growth estimates. Models that incorrectly over-estimate GDP growth by 2.7 % for India post-2011 also misestimate GDP growth over the same period for 51 out of 95 countries in the sample. Several advanced economies such as UK, Germany and Singapore have their GDPs misestimated with incompletely specified econometric model. Correctly specified models that account for all unobserved differences and differential trends in GDP growth across countries fail to find any misestimating of growth in India or other countries. Concerns of a misestimated Indian GDP are unsubstantiated by the data and are thus unfounded. 1.32 PM: New firm creation in India increased dramatically since 2014, says the survey 12.2 % cumulative annual growth rate of new firms in the formal sector during 2014-18, compared to 3.8 % during 2006-2014. About 1.24 lakh new firms created in 2018, an increase of about 80 % from about 70,000 in 2014. 1.31 PM: India ranks third in number of new firms created, as per the World Bank, says the survey 1.30 PM: India could achieve the $5-trillion economy status by strengthening the invisible hand and by promoting pro-business policies to: Provide equal opportunities for new entrants. Enable fair competition and ease doing business. Eliminate policies unnecessarily undermining markets through government intervention. Enable trade for job creation. Efficiently scale up the banking sector. 1.26 PM: Need for the hand of trust to complement the invisible hand, illustrated by financial sector performance during 2011-13: Economic Survey 2020 1.25 PM: Exponential rise in India's GDP and GDP per capita post-liberalisation coincides with wealth generation: Economic Survey 2020 1.22 PM: India's aspiration to become a $5 trillion economy depends critically on strengthening the invisible hand of the market and supporting it with the hand of trust. 1.18 PM: India's GDP growth moderated to 4.8 per cent in H1 of 2019-20, amidst a weak environment for global manufacturing, trade and demand, says the Economic Survey 2020. 1.15 PM: The Economic Survey 2020 says the GST buoyancy key to the Centre-state revenue position 1.13 pm: India's GDP growth for FY 21 seen at 6-6.5 per cent, says the Economic Survey 2020 12.01 PM: The metro facility in India has been expanded to 18 cities. So far, 670 km Metro lines have been commissioned and work is on to expand it to 930 km: President Overarching theme of #EconomicSurvey 2019-20 is #WealthCreation and the Policy Choices that enable the same The Doing Business 2020 Report recognizes India as one of the ten economies that have improved the most ?https://t.co/9NjU8SloPT#BudgetSession2020pic.twitter.com/y68JBJNsBS PIB India (@PIB_India) January 31, 2020 11.53 AM: India's forex reserves at historic level $450 billion dollars, says President 18 670 930 President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 11.45 AM: This year, 75 new medical colleges have been approved in the country. This will increase the total number to 16,000 MBBS medical and over 4,000 PG seats: President Kovind ???????? ?? ??? ???? ????????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ???????????? ?? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?????? ?????? ????? 450 ?????? ???? ?? ?? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ?? - ?????????? ??????? President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 11.43 AM: "Our country is indebted to our annadata farmers. Under Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi, more than Rs 43,000 crore has been deposited in the bank account of over 8 crore farmer families," President Kovind. 11.37 AM: A person of any creed can now become a citizen of India. The government has made several provisions for granting citizenship to refugees of any region, especially in the North East: President Kovind. 11.33 AM: President: I condemn the atrocities on minorities in Pakistan, urging the world community to take cognizance and take necessary steps. 11.32 AM: President on CAA: In the atmosphere created after Partition, the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that "Hindus and Sikhs of Pakistan, who do not want to live there, can come to India." It is the duty of the Government of India to provide them a normal life. 11.30 AM: President Ramnath Kovind says the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution through two-thirds majority by both the Houses of Parliament is not only historic but it has also paved the way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. 11.27 AM: The Central and Assam Governments have recently signed a historic agreement with the Bodo Organizations to bring an end to the 5 decade-old Bodo dispute: President Kovind. "Minimum Government, Maximum Governance" ?? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ??? ????? ?????? ???? Reform ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? 58 ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? 1500 ?? ????? ?? ?? - ?????????? ??????? President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 11.27 AM: President Ramnath Kovind: My government built the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor in record time, dedicated it to the nation on the occasion of 550th Prakash Parv of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 11.26 AM: Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian on Economic Survey: "Our team has done a lot of hard work. The team has prepared the second economic survey in six months." 11.25 AM: Watch the President of India addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament ahead of Budget Session 2020. The Central and Assam Governments have recently signed a historic agreement with the Bodo Organizations to bring an end to the 5 decade-old Bodo dispute: President Kovind pic.twitter.com/TFQB23JbRM President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 11.20 AM: Even today there are about 15 crore houses in rural areas of the country, where there is no supply of water from pipes: President Kovind. 11.14 AM: The result of grassroots reforms undertaken by the government in the last five years is that India's international ranking has improved unprecedentedly in many areas: President Kovind. 11.11 AM: Economic Survey 2020: President Ramnath Kovind says the mature way in which countrymen behaved after Supreme Court's decision on Ramjanmabhoomi is also praiseworthy. 11.10 AM: President Ramnath Kovind: Our constitution expects from this Parliament and every member present in this House to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen and make necessary laws for them, keeping national interest paramount. 11.06 AM: President Ramnath Kovind addresses a joint session of both the Houses. Watch LIVE: President of India addressing the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, at the beginning of #BudgetSession 2020 https://t.co/fx30SwSJzk PIB India (@PIB_India) January 31, 2020 10.45 AM: President Kovind on his way to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/49s1TV6Eay President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 10.36 AM: "We all should make sure that in this session, we lay a strong foundation for this decade," said PM Modi. 7 , , pic.twitter.com/A1kVNyVXX8 President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 31, 2020 10.11 AM: Chief economic adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian to hold a press conference on India's Economic Survey 2020 at 1.30 PM today. Delhi: President Ramnath Kovind on his way to Parliament. He will address a joint session of both the houses shortly. #Budgetsessionpic.twitter.com/HgfpeV0FoT ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 10.08 AM: India's Economic Survey 2020 could project the country's growth to be around 6 per cent to 6.5 per cent in the next year starting April 1, Reuters said citing sources. ALSO READ: Budget 2020: The big ideas of Economic Survey 10.02 AM: Opposition leaders including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi protest in front of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament. PM Modi: We all should make sure that in this session, we lay a strong foundation for this decade. This session will be focussed mainly on economic issues. I want that in both houses there are good debates on these issues. #BudgetSessionpic.twitter.com/VzLxr1rqFL ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 9.29 AM: Budget session of Parliament to commence today. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to table the Economic Survey 2019-20. Press Conference by Chief Economic Advisor Dr. KV Subramanian on #EconomicSurvey 2019-20 - Today, January 31st - 1:45 PM - National Media Centre Watch on #PIB's YouTube: https://t.co/pnPOHYHw4h Facebook: https://t.co/p9g0J6q6qvpic.twitter.com/fW19NkVlxM PIB India (@PIB_India) January 31, 2020 9.27 AM: Copies of the Economic Survey 2020 have been brought to Parliament. Delhi: Opposition leaders including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi protest in front of Gandhi Statue in Parliament premises against #CAA_NRC_NPR#BudgetSessionpic.twitter.com/nxJX8vceZV ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 9.24 AM: Press Conference by Chief Economic Advisor KV Subramanian on the Economic Survey 2020 to start after 11 am. Budget session of Parliament to commence today. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to table the Economic Survey 2019-20. (File Pic) pic.twitter.com/4paauOsa5r ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2020 ALSO READ:Budget 2020: Date, timings, where to watch, expectations from Modi govt's most challenging Budget Taylor Swift with her mom, Andrea, the low-key star of Miss Americana. Photo: Cooper Neill/Getty Images A few summers ago, I saw Taylor Swift perform at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on her Reputation tour. And by saw, I mean I laughed, I cried, and I screamed my head off for two hours in an on-and-off downpour. (To those of you out there who speak Swift, this wasnt a proper rain show, but it came close.) At one point during the evening, a current of energy rippled through the crowd around me. People started pointing and whispering. There she is! Over there! Confused, I looked over to find a Swift, just not the one wed all come to see. No, people were genuinely excited to spy Andrea Swift, Taylors mother, walking the stadium floor. I cheered, too. In Miss Americana, the new Taylor Swift documentary from Netflix, I was equally excited to get to see even more of the elder Swift. Its no secret the pair have an incredibly close relationship. (See: the lyrics to The Best Day.) Swift talks about winning Album of the Year at the Grammys for a second time with 1989 and feeling like she didnt have anybody to share it with other than her mom. (A strange thing about the doc is that it sort of punts on Swifts very famous friendships. We see Abigail Lucier, the redhead of Fifteen fame who has been Swifts BFF since childhood, but nobody else.) Theres a scene where both Swift women are sitting on a plane Taylors own, it appears, given the trademark No. 13 stamped into the leather headrest cover on her seat eating dinner as the plane takes off. Swift leans forward and uses her chin to try to stop a bowl of steak salad from sliding off the tray as the plane rises. Not the steak, she mock yells. Her mother jokingly admonishes her for her contortive efforts. Taylor says it was either that or ruin her top and this is Rihanna. In the aisle, a very large black-and-white spotted dog sits calmly through the whole thing. Swift teases her mother, saying she got the adult human-size dog after she and her brother grew up and left the house. But Andrea notes thats not quite right. The dog, she says, was a bucket-list item she decided to cross off after being diagnosed with cancer. (Soon Youll Get Better is about Swifts family grappling with Andreas diagnosis. She recently revealed that her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor while receiving treatment for breast cancer.) Its a sweet and very humanizing exchange. In another excellent Andrea moment, Swift sits in a room with her team including her father arguing why she should break her historic silence and finally get political. Shes crying and talking about all the reasons she feels its only right to throw her weight behind Tennessee Democratic Senate candidate Phil Bredesen. (He eventually lost.) Bredesens opponent, Marsha Blackburn, ran on a platform of Tennessee Christian values. Values that, Swift says, are her own and not actually what Blackburn represents. I live in Tennessee. Im a Christian. Her father pushes back, fearing for his daughters safety. But Andrea Swift wont have any of it and demands that the men in the room hear Taylor out. Swifts dad mentions buying armored cars to protect her and Andrea says that nobody worries about Taylors safety more than she does, and she still supports Taylor taking a position. Later, we see Taylor post the now-infamous Instagram endorsing Bredesen. Her mom is right by her side. (As is her mysterious and iconic PR head, Tree Paine.) Perhaps the best Andrea Swift moment, though, comes after Swift, during a concert a year after a Colorado judge ruled in her favor in a sexual-assault case against a local radio DJ, speaks out about the incident. Shes vamping on a piano, tears streaming down her face as she tells the crowd how difficult and frustrating the process was and how she could not imagine what it must be like for people who dont have the luxury of being believed. After the show, her mom gives her a hug backstage. Shes crying, too, and telling her daughter how proud she is of her for making the best out of a bad situation. No, not a bad situation. A situation Andrea calls a shit bag of shit. Its a little thrilling anytime somebody swears in Miss America stars, theyre just like us when theyre cultivating their image in a slightly different way to make themselves seem more human but this one takes the cake. Shit bag of shit! Andrea! Three Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed on Friday in a fierce gunbattle with police at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway here, officials said. A group of three-four militants were intercepted at the Bann toll plaza, about 28 km from Jammu city, when they were trying to enter the Kashmir Valley on a truck. Police suspect the terrorists might have infiltrated through the International Border in Kathua district to carry out an attack. One of the terrorists was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the others managed to escape to the nearby forest area, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh told PTI. He said a policeman was injured in the incident. He said the militants belonged to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The truck driver and conductor were arrested, the DGP said. The Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed and the entire forest belt was cordoned off. After a gunbattle, two more terrorists were killed. Choppers, drones and sniffer dogs have been inducted into joint operations to track down the fourth terrorist as a massive search operation rages up, they said. Six weapons, including a sniper riffle, and large quantity of ammunition and explosives have been recovered, the DGP said. "The truck was stopped by our personnel for checking. As they were about to enter the truck, the terrorists opened fire and our jawans also retaliated. One of our jawans was injured in his arm due to a bullet, while a terrorist was killed on the spot," the DGP said. IGP Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh told reporters that the truck was intercepted at the toll post at 5 am by a joint team of police and CRPF. The truck was carrying polyvinyl and a cavity was created inside it to hide the terrorists, officials said, adding that the militants were armed with bullet-proof jackets. The officials suspect that the terrorists might have planned to carry out an attack at vital installations as well as security camps along the nearly 300-km highway. Bhom Raj, the policeman injured in firing by the terrorists, has been hospitalised, they said. Raj was unarmed and could not retaliate. Senior police officials were at the spot to oversee the combing operations. All schools and colleges have been closed in Udhampur district as a precautionary measure. In 2018 and 2019, terrorists had created similar hideouts in trucks to ferry terrorists to Kashmir to engineer major attacks. In September last year, a truck loaded with cardboard material was intercepted during checking on the Jammu-Pathankot highway in Kathua district. Three terrorists, who were on the truck, were arrested and arms and ammunition, including four AK-56 rifles, two AK-47 rifles, six magazines and 180 rounds of ammunition, besides Rs 11,000 in cash, was seized. In September 2018, three terrorists of JeM were killed and 12 security personnel, including three officers, injured in Reasi district after they fired on a police party at Jajjar Kotli in Jammu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A reward is being offered to anyone brave enough to remove a motorcycle tyre stuck round the neck of a 13ft crocodile in Indonesia. The creature has been struggling around with the tyre since at least 2016 when it was first spotted in the Palu River in Central Sulawesi. The endangered Siamese crocodile has survived an earthquake and a tsunami that struck the region in 2018, but the tyre hasn't budged. Central Sulawesi's Natural Resources Conservation Agency this week launched a contest to free it. The creature has been struggling around with the tyre since at least 2016 when it was first spotted in the Palu River in Central Sulawesi There have been previous unsuccessful attempts to free the crocodile from the tyre A reward is being offered by Central Sulawesi's Natural Resources Conservation Agency The agency's chief Hasmuni Hasmar did not specify how much the reward would be but it would come out of his own pocket as the agency is strapped for cash. He said: 'A reward will be given to anyone who can release the hapless reptile.' Mr Hasmar stressed that he didn't want to encourage amateurs to risk themselves and only wanted people with a background in wildlife rescue. He said: 'We're asking the general public not to get close to the crocodile or disturb its habitat. The agency's chief said he would pay the unspecified reward cash out of his own pocket But he warned amateurs against going near the ferocious beast and only wants experts to try There have been previous unsuccessful attempts to free the crocodile. Conservationist and 'animal whisperer' Muhammad Panji tried and failed in 2018 and later that year volunteers from conservation agency attempted to lure the crocodile onto dry land by using chickens as bait, but the creature showed no interest. Wildlife officials are especially concerned that the tyre - thought to come from a Vespa scooter thrown into the estuary - will strangle the crocodile if it is not removed urgently. Fears for its safety intensified when a video showed it apparently gasping for air in 2018. An agency official said at the time: 'Its body is getting bigger and the tyre which should be 14 inches, is stifling it. 'If the tyre is not removed immediately, it will strangle the crocodile because of its growing body.' Food Yangon Hotel Hosts Buffets Showcasing US Dishes -- Sedona Hotel Yangon is hosting a Taste of America food festival with twice-daily buffets in a joint initiative with the US Embassy to showcase a range of high-quality American products. The festival runs until Feb. 13 at one of Yangons premier restaurants, D Cuisine. US Ambassador Scot Marciel praised the deep business ties between the two counties, adding that the event would help promote fine US food and wine. He added that when Americans tasted cuisine from Myanmar they became increasingly curious about the country. Marciel said he hoped that visitors to the festival would sample US food and become similarly curious about America. Ribeye and striploin steak, Alaskan crab and other seafood, cheeses, frozen blueberries, wines and craft beer are being served. The dishes are available for lunch and dinner buffets prepared by Sedonas executive chef Denis Vecchiato and his team. The buffet costs US$25 (around 36,600 kyats) on weekdays and for Saturday lunch. The weekday dinner price is $33. Dinner on Fridays and at the weekend is $36. Reservations can be made at the Sedona Hotel Yangon Facebook page. You may also like these stories: A Taste of Vietnam on Offer at Sedona Hotel Yangon New Shan Yoe Yar Opens in Yankin On its face, allowing China to assume leadership of the WIPO poses a clear risk to the integrity of the institution, given that the U.S. government has singled out China as the leading source of intellectual property theft in the world. The Chinese government has made economic espionage, the theft of trade secrets and forced technology transfer key parts of its state-sponsored strategy of economic aggression. If China were to control the WIPO, all kinds of fundamental intellectual property information could go directly into the hands of the Chinese government, and that, in turn, could undermine basic trust and confidence in the international patent system. Twelve people have died in Mississippi state prisons since the start of the new year. Nine deaths occurred in the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. At least one was a suicide. Most were a result of violence between inmates: beatings, stabbings and other fatal altercations. State officials have promised to stop the violence. After news of two of those deaths broke last week, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican who took office earlier this month, said he would work around the clock with the state Department of Corrections to respond immediately and prevent new incidents going forward. Whats striking about this situation is how little of it is new. The Parchman prison, which dates to 1904, has a long and infamous history of violence and abuse. It also has a history of reform. But no amount of change has been able to break the cycle of brutality. And why would it? The history of Parchman is a prime example of how dehumanization and neglect are intrinsic to separating people from their freedom. Agartala, Jan 31 : Senior IPS officer Amitabh Ranjan has been appointed as Director General of Tripura Police, replacing Akhil Kumar Shukla, who retired from service on Friday, officials said. Home Department official said that Amitabh Ranjan, an Indian Police Service officer of 1988 batch, is currently posted as Additional Director of Intelligence Bureau under the Union Home Ministry. "The new DGP is likely to join in his new assignment within a week. Before joining in the central deputation, Amitabh Ranjan had worked in Tripura as Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) in 1998," the official said. Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who also holds the home portfolio, approved the appointment of Amitabh Ranjan as state police head on late Thursday night. According to the official, the outgoing DGP Shukla was 1986 batch IPS officer and before joining as Tripura police chief was also Deputy Director of Intelligence Bureau of the Union Home Ministry. Today's broadcast is a special edition of Paris Live marking the historic day that the United Kingdom becomes the first member country to withdraw from the European Union after 47 years. RFI's David Coffey is joined in studio by the President of the Mouvement Europeen Yves Bertoncini and Chairman of Conservatives in Paris, Jeremy Stubss to discuss the impact of this momentous occasion, the damage that it has inflicted over the past 3 years of vitriol and uncertainty and what lies ahead as the haggling over the terms of divorce are set to begin. We also cross live to Crossmaglen, Co.Armagh to RFI's Jan Van Der Made to get a sense of how Brexit will directly affect communities and cross-border trade between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. Reaction from London which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the European Union... and Brussels, where the EU 27 get their cards in place ahead of what will be tense negotiations. And a look at how the French newspapers are approaching the UK's exit from the EU. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has noted that interest in making investment in Ghana especially by foreigners continues to rise. The Information Minister who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi constituency in the Eastern Region, made this known after participating in the Ghana Investment Summit in the United Kingdom (UK) last week. Mr. Oppong Nkrumahs comments come as a number of influential businessmen and political figures described Ghana as a good place to invest. Recently, Nigerias billionaire and Africas richest man, Aliko Dangote singled out Ghana among a list of countries on the continent where investments yield the right returns. In an interview on Bloomberg TV, Mr. Dangote named Ghana together with three other countries including Nigeria as having the right investment climate. He said in the interview with Bloomberg TVs David Rubenstein that Ghana is a very good place to invest. Last week, former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, passed a vote of confidence in Ghana, with a call on global investors to invest in Ghana. Mr. Blair was of the view that with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos excellent leadership, Ghana was showing great determination to succeed and was doing the right things. According to him, I scarcely come across a leader with clarity of vision and determination to succeed and someone so much into the instincts of his people. So thank you for your leadership skills. Music icon, Akon, recently urged African American investors to start investing in Ghana and other African countries, encouraging them to buy land in Ghana. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah believes the rising interest in Ghana stems from the fact that the country has been well marketed. But he urged that while we have sold Ghana well, we, more importantly, need to build a robust onboarding program for prospective investors. He further noted, the jobs, incomes and improvements in quality of life that will follow, will be for our collective benefit. According to him, the story of Africa in this decade has to be one of increased productivity. We welcome the capital and skills from all over the world. But we should be clear in securing an enabling framework within which these investments can help our Agenda, he urged. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Editor's note: Jeff Yang is a frequent contributor to CNN Opinion, a featured writer for Quartz and other publications, and the co-host of the podcast "They Call Us Bruce." He co-wrote Jackie Chan's best-selling autobiography, "I Am Jackie Chan" and is the editor of three graphic novels: "Secret Identities," "Shattered" and the forthcoming "New Frontiers." The opinions expressed in this commentary are his. Read more opinion on CNN. (CNN) The coronavirus outbreak in China seems terrifying. Drone video clips of a deserted Wuhan, its bustling streets emptied of pedestrians due to fear of contact with those who might be carriers, continue to pop up on my social feeds, along with mounting casualty numbers. Over 7,700 people are now infected with the illness; over 170 people have died, and the disease has popped up in at least 20 territories and countries around the world, from Australia to Vietnam. But the disease isn't the only thing that's spreading or the only thing causing harm. Across the internet, we've seen widespread eruptions of racist scapegoating, blaming Chinese for a disease that has so far only killed Chinese. The posts frequently claim or imply that the epidemic is the result of Chinese eating habits and hygiene, often pointing to a Chinese social media clip in which a female "influencer" is seen eating a bowl of bat soup, while saying that Chinese "eat anything and everything and infect the world with viruses," calling Chinese a "dirty people who can't keep order," and warning people to "think twice before ordering anything Chinese." At the root of these reactions is something deeply insidious and very familiar. Throughout history, cultures have used ugly slurs on the savagery, backwardness or filthiness of foreigners as a way to rationalize excluding them, ejecting them or eliminating them; we're seeing this today in the language that Trump and some in his administration often use to talk about Latin American migrants and other communities, framing them as bestial and subhuman, as violent and barbaric, as diseased and unclean, all to rationalize inhumane policies. Food and hygiene slander have long been the spear tip of attacks by contemptuous (or envious) Westerners seeking to make Chinese seem impossibly alien, and thus unassimilable and inadmissible to their "civilized" countries. Back at the turn of the 19th century, Chinese were commonly regarded as "dirty, heathen rat-eaters"; vintage ads for a pest poison called "Rough on Rats" played on this perception; also by suggesting that it was nearly as effective at controlling vermin as hungry Chinese people, while op-eds took that stereotype and expanded and elevated it to fearful, monstrous proportions, with a typical editorial in the September 29, 1854 edition of the New York Daily Tribune calling Chinese "uncivilized, unclean, filthy beyond all conception, without any of the higher domestic or social relations; lustful and sensual in their dispositions," and warning the federal government to ban further influx of Chinese into the United States. Spurred on by these descriptions, some took it into their own hands to reduce the number of Chinese in the country, gathering vigilante bands to burn down Chinatowns and kill their residents. One of the bloodiest mass murders of Chinese took place right here my city of Los Angeles in 1871, as a mob of over 500 invaded the city's old Chinese quarter and slaughtered and hung 20 men, mutilating their corpses in the deadliest known single lynching incident in US history. By 1882, the tenor of Sinophobic rage was so great that the US Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, banning new immigrants from China entirely and making it unlawful for existing Chinese in America to ever become citizens. The Act is still the only law in American history to ever restrict entry to the US explicitly on the basis of race, and it wasn't repealed for 61 years, when the 1943 Magnuson Act finally permitted an entry quota of just 105 Chinese per year. Today, hostility toward China is experiencing in an edgy spike, fueled in part by Trump's trade war and frothing fusillades of tweets. The impact is being felt by Chinese Americans, as researchers of Chinese descent, many of them US citizens, are being purged from universities and technology companies, and questions of loyalty that haven't been raised for decades are creeping into public discourse. As the coronavirus epidemic spreads, Asians of all backgrounds are reporting that they're being treated with unnerving suspicion, to the point where some are joking that they plan on coughing loudly in public just to "see who's racist." There are sotto voce whispers to avoid Chinatowns and other places where Asians congregate. There are calls from the fringe to ban the entry of Chinese to the US. And it's not just America where Chinese and other Asians are reporting this. Thea Suh, a friend of mine from Germany -- a country with four confirmed coronavirus cases -- says that news outlets there have featured commentators suggesting that Asians "deserve" what they're getting, while she's personally observed train passengers visibly covering their mouths and moving away from where she's seated. "Racism against people of Asian descent has been subtle in Germany, but it has always been here," she told me. "With this recent coronavirus outbreak, it has just gotten worse...we are basically stuck between getting ridiculed and being the recipient of disgust." This coronavirus is new. But the diseases of xenophobia and racism are not. And as history has shown, outbreaks of the latter are potentially harder to contain, and far more lethal. This story was first published on CNN.com, "A new virus stirs up ancient hatred" In the Republican primary for Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3, we recommend incumbent Bert Richardson. Board-certified in criminal law with more than 30 years of experience as a prosecutor and a judge, Richardson is supremely qualified to serve on Texas highest criminal court. Richardson cut his teeth as an assistant district attorney in Bexar County before serving as a federal prosecutor in the Western District of Texas in San Antonio. In 1999, then-Gov. George W. Bush appointed Richardson to the 379th District Court, where he served for 10 years. He has also served as a visiting judge. This judicial experience alone sets Richardson apart from his opponent, Gina Parker, a Waco attorney who has never served as a judge and has balanced a private practice with a dental manufacturing business. The nine members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals make life-and-death decisions, handling criminal and death penalty appeals. Past judicial experience should be required to sit on this bench, and we hope lawmakers consider this as they study potential judicial election reforms. Richardson has a stellar resume and impeccable conservative credentials. He has shown he places the law above politics. He proved this by not bowing to political pressure in his handling of the indictments of former Gov. Rick Perry, allowing for the legal process to play out as it should (the charges were ultimately dismissed). And on the other hand, there is Parker, who is endorsed by Perry. Richardson has the right temperament, experience and expertise for this post. British ex-pats in France feeling insecure as Brexit finally happens, raising horses to be wild in one of France's most desolate areas, how the Michelin star was born, and would rebel writer Camus be out protesting pension reform? France has the second largest British community in Europe after Spain, with around 200,000 citizens. Some already have French nationality, but those who don't are nervous about Friday's Brexit. While the terms on which British people will be allowed to remain in France are still being worked out, we hear from ex-pats in the town of Eymet in the Dordogne region, where a tenth of the 2,600 residents are British. They came for the climate and quality of life, but are now wondering what the future has in store. (Listen @ 0'00) The Larzac, a plateau in Lozere in south-western France, the country's least populated area, is home to three dozen Przewalski horses. The breed originated in Mongolia and had become virtually extinct by the 1960s. But since 1993, 89 have been transferred from France to their natural habitat in Mongolia. Zeenat Hansrod travelled to the area around the Le Villaret village to see the horses, meet the Takh association running the operation, and discover one of France's last wild open spaces. Read more here. (Listen @8'20) Albert Camus, the Franco-Algerian writer, philosopher and journalist, died 60 years ago this month in a car accident. He won a Nobel prize for his writing, but was also known for his political activism in favour of the oppressed and the working class. As France is in the throes of protests over inequality and fears of an over-liberal pension reform, Camus seems as relevant as ever. Historian Vincent Duclert, who has recently published a book on Camus, reflects on the writer as a working class hero and the importance of his Algerian roots. (Listen @20'20) As the Michelin guide announced its starred restaurants this week, we look back on 120 years of the little red guide, which has its roots in the birth of France's car culture. (Listen @16'00) Episode mixed by Nicolas Doreau. Subscribe to the Spotlight on France podcast on iTunes (link here) or Google podcasts (link here). Barricades block the intersection at 3rd and Arch Streets in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia last week. A water main break on Jan. 7 has continued to affect businesses in the area, as the intersection is still closed to vehicle traffic. Read more Philadelphias water pipes typically breach more than 800 times a year, and every once in a while, the event is catastrophic, causing flooding, closed streets, and months of repairs. That was the case at Third and Arch Streets in Old City on Jan. 7, when an eight-inch cast-iron pipe laid in the ground in 1824 ruptured, forcing an excavation that has grown wider and deeper as workers explore the extent of the damage. Since then, nearby businesses as many as 100, by city estimates have coped with fewer customers, dwindling revenue, and the prospect of the intersection remaining closed to traffic for an additional two months. My business is down 60%, at least, said Aris Katourtsidis, whose family has owned Old City Pizza at the corner for 33 years. I depend on walk-ins. A pipe almost two centuries old is a rarity in the city, according to John DiGiulio, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department. Less than 1% of the 3,000 miles of water mains date to before 1850, he said; the average age of the pipes, typically made of iron, is 75 years. Damaging breaches arent uncommon. In 2018, it happened at Sansom and Juniper Streets, where a hole opened up that took almost a year to repair. Little more than seven years have passed since Old City contended with a transmission main break that flooded the streets with five million to six million gallons of water and took three months to repair. With the frequency of these failures, area businesses are asking why the city cant do more to help them when such random and disruptive events occur. READ MORE: 2 months of repairs needed for Old City water-main break Old City has a unique blend of restaurants and locally owned shops, but as more neighborhoods have prospered, competition has become fiercer, said Job Itzkowitz, executive director of the Old City District. Now were competing with Fishtown and Passyunk and West Philly, he said. Throughout the city, even thriving small businesses can stand on a razors edge between success and a fiscal cliff, said Paul Levy, president of the Center City District. A few months of disruption can be devastating. Most of these businesses are not operating on huge profit margins, he said. Theyre operating on volume, theyre operating on seasonal trends. Amber Ashley Parker, 31, who lives on Arch Street, criticized the city at a recent informational meeting with representatives from the Water, Streets, and Commerce Departments for businesspeople, property owners, and residents at the Independence Mall Visitors Center. The city, she said, should have more data on how a major water-main break affects a community. The consequences of an infrastructure failure can include lack of parking due to repair work, the instability of the street, and the elimination of foot and car traffic. At Third and Arch, boards cover the 5-by-12-foot-wide chasm in the street. A redoubt of orange barricades surrounds the excavation, and save for the occasional driver who makes it halfway up Arch, only to abruptly reverse course, the nearby streets are largely bereft of people. We are not prepared, said Parker, who works as a compliance officer at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and runs a consulting business. Theres no excuse for that. She asked a Commerce Department representative why the city hadnt performed a needs assessment after the 2012 incident to determine the impact on businesses and residents safety, income, and expenses. The official acknowledged that the financial impact was unknown. Further, when infrastructure disasters strike, the city has little aid to offer. The Old City District has received a $50,000 city grant to pay for cleaning and marketing, as well as signs letting people know the businesses near the water-main break remain open, a message Itzkowitz said would be pushed with radio ad campaigns. Its not nearly enough, business and property owners replied. What Im looking for is some city participation in this to make a grant program or a loan program available, said Rick Snyderman, an Old City resident and retired operator of one of the first of the art galleries that have become a neighborhood staple. In the next two weeks, the Water Department will replace a 20-foot section of pipe. Peco will need to work on its ducts under the street, and Verizon might as well, officials said. During the estimated eight weeks of construction, Third Street will be closed from Market to Race Streets, and Arch Street from Second to Fourth. Rene Galvin, who has run the clothing boutique Never Too Spoiled on Third Street for six years, has diversified her retail business by holding such events as baby and bridal showers at her store. Her retail business holds up well against online shopping, she said, but the events have become a necessary alternate source of income. Now, she wont be able to host them because of the street closures, she said. So in February and March, I wont do a booking, she said. They expect to be able to drop off gifts. She filed a claim with her insurance company for her lost business but was rejected because access to her store wasnt completely blocked. The citys own distressed business tax credit allows reduced payments based on projections for annual earnings, but thats available only if a public works project makes the entrance inaccessible. Galvin thinks shell be able to persevere, she said, but will have to find other ways to make up the lost revenue. Im going to push the internet and Im going to push everything I can to try to not give up the ship, she said, adding that more immediate relief from the city would be welcome. Dawn Summerville, a Commerce Department director, said at the community meeting that the possibility of a tax break for affected businesses was being explored. But the citys Revenue Department downplayed that as a solution, saying businesses needed more immediate relief. Mark Squilla, the city councilmember who represents Old City, also expressed doubts at the meeting that a tax break could be an effective remedy; calculating an appropriate tax remittance, he said, would be difficult. Squilla did, however, back the idea of an emergency fund, for which the city would set aside money in the general fund. If there was a fund that businesses could apply to," he said, "I think wed have support. That would present its own challenges, said Kevin Lessard, a city spokesperson. It would require correctly estimating the need in a given year, and setting standards for what circumstances would qualify a business for assistance, and how much would be appropriate. Levy noted that the age of the citys infrastructure made another failure like last months virtually inevitable, and that the city should find some way to soften the blow for businesses. This is obviously a very old city with very old infrastructure, and weve been going through a fairly sustained boom, Levy said. Ought there be a contingency fund of some sort, and do the utilities need to be part of that? WASHINGTON Courtney Litvak says she was a junior in a Katy high school, traumatized after she was sexually assaulted by an older boyfriend, when she met the people who groomed her for sex trafficking. She was taking drugs, in a downward spiral. When her parents took away her phone, her new friends gave her one to use. I just thought that was incredibly flattering and that they were serious about helping me, she said. But the phone was also their key into her life. Its emotional and mental access to you A constant, consistent line of communication to me, to be able to reach me at all times. By the time she was 18, Litvak says she was brainwashed. She walked out of her parents house, ran down the street and got in a car with the sex traffickers who would control her life for several months, moving her from Katy to Houston and across the country before she could get free. Now 21, Litvak is headed to the White House on Friday as the Trump administration touts its efforts to curb human trafficking, something President Donald Trump has long cast as a top priority, though some advocates have questioned his commitment. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Litvak, who with her mother Kelly now runs a nonprofit, ChildProof America, aimed at helping people like herself, wants her story to be a wake-up call: Sex trafficking isn't just a problem in big cities like Houston, but in suburbs across the nation. In Texas alone, there were more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in 2016 that number includes both sex trafficking and labor trafficking a University of Texas at Austin study estimated at the time. The same study found there were almost 79,000 youth victims of sex trafficking in the state, costing more than $6 billion a year in law enforcement, criminal prosecutions, social services, and caring for them. The issue has become an increasing concern for Texas Republicans, who last year passed legislation giving authorities more tools to go after online sex traffickers, increase victims access to specially trained nurses, and seal the criminal records of sex trafficking victims. The state has put up billboards to raise awareness of the issue and is training troopers and highway workers to spot it. Its in suburbia, said U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican who has worked with the Litvaks. Were seeing this epidemic hit high schools, like Westlake High School in Austin to Katy High School in Katy. Traditionally you would not view these as at-risk schools. Litvak says thats where her journey began, and shes ringing the alarm bells. People are going through this right now "People cant relate to the life," Litvak said. "But people can relate to what happens before that. People are going through this right now, here in Katy, on a daily basis. At 17, Litvak says she was a wholesome person, proudly wearing a purity ring her father gave her. But she started dating an older guy, a senior, who she says gave her drugs one night and sexually assaulted her. In a matter of months, not even one year, I went from saving myself for marriage in a very safe relationship with someone to have that taken from me all in one night, Litvak said. SPECIAL REPORT: Sold for Sex Litvak said she blamed herself for the assault, unable to see herself as a victim. During this free falling season of my life, I was trying to grab onto anything, she said. My moral compass, I would say, was shot. Litvak says she quickly developed a new reputation at school, which attracted a new crowd new friends with easier access to drugs and alcohol. They connected her to people on the outside as well former students who were working as traffickers. They knew exactly what to say to me and what I was looking for and my vulnerabilities, Litvak said. They said if youre really serious about wanting a better life and to get money and independence we need to introduce you to the higher-up people. Five hundred dollars for my life Litvaks parents were concerned about her increasingly erratic behavior. They were taking up my phones left and right, trying to regain control, she said. So one of the pimps gave her friends at school an old iPhone for her. Soon she was getting comments on Instagram posts from men she didnt know. They were often in code emojis she didnt understand at the time. I thought it was someone showing interest in me as a boyfriend, Litvak said. It didnt cross my mind this was terminology. The pimp, meanwhile, was pretending he had romantic interests. I was like, This is going to be my boyfriend, theyll be my person, Litvak said. He will give me a successful future, why do I need school? At one point, her parents sent her to a rehab facility out of state. She faked her way through and came back more determined than ever to break away. Days after I turned 18, I was gone, she said. Though she had never met him face to face, she said, Im thinking Im going to be a girlfriend to this person this person was saying they love me, Im saying I love them back. Litvak walked out of her house, down the street to the car where he was waiting. But when she got in, there was another man in the car, as well, very intimidating looking, seems very rough around the edges. As soon as she got in the car, they asked for her ID, birth certificate and social security card. Im in the car and at that moment, I knew I had lost control, she said. The time they invested was to get me in that car. They dropped off the man Litvak had been talking to and took her to an apartment complex in Houston where she met her first trafficker, a woman whose real name she said she never learned and who she was taught to fear from the moment she met her. She found out later the man she thought she loved was paid a finders fee of $500. Five hundred dollars for my life, she said. All that work for $500. Training for officers These professionals are very good at what they do, said McCaul, a former federal prosecutor. Litvaks mother, Kelly, contacted his office while her daughter was being trafficked, hoping he could help. McCaul has kept in touch with Kelly and Courtney Litvak as hes pushed federal legislation to combat trafficking, including mandating training for homeland security personnel. McCaul is behind another effort to expand training developed by the Texas Department of Public Safety which teaches state troopers how to spot trafficking victims and offer it to federal law enforcement agencies. In November, McCaul introduced the Litvaks to Ivanka Trump, the presidents daughter and adviser who has led his administration's anti-trafficking efforts and organized Fridays summit. It was incredibly humbling to meet with Courtney and Kelly Litvak, Ivanka Trump said. The scourge of human trafficking does not start at the waters edge, its affecting people in our own neighborhoods and throughout the United States. This administration is deeply committed to ensuring that Courtneys experience will never be repeated. Among other things, the Trump administration has restricted aid to the governments of a slew of countries it says arent doing enough to combat trafficking. But several prominent anti-trafficking groups, are reportedly boycotting the event, protesting portions of the administrations immigration crackdown that they say endanger trafficking victims. At issue is the administrations increased scrutiny of visas granting temporary legal status to immigrants who can prove theyre trafficking victims. Litvak says she was lucky to get out. At the end, she said, she was in the worst physical condition of her life, literally lying on my deathbed. I need to do something with what has happened to me. That is what drives me, Litvak said. Not just learn how to survive, but to learn how to live again. Theres proof you can do that, you can come out a better and changed person. ben.wermund@chron.com (Newser) Doctors were stumped when five babies struggled to breathe at a German hospital. Then came urine tests, a police probe, and a painful find: breast milk mixed with morphine in a syringe in a nurse's locker at the University Hospital of Ulm. Now the nurse has been arrested and accused of poisoning the five infants with morphine, the New York Times reports. The babiesall premature, up to a month oldwere taken to intensive care in December when their breathing became troubled and eventually stopped. They were saved at ICU, but what caused the problem? Doctors guessed an infection, but urine tests found morphine in all five of them, though only three had been prescribed the drug. story continues below That's the twist: Morphine is prescribed to help newborns of drug-addicted moms, but leads to breathing problems. In this case, the fact that all five had respiratory issues at the same time in the same ward, and only three had morphine prescriptions, rang enough alarm bells to bring in the police on January 17. Now the nurse will likely face five charges of attempted manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, but she denies everything, per the Guardian. Authorities say she has no known motive and is being psychologically evaluated. "It is only thanks to the quick and immediate actions of the hospital staff the lives of the five infants could be saved," said the health of Ulm police. All five are expected to recover without health problems, notes CNN. (Another German nurse was found guilty of killing 85 patients.) [January 31, 2020] Accenture to Expand Workday Practice to Help Higher Education and Public Sector Organizations Transform Core Operations Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has signed an agreement to acquire the Workday, Salesforce and U.S. MuleSoft practices from Sierra-Cedar. The acquisition will fortify Accenture's (News - Alert) leading position in the Workday ecosystem and broaden Accenture services to higher education and government organizations seeking to transform core software systems for human resources, finance, accounting and student services. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005448/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) "We are focused on our clients' priorities for more efficient, secure, transparent and customer service-oriented operations, and the practitioners joining Accenture have the industry and platform skills that are at the center of many such efforts," said Ryan Gaetz, managing director of Accenture's education and government-focused Workday practices. "By bolstering our practice focused on Workday Student, Financial Management and Human Capital Management, Accenture can help our clients achieve a greater set of outcomes." Sierra-Cedar's Workday practice brings deep industry experience and expertise in the small and medium-sized education and government markets. Once finalized, approximately 275 professionals across the United States will join Accenture's Workday, Salesforce and MuleSoft practices, focused on modernizing complex core operational systems and processes for higher education and government clients. "Accenture is committed to investing in innovation that helps advance our ability to meet and exceed client demands and builds our talent base," said Jonathan Fry, managing director of Accenture's global education practice. "This team brings deep client-centric skills and an array of expert capabilities that align with and significantly boost our offerings to higher education and government." In its 2019 fiscal year, Accenture invested nearly US$1.2 billion globally on 33 acquisitions to acquire critical skills and capabilities in strategic, high-growth areas of the market. Accenture was recently named a leader in The Forrester New Wave: Workday Implementation Partners, Q3 2019 report. Accenture received a differentiated rating, the highest score possible, in seven out of 10 criteria. The transaction is expected to close in early 2020. Terms of the transaction are not beig disclosed. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functions - underpinned by the world's largest delivery network - Accenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at www.accenture.com. Forward-Looking Statements Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "will," "should," "likely," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," "estimates," "positioned," "outlook" and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These include, without limitation, risks that: Accenture and Sierra-Cedar will not be able to close the transaction in the time period anticipated, or at all, which is dependent on the parties' ability to satisfy certain closing conditions; the transaction might not achieve the anticipated benefits for Accenture; Accenture's results of operations could be adversely affected by volatile, negative or uncertain economic and political conditions and the effects of these conditions on the company's clients' businesses and levels of business activity; Accenture's business depends on generating and maintaining ongoing, profitable client demand for the company's services and solutions including through the adaptation and expansion of its services and solutions in response to ongoing changes in technology and offerings, and a significant reduction in such demand or an inability to respond to the evolving technological environment could materially affect the company's results of operations; if Accenture is unable to keep its supply of skills and resources in balance with client demand around the world and attract and retain professionals with strong leadership skills, the company's business, the utilization rate of the company's professionals and the company's results of operations may be materially adversely affected; Accenture could face legal, reputational and financial risks if the company fails to protect client and/or company data from security breaches or cyberattacks; the markets in which Accenture operates are highly competitive, and Accenture might not be able to compete effectively; changes in Accenture's level of taxes, as well as audits, investigations and tax proceedings, or changes in tax laws or in their interpretation or enforcement, could have a material adverse effect on the company's effective tax rate, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition; Accenture's profitability could materially suffer if the company is unable to obtain favorable pricing for its services and solutions, if the company is unable to remain competitive, if its cost-management strategies are unsuccessful or if it experiences delivery inefficiencies; Accenture's results of operations could be materially adversely affected by fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; as a result of Accenture's geographically diverse operations and its growth strategy to continue to expand in its key markets around the world, the company is more susceptible to certain risks; Accenture's business could be materially adversely affected if the company incurs legal liability; Accenture's work with government clients exposes the company to additional risks inherent in the government contracting environment; if Accenture is unable to manage the organizational challenges associated with its size, the company might be unable to achieve its business objectives; Accenture's ability to attract and retain business and employees may depend on its reputation in the marketplace; if Accenture does not successfully manage and develop its relationships with key alliance partners or fails to anticipate and establish new alliances in new technologies, the company's results of operations could be adversely affected; Accenture might not be successful at acquiring, investing in or integrating businesses, entering into joint ventures or divesting businesses; if Accenture is unable to protect or enforce its intellectual property rights or if Accenture's services or solutions infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others or the company loses its ability to utilize the intellectual property of others, its business could be adversely affected; Accenture's results of operations and share price could be adversely affected if it is unable to maintain effective internal controls; changes to accounting standards or in the estimates and assumptions Accenture makes in connection with the preparation of its consolidated financial statements could adversely affect its financial results; many of Accenture's contracts include fees subject to the attainment of targets or specific service levels, which could increase the variability of the company's revenues and impact its margins; Accenture might be unable to access additional capital on favorable terms or at all and if the company raises equity capital, it may dilute its shareholders' ownership interest in the company; Accenture may be subject to criticism and negative publicity related to its incorporation in Ireland; as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the "Risk Factors" heading in Accenture plc's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture's expectations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005448/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The coronavirus situation in Wuhan appears to be much worse than we have been led to believe. NTD Television conducted an investigation and found that many Wuhan citizens have been seemingly left to die. One citizen, Miss Sun, told NTD that her family of four lives in Wuhan. She said there are no beds left in the hospital and they will not accept any more cases. She added that her 50-year-old mother was tested for the virus at the hospital but all the hospital beds were already full. The hospitals are overcrowded and there are patients collapsing to the floor and dying. She said people have been smuggling themselves out of Wuhan to Hunan, a nearby province not yet under lockdown. Disturbing video footage posted online seems to show people in Wuhan collapsing on the streets. In other districts, people who returned from Wuhan are sealed into their homes with wooden boards nailed to the doors, as people try and contain the virus. In a social media post, Mr. Yu shared that his father waited at the hospital for treatment, and even three hours later he had not been taken care of. In Hubei province, a single father was quarantined for the virus. According to social media posts, he has a 17-year-old son who has cerebral palsy and isnt able to take care of himself. Because the father was quarantined, his son died of neglect, starvation, and cold. Tibet now has its first confirmed case of the coronavirus, making all regions and provinces in China affected by the virus. Australia has announced its plan to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan where they will be sent to Christmas Island and held for two weeks of quarantine observation. Other countries are screening and evaluating citizens from Wuhan including Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea, France, Algeria, Morocco, the EU, and the U.S. Other countries including India, Indonesia, the Phillippines, Germany, and Spain are expected to follow suit as we speak. The coronavirus continues to spread overseas. Germany has just confirmed three more cases, including the first known case of person-to-person transmission outside of China. Bavarian officials say a 33-year-old man contracted the virus on Jan 21, after coming in contact with a Chinese colleague. And on Wednesday, the first confirmed case in the Middle East, and Finland. South Korea has already declared the Wuhan coronavirus at the highest level of infectious disease, the same as SARS and Ebola. 404 Page not found Oops! This page is not available. Go to the homepage. Two Second World War veterans have beamed a love letter to the EU on the White Cliffs of Dover asking them to look after our star. On the early morning of Brexit day a short video of Sidney Sid Daw and Stephen Goodall appeared on the cliffs in a touching tribute to the UKs departure from the EU. The end of the video shows one remaining star which appears alongside a message that reads: This is our star. Look after it for us. The emotional appeal was projected onto the same stretch of coastline that returning soldiers saw upon their return from Dunkirk in 1940. In the video Mr Goodall, 97, said: "I feel really depressed at the idea that we are leaving Europe because it has meant so much to me. I like to be called a European. And the feeling that one has of comradeship as one goes round Europe is really quite something. He added: At my age I shant be living much longer but I hope that, for the sake of my children and my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, that England, Britain will move back to be much closer to Europe than what we have done now. Stephen Goodall said he is "depressed" that Britain is leaving the EU (PA) Fellow veteran Mr Daw made a heartfelt plea to Europeans across the continent: Look from your side to this side, see these white cliffs, and were looking across at you feeling we want to be together and we will be together before long, Im sure. The 95-year-old fought in France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany during the war. He added: I feel very, very sad about it all because we dont know which way things are going. Sid Daw speaking in an emotional message on the day Britain leaves the EU (PA) The video lit up the Kent landmark just after midnight on Friday morning. The moving message, made by anti-Brexit campaign group Led by Donkeys, was translated into French and German. Led by Donkeys organiser Ben Stewart, 45, said:It was a real honour to put their words up there. Stewart said the group wanted to demonstrate that the UK is not just crass Nigel Farage and Brexit Party MEPs. He added: There seems no better choice of people for the nation that we are than Steve and Sid. Additional reporting by PA Kids can develop this public persona (on social media) where theres this heightened pressure to be positive, even when youre feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable, Dominguez said. But its really important for everyone to experience struggle, to be awkward and fall down, but get back up. And the phone, iPad or whatever electronic device thats being relied upon can interfere with coping, because its grabbed whenever theyre bored and anxious. From there, according to the SEC filing, word spread within Riehls religious community that Riehl was accepting investments and promising higher rates of return than those typically offered by banks. Riehl pooled the investor money, much of it provided by members of the Mennonite and Amish communities, and used it to make loans to other members of his religious community, according to court documents. Many of those loans were made to Trickling Springs, and in 2007, those loans were converted to equity in the creamery, making Riehl the majority owner. After three-and-a-half years of tortuous negotiations and political chaos that forced the resignation of two prime ministers, Britain will officially leave the European Union at 11:00 p.m. London time Friday. Pro-Brexit supporters are planning celebrations in central London and elsewhere across the country, while pro-EU marches also are expected in the capital. Members of the European Parliament joined hands to sing "Auld Lang Syne" at the end of the session Wednesday in Brussels, a friendly farewell to their 73 British counterparts, after having voted through the terms of Britain's departure from the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration. Pro-Brexit British members of the European Parliament celebrated as they headed home. "We're leaving. Freedom, democracy, to self-governance, we've won!" declared Brexit party member of Parliament (MEP) Nigel Farage. For others, there was sadness and regret. "Everybody will miss the British representatives," said Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt. "Not all British representatives -- for example, I don't think we will miss Mr. Farage. But all the others -- yes." So with Britain's EU departure at 11 p.m. Friday now certain, is Brexit done and dusted? Not so, says former U.S. ambassador Charlie Ries, now with the RAND Corporation. "Many people believe that Brexit having gone through three-and-a-half-years of debate about what kind of Brexit they have, and whether to have it, [that] it's all sorted, it's all done. It isn't done at all. In fact, the actual dimensions of the new relationship between Britain and the EU is just starting, Ries told VOA in an interview this week. Omari Hardwick, left, and Larenz Tate in "Power." (Myles Aronowitz/Starz) Photo: Starz, HO / TNS Photo: Starz, HO / TNS Watching the St. Patrick family unravel like a loosely tied knot at the hands of its patriarch has made for compelling television over the course of the six seasons of Power.. And since the start of Starz's drama-driven, action-based thriller, there has seemed to be an inevitable end in store for protagonist James St. Patrick, portrayed by Omari Hardwick. In the beginning of the series, St. Patrick appears to have it all: respect, money, power. Peering down from the balcony of his elite New York nightclub, Truth, in the show's ominous opening scene, he is literally and symbolically on top. But he's hiding something: St. Patrick is secretly a coldblooded, cocaine-dealing criminal known as Ghost. An anti-hero whose Jekyll and Hyde-like inner conflict tortures his loved ones, Ghost wants to change. His provocateurs - best friend Tommy Egan (Joseph Sikora) and wife Tasha (Naturi Naughton) - can't fathom how they will fit into his life if he leaves drug lording behind to become a legitimate club owner or politician. "I believe that our brand of storytelling, which is very plot heavy, very cliffhanger-driven, very excitement-driven, I think we have some characters that people haven't seen on television or hadn't at the time the show began," co-creator and showrunner Courtney Kemp said. "Our show is a mixture of a detective story, cops and robbers, and it's a soap also, it's a love triangle drama, it's a family drama, it has a lot of different things that are going on that appeal to a broad audience." That audience will probably be watching as this chapter of "Power" concludes with its series finale on Feb. 9. Those involved in the show can bow out gracefully: The series has become a formidable force in television, a trending topic on and offline and one of the most interactive spectacles on cable. A majority of the players in this tragedy - including other characters such as Ghost's son Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.); Tasha's best friend Lakeisha Grant (La La Anthony); and mentor turned foe Kanan Stark (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson) - were conceptualized by Kemp after she was paired by her agency with producers Mark Canton and Jackson as creative partners around 2011. Jackson - who is one of "Power's" executive producers, co-creators and stars - hit the lottery with his first foray into television, adding to his pedigree as a multiplatinum, chart-topping, hip-hop mogul. He collaborated with Kemp on what exactly they wanted the show to be - Jackson, relaying personal events and raps to convey his concept, and Kemp, whose father had recently passed, wanting to write about her parent. "I talked with her about my experiences," Jackson said. "I had a vision for the show and periodically she would say, 'Say that again.' She creatively kept things she felt were necessary. I ended up writing five different songs, representations of each of the characters and Courtney used me, along with her father, to create Ghost." Ultimately, Kemp's idea for a blaxploitation crime show (that she wanted to be called "The Price") and Jackson's desire to craft a TV project with good music (a la Gordon Parks Jr.'s "Superfly") became "Power" as it is today. "I don't think the show would have turned out the same if I wasn't involved," Jackson said bluntly. Jackson and Kemp, who has worked on shows such as "The Good Wife" and "The Bernie Mac Show," initially had trouble finding a home for their series. They started to present more of the show's musical component - such as the theme song "Big Rich Town," written from Ghost's perspective and performed by Jackson - and even offered up Jackson for the lead role. When the two finally wound up in front of executives at Starz, former CEO Chris Albrecht and Carmi Zlotnik, the head of programming, were intrigued. "I remember being captivated by the ideas that they were talking about," Zlotnik said. "Courtney came in talking about code-switching, her father and opportunities in the business world, and Curtis was talking about how the old conception of drug dealing, corner boys, was passe. I thought the combination of the vision that they had for a show would make something I had never seen before." As a Starz original series, "Power's" viewership has grown exponentially since debuting on June 7, 2014, to 462,000 households, according to Nielsen TV and Radio Ratings. Throw in the booming data from Starz's digital-based streaming service, and "Power," which now averages approximately 10 million viewers per episode, is the network's most-watched show ever. "I think that the Starz service has ridden on 'Powers's' back, and 'Power' has lifted us up and introduced us to an audience that we didn't have, and a fan base and a strategy and a way of thinking," Zlotnik said. As the show comes to a close, Jackson and Kemp have moved on to new contracts to produce more shows and capitalize off "Power's" reach: Kemp signed an overall deal with Lionsgate, while Jackson has projects brewing with ABC. Both are expected to continue churning out sequels and prequels for the Starz series as part of what Zlotnik calls "the 'Power' cinematic universe." Epoch Times Reporting Helped Mother Finally Receive Care in Wuhan for Coronavirus, Toronto Man Says Toronto area resident Jason Wang, whose elderly mother has contracted the coronavirus in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China, says she is finally receiving care at a hospital thanks to The Epoch Times reporting on her case. Wang approached the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times earlier this week to report that his 72-year-old mother had been told by doctors on Jan. 19 that she had contracted the coronavirus, but she wasnt able to get treatment at a hospital. The deadly virus has infected thousands of people in Wuhan and other locations in China and around the world. Jason Wang, a Toronto area resident whose mother has contracted the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. (Becky Zhou/The Epoch Times) There are no beds in the hospital. Countless people are standing in line at the hospital, and some people can only lie in the hospital entrance or outpatient department, Wang told The Epoch Times at the time. Wang said the Wuhan No. 4 Hospital refused to admit his mother, and her subsequent follow-ups with the administration for coordinating medical care produced no results. He said he called the director of the hospital administration, Ms. Zhou, on Jan. 26, but Zhous response was that she had reported the case to her superior and there was nothing that could be done at that point but wait. Due to travel bans to Wuhan, no relatives could travel there by vehicle to care for his mother, who lives with Wangs elderly father, Wang said, and he himself couldnt fly there either. His mother had to stay in isolation at home, running out of food and supplies. The day after The Epoch Times reported about his mothers situation on Jan. 28, Wang said he received a call from Zhou, who had a completely different attitude, showing more concern for Wangs mother and promising to arrange a bed for her. The diagnosis report of Jason Wangs 72-year-old mother, who was told by doctors she has symptoms of the new coronavirus, on Jan. 19, 2019. (Handout/The Epoch Times) My superior already knows about her illness, the citys senior management know about it, and they really care about her, Wang quoted the director as saying. My superior is paying attention to the availability of beds and wards. If there are any available, we will make it available for your mother immediately. Zhou then told Wang that for the time being his mother can get medicine from the community hospital and that if they encounter any issues, they should notify her directly. Wang said his mothers condition has now improved after getting medication at the community hospital. Director Zhous attitude is completely different now, its changed. Without that [Epoch Times] report, they wouldnt care about my mother at all, he said. Thank you Epoch Times for your help saving my mom. I dont know how to express my gratitude. Thank you very much. Wang added that the director of the community hospital told his father that they shouldnt be talking to media. Wang and his family moved to Toronto a year ago from Wuhan. I often read Epoch Times reports and have come to know a lot of the truth [about the Chinese regime]. I had been deceived by the Chinese Communist Party before, he said, referring to Epoch Times independent coverage of China. I am thankful to Epoch Times staff for their hard work over so many years. This report was updated on Feb. 1 to add more details. UPPER GWYNEDD Two local employees have been honored for helping protect a township resident. Dianne Milkewicz, a lead sales and service associate with the U.S. Postal Service, and postal inspector Rick Link were honored by township police for helping prevent mail fraud late last year. On November 22, 2019, an Upper Gwynedd Township resident went to a post office to purchase a money order in the amount of $1,000, said Police Chief David Duffy, reading from a formal police commendation. The resident asked to send the money order in a priority envelope, and Milkewicz recognized something may have been amiss, Duffy told the commissioners during their Jan. 27 meeting. Based on her experience, Milkewicz asked the resident some questions and recognized that the resident was possibly the victim of fraud, Duffy said. She tried to dissuade the resident from mailing the envelope, but he persisted. However, Milkewicz retained the envelope, and notified the U.S. Postal Inspectors office, he said. Township police were then contacted by the postal inspectors, and a joint investigation revealed that the resident would have been a victim of fraud if the money order had gone through. Instead, because of Milkewiczs actions, the money order was returned to the resident, Duffy said. Diversion work continues: Staff gave members of the public an update during the Jan. 27 meeting about continuing work on the townships sewer flow diversion project. The contractor has excavated through the intersection of Broad Street and Garfield Avenue, theyre working on Garfield, and expect to be past the Merck entrance this week, said township Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell. Work began in December on the Wastewater Improvement Plan project, which is meant to shift sewer flow from a treatment plant in Towamencin to the townships own plant near Township Line Road. A $10.7 million contract for the project was awarded last August, details were finalized in September and October, then construction began in December as the township rolled out a dedicated website to provide maps and updates. Once work proceeds past that Merck entrance, Zadell said this week, Garfield Avenue will need to be closed to through traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and traffic will be detoured to Park Avenue during that window. We havent had any complaints so far on the WIP project, which is great, Zadell said. Now that this is the first time theres going to be a detour, this is when well see how it affects the residents, she said. Residents in the affected areas should be impacted by those detours for three to four weekends depending on weather, according to the manager, and can visit www.UpperGwynedd.org/WIP for updates. Merck work gets OK: Several other land development-related items were also approved unanimously by the board Monday night, including three waiver requests for Merck to perform upgrades within their West Point complex on buildings 51, 60 and 63, and a request for after-hours crane work on building 69D. Each was passed with minimal discussion from the board, and details are available in the boards meeting materials packet for Jan. 27. Upper Gwynedds commissioners next meet at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information visit www.UpperGwynedd.org. Erik Trautmann/AP Fotis Dulos, the luxury developer charged with murdering his estranged wife, has died two days after attempting suicide at his Connecticut home, his lawyer said Thursday. Dulos, 52, was hospitalized in critical condition on Tuesday after authorities found him unresponsive and sitting in his vehicle in the garage of his Farmington home with obvious signs of medical distress. He was initially transported to UConn Health before he was flown to Jacobi Medical Center in New York City to receive oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber. The father of five was arrested and charged this month with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping, seven months after Jennifer Dulos disappeared after dropping their five children off at school. His attorney, Norm Pattis, confirmed to reporters Thursday his client was declared dead tonight at 5:32. Its been a truly horrific day for the family filled with difficult decisions, medical tests and meeting the requirements to determine death, Pattis said. As to those who contend that Mr. Dulos death reflects a consciousness of guilt, we say no. We say it was more a conscience overborne with the weight of a world that was too busy to listen and wanted a story more than it wanted the truth. Estranged Husband Charged in Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Murder Attempted Suicide: Report The Connecticut State Police confirmed to The Daily Beast that a search warrant was executed Wednesday at Dulos home relating to the ongoing murder investigation of Jennifer Farber Dulos. The warrant has been sealed due to a court-issued gag order. In a new motion filed Thursday, Pattis stated that investigators found a note in Dulos car, in which he claimed his innocence and suggested that his lawyers have information proving he did not murder his wife. Pattis argued that the note should be preserved. In the course of executing a search of Fotis Dulos car, law enforcement officials recovered a note in which Mr. Dulos declared...his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the State has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it, the motion states. Story continues Pattis said Thursday his team has filed an unusual motion to have Dulos estate replace the 52-year-old as a defendant in his wifes murder case in order to force the state to turn over what evidence they have collected in the case. Itll be a difficult challenge, Pattis said of the motion he plans to file. We intend to proceed on as if he were alive to vindicate him. The family is adamant that his name is cleared. Investigators reportedly did not find any evidence that could help lead them to the body of Jennifer Dulos, who has been missing since May 24. Dulos reportedly attempted suicide after receiving a call that authorities were taking steps to revoke his bond, which was secured by overvalued real estate. The potential for a bond revocation was devastating news to him, Pattis said. Husband of Missing Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Takes Stand in Civil Lawsuit Brought by Mother-in-Law During a Wednesday hearing, a Stamford Superior Court judge raised Dulos bond to $6.5 million from $6 million and ordered three re-arrest warrants because he missed his initial court hearing. The hearing also addressed the questionable collateral Dulos used to post his bond this month. According to court records obtained by The Hartford Courant, Dulos was able to post bail for his Jan. 7 arrest with the help of Anna Curry, a 42-year-old North Carolina woman who was allegedly present at Dulos home just before and after he attempted suicide. Curry, who was reportedly at Dulos side at the New York hospital where he was being treated, was described as his best friend in bond documents,. She reportedly contributed $147,000 in cash to pay the bail-bondsman fee on Jan. 9 and had promised to pay an additional $272,000 in 15 installments until April 2022. Once Dulos co-worker at a New York financial firm, Curry also signed a $3 million promissory note to the Palmetto Surety Corporation, the company that also initially insured the bond with six pieces of real estate. Husband of Missing Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Arrested on Murder Charge It is my understanding and belief these were old friends who developed a friendship years ago at work and out of loyalty to that friendship, she has assisted Mr. Dulos, Pattis said. We should all be lucky enough to have such a loyal friend. The bail bondsman later raised concerns over imperfections in the collateral after discovering that at least one of the properties had been foreclosed on in December and another was significantly overvalued, according to court documents. On Tuesday, emergency vehicles swarmed Dulos home around 12:45 p.m., just as he was supposed to head into court for an emergency bond hearing. Authorities went to the house to perform a welfare check when Dulos failed to show up in court and found him in medical distress, according to Farmington Police Lt. Timothy McKenzie. Officers forced entry and immediately began to perform life-saving measures, McKenzie said. Typically, CPR will be performed for a period of time. If there is any sign of life present, the patient would be transported to the hospital. And thats what happened today. On May 24, 2018, Jennifer Dulos, 50, was last seen dropping off her five kids at school. Authorities later found her car abandoned on a New Canaan road in reverse with its lights on, according to the arrest warrant. Blood was also found on the passenger side of the car. Estranged Husband Charged in Connecticut Mom Jennifer Dulos Murder Attempted Suicide: Report Authorities have alleged Dulos was lying in wait near his estranged wifes New Canaan home the day she vanishedand enlisted the help of a new girlfriend to dump evidence of her killing. Dulos former live-in girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, was also charged on Jan. 7 with conspiracy to commit murder. An attorney who previously represented Dulos, Kent Mahwinney, has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, authorities said at a Tuesday press conference. Dulos has repeatedly denied the allegations and maintained his innocence. If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbag Singh on Friday said the truck driver ferrying Jaish-e-Mohammed militants to Kashmir is the cousin of Pulwama suicide bomber Adil Dar who killed 40 CRPF personnel last year. Three JeM militants were killed on Friday in a fierce gunbattle with police at a toll plaza on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, officials said. The militants were travelling in a truck towards the Kashmir Valley. "The truck driver (the main handler) was identified as Sameer Dar of Pulwama. His brother Manzoor Dar was killed in 2016. He is cousin of Adil Dar," Singh told PTI here. Adil Dar, belonging to the JeM, had rammed an explosive-laden SUV into a bus carrying CRPF personnel in Lethpora area of Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway, killing 40 troops, in February last year. The DGP said Sameer, along with the conductor and another over ground worker (OGW), was arrested and is being interrogated. Singh said he picked up the terrorists around 2 am in the Dayala Chak area of Hiranagar sector of Kathua district after they crossed into this side from across the International Border (IB). A group of three-four militants were intercepted at the Bann toll plaza, about 28 km from Jammu city, when they were trying to enter the Kashmir valley on the truck. One of the terrorists was killed in the ensuing gunfight while the others managed to escape to the nearby forest area, Singh said. A policeman was injured in the incident. He said the militants belonged to Pakistan-based JeM. Weapons, including a US-made sniper riffle, and large quantity of ammunition and explosives have been recovered, the DGP said. Top commanders of the JeM carry the US-made riffles. One of the terrorists killed on Friday might be a top commander, Singh said. "They were all Pakistan terrorists and they might have been tasked to carry out a fidayeen attack," he said. "The module was carrying an extra bag and three additional weapons to arm another group already waiting for it," the DGP said, adding the group had come "fully prepared". Asked whether the militants crossed over this side through a tunnel, he said security forces checked the area but could not find any. "We will recheck that area as in past tunnels have been found in Hiranagar-Chillyari belt," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Massachusetts State Police has a ways to go before regaining the publics trust following the overtime scandal that centered on the since-dissolved Troop E, said Colonel Christopher Mason, superintendent of the law enforcement agency. I believe that there was a culture that was created at Troop E, where supervision was lax, where supervision failed to address when officers would leave overtime blocks early or respond to them late, the colonel said. I think that is something that will be an unfortunate part of the MSP history, something that we have to own and something that Im committed to ending. Mason made the comments during a press conference Friday at state polices headquarters in Framingham after announcing the agency will potentially be terminating and seeking financial restitution from 22 former troopers who allegedly participated in a scheme where they were paid for countless hours they did not work. In the overtime scheme, dozens of troopers were allegedly paid for hours they did not work. State police previously referred 46 troopers for criminal prosecution for their alleged participation in the overtime scandal. Ten were charged criminally by the U.S. Attorneys office or the Office of Attorney General Maura Healey. Eight of the 10 have been convicted and sentenced. Of the remaining 36 flagged in the state police investigation, 14 have retired. Twenty-two are still within the department. Mason said the departments internal administrative investigation sustained charges against all 22 and that he is seeking termination and restitution from each. The highest penalty they can face from the department is termination. The Massachusetts State Retirement Board has been alerted of the findings. All of those involved in the scandal will reimburse the taxpayer dollar for dollar in addition to the specific punishments imposed, Mason said. The colonel has pledged to restore confidence in the agency numerous times since being named superintendent by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker in November. The department has instituted a slew of reforms that were introduced by Baker, including eliminating the scandal-plagued Troop E and auditing state polices top 50 pay earners as well as adding body cameras for the agencys officers, Automated Vehicle Location systems for its nearly 2,900 cruisers and broadened questionnaires for new recruits. There will also be increased supervisory oversight, regular auditing of personnels time and attendance and ethical training for all troopers, Mason said during the press conference. I think we still have a ways to go. I think the public has a right to be skeptical with Massachusetts State Police. So, were working hard to regain that trust," he said. "Trust isnt something thats earned overnight. We understand that. We understand how quickly the public trust can be lost, and so were committed to working back towards that. Masons announcement comes as Daren DeJong, one of the troopers who was compensated for overtime shifts he did not work, is expected to be sentenced next week. The Uxbridge resident, who is the only officer to face both federal and state charges in the scandal, did not show up for more than 500 overtime hours he was supposed to work from 2013 to 2014. Gregory Raftery was sentenced to three months in federal prison in March as well. Possibly the worst offender in the scheme, the former trooper must pay $51,337 in restitutions, equal to the amount he made from the overtime hours he did not work. Eric Chin, another former trooper who participated in overtime abuse, was sentenced to one day in prison, three months of house arrest and nine months of supervised release. The Hanover resident earned $75 an hour on overtime for at least 95 hours of overtime he did not work. He also submitted falsified or altered citations and other documents to attempt to show he worked the hours. Mason said the disciplinary action lodged against those involved in the overtime abuse does not close the chapter on this ordeal. Its a significant step in getting us further down the road for the disciplinary process. But there are a lot of lessons to come from this Troop E, he said. "There are a lot of ramifications that came from this. There are still some very valuable lessons to be learned from that. The MSP has been taking those lessons to heart, and we are going to be institutionalizing change. Related Content: INS Airavat arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar) for floods relief. Image Source: IANS News INS Airavat arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar) for floods relief. Image Source: IANS News INS Airavat arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar) for floods relief. Image Source: IANS News INS Airavat Commanding Officer calls on General Rasolofomanana, Commander, Military Area, Antsiranana and other senior officers from the Military Area. Image Source: IANS News INS Airavat arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar) for floods relief. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Jan 31 : INS Airavat arrived at the port of Antsiranana (Madagascar) on Thursday to undertake relief operations after floods from heavy rains led to a crisis in the region. Upon arrival, the Commanding Officer of INS Airavat called on General Rasolofomanana, Commander, Military Area, Antsiranana, and other senior officers from the Military Area. The relief operations to be undertaken by INS Airavat will be the first by a foreign nation after heavy rains lashed Madagascar and inundated the low lying farmlands, leading to massive loss of life and property. INS Airavat immediately began to provide medical aid as required by the local authorities as medical teams were moved to the affected areas. The relief materials will be handed over to the government of Madagascar. The Prime Minister of Madagascar is expected to oversee the assistance at the port of Antsiranana on Saturday. New collaboration between Pelbo and Innovo takes egg processing to next level Moba announced that Pelbo, one of its subsidiaries in Brugherio, Italy, has partnered with Innovo, an innovative Italian-based company that develops, manufactures, and installs pasteurization plants for food producers. The collaboration will allow Pelbo to further expand its activities in the industry, offering state-of-the-art technologies and add value to the sector. It will increase Pelbo's expertise in handling large egg-processing projects, expand its workforce to run more projects at the same time, and provide customers with better support during the development of these projects. The product portfolio of the Pelbo brand will expand to include: -- Turnkey projects with plate and/or tubular egg pasteurizer for plain, high-viscosity or ESL (extended shelf life) products; -- Pasteurization by radiofrequency; -- Liquid egg concentration line for both albumen and whole egg; -- Egg powder processing line; -- Centrifugal separator for egg white clarification; -- SCADA, the innovative handling and supervision system that integrates the egg-breaking line up to the filling system. Bringing innovation to egg processing "Our aim is to bring innovation and new technologies to the egg processing industry with major technical innovation, thanks to the combination of both companies' expertise," Pelbo Sales Director Mr. Fabio Gualtieri explains. "With this partnership, our customers can rely on Moba for all their needs in further egg processing, both now and in the future." The new collaboration with Innovo will increase Pelbo's expertise in handling large egg processing projects, expand its workforce to run more projects at the same time, and provide customers with better support during the development of these projects. The Innovo team consists of experienced professionals who have worked for a major company in the pasteurization sector, led by Leopoldo Peschi, seasoned in the egg-processing trade. "Pelbo and Innovo will take egg processing to the next level and move the industry into a new era by using innovative technologies. We are creating a unique centre in Italy where all the key components of an egg processing plant, from the egg-breaking line to the pasteurizing systems, are developed and manufactured at a single location", Moba Group Sales Director Paul de Schouwer said. Established in 1947, Moba is the world's leading producer of high-quality integrated systems for the grading, packaging and processing of eggs. It is headquartered in Barneveld, the Netherlands, and has offices in Japan, Italy, China, Malaysia, Dubai, the UK, Germany, France and the US, as well as support from agents and distributors. Instagram model and professional surfer Holly-Daze Coffey was left terrified when her boyfriend pulled a tasteless prank on her earlier this week. Jesse Weaver wore a stocking over his head and covered himself in fake blood before bursting into Holly's bedroom with a live chainsaw. The footage was filmed as part of a social media stunt, but Holly, 21, looked genuinely scared as she woke up to see Jesse wielding the saw less than a metre from her face. Fortunately, Jesse made sure to remove the chain from the saw beforehand so his girlfriend was never in actual danger. 'So, I've taken the chain off the chainsaw,' he said before the prank. 'Let's go wake up Holly, shall we?' While the outrageous stunt certainly shocked Holly, Jesse's supporters on Instagram were delighted by his antics. 'You make my day mate!' one fan commented, while another added: 'I love these! Keep it up, bloke.' Jesse only has 20,000 followers on Instagram, while his model girlfriend has a following of more than 1.1 million. Holly got her big break in 2011 after winning the ASR Australian Junior Surfing Title. Her curvy figure has resulted in some major sponsorship deals, including with Billabong and Von Zipper. Holly and her sisters, Ellie-Jean, 24, Ruby-Lee, 19, and Bonnie-Lou, 16, are all professional surfers and Instagram models. They have been nicknamed 'the Australian Kardashians' in the press - a comparison the family enthusiastically welcomes. 'We don't mind being called the "Aussie Kardashians of the surfing world" because we see the resemblance,' Ellie-Jean told The New Daily in 2017. The family attempted to pitch their own Kardashians-inspired reality show two years ago, but it never came to fruition. The Coffey sisters are all represented by celebrity agent Max Markson, whose previous clients include Lara Bingle and the Chk-Chk Boom girl. Cobre set for ASX debut following successful $10m IPO Cobre Lists on ASX - Drill Program to Commence Immediately Sydney, Jan 31, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Shares in Cobre Limited ( ASX:CBE ) (Cobre or Company) will commence trading on ASX at 11:00am today (AEDT) following the completion of its oversubscribed $10m Initial Public Offering (IPO).Highlights- Cobre Limited will list on ASX today following its $10m IPO comprising 50m shares at $0.20/share.- Strong IPO interest was generated from both existing and new investors including institutional and high net worth investors.- Exploration approvals are already in place for a diamond core, reverse circulation, and aircore drilling program across Cobre's tenements within the Perrinvale Project in Western Australia.- The initial drilling program will target an extension of the very high-grade VMS mineralisation identified at Perrinvale in June 2019 as outlined in the Prospectus. This initial program will include ~1,000 m of diamond drilling at the Schwabe, Zinco Lago and Monti Prospects.- Exploration personnel are currently on-site making preparations, with the drilling program to commence immediately with 10 potential VMS prospects already identified.The IPO had strong support from both existing and new investors including institutional and high net worth investors. Cobre's successful ASX listing represents a significant milestone for the Company and provides the platform for the forthcoming exploration activities.Cobre's Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Martin Holland, said:"On behalf of the board of Cobre, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the investors who participated in the IPO of the Company. With the IPO funds received and exploration approvals already in place, Cobre can rapidly execute upon the initial stages of our drilling program. I look forward to updating the market with the results of our exploration program in due course."Background on the Perrinvale ProjectAs a private company in June 2019, Cobre undertook an initial reverse circulation drilling program within the Perrinvale tenements to investigate targets identified by earlier exploration. At that time, the drilling program intersected very high-grade Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) base metal & gold mineralisation at shallow depth. The best assayed intercept was at the Schwabe Prospect: 5m at 9.75% copper, 3.2g/t gold, 34g/t silver and 3.1% zinc from 50m depth1. Subsequently in August 2019, Cobre completed an airborne electromagnetic survey within the Perrinvale project area and identified a total of 10 potential VMS prospects (see Figure 2*).Cobre receives approval to commence drilling programCobre is pleased to advise that it has received the necessary approvals from the Western Australian Department of Mines Industry Resources and Safety (DMIRS) for its diamond core, reverse circulation and aircore drilling programs within the Company's Perrinvale Project. The new exploration approvals allow for 162 diamond core, 187 reverse circulation, and 40 aircore holes to be drilled across the 10 potential VMS prospects identified to date.Field personnel are now on-site preparing access and drill locations for the drilling program to commence (see Figure 1 below*). The Company's drilling contractor, Westralian Diamond Drilling, is expected to complete mobilisation today, with diamond core drilling to commence soon after. The initial program will include diamond core holes at the Schwabe, Zinco Lago and Monti Prospects as shown below in Figure 2*.Drilling at the Schwabe Prospect will follow on from the positive assay results achieved during the Company's earlier exploration in June 2019. Drilling at the Zinco Lago Prospect will investigate the historically-reported near-surface copper and zinc drilling results from the 1970s. At the Monti Prospect, an area with the same host geology as Schwabe, the Company has validated the presence of a surface gossan from its own sampling, and historic costeans in this area indicate the gossans extend over 700 metres of strike. Diamond core drilling at Monti will be an initial test of subsurface continuity, which should allow an understanding of the lithofacies and style of sulphide mineralisation in that prospect.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Cobre Limited Cobre Limited (ASX:CBE) is a copper and base-metals explorer with projects in Western Australia and Botswana. The Company recently discovered a new high-grade VMS deposit enriched in Copper, Gold, Zinc and Silver in Western Australia, and is currently exploring approximately 8,100 km2 of tenements within the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB) in Botswana. There have been demands for increased garda resources to combat anti-social behaviour along Dublin's Grand Canal after a scrambler bike struck a young woman, inflicting serious injuries. Gardai are searching for the driver, described as a youth, who fled the scene with the aid of a friend also driving a scrambler. The incident happened at lunchtime at the Drimnagh Luas Stop, along a stretch of the Red Line that runs parallel to the Grand Canal. It follows a series of assaults, on pedestrians and cyclists, by gangs of youths near the canal. A Garda statement described the incident, which occurred at 1.45pm on Thursday, as a serious hit and run. It said: Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of a serious hit and run road traffic collision where a woman (late 20s) was struck by a youth on a scrambler motorbike. "Upon impact the motorbike and the youth went into the canal. The youth managed to swim to the side of the canal and left the scene on another motorbike. "The woman was removed to St James Hospital with serious injuries. Gardai have appealed for any witnesses or drivers with dash cams to contact Sundrive Road Garda Station on 01-6666600 or the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800 666 111. Local Sinn Fein councillor, Daithi Doolan, said the incident brings recent violence and anti-social behaviour in the area to another level. He said: That whole area, not just the Luas line, needs serious attention. Gardai and Dublin City Council and Waterways Ireland need to be on the same page and bring resources to bear. He said garda powers are very limited to combat scramblers, saying this issue has been highlighted both at the nearby Ballyfermot Local Policing Forum and the Dublin South Central Joint Policing Committee, both held earlier this week. He questioned the Garda Commissioner's commitment after reports that he had told Dublin garda chiefs to cut their overtime spend by 23m this year. He criticised the Government for continuing delays in introducing new laws to give gardai power to seize scramblers driven illegally in public and in parks. He said he is hearing reports of assaults in the wider area along the canal stretching from Ballyfermot down to Rialto nearly on a daily basis and demanded more policing. Cllr Doolan said gardai are not given enough resources by the Government and called for greater investment in policing. BUTTE COUNTY, Calif. - Butte County Health Officials share the facts behind why they support the program that's raising concern for some in Chico. Endocarditis is a bacteria-related heart valve infection. Rates are increasing in our county among younger people. Butte County public health officials say that the syringe service program could help to stop that spread. "Public health supports syringe access programs because its science-based," Director of Public Health Danette York said. "What science has shown us for public health specifically is that it's very helpful in protecting the community against diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis-C." "Syringe service programs are associated with approx 50 percent reduction in HIV/Hep-c incidents," Hambley said. Action News Now reached out to the Northern Valley Harm Reduction Coalition and spoke with Marin Hambley, the HIV/Hep-C test counselor over the phone. "I'm really honestly glad this conversation and awareness is increasing that the problem of not having safe access to disposal has been a problem in our community for a long long time and I'm happy that people are engaging and noticing this huge huge need," Hambley said. Action News Now asked York what she'd say to people who are concerned about this program. "I would just say the syringe litter was there before the syringe access program was available and I'm sure there will be some there afterward too," York said. Over the last 8 months, volunteers have picked up over 7,000 needles and even thousands more every weekend. "And since our program started there's been a huge decline in the amount that volunteers park rangers creek cleanups are finding," Hambley said. York says people who inject drugs are 34 times more likely to dispose of the needles properly if they have access to a program like this. "Public health is available for any groups or organizations that need some data or information on it we are happy to come out and do a presentation on it," York said. "Let's transform concern into access and more programs the more we support and we meet people where they're at the stronger out whole community is," Hambley said. Alongside all its premieres of new work from the most revered European art-house directors and symposiums on the future of cinema, this months Berlin Film Festival is to hold a special screening of an unlikely film. The original Jerry Lewis version of The Nutty Professor (1963) will be shown in the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, one of the citys most prestigious venues. The stars son, Chris Lewis, is expected to be in town for the event that is being held to mark the donation of new documents from the comedians estate to the Deutsche Kinemathek. Scoffers will react with the usual cynicism to seeing Lewis (1926-2017) celebrated in this way. To many, he is still the nincompoop who goofed around opposite the urbane and understandably exasperated Dean Martin in all those film comedies (Sailor Beware, The Caddy etc) that used to be shown on a permanent loop on British television in the school holidays. He was American cinemas answer to Norman Wisdom. Contemporary critics tended to be very sneering about Lewis. Sticky and unfunny, The New York Times Bosley Crowther wrote of The Stooge (1953), although Crowther had been more generous than many other reviewers when Lewis first appeared on-screen alongside Martin, in My Friend Irma (1949). This freakishly built and acting young man has a genuine comic quality. The swift eccentricity of his movements, the harrowing features of his face and the squeak of his vocal protestations, which are many and frequent, have flair, Crowther wrote, calling him the funniest thing in a film otherwise hardly worth seeing. He noted the comedians genuine talent for first-class satiric mimicry. The Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions are leaving their previous home at Discoverys Motor Trend and moving to A+Es History Channel and FYI. The move is part of a new programming agreement between A+E and Barrett-Jackson, which will take effect beginning with the 18th Annual Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction from April 16-18. We are honored and excited to feature Barrett-Jackson Live in our popular branded programming block, Drive, on HISTORY and FYI, said Jim Hoffman, executive vice president of program partnerships & strategic initiatives. The highly-promotable live event series has proven to attract automotive enthusiasts across the globe and brings to the Drive block a diversity of content that is certain to thrill our passionate car-enthusiast audiences. Also Read: History Channel Sets Premiere for George Washington Miniseries - Watch the First Trailer (Video) Ive always been passionate about sharing the excitement of our auctions with enthusiasts, said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson. In 1996, we revolutionized our hobby as the first company to broadcast collector car auctions into living rooms across the country. Our new agreement with A+E Networks is a wonderful next step in the evolution of our vision to give enthusiasts a front-row seat to our four exciting auctions throughout the year. Barrett-Jackson holds four auctions a year, in Scottsdale, AZ (January 2021), Palm Beach, Florida (April 16-18, 2020), Mohegan Sun, Connecticut (June 24-27, 2020), and Las Vegas, Nevada (September 10-12, 2020). Barrett-Jackson Live will join of A+Es Drive Block of programming that includes premieres, short-form and original Barrett-Jackson specials. It will air during the day on weekends on History and during primetime on FYI and non-linear platforms. The content that airs on History will be unique from what airs on History. Barrett-Jackson Live will be distributed globally by A+E International. Read original story Barrett-Jackson Auto Auctions to Move From Motor Trend to A+Es History Channel and FYI At TheWrap Austria Aurelia Seidlhofer Aurelia Seidlhofer, 29, debt reporter European friends think the UKs a bit crazy now. It was seen as reasonable, but the chaos has changed that. I once declined to continue dating a guy because he voted Brexit. Luckily, most Londoners are Remainers. Belgium Fabienne Pasquion Fabienne Pasquion, 46, freelance PR consultant My mental wellbeing suffered in the months following the referendum. I felt a sense of grieving for the country which had been my home for more than 20 years. The nationalist and racist rhetoric has scared me. Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and being granted settled status all helped. Bulgaria Alena Ivanova Alena Ivanova, 32, charity worker My colleagues baked me a F*** Brexit cake for my birthday, which I loved. The thing I worry about is the lack of physical documentation to prove settled or pre-settled status. With the Windrush generation, there were physical records and they got destroyed. We have nothing, and Im anxious about how safe our data is. Croatia Zvonimir Zavacki Zvonimir Zavacki, 49, cybersecurity professional I applied for settled status after the early system difficulties, and I was really surprised by the easy and smooth process. I got pre-settled status in a day. Some of the investors I know decided to cancel moving to London, while others are preparing their exit strategy. Cyprus Andreas Adamides Andreas Adamides, 44, CEO of meeting app CatchApp I come from a country that has been forever divided. Initially, Brexit felt like deja vu. However, I now believe that Britain will move forward in an agile way, making fast decisions that are good for business and the economy. Czech Republic Dominika Matuskova Dominika Matuskova, 27, tour guide and office administrator I came to the UK for the big world experience in 2015 and found a job in two days. The Brexit vote left me stunned; I felt quite unwanted. Recently my partner and I came to the conclusion that a post-Brexit UK is not the country we want to start a family in, so this year were planning our own personal Brexit. Denmark Henrik Torp Henrik Torp, 45, makeup artist for Kay Burley Its a bit like after a breakup: you need to keep working, keep your head above it and take things one day at a time. Ive been approved for settled status now, which Im very pleased about. Im worried about my taxes. Im self-employed and work in Denmark and London, so once the UK is out of the EU my tax bill is going to be much harder to figure out. Estonia Janek Valgepea Janek Valgepea, 25, facilities and IT support manager I am concerned that I have no proof of residence on paper. Last autumn I was looking for a new room to rent in London, and it was the first time that hardly anyone bothered to respond to my SpareRoom messages. After two weeks I decided to change my name from Janek to Jay, and after that I started receiving responses. In places where I revealed my nationality, I was told I may not be the right fit. Finland Eeva Lehtonen Eeva Lehtonen, 26, MA student and communications assistant I think its valid to say pre-Brexit Britain was a different place. It feels like most of my EU friends are leaving. Im glad that all the UK cities I have lived in Glasgow, Cambridge and London have been very pro-EU, so Ive not experienced having anything negative said to my face. France Cedric Previtali Cedric Previtali, 42, head of IT services I arrived in the UK in 2003 with broken English and a 50 note in my pocket. Seventeen years on, I am a homeowner and a father. Unless they physically bring me back to my country, Ill be here for the next 10 years. My British son is nine and needs stability. He recently told me that he is English, even though his mum is originally from eastern Europe and I am French. I didnt argue I want him to have roots somewhere he feels he belongs, and London is a great place to be. I didnt even realise Brexit was happening this week. Thats how much interest I have in the subject. Germany Julian Laufs Julian Laufs, 26, PhD candidate at UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science Thankfully my university offered some Android phones and lots of good advice on how to deal with applications. Should I stay? One of the biggest issues is that a lot of EU research grants will in the future go somewhere else. Its not just about money but collaborating with other institutions and researchers across Europe. Greece Alex Papasotiriou Alex Papasotiriou, 29, immigration barrister Ive been granted settled status, but I was lucky to have chosen a profession that meant I was familiar with immigration law and processes. Lets not forget the Windrush scandal. In the absence of a physical document verifying settled status, how can someone, following Brexit, satisfy prospective employers or landlords, who may not make the effort to verify their status online? Hungary Gabor Csete Gabor Csete, 32, brewer at Beavertown Our newborn daughter is the most important element for my partner and I. We love living in London but will move if we have to. Ive lived in the UK for eight years and gaining settled status was straightforward. The only thing that changed is the behaviour of some people. In Kent, a man shouted Go home f***ing immigrants, but I just laughed. In London people are open-minded. Ireland Katie OHoulihan Katie OHoulihan, 24, masters student We dont need to apply for settled status because were protected by the Common Travel Area agreement, independently of the EU. Under it, Irish and British citizens have the right to live, work, study and travel within the area and enjoy certain associated rights such as access to healthcare, social housing, welfare support and voting in certain elections. Italy Elettra Scrivo Elettra Scrivo, 23, masters student I found the process of applying for pre-settled status very long and irritating. I had to borrow someones Android phone as the app didnt work on iPhones, which already made the process longer than it should have been. Thankfully I have a friend who works [in immigration services] helping EU nationals with applications. Latvia Darja Vodchica Darja Vodchica, 32, au pair and student I took time off to go back to Latvia when my mum fell ill, so Im in the habit of travelling back and forth out of Britain. She died last year, which was awful. I feel like Britain is home because Ive lived here for 12 years. You can feel the changes at the airport, with staff asking if Id travelled for tourism, or if I lived here, and where Id lived for the last five years. Lithuania Dalia Asanaviciute Dalia Asanaviciute, 44, manager of Dziugas UK Ltd Ive become a bit of a news buff, posting news online to people in the Lithuanian community group with only basic English, so theyre up to date with Brexit. I have friends who have lived here for 15 years; suddenly I see their Facebook profile picture is them in Vilnius with a caption Im home!. As a single mother of two, Im not exactly lonelier, but it is sad. Luxembourg Max Mausen Max Mausen, 29, freelance musician I rely heavily on travelling between countries for my work, performing throughout Europe. Ive already noticed some concert organisers being more cautious when booking musicians from the UK. Most of my family live in Luxembourg and Holland, so its worrying to know it will be harder to see them, especially at short notice. Malta Matthew Vella Matthew Vella, 28, designer Something as simple as getting settled status made me feel more calm, as it means Im allowed to stay in the country for another five years. Another element is the number of other European individuals I know living in London who all share similar concerns about the consequences of Brexit. Netherlands Nora Sewuster Nora Sewuster, 25, tech salesperson Being in software sales, I have found it amusing and frustrating that I couldnt even download the settlement app on my iPhone. It has been a faff. Im very worried about the economy of the UK, and the whole Brexit process has made me realise there are plenty of other good places to live. Poland ukasz Marek Sielski ukasz Marek Sielski, 35, IT consultant Ive spent hours trying to learn my rights. I have settled status, but my three-year-old sons situation is unknown, as you need to have lived here for five years. The guidelines say children born to parents settled here must apply, but the Home Office hasnt replied to my query. Portugal Carlota Lanca de Morais Carlota Lanca de Morais, 24, nanny I found the post-Brexit process straightforward. I was granted limited leave to remain in the United Kingdom, also known as pre-settled status. I can continue to work in the UK, use the NHS, continue to study if I desire to do so, access public funds if Im eligible, and travel freely in and out of the UK. Romania Andrei Dinca Andrei Dinca, 28, language company manager My settled status application only took me about 10 minutes to complete, and I received confirmation the next morning. It was a relief and definitely made me feel a bit more welcome here. My wife and I have talked about moving to another country, but for the time being well just wait and see what happens. Brexit is an incredible mistake and I hope that it can be rectified in a generation or two. Slovakia Julia Kozakova Julia Kozakova, 21, student I came to the UK in September to study at SOAS University of London. My father didnt want me to come here because of Brexit, but I didnt really believe it would happen. Ive applied for settled status, and Im waiting to hear the result. Im just hoping there wont be any tangible or aggressive changes for those of us living here from abroad. Slovenia Miha Smirnov Ostir Miha Smirnov Ostir, 27, piano teacher I love living in London, so the thought of moving is out of the question. I still feel very welcomed in this country and I think the UK is always going to be a desirable place to live, with a lot of opportunities. Spain Pablo Gonzalez-Iglesias Pablo Gonzalez-Iglesias, 30, co-founder and CEO of marketplace app Vendi I tried to download the settlement app and it told me it only supported iPhone 8 or above. Being an entrepreneur is stressful, and throwing Brexit into the mix has been an added stress bomb. Sweden Linda Konde Linda Konde, 32, editor TISER Ale is set for a return after drinkers supped 5,500 pints during the first run of our special edition beer. We teamed up with Chantry Brewery to produce the drink celebrating the Advertisers return to Rotherham in late 2019. And we treated readers to a couple of free pints in December helping it to sell out completely within weeks. But we can reveal that Tiser Ale will return with a limited run when the Rotherham Real Ale and Music Festival hits Magna from February 27 to 29. Advertiser editor Andrew Mosley said: We were delighted to launch Tiser Ale in association with a brewery that produces beers of the quality of Chantry. It was the perfect way to celebrate our return to Rotherham and it proved to be an exceptionally good pint. We are grateful to everyone who purchased a paper to sample a free pint at the Cutlers Arms or New York Tavern and subsequently bought a few afterwards, enabling it to sell in its thousands. We are also thrilled that Chantry are bringing it back for the beer festival to enable those who missed out to taste a Tiser and those who enjoyed it to do so once again. Chantry co-founder Mick Warburton said: We sold 5,500 pints of Tiser Ale and bottled 120 pints of it. Everyone loved the beer and couldn't get enough of it. Its a good, refreshing session drink. People have been asking when its coming back and were delighted to say that it will be on at the Magna beer festival. The ale festival this year celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain takes place on February 27, 28 and 29, with tickets on sale now at https://www.magnarealale.uk/. The granddaughter of assassinated lord mayor of Cork Tomas MacCurtain said she hopes the sacrifices of all involved in the struggle for Irish independence and not just the famous names will be remembered this year. Fionnuala MacCurtain was speaking last night as the city marked the centenary of her grandfathers historic election as the first republican lord mayor of Cork on January 30, 1920, and officially began the citys 1920 centenary commemorations. The 1920 corporation was the first with a republican majority and the first democratic forum in Ireland to recognise the legitimacy of the then fledgling Dail Eireann. Within two months of his election as lord mayor, MacCurtain was shot dead by members of the Royal Irish Constabulary at his home in Blackpool. As he lay fatally wounded, he was cradled by his pregnant wife, Elizabeth, and four-year-old son, Tomas Ms MacCurtains father Elizabeth whispered to him: Remember its for Ireland, which became the title of Ms MacCurtains family memoir. His murder sparked outrage. His successor, Terence MacSwiney, godfather to young Tomas, would die on hunger strike in a London prison that October. Their deaths focused world attention on Irelands struggle for independence. Ms MacCurtain, and two of her children, Aron and Sarah, were among the guests of honour as Cork City Council held a special meeting last night to mark the centenary of MacCurtains election. She said she hopes more people will become more mindful of the sacrifices of all who were involved in the struggle for independence. I dont want to sound melodramatic but it is an emotional time for the family, said Ms MacCurtain. I hold this name by birthright but there are other families who died or suffered greatly for Ireland. Many were imprisoned or exiled. Many people lost loved ones, many people suffered in the struggle and we were no different. People like the Delaney brothers, Cornelius and Jeremiah. They had families and loved ones as well. People like Joe Murphy who died on hunger strike at the same time as Terence MacSwiney. His death was as painful and as bad for his family. There is no hierarchy in death. But you dont have to die for Ireland to be a patriot. Ms MacCurtain also said that over the course of the year, she hopes people will learn more about her grandfathers life, and not just remember him because of the circumstances of his death. His lifes achievements have been overshadowed by the way he died, she said. He was running a business, teaching Irish, he was a writer, a great musician I hope people get a chance this year to know the person rather than just how he died. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A proposal backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to overhaul New Mexicos retirement system for firefighters and other government employees passed its first legislative test Thursday. The proposal, Senate Bill 72, cleared the Senate Public Affairs Committee 5-2 and now heads to the Finance Committee, potentially its last stop before reaching the full Senate. The proposal is aimed at shoring up the finances of the Public Employees Retirement Association and ensuring the fund is strong enough to withstand an economic downturn. It drew intense opposition in Thursdays hearing from retirees who turned out to oppose a provision that would change how their annual cost-of-living adjustment is calculated. Supporters of the proposal including a number of firefighters said the changes are difficult but necessary to ensure the long-term health of the pension fund. Sen. George Munoz, a Gallup Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said the legislation would put the retirement system on track to full funding. The current system, he said, isnt sustainable. Its like taking out a mortgage and never making a payment, Munoz said of the finances now. The debate didnt fall along party lines. Two Democrats and three Republicans voted in favor of the legislation, while two Democrats Antoinette Sedillo Lopez of Albuquerque and Liz Stefanics of Cerrillos voted against it. Stefanics said she was concerned about a provision requiring state and local governments to pay more into the retirement system. Small communities, she said, might face difficult staffing choices because of the increased cost. We have some cities and counties that are near bankruptcy, she said. Senate Minority Leader Stuart Ingle, R-Portales, said its time to act. If we dont fix this now, he said, its not fixable. The amount of liability will continue to get bigger and bigger. If were going to keep this (retirement system) going, were all going to have to make some sacrifices. Under the bill, PERA would move to a profit-sharing model for the annual cost-of-living adjustments that most retirees now receive. Rather than an automatic 2% increase in their pensions each year, the actual amount for most retirees would fluctuate from 0.5% to 3% depending on investment returns. Employers and employees would also have to pay more into the system, among other changes. The proposal focuses on members of PERA. It wouldnt affect employees covered by the Educational Retirement Board. EPA Donald Trump looks all but certain to be acquitted by the Senate perhaps as imminently as Friday evening after Republicans came together to reject a Democratic effort to force new evidence and witnesses ahead of the president's impeachment vote. Just two Republicans broke rank to vote with Democrats in favour of further witnesses, which will likely allow Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell to make good on his previous promise not to act as an impartial juror. In response, Chuck Schumer cast the results as making it impossible for Mr Trump to be truly vindicated. "If the president is acquitted with no witnesses, no documents, the acquittal will have no value because Americans will know that this trial was not a real trial," Mr Schumer said. The president was meanwhile on jubilant form at his latest Keep America Great rally in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday night, mocking his potential 2020 challengers and bizarrely warning his rural audience that the opposition want to kill our cows and that their farms would go to hell unless he is re-elected in November. Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load Government has indicated it will establish the African Sankofa Savings Account, a Diasporan investment and savings fund, to provide investment opportunities for the Diaspora Community worldwide. Ken OforiAtta, Minister for Finance, who disclosed this at a press briefing recently in Accra, said the fund would welcome both high and low-income earners in the Diaspora who wanted to invest in their homeland. According to him, that would present another source of revenue for Ghana, where the funds would be invested in tourism infrastructure, agriculture value addition, real estates, music, culture, retirement homes, etc. He noted that the fund had the potential of raising about three billion dollars within a year or two, with the yield results moving beyond what traditional exports were earning currently. He said his outfit, Bank of Ghana and Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) were collaborating and working on the modalities, which are expected to be made public soon. Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Barbara Oteng Gyasi, has lauded the project saying, one of the seven pillars government has adopted in Beyond the Year of Return was to create investment opportunities for the Diasporans and establish the Sankofa fund. Describing activities which marked the Year of Return as successful, she said the private sector should desist from needlessly increasing the price of their goods and services, since that could distract tourists to other destinations. Some Africans from the Diaspora who have lived in Ghana for a number of years who were present at the event lauded the government for the initiative. They said they were ready to support government initiatives that would bring more Diasporan investors and visitors back home. The Year of Return, Ghana 2019 is a major landmark and birth-right journey inviting the Global African family, home and abroad, to mark 400 years of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia. Close to a million Diasporans are believed to have visited Ghana. Source: Daily Guide Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Actor Park Seo-joon made a promise to open a pop-up bar for the viewers when the upcoming drama "Itaewon Class" rates over 10 percent viewership. Yonhap By Lee Gyu-lee Heartthrob actor Park Seo-joon made a promise to open a one-day 'Pocha' (Korean style bar) and spend time with the viewers if the upcoming JTBC drama "Itaewon Class" attracts over 10 percent viewership. "Although ratings don't solely define the production staffs' hard work, I would be very satisfied if we surpass a 10 percent rating," he said during a press conference for the series, Thursday, held in Yeouido, Seoul. Known for playing sweet boyfriend figure roles, Park took on the role of Sae-royi, an ex-convict who strives to run a Pocha in Itaewon, known as the heart of Seoul's colorful nightlife. Based on the webcomics of the same name, the series unfolds Sae-royi's coming-of-age story as he starts a food business with fellow youngsters played by actors Kim Da-mi, Kim Dong-hee, and Lee Joo-young. As the series starts with Sae-royi as a high schooler, Park noted he had to recall his own youth to play the character naturally. "It was awkward since it has been a while since I've graduated so I had to think about how I behaved and tried to imitate the habits I used to have back then," he said. He humoredly added, "On the other hand, I had this face since middle school so (my appearance) wasn't a problem." A poster for JTBC's new drama, which will go on air Friday. Courtesy of JTBC A teenage boy was taken to a police station by his own mum after allegedly starting a bushfire on a reserve near Sydney. The 14-year-old boy was arrested after police claimed he lit the blaze near a school in Castle Hill in Sydney's north-west. A group of teenagers are understood to have desperately tried to douse the fire with water, before a team from NSW Fire and Rescue arrived to put it out. The fire threatened the nearby Samuel Gilbert Public School, where dozens of children were attending an after-school club. The blaze broke out in a bush reserve in Castle Hill (pictured) just yards from a local school where kids where enjoying an after-hours club A police spokesman said: 'A teenager has been arrested following a fire at a bush reserve in Sydneys north-west yesterday. 'About 4:20pm (Friday 31 January 2020) emergency services responded to reports of a fire in bushland on Excalibur Avenue, Castle Hill. 'A group of young people attempted to douse the flames before NSW Fire and Rescue attended and extinguished the blaze. Officers attached to The Hills Police Area Command attended and commenced inquiries. 'Later that afternoon, a 14-year-old boy was arrested after attending Castle Hill Police Station accompanied by his mother. The teen will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act. Inquiries continue.' The teenager was taken to Castle Hill police station (pictured) by his mother, where he was arrested by police Political rows have broken out about the cause of Australia's deadly bushfire season, with some saying that cases of arson are more responsible than climate change. Earlier this month, Liberal MP Craig Kelly claimed that 'arson is not caused by climate change'. The MP, who is known for his climate change skepticism, put forward his opinion on why the country is gripped in a fire emergency during an appearance on ABC's RN Breakfast show. 'Unprecedented' numbers of people had been arrested and charged with arson offences, he claimed. 'The arson is not caused by climate change.' It comes as blisteringly hot conditions on Saturday threaten to make bushfires worse across New South Wales (pictured) Some politicians and commentators have seized on cases of arson to argue that the impact of climate change has been overstated. Backbencher Mr Kelly sparked a row on UK television after claiming there was 'no link' between climate change and the fires in an interview on Good Morning Britain. He told host Piers Morgan and Laura Tobin: 'What causes the main thing of the fires is the build up of the fuel on the ground and the drought.' During the interview Mr Kelly also defended Prime Minister Scott Morrison's decision to holiday in Hawaii amid the crisis. Miss Tobin hit back at Mr Kelly, branding him a 'climate denier'. She told him: 'We want everyone in the world to lower the global temperature rise by 1.5C, you [Australia] can't even commit to 2C. 'You have the second highest carbon emission on earth and you are burying your head in the sand. 'You're not a climate sceptic - you're a climate denier.' Following the interview, Mr Kelly caused outrage by calling meteorologist Laura Tobin an 'ignorant Pommy weather girl' on Twitter. He later told ABC News that Tobin 'had no idea what she was talking about.' New reports of the contents of former White House adviser John Boltons book have surfaced hours before the Senate is scheduled to vote on whether to call witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Trump. According to the New York Times, Bolton writes in his forthcoming book that Trump directed him to assist in the pressure campaign to coerce Ukrainian officials to conduct investigations against Joe and Hunter Biden during a May meeting at which the presidents lawyer Rudy Giuliani, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, and White House counsel Pat Cipillone were present. During the meeting, Trump directed Bolton to set up a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Giuliani, who was then planning a trip to Ukraine to discuss the opening of the Biden investigation with government officials. Giuliani on Friday denied he was present at such a meeting, while Trump said Boltons alleged account was wrong. The Times Sunday report on Boltons book, The Room Where it Happened, disrupted Republicans blanket opposition to calling witnesses in the impeachment trial. After unanimously resisting Democrats calls for Bolton to testify, moderate Republicans began to waver on Monday. Democrats need four Republican senators to vote in favor of calling witnesses in order for the motion to pass. Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine have announced their support, however moderate Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has still not released her position. Senator Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.), considered a swing vote, came out Thursday against calling witnesses. Democrats may argue that because revelations from Boltons book have surfaced once again, a vote to allow witnesses at the trialpresumably including Boltonwould be necessary. The revelation that Trumps pressure campaign had begun as early as May and involved Bolton directly came moments after Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) warned of the possibility the vote on President Trumps impeachment may be pushed back to next week. Story continues My guess is it probably is going to carry us over to the first part of next week, Cornyn told CNN. White House officials also told the network it was possible the trial would drag out into next week. I never instructed John Bolton to set up a meeting for Rudy Giuliani, one of the greatest corruption fighters in Americato meet with President Zelensky. That meeting never happened, Trump told the Times. More from National Review Syrian government forces, backed by Russia, retook Maaret al-Numan, a strategic town in Idlib province, and surrounding villages this week. Maaret al-Numan is a key node for the M5 highway linking Damascus with Aleppo, a long-sought Syrian military objective in the war. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Syrian and Russian victory seems to come with a cost. His close ally and friend, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has publicly questioned Russian commitments to their deconfliction and cease-fire agreements in Syria; the latest cease-fire began Jan. 12. Erdogan said this week that unfortunately, Russia hasn't abided by either the Astana or the Sochi agreements, referring to deconfliction and cease-fire agreements involving the so-called Astana group Russia, Turkey and Iran. We have waited until now, but from this point, we are going to take our own actions. This is not a threat but our expectation is that Russia will give the regime the necessary warning. He declared the Astana process moribund. Turkey backs some of the opposition groups in Idlib province, including those in and around Maaret al-Numan, and has Turkish troops stationed at outposts in the region. Ankara fears an influx of tens of thousands of refugees, or even much more, and has closed its border with Idlib. For Putin, this is all part of his high-stakes, high-risk strategy for Syria. Erdogan has few cards to play, and must work with and through Putin, no matter what. The retaking of Maaret al-Numan, and the M5, may give Putin a breather, and a bit more leverage, to restart his efforts to reconcile for another round of diplomacy. A "sour message" in Damascus This latest chapter began with Putins surprise visit to Damascus on Jan. 7. While that meeting symbolized the strength of the Russian-Syrian partnership, and that Syria had turned a corner in the war, Putin came with a big ask for Assad: Could there be a cease-fire or pause in Idlib just to allow Turkey to relocate some of the armed groups to Libya and to force others to break with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and while Putin worked his track II diplomacy with Erdogan? Assad took this as a "sour message," according to Maxim Suchkov. The Syrian president sensed momentum in Idlib, especially with the world preoccupied with US actions in Iran and Iraq, following the US drone strike that killed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani on Jan. 3. And not that Putin himself didnt share Assads priority for retaking Idlib province, a holdout of opposition groups, including as many as 20,000-30,000 terrorists such as HTS, the progeny of al-Qaeda and Jabhat al-Nusra and affiliated radical jihadi groups. Putin has been frustrated at Turkeys failure to separate the so-called moderate and nationalist forces from HTS and the jihadi armed gang, as called for in the Sochi agreements. The Idlib offensive has been fully backed by the Russian military, whose ties with the Syria go back decades. Assad, it seemed, responded with a kind of Well see, knowing that he probably had the edge in setting the tempo in the Dawn of Idlib offensive, which began in December. Meeting of top spymasters in Moscow leads to rough consensus on Idlib Putin was in Turkey on Jan. 8, the day following his meeting with Assad, for a previously planned visit. Putins two-day shuttle diplomacy with Assad and Erdogan produced a cease-fire, which started Jan. 12, and a meeting in Moscow Jan. 13, between Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan and his Syrian counterpart Ali Mamlouk, the most senior direct contact between Turkey and Syria since 2011. Mamlouk laid out Syrias position: a timetable for withdrawal of Turkish forces from Syria, and for Turkey to rein in armed rebel groups in Idlib. Fidan said that Turkey wanted coordination on a plan to deal with the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers a terrorist group; a truce in Idlib to prevent more refugee flows to Turkey; better intelligence coordination and military deconfliction to prevent military escalation, according to the scoop from Metin Gurcan. According to Fehim Tastekin, the spymaster summit led to a rough consensus on the Idlib operation. and another failed cease-fire The cease-fire in Idlib broke down soon after the Jan. 13 meeting, with accusations on both sides, accelerating an already massive humanitarian crisis in Idlib. In a briefing to the UN Security Council this week, Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said that fighting in the Idlib area, especially around Maaret al-Numan, Saraqeb and western Aleppo appears to be more intense than anything we have seen in the last year. He noted that more than 100 civilians, mostly women and children, have been killed in the onslaught in Idlib province and western Aleppo since Jan. 1, in addition to 1,500 killed since April 2019. Our assessment is that at least 20,000 people have moved [from Idlib province] in the last two days [since Jan. 27], he added. Some 115,000 have left in the past week. Nearly 390,000 have fled in the past two months [with] 850,000 in need of assistance in Syria each month, since 2019. For Turkey, which already hosts close to 3.7 million Syrian refugees, another exodus is out of the question. Furthermore, Turkish troops are stationed in observer outposts in Idlib province, per the Memorandum on the Creation of De-escalation Areas in Syria signed by the Astana group in May 2017. These outposts are often in close proximity to Syrian attacks. The Turkish Defense Ministry warned Jan. 28, Any attempt to endanger the security of our Observation and Control Points operating within the scope of the Astana and Sochi Accords will be responded to in the strongest manner without any hesitation based on the right of self-defence. Putin and Erdogan need to talk Syrias retaking of the M5 highway may provide a pause for Putin to take another run at diplomacy with Erdogan and Assad. Russias diplomatic and military surge in Syria has been a high-risk endeavor for Putin. The Russian presidents thin red lines in this round have probably been to assure that there would be no deliberate or "accidental" attacks by Russian-backed Syrian forces on Turkish outposts, and that Syrian forces would go into a "hold" posture after taking Maaret al-Numan to secure the M5 highway and limit refugee flows. Russia's chief of the armed forces' general staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, spoke by phone with his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Yashar Guler, on Jan. 30, probably to discuss that line. Expect Putin and Erdogan to connect by phone, if not in person, very soon, to settle the situation, as Suchkov reports here. Erdogans bluster may be more smoke than fire, and for domestic consumption, as Tastekin writes. These is some lost face for Erdogan. His forces did not resist the Syrian advance, and he didnt buck up the armed groups Turkey supports. Some of the groups under siege around Maaret al-Numan are ones he backs; the town is not an HTS haven. Erdogan knows he cant afford to escalate the conflict, risk more casualties and refugees, and undermine his relationship with Putin, with so many other issues Libya, arms purchases, economic ties, poor relations with the United States, his perception of the Syrian Kurdish threat all in play. Erdogan cant be happy with how this has played out, but Syria is a quagmire for him, not Putin. Putin plays the diplomatic game in Syria as if he were gambling with other peoples money. One can probably envision a reason for a three-way negotiation among Russia, Syria and Turkey to hammer out some understanding on the Kurds. He still envisions a diplomatic breakthrough along the outlines of a cease-fire based on an updated version of a 1998 treaty between Syria and Turkey, in which Damascus ended its support and expelled the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The PKK is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and Turkey, and considered by Ankara (and others) as one and the same with the YPG. The YPG is also the backbone of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the US partner in the northeast, and which maintains control of oil fields there. The Kurds are also in play. Amberin Zaman, in an exclusive interview with SDF Secretary-General Mazlum Kobane last week the SDF has its own relationship with the Syrian government and military outlined the SDFs offer to cool down tensions with Turkey. As we noted here last week, Kobanes offer may be dead on arrival in Ankara or not, depending on whether Putin picks up the thread. Our guess is that the Russian president incorporates Kobanes goodwill gesture in his diplomatic arsenal. On refugees, Putins appeal to Erdogan, including in a joint statement by the Astana group in December, was for refugees to return to their original places of residence in Syria not just the Turkish-controlled safe zone in northeast Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned in a statement this week, in response to the escalation in Idlib, that the United States is prepared to enact the strongest diplomatic and economic actions against the Assad regime and any state or individual that aids its brutal agenda. The grandparents of one of two missing children have begged their mother to reveal where they are as she faces criminal charges for missing a court-ordered deadline to bring the kids to authorities in Idaho. Lori Vallow had been ordered by a court to bring her children - Tylee Ryan, 17, and seven-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow - to authorities in Rexburg by Thursday afternoon. She missed that deadline and it now clears the way for a judge to potentially hold Vallow in contempt of court. Vallow, who was found in Hawaii over the weekend with her new husband Chad Daybell, could now face extradition to Idaho to face charges. The couple fled Idaho after police began questioning Vallow on the whereabouts and welfare of her children. Tylee and JJ haven't been seen since September and the recent developments have sparked fears the children may not still be alive. After missing the deadline, Kay and Larry Woodcock pleaded with Vallow to prove their grandson JJ and his sister Tylee were safe. Grandparents Kay and Larry Woodcock have pleaded with Lori Vallow to reveal where her children are. Tylee Ryan, 17, and seven-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow haven't been seen since September and the recent developments have sparked fears the children may not still be alive 'Show me they're alive,' Larry said. 'The only thing that I care about is those two grandkids. We're here, I'll get on my knees and I'll beg. Just give me JJ. That's all I want.' JJ's grandmother described Vallow as a 'monster' and said she was smug and arrogant. 'Bring the kids, that's it,' Kay said. 'I don't care to ask her anything. I don't care. Kay admitted she doesn't know what will happen next and said she's clinging to hope the children are still alive. 'I'd love to know where those kids are and I think all of America wants to know where they are. I think all of this is beyond crazy,' she said. 'How do you not know where your child is? How do you not have them for four months?' Larry and Kay said they weren't optimistic that Vallow would ever show in Idaho. 'She's got all the attention on her - good, bad or indifferent - and it's going to be bad if she doesn't show up,' Kay said. 'Do I believe? Yes, I want to believe that [she will],' Larry said in an interview with ABC News. 'Do I think that she's going to bring them? Honestly, no.' 'Nothing with Lori right now makes sense,' he said, adding that the Lori he's known for the past 12 years 'is not the same person that is here on Earth today'. Tylee (right) and JJ (left) haven't been seen since September and the recent developments have sparked fears the children may not still be alive Lori and her new husband Chad Daybell have been living in Hawaii since mid-December after fleeing Idaho when police began asking questions about where her children were. The couple were seen for the first time on Sunday (above) after they were served with search warrants Timeline of Joshua and Tylee's disappearance July 11: Lori Vallow's husband, Charles Vallow, killed in self-defense by her brother, Alex Cox, in Arizona following an argument between the three people August: The last time Joshua's grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, said they saw the boy via FaceTime August: September: Lori moved children Joshua and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho September 23: The last time Joshua was seen at his school in Idaho October: Activity found on a Venmo account that may belong to Tylee October 19: Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell, dies at their home in Rexburg. Officials rule her death to be of natural causes October 22: Tammy is buried in Springville, Utah October 25: A friend of Tylee receives a text from her phone Early November: Lori and Chad get married November 26: Out-of-state relatives ask Idaho police to perform a welfare check on Joshua. Lori and Chad claim he is in Arizona with a family friend. Police also learn Tylee has not been seen since September, either November 27: Police execute a search warrant at Lori and Chad's home, discovering the couple have fled the city December 11: Tammy Daybell's body is exhumed from the Utah cemetery December 12: Lori's brother, Alex Cox, believed to have died in Arizona December 21: Rexburg police issue a press release about J.J. and Tylee, revealing they believe the children's disappearance is linked to the death of Tammy Daybell December 24: Lori and Chad issue a statement through an attorney saying they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor' December 30: Police accuse Lori and Chad of lying to investigators and say they believe the couple know where the children are or what happened to them January 26: Lori and Chad are seen for the first time in months as police serve two search warrants in Kaua'i Advertisement The family say they will continue their fight to find J.J. and Tylee. 'We're in this for the long haul,' Larry said. 'This is not going to end tomorrow. I'm not going to let it end. Kay is not going to let it end. Our family is not going to let this end.' Police have said Vallow and her new husband have lied about the children's whereabouts and even their very existence, with Daybell allegedly telling one person that Vallow had no kids. Vallow also allegedly told another person that her daughter had died more than a year earlier. The tangled case spans multiple states and includes investigations into three separate deaths: Vallow's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, was shot and killed in Phoenix in July by Lori's brother, Alex Cox. Cox, who claimed the shooting was in self-defense, died of unknown causes in December. In October, Daybell's wife Tammy Daybell died of what her obituary said was natural causes. But when Daybell married Vallow just two weeks after Tammy's death, law enforcement became suspicious and ultimately had Tammy's remains exhumed. The test results on Tammy's remains and on Alex Cox have not yet been released. The case also involves rumors of a cult - Vallow reportedly believes she is 'a god assigned to carry out the work of the 144,000 at Christ's second coming in July 2020', according to divorce documents Charles Vallow filed before his death. Daybell has written several apocalyptic novels based loosely on Mormon religious theology. Both were involved in a group that promotes preparedness for the biblical end-times. The children, J.J. and Tylee, were last seen in Rexburg on September 23 but were never reported missing by their mother. Authorities began searching for the children after performing a welfare check on November 26 ordered by concerned relatives who said they hadn't spoken to J.J., who is autistic, in months. Police questioned Daybell and Vallow about the missing kids and the couple left town before police returned the next day. They were stopped by investigators in Hawaii on Saturday and served with the order to produce the kids. Following a search, authorities concluded there was no evidence that J.J. and Tylee were ever in Hawaii with their mother. Authorities say the couple have repeatedly lied about where J.J. and Tylee are and refused to cooperate with the investigation. Lori and Chad were labeled persons of interest as investigators said they believe the mother knows where her children are or what happened to them. Lori's estranged husband Charles Vallow (pictured together) was shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox, in July Chad's then-wife Tammy Daybell (pictured together) was found dead under mysterious circumstances in October, just two weeks before he married Lori Authorities say they had known for some time that the couple were in Hawaii where Lori lived with Charles a few years back. Their whereabouts became public on Sunday when officers served them with search warrants for their car and the townhome. A reporter for the East Idaho News, who had received a tip about the search warrants the day before, approached the couple in the parking lot after the police confrontation. Lori and Chad stayed silent and kept walking as the reporter, Nate Eaton, repeatedly asked them where the children are and if they are alive. The mother only spoke once after the reporter said that people eastern Idaho and across the country are praying for J.J. and Tylee. 'That's great,' she replied. No charges have been filed against Lori or Chad and no warrants have been issued for the arrests. The Rexburg Police Department, which is leading the investigation with assistance from Kaua'i and federal authorities, has refused to elaborate on what will happen if Lori doesn't show in Idaho because the case remains sealed and confidential. An attorney for Lori and Chad issued on their behalf last month, saying they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor'. Once the caucuses are over, the Democrat machine leaves (Iowa) and goes on to the next states, he said. They leave that void that lets us run a general election campaign. Thats a big reason many observers believe that Trump will hold on to Iowa in the general election, although it remains a purple state with a slight-red lean, political observers say. One wild card is how the farm economy will rebound from the Trump administrations trade disputes with China, Mexico and Canada, said David Peterson, a political science professor at Iowa State. I dont know of anybody who can more easily and clearly connect the stakes of whats happening in Washington and their financial circumstances than farmers, he said. The president spent much of his speech touting progress on trade. He told farmers in the crowd that if they stick with him, they will make more money. He said a deal with Europe is coming. Rally attendee Andy Ladwig, who raises corn, soybeans and cattle near Kiron, Iowa, said that he likes Trumps approach to trade and that he hopes that recent progress provides more predictability. Throughout the history of combined arms, artillery has played a key role in supporting the infantry. Commanders laying siege to fortified cities would call upon their engineers to identify weak points in defensive walls. Resources and manpower were then allocated to construct trebuchets, the medieval great-grandfathers of modern artillery. There were two classes of trebuchets to choose from: the traction trebuchet and the more commonly known counterweight trebuchet. Both were made-to-order siege engines of battlefield superiority. And they kicked copious amounts of ass. The design for the traction trebuchet was born in Asia and spread throughout Europe and the Middle East. It saw service from 1,000 AD to 1,300 AD, mostly during the crusades, used to liberate cities in the Holy Land. The trebuchet had three 4 parts: a static frame, a dynamic beam on an axle, a sling to hold the payload, and ropes on the opposite side to pull down the beam to 'fire.' It was manned by a team of 20 to 140 troops, depending on its size. Projectiles were between 2 lbs and 130 lbs. The firing range changed from shot to shot, based on the strength of those pulling the ropes. This model was faster to build, transport, and cheaper to make with a high rate of fire. Unfortunately, to use it, you had to pull exorbitant numbers of troops away from the battlefield. The counterweight trebuchet was invented in the Mediterranean region in the late twelfth century and it was adopted in northern Europe and deep into Islamic-controlled areas. To this day, historians cannot reach a consensus on whether it was invented in Europe or the Middle East. The new counterweight mechanism pulled the beam down to launch the projectile instead of relying on men to pull it down with ropes. The sling that held the payload was extended to improve range and the beam was made thicker than its predecessor all because more power didn't necessarily mean more manpower. Battles in the 14th century saw payloads as massive as 510 to 560lbs, but something between 100-200lbs was most common. These massive payloads could reach ranges of as far as 900ft. Some sources say that trebuchets were also used to fling diseased corpses over city walls an early form of chemical warfare. The counterweight trebuchet could consistently deliver heavier munitions at longer distances than its predecessor. It was, however, a very complex machine to build properly and specialists were few and far between. Both the traction trebuchet and the counterweight trebuchet could be modified to include wheels, but the former could only be fired from a locked position due to its size. Regardless, once constructed and fortified, there were few disadvantages to the trebuchet. Traction trebuchet were most often used to fire at buildings outside of city walls, while the counterweight trebuchet had the range and destructive capabilities to assault walls directly. The trebuchet could provide whatever a given battle required. They were versatile machines, capable of different ranges, fire rates, and power, depending on the situation. The trebuchet was such a successful piece of engineering that it solidified its place as the superior siege engine far more powerful and reliable than the inferior catapult. MORE POSTS FROM WE ARE THE MIGHTY: Four exotic weapons that will make you rethink ancient warfare Why even today artillery still has a key role in winning battles 7 real excuses troops use that no NCO ever believes We Are The Mighty (WATM) celebrates service with stories that inspire. WATM is made in Hollywood by veterans. It's military life presented like never before. Check it out at We Are the Mighty. This image provided by the Royal Mint shows a commemorative 50p (about 65 U.S. cents) coin to mark Britain's departure from the European Union (EU) on Jan. 31. Bearing the inscription "Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations" and the new Brexit date, about 3 million such Brexit coins will enter circulation across Britain from Friday. (Royal Mint/Handout via Xinhua) LONDON, Jan. 30 -- Amid continuing public concerns over uncertainties, Britain is set to leave the European Union (EU) on Friday after its Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal was given final seal of approval in the European Parliament Wednesday. There were emotional scenes in the European Parliament as MEPs voted by 621 to 49 in favour of the Withdrawal Agreement and linked hands to sing a final chorus of Auld Lang Syne. British MEPs are packing up their offices in Brussels, as 3 million Brexit commemorative 50p (about 65.5 U.S. cents) coins, promising "friendship with all nations", will go into circulation across Britain on Friday to mark the exit at 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT). Johnson is expected to deliver a speech next week saying he is willing to accept border checks after Brexit, with sovereignty prioritised over frictionless trade, according to English newspaper The Daily Telegraph. However, British citizens living in the EU remain confused and worried about their post-Brexit healthcare and pension provision, despite the fact that both issues were considered settled satisfactorily in the Withdrawal Agreement, a Guardian callout suggested. More than 100 of over 600 British nationals on the continent, who responded to the callout, cited fears of shrinking pensions and losing the right to medical treatment. Much of the confusion has arisen due to the announcements last year about the rules that would apply in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The signing of the Withdrawal Agreement, a legally binding international treaty, means these announcements are no longer valid. In September, the British government announced that if Britain left the EU without a deal it would continue to fund the healthcare costs of Britons living abroad, mainly pensioners, who benefit from reciprocal healthcare arrangements for a maximum of six months, or 12 for people with pre-existing conditions. Public concerns have not been assuaged by the fact that some EU states have not updated their Brexit information online to take account of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Guardian newspaper reported. Under the agreement, at the end of the transition period in December 2020, anyone with an existing British S1 reciprocal healthcare form will continue to have their healthcare costs met by the government, as long as they remain legally resident in their host country. An S1 form will also entitle the holder to a "UK European health insurance card" for treatment when travelling within the EU. Pensioners living on the continent will also continue to be entitled, under Britain law, to free treatment in Britain, said the Guardian. With 80 percent of the estimated 1.3 million Britons on the continent of working age or younger, the Withdrawal Agreement's failure to guarantee continued rights to freedom of movement, cross-border working and cross-border recognition of professional qualifications for Britons was of real concern, said the newspaper. After 11:00 p.m. (2300 GMT) Friday, the British passport is expected to change color. Blue passports will be making a return, more than 30 years after they were replaced by the current burgundy design. Announcing the change in 2017, then British immigration minister Brandon Lewis praised the return to the "iconic" blue-and-gold design, first used in 1921. The new color will be phased in over a number of months, with all new passports issued in blue by the middle of the year. Existing burgundy passports will continue to be valid, local media reported. During the transition period starting from Feb. 1, Britain will continue to obey EU rules and pay money to the union. Johnson has said that he will not allow the transition period to be extended beyond Dec. 31. OTTAWA - The Royal Canadian Navy has replaced the commander of one its frigates as well as his second-in-command months before the warship begins a tour of the Asia-Pacific region. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Royal Canadian Navy has replaced the commander of one its frigates as well as his second-in-command only months before the warship is begin a months-long tour of the Asia-Pacific region that will include patrolling around North Korea. The HMCS Calgary is seen behind sailors during a change of command ceremony at CFB Esquimalt, in Esquimalt, B.C., Wednesday, June 24, 2015. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito OTTAWA - The Royal Canadian Navy has replaced the commander of one its frigates as well as his second-in-command months before the warship begins a tour of the Asia-Pacific region. HMCS Calgary's upcoming assignment includes enforcing sanctions against North Korea and possible run-ins with Chinese vessels. The navy says the highly unusual moves are unrelated, despite coming within only a few days of each other. They nonetheless come at a critical time for the crew of HMCS Calgary, which is at CFB Esquimalt, B.C., and will head overseas in April for three months. Cmdr. Jonathan Kouwenberg was removed as HMCS Calgary's skipper on Jan. 20 after it was determined that despite months of training, the crew was not as ready for its mission as it should have been, according to Commodore Angus Topshee, commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific. Kouwenberg's executive officer, Lt.-Cmdr. John Forbes, was relieved of his command four days earlier after being found guilty of having turned off a smoke detector in HMCS Calgary's wardroom and smoking when the frigate was docked in San Diego. He also encouraged his subordinates to smoke. Kouwenberg, who took command of HMCS Calgary in June, has been replaced by Cmdr. Alex Barlow, who recently returned from a similar mission in the Pacific as commanding officer of another frigate, HMCS Ottawa. HMCS Ottawa spent 46 days enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea, observing nine potentially illicit ship-to-ship transfers and helping intercept 13 vessels of interest. It also sailed through the Taiwan Strait, much to China's annoyance because China considers the waterway its own internal waters. Chinese warships and aircraft shadowed and buzzed another Canadian frigate, HMCS Regina, when it passed through the strait in June. HMCS Calgary is expected to conduct similar operations. "The well-being of any ship's crew is paramount to operational success, particularly when a ship is preparing to deploy," Topshee said in a statement Friday. "The commanding officer therefore plays an integral and critical role in helping to ensure the morale and resilience of sailors on board, and this, along with ensuring HMCS Calgary's operational readiness, will be among Cmdr. Barlow's top priorities." Kouwenberg remains in the Canadian Armed Forces, and Topshee said no disciplinary action was required. Following a summary trial on the wardroom smoking incident, Forbes was fined $3,000 and reprimanded, though Topshee said the Forces are deciding whether to take further action. Forbes' actions "violated the trust placed upon him by the Royal Canadian Navy as a member of HMCS Calgary's command team," Topshee said. "By virtue of his rank and position on board the ship, his actions encouraged subordinate officers to act against well-established rules." Topshee played down any impact the changes will have the frigate's mission, but acknowledged: "In terms of morale and stability, there will be a period of transition. "Building up morale and establishing trust between the command team and crew is therefore of the utmost importance during this time, and one of the top priorities of the incoming commanding officer." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 Planned economic reforms through omnibus bills on job creation and taxation, while seen as boosting investment, may risk Indonesias efforts to increase its role in global value chains and international trade, the World Bank says. According to the Banks World Development Report 2020, some countries weaken social and environmental safeguards to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) but thereby reduce their role in global value chains (GVCs). Common measures include reducing minimum wages, eliminating environmental protections and cutting corporate taxes. For Indonesia, reforms should address key impediments to participation in global value chains, including competitive labor resources and logistic bottlenecks, said World Bank East Asia Pacific chief economist Aaditya Mattoo. Minimum wages can prevent inequality, and the best way to attract FDI and GVCs is to increase productivity, said Mattoo in Jakarta on Tuesday. Wages in Indonesia were half the level of Chinas, but actual labor costs were as high because of low productivity. Indonesias education system is not equipping its people with adequate skills, Mattoo told The Jakarta Post. Investors cannot overcome the scarcity of domestic skills by drawing on foreign skills, because work permits limit skilled foreign workers to only 73 per 100,000, compared to Malaysias 858. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Dutch English French Regulated information, Leuven, 31 January 2020 (17.40 hrs CET) Interim Financial Report 2019/2020 KBC Ancora recorded a profit of EUR 69.1 million in the first half of the financial year 2019/2020, an increase of EUR 0.4 million compared with the same period in the previous financial year. The difference was due principally to a reduction in interest charges. Abridged financial summaries and notes 1 Results for the first half of the financial year 2019/2020 1H fin. year (x EUR 1,000) 2019/2020 per share (in EUR) 1H fin. year (x EUR 1,000) 2018/2019 per share (in EUR) Income 77,543 0.99 77,545 0.99 Dividends from financial fixed assets 77,516 0.99 77,516 0.99 Other income 26 0.00 29 0.00 Expenses -8,450 -0.11 -8,853 -0.11 Cost of debt -7,235 -0.09 -7,576 -0.10 Services and sundry goods -1,214 -0.02 -1,276 -0.02 Other costs -1 -0.00 -1 -0.00 Result after taxes 69,093 0.88 68,692 0.88 Number of shares in issue* 78,301,314 78,301,314 * No instruments have been issued which could lead to dilution. KBC Ancora recorded a positive result of EUR 69.1 million in the first six months of the current financial year, equivalent to EUR 0.88 per share, compared with a positive result of EUR 68.7 million in the same period in the previous financial year. The result consisted primarily of the interim dividend received from KBC Group (EUR 77.5 million), interest charges on debt (EUR 7.2 million) and operating expenses (EUR 1.2 million). Balance sheet as at 31 December 2019 (x EUR 1,000) 31.12.2019 *30.06.2019 BALANCE SHEET TOTAL 3,165,789 3,089,448 Assets Fixed assets 3,088,253 3,088,253 Financial fixed assets 3,088,253 3,088,253 Current assets 77,536 1,195 Liabilities Equity 2,813,981 2,744,889 Issued capital 2,021,871 2,021,871 Legal reserve 72,132 72,132 Unavailable reserves 650,117 650,117 Profit (loss) carried forward 767 767 Result for the period 69,093 0 Creditors 351,808 344,559 Amounts falling due after more than one year 343,000 343,000 Amounts falling due within one year 205 179 Accruals and deferred income 8,603 1,380 * The balance sheet as at 30 June 2019 is shown after appropriation of profit. The balance sheet total stood at EUR 3.2 billion, an increase of EUR 76.3 million compared with the end of the financial year 2018/2019. The number of shares held by KBC Ancora in KBC Group remained unchanged at 77,516,380. Equity increased by EUR 69.1 million, i.e. the positive result recorded for the first six months of the current financial year. Debt increased by EUR 7.2 million due to the pro rata application of interest charges during the first six months of the financial year. Interim report on the first six months of the financial year 2019/2020 Notes on the first half of the current financial year 2019/2020 Results for the first six months of the financial year 2019/2020 KBC Ancora recorded a positive result of EUR 69.1 million in the first six months of the current financial year, compared with a positive result of EUR 68.7 million in the same period in the previous financial year. This result was influenced principally by the following factors: Dividend income amounting to EUR 77.5 million. KBC Group distributed an interim dividend of EUR 1 per share in November 2019. Interest charges amounting to EUR 7.2 million, EUR 0.34 million lower than in the same period in the previous financial year. This reduction is principally the result of a reduction in financial debt (EUR 343.0 million in the first half of financial year 2019/2020 versus EUR 375 million in the first half of the previous financial year) Operating expenses amounting to EUR 1.2 million, EUR 0.1 million less than in the same period in the previous financial year. The recurring operating expenses consisted primarily of costs incurred under the cost-sharing agreement with Cera (EUR 0.9 million). In addition, there were the usual costs such as listing fees and management costs. Participating interest in KBC Group, net debt position and net asset value The number of KBC Group shares in portfolio remained unchanged during the past six months, at 77,516,380. KBC Ancora holds 0.99 KBC Group shares per KBC Ancora share in issue. The average book value of the KBC Group shares is EUR 39.84 per share. KBC Ancoras net debt amounted to EUR 3.50 per share as at 31 December 2019, a decrease of EUR 0.88 per share compared with 30 June 2019. The reduction in net debt was the result of the interim dividend distributed by KBC Group in November 2019. In view of the intention of KBC Ancora to distribute an interim dividend in June 2020, net debt will increase again in the second half of the year. The net asset value of one KBC Ancora share as at 31 December 2019 was thus equivalent to the price of 0.99 KBC Group shares less EUR 3.50. Based on the closing price of the KBC Group share on 31 December 2019 (EUR 67.06), the net asset value of one KBC Ancora share amounted to EUR 62.88, and the KBC Ancora share (EUR 44.76) was trading at a discount of 28.8% to its net asset value. The following charts illustrate the movements in the price of the KBC Group and KBC Ancora shares and the discount of the KBC Ancora share to its net asset value. Trend in KBC Group and KBC Ancora share price (January December 2019) Trend in discount of KBC Ancora share to its net asset value (January December 2019) Changed legal form of KBC Ancora The Extraordinary General Meeting held on 25 October 2019 resolved to amend the Articles of Association of KBC Ancora with effect from 1 January 2020 to bring them into line with the provisions of the new Belgian Code on Companies and Associations (opt-in). With effect from that date, the Company has been transformed from a partnership limited by shares (Societe en Commandite par Actions (SCA)) into a public limited company (Societe Anonyme (SA)) with a sole director appointed pursuant to the Articles of Association. In effecting this transformation, use was made of the opportunities offered by a (new-style) public limited company structure to assign the same rights in the Articles of Association to the sole director as in a partnership limited by shares (SCA), so that amending the legal form has no impact on the anchoring structure. As has been the case since the company was first listed in 2001, the mandate of the director appointed pursuant to the Articles of Association may only be revoked if there are lawful grounds for doing so, and the consent of the director is required for decisions to amend the Articles of Association, decisions to make distributions to shareholders and decisions to dismiss the sole director. Appointments at the statutory director Almancora Societe de gestion On 29 November 2019 Herman Vandaele, who has been an independent director since 2010, was appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of Almancora Societe de gestion, statutory director of KBC Ancora. He succeeds Jules Stuyck, who had reached the age limit set in the Articles of Association. Fintrac SA (with Marc De Ceuster as permanent representative) was appointed to succeed Jules Stuyck as an independent director within the Board of Directors of Almancora Societe de gestion. Principal risks and uncertainties in the remaining months of the financial year Certain risk factors could have an impact on the value of the assets held by KBC Ancora and on its ability to distribute a dividend. Reference is made in this regard to the description of the risks in the most recent annual report (page 17). KBC Group reported a net result of EUR 1.79 billion for the first nine months of 2019. It will announce its result for the full financial year 2019 on 13 February 2020. KBC Groups dividend policy provides for a dividend payout ratio (including the coupon on the outstanding Additional Tier-1 instruments) of at least 50% of the consolidated profit. Following its annual general meeting in May 2020, KBC Group will distribute a final dividend, which together with the interim dividend distributed in November 2019 will constitute the total dividend in respect of the financial year 2019. In addition to a final dividend from KBC Group, KBC Ancora's result in the second half of the current financial year (2019/2020) will consist principally of interest charges plus the usual limited operating expenses (costs under the cost-sharing agreement with Cera, listing fees and management costs). Barring unforeseen circumstances, KBC Ancora will close the financial year 2019/2020 with a positive result. As already announced in the press release of 30 August 2019, KBC Ancora intends to pay out 90% of the recurring result available for distribution in the form of an interim dividend (i.e. after adjustment for any exceptional results and after mandatory formation of the legal reserve). Payment of the interim dividend will take place on 11 June 2020. The amount of the interim dividend will be announced on 29 May 2020 (17.40 hrs CEST). A final dividend will not be distributed. Declaration by the responsible individuals We, the members of the Board of Directors of Almancora Societe de gestion, statutory director of KBC Ancora SA, hereby jointly declare that, in so far as we are aware: the abridged financial summaries, drawn up in accordance with the applicable standards for financial statements, present a true and fair picture of the capital position, financial position and results of KBC Ancora, the interim financial report presents a true and fair view of the key events and principal transactions with affiliated parties during the first six months of the current financial year and of their impact on the abridged financial summaries, as well as a description of the principal risks and uncertainties during the remaining months of the financial year. Information on the external audit The statutory auditor has reviewed the abridged interim financial information and accompanying notes. The statutory auditor's report is appended to this interim report. --------------------------------- KBC Ancora is a listed company which holds 18.6% of the shares in KBC Group and which together with Cera, MRBB and the Other Permanent Shareholders is responsible for the shareholder stability and further development of the KBC group. As core shareholders of KBC Group, these parties have signed a shareholder agreement to this effect. Financial calendar: 29 May 2020 (17.40 CEST) Announcement of amount of interim dividend 11 June 2020 Payment date of interim dividend 28 August 2020 Annual press release for the financial year 2019/2020 29 September 2020 (17.40 CEST) Annual Report 2019/2020 available 30 October 2020 General Meeting of Shareholders This press release is available in Dutch, French and English on the website www.kbcancora.be. KBC Ancora Investor Relations & Press contact: Jan Bergmans Tel.: +32 (0)16 279672 E-mail: jan.bergmans@kbcancora.be or mailbox@kbcancora.be Appendix: Balance sheet and profit and loss account with comparative figures (x EUR 1,000) 31.12.2019 30.06.2019 BALANCE SHEET TOTAL 3,165,789 3,089,448 Assets Fixed assets 3,088,253 3,088,253 Financial fixed assets 3,088,253 3,088,253 Companies with which there is a participatory relationship 3,088,253 3,088,253 Participating interests 3,088,253 3,088,253 Current assets 77,536 1,195 Receivables due within one year 4 6 Trade receivables 4 6 Cash at bank and in hand 77,532 1,184 Prepayments and accrued income 0 5 Liabilities Equity 2,813,981 2,744,889 Capital 2,021,871 2,021,871 Issued capital 2,021,871 2,021,871 Reserves 722,250 722,250 Legal reserve 72,132 72,132 Unavailable reserves 650,117 650,117 Profit (loss) carried forward 767 767 Profit (loss) for the period 69,093 n/a Creditors 351,808 344,559 Amounts falling due after more than one year 343,000 343,000 Financial liabilities 343,000 343,000 Credit institutions 343,000 343,000 Amounts falling due within one year 205 179 Trade creditors 147 132 Suppliers 147 132 Other creditors 58 47 Accruals and deferred income 8,603 1,380 (x EUR 1,000) 01.07.2019/ -31.12.2019 01.07.2018/ -31.12.2018 RESULTS 69,093 68,692 Expenses 8,450 8,853 Cost of debt 7,235 7,576 Other financial expenses 0 0 Services and sundry goods 1,214 1,276 Miscellaneous current expenses 0 0 Income 77,542 77,545 Income from financial fixed assets 77,516 77,516 Dividend 77,516 77,516 Other financial income 0 0 Other current income 26 29 Statutory auditor's report to the board of directors of KBC Ancora NV on the review of the condensed interim financial information as at 31 December 2019 and for the 6-month period then ended FREE TRANSLATION OF A REPORT ORIGINALLY PREPARED IN DUTCH Introduction We have reviewed the accompanying interim financial report 2019/2020, containing the condensed balance sheet of KBC Ancora NV as at 31 December 2019, the condensed profit and loss statement and notes (the condensed interim financial information). The board of directors is responsible for the preparation and presentation of this condensed interim financial information in accordance with the financial reporting framework applicable in Belgium for interim financial information. Our responsibility is to express a conclusion on this condensed interim financial information based on our review. Scope of Review We conducted our review in accordance with the International Standard on Review Engagements 2410, Review of Interim Financial Information Performed by the Independent Auditor of the Entity. A review of condensed interim financial information consists of making inquiries, primarily of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters, and applying analytical and other review procedures. A review is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with International Standards on Auditing and consequently does not enable us to obtain assurance that we would become aware of all significant matters that might be identified in an audit. Accordingly, we do not express an audit opinion. Conclusion Based on our review, nothing has come to our attention that causes us to believe that the accompanying condensed interim financial information as at 31 December 2019 and for the 6-month period then ended is not prepared, in all material respects in accordance with the financial reporting framework applicable in Belgium for condensed interim financial information. Brussels, 31 January 2020 KPMG Reviseurs d'Entreprises Statutory Auditor represented by Kenneth Vermeire Bedrijfsrevisor 1 KBC Ancora's reporting is based on Belgian GAAP. See Appendix for a balance sheet and profit and loss account. Attachment Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, on Tuesday said Ghana is losing the fight against child labour, partly due to insufficient efforts to sustain the fight. It is either our efforts are not enough or we are pretending to be working and the problem keeps surfacing, he said. We are losing the fight and it is an indictment on everyone, especially children who are at the receiving end. The Employment Minister was addressing Civil Society Organisations and other stakeholders at the validation of protocols and guidelines on the establishment of Child Labour Free Zone in Accra. The event was sponsored by Government of Ghana, Deloitte-Japan, Action Against Child Exploitation and International Labour Organisation (ILO). Mr Awuah asked stakeholders to sit-up and carry-out interventions that would have bigger impacts to help reduce the occurrence and not the contrary. After 10 years of the existing protocol, he said figures on child labour meant efforts of government and Non-Governmental Organisations were not yielding the results needed. He called for collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure a child labour free home, community, district, region and country. The Minister tasked stakeholders to report any form of slavery in the communities for action, especially activities of some families who sent their children to work against their will to pay debts of parents. 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 India on Friday banned exports of all kinds of personal protection equipment, including clothing and masks used to protect people from air borne particles. The move assumes significance as there could be a spurt in demand for such products due to outbreak of deadly coronavirus that has claimed more than 200 lives in China while the number of confirmed cases reached near 10,000. "Exports of all varieties of personal protection equipment including clothing and masks used to protect the wearer from air borne particles and/or any other respiratory masks or any other personal protective clothing (including coveralls and N95 masks)...is hereby prohibited with immediate effect till further orders," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane took off from the Delhi airport on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals from Wuhan as China deals with the novel coronavirus outbreak. Around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday morning, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." "Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged a complete protective gear," he added. The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. In a separate notification, the DGFT has also banned imports of stock lot papers. These are kind of discarded, improper sized and unused papers. The move aims at cutting down imports of non-essential items into the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) P&O Marinas, a DP World company, has announced that Mina Rashid will be the venue for ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations) World Marina Conference, to be held later this year, in Dubai, UAE. With the main theme being Marinas empowering tourism and economies, the conference will be held from October 13 to 15. The event will focus on regulatory frameworks and barriers, best investment practices, changing the public perception of a marina, new technologies, as well as climate change and environment sustainability just to name a few. The conference will connect East to West and North to South, offering the regions young, yet vibrant marina industry to share expertise, innovation and technology with developed and traditional yachting markets. Mohammed Al Mannaei, CEO of P&O Marinas and chairman of Raseina, Dubai Maritime City Authoritys platform linking Dubais marinas, said: With this announcement of the date and venue for the event, our countdown begins towards making ICOMIA World Marina Conference 2020 an unforgettable event for marina enthusiasts and a landmark for the UAEs marina community. We are confident that Mina Rashid will be the ideal venue to host the biggest names in the international marinas sector, he said. By bringing the worlds recreational boat industry leaders and companies together in Dubai, we believe the conference will immensely benefit the UAEs domestic marine sector. The event coincides with the start of Expo 2020 and this will prove to be an excellent attraction for leisure yacht enthusiasts from around the world, he added. Udo Kleinitz, secretary general of ICOMIA, said: The venue selection of the conference sends a powerful message towards the use of existing resources. Located in a basin formerly used in Dubais commercial port, Mina Rashid Marina has been re-purposed to offer moorings and open access to recreational facilities and restaurants, thus addressing relevant aspects in public acceptance of boating and sustainability. I am very positive about the conference being held in a marina itself. Some events will make use of the marina infrastructure including functions taking place on a former passenger liner, converted into a hotel and venue, Kleinitz added. TradeArabia News Service Acting tough against the proposed strike by nurses at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, the hospital administration ordered on Friday that nurses would be allowed to proceed on leave only in cases of emergency. It is brought to the notice of all concerned that in view of the notice of a series of protests and a notice served by the GMCH Nursing Welfare Association for strike, the child care leave, casual leave or any other kind of leave to the nursing staff will not be allowed except in cases of dire emergency, the official order read. The order also stated that leave would be sanctioned only by director-cum-principal, medical superintendent or joint director (administration). Compliance of this order is mandatory, failing which disciplinary action will be initiated against the defaulter, the order stated. The administration has already warned that the Emergency Services Maintenance Act will be invoked in case nurses go on an indefinite strike from February 14. Meanwhile, association president Dabkesh Kumar said, Nurses will organise a rally at the rally ground in Sector 25. Off duty nurses will participate in the protest, he said, adding that symbolic protests by wearing black badges for the third day continued. We have received a support letter from the All India Government Nurses Federation, New Delhi, and 30 nurses associations affiliated to it in support of our cause. Besides, the PGIMER Nurses Association has demanded revocation of the suspension order, Dabkesh said. New Delhi: Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police have created quarantine facilities where families and students arriving from Wuhan, China can be monitored for any signs of coronavirus infection. Air India is sending a special flight to rescue Indians struck in Wuhan which has been hit by coronavirus. Indian Army has created a quarantine facility near Manesar where 300 Indian students arriving from Wuhan, China can be monitored for duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors for any signs of coronavirus infection. ITBP has created a facility swiftly near ITBP Chhawla Camp, New Delhi for quarantine of 600 Indian families arriving from Wuhan. These families will be monitored by a qualified team of doctors, to watch for any signs of infection. They will be hosted by ITBP. Indian Army officials said that screening and quarantine will be a two step process. The first one being screening at airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC), said the officials. The screening at the airport will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services and Airport Health Authority. During the screening they will be classified into three groups: suspect case, close contact case and non contact case. The suspect case will be individuals with any signs of fever and/or cough and/or respiratory distress will be directly transferred to BHDC. The close contact will be any individual without symptoms but having visited a seafood/animal market or a health facility The non-contact case will be any individual without any symptom or contact. China remains confident in the fight against the coronavirus: official Global Times By Leng Shumei and Zhao Yusha Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/1/31 0:34:54 China appreciates the efforts of other countries in helping to combat the novel coronavirus and is confident it will win the battle, a spokesperson from the National Health Commission (NHC) said at a press conference on Thursday. As of Wednesday, China has confirmed 7,711 domestic coronavirus cases that have been reported to the NHC, with 170 fatalities and 1,370 in critical condition, said NHC spokesperson Mi Feng. Since the outbreak, China has been communicating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and related countries. The country is willing to safeguard regional and global public health with WHO and the international community, Mi also said. Mi stressed that China and the US have exchanged information on preventative measures concerning the coronavirus. Disease control and prevention institutes have maintained active cooperation on the methods required to control an epidemic. China would like the US apply to the WHO and join its emergency committee on the novel coronavirus, Mi said. NHC director Ma Xiaowei on Monday had a conversation with US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. Azar praised China's transparency and the cooperation of both sides in areas like sanitation on behalf of the US President Donald Trump, said Mi. China has implemented stringent measures in its fight against the novel coronavirus, Wu Zunyou, an expert with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention of China said at the press conference. Wu cited examples that indicated how the Chinese government has taken responsibility, and its measures are transparent, noting that he is confident the country will win the battle against the novel coronavirus. Wu said a woman from Shanghai was confirmed to have the novel coronavirus while she was on a business trip in Germany. Chinese health authorities immediately contacted German health officials regarding the case, where Germany implemented measures to prevent the spread of the virus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A woman who alleges mortgage fraud against her husband and a bank has won her High Court appeal over a possession order for her family home in Co Wexford. Bank of Ireland Mortgage Bank had failed to prove Heather Cody was indebted to it under two loan agreements and therefore was not entitled to a possession order for the home where she lives with her children in Gorey, Mr Justice Garrett Simons ruled on Friday. He overturned the possession order granted by the Circuit Court in February 2019 with a stay of 15 months. Ms Cody, representing herself, told him: Im very grateful. In his judgment, the judge noted Ms Cody had made very serious allegations against Peter Cody, her husband from whom she is separated, and the bank. She alleged Mr Cody was in collusion with the bank during the years 1990 to 2010 to attain money by way of loans and mortgages in the joint names of Peter Cody and Heather Cody, and that the family home was being used as collateral, all without her knowledge and consent. In seeking possession, the bank argued monies were due to it under two loan agreements said to have been entered into by the Codys in October 2005 with repayment secured against the family home by a deed of mortage and charge entered into by the Codys on January 12th 2007. The bank claimed the principal monies became due when, arising from alleged default on repayments, it demanded repayment in June 2016. The judge said one of the curious features of the loan offer letters is they were addressed to Mr Peter Cody and Mr Heather McMillan [Ms Codys maiden name] at an address other than their family home and which appeared to be the business address of James Cody & Sons, the law firm in which Mr Cody was then a partner. Ms Cody also complained documents, particularly subsequent bank statements, were not sent to her home address. The judge said the loan agreement appears to bear a signature commencing with the name Heather but it was not possible to make out the surname. In an affidavit, a bank official had said it had advanced a total 650,000 to the Codys but it was not entirely clear from the affidavit on what date those payments were said to have been made. It might be inferred the monies were advance din January 2006. The bank had chosen not to engage in detail with the allegations made by Ms Cody and argued she had not made out a defence to the possession order, he said. Given the nature of her claims in her sworn affidavits, the bank cannot simply rely on it having exhibited copies of the disputed loan agreements as discharging the onus of proof which lies on it as plaintiff, he said. While the bank denied her allegations, it had not applied to cross-examine Ms Cody in the Circuit Court on her affidavits. That failure meant the High Court could not, in this appeal, make a definitive finding she is indebted to the bank under the two loan agreements. The bank had specifically failed to prove she had executed the two loan agreements which it sought to rely upon and this omission was fatal to the claim for possession, he held. Ms Cody, the judge noted, has instituted separate plenary proceedings against her husband, his former law firm, and the Bank. Her allegations in those proceedings are very serious and that case, if it proceeds, may have implications for her remaining in the family home and should be heard at an early date, he said. The matter was adjourned to February 21st to allow the sides consider the judgment. Los Angeles has retained its crown as the best city in the world to invest in for the fourth year in a row, according to the Schroders Global Cities index. London kept second place globally and first in Europe in the annual chart, which measures the attractiveness of major cities around the world for real asset investing. Manchester is the only other UK city in the top 30, with one of the strongest environmental scores of any world city. Schroders says that despite the City of Angels holding the number one spot, its overall score declined slightly due to its 'mediocre' Environmental Impact Score North America has the highest number of cities in the rankings, with eighteen cities in the top 30, and seven in the top 10, including Boston, Seattle and San Francisco, which moved up ten places compared to last year. Tom Walker, co-head of Global Cities at investment firm Schroders, says that despite Brexit uncertainty, London has a multitude of factors that make it a very popular destination for investment. 'We weren't surprised to see London maintain its second spot in the index. Whilst there has been uncertainty generated by Brexit and the resulting political environment, the underlying fundamentals remain attractive to investors.' 'With an economy that continues to attract multi-national companies and highly skilled talent, a high quantity of green spaces, clean and reliable water, energy and public transport, London has retained its popularity with investors.' The index assesses a city's attractiveness for real asset investing by three measures; its Economic Impact Score (EcIS), University Impact Score (UIS), and Environmental Impact Score (EIS). Median household income, quality of educational institutions, gross domestic product and population size are among factors taken into consideration. London has retained second place globally and first place in Europe The new EIS standard resulted in the city of Beijing dropping down the rankings by more than ten places each due to their poor air and water quality It is the first time the index have used the EIS scale, which evaluates cities based on their exposure to geophysical risks such as landslides, the strength of their environmental policies, and level of well-being, which is measured by factors such as access to clean energy and water. Schroders says that despite the City of Angels holding the number one spot, its overall score declined slightly due to its 'mediocre' EIS score. Manchester had the second highest EIS score by contrast due to its low level of physical and policy risks and high level of wellbeing, with London one place behind its northern counterpart. The new standard resulted in two of China's biggest cities, Beijing and Shanghai, dropping down the rankings by more than ten places each due to their poor air and water quality. Walker is optimistic that cities like Beijing and Shanghai can take the tough actions necessary in order to guarantee a more sustainable future. Australia had four cities in Schroders Global Cities 30 index: Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney despite only having a population of 26 million He said: 'Cities with poor EIS are the ones which require the strongest policy response in order to safeguard their futures. There are many examples of cities with a poor EIS score that are at the vanguard of sustainable urban policies. 'We expect to see many of these cities improve their EIS score over the coming years, in particular the Chinese cities. Whilst China's greenhouse gas emissions are approximately 27 per cent of the world's total, they are lower on a per capita basis than the US.' 'We believe the transition to renewable energy from coal and the increasing utilisation of electric vehicles are two examples where emissions from Chinese cities will decrease at a fast pace.' There were four Asian and European cities each on the list. Australia also had four cities in the top 30: Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney despite only having a population of 26 million. The full list is here: Historian Victoria Bynum has come under attack from the defenders of the 1619 Project for her critical interview with the WSWS in October and a letter to the editor sent last month to the New York Times Magazine asking for corrections to the historical falsifications upon which the project is based, which she signed along with Professors James McPherson, James Oakes, Sean Wilentz and Gordon Wood. Professor Victoria Bynum The following, originally posted on her blog Renegade South, is Bynums response to Professor Alex Lichtensteins editorial defending the project, 1619 and All That, published last week online in the American Historical Review and to be printed in the journals February edition. *** Dear Professor Lichtenstein, As one of the 1619 Project critics mentioned in your AHR essay, 1619 and All That, I hope youll indulge me a few remarks of my own in response to several of your points. First, the issue of my whiteness. I used to believe that historians agreed that ones racial/ethnic identity or gender should not determine ones field of inquiry or topic of research. In the last few years, however, especially the last few months, I have concluded otherwise. In your essay, you noted: As many critics hastened to note, all of these historians are white. In principle, of course, that should do nothing to invalidate their views. Nevertheless, it was a peculiar choice on the part of the Trotskyist left, since there are undoubtedly African American historiansMarxist and non-Marxist alikesympathetic to their views. Despite your disclaimer that in principle being white should not invalidate the views of 1619 critics, in fact the skin color of historians critical of the 1619 Project has been scorned (and far worse) over and over again in the Twitterverseby historians as well as the general publicas the preeminent reason for discrediting our views. In my case, not one of them has bothered to note (if they knew or bothered to find out) that my entire body of published works over the past thirty years has analyzed the effects of class, race, and gender on the nineteenth-century South. Its not simply that my skin color matters to certain historians and others. It now appears that its all that does matter (with my age a close second). The fact that eight scholars to date have interviewed with the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) has also garnered attention. It seems that some historians, including you, cant figure out why we shared our critiques in that particular venue: The animus of the Fourth International types seems clearin placing race at the center of history, 1619 elides the central role of class and class conflict in the history of settler colonialism, continental dispossession, and rapacious capitalism. But that is probably not the same hill that Wilentz and the gang of four are planting their flag on. So what gives? Although I cant speak for the rest of the gang, my work emphasizes the centrality of race (and gender for that matter) in the sweep of American history. I entirely agree with Marxist scholars, however, that neither race nor gender can be understood apart from the class systems in which they are experienced. In this regard, I may care a bit more deeply than my fellow letter signers about what is not, as well as what is, in the 1619 Project. For, as you suggest, the Project does ignore class and class conflict. It is for just that reason that my concerns are more closely aligned with the WSWS than you have surmised. Perhaps its not surprising that racial essentialism forms the basis of much of the public reaction against historians critical of 1619, since the same essentialism underlies the Project itself. My understanding of class deeply informs my analysis of race, both of which I addressed in my interview with the WSWS, and my essay, A Historian Critiques the 1619 Project, published on my blog, Renegade South , and by the WSWS. In both the interview and the essay, I dismissed pseudoscientific theories about separate races and argued that such beliefs predispose one to embrace a theory of hypodescent (i.e., the one-drop-rule of race), which posits certain ancestral bloodlines as more powerful than others. From there emerges the assumption, implicit throughout the 1619 Project, that only black people in North America were enslaved. Yet, anyone familiar with the history of U.S. slavery knows it was a multiracial institution. We know that many enslaved women gave birth to the children of white men (often their enslavers), and that those children were decreed by law to be slaves. Yet, these children were at least as white as they were black. Northern abolitionists liked to post photographs of enslaved children whose appearance belied not a trace of African ancestry. Mostly they did so to appeal to racist whites who recoiled at the sight of white-skinned children in bondage, but in so doing the abolitionists wittingly or unwittingly exposed the fact that many enslaved children exhibited white as well as black ancestry. Furthermore, the intertwined nature of race- and class-based laws provided an additional means of social control. Southern white lawmakers not only enslaved black and mixed-race people, they frequently appropriated the labor of lower class white children and free children of color by removing them from the homes of their mothers through apprenticeship laws. For these reasons and more, I object to the 1619 Projects failure to adequately discuss racial identity, beginning with its failure to contextualize slavery and extending to its seemingly willful determination to omit virtually all interracial relationships and cooperative efforts to end slavery, combat racism, or work across racial lines for the greater good of society. I do not object in order to be fair to whites; I do so because to ignore multiracial families and interracial challenges to racism divides American society into oppositional white and black categories of race that further support the Projects suggestion that racism is simply embedded in the DNA of our nation. As you yourself state, The projects emphasis on continuity (especially in economic history), rather than change, deserves to be challenged. And, as the Trotskyists point out, Marxists may find the substitution of race for class relations disconcerting. Yes. Is it really too much to ask, then, that the Project include more than a century of modern industrialization and class struggles among blacks, multi-ethnic immigrants, and white workersstruggles well-documented by labor historiansas a vital aspect of black history? That economic forces beyond the legacy of slavery have revitalized and reshaped racism, and continue to do so? Race, I have argued, does not represent objective reality, but racism is nonetheless terrifyingly real. Historically, this nation has enslaved, lynched, raped, segregated, denied full rights of citizenship, incarceratedindeed, it has denied humanity toentire so-called races of people. The 1619 Project is by no means the first publication to recognize this, as you point out. For over six decades, historians have confronted the brutality of slavery and racism while analyzing the economic and cultural forces that contributed to both. They continue to do so. Why should historians not hold the 1619 Project to the same scholarly standards we demand of ourselves? Sincerely, Victoria Bynum Authorities in Australia have declared a state of emergency for the countrys capital city for the first time since 2003. Soaring temperatures and high winds threatened to send a large bushfire spiralling out of control in Canberras Orroral Valley and its surrounding regions, prompting the declaration on Friday. Andrew Barr, chief minister for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), said during a televised briefing there is now no higher priority for the ACT government at this time than the bushfire threat. This fire may become unpredictable. It may become uncontrollable. The combination of extreme heat, wind and a dry landscape will place suburbs in Canberras south at risk. The Rural Fire Service advised residents to leave immediately and added: Conditions are now very dangerous and the fire may pose a threat to all lives directly in its path. Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? Show all 21 1 /21 Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-15.JPG Photos Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-19.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-10.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-17.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-16.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-12.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-6.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-13.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-18.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-1.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-11.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-14.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-3.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-9.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-8.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-7.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-5.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-2.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-0.JPG Reuters Australia fires: What's next for towns devastated by wildfires? AUSTRALIA-BUSHFIRES-COMMUNITY-4.JPG Reuters Fire crews may not be able to protect you and your property. You should not expect a firefighter at your door. The state of emergency will stay in place for 72 hours to allow authorities greater power to order evacuations, close roads and take control of private property. Heatwave conditions are expected to worsen, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning of strong winds and elevated fire danger in parts of New South Wales, while severe thunderstorms are set to hit Victoria and Melbourne. There are currently 58 active fires in NSW, 20 in Victoria and 22 in south Australia, which authorities are warning may worsen as temperatures are forecast to reach 41C on Saturday. ACT Emergency Services Agency commissioner Georgeina Whelan told The Canberra Times: What were seeing nationally and across the ACT is that we have the conditions conducive to bushfire activity, some are similar to 2003. What were seeing in 2020 is the fact that we have unprecedented bushfire behaviour, as a result of the weather, the drought and the volume of fire activity thats across our landscape, she added. Recommended Devastating image shows extent of damage done by Australian wildfires In 2003, bushfires wreaked havoc and caused severe damage to suburbs and outer areas of the capital city, razing nearly 70 per cent of its pastures and nature parks, and destroying most of the Mount Stromlo Observatory. Four people were killed and 470 homes were destroyed. The current bushfire was sparked by an army helicopter that was in the area to provide support for bushfire operations, said the Department of Defence. The helicopter crew were conducting aerial reconnaissance and ground clearance to enable access to emergency services personnel when heat from the aircrafts landing light started a grassfire underneath it while it was grounded. The Department of Defence said in a statement: It is deeply regrettable that our support operations have likely started this fire. Defence has taken immediate action to reduce the risk of fires being started by helicopters, including not using certain aircraft lighting in extreme weather conditions. Australia is still in the early months of fire season, which has been especially fierce this summer and resulted in the deaths of 33 people and an estimated one billion native animals since September. By Mark Peterson Last week, inspired by the paper presented by my colleague Prof. Kirk Larsen, I wrote about the ill-fated 1866 General Sherman incident, the ship that was attacked and burned to the water line on the outskirts of Pyongyang. Prof. Larsen mentioned a missionary onboard who died with the rest of the crew. I have been curious about him and decided to look up his story and write about it today. It was a remarkable story. Often, in relating the story of the "sinking" of the General Sherman, Robert Jermain Thomas is mentioned as one of the passengers and he is described as a Welsh missionary. That caught my curiosity who was he? His story is tragic beyond losing his life on the ill-fated ship. But to jump to the end of the story, his legacy is great he is heralded by the Protestant community in Korea as the first missionary in Korea. And there is a shrine built to him in his hometown in Wales where sometimes Korean Christians visit and pay their respects. Tragedy struck Thomas earlier in his life as well. As a young man, the son of a minister, he decided to attend a theological school and become a missionary. Within a few months of graduating, being ordained, he also got married. He was 24, and described as passionate and mercurial. He applied to go to China, and was denied, initially, but accepted on a second application. Not long after marrying, he took his wife and left for the long sailing trip to China, arriving in Shanghai. He was not pleased with the "insanitary" conditions there, left his pregnant wife there while he went to Hankow to look for a better situation. While he was away, she miscarried and died four days later. Despondent, he resigned his position as a missionary and ended up in working as a customs officer in Zhifu (Chefoo) for a time. Then he visited friends from school in Beijing, and ended up teaching English, and there he met two Koreans who reported on the success of the Catholics in Korea, though under great persecution from the Korean court. At this point, he heard of 11 French priests who were helping the underground church in Korea. The report of Catholic success in Korea ignited his Protestant spirit once again, and he determined to go to Korea. He made one trip in the summer of 1865 where he sailed along the coast and made a few contacts and placed a few Chinese-language versions of the Bible. That venture ended in a shipwreck in the monsoon season, but all onboard survived and returned to China by land. Through all this time, he was working on learning Korean. And was proficient enough to market himself to the French Navy that was going to sail to Korea to rescue the surviving two French missionaries of the original eleven nine had been executed by the court. But that French ship was diverted to Saigon because of a rebellion reported there. This led Thomas to the General Sherman with its American owner and captain. There was one American "mate," and British "adventurer," and a crew of Thai and Chinese. Thomas was the interpreter. And this gave him the chance he was looking for. He may have been the one that suggested Pyongyang as the objective, rather than the capital of Seoul that clearly would not welcome aliens, and particularly Christians. Thomas scattered Bibles at each port stop on the Taedong River, sailing toward Pyongyang. With the demise of the ship, and the death of all on board the legend grew. There are several accounts of how Thomas died, but an interesting sidelight is the story of one of his Bibles. Most of the Bibles were collected and destroyed, but one enterprising person decided to use the paper of the pages of the Bible to wallpaper this house. The story goes that later people read the Chinese and became Christians and even established a church on the site of the house. This gives new meaning to the phrase, "reading the writing on the wall." Pyongyang, in 1907, experienced a great "revival" and many joined the Protestant movement. In an odd twist, last week we wrote about the hagiography of Kim Il-sung's great grandfather who is said to have led the attack on the General Sherman. I know of a master's thesis that explores the Christian philosophy hiding in Kim Il-sung's version of communism, and the hypothesis that his mother or grandmother may have been one of the Pyongyang protestants who left some core teachings with a young Kim. Though persecuting Christians outwardly, some of Christian ideals are identifiable within Kim's ideology. While his great grandfather was attacking and killing Robert Jermain Thomas, the philosophy survived, and helped in the intellectual formation of a young Kim Il-sung. Mark Peterson (markpeterson@byu.edu) is professor emeritus of Korean, Asian and Near Eastern languages at Brigham Young University in Utah. The UK's car exports to India registered a drop over the previous year, attributed to varying tastes in India, amid an overall fall in UK car exports. The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) found that UK manufacturers sold only 744 units to India in 2019, down from 1,199 units in 2018 and 1,144 units in 2017. India is an important market; it is a rapidly growing country, with rapidly growing demand. But whether the UK meets the needs and tastes of the market is a different matter, said SMMT CEO Mike Hawes. In reference to the post-Brexit scenario of a new trade agreement between India and the UK, he added: All the automotive industry would want is free and fair trade. As part of data released annually by the influential representative body for the British auto industry, Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover held on to its popularity in the top 10 export models with Range Rover Sport at No 5 followed by Range Rover Evoque, Ranger Rover and Range Rover Velar making it to the tally led by Nissan Qashqai. Overall, UK car production fell 14.2 per cent in 2019, a drop attributed to multiple factors, including weakened consumer and business confidence domestically, slower demand in key overseas markets, a number of significant model production changes and a shift from diesel across Europe. Factory shutdowns timed to mitigate expected disruption arising from the missed Brexit deadlines of 29 March and October 31 also played a part over the previous year. With the UK formally leaving the European Union (EU) this week, the SMMT is calling for an ambitious UK-EU free trade deal that drives competitiveness, growth and prosperity. Although shipments to the 27 remaining EU countries fell, by -11.1 per cent, it stressed that the economic bloc remains the sector's most important market with its share of exports rising by two percentage points to 54.8 per cent. Given the uncertainty the sector has experienced, it is essential we re-establish our global competitiveness and that starts with an ambitious free trade agreement with Europe, one that guarantees all automotive products can be bought and sold without tariffs or additional burdens, said Hawes. Trade with the UK's next largest markets, the US (representing 18.9 per cent of export volumes), China (5.3 per cent) and Japan (3.2 per cent) also fell, with exports down 9.8 per cent, 26.4 per cent and 17.7 per cent respectively. The UK's renowned small volume car manufacturing sector, however, bucked the trend with growing demand for some brands boosting output by 16.2 per cent in the past year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 18:58 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061eb81c 1 Business BKPM,investment,Presidential-Regulation,expert-staff,deputy-minister,ease-of-doing-business,omnibus-bill,economy,jobs Free President Joko Jokowi Widodo has signed a new regulation to allow Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadalia to have five new expert staff members and five new specialized staff members on top of six deputies. The Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 24/2020 comes as the government searches for ways to facilitate doing business in Indonesia, increase competitiveness among regional peers and stoke investment, job and economic growth. According to the Perpres, the five new expert staff members will be in charge of investment competitiveness, macroeconomics, institutional relationships, priority sector investment development, information technology and system integration. The names of the new expert staff will be submitted to the President by the BKPM head for approval and will serve until Bahlils tenure is over. Expert staff work under and report to the BKPM head and are coordinated administratively by the main secretary, the new regulation stated. Meanwhile, up to five new specialized staff members will have different task and functions as required by BKPM head and the six BKPM deputies will be in charge of investment planning, investment climate development, investment promotion, investment partnership, investment services and investment administration control. The regulation was issued on Jan. 27 and came into effect immediately. Bahlil previously said he was ready to resign if the countrys ease of doing business (EODB) rank did not reach the top 50 in the next four years. Read also: BKPM head vows to resign if fails to improve Indonesia's doing business rank Indonesia ranked 73rd in the World Banks Doing Business 2020 report released in October of last year. The countrys rank has stagnated since 2018, while neighbors Malaysia and Thailand have fared better at 12th and 21st place, respectively. The World Bank report highlights Indonesias rigid regulations on employment and minimum wage. In terms of competitiveness to attract foreign investment, Indonesia slipped five positions to 50th place of the 141 countries on the World Economic Forums (WEF) Global Competitiveness Report 2019. Malaysia and Thailand ranked 27th and 40th, respectively. Bahlil said in a press briefing on Jan. 29 that he would narrow more than 20 investment requirements down to 17 to further ease both foreign and domestic investment. I am 90 percent to 100 percent sure that with the regulatory simplification, Indonesias doing business rank can go up, he said. The government is currently planning to encourage investment and create more jobs through omnibus bills on job creation and taxation. If passed, the bills are expected to cut regulatory red tape to attract investment to help boost the countrys sluggish economic growth. Read also: Its official: BKPM to handle all licenses, review policies unfavorable for investors President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo issued in November Presidential Instruction (Inpres) No. 7/2019 on the acceleration of ease of doing business (EODB), which streamlines all business licensing through the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM). It also grants the agency the authority to review policies deemed unfavorable to investors. What you need to now today: Politics -- Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has written an article looking back on the friendship between Russia and Vietnam on the occasion of 70 years of the two countries diplomatic relationship (January 30, 1950-2020), according to the Vietnam News Agency. Society -- Police have been besieging a densely vegetated area in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City, since Thursday as a suspect who had shot to death four people over a gambling quarrel on Wednesday is believed to be hiding there. The suspect is a senior lieutenant in the detention unit of the District 11 police bureau in the same city. -- Police officers were surrounding a man thought to hold a grenade near a bank in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City at 10:00 pm on Thursday. They have yet to be able to arrest him, who appeared to be high on drugs. -- A Vietnamese woman in Hai Phong City has been fined VND10 million (US$432) for spreading fake news on Facebook about the novel coronavirus epidemic that is hitting China, Vietnam, and other countries all over the world. -- Police in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa have fined a Chinese VND40 million ($1,727) for driving a car without a driver's license and under the influence of alcohol, officers said on Thursday. Education -- The Department of Education and Training in Hanoi has ordered local students to stay home if they have a fever, a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus that has battered China, Vietnam, and many other countries around the world. -- A Vietnamese citizen, Nguyen Quang Thach, will walk in India to promote reading rights for children in the South Asian country and around the globe. World News -- The World Health Organization declared on Thursday that the coronavirus epidemic in China is now a public health emergency of international concern, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has again called on Russia to stop military aggression in eastern Ukraine and recognized the Russian Federation as a party to the Minsk agreements. This is stated in a resolution on the progress of the Assembly's monitoring procedure, which was adopted during the PACE winter session on January 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. "The Assembly urges the Russian Federation to fully implement the Minsk agreements, to which the Russian Federation is a party, and to end its military intervention in and support for illegally armed formations in Eastern Ukraine," the document reads. PACE also urged the Russian authorities to implement a series of concrete measures aimed at addressing the concerns with regard to the continuing deterioration of human rights and the rule of law; to remove any legal obstacles to the unconditional execution of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights; to unconditionally and fully co-operate with the joint investigation team and the Dutch prosecution service in bringing these responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH 17 to justice; to take effective measures aimed at preventing violations of the human rights of LGBTI persons, in particular in the Chechen Republic; to co-operate fully with the international community in the investigation of the murder of Mr Boris Nemtsov. The resolution demands that Russia reverse its illegal annexation of Crimea as required by the Assembly. At the same time, the Assembly expresses its concern about the military aggression in Eastern Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported, a winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is held in Strasbourg on January 27-31. ish State-owned BHEL on Friday said it has entered a pact with EESL to develop the network of public charging infrastructure for electric mobility on various highways pan India. "BHEL has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL)," the state-owned firm informed stock exchanges. The parties have agreed to explore opportunities and develop the network of public charging infrastructure for electric mobility on various highways and across cities in India. Both the parties have also agreed to explore other opportunities jointly in the field of e-mobility during the course of MoU, the company said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A young woman who suffered a near-fatal battle with anorexia in her teens has revealed how she beat the disorder and healed her relationship with food. At just 16 years old, Chloe White, from Perth, Western Australia, was heartbroken as she listened to doctors tell her parents that she could die due to being 'severely underweight and malnourished'. Her battle with disordered eating started at just 14 because her 'muscular build' from playing lots of sport left her feeling 'bigger than the other girls'. 'I started cutting out any junk food in order to slim down a bit - in my head, I just wanted to get down to 55kg which I did but then after that I thought what if I could get to 50kg?' She said. A young woman who suffered a near-fatal battle with anorexia in her teens (left) has revealed how she beat the disorder and healed her relationship with food (right) Chloe said weightloss became addictive after that and she started calorie counting and cut out carbs and fats in favour of protein. 'Eventually, I just started eating a tiny bit of food one day and then fasted the next day. I would fill up on sugar-free soft drink and chewing gum,' she said. 'I would go for 5km runs in the morning, then do sit ups and push ups at home. Without food, I had no energy but the voice in my head was telling me to keep going.' Chloe's parents worked and were hardly home during the day so she said she would pretend she had been eating when they returned home. At just 16 years old, Chloe White, from Perth, Western Australia, was heartbroken as she listened to doctors tell her parents that she could die due to being 'severely underweight and malnourished' 'I'd put some cereal and milk in a bowl and leave it in the sink, to make it look liked I'd eaten breakfast,' she said. 'If we ate dinner together, I'd only eat a quarter of what was on my plate and just say I wasn't that hungry. 'I wouldn't even use toothpaste because I thought it would somehow seep into my body and cause me to gain weight. My dental health suffered due to having little enamel on my teeth.' Chloe's destructive eating habits wreaked havoc on her body, with the young woman revealing that she went four years without menstruating and only got her period again at the age of 18. Chloe ate so little that she had no energy and would often fall asleep in her classes at school, which she said caused her to fail most of year 10 - while she also isolated herself from friends. 'I'd put some cereal and milk in a bowl and leave it in the sink, to make it look liked I'd eaten breakfast,' she said (pictured now) She added that she was 'obsessed' with food, and would constantly look at photos of meals, research recipes, wander up the aisles of the supermarket and would even open jars of peanut butter just for the smell - but never allowed herself a taste. Her eating disorder reached breaking point at 16 when she collapsed at home after going for days without food. 'I was on the couch, and when I got up, I just collapsed and passed out,' she said. 'The turning point for me was when doctors told me if I hadn't of come into hospital when I did, I would have died. Seeing my mother break down in tears just broke my heart. This life-saving stint in hospital saw Chloe's weight improve and she had to make regular outpatient visits to her doctor for the next two years (pictured now) 'I was fed through a tube and ate high-calorie foods to gain weight. I had to be 48kg before I could be discharged, which took six weeks.' This life-saving stint in hospital saw Chloe's weight improve and she had to make regular outpatient visits to her doctor for the next two years. The young woman worked hard to turn her life around and at 18 began getting into weight training at her local gym to help build up her strength. But Chloe was hit with another blow at 19 after she was diagnosed with bulimia and spent the next three years going through a few destructive phases of binging and purging. But now at 23, Chloe said she is mentally and physically healthier than she ever has been with her healthy 65kg physique a stark contrast to how she was at 16 But now at 23, Chloe said she is mentally and physically healthier than she ever has been with her healthy 65kg physique a stark contrast to how she was at 16. And although she does have 'hard days', Chloe said she is looking forward to a healthy and positive future. 'I feel stronger, both mentally and physically, than I ever have before,' she said. 'I love weight training. Being able to build muscle the way I have has given me back so much power and I'm eating a variety of foods that nourish me and I feel amazing. 'It's a long road to self-love and acceptance, but I'm getting there. I feel strong, happy and free.' If you need help or support for an eating disorder or body image issue, please call Butterfly's National Helpline on 1800 334 673 or e-mail support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au Gardai in Dundalk have arrested three individuals in connection with burglaries carried out in the Blackrock, area of Co Dublin which occurred on January 30 2020. On Thursday January 30, 2020, Gardai on patrol in Tallaght, observed a car acting in a suspicious manner. Following reports of a number of burglaries in the Blackrock area, Gardai on night patrols with the assistance of the Air Support Unit monitored traffic and carried out patrols of the area. Gardai observed this vehicle again on the M50 at Junction 13 and a managed pursuit ensued. Four occupants abandoned the offending vehicle on the M1 at junction 18 and fled on foot towards fields. Three males, one aged in his 20s, another in his late teens and one male youth also in his late teens, were arrested a short distance away and are currently detained under Section 50, Criminal Justice Act, 2007 in Dundalk Garda Station. A fourth occupant of the car is still being sought by Gardai in connection with this incident. Its believed the car involved is the subject of an unauthorised taking in the UK jurisdiction. One Garda member was taken to hospital with minor injuries and has since been released. Property from one burglary in Blackrock was recovered on the M50 by Gardai. Investigations are ongoing. LOS ANGELES A 25-story West Los Angeles apartment tower that caught fire, forcing firefighters to pluck stranded people from the rooftop and a ledge, had no sprinklers even though the same building burned seven years ago, authorities said. Flames swept through apartments on the seventh floor of the Barrington Plaza on Wednesday morning. Eleven people were treated, mostly for smoke inhalation. Seven of them, including a 3-month-old child, were sent to hospitals, mostly with smoke inhalation. In addition, two firefighters received minor burns as, using bottled oxygen, they scrambled to reach the apartment where the blaze began. These firefighters were literally driven to their bellies halfway through that hallway, fire Capt. Erik Scott said. Tenants described trying to move down crowded, smoky stairwells. Cecilee Mathieson tried to push past in her rush from her 25th floor penthouse. When she reached the floor on fire, she could see the orange glow under the door. I really thought I was going to die today, Mathieson said hours later. Some turned back and went to the roof instead, where helicopters moved in to rescue 15 people. Rescuers lowered themselves on cables to haul them to safety because the 1961 building had no rooftop helicopter landing site. A ladder was used to rescue a man who clung to the outside of the building as flames raged in nearby apartments. Scott said the 30-year-old man was hanging out of the window on the ledge due to the intense heat inside of that building unit. At first, Scott said, it appeared to firefighters that the man was threatening to jump but by using loudspeakers they were able to calm that individual down and rescue him, although he was hospitalized in critical condition. Firefighters gave CPR to another 30-year-old man who was taken to the hospital in grave condition. There was no immediate update on his condition. Hundreds of firefighters doused the fire but the entire building was red-tagged leaving 339 tenants displaced until at least Thursday morning when inspectors could check its safety. The buildings owners rented blocks of hotel rooms to temporarily house residents, Scott said. Firefighters had been at an office building fire two blocks away when the blaze broke out sometime after 8 a.m. on Wilshire Boulevard on the edge of the tony Brentwood section of the city, allowing a rapid response. The other fire was unrelated and caused by a welding accident, police said. Gavyn Straus was swimming in the pool in the courtyard when he saw black smoke waft by. As the smoke grew rapidly, Straus knew it was no kitchen fire and he ran into the building dripping wet to alert staff. A woman at the front desk was calling police, so he hopped on an elevator with a maintenance man to alert residents on the 8th floor, where they thought the fire was coming from. A man who had been sleeping answered the first door they pounded on and they realized they were above the blaze and ran for the stairs. They were overwhelmed with smoke when they opened the door to the burning floor below. It was a black wall, Straus said hours later as he stood barefoot on the sidewalk, still wearing his surf trunks, with a towel draped over his shoulders and goggles around his neck. Someone ran out from that side and they were completely covered in black char and they could barely breathe. The person said their friend was still inside, but Straus said he couldnt help because he couldnt see anything and it was too hot. Instead, he ran to the 21st floor, where he lives, to alert friends and other tenants he knew. No alarm had yet been sounded and he was surprised to hear laughter coming through the doors as people ate breakfast unaware of the danger below. Get out, theres fire, get out, he yelled. More than 330 firefighters took about 90 minutes to knock down the blaze, which Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas termed suspicious. However, Los Angeles police Capt. Randall Goddard said investigators hadnt determined whether the fire was set by accident or on purpose and determining that could take quite some time. The fire left windows blown out and heavy black smoke or burn marks on three sides of the building. Residents who fled in whatever they were wearing or could quickly get into _ some in pajamas and exercise clothes _ gathered on nearby street corners and looked up as helicopters hovered and hoisted rooftop evacuees and a small white dog to safety. The building passed a fire inspection in June but it lacked internal fire sprinklers, which werent required when it was built, Scott said. The complex has 240 units that range in rent from $2,350 to $3,695 per month, according to Zillow. Some tenants wondered why sprinklers werent installed after a 2013 fire in the building injured several people and displaced more than 100. They should have put sprinklers in after the fire, Liz Bowers told the Los Angeles Times. Bowers said the building has many apartments that are used as Airbnb rentals and she has long complained to the building managers about the short-term tenants. They let everybody smoke, she said. You get all these people coming into party and smoke pot. The landlords dont care. The building owners did not immediately return messages seeking comment. About the photo: Fire and smoke damage is seen on the exterior of a residential building in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020. Los Angeles firefighters rescued terrified residents from the rooftop of a 25-story high-rise apartment building where a fire broke out on a sixth-floor balcony and sent choking smoke billowing through the upper levels. (AP Photo Damian Dovarganes) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Tendam lands in Kenya. The group will open a Womens Secret and Springfield store at the West Gate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, the capital of East Africas largest economy. In addition, the company extends its expansion across the continent with openings in Tunisia, Mauritius, and Libya. The Spanish group will open its first point of sale of Cortefiel and Pedro del Hierro in Libya, strengthen its presence in Mauritius with two new Womens Secret stores, Cortefiel and Springfield, and grow its footprint in Tunisia to four new points of sale. Tendam will continue with its international growth policy, thanks to its own stores and franchises. While continuing its expansion in the African continent, the group equally prepares openings in Asia and Latin America. Tendam ended the year 2018 with a profit of 80.8 million euros (88.9 million dollars), almost four times more than the previous year. Group sales, on the other hand, have remained stable at 1.15 billion euros (1.3 billion dollars). The Houston Housing Authoritys latest approach to affordable housing involves building complexes with units reserved for residents with different incomes. These new apartments aim to both attract those who can afford the rising costs of living and protect low-earners in danger of being pushed out of their longtime neighborhoods, while also providing space for people who earn something in between. But not everyone is on board, especially as many fear affordable housing could strain their neighborhood infrastructure. Opposition parties on Friday protested inside Parliament with black bands and slogans against the Citizenship Amendment Act during President Ram Nath Kovinds customary address to both Houses during the first day of Budget Session. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the opposition parties for disrupting the Presidents speech, saying it was a complete breakdown of convention. All opposition members in both the Houses, including Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, gave up their designated seats inside the Central Hall to sit together as one block. Trinamool Congress members of Parliament (MPs) even showed placards during the Presidents speech. Minutes into the speech, when President Kovind spoke about the citizenship act, opposition MPs led an uproar . In the times after Partition, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi had said that those Hindus and Sikhs who dont want to stay in Pakistan, can come to India. It is the duty of the government of India to give them a normal life, President Kovind said. I am happy that both Houses of Parliament passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act to fulfil the dreams of those who built our country, he said. Opposition leaders also interjected later when the President spoke about the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and of turning India into a gas-based economy in the future. The BJPs spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the behaviour of the opposition members was akin to what is happening in Shaheen Bagh. Today is the first day of the Budget Session, the opposition would have got an opportunity to present their views. But today was not the occasion to make a political point, the Rajya Sabha MP said. Congress has been in power for so long. They should have thought twice before disrupting the Presidents speech. The TMC also raised placards This is a complete breakdown of convention, he added. Even before the Budget Session began, Congress MPs of both Houses carried out a protest near the Gandhi statue with placards that read Save democracy, Save India, No to NRC-CAA-NPR. Party president Sonia Gandhi, former president Rahul Gandhi, Azad, senior leaders Motilal Vohra, Ahmed Patel, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, AK Antony and the party Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha MPs were present. The amended citizenship act seeks to fast-track citizenship to six persecuted religious minorities from three neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who came to India before 2015. It leaves out Muslims which has given rise to protests all across the country. The protesters have accused the government of dividing the country on religious line with the act. But the Centre has maintained that CAA will have no impact on the Muslims living in India and has refused to scrap the law. The Congress-ruled assemblies of Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have already passed resolutions in their assemblies demanding the scrapping of the law, which has been challenged in the Supreme Court. To sit behind the Resolute Desk requires more than a mayor's nodding acquaintance with issues foreign and domestic. Judging by FBI statistics, Irvine is one of America's safest cities, thanks to the 232 brave men and women on our police force who risk their lives every day. The City Council and I ensure they have what they need to protect our residents. But I don't think that prepares me to serve as commander in chief, controlling state-of-the-art weapons systems and leading the 1.4 million people serving in the armed forces on bases throughout the country and the world (and, God forbid, deciding whether to send them into harm's way). It's true that Buttigieg has some experience beyond the mayoralty, working as a naval intelligence officer. Those are respectable credentials. But do they bestow the experience and judgment he'd need? Though I've been roused in the middle of the night to respond to blackouts, serious accidents and the occasional homicide, those situations are more contained than the crises that wake a president at 3 a.m. MOORHEAD, Minn. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., said a proposed Moorhead underpass was the victim of "political partisanship and patronage" when the Trump administration funneled money to communities that are politically strategic for Republicans. Smith made the accusation in an opinion piece published on CNN.com Thursday , Jan. 30, under the headline, "The Ukraine scandal comes to Minnesota." To illustrate how some communities are unfairly losing out, Smith cited the proposed 11th Street North underpass in Moorhead, saying public safety concerns were ignored when the project was passed over for funding. "With around 80 trains passing through every day, cars, and pedestrians struggle to share the space; the crossing causes traffic gridlocks, delays ambulances and fire trucks, hinders the economic viability of the downtown area, and threatens the safety of everyone who uses it," Smith wrote. The city of Moorhead applied with the Trump administration for a grant for the project, which is attracting state and local funding. ADVERTISEMENT Political favoritism seems to explain where the money for projects funding by the Trump administrations BUILD program Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development is awarded, Smith wrote. Elaine Chao, the Trump administrations transportation secretary and the wife of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the Senate majority leader, met with officials from Kentucky "vastly more often than those from any other state" in her first 14 months in the role, Smith wrote, citing Politico. Also, the Minnesota senator wrote, citing reporting from American Public Media, Chao "traveled to a vulnerable incumbent's state at least three times" in the run-up to the 2018 election to publicize BUILD funding; each of the incumbents was a Republican, Smith wrote. The pattern continued last year, when communities represented by Republicans in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine and North Carolina together received $239 million in BUILD funding, more than a quarter of the program's total, she wrote. "Minnesotans know its wrong for a President of any party to put his own personal interests ahead of the public good," Smith wrote. "And now my constituents have reason to be concerned that the Trump administrations desire to return to the spoils system may be directly and unfairly affecting their economic security." A similar "spoils system" is at work in the distribution of farm aid, Smith wrote, citing "irregularities" documented in a report by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., the senior Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. The White House press office did not immediately respond Thursday for comment. The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against a Texas company and its principal for unlawfully selling unregistered securities in connection with the previously charged Madison Timber Properties, LLC Ponzi scheme. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in Jackson, Mississippi, alleges that Michael Douglas Billings and his company MDB Group, LLC, were among Madison Timber's top revenue producers, selling more than $80 million of its unregistered securities to at least 44 retail investors. The complaint also alleges that the defendants reaped millions of dollars in commissions and other payments on their sales of Madison Timber's securities even though the securities were not registered with the Commission and defendants were not registered as broker-dealers. According to the complaint, the defendants told investors that their money would be used to finance the right to harvest timber and promised annual returns of 12 to 15 percent. In truth, the complaint alleges, Madison Timber never obtained any harvesting rights. Instead, Madison Timber's principal, Arthur Lamar Adams, forged deeds and cutting agreements and used the investors' funds for personal expenses and to develop an unrelated real estate project. The complaint charges Billings and MDB Group with violating the securities registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and (c) of the Securities Act of 1933 and the broker-dealer registration provision of Section 15(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The defendants have agreed to a bifurcated settlement where they will be permanently enjoined from violating the charged provisions and the court will determine the amount of disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil money penalties at a later date. Billings and MDG Group have also consented to industry and penny stock bars to be issued in an administrative proceeding. Previously, in addition to charging Madison Timber and Adams, the SEC charged Terry Wayne Kelly and Kelly Management, LLC, for their role in the Madison Timber scheme. The court overseeing the SEC's ongoing litigation against Madison Timber, Adams, Kelly, and Kelly Management appointed a receiver to marshal funds and distribute them to harmed investors. The receiver has established a website, which contains information on the receiver's progress and on relevant federal and state proceedings. The SEC's continuing investigation is being conducted by Justin Delfino and Krysta Cannon of the SEC's Atlanta Regional Office and supervised by Peter Diskin. The SEC's litigation is being led by Shawn Murnahan and supervised by Graham Loomis. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Haiti - FLASH : Scholarships for Studies in Cuba, application open The Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP) informs young people under 25 that scholarships in Cuba are available. It encourages young people who meet the criteria to apply and participate in the competition organized to determine the scholarship recipients. The Office of the Secretary of State for the Integration of People with Disabilities (BSEIPH) encourages young disabled people with the required profile to participate and seize this new opportunity. Admission criteria : - Be under 25 years old - Have passed the BACC II with bine mention - Not to be a Haitian State scholarship holder Documents required : - (*) BAC 1 and / or BAC II transcripts (legalized by MENFP and MAE) - (*) BAC 1 and / or BAC II certificates (legalized by MENFP and MAE) - (*) Extract from the archives of the birth certificate (legalized by the MENFP and the MAE) - (*) Certificate of Good Life and Die (legalized by the DOJ and the MAE if it was issued by a court) - Certificate of residence (will be issued by the town hall of your place of residence) - Tax number (NIF) - National Identity Card (CIN) - 12 passport size passport size photos (9 inches) - Passport valid for the study period - Curriculum Vitae (CV) - Letter of motivation for the scholarship IMPORTANT : All documents with (*) must be legalized by the Ministry concerned and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then translated into Spanish. Deadline for submission: Monday, February 28, 2020 For all other information contact the Ministry of Public Health HL/ HaitiLibre BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 23 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Jan. 31, Trend reports. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts. IT ended with a blessed trinity of Sheahans all supporting the upgrading of the library in Askeaton but Mondays council meeting started off with a row between Cllr Kevin Sheahan FF who said he felt bullied by Mayor Michael Sheahan FG over a ruling made by the Mayor at the previous meeting. You refused to take my motion because I wouldnt give you the name of the person who seconded it, the Fianna Fail councillor accused the Mayor More than half the councillors were not happy with supporting his motion, Cllr Sheahan conceded. That is their democratic right, he said but he accused the Mayor of an incorrect interpretation of standing orders. Were you correct or incorrect in the ruling you made? he demanded. I felt on the day that I was bullied by you. He had withdrawn the motion to avoid consternation, he said but he felt badly hurt by the way he was treated, and had never witnessed any councillor being treated in that way. It was, he contended, a very serious issue. He withdrew the motion because he was afraid to put it to the floor, Cllr Liam Galvin shouted across the floor. I was not afraid of you or anybody else, Cllr Kevin Sheahan shouted back. The Mayor said he felt he was following standing orders. If I was wrong, I am quite prepared to take advice from James Clune on that. He suggested to Cllr Sheahan that he resubmit the motion. But Cllr Galvin was having none of it. An accusation of bullying had been made against the first citizen, he said and he demanded that Cllr Kevin Sheahan withdraw it. Then in stepped yet another Sheahan, this time, Cllr John Sheahan who suggested to Cllr Kevin Sheahan that in the interests of the public and everybody else in this chamber, he would clarify how he was bullied or he withdraws. All the party leaders on the day had remained silent, claimed Cllr Kevin Sheahan, which prompted his own acting party leader, Kieran OHanlon to say: If any of my members feel they are bullied, talk to me and I will deal with it. Fellow party member, Cllr Eddie Ryan, then referred back to the crux of the matter: the subject of Cllr Kevin Sheahans aborted motion. He wanted no hand or part in any motion which says that drinking and driving is ok, he declared. I never said I was in favour of drinking and driving, Cllr Kevin Sheahan retorted. He did think, however, that the judiciary should take into account if people were caught the morning after. Asked to withdraw his bullying remark, Cllr Kevin Sheahan said. I felt bullied. I will modify my statement by saying I felt bullied. Let the record show that the Mayor didnt bully Cllr Kevin Sheahan, Cllr Galvin declared and the official business of the meeting finally got underway. Later, Mayor Sheahan and Cllr John Sheahan supported Cllr Kevin Sheahans call for a survey and report on the state of Askeaton library. A desperate search is underway for a missing one-year-old baby girl who needs urgent medical attention to her injured foot. The child was last seen at Concord Hospital, in Sydney's inner west. NSW Police believe the little girl may be with her parents - father Sifa Talakai, 35, and mother Heilala Sulunga, 33, as well as a five-year-old child. The baby girl, one, is pictured with her father, Sifa Talakai, 35, and mother, Heilala Sulunga, 33 Officers have urged the parents to take the child to hospital, to prevent the foot becoming infected. In a statement, a NSW Police Force spokesperson said officers don't know whether the family is driving or using public transport. Anyone who spots the little girl or her parents are urged to contact police immediately. The parents are understood to have several children. NSW Health has been approached for comment. Passengers board buses after arriving on an airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) Passenger Tried to Leave Military Base After Flight from China; CDC Issues Quarantines CDC then issues quarantines for all 195 passengers Riverside County Health officials have issued a quarantine order for a passenger who had traveled from coronavirus-impacted Wuhan, China, to March Air Reserve Base (MARB) on Wednesday. On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that all 195 passengers were placed under quarantine. The quarantine will last 14 days from when the plane left Wuhan, China. This action is a precautionary and preventive step to maximize the containment of the virus in the interest of the health of the American public, it said in a statement. The passenger apparently tried to leave the military base, according to Riverside County health officials. Riverside County Public Health Officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser issued the order requiring the person to stay for the entire incubation period or until otherwise cleared, said the county in a statement. This action was taken as a result of the unknown risk to the public should someone leave MARB early without undergoing a full health evaluation. The person, who was not identified by Riverside health officials, will have to remain at the base until their health status is cleared. All other passengers from the flight also remain at MARB and continue to be evaluated, according to the statement. The U.S. State Department evacuated about 200 nationals in Wuhan, which is under lockdown, as fears of the virus outbreak continue to escalate. The agency said it is planning to evacuate more people next week. None of the passengers on the State Department-commissioned flight showed coronavirus symptoms after being evacuated. But according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they agreed to stay at the base voluntarily. These people are not under federal quarantine orders. Ive personally talked to them when they were disembarking and after they went through their first screening checks. They were happy to be here. They were very much cooperative with the questions, Dr. Christopher Braden, a CDC official, said at a press conference on Wednesday. When I talked to them about their willingness to stay to be fully evaluated over three days or so, all those that I talked to were very willing to do that, he added. But Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.), in a statement, requested an investigation into the coordination, planning, and funding of the flight. For two days, the Department of State and the Department of Health and Human Services left Inland Empire residents alarmed about the risks posed by potential coronavirus patients being flown into a public space at the heart of our community, and confused by the utter lack of a coherent plan to keep anyone safe, Torres wrote in a statement. ONT was up to this task immediately, but that does not excuse the dismal lack of communication by the federal government. The CDC on Thursday confirmed there were six cases of the virus in the United States after the spouse of an infected person who had recently traveled to Wuhan contracted the disease. It was the first case of person-to-person transmission in the United States. Four other cases have been confirmed, including one in Los Angeles, one in Californias Orange County, one in Arizona, and one in Washington state. Those patients all had recently traveled to Wuhan. Outside of China, around 100 cases of the virus have been confirmed in around 20 countries and territories. Delta Airlines and American Airlines on Friday announced that they will suspend all flights to China, and not just Wuhan, over virus fears. It came after the World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency and the State Department urged all Americans not to travel to China. After the image of the 17-year-old Jamia shooter went viral on Thursday, a lot of people compared it to a viral image which supposedly shows Nathuram Godse with his gun, moments after he shot Mahatma Gandhi. (BTW, that image is from a 1963 British movie) This was mostly due to the day on which the shooting happened outside Jamia - 30 January the same day in 1948 Nathuram Godse shot dead the Mahatma. Godse was a member of Hindu Mahasabha, an extreme right wing outfit, which claims to be a nationalist organization but never took part in the Independence movement, and was openly opposed to some of the historic protests like the Quit India Movement. The outfit which venerates Godse as a true nationalist and patriot considered Gandhi as a traitor and anti-national. The fringe group has often made headlines for outrageous acts like reenacting the Gandhi assassination, celebrating Godse's birthday, building a temple for him and much more. On Friday, the Hindu Mahasabha announced that it will felicitate the 17-year-old who was arrested by the Delhi Police a day earlier after he opened fire at students protesting against the CAA outside Jamia. Calling him a "true nationalist like Nathuram Godse" Hindu Mahasabha spokesperson Ashok Pandey said the organization is "proud of the boy, who attempted to silence the anti-national activities on Jamia campus by giving the students there 'instant azadi'." The outfit has also pledged to bear the legal aid to the accused. He also justified brandishing a gun to "punish anti-national activities" and said that even the law makes a distinction between cold-blooded murder and someone eliminated in the best interest of the country. He also added that all the "anti-nationals like Sharjeel Imam and the ones on the Aligarh Muslim University campus, Jawaharlal Nehru University and Shaheen Bagh deserve to be shot". Last year, the Hindu Mahasabha had stoked a massive controversy on January 30 after videos and images of the outfit reenacting the assassination of the Mahatma went viral. In the cringeworthy video, a woman Pooja Shakun Pandey, a top leader of the outfit which was founded by Savarkar and the first judge of the 'Hindu Court' was seen firing at an effigy of Gandhi. The video even showed fake blood oozing out of the effigy after it was fired at. This is not the first time the notorious outfit has courted controversy. In the past, they have attempted to build a Godse temple in Gwalior and even install a statue of the Gandhi assassin on October 2, 2018. In 2016, they had offered special prayers for Donald Trump who was then the US Presidential candidate because apparently, the former reality TV host bore a striking resemblance to Godse. They have also been into moral policing on Valentine's Day and beat up and forcefully marry off lovers who were seen together on that day. A number of posters with the phrase "it's okay to be white" have appeared around Bristol city centre since Monday. The posters, which feature no other messaging or branding, have been criticised on social media and by residents. Students from the University of Bristol have taken to Twitter to express their anger. One said: These posters have been put up on campus. My university, ladies and gentlemen. A University of Bristol spokesperson told The Independent they were asking people to take them down and contact security services if seen on university premises, although said currently they are only aware of those in the wider city. A lecturer in criminology from the University, Dr Victoria Canning told The Independent that she first saw one of the messages on a lamppost in Park Street in central Bristol on Tuesday morning. She walks the route regularly and hadnt seen it before. I really dont want to give it airtime but this is obviously following on from things like the appearance of Laurence Fox on Question Time, there is a correlation, she says. Dr Canning says she heard other posters were elsewhere but were removed quickly by students. Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London A young boy holds a placard reading 'migration is beautiful' during the march against racism demonstration in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Warsaw Protesters rally in Warsaw under the slogan 'Tired of racism and fascism'. AFP/Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrators chants with chains around his neck during a march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Vienna People getting ready to march against racism in Vienna. Twitter/Wriseup Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Anti-racism demonstrators take part in a rally through the city centre of Glasgow. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London An anti-racism demostrator holds a placard readin 'Laundry is the only thing that should be seperated by colour'. Getty Images Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris Thousand of protesters demonstrate against police brutality and in defense of migrants and those without papers in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant during a march organised by the group Stand Up to Racism as an expression of unity against racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens A girl poses for a photo during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe in Athens. AP Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow Aamer Anwar a prominent Scottish lawyer joins an Anti-racism rally through Glasgow city centre. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators hold placards and chant in London's march against racism. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Glasgow A man in Glasgow holds a banner reading 'refugees welcome'. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures London Anti-racism demostrators let off flares during the march against racism in London. Getty Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Paris A protester in a grim reaper disguise holds a shield reading 'State racism, no impunity for police brutality against those without papers' in Paris. EPA Anti-racism demonstrations across Europe: in pictures Athens Migrants who live in Greece chant slogans during a rally against the EU-Turkey deal blocking mass migration into Europe, in Athens. AP The its okay to be white messaging originated on internet forum 4/Chan in 2017 and was conceived as a US poster campaign to create a left-wing media backlash in response to a harmless message. The posters appeared at universities across America, including the University of California, University of Washington and University of Regina in Canada. They were widely supported by neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups, as well as alt-right figures including former Klu Klax Klan grand wizard David Duke. The sightings in Bristol are the first time they have appeared in England, after a brief spate in Scotland: in Dundee in September 2019 and then Perth in December. Police Scotland confirmed they were looking into the matter. Scotland's deputy first minister John Swinney condemned them. Dr Canning says the posters need to be criticised even if outrage does play directly into the hands of the creators. She says: To try and orchestrate outrage to then suppress it is a form of social silencing the very people who point the finger and say you are hysterical are the ones creating these mechanisms to silence us because no one wants to speak out against them. She also disagrees with the idea that the slogan is a harmless message. This is only a harmless message if we choose to ignore structural inequalities. We dont live in an era of equality. There has to be a recognition by society that although white working classes can experience problems, such as the impact of austerity, these are largely economic problems. For non-white people they experience additional problems of criminalisation and racism, like stop and search. Saying that is not to say that [white people] dont experience social harms but there are specific things that white people do not experience, she says. Dr Canning says it concerns her that the white victim construct - which was previously restricted to far-right narratives - is becoming more widely accepted by disillusioned people. In times of austerity we arent looking up for the people causing us problems but looking around us and those fractures grow. I remember years ago there were protests at the suggestion Nick Griffin would go on Question Time as a representative of the BNP. Things have shifted since then, she adds. Dr Canning says it is also interesting that they have chosen to post them in Bristol. It is interesting that someone has chosen to put it up in Bristol which is generally seen as a liberal, left-leaning city, she says. The slogan was also used on t-shirts sold by British far-right political commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, and has been tied to the All Lives Matter campaign. The Bouqs plans to take a slice of Japan's $6 billion flower market this year with a $30 million strategic growth round from Japanese enterprise business investor Yamasa. While The Bouqs still must compete with bigger contenders like 1-800-Flowers and FTD in the U.S., it will now have to take on incumbents like Ayoma Flower Market and FloraJapan, both of which also offer same-day delivery throughout the land of the rising sun. So why Japan? According to The Bouqs founder and CEO John Tabis, his company had been looking to expand internationally for awhile and Japan seemed to fit well within that plan. The Bouqs CEO and founder John Tabis The Bouqs CEO and founder John Tabis But as far as bigger competition in any country, Tabis is undeterred, telling TechCrunch there's plenty of opportunities in the flower delivery business if you know where to look. "There've been four or five other startups that tried something similar -- some of them no longer exist," Tabis said. "But the thing that's worked for us, the first is the way that we've sourced is unique and it's really the foundation of our brand." The Bouqs sprung up in a wave of Silicon Valley funded flower delivery startups like BloomThat, Farm Girl and Urban Stems, all promising Pinterest -worthy bouquets at the click of a button. But what set it apart was its farm-direct supply chain, cutting out costs from middlemen and delivering flowers that last longer. This particular round now puts The Bouqs up top as far as total funding raised among its flower delivery startup peers, bringing in $74 million in total funding to date, with competitor Urban Stems in second place with $27 million in funding, according to Crunchbase. Tabis also tells TechCrunch the new funds will further the company's development into brick-and-mortar stores and that it's jumping into the wedding biz. As anyone who's ever planned a wedding will tell you, it's an industry ripe for disruption -- with brides and grooms spending about 8% of the budget on the flowers alone. Story continues One other renewed focus for the company will be its subscription business, keeping customers set up with a fresh bunch of flowers once the old bouquet is ready for tossing. "It's sort of the linchpin of our business that's grown very nicely...expanding both our revenue and profitability," Tabis told TechCrunch. The SVP of Yamasa, Norikazu Sano, also mentioned further expansion into Asia for the company in a company press release, so we could see The Bouqs in more international areas over time, if all goes right in Japan. This financing will enable us to fully realize our vision to create a global network of top-quality farms paired with a category-defining local floral brand enabled by proprietary supply chain technology and vertically integrated sourcing capabilities. Were so excited for this next phase of the business, and all of the opportunities that lie ahead, Tabis said. The little puffs of puppies and kittens frolicking in the pet-store window on Seventh Avenue in Manhattan invariably drew an adoring crowd of passers-by outside the shop. But inside Chelsea Kennel Club, the reality was far less picturesque. An undercover investigation revealed a business that sold sickened pets, some with eyes crusted shut, bloody feces and high fevers. The store closed in 2017, shortly after the findings were revealed. But the story of the sick animals continues to play out, in courtrooms two city agencies sued the shop owners for defrauding customers and among people who bought pets only to see them die, even after spending thousands of dollars on vet care. They are completely irresponsible, toward people, toward animals, said Bo Guo, who said he fell in love with a Persian kitten he spotted in the window in 2013. A day later, it was hospitalized with an incurable virus. Mr. Guo said he spent about $8,000 in veterinary care to save the cat, Angel, but it died the next year. From start to finish, they have shown no responsibility to the animals. At a pivotal, potentially energizing moment for Democrats, preparing for the first votes of their long-awaited effort to unseat Trump, the presidential candidates found themselves Thursday reacting to his massive shadow rather than setting their own course. The scrambling reflected a deeper truth just four days before the Iowa caucuses: After four years of turmoil and anger, Democrats have yet to settle on the best path for defeating a president most of them consider the most damaging in memory. Police in Ho Chi Minh City are hunting for a car driver who fatally crashed into a GrabBike driver and injured his passenger on early Thursday morning. The accident occurred along Hong Ha Street in Phu Nhuan District at around 5:30 am, the district police unit confirmed on Friday. A five-seater automobile was traveling at high speed when it entered the opposite lane and slammed into a motorbike ridden by Le Manh Thuong, a 64-year-old GrabBike driver. Thuong was carrying 30-year-old Nguyen Thi Bich H., a stewardess. The car driver abandoned the vehicle and left the scene following the crash. The two victims were badly injured and admitted to the nearby 175 Military Hospital for emergency treatment. A funeral is held for GrabBike driver Le Manh Thuong at a relatives home in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City on January 31, 2020. Photo: Duc Phu / Tuoi Tre Thuong later succumbed to his injuries, while H. suffered knee and pelvic fractures. Police officers are working to identify and hunt for the driver. Thuongs funeral was organized at a relatives home in Phu Nhuan District on Friday. According to the family, Thuong lived with his son at a tenanted house in Tan Phu District. He works as a GrabBike driver to afford education for his son, who is now in college. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Facebook in January retained several lobbying groups as U.S. regulators explore freeing up airspace in the 6 Gigahertz band. Tech companies in recent months have been pushing the FCC to allocate spectrum in the 6 GHz band to Wi-Fi and other different types of unlicensed uses, which would allow device makers and service providers to move forward with products that operate in the 6 GHz space. Wireless carriers, on the other handspecifically, AT&Thave expressed concerns that allowing too much of this band for unlicensed use could interfere with public safety and critical infrastructure services operating in this spectrum. Facebook in January hired consulting firm Salt Point Strategies for lobbying issues related to 6 GHz, according to lobbying documents filed with Congress. The same month, the social media network also retained government affairs consulting firm Alpine Group for spectrum issues. Salt Point Strategies is led David Redl, an administrator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration who was formerly assistant secretary for communications and information at the United States Department of Commerce as well as and chief counsel to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A two-person team at Alpine Group handles the Facebook account: Ansley Erdel, who was formerly legislative assistant to Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA); and Jared Weaver, who was deputy chief of staff to Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA). Facebook last year spent $16.7 million in lobbying expenditures. Every time the camera rises from street level in For Sama to show us a broad swathe of Aleppo, we see a forest of white high-rises with blank black holes where there should be windows: a forest of concrete ghosts. It seems impossible that anyone should still live in these pale shells or among the rubble below but, of course, they did. Journalist Waad al-Kateab and her husband Hamza, a newly graduated doctor who started a hospital in the rebel zone of the city, steadfastly refused to leave as President Bashar al-Assads security forces terrorised the city and Russian bombs rained down on them through a six-month siege. Waad al-Kateab's daughter, Sama, among the rubble. At first, they were among the student rebels who protested for a free Syria. Then they had jobs to do. Dr Hamza al-Kataeb was saving lives and patching wounds; eventually, their makeshift hospital was the only one left of nine in Aleppo. One hospital is bombed into oblivion during the fifth month of the siege by government and Russian forces; they find another building and carry on. In 20 days, he says gloomily at the end of a bombing raid, he and his team have performed 890 operations and seen 6000 wounded. Meanwhile, Waad was telling the world, first on social media and then in despatches to Channel 4 in Britain, what was happening on the ground. At the beginning, I was just shooting because this was the only way to say we exist, as opposition to the Assad regime, she says. As the bombs rained down, however, people fled and Aleppo began to look like an empty film lot. I realised it was a very strange place. So I just thought OK, I will see what is going on with this story, what will end up happening to us. With the help of Channel 4 filmmaker Edward Watts, Waad al-Kateab has whittled down the hundreds of hours of footage she filmed over five years and reframed it as a letter to her elder daughter, attempting to explain to her why they risked her life along with their own to stay in their tortured city. They have refugee status in London now, but the film is a continuation of Waads activism. This is the responsibility I have to these people, the guilt I feel that I left, she says. This is what I can do. We lost the war on the ground, but we still have this battle against the regime and their propaganda. Did you know that manufacturing units in India have to conform to 6,796 compliance requirements? Or that you need 36 approvals to open a restaurant in Bengaluru, Delhi requires 26, and Mumbai 22? Heard about a 'Police Eating House License' that restaurants will need to operate in Delhi and Kolkata? India might have jumped up several notches in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Rankings in recent years, but running a business in India is anything but easy, states the Economic Survey 2019-20. Talking about compliance requirements of the manufacturing sector, the Survey says that it is "just an illustration of the bewilderingly wide range of rules that the sector faces". The Survey analyses the reasons why Ease of Doing Business in India is far from perfect. It compares India's performance on World Bank's EoDB rankings with its peers as well as the best-in-class with a focus on four parameters where India lags behind - Starting Business, Registering Property, Paying Taxes, and Enforcing Contracts. It concludes that there is large scope for improvement in all categories. "While it takes approximately four years to enforce a contract in India; New Zealand, Indonesia, China and Brazil require 0.6, 1.2, 1.4 and 2.2 years respectively. With a rank of 163 out of 190 nations in Enforcing Contracts, only a few countries like Afghanistan, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe perform worse than India", it points out. Similar comparisons have been shown for other categories. The Survey also illustrates the maze of laws, rules and regulations in manufacturing and services (particularly restaurants) sector. Thus, while China and Singapore require only four licenses to open a restaurant, India requires several more mandatory licenses and approvals: Delhi requires 26, Bengaluru 36, and Mumbai 22. In addition, Delhi requires a 'Police Eating House License' from Delhi Police that asks for 45 documents compared to just 19 needed to buy a gun. Enforcing a contract in India takes on average 1,445 days compared to 216 days in New Zealand, and 496 days in China. Paying taxes takes up more than 250 hours in India compared to 140 hours in New Zealand, 138 in China and 191 in Indonesia. These parameters provide a measure of the scope for improvement, the Survey says. The Survey also carries a series of case studies and industry surveys to analyse the time taken at each stage of the supply chain for specific merchandise items to travel from factory gate to the warehouse of the foreign customer. It showed that there are the inordinate delays in loading and customs processes in Indian sea-ports, and the processes for imports, ironically, are better than those for exports. Also read: Economic Survey 2020 draws heavy references from Kautilya's Arthashashtra The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea by whistleblower bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi seeking disclosure under the RTI Act about corruption complaints received by the PMO against Union ministers between 2014-17. A bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta issued a notice to the central public information officer (CPIO) of the PMO and sought a response. Chaturvedi moved the apex court challenging the Delhi High Court's September 6, 2019 order which had dismissed his plea and said that the chief information commissioner of the PMO had not committed any error in deciding his RTI application. "The division bench committed grave error on facts and law while dismissing the appeal preferred by the petitioner and consequently, upholding the orders of the single judge dated July 31, 2019 as well as the chief information commissioner holding that the order passed by the CIC directing disclosure of information... has been duly complied with by the respondent," the plea in SC said. The bureaucrat in his RTI application filed with the PMO had sought details of corruption complaints against Union ministers, inquiries conducted into the complaints and action taken against them. Chaturvedi had also sought to know about the black money retrieved from abroad and deposited into the accounts of citizens, along with efforts made by the PMO in this regard. He had sought certified copies of all the complaints submitted to the prime minister of India against corruption charges of central ministers from June 1, 2014 till August 5, 2017 along with certified copies of all documents related to the action taken, including copies of enquiry reports on such complaints by the Prime Minister's Office. "Whether the impugned order does not take away the right to information of a citizen on such issues of public importance as corruption at high places and black money and which has been repeatedly declared as part of Fundamental Right of expression, under Article 19 of Constitution of India," Chaturvedi said in his plea while seeking the top court's intervention on the issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: British High Commissioner to India Sir Dominic Asquith on Thursday said his country has put in a standing request to the Indian Government for British diplomats to visit Jammu and Kashmir but clarified, in response to a question, that permission had not been given so far in the past few months by New Delhi. In response to a question, he also said Britain had not been invited to be part of the 15-member foreign envoys delegation that visited J&K earlier this month. On protests in India regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), he referred to the fact that together with all, development for all and trust of all (sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas) has been the stated objective of the Naren-dra Modi Government, adding, I trust that it (the Indian Govern-ment) will be addressing the concerns that have been expressed" on CAA. Sir Dominic is returning to Britain after completing his tenure as High Commissioner. Two months after gang-rape and murder of a woman in Telangana, a fast-track court on Thursday sentenced all the three accused to death. After 45-day hearing, the court in Adilabad town pronounced the judgment in the gang-rape and murder case. Public prosecutor M. Ramana Reddy said the court orders will be sent to the Telangana High Court for confirmation. Sheikh Babu, Sheikh Shahabuddin and Sheikh Makhdoom broke down in the court hall as soon as the judge pronounced the judgment, awarding them the capital punishment. A 30-year-old woman, who used to sell balloons and utensils, was sexually assaulted and killed by the three men on November 24 last year at Ellapatar village of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. Her body was found in the bushes the next day. Three men were arrested in the case on November 27. The victim was named 'Samatha' in the case to protect her identity. The government had set up the fast-track court on December 12. Two days later, the police filed the chargesheet. The accused were charged under Sections 302, 376-D, and 404 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3(2)(v) Aof the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The police, in its 150-page chargesheet, mentioned pieces of evidence including forensic evidence and incorporated statements of 44 witnesses including doctors, residents of victim's village, daily wage labourers, who spotted the body and police officials. According to police, the accused hailing from the same village were an inebriated condition. They abducted the woman, who was alone, and after sexually assaulting her strangulated her to death. Bar Association of Adilabad had decided not to represent the accused in the case. The court, however, intervened and asked the District Legal Services Authority to provide a lawyer to represent them. The accused had pleaded not guilty and had moved a discharge petition, but it was dismissed by the court. During the week, the fashion designer Ulla Johnson spends most of her time in her SoHo studio or traveling to countries like Kenya, Peru, or India for materials and inspiration. On weekends, however, she tends to stay within a tight radius of her Fort Greene brownstone. My vision and the actual logistics of my life are so scattered, with the travel and work and the sourcing and everything, its nice to be close to home, she said. For Ms. Johnson, 45, a native New Yorker who was raised in a small apartment building in Yorkville, the tree-lined streets of Brooklyn, where she lives with her family (husband Zach Miner, 46, an art consultant, and their children Soren, 13, Asher, 10, and Agnes, 7) have special appeal. Its very verdant, she said. I grew up in a much more urban setting, but my children have a different life. Its a much more peaceful existence. Ms. Johnson will show her newest line of clothing and accessories at New York Fashion Week on Feb. 8. Chaos and stampede-like situation prevailed at suburban Thane station on Friday, as commuters thronged to board the air-conditioned local on the first day of its regular run. The AC train services started from the early hours of the day, but the problem arose after 8 am, when the peak hour rush began on Mumbai's suburban rail network. According to eyewitnesses, passengers thronged the station to board the train, causing a stampede-like situation on platforms. The automated doors of the train could not be closed, because of overcrowding, a commuter said. Similar scenes were witnessed at every station, causing the situation to deteriorate further. Anticipating the chaos, the railways had deployed security personnel inside and outside the train, but the crowd seemed to have gotten the better of them. The ensuing chaos also led to delay in the scheduled train services by 15 to 20 minutes during the morning peak hours, a railway official said. "We are appealing to people not to board the AC train without a valid ticket, so the doors of the train close without any problem," chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said. Security will be beefed up further inside and outside the train at Thane station during the evening peak hours from 4.30 onwards, he added. The Central Railway will operate 16 services of the AC local on Trans-Harbour line between Thane-Nerul, Thane-Panvel and Thane-Vashi stations. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced on Thursday night that he will vote against allowing additional witnesses and documents in President Trump's impeachment trial. In a statement, Alexander acknowledged that it was "inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation. When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year's ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate." Alexander declared that there is "no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a 'mountain of overwhelming evidence.'" He concluded that there is "no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense." Alexander got in a few swipes at Democrats, calling the second article of impeachment "frivolous" and the entire process "shallow, hurried, and wholly partisan." If Trump is convicted, he said, it would "rip the country apart, pouring gasoline on the fire of cultural divisions that already exist. It would create the weapon of perpetual impeachment to be used against future presidents whenever the House of Representatives is of a different political party." More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Tihar jail authorities on Friday told a Delhi court that the convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case can be hanged separately. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana is hearing the convicts' plea seeking a stay on the execution, which is scheduled for February 1. Public prosecutor Irfan Ahmad, representing Tihar Jail authorities, submitted a status report in the matter and said that the convicts in the matter can be hanged separately and that there is no illegality in it. Ahmad said that the mercy petition of convict Vinay Sharma is pending, adding that the other three convicts have no pending plea in any legal forum and can be hanged on the scheduled execution date. Convict Mukesh Singh has exhausted all the legal remedies available, Tihar jail informed the court. Advocate AP Singh, appearing on behalf of the convicts, sought sine die adjournment and stated that some legal remedies are still available for the convicts. Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing as Amicus Curiae for convict Mukesh, pressed for a stay on execution saying, "There cannot be a severance of execution order. The death penalty is an irreversible process. It would be a travesty of justice if convicts are segregated in terms of sentence for the very same offence." An "amicus curiae" is someone who is not a party to a case and assists a court by offering information, expertise or insight into matters that have a bearing on the issues of the case. Yesterday, a Patiala House court had issued a notice to Tihar jail authorities seeking its response on the petition filed by the convicts in Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case seeking a stay on the execution. Four convicts in the matter -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Kumar Sharma -- are scheduled to be hanged on February 1. Recently, Vinay Sharma has filed a mercy petition in the matter. Earlier, mercy petition of convict Mukesh was rejected by the President. He later challenged the rejection of his mercy petition in the Supreme Court but to no avail. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalising of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (TNS) Howard County, Md., police launched a one-year drone field test with a demonstration flight of two drones Thursday morning at Kiwanis-Wallas Park in Ellicott City.In November, police announced the impending purchase of the drones, months after disbanding its aviation program , which ended in April 2019 due to the countys anticipated deficit.The departments purchase of three drones cost $33,800, according to police. The Howard County Police Foundation provided a $20,000 contribution towards the drones.As technology evolves, our agency will continue to evolve with it to ensure we are providing the most effective ways to protect our communities, Howard Police Chief Lisa Meyers said in a statement Thursday.The drones can help us in search-and-rescue operations and provide real-time information in potentially dangerous crisis situations, she added.The drone program is a result of a county work group that recommended purchasing the three drones after conducting research on the technology. The work group examined drone use in law enforcement, such as transparency, training, usefulness and privacy issues.The drones will be used in situations when life and safety are at risk or when there is specific and articulable grounds that the drones will collect evidence relating to criminal activity, police said.Ten police officers were trained and became certified remote pilots in the past two months. The officers will stay in their current assignment and will respond to incidents where a drone is necessary.The training cost $14,900, which covered pilot certifications in day and night operations and test preparations, police said.You are now following this newsletter. See all newsletters. In Maryland, the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, the Carroll County Sheriffs Office and EMS Department, the Cecil County Sheriffs Office, the Charles County Sheriffs Office and EMS, the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Department, and St. Marys County Sheriffs Office all use drone technology, according to a 2018 report by Dan Gettinger, co-director of the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College in New York.Police across Maryland are using the small unmanned aircraft to investigate crashes, photograph crime scenes and survey damage after severe weather. Following guidelines from the American Civil Liberties Union, Howard police will ensure the community can benefit from drone technology without privacy concerns, a news release states.Drone images will not be kept unless there is reasonable suspicion the photographs showcase evidence of criminal activity or are relevant to any pending criminal trial or ongoing investigation, the release states. Police will delete any other images.Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement he is thrilled to see the drone program get off the ground, allowing the [police department] to be more effective and efficient, while continuing to protect all our residents safety and civil liberties. Students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Friday gathered outside the gate of the varsity to stage a peaceful protest against the amended Citizenship Act, a day after a man fired a pistol at a group of agitators there, injuring a student. The students carried posters that read "Stop Hate Speech, Safety really?, What's in the name' and 'Tamache Pe Disco, Jamia se Khisko'. Condemning the attack on students, the protesters said they were shocked when they saw the man emerge from the crowd and open fire in full public view amidst heavy police presence. A student taking part in the protest, who did not wished to be identified, said, "When I got to know about firing, I rushed to the venue along with my friends to check. All we wanted was a peaceful protest. We have been protesting here for nearly two months. I definitely feel police could have acted much promptly. Thousands of people and police personnel faced off against each other near the varsity on Thursday after a man fired a pistol at a group of anti-CAA protesters. As night fell, massive protests broke out with agitated students and others gathering near the university, breaking barricades and clashing with police personnel. The protests ended around 9 pm after police released four detained demonstrators, according to university and police officials. Another student taking part in the peaceful protest on Friday said it is shocking how there is always an attempt to disrupt their peaceful march. "We students have been protesting peacefully for the last two months. on Thursday, we were heading for a peaceful march towards Rajghat where we were to form a human chain. "But police had already put up barricades at several intersections. We somehow wanted to cross those barricades peacefully and head towards our destination, he said. Mohammad Ibrahim, a rickshaw puller, who is also a resident of Jamia Nagar, said students have been holding protest but it has been going on peacefully. "I was riding my rickshaw nearby when I got to know that a man had fired at the students. Even amid heavy police presence, we feel that safety had become a huge concern for all of us here," Ibrahim said. Students said they will not allow political parties to take advantage of the peaceful protests and make it their playground for the polls. After Friday prayers, more students are expected to join in for a peaceful protest here. Mohammad Asif and his cousin Mohammad Usman, who have come all the way from Dehradun to stand in solidarity with the protesting students at JMI as well as support the cause of several women protesting at Shaheen Bagh said there are some elements who want to disrupt the peaceful protests. 'I felt it was time that we also come out in support of students and the elderly women who have been tirelessly fighting for the right cause. There are some elements who want to disrupt the peaceful protests so that they can fail them from achieving the results, said Usman. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. Air Force has been trying to replace its radars since 2008. Now, after years of solicitations and lawsuits over contract awards, it has to start all over again. The service started the solicitation process in 2008. In October 2014, Raytheon was selected to replace the Air Force's older radars -- the AN/TPS-75, or Tipsy 75, its principal ground-based sensors for long-range surveillance, detection and tracking of aerial targets. Following years of bid protests from competitors Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, with each company saying it had more affordable and capable solutions for the program, the program got off to a late start. Then, the Air Force amended its solicitation in 2016 to include full-rate production options. In 2017, it awarded Raytheon a $52.6 million contract for the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR). Related: Raytheon System Would Warn Military Aviation Units of Cyber-Hijacking Attempts But the process dragged on so long, the service has decided to cancel the contract and hold another industry day to rebid it. Raytheon Chairman and CEO Tom Kennedy says the move is not surprising. "The technology baseline was ... back in 2008 when essentially the solicitation effort started with the Air Force," he explained during an earnings call with reporters and analysts Thursday. During that time, "there were many advancements in technology," Kennedy said. "But we had a baseline [contract] that was kind of rigid." The service is planning another industry day to rebid the program, similar to what the U.S. Army did for its Lower-Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor program, Kennedy said. Officials on the call noted the cancellation will not affect the company's earnings. "The Air Force is changing its acquisition strategy for the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program and will take actions to conclude its current engineering and manufacturing development contract," Air Force spokeswoman Patty Welsh said in a statement to Defense News earlier this month. "The current contractor experienced numerous technical and supplier challenges in the development of their radar that extended the schedule," Welsh said. "Current market research shows that, due to advancements in technology, other alternatives are now available that can deliver the capability faster." An industry day is scheduled for Feb. 4 at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, Defense News said. Full replacement of the Tipsy 75 systems was initially expected by 2029, but it's unclear whether the latest cancellation will push back fielding. According to the service, 3DELRR will enhance airspace situational awareness. The radar will give air controllers "a precise, real-time picture of sufficient quality to conduct control of individual aircraft under many operational conditions," officials said in 2017. Inside Defense was the first to report the contract cancellation on Jan. 8. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read More: Former Reporter Sues Navy Times, Claiming He Was Fired for Reenlisting in the Navy Houston Crime Stoppers A Houston-area man charged with trafficking a child and other serious felony charges is the latest addition to the Texas Department of Public Safety list of the 10 most wanted fugitives throughout the state. Willie James Brumfield, 20, is facing charges of trafficking of a child, compelling prostitution, aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon and evading arrest or detention, according to Texas DPS. Brumfield was listed as one of eight human trafficking suspects wanted by the Houston Police Department earlier this month, and DPS announced his name was added to the states most wanted list Friday. Mayor London Breed and Police Chief Bill Scott have touted a 2% drop in car break-ins last year, an oh-so-slight decline in a property crime epidemic sweeping San Francisco. But look closer, and an alarming trend is emerging: Smash-and-grab assailants are no longer focusing just on the familiar tourist sites rife with unsuspecting vacationers in rental cars. While the citywide numbers dropped a bit, numbers shot up in some police districts that are mostly residential and rarely show up in guidebooks. The biggest jumps came in the Richmond and Taraval police districts, which each saw a 24% spike from 2018 to 2019, and the Ingleside police district, which saw a 20% increase. Perhaps no place in San Francisco saw a bigger jump in shattered glass than the parking lot of the Safeway in Diamond Heights and local residents packed a recent meeting to ask new District Attorney Chesa Boudin what hes going to do about it. The need for a meeting in the first place was confounding. While car break-in hot spots have previously included postcard-worthy landmarks such as the Palace of Fine Arts and Lombard Street, no out-of-towner in his right mind would make a point of going to the Diamond Heights Safeway. I can say this with authority because I shop for groceries there every week, and theres nothing noteworthy about it. Its one of the rare San Francisco Safeways thats so nondescript it doesnt even have a nickname. Theres Dateway in the Marina, famous for pickups in the produce aisle. Theres Gay Safeway in the Castro. And theres Soviet Safeway on Monterey Boulevard, known for its sometimes bare shelves and buckets placed in the aisles when it rains. (Dont blame me for these names. Im just the middlewoman.) The Diamond Heights Safeway and its shopping center featuring a post office, Walgreens, dry cleaner and bakery is frequented by local families and retirees, and its surprising the organized rings of car break-in thieves even know it exists. The one nickname I could find online was a Reddit user who called it Secret Safeway. But for thieves, the secret is out. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle 2019 In a 1,000-foot zone around Not-So-Secret Safeway, there were just 19 car break-ins in 2018. That jumped to 77 break-ins in 2019, a rise of an eye-popping 305%. Police statistics show thieves are targeting the lot on weekdays between 4 and 8 p.m., when people are getting off work and running inside to grab groceries. And like so many stories of Bay Area property crime recently, the acts are getting increasingly brazen. Rodney Suzuki, a financial planner, said he picked up a few groceries at the Safeway after work with his daughter in November. He got back in his gray Nissan sport utility vehicle and started reversing out of his parking space when the driver of the car next to his zoomed backward in a semicircle to block him in. Somebody leaped out of the other car, smashed his rear window and grabbed his daughters backpack, and the car sped off. Yes, San Francisco thieves are now breaking into cars with people inside them. It took a few seconds, really I couldnt believe how efficient they were, Suzuki said. We were shocked. He reported the crime to police, who said theyd never heard of a car break-in of an occupied vehicle. But now they have, Suzuki said. In an outcome that will surprise nobody, no arrest has been made. Suzuki shared his story with me outside a meeting room at the Police Academy near the Diamond Heights Safeway the other night. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman called the meeting after his office received the alarming police statistics, and angry residents filled every seat, sat on the floor and spilled out into a hallway and outside. They were there seeking answers but also, it seemed, to get a close-up look at new District Attorney Chesa Boudin. All eyes turned to him when he walked in with security protection a few minutes late. To his credit, he took many questions from an audience that probably didnt vote for him in big numbers and stood behind a podium decorated with the SFPD symbol despite his repeated clashes with the police union. This neighborhood is bucking the trend across the city, he acknowledged to the frustrated crowd. Weve got to do better. Jeff Chiu / Associated Press 2020 Echoing his campaign pledge, he said his biggest priority is beefing up his victim services unit so those whose cars have been broken into can get help from the district attorneys office. Currently, many people who file police reports never hear a peep from a city official. Most victims of auto burglaries will never see the person who broke their window arrested, much less prosecuted, much less convicted, much less will they ever see restitution paid to them to fix their broken window or replace their stolen goods, Boudin told them. Boudin said his office prosecutes 84% of car break-in cases that come its way. The problem is that so few do. Police are able to make arrests in less than 2% of reported car break-ins each year. Boudin said hes working with supervisors to introduce legislation creating a fund so the city can contract with auto-glass repair shops to pay for broken windows at a fixed, cheaper rate than what regular residents would normally pay. Boudin is also pushing for legislation at the state level to give counties more funds for victim services. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The district attorney said his crime strategies unit is also working on ways to deter auto break-ins. He said $1 billion in stolen goods is fenced in the Bay Area every year by organized, sophisticated, brazen thieves. He wants to focus on breaking those rings by placing GPS devices on electronics left in bait cars and tracking where they go after theyre stolen. Boudin said he wants to continue the citys education campaign to remind people to leave nothing in their car and to always file a police report. He recounted a jaw-dropping story about meeting recently with constituents at a cafe in the Western Addition. He said he saw a man swipe a laptop from a woman as she was typing on it and gave chase. The assailant leaped into a getaway car, and Boudin said he should have used his phone to take pictures of the car and the license plate. But instead, he kicked in the window before the car sped off. When the police arrived, they said, Dont do that, he said with a grin. A woman after the meeting scolded Boudin, saying San Francisco has become a free-for-all where criminals face no consequences and she fears it will get worse under his progressive policies. People are really upset! she told him. Your feet are going to be held to the fire! Boudin has just ended cash bail in San Francisco, meaning those arrested will be detained if they pose a major public safety risk, but otherwise released to await trial. He said conditions can still be placed on their release, and they can be detained if they violate those conditions or are rearrested. But the vast majority of car break-in thieves will never see any kind of punishment in San Francisco. Police said they think the Safeway parking lot has become such a hot spot because people dont think twice when they see others walking between cars in a packed lot, so thieves can blend in. Also, those using the lot are vulnerable because theyre obviously going to be inside for at least a few minutes. Its also near fast-moving Diamond Heights Boulevard and Interstate 280. Plus, police have responded heavily to tourist hot spots that had become seas of shattered glass, so thieves have had to go somewhere else. Theyre smart, said Cmdr. Peter Walsh. If we move everybody over to the Palace (of Fine Arts) or the Beach Chalet, theyre going to find other areas. Its an opportunity thing. Police said theyll be working with the shopping centers owner to install security cameras and educate parking lot users about leaving nothing in their car. This frequent user of the shopping center, for one, is glad San Francisco officials are saying the right things. Now well see if they follow through with action. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf Harpreet Singh The real estate sector, which has been a major pillar to Indias economy in the last couple of decades, has been experiencing a fiscal slowdown in recent years. Though, such a slowdown is a result of interplay of multiple economic factors, there have been some tax and regulatory issues, which continue to grapple the sector. While the government had initiated some measures to emancipate the realty sector this year, it is generally believed that lot more needs to be done for boosting the ailing sector. With effect from April 1, 2019, effective rate of GST applicable on construction of residential apartments by promoters in a real estate project was reduced to 1% for affordable housing and 5% for other properties. Further under Direct Tax, an additional deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh (in addition to Rs 2 lakh) is allowed on interest paid on loans borrowed up to March 31, 2020, for purchase of affordable houses. In this regard, please note that a flat with carpet area up to 90 square meters in non-metropolitan areas and 60 square meters in metropolitan cities is categorized as affordable, provided they do not cost upwards of Rs 45 lakh. The said limit of Rs 45 lakh is on the lower side, especially in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Bengaluru. As a result, the tax benefit which the Government intends to provide for affordable housing is not being availed by many. Accordingly, the expectation is that the said limit would be revised upwards in the coming budget. Further, there is a deduction available under Section 24 of Income Tax Act, 1961, up-to a maximum limit of Rs 2 lakh for interest on loan taken for acquisition/construction of self-occupied house property. Given the rising interest and property rates, it is every home loan payers wish that the said exemption should be increased to at least Rs 4 lakh per annum in the upcoming budget. Similarly, the Income tax law taxes the differential income from transfer of immovable property (in case consideration is less than the stamp duty value) in the hands of buyer and seller, provided the variation between stamp duty value and the sale consideration is not more than 5%. It is often debated that the said variation of 5% may not be appropriate for all locations in India and accordingly, should be increased to at-least 10% for all or metro-cities. Moving to Indirect taxes, an important issue which impacts the sector, is dis-allowance of input tax credit on purchase of inputs and input services used for construction of immovable property, meant for further let out. Albeit the lessor of premise is required to discharge GST on lease rentals, the law does not allow input tax credit on procurement, used for construction of the property to be let out. The industry hopes that the Government would remove the said restriction on availing credit, which would in turn lead to reduction in the overall tax costs on lease rentals.In todays world, the developers usually provide various additional services alongside the construction service such as preferential location services (PLC), right to use the allotted car parking space in lieu of additional charges. Much like the earlier law, there exists an ambiguity, if the reduced GST rate would be applicable to such charges as well. This is because such charges are recovered in conjunction with the construction charges and services for PLC, parking are not provided on standalone basis. Thus, many believe recovery of such charges is a part of composite supply. In this regard, the Government should issue a suitable clarification in this upcoming budget.Relief measures like removing restriction on set-off of loss from house property with income under other heads, including real estate sector in the purview of Section 72A to allow carry forward of accumulated loss and unabsorbed depreciation in case of amalgamation or demerger, resolving the issue of accumulated credit (inverted duty structure) would also help in providing the much needed thrust to the realty sector. Transformation of some of the aforesaid expectations into REALITY, in the upcoming budget, could be the sine qua non for revival of the REAL estate sector. MOSCOW -- Russia has reported its first two cases of coronavirus, as governments scrambled to control the spread of a new coronavirus that has already killed more than 200 people in China. The two cases were registered in the Zabaikalye region, which borders China, and in the Tyumen region bordering Kazakhstan, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova told journalists on January 31. Both patients have been quarantined, Golikova said, adding that Russia was halting most flights to China. At least 213 people in China have died from the coronavirus, which emerged in the country in December, with nearly 10,000 cases registered. The World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30 declared a global health emergency over the outbreak, saying there had been 98 cases outside China -- but no deaths. There have been more than 100 cases reported in about 20 other countries. WHOs decision to declare a global emergency allows it to support lower- and middle-income countries to strengthen their disease surveillance systems and prepare them for cases. Chinese authorities have effectively sealed off Wuhan, the sprawling city of 11 million at the center of the outbreak, and put numerous transport restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus. Canceled Flights, Closed Borders As the outbreak continues to spread in and outside of China, various countries have taken steps to close borders with China, cancel flights, suspend the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens, or evacuate citizens. Golikova announced that all direct flights from Russia to China would be halted starting January 31, with the exception of national airline Aeroflot. She said Russia would suspend the issuance of work visas to Chinese citizens and evacuate citizens from China's Hubei Province because of the virus. The moves come a day after the Russian government said the country had closed its border with China, the fifth-longest land border in the world. Also on January 31, Kazakhstan announced it was planning to evacuate all of its citizens from China before the end of the week. There are 98 Kazakh students currently in Wuhan, according to Kazakh officials. Earlier on January 31, Pakistan announced it was halting all flights to and from China until February 2. Pakistan has yet to register a case, but top health official Zafar Mirza said four Pakistani students in China had been diagnosed with the new virus. Around 500 students were in Wuhan when it surfaced earlier this month, officials said. Islamabad had no immediate plan to evacuate the almost 30,000 Pakistani nationals living in the country even though parents in the northwestern city of Kohat staged protests demanding the government to bring their children back. The United States has warned its citizens against all travel to China and said any American currently in the country "should consider departing using commercial means." "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan," the U.S. State Department said in a new travel advisory on its website, raising the warning for China to the same level as Afghanistan and Iraq. A white supremacist podcaster who allegedly used the deaths of Mollie Tibbetts, Tessa Majors and Heather Heyer in racist robocalls is facing a nearly $13 million fine for his targeted harassment of the communities of those victims. The man, Scott Rhodes, runs the group Road to Power, which the Federal Communications Commission (FEC) alleges made around 827 robocalls over three days in August 2018 using Brooklyn, Iowa, phone numbers calls that were received by friends and relatives of the 20-year-old Tibbetts just days after she was stabbed to death. The FEC has said that Rhodes directed those Iowa calls, which were among half a dozen targeted attacks in 2018 that numbered more than 6,000 calls in total. In late last year, Road to Power also drew media attention after it was reported that faculty and staff of Barnard College and Columbia University where Majors was a freshman had received robocalls. In the robocalls, Rhodes used an online calling platform that manipulated caller ID messages, tricking people into thinking they were being called by a local phone number, and in apparent violation of the Truth in Call ID Act. Other robocalls were received in Virginia, Florida, California, Georgia and Idaho. The calls used pre-recorded messages to attack racial minorities, and in the case of Tibbetts, referred to undocumented immigrants from Mexico. An undocumented immigrant was later charged with her death, but the family has disavowed using the 20-year-olds death to promote racist messages even as prominent figures including Donald Trump have seized upon the situation to sow racial discord. The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Show all 23 1 /23 The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, burn a swastika and cross during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, U.S on March 9, 2019 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network hold up balloons decorated as the face of Adolf Hitler and give a white-power hand signal as they celebrate the German fascist's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Billy Roper of the ShieldWall Network attends a party at a home outside Atkins. The group primarily operates in Arkansas and includes three other members who were recently charged with assault in connection with the beating of a gay man, according to police reports REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network march to a rally opposing legal abortion and supporting gun rights at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Jeff Schoep, former chairman of the National Socialist Movement, speaks during a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 10, 2018 Reuters The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Crosses lit by members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan burn outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017. The Loyal White Knights is one of the largest Klan groups in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League, which tracks extremist groups REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan prepare for a cross-burning outside Yanceyville, North Carolina, U.S., November 4, 2017 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network perform a Nazi salute as a swastika and cross burn during a party outside Atkins, Arkansas, March 9, 2019 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US High chairs are seen in a building owned by The Knights Party, a white nationalist group formerly named the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, outside Harrison, Arkansas, March 10, 2019. The organisation is opening an education center for the children of white nationalists REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan addresses an audience before a cross-burning outside Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A figurine of a black man being lynched inside the home of Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, holds up a photo montage of (clockwise from top left) Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, Adolf Hitler, founder of the American Nazi Party George Lincoln Rockwell, Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof and Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess, while attending a party at a home outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Symbols of white nationalism are displayed on the jacket of a member of the National Socialist Movement as they gather in a parking lot before attending a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network prepare a swastika for burning to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A new member of the ShieldWall Network, Nicholas Holloway, and other members of the white nationalist group go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Courtney Calfy, wife of Julian Calfy, helps to prepare a meal as members of the ShieldWall Network gather to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US John Carollo, a member of the ShieldWall Network, on the phone during a celebration of Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US A plaque on top of a flagpole with the number 1488 is carried by members of the National Socialist Movement as they attend a rally at the state capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas, November 10, 2018 REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network John Carollo, Julian Calfy and Nicholas Holloway gather at a member's home before departing to disrupt a Jewish Holocaust memorial event in Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network burn a swastika to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Chris Barker of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is seen inside what the group calls its church, next to his home in Yanceyville REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network go boating to celebrate Adolf Hitler's birthday outside Russellville, Arkansas REUTERS The far-right plot to normalise white supremacy in the US Members of the ShieldWall Network, a white nationalist group, prepare to burn a swastika and cross during a party at a home outside Atkins, Arkansas REUTERS As if this tragedy were not enough, just two days after her funeral, Mollies family, friends, and the close-knit community of Brooklyn began to receive a barrage of spoofed robocalls, said Ajit Pai, the FCCs chairman, in a statement Thursday. The statement continued: Preying on the tragedy, the calls contained inflammatory prerecorded messages and a womans voice apparently intended to impersonate Mollie Tibbetts saying kill them all. The Anti-Defamation League, which monitors hate groups in America, said that it is important to hold bad actors accountable for their actions. Its a great first step, Oren Segal, the director of the organisations Centre for Extremism, told the New York Times of the action against Mr Rhodes. Hopefully, the message is clear to extremists and bigots who want to use this technology in the future that there are consequences. Mr Rhodes, a resident of Utah, has not publicly commented on the fine, and it is not clear if he will be criminally charged for his efforts. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University (ASPU) and George Washington University of the US have signed an agreement on a double diploma program, Trend reports on Jan. 31. The signing ceremony was attended by Azerbaijans Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov, Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and Professor of Education Policy at the George Washington University, ASPU Rector Jafar Jafarov, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Earle Litzenberger and other officials. The double diploma program, implemented within the framework of the State Program on Improving the International Competitiveness of the Higher Education System in Azerbaijan for 2019-2023, approved by the relevant decree of President Ilham Aliyev, provides the specialist training on the education management, Azerbaijani minister Jeyhun Bayramov said. Minister of Education Jeyhun Bayramov added that in accordance with the negotiations held with the American side, admission to the magistracy will be held at the ASPU within the program from the academic year 2020-2021. The two-year training is envisaged to be held in English. For admission, applicants must first participate in an exam organized by the State Examination Center (SEC), and then in an exam at George Washington University. The program will be taught by both local and US teachers. In the end, the graduates will be awarded diplomas of ASPU and George Washington University. YEREVAN, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. There are very good political relations between Armenia and Moldova, the countries have rich history of cultural, humanitarian ties. But the two countries have to level up economic relations and trade turnover, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council session in Almaty in a meeting with Prime Minister of Moldova Ion Chicu. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister of Armenia, PM Pashinyan said, Honorable Mr. Prime Minister, I am very glad to meet you, and I want to once again congratulate you on being appointed Prime Minister of Moldova. Of course, there are very good political relations between Armenia and Moldova, the countries have rich history of cultural, humanitarian ties. But we cannot boast about the level of our trade and economic relations, for which there are both objective and subjective reasons. But I think we have to level up our economic relations and trade turnover, which is a solvable task in the 21st century and I am ready to make efforts in that direction. I emphasize particularly trade and economic relations, because I am confident that we have and will have no problems in other directions. The Prime Minister of Moldova said, I am thankful, Mr. Prime Minister, for your congratulations and warm wishes. We are really happy, since there are very good relations between our countries and peoples in cultural, humanitarian and other spheres. Of course, you are right and we have great potential for developing economic relations, since we both have advantages in a number of spheres where we can develop cooperation. I talked about that also in my speech. Moldova has free trade regime with the EU and given the activeness of Armenias representatives, I think we will be able to make a good use of that opportunity. In some areas we are represented in the same market, but, of course, we are not rivals. We can only say words of appraisal in the address of the Armenian cognac and other productions. We also have very good relations in terms of reforms in various spheres, for example, in the sphere of state finances I had many interactions with the Ministry of Finance of your country when I was working at the World Bank, where progressive reforms were being implemented. I mean we can promote and give new impetus to our cooperation in various directions. And of course, we are looking forward to your visit to the Republic of Moldova. Before my visit I spoke with Igor Nikolaevich Dodon and he conveyed warm greetings to you, saying that we are looking forward to your visit to Moldova. I also think that we should resume the works of the intergovernmental commission, which is a good platform for discussing issues and the opportunities for the development of cooperation. The Prime Ministers of Armenia and Moldova also discussed a broad scope of issues referring to the development of economic relations. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced on Thursday night that she will vote in favor of additional witnesses and documents in President Trump's impeachment trial. "I worked with colleagues to ensure the schedule for the trial included a guaranteed up-or-down vote on whether or not to call witnesses," she said in a statement. "I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity. Therefore, I will vote in support of the motion to allow witnesses and documents to be subpoenaed." She is the first Republican senator to say they will vote for more witnesses and documents. In order to reach 51 votes, Democrats need four Republicans to join them, and there are two Republicans who have sounded open to voting in favor of the measure Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. Murkowski told NBC News she will announce her decision on Friday morning. Shortly after Collins made her announcement, retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) released a statement saying he would vote no on hearing from witnesses, as there is "no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution's high bar for an impeachable offense." More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats A former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai-Nimoh, has appealed to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako aka Chairman Wontumi to allow him purchase a copy of the 2020 parliamentary primaries nomination forms at the regional Secretariat. In a letter to the NPP Chiarman, he has been denied access and obstructed to purchase said forms at the constituency office in Mampong. According to him, the Constituency Chairman, Mr. Lithur Asare, told him that the forms have been sold out even though he has paid his money into the partys national account. In view of this, the former lawmaker for the constituency has written a letter to Chairman Wontumi to allow him purchase the forms, as efforts to get a copy has proved futile. Read Mr Addai-Nimoh's petition: 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 Jan 31 (Reuters - A gauge of U.S. Midwest manufacturing activity slid to a four-year low in January, with new orders and production tumbling and producers forecasting tepid activity in 2020 despite the Trump administration's recent trade deals, a regional purchasing managers' survey showed on Friday. The Chicago Business Barometer fell to 42.9, the lowest level since December 2015, from 48.2 in December. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a third straight month of improvement to 48.8. A reading below 50 indicates contraction in the sector, and January's reading marked the seventh straight month below that benchmark level as goods producers struggled with low demand as a result of Donald Trump's trade war with China. The administration recently signed a Phase 1 pact with China that lowered some tariffs, and Congress ratified a separate agreement with Canada and Mexico, the largest U.S. trading partners, deals that businesses and economists had hoped would lift some of the gloom on the sector. But answers to two special questions in January's survey suggest little improvement ahead. Asked if signing of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement would improve supplier lines, 60% of respondents saw no improvement at all and the other 40% saw little change, the report said. Regarding their business activity outlook for 2020, 50% expected growth below 5% this year. Fewer than 7% anticipate double-digit growth in 2020, the report said. New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan might be away from the arclights, but the buzz around her refuses to slow down. She is one of the most talked about star kids on social media and has several fan clubs dedicated to her. One such active fan page on Instagram posted a picture of the star kid where she can be seen posing along with her bestie. Both Suhana and her BFF are twinning in white while enjoying a meal together. Check out the picture here: Suhana's real Instagram account is private and not open to all. Therefore, dedicated fan pages try to keep her fan base happy with fresh posts on her. SRK and Gauri Khan's darling daughter headed to New York University last year where she is studying acting. She completed her graduation from Ardingly College in England. Sometime back, filmmaker Theo Gimeno shared the first look poster of his short film starring Suhana in a lead role. Titled as 'The Grey Part Of Blue', it stars Robin Gonnella in the lead role besides Suhana. It has been written by Theo Gimeno. Speculation of her making her starry entry into movie business has always been around and now that she is studying acting as a course, looks like very soon the pretty girl will be making her big-screen debut. (Alliance News) - Link Fund Solutions Ltd on Friday announced the re-opening of the LF ASI Income Focus Fund, formerly the troubled LF Woodford Income Focus Fund. Link Fund Solutions Ltd, the fund's corporate director, announced the suspension in June as the fund was reorganised away from unquoted investments and into larger stocks with more liquidity. The fund was headed by Neil Woodford, who suspended withdrawals when the fund's underperformance resulted in significant investor exodus. Since then, Standard Life Investments Ltd - trading as Aberdeen Standard Investments - was appointed as the new investment manager, replacing Woodford Investment Management Ltd at the end of 2019. Aberdeen Standard Investments has been re-positioning the fund's investments with the goal of re-opening the fund. Link Fund said it has monitored Aberdeen Standard Investments' progress on this front and now believes the fund's portfolio has reached a stage where the fund can be re-opened. This re-opening will take place February 13, with suspension of dealings lifted. This will make it possible to buy and sell shares in the fund. Link Fund noted it has opted to waive fees for acting as the fund's authorised corporate director between December 2019 and May 2020, as have Aberdeen Standard Investments and Northern Trust Global Services SE UK branch. "The resulting savings to the fund will offset some of the costs associated with the repositioning of the portfolio which was necessary to enable the fund to re-open. Further details on these costs will be provided to investors prior to the reopening of the fund," said Link Fund. By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2019 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The D-Type Dream of 1949 may have put Honda on the map, but it was the U.S. release of the Gold Wing in 1975 that eventually made the marque a power in the American touring market. Originally built as a power- cruiser , the domestic consumers had a different purpose in mind long-distance touring and with that a legend was born. The basic parameters had been established that would go on to create a family of bikes that, to this day, serve as a staunch competitor to American manufacturers Indian and Harley-Davidson , and enjoy a reputation for speed and agility as well as comfort. Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Early Designs Originally intended as a sporty power-cruiser, but well received as a tourer Factory mistake saw Gold Wings released with no fairing, windshield, or panniers The Interstate variant was the first to come as a full dresser Subsequent models went back to the boxer-6 engine Honda Gold Wing GL1000 (1975) Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham, AL, Source: Silosarg, licensed under CC-BY SA3.0 At its inception, Honda built the predecessor of the Gold Wing family, the M1 prototype, as a power-cruiser. Flush with success after the well-received launch of the CB750, Honda wanted to put more power in the hands of riders who were primarily in the U.S. and Europe. The flat, six-piston opposed-cylinder mill was rather long, and so it left the rider cramped. A compromise was made on the subsequent Project 371 in the form of a four-cylinder flattie that shortened up the drivetrain and left more legroom for increased pilot comfort. It was a liquid-cooled four-stroke engine, which was a first for Japanese motorcycles, and would primarily be taking on the Americans (H-D) on their home turf, the Germans (BMW), and the Italians (Moto Guzzi). The first-gen, GL 1000 Gold Wing models hit our market in 1975 and were originally slated for release complete with front fairings, windshields, and panniers to complete its tour-tastic equipment package. However, a mistake led to the destruction of the necessary molds and so the earliest Gold Wings came stripped down like the power-cruiser it was originally envisioned to be. Business like nature abhors a vacuum, so it wasnt long before that need was filled to show us the shape of things to come. Five years later, Honda sent the GL 1100 out the door as bare as the accidentally-naked GL 1000 it replaced, but the Interstate variant sported a full front fairing, saddlebags and removable top case that gave the Gold Wing the kind of highway legs that U.S. riders demanded. Cause lets face it, this is a big country, and touring means something different here than in many other parts of the world. The luxury Aspencade model was built on this platform with several features that were, at best, optional equipment on the Interstate. With that, the Gold Wing had become a full dresser. It would remain so until the popularity of the bagger configuration forced Honda to release a faired-and-bagged cruiser model sans top case and design its factory-custom, blackout F6B boulevard bruiser. The Gold Wing would also see a return to flat six-banger engines in its fourth generation, a configuration that persists to this day. 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Chassis Large frame to compete in the touring market Eager in the corners Only obligatory spring-preload ride-quality adjustment Laced wheels 1975 Honda GL1000 Source: none given, licensed under GFDL The large frame on the GL1000 Gold Wing was a good fit for a public into the big-and-heavy H-D FL Electra Glide and the Guzzi El Dorado. Welded steel tubing provided the main structure, and the engine was completely supported by a double-cradle design, none of that fandangled stressed-engine business yet. A 28-degree rake and 4.7-inch trail lent it an eager nature in the bends, but the suspension was pretty vanilla by modern standards with the obligatory spring-preload as the only ride-quality adjustment. Laced wheels were fairly typical at that time, as were the all-around hydraulic discs and dual front brakes, but fancy stuff like ABS was still years away from seeing the light of day. The bench seat and fold-up footpegs were included to accommodate a passenger or a bit of cargo with a grabrail around the back to act as an anchor for both. 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Drivetrain 999 cc 4-cylinder boxer engine 80 horsepower @ 7,500 rpm 63 pound-feet @ 5,500 rpm Keihin constant-velocity carburetor Shaft drive for low maintenance 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing 1415 Seattle International Motorcycle Show, Source: Dennis Bratland, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Part of the early appeal of the Gold Wing design was the ease with which it can be maneuvered and walked around a parking lot and at stops, and this was largely due to the construction of the engine. The opposed-piston design had all of its weight concentrated at the bottom of the frame to give the Gold Wing a fabulously low center-of-gravity. The flat-four ran a 72 mm bore and 61.4 mm stroke for a total displacement of 999 cc and a compression ratio of 9.2-to-1 to churn out 80 ponies at 7,500 rpm with 63 pound-feet of torque that topped out at 5,500 rpm. Engine control was also typical for the time with a Keihin constant-velocity carburetor on induction duty. From the start, the Gold Wing has been built around a shaft-type final drive for the low-maintenance performance it delivers in an effort to get away from high-maintenance chain drives just the thing for a long-distance machine. Power filters through a five-speed manual transmission and conventional clutch with an overall drive ratio that results in a 125 mph top speed. 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Competitors Honda GL1000 Goldwing (1975) Capesthorne Hall Classic Car Show 25/08/2013, Source: SG2012 licensed under CC BY-SA2.0 In 1975, Harley-Davidson was the domestic builder to beat with its FLH/FLT Electra Glide. Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Harley ran with its 1,207 cc Shovelhead engine that delivered up to 65 horsepower, but that naturally came with the not-inconsiderable vibration that a big V-Twin produces. Part of the appeal of the Gold Wing was the smooth delivery of power from its flat-four plant that eliminated the heavily off-balance power pulses. Moto Guzzis 850 Eldorado carries a V-Twin of its own, but one with a 90-degree V instead of 45 degrees like the Harley and a transverse arrangement in the frame. The vibration is augmented by a torquing-moment that occurs when the engine rpm changes dramatically, so its not really much of an advantage over the American. The BMW R75/6 probably fares best of all with a flat-twin boxer engine that runs a 180-out timing for even power pulses, plus it places the engine toward the bottom of the frame for a low center of gravity not entirely unlike the Gold Wing. As for speed, the Gold Wing would do 125 mph against 115 mph from the MG Eldorado and 110 from the BMW R75/6 with the H-D Electra Glide predictably coming in last at 84 mph. He Said Gold Wings are one of those things that inspire an almost cult-like following, and I mean that in the best possible way. I reckon hundreds of thousands of Wing-Dingers cant all be wrong, am I right? The Gold Wing has thus far sold around a quarter-million units, most of them in the U.S., and continues to be a real contender for the American dresser market. She Said My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, You know, this is a timeless design. Its the epitome of the UJM, but in a sporty performance class. If this bike were on the market today, I can see it going up against a Bonneville or an R nineT for looks and a Tracer or a GSX-S for performance. 1975 Honda GL1000 Gold Wing Specifications Engine & Drivetrain: Engine: 999 cc (61.0 cu in) SOHC flat-four Bore x Stroke: 72.0 mm 61.4 mm (2.83 in 2.42 in) Compression ratio: 9.2:1 Power: 80 hp (60 kW) @ 7,500 rpm Torque: 63 lb-ft (85 Nm) @ 5,500 rpm Ignition: Contact breaker Cooling: Liquid Clutch : Wet, multi-plate Starting system: Starting motor and kick starter Alternator: AC generator, 12 volt, 0.3 kW/5000 rpm Transmission: 5-speed manual Final Drive: Shaft Primary reduction ratio: 1.708 Secondary reduction ratio: 0.825 Gear Ratio: First: 2.500, Second: 1.708, Third: 1.333, Fourth: 1.097, Fifth: 0.939 Final reduction ratio: 3.400 Gear shift pattern: Left foot operated return system Chassis: Frame: Steel full-duplex cradle Front Suspension/Travel: Telescopic fork/ 5.6 in (143 mm) travel Rear Suspension/ Travel: Swing arm/ 3.40 in (86.3 mm) travel Front Brakes: Dual discs, single-piston calipers Rear Brakes: Single disc, opposed 2-piston caliper Front Tire: 3.50 H-19 (tube type) Rear Tire: 4.50 H-17A (tube type) Rake/ Trail: 28 degrees/4.7 in (120 mm) Dimensions & Capacities: Wheelbase: 60.6 in (1,540 mm) Length: 90.7 in (2,305 mm) Width: 34.4 in (875 mm) Height: 48.2 in (1,225 mm) Seat height: 810 mm (31.9 in) Ground Clearance: 5.9 in (150 mm) Dry Weight: 584 lb (265 kg) Curb Weight: 650.4 lb (295 kg) Fuel capacity: 5.0 US gal (4.2 imp gal; 19 L) Top Speed: 125 mph (est) Further Reading Honda Read more Honda news. WASHINGTON After 10 days of arguments and deliberations, the Senate voted against hearing from new witnesses in President Trumps impeachment trial, signaling a vote to acquit him would likely come in the coming days. House impeachment managers and President Trumps defense team made their final arguments for and against hearing from new witnesses as the Senate trial entered its final stages on Friday before the evening vote. Not long before the session started, Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, announced that she would vote against a measure to hear new witnesses erasing any doubt that the Republicans would have the support to end the trial without considering new material. Here are five key takeaways from the afternoon. Senate will not consider new witnesses or evidence. In a nearly party-line vote, the Senate decided not to hear testimony from witnesses or review evidence before it moves to vote on whether Mr. Trump should be removed from office. The 51-49 outcome was not surprising and paved the way for the Senate to acquit Mr. Trump. Senate leaders are negotiating over the next steps to end the trial. Mourners streamed into a Monmouth County church Friday to remember the life of 25-year-old Stephanie Parze. They huddled in small groups against the morning chill and solemnly paid respects to Parze, whose body was found this week after she went missing for 87 days. The packed funeral Mass at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Freehold reflected the massive effort by the community to find and bring Parze home after she disappeared on Oct. 30 following a night out with family. We would like to thank you all for helping us celebrate Stephanies life and spirit," the Parze family wrote in the program for the service. "The support, love, kindness and friendship during these last three months gave us strength, lit our fires of hope and renewed our faith. We are forever grateful. It has given us comfort to be surrounded by family and friends in this time of grief. Hundreds filled the pews, which left dozens standing in the back when space ran out. The service was marked by a homily from the Rev. Jim Conover that touched on grief, death and resurrection. Family friends Dave and Lynn Mound led the Prayer of the Faithful - a portion of the Mass involving responses from the congregation. Part of the prayer gave thanks to Stephanies angels - the law enforcement, search-party volunteers and everyone who sent well wishes that helped the family get through their difficult time. Your angels have found you and guided you back to all who love you, Parzes family wrote in the program. The pain of not knowing has subsided now that we know you are safe and sound in heaven," the program said, below a photo of the Parze family standing in front of a waterfall. Stephanie Parze, 25, of Freehold, had been missing since October. Her remains were founded in a wooded area off Route 9 in Old Bridge on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Parze was found Sunday just off Route 9 in Old Bridge. She was reported missing in October when she did not show up for a nannying job. Prosecutors have said Parzes ex-boyfriend, John Ozbilgen, admitted to killing her in a note to his parents before he took his own life. Ozbilgen died days after his release from jail on unrelated child pornography charges, which resulted from searches of his phone. At the Mass Friday and a wake the day before, the focus remained on Parzes life. A candlelight celebration of her life is planned for Feb. 19, on what would have been her 26th birthday. Relatives exchanged hugs outside as the casket was led out to a hearse and the parking lots emptied out into a procession to St. Rose of Lima Cemetery Mausoleum in Freehold. In Parzes obituary, family asked for donations in lieu of flowers to 180 Turning Lives Around, a nonprofit that helps victims of domestic violence. Parzes family has said they plan to start a foundation to fund efforts to bring awareness to domestic violence and missing person cases. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Authorities in Mauritania have arrested 10 men after a video appeared on social media of a gay couple appearing to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony, human rights groups said. Police later determined the gathering was a birthday party but the men remain in custody with no trial date set yet. Mauritania practices strict Islamic law known as Shariah and homosexuality is criminalized. 10 men have were held in custody in Mauritania after allegedly attending a gay wedding, which authorities later discovered was a birthday party (pictured) If convicted, the men could face the death penalty though executions have not been carried out in more than a decade, according to Amnesty International. 'It is a serious attack on the individual and collective freedom of these young people who have the right to display their difference and intimate preferences,' said Brahim Bilal, the president of a human rights organization in Mauritania. Video of the festive ceremony prompted an outcry to what was suspected of being the first gay marriage in Mauritania. Despite the discovery that the party was for someone's birthday, the 10 men are still behind bars in Mauritania The Nouakchott public prosecutor's office then opened an investigation, and the police arrested the 10 young men. The case marks a rare enforcement of Islamic law: In 2018 Human Rights Watch said there were no known cases of people being jailed or sentenced to death for homosexual acts in Mauritania. Same-sex acts are illegal in more than 33 African countries and can lead to death sentences in parts of at least four, including Mauritania, Sudan, northern Nigeria and southern Somalia, according to Amnesty International. MEXICO CITY, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mathematician and economist Porfirio Sanchez Galindo donated to the Peraj Mexico Foundation in honor of Education Week in Mexico. His contribution serves to enrich higher learning opportunities for youths throughout the country. Peraj Mexico is an organizational mentoring program working together with University students and students from public elementary schools. In the Peraj Mexico program, children who have minimal guidance, or parents who do not understand how university education works can receive mentors to support their school efforts. These mentors then provide a role model to young students. "It can be difficult for a child, who does not have family members who attended college, to see that higher education can work for them," Porfiro Sanchez Galindo said. "Giving these children a guide and mentor who attends college is something I am extremely passionate about. I want to support opportunities for students to connect with an adult who cares about them and who is interested in their studies and their school success." Peraj mentorship, which is also known as "adopt a friend / adopta a un amigo" creates a positive relationship between the child and a university student. In the relationship, the university student supports and guides the child, strengthening their skills and knowledge. The friends, or mentors, meet with children four or five hours a week and plan activities for them such as museum visits, trips to university laboratories or attendance of sporting events. The Peraj program does not only help the young children, but also assists university students in understanding their duty to the community to support youth. Peraj works with universities across Mexico, with a presence in more than 50 institutions of higher learning. For Porfirio Sanchez Galindo, it is impossible to overestimate the importance of education for young people. As a man dedicated to innovation in diverse industries and a former member of the Mexican government (the Chief of Cabinet of the Secretary of the Treasury from 2000 to 2006), for Mr. Sanchez Galindo, it is of the utmost importance that we educate the children of our nation to assure the future of Mexico. About Porfirio Sanchez Galindo Porfirio Sanchez Galindo is a mathematician and economist from Mexico City, dedicated to innovation and improvement in different industries. He went to Stanford University, where he took several courses on marketing, management and strategy. Porfirio Sanchez Galindo began his career as Chief of Staff of the Secretary of the Treasury between 2000 and 2006. Later, he was signed by Televisa, the largest media consortium in Spanish as Chief Economist and then Marketing Director of the telecommunications areas. Porfirio was also a member of the Finance Board of the Finance Committee. The commercial and marketing strategies implemented by the Porfirio team involved a great increase in competition and better prices in telecommunications, mobile and fixed services. After Televisa, he decided to leave the position to bring his skills to the Fintech industry, where he currently directs a project that seeks to be innovative in areas such as commerce, and banking. 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At the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, the imminent need to tackle climate change and sustainability issues dominated discussions across all sectors with public, private and non-governmental organization (NGO) stakeholders. However, governments and NGOs alone cannot provide the investment required to meet the 2030 targets. The private sector has a critical role to play in achieving the SDGs together. According to The Asia and the Pacific Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Progress Report 2019 published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacic (ESCAP), the region will not achieve the 17 SDGs by 2030 if it continues on its current trajectory. Whilst ASEAN countries have made the most significant progress in certain SDGs such as quality education and clean energy, many targets will not be met if progress is not accelerated. Given the synergies and linkages between the 17 goals, it is crucial for member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to design a strategy which aims for the fulfilment of all SDGs. Access to energy, infrastructure and clean water, for example, are critical factors in achieving other SGD goals such as No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Decent Work And Economic Growth. The first step to developing such a strategy is to identify the investment needed, financing schemes and public-vs-private participation. While many investors, corporations and financial institutions have announced a commitment to achieving the SDGs, capital is not flowing at the required speed to those countries where SDG investment matters most. The UN has estimated that emerging markets alone will need US$3.9 trillion per year to attain all 17 goals by 2030. At the current rate of investment, the UN has calculated an annual shortfall of $2.5 trillion, which presents an opportunity for the private sector to step in. In the five ASEAN markets (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines), the investment required for SDGs 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) will reach $1.3 trillion by 2030 and an estimated shortfall of around $537 billion. The next 10 years to 2030 are a critical time for investors to embrace the SDGs at pace and at scale: to deploy the capital and capabilities at our disposal to help build a sustainable future for the planet. Real challenges exist in mobilizing SDG investment, particularly in emerging economies. Whilst the traditional challenge has been to attract private investments related to the SDGs, new and innovative financing schemes and instruments, such as blended finance and sustainability bonds, offer a mechanism for investors and corporates to rise to the challenge. Although interest is rising, limited information is currently available on the investment required at country level or for each SDG to attain the 2030 goals. Further, there is limited insight on identifying the biggest opportunities for private sector participation. Aiming to address this, Standard Chartered has recently concluded a study that examined the most impactful opportunities for investing in three infrastructure-focused SDGs in 15 high-growth markets across Asia and Africa. The Opportunity 2030 study provides investors and corporations who are serious about their commitment to the SDGs with a map of potential investment opportunities across three of the most tangible, infrastructure-focused goals. The study highlights some interesting snapshots for investors in ASEAN. Indonesia and the Philippines need significant investment across SDGs 6, 7 and 9, with the largest opportunity in power (SDG 7). Ensuring universal access to electricity by 2030 requires an estimated investment of $327.8 billion for Indonesia and $136.1 billion for the Philippines, with a potential private-sector investment opportunity of respectively $147.5 billion and $61.3 billion. Malaysia is well on its way towards meeting the indicators for SDGs 6, 7 and 9, while Thailand is close to reaching universal access to clean water and sanitation and has already achieved universal power access. However, both countries need to make significant improvements to their transport infrastructure by 2030 that require an estimated investment of $73.7 billion for Malaysia and $116 billion for Thailand, with potential private sector investment opportunity of respectively $25.8 billion and $40.6 billion. Vietnam requires investment across SDGs 6 and 9, with transport infrastructure (SDG 9) presenting the greatest opportunity with a total investment need of $57.3 billion and a potential private sector investment opportunity of $20.1 billion. Financial institutions like Standard Chartered can play a key role in channelling capital to areas which need it most. As the only international bank present in all 10 ASEAN markets, we are able to intermediate between the emerging economies that most need investment with the more developed economies that can provide that investment. To this end, Standard Chartered has committed to facilitating and financing $35 billion worth of cleantech and renewables between 2020 and 2025 with a focus on emerging markets. The Bank has also mobilized $1 billion in microfinance, placed the worlds first blue bond and launched its first Sustainability Bond to fund projects aligned to the SDGs. These financial institutions have a pivotal role to play in helping ASEAN, and the wider emerging markets, to realize the SDGs. While the SDGs may be extraordinary in their ambition, they also offer a unique opportunity for the private sector to deploy capital to generate strong returns while enabling long-term sustainable development. Not enough of this capital is currently reaching the countries that need it the most. The private sector can, and must, do more. Now is the right time to act and be part of the ASEAN sustainable growth story. This article is prepared by Rino Donosepoetro, Vice Chairman ASEAN & President Commissioner Indonesia, Standard Chartered BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Rufiz Hafizoglu Trend: Exports of grain and legumes from Turkey to Georgia decreased by 3.7 percent in 2019 compared with the results of 2018 and amounted to $32.1 million, a source in the Turkish Ministry of Trade told Trend on Jan. 31. The export of grain and legumes from Turkey to Georgia in December 2019 also decreased by 12.5 percent compared to the same month in 2018 and amounted to $2.7 million. Last year, Turkey exported grain and legumes worth $6.7 billion, which is 1.6 percent more than in 2018. Last December, the export of grain and legumes from Turkey increased by 5.9 percent compared to the same month of 2018 and amounted to $628.8 million. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu Russia's strategic bomber Tu-160 or White Swan, the largest supersonic bomber in the world, seen at Engels Air Base near Saratov, about 700 kilometres southeast of Moscow, in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/AP-Misha Japaridze) Russian Bombers Buzz Canadian Arctic Airspace Unchallenged OTTAWATwo longrange Russian bombers capable of carrying nuclear missiles buzzed Canadian airspace on Jan. 31, the North American Aerospace Defence Command said, days after a senior military officer warned that North Americas earlywarning system is outdated. The two TU160 Blackjack bombers crossed the North Pole and approached Canada from western Russia, but remained in international airspace before departing, according to Norad. Norad said it tracked the supersonic bombers as they flew through Canadas air defence identification zone, which is an area of international airspace the military monitors to protect against any possible attack, but did not scramble fighters to intercept the Russians. It was the first time Russian bombers have been detected approaching North America since August, when Russia conducted a number of bomber flights in the Arctic, the Baltics, and other places. Our adversaries continue to flex their longrange weapons systems and engage in increasingly aggressive efforts, to include the approaches to the United States and Canada, Gen. Terrence J. OShaughnessy, the U.S. commander of Norad, said in a statement on Jan. 31. Norad is driven by a single unyielding priority: defending the U.S. and Canada, our homelands, from attack. This most recent flight follows increased warnings from Canadian and U.S. military officers, including OShaughnessy, that the technology underpinning the Norad system is obsolete. The most recent officer to voice such concerns was Commodore Jamie Clarke, a Canadian who is Norads deputy director of strategy. He said this week that Norad cannot identify and track longrange Russian bombers before they are close enough to launch missiles at the continent. The federal government has said it is committed to modernizing the system, but talks with the U.S. have been minimal and no money has been set aside for what is expected to be a multibilliondollar project. Norads technology was last upgraded in the 1980s, before the end of the Cold War, though the U.S. did incorporate the ability to shoot down incoming missiles in the mid2000s. Canada decided in 2005 against joining what is now known as ballisticmissile defence. Since then, Russia and China have been developing and building new weapons that can strike North America from afar, including cruise and hypersonic missiles, drones, along with more advanced submarines and other naval vessels as well as spacebased and cyber weapons. STATEN ISLAND -- There will be winners and losers under the long-awaited property tax reforms recommended by the citys property tax commission, but Staten Islanders could finally see some relief under the proposals and come out ahead as winners. Mayor Bill de Blasio on the other hand, who paid just $7,768 in property taxes last year on his two homes in Brooklyn worth more than $3.2 million, could come out a loser under the proposed reforms. The expectation is that taxes on his property will go up significantly, the commissions Chairman Marc Shaw, told reporters. Single-family homes in Queens and on Staten Island ... will see property tax reductions and there will also, because of the changes and how the condos and co-ops work, there will be sections of the Bronx that will see their taxes go down where their in condos and co-ops also, he continued. In the current system, the cap on assessment growth of properties with one-, two- and three-family homes -- known as class one -- cant go up more than 6 percent every year or 20 percent over five years. That cap limits how much the city will charge you in property taxes. If your home value increases by 6 percent, then you pay more as a percentage of the total home value compared to those a with greater increasing values. Therefore, homeowners in less popular neighborhoods, like on Staten Island, where home values slowly increase will generally have higher property taxes than homes in more desirable areas like where de Blasio lives in Brooklyn. One of the commissions proposals includes eliminating that cap which benefits homeowners like the mayor. CO-OPS, CONDOS, RENTALS Under their proposal, co-ops, condos and rental buildings with up to 10 units would move into a new residential-class along with 1 to 3 family homes. All residential properties would also be taxed the same and be assessed at their full market value. Their proposed changes would have an impact on 90% of homeowners. The commission also put forth two exemptions for low-income homeowners in its preliminary report. One is a partial homestead exemption for primary homeowners who live below a certain income threshold. That exemption would be available to all primary homeowners in the residential class and would replace the current Coop-Condo Tax Abatement. Another is the creation of a circuit-breaker within a property tax system that would lower the property tax burden on low-income primary homeowners based on the ratio of property tax paid to income. FINAL REPORT, MORE HEARINGS TO COME But the commissions recommendations are not final. Commissioners will still have to hold another round of public hearings in the five boroughs before they put out a final set of recommendations, and the property tax overhaul could take years. It will require approval from the state Legislature, the City Council and the mayor. The property tax commission was empaneled by de Blasio and Speaker Corey Johnson in summer 2018. The preliminary report came after months of delay. The commission had initially said it planned to come out with a preliminary report by winter 2018 and issue a final set of recommendations by summer 2019. ISLAND LEADERS BACK THE PLAN Staten Island leaders said they approved of the commissions proposed recommendations This is a blueprint to make the tax system fairer, Staten Islanders overall have been treated unfairly, said Staten Island property tax commissioner Allen Cappelli. This will put us on a path without raising any additional revenue where other people's taxes will go up. Vocal critics of the current property tax system, Councilman Joe Borelli (R-South Shore) and Minority Leader Steven Matteo (R-Mid Island) also welcomed the commissions proposals. If the proposals that were suggested in the report come to fruition, I think a majority of Staten Island homeowners would expect a moderate decrease in their property tax bill as opposed to the 6% increases theyre going to see as they are now, every year, Borelli said. Its isolating high-end multimillion-dollar condos and apartments and that places a lot of political leverage in the hands of Class 1 owners in perpetuity, he continued. Matteo said the recommendations were no silver bullet to all Staten Islanders property tax woes, but offered some relief. "They do offer some promising solutions to provide more equity for my constituents - who pay the highest effective property taxes in the city - and much-needed simplicity to how government calculates property tax bills, Matteo said. Let's be clear: there is still a lot of work to be done to fix our property tax system and it will take a tremendous amount of political will to get there, but in the long run I believe we can arrive at a place that will be better for Staten Islanders. Councilwoman Debi Roses (D-North Shore) office said she was still reviewing the report when reached, but said the relief proposed to single-family homeowners was a welcome sign. Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who pushed the mayor during the 2017 mayoral campaign to make fixes to the citys property tax system, applauded the commissions recommendations but urged de Blasio to implement a 2% property tax cap until the changes are made. Nonetheless, we have brought the conversation to the forefront and this is progress, Malliotakis said. De Blasio said: The Commissions recommendations are the most significant reforms proposed in forty years, and will bring a much needed level of fairness, transparency and simplicity to the entire system. I thank them for their hard work tackling these complex issues head-on and look forward to their final report. Together, we can bring our tax system into the modern day." Martha Stark, the policy director for Tax Equity Now New York, whose group sued the city over inequities in the current property tax system, called the commissions recommendations the most significant reforms proposed in 40 years that would bring a much needed level of fairness, transparency and simplicity to the entire system." The Property Tax Commission has worked very hard to make this Citys property tax system more fair and easier to comprehend for all. I look forward to reviewing the Commissions initial recommendations and I thank them for their efforts," said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. There are outstanding issues to address like how the property tax system impacts renters in our City and how to best address luxury housing. This is a work in progress and Im eager to hear the publics feedback on these recommendations. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. At least five people, including three women, were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said At least five people, including three women, were killed in an explosion at a fireworks factory in Shamli district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, police said Hindustanlive.com reported that the owner of the fire factory is among the five killed in the incident. Fire tenders were immediately sent to the spot and the situation was under control, a police officer said. He said five bodies were recovered so far. According to ANI, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered an inquiry into the incident. With inputs from agencies The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of the outbreak of coronavirus. New Delhi: The Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility in Manesar near Delhi to keep around 300 Indian students being evacuated from China's Hubei province in view of the outbreak of coronavirus. Officials said the Indian Army has created the facility near Manesar where the students can be monitored for any signs of infection for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members. An Air India flight was sent to Wuhan on Friday to bring back the Indian students stuck in Hubei province, the epicentre of coronavirus. The flight is expected to reach India around 2 am on Saturday. The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps. The first one will be at the Indira Gandhi International airport followed by quarantine at Manesar, an official said. "If any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment," he said. The Teachers and Educational Workers' Union (TEWU) of the Trades Union Congress Ghana has urged political actors to exhibit high level of tolerance for opposing views, ahead of the December elections. This, the Union said, would help consolidate constitutional governance as the national peace, unity and stability cannot be sacrificed for violence. A statement signed by Mr Mark Dankyira Korankye, the Acting General Secretary of TEWU, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, called on the various political groups to act with decorum in expressing divergent views on the Electoral Commissions decision to compile a new Voters Register. "We also urge the Electoral Commission that in trying to assert its independence, there should be room for consensus building to improve on the enviable gains the Commission has chalked for the past 27 years," it said. The statement called on Ghanaians to be patriotic and avoid any act that would degenerate into violence and mar the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Touching on the educational sector, it commended government agencies in the sector for initiating proactive steps to address the payment of Critical Support to the remaining classes of its members. "We call on stakeholders including the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, the ministries of Education, and Finance to fast track the necessary processes so that the remaining classes of TEWU members who are also qualified to enjoy the Critical Support will benefit from it soonest". The statement commended the media for devoting considerable attention to issues of educational infrastructure to improve teaching and learning. "TEWU is appealing to government and other philanthropists to, as a matter of urgency, make the necessary interventions to improve infrastructure in our educational institutions, especially in deprived rural communities and peri-urban areas". It expressed worry over the health conditions of kitchen staff in some schools that continuously used fuel wood to cook, urging the authorities to safeguard their health by supplying those schools with LPG cooking facilities to improve their work. 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 Neither Zimbabwe nor Sri Lanka were able to force a result on day five of the second Test, and as a result, the match ended in a draw with the Islanders clinching the series 1-0 here on Friday. Zimbabwe after adding six runs to the overnight score of 241/7 declared their second innings. Sri Lanka did not start well in their second innings and lost Dimuth Karunaratne (12) in 14th over. Oshada Fernando and Kusal Mendis looked in good touch and took the side past 100 runs mark. After putting on 81 runs stand for the second wicket, Fernando got out in the 39th over after playing a knock of 47 runs. Angelo Mathews came to crease and partnered for 37 runs with Mendis. Victor Nyauchi in the 62nd over dismissed Mathews (13), reducing the side to 140-3. Mendis was in sublime touch as he brought up the seventh century of his career against Zimbabwe. Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal remained unbeaten on 116 and 13 respectively ensuring that Sri Lanka do not suffer from any more hiccups and the match ended up as a draw. Earlier, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza's knocks of 107 and 72 helped the hosts post a score of 406/ 10 in their first innings. While the Sri Lankan side did not perform up to the mark and were bundled out on 293 runs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Moda Operandi, the world's leading platform for fashion discovery, today announced it has raised $100 million in new equity and debt financing, led by existing investors New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) and the Apax Digital Fund, with additional participation from the Santo Domingo family, Comerica Bank and TriplePoint Capital, among others. Moda will use the proceeds to continue to invest in its core client experience, innovative shopping model, unique curation of fashion, fine jewelry, and home decor, as well as the data and technology systems that power the Moda platform. "For the past nine years, Moda has disrupted the way people shop for luxury fashion," said Moda Operandi CEO Ganesh Srivats. "This investment will enable us to build on that innovation, investing further in the client and designer experience and connecting more of the world's best fashion to more people." Dan O'Keefe, Managing Partner of Apax Digital, said: "We continue to be impressed with the power of Moda's brand and its positioning in the luxury market. Moda has been enhancing its technology capabilities as a world leading platform for fashion discovery and is led by a world-class team. We look forward to continuing to support their expansion." "Moda Operandi has really disrupted the traditional ecommerce model, using technology to give people unprecedented access to fashion," said Tony Florence, General Partner and Head of Technology Investing at NEA. "It was a really big idea when we led the Series A, and today Ganesh and the team are executing on that data-enabled retail model at scale. We are thrilled to continue supporting the company in this latest round." The new commitment brings Moda Operandi's total equity capital raised to date to $345 million. About Moda Operandi Moda Operandi is an e-commerce platform transforming the way people discover and shop for designer fashion. Through its innovative mix of commerce and content, Moda allows women and men to shop for what's new and what's next in designer fashion from the world's leading emerging designers and luxury brands. Founded in 2010, Moda Operandi's mission is to make it easy for designers to grow their businesses and consumers to realize their personal style. Today, Moda's platform carries more than 1,000 brands and designers across fashion, fine jewelry and home, and ships to 125 countries. For more information, visit modaoperandi.com. About Apax Digital The Apax Digital Fund specializes in growth equity and buyout investments in high-growth enterprise software, consumer internet, and technology-enabled services companies worldwide. The Apax Digital team leverages Apax Partners' deep tech investing expertise, global platform, and specialized operating experts, to enable technology companies and their management teams to accelerate the achievement of their full potential. For further information, please visit http://digital.apax.com. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of c.$50 billion. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. For more information see: www.apax.com. About NEA New Enterprise Associates, Inc. (NEA) is a global venture capital firm focused on helping entrepreneurs build transformational businesses across multiple stages, sectors and geographies. With more than $20 billion in cumulative committed capital since the firm's founding in 1977, NEA invests in technology and healthcare companies at all stages in a company's lifecycle, from seed stage through IPO. The firm's long track record of successful investing includes more than 230 portfolio company IPOs and more than 390 mergers and acquisitions. www.nea.com. SOURCE Moda Operandi Related Links http://www.modaoperandi.com Ontario mother Pamela Buffone is concerned about the way gender identity is being taught in schools after her 6-year-old daughter became distressed about her gender identity due to a series of lessons on gender ideology. (Norenko Andrey/Shutterstock) Ontario Mother Says Gender Identity Lessons Amount to Indoctrination, Calls for Change Pamela Buffone is worried about the way gender identity is being taught in schools, particularly in light of the strong impact such lessons had on her 6-year-old daughter. I believe strongly that parents need to be aware of what their children are being taught and why, particularly when it comes to their personal identity, Buffone said in an interview. Im hoping to raise awareness of this because I think we need to draw the line between education and indoctrination. Buffone and her husband, Jason, filed a human rights complaint against the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, the school principal, and a first-grade teacher after their daughter, known in the case as N, became troubled about her gender identity due to a series of lessons on gender ideology. In the early months of 2018, as part of the lesson plan, Ns teacher, Janine Blouin, showed the children a YouTube video titled He, She, and They?!? Gender: Queer Kid Stuff #2 and further discussed the concepts of the gender spectrum and sex changes, according to the complaint. N told her mother that in one class, Blouin said there is no such thing as girls and boys and girls are not real and boys are not real. N soon began telling her parents that she wasnt sure if she wanted to be a mother, wondered why her identity as a girl was not real and what she could do about it, and asked if she could go to a doctor. The reason my daughter became confused and started asking us questions about what she was being taught was because she believes very strongly that shes a girl, says Buffone. Alarmed, Buffone and her husband talked to the teacher and the principal and met with the school boards superintendent and those in charge of the curriculum. However, according to Buffone and the case file, they were told the schools position on gender identity was the new reality and were given no indication that their concerns would be taken seriously. The complaint states: The School Board did not agree to communicate with parents when sensitive discussions took place, nor did they agree to issue any directive or take corrective action in order to ensure that children of female gender identity were positively affirmed. With help from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), the Buffones brought the case to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. They are alleging that the school discriminated against their daughter on the basis of sex and gender identity in contravention of Ontarios Human Rights Code, as its position lacks neutrality and deprives an individual of their personal security and psychological integrity. The only option we were given was to have our daughter sit out of lessons on gender. She was discriminated against because of her gender identity and sex as a female. We want the school to understand how this was discriminatory, and to take steps to refrain from treating other gender-conforming children this way in the future, Buffone says. We also want them to stop teaching the idea that boys and girls dont exist. The Epoch Times requested comment from the Ontario Ministry of Education, the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, and the Ontario College of Teachers, but none responded by deadline. Buffone believes the intention is to indoctrinate children and transform their entire conception of gender from the biological one to one based on this new gender ideology. This, in my view, is indoctrination because it doesnt recognize the alternative point of view, which is that people can identify with their biological sex regardless of how they might express or feel about their gender, she says. Parents need to understand that our education system is being used to systematically reprogram the way our children identify, and this is being done deceptively under the guise of inclusive education with the full support of the teachers college, the teachers unions, and the government. Buffone says much of this came as a shock to her and her familya testament to how much parents may not know about what goes on in the classroom. As the case file explains, Ns teacher claimed in a meeting with Buffone that what prompted the gender discussions in class was students who were questioning and struggling with this idea of girls and boys, so the idea of gender fluidity needed to be discussed to help them understand what they were going through. [However,] what they insisted were teaching moments we discovered were actually a very systematic pattern of lessons using teaching tools that included a video, storybook, and whiteboard lessons, and the school board refused to disclose these lessons to parents of the class, Buffone says. The College of Teachers also told us that the curriculum reflects a certain ideology in that these new terms gender expression and gender identity are used throughout. Lisa Bildy, the JCCF staff lawyer representing the Buffones, says the school board is essentially taking the position that Ontarios Human Rights Code can apply differently to certain people depending on how they choose to identify themselves. The school boards position is tantamount to saying that only some peoples human rights are worthy of protection: Only those who have claimed special status for themselves on the basis of their internal feelings of gender are entitled to this legal protection against discrimination, she tells The Epoch Times. In order for gender non-conforming people to have this special status, it is necessary to make the assumption that everyone else is cisgender or conforming and therefore not worthy of protection. To combat this, the Buffones and the JCCF are flipping the logic on its head. Its our position that, if everyone has a gender identity and gender identity is protected under the Code, then a little girl who identifies strongly as a girl should not be discriminated against by being told her identity isnt real, Bildy says. Buffone believes the situation is a reflection of the much larger issue of people stifling discussion in favour of holding to ideology, especially in vital institutions like public schools and universities that play an important role in sustaining a civil society. What concerns me most about whats happening in our society right now is that important discussions are being shut down, she says. This was how we felt when we were trying to raise our concerns to the school board, that they just wanted to shut down the conversation as quickly as possible and get us to fall in line. This cant be how a free and democratic society operates because this topic isnt going away; it just starts to fester and create social unrest. This is why its paramount that parents arm their kids with knowledge, she adds. I think the only defence is a strong offence, and weve started explaining to our kids why they might hear certain messages from teachers or others on what it means to be a boy or a girl, and weve told them what we believe about the nature of gender and biology, she says. Its an ongoing process and I can only hope that my kids will make the best decision for themselves one day in terms of how they choose to identify, but I want them to understand the reasons behind their choice and the implications of their choice on society as well. A 'silent' march seeking to "protect the Constitution" was taken out inside the Madras High Court premises in which three retired judges were among the participants despite orders banning any such activities, prompting the court on Friday to take a serious view of it and refer the matter to its Security Committee. First bench comprising Chief Justice A P Sahi and Justice Subramonium Prasad described the incident as 'unfortunate' and said the three former high court judges joining the 'protest' caused more concern as it requested the Security Committee to take up the matter urgently and revert with its suggestions. The march held by a group of lawyers on Thursday came amid protests calling for saving the Constitution and reading out the preamble of the Constitution by those agitating against the Citizenship Amendment Act at various places across the country in recent days. Visuals telecast by TV channels showed several lawyers taking part in the march holding placards that read "Defend Constitution", "Equality" and the preamble of the Constitution. The bench took up the matter suo motu (on its own) on the basis of a letter by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, High Court Security, to Registrar General that the procession was taken out by a group of advocates. The march was organised on the occasion of the Martyrs Day to commemorate the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The high court had passed various orders in the past banning any meetings and processions with placards inside its premises. The letter which mentioned the names of three retired judges -- D Hariparanthaman, Kannan and Akber Ali -- apart from other advocates said that a group of advocates including seniors assembled near Aavin Parlor point in the court campus, walked in procession and reached another gate and concluded inside the premises in front of a statue of B R Ambedkar. It was further submitted by the Deputy Commissioner that the processionists were stopped and advised against their "unauthorised activities". But they refused to hear the advice the police officers who were on duty, the letter claimed. The bench in its order said: "Having noticed the said incident reported, what is of more concern is that the incident involves and names three former High Court Judges of having entered the premises and joined the protest that was going on." The gravity of the incident therefore puts on guard the entire judicial system, as this may have large impact on the future security measures that may be required to be undertaken by the high court, it said. "The incident therefore requires an immediate concern to be taken up on the administrative side and we, therefore, request the Security Committee of the High Court to take up the matter urgently along with its suggestions and report the matter back for taking appropriate action on the Judicial side or otherwise by the next date fixed," it said. The bench then posted the matter for further hearing to March 3. It also directed that a PIL pertaining to common security arrangements in the entire high court premises be posted along with the present petition related to the march. Meanwhile, a group of lawyers, including senior counsels NGR Prasad and Nalini Chidambaram, in a statement said they only took out a "peaceful padayatra" to commemorate the Father of the Nation and it was portrayed by police as "an unauthorised"" activity by them and the retired judges. "To describe a peaceful Padayatra to honour Gandhiji as an unlawful protest is an insult to the Mahatma," the statement said. Describing the march as "most dignified", it said the participants carried the National Flag and placards containing the preamble of the Constitution. "The participants did not go anywhere near the high court building nor was there any disruption of the functioning of any court," the statement said. The first bench also noted that orders passed by the Supreme Court on January 27 this year on a proposal seeking deployment of central forces such as the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for security purpose in all high courts in the country had been placed before it. It recorded the views of Additional Solicitor General G. Rajagopalan and Tamil Nadu Advocate General Vijay Narayan on the issue of security. Keeping in view the concerns that have been expressed and also the latest incident reported, the court requested the security committee to deliberate upon these issues and also coordinate with the state police chief and high ranking officials of the CISF to crystalise the security arrangements preferably on a permanent basis. The exercise may, therefore be undertaken at the earliest, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two Chinese citizens have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Russia's first cases since the deadly outbreak emerged in China, Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said Friday The two cases were registered in the Zabaikalsky and Tyumen regions of Siberia, Russian agencies reported. She also said Russia would evacuate citizens from China because of the virus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dhaka, Jan 31 : The Bangladesh government will on Friday send a plane to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has killed 213 people in the Asian giant, to evacuate its nationals. The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight will depart from Dhaka on Friday afternoon, Meerjady Sabrina Flora, a director at the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research or IEDCR, told bdnews24 on Thursday night. Upon their arrival from from Wuhan on Friday night, the Bangladeshi nationals will be kept isolated and under observation at the Ashkona Hajj Camp near Shahjalal International Airport, Sabrina said. The flight would ferry back a total of 341 Bangladeshis from the Chinese city. The government had earlier said the the country's embassy in China was "in touch" with about 400 Bangladeshi students, who have been locked down along with millions in Wuhan. The embassy also established contact with the Chinese authorities to ensure urgent support for the expatriates in Wuhan, the Foreign Ministry had said after the outbreak started. Some of the Bangladeshi students in Wuhan told bdnews24 on Thursday that they wanted to return home as soon as possible from the city which is under a lockdown. In South Asia, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal have confirmed one case each of the coronavirus. Pakistan announced this week that four students were tested positive in Wuhan. As of Friday, China has increased the toll to 213, with 9,692 infected cases. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Four people, including a minor, have been arrested on charges of spreading fake messages on social media with an intent to incite communal violence in Bantwal taluk of Dakshnina Kannada District in Karnataka, police said on Friday. The four, arrested on Thursday, have been identified as Siddik (27), K Mohammed K (19), Hanif (25) and a 16-year-old boy. They are accused of spreading false on social media using different mobile numbers in Bantwal taluk for disturbing communal harmony, police said adding a case had been registered at the Vitla police station in this connection. According to police, the four were picked up from various places and have 'confessed' to committing the crime. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) condemns the decision of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to ratify the credentials of the Russian delegation despite the Russian Federation not having complied with its commitments and obligations towards the Council of Europe, according to a statement on the UWC website. The Ukrainian World Congress denounces the engagement of the Russian Federation in PACE as contradictory to the democratic values it promotes. We urge all PACE delegations to remain committed to the resolutions of the Assembly and vigilant of the persistent violations of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the fundamental human rights of its people, stated UWC President Paul Grod. The UWC stated that PACE fulfills a vital role in promoting cooperation among parliamentarians in an effort to unite democracies around common values and interests. The ongoing blatant aggression against Ukraine by the Russian Federation together with its continuous violations of international law undermine these fundamental values and must preclude its participation in PACE, reads the statement. As Ukrinform reported, the voting rights of the Russian Federation in PACE were reinstated in June 2019 after having been expelled five years earlier for its aggression in Ukraine. On January 27, during a plenary session of the PACE, the credentials of the Russian delegation were challenged twice - on both substantive and procedural grounds. The substantive challenge cited a recent proposal to change the constitutional balance between national and international law, as well as the situation in Georgia. The procedural challenge cited the fact that votes from the occupied territory of Crimea were used to elect the Russian parliament, and that some members of the proposed Russian delegation are currently subject to EU sanctions. In January, Dr. Dexter Turnquest, a longtime resident of The Woodlands and managing director of Turnquest Surgical Solutions, was named president of the Houston Academy of Medicine, the charitable organization of the Harris County Medical Society. He comes from a large family of high achievers: five of his siblings are engineers, one has a masters of business administration, and his twin is the deputy prime minister and minister of finance in the Bahamas. When he was little, he thought about becoming a firefighter, but it soon became clear that medicine was his calling. Either way, he knew he wanted to help people. The Woodlands Villager spoke with Turnquest to find out more about what drew him to medicine, and what he hopes to do as President of HAM for 2020. The Woodlands Villager: What got you into medicine? Dexter Turnquest: Science, probably, is what lead me into it. Then I figured out what health care was and medicine I became more interested. Of course, I wanted to help people, alleviate suffering. WV: How did you end up here in the area? DT: Im actually originally from the Bahamas and I came to college here at Prairie View to pursue my education and there I met my wife of 35 years and after I left college I went to medical school in Florida, but when you marry a girl from East Texas you end up back in Houston, or as close as you can get to East Texas, which is Houston for me. I also came back because of the world-renowned (Texas) Medical Center and I wanted to be a part of that. It was probably the most exciting place in terms of health care and advances in medicine and so I came back here to do my residency. WV: So why did you decide to settle down in The Woodlands? DT: Just happenstance. The Woodlands was growing at that time. I came out here in 1996 and The Woodlands was still relatively small at that time and certainly under-served from a health care standpoint. So, I thought it was a good opportunity, and certainly the growing Woodlands was a good place to be. WV: What does the position of President of HAM for 2020 mean for you? DT: The Houston Academy of Medicine, the organization was founded in 1915 as the scientific and charitable organization of the Harris County Medical Society. At its founding it was set up to help with education and to bring physicians together. So one of the first things the Academy of Medicine did was establish the medical library downtown. So, the medical library is a part of the medical center, it serves all of the major institutions within the medical center. Additionally, the academy also formed the Gulf Coast regional blood bank back in 1975, which supplies the institutions and medical centers along the Gulf Coast in East Texas. With all of these things that are going on in society, its a chance to give back. So, being able to be involved with that and helping to guide the future of that organization, when you think about all of the things that it has done, its an honor to be able to help lead that into the future. WV: During your time as president for 2020 is there anything you really want to accomplish? DT: There are always things that come up along the way and right now were dealing with this new virus, the coronavirus, thats in the news. Those are the kinds of things that we will need to get ahead of, looking at background, where did this virus come from, how do we attack this virus, how do we treat this virus, those are all things that we will deal with in the academy. Theres always something that comes along thats unexpected. In terms of longstanding things, it is about educating the public, it is about growing the health museum thats another thing that the academy is starting so being involved in the health museum, educating children about health and health careers. Its our charge to help educate people and society about health and how to take care of themselves. WV: Outside of medicine what are some of your interests? DT: Im involved in a whole bunch of things, but probably for my sanitys sake, I walk. Im involved in a number of societies, fraternities, I hang out with my family, and thats really about what I do. WV: What is something about you that may surprise people? DT: I think the first thing that surprises people is that Im from the Bahamas. Im also a twin, an almost identical twin, so that always freaks people out. jamie.swinnerton@chron.com Singapore and Mongolia slapped sweeping bans on arrivals from China on Friday and the United States told its citizens to avoid the country after a global health emergency was declared over a viral epidemic that has killed 213 people. Nearly 10,000 people have been infected in China by the new coronavirus and new cases were found abroad, with more than 20 countries now affected by the disease. With countries around the world growing increasingly concerned, the World Health Organization, which was criticised for initially downplaying the virus threat, declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Thursday. The US State Department raised its warning alert to the highest level, telling Americans "do not travel" to China and urged those already there to leave. Singapore and Mongolia went a step further. Citing a likely "sharper rise" in the spread of the virus, Singapore's government barred arrivals and transit passengers from mainland China. Graphic on the different evacuations plans for foreigners in China. By (AFP) Mongolia's measure applies a ban to Chinese nationals and foreigners coming from the neighbouring country by plane, train or road from Saturday until March 2. Mongolians will be barred from going to China over the same period. The vast, landlocked country had previously only banned cars from crossing the border. Japan, meanwhile, joined Britain, Germany and other countries that have recommended that their citizens avoid China. Taking action WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the greatest concern was the potential for the virus "to spread to countries with weaker health systems". "We must all act together now to limit further spread," Tedros said. Commuters in masks wait to board a canal boat at Pratunam Pier in Bangkok. By Mladen ANTONOV (AFP) The WHO has declared a global health emergency five times since the practice began in 2007 -- for swine flu, polio, Zika and twice for Ebola. It allows the UN health body to issue recommendations that the international community is expected to follow. Tedros said travel and trade restrictions involving China were unnecessary. But authorities, businesses and worried people around the world were taking matters into their own hands. Many major airlines this week suspended or reduced flights to China. A doctor prepares to enter the isolation ward at a hospital in Wuhan, epicentre of the virus outbreak. By STR (AFP) Russia sealed its remote far-eastern frontier. Impoverished Papua New Guinea went so far as to bar all visitors from "Asian ports". Some countries banned entry for travellers from Wuhan, the city in central Hubei province where the virus first surfaced. Italy and Israel on Thursday barred all flight connections with China. The Italian government declared a state of emergency on Friday to fast-track efforts to prevent the spread of the virus. Growing panic China on Friday said it sent charter planes to Thailand and Malaysia to bring Hubei residents back to Wuhan, citing the "practical difficulties" that they have encountered overseas. A man wearing a mask, goggles and gloves buys beverages at a supermarket in Beijing. By NICOLAS ASFOURI (AFP) In a sign of growing global anxiety, more than 6,000 tourists were temporarily confined aboard their cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers fell ill. They later tested negative for the coronavirus. More than 40,000 workers at a vast Chinese-controlled industrial complex in Indonesia's Sulawesi island have been quarantined over fears about the virus. The US reported its first case of person-to-person transmission of the virus on American soil -- a man in Chicago who got it from his wife, who had travelled to Wuhan. Britain reported its first two cases. Death toll grows Medical staff of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health prepare to screen passengers at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. By Michael Tewelde (AFP) China has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province. It has also suspended school nationwide and extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to limit people travelling. But the toll continues to swell, rising to 213 after 43 new deaths were reported on Friday. All the dead have been in China. China's National Health Commission also confirmed 1,982 new cases, bringing the total to 9,692. A French gendarme walks at the entrance of a holiday resort near Marseille, France, where French citizens evacuated from Wuhan, China, are expected to be put under quarantine for 14 days. By GERARD JULIEN (AFP) That exceeds the 8,096 cases from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) a similar pathogen that spread to more than two dozen countries in 2002-03, and killed 774 people, mostly in China and Hong Kong. Another 102,000 people are under medical observation in China with possible coronavirus symptoms. The new virus is believed to have emerged in a Wuhan market that sold wild game, and spread by a Lunar New Year holiday season in which hundreds of millions of Chinese travel domestically or abroad. Airlifts continue Men wearing masks smoke outside a Pakistan-based Chinese company in Islamabad. By Aamir QURESHI (AFP) Countries have scrambled to evacuate their nationals from Wuhan, with US and Japanese citizens leaving first on Wednesday. France on Friday airlifted around 200 of its citizens from the city. They will be placed under two-week quarantine back home. Britain followed suit within hours, extracting 110 British and foreign nationals. "It's sad to leave a country which you're attached to," Adrien, a 26-year-old French auto industry employee, told AFP before the flight. "We're also relieved because we don't know how things will turn out in China." Three people aboard Japan's first evacuation flight tested positive after landing back home, two of whom showed no symptoms, underscoring the difficulty detecting the coronavirus. South Korea said 18 of around 350 people who were repatriated from Wuhan were hospitalised after showing symptoms. burs-lth/rox/ind According to UN figures, jihadist attacks in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger last year claimed around 4,000 lives. This alarming trend is continuing despite international troops on the ground. But the crisis is much more than a question of managing the security issues. There are 4,500 French troops deployed in the Sahel region, which are now backed by armed drones, as well as a 15,000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Mali. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted his counterparts from the five Sahel countries in southwest France earlier this month, when he announced the deployment of the 220 extra troops for the Barkhane operation and urged the United States to keep its own soldiers engaged in the anti-terror fight in Africa. France has also been working on creating a new European special forces operation dubbed Takuba, expected to be operational by this autumn. But is the situation slipping away? I put this question to the Managing Editor of The Africa Report in our monthly discussion. He explains why Burkina Faso in particular has become a focal point of the crisis. The West African country has lost approximately a third of its territory to jihadist and rebel groups in the space of three years. We also talked about the challenges faced by South Africa as it prepares to take over the African Union Chair next month. China's envoy to the United Nations on Friday expressed support for the World Health Organization's decision to declare a new virus outbreak an international health emergency - but cautioned against "unnecessary panic" or "excessive measures" in response. Chen Xu's comments came during a briefing in Geneva, a day after the WHO declared the deadly outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). The coronavirus, which is thought to have originated in China's Hubei province, has now killed at least 200 and infected more than 9,800 people around the world, based on numbers released Friday. As the number of cases grew in various countries on Friday, Chen said China was "ready to show solidarity" with countries with weak health systems that might struggle to contain the spread of the virus. The vast majority of confirmed cases have been identified in mainland China, however, a number of other countries were also affected, including Thailand, Japan, Malaysia and the Philippines. Chen also said Chinese authorities had received many offers of help from the international community, however, he stressed that his country was still trying to plan and organise for "where, when and in which area we need foreign assistance." By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 08:33 AM | FRANKFORT Rep. Steven Rudy of Paducah is co-sponsoring a resolution urging members of the General Assembly to oppose any legislation infringing upon Second Amendment rights.This resolution comes in response to recent Red Flag gun law proposals and gun control legislation that would violate rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. I stand in opposition to any measure that would impede our constitutional rights, Rudy said. I hear from my constituents every single day, and they are rightfully angered by any proposal that would infringe upon their right to keep and bear arms. I share their frustration at these senseless proposals and will stand firm in support of our constitutional rights. Rudy is serving as floor manager in the absence of Majority Floor Leader John Bam Carney, who is currently recovering from an illness. Majority Floor Leader Bam Carney has been a staunch opponent of these proposals for his entire career, Rudy added. As the acting floor manager, I will do everything in my power to see to it that these misguided proposals do not move forward. A man accused of killing three people in Bethalto, Illinois told police he did so after trying to trade drugs and cash for a pickup truck, according to search warrant information obtained Thursday. Brady Witcher, 41, of Birmingham, told police he went to the home in the 300 block of Mill Street in Bethalto to meet Andrew A.J. Brooks, according to the search warrant. Witcher told police he offered Brooks drugs and cash in exchange for Brooks pickup truck, but Brooks refused, according to an affidavit on filed in Madison County, Illinois Circuit Court. Witcher is accused of shooting Brooks with a .45-caliber handgun. Witcher also allegedly chased two other people inside the home Brooks mother, Shari Yates, 59, and John McMillian, 32 and fatally shot them, according to the document. Details of the Dec. 19 crime were included as part of a sworn statement in request for a search warrant for clothing worn by Witcher and his co-defendant, Brittany McMillan, 28, also of Birmingham. The clothing was removed from the suspects when they were booked at the Madison County Jail. Witcher and McMillan are charged in the triple homicide and are being held without bond. They also have been accused of a multi-state crime spree that also left a woman dead in Alabama. On Dec. 23 the two were charged with nine counts of murder in the execution-style killings of Brooks, Yates and McMillian. Witcher and McMillan also face charges of armed robbery and aggravated vehicular hijacking, both Class X felonies. Witcher also has been charged with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 felony. He originally requested a public defender but, according to court documents, the assistant public defender has asked to withdraw at Witchers request. The sworn statement says federal agents informed Bethalto Police on Dec. 19 that they had Witcher and McMillan in custody in connection with arrest warrants out of Clarksville, Tennessee, in connection with an alleged aggravated kidnapping and the theft of a white GMC pickup truck. Witcher and McMillan were arrested at a Hazelwood, Missouri, hotel where police found Yates Ford Fusion, leading them to the Bethalto home. According to court documents, on Dec. 20 Witcher told members of the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis that, after committing the crimes in Tennessee, he and McMillan decided they needed another vehicle. Witcher told officers he and McMillan drove from Tennessee to Illinois to meet Brooks. Authorities have said McMillan is originally from Bethalto and knew the victims. A court document states surveillance video from a neighbors home in Bethalto shows a GMC truck that fit the description of the truck stolen in Clarksville, Tennessee. The document states Witcher told officers he shot all three victims after Brooks declined his offer. 5 Brady Witcher and Brittany McMillan, Witcher and McMillan then left Bethalto with Witcher in the truck from Tennessee and McMillan in Yates Ford Fusion, the affidavit states. They drove to a St. Louis parking garage where they abandoned the truck, leaving the garage together in the Ford Fusion and going to a Days Inn in Hazelwood, Missouri. Authorities located the truck on Dec. 20. Investigators recovered swabs of suspected blood from the trucks interior and exterior, as well as possible blood from the Fusion. They also collected fingerprints from inside the truck. Court documents state police also searched the Ford Fusion and obtained a pair of womens jeans which appeared to have blood on them. Details of the case were revealed Thursday when police filed a search warrant for a pair of shorts and a T-shirt belonging to McMillan, as well as a pair of socks, a pair of briefs and a blue shirt belonging to Witcher. The clothing had been removed from the suspects when they were booked into the Madison County Jail. In addition to the clothing, police found .45-caliber shell casings and a live bullet in the Bethalto home, according to court documents. Hazelwood Police also reported they recovered a .45-caliber pistol during the arrests of Witcher and McMillan. Authorities believe the duos alleged crime spree began in Birmingham, Alabama. Police received a 911 call from a woman at an apartment complex stating she was being held captive and that a woman had been murdered. Police arrived to find her bound and attempting to escape; she led police to the victims body. Police say Witcher and McMillan fled in a stolen vehicle to Clarksville, Tennessee, where they held a married couple hostage at their apartment before eventually fleeing in the couples vehicle. Police also have obtained surveillance footage of Witcher and McMillan in two different Walmart stores. During one incident, Witcher appears to flash a gun at an employee who allegedly suspected them of stealing items. On Dec. 23, Assistant Madison County States Attorney Crystal Uhe said police believe Witcher fatally shot the three victims in Bethalto and that McMillan was culpable in the killings. She said the Madison County States Attorneys Office will seek mandatory life sentences, the maximum penalty under Illinois law, for both. Madison County States Attorney Tom Gibbons has requested the federal government accept the case, which could result in the death penalty. His request is currently under review. A $50 million defamation lawsuit filed against Hillary Clinton is progressing onto the next stage as the former Secretary of State's legal team accepts legal paperwork. After three attempts to rebuff the documents, a lawyer for Ms Clinton has reportedly been served the papers that will allow 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard's case to proceed. The Hawaii congresswoman's lawyer, Brian Dunne, told Fox News it was looking forward to finally moving forward on 'the merits of the case' after previous failed attempts to serve Ms Clinton with the papers. The Democratic presidential hopeful is suing Clinton for $50million over an interview last year in which the 2016 nominee suggested that Gabbard was the 'favorite of the Russians'. Democratic presidential hopeful Tulsi Gabbard (pictured on the debate stage in Atlanta last November) is suing Hillary Clinton for $50million However, her legal team had struggled to get the process underway, as until yesterday it was reported Ms Clinton's team was refusing to accept the papers. On Thursday Gabbard's lawyers said they were turned away by the Secret Service and later by Clinton's attorney when they tried to deliver the paperwork in person at her residence in Chappaqua, New York. Gabbard's attorney Brian Dunne told the New York Post that Clinton was 'so intimidated by Tulsi Gabbard that she won't accept service of process'. Gabbard's camp says the agents directed them to Clinton's lawyer David Kendall, who initially said he could not accept the papers on her behalf, before finally doing so later on Thursday. Gabbard filed the lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan last week, accusing Clinton of promoting 'extremely dubious conspiracy theories'. The lawsuit alleges that Clinton 'harmed her political and personal rival's reputation and ongoing presidential campaign'. The former Secretary of State is also accused of starting a 'damaging whisper campaign based on baseless, but vicious, untruths'. Gabbard's lawyers claim that Clinton holds a 'special hatred and animosity for Tulsi' for backing Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary campaign. Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill last week described the lawsuit as 'ridiculous'. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (pictured in California earlier this month) suggested that Tulsi Gabbard was a 'favorite of the Russians' As a public figure, Gabbard must show that the defendant acted with actual malice to recover damages from Clinton. In addition, US courts have said in the past that 'rhetorical hyperbole' associated with politics is constitutionally protected speech. The row turns on a podcast last year in which Clinton suggested to former Obama aide David Plouffe that Gabbard was the 'favorite of the Russians'. 'She's the favorite of the Russians, they have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far,' Clinton said. Clinton did not name Gabbard, but there have been no claims of Russian backing for any other female Democrat in the race. Her spokesman Merrill later indicated that Gabbard was the candidate she had in mind, saying: 'If the nesting doll fits'. Gabbard retorted by calling Clinton 'the queen of warmongers... and personification of the rot that has sickened the Democratic Party for so long.' The 38-year-old has long been regarded as an outlier in the Democratic party and raised eyebrows by visiting Syria's president Bashar al-Assad in 2017. She also questioned whether Assad was behind a chemical weapons attack which killed dozens in Syria the same year, as intelligence services believe. Gabbard also voted 'present' on the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, saying he was 'guilty of wrongdoing' but should not be removed from office. In recent years, millions of people have been astonished, even thrilled, to learn from those popular genetic tests that their DNA is laced with Neanderthal genes. Those genes were first discovered in 2010, in a study of Neanderthal fossils. From DNA recovered from the bones, researchers deduced that modern humans interbred with Neanderthals some 60,000 years ago, after leaving Africa. As a result, the genes of non-Africans today are 1 percent to 2 percent Neanderthal. People of African ancestry, it was thought, have little to no Neanderthal DNA. Using a new method to analyze DNA, however, a team of scientists has found evidence that significantly reshapes that narrative. The Delhi assembly election is an internal matter of India and interference by Pakistan, the biggest sponsor of terrorism, will not be tolerated, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday. Responding to a tweet by Pakistan's Minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Hussain, the AAP leader also said that no matter how hard Islamabad tries, it cannot attack the unity of India. "Narendra Modi ji is the prime minister of India. He is my prime minister too. The election of Delhi is an internal issue of India and we will not tolerate the interference of the biggest sponsors of terrorism. As much as Pakistan tries, it cannot attack the unity of this country," Kejriwal said in a tweet. An unimpressed BJP slammed Kejriwal and his party, saying the people of Delhi have to make a decision in the light of a Pakistani minister seeking votes for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "A Pakistani minister is campaigning and seeking votes for the AAP. Pakistan is happy as Kejriwal is running their agenda," Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari told reporters. Tiwari also accused Kejriwal of extending support to 'Tukde-Tukde gang' and sought his response on if the AAP was fighting elections on the support of Pakistan. "Pakistan's repeated support to you is a matter of concern Arvind Kejriwal. You should explain to Delhi's people if the AAP is contesting the Delhi elections with the support of Pakistan," Tiwari tweeted in Hindi. Polls for the 70 membered Delhi assembly will be held on February 8. Results will be declared on February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: With students of Aligarh Muslim University continuing their protests despite repeated appeals by Vice-Chancellor Prof Tariq Mansoor to resume classes and take exams, the university administration may have no option but to shut the campus down for a period of time. Amid the heavy security arrangements, including the deployment of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) on campus, the student groups are now seeking withdrawal of "false cases" against those who participated in protests against the amended citizenship act on December 15. AMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Tariq Mansoor had written an open letter to protesting students on Wednesday appealing to them to take the exams. He had urged them not to fall prey to rumours and misguided elements with vested interests. I appeal to the students whose future is of utmost importance to me, to not fall prey to rumours, propaganda spread by vested interests and to appear in the examinations and attend classes. The AMU V-C also termed his appeal as final and said if academic activities did not resume on campus, there would be no justification to keep it open and make 23,000 students sit idle. This is my last appeal to all to maintain peace and tranquillity on the campus and to please appear in the exams and attend classes from January 30, 2020. Already 18 days have gone by without any academic activity, said Prof Mansoor. Sources said a high-level meeting of university authorities was convened. It was presided over by the AMU V-C and heads of various departments had participated in it. Aligarh SSP Akash Kulhary and District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh were also present in the meeting wherein it was decided to strike a direct dialogue between the HODs and the students. If the effort doesnt succeed, the last option left would be to close the campus sine die. The cash-strapped Pakistan government has dismissed as "baseless" reports of Prime Minister Imran Khan getting a near-four-fold hike in salary, according to media reports. The clarification was issued after reports claimed the prime minister's gross salary would be increased from Rs 2,01,574 to around Rs 8,00,000. "At a time when the prime minister was carrying out a campaign to slash the government's expenditures, the propagation of such a baseless and concocted report was unfortunate," the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson was quoted as saying by Dawn Khan recently said he could not manage his household expenses from his official salary, the report said. "We have reduced the expenses of the Prime Minister House by 40 per cent. I live in my own home, pay my own expenses. My (official) salary is not enough to cover the expenses of my own household," Khan said. He has also claimed that his foreign visits have cost the exchequer 10 times less than his predecessors. Khan said his visit to Switzerland earlier in the month for the World Economic Forum was the "cheapest" by a Pakistani state leader. Khan said his trip was sponsored by two businessmen. According to The News, Khan earned Rs 1,96,979 after deductions, as per his February 2019 pay slip. The Pakistan government has been implementing austerity measures to improve the country's finances. In July last year, Pakistan registered a currency reserve of less than USD 8 billion -- enough to cover only 1.7 months of imports. In August 2018, Pakistan approached the International Monetary Fund for a bailout package after the Khan government took over. The IMF formally approved the USD 6 billion loan to Pakistan in July 2019, citing "significant" economic challenges. Pakistan has so far received billions in financial aid packages from friendly countries like China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE during the current fiscal year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In 2020, Joule expects three additional towns, with 6,500 homes, to join the Hudson Valley Community Power aggregation. Joule also plans to launch four new aggregations: Gateway Community Power, Monroe Community Power, Rockland Community Power, and an aggregation in Long Island, NY. Currently, with 16 communities under contract, Joule is looking forward to administrating CCA programs for more than 190,000 total households in 25 communities by this time next year. Joule Community Power Director Glenn Weinberg said, "Communities throughout New York State are leading the way in the clean energy transition. Joule's programs help them get the most out of the powerful tools available to them to get the best deal for their residents and to drive local development of renewable energy." Roctricity's Susan Hughes-Smith explains, "We have been working to bring CCA to the Rochester area since 2016. Working with Joule perfectly aligns with our mission of advocating for communities to purchase 100% renewable electricity that is procured at a price that is lower than consumers paid, on average, the previous year. We are pleased to serve as the local program manager for Finger Lakes Community Choice and, in the not too distant future, Monroe Community Power and Gateway Community Power." Jeff Domanski of Hudson Valley Energy, the nonprofit that serves as the local program manager for the Hudson Valley Community Power and Rockland Community Power programs, is excited about the benefits of the programs led by Joule. "It's been great to talk to so many people in our partner communities about how these programs provide a win-win-win opportunity that helps so many people get what they want: supporting renewable electricity generation with no additional cost and protection from bad actors in the energy marketplace. We're able to increase knowledge, help build trust, and deliver benefits." Maximizing CCA's Impact with Solar In 2019, offering yet another way to reduce both electricity costs and carbon gas emissions, Joule launched Geneva Community Power, a community solar (or "local solar") pilot program for NYSEG customers in NY's Finger Lakes region and offered local solar to Central Hudson customers in New York Hudson's Valley. Unlike other community solar programs, Joule's solar offering is designed to reward communities that support renewable generation by helping fund future local sustainability efforts. For the Geneva Community Power pilot program, funding of the "sustainability grant" was based upon reaching a threshold of 400 community solar subscribers. Town of Geneva opted to spend the money on projects that protect and preserve the quality of water in Seneca Lake. In the Hudson Valley, funds are allocated to communities based on actual enrollment numbers. By year-end 2019, more than 500 utility customers in the Hudson Valley, who consume more than 3,700 KWhs of electricity annually, subscribed to community solar, earning their local communities upwards of $25,000 for future sustainability efforts. The City of Beacon elected to put the money towards local school projects. Marbletown intends to use the funds for local walk and bike projects. Philipstown will allocate the money toward a program what will reduce the leakage of greenhouse gases from air conditioners, refrigerators, and other appliances. When possible, the municipalities may use the sustainability grants to seek State matching funds in order to increase the amount of money they can put towards their local projects. Mike Gordon, CEO of Joule Assets, explains, "Joule has established a community solar program that gives back to the community and enables subscribers who support clean energy to spend less on electricity. Community solar participants save approximately 10% annually on electricity by supporting the buildout of renewable power plants. Joule supports communities that support renewable generation by funding, based on solar program enrollment, locally chosen sustainability efforts." Joule Assets Managing Director Jessica Stromback states, "Joule is the only company in New York State offering CCA administrative services with a Public Service Commission-approved implementation plan that automatically integrates community solar projects. These two programscommunity choice and community solarwork together to amplify the benefits of each program individually. Both CCA and local solar are designed to lower your electricity bill and help combat climate change. By offering solar through the CCAs we administer, Joule can maximize the reach and therefore, the impact of these benefits." Why CCA? CCA empowers participating communities to leverage the collective buying power of residents and small businesses at large enough scale to create the buying power to negotiate better terms. Through CCA, communities can secure more favorable supply rates and designate renewable generation sources. CCA also provides increased consumer protection while providing residents supply options and participation flexibility. While eligible residents are automatically enrolled in the program, anyone can opt out without penalty prior to launch or at any time during the contract term. Why Solar? Community solar programs allow utility customers (including members of community choice aggregation programs) to support local solar power and save on annual electricity costs without having to install solar panels. Those who sign up will lower their electricity bills while supporting renewable energy generation and, in Joule's model, while raising funds towards local sustainability projects. When used in conjunction with CCA, participants can augment their electricity bill savings and combat climate change on multiple fronts, thereby maximizing the impact of their participation. Please visit joulecommunitypower.com to learn more about how we empower communities to access cleaner and cheaper energy on their own terms. 2019 Review CCA: The two aggregations launched with Joule during 2019 are detailed in the table below. Aggregation Participating Communities Local Partner Size (in # of HHs) Hudson Valley Community Power City of Beacon Village of Cold Spring Town of Fishkill Town of Marbletown Town of Philipstown City of Poughkeepsie Hudson Valley Energy 25,000 Finger Lakes Community Choice Town of Geneva Roctricity 1,000 Community solar: Joule's local solar programs to utility customers in the two regions where CCA programs were launched in 2019 have resulted in communities raising funds for additional sustainability-focused projects, of their own choosing, in their own communities. Region / Local Utility Program Sponsor(s) # of Community Solar Subscribers $$ Raised for Community Sustainability Projects Hudson Valley City of Beacon Village of Cold Spring Town of Fishkill Town of Marbletown Town of Philipstown City of Poughkeepsie 183 41 2 117 130 19 $9,150 $2,050 $100 $5,850 $6,500 $950 $25,700 Geneva Community Power Town of Geneva ~400 $25,000 2020 Outlook In order to maximize the benefits of each program, Joule expects to offer community solar in the following communities, where the company is rolling out new CCA to new communities and/or launching new CCA programs. Aggregation Participating Communities Size (in # of HHs) Gateway Community Power Village of Victor 1,000 Hudson Valley Community Power Town of New Paltz Village of New Paltz Town of Red Hook 6,500 Monroe Community Power Town of Brighton Town of Irondequoit Town of Pittsford Village of Pittsford 60,000 Rockland Community Power Town of Clarkstown Village of Haverstraw Town of Orangetown Village of Nyack Village of South Nyack Village of Upper Nyack 55,000 TBDHudson Valley Town of Clinton 1,500 TBD Long Island Town of Southampton 40,000 TBDRochester Area Village of Brockport Village of Lima 3,250 About Joule Community Power Joule Community Power (Joule) works with municipalities and local partners to empower communities and facilitate their goals of providing residents and businesses with cleaner and cheaper energy. Joule principals were responsible for implementing New York State's first Community Choice Aggregation Program (CCA)a program that enables communities to aggregate local energy demand in order to: 1) save moneygain leverage to procure less expensive electricity for residents and businesses, 2) make moneycreate new revenue opportunities by participating in energy markets, and 3) go greengain local control to opt for clean and renewable generation sources. Joule is the only company in New York State offering CCA administrative services with a Public Service Commission-approved implementation plan that integrates local renewable energy projects, and only Joule has the expertise, relationships, and experience to effectively design, implement, and manage such a program. Joule's innovative renewable energy strategy in New York is driving new regulation and encouraging the Public Service Commission to rapidly advance innovative solutions. Joule Community Power is a division of Joule Assets. Learn more at joulecommunitypower.com. About Joule Assets Joule Assets is a corporation focused on market representation, products and services in the areas of clean energy, efficiency, and demand management. Joule Community Power is the division of Joule Assets that partners with municipalities to develop community-scale clean energy solutions, empowering communities to set and achieve aggressive clean energy and energy reduction targets. This includes CCA Administration services, Community Distributed Generation integration, community-scale demand management, and home efficiency services. For this reason, program materials refer primarily to Joule Community Power as the CCA Administrator. When appropriate, we have made it clear in program materials that Joule Community Power is a division of Joule Assets. Joule Community Power is not a distinct entity from or subsidiary of Joule Assets, and is staffed by Joule Assets employees and contractors. Joule Community Power is operated out of the Joule Assets corporate office, located in Katonah, NY. SOURCE Joule Community Power Related Links https://www.joulecommunity.com The city of New Baltimore is seeking design proposals for a new recreation center in a new location. City council members voted 5-1 Jan. 27 to move forward with the construction of a new rec center at the current city hall property on Green Street. The change in plans comes a year after the council agreed to build a new rec center at the site of the recently demolished facility downtown, which also followed an earlier vote to sell the Washington Street parcel for development. Now, officials are envisioning a new recreation center on Green Street and a new mixed-use development downtown. At the recent meeting, council member Carl Weinreich said the city hall site was suggested by parks and recreation department Director Tim Novak during early talks about possible rec center locations. Im not sure why we didnt give that a little bit more consideration right from the beginning because Mr. Novak has done a lot for our parks and rec program, Weinreich said. Hes proven to us you can build it anywhere. All of the programs have gone up the enrollments have gone up so its not just about location. Its about who you have running it and how you design it, and I think this will be a great move for the city. The motion to move forward with the new rec center plan was made by Weinreich and supported by Mayor Pro-Tem David Duffy. Council member Flo Hayman cast the lone dissenting vote. The motion included several parts: * To direct administration to move forward with design and construction of New Baltimores recreation center at the current city hall property at 36535 Green St. * To allocate $100,000 from the public improvement fund for the design, engineering and site plan work. * To direct administration to immediately send out request for proposals for an architect and construction manager with a deadline of 21 days from the day of the meeting. * Architectural drawings to provide for the design of a 12,000-square-foot recreation center, including gymnasium, additional parking and other site work around city hall property to be provided no later than 60 days after signed contract with architect. * Construction to begin immediately upon approving said drawings and letting of contracts * Expect shovels in the ground no later than six months from the day of the meeting. * The city will self-finance the building of the rec center with guidance from Plante Moran on financing and fund allocations and other budgetary matters related to the project. Yes, I put a very aggressive motion together, Weinreich said after the vote. We are going to build the rec center. It is getting done. This year, shovels will be in the ground. Weinreich said the site of the old rec center offered 18,240 square feet of space for a 12,000-plus-square-foot rec center, while the city hall property offers 90,000 square feet. The building thats sitting here right now is 9,100 square feet, he said. That allows for 79,000 square feet of parking and buildings to be put here. Sounds to me like this is a pretty good option. Hayman said keeping the rec center downtown would help support small businesses and pointed out the results of a recent survey showed many residents wanted to see a new rec center be built at the former site. I think that its a huge mistake to put it here, she said. City officials shuttered the former rec center in 2017 after a pipe burst, resulting in damage and the discovery of other concerns. The building was demolished in January. The citys lease agreement for the Cricklewood Recreation Building runs through Aug. 31. The space currently houses the parks and recreation departments offices, activity center, senior programs, indoor sports, park facility reservations and special events. Mixed-use development sought for downtown The demolition of the old rec center, along with the removal of the old police station and house at Washington and Front streets, clears the downtown waterfront block for development. In a second motion at the recent meeting, council members unanimously agreed to enter into negotiations with Peak3 Development for the purposes of creating a public-private partnership to develop city-owned parcels along Washington and Main streets, and to direct the administration to immediately obtain a new appraisal on the properties. What was initially proposed is a mixed-use development that involves residential as well as commercial space, Covert said. I think that this will be the first significant residential development, if were successful, in downtown. We believe thats a way that were going to best sustain business is by bringing more residents who live within walking distance downtown. A public-private partnership will allow the city to negotiate terms with the developer and give the city more control, he added. The motion was made by Covert and supported by Szymanski. It would certainly enhance the walkability environment that we are looking to put downtown, Szymanski said. It would certainly be a substantial development, and Im excited to be a part of that. Any proposals will come back to the city council for discussion and approval. Katelyn Larese is a Local News Editor at The Voice. She can be contacted at 586-273-6196 or klarese@medianewsgroup.com. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has advised stakeholders to respect the independence of the Electoral Commission (EC) as the debate on the latters decision to compile fresh and credible voters register ahead of the 2020 election rages. Having critically examined Article 45 (a)(e) of the 1992 Constitution, NUGS on behalf of Students of Ghana appreciates the independent authority and functions of the EC without undermining the inputs of the various election stakeholders like the political parties, civil society, and citizenry at large. Whichever way the debate may fall; one question stands tall amongst all the arguments; what does the constitution say concerning electoral matters? The reference answer remains Article 45 and 46. At this point, the NUGS is strongly calling out that all debates must cease, egos must be put aside and cool heads must be allowed to prevail for the EC to execute its mandate judiciously to the good people of Ghana, it pointed out. The largest student body in the country gave the advice at a press conference addressed by its national President, Isaac Jay Hyde on Wednesday at the International Press Center. Consequently, we strongly call on all stakeholders to respect the independence of the EC and desist from acts of intimidation, coercion, and inducement directed at obstructing the EC from its constitutional mandate of conducting a credible, free and fair election or stampeding it to take any decision that will mar the beauty of election 2020. We demand nothing short of a free, fair and transparent election from the EC, the student body further advised. NUGS further advised all political parties and stakeholders to continue to use the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meetings to engage the EC on their concerns. NUGS is very much concerned about the Ghanaian student having a sound and safe environment which fosters academic excellence. However, NUGS urged the Electoral Commission to do well to engage all opposing parties and stakeholders in a manner that shows respect and appreciation of their views in a democratic space adding, it is not for nothing that the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and the Eminent Advisory Committee (EAC) were formed to provide the intermediate advisory roles to the Electoral Commission regardless of its constitutional independence. Law includes logic and as a matter of fact, NUGS encourages the EC to give room for some amount of logic to operate without undermining their independent powers and authority. The EC says it will save the nation GHC170 million with the acquisition of the new Biometric Voter Management System (BVMS)The EC has explained that the total cost of maintaining the old Biometric System is $74, 364, 500 while the total cost for the new BVMS system is estimated at $56,000,000. These include Biometric Voter Registration Kits (BVR) kits and the Biometric Verification Devices (BVD).According to the EC, the total cost of using the old BVR system for the 2020 election is $38, 692,500.00. This includes; the cost of refurbishment of some BVR kits used in 2016 and the acquisition of new ones. The number of kits used in the 2016 registration was 5,500 and the number of kits that were refurbishable was 1,500 and the unit cost of refurbishment was $3500, pegging the total cost of refurbishment at $5,250,000. The EC further posits that the nation also needs an additional 6500 kits at a unit cost of $5145, pegging the total cost of additional kits at 33,442,500.However, for the new system, the number of BVR kits required for the 2020 election is 8,000 at a unit cost of $3,000.00, pegging the total cost for the new BVR @$24,000000. 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 This picture is a metaphor in black and white. Its a literal snapshot of America taken 61 years ago today, Feb. 2, 1959. Louis Cousins, 15, was among the black students known as the Norfolk 17, on whose young shoulders was placed the burden of desegregating the public schools of Norfolk, Va. It was a burden made heavy and dangerous by the massive resistance of the states elected officials who, five years after the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated public schools were unconstitutional, still opposed desegregation. This was a time, a recent one, when the most defiant act a black child could commit was to attend a previously all-white school, an act that defied the wishes of governors and senators, earned the wrath of screaming mobs and required the armed protection of the United States government. Federal troops escorted The Little Rock Nine into Central High School in 1957 and U.S. Marshals surrounded 6-year-old Ruby Bridges in 1960 as she integrated New Orleans public schools. The Norfolk 17 were dispersed to different schools, and Cousins became the first black student at Maury High School. Cousins appears calm, attentive and prepared. His preparation is reflected in the gleam of his well-shined shoe. He is a portrait in stoic isolation. The closest student is sitting two rows behind and eight seats in. The distance between Cousins and his white classmates is great the distance representing what America said it wanted to be and what it was, the distance between aspiring words and disreputable actions. And yet what the photo doesnt catch is the distance traveled by Cousins, his parents and those who made it possible for him to narrow the gulf between him and his classmates. He wouldnt have been in this photo had it been taken the previous school day. Now, hes in the picture and the auditorium and classroom, and he will receive the education he wasnt getting at his segregated school. America only gets better through those who close the distance between its promise and its practice. America becomes America with the narrowing of the gap in opportunities and rights. Cousins died in San Antonio on Jan. 17 and was buried at Fort Sam Houston last week. A retired Air Force technical sergeant, Cousins served in Vietnam as a combat medic and later earned a bachelors degree from St. Marys University. He closed distances and narrowed gaps for himself and others. Cousins death at 76 should remind us that the hardships and horrors of racism, segregation and second-class citizenship arent historical recollections and relics of an era long past. They are the experiences preserved in the bodies and memories of millions of Americans still living. Too often, those who are most reluctant to talk about race would benefit the most by listening. They speak of racism and its pain as something terrible just terrible! that happened a long time ago. But now, they say, thanks to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his I Have a Dream speech and all those civil rights given to black people, were all good. Their grasp of history, their understanding of the ceaseless struggle to overcome slaverys legacy and racisms pain would be enhanced if they listened to the stories of those who have narrowed the distance of inequality but know we still have a way to go. On Feb. 1, 1960, almost a year to the day that Cousins desegregated a school, the lunch-counter sit-in movement began in Greensboro, N.C. The sit-ins spread throughout the South, including San Antonio, which on March 16 of that year, became the first major Southern city to desegregate its downtown lunch counters. How that historic moment will be memorialized is a debate that will be decided soon. But people who desegregated those counters who lived through those times when they couldnt vote, had to enter the Majestic Theatre through an alley and could go to Playland Park but one day a week are still with us today. The past isnt as far back as we think. History has a rearview mirror, and those painful days are closer than they appear. cary.clack@express-news.net Delhi Police ask for as many as 45 documents before giving its clearance for opening an eatery in the national capital as gainst only 19 to buy a gun, the Economic Survey said on Friday while making a case for doing away with unnecessary controls. According to the National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI), a total of 36 approvals are required to open a restaurant in Bengaluru, 26 in Delhi and 22 in Mumbai. In contrast, China and Singapore require only four licences to open a restaurant. "Delhi requires a 'Police Eating House Licence' from Delhi Police that asks for 45 documents compared to just 19 needed to buy a gun. The scope for streamlining is clear," according to the Economic Survey 2019-20 tabled in Parliament. Delhi and Kolkata require a 'Police Eating House Licence', it said adding the number of documents needed to obtain this licence from Delhi Police is 45 far more than the number of documents required for a license to procure new arms and major fireworks, 19 and 12, respectively. It also said that large scope for improvement is in the four parameters, where India lags behind -- Starting Business Registering Property, Paying Taxes, and Enforcing Contracts. The World Bank ranks 190 countries on doing business index based on ten parameters. India has moved 14 places to be 63rd among 190 nations in the last World Bank's ease of doing business ranking. It has significantly improved its performance in remaining six parameters - resolving insolvency, registering property, construction permits, getting electricity connection, getting credit, and trading across borders. "Although, India has significantly reduced the time and cost of starting a business, a lot more is needs to be done," it said. Further, the survey said that a major challenge most companies face is the complex architecture of the Indian governance framework including the density of legislation and statutory compliance requirements. "Manufacturing units have to conform with 6,796 compliance items, which is a tedious and time consuming task," it said. However, it said that this is not a comprehensive list and not every rule applies to every manufacturer. "It is just an illustration of the bewilderingly wide range of rules that the (manufacturing) sector faces," the survey said. Citing certain figures, the survey document said it takes roughly 58 days and costs on an average 7.8 per cent of a property's value to register it, and 1,445 days for a company to resolve a commercial dispute through a local first-instance court. "These figures are longer in time and often greater in cost than OECD high-income economies, and therefore, impede wealth creation," it said. The survey has compared India's performance with its peers - China, Brazil and Indonesia as well as the best-in class economy - New Zealand. It said that the comparisons demonstrate the gap that India needs to travel to achieve the best international standards. "Enforcing contracts is one parameter in which India's performance has been very poor over the years," it said adding while India takes 1,445 days to resolve an average dispute, New Zealand takes about one-seventh of it - 216 days. Further, it said that when compared to the performance of India's peer nations, namely China, Brazil, and Indonesia, on the same parameters, it can be seen that China fares much better than India on virtually all parameters. "An entrepreneur has to go through 10 procedures to set up a business in India taking 17-18 days to do so. On the other hand, Indonesia and Brazil require one extra process than India to open a business," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Davis is the daughter of parents who themselves were fiction writers and literature professors. Pedagogy thus runs in her blood. As well as including essays here that analyse the writing of others, she also inspects the nuts and bolts of her own creations disassembling them in front of our eyes in brief but functional exercises in which she exposes the thinking behind her decisions to cut one word here or add another one there. It follows then that her cornucopian new collection Essays is a book for those who themselves share her interest in the mechanics of language either as writers, editors, translators or teachers, or just as everyday readers collaborating with their most loved, or loathed, authors, to bring the books they write to life. As a writer of fiction and non-fiction; an esteemed translator and teacher; and an obsessive grammarian, Lydia Davis admits her instinct is to revise even the construction of a grocery list if it needs it. She writes as a craftsperson, and generously so, at times even chattily but with such a thorough grounding and interest in narrative logic, grammar and sentence-making that following her steps towards the clear execution of her intention has a deliciously bracing effect. Essays by Lydia Davis. Credit: Take, for instance, her love of brevity, which was in part seeded by the extended period in her life when she was translating the labyrinthine cadences of Marcel Proust's Swann's Way. Not wanting to stop her own writing while she completed the exacting task, she began experimenting herself with something of an inverse style, a type of hyper-concision. "I wanted to see just how brief I could make a piece of writing and still have it mean something," she explains. With this in mind she set sail into what has, over the years, developed into a literary genre of its own: the "very short story". This is a tradition Davis helps to outline in this collection, particularly in her essay on the Syrian emigre Osama Alomar, who is himself an inheritor of a Middle Eastern heritage of narrative brevity and surreal wit. Davis herself, though, is both a miniaturist and a lot more besides. Her brick-length Collected Stories, published in 2010, exhibits her range to great effect, and now we have this equally substantial collection, in which she spells out, in a slow, fastidious manner, the provenance and motivation of her stylistic techniques, her literary attitudes and formative influences. Specifically, it outlines her enthusiasm for other makers, ranging from almost forgotten writers such as the decidedly un-woke but nevertheless brilliant Edward Dahlberg, to the much celebrated obliquities of poet John Ashbery, and the 3D fictive assemblages of Joseph Cornell. Its been more than two weeks since Brittany Smith testified that she fatally shot the man she said raped her, and its not yet clear whether she will stand trial for murder. It is up to Jackson County Circuit Judge Jenifer Holt to determine whether 32-year-old Brittany will go on trial and face up to life in prison if convicted or if her case will be dismissed. Brittany has asked the judge to grant her immunity from prosecution for the deadly shooting of 38-year-old Todd Smith (no relation) in the tiny northeast Alabama town of Stevenson. Brittany was one of 11 witnesses who testified at a Stand Your Ground hearing that spanned two days earlier this month in Holts courtroom at the Jackson County Courthouse in Scottsboro. Brittany argued that she killed Todd in defense of herself and her brother, Chris McCallie. The judge hasnt yet ruled whether Brittany was legally justified in killing Todd. To be granted immunity under Alabamas Stand Your Ground law, Brittany and her attorneys have to prove that she acted in defense of herself or someone else. For now, Brittany finds herself in a state of limbo. Because of the pending murder charge, Brittany says shes unable to regain custody of her four children, get a job, go back to college or buy her own home. Because shes not allowed to leave the state while on bail, Brittany told AL.com, she cant visit her family members including her ailing father just across the state line in Tennessee. I want to get a home for my children to come home to, she said in a phone interview. I want to improve my life. Im ready to take on my next chapter. The shooting The deadly shooting happened in the kitchen of Brittanys home during the early morning hours of Jan. 16, 2018. At the Stand Your Ground hearing, Brittany testified that she fatally shot Todd while he was holding her brother in a headlock and threatening to kill them all. Brittanys brother, McCallie, was at the house to confront Todd, who was accused of raping, strangling and assaulting Brittany earlier in the night. A sexual assault nurse later documented more than 30 injuries including bruises, bite marks and signs of strangulation on Brittanys body during a rape kit examination after the shooting. Brittany had been strangled, hit multiple times and held down, the nurse, Jeanine Suermann, concluded. Suermann couldnt determine with certainty whether Brittany had been raped. She testified that most sexual assault cases lack physical proof like genital trauma or DNA evidence of rape. What will happen next? If Judge Holt rules in Brittanys favor, the murder charge will be dismissed, and the case will come to an end. The shooting would be considered a justified homicide, not a criminal one. If the judge rules in favor of the Jackson County District Attorney, who is prosecuting the murder case, Brittanys defense attorneys have said they will appeal the decision to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. The appeal whats known as a petition for writ of mandamus could delay Brittanys trial. On average, mandamus petitions are decided by the Court of Criminal Appeals within about three-six months, a court official said. So even if Brittany is denied immunity, its unlikely her case will go to trial on Feb. 10, when its currently scheduled to begin. Cases are often put on hold at the trial court level while appellate courts consider appeals. The trial is already expected to be delayed because the prosecutor and defense attorneys agreed to have previously untested evidence analyzed by the state forensic lab. It could take up to three months to get the test results, officials said earlier this month. Could Brittany Smith win an appeal? If Judge Holt denies Brittanys request for immunity, its unlikely the Court of Criminal Appeals will reach a different conclusion, legal experts said. To win an appeal, Brittanys lawyers would have to prove by clear and convincing evidence that Judge Holt abused her discretion and ruled incorrectly. Usually, (the appellate court) is going to assume the judge was right unless you prove otherwise, said Erin Atkins, an Alabama defense attorney who specializes in appellate cases. Its generally assumed the trial court judge is in the best position to decide whether someone should be granted immunity, Atkins said, because that judge hears the evidence and testimony directly. If the Court of Criminal Appeals denies a mandamus petition, lawyers can ask the Alabama Supreme Court, the states highest court, to review the case. However, Atkins said the farther an appeal moves from the trial court, the harder it can become to get immunity from prosecution. The Jackson County Courthouse in Scottsboro, Ala., where a judge recently heard two days of testimony in Brittany Smith's murder case. Despite evidence that Brittany had been assaulted by Todd prior to the deadly shooting, the question of whether she was legally justified in killing him revolves around what was happening in the final moments of his life. Brittany testified that when she pulled the trigger she was in fear for her life and her brothers life. She said under oath that her brother was turning blue and appeared to be struggling to breathe as Todd held him in a chokehold. Plus, Brittany testified, Todd had already threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the rape. Brittanys lawyers argued that she should be granted immunity because she was reasonably in fear that Todd would kill her or her brother. The lawyers argued that Todd was committing a burglary because he didnt leave when Brittany and McCallie told him to. Alabamas Stand Your Ground law says a person can use deadly force against someone who is using or about to use deadly force while committing a burglary. But Jason Pierce, the Jackson County district attorney, said Brittany wasnt entitled to Stand Your Ground immunity because McCallie, not Todd, was the initial aggressor in the confrontation in the kitchen. And, Pierce argued, McCallie, not Todd, brought a gun to the confrontation. Todd didnt have a deadly weapon, Pierce told the judge. Hands and fists dont qualify as deadly weapons, he said, and threats arent enough to justify killing someone. Pierce also said Brittany lacked credibility. He pointed to inconsistencies between her testimony at the recent Stand Your Ground immunity hearing and statements given to the authorities shortly after the shooting. Initially, Brittany and her brother, McCallie, told the authorities that he had been the one who shot and killed Todd. McCallie was jailed and charged with murder. Brittany wasnt arrested and charged until the next day, when she confessed to being the shooter. A Jackson County grand jury later indicted Brittany on a murder charge. The grand jury declined to indict McCallie for murder but charged him with making a false report to law enforcement and tampering with evidence. Court records say McCallie wiped down the gun. Pierce questioned why Brittany initially told a 911 dispatcher that she hadnt been raped. Brittany testified that, two years later, she didnt remember the details of the call. She also told the judge that she had been embarrassed and ashamed of the rape. Suermann, the sexual assault nurse, testified that memory loss and confusion are common reactions to trauma. Brittany was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in the months after the shooting. She suffered a mental breakdown in jail and was sent to the Alabama Department of Mental Health to regain competency. Now, though her future is in limbo, Brittany said shes offering her support to other women who have been sexually assaulted. Brittany said multiple women have contacted her to offer encouragement and to share their own stories in the time since her case was featured in national news stories by The New Yorker and The Appeal. A lot of women are saying theyre not scared to speak out anymore, she said. Vietnams Ministry of Health has published a detailed travel history of three Vietnamese whose novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection was confirmed on Thursday. All the newly nCoV-infected patients returned to Vietnam from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epidemic center where the killer virus first surfaced in December 2019, on China Southern Airlines flight CZ8315 on January 17. Nguyen Thi Tr., a 25-year-old woman from Yen Dinh District in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, was the earliest among the three new Vietnamese infections to have the novel coronavirus detected in her test sample, according to the Vietnamese health ministry. Upon Tr.s arrival at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on January 17, she was picked up by her companys bus to its headquarters in Binh Xuyen District, located in the northern province of Vinh Phuc. Tr. traveled to the Giap Bat Bus Station located in Hanois Soc Son District to catch a passenger bus to go to her hometown on January 23. She traveled a total distance of 214 kilometers and arrived at her home at 6:00 pm on the same day. Four hours later that day, Tr. showed the first symptoms of the nCoV infection and was taken to the General Hospital of Yen Dinh District at 1:00 pm on January 24, before being transferred to the department for tropical diseases at Thanh Hoa General Hospital. She was conscious with symptoms including a fever and coughing upon admission to the hospital. She was sampled by the Thanh Hoa Provincial Center for Disease Control on the same day and her sample was delivered to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) for testing. Currently, Tr. is quarantined at Thanh Hoa General Hospital in a stable condition. The second patient who tested positive for the new coronavirus was Pham Van Ch., a 29 year-old man from Tam Duong District in Vinh Phuc Province. Ch. first had symptoms of the nCoV infection on January 21 and went to see a doctor at a private clinic in Tam Duong. People wear face masks during a festival at the Dong Da Mound special national relic site in Hanoi on January 29, 2020. Photo: Thien Dieu / Tuoi Tre Ch. started receiving treatment at Vinh Phuc General Hospital on January 23, before being hospitalized at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanois Dong Da District on January 26. He was sampled by NIHE on the same day and is currently kept in quarantine at the Dong Da District-based infirmary. Nguyen Thi D., a 23-year-old woman from Vinh Phucs Binh Xuyen District, was the last patient sampled by NIHE among the three. D. took a taxi to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanois Dong Anh District with her father on January 25. D. was said to have interacted with many family members and relatives between her arrival in Vietnam and hospitalization. NIHE took a test sample of D. on January 27. All three samples of Tr., Ch., and D. tested positive for the novel coronavirus using both testing techniques of next generation sequencing (NGS) and Realtime RT - PCR. NGS allows determining the sequence of DNA molecules in a single experiment, while Realtime RT - PCR is a laboratory technique of molecular biology based on the polymerase chain reaction, according to ScienceDirect, a platform of peer-reviewed science literature and research. The novel coronavirus is a new strain of the coronavirus family that caused SARS and MERS. The virus has spread to 18 countries outside of China, the World Health Organization said on Friday as it declared that the coronavirus epidemic in China now constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. The pneumonia outbreak has infected nearly 10,000 people across the globe as of Friday, and killed 213 in China, Reuters reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! On January 30, 2020, Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. ("Gardner Denver") and Ingersoll-Rand plc ("Ingersoll Rand") received unconditional clearance from the European Commission with respect to the proposed combination of the Industrial segment of Ingersoll Rand with Gardner Denver. The proposed transaction has received all required regulatory approvals that are a condition to the closing of the transaction, and is expected to close early in 2020, subject to other closing conditions, including approval by Gardner Denver stockholders. "We are very excited to receive clearance from the European Commission for the pending transaction with Ingersoll Rand's Industrial segment," said Vicente Reynal, Chief Executive Officer. "This marks a major milestone in the process as we have now received all regulatory approvals that are required to close the transaction. The transaction remains on track to close in early 2020, and we will continue to provide relevant updates as they are available." Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding the performance of our business, our financial results, our liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements, including the statements relating to our preliminary unaudited financial results for our quarter and full year ended December 31, 2019, which are subject to finalization and contingencies associated with the Company's quarterly and annual financial and accounting procedures. You can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "guidance," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including macroeconomic factors beyond the Company's control, risks of doing business outside the United States, the Company's dependence on the level of activity in the energy industry, potential governmental regulations restricting the use of hydraulic fracturing, raw material costs and availability, the risk of a loss or reduction of business with key customers or consolidation or the vertical integration of the Company's customer base, loss of or disruption in the Company's distribution network, the risk that ongoing and expected restructuring plans may not be as effective as the Company anticipates, and the Company's substantial indebtedness. Additional factors that could cause Gardner Denver's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), as such factors may be updated from time to time in our periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this release and in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. About Gardner Denver Gardner Denver (NYSE: GDI) is a leading global provider of mission-critical flow control and compression equipment and associated aftermarket parts, consumables and services, which it sells across multiple attractive end-markets within the industrial, energy and medical industries. Its broad and complete range of compressor, pump, vacuum and blower products and services, along with its application expertise and over 155 years of engineering heritage, allows Gardner Denver to provide differentiated product and service offerings for its customers' specific uses. Gardner Denver supports its customers through its global geographic footprint of 40 key manufacturing facilities, more than 30 complementary service and repair centers across six continents, and approximately 6,600 employees world-wide. Gardner Denver uses its website www.gardnerdenver.com as a channel of distribution of Company information. Financial and other important information regarding the Company is routinely accessible through and posted on its website. Accordingly, investors should monitor Gardner Denver's website, in addition to following the Company's press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. In addition, you may automatically receive e-mail alerts and other information about Gardner Denver when you enroll your e-mail address by visiting the "Email Alerts" section of Gardner Denver's website at http://investors.gardnerdenver.com. IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND WHERE TO FIND IT In connection with the proposed transaction, Gardner Denver and Ingersoll-Rand Industrial U.S. Holdco, Inc. ("Ingersoll Rand Industrial") have filed registration statements with the SEC registering shares of Gardner Denver common stock and Ingersoll Rand Industrial common stock in connection with the proposed transaction, which were declared effective by the SEC on January 16, 2020. Gardner Denver has also filed a proxy statement, which has been sent to the Gardner Denver shareholders in connection with their vote required in connection with the proposed transaction. Ingersoll-Rand shareholders are urged to read the prospectus and/or information statement that will be included in the registration statements and any other relevant documents when they become available, and Gardner Denver stockholders are urged to read the proxy statement and any other relevant documents when they become available, because they contain important information about Gardner Denver, Ingersoll Rand Industrial and the proposed transaction. The proxy statement, prospectus and/or information statement, and other documents relating to the proposed transactions (when they become available) can be obtained free of charge from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement, prospectus and/or information statement and other documents (when they become available) are also available free of charge on Ingersoll Rand's website at http://ir.ingersollrand.com or on Gardner Denver's website at https://investors.gardnerdenver.com. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of Gardner Denver in connection with the proposed transaction is set forth in the proxy statement/prospectus filed with the SEC. NO OFFER OR SOLICITATION This communication shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This release is not a solicitation of a proxy from any security holder of Gardner Denver. However, Ingersoll-Rand, Gardner Denver and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from shareholders of Gardner Denver in connection with the proposed transaction under the rules of the SEC. Information about the directors and executive officers of Ingersoll-Rand may be found in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 12, 2019 and its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders filed with the SEC on April 23, 2019. Information about the directors and executive officers of Gardner Denver may be found in its Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 27, 2019, and its definitive proxy statement relating to its 2019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders filed with the SEC on March 26, 2019. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005345/en/ Contacts: Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. Investor Relations Contact Vikram Kini (414) 212-4753 vikram.kini@gardnerdenver.com Between 1945 and 1952, Lee Sang-ho, also known by his Japanese name Sugiura Shogo, had been forced to embark on a tragic transnational migration. In June 1945 he was drafted as a civilian employee of the Japanese military and sent to Manchuria a month later. After Japan's surrender in August 1945, he became a prisoner of war (POW) captured by Soviet Union troops and from there he was sent to a prison camp in Mongolia until he was released to North Korea in 1948. He infiltrated Japan the next year as a North Korean spy and was arrested by the Japanese police. He was tried in Tokyo and deported to South Korea in 1952. / Korea Times graphic by Bae So-young Korean Japanese historian brings World War II POW's tragic transnational migration to light By Kang Hyun-kyung Lee Sang-ho, also known by his Japanese name Sugiura Shogo, embodied the tragic life of "zainichi" Koreans in Japan shortly after World War II. Although a Japanese national, he lived as a second-class citizen in the country he truly believed his home and ultimately faced deportation to South Korea in 1952 after which his whereabouts have remained unknown. Born in 1924 in Gyeongsang Province in South Korea, Lee accompanied his parents who moved to Japan the same year when he was three months old. Spending almost all his life in Japan until he was enlisted as a civilian employee of the Imperial Japanese Army in June 1945, he identified himself as a Japanese citizen. Lee's life became intertwined with the turbulent modern history of East Asia. Between 1945 and 1952, he had been forced to embark on a tragic transnational migration. In June 1945 he was drafted as a civilian employee of the Japanese military and sent to Manchuria a month later. After Japan's surrender in August, 1945, he became a prisoner of war (POW) captured by Soviet Union troops and from there he was sent to a prison camp in Mongolia until he was released to North Korea in 1948. He infiltrated Japan the next year as a North Korean spy and was arrested by the Japanese police. He was tried in Tokyo and deported to South Korea in 1952. His post-World War II journey was different from other Korean POWs who were interned in Siberia or Mongolia. Some of them managed to travel all the way down to South Korea across the 38th parallel and were reunited with their families. Back in the late 1940s before the Korean War, the inter-Korean border was blurred and porous. But for Lee, going to South Korea was not what he wanted. He was Japanese and wanted to go back home to Japan. His parents died not long after the family migrated there. Still a child, Lee was adopted by a Japanese family and raised in Japan until he was enlisted in the Japanese Army. "I had never set foot on the land of my birthplace, Korea, since my family moved to Japan when I was three months old I always lived with Japanese people and in their customs. I did not have any chance to use Korean language and did not even need it," Lee was quoted as saying during interrogation by the U.S. military investigators who probed the North Korean espionage ring in Japan. His remarks were included in the U.S. intelligence report that compiled the espionage case in Japan in 1952 which was declassified decades later. Lee Sang-ho (1924-?), also known by his Japanese name Sugiura Shogo / Photo from Deok-hyo Choi The North Korean authorities had ordered him to work for a spy ring in Japan to collect information and share it with other North Korean agents operating there, a condition he accepted in order to return home. In the late 1940s after World War II, North Korea-Japan relations were not hostile. Japan had been under U.S. occupation from 1945 till 1952. This unique political circumstance appears to have motivated North Korea to feel the need to infiltrate Japan to gather information about their enemy the United States. Lee was smuggled on a boat from the North Korean port city of Wonsan and secretly landed in Japan in March 1949. He stayed in Japan until he and over forty other suspects were arrested by the Japanese police in September 1950 as the U.S. authorities instigated a crackdown on North Korean spies. The suspects were tried in a U.S. provost court in May 1951. Lee was sentenced to four years of confinement and deported to South Korea in 1952 before his jail term was completed. The deportation of Korean leftists in Japan during the U.S. occupation era was a highly sensitive political decision, according to Korean Japanese historian Deok-hyo Choi. Choi, 44, a lecturer in Korean Studies at the University of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England, brought the Korean POWs' tragic transnational migration to light while tracing Korean Japanese communists' involvement in the socialist movement in Japan for his research paper. He found the declassified U.S. military intelligence reports and discovered the existence of Lee Sang-ho. Korean Japanese historian Deok-hyo Choi, a lecturer in Korean Studies at University of Sheffield in England, brought the Korean POWs' tragic transnational migration to light while tracing Korean Japanese communists' involvement in the socialist movement in Japan for his research paper. / Courtesy of Deok-hyo Choi In an email interview with The Korea Times, Choi said the United States was wary of communist influence in Japan, particularly during the Korean War, because it was at war with North Korea. Meanwhile, Korean leftists were a headache to the Japanese government as the former teamed up with the Communist Party of Japan (CPJ) to bring down the government and instigated the public to join their anti-war campaign. They staged protests, distributed anti-war leaflets and rallied support from laborers assigned to ship munitions, which were to head to South Korea during the war, on sabotage missions. The socialists recognized North Korea as the sole legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula, and put serious effort into mobilizing like-minded Japanese to fight against the U.S. government that led the allied forces in the Korean War. It is no surprise that Korean and Japanese socialists were targeted as a common enemy for both the U.S. and the Japanese governments. The United States and Japan shared a mutual interest in deporting Korean socialists to South Korea. By sending the socialists to prison camps in war-time South Korea, the United States was able to remove the potential threat to its East Asia strategy, and Japan was able to remove "subversive" Korean communists. Lee Sang-ho's deportation to South Korea in 1952 during the Korean War came against such a geopolitical backdrop. Citing Japanese government sources, Choi said Korean deportees totaled 10 in 1946, rose to 365 the next year, and dozens more in the following years. It remains unknown how Lee's life turned out after he was deported to South Korea. There are no documents available to trace his whereabouts. Professor Choi cautiously predicted that the Korean Japanese POW would have been sentenced to death. "I could not trace his whereabouts after his deportation," he said. "But based on my research on other similar cases, it is highly likely that he was imprisoned and possibly sentenced to death in South Korea." Although six decades have passed since he was last seen in a prison camp in Incheon, Choi said the untold history surrounding Lee still has implications for South Korea. Wartime victims, including those who fell victim to sexual enslavement and slave labor, became vocal in the 1990s and some took legal action against the South Korean and Japanese governments. The Korean courts sided with these wartime victims. POWs and Koreans who were interned in the Siberian region or Mongolia, however, faced a different fate. The post-Korean War purge of communists in South Korea made them vulnerable to punishment and a witch hunt as they were painted as communists having alleged links with the Soviet Union or North Korea. Some voluntarily chose military service to prove their patriotism. Choi found the declassified U.S. military intelligence reports and discovered the existence of Lee Sang-ho. / Photo from Deok-hyo Choi Twenty-four participants will come together for competition. Not only are bragging rights are on the line, but so is an opportunity to help the community. The Food Depots signature event the Souper Bowl is back for the 26th time. The event begins at noon Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. A VIP tasting begins at 11 a.m. This years event features two dozen participants, each creating a soup. Attendees get an opportunity to sample each soup and then vote for the best in each category. Jill Dixon, development director at the Food Depot, says the event is a big draw because of the energy of people coming together behind the cause and being able to showcase the culinary diversity in Santa Fe. There is an intriguing mix of participants this year restaurants, caterers, senior living communities, grocery stores, cooking schools, Dixon says. The Food Depot is thrilled to have such a wide base of support and is excited to taste their creations. The Food Depot is a food bank that serves nine counties in northern New Mexico. From its warehouse in Santa Fe, The Food Depot provides food to more than 145 nonprofit partners in Taos, Raton, Las Vegas, Los Alamos and rural communities in between. In 2019, the event raised $55,000. (It was) enough to provide 220,000 meals to people in need throughout northern New Mexico, Dixon says. Dixon says planning a major event such as the Souper Bowl is a labor of love and the staff at the Food Depot wears many hats. The critical work of providing food to those in need in our community continues, even when we are busy pulling an event like the Souper Bowl together, Dixon says. Staff can feel a little stretched thin but in the end, it is always worth it to see our community come together. The Food Depot continues to work toward its mission, Dixon says. Hunger is still a significant issue in our community, and The Food Depot remains focused on its vision a hunger-free northern New Mexico, she says. The Food Depots 26th Souper Bowl WHEN: Noon-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1; VIP tasting begins at 11 a.m. WHERE: Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St., Santa Fe HOW MUCH: $35 adult, $10 children ages 6-12 advance tickets; $45 adult, $10 children ages 6-12 day of event at thefooddepot.org or at the door Mark Hamilton has been appointed as the PSNIs new deputy chief constable. The recommendation of the appointment panel was unanimously ratified by the Policing Board and approved by the Justice Minister Naomi Long. Ms Long said the appointment comes at a significant time for the PSNI, adding that she looks forward to working with the new DCC and senior policing team. Many congratulations and best wishes to Mark on his appointment, I look forward to working with him as we pursue our modernisation agenda. My thanks to the @NIPolicingBoard members and staff for their work in making this important appointment. #KeepingPeopleSafe https://t.co/htGoNscuPQ Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) January 31, 2020 Policing Board chair Anne Connolly said the appointment was made following a rigorous, fair and lawful selection process. He has most recently been assistant chief constable with responsibility for District Policing Command in the PSNI, and has served in policing for 25 years. We are looking forward to working with Mark and wish him well in this key position of support to the Chief Constable, Ms Connolly said. Chief Constable Simon Byrne tweeted his congratulations, adding: I look forward to working with him as we pursue our modernisation agenda. Police Federation chairman Mark Lindsay added his congratulations. Mark Hamilton will hit the ground running. He is familiar with all the issues currently confronting the organisation and I know he will work tirelessly and professionally to address them, he said. Congratulations to the new @PoliceServiceNI Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton. We look toward to working closely with him and @ChiefConPSNI in the future for the benefit of all communities and our members. #weareyou @NIPolicingBoard @naomi_long https://t.co/ugEHPfo8XW Police Federation for Northern Ireland (@PoliceFedforNI) January 31, 2020 The PFNI looks forward to working closely with him for the benefit of all officers and, of course, this entire community. DUP MLA Mervyn Storey welcomed the permanent appointment. The Independent Reporting Commissions (IRC) Second Report before Christmas confirmed that paramilitary activity and the coercive control associated with it remains a stark reality in many areas of Northern Ireland, he said. This is just one threat, in addition to new and rising threats to the public, such as digital, sexual and domestic crime, that the Deputy Chief Constable will no doubt we keen to address in the coming days. As a party we welcome this permanent appointment, which gives a stable footing to the PSNI leadership at a time when the Chief Constable is seeking to progress proactive and positive transformative changes to how policing is delivered across our province. Outgoing acting deputy chief constable Stephen Martin revealed earlier in the week that he has taken legal advice over not being shortlisted for the permanent position. He previously announced he would retire in February. He told the BBC he was shocked at missing out on the shortlist for the role. Ulster Unionist MLA Alan Chambers announced he had withdrawn from the DCC interview panel over concerns about the process. He wrote to the Policing Board, saying the process needed to be rigorously fair. Justice Minister Ms Long said she sought assurances over the process and was left satisfied by the response she received from the Policing Board. In light of concerns raised by a former panel member, I sought assurances from the board on the robustness and integrity of the appointment process, she said. I concluded that the issues raised did not undermine the overall integrity of the process. Palm Beach Police and Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies set up a checkpoint at the intersection of S. County Rd. and S. Ocean Blvd. Friday in Palm Beach, Fla., on Jan. 31, 2020. (Damon Higgins/The Palm Beach Post via AP) 2 in Custody After Security Breach at Trumps Mar-a-Lago Resort Two people were arrested after breaching security at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trumps resort in Florida, on Friday. Florida Highway Patrol officers were in pursuit of a black SUV when the vehicle headed toward two security points at the resort in Palm Beach. The SUV breached both security check points heading towards the main entrance, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Officials (still trying to determine) discharged their firearms at the vehicle. The vehicle fled while being pursued by FHP and PBSO helicopter. The vehicle was located and two people were taken into custody, the sheriffs office said. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk across the South Lawn toward Marine One at the White House in Washington on Jan. 17, 2020. The Trump family was headed to Mar-a-Lago for the weekend. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) There was a heavy police presence near Mar-a-Lago with Florida Highway Patrol, sheriffs office vehicles, and unmarked Secret Service vehicles in the area, according to footage from local reporter Terri Parker. She said the two suspects in custody are both female. The incident came hours before Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were scheduled to arrive at Mar-a-Lago. A schedule released by the White House said the couple was slated to depart the White House at 4 p.m. to fly to Joint Base Andrews. Theyd fly from there to Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, arriving around 6:35 p.m. The scheduled arrival at the resort was 6:55 p.m. The White House didnt immediately respond to the incident. Novel coronavirus: An Air India passenger aircraft will head to Wuhan today to bring back stranded Indians from the city. The Boeing 747 is scheduled to pick up 325 Indians from Wuhan that is the epicentre of the outbreak. The plane will start from Mumbai and make a brief halt in Delhi. The Air India flight will have at least two doctors and the crew have been instructed to allow only non-infected people into the aircraft. The crew will not deboard from the plane once they reach Wuhan and will maintain minimal contact with the passengers to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. Food packets and water will be kept on each seat, as mentioned in a report in NDTV. The Delhi stopover will ensure that the plane is equipped with special medical kits. Also read: First case of coronavirus confirmed in India; student tested positive in Kerala Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had earlier said that out of 1,200 Indian people in Wuhan, the government has established contact with 600 of them. "We are individually ascertaining their willingness to travel back to India. Our mission is working round the clock to work out the necessary logistics. We are also making arrangements for people to travel to the airport," he said. Separately, the first positive case has been reported in the country in Kerala's Thrissur district. The affected is a student of Wuhan University and had travelled to India. A Union Health Ministry statement said that the student is in isolation at the hospital and is stable but being closely monitored. Also read: Coronavirus: WHO declares global emergency as death toll reaches 170 in China The government has also announced that people who have come from China after January 15 will be tested for the coronavirus. The government has also advised that trips to China should be avoided. The World Health Organisation declared a global emergency on Thursday. So far, more than 7,800 cases of coronavirus have been detected, most of which have been in China. "The main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but because of what is happening in other countries. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," he said. Also read: Coronavirus outbreak: China shutdown to hit Indian drug manufacturers Also read: Coronavirus reaches India; will Dalal Street catch flu? Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. If youre interested in hearing from The Times regularly about great TV, sign up for our Watching newsletter and get recommendations straight to your inbox. Unimpeachable Logic During the impeachment trial, a lawyer for President Trump, Alan Dershowitz, has argued that Trump was acting in the public interest in regard to his Ukraine pressure campaign, telling senators, If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. Seth Meyers, among other late-night hosts, took a closer look at Dershowitzs reasoning, eventually arriving at the conclusion that it was absolutely insane. A rare 1,300-year-old coin featuring the face of an obscure Saxon king could sell for 15,000 at auction after its owner spent three years trying to prove its authenticity. Experts and scholars dismissed the silver penny Andy Hall unearthed in a muddy field in Wiltshire, as it featured the head of a virtually-unknown Saxon king. Moreover, the date it was hammered 826 AD would also have meant that the history books on Britain would have to be re-written. Undeterred, the 55-year-old metal detectorist was determined to prove them wrong. He spent the next three years having his coin examined by other experts and even paid 300 for it to be metallurgically analysed. The scientific tests confirmed that the coin was 95 per cent silver and completely consistent with coinage in the period 810840 AD. Scroll down for video A rare 1,300-year-old coin featuring the face of an obscure Saxon king could sell for 15,000 at auction after its owner spent three years trying to prove its authenticity The face depicted on the coin is that of the Saxon king Ludica, who ruled for a single year from 826827 AD in Mercia a kingdom which included London, or 'Lundenwic' as it then was. According to the historical record, London fell to the Wessex King Ecgberht as a result of the outcome of the Battle of Ellendun in 825 AD. However, Mr Hall's coin proves that Mercia still retained London in 826 AD. It did not fall under Ecgberhts control, therefore, until after Ludica was killed fighting the East Angles in 827 AD. The coin features the bust of Ludica facing right, with the legend LUDICA REX MER, while the reverse features the inscription LUN/DONIA/CIVIT across three lines. Mr Hall has now offered his coin for sale with London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, who have given it an estimate of 15,000. 'I have a love for history and numismatics and so wanted the historical importance of this coin recorded and as the finder I felt I had a responsibility to do so,' said Mr Hall. 'The process took just over three years and cost 300 in total.' 'I was over the moon when I first read the analysis results, I re-read them about five times. Even though I was expecting a positive result I felt enormous relief.' 'I knew I had dug it up, but there is always the thought that it may have been a contemporary forgery or a 19th century fantasy piece.' 'I felt that at last my patience and determination over the last three years had paid off, even though it seemed impossible at times.' 'Its very satisfying to have made a very tiny contribution to our knowledge of the period.' Experts and scholars dismissed the silver penny Andy Hall, (pictured) unearthed in a muddy field, as it featured the head of a virtually-unknown Saxon king Andy found the penny buried around four inches deep in the mud during a one-off visit to farmland at Coombe Bisset, Wiltshire, in the January of 2016. 'I saw that it was a Saxon silver penny and when I got it home I gently washed off the mud with distilled water,' Hall explained. 'I then had to Google Ludica to find out who the monarch was,' he added. 'I then sent photos and details to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, as that is where new discoveries of early medieval coins are registered.' When he tried to auction the coin the following June, however, he was told by a leading historian and expert in Anglo-Saxon coins that there were concerns about the penny's authenticity. 'I agreed to take the coin back and approach specialists myself,' Mr Hall said. 'I organised a meeting at the Fitzwilliam Museum and received a positive reception although the issue was still concern over its authenticity.' Eventually, after another 18 months, the coin was sent off for analysis, at which point it was verified. Mr Hall has now offered his coin for sale with London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, who have given it an estimate of 15,000 'Ludica is only mentioned briefly in the Anglo Saxon chronicles, so this coin shows he retained London during his reign,' said Dix Noonan Webb expert Nigel Mills. 'Ludica is first recorded as a military commander in 824 AD, under the Mercian king Beornwulf.' 'Beornwulf was defeated by the Wessex king Ecgberht in 825 AD and it was believed that he then took control of south eastern England.' 'This coin shows that Mercia still retained London in 826 AD and that it did not fall under Ecgberht's control until after Ludica was killed in 827 AD.' The coin is scheduled to be sold on March 10, 2020, with Mr Hall sharing the proceeds with the owner of the land on which the coin was found. According to the historical record, London fell to the Wessex King Ecgberht (pictured) as a result of the outcome of the Battle of Ellendun in 825 AD. However, Mr Hall's coin proves that Mercia still retained London in 826 AD Around 7,000 people have been kept on a cruise ship in Italy for nearly a day as one passenger is checked for a possible infection. It comes as European countries stepped up efforts on Thursday to contain the coronavirus sweeping through central China. Italian health authorities did not allow 6,000 passengers and 1,000 crew aboard a cruise ship docked north of Rome to get off after a passenger from Macao came down with flu-like symptoms. There is a security cordon on board the Costa Smeralda cruise ship (Andrew Medichini/AP) The Costa Crociere cruise line said the 54-year-old woman and her partner, who had no symptoms, were immediately put into isolation Wednesday and the case reported to Italian maritime authorities. Italian Coastguard commander Vincenzo Leone said: All the planned mechanisms were activated. Health authorities are on board, doing checks. The situation is under control. Theres a security cordon on the dock. The Costa Smeralda was sailing from Majorca in Spains Balearic Islands, to Civitavecchia on a week-long Mediterranean cruise. Later on Thursday, just over 1,000 passengers were allowed off the ship for a walk through sunny Rome. Meanwhile, a chartered plane has been sent to evacuate hundreds of European citizens from China as more commercial flights were scrapped and Russia closed its land border with China. An A380 evacuation flight took off on Thursday morning from a former Portuguese military airport at Beja, 120 miles south-east of Lisbon, carrying just its pilots and crew. Captain Antonios Efthymiou said the flight was going first to Paris to pick up a team of doctors and extra crew, before heading to Hanoi and then China. He told Portuguese media it would bring back about 350 Europeans. He said the crew would take special medical precautions but did not elaborate. China has reported 170 deaths and at least 7,800 infections have been confirmed worldwide from the virus that emerged last month in the central city of Wuhan. In Europe, there have been 10 confirmed cases of the virus so far five in France, four in Germany and one in Finland. Story continues Mikhail Mishustin addresses a Cabinet meeting in Moscow (Dmitry Astakhov/Sputnik/AP) Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin issued a decree ordering the temporary closure of the countrys border with China, which extends for 2,600 miles. In addition, all train traffic between the two countries, except for one train connecting Moscow and Beijing, was stopped on Thursday. The Czech Republic announced it was stopping issuing visas to Chinese citizens due to the outbreak. More than 600,000 Chinese tourists are estimated to have visited the Czech Republic last year, especially its capital city of Prague. On the retail front, Swedish furniture and home goods retailer IKEA announced all its stores in mainland China would remain closed to protect customers and staff from the outbreak. European airlines including Air France, Scandinavian Airlines, Iberia and Finnair announced halts in services to China, all citing efforts to protect the health and security of customers and staff. Those announcements followed earlier moves to halt or reduce flights to China by other European airlines including British Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss and KLM. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Andrew (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 18:54 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061eb0fa 1 World Wuhan-coronavirus,China,health,virus,Pacific,travel Free Indonesias Pacific neighbors are taking extreme measures to prevent the introduction of the novel coronavirus, which could wreak havoc on health systems already struggling to contain various epidemics. The virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has already killed 213 people and infected 9,600 people across 21 countries, according to the latest figures on Friday, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. Samoa, which is still recovering from a measles epidemic in which 83 people were killed, has implemented travel restrictions on visitors arriving on flights from Mainland China to create a two-week quarantine buffer. All travelers originating from or [on] transit through Mainland China must spend at least 14 days in self-quarantine at the country of last port that is free of the 2019 novel coronavirus and must undergo medical clearance [for] at least three days as required above prior to final route to Samoa. This must be their final stop before traveling to Samoa, the government announced in a statement on Monday. Travelers from all countries with confirmed cases of the virus must also undergo a medical examination with a medical practitioner at least three days before traveling to Samoa. The medical clearance is required for check-in prior to the issuance of a boarding pass. According to Samoas Press Secretariat, 13 people most of them Chinese nationals have already been denied entry since the travel restrictions came into force on Jan. 24. Four Chinese nationals were returned to Fiji on Tuesday after arriving in Samoa from China via Nadi. The Samoan Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it will not be repatriating the six Samoan students studying in Wuhan, saying that they are under the care of their universities alongside 70 other Pacific students. The Fijian government however has not issued travel restrictions, saying that travel bans were proven to be ineffective in stopping infectious diseases crossing borders and that it would focus on detection and response methods instead. This is because international spread of the disease is best stopped by rapid containment efforts at the source, and early detection and response, not by implementing unnecessary restrictions to international travel, the Fijian government said in a statement on Wednesday. In response to the increased threat of 2019 nCoV, the Fijian Ministry of Health and Medical Services is working closely with relevant government ministries, the World Health Organization and partners to enhance its public health systems to rapidly detect, test and respond if a case is identified in Fiji, it said. Meanwhile, Papua New Guinea has announced a travel ban for all visitors arriving from Asian ports. In a statement on Wednesday, the Immigration and Border Security Ministry said staff will be stationed at main points of entry into the country to ensure that anyone who has been to China in the last 14 days will not be permitted entry. The Wutung border post at Papua New Guinea's land border with Indonesias Papua province has also been closed temporarily and Chinese fishing vessels are being restricted. The Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands and Palau have also banned travelers from China with similar 14-day quarantine restrictions in place, AFP reported. The Northern Mariana Islands declared a "state of significant emergency" on Thursday with Governor Ralph Torres saying in a statement that the virus "poses a significant and imminent threat". The Marshall Islands has already been battling a dengue epidemic with over 1,400 suspected cases reported out of a population of 53,127, according to a government report. While no cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in any Pacific Island state, the restrictions may come at a heavy price for their economies, which rely heavily on Chinese tourism and development through the Belt and Road initiative Chinas ambitious investment and infrastructure push across the region. Indonesia has also yet to report any confirmed cases of the virus. The writer is an intern under the ACICIS program. The budget hotel chain at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak sent out an ill-timed tweet promotion...just hours after it confirmed two of its guests were the UK's first cases of the disease. '#HappyFriday...Looking forward to a weekend of rugby,' the Staycity chain tweeted on its official account. Health authorities this morning confirmed the first two cases of the disease in the United Kingdom; and hotel management confirmed they had been guests at the chain's York apartments. Just hours after the news, the chain put out the ill-timed tweet which appeared to be inviting guests to stay at its residences. This is the hotel in York where two guests who have been diagnosed with coronavirus were staying. The hotel was put into lockdown on Wednesday evening after a man, believed to be a Chinese national fell ill Women with masks can be seen leaving the apartment hotel after it was put into lockdown on Wednesday night. The lockdown followed the news that a guest, believed to be a Chinese national, had fallen ill The Staycity apartment-hotel on Paragon Street, in York was put on lockdown on Wednesday when a man, believed to be a Chinese national fell ill. He was taken to hospital, along with two relatives, where they underwent testing. Public Health England (PHE) confirmed that two people had been diagnosed with the virus and had been staying in York when they became unwell. The announcement was made as more than 80 Britons on an evacuation flight from the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak landed back in the UK. The pair are being treated by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in its specialist Airborne High Consequences Infectious Disease Centre (HCID). It is understood that the pair travelled to the UK from China recently. Meanwhile, health officials today are urgently trying to trace those who came into contact with the two people who have been diagnosed with the first confirmed cases of the virus in the UK. Professor Sharon Peacock, director of the National Infection Service at PHE, said: they wanted to get in touch with those who had close contact with the two who had fallen ill. 'Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases. 'This tried-and-tested method will ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them and the wider public.' Earlier, she said that while staff are working to trace people who have been in contact with the pair, they do not currently have 'any idea' of how high that number might be. A man, who had been staying at the Staycity aparthotel in York fell ill on Wednesday and was taken to hospital with two of his relatives. Today it has emerged two guests at the hotel were diagnosed with the virus This tweet was put out just hours after the Staycity chain confirmed guests staying at its York residence had contracted coronavirus In a statement, chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, said: 'The patients are receiving specialist NHS care, and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus. 'The NHS is extremely well prepared and used to managing infections, and we are already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had, to prevent further spread. 'We have been preparing for UK cases of novel coronavirus and we have robust infection control measures in place to respond immediately. 'We are continuing to work closely with the World Health Organisation and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure we are ready for all eventualities.' Google recently released their annual Year in Search findings highlighting what we as a country, continent and planet have been asking Google in 2019. Analysing different countries indicates not only what the hot topics were, but how each country uses search. There has been 150% growth for searches like "near me now". E.g. "Pizza near me now". There has been a 900% growth for searches like "near me tonight/today". E.g. "petrol station near me tonight". There has been 200% growth for searches like "now" + "near me". E.g. "stores open near me now". In the UK, Europe and the USA the focus is on people, news and politicians. The leading search behaviours are information gathering. In South Africa (and with our neighbours to the north)searches are the top trending search behaviour. Our primary search behaviour focuses on information gathering online, to find a real world destination offline.The key difference between African and first-world-based search, is that the majority of searches happen on mobile, while on the move and have a specific outcome (finding a store) while in the UK/USA the majority of searches are still PC-based and the user is at their desk or at home.The numbers back this up 85% of South Africans have a smartphone, compared to just 24% who have a laptop or PC.With the exponential growth ofsearch in South Africa, the accuracy and ongoing management of your Google My Business listing has never been more important.Simply having a Google My Business listing isn't enough.so having accurate location data, updated store hours, contact details as well as reviews and questions that are promptly answered are critical components of your digital strategy.Location Bank are the presence management leaders in SA and across the continent. We consider ourselves yourensuring your listings and presence are always 100% accurate. Madhya Pradesh Governor Lalji Tandon said on Friday that the states can protest against a legislation passed by Parliament, but it is still binding on them. He was replying to a question about opposition by the governments of non-BJP-ruled states to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). "When any subject (bill) is passed by Parliament with two-thirds majority or a constitutional amendment or any clarification (is passed by Parliament), the states are bound to accept it," Tandon told reporters at the Raj Bhavan here. "They have the right to protest, but they have to remain within their limits as per the Constitution," he said. When pointed out that the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh was also opposed to the CAA, the governor said, "For governments, there is a 'Laxman Rekha' (a legal or moral boundary) in the Constitution, and they should not cross it." To a question about the Kamal Nath government's initiatives such as the proposed construction of Sita temple in Sri Lanka, development of 'Ram Van Gaman Path' in Chitrakoot and recital of the Hanuman Chalisa on Mahatma Gandhi's death anniversary, the governor said they were praiseworthy. Some political observers have termed such initiatives as a 'soft Hindutva' agenda of the Congress. The BJP veteran, who has authored a book on Lucknow, informed that he was working on a memoir. The book would talk about the best aspects of the persons he had encountered and their contribution to society irrespective of their ideologies, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 16:10 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e80f7 1 World coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus Free Jakarta confirmed on Friday afternoon that the government would send an aircraft to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Chinas coronavirus-hit Hubei province in less than 24 hours. "The plane and team are set to fly [to Wuhan] in less than 24 hours. We are also using a large plane so that all Indonesians willing to be evacuated can fly without having to transit," Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said on Friday. Retno said she had met with Chinese Ambassador to Indonesia Xiao Qian earlier that day, during which the Chinese envoy had given clearance for Indonesian aircraft to land in Hubei and evacuate the countrys stranded citizens. "We have talked with Indonesian diplomats in Hubei province. In Wuhan, the [evacuation] process continues, Retno said. Read also: Indonesian diplomats descend on virus-hit Wuhan to rescue trapped citizens She thanked all relevant ministries and state institutions as well as Chinese authorities for their cooperation in facilitating the repatriation. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo ordered on Thursday evening the immediate repatriation of the at least 243 Indonesians trapped in locked-down Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, which as of Friday had killed 213 and infected nearly 10,000 in mainland China. The Air Force has kept three aircraft and a team of health personnel on standby to evacuate Indonesian citizens from Hubei at any time, awaiting instructions from the government. The government has also prepared Sulianto Saroso Hospital in North Jakarta to be used as a quarantine facility to monitor the inbound citizens once they arrive in Indonesia. (ami) Researchers quizzed cannabis enthusiasts at a marijuana advocacy event about their beliefs on whether the drug is effective in treating certain medical conditions. The majority of the nearly 500 people surveyed failed the quiz, according to the best science available. "There is a big discrepancy between what the empirical evidence is saying and what people believe," said Daniel Kruger, PhD, the lead author of the study, which was published this month in the American Journal of Health Promotion. "We've gone back to the 19th century miracle cure," added Kruger, a research associate professor of community health and health behavior in the University at Buffalo's School of Public Health and Health Professions and research investigator with the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan. "People are using cannabis and cannabinoids for everything and anything, and we don't have enough systematic research on whether it's effective for these conditions. People are stopping or reducing prescription drugs to use medical cannabis. It's a serious issue," he said. And that's exactly why researchers felt it was important to survey marijuana users. Researchers set up a table during Hash Bash, an annual marijuana advocacy event that has taken place on the campus of the University of Michigan for the past several decades. The research team -- which included Jessica Kruger, PhD, a clinical assistant professor in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions -- has conducted several previous studies with data collected at Hash Bash. Among them was a paper published last spring that showed that the munchies exist, and that there's a need for tailored nutrition education as the population of marijuana users grows. For the current study, nearly 500 Hash Bash participants completed surveys that asked about their cannabis use and where they obtained their information about marijuana. They were also asked to respond to questions such as, "Which of the following conditions do you think marijuana is effective in treating (check all that apply)?" and "Which of the following conditions/events do you think marijuana use increases the risk for (check all that apply)?" Participants' knowledge was compared with National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) conclusions regarding medical effectiveness and risk related to cannabis use. In addition to revealing a disconnect between mainstream health and medicine and the medicinal use of marijuana, the study results also identified a lack of awareness of the potential risks involved. For example, only 22% of respondents thought that cannabis use during pregnancy could be risky. "That was really striking," Daniel Kruger said, adding that "there is evidence that marijuana use could lead to lower birth weights." In addition, the majority of survey respondents said cannabis was effective in treating cancer, depressive symptoms and epilepsy. The NASEM assessment, however, concludes there is limited evidence that cannabis or cannabinoids effectively reduce depressive symptoms, and no or insufficient evidence that it works for cancer and epilepsy. Participants also said marijuana can treat irritable bowel syndrome, despite, again, a lack of empirical data supporting that conclusion. Kruger is quick to note the following caveat: Marijuana remains a Schedule I substance, which prohibits scientists from conducting the clinical trials necessary for properly informing NASEM conclusions. The majority of study participants reported using marijuana every day, and 85% said they use it for health or medical reasons. About 78% said their knowledge of cannabis stemmed from personal experience, compared to just 23% from a medical cannabis caregiver or dispensary and 18% from a primary care provider. The knowledge gap identified in the study is significant from a public health perspective, researchers say, adding that as a growing number of states legalize -- or consider legalizing -- adult recreational marijuana use, the conversation needs to shift. These results highlight the disconnect between marijuana advocacy and policies and the lack of scientific evidence. We need more scientifically rigorous research to inform health messages that provide guidance about the use and effectiveness of cannabis and cannabinoids for a wide range of medical conditions." R. Lorraine Collins, PhD, study co-author, associate dean for research in UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions and a contributor to the NASEM report The issue is moving at a rapid pace due to citizen-driven ballot initiatives and pushes from public officials, Daniel Kruger added. For example, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in his recent State of the State Address again called for legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use. Michigan voters passed a bill in 2018 approving legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana there. Given these efforts, it's time for public health to get up to speed, Daniel Kruger says. "Abstinence won't work as the only goal anymore. We need to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs, risks and harms to individuals and society. We hope our study broadens the conversation." Moscow Region resident denied DNA proof of his relation to Ivan the Terrible Fragment of Vasnetsov painting 1897 15:22 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) A court in Krasnogorsk, a town in the Moscow Region, on Friday dismissed a lawsuit lodged by a local resident, who sought to legally establish his relation to Russian medieval ruler Ivan the Terrible. Kubarev also intended to move for a DNA expert investigation of male Moscow princes, buried in the Kremlin. This demand was denied as well, plaintiff Valery Kubarev told RAPSI. As a result of a research I have carried out on my own basing on publicly available data, that is, Genealogical tables pertaining to the history of European states, it was established that the petitioner is a direct relative of Ivan IV the Terrible, now buried in the burial place of grand princes and tsars in Archangel Cathedral, Kubarev told RAPSI earlier. Giving the fact that he cannot prove his relation to the royal dynasty under the procedure established by the civil legislation, he had to turn to courts, Kubarev explained. His purpose, the petitioner said, was to care about the burial place of his alleged relative, but he was not allowed to do so by law until providing proof of real kinship. Russias Culture Ministry was named as the defendant in the case. Kubarev is going to appeal the court ruling and has not rule out a possibility to turn to the European Court of Human Rights. Mahindra Atom quadricycle is one of the four new electric products that would be present at the brands pavilion at Auto Expo 2020. Mahindra & Mahindra has officially teased the all-new Atom electric quadricycle ahead of its launch at Auto Expo 2020. The teaser video does not reveal much, but one can make out the boxy and quirky silhouette of the full-electric quadricycle. The Indian automotive manufacturer plans to unveil a range of products under its all-electric portfolio to form the largest showcase of EVs at the countrys biggest biennial automotive show. The Mahindra Atom Electric made its initial debut back at Auto Expo 2018 in a concept format and was promised to be launched by the third quarter of 2020. The proposed timeline might stay accurate since Mahindra has already started its testing procedures. In fact, we have shared a few spy images of the same doing test runs on public roads, in a camouflaged avatar. As per EU guidelines, quadricycles are essentially small four-wheelers designed in accordance with less stringent automotive rules, regulations and requirements (unlike the case of a regular passenger vehicle). However, these vehicles have to come under certain limitations in terms of weight, output and performance (usually top speed). In the Indian context, quadricycles are usually four-wheeled forms of vehicles that would otherwise have been a three-wheeler. Coming back to the Mahindra Atom, the the two door electric quadricycle will be assembled at the brands facility in Bangalore alongside other low-output EV models. Mahindra & Mahindra has invested around Rs 150 crore in its e-quadricycle project alongside Rs 250 crore for a new assembly line at the Bangalore facility. As per Indian regulations, the Atom will pack an output less than 15kW (20bhp) and have a top speed of 70km/h or less. The all-electric Mahindra Atom does not have a direct rival in the Indian market except for the Bajaj Qute. However, the Qute comes with a petrol powerplant currently. But Bajaj too is working on Qute electric, and the same has been spied on test as well. As mentioned before, the Mahindra Atom is not the only electric product to mark its debut at Auto Expo 2020. Mahindra will be showcasing all-electric avatars of the XUV300, KUV100 as well as the next-generation XUV500. While the former two EVs might be at the pavilion in a production-ready format, the eXUV500 could remain in a concept format. The next-generation Mahindra XUV500 is still in the works and would most probably be a combined project by Mahindra and Ford India under a new joint venture. The upcoming XUV500 model will hit the market in Fords clothing as well. Bengaluru, Jan 31 : With disruptive technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) driving businesses, the IT sector wants the Union Budget for fiscal 2020-21 to ensure greater use of these to spur a sluggish economy among other measures for the sector, industry experts said on Friday. "The budget should announce a fund like Singapore's Temasek that will invest only in early-stage Indian AI start-ups and lower long-term capital gain's tax for investing in AI-based firms," digital intelligence firm Germin8 founder chief executive Ranjit Nair told IANS. With the US and China racing ahead of India in AI research, AI entrepreneurship and government investment in AI, he said the budget should make it easier for start-ups to access capital, as they face an uphill task in early-stage funding. "The government bring policies that encourage AI companies. Ease of doing business means less bureaucracy so that entrepreneurs can build solutions without distractions," he said. AI is expected to have a huge impact not only in commerce, but also in health, national security, cybersecurity, food security, education and global warming. "The government should announce AI challenges, which make academia and industry solve an important problem in the country. The state's role should give a crisp problem definition, provide access to data and provide a good cash prize," Nair said. Though thousands of engineering graduates pass out every year across the country, India is behind other nations in AI PhDs and AI research. Hence, the budget should allot more grants for AI research and offer incentives to institutes investing in AI training, he added. Noting that IT was one of the few sectors that remained growth-driven despite the eonomic slowdown since the last fiscal, Cigniti Technologies chairman C.V. Subramanyam said the budget should give relief or reduce dividend distribution tax (DDT) for IT firms operating in the country. Anti-virus leader Kaspersky's General Manager, South Asia, Dipesh Kaura said Dipesh Kaura said: "As the budget for the ensuing fiscal is crucial for businesses across the country, we are expecting higher allocations for cyber security from the government." Investment in cyber security will accelerate the digital transformation. Funds should be spent on supporting skill development and training students keen to become cyber security professionals, he said. "Cyber security awareness campaign for consumers should be a major focus of the budget," Kaura said in a statement. Cybage Software chief executive Arun Nathani said the budget should take steps to roll back DDT across the board to attract FDI and incentivise the sector to ramp up the capex/opex spend once the demand is back. "Rationalising the GST rates and compliance processes will outgrow the consumption rates. The Indian IT industry will welcome specific incentives likeAweighted deductions for investing in R&D of AI/BI technology tools to facilitate IT firms, companies, universities and research institutes," Nathani added. The Coalition will not fund any multibillion-dollar energy deal with Victoria to reduce carbon emissions and lower power costs unless the Andrews government ditches its longstanding ban on onshore gas exploration. The Morrison government would also demand Victoria safeguard against sudden shocks to power prices and supply, like the closure of the Hazelwood power station in 2019, in any deal similar to the $2 billion agreement it struck with NSW. Victorians were asked to cut their power use in Fridays searing heat to avoid crashing the states fragile grid, on the same day, the Morrison government and NSW announced a deal they say will reduce carbon emissions, lower electricity prices and improve reliability. The deal, which could be the first in a series of agreements between the Commonwealth and states, will see nearly $1 billion of federal money go to NSW to pay for carbon abatement and energy projects. WASHINGTON Arizona enacted a ban on texting while driving last year, after 10 years of trying, but it still wasnt enough to pull the state from the bottom of a national report card on traffic safety laws. The annual Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety report said Arizona had just five of 16 recommended safety laws, ahead of just five states. An official with the Governors Office of Highway Safety dismissed the report, which he said is habitually biased against Arizona and ignores the good things the state is doing to improve highway safety. Oro Valley Police Cmdr. Chris Olson, on hand Thursday for the reports release, said the new distracted-driving law is a good start, but more needs to be done. I think the Legislature did a really good thing here, with passing the distracted-driving law, Olson said after the reports release. Distraction is a big problem. We are seeing a lot of that in Oro Valley and other places. The texting ban was one of the only bright spots for Arizona in the 2020 Roadmap of State Highway Safety Laws, the 17th annual report card by the highway safety group. The report noted that Arizona also requires that teen drivers have a licensed adult in the car for at the first six months while they are on their learners permits. And the state had all three recommended impaired-driving laws: child endangerment and open container laws and a required ignition interlock system after a drunken driving conviction. But it said Arizona had none of the other 11 recommended laws, including seat belt, booster seat and motorcycle helmet requirements, graduated drivers licenses for teens and a cell phone ban for teen drivers, among other laws. Arizona was one of 12 states rated red for having seven or fewer recommended laws, while 31 states were yellow for having seven to 10. Just seven states and the District of Columbia were rated green for having 11 laws or more. Cathy Chase, the president of the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, said the annual report is intended to be a call to action to state lawmakers. The status quo is unacceptable, said Chase, who said more than 100 people are killed and 7,500 injured in motor vehicle crashes each day in the U.S. As state legislatures around the country convene, now is the time for attention, activism and action. But Arizona Governors Office of Highway Safety Director Alberto Gutier said the report cherry-picks standards and overlooks other positive moves by states to improve highway safety. These people analyze what they want to analyze and make their ranking based on what they want and the message they want to send out, Gutier said. Thats why, honestly, I dont pay attention to Advocates of Highway Safety. I pay attention to what is reported to us and what we do, Gutier said. He noted that while the state falls short in the report on seat-belt laws, state data show that 90% of drivers buckle up, Arizona produces more seatbelt citations than nine other states that have stricter laws, and Arizona police arrested more than 28,000 drunken drivers in 2019. What more can we do? Gutier asked. While the states distracted-driving law took effect last year, police can currently only issue warnings for people caught violating the law. Fines will not take effect until January 2021. The law prohibits all drivers from engaging in distracting activities including reading, writing and sending messages with a handheld device while their car is moving. There are exceptions for calls to a doctor or to 911, and use of hands-free devices to make a call or sent a voice-generated text. Jennifer Weaver, a panelist at Thursdays report release, supports such laws: She was driving and texting in 2015 when she was involved in an accident that killed another driver. No one gets into their car thinking I am going to answer a call or read a text while driving and kill someone as a consequence, she said in prepared remarks. Olson said that while some see such laws as government overreach, it can be hard for drivers to resist the pull of their phones. People really rely on their phone for their day-to-day job: to check on their children, stuff like that, you know using their phones to get directions, he said. While states are making progress, new challenges continue to arise. Olson pointed to the increasing legalization of marijuana use: Even though driving while drugged falls into the same category as DUI in Arizona, he worries that people will be no more responsible than they were with their phones. People think they can manage themselves. They know when they are buzzed, they know when they can drive, they know when they are impaired, Olson said. But it just isnt true. Again, you have this small minority that thinks they can self-regulate their usage around the roadway and still drive with all their faculties intact. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Coronavirus, a virus similar to the SARS pathogen, has claimed 106 lives since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan and spread around the world.Here are the places that have confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus, as of 28 January: China More than 4,000 people have been infected across China, the bulk of them in and around Wuhan. Most of the 106 who have died were in that region, but officials have confirmed multiple deaths elsewhere, including the first in the capital Beijing. Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with mainland tourists, has confirmed seven cases as of 28 January. In Hong Kong, eight people are known to have the disease. Of those, six arrived via a newly built high-speed train terminal that connects the city to the mainland. Asia-Pacific Australia Five cases have been confirmed in Australia, all of whom arrived in the country from Wuhan. The patients are being treated in hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne. Cambodia Cambodia's health ministry reported the country's first case of the virus on 27 January: a 60-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan and is now stable in an isolation room. Japan Japan's health authorities confirmed the country's fifth and sixth cases on 28 January, including its first case of human-to-human transmission. According to Japanese authorities, the infected man in his 60s had not visited Wuhan but had recently transported tourists from the area on his bus. Malaysia Malaysia confirmed its fourth case on Sunday. All are Chinese nationals on holiday from Wuhan who arrived in the country from Singapore. Nepal Nepal said a 32-year-old man arriving from Wuhan had the disease. The patient, who was initially quarantined, recovered and was discharged. Singapore Singapore has so far confirmed seven cases of the coronavirus -- all of them arrivals from Wuhan. South Korea South Korean media reported the country's fourth case on 27 January, citing the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The three men and a woman all travelled from Wuhan. Sri Lanka Sri Lanka confirmed its first case of the virus on 27 January, a 43-year-old Chinese woman who entered the country as a tourist last week from Hubei province. She is being treated in hospital, a spokesman at the Infectious Diseases Hospital near Colombo told AFP. Taiwan Taiwan has uncovered seven cases so far, the latest two female Chinese nationals in their seventies, who arrived in the country as part of a tour group on 22 January. Thailand Thailand announced 14 confirmed infections on 28 January, the highest outside China. Health officials said that of the six new cases, all Chinese passengers from Wuhan, five of them were in the same family, ranging in ages six to 70. Vietnam Vietnam has so far confirmed two cases of the virus. An infected man from Wuhan travelled to Ho Chi Minh City earlier this month and passed the virus on to his son. North America Canada Canada confirmed its first case of the virus on 27 January, a man who travelled to Wuhan, and has reported a second suspected case, his wife, who made the trip with him. United States The US has confirmed five cases of the virus in patients who had recently entered the country from Wuhan, two in California and one each in Arizona, Chicago and Washington state. Europe France There are three known cases of the coronavirus in France, the first European country to be affected by the outbreak. One person is sick in Bordeaux and another is ill in Paris. A third person, a close relative of one of the other two, has also been confirmed to have the virus. All three had recently travelled to China and have been placed in isolation. Germany The country's first case, and the first case of human-to-human transmission on European soil, was confirmed on 28 January in the southern Bavarian region. The patient caught the disease from a Chinese colleague who visited Germany last week, officials said. Source: www.rte.ie 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 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) Filipinos will benefit from a donation of 600,000 face masks amid a temporary shortage in light of the confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) case, the Federation of Filipino Chinese Cambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. said Friday. The FFCCII said the donation will come from one of its member organizations, the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc.. "The face mask that will be donated are from the Filipino Chinese community. I'm sure more will be donated as supplies become stable," FFCCCII President Henry Lim Bon Liong told CNN Philippines in a text message. The Trade Department said there is a temporary shortage of masks after the first confirmed novel coronavirus case was announced. In Cebu for example, a number of pharmacies have posted signs in their stores that announced they have run out of stock. Masks cost around 190 to 500 for a box of 50. A local shop even limited each customer to buying only one box to prevent hoarding. The first confirmed case a 38-year-old Chinese woman reportedly visited Cebu and Dumaguete before she was admitted to the hospital in Metro Manila. Pharmacies in General Santos City also warned customers of a supply shortage. The Chinese city of Wuhan is the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak. As of recent data, nearly 10,000 confirmed cases were reported in mainland China alone, including a total of 213 deaths so far. Researcher Currie Cator and Stringers Roland Ortillano and Dale Israel contributed to this report. Authors of the appeal believe that the bill passed the Rada in violation of the constitutional procedure. The Constitutional Court of Ukraine received a submission to verify constitutionality of Law "On Amendments to Article 80 of the Constitution of Ukraine (regarding the immunity of people's deputies of Ukraine)". The appeal, received January 31, was submitted by a group of 50 people's deputies of Ukraine, the CCU press service reports. The MPs request that the Court declare the law unconstitutional. Authors of the appeal believe that the bill passed the Rada in violation of the constitutional procedure and that and the parliament, having adopted the law, breached the rule of law and failed to act in the manner prescribed by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. The submission was signed by 43 members of the Opposition Platform - for Life parliamentary faction, as well as four members of the Dovira group, and three of the Za Maybutnie parliamentary group members. Read alsoBill stripping Ukrainian lawmakers of immunity passes its second reading As UNIAN reported earlier, the bill, adopted December 18, introduces amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine lifting parliamentary immunity off of Ukrainian MPs. The bill provides that a motion seeking permission to detain, choose preventive measure in the form of detention or house arrest, search, violation of confidentiality of correspondence, phone conversations, telegraph and other correspondence, as well as the application of other measures, including secret investigative (search) actions that, in accordance with the law, restrict the rights and freedoms of a Ukrainian lawmaker, the consideration of which is referred to the authority of an investigating judge, must be supported by the prosecutor general (or acting prosecutor general). Such motions shall be considered by the investigating judge of the court of appeals within the territorial jurisdiction of a pretrial investigation agency, while criminal proceedings on crimes under the jurisdiction of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) shall be considered by the HACC investigating judge. At the same time, taken decisions can be appealed. The bill also introduces amendments to the law on the status of a Ukrainian Member of Parliament, which provides for specifics of the legal liability of a lawmaker. They stipulate a lawmaker is not legally liable for the results of voting or statements in parliament and its bodies, with the exception of liability for insult or defamation (the relevant norm is provided by the Constitution of Ukraine). OAKLAND (BCN) Eight parents and teachers filed a federal lawsuit against the Oakland Unified School District on Thursday alleging that police officers used excessive force against them in a confrontation at a school board meeting in October in which some of them were injured. The confrontation occurred at an Oct. 23 meeting at which parents and teachers protested against the large number of charter schools in the district and the district's plan to close some schools and merge them with other schools. Video from the meeting showed police officers striking the protesting parents with batons as they approached a metal barricade. Six protesters were arrested at the meeting. Speaking at a news conference outside Oakland Technical High School, civil rights attorney Dan Siegel, who represents the plaintiffs, said that in addition to alleging that officers used excessive force the suit alleges that the school district violated the protesters' First Amendment free speech rights by denying them the right to speak at the board meeting. School district officials and school board members have alleged that protesters who oppose the plans to close schools have disrupted numerous board meetings, but the suit claims that by cracking down on protesters the district intended to "chill and interfere with plaintiffs' constitutionally protected rights to speech, assembly and association." School district spokesman John Sasaki declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying, "We don't comment on pending litigation." A day after the Oct. 23 meeting, school district Police Chief Jeff Godown defended the use of batons on protesters, saying officers were using enough force to keep the protesters from pushing forward and from getting on the stage where school board members were seated. Godown said officers were injured during the confrontation as well. Saru Jayaraman, a University of California at Berkeley professor, activist and author who has two daughters at a school slated to be closed, said she was thrown to the ground and the force police used against her caused her to suffer two torn ligaments and a torn meniscus in her knee, requiring her to undergo major knee surgery on Dec. 31. Amy Haruyama, a first-grade teacher with 25 years of experience, said an officer shoved her with a baton and knocked her off her feet, causing her to suffer neck injuries and a bruised arm. Haruyama described the officer's actions as "very traumatizing." The lawsuit seeks an injunction requiring the district to change its practices as well as unspecified damages for medical expenses and loss of employment. It also seeks unspecified general, punitive and special damages. In addition to the school district, the suit names Godown and Sgt. Donald Perrier as defendants. Jayaraman also announced that a group called the Oakland Not For Sale coalition is launching an effort to recall Oakland school board President Jody London. Jayaraman said the coalition is seeking to recall London because it believes London and other board members have an agenda "to shut down public schools" and replace them with charter schools that she said are backed by billionaires Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates and members of the Walton family that founded Walmart. Jayaraman said the coalition will begin gathering signatures next week and needs 9,000 people to sign its petition to put the effort to recall London on the ballot in a special election in May or June. Jayaraman said the coalition also plans to launch similar recall efforts against other school board members in the future. Jayaraman said, "They'd better watch their backs!" In addition, Jayaraman said the Oakland Not For Sale coalition is backing new school board candidates who are pro-public schools and will fight against charter schools. Candidates Alicia Johnson, who will run in District 1, and Cherisse Gash, who will run in District 4, spoke at the news conference. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. New Delhi: Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to visit India on 5 February 2020 on 7 days. State Department spokesman Ravish Kumar gave the above information. During this time he will talk to his counterpart, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. This will be the first visit to India after taking office in November 2019 and the third high-level meeting with a member of the new Sri Lankan government in New Delhi. Imran's minister breaks silence on terrorism, says "Pakistan makes big terror attacks in India" According to sources, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to India on his first foreign visit after assuming office and held talks with Prime Minister Modi. Last week, Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardene held talks with Foreign Minister S. Jayashankar. Tension in the Gulf: US increases military fleet, troops number reaches to two and a half thousand It is being said that in view of China's growing economic dominance in the Indian Ocean, India has once again started trying to take its bilateral military relations with Sri Lanka to an old strong level. For this, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval went to Sri Lanka in January to meet President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and promised to help India with $ 50 million to buy weapons and other important equipment for the Sri Lankan army. PM Modi says "It will take ten days for Indian Army to beat Pakistan", Imran Khan replied - Rivatexs managing director Thomas Kipkurgat said the factory launched in June 2019 has so far designed at least 56 shirts for Uhuru - The company's marketing department said the president was its first brand ambassador - Other prominent clients who buy their clothes from the firm are William Ruto, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago and his Nandi counterpart Stephen Sang President Uhuru Kenyattas African-print shirts have caught the attention of several fashion enthusiasts in the country. What many Kenyans do not know is the customised shirts are products of an Eldoret based textile firm Rivatex, which is reaping big by dressing the head of state. Rivatex East Africa says Uhuru is its number one brand ambassador. Photo: State House. Source: Facebook Rivatexs managing director Thomas Kipkurgat said the ultra-modern facility which was launched in June 2019 has so far designed at least 56 shirts for Uhuru according to The Standard. What the president wears every Friday comes from Rivatex. Most people do not know about this and we are very proud to reveal that we are the ones dressing him every end of the week, the professor said. Rivatex East Africa is proud to dress the head of state. Photo: State House. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Rais achangamkia mbunge wa Tangatanga Nakuru The companys marketing department said the president has become its number one brand ambassador. "The shirt worn by Uhuru during the release of the Building Bridges Initiative report in Bomas was ours. We often work closely with State House officials while designing his shirts. He likes the dotted, multicoloured fashion, a marketing official at the firm revealed. The shirt worn by Uhuru during the public launch of the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya in November 2019 was designed by Rivatex. Photo: William Ruto. Source: Facebook The Jubilee Party leader is reported to prefer the dotted silk shirts over his formal suits and has given the textile factory a high approval rating over the last seven months. Rivatex is currently working on a new design that will incorporate the colours of the national flag even as the government calls on Kenyans to exercise patriotism through the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya strategy. In October 2019, the government directed all public officers to wear Kenyan clothes on Fridays and all national holidays. In a circular sent out to all ministries, Solicitor General Ken Ogeto explained the order was aimed at promoting textile industries in line with Uhuru's Big Four agenda specifically manufacturing. Rivatex said some its other prominent clients were Deputy President William Ruto, Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, Nandi county boss Stephen Sang and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi. Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly. I wanted to kill my children - Jackie Ruguru | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke The beginning of February could bring a few days of unsettled weather to Alabama, according to forecasters. It could also bring a few strong storms. But not everyone agrees with that possibility. NOAAs Storm Prediction Center has put Alabama in a risk area for severe weather on both Wednesday and Thursday of next week. Wednesdays forecast is above. Thursdays is below: Storms could continue for parts of south and east Alabama on Thursday. A cold front expected to move in from the west could bring the rain and a few storms. Warmer, moist air will be moving into Alabama from the Gulf during that time, and wind shear will be in the mix as well. But the amount of instability needed to set off storms will be in question. The SPCs Day 6 and 7 forecasts show a chance for severe weather over much of Alabama on Wednesday and the southeastern part of the state on Thursday. But Alabamas National Weather Service offices arent on board with that scenario at least not yet. As of Friday morning Alabama forecasters were not highlighting a potential for severe weather saying the chances were too low to mention right now. That could change but as for now local forecasters are expecting multiple waves of rain and potentially a few storms but not widespread severe weather. It will be warm, however. High temperatures on Tuesday ahead of the front are expected to rise into the mid-60s in north Alabama to the low 70s in south Alabama: Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Friday they will suspend all flights between the U.S. and China, making them the first U.S.-based airlines to do so and joining several international carriers that have stopped flying to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread. American said it will halt the flights starting Friday and running through March 27. Delta plans to wait until Feb. 6 to suspend China operations to help travelers in China leave the country. Delta said it will stop the flights through April 30. United Airlines, the only other U.S. carrier with direct flights to China, has announced it will reduce but not stop service to China. All three of the U.S. carriers had reported a steep decline in bookings to China. For American and Delta, their decisions to suspend all flights there might have been forced when international experts labeled the coronavirus a global public-health emergency. American was under extra pressure after the union representing its pilots sued to halt the flights and told its members not to fly to China because of the health risks. Several major international airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines, had already suspended service to China. As the number of flights in and out of China dwindles, passengers on the planes that are still flying face an eerie scene. On a flight from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs. Flight attendants donned masks to serve drinks to passengers, who were also wearing masks. A woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York said she changed her white face mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. On a flight from Amsterdam to China, frightened passengers protested when they realized that a man from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, would be on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, the man was allowed to fly. At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, passengers arriving from Beijing on Wednesday walked through thermal scanners to check for fevers. As their disembodied faces appeared on a nearby screen, most of their heads looked green, indicating a normal body temperature, but the machine beeped loudly when one mans forehead appeared red. He was shuttled to the side where a woman took his temperature with a device shaped like a bar code scanner. One hundred one degrees, she called out. Meanwhile, an airport worker pushed health cards into departing passengers hands urging them to contact health authorities if they have a fever within 14 days of arrival. The number of infected people in Beijing is relatively low over 100. But it is much higher in Wuhan," said Mohammed Raihan, a Bangladeshi student who attends Capital Medical University in Beijing. "That's why I've come back. All the schools and universities have been shut down indefinitely. A similar scene played out in Kathmandu, Nepal, where masked passengers were greeted with large, illustrated signs imploring them to visit the health desk if they have symptoms including high fever, muscle pain, headaches or hemorrhaging. Health experts said Thursday there's significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and were concerned that in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some of which cause nothing worse than a cold. Flight cleaning crews are taking extra steps to protect themselves. Crews already fully disinfect arm rests, window shades and other hard surfaces after international flights on United Airlines. But if a plane carried a passenger with suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will don face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they clean with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. A plane would be taken out of service and fumigated if a passenger had a confirmed case of coronavirus, he said. John F. Kennedy International Airport resembled a hospital corridor where everyone from passengers to luggage handlers wore face masks. Jarvan Lee, a 25-year-old student from New York, came to JFK to pick up family friends arriving from Beijing wearing a black mouth cover with two air filters. He bought it five days ago from Amazon for $30 and plans to wear it at the mall or anywhere else hes around a lot of people. Im worried, he said of the virus. Helen Lewis, who pushes passengers in wheelchairs to their flights, began wearing gloves Sunday and asks coughing passengers to cover up their mouths. You dont know who youre carrying, said the 62-year-old New Yorker. Bill Chen, who arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai on Wednesday, said his temperature was quickly screened at the Shanghai airport before he departed. He also filled out a health questionnaire that asked if he had traveled to Wuhan or had any contact with someone who had been in the city. I feel a little bit sorry for people traveling on the plane, Chen said. People have to be nervous. Related Content: C lara Amfo admits her form of meditation is a little unorthodox. When she needs to escape the madness of the city, the BBC Radio 1 host doesnt download the Calm app or head to the yoga studio but Brixton Market. I feel at home there, confesses Amfo, who lives in Hackney but spent much of her childhood in Balham, Tooting and Brixton. Shed hang out with friends in Brockwell Park and her mum would take her and her siblings to Brixton Market to pick up chicken, fish and traditional Ghanaian dishes. Today, she likes to go to her favourite hair salon there. Nothing beats the smell and comfort of a London afro hair shop, she says. I go there just to hang it makes me feel safe. Amfo, 35, admits it feels strange to have the tables turned while talking about London: shes used to being the interviewer. The last few months have been spent meeting A-listers from the Sugababes (her childhood heroes) to documentary-maker Louis Theroux to chat about life in the capital. Her new podcast, This City, launched last week. The series is a deep-dive into the stories behind the Big Smoke and there are some equally big names among the starry line-up: episode one hears Mo The Comedian on starting out in Soho, this week Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa discusses moving down from Scotland and feeling accepted by Londons nightlife, and episode three hears champion sprinter Dina Asher-Smith on haggling in Brixton Market. Presenter Reggie Yates, rapper Little Simz and shoe designer Sophia Webster are among the future guests. What was it like meeting Theroux? I thought I could bloody talk but it became this situation where he was interviewing me, laughs Amfo, recalling how she first met the filmmaker in the BBC canteen two years ago. She slid into his DMs on Instagram to invite him onto the podcast who knew that actually worked outside of the romantic? and Theroux told her all about his years living in north-west London: gentrification, meeting those whod migrated into the city, his favourite West Indian takeaway. He was very humble and said he didnt want to move to London and live in this palatial glass house, Amfo remembers. He wanted to meet people and that shows in where he chose to live. Hes all about being among people in the most natural way. Amfo feels the same way. Shes been in Hackney for 10 years and will never leave because she loves its diversity. Id never want to live somewhere with only one type of person, she says. Thats what she loves about London as a whole: its melting pot of so many people, cultures, foods: I love the fact that I can go to Golders Green and get the best bagels Ive ever tasted; I can walk down Brick Lane and get an incredible curry. Amfo is not a pub person but her favourite bar is Behind This Wall on Mare Street and she likes to go running in Hackney Downs. Her favourite day of the year is always Notting Hill Carnival. Its like Christmas for me, says Amfo. I probably get more excited than I do on actual Christmas Day. Before then shes hosting from the red carpet at next months Brit Awards with Alice Levine and shed love to make a second series of the podcast alongside her day job as presenter of Radio 1s mid-morning show. Her dream guest for series two? 100 per cent Naomi Campbell, says Amfo. Shes a true London icon, the models model. Will she be sliding into her DMs? Amfo laughs. You know what? Maybe I will. Subscribe to Amfos new podcast This City now on Apple, Spotify and all other podcast providers Pod squad: The best new podcast shows Fake Heiress While waiting for Inventing Anna to hit Netflix later this year, relive the exploits of fake heiress Anna Sorokin, who conned New York Citys elite, before being busted in a viral expose. Secret Artists Comedian and artist Annie McGrath combines her callings in a new podcast in which comedians (Phil Wang, Lolly Adefope) join her in making a piece of art, while having a chat. Marlon and Jake Read Dead People Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his wife Sara, Yaffa Issachar (l) and Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem, on Jan. 23, 2020. Yaffa Issachar's daughter, Naama, is serving a seven-and-half-year sentence in Russia on drug charges. (JNS)-Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday assured the mother of Naama Issachar, an Israeli-American woman imprisoned in Russia whose family has been anxious to secure her release, that "everything will be fine." At a press conference in Jerusalem shortly after a meeting at the Prime Minister's Residence with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to which Naama's mother Yaffa Issachar was also invited, Putin said, "I have met Naama's mother. It's clear to me that she is from a very good, honorable family. I know the position of the prime minister, who is asking me to make an appropriate decision. All this will certainly be taken into account when the final decision is made." The Russian president added that Issachar "is very worried, I can see that. I told her and I want to repeat it again: Everything will be fine." Naama Issachar, 27, was arrested by Russian authorities in April after a small amount of cannabis was found in her luggage during a layover in Moscow, and was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for drug trafficking. It is widely believed that Issachar's heavy sentence may have been designed to pressure Israel into not extraditing a known Russian cyber-criminal to the United States. Putin is in Israel to attend the Fifth World Holocaust Forum. More than 40 other world leaders are also in Israel this week for the event, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, are U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Prince Charles of Great Britain, King Felipe VI of Spain, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French President Emmanuel Macron. CEO of Luxembourg for Finance Nicolas Mackel expects the coming months to be marked by difficult negotiations. He explained that the UK seems to refuse to abide by "European rules of play." If the country indeed chooses to pursue this non-compliance, he added, their access to the European Single Market would be drastically restricted. "This is not comprehensible from an economic perspective because it is and remains the world's largest single market with 540 million inhabitants," he said. He concluded that the UK would be forced to reach a compromise. Mackel stressed that many questions remain unanswered. Carlo Thelen, who currently serves as the Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, expressed skepticism about the schedule of the negotiations between London and the EU. In his view, it might not be possible to conclude talks about the future relations between the two parties until the end of the year. - Business as usual - For the time being, it is nevertheless business as usual for the economy. "Our companies can rest assured. Nothing will happen because the conditions that applied before the end of January will continue to apply," he said. Thelen added that the European Union's laws and regulations would not be affected by the UK's departure but continue to be effective. There will not be major change within the next 11 months but the time that follows remains a question mark. Thelen also specified that a no-deal was not yet off the table. He stressed that Luxembourg's companies are well-prepared and that the services of the Chamber of Commerce's Brexit helpline would not continued. Former director of FEDIL Robert Dennewald meanwhile argued that logistics will be the biggest challenge in the future. The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. The death toll rose to 213, mostly of elderly people, after 43 new deaths all but one in Hubei, the epicentre of the outbreak, China's national health authorities said, adding that 1,982 new cases had been confirmed, bringing the total to 9,692. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. The WHO, which held an emergency meeting in Geneva on Thursday, on declared the outbreak a global health emergency, a rarely used designation that could lead to improved international co-ordination in tackling the disease. "Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said as he announced the virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Reacting to the WHO announcement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in a press statement said, "Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health." Many of these measures go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations, she said. "We have full confidence and capability to win this fight against the epidemic," said the spokesperson. She said that at the same time, the Chinese side informed relevant sides and shared the genome sequence of the coronavirus in a timely manner with openness, transparency and a responsible attitude. Hua said China has been in close communication and cooperation with WHO. "WHO experts recently conducted a field trip to Wuhan. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also visited China and discussed containment and mitigation of the 2019-nCoV with the Chinese side," she said. Noting that Tedros commended China's efforts and spoke highly of China's great contribution to the world by fighting against the novel coronavirus, Hua said the country will continue working with WHO and other countries to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xinhua agency quoted her statement. A number of airlines have halting or reduced flights to China as the country struggles to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus. China on Friday announced that it will send charter flights to bring home residents of coronavirus-hit Hubei province, especially capital Wuhan, from abroad. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson in a statement said citizens from Hubei province will be brought back in view of "practical difficulties" they were facing abroad. The move followed Chinese officials' announcement that about five million people from Hubei province and capital Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus, have travelled out of the region before the province was officially closed on January 23. These people are reported to have travelled within China and abroad to avail the weeklong holidays of the Chinese New Year and the ongoing Spring Festival. India on Friday sent Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane to Wuhan to evacuate Indian nationals.The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The number of confirmed cases exceeds the 8,096 cases from SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) that spread to more than two dozen countries in 2002-03, and killed 774 people, mostly in China and Hong Kong. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Palestinians can put forward options for the Middle East peace plan. "Yeah, they have a choice to make. They can do what the plan lays out...It doesn't mean we have everything just exactly right in there. This is a vision. This is an offer. Present a counteroffer. Present an alternative. Present options," Sky News Arabia cited him as saying. Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed creating a Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace plan, drawing Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines are suspending all flights between the U.S. and China as the coronavirus outbreak spreads. American Airlines says it is suspending flights beginning Friday through March 27. Delta says its suspension will not take effect until Feb. 6 to ensure that customers looking to exit China can do so. Deltas suspension will last until April 30. Other U.S. carriers have curtailed service to China, and several European airlines, including Air France, British Airways and Scandinavian Airlines have suspended service to China altogether. On a plane ride from Shanghai to New York, nobody spoke for fear of spreading germs as flight attendants donning face masks served drinks to similarly-clad passengers. Airline passengers making their way to and from China are navigating an eerie scene as officials around the globe work to contain a new, fast-spreading coronavirus. China has reported more than 7,800 cases, including 170 deaths, and the World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global emergency. One woman who flew 14 hours from Shanghai to New York changed her white face mask every four hours to make sure it was clean. It was a bit gloomy, said Joe Chang, a tech worker who flew from Shanghai to San Francisco after visiting his family for the Lunar New Year. In some cases, fear is turning into paranoia. On one flight headed to China from Amsterdam, passengers protested when they realized a man from Wuhan the epicenter of the outbreak was on the plane, said Chris Van Heesch, a 50-year old from the Netherlands. In the end, he was allowed to fly. At Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Bangladesh, passengers arriving from Beijing on Wednesday walked through thermal scanners to check for fevers. As their disembodied faces appeared on a nearby screen, most of their heads looked green, indicating a normal body temperature, but the machine beeped loudly when one mans forehead appeared red. He was shuttled to the side where a woman took his temperature with a device shaped like a bar code scanner. One hundred one degrees, she called out. Staff members wearing face masks walk near the check in counters for Cathay Pacific at Shanghai Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. China counted 170 deaths from a new virus Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical observation and even isolation. (AP Photo/Erika Kinetz)AP Meanwhile, an airport worker pushed health cards into departing passengers hands urging them to contact health authorities if they have a fever within 14 days of arrival. The number of infected people in Beijing is relatively low over 100. But it is much higher in Wuhan," said Mohammed Raihan, a Bangladeshi student who attends Capital Medical University in Beijing. "That's why I've come back. All the schools and universities have been shut down indefinitely. A similar scene played out in Kathmandu, Nepal, where masked passengers were greeted with large, illustrated signs imploring them to visit the health desk if they have symptoms including high fever, muscle pain, headaches or hemorrhaging. Health experts said Thursday there's significant evidence the virus is spreading among people in China and were concerned that in other countries including the United States, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam where there have also been isolated cases of human-to-human transmission. The new virus comes from a large family of coronaviruses, some of which cause nothing worse than a cold. Flight cleaning crews are taking extra steps to protect themselves. Crews already fully disinfect arm rests, window shades and other hard surfaces after international flights on United Airlines. But if a plane carried a passenger with suspicious symptoms, the cleaning crew will don face shields, goggles and long-sleeved gowns while they clean with a disinfectant approved by the Centers for Disease Control, said United spokesman Charlie Hobart. A plane would be taken out of service and fumigated if a passenger had a confirmed case of coronavirus, he said. John F. Kennedy International Airport resembled a hospital corridor where everyone from passengers to luggage handlers wore face masks. Jarvan Lee, a 25-year-old student from New York, came to JFK to pick up family friends arriving from Beijing wearing a black mouth cover with two air filters. He bought it five days ago from Amazon for $30 and plans to wear it at the mall or anywhere else hes around a lot of people. Im worried, he said of the virus. Helen Lewis, who pushes passengers in wheelchairs to their flights, began wearing gloves Sunday and asks coughing passengers to cover up their mouths. You dont know who youre carrying, said the 62-year-old from New York. Steve Rehkemper, CEO of Chicago-based Top Secret Toys, says he's suspending all trips to China for now. He visited Shantou, China, and as soon as he arrived in Hong Kong from the mainland on Jan. 14, he and all the other travelers had to have their temperatures taken. ''I didn't get too excited, I knew I didn't have a temperature," he added. Travelers wearing face masks line up to check in for an American Airlines flight to Los Angeles at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. China counted 170 deaths from a new virus Thursday and more countries reported infections, including some spread locally, as foreign evacuees from China's worst-hit region returned home to medical observation and even isolation. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)AP Bill Chen, who arrived in San Francisco from Shanghai on Wednesday, said his temperature was quickly screened at the Shanghai airport before he departed. He also filled out a health questionnaire that asked if he had traveled to Wuhan or had any contact with someone who had been in the city. I feel a little bit sorry for people traveling on the plane, Chen said. People have to be nervous in some way. Three days after signing a peace accord with the Union government, 1,615 members of three factions of the Bodo militant outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) officially laid down arms in a ceremony on Thursday. The cadres, belonging to the factions led B Sawraigra, Gobinda Basumatary and Ranjan Daimary, submitted 178 arms and a large cache of ammunition to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, making their return to the mainstream. I appeal to all cadres of NDFB who have joined the mainstream today to dedicate themselves to building Assam so that our state becomes an exemplary one not just in India but is known across the world, Sonowal said at the ceremony. The people who laid down arms include 836 members from NDFB (Progressive), 579 from NDFB (Ranjan Daimary), and 200 from NDFB (Songbijit). Senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on the occasion that a bill to create a Bodo-Kachari Welfare Council (according to the accord signed this week) will be tabled in the next assembly session, and assured surrendered NDFB militants that they would get a comprehensive rehabilitation package. Last week, 644 rebels from eight militant outfits the United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent, NDFB (S), Kamtapur Liberation Organisation, National Liberation Front of Bengalis, Rabha National Liberation Front, Communist Party of India-Maoist, National Santhal Liberation Army and Adivasi Dragon Fighters laid down arms in Guwahati in the presence of Sonowal. It is a memorable day as the decades-old of tag of Bodo insurgency, which was used to paint an entire community, will go away forever, said Pramod Bodo, president of All Bodo Students Union (ABSU), one of the signatories to the new accord. On Monday, the four leaders of NDFB, ABSU and United Bodo Peoples Organisation (UBPO), who had been seeking a separate Bodoland state for decades, gave up that demand and signed the peace accord in New Delhi in presence of Union home minister Amit Shah. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah are expected to be part of the official Bodo Accord signing celebrations to be held in Kokrajhar on February 7. As per the accord, all the four NDFB factions will abjure violence, surrender weapons, and disband their armed organisations within a month. The Centre and the Assam government will, in return, take steps to rehabilitate the cadres of all four factions through measures such as lump sum payment of ex-gratia, funding of economic activities through existing schemes, provide vocational training, and recruiting them in government jobs according to eligibility. The deal also states that criminal cases against NDFB cadres for non-heinous crimes will be withdrawn, but cases involving heinous crimes will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as per existing policy on the issue. In the past three decades, nearly 4,000 people have died due to the Bodo insurgency. NDFB laying down arms will bring an end to militancy in Bodo-dominated areas, but it is doubtful if it will end violence given the ethnic issues there, said senior journalist and author of Rendezvous with Rebels Rajeev Bhattacharya. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 15:39:12|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MANILA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said on Friday it has approved the establishment of ADB Ventures, a new venture platform that will support and invest in startups offering impact technology solutions that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Asia and the Pacific. "This region is brimming with technology solutions to conserve energy, reduce waste, fight climate change, and deliver public services effectively," ADB Director General for Private Sector Operations Mike Barrow said. Barrow said ADB Ventures "will help bring these solutions to market by leveraging our extensive operational networks and filling the risk capital gap facing innovative early-stage companies in developing Asia and the Pacific, particularly smaller and frontier markets." The Manila-based bank said ADB Ventures Investment Fund 1, the facility's anchor trust fund, has a target size of 50 million U.S. dollars and is accepting contributions from multiple funding sources including bilateral and multilateral development partners. It will mainly invest in early-stage startups and focus on companies with solutions that can address climate change and empower women, the bank added. The bank said the fund has a 17-year fund life, allowing ADB to invest patient capital into clean-tech, fin-tech, agricultural technology, and health technology solutions. The ADB said the Nordic Development Fund, Climate Investment Funds and the Australian government funded project preparation for the ADB Ventures facility. According to the bank, ADB Ventures Investment Fund 1 is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2020. One of its main aims will be to mobilize private capital through co-investing with private sector investors. ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members - 49 from the region. Almost all Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) departments on Friday reported good attendance for the first time after the varsity reopened in phases from January 13. The varsity was closed early for winter vacations from December 16 last year, a day after students clashed with police during a protest against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on campus. The university was to reopen on January 6 but the vacation was extended owing to persisting tension over the changes in the citizenship law. Barring the faculty of law and the senior secondary school for boys, all faculties reported holding of classes on Friday, AMU Spokesman Omar Peerzada told PTI. Peerzada said that the issue at the faculty of law is also being sorted out by the intervention of some senior teachers from the faculty of social sciences. He said AMU vice chancellor Tariq Mansoor had on Thursday assured students that they can continue with their ongoing anti-CAA protest so long as it remains peaceful. In the video message, the vice chancellor also gave an assurance that he will take all necessary steps for "withdrawing any false cases against innocent students." He further promised that in future, "no external agency" will get involved in issues related to the university's law and order and such issues "will be handled by the proctorial and teaching staff." According to Sufian Baig, principal of Zakir Hussain College of Engineering, almost all classes were held in different courses and he expressed hope that "complete normalcy" would return by Monday. The university also announced that fresh dates will be issued for rescheduled examinations. The students have been boycotting exams since the last four days and by rescheduling the exams the university has managed to defuse the situation. Meanwhile, the inclusion of a 16-year-old mentally challenged boy's name in the FIR against AMU students for the violence on December 15 has led to a major embarrassment for the police. The boy is not a student of AMU and his widowed mother had got him released from police custody on December 16 after producing a surety of Rs 50,000, according to advocate Asad Hayat. The matter came to light on Thursday when Hayat, who is representing AMU students in the High court, produced the boy before the Human Rights Commission. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Robert "Zombie" Crosley III, right, alleged to have managed a gun-trafficking ring between Philadelphia and Camden, was ordered detained in custody after a hearing in Camden County Superior Court on Jan. 31, 2020. At left is his attorney, Robert Gamburg. Read more An alleged leader of what authorities called a major Philadelphia-based trafficking ring that peddled drugs and guns into Camden including the assault rifle used in the fatal shooting of 2-year-old Nikolette Rivera in Kensington last year was ordered detained in custody Friday. Robert Zombie Crosley III, 32, of Northeast Philadelphia, was one of five defendants charged in Operation Zombie, a months-long investigation in which the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office; the Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office; and local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities recovered 36 guns and more than 20 ounces of methamphetamine. Meanwhile Friday, another defendant, Yuri Lyubinskiy, 39, also of Northeast Philadelphia, who authorities said was a straw purchaser in the ring, was ordered released pending trial. Camden County Superior Court Judge Kathleen Delaney said she found Crosley to be a danger to the community, but said Lyubinskiys situation was different. Crosley faces 38 counts including first-degree promoting organized street crime and first-degree distribution of methamphetamine, and a potential sentence of life in prison, and has a prior conviction in Bucks County of possession with intent to deliver drugs. Lyubinskiy, who turned himself in to authorities Tuesday faces 11 counts including second-degree conspiracy in the gun trafficking and second-degree transporting firearms for sale, and has no prior convictions. His attorney, Hercules Pappas, told the judge: He is an Uber driver. Hes a Lyft driver. He was paid to drive people places. He is not involved with this crew. But Deputy Attorney General Cassandra Montalto contended that Lyubinskiys lack of a prior criminal record made him the perfect person in this organization to be obtaining weapons for Mr. Crosley and the others. She also said there was evidence that Lyubinskiy participated in the trafficking ring. Starting in February 2019, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the New Jersey State Police began investigating Crosley in the trafficking of weapons and methamphetamine, Montalto told the judge. Every time he was contacted by an undercover law enforcement source, Crosley would indicate that he had multiple weapons for sale and also could sell methamphetamine, she said. He would send photos and videos of the weapons he had for sale and would use Uber and Lyft drivers to travel to Camden with his weapons, Montalto said. Crosley, the prosecutor said, is responsible for bringing more than 20 weapons to New Jersey, including the assault rifle allegedly used in the fatal Oct. 20 shooting of Nikolette. Ten more weapons were seized from his Philadelphia residence Jan. 23, Montalto said. When Crosley was in Camden in December and sold the assault rifle that killed Nikolette, what Crosley didnt know was that he was selling that crime gun to law enforcement, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said Monday at a news conference about Operation Zombie. Although authorities have described the rifle used in Nikolettes shooting as an AK-47, Montalto said at Fridays hearing that it was an SKS. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Attorney Generals Office confirmed afterward that it was an SKS. The investigation revealed that Crosley allegedly obtained guns illegally by paying straw purchasers to buy them in Pennsylvania at dealerships and gun shows, authorities said. Straw purchasers are people with no criminal record who buy guns on behalf of felons, who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. Crosley was arrested Jan. 22 in Camden, where he allegedly had gone to sell guns and drugs, authorities said. He had two handguns, which he said were for his protection, and four long guns, which he intended to sell, Montalto said. Crosleys attorney, Robert Gamburg, argued unsuccessfully for his client to be released to house arrest pending trial. He told the judge that Crosley has no prior convictions involving guns or violence. Three other Philadelphia residents also are charged in the case: Matthew Zoba, 38, accused of managing the drug trafficking conspiracy; Victoria Zipf, 33, Zobas girlfriend, accused of acting as a straw purchaser and assisting in gun and drug sales; and Michael Snyder, 44, who also allegedly acted as a straw purchaser and helped with gun and drug sales. Snyder turned himself in to New Jersey State Police on Monday and was released pending trial. Zoba and Zipf, both arrested in Philadelphia Jan. 23, face extradition hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Zoba remains in custody; Zipf is free on bail. The Kerala police on Friday arrested a Congress leader for allegedly raping a minor girl for several years. Congress Seva Dal former state vice president P P Babu (59) was arrested for alleged sexual assault on a class V student in Kannur, north Kerala. After the case surfaced, Kannur district Congress committee expelled the leader. According to the police the girls family was staying in the neighbourhood of the leader, who was sexually exploiting the minor for the last two years. Parents of the minor said they never expected the leader to be a sexual predator. The shocking case of sexual assault came to light when the girl had to be taken for counseling after a teacher sensed the child was not behaving normally. School authorities alerted the police and the subsequent medical examination also confirmed sexual assault. We have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso). He will be produced in court later in the day. Our investigation is on, said Chakkarakal (Kannur) station house officer P K Sumesh. Besides Congress Seva Dal, Babu was also involved in many social activities in the area, said local residents. Recently many Pocso cases in the State have been fast-tracked. Two days ago a school teacher was sentenced to 60 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a minor student in Kozhikkode. As the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, China has said all countries should behave in a "responsible" manner and avoid overreaction that may result in more negative spillover effects. China informed the WHO about the coronavirus cases in late December. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths. Most international cases are in people who had been to the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. "We are still at a very critical stage in fighting the coronavirus. International solidarity is extremely important and for that purpose all countries should behave in an appropriate and responsible manner, China's Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters here, Zhang said while Beijing understands the concerns of other countries over the outbreak, "we should also listen to the advice" of the Director General of the WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who has said that he "has full confidence in China's efforts to combat the outbreak. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Zhang said that "there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" and the WHO doesn't recommend limiting trade and movement. The Chinese envoy added that under the current circumstances, the world needs solidarity in combating the outbreak. He stressed that all countries should adopt a responsible attitude, work together to combat the virus, and avoid "overreaction that may result in spillover negative effects. He also added that we are still making our assessment of the WHO declaration. WHO's Emergency Committee, declaring the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, called on all countries to take urgent measures to contain the respiratory disease. The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China, but what is happening in other countries," said the WHO chief, praising the "extraordinary measures" taken there by authorities. China quickly identified the virus and shared its sequence, so that other countries could diagnose it quickly and protect themselves, which has resulted in rapid diagnostic tools," said the statement from the Committee. According to a press release issued by the Chinese Mission to the UN, Zhang reiterated that the WHO DG clearly stated that the main reason for this declaration is not because of what is happening in China but about protecting countries with weaker health systems and which are ill-prepared to deal with potential spread. He said WHO continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak and the Director-General's recommendations should be seriously considered. The US issued a 'Do Not Travel' advisory for China due to the coronavirus outbreak. "Do not travel to China due to novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China. On January 30, the World Health Organisation has determined the rapidly spreading outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Travelers should be prepared for travel restrictions to be put into effect with little or no advance notice. Commercial carriers have reduced or suspended routes to and from China, the advisory said. Last week, the Department of State ordered the departure of all non-emergency US personnel and their family members from Wuhan. What does "election integrity" actually mean to Democrats? A perspective is provided by the Democrat-sponsored "For the People Act" (H.R.1 in the current Congress), a dreadfully misnamed legislative mess that purports to improve election integrity and transparency. Some of its features are: Mandates automatic, universal voter registration, and makes it a crime to interfere with registration Allows voter registration at age 16 Mandates early voting of at least 15 days and requires paper ballots Restricts and impedes routine voter roll maintenance Prescribes strict rules for redistricting and authorizes court takeover of redistricting Regulates digital political advertising outright, and restricts corporate political engagement Requires disclosure of donors by Super PACs and so-called "dark money" groups Requires presidential candidates and incumbents to release 10 years of tax returns Supports a Constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision Supports statehood for the District of Columbia You can see where this goes -- a grandiose "big picture" reform program that mostly suppresses free speech, cements Leftist influence, and protects incumbents -- but does virtually nothing to address actual, on-the-ground election integrity. In any plain understanding, "election integrity" demands two things: The trustworthiness of the voting process, and responsible voters. So, what exactly does genuine election integrity look like? And how can the election process help to ensure responsible voting? Here are some necessary characteristics: Citizen-Only Voting. Allowing non-citizens to vote is, effectively, allowing foreign interference in our elections. Illegal aliens in particular have by their action disrespected our laws and evaded any formal obligation to the nation. The right to vote extends properly only to the nation's citizens, citizenship being a useful marker of allegiance and commitment. Voter ID. Affirmative identification is necessary to guarantee that only citizens vote, and only once per election. Voter ID is often criticized as a barrier to voting designed to exclude certain segments of the population. But, let's be real -- no legitimate voter in society today is unable to get proper identification. Advance Registration. Bluntly, if you can't get off your butt one time to go out to register in advance of elections, you plainly don't give a damn about participatory democracy and you simply cannot be counted as a responsible voter. Automatic voter registration and election-day registration are detrimental to both election integrity and responsible voting. Election-Day-Only Voting. Same as above. Apart from a few legitimate reasons for absence on voting day, all of which are adequately covered by absentee ballots, you need to express your commitment to participative democracy by voting in person, on voting day. Early voting facilitates "ballot harvesting," bribery, and similar forms of vote fraud. Election Roll Purging. Voter lists need to be pruned of citizens who have moved, died, were convicted, or failed to vote over a period of time. This is just basic, sound election-management practice. Failure to maintain the accuracy and currency of election rolls opens up vast opportunities for election fraud. These are commonsense features of a well-designed election process that can go a long way toward minimizing election abuses while advancing responsible voting. But apart from paper ballots, you won't find Democrats supporting any of it. Instead, Democrats seek to thwart such controls, suppress political speech, and cite money and influence as the corruptors of our elections, while in other venues they advocate for non-citizen voting "rights" and other electoral vandalisms. One purpose of H.R.1, and the ostensible goal of free-voting advocates, is to make it "easy" to vote. This is entirely wrong. The goal instead must be to ensure conscientious voting, and only by legitimate voters, period. Affirmative voter registration and in-person election-day voting are small but significant acts of citizenship that demonstrate a voter's civic commitment. Making it easy to vote conversely invites reckless voting, enables voter manipulation and facilitates fraud -- which plausibly are the true goals of unrestricted voting. But what about electronic voting technologies, both for voter convenience and to help prevent election fraud? Do we really have to use "dark-ages" methods to achieve trustworthy elections? Technology-enabled free-for-all voting can have outcomes such as Boaty McBoatface and similar absurdities. Beyond that, so long as even facial-recognition and fingerprint authentication technologies can be compromised, there is much to be said in favor of the assurances that physical voting processes, paper ballots (which H.R.1 surprisingly supports) and in-person voting can provide, despite their archaic nature. While you can generate thousands of bogus votes either way, electronic means of doing so are fast, low-cost, and can be difficult to trace and audit. Hardcopy voting records are tangible proof of election results and invaluable evidence in discovering and prosecuting election fraud. Though technology may improve over time, we cannot today afford the purported "efficiency" and "economy" of voting technology, in light of the risks and with so much at stake. Accepting all that, shouldn't every citizen vote? H.R.1 requires universal voter registration. It is an almost mechanical assertion: Isn't 100% election participation a worthy objective? Emphatically not. Voting without civic engagement is a dereliction of civic duty. You can perhaps compel every citizen to vote, but you can hardly make them all vote responsibly. The proper thing for disinterested citizens to do is not vote, something that can be largely self-selecting -- and would be, if they were left alone. Let engaged, conscientious citizens, those whose diligence reflects their stake in the outcome, vote instead. Others should stay home. Of course, all law-abiding citizens have the right to vote. But your fellow citizens have an equal right to expect that you will vote responsibly. Responsible voting begins with a genuine interest in the substance of governance; it means being properly informed of issues and candidates, including being skeptical of personality and unpersuaded by propaganda and emotion. It demands a knowledge of history and of the processes and institutions of government. In short, it means civic engagement. It means applying sober, informed judgment to electoral decisions. Democrats of course reject such requirements or qualifications for voting, conveniently ignoring the essential connection of rights with responsibilities whenever it suits their purposes. On-the-ground election interference has a long and ignoble history -- backroom ballot creation, voter intimidation, bribery facilitated by "walking-around money," with "vote early and often" a semi-facetious characterization of common corrupt practices. But modern tendencies toward relaxed voting requirements, wholesale elimination of vital election controls and, more recently, voting by illegal aliens, are now presented fully above-board, unapologetically proclaimed as proper and just. Today, any measure that has the effect of denying the vote to any individual is summarily dismissed as "discriminatory" and "racist" voter suppression. This is patently obnoxious. Unrestricted voting is arguably more corrupting than "big money" in our elections. Requiring citizens to vote on their own initiative is hardly nefarious; it is honest common sense. Finally, while elections may be the expression of the people's will, voting alone is neither the sole nor the overriding determinant of our governance. The claim that "Hillary beat Trump" because of the popular vote total is as ignorant as it is meaningless, besides being boldfaced Leftist deceit. Such a solitary focus on "the will of the people" and elevation of the popular vote is seductive but misguided. The United States is constituted as a democratic republic, in which the brilliant inventions of the Senate and the Electoral College provide representation for the 50 sovereign states. (Remember them? They still matter.) Every vote counts, but only in the context of limited, representative government. In both lawmaking and the election of presidents, the popular vote is only one component of "what counts" for our self-governance. If consistency mattered to leftists, they ought to embrace the Electoral College inasmuch as it embodies our country's authentic "diversity." Instead, they call for its destruction. The Founders trusted the people, but realized that effective self-governance needs engaged, informed citizens. Enabling and respecting the will of the people requires trustworthy, responsible voting. You have to wonder why the Democrats have a problem with that. Today could be the last day of the exhausting Senate impeachment trial, depending on whether a handful of moderate Republican senators vote to hear additional witnesses. If the Senate decides that it has heard enough, they will then vote on removal of Donald Trump as president of the United States, which will undoubtedly fall far short of the 67 votes needed to evict him from the White House. While it seems that nearly all Republicans are uninterested in hearing additional testimony, many haven't considered the tremendous upside that witnesses could bring to the GOP. Republicans believe they are winning the case, as there isn't clear evidence that President Trump linked aid to Ukraine with calling investigations on Joe Biden. Plus, even if there was such a linkage, Republicans such as Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) say that wouldn't be illegal or impeachable. In a courtroom, the prevailing theory would be to end the trial and celebrate acquittal. If you're winning, there's no need to take any risks. But this is an impeachment trial, and there are political implications. Senate Republicans are seemingly not considering the political benefits of calling witnesses; their only goal seems to be acquittal, as if this were a standard criminal trial. The past few days have made it abundantly clear: the first witness for Democrats would be President Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton, and the Republicans' highest priority witness would be Hunter Biden, son of former vice president Joe Biden. If these witnesses are called, the next phase will allow Republicans to run away with the lead. The Republicans, being the Senate majority, would likely call their witness first. The advantage here for Republicans is that they can highlight and expose the corruption in Ukraine that President Trump was targeting in the infamous July 25 call. This would bolster President Trump's claims that there are sufficient grounds for investigation into the Bidens, thereby alienating the accusation that investigations were started in bad faith. Hunter Biden's former employer, Burisma Holdings, and Burisma's owner, Mykola Zlotchevsky, have been accused of money-laundering by the government of Latvia. Burisma has been investigated continuously for years for all kinds of white-collar crimes. Every political party wants to have voters believe that it will clean up corruption, and here is the GOP's chance to make a point of it. Candidate Trump ran with the slogan of "drain the swamp" and now has a chance to cash in on that promise. If Hunter Biden pleads the Fifth, Joe Biden can kiss his candidacy goodbye. There are questions being raised about how the Bidens obtained their wealth and the legality of potential conflicts of interest. When asked by ABC News reporter Amy Robach: "If your last name wasn't Biden, do you think you would have been asked to be on the board of Burisma?," Hunter Biden responded by saying, "I don't know, probably not..." However, former vice president Biden said he never discussed overseas business with his son. When asked about these sketchy deals on the campaign trail, Joe Biden has grown increasingly defensive. Pressing this issue will certainly score political points for Republicans. As for the Democrat witness John Bolton, it isn't particularly clear if he would be able to testify without preceding litigation by Trump's legal team. The president has used executive authority to withhold some of his other advisers from testifying, and litigation might draw out long enough to tire out voters who have, believe it or not, spent dozens of hours watching C-SPAN. Given the assumption that Bolton does testify, the worst-case scenario for President Trump is that Bolton expands on the allegations in the leaked manuscript from his most recent book and testifies that there was a linkage between the foreign aid and corruption investigations. While this allegation hurts politically, Trump's legal team can point to many reasons to negate it. For one, the timing of Bolton's upcoming book The Room Where It Happened, which will be published March 17, raises eyebrows, as he is in full marketing mode. Secondly, there are already multiple witnesses called by Democrats who said there was no linkage, including Ambassador Kurt Volker, Ambassador William Taylor, and deputy assistant Tim Morrison. In addition, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said with regard to the July 25 call that "we had good phone call. It was normal, we spoke about many things. I think, and you read it, that nobody pushed me." The only witness to claim a quid pro quo was Ambassador Gordon Sondland, who later walked it back as only his "presumption." Republicans have these justifications to fall back on in case John Bolton tries to confirm the alleged quid pro quo. Lastly, President Trump can also argue that Bolton's explanation is exaggerated due to Bolton's reportedly hostile exit from the White House in September. Consider the downside for Republicans if additional witnesses aren't called. If Bolton doesn't speak in front of the Senate, the Democrats would accuse Republicans of a cover-up throughout the election season. Bloomberg ads would ask what Republicans are hiding, and accuse Republicans of blocking witnesses without any regard for bipartisanship. Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren would ask why their Republican Senate colleagues don't want to hear the whole truth. The eventual Democrat nominee will bring a copy of Bolton's new book with them everywhere, quoting it in stump speeches and mentioning it at campaign rallies. Republicans can prevent these talking points by letting Bolton air his grievances now, 10 months before the election. With witnesses, Republicans can continue their winning streak by exposing the Bidens. The GOO can avoid the Democrat talking point that loose ends remain. Republicans have a winning argument, so they should prolong the platform on which they can argue it. The GOP has an opportunity to run up the score, and they would be wise to do exactly that. Image credit: Nick Youngson, Alpha Stock Images, CC BY-SA 3.0. New Delhi, Jan 31 (UNI) The students protesting outside the Delhi Police headquarters since Thursday night over the firing incident near Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), were forcibly detained on Friday morning and the traffic was resumed. According to police, in the aftermath of the Jamia incident, hundreds of students were demonstrating on both sides of the roads in front of the police headquarters. Police said they tried to convince the protestors, but they did not listen and to prevent traffic jams, they had to be forcibly removed. The students alleged that police forcibly dragged them away from the roads, in which some students were injured. The protesters shouted slogans against the Delhi Police and the government throughout the night. In Jamia, the students were angry after Thursday's incident, in which a 19-year-old man identified as Gopal, brandishing a pistol in the air, opened fire at the protestors demonstrating against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) near the JMI in south Delhi. A student, identified as Shadab Farooq, was injured in the incident, who was later admitted in AIIMS Trauma Center, where his condition was said to be stable. The culprit was also arrested and booked under the attempt to murder, Arms Act and Section 307. The protesting students were demanding strict action against the accused, as well as action against the negligence of Delhi Police, who the students alleged, remained a mute spectator during the incident. UNI JAL RJ 1244 As many as 366 Indian nationals are returning back from China amid the outbreak of novel coronavirus in the country and they will be kept at specially created quarantine centres for two weeks, as a precautionary measure. The Union Health Ministry informed that the government has made adequate quarantine centres at Manesar and Chawal camp. Sanjeeva Kumar, Special Secretary at the health ministry said that a team of doctors, public health specialists have been sent in the aircraft of Air India. "The incoming Indian passengers will be quarantined for 14 days at the two Quarantine Centres set-up at Manesar (managed by Armed Forces Medical Services) and Chawla Camp (managed by ITBP). About 80 male passengers are proposed to be sent to Manesar Camp and families/females (approximately 90) can be housed in the ITBP camp." Medical Teams for Manesar Camp are being taken care of by AFMS. Adequate medical care will be provided by a team of doctors at both the facilities, he said. In addition, a 50-bedded critical care facility has been set-up at Safdurjung Hospital in Delhi for the critical care of the patients. All persons admitted to both the quarantine facilities will be monitored on a daily basis for a period of 14 days. A nodal officer will be deputed from each Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs for effective coordination. Dr Rajiv Garg, Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will look after overall arrangements at the ITBP facility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 48 hours after the plan to repatriate citizens was announced, there were still three major problems. The Chinese government had yet to approve the evacuation and it did not recognise dual citizenship - meaning many Australians who had entered China on their Chinese passports were unlikely to be allowed to leave. The Australian government had also advised dozens of those in regional areas that they would have to travel hundreds of kilometres to Wuhan even as buses, trains and cars were in lockdown across the province. By Friday evening however, the federal government was expecting approval from Beijing for the evacuation plan. But Lee is one of the Australian residents hit with two of the problems still facing the government. He entered China on his passport from a Chinese territory - Hong Kong - and is 300 kilometres from Wuhan. The roads are blocked private vehicles cant get there. I cant get to Wuhan," he says. It's a situation many Australians in Hubei are grappling with, says Moko Yong, who runs a growing WeChat social media group for Australians in the area. About half are permanent Australian residents who had entered China on their Chinese passports, he says. For others distance and transport barriers are insurmountable problems. "For the moment, some Chinese-Australians are visiting their families and friends in rural areas of Hubei where transportation has been blocked, says Yong. But their passports are with their parents' home in Wuhan... moving from villages to Wuhan already is a problem." Inside Hubei province, where the virus began its spread in December from wild animals in a fresh seafood and meat market, residents are exasperated. I had no choice but to risk my health to go and buy food and water, says Wuhan resident Pisso Scott. Vegetables were finished. The diary of another tells readers the doors of pharmacies are closed in the city of 11 million people. Small side windows remain open for customers but the poster still displayed masks, disinfectant, and thermometers sold out. They have been for weeks. I cried softly as I read the article Mama passed away in Wuhan quarantine', they say in the diary entry shared on Twitter by Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao. I forwarded the article to my mother, telling her that she must take good care of herself so I dont become a motherless child. Elsewhere, parents have lost children. Posts from rural Hubei on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo claim a 17-year-old disabled boy died after his father and brother were taken to quarantine. Left at home for almost a week, he was fed only twice by the local Communist Party cadres responsible for his welfare. The County Party Committee has launched an investigation into the incident. Videos of an apartment block outside Wuhan purport to show a door sealed with metal bars. Wuhan people live here, keep out, a sign says. Beijing has warned people not to discriminate. Isolating the epidemic doesnt mean isolating feelings, Wu Hao, one of the government's health officials, said in a press conference this week. In order to better stop and prevent the disease, properly controlling the movement of people is necessary to prevent the virus from spreading. The World Health Organisation declared a global health emergency on Friday. It had taken more than two weeks. The trigger finally came once the flu-like virus had spread to 18 countries and more than 8000 people. Australia now has nine confirmed cases, with the number expected to rise. Four had been confirmed in NSW, three in Victoria and two in Queensland. Loading Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy says Australia is extremely well prepared and that all of the local cases so far have been relatively mild, with two people discharged after recovering from the virus. He says measures recommended by WHO, including isolation, case management, contact tracing, prevention of onward spread, active surveillance and early detection, have already been put in place by federal and state authorities. We're one of the most forward-leaning countries in terms of our public health response to this outbreak, he says. It's important to note the World Health Organisation is still saying that containment of this outbreak is the goal and is still possible. Clearly what is happening in China is of concern. "The outbreak is still not under control, but the Chinese are making very, very substantial efforts. In China, there are now more people infected than at the height of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus in 2003 and there are signs the global economic contagion could be greater too. Global giants Ikea and Google are temporarily shutting their China stores. British Airways has cancelled all direct flights between Britain and China. United Airlines, Air Asia, Cathay Pacific and Air India have all restricted their routes. The US raised its travel alert for all of China on Friday. "Do not travel," the US Department of State said, the highest level of warning. Australia has advised against all non-essential travel to China. Modelling by KPMG found the economic impacts are likely to be in the order of 0.2 per cent of China's gross domestic product. Globally, that means the coronavirus is likely to exceed the $60 billion global cost of the SARS epidemic, according to Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe. Australia will be hit with flow-on effects. Tourism is likely to be the biggest loser, with a reduction in Chinese travellers having sudden and substantial" impacts on Australia, according to PWC. The accounting firm found that up to 20,000 full-time equivalent jobs could disappear, many taking years to come back, costing the economy up to $2.3 billion. If restrictions prove ineffective then the possible economic costs will begin to rise exponentially as community anxiety increases, says Industry Super Australia chief economist Stephen Anthony, a former Treasury and Department of Finance official. Loading Asked if it was possible that the economic risks could become greater than the health risks, JP Morgan chief economist Sally Auld says "yes". Especially given that China has a much larger share of the global economy than it had in 2003, she says. At the moment our view is that this threat could delay the return to [normal rates] of global growth, rather derail it. Australian Industry Group chief economist Julie Toth says as the health emergency becomes global, there is a possibility that some precautionary measures become disproportionate to the health risks. That said, most people would agree that saving lives should take precedence over saving livelihoods, she says. In early February of 1841, fans of spellbinding tales swarmed the docks in New York City to greet a ship bearing the final instalment of The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. For more than a year, the English master had churned out, chapter by chapter, the adventures of orphan Nell Trent (beautiful, virtuous, not yet 14) and her travails at the hands of the evil Daniel Quilp. American readers were desperate to know if, owing to a series of bad turns, poor Nell had died. Alas, she had, the crew replied to questions hollered from the wharf. And at that news, many citizens of the still youngish republic convulsed in tears. Who knew that a walrus-moustached former national security adviser for the United States would conjure something like the same literary fever? Who said books on the printed page were an endangered species? Perhaps not since J.K. Rowling was turning out the adventures of Harry Potter and the trainee wizards at Hogwarts has there been such anticipation of a book as there is for John Boltons The Room Where it Happened a purported tell-all from inside the Trump White House. Already, leaked excerpts from the manuscript have reported Bolton saying that he was told directly by President Donald Trump of the plan to hold Congress-approved military support for embattled Ukraine until the new leadership there agreed to announce investigations into the business dealings of Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Naturally, the revelations even as his impeachment trial carried on in the Senate drove Trump to Twitter to savage his former aide as having written a nasty and untrue book. Frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now, fumed Trump, adding that Bolton had begged him for a job amid many (unsourced) warnings of Dont do it, sir. Good heavens, Grace Metalious didnt cause such huffing, puffing and chest-heaving in Peyton Place. Trump suggested publication would, in any event, be barred over national security concerns. As if Bolton needed any further hyping of his typing. And scarcely had Trump signed off Twitter, but the National Security Council released a letter sent last week to Boltons lawyers, declaring that the manuscript appears to contain significant amounts of classified information. It got better. All caps. It also appears that some of this classified material is at the TOP SECRET level, the letter said. As such, the manuscript may not be published or otherwise disclosed without the deletion of this classified information. Instantly, it seemed possible Bolton would join the exalted literary pantheon of Henry Miller (Tropic of Cancer, James Joyce (Ulysses), Vladimir Nabakov (Lolita) and Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot). Banned! Music to any literary agents ears. Boltons lawyers wrote back to the security council, noting Bolton might be subpoenaed to testify before the Senate and that questions he would likely face there to be answered under oath would require answers containing much of the contentious material. Bolton has, for some considerable time, been a figure of controversy in the U.S. He was appointed as ambassador to the United Nations in 2005 during a congressional recess because Republican operators couldnt muster the required votes. As national security advisor to Trump, Boltons musings about use of the Libyan model on North Korea a comment for which the president taunted him on Twitter was considered as hugely unhelpful in lowering tensions. But it has seemed for two months or so that Bolton was going to cause far more grief than that for Trump. We assumed that Mr. Bolton was disgruntled, said Patrick Philbin, deputy White House counsel. We didnt expect that he was going to be saying a lot of nice things about the president. Testimony before the House inquiry, as it tried to unravel the Ukraine fiasco, suggested Bolton was more than a little bothered by the presidents initiative. On several occasions, he told staffers similarly worried about the irregular goings-on to go tell the lawyers in the State Department. And tell them, Bolton said to one senior aide, that he wanted no part of the drug deal that EU ambassador Gordon Sondland and Trumps chief of staff Mick Mulvaney were cooking up. The Room Where it Happened until the security council weighed in was scheduled to be published in March by Simon and Shuster. If so, it should be a bigger hit than St. Patricks Day. As the Senate impeachment trial wrestled on with the question of whether to call witnesses, John Boltons name was mentioned more often than Stormy Daniels was during a previous Trump imbroglio. Im no fan of John Bolton, Adam Schiff, the Democrats lead manager on the case, told the Senate. Although I like him a little better than I used to. Other Democrats apparently avid readers all sprang before the cable TV cameras to defend Boltons right to publish. I cant believe that even this administration is going to silence a book, said Senator Mark Warner, Democratic vice-chair of the intelligence committee. All authors should have such pre-launch publicity. Read more about: A charter flight from Wuhan, China, carrying approximately 200 U.S. citizens, taxis to a stop at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. Wednesday morning Jan. 29, 2020. Will Lester | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin via Getty Images U.S. health officials have quarantined 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China, taking the rare step of issuing a mandatory order for the first time in more than 50 years to help contain an outbreak of a new coronavirus that's spread to roughly 10,000 people across the globe. "CDC under statutory authority of the HHS secretary has issued federal quarantine orders for all 195 passengers," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conference call with reporters Friday. "While we recognize this is an unprecedented action, we are facing an unprecedented public health threat." Trump administration officials later said they were and issuing mandatory quarantines for any U.S. citizens who have visited Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, in the last 14 days. Travel restrictions were also being issued for anyone who visited elsewhere in mainland China over the previous two weeks. The administration plans to deny entry to foreign nationals who "pose a risk of transmitting" the virus in the U.S., administration officials said at a news conference a few hours after the CDC's call. "Any U.S. citizen returning to the United States who has been in the Hubei province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine to ensure they're provided proper medical care and health screening," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said. The new coronavirus, which was discovered about a month ago, can spread before symptoms show, Messonnier said, citing a new report from the New England Journal of Medicine. The illness has quickly spread throughout mainland China, with 7,000 new cases confirmed over the last week and at least 213 deaths. World health officials previously said the virus is transmitted through human contact, in droplets released by coughing or sneezing and even by touching surfaces with germs. The last time U.S. health officials issued a mandatory quarantine was in the 1960s during a smallpox outbreak, they said. "We are preparing as if this were the next pandemic but we are hopeful still that this is not and will not be the case," she said, adding that the tests for the virus aren't foolproof. "This is a very serious public health situation and CDC and federal government has and will continue to take aggressive action to protect the public." The passengers will be quarantined at the March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County, California, during the incubation period, or 14 days, she said. They arrived in the U.S. from Wuhan on Wednesday and were screened multiple times and monitored throughout the flight, health officials said. Messonnier said Wednesday that the CDC has 20 staff on hand to monitor their health. If any of the passengers begin to exhibit symptoms, they will be moved to a hospital, she said. Messonnier said the goal of the quarantine is to prevent "as much as possible community spread" of the coronavirus. "This is one of the tools in our toolbox to mitigate the potential impact of this novel virus on that United States," she said. "We are preparing as if this were the next pandemic, but we are hopeful still that this is not and will not be the case." Messonnier said the respiratory disease can be carried through droplets or through sneezing and coughing, confirming what World Health Organization officials told reporters earlier this week. [Read more on the history Raphael Warnock is chasing.] ATLANTA Ebenezer Baptist Church bills itself as Americas Freedom Church, a reflection of its lofty stature as the house of worship where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached. Over the decades, the 6,000-member congregation just east of downtown Atlanta has become a favored stop for national politicians seeking to make their case to the African-American community and pay homage to the slain civil rights icon. But this week, Ebenezer transformed from political venue to political launching pad when its senior pastor, the Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, a Democrat, entered the race for the United States Senate seat recently vacated by Johnny Isakson, a Republican who cited ailing health as his reason for resigning with three years left in his term. The move is likely to alter the way the powerful King legacy resonates in the state, particularly because Dr. King declined to run for public office, preferring to effect change through direct social action. In a phone interview on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Warnock, 50, said he respected that position, but noted that he had also spent a number of years before coming to Ebenezer as a pastor at New York Citys Abyssinian Baptist Church. It was there that another of Dr. Warnocks civil rights heroes, the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr., once preached, and Mr. Powell had no reservations about entering the political fray, serving in Congress from 1945 to 1971. Yes, it is, for some people, an extraordinary step for a clergyperson to operate beyond the pulpit and enter the rough-and-tumble of politics, Dr. Warnock said. I am aware of the risk. But I am embracing it because I think the times demand it. Advertisement NASA has said a final goodbye to its Spitzer Space Telescope, which has been decommissioned after more than 16 years of service. NASA mission control downloaded the last Spitzer data and sent through a command to enter safe mode on Thursday, ceasing all scientific operations. At 2:34 pm PST (10:24pm GMT) on Thursday, Spitzer Project Manager Joseph Hunt declared the spacecraft officially decommissioned, bringing its mission to an end. The telescope, which focused on capturing infrared images, launched in 2003 and was operational for 16-and-a-half years, despite only being planned to serve for five. The spacecraft's most memorable achievements include the discovery of Saturn's largest ring and four TRAPPIST-1 exoplanets, as well as mapping the extensive portraits of the Milky Way. Scroll down for video NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has concluded after more than 16 years of exploring the universe in infrared light Newborn stars peek out from beneath their natal blanket of dust in this dynamic image of the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud from NASA's Spitzer in 2008 'Spitzer has taught us about entirely new aspects of the cosmos and taken us many steps further in understanding how the universe works, addressing questions about our origins, and whether or not are we alone,' said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. 'This Great Observatory has also identified some important and new questions and tantalising objects for further study, mapping a path for future investigations to follow. 'Its immense impact on science certainly will last well beyond the end of its mission.' Among its contributions over 16 years, Spitzer studied comets and asteroids in our Solar System and found a previously unidentified ring around Saturn in 2009 the planet's largest. This image from Spitzer shows the Cat's Paw nebula, so named for the large, round features that create the impression of a feline footprint. The nebula is a star-forming region in the Milky Way galaxy, located in the constellation Scorpius. This image was compiled using data from the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) and the Multiband Imaging Photometer (MIPS) aboard Spitzer This star-studded panorama of our Milky Way galaxy is constructed from more than two million infrared snapshots taken over 10 years by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, processed in 2014 Spitzer reveals the stars of the crowded galactic centre region of our Milky Way. Spitzer's infrared cameras were able to penetrate much of the surrounding cloud and dust In 2007, Spitzer also captured enough light from planets outside our atmosphere known as exoplanets to identify molecules in their atmosphere. Spitzer obtained data for two different gas exoplanets, called HD 209458b and HD 189733b around 159 and 64.5 light years away from our Solar System, respectively. The exoplanets, dubbed 'hot Jupiters' are made of gas, but orbit much closer to their suns than the Jupiter in our own Solar System. Last year, Spitzer data provided NASA scientists with information of the conditions on a rocky exoplanet called LHS 3844b, 1.3 times the mass of Earth and 48.6 light-years from our home planet. This artist's illustration depicts the exoplanet LHS 3844b, which is 1.3 times the mass of Earth and orbits an M dwarf star - stars that are smaller, dimmer and cooler than stars like our Sun This infrared image from Spitzer shows the Helix nebula, a cosmic starlet often photographed by amateur astronomers for its vivid colours and eerie resemblance to a giant eye SPITZER BY NUMBERS 1 of NASA's four Great Observatories 3 scientific instruments on board 85cm telescope mirror 16.4 years in space More than 36.5 million raw images taken Furthest objects seen as they appeared 13.4 billion years ago 90.1 per cent observing efficiency As of January 30, 2020 Source: NASA Advertisement Spitzer also captured images of spectacular images of star systems and dust clouds, including the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud 'cradling' newborn stars and the Cat's Paw nebula. It also provided an extensive 360-degree mosaic of our Milky Way galaxy, compiling more than 2 million images collected over the course of 10 years. But Spitzer's best-known work, NASA said, may be detecting and determining the mass and densities of the seven Earth-size planets orbiting the TRAPPIST-1 star, back in 2017. Spitzer discovered the four of the exoplanets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 after the first three were discovered in 2015 using a pair of Belgian optic robotic telescopes. Spitzer's discovery made the planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1 the largest number of rocky planets ever found orbiting a single star. An artist's impression of the various exoplanets in the TRAPPIST-1 star system. Earth may not be the best planet for life some exoplanets orbiting distant stars, including the seven rocky TRAPPIST-1 planets discovered by Spitzer, have the potential to host a more diverse and abundant array of life This artist's conception shows a nearly invisible ring around Saturn - the largest of the giant planet's many rings, discovered by Spitzer In 2016, NASA had decided to shut down Spitzer in 2018 in anticipation of the launch of the multi-billion dollar James Webb Space Telescope entering service. However, when the launch of James Webb was postponed yet again, Spitzer was granted an extension to its operations until 2020. THE FOUR GREAT OBSERVATORIES TELESCOPES Hubble Space Telescope (1990-) observes visible light and near-ultraviolet. Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (1991-2000) observed gammas rays and hard x-rays. Chandra X-ray Observatory (1999-) observes soft x-rays. Spitzer Space Telescope (2003-2020) observed the infrared spectrum. Advertisement 'Everyone who has worked on this mission should be extremely proud today,' Hunt said. 'There are literally hundreds of people who contributed directly to Spitzer's success, and thousands who used its scientific capabilities to explore the universe. 'We leave behind a powerful scientific and technological legacy.' Spitzer's prime mission came to an end in 2009, when the telescope exhausted its supply of the liquid helium coolant necessary for operating two of its three instruments. However, scientists were able to keep the mission going using third instrument, the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC), until 2020. One of Spitzer's final acts was to snap a stunning view of the Tarantula Nebula the first target it was given to observe after its initial launch near the start of the century. The high-resolution image of the star-forming region named for its spidery filaments of gas is made up of data from several observations by the telescope. The Tarantula Nebula shows of the full breadth of Spitzer's capabilities, according to project scientist Michael Werner from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab in California Spitzer Project Manager Joseph Hunt stands in Mission Control at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California on Thursday, declaring the spacecraft decommissioned and the Spitzer mission concluded Scientists say they expect researchers to continue making discoveries with Spitzer long after the spacecraft's decommissioning. Spitzer was one of NASA's four Great Observatories large, powerful space-based astronomical telescopes that were launched between 1990 and 2003. The fab four Spitzer, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra x-ray Observatory and the Hubble Space Telescope were each built to specifically observe regions of the light spectrum. Satellite light readings can allow scientists to discern the mass and size of stars in other galaxies and their planets that pass in front of them. The Great Observatories program demonstrated the power of using different wavelengths of light to create a fuller picture of the universe, NASA said. Of the four, only the Hubble and the Chandra now remain active, as the Compton was decommissioned in 2000. All of Spitzer's data is free and available to the public in the Spitzer data archive. New Delhi: Union minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur and BJPs West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma were banned by the Election Commission from campaigning in the Delhi Assembly polls for 72 hours and 96 hours respectively for making controversial speeches. The ban came into force from 5 pm on Thursday. It has also granted permission to the Union home ministry to extend by one month the services of Delhi police commissioner Amulya Patnaik, who was due to retire on Friday. The EC said the BJP leaders had made undesirable and objectionable statements which had the potential to aggravate existing differences. The EC orders barred Mr Thakur and Mr Verma from holding any public meetings, processions, rallies, roadshows and interviews, public utterances in the media in connection with the ongoing Delhi polls. At a recent public meeting in Rithala, Mr Thakur had shouted desh ke gaddaron ko, to which the crowd responded goli maaro saalo ko (sic) (shoot down the traitors). Mr Verma had claimed that those who mounted over a month-long sit-in protest at Shaheen Bagh against the controversial citizenship law will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters. In his defence to the showcause notice, Mr Thakur told the EC he had only said desh ke gaddaron ko (traitors to the country), and it was the crowd which responded. Dallas, Texas, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Market 2019-2026: Produce water is a mixture several impurities. Some organic and inorganic components mixed in the formation of water. It exists in reservoir and produced with extracted oil and gas. This produced water is acidic slightly. The water produced contains several impurities like oil, gas, acids. It is gets treated before injecting into river streams. Membrane technology, physical separation, thermal technology and chemical treatment are some methods used in industries to process this impure water. For oil and gas industries management of produced water has become an important segment. In petroleum industry handling of produced water becomes critical task as it is major source of revenue for many countries. Request for a sample of Produced Water Treatment Systems report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3337018 This has led to considerable increase in Global Produced Water Treatment Systems market growth. The stringent environment norms against the disposal of the produced water from the shortage of the water and the oil wells in developing countries like china and India are some key drivers for Global Produced Water Treatment Systems market growth. Rising demand for oil and gas, increasing extraction are major reasons of Global Produced Water Treatment Systems market growth. Additionally scarcity of usable water in developing countries is escalating the market growth. Global Produced Water Treatment Systems market can be classified on the basis product type, application, key companies and key regions. On the basis of types, the Global Produced Water Treatment Systems market is primarily classified into Primary Treatment, Secondary Treatment and Tertiary Treatment. The tertiary produced water treatment systems is projected to make great revenue of the global produced water treatment systems market in coming years. Furthermore On the basis of applications, the market covers Onshore and Offshore. However, for offshore applications higher growth prospects are estimated. Browse Full Produced Water Treatment Systems Report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-produced-water-treatment-systems-market-report-2019-competitive-landscape-trends-and-opportunities There are several key players which are presently functioning in this sector. Some of the Leading players operating in the market are Frames, National Oilwell Varco, IX Power, Siemens, Ovivo, CETCO Energy Services, Enhydra, Suez Environnement Group, Prosep, Baker Hughes Inc, Cameron, Enviro-Tech Systems, Omni Water Solutions, Cetco Energy Services, ROSO Offshore Engineering, Weatherford, Schlumberger, TechnipFMC, Veolia and Halliburton. Looping based on the geographical regions/countries which have a good market is segmented into United States, (European countries like UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany Russia, Poland), China, Japan, India, Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam), In Central and South America (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia), in Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria) and Other Regions. North America is the largest market for Produced water treatment industry by revenue. Direct Purchase Single User copy of Produced Water Treatment Systems Report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase-single-user/3337018 Major Points From TOC: 1 Produced Water Treatment Systems Market Overview 2 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Market Landscape by Player 3 Players Profiles of Produced Water Treatment Systems Industry 4 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type 5 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Market Analysis by Application 6 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2014-2019) 7 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2014-2019) 8 Produced Water Treatment Systems Manufacturing Analysis 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers 10 Produced Water Treatment Systems Market Dynamics 11 Global Produced Water Treatment Systems Market Forecast (2019-2026) 12 Research Findings and Conclusion 13 Appendix Global Packaged Water Treatment System market 2019-2026: Packaged water treatment systems offer pre-fabricated and pre-engineered methods to the user to treat wastewater with an aerobic process. This systems are majorly installed in recommended industries and residential places. This system can be transported to required sites easily. Treated water can be further use in agricultural production, in industries, etc. Increase in population worldwide is one the major reasons influencing the growth of global packaged water treatment system market. And increase in water pollution level thus rising health awareness is the major reason for packaged water treatment system market growth. Also Rapid growth in urbanization is fuelling the market demand of packaged water. Request for a sample of Packaged Water Treatment System report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/3391151 Packaged water treatment system helps to accommodate small places. It is projected to boom in the market in coming years. Moreover, rising industrialization and economic growth worldwide are the factors contributing to the growth of global packaged water treatment system market. Additionally scarcity of usable water in developing countries is escalating the market growth. Among technology, it is expected to have largest market share of Packaged Water Treatment System market. Global Packaged Water Treatment System market can be fabricated on several types such as product type, applications, regions/regions and renowned companies. Global Packaged Water Treatment System market on the basis of product types classified into MBR Packaged Plant and many others. Furthermore on the basis of applications Global Packaged Water Treatment System market can be divided into three types as Drinking Water Treatment, Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Municipal Wastewater Treatment. Browse Full Packaged Water Treatment System Report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-packaged-water-treatment-system-market-report-2019-competitive-landscape-trends-and-opportunities There are several key players which are presently functioning in this sector. Some of the Leading players operating in the market are CST Wastewater Solutions Inc., RWL Water, WPL International, Veolia Water Technologies, Enviroquip, GE Water & Process Technologies, Westech Engineering Inc., Napier-Reid Ltd., Smith & Loveless Inc., Metito and Corix Water Systems. Looping based on the geographical regions/countries which have a good market is segmented into United States, (European countries like UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany Russia, Poland), China, Japan, India, Southeast Asian countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam), In Central and South America (Brazil, Mexico, Colombia), in Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria) and Other Regions. The Middle East region is the leading region among all the regions worldwide. And it is stated that it has the largest market revenue globally. Followed by Middle East region, Africa is on the second position due to increase in urbanization. Also in regions like Saudi Arabia and UAE global packaged water treatment system market is booming. Direct Purchase Single User copy of Packaged Water Treatment System Report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contact/purchase-single-user/3391151 Major Points From TOC: 1 Packaged Water Treatment System Market Overview 2 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market Landscape by Player 3 Players Profiles of Packaged Water Treatment System Industry 4 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type 5 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market Analysis by Application 6 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2014-2019) 7 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2014-2019) 8 Packaged Water Treatment System Manufacturing Analysis 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers 10 Packaged Water Treatment System Market Dynamics 11 Global Packaged Water Treatment System Market Forecast (2019-2026) 12 Research Findings and Conclusion 13 Appendix About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. A European Union flag has been set on fire as crowds gather in central London hours before a planned Brexit celebration. A man, draped in a Union Jack flag, was cheered on as the flag went up in flames close to Downing Street. The crowd also jeered at around 300 pro-EU demonstrators who were walking from Downing Street to the office of the European Commission in London. Police were seen forming a line to keep the two groups apart. A man dressed as Winston Churchil during Brexit Day protests and celebrations at Parliament Square / AFP via Getty Images The pro-Brexit supporters sung shame on you, shame on you, losers, losers and bye, bye EU to the tune of Auld Lang Syne. Meanwhile, dozens of people gathered around the Sir Winston Churchill statue on Parliament Square with at least one person dressed up as the former Prime Minister. Brexit supporters carry flags and placards as they gather in Parliament Square / AFP via Getty Images A music system was also been set up inside the back of a lorry on Parliament Street, with people dancing in a closed-off section of the street to music by Sir Tom Jones and Queen. As one man walked through the crowd with an EU flag draped over his shoulders, another man carrying the Union flag shouted at him: Go away loser. Little Ben makes a din in Parliament Square / PA A modified Victorian cart featuring a small church bell and drum was responsible for much of the noise in Parliament Square. Called Little Ben, the cart belongs to David and Nancy Waller, who have travelled down from Shropshire to take part in the Brexit Celebration. Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures 1 /22 Brexit Day at Parliament Square - In pictures Anti-Brexit protesters in Parliament Square, London PA Police presence at anti-Brexit protests in Parliament Square, London PA The Winston Churchill statue and Union flags in Parliament Square, London PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man carries an EU themed wreath at Parliament Square Reuters Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square, London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union PA Pro Brexit supporters hold placards at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A man wears a President, Donald Trump mask and holds an American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images People hold placards in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament in London AFP via Getty Images A man holds up a President, Donald Trump, American flag at Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images A Red Viking apple with the Union Jack is displayed and given out for free to promote British produce as an Anti-Brexit demonstrator waves the European Union flag in Parliament Square AP Joseph Afrane in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Pro-EU anti-Brexit protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images A man takes a photo of political artist Kaya Mar's paintings in Parliament Square Getty Images A man in an oversized 'Keep America Great' hat and draped with a US flag holds a Union Flag in Parliament Square opposite the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images A woman holds a newspaper at Parliament Square Reuters A woman wears a face mask in Parliament Square PA Mr Waller, 59, said the cart cost about 500 to restore and build, thanks to a Brexiteer blacksmith who donated his services for free. He said the bell, which people have been ringing throughout the evening, was found in a salvage yard but was originally forged at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London. A lawyer for Lev Parnas, the former associate of President Donald Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani who has offered to testify at the impeachment trial, released a new recording Thursday of Trump meeting in April 2018 with a small group of donors at his private club in Florida. The recording documented the presence of Parnas and his business partner, Igor Fruman, at the club, Mar-a-Lago, with the president, the first of two such donor gatherings they participated in with him that month. They met with him again 10 days later, on April 30, at his Washington hotel. Trump has sought to distance himself from the two men, who would later become integral players in Giulianis effort to pressure Ukraine into announcing investigations that could help the presidents 2020 reelection campaign. The release of the recording came a day after Parnas travelled to Washington to rally support for calling witnesses including himself at the impeachment trial. In the recording, Trump can be heard discussing his polling numbers, the 2018 midterm elections and a range of policy issues of interest to the guests, including immigration and the war in Syria. The exchanges offered another window into the presidents interactions with his top financial supporters and, in one case, his openness to their concerns about a high-profile element of his foreign policy. The event was apparently recorded by Fruman on his phone. In October, federal prosecutors in New York charged Parnas and Fruman with campaign finance violations, including what officials said were efforts to mask their involvement in a $325,000 donation to a pro-Trump fundraising committee. The event at Mar-a-Lago was organized by the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, and was attended by Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the national committee, and Pete Sessions, a former chairman of the congressional committee who was then a member of Congress from Texas. McDaniel greeted Parnas and Fruman familiarly, in the manner of a politician who shakes the hands of thousands of people whose acquaintance she may or may not have previously made. Hey, how are you? she said to Fruman. Good to see you. A spokesman for the Republican National Committee dismissed the greeting as insignificant. On a given day, the chairwoman greets hundreds if not thousands of people at events across the country, the spokesman said. This is nothing more than that. It was at that event that Parnas met Sessions. The two men developed a relationship over the following weeks and months, records show. They would eventually discuss removing the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine at the time, Marie Yovanovitch, which became a focus of the impeachment trial. Parnas lawyer, Joseph Bondy, had released another recording Saturday of the donor dinner held 10 days later in Washington, at which the president discussed Yovanovitch with Parnas, Fruman and other donors. Among those acknowledged at the April 20 meeting in Florida was Brian Ballard, an influential lobbyist who is a top fundraiser for Trump and the Republican Party. Five days before the event, Ballard registered to lobby for a U.S.-based Syrian opposition group called Citizens for a Secure and Safe America, which paid his firm $350,000 in 2018 and 2019. He recommended that the groups leaders take their case against President Bashar Assad directly to Trump by paying to attend a fundraising event, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal last year. Rim Al-Bezem, a Pennsylvania cardiologist who is the president of the Syrian opposition group, donated a total of $18,800 to the Republican National Committee and its Senate campaign arm. In an interview, she said she raised additional money from other Syrian-American activists. As a result, she and an associate secured invitations to the April 20, 2018, Mar-a-Lago roundtable, which came a week after Trump ordered airstrikes against Syrian research, storage and military targets to punish Assad for a suspected chemical attack that killed more than 40 people. At Mar-a-Lago, Al-Bezem can be heard on the recording telling Trump: Im here to thank you very much for your courageous acts. I cannot tell you how much Syrian Americans are indebted to you. Trump replied, So they like the raid? Al-Bezem and her associate assured the president that Syrian-Americans were thankful, but also pushed Trump to take a harder line against Assad. Well, give me information on that, OK? Trump asked the women. Because I talk about it all the time. Four months later, Al-Bezem raised an even more acute concern at another roundtable with Trump this one benefiting the Mike Brauns campaign for Senate in Indiana, to which Al-Bezem donated $1,000. Assads military and its Russian allies were preparing to launch an attack on Idlib province, the lone remaining major rebel stronghold in Syria, Al-Bezem told the president, urging him to intervene. Days later, Trump tweeted a warning to Assad and his allies against this potential human tragedy, which his top officials echoed in a pressure campaign. Assad did not attack, and Trump credited Al-Bezem with drawing attention his attention to the issue. I wholeheartedly believe that President Trumps intervention had averted that attack, Al-Bezem said in an interview Thursday. She rejected the suggestion that her donations paved the way for Trump to hear her concerns. I dont think it was a donor access thing. I think it was a human access thing, she said. The president listened to me because he got the chance to maybe hear for the first time whats happening in Syria from a Syrian-American. Read more about: THE Department of Health (DOH) Central Visayas says the 38-year-old Chinese woman who was the first confirmed case of the 2019-novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV ARD) in the country and her boyfriend never left the airport when they were in Cebu. Jaime Bernadas, DOH 7 director, in a press conference Friday, Jan. 31, 2020, said the couple stayed only at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) for three hours (moving from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1) then went directly to Dumaguete City last Jan. 21 via a Cebu Pacific flight. (Editors note: The couple traveled from Hong Kong to Cebu via a Cebu Pacific flight and left for Dumaguete hours later on board Cebgo, a Cebu Pacific subsidiary.) The woman and her boyfriend are now in San Larazo Hospital in Manila, both asymptomatic. Bernadas said the Provincial Health Office of Dumaguete together with the DOH surveillance team has started enumerating and locating the possible contacts of the couple. A team from DOH 7 also went to Dumaguete City Friday morning, while a team from DOH Manila is also expected to arrive in Dumaguete Friday afternoon to assist in the contact tracing. Please bear with us. The hotel and resorts owners have requested to withhold the names of the resorts and hotels, he said. He said if the persons who are traced are found to be asymptomatic, they will be advised to stay at home or in their hotels for 14 days for monitoring by field health personnel. If they have displayed some symptoms, they will be referred to a health care facility for some diagnostic tests, Bernadas said. Terrence Anthony Bermejo, chief of the Bureau of Quarantine (BOQ) Cebu, said they are also conducting contact tracing of the airplane passengers seated beside, in front, and at the back of the couple. In a statement on Friday, commercial airline Cebu Pacific (Cebpac) said they are working closely with the DOH and the BoQ on the necessary actions. We are in the process of contacting passengers seated in the vicinity of the positive nCoV patient and are taking the necessary precautions to inform them so they can have themselves checked in case they show flu-like symptoms, reads a portion of the Cebpac statement. Story continues It added that the cabin crew and pilots on affected flights have also been informed and show no symptoms of illness. The aircraft used for both flights have been pulled out of the line and are undergoing thorough disinfection. As of 12 noon yesterday, the DOH recorded three persons under investigation (PUI) in Central Visayas. Two are currently admitted in a hospital while one PUI has been released. Bernadas asked the Hotel, Resort, and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) not to transfer persons with respiratory symptoms from one room to another while waiting for responding health personnel. Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Ano ordered all local government units (LGUs) to be in a state of preparedness to meet the global health emergency posed by the 2019-nCoV ARD. All LGUs were advised to create their respective task forces to implement DOH protocols and guidelines and extend full cooperation. He said the provincial governor or the city or town mayor should lead the task force. The task force should ensure that local health workers have the necessary equipment such as masks, goggles and gloves as well as knowledge on how to prevent the disease. For its part, the Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered all its units to be on high readiness mode and work in close coordination with the DOH to determine the assistance they can provide to curb the spread of the disease. PNP Chief Archie Gamboa said the PNP may also mobilize its Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives unit to assist the DOH. Gamboa said he is encouraging all policemen to wear face masks. Gamboa said he will also issue a directive for crowd control and traffic management assistance amid the panic buying of face masks. (WBS with SunStar Philippines) The rapper Afroman famously sang about how getting high on marijuana prevented him from going to court. A Tennessee man decided to combine the two when he lit a marijuana cigarette in the courtroom, authorities said. Spencer Alan Boston, 20, was arrested Monday and charged with disorderly conduct and simple possession after sparking up in the courtroom, news outlets reported. Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan said Boston was in court Monday on a simple drug possession charge. Boston approached the bench to discuss his sentence but instead expressed his views on legalizing marijuana. Boston reached in his pocket, pulled out a marijuana cigarette, lit it, smoked it and was immediately taken into custody, Bryan said. This past Monday 20 year old Spencer Alan Boston was called to the podium in front of Judge Haywood Barry on a simple drug possession charge, according to Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan. He then fired up a joint and everybody in the courtroom laughed so hard! pic.twitter.com/5WZOXat0HY Commander Chuck (@CommanderChuck1) January 29, 2020 Sheriffs Office Lt. Scott Moore said the courtroom crowd chuckled. Its unclear whether Boston lit up a joint or a blunt but Bryan said the defendants marijuana did have a strong odor. (Natural News) Orthodontic treatments are anything but cheap, but many parents are convinced that scratching together the money for braces for their children will make all the difference to their future confidence levels. After all, it just doesnt make sense that the kid with the ugly, crooked teeth will grow up to be as confident as the one with the perfect, straight teeth, right? Actually, as surprising as it might seem, that simply isnt true. A study by researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia has found that forking out the money for braces for your children will not necessarily provide the confidence boost that you might expect. In fact, people who did not have braces fitted when they were younger actually exhibited a pattern of higher psychological scores in four different areas than those whose parents did find the money to give them braces. (Related: Kids are doing DIY braces on YouTube and the results are scary.) Braces are not necessarily the key to happiness The study, which was conducted by scientists from the University of Adelaides Dental School, included 448 Australian participants who were 13 years old back in 1988/9. The researchers monitored the group all the way until they were 30 years old in 2005/6, by which time over 33 percent had received orthodontic treatments. This study was only the second in the world to examine the link between braces and future confidence and happiness. Surprisingly, people who had not received orthodontic treatments in their youth consistently ended up being happier and more confident than those who had. (Related: Everything you need to know about self-confidence.) Like those who did receive braces, the participants who did not receive orthodontic interventions exhibited varying degrees of crookedness in their teeth when they were teens, with some having only mildly crooked teeth, while others had extremely severe crookedness. The researchers monitored four different areas of psychosocial functioning, all of which are known to correlate to future health behaviors and outcomes. Dentistry Today reported: The study looked at four psychosocial aspects: how well people felt they coped with new or difficult situations and associated setbacks; how much they felt that they could take care of their own health; the support they believed they received from their personal network; and their own level of optimism. My orthodontist recommended that I have braces fitted but Im quite happy without them, noted fourth-year dental student Alex Furlan, who was never fitted with braces. Ive never felt the need to straighten my teeth I can get on in life without having perfectly straight teeth. Study author, Dr. Esma Dogramaci, noted that while many people believe that braces are the key to feeling good about themselves and doing well psychosocially, this simply is not true. Surprisingly, a simple thing that really did make a big difference to future confidence and happiness was brushing teeth twice a day and visiting the dentist regularly. Braces also pose significant health risks Besides being really expensive and not necessarily providing a confidence boost in later life, however, braces can also pose real health risks. The website Healthfully.com warns that braces can increase jaw pain and headaches, damage tissue inside the mouth, cause dramatic root loss, and increase the chances of tooth decay. In addition, if the thin wires securing the brackets on the teeth break, these wires can scrape the inside of the mouth, causing cuts and bleeding. The glue and metal can also introduce toxins into the body. As tempting as it might be to believe that braces will magically erase our childrens confidence issues this simply is not true. Instead, they carry serious health risks and are simply not worth their massive price tag. Learn more at Dentistry.news. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com DentistryToday.com Healthfully.com The Co-ops first Honorary Life President Ian Bell, who was chairman for 23 years and has a long family association with the business, was joined by farmer customers and business suppliers when he officially opened the building on Longtowns Borders Business Park. Aspatria Farmers bought the one acre site on the business park from neighbours, construction and civil engineering company R H Irving Construction who also carried out the building work on the new 9,000 square foot development. Aspatria Farmers has invested 650,000 in the new building, which includes a workshop, parts and spares store, general product storage area and a trade counter together with office accommodation and meeting rooms. The farmer-owned co-operative which will celebrate 150 years in business this year bought MTS Dairy Services in 2015. Since then MTS business has grown to provide dairy and electrical services on more than 350 of the co-ops members farms on both sides of the Border as distributors for Dairymaster and Fullwood parlours and equipment - outgrowing its former premises on the business park. Mr Bell said MTS was fulfilling an important role in the dairy sector in Cumbria and South West Scotland. The business has grown to the extent that it now employs 11 dairy engineers - there were only five when Aspatria Farmers bought the company. It now employs a total of 18 people, said Mr Bell, who attributed the successful building of the new premises to chief executive Tim Wilson, who joined the co-operative in 2015. ALMATY, JANUARY 31, ARMENPRESS. The meeting of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin kicked off today in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This is their first meeting after the Russian PM assumed office. After welcoming one another the two PMs took a joint selfie. The Armenian PM congratulated Mishustin on his appointment. There have always been and will be good and warm relations between our governments and countries, but I think that there is always an opportunity to raise these relations to a new level. We will manage to do that in cooperation with you. The relations between our states are developing as planned, quite well. The 2019 trade turnover approaches to 2 billion which is quite a good figure. This dynamics will be maintained in 2020, the Armenian PM said, expressing hope that they will soon meet in Yerevan as this year one of the sessions of the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council is going to take place in Armenia. In his turn the Russian PM said he warmly remembers his last visit to Armenia to attend the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) which was well organized. Armenia and Russia are connected with very close and allied relations. Russia is Armenias main trade partner, and the Russian government is inclined to a constructive partnership, he said. The Armenian and Russian PMs are taking part in the Eurasian Inter-Governmental Council session in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan The Aether 7 is the newest model from British mountain bike direct-sales brand Bird. Replacing the old Aeris 120/120LT, this new bike has 130mm of rear wheel travel with a 140mm fork up front and rolls on 27.5 wheels. The geometry is right on the money if you want a thoroughly modern short travel trail bike. Bird has been direct selling mountain bikes since it launched in 2013 from its base near Swinley Forest in South East England, with a focus on creating bikes with progressive geometry that offer a great value for the price. Bird Aether 7 Frame: aluminum Wheel size:27.5" Travel: 130mm R; 140mm F Head angle: 65 Size: S, M, ML, L, XL Price as shown: 2,918 Builds: 2,035 to 5,100 Weight: 31.09lb (14.09kg) size large w/o pedals www.bird.bike Frame: aluminum Wheel size:27.5" Travel: 130mm R; 140mm F Head angle: 65 Size: S, M, ML, L, XL Price as shown: 2,918 Builds: 2,035 to 5,100 Weight: 31.09lb (14.09kg) size large w/o pedals Frame Details Aluminum frame with external cable routing keeps things simple Four-bar suspension design with aluminum swingarm. Bird has refined the suspension kinematics over the previous Aeris 120 External threaded bottom bracket is a sensible thing to see Geometry The goal with the Aether was to develop an aggressive, hard-hitting and fun short travel trail bike to replace the Aeris 120, and while there are some shared features, namely the tubeset, the geometry and suspension design have been totally refreshed to meet the demands of the current market for bikes that are short on travel but big on capability.Because Bird sells bikes directly through its website, it can offer seriously good value for money and it compares well to the likes of Canyon and YT. The bike shown here costs 2,918 with a SRAM GX Eagle groupset with Guide RE brakes, RockShox Pike Ultimate and Deluxe Ultimate suspension, DT Swiss 1900 wheels with Maxxis rubber and RaceFace handlebar and stem. There are other builds available and you can personalise your own bike through the companys website, as well as buying a frameset.Bird ships complete bikes to the EU, USA and Canada, and only frames everywhere else. For US prices you just need to subtract 20% VAT, so a 3,000 bike works out to $3,273 USD after the VAT is removed and the currency is converted. There will be import taxes into the US as well which vary by state, as well as shipping to take into account.Bird has stuck to the tried-and-tested four-bar suspension design it been using since the company was founded, so the overall look is familiar to other models in the range. The 210x55 metric shock is anchored to the top tube and driven by a short linkage with self-locking collets used on the pivot axles. Travel is 130mm and its designed to work with a 140mm travel fork.Its a 6066-T6 aluminum frame with a choice of three colours, and external gear cable and brake hose routing with internal dropper post routing. The frame has been designed around 1x drivetrains, with a bolt-on ISCG05 chain guide mount and 73mm threaded bottom bracket shell.Out back is a Boost 148x12mm SRAM Maxle thru-axle with a 160mm post brake mount and theres clearance for up to 2.6 tires. Frame weight is a claimed 3kg without shock for a medium. Theres also space for a water bottle but space is tight under the shock.While it might look the same as the old Aeris, the suspension has been refined with a focus improving the kinematics to ensure it offers a fun and poppy ride. Well let Bird designer Dan Hodge take us through the changes:The suspension is a refinement of our four-bar system that I have been developing since we launched the company. Over time we have gradually tweaked the amount of anti-squat and rising rate in the system to where we are today. In particular, this bike has quite a lot of rising rate (or progression) in the linkage for a bike of this travel class, which results in a poppy feel when you do want to get it airborne. Achieving that fun feeling when riding drove a lot of the design of this bike we all ride bikes to have fun, right? The anti-squat is similar to our other frames in that it is designed to be run with the shock fully open all of the time, but I made some small refinements to the anti-squat for this frame as well, in order to balance the pedalling efficiency against the pedal kickback over rough terrain, he explains.Bird is no stranger to progressive geometry. Relatively long and slack geometry has been the norm since the launch of the Aeris 145 in 2017, so people familiar with the brand wont find any huge surprises in the geometry chart. The new Aether is available in five sizes from S to XL, with an ML splitting the M and L sizes which is an interesting decision and offers a wider range of fit options.The head angle comes in at 65-degrees and the virtual seat tube angle is 76-degrees across the board, with 425mm chainstays and 325mm bottom bracket height. To keep the steering reasonably nimble the fork offset is 37mm. The reach ranges from 432mm on the small to 527mm on the XL, with the size L getting a 504mm reach. The seat tube has been kept short so you can run a longer dropper post.Bird designer Dan Hodge explains the reasons for the geometry numbers were aimed at providing good stability at higher speeds but balanced against a requirement to offer fun and nimble handling.We settled on a 76 degree virtual seat angle as it gives a good weight distribution when climbing, plus the extra reach and wheelbase boost stability when the speed picks up, explains Dan. I wanted the bike to feel as fun as possible, which meant it had to have chainstays as short as possible without impacting the seat tube position. This resulted in the super short (for a full suspension bike) 425mm chainstays. The head angle was driven by a lot of testing (both with prototype frames and anglesets), and also the widespread availability of 37mm short offset forks. We felt that 65 degrees combined with 37mm offset forks gave a nice balance of downhill stability but also a feeling of quick steering which improves responsiveness.Ive been able to get a number of decent rides on the new Aether, at the launch day in South Wales and for a couple of weeks afterwards, as I was able to hold onto it so I could get a solid understanding of the new bike.My first ride on the new Aether was as the popular Cwmcarn trail centre in South Wales, where the new bike was presented in its various guises. Setting the bike up was a breeze, with 30% of sag in the rear shock the recommended air pressure, about 80psi, in the Pike Ultimate. I had to up the saddle height, rotate the bars a touch, and I was ready to hit the trail.My test bike was specced out with a SRAM GX Eagle groupset and four-pot Guide RE brakes, a RockShox Deluxe Ultimate shock and new Pike Ultimate fork. Rolling stock comprised DT Swiss XM 1900 wheels with Maxxis High Roller II and Minion DHF 3C tyre pairing, and finishing kit was a RaceFace Affect 35 handlebar and stem and Fabric saddle atop Birds own-brand dropper post. The new Pike Ultimate is an impressive bit of kit, silky smooth, lovely sensitivity and ample progression to ensure full travel is achievable without bogging down mid-stroke.Like most trail centres, the Cafall trail starts with some solid climbing, ideal for warming the lungs and getting acquainted with the new bike. Its a cliche I know, but I did feel right at home on the bike within a few switchbacks. Theres minimal suspension movement when youre spinning up a smoother climb, and on the steeper climbs littered with rocks, the rear suspension pushes the Maxxis tire into the ground for maximum traction. Ive been riding some bikes recently where I feel I have to flick that little switch every-time I roll into a climb, so to not have to worry about it on the Aether was hugely appreciated, and its nice to have one less thing to worry about. Instead, I can just concentrate on riding.The length of the bike is apparent from the get-go, but I didnt find it unmanageable. I felt balanced and centred on the bike with a comfortable position for spinning up the climbs and on longer rides, while that agility you want from a short travel bike was present for those times when youre not hustling along a super tech trail.On the descents, the Aether 7 is a blast. The geometry makes it feel calm and planted at speed and the suspension is smooth, sensitive to the smaller ripples and loading up nicely on bigger impacts. Its a lot of fun in the rough stuff and when dropping into a techy trail. The short 37mm offset fork, as used by a few other bike brands, helps to deliver good high-speed stability when smashing through rocks and roots, while on flatter trails it ensures the Aether is agile and nimble through the corners. Weight and drag from the Maxxis tires aside, it doesn't feel sluggish on linking trails and offers that all-round performance you want from a short travel trail bike. Its strong everywhere.The suspension offers plenty of support on big impacts, I never noticed the extreme being reached, and it has that zesty liveliness that Bird intended when it designed this new bike. It strikes a good balance of big hit capability with poppy fun on smoother trails. The geometry lets you go fast and the suspension can keep up and cope with everything you can hit it with.Its clear this is a long bike. Its longer than many other size large bikes and even a fair few XL bikes, but the size range is fairly wide so there should be a size for most people. So the reach on this large size bike is long, but its not unmanageable. From looking at the geometry chart I might have picked the ML, but Im glad I was given a size L and before the end of the ride I was really happy with the size and fit.Short travel and long and slack geometry are not two things that have traditionally gone together, but in recent years they have been a solid bunch of bikes that have shown that the right geometry and sorted short travel works damn well. Just check out the Norco Optic in the recent Field Test. Like that bike, the Aether 7 doesnt quite climb like a cross-country bike, but its more than capable and its playful and fast when it comes to descending.It just lets you have fun, and for me the limits of this combination are more approachable than some bigger travel enduro bikes which need a big dose of guts to wring the best out of them. Dershowitzs argument this week was an extension of the case Trumps legal team has made in recent days. Even if the president did use his office to press for an investigation of a political rival, they say, his actions do not add up to an impeachable offense because no crime was committed. For every rupee in govt kitty, 64 paise come from taxes, borrowings contribute 20 paise Explained: The Budget proposal to increase the insurance cover on bank deposits Sorry for the long budget speech says Nirmala Sitharaman Budget 2020: Nirmala Sitharaman to present her second budget today India oi-Oneindia Staff By Anuj Cariappa New Delhi, Feb 01: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will on Saturday present the Budget 2020 for the upcoming financial year in the Parliament.This will be the second time when Sitharaman will deliver the budget speech. She is only the second woman finance minister after Indira Gandhi to do so in the history of independent India. The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Budget for the financial year beginning April 1, that may see measures to lift the economy from the worst economic slowdown in 11 years. Earlier on Friday, Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2019-20 which is released by Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) Dr Krishnamurthy Subramanian. The Survey is a report the government presents on the state of the economy in the past one year, the key challenges it anticipates, and their possible solutions. Before coming to Parliament for presenting her second budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her team met President Ram Nath Kovind. She was accompanied by Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur and top officials of her ministry including Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar. "As per tradition, Finance Minister @nsitharaman calls on President Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan before presenting the Union Budget," tweeted the President of India''s handle along with two photographs from the meeting. Like last year, Sitharaman opted for a traditional red-coloured ''bahi-khata'' to carry budget documents. Dressed in a crisp yellow silk saree, she posed for cameramen at the Parliament House gate with the budget documents wrapped in a red silk cloth, adorned with a golden Indian emblem. Facing the worst economic slowdown in more than a decade, Sitharaman is expected to pull out all stops to spur consumer demand and investment, government sources and economists said. The real gross domestic product (GDP) growth is estimated to fall to an 11-year low of 5 per cent in FY20 from 6.1 per cent in FY19. Estimated nominal growth at 7.5 per cent in FY20 is the lowest since 1975-76 (FY76) as per the FY12-based GDP series. Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth turned positive but remained low at 1.8 per cent in November 2019 after contracting by (-) 4 per cent in October 2019. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation increased to a 65-month high of 7.4 per cent in December 2019, its fifth sequential rise, mainly due to persistently rising vegetable prices. Also, growth in bank credit fell to a 25-month low of 8 per cent in November 2019. Geneva Many countries are unprepared to face the deadly virus spreading in China and beyond, a global health monitor warned Thursday as it urged governments to get ready. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB), an independent body created by the World Health Organization and the World Bank, hailed "the speed of response so far" by China and other countries affected by the novel coronavirus. "The Board however is concerned that many countries remain unprepared and urges leaders in all countries to take immediate action to ensure that they have the necessary capacities in place," it said in a statement. "All countries and local governments, including those that have not yet been affected, must urgently dedicate resources to building their essential preparedness capacities," it said. They must be positioned to "prevent, detect, inform about and respond to the outbreak," it said. Its comments came as the WHO held a meeting to determine whether to declare the outbreak, which has killed 170 people and infected more than 7,700 people in China, as well as around 100 people across more than a dozen other countries, a global emergency. Reining in the new SARS-like virus, for which there is no vaccine and no treatment, will require a lot of money, GPMB said. It called for both public and private research institutions to "urgently accelerate the coordinated development of vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics against the coronavirus." The monitor also pressed countries for additional funding so the WHO can boost its preparedness and response activities. And it called on all donors, including governments, the World Bank, regional development banks and the vaccine alliance GAVI, to "financially support lower resourced countries ... to assist them in building (preparedness) capacities." PowerTVFans is just one of countless accounts across social networking sites dedicated to the show, including parody handles for several of the characters, an account for the shows writers, and one that offers answers to everything you forgot, want or need to know about the show. Hashtags surrounding the series (#FreeGhost and #WhoShotGhost among them) have routinely become Twitter trending topics as the show airs. Just look at the August premiere of Season 6, which explained the controversial, climactic death of Angela Valdes, the U.S. attorney (played by Lela Loren) with whom Ghost has an affair. The plot point accumulated almost 1 million mentions, solidifying it as one of TVs most-tweeted-about episodes last summer, according to Starz. THE INTEGRATED Rice Farmers Association (IRFA) at Lakpo in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region says more young people are venturing into local rice farming following the booming sales during the Yuletide (Christmas season). Following this, various rice farmers associations in the district have started registering young people to undergo guidance and training for the next rice farming season, which starts in April 2020. Bright Prince Amexoxo, Chairman of IRFA, who disclosed this to journalists, said the association had already registered quite a number of young persons with 20 more undergoing training to get registered into IRFA. He said all the 38 members of IRFA sold virtually all the rice they harvested, but could not still meet market demand, adding so we are happy our young ones are showing interest now. He stated that members of the association were working hard to raise their production levels and the quality of the local rice to meet market demand. With the interest of the youth in rice farming, it would be difficult for local rice to run out of the market, he pointed out. Mr. Amexoxo appealed to chiefs and land owners to make land readily available to the youth who are eager to go into rice farming. Besides, he appealed to government to continue to make rice farming lucrative for the youth. The farmers called for the government to support them with harvesting machines and pieces of irrigation equipment. 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 Senator Amy Klobuchar. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A running theme of the Democratic primary has been Pete Buttigiegs surprising presence near the top of early-state polls, and his nonetheless dismal prospects as the partys nominee because of his failure to draw any meaningful support from black voters. Ive written at length about how this trend is less a referendum on the tastes of black Democrats than of white ones the former having treated the 37-year-old small-town mayor like a 37-year-old small-town mayor, while an outsize share of the latter have bafflingly and single-handedly catapulted him into the upper tier of presidential candidates despite his inexperience, cynical opportunism, and lack of a convincing electability argument. But while Buttigieg has been characterized as an especially noteworthy magnet for black ire, mostly based on his polling numbers, the reality is that hes polled roughly as well with black voters as several of his fellow would-be nominees who were presumed to be among their inevitable top choices, including black New Jersey senator Cory Booker before he dropped out last month. Less examined is that, for all his struggles, Buttigieg is still outperforming an opponent whos rapidly become a darling of the liberal pundit class and a candidate to whom flailing moderates are starting to pin their hopes for staving off leftist insurrection in the primary: Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota senator whos stayed in the race despite persistently polling lower than several candidates whove long since moved on. Klobuchars patience with herself seems to be paying off: A recent CiviqsIowa State University poll found her polling in the double digits in Iowa at 11 percent, a seven-point leap from December and good for fifth place behind national front-runner Joe Biden. A stronger-than-expected performance in the caucuses might convince her that staying on past New Hampshire is a worthwhile pursuit. But her struggles with black voters nationally with whom she was polling at less than 0.5 percent in early January, according to a Washington PostIpsos poll show no signs of abating, and should only get worse in light of recent developments. On Thursday, The Hill reported that a coalition of black activist organizations in Klobuchars home state of Minnesota, including the Minneapolis NAACP and Black Lives Matter Twin Cities, are calling on the senator to suspend her campaign due to her handling of Myon Burrells murder case when she was the Hennepin County district attorney. Democratic candidates records as prosecutors have emerged as surprise lines of attack in the 2020 election, as progressive skepticism and even hostility toward Kamala Harris have illustrated. But even by the standards of this newfound antipathy toward architects of mass incarceration, Klobuchars behavior during the Burrell case is worthy of special attention. The Associated Press reported the story on Monday after a yearlong investigation. It details Klobuchars prosecution of a November 2002 shooting that claimed the life of 11-year-old bystander Tyesha Edwards, wherein the defendants alleged accomplices both confessed to the crime and insisted that Burrell, who is now serving a life sentence in prison for the shooting, wasnt even present when it took place. Two men Ike Tyson and Hans Williams were swiftly arrested after Edwards was killed; both were seen near the scene, one of their girlfriends called the police on them, and both later confessed. Burrells name entered the investigation only later after it was mentioned to police by a jailhouse informant whom a Minneapolis homicide detective had offered major dollars in exchange for information, even if it was uncorroborated hearsay. (The detective ended up paying the informant $600 for Burrells name.) Tysons lawyer subsequently told his client that hed never see the outside of a prison if he didnt implicate Burrell too, according to the AP. Tyson obliged, but only after being promised that the part of his plea deal where he named the teenager wouldnt actually be used as evidence. That agreement turned out to be worthless. Klobuchars office threw the book at Burrell. It bolstered its case against him using the testimony of Timmy Oliver, Tyson and Williamss intended victim, who, after eight hours of police interrogation, finally signed a paper saying that hed seen Burrell standing 120 feet away, across the street, and behind a wall shortly before the shooting. Prosecutors then collected more putative corroboration from other jailhouse informants seven in total, one of whom told the AP outright that police had brought him through what to say in exchange for a 13-year reduction of his prison sentence; another informant has since recanted. When facing his own interrogation, Burrell asked for his mother 13 times rather than the lawyer to whom he was entitled. Now Burrell is in prison for life. His mother died in a car collision shortly after visiting him one day. And rather than letting his case hover in the background as a particularly monstrous chapter in her already punitive tenure as Hennepin Countys head prosecutor, Klobuchar has transformed it into a fixture of her campaign lore, invoking it during her runs for Senate and now the White House as exemplary of her commitment to keeping black communities safe. Nor does she seem particularly swayed by these recent developments and further affirmation of Burrells likely innocence. Her campaigns tepid response to the APs reporting was simply that if there was new evidence in Burrells case, it should be reviewed. Among the primary candidates whose deficit of black support has been dissected ad nauseam including Buttigiegs Klobuchars record as a prosecutor and conduct in the Burrell case suggest that shes been relatively lucky to fly under the radar. Less clear is whether it will last: In light of the New York Times editorial boards recent endorsement of her campaign, the APs reporting, and home state black activists calls for her to stop campaigning, suggest that both greater scrutiny and harsher assessments are coming her way, and that her low polling among black voters is warranted for reasons many of them didnt even predict. Its bad enough that prosecutors single-minded pursuit of victory produces outcomes like Burrells with regularity. To advertise his case as a special victory for black safety in Minneapolis, as Klobuchar has, plumbs new depths. Until recently, the senators lack of black support has seemed more attributable to antipathy toward her uninspiring rhetoric and an abundance of more appealing alternatives. Now its equally apparent that when granted stewardship over a black teenagers future, she chose to send him to prison for life rather than entertain serious doubts about his guilt. INVESTIGATION ALERT: The Schall Law Firm Announces It Is Investigating Claims Against Facebook, Inc. and Encourages Investors With Losses to Contact the Firm The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Facebook (News - Alert), Inc. ("Facebook" or "the Company") (NYSE: FB) for violations of the securities laws. The investigation focuses on whether Facebook issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. If you are a shareholde who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200130005885/en/ The government has told us to wear masks, but I dont think they can really protect us, and I cant wear a mask up here every day, said Bing, a security guard who gave only his first name as he was sitting at the top of three very steep flights of stone steps at the Ta Keo temple, which has been renovated with Chinese aid money. A man in Santa Clara County has tested positive for coronavirus, the county's public health department announced Friday. County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said the patient is an adult male who traveled to Wuhan and became sick after returning home on Jan. 24. According to Cody, the man has been "self-isolated" at home and did not have contact with many people upon his return. He has not left his house other than to seek medical attention. "We are quite fortunate in this case, as I think the list of contacts is going to be very short," Cody said. Cody said the county is working to get in touch with the people the patient had contact with after returning but did not specify how many people that may be. She also emphasized that the threat to the public is low, and the flu is of greater concern. "Right now we're at the peak of the flu season, the flu circulating widely," She said. "It's far more likely for people to become ill from the flu, but the general message is: If you're sick, stay home." This is the seventh known case of coronavirus in the United States, and the first in the San Francisco Bay Area. So far, 10,000 people have been infected globally and more than 200 have died. All of the deaths have occurred in China, where the disease originated. ALSO: Coronavirus outbreak: What travelers need to know On Friday, the United States declared a public health emergency due to the spread of the virus. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced that foreign nationals believed to be a risk of transmitting the virus will be temporarily barred entry to the United States. The new restrictions begin Sunday afternoon. The risk of infection for Americans remains low and with these and our previous actions we are working to keep the risk low, Azar said. Americans returning from Hubei province, the center of the outbreak, will be required to undergo 14 days of quarantine. Others returning from elsewhere in China will be allowed to self-monitor their condition for a similar period. The U.S. will also begin funneling all flights to the U.S. from China to seven major airports where passengers can be screened for the illness. This story is developing and will be updated as more information is made available. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting The Managing Director of the Ghana Publishing Company, David Asante has picked up his nomination forms to contest the ruling New Patriotic Party [NPP] Parliamentary primaries at Nkawkaw constituency. The Convener of the pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance is confident hell eventually emerge the Parliamentary Candidate to represent the good people of Nkawkaw. In a Facebook post after picking up his nomination forms, the Promising CEO of the Year [Public Sector] award winner said: I took this step after years of wide consultation with key stakeholders. Indeed, it was a joyous moment to be welcomed home to represent my people of Nkawkaw in the parliamentary primaries. I look forward to kickstart the campaign in earnest. I admit it is going to be an arduous task but we will deliver just as we have done in the past. NPP is set to hold its Parliamentary primaries on 25th April 2020 in areas the party has sitting Members of Parliament. 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 Wolters Kluwer Nominates Sophie Vandebroek for Appointment to Supervisory Board January 31, 2020, Wolters Kluwer today announced the nomination of Dr. Sophie Vandebroek for appointment to its Supervisory Board. The nomination will be submitted to the Wolters Kluwer Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on April 23, 2020. Ms. Vandebroek will succeed Ms. Fidelma Russo who stepped down from the Supervisory Board at the end of 2019. Ms. Vandebroek has held executive positions at IBM and Xerox as well as other technology-based organizations. Most recently, she was Chief Operating Officer at IBM Research and Vice President of Emerging Technology Partnerships for IBM Corporation. Prior to that, she served for over a decade as Chief Technology Officer of Xerox Corporation. She started her career as a Belgian National Science Foundation researcher at IMEC in Belgium. Sophie Vandebroek is Board member of IDEXX Laboratories (U.S.), an S&P 500 biotechnology company, where she serves as member of the Finance and of the Nomination & Governance Committees. She held board memberships at Analogic Corp. a leader in healthcare and security technologies, PARC Inc., Nypro Corp., and was a member of the Technical Expert Council at Cummins Corp. Ms. Vandebroek has been a member of the Advisory Council of the Dean of Engineering of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since 2010 and is currently the Inaugural School of Engineering Visiting Scholar at MIT. She is the holder of 14 US patent and is inducted in the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame. Ms. Vandebroek earned a Ph.D. Electrical Engineering from Cornell University (U.S.) and a masters degree Magna Cum Laude in Electro-Mechanical Engineering from the KU Leuven University, Belgium. Chairman of the Supervisory Board Frans Cremers commented: We are very pleased to be able to nominate Sophie Vandebroek for appointment to our Supervisory Board. We look forward to benefitting from her extensive C-level experience with large technology companies. She will bring deep knowledge in the creation and application of technologies that drive growth. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the health, tax & accounting, governance, risk & compliance, and legal & regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 18,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer shares are listed on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY). For more information about our solutions and organization, visit www.wolterskluwer.com , follow us on Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn , and YouTube . Forward-looking Statements and Other Important Legal Information This report contains forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by words such as expect, should, could, shall and similar expressions. Wolters Kluwer cautions that such forward-looking statements are qualified by certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from what is contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, general economic conditions; conditions in the markets in which Wolters Kluwer is engaged; behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors; technological developments; the implementation and execution of new ICT systems or outsourcing; and legal, tax, and regulatory rules affecting Wolters Kluwers businesses, as well as risks related to mergers, acquisitions, and divestments. In addition, financial risks such as currency movements, interest rate fluctuations, liquidity, and credit risks could influence future results. The foregoing list of factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Wolters Kluwer disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Attachment Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Theresia Sufa (The Jakarta Post) Bogor, West Java Fri, January 31, 2020 16:29 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e828d 1 News Sempur,Sempur-English-Camp,English,Bogor-mayor-Bima-Arya,bogor,West-Java Free Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. One afternoon, a group of children practiced saying these words in Rambutan hamlet in Sempur, Bogor, West Java. Ranging in age from 6 to 9, they sat on bamboo chairs in a residents house and all seemed eager to learn English. Sempur English Camp (SECA) was founded by its own residents in a ceremony led by Bogor Mayor Bima Arya in December last year. Subdistrict head Marisa said SECA was founded to solve poverty problems through education in the village, home to around 415 families. With children learning English from an early age at SECA, they acquire an added skill that could benefit their future. There are around 140 students of SECA, all of whom go to a kindergarten or elementary school in Sempur. The children can take SECA courses at the Sempur subdistrict office, residential houses and integrated health posts. Children learn English with Irmanda Sri Amri, a student of Jakarta State University (UNJ) and volunteer at the Sempur English Camp in Bogor, West Java, on Jan. 21. (JP/Theresia Sufa) In developing SECA, Marisa is supported by her husband, Royno Sholeh Mayang, who is the head of SECA and works as an English teacher at Bina Insani High School in Bogor. Royno said the camp was founded after the Bogor mayor encouraged all subdistrict heads in the city to come up with innovations that benefited residents. Read also: English for Indonesia comes to Gontor Islamic boarding school Marisa and Royno decided to establish SECA after English was removed from the elementary school curriculum, and also because they found that many underprivileged residents found it difficult to enroll in an English course. They expressed hope that the program would continue to flourish and eventually become a tourist attraction. Prior to making the SECA program, they visited the English Village at East Javas Kediri. During their time there, they observed all learning activities. They then decided that unlike Kediri village with its abundant English courses and professional teachers, Sempur would be developed based on the residents resources. The teachers would be university students and housewives who would volunteer their skills. SECA started its classes in August last year. Learning activities are held twice a week with two semesters in one year. The fees range from Rp 25,000 (US$1.83) to Rp 125,000 per month, and parents can choose the package they find most suitable. Yohana, a resident of Sempur, said she warmly welcomed SECA as she found it to be affordable. She also said that all residents of Sempur would gladly lend their houses for the programs learning activities. Mastering English is highly important, as it is a global language, she said. Bogor Mayor Bima Arya said he felt responsible for preparing the citys youth for their future. With SECA, I hope Sempur will be able to welcome foreign tourists. This movement needs to go on, he said. (wng) The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has asked Justice Tanko Mohammed to resign as Chief Justice of Nigeria and Chairman of the National Judicial Council because Nigerians have lost confidence in him. The demand was made by the opposition party on Friday when its leaders protested at the United Kingdom (UK) and American Embassies in Abuja. According to the PDP, there is an alleged plot by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stifle opposition in the country. The protest was attended by the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT), National Assembly members as well as women and youths. The partys National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus who led the protest first submitted a petition to the American Embassy and later to the UK embassy. Addressing newsmen at the US Embassy, Secondus said, They should advise the government to obey the rule of law. We are passing through challenging times. Mr President has lost control. Our nation is in pain and as a party we cannot keep quiet. Read Also: Imo: PDP Protests In US, UK, EU Embassies In Abuja (Photos) This country belongs to everyone; every citizen. This is not the time for propaganda. It is not time for the Presidency to respond to criticisms. The issue is that people are dying of poverty and hunger every day. But the present government is not understanding the issues. So we are here to submit a petition, Secondus said. In the petition, the opposition party called on the United States and the international community to take more than a passing glance and prevailed on the Supreme Court to reverse its verdict on Imo governorship election which sacked its candidate as governor in order to avoid an imminent breakdown of law and order. Our demand is that Justice Tanko Mohammed immediately steps down as CJN and Chairman of the National Judicial Council as Nigerians have lost confidence in him and a Supreme Court under his leadership, the PDP said. WASHINGTON The Defense Department said on Thursday that 64 troops had sustained traumatic brain injuries after the Iranian ballistic missile strikes on Ayn Al Asad Air Base in Iraq this month, up 14 from an earlier announcement this week. The number, which has steadily increased since the Jan. 8 attack, is a clear indicator of the lasting and unseen effects so common in Americas long wars, made strikingly prevalent by the roadside bombs scattered in Iraq and Afghanistan that killed and maimed thousands of troops. Eight are being treated in the United States, while 21 are in Landstuhl, Germany, and 39 have returned to duty in Iraq, according to a Pentagon statement. The higher number of 64 was first reported by CNN. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, speaking to reporters during a news conference alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark A. Milley, said on Thursday that the Pentagon took those types of injuries very seriously. January 30, 2020 News By C. Todd Lopez Defense.gov DOD Aims to Certify Security Cooperation Workforce as Profession More than 20,000 employees involved in Defense Department security cooperation activities will get about two years to meet new training requirements to be certified in their areas of expertise and forge the diverse workforce for the first time into a profession. "Until this point we have not sought to create a profession, but there is a great demand for this community to be treated as a community and to be considered part of a profession," said Cara Abercrombie, the first president of the Defense Security Cooperation University and the principal director for workforce development with the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The goal now, Abercrombie said, is to create an educational framework for everybody in the security cooperation workforce. "What we are giving them is the training and experience they need to effectively perform their assigned security cooperation responsibilities," she said. "We are also, with the continuous learning process, going to ensure they remain up to date in what's happening in their community. We are basically creating the industry standards for security cooperation." In September, DSCA stood up the Defense Security Cooperation University, which has campuses in Arlington, Virginia, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. As president of the DSCU, Abercrombie is responsible for a large part of providing training to every DOD employee who is involved in security cooperation. Over the next two years, Abercrombie said, each of those employees will be responsible for attaining at least a basic-level certification in one of five security cooperation areas of concentration. Those areas of concentration include security cooperation case lifecycle management; execution support management; planning, oversite and execution management; security cooperation office operations and management; and acquisition management. Certification levels include basic, intermediate, advanced and expert. Abercrombie said there is a deadline for employees to complete that certification. This year is a transition year, she said. By January 2021, participation will become mandatory. "You will have one year to be certified at the basic level, then two years to get up to the intermediate level, then two additional years to the advanced level, if that is what you need for your position," she said. All of the basic level training can be done online, Abercrombie said, while intermediate and advanced level will also include classroom training. For individuals in designated SC positions, DSCA will pay for that training and transportation to and from the training, which takes the financial burden off an employee's agency. Most in-residence training will last three to five days, she said, though some security cooperation officers who operate downrange may need as many as five weeks of in-residence training. Abercrombie said DSCA is preparing to "surge" staff and classroom space to handle the influx of members of the security cooperation workforce who will need to become certified. "It's going to be a challenge for the workforce and for us to get everybody in residence," she added. Security cooperation, Abercrombie said, involves all the DOD interactions, programs and activities done with foreign security forces and their institutions. This includes exercises, armaments cooperation, information sharing, collaboration, foreign military sales, ministry advising and humanitarian assistance. "The reason we do it is we are looking to build relationships that promote our interests, enhance our military-to-military interoperability, as well as build and apply partner operational and institutional capacity in support of shared interests," she said. The effort to create a professionalized, certified security cooperation workforce was first laid out in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Abercrombie said. In that law, legislators instructed DOD to create a security cooperation workforce development program. The program's goal, lawmakers said, is to ensure the security cooperation workforce has the capacity, in both personnel and skills, needed to properly perform its mission, provide appropriate support to the assessment, planning, monitoring, execution, evaluation and administration of security cooperation programs and activities. The effort will improve outcomes in security cooperation, Abercrombie said. When DSCA first embarked on developing the program, Abercrombie said, the agency had been unclear on how many people across DOD were involved, noting that while they might be part of the security cooperation effort, the majority do not work for DSCA. "We surveyed the department's enterprise and came back with more than 20,000 civilian and military positions across the Department of Defense who are supporting the security cooperation enterprise," she said. Abercrombie said DSCA has been working with the Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service to help in coding employee positions within personnel systems to designate employees as being part of the security cooperation enterprise, so that DSCA officials know who is affected. Civilian position descriptions will be also updated, she said. "Eventually, everybody in the workforce will have basic-level, consistent understanding of what we are trying to accomplish in security cooperation," Abercrombie said. "Even if they are only working one little piece of it, they will understand how that connects to the broader enterprise and how their role is supporting the larger national interest." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address During the Soviet Unions Great Purge of 1936-38, Joseph Stalin executed an estimated 1 million dissidents and sent another million to brutal labor camps. Stalin, like most narcissistic authoritarians, believed he alone could fix the problems of his country, that any action including the extermination of his detractors which prolonged his reign was in the national interest. For Stalin, personal interest and national interest were the exact same thing. Alan Dershowitz understands where Stalin was coming from. After all, Dershowitz, the criminal defense attorney who is part of President Donald Trumps legal team during the Senate impeachment trial, argued on the Senate floor that a sitting American president cant be impeached for any action taken to provide political benefit to that president, because serving your own interest is the same thing as serving the public interest. If a president does something which he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, Dershowitz argued, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment. So, in Dershowitzs world, it all comes down to a leaders intent. If imprisoning a critical reporter or deploying militias at polling sites is something which he believes will help him get elected, in the public interest, it cant be wrong. All of this is relevant because the primary accusation against Trump is that he withheld nearly $400 million in military aid from Ukraine as leverage to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch a criminal investigation into Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. In the face of overwhelming condemnation from Democrats (and sheepish sighs from Trumps fellow Republicans), Dershowitz took to Twitter on Thursday to accuse his critics of willfully distorting his point. They characterized my argument as if I had said that if a president believes his re-election was in the national interest, he can do anything, Dershowitz tweeted. I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest. In fact, thats exactly what Dershowitz said. During his Senate spiel, he placed no limits on what a president can do to win another term. On ExpressNews.com: Trump impeachment process a grim necessity On his Twitter thread, Dershowitz spun the issue this way: A good motive does not justify criminal behavior. But a mixed motive should not turn perfectly legal conduct into an impeachable crime. First of all, lets put aside the criminal behavior standard. Constitutional scholars know criminality is not the measuring stick for impeachment. If a president abuses the power of the office, thats a potentially impeachable offense, regardless of whether a crime was committed. On the other hand, if a president commits a crime that has nothing to do with the execution of the job (such as shoplifting from a convenience store), its not impeachable. Second, lets disregard all of Dershowitzs nonsense about a mixed motive. Its hard enough to interpret our own motives, much less read someone elses mind. We can draw conclusions from peoples actions, but interpreting their motives is a dead end. To illustrate his mixed motive theory of acceptable presidential behavior, Dershowitz pointed to the example of former President Barack Obamas failure in 2013 to follow through with his threat to launch a military strike against Syria if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons against rebel forces. Dershowitz posed the following hypothetical: What if Obama broke his promise because his political advisers warned him that bombing Syria would cost him progressive votes? Isnt that the same mixed-motive policy move that Trump made with Ukraine? Its a classic use of false equivalence. Politicians routinely take politics into account when they make policy moves. Theres a popular theory, for example, that John Kennedy was waiting until after the 1964 election to withdraw from Vietnam. Thats not what were talking about with Trump and Ukraine. Trump pressured a foreign government to target an American citizen, for his own political benefit. In addition, he refused to release military aid appropriated by Congress, an act the Government Accountability Office, a nonpartisan federal watchdog, has declared a violation of the law. In his 2017 book, Impeachment: A Citizens Guide, constitutional scholar Cass Sunstein offered various hypothetical scenarios and made determinations on which would be impeachable. One of the cases Sunstein provided, as an obvious example of an impeachable offense, involved a president using law enforcement to go after a political adversary. Use of official power to punish political opponents, Sunstein wrote, is near the core of the category of impeachable offenses. Use of double talk and specious misdirection, on the other hand, is near the core of Dershowitzs presidential defense strategy. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 They've been inseparable since entering the South African villa less than three weeks ago. And, during Friday's instalment of Love Island, Callum Jones is set to tease his plan to ask Shaughna Phillips to be his girlfriend, following an awkward discussion about their relationship status. The episode will see the scaffolder from Manchester admit to the the boys that he 'definitely' wants to be exclusive with the democratic services officer from London. Cute! And, during Friday's instalment of Love Island, Callum Jones is set to tease his plan to ask Shaughna Phillips to be his girlfriend Tonight viewers will see Sophie teasing Shaughna about being 'in love' with Callum as she quizzes: 'What's it like to be in love...?' before quickly adding: 'Do you see yourself being Callum's girlfriend?' Shaughna confesses that she does see herself as Callum's 'girlfriend' and has her sights firmly set on the tattooed hunk. She says: 'Yeah, I suppose.. obviously I came in here to find someone. But I didn't think I would. I'm not looking for anyone else.' Later in the episode, fans of the show will see Callum - who has never had a girlfriend before - discuss making things official with Shaughna. All eyes on Shaughna: The episode will see the scaffolder from Manchester admit to the the boys that he 'definitely' wants to be exclusive with the democratic services officer Sweet: Shaughna confesses that she does see herself as Callum's 'girlfriend' and has her sights firmly set on the tattooed hunk Asking his fellow contestants Nas and Luke T for advice on 'how it [becoming official] happens,' while chatting at the bar, Luke T asks Callum: 'Are you exclusive?' Callum insists: 'Yeah, deffo,' but then asks: 'Do you have to ask that question, or does it just happen?' The boys burst out laughing at Callum's sweet naivety as they explain: 'You have to say' Ups and downs: Just last week Shaughna spent a majority of the show fearing for her relationship with Callum, after he headed off for a date with Rebecca in the hideaway Just last week Shaughna spent a majority of the show fearing for her relationship with Callum, after he headed off for a date with Rebecca in the hideaway. The pair seemed to get on well as they chatted about their jobs, with the hunk admitting he did enjoy her playful kiss on the cheek when she entered the villa for the Dirty Dancing challenge. Before and after the date, Shaughna began to stress about the state of her relationship with Callum, telling him: 'You're such a little s**t you're the new little s**t obviously it's not ideal for me yet again. 'I feel like I have a two day limit in that bed and then I'm turfed out.' AUTO LAB TALK RADIO FROM NYC, Saturday February 1, 2020; WNYM Radio AM 970 7-9 AM Auto Lab Talk Radio on New York City's WNYM Radio AM 970 Is Streamed Worldwide On TheAutoChannel.Com Car Question or Concern? Automotive Career Opportunity, Call Toll Free 888-692-7234 To Speak With An Auto Lab Expert Auto Lab is also about the automotive industry, its history, and its culture, presenting the ideas and advice of leading college faculty, authors, and automotive practitioners in a relaxed, conversational interactive format. Listeners can find audio recordings of the past 20 years of archived Auto Lab shows as simulcast on The Auto Channel; The Auto Lab Index Page includes; Audio-on-Demand Archives, Community College Auto Program Database, Guests Pictures This Weeks Show: February 1, 2020 In Studio Expert Automotive Panel Harold Bendell, Major World Tim Cacace- Master Mechanix David Goldsmith-Urban Classics David Goldsmith-Urban Classics Joseph Guarino-Joe Guarino's Auto Repairs Jerry Pastore- D & J Diagnostics Johanna Pastore-D & J Diagnostics Joanne Porcelli, Esq. Michael Porcelli, Bronx Community College, City University of New York Nicholas Prague, MTA Interviews Robert Erskine, Senior European Correspondent: Sharon Sudol , John Russell Senior Correspondents: Russ Rader Senior Vice President Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Robert Sinclair, AAA NORTH EAST Cheryl Carrier, Executive Director: FORD NEXT GENERATION LEARNING Srinagar, Jan 31 : Obscene content has been found on disgraced Jammu & Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh's mobile phone, sources said. Davinder Singh's phone was sent to forensic experts for examination by the NIA. A team of National Investigation Agency officials is currently interrogating him in Jammu. Last week DG NIA, Y.C. Modi, reviewed the investigations in the case. On January 11, police arrested Davinder Singh on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when he was transporting two Hizbul Mujahideen militants including top commander Naveed Babu and his accomplice and a lawyer to Jammu. After initial investigations by the J&K police the case was handed to the NIA. Police sources had said that the two terrorists and the lawyer had planned a travel to Pakistan after reaching Jammu. Singh was earlier shifted from Srinagar to Jammu on a transit remand where an NIA team questioned him. After his arrest by the J&K police, multiple raids were conducted at his residence in Srinagar. Singh was posted with the anti-hijacking wing of Jammu & Kashmir Police in Srinagar, and was part of the security staff that had received a group of foreign diplomats who visited Kashmir last month. Bharti Airtel on Friday said its name has now been removed from the denied entry list for non-fulfilment of export obligation under an export promotion scheme New Delhi: Bharti Airtel on Friday said its name has now been removed from the denied entry list for non-fulfilment of export obligation under an export promotion scheme. The removal of Bharti Airtel's name from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) blacklist is expected to come as a relief to the telecom operator which is otherwise staring at billions of dollars in past statutory dues. The company, in a statement on Friday, said its has now been removed from the denied entry list after it highlighted the relevant details and documents submitted to the DGFT. "We are actively engaged with the authorities to complete the formalities and provide additional documents for closure of the remaining cases," the company said. Earlier this week, the firm said it was working to get its name removed from the list, and had asserted that DGFT's latest action does not limit its ability to undertake future imports or exports. The DGFT, which is under the Commerce Ministry, had put the company under the list, commonly known as blacklist, for non-fulfilment of export obligation in respect of certain Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) authorisation issued to it. Under the EPCG, an export promotion scheme, import of capital goods is allowed at zero customs duty. Capital goods imported at zero duty must fulfil EPCG export obligation equivalent to six times of duty saved, as per the scheme. The telecom industry is in the midst of a major crisis and as many as 15 entities owe the government Rs 92,642 crore in unpaid licence fee and another Rs 55,054 crore in outstanding spectrum usage charges. These liabilities arose after the Supreme Court in October last year held that non-core revenues have to be considered for calculating statutory dues from adjusted gross revenue (AGR). In the case of Bharti Airtel, the liabilities added up to nearly Rs 35,586 crore, of which Rs 21,682 crore is licence fee and another Rs 13,904.01 crore is the spectrum usage charge dues (not including the dues of Telenor and Tata Teleservices). Vodafone Idea -- which is staring at unpaid statutory dues of Rs 53,038 crore, including Rs 24,729 crore of spectrum dues and Rs 28,309 crore in licence fee -- has already warned of shutdown if no relief is given. Most of the remaining liability is with state-owned BSNL/MTNL and some of the shut/bankrupt telecom companies. Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Tata Teleservices have, meanwhile, jointly filed a modification application in the Supreme Court seeking more time to pay the statutory dues. The family of murder suspect Fotis Dulos want his trial to continue despite the fact that he is dead so they can try to clear his name, his legal team have said. Lawyer Norm Pattis said he will file an 'unusual motion' to have Dulos - who was suspected of killing estranged wife Jennifer amid an acrimonious divorce - prosecuted posthumously with the aim of exonerating him. Dulos, 52, died Thursday afternoon at a hospital in New York, 48 hours after he was found unconscious in his car following a suicide bid. Speaking after the death was announced, Pattis said: 'Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Now he has been executed. 'We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer.' The family of Fotis Dulos (pictured earlier this month), who died Thursday two days after a suicide attempt, want his murder trial to continue posthumously so he can be cleared of killing his estranged wife Dulos's lawyers say he was 'tried, convicted and executed' in the court of public opinion, and want to be given the opportunity to clear him in a court of law Attorney Norm Pattis (left) said he will file a motion to have the defendant in the case named as Dulos's estate so that the case can continue The move, which the Hartford Courant said is 'unprecedented', would involve making Dulos's estate the defendant. 'It'll be a difficult challenge,' Pattis said. 'We intend to proceed on as if he were alive to vindicate him.' The motion, which will have to be agreed to by state prosecutors, states that Dulos' family wants his children to know their father is innocent of killing their mother. Dulos died while on bail accused of murdering estranged with Jennifer amid a divorce and custody dispute 'Mr. Dulos' children should not be subjected to a lifetime coping with the fictional reality that their father murdered their mother in cold blood on the basis of baseless and rampant speculation,' the motion says. The family are also trying to harvest the father-of-five's organs, Pattis said, in the hope that they can be donated as part of his legacy. Dulos was on bail accused of murdering his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos when he died. Jennifer disappeared on May 24 after dropping their children off at school, in the midst of an ugly divorce and custody battle over their five children. Her car was abandoned near to her home but her body has never been found. Police believe Dulos murdered Jennifer and then disposed of evidence with the help of his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis. The pair were caught on surveillance disposing of garbage bags of items, some of which were later recovered and found to be stained with Jennifer's blood. Fotis Dulos is led by police in Connecticut after being arrested for the murder of his ex-wife. His attorney slammed the public's treatment of his client, saying he was 'executed' by public opinion The family of Fotis Dulos (pictured being led out of court by officials) are now demanding that he is cleared posthumously of murdering his wife Jennifer last year. 'The family is adamant that his name be cleared,' Pattis said in a statement, after announcing Dulos' death The family of Jennifer Dulos released a statement asking for privacy as news broke of his death. 'This is a horrific tragedy all around,' family spokeswoman Carrie Luft said. 'Please respect the privacy of the families and loved ones involved.' It emerged earlier Thursday that Dulos left a suicide note protesting his innocence over Jennifer's murder. Law enforcement sources told the Hartford Courant that during a search of Dulos' home, officers found the note but no other evidence that could reveal the location of Jennifer's missing body. Dulos' lawyer confirmed in a court filing Thursday that the note was found in the vehicle with Dulos. Fotis was found in his car inside his garage. The exhaust pipe he used to try to kill himself is shown attached to his vehicle Fotis is filmed being put into a helicopter at UConn Health in Connecticut on Tuesday In the note 'he declared his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the State has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it,' the motion states. Police said in arrest affidavits that Jennifer was attacked in the garage of her home in New Canaan, Connecticut, after dropping her children off at school for the day. They think her killer then transported her body out of the home in her own car. The car was found abandoned not far from the property later that day, but there was no sign of her. Police then found large pools of her blood in the garage. They also said they had surveillance footage of two people who looked like Dulos and Troconis depositing garbage bags at various locations that night that, when tested later, were found to contain Jennifer's DNA. Fotis' sister, Rena, who had traveled from Greece to support him throughout his legal woes, is shown outside Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx Thursday Rena previously said she believes her brother is innocent and that he would never have harmed Jennifer TIMELINE OF THE FOTIS DULOS CASE 2004: Fotis Dulos and Jennifer Farber get married. It is his second marriage In the same year, her father Hilliard starts loaning him money for his property business, Fore Group 2015: Fotis and Michelle Troconis start taking trips he paid for which he claimed were for business. They later start an affair January 2017: Hilliard Farber dies March 2017: Gloria Farber takes over his estate June 2017: Jennifer files for divorce, saying she is afraid of her husband February 2018: Gloria Farber sues Fotis Dulos for unpaid loans May 24 2019: Jennifer vanishes after dropping off her five children at school June 2019: Fotis and Michelle Troconis are arrested for evidence tampering Gloria Farber files an order for custody of the children August 2019: Troconis 'turns' on Dulos in police interviews, admits she lied when she said she had an alibi for him September 2019: Fotis is arrested again for evidence tampering January 2020: Dulos and Troconis are charged with murder January 28: Dulos is found unresponsive at his Farmington home January 29: Dulos' family fly in to say their goodbyes as sources say he 'is completely reliant on life support' Police conduct a new search of Dulos' home January 30: Dulos dies at 5.32p.m. at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York, surrounded by family, friends and his legal team His attorney files a motion to continue with the murder trial after his death as Dulos' family are 'adamant that his name be cleared' Earlier it emerges that a suicide note was found protesting his innocence Advertisement Jennifer had said in divorce papers that she was afraid of him, and their children's former nanny said she once witnessed him 'chase her through the house'. Dulos, however, gave interviews protesting his innocence. He said he never harmed her and, at one stage, his attorney suggested Jennifer had killed herself in a Gone Girl style plot to blame it on him. Gloria Farber, Jennifer's mother, was given full custody of Jennifer and Fotis' children, aged 8 to 13, after she filed a custody motion the same day Fotis was arrested for evidence tampering and hindering prosecution in relation to Jennifer's disappearance in May. She continues to care for them in her Upper East Side apartment on Fifth Avenue. At one point, Farber's apartment was being guarded by armed security. Police carried out a new search of Fotis Dulos' home on Wednesday, the day after the suspected murderer was found unresponsive in his garage. Connecticut State Police confirmed they had executed a new search warrant at the Farmington home. Brian Foley, assistant to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection commissioner, said the Western District Major Crimes unit had obtained the warrant for the home and conducted the search Wednesday afternoon, NBC Connecticut reported. Authorities did not divulge what they were looking for but, according to The Hartford Courant, they found the suicide note. A bondsman who had been working with Dulos since his first two arrests has come forward revealing he was probably the last person to speak with the suspected killer before he died. Mark Motuxzick, a bondsman for Capitol Bail Bonds, said he spoke on the phone with Dulos just hours before he was found lifeless. Motuxzick told NBC Connecticut Wednesday that Dulos called him at 9:53 a.m. Tuesday morning asking if he could take over the bond that was up for the emergency hearing that Dulos missed later that day. Police searched Fotis Dulos' home on Wednesday, the day after the suspected killer tried to kill himself with carbon monoxide poisoning on Tuesday Connecticut State Police executed a new search warrant at the Farmington home (above) Authorities did not divulge what they were looking for but it later emerged that a suicide note was found in which Dulos' maintained his innocence 'He asked me what do I need to take over, those were his words, the bail that he's referring to the $6 million,' said Motuxzick, who was the first bondsman to try to secure Dulos' most recent $6 million bond. 'I stated that I would give him a call back in a little while because he said he was on his way to his attorney's office.' He said when he called Dulos back about 40 minutes later at 10:34 a.m., he noticed he sounded different and like he was 'out of breath'. 'He was like it's all set something to that effect,' Motuxzick said. 'It sounded like he was working out it was almost like he was kind of I don't know out of breath.' A bondsman (pictured) who had been working with Dulos since his first two arrests has come forward revealing he may have been the last person to speak with him before he died 'Unfortunately I don't know if it just all got to him at that point and he said to heck with it,' said Motuxzick. The bondsman told NBC Dulos always told him he loved his children and that he had an explanation for the accusations against him but the bond might have 'put him over the edge'. 'Whatever happened along the way with the bond being posted I think this was possibly a something that just might've put him over the edge,' Motuxzick said. At the time of his suicide attempt, Dulos was on strict house arrest and could only leave his mansion to see a lawyer, a doctor or attend a religious service. Dulos' attorneys Norm Pattis (right) and Kevin Smith (left) in court on Wednesday at the bond hearing. Pattis announced his client's death on Thursday evening The company which insured his $6million bond and got him out of jail reneged on it on Tuesday over doubts around the equity of the real estate assets he put up as security. Palmetto Surety Company, which originally posted the bond, had recently learned that two properties offered as collateral, including the real estate developer's mansion in Farmington, were subject to foreclosure and a third was overvalued by over $300,000. Dulos faced the prospect of having his $6 million bond revoked at an emergency court hearing Tuesday. Sources told DailyMail.com Dulos was 'losing his mind' at the prospect of having to go back into custody. Fotis was due in court at noon that day, but failed to show up. Police arrived to check on him and saw him through a window, sitting in his vehicle in the garage, showing 'obvious signs of medical distress'. On Wednesday, New York bail bondsman Ira Judelson, a celebrity favorite, went to Stamford to offer up the bond. Before Dulos passed away, the judge issued a warrant for his re-arrest and added $500,000 to his bail. Dulos' attorney Pattis said on Wednesday he never anticipated his client would try to take his own life. 'A lawyer's commitment is to be a shepherd to his client and to walk them through the valley of the shadow of death... 'Sometimes you make a call where you think your client is self destructive. That is based on the best judgement you can see. 'I saw nothing that made me believe that so I look back and wonder what I missed,' he said outside court. Emergency workers are shown trying to revive Fotis Dulos at his home in Farmington, Connecticut, on Tuesday The new girlfriend who put up nearly $150k for his bond and was with him the morning of his suicide attempt Murder suspect Fotis Dulos had a new girlfriend who had fronted thousands of dollars in cash in order for him to make bond and who was with him the morning he attempted suicide, DailyMail.com revealed Thursday. Before his suicide attempt and death two days later, Fotis Dulos had a new girlfriend Anna K. Curry (above) who paid 147,000 in cash in order for him to make bond, DailyMail.com revealed Documents obtained by DailyMail.com found that Anna K. Curry, 42, put up $147,000 in cash and said she would pay an additional $272,000 to secure the $6million bond that Dulos posted after he was charged with Jennifer's murder. Curry was seen at Dulos' home on Tuesday in the hours before he was due to attend a hearing at Stamford Superior Court where he feared his bond would be revoked and he would be jailed. She left Dulos' home around 10.30am to run errands and returned to find police officers fighting to revive him on the driveway, according to sources. Sources confirmed that Curry was in a romantic relationship with him. She bears a striking resemblance to Dulos' missing wife Jennifer and his ex-girlfriend Michelle Troconis, who has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The brunette bears a striking resemblance to Dulos' missing wife Jennifer (left) and mistress Michelle Troconis (right) who has also been charged in the disappearance A neighbor told DailyMail.com: 'A young woman has been at Fotis' house several times over the past few months. They've been out jogging together. She's been driving one of his cars.' The Hartford Courant first reported that Curry wrote two checks for a total of $147,000 on January 9, according to public records, in order to pay the bail bondsman his fee on the $6million bond. Dulos contributed a check for $1,000. The conditions of Dulos' $6million bond meant putting up 7 per cent of that amount or $420,000 in cash, to prevent him awaiting trial in jail. According to the filing, Curry also agreed to pay the balance of just over $272,000 in 15 installments until April 2021 to secure the $6million bond. In the documents, seen by DailyMail.com, Dulos listed Curry as his 'best friend'. Curry worked at a consulting firm in New York from 1999 until 2003 and Dulos overlapped with her at the company when he worked there from 1997 until 2004 On Curry, Dulos' lawyer Norm Pattis said in an earlier statement: 'It is my understanding and belief these were old friends who developed a friendship years ago at work and out of loyalty to that friendship she has assisted Mr. Dulos. We should all be lucky enough to have such a loyal friend.' He declined to elaborate on the nature of Dulos and Curry's relationship. Curry lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and works in financial services. She worked at Capgemini, a consulting firm in New York, as a senior consultant in wealth management strategy for four years from 1999 until 2003, according to her LinkedIn. Dulos overlapped with her time at the company when he was a manager at Capgemini for seven years from 1997 until 2004. Curry went on to take other senior positions in wealth management at New York firms until 2013 when she relocated to North Carolina, where her family are based. She graduated magna cum laude from Duke University in Durham with a BA in history in 1999. Social media pictures appear to show she is a keen equestrian. Dulos' final message: The suicide note protesting his innocence Fotis Dulos maintained he was innocent of murdering his wife until the very end, DailyMail.com revealed Thursday. The suspected killer left a suicide note protesting his innocence over Jennifer's murder before attempting suicide, it emerged. Dulos consistently denied having anything to do with her death since her disappearance in May. He gave interviews saying he never harmed her and, at one stage, his attorney suggested Jennifer had killed herself in a Gone Girl style plot to blame her death on him. Hopes of any admission of guilt have been dashed after Dulos succumbed to his injuries Thursday - not before authorities allegedly found a note in which he continued to proclaim his innocence. Police conducted another search of Dulos' home Wednesday. While authorities would not comment on what they hoped they would find, many were eager to know whether he had confessed to Jennifer's murder in a note before trying to take his own life. According to The Hartford Courant, officers did find a note - but it protested his innocence and not his guilt. Dulos' lawyer later confirmed in a court filing Thursday that the note was found with his body. In the note 'he declared his innocence of the infamous and heinous crimes that the State has accused him of and claimed his lawyers have the evidence to prove it,' the motion states. Family flew in to say their goodbyes The family of Fotis Dulos were urged to come to the hospital to say their goodbyes to the suspected murderer before he passed away as his chances of recovery appeared to dwindle, DailyMail.com revealed exclusively on Wednesday. A source told DailyMail.com that by the day after his suicide attempt, he was 'completely reliant on life support' and all hope had faded that he would ever wake up. Had the father-of-five pulled through, doctors had said brain damage would have been 'inevitable because of the amount of time he was unresponsive', the source said. Relatives flew in from Greece to be with him in his final hours and his affairs were 'being put in order', according to the source. Rena Dulos, his sister who lives in their native Greece, was his closest living adult relative. Rena traveled to New York with his niece Angelika to say goodbye to her brother. She was pictured outside Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx Thursday. Rena Dulos speaks with her brother's attorney, Norm Pattis, at the hospital on Thursday shortly before Fotis Dulos died at 5.32p.m. Jennifers disappearance and alleged murder On May 24, in the midst of an ugly divorce and custody battle over their five children, Jennifer vanished without a trace. She was last seen arriving home at around 8a.m. after dropping the children off at school that morning and then missed several appointments in New York City that day. Her car, a Chevrolet Suburban, was abandoned in a parking lot near to her home. Her body has never been found. Surveillance footage allegedly shows Dulos in a pickup truck with his then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis disposing of garbage bags of items, some of which were later recovered and found to be stained with Jennifer's blood. Sources told the Hartford Courant that police later recovered blood-soaked sponges and a Vineyard Vines shirt that Jennifer was wearing when she went missing. Surveillance footage (pictured) shows the last known images of Jennifer driving home, where police say Dulos 'lay in wait', after she dropped her children at school at around 8am on May 24 Dulos is shown on May 29 withdrawing $500 cash before visiting a car wash to clean his employee's car on the day Jennifer vanished Jennifer and her husband had been locked in a vicious custody battle for the last two years. In 2017 divorce documents, Jennifer said she was 'afraid' of Fotis and he would 'harm' her They also have traffic and school bus camera footage of a man they believe was Dulos driving a pickup truck to New Canaan on the morning Jennifer disappeared; surveillance video of Dulos getting the truck washed and detailed days after she vanished; and evidence that Jennifer's DNA was found on the truck's passenger seat, according to a police warrant. State's Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. said in court last year that Jennifer's blood also was found mixed with Dulos' DNA on the kitchen sink faucet of her home in New Canaan. Authorities believe that Dulos drove an employee's red Toyota Tacoma truck to New Canaan, and lay in wait for Jennifer to return home from the school run. Dulos is believed to have murdered Jennifer sometime over the next two hours. Jennifer's SUV was seen leaving her house at around 10.20a.m. Police believe Dulos was driving the car. Dulos was then allegedly picked back up by surveillance cameras at 11.20a.m. back in the truck. The most explosive claims in the warrant came from Pawel Gumienny, the employee whose truck Dulos allegedly used. Gumienny claims Dulos urged him to keep one of his cars instead of taking back his truck that day. Five days later, Gumienny said he found out that Dulos and Troconis had washed his truck without his knowledge. Dulos then repeatedly urged him to replace and get rid of the seats of his truck and grew angry when his employee failed to do so at first. Police found a 'bloodlike substance' containing Jennifer's DNA on the seats, despite Dulos' alleged attempts to clean the car. Investigators are convinced Jennifer is dead. It took eight months for murder charges to be brought against Dulos. The ex-girlfriend and the civil attorney: The surviving two charged in Jennifer's disappearance Dulos' ex-girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and his friend and civil attorney, Kent Douglas Mawhinney, are charged with conspiracy to murder for their alleged roles in plotting and covering up Jennifer's death. Dulos and Troconis had previously been charged with evidence tampering and obstruction in Jennifer's disappearance. Dulos' criminal attorney previously proposed that Mawhinney could provide an alibi that cleared him of wrongdoing. Troconis is accused of helping Dulos dispose of evidence on the day of Jennifer's disappearance. They were both captured on surveillance disposing of the items that tested positive for Jennifer's blood. Mawhinney is accused of digging a grave and stocking it with lime before she disappeared. The grave was later discovered and found not to have been used. According to arrest warrants, Mawhinney had a prearranged meeting with Dulos on the morning of his wife's disappearance, was at Dulos's office and had his cellphone with him. He also was mentioned in what police described as 'alibi notes' found in the trash at Dulos' business, according to the warrants. Mawhinney once represented Dulos in lawsuits filed by Jennifer's mother, who claims Dulos never repaid her late husband for about $3 million in loans he gave Dulos to develop expensive homes. Mawhinney is charged in another case with sexually assaulting his estranged wife in South Windsor last year and violating a protective order. He has pleaded not guilty. In court documents in those cases, Jennifer told authorities she believed Mawhinney was plotting to have her killed and Dulos made contact with her as part of the plot. Lucknow, Jan 31 : Controversial BJP legislator Sangeet Som said on Friday that people like Sharjeel Imam, who talk about "breaking India", should be "shot dead publicly". Som, who is an accused in a riot case himself, said: "The women sitting on protests have no work, a probe is needed to find out the source of funding of these protests. As far as people like Sharjeel Imam, who talk of breaking India, are concerned, such people should be shot dead publicly." Imam, a JNU student is in police custody following his controversial remark about "cutting off Assam" from India. Som's statement came in the context of anti-CAA protests at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and Lucknow's Clock Tower, where hundreds of women have been staging a sit-in against the new citizenship law for over a month. On Thursday, women in Aligarh also joined in by sitting on an indefinite dharna at Eidgah, even as the police booked 250 of them for unlawful assembly. The MLA's reaction came a day after a gun-wielding man opened fire on protesters near Jamia Millia Islamia, injuring a student. Som, who is not new to controversies, had earlier called Owaisi an agent of Pakistan for opposing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. He also attacked the Congress over the issue, saying that both the Congress and Owaisi 'should go to Pakistan'. "Both Congress and Owaisi will have to go to Pakistan if they do not change their attitude especially when a Bill is being introduced for the welfare of our country... "The Congress and Owaisi eat and breathe in our country but they speak on the political and diplomatic line that suits Pakistan," he had said. Som is known for his extreme views and is an accused in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. Kate Walsh joined the stars at the Casting Society Of America's Artios Awards in New York City this Thursday evening. The 52-year-old cut a stylish figure in a pair of high-waisted loose-fitting trousers that featured a glamorous gold print over a black field. Her blouse had flared sleeves that matched her trousers, as well as a plunging neckline to betray just a hint of cleavage. Aglow: Kate Walsh joined the stars at the Casting Society Of America's Artios Awards in New York City this Thursday evening Kate's blonde hair perfectly complemented her outfit and she accentuated her features with makeup including a slick of scarlet lipstick. The Casting Society Of America threw the Artios Awards in both New York City and Los Angeles this Thursday evening. While the Big Apple branch of the show took place at Stage 48 in Hell's Kitchen, the West Coast event was held at the iconic Beverly Hilton Hotel. Hello, gorgeous: The 52-year-old cut a stylish figure in a pair of high-waisted loose-fitting trousers that featured a glamorous gold print over a black field The Beverly Hilton played host to stars including Rachel Brosnahan, Tony Shalhoub and Luke Kirby of the Amazon Prime show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Academy Award-winning actress Geena Davis, who had a recurring role on the third season of the Netflix series GLOW last year. Kate's upcoming releases include a series called Emily In Paris, created by Darren Star of Sex And The City and Younger fame. Bi-coastal: While Kate was at the New York event there was also a Los Angeles branch that played host to names like (from left) Tony Shalhoub, Rachel Brosnahan and Luke Kirby Lily Collins plays the title character, a Midwestern American who finds herself adjusting to life in the French capital while working for a marketing company there. With a cast ranging from Broadway veteran Ashley Park to French TV actress Camille Razat, the show is due out on the Paramount Network this year. Kate is also starring with Liam Neeson and Jai Courtney in Honest Thief, a crime drama from A Family Man director Mark Williams. Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said the crisis within the party has not stopped its victor... Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has said the crisis within the party has not stopped its victories in some elections recently conducted.Oshiomhole said he wouldnt mind the continuation of crisis in APC if it would lead to electoral victories for the party in future elections.The APC Chairman stated this while hosting Kano State chapter of the party led by the state Governor, Umar Ganduje in Abuja.According to Oshiomhole: On my part, the victories we recorded especially in this rerun election is very timely.When I pick up newspapers and see where they are writing that APC is in crisis, and by the time you turn to the next page they will announce that APC has won this or that elections.I was like if crisis is what it takes to win elections, maybe we will continue to be in crisis.APC is currently experiencing an internal crisis, a situation that led to the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki threatening to expel Oshiomhole from the state arm of the party.Following the crisis in the party, former Minister of Information, Tony Momoh had insisted that Oshiomhole had no business interfering in the affairs of APC in Edo State because Obaseki was the leader of the party. 1.6k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Adam Schiff took apart Trumps baseless smear that Joe Biden got a prosecutor in Ukraine fired to protect his son. Schiff said: The reason why Joe Biden is not material to these proceedings, the reason why this is a baseless smear is that the issue is not whether Hunter Biden should have sat on that board or not sat on that board. The issue is not whether Hunter Biden was properly compensated or improperly compensated or whether he speaks Ukrainian or he doesnt speak Ukrainian. What the president asked for was an investigation of Joe Biden. And the smear against Joe Biden is that he so the to fire a prosecutor because he was trying to protect his son. I guess thats the nature of the allegation. And that is a baseless smear. As we demonstrated, as the unequivocal testimony in the House demonstrated, when the vice president so the dismissal of a corrupt and incompetent prosecutor it had nothing to do with Hunter Bidens position on the board. Video: Adam Schiff tears apart the baseless smear against Joe Biden. #ImpeachmentTrial pic.twitter.com/Vb1qIsNuq6 Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) January 31, 2020 It had everything to do with the fact the State Department, our allies, the International Monetary Fund were in unanimous agreement that this prosecutor was corrupt. And the uncontradicted testimony was also that in getting rid of that prosecutor, it would increase the chances of real corruption prosecutions going forward, not that it would decrease them. So the sham is this. The sham is that Joe Biden did something wrong when he followed United States policy. When he did what he was asked to do by our European allies. When he did what he was asked to do by international financial institutions. And the other sham is the Russian propaganda sham, that this crowd strike kooky conspiracy theory that the Ukrainians, not the Russians, hacked the DNC and that someone whisked this server away to Ukraine to hide it. That is Russian intelligence propaganda. And, yes, its a sham. And its worse than a sham. Its a Russian propaganda coup is what it is. Thank god, Putin says, that theyre not talking about Russian interference anymore. Theyre talking about Ukrainian interference. Now, counsel says, well, isnt it possible that two countries interfered? But you heard what our own director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, said. There is no evidence of Ukrainian interference in our election. There is no evidence, so, yes, I think we can cite the FBI director for the proposition that thats a sham. Schiff went after three of Trumps favorite conspiracies. He took apart the false claim of Biden corruption, Ukraine interference in the election, and Crowdstrike server. All of it is BS. All of it is designed to blame someone else for Trumps corruption and Russian election interference. It may fool Republicans, but it isnt fooling the rest of the country. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Alongside his role in the development of British comedy, the Monty Python writer and director Terry Jones, who has died at 77, made significant contributions to Chaucerian scholarship and mediaeval history. He also spoke out extensively, with characteristic wit and acerbity, against the US-led Iraq War of 2003. Terry Jones reading in 2007 Jones was born in Wales in 1942. When he was a child the family moved to Surrey, where he received a middle-class grammar school education before going to Oxford to read English. Without Oxford, he said, I wouldnt have met either Mike Palin or Geoffrey Chaucerand without those two meetings the rest of my life would have been quite different. Jones first saw Michael Palin performing comedy material at a university Christmas party, and they started writing together. Jones also strayed into History from English, a move that would shape his later work. Palin, whose own best performances are stamped by a comical decency and uprightness, said the first thing he noticed was what a nice bloke [Terry] was. He had no airs and graces. They shared similar ideas about humour, mainly because we both liked characters; we both appreciated that comedy wasnt just jokes. The Pythons were intriguingly representative of a post-war generation of comics. Much British radio comedy had been mannered and catchphrase-driven prior to the eruption of The Goon Show (1951-1960), the renowned BBC comedy programme, featuring Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers among others, but younger comics took Milligans imaginative scripts and inventive approach to comedy even further. Jones was keen on abandoning punch lines as the endpoint of a sketch, preferring the lurch and juxtaposition of a stream-of-consciousness flow into new material. Milligan took a similar approach in his own television series. With the Oxford Revue, Jones and Palin performed at the Edinburgh festival, meeting David Frost and future Pythons John Cleese, Graham Chapman and Eric Idle. Idle has tweeted that he loved [Jones] the moment I saw him on stage at the Edinburgh Festival in 1963. After university Jones worked as a copywriter for Anglia Television and began writing regularly with Palin, contributing sketches to BBC shows. They were regular writers for The Frost Report, alongside Idle, Cleese and Chapman, the first time they all worked together. Jones and Palin also worked with Idle on the childrens show Do Not Adjust Your Set, with animations by another future Python, Terry Gilliam, and music by the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The Bonzos Neil Innes, who died last month, became the Pythons regular musical collaborator. Jones and Palin made The Complete and Utter History of Britain for London Weekend Television in 1969, but it was frustrating. Jones said this convinced him that you have to control everything. You not only act in the things, youve got to actually start directing the things as well. The project that allowed him to explore that aspect of production began later that year. Cleese and his writing partner Chapman suggested teaming up with Jones and Palin. They agreed, if they could bring Idle and Gilliam on boardand in doing so formed Monty Python, with their first creation, Monty Pythons Flying Circus. Group shot of the Monty Python crew in 1969. Back row: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam; Front row: Terry Jones, John Cleese, Michael Palin The combination of such different writing partnerships and contributions guaranteed the shows disruptive and novel character. Running for 45 episodes over four series (1969 to 1974), some of it does not stand revisiting, but at its best it is inventive and pleasingly intolerant of conformity. Where Milligan was rebelling against wartime bureaucracy and officialdom, the Pythons were reacting against staid complacency in post-war life. Python sometimes feels too much the competitive and volatile arena of rival educated writers, as it often was. Cleese favoured the classical sketch format and verbal humourGilliam, noting Cleeses dislike of ad-libbing, called him a fundamentalist when it comes to humourwhile Jones pushed for greater visual content and a more flowing structure of routines without neat endings. If this fuelled tensionsJones threw a chair at Cleese during one writing sessionit also pushed Jones more towards his own vision. As a performer he often seems less striking in Python than his colleagues. He lacked Cleeses determination to dominate, Palins ability to produce something unexpected and subversively odd out of a crushed ordinary man, or Idles wilfully tacky insinuation. Instead, Jones was the foil or the colour, playing caricatured old ladies, a cheerful nude organist and an extremely English man teaching Italian to native Italians. His most perceptive performance moment in the series, to my mind, is as a short-sighted soldier squinting and smearing his glasses with his fingers in order to read the funniest joke in the world. Moreover, he also became the possessor of one of the most famous naked bottoms in comedy and, later, portrayed the single most grotesque character ever created by Python, Mister Creosote. Warmth and affection are the strongest aspects of much of his work, whether the loving parodies of Edwardian fiction he co-wrote with Palin for Ripping Yarns, or the whimsical good nature of his work for children. They could also tend towards parochialism, as in Personal Services (1987), about the madam of a suburban brothel for older men, but Jones delighted in any conservative reaction. He had directed three of the four films banned in Ireland, he said proudly. He came to feel undervalued and oppressed in Python. The television series ended acrimoniously and ran out of steam, with Cleese having little to do with the final shows. Discussing the last Python reunion, Jones commented with a laugh, John [Cleese] is still as nasty to me as he ever was! Terry Jones (seated) in a sketch during the Monty Python reunion tour in 2014 They did, thankfully, manage to continue working together on films. (Jones later described Python as like a good marriage). Their first was a compilation of sketches from the show, but the wonderful Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) allowed them to push into new territory. Co-directed by Jones and Gilliam, the Arthurian narrative allowed both to explore new directions. Gilliam moved further into feature films, while Jones gave first expression to his continued passion for mediaeval history and literature. He directed their next two films alone, which offered Gilliam some relief (Directing Python was hard work), as well as bringing out their differences. Of Life of Brian (1979) Gilliam said: Terry and I agree on so much, but then we disagreed on almost as many things. We built this extraordinary set for Pilates atrium, but you dont see it because of the way Terry shot it. He shot it to highlight the character comedy, which is the right way. It is the most cohesive Python film, partly because the different writing teams worked more closely together in its preparation. Many religious groups attacked it, with Gilliam reporting gleefully, We managed to get the Catholics, the Protestants and the Jews all pissed off at us. In Britain the Church of England led the charge. Malcolm Muggeridge and the Bishop of Southwarks childishly petulant chat show attack on a visibly angry Palin and Cleese helped, in Palins words, break the assumption that religion was something the establishment told people how to talk about. Theyd embarrassed themselves by making a pathetic case. Jones was civil and restrained in his defence of the film, noting that it is supporting some of the beliefs which I personally find hard to justify. The mistake is to [consider] an attack on established religion as blasphemy. During Holy Grail he had begun the research that led to his acclaimed Chaucers Knight (1980). Examining the record of the battles Chaucers character had fought in, Jones argued that the Knight was less idealised hero than mercenary thug. His studiously argued book remains important reading. Jones was an enthusiastic student of the Middle Ages, writing more on Chaucer, attempting to redress the historical record on Richard II, and presenting documentaries on the period. Impishly describing the Renaissance as a backward-looking movement, he sought to bring out both the modernity of the Middle Ages and historiographical questions of how we look at the period: The medieval world wasnt a time of stagnation or ignorance. A lot of what we assume to be medieval ignorance is, in fact, our own ignorance about the medieval world. These enthusiasms fed into his childrens books, starting with Erik the Viking (1983), which he subsequently filmed. He was not always successful with film studios. His prize-winning adaptation of Wind in the Willows (1996) was ruined by studio politicking no one saw it. He said he was proudest of his childrens books and his academic stuff, which he called my best bits. That historical enthusiasm, however, combined a positive and humane attitude with a certain political pessimism. Jones said his constant theme is that the medieval world is similar to ours in that the same people always take advantage of the same people. Humanity doesn't change all through the centuries. This combination of decency, humanity and political frustration marked his opposition to the Iraq War and its aftermath. He swore off BBC news programmes, which he felt had been browbeaten into submission by the Hutton Report into the supposed death by suicide of weapons inspector Dr David Kelly. The best of his anti-war newspaper columns, brought together in a book, Terry Joness War on the War on Terror: Observations and Denunciations by a Founding Member of Monty Python, bristle with righteous anger. When a Royal Society report in 2003 suggested fish could feel pain, Jones wrote that perhaps its time to govern human affairs on the principle that human beings feel pain too. He was diagnosed in 2016 with a frontotemporal dementia that destroyed his ability to communicate. It exemplifies Jones humanity that he signed up to donate his brain post-mortem for neurological research into dementia. Beijing If you can make smartphone apps, Chinese tech giant Huawei wants you. The No. 2 global smartphone brand is struggling to hold onto its market after Washington accused Huawei of being a security risk and blocked access to U.S. components and technology. That includes YouTube and other popular Google "core apps" customers expect on new phones. They will be missing from the global rollout of Huawei's next model, the P40, due out in March, replaced by its own music, payment and other apps. Huawei Technologies Ltd., along with every other smartphone brand except Apple Inc., relies on Google's Android operating system. So it's scouring the world for replacements. At events for developers from New Delhi to Warsaw to Sao Paulo, Huawei is promising cash rewards if they meet a deadline Friday to get apps onto its online store. The company says it will invest $1.5 billion in app development. It faces an expensive, uphill struggle to create alternatives to the Google-centered world of music, navigation and other apps, according to industry experts. Others including Nokia and Microsoft have tried and failed to create their own mobile ecosystems. Creating "diverse apps" is a "really challenging task to Huawei," said chairman Guo Ping in videotaped comments released by the company. Huawei, also the world's biggest maker of switching gear for phone networks, rejects U.S. accusations it might facilitate Chinese spying. Chinese officials accuse Washington of using phony security claims to hurt a commercial rival. The Trump administration also is pressing European and other allies to exclude Huawei switching gear from next-generation telecom networks. The conflict has fed fears technology industries might split into Chinese, U.S. and other spheres with incompatible products. Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, has said it wants to stay in a unified global industry and work with Google and other U.S. partners. The Android system is open-source, meaning phone brands use it for free but most also pay Google for "core apps" and the software to support them. Huawei can keep using Android but is blocked from buying those "core apps" for pre-installation. That threatens to cripple Huawei's ability to compete with market leader Samsung and other Android-based phones. Consumers expect "well-known apps their peers are using," such as Google Maps, said Thomas Husson, a principal analyst for Forrester, in an email. "It would require massive investment to convince developers to develop for a new eco-system and a lot of marketing efforts." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Huawei already sells phones without Google "core apps" in China, where the ruling Communist Party's internet filters block access to YouTube, the Google search engine and thousands of other foreign websites. Instead, Huawei phones come with Chinese search engine Baidu.com, video service Youku.com and other local apps. But Huawei competes on a level playing field in China with competitors that face the same restrictions. In other foreign markets the others have the popular Google package. For the P40, Huawei has signed an agreement for developers to use maps from a Dutch provider, TomTom. Details of other services have yet to be announced. In response to questions, Huawei said executives would talk to reporters next month at the Mobile World Congress, the industry's biggest annual event. The chief executive of Huawei's consumer unit, Richard Yu, told reporters in December the P40 would be launched in Paris in late March, using Android instead of Huawei's HarmonyOS operating system, which it unveiled last year. HarmonyOS is based on code developed for other Huawei devices and could replace Android if needed. But the company wants to keep working with Google, which has spent more than a decade improving Android with input from Huawei and other companies. Replacing Google apps is "a massive undertaking for any company," said Dermot Daly, chief executive of Tapadoo, an Irish app developer that isn't working for Huawei. Huawei Mobile Services offers some 45,000 apps. But that is barely 1.5 percent of the 3 million titles on Google Play Store, where most Android users get apps. The stars were out for opening night of Medea, Simon Stone's rewrite of the Euripides Greek tragedy, at BAM Harvey Theater in New York City on Thursday. The play stars real-life couple Rose Byrne and Bobby Cannavale in the lead roles of Anna (the Medea character) and Lucas. Game Of Thrones star Peter Dinklage and wife Erica Schmidt were among the celebrities who hit the red carpet for premiere show that also included Rami Malek, Edie Falco, Paul Rudd, Melissa Gilbert, Timothy Busfield and Debi Mazar. Peter Dinklage and wife Erica Schmidt were among the celebrities who attended opening night of the play Madea in New York City on Thursday Dinklage, 50, strutted out in front of the cameras looking casual-cool in black pants, blue shirt, black leather jacket and matching boots. He's also sporting a full beard and mustache and his hair in his traditional style with a part on the left. Keeping with the laid back fashion theme, Schmidt, 44, wore a long yellow shirt with a grey sweater and a long navy blue overcoat. The couple is gearing up for a big milestone when they celebrate their 15th wedding anniversary in April. In unison: The couple, who will celebrate 15 years of marriage in April, went with a laid back style for their night at the theater Man in black: Rami Malek, 38, kept up with his penchant for black fashion Villian: Malek stars in the upcoming James Bond flick, No Time To Die, as the adversary to 007 Malek, 38, went with an all-black stylish ensemble in fitted pants, a sweater over a black button-down. He also donned a black overcoat and matching leather boots. Sopranos star Edie Falco, 56, went with baggy blue and white-patterned pants that flared out in the legs with a black top and black blazer. At times she got to share some laughs with her former Nurse Jackie co-star Stephen Wallem, who was dressed in a mixed two-tone suit. Fun and fresh: Sopranos star Edie Falco, 56, went with baggy blue and white-patterned pants that flared out in the legs with a black top and black blazer Old colleagues: Falco also got to catch up with former Nurse Jackie co-star Stephen Wallem Dapper: Paul Rudd looked handsome in his plaid coat Stylish: The 50-year-old actor added a gray sweater and white collared top Rudd, 50, stepped out for a night at the theater in black pants with a charcoal sweater over a white dress shirt, plaid overcoat and black boots. Entourage's Debi Mazar, 55, shared the spotlight with husband Gabriele Corcos, decked out in a Gothic-chic ensemble consisting of a shimmering black dress, black leather boots and a black cape over her shoulders. Little House On The Prairie star Melissa Gilbert, 55, also enjoyed a date night with husband Timothy Busfield. Along with Byrne and Cannavale, Medea also stars Victor Almanzar, Gabriel Amoroso, Dylan Baker, Jordan Boatman, Emeka Guindo, Orson Hong, Jolly Swag, amd Madeline Weinstein. Edgy: Debi Mazar, 55, looked Gothic-chic in her black ensemble Defining: Mazar is best know for her role in the hit HBO series Entourage Quality time: Debi Mazar had a date night with husband Gabriele Corcos Out on the town: Melissa Gilbert, 55, shared her evening with husband and Thirtysomething star Timothy Busfield, 62 Color contrast: The Little House On The Prairie star wore a red-patterned skirt with a black blazer and black and white-patterned boots The US commander for Africa said Thursday that European allies should do more to help France with airlifts and refueling in its campaign against extremists as the Trump administration looks to do less. France has warned that US cutbacks could weaken its 4,500-member Barkhane operation, which looks to crush a resurgence of the Islamic State group and other extremists in the former French colony of Mali and its neighbors. Questioned by lawmakers, General Steven Townsend, head of US Africa Command, acknowledged that the United States could reduce its presence in the continent as part of a global review. "Airlift is one thing we're supporting the French forces with, air refueling for the French fighter aircraft is another thing," Townsend said. "These are capacities that are resident in many European countries that they could provide," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "And I think our department is going to lead an effort to try to get some European partners to do some of those things and offset the support we're providing now." He said that the United States provided some more technical support such as surveillance that other countries were unlikely to match. President Donald Trump has long demanded that European nations contribute more in defense and is not known for his interest in Africa, although he has vowed to keep pressure on the Islamic State group after withdrawing US forces from northern Syria. The Pentagon is looking to prioritize resources in Asia, where China has been rapidly developing its military, and has sent thousands of additional troops to the Middle East as Trump confronts Iran. The United States spends about $45 million a year to assist French operations in Africa in refueling and logistical transport. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio legislators could not agree this week on how to manage the coming explosion of the EdChoice tuition voucher program, so the House voted Thursday night to delay when families can apply for vouchers for 60 days while legislators keep talking. The temporary fix from the House avoids what members called a fiscal cliff coming Feb. 1 when students who would attend 1,200 public schools across Ohio would normally start applying for vouchers to attend private school instead. The vote delays applications until April 1, so legislators can continue discussing which students should be eligible for the tax-funded private school tuition aid and who should pay for it. The two houses have sparred this week over whether students should receive vouchers if their local public school struggles, if family income is low, or some combination of the two. State Rep. William Seitz, the Republican floor leader, said the House and Senate were close to reaching agreement, but need more time to resolve final details. He urged other House members to approve an imperfect fix before school districts are hit with bills up to $6,000 per student taking the vouchers. Here we are, Seitz told House members before the vote. Cinderellas carriage is about to turn into a pumpkin. Rep. Phil Robinson, a Solon Democrat, said he supports the delay but regrets that legislators did not heed warnings that the increase in voucher use was coming and act sooner to avoid it. State Rep. Kent Smith, a Euclid Democrat, voted for the delay. It keeps Democrats at the table for another 60 days and doesnt harm public school districts on Saturday, Smith said. The House also set aside $10 million for the state to cover new voucher recipients this fall. House Speaker Larry Householder said that money is a down payment to cover voucher costs so school districts are not hurt if two houses cant reach agreement by April 1. He said the sides could reach a permanent resolution that makes that $10 million unnecessary. The House measure does not include about $7 million toward the Cleveland Scholarship, a Cleveland-only voucher program, or $30 million for school districts with large voucher increases this ongoing school year. The Senate plan this week included that money. Householder said he would support that money being included in a final compromise. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the delay at 1 p.m. Friday. Senate President Larry Obhof, a Medina Republican, said the two houses should reach agreement, not delay things further. He said senators are willing to keep working to reach agreement this week. It is time to solve the immediate problems before us," he said in a press release after the House vote. We shouldnt be asking Ohios schoolchildren and educators to wait for months. Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, a Christian-aligned group that backs vouchers, has said all week that students who would attend the 1,200 public schools should be able to receive them. He was disappointed in the delay. This puts those families in a two month purgatory not knowing whether theyre going to be able to attend the school of their choice for the following year, Baer said. He said small Christian schools that accept the vouchers wont be able to accept students or plan budgets without knowing if voucher money will be available. The EdChoice vouchers were started in 2005 to give students attending struggling schools money to go to private schools instead. In the last two years, tougher state report cards and some disputed state laws have led to more public schools considered failing by the state, which then makes their students eligible for vouchers. After the state declared 255 schools as underperforming for the 2018-'19 school year, 517 fell into that category for this ongoing school year. Next fall, more than 1,200 schools would be declared failing, making all of their students eligible for vouchers. Because districts have to pay a large part of the $4,650 vouchers for students in kindergarten through eighth grade and $6,000 for high school students, districts complained that increased eligibility is creating strain on their budgets. All week, legislators have sparred over which grades on state report cards should trigger a schools students being eligible for vouchers. Though the Senate passed a plan just before midnight Tuesday that would cut the number of public schools affected down to 425, the House rejected it. Householder first wanted that number cut to 188, then announced Wednesday night that he wanted to wipe out the use of report cards grades to determine eligibility. That concept, supported by schools and teachers, had critics, including State Sen. Matt Dolan, a Chagrin Falls Republican, who said providing alternatives to students stuck in failing schools was why EdChoice was created in the first place. He said he would vote against any plan that eliminates that option for families. Some legislators, including State Sen. Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, wanted to increase how much the state uses a familys income to determine voucher eligibility. The state now allows students whose families earn 200% or less of the federal poverty line receive full vouchers. The Senate plan on Tuesday raised that to 300%. Householder said after Thursday nights vote that the House would agree to using 300%, if the use of report card grades was eliminated or drastically reduced. WASHINGTON (Jan. 31, 2020)Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney has withdrawn from the 2020 Democratic presidential contest, only days before the Iowa caucuses. "It has been a privilege to campaign for the Democratic nomination for president, but it is clear that God has a different purpose for me at this moment in time," he said in a statement released Friday morning. Delaney said he didn't want to draw support away from other moderate candidates in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, which are being held Monday. The three-term congressman struggled to win significant support in the key early states of Iowa and New Hampshire despite focusing his campaign efforts there. "I've campaigned harder than anyone in Iowa through all 99 counties," Delaney said in an interview with CNN on Friday. "I've done hundreds of events across this great state, but it's clear to me on Monday, on caucus night, I will not have sufficient support to get to the 15 percent viability threshold." Zero percent of likely Democratic caucus-goers expressed support for Delaney in a Des Moines Register/Mediacom/CNN poll published earlier this month. He hasn't qualified to appear on a primary debate stage since July. Through Dec. 16, the former lawmaker had raised $12.1 million for his campaignnearly 80 percent of out of his own pocketand spent $11.6 million, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign spending. While Delaney's Iowa campaign listed eight offices around the state, the candidate's on-air presence was virtually non-existent: just eight television ads were run in November in Iowa and neighboring markets across the state line in Minnesota and Nebraska, according to FiveThirtyEight, which has been monitoring television ad buys by all the candidates. By contrast, the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, ran just one of its many different ads 2,700 times over 12 days earlier this month in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska. The Delaney operation also had set up an office in Manchester, New Hampshire, but had run no ads there. The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 11. Delaney announced his candidacy in July 2017, giving up his 6th District seat in the House of Representatives to pursue the White House. Delaney was the first Democrat to enter the 2020 field, one that would later become saturated by nearly two dozen candidates. The Democratic race for the party's nomination continues to narrow. Delaney is the fourth candidate to withdraw from the competition this month, alongside Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and author Marianne Williamson. "John Delaney is a true patriot who ran for all the right reasons," entrepreneur and presidential hopeful Andrew Yang tweeted Friday. "If more of our legislators were like John our country would be a much better place. Plus he inspired much of my team to work out on the trail. John will be back in no timehe knows America needs him." While Delaney said he's not endorsing another candidate yet, a number of candidatesincluding former Vice President Joe Biden, South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobucharmeet his criteria for a moderate who could unify America. "It's clear to me that to have the best chance of beating Donald Trump, which is the most important thing for our party at this moment in time," he told CNN, "and to actually be able to governwe need someone with that type of orientation." Uniting the nation was a central goal of Delaney's largely self-funded campaign. "Our government is hamstrung by excessive partisanship. We are letting critical opportunities to improve the country pass us by," he wrote in a July 2017 opinion article for The Washington Post in which he explained why he was running for president. "And we are not even talking about the most important thing: the future." Delaney said he'll support whoever becomes the Democratic nominee, but he's frequently clashed with progressive candidates like Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts. He criticized Sanders' Medicare-for-all proposal and pushed back against Warren's plan to tax the wealthy. "People like Bernie Sanders who are running on throwing the whole U.S. economy out the window and starting from scratch, he's running on taking private health insurance away from 180 million Americans, I just think that makes our job so much harder, in terms of beating Donald Trump," he said in the CNN interview. Despite his campaign coming to an end, Delaney said he's proud of what he accomplished while in the race and looks forward to advancing his views in the future. "This race was never about me, but about ideas and doing what's right for our nation," the former lawmaker wrote in a statement. "The unique and data-driven ideas that our campaign generatedon how to create a functional universal health care system, price carbon, advance trade, invest in rural America, cure disease, help workers, launch negative emissions technologies, reform education, and expand national serviceare now ideas for the party and I will continue to advocate for them in my next chapter." Moscow, Jan 31 : Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed the Middle East and Ukraine during a phone call, the Kremlin said on Friday. The leaders discussed implementing the agreements reached at an international conference on Libya in Berlin earlier this month, the Kremlin said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. Putin noted the need to coordinate with the Libyan parties at the conference, which is important for later support by the UN Security Council, according to the statement. Both sides emphasised the importance of ensuring a stable regime to end hostilities and launch a political dialogue. Putin and Merkel also discussed the situations in Ukraine and Syria as well as the plan for resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict recently proposed by US President Donald Trump. Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - Rwandan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Vincent Biruta, on Friday sent a message of support to express solidarity with the people and Government of China on the outbreak of the novel coronavirus Burma Chinese Visitor Arriving at Yangon Intl Airport Suspected of Having Coronavirus A China Southern Airlines plane with a suspected coronavirus patient on board is seen at Yangon International Airport on Friday. WYOMING, MI The Wyoming Police Department released surveillance images Thursday, Jan. 30, of a man fleeing the area of a fatal shooting on Jan. 19. Medardo David Ibuado, 23, of Wyoming, was killed in the 10:35 p.m. shooting. It happened near 5027 Curtis Dr. SW in Creekside Estates. The victim died at the scene. Wyoming police recently obtained surveillance images. The resolution is low, but Investigators hope something about the images might be meaningful to someone, Capt. James Maguffee said. Police asked anyone with information to call investigators at 616-530-7300 or 911 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345. Also on MLive: Forever heroes: Unresponsive toddler saved by nurses at hotel pool Juror: Photos horrific in starved baby case, dad just did not care This is torture:' Seth Welchs baby suffered cruel, starvation death, prosecutor says Young Americans visit the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem as part of a nine-day trip to Israel organized by Passages, a Christian nonprofit that offers Christian college students with leadership potential an innovative approach to experiencing Israel. (JNS)-As many as 500 Christian students gathered in Jerusalem recently for a mega-event marking the Passages organization's fifth anniversary. With 8,000 students who have arrived in Israel so far, that number is expected to reach 10,000 by the end of next year. For many of the students, the Passages nine-day trip to Israel represented their first-ever visit to Israel. Throughout the experience, students discover the deep roots of Christianity in the place where that ancient faith was born, bringing the Bible tangibly to life. According to the organization, Passages was founded in light of young Americans born into Christian families who have been moving away from their faith. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, only 65 percent of American adults define themselves as practicing Christians-a decrease of 12 percentage points in the past decade. The trip therefore aims to rejuvenate the students as they explore a land replete with historical significance to Christianity and connect them to modern-day Israel. Participants return equipped to build bridges of understanding and friendship with the Jewish state, the diverse people who live there and the Jewish community back home. Of the students, Scott Phillips, executive director of Passages, told JNS that "their eyes are opened to a highly important part of the world, as well as personal access to a growing alumni community post-trip, which can provide them with resources to continue to pursue leadership in their communities and, more broadly, in America." Also confirming the trip's positive impact, third-party studies on the Passages trips show participants go back with a deeper appreciation for their faith, as well as a broader understanding of Israel and the Jewish people. According to the study, once home, 92 percent of students reported having a deeper understanding of their Scriptures and faith; 95 percent had a deeper appreciation for the Jewish community and traditions; and 84 percent felt motivated to speak about the significance of Israel. Mattanah DeWitt, 21, returned to Friendship, Tenn., from her Passages trip in June 2017 "knowing" that she had to stay involved afterwards. Beforehand, she "hadn't thought much about going to Israel," but when she realized that she would be able to visit the locations of stories from the Bible, she decided to explore "the birthplace of my Christian faith and the point of connection that my faith has with the Jewish faith." By the end of the trip, she told JNS, "I was looking out of my window in Jerusalem, and I just sat on my bed and started crying. Over the nine days, I had gained such a connection-not just with the place of Israel but with the people of Israel, and it started to feel like home to me and I didn't want to leave." According to DeWitt, the Passages trip is "not just a one-time experience, but the beginning of a life-long leadership journey that each Christian student takes." It helps students "realize the ways they can contribute to the world through their leadership abilities and faith, and advocate for Israel," she said, adding that one of her biggest takeaways was "knowing that what I saw in Israel was so different than what I read in the media." Since her trip, DeWitt has returned to Israel four more times, has volunteered with Passages, and will begin a full-time job with the organization in February as their program coordinator for media and communications. Darion Ouliguian, 22, from Temecula, Calif., also reported a positive personal impact from his time in Israel in the winter of 2018. For him as a Christian, he said, it was "critical for my faith to visit the land of the Bible," and "to see and witness the realities happening on the ground for myself." The trip, Ouliguian told JNS, "affirmed my faith in my God and the Bible, and that I was able to witness the very places where God had interacted with his people. Additionally, this experience allowed me to grow closer to the Jewish people by listening to their stories, seeing how they live their daily lives and witnessing the diversity of the Jewish people." Ouliguian returned to Israel this winter for the Passages fellowship program, helping to lead the trip on a bus with first-time participants. "The more I visit Israel, the more I understand the need to share what I had witnessed and to continue to stand alongside the Jewish people," he added. "With the rise of anti-Semitism around the world, now is the time for the future leaders to witness the realities that are truly happening on the ground and to interact with the Jewish people." 'A part of this land' At the mega event on Jan. 2, various American and Israeli leaders similarly commented on the importance of the program. Addressing the students, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said, "At a time when many academic institutions can no longer be trusted to provide an honest and objective perspective on Israel, it is more important than ever that young student leaders have the opportunity to see the true picture for themselves." Michael Oren, former Knesset member and Israeli ambassador to the United States, remarked, "When you travel through this country, you have to know that this country belongs to you, too. It belongs to you because of what you believe in because this is part of your faith. Your faith gives you a part of this land and a part of this sacred city." Mattanah DeWitt, 21, from Friendship, Tenn., during her 2017 Passages trip to Israel. "Never in history has there been a time like this, when Christians and Jews can gather around shared values-values that come from the Bible, a book we both share-to make the world a better place," added co-founder Robert Nicholson. Passages, he told JNS, catalyzes a "latent love of scripture through an immersive experience in the land, creating a historic win for both Jews and Christians, and indeed, everyone who lives there." Rivka Kidron, co-founder of the program, told JNS that since its establishment, Passages has shown its students, who she called the religious, business, social and political leaders of tomorrow, "the land and its people, showing the complex reality and building empathy." For young Christians, she said, the experience "unveils the full cultural and historical context of their faith, strengthening their connection to Christianity at a key moment in their lives." As a result, she said, "thousands of students have come home from Israel with a renewed passion and purpose." Katie Mulligan from the Two Rivers Health Department also has helped with organizational efforts. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Erickson said 500 people registered for assistance after the July 9 disaster, overwhelming the nonprofits that were trying to adequately respond while still running their own agencies. We knew we needed help to respond adequately, Erickson said. We did everything we could to make sure nobody was waiting for help. Johnson, Davis and Jeppesen now are contacting all those people to be sure their needs are being met. Everyone is super nice and very excited to hear from us. They are quick to respond to us, Johnson said. In February, she will attend disaster case manager training in Lincoln offered by the United Methodist Committee on Relief, which aims to alleviate suffering by preparing communities, in advance, to reduce the risks and effects of devastating disasters. Johnson also is attending meetings throughout central Nebraska to get to know her colleagues in nearby areas. New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday (January 31) hailed the achievement of the government saying it is dedicated to meet the target of a $5 trillion economy. Addressing the joint session Parliament, the President said, "My government is dedicated to turning India into a $5 trillion economy. We're discussing with every stakeholder and work is being done at every level of the economy to turn this into reality." He said, "India has made significant improvement in World Banks Ease of Doing Business ranking," adding that the government runs on "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas" and policies have been implemented without any religious bias. Live TV "In spite of the challenges being faced by the world, the foundation of India's economy remains strong," President Kovind said, adding "I call upon all leaders and people of India to give preference to local and indigenous products. If you do that, you will be helping the MSMEs in your region." With Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, the government has managed to bring back Rs 3.50 lakh crore from banks and other institutions, the President said, adding that the ease of doing business would be easier in the country with the reduction in Corporate Tax and with laws related to Labour Code it would be firther faciliated. The President said, "The government is also committed to the development waterways in India. For the first time in India's history, a cargo reached Assam's Pandu through waterways via the National Waterway-II in December 2019, he added: President He also hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act as "historic" prompting protests by some opposition members, adding "The Citizenship Amendment Act is a historic law. It has fulfilled wishes of our founding fathers including Mahatma Gandhi." "Debate and discussions strengthen democracy but violence during protests weaken democracy," he said without directly referring to the anti-CAA protests in the country some of which have witnessed violence. In a reference to abrogation of Article 370, Kovind said there is happiness among people of India that people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country. The President said Parliament has created record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations. Israel stepped up security in Jerusalem's Old City Friday after US President Donald Trump enraged Palestinians with his controversial peace plan, but weekly prayers at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque passed off calmly. The plan released on Tuesday was seen as heavily biased towards Israel and was angrily rejected by Palestinians, with one of the key bones of contention being its classification of Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital". Palestinians have long seen the city's eastern sector, which was occupied by Israel in 1967, as the capital of their future state. Fears of tensions were raised Friday morning when a group of Palestinians protested at the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem after dawn prayers. Israeli police "responded and dispersed the gathering," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said, adding the protesters had chanted "nationalist" slogans. But noon prayers, when more than 30,000 Palestinians attended the mosque, passed without incident, religious officials and AFP journalists said. The weekly prayers have previously been a rallying point for demonstrations. The Al-Aqsa mosque is the third-holiest site in Islam and also the most sacred for Jews, who revere it as the location of the two biblical-era Jewish temples. The Trump plan gives Israel the green light to annex the strategic Jordan Valley -- constituting some 30 percent of the West Bank -- and all Israeli settlements, which number more than 200, including those in annexed east Jerusalem. The settlements are home to some 600,000 Israelis, but are considered illegal under international law. Britain on Friday cautioned Israel against "any such unilateral moves", saying they would be "damaging to renewed efforts to re-start peace negotiations, and contrary to international law". "Changes to the status quo cannot be taken forward without an agreement negotiated by the parties themselves," the UK foreign office said in a statement. After Trump presented the plan, flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, officials said they would swiftly submit an annexation bill to cabinet on Sunday. But the situation seemed less clear Friday, after Trump's adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner said a decision would be best left until a new Israeli government has been formed after March 2 polls. - Gaza protests, rockets - The acting head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Christian Saunders, said Friday that Palestinians were in a "state of shock" over the US plan. "We certainly have serious concerns that it will result in an escalation in clashes and in violence," he added. At least 30 Palestinians have been wounded since Tuesday in clashes with Israeli forces in the West Bank, although the demonstrations have mostly been small. In Hamas-controlled Gaza, thousands gathered for demonstrations this week. Many more donned badges proclaiming "no to the deal of the century". There has been some rocket fire from Gaza into Israel, but on nothing like the scale of barrages launched during multiple flare-ups last year. Israel carried out air strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday after three rockets were fired the previous evening, causing neither casualties nor damage, the army said. Later Friday, the Israeli army said that three mortar rounds were fired from Gaza into Israel -- with no reported casualties -- prompting a retaliatory strike by a tank on a "Hamas military post" in the south of the enclave. The military reported another, unspecified "projectile" was fired from Gaza after dark and intercepted by aerial defences. Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, but over the past year, the Islamists have gradually shaped an informal truce with Israel, under which the Jewish state has eased its crippling blockade of Gaza in exchange for calm. - Quest for Arab support - The Palestinians have sought to rally international support against Trump's plan, which they see as illegal and a violation of their rights. "What we're trying to do here is to get international consensus behind us, behind president Mahmud Abbas and his determination to achieve peace," said Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat. But there was a muted response, even within the Arab world. Both Egypt and the Gulf Arab states held off on any immediate criticism of their US ally, saying they would study the plan's contents. Those governments have quietly moved closer to Israel in recent years amid shared hostility towards Iran. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday accused some Arab countries of "treason" for backing the US plan, singling out Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman for criticism. Abbas will try to rally opposition at an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo on Saturday. Weekly prayers at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque passed off calmly Map of Israel and Palestinian territories showing a proposed Mideast plan of US President Donald Trump, announced in Washington on Tuesday. Israeli police keep a watchful eye on Palestinians headed to the main weekly prayers at Jerusalem's flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque Palestinians demonstrate against the Trump plan in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will try to rally opposition to the Trump plan at an emergency meeting of the Arab League in Cairo on Saturday The Bahamian hutia, a large Caribbean rodent with a blissed-out disposition, presents a curious case study in how human food preferences can drive biodiversity, sometimes shaping it over 1,000 years. The hutia, which resembles a bristly beanbag, flourished in the Bahamas for millennia, the islands' only native terrestrial mammal. Today, only one population of Geocapromys ingrahami remains, divided among the scrubland and limestone cliffs of three small cays, and the species is considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Humans have played a prominent and paradoxical role in the hutia's boom-to-bust story, according to a new study led by Florida Museum of Natural History researchers. Hutias were a savory source of red meat for the Lucayans, the islands' earliest inhabitants, who arrived around AD 800-1000. Now, ancient DNA and radiocarbon dating suggest the Lucayans transported hutias from the Great Bahama Bank -- where hutias landed during the last ice age, likely after rafting from Cuba -- to Bahamian islands hutias had not inhabited previously, exploiting them as food. The findings illuminate how humans historically and actively shaped hutia diversity and distribution. "We're a funny, picky species with food," said Michelle LeFebvre, Florida Museum assistant curator of South Florida archaeology and ethnography. "Our preference for what we eat has probably had a much bigger impact on global biodiversity over time than we appreciate, and hutias provide one example of that." Under Lucayan care, hutia populations thrived. But when Europeans landed in the Bahamas, they introduced new predators, such as cats, and competitors like rats and mice. Development subsequently degraded hutia habitat, and the species may have vanished if conservationists had not moved hutias to protected areas. advertisement "We have not stopped messing with hutias over the past 1,000 years. We can't help ourselves," said the study's lead author Jessica Oswald, a postdoctoral researcher at the Florida Museum and the University of Nevada-Reno. "For better or worse, Bahamian hutias are only alive today because of humans. We moved them to tiny islands where they're protected, and probably the only way they are going to survive is if they live on cays devoid of people." Oswald and David Steadman, Florida Museum curator of ornithology, often found hutia fossils in the roosts of now-extinct giant owls on Great Bahama Bank, but hutias were notably absent from pre-human fossil sites on Bahamian islands beyond that bank. Meanwhile, LeFebvre was studying hutia bones excavated from ancient Lucayan trash heaps and found evidence that certain hutia populations were eating crops, such as corn. The researchers began comparing notes and decided to investigate the patterns they were uncovering by conducting the first ancient DNA study of the Bahamian hutia. "We knew we had a question to chase," LeFebvre said. "And then it turned out that there was a major human footprint." Traces of human influence in hutia DNA While G. ingrahami is the only hutia in the Bahamas, Cuba is the historical and modern center of hutia diversity and home to 10 of the 13 species living today. More than half of known hutia species have gone extinct over the past 12,000 years, but the group once boasted a range of habitats and sizes, from a 440-pound heavyweight in the Lesser Antilles to a pygmy-sized species found on Cuba. advertisement Their temperaments also vary. Observing G. ingrahami, biologist Garrett Clough described it as a "most peaceable rodent" -- but not all hutia species are mellow. "On Cuba, there's one species people treat as a pet and other species that could scratch your eyes out," LeFebvre said. The researchers' findings supported previous evidence that the Bahamian hutia's closest living relative is G. brownii, a vulnerable species on Jamaica. But they hypothesize the Bahamian hutia is a descendant of a Cuban species that reached the Bahamas about 10,000 years ago when low sea levels closed the distance between the islands to about 12 miles. "Because so many hutias have recently gone extinct, we will need more ancient DNA from extinct species to test this hypothesis," Oswald said. Radiocarbon-dated fossils showed that hutias lived on the Great Bahama Bank before humans arrived -- but none of the fossils outside of the bank were older than about AD 1300-1400, several centuries after human settlement. The researchers also found a striking genetic similarity between a population on Eleuthera, an island on the Great Bahama Bank, and a population on Abaco, part of the Little Bahama Bank. The two banks never connected, even when sea levels were at their lowest, suggesting people had ferried hutias across the channel. "We would expect those two populations to be genetically distinct because they're isolated, but instead, they look like they're from the same population," Oswald said. "You're unravelling a mystery with DNA from fossils and trying to figure out 'whodunnit.' That's what makes this so fun." A genetic split between hutias in the northern Bahamas and those south of Long Island is a puzzle the researchers intend to explore further. "Did some kind of human selection impact that? Could other hutias have been introduced or made it over from Cuba?" LeFebvre said. "Genetics sets you on the path to answer those kinds of questions." Taking the long view of hutia conservation The Bahamian hutia was believed to be extinct before Clough traveled to East Plana Cay, a small strip of uninhabited land, in 1966. The hutias he observed there were thought to be the last remaining examples of indigenous G. ingrahami. This study suggests, however, that hutias may have been introduced to the cay by the Lucayans, LeFebvre said. While the Bahamian hutia is a survivor, its existence is also delicate, susceptible to hurricanes, disease, invasive species and landscape changes. Its conservation needs place its future in the hands of humans. But the value in studies like this one is the millennia-long view it offers conservation decision-makers, LeFebvre said. "Considering truly long-term anthropogenic influences on biodiversity is a crucial step to building and planning conservation efforts," she said. For Oswald, a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist who is an expert in ancient DNA analysis, the project offered a unique opportunity to collaborate with archaeologists. "The combination of these fields is powerful. Michelle had evidence that humans were transporting hutias, and then we used data from an evolutionary field to help answer these questions. It speaks to what you can do when you bring together different fields." Other co-authors include Steadman, Robert Guralnick and Brian Stucky of the Florida Museum, Julie Allen of the University of Nevada-Reno and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Ryan Folk of the Florida Museum and Mississippi State University, Nancy Albury of the National Museum of the Bahamas and Gary Morgan of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. FREDERICTONA prominent economist says New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs is doing the right thing in his efforts to increase immigration and grow the population. Herb Emery, the Vaughan Chair in Economics at the University of New Brunswick, says if the province doesnt invest in attracting newcomers, it wont be able to maintain service levels. On Thursday, Higgs used his state-of-the-province address to say hes pushing the federal government to allow at least 10,000 newcomers to settle in New Brunswick each year. He said the goal is to raise the population to one million by 2040. The latest census data from 2016 put the number at around 747,000. The premier says companies need to look at bringing in families rather than just individuals in order to improve retention. Emery says there should also be an intermediary to better match employers with talent. Read more about: Maria Olivo was still in shock as she walked through her home, her upper lip bleeding. She didnt notice her dining table covered in debris or hear the glass crunch beneath her slippers as she called out her sons names, wondering if they were all right. It was 4:25 a.m. and people all over her northwest Houston neighborhood were pouring out of their homes after an explosion shattered windows and blew doors off their frames. Some neighbors said the blast sounded like thunder; some said they thought it was a bomb. Jessica Rodriguez, five months pregnant, thought of recent headlines and feared it was the beginning of World War III. Standing outside their heavily damaged home, Olivo and her children, wrapped in blankets against the cold morning air, stood by helplessly, afraid of going back inside for fear it would happen again. The fear is justified. In Houston, sooner or later, it always happens again. The Jan. 24 explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing, which claimed two lives and damaged more than 400 structures, is the latest in a series of major industry-related fires in the Houston area. In less than a year, we have seen a fire rage at Exxon Mobils Baytown facility; a chemical tank farm errupt at Intercontinental Terminals Co. in Deer Park that shut down the Houston Ship Channel; and an explosion at a KMCO plant in Crosby that killed a worker and injured 30 others. At a second fire at Exxon Mobil, we saw two workers burned, and then thousands were evacuated after a massive explosion at TPC Groups facility in Port Neches. Its a grim tally that impacts all of us. It will keep growing unless our leaders move beyond platitudes and promises. The Houston area has more than 2,500 chemical facilities, and a 2015 Houston Chronicle investigation found there was a major incident in the greater region every six weeks. Even if youre lucky to live far away from industry, we all breathe the same air and drink the same water. For decades, local officials have called for change for more information on what chemicals are stored where, and for increased restrictions but theyve made little headway. Calls for action are soon forgotten as priorities turn to the latest crisis. After the Watson blast, Mayor Sylvester Turner called for more to be done to keep Houstonians safe echoes of comments he has made after previous incidents. Real progress has been slow. Its taken years after the Chronicle investigation found poor record keeping and lax inspections at hazardous materials facilities for the city to act. The Houston Fire Department now has a risk-based inspection program that catalogs every commercial building, with those that fall under the hazardous industry category inspected every year, Fire Chief Samuel Pena told the editorial board. Paper records are being entered into an electronic database, with the new system able to share information with other departments involved in code enforcement, but this is an ongoing process. Despite that hopeful progress locally, were moving backward at the state and federal levels. Texas routinely withholds chemical inventories from the public, citing a state anti-terrorism law and a 2014 ruling by then-Attorney General Greg Abbott. That leaves people in the dark about chemicals in their neighborhood. In November, the Trump administration rolled back safety regulations for chemical plants implemented in response to the 2013 fertilizer explosion in West that killed 14 people, 11 of them firefighters, a move thats being challenged by 14 states. Outrageously, Texas is not among them. Turner said he and the City Council have begun discussion on what more can be done, including ways to strengthen right-to-know laws and work with the federal government on existing guidelines that require reporting of hazardous chemicals above a certain threshold. Pena declined to discuss details of the ongoing investigation into the Watson explosion including whether the company had properly reported all hazardous material it was handling, whether it was storing them correctly and conducting proper maintenance. It remains to be seen whether the companys store of chemicals exceeded the thresholds for federal enforcement. But the thresholds themselves may need scrutiny. They may make sense for sparsely populated areas or places where zoning restrictions mean that a warehouse full of chemicals doesnt sit next to a residential area, but they are a poor fit for Houston, which is infamously zoning free. We just need to have a very open, transparent conversation, Turner told the Chronicle. My desire is for us not just to discuss it, but to come up with a plan of action. Its my hope that well have that conversation in 2020. Officials need to talk fast and act faster. The Watson explosion killed two people, destroyed dozens of homes and damaged hundreds more. It was the first incident of the year, and the clock is already ticking on the next one. The German Government has given Ghana 250 million Euros to upgrade and expand the countrys electricity transmission infrastructure. The arrangement evolves from Germanys Compact with Africa programme, where the European nation has put in place a one billion Euro fund to boost the private sector in Compact countries, of which Ghana is one. As a result, Siemens, a German power giant, and Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), signed an agreement at the Jubilee House, Accra in the presence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Chief Executive Officer of Siemens AG, Mr. Joe Kaeser on Tuesday. The Memorandum of Understanding was initialed by Mr. Jonathan Amoako-Baah, CEO of the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), on behalf of the Government of Ghana, and by Sabine DallOmo, a representative of Siemens. The MoU enjoins the two companies to collaborate to improve Ghanas electricity grid capacity and stability, and to ensure that the country expands her ability to export power to neighbouring countries in West Africa, such as Burkina Faso, Togo and Benin. President Akufo-Addo who was happy about the deal, said it was an important development in Ghanas energy sector, adding that Ghana benefiting from the Compact with Africa programme, was a big vote of confidence in the country. He said the project would inure immensely to Ghanas industrialization drive that would be hinged heavily on reliable accessibility to power, pledging that Ghana would make sure that the project comes to proper conclusion. Mr. Joe Kaeser was confident that the agreement would enable Ghana modernize its grid infrastructure to bring power to the people in a more efficient way, and thus help Ghana build the country for the future. 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 VANCOUVERAmid the fight to contain the coronavirus outbreak, a Canadian-based arm of the United Nations has found itself facing allegations of censorship as well as appeasement of Chinas Communist government. The online row is the latest flashpoint in a long-standing debate around Taiwan the self-ruled island considered by China to be one of its wayward provinces one which Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has freshly waded into. This week, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is based in Montreal, blocked numerous critics on Twitter who were voicing calls for Taiwan and Taiwanese experts to be included in discussions around the outbreak of a new coronavirus. In one case, a consultant was surprised to find he was blocked after only retweeting another users post calling for Taiwans participation. Melbourne-based journalist Mike Yeo said he was blocked immediately after commenting that the volume of people being blocked made the UN agency seem thin-skinned, while their action towards Taiwan counterproductive to aviation safety. Neither the ICAO nor the World Health Organization recognizes Taiwans sovereignty and will only work directly with Beijing. On Satuday, the U.S. Department of State put out a statement, saying they were deeply concerned about actions taken by the ICAO to suppress freedom of expression and curtail important discussion of Taiwans legitimate role in international issues. Speaking to loud cheers at a parliamentary session Wednesday, Trudeau reiterated Ottawas call for Taiwans involvement. We support Taiwans meaningful participation in international multilateral forums, especially when its presence provides important contributions to the global public good (and) is in the best interests of the international health community, he said. Some of the academics involved told the Star the ICAOs moves to silence their suggestions have ramifications for the safety of about 60,000 Canadian nationals who live in Taiwan. As the host country for the agency, they say Canada has a special stake in the issue and they applauded Trudeaus response. We understand the nuance behind how the UN can and cannot engage with Taiwan (but) in light of the coronavirus, channels should be explored to allow information-sharing with Taiwan authorities to ensure that the virus can be contained, said Jessica Drun, a Washington, D.C.-based Taiwan-China expert at the Project2049 think tank. In her tweet to the ICAO, Drun had noted that Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei is a major transportation hub and that there are frequent flights between Taiwan and mainland China. Taiwan also has a number of medical professionals who can make contributions, she said, before the ICAO account blocked her. ICAO is bound by a UN General Assembly resolution recognizing the Peoples Republic of China based in Beijing as the lawful government of China, but Taiwan under the name Chinese Taipei has been an invited guest to an ICAO Assembly in 2013 following approval from Beijing, Drun noted. Most criticisms have centred around whether it makes sense for Taiwan as a major air-travel hub in Asia not to have direct access to the agency to contribute in the fight against the coronavirus, which emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. The ICAOs mandate is to work with member states to reach consensus on international civil aviation standards and recommend best practices in support of safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability in global civil aviation. The body responded to criticisms on Twitter by stressing that inaccurate, compromising or offensive material will be blocked from posting to its social media accounts and linking to an updated social media policy. On Thursday, the WHO declared the outbreak a global emergency after the number of novel coronavirus cases spiked tenfold in a week and has spread to more than a dozen countries. The backlash against ICAOs handling of online discussions has been particularly swift in Washington and among Taiwanese people this week. Silencing voices that oppose ICAOs exclusion of Taiwan goes against their stated principles of fairness, inclusion, and transparency, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee said in a statement. U.S. Republican Sen. Marco Rubios office on Twitter called the move outrageous and another sign that the Chinese Communist Partys efforts to pressure and bully international organizations to bend to its demands are working. Another academic who was recently blocked by ICAO for his comments, Taipei-based researcher J. Michael Cole, told the Star that the targeting of professionals who were asking legitimate questions is unacceptable. He commended Canadas statements and said Ottawa can also encourage other member states to signal their discontent with the manner in which ICAO has dealt with this matter. In a statement, ICAO communications officer William Raillant-Clark said there has been mischaracterization of ICAO and ICAOs activities by external parties. He said an advocacy campaign has fostered false claims that the ICAO is motivated to exclude any part of the world from access to public health and transport advice. In response to the Stars question about why Taiwan is not able to directly take part in ICAO deliberations on best aviation practices during regular meetings open to its 193 international members, Raillant-Clark said: To the best of our understanding, (new ICAO standards and updates) are all being promptly shared by China with all of the applicable aviation stakeholders and officials in its sovereign territories. China sees Taiwan as a province that should be part of the country again, and has proposed that Taiwan join under a one country, two systems similar to the arrangement in semi-independent Hong Kong and Macau. Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen has rejected the offer, repeatedly vowing to protect Taiwans sovereignty and safeguard freedom and democracy on the self-ruled island. However, China suspects Tsai and her Democratic Progressive Party of pushing for Taiwans formal independence, last year threatening war should it make such a move. Hong Kong has been hit by months of anti-government protests triggered by widespread resentment of what many city residents see as relentless efforts by Beijing to exert control despite promises of autonomy. Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: Ronald Ryan, who was the last man executed in Australia in 1967. Late last night, a crowd of 3000 had gathered outside Pentridge prison. Many said they would maintain a vigil until Ryan went to the gallows at 8 a.m. Ryan, 41, is to hang for the murder of the prison warder, George Henry Hodson, outside Pentridge on December 19, 1965. Hodson was shot during the prison escape by Ryan and Peter Walker. The decision to hang Ryan was announced at 10.25 a.m. yesterday after a meeting of Cabinet followed by a meeting of the Executive Council. Thirty minutes after the Executive Council rejected Ryans final petition for clemency, a former Pentridge prisoner who says he has new evidence flew into Essendon Airport. The former prisoner, Allan John Cane, came from Brisbane in a bid to save Ryan. Early this morning, Canes Melbourne solicitor, Mr. Bernard Gaynor, said Canes mission failed. Its too late. Its hopeless, Mr. Gaynor said. An affidavit by Cane, which was presented to Cabinet on Wednesday, says he saw a warder fire a shot from the No. 1 guard post at Pentridge on the day warder Hodson was killed. Cane, 35, arrived from Brisbane at 10.30 p.m. and was immediately rushed into conference with Mr. Gaynor. Demonstrators outside Pentridge prison the night before Ryan's execution. Credit:The Age Archives Mr. Gaynor telephoned Government House seeking as audience with the Governor (Sir Rohan Delacombe). He was told by a Government House spokesman that nobody would be answering calls until 9 oclock this morning. Mr. Gaynor then tried to contact Cabinet ministers and inform them of Canes arrival. But at 2.30 this morning, a new desperate bid for a reprieve was being made by the secretary of the Anti-Hanging Committee (Mr. Barry Jones). Mr. Jones was conferring with the Liberal MLA Mr. Brian Dixon, who earlier this week opposed capital punishment. Mr. Dixon had met with Cane, and the Anti-Hanging Committee was seeking the MLAs support in a bid to see members of the State Cabinet. Three attempts Ryans legal advisers made three attempts to save him during yesterday afternoon and last night. First Ryan's counsel, Mr. P. Opas, QC, sought another stay of execution before Mr. Justice Starke. This was rejected. The second attempt failed when the Attorney-General (Mr. Rylah) rejected a plea to refer Ryan's case to the Full Court under Section 584 of the Crimes Act. Patricia Maxwell, 21, of Burnley and Geoff Eames, 21, of Blackburn begin a vigil outside Parliament House in protest against the execution of Ronald Ryan. Credit:Staff photographer This plea was made by Mr. Freadman who also made the third attempt to save Ryan in the form of a petition presented at the Crown Solicitor's office pleading for clemency. Close secrecy surrounded all Government moves on the Ryan case yesterday. Yesterday morning's Cabinet meeting began at 8.30 a.m. and lasted for 45 minutes. Then Ministers drove to Government House for the State Executive Council meeting which set the time for Ryan's execution. The council meeting lasted for 20 minutes. After the meeting, the Premier's department office issued this brief statement: "Cabinet has given full consideration to the material supplied by Ryan's solicitor and advice tendered by the Crown Solicitor. "The affidavit by Tolmie which formed the basis upon which Mr. Justice Starke granted a stay of execution was withdrawn by the solicitor as its falsity has been admitted. "Cabinet is satisfied that there are no reasons why the sentence pronounced by the court should not be carried out. "The sentence of death will be carried out at 8 a.m. on Friday, February 3, 1967." Ryan was notified of Cabinet's decision in his cell at Pentridge at 9.58 a.m. Loading First published in The Age on January 4, 1967 RONALD RYAN HANGED Ronald Joseph Ryan, 41, was executed by hanging on a gallows in D Division cell block, Pentridge, at 8 a.m. yesterday. He made no statement on the gallows. Father John Brosnan, Roman Catholic chaplain at the prison, administered the last rites. Health expert says countries are justified in ordering evacuations as they are looking after welfare of their citizens. The spread of coronavirus in China has shown no signs of slowing down, as the number of deaths hits 212, and confirmed infections across the country reaches 8,124 as of Friday. With the city of Wuhan and the greater province of Hubei remaining under lockdown, more countries are following the steps taken by France, Japan and the United States to evacuate its citizens from the epicentre of the outbreak. However, some questions were raised about the practicality of the move, after reports came out on Thursday that three Japanese citizens tested positive of coronavirus, just hours after being repatriated from Wuhan alongside 203 other people. There have been some speculations that they might have infected other passengers on the plane en route to Tokyo. Similarly, the US also repatriated 201 of its citizens from Wuhan. The passengers arrived in southern California on Wednesday on board a Boeing 747-400 Kalitta Air cargo plane. All the passengers on board underwent two screenings before leaving Wuhan, and during their fuel stop in the US state of Alaska. They are now being placed under quarantine for at least three days, before they will be allowed to leave. A chartered US flight evacuate American government employees and other Americans from Wuhan on Wednesday [Mike Blake/Reuters] Samples of their tests are being sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which will determine whether they are free of the virus. So far, none of the passengers has shown any signs of infection. Turkey also sent a military cargo plane to bring back 35 Turkish and 10 Azerbaijani citizens and their families on Thursday. All, including the crew, will now be put under quarantine for 14 days. In South Korea, a charter flight carrying 367 of its citizens from Wuhan, landed at the Gimpo International Airport on Friday, South Koreas foreign ministry said. About 700 South Koreans have signed up for the charter flights. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the government of New Zealand announced that it will charter a 300-seat aeroplane to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, while Indonesia announced that it is preparing to repatriate its citizens from the sealed-off city. According to reports, there are at least 53 New Zealand nationals in Wuhan, although the actual number could be higher, depending on the movement of the people around the time that the quarantine was first imposed. Subject to Chinas approval New Zealand will be offering any additional seats to Pacific Island and Australian citizens as a matter of priority, New Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. Peters said the flight was still subject to Chinas approval. The announcement to charter an aircraft from Air New Zealand, part-owned by the government, came a day after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her government was working with Canberra to assist the departure of New Zealanders and Australians from Wuhan. However, Canberras decision to keep evacuees in quarantine on Christmas Island for 14 days did not sit well with New Zealanders. Peters told Radio New Zealand he was looking at quarantine options within New Zealand. There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Zealand, although a student has been placed in isolation in an Auckland hospital while he undergoes tests. 243 Indonesians, 300 Filipinos in Hubei Also on Thursday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said Jakarta will evacuate its citizens from Wuhan, after which it will quarantine them for at least 14 days on arrival to avoid contagion. Retno Marsudi said the government is working with Beijing authorities on the evacuation. She said that there were at least 243 Indonesians in areas declared to be in lockdown, the majority of whom were in Wuhan. As for the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs said the government has already prepared two charter planes to fly to Hubei to bring Filipinos home. Buses carrying Japanese citizens, who were evacuated from Wuhan, leave Haneda airport in Tokyo on Wednesday [Stringer/Jiji Press via AFP] There are an estimated 300 Filipinos in Hubei, according to the Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta Romana. Earlier, President Rodrigo Dutertes spokesman said repatriating the Filipinos might do more harm than good, as the virus might spread in the Philippines. On Thursday, the Philippines confirmed its first coronavirus infection involving a woman from China. Pakistan also said on Thursday that it has no immediate plan to evacuate any of some 30,000 nationals living in China to study and work. Zafar Mirza, who advises Prime Minister Imran Khan on health issues, told a news conference that so far only four Pakistani students in China have been diagnosed with the new virus and their conditions are listed as stable. He said about 500 Pakistani students were in Wuhan the site of the outbreak at the time it surfaced. Looking after the wellbeing of their citizens As the evacuations are carried out in the coming days, there have been questions as to the risks of the infection spreading inside the aircraft, in case any of the passengers is already carrying the virus. Matthew Driskill, a Singapore-based editor of Asian Aviation, said the aeroplane air filters systems will be unlikely to prevent the spread of the virus. The filtration system of newer airlines, yes, they are greatly improved. But you are still re-circulating a lot of the air, and no matter how good the filtration system is, it may not be able to filter out something as small as a virus, Driskill told Al Jazeera. He also said droplets from passengers coughing inside a plane could also travel a distance so an aeroplanes filtration system doesnt do any good at all. Still, Dr Benjamin Cowling, professor for public health at the University of Hong Kong and a World Health Organization consultant, told Al Jazeera that the decision by several countries to evacuate their citizens are based on their concern for the wellbeing of their citizens. It happens during other situations as well, if there are natural disasters, we hear about countries arranging evacuations for their citizens, he said. Cowling also pointed out that the people who are being evacuated from Wuhan are being closely monitored for any signs of infection, or are being quarantined in special facilities. I dont think that there is so much danger in bringing infection back into their home country, when we know that there are already other infections being brought into the US, France or Japan by international travellers anyway, he explained. At present, most of the infections detected in other countries are linked back directly to Wuhan, Cowling said. Within the next few weeks, the extent of the spread of the infection will be much clearer, he said. As to the severity of the Wuhan coronavirus, Cowling said that compared with the deadly SARS infection in 2003, the proportion of fatalities so far is quite low and that it is much less severe than people might imagine. Massmart is pushing for a complete overhaul of its operations in South Africa after counting losses as high as R1.4 billion in 2019. In a presentation to investors published on Thursday 30 January, the retail and wholesale group laid out its road map for the business going forward with the planned closure of Dion Wired stores just the start. According to the group, its sales growth has been under continued pressure since 2013, with sales contracting for the first time in 2018. Earnings before tax have been depressed since the global economic crisis in 2008, and in 2019 it expects losses to reach between R1.2 billion and R1.4 billion. The business has the portfolio to achieve historic EBIT performance. To achieve this, though, we require urgent and deliberate intervention, it said. The group said that it has a strong portfolio of trusted and respected brands, but it has not operated them with any focus. Adding to this, the different segments have worked in silos, leading to duplication of some functions, and limited or no collaboration between different brands. This is what it now plans to change starting with a restructuring of the disparate businesses, an assessment of which brands are working, and the rebuilding of these brands. As of 1 February 2020, the group said that it will be consolidating its four divisions Masscash, Masswarehouse, Massbuild, and Massdiscounters into two units. Massmart Retail This unit will comprise of the Builders, Game, Dion-Wired and Cambridge Food trading brands. Llewellyn Walters, the current Builders chief executive, has been appointed as the chief executive of Massmart Retail; Massmart Wholesale This unit will comprise of the Makro, Shield and Wholesale Cash & Carry trading brands. Doug Jones, the current Makro chief executive, has been appointed as the chief executive of Massmart Wholesale. Dion Wired and Game Massmart has noted a significant performance deterioration in Game stores, and an extreme under-performance in Dion Wired, which has resulted in poor customer experience, declining financial results and pressure on other businesses in the group to compensate for this. In January, the group identified 23 Dion Wired stores and 11 Masscash stores which are flagged for closure. The outcome of this depends on how the retrenchment process goes, but the group said that the decision to shut the stores came after a comprehensive review of its portfolio. The same review has led the group to look at Game stores, and how they fit into the bigger picture. Speaking to MyBroadband, Massmart has already indicated that should the Dion Wired shut down go through Game stores will take over the servicing responsibilities of products bought at Dion Wired, hinting at Games future role in the group. However, according to the groups presentation, Game will also have to be overhauled, in what it calls going back to basics. Games customer value proposition is unclear, with a lack of resonance in key growth segments, it said. There is a lack of coherence in its offering, an over-reliance on promotions, and certain segments like fresh and frozen foods are simply not working. To counter this, the group wants to phase out frozen foods, movies and music at Game, and reintroduce other categories such as clothing and apparel basics. It also wants to boost its multimedia and baby product categories and introduce new categories like health and wellness. This will be on top of its other plans to address customer service levels, stock issues and overheads, which extend to the other brands within its portfolio. The landscape has changed, and we have been slow to adapt. But we are now changing, and were acting with urgency, the group said. You can view the investor presentation below: Massmart Road to Recovery by BusinessTech on Scribd Now read: The price to import tech from Amazon vs South African prices Joe McCann was shot dead by two paratroopers in Joy Street in Belfast on April 15, 1972. Two former paratroopers have failed to stop their trial for the murder of Official IRA man Joe McCann. The Belfast father-of-four was shot dead on April 15, 1972 in Joy Street, close to his Markets home. Known only as Soldiers A and C, they had applied for their trial "to be stayed" on the grounds of delay and fairness. But Mr Justice Maguire ruled that "the court is confident that the trial process should be able to deal effectively with the points raised" by their defence teams. A date for the trial of the soldiers, whose addresses have been given as Salisbury House in London, will be fixed by the Crown Court next month. Outside the Royal Courts of Justice his widow Anne, daughter Nuala and granddaughter Jodie welcomed the decision, saying that the past four decades had "been very emotional, hard and frustrating", but that they were "very happy with the result" and that a trial will take place. Their solicitor, Niall Murphy of KRW Law, said that the family was "looking forward to their day in court and can't understand why the defendants would fear an independent examination of the facts". Three stunning models heading into Love Island's Casa Amor have reportedly been revealed. Molly Smith, 25, Priscilla Anyabu, 25 and Josh Kempton, 21, are said to have been snapped up by producers to turn heads in the villa, as a whole host of new Islanders arrive in South Africa to cause a stir. According to The Sun, Molly, Priscilla and Josh are among the new faces bosses are hoping will throw temptation the Islanders' way in an 'explosive' few days. Bombshells: Models Molly Smith (L) and Priscilla Anyabu (R) are reportedly heading into Love Island for Casa Amor and hoping to turn heads Casa Amor has historically been full of drama on the ITV dating series, as it sees the original Islanders faced with the idea of striking up romance with somebody new. Michael Griffiths brutally dumped Amber Gill for Joanna Chimonides last year, while Jack Fincham was faced with ex-girlfriend Ellie Jones - much to the annoyance of now ex Dani Dyer in the 2018 series. This year, bosses are said to be hoping blonde beauty Molly from Manchester will give the boys something to think about when she arrives in the villa. Eye candy: Marine and model Josh Kempton will be trying to woo the girls in the main villa and is one of the names reported for the line-up Gorgeous: Molly is signed with J'Adore models and isn't shy when it comes to flaunting her assets and incredibly toned frame on Instagram Molly is signed with J'Adore models and isn't shy when it comes to flaunting her assets and incredibly toned frame on Instagram. Her page is littered with posts of her sizzling in lacy lingerie, pulling sultry poses and oozing body confidence. Reportedly joining her is stunning model and operations manager Priscilla. Priscilla is based in London and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads. Saucy: Her page is littered with posts of her sizzling in lacy lingerie, pulling sultry poses and oozing body confidence Beauty: Priscilla is based in London and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads Confident: One shot sees her posing in her bikini, while showing off her derriere by the pool, and reads: '10 out of 9 on a cute day' One shot sees her posing in her bikini, while showing off her derriere by the pool, and reads: '10 out of 9 on a cute day.' As the girls join a slew of other beauties who will try to entice the boys in Casa Amor, an army of buffed up boys will be hoping to ruffle feathers in the main villa. Among the guys hoping to steal one of the original girls away is reportedly marine and model Josh, from Surrey. Josh appears to split his time between Manchester and London and isn't afraid to show off his ripped physique in many a shirtless photo. Hunk: Josh appears to split his time between Manchester and London and isn't afraid to show off his ripped physique in many a shirtless photo He's taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and House of Hames - an underwear brand set up by former Love Island star Jordan Hames. Sources told The Sun that producers are hoping for fireworks, following the arrival of the new batch of islanders, claiming: 'Producers are confident that they've hand-picked the sexiest singles yet with some real temptations to stir the pot. 'Casa Amor is always the highlight of the series and this year the contestants are ALL bombshells. 'Expect and explosive few days, heads will definitely be turned.' LOVE ISLAND 2020: Meet the models heading into Casa Amor Saucy: Blonde beauty Molly will no doubt cause a stir in Casa Amor Name: Molly Smith Age: 25 Location: Manchester Occupation: Model - Molly is signed with agency J'Adore Models Molly is seen sharing stunning test shots from modelling shoots and sizzling lingerie shots to her Instagram page. Beautiful: Priscilla is a university graduate hoping to catch an islander's eye Name: Priscilla Anyabu Age: 25 Location: London Occupation: Model and Operations Director Priscilla is a university graduate and is seen flaunting her modelling credentials online in a series of sizzling uploads from high fashion shoots. Model behaviour: Josh has taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and premium underwear brand House of Hames Name: Josh Kempton Age: 21 Location: Surrey Occupation: Marine and Model Josh has taken part in shoots for Mr Porter and former Love Island star Jordan Hames' underwear brand House of Hames. Advertisement Casa Amor is a second villa situated just a throw away from the main villa. It sees the show's couples separated from each other and gives them the opportunity to get to know a new set of boys and girls, while testing their loyalty. Traditionally, it's seen some couples savagely split up, when one person has chosen to couple up with a newcomer instead. In 2018 Joshua Denzel shocked viewers when he chose to get to know Kaz Crossley despite appearing committed to Georgia Steel. Twelve new islanders - six boys and six guys - will debut on Love Island this weekend, with viewers waiting to see who's heads will be swayed by the twist. Drama: 12 new islanders - six boys and six guys - will debut on Love Island this weekend, with viewers waiting to see who's heads will be swayed by the twist (pictured: Callum Jones and Shaugna Phillips) Smitten: Nas Majeed and Demi Jones seem smitten after their first kiss, but will they be rocked by the temptation of new arrivals? While couples like Finley Tapp and Paige Turley, Nas Majeed and Demi Jones, Siannise Fudge and Luke Trotman seem solid, tensions are already arising between the others. Shaughna Phillips and Callum Jones recently came to blows over Sophie Piper, when Shaugna questioned Sophie's desires to stay on the show, following Connor Durman's exit. Sophie was chosen by Mike Boateng in the last re-coupling, after making her case to stay in the villa despite not having a romance, but Mike is now going head to head with Luke Mabbott to win the affections of solo twin Jess Gale. Wallace Wilson and Rebecca Gormley are in the very early stages of their romance and just getting to know each other. Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV2. 31.01.2020 LISTEN Throughout history, the bravest military commanders have also been leading behind-the-scenes advocates, for the peaceful resolution of conflicts - because they know the toll on families of the young soldiers under their command who die in wars. It did not therefore come to me as a surprise that when approached to help empower Liberia's private sector, in 2019, by supporting mooted projects to commercialise the production of coirfibre products (www.ecocoboard.net), and introduce cutting-edge clean energy generation for the national economy of Liberia, the former warlord, Hon. Sekou Damate Conneh, did not hesitate to offer the help of his private company, the Damate Group's, resources, to help those seeking to introduce both transformative innovations to Liberia. His reason for so doing, was his belief that creating jobs and a green entrepreneurial culture amongst younger generation Liberians, would ensure the longterm stability of Liberian democracy. It is instructive that whiles some ambitious and hot-headed individuals were organising disruptive public demonstrations in the streets of Monrovia, the Liberian capital, last year, the brave Hon. Sekou Conneh, was focusing instead on facilitating future investment for Liberia. That is the kind of selfless, one-nation focused-leadership Liberia needs. Definitely. Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef. In April 1945, with the Soviet army closing in from the East and an Anglo-American army closing in from the West, it seemed that Nazi Germany's fate was a foregone conclusion. Within weeks, Berlin had been captured by Soviet forces, Adolf Hitler had committed suicide and, on May 7, Germany surrendered unconditionally. The outcome of the European war, however, could have turned out very differently had Hitler been able to stage the last-ditch defense he had planned in the Bavarian Alps. Termed the "National Redoubt," or Alpine Fortress, it was centered on Hitler's retreat in Berchtesgaden, the Berghof. It consisted of a system of defensive works in the rugged Bavarian Alps. At its center was a command complex of 200,000 square feet hollowed out in the mountain beneath Hitler's chalet. The complex was surrounded by an additional 50 buildings and was intended as an alternative headquarters for the German government to carry on the war effort if Berlin fell. The command complex was connected by tunnels to the nearby town of Berchtesgaden and was also connected to the German rail network. The existence of the National Redoubt was known to the Allies. The effort had been organized by Heinrich Himmler beginning in November 1943. Most of the leading Nazis had homes around Berchtesgaden. Nazi air chief Herman Goering, for example, was captured in the area after the end of the war. Additionally, a number of trains filled with loot pillaged by the Nazis from occupied Europe were also discovered in the vicinity. With Germany's industrial heartland occupied by U.S. and British forces, and with Berlin in the hands of Soviet forces, what would have been the point of needlessly continuing a war that Germany could not possibly win? Hitler had longed believed that the alliance between the U.S. and Great Britain, on the one hand, and the Soviet Union on the other would ultimately fail. He was certain that the two sides would eventually find themselves in conflict over the control of Europe. When the Allied coalition eventually collapsed, Hitler reasoned, each side would seek Nazi Germany as an ally to bolster their forces against the other party, giving the Nazis a way out from what seemed to be certain doom. Hitler was right, both about the eventual collapse of the wartime Allied coalition and about the eventual rehabilitation of Germany, though his timing was off by about a decade. Anglo-American cooperation with the Soviet Union eventually gave way to a Cold War, beginning in 1948, that would last for a half century. Moreover, alarmed by the strength of Soviet forces in Eastern Europe, the U.S. in 1955 successfully pushed for the inclusion of the Federal Republic of West Germany into the NATO alliance and to the creation of a half-million-strong German army. The possibility that the defeat of Nazi Germany would trigger a new round of fighting between the Soviet Union and Anglo-American forces was an eventuality that was considered by both the Anglo-American allies and the Soviet Union. Documents released after the collapse of the Soviet Union confirmed that Joseph Stalin had considered ordering Soviet forces to continue to push west all the way to the English Channel after the fall of Berlin -- a decision that would have brought them into conflict with U.S. and British forces. Ultimately, Stalin demurred, believing that the rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Europe and the chaos precipitated by the war would allow Soviet forces to roll over the rest of Europe with little, if any, opposition. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill also was concerned that Soviet forces would continue to advance westward following the collapse of Nazi resistance. In the spring of 1945, he ordered the Joint Planning Staff of the British Armed Forces to develop a contingency plan in the event of a surprise attack by Soviet forces in Germany. Termed Operation Unthinkable, the original plan called for repulsing the Soviet attack and then a counterattack with the objective of pushing Soviet forces back to the Vistula River. The plan was later modified to envision a British defense of Western Europe in the event that U.S. troops were withdrawn and the Soviets mounted an invasion toward the North Sea and the Atlantic coast of France. The British plans for Operation Unthinkable were not declassified and released until 1988. It's likely that Stalin had some knowledge of the British plans for Operation Unthinkable, as it is believed that some of the details were leaked to the Soviets by Soviet agent Guy Burgess and other members of the notorious Cambridge Five spy ring. Some awareness of the British plans may explain why, in June 1945, Soviet Army commander Marshal Georgy Zhukov ordered Soviet troops in Poland and East Germany to regroup and adopt defensive positions. At the heart of both Hitler's and Churchill's plans was the German Army Group C. The army group was tasked with the defense of northern Italy and occupied a region stretching from northern Italy to western Austria and southeastern Germany. Numbering an estimated 1.3 million men, most of whom were being held in reserve, Hitler envisioned that Army Group C would provide the manpower for the defense of the National Redoubt in the Bavarian Alps. The role of the National Redoubt and its feasibility in prolonging the war has been hotly debated. Some historians, most notably Stephen Ambrose, have dismissed the National Redoubt as a myth created by German intelligence and doubted it would have made a difference. Nonetheless, starting in February 1945, the Allies began receiving reports that German military, government and Nazi party officials and their staff had begun relocating to the region around Berchtesgaden. That same month, the SS evacuated scientists and engineers engaged with the V-2 rocket program at the Peenemunde Army Research Center to the National Redoubt. Himmler believed that the Nazis could hold out in the National Redoubt for five years and that, from this secure location in the Bavarian Alps, they could direct a counterinsurgency campaign against the Allies by 200,000 Nazi sympathizers. U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, took reports of the German strategy to hold out in the National Redoubt seriously enough to bolster Allied strength on the southeastern front to allow for a quick thrust across Bavaria and into Austria in order to cut off German troops from reinforcing the redoubt. Concerns about the existence of a National Redoubt also influenced Eisenhower's decision to forgo advancing into Germany on a narrow front in order to seize Berlin first, as U.S. Gen. George S. Patton and British Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery had advocated, in favor of a broad advance across Germany and a thrust to the southeast across Bavaria and western Austria. Churchill's Operation Unthinkable also relied on Army Group C, envisioning their recruitment into an Anglo-American army tasked with rolling back Soviet forces and later into a British army resisting a Soviet thrust across Western Europe. Which brings us to Operation Sunrise. In February 1945, Waffen SS Gen. Karl Wolff sent a message to the Allies, through Swiss intelligence, that he was prepared to negotiate the surrender of Army Group C. Between February and May 1945, Wolff met with OSS agent Allen Dulles to discuss the surrender terms. As part of the negotiations, Dulles agreed to shield Wolff from potential prosecution for war crimes. The Allies believed that Wolff had been complicit in the murder of East European Jews. Evidence that emerged later implicated him in the murder of up to 300,000 civilians, most of them East European Jews, but he was never charged with any crimes. Wolff refused to meet with Dulles if Soviet representatives were also present. The U.S. did not inform the Soviets of the negotiations until March 16. The disclosure triggered a heated exchange of letters between U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Stalin, and Soviet claims that the U.S. was negotiating a separate peace with Nazi Germany. In turn, it has been rumored that Wolff, who had not been authorized to conduct negotiations with the Allies, informed Berlin that he was discussing an agreement to provide safe passage to Adolf Hitler and other leading Nazis, and a possible anti-Soviet military alliance between Anglo-American forces and Nazi Germany. It's not clear whether any of this is true. It may have been the work of Soviet propagandists trying to create a story that the Allies had considered or even begun negotiating a separate peace with the Nazis. It also created the basis for a later Soviet claim that Hitler had escaped with Allied assistance from Berlin. Had Wolff really told his superiors that he was negotiating a military alliance with the U.S. and Great Britain, it's hard to imagine that Berlin would not have sent someone more senior to conduct the negotiations. In any case, an instrument of surrender was signed on April 29, 1945, effective May 2. With the surrender of Army Group C, any possibility of holding out in the National Redoubt ended. The next day -- April 30, 1945 -- Hitler committed suicide, although the exact date of his death is still debated. On May 7, Karl Donitz signed the instrument of unconditional surrender on behalf of the German government. After the war, Hitler's retreat at Berchtesgaden was bulldozed by the German government. The ruins were planted with trees, and any trace of its existence was eliminated lest the site become a shrine to the dead Nazi leader. The tunnels and command post drilled into the mountain were sealed off. Some tunnels beneath Berchtesgaden, however, have been reopened and are accessible to visitors. It remains unclear to this day whether the Nazis' National Redoubt strategy would have succeeded in prolonging the war until the collapse of the Anglo-American-Soviet coalition. With the surrender of Army Group C, however, it was no longer a viable option. Within days of that surrender, Hitler was dead and the Nazi government had also surrendered. The war in Europe was over, although not quite in the way the Nazis had imagined it would end. -- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. [January 31, 2020] Global Image Editing Software Market and Photo Editing Software Market 2020 Demand, Trends, Latest Technologies, Innovations, Various Types, Key Players, Future Developments and Growth 2025 Dallas, Texas, Jan. 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Image Editing Software Market 2020-2025 The global Image Editing Software market size is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025, with a CAGR of 6.4% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 and will expected to reach USD 1116.5 million by 2025, from USD 870.7 million in 2019. Request a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/4150280 The major players covered in Global Image Editing Software Market are: Adobe, DxO Optics, Cyberlink, Serif, Corel, PhaseOne, Zoner, ON1, MacPhun, ACDSee Ultimate, Magix, etc. Among other players domestic and global, Image Editing Software market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America separately. Global Info Research analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately. Essentially, image editing is a computational system to attain visual excellence in images via various altering practices used across traditional, digital images as well as illustrations. A standard image editing software comprises various editing tools such as 3D modelers and vector graphic editors that result in captivating image quality. Soaring commercial needs for professional photography for excellent finish has been driving the image editing software market to new heights. Additionally, as social media platforms are becoming ubiquitous, consumers are increasingly banking upon image editing software to upload rich images for maximum visibility. Aforementioned factors etched in the report are poised to trigger massive growth in global image editing software market in the coming years. Fast paced advances in travelling is likely to kindle reliance on image editing software to further enhance visual quality of travel photographs. As consumers take up to occasional as well as professional travel blogging, scope for greater adoption of image editing software remains favorable. This holistic report on image editing software market is guided to enhance readers' comprehension on subtle and tangible market developments that render palpable advances in market growth. Besides harping on details comprising market definition, dynamics and the like, this holistic review on global image editing software unravels intricate market details concerning market segments, regional overview as well as competitive landscape that render tremendous growth in global photo editing software market. By segmentation global image editing software market is diversified into type and application. In terms of type, global image editing software market is fragmented into non raw and raw editing variants. By virtue of application, entry, enthusiast, individual, professional, school, and commercial comprise major segments. Browse the complete report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/reports/index/global-image-editing-software-market-2020-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2025 By Type, Image Edting Software market has been segmented into RAW Editing Software, Non-RAW Editing Software, etc. By Application, Image Editing Software has been segmented into Entry, Enthusiast, Professional, Individual, School, Commercial, etc. Regions and Countries Level Analysis Regional analysis is another highly comprehensive part of the research and analysis study of the global Image Editing Software market presented in the report. This section sheds light on the sales growth of different regional and country-level Image Editing Software markets. For the historical and forecast period 2015 to 2025, it provides detailed and accurate country-wise volume analysis and region-wise market size analysis of the global Image Editing Software market. Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/4150280 Competitive Landscape and Image Editing Software Market Share Analysis Image Editing Software competitive landscape provides details by vendors, including company overview, company total revenue (financials), market potential, global presence, Image Editing Software sales and revenue generated, market share, price, production sites and facilities, SWOT analysis, product launch. For the period 2015-2020, this study provides the Image Editing Software sales, revenue and market share for each player covered in this report. Table of Contents 1 Image Editing Software Market Overview 2 Company Profiles 3 Market Competitions, by Players 4 Market Size by Regions 5 North America Image Editing Software Revenue by CountriesContinued Part-2 Global Photo Editing Software Market 2020-2025 Market Overview The global Photo Editing Software market size is expected to gain market growth in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025, with a CAGR of 4.7% in the forecast period of 2020 to 2025 and will expected to reach USD 1042.9 million by 2025, from USD 868.2 million in 2019. Request a sample of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/request-sample/4146464 The Photo Editing Software market report provides a detailed analysis of global market size, regional and country-level market size, segmentation market growth, market share, competitive Landscape, sales analysis, impact of domestic and global market players, value chain optimization, trade regulations, recent developments, opportunities analysis, strategic market growth analysis, product launches, area marketplace expanding, and technological innovations. The major players covered in Global Photo Editing Software Market are: Adobe, Serif, Corel, DxO Optics, PhaseOne, CyberLink, ACDSee Ultimate, MacPhun, ON1, Zoner, Magix, GIMP, PhotoScape, Pixlr, Meitu, etc. Among other players domestic and global, Photo Editing Software market share data is available for global, North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America separately. Global Info Research analysts understand competitive strengths and provide competitive analysis for each competitor separately. Besides individual consumers representing millennial and next generation population, commercial adoption of photo editing software across verticals such as fashion brands has been influencing enormous growth. Besides commercial consumption, photo editing software market is strongly influenced by technological advances such as artificial photographic improvisation that ensure uniform editing in terms of special effects. Advances in smartphones and high end cameras further reinforce greater reliance on advanced editing tactics to comply with consumer aspirations and industry standards, thereby fueling enormous growth in global photo editing market. Editing skills are varied and constantly evolving to pace up with real time situational alterations. Thus advanced cropping features to juxtapose images and altering backgrounds are mediated via excellent editing platforms, thereby pushing growth in global photo editing software market. Market segmentation Photo Editing Software market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2015-2025,the growth among segments provide accurate calculations and forecasts for sales by Type and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets. By Type, Photo Editing Software market has been segmented into RAW Editing Software, Non-RAW Editing Software, etc. By Application, Photo Editing Software has been segmented into Individual, School, Commercial, Other, etc. Advances such as wedding photography and food photography are paving new opportunities for global photo editing software market as consumers incessantly demand for visually appealing photos capturing moments during festivities and occasions. Emerging countries such as Asian countries who boast of elaborate wedding rituals stimulate greater reliance on professional photo editing software. The competitive landscape of photo editing software market is rather concentrated with leading stance of veterans and established players. Each of the leading players has been duly assessed and evaluated to garner optimum understanding Each of the mentioned profiles has been meticulously assessed and deep analytical study of portfolio diversification and company overview are tagged in the trailing sections of the report to encourage high revenue models in global photo editing software market. Make an enquiry of this report @ https://www.orbisresearch.com/contacts/enquiry-before-buying/4146464 Table of Contents 1 Photo Editing Software Market Overview 2 Company Profiles 3 Market Competitions, by Players 4 Market Size by Regions...Continued About Us: Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients. Contact Us: Hector Costello Senior Manager Client Engagements 4144N Central Expressway, Suite 600, Dallas, Texas - 75204, U.S.A. Phone No.: +1 (972)-362-8199 ; +91 895 659 5155 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A further three vehicle lifts are now operational at MoT test centres in Northern Ireland as the Department of Infrastructure battles to restore normal operations. The three lifts, two in Lisburn and one in Belfast, where no faults were previously identified have now been independently re-inspected and cleared for use, the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) said on Friday. It comes as the Belfast Telegraph revealed a total of 73,910 drivers are waiting for MoT appointments, with the backlog continuing to grow. Disruption came to services last week after cracks were found in 48 out of the 55 vehicles lifts in Northern Ireland. Read More Paul Duffy, chief executive of the DVA, said: "These lifts are now operational and provide much needed additional capacity for prioritising four year old cars, taxis and car dealerships. "In addition, earlier this week Minister Nichola Mallon announced that two new lifts are being installed to provide additional capacity - one in Balmoral Road, Belfast and one in Newbuildings, Derry. "It is anticipated that the new lift in Belfast will become operational over the weekend, with the new lift in Newbuildings, Derry, operational from Monday. These lifts will be independently inspected and checked before becoming operational. Read More Mr Duffy said the DVA has conducted more than 19,000 vehicle tests since service disruptions began last week and continue to issue temporary exemption certificates on a daily basis- meaning drivers can keep driving and tax their vehicle. "We are endeavouring to work to notify in advance anyone who is affected and to reschedule their appointment as soon as possible. Those with MOT expiry dates in the coming days are being prioritised," Mr Duffy added. The following test centres will be open on Sunday: Ballymena, Belfast, Coleraine, Craigavon, Larne, Lisburn, Omagh, Newry and Newtownards. The DVA is also working with trade unions in a bid to extend opening hours of MoT centres during the week. Testing of heavy goods vehicles, buses and motorcycles remains unaffected by the current disruption. The DVA said customers should continue to book an MoT when they get their reminder letter, to allow the DVA to cancel the test and issue a temporary exemption certificate. President Donald Trump said on Thursday the United States was working very closely with China on the coronavirus outbreak and he believed it was under control. Were working very closely with (China) and with a lot of other people and a lot of other countries on combating the outbreak, Trump said in a speech at an auto parts manufacturer in Warren, Michigan. We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment, he said. Photo: The Canadian Press People walk across the street in Banff, Alta. Tour companies and hotels in destinations popular with Chinese tourists are starting to see cancellations after a new form of virus that has led to mass quarantines and more than 200 deaths in China. The virus comes from a large family of what are known as coronaviruses. The World Health Organization on Thursday declared the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern." There are four confirmed cases in Canada and all are linked to recent travel in China. Travel agencies in the Asian country have been told to halt all group tours due to the virus, the state-owned China Daily newspaper reported, citing the China Association of Travel Services. Travel Alberta, which works to promote tourism to the province, said it is hearing about cancellations from tour operators and hotels. "We have not had mass waves of cancellations," CEO Royce Chwin said in an interview. "We've had some cancellations although I don't have a qualified number." The cancellations include group tours to Jasper and Banff in the Rocky Mountains, he said. Banff Lake Louise Tourism said in a statement that it has seen a minimal impact so far, but noted that staff are monitoring the situation. "It's early days so (we) can't fully anticipate the impact," said Angela Anderson, director of communications. "We are encouraging all businesses in our destination to help make any changes or cancellations as easy as possible and penalty free. "China is an important market for us, so we are hopeful the situation gets under control as soon as possible." Travel Alberta said the three biggest overseas tourism markets for the province are the United Kingdom, Germany, then China. The agency is also pausing its consumer marketing activities in China that bring tourists to Alberta. "We run ads on social channels," he said. "Considering what the Chinese government has asked their travel companies to do out there that's to not book trips out of the country we really didn't think it appropriate to sit here and invite people to come to Canada to travel." He said Travel Alberta follows the lead of Destination Canada, a federal government corporation that markets the country to international tourists. Hysan Lee, owner and operator of Aurora Holiday Tours in Yellowknife, said he's had about 200 cancellations in the last few weeks. SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn., Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- VLink Inc., a global IT service provider headquartered in Connecticut, USA, announced a recent addition to the company's executive team to contribute to the growth in the APAC region. VLink Inc. Sanjeev Bindlish, who has over 25 years of experience in the IT industry, joins VLink Inc. with a rich and successful career in building high-performing sales, marketing and operations teams and overseeing custom software solutions delivery and system integration for companies of all sizes. An industry veteran with experience at Oracle and Nelito and a wide variety of other IT organizations, including his own startup, Sanjeev will serve as VLink's President of Sales APAC. "Sanjeev brings impressive experience to an already successful team and will have an immediate impact on VLink's growth," said Sharad Patney, President and CEO of VLink, Inc. "He's here to help us build VLink into becoming a culturally diverse industry leader in global IT services and consulting." "I am excited to join VLink during this high-growth period and look forward to scaling the company's APAC presence, expanding the sales team and advancing our operational excellence," said Sanjeev Bindlish. Prior to joining VLink, Sanjeev had successfully built a startup, providing data-analytics solutions for small and mid-sized companies. Earlier in his career, he spent a number of years at various technology companies in strategic and operational roles, serving a wide variety of domains such as banking and financial services, healthcare, insurance and manufacturing. About VLink Since its inception in 2006, VLink Inc. has become a reliable and nimble partner with a primary focus on small and mid-sized global customers in North America and APAC regions, providing information technology and strategic workforce solutions. VLink Inc.'s engineering mindset and access to a global talent pool enable to swiftly create affordable and tailored solutions for its clients. VLink particularly has extensive experience in web/mobile application development and maintenance, data engineering, and analysis solutions. Press Contact: Selen Asar Marketing Manager VLink Inc. +1 (860) 247-1400 ext.152 [email protected] Related Images sanjeev-bindlish-joins-vlink-inc.jpg Sanjeev Bindlish joins VLink Inc. as President of Sales - APAC. Related Links Company Website SOURCE VLink Inc. Related Links https://www.vlinkinfo.com/ French newspapers have marked Britains departure from the EU, but a number have questioned how much will actually change after Brexit. Calais own local newspaper, in the town which has been one of the focal points for those concerned about trade and movement of goods, played down concerns about alterations or disruption. Nord Littoral noted on its front page that its today that the United Kingdom officially quits the European Union but the headline stated: Brexit: the change is not now. The regional paper for the northern region led with the divorce, and also carried a large image of the towns port, which a large proportion of British and European freight passes through. Brexit : ce qui change apres le 31 janvier 2020 https://t.co/TmUeSfp3RW Les Echos (@LesEchos) January 31, 2020 The sentiment was echoed in the national press, as Aujourdhui, one of the countrys most popular daily papers, bid farewell with the headline Bye Bye, alongside a man draped in a Union flag. However, it also asked: What will this historic divorce really change? A general view of the Gare du Nord in Paris, France (David Davies/PA) Among others, there was some concern about the future relationship between Britain and France post-Brexit, as Le Monde called today Europes entry into the unknown and said Brexit diplomatically weakens the whole union. It also described French businesses as suspended as they await a trade deal between Britain and the bloc. The front page was dominated by an image of a diplomat crying, with an EU and Union flag scarf around his shoulders, as the exit deal was ratified in the European Parliament in Brussels on Wednesday, and quoted British historian, Ian Kershaw, as saying identity has taken precedence over everything. Story continues Les Echos also paid tribute to Europe without them, but proposed that the heavy consequences of Britain quitting could help Europe bounce back. The UKs official departure will come at midnight French time on Friday. Brexit will occur at midnight in France (John Walton/PA) Across the Channel, at 11pm in the UK, Brexiteers will gather in Londons Parliament Square for a party led by Nigel Farage, while Union flags are already flying around Westminster. In official events, Downing Street will be illuminated with a light show and a new 50p coin will enter circulation. In Brussels, the UK flag will be removed from the EU institutions, with one Union flag expected to be consigned to a museum. The British Council was established in 1934 and has been in Nigeria since 1943. In a message celebrating 75 years in Nigeria, Country Director, Lucy Pearson, outlined that the Councils approach is rooted in partnering with the right UK and Nigerian organisations to give the widest possible impact We have a reputation for listening and enabling that has brought us a range of partner organisations that invested in our programmes from Federal and State Governments to NGOs to the private sector. The focus of the British Council in Nigeria is on capacity building and sustainability in designing, developing and delivering programmes aimed at delivering change at scale. Between 2018/2019 alone, 117,352 internationally recognised exams were taken by Nigerians connecting them to worldwide learning opportunities which will improve their life chances. More than 3,900 students across 26 schools have gained access to an international dimension in their education through the International Schools Award. 4,832 artists were given empowerment opportunities through training and networking platforms. This includes the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) funded Nigeria Creative Enterprise (NICE) which supported Nigerian creative entrepreneurs, and sector support organisations in fashion and film to develop their skills, capacity and partnerships with the UK. Over 1,921 traditional rulers, 1,801 scribes and 300 mentors from 12 Emirate Councils in North-East Nigeria have been trained. The training developed the traditional rulers skills for mediation of disputes and conflict resolution. Here is an example of how they have delivered change at scale, thanks to the amazing work of the many participants that have been involved in their programmes. One of such participants is Tunde Arogunmati. Thanks to you Tunde Arogunmati, Executive Director of African Incentive Partnerships, and a former participant of the British Councils African Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (AKTP) designed to help businesses improve their competitiveness, productivity through knowledge, technology and skills available from Higher Education Institutions. Tunde Arogunmati is now a highly successful management consultant whose career was leapfrogged thanks to his involvement in the British Councils African Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (AKTP). Today Tunde is Executive Director for Business Development and Planning for Business TV Africa Ltd where he has been responsible for restructuring and repositioning BTVA Ltd from its former Bloomberg TV Africa franchise to full-fledged global African Business TV brand. He has gained varied project management experience, with a focus on civil infrastructure, business development, industry-focused knowledge transfer and global trade/business social networking. READ ALSO: He read civil engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University of Ife but over time veered into other areas of endeavours such as consultancy where he does various enterprise development both in the social and business sectors. He credits the British Councils AKTP with the breaking of ice between academia & industry in Nigeria via strategic dialogue & the efficacy of knowledge sharing in the scheme of things as regards research, industrial development & related wealth creation & innovation. He says it gave him an enhanced ability to develop and sustain cross-sector knowledge sharing & global business development partnerships across the board. It also made me realise that the British global business and knowledge enterprise is a veritable platform for leverage, notably within the Commonwealth, but also worldwide through globalised partnerships & networks, he says. This has greatly influenced the current programme Im involved in as Executive Director; African Incentive Partnerships AIP a dedicated Sustainable Enterprise Development & Investments ecosystem. British Council is inviting past programme participants to celebrate its 75th anniversary with them by submitting stories of their experience and the impact it has had. Visit www.britishcouncil.org.ng for more information about how to participate in the 75 Stories campaign or follow #BritishCouncilNigeriaAt75 #ThanksToYou #75Stories A man who took 23 children hostage was shot by police in Uttar Pradesh state before locals lynched his wife. A man who held about two dozen children hostage at his daughters fake birthday party was shot dead by police in northern Uttar Pradesh state before villagers beat his wife to death as she tried to escape, authorities said on Friday. All 23 children the youngest aged six months were rescued as anxious parents gathered outside the house in Kasaria village in Farrukhabad district about 300km (186 miles) southwest of Lucknow, the state capital. The man, identified as Subhash Batham, 40, was out on bail in a murder case. Anil Kumar Mishra, the superintendent of police of Farrukhabad, said angry villagers, whose children had been taken hostage for more than 10 hours, assaulted the wife of the accused with stones and bricks as she tried to run away. She was taken away by the villagers and beaten up. Police rescued her from the angry mob and rushed her to the hospital where she was declared dead, Mishra told Al Jazeera. Ransom Batham, who has a criminal background, had on Thursday invited children to his house on the pretext of celebrating his one-year-old daughters birthday. There was no birthday party at all. On the pretext of a birthday party, he had assembled all these children from the village at his home and took them hostage, Mishra told Al Jazeera. Batham demanded a ransom of 10 million rupees ($140,100) for each child and the murder charge against him be dropped, the officer said. Earlier, a policeman told the AFP news agency that Batham fired shots from inside the house. We tried to negotiate with him but to no avail. Concerned over safety of the children, we eventually broke open the rear door of the house and shot him, Mishra said. Local media reports in Farrukhabad district said commandos had been flown in and were kept on standby. Bilal Kuchay contributed to this report from New Delhi After the British government approved the Withdrawal Agreement last Friday, the final step, ratification by the European Parliament was completed on Wednesday, meaning that the UK leaves the EU at midnight tonight, Friday. MORE INFORMATION Facebook Q&A. British Ambassador to Spain Hugh Elliott will be answering questions during a live Q&A session on Facebook/Brits InSpain today, Friday, at 12 noon. British government website. www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-spain Mijas Foreign Residents Department. frd@mijas.es Pop-up meeting. Casa de la Cultura, Coin, 19 February, 10am. This will be no more than a symbolic moment, however, in some cases a time for change of flags, while others either celebrate or commiserate. From tomorrow, 1 February, Britain and the EU go into their agreed transition period which means that nothing is going to change until the end of this year in terms of citizens' rights or trade procedures. Nevertheless the clock is now ticking once again towards the next, and final, deadline - 31 December 2020 - when this period of grace ends. The British consul for Andalucia, Charmaine Arbouin, and the Ambassador in Madrid, Hugh Elliott, have both stressed how the deal ratified this week is good news for British residents in Spain. "The approval of the Withdrawal Agreement is a very important step for UK nationals living here. It provides reassurance on key rights, such as being able to continue to live and work here, and for pensioners to have lifelong healthcare and uprated pensions," said the consul earlier this week. These rights will be protected for British nationals for as long as they live in Spain, provided they are registered as resident in this country before the end of 2020. The consul restressed that Britons must make sure they are registered with a green residency certificate. "This remains a valid document after 31 January and we will communicate any details on future residency processes once we have them," added Arbouin. The National Police confirmed this week that appointments were being given out by them to British residents wishing to register as EU citizens by means of the existing process until at least 15 February. From then on, unless this period is extended again, said a police spokesperson, new residents, and those with non-permanent residency certificates, will be instructed to process their registration at the 'Extranjeria' provincial immigration offices instead. Any necessary document change required of British residents who currently hold permanent EU resident certificates will still be dealt with at the National Police stations. The need for Britons in Spain to be registered as residents in order to maintain their rights after Brexit is a message that the Embassy, the Consulate and numerous organisations have passed on through a variety of campaigns. Recent 'padron' - local population census - figures showed that the message had been getting through, with the first increase in British nationals since 2013. New Mexico has an opportunity to again catch up with the majority of its Western neighbors if it decides to legalize recreational cannabis in the 2020 legislative session. Here in the Land of Manana, we are unfortunately used to being last. We trail behind the economies and progressive policies that have made our neighboring states more prosperous and better able to provide the basic services, infrastructure and quality of life that people deserve. But that is changing. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the Democratic-controlled Legislature are embracing change and planting the seeds for a more diversified, sustainable and healthy economy, an economy thats not wholly dependent on the unpredictable, toxic economy of fossil fuel production. That change beckons resistance from those who benefit from the current economy, those who are financially well off and see little need for change. Those who would rather preserve their own quality of life and the status quo. Legalizing cannabis is part of this new, radical strategy to diversify the states economy, create nearly 11,000 jobs and jump-start a brand new small-business economy that could benefit every corner of the state. But are we too old school to see this change through? We hope not. Along with several of our colleagues on the Las Cruces City Council, we strongly support the legalization of cannabis in New Mexico. We are impressed with the body of work produced by the governors marijuana legalization work group, which includes the input and expertise of a multitude of stakeholders, including civil rights, medical professionals and law enforcement officials. The report carefully and honestly assesses a variety of different challenges, opportunities and legalization scenarios and makes well-reasoned recommendations that would make New Mexicos recreational cannabis law one of the strongest in the nation. Considerations and concessions for clear labeling and robust testing, law enforcement training and resources, social equity and small-business opportunity, local control and local revenue as well as maintaining and enhancing the medical cannabis program make up what we think is the best bill lawmakers can put together. We are especially pleased that local governments can choose where they would like to invest additional tax dollars in their communities and that existing criminal records for low-level marijuana possession would be expunged. The war on cannabis has been a disaster, especially for communities of color in New Mexico and across the country, and its time to end the practice of targeting and criminalizing people of color for using a substance more benign than alcohol, simply because cannabis is not socially accepted. It is clear that New Mexicans are ready to move forward with this proposal, with more than 73 percent of residents polled stating that theyre supportive of legalizing cannabis in the 2020 legislative session. The support is even stronger in Las Cruces, where nearly 78 percent of residents state they support this effort, in sharp contrast to our mayors opposition. Well, manana is here, and new elected leaders that reflect a changing New Mexico are ready to drive that change. The time is now to legalize cannabis. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-30 23:25:46|Editor: yan Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Renowned Chinese epidemiologist Li Lanjuan has called on the public to refrain from eating wild animals. She also called for efforts to curb the illegal trade of wildlife in an interview Wednesday. Li is a member of the national high-level expert group set up for the control and prevention of the novel coronavirus-caused pneumonia, and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Chinese authorities have suspended the trading of wild animals nationwide to curb the spread of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The ban shall not be lifted until the epidemic is declared over, said a joint statement issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Bidding for votes: Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fails Micheal Martin have pledged tax cuts that wont bust the budget. Photo: Collins The second televised leaders' debate of the week saw a lot of shouting, Love Island references and flying accusations. Amid the chaos, our experts managed to fact-check some of the claims made by outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Brendan Howlin, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, Catherine Murphy of the Social Democrats and Mick Barry of Solidarity/People Before Profit. Here are some of our fact-checks on housing, health and the environment: CLAIM Fianna Fail is divided over entering coalition with Sinn Fein Taoiseach Leo Varadkar claimed that there is a difference between Fine Gaels attitude towards working with Sinn Fein and the stance of Fianna Fail. He said his party was fully behind his opposition to working Mary Lou McDonald but Fianna Fail is divided. He named Mary Butler, Darragh OBrien, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Kevin OKeefe as outgoing TDs who have not ruled out working with Sinn Fein. FACT- CHECK by Head of News Kevin Doyle The Fianna Fail Ard Fheis voted overwhelmingly in 2017 against entering any coalition government with Sinn Fein. A motion called on its leadership and parliamentary party to categorically rule out doing business with the party. Micheal Martin has repeatedly and robustly ruled out entering a coalition with Sinn Fein. However, earlier this month, veteran Fianna Fail TD Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher flirted with the idea of working with Sinn Fein. In the past others senior members, including Bobby Aylward, John McGuinness and Eamon O Cuiv, have also publicly toyed with the idea. Darragh OBrien previously sai nothing should be written off, while Kevin OKeeffe has suggest its time has come to bite the bullet. Verdict: True. While there is no doubt that a majority of Fianna Fail TDs and members back Micheal Martins strong opposition to a coalition with Sinn Fein, a sizeable number are open to at least discussing the idea. CLAIM Cuckoo funds only play a small part in the property market Leo Varadkar has claimed: Cuckoo funds only represent one to two per cent of property transactions FACT-CHECK by Environment Correspondent Caroline ODoherty Cuckoo funds are private investors - large institutional and corporate bodies that buy up rental properties in large numbers, squeezing the individual homebuyer out of the market. Independent analyses of the property market concluded cuckoo funds were responsible for one in three of all such investments last year and 44pc of the value of all such deals. VERDICT: FALSE. One transaction may cover hundreds of apartments so only in the most literal sense of the word is it accurate to say that cuckoo funds only make up 1-2pc of transactions. CLAIM Theres 11bn to spend over the next five years The first question to face the leaders in the debate was whether the parties were correct to base their manifesto promises on an assumption that the next government will have an extra 11bn to spend over the next five years. FACT-CHECK by Head of News Kevin Doyle There is a general consensus among the political parties that 11bn is a reasonable estimate for new money that will be available up to 2025. In other words, this is money over and above the tax already collected by the State. The figure is based largely on estimates from the Department of Finance and assumes that the economy will continue to grow at a steady pace. VERDICT: A leap of faith. The Department of Finance dont have the best record in making multi-annual predictions. A global slowdown, a bad Brexit trade deal or a more local economic shock would quickly knock the exchequer returns off course. On the other hand, a good Brexit deal and strong foreign direct investment could see the fiscal space open up even more. CLAIM - Micheal Martin said Fianna Fail is the only party to promise 200m for the National Treatment Purchase Fund, a proven way" to reduce waiting lists FACT-CHECK by Health Correspondent Eilish O'Regan The NTPF received 75m last year and it played a role on reducing surgical waiting lists to 66,353. It is less useful in reducing outpatient lists. VERDICT: True.It is a safety valve. But its expensive and much of the money goes to private hospitals, not public hospitals. CLAIM: There has been a "significant" drop in homelessness figures Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says we have seen a "significant" drop in homelessness figures in recent days FACT-CHECK by Public Affairs Correspondent Amy Molloy The latest data by the Department of Housing on Wednesday shows there were 9,713 people in emergency accommodation during the week of December 23-29th 2019. This compares with 10,448 the previous month a fall of 736. VERDICT: Mostly true. While there has been a fall in numbers, whether 736 is "significant" is up for debate, considering there are still 9,713 people without a home. Homeless figures tend to fall every December as according to housing charities, landlords tend to delay evictions etc in the lead-up to Christmas. CLAIM: The Social insurance fund is in surplus When discussing pensions, Labour leader Brendan Howlin said the social insurance fund is significantly in surplus FACT-CHECK By Industry Correspondent Anne-Marie Walsh There was a surplus of just under 3.9bn in the fund at the end of last year according to Department of Social Protection figures. However, an actuarial review in 2015 predicted a shortfall of 3.3bn by 2030 and 22.2bn in 2071. VERDICT: Correct. However, an actuarial review in 2015 predicted a shortfall of 3.3bn by 2030 and 22.2bn in 2071. CLAIM Spending on HAP has reached .5bn Catherine Murphy has claimed: We spent half a billion euro on HAP over the past year. FACT-CHECK by Environment Correspondent Caroline ODoherty The Housing Assistance Payment is a form of rent supplement and it was paid in respect of just over 48,000 homes rented from the private sector last year at a cost of 423m. An additional 80m was added to the fund for 2020 in last Octobers budget to support an additional 15,700 tenancies. VERDICT: Mostly TRUE. The .5bn cited refers to the HAP budget for 2020 rather than last years spend. CLAIM - Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said more doctors were hired under the tenure of his government FACT-CHECK by Health Correspondent Eilish O'Regan Figures for the number of consultant posts in practice show 2,975 in 2016 and in 2019 this rose to 3,317. VERDICT: True. But there are around 500 permanent posts unfilled. Several of those posts are filled by doctors not on the specialist register CLAIM House building has more than doubled since 2015 Leo Varadkar has claimed: In 2015 fewer than 10,000 new homes were built. Last year it was about 21,500. FACT-CHECK by Environment Correspondent Caroline ODoherty The Taoiseach was arguing that the Rebuilding Ireland programme launched in 2016 when Fine Gael took over the housing brief is working. House building has increased over the period since, although the target was to have reached 25,000 new home completions both public and private - by 2020 so it has yet to prove it can hit that level. Some analysts project the number this year will not exceed 23,000. There is also consensus among many analysts now that we need 35,000 new homes a year to meet growing demand. VERDICT: TRUE. Fine Gael is correct to say that the number of new homes has increased substantially although those figures alone are not sufficient as a measure of Rebuilding Irelands success. CLAIM Ireland faces 7bn in fines for carbon emissions Eamon Ryan claimed: If we dont cut emissions we face 7bn in fines from the EU. FACT-CHECK by Environment Correspondent Caroline ODoherty Ireland has obligations under EU law to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20pc by 2020 compared to 2005 levels. At last count, 2018, emissions fell just 0.2pc and that was due to the Moneypoint coal-burning electricity plant being offline for a time so there is a concern that no reduction at all will have been recorded in 2019. We therefore face fines for exceeding the target and/or the purchase of carbon credits to make up the gap. We know that for this year we face a fine of 125m and we have already banked 121m in carbon credits. Thats 246m that should keep us out of trouble this year. But we have a stiffer target of a 30pc reduction by 2030 which is already out of date and which the EU has agreed will need to rise to 50-55pc. That means multiples of this years fine if we dont make drastic changes to our carbon record. Some analysts have put the total at 7bn by 2030. VERDICT: Mostly TRUE. The figure is based on assumptions around our continued failure to reduce emissions, the cost of carbon credits and the EUs appetite to impose fines. CLAIM: Mental health budget suffered huge cuts while Labour was in government with Fine Gael Mick Barry accused Brendan Howlin of cutting the mental health budget while in Government with Fine Gael. FACT-CHECK by Health Correspondent Eilish O'Regan The mental health budget was raided in 2012 to the tune of around 35m to bail out the HSE which had a an overspend of 365m VERDICT:True. Mr Howlin argued the Government was in recession but the truth is this slowed the pace of growth in mental health services Asia Bibi photo emerges as memoir 'Finally Free' is released, details prison torture Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A photo of a happy and free Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian woman who was imprisoned on death row for over eight years on trumped up blasphemy charges, has gone viral ahead of the release of her memoir. Bibi, 47, whose case garnered international attention throughout the past decade, is seen in a photo with French journalist Anne-Isabelle Tollet who is co-authoring Bibi's book about her years in prison. The memoir is titled, Finally Free, (Enfin Libre in French), the BBC reported Thursday. The picture, which appeared in the French publication Le Figwort, shows the journalist hugging Bibi from behind. Bibi is seen smiling as a free woman following years of incarceration. The image went viral on social media with many Twitter users re-tweeting the image in celebration and offering their warm wishes. "You may know my story through the media, you may have tried to put yourself in my place in order to understand my suffering. But you are far from understanding my daily life in prison or my new life and that's why, in this book, I will explain it all," Bibi writes in the publicity materials for the book. The publishing house released an excerpt in which Bibi asks: "How could I ever imagine in 50 years that I would become a global symbol of the fight against religious extremism when I am but a simple, illiterate peasant? "From my small windowless cell, I often wondered why Pakistan was targeting me." During her incarceration, Bibi's neck was sometimes encased in an iron collar that prison guards would tighten with a nut. Some of Bibi's fellow prisoners were sympathetic to her plight, she says in the book, in which she also reveals how she's adjusting to life in the West. The book was published in French this week but an English version will be published later this year. Bibi's ordeal first began in 2009 when she got into an argument with a group of Muslim field workers she worked alongside who berated her for drinking from the same water bucket. They accused her of making the water "impure" because she is a Christian. Muslims are forbidden from drinking from the same container as Christians. Bibi was also accused by the field workers of committing blasphemy by insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a charge she consistently denied that brings a sentence of life in prison or death by hanging. During the police investigation into her alleged crime, Bibi was beaten up in her home and subsequently arrested on blasphemy charges. In 2010, she was convicted and sentenced to death under the nation's blasphemy law. Her case has led to widespread advocacy against similar laws in other countries. When she was acquitted by Pakistan's Supreme Court in the fall of 2018, protests calling for her execution ensued just as they had throughout her lengthy imprisonment. Two politicians who publicly supported Bibi and spoke out against the blasphemy law under which she was detained, Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, were both assassinated. Even after Bibi was acquitted she was forced to remain in Pakistan for several months before she was able to safely leave and obtain asylum in Canada where she now resides. Her exact location remains undisclosed. Tollet, who has worked in Pakistan for many years, has published two other books on Bibi's case. Fotis Dulos has been accused of killing his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. Photo: Kassi Jackson/TNS via Getty Images When Jennifer Dulos of New Canaan, Connecticut, mysteriously vanished last May, authorities ran into difficulty pinning down their main suspect. While investigators focused on her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, they struggled to charge him in connection with her kidnapping and suspected murder, as law enforcement hadnt and still has not found Jennifers remains. Earlier this month, officials finally accumulated enough evidence to charge Dulos with murder, capital murder, and kidnapping. But on Tuesday, the case took a shocking twist: Dulos attempted suicide, and was taken to a New York City hospital in critical condition. His status remained dire on Wednesday, according to CNN, and on Thursday, he was declared dead. Norm Pattis, Duloss attorney, told reporters that his clients family had flown in from Greece, and planned to fight to clear his name. As we are speaking we have filed an unusual motion in the Connecticut courts asking to substitute an estate for Fotis Dulos for him as a defendant to force the state to show its hand in a trial filled with evidence we think that amounts to no more than innuendo and unsupported suspicion, Pattis said, according to NBC. On Tuesday morning, police went to Duloss home in Farmington after he failed to show up for an emergency bond hearing, where they found him unresponsive in a running car parked in his garage, according to the New York Times. Although initial reports indicated that Dulos had died from a suicide attempt, he was actually placed on life support at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, according to the Connecticut Post. Dulos was first thrust into national spotlight in May 2019, following the suspicious disappearance of his estranged wife. According to investigators, Jennifer suffered a serious physical assault after dropping her five children off at school on May 24, and has not been seen since. Immediately following her disappearance, evidence DNA and video footage directed investigators attention toward Fotis and his girlfriend at the time, Michelle Troconis, both of whom were charged with evidence tampering and hindering the prosecution. (Dulos repeatedly denied the allegations against him.) It wasnt until January 7, though, that Connecticut State Police took Fotis Dulos into custody, where he was charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping. His bond was set at $6 million. However, on Wednesday, despite Duloss hospitalization, New Jersey reportedly filed an official motion to revoke his bond. On Wednesday, police were back at Duloss home as part of an ongoing investigation. This post has been updated. Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks to reporters in the Senate basement at the U.S. Capitol as the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues on January 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. House Democrats and defense lawyers made final arguments Thursday for more than nine hours on the eve of Friday's crucial vote on additional evidence and witnesses. Officially structured as the second day of the question-and-answer portion of the trial, the tenor and content of the questions directed to both the president's lawyers and the Democratic House managers grew increasingly partisan and rhetorical as the day wore on. At least one question was incendiary enough to be rejected outright from the presiding officer, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts, and reporters watching from the Senate gallery noted an increased number of senators away from their seats. Yet the most important questions on Capitol Hill on Thursday were not the ones being read by Roberts himself. They were the ones swirling around a small group of moderate Republican senators who are still undecided on whether to vote for additional witnesses and documents in the trial. Late Thursday night, two of those senators, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Susan Collins of Maine, announced their plans. Alexander confirmed that he would vote against any proposals for further witnesses. Collins broke the other way, announcing that she will vote to admit additional evidence in the trial. The witness vote is expected to occur Friday afternoon, and will be a pivotal moment in the impeachment proceedings that have dogged Trump for months. On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, signaled that he would vote with the Democrats. With Collins and Romney both yesses, and Alexander a no, it remained unclear late Thursday whether Democrats would be able to convince the minimum of four GOP senators required to admit new witnesses and documents. The House voted to impeach Trump last month on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Democrats accuse Trump of withholding congressionally appropriated military aid to Ukraine while pressuring the country to announce probes into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, as well as a debunked conspiracy theory about 2016 election interference. On balance, Alexander's no vote may have dealt a mortal blow to Democrats' hopes of calling additional witnesses in Trump's trial. Chief among these witnesses is former National Security Advisor John Bolton, who writes in a forthcoming book that Trump told him last summer that he didn't intend to release the U.S. aid to Ukraine until the Ukrainians agreed to investigate Trump's political rivals. It's highly unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to throw a Republican president out of office. Here are the top moments from the impeachment trial Thursday: [January 31, 2020] Wipro and Smart Energy Water (SEW) Form Global Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Digital Transformation for Enterprises Wipro (News - Alert) Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, and Smart Energy Water (SEW), today announced a multi-year global strategic alliance. This partnership aims to develop and deliver joint solutions, which will accelerate digital transformation for enterprise clients in the utilities space globally. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005350/en/ Headquartered in California, SEW is a global energy and water cloud platform provider serving over 200 Utilities worldwide. The joint offerings, built on SEW's industry-leading digital Customer Experience (CX), Workforce Engagement, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) Machine Learning (ML) and Big data analytics platforms will deliver transformational benefits to both companies' new and existing clients in this space. It will help enterprise customers adopt self-servicing capabilities, gain real-time analytics on peak load management, leakage and high-usage, and accordingly optimize workforce efficiency. It will further enable them to transform their operations for greater efficiency and customer centricity. N.S. Bala, President and Global Head, Energy, Natural Resources, Utilities & Construction, Wipro Limited said, "The Wipro-SEW partnership is key to our Utilities marketplace as clients seek to provide enhanced experience for their customers and workforce. We will leverage our rich industry expertise, domain-specific knowledge and SEW's products with its analytics capabilities, to help fulfill the digital transformation agenda of our Utilities clients." "We are excited to engage with Wipro as our global strategic partner," said Harman Sandhu, President, Smart Energy Water. "The Utilities industry worldwide is going through a major transformation in customer experience and operations. This partnership will help us gain access to Wipro's proven expertise and implementation experience with leading global Utilities. It will support and accelerate delivery of SEW platforms to our customers." Wipro has invested over two decades assisting Electricity, Gas and Water Utilities across four continents, helping hem bring about speedy and effective transformations. We are helping Utilities across the world build a more intelligent network that is resilient, flexible and dynamic to the proliferation of distributed energy resources (DER), electric vehicles, and advanced metering and sensors. We help Utilities harness and interpret their data to retain and grow customer revenue and ensure a more secure environment leveraging technology, analytics, and connected devices. With our proven industry expertise as leaders in driving customer experience and digital transformation initiatives, we are at the forefront in helping Utilities evolve towards digitization and innovation. About Smart Energy Water Smart Energy Water (SEW) is the #1 Global Energy and Water Cloud Platform that addresses the key challenges of energy efficiency and water conservation with core focus on Digital Customer Experience, Mobile Workforce Engagement, and Smart Analytics in the energy and utility industry. With proven industry expertise, SEW partners with global energy and water utilities in their digital transformation journey to create a smart and sustainable environment. To learn more about Smart Energy Water, visit www.SmartEnergyWater.com. About Wipro Limited Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO) is a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company. We harness the power of cognitive computing, hyper-automation, robotics, cloud, analytics and emerging technologies to help our clients adapt to the digital world and make them successful. A company recognized globally for its comprehensive portfolio of services, strong commitment to sustainability and good corporate citizenship, we have over 175,000 dedicated employees serving clients across six continents. Together, we discover ideas and connect the dots to build a better and a bold new future. Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements Certain statements in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements, which involve a number of risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in our earnings, revenue and profits, our ability to generate and manage growth, intense competition in IT services, our ability to maintain our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which we make strategic investments, withdrawal of fiscal governmental incentives, political instability, war, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property, and general economic conditions affecting our business and industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. We may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. We do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005350/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Michigan woman acquitted over the murder of her husband is speaking for the first time since her release from prison. Linda Stermer was sentenced to life behind bars over the 2007 death of her husband Todd, before a judge set her free after ruling that she did not receive a fair trial. In a new interview with CBS' 48 Hours, set to air on Saturday, Linda protests her innocence and says she always loved her husband - despite the fact she planned to leave him on the day he lost his life. 'I don't think I didn't ever love Todd, and I know that he loved me,' Linda said in the special. Todd died on January 7, 2007 from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries after the couple's Kalamazoo home went up in flames. Prosecutors accused Linda of deliberately lighting the fire, before running over Todd with her van after he managed to escape the blaze with severe injuries. However, Linda says the fire was simply an accident, and that she ran over her husband in the midst of panic as they both tried to escape the inferno. Michigan woman Linda Stermer (pictured), who was acquitted over the murder of her husband Todd, is speaking with CBS' 48 Hours for the first time since her release from prison Linda told 48 Hours that she 'always loved' Todd, despite the fact that she had planned to leave him on the day he died. The pair are pictured on their wedding day in the early 1990s Speaking with correspondent Erin Moriarty, Linda says she was doing laundry in the basement when the blaze broke out upstairs. She ran up to find the first level of the family home engulfed in flames. 'There just seemed to be fire all over in the living room, I could not have gotten over to Todd because there was fire between the two of us. My first thought was to get out, Todd's going to get out,' she recalled. Linda claimed she hopped into her van, where she waited for Todd to emerge from the blaze so that they could drive to a neighbor's home for help. However, when Todd escaped the home he was so badly burnt that Linda said she realized she needed to go call for help on her own. 'He's jumping around, he's padding himself, his skin is burnt terribly. I can't touch him, and so I get back in the van and I lost sight of him,' she tearfully stated. Todd died on January 7, 2007 from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries after he and Linda's Kalamazoo home went up in flames Linda says she did not realize that she then ran over her husband before driving off after the blaze. His blood was found on the bumper of the vehicle In the confusion, Linda says she did not realize that she then ran over her husband before driving off. His blood was found on the bumper of the vehicle. Lind was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2010 after a jury found her guilty of murdering Todd. The couple's sons, Trevor and Trenton, were teenagers at the time of the incident, and were at the movies at the time the house went up in flames. While the boys initially believed their mother's version of events, they soon became suspicious. Todd died on January 7, 2007 from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries after he and Linda's Kalamazoo home went up in flames Linda says she is not responsible for the blaze, which she says broke out while she was doing laundry in the basement Linda said she sent her sons to the movies on that fateful day as she planned to leave Todd, and did not want her boys to be there for that painful moment. The pair now believe their mom is responsible for killing her father. Speaking on 48 Hours, the pair defiantly state: 'She drugged him and set the house on fire, doused him in gasoline. Then, after the fact when he managed to get out of the house, she ran him over with her van'. Linda was released from prison in December 2018 after nearly nine years behind bars when a judge said he found 'prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel'. The State of Michigan is now fighting to reinstate Linda's conviction, and Trevor and Trenton say they are willing to testify against their mother if she is re-tried. 48 Hours ' The Death of Todd Stermer' airs Saturday, February 1 at 10/9c on CBS. Trevor and Trenton Stermer believe their mother is guilty of murdering their father, and say they will testify against her at a re-trial Media personality Stacy Amoateng has apologized and explained her comments about IUDs causing cervical cancer. The TV host who was on Citi TV as a survivor to raise awareness on cervical cancer revealed how she almost lost her life to cancer. Parts of that interview were picked up and some blogs wrote stories with headlines like I Had Cervical Cancer From Using IUD Birth Control Stacy Amoateng Shares Horrifying Experience This caused the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Ghana (Ghana Medical Association) to issue a press release addressing the news. However, Stacy herself has offered an explanation to her comments and apologized. In the video, she stated that IUDs do not cause cervical cancer and advised women to get screened. Watch the video below. BEFORE AFTER 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 VAN BUREN COUNTY A case familiar to many in Southwest Michigan will enter the national spotlight Saturday night when CBS News 48 Hours airs a program focused on the 2007 death of Todd Stermer. Stermer, who was 42, died of severe burns caused by a house fire, which his wife of 14 years, Linda Stermer, was later convicted of setting. The man also suffered blunt-force trauma when his wife struck him with a vehicle after he got outside of the burning home. Linda Stermer, now 55, was arrested 2 1/2 years after her husbands death and, in February 2010, was convicted of felony murder with arson being considered the underlying offense. She was sentenced to life in prison without parole. After losing multiple attempts at appeal in the Michigan Court of Appeals and Michigan Supreme Court, Linda Stermer successfully won her appeal in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in December 2018, at which time she was released from prison. In April 2019, the state of Michigan appealed that ruling from U.S. District Judge Arthur Tarnow. Stermer now faces the real possibility of heading back to prison. While waiting to learn her fate, she spoke with 48 Hours host Erin Moriarty for the program airing on CBS Saturday. Moriarty spoke with MLive this week about why the show had an interest in the case. We found it really interesting because arson cases are very difficult to prove and theyre very difficult to defend against, Moriarty said. And over the years, there have been a lot of cases of people who have been convicted of murder, based on arson where the case has either been overturned or later determined that it wasnt arson. So we did it because this is one of those cases because there isnt a lot of evidence against her with the arson with what shes charged with, what she was convicted of, but the circumstantial evidence around her is so damaging and thats just an interesting case to me. One remaining question is whether Stermer intentionally struck her husband with her van, Moriarty said. At trial, the prosecution said she intentionally ran him over, while the defense contended she accidentally struck him while trying to drive to a neighbors house for help. There were also allegations of abuse and that Linda Stermer had been having an affair, other aspects that Moriarty said made the case worth a closer look. Stermer, who did not testify at the 2010 trial, will open up about the events surrounding her husbands death in Saturdays show. A trailer shows her discussing a decision to leave her husband in the house as she escaped the burning home and got in her van, saying she hoped he would get out when he saw she was safe. Stermer also addresses her decision to drive for help, instead of calling 911. Hes jumping around and hes patting himself. His skin is burnt terribly, Stermer tells Moriarty on the trailer. I cant touch him And so I get back in the van. And I lost sight of him. Once she lost sight of him, she tells Moriarty, she ran him over something she maintains to this day was an accident. The prosecution during the 2010 trial, as well as her two sons and a nephew, all contest Stermers story and blame her for her husbands death, calling it anything but an accident. Her two daughters, Moriarty said, continue to side with their mother and are very devoted to Stermer. When I interviewed both sides, it was like I was talking about two different women, Ive never really encountered that, Moriarty said. The boys dont even call her mom." At trial, the prosecution, led by Van Buren County Prosecutor Juris Kaps, presented evidence of an affair and said Stermer would rather kill her husband than divorce him. She also bought gasoline that day, according to court records. The defense noted that two homes previously owned by Todd Stermer, one in Portage and another in Three Rivers, were also destroyed by fire. Her defense attorney at the time was Jeff Getting, who is now Kalamazoo Countys prosecutor. Getting told MLive that Linda also lived in one of Todd Stermers prior homes that burned. That case was also investigated as an arson, Getting said, but no one was ever charged. As for the fatal fire in 2010, Getting said his argument in court a decade ago is one he still stands by today. There was insufficient evidence to determine who set the fire in that it was equally, if not more plausible, to believe that Todd had set the fire and in the process of doing so got caught in the fire that he started and accidentally killed himself, he said. Getting, who will also appear on 48 Hours this Saturday, pointed to Todd Stermers cause of death being thermal injuries and the fact there was gasoline on his clothes. He was part of the fire is the way it was described the pathologist, Getting said. There was no gasoline or any other accelerant found on Linda. By not hiring an arson expert, Getting provided his client ineffective counsel, according to the federal judges 2018 ruling that overturned Stermers conviction. It is the only time in his career that he has been ruled to have done as such, Getting told MLive. In his ruling, Tarnow also said Van Buren County Circuit Judge William Buhl did not afford Stermer a fair trial, and that Kaps committed prosecutorial misconduct. When asked if he would argue the case any differently if given the chance again today, Getting said he believes the case was tried the right way and that hiring an arson expert would not have made a difference. The decisions that were made in how to defend Linda in that trial were made not independently by me, he said. They were trial strategy decisions that were discussed with her and agreed to by her. No one ever likes to be criticized, he said, and no one ever likes to be wrongly criticized. The case was tried in a way that my client and I agreed and I believe was tried in a way that gave us the best opportunity for a successful opportunity. My belief is in the end is there was insufficient evidence to find her guilty, but thats a decision for the jury to make. I have respect for the jury and for the decision they made and Im not trying to diminish their work in any way, but I disagree with the outcome of the case. Stermer now awaits a decision from the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati. If Tarnows decision is overturned, she will be sent back to prison. If Tarnows decision is upheld, the Van Buren County Prosecutors office will have to decide whether to retry the case or pursue an appeal of the Cincinnati courts decision. Its just an interesting look at the investigation and then what the federal judge thought of it afterward," Moriarty said. We dont know whether that ruling will be upheld. The episode, hosted by Moriarty and featuring all of Stermers children, Getting and a cast of others, will air on CBS at 10 p.m. EST Saturday, Feb. 1. Also on MLive: Woman granted new trial in husbands death in house fire Court upholds conviction in Jessica Heeringa kidnapping and murder Court rejects appeal from Flint-area man convicted of 2016 triple murder A virus similar to the SARS pathogen has killed 213 people in China and spread around the world since emerging in a market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. On Friday, China's National Health Commission said nearly 10,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus. Outside mainland China, there have been more than 100 infections reported in more than 20 countries. The World Health Organization has declared an international emergency over the outbreak. Here are the places that have confirmed cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus: - CHINA - As of Friday, around 9,700 people have been infected across China, the majority in and around Wuhan. Most of the 213 who have died were in that region, but officials have confirmed multiple deaths elsewhere, including in the capital Beijing. - ASIA-PACIFIC REGION - - Australia - Nine patients have now been confirmed in Australia. Most of them arrived in the country from Wuhan or Hubei province. - Cambodia - Cambodia's health ministry has so far reported one case, a 60-year-old man who arrived from Wuhan. - Hong Kong - In Hong Kong, 13 people are known to have the disease. - India - Officials confirmed the first case in Kerala, southern India, on Thursday. The woman, a student at Wuhan University, is stable and in isolation at a hospital. - Japan - As of Thursday, Japanese health authorities said they had registered 14 cases, including two cases of human-to-human transmission. - Macau - Macau, a gambling hub hugely popular with Chinese mainland tourists, has confirmed seven cases. - Malaysia - Malaysia has confirmed eight cases so far, all Chinese nationals. - Nepal - Nepal has reported one case so far: a man who arrived from Wuhan. - The Philippines - The Philippines reported its first case of the virus on Thursday, a 38-year-old woman who arrived from Wuhan and is no longer showing symptoms. - Singapore - Singapore announced three new cases on Friday, bringing its total to 16. - South Korea - South Korea on Friday confirmed four more cases of the deadly SARS-like virus, bringing the total in the country to 11. - Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka has confirmed one case -- a 43-year-old Chinese tourist from Hubei province. - Taiwan - Taiwan has uncovered eight cases so far, including two female Chinese nationals in their 70s who arrived in the country as part of a tour group. - Thailand - Thailand has announced 14 confirmed infections. - Vietnam - Hanoi has confirmed five cases. - NORTH AMERICA - - Canada - Canada has confirmed four cases so far. - United States - The United States has confirmed six cases: two cases in California, two in Illinois, one in Arizona and one in Washington state. - EUROPE - - Britain - British health officials on Friday announced that two people had tested positive for the virus, the country's first confirmed cases. - Finland - A tourist from Wuhan tested positive for the virus on Wednesday and was being treated in isolation in hospital, officials said. - France - There are six known cases in France, the first European country to be affected. - Germany - Germany now has seven confirmed cases. - Italy - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the first two cases in his country on Thursday -- two Chinese tourists who recently arrived in Italy. - Russia - Russia said Friday that two Chinese citizens had tested positive in the country's first cases. - Sweden - Sweden on Friday announced its first case, a woman whose nationality has not been revealed. - MIDDLE EAST - - United Arab Emirates - UAE health officials have confirmed a Chinese family of four tested positive for the virus after arriving from Wuhan. burs-qan/mtp/sst/to Medical staff wearing protective clothing arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the outbreak was first reported President Donald Trump during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Jan. 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Senate to Vote on Witnesses in Impeachment Trial as Trump Acquittal Eyed by Republicans The Senate will vote on whether to call any witnesses in the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump on Jan. 31, but with a dearth of Republicans signaling a willingness to side with Democrats, witnesses are expected to be blocked. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) became the latest potential swing vote to announce late Thursday that hed vote against calling additional witnesses. I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitutions high bar for an impeachable offense, he said. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) said Wednesday that hed also vote against calling witnesses. I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness, he said, referring to the 17 witnesses calling during the House impeachment inquiry. With Alexander and Gardner voicing their opposition, Democrats face a dwindling number of GOP senators who might side with them in the witness vote. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) walks with reporters after a meeting with Republicans about calling witnesses during the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) I hope we can get witnesses and documents. Its an uphill fight. Is it more likely than not? Probably no. But is it a decent, good chance? Yes, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters on Thursday. Fridays trial will open with four hours of arguments about the need to call more witnesses. The Senate will then vote on the matter. The vote comes after senators submitted 180 questions, the vast majority of which were answered by House impeachment managers, Trumps legal team, or both. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said theyll vote for calling witnesses. Collins announced her vote late Thursday. I believe hearing from certain witnesses would give each side the opportunity to more fully and fairly make their case, resolve any ambiguities, and provide additional clarity, she said in a statement. A Romney spokesman confirmed his upcoming vote on Friday, writing on Twitter that Romney has said he wants to hear from Ambassador Bolton, and he will vote in favor of the motion today to consider witnesses. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) arrives at the Senate chamber as the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 30, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said shed announce her decision on Friday but signaled skepticism that testimony from former National Security Advisor John Bolton would be relevant. Isnt it true that the allegations still would not rise to the level of an impeachable offense, and that therefore for this and other reasons his testimony would add nothing to the case? a query from Murkowski and Alexander on Thursday read. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate. A simple majority is required to call additional witnesses. A tie could be broken by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, but he has rarely wielded his authority as the officer presiding over the trial. Its possible that Democrats need more than four Republican votes, as one or more moderate Democrats could side with Republicans. President Donald Trump, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speak during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump was impeached by the House last month in a sharply partisan vote. The charges of abuse of office and obstruction of Congress were sent to the Senate earlier this month, triggering the trial. Democrats say Trump was acting in his personal interest when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2019 to look into allegations of corruption against former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Bidens son, Hunter. They allege he paused congressionally approved military aid to Ukraine to try to pressure Zelensky into launching an investigation into the Bidens. Trump has said it was his duty to look into the matter and noted that a slew of experts, including a number of witnesses who testified during the impeachment inquiry, said there were continuing concerns about corruption in Ukraine. The election of Zelensky, who ran promising reform, didnt cause the concerns to vanish overnight, Trump attorney Jay Sekulow told lawmakers during the trial. Does anybody think that one election of one president that ran on a reform platform, who finally gets a majority in their legislative body, that corruption in Ukraine just evaporates? Sekulow said. PALMER, Alaska - Three people were found dead this week in home near Palmer, Alaska State Troopers announced Thursday. Troopers responding to a request for a welfare check found the bodies of Gerald Brown, 71, Karen Brown, 70, and Jeffery Brown, 42, all of Palmer, inside the home. Troopers in a dispatch did not indicate how the three died. The bodies were found at around 9 p.m. Tuesday. The home is on a road southwest of Palmer and south of the Matanuska-Susitna campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage. The state medical examiner will conduct an autopsy, troopers said. An investigation is continuing. Prince Harry's claim that a Sunday newspaper wrote an inaccurate article about wildlife pictures posted on his Instagram account has been dismissed by a newspaper industry regulator. The UK royal complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) that the 'Mail on Sunday' breached the accuracy clause of its Editors' Code of Practice in an article published last April. Headlined "Drugged and tethered... what Harry didn't tell you about those awe-inspiring wildlife photos", the article reported on "spectacular photographs of African wildlife" which had been posted on Harry's Instagram account to highlight Earth Day. The article claimed that the "pictures ... don't quite tell the full story" and said the duke had "notably avoided explaining the circumstances in which the images were taken". The animals had been tranquillised and the elephant had also been tethered as they were being relocated as part of conservation projects. The newspaper reported that followers of Harry's Sussexroyal Instagram account were unable to see a rope around the hind legs of the elephant because of the way the picture was edited. Ipso said in its ruling that Harry had stated "he had not misled the public by failing to explain the circumstances in which the photograph of the elephant had been taken and that the article was inaccurate in claiming that he had sought to mislead the public by deliberately publishing an edited version of the photograph". Harry, who had taken the wildlife pictures posted on Instagram, told Ipso the article gave the misleading impression he had cropped out the tether to create the false impression that he was a superior wildlife photographer. He said that the image had been cropped owing to the formatting requirements of Instagram. The newspaper disputed the duke had to crop the image due to Instagram's formatting requirements. Ipso found the complaint was not upheld and said its complaints committee considered it was not clear from the images that the animals had been tranquillised and tethered. Watertown, NY (13601) Today Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%.. Tonight Some mixed winter precipitation possible early. Snow showers early with a chance of lingering snow showers later. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 100%. by Ray Schultz , January 30, 2020 A privacy bill that addresses email only has been introduced in the Oklahoma State Legislature. House Bill 2810, the so-called Oklahoma Email Communication Content Privacy Protection Act, would prohibit email service providers from scanning subject lines or the body of any email communication sent to its users, and from letting any other entity do so. The author of the proposed legislation is State Representative Collin Walke (D-Oklahoma City). The bill would be enforced by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. This body would have the authority to examine books, records, computer files or any other property of the alleged offender. The penalties would range from $500 to $5,000 per offense. Each event would constitute a separate violation. The resulting monies would be placed in a fund to be set up by the state treasury: the Oklahoma E-Mail Communication Content Privacy Protection Revolving Fund. They would be applied to the cost of administering the act. advertisement advertisement Also, the Corporation Commission would have the power to issue an order enjoining the service provider from conducting the prohibited activity. The bills legislative prospects were unclear at deadline. But Walke has drawn support from at least one local newspaper: the Tahlequah Daily Press. Walke hopes House Bill 2810 will be just the first move toward what he calls a more balanced and fair use of our private information, the paper writes. He pointed out that although email was originally a simple and efficient tool that was used by some, in today's world, it's become an absolute necessity. It continues, Just as Oklahomans can opt out of unwanted junk "snail mail," he wants them to be able to protect themselves from emails that come as a result of data exploitation. The editorial adds that Google, Microsoft and other tech giants have used their servers to peek into emails of millions of Americans. The paper notes, perhaps wryly, that while Walke may be a Democrat, he ought to pull support from colleagues of every stripe. After shooting Hill, Johnson took off running and got in the pickup, with the sergeant pursuing in the undercover car. When Johnson noticed the car following him, he pulled over and parked then exited his truck and fired two shots at the sergeants passing car, before fleeing again and getting on the Eisenhower, prosecutors said. The Media Coalition Against Galamsey, OccupyGhana, and we believe, most Ghanaians, are disappointed and saddened by the revelation by the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng that hundreds of seized Galamsey excavators have disappeared from District Assemblies around the country. Our deep concern at this revelation stems from the fact that the authorities have simply once again failed to follow and enforce the law. The inability of the government to enforce the law, from the facts as we know them, is only matched by the brazenness of the illegal miners. We have a number of questions for the government that require answers; and we respectfully demand those answers. First, under the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act, it is illegal for anyone to erect equipment for the purpose of mining without being the holder of either a mining lease or a small-scale mining licence. Everyone who does this commits an offence. The government has to explain to Ghanaians whether the persons from whom the equipment was allegedly seized were also arrested. If that did not happen, the government should explain why it did not happen. Or, were the illegal miners also allowed to disappear just like the equipment? Second, the law then provides that upon the arrest of illegal miners, the equipment they were using shall, regardless of the ownership, be seized and kept in the custody of the police. It is for very good reason that the law demands that the equipment should be kept by the police, and no other institution. The government therefore has to explain to Ghanaians why the equipment allegedly seized was kept with District Assemblies and not the police. Was this deliberate? Was this to make it very easy for the equipment to simply disappear? Did anyone take an inventory of the seized equipment and if so where is that inventory? Which public officers were responsible for flouting the law? Third, the Act demands that the arrested persons should be tried in court and then upon conviction, the court is empowered to order the forfeiture of any equipment seized. The government has to explain to Ghanaians whether the persons from whom the equipment was seized were duly prosecuted, and if not, why not? Without prosecution, the seized equipment cannot be forfeited in the manner the law demands. Are any prosecutions still taking place? If so, have there been any convictions? And if so, did the courts order forfeiture? Is the government able to publish a report on these matters? Fourth, the Act provides that within 60 days of the confiscation, the Minister for Mines shall allocate the equipment to the appropriate state institution and publish in the Gazette the name of the state institution to which the equipment is allocated. We do not need to ask this question because it is pretty obvious to all of us that this has not happened. Fifth, the Roadmap For Lifting of Ban on Artisanal & Small Scale Mining & the Way Forward policy document says in section 3.2.1 bullet 3 that there shall be a Directive by the Government/IMCIM to move all earth moving mining equipment for artisanal and small-scale mining to designated areas for subsequent registration and installation of tracking devices. This will be done under the direct supervision of the Regional Ministers prior to the vetting of artisanal and small-scale mining companies. Obviously from the statement of the Minister this directive has not been implemented. Also, section 3.2.5 states that The Minerals Commission in collaboration with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have been tasked to register and install tracking devices on earth moving equipment to ensure that the use of equipment at inappropriate locations are monitored and reported. A committee was formed to deal with the registration and installation of tracking device on the earth moving mining equipment. Has this provision been implemented? If it had, these excavators would have been registered and could be tracked making it impossible for them to be stolen. Can the government explain to Ghanaians why this has not happened? And, sixth, we also need to know from the government whether all existing mining leases and small-scale licences have now been submitted to Parliament for ratification as is required under both the Constitution and the Minerals and Mining Act. Considering the above and the revelation by the Minister, the government should be as unhappy as we are, and more so. If the government with all the power and force at its disposal is unwilling to or incapable of implementing and enforcing its own laws, then it gives a signal to potential wrongdoers that we have no respect for the rule of law; it is just something we mention to others to make us feel good. That is why the nation is still under brazen attack from illegal miners. They know that we make noise and even deploy our military, but we have no teeth to bite. Nowhere is this more evident than the blatant illegal mining at the place called Dollar Power, and the apparent inability or unpreparedness of the government to enforce the law there. This and the impunity it connotes should be a scar on our conscience. We are therefore not surprised that the War Against Galamsey is generally accepted to be failing. Operation Vanguard has all but petered out. That is unacceptable. We call on the government to shake itself out of its stupor and enforce the mining law without fear or favour. We also call on the media and civil society organizations to reawaken, hold leadership to account and reinvigorate the #StopGalamsey war. Losing this war is not an option. Irresponsible and unsustainable mining is an existential threat and should not be countenanced. Issued by: Media Coalition Against Galamsey OccupyGhana 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 The number of states that permit photos at a voting ballot box if a Wisconsin bill that allows selfies with completed ballots on Election Day gets approved. The state Senate approved the bill on Tuesday and it will now continue to the Assembly. Currently, there are only 18 states that ban photographic displays of marked ballots on Election Day, laws which are not strongly enforced. ( The Hill January 21, 2020) Burma Myanmar Police Call on Thailand, Laos in Case Against AA Chief's Relatives U Kyaw Naing at Mayangone Township Court in October 2019. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy YANGONMyanmar police have asked for help from intelligence units in Thailand and Laos in their search for evidence to charge relatives of Arakan Army (AA) chief Tun Myat Naing, according to a statement by Police Captain Min Khaing of the Special Branch of the Myanmar police on Thursday. On Oct. 19, police arrested Tun Myat Naings brother-in-law U Kyaw Naing at Yangon International Airport as he arrived from Thailand. Police also arrested U Kyaw Naings wife Ma Ya Min Myat, who is the AA chiefs sister, as she came to the airport to pick up her husband. Capt. Min Khaing has opened a case against the couple under Section 52 of the Counterterrorism Law for allegedly financing terrorism. Police have said the charges are linked to explosive materials seized by police in Mandalay in September. If convicted, the pair face three to seven years in prison. In a hearing in the case on Thursday at the Yangon Western District Court, Capt. Min Khaing said that U Kyaw Naing went from Thailand into Laos on Sept. 28 with U Maung Maung Soe, a suspect in Septembers seizure of explosive materials in Mandalay. The two stayed together in Laos and U Kyaw Naing reportedly returned to Thailand on Sept. 30. U Kyaw Naing reportedly paid for their trip and also gave 2,000 Thai baht (US$64.24) to U Maung Maung Soe. Police have issued an arrest warrant for U Maung Maung Soe. Capt. Min Khaing submitted a picture at Thursdays hearing of U Kyaw Naing, his daughter and U Maung Maung Soe shopping at the Central Plaza mall in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The photo, according to the police captain, was sent by intelligence units in Thailand and Laos to the Viber account of the chief inspector of the Special Branch of the Myanmar Police. The photo was then forwarded by Viber to Capt. Win Kyaw. The lawyer for the defense raised an objection to the photo evidence, saying that the evidence doesnt belong to Capt. Win Kyaw, the complainant, but rather to the person who took the photo. The court will give its decision about whether or not to accept the photo as evidence at the next hearing on Feb. 6, according to information officer for Yangon Western District Court U Zaw Zaw Tun. The AA is currently embroiled in a serious conflict with the Myanmar military in northern Rakhine State. Since late 2018, the fighting has displaced some 160,000 civilians and hundreds have been killed, injured or detained. Bilateral ceasefire talks between the AA and the government have been on hold since mid-September. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Wife, Children of Leader of Myanmars Arakan Army Detained in Thailand AA AA Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on Friday pushed back their deadline to resolve a bitter row on a dam on the Nile until the end of February, but President Donald Trump voiced confidence that a deal was near. It was the latest delay in the US-brokered talks on the giant Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is slated to begin operations later this year and has sparked fears of conflict over scarce water resources. But the talks have appeared to make progress. The latest session, held over four days in Washington among foreign and water resources ministers, focused on mitigation measures during droughts and other dry years. "The ministers have instructed their technical and legal teams to prepare the final agreement," a joint statement said, "for a signing of the three countries by the end of February 2020." The three countries "reaffirmed the importance of transboundary cooperation in the development of the Blue Nile to improve the lives of the people of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan." Ethiopia says the dam -- which will be the largest in Africa -- is crucial for its growing economy, but Egypt fears the project will disrupt the river that provides 90 percent of its drinking water. The US Treasury Department has been leading the talks after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi sought intervention from Trump, a close ally. The White House said that Trump on Friday spoke by telephone about the negotiations with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Trump "expressed optimism that an agreement on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam was near and would benefit all parties involved," the White House said in a statement. - Progress but delays - Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have gone into overtime in often tense negotiations in Washington. They had earlier set a deadline of January 15 before agreeing to seal the deal during a January 28-29 meeting, which wound up going two days longer than planned. In the latest talks, the countries discussed setting up ways in which they can share information and resolve potential future disputes about the dam. They also agreed to address dam safety standards and look further at the environmental and social impacts, according to the joint statement. In earlier talks, the three countries said they had reached an understanding that Ethiopia would only fill the Grand Renaissance Dam during the rainy season and would base future water levels on conditions of the Nile. The colossal 1.8-kilometer-long (1.1-mile-long) dam, under construction since 2011, is expected to begin generating power by the end of this year and eventually double Ethiopia's electricity. The country expects the $4.2 billion hydroelectric barrage to be fully operational by 2022. Abiy, whose democratic reforms won him the Nobel Peace Prize, has promised to cooperate with the other countries. But Ethiopia has also made clear that it will insist on its rights to the water from the Nile. The International Crisis Group, in a report last year, warned that the dam risked triggering violent conflict if it becomes operational without an agreement among the affected countries. A Minnesota man was convicted of raping his then-girlfriend's twin daughters and giving them a sexually transmitted disease after one of the girls claimed he hurt her. The man, 36, was arrested in 2018 after one of the 4-year-old victims told her grandmother that 'daddy' hurt her. She was taken to hospital where she tested positive for gonorrhea. He pleaded innocence on arrest but also tested positive for gonorrhea. Arturo Macarro Gutierrez was convicted on Tuesday of raping four-year-old twin girls and giving them an STD. He was in a relationship with the girls' mother at the time of the crime He was convicted with four counts of criminal sexual conduct in Ramsey County District Court Arturo Macarro Gutierrez, 36, was arrested and charged with raping the four-year-old twin daughters of his then-girlfriend in October 2018 after one of the girls told their grandmother that 'daddy' hurt her, the Pioneer Press reports. The little girl was immediately taken to the hospital where she tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. Gutierrez was arrested after a SWAT team executing a search warrant found him hiding in the attic at a residence in St Paul, Minnesota. He maintained his innocence but was charged with sexually assaulting the four-year-old when he also tested positive for gonorrhea. The 36-year-old received further charges of sexual assault after the girl's twin sister also tested positive for the sexually transmitted disease. Gutierrez was in a relationship with the girls' mother at the time. He was convicted on Tuesday with four counts of criminal sexual conduct, including two in the first degree and two in the second degree, after a four-day trial in Ramsey County District Court. 'Cases involving sexual assault of young children pose significant barriers since they do not possess the language to describe the acts, may not understand that the abuse was wrong, and are susceptible to intimidation and manipulation by the offender,' Ramsey County Attorney John Choi said after the verdict was delivered. 'This verdict is attributable to the tremendous courage of the young victims and the willingness of caring adults to believe them.' According to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office, Assistant Ramsey County Attorney Dawn R. Bakst, who prosecuted the case, intends to ask for a longer sentence than is generally called for under state guidelines. She says that this is due to the nature of the case. Gutierrez is scheduled to receive his sentence on April 1. A stunning exhibition of exquisite costumes worn by A-list stars in prestigious films and TV series have gone on show at Ely Cathedral. Over the years the iconic medieval building in Cambridgeshire has hosted some of Hollywood's most iconic stars for shoots. Now the famous costumes worn for scenes filmed at the historic location are back there on show for the public to enjoy. The stunning dress and regalia worn by Claire Foy for a sumptuous scene in Netflix's 100million drama The Crown, showing Princess Elizabeth's 1947 wedding to Prince Philip, is among the eye-catching displays. A stunning exhibition of exquisite costumes worn by A-list stars in prestigious films and TV series have gone on show at Ely Cathedral. Pictured: a costume from The Crown worn by Claire Foy Claire Foy, pictured in the gown which appears in the Ely exhibition, played Queen Elizabeth II in series one and two of The Crown Another is the intricately detailed dress worn by Cate Blanchett for a dance scene in the lavish 2006 production of Elizabeth: The Golden Age. There is also the medal-covered uniform worn by Colin Firth in The King's Speech and the grey dress and fur stole worn by Helena Bonham Carter playing his wife, Elizabeth. Other ensembles at the Crown and Gown exhibition include Michael Fassbender's tunic from Macbeth in 2015 and one of Scarlett Johansson's dresses in 2007's The Other Boleyn Girl. Like the actors who have appeared there, the cathedral itself has played different roles. Dresses and outfits worn by stars including Claire Foy, Cate Blanchett (pictured right in Elizabeth: The Golden Age), Geoffrey Rush, Scarlett Johansson, Natalie Portman, Michael Fassbender and Colin Firth will be on show in the Crowns & Gowns exhibition until March 15 It stood in for Westminster Abbey in The King's Speech in 2009 for a pivotal moment in the film when King George VI is taken there by speech therapist Lionel Logue, played by Geoffrey Rush, to practise his Coronation speech. Six years later it became the Abbey again for a The Crown shoot. It was transformed into the Palace of Westminster - the main residence of English monarchs from 1530 to 1698 - for Elizabeth: The Golden Age, when a crew set up in the city for a month. Key scenes filmed there included a banquet. In Macbeth, the Lady Chapel was used to create a gloomy Scottish ceremonial hall. The medal-covered uniform worn by Colin Firth in The King's Speech features in the exhibition The exhibition at Ely Cathedral presents costumes that were used in films shot at the venue - including this uniform worn by Colin Firth in The King's Speech The cathedral - known as the Ship of the Fens for the way it rises majestically above the surrounding flat countryside - dates from 1083 and is considered one of the jewels of the Medieval world. It features Romanesque and Norman architecture and has the third longest nave of any British Cathedral. Around 250,000 people visit it every year. The exhibition, which opens tomorrow (February 1) in the 14th century Lady Chapel and runs until March 15, will also have jewellery, props and memorabilia from films. This costume was worn by Michael Fassbender in the 2015 film adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth This intricately detailed dress was worn by Cate Blanchett in the lavish 2006 production of Elizabeth: The Golden Age Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, wearing a dress which features in the exhibition Another of the costumes on show in the exhibition was worn by Scarlett Johansson in The Other Boleyn Girl This smart costume was worn by Helena Bonham-Carter during The King's Speech, in which she played King George VI's wife Helena Bonham Carter wore the outfit in this famous scene in The King's Speech, during which her character helped her husband overcome his speech impediment Visitors will be able to get up close to original film scripts, daily call sheets and on-set photographs. Cathedral events manager Joss Palmer said: 'This is something we have been considering doing for some years and it has been an exciting journey to bring it to fruition. 'It has been a real privilege to have the cathedral used as a location for such prestigious movies and television shows and we are grateful to the film industry for their continued support. 'If the event proves popular, we hope to follow Crowns and Gowns with a larger scale exhibition in the summer of 2021.' The cathedral was also used for a scene in 2013's Jupiter Ascending starring Mila Kunis and appeared on the horizon in the cover photo of Pink Floyd's 1994 album The Division Bell. President Ram Nath Kovind did not refer to NRC in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament at the beginning of the Budget Session on Friday, seven months after announcing that information about every Indian will be collected for the database on "priority basis". On June 20, 2019, soon after the formation of the new Lok Sabha, Kovind had said that illegal infiltrators posed a major threat to India's internal security and this was leading to social imbalance in many parts of the country as well as putting a huge pressure on limited livelihood opportunities. "My government has decided to implement the process of 'National Register of Citizens' on priority basis in areas affected by infiltration. Security along the border will be further strengthened to prevent infiltration," he had said. However, on Friday, the President made no reference to the NRC. There have been countrywide protests against the NRC and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The CAA was enacted by Parliament in December 2019. Following the protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on December 22, 2019, sought to allay apprehensions on the NRC, especially among Muslims, saying his government has never discussed it since it came to power for the first time in 2014. It has been discussed neither in Parliament nor in the Cabinet, he had said. "Since my government first came to power in 2014, I want to tell 130 crore countrymen, there has never been a discussion on this NRC," Modi said, noting that it was done only in Assam due to a Supreme Court order. "The citizenship law or the NRC has nothing to do with Indian Muslims. They have nothing to worry," Modi said, accusing the Congress, its allies and "urban naxals" of spreading rumour that Muslims will be sent to detention centres. The Supreme Court monitored exercise of updating the NRC was carried out only in Assam. In the final NRC, a list of Assam's residents published on August 31, 2019, excluded names of 19 lakh people, creating a huge controversy. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gun rights advocates take part in a rally in Richmond, Virginia, on Jan. 20, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Virginia House Passes Democratic-Backed Gun Laws, Red Flag Measures The Virginia House passed seven Democratic-backed gun laws, including red flag measures, coming weeks after thousands of gun-rights advocates rallied at the state Capitol building. Today we answer the majority of Virginians who called for gun violence prevention legislation at the polls last November, state House Majority Leader Charniele Herring, a Democrat, said in a statement. Our goal is to save lives and promote responsible gun ownership in the Commonwealth. Public safety is our number one concern. The Virginia Senate passed a version of the gun measures last week. While [Thursdays] actions will not lessen the grief of those who have lost loved ones to gun violence, the legislation passed in the House of Delegates will prevent more senseless deaths and make our Commonwealth safer, said House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn in a statement. The laws include universal background checks, red flag laws, allow localities to regulate guns, mandate reporting of lost and stolen guns, a one handgun a month rule, prohibiting child access to firearms, and disarming domestic abusers, according to Virginia Democrats. Attempts to pass red flag laws in past years had all been ended in Republican-controlled committees before they advanced to full-floor votes, The Associated Press noted. Democratic Senator John S. Edwards, the chairman of the state Houses Judiciary Committee, told Newsweek that he doesnt think Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, will veto the legislation. Democrats think we need to have reasonable restrictions to protect people from gun violence, he said. People ran on the fact that we needed to do something. We have constituents who feel we need reasonable bills to protect the public with respect to gun violence. However, numerous municipalities and sheriffs offices across Virginia have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries in light of the push for gun control in the state legislature. Gun Owners of America condemned the two bills, saying Democrats are ignoring the voice of the people on gun control. Gun-grabbing Democrats in Virginia seem to be headed for that same electoral cliff, because voters will remember in November, group President Erich Pratt said in a statement, according to The Hill. Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association (NRA) assailed the passage of the bills. Some Democratic lawmakers in the House of Delegates are out of control and running roughshod over our rights, said Catherine Mortensen, NRA spokesperson, in a statement. The House of Delegates has rushed through a package of unvetted legislation that targets law-abiding Virginians. She added that the lawmakers are misrepresenting their gun control bills, shutting down debate, and displaying utter distain for the fundamental rights of their constituents. Virginians deserve better. National Geographic WILD showcases the strangest, freakiest and weirdest animals - from incredible marine mammals and out of this world fish to the bizarre world of creepy crawlers. Fridays from 8:30pm AEDT. She spent the morning running around with a gun on the set of Bad Boys spin-off Finest. But Jessica Alba stepped away from set to enjoy a green juice with her husband Cash Warren in Los Angeles on Thursday. The 38-year-old actress, who plays Detective Lieutenant Nancy McKenna, shed her uniform for a relaxed stroll and some boba tea, a Taiwanese tea-based drink, with the father of her three children. Off duty: Jessica Alba stepped away from shooting scenes for L.A.'s Finest to enjoy a brief break off set with her husband Cash Warren in Los Angeles on Thursday As the pair took in the sunshine, they coordinated in white sneakers and over-sized frames. Alba's sleeveless tank showed off her toned, tan arms, as she clutched her phone and stood closely on Warren's side. On her right arm she showed off a sizable fake tattoo for her new movie A.C.O.D. The actress' rep confirmed to Us Weekly that the huge sleeve of roses on her upper arm is only a temporary design. New ink? On her right arm she showed off a sizable fake tattoo for her new movie A.C.O.D. Chasing bad guys: The Honest founder is often spotted showing off her tough side on the TV drama with a number of action-packed scenes Surprise visit: Alba, who plays Detective Lieutenant Nancy McKenna, shed her uniform for a relaxed stroll and some boba tea with the father of her three children The Honest founder is often spotted showing off her tough side on the TV drama with a number of action-packed scenes, which requires her to jog with a semiautomatic rifle. Landing this role means a lot to Alba, who is proud to be on an action series led by two non-white women. 'Usually we're the token something girlfriend, bad girl, side piece. And women in the action genre are usually pretty one note,' she told Variety in May. Union, who also spoke to the outlet, applauded the strong feminist writing on the show. 'We're not saved by anybody. We're the ones saving people. We got to be the action heroes, comedians, and a little sexy on occasion,' Union said. Quality time: The lovebirds looked smitten, especially Alba, by Warren's surprise visit 'Usually we're the token something girlfriend, bad girl, side piece. And women in the action genre are usually pretty one note,' Alba said of getting to star in the cop drama 'We're not saved by anybody. We're the ones saving people. We got to be the action heroes, comedians, and a little sexy on occasion,' Gabrielle Union said of their characters Hands up: The buddy cop procedural drama was renewed this past June after being the first piece of premium content released by Spectrum The only unlikely part of their looks were Alba's flawless waves and Union's styled braids, both worn down, while on pursuit of a suspect. LA's Finest is an offshoot of the Bad Boys franchise, depicting Union's original character Special Agent/Detective Lieutenant Sydney 'Syd' Burnett as she deals with being transferred from the DEA to the LAPD. The buddy cop procedural drama was renewed this past June after being the first piece of premium content released by Spectrum. Partners in crime: While on set Thursday the dynamic leading ladies could have easily passed as real LAPD officers, while wearing full uniform and sunglasses A man accused of killing his friend and torching her house will remain in jail after his attorney tried to argue he should be released on a technicality, a judge ruled on Thursday. Ronald Teschner, 49, will remain jailed in the Monmouth County jail, Judge Joseph W. Oxley ruled. Teschners defense attorney had argued that the state waited too long to indict him under the new bail reform act. Teschner, who is accused of killing his friend, Jacquelin Terrulli, 65, and then setting her Ocean Township home on fire, was charged twice: first in September the day after the fire with weapons offenses and receiving stolen property, and again in December with murder and arson. His lawyer, Anthony Aldorasi, argued the 90-day timeframe required for an indictment began in September and applied to both charges because they stemmed from the same incident. Oxley ruled that each charge had its own timeframe. Oxley said Teschner should be released on the weapons charges, but then ordered him kept in jail on the murder charges. He must be indicted on those charges by March 9, or be released. The hearing lasted less than 20 minutes. Teschner, who has previously had outbursts during court hearings, remained silent during Thursdays hearing. He sat in an office chair in the jury box, swiveling it and leaning back and forth. Under the states 2017 bail reform, a defendant must be indicted within 90 days of their arrest, and brought to trial within 180 of the indictment. That timeframe can be extended in certain circumstances, but the state must file a motion within 75 days to request an extension. The reforms also eliminated cash bail. Instead, New Jersey defendants are detained or released based on their disk of re-offending and their likeliness of showing up to court dates. Jacquelin Terrulli pictures, provided by authorities.Photos provided by authorities Teschner was arrested the day after the fire during a traffic stop in Paterson. He was driving Terrullis Jeep and had her jewelry and two shot guns in the car with him, police have said. He was staying with Terrulli and her family in the home she rented as she helped him kick a drug addiction, Terrullis sister has said. Things were tense between the two, and Terrulli was about to order Teschner out of the house. The morning of the fire, Teschner waited until Terrulli was asleep before he stole jewelry, guns, bank cards, and lawn equipment, authorities said, but Terrulli woke up and caught him in the act. Teschner told his friend he dealt with Terrulli, officials said. He wrapped her body in a tarp and put it inside a car before starting a fire in the master bedroom around 7 a.m., authorities said. Officials believe Terrulli died by asphyxiation, but her body has never been located. Police have searched over 50 acres of land and water in their efforts to find Terrullis body, to no avail. The last search was held on Nov. 27. Teschner has been uncooperative in helping officials find her body, the Terrulli familys attorney has said. Weve searched a number of waterways and bodies of water, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni has said. A lot of that is dependent on, as information continues to come in. Were continuing on with trying to find Jacquelins remains. Teschner is a felon with a violent past. In 2007, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison for breaking into his wifes home and trying to harm her, and he has a criminal history dating back years. Authorities search for Jacquelin Terrulli, 65, the area surrounding her residence on Wickapeck Drive in Ocean Township in this September 2019 file photo.Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KatieKausch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Itll be important for us to spend a lot of time thinking about (if) it all goes into the general fund," she siad, "(or) do we want it to all go to the health department? Should it all go to the sheriffs office? Should it all go to these different places? So were really going to need that data to really make a determination about whats the best use. europe The Schuldschein instrument has become significantly more popular in recent years as European corporates search for less heavily-regulated products in an increasingly burdensome market. What is Schuldschein? A Schuldschein is a privately-placed, medium to long-term, unsecured debt governed by German law. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular option for those beyond the Dach region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Originally, a Schuldschein was a very German, domestic instrument, typically used by German banks only, says White & Case partner Karsten Wockener. But corporates are increasingly taking an interest in the product. For example, the German supermarket group Rewe entered the Schuldschein market in 2019, seeking 300 million ($330 million) to fund its acquisition of wholesaler Lekkerland. As Wockener says, Schuldschein has gradually become useful for a more diversified funding portfolio for corporates with a high credit quality. Its nothing but a loan under German law, he adds. However, the more unique reasoning for its popularity is that the look and feel is very much that of a eurobond. If we look at it, aside from the fact that its a loan, it has hybrid elements. The product is somewhere between a syndicated loan, a privately-placed bond and a loan participation note. This status between bond and loan means that it draws the benefits of each, enjoying the flexibility of a loan with the lower cost of capital of a bond. What makes it trustworthy to the financial community is that it is over 100 years old and enshrined in the German Civic Code Burgerliches Gesetzbuch. The product comprises a loan agreement (a Schuldscheindarlehen or SSD) and a certificate of indebtedness: the actual Schuldschein. Schuldschein is a bilateral loan agreement with the potential for a large number of lenders, says Sebastian Zank, corporate ratings executive director at Scope Ratings. Hes clear that its not a financial market instrument, adding: I think its more comparable to a normal loan. A great advantage of it is that you do not have to book it on a mark-to-market basis. It remains on the loan book until maturity. EXCLUSIVE: Interview with EU bank regulation head Nathalie Berger While there are structural similarities with securitisation, a Schuldschein is not considered a securitisation under local nor EU law. This means borrowers do not need to offer a prospectus. In addition, while under the jurisdiction of German law, this has not stood in the way of international engagement. Typically, the Schuldschein agreement is drafted in German and English; sometimes even in a third local language of the borrower if required meaning that unfamiliarity with the local language does not create a barrier to use. What are the main benefits? As Katie Kelly, senior director of market practice and regulatory policy at the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) points out, private placements such as Schuldschein are not subject to the same regulatory and market scrutiny as public offers. Listing is not always required, so it takes private placement out of the scope of the requirements of the EUs Prospectus Regulation, which could be extremely onerous for the target issuers, she says. The documentation needed for Schuldschein is also significantly lighter and typically negotiated on a much smaller scale, often between the issuer and a handful of investors, rather than hundreds. Because of this, the conditions and covenants are more bespoke and easier for the investors to monitor. Meanwhile, in the event of something going wrong such as a covenant breach there is an easier channel for communicating with the investors to address the situation, rather than automatic default. As a rating is not essential for private placement, issuers do not have to go through this process, which can be difficult. An SSD offers borrowers a new and diverse investor group, largely made up of international banks, who are asset-takers and not looking for relationships and ancillary business, says Richard Waddington, head of syndication and sales at Commerzbank. Waddington pointed out that it is often used as a first approach to the international capital markets for borrowers who have traditionally been reliant on loans and are looking to diversify their funding sources, but perhaps isn't yet ready to issue a bond. Volumes can be below bond benchmark requirements, although we also see some sizeable deals now and no rating is needed, he continues. An SSD means a borrower can raise funding in one issue via a range of different tenors, interest structures and currencies. Deals can really be tailormade. Waddington also pointed out that a big plus for borrowers is that a floating rate SSD can be prepaid if required. The product is not listed, has no formal prospectus, and is generally a lower cost product to issue than a regulated bond with all the associated costs, he says. His thoughts on costs were echoed by others in the banking community. "Regardless of an issuers rating, the costs for third parties are much lower in the Schuldschein market," said Michael Bures, head of DCM corporates at Raiffeisen Bank International. "As there is no prospectus requirement, lawyer costs and legal opinion are much cheaper. Moreover, there is no comfort letter required." Bond covenant trends in 2020: what to expect What are the risks? The biggest risk for the market at the moment is the fact it has grown so quickly out of the DACH region, says Martin Strohmeier, fixed income analyst German bank NORD L/B. Since the shift into eastern Europe and then elsewhere, companies beyond the DACH region are now using it as a financing diversification, shifting from the traditional issuer and investor base. Weve seen recently that it has come out of the investment space, migrating more and more into high yield. As Strohmeier indicates, newfound reach also delivers newfound problems. The instruments growing popularity means more issuers such as non-rated and often rather small companies where investors have limited transparency on the issuer are realising that they can take advantage, says Zank. We have observed a few defaults and selective defaults with debt restructurings over the past few years. British firm Carillion, for instance, went bankrupt less than a year after raising around $155 million on the Schuldschein market. If this continues, we could end up with the reputation of the product declining, he says. Wockener adds: Warnings have been issued due to insolvent companies who have entered into transactions. I dont follow these views. Its a debt instrument. The credit risk of a borrower or issuer applies to all debt instruments. The ways of restructuring a debt instrument might be very different though. Zank says that while there have been issues, he thinks the market is still able to regulate itself, and that the underlying regulatory framework is sufficient. In the end, its the investors who invest consciously, he says. If theyve not undertaken analysis properly, or monitored, they have to justify the investment. In addition, arrangers who usually seriously take their responsibility as gatekeepers to the market simply have to stick to very general rules, and there is lots of experience in the market. Regardless, Zank raises the issue that loan documentation often doesnt address how to move forward in the case of a debt restructuring. For Schuldschein, you need 100% lender agreement on restructurings, he continues. If there are excessive lenders, and everyones opinions differ about how a loan should be restructured, it risks being the case that it cant be restructured anymore and goes into default. This is a peculiarity of the instrument, and its important because of defaults and selective defaults. However, due to the increase in these instances, it has also become well known to investors who are engaging, he says. Whats currently happening in the market? Over the past five years, the main development of the product we have seen has been the material growth in the use of the product outside of Germany as it has been adopted by a broad range of non-German issuers and investors, says Penny Smith, head of private debt origination, western Europe at Commerzbank. Its fair to say that SSD has become the pan-European private placement product of choice for investment grade and crossover companies. The changing face of Schuldschein However, while SSD has grown significantly beyond its traditional German base and is now pan-European with circa 30 billion of issuance in 2019, Smith and Waddington do not think it will ever be viewed as a global product. The instrument has however been celebrated in the digital space. Digitisation has allowed SMEs into the market and they are able to use digital platforms, which are quicker and more efficient than the traditional route, says Strohmeier. Due to digitisation, we observed that SMEs are using the market in an opportunistic manner, such as issuing Schuldschein more than once per year, which is new. This had not been anticipated. We expect that this must be happening due to increased SME experience with digital platforms, which they feel more comfortable tapping, he continues. This has been a remarkable turning point for the Schuldschein market that has contributed, among other factors, to the increase in issuance volume and deals per year. The Schuldschein market has also been of benefit to sustainable finance. Its a very flexible product and can be adapted for both green and ESG issuances, says Smith. Similar to the growth of green and sustainable loans, we saw a material increase in green and ESG SSD issuance in 2019, and we expect that to continue this year. Last year, Spanish bank BBVA negotiated a 220 million sustainable Schuldschein for the Madrid government, using blockchain and ICMAs green bond principles for the debt structuring. Companies bank on blockchain bonds to cut costs, time Lean documentation makes it easy to include another paragraph that refers to ESG KPIs, says Zank. While 2020 has only just begun, he has already seen deals with ESG elements, such as a new issues from Faber-Castell, Verbundnetz Gas and Voith. When looking at the progress made in the last few years, I think it is likely we will see plenty more sustainability-linked Schuldschein deals coming to the market, he summarised. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article Jan 31 (Reuters) - China's imports of nickel ore from Indonesia leaped by nearly three-quarters in 2019, customs data showed on Friday, as traders scrambled to ship the material before an export ban from the Southeast Asian nation took effect from the start this year. While total 2019 imports of nickel ore rose 30% from 2018 to 56.13 million tonnes, imports from Indonesia rocketed 72% to 23.9 million tonnes, according to the General Administration of Customs and Reuters calculations. Indonesia, the world's biggest nickel ore producer, last September announced it would expedite a ban on exports of the material by two years to Jan. 1, 2020, in an effort to secure supply for its domestic nickel processing industry. The ban sparked a rush to ship ore out of the country before the end of 2019, notably into China, where nickel ore is mainly used to make nickel pig iron, a raw material for its stainless steelmaking sector, the world's largest. In December, China's total nickel ore imports rose 60% from the same time in 2018 to 4.32 million tonnes, with shipments from Indonesia jumping 82% year-on-year to 2.47 million tonnes. However, December shipments from Indonesia were down 26% from November, as Indonesia temporarily banned exports amid the stampede to ship cargoes out. December imports from Philippines, also a major producer of nickel ore, stood at 1.54 million tonnes, up 24% year-on-year. (Reporting by Mai Nguyen and Tom Daly; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell) The people of Gibraltar will wake up on Saturday morning and find the EU flag no longer flies on the Rock, having been replaced with the Commonwealth flag instead. That, however, should be the only difference they notice, says the Gibraltar government, because during the transition period nothing will change. In the three and a half years since the EU referendum, in which the people of Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to Remain, chief minister Fabian Picardo has made no secret that he and his government would have preferred Brexit not to be happening. If it had to happen, however, they said that approval of the Withdrawal Agreement and associated Gibraltar Protocol was essential to ensure an orderly withdrawal. Securing Gibraltar's inclusion in the transition period was also a critically important achievement for the Rock because it will soften the process and effect of the departure from the EU, as Picardo pointed out in his New Year Message. For the authorities, of course, this is just the beginning of vital negotiations. Last month officials from Gibraltar, UK and Spain met in Madrid to discuss the implementation of the Memoranda of Understanding which were agreed between Gibraltar and Spain, with UK collaboration, under the Withdrawal Agreement and, in particular, to prepare for the first meetings of the Committees established under the MoUs. These meetings will take place in late February in Algeciras. These MoUs cover matters such as citizens' rights, police and customs cooperation, tobacco and the environment. They will apply from now until the end of the transition period. During this time EU law will continue to apply to Gibraltar in the same way as it has done until now, including in relation to free movement and border fluidity EU regimes. This week, the UK-Gibraltar Joint Ministerial Council also met in London for the eleventh and last time, to discuss the exit from the European Union as well the negotiations on the future relationship. There was also an update on contingency planning issues. It closed in 2015 when Comcast leased the building for its IT, call center and social media operations. As a native Tucsonan, I grew up going to Tucson Mall and have been looking for the right opportunity to bring a state-of-the-art theater here for nearly 20 years," said Mike Bowers, president and CEO of Harkins Theatres. "I am especially thrilled to be finally announcing our most luxurious cinema to all our loyal moviegoers, friends and families in the Old Pueblo. The exact location of the theater at Tucson Mall was not disclosed, so it's unclear if the theater will occupy an existing space or be a new build. A spokeswoman for Harkins said full details will be provided at a later time. Regardless of where the theater locates at the mall, industry observers say it will be a boon for Tucson Mall. "A theater has been a significant void not only to the mall but to the entire Tucson Mall trade area," said retail broker Greg Furrier, with Picor. "That will obviously boost the sales of the nearby tenants at the mall. The restaurants have the most to gain." Photos you might like: Tucson's last drive-in Lets look at the evidence: In 2016, Facebook provided the Trump campaign with embedded staff who helped to optimize its advertising program. (Hillary Clintons campaign was also approached, but it declined to embed a Facebook team in her campaigns operations.) Brad Parscale, the digital director of Mr. Trumps 2016 campaign and now his campaign manager for 2020, said that Facebook helped Mr. Trump and gave him the edge. This seems to have marked the beginning of a special relationship. More recently, direct contact between the two men has raised serious questions. Mr. Zuckerberg met with Mr. Trump in the Oval Office on Sept. 19, 2019. We dont know what was said. But from an interview on the sidelines at the World Economic Forum on Jan. 22, we do know what Mr. Trump said about the meeting: Mr. Zuckerberg told me that Im No. 1 in the world in Facebook. Mr. Trump apparently had no problem with Facebooks decision not to fact-check political ads. Id rather have him just do whatever he is going to do, Mr. Trump said of Mr. Zuckerberg. Hes done a hell of a job, when you think of it. The presidents 2016 campaign mounted a robust data-centric communications effort and has continued to build on that program over the past few years, using Facebook as a key part of their strategy. Facebooks decision not to require fact-checking for political candidates advertising in 2020 has flung open the door for false, manipulated, extreme and incendiary statements. Such content is rewarded with prime placement and promotion if it meets Facebook-designed algorithmic standards for popularity and engagement. Whats more, Facebooks design tends to obscure the sources of inflammatory and false content, and fails to adequately punish those who spread false information. Nor does the company effectively warn those who are exposed to lies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government has no reason to feel defensive about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and asked NDA leaders to back the measure strongly in the Parliament during the Budget Session. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that his government has no reason to feel defensive about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and asked NDA leaders to back the measure strongly in the Parliament during the Budget Session. A BJP ally told PTI after the meeting that Modi asked the NDA leaders, who met to strategise after Parliament's Budget Session began on Friday, to aggressively take on the Opposition's charge that the CAA discriminated against Muslims and said that minorities are as much ours as other citizens are". The government has done nothing wrong as far as the Citizenship Amendment Act is concerned and has no reason to feel defensive about, he said, according to the ally, who did not wish to be named. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leaders also hailed the prime minister for the Bodo accord and settlement of Bru tribe members in Tripura. Opposition leaders have said they will raise the issue of nationwide protests against the CAA in the session, as they accused the Modi government of arrogance and making no effort to reach out to protestors. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the unprecedented outbreak of coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern, as officials bid to prevent infections in countries with weak healthcare systems. Praising Chinas response to the outbreak which began in the city of Wuhan, director-general Tedros Adhanom said governments must work together in a spirit of solidarity to control the spread of the new pathogen. We would have seen many more cases outside China by now and probably deaths if it were not for the governments efforts and the progress they have made to protect their own people and the people of the world, he added, having recently met with Chinese premier Xi Jinping while monitoring the nations response. Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. Our greatest concern is the potential for the virus to spread to countries with weaker health systems. The official designation means more money can be freed up to launch an international effort against the disease, while also offering governments leverage to take more stringent action to avoid its spread. In the immediate aftermath of the announcement the US allowed some embassy officials to leave the country, while Italy banned all flights to and from China. Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Show all 154 1 /154 Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Paramedics wearing personal protective equipment carry patient on a stretcher on to an ambulance in North Point district in Hong Kong, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker wearing protective gear takes a rest as he waits for ambulances carrying patients infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at an entrance of a hospital in Daegu, South Korea YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker sprays disinfectant on an ambulance after carrying a patient infected with the COVID-19 coronavirus at a hospital in Daegu YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective face masks shop at a supermarket in Casalpusterlengo, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown due to the new coronavirus outbreak EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A trolley bus is disinfected amid fears over the spread of the novel coronavirus in Pyongyang, North Korea REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers wearing protective gear spray disinfectant as a precaution against the COVID-19 coronavirus in a local market in Daegu, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective facemask walks outside a nearly empty shopping mall at lunch time in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing protective facemask and gloves puts a drawing made by a girl living in the area asking residents to wear protective gear, next to a quarantine notice for people who have travelled and a notice asking people to register outside a residential compound in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman is taken into an ambulance amid a coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulances and health workers are seen outside the Padua's hospital, northern Italy EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers in coaches leave MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire after being repatriated to the UK from a cruise ship hit by the coronavirus in Yokohama, Japan and head to Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People rest in a temporary hospital situated in the Tazihu Gymnasium in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buddhist monks wearing protective face masks pray during a blessing ceremony for the people affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, at a temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia REUTERS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient infecting with a new coronavirus to a hospital in Chuncheon, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Soldiers in hazmat suits sanitize cargo from a China Airlines plane at the Taoyuan International Airport in Taoyuan City, Taiwan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Barricades are seen to block the entrance a the gate of a local mall in a nearly empty area in Beijing, China Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor wearing a protective facemask waits for customers at a shop in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The body temperature of an Iraqi child returning from Iran is measured upon her arrival at the Najaf International Airport AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers hand out free facemasks at a shopping district in Quezon city, Metro Manila, Philippines Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers wearing protective gears carry a patient suspected of contracting the new coronavirus toward an ambulance at Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo, South Korea AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker disinfects a shop at a market in Shanghai AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A restaurant worker wearing protective clothing as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus passing a bag of food to a customer on the street outside their restaurant in Beijing AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A recovered patient is discharged from Leishenshan Hospital, the newly-built makeshift hospital for novel coronavirus patients, in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a factory with sanitising equipment in Huzhou, China China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to a patient inside an isolated ward of Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A drone operated by the Suwon municipal government flies around Changyong Middle School spraying disinfectant, in Suwon, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers transfer medical waste at Leishenshan Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a protective mask rides a bicycle with his children in Guangzhou, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Volunteers in protective suits disinfect a railway station as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, in Changsha, Hunan province, China cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman repatriated from Wuhan carries a child as she walks upon her arrival at the Van Don airport in Vietnam's Quang Ninh province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff checking the body temperature of a patient who has displayed mild symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus, at an exhibition centre converted into a hospital in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A medical worker in protective suit transports oxygen tanks at Wuhan Red Cross Hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Boys wearing protection masks, gloves and modified water bottles sit on a cart at the airport arrival terminal in Guangzhou EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Employees work on a production line manufacturing protective suits at a clothing factory in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province cnsphoto via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits move a patient at an isolated ward of a hospital in Caidian district following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in protective clothing, including face mask and gloves, carries a bucket as he works inside of The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England, after it closed for "urgent operational health and safety reasons", following reports a member of staff was infected with the strain of the novel coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers of the ecology and environment bureau collect samples from the sewage system of a hospital in Xinle, Hebei province China Daily via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man in protective clothing cleaning the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice The British government warned the outbreak of novel coronavirus was a "serious and imminent threat" and reported four new cases that brought the total recorded in the country to eight. Two hospitals The Royal Free and Guys and St Thomas', have both been designated as "isolation" facilities, with both currently housing Britons who have returned from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to the newly completed Huoshenshan temporary field Hospital in Wuhan. The global coronavirus death toll rose again with Hong Kong announcing its first death from the outbreak on 4 February EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff wait as coaches carrying Coronavirus evacuees arrive at Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre, in Milton Keynes, after being repatriated to the UK from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan PA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A crew member of the cruise ship Diamond Princess talks to a worker wearing protective gear standing near the vessel, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Doctors scan a patient's lungs at Huoshenshan temporary hospital built for patients diagnosed with coronavirus in Wuhan Xinhua News Agency/AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People wearing protective suits walk from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined onboard due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesians who arrived from Wuhan are sprayed with antiseptic at Hang Nadim Airport in Batam. People evacuated from the Chinese city at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak, were transported to a quarantine zone on a remote island at the edge of the South China Sea, shortly after landing Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman wears a protective mask as she shops in a market in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members hugging each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in China's easter Shandong province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A portrait of Dr Li Wenliang is left at Li's hospital in Wuhan. He is regarded a whistleblower on the outbreak and died of the coronavirus which triggered wide-spread mourning on Chinese media Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear enter the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where people tested positive for coronavirus, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Firefighters and personnel from the health ministry participate in a drill to prepare for the potential arrival of passengers infected with the coronavirus at the Viru Viru International Airport, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Scientists are at work in the VirPath university laboratory as they try to find an effective treatment against the new Sars-like coronavirus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A girl wears a mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man is transferred from the World Dream cruise ship to an ambulance at the Kai Tak cruise terminal in Hong Kong as health officials conduct inspections AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers from a disinfection service company enter Lotte Department Store in central Seoul, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man who arrived from Hubei province talks with police at a checkpoint at the Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor holds a handheld digital thermometer near health officials preparing a health check for arriving passengers from China at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A resident walks across an empty track in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A scientific staff member works in a secure laboratory, researching the coronavirus, at the Pasteur Institute in Dakar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members preparing equipment to meet passengers of a military plane, which evacuated citizens of Russia and ex-Soviet countries from China's Wuhan province Vsluh.ru via Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff wearing protective suits as they prepare to disinfect a Vietnam Airlines plane at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi Vietnam Airlines/AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A South Korean person, who was evacuated from Wuhan, arrives at the National Medical Center after showing suspected symptoms of novel coronavirus, in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board cruise ship Diamond Princess and was tested positive for coronavirus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a quarantine zone in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Buses carrying British nationals from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan, arrive at Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Indonesian health officials conduct an exercise drill in transporting a patient requiring isolation at the Belawan port in Medan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Pasteur Institute in Dakar, designated by the African Union as one of the two reference centres in Africa for the detection of the new coronavirus that appeared in China, is hosting experts from 15 countries on the continent this weekend to prepare them to deal with the disease AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A government worker disinfects a co-worker after visiting a quarantined woman's home in Qingdao EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An aerial view of the deserted roads and bridges in Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical workers hold a strike outside the Hospital Authority as they demand for Hong Kong to close its border with China to reduce the coronavirus spreading Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person has their tempriture checked in Qingdao, China EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Malaysian nationals being directed from a bus by health officials in protective suits as they arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, after being evacuated from Wuhan Malaysia's Ministry of Health/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People hoping to buy face masks crowd outside a medical supply shop that was raided by police for allegedly hoarding and overpricing the masks, as public fear over China's Wuhan Coronavirus grow in Manila, Philippines. The Philippine government has been heavily criticized after failing to immediately implement travel restrictions from China, the source of a deadly coronavirus that has now killed hundreds and infected thousands more Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Residents wearing masks and raincoats volunteer to take temperature of passengers following the outbreak of a new coronavirus at a bus stop at Tin Shui Wai, a border town in Hong Kong Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Italian citizens repatriated from Wuhan going though a health control zone after landing at the Mario De Bernardi military airport in Pratica di Mare, south of Rome, prior to be placed in quarantine Italian Defence Ministry/AFP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers arrange beds in a 2,000-bed mobile hospital, set up in an exhibition center, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A doctor checks conditions of occupants in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members wearing protective clothing to help stop the spread of a deadly virus which began in the city of Wuhan, arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital. The Chinese army deployed medical specialists to the epicentre of the spiralling viral outbreak that has killed and spread around the world AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A baby wearing a protective face mask is pushed by a woman as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A health worker checks the temperature of a woman entering a subway station in Beijing Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A young child wears a protective mask and is covered in plastic while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday declared the coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance crews arrive at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, as it prepares for a return flight from Wuhan, China. Eighty-three Britons and 27 foreign nationals who were trapped in Wuhan are being flown back to the UK Tom Maddick / SWNS Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Camp beds at a Medical Assessment Center set up at the airport in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on the eve of the arrival of German citizens evacuated from Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Funeral parlour staff members in protective suits help a colleague with disinfection after they transferred a body at a hospital in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Muslims wearing masks pray for the victims of coronavirus at a mosque in Ahmedabad, India Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical officials waiting for people who wants to check the novel coronavirus at Myeongdong shopping district Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children wear plastic bottles as makeshift homemade protection and protective masks while waiting to check in to a flight at Beijing Capital Airport Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A patient assisted by medical staff gets off an ambulance in Wuhan AFP/Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus People line up to buy face masks from a medical supply company in Nanning, southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Countries began evacuating their citizens from the Chinese city hardest-hit by a new virus that has now infected more people in China than were sickened in the country by SARS Chinatopix via AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Millions spent their normally festive Lunar New Year holiday under lockdown Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Children with face masks wash their hands before prayer at Erawan shrine in Bangkok. Thailand has detected eight Coronavirus cases so far AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An Indonesian health officer points at the screen of a thermal scanner for passengers China confirmed that the deadly Wuhan coronavirus virus can be transmitted between humans AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Hospital workers wearing protective eyewear and masks examine an Indonesian student who returned from China in quarantine at a hospital in Banda Aceh AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Ambulance staff dispose of an outfit at the hospital in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A person checks the temperature of a passenger to help stop the spread of a deadly virus as he arrives at the Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International airport in Palembang AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Nepali students, wearing face masks, attend a class at Matribhumi School in Bhaktapur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Two Buddhist monks wear face masks while walking along a street in Yangon AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting a residential area in Ruichang, part of Jiujiang in China's central Jiangxi province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers are seen at the construction site of a new hospital being built to treat patients from a deadly virus outbreak in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province on January 27, 2020. - China is rushing to build a new hospital in a staggering 10 days to treat patients at the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak that has stricken thousands of people, state media reported on January 24. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP) (Photo by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images) HECTOR RETAMAL AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Vapor blurs the goggles of an ambulance driver while they work, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Yangzhou AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff getting on an ambulance in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A vendor of traditional masks wears a facial mask at his shop in Thamel EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An airport official checks the temperature of a passenger upon his arrival at the Bacha Khan International Airport in Peshawar AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members arrive with a patient at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An ambulance driver talking with medical staff in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team leave the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market The new coronavirus appears to have its origins in a seafood market in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, a popular transport hub AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers produce protective suits at a factory in Nantong AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers scanned by thermal imaging for body temperature as they go through health measures and procedures after they landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Thai royal guard wears a mask while on duty at the Grand Palace in Bangkok EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wearing a face mask rides a nearly empty subway train in Beijing AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A shopper wearing goggles with a face mask and gloves uses a self checkout machine at a supermarket in Wuhan AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Italian Red Cross putting on protective gear, getting ready to give health checks to passengers that landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on a southern airlines flight from Wuhan Aeroporto Di Roma/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of the Hong Kong government's Civil Aid Service gestures at the entrance to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village which is being used as one of two quarantine centres for people who have been in close proximity with suspected cases of a SARS-type virus. Hong Kong will turn two holiday camps, including a former military barracks, into quarantine zones for people who may have come into contact with carriers of the Wuhan virus, officials announced AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff wearing protective suits at the Zhongnan hospital in Wuhan STR/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A Malaysia Health official checks passengers going through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Staff disinfecting Yingtan North Railway Station, China China banned trains and planes from leaving the major city at the centre of a virus outbreak on January 23, seeking to seal off its 11 million people to contain the contagious disease that has claimed lives and spread to other countries AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A passenger walks past a quarantine control station at Narita airport, Japan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Patients queue up to seek treatment in Wuhan Tongji Hospital Fever Clinic, in Wuhan EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Quarantine workers spray disinfectant at Incheon International Airport, South Korea EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A member of staff checks the temperature of a guest entering the casino of the New Orient Landmark hotel in Macau, after it reported its first case of the new SARS-like virus AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jin Yintan hospital Little is known about the new disease which, if confirmed, would be only the seventh coronavirus known to science that can infect humans Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of the Three Gorges Medical Laboratory offering free masks to the public in Yichang, China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Gabriel Leung, right, chair professor of public health medicine at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, speaks about the extent of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in China AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Members of staff of the Wuhan Hygiene Emergency Response Team conducting searches on the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine officer at Incheon International Airport, South Korea, uses an electronic thermometer to check the temperature of passengers arriving by plane from Wuhan The virus causes symptoms of viral pneumonia, and has already led to several deaths EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A screen shows cancelled flights at Tianhe airport in Wuhan AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff transfer patients to Jinyintan hospital EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials hand out information about the current coronavirus at Kuala Lumpur International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A store owner argues with security guards as he attempts to enter the closed Huanan wholesale seafood market AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Workers producing facemasks at a factory in Handan, China's northern Hebei province AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff and security personnel stop patients' family members from being too close to the Jinyintan hospital Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus maya-goodfellowAn airport staff member uses a temperature gun to check people leaving Wuhan Tianhe International Airport AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A rescue worker walks past a notice about new coronavirus that has broken out in China Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Health officials wear face masks at an inspection site at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Medical staff members carry a patient into the Jinyintan hospital AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A staff member checks body temperature of a child after a train from Wuhan arrived at Hangzhou Railway Station in Hangzhou AFP via Getty Images Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A quarantine station measures passenger body temperatures at Narita Airport JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a notice displayed near a quarantine control station at Narita airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers walk past a poster alerting on coronavirus screening ahead upon their arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus An employee sprays disinfectant on a train, as a precaution against coronavirus, at Suseo Station in Seoul EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Kazakh sanitary-epidemiological service worker uses a thermal scanner to detect travellers from China who may have symptoms possibly connected with the previously unknown coronavirus, at Almaty International Airport, Kazakhstan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Pharmacist Liu Zhuzhen stands near a sign reading "face masks are sold out" at her pharmacy in Shanghai AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus The Wuhan Medical Treatment Center, EPA Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A worker in a protective suit at the closed seafood market in Wuhan Reuters Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus Passengers wear protective face masks at the departure hall of a high speed train station in Hong Kong AP Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A notice for passengers from Wuhan Getty Coronavirus: Cases soar of deadly new flu-like virus A man wears a mask while riding on mobike past the closed Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market Getty More than 9,600 cases have been recorded across the world since the initial outbreak of the virus in December including 213 deaths, all of which have taken place within Chinas borders. Elsewhere, the first international instances of person-to-person spread of the disease have been reported, with new cases in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the US. New cases have also been announced in nations including Italy and the Philippines. The UK is yet to confirm a case of the disease with 161 people tested but none infected, according to the latest figures from the Department for Health and Social Care. However, the four chief medical officers of the UK have now raised the risk level from low to moderate, adding that the government should plan for all eventualities. In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK chief medical officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak, the officials said in a letter. Coronavirus evacuation plane lands in California military base They added: As we have previously said, it is likely there will be individual cases and we are confident in the ability of the NHS and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high-quality care. Roughly 120 British citizens are due to be returned to the UK from Wuhan on Friday, alongside 50 EU citizens. They are expected to land at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, before being secured in the grounds of Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside where they will be kept in quarantine for 14 days. In the US, Donald Trump said he believed the virus was under control despite the nations first person-to-person transmission of the disease bringing the total number of infected people in his country to six. Were working very closely with [China] and with a lot of other people and a lot of other countries on combating the outbreak, the president said in a speech at a car parts factory in Michigan. We think we have it very well under control. We have very little problem in this country at this moment, he said. Washington was among the first to organise evacuations for its citizens with one of the 195 removed from Wuhan placed under quarantine last night after they attempted to flee the California air base where they are undergoing observation. Officials said the individual had complied with the order, which requires them to stay on the base for the entire 14-day incubation period of the virus, adding that no base personnel were exposed to the evacuee in question. Meanwhile, in Italy a cruise ship was left stranded with around 6,000 passengers on lockdown over fears one may have contracted the virus. A 54-year-old woman from Macau was placed in an isolation unit with her husband. The ships passengers were all later found to be clear of the disease. President of Congo, Denis Sassou Nguesso, who is the chairman of the African Union High Level Committee on Libya deplored that Morocco was not invited to the Berlin Conference, and recalled that it is in Skhirat (in Morocco) that the United Nations had set up the Libyan institutions currently recognized by the international community. The Congolese President who hosted the 8th meeting of the AU High Level Committee on the Libyan crisis on Thursday Jan. 30 in Brazzaville, welcomed all these initiatives which can contribute to bringing peace, stability and national reconciliation in Libya. In an interview with the French magazine Le Point, he however deplored that certain countries were not invited to take part (in some meetings), because, he said, the resolution of this crisis cannot be lasting without the implication of all the countries concerned. We are thinking of Morocco, because it was in Skhirat that the United Nations had set up the Libyan institutions currently recognized by the international community, said the Congolese head of state. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's impeachment defense strategy has undergone a transformation - from saying his call with Ukraine's president was "perfect," to saying it wasn't criminal, to claiming that it was permissible if inspired by "mixed motives," to finally asserting that seeking foreign help to win reelection isn't impeachable. Trump initially said he wanted his Senate trial to vindicate his interactions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. But the argument from his defense team has since shifted to broad legal protection for any presidential conduct. This legal theory is especially useful for Republicans who plan to vote against allowing testimony from John Bolton, even after reports that the former national security adviser wrote in a yet-to-be-published book that Trump linked aid for Ukraine to getting Zelenskiy to announce politically motivated investigations. "Even if everything in Bolton's book happens to be true, I still do not believe that it rises to the level of the impeachable offenses that the House has charged," Republican Sen. John Barrasso wrote in a tweet. The reasoning is a far cry from Trump's often-stated position that his call with July 2019 call with Zelenskiy was "perfect." It even veers from the initial arguments presented by the president's attorneys. ADVERTISEMENT 'SIX KEY FACTS' On the opening day of Trump's defense, White House deputy counsel Michael Purpura offered what he called "six key facts that have not and will not change." "Not a single witness testified that the president himself said that there was any connection between any investigations and security assistance, a presidential meeting, or anything else," Purpura said, in what he described as one of the facts. "The Democrats' allegation that the president engaged in a quid pro quo is unfounded and contrary to the facts." The next day, The New York Times published an account of Bolton's draft manuscript, reporting that Trump made exactly that link in a conversation about Ukraine aid. The evolution in the defense offered by Trump's lawyers was underscored by their responses to senators in the question-and-answer phase of the trial. The first query from Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney asked how they should judge actions they believe were taken for "more than one motive," including personal political advantage as well as national interest. "If there's both some personal motive but also a legitimate public interest motive, it can't possibly be an offense," Patrick Philbin, a White House lawyer on the defense team told the Senate. Philbin also argued, in response to a question from Democratic Senator Chris Coons, that "mere information" from a foreign country about a U.S. political candidate isn't unlawful election interference. "The idea that any information that happens to come from overseas is necessarily campaign interference is a mistake," Philbin said. "If it's credible, information is relevant information for the voters." ADVERTISEMENT 'PUBLIC INTEREST' Another Trump defense attorney, Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, went even further, saying a president can't be impeached for taking actions that are motivated by a desire to help his political prospects. "Every public official that I know believes that his election is in the public interest," Dershowitz said in response to a question from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. "And if a president does something which he believes will help him get elected in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment." House impeachment prosecutor Adam Schiff said that argument "would have terrified the founders" of the country. He said that would be like Congress saying "that a president can abuse their power in a corrupt way to help his reelection." Others suggested the argument echoed Richard Nixon's famous statement in his interview with David Frost: "'Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal." Dershowitz sought to walk back his statement on Thursday morning with a series of tweets saying the media distorted his answer. "They characterized my argument as if I had said that if a president believes that his re-election was in the national interest, he can do anything," Dershowitz tweeted. "I said nothing like that, as anyone who actually heard what I said can attest." Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer kept up the criticism in a Thursday morning news conference. ADVERTISEMENT "Republicans have gone from denying what the president did to normalizing it by saying every president does it, to now saying there's nothing wrong with it even if he did it," Schumer said. "Incredible." --- (Laura Davison contributed to this report.) --- (c)2020 Bloomberg News Visit Bloomberg News at www.bloomberg.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Now that the government has confirmed the first human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus in the U.S., a lot of people will be rushing out to purchase masks. That would be, specifically, the N95 air filtration mask, the one recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for blocking most airborne viruses. Oops. Too late. CVS is sold out. So are Lowe's and Staples and everywhere else I've checked - even Amazon. No matter how health authorities try to assure the public that a pandemic is unlikely, the creeping panic continues to creep a little faster each week. And no matter how many experts query whether the N95 mask would even stop transmission of the virus, supply still can't keep up with demand. What to do? Let's begin with a thought experiment: Suppose that an entrepreneur - we'll call him Carter - turns out to have stockpiled several thousand N95 masks a few years ago. Now, noticing the shortage, Carter opens up his storehouse and announces that he will sell N95s, in lots of 20 (as they're commonly purchased), to the highest bidder. He even sets up a website where people can bid. Every 10 minutes, until the supply is gone, the highest bidder wins 20 masks. Bids quickly run into the thousands of dollars for a package that, before the panic, could often be had for less than twenty bucks. What happens next is of course predictable. The outraged news media declares a scandal, the outraged Twitterverse tries to cancel poor Carter, and the outraged politicians stumble all over each other on their way to the nearest camera to charge him with price-gouging. Carter is hauled before the country as an example of how not to behave in a crisis. Greed run rampant. An immoral effort to profit from people's fear. You can write the script. Carter caves. Humiliated, and worried about his business prospects, he donates his entire store of N95 masks to public health authorities, who in turn will give them out if deemed necessary (that is, if deemed necessary in their view) according to some rationing formula that will be shared with the public only if what the authorities deem to be an emergency should arise. (In China, masks are already being rationed by the government.) But this is a dreadful result. Here's the simplest reason: Smarter, who happens to possess an even bigger cache of N95 masks than Carter did, will observe how he was treated and decide to keep hers under lock and key. After all, she might need them in an emergency. As a result of the insistence that Carter not sell his property at the price the market is willing to pay, the supply of N95 masks to the public is smaller than if nobody had intervened. College students learn in Economics 101 that a demand curve slopes downward to the right. As demand falls, price falls. As demand rises, price rises. If instead you don't allow the price to rise - because of your concern about "price gouging" - the quantity offered for sale will fall. This isn't complicated, and it's true in every disaster. I'm willing to pay a lot more for a generator when I know the power is going to be out for a week than I am when the lights are on. If the price is unregulated, the difference in what I would pay in those two situations will bring more generators to market. And depending on the cost to enter the market, the rising price will lead more sellers to bring generators to the disaster site, leading to a larger supply, and eventually a lower price. What I've just offered is the argument offered by most economists and most libertarians (and, certainly, by all libertarian economists) about why bans on so-called price-gouging are a bad idea. To be sure, there are counter-arguments. At their heart lies the notion that if a demand spike is caused by an unanticipated emergency, allowing sellers to significantly raise prices in response will undercut the morally imperative distributional principle of equal access to necessities. If ten people with the same fatal illness need the two available doses of a life-saving drug, the argument runs, it's immoral to award the drug to the highest bidders. This intuitively appealing distributional argument helps explain why anti-price-gouging statutes are both widely supported and strictly enforced. But as with every regulatory regime, it's important that we consider the cost. Suppose that our concern about equity in distributing the life-saving drug leads us to forbid the producer to raise prices. In that case, unless the government forces production at gunpoint, we're going to get less of the drug (or the generators or the masks): the very thing we say we want. Certainly we can decide to make that tradeoff. But let's not pretend there's no tradeoff to be made. - - - Coda: Whenever I make this argument, whether in the classroom or in print, I'm accused of celebrating the morality of profit over all else. I'm doing no such thing. I'm simply insisting that we not pretend that the solution to a shortage is to insist that producers keep prices low. - - - Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a professor of law at Yale University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. His novels include "The Emperor of Ocean Park," and his latest nonfiction book is "Invisible: The Forgotten Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down America's Most Powerful Mobster." The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned the Nana Addo led government against the growing acts of political harassment and abuse of the human rights of political opponents. The largest opposition party expressed their displeasure in the arrest of the partys Communications Officer; Sammy Gyamfi by the police CID over what it says is a trumped up charge. Sammy Gyamfi was picked up at the premises of United Television (UTV) after a live studio discussion on Monday. According to the NDC, the arrest forms part of a bigger ploy by government to "harass and intimidate" its officers ahead of December 7, polls. In a press conference on Tuesday, January 28, 2020, the partys Communication Director, Lawyer Kakra Essamuah noted that Sammy Gyamfis arrest was a larger scheme of intimidation and harassment calculated at breaking our front and cowering us in to silence - an attempt he said wont work. Lawyer Kakra Essamuah also indicated that NDC has credible intelligence, that this arrest forms part of a larger scheme of intimidation and harassment calculated at breaking our front and cowering us into silence in the run up to the 2020 elections. Sensing a humiliating defeat in the elections because of the pronounced maladministration characterized by massive corruption, unprecedented levels of nepotism, excruciating economic hardships, arrogance and waste of public resources through ostentation, the Akufo- Addo government has resorted to these discredited tactics to stay afloat, STATEMENT READ BY THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS OF THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC), LAWYER KAKRA ESSAMUAH ON THE HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION OF THE NDC NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, SAMUEL GYAMFIGood afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the media.Yesterday, Ghana descended into one of its darkest days under the fourth republic. Men from the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) arrested in Gestapo style, the National Communications Officer of our party at the premises of a television station in Accra, Ghana, after he had appeared on a programme there.These men did not respect the freedom of the media and the fact that Mr. Gyamfi was the guest of the television station. The basis for this needless show of excessive power, was that the Executive Secretary to the President, who is also his cousin, Nana Asante Bediatuo, had lodged a complaint against him over some alleged cyber- crime.We are in no doubt, that this charge is trumped up and is designed as retribution against our courageous National Communications Officer for the brilliant and emphatic way he exposed the jam-packing of the Akufo-Addo government with dozens of relatives and friends including Asante Bediatuo.It is not difficult to establish the reason for Bediatuo's vendetta against our able Communications Officer. Because he had hoped that the fact of his nuclear family being members the Akufo-Addo government will remain hidden.Ladies and gentlemen, the NDC has credible intelligence, that this arrest forms part of a larger scheme of intimidation and harassment calculated at breaking our front and cowering us into silence in the run up to the 2020 elections.Sensing a humiliating defeat in the elections because of the pronounced maladministration characterized by massive corruption, unprecedented levels of nepotism, excruciating economic hardships, arrogance and waste of public resources through ostentation, the Akufo- Addo government has resorted to these discredited tactics to stay afloat.Sadly, some elements within the Ghana Police Service who should otherwise act professionally have allowed themselves to be used as pliant tools in the execution of this sinister agenda of hate and harassment against opponents and critics of President Akufo-Addo.Ladies and gentlemen of the press, in the process they have chosen to disregard the sanctity of our courts and treated them with contempt.You would recall, that the attempts to arrest our National Communications Officer is not new. It started in December last year. Subsequent to this, he filed an application at the human rights court to prevent the breach of his fundamental human rights by the Police.He followed this up with an injunction application to prevent the police from arresting him in the manner they had planned.These processes are yet to be determined by the courts, but settled law clearly establishes that the pendency of these cases prevents the police from taking any further action against Mr. Gyamfi until the parties have been heard or until the police has managed to set them aside through due process.Under a supposed human rights lawyer as President, and with the obvious instigation of a vengeful Jubilee House, the Police has been emboldened to treat the court processes with total contempt. This is a matter that Mr. Gyamfi's lawyers will take prompt action on.As we await these steps, we wish to make clear to President Akufo-Addo and his hawkish relatives in government that the path of intimidation and harassment they have chosen is a futile one.If the intent is to cow the NDC into keeping quiet over the horrible governance he is offering, then he is grossly mistaken.The NDC is an unshakable force that has dominated the country's politics since our return to constitutional rule. This is a party that has defeated the NPP four out of seven times in national elections.We more than possess the capacity to withstand and fend off such brazen attacks on our leaders and members.We have the resolve to wait out a hapless government consumed by the lust for power and a President who mistakes the mandate of the people for his birthright and family heirloom hence his abuse of same to entrench himself in power.Ordering the Police Service to carry out unlawful and draconian arrests has never saved any President from being thrown out when his time is up. High-handed and hot-headed measures can never mask the glaring ineptitude of his government and the crisis they have plunged this country into.The people of Ghana are clear about what they face in their daily lives and the unbearable difficulties occasioned by the poor management of the country's affairs by this government and will not be swayed by trumped up and frivolous charges against leading members of the opposition.On our own part, we wish to tell President Akufo-Addo that enough is enough. While remaining law abiding, we will not sit like ducks on top of water to be picked up one after the other by a handful of rogue elements within the Police acting on misguided orders from the Presidency.We shall challenge the abuse of power to every extent possible. We shall deploy every legal and social arsenal at our disposal in defence of our rights to free expression and freedom of association.We shall also defend our rights to privacy and means of communication. Especially the creeping practice of this government in using the police and the courts to intrude and intercept the private communications of citizens.In the pursuit of these rights and that of all Ghanaians, we shall not tire, we shall not rest, we shall not falter and we shall not relent. We are unwilling to surrender our rights to a democratically elected leader who is carrying himself as a despot.Fellow Ghanaians, in the coming days, we will be outlining a series of activities aimed at opposing in the strongest possible terms, the acts of suppression by President Akufo-Addo and his hawkish relatives in government.In conclusion, we would also like to remind the Ghana Police Service that their first and foremost responsibility is the maintenance of law and order. Their loyalty must be to the state and the people of Ghana.They are not appendages of Akufo-Addo and must not act as such, even if some of their senior officers have gained undeserved promotions motivated by political considerations. Their role should not be the needless and shameful intimidation of the opposition.As they would be aware, political power is transient and we are convinced that the political hawks at the Jubilee House from whom they are taking instructions to behave so capriciously would be there one year from today.As I have indicated earlier, we will be embarking on a series of activities to press home our demand for an immediate cessation of the harassment and intimidation of our leading members and we will make public a road map in the coming days.Thank you very much. Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/Peacefmonline/[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 The European Union's three top officials gathered Friday to promise a new dawn for their bloc and warn Britain that it would lose the benefits of close ties after Brexit. "We want to have the best possible relationship with the United Kingdom, but it will never be as good as membership," EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen said. "Our union has gained political impetus and has become a global economic powerhouse. Our experience has taught us that strength does not lie in splendid isolation, but in our unique union," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Police are searching for information after a woman was seriously injured in a bizarre hit-and-run at an Huntingdale home two weeks ago. The 42-year-old was inside the garage of the home on Moonlight Court about 1.25pm on January 19 when an unidentified car drove through the garage door and hit her before fleeing the scene. The woman suffered serious leg injuries in the crash and was rushed by St John Ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital for treatment. Police said the car involved was believed to be a black Holden Cruze sedan and it was likely seriously damaged in the crash. [It] may have considerable front-end and mirror damage, an Armadale police statement said. It is believed that there was a male driver and female passenger in the vehicle at the time. A Chinese man has been fined VND40 million (US$1,727) for driving a car without a license and under the influence of alcohol in Vietnam. Police pulled over a car for an administrative check in Lang Chanh District, Thanh Hoa Province, located in north-central Vietnam, earlier this month, Senior Lieutenent Colonel Nguyen Quang Thuy, chief of the districts police, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday. They found that the driver Zheng Lianxian, a 49-year-old Chinese citizen, was drunk and did not have any drivers license. Police officers booked the case and temporarily confiscated the car, reporting it to higher levels for handling. The chairman of the Thanh Hoa Peoples Committee then issued a decision to fine Zheng VND35 million ($1,511) for drunk driving and VND5 million ($216) for driving without a drivers license. Police in Vietnam have cracked down on drunk driving since a new law took effect on January 1. The law strictly bans drivers from drinking any amount of alcoholic beverages. Cyclists shall be subject to a VND400,000-600,000 ($17.3-26) fine when they are found riding after drinking alcoholic beverages. Car drivers will be fined VND30-40 million ($1,297-1,729) and have their driving license revoked for 22-24 months if they break regulations on drink-driving. Motorcyclists will face a VND6-8 million ($259-346) and have their driving license revoked for 22-24 months for the same offense. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By Abdul Kerimkhanov The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved loans totaling 17 million euro for the implementation of five projects in Azerbaijans private sector in 2019 a source within the Bank told local media on January 30. Note that in 2018, the EBRD funded five projects in Azerbaijan and allocated loans totaling 304 million euros for these purposes. Thus, the volume of lending decreased by almost 18 times in 2019. In 2015-2019, the EBRD allocated a total of 1.109 billion euros for lending to 37 projects in the public and private sectors of Azerbaijan. In general, as of December 31, 2019, the bank's current portfolio of 36 active projects in Azerbaijan is estimated at 1.388 billion euros. Of these funds, 77 percent were invested in infrastructure, 21 percent - finance, two percent - industry, commerce and agribusiness. EBRD is a leading investor in Azerbaijan. The country has been cooperating with EBRD since 1992 to achieve further economic development. One of the main priorities of EBRD in Azerbaijan is to support the local corporate sector with direct financing. EBRD continues to pursue investments in energy projects, especially where there is a gap to improve efficiency and energy security. Presently, EBRD pays special attention to the development and financing of renewable energy projects in Azerbaijan. The Bank is also interested in the development of SMEs and financial sector while helping the economy to diversify its economy. In Azerbaijan, EBRD focuses on promoting market-driven diversification, developing a sustainable financial sector to support private sector development, and Improving governance and the business environment. The EBRDs latest Azerbaijan strategy was adopted on 25 April 2019. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The two-day nationwide bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), demanding early wage revision settlement, will begin from Friday. The early wage revision settlement has been due since November 1, 2017. The bank employees unions on Thursday decided to go on with the strike after a meeting with the Indian Bank Association (IBA) remained inconclusive. Around 10 lakh bank employees are expected to take part in the strike. The two-day strike coincides with the Budget Session of the Parliament, which commences today. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her second Union Budget on Saturday. Banks will also hold a strike on March 11, 12 and 13. Also, an indefinite strike will be held from April 1. Services at several bank branches and ATMs could be affected due to the strike. There are several demands to hold the strike including the merger of special allowance with basic pay, updation of pension, improvement in the family pension system, five-day banking, allocation of staff welfare fund based on operating profits and exemption from income tax on retiral benefits without a ceiling. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bexar County Sheriff's Office The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man it says has allegedly been running around a North Side neighborhood naked. Gilbert Ramos Jr., 33, was arrested on charges of indecent exposure after BCSO said surveillance cameras on Tuesday captured him in his birthday suit walking around the Timberwood neighborhood, near the 25000 block of Echo Mountain. Officials with BCSO said they suspected this wasn't the first time he had done this. Yu xiang qie zi is fish-fragrant eggplant, which has no fish. It is simply, grandly, eggplant treated like fish, cooked with paojiao chiles pickled but still bright and doubanjiang, a paste of broad beans left to ferment for months, then dosed with chiles and fermented some more. Ginger brings sweetness, vinegar the sourness of time. At Chuan Tian Xia, a Sichuan restaurant that opened a year and a half ago in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, this is a dish of excess, a great massing of eggplants, long trunks with skins caramelized at the edges, flesh surrendered to sauce. On a recent evening, there seemed to be more eggplant than my table of eight could ever eat, and then it was gone. The restaurants owners, Queenie Dong, 29, and her husband, Zee Zheng, 34, have long called New York home. Their fathers came to the city first, in the 1990s, from Fujian Province on Chinas southeastern coast; they wanted to be sure they could build a life here before asking their families to join them. Mr. Zheng arrived when he was 7, Ms. Dong when she was 19. Many more people in Europe are likely to contract novel coronavirus that causes serious lung disease, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has warned. Q. How does the ECDC assess the risk of the of a coronavirus outbreak? A. Based on the information currently available the centre believes the potential impact of a coronavirus outbreak is high. However, if cases are detected in Europe quickly and rigorous infection prevention and control measures applied the likelihood of human-to-human transmission continuing is low. The virus starts with a fever, followed by a dry cough and then, after a week, leads to shortness of breath with some patients needing hospital treatment. About one-in-four cases are thought to be severe. Q. Do nurses feel they are ready to play their role on the frontline should any cases arrive in the country? A. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation wants to know more about the preparations being made by the HSE. INMO general secretary, Phil ni Sheaghdha said they want to know about protective clothing, de-gowning procedures and the updating of guidelines and training. She is reassured by the guidelines issued by the HSE on dealing with the virus but is worried that hospital beds are at 100% occupancy and intensive care beds are in constant demand. There are isolation cubicles in some of the country's newer emergency departments, she said, during an interview on RTE radio but they are constantly full. Q. What do doctors working in the emergency department think of the prospect of dealing with a patient with coronavirus? A. Spokesman for the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine, Fergal Hickey, says hospitals have very limited capacity to isolate people: If the question you are asking me is are Ireland's 29 EDs adequately infrastructurally provided to achieve the level of isolation required, the simple answer is no, they are not. Some are. The majority are not." HSE national director of national services, John Ryan, says isolation rooms can be made available should a case arise. The hospitals will have the capacity to deal with a patient who has the virus and where there might be large numbers with the disease, the hospitals will allocate wards, he said. Q. What is the Department of Health doing to contain the coronavirus should any case arrive in the country? A. The department's chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, says there is a strategy to contain the virus. On RTE radio he said: "There are no certainties; we will prepare for the worst-case scenario and hope for the best." Q. What should employers do? A. Julie Galbraith, partner at the global law firm Eversheds Sutherland, says employers must carry out a risk assessment. They must also consider what special measures are available for vulnerable staff if the virus continues to spread. Employers should certainly review whether travel is necessary or if meetings could be conducted by video link. The bill also would add four people to the current seven-member RDA board, which now has representatives from Lake and Porter counties the two that provide the RDAs local funding. One each would be from LaPorte and St. Joseph counties, which are affected by the South Shores proposed Double Track project a second set of tracks from Gary to Michigan City. South Bend also is exploring relocating the South Shore station there. How do you warn your party that its potential nominee is vulnerable in a general election without sinking your own campaign? That question now confronts Democratic rivals of Bernie Sanders, who are realizing that the iconoclastic Vermont socialist might really win the presidential nomination. In recent days, Sanders has taken a narrow lead in early-state polls and betting markets. Though he attracts support from only a minority of Democratic voters, he could plausibly follow a Trump-like path to the nomination in which multiple other candidates doubt his viability and stay in the race to await his collapse, dividing the vote against him until it is too late. One factor in Sanders' success is how little scrutiny he has faced from rivals on the campaign trail and the debate stage. Media accounts that catalogue Sanders' atypical history and decades-old comments are easy to find for anyone who cares to look. But no one knows how Sanders will fare when Democratic or Republican rivals attack him in a high-profile fashion, which to this point no one has seriously done. Democrats face a classic collective-action problem. The party has a strong interest in publicly vetting Sanders before he becomes its nominee, but no candidate wants to be the one to go negative on him. Instead, as with Donald Trump's Republican opponents in 2016, other Democratic candidates are seemingly hoping to pick off Sanders voters during the primary season, or at least attract their support in November, without doing the dirty work of criticizing his record. Attacks that appear to echo potential Republican talking points are especially likely to go unsaid. As a result, large numbers of voters may not learn about Sanders's vulnerabilities and how they might be exploited in a general election until much later in the race. The lack of scrutiny of Sanders dates back to 2016. Despite his long career in politics, Sanders was a little-known outsider before his presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton. His unexpectedly strong showing in that race made him a national figure with an unusually positive public image. Why? Few politicians ever criticized him. Sanders never seriously threatened Clinton's hold on the nomination, so she mostly held her fire, preferring to try to keep his voters in the fold for November. Republicans largely withheld criticism as well, presumably appreciating his refusal to withdraw from the race and hoping to run against him rather than Clinton in the general election. These attacks will come, however, if Sanders is the Democratic nominee. Any candidate will face attacks, of course, but for contenders like Sanders who have been insulated from previous criticism, the potential for damage is especially great. For instance, Sen. John McCain, with his reputation as a bipartisan maverick, seemed highly electable during President George W. Bush's second term - the rare Republican whom even Democrats viewed favorably. But the polling numbers he enjoyed overstated his appeal as a party nominee. Once he took the positions required to win the 2008 GOP nomination and came under fire from Democrats, his public image became essentially that of a generic Republican, which helped enable his defeat by Barack Obama. Similarly, Clinton had unusually strong favorability numbers entering Obama's second term as a result of her tenure as secretary of state, which removed her from the political fray. Once she began her presidential campaign, however, attacks from Republicans and critical media coverage of controversies like her email practices and her handling of the attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, helped drive her unfavorable ratings back up to near-record levels. Sanders starts from a weaker position; his candidate favorability ratings have come back to earth, declining in CNN polls, for example, from 59 percent favorable and 35 unfavorable in April 2017 to 43 percent favorable and 44 percent unfavorable in December 2019. They could decline still further given the weaknesses in his background, which are little known to wide swaths of voters. How many Americans know that Sanders is not just an avowed democratic socialist but a former supporter of the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party, which wanted to abolish the federal defense budget and supported "solidarity" with revolutionary regimes like Iran's and Cuba's? Do people know that he spoke positively about Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution ("a very profound and very deep revolution") and even praised the Soviet Union and criticized the United States during a honeymoon trip to the U.S.S.R.? Could Sanders successfully distance himself from these statements, or would the public perceive them as disqualifying? No one knows, but the downside risk for Democrats has no precedent among front-runners in contemporary American political history. Moreover, though Democratic candidates don't want to make this point in the primary race, attacks on Sanders's praise of socialist and communist governments are likely to be especially damaging when paired with criticism of his policy proposals as big-government socialism. Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., who once assiduously sought to prevent Sanders from getting to her left, has realized the risks of Sanders' plan to move all health care to a single-payer system and has started to edge away from the idea. Only 20 percent of voters - and just 37 percent of Democrats - say they would be enthusiastic about voting for a socialist for president. Labels like "socialist" are abstract and poorly understood by most voters, of course; some of Sanders' policies are indeed popular. But the penalty for extremism is real. When ideologically extreme candidates narrowly defeat moderates for a party nomination, the political scientists Andrew Hall and Daniel Thompsonfind, they perform even more poorly in the general election, in part because they inspire the other party's base more than their own. For instance, former Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, a hard-right conservative, barely beat the Republican governor in the 2018 gubernatorial primary before losing the general election to a Democrat by five percentage points. Trump might seem to be a counterexample, but Sanders will struggle to replicate his success. It's true that Trump won the White House despite having unusually high unfavorable ratings and a personal background that many voters considered disqualifying. Like Trump, Sanders would surely benefit from the strong pull of party loyalty, which can help counter the doubts of some potential supporters. But Trump had a key advantage: Voters in 2016 saw him as unusually moderate, which helped him overcome those record unfavorable numbers. Though the public now sees Trump as more conservative than in the last election, it views Sanders as even more distant from the center. Besides his socialist positions, Sanders also has a long paper trail of writings and statements about sex, gender and race that have received relatively little attention but are likely to provoke far more controversy if he wins the nomination. In one 1969 essay, for instance, Sanders wrote that the "manner in which you bring up your daughter with regard to sexual attitudes may very well determine whether or not she will develop breast cancer, among other things." And does his diverse coalition of young supporters know he once compared workers in Vermont to slaves? Americans tend to hate negative ads and campaigning, but they can be informative to voters. If other candidates continue to pull their punches, Democrats may not learn more about Sanders until the whole country finds out this fall. - - - Nyhan is a professor of government at Dartmouth College. New Delhi, Feb 1 : The Gandhi Park at Hauz Rani in south Delhi has been the site of a sit-in demonstration against the CAA for the last one week. The protesters plan to continue their stir against the new citizenship law till the protests in Shaheen Bagh continue. The protest, inspired by a similar sit-in against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in Shaheen Bagh, is predominantly led by the residents of Muslim majority areas like Hauz Rani and Sangam Vihar. As a precautionary measure, paramilitary forces along with personnel of Delhi Police have been deployed outside the park to ensure no untoward incident happens. Women, along with their children, gather at the park everyday with posters and placards. Most of the protesting women said they have taken part in a protest for the first time. When IANS spoke to few of the protesters, most of them said they intend to be on an indefinite sit-in, till the Shaheen Bagh protest is on. Rehana, 40, a resident of Malviya Nagar, said: "We are very angry with the decision taken by the Narendra Modi government. Most of the women sitting here are homemakers." "We have come here for our rights. Why should we leave India?" Mumtaz Begam, a resident of Hauz Rani said. Another protester, Abu Tabha 23, said: "I have never chanted slogans. For the first time I am doing so. I would spend my time on internet and Facebook. But now, I regularly watch the news on NRC and CAA." In the site of protest, some children have set up a temporary library which includes books on India's freedom struggle. At the same time, some controversial slogans like "Tu Hitler Ki Maut Marega" could also be heard besides the 'typical' ones like "Hume Chahiye Azadi... Azadi". Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-01 03:56:24|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations is urgently seeking ways to scale up aid in the face of reports of continuing airstrikes and shelling in northwest Syria that have claimed the lives of dozens, including women and children, a UN spokesman said on Friday. Recent reports indicate airstrikes and shelling continue in southern Idlib with frontlines moving quickly along the M5 highway towards Saraqeb, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The United Nations and humanitarian organizations are urgently looking at all options to increase humanitarian aid for displaced families. "Across numerous villages, dozens of civilians, including women and children, have reportedly been killed or injured in the fighting," Dujarric told reporters at a regular briefing. "Many medical facilities have suspended activities due to growing insecurity." Humanitarian organizations are still trying to organize and support evacuations of people seeking to leave Ariha, Saraqeb and the surrounding areas, he said, adding that many civilians are leaving spontaneously by whatever means available. In Idlib, an already dire situation is getting worse, the spokesman said. Families are traumatized and feel totally abandoned by the world. Their message is simple: "We are afraid. Please help us. Make it stop." The United Nations urges all parties to the conflict to spare civilians and civilian infrastructure and to facilitate humanitarian activities without hindrance, he said. For humanitarian reasons and as a matter of international humanitarian law, human suffering must be minimized. They were loud, they were numerous and they told commuters and passersby they havent had a new contract in close to a decade. Several hundred off-duty PATH workers from eight unions that havent reached an agreement with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey held a demonstration Thursday afternoon at the Grove Street station in Jersey City to tell riders about what they say has been a struggle. Demonstrators held signs, blew whistles, handed out leaflets to commuters and let out impromptu cheers when a passing driver honked the horn in support. Behind the protest is the little-to-no progress union officials say has been made in contract talks since last summer. Union leaders told the Port Authority board last summer they want a contract in line with what other railroad unions receive in the New Jersey-New York region. Nothing has changed since the summer when union officials appealed to the board to settle with the unions representing 800 PATH workers, said Joseph Dominiczak, a spokesman for the coalition of PATH unions and a union official. A bagpiper joins hundreds of members of PATH rail unions picketing outside the Grove Street PATH station Thursday afternoon to draw attention to stalled contract talks. Eight unions have been working without a new contract for close to 10 years. Thursday, January 30, 2020. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media Weve gone almost a decade without raises. Meanwhile theyve given management very generous wage increases, he said. There have been bargaining sessions with no progress. Theyre getting the same check as almost 10 years ago, said Arthur Davidson, general chairman, system council #7 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The effect on employees and their families can be measured by "the number of demonstrators, he said. Also at issue are pension funding and increasing health care costs for workers. Port Authority officials said in July they settled with most of the agencys 23 unions that didnt have contracts two years ago, and that the PATH unions are the last ones to reach an agreement with. Eighteen months ago, every one of the Port Authoritys more than 5,000 unionized employees was working under an expired labor contract," Port Authority officials said in a statement. Today, more than 90% of the agencys unionized workers are covered by brand new collective bargaining agreements. Those agreement cover some PATH workers, police officers, toll collectors, electricians, and many others, official said. "We are making steady progress at the bargaining table to settle the remaining open contracts, and that is where we will continue to focus our efforts, officials said. Because PATH serves two states, it is considered a railroad and employees are covered by the federal Railway Labor Act, which allows employees to strike after all avenues have been exhausted. The last PATH strike was a 12-week job action from June to August 1981. The union coalition has been in mediation, but negotiations have broken down. The unions want the National Mediation Board to proceed to the next step -- to release them from mediation and form a Presidential Emergency Board to weigh both sides arguments and make recommendations. Under the Railway Labor Act, the federal Mediation Board can ask President Donald Trump to appoint up to two Presidential Emergency Boards to hear the arguments from the unions and management. That boards report and recommendations could be the basis for an agreement. If both sides cant reach an agreement, the unions could strike or management could lock them out, after a 90-day cooling-off period. We assert we are at an impasse, Davidson said, adding the Port Authority representatives walked out of negotiations last year. It took the carrier seven years to put a wage offer on the table, thats an unreasonable length of time. ... In five and a half years, weve made no progress. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Arvind Krishna, the newly-appointed CEO of the world's oldest technology company IBM, has joined the high-profile league of Indian-American honchos who are calling the shots at the $1-trillion strong companies in the Silicon Valley. Krishna, 57, joins Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe President and CEO Santanu Narayan and Mastercard's CEO Ajay Banga -- people who have taken the Indian talent to new heights. An IBM veteran who joined the company 30 years back, Krishna did his schooling from Stanes Higher Secondary School in Bedford, Coonoor. He earned his BE in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (1980-1985) and earned a PhD in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently IBM Senior Vice President for Cloud and Cognitive Software, he leads the IBM business unit that provides the cloud and data platform on which IBM's clients build the future. His current responsibilities also include the IBM Cloud, IBM Security and Cognitive Applications business, and IBM Research. Previously, he was general manager of IBM's Systems and Technology Group's development and manufacturing organization, according to the company. Prior to that, Krishna built and led many of IBM's data-related businesses. Last year, He led the largest acquisition in IBM's history - the $34 billion takeover of open source software giant Red Hat. In India, Red Hat, which specialises in Linux operating systems, has engineering facilities in Pune and Bengaluru. The other Indian-origin CEOs have created quite a buzz in the world of technology. Nadella grabbed the top spot in Fortune's "Businessperson of the Year 2019" list. Other Indian-origin CEOs in the Top 20 list was Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga (8th spot). Narayen, Banga and Nadella were among the top 10 best-performing chief executives in the world, according to the latest Harvard Business Review (HBR) list. While Narayen ranked 6th in the list of best-performing 100 CEOs, Banga was placed at 7th position and Nadella at 9th. A Korean funeral, circa 1900s. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff In June 1886, cholera appeared in Fusan (modern Busan). Its arrival was dreaded but not totally unexpected by residents as it had already wreaked havoc in Japan. Characterized by horrible cramps which many of the superstitious believed to be a malevolent rat-like spirit clawing its way through its victim's legs in an effort to reach the heart the disease was extremely painful and deadly. From Fusan, it rapidly spread north, killing tens of thousands of people. Yet, despite knowledge of the destruction in Japan, the Seoul foreign community judging from diaries and letters seemed, at least in the beginning, relatively blase to the dangers it faced. Horace N. Allen, the American missionary doctor residing in Seoul, made no mention of the disease until July 2, when he sent a dispatch to the British legation announcing the first cases in Seoul. A couple of days later, Annie Ellers, an American missionary, arrived at Jemulpo and recalled that as her party traveled between that port city and Seoul, the streets were filled with people mourning the loss of friends and family. Efforts were made to appease the spirit through offerings made at little booths or shrines throughout the city. Some residents sought to protect themselves by pasting images of cats on their walls and doors. Others used wooden instruments to make scratching sounds similar to those made by cats in hope of scaring away the evil rat spirit. A Korean coffin and what appears to be a dead horse, circa 1900s. Robert Neff Collection Even the Joseon government resorted to superstitious beliefs a battalion of soldiers, armed with rifles and a cannon, fired into the air one night in an attempt to drive the disease away from the city. And mudangs (shamans), equipped with drums and cat pelts, roamed the streets offering to dispel the evil spirit from those who could afford their services. Nothing worked. As the days passed, the residents of the city avoided going out for fear of contracting the disease. Funerals became a luxury few could afford financially or physically and the corpses were often carried out in litters, sometimes piled four or five high, covered with straw and cloth. They were quickly buried in shallow graves that were just as quickly dug up and gorged on by feral dogs and other wild animals. Sometimes there were no burials. Reportedly, the bodies of young girls were frequently seen floating in the streams and rivers. Even the living were occasionally taken out of the city and abandoned alongside the road in small straw huts so as not to burden their families. Allen later wrote that the residents of Seoul "acted like fatalists and let their friends die almost uncared for once they were taken" with the disease. Western doctors in the city could do little for their Korean hosts. Morphine and brandy were given to alleviate the pain of the cramps but the victims usually died within a few hours a few managed to live for a day or two. A Korean funeral going through the streets, circa 1910-1920s. Robert Neff Collection An Australian family were given someone else's baby and discharged from hospital in an embarrassing medical blunder. The incident happened at an unnamed Western Australian hospital in the 2017-18 financial year, according to a Productivity Commission report released on Friday. Two infants were also discharged to the wrong family in WA hospitals in the 2013-14 financial year. Western Australia is the only state to make the crucial mistake over a five year period. The incident happened at an unnamed Western Australian hospital in the 2017-18 financial year, according to a Productivity Commission report released on Friday (stock image). When contacted by Daily Mail Australia, WA Health was not able to provide further details about how the blunder happened or how long it took for the hospital to realise its mistake. The report on public hospitals also revealed the shocking frequency of seven other 'sentinel events'. Sentinel events are 'adverse events that occur because of hospital system and process deficiencies which result in the death of, or serious harm to a patient'. Twenty-eight patients required surgery after surgical instruments or other material was left in their bodies from a previous surgery during the 2017-18 financial year. During the same period, a Victorian patient either died or suffered a major loss of permanent after a hospital mistakenly performed a procedure on the wrong patient or body part. Worryingly, 16 patients died after being administered the wrong drugs and another 24 patients committed suicide while in the care of an inpatient unit in the same year. Infants being discharged to the wrong family were one of eight 'sentinel events', which are 'adverse events that occur because of hospital system and process deficiencies, and which result in the death of, or serious harm to a patient' (stock image) In total, there were 80 sentinel events during the 2017-18 financial year, which is less than the 104 reported events in 2013-14. To combat these disastrous mistakes, all State and Territory governments have now implemented sentinel event programs. 'The purpose of these programs is to facilitate a safe environment for patients by reducing the frequency of these events,' the Productivity Commission report read. 'The programs are not punitive, and are designed to facilitate self-reporting of errors so that the underlying causes of the events can be examined, and action taken to reduce the risk of these events re-occurring.' President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said efforts of the government to improve connectivity, ease of doing business, building modern infrastructure and addressing issues of pollution has given a thrust to the tourism sector. Addressing the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, Kovind said that in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, India has leapfrogged to the 63rd position, moving up by 79 places. In the Resolving Insolvency rankings, India has moved from 108th to 52nd position and in the Global Innovation rankings, from 74th to 52nd position. "India has improved its international ranking by 10 points in the Logistics Performance Index. India has moved from 52nd to 34th position in the World Economic Forum's Travel and Tourism Competitiveness rankings," he said. He also said that the government in order to address the issue of air and water pollution will be implementing the National Clean Air Programme in 102 cities of the country. "I am glad that the positive impact of the Namami Gange Mission launched by the Government has now started becoming visible. "The impact of all these efforts is also visible on the country's tourism sector. During the last few years, there has been extraordinary development of infrastructure related to tourism," he said. He also said that recently a nationwide programme has been launched from Kolkata for conservation and beautification of heritage buildings in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said in Kolkata earlier this month that the Centre has decided to make five iconic museums of the country as per international standards. The project is being launched with the Indian Museum, one of the oldest museums in the world. Apart from it, the museums in Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Srinagar are also being upgraded, the Prime Minister said. "The tourism sector is also being strengthened by modern infrastructure being developed under Swadesh Darshan and PRASAD schemes. New records are being created every day in the number of tourists visiting the Statue of Unity', the statue of Sardar Patel which is the tallest in the world," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg) -- Berlins plan to rein in the citys rental market was approved by lawmakers, capping revenue for property owners and potentially driving investors away from the German capital. Shares in major landlords slumped. Berlins legislature backed measures including a five-year rent freeze Thursday, more than six months after they were proposed by the left-leaning administration. The changes will likely come into force by the end of February, though opposition parties have signaled their intention to challenge them in court. The initiative put forward by the Left partys Katrin Lompscher, head of urban development and housing, is intended to ease the burden on tenants after a property boom caused rents to double over the past decade. The political intervention has spooked investors as a separate campaign attempts to force Berlins government to expropriate properties from large landlords including Deutsche Wohnen SE. We dont want Berlin to become a copy of overpriced cities like London and Paris, where many people can no longer afford an apartment, Lompscher said during the debate that preceded the ballot. Out of 150 votes cast, 85 lawmakers voted in favor and 64 against, with one abstention. Deutsche Wohnen shares fell as much as 2.1% and were down 0.6% at 1:30 p.m., extending its decline over the past 12 months to about 13%. Vonovia SE, Germanys largest landlord and owner of about 40,000 apartments in the capital, declined as much as 1%, and Berlin-based property owner Adler Real Estate AG dropped as much as 2.4%. The Christian Democratic Union -- Chancellor Angela Merkels party, which is in opposition in Berlin -- plans to challenge the measures in Germanys constitutional court as soon as possible, according to a spokesman. That can only happen once the new legislation takes effect. The adoption of the measures sends a fatal signal to investors, Ulrich Lange, a deputy leader of Merkels bloc in the national parliament, said in an emailed statement. Story continues Whats more, theres a high possibility that the law will be declared unconstitutional, Lange added. That will create rental chaos. It cannot be emphasized enough that the only solution that will ease the pressure on Berlins rental market remains: build. El Dorado Michael Voigtlaender, an economist at the Cologne-based IW Institute, has also criticized Berlins focus on rent controls rather than encouraging investors and developers to build more affordable homes to keep pace with the citys rapidly growing population. The governments actions are a catastrophe that threatens to cause considerable damage to both the housing market and Berlin as a whole, the IW said in a recent report for the CDU. The value of some properties in the city could fall by more than 40% as a result of the rent restrictions, the institute estimates. Lompscher has dismissed such concerns. In an interview this month, she called Berlin an El Dorado for real-estate companies. Her department has worked closely with other German cities, and she expects Berlins intervention in the property market to have consequences within the country and internationally. Not everyone agrees, though. Vonovia this month described the rent reforms as Berlin specific. The company doesnt expect the measures to be replicated by other German states except in the unlikely event that the Federal Constitutional Court were to rule largely in favor of the legislation, Vonovia said in a Jan. 23 note to investors. (Updates with lawmaker comment from seventh paragraph) To contact the reporter on this story: Andrew Blackman in Berlin at ablackman@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Iain Rogers, Chris Reiter For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Former President John Dramani Mahama has described the collapse of some financial institutions in the country as harsh and extreme. The Banking sector has since 2017 seen series of clean up exercises carried out by the Bank of Ghana together with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). So far, the sector has seen the collapse of over 400 financial institutions. Mahama reacts Addressing Ghanaians in a Facebook live video interaction, Mr Mahama explained that his government had seen signs that some of the banks were struggling but instead of closing them down, they rather decided to give them policy and monetary support as well as time to recover. When we were in government the red flag was being waved in the banking sector so we started the processes for bringing things back on track. Unfortunately, we left office before all those measures put in place could crystallise but a new government came to power and I don't know whether they panicked or whatever happened but certainly the route they took was extreme, it was harsh and I think they have created more harm than they have solved. According to Mahama, the new minimum capital requirement of four hundred million Ghana Cedis led to the insolvency of most banks. He argued that the posture of the BoG and government officials in putting pressure on the banks to fulfil the minimum capital requirement led to panic withdrawals in the banking sector hence the insolvency of the financial institutions. Mr. Mahama added that he would work to restore the sector if he is voted into power. ---citinewsroom New Delhi, Jan 31 : Soon after the BJP released its manifesto for the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls on Friday, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) called it another 'jumla patra' from the saffron party through which it will 'cheat' the people. The Congress, on the other hand, called it another 'jhansa patra' to throw dust into the eyes of the people of Delhi. Speaking to the media, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its promise of a clean Delhi, saying the saffron party had the responsibility of cleaning the city for the last 13 years, as the BJP is in power in the MCD -- the body responsible for taking care of cleanliness in the national capital. "The BJP has released another 'jumla patra', an order to cheat the people of the city. In the 'Sankalp Patra', the BJP has said that it will stop the free subsidies of the AAP government," Singh said. He said the BJP has nothing in the manifesto on electricity. "On water, they said they will end tanker mafia. In fact, they had let it develop." The MP also said that 93 per cent people are already getting piped water in Delhi and "they say they will give piped water to all by 2024". "Those who exploited people through sealing drive are now promising an end to sealing. The BJP was responsible for the sealing in the national capital," the AAP MP said. Singh added that "the BJP is saying they will end all our health schemes and bring Ayushman Bharat". "The minimum wage of Delhi is Rs 14,000, which means no one in the city will be eligible for the Ayushman Bharat scheme. That means the people will not get our schemes as they (BJP) will end them. Also, they will not be eligible for the Ayushman Bharat," Singh said. He also mocked the BJP for its promise of a 'clean Delhi', saying they had the responsibility of cleaning Delhi because they hold power in the MCD for the past 13 years. "The city has three garbage mountains because of the MCD's failure," he said. The BJP in its manifesto said that it will regularise sanitation workers. "The services are under the Centre. Both MCD and the Centre are being governed by the BJP. What was stopping them until now," Singh asked. He also said that the BJP in Haryana is responsible for air pollution in Delhi "and they are talking about cleaning air in the city". The MP said, "The 'jumla patra', if implemented, will only take Delhi away from progress and push it towards regression." Meanwhile, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President Subhash Chopra said that BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' for the Delhi Assembly polls was yet another 'jhansa patra' to throw dust into the eyes of the people of Delhi to get their votes. Addressing an election meeting, Chopra said that the promises made by the BJP in its 2014 Lok Sabha manifesto were not fulfilled yet. "BJP later tried to wriggle out by saying that those were all 'jhumla' promises, like bringing back black money stashed away in foreign banks and depositing Rs 15 lakh in every citizen's bank account," he said. Chopra said the BJP manifesto has promised to provide 10 lakh jobs for the youth of Delhi, though it has woefully failed to fulfil its promise of giving 2 crore jobs to the youth of the country every year, a promise it made in the 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto. "The country is now staring at the highest unemployment rate in 45 years and several lakhs have been rendered jobless in Delhi due to the sealing drive," he said. The Congress and the AAP are yet to release their manifestos for the February 8 Assembly polls. A vintage Mini that belonged to Christine Keeler during the height of the Profumo scandal has emerged for sale for 20,500. The motor belonged to the model in the early 1960s when she became romantically involved with married government minister, John Profumo. Keeler was regularly photographed driving the 1961 Austin Mini Seven around London at the time. She owned the silver car for three years until she sold it in 1964 following her release from Holloway Prison when she went on a 'spending spree'. Pictured: Christine Keeler's car which has been restored and is now up for auction decades after being at the centre of the Profumo scandal Pictured: Keeler in the car during the scandal before she sold it off after a stint in Holloway prison to trade it in for a faster model Pictured: The restored Mini that was at the centre of the Profumo scandal that Christine Keeler found herself engulfed in In her autobiography she admitted that upon getting her liberty back she replaced the Mini because she wanted something faster. After leaving Keeler's ownership the humble motor had a string of owners and fell into a state of disrepair. It was bought by enthusiast James Morrison in 1989 although he didn't know it used to belong to Keeler. He only purchased it so he could use the boot lid on his own Mini. Pictured: The restored interior of the Mini, which had fallen into disrepair after passing to its new owner Pictured: The Mini Austin's engine following restoration as it goes under the hammer after being saved from disrepair The car then lay unused in his parents' garage for several years and was only fully restored two years ago. It was at that point that Mr Morrison, 50, discovered its links with one of Britain's most infamous scandals. He research the number plate to find several photos of Keeler behind the wheel of the same car. This is how the Mini looked when James Morrison removed its boot to use on his own - until he realised who this Mini belonged to Mr Morrison has decided to capitalise on the new-found interest in the scandal in the wake of the BBC1 drama The Trial of Christine Keeler. The two door Mini still has its original silver body, chrome trim and a 848cc engine under. Mr Morrison, from Hitchin, Herts, said: 'I originally bought the car for a pretty small fee to use as parts. 'Realistically, it wasn't much use from that point of view and I mainly only wanted it for the boot lid. 'It then sat in my parents garage for years because there was little point in restoring it at that time. 'Only in the last few years, with the rise in the market for classic cars, did I even consider it and that's when I found out about it's history. 'With the advent of the internet a quick google of the number plate came up with lots of results showing Christine Keeler. 'I know she was not the first owner and from her book it sounds like she sold it after being released from Holloway prison. 'I've restored it over the last two years and have another project lined up so have decided to sell it. 'With the drama that's just been out, it's a good time to be selling something like this, and I've already had a fair bit of interest.' The Profumo scandal occurred at the height of the Cold War when showgirl Keeler became sexually involved with the married war minister. At the same time she was also involved with Soviet naval officer Yevgeny Ivanov, leading to accusations she was compromising national security. In the House of Commons, Profumo denied any improper conduct but later admitted that he had lied. Keeler later served time in jail for perjury, relating to giving false evidence about an assault she suffered at the hands of a former lover. Her old Mini is listed for sale on the website carandclassic.co.uk. January sees lowest fatalities since 2014 but concerns mount over the situation in Libya, more deaths off Turkish coast. In the first month of 2020, at least 70 people drowned in the Mediterranean while attempting the perilous journey to Europe, the lowest level since 2014, the start of the refugee crisis. But experts have said refugees and migrants continue to face deadly risks and warned against interpreting the number as a positive development. In January 2019, 216 people died, 243 in 2018; 254 in 2017; 370 in 2016; 82 in 2015 and 12 in 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The numbers of people drowning has dropped but there is no cause for celebration, Maria Serrano, Amnesty Internationals senior campaigner on migration, told Al Jazeera. She said thousands of migrants and refugees remain trapped in detention centres in Libya and suffer abuse including torture, extortion and sexual violence. They are unable to attempt the crossing, while those who do manage to escape are often intercepted by the Libyan coastguard, which receives training and equipment from the European Union as the bloc attempts to stop migration to Europe. In January, the Libyan coastguard intercepted about 1,000 people and returned them, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees. People are exposed to the same dangers, Serrano said. There are more than 630,000 migrants and refugees in Libya, and 6,000 in official detention centres. Judith Sunderland, associate director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, said the lower number of deaths could also be attributed in part to search and rescue efforts by NGOs. You have more NGOs performing search-and-rescue operations in the central Mediterranean right now than in years past, she told Al Jazeera. In January 2019, for example, major rescue organisations like SOS Mediterranee, Sea-Watch, and Open Arms were blocked in ports because of judicial or administrative proceedings. So I think a main lesson here is that if European governments really care about saving lives in the Mediterranean, they shouldnt obstruct or criminalise civilian rescue groups. SOS Mediterranee operates Ocean Viking, a rescue ship, along with Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF). Between January 24 and 26, 407 people were rescued by the ship, including 132 aged below 18. The Ocean Viking ship, which is run by SOS Mediterranee and MSF, picked up the refugees and migrants in five separate operations [MSF/AFP] The Malta navy picked up scores of others and took them to the small island. It is very difficult to accurately count the number of people who are drowning in the Mediterranean, an MSF spokesperson told Al Jazeera. A Libyan coastguard official estimated in an interview with Der Spiegel in August 2019, that half of the boats departing from Libya sink undetected and without survivors. As well as widely reported abuse at detention centres in Libya, the conflict there threatens to endanger migrants and refugees further. It was illegal to return survivors rescued at sea to Libya before the fighting, and it remains illegal today, said the MSF spokesperson. While most refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean tend to come from Libya, via the Central Mediterranean route, almost all of those who died in January lost their lives on the Eastern Mediterranean route attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece. The death toll in the Eastern Mediterranean is very alarming. Of the overall total dead in the Mediterranean, 63 died attempting to cross from Turkey to Greece in one month. In all of 2019, a total of 71 died in the Eastern Mediterranean. So a big question is, why are so many more people dying in the Eastern Mediterranean? The EU-Turkey deal in March 2016 effectively closed the Eastern Mediterranean route, but more people have recently been attempting to cross from Turkey, which hosts the worlds largest refugee population. In 2019, at least 1,866 people died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, a 23 percent drop from the year before and the lowest since 2014. Bono Regional Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe has described the Onuado, which means brotherly love in Akan mobile clinic vans purchased under Mahamas administration as "useless" and "not fit to carry even a dead goat". The clinic vans were delivered under the National Medical Equipment Replacement Project by Belstar Development Corporation, which come in four configurations comprising general medicine, ophthalmology, dentistry and audiology or hearing assessment to cater for general medical services in some areas in Ghana. It is believed the mobile-vans were registered in the year 2014, and the then NDC government, was in the process of sourcing funds for the operations of the vans before it exited office in 2016. The Minority in Parliament has meanwhile charged government to immediately deploy the 8 mobile clinic vans procured under the NDC administration. Ranking member on Parliament's Health Committee, Hon Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, disclosed that the vans are rotting away at the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, whilst healthcare delivery in rural areas remains poor. Speaking on UTVs Late News panel discussion, the NPP communicator pointed out that former President Mahamas needs not to be making noise again for any comeback due to some of the decisions he took as a leader, which never benefitted the nation in any form. NDC, together with their leader, former President Mahama should only be listened to with the back of our heads, because they have nothing positive in mind to offer Ghanaians. Mahamas ambulances are not fit to the extent that it could not even carry a dead goat, he said. Source: elizabeth semiheva bedi, [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 This week, DARPA shared footage of an experimental new program that uses large drones swarms to locate targets and gather situational intelligence in urban raid missions. Part of DARPAs Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) program, the test featured a coordinated group of 250 autonomous air and ground vehicles. Those vehicles were sent into to a simulated urban environment, providing live information about sight lines, enemy positioning, environmental hazards, and general layout as part of a simulated military raid. Scroll down for video In Mississippi, DARPA has completed a successful; test of its drone swarm coordination program, codenamed Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) The test was conducted at DARPAs Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, a facility in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The missions tasked the drone swarm with finding several AprilTags, a kind of QR code, that had been placed inside buildings in the training compound, which was designed to approximate a city block. The swarm of air and ground vehicles autonomously divided themselves into several different groups, each with their own tactical assignment. Some were sent into buildings to locate the AprilTags, while others maintained strategic positions to watch for incoming threats. Still other groups patrolled the terrain to help complete a fully 3D map of the environment that could be sent back to the human coordinators so they could offer live tactical updates to the drones. While the drones operated autonomously, live footage from the drones was monitored by human operators. The human coordinators were able to observe the drones through a laptop interface, according to a blog post from DARPA. They were also able to use an augmented reality headset to interact with a live digital map of the environment that the drones created as they conducted surveillance operations. Through OFFSET, groups of up to 250 ground and air drones will be able to autonomously coordinate complex military raids, while human operators observe their movements from a computer interface The drones are programmed to be able to subdivided into different groups, each with their own unique tactical task One group of drones was tasked with finding AprilTags, a kind of QR code that was hidden around the test area to simulate military targets. The drones can fill in maps of the terrains as they pass through it, which human coordinators can access and use to update the group tactics the drones use The successful test was the third of a planned six total, to ensure both the drones and the tracking software are reliable. DARPA says the remaining three tests should be conducted at six month intervals, suggesting it could still be a matter of years before the technology is deployed in any live conflict scenario. The drones and operation systems were developed in coordination with Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Case Western University, and Northwestern University. They have been dating since October 2019, following his acrimonious split from Hana Cross. And Brooklyn Beckham cut a cool figure in a personalised t-shirt as he met up with glamorous girlfriend Nicola Peltz in Los Angeles on Thursday. The social media star, 20, opted for a 90s-inspired look in a blue and white tie-dye t-shirt which featured his initials 'BB' on the left sleeves in scarlet embroidery. LA life: Brooklyn Beckham cut a cool figure in a personalised t-shirt as he met up with glamorous girlfriend Nicola Peltz in Los Angeles on Thursday Devoted: Brooklyn, 20, was seen chatting with Nicola, 25, as she headed to the hairdressers The star paired this with black joggers and box fresh trainers as he strolled in the sun. Channelling his famous father David's iconic noughties hair style, he wore his locks off his face with an Alice band and accessorised with a gold chain. Brooklyn was seen meeting up with actress Nicola, 25, as she got her hair done in Beverly Hills. The beauty opted for a comfortable look in a black vest top and grey sweatpants, layering up in a leather jacket. Personalised: The social media star, 20, opted for a 90s-inspired look in a blue and white tie-dye t-shirt which featured his initials 'BB' on the left sleeves in scarlet embroidery There it is: Brooklyn flashed the embroidery and his tattooed arms Her tresses were styled sleek and straight while she slipped on a pair of trendy shades. Earlier this month Nicola declared that she and boyfriend Brooklyn will be together 'forever' as she stressed the strength of their relationship alongside a steamy photograph shared to Instagram. On Monday, the eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham posted a black and white snap of himself and his new actress girlfriend cosied up together, which he captioned: Me and u xx,' with Nicola adding: 'Forever,' in a comment beneath. Things appear to be getting serious between the two who recently made their relationship Instagram official after posting pictures of one another on their accounts. Good to see you: Brooklyn was seen greeting his gorgeous girlfriend as she prepared to drive off Off we go: Brooklyn looked suave as he climbed into his car and drove off The new couple have barely touched the ground for weeks as they jetted between their families' homes and holidays for the festive period. Brooklyn had been linked to a string of women over the past few months, before meeting Nicoal, following his split from model Hana Cross, including Canadian actress Natalie Ganzhorn, 21, and brunette actress Phoebe Torrance, 25. Most recently it was claimed he and Lottie Moss had a 'secret fling' before he started dating his now ex-girlfriend Hana. Women's Rights and Pro-Life Activist Organizations Consider Filing a Federal Lawsuit After City of Milwaukee Denies Applications for Demonstration Permits at the Democratic National Convention NEWS PROVIDED BY Stanton Public Policy Center Jan. 31, 2020 MILWAUKEE, Wis., Jan. 31, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Groups rip the City of Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention for trampling on free speech and civil liberties by denying these permit requests. Stanton Public Policy Center and the Christian Defense Coalition, both based in Washington, D.C., are planning protests at the DNC this July in Milwaukee to stand for human rights and challenge the Democratic Party's support of abortion violence against innocent children. On December 16, 2019 Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, met with Milwaukee police and the Deputy City Attorney, Adam Stephens, to discuss the demonstration application process. Rev. Mahoney was told by Mr. Stephens that no permit applications were being given out and it could be March of 2020 or later before the process would begin. Stanton Public Policy Center and the Christian Defense Coalition contacted their attorney; California based Brian Chavez-Ochoa, to reach out to the Milwaukee City Attorney's office to discuss their concerns. Mr. Chavez-Ochoa talked with Adam Stephens this morning. If an agreement cannot be reached shortly for the permit applications, the groups plan to quickly file in federal court for civil rights violations. The Christian Defense Coalition has filed several federal lawsuits concerning free speech violations at past Presidential National Conventions. Brandi Swindell, Founder and CEO of Stanton Public Policy Center, states, "On the 100th Anniversary of Women securing the right to vote, Stanton Public Policy is bringing the #PurpleSashRevolution to the DNC in Milwaukee. We will be embracing the spirit and example of the early suffragists who wore purple sashes as they stood for equality and human rights for women. "As we recently held a sit-in at Speaker Pelosi's office in Washington, D.C. demanding an end to abortion violence and calling for justice regarding the most needy in our society, #PurpleSashRevolution is coming to the DNC to be a loud and public voice for human rights and exposing the radical pro-violence platform of the Democratic Party." Here is a link to a news article of the Speaker Pelosi sit-in: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pro-lifers-face-arrest-at-sit-in-to-challenge-pelosis-defense-of-infanticide Rev. Patrick Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, adds, "It is deeply troubling that the City of Milwaukee and the Democratic National Convention are showing such contempt and disregard for free speech and the First Amendment by refusing to make permit applications available for demonstrations. To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, 'justice too long delayed is justice denied.' "A National Presidential Convention should showcase civil liberties. Not crush them. If this delay cannot be resolved quickly, we will swiftly move to federal court to ensure free speech is honored and protected at the DNC." For more information or interviews call: Rev. Patrick Mahoney at 540.538.4741 SOURCE Stanton Public Policy Center CONTACT: Rev. Patrick Mahoney, 540-538-4741 To BrewDog, furry families are as important as the human ones. Thats why the Scottish brewer, which has based its U.S. operations in Canal Winchester, Ohio, gives its employees an unusual perk: A week of paid time off, that they can use one time, when they adopt a dog. The regular family isnt everyones thing. We have to make sure were nurturing peoples family, whether thats furry families or human families, said Miranda Dietz, the companys supply chain manager. This is just a really cool way to make sure were taking care of our people. While still few in number, other companies have started to offer similar benefits. Minneapolis digital marketing agency Nina Hale has a fur-ternity leave policy that gives new pet parents a week of work-from-home days so that they can adjust to their new pets. Part of embracing employee satisfaction as a business priority means recognizing important life events that happen outside of the office, Nina Hale CEO Donna Robinson said when the policy was put in place in 2018. If we want to continue to set the example as a top workplace, it is crucial to offer innovative benefits that help to preserve the work-life happiness of our employee owners. Pet-food company Mars Petcare encourages its workers to talk with their managers to determine their plans for time off when they adopt a new pet. In addition, the companys new U.S. headquarters in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, has a doggie playcare with full-time pet-sitters. The New York City-based software company mParticle offers two weeks paid time off for those who adopt a rescue dog or cat. Bark, the company behind the dog toy and treat subscription BarkBox, doesnt have an official policy when it comes to giving workers time off at its Columbus operations when they adopt a new dog. Still, it gives employees time to work from home and has an extensive support system to provide help to new pup parents in the office, said Stacie Grissom, director of content and communications at Bark, where employees are permitted to bring their dogs to work. There are so many questions in the first few days and weeks of having a new dog, and weve noticed that its extremely helpful to have these in-real-life human resources to support folks with a new dog, she said. One employee has fostered 63 dogs in the past four years, making her a sort of dogmother to the dogs and humans in the office who need help, Grissom said. For pet-friendly companies, the payoff from such policies is employees more likely to be engaged with their work, research shows. A 2018 study by Nationwide, the nations largest pet insurer, and the Human Animal Bond Research Institute found that 90% of employees in pet-friendly workplaces feel highly connected to their company mission and willing to recommend their employers to others. That drops to less than 65% in less dog-friendly companies, according to the report. Pet owners increasingly think of their pets as members of the family, the institutes executive director, Steven Feldman, said in the report. When employers offer pet-friendly benefits, it sends an important signal that the company cares about every member of the family, even the ones with four legs. John Macari, 32, of Columbus, took a paid week off from work at BrewDog when he adopted Khaya, a Rhodesian Ridgeback that is now 14 months old. Macari said the benefit might be unusual for most companies, but not for BrewDog, which also allows workers to bring their pets to work with them. Taking time off allows the puppy and its owner to get more accustomed to each other in a new environment for the dog, he said. Its good for the dog, he said. Its good for us. It helps the dog get settled, helps you bond with them. The summit will see senior aviation decision-makers from across the public and private sector gather for two days, from 5-6 February 2020, to discuss the latest issues and developments regarding international aviation regulation. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: Given the complex global regulatory environment airlines operate in, I am pleased that this Summit will gather high-level industry experts from both the public and private sector to engage in meaningful discussion on the issues and challenges faced by our industry. CAPA Centre for Aviation Chairman Emeritus, Peter Harbison said: With vastly different aviation regulation across the globe, it is essential that we continue an open dialogue on the issues and opportunities that come with open skies and market access. We are pleased to partner with Qatar Airways again this year to provide this high-level platform of discussion for senior decision makers across the industry to engage and learn from each other. Key industry figures set to speak at the event include: Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker; IAG CEO, Willie Walsh; Coordinator for Transport and Tourism in European Parliament, Jose Ramon Bauza Diaz; European Commission Director General Mobility and Transport, Henrik Hololei; IATA CEO and Director General, Alexandre de Juniac; Kuwait Airways CEO, Kamil Al Awadhi; Royal Jordanian CEO, Stefan Pichler; RwandAir CEO, Yvonne Manzi Makolo; U.S. Department of Transportation Director International Office of Aviation, Brian Hedberg; Malaysian Aviation Commission Director of Aviation Development, Germal Singh Khera; African Airlines Association Secretary General, Abderahmane Berthe; and AACO Secretary General, Abdul Wahab Teffaha. London: Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use an address to a divided, fatigued and anxious nation to hail Britain's momentous departure from the European Union as the dawn of a new era. The United Kingdom will formally split from the EU at 10am Saturday AEDT - three-and-a-half turbulent years after Brits voted 52-48 in favour of leaving the bloc. However lingering doubt over whether the former partners can negotiate mammoth new trade, security and immigration deals during an 11-month transition window continues to drag heavily on the UK economy and forced the Bank of England on Thursday to slash growth forecasts for the next three years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson recording his address to the nation for Brexit night. Credit:Downing Street In a speech to be aired an hour before the formal departure at 11pm London-time, Johnson will reassure Britain the January 31 milestone is a chance to "begin to unite and level up." A Salem County man accused of stabbing his grandmother to death in November has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge. Deon R. Wilson, 28, allegedly stabbed Catherine Wilson, 71, in the Salem City apartment they shared and then visited a Walmart, where authorities say he shoplifted a circular saw, trash bags and cleaning materials. A prosecutor described the stolen items as a body disposal kit. Wilson was arrested after he assaulted a bus driver while trying to flee from the store, police said. Officers found the victims body in her residence at Harvest Point Apartments a short time later. She had been stabbed multiple times and a knife was located near her body. Wilson later admitted to a detective that he killed his grandmother, police said. No motive has been revealed. A year earlier, the woman told police that Wilson used both hands to try and choke her. She told officers he suffered from mental issues, according to an affidavit of probable cause in that case. Her grandson was issued a summons for simple assault at the time, but she refused to seek a restraining order and declined medical assistance. In addition to the murder charge, Wilson was indicted this week on weapons offenses related to the killing. He still faces indictment on assault and weapons charges stemming from the shoplifting and his interaction with police following his arrest. After leaving the Walmart, Wilson boarded an NJ Transit bus in front of the business. The driver refused his demands to drive away after store employees asked him to wait for police who were summoned over the alleged shoplifting. While waiting, police say Wilson struck the driver over the head with an aluminum fish bat he is also accused of swiping from the store. Prosecutors allege he later punched a police officer while he was being processed at the Pennsville police station. Wilson remains in Salem County Correctional Facility and is due back in court Feb. 13 for a post-indictment arraignment hearing. During his detention hearing, Deon R. Wilson, and Public Defender Eric McKinley listen to Judge Robert G. Malestein in Salem County Superior Court, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Dawn Chavous and Philadelphia City Councilperson Kenyatta Johnson leave the federal courthouse after pleading not guilty to federal corruption charges in Philadelphia on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. Read more Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson on Friday pleaded not guilty to federal corruption charges, just four weeks after being sworn in to a third four-year term. Johnson, 46, was accompanied in the courtroom by his wife and co-defendant, Dawn Chavous, 40, who also pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Judge Richard Lloret. Johnson, a Democrat who represents parts of South and Southwest Philadelphia, and Chavous, a political consultant, were charged Wednesday with two counts each of honest services wire fraud, a form of bribery. The charges against them were spelled out in a 22-count indictment that mostly focused on a wide-ranging racketeering conspiracy that prosecutors say was committed by co-defendants Shahied Dawan and Abdur Rahim Islam. Prosecutors say Johnson and Chavous accepted more than $66,750 in bribes from Dawan and Islam, two executives at Universal Companies, the nonprofit community development and charter school management organization founded by music mogul Kenny Gamble. In exchange, investigators say, Johnson intervened on the nonprofits behalf, protecting some of its properties from seizure and passing legislation that substantially increased the value of one. READ MORE: Kenyatta Johnson has new sway over zoning powers which the feds just accused him of abusing The couple, who have vowed to fight the charges and clear their names, could each face up to 40 years in prison and fines of $500,000 if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. They were each released on $15,000 unsecured bond. Islam, 62, also pleaded not guilty Friday. He is charged with bribing the couple and others in a scheme that prosecutors say included fraud, wire fraud, tax offenses, and the theft of almost $500,000 from Universal, his former employer. He was released on $100,000 bond secured by a house he owns. Dawan, 68, Universals former chief financial officer, pleaded not guilty Thursday. He, like Islam, the nonprofits ex-CEO, is charged with bribing the couple and looting Universals coffers to cover personal expenses, among other crimes. If convicted, Islam and Dawan could face lengthy prison terms and hefty fines, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. After Fridays court hearing, Johnson and Chavous were fingerprinted and processed, then left the building hand-in-hand. I am innocent," Johnson said. "I have pleaded not guilty and I look forward to my day in court to exonerate my name. Chavous said: You heard what I said in court. I am innocent. No comment after that. Johnsons attorney, Patrick J. Egan, criticized federal authorities for including the councilmember and his wife in an indictment mostly aimed at the misdeeds of others, giving the public the impression that the couple had been charged with more crimes and more serious ones than they actually have been. All theyve done really here, is muddy up what they may or may not have [in] a case against other individuals by dragging my client into it when he did nothing wrong, he said. Prosecutors say Islam and Dawan hijacked Universal and engaged in a pattern of criminal activity that spanned two states and several years. In addition to bribing Johnson and his wife to help Universal, the two former executives also bribed the president of the board of education in Milwaukee, where the nonprofit managed two charter schools, officials said. The bribes to Chavous, in 2013 and 2014, were disguised as consulting fees, officials said. Chavous attorney, Barry Gross, said the allegations against her are false. We turned over 40,000 documents," he said. "We directed them to witnesses, all showing the work that Ms. Chavous did. I dont know why they are going after the councilman, and I really dont know why they are going after his wife," he added. "It really looks like overreaching to me to go after his wife. Christian D. Zajac, assistant special agent in charge of the FBIs Philadelphia Division, described things differently. What we have here is four people pretending their motives were purely civic-minded, when, in fact, they were unlawfully conspiring to enrich themselves, he said. In court Friday, Johnson did little talking as the judge described the conditions of his release. Chavous, when told she could not have a gun while awaiting trial and asked whether there were guns in her home, leaned into the microphone from her seat at the defense table and replied: Were a Peace Not Guns household, a reference to the antiviolence nonprofit her husband founded. When the judge said she could travel only in the lower 48 states, which excludes Hawaii, Chavous said, Were not going anywhere. And when the judge cautioned that she could not commit any crimes while awaiting trial, Chavous said, I havent committed any crimes. Im not going to commit any crimes. A number of protests will take place on the border tonight (January 31) to send the message that local communities rejected Brexit. At 11pm, the UK, including Northern Ireland, will legally leave the EU. That means the UK will no longer be represented in EU institutions and Northern Ireland's three MEPs will no longer sit in the European Parliament. Trade negotiations will now take place which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson aims to complete within a year, however, the EU insists it will not be rushed. Border Communities Against Brexit (BCAB) is holding a number of rallies along the border, with one at Blackion and Aghalane at 9.30pm to show its opposition to Brexit. Protesters have been encouraged to use their mobile phones to light up the border area. BCAB's Dermot OHara concluded by saying political representatives in border counties must continue to apply pressure to ensure that the Irish Government stands up for the interests of all the people in the North. Also read: Sinn Fein President extends her sympathy to the McGirl family TORONTO - Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. The big ISPs account for more than 85 per cent of Canada's home internet service subscriptions, according to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. Canada's 10 largest internet service providers will be required to make their contract terms and pricing easier to understand under a new mandatory code of behaviour that went into effect Friday. A CRTC logo is shown in Montreal, Monday, Sept. 10, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes The rest of the market share is held by hundreds of small to mid-sized ISPs. The CRTC the main regulator for Canada's communications carriers and broadcasters says it expects all other ISPs to behave in a manner consistent with principles set out in the code. "In today's marketplace, Canadian consumers deserve to be provided with clear information and easy-to-understand terms and conditions," CRTC chairman Ian Scott said in a statement. "The Internet Code will allow Canadians to make better decisions when subscribing to or modifying their existing Internet service, and will make it easier for them to take advantage of competitive offers." The code is the CRTC's answer to a soaring number of complaints about internet services, such as "bill shock" caused by unexpected extra fees or price increases. Among other things, the new rules permit customers to cancel a contract within 45 days, without paying early cancellation fees, if the contract differs from the offer. The code also empowers the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services which is already responsible for wireless and television services to require a big ISP to pay up to $5,000 in compensation per complaint. The code applies only to specific internet providers Bell Canada, Cogeco, Eastlink, Northwestel, Rogers Communications, SaskTel, Shaw Telecom, Telus, Videotron and Xplornet. A 2018 report prepared for a market study by the Competition Bureau estimated there were more than 550 companies offering an alternative to the internet services owned by the traditional telephone and cable companies. Most of the smaller ISPs are wholesale customers of the big carriers but compete on the retail level for the same residential and small business customers. The CRTC's internet code comes into effect two days after the release of a government-appointed expert panel recommended a sweeping overhaul of the broadcast and telecommunications system. Among other things, the 235-page report recommends giving the CRTC new powers and responsibilities. Some of the recommendations are relatively simple such as renaming the Broadcasting and Telecommunications acts, as well as the CRTC while others will be contentious and politically difficult. For example, recommendation 28 is to update the Telecommunications Act to foster a competitive market "through reliance on market forces and, where required, through efficient and effective regulation." However, it has been historically difficult for the CRTC to determine when it should intervene to regulate prices and when it should rely on market players to establish the right price through competition. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. The large ISPs, including Bell and Rogers, have recently launched multiple appeals of the CRTC's decisions about setting wholesale rates for internet services. A similar battle, pitting Bell, Rogers, Telus and other wireless networks, is at an earlier stage with the CRTC scheduled to hold nine days of public hearings into whether it should set wholesale wireless rates, starting Feb. 18. Navdeep Bains, the federal minister responsible for telecommunications as well as competition, said on Thursday at a Toronto business conference that the expert panel's findings were "fairly consistent" with his views. "But we're still reviewing the 97 recommendations and we are going to go through a very comprehensive legislative process as well as we modernize all this," Bains said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. Companies in this story: (TSX:BCE, TSX:CCA, TSX:RCI.B, TSX:SJR.B, TSX:T, TSX:QBR.B) About $320k recovered from ex-VIM Airlines top managers by commercial court flickr.com/ wiltshirespotter 10:53 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) The Commercial Court of Tatarstan has ordered collection of nearly 20 million rubles (about $320,000) from the former co-president of VIM Airlines Rashid Mursekayev and his wife Svetlana upon an application lodged by a bankruptcy trustee, according to court records. Receiver Alexander Maksimov has demanded to invalidate deals on transfer of the funds to the airlines ex-top managers as dividend payout for 2015. In late December, the court recovered 28.9 million rubles (over $450,000) which had been paid in excess to Mursekayev and his wife. The court therefore declared salary orders as well as accounting and paying scale up wages registered in March 2017 invalid upon an application lodged by bankruptcy trustee Alexander Maksimov. On September 26, 2018, the court declared VIM Airlines bankrupt on the request of the company RNGO. Earlier in August, the court granted an application filed by the company, including a 3 billion-ruble ($44 million) debt into the creditors demands list. On October 17, 2017, a criminal case was launched over premeditated bankruptcy of VIM Airlines. In September of the same year the court returned a bankruptcy claim against the airline back to the Deposit Insurance Agency (DIA). According to the court, due to the social tensions surrounding the activities of the airline, the applicant decided to recall the motion. Investigators believe that certain top managers and owners of the air carrier intentionally made losing bargains in 2016 and 2017 including those aimed at siphoning of assets abroad. The deals led to enormous financial outlay and undoubtedly resulted in the companys failure to pay debts to creditors in full. According to investigators, employees of VIM Airlines continued to sell tickets to clients despite being aware that the airline was not able to transfer passengers because there were not enough funds to buy fuel. Investigators believe that the employees embezzled more than one million rubles ($17,000). VIM Airlines CEO and chief accountant Alexander Kochnev and Yekaterina Panteleyeva have been arrested as part of the case. Co-owners of VIM Airlines Rashid Mursekayev and Svetlana Mursekayeva fled Russia and are currently residing abroad, according to investigators. Allegedly Mursekayev and Kalashnikova fled Russia to hide from investigative authorities. In December, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow issued an arrest warrant for Mursekayev in absentia. US President's Donald Trump's executive order preventing the immigration of certain nationalities into America extends to Shannon Airport's pre-clearance, the US Embassy has said. The 90 day ban on travellers and refugees from seven Muslim countries entering the US is in operation worldwide and from both Irish airports. In a statement regarding President Trump's "Executive Order Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the U.S", the US Embassy said: "The Executive Order suspends visa issuance and entry into the United States of nationals of countries of particular concern (Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen), including dual nationals of these countries "U.S. Customs and Border Protection has implemented this provision at its Pre-Clearance facilities, including at Dublin and Shannon airports, as well as at Ports of Entry across the United States. "Nationals of these countries, including dual nationals, who have already scheduled a visa interview at U.S. Embassy Dublin should not attend their appointment as we will not be able to proceed with the visa interview. "We will announce any additional changes affecting travellers to the United States as soon as that information is available." The order has been challenged by a court in the US, which has added to the confusion surrounding its implementation. The Embassy has said that the majority of Irish people "won't be affected". Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone tweeted that she was "deeply concerned that discrimination maybe happening at US immigration in Irish airports and am seeking an urgent review. "Solidarity with all demanding liberty and equality on the streets, at airports and in the courts of the US," she added. I am deeply concerned that discrimination maybe happening at US immigration in Irish airports and am seeking an urgent review. Katherine Zappone (@KZapponeTD) January 29, 2017 Solidarity with all demanding liberty and equality on the streets, at airports and in the courts of the US. Katherine Zappone (@KZapponeTD) January 29, 2017 The Social Democrats called on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Foreign Affairs to "speak out in the face of the latest disturbing actions on immigration and refugees by President Trump. "Shutting the doors to America in such a cruel and arbitrary way is not what is best about the US, which has for generations accepted and supported those fleeing persecution," said Social Democrat co-leaders Roisin Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy TD in a statement. "The way in which we protect the most vulnerable is an indicator of our core values, of a healthy democracy and of our common humanity. We do not believe that the latest actions by President Trump and his administration are indicators of the core values of most American people, nor of Irish people. "The fundamentals of democracy and the rule of law are being turned on their heads. All those now being blocked from entering the US were legal immigrants or have been through very strict US and UNHCR procedures before being accepted as refugees to the US. "The shutdown impacts on us many ways in Ireland not least as we are now home to US immigration and it is on our soil that people are being turned away from their homes and their families." The US pre-clearance at Shannon - enabling passengers to go through both US Immigration and Customs inspections before departing Ireland - first started in August 2009 and saw Shannon become the first European airport with pre-clearance for the US. As recently as September, a new security system combining European and US pre-clearance checkpoints was being tested at the airport. Representatives from the Ministry of Health check a patient suspected to be infected with the novel coronavirus nCoV in the central province of Khanh Hoa, January 31, 2020. Photo courtesy of the Health Ministry. Forty five quick response teams have been set up at major hospitals across Vietnam to deal with suspected cases of new coronavirus infection. The Ministry of Health set them up immediately after it was confirmed Thursday that three Vietnamese tested positive for the nCoV. Based in hospitals in major cities and provinces, each team has at least two doctors and one ambulance that is equipped with emergency resuscitation facilities for patients and personal protective equipment for doctors and staff. They will also provide support to hospitals that have patients possibly infected with the coronavirus. Authorities are now concerned that three coronavirus-infected Vietnamese patients might have come into contact with a lot of people during the Tet holiday. The three had returned from Wuhan a week before Tet, the Lunar New Year Festival, to Vinh Phuc and Thanh Hoa Provinces and Hanoi. One of them is being treated at the Thanh Hoa General Hospital in the eponymous north central province and the other two at the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. Earlier, on January 23, two Chinese nationals had become the first in Vietnam to be diagnosed with nCoV infection. Li Zichao, 28, one of the two, had recovered by Tuesday morning, but his father remains on a ventilator, doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC said Wednesday. The government has halted all flights to coronavirus-hit areas in China, suspended visas for visitors from there and quarantined Chinese workers returning to Vietnam after Tet. As of Friday Vietnam had 97 suspected cases with symptoms like fever and cough, and is quarantining 32 pending test results. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Thursday. The virus has spread from mainland China to Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, the U.S., South Korea, France, Germany, Canada, Vietnam, the UAE, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines. Chinese authorities said 213 people had died as of Friday morning out of more than 9,600 confirmed cases of the disease. The UK will officially become a non-member of the European Union (EU) from Friday night, a certainty welcomed by Indian businesses operating in the UK as well as British businesses keen to expand into the Indian market. The official transition period from Saturday until the end of December means status quo in terms of much of the trade and business operations vis-a-vis the UK and EU, but what does change is Britain's free hand to strike new deals and partnerships around the world. Leading trade organisations and Indian entrepreneurs see this as an exciting time for the India-UK trade and economic partnership to be taken to a new level. "There's no question that India will be a vital trading partner as the UK charts a new future outside the EU. The golden opportunities for British firms in India play to the best strengths of UK plc from infrastructure to healthcare to FinTech, said Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer and Vice-President of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) the key voice of British businesses in the UK. As someone who campaigned for the UK to remain in the EU in the June 2016 Brexit referendum, the India-born entrepreneur is now focussed on ensuring that the opportunities unleashed by Brexit are fully capitalised and that is where comes a checklist for India. "To fully capitalise on these opportunities, British firms would like to see further progress in reducing corporate tax rates, data privacy and ease of doing business indicators. If these steps are taken, and the UK maintains an active strategy for engagement and interaction with the Indian economy at all levels, it will remain a significant partner in India's future growth story, notes Bilimoria, who has business interests both in the UK and India. The end of a 47-year relationship was never going to be easy and the long-drawn divorce process between the UK and EU took a toll on businesses, which operated on a kind of pause mode as Britain missed Brexit deadlines since 29 March last year. "There was a mess in the handling of the Brexit negotiations, and everyone will just be glad that the mess is over, said Lord Swraj Paul, who heads the London-headquartered Caparo Group with operations worldwide. The UK has never been entirely happy with its EU membership. But I don't think Brexit would have a very major impact on the UK's working with Europe; that relationship remains even if people voted to leave. As far as India goes, it has a relationship with the UK and the EU and both will be strengthened further, he noted. Boris Johnson has repeatedly singled out India in the list of countries he wishes to strike an enhanced trade agreement with, ever since he pitched his tent in favour of Brexit. As Prime Minister now with a thumping majority in Parliament, he is seen to be in a position to action some of those promises. "Prime Minister Johnson will get along very well with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the two will strike a good rapport. Trade, investment, climate change and immigration will be on top of the agenda for an expected India visit, said Mohan Kaul, President of the Indian Professionals Forum (IPF), who believes the technology, financial services and healthcare sectors particularly stand to benefit in a post-Brexit India-UK tie-up. GP Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, also hails the exciting time for relations between Britain and India and enormous scope for both countries to reach a free trade agreement, as he welcomed the energy and dynamism already shown by Boris Johnson ahead of the historic Brexit Day. "There are already positive moves like fast track visas to continue to attract top scientists and possible reforms to inheritance tax. Furthermore, the government should implement more investor-friendly policies to attract new and returning foreign investors and high net worth individuals (HNWI) who have departed over the past few years, said Hinduja, whose diversified group operates across various sectors and borders. According to fDi Markets data, between 2000 and 2016, the UK invested more than USD 24 billion into Indian industry and between January 2009 and October 2019, a total of 2.78 billion pounds was invested from Indian companies into London alone. This predominance of London is also expected to continue in a post-Brexit scenario. In recent years we have seen a large number of Indian businesses choosing London for international expansion and in 2018 the UK capital attracted more investment projects from India than any other global city, said Allen Simpson, Managing Director of Strategy and Corporate Affairs at London & Partners the Mayor of London's official promotional agency. With our mutual strengths in technology and innovation, cities like London, Mumbai and Bengaluru are producing game-changing companies, and as India's economy goes from strength to strength we see lots of opportunities for collaboration between these two nations, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Moss agreed in part, saying the House probably had no idea what was in the more than 30,000 pages of documents found so far and he had little interest in sifting through them as referee. Still he urged both sides to resume talks, saying he was inclined not to toss out the case. While courts have found that claims of executive privilege are at their zenith when it comes to a presidents communications with top aides, that claim diminishes the further outside the White House one goes, and when it conflicts with Congresss competing constitutional duties, Moss said. A Belgian court on Friday acquitted three doctors who had been charged with manslaughter by poisoning, in a landmark case that for the first time charged health professionals criminally under Belgiums euthanasia law. Euthanasia has been legal in Belgium since 2002. It also is legal in the Netherlands and Luxembourg, but has long been debated in European countries. While certain forms of assisted suicide are practiced in France and Switzerland, the Belgian law goes further. Belgium allows euthanasia if an individual who is incurably ill and encounters unbearable physical or psychological pain, makes a voluntary, well-considered and repeated request, without external pressure. Since 2014, minors can also request euthanasia under certain conditions. The three doctors were facing life-imprisonment sentences over accusations that they had unlawfully poisoned a 38-year-old woman in 2010. By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 12:44 PM | EDDYVILLE Here is Superintendent Russ Tilford's statement: "Mr. Joshua Scott resigned on Wednesday afternoon as teacher and band director for Lyon County Schools after Mr. Radivonyk received reports from parents. The report from parents allege that during a field trip with band students, Mr. Scott allowed for inappropriate music to be played and made inappropriate comments to students. To the best of our knowledge there was nothing that was illegal nor anything that neared the threshold of abuse or neglect. Simply, Mr. Scott erred in judgment and failed to uphold the standard of conduct we expect from our employees. Temporarily, we have a substitute teacher in the classroom as we arrange for someone to complete the rest of the school year. We have posted the position and will fill the vacancy for next school year. We expect to have many qualified applicants, allowing us to find the right individual that can elevate our band program to new heights. After the school principal got a complaint, the band director at Lyon County Middle and High School has resigned.According to Superintendent Russ Tilford, someone complained to Principal Tom Radivonyk about 23-year-old Joshua Scott after a field trip.Several students were with Scott in a school vehicle, and administrators learned that he may have allowed some inappropriate music to be played, and may have made inappropriate comments to the students.Tilford said Scott offered his resignation at a Wednesday meeting to discuss the complaint, although nothing that took place was illegal or what Tilford considered abuse or neglect."He's just young and made some errors in judgement and failed to uphold the standards of what we expect from our teachers," Tilford said.Scott was a first-year teacher, right out of college. A substitute is teaching in Scott's place and the district has posted the job opening online. MIAMI, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Bernie Walsh of the Bradenton Office Of Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh presented a seminar for attendees of the National Trial Lawyers Summit. Held at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel in Miami Florida, the National Trial Lawyers Summit is an annual conference of the nation's best plaintiff's attorneys and trial lawyers. The NTL Summit brings together trial attorneys from around the country to learn from specialists, share ideas, and stay up to date on important changes and trends in the legal industry. Boasting over 100 speakers and dozens of seminars, this CLE accredited conference offers the opportunity for attendees to learn valuable information from some of the most experienced attorneys in their respective areas of practice. Attorney Bernie Walsh, participated in the summit by presenting a seminar entitled "Think Outside the Box, Maximizing Damages and Recoveries." During the seminar Mr. Walsh shared his innovative approach to discovering and leveraging additional sources of compensation for clients of personal injury claims, while maximizing the benefit to the client and law firm. This approach can be especially important in personal injury cases where uninsured or underinsured drivers or companies are involved, and also in cases of shared negligence when many parties are found partially negligent. Attorney Bernard Walsh had this to say about the summit, "The NTL Trial Summit is always one of the most important and influential conferences during the year. It's essential for attorneys, no matter how much experience they may have, to stay engaged with the legal community as the laws, rules, and business landscape are constantly changing. While it is true that many attorneys here will gain knowledge that will help them run a more competitive law firm, the ultimate goal of the conference is to provide lawyers with the ability to better serve their clients during contested cases, and continue to build and strengthen the American legal system against the influence of outside interests." The 2020 National Trial Lawyers Summit in Miami was attended by hundreds of attorneys and legal industry professionals from across the nation from many practice areas. As an accredited Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event, attendees of the summit were able to earn CLE credits required by many State Bar Associations, including the Florida Bar Association. CLE credits are a popular way that states use to ensure attorneys stay informed to better serve clients and the justice system as a whole. About Attorney Bernie Walsh A managing partner of Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh, Bernard Walsh is an AV Rated Attorney, and has earned a Superb Rating by AVVO. Bernard Walsh is a Board Member of the Florida Justice Association, The National Trial Lawyers and the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America (APITLA). Bernard Walsh is also the founder and president of the Manasota Trial Lawyers Board. Bernard Walsh represents clients across southwest Florida for serious personal injury cases from his office in Bradenton, Florida. Learn More About Bernard Walsh at https://www.justicepays.com/bradenton *PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0131s2p-walsh-300dpi.jpg *Caption: Attorney Bernie Walsh Speaking at The National Trial Lawyers Summit in Miami Florida. This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh Related Links http://www.justicepays.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: The Rural Enterprise Support Project of Uzbekistan of the World Bank, has resulted in improved private sector engagement in the agricultural sector from 2008 through 2016, Trend reports via the bank's statement. "It helped the sector to shift focus from the cultivation of traditional crops (cotton and wheat) to higher-value, more remunerative sub-sectors such as horticulture and livestock. The project benefitted 61,426 farmers and agro-processors, who were trained on a variety of topics related to improving farm productivity," said the statement. The bank said the project improved irrigation and drainage infrastructure in 139,500 hectares, while the loss of water during transportation fell by about 36 percent, from 23.7 percent in 2010 to 15 percent in 2016. The bank said that agriculture plays an important part in Uzbekistans economy and in 2018 accounted for 32 percent of GDP, 15 percent of export revenues, and over one-third of employment. "Around 50 percent of population live in the rural areas and main source of income comes from the agriculture sector. The agriculture sector can produce significant results in terms of economic growth and employment in the medium-term and diversification of outputs and exports have considerable space to expand," said the statement. The Rural Enterprise Support project focused on addressing several constraints facing the agriculture sector. These included the need for: improving access to technologies to reduce food and water losses, knowledge and markets; strengthening technical and managerial capacity in the farming and agri-business sectors; introducing new financial products and demonstrating renewable energy technologies relevant to farming. "The Objectives of the project were to increase the productivity and financial and environmental sustainability of agriculture and the profitability of agribusiness in the project area. These were achieved through the provision of: financial and capacity-building support to farmers and agribusinesses in seven regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan (covering around 65 percent of the total population of the country), and improved irrigation service delivery through the rehabilitation of the irrigation and drainage infrastructure and the strengthening of Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the project area. Farmers were provided training to encourage adoption of water-saving technologies and renewable energy technologies relevant to farming," said the bank's report. Approximately 139,500 hectares benefited from the improved Irrigation and Drainage infrastructure, said the statement. Loss of water during transportation fell by about 36 percent, from 23.7 percent in 2010 to 15 percent in 2016. The bank said some 61,426 farmers and agro-processors were trained on a variety of topics related to improving farm productivity. These included, improving soil fertility, integrated pest management, pesticide handling, organic farming and water management/water saving technologies. "Average increase in yields per hectare was approximately 12 percent for nine key crops across the seven project districts. These included wheat, corn, rice, cotton, potatoes, vegetables, melons, fruits and berries, and vineyards. "User fee collected per hectare increased by 32 percent between 2011 and 2014 to 9,483 soum ($1) per hectare from 7,193 soum ($0,75) per hectare. The level of saline lands decreased from 18 percent in 2010 to 13 percent in 2016 with reduced water logging. Over 62 Farmer Field Schools were established by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for demonstration of simple and affordable water saving technologies. Water saving irrigation methods, such as drip irrigation, use of black perforated film for furrow irrigation and flexible hoses were demonstrated over 751 ha. About 20,593 farmers were trained on water-saving technologies," said the report. "Increased farmers and agribusinesses access to long-term financing. The overall agricultural portfolio of the commercial banks went up by 57 percent over the life of the project. More than 500 agribusinesses have received financing for procurement of agricultural machinery, processing equipment, packaging equipment and materials, investment in tree-crops, and poultry, fishery and livestock production," said the bank. WB said the International Development Association provided to the Republic of Uzbekistan in the amount of $107.9 million. The government contributed $5.9 million and beneficiary contributed $29.9 million for the The Rural Enterprise Support Project. "The primary beneficiaries of project interventions included farmers (large and small, including household farmers) as well as agribusinesses in seven regions of the country. Secondary beneficiaries included commercial banks as well as members of Water Users Associations and irrigation administrative structures, including the Basin Administration of Irrigation Systems and Administration of Irrigation Systems," said the bank. "The project was successfully implemented by the Rural Restructuring Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture (in 2019 this agency became under the Cabinet of Ministers) and Participating Financial Institutions. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation provided parallel financing in the amount $7.7 million. The Rural Enterprise Support project design and success result stories are used to design Horticulture Development Project, Livestock Development Project and Fergana Rural Enterprise Development project which aim to further improve agricultural performance." LONDON, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, ("KraneShares"), a global asset management firm known for its China-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and innovative China investment strategies, today announced the registration of KraneShares CSI China Internet UCITS ETF (Ticker: KWEB LN) and KraneShares MSCI China A-Share UCITS ETF (Ticker: KBA LN) in Spain and Portugal. In conjunction with the funds' registration KraneShares has entered a strategic partnership with Silcarv Consulting Limited, to provide client services and distribution to investors in Spain and Portugal. "As investors in Spain and Portugal are breaking out China as an asset class within their portfolios, we believe KraneShares ETFs can offer differentiated exposure to China's capital markets," said Jonathan Krane, CEO of KraneShares. "Through registering KWEB and KBA UCITS ETF's in these countries, investors can now obtain comprehensive exposure to China with localized client service from our partners at Silcarv." Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the KraneShares CSI China Internet UCITS ETF1 (Ticker: KWEB LN) tracks the CSI Overseas China Internet Index, the same benchmark and strategy as KraneShares' flagship New York Stock Exchange-listed China internet ETF. KWEB captures the investable universe of publicly traded China-based companies whose primary business are in the Internet and Internet-related sectors. Key holdings include Alibaba, Tencent, Meituan Dianping, Baidu and JD.com. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, the KraneShares MSCI China A Share UCITS ETF (Ticker: KBA LN) tracks the MSCI China A Index which captures large and mid-cap equities listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges (A-shares). KraneShares has managed the same strategy through a New York Stock Exchange-listed ETF since 2014. KBA US has the longest track record for an MSCI-linked China A Share ETF in the United States1. "Over the past few years we have seen increasing demand from investors in Spain and Portugal looking for a strategic passive investment in China. KraneShares has differentiated themselves through their innovative China-focused investment strategies. From our experience, we know these will be well-received by investors in Spain and Portugal," said Jose Carvalhinho, Director and Founder of Silcarv Consulting. For more information visit kraneshares.eu or email europe@kraneshares.com. About Silcarv Consulting Limited Silcarv Consulting Limited, incorporated in England and Wales under the number 10512407, is an independent investment adviser. Silcarv Consulting Ltd is an appointed representative of Profin Partners Ltd which is authorized and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA - 774593). About KraneShares Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. The firm is focused on providing investors with strategies to capture China's importance as an essential element of a well-designed investment portfolio. KraneShares ETFs represent innovative, first to market strategies that have been developed based on the firm and its partners' deep knowledge of investing. These strategies allow investors to stay current on global market trends and provide meaningful diversification. Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is majority owned by China International Capital Corporation (CICC). This information is being communicated by KraneShares, which is an appointed representative of DMS Capital Solutions UK Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom under the reference number 503325. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. There can be no assurance that a Fund will achieve its stated objectives. The Funds are subject to political, social or economic instability within China which may cause decline in value. Fluctuations in currency of foreign countries may have an adverse effect to domestic currency values. Emerging markets involve heightened risk related to the same factors as well as increase volatility and lower trading volume. Narrowly focused investments typically exhibit higher volatility. Internet companies are subject to rapid changes in technology, worldwide competition, rapid obsolescence of products and services, loss of patent protections, evolving industry standards and frequent new product productions. Such changes may have an adverse impact on performance. This material is for information only and does not constitute an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any investment, or subscribe to any investment management or advisory service. You are accessing information which constitutes a financial promotion under section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 ("FSMA"). Any investment, and investment activity or controlled activity, to which this information relates is available only to such persons and will be engaged in only with such persons. Persons that do not have professional experience should not rely or act upon this information unless they are persons to whom any of paragraphs (2)(a) to (d) of article 49 apply to whom distribution of this information may otherwise lawfully be made. For additional fund documentation, please visit www.DMSGovernance.com. 1 Data from Morningstar as of 31/December/2019 (Support Free Thought) - Salt Lake City, UT Imagine that you have just sat down to eat dinner with your family when your home is surrounded by militarized police, heavily armed and dressed in riot gear. Imagine these police are looking for a person who does not live in your house. Now imagine that you try to tell them this but they dont listen and then break down your door, trample your family, hold guns to your kids head and taser innocent parents. For the Yanez family, no imagination is necessary as this is exactly what happened to them. On August 20, 2018, the Yanez family sat down at the table to eat dinner when more than a dozen agents with the Utah Division of Adult Probation & Parole (AP&P), dressed in military-style gear and carrying assault-style weapons surrounded their home and demanded entry. The agents claimed to have a warrant but would not produce one despite repeated requests from the family. When the family refused to let them in without first seeing the warrant, the police decided it was time to break down the doors and come in. What happened both before and after police entered the home was captured on video and is now the subject of a lawsuit against the AP&P and the executive director of the Utah Department of Corrections. According to the lawsuit, once the heavily militarized agents entered the home, they tackled the mother, Maria, with a riot shield; pinned the father, Munir, to the ground and repeatedly shocked him with a Taser; pointed an automatic rifle at a child before handcuffing him; and forced the other two children to leap from the kitchen window. The videos taken by the family show agents tackling 53-year-old Maria Garcia and her husband, 57-year-old Munir Yanez. Officers handcuffed Garcia and shocked Yanez with a Taser as he cried out in agony, all of which can be heard on the videos, one of which was recorded by their 17-year-old son. The boy filming the incident must have angered the officers who then pointed guns at his head. As defendants entered the home, three defendants pointed assault rifles at (the 17-year-olds) head, despite the fact that (he) did not pose a threat to the safety of them or any other officer, the suit said. (He) froze in fear at the sight of the weapons. These shocking acts against the Yanez family in their own home is beyond the bounds of constitutional protections, explained John Mejia, Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah. No more Utah families should be subjected to these kind of excessive tactics. In a press release, the ACLU explained how officers likely knew the person they were looking for the son of two of the plaintiffs did not live there and had been told on multiple occasions, after showing up at the residence, that the man they were looking for does not and has not lived with the family for a long time. According to the lawsuit, AP&P agents had approached the Yanez family several times about the location of their oldest son. That son had not lived with the family for quite some time. When agents arrived at the house again on the night of the incidents, the family refused to let them inside without a warrant and demanded that the agents leave the property. Instead, more and more agents, including some wearing body armor and carrying assault-style rifles, arrived at the home and escalated tensions by falsely telling the Yanez family they could enter their home at will. When the family refused to let them enter, the agents surrounded the home, broke down the front and back doors simultaneously using extreme force, and detained the family members, including children. The person the agents were looking for was not in the home. Despite the person of interest not being in the home, according to the lawsuit, cops tore the home apart for two hours, stole the familys money, and taunted them before falsely arresting Yanez and his son. The complaint also alleges that the agents stole $7,000 in savings that the Yanez family planned to use to pay for their only daughters Quinceanera party; that agents taunted Yanez, who is a U.S. citizen, on the way to jail telling him that hed be back in Mexico tomorrow; that Garcia saw agents place a kitchen knife where her adult son had been tackled and handcuffed in an effort to justify his arrest; and that Garcia was told she must know where her son is because you are a Latina. It is every familys worst nightmare. You sit down to dinner as a family, and then agents storm into your home and brutally attack you in front of your children. We cannot allow this type of behavior by law enforcement to go unchecked. Crowell & Moring stands with the Yanez family in bravely pursuing these claims to ensure that this does not happen to other Utah families, said S. Starling Marshall, Partner at Crowell & Moring LLP. We agree. Below are the videos taken from two different angles showing this most horrifying raid on an innocent family. New testimony unlikely The impeachment trial of President Trump is headed for a critical vote today that will determine whether the Senate hears from witnesses over allegations that the president pressured Ukraine to launch investigations for his own political benefit. But Senate Republicans are increasingly confident no new testimony will be heard and they can start on a sprint toward Trumps acquittal. On Thursday, Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) said she will break with Republican leadership and vote to hear witnesses. But Collins still needs three other Republicans to vote with her if new evidence is to be allowed and it was unclear late Thursday night who, if anyone, in the party would join her. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) was considered a possible supporter of allowing testimony, but he announced hes ready to end the trial even though he found Trumps behavior inappropriate and leave the presidents fate in the hands of voters during the upcoming election. (Washington Post) Featured stories Doctors look at a CT scan of a patient Thursday at a hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. AP U.S. advises against travel to China because of coronavirus outbreak (Associated Press) Europe evacuates citizens from China, Russia shuts border (ABC News) Trump says coronavirus outbreak is all under control and a very small problem in U.S. (CNBC) Commerce secretary says coronavirus will help bring jobs to North America (CNN) Britains Brexit shrug: Just get on with it (New York Times) 2nd tape shows Trump meeting with congressman and Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman (ABC News) Trumps border wall, vulnerable to flash floods, needs large storm gates left open for months (Washington Post) National news U.S. farm bankruptcies jumped 20 percent in 2019 despite federal aid (The Hill) House approves war powers legislation pulling authority back to Congress (Politico) Trump administration proposes rolling back law protecting migratory birds (The Hill) Pence aide who testified in impeachment inquiry to leave VPs office (Politico) E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped, her seeks his DNA to test against sample from her dress (NBC News) 3 state attorneys general sue to recognize ERA as 28th Amendment (USA Today) Sexual assault reports by cadets, midshipmen at military academies surge by 32% (USA Today) Virginia House passes a slew of gun safety bills (CNN) Conn. police confirm alleged murderer Fotis Dulos died in N.Y. hospital (Boston Globe) Idaho mother fails to return missing children by deadline. Its not clear what happens next (CNN) Californias polarizing housing bill SB 50 has died in the state Senate (USA Today) World news 14 more U.S. troops diagnosed with brain injury following Iranian missile attack (NBC News) U.S. renews waivers on Iran nuclear work, but sanctions top Iran nuclear official (Reuters) Iraq says joint operations with U.S.-led coalition resume (Associated Press) Syria war: Rebel-held Idlib hit by 200 air strikes in three days (BBC) Brazilians sent to Mexico by U.S. say they dont understand why (Reuters) Farrukhabad: India police kill hostage-taker, wife beaten to death (BBC) New tensions surface over U.S.-Mexico seasonal farm trade (Reuters) Huawei: U.S. to work with UK over Chinese firm (BBC) Philip Jacobson (center), accompanied by lawyers Parlin Bayu Hutabarat (left) and Aryo Nugroho, celebrate his release at the Palangkaraya Airport in Central Kalimantan, Jan. 31, 2020. Indonesian authorities deported an American environmental journalist on Friday after detaining him for more than six weeks over an alleged visa violation, his lawyer and employer said. Philip Jacobson, 31, an editor for the non-profit environmental news website Mongabay.com, was detained in the city of Palangkaraya in Central Kalimantan province on Dec. 17 after attending a hearing between an NGO advocating for the rights of indigenous people and the local parliament. He formally was arrested on Jan. 21 on charges of violating his visa terms and taken into custody, but was released three days later. He was confined to city arrest until immigration authorities dropped the case on Thursday, said Aryo Nugroho, a lawyer at the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) in Palangkaraya. Jacobson flew from Palangkaraya Airport in Central Kalimantan to Jakarta on Friday, where he was detained for several hours before boarding a flight to the United States, Mongabay reported. We are relieved that Phil has finally been granted his freedom, Mongabay founder and chief executive officer Rhett A. Butler said in a statement. His prolonged detention over this matter was profoundly concerning, but we are very pleased that authorities dismissed the charges and released him, he said. Aryo said Jacobson should never have been arrested. His freedom would not have been achieved without the support of everyone concerned at home and overseas, especially advocates of press freedom, Aryo said. Philip is a journalist, not a criminal, he said. This case has strengthened our resolve to fight for press freedom, truth and justice for all people. Mongabay said Jacobson entered the country on a business visa for a series of meetings. Immigration officers confiscated his passport a few hours before he was scheduled to fly out of the city, questioned him for hours and ordered him to remain in Palangkaraya pending an investigation. His arrest drew condemnation from domestic and international press advocacy groups with some suggesting that it might have been linked to his work covering environmental issues and land disputes in the country. Jacobson thanked his supporters. Its good to be out of prison and Im relieved the prospect of a five-year jail sentence is no longer something I have to contemplate, Jacobson said in a statement released by Mongabay. Indonesia has received praise in the last few years for its efforts to combat climate change and curb deforestation, positive developments that Mongabay has covered, he said. Meanwhile, the press has a duty to cast a critical eye on events. Jacobson said he would be applying for a new journalism visa at an Indonesian embassy at the earliest opportunity. Human rights activists previously urged the government to stop what they said were growing physical and legal threats against activists and environmentalists. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 10:37:45|Editor: zyl Video Player Close CANBERRA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Trade Minister Simon Birmingham has declared that a free trade deal with Britain will be struck before the end of 2020. Birmingham told the Australian Financial Review (AFR) that the agriculture, insurance and financial industries would benefit most from improved access to Britain under the free trade agreement (FTA). The governments of both countries have identified concluding the FTA as a priority following Brexit, which was ratified by the European Union (EU) Parliament on Thursday. "Australia is in a prime position to be one of the first (to negotiate a deal)," Birmingham said. "Our desire is to see an agreement that eliminates tariffs, quotas and other trade barriers across services and investment as much as possible." According to Birmingham Britain was Australia's third-biggest trading partner in terms of goods before the country entered the EU but has since fallen to 12th. "Australian farmers were a casualty of the UK entering the EU," he said. "We hope to restore that lost market." Representatives from both sides have participated in preliminary FTA negotiations but formal talks were banned while Britain remained a part of the EU. Brexit will be made official on Saturday morning Australian time, with Birmingham saying official negotiations will begin in two months. British PM Boris Johnson has previously flagged allowing Australians to work in his country without visas under a FTA. Two-way trade between the countries is worth 27 billion Australian dollars (18.1 billion U.S. dollars) each year. Britain was the second-biggest source of foreign investment in Australia in 2018 at 574.8 billion AUD (386.2 billion U.S. dollars). [January 31, 2020] AM Best Affirms Credit Ratings of Elips Life Insurance Company AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating (FSR) of A (Excellent) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) of "a+" of Elips Life Insurance Company (elipsLife) (headquartered in Schaumburg, IL, USA). The outlook of these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable. elipsLife is an indirect subsidiary of Swiss Re Ltd (Swiss Re). The ratings reflect elipsLife's balance sheet strength, which AM Best categorizes as very strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and very strong enterprise risk management. The ratings also receive lift from elipsLife's ultimate parent company, Swiss Re. AM Best expects Swiss Re to continue to provide reinsurance and capital support to elipsLife when necessary, due to its important role in Swiss Re's long-term plans to grow its direct group life and health insurance business in the United States. AM Best expects elipsLife to continue to benefit from quota share reinsurance protection from Swiss Re. In 2019, a one-off reinsurance allowance from Swiss Re was received to assist coverage of upfront investment costs. elipsLife will be Swiss Re's primary direct writer of group life and health insurance in the United States, and will follow the already established business model in Europe. The ratings reflect continued expectations derived from the company's business plans and its experienced management team. Despite the early stages of business development, the company has made significant progress in developing distribution relationships. elipsLife is expected to achieve profitability in the near future. The company's business profile remains limited due to the early stage of development, the lack of prduct diversification and execution risk during the company's first few years of operation. AM Best considers the group life and health insurance market segment as very competitive, with many large carriers and strong price competition. The company's ability to execute its business plan will be a key rating factor going forward, as will its continued support from Swiss Re. AM Best is monitoring elipsLife's performance continuously to ensure that targeted results are realized as planned. This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best's website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best's Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best's Credit Ratings. For information on the proper media use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best press releases, please view Guide for Media - Proper Use of Best's Credit Ratings and AM Best Rating Action Press Releases. AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specializing in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2020 by A.M. Best Rating Services, Inc. and/or its affiliates. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200131005511/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The circuit court has granted bail to founder of defunct UT Bank, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, who is facing charges of stealing and money laundering. The bail granted by Justice Essandor was in the tune of 110 million with two sureties who earn not less than 2,000. Mr. Amoabeng is also to deposit his passport and report to the investigative teams twice in a week. Justice Essandor further explained that his decision to grant bail was based on the sound advocacy by lawyers of the accused person who has demonstrated his ability to cooperate with investigations. The founder of the defunct UT Bank together with the founder of the defunct BEIGE bank, Michael Nyinaku have been accused of allegedly stealing more than 390million and $8.6million belonging to customers of the bank. Mr. Amoabeng has been accused of stealing more than 51.3 million and $8.6million, while Nyinaku has been accused of stealing more than 340million. The two pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them when they appeared before the Accra Circuit Court Tuesday, Graphiconline reported.th UT Holdings. Source: myjoyonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A disease expert says he is not "optimistic" about whether China will be able to host its Formula 1 race as scheduled in April this year. The spread of the deadly coronavirus, whose epicentre in Wuhan is 800 kilometres from Shanghai's F1 track, is worsening by the day. Foreign offices are advising against travel, international airlines are stopping direct flights into and out of China, sporting events are being cancelled, and the World Health Organisation has now declared a global emergency. "The virus is still spreading, there is no doubt about it," Dr Sergio Brusin, an expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told the Guardian newspaper. "There has been a huge increase of cases in China and more countries importing cases. We are seeing human-to-human transmission outside the area of Wuhan that can indicate that it will spread further," he said. Some are predicting that the epidemic's seriousness could be peaking by April, when Shanghai is scheduled to host its seventeenth Chinese GP. Dr Brusin said: "What happens between now and April is extremely difficult to predict, but if the infection keeps on spreading at this pace I would not be optimistic at having a F1 ticket in my pocket." (GMM) Now, another plan aims to shrink a part of a traffic-choked roadway, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which was built in the 1940s. That section, a 1.5-mile stretch between Atlantic Avenue and Sands Street in Brooklyn, would be downsized by a third. [A novel plan to fix one of New Yorks worst highways: Remove lanes.] I spoke with my colleague Winnie Hu, who covers transportation and infrastructure, about how the potential changes could affect commuters. Winnie, tell me about whats happening with the B.Q.E. The B.Q.E. was never built for all this traffic. It is crumbling under the weight of 153,000 cars and trucks a day, and the expected cost of repairing the 1.5-mile section of the expressway will be more than $1.7 billion. Thats going to be one of the most expensive infrastructure projects the citys Transportation Department has ever taken on. The mayor appointed a panel to come up with a rescue plan, which was released yesterday. One of the key recommendations is to go to four traffic lanes, from six, on the stretch. The panel is hoping that if the city reduces the number of cars and trucks, it will be able to extend the remaining life of this highway and make it safer. Michigan has a thriving craft beer industry. From established industry leaders to small microbreweries, theres little doubt that Michigan is one of the top states in America for craft beer. Its big business, too. Nationally, the craft beer industry brought in more than $27.6 billion in 2018 alone, according to the Brewers Association But what are the most popular breweries in Michigan? Michigan residents have second-highest beer tolerance in U.S., survey says Depending on who you ask, that answer will vary. Even taking a fact-based approach can be tricky since beer volume doesnt necessarily translate to most popular. To try and find out what Michigans most popular breweries are in 2020, the home and lifestyle blog House Method analyzed every craft brewery in the U.S. on four, social media-based factors including number of Facebook followers, number of Instagram followers, number of Yelp reviews, and the average Yelp rating. Data for those factors were then compared against the other breweries using a weighted scale with a total potential score of 50. The results? When it comes to Michigan, the largest brewer is also the most popular, with Comstock-based Bells Brewery taking the top spot. The rest of the top 5 most popular Michigan breweries include New Holland Brewing (Holland), Shorts Brewing Company (Bellaire), The Mitten Brewing Company (Grand Rapids) and Dark Horse Brewing Company (Marshall). Noticeably absent is Michigans other craft beer giant, Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids. Its not clear why. Founders Brewing Company was second in total beer sold in Michigan in 2018 with 115,178 barrels sold, according to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission. That was up 20% compared to 2017. Michigans top 50 beer brewers, based on 2018 in-state sales Atwater Brewing in Detroit and Perrin Brewing in Grand Rapids were also in the top 5 in total barrels sold in Michigan, but not popularity, according to the House Method study. Bells Brewery is the 17th most popular brewery in the United States, according to the study. New Holland (62) and Shorts (105) were also in the Top 150 nationally. New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado is Americas most popular brewery according to the study. Boston Beer Company, Goose Island Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery rounded out the top 5 nationally. You can see the complete breakdown here. The Armenian government on Friday suspended for two months visa free-travel between Armenia and China, citing the need to guard against a new coronavirus that has killed more than 200 people in China. A bilateral agreement allowing Armenian and Chinese citizens to stay in each others country visa-free for up to 90 days was signed last year and went into force as recently on January 19. Its suspension announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian means that Chinese nationals travelling to Armenia between February 1 and March 31 will need to have Armenian visas. Avinian attributed the decision to the epidemiological situation conditioned by the coronavirus. The government announced earlier in the day that it has set up an interagency commission tasked with preventing the spread of the deadly disease to Armenia. The commission is headed by Avinian. The government warned Armenians against all travel to China last week. It also banned imports of Chinese food and raw materials. Health authorities say they are monitoring all people arriving from China to Armenia via third countries. Health Minister Arsen Torosian told reporters on Friday that the authorities are not yet equipped to definitively detect the coronavirus there is a 99.9 percent likelihood of the absence of any cases in Armenia.He said they will receive laboratory equipment and materials for coronavirus tests in the coming days. Up until now Armenian citizens returning from China and Chinese citizens [visiting Armenia] have had no symptoms characteristic of the coronavirus, he said. According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry, some 400 Armenians lived in China before the outbreak of the virus which the World Health Organization declared a global emergency on Thursday. At least six of them remain in the Chinese city of Wuhan lying at the epicenter of the outbreak. A young man in Yerevan, Erik Khachikian, claimed on Thursday that doctors at a local policlinic refused to examine his condition after he told them that he lived in another Chinese city, Xian, and returned to Armenia just days ago. Such things are unacceptable, Torosian said in this regard. He pledged to take measures over Khachikians claims. At least 213 people in China have died from the coronavirus, with nearly 10,000 cases registered. A total of 98 cases have been confirmed in 18 other countries, but no deaths outside of China have been recorded, according to the WHO. Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/30/2020 -- The global Urban Gas market is deeply analyzed by QY Research analysts with a major focus on future trends, market outlook, future prospects, consumption, production, revenue, volume, and various other factors. The report on the global Urban Gas industry is just the resource that players need to strengthen their overall growth and establish a strong position in their business. It is a compilation of detailed, accurate research studies that provide in-depth analysis on critical subjects of the global Urban Gas industry such as consumption, revenue, sales, production, trends, opportunities, geographic expansion, competition, segmentation, growth drivers, and challenges. The report offers a complete company profiling of leading players competing in the global Urban Gas industry with a high focus on a share, gross margin, net profit, sales, product portfolio, new applications, recent developments, and several other factors. It also throws light on the vendor landscape to help players become aware of future competitive changes in the global Urban Gas industry. Top Competitors within the Urban Gas Market: China Resources Gas, Beijing Gas Group Company Limited, China Gas Holdings Ltd, ENN Energy Holdings Limited, Towngas, Tianjin Energy Investment Group Co., Ltd, Sino Gas & Energy Holdings, PetroChina Kunlun Gas, Tian Lun Gas Group, China Oil And Gas Group, Shenzhen Gas Corporation Ltd, Shanxi Provincial Natural Gas Co., Ltd, Xinjiang Haoyuan Natural Gas Co. Ltd, Changchun Gas Co., Ltd, CPC Jinhong Energy Investment Co., Ltd Have Queries? To request a sample report template or speak to an expert click here: https://www.qyrconsulting.com/request-sample/7662 In the segmentation section of the report, the authors have elaborately presented key driving factors for different segments of the global Urban Gas industry. The report offers a detailed research study on product type and application segments of the global Urban Gas industry. The segmental analysis provided in the report is expected to help players and investors to identify lucrative growth pockets of the global Urban Gas industry. As part of the geographic analysis of the global Urban Gas industry, the report digs deep into the growth of key regions and countries, including but not limited to North America, the US, Europe, the UK, Germany, France, Asia Pacific, China, and the MEA. All of the geographies are comprehensively studied on the basis of share, consumption, production, future growth potential, CAGR, and many other parameters. Global Urban Gas Market Segment Analysis By Product Natural Gas Manufactured Gas Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) By Application Residential Commercial Public Building Manufacturing Industries Other The report addresses the following queries pertaining to the Urban Gas Market: How has the growth of end-use industry 1 impacted the dynamics of the Urban Gas Market? Why are region 1 and region 2 anticipated to witness the highest growth over the forecast period? Why are consumers leaning away from purchasing products that are manufactured using traditional techniques? Why are the sales of product 2 higher than that of product 1? Is there any scope for innovation in the current Urban Gas Market landscape? Get a Complete Market Report in your Inbox within 24 hours at https://www.qyrconsulting.com/checkout/7662 Table of Contents Introduction The first part of the report includes an executive summary where the scope and major highlights of the study on the global Urban Gas industry are presented. Segmentation Here, the report offers a thorough study on all-important product type and application segments of the global Urban Gas industry. Regions and Countries The analysts authoring the report have shed light on rewarding opportunities in important regions and countries covered in the study. Drivers and Restraints Besides drivers and restraints, key trends and opportunities in the global Urban Gas industry are broadly explained in this section. Companies Here, the report provides information on all leading companies operating in the global Urban Gas industry. Consumption and Sales This section includes accurate forecasts for production, consumption, and sales in the global Urban Gas industry. Other Forecasts Here, CAGR, revenue, and volume forecasts for the global Urban Gas industry are provided. All of the forecasts are highly accurate, verified, and reliable. About Us QYR Consulting established as a research firm in 2007 and has since grown into a trusted brand amongst many industries. Over the years, we have consistently worked toward delivering high-quality customized solutions for a wide range of clients ranging from ICT to healthcare industries. With over 50,000 satisfied clients, spread over 80 countries, we have sincerely strived to deliver the best analytics through exhaustive research methodologies. The Trump administration unveiled a plan Thursday that would dramatically revamp Medicaid by allowing states to opt out of part of the current federal funding program and instead seek a fixed payment each year in exchange for gaining unprecedented flexibility over the program. Medicaid, a federal-state health program that covers 1 in 5 Americans, has been an open-ended entitlement since its beginning in 1965. That means the amount of money provided by the federal government grows with a rise in enrollment and health costs. The administration said the new program would allow states to offer patients more benefits while controlling government spending. But the plan was assailed by Democrats, consumer advocates and health providers as undermining efforts to serve the poor. States would not be required to switch to the new model. It will be optional, and states interested in it would have to seek authority from the federal government. That makes the proposal less sweeping than efforts by Republican lawmakers to revamp Medicaid that were included in failed 2017 legislation to gut the Affordable Care Act. The long-awaited guidance to states on turning Medicaid into a block grant allows the Trump administration to proclaim it's transforming the Medicaid program and offers a way for states that haven't expanded under the Affordable Care Act to move ahead. It could also tee up an election-year battle in which opponents will use the plan to argue that it's President Donald Trump's latest salvo in a long-running effort to unravel the health care safety net. "The Trump administration's announcement today is a game changer," said Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican who plans to expand coverage up to ACA levels and pursue a block grant with a Medicaid work requirement and new premiums. Here are the big things to know about how the new plan works. Millions of people might be affected by block grants. The millions of low-income adults without children who obtained coverage under the ACA's Medicaid expansion could be included under a block grant. Key Republicans, including officials in the Trump administration, have argued that covering those adults uses resources better geared toward other Medicaid enrollees whose medical needs are greater. However, a state could also decide to include certain pregnant women and low-income parents because their coverage is not mandated by federal law. Tens of millions of people currently enrolled in Medicaid would not be included in a potential state block-grant project, including children, people who qualify for the program based on disability, people needing long-term care and individuals who are 65 and over, according to the guidance announced by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Thursday. States seeking the new authority would be able to make new cuts to benefits, including which prescription drugs are covered, and impose new out-of-pocket costs on enrollees. Medicaid traditionally has covered all federally approved prescription drugs. In June 2018, the Trump administration reinforced that position when it rejected a request from Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker to limit drugs covered under the state's Medicaid program. Under the new guidance, a state could ask to cover just one drug per class for most conditions similar to what's required for private insurance coverage in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. While the rule allows exceptions, including for medications to treat behavioral health issues or HIV, the policy change could affect access to drugs for a range of serious illnesses, such as cancer. Another change included in the administration's policy is what kinds of copays states can charge, according to Cindy Mann, a lawyer who ran the Medicaid program under the Obama administration and is now a consultant with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. While a Medicaid enrollee cannot be charged premiums and out-of-pocket costs that exceed 5% of their household income, the guidance removes other restrictions on copays, opening the door for their more widespread use and in higher amounts. Those changes will disproportionately affect people with more serious health issues, she said. "Even a copay that's $1 can be a burden," Mann said. "These could allow copays that are much more than that." States could also move to eliminate other Medicaid benefits, such as nonemergency medical transportation and a comprehensive series of preventive, diagnostic and treatment services that are a pillar of the program known as the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit for 19- and 20-year-olds. The federal government will exercise less oversight over the private health insurance companies that states hire to run their programs, giving states more power to set rules on provider participation and payments. About two-thirds of Medicaid participants are enrolled in a private managed-care firm, and the proposal would reduce federal oversight of how these companies operate. States would be able to choose if they want to follow federal rules seeking to make sure that health plans provide reasonable access to a sufficient number of in-network doctors and hospitals, said MaryBeth Musumeci, associate director for the Kaiser Family Foundation Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured. In addition, the federal government would not have to approve payment rates to the plans before they take effect, she said. (Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the foundation.) A few states have operated under Medicaid spending caps before, including Rhode Island, but the amounts were set so high a state was never in any danger of hitting the limit, Musumeci said. The CMS guidance did not estimate how much the new financing system could save the federal budget. All states could technically apply for a block grant, but most are unlikely. Only a few states would be expected at least initially to apply for the block grant and those would almost certainly be some of the 14 states that have not expanded Medicaid, said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. However, many states would be concerned about loss of funding or not having enough federal dollars when demand for services or enrollment rose. "States will be asking: Is the added flexibility worth the risk or the downside of a different funding arrangement?" Salo said. Still, he added, for some states that have not expanded eligibility, "this is a call to get them to the finish line." Other state proposals to pursue capped Medicaid financing notably Tennessee's, which is pending with the Department of Health and Human Services are much different from what the new Trump approach telegraphs. That said, some Republican-led expansion states are also likely to find it appealing. "Waivers will never be long-term substitutes for congressional action. But this does represent a significant opportunity to test new ideas to see what works and especially to better understand how much risk states are willing to accept in exchange for greater control," said Dennis Smith, who ran Medicaid during the George W. Bush administration and is now a senior adviser for Medicaid and health reform for Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson. "If one expects a harvest, a person first has to plant the seed." The impact won't be felt anytime soon. The federal government generally moves at a glacial pace in approving new state projects, particularly for ones that set new precedent or are controversial. Given that, it's unlikely any state would get a waiver before 2021 when there could be a change in federal administrations. Plus, there is all but certain to be litigation that could thwart the entire effort. "The document issued today by CMS appears to rewrite bedrock provisions of Medicaid, an activity which is beyond the scope of CMS' power. Only Congress is tasked with making these changes," said Jane Perkins, legal director of the National Health Law Program, a legal aid group that has sued over the Trump administration's approval of work requirements for many Medicaid enrollees in five states. It is evaluating litigation options on the block grants. DALLAS, Jan. 31, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oakline Advisors, LLC ("Oakline"), adviser to the Vertical Capital Income Fund (NYSE: VCIF) announced today that Co-Portfolio Manager Robert J. Chapman will assume full portfolio management responsibilities, after Co-Portfolio Manager David F. Aisner resigned to pursue other opportunities. Supported by Katherine Hawkins, Senior Vice President Loan Investments and David F. Aisner in a consulting capacity during a three-month transition, Mr. Chapman will continue to guide the Fund's portfolio along with the leadership of Michael D. Cohen, President. "This transition is expected to be smooth, since our continuing leadership team has been helping direct the management of the Fund for many years," noted Mr. Cohen. "We continue to be pleased with the Fund's performance and anticipate building on its successful track record this year as we continue to leverage this team's expertise." Mr. Robert J. Chapman is Executive Vice President and Co-Portfolio Manager of Oakline Advisors, LLC. He also serves as the Fund's Treasurer and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Prior to joining Oakline and its parent company Behringer in 2007, Mr. Chapman was executive vice president and chief financial officer of AMLI Residential Properties Trust, a multifamily real estate investment trust; managing director of Heitman Capital Management Corporation; and managing director and chief financial officer of JMB Institutional Realty Corporation and JMB Realty Corporation. Ms. Katherine Hawkins is Senior Vice President Loan Investments of Oakline Advisors, LLC, responsible for assisting in the execution of the Fund's investment activity. She has been with Oakline Advisors, LLC (and its predecessor) for approximately five years and with Behringer, Oakline's parent company, for seven years. Ms. Hawkins is an accomplished buy and sell-side investment professional with over 13 years of experience in the residential mortgage market. Prior to joining Behringer, Ms. Hawkins served an investment bank developing a RMBS and Whole Loan Trading desk which purchased over $5 billion in product during her tenure. Shares of closed-end funds often trade at a discount from their net asset value. The market price of Fund shares may vary from net asset value based on factors affecting the supply and demand for shares, such as Fund distribution rates relative to similar investments, investors' expectations for future distribution changes, the clarity of the Fund's investment strategy and future return expectations, and investors' confidence in the underlying markets in which the Fund invests. Fund shares are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of principal invested. No fund is a complete investment program and you may lose money investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund may not be appropriate for all investors. Before investing, prospective investors should consider carefully the Fund's investment objective, risks, charges and expenses. For further details, please visit Vertical Capital Income Fund's website at vertical-incomefund.com. This release contains forward-looking statements relating to the business and financial outlook of Vertical Capital Income Fund that are based on the Fund's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections and are not guarantees of future performance. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on any such statements. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements contained in this release. About Vertical Capital Income Fund Vertical Capital Income Fund is an NYSE listed closed-end fund that primarily invests in residential whole mortgage loans and residential whole loans secured by deeds of trust. The investment objective of the Fund is to seek income. About Oakline Advisors, LLC Founded in 2013, Oakline Advisors, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser that specializes in the residential whole loan market. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dallas, TX-based, Behringer, an active investor. Since its inception in 1989, Behringer, together with its affiliates, has raised equity of more than $6 billion through public and private fund structures, joint ventures and separately managed accounts. The company also offers strategic advisory, asset management, tax-deferred exchange and capital markets solutions. For more information about Oakline and Behringer please visit their respective websites at oaklineadvisors.com and behringerinvestments.com. SOURCE Vertical Capital Income Fund Related Links www.vertical-incomefund.com News Washington, DC - Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls attended the signing of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, January 29, at the White House, having been invited by the Office of the President of the United States. It's an honor to witness the President signing the single most significant trade agreement in generations and for many generations to come," said Mayor Nicholls. "The USMCA is a historical win for American workers, businesses, and for the strong relationship with our trade partners. With USMCA in place, the future of Yuma and the 4FrontED binational megaregion is better positioned for economic strength than ever." Mayor Nicholls attended the signing alongside several guests from Arizona, including: Mesa Mayor John Giles, the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer, and U.S. Senator Martha McSally. In 2018, Arizona had $20.4 billion in combined total trade with Mexico and Canada according to the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 228,000 jobs in Arizona resulted from trade with USMCA partners in 2017. Mayor Nicholls added that attending the event demonstrates the importance of Yuma in the global economy, as our region and states economic strength is heavily reliant upon trading with Mexico and Canada. The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry has a deep appreciation for Mayor Nicholls leadership in using his pulpit as Mayor of Yuma to gather support for the USMCA in Arizona and outside of our state, said Hamer. As a mayor with expertise on the border issues and an international media reach, he made the case that this agreement is great for our economy and security. It was a privilege to be at the White House ceremony with Mayor Nicholls and Mayor Giles. Discussions on the need for the ratified trade agreement have been occurring at the local level in Yuma, as well as at the state, federal and international level. In 2019, Mayor Nicholls partnered with the Consulate of Mexico in Yuma and Arizona Western College (AWC) to host a NAFTA 2.0 Binational Conference in the megaregion shared by Arizona, Baja California, California and Sonora. The binational conference took place at AWC and brought together more than 150 private and public sector leaders to discuss potential impacts of the trade deal negotiations across a variety of industries. Federal-level panelists representing governments of the United States, Mexico and Canada spoke on the potential impacts of the USMCA on the binational megaregion. Panelists included: Deputy Assistant Secretary for U.S. Field Operations at the U.S. Department of Commerces International Trade Commission Ana Guevara; Consul of Economic Policy Relations and Public Affairs for the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles Gavin Nardocchio-Jones; and Head of the Trade and NAFTA Office at the Embassy of Mexico in Washington Dr. Guillermo Malpica Soto. The event allowed leaders to learn more about the 25-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement that the USMCA would be replacing, and to participate in a question-and-answer session about the trade deal. The conference spurred discussion about how the megaregion could come together to press for passage of this important deal. So many have championed for this day to come, said Mayor Nicholls. Im grateful to Arizonas elected officials and partners who deserve the praise for working hard to ensure the best deal was struck to protect workers and promote opportunities. Cardiff, United Kingdom Elena Mlenga has lived in Wales since 2008. It is here where she has made her home and given birth to her daughter. She works full-time and pays her taxes. But the 37-year-old, originally from Romania, says she has faced xenophobic abuse, being told: If youre not happy here, you should go back home. And that is not the worst of it. In 2014, I was pregnant with my second child, she told Al Jazeera. I was badly treated in hospital. I was sick and the gynaecologists decided to give me some tablets, but they were incompatible with the first few months of my pregnancy. My condition didnt get any better. The time came when one of the ladies in the hospital told me that I should think of aborting the child. As I had a child at home who was three years old, I decided to take the medication to terminate the pregnancy. Also, I suffer from a chronic condition. One of the nurses who knew of my condition told me that she believed I was a prostitute. If I was British they would have never spoken to me this way. I suffered from depression for years after that. Maria Brock is a postdoctoral researcher in Cardiff Universitys Central and East European Research Group and says the United Kingdoms withdrawal from the European Union has affected migrants through the legitimisation of xenophobic discourse and a growing culture of venting resentment at a lack of economic opportunity by blaming migrants notably Romanians and Bulgarians. What creates this? Peoples ignorance of the lived experiences of others and a lack of appreciation of the contribution back to the UK thanks to migrant workers, she says. More recently, [there has been] open hostility at times. Predi Andrei, a Romanian student at Swansea University, agrees. People tend to see us as burglars, gypsies, bad people when in fact we want to be part of the community, he told Al Jazeera. Imagine having to see your children grow up on a FaceTime call? It is not easy. Romanians make up the second-largest group of non-nationals in the UK, after Poles. The Office for National Statistics reports that Romanians made up the largest number of new arrivals to the UK in 2018 while the European Commissions Eurostat agency says Romania has the fifth-fastest declining population through migration of all EU member nations. They might go home because they understood Brexit all wrong - and they think they will be deported or expelled from Britain Predi Andrei, Romanian student living in the UK With the UK being the first country to leave the EU, many of those who have moved here from EU countries are feeling alienated and unwelcome. It has affected me, said Andrei. I felt unwanted, misjudged even at job [interviews], if you tell them you are Romanian they smile and diplomatically tell you they will call you later about the position and they never do. Approximately 3.4 million Romanians left their country between 2007 and 2015 to escape poverty and corruption, according to a recent UN International Migration Report. But Marius-Constantin Budai, the Romanian minister for labour, told ITV News that a million jobs awaited Romanians wanting to return from the UK, with the government in Bucharest launching a campaign to encourage workers to return. We want all Romanians to come home if possible, Budai said. But none of the Romanian migrant workers we spoke to was aware of the campaign. If the migrants are going back home, it is not because of the economical increase as there is no such thing, said Andrei. They might go home because they understood Brexit all wrong and they think they will be deported or expelled from Britain. Coming to the UK from Romania is seen as a major financial investment in ones personal future. But with a political programme of economic austerity and a growing hostile environment for migrants, many are starting to question the returns on their investment. Romanians are worried that they will have to go back home, or to choose a different country in which to live, concludes Mlenga. Brexit was one thing that I believe incited the British people. I am hoping nothing bad will happen, but if the worst is to come, I know I have the alternative to choose to go back home. Willow Creek apologizes for allowing Bill Hybels mentor to teach at church despite abuse allegation Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Six months after closing the chapter on their embattled founder Bill Hybels with a call for him to repent as needed for his role in a sexual misconduct scandal, Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago is now apologizing for allowing Hybels' mentor, Gilbert Bilezikian, to keep teaching at the church despite abuse allegations against him. Over the weekend, a longtime Willow Creek congregant made her personal story of abuse public. This story involves Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian (widely known as Dr. B), a mentor to Bill Hybels. We are heartbroken for what this congregant experienced and are deeply sorry for the pain this has caused her and her family, Willow Creek elders began in an update Tuesday. In addition to being Hybels mentor, Bilezikian, who is a retired Wheaton College professor, is also credited with helping him start Willow Creek. The churchs statement on Tuesday came after longtime Willow Creek member Ann Lindberg disclosed in an extended post on Facebook Saturday how Bilezikian victimized her for years and suggested he would have had sex with her had she allowed it during a relationship that lasted from October 1984 to 1988. It began with subtle flirtations after weekend services, and grew to include hand holding, emotional sharing and intimacy, kissing and fondling, and pressure to have sex. Dr. Bilezikian confided about his unhappy marriage, his lack of joy, and desire for a better partnership. He told me I was the type of woman he wished he had married instead of his wife Maria. I was young in my faith, new to church, and hungry for someone to invest spiritually in me. He made me feel special, and he was a spiritual authority in a large church, and I did not feel like I could say no to him, even when my gut was telling me this was not appropriate, Lindberg wrote. I was too naive to figure out there was no way God wanted that for me, no way to maintain the friendship in a godly way, and that that had never been Dr. Bilezikians intent. I believe we would have had sex if I had allowed it, but I think he was very good at reading people and knew just how far he could push me before I would stop having anything to do with him, she recalled. One night, as we were walking to my car, he turned around in a hallway, pushed me hard against a wall, grabbed a breast and stuck his tongue down my throat. I pushed back, in complete disbelief, but he began skipping down the stairs like a child. Other times, we would meet during the day time and take walks down the Wheaton prairie paths or around Wheatons small downtown streets. He would warn me that no one could see us together, that it would ruin his reputation, yet in the next moment, he would shove me into the doorway of a storefront or behind a truck and begin wildly kissing me. I would push him away. When we walked down the prairie paths, he would reach for my hand, my waist, and other places, she said. Lindberg said Bilezikian told her how much their relation gave him energy and hope as he walked through a depression he said only she could help him through. She said he rejected the idea of marital counseling, joining a mens group or even sharing his struggles with Hybels. I would ask him to attend marital counseling, he would tell me it was too late; he was trapped and would never be able to divorce Maria and still preach. I would ask him to get into a mens group. He said he didnt like men. I would suggest he get individual counseling. He would refuse; it was too late; he was too old. I would ask him to talk with Bill Hybels. He said Bill would never understand. He told me I was the only one in the world he could really talk to, that everyone else had an agenda. He knew how to manipulate my weaknesses, and I honestly believed that I was the only one who could help him, she said. Lindberg got married in 2006, but said she did not feel "strong enough" to tell her story until 2010 when she was ready to "confront the spiritual abuse." She also expressed concern that other women might have been harmed. After reporting her story to Willow Creek, however, she did not feel it was treated seriously. This is a story I take no pleasure in telling. I have waited a very long time and been in numerous private meetings with Willow leadership and others since 2010 and accomplished very little to date. It is my hope it is not too late for Willow, that the die is not yet cast with no hope for rebirth. So many truths are still concealed. My goal is for Willow leadership to finally be ready to repent, apologize specifically to the survivors from the Willow stage, and to make sweeping structural change within to prevent this from ever happening again, Lindberg added in her Facebook post. In their statement on Tuesday, Willow Creek apologized for how Lindberg was treated without naming her. While Dr. Bilezikian has never been an employee of Willow Creek, he has been active in the life of the church for decades. At the time, the churchs Elder Response Team (ERT) met at length with the woman and with Dr. Bilezikian. The team believed the womans claim that Dr. Bilezikian engaged in inappropriate behavior dating back to the mid-eighties, including but not limited to hand holding, hugs, kissing, inappropriate touching, and sending overly personal communication, the statement from the elders said. The ERT did restrict him from serving, but the restriction was not adequately communicated, resulting in Dr. Bilezikian serving and teaching in various capacities over the years. This was wrong, and we are sorry, they continued. Over the past years, behavior has been brought to light that is both harmful and unacceptable for a Christ follower. This sinful behavior that we believe was demonstrated by Dr. Bilezikian and Bill Hybels was wrong, and we hold any person entrusted with leading at Willow Creek Community Church to a higher standard. Leaders carry a mandate to shepherd the body of Christ and guard against sinful behavior (1 Peter 5:24), the elders added. They then requested prayer for all involved in the situation and urged any past or present victim abuse from Willow Creek leadership to call 630-682-9797, ext. 1291. The recent trade truce between President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron did more than spare Frances wine, cheese and lipstick industries from up to 100% in U.S. tariffs. It also presents breathing room for an international agreement governing how to tax U.S. tech firms with worldwide reach such as Facebook and Google parent company Alphabet Inc. France last year said it would impose a 3% tax on the revenue of tech companies with more than $832 million in annual sales. Italy and Great Britain have similar taxes set to take effect this year. The Trump administration has threatened retaliatory tariffs on any nation that imposes such a levy on U.S. tech firms. The argument for a digital tax is that, without one, companies such as Google and Facebook make money from foreign customers without paying anything to the national governments of those customers. The argument against a tax like Frances digital levy is its reach: it was to apply to all of a U.S. tech giants sales revenue. Mr. Macrons decision to suspend Frances tax should prompt all parties to negotiate an international agreement for dividing up taxes collected on the revenue of tech giants with multinational reach. While the United States objects to a plan devised by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Washington supports a way to resolve global tax disputes involving multinational companies. However far apart Europe and the United States are on taxing giant tech firms, this fight is about more than famous French products. But high-tech revenue is nothing to have a trade war over. For the sake of consumers and producers everywhere, this international dispute should be settled without threats and tariffs. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | WESTERN KENTUCKY By West Kentucky Star Staff Jan. 31, 2020 | 01:17 AM | WESTERN KENTUCKY A multi-county theft investigation has led to the arrest of six people, with more charges and arrests expected. In December, the Graves County Sheriff's Office received numerous reports of property theft in the Symsonia and Clear Springs areas. Surveillance cameras at one of the theft sites captured two suspects, who were identified as 22-year-old William Burgie and 19-year-old Kelsi Dawson, both of Graves County. The sheriff's office received information Tuesday that the suspects were hiding out in a camper in a remote, wooded area of Livingston County. Deputies from Graves, Livingston, and Marshall Counties set up surveillance at an area of interest. Burgie and Dawson were located a short time later and arrested after a short foot pursuit. Deputies reportedly recovered stolen items both in and around the camper, as well as methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. The vehicle believed to have been used in the thefts was also located in a wooded area approximately 100 yards off the roadway. Burgie and Dawson were arrested and charged with third degree burglary and first degree criminal trespass. Burgie was also charged with possession of methamphetamine second offense. As part of their investigation, Graves County Sheriff's Deputies went to a home on State Route 58 East Tuesday night, where they recovered numerous stolen items including tools, a kerosene heater, and ATVs. Deputies also reportedly seized methamphetamine and the homeowner, 56-year-old Anthony Driver, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Early Wednesday morning, a search warrant was executed at another home on Jakes Duke Road in Livingston County, where deputies allegedly found methamphetamine, a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and a large quantity of stolen items. Deputies arrested 36-year-old Joshua Armbruster, 40-year-old Vickie Jolley, and 46 year-old Grady P'Poole at this location. Armbruster was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Jolley was charged with possession of methamphetamine, and P'Poole was arrested on a warrant out of Livingston County. Deputies from several counties searched the Jake Dukes Road property later that morning attempting to identify stolen merchandise from open theft cases in their counties. Graves deputies recovered a large trailer full of items that had been stolen from Graves County residences, Kentucky State Police also recovered items stolen from Graves County, and McCracken County deputies seized items from thefts there. Deputies said the home on Jake Dukes Road was used as a "Stolen Property Depot" or fencing location. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges and arrests are expected. It looks like one Married At First Sight bride didn't get the fairytale wedding she'd hoped for. Mishel Meshes looked less than impressed as she arrived at the five-star Hotel Windsor in Melbourne with her 'husband', Steve Burley. In photos taken during filming on September 3, the Brisbane-based single mother, 48, appeared angry and upset on her wedding night. Not her type? Married At First Sight 2020 bride Mishel Meshes (pictured) looked very unhappy with 'husband' Steven Burley on their wedding night. Pictured in Melbourne on September 3 Mishel was still wearing her white wedding dress and veil from the ceremony as the newlyweds walked into the hotel. At one stage, Mishel awkwardly attempted to hold hands with Steve, 51, while a cameraman stood in front of them. Even though her wedding hasn't yet aired on TV, the mother-of-two has already made no secret of her lack of interest in Steve. Heartbreak on the horizon? In photos taken during filming, the Brisbane-based single mother, 48, appeared angry and upset on her wedding night Speaking on the Today show on Thursday, Mishel confessed that her groom wasn't somebody she would 'swipe right on'. Hinting that she had clashed with Steve, she added: 'I think men are turned off by honesty. Because I will tell you exactly what I'm thinking at the time.' In a trailer released last month, Mishel was shown running from her 'husband' after her family discovered his shocking past. Faking it? At one stage, Mishel awkwardly attempted to hold hands with Steve, 51, while a cameraman stood in front of them 'I liked him, but then he dropped a bit of a bombshell...' said Mishel's daughter, Eva, before whispering that the groom had previously 'cheated' on an ex-partner. 'Why would he tell you that? Get me out of here! Once a cheater, always a cheater!' Mishel said while running past a cameraman. Mishel was then followed by her son, Sam, and other family members as she dashed out of the reception, but it appears that she later reunited with Steve at their hotel. Mismatch: Speaking on the Today show on Thursday, Mishel confessed that her groom wasn't somebody she would 'swipe right on' Mishel had earlier told the Married At First Sight experts she had been cheated on by seven out of the eight men she had ever dated. Meanwhile, Melbourne-based businessman Steve appeared smitten by his new wife during his Today show interview on Thursday. 'When I turned around and she walked towards me. I was super proud of who was walking towards me, yeah,' he said. Married At First Sight premieres Monday, February 3 at 7:30pm on Channel Nine Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 19:17:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TOKYO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Japan's unemployment rate in December was unchanged from a month earlier, as the country continues to grapple with a severe labor crunch amid a rapidly aging and shrinking population, the government said in a report on Friday. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the unemployment rate stood at 2.2 percent in the recording period, with the number of unemployed dropping by 140,000 from a year earlier to 1.45 million people. Those leaving employment of their own volition totaled 620,000 people, a decline of 110,000 people from a year earlier, the ministry said, while those looking for employment rose by 10,000 people to 370,000. With the figure unchanged from a year earlier, the statistics bureau said that 200,000 were laid off in the recording period. Those in employment increased for the 84th successive month to stand at 67.37 million in December, an increase of 810,000 compared to a year earlier, the statistics bureau also said. Amid Japan's ever-worsening demographic crisis of a rapidly aging and shrinking population, which is steadily hollowing out the nation's workforce, the government has rolled out a number of initiatives to promote and encourage an increase in female employment as well as incentivize seniors to stay in employment beyond retirement age. The ministry said that those in employment in the recording period comprised 30 million women, up by 660,000 from the previous year, while senior citizens aged over 65 in employment rose by 470,000 to total 9.02 million people. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare on Friday said separately that the latest job availability ratio remained unchanged since September at 1.57. This equates to there being 157 available positions for every 100 people seeking work. The jobless rate in 2019, meanwhile, stood unchanged from the previous year at an annual average of 2.4 percent, marking the lowest level since the early 1990s, the ministry's data also showed. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rangga Widigda (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 One of the most debated items in the omnibus bill on job creation that is currently being drafted by the government is the hourly wage scheme in which wages are paid to employees on an hourly calculation. The hourly wage scheme is welcomed by employers, but has met massive protests from workers. The Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) supports the implementation of an hourly wage scheme in Indonesia. Apindo chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani said the implementation of the hourly wage scheme would not reduce the number of workers. On the contrary, he said he believed this scheme would have a positive impact, such as expanding job opportunities for workers. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) announced on Friday she would vote against admitting witnesses to the impeachment trial of President Trump. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of the [Houses impeachment] process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena, Murkowski said in a statement. Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. Murkowski also criticized Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) in her statement. On Thursday, Warren submitted a question to Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, which he then read aloud, questioning whether Roberts might be accused of political bias in the event of a tie-breaking vote on witnesses. It has also become clear some of my colleagues intend to further politicize this processwhile attacking the Chief Justice, Murkowski wrote. We have already degraded [Congress] for partisan political benefit, and I will not enable those who wish to pull down another. Murkowski is the second Republican who was considered a swing vote to come out against the admission of witnesses in the impeachment trial. The other, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, announced on Thursday his opposition to summoning witnesses. The only two Republicans to publicly support summoning witnesses are Senators Mitt Romney of Utah and Susan Collins of Maine. Democrats need four Republican votes to pass a motion in favor of witnesses. If the Senate votes against including additional witnesses and evidence, the final vote on the impeachment articles could still be pushed back to next week. Senate Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D., Il.) told CNN that the vote could take place by Wednesday of next week. Thats what [Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell is proposing. More from National Review Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday challenged Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take a dip in the river if the latter truly believes that the Yamuna river in Delhi is clean. "I challenge Arvind Kejriwal to take a dip in the the Yamuna. If he does so, we will believe that the river Yamuna is clean now," Shah said while addressing a public meeting here. "My suggestion to Kejriwal is that he should go to Prayagraj and take a dip in the Ganga there to know how rivers are maintained clean. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have made efforts to make Ganga clean," Shah said. The BJP leader alleged that the Delhi Jal Board was running at a profit of Rs 178 crore per anum before Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power but today it is incurring yearly losses to the tune of Rs 800 crore. The Union Minister further said: "The promises that Arvind Kejriwal had made five years ago are not fulfilled till date. He had promised that 1,000 schools and 50 new colleges will be opened in the capital. He had promised 15 lakh CCTV cameras in Delhi. We verified that 1.5 lakh CCTV cameras were actually installed out of which 1.25 lakh cameras were installed by the funds given by the central government." "AAP has been in the government in Delhi for five years. There is competition among governments as to who will deliver electricity, water, gas to every household. But if there is a competition for lying to the public, the Kejriwal government will be at number one," he alleged. Shah further said that before the elections, Kejriwal had stated that he won't take official bungalow and car provided by the government but he is availing the facilities. Elections to the Delhi Legislative Assembly will be held on February 8 and the counting of votes will take place on February 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Toronto, Jan 31 : The first type of influenza virus we are exposed to in early childhood dictates our ability to fight the flu for the rest of our lives, according to a new study. The findings, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, provide compelling new evidence to support the phenomenon known as 'antigenic imprinting', which suggests that early exposure to one of the two flu strains that circulate every year imprints itself on our immunity and disproportionately affects the body's lifelong response to the flu. "People's prior immunity to viruses like flu, or even coronavirus, can have a tremendous impact on their risk of becoming ill during subsequent epidemics and pandemics," said study researcher Matthew Miller from McMaster University in Canada. "Understanding how their prior immunity either leaves them protected or susceptible is really important for helping us to identify the populations who are most at risk during seasonal epidemics and new outbreaks," he added. For the findings, researchers collected and analysed data from the 2018-19 flu season, which was highly unusual because both strains of influenza A dominated at different periods of time. Typically, only one strain dominates each flu season and will account for almost all cases, said the researchers. The researchers found that people who were born when H1N1 was dominant have a much lower susceptibility to influenza during seasons dominated by that virus than during seasons dominated by H3N2. In turn, those born in a H3N2 year are less vulnerable to influenza A during seasons dominated by H3N2. "We already knew from our previous studies that susceptibility to specific influenza subtypes could be associated with year of birth. This new study goes much further in support of antigenic imprinting," said study lead author Alain Gagnon from the University of Montreal. "Instead of just showing how specific age patterns are associated with one subtype or the other during a single influenza season, we took advantage of a unique 'natural experiment' to show how the change in subtype dominance during one season appears to lead, practically in real time, to a change in susceptibility by age," Gagnon explained. Researchers hope to further explore transmission dynamics by analysing how viruses spread within households, where exposure is high and prolonged. From the outside, the facade of Destination (a prominent Beijing venue that expressly welcomes gay people) is downright drab. But inside this four-storey cultural centre on the east side of the city, the works in the nonprofit art gallery can push boundaries. This is no easy feat as censorship restrictions have been tightening in China under President Xi Jinping. And, although same-sex relations were decriminalised in 1997, gay Beijingers say they continue to face discrimination. They look longingly to Taiwan, where a recent decision to legalise same-sex marriage on the self-ruled island of 24 million is being celebrated throughout the world. Taiwan has long been the heart of gay Asia. In mainland China, acceptance of same-sex couples has progressed at a glacial rate. Many gay Chinese will never come out to their family, and there are still gay conversion centres around the country. However, there is a quietly present gay community in Beijing. Destination, which opened 15 years ago as a nightclub and has since expanded to become a cultural centre, is one of the few places where gay men can be open about their sexual orientation, observers say. Since the centres opening, its clientele has remained mostly gay men, but its more than just a place to find a date. The centre provides anonymous HIV testing, practice rooms for a mens choir, yoga and dance classes. And on the third floor, the art gallery, ART-Des, provides a window into the current state of gay art in Beijing. Today the centre of the gallery is dominated by a bronze sculpture of a dozen sinuous men, clean shaven and nude, beating drums. On the wall hangs a mural depicting a group of male companions, casually dressed in boxer shorts; in the lower corner is an image of one hand gently grasping another. Another work depicts a deeper level of intimacy. As two-toned torsos lean into each other, both clad in only white briefs, one man cups the weight of the others groin. Very few art galleries in China are willing to show works by gay artists, or art that addresses homosexuality, says Gao Jianxiang, a sculptor and painter in his mid-twenties whose work is shown at ART-Des. Because of this, he says, most artists will paint from the closet to have their works gain wider acceptance. But by doing so, Gao says, artists become complicit in the discrimination against gay people. Destination is providing an important platform, in that it will allow works that portray same-sex relations, and its door is open to out artists, he adds. Deciding whether a work is salacious or vulgar can be subjective, leaving grey areas for artists to work in The curator of ART-Des is Pierre Alivon, a French photographer who has lived in Beijing for four years. The gallery, like other cultural organisations in Beijing, may receive directives from the local cultural bureau, one of many government entities that can influence, or sometimes even dictate, what kind of artwork should not be shown. All galleries must operate within Chinese law. This includes adhering to censorship guidelines. For example, nudity is generally not allowed. While censorship in China dates to long before Xi, it has ramped up under his rule. In 2014, the president gave a now well-circulated speech warning that salacious art results in cultural garbage. Now, whenever Xi reiterates that art should serve the people and be rooted in a Marxist consciousness, there have been recurring crackdowns on content across all mediums. However, the boundaries of censorship are difficult to define. Particularly with visual works, deciding whether a work is salacious or vulgar can be subjective, leaving grey areas for artists to work in. Case in point: a large watercolour piece on display at ART-Des (which secured all necessary approvals for its exhibit) is a figure drawing of a young man who is nude save for a well-placed leaf. In theory, given the censorship, this painting typically would not be allowed at any gallery. Yet this same watercolour was shown at the Beijing International Art Biennale, organised by the capitals municipal government. All artwork for the event had government approval. Perhaps its not as free as the West; but its not as closed as people think, either. Were not North Korea. Anonymous Artist Another artist, who asks to remain anonymous because of the sensitive nature of gay rights and art censorship, paints Victorian-style portraits, some of which occasionally feature nude figures. His works have been displayed at ART-Des. He recognises that his style would not pass muster with Chinese censors. Despite this, he points out that one can still be a great artist, even if artwork is not displayed at galleries in line with the governments stance. To me, that shows there is freedom, despite what outsiders imagine, he says. But what about limiting the subject matter that art can address? He casts a long gaze, and says, Yes, perhaps its not as free as the West; but its not as closed as people think, either. Were not North Korea. Gao, the young sculptor, sees things differently. He says artists do not feel free to create works that reflect gay subject matter, because of the pressures of widespread misunderstanding and disapproval. Indeed, most gay artists create works without being open about their homosexuality. A study jointly conducted by the United Nations Development Programme, Peking University and the Beijing LGBT Centre found that only 5 per cent of sexual and gender minority people are willing to live their diversity openly in China. The more politically aware will use their art to fight for social equity, reduce misunderstanding and discrimination, Gao says. There have been a few openly gay artists in China, including photographer Ren Hang, who rose to international fame with provocative work that was sexually explicit. Even so, Alivon has heard of gay artists having difficulty in selling their artwork, not because of the works aesthetics, but because the artist is known to be gay. Other people may wonder why he or she purchased artwork by a gay artist then people may wonder if the buyer is gay themselves, Alivon says. That is part of the reason ART-Des plays such an important role for gay artists. It offers a space to have work shown to the public, in an effort to reduce misconceptions, as well as provide a venue where potential buyers can view artwork. But hope springs eternal. Zhao Keyuan, a sculptor whose work has been displayed at the gallery, suggests that as the government leadership gets younger, the situation will gradually improve. New York Times - John Dramani Mahama has said an extra GH13 billion would be needed to complete governments banking sector cleanup - According to him, this is necessary because the GH15 billion approved by Parliament to support the cleanup has not served its purpose Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has said an extra GH13 billion would be needed to complete governments banking sector cleanup. According to Mahama, the GH15 billion approved by Parliament to support the cleanup has not served its purpose due to the way government went about the whole exercise. The former president made this known while speaking during a Facebook live broadcast on Thursday, January 30, 2020. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo wears a crown of shame Suhuyini Our estimates show that going by the reckless path this government chose with its attendant job losses and collapse of businesses, an additional 13 billion will be required to complete the exercise of the financial sector cleanup, he said. In a bid to restore confidence in the banking and specialised deposit-taking sectors, nine universal banks, 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies, 15 savings and loans companies, eight finance house companies and two non-bank institutions were closed. The licenses of 53 fund management firms were also revoked. Mahama said although government had no plan on how to handle the financial sector clean up, it deliberately undertook the exercise to dishonestly lower the projected budget deficit and give a false picture of satisfactory fiscal performance in 2020 which is an election year. READ ALSO: Ghanaian man starts business that can build roads & houses with 100% plastic In other news, Member of Parliament for the Tamale North Constituency in the Northern Region has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wears a crown of shame following Transparency Internationals assessment of Ghanas fight against corruption. Ghana was recently ranked 80th out of 180 countries on the 2019 global Corruption Perception Index (CPI) with a score of 41 per cent, an exercise carried out by international organisation Transparency International (TI). Making reference to the CPI on TV3s New Day, the Tamale North legislator observed the countrys fight against corruption is the worst under Akufo-Addos watch. READ ALSO: Bawumia begs contractors, engineers to make "Year of Roads" a success This is what makes 4-year-old Nii Omanye aka Kwame Nkrumah the smartest child in Ghana| #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh During his final year at Freehold Township High School in 2012, Tim Horton had an encounter with Stephanie Parze that he remembers to this day. Parze, a catcher on the schools softball team, consoled Horton after he was turned down by a girl he hoped to take to prom. She listened to me and said Wow, that was mean of that person, Horton, now 26, recalled. "(Parze) was like that with everyone. She was always just a sweet person. Horton was among the line of friends and family dressed in black who stood outside the doors of the St. Rose of Lima Chapel in Freehold Thursday evening to pay their respects to the spunky and talented Parze. So was Kristine ODonnell, 29, a family friend. "She was a nice girl who went above and beyond for people, she said. Shell be missed. The 25-year-old Parze went missing last October, prompting massive searches throughout New Jersey and New York led by family and authorities. Volunteers, who her family dubbed Stephanies angels, searched hundreds of acres during some of the coldest months of the year. Eighty-seven days later, two teenagers found her body in a wooded area off Route 9 in Old Bridge, steps from the highways guardrail. Flowers have been placed at the site as a memorial to Parze. Authorities then revealed that her ex-boyfriend confessed in his suicide note that he killed her. A memorial near the site where Stepanhie Parze's body was found along Route 9 south in Old Bridge. Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Freehold. Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media Ahead of the visitation, Parzes father Ed said his hardest days are yet ahead as the family prepares to bury Stephanie following a Friday funeral. The family is setting up a foundation in Stephanie Parzes name to benefit battered women and missing people. Her ex-boyfriend, John Ozbilgen, had three separate assault allegations made against him, including by Parze. You are so loved baby girl. You will live in everyones hearts forever and ever. We will make sure your legacy lives on as you help so many others through your story, Ed Parze wrote in an online post. A make-up artist and nanny, Parze graduated from duCret Art School in Plainfield and the Robert Fiance Beauty School in Perth Amboy. She became a licensed cosmetologist in 2013 with dreams of some day becoming a movie make-up artist. Online, Parze shared her artistic creations: three-dimensional body art and intricate nail designs. And the story of her vanishing and then death, which caught national attention, touched strangers and old friends alike. Jack Loennecker, Parzes high school friend who had moved to Bristol, Connecticut, returned to New Jersey this week to say a final goodbye to his former classmate. What set Parze from others their age, he said, was how she befriended nearly everyone. I havent seen her in seven years, but I can remember talking to her in math class as if it were yesterday, Loennecker said. She didnt care about how popular you were. She would be friends with anyone. The visitation for Stephanie Parze runs until 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 30, and the funeral will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Rose, 51 Lincoln Place in Freehold. Her family is also planning a gathering for Feb. 19 in Freehold for what would have been Parzes 26th birthday. (JTA)One week before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, dozens of European officials arrived in Poland for a large commemoration event at Auschwitz. The delegation from the Brussels-based European Jewish Association visited the former Nazi death camp, located about 20 miles from Krakow, on Tuesday. Few of the officials, however, took time from their busy agendas to meet with elderly Holocaust witnesses, whose numbers decrease every year. One exception was Jan Jambon, the prime minister of the Flemish state in Belgium. On Monday, Jambon visited the home of Maria Nowak, a Polish woman who risked her life to save Jews during the Holocaust, to celebrate her 100th birthday. Nowak received Jambon and members of his delegation in her bed at her modest home in Krakow. She did not say much during the encounter, but beamed for the dozen or so people who filled her living room to capacity. Jambon suggested that his visit to Auschwitz would not have been complete without visiting Nowak. Having the opportunity to visit a lady like Mrs. Nowak shows us what heroism really is, shows us what it means to bring light in the darkest times in modern history, Jambon told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust research authority, recognized Nowak in 1995 as a Righteous Among the Nations for risking her life to save her Jewish friend and classmate Helena Goldstein. Nowak smuggled food to Goldsteins family, and after the Nazis killed the family, Nowak helped her friend escape the ghetto of Krakow, hid her in her apartment and created a false, non-Jewish identity for her, allowing Goldstein to escape to Germany. Nowak even gave Goldstein her own identity card until she got the false papers. German occupation forces likely would have killed Nowak for any of those actions. Visiting along with Jambon was Michael Freilich, the only Orthodox Jewish lawmaker in Belgiums federal parliament. My own grandfather survived the war thanks to righteous individuals, Freilich said. It is our duty to honor these people who risked their lives to save Jews. The visit was organized by the From the Depths commemoration group. It was obvious to me to invite them to join me in wishing a happy birthday to a true hero, Jonny Daniels, the Jewish groups founder, said about Nowak. THE Government has confirmed that Minister Michael Noonan will travel to Malaysia and Singapore for St Patricks Day while Minister-of-State Patrick ODonovan will travel to Eastern Australia and New Zealand. The trips will form part of the Promote Ireland programme of international events which will see An Taoiseach, Tanaiste and 27 Ministers taking part in over 100 business events and high-level political meetings in 27 countries. Confirming details of the programme, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan said: The St Patricks Day period is a time to renew the important links between Ireland and the global Irish abroad. "From Asia to the Americas, we come together each St Patricks Day to share in the pride and memory of our common heritage and affinity. Speaking to the Limerick Leader, Minister Noonan said it was important that Ireland enhances its relationship with Malaysia and Singapore. They have a big financial services industry out there, and we'd be hoping that with Brexit they'd express an interest in Ireland. He said he would be meeting with particular companies relevant to growing Ireland's economy, having earlier stressed that the UK cannot become 'Singapore-on-Thames' once it leaves the EU market. Speaking before his itinerary was confirmed, Minister of State for Sport and Tourism Patrick O'Donovan said: The most important thing from my point of view is I have a job to do with Tourism Ireland." By Rasana Gasimova A regular 12th meeting of the Azerbaijan-Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission (IPC) on economic cooperation will be held in Kyiv on January 31. Azerbaijan will be represented by Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov and Ukraine by Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy at the meeting, Energy Ministry reported. Expanding cooperation in the trade, economic, energy, transport and infrastructure sectors, as well as in the field of high technology, agriculture, culture, tourism and others will be discussed at the meeting. Following the meeting, the final protocol and a number of other documents will be signed. As part of the meeting, Shahbazov together with the President of SOCAR (Azerbaijans State Oil Company) Rovnag Abdullayev and representatives of some structures and business circles will visit a number of infrastructure facilities in Odessa. Moreover, a regular meeting of the Ukraine-Azerbaijan working group on cooperation in the energy sector and a round table will be held on January 30. Azerbaijan is currently the main supplier of oil to Ukraine. Ukraine imported crude oil worth $309.443 million from Azerbaijan in 2019, which is 76.3 of the countrys total crude oil imports. SOCAR carries out its activity in Ukraine through SOCAR Energy Ukraine since 2009. SOCAR filling station network includes 59 filling stations in 11 regions of the country as well as two oil tankers. The main activity of SOCAR Energy Ukraine is to develop a network of petrol stations in Ukraine, organize wholesale of gasoline and oil products. Since late 2016, the company has also been engaged in trade of natural gas in Ukraine. Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and SOCAR President Rovnag Abdullayev discussed investing in infrastructure projects, enterprises, as well as gas transmission capacities of Ukraine during their meeting held as part of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Ukraine increased by 15.5 year year-on-year in 2019 and the two countries are taking measures to expand and diversify the bilateral trade ties. In December 2019, the countries held the Azerbaijan-Ukraine business forum aimed to further develop economic and trade relations. Over 90 companies from Ukraine and more than 100 companies from Azerbaijan participated in the forum. Azerbaijan has already invested $1 billion in the Ukrainian economy and we want to invest another $1.5 billion in the future. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz UP assembly polls will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'; BJP will win: Yogi Adityanath UP: Elections not won on exit polls basis, results will be surprising: Kamal Nath UP hostage taker shot dead: 20 children rescued India oi-Deepika S Lucknow, Jan 30: Over 20 children who were held hostage by a man at his house in Uttar Pradesh have been rescued. The hostage-taker Subhash Batham has been shot dead. The killing of Batham was confirmed by Mohit Agarwal, the IG, Kanpur. Batham invited some children from the village to his house on the pretext of celebrating his daughter's birthday. However, once they were inside, he held everybody including his own wife and daughter at gunpoint. During the negotiations, Batham told the police that he has 30 kilograms of explosives. The police said that Batham had sent out a typed complaint addressed to the district magistrate in which he said that he was denied a house and a toilet under the Central Housing scheme for the poor. This indicates that the act was a well planned one, the police also said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. AEP Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), and Apex Clean Energy today (1/29) announced a long-term power purchase agreement that will supply AEP Energy with clean power from Emerson Creek Wind, located in Erie and Huron Counties, Ohio. The 240 MW transaction is the largest physical PPA for a wind project serving load in the PJM market and will be used by AEP Energy to serve contracted loads within PJM. "With this milestone for Emerson Creek Wind, Ohio is one step closer to realizing the extensive benefits of wind energy by stimulating significant local economic investment and satisfying consumer and corporate demand," said Mark Goodwin, Apex Clean Energy president and CEO. "Partnering with like-minded organizations such as AEP Energy allows Apex to help serve customers who are leading the transition to a clean energy economy and, with them, take strides toward decarbonizing the grid at scale." Emerson Creek Wind, which will be operational in late 2021, will also provide significant economic benefits for the local and state economies. The project will create more than 100 short-term construction jobs and 10 long-term operations positions, as well as generate approximately $40 million in landowner payments and $70 million in tax revenue for Ohioans. AEP Energy will use the power from Emerson Creek to serve customers who want clean energy for their retail supply including Google, the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy in the world. The Emerson Creek project will contribute a renewable source of power for Google's recently announced New Albany data center, which AEP Energy will supply and match the load with 100% renewable energy from new resources. "This power purchase agreement with Apex enables us to provide our customers with an integrated, carbon-free energy supply that delivers long-term price stability and environmental benefits. Agreements like these demonstrate the innovative energy solutions we can put in place to help our customers power their homes and businesses with clean, cost effective, reliable energy," said Greg Hall, president, AEP Energy. This PPA represents Apex's third major transaction with AEP, including a 200 MW PPA signed between the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, an AEP subsidiary, and the Apex-developed Balko Wind project in 2013. About Apex Clean Energy Apex Clean Energy develops, constructs, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power facilities across North America. Our mission-driven team of more than 200 renewable energy experts uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world's most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information on how Apex is leading the transition to a clean energy future, visit www.apexcleanenergy.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About AEP Energy AEP Energy, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is a certified competitive retail electricity and natural gas supply provider operating in 28 service territories in six states and Washington, D.C. AEP Energy supplies electricity and natural gas solutions for more than 450,000 residential and business customers and takes pride in making it easy for customers to buy, manage and use energy. Based in Columbus, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois, AEP Energy is committed to excellence by serving customers with value, innovation and many years of industry experience. New Delhi, Jan 31 : Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Friday claimed that the BJP was planning some "big disturbance" on February 2 at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia Islamia -- the epicentre of the anti-CAA protests in Delhi -- ahead of the February 8 Assembly polls. "(Union Home Minister) Amit Shah is behind all this. First, he encourages a BJP Minister to deliver hate speech and then violence breaks. A man walks openly with a gun in public and opens fire. "Shah is controlling Delhi Police's hand. Law and order has gone from bad to worse after Shah took over as the Home Minister. Now, they plan to do something big on February 2 at Shaheen Bagh and JMI. I wish to warn the people and the Election Commission," the AAP leader told the media here. "I have proof. A lot of messages and videos are doing the rounds on WhatsApp," Singh claimed, adding that he would submit the "evidence" to the Election Commission. He claimed that the BJP leadership is "losing temper" because that party is set to lose the Assembly elections in Delhi and so they want to "postpone elections". Delhi will hold the Assembly polls on February 8. Chandigarh, Jan 31 : With Punjab Police busting a major narco-terror racket, allegedly linked to one of India's biggest drug smuggling kingpins and also having suspected involvement of an official appointed by the previous Akali regime, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday asserted that he would not spare anyone found implicated in the case, irrespective of their political affiliations. He said that his government would not allow drug smugglers, narco gangsters and narco-terrorists to spread their wings in the state, which had witnessed massive decline in the number of deaths due to drug abuse, as a result of the efforts of the government and the police. The deaths come down from 114 in 2018 to 47 in 2019, he said at a press conference here, adding that his government would not give up the fight against drugs till the problem is rooted out completely. Giving details of Thursday night's arrests and seizures, the Chief Minister said the house in Sultanwind village in the Amritsar border region from which the police seized nearly 195 kg of heroin along with chemicals , allegedly belonged to Anwar Masih, who was a member of the Subordinate Services Board (SSB), an appointee of the previous SAD-BJP government. Investigations were in progress to ascertain involvement of Masih, who claims to haveA rented out the house to the accused arrested last night by the Special Task Force, Border Range, said Amarinder Singh. However, Masih has so far failed to produce any written rent agreement and the people of the area were also unaware of any tenants living there, he said. Preliminary investigations had revealed that the accused had been using the premises for the past one month. Congratulating the police on the seizure and arrests, Amarinder Singh said initial investigations suggested that the drug network was linked with Simranjit Singh Sandhu, one of the biggest drug mafia of the country, who has recently been detained in Italy. He said that his government would seek extradition of Sandhu, who holds an Australian passport and was detained in Italy on an Interpol notice from the Gujarat authorities. The seizure, said the Chief Minister, appeared to be a part of the consignment of 300 kgs of drugs that arrived in Mandavi in Gujarat last year, and of which 200 kg was smuggled into Punjab. The consignment had been traced to Sandhu, while efforts were also on to trace the other big fish involved in the case. Giving further details, the Chief Minister said six persons, including an Afghan national identified as Armaan Basharmal, have so far been arrested, with 194.15 kg of heroin and several kgs of chemicals seized from their possession. A lot of equipment used for refining of heroin and mixing it with other products has also been seized from Armaan, who had come to Punjab a week ago. Interrogation of Sandhu and further investigations in the case would lead to others involved in the case and would also reveal whether the drugs were meant for Punjab or for distribution outside the state, said the Chief Minister, in reply to a question. In response to questions about his government's success in combating the drug problem, the Chief Minister said the efforts of the STF had led to a major crackdown, with 35,500 cases registered under the NDPS Act between March 2017 and January 2020 (before the present case). In this period, 44,500 smugglers or peddlers have been arrested and 11,000 are currently in prison, he said, adding that these efforts had led to a dramatic increase in the seizure of heroin (1,100 kg from March 2017 to January 2020, in addition to 194.15 kg seized last night). As part of the incentives programme, panchayats that report 100 per cent drug free villages will be given special grants, he said. As far as rehabilitation was concerned, the Buddy and DAPO programmes were working well and so far around 3.5 lakh drug victims had visited the rehabilitation, OOAT and de-addiction centres. Admitting that use of drones in recent months to smuggle weapons and drugs into Punjab was a matter of serious concern for the state, the Chief Minister said his government had sought anti-drone devices from the Centre to tackle the problem. Unfortunately, he said, Punjab, along with Delhi, had over the years emerged as a lucrative market for drugs, encouraging smugglers from other states and narco terrorists from Pakistan to push narcotics into the state. His government was working closely with other northern states, sharing regular information, to combat the problem, said Amarinder Singh. With the DGPs of these states meeting every month, there was significant progress in cracking down on the drug smugglers, he said, pointing out that the Chief Ministers had also agreed to meet every six months. By Trend While the negotiations between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan were held in Geneva, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the occupied Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijani political analyst Shabnam Hasanova told Trend. Of course, this step not only overshadows the negotiation process, but it is also at odds with efforts which are made to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a whole, the political analyst said. These Pashinyans actions are nothing more than an attempt to divert attention in a different direction through various maneuvers, Hasanova said. Pashinyan has always resorted to this trick. His authority among the Armenian citizens is undermined, and he is trying to attract attention by any means, including populist statements and maneuvers." "On the eve of the meeting of the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Bratislava in December 2019, Pashinyan used a similar method. This is evidenced by his visit to Nagorno Karabakh and a meeting with separatists, as well as by the statement of the press secretary of the "leader" of so-called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic" David Babayan about the impossibility of a meeting between the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities," the political analyst said. Shabnam Hasanova emphasized that the format of negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group is unchanged, Azerbaijan and Armenia are the only parties to the negotiations, and Pashinyan's dream of setting Karabakh separatists at the negotiating table is doomed to collapse, like his other aspirations and maneuvers. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan met in Geneva on Jan. 29. On the eve of the meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited Nagorno Karabakh, where he met with separatist leader Bako Sahakyan and took part in presenting service quarters to Armenian soldiers. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding regions. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding regions. The Supreme Court Friday agreed to hear a plea seeking quashing of notices sent to alleged protestors by district administration for recovering losses caused by damage to public properties during the anti-CAA agitations in Uttar Pradesh and asked the state to respond to it. A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and K M Joseph issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government on the plea and directed it to file its reply within four weeks. The apex court was hearing a plea which has alleged that such notices have been sent in Uttar Pradesh in an "arbitrary manner" against a person, who had died six years ago at the age of 94, and also to several others including two who are aged above 90. The counsel appearing for petitioner Parwaiz Arif Titu said these notices were based on an Allahabad High Court judgement delivered in 2010 which "is in violation of the guidelines" laid down by the top court in a 2009 verdict which was later re-affirmed in a 2018 order. The lawyer said the state government has appointed additional district magistrate to deal with the process of notices for recovering damages for loss of public property during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act whereas the guidelines laid down by the apex court stipulated that retired judges should deal with it. "The Supreme Court's judgement is not being followed," the petitioner's counsel said. At the fag end of hearing, the counsel urged the court to give him liberty to make the Centre as a party in the case. The bench asked him to file application in this regard. The plea has sought stay on these notices claiming they have been sent to persons who have not been booked under any penal provisions and no details of FIR or any criminal offences have been made out against them. "The contradiction is that while the Supreme Court in 2009 put the onus of assessment of damages and recovery from the accused on high courts of every state, whereas the Allahabad High Court had issued guidelines in 2010 judgement that let the state government undertake these processes to recover damages, which has serious implications," said the plea, filed through advocate Nilofar Khan. "The judicial oversight/judicial security is a sort of safety mechanism against arbitrary action. This means that there is every chance that the ruling party in the state could go after its political opponents or others oppose to it to settle scores," it said. It also sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh government to follow the procedure as per the 2009 and 2018 guidelines of the apex court while claiming damages to recover the losses caused to public property during such protests. The plea sought setting up of an independent judicial inquiry to probe into the incidents which happened during the protests against the amended citizenship act and the National Register of Citizens in Uttar Pradesh, as has been done by the Karnataka High Court. It claimed that the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is "moving ahead on the chief minister's promise of avenging loss to public property" by seizing assets of protestors in order to "take revenge for political reasons from one community who is in minority". The plea further alleged that around 925 persons, who have been arrested so far in connection with the violent protests, may not get bail easily in Uttar Pradesh till they pay up for the losses as they have to be given "conditional bail" only after they deposit the amount. "The government of Uttar Pradesh and its administration and police are no longer behaving like the arm of a democratic government as it cracked down on protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019/NRC. The police on the instructions of the Uttar Pradesh administration used disproportionate force and denied public accountability," it alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Press Release 31 January 2020 This year the HSMAI Revenue Optimisation Conference returned to London, being held at the prestigious Savoy Hotel on January 28th 2020. The 2019 awards were presented in new categories including Young Talent of The Year, Young Hotelier of The Year, Best Sales Professional of The Year, Best Use of Brand, and Best Technology Innovator of The Year. Also presented for the first time this year, was the Fabian Specht Revenue Optimization Professional of the Year Award. This award was named in memory of industry stalwart and HSMAI contributor Fabian Specht. Read more here. Advertisements Remy Merckx, VP Global Digital, Radisson Hotel Group was our great informative and entertaining moderator for both the ROC and the Awards. Thank you Remy! "HSMAI Region Europe have launched several initiatives aimed at marketing our industry with a view to recruiting and retaining the best talents. We are proud of how the industry is evolving and of the stellar work many companies are doing to take their brands and their people and customers forward," says Ingunn Hofseth, President and CEO of HSMAI Region Europe. Here are the winners of the HSMAI Europe Awards 2019: HSMAI Region Europe Awards first ever Best use of Brand Award to The Red Carnation Hotel Collection From left: Monna Nordhagen, Partner at Mars Brand Strategy and Chair of the HSMAI Europe Marketing and Branding Advisory Board, Aideen Ebrahim, Distribution Manager, Red Carnation Hotels, Ciara Fitzpatrick, Marketing Community Manager, Red Carnation Hotels and Remy Merckx, VP Global Digital, Radisson Hotel Group Photo: HSMAI Europe HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner of the annual Best use of Brand award. Best use of brand goes to a company that demonstrates excellence in the use of brand to influence customers, industry, employees or other stakeholders' behaviours, choices or values. The Winner of the 2019, and first, Best use of Brand award was The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. This is in reflection of the outstanding Summer of Culture Campaign. The jury responsible for deciding the successful recipient said of this campaign: "The winner checked so many of the Best use of Brand award criteria, inspiring customers, partners and their local community, all at the same time. Because the activities align perfectly with the brand's identity and values, it comes across as playful, authentic and entirely unforced. The jury was impressed by the many creative ways in which the winners of this award turned their unique customer propositions into new and delightful experiences. In fact, the jury wishes it could have been there to experience every part of the campaign. That the efforts increased both visibility and bottom line is unsurprising." HSMAI Region Europe Awards Best Technology Innovator of The Year Award to RateGain From left: Remy Merckx, VP Global Digital, Radisson Hotel Group, Mark Haywood, Senior Vice President & Head of Sales Europe, Brazil & North Africa, RateGain and Amanda Elder, CCO, Kempinski Hotels Photo: HSMAI Europe HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner of Best Technology Innovator of The Year award. Best Technology Innovator of The Year goes to the company that demonstrates a real change in the hotel landscape with a truly innovative application of technology. The Winner of the 2019, Best Technology Innovator was RateGain. This is in reflection of the first of its kind Artificial Intelligence product, MarketDRONE. The experienced jury, which consisted of industry experts Carl Weldon - COO Europe HFTP, Amanda Elder - CCO Kempinski Hotels, Kai Holmberg - Partner Unfold and Matthew Stephens - MD eHotelier said the following of the winner: "The online hospitality ecosystem is continuously changing. Hotels are constantly changing rates for existing plans and introducing new rate plans close to check-in-date to sell off their unsold inventory aiming to maximize revenues online. The created envisaged solution is a feed that automatically pushes market changes through push notifications to Revenue Managers on a device of their choice. The instant alerts give notifications to Revenue Managers or other users as soon as market changes. The winner is the first of its kind, Artificial Intelligence enabled cloud based, self-learning product, which tracks intra-day rate and rate plan changes by hotels in real-time and serves them on the go on a device of the user's choice. The winner of this award has created an easy to navigate and easy to use interface for users to consume information & respond to it. It has created the simple delivery of a complex solution answering a complex question using clever, elegant, Artificial Intelligence." Honourable mentions goes to all finalists in this category which included Criton Group, MCI Group, Oaky & OTA Insight. HSMAI Region Europe Awards Sales Professional of The Year Award to Mark Beverlo From left: Remy Merckx, VP Global Digital, Radisson Hotel Group, Mark Beverlo, Director Regional Sales, Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Remi Morken, COO, SalesScreen Photo: HSMAI Europe HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the first ever winner of the Sales Professional of The Year award. HSMAI Region Europe Awards Sales Professional of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a true passion for the brand they represent, service provision, and the sales profession. The Winner of the 2019, annual Sales Professional of the Year was Mark Beverlo, Director Regional Sales, Preferred Hotels & Resorts. The winner of this Award, next to recognition, wins free attendance included hotel and travel to the 5 day-HSMAI Region Europe Summer Camp taking place in Berlin this year. The experienced jury, which consisted of industry experts Remi Morken - COO SalesScreen, Michael Mernagh - Head of Sales EMEA OTA Insight, Kai Holmberg - Partner Unfold, Matthew Stephens - MD eHotelier, said the following of the winner: "We've reviewed and interviewed great candidates for the HSMAI Europe Sales Professional of the Year. All candidates have exceptional results to show in 2019 and strongly deserve the nomination. The candidates are a mix of experienced and new sales professionals. Every one of them has in common a passion for their brand, the service they provide and the sales profession. The candidate the jury has decided to award the title "Europe Sales Professional of the year" shows a burning passion for the profession, the brand and last but not least their customers. High activity levels (calls and meetings) combined with a mindset all sales professionals should strive for creates amazing results. This year's winner builds trust within their team, its prospects and customers. The winner has broad experience from sales in Europe and Asia and has leveraged the relationships created for almost 2 decades in new business every year." Top 4 goes to Karen Kilminster Groups & Meetings Manager IHG, Lionel Badart Global Sales Manager Thon Hotels, Niina Turunen Sales Manager SOK Travel & Hospitality. Photo: HSMAI Europe HSMAI Region Europe Awards Young Talent of The Year Award to Philip Steiner of Cycas Hospitality Group HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the first ever winner of the Young Talent of The Year award. HSMAI Region Europe Young Talent of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a complete understanding of hotel operations and the ability to build cross functional relationships at a young age. The Winner of the 2019, annual Young Talent of The Year was Philip Steiner, Director of Accommodations & Serviced Apartments, Cycas Hospitality Group. The winner of this Award, next to recognition, wins free attendance included hotel and travel to the 5 day-HSMAI Region Europe Summer Camp taking place in Berlin this year. In addition they can join one of the modules for free, for the new EHL digital program - MBA in Hospitality. The experienced jury, which consisted of industry experts Gil Mulders - Founder The Talent Network and chair of HSMAI Europe People & Culture Advisory Board, Valerie de Corte Global Alliance & Partnership Director EHL, Lennart Maas - General Manager Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, Mia Touzin Leffler - Education Advisor HSMAI Region Europe, Jarle Moen - MD Sommerro, Victoria Roos Olsson - Consultant & Author FranklinCovey said the following of the winner: "The jury was extremely impressed by the quality of each and every candidate. They have seen powerful initiatives, creative business solutions, and exceptional leadership. We appreciate the time and dedication it took to turn around their applications and produce amazing videos and essays. Choosing the finalists and winners has been extremely difficult, as we truly believe that every finalist deserved to win. However, this is a competition and therefore there can only be one winner in each category. The winner of the Young Talent Award has, at an early stage in his career acquired a complete understanding of hotel operations but also works closely with finance, commercial, development and most importantly with the people and culture function of his company. This gentleman transformed food safety standards and processes for his company, becoming number one in the U.K. and Europe. He fought for in-sourcing bringing valuable talents back to the company. Helped drive his company values into the business, facilitated a leadership programme and successfully mentored one of his colleagues. This "master of all trades" at 30 deserved an extra recognition." From left: Remy Merckx, VP Global Digital, Radisson Hotel Group, Valerie de Corte Global Alliance & Partnership Director EHL, Philip Steiner, Director of Accommodations & Serviced Apartments, Cycas Hospitality Group and Gil Mulders, Founder The Talent Network and Chair of HSMAI Europe People & Culture Advisory Board Photo: HSMAI Europe Top 3 goes to Alex Lewis - Performance & Analytics Manager, Kew Green Hotels and Thibault Catala - MD Catala Consulting. HSMAI Region Europe Awards Young Hotelier of The Year Award to Thomas Goval, Deputy General Manager at Katara Hospitality Top 3 goes to Alex Lewis Performance & Analytics Manager, Kew Green Hotels and Thibault Catala MD Catala Consulting. Photo: HSMAI Europe HSMAI Region Europe is pleased to announce the winner Young Hotelier of The Year award. HSMAI Region Europe Young Hotelier of The Year Award goes to the individual that demonstrates a complete understanding of hotel operations and the ability to build cross functional relationships at a young age. The Winner of the 2019, annual Young Hotelier of The Year was Thomas Goval, Deputy General Manager at Katara Hospitality,. The winner of this Award, next to recognition, wins free attendance included hotel and travel to the 5 day-HSMAI Region Europe Summer Camp taking place in Berlin this year. In addition they can join one of the modules for free, for the new EHL digital program - MBA in Hospitality. The experienced jury, which consisted of industry experts Gil Mulders - Founder The Talent Network and chair of HSMAI Europe People & Culture Advisory Board, Valerie de Corte Global Alliance & Partnership Director EHL, Lennart Maas - General Manager Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam, Mia Touzin Leffler - Education Advisor HSMAI Region Europe, Jarle Moen - MD Sommerro, Victoria Roos Olsson - Consultant & Author FranklinCovey said the following of the winner: "The jury was extremely impressed by the quality of each and every candidate. They have seen powerful initiatives, creative business solutions, and exceptional leadership. We appreciate the time and dedication it took to turn around their applications and produce amazing videos and essays. Choosing the finalists and winners has been extremely difficult, as we truly believe that every finalist deserved to win. However, this is a competition and therefore there can only be one winner in each category. "The winner of the Young Hotelier Award became General Manager of a major boutique hotel brand at 26. Having worked in 5 countries, and achieving a bachelor degree from the prestigious EHL, he was selected out of more than 1000 applicants for the IHG European Graduate Programme. The jury was particularly impressed by how he drove measurable results in each of the hotels he worked for. He now manages 820 colleagues as a deputy GM. Above his duties the winner is an active participant to the Make a Wish foundation and convinced his owner to collaborate with UNICEF." Photo: HSMAI Europe op 4 goes to Kenji Bourquin-Queva - Hotel Operations Page8, Paul Hunter - Area General Manager Criterion Hospitality and Christoper Darch - Commercial & Operations Director Hilton Hotels (he was unfortunately home sick) A big congratulations from HSMAI Region Europe to all the winners and finalists! Turkey is actively negotiating with the Libyan Government of National Accord on the construction of a military base near Tripoli, Al Arabiya TV channel reported. According to the channel, it is planned to deploy Turkish special forces and units of the Turkish Navy at the base, create a runway and equip a communications point. Libyan Government of National Accord is discussing with Ankara the purchase of Turkish military aircraft and drones. On Thursday, Al Arabiya TV channel, referring to unnamed sources, reported that Turkey had sent militants from Somalia and Kenya to Libya and concluded the first deal with the PNS on the supply of air defense systems. There are two executive authorities in Libya: the internationally recognized Government of National Accord headed by Fayez Sarraj and the Second Al-Thani Cabinet, acting in the east of the country together with the parliament and supported by the Libyan National Army Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar. The latter has already announced that his armed forces were embarking on a decisive battle for the capital. The LNA command has already said it would resist any foreign intervention in Libyan internal affairs, and also threatened to sink ships and bring down military aircraft from Turkey with military aid. - Manila Mayor Isko Moreno announced that his local government will be distributing face masks to public school students - He also urged the parents to ensure that their children wear the masks most especially when in public places - The Manila mayor also warned stores in the capital city that overprice face masks amid the coronavirus scare - Mayor Moreno said that stores found overpricing face masks will be criminally held liable PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed! Manila Mayor Isko Moreno has announced that the local government of Manila will be distributing free masks to public school students. KAMI learned that the distribution came following the announcement of the Department of Health (DOH) regarding the first confirmed case of 2019 novel coronavirus. In a report by GMA News Online, Moreno urged the parents to ensure that their children wear masks most especially when in public places. "Ang akin lamang po pakiusap, gamitin ninyo na itong parang baon sa inyong mga anak. At ibilin niyo, lalo sa mga maliliit na bata, na lagi nila susuotin kapag sila ay nasa labas," Moreno said. The Manila mayor also warned stores in the capital city that overprice face masks. He said that such stores will be held criminally liable. "Those stores in Manila, please do not enrich yourselves economically and take advantage of the situation. Ang virus ho na corona ay walang pinipili," Moreno said. If you do that, you deprive somebody of the capacity to acquire one because tinaasan niyo ang presyo. Kapag siya ang hahawa, the chances are mahahawa ka rin because you are part of the problem. You are not part of the solution," he added. PAY ATTENTION: Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! In a previous report by KAMI, the Department of Health confirmed that the 38-year-old Chinese woman that has coronavirus was admitted at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. The 2019 novel coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China. As of posting time, there are about 56 people in the Philippines under observation for suspected coronavirus. Please like and share our Facebook posts to support KAMI team! Dont hesitate to comment and share your opinion about our stories either. We love reading about your thoughts! Source: KAMI.com.gh The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has asked the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to ensure that their credibility is intact after the controversies surrounding the new voters' register blows over. The NDC has been fighting the Electoral Commission following its decision to compile a new voters' register. While the EC is not willing to change its decision, the biggest opposition party has threatened to resist an 'imposition' of a new voters' register. According to Kwesi Pratt Jnr, if the NDC eventually ask their members to partake in the registration, it will lead to credibility challenges. "So what is the fallback position, what is the end game," Kwesi Pratt questioned. "Credibility is very important in our politics . . . there is nothing wrong if you dont want a new voters register, but what is the end game? Now there are demonstrations and so on . . . there must be a logical projection . . . if the EC refuses to back down, will we not register? Is that the outcome we really want? If that is not what we want, what is the fallback position? We don't want a new voters' register, it is too expensive and so on . . . then later you tell your members to go and register; that will lead to serious credibility damage," he said while contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo'. Listen to Kwesi Pratt Jnr. in the video below . . . 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 Man Trying to Sail Around the World Found Dead on His Yacht After Going Missing Last Month A man who was attempting to sail around the world has been found dead in the Caribbean. The body of Mark Brennan, who was reported missing in December, was found in his boat in Jamaica, the BBC reported Thursday. Despite his ambitious endeavor, Brennan, 42, from South Shields, Britain, was an inexperienced sailor, according to Boat Watch. His 30-foot yacht, the Avrio, was found about 72 nautical miles off the north coast of Jamaica, where it was then towed to shore, the Jamaica Observer reported on Wednesday. Brennans body was reportedly already decaying by the time it was found, Boat Watch said. Brennan was last seen on Dec. 6 in Grenada, where it had arrived four days prior, Boat Watch reported. The Avrio had lost its dinghy during the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel reportedly had no cell phone or radio aboard. RELATED: 7.7 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Caribbean Sea Between Jamaica and Cuba, Felt as Far as Florida He was reported missing to the Northumbria Police in the United Kingdom on Dec. 21, the BBC reported. A police spokesperson told the outlet that they had been made aware that authorities in Jamaica have recovered a body on a boat. A formal identification process is ongoing but it is suspected that the body is that of the South Shields man, the spokesperson said. RELATED VIDEO: Boat is Dislodged by Severe Storm After Being Trapped on Niagara Falls Rocks for 101 Years The mans family are being offered support by officers and they have requested that their privacy is respected at this time, Northumbria police told The Independent. We are supporting the family of a British man reported as missing in the Caribbean, and are in contact with the Jamaican authorities, the U.K.s Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in a statement to the outlet. Authorities in Jamaica are investigating Brennans death, according to the Jamaica Observer. The Northumbria police did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment. Islamabad: Pakistan has retaliated a day after PM Narendra Modi accused Pakistan of proxy war. The Pakistan Foreign Office has issued a statement saying that Pakistan completely rejects these statements, which reflect India's incurable craze for Pakistan. Hearing in Britain court against extradition of Nirav Modi Pakistan has said that no one should take lightly the resolve of the people and the armed forces of the country in effectively dealing with any kind of aggressive action. Pakistan also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of misleading the country with criticisms. Pakistan said that it also reflects the desperate efforts of the BJP government and leadership to divert attention from the criticisms happening at the domestic and global level. Coronavirus: Medical emergency declared worldwide, 213 people dead in China so far While addressing NCC cadets in New Delhi, PM Narendra Modi gave a stern warning without naming the neighboring country of Pakistan. PM Modi has said that the neighboring country knows that he has lost three wars with India. If the Indian Army wants, it can conquer Pakistan in 10 days. In response to this, this reaction has come out by Pakistan. Imran's minister breaks silence on terrorism, says "Pakistan makes big terror attacks in India" Two students who returned from China in the last few days were admitted to the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Holkar Hospital at Indore in Madhya Pradesh on Friday for suspected coronavirus infection, officials said. One of the students is a 22-year-old woman hailing from Indore, who is studying medicine in Wuhan, the city in China which is at the centre of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. The other is a 21-year-old male medical student hailing from Khargone district of the state, health department officials said. As both developed fever and cough, the doctors admitted them to an isolation ward set up for suspected coronavirus patients at the Holkar Hospital. Their samples would be sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune for testing, said Dr P S Thakkar, hospital superintendent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By ANI NEW DELHI: Delhi Police on Friday detained the protesters from outside old Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO who gathered to condemn the firing incident in Jamia area. Heavy security deployed in the area were seen detaining protestors and pushing them in buses in order to remove them from the area. The protestors were sitting outside the police Headquarters since last evening to voice their anguish after a student was injured in a firing incident near Jamia Millia Islamia university yesterday. ALSO READ: Injured student discharged from AIIMS, police says accused got radicalised on social media Earlier in the day, traffic movement near the Police Headquarters was closed for vehicular movement in the view of the protest. The protest comes in wake of the Jamia firing incident, where a person brandished a gun in presence of heavy police force deployment and fired towards the marching Jamia Millia Islamia university students. Before the incident, Delhi Police had said sufficient police arrangements had been made for the march for which there was "no permission". In response to the coronavirus outbreak in China, Trinity University has recalled all of its students who were in the Asian country as part of a study abroad program. The decision comes amid growing worldwide concern over the virus. On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency after the death toll rose to 170 and the number of cases spiked tenfold in a week. Katsuo Nishikawa, director for the center of international engagement for Trinity, said all six students from its East Asian program have returned to San Antonio in the past week showing no signs or symptoms. The last student returned Wednesday evening. Following the advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the city of San Antonio Health Department, the university did not quarantine the students. Both agencies agreed the students were not a health risk because they were not staying near the areas affected by the virus. Five of the students were studying in Beijing and one was in Shanghai, Nishikawa said, adding that none of them had been in China for more than two months. RELATED: UN agency declares global emergency over virus from China The Trinity students, however, are under instruction to monitor any symptoms that develop, Nishikawa said. All were given a thermometer and a list of symptoms from the virus. According to media reports, it can take up to two weeks before symptoms appear. "We know that they are not sick and that they were not around people that were sick," Nishikawa said. The decision to bring the students back to the U.S. was made Monday, and the school would not have done so if they had posed a health risk, Nishikawa said. "I understand when you look at the news that it can be stressful, but just trust us and know that we have thought about the safety for our students here and the surrounding community," he said. Tess Coody-Anders, vice president for strategic communications and marketing for Trinity, said the university has 48 other students studying abroad. Those students have not been called back, but the school is monitoring the situation, Coody-Anders said. READ ALSO: US reports 1st case of person-to-person spread of new virus The University of Incarnate Word said it doesn't have students in China but is hosting eight students from the country through its exchange program. They have all been in San Antonio since August, months before the outbreak. UIW has eight students abroad in Spain, France, Japan, Germany and England, but there are no plans to bring them back as of Thursday, according to the school. The University of Texas at San Antonio, St. Mary's University, Our Lady of the Lake and Texas A&M University-San Antonio said they do not have students, faculty or staff members in China. The UTSA Office of Global Initiatives and UTSA Student Health Services are in communication with several students, scholars, faculty and staff who were in China on university business from December to mid-January, when the outbreak occurred. While all are symptom-free, they have been advised to immediately call their health care providers and self-quarantine if they develop flu-like symptoms. Priscilla Aguirre is a breaking news reporter and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre (Newser) Watch footage of anti-US or anti-Israel protests in Iran, and you're likely to see a familiar scene: protesters burning American and Israeli flags. But Iran is under US sanctions and has no official contact with Israel, all of which presents a strange logistical hurdle, notes the Washington Post: Where to get the flags? Reuters provides the answer. A factory outside Tehran in the town of Khomein churns out 2,000 US and Israeli flags a month for the express of purpose of being torched by demonstrators. story continues below For the record, they also make British flags for the same reason. "We have no problem with the American and British people," says Ghasem Ghanjani, owner of the Diba Parcham flag factory. "We have [a] problem with their governors. We have [a] problem with their presidents, with the wrong policy they have." Given the state of relations between Tehran and the US at the moment, "business is booming," per Reuters. (Read more Iran stories.) Many investors are still learning about the various metrics that can be useful when analysing a stock. This article is for those who would like to learn about Return On Equity (ROE). To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Realord Group Holdings Limited (HKG:1196). Over the last twelve months Realord Group Holdings has recorded a ROE of 3.5%. That means that for every HK$1 worth of shareholders' equity, it generated HK$0.04 in profit. Check out our latest analysis for Realord Group Holdings How Do You Calculate ROE? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity Or for Realord Group Holdings: 3.5% = HK$94m HK$2.7b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.) Most know that net profit is the total earnings after all expenses, but the concept of shareholders' equity is a little more complicated. It is all the money paid into the company from shareholders, plus any earnings retained. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does ROE Signify? ROE looks at the amount a company earns relative to the money it has kept within the business. The 'return' is the yearly profit. The higher the ROE, the more profit the company is making. So, all else being equal, a high ROE is better than a low one. Clearly, then, one can use ROE to compare different companies. Does Realord Group Holdings Have A Good ROE? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. The limitation of this approach is that some companies are quite different from others, even within the same industry classification. As shown in the graphic below, Realord Group Holdings has a lower ROE than the average (7.8%) in the Industrials industry classification. SEHK:1196 Past Revenue and Net Income, January 30th 2020 Unfortunately, that's sub-optimal. We'd prefer see an ROE above the industry average, but it might not matter if the company is undervalued. Still, shareholders might want to check if insiders have been selling. Story continues Why You Should Consider Debt When Looking At ROE Virtually all companies need money to invest in the business, to grow profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the case of the first and second options, the ROE will reflect this use of cash, for growth. In the latter case, the debt used for growth will improve returns, but won't affect the total equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. Realord Group Holdings's Debt And Its 3.5% ROE We think Realord Group Holdings uses a lot of debt to boost returns, as it has a relatively high debt to equity ratio of 3.39. The combination of a rather low ROE and high debt to equity is is a negative, in our book. The Bottom Line On ROE Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. In my book the highest quality companies have high return on equity, despite low debt. If two companies have the same ROE, then I would generally prefer the one with less debt. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. It is important to consider other factors, such as future profit growth -- and how much investment is required going forward. Check the past profit growth by Realord Group Holdings by looking at this visualization of past earnings, revenue and cash flow. If you would prefer check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss thisfree list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading. Protection in lieu of money: Davinder Singhs close association with Hizbul revealed India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Jan 31: Investigators probing the Davinder Singh case have found that he had taken money to transport and shelter the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists. Sources tell OneIndia that he had been on the payrolls of terror groups and was offering them protection in lieu of money. The NIA which is probing the case has also learnt that Singh had taken the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists to Jammu last year too and facilitated their return to Shopian, interrogators have claimed. CRPF carries out vigilance check of 3 personnel in wake of Davinder Singh case Singh is alleged to have brought Naveed Babu, Mir Irfan and Rafi Rather from Shopian to Srinagar earlier this month.They set out to Jammu, from where they were planning on going to New Delhi. However, before he could leave, the police arrested him sources familiar with the developments confirmed. Singh during his interrogation claimed that he was ferrying the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists to facilitate their surrender. Officials investigating him say that he had made this made claim during interrogation, but we are investigating the same further. Interrogators say that he has denied the charges against him. He says that he was facilitating a big catch, but there are several inconsistencies in his statements, the officer also said. However, sources also said that Singh was helping the terrorists cross the Banihal tunnel in lieu of money. The source also said that an amount of over Rs 10 lakh was agreed upon. Singh, however, denied the charge during interrogation. The source, however, added that Singh was not being truthful and he had no authorisation to organise a surrender. The official cited above said that they were tracking their movements from Shopian. A police party in civvies was near his residence keeping a watch over their movements. Meanwhile, he would be questioned for his alleged links with Afzal Guru. Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar while confirming the arrest of Davinder Singh said that the officer would be treated like any other terrorist. NIA gets 15 days custody of Davinder Singh He would be questioned for his links with Afzal Guru, Kumar said. He also said that another person, a lawyer by profession had also bee caught. Singh, on the other hand, is a decorated police officer who had served in the Special Operations Group and had earned a President's medal. In the year 2004, Afzal Guru, who was lodged in the Tihar jail had written a letter to his lawyer. In the letter he had said that Singh then posted with the J&K Police's Special Operations Group had asked him take Mohammad, a Pakistani national identified as one of those who carried out the Parliament attack to Delhi, rent a flat and purchase a car for him. Afzal had also named another officer Shanty Singh, who along with Singh allegedly tortured him at the STF camp. He further mentioned that the name of Altaf Hussain the brother in law of SSP Ashaq Hussain, who first brokered his release with Davinder Singh and took him to the DySP. Kumar said that the officer had worked in many anti-terrorist operations. He had however committed a heinous crime and hence was arrested, Vijay Kumar also said. Sources tell OneIndia that the terrorists along with the DSP were arrested in a joint operation of the police and Army on the national highway near Mirbazar. Davinder Singh: Relative of terrorist detained Two AK-47 rifles were recovered in a raid at the officer's residence, the source also added. This is the first instance in which such a senior officer has been arrested along with terrorists. The arrested terrorist, Syed Naveed Baba was wanted in several cases. He was an IED expert and was wanted in the killing and attacks on truckers and locals, security officials said. WASHINGTONThe House on Thursday passed, on bipartisan votes, two related measures designed to prevent President Donald Trump from launching military attacks on Iran. The two votes were the latest sign of lawmakers growing willingness in recent years to exercise their war powers muscles after decades of disuse. Lawmakers voted 236-166 to agree to an amendment from Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., that would repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq. That resolution was cited by the Trump administration as part of its legal justification for carrying out a drone attack near Baghdad in early January that killed Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, Irans most powerful military commander. Eleven Republicans voted for the Lee amendment, two Democrats against. Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., a rising GOP national security voice, voted in favour. Since Soleimanis killing, the administration, including Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper have offered differing explanations for why the Iranian generals killing was warranted and why prior authorization or even consultation with Congress was unnecessary. Those differing explanations remind many Democrats and a few Republicans of the build-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq when the George W. Bush administration falsely insisted that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction that threatened the United States. The 2003 invasion of Iraq was based on lies told by our own executive branch. In 2002, I stood here and urged us not to rush into war, Lee said in her floor remarks. I stand here once again urging Congress to do its job, this time by repealing the long outdated and unnecessary 2002 AUMF. Repealing it would have absolutely no impact on the administrations ongoing military operations. Lees bill has 124 co-sponsors including one Republican, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and one independent, Justin Amash of Michigan. Massie and Amash voted yes on the Lee amendment. The House also voted 228-175 to agree to an amendment from Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., that would deny the Pentagon funding to carry out any unauthorized military operations against Iran. Four Republicans voted for the Khanna amendment; three Democrats against. The four GOP members voting with Khanna were Warren Davidson of Ohio, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana and Thomas Massie of Kentucky. The three Democrats voting against the Khanna amendment were Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania, Ben McAdams of Utah and Kurt Schrader of Oregon. Both the Lee and Khanna amendments were attached to an unrelated World War II medals bill that now goes to the Senate where it faces uncertain floor prospects, given Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells opposition to constraining the Trump administration when it comes to Iran. This amendment does nothing, nothing to restrict Trumps ability to protect American interests and American allies, Khanna said during floor debate for his bill, which has nearly 100 Democratic co-sponsors but no Republicans. It gives him all of the powers of the War Power Resolution. If we are hit, he has every authority to act. The Khanna legislation includes an exception for military operations consistent with the 1973 War Powers Act, which allows the use of force in a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces. But such operations under the law must end within three months if Congress has not moved to explicitly approve them. House Armed Services ranking member Mac Thornberry argued that the Khanna measure would limit the Pentagons ability to carry out certain operations aimed at deterring and preventing conflict with Iran. We could not work with our allies to try to keep international shipping open in the Persian Gulf, the Texas Republican said. We could not engage in cyber operations even to protect ourselves until after the attack had already occurred. The killing of Soleimani caused tensions with Iran to reach their highest point in decades. A reprisal ballistic missile attack by Iran on military bases in Iraq that housed U.S. troops did not lead to any deaths though dozens of U.S. troops have been examined for brain injuries. The lack of American fatalities in that missile attack has many in Washington bracing for further, more covert retaliation by Iran, which could take the form of cyberattacks on U.S. commercial interests or infrastructure, attacks by Iranian proxy groups on regional partners and allies like Saudi Arabia or Israel, and even kidnappings and attacks on Americans travelling or working abroad. The spectre of further provocations from Iran has Democrats worried the Trump administration could slide into the countrys third war this century in the Middle East but the first to occur without congressional approval. Freshman Rep. Steve Watkins, a former Army captain who served in Afghanistan and then worked for a decade as a defence contractor in the region, criticized Democrats for seeking to limit the Pentagons scope of action, warning it could endanger the lives of U.S. troops. We need two things on the front lines. We need speed and we need lethality, the Kansas Republican said. This body has proven itself incapable of empowering our troops to act with speed and lethality. ... Its important for my own survivability that should anything happen to me, they (the enemy) know that a Reaper drone will rain a Hellfire missile down on them. Thats deterrence. Lawmakers in the Senate and House in the past two years have held roughly a dozen votes on war powers-related issues. Several of those measures related to American military support for the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen cleared Congress last year but did not become law after Trump vetoed them. Khanna rejected Republican lawmakers assertion that Democrats were pushing to block military attacks on Iran merely because of their deep partisan antipathy toward Trump. The two-term lawmaker noted that more than two dozen GOP House lawmakers, including some of the presidents staunchest supporters such as Gaetz, Mark Meadows of North Carolina and Jim Jordan of Ohio voted last year in favour of a nearly identical amendment he offered during debate for the fiscal 2020 annual defence policy measure. Its time we get past the rhetoric, past the sloganeering and consider why 27 Republicans voted for this, Khanna said in his floor speech. Perhaps it has to do with national security, reversing blunder after blunder that cost this country trillions of dollars and lives? Gaetz on Thursday again spoke in favour of repealing the 2002 Iraq War authorization and voted for both amendments to limit Trumps power. Though both the Khanna amendment and Lees proposal to repeal the 2002 Iraq authorization passed the House in 2019 with bipartisan support, they were stripped out of the final defence law during bicameral negotiations with the Senate. The White House this week threatened to veto both measures, though Trump said in a Twitter post that he supported lawmakers voting their heart when it came to repealing the 2002 Iraq authorization. Read more about: The Hamilton County Republican Women, one of the largest Republican Womens clubs in Tennessee, welcomed Marty Haynes, Assessor of Property, to their first monthly meeting in 2020. Mr. Haynes, candidate for re-election for Assessor of Property, presented his record of service in Hamilton County with over 80 HCRW ladies in attendance including Hamilton County Republican Party Chairwoman, Marsha Yessick; HCRW President, Patsy Henry; and HCRW First Vice President, Kathy Leff; Ida Cotter, Bettye Parker, Amy Lamsey, Leslie Shaw and most importantly, his beloved mother. Mr. Haynes received the 2019 Leadership Award from his peers in recognition to promote Professionalism, Service and Leadership. He received Three Star certification from the Tennessee Association of Assessing Officers. Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he is worried about ordinary Nigerians, following the widespread insecurity in the country. Jonathan said this when the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) paid him a solidarity visit over the attack on his Bayelsa residence in December. Jonathan, in a statement via Ikechukwu Eze, his spokesman, told the delegation that he was worried about the fate of ordinary Nigerians if he could suffer such attack despite his status. According to him, the fact that a soldier lost his life in that attack makes him really sad, saying, that young man wouldnt have died the way he did, if he was not protecting me. Read Also: Jonathan Storms Aso Rock, Walks Straight To Buharis Office Whenever people come to me, just as you people have come, to talk about that attack, I feel worried about the general society, Jonathan was quoted to have said. Whenever I consider that people could do that to a former President who has reasonable security guarding him, my mind reaches out to the rest of Nigerians who do not have that level of protection. I am worried that so many people are becoming victims of sporadic shootings, kidnappings and so on. I believe that the country will get over the kind of insecurity it currently faces. Meanwhile, Jonathan met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa in Abuja on Thursday. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, January 31, 2020 12:44 712 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2061e1238 1 Business tax,tax-reform,middle-class,economy,GDP,World-Bank,report,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati,Jokowi Free The World Bank has called on the government to strengthen tax collection to stimulate growth amid tax reforms plans that will lower tax revenue. World Bank acting country director for Indonesia Rolande Pryce said the governments plan to relax corporate income tax, among other things, would reduce the tax-to-GDP ratio by 0.5 percent. Indonesias tax to GDP ratio stood at 10.7 percent in 2017, the lowest among regional peers. At the same time, Indonesia will need funds to scale-up infrastructure, improve education and create a stronger safety net to lift 115 million aspiring middle class Indonesians out of economic insecurity. Without complementary revenue-raising measures, this will translate to less money being available to close the infrastructure and human capital gaps, said Pryce in Jakarta on Thursday at the launch of the Banks Aspiring Indonesia Expanding the Middle Class report. Pryce said Indonesia would need to strengthen revenue generation by broadening the tax base and improving tax administration, adding that the countrys tax to GDP ratio was among the lowest in the world. The governments planned tax reforms in the omnibus bill on taxation include lowering the corporate income tax, relaxing income tax for Indonesians and expatriates, eliminating dividend taxes and imposing a new digital economy tax. Read also: Indonesia plans sweeping tax reforms for 'expatriate' income, dividends, penalties According to the World Banks latest report, 115 million or 45 percent of Indonesians have lifted themselves out of poverty but have yet to achieve full economic security. The group was likely to move up the economic ladder but was also as likely to slip down to the vulnerable group. Pryce said adopting the right policies would be crucial to stimulate development, adding that the group categorized as the aspiring middle class spent Rp 532,000 (US$39.1) to Rp 1.2 million per person per month. Read also: 115 million Indonesians not yet economically secure: World Bank Having the right policies can unlock Indonesias development potential and propel the country to high-income status, she added. President Joko Jokowi Widodo conveyed in his inaugural speech in October 2019 the nations vision to be a developed country with a GDP among the top five in the world and a near-zero percent poverty rate by 2045. World Bank regional director for equitable growth, finance and institutions Hassan Zaman said Indonesia needed to create more jobs with better pay, backed by a robust system to provide quality education and universal health coverage to help lift the economically insecure groups to the middle class. Middle class growth requires reforms to improve the business environment to create good jobs, investment in the necessary skills and a social protection system that cushions against shocks, Zaman said. The report mentioned that Indonesia had made remarkable progress over the past 15 years in reducing poverty, which was now below 10 percent from a total of around 267 million people. Despite the massive reductions in poverty, 35 percent of Indonesians remain poor or vulnerable, 45 percent are considered aspiring middle class and 20 percent of the population belong to the middle class. The remaining population belongs to the upper-class category. The report highlighted that Indonesias GDP was $657 per person in 1967, making it one of the poorest countries in the world. Over the next 50 years, it stated, growth averaged 5.6 percent annually and the per capita GDP was now six times higher at nearly $4,000. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said the government would expand the taxpayer base and intensify compliance among taxpayers to compensate for the low tax revenue. We are looking to tax economic sectors that have yet to contribute to tax revenue, Sri Mulyani told reporters on the sidelines of the World Banks report launch. Tax management will be improved, including its human resources and the information and technology systems. The government, she went on to say, planned to tax digital companies operating in Indonesia, such as Netflix and YouTube, through an omnibus bill on taxation. The government will need more contribution from the private sector to help develop the country, Sri Mulyani added. The tax office collected Rp 1.33 quadrillion in tax revenue in 2019, 84.4 percent of the full-year target, causing a shortfall of Rp 245.5 trillion, the worst in at least the last five years. President Joko Jokowi Widodo welcomed the World Banks report, saying the government will pay attention to its recommendation to adopt the most effective policies for economically insecure Indonesians, according to the presidents spokesperson, Fadjroel Rachman. The Jokowi administrations decision to introduce omnibus bills on taxation, job creation and the new capital city is expected to push Indonesia to become a high-income country, said Fadjroel. Turkey may launch a military operation in Syrias northwestern Idlib province unless fighting there is quickly halted, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said. Meanwhile, an exodus has shaken the region, the last rebel stronghold in Syrias nearly nine-year war, as hundreds of thousands push towards Turkey to escape a sudden and fast-moving advance by government forces. Syrian President Bashar al-Assads forces, backed by Russian air power, have made rapid advances in Idlib. We will not allow the regimes cruelty towards its own people, with attacks and causing bloodshed, Erdogan said on Friday. Turkey with complete sincerity wants Syrias stability and security, and to this end, we will not shy away from doing whatever is necessary, including using military force. The recent campaign has raised tensions between Ankara and Moscow, which back opposing sides in the conflict. 200130140748919 Turkey has 12 military observation posts around Idlib, set up under a 2017 agreement with Russia and Iran, and several of them have since been surrounded by advancing Syrian government forces. Erdogan accuses Russia of violating agreements to reduce the fighting in Idlib, a charge Moscow denied on Friday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Idlib was a haven for fighters targeting Syrian troops and a Russian airbase in Syria. Influx of refugees Turkey, which already hosts 3.6 million refugees from Syria, fears a fresh wave of migrants from Idlib. A United Nations report on Thursday estimated that 390,000 people have fled northwest Syria between December 1 and January 27, 80 percent of them being women and children. Erdogan on Friday repeated that Turkey could not handle a fresh influx of migrants and would not allow new threats near its borders, even if it meant resorting to military power as it did in three previous cross-border operations in northern Syria. We will do what is necessary when someone is threatening our soil. We will have no choice but to resort to the same path again if the situation in Idlib is not returned to normal quickly, he said. We will not allow the regime to put our country under the constant threat of migrants by tormenting, attacking, spilling the blood of its people. Turkey, which has backed rebels fighting to remove Assad, has repeatedly asked him to step down, even while Iran, Russia and Turkey have said they seek a political solution to the conflict. Factory workers were caught on camera using their mouths to strip the bones from chicken feet before selling them to the public. The footage was recorded by hygiene officials who visited the factory in Nong Khai, northeast Thailand, on Tuesday. In the video, eight workers can be seen sitting down in front of plastic baskets full of chicken feet. Officials are standing around to watch them as they raise the feet to their mouths and begin tearing at them with their teeth. The workers grip on to the bones before wrenching them out and spitting them to the ground. The clip then jumps to show one of the workers using pliers to remove the bones from the feet which appears to take longer and leaves the foot looking distorted. The video ends shortly after. The footage was recorded by hygiene officials who visited the factory in Nong Khai, northeast Thailand, on Tuesday The workers raise the chicken feet to their mouths and begin tearing at them with their teeth before wrenching the bones out and spitting them to the ground Hygiene officials were outraged after learning that staff had been banned from using utensils by factory bosses who said it was 'five times faster' to process the chicken by mouth. They ultimately instructed the 31-year-old owner of the factory to change her methods. Provincial governor Ronnachai Jitwiset is now probing other factories in the region amid suspicions that others may be using the unhygienic method of food processing for one of the country's most popular dishes. Mr Jitwiset said: 'We looked around the factory and it looked clean and organised but we have to ordered them to stop using mouths to process food. 'There are numerous germs that could enter the mouth or spread from the mouth to the chicken foot so we cannot risk workers and customers getting sick.' Watcharapong Homwutthiwong, a dentist from the country's public health department, said it is dangerous for workers to use their mouth as there are several diseases that could spread. He said: 'There are several diseases that could be contagious through the saliva including influenza, herpes or even the hazardous like hepatitis A and B.' Hygiene officials were outraged after learning that staff had been banned from using utensils by factory bosses who said it was 'five times faster' to process the chicken by mouth Factory owner Nongluck Payakphrom explained that using pliers to strip the chicken feet was slow and inefficient but that she willing to change. She said: 'When I first started the business we used pliers to strip the chicken feet but it took five minutes to finish one foot which is too long and the customers did not like the end product. 'I have changed the approach to let the worker use their mouth to strip it them the customer prefer it, which boosted sales. 'However, we understand that our approach has caused a backlash and we are happy to change. 'The factory will be closed until the workers can use the pliers to process the feet as well as they do when using their mouths.' Chicken feet can be boiled and added to noodles or deep fried and eaten as a crunchy snack. The factory sells more than 400-500 kilograms of skin to customers throughout Asia every day. The chief executive of Britain's National Health Service (NHS), Simon Stevens, reportedly said Gwyneth Paltrow's Netflix show, "the Goop Lab," pushes "dubious wellness products and dodgy procedures." Stevens was said to have made the comments when speaking at an event Thursday at the University of Oxford on "the impact of fake news on our lives." The documentary series, which premiered on Netflix on January 24, follows Paltrow and the team at her wellness brand Goop, exploring experimental health trends such as psychedelic therapy and energy "exorcisms." Stevens hit out at the show for spreading "misinformation," according to a BBC report. He argued Paltrow's brand "peddles psychic vampire repellent, says chemical sunscreen is a bad idea, and promotes colonic irrigation and DIY coffee enema machines, despite them carrying considerable risks to health." Stevens added that people typically associated "fake news" with politics but warned that "people's natural concern for their health makes this particularly fertile ground for quacks, charlatans and cranks." Netflix responded to CNBC by highlighting that each episode opens with a medical advisory card which says the series is designed to "entertain and inform not provide medical advice." "You should always consult your doctor when it comes to your personal health or before you start any treatment," the card also stated. A spokesperson for Goop wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. This isn't the first time Goop has caused controversy, in 2018 the brand settled a $145,000 lawsuit over the health claims it made about using vaginal jade eggs. A spokeswoman for Goop told the BBC that it was "transparent when we cover emerging topics that may be unsupported by science or may be in early stages of review." However, this hasn't stopped the growth of the brand, having attracted $82 million in outside investment with a most recent valuation of $250 million, according to The New York Times. Goop also recently announced it was bringing its brand to Sephora stores, where it would sell items such as vitamin chews and body scrubs. Paltrow launched Goop as a travel and lifestyle newsletter in 2008. If the two main parties acknowledged that there is no policy difference between them, they could form a coalition and agree to rotate the office of the taoiseach, writes Ryle Dwyer Then taoiseach Charles Haughey came under party pressure in 1989 for having called an unnecessary general election, in a misjudged bid to secure an overall majority. Instead, Fianna Fail lost four seats. Alan Dukes, then Fine Gael leader, who had supported the outgoing Fianna Fail minority government in much the way that Micheal Martin has propped up the Fine Gael government offered to back Fianna Fail in a coalition, provided Haughey agreed that the two parties would get half of the cabinet seats each, and that the office of Taoiseach would rotate after two years. If this had been Haugheys only chance of retaining office, he might well have agreed, but the Progressive Democrats (PDs), with their six seats, could provide Haughey with enough votes to form a majority government, if the sitting Ceann Comhairle, Sean Tracy, an independent, was left in the chair. The PDs had initially come together to block Haughey from power, so some thought it inconceivable that all of them would now turn around and prop him up. But they were the biggest losers in the general election, having lost 14 of their 20 seats. his may have had a salutary effect on them, because they offered to back Haughey in a coalition. After this, it seemed that no combination should ever again be ruled out during a general election, because the numbers afterwards will be the determining factor. In the first television debate of the 2020 general election campaign, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he would form a coalition with Fianna Fail, as a kind of final option: My preference would be to form a coalition with old partners, like Labour and independents; maybe new partners, like Greens. "But if its the case that people vote in a certain way, and the only way we can form a stable government is for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to work together, well, Im willing to do that, Varadkar said. Micheal Martin did not dismiss this during the debate, but he ruled it out the next day. In the second TV debate, however, he reversed himself: If the numbers fall a certain way and the only way to form a stable government is for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to co-operate in coming together, I think thats the responsible thing to do for the country. Fine Gael had been propping up Haugheys minority government in 1989, as Fianna Fail has been bolstering the outgoing government. Both parties are conservative, and there was never really much difference between them, going back to their formation in the wake of the Treaty controversy and the Civil War, in 1922. Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins were the motivators of both parties, but there was very little real difference between them during the Treaty controversy and the run-up to the Civil War. When Collins challenged de Valera to propose an alternative to the Treaty, the Long Fellow produced Document No. 2, which included the partition clauses of the Treaty verbatim. De Valera admitted there was only a small difference, or just a shadow of a difference, between Collins and himself. This, he said, was over a little sentimental thing. The difference was so small, he added, the British would not fight over it. This revolved around the Treaty oath, which had been worded by Collins with IRB backing. Even though the Treaty did not meet his own full aspirations, or those of the Irish people, Collins contended that the agreement provided the freedom to achieve their aims without having to resort to further warfare. After negotiating with the British, he was convinced they would fight, even though it was not worth fighting about, especially when he believed that the full Irish goals could, in time, be achieved by peaceful means. The small difference between Collins and de Valera was allowed to distort Irish politics, and led to the Civil War, the greatest Irish tragedy of the 20th century. It poisoned Irish politics for much of the rest of the century. On coming to power, in 1932, de Valera proved that Collins had been right about the Treaty. He did this by abolishing the controversial Treaty oath and getting the Irish people to ratify the 1937 Constitution, before persuading the British to drop their claim to any Irish facilities in time of war. This paved the way for Ireland to stay out of the Second World War, the ultimate proof of Irish independence and sovereignty. When invited to address the annual commemoration ceremony for Collins, at Beal na Blath, in 1996, I stated that it was time for both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael to end their posturing and their continuing pretence that there are real differences between them. That was almost a quarter of a century ago, and such senseless posturing is even more absurd today. If a Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition is the only form of workable coalition after the coming election, Micheal Martin would take a real risk in rejecting the kind of offer that Alan Dukes made to Charlie Haughey in 1989 (i.e. rotating Taoiseach and half of the cabinet seats). If this were refused, the Taoiseach could argue persuasively that he had little choice but to call another general election, and the electorate might well blame Fianna Fail for all the unnecessary expense. It is time the two main parties parked their posturing and co-operated in the interest of the people. Mrs. Gloria Akuffo, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, has charged members of the Kpone-Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) in the Greater Accra Region to assist in revenue mobilization. Mrs. Akuffo made the call when she inaugurated the Third Kpone Katamanso Assembly on behalf of President Akufo-Addo. The Attorney General said it was the responsibility of the Assembly members to help the Municipal Assembly bring development to the door steps of the residents, according to section 12 (3) of the Local Government Act. She called on the Members to deal with unplanned and haphazard developments in their electoral areas adding that slums and buildings sited on water ways must be removed to protect lives and properties. According to her, the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) must work with the land valuation divisions of the Lands Commission to accurately value all properties to enhance transparency in the payment of property rates. She also charged the Assemblies to take advantage of automation and other innovative systems developed by the local government ministry to improve their internally Generated Funds (IGF). 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 I recently returned home to West Virginia from filming my Trump Train 2020 song music video in California. It was exciting and fun a sound stage; green screen; lights; cameras; and the director yelling, "Action!" With the mixed bag of enthusiastic locals we used as extras, the atmosphere in the studio felt like a Trump rally. They love Trump and eagerly want to do their part to help him "Keep America Great." The Trump Train 2020 song official music video will be released early February. Folks, it is pretty crazy out there in California. We were not in San Francisco, where they give tourists maps to avoid piles of human excrement. We rode past a private home with a rainbow sign stating that all gender identities were welcomed. The restrooms at the San Diego airport car rental center had signs assuring gender-confused men that they are welcome into women's restrooms. The average gasoline price was around $4.60 per gallon. We pay around $2.40 in West Virginia. While in California, Robert Kirk, the director of the music video, gave me a sneak peek at his comedy short film, Nightmare in Paradise. Robert's hilarious movie is about a transgender who shows up for a job interview. The interviewer must handle the transgender with kid gloves and extreme caution to avoid breaking laws. Robert is a former prosecutor. The scary thing about his brilliant script is that it is based on existing California laws. Here is a link to watch Robert Kirk's Nightmare in Paradise. While turning down a pro-life Super Bowl ad featuring abortion survivors, Fox proudly announced its plan to feature the first drag queen Super Bowl ad. Drag queens are a minuscule percentage of the population. Pro-lifers are a huge segment of the population. Why are so many major corporations giving mainstream America their middle finger while bending over backwards to please an extreme tiny minority of counter-culturists? Even Democrat presidential candidates say, "Screw you, mainstream America; we're pandering to transgenders." Joe Biden tweeted, "transphobia is the paramount civil rights issue of the current era." As a proud American who happens to be black, it offends the heck out of me that a behavior is absurdly deemed the same as the racial discrimination fought by my late dad and his fellow black civil rights pioneers. If elected, Elizabeth Warren pledges to reverse Trump's ban on transgenders in the military. Warren also vows that transgenders with be well represented in her administration. Bernie Sanders tweeted, "Transgender rights are human rights. We are going to fight to end all forms of discrimination and violence against our trans family." Sanders hung a transgender pride flag outside his office. Leading in the Democrat presidential polls, Sanders promises protections for illegals and transgenders, ensuring that they be addressed by their preferred pronouns. Democrat presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who really gets off on kissing his male sex partner on national TV, promises nearly two dozen new initiatives to further the LGBT agenda. Keep in mind that only 3% of the population identify as LGBT. Transgenders are destroying women's sports, winning every competition hands-down. Hillary Clinton had to backpedal from her statement that cisgenders (real women) have a right to be concerned. Hillary's cowardly retraction of her commonsense statement tells us she will surrender to the transgender agenda if she is ever elected president. Democrat presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg epitomizes my statement that Democrats crave power to control every aspect of our lives because they are our intellectual and moral superiors. In typical Democrat, we're-smarter-than-everyday-Americans fashion, thenN.Y. mayor Bloomberg tried to ban large sugary beverages. Bloomberg also promises to federally fund transgender genital-mutilating surgery. Democrats have forced us to sponsor the murder of 60 million babies against the moral convictions of a majority of Americans. Bloomberg will force us to fund transgender ideology, which is documented to be a mental illness and child abuse. Bloomberg raves about California, promising to spread its intellectually superior policies across America. California is a state that seeks to remove all parental rights and ban homeschooling, forcing parents to surrender their children for LGBT, socialist/progressive, and anti-American indoctrination. This is a state that coddles illegal aliens, showering them will freebies unavailable to legal residents, while legal residents struggle to survive. This is a state that has ushered in the resurgence of medieval diseases because vagrants are allowed to set up tent cities and defecate on the streets. Criminals who steal under a thousand dollars' worth of products are not charged. If Bloomberg or any of his fellow wacko Democrats is elected president, America will immediately fall backward, resuming the economic, cultural, and world leadership decline of the Obama years. An endless list of new perversions will be forced upon us. All who oppose will be shamed, destroyed, and thrown into jail. Trump must be re-elected in 2020. Meanwhile, laugh a bit. Please enjoy Robert Kirk's Nightmare in Paradise. Lloyd Marcus, The Unhyphenated American Help Lloyd spread the Truth http://LloydMarcus.com Stacey Abrams plans on being elected U.S. president in the next two decades, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia said in a recent interview. Yes, I do, Abrams, 46, told FiveThirtyEight when asked whether she thought the country would elect her president in the next 20 years. Thats my plan, and Im very pragmatic. Abrams, who is black, also commented on how she feels about being discussed as a vice presidential candidate as a way to balance out a Democratic ticket with a white presidential candidate. I accept that I exist in the political zeitgeist in a very specific way, the former minority leader of the Georgia House said. When something new is on the horizon, we are usually both equally curious and afraid, she responded when asked about the discussion around whether the country is ready for black woman executives. Rumors swirled earlier this year that Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has considered tapping Abrams as his running mate. Abrams shot to notoriety in 2018 when she ran in Georgia to become the countrys first black woman governor. She lost the election by 1.4 percentage points to her Republican opponent, Georgias secretary of state at the time, Brian Kemp, who enforced one of the strictest voter ID laws in the country while he was running against Abrams. Abrams has refused to concede the election ever since, alleging that Kemp engaged in voter suppression. Her campaign later accused the state ethics commission of having a political vendetta after the commission filed a lawsuit demanding the campaigns personal records. The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission expressed concerns about unlawful coordination between the Abrams campaign and a number of groups including Fair Fight Action, Abramss national campaign against voter suppression, which worked to expand voting access. More from National Review THEMATIC ISSUES Children and Armed Conflict Expected Council Action As Council president in February and the chair of the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, Belgium is planning a high-level briefing on Integrating child protection into peace processes to resolve conflict and sustain peace, to be presided over by the countrys Foreign Minister, Philippe Goffin. Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde are expected to be in attendance, and King Philippe will most likely make a statement. The anticipated briefers are Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, AU Peace and Security Commissioner Smail Chergui and Jo Becker, chair of the advisory board of the NGO network Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict. On the same day as the briefing, there will be a related high-level event to launch the practical guidance for mediators to protect children in situations of armed conflict. A presidential statement is a possible outcome. Background and Recent Developments Since 1999, Council resolutions and presidential statements have included language on the need for parties to integrate child protection provisions into all peace negotiations, ceasefire and peace agreements, and to take into account childrens views where possible. Of the 12 resolutions adopted on children and armed conflict, ten have included language on integrating child protection provisions during peace negotiations, ceasefire and peace agreements. The most recent resolution, adopted in 2018, highlighted the need to consider child protection issues from the early stages of peace processes. The Council adopted a presidential statement on 31 October 2017 that encouraged the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, to carry out lessons learned initiatives in order to compile comprehensive best practices on the children and armed conflict mandate, including practical guidance on the integration of child protection issues in peace processes. This guidance is expected to be launched ahead of the Council briefing. On 2 August 2019, the Council held an open debate on children and armed conflict, based on the Secretary-Generals 2019 annual report on children and armed conflict. Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz chaired the meeting. Gamba; Henrietta Fore, the executive director of UNICEF; UNICEF Canada Ambassador, Mariatu Kamara, whose hands were amputated during Sierra Leones civil war; and Majok Peter Awan, a former child soldier and currently a UN child protection officer, briefed the Council. On 26 November 2019, Council members held an Arria-formula meeting co-hosted by Belgium, Peru, Poland and the UK on how to better support children once they have been separated from armed forces and armed groups. The meeting focused on how bridging the humanitarian-development-peace nexus can lead to more sustainable and successful reintegration of children associated with armed forces and armed groups. It also looked at how incorporating childrens views can lead to more effective strategies for reintegration and post-conflict recovery. In October 2019, Gamba visited Somalia. She commended the government of Somalia for its commitment to speeding up the implementation of action plans to end and prevent the recruitment and use, and the killing and maiming of children. She conveyed her concern over the rising levels of grave violations against children. Somalia has the highest number of grave violations against children of all the situations listed in the annexes to the Secretary-Generals annual report. Gamba visited Myanmar from 15 to 20 January and met with senior Myanmar officials and a range of key stakeholders involved in child protection. Eight parties in Myanmar are listed in the annexes to the Secretary-Generals annual report, including the national army (Tatmadaw), which signed an action plan in 2012. (The annual reports contain annexes listing parties that have committed grave violations against children: one includes parties active in conflict situations on the Councils agenda, the other, in situations that are not on the list of issues the Council is seized of). During the visit, Gamba highlighted how children have suffered from the hostilities in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine, Shan and Kachin States, and also acknowledged progress in the implementation of the action plan on recruitment of children. She urged the Tatmadaw to commit to a joint action plan with the UN on ending and preventing killing, maiming and sexual violence, violations for which it is also listed. Developments in the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict The Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict visited Mali from 8 to 11 December 2019. The delegation was made up of 11 members of the Security Council, who visited Bamako and Mopti. The objectives of the visit included following up on the May 2018 conclusions on children and armed conflict in Mali, discussing challenges and opportunities to advance the children and armed conflict agenda in Mali, assessing progress in the implementation of the action plan signed by Coordination des mouvements de lAzawad in March 2017, and engaging with other armed groups. The Working Group delegation met with senior UN and government officials, the UN country task force on monitoring and reporting on grave violations against children, the High Islamic Council, local and international non-governmental organisations, representatives of armed groups, and the local Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict. They also met with a representative from the Group of Five for the Sahel. In 2019, the Working Group held 12 formal meetings and met 27 times in informal consultations. It adopted conclusions on the Secretary-Generals reports on children and armed conflict in Syria and Myanmar. Negotiations are currently ongoing on the reports on Afghanistan, the Central African Republic and Yemen. The report on Colombia was introduced in the Working Group at the end of January. In 2019, the Working Group also held video teleconferences (VTCs) with the UN country task force on monitoring and reporting on Mali in February, the DRC in May, Nigeria in July, Sudan in October, and the Philippines in November. These briefings provide an opportunity for the Working Group to monitor progress on protection of children issues and to obtain information that can be used in integrating these issues into mandate renewal resolutions in situations where there are peace operations. A new working method initiated by the chair is a monthly briefing of the Working Group by the incoming president of the Council on the programme of work, which allows working group members to plan ahead for country-specific situations that may be of interest in the context of the children and armed conflict agenda. Key Issues and Options The overarching issue is what the Council can do to raise awareness of the importance of incorporating child protection considerations in peace processes. Beyond incorporating appropriate language in its resolutions, the Council could choose to more proactively raise this issue during regular briefings on UN peace operations in order to better understand the challenges faced by mediators and others involved in peace processes. It could also request the Secretary-General to include integration of child protection issues in reporting on peace processes, as a discrete section in the annual report and in his periodic reports on relevant peace operations, A related issue is the lack of guidance for those involved in peace processes. The Council could address this in a presidential statement encouraging mediators to use the guidance. It could also include a commitment for this issue to be incorporated in resolutions on all relevant peace operations. Council Dynamics Council members are generally supportive of the children and armed conflict agenda. However, the difficult dynamics among Council members have had a direct impact on the Working Groups ability to agree on conclusions, particularly on the situations that were the first to be addressed by the Working Group last year: Myanmar, Syria and Yemen. Although the Working Group began to negotiate different conclusions in parallel in the latter half of 2019, it was not possible to adopt as many conclusions as had been anticipated. The Working Group met more times than any other subsidiary body in 2019. Areas covered included the introduction of reports; briefings on the Global Horizontal Note, which provides an update on situations in the Secretary-Generals annexes; and negotiations and adoptions of conclusions. In addition, there were regular VTCs and briefings on the programme of work. Besides the chair, several other Working Group members have shown a dedication to the issue, including in 2019 the Dominican Republic, France, Germany and the UK. However, frequent changes in personnel by the US may suggest a lack of commitment to the issue while China appears to no longer have a dedicated children and armed conflict expert, choosing instead to send its country-specific experts to the meetings. It is too soon to get a sense of the positions of the new members although early indications are that Tunisia is likely to be sensitive to counties in its region in negotiations on the conclusions on the report of children and armed conflict in Yemen and Estonia is expected to be an active participant. Negotiations on the anticipated draft presidential statement are likely to provide a clearer picture of the dynamics among Working Group members going forward. Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium) chairs the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. UN DOCUMENTS ON CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT The White House coronavirus task force announced Friday that it was enacting a public health emergency in the wake of the viruss outbreak, which so far has resulted in seven confirmed cases in the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar explained in a press conference that, starting Sunday at 5 p.m., the administration is temporarily suspending the entry into the United States of foreign nationals who pose a risk of transmitting the 2019 novel coronavirus. As of Friday afternoon, there have been at least 213 confirmed deaths and over 9,709 cases in China, with over 140 cases confirmed outside of China. The virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, and is related to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a virus that also originated in China and killed hundreds of people in 2002 and 2003. Azar said Friday that while the risk is low for Americans domestically, any U.S. citizen who had been to Hubei province over the last two weeks was subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine upon returning to the U.S. Acting Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli added that all flights from China would be funneled to seven American airports: JFK in New York City, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago OHare, Honolulu, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Earlier Friday, Delta and American Airlines announced that they would suspend all flights between the U.S. and China. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on Thursday, while Senator Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) warned that the Chinese were not admitting the seriousness of the outbreak. Now that all the U.S. carriers have done the right thing, time to ban all Chinese airlines from flying to the U.S. https://t.co/GZmdcYfs0v Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 31, 2020 More from National Review File Image KP Nayar By design, rather than any coincidence, as United States President Donald Trump was unveiling his much-awaited Palestinian-Israeli peace plan, the muezzin at Al Aqsa mosque began reading from a chapter of the Quran, with the theme: Do not obey the disbelievers and the hypocrites. Al Aqsa, in the Old City of Jerusalem, is the third holiest site for Muslims worldwide. The muezzins action signalled that the carefully designed peace plan, whose main architect is Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law, was dead on arrival. The plan envisages a Palestinian State circumscribed by Israel, which, on the other hand, gets with US approval, much of what it has vainly sought from previous US Presidents, such de jure territorial expansion and inviolable security. Trumps Secretary of State Michael Pompeos subsequent public utterances have ensured that the peace plan has no chance of success: Even if there were any Palestinian groups or leaders, who may have been inclined to look at the plan favourably, Pompeo ensured that this did not happen. Again, by design perhaps, Pompeo chose Sky News Arabia, which has a viewership in millions in the Arab world, to hurl his barely disguised insults at Palestinians. The Palestinians have a choice to make. They can do what the plan lays out, he told the channel. This is not negotiation. This is dictation. There was worse to follow. Pompeo would like the Palestinians to jump with joy at the plan. What he wants them to celebrate is: Hey, these are the things we love. We love the $50 billion (offered as reward for embracing the Kushner proposals.) We love the opportunity to have a state. But boy, we would rather see X, Y, or Z (changes to the plan during negotiations.) No self-respecting people can accept such an attitude from an overbearing big power. The Palestinians have shown in the last seven decades that they would rather die than sacrifice their self-respect. The question is why did Trump unveil a plan which was more one-sided, favouring Israel, than any offered by his predecessors? Also, why is Pompeo behaving as if he is egging Palestinians on to reject the plan? The answer lies in the recent history of Americas dealings with West Asia, both on the Arab side and with the Persians. Former US President George W Bush went into Baghdad without the faintest idea of what to do with Iraq after Saddam Hussein was overthrown. The Americans removed Muammar Gaddafi without any understanding of how the strongman had held together a nation as fractious as Libya. The consequences of Americas poor understanding of West Asia are there to see in Iraq and Libya, among other states in the region. Irans Islamic Republic has survived for 40 years and has survived better than before after the Bush invasion of Iraq although Washington has done its best to bring about regime change in Tehran. As an immediate consequence, what Trumps grand vision for Palestine and Israel has achieved is to unite all Palestinian factions, which have been at each others throats for many years. On January 28, leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad sat together to declare: Trump, Jerusalem is not for sale. It was not for nothing that the Ambassador of the State of Palestine in New Delhi hurriedly called a press conference after the Trump plan and equally hurriedly cancelled it after the Palestinian factions united. The Embassy of Palestine in New Delhi de facto represents only one Palestinian faction and does not want to appear to be a spoiler. As for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he wants the plan for now, yet he does not want it in the long run. Netanyahu needs the plan now because the one-sided, all-out-for-Israel US vision will help rally his Right-wing base in the coming election. It will also divert attention from a corruption indictment that was filed against him in court a few days ago. Netanyahu does not want the plan in the long run because its accompanying map raises the possibility that with the high rate of population growth among Arabs, including Israeli Arabs, Israel may end up one day as an Arab-majority state. Another example of Americas poor understanding of West Asia that would destroy the very idea of Israel as a homeland for Jews. The Narendra Modi government reiterated its long-held views in support of the Palestinian cause and in favour of a Palestinian State. Most important, India reaffirmed its stand that Jerusalem is a final status issue, thus effectively differing with Trump. Since the context was the Trump peace plan, India urge(d) the parties to engage with each other, including on the recent proposals put forward by the US. It is a travesty of truth that the influential and all-pervasive pro-Israel lobby in New Delhi portrayed this statement as support by the Modi government for the Trump peace plan. Mr Lawrence Ake-emah-Kapoe, the Assemblyman for the Nayorigo-Bungu Electoral Area in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region has pledged to work effectively with relevant stakeholders to improve the quality of basic education in the area. The Assemblyman said the standard of basic education in the community had fallen drastically and there was urgent need to work in unison to address the challenges leading to such abysmal performance. In an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Nayorigo, the Assemblyman said the Nayorigo basic school used to be among the best performing basic schools in the district but that had changed for the worst and needed to be worked on. Mr Ake-emah-Kapoe attributed the cause to the bad attitude of children towards learning coupled with inadequate infrastructure as well as teaching and learning materials. Our Electoral Area, especially Nayorigo community, previously was mentioned among the top but now when you come to our community there is nothing to write home about, they are not doing well at all and most of the problems are coming from the pupils themselves, they are not disciplined, they do not like learning, I am a teacher and can see it, he added. I have already started talking to some stakeholders including the headteachers and the teachers in the various schools to see how we can help them to organise extra classes for the children. He called on all stakeholders and opinion leaders in the community to work together to strategize to improve the quality of education in the area and empower the youth to contribute significantly to the development and well-being of the community. He said he would collaborate with the District Chief Executive to ensure that schools in the community benefit from the next consignment of furniture. The Assemblyman assured people of the Electoral Area that, he would use innovative lobbying skills to bring development projects to the communities and therefore called for unity especially among the youth to support him to succeed. Mr Ake-emah-Kapoe indicated that his electoral area was challenged with bad road network especially the Bongo-Bungu road and some communities did not have electricity. He appealed to the Ghana Education Service and the District Assembly to build a Junior High School for the Bungu community. The Assemblyman indicated that he would continue to work to ensure that most of the development challenges in the area were addressed. 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 31 January 2020 Ganapati Plc ("Ganapati" or "the Company") Trading Update The Directors of Ganapati wish to inform shareholders of certain key developments affecting the likely progress to be made over Q2 2020. GanaEight Coin Limited ("G8C") Following the announcement made on the 17 March 2019, regarding the application to be made by "G8C" to the Malta Financial Services Authority ("MFSA") for registration as a Virtual Financial Asset ("VFA"), the Directors wish to update shareholders that the MFSA have issued further regulations and guidelines requiring extra due diligence on VFA services providers seeking to obtain a VFA licence. The application for VFA services licence can only be made through a VFA agent and the Directors have been working closely with G8C VFA Agent, Grant Thornton, on the preparatory phase. The Directors anticipate submitting the first phase of the application to the MFSA of its intention to apply for a VFA licence in Q1 2020. Furthermore, the VFA licence holder is required to appoint a systems auditor to ensure the cyber-security framework complies at all times with the licence holder ongoing obligations. The Directors are working closely with UK technology auditing firm STIS, which is one of only four firms authorised by the MFSA to undertake these processes, in completing the systems audit. This involves the blueprints of G8C blockchain, information security and cyber security all being rigorously tested. Following the approval of the above, being the final stage in G8C's preparation for application, G8C will submit a complete application pack to the MFSA. G8C is in the process of making an application for an electronic wallet, which will be licensed through the Malta Digital Innovation Authority ("MDIA"). The Directors anticipate by May 2020 completing a demonstration version of G8C blockchain and wallet to allow peer-review testing. G8C is expecting authorisation to be granted by the end of June 2020. Current trading The Group's business strategy for 2020 centres significantly on obtaining gaming licences in a number of appropriate jurisdictions, especially as Europe is moving to self-regulation. To support the Group's online casino gaming business expansion into the European markets, the Group intends to apply for the UKGC Software Supplier Licence & Game (Host) Casino Licence from the UK Gambling Commission through its wholly owned subsidiary Ganapati Malta Limited, as well as for certificates in Sweden, Denmark, Spain and Columbia. The Group is aiming to complete this process by the end of June 2020. Outlook The Directors look forward to the coming year with confidence of current market conditions in the online gaming and blockchain sector which are projecting to deliver improved revenue to support the Group's expectation of continued growth. Whilst the Directors place great importance on presenting this update as accurately as possible, regulators and relevant regulations continue to evolve. The Directors will continue to keep all shareholders informed on the progress and developments of the above projects. The Directors of Ganapati Plc accept responsibility for this announcement CORPORATE ADVISER AND CONTACT DETAILS: Ganapati Plc Tony Drury, Chairman Telephone: 07973 737284 Juliet Adelstein, Chief Executive Officer Telephone: +447493762929 NEX EXCHANGE CORPORATE ADVISER: An elderly man with dementia who was admitted to hospital with frostbite in his feet due to extreme self-neglect in his "squalid" home is to be detained in hospital on foot of a High Court order. Aged in his 70s, the man, who lives alone, has a long history of alcohol abuse, and says he wants to go home and intends to continue drinking two bottles of wine daily. He has a history of hospital admissions, including intensive care admissions and for malnutrition, and was found on occasions at home in states of undress and shivering despite the house having central heating available, the court heard. Before being admitted to hospital in recent months with frostbite in his toes from a a home of significant squalor with excrement, decaying food and maggots throughout, with home helps refusing to visit, Paul Brady BL, for the HSE, said. The man has been separated from his wife for many years and while his adult children and others have sought to be supportive, he has declined that, counsel added. He was unable to manage himself and relied on others to turn to the heating and manage the household. Alcohol is delivered on a regular basis to the house, the court heard. Mr Brady sought the hospital detention order pending an inquiry into whether the man should be made a ward of court. Counsel said the man has indicated he wants to go home and a treating psychiatrist had assessed him, as a result of dementia, as lacking capacity to make decisions about his welfare. The psychiatrist considered his self neglect was partly as a result of alcohol abuse but mainly due to cognitive impairment and the hospitals concern was, if he sought to leave, that it would be in a position to legally prevent that. High Court president Mr Justice Peter Kelly said he was satisfied, on the evidence, it would be highly detrimental to the mans health, "and perhaps his life", if he returned home to live in such squalid conditions. The man is highly educated and had had a professional career but was cursed by his alcohol addiction and years of alcohol abuse, the judge said. His dementia seemed to be the result of brain damage caused in many instances by over indulgence in alcohol which continues to play a large part in his life, he noted. He also had a history of hospitalisation, including to tackle his alcohol addiction, but to no good effect. The judge made orders permitting the hospital to detain and treat the man. He directed an independent medical visitor to assess him for the wardship inquiry and appointed a guardian at litem to represent the mans interests. Source: Xinhua| 2020-01-31 04:23:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kejian said Thursday that China is willing to work with Lebanon to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, a statement by the Chinese Embassy in Lebanon reported. Wang made the remarks during his visit to the newly appointed Prime Minister Hassan Diab. Diab spoke positively of the bilateral ties between Lebanon and China, thanked China for its assistance for Lebanon in the political, economic, military and humanitarian fields, and hoped for more progress in bilateral cooperation in various fields. Wang also visited Foreign Affairs Minister Nassif Hitti, with whom he discussed the potential of promoting continuous development of bilateral relations between China and Lebanon. For his part, Hitti said that Lebanon also pays great attention to the relations between Lebanon and China and is willing to work with China to enhance mutual trust, strengthen exchanges, and promote cooperation in various fields. Air India's 423-seater jumbo B747 plane will depart from the Delhi airport for Wuhan at 12.30 pm on Friday to evacuate Indian nationals as China deals with the Novel Coronavirus outbreak, officials said. There will be five doctors from the Health Ministry and one paramedical staff onboard, they said. "The B747 plane is all set to depart from Delhi at 12.30 pm. It came from Mumbai on Friday morning only," said a senior airline official. The plane will have one paramedical staff onboard, he added. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said on Friday,"No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." "Masks have been arranged for the crew and passengers. For our crew, we have also arranged complete protective gear," he added. "Total five doctors from the Health Ministry are also going...The plane will be there (at Wuhan airport) for 2-3 hours," said Lohani. The government has reached out to over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hatch also told the jurors Rakin believed Davis might unintentionally kill him because she was so angry after being told by Rakin not to come to his house party. When she did, according to Hatch, she found him with another woman, started a fight she lost and then went outside and tried breaking his vehicles windows before getting into her SUV and ramming his vehicle parked in the driveway. Maxeiner strongly believes it is the way to go. I am optimistic, he said. Weve got to do an organizational review to make sure that we are sized appropriately and providing the services that we need to be providing and no more. They need a methodology to give them the data, he said. Thats what priority-based budgeting is going to do for us. From his research, Maxeiner believes the Resource X program works. Ive really kind of dove into documents and talked with people that have utilized this, he explained. I flew out to Denver in mid-December, spent some time with the people at the Center for Priority Based Budgeting, dove into the software that we were going to be using for this, asked a whole bunch of questions. And I am convinced between Annaka (Whiting, finance director) and myself we can make this work here. How will it work? We will basically take all of our spending and break it into four quartiles, he said. The top quartile will be the top priority; the fourth quartile will be the lowest priority. President Ram Nath Kovind's address at the joint session of parliament was very balanced and sorted, keeping in mind the needs of the country's citizens, said Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. "President said that the work done by the central government has further solidified the roots of new India. He also requested the citizens to keep in mind not only the rights of the citizens but also the responsibilities that come with it," Tomar told after the joint session of Parliament. His statement comes after President 's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on Friday. "To my mind, his address was essential, in order to propel people of the country to become responsible citizens. The nation will get inspiration for this speech and will stay vigilant towards their responsibilities," said the BJP leader. Speaking on the interruption during President's speech by the Opposition members," Our country is a democratic county. We have given room for criticism and protest. On the issue of accusations by the Congress that BJP leaders are inspiring violence in the country, he said, "Congress has left nothing to talk about and at this point they are directionless." The Union Budget will be presented on Saturday. The first phase of the session will conclude on February 11, while the second part of the session will begin from March 2 and end on April 3. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Representative image The 23 children held hostage were rescued after police killed the captor Subhash Batham on January 30. At a press conference held at 1.20 am on January 31, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi told reporters the children "the accused was killed and the 23 children were rescued safely". The situation went on for eight hours after the accused invited the children aged between six months and 15 years to his daughter's birthday party at Kasaria village, OP Singh, the Director-General of Police (DGP) said. Singh added that police had tried to "engage" the accused during the entire operation and were successful. He said Batham initially released a six-month-old girl by handing her over to his neighbour from a balcony. The motive of the accused was not known immediately, but police said Bantham seemed mentally unstable. Inspector-General of Police, Kanpur Range, Mohit Agarwal said Batham "fired six shots from inside the building" at those who tried to speak to him. Two policemen and a man have sustained bullet injuries. Agarwal added that Batham had asked to speak to the local MLA, but refused to speak to the leader when he arrived. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath monitored the situation in Farrukhabad, which is nearly 200 km from state capital Lucknow. "The CM as soon as he got to know about the incident called a meeting of the crisis management group and personally monitored the situation and ensured children are rescued safely," Awasthi said. Earlier, a National Security Guard (NSG) team of NSG took a special aircraft to reach Farukhabad, a senior security official in Delhi said. Mr Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, the Minister of Health on Tuesday cautioned Ministers, Members of Parliament and the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies not to interfere in the management of the 307 ambulances deployed to the constituencies. Rather, he tasked them, to collaborate with the National Ambulance Service (NAS) who are authorised to manage the ambulances by helping it to secure suitable places in every constituency for it to operate from. The Health Minister stated during the commissioning of the Ambulances by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Accra. The President has now given approval for the distribution of the ambulances procured under the governments One Constituency, One Ambulance project. Mr Agyeman-Manu said government wanted the Ambulance Service to work independently in administering its duties with the new ambulances without receiving external pressures from any persons in authority. He said some constituencies had met the basic requirements of providing offices and residential accommodation for the NAS to pave way for easy operationalisation of the ambulances, however, others were behind in terms of their preparedness to receive the ambulances. Only qualified and experienced medical technicians and drivers, he said, are authorised to drive and operate the ambulances. The Minister gave an assurance that all efforts were going to be made to support the NAS to improve on the quality of pre-hospital emergency care services. We are not just providing ambulances but building a holistic emergency response system. It is in this regard that a unitary emergency number for all emergencies, thus 112 will be launched by the President later, he disclosed. Mr Agyeman-Manu noted that as peoples lives depended on the quick reaction and competent care of emergency of medical technicians and paramedics, incidences like automobile accidents, heart attacks, slips and falls, child birth and gunshot wounds required immediate medical attention. The Ministry of Special Development Initiatives, spearheaded the procurement of the ambulances under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme. Madam Mavis Hawa Koomson, the Sector Minister said the project was funded through the One Million Dollars per Constituency initiative. She urged the National Ambulance Service to utilise the ambulances well and maintain them properly to prolong their usefulness to the populace. Professor Ahmed Nuhu Zakariah, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Ambulance Service, speaking about the history of Ambulance Stations, said the NAS started with a pilot phase of seven stations in three regions from 2004 to 2005. In 2006, it moved into full scale operations with additional 12 stations increasing the number to 19 stations in five regions. The National Ambulance Service, he said, was going to add 145 new stations to the existing 132 stations this year. Prof. Zakariah said the 307 ambulances had been equipped with state-of-the-art support devices to facilitate a quick and comfortable transfer of patients. The devices include stretchers, first aid kits, oxygen cylinders, spinal immobilization devices, portable ventilators, adults and foetal monitors, and automated external defibrillators. Prof. Zakariah noted that tracking devices had been installed in the ambulances to track their movements. He advised individuals in emergency situations to call the 112 emergency line or send alert on the Ghana Post GPS App for a reliable accessibility of service and aid. 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 Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Responding to an emergency requirement propping up due to the Coronavirus health emergency emanating from Wuhan China, Indian Army has set up a quarantine facility with plans to shift suspected cases to the Base Hospital at Delhi Cantonment. Army says, "To create and manage a facility for quarantine of approximately 300 Indian students arriving from Wuhan, China, the Indian Army has created a facility near Manesar." The students can be monitored for a duration of two weeks by a qualified team of doctors and staff members, to watch for any signs of infection, added the Army. There will be dedicated manpower with relevant qualifications. "The facility will be administered by a nominated Officer In Charge (OIC) who will have under his command a Community Medicine Specialist, two Nursing Officers, a Lady Medical Officer and one Nursing Assistant," Army said. There will be a standard procedure followed right after the arrival of the passengers from China. "The procedure of screening and quarantine will comprise two steps, the first one being screening at the airport followed by quarantine at Manesar and if any individual is suspected to be infected, he/she will be shifted to the isolation ward at Base Hospital Delhi Cantonment (BHDC)." Actions will start on Arrival at Airport where the screening will be done by a joint team of Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) and Airport Health Authority (APHO). Three-group classification As per observation and analysis during the screening, people will be classified into three groups: Suspect Case, Close Contact and Non-Contact case. The people will be segregated into Suspect case - individuals with any signs of fever and/or cough and/or respiratory distress will be directly transferred to BHDC. The cases of Close Contact, individual without symptoms but having visited a seafood/animal market or a health facility or having come into contact with a Chinese person with symptoms in the last 14 days will be escorted in an earmarked vehicle directly to the quarantine facility. The Non-Contact Case, individual without any symptom(s) or contact or who does not fit into either (a) or (b) will also be clubbed along with the close contact category and sent to the quarantine facility. ALSO READ: Coronavirus - With five doctors, Air India's B747 plane departs to Wuhan to evacuate Indians Accommodation The facility consists of accommodation barracks for the students, administrative areas and medical facility area. To prevent mass outbreak, the facility has been divided into sectors, each with a maximum capacity of 50 students. Each barrack has been further subdivided into barracks. The population of sectors will not be allowed to intermingle with each other. Protection The Army will follow a well-planned routine and daily medical examination of all students will be done at the medical facility area and all the staff, health care workers and housekeeping staff must wear their personal protective equipment (PPE) at all times. PPE consists of mask, eye shield, shoe cover, gown and gloves. Rest of the visitors and all students will wear a three layered mask at all times. After 14 days, persons with no symptoms will be allowed to go home with their detailed documentation sent to the District/ State surveillance units for further surveillance. Those found infected will be shifted to BHDC's isolation ward for further medical exams and recovery. Samples for viral confirmation will be sent to NCDC, Delhi and patients will be discharged only after clinical recovery and two successive negative samples tested for n-COV. Apart from playing games, watching TV and having meals together within the barrack, no one will be allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector. No civilian or serving personnel detailed to work inside the facility will be allowed to go outside unless compelled by extreme emergency situation. The government has reached over 600 Indians living in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, to ascertain their willingness to be brought back to India. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak on Friday climbed to 213 with the number of confirmed cases totalling to 9,692. Hubei province reported 5,806 confirmed cases, including 204 deaths. (With inputs from PTI) Sun Group signed a landmark deal to bring the Capella hotel brand to Hanoi Singapore-based Capella Hotel Group upholds a legacy of crafted luxury design combined with the highest level of personalised service. Renowned Vietnamese developer Sun Group and the celebrated Capella Hotel Group (CHG) from Singapore have signed an MoU to collaborate on a new landmark hotel project in Hanoi. Capella Hanoi will be the first project to mark the presence of Capella Hotel Group in Hanoi, Vietnam. This is the first time that the prestigious Capella brand will bring its world-class hospitality and luxurious services to the capital of Vietnam. The 5-star boutique accommodation, which will be located right in the historic heart of Hanoi at 11 Le Phung Hieu Street, Hoan Kiem district, will give luxury travellers easy access to all of the citys leading cultural attractions, restaurants, and shopping streets. Capella Hanoi has been designed by the world-famous architect and designer Bill Bensley, who has previously designed globally acclaimed resorts like the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort (Danang), JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay (Phu Quoc), Hotel de la Coupole MGallery (Sa Pa), and Capella Ubud (Bali, Indonesia), amongst many others. Featuring a timeless aesthetic that took inspiration from the Hanoi Opera House, Capella Hanoi will be a new icon for the capital city, which is widely considered to be one of Asia's most enchanting destinations. With 47 gorgeously appointed rooms, all featuring an opulent interior and luxurious amenities, Capella Hanoi will be the capitals first true 5-star boutique hotel. Under the management of CHG, guests at Capella Hanoi can expect the highest standards of hospitality, immaculate service, and exquisite dining options while sojourning in the Vietnamese capital. When implementing the Capella Hanoi project, our goal was to build a high-class project that was worthy of the rich and ancient culture of Hanoi, a city that is over a thousand years old, said Bui Thi Thanh Huong, vice chairwoman and CEO of Sun Group. With the enthusiasm and experience of Sun Group as an investor, and the personalised 5-star services from Capella Hotel Group, we believe that Capella Hanoi will help to further promote Vietnams capital as a destination with a rich, developed, and fascinating cultural charm, Huong added. Hanoi is very much an up-and-coming destination for the luxury travel market, offering fascinating insights into the history and culture of Vietnam, world-class architecture, and of course, the distinctive flavours of North Vietnamese cuisine, said Nicholas Clayton, CEO of CHG Group. Sun Group is one of the countrys real estate and tourism leaders, and we very much look forward to working with them to help raise awareness and intrigue for Vietnam amongst discerning international travellers. Located away from the bustling city centre, the property is a stone-throw away from some of the most impressive landmarks, including Hoan Kiem Lake, the Temple of the Jade Mound and Thap Rua (Tortoise Tower). This unique destination and exclusive property will enable us to offer the highest level of personalised service to all guests, combined with our legacy of thoughtful design, said Clayton. In the last 10 years, Sun Group, a leading corporation and developer of luxury resorts and hotels, has created numerous iconic projects that have made a great contribution to tourism in Vietnam. Co-operating with famous and talented architects and leading global hotel management groups such as InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott International, and AccorHotels, Sun Groups resorts have been honoured with prestigious international awards. Located in Central Vietnam, InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula was honoured by the World Travel Awards as the "World's Leading Luxury Resort" for four consecutive years (2014-2017). Meanwhile, on the southern shores of Phu Quoc Island, JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay has been named the World's Leading Resort and Spa 2019" while Hotel de la Coupole in Sapa has been declared the "Worlds Leading Iconic Hotel 2019 to name just a few of the numerous awards that Sun Groups investments have won over the years. CHG is a Singapore-based hotel group with offices in China, Europe, and the US that provides global hotel management services through two brands. The Capella Hotels & Resorts brand operates luxury hotels, resorts and apartments which have been designed for the most discerning travellers. Each Capella location offers an experience curated for the curious, blending nature, history, and the finest attention to detail with peerless individualised services. Meanwhile, the Solis Hotels and Resorts brand is an exclusive collection of resorts, hotels, and residences designed for tourists and conference professionals looking for a comfortable, inspiring dining space as well as a world-class spa. The World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency of international concern, after waiting and watching and perhaps hoping things would get better in Wuhan. Instead, there has been a continuing surge of cases of coronavirus in China since January 18. That this has occurred despite all the measures being taken by China is probably due to several factors, including increased travel for New Year, as travel is a major vector for spreading infections globally. It may also be due to person-to-person transmission, or asymptomatic transmissions. There may also have been increased detection, testing and reporting of cases, and possibly ongoing exposure to an environmental or animal source of infection. People wait at Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan last week. Credit:Getty Image Without any drug or vaccine for this virus, we must use every other measure at our disposal to control the spread. Public health measures to control the epidemic include reducing travel, screening of passengers coming from China, identifying new cases rapidly and isolating them, tracking close contacts of infected people and monitoring them for symptoms and quarantine. Our citizens are stranded in Wuhan, and have been asking for help. The government has responded with a strategy to evacuate them to Christmas Island and quarantine them there for 14 days. Canberra is still locked in negotiations with Beijing to get its agreement to allow dual citizens to take advantage of this offer. More than 150 Australians have reportedly already registered to be evacuated despite well reported reservations among some. After Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's sensational decision to step back as senior members of the royal family now dubbed as "Megxit," the spotlight is once again back to Queen Elizabeth II's second son, Prince Andrew. It could be recalled that the Duke of York first made headlines after his alleged connections and relationship with the convicted sex offender and pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. The 59-year-old prince earlier stepped down from his royal duties due to the weight of burden accompanied by the said issue. However, it looks like it will be long enough before the pubic once again see the Duke of York be back on duty. According to a royal insider, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her eldest son, Prince Charles held a "crisis talk" at the Sandringham estate to talk about the family matter, particularly the status of Prince Andrew in the royal family. The source said that although the Queen and the heir to the throne are hoping to have Prince Andrew back on board, he is "unlikely" to reintegrate into public life after the said crisis involving Epstein. "Both had hoped the Duke of York could perhaps be rehabilitated back into public life in time, but that is now looking increasingly unlikely," an insider told The Sun. It could be recalled that not long enough ago, the 93-year-old monarch also summoned the senior members of the royal family in Sandringham. It is for the purpose of an emergency meeting concerning Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to abandon their royal duties in the hopes of living a private and independent life. The new "crisis talk" between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles came less than a day after U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman revealed that the Duke of York has provided "zero cooperation" in their ongoing investigation about Epstein's crimes. In a conference in New York, Berman said that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) tried to ask him some questions regarding the Epstein case, but he has been uncooperative. In a separate report, an insider revealed that Prince Andrew is "angry and bewildered" about the zero cooperation claims. A source told the Independent that the disgraced royal is very much "happy to talk to the FBI," but the institution has not yet approached him. It could be recalled that it was in early 2019 when news broke that Prince Andrew has direct involvement with the late infamous pedophile. In November of last year, the Duke of York also had a one-on-one interview with BBC's Emily Maitlis where he admitted not regretting his relationship with Epstein. During the same interview, he also denied the allegation that he slept with one of Epstein's alleged sex slave, then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. He also denied meeting the minor during the years they claimed to be seeing each other. Roberts claimed that between the years 1999 to 2002, she slept three times with Prince Andrew in London, New York and in Epstein's private Caribbean house. 19302020 Alfons Lang passed away on the morning of January 16th at the age of 89. Al as he was known to many who knew him was born on March 30th, 1930 in Neustadtl am Klinger, Bohemia to Josef Lang and Johanna Lorenz. He grew up on a farm where his father built their two story home with his paternal grandparents living upstairs. Prior to and during the war besides attending grade school his time was taken up by helping the family maintain their farm. After the war the family was resettled to the village of Johannisberg, a part of Geisenheim in the Rheingau. He finished his schooling in Johannisberg where he learned skills in carpentry, and masonry work. He came to the United States at the age of 21 in 1951 staying at first with his aunt, Marie Pleiner and her husband Dick who had a large property at the top of Mt. Veeder. While newly arrived in Napa he worked as a cement finisher for Polly Construction and on the side helped his friend John Cole who was building his home on Atlas Peak. He was introduced to his wife Merriam through Johns wife Marie as they both worked together at the telephone company. They were married on August 29th, 1954 at St. John the Baptist in Napa. He soon left for basic training at Fort Ord as he was drafted by the US Army in June of that same year even though he wasnt even a citizen yet. He served the Army as a interpreter being stationed in Austria, and later briefly in Verona, Italy. He was honorably discharged in May of 1957. Later that year his son Jim was born, and two years later his daughter Joanne. Al went on to work for Pacific Gas and Electric company in the gas department for 34 years retiring in 1990. In retirement he and Merriam traveled to Germany numerous times to visit family, along with trips to Reno which they both enjoyed. He and Merriam were also active at St Apollinaris Church being founding members of the parish. Through the 90s along with other parishioners, Al would set up for Friday night Bingo in the church hall. His main hobbies were maintaining his front and backyards and collecting firewood. His passion for wood came from collecting wood for his family as a young boy so they could cook, and heat the home on their wood burning stove. Al could be seen driving around town in his silver 1970 El Camino searching for wood from trees that city maintenance had cut down, or going to the Napa Register to get wood pallets to cut up for kindling. He is survived by his daughter Joanne Booth of Napa, his grandson Enkel Nick Booth of Napa , his brother and sister in law Josef and Veronika Lang of Gseisenheim Germany, his daughter in law Joan Lang of Orange County Ca, and numerous nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his Jack Russell Terrier Pepper. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years Merriam Lang, his son Jim Lang, his parents Josef and Johanna Lang and his sister Mitzi Lang. The family would like to thank our cousin Cheryl Nickerson, everyone at Stayman Estates in particular Leo, Cora, Anna, and Calvin for the excellent care Al received during his stay there and we also want to thank everyone at Continuum Hospice. A Memorial mass will be held on February 8th, 2020 at 11.00 am at St. Apollinaris Catholic Church in Napa. Following the mass a reception will follow in the church hall. Memories and notes of sympathy may be shared at claffeyandrota.com. OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is going through a "deliberate process" to airlift nearly 200 Canadians out of the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, while other countries continue to get their citizens home. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 31/1/2020 (712 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Myriam Larouche, 25, is seen in this undated handout photo. graduate student who's living alone in area that is the epicentre of a new coronavirus outbreak says it's "kinda hard" being on her own right now. Myriam Larouche, a 25-year-old tourism management student at the Central China Normal University in Wuhan, in Hubei province, lives in the dormitory on campus. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Myriam Larouche *MANDATORY CREDIT* OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government is going through a "deliberate process" to airlift nearly 200 Canadians out of the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, while other countries continue to get their citizens home. Speaking to reporters in Montreal, Trudeau said his government is doing what it has to do to ensure the risk to Canadians at home remains low. Canada is seeking Chinese approval to send a plane to the locked-down city of Wuhan to collect the 295 Canadians who have asked for help to leave. Trudeau said the government is co-ordinating evacuation efforts with other countries. "It is a deliberate process in which we are engaged responsibly," Trudeau said Friday. Myriam Larouche, a 25-year-old from L'Ascension, Que., who is in Wuhan studying tourism management at the Central China Normal University, said she received an email Friday morning from the Canadian government telling her to be ready to leave. "They still don't know the date and the time but it's probably going to be in the next day or two," said Larouche in a video call with The Canadian Press from her dormitory. "I hope so." She said she was also told that she'd only be allowed to take one carry-on bag with her on the plane. She was going to get the bag ready Friday afternoon, a welcome change to her routine since the lockdown, which includes practising her Chinese, exercising, studying, watching Netflix and chatting with her mother back in Canada. While there are still quite a few students on campus and in her dormitory, she said there is no noise and the place feels like a "ghost city." "People are locked in. People are avoiding going out," she said. "It's like the nighttime but during day time. When there's no virus there's more people around during the night than there are right now." She said she's been taking her temperature every day and wears a mask even when she steps out of her room and into the hall. The school provides her masks and also has a hotline for any help students might need, she said. Grocery stores are well-stocked and she cooks her food in the residence, she said. Her mother is really worried, she said, and has been calling the Canadian embassy for the past two days to find out next steps. "I'm like 'Mom, calm down. I'm fine,'" Larouche said. "She was saying, 'I'm just being a mom right now.'" As of Friday evening, China counted nearly 11,800 confirmed cases with a death toll of 259. The vast majority of the cases have been in Hubei province and its provincial capital, Wuhan, where the first illnesses were detected in December. China has placed more than 50 million people in the region under virtual quarantine. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global emergency Thursday. Trudeau's office said he and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed what each country is doing to protect its citizens in a phone call Friday. Other countries have already brought some of their citizens home. A planeload of about 200 French citizens landed in southern France Friday, and its passengers were to be taken to a Mediterranean vacation resort for 14 days of quarantine. A chartered flight carrying more than 360 South Koreans arrived at an airport in Seoul. The evacuees underwent screenings for fever before boarding buses to quarantine facilities established in the central towns of Asan and Jincheon. Residents there have protested government plans to place the evacuees in their neighbourhoods, throwing eggs and other objects at visiting government officials. Meanwhile, a third charter plane from Japan brought back 149 evacuees and Germany planned to send a military jet to pick up dozens of its citizens on Saturday. Trudeau said Canada will continue to provide the international community and World Health Organization expert advice to ensure the threat from the virus remains low in Canada, and, to the extent that is possible, around the world. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne spoke to his Chinese counterpart overnight about the coronavirus outbreak. Champagne said he commended the Chinese government for its "fact-based response" to the crisis. Larouche said the authorities are doing what they can and she just has to trust them. "I feel OK," Larouche said. "I'll have a story to tell for a lifetime." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2020. By Mike Blanchfield and Jordan Press in Ottawa and Hina Alam in Vancouver. With files from The Associated Press. E uropean Union leaders today warned that negotiations on Britains trade and future relations will take longer than the December deadline demanded by Downing Street. Brexit Day began with sorrow rather than recriminations in EU capitals but also frustration that the Prime Minister was insisting on a December cut-off for talks that will span fishing rights, the City, intelligence sharing, security, new arrest warrants and the trade-off between divergence with EU rules and market access. There has been too much talk of just getting Brexit done as if it is all over now, complained Irish deputy PM Simon Coveney, in a clear reference to Boris Johnsons election slogan. The truth is we are only halfway through the Brexit negotiations. He said contingency arrangements would be needed to give more time after Mr Johnsons deadline. Citing a duty to be blunt and honest with people, he told Sky News there could be an awful lot of job losses if leaders got it wrong. Brexit: UK's final day in EU 1 /44 Brexit: UK's final day in EU Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives to attend a cabinet meeting held at the National Glass Centre at the University of Sunderland AFP via Getty Images A massive banner by the campaign group Another Europe is Possible is hung off Westminster Bridge in London, ahead of the UK leaving the European Union PA People wear Union Jack hats and Brexit Day t shirts in Parliament Square as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge by the London Eye as people prepare for Brexit Getty Images European Parliament President David Sassoli speaks during a media conference at the Parlamentarium in Brussels AP MEP Jonathan Bullock holding the Union Jack waves from a taxi as he leaves the European Parliament AFP via Getty Images Commuters walk along London Bridge toward the City of London with Tower Bridge AFP via Getty Images Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon delivers a speech on Brexit day Reuters AFP via Getty Images European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President David Sassoli arrive for a meeting near The European Parliament in Brussels AFP via Getty Images Steve Bray in Westminster this morning Jeremy Selwyn People walk past a Brexit countdown clock at the Parlamentarium in Brussels AP Union Flags line the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace AFP via Getty Images British members of the European Parliament from the Brexit Party Jonathan Bullock and Ann Widdecombe wave in front of the train station as they leave in Brussels AFP via Getty Images Pro-EU anti-Brexit protesters hold placards in Parliament Square in London AFP via Getty Images Sunrise over the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid arrives at King's Cross St. Pancras Station in London before boarding a train to the North East for a cabinet meeting in Sunderland PA Brexit Party members of the European Parliament, Jack Pugh and David Bull, depart from the Parliament to return to Great Britain on the day the United Kingdom will officially fulfill Brexit and leave the European Union Getty Images Britain's ambassador to the European Union Tim Barrow leaves the British representation to the EU residence in Brussels AFP via Getty Images A man sits as members of the media set up on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters European Commission Chief Negociator Michel Barnier arrives for a meeting near the European Parliament in Brussels AFP via Getty Images Red Viking apples with the Union Jack are displayed and given out for free to promote British produce on Parliament Square AP A woman carrying the red box belonging to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab goes into King's Cross Station in London to board a train to the North East for a cabinet meeting in Sunderland PA A technician makes lighting adjustments prior to a media conference of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President David Sassoli at the Parlamentarium in Brussels AP Ann Widdecombe member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South West England, reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium PA Euro Balloons stuck in a tree in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn Newspapers and other souvenirs are pictured at a store, near Parliament Square REUTERS Julian Smith, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland arrives at King's Cross Station in London PA A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs are pictured at a souvenir store, near Parliament Square Reuters International Trade Secretary Liz Truss arrives at King's Cross St. Pancras Station in London before boarding a train to the North East for a cabinet meeting in Sunderland PA British MEP's carry a Union flag as they march out of European Parliament with their luggage in Brussels to take the Eurostar train back to Britain AP A Brexiteer in Parliament Square, Londo PA Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok tweeted a video of himself and the Brexit muppet used in an ad campaign to get businesses ready, looking at their watches and tapping fingers. Dear #Northseaneighbours, he said. There is only little time for the important negotiations on our future relationship. Its crunch time again before we know it. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen told the BBC: Negotiations will be fair. But, of course, each side will fight for their interests. And it is very clear that there are some fields where we have strong common interests. For example, the fight against climate change. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU needed to listen carefully to people in deprived regions in other EU countries or risk seeing Brexit echoed. We have to listen, to understand and to answer these questions, these fears and this social anger which was expressed by the Brexit vote, he told the BBC, adding: It is perhaps too late for the UK but not too late for the EU. Norbert Rottgen, an ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, tweeted: For many people across Europe this is an emotional day. For me its a sad one. We were stronger together. But after today its time for us to make this new reality work and become good neighbours. The irony of Meghan Markle being painted as a gold-digger as her estranged father tries to lay claim to whatever money she might have is lost on no one. Thomas Markle is doing the rounds again, convinced his daughter owes him. Remember, she lived with him between the ages of 11 and 18, and he claims to have paid for her education. Even if he did, isnt that what parents are supposed to do that, and not gossip about their children in paid-for interviews? The whole point of parenting is the unequivocal love bit, lavishing attention and love on them and forgoing things yourself to give them opportunity and choice. Youre not supposed to expect to get anything back. It's time Prince Andrew told his side of sordid Epstein scandal Money, power and privilege determine if youre ever really bothered by the pesky law. The most benign way of looking at the zero cooperation offered by Britains Prince Andrew to US authorities in their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein is that his lawyers or his people have kept the requests from him. The prince denies he hasnt responded to requests to answer questions about his alleged sexual encounter with Virginia Giuffre and his relationship with Epstein. A quick reminder of what he said in that infamous BBC interview he was willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency. He also said he would consider giving evidence under oath if push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so. Now that he knows theyd like to talk with him, why cant he just set up the meeting? It would be that simple. Video of the Day What about any sort of moral compass and helping the victims at the centre of this to get some form of justice? What about your word meaning something? What about even doing your family a favour and ending the embarrassing publicity for an already embattled monarchy? Is Prince Andrew so clueless and removed from whats unfolding around him that he really doesnt get how serious this is? Is he really that detached and uninterested? Maybe his testimony what he would actually say about what he saw and did would be worse than brazening out this megaphone war of words. Maybe it would appear even more incriminating than that disastrous interview he gave. Grammys have become so gaudy The Grammys a music awards ceremony or a place fashion goes to die? These days its a byword for tacky, tasteless and attention-grabbing. Chris Brown on the red carpet? Has everyone forgotten what he did to Rihannas face a few years ago? The rig-outs worn? Sorry, barely worn. The garish colours, the flesh on show, the gaudiness of plunging, slashed, split to the thigh, luminous and ripped outfits are painful to observe. I dont recognise most people in the most bizarre outfits, but I guess thats the point. How much further can they go? Were a single piece of underwear away from musicians turning up completely buckers. Let's see how many promises they keep Its the great giveaway. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to win everything. Dont be worrying about how its all being paid for. Well worry about that. Youll be better off, and thats all that matters. The political party manifestos are just like the conveyor belt of goodies going by on The Generation Game, but this time they arent cuddly toys or a Magimix. There goes a cut in USC; theres a hike in the entry point at which you start paying tax; I see a rent freeze; and wow, no property tax. Look, here comes a promise of free GP care for my kids. Theres even a Green politician holding up an anti-carbon prize (were looking at you, Saoirse McHugh). PJ Mara, the famed Fianna Fail press secretary, wasnt joking when he said at the start of the 2007 election: Its show time. Were the contestants in this reality TV mock-up. Its like weve clicked our heels and gone back to the height of the Celtic Tiger, when journalists struggled to find the bad news in those Budgets. Of course, were supposed to know better now. Were supposed to know politicians make promises they dont keep, that they say things they dont mean and do screeching U-turns when faced with difficult decisions. All of these promises are based on an 11bn war chest that we might have over the coming five years. In 2007, we thought wed have way more than we did in the following five years. The ESRI famously forecast growth for 2008. The think-tank admitted it made a bad mistake when it failed to predict the banking crisis. So, the 11bn of unallocated resources (bye-bye fiscal space, hello unallocated resources) might not be there. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has previously taken issue with Department of Finance figures. There are other pressures that may reduce that figure an ageing population, a new public sector pay deal, a global recession or other unforeseen circumstances. Theres no guarantee of having 11bn to play with. So, how can the parties possibly claim everything is costed? How can they ask us to trust them that they will have the money? The best they can say is we might have the money. What if Brexit is worse than expected? What if its really bad? What if theres no trade deal? What will the parties sacrifice in their manifesto if thats the case? What will go first? Whats the trade-off? Its hard to nail down any party leaders on this. Telling you whats least important to them might potentially lose voters. The go-big-or-go-home manifesto is as cross-party as it gets. Theyre all at it. The only difference is that some held their poker face a little longer than others. Remember, were all willingly taking part in this political generation game. We roll the dice if we mark the ballot paper based on what jackpot is promised. Maybe its time we all grew up and stopped playing give-away games. By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijan and Iran have signed a contract on the construction of a joint industrial park that will be financed by both contries. The contract was signed between Iran Small Industrial and Industrial Parks Organization (ISIPO) and Ardabil province local authorities in Ardabil, Iran. The signed contract follows upon the previous formal agreement between Iran and Azerbaijan to create a joint industrial Iran-Azerbaijan industrial park in Ardabil's Parsabad county. The construction of the industrial park was discussed between Iran's Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Reza Rahmani and Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev during his visit to Iran. Creation of joint parks was also discussed during the visit of Iranian delegation led by Governor of Irans Ardabil province Akbar Behnamju to Baku in December 2019. It was noted that the project will serve strengthening ties between Iranian and Azerbaijani investors, development of economic cooperation, as well as export of Iranian products to the markets of Russia and Central Asia. Establishing the park will open doors for both foreign and local investors. The total area of the park will be 95 hectares. Currently, there are 900 free trade and industrial zones in Iran. Azerbaijan has five industrial parks - Sumgayit, Garadagh, Mingachevir, Pirallahi and Balakhani, as well as three industrial districts - Neftchala, Masalli and Hajigabul. In addition, work is underway to launch the Sabirabad industrial zone. The two countries cooperate within the joint car production plant in Neftchala Industrial Zone, joint pharmaceutical plant Caspian Pharmed in Pirallahi Industrial Park, Khudaferin and Maiden Tower hydro power plants, etc. Azerbaijan plans to build four terminals in the Iranian city of Astara. These terminals include oil and grain terminals, a terminal for processing containers and a general-purpose terminal. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Consumer durables firm Voltas is now expanding aggressively into the non-AC (air-conditioning) segment with the launch of a new factory in Gujarat for appliances under Voltas Beko brand as a joint venture with Turkey's Arcelik. In an interaction with Moneycontrol, Pradeep Bakshi, MD and CEO - Voltas, talks about the strategy and future plans. Excerpts: Q: Voltas has talked about manufacturing white goods in India. But, considering that a large number of appliances are imported in India, are there any bottlenecks? A: There are bottlenecks overall as far as consumer durables manufacturing in India is concerned. Take a product like AC. Here, there is no brand manufacturing air compressors for ACs in India. Even when it comes to refrigerators, there are a few controllers and compressors being manufactured in India. Similarly, when it comes front-load washing machines, India is still trying to develop technology and quite a bit of it is coming in as imported capacity. Our first Make in India factory in Sanand, Gujarat will be helpful in developing capacities. We will first begin manufacturing direct-cool refrigerators and semi-automatic washing machines. Q: The company has been predominantly known as an AC brand in India. Will Voltas Beko help change this perception? A: In about five years, it is our endeavour to have an equal share of non-AC consumer durable products and AC. There is a possibility that share of non-AC products could even go higher by that time. This is because the volumes of the other appliances are much higher in India. AC volumes are around six million in India. Refrigerator volumes are 12-13 million, washing machines are 6.5-7 million while microwaves and dishwashers would be around 2 million. If you add these non-AC categories, it is three times the volumes of ACs. However, the shift will take time because we have been in existence as an AC brand for more than six decades. We took the top spot in ACs in 2011 and have topped the list since then. Our market share is about 24-27 percent and widening gap between us and second rank who has less than 15 percent share. Q: What was the reason to enter a category like air-coolers which is dominated by unorganised players? A: Voltas realised that there is a big gap in the market in the air-cooler category. Between the fan category and ACs, there is a big void which we decided to fill. There are too many unbranded cooler brands. We wanted to plug this gap. Within the first two to three years of entering the business, Voltas is between the second and third position in the air-cooler segment in India. We want to be the market leader in air-cooler category in 2025. Q: Coming to the Gujarat plant that you have set up for Voltas Beko, what is the investment plan? A: Both Voltas and Arcelik have decided to invest USD180 million (approximately Rs 1,200 crore). This is the investment plan for the next three to four years. Till now, almost Rs 700 crore has been invested. However, as we expand the capacities aggressively we will infuse more funds. Q: As a large player in the white goods market, do you expect Budget 2020 to help in your growth plans? A: Our industry bodies like RAMA (Refrigerators and Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association) have presented their views on the high 28 percent goods and services tax (GST) on ACs. Air-conditioners are no longer a luxury product and has become a necessity. Hence, the government needs to look at the GST rates Among the other changes, we welcome the Make in India initiative. But we need to bear in mind that India is at a nascent stage when it comes to technology development. India still has no local manufacturers for key components like air compressors. It will take a while for India to become manufacturing location for these products. The office of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has clarified that there wont be any hike in his salary, refuting reports that there was an increase in the premiers pay as baseless and unfortunate. The clarification was issued on Thursday in response to the media reports alleging that Khans gross salary was being increased to 800,000 Pakistani rupees ($5,179), reports Dawn news. At a time when the Prime Minister was carrying out a campaign to slash the governments expenditures which he initiated from his own, the propagation of such a baseless and concocted news report was unfortunate, an Off spokesperson remarked, according to a press release. The spokesperson quoted Khan as saying that expenditures incurred on the head of the government were borne out of the peoples hard-earned money, so it was a must to keep it at the minimum level. During a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed said that Khan was living at his private residence at Banigala despite being the premier and even spent money from his own pocket for the construction of the road leading to his residence. The development comes after Khan recently disclosed that he could not cover his household expenses from his official salary, Dawn news said in the report. We have reduced the expenses of Prime Minister House by 40 per cent. I live in my own home, pay my own expenses. My (official) salary is not enough to cover the expenses of my own household, he said at an event. The premier also said that his expenses on foreign trips were 10 times less than those spent by leaders before him. Describing his participation in the World Economic Forums annual meeting as the cheapest official visit, Khan had said that his trip was sponsored by his friends and well-known businessmen Ikram Sehgal and Imran Chaudhry. This is not the first time the Prime Ministers salary has come under public discussion. Last year, it was reported that Khan earned less than federal and provincial ministers. As per his February 2019 salary slip, the Prime Minister is entitled to a gross salary of 201,574 Pakistani rupees which is reduced to 196,979 after tax and other deductions. The leadership of the Palestinian Authority doesn't want the deal. These leaders retain their relevance from conflict and make their money by stealing aid. They also have no clue how to run a successful, modern state. Hamas doesn't want it. It, too, wants to maintain relevance and to steal. Hamas has also formally pledged not only to destroy Israel, but to kill every Jew on Earth. (Call it a cheap way to curry favor on Western university campuses.) Iran and Erdogan's Turkey don't want it because their regional ambitions require division and discord among smaller states, as well as a path to Muslim world leadership by taking on the "Zionist entity." After years of Palestinian Authority and/or Hamas misrule, it's not clear what percentage of the average Arab population living under these corrupt tyrannies really wants more of the same ad nauseam, which is what statehood would bring. At the same time, it does not follow that these people therefore want to live in peace with or as part of Israel. The genius of the Arab mind is simultaneously holding contradictory positions. For example, the Iraqis rejoiced at Saddam's fall while hating the Americans for the humiliating overthrow of their strongman and cakewalk over the Arab world's mightiest army. Likewise, the Arabs living in Gaza, Judea, and Samaria can admire Israel and the Jews for their accomplishments while hating them for these same accomplishments, dreaming of Israel's destruction so as to eliminate the shame of being bested by Jews. So whom is the deal for? The map of Trump's proposed Deal of the Century says much. No viable state can be cobbled from that patchwork. But a fig leaf can. The Deal of the Century is not for the Arabs living in Gaza, Judea, or Samaria. The deal is for the regimes of existing Arab states, many of which have had enough of the "Palestinian" farce. They want the political, security, and economic benefits flowing from normalizing relations with Israel. Iran, an Islamist Turkey, and economic stagnation represent existential threats to Arab regimes from which the plight of the so-called "Palestinians" can no longer distract. The deal is a fig leaf for Arab states to move away from the Three Nos of the 1967 Arab League Summit. Meanwhile, Trump will apply one of his signature Art of the Deal techniques, which is to worsen the Palestinian Authority's and Hamas's best alternative to a negotiated agreement. The U.S. will permit the Israelis to begin implementing their part of the deal while encouraging other Arabs states to come to the table on political, security, and economic issues. What will the Palestinian Authority and Hamas then do? The risk is, and always has been, not that the Palestinian Authority and Hamas will say "no," but that they will say "yes." A "yes" would blow apart the Israeli right, much of which has no intention to yield any of the Jews' G-d-given birthright to Judea and Samaria. A rump state would also be a foothold from which illegal migration could seep into Israel's economy and society. What then is the calculus of the Israeli right? As anti-Semitism grows in Europe and North America, and as Israel's prominence in the world knowledge economy (e.g., I.T., life sciences, agri-sciences, energy, etc.) increases, more Jews will move to Israel. At some point, a one-state solution Israel from the Jordan River to the Sea (excluding Gaza) will become possible without upsetting the demographic requirements for Israel to remain both a Jewish and a democratic state. (See Caroline Glick's book on this possibility.) The deal seems predicated on the "Palestinians" never "missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity." This, at least, is what Netanyahu's coalition appears to be banking on. So far, so good. Editor's note: An earlier version of this piece incorrectly attributed the author. A special Air India flight to evacuate a large number of Indians stranded at China's coronavirus-hit Wuhan city is scheduled to leave on Saturday morning for home. IMAGE: A B747 aircraft of the Air India at the IGI Airport before its departure for coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China to bring back Indians, in New Delhi, on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo The flight arrived at Wuhan's Tianhe International Airport on Friday evening. India announced plans to operate two flights from Wuhan to airlift around 400 students stranded in Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus, officially known as 2019-nCoV. Wuhan is the provincial capital of Hubei province. Over 700 Indians, mostly medical students and research scholars, study in the local universities. Many had left for home earlier to avail the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival Holidays. While the official number of students to be airlifted in the two flights is not known, Indians who reached the Wuhan airport on Friday said they were told that 374 were expected to be airlifted by the Air India flight. Ahead of the Indian flights, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi flights have been listed to leave with their nationals. The airport, which was earlier closed for all air traffic, has been opened in the last two days to allow a number of countries to evacuate their nationals. India announced plans to operate a second flight on Saturday. While Friday's flight is scheduled to take mostly those stranded in Wuhan, Saturday's flight is expected to take those held up in Hubei province. Though the Indian officials have made elaborate arrangements to evacuate the Indian nationals in coordination with their Chinese counterparts, the travel to the airport became arduous for the stranded Indians as the city is under lockdown for about a week with all internal and external travel banned. IMAGE: Cockpit crew led by Amitabh Singh, Director (Operations), Air India, in the B747 aircraft on Friday. Photograph: PTI Photo The Indians were picked up by special buses operated by the Chinese government from designated spots. For many, it turned out to be a long wait in the cold in the virus-hit city due to the delay in arrival of the buses. At the airport, they were screened on arrival and waited for the gates to open to go to the terminal. India has taken an undertaking from the Indians travelling in the two flights that they would be quarantined for 14 days after their arrival, besides undergoing special checks at the Wuhan airport. The 423-seater jumbo B747 plane, which took off from the Delhi airport at around 1.20 pm (local time), is likely to return early on Saturday, officials said. "Some of us have reached the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport while some others are on their way," a student, who did not want to be identified, told PTI over phone. There are five doctors from Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) hospital and one paramedical staff on board, they said, adding that around 400 Indians are expected to be evacuated. About Friday's flight, the spokesperson said, "A team of five doctors from RML hospital, one paramedical staff from Air India, with prescribed medicines from doctors, masks, overcoats, packed food are in the aircraft." Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani said, "No service will take place in the plane. Whatever food is there will be kept in seat pockets. As there will be no service, there will be no interaction (between cabin crew and passengers)." A team of engineers, security personnel are also there in the special aircraft. The whole rescue mission is being lead by Captain Amitabh Singh, Director (Operations), Air India, the spokesman said, adding that there are five cockpit crew and 15 cabin crew on Friday's special flight. The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. EAM Jaishankar thanks Chinese FM Wang Yi for help External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday thanked his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for China's cooperation in the evacuation of Indians from Wuhan. After his telephonic conversation with Wang, Jaishankar, in a tweet, said both sides agreed to stay in touch as China dealt with the challenge of the coronavirus. 'Called Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi today to thank him for the cooperation extended by the Chinese government for the departure of Indian students and professionals from Wuhan. As China deals with the #coronavirus challenge, we agreed to stay in touch,' Jaishankar tweeted. 'We have established contact with over 600 Indians across the province and are individually ascertaining their willingness to be repatriated. 'Our Mission in Beijing is working round-the-clock on the ground to work out the necessary logistics,' External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said on Thursday. The Founder and leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo, has denied attacking the General Secretary of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Mordechai Thiombiano Lompo at Thursday's IPAC meeting. According to Kofi Akpaloo it was Hassan Ayariga who was rather engaged in a scuffle and not him. Giving an account on what transpired at the meeting, the NDC National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo said had it not being the intervention of The Most Reverend Charles Gabriel Palmer- Buckle, the immediate past Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra blood would have flowed at the meeting. He said it all started when Kofi Akpaloo decided to start recording Hassan Ayariga with his mobile phone when he was on floor making his presentation. On seeing this, the APC General Secretary prompted him to stop and that was the beginning of the whole scuffle. "From Archbishop to Angel . . . I don't even know how he managed to save the situation," he said. Akaploo's Bad Faith He said while the meeting was still ongoing, they got information that the LPG Leader had dashed out to hold a briefing with the media which was an act of bad faith against the decision of all parties involved to issue a communique after the meeting. "He demonstrated an act of bad faith . . . if he is a leader of a party then he should behave as such, he is losing the respect I have for him," Mr. Ofosu Ampofo told Adakabre Frimpong Manso on Thursday. "He cannot deny it, everybody was there," he added. But speaking in an interview on Neat FM's 'Me Man Nti' programme, Thursday, the LPG leader said he never engaged in any fight at the meeting. Listen to Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo's account in the video below 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 Today, at midnight Brussels time or 11 p.m. in London there will be a party in Parliament square to mark the moment the U.K. leaves the European Union. There will be flag-waving and much mutual back-slapping. More than three tumultuous years have passed since the country voted to leave the EU, and finally, Brexit is here. Britain is "Taking Back Control." At first, nothing practical will change. For the rest of 2020, a "transition period" deal is in place that means the U.K. remains part of the single market and customs union. Trade and travel remain easy and free what a luxury but beyond December 31 this year, uncertainty looms. Nobody knows exactly what the U.K.'s relationship with the economic superpower next door will be when this date arrives, but the two deciding Brexit votes first the referendum, and then the general election Tory landslide late last year offer a glimpse into what kind of Britain will emerge from the safe confines of the single market. While the country remains bitterly divided, there is cause for hope. Trade negotiations now begin between the U.K. government basking in its fresh and resounding electoral mandate and Brussels. Both the EU and the U.K. want to maintain unfettered access to the other's market, but they must first agree the extent to which their industries share regulations. The U.K. government wants total divergence in regulations to honor Brexit and "Take Back Control" and the EU wants total alignment to protect its industries from British companies that, without shared regulation, may face lower taxes or other advantages such as lenient environmental standards. Both sides say they will refuse to budge, but both are driven by a shared interest to arrive at a tariff-free arrangement in the end. The genius of the phrase "Take Back Control" which was the driving philosophy of the Leave movement in the run-up to 2016's Brexit referendum is that it can mean anything you want it to. Take back control to do what, exactly? For libertarians it meant they could turn Britain into a "Singapore on Thames" free to lower taxes and unleash business. For the nostalgic it meant getting back to how things were however they were for you. Some of the more poisonous types wanted to make the country more racially pure. For many Labour voters, however, it meant extricating the country from the global free market in order to take back control of their lives and livelihood. All of these formed the "Brexit coalition" that the Conservatives held together to win big in December's general election, and the most important of the group was the latter. These were the "red wall" voters who carried the party to a massive majority in parliament. Story continues Economically, these voters wanted protection from a system that sucked the winnings first to London and then to the wealthiest Londoners. They wanted to be richer, and, maybe more importantly, to feel the dignity of secure work, a dignity that had been missing since the Conservatives exposed their regional industries to the cold logic of global capitalism in the '80s. The Conservative party knows it is in a fight to retain these voters, most of whom would never have voted Tory if it werent for Brexit, and the government is very deliberately moving to give them economic rewards for their support. Across the North, in the "red wall" regions that swung the election for the Conservative party, ministers are publicly pursuing a policy of "levelling up" with Keynesian investment in infrastructure and public services. Even if the economics of this effort turn out to prove faulty, it remains politically sharp. The voters left behind by global capitalism are being told they are respected. In their desperation to hold on to power in the Brexit maelstrom, the Tories have stumbled upon a kind of populism that eschews easy left-right categorization, and it works. Whisper it, but they may even have found the new political center. Conservative determination to repay and re-enlist northern voters means it is unlikely any of the industries that support those communities will be sacrificed in trade negotiations in the name of "taking back control." Car manufacturing, steel, textiles the U.K. government will surely see securing these industries free access to the EU single market as a first priority for trade talks. The deep irony here is that these people voted to leave the EU, and now they may be tied back into it as thanks for doing so but maybe the Conservatives are on to something. Maybe for the voters in left-behind areas, taking back control never meant any of the things it did for the libertarians, protectionists, socialists, or nationalists. It meant securing investment not handouts, but a support structure to allow them to work to access the bounties of the global economy and respect. The Tories won power, and Brexit, because they listened to these voters. Even if, as is almost certain, the U.K. economy outside the EU will be smaller and weaker than it would have been in the alternate universe where it stayed put, saying so in the future will be hopelessly counterfactual and unconstructive. The economic detriments of Brexit will come slowly, and there will be no rush of evidence to prove remainers right no "I told you so" moment. What can be hoped for is a reborn, or at least refreshed, domestic politics. It won't be perfect, of course, but it may offer a new map that leaves the tired left-right paradigm behind, and maybe even starts to close England's North-South divide. Want more essential commentary and analysis like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. More stories from theweek.com Mitch McConnell's rare blunder John Bolton just vindicated Nancy Pelosi All the president's turncoats Prosecutors have won permission to call three other women to testify about the way Mr. Weinstein attacked them to establish a pattern of behavior, even though he was not charged with crimes in those cases. The trial was one of the most highly anticipated proceedings in recent memory, seen by many as an important moment in the #MeToo movement, which was set in motion in October 2017, when, after years of whispers, several women went public with their allegations that Mr. Weinstein had sexually harassed or assaulted them. Ms. Mann said she met Mr. Weinstein at an engagement party in the Hollywood Hills either in 2012 or 2013. Over the next several weeks, he cultivated a friendship with her, she said. He took her to a bookstore on Sunset Boulevard where he bought her four books, telling her it was important to understand film history. Then there was the dinner at an Italian restaurant with his assistant, where Mr. Weinstein said he wanted to plug Ms. Mann into his system. They met again at a bar at the Peninsula Beverly Hills hotel, where the producer suddenly asked about Ms. Manns personal life, upbringing and fathers finances, she said. She told him she had grown up poor in a trailer park. He became irritated when guests at the bar recognized him, and he asked to move the conversation to his hotel suite. There he asked her to give him a massage, and she said she reluctantly agreed. Mr. Weinstein, she said, had a lot, a lot of blackheads on his back, she recalled. Within the month, they met again at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills, where the producer told Ms. Mann and a friend that they would make perfect leads in the film Vampire Academy. He invited them to his hotel suite to review the scripts, but when Ms. Mann expressed concern, he said, I am a harmless old man. Sensibility and partnership are essential for humanity to prevail and overcome this ongoing demonic plague. by Chen Hong As people worldwide have joined together to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, it is disturbing to see a resurgence in "yellow peril" mythology. Such hysteria is not only circulating on social media, but has also emerged in Western media outlets. Each food culture has a culinary distinctiveness. It is true that some diners, Chinese and non-Chinese, prepare unorthodox dishes with recipes that include certain animals and plants, and in many cases are based on the delusion that exotic creatures have nourishing and medicinal qualities. Such culinary traditions are gradually discouraged in China, and trading endangered wildlife is a criminal offense. Since the epidemic originated from Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province and the virus was believed to come from a seafood market in the city, Chinese cuisine is being slandered for its alleged use of wildlife, thus rekindling the racist narrative that has been in the background of the Western subconscious mind. Video footage of a Chinese woman holding a bat with her chopsticks over a soup bowl was later confirmed to be a clip from a travel promotional video filmed on the Pacific island of Palau where bat stew is a local traditional delicacy. Another clip depicting the rampant bat trade market featured captions that said it was filmed in Wuhan but was actually shot in Sulawesi, Indonesia. Bats and other exotic creatures are not menu items found at most Chinese restaurants, but this did not prevent a group of French teenagers from barging into a Chinese restaurant in Paris and making malicious inquiries about bat soup. An Australian tabloid, the Herald Sun, featured the headline "Chinese virus PANDAMONIUM," while another, the Daily Telegraph, demanded, "China kids stay home" as the start of the new school year approaches. The Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, blasphemed the Chinese national flag with coronavirus particles, triggering indignation of Chinese people worldwide. Although the Daily Telegraph issued an apology at its Letters section concerning its controversial headline, the deep-seated discrimination against Chinese still lingers. Such racialization of the ongoing pandemic is against morality and humanity and should be refuted and condemned. The dark pages of history included discriminatory portrayals of so-called uncivilised Third World civilizations from Asia, Africa and South America, and were described as having "barbarous, filthy and unhealthy" eating and living habits. Such racist descriptions were not mere products of the Western misperception of the other cultures, but they were exploited and weaponized to justify Western colonization. Despite that the colonization era has long gone, misconceptions of non-Western cultures persist and discrimination is lurking and spreading quickly when issue breaks out. Indeed, people everywhere in the world should be vigilant against such xenophobia, which can revive and incite racism. There are even more alarming signs that some forces have been taking advantage of such xenophobic thinking to stoke the "China threat" mentality. Juanita Nathan, chair of the board of the York District School in Ontario, Canada and the school's education director Louise Sirisko warned against the risks of bias and racism toward students from China "in the name of safety" amidst speculations over the spread of the novel coronavirus based on race. Such sensibility is admired and applauded. While we salute the self-sacrificing dedication and heroism of the medical professionals and citizens in Wuhan and elsewhere in China, the coronavirus outbreak will prompt Chinese health and law enforcement authorities to strengthen its crackdown on wildlife trade. Emergency public health responses will undergo major overhaul. The public health emergency response is not only China's. The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was correct in his recent comment about China's commitment to the principles of solidarity and cooperation with the world to combat the crisis. He stressed upon facts not fear, science not rumour, solidarity not stigma in the world's concerted struggle against the endemic. Sensibility and partnership are essential for humanity to prevail and overcome this ongoing demonic plague. The author is a professor from the East China Normal University BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 31 By Eldar Janashvili - Trend: The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) is currently assessing AtaBank's liquidity and other financial indicators, Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) Elman Rustamov told reporters at a press conference on Jan. 31, Trend reports. According to Rustamov, AtaBank has really serious problems on these matters. The CBA chairman noted that such a case is not new for Azerbaijan, and financial stability department is working on this issue. In any case, Rustamov noted, the bank's customers should not worry about their deposits - any decision regarding AtaBank will in no way affect the interests of its customers. The CBA is holding a press conference on the change in the discount rate. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili All five defendants in case over abuse of office against journalist Golunov detained RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 00:01 31/01/2020 MOSCOW, January 31 (RAPSI) All five ex-police officers involved in a case over abuse of power against journalist Ivan Golunov, have been placed in detention for two months, until March 29, RAPSI has reported from the courtroom. Defendants are ex-Moscow narcotics control policemen Denis Konovalov, Akbar Sergaliyev, Roman Feofanov, Maxim Umetbayev and ex-chief of their department Igor Lyakhovets. They are charged with abuse of power, evidence tampering and illegal drug trafficking. All the men plead not guilty Investigators believe that they planted drugs on Golunovs bag and apartments. Thus, they falsified the results of operative search activity that later became inculpatory evidence against Golunov in a drug dealing case; however, the drugs had been earlier illegally bought and kept by the police officers, according the Investigative Committee. In late December, investigators opened the case over arrest of Golunov. The journalist was recognized as an injured party. There are five defendants in the case; all of them have been dismissed from police. Golunov was arrested in Moscow on June 6. On June 8, the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow placed him under house arrest for 2 months. According to the Interior Ministrys official statement, police seized nearly 4 grams of methylmethedrone from Golunov. The journalist pleaded not guilty, insisted that the drugs were planted on him during the arrest and claimed that his prosecution is related to his journalistic investigations. According to his defense, an examination showed no drugs in his biomaterial. On June 11, charges against Golunov were dropped because of a lack of evidence that he participated in the crime, and the journalist was released. On June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed two generals of police on the back of the arrest of Golunov. Four more companies have recalled infant inclined sleepers over suffocation risks to babies. A total of 165,000 inclined sleepers are being voluntarily recalled by Delta Children, Evenflo, Graco and Summer Infant, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Infant fatalities have been reported with other manufacturers inclined sleep products, after the infants rolled from their back to their stomach or side, or under other circumstances, the CPSC says in the recalls. Inclined sleepers have accounted for more than 70 deaths, reports say, though none are related to the current products on recall. More than 30 deaths were tied to the Fisher-Price Rock n Play Sleeper, according to an investigation published last April by Consumer Reports. The product was recalled by the CPSC. The dozens of infant deaths eventually led Congress to launch an investigation last August. The American Academy of Pediatrics has supported the removal of inclined sleep products from the market entirely. Pediatricians have long understood that there is no such thing as a safe inclined sleeper for babies, the organization wrote in a statement last year. Consumers whove purchased any of the recalled sleepers should stop using them immediately and call the company for a refund. For more information on the four recalls, visit CPSC.gov. Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Islamabad: Pakistan on Friday offered to send a field hospital and a team of doctors to China to help fight coronavirus that has killed over 200 people and infected thousands of others. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had a telephone conversation with China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and conveyed his condolences on the loss of lives. "On behalf of the government of Pakistan, the Foreign Minister extended the offer of sending a field hospital to China as well as sending a group of doctors to the brotherly people of China to assist them in the recovery efforts," the Foreign Office said. Qureshi also thanked China for helping Pakistani students in Wuhan. Wang, on behalf of Premier Li Keqiang, conveyed a special message of gratitude to Prime Minister Imran Khan for Pakistan's support and solidarity with the Chinese people and thanked Qureshi for Pakistan's offer. The Pakistani students in China were being treated "like our own", Wang said, adding that China was doing everything to ensure their safety, health and well-being. The death toll in China's coronavirus epidemic spiked to 213 and total infections reached 9,692, the government said on Friday as the World Health Organisation declared the outbreak that has spread to more than a dozen countries, including India, as a global health emergency. About 20 countries, including India, the UK, US, South Korea, Japan and France, have reported confirmed cases of the virus in travellers coming from China. Boris Johnson Britain begins the day as a member of the European Union. Its status at the end of the day as a proud nation that has reclaimed its sovereignty, or a diminished presence in Europe and the world will still be up for debate. Britain officially departs the EU at 11 pm local time Friday, midnight in Brussels (2300 GMT, 6 pm EST). The departure comes 3 years after the country voted by a margin of 52%-48% to walk away from the club that it had joined in 1973. It's the first time a country has left the EU, and many in the bloc regard it as a sad day. In Brussels, European Council President Charles Michel and EU Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen are due to sketch out the EU's first steps as a group of 27, rather than 28. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to meet in the morning with his Cabinet in the pro-Brexit town of Sunderland, in northeast England. He is scheduled to deliver a televised address to the country an hour before departure, calling Brexit "not an end but a beginning." According to his office, he will describe it as "a moment of real national renewal and change." The government hopes the moment will be marked in a dignified, nontriumphalist fashion, with red, white and blue lights illuminating government buildings and a countdown clock projected onto the prime minister's 10 Downing St. residence. Some Brexit supporters will be holding more raucous celebrations. Arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage and his band of devotees will gather for patriotic songs and speeches in London's Parliament Square to mark a moment that even Farage sometimes doubted would ever come. Britain was never a wholehearted EU member, but actually leaving the bloc was long considered a fringe idea. It gradually gained strength within the Conservative Party, which has a wing of fierce "euroskeptics" opponents of EU membership. Former Prime Minister David Cameron eventually agreed to hold a referendum, saying he wanted to settle the issue once and for all. It hasn't worked out that way. Since the 2016 vote, the UK has held fractious negotiations with the EU that finally, late last year, secured a deal on divorce terms. But Britain is leaving the bloc arguably as divided as it was on referendum day. By and large, Britain's big cities voted to stay in the EU, while small towns voted to leave. England and Wales backed Brexit, while Northern Ireland and Scotland voted to remain. In Edinburgh, the EU flag will not be lowered outside the Scottish Parliament on Friday night. Lawmakers there voted to keep it as a symbol of their opposition to Brexit. Scotland's pro-EU government will also light up two government buildings in the blue and yellow of the EU flag on Friday. Scottish Brexit Secretary Mike Russell urged the EU to "leave a light on for Scotland" so that it could eventually return. The governing Scottish National Party wants Scotland to become an independent EU member country, separate from the UK. "It is a stark fact that tomorrow we leave, dragged out against our will, despite the clear instruction of the Scottish people," Russell said Thursday. London, which is home to more than 1 million EU citizens, also voted by a wide margin to stay in the bloc. Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has linked the Brexit vote to a rise in xenophobic abuse, said Britain's capital would remain "a truly global, European city." "We continue to be a beacon for progressive ideas, for liberal values and for decency and diversity," Khan said in a statement. "And we will continue to welcome people from around the world, regardless of the color of their skin, the color of their passport or the colors of their national flag." Britain's departure is a historic moment, but it only marks the end of the first stage of the Brexit saga. When Britons wake up on Saturday, they will notice very little change. The UK and the EU have given themselves an 11 month "transition period" -- in which the UK will continue to follow the bloc's rules -- to strike new agreements on trade, security and a host of other areas. Negotiations are due to start in March, and the early signs are not encouraging. Britain says it will not agree to follow an EU rule book in return for unfettered trade. The bloc insists there can be no trade deal unless Britain agrees to a "level playing field" and does not undercut EU regulations. Johnson's government hopes to negotiate a deal with the EU alongside a free trade agreement with the United States. That's also likely to be contentious. Opposition politicians are already raising concerns about issues ranging from food-safety standards - especially the US practice of chlorine-washing chicken to kill germs - to drug prices. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who met Johnson in London on Thursday, said the US would put Britain "at the front of the line" in its trade relationships after Brexit. The No. 1 thing high-net-worth people need to be aware of is theyre always targets, said Mark G. McCreary, chief privacy officer at the Fox Rothschild law firm. Anyone who is a celebrity is constantly posting where they are and where theyll be. Social media not only presents an opportunity for criminals, he said, it provides them with more personal details about you, which allows them to create the mosaic they can use to impersonate you. Protecting yourself starts with knowing how you are open to attack. Here are some common vulnerabilities and solutions for each. Have a worry-free vacation In this share-all age, the idea of not posting photos of your every moment on social media is anathema. After all, how could someone who posts a photo of grilled lamb chops at home refrain from posting an image of Moroccan lamb served al fresco in Casablanca? But those instant posts do more than alert bad guys that youre not grilling in your backyard. They tell criminals about your likes and dislikes and help them create a fuller portrait of who you are and what might be lurking in your email should they hack it. Vacations, in general, are fraught with risk. The hotel Wi-Fi network should never be used, because it exposes your devices to hacking. Use the hot spot on your phone instead, and never log into your financial accounts on a public network. Some Wi-Fi hotel networks are outright fakes. David W. Fox Jr., president of the global family and private investment offices group at Northern Trust, said he cautioned clients about logging into hotel networks that look legitimate but have a twist on the hotels name. You click on it and get in, and you just downloaded all the information on your phone, he said.